Chapter One Ð Going Through The Motions
Author' Note: I own neither Buffy nor Cardcaptor Sakura, though I thank both Joss Whedon and the ladies at Clamp for their amazing creations. This story is a Ômusical retelling' of Cardcaptor Sakura, so it can and will spoil everything. It will most likely follow the anime, though I personally prefer the manga. For a different (and better!) take on CCS versions of "Once More With Feeling," see L-chan's ÔWill I Ever Tell," archived here on fanfiction.net.
Chapter One Ð "Going Through The Motions
With equal parts anticipation and trepidation, especially on Sakura's part, the small group filed into Tomoyo's personal theater. Yukito and Nakuru both had their hands full of popcorn, soda, and more sweets than any two moon guardians should be able to eat. Thankfully, Kero was hovering around them, snatching whatever came loose and stuffing it in his mouth. Spinel Sun gave them all a most annoyed look before flitting off nearer Eriol. If Kero or Nakuru decided now was the time to load him with sugar, he wanted to be under his master's protectful gaze. If his master didn't decide to do it first.
"Tomoyo, we've seen all your videos before," Syaoran said as he and Sakura took their seats toward the front. "Even with the music you were talking about, what'll make this any different from what we've seen before? Sakura nodded in agreement besides him. No matter how much she had gotten used to Tomoyo's slight obsession, it still embarrassed her, acutely, to have to watch her exploits over and over. But now with a musical setting?
"Oh, but this is special!," Tomoyoy said, with an all-too-familiar gleam in her lavendar eyes. "With help," she continued, looking at Eriol with a triumphant little smile, "I made it so that we'rethe ones singing!
Simultaneously, a Card Mistress, her brother, the future head of the Li Clan, his cousin, two Sun Guardians, and two Moon Guardians in the middle of eating dropped their jaws.
"Hoeeeeeeee?!!!!
"T-Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said, her cheeks still a furious pink. "You have a beautiful voice, but the rest of us, demo
"I have a beautiful voice!, Meiling said, obviously hurt, and Sakura had to reach over and clamp Kero's mouth shut with her hand before he could protest.
"Sakura-chan is right," Syaoran said before his cousin could continue. "You know how badly most of us here act-
"Or direct," Touya added, giving Nakuru a wry smile.
"I heard about your butchering of Cinderella," Nakuru answered in an equally tart voice. "If you sing even worse than you play a girl..
"What's that phrase?, Touya retorted. "Takes one to know one-
Before Nakuru could shoot out of her seat, Yukito laid a calming hand on her shoulder, thankful he was sitting between the two. "To-ya, Nakuru-chan, I'm sure Tomoyo-chan has done a wonderful job, and that her help made all of our voices much better. Yukito looked up to Tomoyo for confirmation, and she nodded, a wide smile on her face.
"Everything's better, but you'll all just have to see! And everyone has a part," Tomoyo continued, drawing quite a few surprised stares, especially from Sakura, "but Sakura-chan has the most, because she's Sakura-chan!
"That I am," Sakura murmured, still pink in the cheeks. Syaoran patted her hand, risking the stare-of-death from her protective onii-chan.
"Shall we start?," Eriol asked from his seat in the back, and seeing Tomoyo smile and nod, waved his hand towards the far wall. Light dimmed and on the screen in front of them, a title screen filled with drifting cherry blossoms flickered to life.
"Cardcaptor Sakura Ð The Musical
A gust of wind blew through Tomoeda, nearly drowning out the loon-like call of the mystical bird creating the gale. Beneath it, a familiar young, pajama-clad girl raced down the street on roller skates, a tiny golden plush animal flying furiously behind her.
("You weren't there for this, Tomoyo!," Kero blurted out, taking a break from stealing Yukito's pocky. Sakura nodded in confusion Ð but the scene seemed right to her. Her pajamas, the gales blowing through the trees, the look of utter and complete panic on her face.
"Illusion and Create helped me with that!," Tomoyo said, and while Kero's confusion was settled, his worry jumped up a good deal.
"Just how many scenes did youÉ.add?," the yellow Sun Guardian asked with a hesitant voice.
"You'll see, now, shhhhh! It's starting!")
Sakura:
Some enchanted night
This turned out to be
Tell me how can this be right
Racing through the town
In my pajamas
Hoe! What was that sound?!
Run away? I might
But this Kero now thinks I know how
To catch this card of Clow's
So I'll be
Going through the motions
Trying not to cry
While I figure out how to catch Fly
I was just a girl
Just ordinary
Now I'm Ð what Ð a sorceress?
My head is in a whirl
This is so scary
But I'll do my best
Kero:
Without Tomoyo's dress?
Sakura:
Help me, don't digress!
Kero:
She's doing well with her first spell
And just so I can tell
Though she's just
Going through the motions
Winging it somehow
She'll capture the Fly and make it Ð ow!!
Kero, in the midst of his verse, is hit by one of the Fly's tailfeathers and is sent flying. Deprived of her backup, clinging precariously to the Fly's back, Sakura calls upon the Windy. She doesn't want this to be a solo for long!
Sakura:
Will I always be a mahou shojo?
How will I ever tell Tomoyo?
Just what will she do? Oh no
I'll just have to see
So I'm going through the motions
Though I'm not sure why
Oh Miss Card Windy! Become a binding chain for me!
I can't believe I caught
The Fly!
Sakura holds her first captured Clow Card in triumph, before a look of horror comes across her face and she swears to never catch another of the cards again. Never. Ever.
(In the darkened theater, seven pairs of very wide eyes blinked.
"Hoe?
"That wasÉinterestingÉDaidouji-chan..
"When do Syaoran and I come in? It doesn't get good until then!
"I sing muchcooler than that!
"Sakura-chan was so cute! I can't wait until we get to my song!
"You sang very well, Sakura-chan!
"How long is this film, exactly?
"Excellent work, Tomoyo-chan.
"That was goodÉthough she sang too good for a kaiju.
"Sakura kaijuu je nai mon!")
Next Chapter: The students of Tomoeda Elementary have theories! And Tomoyo has patterns and fabricÉ.
