Sakura: Knight of the Clow: Seven
Kaho Mitsuki studied the freshly printed article in the paper, nodding to herself slightly. Last evening's battle with the harpy was vividly described, the still photos catching the danger of the battle and the details of the Knight's victory. There were still no photos of the young woman's face, but you couldn't have everything.
"Nicely done," Kaho looked up, her long brown hair flowing over her shoulders.
"Thanks boss," Tomoyo Daidouji smiled back at her editor warmly, her black hair falling slightly into her face.
Kaho studied her covertly, then looked back down at the paper. "The Knight's proven to be popular with our readers," she noted, "so try to keep bringing the stories in." She set the paper aside, "Any luck on the background search?"
"Some," Tomoyo answered quite promptly. "I had Rika doing some digging and it seems this sort of thing has been happening here in Tokyo for the last hundred years, at least," she relayed eagerly, dark eyes sparkling..
Kaho raised her eyebrows in honest surprise as she sternly asked her, "And no one's ever commented on this before?"
Tomoyo just shrugged, keeping her cool. "Most people who saw the monsters are simply dismissed as crackpots or nutcases," she explained mildly, "and it's not that obvious until you start connecting all the reports."
"Makes sense," Kaho conceded. She looked thoughtful, "I don't think we'll include that in the articles just yet, let's keep going back."
"Got it," Tomoyo nodded.
"I just wish we knew why," Kaho murmured to herself as she looked down at the photos again. Tomoyo looked confused at that so Kaho elaborated, "Why does the Knight choose to do this and why are these monsters here?"
"There's one thing I noticed in the research," Tomoyo added hesitantly. Kaho looked at her curiously and she continued, "The frequency is gradually going up over the years until now there's a monster attack every few nights."
"Building towards something?" Kaho mused aloud.
"Could be," Tomoyo agreed.
"Keep on it," Kaho said, dismissal clear in her tone of voice, "this Knight thing could be a even bigger story than we realized."
"I'll do my best," Tomoyo said as she left the office.
Kaho sat back in her chair, her sleek business suit hugging her body as she studied the woman walking into the bullpen. 'Tomoyo's holding something back,' Kaho mused, 'something big.' She wanted to press her on it, find out what was going on, but she was patient. She suspected Tomoyo would tell her eventually, or circumstances would reveal what was going on.
She looked up at the clock and Kaho shook herself, getting up out of her chair and then striding out of the office herself. "I'll be back in two hours," she calmly instructed her secretary before leaving the newspaper building and climbing into her car.
"Yes ma'am," Mei-Lin agreed, the younger Asian woman hiding a smile.
The drive out to the edge of town was quiet as Kaho considered whom she was about to see, hiding a rising surge of excitement. She pulled in front of the mansion's gates and rang the bell, announcing herself to the staff. The gates swung open and Kaho walked in, following the well remembered path up to the house itself.
"Ms. Mitsuki," the maid took the coat from her shoulders and hung it up on a rack, "the lady of the house is waiting for you in the sunroom."
"Thanks," Kaho smiled as she walked down the hallway, pointedly ignoring the black clad lady who shadowed her step by step. The woman who lived here was very careful about her privacy, quite understandably so Kaho thought.
The sun room's arching glass ceiling let in the summer sun, lighting up the place with a golden brilliance. Comfortable couches and chairs were set up around a circular pattern and a table was set for some casual snacking. The short haired woman looked up happily at Kaho's entrance to teasingly say, "About time you got here."
"Sorry about that, Sonomi," Kaho answered, "I got held up by your darling daughter bringing me yet another scoop."
Sonomi chuckled, "I see."
Sonomi Daidouji walked over to swiftly pull Kaho into a warm hug and she found herself studying the slim woman. Dressed in the finest suits she looked wonderful, but there was also a gentle sorrow in her eyes. She was very physically fit, with a body that Kaho often found herself thinking about guiltily, but more importantly she had a powerful presence. The woman could take over a room as easily as she derailed Kaho's thoughts.
"Don't give me that," Kaho said with warm amusement, "I know how proud you are of her." Sonomi lead her over to a couch where they both sat, "Have I thanked you lately for talking me into taking Tomoyo on?"
"Yes but you can always do that again," Sonomi smirked, "I could use the ego boost." More seriously she said, "I suspect you would have hired her anyway, though."
"Maybe," Kaho shook her head, "maybe not. At the time I was worried about a possible conflict considering we're friends."
"You haven't told her about us, have you?" Sonomi frowned, sitting up from her casual slouch there beside Kaho.
"No, though I think I probably should," Kaho said. She smiled grimly, "If Tomoyo finds out she'll be upset with both of us."
"I know," Sonomi sighed. She shifted, leaning her head on Kaho's shoulder as she murmured, "I wish I didn't have to keep this a secret."
"Me, too," Kaho answered, gently wrapping her arm around Sonomi's shoulders, "but the board of your company would have a fit." She smiled, "So how's Tomoyo doing?"
"Oh?" Sonomi said innocently.
Kaho laughed. "I know you have your people keeping an eye on her," she said, "and I'm pretty sure Tomoyo knows about it."
"Probably," Sonomi acknowledged. She frowned slightly in worry, "She's been hanging around with a young woman lately, Kinomoto Sakura."
"They met through an article that Tomoyo wrote on her," Kaho offered, "she's an archeologist as well as the new assistant curator of the museum."
"I wonder if I should...?" Sonomi mused.
"Not unless you want her to think that you're some kind of match- making mother," Kaho teased her lover gently.
They sat there for a moment then Sonomi chuckled softly. "I don't think I expected to fall in love when I sent to your office to try and kill that story," she said. She smiled fondly, "You were completely unimpressed with me, as I recall."
"Not quite," Kaho laughed at the vivid memories. "I was terrified when the lead executive of Daidouji Conglomerate came in making threats," she quietly confessed, "but I just couldn't let myself compromise my ethics."
"You hid it well," Sonomi snuggled closer.
"Thank you," Kaho flashed a smile. "I was certainly surprised when I got the invitation to your next party," she mused.
"I couldn't get you out of my mind," Sonomi admitted, "especially how beautiful you looked when you told me off."
Kaho snickered. "Quite the first impression," she agreed, "you storming into my office red faced, eyes sparkling and cheeks red with anger. I was stunned."
"I'm just glad I got to know you," Sonomi looked up warmly into her eyes.
"Me, too," Kaho bent forward, gently pressing their lips together.
To be continued...
Sakura: Knight of the Clow: Eight
The three figures raced down the alley together, the sound of barking hounds growing ever closer. "Get behind me," Sakura ordered crisply, her short brown hair falling into narrowed eyes as she expanded her key pendant into a staff.
Yukito nodded, checking his digital camera even as the sandy haired young man murmured, "Well, this is exciting."
"Hush," Tomoyo scolded. Her long black hair was strictly tied back, a miniature recorder running at her side. The three of them wore matching uniforms she had provided, simple black garb that helped them blend into the shadows.
All around them the city echoed oddly with sounds, a odd mix of domestic animals and more wild beasts. The first few reports of sightings of lions, wolves and other wild animals had just been scoffed at by the authorities, at least until the first mauling happened. Animal control officers went into the district searching but couldn't find the animals everyone hysterically reported, or if they were unlucky they encountered something... else.
They looked just like real wolves as they burst from the shadows, but there was something strangely off about them. They tailed an uncanny colored mist, looking oddly insubstantial despite the sinister gleam of fangs and claws. The fur was silvery, almost cloud-like as they raced towards them, malice evident in every motion.
"Too many for just my blade," Sakura muttered as she drew forth a card from her long cloak. She held it for a moment, seemingly drawing on her willpower then tossed it up into the air. "Windy card!" Sakura yelled as she swiftly brought her bird designed staff down onto the card, light flaring brightly all around in the shape of a blazing sigil her while she continued, "Become the chain of punishment and bind my enemy. Windy!"
The simple card almost seemed to burst as a figure that was made up of clouds and air rose up, a gorgeous but unearthly looking female figure made of the very air itself. Windy paused, studying the now slowing wolves and murmured in an deadly voice, "Little beast."
"It talks?" Tomoyo blurted, gazing up at the regal woman in surprise.
Sakura looked vaguely worried as she gestured the others backward. "This is bad," she murmured, "this might just be a Clow Card."
"And that's bad because?" Yukito asked innocently.
Sakura held her a staff in a guard position, watching both the Windy and the shimmering wolves warily. "Because until I bind them back into the card," she explained tensely, "the Clow Cards hate each other with a passion!"
The wolves swirled apart, their substance congregating as it shifted. She languidly rose from a feral crouch, the skins of many animals making up her rough garb. A wild mane of tawny hair flowed around her as she drew her lips back to reveal gleaming fangs, those golden eyes piercing the night as she studied them hungrily.
"Come little Beast," Windy smiled a truly unpleasant smile as she gazed at her opponent, "and receive the discipline you deserve."
With a wild howl Beast charged right at Sakura and the others, her slim fingers lengthening into ten deadly claws. But before she could strike Windy was there, a powerful gust of wind blowing her foe backwards. Trailing mist Windy charged forward, ignoring all the Beast's strikes to swirl her substance around the other, binding her fast.
"You will not harm the Mistress," Windy grasped the Beast on both sides of her head as she gazed intently into her eyes, "she's mine." Suddenly she pulled the struggling figure into a kiss, the embrace as much of a contest of wills as the battle had been.
Tomoyo looked on wide eyed for a few moments before finally murmuring, "Should we really be watching this?"
Sakura's cheeks were faintly red as she raised her staff and cried, "Beast Card! Return to the form you were created to be! Beast!"
Out of Windy's grip the Beast swirled, the glowing substance of it's form gathering in front of Sakura in the shape of a glowing card. It took only seconds for all of the material to be captured, a card painted with the image of the beautiful Beast gently falling down into Sakura's hand.
Windy moved through the air smoothly, almost looking like a woman in a white gown as she gazed down at Sakura. "Mistress," she murmured, "what is your will?"
"Return to your card, Windy," Sakura said firmly, looking up with her face bathed in the mystical glow of Windy's form.
"Of course," Windy gracefully reached out to stroke Sakura's cheek in what was an purely sensual gesture, "but someday, Mistress..." With those parting words Windy's body swirled apart, threads of it's substance coming together to weave the Windy card once more.
As Sakura gently caught the falling card she felt Tomoyo and Yukito's gazes on her, both clearly shaken by what they had just seen. "What was that about?" Tomoyo asked.
"It's a bit complicated," Sakura said with a sigh.
Sirens wailed off in the distance, the sounds of the chase and battle obviously having drawn the attention of the police. "Maybe we should talk about this elsewhere?" Yukito suggested. They returned to Tomoyo's car and were gone before the first police units arrived on the scene.
In the coming days the newspapers would report that the animal incidents had stopped but no one would know the exact reason why. Speculation about mass hysteria, contamination in the water and other theories were put forth until the public moved on to other topics of interest. Tomoyo knew, of course, but she wasn't telling.
They went to Tomoyo's apartment, it was the nearest to the district the Beast had been roaming around in. As they entered the front door Yukito hid a smile, suspecting how his new friend was going to react to the place. He wasn't disappointed.
"Wow," Sakura breathed, looking around the massive living room in awe. It was nearly the size of her house, and hallways extended out into other rooms as well. The place was beautifully decorated, tasteful couches and chairs set up for comfort and style.
"Mother insisted I have a place fitting our family," Tomoyo said with a weary sigh, "I'm just glad I kept her from unleashing her personal decorator on me, too." She brightened up a bit, "Did either of you want a snack or something to drink?"
Yukito's hand shot up and Sakura chuckled. "Me, too," she agreed.
Once snacks had been set out and tea made, Yukito looked over at Sakura worriedly. "What happened out there?"
"The Clow Cards aren't just mystical artifacts," Sakura began, "they're alive."
"I though I saw that the first time you used Windy," Tomoyo noted, "she obeyed but..."
"The personality of the cards seems to vary a lot," Sakura continued with her train of thought, "Fly is gentle and obedient, much like a child, Windy is a grown woman, with ideas and opinions of her own, and that Beast was simply feral." She puffed out a breath as she mused, "It really makes me wonder what the others will be like."
Yukito looked oddly uncomfortable as he asked, "And the Windy is... sexual?"
Sakura's cheeks reddened. "Yes, she is," she kept her voice even.
Tomoyo looked deeply uncomfortable as she took the teapot and refilled their cups on the gleaming dining table. "The Windy has she... I mean, have you..." she trailed off uncomfortably.
"No," the now fiercely blushing Sakura mumbled.
Yukito looked over at her sympathetically. "I guess she propositioned you, right?" he asked, mildly amused at the two women's fumbling around.
"I can't believe you asked that," Tomoyo scolded him even though privately she wished she had been able to raise that question.
Sakura looked like she wanted to sink through the floor, she was that deeply embarrassed. "Yes, Windy did," Sakura mumbled, "but I turned her down."
"Obviously it didn't take," Yukito noted as he munched a cookie. He smiled just slightly, "It's terrible to be such a babe magnet."
"Yukito!" both girl's turned to him with a frown.
Dressed in battered blue robes he walked up the steps, stopping for a moment in front of the locked door. The man with the whitish hair grasped the handle then with a single pull tore the door off, his wings flapping slightly with the motion.
"He's here," Yue murmured, closing his hawk-like eyes a second as he sensed what lay ahead of him, "I was sure that he was."
Yue strode down halls, the floors polished like glass as he made his way to the recently opened China exhibit. Oddly no alarms rang, no electronic warnings were sent out to the police department. To the many security systems it was as if he simply didn't exist.
Yue paused in front of a display case, looking in at the robes and staff that were displayed there. In a voice filled with sorrow and regret Yue murmured one word, "Master."
Visibly shaking himself Yue moved away, calmly walking over to another display. On a stand sat a book, covered with golden decorations and almost glowing in the dim light of the room. Beside it an ornate pen rested, the design perfectly matching the book it was made for. Yue raised a hand and shattered the glass, reaching in to pull the book and pen out.
"Arise, my brother," Yue held the book, the light brighter and brighter around him, "it is time to take up our Master's task once again." The insignia on the book glowed, pulsing, then it simply exploded as a golden lion materialized in front of him, powerful golden wings stretching out on either side of him.
"Who..." the lion rumbled, his voice foggy with sleep.
"Welcome back, Keroberos," Yue said with a slight smile, "there is much to do."
To be continued...
Sakura: Knight of the Clow: Nine
The dojo was quiet now, the sounds of the battle having come to a sudden close. Scattered around on the floor were fallen figures, dressed in white gi and belted in various colors but all of them had been soundly defeated. The final woman stood her ground against their foe, her breath raspy in the eerie silence that had come after the combat.
"Ma'am," Mei-Lin nodded, her short black hair falling into her eyes. She wore simple clothes, a black shirt and pants along with light boots.
The glowing figure didn't reply, the elegant figure instead taking up a fighting stance. The golden being smiled, eyes glowing as she gestured for Mei-Lin to come at her. Her formal robes shimmered, flowing around her, looking both beautiful and athletic at the same time.
Mei-Lin moved in a blur as she murmured, "If that's the way you want it!"
They moved together swiftly, barely touching as they struck and parried, each trying to get a feel for the other's abilities. Mei-Lin was very good, that she was confident in, but oddly she couldn't seem to penetrate this mysterious woman's guard.
'I'm in trouble,' Mei-Lin realized, barely blocking another powerful blow when...
...the doors opened with a crash, the figure rushing inside with her cloak flowing around her. The brown haired woman narrowed her eyes as she swiftly took in the situation even as two figures very familiar to Mei-Lin rushed in behind her.
"Ooops, busted," Tomoyo murmured, Yukito filming away behind her as they watched.
"Fight Card," the brown haired woman muttered, "lovely." She grasped the pendant around her throat, the charm glowing as it expanded into a staff.
The Fight turned, moving towards Tomoyo and her friends but Mei-Lin moved between them even as she wiped some blood from her face, left over from a stray blow. "We aren't done," Mei-Lin said firmly before taking up her fighting stance once again.
Fight smiled, a odd warmth in her eyes as she looked thoughtfully at Mei-Lin. She nodded graciously then kicked up, nearly taking the woman's head off. Back and forth they sparred, occasional blows landing as they fought on, each striving to defeat the other. Mei-Lin tried her best to keep going but as they continued she began to tire, wilting from the length of the battle.
"We've got to help her," Yukito frowned, the blonde haired man looking on worriedly as Fight ruthlessly pounded on Mei-Lin's guard.
"Mei-Lin might win," Tomoyo muttered, "but Fight is out-lasting her, Sakura."
Sakura surprised them both by moving swiftly forward, running as she swung her staff down, distracting Fight for a moment. Fight struck out so fast that Sakura didn't even see it, belting her backwards with frightening ease. "I think I can boost your strength," Sakura managed to wheeze out to Mei-Lin, "if you'll let me..."
Mei-Lin put herself between Sakura and Fight, protecting the winded young woman reflexedly. "If you can," she answered her crisply, "then do it."
From beneath her cloak Sakura drew a card, the Beast on the face almost glowing in the dojo's dim light. "Beast card," she cried then tossed it up into the air, striking it with her staff as she cried, "lend your strength and aspect to this warrior! Beast Card!"
The Beast leapt from the card, growling at Fight even as she mist-like swirled around Mei-Lin's body. Fight stepped back in surprise, eyes widening just slightly as the mist seeped into the other woman's form, a glow shining around her.
Mei-Lin straightened up, a new vitality filling her slim form. The wounds that she had already received, a broken nose, cuts and bruises were all gone, her body glowing with new health. She moved faster than before, striking tirelessly as she and Fight fought once again.
They were evenly matched once again, and the oddly blank expression that Fight had been carrying slowly shifted to a smile. The more difficult the moves, the more hard pressed she was, the more the glowing figure seemed to enjoy the battle. They battled furiously, unyielding, each trying to utterly conquer the other.
Later on Mei-Lin couldn't even explain when the fight turned, when she finally got the upper hand on her unearthly foe. An sudden opening, the slightest faltering of Fight's guard and she struck, hammering at the woman's exposed shoulder. Following up swiftly she pressed home her attacks, using the weakened side to her fullest advantage. Finally Fight fell, a right cross rocked her head back and sending her crumpling to the floor.
"It's done," Mei-Lin sighed then, swaying slightly, she bonelessly collapsed to the ground.
"... did you know that the Beast could combine with her like that?" Tomoyo's voice asked, the sounds of a conversation bringing Mei-Lin back to consciousness.
"The cards and I share a sort of link," the woman called Sakura answered, "I could sense that the Beast could do that, basically."
"I'm just glad that no one was seriously hurt," Yukito answered, "the martial arts students at the dojo got away with only bumps and bruises."
Mei-Lin hissed as she pushed herself up from where she was laying on someone's couch, her whole body aching. "That's good to hear," she said as she felt eyes turning to her.
"Do you want some tea?" Sakura got up, pouring out a cup then carrying it over to the small house's living room.
"Thanks," Mei-Lin took a careful drink, feeling better doing something so normal after her very odd afternoon. She looked up at Sakura and asked curiously, "You're the Knight that Tomoyo's been writing about, aren't you?"
"Guilty," Sakura smiled slightly.
"Are you all right?" Tomoyo spoke up, studying Mei-Lin worriedly.
"Surprisingly, yes." Mei-Lin shifted a bit, wincing slightly as she added, "I'm stiff and sore all over, but other than that I'm fine."
"I'm glad," Sakura hesitated before she sighed and said, "I'm sorry that you had to get involved in all of this."
"Actually," Mei-Lin took another drink of tea, "I sort of enjoyed it. It was almost like the sort of things my cousin Li writes to me about."
"Li Sayorin?" Sakura blinked and Mei-Lin nodded. "Small world," she muttered.
"Hello," Yukito waved a hand as he continued, "little confused here."
"Li Sayorin is an archeologist associate of mine in China," Sakura explained, "he's also been researching Clow and the artifacts that he created."
"My cousin and I are supposed to be descended from Clow Reed," Mei-Lin added as she sat back with a sigh. "So that woman I fought was a Clow Card?"
Sakura took it out of a pocket, the Clow Card now bearing the image of a smiling woman in a fighting stance. "Captured thanks to you," she said with a smile.
"You can understand why we're keeping this a secret," Tomoyo started before being cut off.
"I won't tell anyone about what happened," Mei-Lin said firmly, " and I'm pretty sure that no one at the dojo will too, since they would also have to admit they were all beaten up by one woman. But..." Mei-Lin trailed off.
"Yes?" Sakura asked.
"My cousin is looking for any Clow Cards in China," Mei-Lin looked up as she said with determination, "I'd like to offer whatever help I can in capturing them here."
"It'll be dangerous," Yukito cautioned.
"I'm not scared," Mei-Lin calmly answered, "and there are some stories about the Clow Cards that have been passed down in our family." She flashed a smile as she continued on, "I bet that sort of information will be useful."
"I've probably heard some of them from Li already," Sakura commented. She looked at her intently and Mei-Lin could almost feel the woman assessing her. Then her face gentled in a smile as she said warmly, "I could use the help."
Mei-Lin shook the other woman's hand then blinked in surprise as she felt a hostile gaze on her. 'Wonder what's annoyed Tomoyo?' she wondered.
To be continued...