Title: E t e r n i t y
Author: Yih
Written: January 2002
Disclaimer: All rights are Clamp.
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2: And So It Begins
"SAKURA!" cried out Kero, launching himself into Sakura's open arms. "You're back! I've missed you so much. You wouldn't believe the torture it has been here without you. No cookies. No brownies. No ice cream! The horror! The atrocities your otousan and oniichan have put me through, especially your oniichan! Ahhh… I cannot say anymore! It has been that bad! But now that you're home, you'll cook me some cookies, right? Your special chocolate ones, puh-leeze!"
Sakura broke out into a gigantic smile before Kero was grabbed and dragged away by Yue. The moon guardian smiled complacently at her. "We all have missed you very much, Mistress," he greeted her warmly, bowing respectfully in her presence. "Don't let Kero fool you. It's not that bad around here. It's just he gets out of hand when he spends his allotted time at Touya's place. We're all glad that you're back."
"How is Yukito?" she asked.
"He's doing very well," Yue answered with a soft smile. "Things been going… well," a faint blush coming over his face as he finished his statement.
"Awwww… sometimes they-- your oniichan and Yukito, they put me into a closet! They—they don't think I don't know what's going on! But I do!" Kero grumbled behind Yue's back before Yue's hand closed Kero's blabbering mouth.
Sakura blushed as well, smiling hesistantly. "Where is oniichan?"
"He's at the hospital right now. I really should revert back into Yukito before he returns. But until then, would you like to take a walk with me? There are some things I need to tell you, Sakura."
"Yes, of course."
"Hey! You two aren't going to leave me here are you?"
Sakura hugged the escaped Kero to her and whispered into his ear, "I'll bake you those chocolate cookies as soon as I get back, okay?"
"YAY!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I'll get the supplies for you ready when you return from your walk with Yue!"
"That would be very helpful."
Yue smiled at Sakura and reached for her hand, leading her out into the path that trailed to a nearby park from the apartment Yukito and Touya shared. He wore a simplistic outfit, actually the outfit that Yukito had been wearing before Yue had borrowed his body to welcome his mistress home. When they reached the park, he guided them to a bench where he asked her to sit down.
"How do I begin?" he queried.
"From the beginning," she murmured.
Yue's tender look down at her made her heart skip a beat. "You know Sakura, Touya and I have been talking when he's allowed me to transform that is. It's not that I don't mind being an observer to the happiness that Yukito and Touya share, but I feel it makes Touya uncomfortable knowing that there is someone watching him and Yukito interact--- in the way they interact."
"That would be understandable," Sakura replied, her eyes twinkling.
"And the only solution that makes sense is to separate our entities. I don't really want to give up my human form, but it makes perfect sense to. My entity could be placed into a stuffed animal much like Kero until a body might be conjured for me. I don't mind waiting for it, I have all the time to wait. But Touya and Yukito only have a lifetime. Besides, if the right body never came around I could always claim Yukito's body back when the end of the lifetime came."
"That's very true," she agreed.
"But it would be nice for them to age together. And by separating myself from Yukito, it makes him wholly human and mortal. He'll age as Touya will age. They can grow old and happy and content together. I feel that even though I am the one that placed Yukito into existence, he has become more than just created but a creator of his creator. He gave me this emotions that I have never felt before… this new life that I can experience for myself now."
"Yes," she whispered softly.
"And we need your help to do it."
"Of course, I'll help you," she responded quickly. "I'll do anything I can. But what can I do? I'm not sure there is any Clow Card or spell that I've learned in my short time of being a magician that could possibly help you in this endeavor. I can of course lend my strength and my magic to you. But would that be enough? I'm still not as strong as I'd like to be. But at least I can support your magic alone, Yue, now."
"Yes," Yue agreed, "you have been growing stronger everyday. And college life suits you well. You like it don't you?"
"It is different," she admitted. "But I like it. I'm thinking of doing an exchange program next semester. I'm not sure where I'll go. I think America though. The United States of America, that's where I'll go. There's so much I want to see and do. Of course, I'll bring you and Kero with me, now that I can bring you once you're separated from Yukito."
"Yes, that's true. I've never been there before. There's so much that I want to do as well," Yue reflected. "There is much to see and to do in this world that it's impossible to do and to see everything. I'd like. We could do it together?"
"Of course. But I'm sure how. I suppose I could look at the magic books that I have. I'm sure there must be some sort of spell that I can find that will allow this separation of body and entity. Unless, you know of a way?" she questioned.
"I do not," Yue confessed. "But I know you cannot do this alone because the created relies on its master and its creator. You are my mistress, Sakura, but Clow Reed was my creator. Both of you need to be here for it to work—the spell if we find one. And I'm sure that Eriol will be the suitable substitute for Clow Reed in this case with the help of Fujitaka. They are two halves of Clow Reed, two very different halves.
"One has become your otousan and the other a close personal friend. I never knew that Clow Reed had such two different personalities. The master that I was knew, the man that I called creator resembles your otousan more than anything. The smile, the gesture, and the way he acts all remind me of Clow Reed. But Eriol, despite his magic doesn't have the vibe of Clow Reed, though he instinctively understands and has the intuition that I sensed in Clow Reed."
"Are they really that different?"
"Yes," Yue answered confidently. "Fujitaka, your otousan, wanted nothing more than a normal, personal life without magic, without gifts. Clow Reed was like that at one time. He hated his magic because it confided him. It restricted what interaction he might have had with others that couldn't understand what he was. But then there was the Eriol in him, the drive to be the best, the one that reveled in the power, in the magic. The Eriol in him loved magic because that part of understand that was an innate gift that was him. But in self there can be love and hate."
"I never knew," Sakura said softly.
"I never knew," Yue echoed her words. "And I was the one that should have known better than anyone else. I was the one that confided in him. I was the one he confided in. But it was only until I met both your otousan and Eriol, then I was able to piece together the puzzle of why Clow Reed allowed his demise when he did. He saw this future because he had to see this future, and he wanted this future. He wanted this separation of the two yearnings within him."
"I never thought of his reincarnations in that way. I thought he just had to inevitably be reborn like all creatures," Sakura said with contemplation.
"He didn't have to be reborn when he was. The future shifts and changes everyday depending on what you, what choices you make," Yue told her. "Obviously he saw a future he liked when he was Clow Reed. And at his death, he over two hundred years old. He could have lived far, far longer than that. It took him years to learn magic and many more years to create a foundation of new magic with the Clow Cards, mixing eastern and western magic into one molding. But he did everything relatively quick. He was incredibly talented as you are mistress."
"Yes, he was really something, wasn't he?" she queried, awe in her voice.
"Yes," Yue murmured with a fond smile, "and we need him for the separation to work. He'd know best if it's even capable. We'll doubtlessly need his power to help your fledging ones. But have no fear, mistress, soon your powers will grow even more stronger and who knows? Maybe you'll create a magic of your own."
Sakura smiled sheepishly, wondering if he'd know what she had been working on at college. "We need a message to be spent to him then. As soon as possible, but I'll need your help, Yue. You know don't you?"
"How could Kero and I not know? We can feel everything you do. We are uniquely entwined to you by magic, and I especially," he told her softly, "because now, I draw the needed power from you instead of Touya. I've noticed that you haven't had much in reserves, and I've tried to take sparingly."
"And weakening yourself," Sakura answered. "Yue! You know what happens when you're not drawing enough power. I don't care if it makes me a little light-headed, but you could get deadly sick like you did last time!"
"Yes, mistress," he replied humbly, touched by her concern.
"Good," Sakura said, smiling. "Don't be foolish again or else I won't show you what I've been doing at college!"
Yue nodded and watched her, knowing the aid she'd require would be a lending of his own magical support when she needed it. Sakura cupped her hands in front of her, not chanting but simply closing her eyes. She conjured the images of cherry blossoms, perfect and beautiful, lustrously blooming. Slowly, one of those blossoms appeared in her hand followed by dozens of others until she held an over brimming handful. She opened her eyes and hummed softly the message she wanted sent to Eriol, then glancing at Yue he lent her his magic. She blew softly on the flowers and they disappeared traveling across distance and space to Eriol.
"Thank you, Yue."
Eriol was sitting in his study, reading a dull magic tome about the history of potions when an arrangement of flowers burst into the room, falling in front of his very eyes. When he saw what the blossoms were he whispered her name, delicately and tenderly. Then he stared with amazement as the centers of the flowers sent out beams of a pure, golden light all coming together in a single haloed image of Sakura.
At first, he thought she was really there. But he saw the wavering of the projectile and he knew that Sakura had been experimenting with new magic. He smiled at the thought, always knowing she'd surpass him in any of his lifetimes very soon. He sighed saying aloud, "Too bad I wasn't there to be her mentor. I could have helped her so much, but it's better this way. If I was that close to her for that long, I'd betray myself as I nearly did when she needed me to help her transform the cards. But luckily my descendent was there to keep my mind frame occupied with more than my thoughts of Sakura."
He was about to say something more when the hollow image began to speak with Sakura lovely voice, almost as if she were humming to him. "Eriol-chan, my good friend and helper in all things, I've come here to ask you a favor of sorts. Yue and Yukito have asked me to ask you, but I'd rather not talk about it until you're here. We all would like you to come back to Japan. We need your help Eriol. Yours, Sakura."
"How long has it been?" he mused. "Five years or ten years?"
"Nearly ten," answered Spinel.
"More like eight," Ruby clarified.
"So you two were spying on me," Eriol accused lightly, an amused glint in his eyes.
"Of course," Ruby answered, "because you, master, are the most important thing to us. We want nothing more than for you to happy. We'll do anything to bring that joy. You must believe it. And we know that you want nothing more than for Sakura to love you. And we're prepared to help you every step of the way. Especially convincing yourself not to act the fool and take the opportunity to go to her when she asks it of you."
Spinel was so stunned at Ruby's word all he could do was nod simply in agreement and inject, "Ruby's right, master."
"Then," Eriol responded, "we leave tomorrow."
Author's Note: R/R. Leave your email for notification. And I can see this series ending in 5 parts and about 10,000 words. I don't see this dragging out past that, if even hitting 10,000 words. It has a small story arc in comparison to A Sweet Blossoming (Yue x Sakura) or Reminiscent (? X ?) ^_^. You didn't think I'd tell did you?! Anyhow, inspiration came reading old reviews and I wrote it this weekend after the SATS, -twists fingers- hopefully this explains a lot of things AND I do well on my SATS.