"Chapter 4"
I woke to a burning sensation down the column of my throat like an inflamed fist seized me in that area. There was also the blazing light that burned the sclera out of my eyes. This time the flight to the pagoda was shorter than usual. This time, Kero had bolted out of his second borrowed dresser to see what was happening to me in mid-dream.
"If you're having vision dreams, then you're much more powerful than you believe yourself to be. You truly are the card captor."
I definitely did not need to be reminded of what I was. I needed to be reassured that a dream was only a dream. Now, why would a full grown woman like me worry about omniscient dreams? Well, you know how life rolls. You wake up in the morning, clean yourself, and drink your cup of Joe before heading out for your day at work. Clock in at your nine-to-five job and come home after clocking out. Sit in front of your television set or computer for a couple of hours before hitting the hay. That was simple enough. Life did not roll that way for me anymore. What followed the nightmares were a day of Clow Card catching punctured by pleasant meals with the governor of De Ding and his hyper-reactive cousin. Life as the Clow Mistress was not all pansies and daisies. Forget about the nine-to-five job. I don't think the coffee bean even existed in ancient China. Not to fret because I replaced coffee with this really rich black tea they had. I take it black, no sugar, no cream, even if they had plain sugar and cream. Life, in fact, shot at you and you had to catch those bullets with your teeth. If you think that's figurative speech I stand to correct you.
Anything was possible here in this world. Anything and everything passed as normal. Say, for instance, you're walking down the road and someone sells you magic beans that could grow into bean stalks for carrying you to the world above. You could one-hundred-percent believe them unless they're bluffing to jip you off of your savings. Buy the beans and see for yourself.
Needless to say the least, you would have had no right to write off my panicky expression when my Sun Guardian told me I was dreaming of the future. Do you have any idea what a death dream that could very well be my future death scene do to a person unaccustomed to sorcery and bean stalks? It may very well render me useless for the rest of the day. I rather not dream my future death, thank you. I rather not know, thank you. I rather it was never going to happen in reality, thank you very much.
"Don't worry, Sakura. You're not certain you died."
"It had me by the throat and it was swinging me atop the pagoda like a ragdoll. Tell me that was not deathlike again," I managed to sarcastically say.
Kero ignored my sarcastic spiel and scrunched his tiny face into a deep look of concentration. "Your dreams are nothing to take lightly."
"You think!"
"Was there anything else you noticed out of the ordinary?"
"Other than dying?" I shouted, offended that he could be so calm when discussing my death.
My lapse of silence was followed by Kero's extensive knowledge. This was why he was made Guardian I suppose. "When dreams speed up, it means that the day of reckoning with reality is closer than yesterday."
"The flight was faster," I stated numbly.
Kero's frown deepened as he gazed at the floor. There was nothing else he could say to bolster dwindled confidence.
An attendant knocked at my door. "I'm sorry, Milady," she said, "but we are unable to draw water for your bath at this time." Who cared about baths? I was going through a life crisis here and they were worrying about baths. Kero grumbled in annoyance because he enjoyed bubble baths with me. Actually I think he enjoyed bubble baths because of the bubble foams that were in excess in those baths.
I was living the lifestyle of a queen. Right before my funeral. I had attendants and I had my own room with expensive furniture. I had all the glory of the royals simply because I was the governor's charge. Predictable. Right when life started to make sense and I could be satisfied by what it gave me, it was going to be taken right before my very tear-burned eyes. This was the reason why I couldn't live like and with Grandfather. I couldn't die before proving my own worth.
"I won't let anything happen to you, Sakura. I promise," Kero whispered.
I nodded and changed as quickly as I could for breakfast. My mind was spent on these macabre thoughts.
"Pay attention to the details in your dreams. They may hold the key to what you have to do."
Kero and I marched out my room that was now across the hall from Tomoyo's room. Her door was wide open and vacant, which meant she had already gone down for breakfast. We had to walk by my old room to get to the stairwell. My old room still looked like a tornado had hit it or, more likely, a raging giant had ransacked it. The repair men that Touya had hired were still working to fix the windows, the door, the walls, and the ragged holes in the ceiling that opened up to the sky. Movers would later replace the furniture. After the battle with The Wood I was surprised that the house was still standing. I was even more surprised to see that the only damage that the house had to suffer was the damage that was found only in my room. Apparently, when The Wood attacked she chose my room to be the heart of her battle. I was the true target of her feelings anyway.
We walked by the noisy workers. We left the wake of hammering and loud shouts of commands behind us to approach the dining room for breakfast. Kero and I both balked in the entryway, noticing that there were fruits, toasted bread, eggs-sunny-side-up, and cider set on the table. Where was the option of hard boiled eggs, steamed dumplings, steamed buns, pastries, and most importantly, the tea? I watched the governor's angry pacing around the dining table in earnest before staring questioningly at Tomoyo wringing her hands in her seat.
"If they aren't fixed by the end of today, we may have to bring up the reserves from our cellar. Cater to the villagers first. I will not have my people dining in extravagance while the citizens suffer," Touya told this to a man in a red robe and a black button hat with black ears. When I first saw this bizarre Chinese dress code for the government officials I was in awe. I had only seen this kind of dress in TV shows, documentaries, and museums, so it took a while to shake off the uniqueness I found in Chinese scholarly dress. This man was one out of four government officials working for the governor they refer to as 'boss.' Get a load of that.
The official shook his head, shaking those ridiculously long black ears as well. "But, boss, even that will not be enough to satisfy everyone. You release your reserve and the people will cause a riot. That would be counterproductive, Sir." The official looked at me, his black eyes growing wide.
"Milady Clow Mistress, it is an honor to have you here with us…"
I blushed and attempted to pull him up off the floor from his kowtow position. I hated it when they did that. I never want anyone to put themselves so low in front of me. Yet, I didn't have the heart to scold them to stop. Telling them to stop was never going to be enough to get them to stop.
"You do us great honor for coming from afar to aid us in our time of need."
I waved dismissively at him. I was also unsuccessful at hacking into their heads that I didn't have much of a choice in landing where I was. I was getting weary of their sort of worship over me, a rather clumsy, blunder-happy person that I am.
"Sakura can't handle your flattery. You might as well put a sock in it," Touya muttered, flopping in his chair as a sign of distress. "Return to the office. I will be there shortly."
"What's going on?" I faintly asked Tomoyo and Touya who were the last ones left in the room.
"You should go to the closest town well and tell me," Touya grumbled.
That was exactly what Kero and I set off to do.
First we went to a town well in the center of town square. There was already a gigantic crowd in the vicinity. All the males in the crowd were taking turns pulling the lever that usually brought the water bucket up. I stopped behind the crowd standing on my tiptoes to see all this unfolding. One man after another would stand on the rim of the well and heave with all his might, but the lever wouldn't budge.
"It's the same with all the wells in town and village," a child told me, answering the unspoken question niggling at me.
"When did this start happening? There was no problem earlier."
An adult woman, the child's mother answered me, "It happened shortly after your arrival."
I felt my heart squeeze. When there was a connection between odd occurrences and my presence, nothing in the future seemed to bode well for all of them. No one complained, though. Why? Only they knew. I had a feeling that they were living in constant fear much greater than the fear the Clow Cards struck in them. Whatever their great fear was, it eclipsed all their needs. They had been out of water since my arrival and now they complain. They were just celebrating my arrival and now they revealed that they're scared they might die of dehydration? Human nature astounded me there and it astounded me everywhere.
"Maybe I can try my hand at that," I said softly as I offered my hand to the man limply leaning against the lever. I was reining in my own fears; fears of failure; fears that I would fail them.
If the men the sizes of trees and houses couldn't turn that rusty old lever, was there any likely-hood I would succeed in the menial task. Come on, Sakura, I told myself, at least try. Try actually lifting your finger to do a job for once in your life. Stop thinking of working to live up to expectations and actually TRY. Not trying before you died would be worse off than failing by trial of trying.
The crowd broke away to make a path that started from where I stood to the well. I did not hesitate to TRY and get the lever to turn. Manning up, so to speak, I handled the situation quite well. I even got the rusty old thing to squeak at me.
Blowing a puff of air I looked over at the crowd, "Have any of you tried horses?"
"We did that."
Then, a shout rose from the farthest member of the throng. "Help! Help! A man is drowning in a well."
I dropped from the edge of this well and flew to aid the man in the next well across town. I could see almost half a town grabbing at the edge of a rope. Their feet scraped pavement and their hands bore fresh scars from rope burn. Many of them lost their grip, so the numbers holding the rope became less and less.
I took the end of the rope and tied a knot around the head of my flying wand. "Please, Fly. Fly as hard as your wings can take you." The people released the rope and I alone took their place. They were not needed since the strength of The Fly was twice their strength combined. I was still wondering if it was enough, though. "Where's brute strength when you need it?"
"It's giving a little," Kero called from a distance. "I think I see a head breaking the surface."
Score one for the flying stuffed animal that could see so far into a pitched black well. I reached out to stroke The Fly's downy wings encouragingly. "You're almost there."
Then, in one big rush the man was free carrying with him a torrent that ceased when he landed. Before he fell twelve feet from the air, I caught him with the magic of The Windy.
He coughed out a lot of water before he could tell me his experience. "I thought I hit gold when I found some water up to my waist. Before I could celebrate, I heard a rush of water. I tried to swim up, but there was no room in there. I was hoping the villagers would pull me out, but something clamped down on my foot. When I looked it was a ring of water."
I looked at Kero from where I sat cradling the man's head in my lap and hands. He didn't have to voice what I knew. We were dealing with a strong and hostile Clow Card.
"How am I supposed to catch water?" I asked myself when I spilled the juice over my fingers and on my lovely dress Tomoyo presented to me as another gift of hers. I touched the soaked table cloth that we used for supper. Tomoyo and Touya had already gone off to bed, while I tried to hammer out an answer to my own riddle. It was turning into one of those late nights.
Kero heard me pondering out loud as he came down from upstairs. He rubbed his sleepy eyes. "Do you have an idea?"
I actually did. I got up from where I sat and braced myself against the table. In fact, the idea was a clever one that I should have thought of ages ago.
I strode to Tomoyo's room and knocked persistently.
"What's going on?" A sleepy-eyed Tomoyo asked.
I seized her shoulders and shook her. "I need Syaoran's help. Where can I find him?"
Tomoyo smiled wanly. "He's a slippery one. You can't find him in one place. He could be anywhere in town, village, or China."
"Great, just like The Watery."
Tomoyo went away from the door and came back. She had her shawl on, now. "Maybe I can be of assistance."
Eyeing her warily, I replied with the un-sureness of the old me from twenty-first century Japan, "Okay, but you have to be careful."
Her violet eyes glimmered with excitement. I instantly regretted asking for help, but I had no other choice.
I went over the plan to myself just to make sure there weren't any holes in it. Silly of me to be standing at the front door of Touya's house, regretting that I was using his place as another center for my card capturing plots. If I understood Touya as well as I understood my own bully brother, the man was not going to take this well.
I stopped marching up and down the steps when I heard Tomoyo coming out just by the sound of her jingling her set of house keys. Kero was coming out from behind Tomoyo.
I rushed forward. "All set?"
Tomoyo dangled her keys in front of my face. "Certainly! I unlocked the cellar door beforehand. I'll be at the door taking my post there."
I nodded and glanced at Kero. "What's your plan?" My guardian asked.
"Just follow me, Kero."
We traveled to the well in the town square. I think it had been the adrenaline rush that kept us silent and alert. When we finally could see the well up ahead, I drew out my wand and said to Kero, "You told me that the cards have personalities that match their type. The Watery is violent."
"Yes, so what's your plan to deal with that?" Kero was sounding annoyed now.
The knot between my eyes intensified and hardened as I watched him. However, I remained silent and kept one hand extended at my side to tell Kero to give me some space to work.
"What-?"
Kero could not finish his sentence because the moment I leapt onto the rim of the well I started a noisy jig over the hole. I even started humming a tune I could dance to. To add a little spice into the night I sung lyrics that just sprung as I went along.
"What are you afraid of you weak little Clow Card? What are you afraid of? Are you going to hide down there and be a coward? What are you afraid of you loser Clow Card? If you really want to prove something why don't you show yourself?" I turned and bent forward giving my derriere a loud smack. I moved upright again feeling a powerful dripping force surface from the hole I stood next to. I stood steady where I was, feeling cold droplets fall on my hair and forehead. There was a rush of hissing sounds right behind me, like the sounds of the bubbling water in a hot tub. Laughing to myself I jumped from the well and landed on my flying wand.
I turned my head slightly to shout over my shoulder at The Watery. "Come and get me if you can!"
The pounding of my heart, as I ran, was almost painful. Not too painful though, because my determination seemed to mask all sense of feeling. I should have been cold from the sprays of water that came from her heavy blows, but I was incapable of feeling at that point. I was flying for my very own existence and praying that Tomoyo was going to be quick enough to get away when the time was right.
I zoomed by the market place and passed an empty alley dousing everything in water. Not that there was anything that needed salvaging. I crisscrossed my way through the village arena and came up just so that The Watery could keep track of where I was. "Windy!" I called raising that card above my head and striking it with the head of my scepter. The Windy appeared beside me and she looked about her in surprise. She assessed the situation in seconds and I guess Clow Cards new when their sisters or brothers were up to no good because she understood what was happening before I had to voice our problem. "Come with me!" I commanded as I dove into the cover of the houses. The Windy kept pace beside me, sometimes curling her cool touch around me as if to protect me from harm. The Watery was closing in quickly as I aimed myself through the opening of the Governor's front door. I winced in discomfort as The Watery left a trail of her wet self across the beautiful furniture. Yeah, I know. Big-brother-look-alike won't be too thrilled come morning.
I ducked under the arch that separated the living area to the guest area. That slowed Watery's pace in flight ever so slightly. My head was getting too big for my shoulders and I was gutsy enough to look back when I was already meters away from Tomoyo and the cellar door. I stopped at the last minute, throwing myself ungracefully off my wand. I watched my wand spin off course in the opposite direction from where I landed and screamed at Tomoyo. "Get out of the way, Tomoyo!"
Tomoyo wrenched open the latch to the cellar at the last minute, just as The Windy whooshed by us bringing The Watery along with her.
I jumped to my feet, ignoring the bruises along my leg. I reached for my spinning wand and caught it in my hand. I stepped into the cold cellar with them and heard the door slam shut behind me. I grimly stared at The Watery as she slowly turned her furious face at me. The rage in her coursed through me as I held my side of the glaring contest we had going on. Fed up with me, she suddenly charged forward, rapidly wrapping her shifting form around me. I closed my eyes and the fog of my breath suspended in the frigid air as I awaited my icy death. It took minutes to realize that time had stopped down there. It took just as long to realize that I could still move my fingers, hands, and arms. Hesitantly, I opened my eyes to stare at the frozen face of The Watery. Her eyes were stone cold and her mouth was opened as if she were giving out a silent war cry. I looked further following her back and lower to see that she had wrapped herself in a ring around me. I lowered my wand and chanted, "Return to your power confined." The strength of her return to her card form could have easily knocked me off my feet, but I had people to my rescue once again.
Touya was right behind me to catch me. I also saw Tomoyo hovering beside me and shouting out orders to her attendants over Touya's orders to his attendants. I smiled wistfully as all the sights and sounds seeped into the murk.
Hello out there! I feel like a person stranded on an island with nothing but her notebook and pen. When I'm feeling like that then I come here to disperse ideas and pretend the people I'm writing about are actually with me. On the island I'm stranded on, I also have Card Captor Sakura manga stacked next to the shore. I have to flip through them to get some ideas going. I don't get all the answers through books, so I kind of have to rummage around my head sometimes. I will try to update at least once a month for the next few months. I realized that I'm about (maybe slightly less than) 1/6 of the way through with this story. I hope to read more reviews from all of you. Thanks,
MistyWing
