Chapter 3: The Truth Revealed
Tomoyo brushed past Ms. Gumms. "Excuse me, I left something in my room." The woman smiled. "Could you tell me where Ms. Kurii is?" Tomoyo shrugged, and vaguely pointed downstairs. "My guess would be a bathroom down there. Good luck getting her out." Eriol and Syaoran brushed past the indignant woman.
They crept after her. "Isn't this your bedroom?" Sakura whispered.
Tokoyo popped up from behind a curtain. "Hey!" All 4 youths jumped. "I thought, you'd be, crying." Tokoyo blinked, and Eriol noticed her red face. "I'm fine. Really. There's something I found out about that woman, and as she's not my mother, I refuse to listen to her. Besides, my actual mother might be alive." Tokyo turned to Sakura. "You're the only girl, so you're Sakura, the famous cardcaptor, right?" Sakura nodded, unsure of what to say.
"I am Tokoyo Clow Daidoji, as I refuse to acknowledge my father. I am no longer Kurii." Nakuru popped in, and heard Tokyo's comment as she added, "Eriol, I thought you might like-" But Tokyo was saying, "My mother Riana Reed Daidoji told me a friend of yours would help me."
Nakuru dropped her glasses. "No! YOU'RE Riana's baby girl?" Tokyo smiled. "Wow, you're my mother's little friend?" Nakuru drew herself up. "Yes. I am her LITTLE friend, who was watching you while you grew up, keeping you from that horrid Candace's wrath. Why she hated you so much is still a mystery to me." Tokyo grinned. "Aunt Naku! You were always hiding in the bushes. I remember now!" Eriol smiled. "This is what you spent your five years off doing?" Nakuru blushed. "Riana was a close friend before I was given my break. In fact, she was actually jealous Mrs. Kinomoto wasn't her. Probably the Daidoji blood."
~*~
A few minutes later, Eriol was left to protect her from any clow business while Tomoyo and her friends chased Ms. Gumms away. Eriol smiled at her. "You have an interesting background." Tokyo smiled back. "Not half as interesting as yours, I'm sure. Tomoyo tells me you've been testing Sakura. Why might that be?" Eriol's smile didn't waver. "I am half a reincarnation of Clow Reed. Your mother happened to know my past self, and you, her daughter know my present self. You could say the Daidoji's wish they were descendants." Tokyo slapped him. "How DARE you flirt with me, then be something considered filth!" Eriol smiled. "Your mother told you about reincarnation being wrong, didn't she? She was adamant that way."
Tokoyo smiled mischieviously. "One way you can win me, Eriol. You have to use your magic tricks to change your birth, or give up all your magic. On the one hand, you'll have the chance to coming back to it. On the other, you have immense freedom in memory, not losing anything precious."
Eriol blinked. "If I change my birth, I would have never tested Sakura, and the cards would still be distant." Tokyo laughed. "Live a little, Eriol. Why not go through it again, in a different point of view?" Eriol shifted uncomfortably. "I wouldn't be in her group." Tokyo grinned again. "No, you'd have a chance to be her BEST friend. Tomyo and I have each other. I'd go for it, Eri."
Eriol choked. "Eri? does that mean I call you Toko?" Tokyo blushed. "No, it's Tokyo. But Errol sounded lofty, too much like Earl." Both sat there blushing until Tomoyo came back. She smiled, and shut the door.
~*~
Tokyo came out a few minutes later with Eriol. "Okei, don't know why we're telling you, as none of us will remember this, but Eriol is going to become a mortal, no reincarnation. Sakura, you will remember up to the point Eriol moved into town." Syaoran and Sakura exchanged glances. What was up with them?
Eriol smiled. "I'll see you all a year in the past. See you once you are named master, Sakura."
Sakura shivered. "Why, Tokyo?" Tokoyo smiled. "This way, my mother won't have died, and I'll have a second chance." Eriol smiled. "Yes. A second chance, Tokyo."
~*~
Mrs. Gumms was licking her wounds. "Well, I have one consolation. That witch, Riana is dead now. However, Len won't be happy he can't get Tokoyo back. I'll make sure she comes, as soon as her cousin's friends have left. A tragic accident for those two, and I'll be free to beat them to my will. Instead of me serving that brat, she'll be serving me!" Candace laughed, a little maniacally. Nakuru poured the woman another drink from the alcoholic container. "Yes, Candace. Your plan will work. However, your champaign has run out. I'll go get some more." The woman nodded. "Yes, do that, Ling."
Nakuru reported. "She plans on having you join your mother as a servant. I'd run now. Right now she's drunk, but Candace Gumms does her best planning now. She makes sure she has a tape recorder on so she'll remember it. I didn't turn one on. But she may still remember." Sakura nodded. "Okay, then we should get out of here ASAP."
Eriol shook his head. "She's not after us, just the Daidoji cousins, right?" Nakuru nodded. "Then take her to Riana."
Nakuru shook her head. "No, Riana's been found. I think we should send them to America." Tomoyo's breath caught, and Sakura said firmly, "No. If they're going around the world, we're going with them. Nakuru and Yue will stay here with Eriol and work on freeing Ms. Daidoji, and bringing her to us."
Eriol nodded. "Since this plan will come about anyway..."Tokoyo shook her head. "No. We won't have Yue or Nakuru, as you wouldn't have summoned them, and my mother wouldn't have known Nakuru. I might not be alive if it wasn't for her. We'll wait for you to talk to my mother 15 years ago. I'll see you later, Eri." Sakura and Syaoran smiled.
Tokoyo went to get her bag, and Eriol followed her. "Tokyo, if I don't stay Clow Reed, how will I know you?" Tokoyo grinned. "We met, when we were 3, on a business trip. Nakuru remembers, but you don't." Eriol smiled. "I barely know you, but I'm going to miss you much more than the magic." Tokyo caught her breath. "You're giving it up?" Eriol smiled. "I'd rather give it up than change Nakuru's protection of you." Eriol leaned close, and kissed her cheek. "Besides, I'm not actually a reincarnation, I'm just a Clow Reed fanatic." Tokoyo beamed. "Why'd you call yourself a reincarnation?" "Because I tell all cardcaptors that, and I assumed you would be taking Sakura's cards, as she doesn't really want them." Tokyo smiled, and kissed him back. "Be careful, Eri." He nodded. "You too, Tokyo." Tokoyo took off her crown. "Remember me." Eriol took off his black ring. "Remember me." They both nodded, and stood staring at each other, until Nakuru came in to tear them apart.
Tomoyo brushed past Ms. Gumms. "Excuse me, I left something in my room." The woman smiled. "Could you tell me where Ms. Kurii is?" Tomoyo shrugged, and vaguely pointed downstairs. "My guess would be a bathroom down there. Good luck getting her out." Eriol and Syaoran brushed past the indignant woman.
They crept after her. "Isn't this your bedroom?" Sakura whispered.
Tokoyo popped up from behind a curtain. "Hey!" All 4 youths jumped. "I thought, you'd be, crying." Tokoyo blinked, and Eriol noticed her red face. "I'm fine. Really. There's something I found out about that woman, and as she's not my mother, I refuse to listen to her. Besides, my actual mother might be alive." Tokyo turned to Sakura. "You're the only girl, so you're Sakura, the famous cardcaptor, right?" Sakura nodded, unsure of what to say.
"I am Tokoyo Clow Daidoji, as I refuse to acknowledge my father. I am no longer Kurii." Nakuru popped in, and heard Tokyo's comment as she added, "Eriol, I thought you might like-" But Tokyo was saying, "My mother Riana Reed Daidoji told me a friend of yours would help me."
Nakuru dropped her glasses. "No! YOU'RE Riana's baby girl?" Tokyo smiled. "Wow, you're my mother's little friend?" Nakuru drew herself up. "Yes. I am her LITTLE friend, who was watching you while you grew up, keeping you from that horrid Candace's wrath. Why she hated you so much is still a mystery to me." Tokyo grinned. "Aunt Naku! You were always hiding in the bushes. I remember now!" Eriol smiled. "This is what you spent your five years off doing?" Nakuru blushed. "Riana was a close friend before I was given my break. In fact, she was actually jealous Mrs. Kinomoto wasn't her. Probably the Daidoji blood."
~*~
A few minutes later, Eriol was left to protect her from any clow business while Tomoyo and her friends chased Ms. Gumms away. Eriol smiled at her. "You have an interesting background." Tokyo smiled back. "Not half as interesting as yours, I'm sure. Tomoyo tells me you've been testing Sakura. Why might that be?" Eriol's smile didn't waver. "I am half a reincarnation of Clow Reed. Your mother happened to know my past self, and you, her daughter know my present self. You could say the Daidoji's wish they were descendants." Tokyo slapped him. "How DARE you flirt with me, then be something considered filth!" Eriol smiled. "Your mother told you about reincarnation being wrong, didn't she? She was adamant that way."
Tokoyo smiled mischieviously. "One way you can win me, Eriol. You have to use your magic tricks to change your birth, or give up all your magic. On the one hand, you'll have the chance to coming back to it. On the other, you have immense freedom in memory, not losing anything precious."
Eriol blinked. "If I change my birth, I would have never tested Sakura, and the cards would still be distant." Tokyo laughed. "Live a little, Eriol. Why not go through it again, in a different point of view?" Eriol shifted uncomfortably. "I wouldn't be in her group." Tokyo grinned again. "No, you'd have a chance to be her BEST friend. Tomyo and I have each other. I'd go for it, Eri."
Eriol choked. "Eri? does that mean I call you Toko?" Tokyo blushed. "No, it's Tokyo. But Errol sounded lofty, too much like Earl." Both sat there blushing until Tomoyo came back. She smiled, and shut the door.
~*~
Tokyo came out a few minutes later with Eriol. "Okei, don't know why we're telling you, as none of us will remember this, but Eriol is going to become a mortal, no reincarnation. Sakura, you will remember up to the point Eriol moved into town." Syaoran and Sakura exchanged glances. What was up with them?
Eriol smiled. "I'll see you all a year in the past. See you once you are named master, Sakura."
Sakura shivered. "Why, Tokyo?" Tokoyo smiled. "This way, my mother won't have died, and I'll have a second chance." Eriol smiled. "Yes. A second chance, Tokyo."
~*~
Mrs. Gumms was licking her wounds. "Well, I have one consolation. That witch, Riana is dead now. However, Len won't be happy he can't get Tokoyo back. I'll make sure she comes, as soon as her cousin's friends have left. A tragic accident for those two, and I'll be free to beat them to my will. Instead of me serving that brat, she'll be serving me!" Candace laughed, a little maniacally. Nakuru poured the woman another drink from the alcoholic container. "Yes, Candace. Your plan will work. However, your champaign has run out. I'll go get some more." The woman nodded. "Yes, do that, Ling."
Nakuru reported. "She plans on having you join your mother as a servant. I'd run now. Right now she's drunk, but Candace Gumms does her best planning now. She makes sure she has a tape recorder on so she'll remember it. I didn't turn one on. But she may still remember." Sakura nodded. "Okay, then we should get out of here ASAP."
Eriol shook his head. "She's not after us, just the Daidoji cousins, right?" Nakuru nodded. "Then take her to Riana."
Nakuru shook her head. "No, Riana's been found. I think we should send them to America." Tomoyo's breath caught, and Sakura said firmly, "No. If they're going around the world, we're going with them. Nakuru and Yue will stay here with Eriol and work on freeing Ms. Daidoji, and bringing her to us."
Eriol nodded. "Since this plan will come about anyway..."Tokoyo shook her head. "No. We won't have Yue or Nakuru, as you wouldn't have summoned them, and my mother wouldn't have known Nakuru. I might not be alive if it wasn't for her. We'll wait for you to talk to my mother 15 years ago. I'll see you later, Eri." Sakura and Syaoran smiled.
Tokoyo went to get her bag, and Eriol followed her. "Tokyo, if I don't stay Clow Reed, how will I know you?" Tokoyo grinned. "We met, when we were 3, on a business trip. Nakuru remembers, but you don't." Eriol smiled. "I barely know you, but I'm going to miss you much more than the magic." Tokyo caught her breath. "You're giving it up?" Eriol smiled. "I'd rather give it up than change Nakuru's protection of you." Eriol leaned close, and kissed her cheek. "Besides, I'm not actually a reincarnation, I'm just a Clow Reed fanatic." Tokoyo beamed. "Why'd you call yourself a reincarnation?" "Because I tell all cardcaptors that, and I assumed you would be taking Sakura's cards, as she doesn't really want them." Tokyo smiled, and kissed him back. "Be careful, Eri." He nodded. "You too, Tokyo." Tokoyo took off her crown. "Remember me." Eriol took off his black ring. "Remember me." They both nodded, and stood staring at each other, until Nakuru came in to tear them apart.