Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Secrets ❯ Tomoyo's Cousin ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone.

Note: I dunno how I got this idea. Prolly the same way I came up with my infamous X-Man/Tenchi crossover. At least this is a double anime crossover. It's Cardcaptors/Sailor Moon (no, Kero will NOT become interested in Luna, that's just weird). Anyway, hope you enjoy it. Gah, and I'm TRYING to use the Japanese stuff, so be warned.

Italics are thoughts.

Secrets, Chapter 1:

Tomoyo's Cousin

Tomoyo was practically bouncing in her seat as the limo drew closer to the airport. She was clearly excited about something, but Sakura wasn't sure exactly what. She'd tried asking Tomoyo earlier, but all her best friend would say was that it was a big surprise.

In the seat across from the two girls, Tomoyo's bodyguard adjusted her ruby red shades. "Tomoyo-chan, please sit still. You're distracting the driver."

Tomoyo stopped bouncing, but she was still clearly bubbling with excitement.

Sakura turned her attention to the bodyguard. If she remembered correctly, this one was in charge of Tomoyo's personal safety. Apparently, she was the best that money could buy, too, as she'd only worked for the famous and fantastically rich. Sakura recalled that her name was Robyn, and that name seemed to fit her, to an extent. Her short hair was very red, but nothing else made her seem like the familiar bird.

Robyn suddenly pulled down her shades a bit, then pushed them back on her face. "Stop here, driver."

Tomoyo was already scrambling out of the car before it stopped completely, and before Sakura realized what was happening, she was dragged almost bodily out of her seat.

"Come on, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo said, her voice rising almost to a whine. "We'll be late!"

Sakura had trouble keeping up with her best friend's fast pace, especially since Tomoyo was tightly gripping her hand as she walked. Robyn, of course, had no such trouble. She was walking beside Tomoyo, almost going faster than her. Sakura imagined one had to be very energetic to be a bodyguard for a girl like Tomoyo.Tomoyo finally stopped beside a carousel just inside the Baggage Claim. "We're supposed to meet her here," she explained.

"Meet who here?" Sakura asked, taking her hand back.

Tomoyo smiled mysteriously. "I told you, it's a surprise. Just wait and see."

Sakura turned to Robyn. "Do you know who it is?"

Robyn glanced down at her. "Yes, Kinomoto-san. But Tomoyo asked me not to tell."* * * * *

Jeremy Masters wasn't crazy. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. His whole family had died in a plane crash four years ago. Ever since then, he'd been blowing up planes by remote control. Only the last one hadn't worked. So he'd decided to actually get on the plane this time and make sure the bomb worked correctly. Of course, he'd die in the process, but it was worth it to know he was avenging his family's death.

Everything was ready now. Taking a deep breath, he got up and stepped into the aisle.

Instantly, a stewardess appeared. "Sir, please return to your seat. The captain has not turned off the seatbelt sign yet."

Jeremy pointed a gun at her forehead. "May I have your attention, please?!" he shouted. "This plane will go down in a fiery spiral of doom in exactly TEN SECONDS!" With his other hand, he pulled out the detonator.

There was a quiet voice behind him. "Excuse me. Sir?"

Jeremy pushed the stewardess away and spun around, training his gun on the voice's owner. It was only a girl, and a very foolish one, judging by the huge risk she was taking. "You just take your seat, girlie!" he ordered.

Her expression was one of limitless patience and serenity. "Please don't blow up the plane, sir. I have to visit my cousin."

"I said SIT!" Jeremy screamed.

"And I said I have to visit my cousin," the girl repeated softly. "So you can't blow up the plane."

Jeremy was about to pull the trigger when he noticed the girl's eyes. They were black--no, violet. They only looked black, but upon closer inspection, he could see that they were violet. If they had been black, Jeremy would've pulled the trigger without hesitation. But violet just happened to be his favorite color. It had been red before, but now it was most definitely violet.

The girl slowly pried the gun from his grip and handed it to the shocked stewardess. "He's fine now."

Jeremy blinked. "What happened?"

"They were just about to ask what you wanted to drink," the girl explained.

"Oh. Water, I guess."

The girl smiled at him. "Good choice."

* * * * *

Sakura was very bored. Whoever they were waiting for happened to be on a delayed flight, and there was nothing else to do but watch the people go by.

Robyn had finally suggested they get something to eat few minutes earlier, and Tomoyo had quickly agreed, under the condition that Sakura wait for the person. Sakura had protested, saying she didn't even know what the person looked like, and that they'd walk right past her. But Tomoyo had only smiled and said, "Don't worry. She'll find you."But that had been almost twenty minutes ago. Sakura was starting to fall asleep when a hand touched her shoulder. Her head instantly snapped up. "I'm awake!" she cried, forgetting that she wasn't in class at the moment.

The girl stared at her with a puzzled expression. "That's...nice to know."

Sakura turned bright red. "Sorry. Um...can I help you?"

"You are Kinomoto Sakura, aren't you?" she asked.

Sakura's eyes widened. "Yes, but how did you know that?"

The girl only smiled. "Call it a hunch. You have no idea who I am, do you?"

"No," Sakura admitted.

"I was afraid of that. Chibi Me always did love her secrets."

"…who?"

The girl giggled. "Never mind. I'm Tomoe Hotaru, Tomoyo's cousin."

"Oh. Then you're the one I was waiting for?"

She nodded. "My plane was a little late. There was a disturbance on board."

"Really? What kind of disturbance?"

Hotaru smiled. "Nothing the stewardess couldn't handle."

Sakura glanced at her watch. "We'd better go. I told Tomoyo I'd bring you back to the car. Do you need to get your bags first?

Hotaru shook her head. "Already taken care of. We can go."

As they walked, Sakura suddenly realized that Hotaru looked a little like Tomoyo. There were some major differences, though. Hotaru's hair was black (though it seemed to have an almost violet tint) and fairly short, stopping just above her shoulders. She also seemed to be quite thin, and looked as if a tiny gust of wind might blow her away. She wore a simple black dress with dark blue leggings and black shoes.

It took them a while to find the right limo, as there were many present that day. But it was Hotaru that spotted Robyn standing outside the limo, waiting patiently.

As the girls got closer, there was an excited squeal, and Tomoyo came running out of the limo. She threw her arms around Hotaru, hugging her tightly. Hotaru was understandably less enthusiastic about nearly being squeezed to death, but it was clear that she was used to this reaction, and welcomed it with a warm smile.

Tomoyo probably would've hugged Hotaru all day if Robyn hadn't cleared her throat loudly a few times and opened the car door. Tomoyo reluctantly let go of her cousin and climbed in. Robyn nodded as Hotaru stepped in. "Hotaru-chan."Hotaru returned the nod and moved over so Sakura could slide in beside her. Robyn came last and closed the door behind her. Once everyone put on their seat belts, she signaled the driver, and they were off.

"Has Hotaru told you any embarrassing stories about me yet, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura grinned. "No, but I'm starting to wish she had."

"Don't worry, I have plenty," Hotaru said confidently. "Of course, she probably has twice as many about me."

"Well, you could start by explaining how you knew who I was."

"That's simple," Hotaru replied. "Tomoyo showed me a picture of you at the last family reunion. Those are really the only times we get to see each other.""Until now," Tomoyo added, squeezing Hotaru's hand. "She's going to stay with us for the whole summer!"

"You two seem like sisters to me," Sakura said.

"That's what everyone tells us. We were almost like twins when we were younger, but people always said that I was cuter than Hotaru."

Hotaru looked mildly offended. "I believe it was the other way around, Chibi Me. They said YOU looked like ME, so I was the cute one first."

"What in the world is a Chibi Me?" Sakura asked.

Tomoyo smiled. "That's Hotaru's nickname for me. Like I said, people thought we were sisters, and she's always been a little taller. It sounded cute, so it stuck."

Sakura was surprised to realize that she was a little jealous. Tomoyo had been her best friend for years, yet she seemed to be closer to Hotaru, who she only saw once a year or so. But in Hotaru's defense, she did seem like a great person to be friends with. Sakura began to wonder if she was really jealous that Hotaru seemed to be more interesting than any of her cousins.

Sakura was pulled back to reality when she felt a slight tug on her neck. She looked up to see Hotaru holding the Key of Clow in her hands.

"It's beautiful, Sakura-chan," she said in a hushed voice. Her violet eyes looked to Sakura's face. "What is it?"

Sakura had forgotten that she was wearing it. She would've preferred to leave it at home, but Clow Cards could pop up anywhere, and she would not be caught unprepared to capture them. "Uh...a good luck charm," Sakura finally stammered, sending Tomoyo a nervous glance.

"May I?" Hotaru asked.

"Um...sure." Sakura slowly removed the Key of Clow from her neck, hoping that Hotaru didn't somehow transform it into the sealing wand, or she'd have some explaining to do.

Fortunately, Hotaru handled it carefully, as if it might explode at any moment. "Where did you get it?"

"It was a gift from a friend," Sakura said, which was true enough. Kero was her friend, and he had given it to her. Well, forced it on her, anyway, but she'd managed her magic powers well enough so far. She didn't have to mention that he was the Guardian Beast of the Clow Cards.

Hotaru eventually handed it back. "I have my own good luck charm, too." She took off her necklace and placed it in Sakura's hand.

Upon closer inspection, Sakura could see a locket at the end of the necklace. She carefully opened it and found two pictures inside. One was of a small, smiling girl with pink hair and red eyes. The other was of a much older girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. They were definitely related; the similarities were too great to dismiss. "Who are they?"

"This is ChibiUsa, my best friend back home," Hotaru said, pointing at the smaller girl. "The other is her older cousin, Usagi. I like to think of them as my guardian angels. This way, I feel like they're always around, guiding and protecting me."

Sakura handed the locket back to Hotaru, accidentally brushing her fingers. In that instant, a chill ran through her body.

"Is something wrong, Sakura-chan?" Hotaru asked, noticing the look on her face.

"No, I just caught a chill for a second, but it's gone now." Sakura tried to tell herself that it was just a coincidence, but ever since she'd become a CardCaptor, Kero had told her to trust her instincts. For the first time, Sakura didn't want to listen to them. Because her instincts were telling her that Tomoe Hotaru was no normal girl.

* * * * *

Syaoran was annoyed, and it wasn't Meiling's fault for once, nor Sakura's. It was a Clow Card's. He'd been after The Silent for almost a month now, and even with the girls' help, it had always escaped. Well, eluded them was a better word. Once inside the Card's aura of silence, you had to be absolutely silent, or it would forcefully remove you.

Apparently, being trained in martial arts was no real help. Syaoran was quiet enough, but the Card always tricked him into making a sound so slight that hardly anything else could detect it: the rustle of his clothes as he moved, the brush of his hair against his forehead. Syaoran had tried everything, but The Silent was determined to remain free. Of course, he was determined to catch it, and neither of them was going to give up. Not since The Time had a Card been this frustrating to deal with.

As was his nature, Syaoran would've preferred to focus solely on The Silent and nothing else. Sakura had eventually given up (although she called it "preparing") and gone on to catch several other Cards, hoping one of them would help her defeat The Silent. None had so far. So Syaoran was fairly certain no other Clow Card would help much.And then, without warning, something...happened.He'd been sitting in a tree, as he sometimes did when deep in thought. People were less likely to disturb him up there, and aside from a few squirrels and the occasional bird, he was alone.

Then he felt something. Syaoran's eyes widened, and perhaps on instinct, he looked down.

Passing under the tree at that moment were three girls. That was nothing truly spectacular; most of the kids at school were girls. The fact that two of them were Sakura and Tomoyo was hardly news either, since they were almost always together. But the third one...

She was different. Syaoran knew that right away. He'd never seen her before, and yet...he knew her. He found his mouth opening to form a name he wasn't really sure of in the first place. Still, he just...knew, somehow.

"Hotaru," he whispered, as if it were some precious treasure.

The girl stopped and threw a glance over her shoulder, meeting his gaze for only a second. Her lips formed a single word, and nothing else.

Syaoran's heart leaped into his throat as she glanced at him, then turned around and kept walking. He almost fell out of the tree when he realized she'd said his name.

* * * * *

"Will you be staying long, Kinomoto-san?" Robyn asked as they entered the huge mansion.

Sakura blinked. "Um...why?"

"She wants to know if you'll be staying for dinner," Tomoyo whispered.

"Oh! Uh...no, I'll have to go soon, actually. I promised Syaoran and Meiling that I'd help them with a...a school project..."

Tomoyo grinned. "Well, I have to give Hotaru the grand tour. Promise you'll call and tell me everything? No, wait! Take my old video camera! You could get it on tape!"

Sakura laughed nervously. "Uh...Tomoyo-chan, we might be a little too BUSY to lug around a camera..."

"C'mon, Sakura-chan! I missed the last two 'projects' because someone put me to sleep!"

Sakura sweatdropped. "Okay, fine! But I need to leave right away!"

"I'll be right back!" Tomoyo promised as she ran off.

Hotaru smiled. "I can see you two are very good friends."

"I guess you could say that. I just wish Tomoyo didn't have to record everything I do every single day." "...or make all of my costumes herself..."

"I suppose it's only because she cares for you so much," Hotaru replied. "Although I must admit that some of her designs leave something to be desired."Sakura's eyes widened. "She...read my thoughts!"Hotaru didn't answer, but she nodded, smiling even wider.

"Here it is!" Tomoyo came running back into the room. "Like I said, it's a little old, so be careful with it, Sakura-chan."

"Oh. Right. Sure!" Sakura flashed her a smile and grabbed the camera. "I'd better go now."

"Will you be needing a ride home, Kinomoto-san?" Robyn asked."No, but thanks!""But it's dark out," Robyn added, giving her a strange look.

"Oh! So it is! I...uh...I run fast!" Sakura stammered. Before anyone could stop her, she zipped out of the front door.* * * * *

"I'm telling you guys, there's something weird about Tomoyo's cousin! She could read my thoughts, and I got this strange feeling when I touched her!"

"You're just overreacting, Kinomoto." Meiling didn't look convinced. "Anyway, we've got a Card to capture, so try to stay focused.""But-""For once, I agree with the kid," Kero said, ignoring Meiling's glare. "The Silent isn't getting any easier to catch."

"And it won't if all of you don't shut up!" Syaoran hissed angrily.

Everyone fell silent. Syaoran had been in an increasingly bad mood every extra time they'd had to pursue The Silent. He was just about to go to work on the locked door before them when he stiffened and growled.

"What's wrong?" Meiling asked.

"Someone else with magical powers is already inside." He quickly got the door open and slipped inside, followed by Meiling and Sakura. Kero remained outside, just in case a distraction was needed.

Soon, they reached the hallway were The Silent's painting hung. Sakura was the first one to spot it. She grabbed Syaoran's shoulder and pointed, but he, too, had already seen it.

The Silent was in full view, standing outside of the painting for the first time any of them had seen. Her eyes were closed, and the high collar she always wore hid her mouth. But that alone was not what had drawn Sakura's attention.

Standing in front of The Silent was a girl in a peculiar outfit. In her right hand was a sinister-looking staff with a double-pronged blade.

"Syaoran...who is she?" Sakura asked through their rudimentary telepathic link.

Syaoran winced slightly. Sakura had not yet perfected the art of talking quietly into someone's head. "I don't know. She's not mentioned in any of the magical books I've seen...but she's definitely the one I sensed earlier."

Suddenly, the girl raised her weapon and mouthed some words. "What's she doing?" Sakura wondered.Syaoran's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "She's...sealing it. Silently."Sure enough, the Magic Circle of Clow appeared beneath the girl's feet, and The Silent was returned to its Card form, landing neatly in the girl's left hand. She seemed to study it for a moment. Then her head snapped up, and she looked directly at Syaoran."Looks like we've been spotted," Meiling said, realizing they could speak now."Get ready," Syaoran warned, drawing out his sword.The girl suddenly appeared directly in front of Sakura. "You...do not belong here," she whispered.Sakura stared at the girl's pale face. "It...can't be her...can it?"

The girl stepped back and raised her weapon. Her eyes gleamed menacingly...just before she struck a nearby display case.

Alarms went off throughout the entire museum.

The girl shot them one more glare before vanishing into a black hole in the floor, which instantly closed behind her.

"Run!" Syaoran shouted, taking off in the direction they'd come. Sakura and Meiling were right behind him. Once outside the museum, they dove into the bushes and stayed there until the alarms stopped.

"So there's ANOTHER CardCaptor?!" Meiling hissed.

"Looks like it," Sakura muttered. "And I thought just getting all the Cards with you two around would be tough." She glanced over at Syaoran, who had a strange look on his face. "Syaoran? What is it?" She elbowed him.

Syaoran blinked and looked at her. "Huh? What?"

"Are you okay?""Fine," he lied, looking away. "Who IS that girl? And why do I feel like I know her?!"* * * * *"And how was tonight's little adventure, Hotaru-chan?"Hotaru reached into her bag and held The Silent up to her mirror."Excellent. I see you're making progress.""It won't be so easy next time," she said quietly. "I ran into them tonight.""Really? Hmm. Were there any problems?""Not exactly. But I think there will be. What if I have to fight them?"

"Then you will win."

Hotaru nodded slightly. "But…I don't want to hurt them. And Tomoyo…""You won't have to hurt them, once you show them your superior magic. If they're not smart enough to stop challenging you then, we can always move on to…other steps. Don't worry about Tomoyo. Just remember what we talked about."

Hotaru nodded. "I will."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Hotaru?"

The face in the mirror faded from sight instantly.

Hotaru went to the door and opened it, not surprised to find Tomoyo there.

"I thought I heard voices. Are you okay?"

Hotaru smiled sheepishly. "Yes, I'm fine. I talk to myself sometimes…"

"Oh, I see." Tomoyo stared at her for a moment. "Are you sure you're okay? You look pale."

Hotaru sighed. "I always look pale, Tomoyo-chan. You know about my condition."

"Yes, I know, but…" She trailed off, concern in her eyes. "I'm just worried about you. It's very late. You should be resting."

Hotaru placed her hands on Tomoyo's shoulders. "I promise you I'm fine, juumai. I'm always a little tired at the end of the day. It's nothing to be concerned about."

"But why are you up so late?"

"I guess I'm having trouble sleeping in a new bed."

Tomoyo's face brightened. "You could stay in my room!"

Hotaru smiled. "You don't mind?"

"Of course not! It'll be just like when we were little, you'll see." She grabbed Hotaru's hand. "Come on!"

"In a minute, juumai. I need to get some things first."

"Okay, I'll be waiting." Tomoyo gave Hotaru a brief hug before vanishing into the dark hallway. "Don't be too long, juushi!"

Hotaru gathered a few things, and then paused by the mirror. "We'll talk later?"

"Yes, Hotaru-chan," the voice replied. "Let me know if you have any problems."

"I will, kenja. Oyasumi."

"Be safe, aijou."

* * * * *

Continued in Chapter 2: The Saturn Cards

Sakura & company confront the mysterious new CardCaptor, and find out the hard way that The Silent isn't the only Card she has.

Vocab Lesson!

Chibi - little or mini

Juumai - younger cousin

Juushi - older cousin

Kenja - sage or wiseman (I hope)

Oyasumi - good night/bye (again, I hope)

Aijou - beloved child/daughter

A Note on Honorifics

The way I learned it, -chan is usually for girls, and -kun for boys, though in certain cases that can change. I generally use them to show familiarity between the speakers, but that is also accomplished by the use of personal names, as opposed to family names. For example, Tomoyo would never call Sakura "Kinomoto." Robyn does it more out of respect (as the -san indicates); of course as Tomoyo's bodyguard she knows Sakura well. Meiling does it distance herself and be annoying. Syaoran would've done it in the past, but no longer.

Hotaru's Powers

This will be odd. As far as I know, Sailor Senshi can't read thoughts (hearts, maybe, but not minds). But I plan for the combination of Hotaru's Senshi powers and Clow's magic to produce some interesting skills.