by Sapphire Moon 91
“Morning Sakura,” Kero said drowsily from his bedroom drawer, that Sakura and Tomoyo-san had customized for him.
“Morning Kero.” She replied, running her hand through her hair, thinking over everything that had happen at work over the past two days.
Sakura glanced up at the ceiling, as she once again felt a surge of power stronger then the last two times. Sakura frown, shook her head and walked into the bathroom.
Ten minutes later as she was brushing her teeth, she heard noise from above, the sort of noise you’d expect at a party, loud music, crashing sound, barking, the switching of loud channel and yelling. Sakura glance at her clock at 7:05 in the morning, suddenly all the noise went off except for the barking and yelling of a voice that sounded vaguely familiar.
“And you would have me believe that I’m being detained at the present in the hereafter? The time to come?”
Sakura then heard Takashi yelling over Tiberius barking. “Yes. Tiberius quiet!”
Sakura stare hard at the ceiling as the voice of the unknown speaker started yelling again “and you would have me believe that you have friends of my progeny, a product of a marriage unmade.”
Takashi mumbled something that sound like yes.
“Oh, and you would have me believe that you have found a crack in time.”
Alright now, Sakura’s famous curiosity kicked in, pulling her hair into a hair ponytail, grabbing her jacket, climbed out the men size window on to the fire escape landing, up the iron stairs to Takashi’s apartment. She looked in the window and saw the back of a tall man, with chestnut brown hair, hanging in a thin ponytail down his back and by the looks of it he was wearing traditional clothing and in front of him was Takashi looking slightly ashamed and a little frighted, Sakura could help but snigger as she opened the window. She sat on its rim just as man with chestnut hair started yelling again.
“Where the hell am I?” he demanded, his voice sounding as powerful as a stormy ocean, though despite that Sakura could help but smile his voice also reminded her of his voice. She shook her head again.
Takashi took a deep breath and tried to answer calmly. “I told you. You haven’t actually gone anywhere, you’re still in Hong Kong.”
“That, Sir,” yelled the men, jerking his arm towards the window where Sakura sat, though not turning his head as well, “is not Hong Kong!”
At this part, Sakura spoke up mainly so that she could see the surprise of Takashi’s face as the fact that she had once again snuck into his apartment without his knowing, something she prided herself on, the rest of her wanted to know what the chestnut man, in the traditional clothes look like in the face.
“I’m afraid it is.” She said grinning as a startled Takashi glanced around the chestnut man’s broad shoulders; the chestnut hair man also turned around and Sakura’s heart dropped, to her feet before surging to her throat, pounding madly. It was him; it was really him or very close look-alike.
“Does the Brat have twin, to your knowledge?” Kero whispered, into Sakura’s hair hidden by her hair and jacket.
Sakura stared at the young man, who could easily be Syaoran’s older brother or even Syaoran himself since he looked about her age. But the way he looked at her was not of, joy to see her or even recognize her, only sheer curiosity.
“No, Sakura.” Takashi said, step between Sakura and the mysterious man.
“Hello, hello there. What’s your name?” Sakura asked, completely ignoring Takashi’s vain attempt to get back out on to the landing.
“Xiaolang Li.” The man, looked slightly bewildered by everything going on.
“So you’re a Li, are you, lucky you. Tell me something, I’m having trouble with my G5. How much RAM do I need to properly run OS 9.6?” Sakura asked, watching the stranger’s face go from surprise to disgruntle confusion, she also noticed Takashi trying to mouth the answer to him, though he clearly wasn’t getting it.
“Clearly, the Computer Expo is out. So you must be a man out of time? Or are you Doctor Who in a new form?” Sakura asked, grinning as the stranger’s face went pretty much black on the last bit, adversely he didn’t get it.
“You know what? Actually, we could use a little privacy.” Takashi stated practically shoving her out the window on to the landing.
“Takashi, I want my palm pilot. I’m not. I’m serious.”
“Maybe later, Sakura.” Takashi yelled, slapping the window shut and pulling down the blinds, Sakura ran to the next window banging her fist against it, yelling “I just want my palm pilot, Takashi.”
“No, no.” Takashi said, closing the blinds on that window too.
“Takashi, give me back my palm pilot.” Sakura still yelled, though softer now as she heard Xiaolang start speaking again.
“This is madness, this is madness. Who was that? I-I feel as if I’ve seen her.” Xiaolang demanded loudly.
“Woman have changed, since your time, Lang. They’ve become dangerous.” Sakura scolded at Takashi’s remark, jerk, she thought, just as the man size window opened and Takashi’s hand flew out and dropped her palm pilot and yelling, “It’s on the landing.” Before slapping the window shut again.
Sakura scolded deeper as she picked up her pilot and stomped down the steps to her floor, not noticing that Kero had flown to through Takashi’s window as he was closing it.
Kero flew to the top of one of the overflowing bookshelves and watched as an extremely angry Xiaolang Li roused to his full height and glare at Takashi.
“You say this is no kidnapping. You say you mean no harm. Then why is it, sir, you will not unlock the door.” Xiaolang snarled, in a low deadly voice that Kero had always admired from the Brat.
“I’m sorry about that, I’m sorry about her, I’m. Look with all due respect, I can’t let you go run around free out there, OK? This is new Hong Kong; it’s not such a safe place.” Takashi looked Xiaolang up and down, Kero saw his point. “Look at you. You look like some sort of psychotic escapee from mental ward.” Xiaolang frowned, but in his eyes there was a look of understanding. Takashi also noticed this and let out a sigh of relief.
“I understand you have some anxiety, but you have to trust me. I’m going to get you home, OK? I promise.” Xiaolang nodded reluctantly. From his kitchen, behind his barrier, Tiberius started barking wildly, Kero thanked for the hundredth time that he no longer had to go anywhere near the stupid dog.
“Tiberius, shut up.” Takashi snapped, walking to the barrier with a lead in hand, as he clipped the lead on to the dog’s collar he turn back to Xiaolang. “Just so you know, the portal opens again, next week on Monday. I know because it was my back up plan if I got stuck in your time. It’s sort of a circle, you know? Kind of like a Total Eclipse. Once every 20 years. You understand.” Kero pulled a face, like anyone could understand the full situation in that short explanation. It seemed Xiaolang agreed with him.
“Generally, I understand everything, since I met you, nothing. I can only assume I’m in a nightmare, brought on by pure anger and the need for some wild escape from the world I live in or else I am dead.” Xiaolang muttered darkly, though Kero could have sworn he heard a hint of crankiness in his voice.
Takashi walked to the bookshelf Kero was hiding atop of and grabbed some scrappy old paper with odd drawing on them, that reminded Kero of some of the things Clow Reed used to work on and with.
Takashi grinned assuring at Xiaolang.
“You’re not dead.” He assured, before holding out the scrapes of paper to Xiaolang, who took them, tilting his head to read them.
“These,” Takashi flicked the paper in Xiaolang’s hand, "are the time portal plan I made and what I understand of them. So have a look over them and when I come back after walking him,” he jerked his head towards Tiberius scratching at the door, whining pitifully, “I’ll explain what I know to you, OK? OK? Alright I’ll be back in a little while.”
And before Xiaolang could open his mouth to say anything Takashi and Tiberius were out the door, Xiaolang scolded deep as he heard the key turn in the lock.
“Well you can come out now.” He drawled, looking straight where
Kero was hiding.
To be continued...