The Magitech War
A CCS Fanfic
by SyaoranSword
Notes: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Someone actually liked the fact that I made Syaoran faint. Poor guy, anyone else who had that kind of a day would also collapse. This chapter is a little longer than usual because of all the background info I need to give. I do hope no one falls asleep while reading this ~_~'.
~~~ (place) ~~~ = scene change
" " = dialogue
= flashback
[ ] = thoughts
( ) = commentary by me
Chapter 5: Three Kingdoms, Three Empty Thrones
~~~ Hurdonia Castle ~~~
A phone rang in an office and a person hidden in shadow pushed a button. "Yes, what is it?"
The face of a man with a silver visor appeared on the screen. "The girl is awake, sir."
"Excellent. I am on my way."
The person hung up the videophone and opened the doors to leave. The fluorescent bulbs that lighted the blue hallway illuminated the man just entering from his office. He wore a very neat uniform with a hat that rested on his head. The hat completely covered his blonde buzz cut. His black knee-length boots caused the sound of his steps to echo through the empty hall. He reached the end of the hall, pushed a button, and a door opened. He stepped inside the chamber and said, "Third floor."
The room moved downward as a feminine computerized voice responded, "Voice match confirmed. Welcome General Havoc."
The man popped a vein. "Can't you get it right for once? It's Haddock! General Haddock!"
"Name correction recorded. Welcome General Havoc."
The general face-faulted. "Why do I even bother?"
The elevator came to a halt. "Third floor, prisoner level."
The doors opened and Haddock proceeded down another blue hallway. He stopped a few feet in front of a door with three guards stationed in front of it. The one with the silver visor said, "The girl is in here, sir." He punched in a code and the door slid open. Sitting on the bed and with a fearful look in her eyes was Tomoyo.
"Thank you Captain." Haddock said as he entered the cell. "Leave us. I will signal you when I wish to leave."
"As you wish, sir." The three guards walked off as the door shut behind Haddock.
"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." Haddock sat on the bed opposite Tomoyo and took off his hat.
"Who are you? What is this place?"
"I am General Haddock, supreme commander of the army of Hurdonia. You are currently in a prison cell in Hurdonia Castle. My men found you unconscious, and only as a precaution, I am speaking with you here to see if you can be trusted. If I may ask, what is your name young lady?"
Tomoyo was still fearful. She stared into the general's ice-blue eyes. [Something about those eyes really scares me.] "It's Tomoyo Daidouji…" she hesitated. "Sir."
[What a peculiar name.] "There is no need for that. Only my subordinates should call me sir. I only have a few questions to ask. If you answer them satisfactorily, I will let you be on your way." Tomoyo nodded. "This might sound like a strange question Miss Daidouji, but… how do you feel about war?"
Tomoyo was taken aback by that question. She composed herself and answered, "War is a terrible thing. People fighting and killing each other… it's just too horrible to think about."
"Yes, indeed. Unfortunately, being a general I have to consider it everyday. Next question, do you have friends?"
"I have a lot of friends. Sakura is my best friend. She is always so kawaii, even more so when Syaoran is around. And then there's-"
"HOLD IT!!" Haddock cut Tomoyo off. "CAPTAIN, OPEN THE DOOR! NOW!!!" The door slid open revealing the three guards with their guns pointing towards Tomoyo. The general ran past them and gave the order. "STUN HER!" The captain pushed a button on his gun. A blue beam was fired and hit Tomoyo in the chest. She collapsed back onto her bed. "Good work Captain." Haddock retrieved his hat and stood outside the door. "Take her to the Training Room, and wait for my instructions."
"Yes sir!" The three guards carried Tomoyo and took her back to the elevator.
Haddock closed the cell door. [The prince and the princess have been gone for two years. How does this girl know both of them on a first name basis? (I know Tomoyo doesn't greet Li by his actual name, but assume she does for this fic.) There is more to her than meets the eye.] The general started to walk towards the elevator. [So she doesn't like war, does she? Maybe I can change her mind about that…]
~~~ Adelphi Castle ~~~
"Fly, return!" The wings disappeared from Sakura's back. She and her escorts had landed in front of the castle proper. It stood on an island in the center of a pristine lake. The water was tinted orange because of the setting sun. They entered the castle and were greeted by many servants who hastily bowed upon seeing Sakura.
One of the guards shouted, "Inform Lord Magus that the princess has returned." All of the servants immediately dispersed. The two guards then bowed to Sakura and said, "We must depart, your majesty, for our duty is to keep the peace in the town. It has been an honor to escort you."
They left, and Sakura was left all alone in the large hall with the empty pork bun bag in her hand. She couldn't believe she stuffed down those 12 pork buns so quickly. "I'm eating like Yukito today. This is really strange. Everyone thinks I'm a princess. Why?"
"Because you look just like her," a voice behind her said.
Sakura quickly turned around. "HOEEE! Who are you?"
She was really frightened by the way the man standing there looked. The most striking features were his shoulder-length blue hair, his pale skin, and a nasty-looking scythe he held in his right hand. (Before I get sued, disclaimer Magus is from Chrono Trigger, which was produced by the great folks at Square. /disclaimer) "I am sorry if I scared you. I'm sure my appearance doesn't help to calm you. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Magus, royal advisor of the court of Adelphi." He bowed to Sakura. Magus rose and looked Sakura over from head to toe. "What is your name, miss?"
"It's Sakura. Sakura Kinomoto."
A faint smile crossed Magus' face. "Astonishing." He beckoned for Sakura to follow him. "Come, I have something to show you." They walked into another room. A large painting hung on the wall, and a mirror hung next to it. "This is a painting of the princess done two years ago. Stand in front of the mirror, and look at the painting. Tell me what you see."
Sakura did as Magus said. She gasped at what she saw. "That girl in the painting… she's me!"
"Yes, now you know why everyone thinks you are royalty. You even have the same first name as her."
"You mean the princess' name is Sakura too?!" Magus nodded.
Sakura stared back at her reflection and the painting, taking in the eerie similarities. [We have the same eyes, the same hairstyle, the same…] Sakura gasped again and looked down around her neck. "The same necklace!"
"That necklace is a royal heirloom given to the princess on her 10th birthday. It is known as the 'Star of Adelphi'. I was very surprised when I saw you wearing it, but I was even more surprised by your eyes. I always thought that there was only one pair of eyes in the world that could shine like that. I guess I was wrong."
"But how did you know I wasn't really the princess?"
"It's because I've personally hidden her."
"But why?"
"For her own safety and for the sake of the Alliance."
"The Alliance?"
Magus sighed. "Sit down. This will be a long story."
(There are no quotations, but this is all Magus talking.)
The Magitech Alliance is the name given to the three kingdoms of Adelphi, Hurdonia, and Kazu. About 500 years ago, the Demon Warlords waged war against the kingdoms. The Magitech Alliance was formed to defend against and eventually destroy the Warlords. Seeing the benefit of sharing magic and technology, the Alliance continues to exist to this day, promoting peace and a prosperous society.
However, two years ago, a tragedy happened. As agreed by the kingdoms, the Alliance would be dissolved so that the three kingdoms would become one nation, the Magitech nation. History should have recorded that day as the greatest event in Midos. It would end up as its darkest day ever. We received news that our king and queen had been slain, and that the rulers of Kazu and Hurdonia suffered the same fate. The princess had stayed to watch over the kingdom while her parents left. She was devastated when I told her what had happened. The princess cried for nearly a week, refusing to come out of her room, refusing to eat. She was just inconsolable.
One night, something unusual happened. The princess ran away from the castle. We ran an all-night search for her. The princess was found unconscious and without her necklace in a forest very close to Kazu castle. We nursed her back to health, but she had lost all memory of who she was. I sadly made the determination that she was not fit to rule Adelphi.
Even more unfortunate were the situations Kazu and Hurdonia were in. The only heir of Kazu had mysteriously disappeared, and Hurdonia didn't even have a successor. Rumors of conspiracy spread like wildfire and all three kingdoms took up arms for war. Fortunately, for Midos' sake, the people had no experience and no desire to fight. A cease-fire was agreed to just two weeks after the war started. The people worked hard together to get things back to the way they were, and somehow a tenuous peace had miraculously returned. However, the three thrones of Midos remained empty.
I appointed a guardian for the princess. He is a noble young man who loves the princess just as a brother would love his little sister. She still lives with him in a secluded location. It has been two years since, and sadly she has made no progress. I'm starting to doubt whether she will ever remember who she really is.
(end of the really long background story)
Sakura had tears in her eyes. "That's so sad. I wish I could help in someway."
Magus stroked his chin. "Maybe you can. The Magitech War is technically still going on, since the kingdoms agreed only to a cease-fire. Perhaps the presence of the princess can finally end it for good."
"Hoe? I thought you said the princess couldn't be the leader of Adelphi."
"Only a select few know that. The public still thinks the princess is missing. The Alliance will celebrate its 500th anniversary in one week. There is a summit meeting that falls on that date as well. If the people see that the princess of Adelphi has been restored, then maybe this whole notion of war will be wiped clean away."
"But you still haven't told me how the princess will be at the meeting."
"The princess won't actually be there. Someone that just looks like the princess will fill in for her."
"Who could that be?"
Magus sweatdropped. [This girl is pretty dense… just like the princess.] "You."
Sakura had a big sweatdrop when she realized what Magus was planning. "Me?! You want me to fill in for her?"
"Exactly."
"I can't! I don't even know how to be a princess!"
"I will inform the servants and the guards to teach you everything you need to know. We only have one week, but I believe it will be enough. Once we make a princess out of you, the rest will be easy."
Magus took a small bell out of his robes and rang it. Almost instantly, a large group of people stood at attention. "Most loyal servants of Adelphi Castle, you all know the condition our beloved princess is in. I want you all to look at this girl standing here." Faint gasps could be heard emanating from the group. "Surprised? This girl will help to end the war that is all but dead already. From this point on, she is to be addressed as her majesty, Princess Sakura Silvercloud of Adelphi. Please be patient with her as she no experience with this situation before. Teach her the ways of royalty, but please give her the same respect as you would if she really was our princess. Thank you for your time. Resume whatever tasks you were working on." As quickly as they had assembled, the group went in all different directions.
Magus then turned to Sakura. "First things first. In order to be a princess, you must be dressed as one." He clapped his hands twice, and a maid approached them. "Maid, please take the princess to the seamstresses."
"As you wish, my lord."
"Forgive me, princess, but I have other matters to attend to." Magus said. "If you need my services, just call." He whipped his cape around him and disappeared in thin air.
"Follow me, your highness."
Sakura sweatdropped. [I don't know if I'm ever going to get used to this.]
~~~ Kazu Castle ~~~
"Is he awake yet?"
"No. Let him rest a bit longer."
One person sat in a chair facing the bed, while the other paced around the room.
"You were very lucky in getting him here so fast."
"It's my job."
"He has lost a lot of energy, but he should be alright."
The figure in the bed stirred.
"I think he's waking up."
Syaoran slowly opened his eyes. He recognized the captain's face, but the other person was new to him. He sat up in bed and realized he didn't have his school uniform on. Instead he was wearing comfortable light blue pajamas.
"We had to get you out of those clothes. They were soaked with sweat," the captain said.
The other person who was seated was slightly plump, had neatly combed black hair, and also wore glasses. He poured a dark blue liquid from a bottle into a small glass. "Drink this. It will restore your energy."
Syaoran took the glass into his hand. He eyed the liquid warily. "Are you sure this is safe to drink?" The man nodded. Still a little hesitant, Syaoran shrugged and downed the contents in one gulp. His tongue felt like it was on fire, and he nearly gagged when he felt the liquid sliding down his throat, leaving the same burning sensation. For a moment, Syaoran felt his stomach burn as well, but the feeling was gone in a few seconds. "Bleah!! That stuff was terrible! What is it?"
"It's a tonic that's very popular right now. I drink it myself sometimes. I admit the taste is a little to be desired, but it's great for getting your strength back."
Syaoran got out of bed, grabbed his sword from the nearby corner, and practiced a few cuts. He was amazed that he could even lift his sword, let alone slice through the air with such force. [I guess that stuff really does work.]
"Well now that he's fine, I'm going back to the barracks. I still have a steak to eat." The captain turned to leave.
"Easten, don't be rude! We have to stay and talk with this remarkable young man."
"You're the one that's good at talking. You can go ahead and talk all you want, but as for me, my dinner is getting cold." He didn't even turn around when he said, "Good night to you both."
The man in the chair sighed. "Forgive my brother. He can be a little rough at times, but it's his way of maintaining his reputation. He is the captain of the guard after all."
[His brother? They don't look anything alike, except for the glasses.]
"Now that you're up, you're probably wondering who I am and how you got here. My name is Westley, Prime Minister of Kazu at your service. (That is not a typo! His name is Westley, not Wesley.) My little brother carried you here after you fainted from him saying that you were a prince."
"I didn't faint! I blacked out, and it wasn't because of that!" He sighed. "Today has just been too much for me." Syaoran recalled what happened before he passed out.
We've been waiting for two years…, and now you're finally back in Kazu. Welcome home, my prince.
"Why did your brother say that I was a prince?"
"Do you really want to know?" Westley took out a photo album. "Here is the last picture taken of the prince before he set off on his journey." He took a photograph out of the album and handed it to Syaoran.
Syaoran's mouth hung open as he looked at the photo. "He looks exactly like me!" Syaoran exclaimed. [He even has the hair!]
"You could pass as his twin. I've been with him ever since he was born, so I know him to the finest detail. If I didn't know better, I would have said you were the prince as well. But I can barely tell that you're not. That's what I told my brother. He didn't believe me at first, but I convinced him of otherwise. That's why he acted so disgracefully back there. He would never turn his back to the real Prince Syaoran Stormwind."
Syaoran couldn't believe his ears. "Prince Syaoran Stormwind?!"
"I don't blame you if you think it's unusual. 'Syaoran' always did seem like a strange name, but of course I couldn't go against the queen's choice."
"No, it's not that. It's just… my name is Syaoran."
Westley's eyes widened. "You're kidding me!"
"I'm not. My name is actually Syaoran."
"But…" Westley spoke in a hushed tone. "How is that possible?" He sat back in his chair and was deep in thought.
"I don't understand either, but where exactly is the real prince now? What kind of a journey is he on?"
"If you really want to know, have a seat. This will be a long story."
(This is all Westley. Assume he already went through the same info about the Alliance and the assassinations as Magus did, since I don't want to type it twice, and I'm sure you don't want to read it twice.)
After the death of his parents, Prince Stormwind kept to himself and spent all of his time on practicing with his sword and with his magic. He usually practiced late into the night and got up before dawn. I told him he would kill himself with that kind of schedule, but he would just glare at me with his bloodshot amber eyes. I could tell he was hurting inside, but there was nothing I could do to cheer him up. One week after his parents were murdered, he disappeared from the castle grounds. He had left a note in his quarters, which is this very room, saying he could not stay any longer. He wrote that he had to prepare for a legend that would soon be fulfilled, and he had to complete his quest before he could come back. The story I told the people was that our prince had disappeared and that until he returned, I would lead the people, but I would not assume the throne. It's been almost two years, and I haven't heard from him since.
In summary, our prince is gone, the princess of Adelphi is also gone, and Hurdonia has no heir. I still find it incredible that Midos is intact and in a state of relative peace after everything that happened.
(end of another background story)
Westley continued. "I truly believe that with the return of Prince Stormwind, the final transition between cease-fire and true peace can take place." Westley sighed. "I just hope he's still alive."
"If he's anything like me, he should be alright." Syaoran said.
Westley bolted upright. His glassy eyes looked directly at Syaoran. "You…" He stood up. "Yes, you! You can pretend to be Prince Stormwind!"
Syaoran's eyes grew very big. He slowly shook his head. "No! No way! I never asked to be part of this!"
"But don't you see Syaoran? You can help to end the war."
"I can't! I don't have time to be a prince. I have to find my friends and get back home."
Westley sighed. "It's your choice. I will not force you. You are welcome to spend the night here. If you do decide to help, I will ask the soldiers to help you search for your friends. Sleep on it, and give me your decision in the morning. Good night." Westley left the room and closed the doors.
[I don't need his help. I can find them myself… but how long would it take? I don't even know how big this world is, and I can't use my magic to find them. It could take me years…] Syaoran was deep in thought as he lay in the bed. [I hope I'm making the right choice.] An image of Sakura appeared in his head. "Sakura… please be alright. Know that I love you and no matter what, I will find you." Silent tears formed in Syaoran's eyes as he drifted to sleep. "I will find you… I promise."
To be continued…
Looks like Tomoyo is in deep trouble. If you're a Tomoyo fan, please don't kill me! I guess you can tell I like names that start with 'S'. All that background will help future chapters make sense. Read and review, please!
