Disclaimer:
I have no affiliation with Cardcaptor Sakura or any other of CLAMP's works. Also any similarities to real life events or people are unintentional unless explicitly stated.
Sakura found the butterfly-horse cab by the east gate as the clue said. The driver who she supposed was the guide was reclined in the driver seat with his yellow flat cap shading his face.
She glanced at Syaoran who was staring at the guide warily.
"Umm, how do you do?" Sakura called out.
The guide lifted his cap.
"Hoe?! Brother? What are you doing here?"
"I have a part time job driving cabs," said her brother. He scowled at Syaoran. "What is that brat doing with you? Why are you not paired with the other Li?"
"It's not "brat," it's "Syaoran Li,"" she scolded. "Meiling helped Tomoyo organize the event. She's currently giving out clues at the fountain park."
Sakura couldn't hear what her brother muttered. He hopped down and opened the door handing her a pink envelope has he helped her inside the cab carriage.
"Brother!" Sakura caught her brother and Syaoran glaring at each other. No doubt it was the elder's fault. Despite the age gap, her brother could be terribly immature.
Syaoran climbed into the cab and sat next to her.
"I'm to take you to the next destination," said Sakura's brother, leaning into the cab. Syaoran moved a little away from her. "There are two locations hinted at in your envelope, but currently one of the places is now decided to be potentially dangerous, so I can only take you to one, once you have solved the riddle."
Sakura opened the envelope and read out loud.
"Choose which of these two places you would like to go,
a place where you can row over water or read what people know.
At each of these places is a difficult feat,
but only one task you need to complete."
"Row across water would be a lake and a place to read-" began Syaoran, fist under his chin.
"Would be the library!" finished Sakura.
Her brother coughed. "Correct. I'm going to take you to the library now."
"Which library?" said Sakura.
"I'm taking you to the main university one." It wasn't too far away.
Sakura's brother hopped onto the cab and soon they were moving.
"How many libraries are there?" Syaoran asked her.
"It is estimated that there are approximately a hundred in Lecourt city alone. A number are branches of the Central Library in Biblio City which is a few hours by train from here. It houses the rarest books protected by a security system and guardian beasts that haven't failed us yet despite numerous attempts."
After a few minutes, of silently riding Sakura said, "If we had the choice of the lake or library, which would you has rather gone to?"
Syaoran thought about it for a moment. "I think I would have preferred the Library," he said. "Culture and history fascinates me."
"You should talk to my father." She was sure that they would get along well with each another. "He's an archaeology professor. His current research is focusing on the interactions with other worlds during ancient times. You're doing your magical research on that topic, aren't you?"
He nodded. "He was telling me a bit about his research this morning."
"Really?" She wondered what they discussed. "It's good that you get along with the other members of my family."
The butterfly-horse had slowed down to a stop. Her brother helped her out of the cab.
"Just go to the front desk and say that I sent you," he said.
As they walked up the stairs, she could see from the corner of her eye Syaoran glancing behind him. No doubt her brother was glaring back.
She knew that Syaoran would be worried about if her family, especially her brother, would accept him. She blushed. They only confessed yesterday.
Sakura made up her mind. She took Syaoran's hand in her own and started running the last few steps. His palm was warm and a little rough.
"Hey! Wait, your brother!"
Sakura turned to smile at Syaoran. "Don't worry. Everything will be all right."
She pulled a face at her brother who could no longer do anything from the distance.
Syaoran and Sakura skidded to a halt once they entered the doors of the Lecourt University Library. His heart was still pounding and expected Toya Kinomoto to come in with fireballs blazing.
The library doors closed with a resounding thud. It was an impressive building with high guided arches and paintings that stayed still as he walked but moved as he stood still. He would have liked to examine them but Sakura was pulling him to the front desk.
The clue in the envelope they received wasn't plain pink like the other envelopes. It had strange red markings on it, and the riddle written on one side.
"The words are authors and titles of books,
the numbers are the pages you have to look."
"Paper magic" by Pepe Marche. 25."
"I've checked that the books are in the correct location, however, I'm sorry," said the librarian, handing them a map. "I cannot tell you where in the library it is in. But the information on how the library is arranged will be in here."
"All right," said Sakura. "This will be easy. It's only one book, correct?"
They walked through the corridor. The university library was even larger than Lecourt Private Academy's. There were five levels and books stacked from the floor to ceiling. People floated in small egg shaped reading pods.
Syaoran read the map. Apparently, the bottom two floors were for fiction books ordered alphabetically by last name and the top three floors were for nonfiction arranged by topic and then by author. Signs on the side of the shelves gave an indication of what books were contained on each shelf.
It was difficult not to get distracted with all the interesting volumes.
They searched the M fiction section but it wasn't there.
"Maybe it's in the nonfiction book?" said Sakura, pondering over the map. "But what topic would it be? There's so many: magic, crafts, literature."
"How about I'll check the crafts section on the top floor, and you check the magic section on the third floor?"
They agreed and arranged a meet up time and place. Syaoran climbed the intricately carved marble staircase and wandered the bookcases and started searching the crafts section. The Paper Magic book was there. It was an origami book. Page twenty-five was entitled "cherry blossom."
Was he supposed to fold the clue with the markings on it? He let Sakura keep a hold of them. He had to walk down two levels of the library to find her, but the floor was huge. How would he find her? Was there a public announcement system?
He was surprised to find her sitting on a stool, with the strange stuffed animal and a large tome on her lap, not too far from the main staircase. The titles of the books in the section all had something to do with dreams.
"Hey, Sakura."
She dropped the book. "Hoe, I-I saw this book, and, sorry! And-"
Sakura was very cute when she was embarrassed. He showed her too book that he found. "Do you have the clue?"
She found it in her purse and handed it to him. Syaoran then started to fold the paper following the instructions.
The red markings on the paper aligned.
"Exchange for a ticket at the Lecourt aerotrain station.
Then take the train to the final destination."
Syaoran looked at his pocket chronophone. It was an hour before they had to forfeit.
"We might be able to win," said Sakura smiling over his shoulder. She smelt sweet and flowery.
Syaoran closed the book, returned it to the front desk and followed her out of the library and towards the station chronometer tower.
She stopped on a turreted roof and pointed down the street. "Look! Is that Fye and Lafarga?"
Syaoran recognized the lanky blond and football captain running towards the station.
Flowright heard them and flashed a mischievous grin before sending a gust of wind. Syaoran jumped out of the way and noted that Sakura land on a nearby roof.
"Keep going. I'll cover you," yelled Syaoran as he unleashed a wind attack of his own. She bounded towards the station with the origami flower in her hand, looking anxiously back at the gaining Lafarga.
Syaoran focused his magic on trapping Flowright and then chased after Lafarga. He wrapped the wind around Lafarga's ankles, tripping him.
Sakura was jumping up and down at the station ticket booth, waving the tickets in her hand.
"We did it! We got the tickets first!" she cheered, hugging Syaoran as he arrived.
"Actually we did."
"We done arrived several minutes ago." By the station entrance were the Pharle, and Chizeta, the two girls that interrupted them yesterday, and Daidouji.
"That was quite a show you all put on. I took some wonderful images of Sakura," said Daidouji, taking more photos. She checked the station chronometer. "You can catch the upcoming train or wait until the others arrive so we can catch the train together."
"Sakura, what do you want to do?" said Pharle.
"Hoe, me?"
"You're the birthday celebrant, you should decide," said Chizeta.
"Well then," Sakura said. "Let's wait for everyone to arrive so we can all travel together." Her bright green eyes twinkled as she smiled as Syaoran.
"Thank you Tomoyo," said Sakura, taking the drink voucher. "You and Meiling worked tremendously hard to make this the success it is." Her smile was simply radiant.
"Thank you very much," said Tomoyo. Everything they did was truly worth it. "Remember to thank your brother as well. It would not have been a success if he did not ask his permission from his managers. What did you enjoy the most?"
Tomoyo listened to the others exchange stories of how they accidentally asked the clue from the wrong person nearly got arrested, mistook the still performer for a real statue and nearly drowned as more groups arrived.
A few minutes after the forfeit time, Meiling, Cousin Toya and all the other participants arrived and together they all boarded the train. They somehow managed to get a whole carriage to themselves. Tomoyo was in booth with Sakura, Meiling, Mr Li and Toya.
Meiling was complaining about how boring it was and how Mr Ascot and his friend from purple team kept visiting her for every other clue.
"A boy's heart is very complicated," said Tomoyo.
"Don't even joke about that, Miss Daidouji."
Sakura giggled.
When they alighted off the train, Tomoyo, Sakura and Cousin Toya led the way with Meiling and the other students following. She wished that her cousin was not around so that she could question Sakura about the confession that Presea and Caldina had unintentionally disturbed, but it could not be helped. He was doing his job as Sakura's older brother.
"What's wrong, brother?" He did seem to look more agitated than usual.
"It could be nothing," he replied. "I just thought that-"
The winds suddenly became millions of razor edges. She heard Cousin Toya swear. He then surrounded Sakura and herself with a barrier. Trees were being bent into grotesque figures. Presea was blown down.
"Sakura! Come back!" yelled Tomoyo.
Her precious cousin ran out of the barrier with her ring staff released towards their friend. Tomoyo could hardly see her through the wind, dust and feathers.
The wind died down and Tomoyo discovered that Sakura was on the ground. Her brother was by her side.
"What happened?" Mr Li asked, kneeling beside them. A crowd of concerned friends formed.
"I am not certain," said Tomoyo. Sakura was not squeezing her hand back. "She ran out into the wind to help Presea, and then when it calmed she was on the ground."
"She doesn't look as if she's hurt," said Cousin Toya. His hat had blown off in the wind. "She's asleep."
"Excuse me," said a spectacled man with a long dark ponytail, pushing to the front of the crowd. "I'm a healer. Let me help."
Cousin Toya put a protective arm across Sakura. "I'm taking my sister to grandfather's place first."
"You shouldn't move her. Let me make sure that she's-"
Tomoyo's cousin pushed the healer's arm away.
"Maybe we should listen," said Tomoyo.
"We'll get our own healer to look at her." Cousin Toya prepared to pick up Sakura. How could she have fallen asleep?
"Keep an eye on that man," he whispered. He carried Sakura through the parting crowd.
Tomoyo addressed the crowd while Mr Li and Meiling followed Cousin Toya's instructions. "Sakura has just exhausted herself. We will let her rest for a while before we start the ball and cut the cake, but please feel free to enjoy the food and music prepared at our grandfather's house."
She followed Cousin Toya as he took the sleeping Sakura past the concerned guests that had already arrived. She would talk to Cousin Emeraude later.
He lay his sister down in her bed in the Amamiya Mansion. His parents and Tomoyo's grandfather entered the room. Tomoyo closed the door.
"What happened?" said Aunt Nadeshiko.
"There was a strong sudden gale, Sakura ran out of the barrier to help one of our friends and when the winds stopped, she was asleep," said Tomoyo.
"All day there has been a weird presence that felt similar to Sakura's moving around town stirring things up," said Cousin Toya. "It appeared again with the wind, but it quickly disappeared when Sakura fainted. I brought her here because there was a man claiming to be a healer who I recognized from the disturbance at the lake."
"Where is he now?" said Grandfather.
"The Li Cousins are following him now. What's wrong with her? Could it be a possession?" questioned Tomoyo. She did not want the same thing that happened to Rita and the others last year to happen to Sakura.
Sakura's father passed a hand over his daughter's sleeping form. "I don't think that it's malevolent," he said. "I can't sense anything incompatible within her."
There was a knock on the door. "It's us." Tomoyo opened it to let in Meiling and Mr Li. They were offered a glass of water each which they drained.
"We lost that phony healer," said Meiling, in between gasps. "One second he was there. The next it was as if he walked into thin air."
"Who was he and what did he want with Sakura?" said Mr Li.
The adults shared a look and didn't answer.
"Let's let Sakura sleep," said Aunt Nadeshiko.
Tomoyo took one last glance at the sleeping Sakura, and prayed that she would wake up soon.
Sakura opened her eyes. She was in her bed at her grandfather's place. "Why am I here?"
"Sakura, how are you feeling?" Her mother was holding her hand. "What do you remember?"
"I feel as if I had a really good nap," she said. "I remember walking with Tomoyo and Brother. Then I was somewhere with lots of sand, like the beach, but there wasn't any water anywhere. And then I was here."
"Are you sure that you're okay?"
Sakura nodded and swung her feet to edge of the bed. "How long have I been asleep?"
"Only for a short while," said her mother, tilting her head as if she was thinking. After a moment she stood up to bring back the pale pink ball gown that was hanging on the folding privacy screen. "If you're feeling okay, why don't you change into this dress that Tomoyo prepared? There are guests waiting for you."
Sakura took a closer look at the dress. "It's pretty low cut."
"That's fine," said her mother, serenely. "You can wear it to impress someone."
"Mother!" Sakura was mortified.
"Oh, are you thinking of someone in particular? You're skin colour matches the gown."
She hid her face into a pillow. Her mother calmly soothed her on the shoulder. "I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
Sakura felt a little relieved, and a little bit guilty. She used to confide in her mother with everything.
"Syaoran," she admitted into the pillow.
"Oh really? Yelan Li's boy?" Sakura buried herself further into the pillow. "He seems very serious but looks strong and good looking."
"He's very hardworking, dependable and," Sakura sat up and forced herself to look her mother in the eye, "and I like him very much."
Her mother's gentle expression didn't change. She caressed Sakura's face. "Have you told him this?"
"Yes," she said, feeling herself blush again. "And he told me he returns the feelings. Did you already know, mother?"
"I see many things," her mother said with a wink. "Don't worry. I only told your father. Mr Syaoran Li is a very respectable boy. Your father has a good impression of him from when they talked today."
Sakura exhaled. "And brother?" she asked. "He is always being mean to Syaoran."
Her mother tapped herself on the nose. "I haven't told him, but I wouldn't be surprised if he knew. It will be all right, your brother loves you dearly. He's just a little awkward, that's all."
They both giggled at this.
"If anything is wrong, tell me or your father and we'll make it all better." Her mother handed Sakura her dress. "Come on. It's time to celebrate your fifteenth birthday. Happy Birthday, Sakura."
Author's Notes:
-Once again, thank you for reading and your kind words. I hope that you liked this chapter. I'm not too sure if the shift in Sakura's and Syaoran's relationship was too sudden for a one day gap considering how slow I've written then (still shorter than the 70 episodes and 2 movies it took them to confess in the animated version), but then again, they're teenagers. Romeo and Juliet met, loved and died for each other in the span of 3 days.
-Here are the remaining clues.
Your feet must be sore so take a ride,
In a butterfly-horse drawn carriage with guide,
At the East Park Gate he'll wait for you,
and return your "How do you do?" with the next clue.
.
Take this aerotrain, the race is almost done,
Rest, since once you get off it's time to have fun.
...I don't think that I wrote one for the lake task.
-I just found out that chronometer's exist. Haha.
-No, there isn't a Part 3 for Sakura's Birthday. I wanted something a little bit different for her birthday and also to move the story on.
