Seirya: Legacy I, The Midnight Assassin

Banished from the kingdom, a young girl grows up trained with merely one single goal: eliminate the King, Li Syaoran, and collect her prize. They call her, the Midnight Assassin.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Card Captor Sakura. All rights are reserved to CLAMP.

-x- The Midnight Assassin –x-

Sweat trickled down her body as she swung her sword around, precision and agility with each swing. Her face was contoured into a rather tight frown as her swings got fiercer and less practiced by the second. Her body gave in as she dropped the sword, her green eyes scrunched in hatred as she fell to her knees, panting heavily, her hair in disarray.

That man! She screamed inwardly as she panted heavily, her hair covering her face as her sweat dripped, splashing against the small clumps of grass, I will get him… I swore revenge for what he did to my mother…

She completely fell onto the soft green grass that blanketed the forest she was training in, her eyes slowly creeping shut. Her hands clenched into fists, soil collecting behind her long fingernails, her breathing became more even.

I will get him…my mother did nothing wrong… it was him! And I will get him…kill him, and take his Seirya jewel…

Her body turned as heavy as lead as her world spun in circles, her breathing coming out ragged…

I will get you…

-x-

The festivities raged on for days prior to the large event. A small girl, fresh into the age of nine skipped along the cobblestone paths, her hand in her mothers, both of them wearing a large smile as they headed into the main village.

“Are you excited, cherry blossom?” Her mother tilted her head, looking down at her daughter who grinned toothily up at her.

“Yes! I’m so excited!!”

“Good,” Her mother laughed, a warm sound escaping from her vocal, “with the money your father sent us, Sakura we can buy whatever you want!”

Kinomoto Sakura, a young girl who lived rather comfortably in her rather average sized home near the outskirts of the Li Kingdome. She lived with her mother, alone, for as long as she could remember. When Sakura was younger, her father and much older brother went away to do some business trading and monthly they send back gold. Every month, it was just a bit more than the previous month.

At first, it was enough to buy a bit more meat, then, enough for exquisite drinks and finally- so much money that Sakura’s mother, Nadesiko, could buy lots of meat, exquisite drinks and have enough money left over for personal spending.

“I want that crystal swan!” Sakura exclaimed as they passed the sign that declared that they had entered the main market. “Remember, mama? The one we saw at Kosuke’s shop by the palace! Oh I want it so bad!”

Nadesiko laughed as they had officially entered the busy streets of the village market. Men tipped their hats to Nadesiko as she smiled at them, warmly. Ever since her husband, Fujitaka, and son, Touya, went out to do business, the villagers had been doing so kindly with her and her daughter. Some gave them extra meat for the price of one, and a lot of the villagers even gave her free stuff, which she minded terribly, and constantly insisted on paying them back.

“Sakura-chan,” Nadesiko said down to her daughter, “I promise I’ll get you the swan, if we have enough money left after buying fabric, food and shoes.”

Sakura pouted, rather cutely, as she and her mother made it around the village, winding around stray dogs, shoving past gigantic men, and racing women to get silk sheets of fabric. They had started their endeavor with a pocket of 600 coins and by the end; they had a total of 237 coins left at the end of their rather long day of shopping.

“Can we now?” Sakura begged as they wobbled around with bags in their hands. Sakura had purchased a new set of sandals, her mother new fabric to knit into clothing, fresh cut meat and gutted chicken, a barrel of fresh orange juice (would be delivered to Nadesiko’s home, courtesy of the vendor), and many of other knick knacks that would help the Kinomoto’s out.

“Yes, cherry blossom,” Nadesiko giggled, “we can go now…”

Sakura squealed as she raced ahead of her mother, already making it to Kosuke’s shop, prepared to purchase the crystal swan. Sakura dove to get it, her hands just in the reach of the crystal swan when another hand swatted against hers. She looked up and gasped, seeing the Prince of the land.

He shot her a cold glare. “Why did you touch me?” He snarled as Sakura gulped, slowly pulling back.

“I’m- I’m sorry I didn’t mean- I just… wanted the… swan!”

The young prince, Li Syaoran, was turning 13 in two days, hence the reason for the many festivities. His mother had taken him out for an outing in the village, since he was cooped up in the castle for much to long. She wanted him to see what the village was doing for him…

And because he didn’t want his wife and son going to the village alone, the father, Li Xi, tagged along. As of the current moment, Syaoran’s mother was in another part of the village, leaving Syaoran to be watched over by his father.

Syaoran snorted, his amber eyes glaring definitely at the young girl before him. His mouth rounded up as he shot an insult at her:

“Commoners like you have no reason to have such ornaments!”

Sakura’s body shook with anger. Commoner? She screamed inwardly. She was, by no means, a simple commoner. Her father sent her letters and referred to her as Princess and here she was being called a mere commoner.

All facts of this boy being the prince eluded her mind as she shoved him. She shoved him full and hard so that he crashed into Kosuke’s stall and trashed all of the ornaments. She shoved him so hard that he flipped over the stall as it crashed down and fell into a puddle of mud… she flipped him so hard, the crystal swan broke…

She shoved him so hard; her own strength frightened her…

“WHAT IS GOING ON?” A loud and commanding voice boomed over the joy of the festival. All voices died as Sakura squeaked, looking up at a tall shadow looming over her. Nadesiko managed to catch up to her daughter and gasped at the sight…

“Oh my god…” She whispered as she glanced at the Prince who pushed himself up off the ground and then to a rather pissed off king.

“WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO PUSH MY SON… ON THE DAY BEFORE HIS BIRTHDAY?”

Sakura squeaked as she backed into her mother’s arms, who held her protectively. “She’s only a girl,” Nadesiko begged, “she doesn’t know any better.”

Xi snarled, “Does she not know it is considered high faults to injure physically a member of the royal family?!”

Sakura dug her face into her mother’s arms as Nadesiko continued to plead. “Pease, my lord… she is just a young girl! She doesn’t know any better!”

Xi growled, “Be happy I am not beheading your young girl for pushing my son. Now, leave this land by sundown. I do not want abusive commoners in my land. If you do not leave this land by sundown, I will behead your daughter!”

Nadesiko cried out as the King made his decisions.

Sakura had shoved the Prince Syaoran so hard… it caused her mother and herself to be banished from the Li Kingdom.

-x-

The girl training shook awake, specks of dirt collecting into the imprints made by the grass on her face. The perspiration had created a good foundation in which the dirt and grime could stick to her face.

Ugh… she groaned as she dusted herself off, wondering how she had dozed off so suddenly, remembering her past from many years ago. Ever since, she and her mother had to use any amount of gold they could scrounge up off the street to live their day to day lives. The fact that Sakura and her mother had been banished from the lands never reached their Fujitaka and Touya; they never found out…

She ran home, leaping over logs and rocks, her hair pulling out of the bun and flowing out behind her. It had been eleven years since she had been banished from her homeland and she had swore revenge soon after to get back at that Prince for provoking her, causing the banishment of her beloved mother and herself as well as the demise of Nadesiko.

Soon after they had been exiled, Nadesiko died due to a terrible winter, leaving a young, 11 year old Sakura to fend for herself. A family of assassins and ninjas had taken Sakura in during one night, when Sakura was shivering for the lack of clothing and lack of food as well. They fed and clothed her, a growing gratitude embedding into the core of Sakura, for the sweet family that treated her as their own. However, Sakura had never had contact with her father and brother, and they had never seemed to discovered what happened to the two women in their life...

“Mama!” Sakura burst through the doors to find her adoptive mother sitting on a chair, looking terror-stricken. Sakura frowned as she moved forward, to her beautiful, yet adoptive, mother.

“Sakura,” She gasped sadly as she pushed herself off the chair.

“What happened?”

Sonomi Daidouji and her husband, Kazuko Daidouji had adopted Sakura, since Sonomi had proven incapable of conceiving children, after her first daughter, Tomoyo, who was a year older than Sakura. Sakura and Tomoyo were close, almost like real sisters and shared everything together; however, Tomoyo had recently married a Duke, a very handsome man from a foreign land who had promised riches to the family, for the hand of their eldest daughter.

Tomoyo Daidouji had become Tomoyo Hiiragizawa, wife and bride to Duke Eriol Hiiragizawa.

“Mama?” Sakura bent in front of Sonomi and raised a brow. Sakura and Tomoyo were trained heavily under the assassin, Kazuko, their father, who had taught them the tricks of the trade, making them the best of the assassination profession. Tomoyo had stopped training after wedlock, however, Sakura continued.

“We just got- message from the Royal Family.” Sonomi whispered.

Sakura raised a brow. When she was younger, they had made it to a new kingdom, by foot, that was ruled by very nice people, who didn’t banish people for accidentally shoving their sons. They had a tight connection with the Assassination group, meaning Kazuko worked closely with the royal family. Occasionally, Sakura handed in requests for assassinations that she could perform, and normally they got approved. Her requests consisted of assassinating a big-shot that sold young girls for extreme cash, or something like that.

However, recently, Sakura had put in the request to Assassinate Li Syaoran, the King of the Li Kingdome, for banishment and demise of her mother. The land Sakura lived in now was in great enmity with the Li lands and she had hoped they would approve of her request.

“And?”

Sonomi gulped as she handed a note to Sakura, which had arrived while she was training. Kazuko was currently at the castle, Tomoyo at her husband’s home, leaving Sakura with her mother.

Kinomoto Daidouji Sakura,

We have looked over your request for the Assassination of King Li Syaoran and have considered it, also having constant meetings with your father, discussing our capability. Your father has backed up your ability and we have decided that we will assign you the Assassination of Li Syaoran, on three conditions.

Condition one, you train exclusively with our assassins at the castle for one week prior to the assassination. This will give you a chance to get used to weapons and clothing that we provide to your assassins.

Condition two, you will trace the assassination back to the Southern lands, we do not want anybody tracing it back to us. Self explanatory, you have done many assassinations in the past.

Condition three, you retrieve the Seirya jewel from Li Syaoran after his death. A war brews for that jewel and we want it before anybody. We are assuming you will perform this during midnight, staying true to your name, the Midnight Assassin, and we have no problem with that, as long as you comply with our three conditions.

Any questions, forward them through your father. Thank you.

General in Charge,

Saitou Kenji

Sakura blinked multiple times before glancing at Sonomi. “They… accepted my proposal?” Sakura whispered, not believing it herself. Sonomi nodded as she stood up, embracing her daughter tightly.

“I thought- I would be excited that you mission got accepted, but… I’m more scared.”

Sakura, almost instantly, felt the tears sting her eyes. This was like losing another mother…

“Your father said your carriage is coming tonight- you’re going to spend the week at the castle before going to the Li Kingdome.”

Sakura gulped. “How, we’ll… I was thinking since I wrote the proposal in for the assignment- but, they exiled Kinomoto Sakura…”

“They won’t remember,” Sonomi rolled her eyes, “and besides, now you’re Kinomoto Daidouji Sakura, they didn’t exile her, did they?”

Sakura smiled warmly as she hugged her mother tightly again. “Thank you- for everything, mama.”

Sonomi chocked back sobs and she tightened her embrace, fear striking her heart. “You have to promise me you’ll take care?”

Sakura nodded. “I promise…”

Watch out, Li Syaoran…she thought as she remained in the hug of her adoptive mother, the Midnight Assassin strikes again… and this time, the target is you…

-x-

Chapter 1… done! Co-written story, myself and one of my bestest best friend XD… she might spam the authors notes so don’t mind! ANYWAYS, this is a 5 part fanfic, meaning 5 different sections… arcs if you wanna call it… -.-; stay tuned!

Lub,

Sakura and Lia