LY: Gomen nasai, minna-san!! I know it's been a long time between updates, but school is pretty busy around the end of the year. Two weeks left though!
Kero: And you'll finish the story then, right?
LY: Yes! I plan to finish the story by July! But to do that I'll need all your support, readers!
Kero: Review lots!! Now, time for shout outs!
LY: Right, there's just a couple:
To cgirl: thank you soooooooo much! Your review really cheered me up!!
To fleur: thank you! I don't remember exactly where Kaori came from. I think I just stuck letters together until they sounded good. ^-^
Thanks to reviewers from other chappies too, shoutouts are new for this chapter so I'll only put them down for ch.7 right now.
Kero: Okay, lets get on with the story!!
LY: Right! Here you go, sorry again that it took so long. I made it extra long to make up for it though!!
Kero: Review and enjoy!
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Disclaimer: I don't own CCS :( Clamp does. I also don't own the song in this chapter, "Complicated", Caroline Dawn Johnson owns it.
"Talking"
=Thoughts=
~~~~scene change~~~~
«song lyrics»
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One More Day
by Lady Yunaleska
Ch.8- Child's Play
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It was the morning after the aquarium trip, and Kaori was up extra early. She sat at the wooden desk in her bedroom looking for a spell in the "Advanced Magic" chapter. She sighed, "Oh, I can't find anything in this stupid book!"
Kaori had already spent more than an hour searching, and she grew more frustrated with each passing minute. She read the description of one certain spell that she thought was perfect, but just as she began to study it, the book slammed shut and floated toward the open window.
"Hey! Come back here!" she ran to catch the book, although she stopped suddenly when a red hand appeared and clasped the book in its boney fingers. "What the-"
"Just what do you think you're doing, Kaori?" Diablo finished materializing out of nowhere. He flipped to the page Kaori was reading.
"What do you want, Diablo?!"
"Now, now. No need to get angry," he glanced at the spell, then looked up at Kaori.
"Do you really think this will stop her?" he laughed half-heartedly, "I've been watching you, my dear. So far they have outsmarted you easily, even with such advanced spells put against them. Why are you still playing these games with them?"
Kaori snatched the book away from Diablo,"For your information, Your Highness, this is just a test to see if I'm right about something. If I am, I have something much bigger planned for Sakura..." her eyes glared at nothing and she smiled.
"I see." satisfied with this, he turned and wrapped his blood red cape around and glanced back at Kaori.
"Just remember, little one, that you have only four days left..." and he vanished just as the sun peeked through the window.
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"Sakura! Wait up!" Tomoyo came running down the park trail as fast as she could.
"What is it, Tomoyo?"
"Syaoran....me...*pant*..."
"Tomoyo, calm down!" Sakura motioned for her friend to sit on a nearby bench and let her catch her breath.
"Now, what were you saying?"
"Sorry, I was saying that Syaoran thought it might be fin if the three of us and -surprisingly- Eriol went to the Nadesico festival this afternoon. It opened today!" Tomoyo was so excited she could barely sit still.
"Sure! That would be great!" Sakura was beginning to get excited, too.
"Good! Syaoran and Eriol are waiting at the penguin slide. Come on!" Tomoyo grabbed Sakura's hand and dashed to where the boys were waiting.
When they arrived, Sakura noticed that Syaoran and Eriol seemed to be in deep thought.
"*pant.. pant...* Hey guys! We got here as fast as we could!" Tomoyo sat on the bench.
Sakura wasn't even winded from the long sprint. "What were you two talking about? You looked so serious."
Eriol sat beside Tomoyo. "We were just trying to think of what to do about Kaori."
"Oh come on, guys! Can't we forget about her for just one day?" Sakura pleaded, "You'll ruin all the fun at the festival!"
"Okay, but still be on the lookout. You never know when she'll strike again." Syaoran held out his arm in a gentleman-like fashion to Sakura. "Shall we?"
Sakura blushed and happily took his arm. Eriol did the same for Tomoyo.
~~~At the Festival~~~~
"Oh wow!" Sakura admired the park from a distance, "It's even more beautiful than last year!"
The gang paid for their admission and slowly made their way through the festival. They tried all the rides, except for the Haunted House roller coaster.
"No way, Tomoyo! You know how much I hate ghosts!!"
"But, Sakura!" Tomoyo whispered to Sakura, "Just think how kawaii it would be if you get scared and had to cling to Syaoran for support!!"
"Tomoyo!!"
"Um, why don't we try some games instead?" Eriol suggested.
When they arrived at the game section of the festival, Sakura stopped and gasped.
"What is it, Sakura? Do you sense something?" Syaoran was worried, but he didn't feel anything strange.
Sakura pointed ahead, "Look!!"
The other three fell anime-style when they saw it: A giant stuffed pink bunny with white ribbons on its ears.
"I have to have that!" Sakura ran to the stall but saddened when she saw the game; ring toss.
No matter how much she tried, she could never get enough rings over the poles to win anything.
"Rats!" she slowly walked back to her friends.
"Well, any luck?" Eriol asked.
"Ring toss..."
That was enough for everyone to understand; They all knew Sakura couldn't do that game.
"Well, let's get some ice cream then." Tomoyo reached into her bag and pulled out four slips of paper,"I have coupons!"
At the ice cream stand, they ordered two chocolate, one vanilla and one strawberry ice cream. When Sakura got hers and turned to leave, something tripped her and made Sakura and her ice cream fall to the ground.
"Hoe!! Why does this always happen to me?!"
Syaoran helped her up. "It's okay, Sakura. You can have some of mine."
Eriol whispered, "Tomoyo, you're bad!"
She snickered, "I know!" she was sorry she tripped Sakura, but her plan had worked!
They all went to the center of the festival and sat around the wishing fountain eating their ice cream. Sakura didn't like chocolate very much, but she didn't care because she was sharing it with Syaoran.
"Let's make a wish!" Sakura pulled out some pennies from her pocket.
Syaoran, Tomoyo and Eriol threw their pennies in, but Sakura wished extra long. She finally tossed it in. "Done!"
Suddenly the ground began to rumble, and water shot straight up from the fountain.
"What did you wish for?!" Tomoyo shouted as she frantically tried to run.
"Quick, let's get away from here!" Eriol led them to a forest outside the festival; The rumbling followed them the whole way and ran up into a tree.
The leaves shook wildly and the roots began to spring out of the ground. A mouth formed from a hole in the trunk, and the possessed tree crawled toward the group.
"This seems kind of... silly, doesn't it?" Sakura stared as the slow moving tree came toward her- very slowly.
"Maybe, but let's get rid of it any ways!" Syaoran summoned his sword, and Sakura called her staff.
"Syaoran! Behind you!" Tomoyo yelled. They hadn't noticed that another tree came to life and was right behind Syaoran. It was too late; the tree wrapped its huge limbs tightly around Syaoran.
"Oh no!" Sakura tugged at the tree, but it was much too strong.
Two more trees came to life and caught Eriol and Tomoyo. Eriol couldn't quite reach his key to summon his sun staff. Now it was just Sakura left.
"Come on, Sakura! Let's see what you can do." Sakura looked up a non-possessed tree at the same cloaked figure as yesterday.
"Who are you?! What do you want with me?"
"Haven't you figured it out yet? You have what I want, and the only way I can get it is if you're out of the picture!" the figure laughed evilly and shot energy at the tree.
"Fine! I'll teach you not to mess with me or my friends!" Sakura whipped out a card, "Thunder!" The lightning lion leaped from the card and fried the evil tree.
"You're next! Windy! Make a cage around her!" Sakura was careful not to say 'Kaori' when commanding the cards, as they planned earlier.
Kaori vanished before Windy could catch her, "Better luck next time!"
The trees released their grips on the kids and became regular trees again.
"Are you guys okay?" Sakura helped Tomoyo up.
"Yes, but, that was really easy compared to before..." Syaoran rubbed his aching arms.
Eriol put his hand to his chin. "This doesn't add up. Why would Kaori cast such a childish spell? I think this is a decoy for something bigger."
"Well, I doubt she'll do it tonight. She probably needs time to plan," Tomoyo picked up her bag, "Why don't we just go home?"
"Wait, there's still one thing I have to do. Meet me out front of the festival." Syaoran ran back to the festival grounds.
Several minutes later, Syaoran met them at the front gates. He was carrying a big stuffed pink bunny with white ribbons on its ears.
"Here, this is for you," he gently handed it to Sakura.
"Oh, Syaoran, you didn't have to..." she was overwhelmed by his sweetness, and of course Tomoyo caught it on tape.
"Kawaii!!"
"Come on, guys, we should be heading home now." Eriol smiled, "I'll take you home, Tomoyo, if you'd like."
Tomoyo blushed and stopped filming, "Oh... umm.. S-sure! I'd love that..!"
"Okay, see you guys tomorrow! Let's go, Sakura, I'll walk you home."
The whole walk both were silent.
«I'm so scared that the way that I feel
Is written all
over my face.
When you walk into the room,
I wanna find a
hiding place.»
Sakura remembered the days when her and Syaoran were catching the the clow cards....
«We used to laugh,
we used to hug
The way that old friends do
But now a smile and
a touch of your hand,
Just makes me come unglued.»
...and those times when Syaoran first came and how mean he used to be, and how much he's changed.....
«Such a
contradiction.
Do I lie or tell the truth?
Is it fact or
fiction,
Oh the way I feel for you?»
She shook her head to get rid of her thoughts.
"You okay?" Syaoran asked.
"Um, yes, just a bug flying around me."
«It's so
complicated
I'm so frustrated
I wanna hold you close, I wanna
push you away,
I wanna make you go, I wanna make you stay.»
After what seemed like an eternity, they reached Sakura's house.
"Thank you so much, Syaoran." Sakura was playing with the bunny's ribbons and looking at the ground.
"Anything for you, Sakura. Good night." he turned to leave, but Sakura lightly grabbed his arm.
«Should I say it?
Should I tell you how I feel?
Oh I
want you to know,
But then again I don't....»
"Syaoran? I... um... I think I'm-"
"Kaijuu!!! Get away from the Chinese gaki and come inside!"
Sakura glared daggers at Touya. "Okay! Okay!" she turned back to Syaoran.
"I better go. See you tomorrow, Syaoran."
"Good night." Syaoran walked away.
"Sakura!!!"
"Okay I'm coming!!"
= «It's so complicated...»
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Kaori teleported into her room and fell back on her bed.
"Perfect! I knew it!!" she rolled over and looked at her class picture. All the heads were colored over except hers and Syaoran's.
"Just a couple more days and you'll be mine....."
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LY: Yay!!! I'm done!! I like this chapter, lotsa S+S moments.
Kero: Ewww!!!
LY: Oh you never mind! *stuffs Kero's face with cake*
Kero: *munch...* Dof fogoh oo wevoo!
LY: ^-^' Eh.... he said Don't forget to review!! Lotsa reviews pleeze!! I will put the next chappie up in about 2 weeks, when school is over.
If you would like to be emailed when I update, just say so in your review or you can just email me. Til next time, ja ne!
