Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Absolutely Priceless ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

Summary: Sakura's a princess of a sacred country, Kinomoto. It is said in the legends that its country possesses a priceless object, which has the power to grant any wishes. When a war breaks out, Sakura couldn't do anything but be forced to leave her homeland by her family and take the priceless object with her. There, she meets a cold-hearted prince and is taken to his kingdom, and it didn't take long for Sakura to realize that he, too, is looking for the priceless object as well.

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Absolutely Priceless

Prologue.

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There was a small country located deep in the woods of the Kinomoto. Tall dark trees grew around it as if it were some barrier to protect the country, with mountains hiding the view from the travelers who merely passes by. The country was small, but its population was large; it was the second largest population in Japan, right below the Li's.

 

Even though the country was small, its people lived just fine. Since there were trees surrounding everywhere, the people didn't have trouble looking for food because some of the trees grew fruit and there was a small stream nearby the country, where the children must be accompanied by the adult; it was a safety rule from the Kinomoto kingdom which is to be followed by every commoners.

 

The houses in the Kinomoto country were small, and ironically, its kingdom was like a giant compared to a mere house. The people wanted to complain to the royals of the country, but they knew there was no use; the whole castle was already built before Fujitaka Kinomoto discovered the abandoned village and decided to recover it.

 

Fujitaka was only thirty years old when he discovered the lost village while he was looking around the mountains on his horse, trying to get to the country of Li, trying to deliver a message from his father to the Li King. It was about a recent legend his father has discovered and since he was born as a Li, his father thought that it was the wisest thing to do as he died from the cave but managed to grab the legend papers and give them to his son, saying his last words before he closed his eyes forever.

 

"Please, Fujitaka... take those to the King in the land of Li..."

 

But the message was never delivered when Fujitaka had decided to run a country of his own, disobeying his fathers' last wishes in regretful greed...

 

When Fujitaka had found the deserted country, he decided to browse around and found a nearby cave just outside of the forest, protecting the country. Inside the cave, he found a small golden key with a pink jewel on its end. He was quite surprised when he saw the key, instantly recognizing it from his father's recently found legend.

 

It was to be said that a person with a good heart can make wishes on the lost treasure, thus granting it...

 

When the whole country was fully constructed, people began to come from different countries to start their new life in the Kinomoto country, and Fujitaka was voted as its first king; which was only twenty years ago and got married to a woman who was the only one that came from the country of Li, Nadeshiko, who was known to be a very kind and a compassionate person throughout the country of Kinomoto.

 

It was love at first sight when Fujitaka had laid his eyes on Nadeshiko when she had taken her first step into the country, admiring her beauty. Her loose light-grey curls were blowing carelessly against the wind's breeze, and a smile on her pink lips as she saw him. He knew she had come from the Li country when he saw her green-emerald eyes; everyone from the Li country carried such emerald-colored orbs.

 

After the two got married, they officially had a King and a Queen for the newly built Kinomoto kingdom, and it wasn't long until a heir was soon to be expected...

 

xXxXx

 

"Oi, kaijuu, wake up!" Touya's voice boomed loudly as he allowed himself to enter the bedroom that belonged to his younger sister, Kinomoto Sakura.

 

"Ugh! Touya-baka, just leave me alone!" Sakura yelled, obviously half-awake. Her eyelids could barely manage to stay open, her sea-green colored eyes barely showing as she turned away from her older brother, pressing her pillow against her head as her attempt not to hear his loud voice.

 

Kinomoto Touya was the first child of its country, Kinomoto. He grew up to be an independent child, learning how to fight for a future war at the age of nineteen. Like his father and the other people in the Kinomoto country, he grew up with dark chocolate eyes and dark brown hair which nearly looked black. It was clear to anyone who knew him that his favorite hobby was to annoy his little sister, Sakura.

 

"Aw, did I disturb the kaijuu-hime's beauty sleep?" Touya asked in a teasing manner as a smirk appeared on his face as the princess' face appeared from her pink pillow, glaring at him.

 

Kinomoto Sakura was the last and the only child of the Kinomoto country, who was only at the age of sixteen; three years younger than Touya. She had both of her parents' hair color mixed into one; a auburn colored hair that reached down to her shoulders, tying a small amount of her hair on each side of her head was her usual hairstyle. Unlike the males in the Kinomoto kingdom and its people, Sakura had her mothers' eye color; sea-green, but it looked more like an emerald jewel, sparkling brightly.

 

"Don't call me that!" Sakura said, getting defensive as she forced herself out of the bed and marched up to Touya, huffing angrily on her way. She placed her hands on her hips and leaned closer towards him, looking up at him since he was taller then her.

 

"Good little kaijuu; you got up," Touya said in a proud tone as he faced down at his little sister, earning an irritated scream. Turning from the raging Princess, he casually said, "Be down at the dining room for breakfast in approximately three minutes. Father's expecting us; he said he wants to tell us something. But apparently, you weren't up." and walked out of his sister's bedroom, the door slamming loudly behind him.

 

Sakura glared hard at the door as she crossed her arms across her chest as she stood flat on her feet. Hmph! Touya's such a jerk! Her eyebrows furrowing in frustration, she mentally decided, He has got to be the biggest jerk ever!

 

She let out an exhausted sigh as she realized she was fully-awake and let out a shriek. Damn that Touya-baka! Lately, he never gave her decent sleep these days! She realized her father was waiting for her downstairs and heaving a sigh, she slowly began to undress from her nightwear and into a light lavender dress she had received from her mother three years ago before she had passed away from serious illness...

 

Nadeshiko had started out with a harmless fever when Sakura was only thirteen years old, Touya being sixteen. It wasn't anything serious, they realized, and because of that they weren't fully concerned. But after a week later, the Queen had started to get even more ill; she threw daily coughing fits and had a serious fever as her face turned red as a tomato.

 

The King had gotten over fifty doctors from the Kinomoto country and from the other countries to take a look at his beloved Queen and find a cure for her illness. But luck wasn't on his side as every one of the doctors were clueless of what to do with the Kinomoto Queen, but the King wasn't ready to give up... until one of the doctors had informed him that the Queen was to die in few days, that is.

 

As days slowly approached towards Nadeshiko's death day, Fujitaka had never left his Queen's side. He watched her sleep restless nights, heard her calling out to him and his children during her sleep, and never had released her hand, even if it was sweaty from holding onto it too much.

 

Both Sakura and Touya visited their mother whenever they had free-time off of their royal studies for their future roles as the King and Queen of the Kinomoto country, learning its history and rules. The children comforted their Queen and it saddened all three members of the Kinomoto royal family to see the poor condition of the queen.

 

It wasn't long until Queen Nadeshiko passed away, who died from her sleep, bound to never open her sea-green eyes ever again...

 

King Fujitaka had gotten everyone from the Kinomoto country to attend Queen Nadeshiko's funeral. There, everyone was sad as frowns appeared on their faces. Touya wept quietly with his father, trying hard to force himself not to cry as Sakura did the exact opposite.

 

She cried loudly for her deceased mother, tears streaming down uncontrollably as she screamed for her mother's eyes to open up once more. Sakura wouldn't believe her mother has left her and only her voice of agony was heard throughout the quiet funeral. She didn't want her mother to leave her; she needed her in life...

 

Sakura gasped loudly as she remembered her mother's funeral, her eyes become glossy as she tried hard to blink back the tears. `I will not worry father..'. looking out her window, she saw white fluffy clouds hanging in the sky, moving slowly as she could picture her mother's smile face from above. `And I will not cry to upset mother...'

 

She brushed her hair quickly as she did her usual hairstyle - with dark-green twin ribbons. She slipped into her shoes and ran out of her bedroom, closing it shut behind her as she headed for the golden staircase. When Sakura saw her father and brother chatting casually on the dining table, she smiled as she headed for the rest of the members of the Kinomoto kingdom.

 

"Good morning, father!" was Sakura's enthusiastic greeting, sitting next to her father as he smiled and greeted her back as well.

 

"Good morning, Sakura-hime. Did you sleep well?"

 

Shooting her older brother a small glare, the Princess honestly replied, "Oh, It was horrible; it was really noisy in the morning, and it wasn't the birds either." and the Prince returned her glare.

 

"Oh my..." the King quietly said, secretly smiling as he looked from Sakura to Touya, knowing the older child's mischievous ways.

 

Touya, who was quite uncomfortable, cleared his throat as he placed both hands on the table, looking up at the King as he asked in a serious tone, "Father, you mentioned earlier before the kaijuu came downstairs that you wanted to tell us something...?"

 

Sakura didn't say anything against Touya when he had called her a "kaijuu" for the third time of the day because she, too, was quite anxious to know what her father had to say to both of his children...

 

Fujitaka then realized what his son had meant as he smiled. "Ah, yes." he then turned serious as he carefully asked both of his children, "Touya, Sakura... do you remember the story I tell you ever summer... the one about The Clow?"

 

"Yes!" Sakura happily answered for both herself and Touya, as she nearly jumped up from her seat. "That was my favorite story from all the ones you always tell us! ... It was about this small key called The Clow and it had the power to grant anyone's wishes, right, father?"

 

Fujitaka nodded. "Yes, it was that story." he sadly smiled before he loudly wished, "If only that story really was a tale..."

 

"What do you mean, father?" Touya asked as his eyebrow quirked in both suspicion and confusion. "Do you mean to say that the tale about The Clow, the one you've been telling us for the past seven years is... real?" the King nodded his head solemnly.

 

"Yes, the tale of The Clow I've been telling you do exist..." Fujitaka said, sighing in depression as he looked down at the table. "And somehow, the word of this got out to the other countries and now, as greed has completely taken over them; they're quickly heading towards our country for The Clow this moment as we speak..."

 

Sakura gasped in horror as she covered her mouth with her hands. "That's horrible!"

 

"It sounds as if a war's coming up..." Touya muttered, and the King nodded his head sadly.

 

"Yes, numerous of wars are approaching the Kinomoto country as each day passes; I was informed by this from all my advisors these past few weeks..." Fujitaka sadly informed as he faced away from his children. "and lives are going to be sacrificed for The Clow to have a person's wishes granted..." he took his hand and ran it into his shirt pocket, reaching out and taking out a small, rusty golden key and placed it in front of his daughter, who stared at him with shock-filled eyes.

 

"The Clow..." Sakura whispered as the King placed the key gently into her two hands as she tried to observe it with small amount of dirt smudged against it, and Touya leaned over to take a look as well.

 

"Father, are you giving The Clow to the kaijuu?"

 

Fujitaka nodded, smiling at Sakura as she suddenly looked up from the small key in her hands. "Yes, I am entrusting it to her, Touya."

 

"Eh?" was all Sakura could say as one of Touya's eyebrows arched up as he asked his question with a hint of concern in his voice.

 

"But if you give The Clow to the kaijuu, the thing practically everyone's after, won't her life be put into danger?"

 

"Yes, it will." the King answered the Prince's question as he closed his eyes, his tone filled with regret. "But, if you haven't been listening to my tale, The Clow grants wishes to a person with a kind heart that I believe that our Sakura-hime has. As long as she remains pure and doesn't make selfish wishes, she'll be fine."

 

"Father..." Sakura whimpered in fear as she gripped hard onto The Clow in her hands. She closed both of her eyes shut as she winced inwardly, picturing thousands of people dying... all for the object in her two pale hands. "I... I don't think I can have The Clow in my possession... I fear it too much for the people's lives that are going to be sacrificed for..." she admitted her fear of The Clow to her father, who just merely gave her a reassuring smile and placed his hand gently on her left shoulder.

 

"Don't fear The Clow, Sakura-hime," Fujitaka softly said, looking down to stare at his daughter, trying to give her his comfort. "As long as you put your trust and don't fear it, everything will be fine. No one wants anyone's lives being sacrificed, but eventually, as long as we have The Clow in our country, lives are going to be sacrificed..."

 

"But father, why can't we just throw away The Clow away in some other country, which will possibly save us the grief?" Touya asked impatiently, looking blanched as he too imagined the people close around him dieing from the war for The Clow.

 

"It's because," the King began, a single tear fell onto his cheek. "I just couldn't bear seeing other countries going through pain just as we, the Kinomoto country, are... eventually losing everything. Trust me, Touya, I have thought about discarding The Clow many times."

 

Before Sakura or Touya could even say anything to their father, one of the guards of the Kinomoto kingdom rushed to the peaceful dining room, panting as he wheezed out, "My King... intruders broke... into the country..." and it wasn't long before the guard had fainted, possibly from exhaustion.

 

"My lord..."

xXxXxXx

AN: I really do hope people will and do enjoy this new story... It's my first time writing a CCS story! Whee, this is so exciting. :)

Please R&R. :3