Sakura: Knight of the Clow
Chapter 23
Ruby Moon left the hidden tunnels, the figure shimmering in a scarlet dress and shining butterfly wings. She glowed, body shifting, then a familiar figure emerged.
Nauru Akiauki, the museum director, adjusted their business suit. It clung to their androgynous form, and looked really good. They smiled slightly, taking the hidden route into the museum itself.
'I wonder how the police would react to knowing I 'stole' the artifacts to return them to Mistress?' they mused. Thankfully magic, and their access as the head of the museum, had allowed them to wipe all evidence.
"Miss Sakura! Here early?" they asked winningly.
"Morning," Sakura smiled brightly. "Yes, I wanted to get some work done before the first student tours..."
"Keep up the good work," Nauru smiled.
Nauru was, of course, aware that there was SOMETHING supernatural about Miss Kinamoto. The problem was, telling what it was exactly. There was LOTS of ordinary people with occult potential, it might be that. Or something more...
That, and Nauru got an instant 'bad vibe' off Yue. WHY they didn't know, but something about Yue just bugged them. Odd.
"Director! The mayor is on the line," their assistant said.
"What, again?" Nauru asked, sighing.
"I think the city is still balking over the budget," the perky young man admitted.
"Got it," Nauru nodded, "clear a hour from my schedule. We'll probably be talking awhile."
"Aye aye," the man waved.
Nauru sighed, wishing their Mistress hadn't required them to go under cover HERE. The paperwork was such a pain...
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Clow Reed was annoyed.
In theory, Clow was one of the most powerful magicians in the world. But he had recently realized he was MUCH less powerful than he had thought. Maybe it was inhabiting a new body, maybe it was the years that had passed, but any way he was much weaker.
"Stop struggling, Clow," the voice scolded.
The huge winged panther emerged from the shadows, studying Clow with contempt. He was at least as huge as Kero, but unlike the friendly cat this being seemed ready to kill.
"Well, hello, Mr...?" Clow asked.
"Spinel Sun," the panther replied gruffly.
"There's no reason to hold me," Clow tried.
"The Mistress wants you, so you will remain," Spinel Sun replied flatly. "But TRY to escape, I will happily bring you back."
Clow studied the cat thoughtfully, "You're a construct, like my Yue and Kero."
"I AM NOTHING LIKE THEM," Spinel Sun,roared.
"Prove it," Clow challenged, "set me free, like a creature with it's own will."
Spinel Sun hesitated, then said, "Clever, Clow Reed. I nearly did it."
"Can't blame me for trying," Clow shrugged eloquently.
"Hmph," Spinel Sun stalked off.
Clow sighed. He once again tried to summon up some magic, but his chains limited him...
"Clow Reed, my old enemy," Enchantress sighed, "still trying to free yourself?"
"We weren't always enemies, remember?" he tried.
"Silence, fool!" and she zapped him with lightning, again.
'Ugh...' Clow slipped into unconsciousness again.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The Clow Cards lingered as a problem, of course. The issue was until something triggered one, they were apparently undetectable. Worse, their powers seemed very unpredictable.
"MRQW!"
"It's a GIANT KITTEN."
"IT'S SO CUTE!"
"RUN AWAY BEFORE IT STEPS ON YOU, IDIOT!"
"Awwww," Sakura murmured as she used Fly to bob above it.
"Can we keep it?" Tomoyo asked, safely watching from a nearby rooftop.
"Seriously?" Yukito asked, the photographer taking shots.
"Okay... what do we DO, though?" Meilin wondered aloud.
"Lightning?" Yukito suggested.
"We can't HURT IT," Tomoyo looked at him, appalled.
"YOU MONSTER," Meilin agreed, scowling at him.
Yukito sighed. Apparently all girls were vulnerable to extreme cuteness.
Sakura landed on the kitten, then used her hand to scratch it. The rumbling purr nearly knocked her right off.
"AWWWWW," Meilin sighed happily.
"Ok, yes, it's cute, but...," Yukito said as the cat started gnawing on a car. It was soon mangled by huge cat teeth...
"Okay, yes that bad," Tomoyo conceded as the cat dropped the wreck. If it decided to chew on a person, they'd die.
"Maybe use Windy to bind it?" Meilin suggested.
"Worth a try," Sakura agreed, drawing out the card. "Windy! Bind the big Kitty!" She paused, "GENTLY, please!"
Windy gave her a dubious look, but the air spirit weaved itself around the cat.
"Clow Card! Return to your true form!" Sakura bopped the cat with her staff.
The Card seperate from the giant Kitten, then with a surprised 'mew' the cat shrunk down to normal. Shaking itself, then cat scampered off, one assumed home.
"Aww, I wanted to keep it," Sakura murmured as she tucked the Card away into her uniform shirt.
"KNIGHT OF THE CLOW," a voice boomed, "WE WANT TO SPEAK TO YOU."
"Eeep," Sakura yelped.
"Film them!" Tomoyo ordered, seeing a government issue car with a women beside it, using a megaphone to be heard.
Sakura hesitated, then flew down to where they were.
"Why isn't she flying away?!" Meilin growled.
"She's a responsible Japanese citizen," Tomoyo muttered.
"In other words, a sucker," Yukito noted.
"Yup," Meilin sighed.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Misaki Mei, looked up, her slightly grey-white hair falling into her eyes. She fought to keep how impressed she was off her face...
Her driver and aide, Yuna Scarborough, was clearly surprised. "I really didn't believe the reports she could FLY," she muttered.
"Yeah," Misaki agreed, her red eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
The woman had a hood that concealed her face somewhat, AND a mask too, with lenses that hid her eye color. Clever design. The bodysuit was a bit weirdly frilly though... who designed a combat suit to look cute?
(Nearby, Tomoyo sneezed suddenly.
"Someone's talking about you," Yukito teased.
"Shut up," Tomoyo muttered, watching the goings on via binoculars and reading lips.)
"You're the Knight, correct?" Misaki said as the woman landed.
"That's what they call me," the Knight replied mildly.
'She's using a voice changer device... clever,' Misaki thought, unaware that Tomoyo had built it into Sakura's costumes. "Misaki Mei." she introduced herself, "I work for the Agency overseeing monster hunting in Japan."
"Wow," Knight said mildly.
"Which is, admittedly, me, my assistant and a few others, so far," Misaki admitted.
"Oh," the Knight blinked.
"Ma'am," Yuna sighed, "she did NOT need to know that."
Misaki shrugged slightly.
The Knight cleared her throat, "So... why did you want to see me?"
"We had questions," Misaki admitted, "do you know why monster sightings are up?"
"It appears they rise in response to increasing magic," the Knight said, "it's returned, so more monsters."
"What," Yuna blinked.
Misaki blinked, "Can we stop it?"
The Knight hesitated, "I don't know."
'She's lying,' Misaki thought, 'she knows SOMETHING. Interesting.' Aloud she said, "Can you meet with us?"
Before the Knight could answer police ran over, weapons drawn.
"Wait..," Misaki ordered them.
"FLY!" the Knight waved a card, sprouted WINGS again and was gone.
"Crap," Yuna sighed.
To be continued...