The Guiding Star

Light in the Dark: Chapter Ten

By: Sakura

“Prince Li arrives!”

Although he hated to do it, Di Xuan knew he had no choice. He went down on both knees - he and everyone else in the room - and bowed to the Prince as he entered, chanting for him to have a long life. He didn’t mind doing it so much if it was Xiao Lang or almost any of his other cousins, but he despised Shui Ken greatly and knew Shui Ken felt the exact same way about him.

As soon as the Prince sat down by a table, Di Xuan instantly scrambled to his feet, but still maintaining his dignity. “And what do we owe to this honour, Prince Li?” he asked, in a rather stiff voice.

Shui Ken had been surveying his surroundings with apparent disgust and didn’t answer him immediately. The Prince was much more used to elaborate decorations and cared nothing for the simplistic way Di Xuan and Mei Ling made their home.

“Can’t one cousin visit another from time to time?” he asked in a disarming tone, a smile on his face. “Surely there is nothing wrong with that.”

Di Xuan tried to force a smile onto his face, but it looked more like a grimace. “Of course,” he answered, still with the tight smile. “But you’ve never paid me a visit like this in your entire life.”

“It is only because I am a great person with many other responsibilities,” replied Shui Ken with a careless wave of his hand. Suddenly, his smile left his face and his expression became very serious. “There’s no point in beating around the bush, is there? You know exactly why I’m here, Di Xuan.” Di Xuan made no answer and Shui Ken continued. “I wanted to know if you have seen my treasonous half-brother. You must know of his flight by now…not to mention the fact that he stole one of my concubines.”

A tiny smile flitted across Di Xuan’s lips. “If you can’t keep track of your own concubines and lose them, Prince Li, then I don’t know how you expect me to-”

“I did not lose her!” thundered Shui Ken, leaping to his feet, his face was distorted with obvious anger. The guards and servants in the room flinched and each took a shaky step back. Di Xuan alone, however, stood his ground, and he gazed calmly at his cousin.

“If you’re implying that I’m hiding Li Xiao Lang and your concubine here,” said Di Xuan coolly, “you’re greatly mistaken. I would never do anything against your law.”

“My law?” thought Shui Ken silently as he glared at Di Xuan. “You very well mean our country’s laws…but do you also mean there are other laws you follow…?” Slowly sitting down and trying to contain his anger, Shui Ken’s eyes never left Di Xuan’s face. “The only thing I’m interested to know,” he said quietly, “is the location of the Li’s you serve under. I know very well that you’re a magician,” Shui Ken nearly spat out the word, as if it were something repulsive, “just like Xiao Lang. I’m almost positive he fled there to find protection under them.”

“As you wish, Prince Li,” responded Di Xuan, still with a cold tone, “After all, how can I object your requests? I can draw you a map to the place.” Shui Ken smiled and motioned for a servant to bring him a parchment and a brush. He watched closely as Di Xuan quickly drew mountains, rivers, and plains of the area and then drew a trail that led from the palace to the Li Council’s home. Putting the brush down and thrusting the map into Shui Ken’s hands, Di Shang said, “That’s everything, I believe. I have a lot of work to do, so if you don’t mind…”

“Of course I don’t,” replied Shui Ken, with a smile, as he got up to leave. “I thank you for your help, cousin. When Xiao Lang is apprehended, you will be rewarded handsomely.” Di Xuan nodded curtly and walked the Prince and his guards out of the room as Di Xuan’s own servants and guards bowed again to Shui Ken. As Shui Ken descended the steps, he paused momentarily and turned back, facing Di Xuan. “Di Xuan, I believe you have a sister, do you not? Same age as you? I hear she is very beautiful.” Di Xuan, taken by surprise at the questions, nodded blankly. Shui Ken smiled at him with his usual malicious smile. “Tell her I’ll pay her a visit sometime. After all, I’d like to get to know her a little better.” Di Xuan’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open, but no words came. Using those as his parting words, Shui Ken continued down the stairs and disappeared from sight.

Without a word, Di Xuan turned around and stepped back into his home, slamming the doors behind him. All of a sudden, while crossing the room, he paused midway, his lips curving into a slight smile, and said, “You can come out now, Mei Ling. He’s gone.” Instantly, Mei Ling dropped down from the ledge on the ceiling, where she had been eavesdropping, and landed in a crouch.

“Hmph! Like I would ever want to go for a person like him,” she fumed, straightening up and dusting off her tunic. Di Xuan chuckled at her indignant expression but it was soon replaced with a worried look. “Di Xuan,” started Mei Ling, her face holding an identical expression of worry to her brother’s, “you didn’t really give Shui Ken the location of the Li Elders’ home did you?” Di Xuan nodded and Mei Ling gasped. “How could you?” she demanded angrily.

“Don’t worry, Mei Ling,” replied Di Xuan. “I gave them the most direct path there…which goes through many mountains, valleys, and it would take many weeks for them to get there… Not to mention that it is very dangerous.”

“But…” Mei Ling didn’t look any less worried. “What about Xiao Lang? And Sakura? And… Wait a minute… Whenever you went to the Elder’s and back, it only took you a fortnight at the most. And you said you gave Shui Ken the most direct path…”

Di Xuan nodded, but with a wide smile. “I gave them the ‘normal’ path. But for people like Xiao Lang, Wing Kuen, and I, we have an ‘unknown’ shortcut.” Mei Ling brightened and hugged her brother.

“You’re not as dumb as you look, after all, you know,” she said with a smile.

“Hey…” replied Di Xuan, in a tone of mock hurt and with a slight pout. But his expression changed immediately. “Seriously, though, I only diverted Shui Ken from their trail temporarily. I hope Xiao Lang starts his journey soon and stays out of trouble.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

“The task is very simple,” Li Chung Nan had told her, as he presented the princess with a small, lighted torch. “All you have to do,” he had said, “is find your way to the exit.” Sakura had been rather confused and didn’t see what was so difficult about this task. “The place you’re going into,” continued Chung Nan, “is an underground maze. You have to find your way within a certain amount of time. Failure to reach the exit in time will result in your being sent back to the palace.”

“What if I’m still stuck in the maze after the time limit?” she had asked, beginning to feel the complexity of the task.

“Then one of us will retrieve you,” answered Li Ying Yu. He took out a small thin piece of paper with writing on it. It glowed green briefly as the Li Elder pinned it to Sakura’s sleeve. “As an added precaution, we will place this on you so we will know where to find you. Never take it off.” Sakura nodded.

Li Jian Wei had led her to a door and opened it, saying, “Once you enter, this entrance will disappear. Your path will be easy to find if your star pendant works for you. It will only react when the person wearing it shows a sense of magical power. It will stay cold, however, when the person wearing it has nothing.” Without another word following, he had gently pushed Sakura through the doors and closed them behind her. Sakura had been instantly greeted by pitch-black and when she whirled around, she could see that Li Jian Wei had told the truth; the doors had vanished. Knowing there had been nowhere to go but forward, Sakura warily walked into the maze, holding the torch close to her.

But as she travelled, Sakura had seen it was not easy…not easy at all. She clearly had no idea where she was going and wound up facing dead ends time and time again. She had no idea how much time had passed, but she was beginning to feel sure that her time would end soon.

When the Japanese Princess ran into another dead end (her twelfth), she tried hard not to crumple up and cry. There was no chance for her at all. The star pendant, nestled at the base of her neck, felt oddly cold. Usually it felt warm and comforting, the last lingering reminder of her father and her family…everyone that she knew in the past…but now it felt like ice, piercing her very last hope.

Stumbling backward, trying to return to her former place in the maze and leave the dead end behind her, Sakura tripped over a loose rock and hit the ground hard, tearing the hem of her dress, the clips falling out of her hair, and her hairpiece threatening to fall. She had tried to use her hands to break her fall but ended up scraping her palms instead. But the worst thing…the worst thing was that she had dropped her torch…her only source of light… It had hit the sandy ground and was immediately extinguished. She was alone in the darkness.

It was difficult to stop the tears from falling now. Knowing she had failed the task, knowing she would be sent back to Shui Ken, knowing she would be leaving Xiao Lang… She curled up into a little ball and let the tears fall. There was nothing left for her to do now, except to wait for the Elders to fetch her and take her out of the maze. Taking hold of her pendant, Sakura stared at it, wondering how something so small could possibly hold any power. “Keep this…to remember me…”

Her father had given her this necklace…and this star pendant… And then the tears fell harder and faster… “Otou-san,” cried Sakura, letting go of her necklace and burying her head in her arms. “Onii-chan… Doshite…doshite?!” Was there nothing that could dull the pain?

But then, suddenly, even with her eyes shut tight, Sakura could see a strange light. Slowly opening her eyelids, they widened in surprise at the sight that greeted them. The once cold and motionless star pendant…it felt warm and was beginning to glow… The light was faint at first, but it grew steadily. A bright flash followed and Sakura shielded her eyes with her arm from the blinding light, and then it faded…but the star continued to glow. Lowering her arm, Sakura blinked several times to readjust to the light. But…there was someone standing before her, their back facing her. The figure was slim with broad shoulders, and short, rather messy, brown hair… He looked like…

“Xiao Lang!”

The figure slowly turned around, a twinkle in his deep maroon eyes. “You’re close, Princess,” he said with a smile. Sakura gasped with total shock.

“Prince Li…Wing Kuen?!”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Time seemed to pass so slowly for him… How was she faring? Was she okay? They wouldn’t let her get hurt, right? Xiao Lang felt anxiety gnawing at his every particle. He continued to walk back and forth across the same space on the ground. The Chinese Prince had long since left the Council room. He was allowed to sit there and wait for the Elders to return to the room with Sakura, but he hated sitting there, under the gaze of all the other council members, especially his brother. He always felt uneasy under the gaze of Shuk Yue. So he had returned to a sitting room, fashioned somewhat like a parlour. Sitting still didn’t help a bit so he tried walking, wanting to relieve his feelings of anxiety and concern.

“Stop pacing. It’s not going to help her if you keep doing that. All you’re going to do is wear a hole in the ground.”

Xiao Lang paused momentarily and turned to face the door. Yu Hong was leaning against the doorway, his arms folded, watching him. Xiao Lang scowled at the older man, and muttered, “What do you want?”

Yu Hong unfolded his arms and smiled. “I just wanted to see how the great Li Xiao Lang was coping,” he said, sarcasm dripping in his tone. “There’s no way a weakling like her could have any magical powers. You’ll be lucky if you even get a chance to see her again after this.” Yu Hong finished with a smirk, pleased to see Xiao Lang slightly shaken, his hands clenched into tight fists.

“Get out,” said Xiao Lang in a low voice. He was surprised when Yu Hong let out a laugh.

“Why should I?” he asked. “Have you forgotten that this is my home, as well as yours? Even if you’re a Prince, you can’t order me around here. You don’t have that kind of power he-” It was Yu Hong’s turn to be surprised when Xiao Lang hurtled toward him and swung a heavy cuff to his face. Yu Hong was stopped in mid-sentence as he was sent crashing into the wall behind him. He was given a cut lip through the Chinese Prince’s effort. Xiao Lang followed him into the hallway and picked up the rather dazed Yu Hong by the collar of his robes.

“Xiao Lang!” Both Li’s turned to face the source of the voice. Li Shuk Yue was standing there, an angered expression on his face. He was the one who had spoken. “I would have thought you knew better, Xiao Lang,” rebuked Shuk Yue. “Yu Hong is your elder; you should show more respect.” Xiao Lang released Yu Hong from his grip rather resentfully, while the latter hid a malicious smile, wiping the blood from his mouth with his sleeve. The younger Chinese Prince turned and stormed back into the room, leaving the hallway - and the two Li’s - behind him.

“Some ‘elder’,” thought Xiao Lang, still resentful. “He’s only three years older than me, like Shui Ken.” He couldn’t figure out who he hated more at that very moment: his half-brother, Shui Ken, or his distant relative, Yu Hong.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sakura stared at the figure, a rather dazed expression on her face. Were her eyes deceiving her? How could Wing Kuen be standing before her? He had died, hadn’t he? But…it was really him! With her eyes focused on who she thought to be Wing Kuen, Sakura hadn’t noticed that her star continued to shine in the darkness.

“Aren’t you happy to see an old friend?” Wing Kuen asked her, cheerfully. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, he added, “Then again, we only met once before so I guess you don’t consider us as friends?”

The Japanese Princess shook her head. “No, I do consider us to be friends, Prince Li,” she said earnestly. “If it weren’t for you, I’d still be at the palace…with Prince Shui Ken…” Her shoulders slumped forward slightly as she stared at the ground. “But all your effort was in vain. I’m going to be sent back there,” she added dully, a tear sliding down the bridge of her nose.

“And why is that?” asked Wing Kuen, moving into a crouch beside her.

“Because…because I can’t pass this test…” answered Sakura rather bitterly, wiping the tear away. “I’m not a magician…like Xiao Lang… They probably think I’m only a nuisance…a hindrance…”

“No, Princess,” chided Wing Kuen gently, “you are far more than that. And I’m sure my brother, Xiao Lang, doesn’t think of you as that at all…on the contrary, really. He doesn’t want you to leave any more than you want to.” Sakura looked up suddenly, into Wing Kuen’s eyes. They were completely serious. Wing Kuen stood up abruptly. “Princess,” he said, speaking urgently, “you’re running out of time. But there are a few things you need to know. One is that sometimes our star can show us what we want to see most in our hearts… Another thing is that only you, the rightful owner of this pendant, will be able to use this star to its full potential. Only you can call out its true power. However, you can’t ever let this fall into the wrong hands. Even if other people can’t use it at its maximum strength, if they have magic, they can still activate it. And that is the last thing we want to happen… Do you understand this, Princess?”

Sakura nodded, but still rather doubtful of the task at hand. Wing Kuen smiled reassuringly to her, then turned to leave, and began walking away. Sakura immediately stood up and followed him. “Wait!” she cried, her hand stretching out to touch his shoulder. Her eyes widened as her hand fell right through him. She paused in step, completely shocked, staring at her hand and Wing Kuen’s back. He took a step forward, out of her reach, turned, and faced her, a sombre expression on his face. “You’re a…a…a ghost?” she asked in a half-frightened whisper, pulling her hand away immediately.

“Yes,” answered Wing Kuen quietly, “I’m a ghost. I died the very night you and Xiao Lang escaped.” He gave her a half-hearted smile. “I’m sorry. I heard you don’t like ghosts.”

Sakura trembled slightly. It was true. For so many years, she had a strong fear of ghosts. The mere thought of them made her skin crawl…the pale, faded figure, floating in the air…reaching out with one cold, grisly hand…she shuddered involuntarily at the thought. But, Prince Wing Kuen…he most definitely was not like that. He appeared completely solid and when her hand went through him, it felt warm. His presence comforted her, rather than scaring her, and she didn’t feel as if she was alone anymore.

“I’m sorry,” said Sakura, this time, bowing slightly to him. She looked up and saw the look of surprise on Wing Kuen’s face. “If it weren’t because of me and my selfishness, you’d still be alive right now, and…” She choked back her words, but Wing Kuen knew what she meant. “I’m glad you’re here,” she added. “I’m really happy to see you again.”

Wing Kuen’s rather tense expression dissolved and he broke into a small smile. He hadn’t wanted to tell her he was a ghost earlier because he knew of her fear for them. “Don’t be sorry,” he told her gently. “You weren’t being selfish at all. I chose the path I took freely. No one forced the decision upon me. And, even if I could fix the past, I wouldn’t change anything. If my two choices were staying with Shui Ken or running away, I’d run as fast as I could!” He laughed and gave her a roguish wink. Sakura returned the smile gratefully. They both lapsed into a comfortable silence. “I think it’s time you went on, Princess,” he said finally. “You must finish this or else…well, you know already.” Sakura nodded in understanding.

The ghost of the former twelfth Chinese Prince looked away into the distance of the maze. “Even in the darkness, a brightness will shine through. Always remember that… A glimmer of hope will always be alight in all of our hearts…” Turning to face Sakura again, and smiling down kindly at her, Wing Kuen said softly, “Be careful. Take good care of yourself…and Xiao Lang…for me…” He vanished into thin air.

“Prince Wing Kuen…” whispered Sakura, barely audible…

It was then that Sakura noticed for the first time that another figure stood before her, several feet away from where Wing Kuen had last been. The person - at least, she thought it was a person - turned around and faced her silently. The figure was clothed entirely in black, along with a matching hood covering their face. Without uttering a single word, the figure gestured for her to follow and disappeared, hurrying away into the maze. Sakura stood rooted to the spot, unsure of what to do. The figure reappeared shortly, gesturing to her once more, almost frantically. Against her better judgment, she decided to follow and see where the person intended to lead her. She could only hope that he or she had no ill intentions in mind.

She followed the figure as fast as she could, through the twisting turns of the maze. Several times she had lost sight of the figure, but he or she always found her before she could lose her way. Other times, she stumbled and fell and, although the figure never offered her hand, they waited patiently for her to regain her step. Her shoes were highly unsuitable for moving quickly. After tripping for the fifth time, the figure seized her hand, almost exasperatingly, and half-led, half-dragged her through the narrow corridors.

Finally, they both came to a halt before a set of double doors and the figure released their grip on Sakura. She rubbed her wrist gently as the figure had been rather rough. It was then that she realized that they had reached the end. “Thank you,” she said softly, though still confused. Who was this person? And why had they helped her? The hooded figure slowly turned around to face her, as if to answer her, and at the same time, moved their hand toward their black hood. Grasping it with one hand, the figure pulled it back, revealing a set of warm amber eyes and a short mess of brown hair. “Prince Xiao Lang,” she said breathlessly, completely shocked at the sight of him. Xiao Lang turned to her, a soft smile on his lips. “How can it be?” she asked herself, wondering if her eyes were seeing things again.

“Sometimes our star can show us what we want to see most in our hearts…” Wing Kuen’s words echoed in her mind.

“Maybe this isn’t Prince Xiao Lang after all,” she thought sadly, looking down at her pendant and cradling it with both hands. “Maybe he’s just an illusion…something that this star has made to guide me… But what I want to see most?” she exclaimed suddenly, realizing fully the words Wing Kuen had said. “Xiao Lang…he’s the one…?” Sakura abruptly broke into a deep blush at the thought. “That’s preposterous! I don’t love Xiao Lang. I like him, well enough… Right?” She noticed that none of her words sounded the least bit convincing to her. Perhaps it was because she wasn’t trying to convince herself otherwise…

Looking over to the Chinese Prince, Sakura watched as he gave her a smile and opened his arms to her. Her cheeks still flushed crimson, but she didn’t mind. This was a revelation for her…knowing she could love again after she had thought her heart had been crushed and broken…She slowly walked toward him.

A bright light suddenly filled the dark maze as the double doors were pulled open and Xiao Lang vanished. As Sakura adjusted her eyes to the new atmosphere, she could see three figures standing there, waiting for her. Li Ying Yu was beaming kindly at her, while Li Chung Nan wasn’t quick enough to hide his surprise at seeing her there. The third person, Li Jian Wei, stood with an emotionless expression, neither approving nor disapproving. Sakura stepped into the room, rather uncertainly.

“Good to see you made it,” said Ying Yu warmly, still smiling at her and the sight of the shining star pendant. He turned to face his fellow Elders. “I would say this mean she has passed. She can go with Xiao Lang, don’t you think?” Sakura felt his kindness and it filled her with warmth from head to toe.

Chung Nan scowled, not bothering to hide it from anyone. “I don’t think so,” he said coldly. He pointed at the star nestled comfortably at the base of Sakura’s neck. It was still glowing brightly. “She may have activated the star, but she has hardly unleashed its power. It hasn’t changed its appearance one bit, as it is supposed to, according to ‘legend’.” At Chung Nan’s words, the Japanese Princess suddenly felt horribly cool. Did this mean…? And how was the star supposed to look, then?

Ying Yu glared at Chung Nan for a moment, then turned to Jian Wei. “What is your opinion on the matter?” he asked him. Jian Wei looked slowly from Ying Yu, to Chung Nan, and finally rested his gaze on Sakura. She was shaking inside, waiting for his answer, but appeared perfectly calm and composed on the outside. Jian Wei approached the Japanese Princess and locked gazes with her.

“I think you already know my answer,” he said softly.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“She passed…” muttered Yu Hong, rather sulkily, as he entered the room and sat down in a far corner. Xiao Lang blinked his eyes in surprise.

“How do you know?” asked Xiao Lang suspiciously. Yu Hong shrugged his shoulders with careless grace.

“I don’t care if you believe me or not,” answered Yu Hong. “I was in the council room when the Elders announced it.”

Xiao Lang could always see when Yu Hong told the truth or a lie and, right now, he was being truthful. The Chinese Prince could feel a wave of relief washing over him.

“She must have some magic if she could make the star pendant work,” thought Xiao Lang, rather impressed. “But her aura is very faint, almost as if it were non-existent. Either she has hidden it well all this time or it is merely undeveloped.” Thinking of the innocence that breathed around Sakura, Xiao Lang concluded the latter was most likely. Hearing footsteps approach the room, Xiao Lang whirled around and found himself facing Sakura. Her robes were dusty, with slight rips and tears in her dress and a little smudge of dirt was on her cheek. The headpiece holding her hair up had loosened and her long hair had tumbled down gently over her shoulders and upper back in soft waves. Her face held a tired expression, but her eyes shone brightly with happiness.

The Japanese Princess stood uncertainly on the threshold, wondering whether she should enter the room or continue walking down the hallway to her room. The sight of Xiao Lang caused her cheeks to turn scarlet, her recent revelation still fresh in her mind. However, crossing the room in quick strides, the Chinese Prince took her by surprise when he enveloped her in a tight hug. “I’m glad you’re all right,” he said hoarsely, his grip tightening around her.

Sakura relaxed in Xiao Lang’s arms. “Thank you, Prince Xiao Lang,” she thought silently. “If it hadn’t been for you… Everything I’ve done so far has been because of you…or for you… I can find my strength in you…” Sakura suddenly hugged Xiao Lang in return, startling him, but this only made him tighten his hold. Still in the far corner, Yu Hong scowled in disgust.

Author’s Note: Er…sorry about the Japanese used… I don’t know why, but those words popped into my head when I was thinking of how to write that particular scene. “Otou-san” means ‘father’, “Onii-chan” means ‘older brother’, and “doshite” is something like ‘how come?; why?’. =)

*sniffs and wails miserably* I had my Japanese exam today and I messed up so badly!! I stupidly wrote the Hiragana character “ga” instead of the Hiragana character “go”…twice! I made the same, stupid mistake twice!! *smacks self* Watashi no baka… I forgot what telephone, fridge, soap, and hospital was in Hiragana; I tried a word for fridge, but it was completely wrong o_O. Then I wrote “dollar” wrong in Katakana…and right after that, I forgot to write “desu”!! … *calms down…somewhat* Gomen ne…just needed to vent my anger. At least I know I passed…but that’s hardly comforting…

It didn’t take me that long to update this! Isn’t that great? ^_^ However, I don’t think chapter eleven will be posted as soon. For some reason, I’ve lost some of my motivation lately…and also, I really need to work on my other…er…*counts*…five CCS fics. o_O Oh, and my “Misunderstandings” fic needs to be updated soon, too…

One more thing before I move into individual comments. I dedicate this chapter to Hanna-chan! You’re an absolute life-saver (in reference to the textbook yesterday), you know? ^_^ This is for all those fun classes we had last year, especially those moments we’d be working on our fics instead of our work! ^_~

There’s individual notes to some of the comments made in the reviews below!

Author’s Note to ChrisMiss: Yes, I still remember you. =) And thank you very much for telling me. If you hadn’t, I would never have found out that site was stealing my site’s screencaps and dozens of other things from my site and other sites on the net. But that’s another story entirely, ne? ^_^

Author’s Note to hannagrace: Three words: School…is…EVIL!! *sighs* Even with the same lunch period, our usual seats are so far apart that we never see each other! Ah…but there’s still animé club, ne? =)

Author’s Note to AKXTP22: Sorry to disappoint, but there are no cards in this story. No Clow Cards, no Sakura Cards, or even an original set of cards. However, if you really want to read a story with the cards in them, you can always check out my other fic, “The New Cards” =). (*grumbles* I wish I came up with a better title than that when I started it. -_-*)

Author’s Note to sakura-li: Although I mentioned it in the second chapter, I’ll say it here again. =) Sakura is currently sixteen-years-old.

Author’s Note to everyone: Thank you for reviewing the last chapter and any other chapters! These reviews seem to be the only thing keeping me motivated! ^_^ I hope you liked this chapter!

*Sakura
~The Animé Archives Team