The Rules - Revised- Chapter Eight

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The Rules, Revised

Recap:In the end Syaoran didn’t manage to get any sleep but he’d stayed laying in his bed for the entire night just thinking. He had an insane urge to throw himself off a cliff. A knock sounded from the door, quickly he got up and opened it. Wei stood before him in a state of panic.

“Wei?” Syaoran asked, he’d never seen the old man look so worried. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Kinomoto-san, he’s come to pick up Sakura.” Wei panted. “And he’s brought henchmen.”

Chapter Eight

Syaoran’s eyes widened, he had to get to Sakura. Immediately, in last nights clothes, he sprinted to Sakura’s room. He knocked once before opening it. Sakura was there. He sighed in relief.

“What are you doing here?” She said grumpily.

“Your father…” He panted. “In the common room… brought… henchmen… run…”

“My father? But…I haven’t even called him yet.” She said. “I should go talk to him.” Syaoran blocked the door.

“No, no, no and no!” He said, “You are not going out there. I’ll deal with this. You stay here.” Syaoran ran out of the room, slowing to a walk when he reached the stairwell. Dignified he walked down the stairs hoping he could act as if he didn’t know anything. It’d be so much easier to convince Mr. Kinomoto that Sakura should stay longer for relationship reasons if he didn’t mention his knowledge.

“Ah, Mr. Kinomoto” Syaoran said pleasantly “It’s so nice of you to come and visit. I trust you were greeted well?”

“Uh, Yes.” Mr. Kinomoto replied. He looked completely mystified that Syaoran was being to kind to him. “Yes, your butler was very friendly.”

“Butler?” Syaoran asked, “Oh you mean Wei. Yes. My Butler, he’s been taking care of me my entire life. Did my mother not greet you as well?”

“No.” He replied, “No she didn’t seem available.”

“Oh?” Syaoran questioned. “I was under the impression she rather enjoyed your company. I wonder what’s keeping her. Shall we go have a look?”

“That’s alright.” Mr. Kinomoto answered quickly. “I don’t want to disturb her.”

“Nonsense.” Syaoran waved off his protests. “She’ll be delighted.” Leading the way Syaoran guided the men to his mother’s study. He knocked once before beginning to open the door. Before he’d gotten if fully open he looked at Mr. Kinomoto.

“Mr. Kinomoto, where is your third friend. I could have sworn you had three with you.” Syaoran asked, his eyes glinted. “I hope he didn’t get lost.”

“He’d just ventured off to the bathroom.” Came the older man’s reply. Syaoran saw his eyes glance cautiously at the door to Yelan’s study. Syaoran shrugged, pretending to be cheerful and unconcerned. He pushed open the door fully and gasped in shock.

“Mother.” He said, “How did you end up tying yourself to a chair?” He knew very well she hadn’t tied herself to the chair. But he was trying to act as if he was dense and stupid; someone who would be easily fooled. Hurriedly Syaoran untied his mother and ungagged her.

“Kinomoto-san!” She shouted. “How dare you!”

“Mother!” Syaoran yelled, “You mustn’t shout at out guests!” He looked to Mr. Kinomoto. “Now, Mr. Kinomoto, would you like a grand tour?”

“Why yes,” He said bewildered, “Yes that would be nice.”

“Wonderful!” Syaoran said excitedly.

--

“Where is he?” Sakura paced her room. “He should have been back by now.” Her door opened up suddenly, which surprised her cause it had been locked. A man walked through the door.

“Miss Sakura,” Wei’s voice was soft and worried. “there is a man coming up here, one of your father’s ‘friends’ we must leave.”

“But—“ She began to protest.

“Syaoran will be fine.” Wei assured her. It was as if he’d read her mind. How could he have known she had been thinking about Syaoran?

“I know you care about him.” Wei continued. “But he will do anything to protect you. He wants to come back to you alive, and he will. Trust him.” Sakura wanted to protest but found she had no voice to do so. She simply nodded and allowed Wei to guide her through the labyrinth of the Li Mansion. Yelan’s words echoed in her head. There was no reason for them to be there, no reason for them to spring into her mind to suddenly.It’s a wonderful feeling, getting lost can sometimes be a good thing, remember that Sakura. The words stirred something inside of her. Getting lost was a metaphor. What she’d meant was that sometimes it was okay to try new things, to forgive, to let go. Sometimes letting someone in, losing yourself in them, wasn’t a bad thing. She’d been trying to tell Sakura that it’s okay to get lost in her feelings. It’s okay to feel as she did, it was worth it.

“No Wei.” She said. “I can’t leave him.”

--

Kinomoto watched Syaoran as the naïve boy lead him through the house, explaining about it’s history and it’s ancestors. All he had to do was trick him into bringing him to his daughter and everything would be fine. He could murder the girl right before his eyes and the boy still wouldn’t understand. Curiously he wondered if Syaoran had been born with a disability or if he was simply idiotic.

“Mr. Li,” Kinomoto said politely. “As fascinating as your house is. I’d really like to see my daughter, I miss her dearly” There, that little lie should do it.

“Oh of course Mr. Kinomoto!” Syaoran said sheepishly, “My apologies, sometimes I get caught up.” Syaoran looked at the man, trying to measure up the chances of him winning a fight against him and his two other henchmen. The third henchman hadn’t returned and Syaoran was positive that he was looking for Sakura.

“But we’ll have to find your lost friend first.” He said, “I can’t have him wondering around the house aimlessly, It’s so easy to get lost.”

--

“Miss Sakura?” Wei asked

“This is my battle, I can’t allow him to fight it for me. It’s not right.” She looked Wei in the yes, pleading with him to help her. He opened his mouth to reply.

“There you are, time to come home darling.” A low monstrous voice came from behind her. Slowly she turned around to face him.

“I’m not coming home.” She said calmly.

“Yes you are.”

“No she’s not.” Said Syaoran. “I’ve forbidden her to leave.”

“And who are you to do so?”

“The Li Heir.” He replied simply. “I control everything.”

“Someone as dimwitted as you?” Mr. Kinomoto laughed.

“Dimwitted?” Sakura asked, she didn’t understand how anyone could call Syaoran dim.

“I’m not a dimwit, you’re the one who thought they could get away with murder. I think that makes you the dim one.” Syaoran countered. Mr. Kinomoto fumed.

“How dare you call me a murderer.”

“You’re the one who murdered Nadeshiko… you’re wife.” Syaoran announced.

“Sakura’s the one who murdered her.” Kinomoto argued.

“There’s no proof.” Syaoran retorted.

“SHUT UP!” Sakura yelled. “Point is, I’m not going home. I don’t care who killed mom right now!”

“She’s not leaving, and you can’t make her.” Syaoran stood by Sakura’s side. “She’s old enough to make her own decisions.” The last man appeared behind Wei. He drew a knife and held it to the old man’s throat.

“Let her go, and no body gets hurt.” Mr. Kinomoto said slowly. Suddenly a the click of a gun being loaded was heard behind Mr. Kinomoto’s head.

“Give yourself up, and no body gets hurt.” Yelan’s cool voice clearly threatened Mr. Kinomoto.

“I have more men than you. More chances.” He replied. More gun clicks were heard. All of Kinomoto’s men had guns pointed to their heads.

“What was that you were saying?” Syaoran said mockingly. Mr. Kinomoto pulled out a gun of his own and pointed it at Sakura.

“If I’m going she’s coming with me.” He explained. Syaoran looked to Sakura then to her father and then to the wall. Fate was playing games with him, rolling his eyes deciding to just go with the flow he smashed the glass case beside him casually. Slowly, he pulled out his deceased father’s most prized possession; the clan’s sword. It shimmered with gold and green, dragons wound their way up the hilt. Syaoran held the sword in his bleeding hand, glass stuck out of his flexed fist.

“She’s not going anywhere with you.” Syaoran replied menacingly.

“Syaoran.” Sakura whispered. It was the first time she’d said his name it sounded like heaven. And the way she was looking at him, eyes full of worry. He knew she didn’t hate him, he could see it clearly on her face. He succeeded in his mother’s bet. But did he really care about the bet anymore? Did he really still think about her as a prize? No. No he didn’t.

“you don’t have to do this.” She told him.

“Yes I do.” He replied. “You weren’t a murderer then, you aren’t a murderer now and I wont be responsible for turning you into one in the future. This isn’t your battle alone anymore. This is our battle.” Sakura’s eyes watered. She held back the tears as much as she could.

“If you’re going to attack, than attack.” Syaoran said, “But I’ll kill you before you have time to pull the trigger.”

“You don’t have the guts to murder someone.” Sakura’s father taunted him.

“Oh yeah?” Syaoran asked, he took a step forward raising the sword to Mr. Kinomoto’s cheek. Carefully, steadily he cut downwards, leaving a gash in the side of Mr. Kinomoto’s face.

“Try me.” He said. His eyes were steady, there was no hesitation in his movements. Mr. Kinomoto paused. It was either surrender or die… what did he have to lose? In a spit second decision he lunged at Sakura. Syaoran not expecting an attack faltered for half a second before he felt the sword cut through flesh. Mr. Kinomoto, his arms nearly at Sakura collapsed onto the floor where Syaoran carefully slid the sword out of the dead body. He’d never killed someone before and the grief over whelmed him for a moment, the man was evil he was mean and nasty and he wanted to kill Sakura! He had to have done something… he wasn’t wrong… was he? He felt the impact of his act before he heard it. Sakura’s arms wrapped around his strong waist. She wept for her father lying dead on the floor, even though she’d hated the man and he’d warped her mind he was her father and she could not help crying for his tortured soul. Syaoran wrapped his arms around Sakura and held her close to him, dropping the blood stained sword on the floor.

“It’s okay.” He soothed. “It’s okay now.”

--

Syaoran was still holding Sakura when a private team of police and ambulances came to escort the men out of the house along with Sakura’s father.

“This is the man.” One of the police whispered to another.

“Is it?” The other policeman asked, he looked at the body. “Oh my god you’re right! It is!”

“I told you he was hiding somewhere in Japan.” The policeman gloated.

“Who?” Sakura asked.

“This man.” They pointed to Sakura’s father. “Is a wanted criminal throughout all of China. Murder’s for fun this one. Rumor has it that he killed his own wife not long ago. Moved when the police got a whiff of him though. Nice woman, she used to come into Japan a lot.” Sakura had to hold onto Syaoran to keep herself up right. So it was true then. Her mother had died at his hand not hers.

“I’m sorry Syaoran.” She said, “I should have believed you when you told me.” Syaoran just waved it off with his free hand while his other hand held Sakura around the waist.

“It’s the past now.” He replied. “What I want to know is if I can have a future.” He paused. “With you.” Sakura blinked a few times. Her heart was screaming for her to say yes, but her mind was reeling.

“Syaoran.” She whispered. “I… I need to think. It’s just so fast. Too fast. Just… Give me a day or two.”

Syaoran nodded, “I’ll be here when you need me.” He didn’t let go and she didn’t tell him to. For now, she’d stay in his arms allowing him to care for her before she had to make a decision. Follow her heart. Or follow her head.