The Shadowed Prophecy
Jo-chan
Disclaimers: Standard CCS disclaimers apply. I do not own any of CLAMP's wonderful characters, I'm only borrowing them for the moment. Some characters that would appear are solely my own.
Chapter 7- Fukuzatsu (Complication)
The Devil and an Angel
***************
Li Syaoran, the future leader of the powerful Li-clan, was sleepy. It was barely 6 AM yet here he was, in front of his locker, on his way to change for the varsity soccer practice.
He gave a huge yawn, rubbing his drooping eyes as he opened his locker. A glossy picture fell out.
// Eh? // He bent down and picked it up, opening his eyes a bit as he stared at it.
"GAH!" shouted Syaoran as he fell back against his locker, with eyes wide open, a violently red face and a nose-bleed.
*click *
"You look so kawaii(cute) with a nose bleed Li-kun! And all that just because of a sexy picture of Sakura-chan taken during the competition!" exclaimed Tomoyo with a giggle.
Anger sparks appeared on Syaoran's head. "You-- GIVE ME THAT FILM! You planned this on purpose didn't you, you camera freak!" shouted Syaoran as he totally lost it.
"Ohohohohohohoho!" laughed Tomoyo as she bolted away.
"You can keep the picture Li-kun! Ja(later)!" shouted Tomoyo from a safe distance.
// Ohohohohohoho.... this is perfect for my plan! //
****************
Hsin was pacing agitatedly in the stairway, making a lot of weird faces and gestures as he kept pacing.
"Sakura-san... will you... please... go out with me?"
// No! Sounds too timid! //
"Kinomoto-san, will you do me the great honor of agreeing to be my date?"
// ARGH! Sounds too formal! //
"Hey Sakura! Wanna be my date?"
// Sheesh! Too casual! //
"Ohayo gozaimasu (good morning) Hsin!" greeted Claudette as she faced a very red Hsin. She looked at him curiously before she gave a smile.
"Why don't you just ask her? It's as simple as that," suggested Claudette with a wry grin.
Hsin paused as his eyes locked with Claudette's gaze. "So... it's okay then?" he asked solemnly.
Claudette gave a mysterious smile and nodded.
***************
"Claudette-san's Halloween party is such a rage these days," commented Chiharu as she cast a hopeful glance at a hopelessly oblivious Yamazaki.
"You know, Halloween used to be celebrated by old people only-- " began Yamazaki before Chiharu immediately punched him. "Hai, hai, hai!"
"Sakura-chan, Tomoyo-chan and Claudette-san seem to be very popular among the guys aren't they?" asked Rika with a smile.
Claudette was sitting in her desk, smiling as a cluster of boys surrounded her. Tomoyo was walking briskly in the hallway, as if trying to shake off the trail of hopeful guys. Sakura was walking towards their classroom, looking confused as guys kept hounding her.
Sakura looked around frantically and saw the refuge of their classroom. She bolted straight for it as she ran with eyes shaped like dots and a blush staining her cheeks. "HOE!"
Sakura collided against Syaoran who was also running, trying to escape for the girls who were stalking him. They slammed against each other at the doorway.
"Watch it!" shouted Syaoran as Sakura got the spiral eyes once more. "HOE!"
Tomoyo was immediately at the sidelines, filming. Syaoran grabbed Sakura as she lost her balance. He anchored both hands firmly on Sakura's shoulders.
"You okay?" asked Syaoran as he shook Sakura until her spiral eyes turned normal once more. Sakura blinked up at him and nodded.
"Umm, thanks," said Sakura as she gazed up into Syaoran's worried eyes. She looked away quickly and looked back at him, opening her mouth as if to say something but then she closed her mouth abruptly.
"Oh no! I'm out of batteries!" wailed Tomoyo as she bolted away quickly, leaving Syaoran and Sakura staring at each other in the doorway. Some of their classmates were also staring at the pair.
"Um, Sakura-san?" asked Hsin hesitantly from behind them. Sakura looked around and smiled. "Ohayo gozaimasu(good morning) Hsin-kun!" greeted Sakura.
Hsin turned red and managed to stammer in a rush,
"Um, wouldyoudomethegreathonorofbeingmydateonClaudette-san'sparty?"
Sakura blinked before her eyes widened in surprise. Beside her, Syaoran's face turned red in anger as two anger sparks rose in his forehead. Claudette suddenly bounced over to them with a cheerfully disarming smile. "Ohayo gozaimasu minna-san(good morning everyone)!"
Claudette turned to Syaoran swiftly and asked loudly, "Syaoran, you'd come to my party as my date won't you?" Every eye (male eyes especially) turned to an extremely flustered Syaoran who stuttered in embarrassment.
Syaoran looked around and sweat-dropped at the looks on the faces of the guys Claudette has turned down. He looked at Sakura who seemed strangely quiet. He didn't know what to say! He was waiting for Sakura to turn Hsin down but Sakura wasn't saying anything. Syaoran could feel the pressure mounting.
Beneath Sakura's bangs, a huge anger spark was ticking on Sakura's forehead. // That jackass! // seethed Sakura as she watched the play of expressions on Syaoran's face. Why wasn't he turning Claudette down? Why wasn't he asking her? // Grrrrrr... // In her indignation, she turned her back against Syaoran, not noticing the fact that she was already facing Hsin.
The moment Sakura turned her back, Syaoran felt deflated. // I guess... she likes him better ... //
When Sakura looked up, she saw the beseeching and earnest expression on Hsin's face. His beautiful silver-green eyes looked scared and vulnerable and somehow, the look in them reminded her of Syaoran's eyes back when they were in elementary. She didn't have the heart to turn Hsin down. She gave a tight nod and a terse answer.
"All right Hsin-kun. I'll go with you," replied Sakura with her face pale, her eyes glistening. Her answer sealed Syaoran's fate.
Syaoran's shoulder slumped as he turned to Claudette. "All right," he said stiffly.
Groans and grumbles echoed around the classroom as the pairs retreated to their seats.
"Aww man, I can't believe Kinomoto and Mizuko are taken!"
"Geez, what's so great about Li and Yu? They just have really short names!"
"I'm definitely more good-looking than those two!"
"Wait-- that leaves only Daidouji free--"
At the exact moment, Tomoyo entered the room.
"Daidouji-san?"
"Would you be my date Daidouji-san?"
"Um, Daidouji--"
Tomoyo looked at the eager faces worriedly. She looked around frantically for help. Just in the nick of time, Eriol entered the classroom. "Ohayo(morning) minna-san," greeted Eriol with a smile. He was unaware of the tension and the future, having been blocked off his power of seeing the future.
Tomoyo was at his side in a heartbeat. "Gomen(sorry) everyone but Eriol-kun has already agreed to be my escort, right Eriol-kun?" said Tomoyo with her eyes shaped like crescent moons as she smiled up at a completely flustered Eriol.
"Huh?" asked Eriol, blushing and turning pale in turns. Tomoyo placed a hand on his shoulder, making Eriol freeze up even more. He turned to look at a beseeching Tomoyo. He suddenly noticed the way Tomoyo's violet eyes looked softer and more vivid... Eriol blushed, realizing the direction of his thought.
"Um, yeah," stammered Eriol finally as the rest of their classmates groaned in dismay. Tomoyo smiled, trying to look as angelic as possible. Yuichi suddenly came rushing inside the classroom.
"Tomoyo-sama(Lady Tomoyo)! Tomoyo-sama!" called out Yuichi as he paused in front of Tomoyo and Eriol. He gave Eriol a hostile look. "Would-- you like to go out with me on Mizuko-san's party?" asked Yuichi.
Tomoyo and Eriol both sweat-dropped. "I think Meilin-chan would be more amenable to your invitation Yuichi-kun," said Tomoyo before she added, "I just saw Meilin-chan by the locker room..."
Yuichi's eyes turned into red hearts at the mention of Meilin's name. "Meilin-sama(Lady Meilin)..." sighed Yuichi as he floated out of the classroom.
Several sweat-drops appeared, save for Sakura and Syaoran who were both staring outside the window gloomily, torn apart by circumstance.
***************
A week later.
The "Halloween party fever" raged on and everyone was basically in couple heaven.
Meilin, surprisingly agreed to go out with Yuichi. But what everyone didn't know is that Yuichi had beaten Meilin in poker when Meilin issued a challenge that she'd only go out with a guy who could beat her in a poker game.
With an experienced gambler's arrogance, Yuichi beat Meilin three times in a row and even Meilin knew when to concede defeat. And so, Yuichi is Meilin's date.
Everyone was eagerly anticipating the party. Claudette even informed them that she'll be renting an old mansion for the venue. With a sly grin, she also added, "There'll be no chaperones too!"
Everybody was buzzing about costumes, dates and scary scenarios. Girls kept anticipating the romance and wonderful clothes they'll wear while the guys were looking forward to scaring the girls.
Tomoyo Daidouji was also very excited about the upcoming event.
"You'll wear my costume won't you Sakura-chan? Please? You'll look so great in the costume I designed for you!" said Tomoyo with starry eyes as she held both of her best friend's hands.
A sweat-drop appeared on Sakura's head as she laughed nervously. "Hoe... um, okay!" agreed Sakura.
Stars and little sparkles appeared all around Tomoyo. "Ooh! I'm so happy!" she exclaimed as she bounced away. A minute later, she came back. "Ohohohoho! I haven't taken a picture of Sakura-chan's assent!"
*click*
"Hoe!"
"Ohohohohohohohoho!"
*************
Tomoyo was back at home, appraising the costumes she made with a critical eye. // Now all it needs are for the people I designed it for to agree to wear it! //
She grabbed a cordless phone on her bedside and rapidly dialed a number. She waited a bit before someone picked up.
"Moshi, moshi, Hiiragizawa desu (Hello, this is Eriol)"
"Konbawa (good evening)Eriol-kun!" greeted Tomoyo cheerfully.
"Konbawa(good evening) Tomoyo-san," replied Eriol, sounding surprised.
"Just wanted to confirm! Since you're coming as my date, you'll wear a costume right?"
"I'm not really into costumes..." began Eriol but Tomoyo went on as if not hearing him.
"So, if you're wearing a costume, why don't you wear this costume I'm designing for you?" continued Tomoyo, wearing an oh-so-angelic smile on her face.
"But--"
"I worked really hard and long on it! In fact, every spare time I have, I work on it! I've put in a lot of my time and effort just to create it! You'll look so great in it!"
"Er..."
"But it'll probably break my heart if you won't agree to wear it... I worked so hard just to make it... but you'll agree to wear it won't you Eriol-kun? "
"......"
"So, you'll wear it right? You'll gladly wear whatever costume I made for you right? Because you don't want to break my heart and make me sad right?" persisted Tomoyo.
Eriol heaved a pent-up sigh. There was a giant sweat-drop on his head. "All right, all right," said Eriol resigning himself to the inevitable. He turned blue in terror, thinking of what Tomoyo would make for him. // Not a bunny costume please! //
"WAI(YAY)! That's so great! I'll put on the finishing touches on your extra-special costume all right?" exclaimed Tomoyo.
"Right," sighed Eriol.
"Oh, Eriol-kun, can I ask a favor?"
"What else?"
"Can you accompany me to Li-kun's house right now? I need to confirm his costume too!" explained Tomoyo with a slight giggle.
Eriol sweat-dropped. // Uh oh. // "Okay!"
***************
"What are you doing here?" asked Syaoran suspiciously as he faced a smiling Tomoyo and a zombie-like Hiiragizawa who was towed in by a smiling Tomoyo earlier. Eriol looked like he'd fought and lost a war miserably.
Tomoyo shrugged daintily. Eriol looked like he wanted to say something but decided against it. Tomoyo broke the ice by saying, "So what costume have you decided to wear for your date's party Li-kun?" Tomoyo placed an emphasis on the word date, making Syaoran wince.
"Who cares?" mumbled Syaoran before eyeing Tomoyo warily. Those two are starting to freak him out! Hiiragizawa wasn't running his mouth and strangely seemed confused and almost like a regular guy. Tomoyo however, seemed intent on something... and right now, he's her prey.
Tomoyo was smiling her usual close-eyed smile. "I care! Anyway... since you haven't done anything yet, as a favor, I'd let you wear an extra-special costume!" said Tomoyo.
Both Eriol and Syaoran sweat-dropped. Angrily, Syaoran said, "No way! I'd never wear one of your costumes!"
"Please?"
"Nope!"
"Pretty, pretty please?"
"Yadda(I don't want to)!"
"With sugar and cherry blossoms on top?"
Syaoran turned red. "NO!"
Smiling angelically, Tomoyo handed Syaoran a brown envelope. "Will this do the trick?"
A bit fearfully, Syaoran opened the envelope and looked inside. He fell off his chair in a heap. "Oh no..." he moaned.
"Li-kun, if you'll gladly wear my costume, I'll gladly not show this to Sakura-chan all right?" asked Tomoyo sweetly as she smiled. Eriol glanced at a fallen Syaoran and took the envelope curiously.
"What's this?' he asked as he took out a picture. The picture showed a collapsed Syaoran with a nosebleed, holding what seems to be a picture of Sakura in her leotard. There was also a caption on the picture. 'Li-kun is a kawaii(cute) pervert.' Eriol chuckled. // My poor, kawaii (cute) descendant... //
"Anyway, here's your costume Li-kun! Don't open it until Halloween!" instructed Tomoyo cheerfully as she dropped a brightly wrapped package on a fallen Syaoran. "Bye!" said Tomoyo, waving at Meilin who was looking at them curiously and grabbing Eriol's arm.
Eriol and Tomoyo left and the scene back at the Li's apartment showed an unconscious LI being fanned by a concerned Meilin.
**************
"I don't like Halloween Kero-chan!" complained Sakura as she took off her clothes. Kero-chan wasn't looking at her and was only paying attention to his beloved video game.
"You're such a baby," commented Kero-chan as Sakura opened the package Tomoyo gave her.
"HOE!" exclaimed Sakura, putting her hands to her cheeks as she stared at the costume Tomoyo made for her.
"What happened?" asked Kero-chan flying over to his mistress.
In Tomoyo's note : My dear Sakura-chan, I hope you like this costume I made for you! I'm sure you'll make a very gorgeous and sexy devil! Ohohohohoho! Love always, Tomoyo.
"Whoa! And here I thought Tomoyo always dresses you up as the angel!" said Kero-chan looking at the red leather two piece outfit, similar to Elizabeth Hurley's costume in Bedazzled with awe. There were a few variations though, like the tight red leather pants had a tail attached to it and there was a transparent headband with two horns.
"HOE!" exclaimed Sakura, still in shock.
"C'mon Sakura, wear it! You'll look great!" said Kero-chan with a snicker. "Kero-chan!" exclaimed Sakura angrily, grabbing her small guardian by his fur. "It's almost 6! Isn't your date going to pick you up at 6 PM sharp?" asked Kero-chan innocently.
"HOE! I'm going to be late!" exclaimed Sakura with spiral eyes as she dropped Kero-chan and hurried to dress up in the costume Tomoyo has provided her.
*******************
"Wow!" said Hsin for about the 100th time. They were both walking over to the mansion Claudette has rented for the party. It was a bit dark and Sakura was glancing around apprehensively.
Hsin couldn't take his eyes off Sakura who was literally and figuratively stunning. The red devil's outfit fit her like a glove and brought out the deepness of her green eyes. There were small black horns artfully concealed in Sakura's honey golden hair. A slinky black tail was attached to her red leather pants and a small dagger shaped fan accesorized Sakura's outfit. Tomoyo was as usual, a genius.
Sakura smiled tentatively at Hsin. "You look great as King Arthur," she said, admiring the authentic armor and accessories. Hsin brightened and waved his medieval sword a bit. "Isn't this cool?" asked Hsin, displaying the sharpness of his sword's edge. Light glinted off the edge, giving out silver fire.
"Sugoi(awesome)," commented Sakura as she continued walking. A Scarecrow suddenly popped up, his index finger held up. "HOE!"
"You know, in Medieval England, swords were made out of straw...." narrated Yamazaki solemnly with straw sticking out of his costume everywhere. Sakura's dot-like eyes returned to normal as she stared at Yamazaki, plainly fascinated. "Really?" asked Sakura.
Hsin sweat-dropped when Yamazaki nodded wisely. "Of course! The King, who is the son of King Arthur didn't want any of his knights injured so he passed a law that all swords be made of straw. He also said that all the shields should be made of tree leaves...." continued Yamazaki before a red slipper from the corner got thrown smack at his face!
An angry Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz came out, one foot missing a slipper. It was Chiharu! Without missing a beat, she smiled at the incredulous Sakura and Hsin and dragged an unconscious, spiral-eyed Yamazaki by his arm. "Hai, hai, hai," said Chiharu.
Sakura and Hsin followed after the pair, their eyes still shaped like dots. A few steps later, a white bandaged hand came out from out of the bushes.
"Help... me..." moaned a muffled voice. Sakura and Hsin both froze and a blue line of fear replaced Sakura's eyes. Simultaneously, their heads turned to see a mummy with askew eyeglasses, slowly emerging from the bushes.
"Ohohohohohoo," came an eerie laughter. A ghost/white lady appeared, tugging on the mummy's bandages.
"HOEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!" screamed Sakura as she turned into an SD devil-costumed Sakura, running away in fear, with smoke rising up from her trail.
The white lady wailed, "Sakura-chan! Wait! I still haven't taken your picture yet!" The mummy whom the ghost/white lady was holding said in a hoarse gasp, "Tomoyo-san, please, I can't breathe or move from all these bandages!"
Punching the mummy's shoulder playfully, Tomoyo said brightly, "It's an effect!" After a brief moment of scrutinizing a squirming Eriol, she asked, "Can't you take off your glasses Eriol-kun? Please?"
Eriol turned pale underneath all the bandages. "But how can I see without my glasses?" he asked with a nervous sweat-drop. Pulling him along as they began to walk towards Claudette's party, Tomoyo exclaimed, "Ohohohohohoho! I'm sure you'll manage!"
Eriol sweat-dropped as he followed after a giddy ghost awkwardly in his mummy costume.
*************
An SD Sakura with tears running down her eyes ran with smoke rising up from her trail. "HOE! Kowaii(I'm scared)!"
Finally reaching Claudette's jam-packed mansion, Sakura ran straight into another white dressed figure who was also running away. The moment Sakura hit him, she reverted back to her old from and gazed at the stunning figure dressed in white. In the background, you can hear girls screaming, "LI-KUN KAWAII(LI_KUN IS SO CUTE)!!"
"WOW!" blurted out both Syaoran and Sakura at the same time as they gazed at each other. Every eye was also turned to them, marveling at the beautiful devil and the handsome angel. Syaoran's angel costume was snowy white, with long white robes that covered his loose white satin pants. He had wings, almost similar to Yue's and a golden halo sticking up from the wings. His dark hair and fierce brown eyes contrasted sharply with his angelic attire. He looked like one very grumpy yet handsome angel.
Their contrast was stunning and even though their costumes were the exact opposite of each other's attire, they looked as if they were meant to be together.
"Nice plan," commented Meilin who was dressed as Chun Li as she stood beside an ecstatic video-filming Tomoyo. Eriol nodded his agreement, unable to speak clearly because of all the bandages wrapped around him. Yuichi, who was dressed as Tasuki said,"Tomoyo-sama(Lady Tomoyo), you are a genius!" Laughing, Tomoyo waved her hand airily. "Oh no! Not at all!"
"Syaoran! There you are!" exclaimed Claudette as she launched herself and hugged Syaoran from around his neck (similar to Nakuru hanging from Touya's back). Claudette was dressed all in black as Morticia Adams from the Addam's family and it was another breath-taking contrast. There were several sweat-drops from all around the room as Syaoran tried yet with no success to shake Claudette off his back. He tried yanking his wings to dislodge Claudette but her grip was tenacious.
Tomoyo joined Sakura who was watching everything with a blank expression. Tomoyo tried to distract Sakura by saying, "Sakura-chan, where is Hsin-kun? What's his costume?" Sakura faced her friend and gave a determinedly cheerful smile as she answered, "He's probably on his way over now... I sorta left him when you scared me back then...." A sweat-drop appeared on Meilin and Yuichi's head as Tomoyo giggled.
"I feel a strange aura!" mumbled Eriol from his mask of bandages. Sakura and Syaoran both tensed as they sensed the same force. "It's-- strong.... and I think-- there's two!" said Sakura tersely. Syaoran nodded grimly as he turned around sharply and promptly tripped on his long white robes, falling flat on his face. "Ouch!"
By the time Syaoran is back up on his feet, Sakura and the others have already gone off into the night.
******************
"Over here! In the woods!" shouted Sakura leading the trail as they followed the aura of dark magic. Her costume was by far the most mobile and because of that, she winded up taking the lead. Even from afar, they can hear loud roars and wails of monsters and beasts. There was also this unmistakable sound of a sword being used and magic unleashed.
"-- release!" commanded both Sakura and Eriol at the same time. They were holding their staves as they ran, with Tomoyo, Yuichi and Meilin on their heels.
There were monstrous screams of pain and the unceasing sound and ringing of metal in the woods. Silvery light or the glint of a sword's edge occasionally flashed, making the others wonder what was going on. A battle seemed to rage from beyond the woods. The cacophony abruptly ceased as Sakura and the others reached the site.
They arrived just in time to see two headless monsters slowly collapse, with blood gushing out from their necks. Corpses were strewn all over the ground, headless, mutilated, dismembered corpses of monsters with blood still flowing out lay all over the place. There were slivers of ice still hanging on some corpses. It was a fresh kill. Black smoke began to rise up from the monsters' cadaver.
"Seal it now!" instructed Eriol as Sakura moved forward and held out her star wand. Her magic circle emerged as she began her chant.
"Forces of darkness, discard thine old form and be reborn again. Under the name of SAKURA, thine new mistress!" commanded Sakura as the black smoke immediately formed itself into a SAKURA card. The moment it transformed, it immediately flew over into Sakura's hand. "Hoe? It's so obedient..." said Sakura as she looked at her new card.
"It was probably defeated by a very powerful--" explained Eriol before hoarse, loud, eerie wailing erupted from all sides.
"Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"
White specters began darting out of every corner, every nook and cranny. They started attacking, knocking the unsuspecting teenagers down. Ghouls of every imaginable degree came out, scaring Sakura witless. "HOEEEEEEEE! GHOSTS!" screamed Sakura, stooping down and hiding her head under her arms.
Tomoyo who was dressed as a ghost was ignored as the others were chased all around. Tomoyo smiled happily and resumed filming the chaos. Meilin was almost at Yuichi's back, strangling him in her panic as Yuichi kept releasing his holy fire which only went through the ghouls. Syaoran tripped and fell down again because of his robes. With a muffled chuckle, Eriol came over and formed a shield around him and his descendant.
"My poor kawaii descendant," mumbled Eriol underneath all his bandages. "Shut up!" shouted Syaoran as he swiftly got up and started to go after the darting and wailing ghosts.
"LIGHT!" screamed Sakura, her eyes still tightly closed, afraid to look at the specters. The Light card smiled as she went out and released her magic. The ghosts screamed in agony, their bodies writhing as light pierced them. When Light was released, Syaoran moved forward to strike at the ghosts but he stepped on the hem of his robes and promptly tripped once more.
"WHOA!" he shouted, his sword drawn forward as he fell. Accidentally, he struck the dark core of the screaming ghosts, making their images disappear one by one with only the contact of his Spirit Sword. With spiral eyes, Syaoran was unaware that he was destroying the specter with the blade of his sword stuck in the center of the darkness.
"Seal it you idiot!" exclaimed Yuichi frantically as black smoke began to rise up from the concentration of darkness. Syaoran shook his head and threw his sealing ofuda while he gripped his Spirit sword with both hands. The ofuda attached itself to the black smoke rising up and formed a protective barrier around it.
"Forces of darkness, reveal your true from and be reborn again, under the name of SYAORAN, your new master!" commanded Syaoran as the darkness gave one final wail before transforming into a SYAORAN card.
The light slowly subsided around Syaoran as Sakura got her Light card back. It was then silent. A cell phone suddenly rang, making them jump in anxiety. "Whoops, gomen(sorry)," said Meilin, as she answered the call. Syaoran held his new card and revealed it to the others.
It was the SPECTER card and it had a picture of a screaming ghost at it's front. Sakura shuddered as she looked at it. She then showed the others the card she sealed. It was the MONSTER card. It had a picture of a full moon and bloodied claw-like hands reaching for the moon at the bottom.
"Who could have defeated the monsters so completely that it transformed easily into a Sakura card?" asked Sakura, voicing aloud the thoughts of everyone. Syaoran sighed as he added, "And it's also unknown whether the person who defeated the Monster card is a friend or a foe...."
Eriol nodded his agreement as Yuichi solemnly said, "Whoever that person is, his involvement is now the Third wheel..."
"Huh? What's the third wheel Yuichi-san?" asked Tomoyo while there were question marks hovering above both Sakura and Syaoran's heads. Meilin was still at a distance from them, conferring with the person on the phone so deeply.
"Gomen(sorry)... didn't Hiiragizawa say anything like that before?" asked Yuichi curiously while Eriol shook his head in negation. Yuichi took a deep breath before he began his explanation.
"There are five wheels of magic... some call it the five levels, five points, whatever but on the same note, there are five general classifications on magical persons or magic. I prefer to call it the five wheels because it shifts and changes our destiny.
The first type of magic is the power of prophecy... it has various manifestations, from the actual foretelling to prophetic dreams. A common manifestation is the so called "instinct" so this first type is pretty common except for the actual power of foretelling, pre-cognition is pretty rare. A strong magical person can have this power aside from his own natural strength like Hiiragizawa or Sakura. Mizuki-san had the power to foretell right? That is the first wheel, when Mizuki-san disappeared and Hiiragizawa lost his powers.
I am part of the second type of magic, the ability to work magic with the use of aids or talismans like my sealing paper or the holy fire. I have innate magic but I need to have an instrument where I can manifest it, like I would have to look into the fire of my temple to see parts of the future and stuff like that. I was attacked next so I am the second wheel..."
Eriol nodded as he continued Yuichi's story. "If you noticed that on our way over here that we saw several flashes of a sword and on the site itself, remnants of ice. I my guess is correct, this is the third type of magic, the magic of the elements. It is harnessing the power of nature itself. In this case, the medium used is water but the presence of ice signifies a deep level of strength and mastery... that person who defeated the Monsters is our third wheel...
"Another type is the magic of the heart, seeing through people's hearts and emotions. It's forms are telepathy and empath. Those who can see dead people have the same power..."
Tomoyo stared at Sakura and whispered, "Touya-san.." Sakura nodded as she asked, "That's the fourth type of magic right? And probably the fourth wheel... so what's the last type of magic?"
Yuichi smiled as he said, "The last type is probably the most familiar to you Sakura-san. It is the magic of the heavens or the ability to obtain the power from the stars, the sun or the moon... It is an extremely powerful magic because you're given the power to create... and to destroy. You, Hiiragizawa and Li are the only people I know who can use the power of the heavens. And you three use three different powers, the power of the stars, the sun and the moon... one of you three is bound to be the last wheel..."
What they didn't know was that a pair of malevolent red eyes were watching them from a distance, plotting and planning.
******************
Sakura was over by the punch bowl, enjoying a much needed drink. Yuichi and Meilin were on the dance floor, impressing a lot of people with the funky grooves. Tomoyo was happily filming two miserable guys: a constantly sweat-dropping Eriol and an annoyed Syaoran who was also being hounded by Claudette.
Sakura sweat-dropped as she watched her friend bounce away from the two to film her. Sakura suddenly noticed the flush that stained Tomoyo's smooth cheeks and an indefinable aura of being in love. Sakura peered closely into her friend's face, seeing something in the depths of Tomoyo's eyes. Sakura asked Tomoyo abruptly, catching her friend completely off guard.
Sakura leaned close, her eyes softening as she asked simply, "You're in love with him aren't you?"
Tomoyo's eyes widened in surprise, her smile fading away to a look of wistful resignation. Tomoyo lifted her violet gaze to meet her friend's understanding eyes. "Yes..."
Sakura gripped her best friend's hand. She could suddenly see the emotion Tomoyo has deftly concealed with her ready smile and kind violet gaze. Sakura then said, her low voice resounding with conviction and hope, "I'm sure... he'll love you as much a you love him..."
Tomoyo bowed her head, ripples of long lavender hair hiding her eyes. She didn't say a word but she squeezed Sakura's hand in gratitude.
"Sakura-san!" I was looking everywhere for you!" said Hsin in relief as he joined Sakura and Tomoyo by the punch bowl. He was sweating heavily, his King Arthur armor marred with scratches.
"Hsin-kun! What happened to you?" asked Sakura in dismay. Hsin winced a bit as he answered, "Sorry! I ran into a couple of accidents while I was trying to look for you..."
Tomoyo smiled sympathetically while Sakura looked both worried and guilty. "Gomen nasai(I'm really sorry), I shouldn't have left you... I forgot that you're new in town..." said Sakura as she bit her lip in dismay.
Hsin waved his hands. "No, it's okay! It was better that way I guess!" Sakura looked still unconvinced until she suddenly noticed Hsin's empty scabbard.
"Hsin-kun! Where's your cool sword?" asked Sakura. Whipping his head to his side, Hsin realized that his sword was gone. He gave a nervous laugh as he scratched his head. "Umm, I must have left it somewhere when I, er... tripped and fell!"
Sakura and Tomoyo's eyes widened in speculation. Sakura began to say, "Umm, Hsin-kun... are you--"
"HEY! I love this song!" exclaimed Hsin as the sound system began playing a fast tune. He smiled at Tomoyo before pulling Sakura's hand so they could be on the dance floor.
"Hoe!" exclaimed Sakura as she followed after Hsin. Tomoyo was left alone by the punch bowl. Her smile slowly turned into a look of sadness. Somebody came up silently behind her, placing a warm hand on her shoulder.
"Are you okay?" asked Eriol softly as Tomoyo turned around to face him, the smile affixed firmly on her face.
"Of course!"
"I'm glad..."
Outside, the wind gave one final blow, a chill rising up from it's wake. Autumn ended from that point on and from there began winter....
TBC
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Author's Notes:
Minna, please read and review! For comments, suggestions or if you want me to email you for every chapter upload of my story, please email me at hino_no_miko@edsamail.com.ph. Please, please, please, review! By the way, my next chapter would is:
Chapter 8 -Idaku (Cherish)
Show Me To Your Heart
It's Christmas and will it be a merry one for the gang? And who was Meilin talking to on the phone? Thank you so much to the reviewers, I'll email you again guys!
OMAKE ~*
Dorothy from the Wizard of OZ was sitting beside a cackling Scarecrow. It was already around midnight and the party was winding down. Sakura and her friends were sitting together in the enormous kitchen of the mansion.
"So what do we do until the party ends? I'm tired from dancing..." asked Sakura, covering a tired yawn. Syaoran was seated beside her on a stool, his angel wings drooping in what can be labeled as exhaustion.
"Make out--" began Yamazaki, making Chiharu blush and clobber him. "You pervert!"
"--stories?" finished a spiral eyed Yamazaki.
Everyone laughed at the couple. Naoko piped up eagerly, "How about ghost stories? It is Halloween after all!" Rika and Tomoyo giggled when Sakura turned into a petrified SD at the idea.
"YADDA(I don't want to)!" squealed Sakura.
Yamazaki, who was still being throttled by Chiharu was able to gasp out, "How about another character evaluation using the first letter of your name?"
Chiharu, who was always intrigued by this, let go of Yamazaki. "Okay!" Sakura sighed in relief as the others paid attention to Yamazaki.
Yamazaki scratched his chin, thinking of a name. His eyes fell on a quietly smiling Tomoyo. "AHA! I'll go for letter T this time!" he exclaimed.
Sakura brightened as she said happily, "Onii-chan!" Meilin sighed and lightly bapped Sakura on her head. "It's Tomoyo, you idiot!" Sakura's eyes turned into dots. "Oh yeah... hehehehe...."
Yuichi and Eriol both leaned forward, trying to appear as casual as possible about their interest. Eriol was thinking more of in terms of revenge while Yuichi's eyes were pink hearts. A blue line of dread crossed Tomoyo's eyes as she made the sign of the cross.
"Oh my!"
-T-
You are very sensitive, private, and sexually passive; you
like a partner who takes the lead. Music, soft lights and
romantic thoughts turn you on. You fantasize, but do not
tend to fall in and out of love easily. When in love, you
are romantic, idealistic, mushy, and extremely intense. You
enjoy having your senses and your feelings stimulated,
titillated, and teased. You are a great flirt. You can make
your relationships fit your dreams, oftentimes all in your
own head.
"That is so not true!" exclaimed Tomoyo, her face as red as a fire engine. She turned into an SD character as she waved her hands. "No! No! No!"
Eriol smiled, as he imitated Tomoyo's favorite expression, "Oh my!"
OWARI