Chapter Three- Winds of Good Fortune
~*~*~*~*~*~ = 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
Thank you everybody for all of those reviews! Keep them coming!
**Oh yeah...I forgot to add into the first chapter...but um...Spinnel and Kero weren't sucked into the black hole along with everyone else.**
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story and plot. CCS belongs to Clamp...T.T
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I ran downstairs and rushed into the kitchen to make breakfast. "Gomen nesai! I'll try to get up earlier from now on!!!" I yelled frantically as I scampered around, stirring this, flipping that.
Otou-san chuckled. "Slow down Sakura-chan. Tomoyo-chan and I aren't starving to death or anything."
"That's right Sakura-chan! Take your time, " Tomoyo added. I nodded, but continued to run around, trying to get breakfast ready.
~Later~
"Itadakima!" I said cheerfully as we began to eat. I glowed with pride as I watched my pancakes being devoured. Then, I looked at Otou-san. He seemed really happy today, and I wondered why.
As if feeling my gaze on him, Otou-san looked up and smiled at me. Then said, "Girls, I have some very good news today."
"What is it?" Tomoyo asked pleasantly. I nodded eagerly wanting to hear.
"Well," he began. "Do you remember those four ships that were lost in that storm? I got a letter from the dock master, back in the city. He says that two of them have recently pulled into the harbor, cargo and all!"
"Otou-san! That's great!" I exclaimed. It was really good news. This mean that we would be much better off than now, and perhaps the company might be able to be brought out of the ditch it had fallen into.
"Indeed. The winds of good fortune seem to have blown our way," Tomoyo smiled. She always had had a way with words.
Otou-san nodded, then continued. "I'll have to make a trip into the city however, to verify that the ships are really mine, and also to tie up some loose ends there."
"How long will you be gone? When will you leave?" I asked, a little worried.
"I'll be leaving in two days, on Thursday. The city is only two days journey on horseback, so I'll get there by Saturday. It should only take about a week to finish everything up, so I'll be home by next Tuesday. I'm sure you two will be able to take care of yourselves, ne?"
Tomoyo and I smiled. "Hai!"
"Demo, will you be traveling alone?" Tomoyo asked.
"Hai. Don't worry though, I'll stick to the path." Otou-san assured. "So, what would you two like for me to bring back to you?"
"Otou-san! You don't have to bring back anything! Just come home safe!" I smiled.
"No, really, I insist. I may not have another opportunity to go to the city again, and I know you must be missing some things we used to have," Otou-san defended.
"Well..." Tomoyo started. She hesitated and then got a dreamy sort of look on her face before replying. I knew she must have been thinking of the piano that we used to have. It was a grand piano, one of the very best, with its ivory white keys and shiny black lacquer. Otou-san used to play it, and Tomoyo would sing while I listened, it had been one of our most loved traditions. Plus, Tomoyo was a great singer, and it sounded really good if she sang to the music of a piano. "Never mind, it's too much trouble. I wouldn't want you to lug a big heavy piano all the way home!"
"Nonsense! I could rent a wagon or something, either way, you shall have your piano." Otou-san declared. Tomoyo's eyes brightened. I knew it would be the only thing she would talk about the whole week. "Now, Sakura-chan, what would you like me to bring back for you?"
I thought, 'I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask for some seeds..' "Otou-san, we don't have many flowers. Do you think you could bring back some seeds? Any kind will be fine."
Otou-san smiled. "Of course." I beamed with happiness. Things were looking up for us, and the emptiness in my heart I had recently discovered was forgotten for the moment.
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I have one more year, one more year to get out of this pathetic body, and regain ALL of my powers. True, since the spell hadn't hit me full force, I was able to leave my cat body for one hour every night at midnight to wander the palace grounds as a shadowy specter, but I found walking around without a body a bit creepy, and so rarely did it. I wondered if Syaoran cared about what he was now. I'm a pretty good reader of faces, but his face was always the same. A stony mask of silence. Sometimes I wonder if maybe he would be better off as a beast with no one to bother him, all alone in this dark palace, as he seems to prefer solitude to the pleasure of my company.
Anyway, wether he likes it or not, I must find a way to break this spell! I will not spend the rest of my days chasing mice! But how? After the prince was bewitched, the palace was abandoned, and in a few years, a dense forest had grown around it. No one ever comes here, but I have to get specifically, a woman to come to this god-forsaken place, and fall in love with a beast. Had Syaoran been a nice beast, perhaps it might be easier. However, I've lived with him for six years, and we're barely friends. How shall I make someone fall in love with him in just one year? I must talk to Nakuru.
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I fluttered among the roses in the garden, enjoying myself, drunk on nectar. Then, I felt vibrations, and looked up to see a navy blue cat stalking towards me. I flew to his side. "Konnichiwa, Eriol-sama!" I couldn't wait to tell him my little secret.
He smiled somehow, moving his cat lips into a slight curve. "Ohayou Nakuru." Then, he walked towards the cherry trees, his favorite. "Come" He called over his shoulder.
I hovered around him darting around a few falling petals. "What is it?"
"Nakuru, as you know, we only have one year to break this enchantment, what do you suggest we do?" He asked grimly.
I smiled in my butterfly way, finally he had asked. "All taken care of!" I giggled.
"Nande?" He asked, thoroughly puzzled. I sighed, then explained.
"In two days, a carpenter is going to ride through these woods from the village a few miles away to the North. He is going to ride on the path that goes right past the forest to the city. In five days, he will be on the path back home, but on the way, we're going to make sure, there's going to be a dreadful storm that will drive him into the woods for shelter, and he will stumble upon our little palace." I grinned.
"Nakuru.." He said, shaking his head. "I think you've had too much nectar. Besides, how do you know a carpenter is going to go the city?"
"Ah....I..well...ano....occasionally, I borrow your mirror and er, spy on the village, and you see, there's this family, and they have two daughters that I've, well, grown rather fond of. So I look in on them from time to time, and this morning, I over heard the father, who is a carpenter, is going to the city."
"And how will this help us?" Eriol frowned a bit.
"Well, if you create a storm the night the father is on the way home and kind of make the wind blow the carpenter into the forest, he'll find the palace, and he'll seek shelter here. So...we be nice and hospitable to him, then before he goes, get him to promise to have one of his daughters stay here for a year! Then, well, you know, we set them up with Li-sama!" I explained.
"Nakuru, you're crazy, how do you know he won't just ride back to the village and forget his promise?" Eriol asked.
"Ah....I hadn't thought of that, but we'll think of something! Come on, this is our last chance to return to our true forms, and it's always worth a try. What have we got to lose?" I smiled.
"I suppose, but do you think Li-san will be happy if we go ahead with this without his permission?"
"He'll be overjoyed we're doing this! Besides, it's for him too!" I reassured. I smiled inwardly to myself, this would be great! The plan would go nice and smooth, we'd get one of the daughters
to fall in love with the big cranky monster, he'd turn back into a prince, and we'll turn back into our true forms!
"All right then Nakuru," Eriol sighed wearily. "It's worth a try. Who knows? Perhaps the winds of good fortune have blown our way."
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I nodded to Nakuru, then strolled out of the gardens back to the palace, casting one last glance at my favorite trees. Then, I trotted quickly into my private room, and faced a large swirling mirror. I knew the family of which Nakuru spoke since I, too, longing for any sort of contact with the outside world looked in on the village, which was as far as my powers would go in this form, from time to time.
"Show me the Kinomotos." I commanded. The mirror swirled, then cleared, showing an image of the family eating breakfast. I smiled at the auburn haired girl with green eyes. I was rather fond of Sakura, and knew that if anyone could fall in love with Syaoran, it would be her. She was so kind and accepting, and treated everyone equally.
Then, my gaze fell upon the elder sister. She was quite talented, and could draw as well as she could sing, which she would sometimes do while doing her chores. She loved to make outfits, which were sometimes rather outlandish, for her little sister to wear, and then, sketch her in them. She was always very polite, and somewhat shy, but she seemed really nice. I smiled at her image in the mirror. "Perhaps we'll get Fujitaka to bring both of his daughters" I murmured softly.