Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow of the Dragon ❯ Sakura's Moment of Peace ( Chapter 17 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Lord Archive 
Sakura and her friends enjoy a quite week.
Anime/Manga: Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.05.2008 | Pages: 7 | Words: 6.4K | Visits: 501 | Status: Completed
Sakura and her friends enjoy a quite week.
Anime/Manga: Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.05.2008 | Pages: 7 | Words: 6.4K | Visits: 501 | Status: Completed
Sakura frowned as a boy walked straight up to her as she was changing her shoes at her locker.
The boy fidgeted nervously. "Is it true that you... um..." Sakura was about to interrupt him when he finished, "...can see ghosts?"
Sakura blinked in surprise. She had been approached twice yesterday by boys wanting to 'date' her. He was the first to approach her regarding the 'other rumor' about her. "I... er... well... I did see Reiko-chan as her spirit passed on..."
The boy smiled lightly. "I was wondering if you'd be able to see my Grandfather. He passed away last year..."
Sakura shook her head. "I don't know if I can. I had never seen a ghost before Reiko-chan. And your grandfather would have to be here instead of heaven."
The boy sagged. "I see. Thanks anyway." He dragged his feet as he walked away.
Two boys went up to the one that had questioned Sakura, with one of them saying, "Nice try at getting Kinomoto. Better luck next time."
"It wasn't like that!" the boy blurted.
"Right... And ghosts really do exist and she wasn't sleeping around last week," the other boy retorted sarcastically.
"And graffiti can magically appear three stories up," the first boy shot back.
Sakura flushed as she watched the boys walk off.
Naoko walked up to her friend and put an arm around her. "Don't worry about that. It doesn't matter which rumor they believe, we know the truth."
Sakura smiled at her friend. "I know. But still... I don't want that kind of attention from the boys and the other girls won't come near me now. It's made cheerleading practice a tad difficult. They don't know what to believe."
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Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon
Chapter 17: Sakura's Moment of Peace
Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.
By: Lord Archive
Author's Warnings:
This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.
This series contains:
Adult situations.
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.
Occasional use of vulgar language.
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.
References of homosexuality.
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"How are you having trouble with Cantonese?" Touya questioned.
Yukito shrugged weakly. "The Chinese 'I' know was from when the differences between what the people of Hong Kong and Shanghai spoke was about the same as the differences between the Japanese spoken by Tokyo and Kansai today."
"I guess." Touya shut his textbook irritably, before picking up his sandwich. "It's not like you'd automatically know what the Cantonese words for car or computer would be."
Yukito smiled. "Exactly."
Touya then groaned when his eyes met a certain woman's gaze.
Yukito followed the gaze and saw the woman with short black hair walking across the college cafeteria straight for them. He smirked ruefully. "A new admirer?"
"Yeah, but not mine," Touya growled. "Hello, Togashi-san."
The woman blushed slightly. "Mind if I join you? And you can call me Hanami, Touya-kun."
"Of course." Yukito motioned for the seat next to him.
"I don't think that would be appropriate for someone who is looking to become my mother," Touya groused bitterly.
Yukito blinked in surprise. "She's dating your father?!"
Touya looked away and didn't answer, while Hanami's red face deepened as she nodded.
"Well, I think it's great that your father is moving on. He shouldn't be left alone," Yukito pointed out. He then turned toward the woman. "Hello, I'm Tsukishiro Yukito. You could say I'm-"
"My lover," Touya interrupted.
Yukito shrugged, and then nodded.
Hanami's eyes were wide from shock. "You two... are together?"
"It's even more unconventional than you think," Yukito told her.
"You'll find out eventually," Touya added with bitter amusement.
Hanami pouted at the two men. "You're not just trying to scare me off, are you?"
"If you could be 'scared off' then I wouldn't have a reason to be upset," Touya grumbled.
"Why do you talk like I'm already engaged to your father?" Hanami demanded.
Touya gazed at her flatly. "When you meet Sakura, you'll know more than you ever wanted to."
Hanami blinked in confusion. "Is there something... wrong with her?"
Yukito pulled out his wallet and showed a family photo of sorts. He pointed at the emerald-eyed girl standing next to an amber-eyed Chinese boy. "That's Sakura and her boyfriend. She has had... problems lately. But nothing of the sort you might be thinking."
"With the exception of making you a grandmother within the next two years." Touya smirked evilly.
Hanami huffed. "You really are just teasing me."
"I wish I was," Touya grumbled under his breath.
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Sakura dashed down the hallway and into her classroom. She wondered how she could be so scatter-brained to forget the lunches she made for Syaoran and herself when they were about to set off for a soccer game. She didn't have a lot of time before the bus would be leaving. She quickly grabbed the bento boxes from her desk and made her way to the window. She scanned for anyone that could possibly see her before calling out, "Jump, release!"
Without another thought, Sakura jumped out the third story window and landed safely on the ground thanks to her magic. She then sprinted off toward the bus, never noticing that someone had followed her to the classroom yet had arrived after she had jumped.
Sakura skidded to a stop at the school bus. "Made it!"
"Not a moment too soon. Get in!" Meiling ordered from an open window.
Sakura blushed before hopping on to the bus. She quickly made her way towards the back and sat next to Syaoran, handing him one of the bento lunches. They were not the only ones preparing to eat.
"Don't eat too much. We don't want anyone to cramp up out there," the soccer coach advised.
"Yes, sir," the students replied almost as one, and then promptly ignored his statement as they heartily dug into their meals.
Sakura fidgeted for a moment before asking, "Do you have any special plans for Wednesday?"
Syaoran shrugged. "Besides getting a phone call from my family, no."
Sakura pouted. "But it's your birthday!"
"Yeah, but it's not a big deal," Syaoran replied.
Sakura felt it was a big deal. This was his first birthday they actually would get to celebrate together as a couple and not with a phone call. She had to make this special for him, but how?
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Syaoran stole the soccer ball and raced down the field towards the goal, weaving his way pass the opposing team.
"Go, Syaoran-kun! GO!" Sakura cheered loudly.
Syaoran heard her, and rather than be encouraged by her, his face turned red and became acutely aware of her watching him. He promptly tripped and fell, losing the ball to the other team.
Sakura flushed in embarrassment. "Syaoran-kun...."
"Perhaps you shouldn't cheer for him so loud," Meiling teased.
"I'm surprised your parents let you date him," one of the cheerleaders commented.
The auburn-haired and emerald-eyed girl turned toward her. "Why wouldn't they?"
"He's a foreigner! He's not Japanese!" the girl answered. "Sure he's cute and obviously has money, but what's to stop him from using you and going back home?"
"Oh, the fact he'd never do that. And if he so much as considered doing something so low, I'd kill him," Meiling groused.
Sakura nodded. "And why would being a foreigner matter?"
"My parents would disown me if I dated someone who wasn't Japanese. Dad loves pointing out that you can use the same word to say 'foreigner' or 'trash,'" the girl pressed.
"I don't think that should really matter." Sakura pointed at herself. "I'm not pure Japanese, anyway. I'm part British."
Meiling scowled. "I'd try to 'correct' your Dad's view, but it'd more likely 'confirm' them than put an end to it."
"Meiling-chan, do you have any idea what I should give Syaoran-kun for his birthday?" Sakura asked, wanting to distract her Chinese friend from what the girl had said. "I want to make it something special for him, but I don't have a lot of money."
"Your virginity?" Meiling suggested.
Sakura's face turned into a tomato. "MEILING-CHAN?!"
"I was kidding." Meiling waved it off, but few thought she had meant it as a joke. "Just make a day of it with him. I'm sure the best gift he could have is spending some time with you." She then smirked. "Though the less clothes on, the more he'll like it."
Sakura turned away from her friend in time to see Syaoran once again race down the field. She held herself in check, not wanting to distract him. She wasn't sure what she'd blurt out after Meiling's teasing. As Syaoran neared the goal, he passed the ball to his teammate who fired a shot into the goal.
The cheerleaders erupted into a practiced cheer, which Sakura was thankful for. Meiling's words still lingered in her mind.
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Fujitaka stood with Hanami before a wall taken from an ancient Egyptian temple. "This tells of an ancient flood that washed away the world," he told her.
Hanami gazed at the hieroglyphs. "It's amazing how many ancient myths relate to a great flood."
Fujitaka nodded. "Scientists are beginning to find evidence that the flood did happen and was the result of a meteor striking off the coast of Madagascar. It certainly wasn't as large as the Yucatan meteor that killed the dinosaurs, but the locations of all the religion with flood myths makes a circle with that as the epicenter. They just need the smoking gun to prove it."
"The impact crater?" Hanami guessed.
Fujitaka nodded. "Unfortunately, the seafloor is so large, and the thousands of years of tidal movements have made it difficult to determine exactly where the meteor struck. Assuming that was the cause."
Hanami sighed wistfully. "Too bad time travel is as much fantasy as some of the ancient myths."
Fujitaka frowned. "Most myths were based on real events that have been embellished over time. However, I am beginning to wonder how much has actually been embellished and how much has been fatefully recorded history."
"More than half the myths out there would require magic to be real," Hanami pointed out.
"I know." Fujitaka rubbed his chin, trying to figure out how best to say this. "I have come across real magic. And I'm not talking about stage magic or using chemicals to produce special effects."
"Sensei... if magic did exist, it would change everything we believe about the world. With magic the great flood could've been caused by a god or a magic-user strong enough to be one," Hanami pointed out with some skepticism.
"Powerful ancient magic-users may have been the gods of the past, but I doubt even working together they had the power to cause the great flood. Even with magic in the world, some answers to the past would still belong to science," Fujitaka told her.
A laugh interrupted their discussion. "Only Fujitaka-sensei would think a museum would make for a good date."
Hanami flushed. "Ah, hello, Mitsutani-sensei."
The elderly and somewhat plump teacher approached his student. "Dear, if you're interested in ancient Egypt, you should've stayed in Fujitaka's class. Then you wouldn't be bored to tears with my lectures on Mesopotamia."
"They're not boring!" Hanami protested. "And, er... well...."
"I wouldn't be able to take her out like this if she was enrolled in my classes," Fujitaka added.
Mitsutani's eyes widened. "This IS a date. Fujitaka... you're..." The old teacher laughed. "If only I could be so lucky as you. Well, I won't keep you lovebirds occupied with my unwanted presence. Have fun." He walked a few steps away before adding, "And get her out of the museum. The gods know that if you marry her, the two of you would practically live in them."
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"That movie was horrible," Shinji bemoaned as he sat across from his girlfriend at a diner.
"It wasn't that bad. Sure they horribly mangled the mythology of vampires and werewolves, but the story itself was rather logical and well done," Naoko retorted.
"'Mangled' isn't the word for it. I mean could you honestly say you'd be happy if 'Bloody Sword Detective' was directed by those morons?" Shinji shot back.
Naoko shuddered. As a writer, she knew that eventually something she wrote would be made into a cartoon series or movie and that they wouldn't be one hundred percent faithful to her intentions. As solid as the plot was for the movie, it wasn't faithful to anything. "I see your point, Shinji-kun. It could've been a lot better if the myths weren't ignored for the sake of the plot. Though it also could've been a LOT worse."
Shinji nodded. "That's for sure. The fight scenes were cool at least."
Naoko laughed. "You should see Li-kun and Meiling-chan go at it. They're better than what that movie had."
Shinji squirmed in his seat. "I wish I had been able to watch Li-chan kick Satome's ass. She has to be good to beat up guys like him."
"They're both masters," Naoko affirmed. "Though while Meiling-chan's skills are high enough, even she knows she's not ready to handle having a student."
Their waitress walked up to them. "Here's your bill."
Shinji frowned at the amount. He reached for his wallet and pulled out a one thousand yen note and a couple hundred yen coins. He recounted his money. "I thought I had more money."
"You shouldn't have bought that large bag of popcorn," Naoko pointed out in a somewhat joking tone.
"I don't have enough to cover the bill...," Shinji whispered.
Naoko shook her head. "I'll take care of it." She added a few one hundred yen coins to the ones Shinji put on the table as tip. "Stay here while I pay for it."
Shinji nodded as he sulked in his seat.
Naoko went up to the register and frowned as she found a lack of currency in her purse as well. Thankfully the restaurant was able to accept charge cards and her debit card was compatible. However, the name on the card wasn't one she wanted Shinji to see.
The woman at the register didn't seem to even bother look at the receipt until after Naoko walked away. When she saw the name, Konagi Noa, all she could do was stare in shock.
"Come on. Let's go," Naoko called to Shinji.
Shinji got out of his chair and followed Naoko out of the diner. His mind slowly slipped from having his girlfriend pay for him to other thoughts about the girl. She wasn't the best looking girl in his class, but she was cute in her own right. He hadn't really paid a lot of attention to how she was dressed before. His eyes now took in her bare legs that were neither too fat nor too skinny. And the swish of her short skirt teased him with the possibility of seeing what she wore beneath it.
Naoko glanced behind a few times to make sure her date was with her. She flushed a little noticing he was no longer sulking but was eyeing her intently. She had seen boys look at other girls like that, but never had she seen someone give her that look. She couldn't help but smile even though she knew his mind wasn't pure. He wanted her and not Sakura, Tomoyo or Meiling. It made her feel special in a way no one had made her feel before.
The couple frowned when their trek came to an end at her house. Both shifted uneasily and avoided making any sort of eye contact.
"Ah... This is it," Naoko said sheepishly.
Shinji nodded shyly. His question dying on his lips. How does a guy ask to be invited into a girl's house?
Naoko pouted slightly. How do you beat a boy over the head to let him know you wanted to be kissed?
"I... ah... guess I should go home now..." Shinji muttered quietly.
Naoko frowned. "I... guess...."
Shinji turned and walked away with a forced smile. "I'll see you at school."
Naoko waved. "Yeah. See you."
Shinji sulked, wishing she would've invited him in. Then the date would've really gotten 'exciting.'
Naoko sagged, wishing he would've kissed her. It would've been a good end to her date. She slowly entered her house.
"Stupid," both of them said at the same time, both directing the comment more to themselves than the other.
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Sakura fidgeted as she sat on Syaoran's couch. It was his birthday and she had no present to give him. She spent all Sunday shopping, but couldn't find the perfect present for him. Now here she was, sitting in his home with nothing to give but a birthday card.
Syaoran hug up the phone, having finished his call from his family. He thanked them for the presents they had sent, even Feimei despite what she gave him. He walked up to his girlfriend and his heart sank. She was crying. "Sakura, what's wrong?"
"I... I wanted to get you the perfect present... but I couldn't find anything I could afford," Sakura sobbed softly.
Syaoran shook his head. "Sakura, I don't really care about presents. I'm just happy that you're here with me."
"But I should've gotten you something," Sakura protested.
"No you didn't." Syaoran then looked away. "I would've rather not to have gotten a present from Feimei."
Sakura blinked a few tears out of her eyes. "What'd she give you?"
Syaoran flushed. "Nothing important."
"Condoms!" Meiling chirped as she walked into the main room, a duffel bag swung over her shoulder. "I think they were the prefect present for you two. Be sure to use them!"
"Meiling-chan?!" Sakura gasped.
"Meiling..." Syaoran growled.
Meiling laughed. "I'm off to the dojo for class. Then I'll hang out with Daidouji. See you late tonight."
"Meiling-chan...." Sakura almost moaned. Why did the girl have to suggest they do THAT and then leave them alone?
"Forget what she said," Syaoran grumbled after his cousin left.
Sakura nodded, though she doubted she would forget. She wished she could relax, but she was halfway into the fetal position with her hands between her legs grabbing tightly to the cushion.
Syaoran wanted to know if Meiling had done that on purpose. With Sakura turning into one big bundle of nerves he wouldn't be able hug her or kiss her. "Um, let's just watch a movie."
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While Meiling was new to the dojo, all the students knew very well that she was not new to the art. Not yet tested in rank, it was clear her previous training had her near master level in their own style. Her issues with their class had to do with too much training rather than not enough. Meiling would often slip into her family's art rather than maintain the practiced forms of their school. This left the girl to be a danger to even the black belts as she would do moves they were not prepared for. Such was the case for second-dan Toushiro who expected a kick yet found her moving in for a devastating palm strike.
"Isn't that a foul?" Toushiro bemoaned from where he laid on the ground.
"It was not an illegal move," the dojo master intoned with a mild harshness. "You know the forms all too well, but that is all you know. Your pathetic loss in that last tournament alone should've shown you that you are not where you should be."
Toushiro grumbled under his breath before he flipped off the ground and went to the side of the room.
"Kensuke, show Toushiro what his failings were, if you can," the master ordered.
Meiling smirked. Kensuke was a first-dan in the school, but that seemed to be only until the next test. Toushiro was the picture of practice and discipline, Kensuke was a sponge. The teenager was already adding her own moves to his style of fighting, and that made him the bigger challenge to her.
The combatants danced around each other, kicking and punching into arms and legs as they tried to find an opening to put the other down. Meiling gritted her teeth, having to put extra thought into her fighting in order to not do moves that weren't allowed by the school.
The lower ranked students watched in awe as the two fought with speed and precision they didn't think was possible. It was poetry in motion, even if the fighters would need to use medication to deal with numerous bruises.
Despite Meiling being young by over a year, her greater experience proved to be the winning edge. She faked an opening that Kensuke tried to exploit. Expecting the attack, she dodged it easily. His attack caused him overextended his right arm and let her slip a palm strike to his chest, which laid him on the ground.
"We're going to have to do that again when I'm not bound to forms," Meiling told him.
Kensuke laughed. "I look forward to that ass kicking."
The master let out a chuckle. "That shall wait for another day. Class has ended."
The lesson might be over, but the students didn't leave. They immediately set to clean the dojo so it would be ready upon their return.
"I don't get what I'm doing wrong," Toushiro bemoaned.
"You're too set in what you do and expect everyone else to be the same," Kensuke replied. "In the real world, an attacker isn't going to come at you using this school's martial arts. You are this school's art, but you haven't made it yours. Loosen up and mix up the kata forms. Improvise."
"Easy for you to say." Toushiro slouched. "It's not as easy as you make it sound."
"You're just too comfortable doing what you're told," Kensuke retorted. "Live a little. I bet you've never asked a girl out."
"Of course I have!" Toushiro withered under his friend's gaze. "Okay, so I was five when I did that."
Kensuke laughed. "And why haven't you asked anyone since then?"
"She looked disgusted and kicked me in the balls," Toushiro replied sheepishly.
Kensuke shook his head. "Yeah, that'd leave mental scarring. But you've got to get over it and try again. What's the chances the next girl would do that?"
Toushiro flushed. "What if she's Li-chan?"
Kensuke put his hand on Toushiro's shoulder. "My condolences to your balls."
"Yamane," Meiling called out.
Toushiro stiffened. "Ah, yes, Li-chan?"
"I'm free Saturday," Meiling announced.
"Ah, really?" Toushiro swallowed.
"Yes, really," Meiling returned.
"You'll go out with me?" Toushiro squeaked out.
"That is what I was telling you. We'll go somewhere after Saturday's class," Meiling told him.
"Ah, yeah! Sure! It's a date!" Toushiro chirped.
Meiling turned and left as the dojo cleaning was now finished.
Kensuke slapped Toushiro on the back. "Good luck. Maybe she'll hurt your balls the right way."
Toushiro flushed bright red. "Shut up!"
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Natsumi trudged her way to the house she had grown up in. In many ways it was still more home to her than the apartment her mother now owned outside of town. And after spending hours in the library working on a report, all she wanted was a quick meal and her old bed.
Natsumi opened the door and walked straight into the house. "Hey, sis, bro," she yawned.
"What are you doing here?" Takashi asked, his face oddly red in color.
Chiharu's face was even redder as she sat on her husband's lap, her hands playing with the hem of her skirt that covered both her and her husband up to their knees.
"I told you there might be days I'll need to crash here," Natsumi reminded.
"Yeah, I asked that you warn us first," Takashi insisted.
"What's the big deal?" Natsumi shrugged. "Besides I didn't have advanced warning I'd have a research paper due next week, and with my other classes and my club-- if I didn't do it today it wouldn't get done. Don't mind me. All I want is some instant ramen and my bed."
"You go do that," Chiharu told her in a strange voice.
"Are you two all right? You look a little feverish," Natsumi mentioned.
"We're fine!" Chiharu insisted. "Just go get your food, please!"
Natsumi shook her head wondering what her sister's problem was. She made her way to the kitchen and poured herself some tea and took a drink from it.
"Your sister has the worse timing," Takashi growled in a low voice.
"Just hurry up," was the tort reply from Chiharu.
Natsumi grabbed an instant ramen container and started to prepare it. She caught sight of her little sister running off to her bedroom with her husband following close behind, one hand on his shorts as if to hold them up.
The caffeine must have kicked in when Natsumi's sprayed the microwave with the tea she was drinking. Flushed faces and the throaty voice of her sister should've been clues. The white 'ankle bracelet' Chiharu was wearing and Takashi's shorts peaking out at his knees should've been a dead give away. She thought maybe she was jumping to the wrong conclusion, but Chiharu's bed was now creaking loudly in the quiet home.
Natsumi grabbed some cloth to clean her mess.
"What are you doing?" Chiharu hissed.
"I'm still ready for more," Takashi retorted.
"After where you just stuck that thing?" Chiharu shot back. "Wash it first."
Natsumi looked at her tea. "Why couldn't you have an alcohol content?"
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Tomoyo returned from the bathroom and looked at Meiling with a touch of surprise as the girl looked quite irritated.
Meiling frowned deeply as she sat at a diner. "I just realized this is what I'll likely be doing Saturday."
"So?" Tomoyo wondered, taking her seat across from her friend.
"This isn't supposed to be a date," Meiling muttered.
"Can't you at least let me pretend?" Tomoyo tried to joke, but had to sigh at the glare she received. "Do I make you uncomfortable?"
Meiling shook her head. "No. You are my friend. Possibly the closest one I have. It's just... I don't swing your way."
Tomoyo nodded. "I know. And honestly, while I do like you, just friends would be the best for us."
"How do you figure?" Meiling wondered.
Tomoyo smirked. Her friend's pride apparently wouldn't even let her be turned down by a girl. "You're too conscious of yourself and boys, for one. You're troubled just going to movies and dinner with a female friend being a bit too date-like."
"I'm only troubled because you're interested in girls, not boys," Meiling whispered, knowing that was a deep secret to her friend. "I wouldn't have this issue with our other friends."
"The other point would be that if we were to try something, and it failed, I don't think we could go back to be just friends. And with Li-kun and Sakura-chan, it would make things decidedly awkward seeing each other at family outings," Tomoyo pointed out.
"Right. So, we're clear on this. Just friends," Meiling stated flatly.
Tomoyo nodded. "Yes. Just friends."
"We're paying for our own meals," Meiling insisted.
"Of course." Tomoyo pouted, wondering a little if her friend was protesting a tad too much. She shook her head. As she just said, with Meiling it would be hard to go back to just being friends.
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Meiling arrived home and frowned at the pair sleeping on the couch. They were still dressed and there was no evidence anything had come off. What was the point of getting 'lost' for an afternoon if they didn't use it?
Grabbing a blanket from a closet, Meiling set to cover the pair before calling Sakura's father to warn him that his daughter wasn't coming home. Just as she was about to cover the slumbering couple, Sakura's cell-phone began to chirp.
Groggily Sakura reached out for her purse and grabbed her phone. "Hello?" she croaked.
"Sakura-chan... We have a problem...," Tomoyo's ghostly voice echoed from the phone.
Sakura was instantly awake. "What's the problem?!"
Sakura's distressed voice roused Syaoran from his sleep.
"They're gone... They're all gone...," Tomoyo moaned.
"What is?" Sakura asked with dread.
"My tapes. All the tapes I made. They're gone." Tomoyo swallowed hard. "My room was locked and the security system didn't trigger. Sakura-chan... they could've only been taken by magic."
Syaoran grabbed the phone and barked into it, "We'll be right there!"
Sakura nodded. Hopefully they would finally get proof of who was out to get her.
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Author's Notes:
Coming Next:
Chapter 18 - Sakura's End of Innocence
A single moment, a single decision can bring the end of childhood.
And now the return of the omake. This will mark the beginning of a series of extra little stories regarding Kurogane's mission.
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"I thought you said you would never work with me again," commented a lean man dressed in a white shirt and pants.
"It's not like I had a choice," Kurogane grumbled. "I need to know if the mage is really here or if it is a trick to deceive any investigation."
"Oh, poo. And here I thought you just wanted my charming company," the man taunted.
"Shut it, Fye," Kurogane snapped.
"If you're done with your lover's quarrel, my master will see you now," groused Spinel, a black cat with black butterfly wings.
"What did you say?!" Kurogane reached for his sword.
"My. You're even more high-strung than the mistress warned me about," Spinel said with slight amusement. "Follow me."
"Be a good boy and don't bite." Fye patted him on the shoulder. "I get the impression this is not a place to make enemies."
Following the flying cat, the pair entered an English manor house and found themselves led to the dining room. At the head of the table sat a teenage boy with black hair. He was flanked by two women. The one on the boy's left looked like she wanted to get out of the chair and prance around, while the one on the right frowned deeply as she looked at Kurogane.
"Welcome to my home. I am Hiiragizawa Eriol," the boy announced. "You have met Spinel already. This is Nakuru." He motioned to his left, and then to his right. "And this is Mizuki Kaho."
Fye bowed dramatically. "I hope you don't mind us intruding. My name is Fye. And the grouch, here, is Kurogane."
"I am aware of why you are here and I understand Daidouji's concern that led you to me," Eriol mentioned. "However, I am afraid the problem Sakura-chan faces is one that I am not familiar with, nor do I wish to be. As heir to the Clow Cards, she will face many challenges in life. I cannot hold her hand every time trouble arises. She must live her own life."
"And how can we be certain that you aren't behind the attacks and this isn't a show for us," Kurogane growled.
"Daidouji has no magic and is unaware of many things that relate to it. If you were to ask Sakura-chan or Syaoran-kun, they would tell you that they have not sensed my presence. If I was to so much as wave a finger in a spell anywhere near them, they would know. In a real sense, I was their teacher in magic and Sakura-chan is especially in tune with my magic. My spells would resonate with her," Eriol explained.
Kurogane glanced at Fye.
"I see that you can't be directly involved, but what about indirectly?" Fye wondered.
"We could sit here all day and debate the points, and yet get nowhere. Trust is something to be earned, and your friend is not one who gives that easily," Eriol replied. "I am here now, not in Tomoeda. I have my own life to lead and a girlfriend I love dearly, but she comes with her own problems."
"I believe you are more the 'problem' with that," Kaho mentioned. "We can furnish proof that Eriol has not left England in the past two years. And I can say that this is a mission that will be unlike any you've had before, Kurogane-san. You shall be hurt in a way that will wound your soul. You must be strong, or you may strike down the true reward with your own hands."
"Any prophecy for me?" Fye asked with a smirk.
"You won't be there when he needs you most," Kaho intoned. "And you'll be there when you shouldn't be there."
The boy fidgeted nervously. "Is it true that you... um..." Sakura was about to interrupt him when he finished, "...can see ghosts?"
Sakura blinked in surprise. She had been approached twice yesterday by boys wanting to 'date' her. He was the first to approach her regarding the 'other rumor' about her. "I... er... well... I did see Reiko-chan as her spirit passed on..."
The boy smiled lightly. "I was wondering if you'd be able to see my Grandfather. He passed away last year..."
Sakura shook her head. "I don't know if I can. I had never seen a ghost before Reiko-chan. And your grandfather would have to be here instead of heaven."
The boy sagged. "I see. Thanks anyway." He dragged his feet as he walked away.
Two boys went up to the one that had questioned Sakura, with one of them saying, "Nice try at getting Kinomoto. Better luck next time."
"It wasn't like that!" the boy blurted.
"Right... And ghosts really do exist and she wasn't sleeping around last week," the other boy retorted sarcastically.
"And graffiti can magically appear three stories up," the first boy shot back.
Sakura flushed as she watched the boys walk off.
Naoko walked up to her friend and put an arm around her. "Don't worry about that. It doesn't matter which rumor they believe, we know the truth."
Sakura smiled at her friend. "I know. But still... I don't want that kind of attention from the boys and the other girls won't come near me now. It's made cheerleading practice a tad difficult. They don't know what to believe."
------------------------
Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon
Chapter 17: Sakura's Moment of Peace
Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.
By: Lord Archive
Author's Warnings:
This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.
This series contains:
Adult situations.
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.
Occasional use of vulgar language.
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.
References of homosexuality.
------------------------
"How are you having trouble with Cantonese?" Touya questioned.
Yukito shrugged weakly. "The Chinese 'I' know was from when the differences between what the people of Hong Kong and Shanghai spoke was about the same as the differences between the Japanese spoken by Tokyo and Kansai today."
"I guess." Touya shut his textbook irritably, before picking up his sandwich. "It's not like you'd automatically know what the Cantonese words for car or computer would be."
Yukito smiled. "Exactly."
Touya then groaned when his eyes met a certain woman's gaze.
Yukito followed the gaze and saw the woman with short black hair walking across the college cafeteria straight for them. He smirked ruefully. "A new admirer?"
"Yeah, but not mine," Touya growled. "Hello, Togashi-san."
The woman blushed slightly. "Mind if I join you? And you can call me Hanami, Touya-kun."
"Of course." Yukito motioned for the seat next to him.
"I don't think that would be appropriate for someone who is looking to become my mother," Touya groused bitterly.
Yukito blinked in surprise. "She's dating your father?!"
Touya looked away and didn't answer, while Hanami's red face deepened as she nodded.
"Well, I think it's great that your father is moving on. He shouldn't be left alone," Yukito pointed out. He then turned toward the woman. "Hello, I'm Tsukishiro Yukito. You could say I'm-"
"My lover," Touya interrupted.
Yukito shrugged, and then nodded.
Hanami's eyes were wide from shock. "You two... are together?"
"It's even more unconventional than you think," Yukito told her.
"You'll find out eventually," Touya added with bitter amusement.
Hanami pouted at the two men. "You're not just trying to scare me off, are you?"
"If you could be 'scared off' then I wouldn't have a reason to be upset," Touya grumbled.
"Why do you talk like I'm already engaged to your father?" Hanami demanded.
Touya gazed at her flatly. "When you meet Sakura, you'll know more than you ever wanted to."
Hanami blinked in confusion. "Is there something... wrong with her?"
Yukito pulled out his wallet and showed a family photo of sorts. He pointed at the emerald-eyed girl standing next to an amber-eyed Chinese boy. "That's Sakura and her boyfriend. She has had... problems lately. But nothing of the sort you might be thinking."
"With the exception of making you a grandmother within the next two years." Touya smirked evilly.
Hanami huffed. "You really are just teasing me."
"I wish I was," Touya grumbled under his breath.
------------------------
Sakura dashed down the hallway and into her classroom. She wondered how she could be so scatter-brained to forget the lunches she made for Syaoran and herself when they were about to set off for a soccer game. She didn't have a lot of time before the bus would be leaving. She quickly grabbed the bento boxes from her desk and made her way to the window. She scanned for anyone that could possibly see her before calling out, "Jump, release!"
Without another thought, Sakura jumped out the third story window and landed safely on the ground thanks to her magic. She then sprinted off toward the bus, never noticing that someone had followed her to the classroom yet had arrived after she had jumped.
Sakura skidded to a stop at the school bus. "Made it!"
"Not a moment too soon. Get in!" Meiling ordered from an open window.
Sakura blushed before hopping on to the bus. She quickly made her way towards the back and sat next to Syaoran, handing him one of the bento lunches. They were not the only ones preparing to eat.
"Don't eat too much. We don't want anyone to cramp up out there," the soccer coach advised.
"Yes, sir," the students replied almost as one, and then promptly ignored his statement as they heartily dug into their meals.
Sakura fidgeted for a moment before asking, "Do you have any special plans for Wednesday?"
Syaoran shrugged. "Besides getting a phone call from my family, no."
Sakura pouted. "But it's your birthday!"
"Yeah, but it's not a big deal," Syaoran replied.
Sakura felt it was a big deal. This was his first birthday they actually would get to celebrate together as a couple and not with a phone call. She had to make this special for him, but how?
------------------------
Syaoran stole the soccer ball and raced down the field towards the goal, weaving his way pass the opposing team.
"Go, Syaoran-kun! GO!" Sakura cheered loudly.
Syaoran heard her, and rather than be encouraged by her, his face turned red and became acutely aware of her watching him. He promptly tripped and fell, losing the ball to the other team.
Sakura flushed in embarrassment. "Syaoran-kun...."
"Perhaps you shouldn't cheer for him so loud," Meiling teased.
"I'm surprised your parents let you date him," one of the cheerleaders commented.
The auburn-haired and emerald-eyed girl turned toward her. "Why wouldn't they?"
"He's a foreigner! He's not Japanese!" the girl answered. "Sure he's cute and obviously has money, but what's to stop him from using you and going back home?"
"Oh, the fact he'd never do that. And if he so much as considered doing something so low, I'd kill him," Meiling groused.
Sakura nodded. "And why would being a foreigner matter?"
"My parents would disown me if I dated someone who wasn't Japanese. Dad loves pointing out that you can use the same word to say 'foreigner' or 'trash,'" the girl pressed.
"I don't think that should really matter." Sakura pointed at herself. "I'm not pure Japanese, anyway. I'm part British."
Meiling scowled. "I'd try to 'correct' your Dad's view, but it'd more likely 'confirm' them than put an end to it."
"Meiling-chan, do you have any idea what I should give Syaoran-kun for his birthday?" Sakura asked, wanting to distract her Chinese friend from what the girl had said. "I want to make it something special for him, but I don't have a lot of money."
"Your virginity?" Meiling suggested.
Sakura's face turned into a tomato. "MEILING-CHAN?!"
"I was kidding." Meiling waved it off, but few thought she had meant it as a joke. "Just make a day of it with him. I'm sure the best gift he could have is spending some time with you." She then smirked. "Though the less clothes on, the more he'll like it."
Sakura turned away from her friend in time to see Syaoran once again race down the field. She held herself in check, not wanting to distract him. She wasn't sure what she'd blurt out after Meiling's teasing. As Syaoran neared the goal, he passed the ball to his teammate who fired a shot into the goal.
The cheerleaders erupted into a practiced cheer, which Sakura was thankful for. Meiling's words still lingered in her mind.
------------------------
Fujitaka stood with Hanami before a wall taken from an ancient Egyptian temple. "This tells of an ancient flood that washed away the world," he told her.
Hanami gazed at the hieroglyphs. "It's amazing how many ancient myths relate to a great flood."
Fujitaka nodded. "Scientists are beginning to find evidence that the flood did happen and was the result of a meteor striking off the coast of Madagascar. It certainly wasn't as large as the Yucatan meteor that killed the dinosaurs, but the locations of all the religion with flood myths makes a circle with that as the epicenter. They just need the smoking gun to prove it."
"The impact crater?" Hanami guessed.
Fujitaka nodded. "Unfortunately, the seafloor is so large, and the thousands of years of tidal movements have made it difficult to determine exactly where the meteor struck. Assuming that was the cause."
Hanami sighed wistfully. "Too bad time travel is as much fantasy as some of the ancient myths."
Fujitaka frowned. "Most myths were based on real events that have been embellished over time. However, I am beginning to wonder how much has actually been embellished and how much has been fatefully recorded history."
"More than half the myths out there would require magic to be real," Hanami pointed out.
"I know." Fujitaka rubbed his chin, trying to figure out how best to say this. "I have come across real magic. And I'm not talking about stage magic or using chemicals to produce special effects."
"Sensei... if magic did exist, it would change everything we believe about the world. With magic the great flood could've been caused by a god or a magic-user strong enough to be one," Hanami pointed out with some skepticism.
"Powerful ancient magic-users may have been the gods of the past, but I doubt even working together they had the power to cause the great flood. Even with magic in the world, some answers to the past would still belong to science," Fujitaka told her.
A laugh interrupted their discussion. "Only Fujitaka-sensei would think a museum would make for a good date."
Hanami flushed. "Ah, hello, Mitsutani-sensei."
The elderly and somewhat plump teacher approached his student. "Dear, if you're interested in ancient Egypt, you should've stayed in Fujitaka's class. Then you wouldn't be bored to tears with my lectures on Mesopotamia."
"They're not boring!" Hanami protested. "And, er... well...."
"I wouldn't be able to take her out like this if she was enrolled in my classes," Fujitaka added.
Mitsutani's eyes widened. "This IS a date. Fujitaka... you're..." The old teacher laughed. "If only I could be so lucky as you. Well, I won't keep you lovebirds occupied with my unwanted presence. Have fun." He walked a few steps away before adding, "And get her out of the museum. The gods know that if you marry her, the two of you would practically live in them."
------------------------
"That movie was horrible," Shinji bemoaned as he sat across from his girlfriend at a diner.
"It wasn't that bad. Sure they horribly mangled the mythology of vampires and werewolves, but the story itself was rather logical and well done," Naoko retorted.
"'Mangled' isn't the word for it. I mean could you honestly say you'd be happy if 'Bloody Sword Detective' was directed by those morons?" Shinji shot back.
Naoko shuddered. As a writer, she knew that eventually something she wrote would be made into a cartoon series or movie and that they wouldn't be one hundred percent faithful to her intentions. As solid as the plot was for the movie, it wasn't faithful to anything. "I see your point, Shinji-kun. It could've been a lot better if the myths weren't ignored for the sake of the plot. Though it also could've been a LOT worse."
Shinji nodded. "That's for sure. The fight scenes were cool at least."
Naoko laughed. "You should see Li-kun and Meiling-chan go at it. They're better than what that movie had."
Shinji squirmed in his seat. "I wish I had been able to watch Li-chan kick Satome's ass. She has to be good to beat up guys like him."
"They're both masters," Naoko affirmed. "Though while Meiling-chan's skills are high enough, even she knows she's not ready to handle having a student."
Their waitress walked up to them. "Here's your bill."
Shinji frowned at the amount. He reached for his wallet and pulled out a one thousand yen note and a couple hundred yen coins. He recounted his money. "I thought I had more money."
"You shouldn't have bought that large bag of popcorn," Naoko pointed out in a somewhat joking tone.
"I don't have enough to cover the bill...," Shinji whispered.
Naoko shook her head. "I'll take care of it." She added a few one hundred yen coins to the ones Shinji put on the table as tip. "Stay here while I pay for it."
Shinji nodded as he sulked in his seat.
Naoko went up to the register and frowned as she found a lack of currency in her purse as well. Thankfully the restaurant was able to accept charge cards and her debit card was compatible. However, the name on the card wasn't one she wanted Shinji to see.
The woman at the register didn't seem to even bother look at the receipt until after Naoko walked away. When she saw the name, Konagi Noa, all she could do was stare in shock.
"Come on. Let's go," Naoko called to Shinji.
Shinji got out of his chair and followed Naoko out of the diner. His mind slowly slipped from having his girlfriend pay for him to other thoughts about the girl. She wasn't the best looking girl in his class, but she was cute in her own right. He hadn't really paid a lot of attention to how she was dressed before. His eyes now took in her bare legs that were neither too fat nor too skinny. And the swish of her short skirt teased him with the possibility of seeing what she wore beneath it.
Naoko glanced behind a few times to make sure her date was with her. She flushed a little noticing he was no longer sulking but was eyeing her intently. She had seen boys look at other girls like that, but never had she seen someone give her that look. She couldn't help but smile even though she knew his mind wasn't pure. He wanted her and not Sakura, Tomoyo or Meiling. It made her feel special in a way no one had made her feel before.
The couple frowned when their trek came to an end at her house. Both shifted uneasily and avoided making any sort of eye contact.
"Ah... This is it," Naoko said sheepishly.
Shinji nodded shyly. His question dying on his lips. How does a guy ask to be invited into a girl's house?
Naoko pouted slightly. How do you beat a boy over the head to let him know you wanted to be kissed?
"I... ah... guess I should go home now..." Shinji muttered quietly.
Naoko frowned. "I... guess...."
Shinji turned and walked away with a forced smile. "I'll see you at school."
Naoko waved. "Yeah. See you."
Shinji sulked, wishing she would've invited him in. Then the date would've really gotten 'exciting.'
Naoko sagged, wishing he would've kissed her. It would've been a good end to her date. She slowly entered her house.
"Stupid," both of them said at the same time, both directing the comment more to themselves than the other.
------------------------
Sakura fidgeted as she sat on Syaoran's couch. It was his birthday and she had no present to give him. She spent all Sunday shopping, but couldn't find the perfect present for him. Now here she was, sitting in his home with nothing to give but a birthday card.
Syaoran hug up the phone, having finished his call from his family. He thanked them for the presents they had sent, even Feimei despite what she gave him. He walked up to his girlfriend and his heart sank. She was crying. "Sakura, what's wrong?"
"I... I wanted to get you the perfect present... but I couldn't find anything I could afford," Sakura sobbed softly.
Syaoran shook his head. "Sakura, I don't really care about presents. I'm just happy that you're here with me."
"But I should've gotten you something," Sakura protested.
"No you didn't." Syaoran then looked away. "I would've rather not to have gotten a present from Feimei."
Sakura blinked a few tears out of her eyes. "What'd she give you?"
Syaoran flushed. "Nothing important."
"Condoms!" Meiling chirped as she walked into the main room, a duffel bag swung over her shoulder. "I think they were the prefect present for you two. Be sure to use them!"
"Meiling-chan?!" Sakura gasped.
"Meiling..." Syaoran growled.
Meiling laughed. "I'm off to the dojo for class. Then I'll hang out with Daidouji. See you late tonight."
"Meiling-chan...." Sakura almost moaned. Why did the girl have to suggest they do THAT and then leave them alone?
"Forget what she said," Syaoran grumbled after his cousin left.
Sakura nodded, though she doubted she would forget. She wished she could relax, but she was halfway into the fetal position with her hands between her legs grabbing tightly to the cushion.
Syaoran wanted to know if Meiling had done that on purpose. With Sakura turning into one big bundle of nerves he wouldn't be able hug her or kiss her. "Um, let's just watch a movie."
------------------------
While Meiling was new to the dojo, all the students knew very well that she was not new to the art. Not yet tested in rank, it was clear her previous training had her near master level in their own style. Her issues with their class had to do with too much training rather than not enough. Meiling would often slip into her family's art rather than maintain the practiced forms of their school. This left the girl to be a danger to even the black belts as she would do moves they were not prepared for. Such was the case for second-dan Toushiro who expected a kick yet found her moving in for a devastating palm strike.
"Isn't that a foul?" Toushiro bemoaned from where he laid on the ground.
"It was not an illegal move," the dojo master intoned with a mild harshness. "You know the forms all too well, but that is all you know. Your pathetic loss in that last tournament alone should've shown you that you are not where you should be."
Toushiro grumbled under his breath before he flipped off the ground and went to the side of the room.
"Kensuke, show Toushiro what his failings were, if you can," the master ordered.
Meiling smirked. Kensuke was a first-dan in the school, but that seemed to be only until the next test. Toushiro was the picture of practice and discipline, Kensuke was a sponge. The teenager was already adding her own moves to his style of fighting, and that made him the bigger challenge to her.
The combatants danced around each other, kicking and punching into arms and legs as they tried to find an opening to put the other down. Meiling gritted her teeth, having to put extra thought into her fighting in order to not do moves that weren't allowed by the school.
The lower ranked students watched in awe as the two fought with speed and precision they didn't think was possible. It was poetry in motion, even if the fighters would need to use medication to deal with numerous bruises.
Despite Meiling being young by over a year, her greater experience proved to be the winning edge. She faked an opening that Kensuke tried to exploit. Expecting the attack, she dodged it easily. His attack caused him overextended his right arm and let her slip a palm strike to his chest, which laid him on the ground.
"We're going to have to do that again when I'm not bound to forms," Meiling told him.
Kensuke laughed. "I look forward to that ass kicking."
The master let out a chuckle. "That shall wait for another day. Class has ended."
The lesson might be over, but the students didn't leave. They immediately set to clean the dojo so it would be ready upon their return.
"I don't get what I'm doing wrong," Toushiro bemoaned.
"You're too set in what you do and expect everyone else to be the same," Kensuke replied. "In the real world, an attacker isn't going to come at you using this school's martial arts. You are this school's art, but you haven't made it yours. Loosen up and mix up the kata forms. Improvise."
"Easy for you to say." Toushiro slouched. "It's not as easy as you make it sound."
"You're just too comfortable doing what you're told," Kensuke retorted. "Live a little. I bet you've never asked a girl out."
"Of course I have!" Toushiro withered under his friend's gaze. "Okay, so I was five when I did that."
Kensuke laughed. "And why haven't you asked anyone since then?"
"She looked disgusted and kicked me in the balls," Toushiro replied sheepishly.
Kensuke shook his head. "Yeah, that'd leave mental scarring. But you've got to get over it and try again. What's the chances the next girl would do that?"
Toushiro flushed. "What if she's Li-chan?"
Kensuke put his hand on Toushiro's shoulder. "My condolences to your balls."
"Yamane," Meiling called out.
Toushiro stiffened. "Ah, yes, Li-chan?"
"I'm free Saturday," Meiling announced.
"Ah, really?" Toushiro swallowed.
"Yes, really," Meiling returned.
"You'll go out with me?" Toushiro squeaked out.
"That is what I was telling you. We'll go somewhere after Saturday's class," Meiling told him.
"Ah, yeah! Sure! It's a date!" Toushiro chirped.
Meiling turned and left as the dojo cleaning was now finished.
Kensuke slapped Toushiro on the back. "Good luck. Maybe she'll hurt your balls the right way."
Toushiro flushed bright red. "Shut up!"
------------------------
Natsumi trudged her way to the house she had grown up in. In many ways it was still more home to her than the apartment her mother now owned outside of town. And after spending hours in the library working on a report, all she wanted was a quick meal and her old bed.
Natsumi opened the door and walked straight into the house. "Hey, sis, bro," she yawned.
"What are you doing here?" Takashi asked, his face oddly red in color.
Chiharu's face was even redder as she sat on her husband's lap, her hands playing with the hem of her skirt that covered both her and her husband up to their knees.
"I told you there might be days I'll need to crash here," Natsumi reminded.
"Yeah, I asked that you warn us first," Takashi insisted.
"What's the big deal?" Natsumi shrugged. "Besides I didn't have advanced warning I'd have a research paper due next week, and with my other classes and my club-- if I didn't do it today it wouldn't get done. Don't mind me. All I want is some instant ramen and my bed."
"You go do that," Chiharu told her in a strange voice.
"Are you two all right? You look a little feverish," Natsumi mentioned.
"We're fine!" Chiharu insisted. "Just go get your food, please!"
Natsumi shook her head wondering what her sister's problem was. She made her way to the kitchen and poured herself some tea and took a drink from it.
"Your sister has the worse timing," Takashi growled in a low voice.
"Just hurry up," was the tort reply from Chiharu.
Natsumi grabbed an instant ramen container and started to prepare it. She caught sight of her little sister running off to her bedroom with her husband following close behind, one hand on his shorts as if to hold them up.
The caffeine must have kicked in when Natsumi's sprayed the microwave with the tea she was drinking. Flushed faces and the throaty voice of her sister should've been clues. The white 'ankle bracelet' Chiharu was wearing and Takashi's shorts peaking out at his knees should've been a dead give away. She thought maybe she was jumping to the wrong conclusion, but Chiharu's bed was now creaking loudly in the quiet home.
Natsumi grabbed some cloth to clean her mess.
"What are you doing?" Chiharu hissed.
"I'm still ready for more," Takashi retorted.
"After where you just stuck that thing?" Chiharu shot back. "Wash it first."
Natsumi looked at her tea. "Why couldn't you have an alcohol content?"
------------------------
Tomoyo returned from the bathroom and looked at Meiling with a touch of surprise as the girl looked quite irritated.
Meiling frowned deeply as she sat at a diner. "I just realized this is what I'll likely be doing Saturday."
"So?" Tomoyo wondered, taking her seat across from her friend.
"This isn't supposed to be a date," Meiling muttered.
"Can't you at least let me pretend?" Tomoyo tried to joke, but had to sigh at the glare she received. "Do I make you uncomfortable?"
Meiling shook her head. "No. You are my friend. Possibly the closest one I have. It's just... I don't swing your way."
Tomoyo nodded. "I know. And honestly, while I do like you, just friends would be the best for us."
"How do you figure?" Meiling wondered.
Tomoyo smirked. Her friend's pride apparently wouldn't even let her be turned down by a girl. "You're too conscious of yourself and boys, for one. You're troubled just going to movies and dinner with a female friend being a bit too date-like."
"I'm only troubled because you're interested in girls, not boys," Meiling whispered, knowing that was a deep secret to her friend. "I wouldn't have this issue with our other friends."
"The other point would be that if we were to try something, and it failed, I don't think we could go back to be just friends. And with Li-kun and Sakura-chan, it would make things decidedly awkward seeing each other at family outings," Tomoyo pointed out.
"Right. So, we're clear on this. Just friends," Meiling stated flatly.
Tomoyo nodded. "Yes. Just friends."
"We're paying for our own meals," Meiling insisted.
"Of course." Tomoyo pouted, wondering a little if her friend was protesting a tad too much. She shook her head. As she just said, with Meiling it would be hard to go back to just being friends.
------------------------
Meiling arrived home and frowned at the pair sleeping on the couch. They were still dressed and there was no evidence anything had come off. What was the point of getting 'lost' for an afternoon if they didn't use it?
Grabbing a blanket from a closet, Meiling set to cover the pair before calling Sakura's father to warn him that his daughter wasn't coming home. Just as she was about to cover the slumbering couple, Sakura's cell-phone began to chirp.
Groggily Sakura reached out for her purse and grabbed her phone. "Hello?" she croaked.
"Sakura-chan... We have a problem...," Tomoyo's ghostly voice echoed from the phone.
Sakura was instantly awake. "What's the problem?!"
Sakura's distressed voice roused Syaoran from his sleep.
"They're gone... They're all gone...," Tomoyo moaned.
"What is?" Sakura asked with dread.
"My tapes. All the tapes I made. They're gone." Tomoyo swallowed hard. "My room was locked and the security system didn't trigger. Sakura-chan... they could've only been taken by magic."
Syaoran grabbed the phone and barked into it, "We'll be right there!"
Sakura nodded. Hopefully they would finally get proof of who was out to get her.
------------------------
Author's Notes:
Coming Next:
Chapter 18 - Sakura's End of Innocence
A single moment, a single decision can bring the end of childhood.
And now the return of the omake. This will mark the beginning of a series of extra little stories regarding Kurogane's mission.
------------------------
"I thought you said you would never work with me again," commented a lean man dressed in a white shirt and pants.
"It's not like I had a choice," Kurogane grumbled. "I need to know if the mage is really here or if it is a trick to deceive any investigation."
"Oh, poo. And here I thought you just wanted my charming company," the man taunted.
"Shut it, Fye," Kurogane snapped.
"If you're done with your lover's quarrel, my master will see you now," groused Spinel, a black cat with black butterfly wings.
"What did you say?!" Kurogane reached for his sword.
"My. You're even more high-strung than the mistress warned me about," Spinel said with slight amusement. "Follow me."
"Be a good boy and don't bite." Fye patted him on the shoulder. "I get the impression this is not a place to make enemies."
Following the flying cat, the pair entered an English manor house and found themselves led to the dining room. At the head of the table sat a teenage boy with black hair. He was flanked by two women. The one on the boy's left looked like she wanted to get out of the chair and prance around, while the one on the right frowned deeply as she looked at Kurogane.
"Welcome to my home. I am Hiiragizawa Eriol," the boy announced. "You have met Spinel already. This is Nakuru." He motioned to his left, and then to his right. "And this is Mizuki Kaho."
Fye bowed dramatically. "I hope you don't mind us intruding. My name is Fye. And the grouch, here, is Kurogane."
"I am aware of why you are here and I understand Daidouji's concern that led you to me," Eriol mentioned. "However, I am afraid the problem Sakura-chan faces is one that I am not familiar with, nor do I wish to be. As heir to the Clow Cards, she will face many challenges in life. I cannot hold her hand every time trouble arises. She must live her own life."
"And how can we be certain that you aren't behind the attacks and this isn't a show for us," Kurogane growled.
"Daidouji has no magic and is unaware of many things that relate to it. If you were to ask Sakura-chan or Syaoran-kun, they would tell you that they have not sensed my presence. If I was to so much as wave a finger in a spell anywhere near them, they would know. In a real sense, I was their teacher in magic and Sakura-chan is especially in tune with my magic. My spells would resonate with her," Eriol explained.
Kurogane glanced at Fye.
"I see that you can't be directly involved, but what about indirectly?" Fye wondered.
"We could sit here all day and debate the points, and yet get nowhere. Trust is something to be earned, and your friend is not one who gives that easily," Eriol replied. "I am here now, not in Tomoeda. I have my own life to lead and a girlfriend I love dearly, but she comes with her own problems."
"I believe you are more the 'problem' with that," Kaho mentioned. "We can furnish proof that Eriol has not left England in the past two years. And I can say that this is a mission that will be unlike any you've had before, Kurogane-san. You shall be hurt in a way that will wound your soul. You must be strong, or you may strike down the true reward with your own hands."
"Any prophecy for me?" Fye asked with a smirk.
"You won't be there when he needs you most," Kaho intoned. "And you'll be there when you shouldn't be there."