Chapter 17: The Answer
It had been days since the riddle was given to them. No answer had been thought of yet. It was as if the answer was just hanging in front of them but they couldn't quite grasp it. Terribly annoying.
Syaoran still had those silent painful convulsions. He never said anything about it, knowing that they had enough problems in their hands.
They searched high and low for a clue. Just a little, tiny clue would suffice! It was rather unnerving that no one can crack the code though they all feel close to solving it.
They are starting to give up now.
"Tomoyo-chan, Syaoran-kun, we can't give up yet! We'll figure something out!"
Their encouragement for each other is the only thing that keep them hoping
…
Eriol, on the other hand, is also doing everything he could do to answer the riddle. He slaves himself in the library, reading all things related to Clow. It is, after all, Clow Reed's library so he found quite a number of writing about the cards.
Whish!
A breeze passed through. He stood up and closed the window. He then continued his work, not really minding the strong wind outside. Hmmm… Sakura's feeling is the obliviousness that the riddle was talking about. Syaoran is definitely the confused love. The heartbreak… could signify just about anyone. These are the only ides all of them could come up.
He took an old book from his tall pile of readings. Hmmm… this is about the cards outside the clow book. This might help…
The Void is a powerful card. Its strength rivals those of the other 52 cards combined.
"Oh please, tell me something I don't know yet" he grumbled as he looked through the other pages
There is this card, called The Nothing', that shall not be born until I have passed on. It is a great mystery, even to me.
Before he could read more, a thunder-fast pain coursed through his head, sending him kneeling on the floor. Even through this pain, he managed a weak smile. Finally! A memory!
…THE…MEMORY…
Clow Reed was stirring some things inside a little bowl. The clow symbol was below his feet. He was obviously making a card. "Hatred should be personified by this very card. The feeling of sadness and loneliness shall be used to balance the positive cards. And the only thing that should calm it once it rampage should be the most important feelings of a strong heart" he chanted.
Boom! A little explosion erupted inside the bowl. Then a girl with long, flowing gray hair and cold eyes appeared.
"Go back to thy true form, Clow Card!"
The girl became a black sphere of negative power. She, instead of rapidly going back to her card form, enveloped Clow Reed. Is the card attacking him? Is that even possible?
No… even inside the sphere, Eriol could see a small smile on the sorcerer's lips. That means… he planned all this to happen? His most important feeling would be taken away!
"Goodbye, my lovely flower" he whispered before the void finally became a card.
What the hell just happened?
A beautiful woman with long gray hair and a soft expression on her face came in. "Clow-san? What happened?" she asked with utmost concern. Is it just me, or does she really look like Nadeshiko-san? And her voice… she sounds just like Tomoyo!
"Clow?" He did not move. It was as if he didn't hear her at all. He was still standing there, oblivious to anything around. She cautiously walked towards him. She knew something was wrong. "Are you alright?"
Finally, he looked up. There was a blank expression on his face. No look of recognition made its way to his expression. A long silence followed.
"So you did go along with the plan?" For some reason, the maiden's eyes revealed a hurt expression. Some tears even escaped.
"Oh… excuse me, but do I know you?"
More tears fell from her eyes. Oh what a jerk Clow Reed is. Why did he make this kind woman cry? "Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I may have mistaken you for someone else." Sadness coated her words. She stood up and ran to the door, knowing inside that this will be the last time that she would set foot in this place.
So that was what happened! The books were wrong! Clow Reed did fell in love! He just decided to forget that feeling!
A swirl of color appeared, signaling another memory. While the shifting of colors continued, Eriol heard Clow Reed's voice. "At the first hour of the void's curse, the person will forget the name, face and everything about his most beloved. But for the next hours, he would slowly remember some information. But never the feeling… He will never get it back unless he fell back again using her charms. You can always fall if the person wouldn't give up on you"
The next memory slowly materialized. He saw Clow Reed sitting in his library, writing in an old yellowish paper. "She would be the way for the binding of feelings" He was reading aloud what he was writing. He might say the answer!
"I don't know where the clueless ness would come from. It may be from the card mistress, most likely. But I'm sure that Purity would show. The void would be an ingredient too."
Pain shot through his head again.
….MEMORY… (A/N: when I imagined this scene, I couldn't help but visualize Harry Potter clutching his scar… So handsome!!!)
That's it! Why didn't he think of that before? The cards represents the feelings of the persons it touched. The obliviousness corresponds to Sakura which is The Nothing while the confused love corresponds to Syaoran which is The Purity. But that would mean that… someone should give up their most important feeling. To complete the answer, the emptiness of heartbreak is needed.
He rushed to the place where he left The Void.
It's gone! It could be anywhere! Was it stolen while he was having the memory? Nah… that's not quite possible. Nakuru and Spinnel are here too. They would have noticed if someone went inside the library. Wait… He did hear a 'whish' sound earlier… Could it be the card escaped without him noticing?
Oh! He was too engrossed with the books that he didn't even notice!
He tried to calm himself to clearly think about the situation. He hurriedly browsed the book he was reading for a clue as to where the Void would go.
Hmmm…Oh, here!
Void, being the only negative card, tends to come after the positive cards. She will try to take them to her endless emptiness to stop her own loneliness.
Sakura always brings the card with her! That means that she would be attacked! If he remembers correctly, she always stays at Syaoran's for their brainstorming.
He needs to go there… and fast!
…
"Come back to your true form…" Oh no!
"Time!" Eriol boomed as he flew through the open window. Sakura stopped midway with her staff posed above her head, and so did everything around her.
"I made it just in time" He sighed in relief. Given that Sakura looked pretty tired (from fighting the Void, most likely) and that Syaoran is sick, the Clow reincarnate would be the one to give his most special feeling. He was glad that he could save his two friends. He was ready to experience what his incarnate had experienced.
But first…
He walked closer to Tomoyo who was frozen behind the kitchen counter. Most of the things around were clattered on the floor. While other places looked incomplete; like the refrigerator which was cut in half.
He kneeled in front of his little lady and took her hand tenderly. "This will be the chance for me to do this" He placed a light feathery kiss on her hand.
"Eriol?"
Huh? Due to the kiss, Time made an exception on Tomoyo. She was suddenly able to move freely. Good. He can tell her now.
"The strongest person around while someone seals the void would have to sacrifice his or her most important feeling." He explained. "If I didn't arrive in time, Sakura would have given her just budding feelings for Syaoran.
"Let me tell you the answer to the riddle while The Time is still effective. The Nothing with Sakura, The Purity with Syaoran, and The Void with me: those are the ingredients. You are the maiden in the riddle. I don't know how exactly we would join, but it would happen somehow. I trust you"
"What are you saying? You are the emptiness of heartbreak?" even with her inborn genius, she can't quite understand anything he is saying. Me? The maiden? Why would he be the emptiness? …He would give up his most important feelings!
Which is?
He nodded at her. "I would be the emptiness of heartbreak"
Before he could explained further, he felt a strike from a certain force. "Ah!" He clutched his staff more firmly as he felt the Void try to fight Time. He tried to stand up straight, enduring the pain. "Don't worry. It would be over soon"
He smiled sadly at her. "I want to say one thing before I forget… you." He stood up, holding her hand. She let herself be pulled to a standing position and gazed at his eyes, searching.
Should I believe him? After all he had done?
Yes. Please believe me. I'm sorry. His eyes were begging her to understand, to believe, to trust.
Soon after, Time's power slowly lessened. Eriol decided to say his last words. This is his last chance.
"Tomoyo," her name was most beautiful when spoken by him. He knew that this may be the last time he could call her by her first name. "I do not regret lying because that was what brought me to you. Nor do I regret liking you. 'Cause that was what made me realize that you're something more"
His smile turned boyish. Like a high school boy confessing his crush. "You are not just someone to like. You are someone to love, even eternally"
He added in his mind that she is also someone to love even after reincarnation, remembering the lady that looked, sounded and acted like Tomoyo.
When the Time's spell broke at last, the Void looked at Sakura with her emotionless eyes.
"… Clow Card!" Sakura, free from Time's clutches, hit the girl with her staff. Instead of engulfing the card mistress in her black sphere as what she had intended, Void moved to Eriol who was looking at her expectantly.
"Eriol-kun!" Sakura exclaimed upon seeing the Void engulf him. When did he appear?
Tomoyo just stared at him. Everything is happening too fast again! Why are these happening? It's so unfair! The four of them haven't (and will never) kill anyone or do some mortal sin… then why do they need to endure these problems?
"I love you Tomoyo. Please forgive me" he smiled at her for the last time.
Void left him and became a card. It fell to his feet.
"Baka Eriol!" She couldn't quite control her anger. Why didn't he think of her feelings first? What if she loves him already?
Do I love him?
…I don't know.
Anger blocked the tears that were threatening to fall. Inside her heart, she wanted to forgive him. But his stupid decision to give his own feelings flared anger in her.
But he saved your beloved best friend, didn't he? Why would you be angry? A voice of rationale tried to talk some sense into her.
She closed her eyes, trying to think more clearly.
"Sakura-chan, please use Sleep on Eriol" she instructed firmly.
Hearing her stern voice, Sakura took the card in her pocket. "Sleep, please make Eriol-kun sleep for an hour!" She decided that one hour was enough time for Tomoyo to talk to them.
"Thank you" she whispered. She needs to explain everything now. She could cry like a baby later… Now is the time to save Syaoran.
We will save him. I promised Sakura-chan that we will.
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Yatsi-chan: I'll stop it here for now. Sem Break is almost over!!!! Just when I was enjoying this… Eriol-kun, gomen ne! Please forgive me for doing this to you and Tomoyo-chan! I'll make it up to you somehow…
Oh yeah, Thanks to those who reads this story. And double (or triple!!) thank you to those who review: AngelEmCuti, 'tGiveUpJustYet and Winnie the Pooh! I sooo love you!
Next chapter: Her Decision, Their Hope
Tomoyo is torn between two wishes. She needs this but everybody expects her to grant the other. How can she cope up with this pressure and the thought that Eriol-kun wouldn't be there to help her now?
Love or Life?
Guys, I want to know what you think about the pace of the story and especially The Riddle and the twists. And I want to know what you want to add here or something. Please review! Constructive criticism is always welcome!