The Day I Found Hope

by dreamergalz

Chapter Two: A Story Before Our Creations: Creation of the Cards

Disclaimer: I do not own CCS, only the story and the plot!

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The servant stuttered: "Follow me." He was very afraid of Clow that he trembled when he walked to the servants' quarters. Finally, they reached a wooden door that was coming off its hinges. A smell was coming through the door from the holes that were already there. Inside was very quiet, only some servants and children were in there, for most of them were doing their duties.

Clow reached for the doorknob and opened it. The smell was overpowering his sense of smell. He saw the conditions and almost cried at the sight. The place was so cramped! It was about the size of Clow's and yet...it housed more than five hundred servants! Light was scarce there and the only light available was a fire. The people slept on the hard ground, for there was not enough space to accommodate all the beds. All the people were very dirty. The only time they were clean was the time when they had their baths once a week. Other times, they would have to wipe themselves clean. The moment Clow opened the door, the servants there stared at him, eyes blinking, unaccustomed to the bright light. All activities ceased immediately.

"Are slaves housed here too?" Clow asked.

"No. They are housed in another room."

"Take me there."

"Yes, Master Clow Reed."

Clow closed the door. The servant led the way, this time to the slaves' quarters. To get there, the servant had to take Clow even further into the ground, for the servants' quarters were underground. They arrived at an intersection where there were two doors, both obviously dirtier than the one at the servants' quarters. Both doors were kept locked. A more horrible smell emitted from them. The servant went to the left door and took out a key, which was probably given to him by the Emperor for being his personal servant.

"Where does the other door lead to?" Clow asked, curious.

"To the dungeons, Master Clow Reed." The servant answered.

"What kind of criminals is being kept there?"

"Those who did not pay the tax the Emperor asked and those who were charged with treason."

"The rest?"

"At other prisons around Japan."

Clow sighed. He would really have to ask the servant how many people who did not pay the tax to the Emperor were held in the dungeons. He assumed that the dungeons would be at least half-full of them.

The servant whispered: "I know what you are thinking, sir. You are probably asking how many people are being held there. There are no people who are charged with treason at the moment but around ninety-percent is full of those who did not pay tax." The servant's voice whispered even more quietly than just now, more urgently so: "I was also one of those who did not pay tax, sir. All the people in Japan did not, to be exact. We were too poor to pay them, for the Emperor wants too much money and we cannot afford to pay tax when we do not even have enough to buy food for our families for the whole year. I know that I should not speak ill of the Emperor but then...we really wish that you could help. We need a good ruler and there is another pressing problem. Other countries, seeing that we are so poor and everybody is half-starved, want Japan for themselves. If they were to attack, we would not be able to survive. Please do not be alarmed by the state of the slaves. They are to be pities instead."

"Why so?" Clow asked.

"The slaves all die within a year from the moment they are registered as slaves. They are being worked to death." The servant shuddered. "I suggest that one look would be more than enough, for dinner is about to be served soon."

Clow nodded, understanding that the servant was showing something that he should not have shown to guests in the first place. The servant quietly opened the door. Clow took a look inside. Then he stepped a side, nodding. The servant closed the door.

There were very few slaves inside but he knew the condition well enough. The slaves were being whipped everyday, non-stop for being so slow in doing their jobs and it looked as if there were not given enough food at all and had not bathed for at least a month. The smell coming from them was very unpleasant. It was evident that they carried manure and dung to the pits to be buried. It was also possible that they were to do all the work other servants did not want to do, all the dirty work like hauling dead bodies of dead servants and slaves.

Silently, both of them walked back to Clow's bedroom, Clow thinking about what he had seen and the servant thinking about what he had told Clow. It was almost time for Clow to go to the dining room to have dinner with the Emperor and discuss about politics.

"Sir, would you like some new clothes?" the servant asked.

"It's all right, I like wearing my own clothes; it's more comfortable." Clow spoke a spell and it left Clow smelling nice and clothes clean as if it were just washed and ironed.

With that done, the servant led Clow to the dining room.

"Wait outside here until someone announces you to enter the room. Then, sit next to the empty seat next to the Emperor after bowing and greeting him."

"Thank you for your advice."

"It's nothing, sir." The servant blushed.

Just then, someone announced Clow to enter the room. The main doors opened. Clow walked in slowly and confidently. He gave a tiny smile to the Emperor. When he was in front of the Emperor, he bowed and greeted the Emperor.

"I assume that you have rested well enough?" The Emperor asked.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, I have rested well enough." Clow answered.

"Come, have a sit next to me."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Clow walked towards the seat the Emperor had asked him to take and sat down with elegance. The feast started. Food was brought still steaming from the kitchens by the servants to the people attending the feast, mainly those who were in favour of the Emperor. At first, the Emperor was heaping food to his plate and drinking lots of wine imported from France. Clow remained seated, not touching the food in front of him and looking at the dancers dancing in the center of the room. Finally, the Emperor noticed that his guest was not eating anything but remaining seated, doing nothing.

"Why are you not eating, Master Clow Reed?"

"I am not hungry."

"Oh! But surely you would like to eat something after all."

"No, thank you, I am not hungry."

"Well, if that is the case..."

"I have a question to ask, Your Majesty."

"Just tell me."

"It is regarding the slaves and the servants in this country."

The Emperor suddenly stopped eating and looked at Clow. He was shocked to hear that someone would ask about them. To him, slaves and servants were born to serve people and that was all he knew.

"Is there anything wrong? Or is it that you want servants and slaves to serve you?"

"No. What I would like to know is their welfare. Are they being forced to become servants or slaves just because they were not able to pay tax?"

The Emperor's face purpled. "What do you mean by that? It is because they are not able to pay the tax imposed, so they have to serve as slaves and servants without pay to pay back the tax owed by them."

"Oh, is that so? Might I say that they are being badly treated and that they do not have freedom once they have started this 'job'?"

"Who told you all this? These...these...rumors!" The Emperor was getting angry.

"Someone. You need not hide from me. I have seen the servants' and slaves' quarters." Clow was also beginning to get angry, for was this how people were supposed to treat people? Like animals?

"It is not my fault that they are dirty and things like that. It is the problem of us being poor and not able to feed all the people in the country."

"If that is the case, why is it that you, the Emperor, is still able to eat richly while the poor people have nothing to eat?"

"This is not your business! This is my business! I do what I can for the people and this is what I can do! You do not order me around!"

"Oh is it?" Clow was getting angrier by the minute. Hearing the commotion, everything that was happening in the dining room stopped all of the sudden. "Well, to have a good ruler on the throne, I have no choice but to do this."

Clow raised his right hand, which were starting to glow a gold colour due to a key that was in his hand. That key turned into a staff and pointing it at the Emperor, Clow said: "I curse your family and descendents and especially those who would inherit the throne. I curse those who in the future do not govern the country properly die a horrible death. I do not curse those who have tried their best to govern the country but would bless them with all my heart. Those with souls which are pure would enter heaven but for those who are not, they would enter hell."

With that curse finished, he spoke a word and all the servants and slaves were freed. The Emperor was still sitting in his chair, stunned. Everywhere, cheers erupted from people's mouths.

Clow looked at the Emperor and ordered: "If you start governing your country well, you would not die a horrible death. But if you do not..."

The Emperor gulped. "I understand." He whispered, looking at the ground and not at Clow. With his job done, Clow went back to his home.

He ate his dinner and sat down on his red armchair again. He knew that it was time to do what he had intended to do before he went to the palace.

He stood up and walked to the center of the room. There, he closed his eyes and stretched his arms. Then...something miraculous happened. Golden light surrounded him and one by one, something rectangular appeared in front of him before circling him. This happened for fifty-two times before Clow opened his eyes. There, the same thing happened the fifty-third time in front of his eyes. With that done, he looked around and saw that there were fifty-three cards surrounding him.

"Hello there." He greeted them.

Next, he closed his eyes and created a book, named the Clow Book. Then remembering something, he created a winged beast, named Keroberos and a winged man, named Yue. (He had created Keroberos and Yue as he wanted them to guard the Cards.) His new creations surrounded him.

"Welcome to my home everyone." He smiled.

Clow coaxed the Cards to go into the book before going to his bedroom and sleep...

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"So this is how we were created." Keroberos wondered out loud.

"Yes." Clow said. "I am very tired. I would like to sleep now. Could you all please not disturb me now?"

"Yes, Master." Everyone chorused.

Then, Clow went napping under the tree with his Cards and Keroberos and Yue surrounding him.

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Well, I did not expect myself to update so soon! Hehe. I guess it is due to today not having any homework. School has re-opened today and I am lucky not to have any homework! Well, I hope that you have enjoyed this chapter! Please do review, or I would not add a new chapter so soon! Ja!