Konnichi wa! I managed to get this chapter out before my vacation! You can
expect an update this Tuesday! Enjoy! But. hee hee. the ending. You're all
probably going to wish I was around to explain WHY. hee hee.
Chapter 7- Syaoran's Transformation
(*Author's note: First a few quick Japanese words you may not know I use in this chapter. Baka- Idiot, fool Konnichi wa- Good morning)
The world around them began to change as the Time Card slowly turned the clocks back to 1567. Houses and people seemingly disappeared. Trees grew and fell. Nothing was the same. Time eventually began to slowly return to normal and the wind created by the card slowly died down. Sakura, Syaoran, Kero, Mia, and Tomoyo found themselves in a dark forest. Light protruded through the branches ahead. No one said a word. They just walked forward all the way through the forest and stepped into the light after about two hours of walking. They all took a deep breath of the fresh air. They were in an open field with a single dirt road going north onto the horizon. Tomoyo turned to Sakura. "Look! Sakura, your arm is back!" Sakura smiled and moved her arm around to see if it truly was. But she wasn't completely better yet, as she hadn't regained much weight. She was still dangerously skinny. Sakura frowned though, as she put both hands on her stomach. "Ooh. I'm so hungry, though." Mia frowned. "Oh dear. I knew you wouldn't fully recover, but I thought you'd be a little better off than this."
Kero popped out of Tomoyo's hair where he had been hiding. "Sakura, are you at least feeling a little better?" Sakura nodded. "I'm a little better, but I still feel so weak. I can barely move my legs." Syaoran shook his head. "Dammit! Food! I knew we forgot to bring something! I'm such a baka! * Gomen-nasi, Sakura. We'll have to find a village soon." They turned to Mia. "Mia, can you tell specifically where Koji is?" She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but the signal is weaker here, since we are here before he is. So I have only a faint clue. It's somewhere around there." She pointed north of their position. "We'll just have to check it out."
They all started to walk slowly north, but Sakura collapsed onto her hands and knees in weakness. "Sakura, are you alright?" Syaoran asked nervously. "I. I. can't walk. I'm so hungry. I feel light headed." Sakura said in a meek voice. "Dammit. I should have realized when Sakura was disappearing, her weight would go fast since her mass would decrease." Mia muttered. Syaoran lifted Sakura in his arms, supporting her back with one arm and her legs with the other. "Hoe? Syaoran, what are you doing?" "I'm carrying you. I'm not about to let you get stuck behind." Sakura blushed lightly. ".I don't want to be of any trouble." Tomoyo frowned. "Sakura, we could never leave you behind. We'll get you there. It would be a problem for us to leave you behind." Kero hovered over her face. "Just relax, Sakura. Save your energy. Just get your rest. You look way too skinny. You need your sleep." Sakura tried to smile. "Thank you. Thank you all." Sakura closed her eyes and fell asleep.
They all walked down the dirt road for an hour. Eventually, they came to a fork in the road. There was a wooden sign pointing in both directions. Syaoran asked Mia quietly, so as not to wake Sakura, "What does the sign say?" Mia examined them closely. "I can't tell. The kanjis are faded, but I think they point to different villages. But I don't know which way to go." Syaoran looked disappointed. "Well, we have to get Sakura to a village soon! I'm not sure how long she can hold out like this. She wasn't hungry in the present because she was vanishing and only getting smaller, but now she's supposed to be recovering. We need to get her some kind of food." "I know, I know, but what can we do? We'll just have to split up. Kero and I will go left, and Tomoyo and you will take Sakura right. We don't have a choice. I still can't tell exactly where Koji will be. We'll just inspect both villages, and if we don't find anything, report to the other village, ok?" They all nodded. "Come on, Kero." Kero hovered over Mia and they walked off, turning around once to scream together, "Take good care of Sakura! See you soon!"
Tomoyo and Syaoran continued walking down their path. There was no sign of a village.
"Syaoran, are you sure you don't want to rest? You've been carrying Sakura in your arms for about 2 hours now. Your arms must be exhausted." Syaoran shook his head. "I don't care if my arms hurt. I just want to get Sakura to a village and fast." Tomoyo blushed. "Oh. so romantic. so kawaii. Huh?" Tomoyo stood up and walked up a nearby hill. "SYAORAN! I SEE A TOWN UP AHEAD!" Syaoran immediately ran as fast as he could without disturbing the young, sick girl in his arms. Indeed, a large, medieval Japanese town lay ahead. They both ran as fast as they could and stopped just outside the village.
A young girl who looked a little like Sakura stepped out of the small gate that led to the village. She was about 10 years old with big blue eyes and long auburn hair. She held a book in her right hand. "Umm. Hello? May I help you, travelers? Oh my! Who is this girl?! What happened?!" The young stranger gasped. "It's our friend, Sakura. She hasn't had anything to eat in days, now." Syaoran lied. But he had to stretch the truth a little. Who would possibly believe they came from the future?
".Oh. I see. Bring her up to my house. I have more than enough food there. You're welcome to stay. I just hope you don't mind sleeping in the guest room, it is very small." Tomoyo shook her head. "Anything is fine as long as Sakura is fine."
Sakura slowly opened her eyes until she was staring. back at herself? No, this girl had longer hair and blue eyes. "Oh. you're awake." Syaoran turned to look at her from his chair next to her bed. "Sakura. you're awake." He hugged her. "You had us worried there. You didn't wake up all night to eat." Sakura rubbed her stomach. "Oh. please don't mention food." Tomoyo walked through the door, carrying a tray of breakfast with her. "Oh, I guess that means you don't want to have your breakfast right about now." "No! I'll have it! I'll have it!" Tomoyo giggled. "I was just kidding, Sakura! Eat up." Sakura smiled for the first time since she came back in time. "Thank you all!" Tomoyo shook her head. "Don't thank us. You should thank Kumiko-sama here. She was the one that gave us this food and a room to stay in until we leave. She's so kind." Kumiko blushed. ".Umm. No. I'm really not that great. I wanted to help more than this, but I didn't know how." Sakura by now had her face in a bowl of rice, devouring it quickly. She put it down and looked all around her. It was a beautiful room. Fine tapestries hung from the walls, works of calligraphy were there too, and pottery was scattered on the floor. The floors and walls were made of a fine and strong wood. And there were shelves upon shelves of books. "Wow!" Sakura exclaimed. "Look at all of these books! There's probably more books here than in the library in Tomo-err. I mean, back in my town." Kumiko stood up and walked over to the shelves. "Reading is sort of my hobby. I have even more books in my room. But I don't go outside much. I usually just like to stay inside by myself and read and study." Tomoyo asked, "But don't you have any friends?" Kumiko just lowered her head to avoid eye contact and rushed out of the room.
Tomoyo frowned. "She seems very distraught. Maybe she doesn't have very many friends." Sakura swallowed a mouth full of egg rolls and said, "It sounds like she is lonely." Syaoran nodded. "I've met people like her before. She is too shy to really make friends and obviously spends her time alone reading. But there is no doubt in my mind. She is your ancestor, Sakura." Sakura nodded. "Yeah. She was the girl from my dreams." Tomoyo gave a big smile and blushed as she thought about Sakura. "And, she's almost as cute as you! Only your family tree could be this kawaii!"
Syaoran sighed. "Now that we have that out of the way, can we go check on Kumiko? We'll need to protect her at all costs." Sakura finished her bowl of soup and sighed in relief. "Yeah. my strength is coming back. I think I can move again. but I'm going to need to rest for a minute, first." Syaoran nodded. "Yeah, I suppose we can't expect you to recover instantly, even after a huge meal like that. Tomoyo and I will go take a walk around here to see what we can find out about Kumiko." Sakura put her head back down on the warm bed and rested.
Syaoran and Tomoyo stepped out into the center village and looked around at all there was to see. Before, they hadn't noticed many things because they were hurrying to get Sakura inside Kumiko's house. They sat on a wooden bridge that sat about a foot over a small stream that passed through the center of the village. They kicked their legs out over the side. They saw what you would come to expect in a medieval village. A blacksmith shop was making horseshoes, scholarly-looking people walked into a library, farmers worked in their crop fields. Syaoran sighed. "There isn't much around here that's interesting." Tomoyo pointed back at Kumiko's house. "Maybe, but take a look at this! Compare her house to everyone else's houses! It's huge! Her family must be rich." Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Well, you of all people should know." Tomoyo smiled. "Come on, Syaoran. My family isn't THAT rich." Syaoran just sighed. "Anyway, do you see Kumiko?" Tomoyo shook her head. "Not yet. I don't see much of anything. No Kumiko, no Koji, no anything." Syaoran lay on his back and rested. "Ahh. maybe that's a good sign. I mean, I could use a little rest after what has happened lately." Tomoyo sighed happily. "I know what you mean. It's nice to just take a breather every now and then. Still, I wish I could have brought my camcorder, but Mia said I shouldn't show any modern technology in the past in fear of changing history." Syaoran rolled his eyes and whispered, "You'll never change." Tomoyo lay on her stomach and ran her fingers through the gentle stream. "Huh? What's this?" Syaoran sat up. "What's what?" "This water is extremely hot!" Syaoran dipped his hand into the stream and pulled it out. "You're right. But where is it coming from?"
They turned around and ran upstream. It led about a quarter of a mile uphill. Eventually, they came to a small cave in the side of an almost vertical rock wall. To the right side of the wall, there was a tall bamboo fence that wrapped around the mountain. Steam could be seen rising from over the fence. Tomoyo and Syaoran stepped closer. There was a wooden board placed over the stream that allowed a person to walk, but let the stream pass under it. Japanese lanterns lighted the small passageway. It also seemed there was another branch to the cave to the left. A small wooden sign lay just inside the mouth of the cave. "Women's Hot Springs" Syaoran read aloud. Tomoyo laughed. "Wow! Really? A hot spring? What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Tomoyo grabbed Syaoran's hand and started to drag him in. Syaoran managed to grab one edge of the cave entrance and yelled, "ARE YOU INSANE?! THIS IS THE GIRLS' HOT SPRINGS! I'M A GUY!" Tomoyo put Syaoran down, blushed, and giggled. "Gomen-nasi. I guess I forgot. I was just excited." Syaoran stood up and dusted himself off. He pointed to the wound on the left side of his face that hadn't fully healed yet. "Besides, if you recall, the last time I saw a girl in a bath towel, she threw an alarm clock at my face. I can still feel it."
"Oh. umm. You're here. uhh. konnichi wa. *" A familiar voice said. They turned around and saw Kumiko with a handful of books. "Oh, hello, Kumiko!" Tomoyo said cheerfully. "We were just following this spring and wondered what made the water so hot." "Well. I guess you can see it is a hot spring for girls. So. Gomen, Syaoran, but I don't think you should come in." Syaoran shook his head. "Believe me, I had no intention of coming in." Tomoyo asked, "So, what are you doing here?" Kumiko stared at the ground shyly. "I come here everyday. I like the peace and quiet. There are other girls, but they usually leave me alone and talk amongst themselves. Plus, the hot water soothes me, so I find it a good place to read. Oh, gomen- nasi. I'm talking too much. I always do that. I'm such a baka." Syaoran shook his head. "Don't say that!" "Yeah, you weren't talking too much!" "Unlike SOME people we know." Tomoyo stuck her tongue out at Syaoran. ".I have to go." Kumiko rushed into the cave and into the left branch. Obviously, it was some sort of changing room.
Syaoran and Tomoyo frowned. "She seems so depressed." Tomoyo said. "I don't know. She obviously has very low self-esteem. But why?" Tomoyo shook her head. "I don't know. She's smart, cute, and kind. After all, she is related to Sakura! But I'll find out. I think I'll go in and talk with her. I just wish Sakura or Mia was here. They could help me." Syaoran scratched his chin. "Speaking of Mia, I wonder how she and Kero are doing."
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Mia leaped off the roof of the store and over the surrounding mob of angry merchants. Kero hovered by her as they charged out of the village. A vein popped up on Mia's forehead. "What in the hell would make you steal all that food?!" "HEY! I was hungry! If they didn't want hungry people, not to mention guardians, to steal a little fruit, they shouldn't keep it out in the open!" Mia growled as they ran out of the village into a nearby forest to avoid the irate villagers in tow.
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Syaoran walked into the guest room of Kumiko's house. Sakura was up and looking at the bookcase. "Oh, hello, Syaoran. Where's Tomoyo?" Syaoran sat down on a bed and rested. "We found a hot spring, but it was for girls only, so she stayed, but I came back. Kumiko was there. Apparently, she likes to read while she bathes. Naturally, I didn't want to stick around. So, what have you been doing?" Sakura pulled a book off a shelf. "Oh, I've regained my strength for now. I was just searching around the bookcase for anything interesting. Maybe even something about my family."
A slip of paper fell out of the book in Sakura's hands onto the floor. "Hoe?" Syaoran picked it up. "'Hitoshi. for how long must I gaze upon your beautiful face. your deep emerald eyes. your charming smile. without being able to say how I feel.?'" Sakura giggled and blushed. "It looks like maybe Kumiko has a crush on someone! But that name sounds familiar. Hitoshi. Wait, I remember my dad once said my great grandfather was named Hitoshi, after his great grandfather or something like that! Could that mean." "He's related to you, too?" "Yeah! So, maybe if we can help keep them together and see to it that Koji stays away, whenever he shows up." ".We can keep history the way it is, and your family will be saved." They nodded in agreement.
They both searched the bookcases, making sure they didn't mess up the perfectly organized collection of literature. They found many interesting books, but Syaoran's mind was on something else. "'.without being able to say how I feel.' Why does that sound so familiar?"
Tomoyo walked into the room. Her hair was still a little damp. "Ahh. that was great!" "Welcome back, Tomoyo! Did you learn anything while you were gone?" Tomoyo nodded. "Well, I heard her daydreaming about some boy named Hitoshi out loud. The other girls over hear her talking about him quietly every day." Sakura smiled. "Looks like our clues were right! She does like that boy!" Tomoyo smiled. "The other girls at the springs said he lives here in the village, but she is too shy to say one word. They all think he likes her, too, but as soon as he tries to talk to her, she runs because she is too embarrassed." Sakura thought for a moment. "It sounds like those girls know a lot about this! Maybe we should all go visit them at the springs!" Syaoran nodded. "Well, have fun. I think I'll just stay here." Tomoyo shook her head. "Oh no, you're coming with us!" Syaoran sighed deeply. "Tomoyo, we've been through this! I am a BOY. That spring is for GIRLS. See the problem?" "Well, are you just going to let us poor defenseless girls go in unsupervised when Koji could be around all while we're completely unarmed?" "Hey, I would go and help if I could, but I obviously can't go in, and if I tried to spy on you, I'd get caught by the other girls. And. if those girls did catch me. well, if Sakura would throw a clock at me, I don't even want to know what they would do to me." Tomoyo smiled. "IF they COULD see you, anyway."
Syaoran gave her an odd look. "What does THAT mean?" Tomoyo unraveled a piece of paper and handed it to Syaoran, who read it aloud. "Visit Lady Kasumi's House of Miracle Potions. Super-strength, Invisibility, Lightning speed, and many more special ability potions are available." A sweat drop rolled down both Sakura and Syaoran's heads. "Uhh.. Tomoyo? Do you actually BELIEVE in this junk?" Sakura grabbed the flyer. "Even I wouldn't fall for in this stuff!" Tomoyo smiled. "Aw, come on! It can't hurt to try! I'll pay for it all, of course! Besides, what else is there to do? And you wanted to always be protecting Sakura, remember, Syaoran? All you'd have to do is become temporarily invisible, and you can watch over us from a distance!" He rubbed his forehead to calm his headache. "Look, if I go, will you be happy?" She nodded. "Fine. I'll go then. I won't like it, but I'll go." "GREAT!" Tomoyo yelled. "It's just outside the village! Let's go!"
They all walked west out of the village for about a quarter of a mile. Eventually, they came to a small house slightly north of the road into the woods. "Lady Kasumi's House of Miracle Potions." Sakura read on a sign. "This is it." Syaoran added. They pushed open the squeaky door and stepped inside. Some sort of weird smoke was in the air. All around the walls were shelves upon shelves of bottles, filled with who knows what. Antique mirrors, tables, (or at least what would have been antiques in their time) littered the room. Standing over a large pot in the corner, reading a book at her side was an old lady. She had small gray eyes and short white hair. They stepped forward.
Tomoyo waved to the old woman over the counter. "Hello! We have come to buy a potion!" "Eh?" The old woman turned from her pot and slowly walked to the counter. "Oh! Customers! Welcome! Sorry, I didn't notice you. These old ears just aren't what they used to be." Sakura shook her head. "It's okay. No problem." "So, what can I get you young, sweet, girls?" Syaoran coughed loud. "I'm a GUY." "Eh? Oh, my apologies. I didn't notice you there. My eyes, too, just aren't as sharp as they used to be." Syaoran sighed. "It's okay. Do you have any of those potions that can make someone temporarily invisible?" The old woman nodded. "Ah, yes. That's a popular item. Let me go get it for you! But, before we start, this is not exactly legal. Are you alright with that?" They all nodded. "We'll do whatever it takes." Tomoyo said.
The old woman walked into a storeroom at the back of the room. Syaoran turned to Tomoyo. "So you're serious about this?" "Well, why not? We can't risk Koji getting to Kumiko in the springs. It is the perfect spot for him to ambush her. There is only one exit, and naturally, there are no weapons. We'll need you there. And if you can surprise him, even better!"
The old lady returned, bottle in hand. "Ah, here you go! That will be 1,000 yen." Sakura and Syaoran gasped at the price, but Tomoyo didn't seem to care. She handed her the money and turned to Syaoran. "Well, go on! Try it out!"
Syaoran sighed. "Well, here goes nothing." He drank the red potion at once. There was a moment of silence as they all waited to see if it worked. "ARGH!" Syaoran put his hand over his heart. It was beating like crazy. He fell onto the floor face first and felt his body changing all over. He didn't know what was happening, but it was fortunately over almost as soon as it started.
"SYAORAN?! ARE YOU OKAY?!" Sakura asked.
He stood up. "Whoa! What the hell? I'm. I'm taller! By about a foot!" He said in a higher-pitched voice. "Wait a second, what's wrong with my voice?" He felt something touching his back. He grabbed it and looked at it closely. "My hair! But. how did it get so long?!" Syaoran looked down at himself and noticed something peculiar. "And what the hell are these huge bulges on my chest?!"
Syaoran looked at Sakura and Tomoyo to get some answers to his questions. Sakura and Tomoyo's eyes were almost jumping out of their heads. A giant sweat drop rolled down each one of their heads. Both of their faces were bright red. "S-S-S-Syaoran?! Look in a mirror!"
Syaoran turned his head to the right and looked into an antique mirror on the wall. His jaw dropped down to the floor. He blushed insanely. He dropped the empty potion jar onto the floor and it smashed into a billion pieces. "This isn't possible! I'm. I'm. I'M A GIRL?!"
To be continued.
Chapter 7- Syaoran's Transformation
(*Author's note: First a few quick Japanese words you may not know I use in this chapter. Baka- Idiot, fool Konnichi wa- Good morning)
The world around them began to change as the Time Card slowly turned the clocks back to 1567. Houses and people seemingly disappeared. Trees grew and fell. Nothing was the same. Time eventually began to slowly return to normal and the wind created by the card slowly died down. Sakura, Syaoran, Kero, Mia, and Tomoyo found themselves in a dark forest. Light protruded through the branches ahead. No one said a word. They just walked forward all the way through the forest and stepped into the light after about two hours of walking. They all took a deep breath of the fresh air. They were in an open field with a single dirt road going north onto the horizon. Tomoyo turned to Sakura. "Look! Sakura, your arm is back!" Sakura smiled and moved her arm around to see if it truly was. But she wasn't completely better yet, as she hadn't regained much weight. She was still dangerously skinny. Sakura frowned though, as she put both hands on her stomach. "Ooh. I'm so hungry, though." Mia frowned. "Oh dear. I knew you wouldn't fully recover, but I thought you'd be a little better off than this."
Kero popped out of Tomoyo's hair where he had been hiding. "Sakura, are you at least feeling a little better?" Sakura nodded. "I'm a little better, but I still feel so weak. I can barely move my legs." Syaoran shook his head. "Dammit! Food! I knew we forgot to bring something! I'm such a baka! * Gomen-nasi, Sakura. We'll have to find a village soon." They turned to Mia. "Mia, can you tell specifically where Koji is?" She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but the signal is weaker here, since we are here before he is. So I have only a faint clue. It's somewhere around there." She pointed north of their position. "We'll just have to check it out."
They all started to walk slowly north, but Sakura collapsed onto her hands and knees in weakness. "Sakura, are you alright?" Syaoran asked nervously. "I. I. can't walk. I'm so hungry. I feel light headed." Sakura said in a meek voice. "Dammit. I should have realized when Sakura was disappearing, her weight would go fast since her mass would decrease." Mia muttered. Syaoran lifted Sakura in his arms, supporting her back with one arm and her legs with the other. "Hoe? Syaoran, what are you doing?" "I'm carrying you. I'm not about to let you get stuck behind." Sakura blushed lightly. ".I don't want to be of any trouble." Tomoyo frowned. "Sakura, we could never leave you behind. We'll get you there. It would be a problem for us to leave you behind." Kero hovered over her face. "Just relax, Sakura. Save your energy. Just get your rest. You look way too skinny. You need your sleep." Sakura tried to smile. "Thank you. Thank you all." Sakura closed her eyes and fell asleep.
They all walked down the dirt road for an hour. Eventually, they came to a fork in the road. There was a wooden sign pointing in both directions. Syaoran asked Mia quietly, so as not to wake Sakura, "What does the sign say?" Mia examined them closely. "I can't tell. The kanjis are faded, but I think they point to different villages. But I don't know which way to go." Syaoran looked disappointed. "Well, we have to get Sakura to a village soon! I'm not sure how long she can hold out like this. She wasn't hungry in the present because she was vanishing and only getting smaller, but now she's supposed to be recovering. We need to get her some kind of food." "I know, I know, but what can we do? We'll just have to split up. Kero and I will go left, and Tomoyo and you will take Sakura right. We don't have a choice. I still can't tell exactly where Koji will be. We'll just inspect both villages, and if we don't find anything, report to the other village, ok?" They all nodded. "Come on, Kero." Kero hovered over Mia and they walked off, turning around once to scream together, "Take good care of Sakura! See you soon!"
Tomoyo and Syaoran continued walking down their path. There was no sign of a village.
"Syaoran, are you sure you don't want to rest? You've been carrying Sakura in your arms for about 2 hours now. Your arms must be exhausted." Syaoran shook his head. "I don't care if my arms hurt. I just want to get Sakura to a village and fast." Tomoyo blushed. "Oh. so romantic. so kawaii. Huh?" Tomoyo stood up and walked up a nearby hill. "SYAORAN! I SEE A TOWN UP AHEAD!" Syaoran immediately ran as fast as he could without disturbing the young, sick girl in his arms. Indeed, a large, medieval Japanese town lay ahead. They both ran as fast as they could and stopped just outside the village.
A young girl who looked a little like Sakura stepped out of the small gate that led to the village. She was about 10 years old with big blue eyes and long auburn hair. She held a book in her right hand. "Umm. Hello? May I help you, travelers? Oh my! Who is this girl?! What happened?!" The young stranger gasped. "It's our friend, Sakura. She hasn't had anything to eat in days, now." Syaoran lied. But he had to stretch the truth a little. Who would possibly believe they came from the future?
".Oh. I see. Bring her up to my house. I have more than enough food there. You're welcome to stay. I just hope you don't mind sleeping in the guest room, it is very small." Tomoyo shook her head. "Anything is fine as long as Sakura is fine."
Sakura slowly opened her eyes until she was staring. back at herself? No, this girl had longer hair and blue eyes. "Oh. you're awake." Syaoran turned to look at her from his chair next to her bed. "Sakura. you're awake." He hugged her. "You had us worried there. You didn't wake up all night to eat." Sakura rubbed her stomach. "Oh. please don't mention food." Tomoyo walked through the door, carrying a tray of breakfast with her. "Oh, I guess that means you don't want to have your breakfast right about now." "No! I'll have it! I'll have it!" Tomoyo giggled. "I was just kidding, Sakura! Eat up." Sakura smiled for the first time since she came back in time. "Thank you all!" Tomoyo shook her head. "Don't thank us. You should thank Kumiko-sama here. She was the one that gave us this food and a room to stay in until we leave. She's so kind." Kumiko blushed. ".Umm. No. I'm really not that great. I wanted to help more than this, but I didn't know how." Sakura by now had her face in a bowl of rice, devouring it quickly. She put it down and looked all around her. It was a beautiful room. Fine tapestries hung from the walls, works of calligraphy were there too, and pottery was scattered on the floor. The floors and walls were made of a fine and strong wood. And there were shelves upon shelves of books. "Wow!" Sakura exclaimed. "Look at all of these books! There's probably more books here than in the library in Tomo-err. I mean, back in my town." Kumiko stood up and walked over to the shelves. "Reading is sort of my hobby. I have even more books in my room. But I don't go outside much. I usually just like to stay inside by myself and read and study." Tomoyo asked, "But don't you have any friends?" Kumiko just lowered her head to avoid eye contact and rushed out of the room.
Tomoyo frowned. "She seems very distraught. Maybe she doesn't have very many friends." Sakura swallowed a mouth full of egg rolls and said, "It sounds like she is lonely." Syaoran nodded. "I've met people like her before. She is too shy to really make friends and obviously spends her time alone reading. But there is no doubt in my mind. She is your ancestor, Sakura." Sakura nodded. "Yeah. She was the girl from my dreams." Tomoyo gave a big smile and blushed as she thought about Sakura. "And, she's almost as cute as you! Only your family tree could be this kawaii!"
Syaoran sighed. "Now that we have that out of the way, can we go check on Kumiko? We'll need to protect her at all costs." Sakura finished her bowl of soup and sighed in relief. "Yeah. my strength is coming back. I think I can move again. but I'm going to need to rest for a minute, first." Syaoran nodded. "Yeah, I suppose we can't expect you to recover instantly, even after a huge meal like that. Tomoyo and I will go take a walk around here to see what we can find out about Kumiko." Sakura put her head back down on the warm bed and rested.
Syaoran and Tomoyo stepped out into the center village and looked around at all there was to see. Before, they hadn't noticed many things because they were hurrying to get Sakura inside Kumiko's house. They sat on a wooden bridge that sat about a foot over a small stream that passed through the center of the village. They kicked their legs out over the side. They saw what you would come to expect in a medieval village. A blacksmith shop was making horseshoes, scholarly-looking people walked into a library, farmers worked in their crop fields. Syaoran sighed. "There isn't much around here that's interesting." Tomoyo pointed back at Kumiko's house. "Maybe, but take a look at this! Compare her house to everyone else's houses! It's huge! Her family must be rich." Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Well, you of all people should know." Tomoyo smiled. "Come on, Syaoran. My family isn't THAT rich." Syaoran just sighed. "Anyway, do you see Kumiko?" Tomoyo shook her head. "Not yet. I don't see much of anything. No Kumiko, no Koji, no anything." Syaoran lay on his back and rested. "Ahh. maybe that's a good sign. I mean, I could use a little rest after what has happened lately." Tomoyo sighed happily. "I know what you mean. It's nice to just take a breather every now and then. Still, I wish I could have brought my camcorder, but Mia said I shouldn't show any modern technology in the past in fear of changing history." Syaoran rolled his eyes and whispered, "You'll never change." Tomoyo lay on her stomach and ran her fingers through the gentle stream. "Huh? What's this?" Syaoran sat up. "What's what?" "This water is extremely hot!" Syaoran dipped his hand into the stream and pulled it out. "You're right. But where is it coming from?"
They turned around and ran upstream. It led about a quarter of a mile uphill. Eventually, they came to a small cave in the side of an almost vertical rock wall. To the right side of the wall, there was a tall bamboo fence that wrapped around the mountain. Steam could be seen rising from over the fence. Tomoyo and Syaoran stepped closer. There was a wooden board placed over the stream that allowed a person to walk, but let the stream pass under it. Japanese lanterns lighted the small passageway. It also seemed there was another branch to the cave to the left. A small wooden sign lay just inside the mouth of the cave. "Women's Hot Springs" Syaoran read aloud. Tomoyo laughed. "Wow! Really? A hot spring? What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Tomoyo grabbed Syaoran's hand and started to drag him in. Syaoran managed to grab one edge of the cave entrance and yelled, "ARE YOU INSANE?! THIS IS THE GIRLS' HOT SPRINGS! I'M A GUY!" Tomoyo put Syaoran down, blushed, and giggled. "Gomen-nasi. I guess I forgot. I was just excited." Syaoran stood up and dusted himself off. He pointed to the wound on the left side of his face that hadn't fully healed yet. "Besides, if you recall, the last time I saw a girl in a bath towel, she threw an alarm clock at my face. I can still feel it."
"Oh. umm. You're here. uhh. konnichi wa. *" A familiar voice said. They turned around and saw Kumiko with a handful of books. "Oh, hello, Kumiko!" Tomoyo said cheerfully. "We were just following this spring and wondered what made the water so hot." "Well. I guess you can see it is a hot spring for girls. So. Gomen, Syaoran, but I don't think you should come in." Syaoran shook his head. "Believe me, I had no intention of coming in." Tomoyo asked, "So, what are you doing here?" Kumiko stared at the ground shyly. "I come here everyday. I like the peace and quiet. There are other girls, but they usually leave me alone and talk amongst themselves. Plus, the hot water soothes me, so I find it a good place to read. Oh, gomen- nasi. I'm talking too much. I always do that. I'm such a baka." Syaoran shook his head. "Don't say that!" "Yeah, you weren't talking too much!" "Unlike SOME people we know." Tomoyo stuck her tongue out at Syaoran. ".I have to go." Kumiko rushed into the cave and into the left branch. Obviously, it was some sort of changing room.
Syaoran and Tomoyo frowned. "She seems so depressed." Tomoyo said. "I don't know. She obviously has very low self-esteem. But why?" Tomoyo shook her head. "I don't know. She's smart, cute, and kind. After all, she is related to Sakura! But I'll find out. I think I'll go in and talk with her. I just wish Sakura or Mia was here. They could help me." Syaoran scratched his chin. "Speaking of Mia, I wonder how she and Kero are doing."
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Mia leaped off the roof of the store and over the surrounding mob of angry merchants. Kero hovered by her as they charged out of the village. A vein popped up on Mia's forehead. "What in the hell would make you steal all that food?!" "HEY! I was hungry! If they didn't want hungry people, not to mention guardians, to steal a little fruit, they shouldn't keep it out in the open!" Mia growled as they ran out of the village into a nearby forest to avoid the irate villagers in tow.
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Syaoran walked into the guest room of Kumiko's house. Sakura was up and looking at the bookcase. "Oh, hello, Syaoran. Where's Tomoyo?" Syaoran sat down on a bed and rested. "We found a hot spring, but it was for girls only, so she stayed, but I came back. Kumiko was there. Apparently, she likes to read while she bathes. Naturally, I didn't want to stick around. So, what have you been doing?" Sakura pulled a book off a shelf. "Oh, I've regained my strength for now. I was just searching around the bookcase for anything interesting. Maybe even something about my family."
A slip of paper fell out of the book in Sakura's hands onto the floor. "Hoe?" Syaoran picked it up. "'Hitoshi. for how long must I gaze upon your beautiful face. your deep emerald eyes. your charming smile. without being able to say how I feel.?'" Sakura giggled and blushed. "It looks like maybe Kumiko has a crush on someone! But that name sounds familiar. Hitoshi. Wait, I remember my dad once said my great grandfather was named Hitoshi, after his great grandfather or something like that! Could that mean." "He's related to you, too?" "Yeah! So, maybe if we can help keep them together and see to it that Koji stays away, whenever he shows up." ".We can keep history the way it is, and your family will be saved." They nodded in agreement.
They both searched the bookcases, making sure they didn't mess up the perfectly organized collection of literature. They found many interesting books, but Syaoran's mind was on something else. "'.without being able to say how I feel.' Why does that sound so familiar?"
Tomoyo walked into the room. Her hair was still a little damp. "Ahh. that was great!" "Welcome back, Tomoyo! Did you learn anything while you were gone?" Tomoyo nodded. "Well, I heard her daydreaming about some boy named Hitoshi out loud. The other girls over hear her talking about him quietly every day." Sakura smiled. "Looks like our clues were right! She does like that boy!" Tomoyo smiled. "The other girls at the springs said he lives here in the village, but she is too shy to say one word. They all think he likes her, too, but as soon as he tries to talk to her, she runs because she is too embarrassed." Sakura thought for a moment. "It sounds like those girls know a lot about this! Maybe we should all go visit them at the springs!" Syaoran nodded. "Well, have fun. I think I'll just stay here." Tomoyo shook her head. "Oh no, you're coming with us!" Syaoran sighed deeply. "Tomoyo, we've been through this! I am a BOY. That spring is for GIRLS. See the problem?" "Well, are you just going to let us poor defenseless girls go in unsupervised when Koji could be around all while we're completely unarmed?" "Hey, I would go and help if I could, but I obviously can't go in, and if I tried to spy on you, I'd get caught by the other girls. And. if those girls did catch me. well, if Sakura would throw a clock at me, I don't even want to know what they would do to me." Tomoyo smiled. "IF they COULD see you, anyway."
Syaoran gave her an odd look. "What does THAT mean?" Tomoyo unraveled a piece of paper and handed it to Syaoran, who read it aloud. "Visit Lady Kasumi's House of Miracle Potions. Super-strength, Invisibility, Lightning speed, and many more special ability potions are available." A sweat drop rolled down both Sakura and Syaoran's heads. "Uhh.. Tomoyo? Do you actually BELIEVE in this junk?" Sakura grabbed the flyer. "Even I wouldn't fall for in this stuff!" Tomoyo smiled. "Aw, come on! It can't hurt to try! I'll pay for it all, of course! Besides, what else is there to do? And you wanted to always be protecting Sakura, remember, Syaoran? All you'd have to do is become temporarily invisible, and you can watch over us from a distance!" He rubbed his forehead to calm his headache. "Look, if I go, will you be happy?" She nodded. "Fine. I'll go then. I won't like it, but I'll go." "GREAT!" Tomoyo yelled. "It's just outside the village! Let's go!"
They all walked west out of the village for about a quarter of a mile. Eventually, they came to a small house slightly north of the road into the woods. "Lady Kasumi's House of Miracle Potions." Sakura read on a sign. "This is it." Syaoran added. They pushed open the squeaky door and stepped inside. Some sort of weird smoke was in the air. All around the walls were shelves upon shelves of bottles, filled with who knows what. Antique mirrors, tables, (or at least what would have been antiques in their time) littered the room. Standing over a large pot in the corner, reading a book at her side was an old lady. She had small gray eyes and short white hair. They stepped forward.
Tomoyo waved to the old woman over the counter. "Hello! We have come to buy a potion!" "Eh?" The old woman turned from her pot and slowly walked to the counter. "Oh! Customers! Welcome! Sorry, I didn't notice you. These old ears just aren't what they used to be." Sakura shook her head. "It's okay. No problem." "So, what can I get you young, sweet, girls?" Syaoran coughed loud. "I'm a GUY." "Eh? Oh, my apologies. I didn't notice you there. My eyes, too, just aren't as sharp as they used to be." Syaoran sighed. "It's okay. Do you have any of those potions that can make someone temporarily invisible?" The old woman nodded. "Ah, yes. That's a popular item. Let me go get it for you! But, before we start, this is not exactly legal. Are you alright with that?" They all nodded. "We'll do whatever it takes." Tomoyo said.
The old woman walked into a storeroom at the back of the room. Syaoran turned to Tomoyo. "So you're serious about this?" "Well, why not? We can't risk Koji getting to Kumiko in the springs. It is the perfect spot for him to ambush her. There is only one exit, and naturally, there are no weapons. We'll need you there. And if you can surprise him, even better!"
The old lady returned, bottle in hand. "Ah, here you go! That will be 1,000 yen." Sakura and Syaoran gasped at the price, but Tomoyo didn't seem to care. She handed her the money and turned to Syaoran. "Well, go on! Try it out!"
Syaoran sighed. "Well, here goes nothing." He drank the red potion at once. There was a moment of silence as they all waited to see if it worked. "ARGH!" Syaoran put his hand over his heart. It was beating like crazy. He fell onto the floor face first and felt his body changing all over. He didn't know what was happening, but it was fortunately over almost as soon as it started.
"SYAORAN?! ARE YOU OKAY?!" Sakura asked.
He stood up. "Whoa! What the hell? I'm. I'm taller! By about a foot!" He said in a higher-pitched voice. "Wait a second, what's wrong with my voice?" He felt something touching his back. He grabbed it and looked at it closely. "My hair! But. how did it get so long?!" Syaoran looked down at himself and noticed something peculiar. "And what the hell are these huge bulges on my chest?!"
Syaoran looked at Sakura and Tomoyo to get some answers to his questions. Sakura and Tomoyo's eyes were almost jumping out of their heads. A giant sweat drop rolled down each one of their heads. Both of their faces were bright red. "S-S-S-Syaoran?! Look in a mirror!"
Syaoran turned his head to the right and looked into an antique mirror on the wall. His jaw dropped down to the floor. He blushed insanely. He dropped the empty potion jar onto the floor and it smashed into a billion pieces. "This isn't possible! I'm. I'm. I'M A GIRL?!"
To be continued.