Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Cardcaptors: Clow Reed's Mistake ❯ Cardcaptors: An Interesting Proposition-Ch.18 ( Chapter 18 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Maurynna 
Anime/Manga: Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Fantasy | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 08.31.2001 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.4K | Visits: 293 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Fantasy | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 08.31.2001 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.4K | Visits: 293 | Status: Work In Progress
By Maurynna
Author's Note: Okay, I'd just like to clear something up before we move on. In chapter sixteen...was it sixteen?...*scratches head* I believe it was sixteen *_~ ... at the end, Sakura said something. Now, fool that I am, I didn't elaborate on it because I thought you'd all get what I meant. As I said...I'm an idiot. What a foolish thing to assume. Well, when one of you was bold enough to tell me you had no idea what I was talking about, I realized that you shouldn't assume things because it never gets you anywhere. ^_^ Okay, enough babbling. When Sakura said, 'I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore...' it was something I took from the Wizard of Oz. It was a little joke. You see, for those of you who haven't seen the movies the Wizard of Oz, there is a main character in it who's name is Dorothy. Dorothy lived in Kansas. Her house was swept up into a tornado-with her in it!- and was set down again in another world. When she stepped out of the house and looked around, she said, 'Toto, (that's her dog ^_^) I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore. That's why I put that little sentence at the end of the chapter. ^_^ I thought it fit. Well, hope that clears it up for you...Read on!
Oh! And thanks to all my reviewers!! ^_^ You were all so NICE in your comments on the last chapter! Your feedback is much appreciated! And I thank you, again, for taking the time to read my pathetic little story! Gee...^o^a...I don't know if I can keep up with last chapter...well...let's find out!
Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptors, nor do I claim to. I am not getting paid for this, so please do not sue me.
Cardcaptors: An Interesting Proposition-Ch.18
Sakura opened her door quietly and poked her head just outside of it, looking around uncertainly. A dark, empty corridor met her unsure gaze and Sakura frowned. She didn't quite know what she expected Clow Reed's home to be like, but, she hadn't expected the empty, bare, and lonely feeling she was getting from this place. There were no paintings or anything of the sort decorating any of the walls! nothing to lighten up the place, make it feel like it was lived in. If she had woken up here one morning, and not seen Clow Reed, she would have assumed this place was deserted.
Closing her door behind her silently, Sakura ventured off down the hallway. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she didn't want to stay in that room all day. And, she might very well have had that long to wait if Clow Reed's condition last night had been evidence of his exhaustion last night. If he was smart, he'd sleep the entire day away to regain his lost strength.
Sakura did inny-minni-miney-moe and ended up going right. She gazed about her without much interest, her only source of entertainment being the occasional lit candleholder standing upright against the walls. Her thoughts inevitably drifted to Kero, and Madison, and Li. She winced, and she wondered what they might be thinking right now. Did they know she had been sent back in time by Clow Reed? Highly unlikely. They probably didn't have a clue as to where she was. Madison was probably worrying, Kero was probably angry, hiding his worry, and Li, well...she hoped he was worrying about her. Sakura frowned at that thought. It's not like she wanted to cause him any grief by having him worry, but, if he was worrying, that shows that he cares.
Sakura sighed and tried to force such thoughts from her mind. They weren't going to help her present situation and there was nothing she could do about them, so there was no sense in brooding. Sakura rounded a corner and came upon...you guessed it ...another empty corridor. Sakura turned and looked behind her, wondering, if, perhaps, she should have gone the other way.
Turning back to the front, Sakura spotted a slight distortion in the air right in front of her, "What the...?" she whispered. Then, before she could gather her wits, Kero abruptly appeared out of thin air, not an inch from her. Sakura screamed in surprise and went reeling backwards. Landing on her rump, she winced and bit out, "KERO! Don't DO that!!" she glared up at him. "I didn't even know you could do that." she muttered.
Kero stared down at her with nothing more then faint curiousity in his eyes. "An invisibility spell." he said simply. He didn't elaborate and Sakura sighed.
Heaving herself back on her feet, she said, "What were you doing?"
"Keeping watch." he said.
Sakura blinked. She really was going to have to get used to that, she supposed. She was used to the small, high-pitched, Kero. Not this large, tawny, deep voiced animal. And she wasn't quite used to that unnerving stare he was using on her now. When he had changed into his true form in the future, he hadn't seemed so...serious. Sakura mentally shrugged. She supposed it must be the times. She couldn't help but feel more than a little sympathetic towards the Guardian Beast. With war threatening to break out all over because of the Forgotten, and the possible danger to Clow Reed, Kero had more than enough reason to be wary. But it hurt...not seeing that playful warmth that used to be in his eyes.
"What are you doing?"
It took Sakura a moment to realize he was talking to her. Blinking, she replied, "I was looking for Clow Reed. Do you know where he is?"
Kero gave her a look, as if to suggest he'd have to be dead before not knowing the whereabouts of the sorcerer. "He is resting." he said firmly. "You will not disturb him."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Oh! Of course I won't disturb him if he's sleeping!" she said exasperated. She looked at him with a bit of consternation. "If I can't speak with him, how about telling me where the kitchen is?" when she received a blank stare, Sakura quickly amended. "Uh...the food?"
Without a word, Kero turned and began padding down the hallway. Taking that as an, 'I'll take you to the food,' Sakura followed behind Kero quietly. After many turns, the two emerged into what Sakura took to be a sort of pantry of the time. There was a large, wooden table in the center of the room and a tray of fruit was laying on it. As delectable as the fruit looked, Sakura couldn't help but wonder where the more substantial stuff was. Meat, cheese...chocolate bar. It didn't look like there were many places you could store food here and the big...cauldron?...in the corner wasn't filled with soup or stew and the cold ashes underneath suggested it hadn't been used for cooking recently.
Sakura turned and looked at Kero who was watching her, "Where's the rest?" she asked simply.
Kero looked a bit guilty. "That is all that there is. Master has not been eating lately."
Sakura could understand why the Guardian Beast looked like he was going to be scolded. Obviously, he cared very much for Clow Reed, and the thought of him not eating must disturb him as much as it did Sakura. Well, if Clow Reed was doing with nothing more than fruit, then so would Sakura.
She walked over and picked up an apple. Leaning against the table she took a bite out of it. She chewed a few mouthfuls in silence before Kero's unblinking gaze began to bother her. Addressing him abruptly, she asked, "What are you doing? Don't you have anything better to do than stare at me while I eat?"
Finally, Kero blinked. "I must guard you. I cannot let you wander off alone with the Master so depleted of strength."
Sakura stared at him. Finally, she put her half eaten apple down gingerly and crossed her arms over her chest. "Kero," she said slowly, "Do you know who I am?"
"Should I?" he asked curiously.
Sakura blinked. So, Clow Reed hadn't told Kero who she was. Was there a reason for that? Or had he simply been too tired and fell asleep before he got the chance? Well, if Clow Reed had neglected to tell Kero who she was for some reason, he must have an explanation for it. So, she would wait until Clow Reed told Kero himself who she was and not spill the beans.
Sakura sighed. Kero was back to staring again. Trying to strike up conversation, Sakura ventured, "So, this is where Clow Reed lives?"
Kero surprised Sakura by giving a small snort. "Of course not."
Sakura waited. Kero didn't say anything. Sakura rolled her eyes, "Well,...I just assumed. I mean, I thought it was a bit weird when my little exploring trip turned up nothing but empty, gray walls. I pictured Clow Reed living in a much more...luxuriant ...home."
Sakura smiled mentally as Kero sat back on his haunches. Not being much of a talker in this time, mention of his Master seemed to be able to get him to open his mouth at least, "No, he does not live here." he said slowly. "This is merely a precaution."
"Well, where are we then? And why does he feel it's necessary to take 'precautions?' " well, there was the obvious reasons, the Forgotten, but Sakura didn't really think that was it.
His tail swishing back and forth lazily against the floor, Kero observed Sakura thoughtfully. "At the moment, we are in the upper levels of my Master's labyrinth."
Sakura gaped. Labyrinth...wasn't that sort of the same thing as a laboratory? Clow Reed's laboratory...Sakura looked around her with renewed interest and a sense of dread. This was where the Forgotten were going to be trapped, sealed, for centuries... Something Kero said stuck in Sakura's mind. "Upper levels?" she asked.
Swish. Swish. Kero's tail swept across the floor, his gaze extremely serious. "You do not want to see the lower levels."
Kero said it with such finality that Sakura couldn't help but silently agree with him. She tried to remember everything that her Kero had told her about the time Clow Reed sealed the cards. Somehow, she doubted they had been sealed in the upper levels. If that was so, someone surely would have found the entrance to this place and unleashed them accidentally before they escaped themselves. If she were Clow Reed, she would have destroyed the upper levels to keep that from happening. That meant, that whatever the lower levels looked like, that's where the cards would have been trapped...with nothing but a pile of rubble over top of their heads. Sakura shied away from that thought.
"The reason why he is here," Kero continued, ignoring the lapse in Sakura's attention span. "It is not a precaution against the cards and them being a threat to him...it has something to do with you. Although, I have not discovered why, yet." Sakura's eyebrows lifted in disbelief. "You doubt me?" Kero asked quietly. "If you were not here I am more than certain my Master would not be here either. He would be in his castle." (Yes, in this fic Clow Reed lives in a castle. Not terribly original, but he's a sorcerer! He had to live somewhere grand! XD )
Sakura's eyes widened. "He lives in a castle?!" she burst out.
Kero eyed her with bewildered look. "Of course. Where else would the High Priest of the Sorcerer's order reside?" he asked, puzzled.
"Buckingham palace?" Sakura croaked out. Kero gave her another blank look. "Nevermind." she muttered. "Go on." she said after clearing her throat.
"This is merely where my Master comes to perform his more...serious...spells." Kero looked a bit uncertain and Sakura wondered just what Clow Reed came here to do that he couldn't...or wouldn't?...do at his home.
An awkward silence ascended over the two and Sakura glanced about her nervously. "Umm...is there anything I could do here? Anything to keep me entertained? A book of some sort?" she asked desperately.
Kero's eyes narrowed. "The only books my Master keeps here are his gramores, and only in his rooms. You will not go in there, and you will not rifle through his spelled texts."
Sakura's breath whooshed out of her in an explosive sigh, she couldn't help it. "Kero..." she began.
"Kero Beros."
"What?" Sakura asked, confused.
"My name is Kero Beros, you do not have leave to address me in any familiar manner."
Sakura just stared at him. "Kero...Beros," God that felt weird, "Why is it that at every turn, every move I make, your watching me as if you expect me to turn into a demon and eat Clow Reed?" Kero's eyes went impossibly wide. Sakura sweat dropped. "Before you can say it," she gritted out. "I can't turn into a demon, and I wouldn't eat Clow Reed." returning her voice to some semblance of normalcy, Sakura continued, "I haven't given you one reason to be suspicious of me. I saved your life when you were fighting the Four Brothers, acted completely civil to you, and even tried to engage you in conversation! Now, if that doesn't scream, 'Hey! I'd like to be friends!' I don't know what does."
Kero eyed her suspiciously. "Nowadays, anyone could be an enemy."
Sakura threw up her hands. "Geez! This is like World War Two! You being a German soldier! Completely bigoted! And everyone else being Jewish people! Lighten up!"
Kero merely blinked. "You speak strangely."
Sakura sighed. "When are you going to trust me? What is it I'll have to do?"
"When my Master approves of you, then so will I. Until then, I cannot help but be suspicious."
"Oh, of course not." Sakura said sarcastically.
Just then, there was a funny, fuzzy sensation right at the edge of Sakura's awareness. It was almost like the feeling she got right before she sensed a Clow card. In the next moment, without any flashing lights or any bells announcing a change, a man suddenly appeared right in front of her face. For the second time that day, Sakura screamed. Jumping up on the table, Sakura abruptly sat beside the fruit tray. If people didn't stop materializing in front of her she was going to have a heart attack!
The man merely glanced at her and then turned his attention to Kero. "When I could not find you or the Master at his home, I was worried, Kero Beros. Then, feeling his exhaustion, I thought to come here."
Getting over her mild shock, Sakura only received another. If it wasn't for the perfectly white wings, Sakura never, EVER would have guessed that this rumpled creature in front of her was Yue. His hair was down from what Sakura came to think of as his never changing hair style; ponytail with many bindings. It covered his shoulders, back, and face in a veritable white cloud. His face had one black smudge on it that looked like dirt. His robes were gone and in their place were merely a pair of black trousers, the kind made in this time, Sakura guessed. He wore nothing else. His bare chest had a faint sheen of perspiration on it and his feral, catlike eyes were strangely intense. Sakura swallowed. (Yeah...^.^a...I had this incredible urge to make Yue seem....sexy. ^_^ It was irresistible! I couldn't resist! And besides, this is probably the only chance I'll get to do this.)
Kero looked Yue up and down. "Yue." he greeted quietly. Then, raising his eyebrow, he asked, "And what have you been doing?" he sounded amused.
Yue blew a stray strand of silver hair out of his face. "I was in a battle, Kero Beros."
Kero stood on all fours, his eyes gleaming, "One of the cards?" he asked anxiously.
Yue grimaced slightly. "No, some of those monstrosities created by the Insanity card. He's getting on my nerves."
"Yue?!" Sakura finally managed to blurt out. Yue turned towards her slightly. Sakura ducked, one of his giant wings brushing over the top of her head. "What?...How?...I didn't know I'd get to see you! What are you wearing?" she asked, wrinkling her nose at the odd attire.
Yue raked his eyes over Sakura from head to toe, almost disdainfully. Then, making Sakura's mouth fall open in a mix of surprise, then outrage, he turned back to Kero, ignoring her. "How did a trollop make her way down here?"
Sakura began spluttering. "Wh-what!!?" she screeched. "Did you just call me..." Sakura couldn't finish she was struck speechless.
Yue turned back to face her with an almost impatient air about him, as if he couldn't fathom why she was still talking. "Am I mistaken? I do doubt it. Look at the way you are dressed." he said reasonably.
Sakura glanced down. What was wrong with her top and shorts? Sure, she could admit that her spaghetti strap top might be a little bit revealing, but not THAT much! Crossing her arms over her chest self-consciously, Sakura glared at Yue. "Look who's talking! At least I'm wearing a shirt!"
Yue raised an eyebrow. "Well, I thought it was simpler to get rid of it, considering how those demons slashed it to shreds. And to even think of wearing my robes to fight them. They would hinder me too much, give the monsters something to grab hold of." he smiled slightly. "But, why am I explaining this to you?" looking her over again, Yue stepped forward, almost leaning against the table edge where Sakura's legs were hanging. "I always feel so exhilarated after a battle. I could use a... distraction. With your permission, of course."
Sakura opened her mouth then shut it again. She didn't think she'd ever been this outraged in her entire life! Just who did he think he was?! While he had been explaining about his attire, Sakura had realized that Yue probably thought her a tramp because women in these times wore nothing but modest dresses. They certainly didn't wear breeches, much less shorts! people were appalled if you showed ankle in this time! So, she had been ready to explain to him why her clothes were so odd, tell him that Clow Reed had brought her here from the future. But then, then! he'd made that suggestive comment! And now, with his broad shoulders blocking her view of anything else, it was rather hard not to smack him. But, out of respect for the Yue she knew, she restrained herself.
Smiling sweetly at him, Sakura said, "I'm going to forget you said that." honey in her voice.
Yue tilted his head to his side. "And why would that be?" he lifted a hand to stroke a strand of her sienna hair. "I am not so horrible to look at, am I?" (hell no! drools) Yue spread his wings to his full span, showing them off. Sakura slapped his hand away from her hair as gently as she could, her rising temper beginning to get the better of her. Yue smiled. "Such spirit."
"Yue!"
Sakura, Yue, and Kero's heads snapped towards the archway that led out into the hallways. Clow Reed stood leaning against the wall, disapproval faintly reeking off of him. Yue quickly stepped away from Sakura and the table. Folding his wings behind him, he bowed slightly,
"Master! I did not know you were awake. If I had I would have come straight to you. I have some news on Insanity..."
Clow Reed cut him off. "I have only one thing to say to you, Yue. Treat Sakura with respect at all times, and I don't want to see you approach her that way unless she comes to you first. Is that understood?"
Yue gazed upon his Master with puzzlement evident in his eyes, but he was clearly obedient. "I'm sorry, Master, I did not know she was yours."
Sakura groaned and fell back against the table. She banged the back of her head against the tabletop twice in exasperation. "I'm not anybody's!" she fairly yelled.
Clow Reed smiled apologetically at Sakura. "Forgive him, Sakura. You knew him when he was older. Now, he is nothing more than an adolescent, only a little older than you are, my dear. And you know how teenage boys can be."
Sakura sighed. "Tell me about it." she said from the table. That sent Yue into bristling. Literally. The feathers on his wings began to fluff up. Sakura couldn't help but giggle at him.
Confused, Yue turned to Clow Reed. "I'm afraid I don't understand. I have never seen her before, how can she know me?"
Clow Reed beckoned to Sakura. Standing, she walked over to him. Gesturing for the lot to follow him, Clow Reed left the 'kitchen.' "I shall explain all in a moment." he said calmly.
Sakura followed closely behind Clow Reed, not sure where they were all going. She was grateful for his little rescue back there. In truth, she had been two seconds away from balling up her fist and giving Yue another black smudge on his face.
Sakura cast a side-long glance out of the corner of her eye and watched Clow Reed discretely. He looked so much better then he had yesterday. Those smudges under his eyes were gone and he walked like one who had enough energy to spare. Sakura was relieved, but she couldn't help but be puzzled. How could Clow Reed possibly be so revitalized after only one nights rest? Maybe he used a spell or something? But that kinda seemed odd, considering that casting spells was what made him so tired in the first place. Perhaps he'd readied a spell ahead of time? Had he known this would come off completely without a hitch?
They proceeded down the hallways silently. Sakura noticed some time ago that they were heading down. She couldn't help but be a bit nervous about that. Were they going to the lower levels? She rather hoped not. She could do without seeing those rooms. Kero and Yue seemed fairly confident of where they were going, their stride fast and sure.
Clow Reed abruptly turned right at the first opening in the corridor they had been traveling down. When Sakura followed him inside, she couldn't help but stop and take a look around first. This must be where Clow Reed had been resting, the rooms Kero told her about. In the corner there was a medium sized bed with a canopy overhead. There were red, silk curtains surrounding the bed and they were closed at the moment, so Sakura couldn't really get a good idea of what was behind them. She supposed Clow Reed had put them there to keep any light out that might disturb him during his sleep. Speaking of light, there were candles set on shelves, tables, and chairs. Their light cast off a faint illumination around the room and sent eerie shadows across the walls. In the farthest corner from the door, and set in a little alcove, was a podium of sorts. On it rested one of the thickest books Sakura had ever seen, she silently mused that it would take her the rest of her life to read that. It was open and the pages looked crinkled, as with age. Sakura wondered if it was one of Clow Reed's Magical texts.
"Come in, Sakura, come in. Don't be nervous." Clow Reed smiled, amused, "Besides, you are rather annoying my Guardians, I think."
Sakura glanced behind her and saw that Yue had his arms crossed over his chest in an impatient manner. Blushing slightly in embarrassment, Sakura mumbled, "Sorry," and moved out of the doorway. Kero and Yue brushed past her and took up positions against the wall beside the bed. Kero simply sat on his haunches. Yue tucked his feet under him and sat on air. Sakura couldn't help but smile fondly at that. He was in that exact same position the last time she saw him.
"Do sit down, Sakura," Clow Reed said, disappearing into the little alcove.
"Umm..." Sakura said uncertainly, glancing around at all the chairs covered with candles.
Clow Reed reappeared. At first he just stood there, as if wondering why Sakura had not taken up his offer. Then he glanced at the chairs himself and smiled a bit sheepishly. "Yes, well, won't be a moment." he then proceeded to scoop up the candles on one chair, unmindful of the flames licking at his robes, and placed them unceremoniously on the table in a big heap. Brushing off the chair with his sleeve, his motioned for her to sit down again. "Sorry about that. I do not exactly entertain down here." he explained.
Sakura shrugged, indicating that it didn't matter. And it didn't. Her room was messier than this.
Seating himself on the edge of his bed, Clow Reed folded his hands in his robes and looked everyone over. He sat like that for a few moments, thinking. Then, opening his mouth, he said slowly, "I'm not entirely sure of where to begin. There is so much that needs to be covered, so much to do." he glanced at Kero and Yue. "I think, perhaps, we shall start with the simplest of matters." he looked back at Sakura as if asking her permission about something. Sakura nodded, not sure what he wanted but willing to give it to him. He turned back to the two Guardians. "This, is Sakura Avalon. She is my descendant and I have brought her here from the future to help me with a certain problem that I shall get into in a moment."
Sakura couldn't help but snort at that. That was rather straight forward. It appears her dear ancestor was not one to beat around the bush. Sakura watched Kero and Yue for their reactions.
Kero looked quite surprised. His eyes were quite wide in his head and he looked comical to Sakura. The first thing that came out of his mouth, though, was, "That was why you were so tired, Master? I did not even know a time spell existed, let alone was even possible."
"Yes, well, technically, time travel is impossible." that comment was, to Sakura, completely illogical.
Yue was a different matter. He looked quite sick to his stomach and Sakura was worried that he might actually be sick. "I am so sorry, Mistress, I did not know." he whispered, looking like he'd caused some incredible sin.
Sakura smiled reassuringly at him, knowing he was referring to his behaviour in the kitchen. "That's okay, Yue. No harm done."
Yue still looked like he expected to be punished.
"Now that that has been cleared up," Clow Reed said firmly, even though it hadn't been, "I have more important things to discuss. I have brought Sakura back, as I said, to help me with something. I want her to seal the War card for me."
Yue and Kero looked abruptly uneasy. "How, exactly, do you plan to have her go about that, Master?" Yue asked uncertainly.
Clow Reed looked guilty all of a sudden. Sakura didn't think that was a good thing. "There really isn't any other way, Yue. You know what War is like. She is our best bet."
"Have you told her what you plan on doing, yet?" Kero asked quietly.
"No, but I am getting there." Clow Reed said impatiently. "If she declines I promised to send her back so do not worry." he turned to look at Yue. "Your attitude was all the proof I needed. What do you think of Sakura, Yue?"
Yue ducked his head. "I think she is very beautiful, Master."
Sakura grinned, she rather liked this side of Yue. All embarrassment and bashfulness. It was cute. Oh...she'd never let the Yue in the future hear the end of this.
"Well! That's settled then, isn't it?" Clow Reed said matter-of-factly.
"What's settled?" Sakura asked, beginning to feel uneasy once more.
Clow Reed settled back against one of the four posts of his bed, and hesitated. Sakura knew this was not a good thing. Clow Reed was someone who came right out and said what he was thinking about, at least, that's the impression Sakura got of him so far. So whatever this 'plan' was, it must be something pretty serious. "What I said yesterday was completely true," he began, "I do need your help to seal the War card, but not in the way you think. I do not want you to battle him, Sakura. I doubt, with your inexperience, that you would win that way. There is another method that has a much better chance of succeeding."
Sakura swallowed nervously but summoned up a smile from somewhere. "What do I have to do?"
"War...has a particular fondness for pretty things." Clow Reed said slowly, "He has acquired many beautiful things around the world and brought them to the place where he and the others are residing. Whether the artifacts were vases, tapestries, horses, paintings, things of the sort. I was hoping this could be used against him."
"So...how do I fit into all this?" Sakura asked, even though she had a sneaking suspicion.
Quietly, Clow Reed said, "I was hoping that you would get close to him, you would catch his eye, gain his trust, and then, when he's off guard, seal him."
Sakura stared at him. "You want me to...be a friend of some sort to him?"
Clow Reed shook his head. "More than a friend, Sakura."
That was it. He could not be suggesting that she... "You want me to be his...a...to...?" Sakura couldn't finish.
Clow Reed immediately held up his hands. "No! No, nothing quite so...intimate. Just be yourself, Sakura. Keep him interested in you." Clow Reed said reasonably.
"And how exactly am I supposed to DO that?!" Sakura asked, exasperated and not a bit appalled. "Be myself, you say! Hah! If I did that he'd know immediately that something was up. I'm not an actor! And how am I supposed to keep him interested?! There's nothing special about me that would grab his attention. I'm just plain old Sakura!"
Clow Reed smiled. "I think you underestimate yourself, Sakura. You have made quite an impression on Yue here, and in the future when you defeated him in the Final Judgement. Li Syaoran is certainly fond of you, Kero adores you," Kero eyed him funny. "And everyone you meet seems drawn to you in some way. Even..." Clow Reed's mouth abruptly snapped shut and he looked like he had almost made a serious blunder. Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Well," Clow Reed cleared his throat. "Nevermind about that."
Sakura tried another approach. "What about my aura? If I was anywhere NEAR War, he'd immediately know I was related to you."
Clow Reed shook his head. "There is a simple spell I could unleash that would hide your energy force from him. Or, I could teach you how to shield yourself, but you would always have to be concentrating to do that."
"Well...what about my face?!" Clow Reed looked at her, puzzled. "I couldn't tell a lie if my life depended on it!" she explained. "Much less pretend I was someone I'm not! One look at me and he would know! Trust me."
Clow Reed looked a bit exasperated. "You must have more faith in yourself, Sakura. You CAN do this."
Sakura remained silent.
Clow Reed looked very melancholy all of a sudden. "What I said still stands, Sakura. If you do not want to do this, I can always send you back."
Sakura sat quietly and thought. If she didn't do this, the future would be doomed. All of her friends, her family, everybody! would fall underneath the Forgotten. How could she let that happen to them? She really didn't think she could do what Clow Reed was convinced she could. She had no experience in things like this. She figured, she could damn well try! And, well, if it blew up in her face, the results would have been the same anyway. She had one last question, however,
"How am I going to know that he won't hurt me?" she asked quietly. "What if he finds out you sent me and decided to kill me? What then?"
"I am almost sure he would not harm you, Sakura. He values what he thinks of as his, especially the beautiful things."
Almost. Sakura pulled a face. Well, that was reassuring.
"There is one, last thing." Clow Reed said suddenly. Sakura waited. "War is...sadistic, for lack of better things to say. He may take great pride in what he treasures, but he enjoys inflicting pain on his enemies. And no amount of persuasion will make me tell you what he does to them."
Sakura let out a short burst of laughter. "I thought you were trying to get me to HELP you, not get me to go back home."
"I thought you should know." Clow Reed said honestly.
Sakura sighed. Great. Paired up with a potential psycho. Wonderful.
"Further more," Clow Reed continued. "Kero or Yue will always be nearby."
"Fine," Sakura whispered. "I'll do it."
Clow Reed smiled. "Good. Everything will be fine, you'll see. And if something went wrong, it won't of course, but if it did, all the power you need to help you escape is inside of you Sakura. As soon as you realize that, you can do anything."
"Yeah. Sure." Sakura didn't feel much like talking at the moment, she was too busy pondering what her funeral would be like.
"And one more thing," Sakura looked up at Clow Reed as he stood. "You cannot take the cards with you."
Sakura bolted up from her seat. "What!? You've got to be kidding me! Not take the Clow cards? Are you mad!?"
Clow Reed smiled faintly. "Clow cards? Yes, I had forgotten they were going to receive that title later. And you cannot take them with you, there is the chance that War would sense them. It is too dangerous."
"Dangerous! It'd be a hell of a lot more dangerous if I didn't have them to protect me! How am I supposed to defend myself?"
"The power is within you, Sakura." Clow Reed said simply.
Sakura sighed explosively and started pacing back and forth, chewing on her thumb nail. Sakura was beginning to think of this as a suicide venture! No cards, no help, no nothing! She was so going to die. "Fine!" she snarled. "I'll leave them here. Happy?"
"No." he said honestly. "But I do thank you."
"Fat lot of good that'll do," Sakura mumbled. She felt like hitting something. She was NOT used to feeling so helpless, and this was simply ridiculous! "When?"
"Tomorrow. I need to ready the spell that will shield you from him. And Kero needs to find out if War is still where he was the last time I checked, and if he has any...guests."
Kero stood up. Before Sakura could blink, he was gone. "Damn," Sakura muttered. "I SO want to know how to do that."
"You also need something else to wear." Clow Reed said, looking her over. "War will never believe you're sane if you wear something like that. Yue, find Sakura some clothes. I should have something suitable back home."
Yue looked distinctly uncomfortable. "But, Master, I don't know..."
"What you're doing?" Clow Reed chuckled. "Just pick out something you like and something that looks as if it would fit."
"But how will I know if it will fit?"
Clow Reed smirked. "You've been closer to her then I have. You figure it out."
With an embarrassed cough, Yue disappeared.
Sakura stared at the spot where he used to be. "You know, you really shouldn't tease him like that." she said faintly.
Clow Reed chuckled. "I know, but, I cannot help it. The opportunity hardly ever comes up."
"Umm...so what am I supposed to do before then?" Sakura asked.
"When Yue gets back, you can try on whatever he brings back. Until then," he pointed to a shelf just above his bed. "You can read the books there. They are very interesting, and not dangerous."
Sakura went to pick one up. Glancing at the cover, she quickly looked back at Clow Reed. "But this is in Latin. I can't read Latin."
Clow Reed came over and bent over the book. "Oh, so it is. Fancy that." then he waved his hand over the book and the title changed. "Now it is in English." he said, laughing silently at her bewildered expression.
Sakura didn't comment on that little bit of Magic. She read the now readable title. Simple Magic. Sakura glanced up at Clow Reed and smiled wryly. "Are you trying to tell me something?"
Clow Reed just blinked blankly at her. "Why, I have no idea what you mean." then he smiled, dispelling the illusion.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right." she started out the door. "Umm...how am I going to find my room?" she asked, embarrassed.
Clow Reed glanced up at her from behind the podium with the open book. "Just, ah, wander wherever you like. I'll send either Yue or Kero after you when they return. And Sakura," Clow Reed warned. "Do NOT go down. Wherever you go, stay away from the lower levels, do you understand me?"
Sakura swallowed. "Yes. Perfectly."
Clow Reed went back to flipping through pages. As Sakura left she thought she heard him muttering something but didn't stay to find out what. As she wandered back in the direction she had come, Sakura couldn't help but wonder what was in the lower levels of this labyrinth.
To be continued...
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So? Well, a bit short. I think you guys get to meet the War card in the next chapter. Although, ;) I may postpone it 'til the one after that, just to torture you! Joking! Oh! And I know Yue was TOTALLY OOC, but, well, I figured, he couldn't always have been like he is now. All cool and calm. He HAD to have been a teenager once! ^_^ I had fun with that. Anyways...hope you liked it! Until then!
Author's Note: Okay, I'd just like to clear something up before we move on. In chapter sixteen...was it sixteen?...*scratches head* I believe it was sixteen *_~ ... at the end, Sakura said something. Now, fool that I am, I didn't elaborate on it because I thought you'd all get what I meant. As I said...I'm an idiot. What a foolish thing to assume. Well, when one of you was bold enough to tell me you had no idea what I was talking about, I realized that you shouldn't assume things because it never gets you anywhere. ^_^ Okay, enough babbling. When Sakura said, 'I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore...' it was something I took from the Wizard of Oz. It was a little joke. You see, for those of you who haven't seen the movies the Wizard of Oz, there is a main character in it who's name is Dorothy. Dorothy lived in Kansas. Her house was swept up into a tornado-with her in it!- and was set down again in another world. When she stepped out of the house and looked around, she said, 'Toto, (that's her dog ^_^) I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore. That's why I put that little sentence at the end of the chapter. ^_^ I thought it fit. Well, hope that clears it up for you...Read on!
Oh! And thanks to all my reviewers!! ^_^ You were all so NICE in your comments on the last chapter! Your feedback is much appreciated! And I thank you, again, for taking the time to read my pathetic little story! Gee...^o^a...I don't know if I can keep up with last chapter...well...let's find out!
Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptors, nor do I claim to. I am not getting paid for this, so please do not sue me.
Cardcaptors: An Interesting Proposition-Ch.18
Sakura opened her door quietly and poked her head just outside of it, looking around uncertainly. A dark, empty corridor met her unsure gaze and Sakura frowned. She didn't quite know what she expected Clow Reed's home to be like, but, she hadn't expected the empty, bare, and lonely feeling she was getting from this place. There were no paintings or anything of the sort decorating any of the walls! nothing to lighten up the place, make it feel like it was lived in. If she had woken up here one morning, and not seen Clow Reed, she would have assumed this place was deserted.
Closing her door behind her silently, Sakura ventured off down the hallway. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she didn't want to stay in that room all day. And, she might very well have had that long to wait if Clow Reed's condition last night had been evidence of his exhaustion last night. If he was smart, he'd sleep the entire day away to regain his lost strength.
Sakura did inny-minni-miney-moe and ended up going right. She gazed about her without much interest, her only source of entertainment being the occasional lit candleholder standing upright against the walls. Her thoughts inevitably drifted to Kero, and Madison, and Li. She winced, and she wondered what they might be thinking right now. Did they know she had been sent back in time by Clow Reed? Highly unlikely. They probably didn't have a clue as to where she was. Madison was probably worrying, Kero was probably angry, hiding his worry, and Li, well...she hoped he was worrying about her. Sakura frowned at that thought. It's not like she wanted to cause him any grief by having him worry, but, if he was worrying, that shows that he cares.
Sakura sighed and tried to force such thoughts from her mind. They weren't going to help her present situation and there was nothing she could do about them, so there was no sense in brooding. Sakura rounded a corner and came upon...you guessed it ...another empty corridor. Sakura turned and looked behind her, wondering, if, perhaps, she should have gone the other way.
Turning back to the front, Sakura spotted a slight distortion in the air right in front of her, "What the...?" she whispered. Then, before she could gather her wits, Kero abruptly appeared out of thin air, not an inch from her. Sakura screamed in surprise and went reeling backwards. Landing on her rump, she winced and bit out, "KERO! Don't DO that!!" she glared up at him. "I didn't even know you could do that." she muttered.
Kero stared down at her with nothing more then faint curiousity in his eyes. "An invisibility spell." he said simply. He didn't elaborate and Sakura sighed.
Heaving herself back on her feet, she said, "What were you doing?"
"Keeping watch." he said.
Sakura blinked. She really was going to have to get used to that, she supposed. She was used to the small, high-pitched, Kero. Not this large, tawny, deep voiced animal. And she wasn't quite used to that unnerving stare he was using on her now. When he had changed into his true form in the future, he hadn't seemed so...serious. Sakura mentally shrugged. She supposed it must be the times. She couldn't help but feel more than a little sympathetic towards the Guardian Beast. With war threatening to break out all over because of the Forgotten, and the possible danger to Clow Reed, Kero had more than enough reason to be wary. But it hurt...not seeing that playful warmth that used to be in his eyes.
"What are you doing?"
It took Sakura a moment to realize he was talking to her. Blinking, she replied, "I was looking for Clow Reed. Do you know where he is?"
Kero gave her a look, as if to suggest he'd have to be dead before not knowing the whereabouts of the sorcerer. "He is resting." he said firmly. "You will not disturb him."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Oh! Of course I won't disturb him if he's sleeping!" she said exasperated. She looked at him with a bit of consternation. "If I can't speak with him, how about telling me where the kitchen is?" when she received a blank stare, Sakura quickly amended. "Uh...the food?"
Without a word, Kero turned and began padding down the hallway. Taking that as an, 'I'll take you to the food,' Sakura followed behind Kero quietly. After many turns, the two emerged into what Sakura took to be a sort of pantry of the time. There was a large, wooden table in the center of the room and a tray of fruit was laying on it. As delectable as the fruit looked, Sakura couldn't help but wonder where the more substantial stuff was. Meat, cheese...chocolate bar. It didn't look like there were many places you could store food here and the big...cauldron?...in the corner wasn't filled with soup or stew and the cold ashes underneath suggested it hadn't been used for cooking recently.
Sakura turned and looked at Kero who was watching her, "Where's the rest?" she asked simply.
Kero looked a bit guilty. "That is all that there is. Master has not been eating lately."
Sakura could understand why the Guardian Beast looked like he was going to be scolded. Obviously, he cared very much for Clow Reed, and the thought of him not eating must disturb him as much as it did Sakura. Well, if Clow Reed was doing with nothing more than fruit, then so would Sakura.
She walked over and picked up an apple. Leaning against the table she took a bite out of it. She chewed a few mouthfuls in silence before Kero's unblinking gaze began to bother her. Addressing him abruptly, she asked, "What are you doing? Don't you have anything better to do than stare at me while I eat?"
Finally, Kero blinked. "I must guard you. I cannot let you wander off alone with the Master so depleted of strength."
Sakura stared at him. Finally, she put her half eaten apple down gingerly and crossed her arms over her chest. "Kero," she said slowly, "Do you know who I am?"
"Should I?" he asked curiously.
Sakura blinked. So, Clow Reed hadn't told Kero who she was. Was there a reason for that? Or had he simply been too tired and fell asleep before he got the chance? Well, if Clow Reed had neglected to tell Kero who she was for some reason, he must have an explanation for it. So, she would wait until Clow Reed told Kero himself who she was and not spill the beans.
Sakura sighed. Kero was back to staring again. Trying to strike up conversation, Sakura ventured, "So, this is where Clow Reed lives?"
Kero surprised Sakura by giving a small snort. "Of course not."
Sakura waited. Kero didn't say anything. Sakura rolled her eyes, "Well,...I just assumed. I mean, I thought it was a bit weird when my little exploring trip turned up nothing but empty, gray walls. I pictured Clow Reed living in a much more...luxuriant ...home."
Sakura smiled mentally as Kero sat back on his haunches. Not being much of a talker in this time, mention of his Master seemed to be able to get him to open his mouth at least, "No, he does not live here." he said slowly. "This is merely a precaution."
"Well, where are we then? And why does he feel it's necessary to take 'precautions?' " well, there was the obvious reasons, the Forgotten, but Sakura didn't really think that was it.
His tail swishing back and forth lazily against the floor, Kero observed Sakura thoughtfully. "At the moment, we are in the upper levels of my Master's labyrinth."
Sakura gaped. Labyrinth...wasn't that sort of the same thing as a laboratory? Clow Reed's laboratory...Sakura looked around her with renewed interest and a sense of dread. This was where the Forgotten were going to be trapped, sealed, for centuries... Something Kero said stuck in Sakura's mind. "Upper levels?" she asked.
Swish. Swish. Kero's tail swept across the floor, his gaze extremely serious. "You do not want to see the lower levels."
Kero said it with such finality that Sakura couldn't help but silently agree with him. She tried to remember everything that her Kero had told her about the time Clow Reed sealed the cards. Somehow, she doubted they had been sealed in the upper levels. If that was so, someone surely would have found the entrance to this place and unleashed them accidentally before they escaped themselves. If she were Clow Reed, she would have destroyed the upper levels to keep that from happening. That meant, that whatever the lower levels looked like, that's where the cards would have been trapped...with nothing but a pile of rubble over top of their heads. Sakura shied away from that thought.
"The reason why he is here," Kero continued, ignoring the lapse in Sakura's attention span. "It is not a precaution against the cards and them being a threat to him...it has something to do with you. Although, I have not discovered why, yet." Sakura's eyebrows lifted in disbelief. "You doubt me?" Kero asked quietly. "If you were not here I am more than certain my Master would not be here either. He would be in his castle." (Yes, in this fic Clow Reed lives in a castle. Not terribly original, but he's a sorcerer! He had to live somewhere grand! XD )
Sakura's eyes widened. "He lives in a castle?!" she burst out.
Kero eyed her with bewildered look. "Of course. Where else would the High Priest of the Sorcerer's order reside?" he asked, puzzled.
"Buckingham palace?" Sakura croaked out. Kero gave her another blank look. "Nevermind." she muttered. "Go on." she said after clearing her throat.
"This is merely where my Master comes to perform his more...serious...spells." Kero looked a bit uncertain and Sakura wondered just what Clow Reed came here to do that he couldn't...or wouldn't?...do at his home.
An awkward silence ascended over the two and Sakura glanced about her nervously. "Umm...is there anything I could do here? Anything to keep me entertained? A book of some sort?" she asked desperately.
Kero's eyes narrowed. "The only books my Master keeps here are his gramores, and only in his rooms. You will not go in there, and you will not rifle through his spelled texts."
Sakura's breath whooshed out of her in an explosive sigh, she couldn't help it. "Kero..." she began.
"Kero Beros."
"What?" Sakura asked, confused.
"My name is Kero Beros, you do not have leave to address me in any familiar manner."
Sakura just stared at him. "Kero...Beros," God that felt weird, "Why is it that at every turn, every move I make, your watching me as if you expect me to turn into a demon and eat Clow Reed?" Kero's eyes went impossibly wide. Sakura sweat dropped. "Before you can say it," she gritted out. "I can't turn into a demon, and I wouldn't eat Clow Reed." returning her voice to some semblance of normalcy, Sakura continued, "I haven't given you one reason to be suspicious of me. I saved your life when you were fighting the Four Brothers, acted completely civil to you, and even tried to engage you in conversation! Now, if that doesn't scream, 'Hey! I'd like to be friends!' I don't know what does."
Kero eyed her suspiciously. "Nowadays, anyone could be an enemy."
Sakura threw up her hands. "Geez! This is like World War Two! You being a German soldier! Completely bigoted! And everyone else being Jewish people! Lighten up!"
Kero merely blinked. "You speak strangely."
Sakura sighed. "When are you going to trust me? What is it I'll have to do?"
"When my Master approves of you, then so will I. Until then, I cannot help but be suspicious."
"Oh, of course not." Sakura said sarcastically.
Just then, there was a funny, fuzzy sensation right at the edge of Sakura's awareness. It was almost like the feeling she got right before she sensed a Clow card. In the next moment, without any flashing lights or any bells announcing a change, a man suddenly appeared right in front of her face. For the second time that day, Sakura screamed. Jumping up on the table, Sakura abruptly sat beside the fruit tray. If people didn't stop materializing in front of her she was going to have a heart attack!
The man merely glanced at her and then turned his attention to Kero. "When I could not find you or the Master at his home, I was worried, Kero Beros. Then, feeling his exhaustion, I thought to come here."
Getting over her mild shock, Sakura only received another. If it wasn't for the perfectly white wings, Sakura never, EVER would have guessed that this rumpled creature in front of her was Yue. His hair was down from what Sakura came to think of as his never changing hair style; ponytail with many bindings. It covered his shoulders, back, and face in a veritable white cloud. His face had one black smudge on it that looked like dirt. His robes were gone and in their place were merely a pair of black trousers, the kind made in this time, Sakura guessed. He wore nothing else. His bare chest had a faint sheen of perspiration on it and his feral, catlike eyes were strangely intense. Sakura swallowed. (Yeah...^.^a...I had this incredible urge to make Yue seem....sexy. ^_^ It was irresistible! I couldn't resist! And besides, this is probably the only chance I'll get to do this.)
Kero looked Yue up and down. "Yue." he greeted quietly. Then, raising his eyebrow, he asked, "And what have you been doing?" he sounded amused.
Yue blew a stray strand of silver hair out of his face. "I was in a battle, Kero Beros."
Kero stood on all fours, his eyes gleaming, "One of the cards?" he asked anxiously.
Yue grimaced slightly. "No, some of those monstrosities created by the Insanity card. He's getting on my nerves."
"Yue?!" Sakura finally managed to blurt out. Yue turned towards her slightly. Sakura ducked, one of his giant wings brushing over the top of her head. "What?...How?...I didn't know I'd get to see you! What are you wearing?" she asked, wrinkling her nose at the odd attire.
Yue raked his eyes over Sakura from head to toe, almost disdainfully. Then, making Sakura's mouth fall open in a mix of surprise, then outrage, he turned back to Kero, ignoring her. "How did a trollop make her way down here?"
Sakura began spluttering. "Wh-what!!?" she screeched. "Did you just call me..." Sakura couldn't finish she was struck speechless.
Yue turned back to face her with an almost impatient air about him, as if he couldn't fathom why she was still talking. "Am I mistaken? I do doubt it. Look at the way you are dressed." he said reasonably.
Sakura glanced down. What was wrong with her top and shorts? Sure, she could admit that her spaghetti strap top might be a little bit revealing, but not THAT much! Crossing her arms over her chest self-consciously, Sakura glared at Yue. "Look who's talking! At least I'm wearing a shirt!"
Yue raised an eyebrow. "Well, I thought it was simpler to get rid of it, considering how those demons slashed it to shreds. And to even think of wearing my robes to fight them. They would hinder me too much, give the monsters something to grab hold of." he smiled slightly. "But, why am I explaining this to you?" looking her over again, Yue stepped forward, almost leaning against the table edge where Sakura's legs were hanging. "I always feel so exhilarated after a battle. I could use a... distraction. With your permission, of course."
Sakura opened her mouth then shut it again. She didn't think she'd ever been this outraged in her entire life! Just who did he think he was?! While he had been explaining about his attire, Sakura had realized that Yue probably thought her a tramp because women in these times wore nothing but modest dresses. They certainly didn't wear breeches, much less shorts! people were appalled if you showed ankle in this time! So, she had been ready to explain to him why her clothes were so odd, tell him that Clow Reed had brought her here from the future. But then, then! he'd made that suggestive comment! And now, with his broad shoulders blocking her view of anything else, it was rather hard not to smack him. But, out of respect for the Yue she knew, she restrained herself.
Smiling sweetly at him, Sakura said, "I'm going to forget you said that." honey in her voice.
Yue tilted his head to his side. "And why would that be?" he lifted a hand to stroke a strand of her sienna hair. "I am not so horrible to look at, am I?" (hell no! drools) Yue spread his wings to his full span, showing them off. Sakura slapped his hand away from her hair as gently as she could, her rising temper beginning to get the better of her. Yue smiled. "Such spirit."
"Yue!"
Sakura, Yue, and Kero's heads snapped towards the archway that led out into the hallways. Clow Reed stood leaning against the wall, disapproval faintly reeking off of him. Yue quickly stepped away from Sakura and the table. Folding his wings behind him, he bowed slightly,
"Master! I did not know you were awake. If I had I would have come straight to you. I have some news on Insanity..."
Clow Reed cut him off. "I have only one thing to say to you, Yue. Treat Sakura with respect at all times, and I don't want to see you approach her that way unless she comes to you first. Is that understood?"
Yue gazed upon his Master with puzzlement evident in his eyes, but he was clearly obedient. "I'm sorry, Master, I did not know she was yours."
Sakura groaned and fell back against the table. She banged the back of her head against the tabletop twice in exasperation. "I'm not anybody's!" she fairly yelled.
Clow Reed smiled apologetically at Sakura. "Forgive him, Sakura. You knew him when he was older. Now, he is nothing more than an adolescent, only a little older than you are, my dear. And you know how teenage boys can be."
Sakura sighed. "Tell me about it." she said from the table. That sent Yue into bristling. Literally. The feathers on his wings began to fluff up. Sakura couldn't help but giggle at him.
Confused, Yue turned to Clow Reed. "I'm afraid I don't understand. I have never seen her before, how can she know me?"
Clow Reed beckoned to Sakura. Standing, she walked over to him. Gesturing for the lot to follow him, Clow Reed left the 'kitchen.' "I shall explain all in a moment." he said calmly.
Sakura followed closely behind Clow Reed, not sure where they were all going. She was grateful for his little rescue back there. In truth, she had been two seconds away from balling up her fist and giving Yue another black smudge on his face.
Sakura cast a side-long glance out of the corner of her eye and watched Clow Reed discretely. He looked so much better then he had yesterday. Those smudges under his eyes were gone and he walked like one who had enough energy to spare. Sakura was relieved, but she couldn't help but be puzzled. How could Clow Reed possibly be so revitalized after only one nights rest? Maybe he used a spell or something? But that kinda seemed odd, considering that casting spells was what made him so tired in the first place. Perhaps he'd readied a spell ahead of time? Had he known this would come off completely without a hitch?
They proceeded down the hallways silently. Sakura noticed some time ago that they were heading down. She couldn't help but be a bit nervous about that. Were they going to the lower levels? She rather hoped not. She could do without seeing those rooms. Kero and Yue seemed fairly confident of where they were going, their stride fast and sure.
Clow Reed abruptly turned right at the first opening in the corridor they had been traveling down. When Sakura followed him inside, she couldn't help but stop and take a look around first. This must be where Clow Reed had been resting, the rooms Kero told her about. In the corner there was a medium sized bed with a canopy overhead. There were red, silk curtains surrounding the bed and they were closed at the moment, so Sakura couldn't really get a good idea of what was behind them. She supposed Clow Reed had put them there to keep any light out that might disturb him during his sleep. Speaking of light, there were candles set on shelves, tables, and chairs. Their light cast off a faint illumination around the room and sent eerie shadows across the walls. In the farthest corner from the door, and set in a little alcove, was a podium of sorts. On it rested one of the thickest books Sakura had ever seen, she silently mused that it would take her the rest of her life to read that. It was open and the pages looked crinkled, as with age. Sakura wondered if it was one of Clow Reed's Magical texts.
"Come in, Sakura, come in. Don't be nervous." Clow Reed smiled, amused, "Besides, you are rather annoying my Guardians, I think."
Sakura glanced behind her and saw that Yue had his arms crossed over his chest in an impatient manner. Blushing slightly in embarrassment, Sakura mumbled, "Sorry," and moved out of the doorway. Kero and Yue brushed past her and took up positions against the wall beside the bed. Kero simply sat on his haunches. Yue tucked his feet under him and sat on air. Sakura couldn't help but smile fondly at that. He was in that exact same position the last time she saw him.
"Do sit down, Sakura," Clow Reed said, disappearing into the little alcove.
"Umm..." Sakura said uncertainly, glancing around at all the chairs covered with candles.
Clow Reed reappeared. At first he just stood there, as if wondering why Sakura had not taken up his offer. Then he glanced at the chairs himself and smiled a bit sheepishly. "Yes, well, won't be a moment." he then proceeded to scoop up the candles on one chair, unmindful of the flames licking at his robes, and placed them unceremoniously on the table in a big heap. Brushing off the chair with his sleeve, his motioned for her to sit down again. "Sorry about that. I do not exactly entertain down here." he explained.
Sakura shrugged, indicating that it didn't matter. And it didn't. Her room was messier than this.
Seating himself on the edge of his bed, Clow Reed folded his hands in his robes and looked everyone over. He sat like that for a few moments, thinking. Then, opening his mouth, he said slowly, "I'm not entirely sure of where to begin. There is so much that needs to be covered, so much to do." he glanced at Kero and Yue. "I think, perhaps, we shall start with the simplest of matters." he looked back at Sakura as if asking her permission about something. Sakura nodded, not sure what he wanted but willing to give it to him. He turned back to the two Guardians. "This, is Sakura Avalon. She is my descendant and I have brought her here from the future to help me with a certain problem that I shall get into in a moment."
Sakura couldn't help but snort at that. That was rather straight forward. It appears her dear ancestor was not one to beat around the bush. Sakura watched Kero and Yue for their reactions.
Kero looked quite surprised. His eyes were quite wide in his head and he looked comical to Sakura. The first thing that came out of his mouth, though, was, "That was why you were so tired, Master? I did not even know a time spell existed, let alone was even possible."
"Yes, well, technically, time travel is impossible." that comment was, to Sakura, completely illogical.
Yue was a different matter. He looked quite sick to his stomach and Sakura was worried that he might actually be sick. "I am so sorry, Mistress, I did not know." he whispered, looking like he'd caused some incredible sin.
Sakura smiled reassuringly at him, knowing he was referring to his behaviour in the kitchen. "That's okay, Yue. No harm done."
Yue still looked like he expected to be punished.
"Now that that has been cleared up," Clow Reed said firmly, even though it hadn't been, "I have more important things to discuss. I have brought Sakura back, as I said, to help me with something. I want her to seal the War card for me."
Yue and Kero looked abruptly uneasy. "How, exactly, do you plan to have her go about that, Master?" Yue asked uncertainly.
Clow Reed looked guilty all of a sudden. Sakura didn't think that was a good thing. "There really isn't any other way, Yue. You know what War is like. She is our best bet."
"Have you told her what you plan on doing, yet?" Kero asked quietly.
"No, but I am getting there." Clow Reed said impatiently. "If she declines I promised to send her back so do not worry." he turned to look at Yue. "Your attitude was all the proof I needed. What do you think of Sakura, Yue?"
Yue ducked his head. "I think she is very beautiful, Master."
Sakura grinned, she rather liked this side of Yue. All embarrassment and bashfulness. It was cute. Oh...she'd never let the Yue in the future hear the end of this.
"Well! That's settled then, isn't it?" Clow Reed said matter-of-factly.
"What's settled?" Sakura asked, beginning to feel uneasy once more.
Clow Reed settled back against one of the four posts of his bed, and hesitated. Sakura knew this was not a good thing. Clow Reed was someone who came right out and said what he was thinking about, at least, that's the impression Sakura got of him so far. So whatever this 'plan' was, it must be something pretty serious. "What I said yesterday was completely true," he began, "I do need your help to seal the War card, but not in the way you think. I do not want you to battle him, Sakura. I doubt, with your inexperience, that you would win that way. There is another method that has a much better chance of succeeding."
Sakura swallowed nervously but summoned up a smile from somewhere. "What do I have to do?"
"War...has a particular fondness for pretty things." Clow Reed said slowly, "He has acquired many beautiful things around the world and brought them to the place where he and the others are residing. Whether the artifacts were vases, tapestries, horses, paintings, things of the sort. I was hoping this could be used against him."
"So...how do I fit into all this?" Sakura asked, even though she had a sneaking suspicion.
Quietly, Clow Reed said, "I was hoping that you would get close to him, you would catch his eye, gain his trust, and then, when he's off guard, seal him."
Sakura stared at him. "You want me to...be a friend of some sort to him?"
Clow Reed shook his head. "More than a friend, Sakura."
That was it. He could not be suggesting that she... "You want me to be his...a...to...?" Sakura couldn't finish.
Clow Reed immediately held up his hands. "No! No, nothing quite so...intimate. Just be yourself, Sakura. Keep him interested in you." Clow Reed said reasonably.
"And how exactly am I supposed to DO that?!" Sakura asked, exasperated and not a bit appalled. "Be myself, you say! Hah! If I did that he'd know immediately that something was up. I'm not an actor! And how am I supposed to keep him interested?! There's nothing special about me that would grab his attention. I'm just plain old Sakura!"
Clow Reed smiled. "I think you underestimate yourself, Sakura. You have made quite an impression on Yue here, and in the future when you defeated him in the Final Judgement. Li Syaoran is certainly fond of you, Kero adores you," Kero eyed him funny. "And everyone you meet seems drawn to you in some way. Even..." Clow Reed's mouth abruptly snapped shut and he looked like he had almost made a serious blunder. Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Well," Clow Reed cleared his throat. "Nevermind about that."
Sakura tried another approach. "What about my aura? If I was anywhere NEAR War, he'd immediately know I was related to you."
Clow Reed shook his head. "There is a simple spell I could unleash that would hide your energy force from him. Or, I could teach you how to shield yourself, but you would always have to be concentrating to do that."
"Well...what about my face?!" Clow Reed looked at her, puzzled. "I couldn't tell a lie if my life depended on it!" she explained. "Much less pretend I was someone I'm not! One look at me and he would know! Trust me."
Clow Reed looked a bit exasperated. "You must have more faith in yourself, Sakura. You CAN do this."
Sakura remained silent.
Clow Reed looked very melancholy all of a sudden. "What I said still stands, Sakura. If you do not want to do this, I can always send you back."
Sakura sat quietly and thought. If she didn't do this, the future would be doomed. All of her friends, her family, everybody! would fall underneath the Forgotten. How could she let that happen to them? She really didn't think she could do what Clow Reed was convinced she could. She had no experience in things like this. She figured, she could damn well try! And, well, if it blew up in her face, the results would have been the same anyway. She had one last question, however,
"How am I going to know that he won't hurt me?" she asked quietly. "What if he finds out you sent me and decided to kill me? What then?"
"I am almost sure he would not harm you, Sakura. He values what he thinks of as his, especially the beautiful things."
Almost. Sakura pulled a face. Well, that was reassuring.
"There is one, last thing." Clow Reed said suddenly. Sakura waited. "War is...sadistic, for lack of better things to say. He may take great pride in what he treasures, but he enjoys inflicting pain on his enemies. And no amount of persuasion will make me tell you what he does to them."
Sakura let out a short burst of laughter. "I thought you were trying to get me to HELP you, not get me to go back home."
"I thought you should know." Clow Reed said honestly.
Sakura sighed. Great. Paired up with a potential psycho. Wonderful.
"Further more," Clow Reed continued. "Kero or Yue will always be nearby."
"Fine," Sakura whispered. "I'll do it."
Clow Reed smiled. "Good. Everything will be fine, you'll see. And if something went wrong, it won't of course, but if it did, all the power you need to help you escape is inside of you Sakura. As soon as you realize that, you can do anything."
"Yeah. Sure." Sakura didn't feel much like talking at the moment, she was too busy pondering what her funeral would be like.
"And one more thing," Sakura looked up at Clow Reed as he stood. "You cannot take the cards with you."
Sakura bolted up from her seat. "What!? You've got to be kidding me! Not take the Clow cards? Are you mad!?"
Clow Reed smiled faintly. "Clow cards? Yes, I had forgotten they were going to receive that title later. And you cannot take them with you, there is the chance that War would sense them. It is too dangerous."
"Dangerous! It'd be a hell of a lot more dangerous if I didn't have them to protect me! How am I supposed to defend myself?"
"The power is within you, Sakura." Clow Reed said simply.
Sakura sighed explosively and started pacing back and forth, chewing on her thumb nail. Sakura was beginning to think of this as a suicide venture! No cards, no help, no nothing! She was so going to die. "Fine!" she snarled. "I'll leave them here. Happy?"
"No." he said honestly. "But I do thank you."
"Fat lot of good that'll do," Sakura mumbled. She felt like hitting something. She was NOT used to feeling so helpless, and this was simply ridiculous! "When?"
"Tomorrow. I need to ready the spell that will shield you from him. And Kero needs to find out if War is still where he was the last time I checked, and if he has any...guests."
Kero stood up. Before Sakura could blink, he was gone. "Damn," Sakura muttered. "I SO want to know how to do that."
"You also need something else to wear." Clow Reed said, looking her over. "War will never believe you're sane if you wear something like that. Yue, find Sakura some clothes. I should have something suitable back home."
Yue looked distinctly uncomfortable. "But, Master, I don't know..."
"What you're doing?" Clow Reed chuckled. "Just pick out something you like and something that looks as if it would fit."
"But how will I know if it will fit?"
Clow Reed smirked. "You've been closer to her then I have. You figure it out."
With an embarrassed cough, Yue disappeared.
Sakura stared at the spot where he used to be. "You know, you really shouldn't tease him like that." she said faintly.
Clow Reed chuckled. "I know, but, I cannot help it. The opportunity hardly ever comes up."
"Umm...so what am I supposed to do before then?" Sakura asked.
"When Yue gets back, you can try on whatever he brings back. Until then," he pointed to a shelf just above his bed. "You can read the books there. They are very interesting, and not dangerous."
Sakura went to pick one up. Glancing at the cover, she quickly looked back at Clow Reed. "But this is in Latin. I can't read Latin."
Clow Reed came over and bent over the book. "Oh, so it is. Fancy that." then he waved his hand over the book and the title changed. "Now it is in English." he said, laughing silently at her bewildered expression.
Sakura didn't comment on that little bit of Magic. She read the now readable title. Simple Magic. Sakura glanced up at Clow Reed and smiled wryly. "Are you trying to tell me something?"
Clow Reed just blinked blankly at her. "Why, I have no idea what you mean." then he smiled, dispelling the illusion.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right." she started out the door. "Umm...how am I going to find my room?" she asked, embarrassed.
Clow Reed glanced up at her from behind the podium with the open book. "Just, ah, wander wherever you like. I'll send either Yue or Kero after you when they return. And Sakura," Clow Reed warned. "Do NOT go down. Wherever you go, stay away from the lower levels, do you understand me?"
Sakura swallowed. "Yes. Perfectly."
Clow Reed went back to flipping through pages. As Sakura left she thought she heard him muttering something but didn't stay to find out what. As she wandered back in the direction she had come, Sakura couldn't help but wonder what was in the lower levels of this labyrinth.
To be continued...
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So? Well, a bit short. I think you guys get to meet the War card in the next chapter. Although, ;) I may postpone it 'til the one after that, just to torture you! Joking! Oh! And I know Yue was TOTALLY OOC, but, well, I figured, he couldn't always have been like he is now. All cool and calm. He HAD to have been a teenager once! ^_^ I had fun with that. Anyways...hope you liked it! Until then!