Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow of the Dragon ❯ Sakura's Determination ( Chapter 19 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Lord Archive 
Sakura sets new goals for herself in dealing with the problems that threaten her and her friends.
Anime/Manga: Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.28.2009 | Pages: 8 | Words: 7.7K | Visits: 524 | Status: Completed
Sakura sets new goals for herself in dealing with the problems that threaten her and her friends.
Anime/Manga: Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.28.2009 | Pages: 8 | Words: 7.7K | Visits: 524 | Status: Completed
"Ah, Satome Himiko, what good timing!"
Himiko scowled darkly at the thin, beady-eyed man rushing towards her in front of the courtroom. "What is it, Hitane? I'm rather busy."
"Well, I thought I'd let you know about the case that was just assigned to me," Hitane hissed in delight.
"What is it this time? A wife beater or some sadist who took saying 'yes' to sex gave tacit approval to cut her open as well?" Himiko growled.
Hitane smirked evilly. "Nothing so easy to defend, I'm afraid." He pulled out a picture from the folder he was carrying. "Real piece of work he did on her face. Her blood was dried onto his clothes before his arrest. All of her clothes were destroyed. Multiple witnesses of him, pants down, on top of her naked and tied up body."
Himiko raised an eyebrow. "And just how are you going to defend this brute?"
Hitane edged closer. "I was hoping you could give me a few ideas."
"And why would I do that?" Himiko's perpetual scowl dropped as she stared at his grinning face. "YOU'RE DEFENDING MY SON?!"
"Oh, yes. Which is of course why I can legally show you this. Too bad you can't try 'refute' his claims of innocence." Hitane sighed dramatically. "This will be a hard case to defend. He even used your credit card to pay for the room. To make matters worse, the girl is rumored to be a lesbian, so hate crime could be added to the charges. At least there's been a long running feud between Satome and that girl's friends. Apparently it began with an accident that quickly escalated with him threatening rape. Something the school had not taken seriously. Your son's hand getting broken might have had something to do with this feud."
Himiko folded her arms. "Failing to prove that this is a set up to protect a demented girl, I'm sure you can use that feud as my son being goaded into taking revenge."
"Of course!" Hitane nodded. "The question is how to spin it all in a way that makes the judges agree. But I'm afraid that's not the only issue."
Himiko glared. "What else?"
Hitane wagged his finger. "Another girl has come forward claiming rape. Apparently she was afraid to come forward before. Alone against your son, the lack of evidence would make her claims hard to stick. However, combined with the case already against him, it will make it harder for me to 'disprove' his guilt."
"You're enjoying this farce, aren't you?" Himiko hissed.
"You've been such a tiger prowling after sexual predators and here your own son is among the worst I've ever come across." Hitane let out a short laugh. "It's a great bit of irony. Of course, I hope none of his other rumored victims step forward. There may be as many as four more supposed victims of your son's anger against women."
"That's bullshit and you know it." Himiko clenched her fists. "And what about Daidouji and her bodyguards? It's been over a month and I still haven't heard any criminal charges against them."
Hitane shrugged. "I'm afraid it has been decided that the level of guilt your son is convicted of will determine whether any charges will be filed. Because of Daidouji's wealth and the fact that she is a minor, any case against her would be extremely hard to push through, especially if the judges deem her actions justified. Right now, it would be thrown out of court."
"She castrated my son!" Himiko cried out, not caring at the attention it drew to her.
"Yes. And having her nose broken in three places, having her clothes ripped off, and nearly losing her virginity to him by force is no defense." Hitane gave her a knowing look. "It's no more justified than a husband teaching his wife a lesson after she failed in her wifely duties."
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Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon
Chapter 19: Sakura's Determination
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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Her opponent was sloppy as he swung a fist toward her. It was easy for her to see the attack coming and deflect it harmlessly away from her body and send the boy off balance. He stumbled, but managed to keep his feet and swung his arm in a desperate attack. In response, she took a small step back and avoided the blow completely.
Whirling around, he charged at her again. This time she caught his wild swing and pushed down. Her redirection of his momentum resulted in a brief flight as his head changed place with his feet before gravity caught up and brought him to the floor on his back.
The boy growled as he began to rise to his feet.
"That will be enough, Yamada. You have lost," the aged dojo instructor intoned. "Kinomoto, you have done well. You have grasped the concept of waiting."
"Thank you, sensei." Sakura bowed her head.
The old teacher clapped his hands, ending the other sparring matches. "Class has ended. Reflect on your matches and see where you might improve yourself."
"Yes, sensei!" the class replied as one. They immediately set to clean the dojo.
"Kinomoto, will you walk with me?" the teacher questioned.
Sakura nodded and followed the man out of the dojo to a koi pond behind the martial arts school.
"It was rather surprising when Li brought you here a month ago to learn Tai Chi," the teacher told her. He chuckled softly. "I was afraid she had returned to take my dojo sign."
Sakura blinked. "You lost to her before?"
The teacher nodded. "When she was testing schools to join, she challenged me to a match. Granted, I was a bit overconfident. Here I was, an aged master being confronted by a little girl. You would think that I'd have learned my lesson from the Park Destroyer."
Sakura flinched.
The teacher paused as he appraised her odd reaction. "I have heard rumors of her defeat. Are you the one who brained her with a crowbar?"
Sakura looked away. "It wasn't a crowbar, but yes."
He laughed. "If only I had been a younger man, those fights might have been different. Even with our style of using our opponent's strength against them, age has slowed my movements. Seeing how one will attack me does little good if I can't move fast enough to deflect it."
Sakura frowned. "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"
He coughed a little. "Right. You know when a girl is attacked it is not uncommon that other girls would seek to gain a means to protect themselves. Despite their sound reason, rarely do they stay with the training. However, that isn't the case with you, is it?"
Sakura sagged. "No, it's not."
"Why have you sought to learn martial arts?" the teacher questioned.
"It's... complicated." Sakura sighed. "Tomoyo-chan was attacked because of my own carelessness. And even though Satome is in jail now, I know I'm not safe. If the time comes I need to defend one of my friends, I don't want to hesitate or make a mistake."
"Just as I thought." The teacher gazed into the koi pond. "You have a special determination to learn. It is why you have advanced faster than the other new students."
Sakura looked away.
The teacher then patted Sakura on the shoulder, thankful she did not flinch from the contact. "Li was right to bring you here to learn. Tai Chi is a good fit for you. Despite your desire to protect others, you still don't want to hurt anyone. Even a person out to hurt you or your friends."
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"What have you done about Daidouji's misbehavior?" Himiko demanded.
Teikei scowled, thankful that as school disciplinarian he got a private office. This was not something he wanted to deal with as school resumed from summer vacation, and bringing undue attention to the issue in question would only make it worse. "I have no proof she is in violation of any school rules."
"She attacked my son! What more proof do you need?" Himiko growled dangerously.
"I am aware that she caused... injury to your son off school grounds after he broke her nose and nearly raped her," Teikei returned.
"That is HER story," Himiko hissed. "I don't believe it. I taught my son to respect women. He would never hurt a girl like that. It is more likely he broke her nose after she hurt him."
"The police don't have that opinion, but they are still investigating the matter. If it is determined that she is the guilty party, the matter will be taken care of appropriately," Teikei told her reassuringly.
"That is bullshit." Himiko slammed her hands on his desk as she stood up. "I've looked into her history. She is no angel. She has been a suspect in multiple counts of vandalism."
Teikei leveled a harsh gaze at her. "I have looked into that myself. In the most recent rash of damages to the school, I was able to rule her out as a suspect. That is something I was not able to do with your son."
"Like my boy would have any reason to wreck anything," Himiko spat.
Teikei opened a drawer and pulled out a thick student file. "Your son is one of the worst violators of school rules we've ever had. Fighting, reported robbery, confirmed vandalism... reported threat of rape... and rumored rape."
"How convenient you have that file now." Himiko grabbed the file and waved it at him. "And why is this the first time I've heard of any of this crap?"
"Because we could never get in contact with you," Teikei returned coldly. "We've sent numerous letters and left countless phone calls at your home, and you never even showed up for a single parent-teacher conference to learn just what your son has been doing here."
"Why didn't you call my work number?" Himiko pressed.
Teikei held up the front page of Satome's file. "Not listed."
"What?!" Himiko grabbed the paper. "Is this some kind of joke? I filed it with you when I registered my son. How do you not have it?"
"Either it was a filing error or it was intentionally removed from our records." Teikei took the paper back from her hands.
"What do you have to say about all of this?!" Himiko demanded.
"I wish I had forced your son out of this school a long time ago," Teikei answered evenly.
Himiko screamed and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her in the process.
Despite the anger in her mind, she still heard a boy mention her son's name as she walked out of the school building.
"Damn, Satome really did do a number on Daidouji."
Himiko glanced across the schoolyard and saw the 'supposed' victim wearing a clear plastic mask over her bandaged nose.
"Hey, Asaba, you're dating Yanagisawa, what do you know about it?"
Asaba frowned. "Satome attacked Daidouji, and after her bodyguards found them and beat him up, she broke a mirror over his nads."
The boy seized up. "Damn... that had to hurt."
Asaba laughed sheepishly. "Satome is a girl now."
All the boys in earshot crossed their legs protectively.
Another boy pounded his fists together. "Good thing for Satome he's in jail now. Otherwise I'd beat him up for hurting Daidouji."
"Yeah, right. And how many times did Satome make you pay for his lunch?" another one taunted.
"Shut up!"
Himiko growled as she strode toward the school gate.
"Did you hear about Daidouji," one girl mentioned to another.
"Yes. I feel safer now that Satome is gone. Too bad it was Daidouji who had to pay the price." The other girl sighed. "It's a shame Mitsu-chan never came forward."
"I hope Daidouji doesn't blame her."
"Doubt it, considering that Daidouji would be blaming Kinomoto as well."
"You think he got her?"
"Well, it could explain her sleeping around like that and why she's been a basket case for a while now."
Himiko's steps became unsteady as she made it to the gate. Now she was close enough to see Daidouji's eyes, which held a familiar haunted look to them. The emerald-eyed girl standing quietly next to her also had eyes that spoke of emotional pain.
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A giant serpent rushed for Sakura, mouth wide open and ready to swallow her whole. She leapt back and called out, "LOOP!"
The serpent's head disappeared, only to reappear swallowing its own tail.
Syaoran grimaced at her tactic to defeat the creature, while Naoko scribbled into the open book she held, and what she wrote became real.
A green giant with a hooked nose jumped out of the trees, arm raised to punch the sorceress.
"Sword!" Sakura cried out and slashed the beast's arm off. She was dismayed to see that not only did the monster grow its arm back, the severed arm quickly formed into another monster.
The two beasts pressed the attack and Sakura took to the air with The Fly to avoid their angry swings.
"Mist!" Sakura intoned. She watched morbidly as the trolls howled in pain as the killer fog that was now around them ate away their bodies.
Landing after calling back all her cards except the one Naoko was using, Sakura took a moment to rest.
Syaoran nodded to Naoko, who frowned deeply as she wrote the next challenge.
Bone hands burst from the ground. In moments dozens of mostly decayed bodies emerged, all shambling towards Sakura.
The sorceress's eyes dilated seeing the unspeakable horrors march toward her. Their vacant eyes speaking only of death. The wretched smell of spoiled human flesh. The claw-like bones reaching for her. She let out a terrified scream and the area was bathed in the power of The Light.
Naoko dropped the book, which closed as it landed on the ground, returning to a card and flew back to its mistress. "I can't see!"
"Relax and close your eyes," Syaoran advised. "It should only be temporary."
True to his words, when Naoko blinked her eyes open a moment later, she saw blurry shapes. As her eyes continued to adjust, one large blur solidified into Syaoran holding Sakura's unconscious body. She sighed. "Guess she's still not ready for the real thing."
"She will need to be." Syaoran held her tighter to his chest.
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As much as Tomoyo would've like to watch and record Sakura's training, it was best that she didn't. Sakura wasn't just struggling to make herself stronger, she was also working to give herself a different style of fighting in order to lessen the value of many of the tapes the enemy had stolen.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door. "Enter."
"Excuse me, Daidouji-hime, but there is something that must be addressed," intone a woman in a business suit as she entered the bedroom.
Tomoyo frowned. "What is it, Ishida-san?"
The lawyer held out a file. "I'm afraid there may be more issues than just testifying against Satome."
"Oh?" Tomoyo flipped through the file and did not like what she saw. "I might be arrested?"
"And sued for monetary damages," Ishida added in bland tone. "The amount of guilt determined by the judges will greatly affect how much can legally be leveled against you."
Tomoyo set the file down and looked across the room at a half-finished battle costume for Sakura. "Perhaps it would've been better if he had been killed."
"Isn't Kinomoto-hime against such a thing?" Ishida wondered.
"Sakura-chan was against hurting others." Tomoyo looked down as tears welled up in her eyes. "That is no longer the case. In her anger she allowed Satome to be castrated. That was something that would've been unthinkable just months ago."
"We still need to address how we will defend the legal actions forming against you," Ishida reminded.
Tomoyo clenched her fist. "Perhaps it's time for me to lose my innocence."
Ishida looked confused. "I don't follow."
"It's best that you don't," Tomoyo told her with a strange firmness to her voice.
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"Hello, Satome-kun, I am here to defend your case," Hitane greeted after the police left the boy in an interrogation room with him. "With your help I can prove your innocence."
Satome stared at the man for a moment. "How can you 'prove' a lie?"
"I'm a lawyer. We make lying into a profession." Hitane smirked. "Now in what way is proclaiming your innocence a lie?"
Satome looked straight at the lawyer. "I punched Daidouji in the face, dragged her to a love motel, stripped her naked and tied her up and was going to rape her before Kinomoto broke the door open and kicked me across the room before Daidouji got free, broke a mirror and... hurt me."
"Kinomoto? Who is Kinomoto?" Hitane questioned.
"Daidouji's best friend and the girl I wanted to hurt the most," Satome replied.
"According to the police, it was Daidouji's bodyguards that saved her, not Kinomoto," Hitane pointed out.
Satome shrugged. "Not surprised. There's something weird about Kinomoto. And I don't mean her boyfriend and his cousin being marital arts masters. When I tried to rape her, some scarred guy in black came out of nowhere telling me if I hated her I should kill her. He broke my hand. Then there was the plane in the aviary, yet I never saw a scrap of metal or smelled smoke. Not to mention the whole situation with Ichimai's poltergeist at school."
Hitane frowned. "It has been a long time since mysticism was a defense in court."
Satome folded his arms. "I'm not saying it is. I intended to rape Kinomoto and Daidouji, only I was stopped every time I tried."
"Are you suggesting we take a plea deal to minimize your punishment?" Hitane questioned cautiously.
"How much am I looking at so far?" Satome wondered.
"A boarding school that's more a juvenile detention center than a school if you're lucky. If Kanzaki Mashiro's claim of rape sticks, you may be sentenced as an adult," Hitane told him.
"I'll take any offer that keeps me away from my mother until I'm twenty," Satome told him seriously. "Even if it means confirming I raped Kanzaki, or the other seven girls."
Hitane blinked. "Seven?" He then gazed closer at the boy. "Why do you want to be away from your mother?"
"She will kill me once she learns I'm guilty," Satome stated in a deadly serious tone.
Hitane laughed. "I've heard that sort of thing before."
"Mom put me in the hospital eight times for a total of fifteen broken bones among other injuries, all because I was a boy." Satome thumped his chest. "Mother never wanted me. The man who grabbed her and left me in her was never arrested. She has only viewed me as a reminder."
Hitane glanced nervously at the mirror. "I will see what I can do." He got up and went to the door. "I will call an officer to get you." He immediately went to the next room. He was not surprised to see the boy's mother looking extremely feral. Even if Satome lied about being abused, learning your son was a rapist would upset any parent. And she had been here to make sure the prosecuting attorney for his case didn't try to spy on them. "What are you going to do?"
Himiko glared at him. "He is no son of mine!" She stormed out of the observation room.
Hitane sighed. "Time to see if the prosecutor will agree to at least a five year jail sentence."
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"I'm back," a seemingly disembodied voice spoke.
Tomoyo glanced at the man hiding in a shadowy corner, wondering when her bedroom had become her office. "Hello, Kurogane-san. Did you learn anything?"
"Li Yelan knows more than she told me. However, I am reasonably sure that neither she nor her daughters are behind the attacks on Kinomoto." Kurogane smirked. "While I was given a few possibilities of why the attacks have occurred, she largely confirmed your suspicion but did not know the reasons for the attacks."
Tomoyo appraised the man. His eyes shifted a tad more than they had the last time they talked and his smirk wasn't as pronounced. "There's something you're not telling me."
Kurogane growled. "Nothing that concerns you."
"Is that really the case?" Tomoyo pressed.
"Li Yelan is precognitive. She mentioned some things about my future," Kurogane grumbled.
Tomoyo turned away. "What she said won't interfere with your mission, will it?"
"No," Kurogane barked. "What happened to your face?"
Tomoyo sighed. "Do you have any more leads?"
"No, I don't. I will remain in the area awaiting the next attack to see if I can learn anything." Kurogane's eyes remained fixed on her.
"I have a... request for you," Tomoyo's voice wavered. "The assassin that attacked Sakura-chan is in Tokyo Central Jail. Despite his profession of ignorance, I suspect he knew more than he would tell us."
Kurogane folded his arms. "I guess I could be arrested for carrying around a real sword."
Tomoyo bowed her head. Suspecting the man would not leave until she told him about her injury or made it clear she would not talk about it. However, there was one more part of her request, one that would force her to explain why she wanted it done. Yet, for some reason, she didn't want to tell him. As she opened her mouth to tell him, she felt as if Satome's filth was burying her.
Kurogane listened with gritted teeth. He was strangely disheartened by the final part of the girl's request, but he was not surprised. He did not immediately answer her, remembering one of Li Yelan's prophecies for him. "I will not charge you more. Instead I will need a favor from you. Your nose will be healed in a month?"
Tomoyo nodded slowly. "Hopefully, though it may not look the way it had before. What is the favor?"
Kurogane looked away, blushing deeply. "There is a formal ball in a month. In order to get in... I need a date."
Tomoyo pouted. "Why would you want to attend?"
"Rather not say." Without another word, he was gone.
Tomoyo went to the window the dark man had used to escape. She could guess what a mercenary-for-hire might need to do at a formal ball. Considering her dark request, she had no right to deny him his. Yet, for some reason, being asked seemed less like he was asking her to be an accomplice, but as an honest date.
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Meiling scowled at the couple sitting on the couch. There was a tangible wall between them. A month ago, it had been fun teasing them as sex between them was a matter of being alone and in the mood. Now, thanks to what Satome tried to do to Daidouji, even a kiss between them lacked the passion it once had. It was as if the honeymoon was over and they were now a boring old married couple.
"Is there something you want, Meiling-chan?" Sakura asked while squinting at her textbook.
"Satome never being born," Meiling muttered under her breath.
"Join the club," Syaoran snorted.
Sakura bowed her head. "Can we not talk about him?"
"Maybe we should." Meiling walked around the couch to face the couple. "Yes, Satome hurt Daidouji. Yes, you got REALLY angry at him and made him a girl. But you saved Daidouji. You kept her safe."
"I was the one who put her in danger. I should've known Satome was walking towards me," Sakura retorted bitterly.
"You were distracted. No one expects you to be on guard all the time. It was an accident that I escalated. If I had just let Satome punch me, nothing more would've been made of it," Syaoran grumbled.
"Maybe, maybe not." Sakura looked away. "But I had other chances to stop Satome. He... he molested me while you were in Hong Kong. If the assassin I fought wasn't against rape, Satome would've done that to me then. I never reported it to the school." She bit back a sob. "I had the proof bruised onto my chest. And if I had told you before...."
"He wouldn't be alive to hurt Daidouji," Syaoran growled out dangerously. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because of what you just said!" Sakura cried out. "Satome should've learned his lesson from his hand. I hoped he would have. He... I..."
Syaoran pulled his girlfriend into a hug as she began to sob uncontrollably.
"I never wanted to hurt anyone! I was so angry! I would've done it myself if Mirror hadn't!" Sakura bemoaned.
"Shhhh..." Syaoran breathed into her ear. "It's all right. It's okay."
"It's not okay!" Sakura protested. "I made sure Satome will never have kids! I hurt him bad!"
"He doesn't deserve the right!" Meiling shot at her. "Have you heard the rumors? There were two or three girls at our school that he may have raped. And who is to say about girls not from our school? He might be a father by a girl who doesn't even know his name! Just a face in her nightmares! What you did to Satome might not have been 'right,' but it is damn well what he deserved!"
Sakura began to cry so hard, she could no longer speak. It seemed impossible, but her tears intensified when Syaoran added to his soothing words, "I still love you."
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"Am I not supposed to have legal council present when I talk to you?" intoned the scarred assassin as he glared at his prosecuting attorney from his cell in solitary confinement.
"This is not the sort of thing a defense attorney should be around for." Himiko glared at the man. "Ryuji Akuma, would you happen to know how my son broke his hand a few months ago?"
Akuma just looked at her evenly.
"My son... was attacking some girl by the name of Kinomoto when he was attacked by a man with a scarred face," Himiko pressed.
"Do you wish to add assault charges to the three counts of murder that you are trying to pin on me?" Akuma groused.
"It depends." Himiko shrugged in an odd manner. "I might be a bit forgetful to use information supplied by private investigators. There's some damning evidence they've dug up."
Akuma leveled a gaze at the woman. "If you're asking if I noticed your son has a room down the hall, it is possible that I have. I take it he did not learn his lesson."
Himiko nodded. "He did not. He has hurt girls in unspeakable manners."
Akuma leaned back on his bed. "And the fact if your son is found guilty of rape and assault, it would be a serious detriment to your career in prosecuting sexual predators."
Himiko turned away. "It would be... an issue."
"And I suppose the fact the boy had bruises the size of your fists doesn't factor into this either?" Akuma sneered.
Himiko's look promised death.
"I do believe we are in understanding." Akuma turned around. "Allow me to be released from solitary and I will see about your... 'problem.'"
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"You seem to be in a better mood," Yue said gruffly.
Sakura wondered why it sounded like her guardian wasn't happy about that, even as she sat cross-legged in Yukito's backyard concentrating on her magic. "I had a good cry."
Yue gazed at her with a blank look. "How can a cry be good?"
Sakura fought the urge to shrug. "I was letting things build up inside. I needed to let it out."
"Did the brat make you cry?" Touya groused from behind the girl.
"Syaoran-kun is not a brat, and no he didn't." Sakura pouted. "Meiling-chan got me to cry for my own good." She then smirked. "My boyfriend was a good pillow to cry on, though."
Touya growled angrily and stomped away.
There was a slight rise on the edges of Yue's lips. "You must be in a good mood to tease your brother."
Sakura nodded.
Yue folded his arms. "Unfortunately, it's having a detriment to you focusing your magic."
"Sorry." Sakura closed her eyes as she focused on her task, the smile on her lips fading.
Yue nodded. "Good. Focus and refine your energy. Make the cards an extension of you."
Without a word The Flower sprang forth and danced around Yue, imparting flowers into his hair.
Yue glared. "Tell me that was not your order."
Sakura opened her eyes and broke into a fit of giggles. "Sorry. I only focused on giving her power to manifest."
Despite the guardian yanking the flowers from his hair, his smile was almost visible to even those who didn't know him.
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The large building looked clean and orderly, but that was a deception. Every minute was a fight between those who lived here and the ones that kept them there. Japan may have one of the strictest prison systems in the world, but those who fought against orderly life chaff under the oppressive control.
Kurogane was thankful this 'visit' would only last the weekend. That once the courts open Monday morning, he would be free once again. He was thankful the sword they confiscated was a cheap practice one. He doubted he would see that blade again.
The dinner being served left much to be desired. At least it allowed Kurogane talk to the prisoners.
"I hear you've been asking some questions," intoned a scarred-faced man.
Kurogane scowled. "Hello, Ryuji. How's your back?"
Akuma returned the glare. "That scar still itches. I suppose you are here for me, are you not?"
"Partially," Kurogane replied simply.
"I assume you've been hired to deal with Kinomoto's attacker." Akuma folded his arms. "As I told her cousin, I do not have any information to share."
"Do you have any of letters from when you were hired?" Kurogane questioned.
"Do I look like an amateur? Those were burned immediately." Akuma paused. "I do have some of his pay, I'll help you get it if you help me with a little task. One, I suspect, you've already been charged to do."
Kurogane folded his arms. "Right."
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Tomoyo appraised the courthouse with a sense of dread as she approached it. Today was to be a preliminary hearing to set the charges against Satome and the date for his trial to begin.
"Daidouji Tomoyo," a smartly dressed woman intoned. "I am Satome Himiko."
Tomoyo bowed her head. "Hello."
"I'm afraid there will be no trial for you to go to." Himiko looked away. "My son was found dead in his cell yesterday morning. It appears he committed suicide."
Tomoyo sighed. "So, this is the end of it."
Himiko loomed over the girl. "There is still the matter of your attack on my son and the... damages you caused."
"I suppose you could still pursue that avenue." Tomoyo cast a hard gaze through the woman. "And I suppose I could present information to the police that you made a deal with Ryuji Akuma to have your own son killed. Then there's the fact that I could inform the media to what your son tried to do to me and what he has done to other girls. It would reflect rather poorly on a prosecuting attorney who has fought against sexual predators so vigorously that her own son was a serial rapist."
Himiko's mouth hung agape in shock.
"This will be the end of any legal issues, or I will drag you down with me," Tomoyo intoned coldly. "Good-bye, Satome-san. I hope we never meet again."
Himiko whirled around and stomped into the courthouse.
Sonomi gazed at her daughter. "I don't know if I should be upset at you or proud of you."
Tomoyo didn't look at her mother as she entered the family limousine. "I think I might prefer you being upset."
"Did you have a hand in what happened to Satome?" Sonomi whispered, following the girl into car.
"I did not offer restrictions to the favor I asked for," Tomoyo replied quietly. "I sent Kurogane to make sure no legal action would be cast against me. If I was arrested, Sakura-chan might confess."
"She would." Sonomi frowned. "And Kurogane does not strike me as being... subtle. You knew sending him was a death sentence."
Tomoyo nodded. "I still had hope."
"I'll make sure the woman pays for what has happened," Sonomi vowed.
"Don't," Tomoyo stated firmly. "She will have to live with her pain. I would rather have her fighting against horrible men than sit alone in her home." She then sighed. "I will have to forward information to the defense attorney that the assassin had broke Satome's hand, making his mother unable to 'defend' him."
Sonomi grabbed her daughter's hand. "At least I know that you are my daughter. Our businesses will be safe with you."
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Author's Notes:
Coming Next:
Chapter 20 - Sakura and the Summer Festival
It's time for fun and dating at the Summer Festival.
This omake was originally written shortly after watching Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles - Tokyo Revelation OAV.
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Irony was a strange thing. The living had nothing to fear from the dead that failed to move on, while the dead had everything to fear.
And the strangest thing was, when I was alive I had been very afraid of ghosts, but now that I was one there was no fear left in me. Only worry for this world that should've never been.
I wish I could see my reflection, but I am invisible to even my own eyes.
Looking about the dead world where monsters roamed free and humans huddled in small sanctuaries, I couldn't help but think this world should have never been.
Even when I was alive, I felt as if something was wrong. It never ceased to hurt me when I thought my own mother should be dead. I loved my mother, I truly had. Yet when I saw my mother cooking dinner upon my return from school, I would sometimes see my mother's photo on the table and either my brother or father cooking. When that feeling of wrongness was at it's worse, I would clutch onto my mother wondering how having this wonderful woman in my life could be wrong.
There were days when things seemed to particularly off.
Arriving home at the start of fourth grade and finding no one there. I felt as if something should happen, yet nothing did. Still something drew me to the basement where my father kept his books. I was found sobbing on the floor, and I still don't know why.
Seeing my brother go out on dates with girls bugged me for reasons I couldn't name. It wasn't that none of his girlfriends lasted more than a month, though I didn't particularly like that. In my mind I knew there was supposed to be a special person for my brother, but somehow that person didn't exist.
In July of that year, I broke down crying at the start of school. Someone was supposed to have come to the school that day. I knew he was supposed to come, a special person who would become a large part of her life. I didn't know how I knew, I just did.
When Mizuki-sensei became my new mathematics teacher, she shared the sense of that this world wasn't the 'right one.' I quickly learned that my brother rekindled a romance with her, seeking in each other something that had been lost to them without them ever having it.
Then one day Mizuki-sensei looked out the window and in the middle of class announced, "It is time."
I nodded while squeezing my eyes shut. Death came quickly, but it still hurt.
When I opened my eyes, Mizuki-sensei stood before me floating in mid-air. The school, and everyone else in my class, was gone.
Somehow they were able to pass on, but something held me to the land of the living. If you could call this place alive. The world's destruction seemed to answer the question I had never been able to form. This horribly destiny for this world prevented me from finding my fate. This world should've never been and I was just an echo of a girl that should've been so much more.
Unlike Mizuki-sensei, my brother and the other ghosts I've met after Tokyo was destroyed, I am not bound to the places I visited often in life. I've spent my days since my death trying to help other ghosts move on. I even found a way for my brother and Mizuki-sensei to find their rest, by getting them to meet at the shrine during the full moon. I spent a lot of time reuniting people with the people or things they loved in life.
Yet I remained alone. I do not know any other person in this world anymore, alive or dead.
Still, I have something of a job helping others. Running through the barren lands that used to be a city that held millions of people, I try to find something of interest to deal with the boredom of afterlife.
I stop upon seeing a strangely familiar looking girl. The blood covering her did not prevent me from realizing this girl was another me. There was a connection beyond being of a similar soul. That she too is an echo of a different, more important, Sakura.
I smile at finding a kindred person, knowing I can help her with her problem. She needs to go to her loved ones, and I have learned how to find the path to the one a person most desires to see. It helps that she can see me. It makes guiding her so much easier.
When the other Sakura came into sight of her friends, they immediately rushed to her. I knew that she would be all right. That she would heal.
I smile at the scene. The gentle words and touches they shared. Something I would never experience again.
My eyes fall upon on the boy with them. There was something strange about the way he looked at the other Sakura. It was as if he didn't want to be worried about her, yet he was. And his name, Syaoran, seemed to echo within me.
I follow them and watch as Sakura and her friends give new hope to the survivors of this horrid world. Yet my eyes keep going to the boy, to Syaoran. And then they left, going to a new world.
I didn't want them to go. I wanted to see more of this Syaoran. There was something... special about him.
Maybe that Syaoran was the beloved of the other Sakura? What if the boy that I should've met on that July morning was _my_ Syaoran? The one I am supposed to be with.
I look down and see that which I never noticed before. My own red thread going off into the distance to the west. I smile at this. At the other end was the beloved I never got to meet, but now I could. I don't care if he's alive or a ghost like I am. With him I might finally be whole and be able to find the peace I have lacked since before my death.
Himiko scowled darkly at the thin, beady-eyed man rushing towards her in front of the courtroom. "What is it, Hitane? I'm rather busy."
"Well, I thought I'd let you know about the case that was just assigned to me," Hitane hissed in delight.
"What is it this time? A wife beater or some sadist who took saying 'yes' to sex gave tacit approval to cut her open as well?" Himiko growled.
Hitane smirked evilly. "Nothing so easy to defend, I'm afraid." He pulled out a picture from the folder he was carrying. "Real piece of work he did on her face. Her blood was dried onto his clothes before his arrest. All of her clothes were destroyed. Multiple witnesses of him, pants down, on top of her naked and tied up body."
Himiko raised an eyebrow. "And just how are you going to defend this brute?"
Hitane edged closer. "I was hoping you could give me a few ideas."
"And why would I do that?" Himiko's perpetual scowl dropped as she stared at his grinning face. "YOU'RE DEFENDING MY SON?!"
"Oh, yes. Which is of course why I can legally show you this. Too bad you can't try 'refute' his claims of innocence." Hitane sighed dramatically. "This will be a hard case to defend. He even used your credit card to pay for the room. To make matters worse, the girl is rumored to be a lesbian, so hate crime could be added to the charges. At least there's been a long running feud between Satome and that girl's friends. Apparently it began with an accident that quickly escalated with him threatening rape. Something the school had not taken seriously. Your son's hand getting broken might have had something to do with this feud."
Himiko folded her arms. "Failing to prove that this is a set up to protect a demented girl, I'm sure you can use that feud as my son being goaded into taking revenge."
"Of course!" Hitane nodded. "The question is how to spin it all in a way that makes the judges agree. But I'm afraid that's not the only issue."
Himiko glared. "What else?"
Hitane wagged his finger. "Another girl has come forward claiming rape. Apparently she was afraid to come forward before. Alone against your son, the lack of evidence would make her claims hard to stick. However, combined with the case already against him, it will make it harder for me to 'disprove' his guilt."
"You're enjoying this farce, aren't you?" Himiko hissed.
"You've been such a tiger prowling after sexual predators and here your own son is among the worst I've ever come across." Hitane let out a short laugh. "It's a great bit of irony. Of course, I hope none of his other rumored victims step forward. There may be as many as four more supposed victims of your son's anger against women."
"That's bullshit and you know it." Himiko clenched her fists. "And what about Daidouji and her bodyguards? It's been over a month and I still haven't heard any criminal charges against them."
Hitane shrugged. "I'm afraid it has been decided that the level of guilt your son is convicted of will determine whether any charges will be filed. Because of Daidouji's wealth and the fact that she is a minor, any case against her would be extremely hard to push through, especially if the judges deem her actions justified. Right now, it would be thrown out of court."
"She castrated my son!" Himiko cried out, not caring at the attention it drew to her.
"Yes. And having her nose broken in three places, having her clothes ripped off, and nearly losing her virginity to him by force is no defense." Hitane gave her a knowing look. "It's no more justified than a husband teaching his wife a lesson after she failed in her wifely duties."
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Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon
Chapter 19: Sakura's Determination
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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Her opponent was sloppy as he swung a fist toward her. It was easy for her to see the attack coming and deflect it harmlessly away from her body and send the boy off balance. He stumbled, but managed to keep his feet and swung his arm in a desperate attack. In response, she took a small step back and avoided the blow completely.
Whirling around, he charged at her again. This time she caught his wild swing and pushed down. Her redirection of his momentum resulted in a brief flight as his head changed place with his feet before gravity caught up and brought him to the floor on his back.
The boy growled as he began to rise to his feet.
"That will be enough, Yamada. You have lost," the aged dojo instructor intoned. "Kinomoto, you have done well. You have grasped the concept of waiting."
"Thank you, sensei." Sakura bowed her head.
The old teacher clapped his hands, ending the other sparring matches. "Class has ended. Reflect on your matches and see where you might improve yourself."
"Yes, sensei!" the class replied as one. They immediately set to clean the dojo.
"Kinomoto, will you walk with me?" the teacher questioned.
Sakura nodded and followed the man out of the dojo to a koi pond behind the martial arts school.
"It was rather surprising when Li brought you here a month ago to learn Tai Chi," the teacher told her. He chuckled softly. "I was afraid she had returned to take my dojo sign."
Sakura blinked. "You lost to her before?"
The teacher nodded. "When she was testing schools to join, she challenged me to a match. Granted, I was a bit overconfident. Here I was, an aged master being confronted by a little girl. You would think that I'd have learned my lesson from the Park Destroyer."
Sakura flinched.
The teacher paused as he appraised her odd reaction. "I have heard rumors of her defeat. Are you the one who brained her with a crowbar?"
Sakura looked away. "It wasn't a crowbar, but yes."
He laughed. "If only I had been a younger man, those fights might have been different. Even with our style of using our opponent's strength against them, age has slowed my movements. Seeing how one will attack me does little good if I can't move fast enough to deflect it."
Sakura frowned. "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"
He coughed a little. "Right. You know when a girl is attacked it is not uncommon that other girls would seek to gain a means to protect themselves. Despite their sound reason, rarely do they stay with the training. However, that isn't the case with you, is it?"
Sakura sagged. "No, it's not."
"Why have you sought to learn martial arts?" the teacher questioned.
"It's... complicated." Sakura sighed. "Tomoyo-chan was attacked because of my own carelessness. And even though Satome is in jail now, I know I'm not safe. If the time comes I need to defend one of my friends, I don't want to hesitate or make a mistake."
"Just as I thought." The teacher gazed into the koi pond. "You have a special determination to learn. It is why you have advanced faster than the other new students."
Sakura looked away.
The teacher then patted Sakura on the shoulder, thankful she did not flinch from the contact. "Li was right to bring you here to learn. Tai Chi is a good fit for you. Despite your desire to protect others, you still don't want to hurt anyone. Even a person out to hurt you or your friends."
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"What have you done about Daidouji's misbehavior?" Himiko demanded.
Teikei scowled, thankful that as school disciplinarian he got a private office. This was not something he wanted to deal with as school resumed from summer vacation, and bringing undue attention to the issue in question would only make it worse. "I have no proof she is in violation of any school rules."
"She attacked my son! What more proof do you need?" Himiko growled dangerously.
"I am aware that she caused... injury to your son off school grounds after he broke her nose and nearly raped her," Teikei returned.
"That is HER story," Himiko hissed. "I don't believe it. I taught my son to respect women. He would never hurt a girl like that. It is more likely he broke her nose after she hurt him."
"The police don't have that opinion, but they are still investigating the matter. If it is determined that she is the guilty party, the matter will be taken care of appropriately," Teikei told her reassuringly.
"That is bullshit." Himiko slammed her hands on his desk as she stood up. "I've looked into her history. She is no angel. She has been a suspect in multiple counts of vandalism."
Teikei leveled a harsh gaze at her. "I have looked into that myself. In the most recent rash of damages to the school, I was able to rule her out as a suspect. That is something I was not able to do with your son."
"Like my boy would have any reason to wreck anything," Himiko spat.
Teikei opened a drawer and pulled out a thick student file. "Your son is one of the worst violators of school rules we've ever had. Fighting, reported robbery, confirmed vandalism... reported threat of rape... and rumored rape."
"How convenient you have that file now." Himiko grabbed the file and waved it at him. "And why is this the first time I've heard of any of this crap?"
"Because we could never get in contact with you," Teikei returned coldly. "We've sent numerous letters and left countless phone calls at your home, and you never even showed up for a single parent-teacher conference to learn just what your son has been doing here."
"Why didn't you call my work number?" Himiko pressed.
Teikei held up the front page of Satome's file. "Not listed."
"What?!" Himiko grabbed the paper. "Is this some kind of joke? I filed it with you when I registered my son. How do you not have it?"
"Either it was a filing error or it was intentionally removed from our records." Teikei took the paper back from her hands.
"What do you have to say about all of this?!" Himiko demanded.
"I wish I had forced your son out of this school a long time ago," Teikei answered evenly.
Himiko screamed and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her in the process.
Despite the anger in her mind, she still heard a boy mention her son's name as she walked out of the school building.
"Damn, Satome really did do a number on Daidouji."
Himiko glanced across the schoolyard and saw the 'supposed' victim wearing a clear plastic mask over her bandaged nose.
"Hey, Asaba, you're dating Yanagisawa, what do you know about it?"
Asaba frowned. "Satome attacked Daidouji, and after her bodyguards found them and beat him up, she broke a mirror over his nads."
The boy seized up. "Damn... that had to hurt."
Asaba laughed sheepishly. "Satome is a girl now."
All the boys in earshot crossed their legs protectively.
Another boy pounded his fists together. "Good thing for Satome he's in jail now. Otherwise I'd beat him up for hurting Daidouji."
"Yeah, right. And how many times did Satome make you pay for his lunch?" another one taunted.
"Shut up!"
Himiko growled as she strode toward the school gate.
"Did you hear about Daidouji," one girl mentioned to another.
"Yes. I feel safer now that Satome is gone. Too bad it was Daidouji who had to pay the price." The other girl sighed. "It's a shame Mitsu-chan never came forward."
"I hope Daidouji doesn't blame her."
"Doubt it, considering that Daidouji would be blaming Kinomoto as well."
"You think he got her?"
"Well, it could explain her sleeping around like that and why she's been a basket case for a while now."
Himiko's steps became unsteady as she made it to the gate. Now she was close enough to see Daidouji's eyes, which held a familiar haunted look to them. The emerald-eyed girl standing quietly next to her also had eyes that spoke of emotional pain.
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A giant serpent rushed for Sakura, mouth wide open and ready to swallow her whole. She leapt back and called out, "LOOP!"
The serpent's head disappeared, only to reappear swallowing its own tail.
Syaoran grimaced at her tactic to defeat the creature, while Naoko scribbled into the open book she held, and what she wrote became real.
A green giant with a hooked nose jumped out of the trees, arm raised to punch the sorceress.
"Sword!" Sakura cried out and slashed the beast's arm off. She was dismayed to see that not only did the monster grow its arm back, the severed arm quickly formed into another monster.
The two beasts pressed the attack and Sakura took to the air with The Fly to avoid their angry swings.
"Mist!" Sakura intoned. She watched morbidly as the trolls howled in pain as the killer fog that was now around them ate away their bodies.
Landing after calling back all her cards except the one Naoko was using, Sakura took a moment to rest.
Syaoran nodded to Naoko, who frowned deeply as she wrote the next challenge.
Bone hands burst from the ground. In moments dozens of mostly decayed bodies emerged, all shambling towards Sakura.
The sorceress's eyes dilated seeing the unspeakable horrors march toward her. Their vacant eyes speaking only of death. The wretched smell of spoiled human flesh. The claw-like bones reaching for her. She let out a terrified scream and the area was bathed in the power of The Light.
Naoko dropped the book, which closed as it landed on the ground, returning to a card and flew back to its mistress. "I can't see!"
"Relax and close your eyes," Syaoran advised. "It should only be temporary."
True to his words, when Naoko blinked her eyes open a moment later, she saw blurry shapes. As her eyes continued to adjust, one large blur solidified into Syaoran holding Sakura's unconscious body. She sighed. "Guess she's still not ready for the real thing."
"She will need to be." Syaoran held her tighter to his chest.
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As much as Tomoyo would've like to watch and record Sakura's training, it was best that she didn't. Sakura wasn't just struggling to make herself stronger, she was also working to give herself a different style of fighting in order to lessen the value of many of the tapes the enemy had stolen.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door. "Enter."
"Excuse me, Daidouji-hime, but there is something that must be addressed," intone a woman in a business suit as she entered the bedroom.
Tomoyo frowned. "What is it, Ishida-san?"
The lawyer held out a file. "I'm afraid there may be more issues than just testifying against Satome."
"Oh?" Tomoyo flipped through the file and did not like what she saw. "I might be arrested?"
"And sued for monetary damages," Ishida added in bland tone. "The amount of guilt determined by the judges will greatly affect how much can legally be leveled against you."
Tomoyo set the file down and looked across the room at a half-finished battle costume for Sakura. "Perhaps it would've been better if he had been killed."
"Isn't Kinomoto-hime against such a thing?" Ishida wondered.
"Sakura-chan was against hurting others." Tomoyo looked down as tears welled up in her eyes. "That is no longer the case. In her anger she allowed Satome to be castrated. That was something that would've been unthinkable just months ago."
"We still need to address how we will defend the legal actions forming against you," Ishida reminded.
Tomoyo clenched her fist. "Perhaps it's time for me to lose my innocence."
Ishida looked confused. "I don't follow."
"It's best that you don't," Tomoyo told her with a strange firmness to her voice.
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"Hello, Satome-kun, I am here to defend your case," Hitane greeted after the police left the boy in an interrogation room with him. "With your help I can prove your innocence."
Satome stared at the man for a moment. "How can you 'prove' a lie?"
"I'm a lawyer. We make lying into a profession." Hitane smirked. "Now in what way is proclaiming your innocence a lie?"
Satome looked straight at the lawyer. "I punched Daidouji in the face, dragged her to a love motel, stripped her naked and tied her up and was going to rape her before Kinomoto broke the door open and kicked me across the room before Daidouji got free, broke a mirror and... hurt me."
"Kinomoto? Who is Kinomoto?" Hitane questioned.
"Daidouji's best friend and the girl I wanted to hurt the most," Satome replied.
"According to the police, it was Daidouji's bodyguards that saved her, not Kinomoto," Hitane pointed out.
Satome shrugged. "Not surprised. There's something weird about Kinomoto. And I don't mean her boyfriend and his cousin being marital arts masters. When I tried to rape her, some scarred guy in black came out of nowhere telling me if I hated her I should kill her. He broke my hand. Then there was the plane in the aviary, yet I never saw a scrap of metal or smelled smoke. Not to mention the whole situation with Ichimai's poltergeist at school."
Hitane frowned. "It has been a long time since mysticism was a defense in court."
Satome folded his arms. "I'm not saying it is. I intended to rape Kinomoto and Daidouji, only I was stopped every time I tried."
"Are you suggesting we take a plea deal to minimize your punishment?" Hitane questioned cautiously.
"How much am I looking at so far?" Satome wondered.
"A boarding school that's more a juvenile detention center than a school if you're lucky. If Kanzaki Mashiro's claim of rape sticks, you may be sentenced as an adult," Hitane told him.
"I'll take any offer that keeps me away from my mother until I'm twenty," Satome told him seriously. "Even if it means confirming I raped Kanzaki, or the other seven girls."
Hitane blinked. "Seven?" He then gazed closer at the boy. "Why do you want to be away from your mother?"
"She will kill me once she learns I'm guilty," Satome stated in a deadly serious tone.
Hitane laughed. "I've heard that sort of thing before."
"Mom put me in the hospital eight times for a total of fifteen broken bones among other injuries, all because I was a boy." Satome thumped his chest. "Mother never wanted me. The man who grabbed her and left me in her was never arrested. She has only viewed me as a reminder."
Hitane glanced nervously at the mirror. "I will see what I can do." He got up and went to the door. "I will call an officer to get you." He immediately went to the next room. He was not surprised to see the boy's mother looking extremely feral. Even if Satome lied about being abused, learning your son was a rapist would upset any parent. And she had been here to make sure the prosecuting attorney for his case didn't try to spy on them. "What are you going to do?"
Himiko glared at him. "He is no son of mine!" She stormed out of the observation room.
Hitane sighed. "Time to see if the prosecutor will agree to at least a five year jail sentence."
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"I'm back," a seemingly disembodied voice spoke.
Tomoyo glanced at the man hiding in a shadowy corner, wondering when her bedroom had become her office. "Hello, Kurogane-san. Did you learn anything?"
"Li Yelan knows more than she told me. However, I am reasonably sure that neither she nor her daughters are behind the attacks on Kinomoto." Kurogane smirked. "While I was given a few possibilities of why the attacks have occurred, she largely confirmed your suspicion but did not know the reasons for the attacks."
Tomoyo appraised the man. His eyes shifted a tad more than they had the last time they talked and his smirk wasn't as pronounced. "There's something you're not telling me."
Kurogane growled. "Nothing that concerns you."
"Is that really the case?" Tomoyo pressed.
"Li Yelan is precognitive. She mentioned some things about my future," Kurogane grumbled.
Tomoyo turned away. "What she said won't interfere with your mission, will it?"
"No," Kurogane barked. "What happened to your face?"
Tomoyo sighed. "Do you have any more leads?"
"No, I don't. I will remain in the area awaiting the next attack to see if I can learn anything." Kurogane's eyes remained fixed on her.
"I have a... request for you," Tomoyo's voice wavered. "The assassin that attacked Sakura-chan is in Tokyo Central Jail. Despite his profession of ignorance, I suspect he knew more than he would tell us."
Kurogane folded his arms. "I guess I could be arrested for carrying around a real sword."
Tomoyo bowed her head. Suspecting the man would not leave until she told him about her injury or made it clear she would not talk about it. However, there was one more part of her request, one that would force her to explain why she wanted it done. Yet, for some reason, she didn't want to tell him. As she opened her mouth to tell him, she felt as if Satome's filth was burying her.
Kurogane listened with gritted teeth. He was strangely disheartened by the final part of the girl's request, but he was not surprised. He did not immediately answer her, remembering one of Li Yelan's prophecies for him. "I will not charge you more. Instead I will need a favor from you. Your nose will be healed in a month?"
Tomoyo nodded slowly. "Hopefully, though it may not look the way it had before. What is the favor?"
Kurogane looked away, blushing deeply. "There is a formal ball in a month. In order to get in... I need a date."
Tomoyo pouted. "Why would you want to attend?"
"Rather not say." Without another word, he was gone.
Tomoyo went to the window the dark man had used to escape. She could guess what a mercenary-for-hire might need to do at a formal ball. Considering her dark request, she had no right to deny him his. Yet, for some reason, being asked seemed less like he was asking her to be an accomplice, but as an honest date.
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Meiling scowled at the couple sitting on the couch. There was a tangible wall between them. A month ago, it had been fun teasing them as sex between them was a matter of being alone and in the mood. Now, thanks to what Satome tried to do to Daidouji, even a kiss between them lacked the passion it once had. It was as if the honeymoon was over and they were now a boring old married couple.
"Is there something you want, Meiling-chan?" Sakura asked while squinting at her textbook.
"Satome never being born," Meiling muttered under her breath.
"Join the club," Syaoran snorted.
Sakura bowed her head. "Can we not talk about him?"
"Maybe we should." Meiling walked around the couch to face the couple. "Yes, Satome hurt Daidouji. Yes, you got REALLY angry at him and made him a girl. But you saved Daidouji. You kept her safe."
"I was the one who put her in danger. I should've known Satome was walking towards me," Sakura retorted bitterly.
"You were distracted. No one expects you to be on guard all the time. It was an accident that I escalated. If I had just let Satome punch me, nothing more would've been made of it," Syaoran grumbled.
"Maybe, maybe not." Sakura looked away. "But I had other chances to stop Satome. He... he molested me while you were in Hong Kong. If the assassin I fought wasn't against rape, Satome would've done that to me then. I never reported it to the school." She bit back a sob. "I had the proof bruised onto my chest. And if I had told you before...."
"He wouldn't be alive to hurt Daidouji," Syaoran growled out dangerously. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because of what you just said!" Sakura cried out. "Satome should've learned his lesson from his hand. I hoped he would have. He... I..."
Syaoran pulled his girlfriend into a hug as she began to sob uncontrollably.
"I never wanted to hurt anyone! I was so angry! I would've done it myself if Mirror hadn't!" Sakura bemoaned.
"Shhhh..." Syaoran breathed into her ear. "It's all right. It's okay."
"It's not okay!" Sakura protested. "I made sure Satome will never have kids! I hurt him bad!"
"He doesn't deserve the right!" Meiling shot at her. "Have you heard the rumors? There were two or three girls at our school that he may have raped. And who is to say about girls not from our school? He might be a father by a girl who doesn't even know his name! Just a face in her nightmares! What you did to Satome might not have been 'right,' but it is damn well what he deserved!"
Sakura began to cry so hard, she could no longer speak. It seemed impossible, but her tears intensified when Syaoran added to his soothing words, "I still love you."
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"Am I not supposed to have legal council present when I talk to you?" intoned the scarred assassin as he glared at his prosecuting attorney from his cell in solitary confinement.
"This is not the sort of thing a defense attorney should be around for." Himiko glared at the man. "Ryuji Akuma, would you happen to know how my son broke his hand a few months ago?"
Akuma just looked at her evenly.
"My son... was attacking some girl by the name of Kinomoto when he was attacked by a man with a scarred face," Himiko pressed.
"Do you wish to add assault charges to the three counts of murder that you are trying to pin on me?" Akuma groused.
"It depends." Himiko shrugged in an odd manner. "I might be a bit forgetful to use information supplied by private investigators. There's some damning evidence they've dug up."
Akuma leveled a gaze at the woman. "If you're asking if I noticed your son has a room down the hall, it is possible that I have. I take it he did not learn his lesson."
Himiko nodded. "He did not. He has hurt girls in unspeakable manners."
Akuma leaned back on his bed. "And the fact if your son is found guilty of rape and assault, it would be a serious detriment to your career in prosecuting sexual predators."
Himiko turned away. "It would be... an issue."
"And I suppose the fact the boy had bruises the size of your fists doesn't factor into this either?" Akuma sneered.
Himiko's look promised death.
"I do believe we are in understanding." Akuma turned around. "Allow me to be released from solitary and I will see about your... 'problem.'"
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"You seem to be in a better mood," Yue said gruffly.
Sakura wondered why it sounded like her guardian wasn't happy about that, even as she sat cross-legged in Yukito's backyard concentrating on her magic. "I had a good cry."
Yue gazed at her with a blank look. "How can a cry be good?"
Sakura fought the urge to shrug. "I was letting things build up inside. I needed to let it out."
"Did the brat make you cry?" Touya groused from behind the girl.
"Syaoran-kun is not a brat, and no he didn't." Sakura pouted. "Meiling-chan got me to cry for my own good." She then smirked. "My boyfriend was a good pillow to cry on, though."
Touya growled angrily and stomped away.
There was a slight rise on the edges of Yue's lips. "You must be in a good mood to tease your brother."
Sakura nodded.
Yue folded his arms. "Unfortunately, it's having a detriment to you focusing your magic."
"Sorry." Sakura closed her eyes as she focused on her task, the smile on her lips fading.
Yue nodded. "Good. Focus and refine your energy. Make the cards an extension of you."
Without a word The Flower sprang forth and danced around Yue, imparting flowers into his hair.
Yue glared. "Tell me that was not your order."
Sakura opened her eyes and broke into a fit of giggles. "Sorry. I only focused on giving her power to manifest."
Despite the guardian yanking the flowers from his hair, his smile was almost visible to even those who didn't know him.
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The large building looked clean and orderly, but that was a deception. Every minute was a fight between those who lived here and the ones that kept them there. Japan may have one of the strictest prison systems in the world, but those who fought against orderly life chaff under the oppressive control.
Kurogane was thankful this 'visit' would only last the weekend. That once the courts open Monday morning, he would be free once again. He was thankful the sword they confiscated was a cheap practice one. He doubted he would see that blade again.
The dinner being served left much to be desired. At least it allowed Kurogane talk to the prisoners.
"I hear you've been asking some questions," intoned a scarred-faced man.
Kurogane scowled. "Hello, Ryuji. How's your back?"
Akuma returned the glare. "That scar still itches. I suppose you are here for me, are you not?"
"Partially," Kurogane replied simply.
"I assume you've been hired to deal with Kinomoto's attacker." Akuma folded his arms. "As I told her cousin, I do not have any information to share."
"Do you have any of letters from when you were hired?" Kurogane questioned.
"Do I look like an amateur? Those were burned immediately." Akuma paused. "I do have some of his pay, I'll help you get it if you help me with a little task. One, I suspect, you've already been charged to do."
Kurogane folded his arms. "Right."
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Tomoyo appraised the courthouse with a sense of dread as she approached it. Today was to be a preliminary hearing to set the charges against Satome and the date for his trial to begin.
"Daidouji Tomoyo," a smartly dressed woman intoned. "I am Satome Himiko."
Tomoyo bowed her head. "Hello."
"I'm afraid there will be no trial for you to go to." Himiko looked away. "My son was found dead in his cell yesterday morning. It appears he committed suicide."
Tomoyo sighed. "So, this is the end of it."
Himiko loomed over the girl. "There is still the matter of your attack on my son and the... damages you caused."
"I suppose you could still pursue that avenue." Tomoyo cast a hard gaze through the woman. "And I suppose I could present information to the police that you made a deal with Ryuji Akuma to have your own son killed. Then there's the fact that I could inform the media to what your son tried to do to me and what he has done to other girls. It would reflect rather poorly on a prosecuting attorney who has fought against sexual predators so vigorously that her own son was a serial rapist."
Himiko's mouth hung agape in shock.
"This will be the end of any legal issues, or I will drag you down with me," Tomoyo intoned coldly. "Good-bye, Satome-san. I hope we never meet again."
Himiko whirled around and stomped into the courthouse.
Sonomi gazed at her daughter. "I don't know if I should be upset at you or proud of you."
Tomoyo didn't look at her mother as she entered the family limousine. "I think I might prefer you being upset."
"Did you have a hand in what happened to Satome?" Sonomi whispered, following the girl into car.
"I did not offer restrictions to the favor I asked for," Tomoyo replied quietly. "I sent Kurogane to make sure no legal action would be cast against me. If I was arrested, Sakura-chan might confess."
"She would." Sonomi frowned. "And Kurogane does not strike me as being... subtle. You knew sending him was a death sentence."
Tomoyo nodded. "I still had hope."
"I'll make sure the woman pays for what has happened," Sonomi vowed.
"Don't," Tomoyo stated firmly. "She will have to live with her pain. I would rather have her fighting against horrible men than sit alone in her home." She then sighed. "I will have to forward information to the defense attorney that the assassin had broke Satome's hand, making his mother unable to 'defend' him."
Sonomi grabbed her daughter's hand. "At least I know that you are my daughter. Our businesses will be safe with you."
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Author's Notes:
Coming Next:
Chapter 20 - Sakura and the Summer Festival
It's time for fun and dating at the Summer Festival.
This omake was originally written shortly after watching Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles - Tokyo Revelation OAV.
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Irony was a strange thing. The living had nothing to fear from the dead that failed to move on, while the dead had everything to fear.
And the strangest thing was, when I was alive I had been very afraid of ghosts, but now that I was one there was no fear left in me. Only worry for this world that should've never been.
I wish I could see my reflection, but I am invisible to even my own eyes.
Looking about the dead world where monsters roamed free and humans huddled in small sanctuaries, I couldn't help but think this world should have never been.
Even when I was alive, I felt as if something was wrong. It never ceased to hurt me when I thought my own mother should be dead. I loved my mother, I truly had. Yet when I saw my mother cooking dinner upon my return from school, I would sometimes see my mother's photo on the table and either my brother or father cooking. When that feeling of wrongness was at it's worse, I would clutch onto my mother wondering how having this wonderful woman in my life could be wrong.
There were days when things seemed to particularly off.
Arriving home at the start of fourth grade and finding no one there. I felt as if something should happen, yet nothing did. Still something drew me to the basement where my father kept his books. I was found sobbing on the floor, and I still don't know why.
Seeing my brother go out on dates with girls bugged me for reasons I couldn't name. It wasn't that none of his girlfriends lasted more than a month, though I didn't particularly like that. In my mind I knew there was supposed to be a special person for my brother, but somehow that person didn't exist.
In July of that year, I broke down crying at the start of school. Someone was supposed to have come to the school that day. I knew he was supposed to come, a special person who would become a large part of her life. I didn't know how I knew, I just did.
When Mizuki-sensei became my new mathematics teacher, she shared the sense of that this world wasn't the 'right one.' I quickly learned that my brother rekindled a romance with her, seeking in each other something that had been lost to them without them ever having it.
Then one day Mizuki-sensei looked out the window and in the middle of class announced, "It is time."
I nodded while squeezing my eyes shut. Death came quickly, but it still hurt.
When I opened my eyes, Mizuki-sensei stood before me floating in mid-air. The school, and everyone else in my class, was gone.
Somehow they were able to pass on, but something held me to the land of the living. If you could call this place alive. The world's destruction seemed to answer the question I had never been able to form. This horribly destiny for this world prevented me from finding my fate. This world should've never been and I was just an echo of a girl that should've been so much more.
Unlike Mizuki-sensei, my brother and the other ghosts I've met after Tokyo was destroyed, I am not bound to the places I visited often in life. I've spent my days since my death trying to help other ghosts move on. I even found a way for my brother and Mizuki-sensei to find their rest, by getting them to meet at the shrine during the full moon. I spent a lot of time reuniting people with the people or things they loved in life.
Yet I remained alone. I do not know any other person in this world anymore, alive or dead.
Still, I have something of a job helping others. Running through the barren lands that used to be a city that held millions of people, I try to find something of interest to deal with the boredom of afterlife.
I stop upon seeing a strangely familiar looking girl. The blood covering her did not prevent me from realizing this girl was another me. There was a connection beyond being of a similar soul. That she too is an echo of a different, more important, Sakura.
I smile at finding a kindred person, knowing I can help her with her problem. She needs to go to her loved ones, and I have learned how to find the path to the one a person most desires to see. It helps that she can see me. It makes guiding her so much easier.
When the other Sakura came into sight of her friends, they immediately rushed to her. I knew that she would be all right. That she would heal.
I smile at the scene. The gentle words and touches they shared. Something I would never experience again.
My eyes fall upon on the boy with them. There was something strange about the way he looked at the other Sakura. It was as if he didn't want to be worried about her, yet he was. And his name, Syaoran, seemed to echo within me.
I follow them and watch as Sakura and her friends give new hope to the survivors of this horrid world. Yet my eyes keep going to the boy, to Syaoran. And then they left, going to a new world.
I didn't want them to go. I wanted to see more of this Syaoran. There was something... special about him.
Maybe that Syaoran was the beloved of the other Sakura? What if the boy that I should've met on that July morning was _my_ Syaoran? The one I am supposed to be with.
I look down and see that which I never noticed before. My own red thread going off into the distance to the west. I smile at this. At the other end was the beloved I never got to meet, but now I could. I don't care if he's alive or a ghost like I am. With him I might finally be whole and be able to find the peace I have lacked since before my death.