The Stones of Claire

By like a falling star



Chapter 7: The Stone of Deception

"You're not Sakura!"

'Sakura' turned around and smirked at Tomoyo. Suddenly the forest disappeared. The bandits disappeared. Even Syaoran disappeared. All that was left was Tomoyo and 'Sakura', alone in a bare, cold room.

"Hmm…" 'Sakura' stalked around Tomoyo, as if sizing her up. "Pretty smart guess for a little girl like you."

Tomoyo bit her lip, wondering what was going to happen next, and wondering where the real Sakura - and the rest of her friends - was. "I'm sixteen."

'Sakura' ignored her. "You're a little girl." She [or he, or it] repeated. "You're right, you know." 'Sakura' suddenly shifted into Syaoran. "I'm not Sakura." he said smugly.

Tomoyo stared. That impersonator-- that whoever-it-was just… changed! Transformed! Into Syaoran! What was this?? "You--" her voice was caught in her throat. "You're not human, are you?" she whispered.

"What do you think?" 'Syaoran' said in a bored voice.

"You're not." Tomoyo came to the realisation. "You're a-- a-- a magician. A shape-shifter. Something." The question was… what?

Syaoran flexed his muscles and turned into Eriol.

Eriol.

Tomoyo stared. The impersonator was Eriol right down to the last bit of his hair. He looked exactly the same as Eriol. The same neatly-parted midnight blue hair. The same 6 foot frame. He even had the same shade of eye colour as Eriol. A deep, intense sapphire blue with flecks of pearl grey mixed in. Sometimes, when he was facing the sunrise, his eyes would appear to be a glacial, aquiline blue with a tinge of golden-brown. An indescribable colour, really. But it was the closest she could get to his actual eye colour.

Without warning, Tomoyo blushed. And then she berated herself for blushing. Ok, why am I thinking about Eriol's eye colour? This is just weird. So not me. Plus there are more important things to deal with at the moment. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I am Eriol." he said.

Tomoyo took a deep breath. "No, I mean-- who are you? Why are you pretending to be my friends? Why are you doing this?"

'Eriol' snarled and turned into a shadow, hidden completely in a thick black cloak. "I am your humblest slave. I am your worst nightmare. I am a shadow, a mask, a hide. I have no true form." His voice was deep and slurred, a heavy tone to it.

Light dawned in Tomoyo's eyes. "You mask, you deceive…" she murmured quietly. "The Stone of Deception. I should have known…" she whispered.

"Very smart, little girl," The shadow drawled. "Very smart indeed." He turned sharply towards Tomoyo. "But are you smart enough for this?"

The shadow flung the cloak around him in one swift motion and suddenly two Eriols appeared, each suspended from a rope which was slowly being lowered into a pool of burning hot, bubbling lava. No more cloaked shadow, no more slurred voice.

Tomoyo stared the two Eriols in horror. What was going on? Whatever it was, it wasn't very friendly.

It suddenly occurred to her that one of the Eriols was the Stone of Deception, and she was supposed to figure out which was the real Eriol and help him before it was too late. Before…

Tomoyo gulped. What was she to do? Who was the real Eriol, and who was the impostor?

"Eriol! Use your magic to save yourself!"

Eriol 1 shook his head. "This is a special void, Tomoyo, I can't use my magic in here… it's no use."

Eriol 2 shouted, "I can't! They took away my magic… I can't do anything!"

Tomoyo took a tentative step towards Eriol 2.

"No!" Eriol 1 shook his head frantically. "Stay away from him, Tomoyo!" He turned towards Eriol 2. "Don't you dare hurt her!"

Eriol 2 burnt a bright red. "I will never hurt Tomoyo!" He turned towards Tomoyo and spoke gently. "I will not get hurt, Tomoyo, don't worry! Just take your staff and capture the Stone!"

Tomoyo looked confused. "My staff?"

Eriol 1 struggled with the ropes, but to no avail. "Your necklace! Take it off and repeat after me."

Tomoyo looked down, and sure enough there was a simple silver chain around her neck, a thumb-sized version of the goblet hanging from it. "What do I do?"

Eriol 2 started. "Repeat after me: Of grace, beauty, hope and love, I, the keeper of the Stones, call upon the light of Claire--"

Tomoyo obediently repeated after him, her fingers twined around the silver chain from which the golden goblet hung.

Eriol 1 continued, "To guide me and help me in my mission, so that I may see the light, and vanquish darkness forever. I call upon the magic goblet of Claire!"

Tomoyo repeated slowly yet surely, trying to remember the words as she said them.

The necklace suddenly emitted a bright purple light, and elongated, transforming slowly, the shadows of a staff beginning to show… now Tomoyo held in her hand a glowing violet staff, on one end fixed a miniature golden goblet.

She glanced at it for a moment, awe-struck, as if she couldn't believe that she could actually wield such a beautiful, magical staff. Suddenly she heard a voice in her head. The Voice was clear and enigmatic, high and chiming and sweet, like tinkling bells. Tomoyo then realised that it was Claire's voice she heard, guiding her, helping her in her mission, just as she'd asked her to.

'Tomoyo… my successor. This is your first mission. To succeed, do only good. Do what you would do if you were in a real situation, do what you would do if you wanted to help'. The Voice advised wisely.

What I would do?? Tomoyo was confused. If I was in a real situation, if I wanted to help… I would… I would try to save everyone. She realised. No matter if he was a friend or a stranger, if he was the most popular guy in school or a loser, she would try her very best to save him.

But… how?

She climbed up the metal ladder that led up to a narrow platform that overlooked the gurgling pit that Eriol 2 was about to be lowered into. He was suspended by his legs, his arms stuck firmly to his sides so that they would not accidentally skim the hot lava.

Tomoyo looked up at the beam where the rope was tied to. She couldn't climb up there. It was too risky. Besides, if she did that, she might endanger Eriol, too. "Eriol!"

Eriol 2 looked up at her. "Tomoyo! Time is running out!"

She nodded frantically. "I know! What do I do?"

Eriol 1 was looking at them from where he was hung as he struggled to grab the ropes. "Tomoyo! Get away from there; it's dangerous!" he cried. [A.N.: as in, he didn't cry literally, he was just… shouting with a lot of emotion]

Tomoyo shook her head. "I can't leave him here!"

"Tomoyo, help me!" Eriol 2 shouted. "Reach out and take my hand!"

Tomoyo nodded uncertainly. Holding onto a wooden pillar, she reached out a hand, while Eriol 2 tried to grab it.

Eriol 1 look anguished. "Tomoyo, NO!!! He's trying to trick you!"

Tomoyo stubbornly reached out her hand to save him, just one more inch…

"Tomoyo, I love you!" Eriol 1 shouted desperately.

Tomoyo gasped, and stumbled a little.

She saw Eriol 2 swing towards her, still suspended upside-down by the rope, an odd gleam in his eyes. Somehow Tomoyo knew that he was going to grab her hand and pull her along with him. And then drop her to her death.

Tomoyo suddenly pulled away and collapsed onto the wooden platform in shock.

She understood.

She picked up her staff from where she had left it and turned to Eriol 1, the real Eriol, for guidance.

Eriol 2 had realised what was happening and was shaking his head. "No, Tomoyo, believe me: he's the imposter!"

Eriol 1, though uncomfortably suspended in mid-air, smiled as he told Tomoyo what to say. "Evil stone, be cast not back to darkness, but be overwhelmed by light, and may goodness reign in you. Reveal your true form!"

Tomoyo recited the words after him, the glow in her staff getting brighter and more powerful with each word.

The moment Tomoyo finished chanting, a light shot out from the staff towards Eriol 2. Everything disappeared and suddenly Tomoyo found herself back, alone, in the cold, bare room. A black, opaque, marble stone appeared, and a shadow - the same cloaked shadow that had been deceiving her - appeared. He bowed slightly towards Tomoyo. "I have been defeated." he said, and disappeared back into the Stone- the Stone of Deception.

Another light shot out from the staff towards the Stone and the Stone floated towards her staff, and settled into the goblet. There was a sizzling sound, and the Stone floated back out of the goblet and landed right in front of Tomoyo-- only this time it was a different stone. It was round and smooth, and bright and clear and sparkling. It radiated a natural aura. It was the Stone of Truth.

From the stone, a cheerful little pixie emerged, radiating innocence and exuberance. She had wispy blond hair and was dressed in a flowery Spring dress, giggling happily. She smiled at Tomoyo and enveloped her in a hug. "Hi! I'm the Stone of Truth. I'm so happy to have you as my keeper. Let's be friends!"

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