Well, hello! And Welcome to My Little World of Weirdness!
I state for the record that, despite the fact I really, really wish I did, I don't own any of the characters that will grace this story; it's all CLAMP's! Always has been, always will be!
Also I don't pretend to have any Mastery over the language of Japanese or any clue as to correct grammatical structure. I put it in and hope it gets across the point I'm trying to make!
Also, I've only ever seen the American dub, the first 3 and the 5th DVDs of the sub. Everything else about the whole Sakura-Eriol-Yue arch I've gleaned from the Internet. Sorry if they are all OOC or I slip up and start calling Syaoran, simply Li. Someone? Do tell me if I do that!
"Speaking"
*Stress/emphasis*
//Thinking//
The Magical, Mythical, Mischievous Master Clow.
By Dr Megalomania.
For a small city called Tomoeda, of the lovely isle of Japan, the week began like any other. For four magical guardians, the week began hellishly with the activation of an ancient curse, bestowed upon them a long, long time ago . . .
Part two: Saturday - Doyoobi
Consider . . . if you will, the day began thus: that a cherry haired magical being, a . . . *Moon* guardian, if you will, awoke up one day, in her pink bed, located in her cherry-pink bedroom, and bounced over to her cherry-wood wardrobe. Let's believe that this being was the owner of, say, well over a thousand varied outfits and accessories from the diverse periods of her six-century existence. Suppose this being; having flicked through various artefacts, suddenly cried out aloud, "I haven't got a thing to wear . . . WAI!! Shopping trip time!"
In a large, creepy house in Tomoeda, such a thing did indeed happened . . . as Spinel Sun, companion to this Cherry haired being, was waking in his own room, just down the corridor.
"Suppi-chan!! Wakie, wakie!!" Ruby Moon sang delightedly, at the top of her voice as she burst into the room.
Spinel Sun had hardly enough time to truly register what was happening and raise his head before he was yanked, //Rather *rudely*!// he thought, out of bed and whirled around the room by his tail. Considering he was in his full form, this was quite a feat of strength but Spinel wasn't that surprised. Ruby Moon, despite claiming to be a *frail* little girl, had the strength of a healthy, young man . . . who was magical, and had wings.
"Gahka!" He almost choked as the room whizzed past his eyes, at a helter- skelter pace.
"Waaaakieeeeeee! Waaaakieeee!!" Ruby continued to sing, adding to the nausea he felt starting in his stomach.
Only when he began to feel like he was going to throw up, did she finally let him go, roughly dropping him on the floor.
Once he had been safely deposited, the mysterious indigo panther attempted first to stand, which was too hard as the room was spinning too much, then found that sitting was probably the safer option. He fell a little ungraciously on his rump as he tried to focus on one of the three . . . no, four . . .no . . .yes . . .yes, *three*, three Ruby Moon's in front of him. It was difficult to tell since all three of them were bouncing rather excitedly in front of him and refused to stay still.
He shook his head. //Nope, that made it worse// he thought as the three Ruby Moons became six.
"Oooh!" He sighed. He shut his eyes, not willing to see any more.
"Guess what?!" Ruby squealed happily.
"What?" His shoulders slumped; only once a month did Ruby ever ask him this after their morning ritual. He knew perfectly what the 'what' was. Ruby wanted to go on a-
"Shopping trip! I haven't got a thing to wear and I really need to keep up with today's fashion, I don't want to get left behind, because as we all know, I'm the only guardian that has to live an outside life and if I'm not right there on the cutting edge of fashion, then people will start getting- "
He held up a paw to stop her. He knew this speech off by heart.
"Ruby, get out of my room--" He opened his eyes, at least the number of Ruby Moon's he was now seeing was a more reasonable number. "-And take the other two of you with you . . . "
Later, elsewhere in Tomoeda . . .
"OI! YUKI!!"
Tsukishiro Yukito looked up briefly from the meat bun he was eating to see Kinotomo Touya cycling toward his home.
"Ohayo, To-ya-kun!" Yuki laughed and waved from his roof.
It was an elegant autumn afternoon, and many of nature's colourful designs were displayed. He taken to the roof because there was no way he could have possibly truly appreciate the true beauty of the autumn exhibit from the ground.
Yukito smiled and knew that part of that reasoning had come from Yue.
Yue.
The other version of him . . . or was he the other version of Yue? Tsukishiro Yukito was still coming to terms with the notion that his being, his soul had two outlets.
One of them was called Yukito, the Snow Bunny, the amber-eyed, gentleness- embodied young man.
The other was Yue, a cool, elusive, often harsh Judgement maker. Or so his friends told him. But that was not the impression Yukito was getting. Well, learning to get.
Yuki had always loved the seasons, the changes were beautiful for him to observe, and it was like fine art. That was another thing he loved, fine art. In art class, despite never picking a book up about it, he instantly knew all the names of the classical artists. Even some of their paintings that even the Sensei had never heard of.
He never knew why until he found out about Yue, the reason he knew was because Yue had been there. Of course Yue's presence didn't always explain some of the stranger instincts he got, especially the one that made him want to yell, Rembrandt!, at the panthers at the Zoo . . .
Another facet of his life was also explained.
"Are you hungry?" To-ya called.
"Aren't I always?" Yukito laughed.
Touya pedalled slowly, carefully avoiding bumps and cracks. Yukito had started to doze on the back seat, his arms loosely wrapped about Touya's waist, his cheek resting lightly upon the taller man's back. Touya cast a sidelong glance behind him; Yuki had his eyes closed, face divulging a deep contentment.
Touya smiled slightly and turned his attention back to the road. Yuki had just returned from a three month long holiday, coming to terms with the truth and enjoying the various sights of Europe.
"To-ya?" Yuki began quietly.
"Hmmm?" Touya hummed absently.
Yuki smiled at the effect the hum had, as it vibrated against his face.
"Who is Keroberos?" Yuki replied. It was something that been bugging the hell out of him, and he had a feeling Touya knew the answer.
Touya's pedalling slowed and came to a stop; both placed their feet on the ground to stabilise.
"Why do you ask?" Touya said in what he hoped was an even voice. Despite having explained Yue to him, Touya didn't really feel like letting Yuki in on who Keroberos was, just yet.
Yuki looked at the back of Touya's head speculatively, //So you do know.// he thought.
"I don't know exactly," he admitted, "But every time I see a bunch of raucous kids, or see a flash of gold I hear . . ."
Touya turned slightly in his seat as Yukito trailed off lost in his own thoughts.
"You hear . . . what?" Yuki levelled his gaze with the serious sapphire eyes, which resided under the unruly mop of brown hair.
"I hear . . .," Yukito breathed in, "I hear, someone call out 'Keroberos' . . . I think it's Yue."
Touya stared at him for a few moments more before turning away remounted the bike.
As they got to a sufficient speed, Touya began to talk again.
"Yuki?"
"Hai."
"I'm sorry but . . . Yue, Return to thy-"
That was all Yuki heard as his world faded away.
Touya pedalled smoothly despite the transforming being behind him.
"Stop this ridiculous contraption this minute!" A sharp voice scowled.
Touya ignore the barked order, and continued to pedal.
"I said, stop this- WHOA!" Yue cried.
Touya slowed . . . Touya stopped . . . Touya . . . rode back to the Moon angel, who stood, rubbing his poor bruised tush.
As Yue brushed the dust off his usually pristine robes, Touya leaned off his bike.
"You've never ridden a bike before, have you?"
Yue eyed him exasperated, as he shook out his wings briefly before dispensing with them.
"I've never had to." He muttered quietly, as Touya began to laugh.
In a small suburban home . . .
"ARRRGH!!"
Sakura was on the verge of yanking her hair out!
"Sakura-chan, please do stop pulling on you hair so . . ." Tomoyo murmured over her own set of maths sheets.
"I don't get it! I don't get any of it!!" Sakura almost sobbed, clutching her sheets. "Oh I'm going to fail . . .*SO* badly!!"
"You should let me do them" Kero kept his eyes glued to the screen. "But I understand that you might not want to-"
"I don't want you to get them all wrong again!" said Sakura.
"---Show up all your little friends, who, due to my amazing intellect---" Kero ignored her as he jumped over the bad guy and squished it into non- existence.
"Right answers good, Kero-chan answers bad!" Sakura tried to get his attention.
"--Would be incredibly embarrassed. Because all your answers would be so right-" he ducked to avoid the cannonball.
"Kero! You can't do maths to save you life!" she cried.
"--And theirs would be so wrong, they'd come begging to me to teach them the wonders of mathematics- WAI!! Now to defeat the boss!- "
Sakura sighed and sat back with Tomoyo. "He isn't listening to a word I'm saying."
Tomoyo just smiled sweetly, "He will, when he realises I brought a strawberry-"
"Strawberry?!" Tomoyo jumped a bit when Kero pressed his nose against hers, video game forgotten, he grinned, "Strawberry what?"
"See?" Tomoyo commented to Sakura.
Sakura gaped at her friend. Then turned her attention on Keroberos, "Kero- chan? Why didn't Clow ever create a maths card."
Kero blinked, "He did."
"But I caught all the cards!"
"Oh yeah, you caught all the finished cards, but Clow created lots of other cards that simply never made the pack." Kero fluttered over to his videogame and resumed play. "Like the Algebra card, the Clumsy card, the Budge card . . . well, actually, that one just became the Move, lets see . . . an the Animated Doll card but Yue said he was a bit too late for that one 'cause he'd already created me and Spinel . . . "
"Hoe!" Sakura looked at the ceiling for strength, as Kero continued to list the various cards that Clow made but discarded.
"Oh and, funny story, Ni? One day, Clow was trying to think of a card to make and--"
"Tadaima!" Cried Touya. "Oi! Kaijuu!"
Sakura stomped down the stairs. "I am not a monst-HOOOOOOEEE!!"
Yue blinked at her mundanely. "You are correct; you are not a kaijuu, your brother on the other hand--!" Yue glared at her brother. Her brother, king of the glare, gave him a skunk eye level twelve - usually reserved for the Gaki.
"Why? What happened?"
"I do not wish to discuss it."
Kero flew down the stairs, "YUUUUE-CHAN!!"
The plush toy turned quickly to his full form; and bowled over the Moon guardian.
"I haven't seen you in ages!! Did you bring me chocolates?!" He demanded as he pinned the angel to the ground. "It's been so long, I missed you!! Where's my souvenirs? DID YOU BRING ME CHOCOLATE?!!"
"Keroberos, stop licking my face! Get off me!" Yue tried to twist his face to avoid Kero's long tongue, "KEROBEROS!! OFF! NOW!!"
Kero stopped licking and nuzzled Yue's face, giggling, once more before bounding off again.
"Hey, Tomoyo-chan!" Kero cried as he bounced up the stairs, "Guess who's home! Yue! And Yukito too but chiefly Yue!!"
Yue growled as he wiped his face, "Ugh!" He exclaimed as he pulled his hand away leaving a thin bridge of saliva between his fingers and his face.
Touya chuckled, "Would you like a towel?"
"No," Yue glared at his sarcastically, "What do you think?!"
"Admit it! You missed him too!"
Yue's eyes narrowed dangerously, Sakura, still unnerved by Yue's presence, called up the stairs, "What's that Tomoyo-chan? I'm coming!!"
"You really should try to lighten up you know," Touya handed Yue a warm towel as Sakura ran up the stairs, "You scare the kaijuu."
Yue looked as if he was about to retort when his head snapped toward the door, without a word he transformed back into Yukito.
Yuki stood, clutching the towel, and stared at Touya quizzically. "Was that Yue.?"
The door swung open. "Tadaima!"
"Ohayo 'touchan!"
"Ohayo Touya, Yuki! How was your holiday?" Fujitaka smiled at the houseguest.
"It was wonderful, arigato!" Yuki smiled in return, easily covering up the confusion he had.
As they mounted the stairs to go to Touya's room, Yuki felt something very strong pull him to Sakura's room.
// Keroberos // Yuki's eyes widened with the strange voice of Yue whispering in his head. He was even more freaked out when his hand came up unbidden and press against the door.
He turned to look at Touya, "I . . . To-ya!" He said as he pushed the door open and walked in.
Sakura and Tomoyo looked up from their homework, but Yuki's gaze fell on a little stuffed toy, which had been positioned in front of the video game controller.
Yuki felt in control of himself once again. He knelt behind the toy, knowing that this was the object that Yue was interested in.
He picked it up gently, despite the fact he felt a bit foolish. The plush toy looked completely like a plushy and yet . . .
He smiled faintly. "Yue missed you too . . . "
He cocked his head when the toy still seemed like a toy. ". . . Keroberos . . ."
The toy's face betrayed it in an expression of shock. It blinked a couple of times before it spoke. "How did you . . . ?"
Yuki chuckled slightly at the Osaka accent. "You are Keroberos, aren't you?"
The toy leapt from his hands, "Keroberos, guardian beast of the seal." It floated in front of him arms folded in a self-important posture.
"Seal? What's the seal?"
"Of the Clow book of course!" Kero exclaimed, "Has that baka of an onnichan told you anything?"
"Oi!" cried Touya.
"Well no, not really, just that Yue is a part of me and that he has to protect Sakura."
The plush toy glowed, and a book flew out of a drawer. It was pink and held the word Sakura on its cover.
Yuki's possessed hand reached out immediately and caressed the cover, //Home// Yue explained, Yuki blinked and was hit by a memory. A memory that wasn't his.
"Six thousand, three hundred and forty one." Yuki murmured
"Nani?" Asked Tomoyo gently.
Yuki chuckled, "Six thousand three hundred and forty one bubbles. By the time Keroberos stopped hiccupping, he coughed up six thousand, three hundred and forty one."
Sakura, Tomoyo and Touya looked at Yuki as he settled down to talk to Keroberos.
"Tell me more . . . " Yuki asked Keroberos.
Evening, at the hiirawagizawa Mansion . . .
"We're baaaaaack!!"
Eriol looked up from his needlework, "Who is 'we' Ruby?"
"All my beautiful new clothes and me!" She walked into the room and started to talk to the bags of clothes. "You're all so kawaii! Yes you are, yes! Yes! Yes!"
Eriol chuckled as he returned to his work. "It's nice to know Yue has returned home." He murmured to Spinel.
"Humph!" Spinel purred over his book. "Very interesting, I'm sure . . ."
Eriol shook his head, ever since the Rembrandt affair, Spinel and Yue never ever really gotten on.
"Ow!" Eriol looked at his finger, he'd pricked himself. Eriol blinked at the finger a little confused, //it's very rare that I ever . . .//
hiirawagizawa Eriol's lavender-grey eyes unfocused as a power stronger than his own over took his body.
"Ruby Moon! Spinel Sun!" Eriol's voice spoke, "Attend me!"
As soon as the words were muttered, Spinel Sun and Ruby stood by his side. They exchanged a curious glance, it had been ages since Eriol had last used that order; he usually opted for a more friendly summons.
They watched as he lowered his hand slightly, and turned to look at them. He gazed at them as if, just for a moment, he didn't recognise them. "My," he breathed, "How you've grown."
A ghost of a smile flittered over his lips, "Prepare yourselves," he spoke quietly and raised his hand to peer at the bleeding finger, "The week ahead will be quite . . ."
He rubbed the bleeding finger against his thumb, spreading the blood. " . . . Amusing"
The two confused guardians stared at each other and then at their Master, whatever had just come over him passed.
//. . .ever prick myself, dear boy, you're slipping!// he laughed aloud at that last thought and passed his other hand over the damaged finger, healing it with a spell. Pressing the newly healed finger against his thumb, he smiled at his handiwork. "Uh Master . . .?"
Eriol looked up to see Ruby and Spinel Sun looking at him in concern. "Ah, don't worry it was just a little prick." He held up the finger, "See, no harm done!"
He tried to smile reassuringly at his guardians, who looked back at him with great apprehension.
"What's wrong?" He asked evenly.
"What did you just say to us?" Ruby questioned him warily.
"No harm done?"
The pair exchanged worried looks. Ruby actually looked a little scared. Spinel frowned at him.
"That's not what you said." Spinel informed him grimly, "Not what you just said at all."
Fujitaka knocked on his daughter's door, having already tried his son's he found his two children and their best friends all in the same room, listening to the radio. Touya and Yuki sat facing Tomoyo and Sakura, and Yuki was holding a very familiar plush toy that Fujitaka never remembered getting for his daughter but for some reason he felt as if he had given it to her, himself.
"Dinner's almost ready, Tomoyo-chan you're welcome to stay if you wish." There was no need to ask Yukito, since it had been decided since his grandparents had gone on travels again, that he could stay with them for the week.
"If it's not too much of a bother!" Tomoyo said, delighted.
Fujitaka stepped into the room, "Of course!" He knelt by Yuki, "May I?"
Yuki blinked before he understood, he handed Fujitaka the plush toy. He held the toy as if it was a pet, supporting it from underneath. The beat of the music seemed to fade away, and Fuijtaka's world seemed only to consist of Yuki and this plush toy. So familiar.
The college professor was so caught up in his not-quite memories; that he was unaware that he was talking. "The weather this week may be a little rough, in fact there may be a little cloud of doom over you . . ."
He stroked the fur atop the toy's head, and ran a finger along the fine wings. He murmured so quietly that only the toy could hear him, "Over both of you . . ."
The toy seemed to stiffen a bit more but Fujitaka didn't notice as he became aware of the music again.
He handed the toy back to Yukito, who was blinking at him now in confusion. "It's such a cute toy." He stood and turned to leave the room.
"A cloud of doom?" Sakura repeated.
"Pardon?" he readjusted his glasses as he turned to look at her.
His daughter stared at him; "You said there may be a little cloud of doom over us."
"Did I say doom? I meant gloom, a little cloud of gloom . . . if you don't come and taste my pies later!"
And with that Fujitaka left the room.
Kero turned to Yuki, "Yue." he said simply.
Amber eyes widened then rolled back, sliding shut as the transformation took a hold quickly. Sharp amethyst eyes opened and then narrowed.
"I know Keroberos, he was talking to *us*."
Kero turned and looked seriously at the door. Yue glanced up and stared at the same door.
"Could it have been . . .?" Kero shook his head.
Sakura knelt between the two contemplative guardians, "What just happened? What just happened to my father?!" She demanded.
Tomoyo speculated, "It was as if someone else was inside him."
Touya rose to his feet and towered over the tiny plush toy and the seated Moon being. "Well? Who could've it been?"
Kero looked at Yue, who continued to glare, unblinking, at the closed door; then at the door. Sakura, then Tomoyo and finally Touya turn to look at where Fujitaka had been standing just moment ago.
Kero whispered "Could have it been a message from Clow . . .?"
----------------
And now it's time for LEAVE IT TO DOCTOR MEGALOMANIA!!
DrM: Konnichiwa!!
Kero jumps up, wearing a rather unconvincing Halloween mask.
Kero: Boo!
DrM: what are you doing?
Kero: Trying to show you how astoundingly un-scary that was . . . 'oh look at me, I'm a cloud of doom! Fear the cloud of doom!'
DrM: and for that I won't tell you what luscious strawberry treat Tomoyo left you.
Kero: Nani?! That's not fair!
DrM: don't forget to R&R please!!
Kero: [glum] thanks for reading . . . someone please tell her to give me pudding!
DrM: [softens] All right . . . [Hands over big strawberry tart]
Kero: WAI!! WAI!! R&R PLEASE!!
I state for the record that, despite the fact I really, really wish I did, I don't own any of the characters that will grace this story; it's all CLAMP's! Always has been, always will be!
Also I don't pretend to have any Mastery over the language of Japanese or any clue as to correct grammatical structure. I put it in and hope it gets across the point I'm trying to make!
Also, I've only ever seen the American dub, the first 3 and the 5th DVDs of the sub. Everything else about the whole Sakura-Eriol-Yue arch I've gleaned from the Internet. Sorry if they are all OOC or I slip up and start calling Syaoran, simply Li. Someone? Do tell me if I do that!
"Speaking"
*Stress/emphasis*
//Thinking//
The Magical, Mythical, Mischievous Master Clow.
By Dr Megalomania.
For a small city called Tomoeda, of the lovely isle of Japan, the week began like any other. For four magical guardians, the week began hellishly with the activation of an ancient curse, bestowed upon them a long, long time ago . . .
Part two: Saturday - Doyoobi
Consider . . . if you will, the day began thus: that a cherry haired magical being, a . . . *Moon* guardian, if you will, awoke up one day, in her pink bed, located in her cherry-pink bedroom, and bounced over to her cherry-wood wardrobe. Let's believe that this being was the owner of, say, well over a thousand varied outfits and accessories from the diverse periods of her six-century existence. Suppose this being; having flicked through various artefacts, suddenly cried out aloud, "I haven't got a thing to wear . . . WAI!! Shopping trip time!"
In a large, creepy house in Tomoeda, such a thing did indeed happened . . . as Spinel Sun, companion to this Cherry haired being, was waking in his own room, just down the corridor.
"Suppi-chan!! Wakie, wakie!!" Ruby Moon sang delightedly, at the top of her voice as she burst into the room.
Spinel Sun had hardly enough time to truly register what was happening and raise his head before he was yanked, //Rather *rudely*!// he thought, out of bed and whirled around the room by his tail. Considering he was in his full form, this was quite a feat of strength but Spinel wasn't that surprised. Ruby Moon, despite claiming to be a *frail* little girl, had the strength of a healthy, young man . . . who was magical, and had wings.
"Gahka!" He almost choked as the room whizzed past his eyes, at a helter- skelter pace.
"Waaaakieeeeeee! Waaaakieeee!!" Ruby continued to sing, adding to the nausea he felt starting in his stomach.
Only when he began to feel like he was going to throw up, did she finally let him go, roughly dropping him on the floor.
Once he had been safely deposited, the mysterious indigo panther attempted first to stand, which was too hard as the room was spinning too much, then found that sitting was probably the safer option. He fell a little ungraciously on his rump as he tried to focus on one of the three . . . no, four . . .no . . .yes . . .yes, *three*, three Ruby Moon's in front of him. It was difficult to tell since all three of them were bouncing rather excitedly in front of him and refused to stay still.
He shook his head. //Nope, that made it worse// he thought as the three Ruby Moons became six.
"Oooh!" He sighed. He shut his eyes, not willing to see any more.
"Guess what?!" Ruby squealed happily.
"What?" His shoulders slumped; only once a month did Ruby ever ask him this after their morning ritual. He knew perfectly what the 'what' was. Ruby wanted to go on a-
"Shopping trip! I haven't got a thing to wear and I really need to keep up with today's fashion, I don't want to get left behind, because as we all know, I'm the only guardian that has to live an outside life and if I'm not right there on the cutting edge of fashion, then people will start getting- "
He held up a paw to stop her. He knew this speech off by heart.
"Ruby, get out of my room--" He opened his eyes, at least the number of Ruby Moon's he was now seeing was a more reasonable number. "-And take the other two of you with you . . . "
Later, elsewhere in Tomoeda . . .
"OI! YUKI!!"
Tsukishiro Yukito looked up briefly from the meat bun he was eating to see Kinotomo Touya cycling toward his home.
"Ohayo, To-ya-kun!" Yuki laughed and waved from his roof.
It was an elegant autumn afternoon, and many of nature's colourful designs were displayed. He taken to the roof because there was no way he could have possibly truly appreciate the true beauty of the autumn exhibit from the ground.
Yukito smiled and knew that part of that reasoning had come from Yue.
Yue.
The other version of him . . . or was he the other version of Yue? Tsukishiro Yukito was still coming to terms with the notion that his being, his soul had two outlets.
One of them was called Yukito, the Snow Bunny, the amber-eyed, gentleness- embodied young man.
The other was Yue, a cool, elusive, often harsh Judgement maker. Or so his friends told him. But that was not the impression Yukito was getting. Well, learning to get.
Yuki had always loved the seasons, the changes were beautiful for him to observe, and it was like fine art. That was another thing he loved, fine art. In art class, despite never picking a book up about it, he instantly knew all the names of the classical artists. Even some of their paintings that even the Sensei had never heard of.
He never knew why until he found out about Yue, the reason he knew was because Yue had been there. Of course Yue's presence didn't always explain some of the stranger instincts he got, especially the one that made him want to yell, Rembrandt!, at the panthers at the Zoo . . .
Another facet of his life was also explained.
"Are you hungry?" To-ya called.
"Aren't I always?" Yukito laughed.
Touya pedalled slowly, carefully avoiding bumps and cracks. Yukito had started to doze on the back seat, his arms loosely wrapped about Touya's waist, his cheek resting lightly upon the taller man's back. Touya cast a sidelong glance behind him; Yuki had his eyes closed, face divulging a deep contentment.
Touya smiled slightly and turned his attention back to the road. Yuki had just returned from a three month long holiday, coming to terms with the truth and enjoying the various sights of Europe.
"To-ya?" Yuki began quietly.
"Hmmm?" Touya hummed absently.
Yuki smiled at the effect the hum had, as it vibrated against his face.
"Who is Keroberos?" Yuki replied. It was something that been bugging the hell out of him, and he had a feeling Touya knew the answer.
Touya's pedalling slowed and came to a stop; both placed their feet on the ground to stabilise.
"Why do you ask?" Touya said in what he hoped was an even voice. Despite having explained Yue to him, Touya didn't really feel like letting Yuki in on who Keroberos was, just yet.
Yuki looked at the back of Touya's head speculatively, //So you do know.// he thought.
"I don't know exactly," he admitted, "But every time I see a bunch of raucous kids, or see a flash of gold I hear . . ."
Touya turned slightly in his seat as Yukito trailed off lost in his own thoughts.
"You hear . . . what?" Yuki levelled his gaze with the serious sapphire eyes, which resided under the unruly mop of brown hair.
"I hear . . .," Yukito breathed in, "I hear, someone call out 'Keroberos' . . . I think it's Yue."
Touya stared at him for a few moments more before turning away remounted the bike.
As they got to a sufficient speed, Touya began to talk again.
"Yuki?"
"Hai."
"I'm sorry but . . . Yue, Return to thy-"
That was all Yuki heard as his world faded away.
Touya pedalled smoothly despite the transforming being behind him.
"Stop this ridiculous contraption this minute!" A sharp voice scowled.
Touya ignore the barked order, and continued to pedal.
"I said, stop this- WHOA!" Yue cried.
Touya slowed . . . Touya stopped . . . Touya . . . rode back to the Moon angel, who stood, rubbing his poor bruised tush.
As Yue brushed the dust off his usually pristine robes, Touya leaned off his bike.
"You've never ridden a bike before, have you?"
Yue eyed him exasperated, as he shook out his wings briefly before dispensing with them.
"I've never had to." He muttered quietly, as Touya began to laugh.
In a small suburban home . . .
"ARRRGH!!"
Sakura was on the verge of yanking her hair out!
"Sakura-chan, please do stop pulling on you hair so . . ." Tomoyo murmured over her own set of maths sheets.
"I don't get it! I don't get any of it!!" Sakura almost sobbed, clutching her sheets. "Oh I'm going to fail . . .*SO* badly!!"
"You should let me do them" Kero kept his eyes glued to the screen. "But I understand that you might not want to-"
"I don't want you to get them all wrong again!" said Sakura.
"---Show up all your little friends, who, due to my amazing intellect---" Kero ignored her as he jumped over the bad guy and squished it into non- existence.
"Right answers good, Kero-chan answers bad!" Sakura tried to get his attention.
"--Would be incredibly embarrassed. Because all your answers would be so right-" he ducked to avoid the cannonball.
"Kero! You can't do maths to save you life!" she cried.
"--And theirs would be so wrong, they'd come begging to me to teach them the wonders of mathematics- WAI!! Now to defeat the boss!- "
Sakura sighed and sat back with Tomoyo. "He isn't listening to a word I'm saying."
Tomoyo just smiled sweetly, "He will, when he realises I brought a strawberry-"
"Strawberry?!" Tomoyo jumped a bit when Kero pressed his nose against hers, video game forgotten, he grinned, "Strawberry what?"
"See?" Tomoyo commented to Sakura.
Sakura gaped at her friend. Then turned her attention on Keroberos, "Kero- chan? Why didn't Clow ever create a maths card."
Kero blinked, "He did."
"But I caught all the cards!"
"Oh yeah, you caught all the finished cards, but Clow created lots of other cards that simply never made the pack." Kero fluttered over to his videogame and resumed play. "Like the Algebra card, the Clumsy card, the Budge card . . . well, actually, that one just became the Move, lets see . . . an the Animated Doll card but Yue said he was a bit too late for that one 'cause he'd already created me and Spinel . . . "
"Hoe!" Sakura looked at the ceiling for strength, as Kero continued to list the various cards that Clow made but discarded.
"Oh and, funny story, Ni? One day, Clow was trying to think of a card to make and--"
"Tadaima!" Cried Touya. "Oi! Kaijuu!"
Sakura stomped down the stairs. "I am not a monst-HOOOOOOEEE!!"
Yue blinked at her mundanely. "You are correct; you are not a kaijuu, your brother on the other hand--!" Yue glared at her brother. Her brother, king of the glare, gave him a skunk eye level twelve - usually reserved for the Gaki.
"Why? What happened?"
"I do not wish to discuss it."
Kero flew down the stairs, "YUUUUE-CHAN!!"
The plush toy turned quickly to his full form; and bowled over the Moon guardian.
"I haven't seen you in ages!! Did you bring me chocolates?!" He demanded as he pinned the angel to the ground. "It's been so long, I missed you!! Where's my souvenirs? DID YOU BRING ME CHOCOLATE?!!"
"Keroberos, stop licking my face! Get off me!" Yue tried to twist his face to avoid Kero's long tongue, "KEROBEROS!! OFF! NOW!!"
Kero stopped licking and nuzzled Yue's face, giggling, once more before bounding off again.
"Hey, Tomoyo-chan!" Kero cried as he bounced up the stairs, "Guess who's home! Yue! And Yukito too but chiefly Yue!!"
Yue growled as he wiped his face, "Ugh!" He exclaimed as he pulled his hand away leaving a thin bridge of saliva between his fingers and his face.
Touya chuckled, "Would you like a towel?"
"No," Yue glared at his sarcastically, "What do you think?!"
"Admit it! You missed him too!"
Yue's eyes narrowed dangerously, Sakura, still unnerved by Yue's presence, called up the stairs, "What's that Tomoyo-chan? I'm coming!!"
"You really should try to lighten up you know," Touya handed Yue a warm towel as Sakura ran up the stairs, "You scare the kaijuu."
Yue looked as if he was about to retort when his head snapped toward the door, without a word he transformed back into Yukito.
Yuki stood, clutching the towel, and stared at Touya quizzically. "Was that Yue.?"
The door swung open. "Tadaima!"
"Ohayo 'touchan!"
"Ohayo Touya, Yuki! How was your holiday?" Fujitaka smiled at the houseguest.
"It was wonderful, arigato!" Yuki smiled in return, easily covering up the confusion he had.
As they mounted the stairs to go to Touya's room, Yuki felt something very strong pull him to Sakura's room.
// Keroberos // Yuki's eyes widened with the strange voice of Yue whispering in his head. He was even more freaked out when his hand came up unbidden and press against the door.
He turned to look at Touya, "I . . . To-ya!" He said as he pushed the door open and walked in.
Sakura and Tomoyo looked up from their homework, but Yuki's gaze fell on a little stuffed toy, which had been positioned in front of the video game controller.
Yuki felt in control of himself once again. He knelt behind the toy, knowing that this was the object that Yue was interested in.
He picked it up gently, despite the fact he felt a bit foolish. The plush toy looked completely like a plushy and yet . . .
He smiled faintly. "Yue missed you too . . . "
He cocked his head when the toy still seemed like a toy. ". . . Keroberos . . ."
The toy's face betrayed it in an expression of shock. It blinked a couple of times before it spoke. "How did you . . . ?"
Yuki chuckled slightly at the Osaka accent. "You are Keroberos, aren't you?"
The toy leapt from his hands, "Keroberos, guardian beast of the seal." It floated in front of him arms folded in a self-important posture.
"Seal? What's the seal?"
"Of the Clow book of course!" Kero exclaimed, "Has that baka of an onnichan told you anything?"
"Oi!" cried Touya.
"Well no, not really, just that Yue is a part of me and that he has to protect Sakura."
The plush toy glowed, and a book flew out of a drawer. It was pink and held the word Sakura on its cover.
Yuki's possessed hand reached out immediately and caressed the cover, //Home// Yue explained, Yuki blinked and was hit by a memory. A memory that wasn't his.
"Six thousand, three hundred and forty one." Yuki murmured
"Nani?" Asked Tomoyo gently.
Yuki chuckled, "Six thousand three hundred and forty one bubbles. By the time Keroberos stopped hiccupping, he coughed up six thousand, three hundred and forty one."
Sakura, Tomoyo and Touya looked at Yuki as he settled down to talk to Keroberos.
"Tell me more . . . " Yuki asked Keroberos.
Evening, at the hiirawagizawa Mansion . . .
"We're baaaaaack!!"
Eriol looked up from his needlework, "Who is 'we' Ruby?"
"All my beautiful new clothes and me!" She walked into the room and started to talk to the bags of clothes. "You're all so kawaii! Yes you are, yes! Yes! Yes!"
Eriol chuckled as he returned to his work. "It's nice to know Yue has returned home." He murmured to Spinel.
"Humph!" Spinel purred over his book. "Very interesting, I'm sure . . ."
Eriol shook his head, ever since the Rembrandt affair, Spinel and Yue never ever really gotten on.
"Ow!" Eriol looked at his finger, he'd pricked himself. Eriol blinked at the finger a little confused, //it's very rare that I ever . . .//
hiirawagizawa Eriol's lavender-grey eyes unfocused as a power stronger than his own over took his body.
"Ruby Moon! Spinel Sun!" Eriol's voice spoke, "Attend me!"
As soon as the words were muttered, Spinel Sun and Ruby stood by his side. They exchanged a curious glance, it had been ages since Eriol had last used that order; he usually opted for a more friendly summons.
They watched as he lowered his hand slightly, and turned to look at them. He gazed at them as if, just for a moment, he didn't recognise them. "My," he breathed, "How you've grown."
A ghost of a smile flittered over his lips, "Prepare yourselves," he spoke quietly and raised his hand to peer at the bleeding finger, "The week ahead will be quite . . ."
He rubbed the bleeding finger against his thumb, spreading the blood. " . . . Amusing"
The two confused guardians stared at each other and then at their Master, whatever had just come over him passed.
//. . .ever prick myself, dear boy, you're slipping!// he laughed aloud at that last thought and passed his other hand over the damaged finger, healing it with a spell. Pressing the newly healed finger against his thumb, he smiled at his handiwork. "Uh Master . . .?"
Eriol looked up to see Ruby and Spinel Sun looking at him in concern. "Ah, don't worry it was just a little prick." He held up the finger, "See, no harm done!"
He tried to smile reassuringly at his guardians, who looked back at him with great apprehension.
"What's wrong?" He asked evenly.
"What did you just say to us?" Ruby questioned him warily.
"No harm done?"
The pair exchanged worried looks. Ruby actually looked a little scared. Spinel frowned at him.
"That's not what you said." Spinel informed him grimly, "Not what you just said at all."
Fujitaka knocked on his daughter's door, having already tried his son's he found his two children and their best friends all in the same room, listening to the radio. Touya and Yuki sat facing Tomoyo and Sakura, and Yuki was holding a very familiar plush toy that Fujitaka never remembered getting for his daughter but for some reason he felt as if he had given it to her, himself.
"Dinner's almost ready, Tomoyo-chan you're welcome to stay if you wish." There was no need to ask Yukito, since it had been decided since his grandparents had gone on travels again, that he could stay with them for the week.
"If it's not too much of a bother!" Tomoyo said, delighted.
Fujitaka stepped into the room, "Of course!" He knelt by Yuki, "May I?"
Yuki blinked before he understood, he handed Fujitaka the plush toy. He held the toy as if it was a pet, supporting it from underneath. The beat of the music seemed to fade away, and Fuijtaka's world seemed only to consist of Yuki and this plush toy. So familiar.
The college professor was so caught up in his not-quite memories; that he was unaware that he was talking. "The weather this week may be a little rough, in fact there may be a little cloud of doom over you . . ."
He stroked the fur atop the toy's head, and ran a finger along the fine wings. He murmured so quietly that only the toy could hear him, "Over both of you . . ."
The toy seemed to stiffen a bit more but Fujitaka didn't notice as he became aware of the music again.
He handed the toy back to Yukito, who was blinking at him now in confusion. "It's such a cute toy." He stood and turned to leave the room.
"A cloud of doom?" Sakura repeated.
"Pardon?" he readjusted his glasses as he turned to look at her.
His daughter stared at him; "You said there may be a little cloud of doom over us."
"Did I say doom? I meant gloom, a little cloud of gloom . . . if you don't come and taste my pies later!"
And with that Fujitaka left the room.
Kero turned to Yuki, "Yue." he said simply.
Amber eyes widened then rolled back, sliding shut as the transformation took a hold quickly. Sharp amethyst eyes opened and then narrowed.
"I know Keroberos, he was talking to *us*."
Kero turned and looked seriously at the door. Yue glanced up and stared at the same door.
"Could it have been . . .?" Kero shook his head.
Sakura knelt between the two contemplative guardians, "What just happened? What just happened to my father?!" She demanded.
Tomoyo speculated, "It was as if someone else was inside him."
Touya rose to his feet and towered over the tiny plush toy and the seated Moon being. "Well? Who could've it been?"
Kero looked at Yue, who continued to glare, unblinking, at the closed door; then at the door. Sakura, then Tomoyo and finally Touya turn to look at where Fujitaka had been standing just moment ago.
Kero whispered "Could have it been a message from Clow . . .?"
----------------
And now it's time for LEAVE IT TO DOCTOR MEGALOMANIA!!
DrM: Konnichiwa!!
Kero jumps up, wearing a rather unconvincing Halloween mask.
Kero: Boo!
DrM: what are you doing?
Kero: Trying to show you how astoundingly un-scary that was . . . 'oh look at me, I'm a cloud of doom! Fear the cloud of doom!'
DrM: and for that I won't tell you what luscious strawberry treat Tomoyo left you.
Kero: Nani?! That's not fair!
DrM: don't forget to R&R please!!
Kero: [glum] thanks for reading . . . someone please tell her to give me pudding!
DrM: [softens] All right . . . [Hands over big strawberry tart]
Kero: WAI!! WAI!! R&R PLEASE!!
