Title: Masquerade
Chapter: Selecting the Mask
Author: Kitten at Heart
Updated: June 2, 2005
Rating: T
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOClad in a black and white suit, he leaned on a sturdy tree. He fixed his dark sunglasses, just to make sure no one would see his eyes (since eyes reveal the true person-someone like him could not risk it on the job). Resisting the urge to itch his nose and leg, he waited. They should be here soon, he thought, she should be great help to the mistress.
"Right here everyone," he heard the Li Clan tour guide yell, "we will take a five minute break in the luxurious Li Garden." She clapped her hands together, making her high ponytail twitch a little. "But, in the Li Clan mansion-we have to take the necessary precautions." In a matter of seconds, men and women in dark suits and dark sunglasses guarded the borders of the garden. "See you back here in five minutes!"
Hm…where is she? His eyes, shielded by his sunglasses, gazed among the crowd to find the one girl he has chosen to serve the mistress of the Li Clan. He remembered that she possessed long auburn hair and sparkling emerald eyes. He was contemplating on how he was to find such a girl when he heard a bundle of loud laughter.
"Oh ho ho ho ho!" The man looked over to see a beautiful woman with a video camera attached to her eye. "Say that again Sakura-chan! Except this time pretend that the camera isn't here…" he heard the girl chirp. Her shoulder length dark gray hair flowed softly in the wind. He savored her creamy white skin but closed his eyes instantly. She was not his subject-her companion was.
"Tomo-chan-you already got it on tape!" her companion groaned. She was the one. The man slowly made his way towards the two lovely women. The woman with auburn hair spotted the man and immediately started to panic. "Tomo-chan! Look! We were probably not allowed to tape anything! Now we have done something bad and wrong!"
"Sakura-chan…" the camera girl sighed.
"We are probably going to be put to jail! Or worse-our heads will be cut off in front of the Li Clan Master and Mistress! OH NO!" she cried. When the man approached, she bowed politely and begged forgiveness. "Please Mr. Guard Sir! We didn't mean it! I am so sorry!"
He quirked his eyebrow and responded, "That is not it miss. But you will have to come with me. The Li Clan needs your help."
"My...help?" she squeaked. "Why would the famous Li Clan need help from a normal girl like me?"
"No time to explain" he huffed. He also held out his hand to the camera girl as if he wanted something. "Miss. I will need that tape." She took the eyepiece off of her eye and pouted but solemnly handed it over. "Follow me," he directed the girl and added, "only you." The camera girl groaned and was left by herself with the rest of the tourists.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOThe Mistress of the Li Clan hopped around the luxurious room. Literally. She wore a long royal purple dress but couldn't find her left shoe. She screamed in frustration and swore a couple times as she searched with no prevail.
"Mistress?" her personal body guard, Kisawa Saru, started, "you have another pair just like it. It would be easier that way." The Mistress stopped and put on a sweet smile.
"Saru…Saru…" she purred as she limped her way towards the tall man clad in black, "if we did everything the easy way, it wouldn't be exciting-now would it? My dear, it would be easier to tell my husband a few things…but I like to live life on the edge." She trailed a long finger down his chest as she swayed her hips seductively. Saru's breath became more rapid with each move she made. "Besides…the shoe I have on is more expensive!" she squealed and continued her search. Saru sighed and wiped his forehead free of sweat.
"Mistress?" questioned a male on the outside followed by a knock on the closed door.
"Saru dear, can you please retrieve that for me?" she purred as she flashed her emerald eyes. Her bodyguard bowed and answered the door. Thus, Kagura continued on her search for her shoe. She heard some low mumbling from the doorway but she paid no mind to it, however. If it was extremely important, like the discovery of her long lost shoe, she, of all people, would hear it.
"Hem," coughed a male voice, "Mistress?" Kagura turned around to see Hiiragizawa Eriol slightly bowing before her. She always liked him. He had a handsome face with mysterious, yet playful, features. His dark blue hair shone in the light and she wanted to touch each silky strand herself. "We have found her."
"Found who, dear? I believe my age is catching up with me…remind me," she cooed. Yes, she remembered clearly. Yet, his luxurious voice was just too rich to waste to anyone besides her. She saw him twitch, most likely about the remark of her old age…yes, being in her twenties is very old.
"The girl to be your double for tonight. You requested someone to fill in for you to exit the hotel where Li-san is giving a speech."
"Oh yes. Thank you Eriol dear. She had better be better than the last one you found me. The last one wanted to steal my dear husband away," she told him dramatically.
"I believe she is much better. We will have to cut her hair and make a few adjustments…and she will be close to perfect." He watched his words to make sure he did not say 'she will be perfect' because the last time he uttered that, his salary was cut for Kagura thought he was hinting that Kagura was not perfection.
"Well she better! Oh!" she squealed before diving on the floor to look under her bed. She struggled a bit, being in her gown and all, but finally grasped something. She reappeared, kissing her beloved shoe. "I found it!" she squealed, earning baffled looks from the men in front of her.
"Hem," Eriol finally managed do say, "She will be ready after the banquet and you can study her yourself."
"Very well," she grunted as she slipped her shoe on. Eriol bowed respectfully and left the room. She looked up at her bodyguard with a mischievous glint in her eye and waltzed over to him. "This will be the perfect night Saru-kun…a night full of wonderful publicity," she paused and then continued, "and mystery."
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO"E-excuse me?" a young woman squeaked as a room full of people buzzed around her like a hive of bees. She sat in a chair, fingering her skirt, and looked around cautiously. A man with blue hair told her to stay put and he would explain everything to her in a matter of minutes. She looked at her watch to see that it has been at least half an hour.
"My goodness!" she thought. "They have scissors…and lots of them! A-are they planning to cut me? Or worse! Cut my ears off! I probably heard something I should not have! Do they still do that kind of stuff in today's society? I am so worried! AH!" she mentally screamed as a woman wheeled a bowl of wax over to her. "They have hot wax as well! They are going to burn me as well! Maybe to make sure that I get the most pain possible so I will listen to them! WAIT! How can I listen if my ears are cut off? I am so confused! Maybe they will cut off only one ear…maybe I didn't do such a bad thing so I don't deserve both ears cut off. But whatever I did must be horrible!" She snapped back into reality as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She gasped and looked back to see the blue haired man. He smiled sweetly, something unexpected of him because of his job.
"I suppose I should explain before your head explodes from confusion," he soothed (while the woman mouthed 'can you tell?' and started to feel her throbbing head). "I am Hiiragizawa Eriol. And you are Li Kagura."
What? This man is obviously nuts to think I am the Mistress of the Li clan! I am Kinomoto Sakura, she thought. "I am sorry Hiiragizawa-san. You must have the wrong person. Clearly-I am not the mistress. My hair is too long," she explained while she clutched her long locks of auburn hair, "I have been raised middle class…and public speaking makes me nervous!"
"Of course Kinomoto-san. You are not the mistress…yet," he said mysteriously.
"W-what do you mean…yet?" Sakura whimpered. She did not like the idea of this, much like how she did not like the idea of these people running around with hot wax and scissors all around her.
"The Mistress is going…on a secret mission tonight," the blue haired man struggled to say, "and she needs your help to see that the public does not notice that she has gone missing for the night." Eriol glanced at the young woman's face. Her face spelled 'confused' all over. He giggled a little bit for this woman was much more innocent than the Mistress.
"Ano…what does this have to do with me?" she squeaked.
"Kinomoto-san. The Mistress wants you to pretend to be her for a short while tonight." He glanced at her face stricken with fear before continuing, "You will receive a hefty check for your services tonight. You will be protected tonight and will be in the Mistress's debt, giving you one wish from the Mistress. What do you say?"
My goodness! Me. Pretend to be the Li Kagura, Mistress of the Li clan? W-what should I say? she thought, they obviously need my help. I guess the money would be very helpful to pay my rent for the month…or last month…it could be fun…
"Um…I guess I will do it Hiiragizawa-san" she replied shyly, "but, why me? I am not pretty enough to be her…"
Eriol stared at the woman when she said this. Though she was clad in and old shirt and shorts, she was beautiful. Her emerald eyes held so much life and her innocent face could make anyone want to hug her on the spot. In the few moments that he has known her, he could already tell that she had the innocence and curiosity of a kitten but the will and determination of a tiger.
"Kinomoto-san. If you are to be Li Kagura…you must act like her as well. You are beautiful and you will always be beautiful," he giggled for that is how the Mistress thought about herself. "Anyway, the Mistress is of Japanese decent, which is hard to find in a city from China. When I saw you first, you looked almost exactly like the Mistress. When she has special…missions like these, it is really hard to find a Japanese woman that looks somewhat like the Mistress. We often have to settle with a Chinese woman, wearing sunglasses and a wig. The Mistress is never happy about that because she says when you hide your head, you have something to hide."
"Wow…" the young girl breathed.
"We need to hurry though. We don't have much time," he droned as he started to walk off and workers started to circle around Sakura. "Ah yes," he remembered, "I do hope you don't mind getting your hair cut dear. We must make it realistic."
"WHAT?" yelled Sakura, making her voice echo off of the walls. The group of workers carrying scissors slowly made their way closer to Sakura. Sakura started to whimper, clutching her locks for dear life.
"Stop right there!" squealed a woman entering the room. Her eyes were un-merciful and her smile, twisted. She brushed stray locks of gray hair away from her face as the sound in the room ceased. "If anyone is to cut Sakura-chan's hair…it is going to be me." She marched to the chair where Sakura was sitting and gave out an evil giggle, if that was possible. "I have been waiting to do this for years Sakura-chan."
"Tomo-chan," Sakura told her friend softly as she neared Sakura with large scissors.
"How did you get in here?" Eriol questioned as he smirked with the young woman. The woman grinned.
"That is a secret for you to find out dear…" she whispered huskily.
"She has a homing device on me, I swear!" Sakura squeaked before being suffocated by her friend.
"Leave it to me, everyone!" the woman squealed, "I can make magic happen or my name is not Daidouji Tomoyo!"
If there is a God, help me!
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOAfter a month, the chapter is finished. I have no guarantees on when the next one will be up. I am graduating from High School on June 10th and then I have various graduation parties to attend, my college orientation, and then my college leadership camp…it could be a while.
Review please! And if it is a flame-make a point. I only accept flames if it gives advice.