Chapter 8: A Promise Kept
Sakura's sleep was filled with nightmares. Thoughts of her obeying her sisters and reveling her husbands identity. Leaning over him and reveling his soft pale skin, his soft brown hair, his kind brown eyes... those eyes filled with horror and hurt. She woke from these nightmares in her silk bed.
Thank goodness... she thought, peering through the darkness it was all a dream... she smiled lightly and placed her hand next to her, where her husband was.
Or where he should have been.
When her hand touched nothing but the bed she began to weep again.
"O sisters..." she wept "How could you? You've ruined my life with your suspicions!! O sisters!!! How could you?" she buried her face in her pillow and cried for a long time. Every so often she would move slightly, just so she knew it was real, but while moving her hand she heard a crinkling sound. She looked over and moved her hand across the bed. Laying on her husband's pillow was a letter. She searched her stand for the oil lamp and quickly lit it so she could see what the paper said.
It was a note from Li. The old scroll like paper had water marks on it, the mere idea that he had been crying hurt Sakura, but his words hurt her more.
'O foolish Sakura, is this how you repay my love? After I disobeyed my mother's wishes and made you my wife, you think I'm a monster and bring a knife to behead me? But go; return to your sisters, whose advice you'd take rather then mine. I will command no punishment upon you, except that I will leave you forever. Love cannot dwell where suspicion lays.' and he signed it as Syaoran
Sakura clutched the note in her hands, sobbing.
"O sisters...." she said between tears. "O Li... dear sweet Li. I didn't mean to hurt you... if I could go back I would do it differently. I should have never questioned you, my love. O Li..... O Li..."
slowly she folded the scroll and slid it into her robes.
"I will do what ever I can to repay you, my love. No matter what it takes I will repay you."
Gasping for air between her tears Sakura fainted.
--
When she woke she didn't find her castle, or her beloved husband, or the softness of Shot's hand in her's. Her castle was gone, her feilds of flowers were gone. She found herself in a field not far from her mother and father's castle. She stood, her legs shaking, her mind searching for all of the answers. Everytime she wakes she rejoices with the idea that it may have all just been a nightmare, and every time she wakes she relives the reality again.
She started to make her way to her Father's familiar castle, longing for the comforting arms of her brother. She glided like a ghost across the ground, she seemed almost like a creature from another world, and that is the way people looked at her as she wandered towards her castle. The people of the town stared in awe to see the once happy and beautiful Sakura starring at the ground, wearing dirty robes, gliding through town as if she was the only one there.
"S-Sakura?"
The voice broke Sakura from her trance. Her green eyes slowly moved to the owner of the voice. She found her brother standing there in shock. Her face changed into something much sadder and she began to cry again. Her legs gave out and she hit the ground.
"Toya.. brother! Help me!" she managed to say.
He ran to her and picked her up in his strong arms.
"Shh.." he said quietly, trying to comfort her. "It is ok.. Sakura... it will be ok."
"No.. no it wont..." she whispered back, looking into her brother's face.
He moved quickly, carrying his little sister back to her castle.
--
Li returned to his mother's castle early in the morning. It was still dark out when he wandered in her doors. His eyes were filled with tears and he didn't have the energy to go any farther. He slid down the wall and pulled his knees to his chest and tried to pretend like nothing had happened. He tried to convince himself that his decision was the right one.
One of Ruby Moon's servants found him there and ran off after his mother. A few moments later Ruby came running out to her son.
"What's happened?" She asked quickly, kneeling down beside him.
He looked up at her and debated on what to tell her. He didn't want to be punished for disobeying her.. he didn't want to admit that this wasn't a dream.
"What's happened?" she repeated herself, sounding worried.
"Mother..." he said in a weak voice. "I've lied to you."
She was silent, waiting for him to tell his story.
"Princess Sakura..." he said quietly.
"What about her?" Ruby was defensive.
"I didn't give her to the serpent..." he said quietly.
She looked angry and worried.
"What do you mean?" she replied.
"I'm in love with her, mother." Li said in a quiet voice.
"What have you done?" she asked sternly.
Li burried his face in his knees for a moment. He may be a god himself, but he is still afraid of his mother.
"I took her back with me to my castle.." he said quietly. In a way he prayed that she didn't hear him.
"You did what?!" she was angry, but longing to hear the rest of the story.
"We were married there." Li closed his eyes and remembered that day.
"You know humans cannot marry gods!! You know they aren't aloud to see you!" Ruby said angrily.
"She never did! Or.. she wasn't supposed to." he said quietly.
"What do you mean?"
"I only came home at night when she couldn't see me. We were happy for months, mother. Everything was fine."
"What did the little witch do?!" Ruby asked in an angry tone.
"She made herself sick from missing her family.. so I asked Yukito to bring her family to see her. They never saw me. I was here the whole time." he said quickly, before she could scold him for allowing even more humans into his castle.
"Her sisters convinced her that I was a monster.. they talked her into taking a knife into our bedroom, and an oil lamp. When I was asleep she was supposed to turn on the light and if i was a monster she was to kill me." the words hurt Li. They caused him to cry again. The very idea that the person he loved so much could betray him so, it hurt him worse then that knife ever could.
"Of course she did!" Ruby said loudly. "She is a worthless human! Syaoran. Of course she was going to hurt you." she sighed.
"Don't say it that way!' Li said. "She wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for her sisters."
"But she did do it, didn't she?" Ruby said coldly. "You can't expect anything more from a human."
"She loved me..." Li told himself more then his mother.
"She had quite the way of showing it."
"She thought her sisters were trying to protect her." Li tried to defend Sakura from his mother.
"She should have thought for herself."
There was silence for a long moment.
"I loved her." he says quietly. "I love her."
"I know." Ruby said, touching her son's shoulder. "Things will get better with time."
Li curled closer to himself and remained quiet while his mother ran her fingers through his hair, trying to calm him down.
--
Toya was quick to gather the family around Sakura, who refused to change clothes. He had sat her on their couch, her mother and father sat on either side of her, her siblings sat across from her. She was crying.
"What happened?" her mother asked, tears in her eyes.
"Was he a serpent?" Meilin asked quickly, thinking that was the only explanation.
"No." Sakura covered her face. "No! No he wasn't!!"
"Then what was he?" Chiharu asked.
"He is Syaoran." Sakura said quietly.
There was a hush fall over the room. The god of love was in love with Sakura.
"He woke up when I was standing over him with the lamp. He left me.. he had to. I fainted and when I woke I was in the field at the edge of town." Sakura covered her face and started crying again.
Nadeshiko held her daughter close, not holding back her tears for her youngest.
"What are you going to do?" Fujitaka asked quietly.
"I... don't know.." Sakura said quietly.
"There isn't anything she can do." Meilin said. Her face almost showed sympathy, but on the inside she was glad.
"It's not your choice!" Toya snapped at Meilin.
Everyone looked over at him, speechless.
"It's your fault this happened in the first place!!" Toya glared at Meilin, who wouldn't make eye contact.
Toya kneeled in front of Sakura and smiled gently at her.
"Look what listening to your sisters got you... Sakura, what is it that you're going to do?"
Her green eyes met her brother's. His smile was gentle and comforting.
"I don't know..." she replied quietly. "I don't know what to do."
"Did you really love Li?" he asked, wiping her tears away.
She nodded twice. "With all of my heart."
"Then what does your heart tell you to do?" he asked.
She thought for a long moment. "I want to find him and apologize." she said. "I want him to know that it is the biggest mistake of my life."
"Then there you go! Find a way to get back to Olympus! Go talk to Clow Reed, I'll help you find a way, sis. I promise." Toya said with a smile.
Sakura sniffed and looked at him, her lips turned up into a small smile. "I will ascend the mountain tomorrow.. perhaps Yukito could help me."
--
Sakura had slept in her brother's bed that night. She felt lonely in a bed by herself, and her brother didn't want to let her go.
But in the morning Sakura left, just as she said she would. She started on her way up the mountain, praying that when she gets to the top her husband would be there to greet her. Her spirits were high, her brother wished her well before she went and promised to pray for her.
She promised to return if she failed in her quest.
Before she reached the top of the mountain she noticed a building that she hadn't before. A small stone temple was tucked back in the trees.
Perhaps he's there. She thought to herself, and she slowly walked up to the temple.
She was shocked by what she saw inside. There were piles of corn and mingled stacks of barley. Sickles, rakes, and other harvesting tools were scattered carelessly around the temple.
"This is no way to treat a shrine." Sakura said to herself.
She started picking up corn and stacking them nicely in the barrel on the right, and tieing the barley together and laying them nicely along the walls. She picked up the tools and started hanging them on their hooks on the walls. She tilted her head and admired the tools, making sure that they were straight before she turned to leave.
She was shocked to see someone standing behind her.
There, in long flowing robes, with her long purple hair, and her bright blue eyes stood the beautiful Tomoyo, the goddess of harvests.
"Dear sweet Sakura." Tomoyo said in a kind tone. "You are truly a wonderful person, Syaoron was lucky to have you." she smiled.
Sakura's eyes dropped to the ground when she heard the sound of her husband's name.
Tomoyo smiled sympathetically. She placed her hand on Sakura's cheek and lifted her green eyes to meet her own. "Don't be so sad, Sakura. You are a kind, gentle soul. All you want is to make people happy, which is why your sister's so easily led you astray.'
"I'm sorry to be so disrespectful.. but how do you know all of this?" Sakura asked quietly.
Tomoyo smiled gently. "Sakura, Ruby Moon has told many people your story. She tried to make you sound so cruel, but I knew better. Syao has better taste then that." she giggled lightly. "You have gained my sympathy, Sakura, and this was a test. I wanted to see for myself how kind you were, and you took time out of your day to clean my temple. For this I am grateful, and in return I want to help you."
"y-you.. want to help me?" Sakura was both excited, and confused. "I would be eternally grateful if you would!"
"Of course." Tomoyo smiled. "I cannot sheild you from the hateful gaze of Ruby Moon, however if you can perhaps get on her good side. This is where I have a plan. Go to her temple further down the mountain and surrender yourself to her. Be modest and greatly submissive, and if you could win her forgiveness and her favor then maybe it will help restore the husband you have lost."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!!" Sakura said bowing to Tomoyo.
"It is my pleasure." Tomoyo said with a smile. "Just promise me you will make him happy when you are with him again. He is a dear friend to me."
"I promise you." Sakura said. "Not only for you, but for him. I love Li with all of my heart, even if he will never have me back I would face any torture from Ruby Moon just to apologize to my love." Sakura said with a small smile.
"Then go, Sakura. It is only a little ways down the mountain. Fight for him, and if you get him back hold onto him with both arms and never let him go." Tomoyo smiled happily at Sakura. "I wish the best for you, and good luck." Tomoyo faded away and returned to Olympus.
Sakura bowed again and left immediately, heading towards Ruby Moon's shrine.
--
Inside the large temple of Ruby Moon, Sakura fell to her knees and prayed to the goddess. She begged and prayed for her to show herself, to give just a moment of her time. It took Ruby only a moment to appear, hovering over Sakura who was still on her knees. Ruby glared down at the princess.
"What brings you to my temple, you little wench." Ruby said.
Sakura kept her eyes on the floor.
"Did you hope to see your sick husband, laying in bed with the wound of his loveing wife? You are a monster! A disgusting monster! You betray someone who loves you with all their heart. You are the face of evil, of human beings."
Sakura choked back her tears and kept her eyes on the ground.
"I will put you to labor. I will make you work like the dog you are." Ruby grabbed Sakura by arm and started leading her to the back of the temple.
Despite the pain in Sakura's arms, or the pain in her heart, her mind wandered to the mental picture of her beloved husband laying sick in bed.
The insults don't hurt. The work doesn't scare me. Li.. my sweet Li.... I'm so sorry.... I'm so sorry. Please hear me. When I was sad and lonely you broke rules and gave me my family, and now in your time of need I am here, helpless. My beloved husband.. I will find you again. And if I only have a moment with you I promise you will know how much I love you, even if it is one sided.
I love you Li...
I love you.
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