I saw more of the doctor than I really wanted to in the next few years.. and he always came bearing strange new medicines that would help in slowing down my deteoriating health.. but none of them seemed to work. I had seen my death in the magic of the cards, and was going to lie back and let it happen. Until then, however, I wanted to spend as much time with Yue and Keroberos as possible.
After all, I was nearing my sixtieth birthday, and in retrospect, I had lived a good life. My childhood was comfortable financially, I loved my family.. I had used my power to create the cards, which would be my legacy.. I created two wonderful guardians, who still looked young and powerful as they ever had. Sometimes, the fierceness of Yue's loyalty scared me, though. He was determined to stay by my side until my final breath, and all I could do was let him.
"Yue.. you don't have to stay with an old man.. Go on now."
"No!" He clung tighter to me then, and he was shaking. Yue had been crying more now, and each teardrop was like a needle prickling my skin. He and I hadn't made love in years; I was much too weak, but at times, a simple kiss could say more than a night of passionate lovemaking. "I'm staying with you, damnit."
I was taken aback by the firey look in his eyes, and nodded faintly, lying back on the bed and tangling my fingers in his soft hair. I never did have any children..but then, with Yue and Keroberos, I had all the companionship I would ever want. All I could hope was that their future mistress would take as good care of them as I did.
Keroberos seemed more reserved about the issue of my death than Yue did. He would sometimes look at me silently and then sit down by me in the chair without a word. Keroberos was more like an old friend than anything, but I would miss them both dearly.
In the last month of my life, I stayed in bed mostly. Yue brought me my meals and then sat on the bed with me. He was looking paler than usual, and sometimes I had to wonder which one of us was dying. His eyes were red and puffy, and there were dark circles under his beautiful eyes. Even his wings seemed like they were broken. He was acting like a puppet whose strings had been cut, and walked around listlessly. There was a nagging feeling of guilt that was eating me alive, and I couldn't help but think that Yue's depression was partially or completely my fault. Perhaps if I hadn't given into my desire for the angel, he would not have gotten so involved.. but then it is difficult to tell with these things sometimes. I may have been a fortune-teller, but there were some things even I could not predict.
On the day you die, there is so much that your heart, soul, and mind wish to accomplish, but my body was too weak to do very much of it. I set the spell that would seal away Yue and Keroberos into the book until it was reopened and sat silently with Yue under the sakura tree for a while, lying in his arms.. It was strange, when I realized it. When he was young and weak, he would curl into my embrace seeking shelter.. now, when I was old and weak, I was resting hin his arms seeking solace from my life. "Darling.." I whispered. "It's time."
"No..."
"You've known for a long time that I was going to die, Yue." I smiled faintly. Gods, even when he was thirty-five years old by human standards, he would be eternally radiant for centuries to come... and I wondered how many others would fall into his spell over the years.. My hand weakly squeezed his slender fingers. "I will miss you."
"I..I'll miss you too, Clow-sama..Don't die.. please."
"It's my time."
"I..I don't want to love anyone again..I...c..can't." He said softly, and I shook my head.
"You will.." I sat up slowly and kissed his lips. Keroberos padded up to us gently and nuzzled his head under my hand. Weakly, I scratched behind his ears. "I'll miss you too, Keroberos.. I trust you to find someone worthy of the cards."
"Yes, master." He bowed lightly and curled up against me. Yue began to cry softly, and when I looked, I saw tears snaking their way through Keroberos' golden fur as well.
"You two.. I'll miss you both so much.. you have been wonderful to me...." I took one last look at them, and my mind wandered to an old play I read...Romeo and Juliet. I looked at Yue and whispered to him as I felt the energy slowly leaving my body. "Eyes, look your last..Arms, take your last embrace.. And lips, o you the doors of breath..seal with a righteous kiss..a dateless bargain to engrossing death....here's to my love.." I leaned up and kissed him firmly on the lips. He clung to me frantically, whispering back...
"No.. Clow..."
"Thus.. with a kiss.." I was barely able to get the words out...I could hear him sobbing brokenly now and wanted nothing more to comfort him..but it wasn't my choice."I die.." And there, my story ends..
After all, I was nearing my sixtieth birthday, and in retrospect, I had lived a good life. My childhood was comfortable financially, I loved my family.. I had used my power to create the cards, which would be my legacy.. I created two wonderful guardians, who still looked young and powerful as they ever had. Sometimes, the fierceness of Yue's loyalty scared me, though. He was determined to stay by my side until my final breath, and all I could do was let him.
"Yue.. you don't have to stay with an old man.. Go on now."
"No!" He clung tighter to me then, and he was shaking. Yue had been crying more now, and each teardrop was like a needle prickling my skin. He and I hadn't made love in years; I was much too weak, but at times, a simple kiss could say more than a night of passionate lovemaking. "I'm staying with you, damnit."
I was taken aback by the firey look in his eyes, and nodded faintly, lying back on the bed and tangling my fingers in his soft hair. I never did have any children..but then, with Yue and Keroberos, I had all the companionship I would ever want. All I could hope was that their future mistress would take as good care of them as I did.
Keroberos seemed more reserved about the issue of my death than Yue did. He would sometimes look at me silently and then sit down by me in the chair without a word. Keroberos was more like an old friend than anything, but I would miss them both dearly.
In the last month of my life, I stayed in bed mostly. Yue brought me my meals and then sat on the bed with me. He was looking paler than usual, and sometimes I had to wonder which one of us was dying. His eyes were red and puffy, and there were dark circles under his beautiful eyes. Even his wings seemed like they were broken. He was acting like a puppet whose strings had been cut, and walked around listlessly. There was a nagging feeling of guilt that was eating me alive, and I couldn't help but think that Yue's depression was partially or completely my fault. Perhaps if I hadn't given into my desire for the angel, he would not have gotten so involved.. but then it is difficult to tell with these things sometimes. I may have been a fortune-teller, but there were some things even I could not predict.
On the day you die, there is so much that your heart, soul, and mind wish to accomplish, but my body was too weak to do very much of it. I set the spell that would seal away Yue and Keroberos into the book until it was reopened and sat silently with Yue under the sakura tree for a while, lying in his arms.. It was strange, when I realized it. When he was young and weak, he would curl into my embrace seeking shelter.. now, when I was old and weak, I was resting hin his arms seeking solace from my life. "Darling.." I whispered. "It's time."
"No..."
"You've known for a long time that I was going to die, Yue." I smiled faintly. Gods, even when he was thirty-five years old by human standards, he would be eternally radiant for centuries to come... and I wondered how many others would fall into his spell over the years.. My hand weakly squeezed his slender fingers. "I will miss you."
"I..I'll miss you too, Clow-sama..Don't die.. please."
"It's my time."
"I..I don't want to love anyone again..I...c..can't." He said softly, and I shook my head.
"You will.." I sat up slowly and kissed his lips. Keroberos padded up to us gently and nuzzled his head under my hand. Weakly, I scratched behind his ears. "I'll miss you too, Keroberos.. I trust you to find someone worthy of the cards."
"Yes, master." He bowed lightly and curled up against me. Yue began to cry softly, and when I looked, I saw tears snaking their way through Keroberos' golden fur as well.
"You two.. I'll miss you both so much.. you have been wonderful to me...." I took one last look at them, and my mind wandered to an old play I read...Romeo and Juliet. I looked at Yue and whispered to him as I felt the energy slowly leaving my body. "Eyes, look your last..Arms, take your last embrace.. And lips, o you the doors of breath..seal with a righteous kiss..a dateless bargain to engrossing death....here's to my love.." I leaned up and kissed him firmly on the lips. He clung to me frantically, whispering back...
"No.. Clow..."
"Thus.. with a kiss.." I was barely able to get the words out...I could hear him sobbing brokenly now and wanted nothing more to comfort him..but it wasn't my choice."I die.." And there, my story ends..