Daze of Fallen Guardians

Written by: Ciuline Ihmenjo

Card Captor Sakura does not belong to me. The characters in Card Captor Sakura do not belong to me. CLAMP owns CCS. Besides, even if you do try and sue me, I have no money.

( Pre Fiction )

I had a rather long stint of writer's block on Fallen, Chapter 16, so I found myself talking to a fellow author. She told me to ignore my angst-ridden story for a full day. Instead, she suggested that I try humor. I've never really written a full story about humor. But, I tried my hand at it. Her challenge: write something including rainbows, cotton candy, a cell phone, and Kero… and it can't be angst. Because of the stubborn author that I am, I accepted the challenge. Unfortunately, I don't normally write anything but angsty things. Oh crap… thanks for getting me into this mess Sasori. THIS WHOLE THING IS YOUR FAULT.

o()o Daze of a Fallen Guardian o(or Spinel and the Cotton Candy Sugar Rush)o

For Sasori…

Spinel Sun was drunk. Or at least, he had been drunk at one point. There was no other way to explain the hammers that were suddenly pounding against the insides of his hypersensitive skull. With each passing moment, it was growing even more sensitive. It felt like a few of hammers had cracked through to the outside world.

He suddenly had the feeling that he was bleeding. Well, he had to be bleeding. Maybe he had hit his head during his drunken fit; maybe he had hit it more than once. He didn't remember… couldn't remember.

Something warm and sticky coated the fur atop his head. The onyx-furred guardian reached a paw up and ran it across his head. The paw was brought to his nose, and he sniffed it. It was sweet and definitely not blood. Sighing, he sniffed it again and tentatively stuck his tongue out and tasted it. A jolt of lightning sped through his bloodstream. He paused to look at his paw. It was sweet, sugary, decidedly pink-flavored goo. He liked it… a lot. His paw shot back to his skull and then to his mouth again. The pounding was dissipating with each and every second. Some extremely warm and fuzzy thing was coursing through his veins now.

The world was spinning further and further away from him. He gave himself into the urge and the events of the previous night shot into his memory. Suddenly, he could remember chasing Kero and the slamming headlong into a cotton candy stand. The outrageous poses in front of the newest Daidouji cell phone – equipped with a very large memory for photos. Suddenly, there was Ruby Moon with a video camera in the guise of the more feminine Nakuru.

The rational part of Spinel's brain screamed before the rush of sugar in his veins took over.

o o Twelve Hours Earlier o o

"Come on, Spinel, it'll be fun," Eriol had said.

"I don't see how spending more than 20 seconds with that yellow ball of fuzz would be fun in any way, shape, or form," Spinel Sun replied in 100 deadpan. He sighed and curled up tighter on Eriol's shoulder. In the least, this would save him the tribulations of spending a day with Nakuru/Ruby Moon. Given the choice, he would gladly spend a few hours with Kero fighting than spending those same few hours running from Ruby whilst she tried to shove cupcakes down his throat. Wings tire and he didn't like to have something roughly the size of his head crammed into his gullet. He shuddered at the thought.

"Are you cold, Spinel Sun?" It was her voice. That means they had arrived at the residence of the Mistress of the Clow. And then a yellow bolt of energy slammed into him, knocking him off Eriol's shoulder. Spinel landed in the grass and sighed.

"Get off of me before I have Eriol turn you into a tea cozy."

"I'd make a better tea cozy than you!" Cerberus said with a little too much volume. One foot rested proudly square in the middle of Spinel's stomach. His arms were at his hips in a mock pose of a hero triumphant over an 'evil' Spinel.

"Fine then, get off of me before I turn you something more useful than an annoying, loud, ball of fuzz."

"You're just as fuzzy at me!" the yellow Sun guardian retorted. He sat down on him and grinned triumphantly. "Besides, I make fuzzy look good!"

"No, you just make yourself look like an idiot," Spinel muttered.

"What did you say?" Kero leaped off his adversary in horror. "Moi? An idiot?"

"Yes, I'm talking to you." Spinel was on his feet. He brushed dust from his coat and flicked off little pieces of dirt and grass from his hair. It was just in time to be stabbed by the tip of a toothpick. He glared at Kero.

Sakura and Eriol sighed. Together, they scruffed the two guardians and carried them into the house. The argument carried on between the two. Clow's name came up multiple times, but they were bickering much to fast to be paid much attention. The humans sat down to talk, confining the guardians to the shoulder of its owner.

"You know, with you going off to date Tomoyo now, I suspected you might as well take Spinel with you."

"She doesn't call it dating…" Eriol sighed.

Sakura made a face. "Well, I do."

"Besides, all we're doing is going out for lunch."

"Are you paying?" asked Sakura excitedly.

"Of course I am!" Eriol retorted. "What kind of person do—"

Sakura cut him off, her tone even more energetic. "Then, it is a date!" Eriol hung his head. "So why not take Spinel or maybe Nakuru?"

"Well, you know how they are," Eriol sighed, "both of them. I mean, would you ever take Cerberus with you on any sort of outing with Syaoran?" Sakura's obvious shudder was all the answer he needed. She brushed Kero – now asleep – onto the couch. Eriol looked at Spinel and set him onto the back of the chair.

"I'm sure they'll be just fine together." He led Sakura gently into the kitchen.

"Although, they may wind up destroying my house!" Sakura moaned.

"Keep them locked in separate rooms?" Eriol shrugged. "It's much better than leaving Spinel alone with Nakuru. The repair bills to the mansion are beginning to run into the quintuple digits."

"Where… is… Nakuru… now that we are on the subject."

"I told her where your brother and Yuki are spending the day."

Sakura shuddered again. "That's cruel," she said and started giggling, "even for you." She reached up into a cabinet and pulled down a box. Inside, was a small plate of takoyaki. "At least I'll leave them something to eat. Kero will shout if I don't leave him any food." As if on cue, the yellow sun guardian sneezed.

"I know," he said with a slight nod of his head. "But it's best to keep Nakuru away from Spinel whilst I'm not there to monitor them. She tries to stuff enough sugar cubes down his throat when I am there." He sighed. "Kero and Spinel will be just fine. We have to meet my darling relative and your charming friend soon." He walked her to the front door. Holding it open and gathering their coats, he smiled. "After you."

o o o o

Kero snapped awake. He smelled something… something delicious. Of course, at the exact same moment, Spinel's nose began to twitch.

"TAKOYAKI!" bellowed both plushies. Kero dashed for the location of the smell, rebounded off a wall, and skidded onto the counter. The toothpick was still clutched in his right hand, poised for the attack. He jabbed it home, only to see it deflected.

Spinel grinned smugly from where he stood opposite to him. "I will defend thee, takoyaki, with my honor and life!"

Kero blanched. He stopped dead in his tracks. The hand clutching the toothpick went limp. It clattered on the counter and sailed onto the floor. "Uh… how much sugar have you had in the last hour?"

"None!" Spinel grinned and prodded Kero in the chest with his toothpick. "I just now have takoyaki… and you don't."

They both eyed the spare toothpick on the plate. Kero made a lunge – which turned into a dive – for it. He had one paw on it just in time to parry a vicious jab from Spinel. For a moment, they were deadlocked until Kero rolled out of the way. Spinel's toothpick continued forward until it jabbed into a takoyaki. Said delicious ball sped into his mouth. He smiled and chewed thoughtfully for a moment, all the while, a wicked smirk on his face. It was halfway down his throat when Kero sailed headfirst into him.

They tumbled from the table and crashed into the floor. Were they any larger, the house would have shaken from the force of the impact. In then end, all that occurred was the clacking of two sets teeth.

Kero was the first to rise. "Fine, if you won't let me have it, then we'll have a contest of skill to see who will win all the takoyaki." Sans the fact the idea made little sense. Sans the fact that takoyaki is best eaten steaming hot (and this dish was cooling fast!). And Sans the fact that Kero's only skill was video games (which he still wasn't exceptionally good at).

Spinel smiled. "You have no skills." The little butterfly-winged plushie smiled. "I will dominate you in anything you can imagine."

Kero smiled. "A race."

"It's only fair." Spinel shrugged. "But you'll still lose! The takoyaki will all be mine!"

"Wait… who's going to judge it?" Kero looked puzzled for a moment. "After all, we have to ensure neither of us will cheat."

The words, 'I won't cheat,' almost exited Spinel's mouth. But this was takoyaki. A shudder passed through Spinel's body. There was no other person he could call at such short notice for such a ridiculous notion. "I'll see if Nakuru is around…" He sighed. This would not end well.

o o o o

Nakuru picked up the phone in the middle of the first ring. She immediately released her prey and stuck the receiver end of the brightly colored plastic to her ear. Touya, glad for the excuse to breathe, finally turned a healthier color. Blue, no matter how much it went well with his clothes, did not a healthy brother make. Yukito had tried to pry her off, but thought better of it. After all, what if she turned her attention to him? The results would be more than a little unpleasent. Ruby would come out and Yue would as well. Touya would be caught in the crossfire. And hell would ensue. In the aftermath, apologies would be in profusion. Damages would have to be paid for, and physical damages alone from the battle of two guardians easily soared into the quintuple digits. Eriol could pay for them, but the housework involved in repayment was a very unpleasant pain in the rear.

How did Yukito know this? It had happened just under a month ago. There was still housework to do. After all, Eriol had been saving renovations on the mansion for years for such a moment to arise.

Nakuru squealed in the background. "Of course I'll come! It'll be great!" She smiled, something that would cause most sane people to move great distances from her. Yukito and Touya did just that. "I mean, a race between you two? I can take pictures! Eriol will love them! Sakura would love them more!" She looked up from her squealing and assortment of cute gestures and arm motions. "No, no, this is much better than anything you two could do." She waved her hand at them and went back to her excited tone of voice. "I'll be right there, though!"

The two males looked at each other and sighed.

"You have any idea what that was about?" Touya said as their tormentress finally skipped off to whatever or whomever else she had found to annoy.

"No, how about you?" Yukito shrugged.

"You hungry?"

Yukito began to walk away. "Yeah, that sounds good right now. I know of this great sandwich shop that has an awesome deal on a 2 foot long sub."

o o o o

It was a simple race to begin with: through the woods in the park, to a marked fencepost, and back to Nakuru. She smiled and pressed a button on her cell phone. The latest Daidouji product Eriol had brought home. Tomoyo kept Sakura, Syaoran, and Eriol within the loop of product testees. Products were not tested on dolphins, but instead by slightly less willing friends. Syaoran had a pile of the stuff in the corner of his closet. Sakura had stumbled upon it whilst raiding it for a shirt to wear to bed. Of course, she didn't say anything. After all, a similar pile existed beneath her bed.

"On your mark… get set…" An extremely pregnant pause followed. She fiddled with the phone for a moment before the ring tone blared out of its small speakers. "GO!" Kero and Spinel dashed forward to the tune of "Great Balls of Fire."

And of course, everything was going just fine. There were few distractions. Very few people were in the park in the middle of the day. The race seemed so well planned (besides the fact that Nakuru was judging the event).

Both guardians sped forward - one on a fluffy pair of angelic wings, the other on a graceful pair of butterfly wings. Kero managed to take an early lead. Spinel managed to break ahead of him during a somewhat tight corner. Kero had blindsided into a rather stout tree limb. Of course, Spinel's lead was short limbed as he collided with similar branch. Kero turned for a moment to jeer at him. It proved to be his downfall. Actually, it proved to be the downfall of both guardians. Spinel charged after him with renewed speed. And everything started to go not-so-fine.

The current lane was supposed to be empty. In fact, it had been empty at the start of the race. At the current moment, the pathway was blocked by one very large snack cart. Kero bounced off the aluminum side and landed on the ground in a very unceremonious heap. Spinel crashed straight through a machine and whatever it was making. He came out on the other side covered in pink fluff.

Kero recognized it instantly as cotton candy. He began to panic.

Nakuru recognized it instantly as cotton candy. She squealed with glee.

At the moment, one Spinel Sun was staggering about in the grass. Nakuru scooped him up in her arms and fled. Taking a moment to pluck the yellow plushie from the ground, she made a beeline for a more private area.

It took her only ten minutes to find the shelter of Sakura's now-deserted home. She was not going to destroy anything, but she could not let this opportunity pass. Smiling for a moment, she saved all the pictures in her phone (only half of the 100 picture limit) to an online album Eriol had set up. He had obviously foreseen such cases as these where an empty storage space was needed on the phone. Her last picture finished downloading just as she reached the door.

She let herself in through Sakura's slightly open window. Kero usually used it as a combination entrance/exit. It was his doorway to the world of video games. The two plushies were dumped onto the bed.

It was then that Nakuru brought out her secret weapon. A small digital camera. Of course, this was another Daidouji "gift." This one had come from the boom closet beneath the stairs. Every once and a while, simply amazing gifts found their way there. She just so happened to stumble upon them and save them from such a boring, unimaginative fate. In reality, Eriol was glad that the mice seemed to have taken such an interest in Tomoyo's many gifts. He did use some of them, but he had enough video cameras – had he actually kept them all – to last him a dozen dozen lifetimes.

Nakuru was rolling and Spinel rolled over and stared bleakly at the red light. Kero sniggered and began to laugh. Nakuru stuck a finger over her lips and signaled for him to be quiet. After all, if one is to record the drunken exploits of a friend, gales of laughter can sometimes distort the hilarity of the situation.

Spinel had begun to dance. There was no other word to describe what he was attempting to do. Possibly, that something was a failed attempt to walk. His arms were waving around, and he was swaying from side to side. Hip thrusts seemed to be thrown in at odd intervals. Kero managed to catch some of the more outrageous positions on camera. Spinel switched from dancing to singing. It could have broken glass. It would have broken glass. In all reality, it probably was cracking any glass in the house. All the while, a dopey half-smile was plastered on his face. And suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks. Taking a look around, Spinel's expression turned deathly serious. Kero and Nakuru froze as well. Usually Spinel would be out of touch with the world for quite some time. Now, he seemed to be back.

"Uh, Soupy?" Kero said hesitantly. "You in there?" He walked over to Spinel and waved a paw about before the darker plushie's face. He even tried rapping lightly on to other's head. Shrugging, he turned to Nakuru and then back to Spinel. "Anybody home?"

The dopey grin returned and Spinel dashed forward. Grabbing Kero roughly about the neck, Spinel pulled him close and kissed him smack on the lips. "My hero!" he cried out. In the next moment he dashed out of the room – not before smacking once into the window pane and once into the wall – via the still open window.

Kero was still trying to fit his eyes back into his skull. Nakuru cried out, "after him." She fumbled for her phone and leapt from the window in pursuit of the zig-zagging Spinel. He slammed into a tree and then made for the city, Kero and Nakuru hot on his tail.

It was the end of the world as Spinel would know it. How unfortunate it was that he was not conscious for it.

o o o o

Sakura walked through the door to her home and looked around cautiously. So far, there wasn't any damage. A trio of broken toothpicks lay in splinters on the floor, but no further damage existed besides that. Her eyes settled on the still-full plate – minus one takoyaki. "I guess they didn't want any," she said. She scratched her head and started upstairs. "How odd…"

o o o o

Spinel crashed through a somewhat elaborate glass window panel when he couldn't get the door unlocked. The small, rational side of his brain was still trying to explain where the spare key was when the crash reverberated through the mansion. He floated lazily through the rooms, his body colliding with walls, furniture, bookcases (and the subsequent shower of books), and the occasional suit of armor. A pair of eyes were kept focused blurrily on his surroundings, but they weren't doing him much good. He floated by one room and stopped dead in his tracks.

It was then his eyes settled on the chair. His mouth turned upward into a very big, very drunken, smile. Something was screaming at him in the back of his mind. This was THE chair. Eriol's chair. It was utterly untouchable. It would not be touched at all.

"STOP, YOU FOOL!" the voice yelled in extremely panicked syllables. It was largely ignored. Liquor – or in the case of Spinel, sugar – makes one do very mysterious things. Such as eyeing a certain red leather chair with the utter intent to do something decidedly rash to it. That definitely constituted as a mysterious thing… in this case, a mysterious doing.

Spinel hiccupped once and floated into the room. It just so happened that Nakuru had a collection of markers in the adjourning room. He snatched the first one he found out of the basket, pulled the cap off the pink sharpie clutched in his paw, and set to work.

o o In the Present… o o

When Eriol stumbled on Spinel two hours after the poor guardian had consumed the mysterious pink goo atop his head, he shook his head. Naturally, Nakuru tittered and giggled from where the moon guardian peeked over his shoulder.

"You can't possibly blame me for this one," she said finally. Her hands were on her hips and she was looking, rather disappointedly, at Eriol's plush red leather chair. The reincarnation of Clow choked as he followed her gaze.

At least, it could have been red at some point. In fact, it had been red at some point. At the present, it was anything but. Not an inch of the chair had survived its defacing. From the looks of things, Spinel had stumbled into – and subsequently raided – an art supply store during his fit. Sharpies of every imaginable color were strewn around him. Some areas, color had been smeared on; others, it had carefully been colored in. Mostly, the design was random, but what more was to be suspected from a plushie who was much farther than three sheets to the wind? At least a dozen small tubs of paint were strewn about the base of the chair and contained a multitude of mottled swirls. At least Spinel had some of his wit about him and had mixed similar colors together. Maybe it was the guardian's inner obsessive compulsive? That hadn't mattered much. There were still butterfly wing prints in shades of baby blues and shocking pinks and a very eye-hurting green. A few splotches seemed to resemble what looked to be a circle… with ears. Most likely, it was the result of Spinel crashing face-first into the chair a half-dozen times.

Of course, the onyx-furred one was covered from the tips of his ears to the swirl on his tail. Even his wings were coated in all colors of the rainbow… and then some. He looked much like a rejected beanie baby, or the end result of an albino cat who had an accident with a vat of tie-dye.

Eriol sighed. Inwardly, he was silently fuming. My chair! My… red… chair…

Nakuru laughed even harder. If this is what occurs when the little fluff consumes sugar on his own…. A very devious plan was already brewing in the scheming mass of gray matter she called a brain.

A string of drool hung from Spinel's mouth. "Look, I made rainbows!" the poor creature sung gaily.

"Oh dear…" Nakuru clutched her sides and left the room, trying not to pass out from laughing.

"Oh dear, indeed…" Eriol rolled his eyes and went off to get a bucket of water. He had to search the rest of the house now. It leaped to the top of his priority list. After all, if Spinel's drunk self had the audacity to destroy HIS chair, then who knows what the guardian could have done?

Fin

Nope, no closing remarks here. Except, this was originally planned as a simultaneous release with Fallen Chapter 16 (or at least, that chapter was supposed to be out the day after I post this). But, at the moment, that doesn't look like it will happen. I have the day off tomorrow, but that will be consumed with packing for college. In the least, you can think of this as a cheery sunny day to counter the wet, somewhat miserable deluge of rain brought on by Fallen. Sorry these have taken so long. And, to Sasori, thank you for helping me over writer's block hill!

Ciuline Ihmenjo