I'm all so very sorry. Hardware failure, bug bites, finals, FF.net's
problems, viral infections, and such. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I
wanted to have this out a lot sooner. at one point, I even managed to
update, but it never appeared. I'll have much more constant updates from
now on. Promise.
Chapter 9- The Trap
(Author's note: At one point, there is a song break in this chapter. I did not write it. It is the ending song to the first movie. If you want to lyrics, go to where I found the: www.animelyrics.com to translate them. To link directly to the page with the lyrics, use this URL: )
Syaoran fumed into Kumiko's house, her hair still damp and her body still somewhat wet, and slammed the door to the guest room shut. Mia, Tomoyo, and Kero, who were sitting in the main room she had walked through, stared at the guest room door in wonder. "What's wrong with Syaoran?" Mia asked innocently.
"Koji." Sakura said as she entered the house. "KOJI?!" The three of them yelled out. "Syaoran told me she met Koji, who was waiting for her when she left the hot springs. They had a little fight." Kero scratched his chin. "Well, the gaki didn't look hurt. Did he lose?" Sakura blushed. "Umm. Actually, she easily won. But it wasn't that kind of fight."
Moments later, Syaoran emerged from the guest quarters with her sword in hand. "I'm going to kill Koji today! He can't get away with that!" Mia stuck her arm into Syaoran's way and held him back. "Hold on. Why are you so upset? I thought if you beat up Koji you'd be happy! And since you were in this body, he wouldn't even recognize you!"
Syaoran blushed. "Well, his not recognizing me was part of the problem. But I really don't want to talk about it." Tomoyo turned to Sakura. "What happened?" A sweat drop rolled down Sakura's head. "Well. ummm. Koji, apparently, started to flirt with her." Kero laughed. "HA! FLIRTED WITH?! That is hilarious!" A vein popped on Mia's forehead. She grabbed Kero and stuffed him onto a bookshelf, slamming a book in his face. Tomoyo smiled widely. "What's wrong with that? I would take it as a very sweet compliment if someone told me I was beautiful! Apparently, even a truly evil power still thinks you're cute!"
Syaoran blushed as a sweat drop rolled down his face. "I WISH that was all he did. That guy is the biggest pervert I've ever met! You wouldn't believe some of the stuff he said to me." Mia laughed. "Come on, what could he have done that was so bad?" Syaoran growled. "Would you take it as a compliment if someone you don't like made extremely perverted comments about the. umm. shape and size. of your body? What if he not only accidentally saw you exposed, but then tried to steal your towel? How about if he then went on to touch your butt and comment about how soft it is?" Tomoyo and Mia blushed and sat in silence for a minute. ".You're kidding, right? Please tell me that's just a sick joke." Mia asked in shock. Syaoran shook her head. "That's awful! What did you do?!" Tomoyo asked. "What else? I beat him to the ground with a bamboo pole." Mia chuckled. "I hope he got the point!" Sakura laughed and said, "I bet he did! I don't think you'll have many more problems with him." Syaoran smiled. "I don't think I'll be seeing much of him. but if I do, I'm going to make him wish he had never met me."
Kero mocked her. "Trust me. I've known you long enough to realize that anyone that meets you wishes they didn't." Syaoran growled. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. But seriously, Koji is a total slop, jerk, and pervert. I'm just glad not all men are like him." Mia laughed. "Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not sure you do know anymore!" "What is THAT supposed to mean, huh?" Syaoran grabbed her ribbon from her pocket and started to tie it in her hair. Tomoyo pointed. "Well, like that for instance." "Like what?" Tomoyo got off her chair and helped Syaoran tie the bow in nice and neat. "For some odd reason, you seem to really like this ribbon." Syaoran blushed a little. "Well. ummm. I just happen to like the way it looks, okay? Even I have a little fashion sense."
Mia lifted Syaoran's head and examined her face. "Wh-what are you doing?!" Syaoran asked. "Well, why haven't you been complaining when we make you all these women's clothes and makeup?" Syaoran turned her face away to hide her redness. "Well, uh, the clothes fit a lot better so it's easier to move around with them. I just got used to them, that's all. I mean, I tried to wear my old shirts, no type of women's underwear, my old shoes, and everything else, but it just was too uncomfortable. So, I will wear this stuff at least while I'm a girl. Satisfied? Also, I realized it was pointless to argue about wearing the makeup, so I just went along with it." Tomoyo smiled. "Well, maybe the clothes I can understand, but. We haven't asked you to wear ANY makeup, but you've been putting my lipstick on without me having to ask you!"
Sakura and Kero snickered. Syaoran couldn't think of an excuse and just sat in silence. Mia shrugged. "Come on, Syaoran Just admit it. You've been acting like the perfect little lady as of late. You've even started to talk about yourself like you've always been a girl." Syaoran sighed. "Alright, I'll admit it. Being a girl isn't that bad, okay? I've gotten used to it. I happen to like the lipstick and the ribbon. Is there something wrong with that? But I still want to get back to normal. Until then, I guess I don't mind the dresses, the accessories. Even Kero's taunts aren't as bad." Tomoyo smiled. "You really don't mind?" Syaoran stood up and turned away from the other girls. "Yeah, but I still want to go back to normal. Otherwise, I don't really mind. As long as I can get back to normal, this isn't that bad." Tomoyo smiled. "That's great! In my spare time, I've been working on a matching pair of dresses for you and Sakura to wear, so I was afraid they could go to waste!" Sakura and Syaoran looked at each other for a moment and blushed before both replying with, "Matching dresses?" Tomoyo gave a wide smile, obviously oblivious to Sakura and Syaoran's embarrassment. "Well, why not? Actually, I've been working on one for the two of you for a while, but because you normally wear such different styled clothes, it was hard to design. But now, it'll be easy!" Sakura and Syaoran sighed.
Syaoran headed for the door, keeping her sword at her side, just in case. "Where are you going?" Mia asked. Syaoran didn't turn to face them, but continued walking. "I'm heading to the potion shop. I want to see how far that old lady has gotten in making 'Healthy Boy #10' or whatever it's called. I should be back by morning." Sakura grabbed Syaoran by the arm. "It's too late. You can check in the morning. It's clearly been a rough day for you. Let's just get some sleep." Syaoran nodded. "I guess so. Maybe I'll just grab something to eat and get to sleep. It's getting dark and I don't know if I could make it back at night." Tomoyo grinned. "That's great! I made these special pajamas for all of us to wear!" She ran into the guest room and came out a few minutes later carrying four long gown- like pajamas of varying colors. A sweat drop rolled down Syaoran's head. "Tomoyo, how many outfits do you work on? How do you get them done so fast?" Tomoyo laughed. "Well, with all this free time I seem to have, not to mention the abundance of supplies in this town, I've just had all the time I need to make these kawaii new outfits! Also, most of these are incredibly simple compared to most of the outfits I make for Sakura." Mia sighed. "Have you ever considered not making outfits but just buying them instead?" "WHAT? Of course not! I need to make sure all of my outfits are perfect down to the last detail! You just can't buy them! You need to." By this point, Sakura and Syaoran had given up on listening to the argument and went off to the kitchen to fix dinner.
Sakura finished cooking the fish and Syaoran finished baking the bread when Kumiko walked in, almost in a trance. She seemed so happy and carefree. They had never seen her this happy before. Syaoran removed her pink apron and tried to talk to Kumiko. "Oh, hello Kumiko. You seem like your cheerful today." For a moment, Kumiko didn't answer. She just sighed joyfully. "It's like a dream come true.. Huh? Oh, konban wa, Syaoru! How are you?" "I'm alright." She took the bread out of the oven, which was really just a small opening over a large fire and placed it on the table. "I've never seen you this cheerful before. Something really great must have happened." Kumiko sighed. "Something wonderful did happen.Err. Well, actually, I can't tell you."
Sakura put the fish down on the table and removed her apron. "Oh? Why can't you tell us?" Kumiko blushed deeply. "It's a secret! But. I'm afraid I can't join all of you at the hot springs tomorrow. I have. a special appointment."
Tomoyo and Mia entered the kitchen and everyone sat down to dinner. Every now and then, throughout dinner, Kumiko would sigh deeply and stare out into space. After dinner, Kumiko stretched her arms out wide and yawned. ".I'm sleepy. I think I'll go to bed. Thank you for the wonderful meal! I usually can't cook. You two make fantastic chefs, though!" Syaoran and Sakura blushed. "Thank you!" They both exclaimed. Kumiko walked off towards her room.
As soon as she left, Tomoyo exclaimed, "Wow! That was amazing! I've never seen her so happy before." Sakura smiled. "Yeah. I wonder what made her so happy. I'm not complaining. but if she's this happy, it must make me think Koji either hasn't found her or is leaving her alone." Syaoran pondered for a moment. "But why would he ignore her? It doesn't make any sense. She's the whole reason he's here?" Kero popped another piece of fish into his mouth. "Mmm! This is good. Ahem. I don't see how he could have lost track of her. She follows the same routine everyday, as far as I can tell."
Tomoyo grinned. "Well, I might not know why Koji apparently has been ignoring her, but I think I know why Kumiko is so happy." Mia turned to Tomoyo. "Why is that?" "Because she's in true love!" "WHAT?!" Everyone else all screamed together. "I would recognize the symptoms anywhere. There's the happy sighing, the constant daydreaming, the cheerful mood, and the wide smile. They all say she has found true love!" Everyone smiled. "Does that mean she and Hitoshi finally talked in private?" Tomoyo nodded softly. "That would be my guess." She sighed. "Young love is so beautiful." Her eyes began to sparkle.
Syaoran leaned against a wall. "And what would you know about love?" Tomoyo stared at Sakura through the corner of her eye and blushed. "Well, let's just say I've had a little experience myself." Mia asked, "Well, what do we do now?" Syaoran answered, "Just because it looks like Koji is slacking off a bit does not mean we can take it easy. For all we know, he's lulling us into a false sense of security." "I agree," Mia replied. "We can't leave anything to chance. So we still need a plan."
An idea sprang into Sakura's mind. "I know! Kero, why don't you follow Kumiko tomorrow, and if anything in the least bit weird happens, come and tell us so we can take care of it, okay?" "Kero swallowed another mouthful. "So, all I have to do is follow this girl around all day and otherwise do absolutely nothing unless something strange happens? I'm in!" "I figured you would."
Syaoran began to pick up the plates and bowls. "Why don't you girls get ready to go to bed. I'll clean up in here." "Alright." Sakura said. The three girls and Kero headed off to their beds.
Syaoran stacked the dirty tableware higher and higher in her hands. She started to sing quietly to herself to pass the time.
"daisuki datta ano uta furui TEEPU no naka chiisana KIZU iro aseta TAITORU nijinda yoake
lalalala utaou sora o miagete lalalala It's my life aruite yukou watashi no chikara de susumu hate shinai kono michi o
ikutsumo no kousaten itsumo mayou kedo nagasare tari oikosare tari shite ima o ikiteru"
The three girls stuck their heads out of the doorway and listened to Syaoran as she sang louder and louder. "Wow! She's singing so well! I never knew she could do that!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "Yeah! She's almost as good as you!" Sakura replied. "Shhh! Let's listen!" Mia said.
"butsu karu koto mitomeru koto otona ni natte mo wasurenai
lalalala utaou sora o miagete lalalala It's my life aruite yukou watashi dake no mono dakara jishin matte ii yo ne
umareta machi de yumemite kita kujikeru tabi ni omoidasu ano uta no you ni ima dekiru koto wa sukoshi demo mae ni fumi dasu koto
lalalala utaou sora o miagete lalalala It's my life aruite yukou lalalala utaou sora o miagete lalalala It's my life aruite yukou watashi no chikara de susumu hate shinai kono michi o
lalalala utaou sora o miagete lalalala It's my life aruite yukou watashi no chikara de susumu hate shinai kono michi o."
Sakura, Tomoyo, and Mia stepped out of the doorway in their new pajamas and clapped loudly. "THAT WAS GREAT!" Sakura yelled.
Syaoran's face became beet red. "You. you were listening?! Gomen-nasi! I must have been too loud! I'll just." "No! That was wonderful!" Mia complimented. "Yeah! I wish I could sing like that!" Sakura added. Syaoran turned away to hide her embarrassment. "Aww. you're just saying that. go on to bed. I'll be there in a minute."
The three girls walked off, giggling as they headed for bed. Syaoran started to hum and placed all of the dishes on a counter next to an open window. "Ah. you even sing like a goddess, my love." "Who's there?!"
Sakura got under her covers. "Goodnight, Tomoyo. Goodnight, Mia. Goodnight, Kero. See you in the-"
SHRIEK!
"Oh my God! That was Syaoran!" Sakura leaped out of bed. The others followed her. When they entered the kitchen, Koji stood on the windowsill, trying to pull Syaoran out with him. "You must come with me!" "Get your hands off me, you creep!"
"SYAORAN! DUCK!" Mia screamed as she raised her hands over her head. Syaoran dropped as low as he could go before Mia threw her hands forward and a surge of fire flew through the air and shot Koji straight out the window. Tomoyo slammed it shut and locked it. "Are you alright?" Sakura asked. "Yeah." Syaoran panted. "I'm alright. It just scared the heck out of me. I'm standing there, minding my own business, when suddenly Koji pops out of nowhere. He keeps screaming something about why I need to come with him. Ugh. I bet he was trying to do something sick." Mia looked through the window for a moment. "Well, don't worry. He's gone for now."
"What's going on out here? I thought I heard a girl scream." Kumiko asked as she walked in with her hair all mussed from sleep and tired eyes. Tomoyo utilized her natural ability to make up convincing lies. "Syaoru was just cleaning up the dishes when she saw a bat outside the window. She has a fear of them and screamed. She's alright." "Yeah, I'm fine. My heart is just beating fast. I need to relax for a little while. Maybe I'll go to bed." Kumiko smiled. "Okay. I'm glad that's all it was. We have a lot of bats around here. They freak me out a little too. See you in the morning." Kumiko walked back to her room.
They all took a deep breath. "Syaoran, what do you think Koji wants? It doesn't make any sense. Wouldn't he go after Kumiko first?" Sakura asked. "Maybe he just wants a little revenge for our little fight over by the hot springs. I'm sure he's still livid about that. But he's gone for now and everything else in the house is shut tight. Let's just go get some sleep." Syaoran slipped into her dark green pajamas and got into bed.
******
Just outside, a huge explosion on the side of the hill flung a boy high into the air. "CRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAP!" Koji landed on his head. He got to his feet and barely dodged Spinel as he leaped by. A golden scepter shined in the moonlight. "You can't escape us now, wretched demon. You've interfered with my work for the last time." Eriol said. "I won't let you or anything else interfere with me getting to my goddess, Syaoru." Nakuru smiled. "I have no idea who this 'Goddess Syaoru' is, but we'll be happy to help you see a REAL demon when we kill you and send you to hell!" "I don't think so!" Koji reached into his jacket and pulled out a glowing green orb. "What the hell is that?" Eriol asked. "'The Orb of Teleportation,' an ancient artifact I recently found. Sayonara!" In a flash of green light, Koji was gone.
Eriol stared at the spot where Koji once stood. "This may prove more difficult than originally anticipated."
*****
The light from the sun peeked through the window onto Syaoran's closed eyes. She rolled over away from the light and hugged the sheets tight. In a minute, she opened her eyes and sat up. She stretched her arms out and yawned. She rubbed her eyes and thought, "What was it I was supposed to do today? Oh yeah, I was going to visit the potion shop." Her stomach growled ferociously. "Ummm. maybe I'll cook a little breakfast first."
A few minutes later, Syaoran donned her pink apron and was cooking breakfast, humming to herself. Sakura walked in with a troubling look on her face. "What's the matter, Sakura?" "Kumiko and Kero are gone!" "What? Well, Kumiko probably just left a little earlier than usual and Kero noticed, so he decided to follow her. I'm sure they're both okay. Now just sit down. I found the ingredients to make hot cakes and they'll be ready in a minute. They should be pretty good. When you live alone, you need to know how to cook a little, whether you're guy or a girl."
*****
Kero hovered quietly behind Kumiko. "Where is she going?" He thought to himself. "She wakes up in the middle of the night and sneaks out of the house. Then, she walks down some trail in an open field in the middle of nowhere until sunrise. If I hadn't been snacking on some of that leftover fish, I probably wouldn't have seen her leave. Wait a second. what are we doing HERE?"
*****
After breakfast, Syaoran took off her apron and pajamas. She then put on clean underwear, her dress, shoes, lipstick, and tied her ribbon to her hair like she did everyday. She then headed out towards the potion shop while the other girls cleaned up from breakfast. About twenty minutes to a half hour later, she reached the potion shop that had just opened its doors a few minutes before.
The bell on the top of the door rang when Syaoran walked in. She expected to see the same old woman at the counter, but instead there was a young, short girl, probably the same age as her, with long black hair. "Hello, ma'am. How can I help you?" Syaoran looked around. "Where's the old woman who was working here? She was supposed to be helping me remove this potions effect." The young girl smiled. "What's wrong? You don't look like you have any problems at all. You look like a perfectly normal girl." "I'M A GUY!" The young girl blushed. "OH! Not again!" "What do you mean again?!" "Ummm. this isn't the first time this has happened. Her memory is quite bad, so she probably doesn't remember accidentally transforming her customers into beasts. In fact, I think it was only a few weeks ago that she accidentally gave a young man a potion that turned him into a black cat instead of the speed-enhancer he wanted. If I hadn't found him trying to scratch us a message in the dirt outside our shop, he might have never returned to normal." Syaoran sighed. "Does that mean I might never get back to normal? I mean, being a girl isn't so bad, at least it's better than being a cat, but I think my family will do something drastic if they find out."
"Wait a second." The girl went through some papers on the counter. "Is your name Syaoran?" "Yeah, how'd you know?" "You're in luck. That old woman is my grandmother. It seems like she actually knows what she is doing. She wrote that she found all but one of the necessary ingredients, but she knows where she can get that last ingredient. It's in some near-by village. She should be back any day now." Syaoran's face brightened. "You mean she's going to be able to make my 'Healthy Strong Boy #10?'" "It looks that way. Consider yourself lucky. Not all of our customers have been so fortunate. If she weren't related to me, I'd be staying far away from this shop. She can be so absent-minded. but I'll be sure to help make the potion when she gets back any day now, okay? It should be ready in a week or less." "Okay, thanks!" Syaoran left the store and head back for Kumiko's house.
When she arrived back at home, everyone had just finished straightening up the house. Sakura thought aloud, "I wonder where Kero and Kumiko are. Neither of them has shown up anywhere." Mia answered. "I'm sure they're fine. All Kero had to do was follow her. I don't even think even he could screw that up."
Tomoyo caught a glimpse of Syaoran. "Good morning, Syaoran. Did the potion shop have your potion in today?" "Well, not really. She didn't have the ingredients. In fact, she wasn't even there." "What?!" Sakura gasped. "So there is no way to reverse it?" Syaoran shook her head. "No, there is a way. She's just out getting the last ingredient. Her grand daughter was there in her place. I can go back to normal within a week." Sakura smiled. "Well, that's good to know. but I'm still worried about Kumiko. where could she be?"
*****
Kero hovered in place with a huge smile on his face. "Wow! This is great news! I gotta go tell everyone what's really going on. Right after I find something to eat. I'm starving!"
*****
"Relax, Sakura. I'm sure Kero is wasting no time and doing his job." Mia said. "Yeah, I guess you're right. So, are we all ready to go?" Syaoran turned to Sakura. "Go? Go where?" Tomoyo smiled. "To the hot springs again, silly. Where did you think?"
"To the hot springs?! Again?! After what happened last time?! Why do we need to?" Mia listed the reasons. "First of all, for all we know, Kumiko could be there right now. Second of all, for all we know, KOJI is there. Third of all, those girls that visit there daily seem to know a lot about the people in this village, so we should listen to them. Lastly, and most important of all. We're exhausted. It's time to relax." Syaoran sighed. "YOU try to relax with at least five girls trampling over you, bombarding you with questions." Tomoyo giggled. "But it's cute when that happens! However, if you want, I can help get them off you if you want me to, okay?" Syaoran thought. "Well, that's a little better. but I don't want to end up out in the open. ummm.. with nothing on. I don't want a repeat of my fight with Koji." Tomoyo thought. "I know!"
A moment later, Tomoyo turned her backpack upside down and poured out her clothes. "I'll let you borrow a swimsuit! That way, you won't even need a towel. Is that better?" "Well. alright. I'll do it. But I'm bringing my pendant along just in case Koji shows up. I'll want to summon the sword as defense." Tomoyo smiled. "Well, that's no problem. Now, I only need to decide on the right bathing suit. let's see."
Tomoyo rummaged through all of her clothes and pulled out an armful of bathing suits. A sweat drop rolled down Mia's head. "One of these days, you need to show me how you fit all of this in that tiny backpack." "Ooh!" Sakura exclaimed. "Can I have one, too?" "Sure! I'll find one for you in a minute. Syaoran first. Actually, we'll all wear them!" Tomoyo went back to sorting the suits.
"Let's see. I'll just sort them all by whether they are one piece or two pieces. size. color. shape. design. material. I GOT IT! It's perfect!"
About 20 minutes later, the four girls were just reaching the hot springs. Syaoran wore her pendant around her neck. "You know, I really wish you had let me seen the bathing suit before we agreed to anything." "Don't worry. I know you'll love it. It's perfect in size, shape, design and everything. I double checked every measurement."
Syaoran waited on the outside of the small outlet while the other girls changed. "Okay, Syaoru, your turn. We all have our bathing suits on." Sakura said as they all headed towards the springs wearing one-piece swimwear. "I left the suit in there for you! Just put it on and meet us out here!"
Syaoran stepped into the dressing room and picked up the swimsuit with one hand in disgust. "She expects me to wear THIS?! Oh well, why not. It's better than the towels."
A minute later, Syaoran emerged wearing the brand-new suit hand-picked by Tomoyo. It was a two-piece pink bikini. The top part was very unique. Over each breast, a red fabric formed a semi circle and came down to meet the other at a point to form a red heart over the chest. The bottom piece was plain bright pink. "Well, I guess it isn't that bad. Not too revealing, but not too big. Not too tight, but not so loose like it would fall off. Maybe Tomoyo does know what she's talking about. I guess I'll just get this over with."
Syaoran stepped out into the light of the sun. "Hey, everyone, look! It's Syaoru!" "SYAORU!" "Hey! Come over here!" All of the same girls from the day before called out to her. Syaoran dropped her pendant on the side of the springs and stepped slowly into the steaming water. "Oh my gosh! Look at that!" "What are those things called. I know this." Tomoyo smiled. "It's called a bikini. . They're not too common around here, but they're really popular where I come from. I should know! I designed it myself." The girls changed their focus onto Tomoyo. "You designed this?" "Wow! That's amazing! Do you think you could make one for me like that?" "How about me?" "Me, too!" "Don't forget about me!"
Syaoran took the chance and escaped from the girls who once surrounded her. She sat next to Sakura. "That was close. Tomoyo certainly knows how to handle these kind of people." Sakura giggled and whispered in Syaoran's ear, "Maybe that's because they're so much like her! Don't you see the resemblance?" Syaoran stared at all the girls swarming over Tomoyo, asking her so many questions about bathing suits, accessories, makeup, and everything else related to fashion. Syaoran giggled too. "I guess you're right." She looked round the spring. "But I don't see Kumiko anywhere. Where do you think she went?" "I have no idea. But I hope she comes back soon. I'm starting to get really worried. What if Koji already got to her?" Syaoran thought to herself about what might happen if that was true. "I'll admit that Koji isn't a criminal genius. okay, he's a moron, but I still don't want to even think about what would happen if Kumiko and he were alone." Sakura nodded. "As soon as we leave here, we should go look for her." "Agreed."
One of the girls turned away from Tomoyo for a minute and faced Sakura and Syaoran. "Say, none of you has ever told us why you came to this village. I'm not complaining, mind you, I'm just curious as to why all of you came to such a small village." The other girls turned around too. "Hey, that's right!" "Yeah, I'm kinda curious, too." "Why did you come?"
A sweat drop rolled down each of their heads. They had not planned an excuse for this. "Ummm. well, uhh. Sakura, Tomoyo and I. uhh. Well, actually, we can't tell you. It's kinda a big secret." "A secret? Aww." "C'mon, you can tell us!" "Please! We're dying to know!"
One of the girls thought for a moment and then her eyes lit up. "A secret? OH MY GOD! I think I know! Syaoru, you're going to have a baby aren't you?!" "WHAT! A BABY?!" Syaoran yelled in response with her face turning 30 shades of red. Another girl yelled, "Look! She's blushing! It must be true! Syaoru is pregnant!"
The first girl said, "I bet I know what I going on! Syaoru is married and her husband got her pregnant just before leaving on a trip in a distant land to fight a war and now she's come all this way in search of him! OH! Who's the lucky father?"
Sakura and Tomoyo sat in shock, not moving or saying a word. "B-But I'm not." Syaoran stuttered. "Hey! I wonder if we can feel the baby kick! Let me feel!" The girls simultaneously lifted Syaoran up and sat her down on the edge of the springs. They all tried to put their heads to Syaoran's stomach at once.
"Wait, I don't think the baby will start to kick until after Syaoru starts to show but-Hey! I think I just felt it!" "Oops! No, sorry, that was just me knocking my elbow into you. Gomen!" "Hey! Let me feel!" "C'mon! Let me feel!" Syaoran continued to blush. "But. I'm. I'm not. I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE A BABY!" All of the girls gasped. "You really mean that?" Syaoran sighed. "Yes, I really mean that. I don't even have a husband!" "Aww. That's too bad." "Yeah. If it was a girl, you could have named it after one of us." Tomoyo grinned. "I'll tell you what we're REALLY doing here!" "Really? You will!" The girls once again swarmed around Tomoyo.
Syaoran let herself sink under the water for a few seconds. When she returned to the surface, she sighed. "That had to be the most humiliating moment of my life." Sakura laughed nervously. "Umm. it wasn't that bad."
"WOW! That's so touching!" "You're all so lucky!" "I want to do that, too!" "Imagine, going on a journey through all of Japan, searching for true love. It's all so romantic!"
Tomoyo swam over to Sakura and Syaoran. All Syaoran could say was, "Tomoyo, you're simply amazing." Tomoyo giggled. "Well, I know how they think. I knew a love story would keep them busy."
"OH, MY GOD! LOOK UP THERE!" A girl screamed loudly and pointed to the top of the cave behind them. "AHH! A man! There's a man in the women's bath!" Sakura, Syaoran, Mia, and Tomoyo turned around and all yelled, "KOJI!"
Indeed, Koji sat on the small cave, dressed in a black kimono (The Japanese robe) with two guns at his side in their holsters.
He leaped from the peak of the cave and landed at the side of the hot springs. Sakura backed away. "Don't worry, Kinomoto. Today, I'm not after you or your friends. I am here for one reason." His eyes began to sparkle when he grabbed Syaoran by the hand and lifted her out of the water. "I have come to declare my eternal love to you, Miss Syaoru!"
"HOE!" Sakura yelled, while all the other girls, including Syaoran who was now bright red, unanimously responded with, "WHAT?!" "I thought I told you no yesterday!" "Ah, but I am a changed man! Yesterday, I merely lusted for you. Lusted for your fantastic body. But today, I love you and lust for you." Syaoran backed into a fighting stance. "I'm warning you, sicko. If you make so much as one false move."
"That's what I mean! So aggressive. such anger. such ferocity. I didn't think such a thing could exist in a woman! I must have you! Just think of it! Together, as a couple, we can work side by side and bring all those who oppose us to their knees!"
Syaoran thought to herself, "This guy IS insane! First, he's thinking of lust, then love, and now world domination. What's wrong with him? He's not getting this girl, that's all I know."
"I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you I needed to have you. I know you can love me, too." Syaoran's anger started to rise. "Are you insane? Do you really think I'd ever love OR join you?"
Koji stepped closer and wrapped his arm around her. Syaoran grew angrier by the second. "C'mon. just listen to me. why don't I help you out of this bathing suit and we'll find someplace alone where we can talk things over after a little fun?" Syaoran could feel Koji's hand reaching up her back for the string that held her suit up, so she jumped back and got out of Koji's grip. "One last warning. That's all I'll give you. Never lay your hands on me again!"
Koji grinned. "Don't be that way. just think about it. What do you say?"
Syaoran stared silently for a moment into Koji's eyes as the sadistic grin disappeared from the demon's face.
CRASH!
Koji came flying through the bamboo fence while Syaoran charged out, sword in hand. "DIE, YOU PIG!" Koji just barely missed being sliced in half by Syaoran's sword as she brought it crashing into the hard stone ground. Syaoran raised the sword again and prepared to bring it down, but Koji held his Orb of Teleportation and vanished just before the final blow could be struck.
Koji reappeared about 20 feet away, staring at her. "I know deep down that you love me as I do you, Syaoru. Please, think it over. I will come back here tomorrow and await your response. Until then, my fair and beautiful maiden, I bid you adieu." Koji disappeared in a flash of light. A moment of silence filled the air, until everyone started to clap. "YEAH! Syaoru! You show that perverted idiot who's in charge!" "That was amazing! I didn't know you knew how to handle a sword!" "Handle? She could probably beat every swordsman in Japan with those kind of attacks!" "Yeah! Did you see that guy crash through the fence? I've never seen someone fly like that!"
Syaoran blushed and turned her head away from the girls. "Uhh. I kinda lost my temper. Sorry about the fence." She stepped through the broken bamboo and sat back down in the springs. "Hey, don't worry! It will be worth repairing the fence just to see that pervert fly through it!"
Syaoran crossed her arms. "Ugh. The more I think about it, the sicker I get. I can't believe he LOVES me. Is he insane? This is humiliating." Mia burst into laughter. Syaoran's eyes resembled those of a cat as a vein popped up on his forehead. "What's so funny?!"
Mia gave an almost evil grin. "This may not be so bad after all! If we play our cards right, we can use this to make a trap to finally catch Koji once and for all!"
Love and Peace!
Chapter 9- The Trap
(Author's note: At one point, there is a song break in this chapter. I did not write it. It is the ending song to the first movie. If you want to lyrics, go to where I found the: www.animelyrics.com to translate them. To link directly to the page with the lyrics, use this URL: )
Syaoran fumed into Kumiko's house, her hair still damp and her body still somewhat wet, and slammed the door to the guest room shut. Mia, Tomoyo, and Kero, who were sitting in the main room she had walked through, stared at the guest room door in wonder. "What's wrong with Syaoran?" Mia asked innocently.
"Koji." Sakura said as she entered the house. "KOJI?!" The three of them yelled out. "Syaoran told me she met Koji, who was waiting for her when she left the hot springs. They had a little fight." Kero scratched his chin. "Well, the gaki didn't look hurt. Did he lose?" Sakura blushed. "Umm. Actually, she easily won. But it wasn't that kind of fight."
Moments later, Syaoran emerged from the guest quarters with her sword in hand. "I'm going to kill Koji today! He can't get away with that!" Mia stuck her arm into Syaoran's way and held him back. "Hold on. Why are you so upset? I thought if you beat up Koji you'd be happy! And since you were in this body, he wouldn't even recognize you!"
Syaoran blushed. "Well, his not recognizing me was part of the problem. But I really don't want to talk about it." Tomoyo turned to Sakura. "What happened?" A sweat drop rolled down Sakura's head. "Well. ummm. Koji, apparently, started to flirt with her." Kero laughed. "HA! FLIRTED WITH?! That is hilarious!" A vein popped on Mia's forehead. She grabbed Kero and stuffed him onto a bookshelf, slamming a book in his face. Tomoyo smiled widely. "What's wrong with that? I would take it as a very sweet compliment if someone told me I was beautiful! Apparently, even a truly evil power still thinks you're cute!"
Syaoran blushed as a sweat drop rolled down his face. "I WISH that was all he did. That guy is the biggest pervert I've ever met! You wouldn't believe some of the stuff he said to me." Mia laughed. "Come on, what could he have done that was so bad?" Syaoran growled. "Would you take it as a compliment if someone you don't like made extremely perverted comments about the. umm. shape and size. of your body? What if he not only accidentally saw you exposed, but then tried to steal your towel? How about if he then went on to touch your butt and comment about how soft it is?" Tomoyo and Mia blushed and sat in silence for a minute. ".You're kidding, right? Please tell me that's just a sick joke." Mia asked in shock. Syaoran shook her head. "That's awful! What did you do?!" Tomoyo asked. "What else? I beat him to the ground with a bamboo pole." Mia chuckled. "I hope he got the point!" Sakura laughed and said, "I bet he did! I don't think you'll have many more problems with him." Syaoran smiled. "I don't think I'll be seeing much of him. but if I do, I'm going to make him wish he had never met me."
Kero mocked her. "Trust me. I've known you long enough to realize that anyone that meets you wishes they didn't." Syaoran growled. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. But seriously, Koji is a total slop, jerk, and pervert. I'm just glad not all men are like him." Mia laughed. "Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not sure you do know anymore!" "What is THAT supposed to mean, huh?" Syaoran grabbed her ribbon from her pocket and started to tie it in her hair. Tomoyo pointed. "Well, like that for instance." "Like what?" Tomoyo got off her chair and helped Syaoran tie the bow in nice and neat. "For some odd reason, you seem to really like this ribbon." Syaoran blushed a little. "Well. ummm. I just happen to like the way it looks, okay? Even I have a little fashion sense."
Mia lifted Syaoran's head and examined her face. "Wh-what are you doing?!" Syaoran asked. "Well, why haven't you been complaining when we make you all these women's clothes and makeup?" Syaoran turned her face away to hide her redness. "Well, uh, the clothes fit a lot better so it's easier to move around with them. I just got used to them, that's all. I mean, I tried to wear my old shirts, no type of women's underwear, my old shoes, and everything else, but it just was too uncomfortable. So, I will wear this stuff at least while I'm a girl. Satisfied? Also, I realized it was pointless to argue about wearing the makeup, so I just went along with it." Tomoyo smiled. "Well, maybe the clothes I can understand, but. We haven't asked you to wear ANY makeup, but you've been putting my lipstick on without me having to ask you!"
Sakura and Kero snickered. Syaoran couldn't think of an excuse and just sat in silence. Mia shrugged. "Come on, Syaoran Just admit it. You've been acting like the perfect little lady as of late. You've even started to talk about yourself like you've always been a girl." Syaoran sighed. "Alright, I'll admit it. Being a girl isn't that bad, okay? I've gotten used to it. I happen to like the lipstick and the ribbon. Is there something wrong with that? But I still want to get back to normal. Until then, I guess I don't mind the dresses, the accessories. Even Kero's taunts aren't as bad." Tomoyo smiled. "You really don't mind?" Syaoran stood up and turned away from the other girls. "Yeah, but I still want to go back to normal. Otherwise, I don't really mind. As long as I can get back to normal, this isn't that bad." Tomoyo smiled. "That's great! In my spare time, I've been working on a matching pair of dresses for you and Sakura to wear, so I was afraid they could go to waste!" Sakura and Syaoran looked at each other for a moment and blushed before both replying with, "Matching dresses?" Tomoyo gave a wide smile, obviously oblivious to Sakura and Syaoran's embarrassment. "Well, why not? Actually, I've been working on one for the two of you for a while, but because you normally wear such different styled clothes, it was hard to design. But now, it'll be easy!" Sakura and Syaoran sighed.
Syaoran headed for the door, keeping her sword at her side, just in case. "Where are you going?" Mia asked. Syaoran didn't turn to face them, but continued walking. "I'm heading to the potion shop. I want to see how far that old lady has gotten in making 'Healthy Boy #10' or whatever it's called. I should be back by morning." Sakura grabbed Syaoran by the arm. "It's too late. You can check in the morning. It's clearly been a rough day for you. Let's just get some sleep." Syaoran nodded. "I guess so. Maybe I'll just grab something to eat and get to sleep. It's getting dark and I don't know if I could make it back at night." Tomoyo grinned. "That's great! I made these special pajamas for all of us to wear!" She ran into the guest room and came out a few minutes later carrying four long gown- like pajamas of varying colors. A sweat drop rolled down Syaoran's head. "Tomoyo, how many outfits do you work on? How do you get them done so fast?" Tomoyo laughed. "Well, with all this free time I seem to have, not to mention the abundance of supplies in this town, I've just had all the time I need to make these kawaii new outfits! Also, most of these are incredibly simple compared to most of the outfits I make for Sakura." Mia sighed. "Have you ever considered not making outfits but just buying them instead?" "WHAT? Of course not! I need to make sure all of my outfits are perfect down to the last detail! You just can't buy them! You need to." By this point, Sakura and Syaoran had given up on listening to the argument and went off to the kitchen to fix dinner.
Sakura finished cooking the fish and Syaoran finished baking the bread when Kumiko walked in, almost in a trance. She seemed so happy and carefree. They had never seen her this happy before. Syaoran removed her pink apron and tried to talk to Kumiko. "Oh, hello Kumiko. You seem like your cheerful today." For a moment, Kumiko didn't answer. She just sighed joyfully. "It's like a dream come true.. Huh? Oh, konban wa, Syaoru! How are you?" "I'm alright." She took the bread out of the oven, which was really just a small opening over a large fire and placed it on the table. "I've never seen you this cheerful before. Something really great must have happened." Kumiko sighed. "Something wonderful did happen.Err. Well, actually, I can't tell you."
Sakura put the fish down on the table and removed her apron. "Oh? Why can't you tell us?" Kumiko blushed deeply. "It's a secret! But. I'm afraid I can't join all of you at the hot springs tomorrow. I have. a special appointment."
Tomoyo and Mia entered the kitchen and everyone sat down to dinner. Every now and then, throughout dinner, Kumiko would sigh deeply and stare out into space. After dinner, Kumiko stretched her arms out wide and yawned. ".I'm sleepy. I think I'll go to bed. Thank you for the wonderful meal! I usually can't cook. You two make fantastic chefs, though!" Syaoran and Sakura blushed. "Thank you!" They both exclaimed. Kumiko walked off towards her room.
As soon as she left, Tomoyo exclaimed, "Wow! That was amazing! I've never seen her so happy before." Sakura smiled. "Yeah. I wonder what made her so happy. I'm not complaining. but if she's this happy, it must make me think Koji either hasn't found her or is leaving her alone." Syaoran pondered for a moment. "But why would he ignore her? It doesn't make any sense. She's the whole reason he's here?" Kero popped another piece of fish into his mouth. "Mmm! This is good. Ahem. I don't see how he could have lost track of her. She follows the same routine everyday, as far as I can tell."
Tomoyo grinned. "Well, I might not know why Koji apparently has been ignoring her, but I think I know why Kumiko is so happy." Mia turned to Tomoyo. "Why is that?" "Because she's in true love!" "WHAT?!" Everyone else all screamed together. "I would recognize the symptoms anywhere. There's the happy sighing, the constant daydreaming, the cheerful mood, and the wide smile. They all say she has found true love!" Everyone smiled. "Does that mean she and Hitoshi finally talked in private?" Tomoyo nodded softly. "That would be my guess." She sighed. "Young love is so beautiful." Her eyes began to sparkle.
Syaoran leaned against a wall. "And what would you know about love?" Tomoyo stared at Sakura through the corner of her eye and blushed. "Well, let's just say I've had a little experience myself." Mia asked, "Well, what do we do now?" Syaoran answered, "Just because it looks like Koji is slacking off a bit does not mean we can take it easy. For all we know, he's lulling us into a false sense of security." "I agree," Mia replied. "We can't leave anything to chance. So we still need a plan."
An idea sprang into Sakura's mind. "I know! Kero, why don't you follow Kumiko tomorrow, and if anything in the least bit weird happens, come and tell us so we can take care of it, okay?" "Kero swallowed another mouthful. "So, all I have to do is follow this girl around all day and otherwise do absolutely nothing unless something strange happens? I'm in!" "I figured you would."
Syaoran began to pick up the plates and bowls. "Why don't you girls get ready to go to bed. I'll clean up in here." "Alright." Sakura said. The three girls and Kero headed off to their beds.
Syaoran stacked the dirty tableware higher and higher in her hands. She started to sing quietly to herself to pass the time.
"daisuki datta ano uta furui TEEPU no naka chiisana KIZU iro aseta TAITORU nijinda yoake
lalalala utaou sora o miagete lalalala It's my life aruite yukou watashi no chikara de susumu hate shinai kono michi o
ikutsumo no kousaten itsumo mayou kedo nagasare tari oikosare tari shite ima o ikiteru"
The three girls stuck their heads out of the doorway and listened to Syaoran as she sang louder and louder. "Wow! She's singing so well! I never knew she could do that!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "Yeah! She's almost as good as you!" Sakura replied. "Shhh! Let's listen!" Mia said.
"butsu karu koto mitomeru koto otona ni natte mo wasurenai
lalalala utaou sora o miagete lalalala It's my life aruite yukou watashi dake no mono dakara jishin matte ii yo ne
umareta machi de yumemite kita kujikeru tabi ni omoidasu ano uta no you ni ima dekiru koto wa sukoshi demo mae ni fumi dasu koto
lalalala utaou sora o miagete lalalala It's my life aruite yukou lalalala utaou sora o miagete lalalala It's my life aruite yukou watashi no chikara de susumu hate shinai kono michi o
lalalala utaou sora o miagete lalalala It's my life aruite yukou watashi no chikara de susumu hate shinai kono michi o."
Sakura, Tomoyo, and Mia stepped out of the doorway in their new pajamas and clapped loudly. "THAT WAS GREAT!" Sakura yelled.
Syaoran's face became beet red. "You. you were listening?! Gomen-nasi! I must have been too loud! I'll just." "No! That was wonderful!" Mia complimented. "Yeah! I wish I could sing like that!" Sakura added. Syaoran turned away to hide her embarrassment. "Aww. you're just saying that. go on to bed. I'll be there in a minute."
The three girls walked off, giggling as they headed for bed. Syaoran started to hum and placed all of the dishes on a counter next to an open window. "Ah. you even sing like a goddess, my love." "Who's there?!"
Sakura got under her covers. "Goodnight, Tomoyo. Goodnight, Mia. Goodnight, Kero. See you in the-"
SHRIEK!
"Oh my God! That was Syaoran!" Sakura leaped out of bed. The others followed her. When they entered the kitchen, Koji stood on the windowsill, trying to pull Syaoran out with him. "You must come with me!" "Get your hands off me, you creep!"
"SYAORAN! DUCK!" Mia screamed as she raised her hands over her head. Syaoran dropped as low as he could go before Mia threw her hands forward and a surge of fire flew through the air and shot Koji straight out the window. Tomoyo slammed it shut and locked it. "Are you alright?" Sakura asked. "Yeah." Syaoran panted. "I'm alright. It just scared the heck out of me. I'm standing there, minding my own business, when suddenly Koji pops out of nowhere. He keeps screaming something about why I need to come with him. Ugh. I bet he was trying to do something sick." Mia looked through the window for a moment. "Well, don't worry. He's gone for now."
"What's going on out here? I thought I heard a girl scream." Kumiko asked as she walked in with her hair all mussed from sleep and tired eyes. Tomoyo utilized her natural ability to make up convincing lies. "Syaoru was just cleaning up the dishes when she saw a bat outside the window. She has a fear of them and screamed. She's alright." "Yeah, I'm fine. My heart is just beating fast. I need to relax for a little while. Maybe I'll go to bed." Kumiko smiled. "Okay. I'm glad that's all it was. We have a lot of bats around here. They freak me out a little too. See you in the morning." Kumiko walked back to her room.
They all took a deep breath. "Syaoran, what do you think Koji wants? It doesn't make any sense. Wouldn't he go after Kumiko first?" Sakura asked. "Maybe he just wants a little revenge for our little fight over by the hot springs. I'm sure he's still livid about that. But he's gone for now and everything else in the house is shut tight. Let's just go get some sleep." Syaoran slipped into her dark green pajamas and got into bed.
******
Just outside, a huge explosion on the side of the hill flung a boy high into the air. "CRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAP!" Koji landed on his head. He got to his feet and barely dodged Spinel as he leaped by. A golden scepter shined in the moonlight. "You can't escape us now, wretched demon. You've interfered with my work for the last time." Eriol said. "I won't let you or anything else interfere with me getting to my goddess, Syaoru." Nakuru smiled. "I have no idea who this 'Goddess Syaoru' is, but we'll be happy to help you see a REAL demon when we kill you and send you to hell!" "I don't think so!" Koji reached into his jacket and pulled out a glowing green orb. "What the hell is that?" Eriol asked. "'The Orb of Teleportation,' an ancient artifact I recently found. Sayonara!" In a flash of green light, Koji was gone.
Eriol stared at the spot where Koji once stood. "This may prove more difficult than originally anticipated."
*****
The light from the sun peeked through the window onto Syaoran's closed eyes. She rolled over away from the light and hugged the sheets tight. In a minute, she opened her eyes and sat up. She stretched her arms out and yawned. She rubbed her eyes and thought, "What was it I was supposed to do today? Oh yeah, I was going to visit the potion shop." Her stomach growled ferociously. "Ummm. maybe I'll cook a little breakfast first."
A few minutes later, Syaoran donned her pink apron and was cooking breakfast, humming to herself. Sakura walked in with a troubling look on her face. "What's the matter, Sakura?" "Kumiko and Kero are gone!" "What? Well, Kumiko probably just left a little earlier than usual and Kero noticed, so he decided to follow her. I'm sure they're both okay. Now just sit down. I found the ingredients to make hot cakes and they'll be ready in a minute. They should be pretty good. When you live alone, you need to know how to cook a little, whether you're guy or a girl."
*****
Kero hovered quietly behind Kumiko. "Where is she going?" He thought to himself. "She wakes up in the middle of the night and sneaks out of the house. Then, she walks down some trail in an open field in the middle of nowhere until sunrise. If I hadn't been snacking on some of that leftover fish, I probably wouldn't have seen her leave. Wait a second. what are we doing HERE?"
*****
After breakfast, Syaoran took off her apron and pajamas. She then put on clean underwear, her dress, shoes, lipstick, and tied her ribbon to her hair like she did everyday. She then headed out towards the potion shop while the other girls cleaned up from breakfast. About twenty minutes to a half hour later, she reached the potion shop that had just opened its doors a few minutes before.
The bell on the top of the door rang when Syaoran walked in. She expected to see the same old woman at the counter, but instead there was a young, short girl, probably the same age as her, with long black hair. "Hello, ma'am. How can I help you?" Syaoran looked around. "Where's the old woman who was working here? She was supposed to be helping me remove this potions effect." The young girl smiled. "What's wrong? You don't look like you have any problems at all. You look like a perfectly normal girl." "I'M A GUY!" The young girl blushed. "OH! Not again!" "What do you mean again?!" "Ummm. this isn't the first time this has happened. Her memory is quite bad, so she probably doesn't remember accidentally transforming her customers into beasts. In fact, I think it was only a few weeks ago that she accidentally gave a young man a potion that turned him into a black cat instead of the speed-enhancer he wanted. If I hadn't found him trying to scratch us a message in the dirt outside our shop, he might have never returned to normal." Syaoran sighed. "Does that mean I might never get back to normal? I mean, being a girl isn't so bad, at least it's better than being a cat, but I think my family will do something drastic if they find out."
"Wait a second." The girl went through some papers on the counter. "Is your name Syaoran?" "Yeah, how'd you know?" "You're in luck. That old woman is my grandmother. It seems like she actually knows what she is doing. She wrote that she found all but one of the necessary ingredients, but she knows where she can get that last ingredient. It's in some near-by village. She should be back any day now." Syaoran's face brightened. "You mean she's going to be able to make my 'Healthy Strong Boy #10?'" "It looks that way. Consider yourself lucky. Not all of our customers have been so fortunate. If she weren't related to me, I'd be staying far away from this shop. She can be so absent-minded. but I'll be sure to help make the potion when she gets back any day now, okay? It should be ready in a week or less." "Okay, thanks!" Syaoran left the store and head back for Kumiko's house.
When she arrived back at home, everyone had just finished straightening up the house. Sakura thought aloud, "I wonder where Kero and Kumiko are. Neither of them has shown up anywhere." Mia answered. "I'm sure they're fine. All Kero had to do was follow her. I don't even think even he could screw that up."
Tomoyo caught a glimpse of Syaoran. "Good morning, Syaoran. Did the potion shop have your potion in today?" "Well, not really. She didn't have the ingredients. In fact, she wasn't even there." "What?!" Sakura gasped. "So there is no way to reverse it?" Syaoran shook her head. "No, there is a way. She's just out getting the last ingredient. Her grand daughter was there in her place. I can go back to normal within a week." Sakura smiled. "Well, that's good to know. but I'm still worried about Kumiko. where could she be?"
*****
Kero hovered in place with a huge smile on his face. "Wow! This is great news! I gotta go tell everyone what's really going on. Right after I find something to eat. I'm starving!"
*****
"Relax, Sakura. I'm sure Kero is wasting no time and doing his job." Mia said. "Yeah, I guess you're right. So, are we all ready to go?" Syaoran turned to Sakura. "Go? Go where?" Tomoyo smiled. "To the hot springs again, silly. Where did you think?"
"To the hot springs?! Again?! After what happened last time?! Why do we need to?" Mia listed the reasons. "First of all, for all we know, Kumiko could be there right now. Second of all, for all we know, KOJI is there. Third of all, those girls that visit there daily seem to know a lot about the people in this village, so we should listen to them. Lastly, and most important of all. We're exhausted. It's time to relax." Syaoran sighed. "YOU try to relax with at least five girls trampling over you, bombarding you with questions." Tomoyo giggled. "But it's cute when that happens! However, if you want, I can help get them off you if you want me to, okay?" Syaoran thought. "Well, that's a little better. but I don't want to end up out in the open. ummm.. with nothing on. I don't want a repeat of my fight with Koji." Tomoyo thought. "I know!"
A moment later, Tomoyo turned her backpack upside down and poured out her clothes. "I'll let you borrow a swimsuit! That way, you won't even need a towel. Is that better?" "Well. alright. I'll do it. But I'm bringing my pendant along just in case Koji shows up. I'll want to summon the sword as defense." Tomoyo smiled. "Well, that's no problem. Now, I only need to decide on the right bathing suit. let's see."
Tomoyo rummaged through all of her clothes and pulled out an armful of bathing suits. A sweat drop rolled down Mia's head. "One of these days, you need to show me how you fit all of this in that tiny backpack." "Ooh!" Sakura exclaimed. "Can I have one, too?" "Sure! I'll find one for you in a minute. Syaoran first. Actually, we'll all wear them!" Tomoyo went back to sorting the suits.
"Let's see. I'll just sort them all by whether they are one piece or two pieces. size. color. shape. design. material. I GOT IT! It's perfect!"
About 20 minutes later, the four girls were just reaching the hot springs. Syaoran wore her pendant around her neck. "You know, I really wish you had let me seen the bathing suit before we agreed to anything." "Don't worry. I know you'll love it. It's perfect in size, shape, design and everything. I double checked every measurement."
Syaoran waited on the outside of the small outlet while the other girls changed. "Okay, Syaoru, your turn. We all have our bathing suits on." Sakura said as they all headed towards the springs wearing one-piece swimwear. "I left the suit in there for you! Just put it on and meet us out here!"
Syaoran stepped into the dressing room and picked up the swimsuit with one hand in disgust. "She expects me to wear THIS?! Oh well, why not. It's better than the towels."
A minute later, Syaoran emerged wearing the brand-new suit hand-picked by Tomoyo. It was a two-piece pink bikini. The top part was very unique. Over each breast, a red fabric formed a semi circle and came down to meet the other at a point to form a red heart over the chest. The bottom piece was plain bright pink. "Well, I guess it isn't that bad. Not too revealing, but not too big. Not too tight, but not so loose like it would fall off. Maybe Tomoyo does know what she's talking about. I guess I'll just get this over with."
Syaoran stepped out into the light of the sun. "Hey, everyone, look! It's Syaoru!" "SYAORU!" "Hey! Come over here!" All of the same girls from the day before called out to her. Syaoran dropped her pendant on the side of the springs and stepped slowly into the steaming water. "Oh my gosh! Look at that!" "What are those things called. I know this." Tomoyo smiled. "It's called a bikini. . They're not too common around here, but they're really popular where I come from. I should know! I designed it myself." The girls changed their focus onto Tomoyo. "You designed this?" "Wow! That's amazing! Do you think you could make one for me like that?" "How about me?" "Me, too!" "Don't forget about me!"
Syaoran took the chance and escaped from the girls who once surrounded her. She sat next to Sakura. "That was close. Tomoyo certainly knows how to handle these kind of people." Sakura giggled and whispered in Syaoran's ear, "Maybe that's because they're so much like her! Don't you see the resemblance?" Syaoran stared at all the girls swarming over Tomoyo, asking her so many questions about bathing suits, accessories, makeup, and everything else related to fashion. Syaoran giggled too. "I guess you're right." She looked round the spring. "But I don't see Kumiko anywhere. Where do you think she went?" "I have no idea. But I hope she comes back soon. I'm starting to get really worried. What if Koji already got to her?" Syaoran thought to herself about what might happen if that was true. "I'll admit that Koji isn't a criminal genius. okay, he's a moron, but I still don't want to even think about what would happen if Kumiko and he were alone." Sakura nodded. "As soon as we leave here, we should go look for her." "Agreed."
One of the girls turned away from Tomoyo for a minute and faced Sakura and Syaoran. "Say, none of you has ever told us why you came to this village. I'm not complaining, mind you, I'm just curious as to why all of you came to such a small village." The other girls turned around too. "Hey, that's right!" "Yeah, I'm kinda curious, too." "Why did you come?"
A sweat drop rolled down each of their heads. They had not planned an excuse for this. "Ummm. well, uhh. Sakura, Tomoyo and I. uhh. Well, actually, we can't tell you. It's kinda a big secret." "A secret? Aww." "C'mon, you can tell us!" "Please! We're dying to know!"
One of the girls thought for a moment and then her eyes lit up. "A secret? OH MY GOD! I think I know! Syaoru, you're going to have a baby aren't you?!" "WHAT! A BABY?!" Syaoran yelled in response with her face turning 30 shades of red. Another girl yelled, "Look! She's blushing! It must be true! Syaoru is pregnant!"
The first girl said, "I bet I know what I going on! Syaoru is married and her husband got her pregnant just before leaving on a trip in a distant land to fight a war and now she's come all this way in search of him! OH! Who's the lucky father?"
Sakura and Tomoyo sat in shock, not moving or saying a word. "B-But I'm not." Syaoran stuttered. "Hey! I wonder if we can feel the baby kick! Let me feel!" The girls simultaneously lifted Syaoran up and sat her down on the edge of the springs. They all tried to put their heads to Syaoran's stomach at once.
"Wait, I don't think the baby will start to kick until after Syaoru starts to show but-Hey! I think I just felt it!" "Oops! No, sorry, that was just me knocking my elbow into you. Gomen!" "Hey! Let me feel!" "C'mon! Let me feel!" Syaoran continued to blush. "But. I'm. I'm not. I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE A BABY!" All of the girls gasped. "You really mean that?" Syaoran sighed. "Yes, I really mean that. I don't even have a husband!" "Aww. That's too bad." "Yeah. If it was a girl, you could have named it after one of us." Tomoyo grinned. "I'll tell you what we're REALLY doing here!" "Really? You will!" The girls once again swarmed around Tomoyo.
Syaoran let herself sink under the water for a few seconds. When she returned to the surface, she sighed. "That had to be the most humiliating moment of my life." Sakura laughed nervously. "Umm. it wasn't that bad."
"WOW! That's so touching!" "You're all so lucky!" "I want to do that, too!" "Imagine, going on a journey through all of Japan, searching for true love. It's all so romantic!"
Tomoyo swam over to Sakura and Syaoran. All Syaoran could say was, "Tomoyo, you're simply amazing." Tomoyo giggled. "Well, I know how they think. I knew a love story would keep them busy."
"OH, MY GOD! LOOK UP THERE!" A girl screamed loudly and pointed to the top of the cave behind them. "AHH! A man! There's a man in the women's bath!" Sakura, Syaoran, Mia, and Tomoyo turned around and all yelled, "KOJI!"
Indeed, Koji sat on the small cave, dressed in a black kimono (The Japanese robe) with two guns at his side in their holsters.
He leaped from the peak of the cave and landed at the side of the hot springs. Sakura backed away. "Don't worry, Kinomoto. Today, I'm not after you or your friends. I am here for one reason." His eyes began to sparkle when he grabbed Syaoran by the hand and lifted her out of the water. "I have come to declare my eternal love to you, Miss Syaoru!"
"HOE!" Sakura yelled, while all the other girls, including Syaoran who was now bright red, unanimously responded with, "WHAT?!" "I thought I told you no yesterday!" "Ah, but I am a changed man! Yesterday, I merely lusted for you. Lusted for your fantastic body. But today, I love you and lust for you." Syaoran backed into a fighting stance. "I'm warning you, sicko. If you make so much as one false move."
"That's what I mean! So aggressive. such anger. such ferocity. I didn't think such a thing could exist in a woman! I must have you! Just think of it! Together, as a couple, we can work side by side and bring all those who oppose us to their knees!"
Syaoran thought to herself, "This guy IS insane! First, he's thinking of lust, then love, and now world domination. What's wrong with him? He's not getting this girl, that's all I know."
"I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you I needed to have you. I know you can love me, too." Syaoran's anger started to rise. "Are you insane? Do you really think I'd ever love OR join you?"
Koji stepped closer and wrapped his arm around her. Syaoran grew angrier by the second. "C'mon. just listen to me. why don't I help you out of this bathing suit and we'll find someplace alone where we can talk things over after a little fun?" Syaoran could feel Koji's hand reaching up her back for the string that held her suit up, so she jumped back and got out of Koji's grip. "One last warning. That's all I'll give you. Never lay your hands on me again!"
Koji grinned. "Don't be that way. just think about it. What do you say?"
Syaoran stared silently for a moment into Koji's eyes as the sadistic grin disappeared from the demon's face.
CRASH!
Koji came flying through the bamboo fence while Syaoran charged out, sword in hand. "DIE, YOU PIG!" Koji just barely missed being sliced in half by Syaoran's sword as she brought it crashing into the hard stone ground. Syaoran raised the sword again and prepared to bring it down, but Koji held his Orb of Teleportation and vanished just before the final blow could be struck.
Koji reappeared about 20 feet away, staring at her. "I know deep down that you love me as I do you, Syaoru. Please, think it over. I will come back here tomorrow and await your response. Until then, my fair and beautiful maiden, I bid you adieu." Koji disappeared in a flash of light. A moment of silence filled the air, until everyone started to clap. "YEAH! Syaoru! You show that perverted idiot who's in charge!" "That was amazing! I didn't know you knew how to handle a sword!" "Handle? She could probably beat every swordsman in Japan with those kind of attacks!" "Yeah! Did you see that guy crash through the fence? I've never seen someone fly like that!"
Syaoran blushed and turned her head away from the girls. "Uhh. I kinda lost my temper. Sorry about the fence." She stepped through the broken bamboo and sat back down in the springs. "Hey, don't worry! It will be worth repairing the fence just to see that pervert fly through it!"
Syaoran crossed her arms. "Ugh. The more I think about it, the sicker I get. I can't believe he LOVES me. Is he insane? This is humiliating." Mia burst into laughter. Syaoran's eyes resembled those of a cat as a vein popped up on his forehead. "What's so funny?!"
Mia gave an almost evil grin. "This may not be so bad after all! If we play our cards right, we can use this to make a trap to finally catch Koji once and for all!"
Love and Peace!