The Guardians
Chapter 2: Progress
By SilentLight
It was morning, when Dawan cracked opened tear-dried eyelids. The sun shone valiantly to get past the heavy curtains of her window, but only a little got past. Rubbing her eyes, Dawan yawned, and stumbled down to the kitchen for some breakfast.
The sight before her stopped her in mid-step. The kitchen was a mess. Flour had been thrown around, presumably using too much force. The washing machine was leaking water, flooding half the kitchen. In the middle of the mess was the very untidy Keroberos, who stared at the burnt bits on the baking tray half in despair, half anger. Spinel Sun sat in a corner, looking on smugly. Dawan blinked, and blinked again, then cleared her throat. The two guardians snapped their heads in her direction. Both stared at the floor. "Well, I must say, Keroberos, you need cooking lessons." Keroberos did not look up, smile, or laugh. Sighing mentally, Dawan shook her head. 'Perfect start to a perfect day.'
It took her over an hour to clean up the kitchen, repair the washing machine by magic, and clean Keroberos up manually. Spinel Sun had left for his room, and never came down since. Using the hairdryer on Kero to dry his fur, Dawan reflected upon the situation. The electronics in the house were all maintained by magic, so there was no problem about that. The ingredients that Kero had 'experimented' with could be replaced easily once she could spare the time to do a little transportation spell, Kero would need to be cleaned regularly if he was going to have cooking lessons, and the three guardians still needed to trust her. She sighed loudly, and Kero cocked his head at her. "Is something the matter?"
She almost dropped the hairdryer, for she had almost forgot about Kero. "Well, nothing is. But, like they say, everything has a solution. And for you, my very cute guardian beast, you need lessons in cooking. Starting today."
Kero brightened visibly, his aura flaring. "Really? You would? Sakura tried to, but she was always too busy." At the memory of Sakura, Kero sank upon himself. They knew what Sakura had been busy about.
"She would love to see you learn to cook," said Dawan gently, and received a small smile as reward.
"I hope so."
"I know so." And Dawan smiled her most reassuring smile at him.
That afternoon found the two busy in the kitchen. Keroberos in his puppet form was stirring the dough mixture with much effort. They had found that he was much more agile in his puppet form than in his real one. Dawan was busy with the hot oven. She did not dare let the guardian near it. The one time they tried, he had burned himself and ended up screaming his head off in pain. Dawan had to use what little healing magic she had to treat him. Spinel Sun had crept down at the smell of baking food, but ran as soon as he saw Keroberos with the food. Dawan sighed mentally. It seemed that not only she had problems with each of the guardians, only that hers was the largest.
Ruby Moon was battling with herself. She was upset, angry, and furious and every angry word you could think of at the new creation her master and Sakura had created. She wanted to go with her master, be alongside him as he went to find Tomoyo, but he had forbid her. She knew why, and did not blame Eriol, could not bear to, but she could be angry at the new creation. She knew its purpose, and she did not want it to be there. It was the excuse she was still breathing, living. It was its fault.
But she was drawn, irresistibly drawn to that sweet smell of food. That reminded her of the times she had stuffed them into her fellow guardian's mouth, watching him become drunk, and stuffing his own mouth until he fell asleep. That brought back the memories of her master's constant smile at their antics, his brilliant scheming mind, wonderful cooking and capable hands that sewed her costumes at her every whim, and created her, made her what she was today. Again, tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes. That perhaps was the only flaw in her. Her master had created her too like a human, with emotions and tears to show them. She wiped them away angrily. She should not be upset at her master, but instead at the new creation that was currently downstairs, cooking up something that drew her down. But curiosity was quite the biggest flaw in her. Yielding unwillingly to that, Ruby Moon crept downstairs, careful not to alert the new creation to her presence.
Yue sniffed haughtily at the smell of baking food that drifted from the first floor. He refused these mortal foods, considering them beneath his dignity. In actual fact, he hated them, for his first try had led to a disaster. He still did not know why these mortals like spicy food so. It was horrible. Yet that led him to memories of his two masters, two persons in this mortal world whom he had, and will only, loved. Yet both had done the same thing. Both requested that he lived on after their lives were done, to live his immortal life to the fullest. But Yue hated that request. He loved them; yet at the same time loathe them for what they had done to him. He could not refuse their last wish, but did they not know how much it hurts, to see them go, and know that he himself will never suffer the same fate? Yue sighed gustily into the cold freezing air. He felt no cold, no warmth inside. A neutral, unfeeling void seemed to encompass him within, and he closed his eyes in exhaustion.
Ruby Moon crept quietly, unseen, in the kitchen of her Master. The place was surprisingly clean, as Kero stuffed his little face with cookies, and Dawan looking on, shaking her head, amused. Her mouth watered at the prospective of cookies, but then she remembered her hatred. It was getting to be annoying, to brood alone. She had never been a loner, often preferring to annoy others, just to have company. But this situation was too awkward, and she did not know how to approach the two in the kitchen.
Dawan blinked, as she felt Ruby Moon just outside the kitchen. Although she had not much empathy skill, she could still feel faintly Ruby's desire to join them. Smiling in relief, Dawan said aloud, "Come and join us, Ruby Moon. I'm sure these cookies need some other critic with better taste than 'good'." And Ruby Moon joined them delightedly, her supposedly hatred of the new power source gone. After a while, even Spinel Sun came down, and was immediately ambushed by Ruby Moon.
Dawan watched in amusement, as Kero and Ruby chased after the poor Spinel. Her problems were three-quarters solved. Now only one remained, the hardest, and loneliest of the four.
*Will Yue ever relent in his hatred against Dawan? Find out in the next chapter. ^.^*
Chapter 2: Progress
By SilentLight
It was morning, when Dawan cracked opened tear-dried eyelids. The sun shone valiantly to get past the heavy curtains of her window, but only a little got past. Rubbing her eyes, Dawan yawned, and stumbled down to the kitchen for some breakfast.
The sight before her stopped her in mid-step. The kitchen was a mess. Flour had been thrown around, presumably using too much force. The washing machine was leaking water, flooding half the kitchen. In the middle of the mess was the very untidy Keroberos, who stared at the burnt bits on the baking tray half in despair, half anger. Spinel Sun sat in a corner, looking on smugly. Dawan blinked, and blinked again, then cleared her throat. The two guardians snapped their heads in her direction. Both stared at the floor. "Well, I must say, Keroberos, you need cooking lessons." Keroberos did not look up, smile, or laugh. Sighing mentally, Dawan shook her head. 'Perfect start to a perfect day.'
It took her over an hour to clean up the kitchen, repair the washing machine by magic, and clean Keroberos up manually. Spinel Sun had left for his room, and never came down since. Using the hairdryer on Kero to dry his fur, Dawan reflected upon the situation. The electronics in the house were all maintained by magic, so there was no problem about that. The ingredients that Kero had 'experimented' with could be replaced easily once she could spare the time to do a little transportation spell, Kero would need to be cleaned regularly if he was going to have cooking lessons, and the three guardians still needed to trust her. She sighed loudly, and Kero cocked his head at her. "Is something the matter?"
She almost dropped the hairdryer, for she had almost forgot about Kero. "Well, nothing is. But, like they say, everything has a solution. And for you, my very cute guardian beast, you need lessons in cooking. Starting today."
Kero brightened visibly, his aura flaring. "Really? You would? Sakura tried to, but she was always too busy." At the memory of Sakura, Kero sank upon himself. They knew what Sakura had been busy about.
"She would love to see you learn to cook," said Dawan gently, and received a small smile as reward.
"I hope so."
"I know so." And Dawan smiled her most reassuring smile at him.
That afternoon found the two busy in the kitchen. Keroberos in his puppet form was stirring the dough mixture with much effort. They had found that he was much more agile in his puppet form than in his real one. Dawan was busy with the hot oven. She did not dare let the guardian near it. The one time they tried, he had burned himself and ended up screaming his head off in pain. Dawan had to use what little healing magic she had to treat him. Spinel Sun had crept down at the smell of baking food, but ran as soon as he saw Keroberos with the food. Dawan sighed mentally. It seemed that not only she had problems with each of the guardians, only that hers was the largest.
Ruby Moon was battling with herself. She was upset, angry, and furious and every angry word you could think of at the new creation her master and Sakura had created. She wanted to go with her master, be alongside him as he went to find Tomoyo, but he had forbid her. She knew why, and did not blame Eriol, could not bear to, but she could be angry at the new creation. She knew its purpose, and she did not want it to be there. It was the excuse she was still breathing, living. It was its fault.
But she was drawn, irresistibly drawn to that sweet smell of food. That reminded her of the times she had stuffed them into her fellow guardian's mouth, watching him become drunk, and stuffing his own mouth until he fell asleep. That brought back the memories of her master's constant smile at their antics, his brilliant scheming mind, wonderful cooking and capable hands that sewed her costumes at her every whim, and created her, made her what she was today. Again, tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes. That perhaps was the only flaw in her. Her master had created her too like a human, with emotions and tears to show them. She wiped them away angrily. She should not be upset at her master, but instead at the new creation that was currently downstairs, cooking up something that drew her down. But curiosity was quite the biggest flaw in her. Yielding unwillingly to that, Ruby Moon crept downstairs, careful not to alert the new creation to her presence.
Yue sniffed haughtily at the smell of baking food that drifted from the first floor. He refused these mortal foods, considering them beneath his dignity. In actual fact, he hated them, for his first try had led to a disaster. He still did not know why these mortals like spicy food so. It was horrible. Yet that led him to memories of his two masters, two persons in this mortal world whom he had, and will only, loved. Yet both had done the same thing. Both requested that he lived on after their lives were done, to live his immortal life to the fullest. But Yue hated that request. He loved them; yet at the same time loathe them for what they had done to him. He could not refuse their last wish, but did they not know how much it hurts, to see them go, and know that he himself will never suffer the same fate? Yue sighed gustily into the cold freezing air. He felt no cold, no warmth inside. A neutral, unfeeling void seemed to encompass him within, and he closed his eyes in exhaustion.
Ruby Moon crept quietly, unseen, in the kitchen of her Master. The place was surprisingly clean, as Kero stuffed his little face with cookies, and Dawan looking on, shaking her head, amused. Her mouth watered at the prospective of cookies, but then she remembered her hatred. It was getting to be annoying, to brood alone. She had never been a loner, often preferring to annoy others, just to have company. But this situation was too awkward, and she did not know how to approach the two in the kitchen.
Dawan blinked, as she felt Ruby Moon just outside the kitchen. Although she had not much empathy skill, she could still feel faintly Ruby's desire to join them. Smiling in relief, Dawan said aloud, "Come and join us, Ruby Moon. I'm sure these cookies need some other critic with better taste than 'good'." And Ruby Moon joined them delightedly, her supposedly hatred of the new power source gone. After a while, even Spinel Sun came down, and was immediately ambushed by Ruby Moon.
Dawan watched in amusement, as Kero and Ruby chased after the poor Spinel. Her problems were three-quarters solved. Now only one remained, the hardest, and loneliest of the four.
*Will Yue ever relent in his hatred against Dawan? Find out in the next chapter. ^.^*
