The Stones of Claire
By like a falling star
Chapter 1: The goblet
Tomoyo pushed open the creaking wooden door and walked into the antique shop [that is the shop that sells antique objects, not that the shop is really old]. The shopkeeper glanced up, looking surprise, as if no one ever came into the store. He was a sturdy old man who seemed very wise and knowledgeable.
Tomoyo gave him a small smile and looked around the shop. It was filled with shelves of various knick-knacks, from battered bronze and carved stone to unspoilt wood and gleaming silver.
A small goblet caught Tomoyo's eye. There was nothing very special about the goblet, it was just plain and gold, small enough to fit horizontally on the palm of one's hand. Tomoyo sternly pulled herself away from that particular shelf. Remember, I'm here to get Mother a birthday present, I'm not here to shop. I really shouldn't let myself get distracted like that. Of course, a distraction was just what she needed, what with her problem with Eriol and all that.
She wandered around the shop, her mind drifting occassionally to the beautiful miniature cup. After while, she found what she wanted-- or rather, what she thought her mother would like. It was an antique wristwatch. The straps were made of expensive leather, and clusters of tiny diamonds were embedded in the white-gold face of the watch. Tomoyo knew instantly that Sonomi would love it. She purchased it. While the shopkeeper was busily wrapping up the watch, Tomoyo went over to the goblet just to take a look at it. There was something subtly appealing about it. Then she thought she saw the goblet glow faintly, as if a light were emmitting from it. She gasped loudly.
"Is there something wrong, miss?" The shopkeeper asked her.
Tomoyo shook her head. "Uh- no. nothing's wrong." She glanced at the goblet, which seemed normal now. There. Nothing. It was just my imagination, that's all. She turned back to the shopkeeper, and spoke tentatively. "Do you... is there... i'll take that goblet." she said, then mentally smacked herself for being so impulsive. She usually did not buy things - expensive things - on a whim. Of course, she could always change her mind, it wasn't too late, but… she did not want to. "Will you wrap it up for me?"
The shopkeeper smiled. "Certainly. It's a good choice, this goblet. Made of the purest gold, you know." He tapped his fingernail on the side of the goblet, as if to demonstrate how pure the gold was.
Tomoyo nodded. "Yes. How much will that be altogether?"
The shopkeeper placed two small parcels on the counter. "That will be $62459.04."
Tomoyo paid without so much as blinking at the price and left the shop. On her way home, she dropped the "spare change" [which happened to be exactly $7540.96] into the church donating tin, helped a little boy find his lost toy car, helped a little girl get her kitten down from a tree and stopped by the soup kitchen to help cook the dinner [A.N.: I know it sounds a bit much, but I'm just demonstrating how nice she is].
When Tomoyo reached home she realised that she was all alone. Her mother had gone off to Boston for a conference and would stay there for two weeks, and Tomoyo had given her maids and bodyguards time-off while her mother was gone. She made a mental note to send her mother's birthday parcel over to Boston as soon as possible.
Tomoyo set her parcel - the parcel containing th goblet - on her bed and undid it. The brown paper came apart easily. Tomoyo just sat there staring at the goblet-- she didn't dare to touch it for fear of leaving sticky fingerprints on its smooth, shiny surface. Using the paper to hold it, Tomoyo placed the goblet on her dresser. Tomoyo sat on her bed and admired it. There was nothing especially beautiful or particularly outstanding about it, but it seemed precious and elegant in a way that appealed to her.
Suddenly the goblet began to glow again. Tomoyo leapt out of her chair excitedly, but also with a hint of apprehension. So I didn't imagine it after all! She heard a gurgling sound coming from it. What's happening? It sounds like there's a stream inside the cup or something! The light seemed to be getting stronger, brighter.
Tomoyo approached the goblet cautiously and peered into it. She gaped at what she saw. There was a liquid - a thick, clear, sparkling liquid - bubbling merrily inside the goblet. It seemed like liquid diamond, if there was ever such a thing.
The liquid gurgled noisily for awhile, before changing into a fiery red colour. Then it turned into a creamy pink colour, then a watery blue, and then into a brilliant orange. The magical liquid changed colours about ten times. Each colour was as beautiful and wonderfully astonishing as the next.
After awhile, the liquid turned back into its original clear colour. It simmered gently inside the goblet for awhile. All this time Tomoyo forgot to breathe. Suddenly the liquid disappeared, just vanished without a trace.
And Tomoyo fainted.
By like a falling star
Chapter 1: The goblet
Tomoyo pushed open the creaking wooden door and walked into the antique shop [that is the shop that sells antique objects, not that the shop is really old]. The shopkeeper glanced up, looking surprise, as if no one ever came into the store. He was a sturdy old man who seemed very wise and knowledgeable.
Tomoyo gave him a small smile and looked around the shop. It was filled with shelves of various knick-knacks, from battered bronze and carved stone to unspoilt wood and gleaming silver.
A small goblet caught Tomoyo's eye. There was nothing very special about the goblet, it was just plain and gold, small enough to fit horizontally on the palm of one's hand. Tomoyo sternly pulled herself away from that particular shelf. Remember, I'm here to get Mother a birthday present, I'm not here to shop. I really shouldn't let myself get distracted like that. Of course, a distraction was just what she needed, what with her problem with Eriol and all that.
She wandered around the shop, her mind drifting occassionally to the beautiful miniature cup. After while, she found what she wanted-- or rather, what she thought her mother would like. It was an antique wristwatch. The straps were made of expensive leather, and clusters of tiny diamonds were embedded in the white-gold face of the watch. Tomoyo knew instantly that Sonomi would love it. She purchased it. While the shopkeeper was busily wrapping up the watch, Tomoyo went over to the goblet just to take a look at it. There was something subtly appealing about it. Then she thought she saw the goblet glow faintly, as if a light were emmitting from it. She gasped loudly.
"Is there something wrong, miss?" The shopkeeper asked her.
Tomoyo shook her head. "Uh- no. nothing's wrong." She glanced at the goblet, which seemed normal now. There. Nothing. It was just my imagination, that's all. She turned back to the shopkeeper, and spoke tentatively. "Do you... is there... i'll take that goblet." she said, then mentally smacked herself for being so impulsive. She usually did not buy things - expensive things - on a whim. Of course, she could always change her mind, it wasn't too late, but… she did not want to. "Will you wrap it up for me?"
The shopkeeper smiled. "Certainly. It's a good choice, this goblet. Made of the purest gold, you know." He tapped his fingernail on the side of the goblet, as if to demonstrate how pure the gold was.
Tomoyo nodded. "Yes. How much will that be altogether?"
The shopkeeper placed two small parcels on the counter. "That will be $62459.04."
Tomoyo paid without so much as blinking at the price and left the shop. On her way home, she dropped the "spare change" [which happened to be exactly $7540.96] into the church donating tin, helped a little boy find his lost toy car, helped a little girl get her kitten down from a tree and stopped by the soup kitchen to help cook the dinner [A.N.: I know it sounds a bit much, but I'm just demonstrating how nice she is].
When Tomoyo reached home she realised that she was all alone. Her mother had gone off to Boston for a conference and would stay there for two weeks, and Tomoyo had given her maids and bodyguards time-off while her mother was gone. She made a mental note to send her mother's birthday parcel over to Boston as soon as possible.
Tomoyo set her parcel - the parcel containing th goblet - on her bed and undid it. The brown paper came apart easily. Tomoyo just sat there staring at the goblet-- she didn't dare to touch it for fear of leaving sticky fingerprints on its smooth, shiny surface. Using the paper to hold it, Tomoyo placed the goblet on her dresser. Tomoyo sat on her bed and admired it. There was nothing especially beautiful or particularly outstanding about it, but it seemed precious and elegant in a way that appealed to her.
Suddenly the goblet began to glow again. Tomoyo leapt out of her chair excitedly, but also with a hint of apprehension. So I didn't imagine it after all! She heard a gurgling sound coming from it. What's happening? It sounds like there's a stream inside the cup or something! The light seemed to be getting stronger, brighter.
Tomoyo approached the goblet cautiously and peered into it. She gaped at what she saw. There was a liquid - a thick, clear, sparkling liquid - bubbling merrily inside the goblet. It seemed like liquid diamond, if there was ever such a thing.
The liquid gurgled noisily for awhile, before changing into a fiery red colour. Then it turned into a creamy pink colour, then a watery blue, and then into a brilliant orange. The magical liquid changed colours about ten times. Each colour was as beautiful and wonderfully astonishing as the next.
After awhile, the liquid turned back into its original clear colour. It simmered gently inside the goblet for awhile. All this time Tomoyo forgot to breathe. Suddenly the liquid disappeared, just vanished without a trace.
And Tomoyo fainted.
