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 Seven: And it's your shift I believe . . .
[warning: chapter has a slight bit of OCC!! I'm really, really sorry!!]
Another morning was born; Syaoran and Meilin trudged down the stairs in search of some food and to find out who would be Keroberos' new nurses.
"Take my name out please!" Requested Syaoran gruffly as he shrugged out of the jumper, "I just had two shifts!"
"I agree," said Tomoyo and quickly searched through the list of names. Meanwhile Touya and Sakura brought the morning's breakfast. "Good morning!" Said Sakura brightly. "Did Kero wake up at all last night?"
Meilin yawned and then answered "Not really . . . But we did have an interesting conversation."
"Hoe?" Sakura blinked in surprise, "You and Syaoran?"
"No. . ." Meilin smile tiredly, "The sponge toy and me." Syaoran snorted with laughter as Meilin chuckled. During the night Kero's fever had hiked up again to the point where he was having a delusion about puddings, he was telling Meilin, thinking she was a five foot high slice of Mississippi mud pie, with an extra serving of whipped cream, that he was very deeply in love with her, and that he couldn't wait until they consummated the relationship. Syaoran had managed to keep a very straight face, given the circumstances he was actually intensely proud of himself, as he was telling her to ". . . Play along! We don't want to aggravate his condition by letting him get agitated!"
As Touya was setting the plates down, Touya stepped out of the kitchen carrying another tray.
Meilin and Syaoran rubbed their bleary eyes, and stared mutely at the two Touyas. Syaoran sighed sharply, "Let me guess, Eriol tried to get the Twin card to do something for him. . ."
Eriol laughed as he poured himself another cup of tea, Tomoyo shook her head, "No," she confided in them quietly, "They're playing a joke on ruby moon."
The two Touyas winked and turned back into the kitchen, "Touya! Mirror! It was funny the first time!" Nakuru yelled in the kitchen, "Now it's just mean!! No, wait . . . it wasn't even funny the first time! It's *always* so mean!!"
The group chuckled quietly, as Yuki strode into the room, "Yukito!" Cried Sakura happily, "Konnichiwa!"
"Why isn't anyone watching Keroberos?" He snapped irritably.
"Good morning Yue," said Eriol, as he blew the surface of his tea.
Yukito sighed sharply and stood with his arms folded. If it wasn't for the lack of hair, the glasses, that cute snow bunny-ness that Yuki always had, he could have easily passed for Yue. "Why isn't anyone watching Keroberos?" He demanded again.
"Because we were just about to draw today's lots." Said Tomoyo as she pulled two new slips of paper out of hat. "We've decided that we need to extend the shifts so the first two that will be working today's first four hour shift will be. . ."
The clock seemed to tick much louder in Sakura's room. The silence was so heavy the Sakura cards actually started to accuse the silent card of acting without permission from the mistress. Two pages from two books were turned at the exact same time. Two loud sighs were emitted at the exact same time.
"Will you stop doing that?!" Two irritated guardians snapped at each other at the exact same time, "And that too!" Both Yue and Spinel mirrored each other as they shook their heads, sighed harshly again and returned to their books.
A cough from Keroberos interrupted the silence. The unhealthy lion tried to roll on his back but was prevented by a large pillow. Kero yawned as his eyes creaked open. He woke up to the same sight he had been waking up to every . . . //have I been waking up everyday?// he thought hazily. He suddenly felt a little scared, he couldn't remember the last time he woke up, only the name of his brother floated to his consciousness.
"Yue . . .?" His throat was dry; his lips had stuck together after days of non-use.
A soft breeze caressed the fur on top of his bare head, //where's my helmet?// he thought as Yue's angular features floated horizontally upside down, "Keroberos?" He asked quietly. His fringe brushed on the floor while he floated over his brother.
Kero smiled sluggishly, and Yue's eyes betrayed a softness he didn't allow to be seen very often. "You okay?" Yue asked.
Kero tried to roll on to his front; Yue landed softly and allowed his wings to disappear. "Stay there," he said.
"I want to get up . . ." Kero shakily tried to raise himself off the ground. A warm pressure under his stomach pushed him upright. Spinel called, "let him sit up!"
Kero looked between his forepaws to see the midnight blue panther's head supporting him. "You're here too?" Asked Kero.
Once Kero was sitting up, Yue sat beside him one long arm draped around Kero's back, ready to take the pressure when Kero would start to feel giddy. Spinel sat the other side.
"But you two hate each other . . ." Kero looked from Spinel to Yue and back again.
"Stop moving your head so fast!" Yue snapped quietly, "You'll make yourself sick!"
"Are you two friends now?"
"No!" Came the doubled hasty retort.
Kero yawned. "I'm hungry . . ." he announced, Spinel looked past him at Yue, the moon guardian glared back.
"Fine then, I'll be getting the food . . ." and with that, Spinel padded out of the room.
As soon as Spinel had left, Kero's shoulders slumped and he slid against Yue. His eyes were closed again, and he could feel sleep trying to get him again. Keroberos frowned and shook his head; he didn't want to go to sleep again.
"If you're tired, go back to sleep . . ." Yue murmured gently. Kero pulled his eyes open, and stared searchingly at his brother's profile. Yue was pale. Much paler than he was usually, his usually perfect features betrayed tiredness; his eyes were red-rimmed meaning he had been crying a lot. Kero frowned slightly, he'd only ever seen Yue cry twice. The first time had been after Kero burnt Yue's fringe to the length it was now, the second, after Clow had died and they had sat together and cried into each other's shoulders. Kero looked instinctively at Yue's lips, when the angel was upset his lips always suffered. Yue's lips were dry, and the bottom one was nicked with little cuts.
"You've been biting your lip again, Yue . . ." Kero frowned; it was a habit he thought Yue had kicked. As if the mere mention of his tendency was a trigger, Yue sucked his bottom lip in again and started to chew.
"Yue!" Kero murmured disapprovingly.
Yue paused long enough to utter, "I can't help it."
Kero sighed and rested his head against Yue's shoulder. "I bet your nervous twitch has returned with avengeance . . ."
"Has not!" Yue leaned his head on Kero's.
Kero snickered. "Bet it has!" He teased. "Should I be warning Sakura not to let you near the library?"
"Urusei."
Kero snickered again. "So which system will you be starting with? The numbers or the alpha-aaa—aaa---"
Yue lifted his head of Kero's, and looked at the weak lion, "Kero?"
Kero tried lift his head; it felt as if it weighed a lot. "Yue . . ." he murmured weakly, "I'm so tired . . ."
Yue shifted to sit on his heels in front of his brother, he grasped the lion's golden shoulders to steady him, "Can you stay awake for some food? You haven't eaten in so long . . ."
Kero opened his mouth to reply, then closed it as his head started to swim again, he could feel his legs giving way again. He raised his heavy head to look at Yue once more, and wished there was something he could say to make the fear disappear from the angel's catlike eyes.
The last thing Kero was aware of was Yue's amethyst eyes widen with shock, and Yue's voice call out with horror as he pitched forward, unable to support his heavy body anymore and feeling terrible about the pain he was causing Yue.
"KEROBEROS!"
Yue's frightened call made Spinel drop the bag of biscuits Tomoyo had left in case Kero woke. He ran up the last few remaining steps, and burst into the room, he found Yue holding a very unconscious Keroberos. Yue had his eyes sealed shut and was biting his lip so hard that he had started to bleed.
"Yue . . ." Spinel nudged the guardian; he was surprise to realise that Yue was actually trembling. Touya burst into the room.
"What happened?!" Spinel looked over his shoulder at the panting boy, just behind him the mirror girl stood, concern written all over her face. She rushed forward, "Yue-sama!"
As Touya and Spinel gently made Keroberos comfortable, the Mirror tried to get Yue to sit down. The guardian was trembling even more now, his lip bleeding slightly heavier now, and his normally cool eyes were wide and clearly upset. The Mirror didn't know what to do. The guardian was the one that protected her, and after the Mistress; he was the one she had to obey. //The mistress?// the Mirror thought, she stepped out the room as her thought lead her to a possible way to help Yue, //the Master Clow Reed. . . the Master's reincarnation!//
She ran down the stairs and tip-toed into the living room, the room was darkened by the curtains, pulled closed to keep the morning's sunlight out. She moved over each of the sleeping bodies to see which one was the master's reincarnation.
"Mirror?" A shiver ran down her back as she heard a younger echo of the Master Clow Reed's voice.
"Gomen, Hiirawagizawa-sama . . . but . . ."
"It's Yue isn't it?" The young boy sat up and placed his glasses on his face. "Very well," he whispered, "I will speak with him."
The Mirror wasn't aware of it as they silently went up the stairs, but inside the mind of Hiirawagizawa Eriol, a conversation was taking place, one that had been repeated several times after Keroberos had first fallen asleep . . .
"We have to tell them." Eriol stared out of the window, of his former life's study. It was Clow's favourite time of year, autumn. It lay between Keroberos' favourite of summer and Yue's of winter.
"Tell them what?" Clow snapped, "I'm sorry Boys, I didn't accidentally die, I died on purpose, I could have saved myself but I was too selfish to even try."
"It would be the truth." Eriol turned to look at his past life. Clow looked up from his tea.
"Since when have you ever wanted to be truthful?"
Eriol shook his head, "That was a low blow." He commented, Clow sighed and leant forward, after safely putting his cup on the low table, he pressed his white hands into his face.
"I know . . ." he murmured through his hands, Clow rubbed his eyes once, before staring at Eriol, "I'm sorry. I'm worried about Keroberos."
"I am too . . ." Eriol said as Clow stood, his long robes swishing silently, "but I'm also beginning to worry about Yue."
Clow stood shoulder to shoulder with Eriol, facing the window. He was silent as he gazed at the window seat.
"NO! Sit still!" A familiar voice commanded irritably. "You must sit still!"
"But I'm bored and pappy's cooking!" Eriol turned, Clow had his hand outstretched, and the memory he commanded came to life. Yue and Keroberos were in the study; Yue's lanky form was sitting crossed legged on a large purple cushion, on the plush red rug. He was staring up at Keroberos, who was sprawled on the window seat. Keroberos was staring out the window, as Yue tried to sketch him. "Yue . . ."
"Keep still!" Yue snapped, as Keroberos sighed and his tail moved again.
Kero tried a different tactic, he tried to keep as still as a statue as he talked through his clamped teeth, "Yue! Pappy's cooking!" Keroberos' voice took on the high-pitched quality of his plush toy form, "Pappy's cooking Yue and he might be making cake!" Kero managed to keep very still as he dryly sobbed, "I'm missing cake! And I might be missing bowl licking! And cookie dough! And left over biscuit batter! And extra icing sugar! Cakeeee!"
"Have some later!" Yue grumbled as he rubbed out Kero's tail and started again, he sighed sharply, "There's only the three of us here . . . what makes you think there won't be any left when I'm done drawing?"
Kero's tail twitched again, as Keroberos grumbled, "You draw like you wash your hair . . . you take days!"
Eriol smiled, as Clow stepped forward. The magician entered the memory, his black robes fading and turning into his flour-dusted cooking clothes and his favourite apron. Clow's face still retained his sadness, his melancholy over Keroberos' illness, as he approached the old memory. "What are you two doing?"
Yue glanced up and blushed slightly, "We're . . . I mean, I'm trying to . . ."
"Torture me to death with his non-finishing!" Keroberos yelled as he interrupted.
"Keroberos!" Yue's eyes narrowed as he snapped, "That's not even a word!"
"I'm the Guardian Beast of the Seal! I can make as many words up as I want!" Keroberos stuck his tongue out as Yue scowled. Yue's retort was frozen as Clow lifted his hand again. The dark haired magician crouched down by his moon guardian's frozen features. He peered over his spectacles as he pressed his fist against his chin in contemplation. Eriol stepped over to the frozen Keroberos, long pink tongue still extended mockingly, he stroked the underside of the lion's chin, more out of habit than anything else, and the guardian loved that. The dark haired boy looked at his other life, who stood. Clow nodded once, he glanced at Yue as he spoke.
"Once this is all over, then I will tell them . . . until then . . ." Clow sighed again, "Quieten Yue down."
Eriol nodded once, and turned to leave. He'd just reached the door when a thought occurred to him; he turned and called across the room. "What about Yue's . . .?"
"Twitch?" Clow stood up and looked around his study's library. "Advise Sakura to lock Fujitaka's study, and then the basement, and then Fujitaka's bedroom." Clow paused and thought for a few moments, "On second thoughts . . . It would be a lot easier just to tell her to keep an eye on Yue, and not to let him near any books."
After Eriol had calmed Yue down, the moon guardian cast one more look at his brother and then transformed away. Tomoyo, to start their shift, woke Sakura. When they got to her bedroom, they found Touya trying to coax Yue out of hiding.
"It's no use Touya," said Yuki, wrapping his arms around his elbows. He turned and looked out the window, "He simply wants to be alone."
Touya sighed, he shoulders dropped slightly, he turned and looked at Eriol. "Isn't there anything you can do?"
The boy magician was sitting by Keroberos; shoulder leant against his own midnight blue guardian. He sighed and shook his head, "As I recall, when Yue wanted to be alone, we *left* Yue alone . . ."
"Why?" Yukito asked, interested.
"When in *that* frame of mind Yue was never adverse to throwing a few icicles at anyone . . ." Eriol glanced at Yukito, "That includes Clow . . ."
Yukito's eyes widened as Touya nodded in understanding, "Oh . . ."
"What's wrong?" Asked Sakura.
"Keroberos woke up, then fainted, Yue went to pieces, and now is hiding in the snow rabbit, your big brother asking stupid questions . . . " Explained Spinel, " . . .And it's your shift I believe."
-------------------------------------------
And now it's time for LEAVE IT TO DOCTOR MEGALOMANIA!!
DrM: Konnichi---- [is suddenly tackled, tied up and gagged by a white blur]
Yue: [straightens Kero-chan type bowtie, and sits in Eriol's Throne of Evil] Hello, and welcome to the latest chapter's. . .
-------------------------------------------
And now it's time for LEAVE IT TO YUE!!
Yue: Konnichiwa, I am your host; Yue, moon guardian. Lately I have noticed that DrM's choice of co-hosts has been less than the perfection that *is* me, and because DrM has be portraying me so out of character it's almost wrong, so I have decided to take over the A/Ns to provide you, the readers, with some quality programming.
DrM: [gagged] MMMmmmmmm!!! [Translation: NOOOOOoooooo!!]
Yue: Quite . . .[raises eyebrow and continues] Anyway, as per tradition, here are the normal requests, please R&R, leave the usually demand to 'Free the Drop dead Gorgeous Moon guardian from the DrM's fics', or to at least given him more action with To-ya, and come back for the next chapter . . . [Puts hand over ear piece] which I'm being told is going up at the same time as this one . . . so I believe; I'll be seeing you at the next A/Ns. We finish today's instalment with a rendition of Thomas Hardy's 'Return Of the Native' . . .
DrM: [gagged, eyes wide with fear] Mmmmmmmmmm!! [trans: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!]
Yue: [adjusts Clow-like specs, and opens book] . . .and it's *not* the film version.
DrM: [gagged] ARGMMMMMM!!! 0.o;;;
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 Seven: And it's your shift I believe . . .
[warning: chapter has a slight bit of OCC!! I'm really, really sorry!!]
Another morning was born; Syaoran and Meilin trudged down the stairs in search of some food and to find out who would be Keroberos' new nurses.
"Take my name out please!" Requested Syaoran gruffly as he shrugged out of the jumper, "I just had two shifts!"
"I agree," said Tomoyo and quickly searched through the list of names. Meanwhile Touya and Sakura brought the morning's breakfast. "Good morning!" Said Sakura brightly. "Did Kero wake up at all last night?"
Meilin yawned and then answered "Not really . . . But we did have an interesting conversation."
"Hoe?" Sakura blinked in surprise, "You and Syaoran?"
"No. . ." Meilin smile tiredly, "The sponge toy and me." Syaoran snorted with laughter as Meilin chuckled. During the night Kero's fever had hiked up again to the point where he was having a delusion about puddings, he was telling Meilin, thinking she was a five foot high slice of Mississippi mud pie, with an extra serving of whipped cream, that he was very deeply in love with her, and that he couldn't wait until they consummated the relationship. Syaoran had managed to keep a very straight face, given the circumstances he was actually intensely proud of himself, as he was telling her to ". . . Play along! We don't want to aggravate his condition by letting him get agitated!"
As Touya was setting the plates down, Touya stepped out of the kitchen carrying another tray.
Meilin and Syaoran rubbed their bleary eyes, and stared mutely at the two Touyas. Syaoran sighed sharply, "Let me guess, Eriol tried to get the Twin card to do something for him. . ."
Eriol laughed as he poured himself another cup of tea, Tomoyo shook her head, "No," she confided in them quietly, "They're playing a joke on ruby moon."
The two Touyas winked and turned back into the kitchen, "Touya! Mirror! It was funny the first time!" Nakuru yelled in the kitchen, "Now it's just mean!! No, wait . . . it wasn't even funny the first time! It's *always* so mean!!"
The group chuckled quietly, as Yuki strode into the room, "Yukito!" Cried Sakura happily, "Konnichiwa!"
"Why isn't anyone watching Keroberos?" He snapped irritably.
"Good morning Yue," said Eriol, as he blew the surface of his tea.
Yukito sighed sharply and stood with his arms folded. If it wasn't for the lack of hair, the glasses, that cute snow bunny-ness that Yuki always had, he could have easily passed for Yue. "Why isn't anyone watching Keroberos?" He demanded again.
"Because we were just about to draw today's lots." Said Tomoyo as she pulled two new slips of paper out of hat. "We've decided that we need to extend the shifts so the first two that will be working today's first four hour shift will be. . ."
The clock seemed to tick much louder in Sakura's room. The silence was so heavy the Sakura cards actually started to accuse the silent card of acting without permission from the mistress. Two pages from two books were turned at the exact same time. Two loud sighs were emitted at the exact same time.
"Will you stop doing that?!" Two irritated guardians snapped at each other at the exact same time, "And that too!" Both Yue and Spinel mirrored each other as they shook their heads, sighed harshly again and returned to their books.
A cough from Keroberos interrupted the silence. The unhealthy lion tried to roll on his back but was prevented by a large pillow. Kero yawned as his eyes creaked open. He woke up to the same sight he had been waking up to every . . . //have I been waking up everyday?// he thought hazily. He suddenly felt a little scared, he couldn't remember the last time he woke up, only the name of his brother floated to his consciousness.
"Yue . . .?" His throat was dry; his lips had stuck together after days of non-use.
A soft breeze caressed the fur on top of his bare head, //where's my helmet?// he thought as Yue's angular features floated horizontally upside down, "Keroberos?" He asked quietly. His fringe brushed on the floor while he floated over his brother.
Kero smiled sluggishly, and Yue's eyes betrayed a softness he didn't allow to be seen very often. "You okay?" Yue asked.
Kero tried to roll on to his front; Yue landed softly and allowed his wings to disappear. "Stay there," he said.
"I want to get up . . ." Kero shakily tried to raise himself off the ground. A warm pressure under his stomach pushed him upright. Spinel called, "let him sit up!"
Kero looked between his forepaws to see the midnight blue panther's head supporting him. "You're here too?" Asked Kero.
Once Kero was sitting up, Yue sat beside him one long arm draped around Kero's back, ready to take the pressure when Kero would start to feel giddy. Spinel sat the other side.
"But you two hate each other . . ." Kero looked from Spinel to Yue and back again.
"Stop moving your head so fast!" Yue snapped quietly, "You'll make yourself sick!"
"Are you two friends now?"
"No!" Came the doubled hasty retort.
Kero yawned. "I'm hungry . . ." he announced, Spinel looked past him at Yue, the moon guardian glared back.
"Fine then, I'll be getting the food . . ." and with that, Spinel padded out of the room.
As soon as Spinel had left, Kero's shoulders slumped and he slid against Yue. His eyes were closed again, and he could feel sleep trying to get him again. Keroberos frowned and shook his head; he didn't want to go to sleep again.
"If you're tired, go back to sleep . . ." Yue murmured gently. Kero pulled his eyes open, and stared searchingly at his brother's profile. Yue was pale. Much paler than he was usually, his usually perfect features betrayed tiredness; his eyes were red-rimmed meaning he had been crying a lot. Kero frowned slightly, he'd only ever seen Yue cry twice. The first time had been after Kero burnt Yue's fringe to the length it was now, the second, after Clow had died and they had sat together and cried into each other's shoulders. Kero looked instinctively at Yue's lips, when the angel was upset his lips always suffered. Yue's lips were dry, and the bottom one was nicked with little cuts.
"You've been biting your lip again, Yue . . ." Kero frowned; it was a habit he thought Yue had kicked. As if the mere mention of his tendency was a trigger, Yue sucked his bottom lip in again and started to chew.
"Yue!" Kero murmured disapprovingly.
Yue paused long enough to utter, "I can't help it."
Kero sighed and rested his head against Yue's shoulder. "I bet your nervous twitch has returned with avengeance . . ."
"Has not!" Yue leaned his head on Kero's.
Kero snickered. "Bet it has!" He teased. "Should I be warning Sakura not to let you near the library?"
"Urusei."
Kero snickered again. "So which system will you be starting with? The numbers or the alpha-aaa—aaa---"
Yue lifted his head of Kero's, and looked at the weak lion, "Kero?"
Kero tried lift his head; it felt as if it weighed a lot. "Yue . . ." he murmured weakly, "I'm so tired . . ."
Yue shifted to sit on his heels in front of his brother, he grasped the lion's golden shoulders to steady him, "Can you stay awake for some food? You haven't eaten in so long . . ."
Kero opened his mouth to reply, then closed it as his head started to swim again, he could feel his legs giving way again. He raised his heavy head to look at Yue once more, and wished there was something he could say to make the fear disappear from the angel's catlike eyes.
The last thing Kero was aware of was Yue's amethyst eyes widen with shock, and Yue's voice call out with horror as he pitched forward, unable to support his heavy body anymore and feeling terrible about the pain he was causing Yue.
"KEROBEROS!"
Yue's frightened call made Spinel drop the bag of biscuits Tomoyo had left in case Kero woke. He ran up the last few remaining steps, and burst into the room, he found Yue holding a very unconscious Keroberos. Yue had his eyes sealed shut and was biting his lip so hard that he had started to bleed.
"Yue . . ." Spinel nudged the guardian; he was surprise to realise that Yue was actually trembling. Touya burst into the room.
"What happened?!" Spinel looked over his shoulder at the panting boy, just behind him the mirror girl stood, concern written all over her face. She rushed forward, "Yue-sama!"
As Touya and Spinel gently made Keroberos comfortable, the Mirror tried to get Yue to sit down. The guardian was trembling even more now, his lip bleeding slightly heavier now, and his normally cool eyes were wide and clearly upset. The Mirror didn't know what to do. The guardian was the one that protected her, and after the Mistress; he was the one she had to obey. //The mistress?// the Mirror thought, she stepped out the room as her thought lead her to a possible way to help Yue, //the Master Clow Reed. . . the Master's reincarnation!//
She ran down the stairs and tip-toed into the living room, the room was darkened by the curtains, pulled closed to keep the morning's sunlight out. She moved over each of the sleeping bodies to see which one was the master's reincarnation.
"Mirror?" A shiver ran down her back as she heard a younger echo of the Master Clow Reed's voice.
"Gomen, Hiirawagizawa-sama . . . but . . ."
"It's Yue isn't it?" The young boy sat up and placed his glasses on his face. "Very well," he whispered, "I will speak with him."
The Mirror wasn't aware of it as they silently went up the stairs, but inside the mind of Hiirawagizawa Eriol, a conversation was taking place, one that had been repeated several times after Keroberos had first fallen asleep . . .
"We have to tell them." Eriol stared out of the window, of his former life's study. It was Clow's favourite time of year, autumn. It lay between Keroberos' favourite of summer and Yue's of winter.
"Tell them what?" Clow snapped, "I'm sorry Boys, I didn't accidentally die, I died on purpose, I could have saved myself but I was too selfish to even try."
"It would be the truth." Eriol turned to look at his past life. Clow looked up from his tea.
"Since when have you ever wanted to be truthful?"
Eriol shook his head, "That was a low blow." He commented, Clow sighed and leant forward, after safely putting his cup on the low table, he pressed his white hands into his face.
"I know . . ." he murmured through his hands, Clow rubbed his eyes once, before staring at Eriol, "I'm sorry. I'm worried about Keroberos."
"I am too . . ." Eriol said as Clow stood, his long robes swishing silently, "but I'm also beginning to worry about Yue."
Clow stood shoulder to shoulder with Eriol, facing the window. He was silent as he gazed at the window seat.
"NO! Sit still!" A familiar voice commanded irritably. "You must sit still!"
"But I'm bored and pappy's cooking!" Eriol turned, Clow had his hand outstretched, and the memory he commanded came to life. Yue and Keroberos were in the study; Yue's lanky form was sitting crossed legged on a large purple cushion, on the plush red rug. He was staring up at Keroberos, who was sprawled on the window seat. Keroberos was staring out the window, as Yue tried to sketch him. "Yue . . ."
"Keep still!" Yue snapped, as Keroberos sighed and his tail moved again.
Kero tried a different tactic, he tried to keep as still as a statue as he talked through his clamped teeth, "Yue! Pappy's cooking!" Keroberos' voice took on the high-pitched quality of his plush toy form, "Pappy's cooking Yue and he might be making cake!" Kero managed to keep very still as he dryly sobbed, "I'm missing cake! And I might be missing bowl licking! And cookie dough! And left over biscuit batter! And extra icing sugar! Cakeeee!"
"Have some later!" Yue grumbled as he rubbed out Kero's tail and started again, he sighed sharply, "There's only the three of us here . . . what makes you think there won't be any left when I'm done drawing?"
Kero's tail twitched again, as Keroberos grumbled, "You draw like you wash your hair . . . you take days!"
Eriol smiled, as Clow stepped forward. The magician entered the memory, his black robes fading and turning into his flour-dusted cooking clothes and his favourite apron. Clow's face still retained his sadness, his melancholy over Keroberos' illness, as he approached the old memory. "What are you two doing?"
Yue glanced up and blushed slightly, "We're . . . I mean, I'm trying to . . ."
"Torture me to death with his non-finishing!" Keroberos yelled as he interrupted.
"Keroberos!" Yue's eyes narrowed as he snapped, "That's not even a word!"
"I'm the Guardian Beast of the Seal! I can make as many words up as I want!" Keroberos stuck his tongue out as Yue scowled. Yue's retort was frozen as Clow lifted his hand again. The dark haired magician crouched down by his moon guardian's frozen features. He peered over his spectacles as he pressed his fist against his chin in contemplation. Eriol stepped over to the frozen Keroberos, long pink tongue still extended mockingly, he stroked the underside of the lion's chin, more out of habit than anything else, and the guardian loved that. The dark haired boy looked at his other life, who stood. Clow nodded once, he glanced at Yue as he spoke.
"Once this is all over, then I will tell them . . . until then . . ." Clow sighed again, "Quieten Yue down."
Eriol nodded once, and turned to leave. He'd just reached the door when a thought occurred to him; he turned and called across the room. "What about Yue's . . .?"
"Twitch?" Clow stood up and looked around his study's library. "Advise Sakura to lock Fujitaka's study, and then the basement, and then Fujitaka's bedroom." Clow paused and thought for a few moments, "On second thoughts . . . It would be a lot easier just to tell her to keep an eye on Yue, and not to let him near any books."
After Eriol had calmed Yue down, the moon guardian cast one more look at his brother and then transformed away. Tomoyo, to start their shift, woke Sakura. When they got to her bedroom, they found Touya trying to coax Yue out of hiding.
"It's no use Touya," said Yuki, wrapping his arms around his elbows. He turned and looked out the window, "He simply wants to be alone."
Touya sighed, he shoulders dropped slightly, he turned and looked at Eriol. "Isn't there anything you can do?"
The boy magician was sitting by Keroberos; shoulder leant against his own midnight blue guardian. He sighed and shook his head, "As I recall, when Yue wanted to be alone, we *left* Yue alone . . ."
"Why?" Yukito asked, interested.
"When in *that* frame of mind Yue was never adverse to throwing a few icicles at anyone . . ." Eriol glanced at Yukito, "That includes Clow . . ."
Yukito's eyes widened as Touya nodded in understanding, "Oh . . ."
"What's wrong?" Asked Sakura.
"Keroberos woke up, then fainted, Yue went to pieces, and now is hiding in the snow rabbit, your big brother asking stupid questions . . . " Explained Spinel, " . . .And it's your shift I believe."
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And now it's time for LEAVE IT TO DOCTOR MEGALOMANIA!!
DrM: Konnichi---- [is suddenly tackled, tied up and gagged by a white blur]
Yue: [straightens Kero-chan type bowtie, and sits in Eriol's Throne of Evil] Hello, and welcome to the latest chapter's. . .
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And now it's time for LEAVE IT TO YUE!!
Yue: Konnichiwa, I am your host; Yue, moon guardian. Lately I have noticed that DrM's choice of co-hosts has been less than the perfection that *is* me, and because DrM has be portraying me so out of character it's almost wrong, so I have decided to take over the A/Ns to provide you, the readers, with some quality programming.
DrM: [gagged] MMMmmmmmm!!! [Translation: NOOOOOoooooo!!]
Yue: Quite . . .[raises eyebrow and continues] Anyway, as per tradition, here are the normal requests, please R&R, leave the usually demand to 'Free the Drop dead Gorgeous Moon guardian from the DrM's fics', or to at least given him more action with To-ya, and come back for the next chapter . . . [Puts hand over ear piece] which I'm being told is going up at the same time as this one . . . so I believe; I'll be seeing you at the next A/Ns. We finish today's instalment with a rendition of Thomas Hardy's 'Return Of the Native' . . .
DrM: [gagged, eyes wide with fear] Mmmmmmmmmm!! [trans: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!]
Yue: [adjusts Clow-like specs, and opens book] . . .and it's *not* the film version.
DrM: [gagged] ARGMMMMMM!!! 0.o;;;