MT: Guten Tag mein Freund! Wie Gehts? Ich bin gut... gerade eine
Sekunde...*pauses to listen to someone* *pauses again*...heh heh...really?
Well, I guess I should start to speak in normal English then...*turns to
readers*...sorry 'bout that. My friend just informed me that you guys don't
speak the German language...sorry...I guess it just kinda slipped out cause
I was working on my language skills...Gomen! Hoe?...oh...right...heh
heh...gomen means sorry for those of you who don't know, and hoe is just a
general exclamation... Anyway...ON WITH THE FIC!
The Golden Rose By: Mystress Tate
Chapter Three: The Clow Cards...
Sakura knew where she was the instant she fell asleep. And yet...and yet, she was lost, though she wasn't about to admit it. She was stubborn enough to think that she could handle anything on her own, though there were those who would disagree on that point, though she was utterly unaware of that fact. She was jerked from her reverie by a sound in the bushes, at which she immediately spun and faced the opposite direction. An ethereal mist floated around her, coming from nowhere, forming faces here and there...faces from her memory, sent to scare her, or so she thought. However, her fears were remedied when she saw it was Xiao Lang, who she now knew was Prince Syaoran. She gazed at him fondly, her smile brightening the entire grove, but her smile curved into a frown when she saw a confused look upon his face. He looked lost. She decided to try and help him orient himself.
"Syaoran! Xiao Lang!"
At the sound of her voice, Syaoran's gaze turned towards her, warily taking in who it was until he saw her face, and the stern look that was always worn on his face turned to half-smile.
"Why hello there, my dear. How are you this fine morning?" Syaoran smiled at seeing the shocked look on her face. 'She obviously is unaware that we are truly connected through our minds and that she can talk to me as if it were a meeting on Earth instead of this unearthly conjecture of minds she has thought of as a dream before this day, and that she believes cannot bear communication.' He spoke again, seeing that she showed no signs of continuing the conversation due to shock. "I need not tell you my name because it is obvious you already know it...both of them for that matter. However, I am ashamed to say I do not know yours. Would you do me the honour, sweet angel, of telling me what you are callèd?"
At this flattery, a blush rose to Sakura's pale cheeks. "Y-y-yes, m- my lord. M-my n-name is Sakura. Avalon Sakura."
"Avalon? You are not Kinomoto Sakura?" At this, Sakura jumped in shock. That name...it sounded so familiar...but she could not think from where.
"I...I..." She stammered, having difficulty remembering and comprehending why that name seemed so fitting to her. "I...I don't know, sire! I really couldn't say. I remember not a thing from before my eleventh year...it is just a fog...my parents..." Here she paused, truly unsure of why she did so. 'M-my parents? Could it be that when my mother said those words in the cellar, she truly meant them? That I had come there? If so, where from? I have never known another home, and I truly don't know if I would be willing to leave the life I have now with my family and friends to live with a family that are, to me in any case though it may not be so for them, strangers? How can that be expected of me...but wait. I know not if these are anything more than speculations that are only supported by circumstantial evidence. But if so, then why...' A hand cupping her chin and turning it to face his broke off her train of thought. Sakura looked up, only to be caught by Xiao Lang's ethereal amber eyes. She thought, though her mind was a fog, 'I wonder why he did that...'
Syaoran was unaware of the reasoning behind his actions...he only knew that it was important that he talk to the young lady before him that so closely resembled the girl he knew from so long ago. "Are you alright? You look worried." Now it was Syaoran's turn to look worried. He let go of her chin, only to have her look away, bright red with embarrassment.
"I...I..." Xiao Lang stopped her once again with a hand under her chin, turning her face to meet his, and a single finger on her lips. The slight pressure made her blush furiously and try to turn her head away, but was held in place by Syaoran's firm grip and his captivating gaze.
"Shh..." he whispered softly, the words coming out from between his lips like a spring breeze after a storm. He put his middle and index fingers on her temples and closed his eyes in concentration. He remained that way for several minutes. All the while, Sakura looked at him with a look of bewilderment upon her face. Finally he opened his eyes and looked at Sakura. "Don't talk, and don't worry. I understand that you are frightened and confused, but you must hear me out, alright? Sakura hesitated, but soon nodded her head affirmatively. "Good. Now, I must tell you a story of a young girl and a young boy..."
~***~Flashback~***~ "Oi! Come back! Come back here! I only want to give you your birthday present!" A young girl put on a burst of speed and finally caught the young boy with amber eyes just in front of the fountain. Unfortunately, her momentum kept them going and they fell into the fountain. The girl wiped her wet hair auburn hair away from her emerald eyes, and looked down at the boy trapped underneath her. She gasped, "Oh, gomen! Gomen nasai! Daijoubu? Daijoubu desu ka?"
The boy just glared at her, but upon seeing her face, his gaze softened. "Iie, I'm not hurt. I'm alright."
"Really? Really turly?" Her emerald eyes caught his as she beamed down at him expectantly.
"Hai, hai, and it's truly, not turly..." She flushed, not enjoying being corrected, even if it was by him...her thoughts were interrupted by a rather rude, "Oi! Are you still in there? I asked you a question! Hellooooo?"
If it was possible, Sakura then blushed an even deeper shade of red. "H-h-hai. Gomen for not replying right away. I was just...a little preoccupied, I guess..."
Though his face remained straight, his amber eyes smiled at her from their depths as he began to speak, making her blush yet again. "I asked you if you would mind getting off of me now...I'm getting kinda cold here..."
Immediately, the girl jumped up, but tripped over her sodden dress and fell backwards, but instead of hitting marble, she was caught around the waist by a strong pair of arms. She looked back, only to have captivating amber meet shining emerald. "Oh, gomen, gomen, gomen!" She tore her eyes away from his, and tried to stand up, only to slip again into his arms. "I'm such a klutz," she muttered softly to herself, straightening, and this time, succeeding. But she was caught off guard when a soft voice spoke into her ear, causing her to fall backwards once more.
"No. You are the spitting image of grace and beauty. You're just off balance in the water with that outfit on. Trust me. Let me help you. Onegai?"
"H-hai. Arigatou..."
~***~End of Flashback~***~ "The two of them proceeded to become very good friends, and when they reached the age of 10, because they were royalty, they were engaged. The little boy's name was Li Syaoran or Xiao Lang, as his family called him, and..." He was cut off by a very energetic and seemingly worried Sakura.
"Hold on a minute. That boy...that boy...he was you?"
"Hai, Sakura-chan. That was me. And I believe that the little girl I was with at the time...I think she was you. I think that you...you are Kinomoto Sakura, my fiancée, who disappeared all those years ago..." He paused, looking at her face to see how she would react.
Sakura was shocked. "M-m-me? B-but...how can that be? It can't be me! I'm not...not...I mean, I can't be! Royalty! Me? I'm just a peasant girl who lives on the market block of town..." Her protests became less vehement as she became less sure of herself. "...aren't I?" At this, she burst into tears, and pulled her knees up to her chest.
Syaoran, who had been watching her the entire time, thought it might be a good time to step in. "Shhh...it's okay...you're alright...just go ahead and cry, I'll be right here for you..." he murmured encouragingly in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. "Everything will be fine...really, it will...please, stop crying...I can't bear to see you cry..." He hesitated before speaking again. "...my love..."
Sakura's head jerked up, hitting Syaoran's jaw in the process. 'Itai...' she thought to herself, before noticing Xiao Lang rubbing his jaw tenderly. "Hoe...!" she said quietly to herself as she crawled over to help him, but soon noticed she wasn't getting anywhere. She looked around to see what was causing the problem, and noticed that the mist was returning. "Hoe! Iie! Iie! Syaoran!" she yelled and, before the ground disappeared, Syaoran replied.
"Don't fret, Ying Fa. I will send you your guardian and a little something else to help you out with the trials to come. Farewell, until we dream again!" and with that, she floated away to her room...
~***~Sakura's bedroom~***~ Sakura awoke to a voice with an Osaka accent, and a slight pressure on her nose. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Sakura-sama. How are you this morning?" Sakura's eyes flew open, and she screamed at seeing a flying, talking stuffed bear patting her nose. "Sakura-sama! Are you alright?" The bear looked quite comical with a fretful expression on it's face, and Sakura could help but laugh. "Nani? What are you laughing at Sakura-sama?" When she heard this, she stopped laughing and sat up, knocking the bear backwards onto the bed.
"Oh, sorry. Eto...ano...I'm going to ask you a few questions. First, what's your name? Second, why do you keep calling me Sakura-sama? Third, what are you and are you the guardian Xiao Lang was talking about? If not, why are you here? Fourth..." A fuzzy paw over her mouth cut her off.
"Slow down! One question at a time! Now, the answers to your previously asked questions are as follows. My name is Keroberos. I add -sama to your name because you are my mistress. And yes, Prince Xiao Lang sent me here, but he certainly didn't tell me you would know who sent me or that you would know that I would be coming. Now, what's your fourth question?"
Sakura sat speechless for a moment, processing the information that had just been fed to her. "Hoe?" was all she could muster for the time being. Fortunately, Keroberos could be patient for his master or mistress, and simply repeated his question.
"I asked you what the fourth question you were going to ask was?" Sakura just stared blankly at the politely waiting Keroberos, before shaking her head and responding.
"Eto...oh yeah! I have two more questions...well, actually, three. You didn't answer the question 'what are you?', also, what is the 'little something else' Xiao Lang mentioned, eto...that is, if you know. The last question is...ano...can I call you Kero...for short? It would be much easier for me..."
"Well, of course! You don't even have to ask. You can call me anything you want, as long as it's not 'stuffed animal'. To respond to your other questions, I am the guardian beast of the Clow cards...well, actually, they're now the Sakura cards, but that's beside the point...where was I? Oh, right. Anyway, this is only my false form, but without a Master or Mistress of the Cards, I cannot return to my true form. Master Xiao Lang thought you were Kinomoto Sakura, my mistress, and the Mistress of the Cards, but he couldn't be sure, so he sent me to check. Here is the Sakura book..." A pink book with the word 'Sakura' engraved in gold lettering on the top and a picture of a large star inside a circle along with a sun and moon appeared at her side, floating in midair. "...and this is the Sakura key, which transforms into your staff if you are truly the Mistress of the Cards..." A key appeared directly in front of her. It consisted of a pink circle with a gold star inside, and tiny white wings on either side. When Kero saw Sakura's hesitation, he urged her, "Go on; take them."
At Kero's encouragement, Sakura took the key in her palm, and was shocked when there was a bright flash of light. When she opened her eyes, instead of her key, she was holding a staff with the same design as the key at the top, and a pink handle. Glowing pink cards were circling around her and Kero, and this was the setting of the room when Meilin walked into the room to get Sakura.
Meilin gasped, "S-S-Sakura?! Th-those cards...those are...the C-Clow cards..."
MT: Hee hee! Sorry, I just couldn't help myself! I had to leave it there. I hope you don't mind. I promise that I will get the next chapter out soon, but only if I get at least 5 reviews! And I mean it! So review!
Kero: Yeah, or she said she'd cut me out of the story! *turns and sobs in corner while eating a pudding cup*
MT: That's right! I did! So, if you want there to be more kawaii and funny Kero moments, please, please, please! Review!
Syaoran: Or she really truly WON'T update. She's really serious about this. Also, she threatened to never let me find Sakura!
MT: Did I really? Well, obviously, or Syaoran wouldn't have said it. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I hope you have the kindness to write a review, even if it's only a few words...it let's me know I'm loved. Thankies!
Syaoran: From all of us here at Mystress Tate's studio, review, and ja ne!
The Golden Rose By: Mystress Tate
Chapter Three: The Clow Cards...
Sakura knew where she was the instant she fell asleep. And yet...and yet, she was lost, though she wasn't about to admit it. She was stubborn enough to think that she could handle anything on her own, though there were those who would disagree on that point, though she was utterly unaware of that fact. She was jerked from her reverie by a sound in the bushes, at which she immediately spun and faced the opposite direction. An ethereal mist floated around her, coming from nowhere, forming faces here and there...faces from her memory, sent to scare her, or so she thought. However, her fears were remedied when she saw it was Xiao Lang, who she now knew was Prince Syaoran. She gazed at him fondly, her smile brightening the entire grove, but her smile curved into a frown when she saw a confused look upon his face. He looked lost. She decided to try and help him orient himself.
"Syaoran! Xiao Lang!"
At the sound of her voice, Syaoran's gaze turned towards her, warily taking in who it was until he saw her face, and the stern look that was always worn on his face turned to half-smile.
"Why hello there, my dear. How are you this fine morning?" Syaoran smiled at seeing the shocked look on her face. 'She obviously is unaware that we are truly connected through our minds and that she can talk to me as if it were a meeting on Earth instead of this unearthly conjecture of minds she has thought of as a dream before this day, and that she believes cannot bear communication.' He spoke again, seeing that she showed no signs of continuing the conversation due to shock. "I need not tell you my name because it is obvious you already know it...both of them for that matter. However, I am ashamed to say I do not know yours. Would you do me the honour, sweet angel, of telling me what you are callèd?"
At this flattery, a blush rose to Sakura's pale cheeks. "Y-y-yes, m- my lord. M-my n-name is Sakura. Avalon Sakura."
"Avalon? You are not Kinomoto Sakura?" At this, Sakura jumped in shock. That name...it sounded so familiar...but she could not think from where.
"I...I..." She stammered, having difficulty remembering and comprehending why that name seemed so fitting to her. "I...I don't know, sire! I really couldn't say. I remember not a thing from before my eleventh year...it is just a fog...my parents..." Here she paused, truly unsure of why she did so. 'M-my parents? Could it be that when my mother said those words in the cellar, she truly meant them? That I had come there? If so, where from? I have never known another home, and I truly don't know if I would be willing to leave the life I have now with my family and friends to live with a family that are, to me in any case though it may not be so for them, strangers? How can that be expected of me...but wait. I know not if these are anything more than speculations that are only supported by circumstantial evidence. But if so, then why...' A hand cupping her chin and turning it to face his broke off her train of thought. Sakura looked up, only to be caught by Xiao Lang's ethereal amber eyes. She thought, though her mind was a fog, 'I wonder why he did that...'
Syaoran was unaware of the reasoning behind his actions...he only knew that it was important that he talk to the young lady before him that so closely resembled the girl he knew from so long ago. "Are you alright? You look worried." Now it was Syaoran's turn to look worried. He let go of her chin, only to have her look away, bright red with embarrassment.
"I...I..." Xiao Lang stopped her once again with a hand under her chin, turning her face to meet his, and a single finger on her lips. The slight pressure made her blush furiously and try to turn her head away, but was held in place by Syaoran's firm grip and his captivating gaze.
"Shh..." he whispered softly, the words coming out from between his lips like a spring breeze after a storm. He put his middle and index fingers on her temples and closed his eyes in concentration. He remained that way for several minutes. All the while, Sakura looked at him with a look of bewilderment upon her face. Finally he opened his eyes and looked at Sakura. "Don't talk, and don't worry. I understand that you are frightened and confused, but you must hear me out, alright? Sakura hesitated, but soon nodded her head affirmatively. "Good. Now, I must tell you a story of a young girl and a young boy..."
~***~Flashback~***~ "Oi! Come back! Come back here! I only want to give you your birthday present!" A young girl put on a burst of speed and finally caught the young boy with amber eyes just in front of the fountain. Unfortunately, her momentum kept them going and they fell into the fountain. The girl wiped her wet hair auburn hair away from her emerald eyes, and looked down at the boy trapped underneath her. She gasped, "Oh, gomen! Gomen nasai! Daijoubu? Daijoubu desu ka?"
The boy just glared at her, but upon seeing her face, his gaze softened. "Iie, I'm not hurt. I'm alright."
"Really? Really turly?" Her emerald eyes caught his as she beamed down at him expectantly.
"Hai, hai, and it's truly, not turly..." She flushed, not enjoying being corrected, even if it was by him...her thoughts were interrupted by a rather rude, "Oi! Are you still in there? I asked you a question! Hellooooo?"
If it was possible, Sakura then blushed an even deeper shade of red. "H-h-hai. Gomen for not replying right away. I was just...a little preoccupied, I guess..."
Though his face remained straight, his amber eyes smiled at her from their depths as he began to speak, making her blush yet again. "I asked you if you would mind getting off of me now...I'm getting kinda cold here..."
Immediately, the girl jumped up, but tripped over her sodden dress and fell backwards, but instead of hitting marble, she was caught around the waist by a strong pair of arms. She looked back, only to have captivating amber meet shining emerald. "Oh, gomen, gomen, gomen!" She tore her eyes away from his, and tried to stand up, only to slip again into his arms. "I'm such a klutz," she muttered softly to herself, straightening, and this time, succeeding. But she was caught off guard when a soft voice spoke into her ear, causing her to fall backwards once more.
"No. You are the spitting image of grace and beauty. You're just off balance in the water with that outfit on. Trust me. Let me help you. Onegai?"
"H-hai. Arigatou..."
~***~End of Flashback~***~ "The two of them proceeded to become very good friends, and when they reached the age of 10, because they were royalty, they were engaged. The little boy's name was Li Syaoran or Xiao Lang, as his family called him, and..." He was cut off by a very energetic and seemingly worried Sakura.
"Hold on a minute. That boy...that boy...he was you?"
"Hai, Sakura-chan. That was me. And I believe that the little girl I was with at the time...I think she was you. I think that you...you are Kinomoto Sakura, my fiancée, who disappeared all those years ago..." He paused, looking at her face to see how she would react.
Sakura was shocked. "M-m-me? B-but...how can that be? It can't be me! I'm not...not...I mean, I can't be! Royalty! Me? I'm just a peasant girl who lives on the market block of town..." Her protests became less vehement as she became less sure of herself. "...aren't I?" At this, she burst into tears, and pulled her knees up to her chest.
Syaoran, who had been watching her the entire time, thought it might be a good time to step in. "Shhh...it's okay...you're alright...just go ahead and cry, I'll be right here for you..." he murmured encouragingly in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. "Everything will be fine...really, it will...please, stop crying...I can't bear to see you cry..." He hesitated before speaking again. "...my love..."
Sakura's head jerked up, hitting Syaoran's jaw in the process. 'Itai...' she thought to herself, before noticing Xiao Lang rubbing his jaw tenderly. "Hoe...!" she said quietly to herself as she crawled over to help him, but soon noticed she wasn't getting anywhere. She looked around to see what was causing the problem, and noticed that the mist was returning. "Hoe! Iie! Iie! Syaoran!" she yelled and, before the ground disappeared, Syaoran replied.
"Don't fret, Ying Fa. I will send you your guardian and a little something else to help you out with the trials to come. Farewell, until we dream again!" and with that, she floated away to her room...
~***~Sakura's bedroom~***~ Sakura awoke to a voice with an Osaka accent, and a slight pressure on her nose. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Sakura-sama. How are you this morning?" Sakura's eyes flew open, and she screamed at seeing a flying, talking stuffed bear patting her nose. "Sakura-sama! Are you alright?" The bear looked quite comical with a fretful expression on it's face, and Sakura could help but laugh. "Nani? What are you laughing at Sakura-sama?" When she heard this, she stopped laughing and sat up, knocking the bear backwards onto the bed.
"Oh, sorry. Eto...ano...I'm going to ask you a few questions. First, what's your name? Second, why do you keep calling me Sakura-sama? Third, what are you and are you the guardian Xiao Lang was talking about? If not, why are you here? Fourth..." A fuzzy paw over her mouth cut her off.
"Slow down! One question at a time! Now, the answers to your previously asked questions are as follows. My name is Keroberos. I add -sama to your name because you are my mistress. And yes, Prince Xiao Lang sent me here, but he certainly didn't tell me you would know who sent me or that you would know that I would be coming. Now, what's your fourth question?"
Sakura sat speechless for a moment, processing the information that had just been fed to her. "Hoe?" was all she could muster for the time being. Fortunately, Keroberos could be patient for his master or mistress, and simply repeated his question.
"I asked you what the fourth question you were going to ask was?" Sakura just stared blankly at the politely waiting Keroberos, before shaking her head and responding.
"Eto...oh yeah! I have two more questions...well, actually, three. You didn't answer the question 'what are you?', also, what is the 'little something else' Xiao Lang mentioned, eto...that is, if you know. The last question is...ano...can I call you Kero...for short? It would be much easier for me..."
"Well, of course! You don't even have to ask. You can call me anything you want, as long as it's not 'stuffed animal'. To respond to your other questions, I am the guardian beast of the Clow cards...well, actually, they're now the Sakura cards, but that's beside the point...where was I? Oh, right. Anyway, this is only my false form, but without a Master or Mistress of the Cards, I cannot return to my true form. Master Xiao Lang thought you were Kinomoto Sakura, my mistress, and the Mistress of the Cards, but he couldn't be sure, so he sent me to check. Here is the Sakura book..." A pink book with the word 'Sakura' engraved in gold lettering on the top and a picture of a large star inside a circle along with a sun and moon appeared at her side, floating in midair. "...and this is the Sakura key, which transforms into your staff if you are truly the Mistress of the Cards..." A key appeared directly in front of her. It consisted of a pink circle with a gold star inside, and tiny white wings on either side. When Kero saw Sakura's hesitation, he urged her, "Go on; take them."
At Kero's encouragement, Sakura took the key in her palm, and was shocked when there was a bright flash of light. When she opened her eyes, instead of her key, she was holding a staff with the same design as the key at the top, and a pink handle. Glowing pink cards were circling around her and Kero, and this was the setting of the room when Meilin walked into the room to get Sakura.
Meilin gasped, "S-S-Sakura?! Th-those cards...those are...the C-Clow cards..."
MT: Hee hee! Sorry, I just couldn't help myself! I had to leave it there. I hope you don't mind. I promise that I will get the next chapter out soon, but only if I get at least 5 reviews! And I mean it! So review!
Kero: Yeah, or she said she'd cut me out of the story! *turns and sobs in corner while eating a pudding cup*
MT: That's right! I did! So, if you want there to be more kawaii and funny Kero moments, please, please, please! Review!
Syaoran: Or she really truly WON'T update. She's really serious about this. Also, she threatened to never let me find Sakura!
MT: Did I really? Well, obviously, or Syaoran wouldn't have said it. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I hope you have the kindness to write a review, even if it's only a few words...it let's me know I'm loved. Thankies!
Syaoran: From all of us here at Mystress Tate's studio, review, and ja ne!