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!
"Speaking"
*Stress/emphasis*
//Thinking//
Guardian Beast of the Seal, Wimpy, Scaredy Cat.
By Dr Megalomania.
Part three - I've got the what?
[Also a itty-bitty warning: there is a tiny bit about the suggesting of suicide . . . it's really tiny! Honest! I swear this ficcy *WILL* get funnier as Kero gets better. . .]
As Yue gently lowered Kero into the bathtub, and Touya took a damp cloth and pressed it against the lion's forehead, Touya grumbled, "This would be soooo much easier if his wings weren't out."
Tomoyo pulled Syaoran aside, "Take Sakura-chan to her bedroom, she looks too tired."
He blushed slightly, "But what shall I say?"
She smiled knowingly; "Just tell her you want to talk to her." She winked and nudged him with her elbow.
He blanched and blushed further. Turning Syaoran grasped Sakura's arm lightly, "Sakura, you should lie down you look a bit flushed." He said tersely, sometimes Tomoyo just knew too much for his own good!
Meilin had been listening to the quiet conversation and exclaimed loudly, "I feel a bit faint too!!"
"Oh no, you don't," Tomoyo grabbed her arm and dragged Meilin into the bathroom. Syaoran shook his head tiredly, as Meilin cried out, "But I don't want to stay here, I want to be with my fiancée!!"
Sakura put her hand over Syaoran's, "She's still a little possessive."
"Humph!" He sighed, and then blushed when he realise when that Sakura was squeezing his hand back. "Um, we should get into bed . . ."
The door swished open. Touya stood there and narrowed a glare at Syaoran, "Gaki!"
"I mean," Syaoran turned woodenly towards Sakura, "I mean . . . I should get YOU into bed." As Touya took another menacing step forward, Syaoran corrected himself one more time, "I should help you . . . go to bed . . . by yourself."
Tomoyo poked her head out of the bathroom, "Touya-kun! I need your help."
Touya narrowed his eyes into slits, sending a deadly but silent warning to the chocolate haired boy.
When the door finally snapped shut, Syaoran expelled a deep sigh. "He really doesn't like me, does he?"
"Might have something to do with the whole 'I'll get the Clow cards from you by force' thing . . ." Sakura adopted a big gruff voice, and jutted out her chin menacingly, she mimicked a terrible deep, stilted, Chinese accent, "Ah! Just as I thought! You have the Clow cards in you possession" She grimaced, and took a heavy step forward. She held her hand out demandingly, "Hand them over!"
Syaoran folded his arms in slight annoyance, and then moved his hands to his pocket and started to tremble, "I can't! I promised Kero I would collect the cards!!" he squeaked in a high pitch voice, Sakura had only ever heard him talk like this when he was the princess for the class play. //That's not what I sounded like!!// She thought, //Well, then two can play at this game.// She continued to act out their encounter, "Keroberos? The beast of the seal?!" She looked away slightly and put her fist under her chin, "Why is he letting such a child capture the Clow cards?"
Syaoran rolled his eyes, he didn't to that! Well if she could make stuff up then so could he! He scrunched up his shoulders and clasped his hands together helplessly, "Oh because Kero-chan doesn't have enough magic to be bigger . . . that's why!"
"The symbol for Keroberos is the sun, it rules over 'fire' and 'earth'?" Sakura planted her fists against her hips and sneered at him, "You don't have either of them? How long have you been collecting them?"
"Since April," Syaoran sniffed.
"You've been searching for two months and you still haven't gotten them all?"
Syaoran threw himself against the wall and wept, "That's right . . ." he looked at her and asked, "But why do you know of them?!"
"That's none of your business!" Sakura snapped, "I'm going to collect them now, so hand over the ones you have!"
He tightened his grasp on the pocket, "NO!"
And with that he turned and ran into her bedroom, she stomped after him, making growling threatening noises. "Give them to me!"
"No!"
She pounced at him and they fell onto the bed, laughing. "GIVE THEM TO ME!!" She growled playfully.
"All right! All right!!" Syaoran squeaked, and he pretended to hand her all to the cards, "I'll hand them over because oh, great Li Syaoran, you are the better of us, you should have all the cards, because you're so Masterful, handsome and strong, and I love you!"
Sakura grinned, he was being funny, she pretended to take the cards, and then frowned deeply, like Syaoran. "I'm glad you see my point of view, but you should keep them, because not only am I handsome, strong and," Sakura snorted and allowed her mocked voice to drop even deeper, "Masterful . . . I am also the kindest, sweetest guy you will ever meet! And I'll help you catch the cards, even though I should be catching them for myself."
Syaoran exaggerated his 'Sakura's' surprise, "Hoe! But why?"
Sakura helped him to sit up, and cupped his face in her hand; she tried to force her eyebrows down further, trying to look more like Syaoran's 'scowlly' face. "Because I . . . she paused and decided to use her own voice, "Because I . . ."
Syaoran suddenly realised it wasn't a game anymore, he too dropped his mimic. "Because you . . .?" he breathed.
She sucked in a nervous breath and allowed her eyes to slid shut. When she opened them again, Syaoran's deep brown eyes stared into her emerald ones intensely.
"Because I . . ."
"Mistress," Yue called politely from out side the door, "Keroberos is awake."
As a red faced Sakura blew past him, and then followed by a beetroot red but a disappointed Syaoran, Yue wasn't surprised. He'd actually walked into the room before hand, and saw that their moment of games had turned into something a bit more serious. He would have left them, but he felt the Mistress needed to know about Keroberos before Touya came in and disturbed them.
"AHHHHH-PHOUF!!" Kero sneezed . . .
. . .And Meilin happened to be sitting right in the wrong place. She raised her gooey hands up from the pool of snot that now resided in her lap, "Ewwww!"
Sakura skidded to a halt and quickly paced into the room, "What happened to you Meilin?"
Meilin shuddered, "Eeurgh! Cat snot!"
"Come on . . . I'll get you clean in Sakura's room," Said Tomoyo, "Is it okay if she borrows some clothes, Sakura?"
Sakura answered distractedly, "Yeah sure!" She returned her full attention to Keroberos, "Are you okay?"
"I'mb cold!" He groaned, "Why amb I chitting in a bath fub of cold whater?"
"You had a fever," Yue answered quietly, his moment of panic had past and now he was annoyed at himself for getting so emotional about it.
"A febar?" Kero sat up quickly, which had the reverse effect of sloshing cold water all over Touya; he reached over and pushed the lion, "Hey watch it!"
"I'mb phhhthick?! But I'mb Kewobewuss, gard-die-ann of bar phhhteal!" Kero sneezed again, "I can't get phhhthick!"
Yue folded his arms and spat harshly, "Well . . . you have!"
Kero blinked a couple of times. "Amb I going fuu die now?"
Yue pressed his lips tightly together, and looked at Sakura. She shook her head, "Not if we can help it."
"But I amb phhthick . . . wright?"
"Yes," said Tomoyo as she sailed back into the room.
Syaoran flinched, "How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Never mind."
Tomoyo glanced at Sakura who shrugged, "Any way it about time we got you out of the bathtub, can you do it yourself or would you like us to help you?"
"I'mb the gard-die-ann beshhfpt of bar phhhteal!!" Cried Kero indignantly as he hauled himself out of the tub, "I can jolly well help my-yy-yyyy. . ."
Kero tipped out of the tub and fell heavily on the floor.
"Keroberos!!" Cried Yue again. He clenched his fists and shook them close to his chest.
"It's okay Yue, he just fainted," Tomoyo looked up at him, "Come on, I left Meilin in Sakura's bedroom to set up a makeshift bed."
"Oooh!! That's it!! The lion goes on a diet!" Touya struggled as he hauled Kero into his sister's room,
"Fat lot of good Yue is!" Groused Syaoran. The moon angel was in the bathroom still; Tomoyo was trying to calm him down.
"Wellishegoingtodie?!" Yue demanded. "Ishe? Ishe?!"
Tomoyo squinted at him, ever since Kero's second collapse Yue had been repeating the same thing over and over again, so far she had caught, 'wellish izzy gong two dye? Izzy? Izzy?'
"Yue. Sit." She patted the edge of the tub, "Slow down, take a deep breathe. Good. Now say it again, only slower and in correct grammatical sentences."
"Is he . . ." Yue bit his lip, " . . .going to die?"
Tomoyo looked at the moon guardian with deep sympathy, but also in a new light. Who knew that the guardian harboured such a deep fear of death . . . or that he'd be so childish about it?
"Not if we can help it."
"You keep saying that!" Yue stood and started to pace, "Why can't you just say yes or no?" he stopped and grabbed her by the shoulders, "Is it because you know he is going to die?! Is he going to die?!"
Touya came back into the room, "Tomoyo? Sakura wants to know what you want to do now."
Tomoyo looked at Yue then at Touya, "Yes, okay, could you--?"
"Sure."
She nodded her thanks and went to answer Sakura.
Yue bit his lip again and shook his arms down by his sides. He paced around the tiny room nervously. Ever so often he'd pause to rearrange some bottles or tidied up some of sloshed water. He folded, unfold the same towel three times, and then put it on the shelf.
Touya leant against the rim of sink and watched him quietly. The guardian was genuinely petrified of losing his . . . Touya frowned, "Is Keroberos your brother?"
Yue picked up another towel, and folded, then unfolded, then folded it again, looking like he hadn't heard. Touya knew he had heard, in the time he had knew the guardian, Touya had found the winged being never missed a thing. He pushed himself away from the sink and took the towel away from the guardian. Yue still refused to meet his gaze.
"Is Keroberos your brother, or do you two just think of each other as Cl- ow's-"
"Clow!" Snapped Yue, "His name is pronounced *Clow*! Do not *call* him as if he were some sort of cow!"
Touya smiled, that had done it. "Well, at least you were listening to me."
Yue looked away again. After a few moments, he nodded, "Clow always insisted on us being a family. He'd refer to Keroberos and I as his 'sons', we always referred to each other as 'brother'."
Touya glanced down and absorbed this, "Are you the older or the younger-"
"Older, about a year."
"Not much then . . ."
"Perhaps, from your point of view." Yue turned away and straightened a picture on the wall, "But we're beings of magic, and we grew much fast than you humans do, in human years I had the physical and mental age of a five year old when Clow created Keroberos."
"I was seven when my sister was born," Touya stated, he hoped to get Yue's mind off the idea of his brother dying.
"I know," Yue snapped over his shoulder, "I *can* do basic mathematics."
Touya stepped forward and pressed his hands on Yue's shoulders, "It's okay . . . we're going to do everything we can, and your brother will be okay."
Yue breathe in deeply, and his shoulders tensed. He looked down, "Thank you."
Touya smiled slightly, "It's all right." He turned Yue in his arms, the guardian still looked down. He was still biting his lip. "Now, stop biting your lip," commanded Touya quietly, "You'll hurt yourself."
Yue complied without argument, and looked up at Touya. The taller man blinked in surprise, Yue looked just like Yuki, only with a sadder expression. Touya had never seen that before, Yue's head dipped and the guardian shuffled closer. Touya wrapped himself around the frightened angel, and rested his chin on the silken mop of brilliant white hair.
"Thank you," murmured Yue into his chest.
Meilin looked bright orange shirt Tomoyo had given her, she tugged at the tight neck, with it's little gold wing. Orange was not her colour she decided.
"What are we going to do when your father returns?" She said looking up at Sakura.
"He's gone to the mainland, he'll be gone for two or three weeks," she murmured. Sakura was stroking Kero's fur as he slept. His breaths were short and panted, and his fever had returned. Tomoyo had decided that might be more harmful than good if they bathed him again. "We'll wait it out," she had said.
"That should be enough for the cold to clear away." Said Tomoyo quietly as she folded another pillow under Kero's paws. "If it's really serious it will last longer."
Sakura's heart sank, //If it's really serious . . . will he die? // she swallowed, the shock was swiftly being replaced with fear. Tears welled up, and started to fall softly.
"Keroberos." She whispered.
With Tomoyo and Syaoran making Kero comfortable, Meilin shuffled around to the weeping card Mistress.
"We're here, he'll be fine." And with that, she wrapped her arms about Sakura's frail frame. The card Mistress sobbed, getting the shirt Meilin was wearing wet.
//Oh well . . .// thought Meilin, //At least I'll be able to change out of this awful colour soon, if she keeps it up . . .//
"Master? What's wrong?"
Eriol was staring deeply at his meal, and hadn't said a word since they had gotten home. Ruby and Spinel exchanged a look, and Ruby tried again, "Master?"
Eriol pushed away from the table, and left his cooling meal behind him. He walked into the library and stared out the window. Ruby and Spinel trailed him, "Master?" Tried Spinel, "Is there something wrong?"
Eriol started to nod slowly, "There is . . ."
"What is it?" asked Ruby.
Eriol turned from the window, he looked very serious, and his child-like face was drawn in a worried frown.
"I don't know."
It was getting late. Sakura had finally fallen asleep, Meilin and Tomoyo had retreated downstairs to make something for the group to eat.
"Do you really think it's so serious that he might die?" Asked Meilin quietly, she looked down into her bowl of batter.
Tomoyo slowly cut some vegetables, "Maybe." She answered softly.
"What happens if that happens? I mean . . ." Meilin stopped her stirring and looked at Tomoyo, "He's the guardian of the seal . . . what will happen to the cards if he goes?"
"I'm more concerned about Yue-san." Tomoyo stopped her slicing; "I don't think he could honestly handle Kero dying."
Meilin's eyes widened, "You think he might-"
"Let's just say, his state of mind isn't exactly balanced right now." Tomoyo resumed her slicing. Meilin slowly started to stir and pondered the questions raised.
"If both of them die . . . what will happen to Sakura?"
"I don't know . . ." Tomoyo turned away, and dropped her vegetables into the boiling water, she made sure that Meilin couldn't see her wipe her tears away, //If both die, it would be a serious drain on Sakura . . .// she thought fearfully, //she barely managed to transform the Sakura cards . . . would she survive making new guardians? //
"I just don't know . . ."
-------------------------------------------
And now it's time for LEAVE IT TO DOCTOR MEGALOMANIA!!
DrM: Konnichiwa!! [Throws herself at the readers' feet] I'm so sorry!! Gomen! Gomen!
Yue: So you should be!
DrM: I promise this will get funnier . . . it will!! I promise! I just want to establish some character arches . . . I promise the humour will start within the next few chapters until then please be kind and review, and don't flame me! I didn't mean for this to get so serious . . . Gomen!! It just kinda wants to go in this direction for now . . .
Yue: What do you mean 'go in this direction for now'?
DrM: When a story chooses it wants to go one way you go with it . . . NEVER ignore the story's wishes!
Yue: How about my wishes? Huh? Ever thought about that? I don't want to be some sort of screwball!
DrM: But you make such a traumatised cute screwball bunny-wunny!
Yue: [sighs] People . . . this is what I want you to do . . . see that little yellow button down there? Good, click it, and leave message saying . . . 'That drop dead sexy moon guardian is NOT a traumatised cute screwball bunny- [face screws up in disgust,] -wunny! . . . then you can write what you think of the story and then I suggest you run away. . . RUN FAR AWAY!!
DrM: My, my, then I guess a certain moon guardian *doesn't* want to have more action with a certain moon angel's mistress' brother . . .
Yue: On second thought, just leave a nice review. . . preferably saying. . . 'That traumatised cute screwball bunny-wunny drop dead sexy moon guardian needs action with Touya . . . Lots of action!' then leave some sort of comment . . .
DrM: I don't even know what to say . . . the man's just so cute! Don't forget to R&R!! Honn na na!!
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!
"Speaking"
*Stress/emphasis*
//Thinking//
Guardian Beast of the Seal, Wimpy, Scaredy Cat.
By Dr Megalomania.
Part three - I've got the what?
[Also a itty-bitty warning: there is a tiny bit about the suggesting of suicide . . . it's really tiny! Honest! I swear this ficcy *WILL* get funnier as Kero gets better. . .]
As Yue gently lowered Kero into the bathtub, and Touya took a damp cloth and pressed it against the lion's forehead, Touya grumbled, "This would be soooo much easier if his wings weren't out."
Tomoyo pulled Syaoran aside, "Take Sakura-chan to her bedroom, she looks too tired."
He blushed slightly, "But what shall I say?"
She smiled knowingly; "Just tell her you want to talk to her." She winked and nudged him with her elbow.
He blanched and blushed further. Turning Syaoran grasped Sakura's arm lightly, "Sakura, you should lie down you look a bit flushed." He said tersely, sometimes Tomoyo just knew too much for his own good!
Meilin had been listening to the quiet conversation and exclaimed loudly, "I feel a bit faint too!!"
"Oh no, you don't," Tomoyo grabbed her arm and dragged Meilin into the bathroom. Syaoran shook his head tiredly, as Meilin cried out, "But I don't want to stay here, I want to be with my fiancée!!"
Sakura put her hand over Syaoran's, "She's still a little possessive."
"Humph!" He sighed, and then blushed when he realise when that Sakura was squeezing his hand back. "Um, we should get into bed . . ."
The door swished open. Touya stood there and narrowed a glare at Syaoran, "Gaki!"
"I mean," Syaoran turned woodenly towards Sakura, "I mean . . . I should get YOU into bed." As Touya took another menacing step forward, Syaoran corrected himself one more time, "I should help you . . . go to bed . . . by yourself."
Tomoyo poked her head out of the bathroom, "Touya-kun! I need your help."
Touya narrowed his eyes into slits, sending a deadly but silent warning to the chocolate haired boy.
When the door finally snapped shut, Syaoran expelled a deep sigh. "He really doesn't like me, does he?"
"Might have something to do with the whole 'I'll get the Clow cards from you by force' thing . . ." Sakura adopted a big gruff voice, and jutted out her chin menacingly, she mimicked a terrible deep, stilted, Chinese accent, "Ah! Just as I thought! You have the Clow cards in you possession" She grimaced, and took a heavy step forward. She held her hand out demandingly, "Hand them over!"
Syaoran folded his arms in slight annoyance, and then moved his hands to his pocket and started to tremble, "I can't! I promised Kero I would collect the cards!!" he squeaked in a high pitch voice, Sakura had only ever heard him talk like this when he was the princess for the class play. //That's not what I sounded like!!// She thought, //Well, then two can play at this game.// She continued to act out their encounter, "Keroberos? The beast of the seal?!" She looked away slightly and put her fist under her chin, "Why is he letting such a child capture the Clow cards?"
Syaoran rolled his eyes, he didn't to that! Well if she could make stuff up then so could he! He scrunched up his shoulders and clasped his hands together helplessly, "Oh because Kero-chan doesn't have enough magic to be bigger . . . that's why!"
"The symbol for Keroberos is the sun, it rules over 'fire' and 'earth'?" Sakura planted her fists against her hips and sneered at him, "You don't have either of them? How long have you been collecting them?"
"Since April," Syaoran sniffed.
"You've been searching for two months and you still haven't gotten them all?"
Syaoran threw himself against the wall and wept, "That's right . . ." he looked at her and asked, "But why do you know of them?!"
"That's none of your business!" Sakura snapped, "I'm going to collect them now, so hand over the ones you have!"
He tightened his grasp on the pocket, "NO!"
And with that he turned and ran into her bedroom, she stomped after him, making growling threatening noises. "Give them to me!"
"No!"
She pounced at him and they fell onto the bed, laughing. "GIVE THEM TO ME!!" She growled playfully.
"All right! All right!!" Syaoran squeaked, and he pretended to hand her all to the cards, "I'll hand them over because oh, great Li Syaoran, you are the better of us, you should have all the cards, because you're so Masterful, handsome and strong, and I love you!"
Sakura grinned, he was being funny, she pretended to take the cards, and then frowned deeply, like Syaoran. "I'm glad you see my point of view, but you should keep them, because not only am I handsome, strong and," Sakura snorted and allowed her mocked voice to drop even deeper, "Masterful . . . I am also the kindest, sweetest guy you will ever meet! And I'll help you catch the cards, even though I should be catching them for myself."
Syaoran exaggerated his 'Sakura's' surprise, "Hoe! But why?"
Sakura helped him to sit up, and cupped his face in her hand; she tried to force her eyebrows down further, trying to look more like Syaoran's 'scowlly' face. "Because I . . . she paused and decided to use her own voice, "Because I . . ."
Syaoran suddenly realised it wasn't a game anymore, he too dropped his mimic. "Because you . . .?" he breathed.
She sucked in a nervous breath and allowed her eyes to slid shut. When she opened them again, Syaoran's deep brown eyes stared into her emerald ones intensely.
"Because I . . ."
"Mistress," Yue called politely from out side the door, "Keroberos is awake."
As a red faced Sakura blew past him, and then followed by a beetroot red but a disappointed Syaoran, Yue wasn't surprised. He'd actually walked into the room before hand, and saw that their moment of games had turned into something a bit more serious. He would have left them, but he felt the Mistress needed to know about Keroberos before Touya came in and disturbed them.
"AHHHHH-PHOUF!!" Kero sneezed . . .
. . .And Meilin happened to be sitting right in the wrong place. She raised her gooey hands up from the pool of snot that now resided in her lap, "Ewwww!"
Sakura skidded to a halt and quickly paced into the room, "What happened to you Meilin?"
Meilin shuddered, "Eeurgh! Cat snot!"
"Come on . . . I'll get you clean in Sakura's room," Said Tomoyo, "Is it okay if she borrows some clothes, Sakura?"
Sakura answered distractedly, "Yeah sure!" She returned her full attention to Keroberos, "Are you okay?"
"I'mb cold!" He groaned, "Why amb I chitting in a bath fub of cold whater?"
"You had a fever," Yue answered quietly, his moment of panic had past and now he was annoyed at himself for getting so emotional about it.
"A febar?" Kero sat up quickly, which had the reverse effect of sloshing cold water all over Touya; he reached over and pushed the lion, "Hey watch it!"
"I'mb phhhthick?! But I'mb Kewobewuss, gard-die-ann of bar phhhteal!" Kero sneezed again, "I can't get phhhthick!"
Yue folded his arms and spat harshly, "Well . . . you have!"
Kero blinked a couple of times. "Amb I going fuu die now?"
Yue pressed his lips tightly together, and looked at Sakura. She shook her head, "Not if we can help it."
"But I amb phhthick . . . wright?"
"Yes," said Tomoyo as she sailed back into the room.
Syaoran flinched, "How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Never mind."
Tomoyo glanced at Sakura who shrugged, "Any way it about time we got you out of the bathtub, can you do it yourself or would you like us to help you?"
"I'mb the gard-die-ann beshhfpt of bar phhhteal!!" Cried Kero indignantly as he hauled himself out of the tub, "I can jolly well help my-yy-yyyy. . ."
Kero tipped out of the tub and fell heavily on the floor.
"Keroberos!!" Cried Yue again. He clenched his fists and shook them close to his chest.
"It's okay Yue, he just fainted," Tomoyo looked up at him, "Come on, I left Meilin in Sakura's bedroom to set up a makeshift bed."
"Oooh!! That's it!! The lion goes on a diet!" Touya struggled as he hauled Kero into his sister's room,
"Fat lot of good Yue is!" Groused Syaoran. The moon angel was in the bathroom still; Tomoyo was trying to calm him down.
"Wellishegoingtodie?!" Yue demanded. "Ishe? Ishe?!"
Tomoyo squinted at him, ever since Kero's second collapse Yue had been repeating the same thing over and over again, so far she had caught, 'wellish izzy gong two dye? Izzy? Izzy?'
"Yue. Sit." She patted the edge of the tub, "Slow down, take a deep breathe. Good. Now say it again, only slower and in correct grammatical sentences."
"Is he . . ." Yue bit his lip, " . . .going to die?"
Tomoyo looked at the moon guardian with deep sympathy, but also in a new light. Who knew that the guardian harboured such a deep fear of death . . . or that he'd be so childish about it?
"Not if we can help it."
"You keep saying that!" Yue stood and started to pace, "Why can't you just say yes or no?" he stopped and grabbed her by the shoulders, "Is it because you know he is going to die?! Is he going to die?!"
Touya came back into the room, "Tomoyo? Sakura wants to know what you want to do now."
Tomoyo looked at Yue then at Touya, "Yes, okay, could you--?"
"Sure."
She nodded her thanks and went to answer Sakura.
Yue bit his lip again and shook his arms down by his sides. He paced around the tiny room nervously. Ever so often he'd pause to rearrange some bottles or tidied up some of sloshed water. He folded, unfold the same towel three times, and then put it on the shelf.
Touya leant against the rim of sink and watched him quietly. The guardian was genuinely petrified of losing his . . . Touya frowned, "Is Keroberos your brother?"
Yue picked up another towel, and folded, then unfolded, then folded it again, looking like he hadn't heard. Touya knew he had heard, in the time he had knew the guardian, Touya had found the winged being never missed a thing. He pushed himself away from the sink and took the towel away from the guardian. Yue still refused to meet his gaze.
"Is Keroberos your brother, or do you two just think of each other as Cl- ow's-"
"Clow!" Snapped Yue, "His name is pronounced *Clow*! Do not *call* him as if he were some sort of cow!"
Touya smiled, that had done it. "Well, at least you were listening to me."
Yue looked away again. After a few moments, he nodded, "Clow always insisted on us being a family. He'd refer to Keroberos and I as his 'sons', we always referred to each other as 'brother'."
Touya glanced down and absorbed this, "Are you the older or the younger-"
"Older, about a year."
"Not much then . . ."
"Perhaps, from your point of view." Yue turned away and straightened a picture on the wall, "But we're beings of magic, and we grew much fast than you humans do, in human years I had the physical and mental age of a five year old when Clow created Keroberos."
"I was seven when my sister was born," Touya stated, he hoped to get Yue's mind off the idea of his brother dying.
"I know," Yue snapped over his shoulder, "I *can* do basic mathematics."
Touya stepped forward and pressed his hands on Yue's shoulders, "It's okay . . . we're going to do everything we can, and your brother will be okay."
Yue breathe in deeply, and his shoulders tensed. He looked down, "Thank you."
Touya smiled slightly, "It's all right." He turned Yue in his arms, the guardian still looked down. He was still biting his lip. "Now, stop biting your lip," commanded Touya quietly, "You'll hurt yourself."
Yue complied without argument, and looked up at Touya. The taller man blinked in surprise, Yue looked just like Yuki, only with a sadder expression. Touya had never seen that before, Yue's head dipped and the guardian shuffled closer. Touya wrapped himself around the frightened angel, and rested his chin on the silken mop of brilliant white hair.
"Thank you," murmured Yue into his chest.
Meilin looked bright orange shirt Tomoyo had given her, she tugged at the tight neck, with it's little gold wing. Orange was not her colour she decided.
"What are we going to do when your father returns?" She said looking up at Sakura.
"He's gone to the mainland, he'll be gone for two or three weeks," she murmured. Sakura was stroking Kero's fur as he slept. His breaths were short and panted, and his fever had returned. Tomoyo had decided that might be more harmful than good if they bathed him again. "We'll wait it out," she had said.
"That should be enough for the cold to clear away." Said Tomoyo quietly as she folded another pillow under Kero's paws. "If it's really serious it will last longer."
Sakura's heart sank, //If it's really serious . . . will he die? // she swallowed, the shock was swiftly being replaced with fear. Tears welled up, and started to fall softly.
"Keroberos." She whispered.
With Tomoyo and Syaoran making Kero comfortable, Meilin shuffled around to the weeping card Mistress.
"We're here, he'll be fine." And with that, she wrapped her arms about Sakura's frail frame. The card Mistress sobbed, getting the shirt Meilin was wearing wet.
//Oh well . . .// thought Meilin, //At least I'll be able to change out of this awful colour soon, if she keeps it up . . .//
"Master? What's wrong?"
Eriol was staring deeply at his meal, and hadn't said a word since they had gotten home. Ruby and Spinel exchanged a look, and Ruby tried again, "Master?"
Eriol pushed away from the table, and left his cooling meal behind him. He walked into the library and stared out the window. Ruby and Spinel trailed him, "Master?" Tried Spinel, "Is there something wrong?"
Eriol started to nod slowly, "There is . . ."
"What is it?" asked Ruby.
Eriol turned from the window, he looked very serious, and his child-like face was drawn in a worried frown.
"I don't know."
It was getting late. Sakura had finally fallen asleep, Meilin and Tomoyo had retreated downstairs to make something for the group to eat.
"Do you really think it's so serious that he might die?" Asked Meilin quietly, she looked down into her bowl of batter.
Tomoyo slowly cut some vegetables, "Maybe." She answered softly.
"What happens if that happens? I mean . . ." Meilin stopped her stirring and looked at Tomoyo, "He's the guardian of the seal . . . what will happen to the cards if he goes?"
"I'm more concerned about Yue-san." Tomoyo stopped her slicing; "I don't think he could honestly handle Kero dying."
Meilin's eyes widened, "You think he might-"
"Let's just say, his state of mind isn't exactly balanced right now." Tomoyo resumed her slicing. Meilin slowly started to stir and pondered the questions raised.
"If both of them die . . . what will happen to Sakura?"
"I don't know . . ." Tomoyo turned away, and dropped her vegetables into the boiling water, she made sure that Meilin couldn't see her wipe her tears away, //If both die, it would be a serious drain on Sakura . . .// she thought fearfully, //she barely managed to transform the Sakura cards . . . would she survive making new guardians? //
"I just don't know . . ."
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And now it's time for LEAVE IT TO DOCTOR MEGALOMANIA!!
DrM: Konnichiwa!! [Throws herself at the readers' feet] I'm so sorry!! Gomen! Gomen!
Yue: So you should be!
DrM: I promise this will get funnier . . . it will!! I promise! I just want to establish some character arches . . . I promise the humour will start within the next few chapters until then please be kind and review, and don't flame me! I didn't mean for this to get so serious . . . Gomen!! It just kinda wants to go in this direction for now . . .
Yue: What do you mean 'go in this direction for now'?
DrM: When a story chooses it wants to go one way you go with it . . . NEVER ignore the story's wishes!
Yue: How about my wishes? Huh? Ever thought about that? I don't want to be some sort of screwball!
DrM: But you make such a traumatised cute screwball bunny-wunny!
Yue: [sighs] People . . . this is what I want you to do . . . see that little yellow button down there? Good, click it, and leave message saying . . . 'That drop dead sexy moon guardian is NOT a traumatised cute screwball bunny- [face screws up in disgust,] -wunny! . . . then you can write what you think of the story and then I suggest you run away. . . RUN FAR AWAY!!
DrM: My, my, then I guess a certain moon guardian *doesn't* want to have more action with a certain moon angel's mistress' brother . . .
Yue: On second thought, just leave a nice review. . . preferably saying. . . 'That traumatised cute screwball bunny-wunny drop dead sexy moon guardian needs action with Touya . . . Lots of action!' then leave some sort of comment . . .
DrM: I don't even know what to say . . . the man's just so cute! Don't forget to R&R!! Honn na na!!