TITLE: Folly Curse
(A Card Captor Sakura Fan-Fiction)
WRITTEN BY: Violent Hayes
RATED: T, for situations and some language
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SUMMARY: Tired of your average fantasy? Join a naïve Sakura, the foolishly cursed princess, recently kicked out of her wicked kingdom and out into the dangerous world of Tomoeda in an imaginary quest to find her cure.
HER NOTE: I can't believe it! I thought I had lost it! It's been months, yet here I am with my new and awesome computer, inspiration patting my back, and a full two months to write one whole story, and continue with many more, if I do say so myself. I can't believe I nearly lost my writing due to all the stress from work! Currently, TNBM will be on hiatus (even though it's already been ).
Let's start all over again, with a refreshed novel, a mixture of almost every story out there. I'm so sorry if it's already repeated, innocently enough I haven't read anything written in here for quite a while, so I haven't got a clue. But I'm sure I'll add a much more wicked taste.
This project is to try a new kind of writing, style and wicked humor. Grammar or spelling errors are inevitable, so all I'm saying is sorry for those smudges!
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DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I don't own CCS, I'm only using the characters to create lively far-fetched fictions, and increase my writing skills. All of the rest has been a product of my imagination, some events probably won't make sense, and the characters will be out of their true personalities, but basically that's the point of my writing. )
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Folly Curse
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Everything's polished with a newborn; the sun rises early in the morning, the flowers bloom in a full miracle, the rivers sparkle even in the darkest corners of the woods. Now don't get me wrong, this necessarily doesn't occur in such situations, I'm only expressing the happiness the Kinomoto Kingdom experienced when young Sakura was brought into the world; color was bestowed into everyone's life.
Nadesico, both queen and mother, lifted the child unto her arms and held her close for a warm embrace. She was pleased, for the entire kingdom was about to experience the sweetness and delicacy from a woman's touch. It proved to be even more delighting when those petite eyes opened for the first time in dazzling emerald orbs. People were considered a rare beauty for being worthy of bearing such eyes, since there were ever so few among them.
In other words, a world filled with love and dreams had been painted ahead. Nothing could ever disrupt the peace and harmony on which they relied to fulfill their happiness. Or at least, they thought so.
The first disaster came when the queen fell ill at a "still-considered-young" age. Her heart grew weaker until it shriveled up and one day simply stopped beating. Sakura was small but aware of the faded presence. In her heart she built the idea of her mother leaving toward another kingdom; an excuse she found for her father and older brother crying so severely when all she could do was smile innocently.
Here came the second disruption inside the castle. Those who bear such a strong-sized heart usually end up with a shortened use of mind. The case applied to the small and sweet Sakura, who gave her love away even to strangers. It was usual for people to take advantage of her; she was vulnerable in so many countless ways. Her poor father tried everything he could to educate her mind, yet still; there was nothing that could thrash the mass of her heart.
So sad it proved to be, how she could easily be manipulated, that one day she was picking up flowers near the border of the forest. It was the early season of autumn, one of the last days to ever find nice living flowers. She took a small peep toward her almost empty basket and dared to cross the boundary, since it was common sense for her to take advantage out of the remaining roses; they wouldn't be back until two more seasons. She decided to keep on going; deeper and deeper into the insides of the unknown woods.
The sun started setting in the west and her sense of direction was overthrown; in other words, she found herself astray. There was no point in wandering aimlessly, and retracing her steps wasn't going to help her in any way. Instead, she relied on her bravery and confidence; there would be time to cry on later.
However, it wasn't her sobbing that was heard in the profound forest. It came from a traveling old lady up ahead. Sakura bent down in front of the rotting woman and kindly asked the cause of her grieving.
With shallow and harsh words she replied, "I've got a few more days to live. Death is the cause for my sorrow."
As usual, Sakura's heart filled with compassion, "What ever can I do to help you?"
The hag drowned in several coughs, and then she replied, "To fulfill my last wish and desire for such a beautiful and young child." A weak smirk replaced her wrinkled lips.
The next morning Sakura was found safe-and-sound, sleeping in the forest with a basket of weathered roses and a dead crow by her side.
The kingdom never knew of her actual encounter with the witch, or the curse that had been foolishly placed upon her, for the years started passing by and she was still the same innocent girl.
It was two years later, at the start of an arranged marriage, when the disarray began. Everyone was happy for their little princess, who had already matured to be a perfectly fine girl with a warm heart. The agreement had been made effortlessly due to Sakura's soft side; she believed it was best for her father to make such an important decision. She was barely turning thirteen and already engaged to a promising lad from another kingdom; a perfect ending for such a lovely princess, or so it was believed to be.
It was until the first time she was about to be kissed, the sweet blend of infantile lips, when her fiancé dropped dead before her. Superstition of murder arose in the castle; however it was doubted and soon hidden out of incredulity. After all, how could such a sweet and juvenile princess commit such a crime? It was unreasonable for a person like Sakura to do such acts.
No need to worry, thought the king, there's no reason to hesitate with the prince market around the world.
Less than weeks passed before she was engaged again, yet still, prince after prince they all fell before her, unable to touch such sweetened lips. Terror arose in the atmosphere when they soon found out something wrong in Sakura for the very first time. The curse was inside her heart, poisoning whoever dared to fall in love with her. The king tried to contain the rumors only to the insides of his castle, however soon it spread unto the lands and troubled people's minds.
They tried everything. Countless of spells, antidotes, and potions… all ending in failure.
The king could not accept such disgrace affecting his family; he didn't even want to know how history of his kingdom would bear the mark of the "disease" her daughter had brought upon herself. The only thing he could ever do was to erase her from the book; deny her existence. He was already half blinded by the death of his wife, and it proved to be easy just to forget his daughter.
Lo and behold, the kingdom prepared for the departure of their little princess. People who complained or opposed the king's word were sent to prison, so mostly kept their thoughts to themselves, and only watched as her destiny would grow outside of their territory.
Heartbreaking was the fact she didn't know her father had stopped loving her. She didn't get to notice the fake smiles around the castle on her remaining days. She didn't understand why Touya, her older and only brother, kept embracing and kissing her forehead before she went to sleep.
They didn't tell her she was being vanished from the lands, they didn't mention a farewell trip, and they certainly didn't want her to know. Instead, a story was played out in front of her, a false proposition created by her own father.
He had devised, after all, a genuine plan to keep her away from his lands, a never-ending quest in search for the cure to her curse. He knew it was completely and totally impossible, which meant she would never return. She accepted her mission without hesitation, for she was always there to please her father and kingdom in whichever way she could.
"Think of all the places you'll get to go, all the people you'll meet: the experience will always be cherished!" Her father one day promoted. "Heck, maybe you'll find your true love and return with him to live happily ever after!"
Poor Sakura could only swallow down his father's illusionary words while Touya watched wounded in the shadows. He quietly swore in his thoughts as his father got away with it.
No celebration for her departure was announced, in fact, she left the grounds in silence at midnight. Her father had told her not to trouble her people so selfishly, for the sole reason to make up her death.
The next day the funeral had already taken place.
With half-accurate sobs, since the tears he shed were because he missed his daughter, he gave the command to never mention her name. Whoever dared to spell it remained chained for the rest of his life, a process of forgetfulness which proved to be effective.
This would be a perfect ending for the story I just told, however, it is only the beginning of the foolish quest our little princess had to take.
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chapter one night of the dead moon
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Dawn's rays started painting the scenery before the mountains initiated, awakening each and every member of Tsuki Town. They all had to get up early in the morning, for now was a day to be celebrated, and the preparations were far from done. It was another one of those days filled with joy and anticipation; men finished building, women started cooking, and children waited until the beginning of the night. In other words, the town was busy, since everyone stopped with their usual lives and set their minds for the festivity ahead of them.
This town was also known as "the moon town". The reason came from their deep worshiping toward the moon herself. Every night they would chant together in unison so they could receive blessings and good luck into their lives. It was difficult to know who had started such venerations, but every child was educated to respect it. It was proven to be an endless cycle of mystical belief.
They thought the moon shared the same fate humans had on earth: death. Everybody wanted knowledge for a way to come back from the grave, and the moon was considered special for its "rebirth". It disappeared from the skies in reducing phases until it no longer existed. However after several days of darkness, it was born again into the world.
Their festivity occurred a day before the next full moon appeared, to ensure its way into the light.
Tsukis weren't alone in their merriment, it was also known for gypsies to join them in their madness. They were outlaws whose only interest was money, and they lived of traveling, dancing, and singing. Their goal was to have fun and to enjoy what life offered. Wearing bright clothes that matched their lively personality, they searched for parties in order to join in and add some flavor. They always organized their calendars with special days in different places, the reason for their nomadic tendencies.
Evander was the current leader of the Yorokobi, not that they needed one or even admitted so, simply because he was the oldest and the one who made most of the decisions. It was also he who kept a tight record of the usual events and kicked everyone around so they could get moving.
Today the Yorokobi had arrived early, an unusual happening since they were known for the worst punctuality. In order to kill time, they spread out: some to raise their tents, others to eat some food, or simply to wander in a meaningless way. It was a good thing to have turned up in the morning, for fate was sure to bind the destiny of unknown strangers.
"What the heck's wrong with you? We could have slept for a couple more hours before coming to this boring old town!"
It was indeed quite a pain to travel with a bunch of liberals from time to time; complaints hit you all throughout the day.
"Hey, we've got a tight plan ahead of us," Evander replied with some patience left inside him. "Besides, it's time for a readjusted schedule, all you've been doing is eating and sleeping."
After finding the suitable answer, he headed over to town, ignoring the girl behind him. She sent out a small curse for her incommodity, drew one of her long black pigtails back, and decided to search for a spot to doze off into.
Her ruby eyes explored the busy town in front of her with disgust. She found it absurd to believe in such foolishness.
There they go into their tinted world, joyfully expressing their worship to a non-existent goddess.
It was an expected point of view from an atheist, and Meiling proudly proved to be one of them. She silently scoffed and found it best to sleep in the outskirts. Here she would at least find some peace in the soft grass. She soon found her spot under a bushy tree and lied down facing the deep and blue sky. She closed her eyes in relief.
There's nothing much to say about her visit into the dream world, only that three whole hours passed by, enough to recover one's good humor and start fresh into the day. Satisfied, Meiling slowly stretched her arms to her sides. Her left hand stopped all of a sudden and chills were sent trough her arm. She had felt something soft nearby. It was human hair, she inferred, as she slowly removed her hand in shock. More accurately they were greasy and dirty strands of knotted hair. She faced the fact that it wasn't one of her companions.
Numbed by her shock, she decided to find out who or what was laid next to her. She gradually tilted her head in the direction and screamed. It was a cadaver.
When she was about to stand up, however, she found the skull reacting to her previous noise. What's worse about finding a dead body next to you is when it's moving. Still, there was something fishy in the whole situation, and it took some time for Meiling to process all the information. She was already up and inspecting the body.
It took some pokes to unveil two flashing emerald eyes in front of her. Meiling's face paled at the sudden response, but she sighed in relief to find the body alive and breathing. It took some time to find, within all the dirt and mud, a girl around the same age as her.
"Hey! You still alive?" Meiling dared to ask. All she ever did, in the lapse of a minute, was staring into the pits her eyes until they closed again.
Commotion was built that afternoon, mainly because of Meiling's yelling. Her face had a brightened smirk, as if she had found some buried treasure. In such cases, it would have deeply mattered to the Yorokobi, but now it was only about a threatened life. We could say gypsies are cold and distant when convenient, they only take aid and care for their family, which is most of the time, the people they travel with. If it hadn't been for the stubbornness inside the girl, they wouldn't have paid heed to the dying soul.
"She's really weird for a girl." One of the travelers replied.
"Horrible is more like it. Besides, the stench is driving me mad" Another one replied.
They weren't truly pleased with their new guest.
"What's going on here?"
The tent's entrance was opened, and in stepped Evander with an astonished face. On his sight were the healer, Meiling, and the body. His first reaction was keeping his mouth open; the next was shoving his companion outside.
"What is that… thing?" He asked at a slow pace, trying to find the right word.
"A girl, dummy. What did you think it was? "
He tried disregarding the rude comment. "You know the code, don't you?"
"Yeah, but I couldn't just leave her. She's was near the edge of death…"
"And we wouldn't want that happening in one of our tents now, would we?" He even shivered as he pictured the scene in his mind.
"I promise it won't happen, Asa is the best healer we have, isn't he?"
Meiling knew he couldn't deny her question; still, he had another issue formed inside his mind. "What about the future? You know we can't have an extra member in our family…"
"We'll worry about it later… You have oh-so-many plans for the big night; you must not fail the Tsuki's. You know they are counting on you."
Such words of flattery had a great effect on Evander; he nodded with a hinted loathing, and decided to fill his head with the moon's entertainment. As soon as he was gone, Asa called Meiling.
"What's done is done. She's a total mess, from head to toe: bruises, scrapes, and cuts decorate her entire body; her feet are swollen due to the lack of shoes; there is malnourishment, as you can see in her skeletal face. I could say she's been surviving more than two weeks in the wild…"
What a hideous person she truly is… Meiling thought while thanking her luck for not sharing such fortune. The girl had been completely cleaned and still looked dirty.
Asa then gave a small smile. "With the potion I gave her, she's bound to wake up in the night. Hopefully, it will also help her heal those nasty wounds."
She thanked the healer for his service.
"It's my duty, and I'm obliged to even attend strangers." He added, "I'm glad you brought me this poor soul."
With a nod, Meiling left the tent. It was getting late and she had to get dressed, for the festivity was soon to start.
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The sun was almost completely hidden by the mountains in the west. Darkness was less than an hour away, and every member stood outside their house with a candle in hand. They all were as quiet as mice, waiting for the last dead night to come, until the last of the luminosity rays would be drowned. The gypsies were also outside of their tents, they didn't hold one whatsoever, yet they simply stood in awe as thousands of lit candles were all that could be seen.
Finally night overcame the day, and each member extinguished their light. A few moments later, the sky was glowing with blazing fireworks. Everyone cheered as their party was starting.
The sounds of explosions, laughter, and music could be heard for miles. Eventually, they woke up the girl lying inside Asa's tent. She opened her eyes and searched her surroundings with a troubled mind. Where on Tomoeda was she located? She felt better this time, compared to the reduction of health she'd been suffering from for the past few weeks. She slowly stood up, with a small headache to accompany her, and stepped outside the tent. She gasped when she saw fire being burnt in the sky; she had never witnessed something dreadfully amazing before.
And so it began her exploring into the unknown town before her. Oddities were in every corner, from people swallowing trunks of fire to supernaturally bending ones. Her eyes wandered among the amulets, all carrying silver moons in every imagined phase. Everybody who lived here seemed to share the same passion for it. She was fully entranced by the festival that she failed to notice the dreaded glances toward her. Although she could move more or less perfectly, her features were still of a little monster. Of course she hadn't noticed her gaunt bones or her ill-tempered hair; it had been while since she had seen her reflection in a mirror.
She followed the lively music ahead, guided by the sweet tune that hypnotized her. A stand was not to far away, with a crowd of people clapping and laughing before it. She decided to stand at a safe distance, a little bit farther than the people, and watched in awe as women danced with a sizzling fervor she had never seen before. They all wore long rippled dresses that followed every movement their flexible body made, while the rest of their visible tanned skin was decorated with rings, bracelets and necklaces made out of different stones; their pierced ears demonstrated loops of silver in various sizes.
Opened sacks were at the corners where people threw coins inside. The women didn't seem to grow weary from their never-ending dance, and it would have lasted through the whole night, if it hadn't been from the scream a little girl made. Everyone stopped whatever it was they were doing to turn around and see the decayed girl.
"A walking spirit!" One of the elders pointed.
The girl turned around expecting to find a ghost; she didn't know it was her whom he was referring to. It caused uproar between the townsfolk: children started crying, and women started screaming. The men didn't know how to drive away a spirit.
It turned out to be that one of the dancers was Meiling. And as soon as she noticed the girl she had rescued, she leapt from the stage. She found herself stuck, however, when a tight crowd of people formed a circle around the horrid stranger.
"Let me through! I must get to her!" She yelled and pushed, but they were too many to get through in time.
As soon as the "ghost" felt herself trapped, she realized she was the target of the disorder. She couldn't do anything, and she was guessing they wouldn't let her either. It only came to a matter of minutes before they would take action. She tried thinking of anything that could be done, but all of her energy had been drained, so she instantly fell to the ground.
Everyone gasped and stared in curious silence; nobody wanted to make the first move. And it wasn't any of the townsfolk who dared to step in, it was a gypsy.
He paced unhurriedly into the middle, where the girl innocently slept, and gently picked her up in his arms. The candles flickered as cold wind brushed past, and the boy retreated. No one contradicted or did something to stop him; he was only under the careful watch of the town. He soon disappeared toward the distance, let by the retreat of people who were in his way.
An awkward stillness was left with the crowd. If it hadn't been for the return of the music, they would have kept on thinking as to who had been their strange little visitor.
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"This is your entire fault Meiling! I felt it from the beginning! I knew she was trouble..."
The next day all of the Yorokobi were awakened by the screaming and yelling from Evander. They didn't intrude or complain; they simply covered their ears with their pillows, or took it as a sign to start their day again. Meiling knew better than to interrupt his outrage, a calm always came after the storm.
"…And now we ought to get rid of her! Yesterday the town almost blamed the gypsies for the chaos! Don't you realize how it'll affect our reputation?"
Don't think, don't breathe, and don't smile, just stay there and he will soon go away… It took those convincing thoughts for Meiling to handle the 10 minute scolding. She knew he was bound to forget the incident in a couple of months, the only thing troubling her mind was how to keep the girl until she was well enough to be on her own. She didn't know why, but for some reason it rose her interest. She was a stubborn headed girl, and knew that soon she would get her way.
"…we are supposed to follow the code, and I want you to tell me what we are going to do after this mess!"
He's expecting an answer; I better react quickly yet calmly. Wouldn't want to screw it up…
She took a deep breath, and formulated an answer in her mind. She knew he would barely wait now that his patience stood at its limit.
"I propose we keep her for the sole purpose of letting her heal to her fullest. She can work as a servant to clean the wagons, feed the horses, mend our clothing: everything we're too slothful to do. Once she's recuperated, she can let us be, and leave."
It hadn't come from Meiling's tongue, but from the gypsy who had carried the girl back to Asa's healing tent that night. Evander was about to tell him off, but something ticked his brain.
"It would prove useful to have a helping hand…" He though aloud, "… however, we need to find out whether she'll truly be of use."
"Don't worry; I'll make sure of it." Meiling reassured. She had just gotten her wish granted, and wasn't going to spoil it away.
Evander took a long sigh and finally agreed. "Fine, but any mess coming from that… thing, and she's out!"
"Yes sir!" Meiling mocked, she was happy to have won the battle, with a little assistance, of course.
Once Evander was out of sight, she turned to the boy with a slanted eyebrow. "May I ask what interest you've found in her?"
He gave a slight shrug, "The same as yours, I guess."
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WORDS: Throughout the story you'll encounter names or words that have a true meaning in real life and were used accordingly here.
Tsuki: Japanese word for moon
Evander: English name meaning good man
Yorokobi: Japanese word for delightful
Asa: Hebrew name that comes from an arameic expression meaning "Healer".
HER NOTE: Yay! The first chapter is done! I thought it best to give in and write it together with the prologue, thus a more stuffed beginning. The whole world will be an invention, so don't get surprised if you find something out of place. Still, I'll try to make the most sense out of the whole story. My head's nowgotten until midway and by the time I'm in the middle of the story, I'm sure I'll have the end.
Well, I hope you truly enjoyed it and will stick around for the next chapters. Any progress will be recorded from now on in the livejournal I made.
Got any suggestions, comments or critics? Be sure to review! )
See you later! )