By: Miracle-chan
Chapter 1: Past and Present" Sakura-chan!!!!!! " Kero shouted in the sleeping girl's ear.
" AH!" Sakura's eyes snapped open and she nearly rolled off her bed. "Kero!" she berated immediately, and then stretched and yawned.
" Is that how you thank me? For reminding you that you have waaaay overslept??" Kero replied gliding over to the nightstand where sat a digital clock blinking bright red numbers that read: 1:00 pm
" Oh…darn.." Sakura sighed pulling herself out of bed. " Not again…" she rubbed her eyes and then danced over to the bathroom to shower and changed into a casual, pale pink dress. " Well it's not like I've had much to do today anyways…" Sakura sighed once she had emerged the steamy restroom, her now waist length, autumn-brown hair wet and shiny.
" But Tomoyo has called three times already." Kero told her floating over with a pink cell phone and swishing his tail back and forth.
" What did she want? " Sakura wondered as she brushed her gorgeous long, rich, lustrous, shiny hair out with a brush.
" I don't know, just to talk to you I guess. " Kero shrugged and zipped out of her room. " I'm getting pudding!" he squealed which made Sakura roll her eyes and smile. She shook her head as she collected some things into a purse and left the apartment door.
"I'm going to go see Tomoyo at the bar Kero-chan!" Sakura called before leaving.
Kero immediately popped his round little head into the hallway, hugging a cup of pudding with his little arms.
"Don't worry…" Sakura giggled added, " I'll be back in time to make you dinner.."
Kero grinned with a mouth full of pudding, "thgf bou Saoura-jan" Kero sad with his mouth still full and floated away.
The 19-year-old Sakura shut the door behind her and breathed in the afternoon Tokyo air. It was nice… nice and normal… as it had been for the past 7 years… She tilted her head up to see the familiar radio tower looming up above even the highest office buildings. The radio tower that had appeared in so many of her dreams… but now, it was just an ordinary tower, and it no longer held some symbolic meaning. She remembered the last time she had- Sakura stopped herself there. She remembered her childhood years of magic. The cards, her special power, and she was the mistress now. Happy ending. And now her life was normal. Perfectly normal.
Sakura headed down the streets to the bus that would take her downtown. She had moved out from her father's house when she'd finished college. She lived in an apartment not far away though from her childhood home. She was a part time model now. Something she had always wanted to be… it made her feel close to her mother…her mother had been a model and her father had always told her with a twinkle in his eye that she would have been very proud of her. That made Sakura smile.
" Oh my God! Someone help us!" A sudden scream echoed across the streets. It was so loud and so shrill and followed by a collected cry of people and gasps. A sudden commotion of people gathered ahead and people started to scream and run in all directions. Sakura looked around, and then ran toward the bus stop, following her instincts. Then she came to the clearing, and her eyes widened. She gasped.
Two great beasts were engaged in a heated battle. And they were no ordinary mortal creatures. They were magical creatures. One was a dark, fierce looking tiger, with a black coat and gray stripes. It was twice as large as any ordinary tiger, and its teeth looked like that of a saber tooth. It's eyes were a malicious dark red. It's opponent was a fully white beast, and looked like a towering polar bear. The polar bear had giant claws, each at least a foot long, and its eyes were a cold, icy blue. The tiger leapt and landed on top of a taxi car and the alarm blared out as the vehicle went pancake-flat beneath the tiger's humongous weight. Then the tiger shot a dark beam of energy at the bear that sprang out the way, moving amazingly fast for its size, and clamped it's jaws around a light post and tore it easily out of the pavement, like sticks in sand. It started to bat around the light post in it's jaws, jabbing it toward the tiger like a sword.
There was more screaming, and the noises were deafening…the sirens..the panicked people… Sakura felt her heart pounding in her chest, and for a few moments, she felt like one of those confused civilians, she felt terrified and helpless. Then something sparked in her that hadn't in years. Her heart skipped a beat. But she wasn't powerless was she? She was far from it. She had magic. She was the mistress of some of the most powerful forces of magic ever created…her star cards. Without a second thought she frantically looked for a secret place to summon her wand, when she realized it wouldn't have mattered much. Nobody would have taken notice in this noise and chaos.
The tiger had broken the light post in half with a beam of dark energy sending electric sparks everywhere. And the it jumped up… 50 feet into the air, and the bear reared up in suite to stand at it's full height….
Sakura drew a calming breath, and reached for the star pendant that hung around her neck. Then, she spoke the words she hadn't said in seven years…
"Key
of the Star
With powers burning bright
Reveal the staff
And shine your light!
Release!"
Sakura closed her hand around the thin staff of her star wand. A warming feeling of confidence and comfort seemed to flow into her. She felt the magic..her magic. And then she realized how quiet it was…. Well, the screaming and running of people still continued and rubble falling from the destruction of the two creatures still persisted, but the two beasts had stopped fighting, and the two pairs of eyes were fixed right down at her. They seemed suddenly confused, and perplexed, like this was a sudden and unexpected twist in a book they had already read the ending to.
" Stop!" Sakura stepped forward, shouting as loudly as she could, trying to speak over the chaotic noises still ongoing in the background.
The bear glared at the tiger, thinking this might have been some sort of trick, but seeing that its foe was as perplexed as it was, it turned back to the young lady standing before them.
" Who are you?" The bear boomed.
" I am Sakura Kinomoto, Mistress of the Star cards. " Sakura answered boldly.
The bear and the tiger's eyes widened, both looking astonished. Their eyes took on a new calculating look, and their gaze pierced through her. But Sakura fixed her eyes fearlessly back in an equally strong gaze. The two creatures seemed to have come to a conclusion and an unspoken draw at the same instant and their feud was forgotten. The tiger leapt into the air once more and vanished, and the bear phased away in a wisp of white smoke.
Sakura drew a deep breath, feeling relief, but at the same time confusion. Who were the creatures? She felt a bit shaken but more perplexed than scared. She sensed Keroberos near by and looked up. She saw that the guardian beast was crouched on the rooftop of a near by building, his large, lion head peering over the edge. He had sensed the trouble but didn't want to reveal himself in front of civilians if unnecessary, but he was poised to ambush the other unsuspecting beasts if Sakura was in danger. Sakura gave him a wave then slipped between the shadows of some near by buildings and summoned the Jump card.
The tiny wings sprouted and she easily hopped onto the rooftop of the 30-story building beside Keroberos. " Keroberos!"
" Sakura, are you alright?" Keroberos asked in his deep voice. He was in full form, with his great white wings folded at his side, and his glistening golden fur in the sun.
" Yeah, I'm ok. Did you see everything?" She asked coming close to put a hand on the beast's forehead.
" Yes. I sensed their power…." Keroberos raised his great head to the air and closed his eyes and sniffed the air. " They are still close, but furthering."
" Who were they?" Sakura whispered looking out over the building. She could see the rooftops of many other buildings and then the horizon of the clear blue sky. A breeze picked up and her beautiful long hair trailed in the wind.
" The question is not who, but of whom." Keroberos rumbled. " They were only magical beasts, like me. The real question is who sent them. Which sorcerer…They couldn't have been far…"
" Sorcerer…?" Sakura's fingers tightened around her star staff.
Keroberos nodded, then shook his great head, " They are too far to sense now. We should inform Ms. Mizuki and Eriol of this."
Sakura nodded, " I wonder…I wonder why the sorcerers were fighting…" Sakura whispered, the breeze trailing in her hair and dress.
Keroberos remained silent and looked out over the sky and buildings. He knew why, but he wouldn't tell her. He didn't want to believe it…not yet…
--+--
A lone girl moved speedily through the forest, jumping from tree to tree with precision of only a highly trained martial arts learner. She was wearing a form-fitting, long, black, Chinese style dress. It was silk, and had high collars, red trimming, and a thigh-high split down the right side. She moved quickly through the forest then came to a secluded part of the mountain and stopped to peer around. After she was sure she had not been followed, she moved stealthily into the hillside where there was a small cave there, hidden in the shadows of the mountain pine.
The girl dashed inside the cave and sprinted as fast as she could toward the end of it. "Syaoran!" She gasped.
A figure sitting at the end of the cave removed the dark cape from over his head and looked over to her. Those sharp, dark, deep brown eyes. "Meilin!" He called back to the running girl. Rather, Meilin was a beautiful young woman now, with silky black hair, long and fixed in two twist buns and two long portions divided neatly behind her. She had gotten much taller, and more refined. She had the narrow, and fluid figure of martial arts fighter. But he had never noticed these things… it could have been because he didn't have the time or leisure to notice these things these past seven years, him being on the run and fighting all the time. But it was more than that…he never thought of Meilin as more than his cousin, and friend, things haven't changed a bit since the engagement between them had been called off more than 7 years ago….
"Nani?" Meilin asked, blushing slightly. She drew a breath shyly.
Syaoran realized he had been staring at her while he was lost in thought and blinked, "Oh, it's nothing." He replied.
"Oh." Meilin studied him for a few minutes seemingly disappointed with the answer but shrugging it off. She thrust her hand into a silk bag she had with her and drew out a glass bottle and emptied a portion of its contents into a cup. "I got the medicine. It was pretty easy, this part of the country is pretty desolate."
Syaoran titled his head and nodded. He drew a breath and closed his eyes trying to clear his mind and think. The wound in his side had stopped its sharp pain it first had when he had just been injured. It was now just a low, throbbing, dull sort of pain that felt like would never go away. The blood was starting to soak through the bandage cloth so he pressed it to his side a bit harder, desperate to stop the loss of blood. He groaned lightly from the pain.
"Don't worry, it'll be ready soon Syaoran-kun." Meilin reassured him and mixed a few pills into the cup and then titled it up to his lips.
"I can drink it myself." Syaoran snapped, perhaps a little too gruffly because of his pain. He tried to snatch the cup from her hands. Meilin's scarlet eyes saddened for only a few brief moments before a knowing smile danced on her lips. She held tightly onto the cup, not letting go.
"Syaoran-kun, I know you're not really mad at me. You're just upset about getting hurt, because you're so tough… but there were eight of them, and only two of us. You fought the best you could, and if any of them fought you one on one it would have been no contest." Meilin clenched her fists proudly, "You're hurt now, but you will get better, so just let me take care of you ok? I know you're just being stubborn."
Syaoran sighed feeling he was being rude, after all, Meilin was just worried about him. So he relaxed and let Meilin feed him the medicine and then change the bloody bandage to a clean one with ointment on it. The wound in his side was shocking size of an apple, but it had already begun to close, so he wasn't in danger of bleeding to death anymore. " Just rest now." Meilin said to him quietly after she was finished.
Syaoran leaned his head back for a few moments, and the cave was quiet. Meilin sat down beside him and then leaned her head on his shoulder and he heard her give a quiet, content sigh. He sighed inwardly, letting a few more minutes of quiet rest go by, before he finally spoke.
"Meilin," He turned to her. She lifted her head off his shoulder and gazed into his dark, dangerous eyes. "We have to go to Japan." He said, returning the gaze.
Meilin's eyes, visibly widened and a shocked look replace the dreamy stare. But beneath that, there was a faint…sort of…disappointment. "W-What..are you talking about..?" she managed to whisper.
"We have to go to Japan." He repeated, and then he looked away. " As soon as we can, we'll catch a flight, we've got enough money to buy the tickets. As soon as I'm up again, we'll go."
Meilin sat up straight, "Syaoran-kun…..you're not serious are you..? Why would we go back to Japan?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
"We have to warn Sakura." Syaoran replied.
Meilin's breath quickened and she said nothing, she looked at the cold, hard, rock ground.
Then her head snapped up, her eyes were blazing, " Syaoran, Sakura is a strong sorceress, she's the mistress of the star cards! She must have sensed these powers too! There's no need for us to go ba-" She began.
"Meilin-" Syaoran cut in.
"Syaoran!" Meilin interrupted more frantically, "I-I'm just saying…. you know as well as I do, that Japan is the most dangerous place for you right now! It's the home of the Gen clan! You can't go there! They'll kill you! Then everything you've done, and have strived to do would have been for nothing! The risk is too great we've got to-"
"Meilin, you don't understand." Syaoran replied shaking his head.
"They were just a few sorcerers fighting!" Meilin cried desperately, "What's the big deal anyways?! You can't risk everything, just for- just for Sakura!"
With that Syaoran sat up straight, his pain in his side forgotten. He turned his body and his hand slapped against the wall of the cave, on the other side of Meilin, trapping her against the wall. The force of his hand had made a ditch in the stone, and small pieces of rubble were crumbling beneath his strength. His eyes were glowing passionately, and strands of spiky hair shadowed over them. Meilin felt terrified as she swallowed, daring not move and pressed herself against the walls, too scared to look directly in his eyes. He looked so fierce and strong in that moment; it would have made anyone feel meek and sweaty. "You don't understand Meilin." He whispered intensely, " Don't talk about things you don't understand."
Meilin swallowed nervously, she felt herself shaking just slightly, She took a shaky breath, "G-gomen…" she whispered and bit her lip. Syaoran drew a breath and then his arm slid slowly down the rock wall, suddenly he closed his eyes in pain and winced.
"Syaoran!" Meilin shouted as he collapsed on the floor momentarily. He sat up again a few moments later, his hand over his wound. "It's bleeding again!" She gasped as Syaoran moved a blood stained hand and took deep breaths. " I-I'll… go get a clean bandage for you.." she whispered and stood up quickly running out of the cave, with tears blurring her eyes.
--+--
"In the night sky, they twinkle
The far stars of gold
The same color as the small bird
that looked up in my dream last night
In the sleepless night,
I sing this song alone
Together with the blowing wind,
I fly riding on my thoughts
In the night sky, it sparkles
The distant moon of silver
The same color as the wild rose
that was blooming in my dream last night
In the gentle night,
I sing this song alone
Let me sing with you tomorrow
Riding the wings of dreams
In the gentle night,
I sing this song alone
Let me sing with you tomorrow
Riding the wings of dreams"
Tomoyo finished the song and looked up with her stunning ocean-blue eyes sweetly at the crowd before her, who were cheering and toasting her with glasses of beer. She winked and blew a kiss on stage drawing some hooting and catcalls from men in the audience. She smiled, her innocent smile and looked around at her audience. It was the usual, just like the ordinary nights. Mostly men in their 20's and 30's, some couples, some flashily dressed teenage girls flirting with the young men and just a few of the "customary listeners" that were fans and came almost nightly. Then Tomoya spotted her familiar child-hood, and best friend through the door and her smile brightened.
Sakura waved at Tomoyo who looked beautiful, as usual. The outfit she was wearing this time was a long dress, and it was blue that faded from a faint sky-blue to a deep ocean-blue from the top down, and had tiny silver sequins on it. The bottom portion of the dress flared out slightly reminding her of a mermaid's tail, and the bell sleeves were a sheer pastel azure material that looked light and fairy-tale like. Her long silvery hair that looked so sleek and smooth in the light it could have been spun from real silver, was done up in an elegant knot trimmed with sea shells with just a few strands framing her face. She wore a small round hat, to the side of her head with a small portion of navy fishnet over half her face.
Sakura giggled thinking that her friend's outrageous fashion sense had never seemed to change. Her thoughts passed briefly over the numerous outfits she had sported when she was catching the various clow cards, each one designed and made by Tomoyo herself.
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo greeted, running to her friend.
"Tomoyo-chan. Gomen, I didn't return your calls, I must have slept straight through….." Sakura apologized.
"It's alright!" Tomoyo smiled good-naturedly.
Sakura looked around Uta Night. Tomoyo had opened this hip nightclub for a year now, and ran nightly shows as the star singer, since her nights were off from her daytime photography for models and fashion designer jobs. Uta Night, was such a hit success even though Tomoyo had opened it originally as a side hobby just for fun, but it turned out to be of the most popular night club in all of downtown Tokyo. Loud, fast beat, pulsing Japanese techno sounded over the booming surround sound system now, and people were now crowding onto the dance floor by the stage to dance and the lights were switched to flashy and colorful strobe lights.
"Let's sit down." Tomoyo said pulling Sakura over to a bar bench and sitting down beside her. "Two glasses of Kombucha." She fingered to the bar tender. After he had left then Tomoyo turned back to Sakura. " So what's going on?" Tomoyo asked in a quiet voice looking Sakura in the eye.
Sakura gazed back. Her best friend always knew when something was wrong, even if she didn't say a word. They had known each other since childhood and were inseparable like sisters, even now she trusted Tomoyo with her deepest secrets. " I-I don't know exactly…but I saw two sorcerers fighting today…their magical creatures were-"
" Sorcerers?" Tomoyo gasped. Her forehead furrowed and she leaned in a bit closer as Sakura spoke in a hushed tone.
" Yes… I've never seen another sorcerer that powerful….since Eriol…but now….I was sure, they're magical creatures were just out in the open street fighting. I'd never seen anything like it…anything so horrible, it was like Clow card destruction….only- much worse." Sakura bit her lip s she tried to recall the details.
Tomoyo looked shocked " They were just in the streets? Using magic openly? But…."
Sakura gripped the glass set before her and looked into the faintly clear liquid. " I don't know…they seemed…too carefree about it…it's so strange..why would any sorcerer reveal their magic?"
Tomoyo shook her head, " Something's not right, this is too big. It doesn't make sense. It would have been all over the news, cameras must have caught it…it would make headlines around the world…" Tomoyo took a sip of her drink.
Sakura's eyes wandered around the room…..then she looked up, " Tomoyo!" She whispered. She pointed to the mini TV screen set to the corner of the room, rarely watched but still there, playing a silent evening news program. Tomoyo looked to another TV screen the opposite to it in the room. The volume of the small television was drowned out by the pounding music, but subtitles dotted across the screen:
" This is the latest news from 23rd street in downtown Tokyo. People should be warned of the unstable buildings in the area. Three light posts have already fallen, probably due to faulty foundations. They have caused mass damage to buildings and traffic in the area. No casualties are reported although there were over 50 people injured. The incident is still under investigation but eye witnesses and authorities claim it was the faulty building structures and high winds that forced the destruction. Akiya Fiuyko reporting from Downtown Tokyo….."
Sakura's eyes widened at the message, " faulty building structures…" she whispered.
Tomoyo tilted her head in thought. " So what do you suppose happened?" she asked.
" It must have been a spell." Sakura replied after some thought, " Mass illusions could have been done….so I guess….the sorcerers didn't want to reveal magic after all…" she breathed a sigh a of relief and took a sip from her glass.
After a long pause Tomoyo finally broke the silence, " Well it's nothing then! Just… a mystery I'm sure you'll solve! After all…magic really never dies does it?" She smiled at Sakura.
Sakura nodded and smiled back, " I guess not."
" The important thing is that you've done your part Sakura. You've already collected all the clow cards and made them into your very own star cards. You've fulfilled your destiny." Tomoyo said.
Sakura nodded, " Yeah." She giggled.
" So don't worry about it! Come on! Let's go dance!"
" Ok!!!!" Sakura laughed and hopped down from the bar stool and skipped over to the dance floor trailed by her giggling friend.
--+--
Miles away from the bustling night activity in the busy metropolitan of Toyko was a series of small plain hills that ran across the landscape. The trees were low, small pines that grew close to the group and not far away was a small stream that ran through the little forest. The water trickled and echoed against the loud chirping of crickets.
In the darkness a small, shady figure of a thin girl appeared and moved through the brush. She kept glancing about her nervously as if she was on a dangerous and secret mission. The girl finally arrived aside the small stream near a oriental pine bush and where a circle of grass was marked. She knelt on her knees in the circle and whispered " Telot…it's time." She beckoned and a great, dark tiger came forth. A black tiger, with long fang-like teeth and sharp red eyes. The tiger came beside her obediently, and the magical creature crouched down beside his mistress and laid his head on his paws. " Countess Kaori, please grant your presence." The sorceress spoke solemnly.
A few silent moments passed then a mist of dark sparkles appeared and a young woman phased before her. The woman looked barely 20, if not younger. She was dressed in a lustrous, black gown, form-fitting and eloquent. She was quite tall and had the stature of a model, thin, with an almost flawless beauty. Her fingers were lined with long, witch-like French manicure and her skin was unblemished and almost had a glowing tone to it in the soft moonlight. Her light complexion was illuminated by the soft moonlight, which strangely, seemed to personify the very essence of her beauty. It was an almost unnatural sort of beauty that shown with elegance and illuminated anything and everything around her, yet…. It was some how….just cold…and empty. But one could not see these things right away because at first look, one would either be drawn to her flowing, soft, shiny blonde hair, which looked as if spun from pure gold. Or perhaps one would fixate upon her eyes, which were a soft, intoxicating chocolate brown, rich and deep. The stunning young woman had her arms crossed and she looked with a partially annoyed expression at the kneeling sorceress and creature before her. " What is it you have to tell me? It had better be as urgent as you have made it out to be."
" Oh Countess Kaori, I assure you, it will be worth your time." The sorceress replied dutifully. " For countess, I have discovered a great secret today."
"Oh?" The countess voiced, in her melodic, almost sing-song voice that matched equally her beauty.
" Yes…" The sorceress paused for a moment for dramatic effect, " I have found the magician prophesized to be……"
"What?" The countess pressed impatiently.
"I've found…the one. The magician more powerful than any other power of light or darkness put together… the one that will be…….our end." The sorceress whispered darkly.
The countesses' eyes widened, and then her eyes narrowed in on the sorceress seemingly looking her through and through, piercing every fiber of her being. " Well," she said finally, she moved fluidly over to the sorceress and bent down slightly to look into the fullness of her face, " You may have been mistaken. You do know what the punishment for such a fault is, do you not? It will be of the utmost severity. Is this in fact the truth? Have you in fact seen what you've claimed? " the countess asked in a sweet whisper.
" Y-Yes." The sorceress replied, and the break in her voice betrayed her, though it was not from her being unsure, it was simply because of the intimidating presence of the countess. The countess was so close to her, the sorceress could smell her rich scent of roses.
The countess titled her head lightly to one side hearing the nervous reply, she looked severely down at the sorceress the way an official does when interrogating a child. Then she turned swiftly to glance at the magical creature crouched beside his mistress. " Magical Creature! Speak for your mistress! What is it you have seen?"
" Countess," The tiger purred deeply, " My mistress would speak no lie to you. We have indeed seen the magician…..sorceress rather, that is the successor to Clow Reed himself! She does have immense magical presence and her wand- it was as the oracle has foreseen, the power of the star…. She was different than any of us might have imagined her……but there she was! No one present could deny it..not even the light magic foe we were battling!"
The countess Kaori took a step back, " The magician prophesized as our end…a woman?"
" Not quite…a young woman…still a girl perhaps, in essence….but old enough.." The tiger replied.
The countess seemed to ponder for a moment then raised her eyes to the subjects knelt before her, " This certainly has complicated things." She said quietly, "I have wished to silence this problem before it even arose…years ago…though this particular oracle does not seem to be an ordinary thread in destiny which we can alter so simply using our magic." The countess paused, "I would have been certain today that this problem was…….dead…. but I suppose destiny does not lie. Well then, " The countess paused and motioned to the sorceress her magical creature, "Rise."
The sorceress drew a breath, half in excitement, half in nervousness. The countess had believed her! She had been the first to see and find Clow Reed's successor, even though it meant doom to her kind, but still! Surly the countess would award her now….or raise her to some higher rank….perhaps she would be set as a hero if in fact the countess, or others were able to change destiny and destroy Clow Reed's successor…then she would certainly be remembered for all time and-
"My thanks to you, humble sorceress for alerting me to this," The countess spoke, interrupting the sorceress' own wandering thoughts. " You will be remembered throughout our history as a great sorceress. Now tell me….. what is this destined sorceress, the successor of Clow Reed named?"
The countess Kaori drew close to the sorceress and the sorceress, taking a shaky breath whispered, " She was named Sakura Kinomoto."
The countess drew back, and smiled closing her beautiful eyes, " Well then….as I've said…you will be remembered….always….as the sorceress who discovered a great destiny…..and then…….died." She opened her eyes and extended her hand. A beam of black energy emitted from her hand, and before the magical tiger could even flinch, the energy enveloped him and caged him in electric dark energy. The tiger sprang to its feet only to be trapped by the dark electricity, binding painful shackles around his legs and crushing him to the ground. The tiger threw up his head in agony and growled in pain.
" Stop!!! Oh Telot!!! " The sorceress screamed in alarm, her eyes widening in horror and shock. " What are you doing??!!!"
"I told you." The countess Kaori replied calmly, " I can't have everyone knowing about this little secret can I? I will be the one to destroy the destined sorceress." The countess said, narrowing her beautiful, yet cold, cruel eyes indifferently. " Now, don't worry, your magical creature will be well cared for under my control. After all, he's the one that got a good glimpse at the destined sorceress, he can tell me all I want to know…….as for you-" the countess fingered at the sorceress and a dark ball of energy began to appear from the end of her extended finger.
" No!!!!! Please don't!!!!!!! Telot…. Help me! I-" The sorceress cried to her magical creature sobbing when she saw that the more he resisted his restraints, the more the cage caused him to wither in pain. She glanced up at the cruel countess Kaori and raised an arm to defend herself but the countess was too quick. In but a millisecond, the dark energy sprung from the countess' finger and engulfed the sorceress. "Nooooo!!!!!!!!!" She screamed in pain, shrieking and tossing and turning as she was flung to the ground, " T-T..Telot!! No…." She gasped, before her whispers went hoarse, and she was demolished and all that was left of her was black smoke and a pile of ashes.
Telot had fainted in the cage of dark energy and his great body collapsed on the ground, and the dark energy flickered and dissolved away. And presently, the night went quiet again…….dark, cold, and quiet.
The countess stepped quietly over to the tiger and bent down gazing at its dark, strong features. She placed a hand gently on its forehead and smiled, " Ah, don't worry. I'll have great use for you yet… besides…you won't be remembering any of this… I'll be your mistress from now on." The countess whispered quietly, and raised a long index finger and set it softly upon her lips. She then raised her head and gazed up at the beautiful, cold moon, that bathed the night is soft white light.
She rose and stood, as a breeze trailed by, and stepped over to the spot where the pile of ashes from the sorceress lay….the dead sorceress…. She watched as the black ashes rose up with the cold, nighttime wind and were swept away into the nothingness of the night. She giggled….a cold, ominous giggle. " Sakura Kinomoto….this shall be your fate also…"
--+--
"Tilt your head just a bit now….just a bit more…there!!!! That's perfect!" The photographer snapped a few pictures and turned to the lighting crew, "Ok, we can do the shot with the chair now."
Sakura let out a sigh of content and stepped off the platform for the next modeling shot. The crew set up the chair and Sakura set up on the platform and sat down in the chair. She was modeling a new line of clothing that was exclusively designed by Tomoyo, and naturally, the Daidouji Line featured Sakura in a series of its premier showcasing. It was fun and exciting, but also a lot of work.
"Ok now, put your arm on the rest like that……yeah, and lean your head on your fist, and tilt up. Fold your legs to the side of you…that's good! Ok…can we get a light on her face there???…Oh!!! That's perfect!!!! Just hold it right ther-" The photographer was saying when Sakura suddenly shifted her position and sat up very straight in the chair.
"Oh kame!" Sakura gasped her bright green green eyes widening.
The photographer stepped back in shock and blinked and the room went quiet confusion. " Uh…..what's the matter Kinomo-"
"So you did sense me. Your instincts haven't dulled a bit." An amused voice sounded from the doorway of the room.
Sakura spun around so quickly in surprise that she slipped from her seat on the chair and landed rather ungracefully on the cold hard platform. " Ahhh!" Sakura screeched and winced as she fell on her bottom on the hard floor. " ouch…" She muttered then shifted her eyes up again at the figure standing in the doorway with a subtle half-a-grin on his face. Sakura gave a sheepish smile and blushed. Oh…..I'm so clumsy…. Sakura thought to herself, I'm so embarrassed!
The photographer stared and a few of the crew rushed over to help Sakura up again. "Who are you? Who let you in here?!" The photographer demanded to the young man.
"Oh he's just-" Sakura started quickly, pulling herself up and starting toward him.
But the young man held up a hand calmly and walked over to the photographer slipping him a note of paper, "I'm sorry for the intrusion, here's a note from Ms. Madison Daidouji."
The photographer looked at him suspiciously and then turned his attention to the note, when he unfolded it and read it his eyes lit up, "Oh! Gomen! So you are Ms. Daidouji and Ms. Sakura's friend? Yes…..i do think it's time for a break…..take five everyone!" The photographer waved a hand to the crew.
Sakura giggled and took a bottle of water from a crewmember and rushed over to the visitor, " ERIOL!!!! I can't believe you're here!!!!!!" she exclaimed clasping her hands together and smiling a wide grin of joyful surprise.
"Yeah." Eriol grinned back, he looked Sakura up and down for a moment making Sakura blush a bit, "You've grown up Sakura-chan, and you're lovely."
"Oh, thank you." Sakura said quietly, "So have you." She returned.
And it was true. Eriol was now much taller than she was, almost over six feet, she had to look up to talk to him. She never remembered him being so tall. The eerie thing was, the more she looked at him, the more he reminded her of Clow Reed. His dark blue hair that was so deeply blue like the very depths of the ocean was almost black, and it had grown out just a bit longer, just to the nape of his neck and a few unruly long strands came over his face. His face was long, with strong and pronounced features and his skin was light. He was skinny but not bony either; he had a strong build and a sort of calm, mysterious aura. The sort of feel that makes you want to stare at him. His eyes most of all, were like the calm ocean, but with hidden treasures deep beneath the surface. There was a maturity and subtle astuteness about him though that made him seem much older than 20.
Eriol laughed, "We all have. I surprised Tomoyo-chan a while ago while she was directing on set. She said the same thing to me."
Sakura giggled, "It has been 7 years…..my goodness! This is SO exciting! When I called you I guess I just wanted to talk…I didn't' expect you to show up on my doorstep the next day!"
"Either did I." Eriol replied smiling and looking up at the ceiling as the two walked through the hall of the studio, "But destiny works in mysterious ways I guess."
Sakura looked at him, "But…..i mean…uhm….is it safe for you to be here?" she said more quietly leaning closer to him, "Isn't it dangerous for you? With the-"
Eriol set a hand on her shoulder and stopped. Sakura stood still and looked at him. Eriol looked steadfastly into her eyes, "There are more important things……besides….the attacks have died down….hopefully….as long as I blend in and hide well, there shouldn't be trouble. Besides…I have Nakuru and Spinel with me. They were worried too, but with magic, I have dampened our presence here so it wouldn't be felt. Don't worry."
"Oh…..well ok." Sakura replied pulling back a little, and smiling, "I'm just….worried that's all. I mean…the sorcerers fighting….it wasn't that big a deal, I just don't want to endanger your life because of it. I think I can handle it myself…I don't want to put you, Nakuru of Spinel in any danger…." She said quietly
Eriol smiled and shook his head, "Nonsense Sakura…this is important..I suspect that Keroberos may not have told you the whole story of what's going on yet….but there's much more to come than you think." He spoke more seriously, "We didn't want you to know….until the time was absolutely necessary."
Sakura stared, her beautiful green eyes searched Eriol's face, "What? What do you mean?" she asked, bewildered.
Eriol sighed and looked suddenly very grave, "Sakura……" he paused for a moment seemingly in thought then shook whatever was on his mind out and said, "No…its too soon, I cannot tell you yet. I am sorry, but I will. There's more important things right now." Eriol paused then smiled a cheery grin again, "Well, I think I've taken all of your 5 minute break! You better get back to the studio! They'll be waiting."
Sakura blinked, still a bit confused, "Well….ok…but-"
Eriol smiled, "Don't worry Sakura-chan! Tomoyo's already got it all worked out that we're meeting for lunch, so we can just talk then ok?"
"Hai! Well.. I'll see you then.." Sakura replied and glanced down at her silver wristwatch. "Ja!"
Eriol smiled and waved after her as Sakura spun around and ran down the hall back to the picture studio, "Ja Sakura."
--+--
Yukito Tsukishiro stood out on the balcony of his downtown apartment and shielded a hand over his faint chocolate brown eyes. He gazed through his thin-rimmed glasses out at the city. His usual serene expression was replaced by intently searching sort of look. He leaned out over the balcony railing and gazed over the horizon, narrowing his eyes together in concentration. Yue, he thought to the magical spirit within him what is this I sense….? Its so familiar… yet I just can't seem too… Yukito squinted from the noon sun shinning in his eyes, he suddenly felt his body light and airy all over and then a tingle of energy rise up from within him. He felt the beautiful, feathery, white, angel wings sprout from his back and envelop him in energy. In seconds, Yukito felt his consciousness slip into the back of his mind, into a light sleep.
Yue floated up above the balcony and spread the great span of his white wings. He then pushed them back to catch a breeze and dove off the 15th story apartment balcony and into the air. He flapped his wings and flew straight up, the ends of his magical white robe trailing behind him.
" Hey, you there!" a silvery voice as crisp and clear as a stream of water spoke from behind him. Yue was so startled that he spun around and almost did a flip in the air. It was hard to surprise and startle Yue, yet the mystical form of a young woman that floated in the air behind him with her gorgeous butterfly wings of black and pink, had done just that.
"It's you, Ruby Moon." Yue whispered.
"It is." Ruby moon replied calmly with a small, sly smile on her face. "I didn't scare you did I?" she ran a finger through a strand of her fiery crimson hair.
"How come I did not sense you completely?" Yue questioned a bit suspiciously, freezing in an aggressive pose.
" Well Eriol put a spell on me and Spinnel so that the forces here would not sense our presence…even you." Ruby replied.
"You're right." Yue replied coolly, " It is quite dangerous for you to be here. So why are you?"
Ruby smiled and floated closer to Yue, "Don't tell me you don't know of the prophesy…. of the oracle that is beginning to fulfill before our very eyes."
Yue did not back down from Ruby's piercing gaze, "Of course I do." He searched her face with his mesmerizing cat-like sea blue eyes.
"The time is close, and there are things Eriol still has to reveal to Sakura. Things she still does not know….powers she processes." Ruby spoke returning his gaze.
Yue suddenly looked away and stared off into the distance.
Ruby titled her head slightly in surprise, "What is it?"
"It's nothing." Yue replied quietly, shutting his eyes and turning away from Ruby.
Ruby crossed her arms and gave a small laugh, "You think you can fool me with that? We are counterparts in magic after all. I know something's bothering you……are you worried Yue?" She asked with a hint of astonishment in her voice. When Yue did not replied Ruby's eyes widened, "You are aren't you? The great Judge…the calm and powerful Yue….worried? This isn't like you at all. The Yue I remember was haughty and poised. You've- You've changed over the years."
Yue turned around and flew so close to her that they're wings were almost touching. Ruby surprised at the sudden move held her breath, " I haven't. You know of the oracle…how solemn this is…… Sakura….will she be able to succeed?" He asked, his voice low, "Aren't you worried? This could be……" Yue didn't finished and turned his head away, " You wouldn't understand would you…"
"Of course I would!" Ruby protested, "Certainly, I do know……" Ruby's eyes lowered, "That is why we had to come back. My master Eriol, and Spinnel and me. No matter how dangerous it is for us…… we have to protect Sakura." Ruby looked up into Yue's face, "That's what you're worried about, isn't it? Sakura!"
Yue didn't speak.
Ruby let out a sigh and smiled knowingly, "I take it back… You haven't changed. You still won't admit your feelings. But I know… you care deeply about Sakura. She's still your mistress…..and moreover…she's your friend. She really is unlike any other sorceress, she has such loving heart……and… besides Yue, you can never fool me." Ruby winked.
Yue looked at her skeptically, "Oh?"
"Yeah. Cause Clow created you. Eriol created me. We're similar…its like… You're the original, old version, and I'm the improved, new, and updated version." Ruby giggled.
"WHAT?!" Yue growled, clenching a fist.
"Hey, calm down! I'm just kidding…… you really haven't changed at all. It's a good thing….you're still cute you know." Ruby replied laughing. Then she spun around and glided away.
Yue watched as the figure of Ruby disappeared into the distance, like a giant black butterfly slipping away into the horizon, "Hmph." He crossed his arms, "How she be my counterpart??"
--+--
"A small bowl of Yaki-soba please." Tomoyo ordered. " And English mint tea."
" Rice and Yakitori, and lemonade." Sakura chimed in.
The waiter scribbled down the orders and turned to Eriol, "And you?"
" Domburi with Tampura, and green tea." Eriol replied.
The waiter nodded and brought them their drinks and left the table.
" I remember eating here! Don't you?" Sakura giggled taking a sip from her glass.
" Yeah it was you, me, Eriol, and Syaoran and-" Tomoyo began then stopped abruptly spotting Sakura freeze momentarily out of the corner of her eye. "Oh- So anyways…. How's England been Eriol? I was surprised you didn't order English tea…" Tomoyo winced inside, How can I forget?! I mentioned Syaoran's name in front of Sakura!!…poor Sakura ….. She berated herself.
Eriol smiled simply, "It's been fine. And…as for the tea, I'm just a bit tired of English tea at the moment. You know, we have 'afternoon tea' there and well, I've missed Japanese food…"
" Ah." Tomoyo replied.
"So," Sakura began, "Are you going to tell us why are back in Japan?" Then feeling as if she jumped into the topic very suddenly, she added, " I mean…it sounds very important…like something very imperative is about to happen…"
Eriol smiled again, and sighed, "It is very important. But…..the time will come when I will tell you. For now, let's just enjoy lunch together…"
Tomoyo glanced over at Sakura who still gazed at Eriol with a confused and curious expression. She sensed something that Sakura did not- Eriol wanted to wait on the subject… probably not because of any magical reason…but because… he didn't want Sakura's life, which had seemingly returned to normal, to be once again thrown into chaos and dominated by magic…. " Yeah! Eriol's right! It's not everyday that an old friend comes back from England!" Tomoyo said enthusiastically.
Sakura smiled, "Yeah, you guys are right. I worry too much… Well, let's see… do you have any plans tonight? I think we should all down to Uta Night tonight. Has Tomoyo told you about it?" Sakura asked Eriol.
" Just a bit. Tomoyo's the big star there right?" Eriol winked at Tomoyo.
Tomoyo blushed slightly, "Not a big star…"
" You're just being modest! You're a great singer." Sakura praised earnestly. Eriol smiled and nodded.
"I can't wait to hear you sing again. I always remembered your singing in Tomoeda Elementary." Eriol added.
"Thanks…" Tomoyo smiled, flushed from all the compliments.
"Well, you two look great, needless to say…" Eriol smiled thoughtfully, "I wonder though…how are out other Tomoeda Elementary friends doing? Have you kept in touch with them?"
Sakura and Tomoyo exchanged glances then Sakura grinned brightly and turned her bright eyes to Eriol, "Well...why don't you ask them yourself……tonight?"
Eriol titled his head puzzled.
Sakura giggled, "Tomoyo contacted everyone from Tomoeda Elementary that she could get hold of as soon as you arrived, and we're planning a big reunion for everyone at Uta Night, tonight. Probably not everyone will be able to make it on such short notice…but still! It's going to be so much fun…..we've kind of been planning it in secret.. but- well its just too exciting!"
Eriol laughed, "Wow, that really sounds great. I can't wait to see everyone."
"Me too." Tomoyo agreed, "Our ten year reunion would be coming up anyways..but a 7 year reunion is just as good right?"
"Yup!" Sakura cheered. " And we can all thank Tomoyo-chan for such quick thinking to come up with such a great idea!"
"You really does have all the best ideas Tomoyo-chan….." Eriol caught her gaze and smiled, looking into her eyes.
Tomoyo suddenly felt her heart skip a beat….. since when did Eriol become….so charming?
--+--
The young man paced down the Tokyo streets in late afternoon. The sun was low in the sky and the pretty neon lights of the downtown city filled the night air. The air still smelled just as he remembered. Motor fumes mostly…but also a tint of the oriental cooking floating in from the nice restaurants and the sushi bars and noodle cafes. His long, dark brown coat flapped in the wind as the evening breeze picked up, and he was also wearing a nice forest green shirt beneath the coat, and black slacks and black shoes. A pair of dark sunglasses shaded his eyes despite the quickly setting sun. He stopped for a moment to rest, leaning against a wall, holding a hand gently against his side, his brow furrowed slightly in pain.
"Syaoran!" Meilin rushed over to him, "Are you ok?" She glanced anxiously at him, "Its been a long flight and its cold here in Tokyo this time of year…almost November…here." Meilin removed the gray scarf she had wrapped around her neck.
Syaoran pushed her hand away and shook his head stubbornly, "No…I'm fine. I was just….uhm, so…did you find the hotel?"
Meilin shook her head and sighed, "Yeah…a nice, small place just outside of downtown, owned by a Mr. Shiko…… a nice old man, it's the sort of hotel that's been passed down for generations in their family..a family business sort of deal. Small, but clean. It's called the Wataru Inn."
"Perfect." Syaoran said, looking about the crowded streets then took Meilin's scarf gently in his hands and wrapped it around her neck. "Here you go. It is cold, after all. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." He turned and looked up spotting the peaks of the Tokyo radio tower barely peeking over the looming sky scarpers of the city. The crimson and white metal beams that had held so much meaning… in the past.
"Hey Syaoran! What are you looking at? Come on, we should get going!" Meilin's voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned away and jogged over to the yellow cab Meilin had called over, she was holding the door open for him, waiting.
Syaoran took another wayward glance at the radio tower feeling the rush of memories coming back to him…..he felt numb. Where are you……..Sakura?
--+--
"Why don't you call him Sakura?" Tomoyo questioned sipping from the china tea cup.
Sakura didn't answer and found something interesting on the floor to stare at.
"Sakura…" Tomoyo leaned over on the couch and took her hand, "What's wrong?" Her sapphire blue eyes searching her face for the answer Sakura couldn't deliver.
"I-I did call…" Sakura said softly. She didn't lift her eyes. "And…." Her voice was strangely strong. "And the line was cut. There was no signal. I was puzzled at first…thought I must have made a mistake…then I tired Eriol's number just to make sure…. And Eriol told me something awful has happened."
Tomoyo's eyes widened, "What?! What's happened??"
"There's been a series….of…killings." Sakura felt as if she were tearing her heart out as she recounted the message, "The Li family was targeted and-" Sakura's voice quivered and both her hands fluttered up covering her mouth and face, muffling a sob.
"Oh my Goodness…..this can't be…" Tomoyo whispered, "Is Syaoran-kun-"
"No! Don't!" Sakura cried standing up, her hands over her ears she shook her head violently and then collapsed on the floor. She hugged her knees and curled herself up so small… she felt like a little child… a little girl…so scared….not knowing what to do…
She felt Tomoyo kneel down beside her and place a gentle hand on her head and stroked her hair. She didn't say anything…….but even if she had Sakura wouldn't have heard it. She was crying….crying so hard. For Syaoran………..how could this happen? It was a nightmare she wanted to wake up from….wake up…. Wake up….
"WAKE UP!!!!"
Sakura sat up so abruptly on her bed that she felt a pounding head rush just a few second later. Her hand flew to her forehead and she rubbed her temples. "Owie…."
"Man……that's the SECOND time this week!" Kero complained floating next to her, clearing his voice, "I'm turning into your mobile alarm clock!"
"Uhnn…." Sakura rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked around to find that it was almost completely dark in her room. "Is it night time already?"
"YES." Kero rolled his eyes, "You wayyy overslept YET AGAIN! What's been with you lately? It's the second time in a row! Need I remind you that it is a quarter to seven and tonight's the big reunion remember?"
"Omigod!" Sakura squealed leaping out of bed, "I've got to get ready! Why didn't you wake me up sooner??"
"You've got a good 45 minutes!" Kero replied indignantly, " ANYWAYS I'm not your maid…." He huffed floating out the door.
"45 minutes isn't enough!!! Oh man…you really don't understand women do you kero?" Sakura replied wistfully throwing open the door to her wardrobe.
"Naw….. like I need to! I'm the Guardian beast! I don't need to know about these things!" Kero retorted, "Besides, from what I've seen on TV women are impossible to understand anyways….."
"HEY!" Sakura protested then rolled her eyes, " Just help me get the shower running ok? I've got to pick out an outfit first."
Kero pouted, "Might a remind you again…that I am not your maid!" but he floated away anyways to the bathroom and grumbled as he struggled with the "humongous" shower knob.
Sakura giggled to herself then took a deep breath and leafed through her numerous outfits. She pulled out a short black spaghetti-strap dress. Lining the thins straps were delicate trims of cute white lace and there were two thigh-high slits on either side of the dress also covered in white lace and two long puffy white bows that had ribbons trailing almost to her knees. She picked out some black stilettos to go along with the dress. She skipped into the bathroom and felt the warm steam filling the room from the shower. "Thanks so much kero-chan! I promise I'll stop by a bakery on the way home and buy you something tasty!" she promised and shooed him out of the bathroom.
After she had finished showering, dressing and blow drying her hair and curling her long, waist length locks of lustrous warm-chestnut colored hair, she sprayed on a whiff of spring cherry blossom scent, pulled on her shoes and set out slipping her pink cell phone into her black handbag. "If anything comes up just call me!!" She told Kero while she raced out the door realizing she was already 10 minutes late.
"Taxi! Taxi please!" She waved into the streets and stopped a yellow cab. She hopped in and gave the driver the directions. When she finally arrived at Uta Night she felt a warm thrill run through her and she burst into the nightclub. The room was beautifully furnished. Tomoyo certainly had done a amazing job turning the usual hip dance and bar place into a classy but still stylish nightclub! There was a shiny grand piano on one side of the stage and the tables were round, small, café-styled with white tablecloth and miniature silverware. "Oh wow.." Sakura breathed and then looked around the room with excitement in her sparkling green eyes.
"Sakura! You made it!" A girl squealed racing up to her and grabbing her hands and swinging her around in a small dance before Sakura even knew what was going on. When Sakura finally got a good look at her face she recognized her energetic and fun friend Chiharu Mihara.
"Chiharu!" Sakura squealed and grinned as Chiharu giggled, and pulled her into a enthusiastic hug.
" What? You didn't recognize me???" the 19-year old Chiharu questioned and gave her long brunette hair a toss. In Tomoeda elementary, as Sakura remembered, Chiharu had always worn her hair in two high, tick braids. Now, her long, thick, wavy hair was fashioned into two fancy French braids, on each side of her head. She had gotten quite tall and had the figure of a cheerleader just as she did when they were still in school together. Chiharu still had those spunky brown eyes with flecks of auburn, with a hint of a childish aura about them, though her features looked much more sophisticated and older.
"Well of course I did! You just surprised me!" Sakura answered giggling.
"Well sorry, I'm just so excited….wow, this is so cool! I haven't seen you in like, forever, and you do look fantastic Sakura." Chiharu complemented and grinned, " And I saw your premier in the magazine! Congratulations you fashion model star!"
Sakura blushed a little and laughed nervously, "Aww come on Chiharu, I'm not a star.." she replied modestly.
"Well of course you are! I saw them too, and you looked real fine." Another voice added in.
"Takashi! You aren't changing your mind about marrying me right? Just 'cause Sakura's prettier?" Chiharu turned around to face her fiancé and Sakura's other childhood friend, Takashi Yamazaki, the boy who always exaggerated and annoyed everyone with his incessant storytelling.
"Of course not Chiharu-chan!" Yamazaki grinned slipping an arm around Chiharu's waist. Sakura smiled at the couple. She had remembered the two in school and Yamakazi was always teasing Chiharu, the two bickering children had grown up to be such a cute couple…and they were engaged too! Chiharu was wearing a daring red dress and Yamakazi looked actually quite proper for once in a black suit.
"Well come on Sakura-chan, you can't just stand around! Go around and say hello to everyone!" Chiharu suggested not letting one minute go by without some excitement and enthusiastically pulled Sakura away toward the bar.
Sakura felt as if everything that came next was almost surreal, meeting all her childhood friends over again, and they were all so grown up too…just like her. They drank together, danced and gossiped about the classmates that couldn't make it.
"Oh man, look at Chiharu and Yamazaki dancing again." Naoko Yanagisawa said rolling her eyes at the couple on the dance floor. Naoko was an acclaimed news writer now; obviously her love for a good story had fed into her successful career. She was still cheerful, and smart, just as Sakura remembered her. She still had sweet-looking, thin rimmed, large, round glasses, and short, straight cut hair, except her hair-style now gives her a more sophisticated and refined look.
"I think they're cute." Tomoyo commented, and took a sip of her drink.
"Yeah…..well you don't see them all hot 'n heavy over each other everyday like I do. Those two should just get married and get it over with." Naoko replied. Naoko was going to the same college as Chiharu and Yamazaki where Naoko was studying journalism and Chiharu was a cheerleader studying to be an art teacher and Yamazaki was studying computers, wanting to be a game designer. "So….. Sakura, how is your love life?"
Sakura choked a little on her drink, she cleared her throat a little and laughed, " You mean my non-existent one?"
"Really?" Naoko gasped, "Gomen….its just that….you're so pretty…I bet there's tons of strapping young bishounen chasing after you." Naoko winked.
Sakura shifted uncomfortably in her seat and flushed, and stirred her drink with the straw.
"What about you Naoko-chan?" Tomoyo asked, sensing Sakura's discomfort and changing the subject.
"No one really." Naoko sighed wistfully, "'Cause I'm always on the job; news reporting is a 24-7 job."
"That's alright, we're young anyways." Tomoyo giggled. "We've still got plenty of time to find true love."
"yeah….I just wish I was a little more like Rika sometimes. She got married straight out of high school……its so romantic." Naoko sighed dreamily.
Sakura thought of Rika Sasaki, the mature, sweet, dark-haired friend. She was pretty with curly, short ebony-black hair and raven-dark eyes. She was always quiet, but kind to everyone. She was also married to their young teacher Toshiyuki Terada. Many of her classmates still couldn't get use to the idea that Rika had married their teacher, but Sakura could understood sometimes that love knows no bounds. Her own mother after all, had married her father, who was her teacher at the time, when she was only 16. Her parents legacy left her an open heart for all lovers……even those many years apart. Sakura suddenly wondered what had happened to her sweet friend. A few years ago the young couple had moved out of town and none of her classmates had heard from them since. It was a bit mysterious and when Sakura had sent out the invitations she had hoped Rika and Terada would somehow get the word too…but guess not…
"I think it's a little weird." Chiharu slipped in. Her face was flushed, probably from all the dancing and she wiped a bit of sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and fanned herself with a napkin. "Get us some cool drinks will you?" She addressed the bartender while Yamazaki pulled up a stool for him and Chiharu.
"Why two stools?" Eriol teased coming up beside them. "Why don't you just sit in Yamazaki's lap, Chiharu-chan?"
'Ah… I knew you had a flirty side Eriol." Chiharu giggled, " You've really grown up. I use to think you were all…serious."
Eriol grinned and glanced over at Tomoyo who looked dazzling in a very angelic white-gown, with lace and ribbons adorned all over. The dress was made of a luminous, and had a gauzy creamy layer of silk on top. She had her long, curly silver hair braided with ribbons, that flowed down to her shoulders. He stepped over to her and extended a hand, "Would you like to dance?"
Tomoyo looked up in surprise her bluer than blue eyes meeting his, "I- well- uhm, sure." Tomoyo stuttered.
Eriol smiled, "Great." He replied and gently took her hand and led her to dance floor. Tomoyo felt her heart race and she could barely feel her feet. She wondered when Eriol had become so……so smooth with women. He was so cool and calm, and just looked so suave in that all black suit and tie, with polished black shoes and fancy wristwatch. He had a small portion of his trailing strands of dark deep navy-blue hair pulled back in an adorable little ponytail.
Eriol skillfully placed a hand around her waist and another hand held hers and led her gently around the dance floor. Tomoyo blushed a giggled a little, "I've never slowed-dance with anyone before….." she whispered truthfully.
"Really?" Eriol asked looking surprised, "Well you're doing fine, just follow my lead." He replied smiling. " Oh, and make it look like we're having fun because everyone is staring." He knew without even looking back.
"I am." Tomoyo responded a little surprised and then peered over Eriol's shoulder to see Chiharu whispering and Naoko and giggling, they were obliviously gossiping about them. Then Chiharu caught her looking and gave her a small wave and winked eyeing suggestively toward Eriol. Tomoyo rolled her eyes slightly," Oh those two.."
"Just play along." Eriol winked at her, "Give those two something to talk about." He nudged her and then laughed, his eyes twinkling.
Tomoyo giggled, "Alright." Then she smiled up at him, doing her best to imitate a "lovey-dovey' look making them both laugh even more.
This only earned more giggles from the girls at the bar as Chiharu slapped high-fives with Naoko and Yamakazi whistled. Sakura sat by them smiling as she watched Eriol and Tomoyo dance. She giggled along with her friends and titlted her head to one side "They'd make a cute couple." She said honestly.
"oh yeah." Naoko prospected, "maybe they'll go home together tonight."
Sakura gave Naoko a playful shove, "You know they're not like that!" she squealed thinking of how innocent her best friend was, especially the way she looked in that pure white dress.
"Just kidding!" Naoko grinned, " I know I know….well I know Tomoyo-chan's innocent…. And a bit naive… but I'll have to say Eriol's looks a bit experienced wouldn't you say?" She winked.
"Yeah….i can't remember when he was such a bishounen in elementary school…….gosh, people do change don't they?" Chiharu added, she looped an arm around Yamakazi.
"Yup….besides, honestly Sakura. It wouldn't be a bad thing if they did get together. I mean…look at Chiharu and Yamakazi. We'd have 3 cute couples from Tomoeda Elementary then……. Two here, and Rika and Terada." Naoko said counting her fingers. "Wow……it seems like everyone is getting together aren't they? Oh, I forgot! Sakura and Syao-" then Naoko stopped in the middle of her sentence suddenly remembering. She covered her mouth and gasped and looked up at Sakura who was in the middle of sipping her drink, her evergreen eyes were wide.
"Oh, oh I'm so sorry I mean….I meant…." Naoko tried to fix the slip up, "I…" she looked at the floor, "I'm so sorry Sakura a didn't mean to mention his name, I'm such a baka…"
"No. No you're not!" Sakura quickly comforted her, "It's ok. You guys don't have to be like that around me. I'm fine really, I mean it has been almost 7 years." She smiled. "See? I'm fine, really. Don't worry about it. It's not like Syaoran will come back if we don't' mention his name…I'm over it." She smiled again. The entire room had gone dead quiet never the less, even though there was still lively dance music going on the back ground, it was as if no one heard it and all eyes were on Sakura…..with a look of pity…. Except for Naoko, who was ashamed, and didn't look at her at all. Sakura sighed…..the pity…why always the pity look?……she suddenly felt really sick. For once…..for once she felt really happy, as if things had gone completely back to normal.
All her life in school, a part of her had wished that she could have been a normal teenager and spend most of her time having fun and gossiping with her friends….normally. And tonight, it had been almost a dream come true, a dream from the past…..and now reality hit her. Some things she can never escape from…the past and the present are one. You cant' leave one behind and just expect to erase it. You can't erase the past….. the past and present are entwined…..maybe that's why those dreams……
Sakura felt sick and dizzy. Why am I being such a baby? Why am, I being so…..weak? Can't I handle this….I'm over him…..right? Gosh….What's wrong with me…..
Sakura cleared her throat. She need to go somewhere….to think…alone. "I've got to go." Sakura whispered softly, her eyes glistening in the dim light; she grabbed her handbag and made her way quickly to the door and ran out into the night.
Everyone else stood in the bar….shocked and frozen in place, not knowing what to say. Tomoyo pulled away from Eriol and started after her, "Sakura!"
Eriol grabbed her arm and pulled her back, "No…" he shook his head sadly, "She needs to be alone."
Tomoyo pressed her hands together and looked out the door at the night streets, "Oh I do hope she'll be alright." She whispered.
Eriol's brow furrowed suddenly, "I'm sensing…." His eyes widened, "I've got to go." He then sprinted out of the nightclub.
"Wait!" Tomoyo called after him, "Is Sakura in danger?"
--+--
Sakura ran down the cold, city streets alone. She ran for as far as she could before her toes started to feel numb and she looked down at them. Boy…it hurt to run in heels. She realized tears had been streaming from her face though she didn't quite know why. She sniffled and wiped them away with the back of her hand. She looked around. She didn't know how far she had run. This part of town looked a little unfamiliar. She took a few more tentative steps before leaning to the side of a building to rest. She looked up at a blinking billboard clock and realized she had ran 30 minutes away from Uta Night without stopping….no wonder she was tired. She sighed and leaned against the building as she felt her heart racing in her chest. She put a hand to her heart and sighed looking down at the ground. Her other hand fidgeted with a ribbon on her dress.
Everyone is going to think I'm such a crybaby now… She thought sadly and bit her lip knowing she shouldn't have been so emotional and ran off like that. It probably made Naoko feel worse and left everyone all awkward and ruined the entire evening. She put a hand to her forehead and groaned, "I'm such an idiot…" she whispered. "Why did I get so emotional?" she wondered. She sat down right the and there little caring that she was seating her beautiful dress on the dusty pavement of a downtown sidewalk. She felt so tired and confused. Lately she hadn't been getting much sleep due to those weird visions……memories…..or flashbacks…whatever they were in her sleep. She was lost for a moment before suddenly she jumped to her feet not quite knowing why.
She glanced around, right to left, and left to right. She looked up the streets and building around her up and down. They were casting ominous shadows and she realized how late it was….and it was dangerous for a girl to be wandering the streets at this hour. An eerie wind began to pick up. Sakura narrowed her eyes in concentration. She was….feeling something strange…she was sensing a power, but it was very clouded…. She looked around and kept alert and walked toward the streets to call for a taxi.
But before she made it to the street she felt strong, quick arms grab her around the waist and pull her away. She was about the scream when hands clamped over her mouth as well. Sakura struggled and kicked, but the arms held her fast against the body of her captor. She could hear his breathing. Sakura panicked; his movements were all so fast and skilled, and he was so strong…….what was she going to do?! Her captor dragged her quickly into a dark alleyway and pinned her against the wall, with a hand still clamped tightly over her mouth. Sakura tried to scream, but she couldn't, so she bit his hand, hard, drawing blood. The captor gasped in surprise and stumbled a few steps back. Sakura could make out that it was a man. Tall and strong. She had to get away.
She started to run back toward the streets she came, but his hand closed around her ankle, "No! Help me! Someone-" she started to scream. But he was up in an instant and clamped a hand around her lips again. Sakura struggled, feeling the fear grow inside her, she kicked the man hard between his legs and faltered, but didn't let go, and instead with incredible strength threw her on the ground. Sakura screamed but the sound was muffled; and to her surprise, he cushioned her head skillfully against his arm so that she didn't hit her head when the rest of her body hit the ground. She felt stunned but not hurt. She suddenly realized that this was no ordinary man. He was skillful in his attack. He was quick and strong and not just a normal thug using brute force. He didn't want to hurt her… She still couldn't see his face, as it was covered in shadow. She was scared….but she realized….there was much more going on than meets the eye.
In a sudden burst of energy Sakura freed one of her arms from his iron grip and grabbed for the star key necklace clasped around her neck. She didn't need to chant the summoning spell, and in a sudden burst of energy and blinding light she was free and she sprung away from the man, with her magic wand in hand. "Who are you?!" she demanded, thrusting the star wand before her defensively. Her green eyes narrowed dangerously, "Why did you attack me?!
The man stood up. All Sakura could see was his silhouette against the light. He was wearing a long dark coat with the ends flying out behind him eerily. Then, in an instant, with a movement faster than any human eye could detect he was in front of her, inches close. Standing there before her with a hand clasped over her lips, "Don't." he whispered in a deep, harsh voice, "Shout." He finished. He had his other hand on her arm, and she suddenly realized how cold it was, and she was wearing nothing but a frilly dress. Her skin was cold and when he touched her she could feel the warmth in his hand crawl up her spine and she shivered slightly, as goosebumps crawled up her skin.
Sakura pushed him away and breathed in deeply and tried to make out his face in what little light there was, she could only see a faint outline of his strong features. She took a few steps back and pointed her star wand toward him threateningly, "Tell me who you are." She replied just as loudly.
The man's eyes flashed around the alleyway and toward the street, he scanned the premises again. He started to come closer to her.
"Answer me!" Sakura demanded, "Or I'll shout for help." Sakura took a deep breath, but the man kept approaching her, "Stay where you are!" Sakura breathed deeply and she was about to call for help when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer. Sakura gasped "Sto-" she started to shriek, but she couldn't finish.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her face, fiercely with one hand to his, and silenced her with a kiss. He kissed her before she could react, before she knew what was happening. It was a hot, passionate kiss, strong and violent. Sakura could barely feel the rest of her body…she felt dizzy, like she was under a spell, and for a moment she was paralyzed and her voice was drowned in his lips. Then, Sakura snapped out of her shock, she stumbled back and pulled away, and tore herself from his arms in completely stunned, "Who-who do you think you are?!" she whispered, with tears of shock and fear glistening in her eyes. "Sword!" she summoned the star card, and a bright pink light enveloped the star wand and in an instant it phased into a thin, sleek sword. She raised the sword and swung it skillfully at the man.
In an instant, faster than a blink of an eye there was a loud clash of metal. Sakura inhaled sharply in surprise, the man had a sword in hand also, blocking her slash. The two swords glistened momentarily in light. The sword……the sword he held….she recognized it. Sakura gasped…..she almost dropped her own sword. The sword he held…..the bronze, thick handle…..the red tassels… "No…..it can't be…" she said in a hushed whisper.
In that moment, the moonlight broke through the dark clouds in the night sky. The wind picked up and a beam of moonlight trickled down into the dark alley and settled a few lines over his features…….those intense dark chocolate brown eyes……..dark unruly hair…..thick brows….. " Sakura." He whispered.
Sakura looked at him with tear filled eyes, " This can't be…… I thought you were dead Syaoran."
- owari chapter one-
Author's Note: *whew….that was a long chapter….longer than I expected ^^;; but I hope you liked it…..please Review and let me know what you think…..I'd really appreciate it! ^__^ Oh and sorry if the descriptiveness was a bit much… I just love depicting clothes and appearances of people and places……^^ I think it's from the cosplayer side of me… teehee….
~ Miracle