Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Through A Looking Glass ƽ��Ι��Z ❯ Inevitable meeting, a brush of shoulders ( Chapter 4 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Through A Looking Glass

By: Aisaki Sumi

Chapter Four

Inevitable meeting, a gentle brush of shoulders

Flung their smoke into the laquearia,
Stirring the pattern on the coffered ceiling.

Heian Jidai - Heian Period, 1179, Autumn, Heian-Kyo

The soft morning light filtered through the tiny gapes of the paper screened sliding doors and scattered onto the well-polished wooden floor of the bedroom. The rays bounced off the highly reflective material and created a strip of golden tint.

Sakura straightened out her white kimono with pale blue patterns studded across the fabric. Her long auburn hair was breaded together and entwined into a bum of which was then covered up by a hat, wore by males from wealthy families only during the Heian Jidai.

Looking into the mirror, she saw a blurred and distorted image of a beautiful face which could light up an entire room and mesmerize its beholders. The entire heavy make up from yesterday was gone, and all the ridiculous smudges of colors were washed away as if they were never there in the first place.

Pale and smooth skin like porcelain, slightly rosy cheeks, small and cherry red lips, a delicate nose, and lucid emerald green eyes -- those features belonged to the heavenly beautiful maiden in the mirror.

Sakura inherited this rare beauty from her mother, yet she was never a day conceited with what she had. Her mother was often the center of her father's other concubines' and wife's jealousy because of her beauty, but Nadeshiko didn't know how to use her beauty for her own benefit.

Running a finger down the right side of her flawless visage, a small calculating grin slowly unveiled itself. A woman's beauty could be her fatal destruction if used incorrectly, but it could also be the ultimate weapon if put to good use. In time, this beautiful face of hers would come in handy.

Miyuki stood silently behind Sakura, watching silently with her lips pressed tightly together. Miss Sakura asked her to take out the male kimono especially designed for her small size late last night after Master Syaoran had left their master bedroom.

She didn't know exactly what happened in there, but she knew Master Syaoran didn't recognize Miss Sakura as his lawfully wedded wife. However, strangely enough, Miss Sakura didn't say anything about it. Rather, she seemed awfully relieved and cheerful about it.

And then, she was told to take out the male's kimono. Miyuki didn't question Miss Sakura's motives or the reasons behind her contentment but she knew Miss Sakura had her own reasons.

“Miyuki,” Sakura suddenly called out, startling Miyuki who was lost in her own contemplation.

“Ha-hai.” Miyuki quickly responded, lowering her head to hide her embarrassment. She was starring at Miss Sakura again. Even after so many years, her beauty still managed to steal away her breath. And Miyuki secretly wondered what Master Syaoran would say after he sees Miss Sakura's face.

“You're going to be me today.”

This almost made Miyuki eyes pop out. Her mouth hung wide open in shock and her jaws nearly dropped to the floor. What? How? Why? All these unanswered questions bombarded her mind all at once as she gaped at Sakura in bewilderment.

Sakura chuckled softly at Miyuki's dramatic reactions. “Don't worry, just cover yourself with heavy make up like what I did yesterday and stay here. Milord already informed the Taira family that I wasn't feeling well and can't be visited by any guests in these days.”

“So you don't have to worry about anything.” Sakura stood up gracefully and turned around, revealing her new look to Miyuki. “Besides, you're rather tall for your age. We have the same height, the same color of eyes and hair and the same figures. You're like another copy of me.”

Miyuki blinked blankly and Sakura continued on.

“From this day on, you will be Taira no Syaoran's wife while I'm out during the day. And I, will be Sakuma Ryuichi, a poet who have traveled across Japan and have only recently settled down in Heian-kyo.” Sakura announced with her voice slightly lowered than usual which added masculinity to her soft voice. Even Miyuki couldn't recognize her new voice for a moment there.

Instead of seeing the fair maiden from her memories, Miyuki saw a young handsome looking childe, smiling charmingly at her. Double identities… she finally understood why Miss Sakura kept her head down and had such a heavy make up on.

Calculative and confident and intelligent and beautiful were what Miss Sakura was.

Unknowingly and silently, Miss Sakura was putting her plans into motion. “Saa, I'll be going now.”

……

After wandering around on the street to enjoy the shortly lasted freedom while she still could, Sakura stepped into the closest inn she could find to fill up her empty stomach a little. She hadn't eaten at all since the night before her wedding, and she was starving to death.

Finding an empty table on the right corner near the window, she sat down gracefully. The waiter boy who was serving someone else a moment ago strolled toward her and bowed deeply to show his respect. But when the waiter boy looked up and was about to ask her what she would like to order, he froze on the spot with his eyes wide open.

Sakura smiled heartwarmingly at him instead of using fans to cover up her face and blush in embarrassment like the other women during that era. “I'd like some wasabi sushi please and a cup of green tea.” Sakura made her order, and watched the waiter boy snapping back into reality and scratching his head in embarrassment.

The boy bowed apologetically and dashed away as quickly as possible which she would like to assume that he was in a hurry to get her food. Before he was gone out of sight, Sakura caught the supposed unintelligible mutter from him “How can a man be that beautiful…I must be seeing things…”

Sakura shook her head lightly and tilted her chin toward the window to observe the passing by people in a lackadaisical manner. It was then an interesting conversation from the table some distance away from her caught her attention.

“Niichan, it is true that Emperor Takakura is going to take Bomon Shokushi, the daughter of Sadaijin (minister of right, a relatively high position in the Imperial court) Bomon, as his new imperial concubine?” The young boy asked urgently. Judging by the hints of the naivety revealed in his question, Sakura made an educated guess on his current age.

He's probably around nine of ten years old, still a little kid. Sakura thought to herself. A spoiled little brat too. She added disdainfully. When she was around his age, she already learned the ways of surviving in the Kinomoto household which forced her to mature quicker than the others.

“Atsumori, what have I told you about keeping your voice down and thinking before you speak?” The little boy's older brother scolded him. His deep voice sounded awfully familiar to her ears. Sakura paused for a moment and frowned, trying to remember where she had heard that deep steady voice before.

“But Syaoran-niichan! The Emperor married Tokuko-neechan for eight years already and they just had their first son, Prince Tokihito, how can he marry someone else so soon? I thought after Prince Tokihito's born, Tokuko-neechan's position as the Empress would be secured for sure--”

Before the boy could babble on any further, his older brother cut him off. “Know your position Atsumori, we are in no position of discussing the loyal family's business even if Empress Tokuko is our sister.”

Sakura caught the young boy's loud exclamation of “Syaoran-neechan” and smiled faintly. So that little brat is the great Taira no Kiyomori's youngest son…and the man whom he referred to as “Syaoran-oneechan” must be the husband she had never met before.

Curious of what the two brothers were like, Sakura stole a glance at their table from the corner of her eyes. There, she was astonished by what came into view.

The soft rays which scattered through the open window cast upon him made the ends of his chestnut hair glow with such splendid golden glimmer. The shorter strands of these golden threads framed his delicately shaped face

He had large and cat-like sharp golden eyes and strong handsome features which made him stand out from the other men occupying the inn. His face was mature and his expression was calm and collective, almost unreadable in a sense. While the boy who was sitting across him still carried that puerility which belonged to kids only.

The difference between a boy and a man…was rather interesting to look at.

The boy named Atsumori fell silent for a moment, just for a fleeting moment though. His eyebrows were furrowed to form a knot in the center and he glared at his older brother in defiance. “But how can he do that?! And I heard Sumon Shokushi is the number one beauty in the entire Heian-Kyo! What if Emperor Takakura falls for her beauty--”

“Atsumori!” The quiet hiss was enough to make the babbling boy shut up for good this time. The temperature of the atmosphere suddenly dropped a few degrees as a ghastly silence slowly filled up the space between them.

Even Sakura had felt the oppressive and powerful aura emitted by Syaoran which clearly spelled out “shut up, right now” for the boy.

“Emperor Takakura is a smart man. He knows what he's doing. Besides, all beautiful women bring misfortune to their countries. Emperor Takakura wouldn't fall for her so easily.

Look at how many of those beautiful women caused China's different dynasty's downfalls. It's history, and Emperor Takakura knows them by heart.” Syaoran sneered as he paused to take a sip of this green tea.

This comment made Sakura scoff lightly but this almost silent scoff was picked up by Syaoran's ears. He turned his chin slightly to look at the young, seemingly fragile boy sitting at a table away from theirs.

Just then, the boy turned around, revealing an unrealistically beautiful face - a face that was too feminine to be a man's, yet the boy possessed it.

Judging from the expensive-looking fabric of his kimono and his concinnity of his movements, Syaoran was sure he had to be a childe from a wealthy family in Heian-Kyo.

“Women shouldn't be blamed for men's downfalls. Being beautiful isn't their fault. Besides, why don't you look at how lechery those men were? They succumbed themselves to alcohol and sex all day long, treating women like dirt. They weren't meant to be great rulers in the first place, so their failures were only a matter of time.”

The voice was slightly higher and pitchy for a grown man Syaoran noticed, yet too deep for a woman. Like a silk sliding over a blade, he could hear the underlying animosity in the boy's voice which could be easily overlooked because of the gentle and soul-calming manner he spoke in.

“Men are too conceited to admit their own mistakes and their lack of abilities which caused their own downfalls, so they blame it on those beautiful women who were forced to become their wives.” Sakura tilted her chin upward and spared Syaoran a scornful glance before walking off in an elegant manner.

Money was left behind on the table she previously sat at for the food that she ordered. The waiter boy came a moment later after she left with food in his hand and was taken aback when he found her table empty again.

“I wonder where that childe went…” The waiter boy murmured to himself.

Syaoran inhaled in the soul-calming scent of the green tea in his cup before taking a sip of it. A small amused smile tugged on his lips as he recalled the way that boy left the inn. Decorous and had that little edge to him.

He liked that kind of personality.

The boy was like a rose, dangerous, occult, but unbelievably pulchritudinous. Comparing to him, Bomon Shikushi, the supposed number one beauty in Heian-kyo, was a lot more inferior.

“Oniichan…was that-that person…really a man?” Atsumori asked in disbelief, still stunned by what he saw.

“Saa…(we'll see)” The ambiguity of Syaoran's cryptic remark made Atsumori cock his head to the right in perplexity.

……

Sakura sighed heavily as she left the inn. Her stomach grumbled its protest. Oh well, I'll just have to ask Miyuki to make me something nice once I get back. She told herself as she strode down the street with her head up.

But she soon realized that the people who were passing her by stared at her openly and rudely. Frowning in displeasure, Sakura decided to take a short-cut down a small ally where there would be less crowded.

But as she rambled down the creaked road of the small ally, she felt a pair of eyes trained on her and observing every single movement of hers. The intensity of the stare sent shivers down her spine.

Clutching her small hands into fists, she counted to three as she swerved around to see who the stalker was. But all she caught was a glimpse of dark blue before she was held in place with her head down and something icy cold against her neck.

“Don't move.” Was all she heard before the man forced a small pill down her throat.

a.n.: muwahaha, aren't I awesome?! Another update today!! (Syaoran: … I've never met anyone as ostentatious as you are.) Oh hush. -locks Syaoran up- this is my special monologue part! Lol. Review everyone!

So any guesses on who that `stalker' ish? XD Hint hint: BLUEEEEEEEEE! And a CCS character :P U'll get a price if you guess it right lolz!

Just a few replies I'd like to make to a few reviewers before I run off to write more chappies lolz.

To Pearta: yes I know the history of Empress Wu buwahaha, she's awesome! She was the first woman EVER in 10 000 years of Chinese history to rule a country. She was the wife of the Emperor at the time and slowly gained political power to a point where she literally became the ruler and he was just a puppet on the side. XD. But this story won't turn out like that, cuz you can see, Syaoran aint dumb XD lolz.

Blueberry Sparkle: ho ho ho so you know already know the history of Taira no Shigehira, but don't worry, it'll be a happy ending. However, I am intending on following the actual history of Japan, but Syaoran will have a different happy ending of his own. So no worries here. (which is why I keep on telling people that they need to remember the dates of the events and all XD)

Jasmine-chan: lol I know eh! I've been looking all over the CCS section for a historical romance…but I couldn't find any. So I was like, oh the hell with it I'm gonna write one myself to keep myself amused XD and I did hehe! And I must say, I'm really enjoying it lolz, though the research part is a bit tedious…since I only know the events from my memories but not the exact dates and the detaols, so I kinda have to research that part of it and some how match up all the dates with my own plot (a bit hard but it's all good).

To Lyphta: yes, even though the marriage was originally designed as a way for the Kinomoto's to have strong connection to the imperial court (It would make their business a lot easier and guarantees more success). However, Sakura has a plan of her own, which is why she's going along with her father's plan without any complains. It was her only way to the higher class society after all and you'll see how she's going to use this title of hers (Taira no Syaoran's wife) to get what she wants cuz she's like a noblewoman now. And that status gives her a lot more power than the daughter of Kinomoto Fujitaka.

Reality Wish: lol does he? XD He still some what has that ideology at the back of his mind. But the idea came from Tomoyo, and you'll see how she had played a role in his life (will explain it later on). Comparing to Sakura, his life is a lot better, thus explains why he isn't as harsh and ruthless as Sakura. However, Syaoran aint dumb lolz XD. He's still brilliant, but has that soft side of him. But of course, Sakura, comparing to him, seems more heartless and perfect for the soon-to-be-chaotic Heian-Kyo. Oh my lovely cynical, ruthless and ambitious Sakura. XD

Background History on a few of the events mentioned in this chapter

[1] In 1171, Taira no Kiyomori arranged a marriage between the Emperor Takakura and his daughter Tokuko. Their first son, Prince Tokihito was born in 1178. The next year, in 1179, Kiyomori staged a coup d'etat forcing the resignation of his rivals from all government posts and subsequently banishing them. He then filled the open government positions with his allies and relatives, and imprisoned the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa. Finally, in 1180 Kiyomori forced the emperor Takakura to abdicate and give Prince Tokuhito the throne, becoming the Emperor Antoku.

Taira no Atsumori (1169 - 1184): youngest son of Taira No Kiyomori. He was a samurai famous for his early death in single combat at the battle of Ichi-no-Tani. He died at the age of 15. (He's my second favorite out of the entire Taira family, but of course my favorite is Taira no Shigehira, and Syaoran in this story)

Chapter completion: 01-02-2007 (month, date, year)

Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Through A Looking Glass ƽ�����Ι����Z ❯ Inevitable meeting, a brush of shoulders ( Chapter 4 )

Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Through A Looking Glass ƽ��Ι��Z ❯ Inevitable meeting, a brush of shoulders ( Chapter 4 )