Author's Notes: Hello! It's been a while, ne? I was so busy with school I haven't had the time to write. Anyway, many of you were not that approved of Tomoyo's decision to leave Eriol, ne? I am against it, too, for a fact. However, there is only one explanation to it: emotion. If you love someone and he's totally suffering because you were with him, you don't have any option but to leave him, ne? As a typical saying goes, "If you love him, set him free." Although Eriol did not wish to part with Tomoyo, apparently there is no other way to relieve him of the curse. (Curse that curse!) Why am I explaining this? Well, someone demanded that I explain to her how I come up with the silliest ideas. ;;; If I don't explain, she might flame all my fanfics…ahehehehe…. So there you go! I'll be going now, please enjoy the chapter!
Pensively-drifting : Thanks for the praise. Hopefully, you will read it to the end.
mimika : Hello, and thanks for reviewing again. J How I get my inspiration? Well, usually, they just pop out of nowhere, that's why I write irregularly…meaning whenever I fell like it. I do believe some of my stories do suck sometimes, you can't help that especially if you are not feeling well or you're feeling lost in your fic. But it will come out right. -
Clownsareevil and Darkshadowheartless : Thank you for that critical review. And I still insist that Kaho is not evil in this fanfic.
not applicable : Thanks for your patience. I hope you will like this chapter.
PrincessSakuraTenshi12 : Hello, I hope you can do well in your fanfics. You are so lucky you get to write while you are in high school. I started writing when I was in high school, too, but since we don't have a computer, I have to write them by hand! ;;; You can imagine that. Good luck and thanks for reading!
AniMeAzN-5-14 : Thanks for the compliment. J I hope you'll like this chapter.
flitter bug : As usual, your reviews uplift my mood. Yes, Sasuke is a reincarnated character but he will appear later on, so it will be a surprise. Hope you will like this next chapter.
Esmi : I am so sorry I cannot email you when I update, basically because there's so many asking for that. ;; Anyway, please enjoy this chapter.
cyjj : Ahh…I did not mean to make her leave ;; It will be for a good cause, I promise. J
MorbidPhoenix : Wow, it's a rare thing to see someone else hyper aside from KyteAura and my muses. Hehehehe… Well, I am glad you liked the past chapter and please look out for more! J
Ukari-chan : Thanks for reviewing again. I hope this will be a good chapter for you. -
CHAPTER 11: Searching for AnswersFALLING cherry blossoms danced with the air as the spring afternoon set in. A humming voice can be heard softly, carried by the cool air towards the mountains.
"Onee-san (Elder Sister)! Please sing us one more song!" the girl beside Arisa urged. The other girl tugged on her sleeve, both pleading to the priestess. "We want to hear about Urashima and the turtle."
"But, I sang that song just a while ago," Arisa reasoned, but the girls persisted that they want to hear it once more. Smoothing one of the girls' hair, she started singing.
The shouji (paper) doors slid open loudly just before she could finish the song. The owner of the house entered the room and kneeled beside a low table. "Otousan (Father)!" the girls joyously chorused as they ran to their father's arms. Their father, on the other hand, turned to Arisa and bowed deeply.
"Sasuke-san," Arisa politely greeted.
Touya Sasuke turned to his daughters. "Ai, Nase, would you go to your room and play there first? Arisa-oneesan and I have something to talk about. As the girls went out, Sasuke bade the priestess to sit across where he sat.
Arisa arranged her yukata and sat down gracefully. Brushing her long hair off her shoulders, she started the conversation. "What is it that you want to talk about, Sasuke-san?"
"It's about Clow Reed-san," Sasuke sighed. "He fell ill."
Arisa turned pale. "Clow-sama…is sick?" she repeated. "But…why? Is he all right now? Who's treating him? Is it a magical illness?" She stopped short when she found herself half-standing, half-kneeling on the floor, her hands clenched on the table. Taking a deep breath, she sat down. "I…know I don't even have the right to ask things like these," she slowly said, "after I left his house without saying a word." She fell silent and blinked back tears.
The man across her took out his pipe and lit it. "What you said was true. For the past two months, you've been away, Clow-san never thirsted for blood again. However, he seldom eats and has lost interest in any magical endeavor. He has also developed hate for the woman who came to stay in the house."
"Lady Hina of Lle," Arisa whispered. "How is Clow-sama now?" she asked, still anxious about the wizard's condition.
A maid entered the room to light the lamps, for the sun was already setting. After announcing that dinner will be served soon, she left. Sasuke turned his grim face towards the priestess. "He is bed-ridden and has high fever, but the doctor said he has a minor illness only. However, Clow-san doesn't seem so keen on getting well, except on the idea that he can return to searching for you once more after he has been healed." Sasuke pressed his lips together firmly. "He really yearns for you a lot, Miko-sama (priestess-sama)."
"Sou…" Arisa thought for a while and stood up. "My heart won't find peace until I see that Clow-sama is fine."
"Are you going back?" Sasuke asked hopefully.
Arisa smiled sadly. "No, but I have to do something to ease his pain. After all, I owe him something more valuable than my life." With that, she excused herself from the room to head for the manor.
THE last bell rung throughout the whole school, signaling the end of classes. People – students and teachers alike – began hurrying towards their respective club activities. The sun threatened the city an early evening, as clouds gathered thickly in the sky.
"Chiharu-san!" the cheerleading coach called out to a girl in pigtails. "Where is Sakura-san? She's supposed to show the team the backflip she perfected yesterday."
The girl shook her head. "Sakura-chan was just with us a moment ago," she answered, puzzled.
"I know where she is," someone answered from behind them. Another classmate, Yamazaki Takashi, smiled at them. "She went with Hiiragizawa-kun and Li-kun a while ago, but I do not know where they went…"
Chiharu raised an eyebrow at Yamazaki. He was her boyfriend and was known for being a big tall-tale-teller. "Mou, are you sure you are telling the truth now?"
"Of course! I always do…aaaah…ouch!" As Chiharu pulled the young man by the cheek, the cheerleading coach looked doubtfully towards the school.
KINOMOTO Sakura sat before a desk, her green eyes brimming with tears. The library was empty, and their voice echoed throughout the room.
"I…don't know anything!" Sakura blurted out, tears spilling. "Please, don't ask me anymore."
Syaoran sat at the edge of the table, his face slightly worried as he watched Sakura rock her chair back and forth, the legs thumping on the wooden floor endlessly. "Kinomoto-san, I'm sure you know something." Syaoran persisted still. "You are Daidouji-san's best friend, aren't you? You must have had some idea where she went."
"Li-kun," Eriol, who sat across Sakura, stopped Syaoran from interrogating the girl. "Forcing her will not make her say anything." His face was etched with anxiety, his fingers drumming on the table.
They heard the news just this morning. Daidouji Tomoyo, the reincarnation of the Light Priestess, transferred to another school. She arranged her papers without telling them, and left without even leaving a message. They called their house, but apparently, she has left home, too.
"Eriol-kun, I swear, I want to tell you where Tomoyo went…but…" Sakura's tears fell once more. "I don't know why I can't…"
Li frowned and jumped off the tale. "You mean, Daidouji-san kept you from telling us about her whereabouts?"
The reincarnation of Clow Reed adjusted his glasses on his nose. "It's possible that Tomoyo bound you from telling anyone any information," he said thoughtfully. "It's a hypnotic spell. I think there's some ways to break it." He provided a piece of paper and a pen to Sakura.
"Here, try writing what you want to say," he told the girl.
Sakura picked up the pen and swallowed. She seemed confident but upon writing the first number of an address, the pen suddenly broke into two and ink spilled on the paper.
"What…" Sakura stared at the mess as Syaoran enchanted a handkerchief to clean her hands.
"I guess there's not other choice, since Tomoyo has perfected even blocking her writing," Eriol said. How Tomoyo learned all these spells, he cannot understand. She seemed to be reluctant to be a priestess even right before she left, and would not use any magic. But now…
Li nodded towards the bespectacled young man. "Then we have to use…that."
"What? What are you going to do?" Sakura asked in panic as the two boys arranged her chair so that she was facing them.
"I'm going to hypnotize you again," Syaoran replied as he held the girl's shoulders. "Then, I'll put out Daidouji-san's spell." He muttered something under his breath and light shone forth from his fingers. "Look at me," he commanded.
"No…I can't…"
"You have to trust him, Kinomoto-san," Eriol pleaded. "This is our only chance to know where Tomoyo is."
The brown-haired girl looked at the slumped figure of Eriol and nodded in understanding. Sitting up straight, she stared into Syaoran's eyes. "Please do it, then."
Syaoran gulped too much air and almost choked as he met the girl's eyes. He steadied the hands holding her and muttered an ancient incantation. Immediately, Sakura blacked out and lay open to any command they would give.
"Do the honors, Hiiragizawa-san," Syaoran urged.
Eriol approached Sakura's unconscious body. "Sakura-san, please tell me," he started. "Where is Tomoyo right now?"
Sakura's eyelids fluttered as she spoke. "Tomoyo-chan is in a safe place. Do not worry."
"But…but…" Eriol knelt before Sakura. "But where? How do I find her?"
As if having a mind of its own even though unconscious, Sakura leaned towards Eriol and spoke in a voice not hers. "I know you would try this Eriol. Please do not look for me. It is much better this way."
With that, Sakura returned to her normal consciousness.
As Syaoran filled in the girl on what happened, Eriol stared at the set sun outside the window. "Kuso…" he muttered. "Why did she have to leave at this moment…" Suddenly, he remembered an agreement, one that required separation from Tomoyo. Quickly, he turned to just recovering Sakura.
"Sakura-san, did Tomoyo, by any means, talk to Mizuki-sensei?"
The girl ,who was standing up by the aid of Syaoran's arm, nodded thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I think she told me something about seeing Sensei the day after you went to meet Sensei yourself. She must have asked Mizuki-sensei why you were so down…"
"That must be it!" Eriol exclaimed. Heading out for the door, he called out to Li. "Li-kun, please bring Sakura-san home safely! I'll go see Mizuki-sensei!"
"KINOMOTO-san," Li called out as they were walking home from school.
"Hai?" Sakura smiled at him.
Syaoran immediately blushed. "Anou…I'm sorry a while ago…for…pressuring you about Daidouji-san's whereabouts."
Sakura looked surprised, but smiled nonetheless. "That's all right. We are all concerned about Tomoyo-chan. Sure, I cried a lot while we were talking, but that's more of a frustration that I can't tell you where she went." She looked up to see the street posts lighting up. "I can just tell you that she's somewhere safe."
Syaoran nodded for a while and stayed quiet as they walked side-by-side.
"Nee, Li-kun," Sakura said after a while.
"H…ha..hai?" Syaoran stammered as he looked onto Sakura's smiling face again. "is something wrong?"
The girl shook her head. "I think…since you are also one of my friends now, you should be less formal with me."
"Less formal?"
"Un. I think you should just call me Sakura, instead of Kinomoto-san," Sakura laughed as she tried to imitate Syaoran's way of speaking. "Ne, that would be better. Then I can call you Syaoran-kun!"
"Uh…sure, Kinomoto-san…"
Sakura faked a pout. "It's Sakura!"
"Sakura…-san…"
She smiled as she heard her name. "Cool, that's better, Syaoran-kun." She walked ahead, humming.
Syaoran shook his head as he watched Sakura hum cheerfully like a contented cat.
"ARE you here to ask about Daidouji-san?" Mizuki-sensei mixed the tea before setting the cup before Eriol.
Eriol was in a hurry, but he cannot set his own pace in the teacher's home. He allowed himself to be served with tea. "How…did you know about that?"
"I ran to her on my way to the principal's office," the teacher softly said. "She was submitting papers for transfer. She asked to take care of you."
"Why…why are you doing this?" Eriol suddenly blurted out. "Isn't our feud from long ago already over? We don't have anything to do with it! Why do you have to take it against Tomoyo?"
Mizuki sighed as she stopped short of drinking. Setting her cup down, she looked straight at the young man's eyes. "To start, I do not hate Daidouji Tomoyo. In fact, I think she is a brilliant student. Even if you are related to me by fate, I cannot despise that girl."
"Then why?! Why are you so bent on separating her and I?!" Eriol exclaimed, forgetting that it was a teacher sitting in front of him.
"As you may know, the course of our fates is commanded by what our ancestors did in the past. Just like you, I have been ridden with my ancestor's wrath of your family. Even if I don't hate you or Daidouji-san, I have to follow what my family dictates. I am not the one who will set you free from the curse. Even if I have powers myself, it is only to protect the shrine and relay my ancestor's message to you. The spell on you will be undone automatically when the priestess has left your side."
"What?" Eriol was dumbfounded. "You mean to say…"
The teacher nodded. "My ancestor may have withered away, but her wrath towards Daidouji-san and her lust over your ancestor Clow Reed still remains. I would like to undo it, but it is a strong curse. My great grandmother tried helping the cursed one before you, and she ended up getting punished, too." She smiled sadly. "I am sorry, but I didn't mean to hurt you or Tomoyo in any way. It's just that…it's the only way to lift the curse of your blood and I had merely offered it."
Eriol cradled his head with his hands. "There is not other way, huh?" he murmured.
The teacher looked at him sadly as he kept silent in sorrow.
"THANKS a lot for letting me stay here, Tsukishiro-kun," Tomoyo smiled at the young man before her.
"Ah, I am glad to help you out, Daidouji-san," Tsukishiro Yukito heartily said. "I was just worried why you left home so suddenly without the knowledge of even your parents."
Tomoyo forced a smile. She looked around the large house. "It's…a long story…"
AUTHORS NOTES: Merry Christmas! For those people whom I haven't included in my replies for the reviews, so sorry! I will reply to them in the next chapter. In the mean time, please wait patiently for the next chapter. ;; I am currently in a group scanlating manga (namely Meine Liebe) so I was kinda busy. But, I will try to write a follow-up to this soon, so please send me your thoughts. - Thank you so much for reading.