DEPARTURE

An S+S fic by akane

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konanachi wa minna-san, this here's akane. Before I get started here I would like to say a few things…just some stuff to keep in mind:


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disclaimer: CARD CAPTOR SAKURA and all related characters are owned by the fine people at CLAMP. i don't even pretend to own them-i only write about them and it would be a major waste of time to even think about suing this humble fangirl.
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DEPARTURE 1/3 (UNEXPECTED CIRCUMSTANCES)
"…."-speech
'….'-thoughts
<…>-memory sequence (cue the squiggly lines)
MONDAY AFTERNOON...

Li Syaoran took a deep, relaxing breath. The early morning rain did an excellent job freshening the air and Syaoran intended to enjoy it on his walk home from school. Over all, the day was a fairly uneventful one. Chiharu had come down with a bad case of hiccups all during lunch which kept everyone in stitches. And during math class everyone worked with partners on a worksheet. Syaoran considered himself lucky-he had been partnered up with Sakura.

<"Li-kun! How did you solve that problem so quickly?! I'm barely halfway through!" Sakura's emerald green eyes had stared at him in disbelief.

"It was easy." Syaoran had murmured, attempting to keep his usually cool facade intact. For some reason Li Syaoran always had a hard time keeping himself in control around Kinomoto Sakura.>

"Sakura..." Syaoran sighed as he dodged a puddle. 'Ahh, I can't get her outta my mind...why? Pff! You know why Syaoran, you're in love with her.' Syaoran's inner monologue told him. "Baka."

As Syaoran climbed up the stairs to his apartment he thought, 'I really ought to tell her some day.' A light pink blush started to creep into his face. 'Yeah right, and deal with Touya? *like being thrown into the lion's pit* and what about Yukito?' Syaoran knew that Yukito's feelings were for Touya, but Sakura still held onto her love for Yukito, even though Syaoran himself had long given up his feelings for Yukito. "Someday-maybe." and he opened his door.

"Xiao Lang! My son!" a happy voice in Cantonese shrilled.

"O..Okaa-san...umm...mom?" Syaoran stumbled and finally answered in Cantonese. (after almost 7 years of speaking Japanese it's hard to instantly switch languages).

"Oh Xiao Lang, it's been so long...I mean we've talked on the phone but...look how you've grown! And look at you, you need a haircut." Syaoran's mother, Sou-ming, was a very regal intimidating looking woman, with a strong aura, fierce determination, and a soft spot for her only son.

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I've come to bring you back. Even though you've failed in bringing back the Clow Cards the elders believe now that you can come back. They've cooled down a little, you'll still have to under go some rigorous tasks, but at least you can come home now." Sou-ming's rich voice went soft with her last sentence and a sweet smile spread across her lips.

"Go home?"

"Yes, at first I never understood why you stayed in Japan, but now I realize how smart my son is. You wanted to give to elders some time so that you could later be restored to the Li Clan." Sou-ming looked her son over carefully. He was tall and skinny. 'Not skinny,' she thought 'maybe lanky, or lean...but very handsome *Syaoran-sama: thank you akane-chan, you have redeemed yourself. akane-chan: yeah!* His hair was much the same as it was when he left Hong Kong; brown with golden highlights and forever messy. His amber eyes looked down at his clenched fists laying in his lap. His shoulders sagged. Were they shaking?

"Home?" Syaoran repeated. 'Isn't Japan my home?' he thought. 'I've been here so long, here is where all of my friends are...my memories...my.……………………….Sakura.'

"What is wrong Xiao Lang?"

"I want to go home, really, and..."Syaoran started. 'but I don't care about the Li Clan, I never want to work with them again...made me fight...made me mean...made me her enemy...I don't want to kill anyone...'

"We leave Saturday." Sou-ming said definitely. "You may miss Japan, but we all miss you at home. After a few years you'll regain your rightful place at the family table and some day you will rule over the Li Clan. You are the most skillful of your generation. You will soar once again my little wolf." and she patted him firmly on the head.

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TUESDAY AT LUNCH...

"Tomoyo-chan, here's a seat for you!" Tomoyo turned around to see a pair of laughing emerald eyes and a friendly hand waving at her.

"Arigato Sakura-chan...Tanaka-sensei wanted to talk to me after class." A pair of purple eyes smiled.

"Hoe? About your recital?"

"Un...just about picking an accompanist." Tomoyo answered, her grey hair bobbing. Tomoyo cut her hair shorter in 7th grade and kept it just a little past her shoulders. Her skin was still a pearly pale color. She was thin...more like dainty and only about 5'1", but her voice continued to grow, even when she didn't. Tomoyo's vocal talents were the pride of the school.

"Tomoyo-chan, you're so good, you don't need an accompanist!" Sakura smiled. Sakura was only a few inches taller than her friend -5'3"-, (so much for stepping all over Touya, who looks quite tall (-does anyone out there know his height? If you know-please tell me!) Sakura's hair was still short, but now was all one length instead of short in the back (don't worry folks, i envisioned the Sakura of the future to still have those weird kawaii bangs stickin' up*_*;) Sakura was still very athletic and the only better athlete in the school was probably Syaoran. Sakura was in the cheerleading club and helped to organize several athletic events in school.

"Did you know that in the ancient Samaritan culture..." Yamazaki began before Chiharu hit him over the head.

"Hai, Hai..."

"Li-kun, will you be going to Tomoyo's recital this Saturday?" Sakura asked looking all the way down the table, smiling sweetly. Syaoran sat with Sakura, Tomoyo and all their friends often, he considered himself a friend, but he always managed to sit at the complete opposite side of the table as Sakura and usually kept himself out of most conversations. The Silent Observer.

"Saturday?" Syaoran gulped. "NO." he finally said coldly, and went back to poking at his lunch.

"Why not Li-kun, you're certainly invited and I'm sure Tomoyo would love to have all of her friends there." Sakura said, looking more than a little hurt.

"None of your business." he spat back.

"Hoe?"

"Don't give me that 'hoe' crap (gomen kiddies) Sakura!" Syaoran looked menacingly back at Sakura. His eyes were flaming, but as soon as he said it, he regretted it. Sakura's face went blank and her eyes filled with tears. Syaoran mentally kicked himself as Sakura's lower lip began to quiver. All eyes turned to him. "Umm...ah...gomen Kinomoto-san." he managed to mumble and sped away from the table.

Tomoyo saw the hurt in her friend's eyes. She knew how she was feeling. "Sakura, its okay...Li-kun's probably busy, ne?" She put a hand over Sakura's.

"Arigato Tomoyo." Even though Sakura never told her best friend with words, she knew that her friend was aware of her feelings toward Syaoran. 'Li-kun must be under a lot of pressure.' Sakura thought 'One can't describe him as a pleasant person all the time, but he certainly never exploded at me before. Why can't he just be nice for once? He'd be nice for a minute than switch back into Mr. Cool-and-Aloof. Can't he see that he's hurting me...does he care? I mean...I think he's my friend, but I'm not sure sometimes.'

LATER THAT DAY...

Math class was torture for Syaoran. He sat right across from Sakura. He noticed how she held her body rigid, and her eyes remained focused on her hands folded on her desk all during class.

'Oh geeez.' Syaoran thought. 'These next few days will be the last time I see her, and she's mad at me...I hurt her.' Syaoran did a funny little jerk in his chair. 'Last time I see her? Oh Kami-sama! What am I going to do? Never see Sakura again?' Syaoran's palms began to sweat. 'Should I tell her that I'm leaving? Maybe not today. Maybe I can talk to mother and persuade her to let me stay here. Yeah right, like that's gonna happen. Maybe I should just ignore her…it might be better that way…'

"Li-san."

'How will Sakura react if I tell her? Maybe I should just leave...I came without warning and maybe that's how I should leave.' He glanced over quickly at her beautiful face and sighed a little.

"Li Syaoran."

"What will life be like in Hong Kong? Will I have friends, like here? Doubtful, I've never been especially nice to anyone here, but they've treated me so well. Especially Sakura, she of all people should have despised me. I came to destroy her and...' Syaoran's inner struggle was cut short when he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. He turned to look at who was doing the tapping and saw Sakura leaning over the isle and staring at him.

"Sakura..." he began.

"LI-KUN." she whispered harshly through gritted teeth and motioned with a flick of her head to the front of the class. The teacher was standing in front of the class with her arms folded over her chest and a very miffed look on her face.

"Li Syaoran, welcome back to reality." She hissed.

"I'm sorry Sensei, I..." Red slowly began to creep into Syaoran's cheeks.

"Spare us the details Li-san, just come up here and answer the question." (Good thing Syaoran's on Iamai-sensei's good side, ne?)

"Oh, hai." Syaoran straitened his shoulders and walked to the front of the room.

'Boy Li-kun looked really troubled.' Sakura thought as she watched his small, concise handwriting slowly fill the board with work and finally, an answer. 'I wish I knew what it is...' "Haachooo. Oh, excuse me." Sakura reached into her desk for a tissue and blew her nose as Syaoran returned to his desk.

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Yeah yeah yeah...i know i know i know. it's kinda lame. How do you like the name of Syaoran's mom? I made it up myself...i'm not so keen on Chinese names. Actually the first name i thought of was Mulan (yes i just came back from vacation in Disney World) I always pictured her as a real regal, 'its my way, or the highway' kinda gal who likes her son, but likes status better (see, if Syaoran goes back and works hard in my little universe he'll hold a better position in the family....yadda yadda yadda.) Sorry for the lack of descriptions of other characters. Use your own imagination. I also made Sakura taller than most fanfic writers but i honestly don't see her reaching a height of only 4'8" (eek) I also didn't put a lot of Sakura's feelings into the story, yet... but its commin' hehehehe

questions...comments....concerns.....? email me at: amiboshi_ri@fushigiyugi.com Flames however will not be tolerated i'll send Syaoran-sama out after you and then you better watch out! He has a sword!


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this fic owned by akane. If you want to post it (please do!) but either ask me, or tell me about it! (just so I'd know!) okay? Thanx -akane
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