Chapter 8: The premonition
Yatsuiko-chan: I will never abandon this story, I promise that. I hope that the long wait didn't make you angry… I really am sorry. Please read and review. I will write some notes about the story after this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, even the computer I'm using. So how would I own this amazing anime? (I just own a large cute dog… )
On with the story!
Surprise
… And curiosity
That's what they felt as they set foot inside the fortune teller's booth. Tomoyo, who doesn't normally believe in any form of divination, was suddenly as interested as she was excited. Sakura, on the other hand, stared wide eyed with a cute little blush adorning her cheeks.
Why all this reactions? Well, let's just say that the fortune teller was quite… different. She wasn't wearing the usual gypsy clothes nor was she wearing the infamous eerie aura. She was actually enchanting! Kind and friendly looking too! She also wore a traditional white shrine dress while her long scarlet hair was tied in a simple ponytail.
She eyed them amusedly. "Come in" she said softly. Even her voice was beautiful! Eriol, though still dumbfounded, initiated walking to the four chairs in front of the fortune teller. 'Wait… shouldn't it be just two? It's as if the chairs were placed there for us…' Eriol thought.
(Surprise, Surprise)
"Madam Rose isn't here today. I'm her substitute, Mizuki Kaho"
Mizuki Kaho… the name echoed through their minds; sounds oddly familiar. They all felt as if they have met her somewhere.
Syaoran, who was currently glaring at Kaho, obviously hated her presence. It made him feel something like what he felt when he first saw Eriol. On the contrary, the blushing cherry blossom couldn't help but admire Kaho's beauty and elegance. Her said reaction was the same with what she felt when she first saw Tomoyo. (They're really quite alike, aren't they?)
The blue haired mage was feeling something more than curiosity. He stared at her face… What was he feeling? Ah, yes, he was feeling a special bond towards her. He didn't know why though.
"Please sit" She gestured to the seats. The group obeyed. As they sat and got a closer look at Kaho, one thought crossed their minds: 'I think we really have met before'
Kaho smiled warmly at them and said, "Do you want to get your fortunes read? Or do you want first to understand what is now, especially what has been?" Her words brought confusion to the teens. Somehow, it also made them a lot more curious.
Eriol and Syaoran told their selves that they should be in guard. Ever since they entered this booth, they had felt great power from Kaho.
"To answer your heart's query, we have met; someplace, some where. But definitely not in this lifetime"
Sakura and Syaoran just stared at her, both not understanding what she was saying. Tomoyo smiled a little, somehow getting what she meant. The mage understood it clearly. He, who has more than one lifetime, knows that there might be an Eriol somewhere who has greater power. Or there might be a masked girl that has revealed herself. This world is but an alternate world of another…
While all of them were drowned in their own thoughts, a mysterious cat entered the stall. Drowsiness overwhelmed them and, slowly, their eyes closed.
"Sweet dreams"
…
Eriol was inside an unfamiliar house, beside a bed. Everything he saw was blurred but he figured out that there were some people around him. There was a person beside and in front of him. As he got used to the blurred visions, he felt an immense sense of grief. It was as if the atmosphere itself was composed of tears from his companions…
He directed his sight to the bed and saw that there was someone lying there; a trembling form. Who is that person? He tried to get closer to see the person's face…
Closer…
Closer…
Closer…
…
Ring!
Before he could vividly see the person, he heard a ring. He closed his eyes as the sound rang in his mind. He then opened his eyes slowly, blinking at the absence of blurred figures.
"It was all a dream…" he whispered to himself. 'But something tells me that it's true' He looked around and saw Kaho staring at him. "It is a premonition dream" she said as an explanation.
He knew what a premonition dream was. It is one of the things that Clow used to have, and he sometimes has. Spinnel also told him about one card, the dream, which gives premonition dreams.
Looking at her more clearly, he saw a bell on her hand. "You… who are you? You have powers. You woke me up."
Kaho smiled mysteriously. "I am Mizuki Kaho, keeper of the Tsukimine shrine" He knew that she won't say anything more about herself so he just decided to ask: "Why haven't they woken up?"
Kaho lifted the bell, showing that it was her reason. "I intended for you to wake up first. Your other half gave me this, the other reincarnation of Clow Reed" she said with a delighted glint in her eyes. Eriol looked at her curiously. Who is that other reincarnation? He dared not ask, her eyes told him that he will know some time soon.
"Why did you wake me up first?" he asked yet another question.
"I have a message for you. Today, you saw a premonition of a disaster. Ready yourselves for anything that might happen. You'll discover a lot more from this moment forward"
The others stirred a little. Kaho took this as a sign to leave. They will obviously wake up any moment now. "Oh, just a little trivia: on another dimension, you'll be shocked at how different things are for you, Tomoyo, Sakura and Syaoran" she walked away and out of the stall.
"Especially for me…"
…
Eriol decided to call his guardian and hide away for the moment. They hid above a tree, just beside the stall then Eriol summoned his glass TV (a circular glass where you can see anything you want to see).
He watched as Sakura, Syaoran and Tomoyo woke up. They groggily stood up and steadied themselves. Surprisingly, Tomoyo's eyes shone happily. Not the usual reaction for these times, right?
"Sakura-chan! It's the time for masked girl's appearance!" she exclaimed and took out a mini video cam from her bag. Syaoran looked around and closed his eyes. He then spoke up, "I don't feel the presence of the masked boy. Just seal the card right away" The supposed to be masked girl nodded and changed a key to a magical wand.
"What card is it?" Sakura asked. "It's the Dream card. Look for the source of the aura" The cherry blossom closed her eyes, concentrating to find the aura. There! She exclaimed and pointed to the kitten. "Go back to thy true form, Clow card!"
Eriol stared at Sakura, Syaoran and Tomoyo. When did all of this happen? Why didn't I figure this one out? He remembered the times when he would look at the glass TV and see Syaoran and the masked girl side by side, helping each other seal the cards. So that's why they were always together!
But… what about Tomoyo? Does this mean that she also knows everything? By the way she acted, it was plain obvious that the answer is yes. This was the first time Eriol saw Tomoyo this excited. 'She looks cuter this way… Hey! What am I thinking?'
"Eriol-sama, you better go back and make an excuse for you not being there" Spinnel advised. The mage jumped to the ground and ran to the closest store to buy some juice.
He went back to the stall where he saw his friends sitting at their original seats and looking exhausted. "Are you alright?" he asked in a pseudo worried voice. Sakura smiled and nodded. Tomoyo then asked him why he was outside.
"The three of you suddenly fainted. Mizuki-san asked me to get some drinks for you." He explained calmly then gave each of them their beverages. The little wolf looked around, evidently searching for the said fortune teller. "Where is the fortune teller?"
Eriol shrugged. After all, he actually doesn't know.
…
"So Sakura-chan was the masked girl! Isn't this exciting?" Nakuru exclaimed as she visualized their lives as a TV show. "Stupid" Spinnel sun muttered.
The group had separated ways as soon as they were okay. Now, Eriol is sitting quietly at his 'chair of doom' while listening to Nakuru's chatter.
"Yes, it's quite exciting and interesting" he replied. A sudden thought entered his mind. He called Spinnel and asked him about his 'other half'. He didn't know who his other half was, nor did he knew back then that he had an 'other half'. Clow Reed's memories didn't come to him just at one night! It gradually comes to him… like completing a jigsaw puzzle.
"Clow Reed made two reincarnations. One of which is, of course, you while the other is someone who is… closer to the card captor. I haven't met him and I don't exactly know who he is. After all, you made us and you inherited Clow-sama's powers" the flying cat explained.
I want to meet him, the mage thought. By the look of things, he also has some memories of Clow since he knew about the bell.
He then directed all his thoughts on another matter; on the premonition dream. 'I still have a lot of things to figure out' He didn't know if what he saw and what the others saw were the same so he couldn't jump into conclusions.
To calm himself, he closed his eyes… and soon enough, he fell asleep.
…
The sun was smiling at them brightly while they walked to school. The day was really beautiful! Yet, the group wasn't that happy.
Sakura, who is almost always happy, was drowned in her own thoughts; same as Syaoran. The two other teens were only observing them with interest. Even though the Daidouji heiress doesn't like seeing her two friends sulk like this, she also didn't want to disturb their thoughts. She knew they needed this time to think things over.
The mage decided to just talk to Tomoyo so that she will have something to do other than look at her friends. "Daidouji-san, do you know about the upcoming singing contest at our school?"
Tomoyo smiled warmly at him and answered, "Oh yes. One student approached me and asked me if I could join" He would have replied to her if he wasn't just so mesmerized by her smile. No kidding aside. There was something new about her smile!
'There's something new about you… a new happiness'
"Hiiragizawa-kun?" she broke his trance. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I must have been drifting off. Your dazzling smile was just too much for my brain to bear" he apologized. Tomoyo giggled a little. "You're such a sugar coater"
"I would gladly be overly corny if it would make you laugh" he said sincerely.
In return, she replied: "I would gladly laugh if it will make you say such cute things"
…
Yatsuiko-chan: I'll stop it for now. I can't think of anything more to add so sorry if you think this is short.
Just some notes:
"Especially me…" part was pertaining to Manga canon
There was a Kaho/Eriol moment here… I don't know where it came from. I have read the end of the manga so I guess I can tolerate Kaho/Eriol now.
I changed the purpose of the bell… and Kaho's part too. This is an AU where Eriol realized his powers later than those of the anime so I made the 'other half' knowledgeable as well. He has a bigger role now.
I remembered Eriol telling Sakura (in the movie) that he 'just remembered' the making of void so I guess it is accepted that Clow's memory didn't just popped in his mind.
The next chapters will be fluffier. And more exciting. I assure you that!