Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ The Hourglass ❯ The Broken Hourglass ( Chapter 1 )

AN: My first CCS fanfiction. I hope you all enjoy the first chapter :D

 

Synopsis: Who wouldn't be happy if someone were to appear in your life and tell you they would grant your every wish? Or something pretty close to it... Li Syaoran finds himself with what can be described as Djinn that takes the form of a young woman named Sakura. She's determined to help him realize his heart's desire and will grant his every desire, but that doesn't mean Syaoran's a believer. What would you do if a nutter appeared in your home and asked to take care of you? It doesn't help matters when Sakura reveals that she's not exactly the best Djinn there ever was. Either way, Syaoran finds he must pay a price for every wish granted, whether he wants it or not.

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Cardcaptor Sakura.

 

 

The Hourglass

 

The Broken Hourglass

 

 

 

 

"It falls right through your fingers."

 

There was a light breeze playing and the sun was sinking passed the horizon, casting rays of orange, red, and pink across the sky. It was like a photograph and it gave a feeling of warmth. It would have been relaxing if it weren't for the constant flickering of scenes that interrupted the peaceful vision.

 

"—you can't--"

 

Where was that voice coming from?

 

"Please!"

 

Everything changed abruptly and pained cries were echoing throughout the vicinity. Shadows towered by menacingly, eliminating all comfort that could have been offered from what little light there was. The atmosphere was heavy with tension and desperation.

 

"It's breaking!"

 

"Syao--"

 

~*~*~*~

 

 

"--ran!"

 

Li Syaoran jolted upright in his bed, his entire body covered in a cold sweat. He grimaced as he brought a hand to his sweating forehead and ran it through his damp hair. The wifebeater he wore clung to him like a second skin and he threw off the covers in an effort to alleviate some of the heat. He bent his knees and placed his face in his hands as he wondered what had brought him out of his dream so abruptly. Or had it been a nightmare? He couldn't remember.

 

He slowly let his hands fall from his face as his brows furrowed in concentration.

 

What had he been dreaming about?

 

Just as he began to recall bits and pieces and form a comprehensible picture, the door to his room swung open. The force was so great it rebounded against the wall and nearly slammed back close on the intruder.

 

"Rise and shine!" Syaoran barely had time to react before the curtains were pulled apart and filled his darkened room with light.

 

He did little to hide his discomfort as a few well chosen curses were uttered. His visitor took little notice of his displeasure and instead proceeded to lunge at him and bring him into a tight hug.

 

"I missed you, Syaoran!" Suddenly his visitor pulled back slightly and had Syaoran been able to see her face, he would have seen her wrinkle her nose in slight disgust. "But you need a shower."

 

"Meilin." Syaoran recognized his visitor once his eyes were adjusted to the lighting. Despite the fact that he acknowledged her presence with a stunned expression, she beamed at him and hugged him tightly. Syaoran didn't reciprocate the hug, mostly because he didn't have enough air in his lungs let alone the energy to hug back. "Why-"

 

"Why do you need a shower?" Meilin interrupted incredulously. "I think that's obvious. Or do you mean why did I miss you?"

 

"No, that's not-"

 

"You left so quickly! Barely a month since you were home before you flew back here! Don't you want to spend time with your family?" Meilin looked at him with wide eyes. "You spent a whole year here and you'll be here for another year--your last year of high school. Don't you miss home? Won't it be lonely-"

 

"Meilin!" Syaoran said sharply, putting an abrupt stop to her incessant questions. He gently, but firmly removed her grip from his waist and swung his legs over to the side of his bed. "Why are you here?"

 

She took a step back as he stood up, his tall, muscular frame towered over her, almost menacingly as he radiated irritation from her unexpected visit. She pursed her lips together, not to be intimidated and tilted her chin up to look him in the eye.

 

"I'm going to stay with you."

 

There was a long suffering moan as Syaoran's stance gave into to his exasperation and he flopped back down on the side of his bed, his face in his hands. Meilin watched him, nonplussed as he let out a sigh.

 

"Not this again."

 

"What?" She sounded indignant and Syaoran winced as her voice took on an octave higher. "Don't you want me to be here with you?"

 

"No, Meilin. This has nothing to do with what I want. This is about what you want." He said shortly as he pulled his hands away from his face and looked up at her. "Did you even get permission to come?"

 

"I don't need permission." She sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I can take care of myself-"

 

"That's great." Syaoran smiled at her disarmingly, causing her to return the smile hesitantly. However, his next words had her gritting her teeth in anger. "Then I won't have to worry once I get you a ticket back to Hong Kong."

 

"I'll have you know that your mother asked me personally to come here." Meilin snapped, nearly stomping her foot on the ground in frustration. A single eyebrow arched in suspicion.

 

"Did she?"

 

Hearing the doubt creep into his voice, Meilin had the last straw and turned to him with anger burning in her eyes.

 

"Of course she did! Why would I lie about that?" She all but shouted. "Is that what you think of me? Some silly, irrational girl that will just flippantly give into the whim to just see you out of the blue without reason? I-"

 

"Stop." Syaoran said quietly, but it was his hand grasping her wrist that held her words back. "I'm sorry, you're right. However, that doesn't explain why you didn't call, or how you got in."

 

"Your mother gave me the key an-and I wanted to... surprise you." Meilin said quietly, the last of her words barely above a whisper.

 

"Congratulations." Syaoran grunted as he stood up once again, releasing his grip on Meilin's wrist and causing her to back pedal in order to avoid colliding into him. "Surprise me you did. Now, care to explain what brought on this unexpected visit?"

 

Syaoran ran a hand through his sleep tussled hair, holding back a yawn as he made his way to the bathroom in order to comply with Meilin's earlier suggestion.

 

“I told you.” Meilin said in irritation. "Your mother sent me."

 

At that, Syaoran halted in his steps.

 

"Ah, it's nothing bad." Meilin felt the corners of her mouth turn upward as she could see him visibly relaxing at her reassurance. "It's not really important--"

 

"Then why did you come all the way to Japan if it's not that important." Syaoran asked sharply, his back still turned to her.

 

"It was just a precaution." Meilin told him, pausing before she added on quietly, "And I wanted to see you."

 

For a long moment nothing was said.

 

"Syao--" Meilin tried to break the silence, but Syaoran was already moving, continuing on his way to the bathroom.

 

"I'm taking a shower." With that he disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door.

 

Meilin stared at the closed door, a frown gracing her lips as she tightened her grip on the messenger bag that hung limply at her side.

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

 

Syaoran emerged from the bathroom, fresh and clean and still toweling his hair half-heartedly. He was greeted by a mouth-watering scent that seeped into every corner of his apartment and lured him out into the living room. From his vantage point he could see into the kitchen as well as the back of his cousin who had dawned on an apron and was currently hard at work at the stove. The apron was adorned with flowers and a bright shade of pink and orange, a gift from one of his sisters to use once he had gotten to Japan.

 

"Syaoran!" Meilin noticed his presence as she glanced over her shoulder and nodded her head to the table just beyond the counter. "I made breakfast!"

 

"You didn't have to." Syaoran said with a hint of regret as he recalled his earlier actions. He walked over to the small table and felt his guilt grow at the spread before him.

 

"Eat." Meilin commanded as she removed the handkerchief from her hair and set the apron down on the counter before joining him at the table. "You're not going to make all my hard work go to waste, are you?"

 

Syaoran grunted and took a seat as he picked up a pair of chopsticks. Meilin beamed at him before picking up her own pair. Just as she brought a clump of rice to her lips, Syaoran muttered the usual Japanese expression one used before eating, causing Meilin to nearly drop her chopsticks as she stuttered the same expression soon after him. Her face burned at her near mistake, but Syaoran gave no indication that he had caught her slip.

 

"What is it?"

 

For a second time before she had barely started her meal, Meilin had almost dropped her chopsticks. She looked up at Syaoran, bewildered.

 

"What is what?"

 

"What you came here for."

 

"Oh, right." Meilin quickly recovered and placed her eating utensils over her bowl of rice and leaned over to the side to retrieve her bag.

 

"Your mother wanted to give you something but she was worried that something might happen to it so I volunteered to deliver it." Meilin explained as she placed the messenger bag on her lap and pulled out contents at random. A small compact mirror, lip gloss, and her wallet were the first items to be removed. She glanced up at Syaoran to find him staring at her with his piercing gaze as she failed to retrieve the desired item. She quickly looked away, tensing as she stopped pulling items from her bag and merely rummaged around. She bit her bottom lip, continuing to feel his stare as she hurried in her search. Since when had her bag become so big--

 

"A-ha!" Meilin brandished a box that was just an inch or two short of a foot and placed it on the table. It was rectangular in shape and the box itself was elegantly decorated with Chinese symbols as well as large circular picture on the cover that had a combination of a sun and crescent moon as well as a diamond overlapping the two. She placed it on the table next to her plate.

 

"She sent you overseas to deliver a box to me?" Syaoran asked flatly as Meilin presented the item on the table.

 

"Yes." Meilin said with equal enthusiasm in her voice, irritated by his lack of interest and gratitude. "You're welcome, by the way."

 

He frowned.

 

"I didn't ask you to come--"

 

"I know you didn't, but it was going to get to you either way." Meilin pursed her lips together, then looked thoughtful as her gaze slid to the box. "I wonder what's in it."

 

"You don't even know?" He asked incredulously. "What exactly has she told you?"

 

"Other than the fact that she wanted this delivered to you? Nothing." Meilin frowned. "What? Did you expect me to go snooping around a package entrusted to me by your own mother?"

 

"No." Syaoran snapped in irritation. "I expected her to relay some sort of impertinent information through you to explain why it was so important."

 

"Well, why don't you open it to get those answers?" Meilin asked him, her own temper rising. "Maybe it's something for your eyes alone!"

 

"Then she should have called me." Syaoran mumbled under his breath as he took a large gulp of water.

 

"What was that?" Meilin asked sharply.

 

"I said maybe you're right." Syaoran said in a louder voice, knowing better to antagonize his cousin. "And you are right, thank you for coming all this way. I appreciate it, Meilin."

 

The moment those words left his mouth, Meilin's irritation melted into delight as her expression brightened. Syaoran took little notice as he piled his dishes and headed to the kitchen to place them in the sink. He briefly rinsed them with water before drying his hands on the dish rag nearby and headed back to the dining area to the box that remained at Meilin's side. He placed a finger to run over the lid, dipping into every groove carved in its surface to create its elegant designs before sliding his fingers over to one side. He curled them over the edges, lifting the cover and placing it on the table. Meilin gasped.

 

Inside laid the most ornately decorated hourglass he had ever laid eyes on. It had three legs consisting of thorny vines tightly compacted together, twisted into a mass so tangled that Syaoran momentarily felt his lungs constrict at the detailed support of the hourglass. It was a few inches short of a foot, made of mahogany wood with two different designs on the top and bottom. The top design consisted of a crescent moon that was overlapped by a diamond shape. The bottom had the design of what he guessed to be the sun in balance with the moon. However beautifully decorated the hourglass was, he found something odd as he continued to stare into the box.

 

"Aren't you going to take it out?" Meilin asked when he remained still.

 

Breaking out of his trance, Syaoran glanced at her briefly before reaching into the box. His fingers brushed against the gold colored silk that lined the inside of the box to keep its precious cargo safe. Savoring the feel of the soft, cool fabric against his skin, he gently pulled the hourglass from its niche and set it on the table.

 

There was a beat of silence before Syaoran realized what had been bothering him. Meilin voiced his thoughts the moment it struck her.

 

"It's stuck." Meilin said. Indeed, there was the absence of movement of sand from one bulb to another. The top bulb was filled with sand as white as freshly fallen snow, giving reason for Syaoran to believe that it was powdered marble rather than actual sand. It seemed that gravity was failing to do its job as the sand continued to remain suspended over the narrow passage that lead to the bottom compartment.

 

Syaoran reached over and tilted the hourglass this way and that in an attempt to ease the sand down the passage. He only succeeded in shifting the substance around in the top bulb. Meilin reached over and flicked the bulb lightly, but to no avail. Looks were exchanged before Syaoran placed the hourglass back onto the table. Meilin placed a finger onto the top of the hourglass, tapping it lightly.

 

"Why would she send you a broken hourglass?" Meilin asked, musing to herself rather than expecting an actual answer from Syaoran.

 

He grunted. How was he supposed to know? He was ready to voice his thought out loud when he caught sight of a clock nearby. He cursed under his breath before heading back to his room. Meilin didn't notice his sudden change in behavior, her hand still tapping against the hourglass in thought. It wasn't until she caught sight of him in his school uniform putting on his shoes at the front door did she realize that he was leaving.

 

"Where are you going?" She asked in bewilderment. "School's not for another month--"

 

"We have to prepare for the festival." Syaoran said shortly as he adjusted his shoe.

 

"Oh." Meilin looked momentarily disappointed, but then her expression brightened. "I'll come too! I can help--"

 

"Aren't you going back home soon?"

 

"N-not for a few days." Meilin was taken aback by his question, although it sounded more like an accusation. Syaoran straightened up, his back towards her as he reached for the door's handle.

 

"Everyone back home is expecting you to bring back something, aren't they?" Syaoran pulled open the door, casting a look over his shoulder. "Especially my sisters. You should take the time to shop. It'd be boring for you to come with me anyway. It's not like there's anything you can really help with."

 

The door closed.

 

Long after Syaoran had gone, Meilin continued to stand there. The hand that had been tapping against the hourglass now curled around it as the other that hovered over her bag trembled.

 

 

~*~*~*~*~'

 

 

It was nearly sunset when Syaoran finally arrived back at his apartment. He threw his shoes aside carelessly as the door slid shut behind him. He squinted his eyes into the darkened room, finding the only illumination came from the dying rays of the sun streaming from the sliding door. The rays reflected off the glass shape that still sat on the table just as he had left it that morning. He unbuttoned the collar of his uniform with a sigh, switching on the lights as he surveyed the room.

 

"Meilin?" He called out as he headed towards his bedroom, pulling off his coat completely as he changed into something more comfortable.

 

He emerged from his room, looking down the hallway. There had been no answer to his call. He ran a hand through his hair and headed toward the living room. Perhaps Meilin was still out shopping? He glanced around all the table tops and other easy to see surfaces for some sort of note, but there was nothing. He frowned, but he knew Meilin was more than capable of taking care of herself.

 

Reaching the kitchen, he pulled out a glass and filled it with water before heading out towards the balcony. He pulled open the sliding door and screen door before stepping out onto the cool concrete floor. Leaning over the balcony with his cup dangling over the edge, he swayed in gently from side to side as he watched the last of the suns rays slip out of sight, color fading from the sky to give way to the evening. He took a long drink from his glass, nearly draining it. Once he pulled it away from his lips, he let out a long sigh, turning around to lean back, his elbows hanging over the side of the railing. His eyes were half-lidded as he surveyed his apartment, a light breeze ruffling his hair.

 

The hourglass was the first thing to catch his eye, It was an enigma, sitting there on his table and completely out of place in his minimally furnished apartment. He had given it little thought after he had left that morning, but now that he was back home and once again faced with the mystery of why his mother had sent such a trinket to him began to unnerve him. What was so important about a broken hourglass?

 

Syaoran sighed as he trudged back into the apartment, shutting only the screen door to allow the cool evening breeze in before heading into the kitchen. He decided it would be best to start dinner so that it would be ready by the time Meilin came back, which he guessed would be soon.

 

It took only half an hour to prepare a simple meal as he laid out the dishes, enough for two (and foregoing the apron Meilin had worn this morning). He cleaned up what utensils he had used in an attempt to stall, but sooner than he wanted he was sitting at the small dining table alone.

 

Ten minutes passed. The food was getting cold.

 

Twenty minutes had passed. He began to play with his rice, using his chopsticks to grab a single grain and balanced it on the rim of his bowl.

 

Half an hour gave him enough time to create an array of expressions using pickled vegetables on his rice.

 

An hour later and Syaoran was washing his dishes. Meilin's food continued to sit on the table, completely untouched and ice cold. His irritation was apparent as he roughly shoved his dishes into the drying rack. Without a second glance, he stomped over to his bathroom to pull out his dirty laundry before heading over to the washing machine, stuffing clothes into it at random. He slammed the lid shut with more force that necessary before jabbing and twisting the knobs violently. It wouldn't be until later would he realize he had forgotten to add the laundry detergent.

 

It was more than apparent that Meilin's continued absence was the source of his irritation as he roughly grabbed her plates and wrapped them up almost carelessly. As he shoved them into the refrigerator, he pulled out a bottle of tea and slumped down onto the couch in the main room. He placed one foot on his coffee table, nearly knocking the hourglass he had placed there earlier onto the ground. He nearly choked on his drink as he lunged to grab the object, steadying it back on the table.

 

He frowned. Apparently, it was still broken.

 

He leaned over his knees and scooted towards the edge of the couch as he held the hourglass over his lap for closer inspection. The top bulb remained full, the lower one completely devoid of even a grain of sand. He glanced over at the narrow passage that connected the two bulbs, but found nothing to be seen that would block the sand's path. Was the sand near the bottom hardened?

 

He leaned back, his eyes briefly leaving the hourglass as he caught sight of the time on a digital clock he had placed on top of his television that sat against the wall opposite of his couch. His anger resurfaced, once again reminded of Meilin's absence.

 

The least she could do is call--

 

There was a tinkling sound of glass being struck, just moments before the phone began to ring. Syaoran nearly dropped the hourglass, looking down at it in amazement, before looking sharply over at the phone. Unsure of what to do, he slowly placed the hourglass back onto the table before making his way over to the phone. Sand fell like a dusty waterfall, the sound muffled once the bottom had been completely filled in the lower bulb. He glanced at it one last time before focusing his attention back to the phone, his hand hovering over the receiver.

 

It continued to ring several more times and just as he made the decision to pick up the phone, the machine picked up.

 

"You have reached Li Syaoran. I can't answer the phone at the moment. Please leave a message after the beep."

 

"Hi, Syaoran, it's me, Meilin." Syaoran's hand twitched over the receiver.

 

"I know it's late, I'm sorry for not calling sooner. I'm just calling to tell you I'm fine--"

 

"Meilin." Syaoran had managed to move, the receiver now at his ear.

 

"Syaoran?"

 

"Where are you?"

 

"I'm at the hotel--"

 

"Hotel?" Syaoran asked incredulously. "Why are you at a hotel?"

 

"This is where I'm staying. I didn't know when you were coming back--"

 

"Why didn't you leave a note?" Syaoran asked angrily. Then his voice softened. "Why are you staying at a hotel?"

 

"I didn't want to bother you."

 

"Meilin." Syaoran frowned. "You know you're not a bother. You're always welcomed here."

 

"I know." There was a hesitance in her voice. "I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't get in your way, besides, I like hotels. They treat me like a princess."

 

Meilin laughed lightly, but Syaoran continued to frown.

 

"You're all right?"

 

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine."

 

There was a short pause as Syaoran mentally sighed. His cousin put him through a lot of worry for nothing.

 

"Syaoran?"

 

"What?" Syaoran immediately regretted the unintended harshness that crept into his tone when Meilin hesitated to continue.

 

"I... um... are you," Meilin stumbled over her words. "Are you busy tomorrow too?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Oh, okay." Meilin was unable to hide her disappointment. She caught her slip at once and forced a cheery tone. "Well, then I'll talk to you later--"

 

"I have time for lunch."

 

"Wh-what?"

 

"Let's have lunch tomorrow, Meilin." Syaoran said firmly.

 

"O-okay!" There was a definite tone of elation that brought a smile to Syaoran's lips. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

 

Syaoran bid her goodbye before hanging up, his energy leaving as soon as the phone left his hand. Suddenly, he felt so tired.

 

He looked back over at the coffee table, remembering the hourglass and found that sand continued to flow from one bulb to the other. Exhaustion seemed to sweep through him by merely looking at the hourglass as he made his way back over to the couch. After only a few steps, he felt himself swaying unsteadily on his feet, causing him to blink in confusion.

 

He barely made it to the couch, resting one knee on the cushion before his whole body collapsed, one arm hanging limply over the side as his face was buried into the seat. He turned his head sideways, his eyes focusing on the hourglass one last time before he succumb to his exhaustion.

 

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

 

"What are you doing?!"

 

"He'll be uncomfortable sleeping like that."

 

"What does that have to do with--"

 

Syaoran's eyes clenched shut more tightly, as if that would block out the offending voices that rose him from his slumber.

 

Wait... voices... ?

 

Syaoran's eyes snapped open at once. There should have been no voices in his apartment.

 

He was greeted with the sight of a young woman staring down at him. Her green eyes seemed to brighten at the sight of his own amber ones. A cherry blossom hair ornament dangled over her left ear, decorating her short auburn hair save for two wisps that framed her face and hung passed her shoulders. Syaoran had a lot of odd dreams in his lifetime, but never had they involved such a woman staring down at him, nor did they involve a yellow splotch of color hovering just outside of his vision like a blind spot one gets from staring at the sun.

 

"Good morning." She said brightly, her breath brushing against his face and making him realize just how close she was. He gaped at her, unable to form a single coherent sentence, the situation too absurd to process through his mind.

 

"I'll help you realize your heart's desire." She said with little preamble.

 

Syaoran could only stare at her.

 

She smiled, tilting her head to the side. "Please let me take care of you!"

 

Syaoran immediately bolted upright, forgetting about her close proximity (or actually becoming all too aware of it) and slammed his forehead against hers.

 

And that's when everything went to hell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 2 Preview (Tentative)

 

"All right." Syaoran said slowly. "Let's say I bite--"

 

Her eyes widened.

 

"--and believe your story." Syaoran leaned over the table, his forearms pressing into the wood as it supported his weight so he could tower over the young woman. "You're telling me you can grant my every wish?"

 

"Yes and no." She answered, her eyes still wide. "May I ask you a question before we continue?"

 

He grunted noncommitally, fully intent on finding out what she meant by 'yes and no.'

 

"Why must you bite me to believe me?"

 

"It's an expression." He sighed in exasperation. "It means that I'll take your story; hook, line and sinker."

 

"What?" She looked utterly confused.

 

"I believe you." He said flatly.

 

She smiled, but then it faltered.

 

"You didn't believe me before?"

 

"No. Yes. I mean, no." Syaoran nearly growled at the array of emotions crossing the young woman's face as he gave into the urge to run a hand through his touseled hair. "I'm not saying I believe, I'm just saying that for the sake of moving along that I do believe your story."