Chapter 9: Truth and Lies
Thursday night…RING…RING…
Sakura awoke from her daydreams and ran to the nearest phone. She snatched it off the hook and put it to her ear.
"Hello?" She queried.
"Hey Sakura." Sakura's father's voice replied.
"Hi Dad! When will you be home?"
"Very soon. How are you feeling? Your school called me saying that they excused you from school because you were tired and sick."
"I'm much better now." Sakura refrained from telling her father about her back.
"That's good. I was worried about you but I didn't want to call just in case you were resting."
"Well I'm feeling much better now. Shall I make anything for dinner?"
"Don't you remember? Were going to the art exhibit tonight and I was going to treat you all for dinner afterwards."
Sakura smacked herself mentally. How could I have forgotten?
"Oh right! I'll go get ready then. When will you be home?"
"What time is it now?"
Sakura looked around for a clock. She slid over to the kitchen and checked the time in the microwave.
"It's 4:50."
"Ok, I'll be home around 5:30. Touya is coming home with me. Make sure you're ready by the time we get home alright?"
"Hai! See you soon."
"Goodbye" Sakura hung up the phone and ran to her closet. What should I wear? Hmm… Sakura sifted through her closet. She probed deeper and deeper into her closet and picked something that caught her eye. She pulled out the green dress with the silver trim and set it out on her bed. She smoothed out the wrinkles and rubbed the soft fabric. She grabbed a pair of flat silver shoes and set them beside the dress. I think I'll wear this! Sakura grinned and stripped down. She slipped the dress onto her elegant body and smoothed the fabric against her dainty curves.
"Looks nice." Kero floated into the room with a box of cookies in his hands. He sat down on the bed and examined her, "Why the dress? Are you going somewhere?"
"Yeah. My father is taking Touya and I to an art exhibit and then taking us to dinner afterwards." Sakura smiled and began to brush her light brown hair.
"I see. Are you sure you're not going on some hot date?" Kero asked a little too seriously. Sakura stopped brushing her hair and gave Kero a stern look.
"No I'm not. I'm going to an art exhibit." Sakura repeated herself firmly. Kero shrugged his little shoulders and began to eat his cookies.
"Hey, could I go with you?" Kero asked between bites. Sakura looked at him with scepticism.
"Will you behave yourself?" Sakura asked with doubt.
"Yes! I'll stay in your purse and I won't do a thing! I just don't want to leave you alone with that psychotic magician lurking about." Kero ranted. Sakura rolled her eyes.
"Fine. Just don't embarrass me."
"Yes all powerful Mistress." Kero did an awkward phoney bow towards Sakura. She, in return, rolled her eyes and flicked him in the head. He tumbled sideways and Sakura sat down in Kero's former spot and stole a cookie.
"Hey! Those are my cookies!" Kero regained himself and dived onto Sakura, trying to pry the cookie from her hand. Sakura stuffed the cookie into her mouth and laughed. She was sure Tomoyo would have loved to catch this on tape.
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"We're home!" Touya's voice yelled from downstairs around 5:45 or so. Sakura came downstairs and greeted her family at the door.
"Hello!" Sakura smiled and grabbed her father's jacket and hung it in the closet. Touya walked by and dropped his jacket on Sakura's head.
"Hey!" Sakura stepped back and stomped on Touya's foot.
"Eaae!" Touya shrieked and held his foot in his hands. Sakura grinned with satisfaction. Fujitaka just smiled and went up the stairway. Touya followed right behind him after giving Sakura a very harmful stare. Sakura just smiled.
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After ten minutes, everyone loaded themselves into Fujitaka's car and they left for the art museum. As they drove up to the building, Sakura couldn't help but remember when she had sneaked into the art gallery to capture the Silent Card. What a troublesome card it was to capture! She chuckled softly.
Fujitaka pulled into the crowded parking lot and found a spot a decent walk away from the doors. Sakura was glad she picked a pair of flats to wear.
"You alright Kaijou? I heard you got sent home sick." Touya commented on their way through the parking lot.
"Yeah, I'm better now. I just needed a little rest." Sakura definitely didn't want to tell Touya about Syaoran. He already flipped when he heard that Syaoran was back. I wonder how he knew…
"Did that stuffed animal tag along?" Touya murmured to Sakura. She stared back with widened eyes.
"How do you know about him?" She asked. Touya rolled his eyes.
"Well put two and two together my super dense and naïve sister. My best friend is Yukito who is actually Yue. How would I not know about Kero?" Touya rolled his eyes. Sakura looked away and silently cursed at herself for being so stupid sometimes.
Sakura and her family entered the gallery. It was full of people who were all crowded around the main room examining the new pieces of art Kuriyama Kyoko had on display. They went to piece to piece, inspecting the fine brush strokes, the definite details and the gorgeous picture those two aspects created. After seeing almost all of them, Sakura's favourite was a picture of a young girl and boy in traditional clothing, standing hand in hand on a viewing bridge.
Finally, they went to the final piece of art; the most anticipated piece called 'Emerald Eyed Angel'. Kyoko raved on how she thought she saw this angel in her dreams but knew she was real somehow. Everyone was crowded around the popular piece so Sakura and her family waited patiently to see it. At last, a couple of people left the painting and walked away. A woman who was walking with a man pointed to Sakura who stared and nodded. Sakura felt somewhat uncomfortable and looked away. Touya cleared a little bit of room for his smaller sibling and squeezed her in so she could see the picture. He looked up and was startled.
Sakura peeked through two people's shoulders and almost fell over when she saw the painting. It was a painting of a teenage girl with stunning green eyes and angelic wings sprouting from her back. In her right hand you could see that she was holding a pink stick. Sakura stared aghast. That…That's me!
Touya grabbed her upper arm and glared at her angrily.
"What is this?" He growled softly, motioning to the picture.
"I don't know!" Sakura whispered back feeling overwhelmed. She slid out of the crowd and was followed by her brother.
"No wonder everyone has been staring at you. You've got to get out of here." Touya began to lead her away.
"Attention everyone. I am honoured to introduce the phenomenal artist and the fairest lady I have ever seen, Kuriyama Kyoto!" Everyone's head turned to the speaker who stood on an elevated platform. He smiled and gave up his spot to a beautiful, exotic looking young woman who looked terribly familiar to Sakura. And then it hit her.
That was the woman I saved from the mist on that cliff! HOE! Sakura tried to escape but mobs of people began crowding around the stage and trapped Sakura. She and her brother had no choice but to wait until after the crowd dissipated a little to escape.
"Welcome my friends to my art presentation." There was a long lapse of claps before Kuriyama Kyoto could begin again, "Thank you. Today you have witnessed the debut of my prized piece 'Emerald Eyed Angel'. I would love to tell you all personally why I painted this piece. I was taking a midnight stroll like I often do when something grabbed my ankle. It pulled me off the cliff and I held onto a root praying that someone would hear my scream and someone would come save me. My prayers were answered when a beautiful young angel with emerald eyes and glorious wings on her back came to me and lifted me to safety. I felt so blessed to be saved by someone so fair that I painted that piece for her as a gift for my thankfulness." The crowd stood with awed expressions. Sakura wanted to sink into the ground.
Kuriyama Kyoto finished her speech and left the stage, basking in applause and glory. Sakura took her chance and ran outside. Kero popped out of her purse and frowned.
"That is not very fortunate now is it." Kero muttered, landing on Sakura's shoulder as she sat down on a bench.
"Hoe…How am I going to explain this?"
"Yeah. I'd like to know." Touya's voice snapped. Sakura turned her head towards him and looked away in shame.
"I saved her Wednesday of last week. I didn't know who she was." Sakura mumbled. Touya sighed.
"We better get going. Is he with you?" Touya asked.
"You mean me?" Kero queried, popping out from behind Sakura's shoulder.
"Yeah. Sakura, go to the car and I'll get Father." Touya turned around and went back into the gallery. Sakura started towards the car sadly. She didn't want to ruin the night for her father but she had no choice.
A few minutes after, Touya and Fujitaka walked to the car and got in. They drove home in silence and when they were home Sakura and Touya went to go upstairs.
"Not so fast." Fujitaka said. Sakura and Touya both turned and stared at their father, "I'd like to know a few things before you two go anywhere." Touya and Sakura exchanged defeated glances. They were going to have to tell him everything.
"So tell me, from the very beginning, what has happened behind my back?" Fujitaka sat on a chair across from Touya and Sakura who were sitting on the couch, looking abash.
"Well…I" Sakura began. Fujitaka raised his eyebrows in a harsh arch.
"It all began with that book that you couldn't open down in the basement when I was nine. I opened it and released all the Cards that were inside. They were called Clow Cards."
"You mean Clow Reed? The magician written in legends?" Fujitaka questioned.
"Yes. He created 53 Cards and I let 51 escape."
"Where were the other two?"
"I had one in my hands and the other was never put into the book but I'll get to that. Remember the lion on the front of the book?" Fujitaka nodded, "Well that lion came to life but in a much different form. He dubbed me a Card Captor and my task was to capture all the cards that I released into the world." Fujitaka just stared. Sakura was starting to feel a little uncomfortable, "Soon I captured all the Cards with the help of Syaoran," Touya grunted noisily, "And I faced the final judgement with the Moon Guardian who is like the lion on the front. Cerberus and Yue. Anyway, I won against Yue and was chosen as the Mistress of the Clow. I changed the Cards into Sakura Cards and finally captured the very last Card during the summer of grade 6." Fujitaka looked a little confused.
"Do you have magical powers too?" He addressed Touya.
"I did until I gave them to Yukito and saved his life." Touya replied.
"Yukito?"
"Yukito is Yue. They are two different beings in the same body." Touya explained.
"What?" Fujitaka just stared at his two children, unable to speak. The only thing that ran through his mind was the fact that he had been oblivious to it all this time.
"I'm sorry I never told you Father but I-" Fujitaka cut Sakura off.
"No. It's all right. I think I understand." Fujitaka looked away. Kero slipped out of Sakura's purse and flew up to her shoulder.
"Does that mean I get to roam around the house now?" Kero asked. Fujitaka stared at him with the utmost shock.
"Umm…" He managed to mutter.
"Yeah I'm Cerberus. Just call my Kero." Kero did a little spin in the air and sat down on Sakura's leg. Fujitaka just stared, trying to take it all in. He shook his head very slowly and got up.
"I think…I think I'm going to go to bed." He got up and retreated upstairs. Touya and Sakura exchanged glances.
"I suppose his reaction could have been worse." Sakura remarked playing with her hair.
"I'm going to bed. Hopefully he will be a little less distant in the morning." Touya got up and smiled at his younger sister, "Good night."
"Good night." Sakura smiled and watched his disappear up the stairs. She turned to Kero and sighed. My poor father. He must feel so misled, thinking that his children were normal. And normal we are not, definitely not. We're stuck in something we may not be able to pull ourselves out of. This mysterious magician has tried to harm me and I'm sure it won't be the last time. And now our only tactics that we can use are blunt skill and chaste hope…if they are there for us to use at all.
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Thank you! I got more reviews than I wished for and I am ecstatic! Thank you lil wolf lover, Boheme, Rikku-Tasuki, skye668, CCS FOREVER and TamoumatheStarWarrior! I love you guys sooo much! I'm so glad that i'm finally getting some feedback from readers! You don't know how happy this makes me!
On another note, this chapter was like yawnsville because it was the chapter to tie up the incident that happened in Chapter 1. And plus our favourite Fujitaka gets an eyeful on what his lovely children have been up to.
I'm looking for a minimum of 5 reviews this time! I would love it if you would give me some feedback because I love it so and it fuels me to write even faster, knowing that I have people who enjoy my writing! Fluff and kisses!
