Chapter Two- New Memories
~*~*~*~*~*~ = Sakura's POV
I==D====== = Syaoran's POV
------;---@---;------ = Eriol's POV
o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/' = Tomoyo's POV
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* = Nakuru's POV
'___' = Thinking "_____" = Speech
The first chapter was kind of a Prologue, here's where the fairy tale element is introduced.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed!!! Keep 'em coming! (yah, Touya is Kinomoto-san)
Disclaimer= As much as I'd like to, I don't own CCS...Clamp does...::sigh:: as if that much wasn't already obvious...
Okay! Begin!
o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o'/o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/o'/'o/'o/'
I was being dragged towards a powerful looking specter sort of person against my will. It had a gigantic ball of black stuff that kept expanding in it's hand. I screamed and yelled for help, calling for Sakura-chan. Then, a large black leonine creature started shooting pink bolts of energy at the figure. I watched with dismay, as the pink bolts had no effect what so ever on the specter. Then, the hooded figure threw the black ball at me. Everything went dark...and that's when I woke up.
I yawned, stretching in my bed. What a most peculiar dream that was. The place I was in was so strange. There were long poles with lights hanging from them, but I could not see any candles. Also, the ground wasn't paved with stones, it was covered with smooth gray hard stuff. 'Enough daydreaming Tomoyo-chan, you've got a lot of work!' I thought to myself.
Sighing, I got out of bed and tidied it up. I cast a glance at my still sleeping sister and smiled. Then I walked over to her and shook her gently. "Sakura-chan. Sakura-chan. It's time to wake up!"
She groaned sleepily, then looked up at me and smiled. "Ohayou, Tomoyo-chan." She said groggily.
"Ohayou gozaimasu," I smiled. I was very fond of my sister, who was one year younger than me. "Now come on, it's your turn to make breakfast!" I reminded her. Then, I walked to my dresser, pulled out some clothes and got dressed. Pulling out a brush I started brushing my hair. Done with that, I walked downstairs to set the table.
"Ohayou Otou-san!" I smiled to my father.
"Ohayou Tomoyo-chan, good to see you up so early today. Is Sakura-chan coming down anytime soon?" My father asked.
"Hai. She's coming, " I replied. Then, I smiled at my Otou-san again. He was so kind and loving. He wasn't too old yet, only about 40. Mother had died when I was four, and when Sakura-chan was three. Oka-san's death had been hard for Otou-san, but he managed to move on, keeping her alive in his, and our memories, often talking about her and showing us pictures of her. Otou-san ran a hand through his graying hair, then went back to reading his book, smiling.
I continued setting the table. My day had started just like any regular day, but somehow, it seemed new. Strange, even. 'Otou-san is home today.. isn't he usually at work? And Oka-san isn't dead...she's just working at the toy company....' I blinked, jerking my head up from the fork I was setting down. 'What's wrong with me today? I'm thinking such nonsensical thoughts! Otou-san works at home, and even when Oka-san was alive, she never worked at any toy company.'
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I had expected to see Kero-chan when I woke up in the morning, not Tomoyo-chan. What was Tomoyo-chan doing at my house? I didn't remember having a sleep over....'What? Who is Kero-chan?' I then thought. I didn't remember meeting anyone named Kero before, and Tomoyo-chan is my sister! I shook my head to clear it of these strange thoughts, then looked out the window.
The sun was streaming in through the half-closed curtains. I got out of bed and drew the curtains all the way open, opening the window as well. Today was such a beautiful day, but why did I feel so.... sad? I felt sad and empty. Everyone was at home, Tomoyo-chan, Otou-san, and me. Still, it felt like something was missing. I know it wasn't the fact that we had lost all of our wealth, due to the fact that four of father's ships had gone missing. Since the cargo never made it over seas, Otou-san wasn't able to pay off all his debts. His only choice was to sell the house, and move with us, his daughters, to the country. The company had pretty much more or less gone bankrupt. Otou-san was left with only enough money to pay all his workers one last time, and buy the cottage we were living in now. That had been a year ago, and Otou-san now worked as a carpenter, helping the people of the small town we moved to, fixing their furniture and things like that. Though I missed the luxury we used to live in, I had adjusted to this simple life we now lived. I missed my mother, even though I had been very young when she died. However, the sadness I was feeling right now was a new sadness.
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo-chan yelled from downstairs.
"Hai! Coming!" Snapped out of my thoughts, I hurried downstairs to make breakfast.
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I sat on the window sill staring into space. Something didn't feel right today. I had become used to my feline body a long time ago, and yet, when I had woken up, I had got up on my two hind legs, walking upright, stumbling awkwardly. It was after my third fall that I remembered cats' bodies aren't made for walking like humans. I had figured that out a long time ago, just a little while after the enchantment had begun, and never forgotten again. Why was today any different?
"What are you brooding about today Sorcerer?" a deep voice broke of my train of thought.
I jerked my head up at Syaoran, watching him casually through slit eyes. I was silent for awhile before replying. "Does today feel....strange to you?"
He stared at me a moment before turning his gaze to the fire. "I feel depressed."
I snorted; he was always depressed, not to mention cold, selfish, and cruel. The only reason I stayed with him, and in such a humiliating form, was because I had been forced to, against my will. Six years ago, a foolish warlock had been put under trial, under accusations of witchcraft. He had pleaded innocent to all the charges laid on him, saying that he was a "white magic" sorcerer, not a black magic, which he was. This case had been brought all the way to the Royal Judge, who had ordered him to prove he was a white magic user. At the time, the Emperor had fallen ill, and the Empress had already passed away. Their daughters were all either engaged, or married. The only heir to the throne, the only hope for the continuation of the Li Dynasty had been an ignorant, moody little ten year old brat, whose only concern was to build up his own magic powers. The warlock proposed that he would make the prince into what he should be. The Emperor had refused, shaking his head no, but then, because of his illness, had fainted, his head nodding. According to the warlock, the Emperor had nodded a yes, giving his consent to bewitch the prince. Still, the Judge was wary of the warlock, asking for a neutral sorcerer to come be a witness. That sorcerer had been me.
So, I found myself standing outside of the royal summer palace, with my assistant, watching as the warlock cast the "Ever last" spell on the castle. I was puzzled as to why he was doing this, as the Ever last spell makes whatever it is being cast upon stay in perfect condition forever and ever. This was a spell used for long term benefits, and it takes quite a lot of energy. I shrugged it off as the warlock wanting to impress the Judge by making the Emperor's palace stay beautiful and clean until the magic in the spell wears off. However, beauty isn't everything, as the Judge knew, and so, this hardly proved the warlock as a white magic user.
The prince was in no mood to be cast a spell upon at the time, throwing a temper tantrum, but, the warlock finally made the prince go inside the doors of the summer palace. I was confused as to exactly what this warlock was doing, as was my assistant. Then, the warlock began chanting the first few lines to the "Soul" spell. My eyes had widened in shock as I realized what the warlock was doing, the "Soul" spell was a taboo spell, most magic users didn't even know what it was, and if they did, they wouldn't be allowed to use it, but I knew what it was. Frantically, I had run to the warlock trying to stop him before he finished. My assistant had gone into the castle to grab the prince and bring him out of the palace doors. I reached the warlock and began a fistfight with him, all the while he kept chanting the spell. He reached the last line of the spell, "...until someone can love you for the person underneath, may you stay forever within your imprisonment, as...a...beast." Thunder boomed and lightning flashed as he uttered those confining words. I punched him in the jaw one last time, and ran into the palace, trying to reach my assistant and the prince before the spell started its work. I was too late, only managing to get inside the doors of the palace, doomed along with the others, as the enchantment began its work.
The prince had been transformed fully, as the spell was meant for him only, and wouldn't return to his true form until someone loved him despite his appearance. My assistant and I had been caught in the magical residue of the spell, and so ended up being transformed as well, only to resume our true forms when the spell on the prince was broken.
I crouched silently, pondering all this. There had also been a time limit put on the spell, we had seven years to get back to our true forms, otherwise we had absolutely no chance of regaining our true forms. Another part of the spell was that we absolutely could not leave the palace grounds, and so I have suffered through six long years of dignity robbing imprisonment with a moody beast, and a talking butterfly. (AN-his assistant) We had one more year to get some poor maiden to fall in love with our beast prince.
"I feel more depressed than usual" Syaoran added.