Hey everyone. Guess what I was able to do, write a 10 page research paper in one night and then two chapters of this the next night. Am I good or what? Well enough bragging. I hope you like this chapter.
And by the way, that anonymous reviewer was none other than my brother, who like Toya is older, taller, and aggravates me to no end. If I knew how to do that face with the tongue sticking out icon thingie I would put it here but I don't. So moving on. As of this moment he is bugging the crap out of me with a stuffed lobster called Lucky! Well it won't be so lucky in a few more moments, anyone up for steamed lobster?!?!?!
Disclaimer: Clamp's idea, not mine.
Unusual Information
The three girls were sitting on Tomoyo's bed. Wow, I still don't think I'll ever get over the size of her room. And that's nothing compared to her house as a whole. Sakura idly thought as she looked around the enormous lavender room. The walls were cream with lilacs painted around it. A large bed, a desk, a table and a few couches littered the massive space, all coinciding with the color pattern.
"So what's with the whole mystery routine? You haven't spoken a word through the entire car ride. Mind explaining what's going on?" Meilin prompted.
Tomoyo stared at them, unsure of what to say. "I don't understand any of this. At first I thought it might be a joke, but well read it for yourselves," as she handed the paper to Meilin and Sakura.
Tomoyo,
This is going to sound unusual to say the least, but I have vital information you need to know. I cannot reveal my identity, at least not for the moment, but please trust in what I have to say. Your life and the lives of those around you may depend on it.
The world has fallen under attack from an ancient evil; it has fallen into chaos and only a handful of souls can stop it. A long time, when humanity was still young, the gods reigned over earth and its people. High above they would watch the silly mortals. This realm could only be accessed by those with great power, so it was a great shock when one day a man strolled in. He introduced himself to the gods as Loki, a traveler of sorts but one with hidden abilities that set him apart from the gods and humanity. He charmed all. His words were like sweet honey captivating one's attention, and once you were, you were stuck. The gods treated him like royalty with merriment and feasting, even taking trips down to earth. And that is where it all fell apart.
Loki met a maiden and fell in love. He was willing to do anything for her, even share his secret power with her just to keep her. But she already had found her true love. Enraged, Loki threatened to kill her lover if she did not return his love. In a panic, the maiden prayed to the gods to help and they took pity on her, swooping up her and her love away from Loki's wrath.
In this angered state Loki revealed his true self. He was shadow, hate, and darkness and he attacked the planet. The gods fought against him but were no match for this mysterious evil. Darkness slowly crept over the earth, like a gray film. The world was thrown into chaos as those hell had broken lose. Death and suffering were rampant and the gods were powerless to stop it. All except one. A goddess of the rainbow, Iris, still considered a child by the gods, saw her beloved planet losing its spark of life, and she did the only thing she could, give her own light. She fused together all the colors of the rainbow forming the purest white light and mixed it with her own essence forming a crystal star, thus giving her life for humanity.
The gods were able to defeat Loki, but not destroy him, with the light of the Crystal Star, but the cost was too terrible, the loss of one of their own. Realizing their time as guardians of earth was coming to an end, they selected seven of the strongest of human souls to take their place. They dismantled the Crystal Star, scattering its pieces but connecting them to the souls so if needed they could be located. These seven were to watch over the planet and the Crystal Star to prevent its power from falling into the wrong hands.
These guardians I speak of are described on the verse on the cover of the journal, your journal. That book was yours in every lifetime your soul has been in. In it you wrote the guardians' struggles in each cycle. You'll notice that most of it looks to be in gibberish. Its secrets are kept safe through a system of codes so that if it fell into the wrong hands, its secrets would not be revealed. In time, as your memories return you will be able to decode it.
Please trust in what I am telling you. I will send more of what I know through this same manner.
Your guide.
Sakura and Meilin looked up at Tomoyo almost in a daze.
She let out a little giggle. "Yeah that was about my reaction." Then turning thoughtful, "I would normally dismiss this as some kind of prank, but look at this journal; it's authentic. Why would anyone simply hand over something as old as this as a joke? Think of its value."
Sakura picked up the book touching the cover, enjoying the feel of the leather slide across her fingertips, then getting caught in the bumps of the engraving. Sakura read the verse aloud.
One to guide,
one to fight.
one to watch,
one to write,
one to find,
and two to lead,
two whose destinies are intertwined.
These two hold the key. They who determine the fate of the world. They who must fight with their feelings if they are to prevail. They who are the beginning may also be the end.
Well doesn't that sound cheerful? This whole thing is like out of some bad fantasy book. Ancient evils, cryptic prophecies, and a band of merry men…or women, her mind amended. Wait…one to guide! "Tomoyo, do you think the person who sent this is the 'one to guide' described in the poem?"
"Well the author did sign it 'your guide' so I think that would be a logical assumption to make."
"I'm not sure about all this. It's just too weird. I mean Tomoyo gets a message in her locker of mysterious origin telling her to save the world. And there is some wacky weapon of light that can stop the evil and needs to be protected. It is just way too farfetched."
"I understand your doubts, I share them as well, but something is telling me to trust what we've just learned." Tomoyo admitted.
"Alright, but then why tell this to us? The note told that there was a reason for the journal to be encoded, to keep this information safe. For all you know we could be the enemy or something." Meilin questioned after being silent since reading the letter.
Tomoyo smiled. "Your being a bit on the paranoid side, dontcha think? Besides, you guys are involved in this somehow, I just know it." She turned to look at Sakura," Especially you."
"What do you mean?" Has Tomoyo been holding out? Does she know more than she told us? Sakura thought.
"Your necklace. It's a star, a crystal star to be more precise. I think it may be one of the pieces the guide spoke of. That also might explain why Li had a flip out moment when he saw it. I think he is involved as well, but I just don't know how."
Sakura pulled out her star, holding it up to the light. So this little thing could be of some value. Oh come on, this little crystal could be a key to saving the world? Give me a break! She mentally brushed off the idea. This is someone's idea of fun, pulling people's legs, and Tomoyo's getting dragged along. The world is not going to end. This is probably just another nut job making a dooms day prophecy and we got sucked into it.
"Tomoyo, look I," Sakura started but got stopped.
"I realize this seems unrealistic but I find myself believing." Tomoyo cut her off.
"So you believe that you and a whole bunch of heroes, that Meilin and I belong to as well, are supposed to protect some dinky crystal from a psycho shadow hell bent on bringing on Armageddon?"
"Correct."
""Will you listen to what you're saying!" Jeeez, has she suddenly turned into me? Is she so dense that she can't see the lunacy of it all?
"You're the one with the colorful and exaggerated descriptions." Tomoyo coolly replied.
"Meilin," Sakura pleaded," Please tell her she is crazy."
"…"
"Meilin?" Sakura questioned turning to face her.
"Sorry Sakura, but I have seen some freaky things in this world from magic to ghosts."
Sakura stiffened.
"Sorry about the 'g' word," Meilin apologized. "But I am willing to trust in this. If it turns out to be wrong, then it's wrong, problem solved. But if it is true and we ignore it then the world goes to hell in a hand basket. I don't want to risk that."
Damn, that's actually a reasonable argument, Sakura thought. But she didn't want to trust in this because of fear. She liked having an average teenage life. If this was true then her life would change forever and she didn't think she was ready to accept that. I need time to think this through.
"Fine I won't try to convince either of you otherwise, but don't expect me to start believing in this flim flam. It's just some sham." Hey I rhymed! Her mind cheered. Ah, the little things in life that bring joy.
Sakura stood up. "It's time for me to get going. If I'm late Toya will rip my head off."
"Dinner duty?" Tomoyo sympathized.
"Yup."
"Well, at least let one of us take you home." Meilin said, rising as well.
"Don't worry about it. I'll just take the bus; it will only take a few minutes."
Her friends shuddered. "Public transportation."
"Oh, here." Sakura remembered the object in her hand," Your journal thingie." And she held it out to Tomoyo, but it slipped from her grasp, landing open to the first page on the floor. As she bent down to retrieve it she could see something written on the inner cover. "Tali" Now why does that sound familiar? her mind questioned. But no answer came to her. Oh well, must be from all the confusion of the day.
Sakura handed over the journal, made her farewells and headed home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
What an idiot I am. 'No it's okay Meilin, I'll just take the bus' Sakura mocked herself. I should have watched the news, for if I had I would have known that there was A BUS STRIKE! So now I'm left wandering the streets at dusk to get home. I know it's not that far, but it's the principle of the thing.
Sakura marched on. Almost there.
Clip Clop Clip
Oh no, footsteps. She stooped and looked behind her only to see an empty street and the scuttle of leaves blown across the pavement. If I screamed right now would anyone even know? Morbid thought alert. But it is true; it's so dead out here. I wonder where everyone is.
She continued on but with a quickened pace. The thought of being caught alone pushed her on. This may not be a bad neighborhood, but I know not to tempt fate.
Again the sound of footsteps rang out behind her. She looked back and saw nothing. The noise still followed her. Terrified, Sakura broke down into a run only to hear the steps quicken their pace to match hers. Oh someone help me please, she pleaded as she turned down a side street.
Damnit! Her mind screamed realizing she had turned down one of the many dead ended streets in the suburb. Fine I'll face them head on. Maybe if I act tough I'll chase them away. Taking a stance she turned around to once again no one behind her. Breathing heavily she took in her surroundings. Cookie cutter houses were highlighted by the lingering rays of the sun as the street lamps began to burn. Toya is going to be worried, and this time maybe for good reason.
"Hello" a voice whispered in her ear.
Sakura whirled around coming face to face with a handsome man, probably only a few years older than her. She backed up, warily examining his features. His dark hair was as black as a raven's feathers, and his light eyes contrasted sharply against it.
His eyes…
They were mesmerizing. Sakura felt like she was falling into a pit when she looked into them, like being sucked into a black hole. "Who are you?" She stammered. "What do you want?"
He took a step closer. Sakura tried to back away, but it was like her feet were glued to the floor. Why can't I move? Her mind screamed out.
"Is that any way to treat your love?" he teased. Love? Love? This guy has to be off his rocker. "Shatiri."
The name from my dream! How does he know that? And why is he calling me that? Was he the one in it……Shatiri's love? Her mind was racing, matching the speed of her heart.
He closed the distance between them, and still she could not move. Even as she noticed him begin to lean in, she could do nothing. It was like she was frozen. HELP!!!!
Out of nowhere the wind picked up swirling around the man. The moment his face disappeared from view she felt her body released. Taking this opportunity she ran for it. At the end of the street she looked back for a moment to see the man battling unsuccessfully against the cage of wind.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few minutes later the wind disappeared as quickly as it had arrived leaving a very frustrated looking man. "So the Citrine Star has been activated. No matter. Soon my powers will grow to where not even all their powers combined could keep me from her. Till then." He vowed and faded into the darkness leaving only an empty street twinkling in the lamplight.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sakura bolted into the apartment, slamming the door shut behind her and locking it. "I'm home!" She shouted out of breath.
Only silence greeted her.
"Hello? Toya?"
Scratch-scratch.
"Ahhhhhh!" Sakura screeched and jumped into the air. Then floated back down realizing it was Toya's key in the lock. And sure enough the door swung open to reveal a grumpy looking older brother.
"So, monster where have you been?" He questioned.
"I could ask the same of you." She retorted.
"I was out looking for you." Oh. "So tell me, why were you late? Are you alright?"
"Yea. I was at Tomoyo's and decided to take the bus home."
"Monster the drivers are on strike." He taunted.
"I realized that now idiot! Hence the being late." Sakura left out the encounter she had just fled from. It would only bother him. Besides how would I explain that I was saved by some freaky wall of wind. Sakura thought to herself. My, my how the lies keep flowing.
Toya leaned in, "Are you sure nothing else happened?"
For a moment Sakura panicked. Oh god does he know? How?…No, there's no way. He just can tell when I'm not telling the complete truth. He's just grasping at straws.
"I'm fine, just a little tired. I ran to get here on time to make dinner since I knew you'd have a conniption fit if you had to make it yourself."
"Go lie down. I'll make the food."
What! Toya's being nice? Sakura looked at him like the pod people had just replaced her brother.
"It's just because I don't feel in the mood for food poisoning tonight." He retorted smugly.
Sakura shook her head. To think for one moment I actually thought Toya might be human. Proved wrong yet again.
Sakura went to her room, flopping down on the bed with a deep sigh. In a matter of a few days the world she had become accustomed to had been flipped upside down. A new face in school, one who rarely left her thoughts, myths and magical prophecies, secrets and dreams….dreams. That man had called her Shatiri. Who was he and why did he call her that? And beyond that, why couldn't I move. It felt like I was encased in stone, nothing could have moved me.
Maybe it was just another dream..
Yes that's it her mind rationalized. I must have fallen asleep and I was sleep walking and imagined that whole encounter. That's the only reasonable explanation for this whole thing.
But she could not put the matter to rest. And the letter kept coming to mind. Pulling out her star she ran her fingers along its hard edges. She did not get much sleep that night as her confusion kept her mind active.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alright, so what do you guys think? Personally I am tempted to scrap this chapter so speak up or it might disappear. But next chapter's gonna be fun. It's the dance! *kimmikat does a little boogie* And now if you would be so kind as to press that little button down there and review! Lots of love.
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