Disclaimer: I don't own CardCaptor Sakura, CLAMP and various TV companies do, most of which are responsible for the english dub. (Go and see how they did Evangelion and then go back and TRY AGAIN!)
The Gift
Jo Hall
September 2002
E-mail : jolyhall@yahoo.co.uk
Sunday 3rd September 1995
Outside in the garden of a house in streets if Tomoeda a camping light glowed. Either side of the light lay two small figures wrapped in sleeping bags also between to two lay empty plate, a book, several bottles of soft drink. Behind the two sat a telescope on its mount, its open end pointing toward the dark sky. The girl with green eyes and short light brown hair sat in quiet contemplation of the stars, as the second girl with blue eyes and long dark hair finished eating a small wedge of cake. With a final swallow the girl reached over and hugged the other one.
"Thank you Sakura-chan. I think this has been the best birthday I have ever had."
Sakura smiled at her friends proclamation "Tomoyo, you said that when we came around and surprised you on your 10th birthday too."
"I know but you, Kero, Touya and your father have become like a second family to me over the past month."
Sakura turn around and returned the hug, "What were we supposed to do leave you on your own in that big house without your mother around. It would have been lonely for you Tomoyo-chan."
Tomoyo smiled, "It would have been, but I am used to it's not my fault that my mothers company was having problems with one of its German companies, I am used to it now. My mother loves me and always brings me back wonderful gifts and new interesting stories of the peoples she has met and things she has seen."
"Well I am glad you weren't all alone, I know I did not what to be." Sakura said with a slight sigh in her voice. Tomoyo impulsively squeezed Sakura a little tighter.
"I know, when we start school on Tuesday it is going to be a strange day, no Li, no Eriole but I don't think Touya is going to miss Nakuru one bit. They both giggled at that.
Sakura let go of Tomoyo and snuggled down in to her sleeping bag. "Your right though, it is going to be like it was before the cards just you and me, well we do have Kero now and his incredible stomach but still it will be somewhat the same."
Tomoyo reached on and grasped Sakura's hand and looked seriously at her friends face, "It will be fine, "she turned her head back towards the stars, "I am just worried how I am going to get though the Stats exams at Christmas."
Sakura pulled her pillow over her head "NOOO, don't start talking about them now. November is plenty early enough."
Tomoyo reached over and pulled the pillow of Sakura's face. "I love you, but you do act silly some times Sakura-chan."
"I love you to Tomoyo but I hate exams." She replied with a yawn at the end of the sentence.
"I think its time we slept, someone here's tired."
"Well I was up at five this morning making your cake, Tomoyo." Said Sakura turned out the night. The snuggled down to sleep.
"Good night Sakura-chan."
"Good night Tomoyo and thank you."
"For what?"
"Putting up with my strange sleeping habits."
"Its alright, Kero explained to me that you draw your magic from the power of the stars and that sleeping under the stars is the best way to recharge yourself and on a night like this why not sleep outside."
"You are right, thank you again my good friend!"
And the two of them slept.
Touya walked in quietly into his room, not wishing to disturb his sleeping father as he was working late at a nightclub to earn some money to cover himself on his final year of high school. As he stripped off the sweaty and smoke smelling clothes he looked out of his window in to the garden below. In the reflected light from a streetlight he could see his sister and her friend asleep on the grass.
'Sakura probably has the right idea tonight.' He thought glancing up to ash tree above them he saw what looked like a pair of red eyes looking back at him. In the tree sat Kerberos guarding his mistress while she slept. 'It was a hard thing to sell to father but I it was worth it' he thought 'Sakura has been acting more like normal recently.' The quiet depression and lack of energy of his sister had worried him. Convincing his father that there was nothing more wrong than the first signs of puberty coming on was the easy bit. The rest a little more difficult but it finally came down to this phrase.
"We are two men trying to your best to guide a little girl though the trials and tribulations of becoming a woman, without her mother to guide her the best we can do is provide lots of contact with other women and girls and love her the best we can."
"Puberty and magic, what a combination." He said to himself as he rolled into bed.
Tuesday After School
Sakura skated home, carrying a bag of shopping for the evening meal. School had been interesting, a new girl Rin had joined the class having moved from Tokushima over the summer, Mr Terada had sat her behind Tomoyo. There was the usual first day back confusion, which allowed all the children to catch up with each other. It Tomoyo and Sakura had shown the confused Rin around tried to point out all the good places to go and what to eat and not eat at the canteen. All in all it had been a good day, even the bit of history home work that she had been given did not bother her to much. As she turned around the corner to her house she could see a DHL delivery van sitting outside her house, putting on a burst of speed and caught the delivery man standing at the door.
"Hello." She said.
The man turned and looked.
"Ho hello, do you live here." He asked.
"Yes, I do." Pulling out her front door key and opening it up.
"Ho great, I have a delivery of for Kinomoto Sarkura."
"For me, wow!"
He handed over a clip board, "Can you sign here please, and print the time here of 4:30 say. Many thanks. I will get your parcel."
Sakura sat down on the door step and pulled off her inline skates and wiggled her toes. "These are getting a bit tight now, I think I will have to see if I can afford a new pair. A parcel for me? I wonder who it is from and what is IT!!!!!!!"
Her shock was well founded as the delivery man came up the drive with a packing crate on a sack barrow probably 150cm high, 100 cm deep and another 150 cm wide.
"Were do you want it?"
Only after Touya's early arrival home and much puffing panting and screams of "MIND THE PAINT WORK" was the box manhandled into the kitchen/diner area of the house. Touya pulled off the shipping details and paper work and handed it to Sakura.
"Well it is addressed to you better read it." He commented.
The first parts of the packet consisted of shipping instructions in various languages. At the back of the packet however was a brown envelope with English writing on it inside was a letter which was also in English.
Problem English was not one of Sakura's best subjects and Touya eather. One thing that Sakura could see was a name "Clow Reed" as she said that Kero floated into the room, wondering what the commotion was.
After a quick glaring session with Touya. (The two had come to what could be best called a cease-fire over the summer, Touya did not like trusting his sister safety to a 'stuffed toy' and Kero did not like him for lack of respect.) Kero announced that he could speak and read English.
"When did you learn to speak English, Kero?"
"Clow Reed lived in many parts of the world, so myself and Yue learnt the local language each time. That and Clow's dad was English did help." Laying the letter out on the table Kero began to read.
Nottinghams oldest law firm, established 1798.
Dear Miss Kinomoto,
Find enclosed your inherence left to you by the death of Mr Clow Reed, April 17th 1856 as per instructions in his will entered on September 18 1846. All shipping and duties have been paid on this item.
Miss Kinomoto I know this must come as a shock that a package has been sent to you from someone who died some 140 years ago. But according to our records this box was entered with us in trust in 1838. The box was recently discovered during our move to new premises from the building we had inhabited since 1903. Once discovered we found instructions for its disposal written by the original Mr Roythorn dated from 1856. It named you directly and I was staggered when our agents in Tokyo confirmed that you did exist and live at the above address.
As per our instructions we left the original box unopened and repackaged the box for shipping.
I would be interested to find out if you have any clue how this is possible and if you would write to me at the above address with your thoughts I would appreciate it. If you have any other questions do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Ms C.A Frances"
"How is that possible?" asked Touya in the stunned silence after Kero finished reading.
"Clow Reed as well as being a master of magic was a master fortune teller, he gave many fortunes to the great and the common in his time. We accurately predicted Sakura's coming, but even I did not know that his visions of the future were that accurate." Said Kero with a touch of awe in his voice.
Touya looked his sisters stunned look 'Will one day will Sakura become powerful enough to do this.' He thought. "It does not answer the question though what's in the box?" He said out loud.
Sakura shook herself and came out of her revere.
"Lets open it up and find out." She said.
It took the crowbar from the garage, Touya's strength and Sakura taking the wood out to the storage area behind the garage to get the box opened. Revealing in the end a cabinet, standing on 4 lion clawed feet 140cm in height 130 cm wide and 75 cm deep. It was constructed of Oak with panels of rose wood veneer. Set in the front however was inlayed representation of the head of Sakura's staff (five pointed star with a cycle around it with a bird wing representation either side.)
"It looks like one of Clow's storage cabinets." Said Kero looking at the cabinet closely. "Never seen one with that design on it though."
"Storage cabinets?" asked Sakura. "Why go to such lengths to pass one onto me."
"Clow had six such cabinets, they travelled around with us everywhere we went, he used the Little Card to shrink them down to fit into a suit case. They contained his books, notes, equipment and numerous other bits and pieces he considered important."
"What happened to those?"
"I assume they were spilt up amongst the Reed and Syaoran families. I was already asleep on the book before the will was read. I would ask Yue was he probably was still around during that time."
"How do you open it?" asked Touya was looking at the cabinet, "There seems to be no handle or keyhole."
"Humm, Clow just used to walk up to them and ask them to open." Said Kero, "Since this is yours Sakura you should try it."
"Ok." She stood in front of the cabinet and said "OPEN!"
Nothing.
"Try it in English."
"OPEN!"
Still Nothing.
"Hummp, Bugger!" muttered Kero.
"I hope your not using that language around my sister." Commented Touya.
"Why shouldn't I, she already knows worse!"
"That's not the point, your should be setting a good example."
Sakura heard nothing of this as she stared at the cabinet, an idea popped into her head and pulling the key from under her shirt she called.
"By the power of the stars."
"Staff of power my by Clow"
"Reveal to me your true form now!"
"RELEASE!"
The appearance of her magic circle below her feet shocked the two feuding males into silence. With the staff in her right hand she called out.
"OPEN!"
A thin strip of light split the star and circle on the cabinet in half. Fading almost instantly, the two doors slowed drifted open with a slight creak. This revealed that the bottom quarter of cabinet contained an array of draws with fine brass handles. Above these were four shelves containing many books. Attached to the inside of the left hand door was and envelope bearing the word in clear script, SAKURA.
"You did it!" cried Kero flying over and hugging her around the neck.
"Phwee!" said Sakura, she reached inside and removed the envelope from door, in which was a letter, written in Japanese which she started to read.
"Well what doesn't say?" asked Kero.
Sakura cleared her throat and begin to read out loud.
"Dear Sakura,
You now have my final gift to you, for you have collected the cards and changed them to burn with the light of the stars. My last gift is one of knowledge. In my time I collected the works of many powerful men and women, the books contained here within are the same ones that taught me my art, perhaps they will help you on your path. Perhaps a third are written in Japanese or have been translated into such, the rest unfortunately are written in English, Latin, German, Chinese and in two books case Sand script. I would recommend that you take sometime now to learn these languages, Kerberos can read/speak English as well I and Yue was good at both Latin and German languages, learn from them and your teachers.
Also included are copies of my diaries and research works, unfortunately they are also written in a hodgepodge of English and Japanese especially the early ones, with a bit of work you should be able to translate them into something sensible. I hope that though them you will be able to pick up a few hints and hopefully avoid a few of the mistakes I made in the process.
My divinations into your further future have revealed little past the events directly concerning myself and my reincarnate, but I can offer some insights, I am sorry to say that some are at best cryptic for which I apologise for and hope that they will prove to be useful somehow.
You will suffer many trials in the coming years, but all will come out for the best if you take advantage of magic and mundane world you live in. New forces are stirring for both good and evil, so choose your friends wisely, with luck and hard work a new order will arise and you will be part of that which does most good. Trust your instincts and don't be afraid to retreat from something when something does not threaten the innocent. Travel as widely as you can, for you will run into new ideas, which will make you better. One may be normal for most people, but two may be normal for you. Wear sunscreen. Normality is a matter of perception.
Remember that my reincarnate is his own person and although largely working towards the same goals but he will do things much differently than you or I, so caution is called for. Death mostly is part of the natural cycle of things, some times it isn't, learn to see the difference and be prepared to put yourself in danger when necessary. Giving in to your anger is sometimes a good idea.
If this is helpful I do not know, but as no doubt Kerberos is rolling his eyes at this moment, (he has always hated uncertainty.) Sakura you are a worthy inheritor of the cards, let no-one, even yourself convince you otherwise. Be well and enjoy life your life for it will be longer and a lot more interesting that a lot of your peers.
Clow Reed.
P.S Your father will be home in 7 minutes time you better get a move on!
"SEVEN MINUTES!" cried Sakura.
Touya looked across at the whiteboard and the clock on the wall.
"That would be about right. Where can we hide this thing."
"Couldn't we get it up to my room." Asked Sakura.
"Not unless you can help me with the weight of the damn thing, perhaps I can call Yukito to give me a hand."
"Stength!" Sakura commented to herself and reached into her pocket, "I wondered why I picked this up this morning." Grabbing her staff from the table and rising it to the card.
"Sakura card come to my aid! - POWER!"
After the green wash of energy finished washing over her, she grabbed hold one side as Touya took the other and carried the cabinet up the stairs and into her room. Then rushed downstairs to start dinner, (the wood splinters were swept away by a helpful Windy) they had it well started when Fujitaka walked in though the door.
Later that night.
"Its really strange." Said Sakura talking to Tomoyo on the phone. "Dad came in and did not even notice it, I mean it does seriously not fit in with the rest of room. There was me getting ready with a big excuse. Didn't even look at it."
"Perhaps its invisible to him." Came the voice down the phone.
Sakura looked at the cabinet closely, "Perhappps." She said drawing out the word.
"Can I come around and see it tomorrow?"
"Of course Tomoyo, come for dinner. I think both dad and Touya are out of the evening so I think I could do with a little company."
"Have you started that homework?"
"No.. Not you too I had Touya having a word with me about it too."
"Anyway I have to go there calling me to dinner here."
"Well good night Tomoyo hope your dinner is good."
"It won't be as good as your dads."
"Good night Tomoyo."
"Good night Sakura."
And with a click she was gone. Sakura put the phone down and looked across at her desk with her school books on it. Turning away from the desk, she pulled out the letter from Clow Reed and re-read it and begin to wonder about the mystery of the cabinet, it was then she read a final PS on the letter.
"PPS You better get on with you homework now."
"Ho joy nagged about doing homework from the past as well now."
Dejectedly she got up and sat at her desk and go out her school books.