Episode 20--Yoshida's Past
Sakura’s Point of View
We hiked up to the cliffs, and the smell of cherry blossoms was intoxicating. It was timeless up here; the orchard of sakura trees seemed to have been exactly as we left it the last time that we were here.
"So…do you feel something here? Something…bad?" Yukito asked, looking around. "I can’t really imagine a place like this being…evil."
I shook my head. "I know, but there was definitely something bad here that pushed me off the cliff."
"Go back to where you were when you fell, Sakura." Eriol suggested. "Something might come back to you."
"Good idea, Eriol!" I said, running over to where I was when I fell. The spot was marked by a part of the cliff that was crumbled away.
The wind blew my hair back and the breath escaped me. I felt like I was going to puke my stomach out, if it didn’t fly out on its own. Fear gripped me like a steel fist; I was going to die. Once I hit the ground, I would splatter and that would be the end of Sakura Kinomoto. I would have said tears were falling down my face, but that would be a lie. They were flying off my face. The ground came into view, and I was going full speed with no way to stop. A replay of what happened before? But where’s Syaoran…? I don’t understand. What’s happening…?! The dark figure was suddenly standing at the spot I knew I would land. "Will you catch me?" I called out. It smiled, and held out its hand. I smiled back and reached out. Then I saw the glint at the tip of his hand. He was holding a knife. I whipped my arm back in horror and tried to use magic to change my direction, but it was no use. As I got closer, the dark image changed to Syaoran. It kept flickering back and forth from black to Syaoran, and once, even…Eriol? Then the knife went through my chest before I could comprehend what was happening.
Slump.
"Sakura!! Sakura!!" Syaoran’s voice called out. "Are you all right!? Sakura!?"
My eyes flew open, the terror coming back to me. I was gasping for air, and I suddenly screamed. I kept screaming, seeing Syaoran. It reminded me of the…thing that had happened. A dream? Or…?
"SAKURA!" Tomoyo’s voice rang out and she slapped me. That stopped my screaming. But not the tears, or the fear. Syaoran reached out to me, just like in the dream. I recoiled and held onto Tomoyo. "Sakky? What’s wrong?"
I held out a shaky finger to him. "…Him."
She looked at him. "Syaoran?"
"Sakura, its me. Syaoran." He reached out farther. The knife glinted in his hand.
"Get away from me!!" I shrieked, trying to crawl back away from him.
"Sakura?!"
"What did you do…!?" Toya shouted.
"Nothing!!" he replied, anguished. "I don’t know!"
"GET THE KNIFE AWAY FROM HIM!!!" I screamed.
"What knife!?" Syaoran gasped.
SPLASH!I blinked. "Huh…?" I looked up. "Eriol…?"
He looked at me sternly. He cast aside the bucket that contained the cold water he had just ruthlessly dumped on my head. "Have you come back to your senses?"
"Why are you afraid of Syaoran?" Tomoyo asked gently. "He has no knife. He would never hurt you."
"I don’t…know." I said, recalling the dream. "In my dream…I was falling again, just like before. But there was someone at the bottom. I thought they were reaching out to save me, but they had a knife. And then, as I got closer, it looked like…Syaoran."
"Does it hurt anywhere, Sakura?" Meiling asked.
I clutched my chest. It was wet. Well, duh. Water. I pulled my hand away.
And it wasn’t water. It was blood. Right where the knife went into me.
It hurt, too.
Toya ripped his shirt off and sopped up the blood with it. He gasped. "It won’t stop bleeding! But there isn’t even a wound!!"
"It…hurts, brother…" I rasped.
I heard Eriol’s voice faintly, it thought. And then…the pain was gone.
"The bleeding…it stopped!" Toya exclaimed, amazed. I looked at Eriol; apparently, I was the only one that had heard him.
"Eriol…?" I whispered.
He smiled. "I'm glad you’re okay now, Sakura."
But again, shame flickered in his face.
--
"Okay, Father, what do you know about the demons attacking our Guardians?!" Kazushige burst into his dad’s office, anger bubbling in his voice.
The Lord looked up, taken aback by his son’s entrance. "Excuse me?"
"I said, tell us what you know about the demons attacking our Guardians!!"
"Argh, I heard you, you idiot!" Yoshida said. "But I meant, what makes you think that I know anything about that?"
Kazushi’s gaze deepened. "You know I can see right through you, Father. Please, don’t try to hide it." A bead of sweat rolled down Yoshida’s forehead. "Tell us what you know. It will save the lives of our beloved protectors."
The Lord was still for several moments. The tension crackled like before, making me want to run for it. I stepped back and bumped into Eriol. Losing my balance, I fell backwards. His arms shot out and caught me gently, steadying me again. I looked up to thank him, but was distracted by the look in his eyes. Instead, my mouth just hung open stupidly.
"Sakura?" Syaoran whispered. "Eriol? What’s up?"
"Nothing." Eriol smiled. "Sakura just lost her balance."
"Th-thank you for saving me," I said softly, bowing a little bit. I turned away as quickly as I could. The way Eriol looked at me was different now, somehow.
I turned my attention back to the silent family feud. Ugh, I thought. This is way uncomfortable."Father."
Yoshida snapped. He stood so fast the chair he was on lurched back into the wall, making some of the paintings fall. I think it was half pushed back, and half jumped back in fear on it’s own.
He slammed his hand down on his desk and pointed the door. "Leave my office this instant, please."
"Bu--" Syaoran started.
"Do not push me," he growled slowly.
Kazushi met his gaze once more before turning away and herding us out of the room before the Lord ate us.
"Father is mad," Kazushige said when we were in the hallway.
"No, really?" Syaoran scolded. "It so didn’t feel like he was gonna hurl his whole desk at us!!" He undid his water bottle...angrily.
"I’m sorry you had to see my father in that state. He does not do this often; these demons must be a touchy subject for him. Maybe after a while, he’ll come to us," Kazushige explained.
The door creaked open behind him. He turned around. "Father?"
Lord Yoshida sighed, "I’m sorry I lost my temper. Please come in and I’ll…I’ll tell you about the demons you seek."
We all went back into the room. Yoshida snapped his fingers and a bunch of guys in suits brought chairs in for us. We all sat down in front of the desk.
"Gousuke, dear?" a female voice sounded from behind me. I looked around.
A beautiful woman with long, curly blonde hair entered the room.
"Ah!" Yoshida looked up happily and hurried over to her. "This is my wife, Nina. Nina, these are the Guardians of Tomoeda."
She smiled. "I'm very pleased to meet you at last."
We all bowed to her, and her to us. It was a little weird and embarrassing, but what can you do?
"Oh! Gousuke, you've told them about the tradition, right?" she asked, turning to him. "The one we're trying to start, with the children?"
It clicked after a moment. "Trying to start?" I echoed.
"Yes. It was never a real tradition, but for years we've wanted to start it...I mean, wouldn't it be such nice thing to do?"
Syaoran spit his water out, his face turning red. Tomoyo started giggling.
Then I noticed something rather strange. Tomoyo reached out to Eriol's arm, but he noticed and shuffled away ever so slightly. Usually, he would have gladly embraced her. What was going on with him...?
Kazushi spoke. "Father, could you please tell us about the demons now?"
He frowned. "I suppose so..." he sighed. "Please, sit. Let us go into flash-back mode."
--
This was a long time ago. I was still part of the Li’s domain, the district Kiyoi.
“You were a part of the Li district?!” Syaoran yelled, standing.
“Shh, you’re ruining the story!” Yoshida snapped back.
Ahem. Anyway.
I was a part of a group of yakuza, of sorts. We all had beautiful faces, and what we liked to call ‘the length of our manliness’ (really long hair) but we were basically cross-dressers. I was part of the group with my older brother, Kentaro. The other members were who are now the Guardians of Kiyoi.
Now, we were one of the big, bad yakuza gangs then. And things were really intense back then.
But things changed when the leader of our pack, Kiyohiko, found a strange stone. He wouldn’t tell us where he got it from, but he said it would make us really strong.
And so, once every week, one by one, they went through a sort of transformation. It was like they were demons. They all became vicious, bloodthirsty people—well, more than before, anyway…
But my brother was like a mixture between a depressed, senile man and a horrible killer. I could tell it was a dark, evil magic that was being produced. And Kentaro knew it, too.
He got into way more fights than usual. With other people, and inside the gang, too. He seemed so fragile all of a sudden. Although, sometimes, the strong, caring big brother I once knew came back, if just for a short time.
One day, I was walking through the park at night, wiping the blood of my sword. (Heheh) I bumped into someone; I heard a whimper. I knew instantly it was a woman. I smirked and pushed her up against a tree.
“Hey, girlie,” I said. “You should watch where you’re going.”
I could feel her trembling under me, but she spoke back defiantly. “I don’t think you’d really do anything to me.”
I blinked in surprise. The street lamp flickered on finally, and I saw her face. Her blue eyes sparkled, and her short, curly blonde hair blew in the wind.
I blushed. My mouth hung open like an idiot, and all I could come up with to say was “You’re pretty.”
She giggled. “My name’s Nina.”
“I’m Gousuke,” I muttered, embarrassed to the max.
“For the record, you’re pretty cute yourself.”
Nina was the one person I could truly be myself around. With her, I wasn’t the cross-dressing yakuza Yoshida. I was just Gousuke, the pretty guy with the really long ponytail.
--
~Nina~
I found a necklace on the ground beside the swings at the park. Bending down to pick it up, I realized it was Gousuke’s. I figured I’d return it to him.
However, I ran into some trouble on the way home. Some losers spotted me.
“Wanna play, li’l birdie?” one guy said. His greasy black hair covered his face.
“N…no thanks,” I said, and turned the other way. But nope, the other guy was right there. I was cornered.
“Hmm, what a pretty necklace.” He grabbed for it, but I pulled away.
“Nope! Not yours!!”
He frowned. “Well then,” he growled, shoving me against a wall. “Whose is it?”
“Mine.”
In a flash, they were on the ground. They were either dead or in critical condition.
I paid no attention to them. “Gousuke! You saved me!”
--
~Yoshida~
“Gousuke! You saved me!” she squeaked, turning her back on the guys in need of serious help. “Oh,” she said, glancing at my necklace. “I found this. I thought I’d return it.”
“Keep it,” I whispered.
That was the first kiss Nina and I shared.
--
The next day was a horror. Our gang was taking Nina hostage.
To make things worse, Sho, the guy I hated most, was the one holding her down.
“The little runt’s on close terms with Kyle’s gang. I figured she’d be helpful.”
He grabbed her by the hair and threw her on me. “You take care of ‘er,” he smirked, thinking I’d be mad.
But obviously I wasn’t. At least I knew she’d get the proper attention she needed under my care.
“Nina,” I asked softly. “Are you alright?”
She nodded, though tears were in her eyes. I carefully ripped the tape off of her mouth.
“Hey, what’re you doing?!” Sho yelled.
“No one will come to help her if she screams,” I snapped.
“I won’t scream!” she whimpered.
I petted her hair gently. “I’ll take care of you.”
“I know,” she sighed softly.
--
Sho must’ve caught on to Nina and I. Cause the next day, just to piss me off, he said he’d make Nina his wife. She was just as surprised as everyone else was.
“I will not!!” she shrieked. She glanced quickly at me, then away, blushing. “There’s already someone I love.”
“Really?” he asked mockingly.
She nodded, glaring at him.
“Too bad.”
I lost it. “BASTARD!”
I charged at him and threw my fist at his face. He caught it and threw me back.
I acted like I was down, and when he turned around, laughing, I launched myself at him. This time, I kicked him square in the back of the head. His head went through the wall.
“Nicely done, Gousuke,” Kiyohiko said, clapping slowly as Sho struggled to get out of the wall. “By the way, you’re ceremony is tomorrow night.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Y-yes sir,” I choked. I saw Kentaro’s eyes flash, and felt them burning into my back as I walked out.
--
“Nina, I brought your dinner,” I called out, opening her door. “The guys are busy and they didn’t want to eat with you today.”
She looked up, smiling. “But you’ll still eat with me, right?”
I returned her smile. “Of course.” I sat down and started eating, remembering that my ‘ceremony’ was tonight. I hesitated before saying something to Nina. “Uhh…Nina…you know how I have that ceremony thing tonight?”
“Yesh,” she spoke with her mouth full. After swallowing, she asked, “What about it?”
“Well…I might…change.” I turned to face her, my concern showing in my face. “The other guys…they turn into demons. They become even more horrible than before. They get into more fights, for stupid things, like ‘I think you think you’re better than me.’”
“What?” Nina’s eyebrows rose. “That’s…really stupid.”
I squeezed her hands. “Please, please don’t hate me when I change, I beg you. But if I hurt you…hate me. With all your heart, hate me.”
She laughed bitter-sweetly. “I could never hate you, my Gousuke, no matter what you are after your transformation. As long as I remember the Gousuke you are now.”
I sighed, partly relieved. “Thank you.”
“Younger brother!!” Kentaro burst into the room, slamming the door on the wall.
I stood, shocked. “Brother…? What’re you…?”
“No time to talk! Come with me- - both of you!!” he shouted. I took Nina’s hand and we rushed down the stairs, trying to keep up with Kentaro.
“Kentaro, please wait!” I yelled after him. But he looked back at me with frantic eyes, shaking his head no. I flung Nina onto my back and raced down the remaining stairs.
When we got outside, Kentaro stopped at the side of the road. Panting heavily, he smiled at me, the old Kentaro shining through. “I want you to know that I love you, Gousuke, with all my heart, and that I hope you’re happy with Nina. You’re a lovely couple.” He backed out, onto the road.
Nina gasped.
“Brother, what are you doing?! Please, stop this nonsense!” I hollered. I heard the roar of the engine of an oncoming car. “Kentaro, get off the road!!!”
“Gousuke, listen to me: do not go to the ceremony tonight. Whatever you do, don’t go. Get away from here. Far, far away.”
“Brother, no!!”
He smiled at me fully, flashing his white teeth. “I love you, brother.”
And the car flew past, screeching to a halt when it realized what it had hit.
“NOOOO!!!!!” I screamed, dropping to my knees.
“Gousuke, please, you have to be quiet!” Nina said in a hushed voice, though tears rushed down her face, which was stricken with horror.
“Kentaro…he was all I had left!” I shrieked, tears clouding my own vision. “And now he’s gone!!”
Nina knelt beside me, her voice shaking. “Gousuke, listen to your brother. Fulfill his final wish. Let’s go to another District.”
“But…but, I…”
“You have me, don’t you?”
I looked at her, her beautiful eyes filled with sadness. I wiped my face and stood. “…All right. You’re right. Let’s go…and thank you.”
I took her hand and we dashed down the street, headed toward the border of Kiyoi.
“Not so fast, my foolish friend.” Sho’s cold voice sounded above us. I looked up, cursing.
“Friend? I think not.”
He smirked. “Hmph. Strong words for a broken man.”
“Shut up!” I snapped. I quickly made a double of Nina and I after throwing dirt in his face. We darted away, and he continued talking to the double.
“I can see the border! It’s right there…!!” Nina breathed, hope shining in her voice.
“Gousuke Yoshida.”
I stopped dead. It was Kiyohiko’s voice.
“How dare you attempt to leave us.”
“I won’t become a monster,” I growled. I threw Nina into the bushes and ripped my sword out. Kiyohiko drew his own, calmly. His cold eyes bore into mine as I approached him.
I swung fiercely, aiming for his neck. He leaned back a little bit, and it missed him. He punched me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I quickly regained my breath and launched another jab. He caught my arm and threw me back, into the wall of the border.
“Gousuke…!” Nina rushed out of the bushes to my aid. “Are you all right?”
“Do you care if I’m a coward?” I asked.
“What?”
“Do you?”
“…No, why?”
I picked her up and ran at top speed to the border.
“You little brat!” Kiyohiko barked.
“We’ll get our revenge on you someday, Yoshida!!” Hanajima called out.
“You just watch! We’ll enroll in Hogosha, and become the Guardians of Kiyoi! Then we’ll have you and Nina executed!” Sho bellowed, anger boiling in his voice. Kiyohiko laughed creepily.
As we stepped through the border, I looked back to glare at them.
--
We came to in Tomoeda. We wandered through the streets, until we bumped into someone fancy looking. “Oh, I’m sorry,” I apologized, bowing.
“It’s all right.” The man paused. “Look at me for a second, boy.”
I looked up, confused. He smiled. “A yakuza?”
I blinked, my hand inching to my sword. “Maybe.”
He laughed. “Did you kidnap her or something?” he asked, pointing to Nina.
“No!! She wanted to come with me!” I hissed, putting my arm around her. She giggled.
The man’s smile got wider. “I am Lord Shuusuke Honda of Tomoeda.”
“Oh!” Nina exclaimed, bowing.
“Please, don’t be so formal,” he said, chuckling. “How would you two like to live with me? What’s your name?”
“Gousuke Yoshida.”
“Nina Arai.”
“Gousuke, would you like to be my successor, and Nina, the ‘first lady’ of Tomoeda?” he asked, his eyes shining.
“Really?” I asked, astonished.
“Of course. I’ve been looking for an honest man to take my place. My wife can’t have children, and you can’t tell if someone’s honest when they’re a baby from the orphanage.”
“Wow…” I looked at Nina. She nodded eagerly. I smiled. “Sure! Thank you very much, Lord Honda!”
He chortled. “Follow me this way, then.”
“…Hold on,” I burst. “There’s something I have to do first.” I took out my sword and held out my hair.
I chopped it all off to above shoulder length in one swift cut. I let it all fall to the ground, leaving it to the wind.
I smiled. “Now I’m ready for a new life.”
Nina groaned. “Oh, crap! Now what do I do!? My hair’s short already!”
I grinned. “Grow it long, then!”
“…I guess so,” she giggled.
--
The room was silent for a bit after Yoshida finished his story.
“…Wow,” I managed.
“So that’s the story, huh?” Syaoran whistled.
“Yes. And as it turns out, the gang really did become the Guardians of Kiyoi.” Yoshida sighed. “I’m surprised they didn’t jump me at the festival.”
“So now they’re getting revenge on you…by killing us?” Meiling asked, horrified. He nodded solemnly.
“…We should get going now,” Eriol suggested, rising from his chair. “I think we’ve all had a long enough day.”
“Right,” Tomoyo did the same, followed by the rest of us. We all bowed before leaving, except for Kazushi.
“Why don’t I cook dinner for all of us at our house?” I suggested.
“Sure!” Tomoyo said.
“I am so hungry,” Kazushi muttered. Meiling hit him.
--
In the kitchen, I hummed while I chopped vegetables the others were in the dining room, laughing; but I didn’t mind doing it alone. I wanted to.
“Sakura?” Eriol walked in. “Do you need help?”
“Oh, Eriol. No, I’m fine, thanks,” I smiled.
There was an awkward silence. I popped a carrot into my mouth.
“How do you feel about me?” he blurted out.
I choked on the carrot. “Eriol, you’re a good friend…why…?” I asked, nervously trying to distance myself. Syaoran, where are you when I need you?
I turned to face him apprehensively- -wrong move. He took a step forward, forcing me back against the counter-top. He held my chin up lightly and looked into my scared eyes before firmly pressing his lips against mine.
I pushed him away. “What are you doing!? Get away from me!!” I screamed.
He ignored me, just held my hands down and continued like nothing.
“Sakura…?” Syaoran’s voice called out. Oh, crap! I heard him walk into the room, and gasp in horror. “What’re you…?”
--
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