Disclaimer: I DON'T own Cardcaptor Sakura! So don't sue me... I'm poor...
And I'm so sorry if anyone got confused by the first chapter..... hehe, there weren't any spaces between the paragraphs...............
Characters:
Aris: the witch of the castle who works directly for the queen (Sonomi)
Artemis: the twin brother of Aris, he is the healer of the castle.
Tomoyo: The princess
Sakura: the princess's best friend and second-cousin.
Hehe, that's all the characters for now... just in case anyone got confused...
Web of Fate
Chapter two
Long ago, when the earth was still young, life was born. Using the likeness of the great gods, the universe created man, and all that walked on the earth and all that swam in the seas. Along with this life, came something mysterious. With the remains of the gods' life giving power, magic was born.
What is magic? Nobody really knows, an unanswered question. Still, it is a true mystery to the universe. Magic grants those who obtain it, abilities beyond compare. It allows them to harness and manipulate the uncontrollable forces of nature, and perform spells and enchantments. Which those without the ability could never dream of doing. But in this world of war and chaos, the gift of magic has been weaved out of those unable to live, unable to survive with harsh reality.
Now, only those rich enough to survive the ever growing expenses of life can only hope to inherit this unique gift through family blood. But there is an exception. Around every hundred years, a child is born with the gift, without inheritance from its parents.
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Aris looked admirably at the small knife she held in her hands. She turned the blade's golden hilt around in her hands, noticing every fine jewel encrusted in the handle. Truly, this was a magnificent item. Her ancestors had crafted the blade centuries ago, and infused within it their life energy and magic auras. It is said that there is no other item as powerful as it, in the land, and now it was in her possession.
Aris walked towards a large wooden chest, carefully tucked away in her closet. Nobody was allowed to ever touch the chest, or even look inside of it. For if they did, they would find unimaginable horrors that would give enough proof for Aris to be prosecuted. But even then, she wouldn't have enough lives to pay for the wicked deeds she'd done in the past.
She unlocked the chest and gazed inside, selecting a piece of soft wood. She smirked maliciously as she put back vials of blood and foul smelling concoctions. Aris locked the chest again and sat down at her desk. She smiled fondly as she ran the blade lightly over her thumb, drawing crimson blood from the wound. It was still sharp after so many years.
She took the piece of wood, spreading her blood around its sides, and began to carve. The wood glowed black. Skillfully, the knife's blade ran into the wood, silently slicing off a thin piece each time. Small pieces of wood fell onto the desk. Slowly, a figure of a young girl appeared...
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Sakura jumped anxiously into the air, taking in the fresh spring breeze as she fell back down. She couldn't wait; Tomoyo had told her she had a surprise waiting for her. Sakura would see it during the luncheon they would have together. She was so excited! What could the surprise be?
"I wonder if it would be another dress." she mused, "Tomoyo-chan makes the prettiest dresses, but I already have so many!"
The princess loved making costumes and different kinds of clothing, especially for Sakura. According to her, Sakura was the cutest thing she'd ever laid eyes on! Sakura smiled, imagining the starry-eyes she'd often receive from the princess.
Not wanting to waste anymore time, Sakura began to pick up speed. The wind rippled gently through her hair, as birds and butterflies circled around her. She began to twirl around gracefully, laughing with her little friends, but suddenly stopped. The last time she started to daydream, it didn't have a happy ending. She hadn't been concentrating and hit a servant- an impolite one at that- and fell roughly to the ground, earning her a fresh nice bruise.
Sakura made a face as she slowed down, beginning to walk straight. She looked regrettably at her arm, where a large purple bump greeted her eyes.
Suddenly a familiar voice rang out throughout the garden.
"Sakura-chan!"
"Hoe?" Sakura spun around, "Who said that?"
"Sakura-chan!"
"That voice... it belongs to Tomoyo..." Sakura thought, "But where is she?"
"Sakura, I'm over here!"
The voice came from below her. Sakura looked as the garden arched downward, a narrow set of stone stairs leading down the hill. Sure enough, there was the princess, waving a handkerchief in the air and smiling sweetly, motioning for her to come down
"I'll be right down!" Sakura called out, running quickly towards the stairs.
Suddenly she felt the air shift and wave, as there seemed to be a translucent glass wall in between her and the princess. An immense alien feeling flooded over her as shivers ran down her back. This feeling was unnatural; it was as if she was sensing something from it that was trying to pull her closer- and it was succeeding. The feeling was almost foreboding.
"What's this?" Sakura asked, shocked and confused. "Th...this wall, it isn't part of the garden..."
She could hear her blood pumping endlessly in her ears as time seemed to stand still. Everything faded away, leaving only her and the wall standing together in the dark abyss of her mind. What was this- thing? Why didn't anyone else see it?
Tomoyo's voice echoed across Sakura's mind, bringing her back into reality. "Quickly, Sakura-chan, your surprise can't wait forever!"
"Hai."
She grimly walked towards the glass wall, and hesitantly reached her hand out. Her arm passed right through the wall, as if it were never there. The unwanted feeling instantly came back, and Sakura pulled her hand back as quickly as she could. The feeling was really uncomfortable. It was clawing at the corners of her mind, screaming at her to get closer.
Sakura couldn't take it anymore, was she going mad? This was all probably a figment of her imagination, an illusion. Yes, it must be that. She was just scaring herself.
"Just go!" her conscience urged, "Nothing to be afraid of. Just go and stop wasting time!"
Sakura frowned and took a big step straight forward. Nothing happened. But as she was going through the wall, it felt as if she was walking through a giant spider's web, sticky and full of threads.
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Aris looked up from her work. There was a slight tug on the fingers where her threads were tied to. She narrowed her eyes, upset that she was disturbed from her work and set the figure down. It was almost done; all she needed to do now was finish the details in the face. This was the most important part. If there was a slight mistake, the doll would not work, and she would have to start all over again, wasting her time and energy.
Aris got up and strolled towards her window, her right hand outstretched. She could feel the threads get tighter and tighter, firmly wrapped around her fingers.
"So, Lady Sakura," she thought, "you have finally stepped into my trap. It's about time..." Aris smirked, "I almost thought you would never come to join my fun!"
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Sakura looked at her arms, they felt strange, as if they had been tied up. Sakura ran her hand over her arm, expecting to touch something. She could feel thin lines pressing against her skin, but, nothing was there.
"How odd..."
She shook her head and began to walk down the steps. Something was wrong, her arms felt distorted, as if they were trying to hold her back. Her whole body felt stiff and restrained. Suddenly something tightened against her ankle, harshly pulling it back and tripping her.
"Wh- what's this!" Sakura cried out, petrified.
She fell forward and rolled down the hard stone steps. Sakura shrieked loudly as the sharp and rough edges of the stone made contact with her body, earning new cuts and bruises.
From below, Tomoyo stood there stunned as her friend fell down the steps. Everything happened so fast. Her mind was a blur, flooding with thoughts and ideas she wished were never there. She prayed that Sakura would be alright and that there wouldn't be any fatal wounds. Those steps were old, but never had anyone thought that they would cause such an accident. If she had magic, she would be able to help her; instead she just stood there in shock, powerless to do anything.
"Sakura-chan..." her throat was dry. She began to run towards the steps.
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Aris clapped her hands sarcastically, "Bravo, what a performance!" She looked down at Sakura, "Well, well, well, look what we have here. Our little cherry blossom is unconscious."
Aris smiled, "I'll just have to wake her up."
She waved her hand around, twisting the threads into an intricate pattern, pulling tightly to the side. Aris watched as Sakura's body rolled onto the ground, and then slightly jerk sideways on an angle. The garden's pond waited for her arrival.
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Sakura coughed and sputtered as she tried to sit up in the pool of water. The soft sand underneath her refused to agree with her weight. Sakura was entirely soaked, and her gown felt like a million pounds! It was pulling her downward. She hastily pulled her arm out of the water and reached for the edge of the pond. Her hand clumsily slipped off the rocks as she tried to grab hold of one.
Tomoyo came just in time and clutched her friend's hand firmly within her own. "I've got you" she said quietly, and pulled Sakura out of the water.
Immediately, servants and maids rushed over to the two girls, carrying bundles of blankets, and cloths. A doctor rushed over, promptly bowing to the princess, and instantly slipped a piece of cloth over Sakura's wrist. He closed his eyes and began to feel for her pulse. After a few minutes, the old man smiled and spoke, "There is nothing wrong with Lady Sakura," he said to Tomoyo, "other then a few cuts and bruises, everything will be alright. But I suggest you dry her up quickly before she catches a cold."
Tomoyo nodded as the doctor packed his things and left. She turned to Sakura and smiled slyly, "Yes, we'd best get you changed then. Doctor's orders!" Her eyes shone mysteriously and Sakura groaned. She knew what was coming next.
Tomoyo squealed with delight as she pulled a newly sewn dress into view. It was made out of fine silk and was pale peach in color. Designs of vines and flowers cover the robe and sequins aligned its edges.
Sakura gasped joyfully, "It's gorgeous!" She continued to stare, amazed at the dress. Tomoyo smiled with pleasure, "I'm glad you like it. Now quickly go back into the castle and change. Your surprise is still out there waiting for you to come." She made a gesture, pointing to the far side of the garden.
"You mean this dress isn't the surprise?" Sakura asked.
Tomoyo laughed amusedly, "Of course not silly. If this was your surprise, I would have given it to you a long time ago!" She led Sakura back up the stairs, and gently pushed her towards the castle.
"Now, go get changed."
Sakura grinned excitedly as she ran down the stone pathway. She looked down at the dress she held delicately in her hands, "If you're not the surprise, then what is it?" she said thoughtfully.
She glanced back and giggled, dozens of servants rushed towards the old staircase, carrying armfuls of tools and cement.
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Aris sighed dejectedly as she looked at her hand, the magic began to fade. "Pity," she thought, "Thread magic can only be used once after it's summoned. These threads have completed their task." Aris smirked and walked back to her desk. She picked up the small wooden figure, "But then again, that's why I've created you." She sneered.
"The magic that I'll use with you will never fail me."
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Author's note: okie, my second chapter! How was it? Good? Bad? Please review!
Wolf jade: hehe, my first ever reviewer! sniff so happy..... anyway, hope you liked this chapter! I hope you didn't get confused....
Melon-heart: thx for putting me on your author alert list!
nanami-0815: really? You thought of the same plot? Wow.... and thanks for putting me on your favourite authors list! :)
Midi Tenshi: I'm glad you liked the first chapter!
damson rhee: thanks for reviewing! I really appreciated the review, hehe, I'm sorry if Aris and Artemis are really confusing... but I'll explain more about them later. I hope the character guide on the top kinda helped...
cherrieblossoms: hehehehe, thanks for the review!!!! Keep reviewing!
