CHAPTER 8 - The Plans and Key
Tomoyo wasn't going to steal a horse, because Sakura wouldn't let her, but she explained that under no condition would she travel by foot all the way to Turento. So Syaoran told her that she could buy a horse, and agreed to buy one for her, so no one would be suspicious, since Tomoyo buying a horse built for travel would be mightily so. As long as Tomoyo gave him the money, anyway, which she did.
Syaoran picked out a slow, plodding horse that was physically built almost like a mule. He picked it out because it would be strong enough to travel with the packs and Tomoyo, whose complaint was that it was "ugly". Syaoran sighed and told her to find the inner beauty.
Sakura could tell Tomoyo and Syaoran were not going to get along at first, which meant that he would be at a sort of odds with everyone he was traveling with except for herself. She played peacemaker as best she could in every situation.
Kero, at least, seemed to take to Tomoyo. Once she got used to him, she accepted and even enjoyed his company. He told Sakura, out of earshot of anyone else, that Tomoyo must be important, or fate would not have brought them together. He seemed to believe fate had caused her to run into Syaoran, in what seemed like eons ago. He liked fate, and believed strongly in it. Sakura was not so sure everything was fate instead of coincidence, or even just something that happened with no real meaning, but didn't say so to Kero, because he seemed so sure, and she didn't have any facts to argue with.
Tomoyo at first was hard to cure of her noble tendencies, but after sleeping in a few haylofts and being around the "crude" behavior of Sakura and Syaoran, she lightened up, and soon became more daring than even them. At one town, Yurru, she even came up to sing for a few hours to earn a room for herself, rubbing it in as Syaoran and Sakura settled into yet another hayloft in a stable. She had a good voice, Sakura decided, if not practiced, and might have been able to earn a living with it if she so chose.
"A few more weeks," said Syaoran happily, on a day between towns, "and we'll be in Turento."
"And?" said Tomoyo.
"We announce that the young Lady Riya Daidouji has arrived, with two cousins. One will be named Kuno, that's me, and the other...Sakura?"
"I'm...um, I forgot," said Sakura sheepishly. Syaoran groaned dramatically.
"You can't forget your own name! It's okay, though, we still have some time for you to memorize it. Although, its not that hard. Say it with me, `Kutoe'. `Kutoe'."
"Kutoe," said Sakura. "I don't like it. It sounds made up."
"You can't have another, I've already written your document of nobility. Now, remember, you are Kutoe." Sakura grumbled over the choice of name while Syaoran continued.
"Anyway, Lady Riya Daijoudi, you have arrived with cousins Kuno Daijoudi and Kutoe Daidouji," he pretended to not notice Sakura's icy glare as he said the name again, "and you seek an audience with Yelan Li. Alone."
"Why alone?"
"Because, she'll recognize me, and Sakura can't carry herself like a noble should. Trust me, I've watched her try when you attempt to give her lessons." Tomoyo giggled as Sakura fumed in consternation.
"I never wanted to act noble," Sakura said defensively.
"Then, in your meeting, you give Yelan this note, that's supposedly from Clow."
"I don't understand," said Sakura. "If Tomoyo is going to do all the legwork, why do we have to be nobles and have made-up names. Couldn't one of us simply be Lady Riya's servant? Most nobles have at least one servant travel with them, right?"
"That's true," said Tomoyo. "I should have a servant. Sakura, you should be my servant," she said just as Sakura was about to nominate Syaoran for the position.
"That's not what I hoped for..." said Sakura weakly.
"A Lady Daidouji needs a handmaiden to assist her in all important things, like dressing and bathing," said Tomoyo. "All the best nobles have them, and I'm supposed to be of the most important. And Syaoran could not be allowed to do such things." Sakura felt her throat dry.
"I won't help you bathe!" she said indignantly. "No one should need help bathing."
"You only have to pretend," said Syaoran, sensing Sakura might back out of being a servant and realizing it would be a good idea to have one. "Yes, a female servant for a female noble is perfect."
Kero patted Sakura on the head. "Well, it was your idea."
"Thanks for the support, Kero," she said. "I suppose I have no choice."
"Okay, now that that's taken care of, what next?" asked Tomoyo. "What becomes of the note? And what does it say?"
"It's very simple. It is a note that will appear to be written by Clow Reed. He is breaking off their treaty, saying the Li clan and the city of Turento is no longer necessary or useful. This will make Yelan feel dishonored. She will want to war with Maghin. She would not try to do something sensible and confirm the note." Syaoran finished with a tone of satisfaction over a fail-safe plan.
"That's all very nice, but I don't know if Turento can win, even with the support of the Lis," said Kero. "The Maghin Empire has more than just the main forces in the capital. Rufley has a good solid force, and will probably side with Maghin, just because it likes the situation its in now and would not want to be on the side that loses against Maghin. Clow had a reputation of oppressing conquered territory. Not to mention the individual militaries contained in Porry, Maken, and Perserdes. All three alone are dangerous, but together with Maghin and Rufley make a combination that may be unbeatable. And let's not forget, any strong military was originally squashed by the immense power of Clow and the army in Maghin itself."
"Well, winning a war will be a problem only once its started. And nothing is unbeatable, not even Clow," said Syaoran.
"Perhaps, and Turento is probably the second strongest power in the world, but it would need the help of some of the other independent nations, maybe all of them, to have even a moderate chance of winning. All I'm saying is, we should at least wait until we've thought this through."
"Kero is very smart in these areas," said Sakura, a little astonished.
"I guess," admitted Syaoran grudgingly.
"Let's camp somewhere for a few days and really think it through," said Kero. First we'll see if we can't track down a reliable and current map of the world, and try and guess who will side with who."
"No hurry," said Sakura. "A war can wait a few days, can't it, Syaoran? As well as my term as servant, that can wait too."
"All right," said Syaoran. "We won't rush into anything."
"Now you're thinking smart," said Kero, "or as I like to call it, thinking the `Kero Way'." Syaoran groaned.
**************
It was a day later that Syaoran found the little key buried deeply in one of the sacks. He didn't know what to make of it. It didn't look like any key he had ever seen. A big white star centered in a pink circle formed the head of the key.
"It must open a really impressive treasure chest!" said Tomoyo.
"Not exactly," said Kero. "I've seen Kaho with it before. She must've sneaked it into the packs, hoping we'd find it later."
"What does it do?" asked Sakura. She moved in close to it, and it glowed with energy. "That's strange."
"It's meant for you, apparently," said Kero, as if it didn't surprise him. "But it won't do you any good right now...search the packs!" he ordered suddenly. "See if there are any hidden pockets or something. Kaho probably put the cards in there."
"Cards?"
"They were made by Clow, but a long time ago. Maybe it was before he turned bad. I don't know, but they only work with your staff." Sakura stared at the key, giving Kero a funny look. "It turns into a staff!" he asserted.
Syaoran and Tomoyo dug through the packs while Kero showed Sakura how to turn the key into the staff, with the same star pattern at the top. Syaoran yelled out when he found some cards with a strange magic pattern on the back. "Clow's magic pattern," said Kero, staring at the cards.
"That looks familiar," said Syaoran. "I've seen that before. At the courtyard in Maghin. Maybe I did fight Clow there."
Kero ignored him, flipping through the different cards, each containing a different type of magic. Watery, Fly, Jump, Firey, Sweet, and more. Then he came to a pink one, Windy. "What happened to it?" asked Tomoyo. "It looks different than the others."
Kero felt its magic, and felt Sakura's own inner magic. They were one and the same. "It's not a Clow Card anymore, its Sakura's own card. It must have transformed itself to her magic after being near her so long." Kero kept flipping through the cards, and found that two more of them had done like Windy: Shadow and Loop. Then he noticed another problem. "Hey, there is one missing! That's why I can't transform! Earthy is missing!"
"Where do you think that one is?" asked Syaoran. "We should find it."
"My best guess is its the only one Clow managed to keep Kaho from taking. She did say the collection was incomplete, now that I think back."
"You mean Clow has that card? How can we get it back? It's too far to go back and get it!" said Sakura, worriedly. "And you need to transform."
"Clow will bring it with him wherever he goes. For now, I think we can make your magic stronger in a hurry. You can change the rest of these cards into your own Sakura Cards. Start with an easier one that takes less energy. Try Fly." He handed her the card. "Now concentrate on it. Make it yours. Make it shed its old power and accept yours. Change it!"
Sakura concentrated, but wasn't even sure what Kero meant, let alone what she should be concentrating on. Something clicked, and she suddenly felt like one with the card. Clow's magic seemed...benevolent, flowing in and out of her like a gentle wave on a beach. Nothing like the man himself. Maybe Kero was right, that the cards were made before he went bad. Slowly at first, but picking up pace, she replaced Clow's magic with her own, without really understanding how. It just came to her, like she had known all her life. After she was done, the card was pink like the other three.
"Wow!" said Tomoyo. "It just changed!"
"I feel sleepy," yawned Sakura.
"It must've taken a lot of energy to change even this card," said Kero. "If you get tired after transforming every card, this will take a long time. But soon, you should be able to do it without sleeping, because your magic will be stronger, okay?" Kero's answer was a snore from the slumped over and sleeping Sakura. "I'll take that as a yes, I suppose," he said, laying her into a more comfortable position and covering her with a blanket.
*******************************************
Continued in Chapter 9
Tomoyo wasn't going to steal a horse, because Sakura wouldn't let her, but she explained that under no condition would she travel by foot all the way to Turento. So Syaoran told her that she could buy a horse, and agreed to buy one for her, so no one would be suspicious, since Tomoyo buying a horse built for travel would be mightily so. As long as Tomoyo gave him the money, anyway, which she did.
Syaoran picked out a slow, plodding horse that was physically built almost like a mule. He picked it out because it would be strong enough to travel with the packs and Tomoyo, whose complaint was that it was "ugly". Syaoran sighed and told her to find the inner beauty.
Sakura could tell Tomoyo and Syaoran were not going to get along at first, which meant that he would be at a sort of odds with everyone he was traveling with except for herself. She played peacemaker as best she could in every situation.
Kero, at least, seemed to take to Tomoyo. Once she got used to him, she accepted and even enjoyed his company. He told Sakura, out of earshot of anyone else, that Tomoyo must be important, or fate would not have brought them together. He seemed to believe fate had caused her to run into Syaoran, in what seemed like eons ago. He liked fate, and believed strongly in it. Sakura was not so sure everything was fate instead of coincidence, or even just something that happened with no real meaning, but didn't say so to Kero, because he seemed so sure, and she didn't have any facts to argue with.
Tomoyo at first was hard to cure of her noble tendencies, but after sleeping in a few haylofts and being around the "crude" behavior of Sakura and Syaoran, she lightened up, and soon became more daring than even them. At one town, Yurru, she even came up to sing for a few hours to earn a room for herself, rubbing it in as Syaoran and Sakura settled into yet another hayloft in a stable. She had a good voice, Sakura decided, if not practiced, and might have been able to earn a living with it if she so chose.
"A few more weeks," said Syaoran happily, on a day between towns, "and we'll be in Turento."
"And?" said Tomoyo.
"We announce that the young Lady Riya Daidouji has arrived, with two cousins. One will be named Kuno, that's me, and the other...Sakura?"
"I'm...um, I forgot," said Sakura sheepishly. Syaoran groaned dramatically.
"You can't forget your own name! It's okay, though, we still have some time for you to memorize it. Although, its not that hard. Say it with me, `Kutoe'. `Kutoe'."
"Kutoe," said Sakura. "I don't like it. It sounds made up."
"You can't have another, I've already written your document of nobility. Now, remember, you are Kutoe." Sakura grumbled over the choice of name while Syaoran continued.
"Anyway, Lady Riya Daijoudi, you have arrived with cousins Kuno Daijoudi and Kutoe Daidouji," he pretended to not notice Sakura's icy glare as he said the name again, "and you seek an audience with Yelan Li. Alone."
"Why alone?"
"Because, she'll recognize me, and Sakura can't carry herself like a noble should. Trust me, I've watched her try when you attempt to give her lessons." Tomoyo giggled as Sakura fumed in consternation.
"I never wanted to act noble," Sakura said defensively.
"Then, in your meeting, you give Yelan this note, that's supposedly from Clow."
"I don't understand," said Sakura. "If Tomoyo is going to do all the legwork, why do we have to be nobles and have made-up names. Couldn't one of us simply be Lady Riya's servant? Most nobles have at least one servant travel with them, right?"
"That's true," said Tomoyo. "I should have a servant. Sakura, you should be my servant," she said just as Sakura was about to nominate Syaoran for the position.
"That's not what I hoped for..." said Sakura weakly.
"A Lady Daidouji needs a handmaiden to assist her in all important things, like dressing and bathing," said Tomoyo. "All the best nobles have them, and I'm supposed to be of the most important. And Syaoran could not be allowed to do such things." Sakura felt her throat dry.
"I won't help you bathe!" she said indignantly. "No one should need help bathing."
"You only have to pretend," said Syaoran, sensing Sakura might back out of being a servant and realizing it would be a good idea to have one. "Yes, a female servant for a female noble is perfect."
Kero patted Sakura on the head. "Well, it was your idea."
"Thanks for the support, Kero," she said. "I suppose I have no choice."
"Okay, now that that's taken care of, what next?" asked Tomoyo. "What becomes of the note? And what does it say?"
"It's very simple. It is a note that will appear to be written by Clow Reed. He is breaking off their treaty, saying the Li clan and the city of Turento is no longer necessary or useful. This will make Yelan feel dishonored. She will want to war with Maghin. She would not try to do something sensible and confirm the note." Syaoran finished with a tone of satisfaction over a fail-safe plan.
"That's all very nice, but I don't know if Turento can win, even with the support of the Lis," said Kero. "The Maghin Empire has more than just the main forces in the capital. Rufley has a good solid force, and will probably side with Maghin, just because it likes the situation its in now and would not want to be on the side that loses against Maghin. Clow had a reputation of oppressing conquered territory. Not to mention the individual militaries contained in Porry, Maken, and Perserdes. All three alone are dangerous, but together with Maghin and Rufley make a combination that may be unbeatable. And let's not forget, any strong military was originally squashed by the immense power of Clow and the army in Maghin itself."
"Well, winning a war will be a problem only once its started. And nothing is unbeatable, not even Clow," said Syaoran.
"Perhaps, and Turento is probably the second strongest power in the world, but it would need the help of some of the other independent nations, maybe all of them, to have even a moderate chance of winning. All I'm saying is, we should at least wait until we've thought this through."
"Kero is very smart in these areas," said Sakura, a little astonished.
"I guess," admitted Syaoran grudgingly.
"Let's camp somewhere for a few days and really think it through," said Kero. First we'll see if we can't track down a reliable and current map of the world, and try and guess who will side with who."
"No hurry," said Sakura. "A war can wait a few days, can't it, Syaoran? As well as my term as servant, that can wait too."
"All right," said Syaoran. "We won't rush into anything."
"Now you're thinking smart," said Kero, "or as I like to call it, thinking the `Kero Way'." Syaoran groaned.
**************
It was a day later that Syaoran found the little key buried deeply in one of the sacks. He didn't know what to make of it. It didn't look like any key he had ever seen. A big white star centered in a pink circle formed the head of the key.
"It must open a really impressive treasure chest!" said Tomoyo.
"Not exactly," said Kero. "I've seen Kaho with it before. She must've sneaked it into the packs, hoping we'd find it later."
"What does it do?" asked Sakura. She moved in close to it, and it glowed with energy. "That's strange."
"It's meant for you, apparently," said Kero, as if it didn't surprise him. "But it won't do you any good right now...search the packs!" he ordered suddenly. "See if there are any hidden pockets or something. Kaho probably put the cards in there."
"Cards?"
"They were made by Clow, but a long time ago. Maybe it was before he turned bad. I don't know, but they only work with your staff." Sakura stared at the key, giving Kero a funny look. "It turns into a staff!" he asserted.
Syaoran and Tomoyo dug through the packs while Kero showed Sakura how to turn the key into the staff, with the same star pattern at the top. Syaoran yelled out when he found some cards with a strange magic pattern on the back. "Clow's magic pattern," said Kero, staring at the cards.
"That looks familiar," said Syaoran. "I've seen that before. At the courtyard in Maghin. Maybe I did fight Clow there."
Kero ignored him, flipping through the different cards, each containing a different type of magic. Watery, Fly, Jump, Firey, Sweet, and more. Then he came to a pink one, Windy. "What happened to it?" asked Tomoyo. "It looks different than the others."
Kero felt its magic, and felt Sakura's own inner magic. They were one and the same. "It's not a Clow Card anymore, its Sakura's own card. It must have transformed itself to her magic after being near her so long." Kero kept flipping through the cards, and found that two more of them had done like Windy: Shadow and Loop. Then he noticed another problem. "Hey, there is one missing! That's why I can't transform! Earthy is missing!"
"Where do you think that one is?" asked Syaoran. "We should find it."
"My best guess is its the only one Clow managed to keep Kaho from taking. She did say the collection was incomplete, now that I think back."
"You mean Clow has that card? How can we get it back? It's too far to go back and get it!" said Sakura, worriedly. "And you need to transform."
"Clow will bring it with him wherever he goes. For now, I think we can make your magic stronger in a hurry. You can change the rest of these cards into your own Sakura Cards. Start with an easier one that takes less energy. Try Fly." He handed her the card. "Now concentrate on it. Make it yours. Make it shed its old power and accept yours. Change it!"
Sakura concentrated, but wasn't even sure what Kero meant, let alone what she should be concentrating on. Something clicked, and she suddenly felt like one with the card. Clow's magic seemed...benevolent, flowing in and out of her like a gentle wave on a beach. Nothing like the man himself. Maybe Kero was right, that the cards were made before he went bad. Slowly at first, but picking up pace, she replaced Clow's magic with her own, without really understanding how. It just came to her, like she had known all her life. After she was done, the card was pink like the other three.
"Wow!" said Tomoyo. "It just changed!"
"I feel sleepy," yawned Sakura.
"It must've taken a lot of energy to change even this card," said Kero. "If you get tired after transforming every card, this will take a long time. But soon, you should be able to do it without sleeping, because your magic will be stronger, okay?" Kero's answer was a snore from the slumped over and sleeping Sakura. "I'll take that as a yes, I suppose," he said, laying her into a more comfortable position and covering her with a blanket.
*******************************************
Continued in Chapter 9