Disclaimer: If I owned CCS, I'll be drawing mangas instead of writing fanfics. And also, 'A Red, Red Rose' by Robert Burns is not mine in any way possible.
Quintessential Cage
Chap. 03- 'Pathways'
By nilfheim
"Getting a bit lucky today, aren't we?" a cloaked figure whispered to an almost translucent bird.
The above mentioned bird suddenly woke up from its slumber after hearing a voice in its head. Tomoyo figured the enchantress could speak through glass walls and speak in her mind. The enchantress suddenly made circular motions with her right hand. White smoke appeared and showed images.
Tomoyo instantly recognized them. They were her friends.
"That boy over there, cannot truly save you, for his heart is already on someone else," the enchantress pointed to Li Syaoran, "and so is that girl, for her heart is fated for somebody now."
Tomoyo saw Sakura and Hiiragizawa talking with each other while Li just nodded his head every now and then.
"Which leaves this handsome young man…" the enchantress continued, pointing a long, bony finger to Hiiragizawa.
"But will he truly love you?" the enchantress asked.
That question lingered in the air for a while.
"Bye Sakura!" Rika called to her friend.
"Bye!" Sakura shouted back and then followed Syaoran and Eriol.
The three became silent for a while as each of them mused over their thoughts. Sakura was deeply thinking about Tomoyo, their dreams and a lot of stuff that happened over the day. Syaoran coming back. Tomoyo being absent and falling into a coma. The dream last night about Tomoyo. Eriol's arrival.
'Oh Tomoyo, whatever really happened to you?' Sakura asked herself.
Meanwhile, Eriol was spying Syaoran from the corner of his eyes. He swore that Syaoran was glancing now and then to Sakura and then looking away when he thought she was looking. Eriol smirked inwardly. Unfortunately, Syaoran saw that Eriol really did smirked at his direction.
'That guy actually spotted me looking to Sakura?' Syaoran bellowed in his mind, a blush creeping over his cheeks.
He thought of Sakura's reactions the moment Eriol decided to tattletale to Sakura what he saw. At this, Syaoran had a new mission besides the previous ones, stop Eriol from telling Sakura.
"This way please," the maid said, leading them the way to Tomoyo's room.
The three of them were silent, climbing the winding stairs. Sakura was getting uncomfortable with the silence around them so she decided to break it up and ask another question that was lingering in her mind for now.
"Hey Eriol, how's Mizuki-sensei in merry old London?" Sakura asked.
"London? I thought she was in England," Syaoran said.
"London is in England Syaoran, I heard that Mizuki-sensei is currently staying there," Sakura explained.
"From whom did you get that little piece of information?" Eriol asked, a little bit amused.
"Well, Kero and Suppi are staying in touch with each other," Sakura replied.
"This is Ms. Daidouji's room," the maid interrupted, opening the door.
The door opened to reveal a distraught Sonomi Daidouji drinking tea in the living room. Sakura caught her breath as she gazed at Tomoyo's room. Tomoyo's room was practically so large for Sakura's opinion to include a living room, a bathroom and a video editing room somewhere.
"Good afternoon Sakura," Sonomi greeted them first.
Sakura greeted her back as Sonomi motioned to them to sit on the couch.
"Well, we came here because we heard Tomoyo's absent today and when I called earlier at the Daidouji residence someone told me Tomoyo's in a coma," Sakura explained.
Sonomi didn't say anything but beckoned them to follow her. Sakura, Syaoran and Eriol saw Tomoyo still dressed in her nightgown and she looked like she was just sleeping.
"I'll leave you three here," Sonomi said and left.
No one said anything for a minute. The only sounds could be heard were Sonomi's footsteps fainting away.
"Oh, Tomoyo!" Sakura cried out.
"That is so weird," Syaoran commented, touching Tomoyo.
If it weren't for the shallow sounds of Tomoyo's breathing, Syaoran could've sworn he would've mistaken Tomoyo as a dead person. Tomoyo was literally so cold she was like a block of ice.
"Huh?" Sakura said out loud.
Eriol held Tomoyo's hand and kissed it in a gentlemanly way.
"What was that for?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.
"A gentleman should always kiss the fair hands of any woman whether she is asleep or she is awake," Eriol replied.
"You mean she's in a coma," Syaoran corrected.
The same maid that led them to Tomoyo's room appeared, carrying a tray of cakes and drinks.
"Thanks," Sakura thanked her and the maid left.
"Yum… Delicious," Syaoran commented, grabbing one of the cakes.
"So Eriol, how's Mizuki-sensei doing?" Sakura asked.
"I haven't heard from her lately, I visited once her flat in London and all I got was nothing but nada," Eriol replied.
Eriol suddenly moved his chair closer to Tomoyo and cleared his throat. Sakura and Syaoran stopped doing any previous activities they had at the moment.
"O, my love is like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June.
O my love is like the melodie
That's sweetly played in tune," Eriol recited in a poetic voice, causing many a raised eyebrow from Sakura and Syaoran.
"As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I,
And I will luve thee still, my dear
Till a' the seas gang dry," Eriol continued while Sakura giggled.
"Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun!
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run," Eriol spoke, making dramatic actions. Syaoran was scowling in the background.
"And fare thee well, my only luve,
And fare thee well awhile!
And I will come again, my luve,
Thought it were ten thousand mile!" Eriol finished, standing up.
Sakura started to clap while Syaoran muttered something like "oh, please cut that crap already!" and scowled more.
"That was a poem 'A Red, Red Rose' by Robert Burns," Eriol declared, sitting down.
"Whatever, it was very impressive," Sakura said.
'Hah! I knew it wasn't original,' Syaoran thought.
Eriol noticed something and he saw a heart-shaped locket adorning Tomoyo's neck inscribed with the words je t'aime.
'I know I've seen this somewhere,' Eriol mused, inspecting the locket carefully.
And Eriol knew where he'd seen it.
'In merry old London,' his mind finished.
"Hey what's that?" Sakura asked, looking over his shoulder. Syaoran followed Sakura.
Eriol didn't say anything but opened the locket instead. A burst of blue white light erupted from the locket.
"AAAAAAAAHHHH!" Sakura shouted as the light became a swirling tornado that sucked all three of them inside the locket like a vacuum cleaner.
"Sakura, hold on to my hand!" Syaoran shouted.
"What the hey-" Eriol started but he didn't get to finish it.
AN: Once again, thank you to all my reviewers! Yes, that poem on Chapter 2 was mine's all the way. I spent five minutes or so editing and retyping it so everything would rhyme the way I want it to be. Next chapter will send the trio into a treasure hunt of sorts to free our beloved songbird.
Now please click that Go! Button and submit a review to make my day! TTFN :-)
