Note: all of the creature/inanimate object cards are going to be made into humans as well, so don't worry if cards like Freeze and Loop start talking. :3
Chapter 4: Homesick
Sakura and Li had sat up most of the night talking. It seemed almost like a dream to her, all the things they talked about.
"Why did you choose me?" Sakura asked him.
"Why not?" he replied, a smile could be heard in his voice.
"Were you simply looking for a bride... and I, being one of the only princesses left un-wed.." Sakura sounded very sad. Her hands clinched at the thought that she was simply chosen as his last chance.
"No! No! Not at all." Li replied. "That isn't what I meant..." there was silence for a moment. "I had admired you for some time, princess." Even through the darkness Sakura could tell Li was blushing. She smiled at him.
"I thought that gods had better things to do then watch humans all the time." She smirked.
"You know I tired to find something else.. but I just couldn't find anything that was more important then you."
Now Sakura was blushing.
She was fighting sleep, though she could feel her eye lids getting heavy. Slowly she laid back in her bed. She could feel Li cover her with the silk blankets and he too lay beside her. His body seemed to form to her's as they lay there, and softly he kissed her on her forehead. She placed her hand on his chest and nuzzled her face into his neck. She breathed in his scent, not wanting to miss a thing. She was almost afraid to fall asleep. Afraid that it would all be a dream, but no matter how hard she fought she slowly drifted into sleep.
--
The sun had just risen, the sky painted red and pink. There was truly never a sight to compare to it... that is, except seeing it from Olympus. You could reach out and touch the clouds from there.
These were the things Li thought about as he fled back to mount Olympus. He watched the bright colors fly by him, blurring into something amazing. He was so engulfed by these colors he didn't see Ruby there in the distance. By the time he did notice her it was too late to slow his flight and he nearly crashed into her. He would have, in fact, had she not reached out and grabbed him, stopping him only a foot in front of her.
"And where have you been child?" She hissed.
"Sleeping until a few minutes ago." he said struggling away from her.
"Where were you?" She asked again, glaring.
"I was at my castle, mom." Li growled back at her.
"Since when did you stay there, kid?" She asked, looking suspicious.
"Since I got tired of being around you." he snapped back. He started to walk around her, and managed to add "you old witch." before he completely passed her.
"Who're you calling 'old', you brat!" she watched him walk to the far side of Olympus and start talking to his little friend Eriol.
Her eyes thinned out as she examined her boy. There was something strange about him. A light that the stoic boy usually didn't show. There was something different but she just couldn't place it.
But she vowed that she would find out what it was.
--
Sakura was awoken from her sleep by a small, unfamiliar voice.
"Princess... Princess Sakura."
Slowly Sakura opened her eyes, and no one was there. She sat up quickly and looked around her. Her husband was already gone.
"Good morning, Princess." the voice said again.
Sakura smiled at the voice.
"Hello m'am... who are you?" she asked nicely.
"I am Little..." the voice replied. "I am here to make your bed."
"Oh.. oh I'm sorry." Sakura said scampering out of bed. "I didn't mean to hold you from your work."
"No worried." Little replied.
A very sensual voice came into the room now. "Little! You don't wake her to make her bed, you wait until she is awake!! You dope!"
Sakura heard something that sounded like someone getting hit. Not hard, just playfully.
"Ow." Little said whining.
"Oh hush."
Sakura laughed lightly. "Hello." She said to the new voice. "And who are you, may I ask?"
"I am Voice. It's my pleasure to meet you, Princess Sakura."
"Please.. you both can call me Sakura." she smiled. "Now how can I help you Voice?"
"Oh, I'm here to pick up you dirty clothes." Voice replied with a laugh.
Sakura heard someone get hit again.
"Ow!! You little... I oughta..." This time it was Voice getting hit.
"She's not ready to get dressed yet! Now who's rushing the princess!!" Little said.
Sakura laughed. "No no, it's fine. I'll get dressed."
"Can we help?" Sakura heard the twins say together as they walked into her room.
She smiled, a little shocked. "H-hello girls."
"hi Sakura!!" the light twin said.
"Can we pick your outfit?" the dark twin asked, opening the wardrobe and searching through the clothes.
"Ow! Who pushed me?" Voice yelped.
"Sorry, it was just me. Twins why'd you run off without me?" Sand asked. She must have entered the room without notice.
"Yeah, You two need to tell us when you're leaving! What're you two doing?" Hope asked. Sakura could hear her footsteps into the room.
"We're picking her clothes for the day!" The twins say together.
"Oh i wanna help!" Hope said.
"Me too!!" Sand said.
Sakura could hear them run to the wardrobe. The five of them started arguing over what she should wear. Voice tapped her foot, and Little waved the silk blankets around on the bed, trying to straighten out every wrinkle. It was truly chaotic, and Sakura stood helplessly in the middle of it all. It got very loud in her room, so she just closed her eyes and waited for everyone to calm down, but then she heard a comforting voice.
"Wo-w.. quite the party in here don't you think?" It was Shot, come to the rescue.
"Hi shot!!" All the cards seemed to say together. There was an odd tone to their words, almost making it into a song.
"Are you girls bothering Sakura already? The sun has only just rose and her eyes are already closed as if it has been a long day." Shot said with almost a laugh.
Sakura smiled at him. She was too nice to admit that she felt a little claustrophobic, but Shot could tell.
"Alright girls, time to get out and on your way. C'mon let's go!"
"K-ay!" Little said happily, removing the last wrinkle from the bed and leaving the room.
"What are you four waiting on?" Sakura assumed Shot was talking to the Twins, Sand, and Hope.
"We're picking her outfit!" Hope said. "I think she should wear this pink one! It's pretty and it matches her name!!"
"I think she should wear the black one!" Sand said, disagreeing. "It's classic and beautiful and it's contrast against the princess' skin will make her look even more beautiful!"
"No!" the twins say together. "The blue one!! Please! She'll blend with the sky!"
"How about.." One could hear Shot walk over to the wardrobe. "She wears the black and white robes." he pulls it from the wooden closet and holds it out for Sakura to see. She nods in agreement.
"Awwwwwwwwwwlll!" the four pouted.
"Now leave her be so she can get dressed." Shot laughed. "Give her a chance to breathe people."
Shot haded the robes over to Sakura and shooed everyone else out of the room, save Voice who was still waiting patiently for her to change.
When it was finally quiet Sakura closed her bedroom door and changed into her robes. Voice took her old clothes and walked to the door, holding it open for Sakura.
"Are they always so bright in the mornings?" Sakura asked Voice as she stepped out of the room.
"Let's just say... you'll get used to it." Voice laughed.
Sakura headed left, ready to explore her new home.
--
"So.. is she everything you ever dreamed of?" Eriol asked, hanging his legs off of the edge of Olympus.
Li smiled softly. "She's more then I could have dreamed of."
"Has she no complaints?" Eriol asked, smirking at his friend.
"None that she has told me."
"No regrets? No doubts?" Eriol asked.
"What? What do you mean doubts?" Li looked confused.
"You haven't thought about it have you, Li?"
"Thought about what?"
"To he knowledge you are just a monster in disguise, waiting for the right day to eat her... that is what I told Clow to tell her."
"I... hadn't stoppped to think about that.." Li looked down. "But... she... she seemed pretty happy.."
"Well then.." Eriol laughed. "No worries! You're the god of love, what do you have to worry about? Everything will be ok."
Li smirked at his friend, but he still felt something heavy in his heart. Surely Sakura wasn't just putting on a show. She did love him too... right.
"It should never be this hard for the god of love to figure out..."
"Eriol!" a voice boomed across Olympus.
Eriol jumped to his feet. "What that him? hmmmmn I wonder what heneeds with me?" He started to walk away, but first he turned to look at Li. "Don't look so worried, my friend. Everything will turn out in the end... Deep down you know this too..." and with that Eriol went to see why he was calling for him.
Li stared off into the distant silver clouds and he wondered... just what his princess was doing at that moment.
--
"55 servants..." Sakura thought aloud. "And I've only met 13... I wonder where the others are..."
Sakura had been wandering around for a while, trying to find the other 43 servants in the castle. Finally she opened a door, and here she found many cleaning supplies. Mops, brooms, and soaps.
"Hmmnn, supply closet.." she said aloud, and she turned to close the door, but before she could she heard a voice.
"Hello Princess!" a happy voice called.
Sakura opened the door and looked inside again. Smiling brightly. "I found some! Hello to you too!!" Sakura replied happily.
"You found some? What do you mean?" the bright voice asked.
"I have been trying to find the invisible people, " giggled. "You could imagine how hard that is to accomplish."
The bright voice laughed. "I could only imagine. Why are you trying to find us Princess?"
"I was hoping to introduce myself to some more of you today."
"AH! How polite!! Well then, my name is Bubbles and I work cleaning the castle!! Would you like to meet the rest of my team?" she asked, taking Sakura's hand.
"I would love to." Sakura smiled.
The invisible figure lead Sakura past all of the cleaning supplied and to a door at the other side of the closet. But before the door opened the two of them stopped.
"Ummn.. just a fair warning, Princess... there are quite a few of us."
"I could imagine." Sakura smiled. "This is quite the large castle. I would feel terrible if there were only one person forced to clean it."
At this moment Bubbles opened the door and so many voices came out it stopped her in her tracks. It sounded like there were a ton of people in that room.
"Ahem." Bubbles coughed loudly, trying to get everyone's attention.
Slowly the voices died down and there was a thick akwardness in the room.
"This," Bubbles said loudly, "Is Princess Sakura. The Master's wife."
There was silence for a long moment before she was bombarded by voices again.
"Hi princess lady!! What are you doing here?"
"Have you kissed him yet, princess?"
"Was he nice to you?"
"Oh my, you're pretty!"
"Stop!" Bubbles laughed. "One at a time! The princess came all the way here to meet us! Let's not scare her off with all of these questions."
"Okies." the first voice spoke up again. "Hi Princess Lady, my name is Dash! It's nice to meet you." the invisible figure took Sakura's hand and shook it with the mannerisms of a child.
Sakura just giggled. "It's my pleasure Dash."
A taunting voice spoke up now. "I am Erase. Welcome to our castle.." the voice was suited to that of a jester or a trickster.
"It's not our castle Erase!!" a light voice spoke up. It's tone reminded one of crystals. "Hello Princess Sakura, my name is Freeze."
"It's nice to meet you both." Sakura giggled.
A very small voice rang out now. "My name is Glow, Princess. It's nice to finally meet you."
The voice was very feminine. Sakura couldn't help but smile at her.
"You're more beautiful then I had imagined!" A voice said in a very poetic tone. "You are more then worthy for Master Li." The voice made a high pitched "squee". "It's like a fairy tale."
"Sorry about that, Princess. Song has to be dramatic about everything." another voice snapped.
"Shut up Firey!" Song said quickly. "Why are you so mean to me?!" Song whined.
"Would you be quiet and let other people introduce themselves to the princess?!" Firey sighed. "Hello princess. Sorry.. this is a terrible first impression."
"Don't worry." Sakura smiled." First Impressions are often entirely wrong."
"T-thank you." Firey replied. You could hear the smile in her voice.
"There are still a few of us left." another voice said. "There are quite a few of us Princess."
"I am very glad to actually be meeting you all." Sakura smirked at the unknown person.
"That is very kind of you princess Sakura. My name is Dark."
"My turn! My turn my turn!! I've waited patently!" a chlid's voice came. "Hiya princess! I'm Float! I'm three hundred twelve and a half years old!!"
Sakura was wide eyed. "Are you all this old?"
"Old? She's the youngest of us all." Dark spoke out.
"Whom is the oldest?" Sakura asked, curiously.
"That.. would be me." it was a boy's voice.. but he sounded no older then his late twenties. "I am Loop. I am a millennium old."
"A millennium?!" Sakura was shocked. "Why are you here working for me? You deserve to be pampered."
"I wish these kids would think like that." Loop laughed. "But I don't mind it. This is what I want to do."
"Really?" Sakura smiled lightly. "I am very glad for you then."
there was silence for a moment. Sakura was trying to take in all of the information she had just received. She looked a little over whelmed.
"We're a bit of a... motley crew.. .aren't we?" Loop laughed.
Sakura laughed a little as well. "I am very happy to meet you all. I am very grateful for everything you do for me, and for this castle... thank you."
"Awwwwwwlll!!" Float and Song rang out together.
"No one every thanks us! Thank you princess!" Bubbles said brightly.
"And thank you, Princes, for being with our Master Li." Dash said.
"Indeed you have made him the happiest he has ever been." Erase said.
"Ever since the moment he first saw you he seemed to smile more." Freeze said.
"You're a nice healthy escape from his mother." Glow said.
"His.. mother?" Sakura looked confused.
"Glow! That was inappropriate!" Firey snapped.
"He.. doesn't like his mother... to be honest I wasn't aware that he had a mother." Sakura replied, looking at the floor.
"He certaintly didn't appear from thin air" Loop replied.
Sakura smiled out of habit, but the look on her face gave away the fact that she was uneasy.
"What' wrong princess?" Bubbles asked worried.
"I.. can't believe someone couldn't love one's mother." Sakura looked at the floor.
"His mother is horrible." Dark replied to her.
"Well mine wasn't." Sakura smiled weakly. "Even if she wasn't I could never imagine not loving her. She was so beautiful.. so kind." Sakura laughed lightly. "She always knew what to say and what to do... I remember being sick as a child and she would take the time out of her busy day and come stay with me. She would sing me lullabies and lay next to me in bed... she would never leave my side."
"She sounds wonderful." Bubbles smiled.
"She is... I really... really miss her." Sakura smiled still, yet it was rehearsed. The smile you see royalty have when riding through their towns.
It was a smile so fake, it almost seemed real.
"Are you ok Princess?" Dash asked lightly.
"I am.. I'm.. .just not feeling very good all of a sudden." Sakura replied.
"Have a touch of home sickness, I see." Loop said lightheartedly.
"But this is her home." Bubbles replied, confused.
"Not yet it isn't.." Loop replied. "Call for Shot, princess. He'll take you for food and rest."
Loop lead Sakura outside of the work room and together they stood in the hallway.
"Shot..." sakura said idly.
"Hello there Loop." Shot said. "What is wrong princess?"
Sakura didn't reply, she was thought in her memories of her family. She felt tears welling up in her eyes.
"She has a touch of home sickness, Shot. I think she needs some food and rest." Loop spoke for her.
"Oh dear. Come on Princess. Let's go." Shot took her by her hand and lead her down the long hallways into the large dining area.
It's all so beautiful.Sakura thought to herself. They're all so kind to me...
I don't want this to be a glorafied prison...
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