Chapter 14.- A New Ally.
And even as big as Naoko's shock was, it couldn't compare to the one of the young man standing before her.
"Nao…Yanagisawa…" He murmured in an undertone.
They both remained in utter silence, not moving a muscle, for what seemed like forever. The wind blew past them, and the sun was almost gone already, but none of that seemed to affect them in any way.
"I suppose there's no reason to ask what you're doing here, cloaked and half-hooded and pointing your wand at me, is there?" Her low yet calm voice finally broke the silence.
"I was sent here to…" He began.
"Kill me, I know." Naoko nodded. "And it is likely your master told you to retrieve the urn I carry with me too."
Draco didn't reply to that, although Naoko could see a small reaction in the corner of his eye, apparently he hadn't liked the part of having a master.
"Now the question should be." She went on. "Will you really use that against me?"
"Why wouldn't I?" He finally asked.
"Let's be honest. We're in the limits of the Forbidden Forest, a magic forest I may add; I am a Sprite. The moment you decide to try anything against me at least half of the creatures inhabiting this place will come to my help; not that I couldn't fight you off by myself."
"Are you trying to make me fear you?"
"Iie Draco-san. Making someone fear has never been on my to-do list, I'm not the kind of person who does that. I'm just trying to save both of us some trouble, I just came from a fight and am in no mood for another one…" she made a pause to analyze the boy's expression, unreadable. "However, I am still my Mistresses loyal servant, if you try to separate me from my duty, I will have to fight you."
"Then why not attack me and be done with it?"
"My, my, are we eager to die?"
"I'm just eager to finish this!"
"As I told you I'm a pacific person, I really don't like fighting. Weren't it for the task my Mistresses set upon me so long ago I would be in some garden, taking care of the flowers and plants I so love."
"Why do you do it anyway? It's not like they're here to say anything if you just leave it all behind go on your own."
"They are here, as a matter of fact, I just haven't found them yet. But the truth is that, unlike you, I'm honored to serve my mistresses."
"Don't try to compare yourself to me!"
"I would never dare. I do believe it would be a too great offense to my Mistresses to compare them with a being such as wicked and evil as the so called 'Dark Lord'."
"You talk as if you were mocking him. Shouldn't you fear him?"
"Why should I fear something that doesn't even have a soul of its own? Something that sent his minions after me, believing what I have in my hand will serve his purpose of regaining his body and full power."
"And it won't?"
"Not even if I held all the world's magic within the urn would it help him. He has lost not just his body, but also his true spirit, most of his essence. What's left of him is nothing but a shadow devoid of any real feeling or thought. All he wants now is to go back to being what he used to be, or at least someone he believed he was. But it's all false; just as false as this appearance is of my real power, as that darkness in your blue eyes is to your true soul."
Draco seemed taken aback by this.
"You may build up thousands of walls and barricade behind them Draco Malfoy-san, but you have no way of hiding your true self." Naoko went on. "Not from me, at least."
"Shut up! You know nothing about me!" Draco spat at her.
"I know what I can feel." Naoko continued speaking, not the least bit intimidated by his tone. "You're someone who acts all cold and evil, you pretend you care about nothing and that the world could burn for all you care; yet that's nothing but a facade. You do care, so much you're afraid you'll be called weak because of that. But if I've discovered something in both of lives, before as Noelle and now as Naoko, it is that feelings give you no weaknesses, but the greatest strength you may imagine." She sighed. "It were those feelings that deprived Voldemort of his body and most of his remaining powers last year; and it will be love (even if a different kind) that will vanquish him once and for all; and maybe then you will feel free."
"Shut up!" Draco yelled again. "I will kill you!"
"But will you really?" Naoko inquired.
Involuntarily Draco lowered his wand a bit, he was obviously doubting.
"No, you won't." She answered the question on her own. "You won't because that's not what you want to do."
"What can you know?" He asked.
"Id you really wanted to kill me you would have done it hours ago." Naoko explained. "Since you began following me."
"You know…"
"I could feel your aura the moment I began walking. I didn't know it was you, though."
"Why didn't you attack me, then?
"Because I didn't feel any ill will in you. You didn't have the intention to kill me back then, and you don't have it now. Weather it be because you're changing your mind, or perhaps you never really had the intention of attacking me."
"Don't talk like that! I ha…"
"Hate it when I'm right? Maybe I'm being a bit nosy, but someone had to tell you the truth, someone had to give you a chance to really choose before the last pieces of the board are set and the whole game gets loose."
"And exactly what kind of choice are you presenting to me?" He seemed to be considering his possible options.
"One that may be hard at the beginning, but will show its rewards in the end; one that may not be easy to travel through, but it will be all worth it once finished; one in which you may live or die, and no matter what you'll always win."
"How can you be so sure you'll be the ones in the winning side?"
"Because the world can just take so much evil. The shadow has lingered too much already, longer than it should have. It's time for the light to shine. It's time for a new order to rise, and for a new Era to begin for the Magic World."
"You sound really sure of yourself."
"I am. This Play we're living through is going by fast, and its Final Stage will reach soon. And after that…anything will be possible."
"I do believe you have convinced me. I never liked to feel like one of Voldemort's lackeys."
"Right. Now follow me. I do believe some introductions and explanations will be in order. We've got to talk with the rest."
"The rest?" He asked, there was something in that expression he didn't like.
"Hai." She nodded. "They shall all be in the castle by now. I do believe some of them will be quite shocked, and maybe you as well…"
.---.
"What/Nani!" The Japanese girls couldn't hold their shock.
"This is gotta be a joke." Hermione added.
The men just limited to hold their wands directly against Draco.
Naoko had brought Draco to the Sorcerers' Room, and her friends were there, though again wearing the cloaks so as not to be discovered by Draco until they accepted him (something that didn't seem likely in that moment).
"I'm not sure about this." Harry refused.
"I say we attack and be done with it." Shaoran added, there was pure hate in his voice.
And there was great reason for it, after all they all remembered what the Slytherin had done to Sakura the previous year.
"Onegai, you must listen to him, to us, first." Naoko stepped in. "I know that he's been a terrible person to you and to everyone, but he's changed. I do believe someone said before that we all deserve a Second Chance." She turned to Shaoran. "You must remember he isn't the only one who once believed that as long as he followed orders, it didn't matter who ended up hurt."
That was a low blow, and everyone knew it.
Shaoran remembered perfectly well what she was talking about, when he first arrived to Japan, with the sole intention of getting the Clow Cards, he had had all the intention of taking them from Sakura, even by force if need be. He remembered how he had once even hurt her, and the fight he had had with her elder brother.
"Fine." Eriol noticed Shaoran wouldn't be speaking for the moment being. "This better be good Naoko-san."
"I can assure you, you won't regret it." Naoko said immediately.
And so she went to explaining them what had happened earlier than evening, the encounter with Draco, how he had discovered her, been about to attack her and at the end change his mind, he included everything they had spoken, trying to make everyone see why she believed he deserved the second chance.
"It was by his own free will that he came here." Naoko finished. "I do believe he deserves at least the opportunity to prove you he's different."
"I know you don't trust me." Draco finally spoke, as he moved Naoko aside, letting him standing right before the others. "I know I've done many things wrong in my life, but I also wish to believe it is not too late yet to make up for them. I just want you to give me a chance."
"You've done so many things." Hermione told him harshly. "You really believe you deserve that chance?"
"What do you think you have done to deserve our trust?" Harry asked at the same time.
"Maybe nothing but be here right now." Draco replied honestly. "If you wish to judge me, to punish me, then so be it; I know that whatever you do to me I will have it well deserved. And maybe afterwards you'll consider having me as an ally."
They were truly surprised at this.
"How much do you trust him really Naoko-chan?" Tomoyo asked seriously.
"With my Mistresses pardon and your own, I would trust him my life." Naoko answered.
They were all shocked at this.
"Then so do I." Tomoyo declared, and pulled her hood down.
"Tomoyo-chan!" The others called out.
Draco was plainly shocked at seeing the lavender-eyed young woman before him, to know she was one of the Sorceresses.
"Naoko-chan is right, everyone deserves a second chance." Tomoyo said seriously, she turned to Sakura and Shaoran. "I know he's done terrible things, but so have many more, even us some times." She sighed, almost as if she were remembering something. "I trust Naoko-chan's judgment, I'm willing to give Draco Malfoy-san a second chance."
"Then so do I." Sakura nodded and pulled her hood off too.
Now Draco understood why they had been so reluctant to trust him.
"So be it." Eriol declared.
And with that the rest took off their cloaks too.
Now Draco was sure his surprise couldn't go any further.
.---.
An hour later they had been through the basics explanations: the fact of four of them being Supreme Sorcerers, Naoko a Sprite, and the other two half Sorcerers. There was also the fact when Sonomi, Snape, Dumbledore and McGonagall added to the conversation.
Severus Snape seemed definitely proud to see that his favorite student had finally made a wise decision. McGonagall at first doubted, but in the end trusted that the guys were sorcerers and knew what they were doing when they trusted the boy.
Sonomi and Dumbledore immediately set their efforts on getting Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy out of the manor and to a safe place as soon as possible. The place ended up being Eriol's mansion, where Spinel and Nakuru could take good care of the woman, and Sonomi would be accompanying her most of the time. Tomoyo's mother had announced to the Daidouji Company she would be taking a vacation, so she had time to be in the mansion or in Hogwarts to help. Eriol's mansion was also ready to receive Severus Snape the moment the rest considered he was in too a great danger staying in Hogwarts (which was unlikely since he had the best protection).
"Well, now that we've settled that, there's still another important thing we must discuss." Sakura said seriously.
By then they were all sitting down. The four Supreme Sorcerers in chairs, right before Draco and Naoko, the two half-sorcerers in a side and the four adults on the other. Unconsciously they were giving and getting each the importance their status marked.
"What?" Naoko asked, confused.
After having the others accept Draco as an ally and arranged everything for his mother's safety she had thought they were done with the matter.
"Sakura-san is right." Eriol nodded seriously. "There is still the fact that he has powers he wasn't born with."
"Not fully, but his body isn't rejecting them fully either." Tomoyo added with the same seriousness. "Even when the magic wasn't a part of him before, it is now; and even when it is hard his body is trying to adjust to it."
"You mean that magic won't kill him?" Hermione asked.
"Iie, it won't." Shaoran shook his head. "But still we don't know how long it will take him to get used to it, nor how he might react if he ever tries using it."
"Are you understanding what we're saying, Malfoy?" Harry asked. "While being with Voldemort you were given certain powers you weren't born to have, and even then your body is trying to adjust to it, though we don't know what consequences there might be."
"I understand." Draco nodded.
"Maybe if we knew more of how you obtained those powers…" Naoko suggested.
"I don't know much." Draco answered. "Until recently I wasn't with them. In fact it was just recently that my father approached me to tell me the Dark Lord had decided to give me a chance to prove I deserved to be a Death Eater, and the mission they assigned to me was to kill the Sprite and retrieve the urn she carries." He sighed. "About the powers, I just know that it has to do with some mysterious woman he keeps locked in the Riddle Manor."
"A woman?" They were all surprised at this.
"Yes." Draco nodded. "I don't know exactly who she is or where she comes from, but Voldemort uses her, and her powers. She was the one who summoned the magic we were given, and I do believe I remember she told him those powers could end up hurting us. Voldemort didn't seem to really care, as long as it served his purposes."
"Kisama…" Sakura mumbled under her breath.
"He's so gonna pay for what he's done, I promise you my Ying Fa." Shaoran assured her in a soothing voice, a hand on her shoulder. "He's going to regret ever coming back from the pit we sent him to last summer."
Draco had already remembered what had happened in that fight. At first it had surprised him, but he had made his mind to the idea really fast.
"I believe we need to find the last Supreme Sorceress if we really wish to defeat him once and for all." Tomoyo said seriously.
"I believe that one may be one of the Roses." Naoko added. "I have a feeling."
"Then she is already here." Draco told them.
"What?" Hermione asked, confused.
"Explain yourself." Harry demanded.
"It was something Voldemort said." Draco explained. "I thought it strange in that time, but he talked about some girl, apparently the woman's daughter. Some DE believed she may be a danger for him, although Voldemort believed it to be otherwise; he said that the girl was a mixed-blooded sorceress and that she wouldn't attack as long as he had her mother, although one of the DE doubted saying that the girl was one of the Roses. I don't know what he meant by that, though."
"The Roses are two sisters." Naoko explained him. "Rose Midori and Rose Tsubame, they used to be my mistresses, or of my previous life. They both died and have reincarnated, apparently Voldemort believes one of them is between us, maybe Sakura-chan, Tomoyo-chan or even Hermy-chan."
"Me?" Hermione thought she must be crazy.
"I don't really know." Naoko replied. "And I won't until I've recovered all of Noelle-san's memories and power levels."
"Noelle?" Draco asked.
"My identity as Sprite." Naoko explained. "I'll explain more about it some other time."
Draco nodded.
"Ok, so summarizing: Voldemort now knows we can't kill him without the Fifth Supreme Sorceress, who is supposed to be near and be one of the Roses; the second Rose is one of the girls but we won't know exactly which until something triggers their powers." Eriol said in few words, then he added with sarcasm: "Perfect, just perfect."
"It could be worse." Shaoran said as-a-matter-of-factly.
"Think positively." Sakura added. "At least we know none of them is with the Dark Lord."
"But he could still use the woman in his powers to persuade one of them to join him." Harry said doubting.
"I very much doubt that." Tomoyo shook her head. "If she hasn't joined him yet, then she won't be doing it ever. When one changes sides just because the family has been jeopardized you do it immediately, with the hopes that the family will be freed; not a long time later, when it is possible that the family may be dead already. No, or this girl has some sort of plan in mind, or she knows something concerning Voldemort that guarantees her mother's survival, at least for the moment being."
"Well, those are many options, and I don't think I like either of them." Harry said biting his lip in deep thought.
"Maybe not, but we have to think and analyze all the possibilities before we come up with a plan of our own." Hermione said thoughtfully.
"Although I think this time we'll need more information before we can make any kind of plan." Naoko said.
"I'll help you any way I can." Draco assured them. "I don't know that much, but I'm willing to do anything I can."
"We know Malfoy-san, don't worry." Sakura assured him.
"We'll have to think everything carefully before we do anything." Shaoran added.
"And while we investigate Harry-kun and Hermy-chan should begin training Malfoy-san's powers, the sooner he gets a hold of them the better." Tomoyo said seriously. "Yours too Naoko-chan."
The three half-sorcerers and Sprite nodded.
"Very well, then this meeting is adjourned, and shall be resumed once we have enough information to take a decision." Eriol declared.
They all nodded and stood from their places.
And meanwhile the adults just watched everything in silence.
'The way they all act.' McGonagall thought. 'They are truly adults in the bodies of teenagers.'
'All the decisions they have to take…' Dumbledore thought. 'And I believed directing a school was difficult.'
'This is too much responsibility for them.' Severus insisted in his mind. 'They are still children for God's sake!'
'Age doesn't matter, not with them being who they are, with the fate that has been laid before them.' Sonomi thought, a tone of sadness in her mind. 'They know the destiny of the whole magic world is in their hands.'
I know, I know. Such little advance for an update, but you didn't really leave that many reviews to help inspire me either, and I really needed to get all this done. As you can see from now on Draco will team up with the sorcerers. Of course it won't be easy, it will take a great effort for some to trust him, but he's stubborn enough not to give up.
I insist that the sooner and the more reviews you leave me, the faster I'll update. In the next chapter I'm planning to going a bit deeper into Naoko, and her past life: Noelle. And maybe even sort out Eriol's relationship with Tomoyo, I'm not sure about the second.
And I hope I'm giving enough clues already as to where you can find the two Roses. Though I'm still deciding if they shall reveal themselves any time soon or until the last battle, of that I'm not quite sure, your suggestions are welcomed.
Ok, so depending on your reviews, the update may come in two weeks or even in two months, remember: it is your opinion that gives my muses the motivation to help me write this, so help me in that little detail, ok?
Matta ne!
