Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow of the Dragon ❯ Sakura and Syaoran? ( Chapter 33 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Lord Archive 
Syaoran wonders what to make of Sakura ignoring him as she tries to find her answers.
Anime/Manga: Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.09.2014 | Pages: 7 | Words: 6.0K | Visits: 274 | Status: Completed
Syaoran wonders what to make of Sakura ignoring him as she tries to find her answers.
Anime/Manga: Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.09.2014 | Pages: 7 | Words: 6.0K | Visits: 274 | Status: Completed
Meiling groggily woke up. She blinked realizing she was not in her own room and seeing whose room she was in patted her body to make sure she was clothed.
"Morning," Tomoyo greeted from the other side of her bedroom.
"We didn't do anything last night, did we?" Meiling wondered.
Tomoyo shook her head. "All we did was cry our sorrows into this glorified grape juice." She held up an empty wine bottle. "I was surprised when one of the maids actually let us have this until I noticed there's very little actual alcohol in it."
"Figures." Meiling let out a long breath. "What time is it?"
"A little after six, plenty of time to get ready for school," Tomoyo replied.
Meiling covered her head with the bedsheets. "Wish I could claim a hangover."
"I'm sure the school would love that excuse," Tomoyo teased.
"Yeah, but I wouldn't have to see them," Meiling retorted.
"Well, they won't be very close until they accept everything," Tomoyo assured her.
Meiling pouted. "That's going to make it more frustrating. Kinomoto has everything I ever wanted and she's going to be all moody about it."
"They will work things out," Tomoyo pointed out.
"If Kinomoto doesn't get her head out of her arse I'm going to kill her," Meiling retorted.
"If Sakura-chan's indecision goes on for too long, locking her in a room with Li-kun should more than suffice to deal with the issues," Tomoyo asserted.
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Card Captor Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon
Chapter 32: Sakura and Syaoran?
By: Lord Archive
Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.
Author's Warnings:
This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.
This series contains:
Adult situations.
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.
Occasional use of vulgar language.
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.
References of homosexuality.
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The school day came to an end and Sakura hurried off without a word, while Syaoran grumpily followed her.
"What's their problem?" Chiharu wondered. "They haven't said a word to each other all day, yet he won't take his eyes off her."
Tomoyo smirked sadly. "Shades of Gotoh-kun and Misora-chan from when they 'broke up' the first time."
"Huh?" Rika questioned in confusion.
"Kinomoto is being an idiot," Meiling groused.
Tomoyo shook her head. "You could say Sakura-chan and Li-kun are engaged, but she didn't think about where they would be living once they were married."
"Did she think she would stay in Tomoeda after marriage?" Rika wondered.
"She apparently thought we all would," Meiling griped.
"If Bloody Sword Detective turns out to be a one-hit wonder, I'd need a good husband to afford living in Tomoeda," Naoko commented.
"And Rika-chan may find herself living far away from here next year," Tomoyo added motioning toward the girl in question.
"We've even looked at going to another country," Rika added.
"Excuse me," Misora pipped in. "When you said Kinomoto's current issues are shades of Hisao and me, did you mean...?"
"Much as Gotoh-kun didn't think about what being lovers meant until after he was with you, Sakura-chan didn't consider everything that marriage with Li-kun would entail," Tomoyo related.
Misora pouted. "But does that mean she finally slept with him?"
Tomoyo and Meiling exchanged glances, debating on answering the question honestly, especially as their friends and Misora would not be the only ones to hear it.
A thunderclap echoed loudly.
Naoko raced to the window hoping to spot where the lightning had struck.
"Where did THAT come from?" Tsuda wondered, also at the window gazing for a sign of where the thunder had come from. "There's not a cloud in the sky."
Meiling was already out the classroom door, her friends quickly followed her, with Naoko lagging behind.
Misora blinked, still sitting at her desk. "What was THAT about?"
By the time the group made it to the school gate, Tomoyo's cellphone began to ring.
"What happened?" Tomoyo demanded, skipping any greeting. She then blinked. "Wolves?"
"Really?" Naoko wheezed out while panting hard.
"I'll have the alleyway cleaned up," Tomoyo promised with a deep frown. "Keep an eye on Sakura-chan."
Naoko leaned closer. "Where was..."
"I can't believe you!" Sakura's voice screeched.
"Oh, dear, he killed the wolves, didn't he?" Rika fretted.
Tomoyo merely nodded.
Naoko now lead the group towards where Sakura's voice had come from. By the time they got to an alleyway which carried the smell of charred flesh, Sakura and Syaoran were no where in sight.
"Just five wolves?" Takashi commented. "Kinomoto could've dealt with these in her sleep."
"Either this was an impromptu attack because Sakura-chan slept with her beloved or this was set up for Li-kun to kill them to make her more upset at him," Tomoyo noted.
Naoko frowned as she gazed over the scene. "Not much to see here. Sakura-chan was likely ambushed to strike at her before she could react only Li-kun... well... over killed the situation."
"Where's your boyfriend?" Chiharu questioned.
"Still following Sakura-chan," Tomoyo replied. "If her enemy was ever to drop multiple attacks in a short period of time, he would be doing that now."
Rika tapped her chin. "So when you said 'Sakura-chan slept with her beloved' you mean they finally made love?"
Tomoyo gave a shallow nod. "And as Gotoh-kun 'broke up' with Misora-chan because he wasn't ready for what being lovers fully entailed, Sakura-chan is having trouble accepting that to be with Li-kun as his wife means having to move away from everyone."
"And Li-kun killing all these wolves won't help that situation," Rika surmised.
"No. No it won't," Tomoyo affirmed.
Meiling glared at everything and everyone before she spun around and stomped off.
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"Hello, Sakura-chan," Maki greeted as the girl entered Twin Bells.
Sakura pouted and barely returned the greeting. "Hi."
"You haven't been here in a while," Maki noted.
"Haven't needed to do any shopping," Sakura weakly explained, trying to find anything of interest to distract herself.
Maki tilted her head. "Something wrong?"
"I just needed to get away from my stalkers," Sakura complained.
Maki blinked. "Do you mean that Chinese boy?"
Sakura let out a sigh. "Yeah... He's kind of my fiance."
"Really?" Maki gazed at the girl with concern. "Did your parents decide that?"
Sakura shook her head. "No, it's something we decided on. It's just... I'm trying to think of how to convince him that we should stay in Tomoeda and not move to Hong Kong."
"Ah. Joining you life to another is kind of scary," Maki noted.
"Especially when he's asking me to leave behind everyone I know." Sakura picked up a small sign announcing that 'Wish Cards' would soon be available. "I don't know if I'd want to raise my children in another country."
"Well, things would be different, that's for sure, but there are some things that you may find preferable in Hong Kong than here in Tomoeda," Maki told her.
"Like what?" Sakura demanded.
"Did you know that you would not be allowed to finish school if you got pregnant?" Maki asked.
"All too well," Sakura replied.
"There is no such school rule in Hong Kong. While some schools in Hong Kong may punish a girl for becoming pregnant, there are schools that would allow her to finish her education," Maki informed.
Sakura blinked. "Really?"
Maki smiled sadly. "Yes. In senior high I had thoughts of moving to Hong Kong... to fully have a family with my beloved. We thought we'd have all the time in the world so we delayed."
Sakura clutched at her heart. Thanks to Misora and Chiharu having to face the same choice there was no need for Maki to spell out what she meant. Maki had gotten pregnant in senior high and had an abortion to avoid being expelled. A choice the woman likely now regretted as her beloved died before they could officially be married.
"At least with him you won't have to wait," Maki encouraged.
Sakura smiled weakly. "I wouldn't wait even if we remain here in Tomoeda. I've known for some time I probably wouldn't finish school."
"That may be so, but living with him in Hong Kong would mean getting to do both. That's something I didn't really get the choice to have," Maki sadly related.
Sakura slowly moved to the door. "Thank you." Leaving the store, the girl still said nothing as Syaoran continued to shadow her, and knew that Kurogane and Fye were not far behind him.
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The television showed the hero off to find his missing love. As the landscape of the city was shown, the station was changed before it could name the location as Hong Kong.
"Really?" Kero-chan groused.
Sakura pouted at her small guardian as he floated next to her. "What?"
"Is there anything wrong with Hong Kong?" Kero-chan asked seriously.
Sakura turned away. "It's not Tomoeda."
"Sure, but you've been to Hong Kong. You know it's not a bad place," Kero-chan defended.
"Going to Hong Kong on vacation is different from living there, let alone raising a family. Tomoeda is a great place to raise children, while Hong Kong is much more... violent," Sakura returned.
Kero-chan folded its small arms. "Do I really need you to remind you about Satome?"
Sakura scowled darkly.
"Bad things can happen anywhere, you know that all too well," Kero-chan shot at her. "And you've seen the brat's neighborhood. Your kids are far more likely to get hurt for being young and naive than being victim of some crime."
Sakura let out a loud huff.
"And who said you'd ONLY be living in Hong Kong?" Kero-chan asked.
Sakura blinked. "What?"
"The Li clan is old and very rich. The brat can easily afford to have a vacation home here. I can easily see you making your kids attend school here for a year or two just to expose them to your culture," Kero-chan explained.
"Why can't it be the other way around, and have Hong Kong as the vacation home?" Sakura insisted.
"You're not going to be the bread winner," Kero-chan groused. "If most of your family income came from you it would be your choice, but you're not. The brat's family will be taking care of all the expenses, and that means living in Hong Kong."
"You don't understand either!" Sakura cried out.
"Did I hear a monster roar," Touya called out from the door, as he let himself in the house.
"Toya, be nice," Yukito admonished.
Sakura jumped off the couch. "I'm not a monster!"
Touya gazed at his sister with concern. "What has your panties in a bunch?"
Sakura shifted uneasily and looked away.
"She's not taking talk of moving to Hong Kong once she marries very well," Kero-chan answered for her.
Sakura's eyes widened. "Yukito-kun, you don't want to move to Hong Kong, do you? Onichan, you wouldn't want him to leave you, right?"
Touya and Yukito glanced at each other and without a word both of them pulled out a Cantonese textbook from their school bags.
"Hoe?" Sakura emitted.
"Sakura-chan, we will always be there for you," Yukito vowed. "And we've known where your heart will guide you."
"Doesn't anyone want me to stay here?" Sakura demanded and stumped off to her room.
Touya shook his head. "This shouldn't even be a conversation for another ten years."
"We'll make dinner while you drill us in Cantonese?" Yukito offered.
"Deal!" Kero-chan quickly agreed.
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"You know, there is only one thing I miss more than eating good food," Fanren mentioned.
Syaoran glanced at his ghost of a sister, "What's that?"
"Sex," Fanren answered teasingly.
Syaoran scowled at her.
"You'll be screwing you girlfriend again soon," Fanren assured him.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Syaoran muttered.
"Did she say that you've broken up?" Fanren questioned seriously.
"No, but does that really mean anything?" Syaoran shot back.
"I'd say it does, especially with Sakura," Fanren returned.
"Perhaps you can explain why the idea of moving to Hong Kong has her so upset?" Syaoran demanded.
"Because she now realizes that once she says 'I do,' EVERY aspect of her life will change, even the _language_ she'll be speaking," Fanren told him. "She'll need time to accept that."
Syaoran looked away nervously. "What if it's too much for her?"
Fanren glared at him like he was stupid. "Really? Learning Cantonese will be the deal breaker when she's been fighting our uncle for the right to be with you?"
"And moving from her friends and family," Syaoran added. "It all might be too much for her."
"She just needs time, though you should make it clear you're not in any hurry to drag her to Hong Kong. It's not like you want to marry her next week," Fanren insisted.
Syaoran shuddered. "Of course not. I'm not ready for that."
"And, little brother, neither is she." Fanren went to poke his nose, and when he flinched she disappeared.
"Hate when she does that," Syaoran muttered.
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"So this is where you're hiding," Misora commented.
Sakura jumped and pulled away from the mirror in the girls' bathroom. "Misora-chan... um..."
"Your friends are worried about you," Misora noted.
"I know..." Sakura pouted. "It's just..."
"Being Li-kun's lover and future wife has you scared out of your wits," Misora observed.
Sakura shook her head lightly. "That's not exactly it. I'm mostly ready for that, it's permanently moving to Hong Kong that's the issue."
"Really? You're ready for a screaming baby that'll keep you up all night and you'll have to care for so much you may as well be living on the moon for how little time you'll have for friends," Misora pressed.
Sakura frowned deeply. "Is that what your parents told you?"
Misora flinched. "Um... kind of." She let out a sigh. "You were right. I'll be absent Monday to delay things, and Hisao insists he was lying about being with two girls. I at least know it wasn't Inoue as she's wanting a turn with him."
Sakura looked away. "Can't say I'm not surprised."
"Hisao and I just aren't ready. His parents even accused me of getting upset over his job search as me not wanting to lose him," Misora admitted. "Can't say that might not have been a factor, but what he was looking at wouldn't have worked."
"Yet even if you decided to start a family soon, you wouldn't be leaving Tomoeda," Sakura commented.
Misora gave a sad smirk. "Actually, there was talk of sending me out to some relative to be hidden in a back room so she could have a baby. If I'm going to lose almost a year of schooling I may as well take full responsibility."
Sakura nodded shallowly. "Your life would've completely changed... just as mine will once I marry Syaoran."
"Yep," Misora agreed.
Sakura sighed. "But there is more to it with me. Learning a new language, a new culture, everything will be different. If I have a daughter, she won't have the same kind of experiences I did."
"Yet a son would grow up like Li-kun did," Misora returned.
"Which is part of my problem." Sakura turned around. "The Li clan is old and rich. To better defend themselves they're taught martial arts from an early age..."
"And are taught killing arts," Misora finished. "I've heard you talk about that before."
"Power is a burden, one I'd want to ease my children into. Not instill it in them before they can walk," Sakura bemoaned.
"Considering the Li clan is old, they may know that burden is easier to carry if taught at an early age," Misora retorted. "Meililng-chan is certainly hot-headed and impetuous, but she's never gone overboard in a fight, has she? Would that be true if she was only taught such things now?"
Sakura gazed at the girl with a surprised look. "Meiling-chan might not know her own limits... but I guess she understands the limits of others."
"Is it she doesn't know her limits or just refuses to admit she has them?" Misora countered.
Sakura smirked. "That might be a better way to put it."
"And even if you convinced Li-kun to stay here, wouldn't he try to train your kids just as he was trained?" Misora pointed out.
"He would, but I'd have more say in how much," Sakura returned. "Going to Hong Kong I'd be the trophy wife. Unable to have a say, especially with his mother around."
"I know saying you'll just need to stand up for yourself may sound easier than it is, but when it's to about your own child, I'm sure you'd find to strength to stand up and make your voice heard," Misora insisted.
"Maybe..." Sakura turned her gaze back to the mirror. "I still wish there was some way we could just stay in Tomoeda."
"We're not getting that choice. The best method Li-kun has to support you is in Hong Kong, and if Hisao's best job happens to be in Hokaido or in America... well, that's where I'll end up too. If we were older and had our own careers, it would be different, but we're both choosing love and family over making a future for ourselves that doesn't rely on our guys," Misora related.
Sakura let out a long breathe. "I know. But how much my life will change... it's a bit much."
"Take your time to get use to the idea. It's not like you're getting married next week," Misora pointed out.
Sakura let out a forced laugh. "Not next week, but by this time next year... probably."
"Exactly, you've got at least several months to get use to the idea, possibly longer. There's no need to get all moody about it now," Misora encouraged.
Sakura looked at her evenly. "You telling me not to be moody?"
"I've got hormones to blame," Misora jokingly defended.
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"Why do girls have to be such headaches?" Syaoran complained.
Takashi laughed. "It's because they're different from guys. We'll never be able to fully understand them."
"Moving isn't such a big deal, yet Sakura is acting like it would be the end of the world," Syaoran bemoaned.
"With Chiharu you'd think wearing the same clothes two days in a row is a felony," Takashi returned. "Girls will make big deals out of nothing."
"You're not kidding," Hisao groused, having overheard their comments. "Misora wants to be practically married but any talk of me having a job to support her and she gets upset."
"Why do we put up with them?" Syaoran wondered bitterly.
Takashi raised an eyebrow. "You're asking me?"
Hisao laughed. "I'm sure you could come up with any number of stories for this."
"I could," Takashi agreed. "There's just not enough bullshit in the world to cover the real reason."
"And that is?" Syaoran questioned.
Takashi and Hisao exchanged glances and answered with one word, "Sex."
Syaoran folded his arms. "...Maybe."
"It really is about sex," Takashi insisted. "We're culturally and biologically inclined to form pair bonds for the purpose of procreation. Like any other animal, humans want to pass along their genetic code to the next generation. By selecting a woman as his mate, a guy is better able to ensure to pass along his genetics while she gains someone able to help care and provide for her and her children."
"Can't it be easier?" Syaoran wondered.
"If you want easy, donate to a sperm bank," Takashi joked. "If you want to raise your own children, you'll have to deal with a girl. The secret being to love her a lot and not try to understand her at all."
"And learning the most important reply to her is 'yes, dear," Hisao added.
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Sakura entered her bedroom and flopped onto her bed.
"Hello, Sakura."
Sakura sat up quickly and leapt across the room. "Mom!"
Nadeshiko marveled at being able to touch her daughter, to brush aside of the girl's wild bangs as the girl hugged her. "How is my brave little girl?"
Sakura pouted as she sheepishly pulled away. "Feeling like a coward."
"Tying your life to another is certainly one of the most difficult things a girl can ever do," Nadeshiko intoned.
"But you were certain with Dad, weren't you?" Sakura questioned.
"No, I wasn't. Grandfather and Sonomi-chan didn't make it easy for me to choose to be with him," Nadeshiko replied. "To marry your father I had to give up the family that raised me completely. Sometimes I had wished Fujitaka had found work far from Tokyo."
Sakura blinked. "Why?"
"It hurt to have Grandfather living a short bus drive away and yet know that the only way he would speak to me was if I denounced my husband first," Nadeshiko answered sadly. "I sent him many letters and presents, telling him how happy I was. I never got a reply."
Sakura flinched. "How cruel! Didn't he at least read them?"
"I had wondered if he threw them out without ever looking at them," Nadeshiko admitted. "I now know he has read them many times and kept every present. He never stopped loving me, just as your father will never stop loving you."
"But to be away from everyone..." Sakura bemoaned.
"It won't be easy, but you will have the one you love most next to you," Nadeshiko assured her.
"Not all the time. I'll be left in a city of people I don't know, with a family I've barely learned anything about, and will be expected to raise a proper successor to the Li clan," Sakura rattled off her complaints.
"Those are reasonable concerns," Nadeshiko admitted. "Yet regardless of where you live, when you have a baby, you're going to feel just as isolated. Sure I had my friends stopping by to help, but they weren't there at four in the morning to help with a baby who was crying for no apparent reason while not having slept for more than a few hours in months."
Sakura pouted. "How does having a baby equal moving to a different country?"
"Because you will be just as alone," Nadeshiko warned. "There will be so much you don't know about raising a baby. Even when someone is there willing to help, you'll be worried they'll make a mistake. You'll want nothing more than to have a break, yet being your baby you'll want to take care of every need and want. The only person you'll have any trust in will be the baby's father. I found it rather funny when my friends got so upset when their own mothers tried to help."
"But moving to Hong Kong... everything will change," Sakura protested.
"Sakura, everything changes when you get married and start a family, no matter where you live," Nadeshiko warned in a loving tone. "Your brother wishes that you would wait on the relationship you have with your beloved. He has realized that soon you will no longer be a child. By being with Li-kun, starting a family with him, you will need to become an adult. You won't be able to go out to the movies. Just going out to be with friends won't be an option. Your world will change in ways you haven't even considered."
"So I'm just being silly, huh?" Sakura wondered.
"You're just worried about your future. It's only natural. You're only fifteen and are making a choice that will stay with you for the rest of your life," Nadeshiko assured her. "Despite your fears, you still view yourself as being engaged. You are not running away, rather you're trying to figure out how to make the best life with your decision."
Sakura looked away. "Will I be with Syaoran for the rest of our lives?"
"You're better able to predict that than I would. All I can say is that Syaoran-kun loves you more than anyone else." Nadeshiko slowly faded away.
"Bye, Mom." Sakura gazed at the spot her mother had been for a long moment, wishing she would return. She then went over to her desk and opened the magical book that held her cards with The Dream at the top of the deck. "You think I should check my future?" The book pulsed in her hands. She hesitated before picking up the card.
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The boy looked almost exactly like Syaoran, then shifted and was a girl who looked a lot like Sakura, and switched back. "We're going to Japan?"
"Yes, Tsubasa," the young woman told her child with some nervousness.
"So we're going to visit Auntie Tomoyo and Auntie Chiharu?" Tsubasa, the girl, guessed.
His mother shook her head. "We'll certainly see them, but this isn't going to be just a vacation."
Tsubasa blinked as a girl, then pouted as a boy. "It's not?"
"No, dear. We'll be spending the next year or so there," she explained.
Tsubasa pushed her wild bangs out of her hair as she questioned. "What about school?"
"You'll be attending the same elementary school I did..." She smiled sheepishly. "Starting next week."
"But isn't it summer break?" Tsubasa wondered with some confusion as he stomped his foot.
"The Japanese school year actually lasts all year. You'll be transferring in towards the end of the first trimester," she answered her child.
Tsubasa the girl seemed to sway between being happy and then sad about the idea of moving, while the boy just frowned and replied with, "As you wish." And then the child walked out of the Li manor's main room.
A young man entered a moment later. "Sakura, how did Tsubasa take it?"
"About as well as you'd expect, Syaoran. Looking at Tsubasa is like looking into our past," Sakura told him.
"Is this move really necessary?" Syaoran wondered.
"Just as you found your destiny in Tomoeda, our child's future awaits there as well," Sakura replied. "I just wish I understood what that may be. The only clue I have is 'Tsubasa awaits Tsubasa' and the need to use the middle name for the school."
"An open future is certainly better than one you cannot avoid," Syaoran intoned.
Sakura smirked. "Are you saying you wanted to avoid me?"
Syaoran leaned closer. "Well, when we were in Junior High together, you hardly made things easy for me. Though of all the things that robbed us of choice, being by your side made all the other hardships worth it."
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Author's Notes:
Coming Next:
Chapter 34 - Sakura's Concerned Friends
Christmas is fast approaching while Sakura and Syaoran barely speak to each other. Their friends want to help, yet each has their own issues as well.
Some may note that Sakura mentioned stalkers in the plural yet Maki assumed she only meant Syaoran. This is more an issue with the Japanese language as there is no obvious method to denote more than one of something and can only be inferred through context. The lack of pluralization is especially troublesome in translating stories to a language that has them. Most recently in Naruto when it was revealed that the prophecy surrounding a certain child was actually for two children. Much as in Magic Knights Rayearth the quest for the Rune God was actually a quest for the Rune Gods. While Sakura certainly meant stalkers, counting Kurogane and Fye, Maki seeing only Syaoran took her words to mean stalker and was just talking about him.
Omake! Omake! Omake!
After the outburst caused by Sakura saying she had slept with Syaoran, the teacher quickly enforced order and began class. When you have students trained in lethal fighting arts, disorder can not be tolerated.
When class broke for gym, Syaoran immediately grabbed Sakura by the arm and told her, "We need to talk." He quickly pulled her out of the room.
Meiling jumped to follow them but found her way blocked.
"I'll be your sparring partner today," Elizabeth announced.
Ciel gave her a worried look before leaving the room.
"Out of my way!" Meiling shot at her.
Elizabeth leaned closer. "A love not tested may not be love at all."
"What do you know?" Meiling hissed.
"I know I have Ciel's love. Do you know if you have Li's?" Elizabeth questioned seriously.
"I will kill you," Meiling promised.
"Look forward to it," Elizabeth chirped before prancing off to get ready for gym.
---
"What century are you from?" Syaoran hissed.
"Um, Sengoku period of Japan," Sakura replied sheepishly. "Why?"
"Huh? 'Sengoku?'" Syaoran wondered.
"I believe that was, um, five hundred or so years ago," Sakura answered. "I was only ten when my village was destroyed."
Syaoran massaged his forehead. "And the after life has no concept of sex."
Sakura shifted uneasily. "Actually it does, but why does that mean anything."
"You have absolutely no idea what 'sleeping with someone' means, do you?" Syaoran shot at her.
"We were asleep next to each other, that's all it meant," Sakura defended.
"That's not what everyone else thinks. They think we had sex," Syaoran retorted.
"Why?" Sakura wondered.
"Because you said you slept with me," Syaoran insisted.
"Really? Why would they think that?" Sakura wondered.
"That's what it means to sleep _with_ someone," Syaoran repeated.
Sakura pouted. "...Oh. Sorry. It won't cause much trouble, will it?"
Syaoran frowned. "With Meiling, we already were in trouble."
"Morning," Tomoyo greeted from the other side of her bedroom.
"We didn't do anything last night, did we?" Meiling wondered.
Tomoyo shook her head. "All we did was cry our sorrows into this glorified grape juice." She held up an empty wine bottle. "I was surprised when one of the maids actually let us have this until I noticed there's very little actual alcohol in it."
"Figures." Meiling let out a long breath. "What time is it?"
"A little after six, plenty of time to get ready for school," Tomoyo replied.
Meiling covered her head with the bedsheets. "Wish I could claim a hangover."
"I'm sure the school would love that excuse," Tomoyo teased.
"Yeah, but I wouldn't have to see them," Meiling retorted.
"Well, they won't be very close until they accept everything," Tomoyo assured her.
Meiling pouted. "That's going to make it more frustrating. Kinomoto has everything I ever wanted and she's going to be all moody about it."
"They will work things out," Tomoyo pointed out.
"If Kinomoto doesn't get her head out of her arse I'm going to kill her," Meiling retorted.
"If Sakura-chan's indecision goes on for too long, locking her in a room with Li-kun should more than suffice to deal with the issues," Tomoyo asserted.
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Card Captor Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon
Chapter 32: Sakura and Syaoran?
By: Lord Archive
Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.
Author's Warnings:
This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.
This series contains:
Adult situations.
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.
Occasional use of vulgar language.
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.
References of homosexuality.
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The school day came to an end and Sakura hurried off without a word, while Syaoran grumpily followed her.
"What's their problem?" Chiharu wondered. "They haven't said a word to each other all day, yet he won't take his eyes off her."
Tomoyo smirked sadly. "Shades of Gotoh-kun and Misora-chan from when they 'broke up' the first time."
"Huh?" Rika questioned in confusion.
"Kinomoto is being an idiot," Meiling groused.
Tomoyo shook her head. "You could say Sakura-chan and Li-kun are engaged, but she didn't think about where they would be living once they were married."
"Did she think she would stay in Tomoeda after marriage?" Rika wondered.
"She apparently thought we all would," Meiling griped.
"If Bloody Sword Detective turns out to be a one-hit wonder, I'd need a good husband to afford living in Tomoeda," Naoko commented.
"And Rika-chan may find herself living far away from here next year," Tomoyo added motioning toward the girl in question.
"We've even looked at going to another country," Rika added.
"Excuse me," Misora pipped in. "When you said Kinomoto's current issues are shades of Hisao and me, did you mean...?"
"Much as Gotoh-kun didn't think about what being lovers meant until after he was with you, Sakura-chan didn't consider everything that marriage with Li-kun would entail," Tomoyo related.
Misora pouted. "But does that mean she finally slept with him?"
Tomoyo and Meiling exchanged glances, debating on answering the question honestly, especially as their friends and Misora would not be the only ones to hear it.
A thunderclap echoed loudly.
Naoko raced to the window hoping to spot where the lightning had struck.
"Where did THAT come from?" Tsuda wondered, also at the window gazing for a sign of where the thunder had come from. "There's not a cloud in the sky."
Meiling was already out the classroom door, her friends quickly followed her, with Naoko lagging behind.
Misora blinked, still sitting at her desk. "What was THAT about?"
By the time the group made it to the school gate, Tomoyo's cellphone began to ring.
"What happened?" Tomoyo demanded, skipping any greeting. She then blinked. "Wolves?"
"Really?" Naoko wheezed out while panting hard.
"I'll have the alleyway cleaned up," Tomoyo promised with a deep frown. "Keep an eye on Sakura-chan."
Naoko leaned closer. "Where was..."
"I can't believe you!" Sakura's voice screeched.
"Oh, dear, he killed the wolves, didn't he?" Rika fretted.
Tomoyo merely nodded.
Naoko now lead the group towards where Sakura's voice had come from. By the time they got to an alleyway which carried the smell of charred flesh, Sakura and Syaoran were no where in sight.
"Just five wolves?" Takashi commented. "Kinomoto could've dealt with these in her sleep."
"Either this was an impromptu attack because Sakura-chan slept with her beloved or this was set up for Li-kun to kill them to make her more upset at him," Tomoyo noted.
Naoko frowned as she gazed over the scene. "Not much to see here. Sakura-chan was likely ambushed to strike at her before she could react only Li-kun... well... over killed the situation."
"Where's your boyfriend?" Chiharu questioned.
"Still following Sakura-chan," Tomoyo replied. "If her enemy was ever to drop multiple attacks in a short period of time, he would be doing that now."
Rika tapped her chin. "So when you said 'Sakura-chan slept with her beloved' you mean they finally made love?"
Tomoyo gave a shallow nod. "And as Gotoh-kun 'broke up' with Misora-chan because he wasn't ready for what being lovers fully entailed, Sakura-chan is having trouble accepting that to be with Li-kun as his wife means having to move away from everyone."
"And Li-kun killing all these wolves won't help that situation," Rika surmised.
"No. No it won't," Tomoyo affirmed.
Meiling glared at everything and everyone before she spun around and stomped off.
------------------------
"Hello, Sakura-chan," Maki greeted as the girl entered Twin Bells.
Sakura pouted and barely returned the greeting. "Hi."
"You haven't been here in a while," Maki noted.
"Haven't needed to do any shopping," Sakura weakly explained, trying to find anything of interest to distract herself.
Maki tilted her head. "Something wrong?"
"I just needed to get away from my stalkers," Sakura complained.
Maki blinked. "Do you mean that Chinese boy?"
Sakura let out a sigh. "Yeah... He's kind of my fiance."
"Really?" Maki gazed at the girl with concern. "Did your parents decide that?"
Sakura shook her head. "No, it's something we decided on. It's just... I'm trying to think of how to convince him that we should stay in Tomoeda and not move to Hong Kong."
"Ah. Joining you life to another is kind of scary," Maki noted.
"Especially when he's asking me to leave behind everyone I know." Sakura picked up a small sign announcing that 'Wish Cards' would soon be available. "I don't know if I'd want to raise my children in another country."
"Well, things would be different, that's for sure, but there are some things that you may find preferable in Hong Kong than here in Tomoeda," Maki told her.
"Like what?" Sakura demanded.
"Did you know that you would not be allowed to finish school if you got pregnant?" Maki asked.
"All too well," Sakura replied.
"There is no such school rule in Hong Kong. While some schools in Hong Kong may punish a girl for becoming pregnant, there are schools that would allow her to finish her education," Maki informed.
Sakura blinked. "Really?"
Maki smiled sadly. "Yes. In senior high I had thoughts of moving to Hong Kong... to fully have a family with my beloved. We thought we'd have all the time in the world so we delayed."
Sakura clutched at her heart. Thanks to Misora and Chiharu having to face the same choice there was no need for Maki to spell out what she meant. Maki had gotten pregnant in senior high and had an abortion to avoid being expelled. A choice the woman likely now regretted as her beloved died before they could officially be married.
"At least with him you won't have to wait," Maki encouraged.
Sakura smiled weakly. "I wouldn't wait even if we remain here in Tomoeda. I've known for some time I probably wouldn't finish school."
"That may be so, but living with him in Hong Kong would mean getting to do both. That's something I didn't really get the choice to have," Maki sadly related.
Sakura slowly moved to the door. "Thank you." Leaving the store, the girl still said nothing as Syaoran continued to shadow her, and knew that Kurogane and Fye were not far behind him.
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The television showed the hero off to find his missing love. As the landscape of the city was shown, the station was changed before it could name the location as Hong Kong.
"Really?" Kero-chan groused.
Sakura pouted at her small guardian as he floated next to her. "What?"
"Is there anything wrong with Hong Kong?" Kero-chan asked seriously.
Sakura turned away. "It's not Tomoeda."
"Sure, but you've been to Hong Kong. You know it's not a bad place," Kero-chan defended.
"Going to Hong Kong on vacation is different from living there, let alone raising a family. Tomoeda is a great place to raise children, while Hong Kong is much more... violent," Sakura returned.
Kero-chan folded its small arms. "Do I really need you to remind you about Satome?"
Sakura scowled darkly.
"Bad things can happen anywhere, you know that all too well," Kero-chan shot at her. "And you've seen the brat's neighborhood. Your kids are far more likely to get hurt for being young and naive than being victim of some crime."
Sakura let out a loud huff.
"And who said you'd ONLY be living in Hong Kong?" Kero-chan asked.
Sakura blinked. "What?"
"The Li clan is old and very rich. The brat can easily afford to have a vacation home here. I can easily see you making your kids attend school here for a year or two just to expose them to your culture," Kero-chan explained.
"Why can't it be the other way around, and have Hong Kong as the vacation home?" Sakura insisted.
"You're not going to be the bread winner," Kero-chan groused. "If most of your family income came from you it would be your choice, but you're not. The brat's family will be taking care of all the expenses, and that means living in Hong Kong."
"You don't understand either!" Sakura cried out.
"Did I hear a monster roar," Touya called out from the door, as he let himself in the house.
"Toya, be nice," Yukito admonished.
Sakura jumped off the couch. "I'm not a monster!"
Touya gazed at his sister with concern. "What has your panties in a bunch?"
Sakura shifted uneasily and looked away.
"She's not taking talk of moving to Hong Kong once she marries very well," Kero-chan answered for her.
Sakura's eyes widened. "Yukito-kun, you don't want to move to Hong Kong, do you? Onichan, you wouldn't want him to leave you, right?"
Touya and Yukito glanced at each other and without a word both of them pulled out a Cantonese textbook from their school bags.
"Hoe?" Sakura emitted.
"Sakura-chan, we will always be there for you," Yukito vowed. "And we've known where your heart will guide you."
"Doesn't anyone want me to stay here?" Sakura demanded and stumped off to her room.
Touya shook his head. "This shouldn't even be a conversation for another ten years."
"We'll make dinner while you drill us in Cantonese?" Yukito offered.
"Deal!" Kero-chan quickly agreed.
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"You know, there is only one thing I miss more than eating good food," Fanren mentioned.
Syaoran glanced at his ghost of a sister, "What's that?"
"Sex," Fanren answered teasingly.
Syaoran scowled at her.
"You'll be screwing you girlfriend again soon," Fanren assured him.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Syaoran muttered.
"Did she say that you've broken up?" Fanren questioned seriously.
"No, but does that really mean anything?" Syaoran shot back.
"I'd say it does, especially with Sakura," Fanren returned.
"Perhaps you can explain why the idea of moving to Hong Kong has her so upset?" Syaoran demanded.
"Because she now realizes that once she says 'I do,' EVERY aspect of her life will change, even the _language_ she'll be speaking," Fanren told him. "She'll need time to accept that."
Syaoran looked away nervously. "What if it's too much for her?"
Fanren glared at him like he was stupid. "Really? Learning Cantonese will be the deal breaker when she's been fighting our uncle for the right to be with you?"
"And moving from her friends and family," Syaoran added. "It all might be too much for her."
"She just needs time, though you should make it clear you're not in any hurry to drag her to Hong Kong. It's not like you want to marry her next week," Fanren insisted.
Syaoran shuddered. "Of course not. I'm not ready for that."
"And, little brother, neither is she." Fanren went to poke his nose, and when he flinched she disappeared.
"Hate when she does that," Syaoran muttered.
------------------------
"So this is where you're hiding," Misora commented.
Sakura jumped and pulled away from the mirror in the girls' bathroom. "Misora-chan... um..."
"Your friends are worried about you," Misora noted.
"I know..." Sakura pouted. "It's just..."
"Being Li-kun's lover and future wife has you scared out of your wits," Misora observed.
Sakura shook her head lightly. "That's not exactly it. I'm mostly ready for that, it's permanently moving to Hong Kong that's the issue."
"Really? You're ready for a screaming baby that'll keep you up all night and you'll have to care for so much you may as well be living on the moon for how little time you'll have for friends," Misora pressed.
Sakura frowned deeply. "Is that what your parents told you?"
Misora flinched. "Um... kind of." She let out a sigh. "You were right. I'll be absent Monday to delay things, and Hisao insists he was lying about being with two girls. I at least know it wasn't Inoue as she's wanting a turn with him."
Sakura looked away. "Can't say I'm not surprised."
"Hisao and I just aren't ready. His parents even accused me of getting upset over his job search as me not wanting to lose him," Misora admitted. "Can't say that might not have been a factor, but what he was looking at wouldn't have worked."
"Yet even if you decided to start a family soon, you wouldn't be leaving Tomoeda," Sakura commented.
Misora gave a sad smirk. "Actually, there was talk of sending me out to some relative to be hidden in a back room so she could have a baby. If I'm going to lose almost a year of schooling I may as well take full responsibility."
Sakura nodded shallowly. "Your life would've completely changed... just as mine will once I marry Syaoran."
"Yep," Misora agreed.
Sakura sighed. "But there is more to it with me. Learning a new language, a new culture, everything will be different. If I have a daughter, she won't have the same kind of experiences I did."
"Yet a son would grow up like Li-kun did," Misora returned.
"Which is part of my problem." Sakura turned around. "The Li clan is old and rich. To better defend themselves they're taught martial arts from an early age..."
"And are taught killing arts," Misora finished. "I've heard you talk about that before."
"Power is a burden, one I'd want to ease my children into. Not instill it in them before they can walk," Sakura bemoaned.
"Considering the Li clan is old, they may know that burden is easier to carry if taught at an early age," Misora retorted. "Meililng-chan is certainly hot-headed and impetuous, but she's never gone overboard in a fight, has she? Would that be true if she was only taught such things now?"
Sakura gazed at the girl with a surprised look. "Meiling-chan might not know her own limits... but I guess she understands the limits of others."
"Is it she doesn't know her limits or just refuses to admit she has them?" Misora countered.
Sakura smirked. "That might be a better way to put it."
"And even if you convinced Li-kun to stay here, wouldn't he try to train your kids just as he was trained?" Misora pointed out.
"He would, but I'd have more say in how much," Sakura returned. "Going to Hong Kong I'd be the trophy wife. Unable to have a say, especially with his mother around."
"I know saying you'll just need to stand up for yourself may sound easier than it is, but when it's to about your own child, I'm sure you'd find to strength to stand up and make your voice heard," Misora insisted.
"Maybe..." Sakura turned her gaze back to the mirror. "I still wish there was some way we could just stay in Tomoeda."
"We're not getting that choice. The best method Li-kun has to support you is in Hong Kong, and if Hisao's best job happens to be in Hokaido or in America... well, that's where I'll end up too. If we were older and had our own careers, it would be different, but we're both choosing love and family over making a future for ourselves that doesn't rely on our guys," Misora related.
Sakura let out a long breathe. "I know. But how much my life will change... it's a bit much."
"Take your time to get use to the idea. It's not like you're getting married next week," Misora pointed out.
Sakura let out a forced laugh. "Not next week, but by this time next year... probably."
"Exactly, you've got at least several months to get use to the idea, possibly longer. There's no need to get all moody about it now," Misora encouraged.
Sakura looked at her evenly. "You telling me not to be moody?"
"I've got hormones to blame," Misora jokingly defended.
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"Why do girls have to be such headaches?" Syaoran complained.
Takashi laughed. "It's because they're different from guys. We'll never be able to fully understand them."
"Moving isn't such a big deal, yet Sakura is acting like it would be the end of the world," Syaoran bemoaned.
"With Chiharu you'd think wearing the same clothes two days in a row is a felony," Takashi returned. "Girls will make big deals out of nothing."
"You're not kidding," Hisao groused, having overheard their comments. "Misora wants to be practically married but any talk of me having a job to support her and she gets upset."
"Why do we put up with them?" Syaoran wondered bitterly.
Takashi raised an eyebrow. "You're asking me?"
Hisao laughed. "I'm sure you could come up with any number of stories for this."
"I could," Takashi agreed. "There's just not enough bullshit in the world to cover the real reason."
"And that is?" Syaoran questioned.
Takashi and Hisao exchanged glances and answered with one word, "Sex."
Syaoran folded his arms. "...Maybe."
"It really is about sex," Takashi insisted. "We're culturally and biologically inclined to form pair bonds for the purpose of procreation. Like any other animal, humans want to pass along their genetic code to the next generation. By selecting a woman as his mate, a guy is better able to ensure to pass along his genetics while she gains someone able to help care and provide for her and her children."
"Can't it be easier?" Syaoran wondered.
"If you want easy, donate to a sperm bank," Takashi joked. "If you want to raise your own children, you'll have to deal with a girl. The secret being to love her a lot and not try to understand her at all."
"And learning the most important reply to her is 'yes, dear," Hisao added.
------------------------
Sakura entered her bedroom and flopped onto her bed.
"Hello, Sakura."
Sakura sat up quickly and leapt across the room. "Mom!"
Nadeshiko marveled at being able to touch her daughter, to brush aside of the girl's wild bangs as the girl hugged her. "How is my brave little girl?"
Sakura pouted as she sheepishly pulled away. "Feeling like a coward."
"Tying your life to another is certainly one of the most difficult things a girl can ever do," Nadeshiko intoned.
"But you were certain with Dad, weren't you?" Sakura questioned.
"No, I wasn't. Grandfather and Sonomi-chan didn't make it easy for me to choose to be with him," Nadeshiko replied. "To marry your father I had to give up the family that raised me completely. Sometimes I had wished Fujitaka had found work far from Tokyo."
Sakura blinked. "Why?"
"It hurt to have Grandfather living a short bus drive away and yet know that the only way he would speak to me was if I denounced my husband first," Nadeshiko answered sadly. "I sent him many letters and presents, telling him how happy I was. I never got a reply."
Sakura flinched. "How cruel! Didn't he at least read them?"
"I had wondered if he threw them out without ever looking at them," Nadeshiko admitted. "I now know he has read them many times and kept every present. He never stopped loving me, just as your father will never stop loving you."
"But to be away from everyone..." Sakura bemoaned.
"It won't be easy, but you will have the one you love most next to you," Nadeshiko assured her.
"Not all the time. I'll be left in a city of people I don't know, with a family I've barely learned anything about, and will be expected to raise a proper successor to the Li clan," Sakura rattled off her complaints.
"Those are reasonable concerns," Nadeshiko admitted. "Yet regardless of where you live, when you have a baby, you're going to feel just as isolated. Sure I had my friends stopping by to help, but they weren't there at four in the morning to help with a baby who was crying for no apparent reason while not having slept for more than a few hours in months."
Sakura pouted. "How does having a baby equal moving to a different country?"
"Because you will be just as alone," Nadeshiko warned. "There will be so much you don't know about raising a baby. Even when someone is there willing to help, you'll be worried they'll make a mistake. You'll want nothing more than to have a break, yet being your baby you'll want to take care of every need and want. The only person you'll have any trust in will be the baby's father. I found it rather funny when my friends got so upset when their own mothers tried to help."
"But moving to Hong Kong... everything will change," Sakura protested.
"Sakura, everything changes when you get married and start a family, no matter where you live," Nadeshiko warned in a loving tone. "Your brother wishes that you would wait on the relationship you have with your beloved. He has realized that soon you will no longer be a child. By being with Li-kun, starting a family with him, you will need to become an adult. You won't be able to go out to the movies. Just going out to be with friends won't be an option. Your world will change in ways you haven't even considered."
"So I'm just being silly, huh?" Sakura wondered.
"You're just worried about your future. It's only natural. You're only fifteen and are making a choice that will stay with you for the rest of your life," Nadeshiko assured her. "Despite your fears, you still view yourself as being engaged. You are not running away, rather you're trying to figure out how to make the best life with your decision."
Sakura looked away. "Will I be with Syaoran for the rest of our lives?"
"You're better able to predict that than I would. All I can say is that Syaoran-kun loves you more than anyone else." Nadeshiko slowly faded away.
"Bye, Mom." Sakura gazed at the spot her mother had been for a long moment, wishing she would return. She then went over to her desk and opened the magical book that held her cards with The Dream at the top of the deck. "You think I should check my future?" The book pulsed in her hands. She hesitated before picking up the card.
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The boy looked almost exactly like Syaoran, then shifted and was a girl who looked a lot like Sakura, and switched back. "We're going to Japan?"
"Yes, Tsubasa," the young woman told her child with some nervousness.
"So we're going to visit Auntie Tomoyo and Auntie Chiharu?" Tsubasa, the girl, guessed.
His mother shook her head. "We'll certainly see them, but this isn't going to be just a vacation."
Tsubasa blinked as a girl, then pouted as a boy. "It's not?"
"No, dear. We'll be spending the next year or so there," she explained.
Tsubasa pushed her wild bangs out of her hair as she questioned. "What about school?"
"You'll be attending the same elementary school I did..." She smiled sheepishly. "Starting next week."
"But isn't it summer break?" Tsubasa wondered with some confusion as he stomped his foot.
"The Japanese school year actually lasts all year. You'll be transferring in towards the end of the first trimester," she answered her child.
Tsubasa the girl seemed to sway between being happy and then sad about the idea of moving, while the boy just frowned and replied with, "As you wish." And then the child walked out of the Li manor's main room.
A young man entered a moment later. "Sakura, how did Tsubasa take it?"
"About as well as you'd expect, Syaoran. Looking at Tsubasa is like looking into our past," Sakura told him.
"Is this move really necessary?" Syaoran wondered.
"Just as you found your destiny in Tomoeda, our child's future awaits there as well," Sakura replied. "I just wish I understood what that may be. The only clue I have is 'Tsubasa awaits Tsubasa' and the need to use the middle name for the school."
"An open future is certainly better than one you cannot avoid," Syaoran intoned.
Sakura smirked. "Are you saying you wanted to avoid me?"
Syaoran leaned closer. "Well, when we were in Junior High together, you hardly made things easy for me. Though of all the things that robbed us of choice, being by your side made all the other hardships worth it."
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Author's Notes:
Coming Next:
Chapter 34 - Sakura's Concerned Friends
Christmas is fast approaching while Sakura and Syaoran barely speak to each other. Their friends want to help, yet each has their own issues as well.
Some may note that Sakura mentioned stalkers in the plural yet Maki assumed she only meant Syaoran. This is more an issue with the Japanese language as there is no obvious method to denote more than one of something and can only be inferred through context. The lack of pluralization is especially troublesome in translating stories to a language that has them. Most recently in Naruto when it was revealed that the prophecy surrounding a certain child was actually for two children. Much as in Magic Knights Rayearth the quest for the Rune God was actually a quest for the Rune Gods. While Sakura certainly meant stalkers, counting Kurogane and Fye, Maki seeing only Syaoran took her words to mean stalker and was just talking about him.
Omake! Omake! Omake!
After the outburst caused by Sakura saying she had slept with Syaoran, the teacher quickly enforced order and began class. When you have students trained in lethal fighting arts, disorder can not be tolerated.
When class broke for gym, Syaoran immediately grabbed Sakura by the arm and told her, "We need to talk." He quickly pulled her out of the room.
Meiling jumped to follow them but found her way blocked.
"I'll be your sparring partner today," Elizabeth announced.
Ciel gave her a worried look before leaving the room.
"Out of my way!" Meiling shot at her.
Elizabeth leaned closer. "A love not tested may not be love at all."
"What do you know?" Meiling hissed.
"I know I have Ciel's love. Do you know if you have Li's?" Elizabeth questioned seriously.
"I will kill you," Meiling promised.
"Look forward to it," Elizabeth chirped before prancing off to get ready for gym.
---
"What century are you from?" Syaoran hissed.
"Um, Sengoku period of Japan," Sakura replied sheepishly. "Why?"
"Huh? 'Sengoku?'" Syaoran wondered.
"I believe that was, um, five hundred or so years ago," Sakura answered. "I was only ten when my village was destroyed."
Syaoran massaged his forehead. "And the after life has no concept of sex."
Sakura shifted uneasily. "Actually it does, but why does that mean anything."
"You have absolutely no idea what 'sleeping with someone' means, do you?" Syaoran shot at her.
"We were asleep next to each other, that's all it meant," Sakura defended.
"That's not what everyone else thinks. They think we had sex," Syaoran retorted.
"Why?" Sakura wondered.
"Because you said you slept with me," Syaoran insisted.
"Really? Why would they think that?" Sakura wondered.
"That's what it means to sleep _with_ someone," Syaoran repeated.
Sakura pouted. "...Oh. Sorry. It won't cause much trouble, will it?"
Syaoran frowned. "With Meiling, we already were in trouble."