Sakura, her Lion and her Departing Friend
part 4
Sakura/Tomoyo, Sakura/Cerberus
******
A few preparations had to be made for her weekend away. Sakura instructed the Illusion Card on her movements around the house. Her father and Touya were both working, so that would make the facade much easier to maintain. In the evenings she practised using Windy and Fly to time herself for the journey, and Cerberus flew with her as personal trainer and motivational coach. They had decided that Light would help guide them when it was night, and Dark would shade them in daylight hours.
She also needed suitable clothes. One of Tomoyo's creations was perfect: it was a long-sleeved pink and white balloon dress with oversized white wing epaulettes, a turtleneck collar and matching pink gloves with wings sewn into the cuffs. The dress was gathered at mid-thigh level, and white stockings covered the rest of her legs. The material was lightweight yet insulating; she remembered Tomoyo telling her it was similar to that used in the flight suits worn by astronauts.
Last but not least were the matching accessories. The hat was a variation of the pillbox hats popular in the 1960s, bright pink with white trim. Wings were sewn into the sides, and a wing was embroidered at the front. Her boots were again pink and white, with more wings sewn into the heel.
Kero was most impressed. "Who needs Cards? You look like you're ready to fly in that costume alone!"
Sakura smiled ruefully at herself in the mirror. "It's a very long distance, so I need all the help I can get."
"Sakura Airways are set to go! Flight SAK001 to Los Angeles will leave tomorrow after dinner!"
"After dinner? I thought you wanted to leave after I arrived home from school."
"But Sakura, you can't expect to fly all that way on an empty stomach! We must make sure to eat as much as we can before we go."
It made good sense. They would be starving when they arrived. "But make sure not to eat too much, Kero-chan. Otherwise you'll be so heavy you won't be able to take off!"
She didn't have room to take many clothes in her backpack, but she wasn't too worried about that. But there was one thing she didn't want to forget. The night before she placed the rabbit eraser in her backpack, along with the Book of Clow.
*****
In a rented Beverly Hills mansion, Tomoyo relaxed in a bubble bath. One of the bodyguards was in the bathroom with her dressed in a black yukata, wearing her customary dark glasses. She carefully lathered Tomoyo's long thick hair with shampoo.
"The weather is windy and warm, Daidouji-san. It must be uncomfortable for you to have such long hair."
Tomoyo closed her eyes. "I keep it tied up or braided most of the time so it doesn't get in the way."
"But that is not good for the roots." Her fingers massaged Tomoyo's temples and scalp. "Too much tension will make your hair fall out."
"Mmm," Tomoyo tilted her head to one side, spilling lather down her neck and collarbone. Some of it slid down the slope of her breast. "I like it when you do that."
"Shorter hair is easier to groom, Daidouji-san. It would be more suited for this warm climate."
"Perhaps, but my mother has grown my hair long ever since I was little, and I'm accustomed to it now. I wouldn't want to upset her by altering my appearance."
"I understand." The bodyguard scooped up the stray suds from Tomoyo's neck, and began scrubbing behind one of her ears. "I didn't mean to overstep my authority."
Tomoyo opened her eyes and smiled. "I appreciate your concern. I know my mother would be pleased at how well you're looking after me."
"I am glad to hear that, Daidouji-san." The fingers in Tomoyo's hair slowed, then drifted down her throat to trace the path of bubbles along her chest. "But I hope that you too are pleased with my service."
"I am pleased." Tomoyo lifted herself slightly, just enough so that her nipples peeked above the suds. She sighed as the hand closed around one of her breasts, massaging her nipple in circles. "I am...very pleased."
A scraping noise came from the window, startling them both. Instantly the bodyguard came to her feet and pulled out the firearm within the folds of her yukata.
"Could it be an animal? Maybe it's a squirrel," Tomoyo said.
"Perhaps." But she didn't sound convinced. "Get dressed quickly." She pulled out her walkie-talkie to call for her partner.
*****
On the roof of the mansion, Sakura and Cerberus made a hasty landing. From their vantage point they could see the second floor balcony overlooking a swimming pool and spa. Small lights lit the garden path winding around the house. The letters of the famous Hollywood sign glowed from a distant hillside.
But Cerberus had no eyes for the view. "What do you mean, you forgot where you were?? You were hovering outside her window! You can't just give your wings a rest!"
"I didn't mean to. It just happened." Sakura touched her tousled hair with one hand, the other holding the Staff with a white-knuckled grip. "I lost my hat."
"You're lucky that's the only thing you've lost. If it hadn't been for Windy..." Cerberus grimaced, and shook his head. "Promise me you'll never do something so stupid again."
"I promise."
She flopped down on the roof before she made an even bigger fool of herself. Her legs were as wobbly as jelly. Her wings sagged on the tiles, and she was too exhausted to fold them up or undo Fly's spell. The weight of the backpack tugged at her aching shoulders. Her stomach rumbled with hunger. But all these sensations receded in the background. She felt numb and empty, too exhausted to waste energy on displays of emotion. She was grateful for that small mercy. She'd never been good at masking her feelings.
"So did you see Tomoyo? Is she too busy to see us?"
"Kero-chan, I'm not sure this was such a good idea."
"Huh? What do you mean? We arrived here safely, didn't we?"
"Wait." Sakura listened. She could hear doors opening and closing. "They know we're here."
"Then let's go and say hello! I hope they have some food for us. I'm starving."
Sakura seized Cerberus's harness. "No."
"Why not?"
There was a tense silence, followed by the balcony doors sliding open. Sakura grabbed her Staff and the Cards. The Erase Card was at the top of the deck, right at her fingertips. It was uncanny how the card she wanted was always close to hand.
"Sakura, what--"
She threw it up and held her staff to catch it. The baton twirling and shouting were all for show: true magic didn't require any artifice. The shower of silver fell over her and Cerberus, erasing them both from view.
*****
The two bodyguards crouched on the balcony. One used night binoculars to scan the premises. The other looked up at the roof, a perplexed look on her face.
"I thought I heard voices," she said. "Do you see anything?"
"Not yet." The other bodyguard kept looking, concentrating on the gardens and trees.
Tomoyo opened the balcony door and crawled out on her hands and knees.
"Daidouji-san! I told you to stay inside."
"Forgive me, but I wanted to collect something." She grabbed the pink and white pillbox hat that lay on under a chaise lounge. "I forgot I left it out here."
"Stay there and don't move!" She touched the shoulder of her colleague. "It's time we looked in a different direction. Will you cover me?"
"Always." Her colleague pocketed the binoculars and took out a firearm.
She flashed a smile. "I'll hold you to that."
In the blink of an eye, she grabbed the eaves and swung herself up on the roof. With careful steps, she prowled across to the other side. The other bodyguard waited until she was halfway up, then joined her. After a few seconds, they both returned to find Tomoyo sitting on the lounge with the hat in her lap.
"Daidouji-san! We told you not to move."
"I haven't come to any harm." She looked from one to the other. "You didn't find them, did you?"
"No. But you have to obey our instructions if we are to do our work properly. Come inside this minute." They ushered her inside and locked the door.
******
part 4
Sakura/Tomoyo, Sakura/Cerberus
******
A few preparations had to be made for her weekend away. Sakura instructed the Illusion Card on her movements around the house. Her father and Touya were both working, so that would make the facade much easier to maintain. In the evenings she practised using Windy and Fly to time herself for the journey, and Cerberus flew with her as personal trainer and motivational coach. They had decided that Light would help guide them when it was night, and Dark would shade them in daylight hours.
She also needed suitable clothes. One of Tomoyo's creations was perfect: it was a long-sleeved pink and white balloon dress with oversized white wing epaulettes, a turtleneck collar and matching pink gloves with wings sewn into the cuffs. The dress was gathered at mid-thigh level, and white stockings covered the rest of her legs. The material was lightweight yet insulating; she remembered Tomoyo telling her it was similar to that used in the flight suits worn by astronauts.
Last but not least were the matching accessories. The hat was a variation of the pillbox hats popular in the 1960s, bright pink with white trim. Wings were sewn into the sides, and a wing was embroidered at the front. Her boots were again pink and white, with more wings sewn into the heel.
Kero was most impressed. "Who needs Cards? You look like you're ready to fly in that costume alone!"
Sakura smiled ruefully at herself in the mirror. "It's a very long distance, so I need all the help I can get."
"Sakura Airways are set to go! Flight SAK001 to Los Angeles will leave tomorrow after dinner!"
"After dinner? I thought you wanted to leave after I arrived home from school."
"But Sakura, you can't expect to fly all that way on an empty stomach! We must make sure to eat as much as we can before we go."
It made good sense. They would be starving when they arrived. "But make sure not to eat too much, Kero-chan. Otherwise you'll be so heavy you won't be able to take off!"
She didn't have room to take many clothes in her backpack, but she wasn't too worried about that. But there was one thing she didn't want to forget. The night before she placed the rabbit eraser in her backpack, along with the Book of Clow.
*****
In a rented Beverly Hills mansion, Tomoyo relaxed in a bubble bath. One of the bodyguards was in the bathroom with her dressed in a black yukata, wearing her customary dark glasses. She carefully lathered Tomoyo's long thick hair with shampoo.
"The weather is windy and warm, Daidouji-san. It must be uncomfortable for you to have such long hair."
Tomoyo closed her eyes. "I keep it tied up or braided most of the time so it doesn't get in the way."
"But that is not good for the roots." Her fingers massaged Tomoyo's temples and scalp. "Too much tension will make your hair fall out."
"Mmm," Tomoyo tilted her head to one side, spilling lather down her neck and collarbone. Some of it slid down the slope of her breast. "I like it when you do that."
"Shorter hair is easier to groom, Daidouji-san. It would be more suited for this warm climate."
"Perhaps, but my mother has grown my hair long ever since I was little, and I'm accustomed to it now. I wouldn't want to upset her by altering my appearance."
"I understand." The bodyguard scooped up the stray suds from Tomoyo's neck, and began scrubbing behind one of her ears. "I didn't mean to overstep my authority."
Tomoyo opened her eyes and smiled. "I appreciate your concern. I know my mother would be pleased at how well you're looking after me."
"I am glad to hear that, Daidouji-san." The fingers in Tomoyo's hair slowed, then drifted down her throat to trace the path of bubbles along her chest. "But I hope that you too are pleased with my service."
"I am pleased." Tomoyo lifted herself slightly, just enough so that her nipples peeked above the suds. She sighed as the hand closed around one of her breasts, massaging her nipple in circles. "I am...very pleased."
A scraping noise came from the window, startling them both. Instantly the bodyguard came to her feet and pulled out the firearm within the folds of her yukata.
"Could it be an animal? Maybe it's a squirrel," Tomoyo said.
"Perhaps." But she didn't sound convinced. "Get dressed quickly." She pulled out her walkie-talkie to call for her partner.
*****
On the roof of the mansion, Sakura and Cerberus made a hasty landing. From their vantage point they could see the second floor balcony overlooking a swimming pool and spa. Small lights lit the garden path winding around the house. The letters of the famous Hollywood sign glowed from a distant hillside.
But Cerberus had no eyes for the view. "What do you mean, you forgot where you were?? You were hovering outside her window! You can't just give your wings a rest!"
"I didn't mean to. It just happened." Sakura touched her tousled hair with one hand, the other holding the Staff with a white-knuckled grip. "I lost my hat."
"You're lucky that's the only thing you've lost. If it hadn't been for Windy..." Cerberus grimaced, and shook his head. "Promise me you'll never do something so stupid again."
"I promise."
She flopped down on the roof before she made an even bigger fool of herself. Her legs were as wobbly as jelly. Her wings sagged on the tiles, and she was too exhausted to fold them up or undo Fly's spell. The weight of the backpack tugged at her aching shoulders. Her stomach rumbled with hunger. But all these sensations receded in the background. She felt numb and empty, too exhausted to waste energy on displays of emotion. She was grateful for that small mercy. She'd never been good at masking her feelings.
"So did you see Tomoyo? Is she too busy to see us?"
"Kero-chan, I'm not sure this was such a good idea."
"Huh? What do you mean? We arrived here safely, didn't we?"
"Wait." Sakura listened. She could hear doors opening and closing. "They know we're here."
"Then let's go and say hello! I hope they have some food for us. I'm starving."
Sakura seized Cerberus's harness. "No."
"Why not?"
There was a tense silence, followed by the balcony doors sliding open. Sakura grabbed her Staff and the Cards. The Erase Card was at the top of the deck, right at her fingertips. It was uncanny how the card she wanted was always close to hand.
"Sakura, what--"
She threw it up and held her staff to catch it. The baton twirling and shouting were all for show: true magic didn't require any artifice. The shower of silver fell over her and Cerberus, erasing them both from view.
*****
The two bodyguards crouched on the balcony. One used night binoculars to scan the premises. The other looked up at the roof, a perplexed look on her face.
"I thought I heard voices," she said. "Do you see anything?"
"Not yet." The other bodyguard kept looking, concentrating on the gardens and trees.
Tomoyo opened the balcony door and crawled out on her hands and knees.
"Daidouji-san! I told you to stay inside."
"Forgive me, but I wanted to collect something." She grabbed the pink and white pillbox hat that lay on under a chaise lounge. "I forgot I left it out here."
"Stay there and don't move!" She touched the shoulder of her colleague. "It's time we looked in a different direction. Will you cover me?"
"Always." Her colleague pocketed the binoculars and took out a firearm.
She flashed a smile. "I'll hold you to that."
In the blink of an eye, she grabbed the eaves and swung herself up on the roof. With careful steps, she prowled across to the other side. The other bodyguard waited until she was halfway up, then joined her. After a few seconds, they both returned to find Tomoyo sitting on the lounge with the hat in her lap.
"Daidouji-san! We told you not to move."
"I haven't come to any harm." She looked from one to the other. "You didn't find them, did you?"
"No. But you have to obey our instructions if we are to do our work properly. Come inside this minute." They ushered her inside and locked the door.
******