Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow of the Dragon ❯ Sakura and the End of Friendships ( Chapter 27 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Lord Archive 
Tomoyo's video tape has torn apart the close friendships shared by Sakura and the others.
Anime/Manga: Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.25.2013 | Pages: 6 | Words: 6.4K | Visits: 306 | Status: Completed
Tomoyo's video tape has torn apart the close friendships shared by Sakura and the others.
Anime/Manga: Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.25.2013 | Pages: 6 | Words: 6.4K | Visits: 306 | Status: Completed
Chiharu trudged her way home from school. "Maybe I should just announce to the school I'm pregnant and be done with everything."
"So you can sit home alone all day and do nothing? Gee, that sounds fun," Takashi groused.
"I certainly wouldn't have to deal with so called friends that way," Chiharu shot back.
"So Daidouji did something stupid. What about your other friends?" Takashi retorted.
"If it wasn't for Meiling's grandfather out to get Sakura, I wouldn't even know about what Tomoyo did," Chiharu argued.
Takashi frowned at how the girl failed to add 'chan' to her friend's names. It wasn't to indicate they were closer now, but to be rude to those girls. "And what about Sasaki or Yanagisawa?"
"If their secrets come to light, I could find myself in trouble for helping them," Chiharu answered bitterly.
"But isn't that what friends do? Help each other and cover for them? They certainly helped you deal with our marriage and your father's death," Takashi pointed out.
Chiharu huffed, her annoyed footsteps becoming heavier before a dark figured looming ahead of them caused her to stop abruptly. "What do you want?"
Kurogane folded his arms. "I've got some information for you. Kinomoto has dealt with the video tapes, destroying every copy of them."
"So that's why Kinomoto and Li-kun haven't been to school for the past two days, they overused their magic to get rid of them," Takashi observed.
Kurogane nodded. "With the disappearance of those tapes, the raided video store has received a number of requests for that missing tape. When they came to purchase it, the police were there to arrest them."
"Good," Chiharu growled out, yet did not entirely feel relieved. It did not change that hundreds, possibly thousands, of deprived men and at least one girl had touched themselves while looking at her naked body. And she wasn't even the star, but added spice to Sakura's fully revealed true movie debut.
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Card Captor Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon
Chapter 27: Sakura and the End of Friendships
By: Lord Archive
Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.
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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Rika looked up as Terada entered the secluded grove of trees. "Hello," she greeted in a tired voice.
"How was your day?" Terada ventured weakly.
"I just found out that all the tapes have been destroyed, and the police are using the video store to arrest a number of those seeking to replace them," Rika announced.
Terada nodded. "That's very good news indeed."
"Yet I don't think it matters. The damage has already been done," Rika retorted.
"True a number of men have seen you and your friends," Terada sadly agreed.
Rika shook her head. "That's not what I mean. It's more about what Tomoyo-chan did and didn't do. It was wrong that she made the tape, and worse when she didn't warn us about it, especially as she knew Sakura-chan's enemy could use it as tactic against her."
"I can understand it won't be easy to see Daidouji when she returns," Terada noted.
Rika pouted. "It goes deeper than that. Naoko-chan and Chiharu-chan aren't even talking with me or each other either. And I doubt when Sakura-chan returns it'll get any better."
Terada frowned. "Why would they have issues with you and each other?"
"It's because Tomoyo-chan hurt us. If we weren't friends with her, she'd have never gotten such good pictures of us. And it's because we're friends, we could end up hurting each other even more. If our relationship was discovered, Naoko-chan and Chiharu-chan could be punished for it. Or I could reveal secrets they've told me and hurt them that way," Rika explained.
Terada blinked. "I hadn't even thought of that."
Rika looked at him sheepishly. "It's only because of our relationship I could realize this. The risk one of them telling the police, the fear that you'd just use me and then leave me... I've long run the risk of being labeled a 'victim.' That you or any of my friends could easily ruin the life I want is something I've long had to deal with. The video is really nothing compared to what would happen to us if our secret got out."
Terada looked at his beloved strangely. "Are you saying you're not upset about the video?"
Rika shrugged weakly. "While Tomoyo-chan's video hurt me, it wasn't that she made it, it was that she didn't trust me and the others with her secrets. We could've helped her, but she didn't let us."
"How would you 'help her?'" Terada wondered.
"Well, we wouldn't have pushed her to go out with Kurogane-san in the first place," Rika replied. "Maybe help her find a girl, possibly the girl she danced with at the Sport's Festival."
Terada smiled. "That would've been good."
Rika sighed. "But now I don't know what to do about my friends. I don't want it all to end, but what can I do?"
Terada gazed tenderly at the girl. "Help them remember why you're friends in the first place."
Rika tilted her head. "We were friends since we were very little when our mothers took turns watching after us."
"That may have been how you got to know each other, but why did you stay friends?" Terada pressed.
Rika gazed drifted in thought trying to think of why they had stayed together. It would've been so easy to drift apart, so why had they been friends since before kindergarten?
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Meiling entered her home and saw Sakura watching television while looking ready to fall asleep. "Still not fully recovered?"
Sakura shook her head, but oddly stayed quiet.
"Where's Syaoran?" Meiling wondered.
"Still asleep. I should be too, I just... can't..." Sakura muttered.
"Just close your eyes and sleep," Meiling offered.
Sakura pouted at the girl. "I would if I could just stop... thinking about..."
"About what?" Meiling pressed.
Sakura turned back away. "What to say to you..."
"You saw who was behind releasing the tape when you did the divination?" Meiling guessed.
Sakura nodded.
"And you did NOT see my Grandfather, right?" Meiling questioned with a hint of desperation.
"I... I... I'm sorry... I did see him..." Sakura sobbed. "I wanted us to be wrong... but... but it really was him. I'm so sorry."
"Why?!" Meiling demanded.
"I don't know. I really don't. I could've found out but then I'd have lost my chance to destroy the tapes," Sakura bemoaned.
"No! Why are you lying?! It can't be him! It just can't!" Meiling howled.
Sakura continued to cry.
Meiling glared at the girl looking for any indication this was all some lie, some dirty trick. Yet Kinomoto was a horrible liar, but with this it just couldn't be true. After a moment she ran to her room.
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Naoko reread what she had written for her novella and frowned. This wasn't Konagi Noa's work. While Bloody Sword Detective did have an edge of darkness to it, this was going too far. Her editor already expressed misgivings on the last submitted chapter that it had sexual elements that were previously absent. This would take that and go even farther. This would be struck down.
Shelving the chapter, not wanting to delete her work in case she figured out how to make it useful later, Naoko tapped at the keyboard of her computer wondering how to proceed without messing up her story.
An email alert chirped, and the young writer hoped this would be a welcomed distraction, much as Kurogane's visit to tell her that all the video tapes were now gone, preventing any chance of someone being able to prove she had been in child pornography. She scowled at what she read. This was not the first time she had received such an offer, and this time there was an added digit. At first she had been excited with such a concept, that her novella would become an anime, but then realization hit that it would quickly stop being HER story as there simply wasn't enough material. She and quickly typed her response:
'Again, while I appreciate the interest in making an anime, it is still too soon to begin. The story is not near completion and the risk of using up my material and resorting to making filler episodes is too high. Whoever brings Bloody Sword Detective to air needs to be as faithful to my story as possible, and I am not yet able to contribute directly to insuring that my story remains intact.'
Naoko sent off the message. It was decidedly not a welcomed distraction. She knew very well a reply email would come shortly warning that eventually the requests to make it an anime would stop. In a year or two, when it would be safer to come forward as Konagi Noa, THEN she would talk to a production company, but not yet. It was simply an offer before it's time...
...An offer before it's time. Now that was a concept she could work on, rather than the betrayals that struck her so strongly.
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"Do you want dinner or breakfast," Meiling chided.
"Either," Syaoran grumbled. "How long have we been asleep?"
"About a day and a half," Meiling shot at him.
Syaoran frowned at his cousin. "What's with the attitude?"
Meiling's reply was in the form of a glare.
Sakura let out a yawn as she entered the room. "I talked to her already... about who was behind the video tape."
"Oh," Syaoran muttered.
"Even IF you saw him, doesn't mean he was acting on his own will or that someone wasn't pretending to be him or interfering in your divination," Meiling shot out weakly.
"What we need to do is find him, get him to see reason," Syaoran offered. "With the destruction of the tapes, there is no proof to his crime. We can still end this peacefully, without jail time for him. And you, Meiling, may be the key. You may be the only person able to get through to him."
Meiling slammed her hands onto the counter. "Are you kidding me? There's no way you can just forgive someone for hurting Kinomoto the way her enemy has. I won't be able to, even IF her enemy is my grandfather, which I still don't believe that's the case."
"I'm not going to lie and say I'd be comfortable around him," Sakura admitted. "Though I do understand him a little."
"Oh, really?" Meiling challenged.
"He wants you to be happy. That's a wish everyone wants for the ones they love," Sakura replied.
"But with what your enemy has done to you?" Meiling countered.
Sakura looked away. "That I don't understand. To go so far... he should know that won't make you happy."
"Exactly, this doesn't make any sense for it to be him," Meiling insisted.
"Except that it's not just for you," Syaoran added. "He believes it would be better for the clan that we get married, to have a purer Li heir. That you still love me is just more reason to hurt Sakura."
Meiling glared death at him.
Sakura sighed. "I know why you don't want to believe this. When I suspected the one out to get me was someone with magic that wanted to end my relationship with Syaoran-kun, my first thought was my brother. But he would've attack Syaoran-kun, not me. And if that had happened, I would've felt responsible. He would've been hurt because I love him. Just as you're being hurt by the thought these attacks are because of your feelings for Syaoran-kun."
"Who says I still love him?" Meiling demanded.
"Your jealousy fits," intoned Fanren's ghost, causing those gathered to jump in surprise. "What?"
"Forgot you were around," Sakura replied sheepishly.
Meiling stared dumbly at the specter. "I can see you!"
"I'm borrowing some magic from Syaoran and Sakura so I can talk to you as well." Fanren folded her arms. "However, Syaoran is right about Uncle's devotion to the clan would be a primary reason behind the attacks. He was raised as the heir and had it instilled in him early on the clan's future is all important, and he has followed that with but a few exceptions: when love was involved. Uncle fell in love with a woman of no magic and then his son also picked a magicless woman to be his wife, resulting in your lack of talent. With Syaoran, your children would reclaim their magical heritage. But if you marry someone without any talent, it is unlikely that any of your descendants will be born with magic."
"So even IF Grandfather is responsible, he wouldn't be doing it for my happiness, but so his great-grandchildren could use magic," Meiling surmised bitterly.
"And stand a strong chance of being clan head," Fanren added. "Uncle may be lying to himself he's doing this for you, but really he's doing this all for himself. To 'correct' his 'failings' to the clan."
"Still don't buy it," Meiling huffed before stomping off to her room.
Fanren glanced over at Sakura. "Still haven't gotten Syaoran a present for his last birthday have you?"
"Ah... no..." Sakura admitted weakly.
Fanren smiled devilishly. "You could undo The Erase on one of the tapes and give that to him, minus the images of the other girls of course."
Syaoran stiffened in shock as he stared at his sister's ghost.
Sakura blinked dumbly and then screeched. "Hooooooooooooeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?!"
"You're both so fun to tease!" Fanren giggled as she faded from sight.
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"Thank you, Kurogane. I'll talk to you later." Tomoyo hung up her phone with a sigh.
"What news does he have?" Sonomi questioned.
"Sakura-chan showed him an illusionary image of her enemy's apartment that she saw in her divination with hope he can track down where it is. And she is getting ready to go to school now," Tomoyo related.
Sonomi nodded. "With that out of the way, we now have other business to attend to."
Tomoyo followed her mother out of the corporate office to one of the many meeting rooms at Daidouji Toys. Her functional job was to sit and listen, to get a better idea of the life that awaited her after she graduated. She was barely able to suppress her frown finding that they were meeting Matsumoto-san, with his son trailing behind him much as she was following her mother.
The elder Matsumoto grinned at both mother and daughter. "Greetings, Daidouji-san, I was not aware your daughter would be here."
"I felt it would be a good experience for her to observe the work she is set to inherit," Sonomi replied.
"I had much the same thoughts for my son after his school suspended him for a minor issue," the elder Matsumoto replied. "However, it may be better to have your daughter entertain my son while we tend to business they may not be ready to hear."
"I would not know about that," Sonomi replied. "If your son is not ready, then perhaps my daughter should try to make sure he won't cause any trouble." She then guided the elder Matsumoto into the meeting room, leaving the children functionally alone.
Tomoyo seriously doubted the 'minor' part considering she only got two weeks for making a soft-core tape of her friends. School avoided suspending students, especially when the child involved is from a wealthy family. "Greetings, Matsumoto-kun, where would you like to visit? The cafeteria, borrow a television from an unused meeting room, the sports room, or just take a walking tour?"
"Aren't you being overly cordial?" Matsumoto replied.
"You are a guest," Tomoyo replied.
"Fine." Matsumoto shrugged. "Just show me around."
Tomoyo nodded as she guided him through the offices, barely making any comments.
"Why aren't you in school today?" Matsumoto questioned.
Tomoyo gazed at him. "A not so minor issue of inappropriate behavior. It is not something I'd go into."
"Oh?" Matsumoto appraised the girl. "That's what they put down for me as well. All because a stupid girl didn't try to hide that she got pregnant and claimed I'm the father."
"Is it possible that you are?" Tomoyo questioned.
"Maybe," Matsumoto admitted bitterly. "We were both drunk at a party. I asked if she wanted some 'fun,' she agreed. Now she's accusing me of getting her drunk and taking her virginity. I can tell you this, she was drunk before I started talking to her and I certainly wasn't her first."
Tomoyo leveled her gaze. "So you've been with other girls besides her?"
"Of course." Matsumoto shrugged dismissively. "I may as well learn how to please a woman before I make a proper lady my wife."
"And just what classifies a girl as a lady?" Tomoyo inquired.
"Money, breeding and class," Matsumoto answered seriously. "Things you certainly have."
"You do realize I'm hardly flattered that you consider me a lady," Tomoyo pointed out curtly.
"But I also realize marriage between the wealthy has shit to do with love. It's all about business deals. Once you have my son, you can screw whoever you want. Fail to get me one, I'll make sure to have an heir."
Tomoyo raised her hand to seemingly caress his cheek, her fingers intertwining with his hair. "So you would expect me to fulfill my womanly duty to produce an heir, remaining unknown to other men until I've accomplished that. And during all of this any daughters would be ignored in favor of a son, a boy who might not bare any relation to me as you could produce him from a mistress."
Matsumoto laughed and was a little surprised at her touch. "You're a lot smarted than the girls at my senior high school. None of them seem to be able to realize something so simple."
Tomoyo's hand clenched into a fist, gripping his hair. "I do not find such a proposition to be equitable to me, even though I hardly would count the 'unknown to other men' as an issue as I would prefer the company of maids than any male help. The problem I see is your baseless assumption a boy is necessary to be an heir. My mother has run Daidouji Toys, as well as had a say in a number of businesses in the Amamiya Group, without the aid of her husband or any other male for over a decade. I see no reason to assume that any daughter of mine could not also run this and other companies just as well if not better." With a sudden yank, several strands of his hair pulled free of the side of his head.
Matsumoto yelped in brief pain, and took a step back from the girl. "I take back you being smart and a lady. Your mother is the exception to the rule. There are so few female executives in Japan you may as well say there are none. You better chose your husband well, because I seriously doubt you'd be able to amount to anything trying to run a corporation." He spun around and marched back to where the meeting room his father was in.
Tomoyo quickly went to a refreshment center and searched the shelves for a plastic bag. Upon finding them she grabbed one and secured the boy's hair into it. She then pulled out her cellphone and dialed. "Kurogane, there may be no need to acquire Matsumoto-san's DNA, I've managed to gets some hairs from his son. Though if I get the chance, I'll see if I can obtain some of his hair as well."
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Sakura let out a sigh of relief as the school day finally ended. She watched as her friends quietly put their belongings away and prepared to go home. "Good bye! See you later!" she called out to them.
There was no reply.
Sakura slumped back into her seat. "So they blame me too."
"I don't think they blame you as much as the situation you're in," Syaoran tried to assure her.
Sakura pouted at him.
"I'll walk you to your Taichi class," Syaoran offered.
Sakura nodded, knowing any refusal would be denied. With the school's soccer team failing to make the regional playoffs, he had little to do with club activities. It would be a few weeks before the Basketball season started so even her cheerleader squad had little to do at present.
The young couple walked together out of the school without another word. After dealing with the silent treatment from her friends the quiet got to her. "I can understand Meiling-chan not talking to me, but even she will at least acknowledge my presence."
Syaoran shrugged. "I don't think Meiling could remain silent for five minutes."
Sakura let out a weak laugh. "I guess. Not that I think I'm any better."
They came to a sudden stop as an unexpected person stood ahead of them on their path.
Sakura blinked. "Ah, hi, Rika-chan."
Rika forced a smile. "Hello. I'm sorry I didn't say anything at school. I want us all to be friends again, but if I was to respond to you before they would even respond to me it'll make that job harder."
Sakura stared at her. "They've been ignoring you as well?"
"And each other," Rika affirmed.
"Why?!" Sakura cried out with a distressed note.
"They have realized from Tomoyo-chan's secret getting out that the other secrets we hold can also hurt them and others. And that if Tomoyo-chan can betray us, any of can use our secrets to hurt each other, even if unintentionally," Rika explained.
"You're not upset at Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura wondered.
"I am, but not for her video. Now if one of the tapes that contained my secret got out, then I would have... issues," Rika admitted.
Syaoran's eyes went wide and then frowned deeply. "There's, um, still a risk of that. Because of that video, the police are looking for my Great-Uncle. If they were to find his apartment and one of those tapes were there..."
Rika gasped. "They would look at the tapes to check... for other crimes."
"Exactly," Syaoran agreed.
Sakura pouted. "Tomoyo-chan and I would have a lot to explain..."
Rika then gazed at the boy intently. "And how do they know about your Great Uncle?"
"We told them," Sakura admitted sheepishly.
"And my family has sent them information on him," Syaoran added.
"Let's hope Kurogane-san finds him first so those tapes can be dealt with as well," Rika said with bitter hope. "At least you warned me."
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Naoko dragged herself to school. Part of her wished the school would find out about her after school job and suspend her until she quit, which she'd just take the permanent suspension and consent to the next anime contract. Then she wouldn't even need school anymore as frugal living could leave her set for life even assuming she was never published again.
She smirked seeing the black eye on Asaba still had yet to fade. While she knew her supposed friends had nothing to do with it, she would thank whoever punched him. Still, she could not wait for her next chapter to be released. He was in for a big surprise.
"Did you hear about Inoue?"
"What... Or should I say WHO did she do?"
"Apparently some third year guy from the senior high school. He was even engaged."
"'WAS' sounds appropriate."
Naoko clenched her fists.
"That slut really needs to be put in her place," Meiling noted.
Naoko jumped and whirled around. "What do you want?"
Meiling folded her arms. "Daidouji may have found a way to hurt Inoue. She knows who is paying for her home, but if her mother is anything like her there's a chance he's not her real father. And if that's the case, Inoue may find herself homeless."
Naoko smirked. "That's good." She then scowled. "If you have nothing else to say, I'd rather not be caught up in the bullshit problems of your family."
"It's not him," Meiling immediately barked.
"Then care to explain why Sakura-chan is being attacked? What reason would her name be attacked? It certainly wouldn't help get her stuff," Naoko accused.
Meiling opened her mouth to come up with a retort, any retort yet she failed. Her answer finally came with the girl storming angrily into the school.
"Exactly what I thought," Naoko spat.
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Rika entered the bathroom and saw someone she had considered to be her best friend splashing water onto her face. "Are you all right?"
Chiharu gave a slight scowl. "Not really."
"Anything I can help with?" Rika offered cautiously.
Chiharu pouted and glanced around to make sure they were alone. "Doubt you can help me with morning sickness."
"'Morning sickness?'" Rika gasped in surprise. "You're pregnant?"
Chiharu nodded weakly. "Don't go around advertising this. We're going to waiting until winter break before informing the school."
"I understand." Rika grabbed her friend's hands. "When did you find out?"
"The morning we also found out about Tomoyo's videos," Chiharu remarked bitterly.
"I know you're concerned that my secret could come around and get you into trouble if it's discovered by the wrong people..." Rika mentioned softly.
Chiharu let out a laugh. "What would they do? Suspend me? Like that's a real threat now."
Rika smirked slightly. "You do have a point. If there's anything I can do for you, let me know."
Chiharu huffed. "I doubt there's anything you can possibly help me with."
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"Well, well! Away from the wife?" Megumi cooed.
Yamazaki looked at her with a flat gaze, and then smirked evilly. "Do you know what ancient Sumerians did to women who had sex with men who were not their husbands?"
Megumi waved her hand dismissively. "I'm not about to listen to one of your tall tales."
"Actually I've been mixing true stories into my own fantastical stories," Yamazaki retorted. "And if you think tying an adulterous woman to a wall and having the townsfolk throw rocks at her until she dies is an extreme punishment, something which is still practiced today in some Middle East countries, you REALLY don't want to know what the ancient Sumerians did."
"Is there some point to this?" Megumi wondered.
"If Chiharu finds out you even tried to talk to me, what the Sumerians did would be down right tame to what she would be doing to your corpse," Yamazaki warned.
Megumi folded her arms. "Why is everyone over reacting? What's a little sex have to do with a relationship?"
"Are you seriously asking me that?" Yamazaki retorted.
Megumi gazed at him and then let out a laugh. "You're right. Even if you knew and told me the truth, I wouldn't believe it." She then walked away.
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With her magic back to full, Sakura didn't need to sleep more than any normal person would. As she laid down and tried to sleep, her magic naturally flowed around her. She had been feeling something since she sent The Erase out to remove all the video tapes, but now she was getting a better idea what it was.
Her mystical senses had become even stronger.
For a while now if an insect started to annoy her she could latch onto it's presence and hunt it down. Now, without even trying, she could sense a spider on the other side of the outer wall making a web. And as she tried to sleep dozens more insects crawling around the outside of her home entered her awareness. Yet those were not as troubling as the five insects inside her room. Each hidden away and in unreachable spots, yet the idea of those bugs crawling over her stuff and possibly eventually her while she slept...
The last thought caused goosebumps to form on her arms. Well there was one way to at least deal with the insects in her room. "The Shoot, seek and destroy," she muttered sleepily.
A ball of energy appeared and promptly bounced around the room, removing the creatures from her presence. While the insects outside her home were still creepy, they were not a threat. She curled up in her bed and tried to ignore those bugs and let her thoughts drift to other things in hopes that would distract her enough to fall asleep.
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Author's Notes:
Coming Next:
Chapter 28 - Sakura's Secret Consequences
Tomoyo's suspension is over and has returned to school, yet the ruined friendships remain as more secrets are threatened to be exposed.
After twenty years of fanfiction writing, and dealing with ficts concerning teenagers being in love I have come to follow Japanese laws of marriage. The laws have changed immensely in the past twenty years. When I started with Ranma 1/2, at the age of sixteen Ranma and Akane could've married without consent of their parents. What's more with a higher fee paid, their fathers could've had the two married withOUT their consent. Then the mid-1990s saw a series of laws passed to protect minors which included setting an actual national age of consent (at thirteen, local laws in most areas have it from sixteen to eighteen) instead of being when the child reached puberty, increased restrictions on marriage to being eighteen for guys and sixteen for girls without parental consent yet did allow for younger couples to marry with parental consent. As of October 2012 the marriage restrictions have increased to being twenty without parental consent, eighteen for guys and sixteen for girls with consent.
The main reason I bring this up is for someone to try to research this now, they would wonder how Nadeshiko was able to marry Fujitaka at sixteen against her grandfather's wish. Not to mention that several of my ficts would not be able to occur with the current marriage restrictions in place. In fact in several cases the mid-1990's laws made some of them of questionable validity. It also has some interesting applications to Cardcaptor Sakura series. Using the time stamp from the anime as being 1992, Chiharu and Yamazaki could've actually legally married with consent of their parents while Sakura was capturing cards with little issue. However, by the time Chiharu got to junior high, it became much more difficult for her to marry Yamazaki. Syaoran's status as a Hong Kong native creates more issues. I don't know when Japan put in laws to not enable foreigners to marry at younger ages than allowed in their home country, if it was part of the mid-1990s reforms of something that happened earlier. With current laws, Japan and Hong Kong actually have roughly the same requirements, which would force them to wait until Syaoran to turn twenty if they did not try to find and exploit a loophole, such as getting married in a country with less restrictions of which there are a number of small Pacific Island countries that can be used for that purpose.
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Rukia began her first day at her new school, which should only be very temporary. And she was conveniently in the same class as the thief who had already started collecting cards. As class ended for lunch, she poked the boy in the back. "I wish to speak with you... privately."
Ichigo raised an eyebrow. For a transfer student she was being rather fast. He then gazed at her small, slender body. She was easily the least endowed of his classroom, not that he cared for such things. He already had enough headaches without adding a girlfriend to the mix. "Not interested."
Rukia did not appreciate being looked at like a piece of meat. Then his assumption she wouldn't even be good enough for him?! "I'm not asking you out for a DATE!" She followed her declaration with her school desk being used as an impromptu club. She was rather surprised that he seemed largely to be bothered by the attack.
Whether or not she was interested in him, she was still being a headache. "Fine."
Once in a secluded section of the school, Ichigo demanded, "All right, out with it."
Rukia held out what looked like a rabbit shaped key chain, but as it dangled from her hand a light shined from the eyes right at the boy. "You are in possession of the Urahara Cards. By birth rite, they belong to my family. I--"
"Here." Ichigo immediately shoved the cards he had collected and the wand into her hands.
Rukia blinked. "You're just giving them to me?"
Ichigo folded his arms. "They've been one big headache since I got them. You want to deal with them, be my guest. Good luck dealing with Kon."
* Ichigo and Kon are from Bleach and belongs to Tite Kubo and Shounen Jump, all rights reserved.
* Coming next: Rukia tries to face off against The Thunder.
"So you can sit home alone all day and do nothing? Gee, that sounds fun," Takashi groused.
"I certainly wouldn't have to deal with so called friends that way," Chiharu shot back.
"So Daidouji did something stupid. What about your other friends?" Takashi retorted.
"If it wasn't for Meiling's grandfather out to get Sakura, I wouldn't even know about what Tomoyo did," Chiharu argued.
Takashi frowned at how the girl failed to add 'chan' to her friend's names. It wasn't to indicate they were closer now, but to be rude to those girls. "And what about Sasaki or Yanagisawa?"
"If their secrets come to light, I could find myself in trouble for helping them," Chiharu answered bitterly.
"But isn't that what friends do? Help each other and cover for them? They certainly helped you deal with our marriage and your father's death," Takashi pointed out.
Chiharu huffed, her annoyed footsteps becoming heavier before a dark figured looming ahead of them caused her to stop abruptly. "What do you want?"
Kurogane folded his arms. "I've got some information for you. Kinomoto has dealt with the video tapes, destroying every copy of them."
"So that's why Kinomoto and Li-kun haven't been to school for the past two days, they overused their magic to get rid of them," Takashi observed.
Kurogane nodded. "With the disappearance of those tapes, the raided video store has received a number of requests for that missing tape. When they came to purchase it, the police were there to arrest them."
"Good," Chiharu growled out, yet did not entirely feel relieved. It did not change that hundreds, possibly thousands, of deprived men and at least one girl had touched themselves while looking at her naked body. And she wasn't even the star, but added spice to Sakura's fully revealed true movie debut.
------------------------
Card Captor Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon
Chapter 27: Sakura and the End of Friendships
By: Lord Archive
Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.
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.
------------------------
Rika looked up as Terada entered the secluded grove of trees. "Hello," she greeted in a tired voice.
"How was your day?" Terada ventured weakly.
"I just found out that all the tapes have been destroyed, and the police are using the video store to arrest a number of those seeking to replace them," Rika announced.
Terada nodded. "That's very good news indeed."
"Yet I don't think it matters. The damage has already been done," Rika retorted.
"True a number of men have seen you and your friends," Terada sadly agreed.
Rika shook her head. "That's not what I mean. It's more about what Tomoyo-chan did and didn't do. It was wrong that she made the tape, and worse when she didn't warn us about it, especially as she knew Sakura-chan's enemy could use it as tactic against her."
"I can understand it won't be easy to see Daidouji when she returns," Terada noted.
Rika pouted. "It goes deeper than that. Naoko-chan and Chiharu-chan aren't even talking with me or each other either. And I doubt when Sakura-chan returns it'll get any better."
Terada frowned. "Why would they have issues with you and each other?"
"It's because Tomoyo-chan hurt us. If we weren't friends with her, she'd have never gotten such good pictures of us. And it's because we're friends, we could end up hurting each other even more. If our relationship was discovered, Naoko-chan and Chiharu-chan could be punished for it. Or I could reveal secrets they've told me and hurt them that way," Rika explained.
Terada blinked. "I hadn't even thought of that."
Rika looked at him sheepishly. "It's only because of our relationship I could realize this. The risk one of them telling the police, the fear that you'd just use me and then leave me... I've long run the risk of being labeled a 'victim.' That you or any of my friends could easily ruin the life I want is something I've long had to deal with. The video is really nothing compared to what would happen to us if our secret got out."
Terada looked at his beloved strangely. "Are you saying you're not upset about the video?"
Rika shrugged weakly. "While Tomoyo-chan's video hurt me, it wasn't that she made it, it was that she didn't trust me and the others with her secrets. We could've helped her, but she didn't let us."
"How would you 'help her?'" Terada wondered.
"Well, we wouldn't have pushed her to go out with Kurogane-san in the first place," Rika replied. "Maybe help her find a girl, possibly the girl she danced with at the Sport's Festival."
Terada smiled. "That would've been good."
Rika sighed. "But now I don't know what to do about my friends. I don't want it all to end, but what can I do?"
Terada gazed tenderly at the girl. "Help them remember why you're friends in the first place."
Rika tilted her head. "We were friends since we were very little when our mothers took turns watching after us."
"That may have been how you got to know each other, but why did you stay friends?" Terada pressed.
Rika gazed drifted in thought trying to think of why they had stayed together. It would've been so easy to drift apart, so why had they been friends since before kindergarten?
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Meiling entered her home and saw Sakura watching television while looking ready to fall asleep. "Still not fully recovered?"
Sakura shook her head, but oddly stayed quiet.
"Where's Syaoran?" Meiling wondered.
"Still asleep. I should be too, I just... can't..." Sakura muttered.
"Just close your eyes and sleep," Meiling offered.
Sakura pouted at the girl. "I would if I could just stop... thinking about..."
"About what?" Meiling pressed.
Sakura turned back away. "What to say to you..."
"You saw who was behind releasing the tape when you did the divination?" Meiling guessed.
Sakura nodded.
"And you did NOT see my Grandfather, right?" Meiling questioned with a hint of desperation.
"I... I... I'm sorry... I did see him..." Sakura sobbed. "I wanted us to be wrong... but... but it really was him. I'm so sorry."
"Why?!" Meiling demanded.
"I don't know. I really don't. I could've found out but then I'd have lost my chance to destroy the tapes," Sakura bemoaned.
"No! Why are you lying?! It can't be him! It just can't!" Meiling howled.
Sakura continued to cry.
Meiling glared at the girl looking for any indication this was all some lie, some dirty trick. Yet Kinomoto was a horrible liar, but with this it just couldn't be true. After a moment she ran to her room.
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Naoko reread what she had written for her novella and frowned. This wasn't Konagi Noa's work. While Bloody Sword Detective did have an edge of darkness to it, this was going too far. Her editor already expressed misgivings on the last submitted chapter that it had sexual elements that were previously absent. This would take that and go even farther. This would be struck down.
Shelving the chapter, not wanting to delete her work in case she figured out how to make it useful later, Naoko tapped at the keyboard of her computer wondering how to proceed without messing up her story.
An email alert chirped, and the young writer hoped this would be a welcomed distraction, much as Kurogane's visit to tell her that all the video tapes were now gone, preventing any chance of someone being able to prove she had been in child pornography. She scowled at what she read. This was not the first time she had received such an offer, and this time there was an added digit. At first she had been excited with such a concept, that her novella would become an anime, but then realization hit that it would quickly stop being HER story as there simply wasn't enough material. She and quickly typed her response:
'Again, while I appreciate the interest in making an anime, it is still too soon to begin. The story is not near completion and the risk of using up my material and resorting to making filler episodes is too high. Whoever brings Bloody Sword Detective to air needs to be as faithful to my story as possible, and I am not yet able to contribute directly to insuring that my story remains intact.'
Naoko sent off the message. It was decidedly not a welcomed distraction. She knew very well a reply email would come shortly warning that eventually the requests to make it an anime would stop. In a year or two, when it would be safer to come forward as Konagi Noa, THEN she would talk to a production company, but not yet. It was simply an offer before it's time...
...An offer before it's time. Now that was a concept she could work on, rather than the betrayals that struck her so strongly.
------------------------
"Do you want dinner or breakfast," Meiling chided.
"Either," Syaoran grumbled. "How long have we been asleep?"
"About a day and a half," Meiling shot at him.
Syaoran frowned at his cousin. "What's with the attitude?"
Meiling's reply was in the form of a glare.
Sakura let out a yawn as she entered the room. "I talked to her already... about who was behind the video tape."
"Oh," Syaoran muttered.
"Even IF you saw him, doesn't mean he was acting on his own will or that someone wasn't pretending to be him or interfering in your divination," Meiling shot out weakly.
"What we need to do is find him, get him to see reason," Syaoran offered. "With the destruction of the tapes, there is no proof to his crime. We can still end this peacefully, without jail time for him. And you, Meiling, may be the key. You may be the only person able to get through to him."
Meiling slammed her hands onto the counter. "Are you kidding me? There's no way you can just forgive someone for hurting Kinomoto the way her enemy has. I won't be able to, even IF her enemy is my grandfather, which I still don't believe that's the case."
"I'm not going to lie and say I'd be comfortable around him," Sakura admitted. "Though I do understand him a little."
"Oh, really?" Meiling challenged.
"He wants you to be happy. That's a wish everyone wants for the ones they love," Sakura replied.
"But with what your enemy has done to you?" Meiling countered.
Sakura looked away. "That I don't understand. To go so far... he should know that won't make you happy."
"Exactly, this doesn't make any sense for it to be him," Meiling insisted.
"Except that it's not just for you," Syaoran added. "He believes it would be better for the clan that we get married, to have a purer Li heir. That you still love me is just more reason to hurt Sakura."
Meiling glared death at him.
Sakura sighed. "I know why you don't want to believe this. When I suspected the one out to get me was someone with magic that wanted to end my relationship with Syaoran-kun, my first thought was my brother. But he would've attack Syaoran-kun, not me. And if that had happened, I would've felt responsible. He would've been hurt because I love him. Just as you're being hurt by the thought these attacks are because of your feelings for Syaoran-kun."
"Who says I still love him?" Meiling demanded.
"Your jealousy fits," intoned Fanren's ghost, causing those gathered to jump in surprise. "What?"
"Forgot you were around," Sakura replied sheepishly.
Meiling stared dumbly at the specter. "I can see you!"
"I'm borrowing some magic from Syaoran and Sakura so I can talk to you as well." Fanren folded her arms. "However, Syaoran is right about Uncle's devotion to the clan would be a primary reason behind the attacks. He was raised as the heir and had it instilled in him early on the clan's future is all important, and he has followed that with but a few exceptions: when love was involved. Uncle fell in love with a woman of no magic and then his son also picked a magicless woman to be his wife, resulting in your lack of talent. With Syaoran, your children would reclaim their magical heritage. But if you marry someone without any talent, it is unlikely that any of your descendants will be born with magic."
"So even IF Grandfather is responsible, he wouldn't be doing it for my happiness, but so his great-grandchildren could use magic," Meiling surmised bitterly.
"And stand a strong chance of being clan head," Fanren added. "Uncle may be lying to himself he's doing this for you, but really he's doing this all for himself. To 'correct' his 'failings' to the clan."
"Still don't buy it," Meiling huffed before stomping off to her room.
Fanren glanced over at Sakura. "Still haven't gotten Syaoran a present for his last birthday have you?"
"Ah... no..." Sakura admitted weakly.
Fanren smiled devilishly. "You could undo The Erase on one of the tapes and give that to him, minus the images of the other girls of course."
Syaoran stiffened in shock as he stared at his sister's ghost.
Sakura blinked dumbly and then screeched. "Hooooooooooooeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?!"
"You're both so fun to tease!" Fanren giggled as she faded from sight.
------------------------
"Thank you, Kurogane. I'll talk to you later." Tomoyo hung up her phone with a sigh.
"What news does he have?" Sonomi questioned.
"Sakura-chan showed him an illusionary image of her enemy's apartment that she saw in her divination with hope he can track down where it is. And she is getting ready to go to school now," Tomoyo related.
Sonomi nodded. "With that out of the way, we now have other business to attend to."
Tomoyo followed her mother out of the corporate office to one of the many meeting rooms at Daidouji Toys. Her functional job was to sit and listen, to get a better idea of the life that awaited her after she graduated. She was barely able to suppress her frown finding that they were meeting Matsumoto-san, with his son trailing behind him much as she was following her mother.
The elder Matsumoto grinned at both mother and daughter. "Greetings, Daidouji-san, I was not aware your daughter would be here."
"I felt it would be a good experience for her to observe the work she is set to inherit," Sonomi replied.
"I had much the same thoughts for my son after his school suspended him for a minor issue," the elder Matsumoto replied. "However, it may be better to have your daughter entertain my son while we tend to business they may not be ready to hear."
"I would not know about that," Sonomi replied. "If your son is not ready, then perhaps my daughter should try to make sure he won't cause any trouble." She then guided the elder Matsumoto into the meeting room, leaving the children functionally alone.
Tomoyo seriously doubted the 'minor' part considering she only got two weeks for making a soft-core tape of her friends. School avoided suspending students, especially when the child involved is from a wealthy family. "Greetings, Matsumoto-kun, where would you like to visit? The cafeteria, borrow a television from an unused meeting room, the sports room, or just take a walking tour?"
"Aren't you being overly cordial?" Matsumoto replied.
"You are a guest," Tomoyo replied.
"Fine." Matsumoto shrugged. "Just show me around."
Tomoyo nodded as she guided him through the offices, barely making any comments.
"Why aren't you in school today?" Matsumoto questioned.
Tomoyo gazed at him. "A not so minor issue of inappropriate behavior. It is not something I'd go into."
"Oh?" Matsumoto appraised the girl. "That's what they put down for me as well. All because a stupid girl didn't try to hide that she got pregnant and claimed I'm the father."
"Is it possible that you are?" Tomoyo questioned.
"Maybe," Matsumoto admitted bitterly. "We were both drunk at a party. I asked if she wanted some 'fun,' she agreed. Now she's accusing me of getting her drunk and taking her virginity. I can tell you this, she was drunk before I started talking to her and I certainly wasn't her first."
Tomoyo leveled her gaze. "So you've been with other girls besides her?"
"Of course." Matsumoto shrugged dismissively. "I may as well learn how to please a woman before I make a proper lady my wife."
"And just what classifies a girl as a lady?" Tomoyo inquired.
"Money, breeding and class," Matsumoto answered seriously. "Things you certainly have."
"You do realize I'm hardly flattered that you consider me a lady," Tomoyo pointed out curtly.
"But I also realize marriage between the wealthy has shit to do with love. It's all about business deals. Once you have my son, you can screw whoever you want. Fail to get me one, I'll make sure to have an heir."
Tomoyo raised her hand to seemingly caress his cheek, her fingers intertwining with his hair. "So you would expect me to fulfill my womanly duty to produce an heir, remaining unknown to other men until I've accomplished that. And during all of this any daughters would be ignored in favor of a son, a boy who might not bare any relation to me as you could produce him from a mistress."
Matsumoto laughed and was a little surprised at her touch. "You're a lot smarted than the girls at my senior high school. None of them seem to be able to realize something so simple."
Tomoyo's hand clenched into a fist, gripping his hair. "I do not find such a proposition to be equitable to me, even though I hardly would count the 'unknown to other men' as an issue as I would prefer the company of maids than any male help. The problem I see is your baseless assumption a boy is necessary to be an heir. My mother has run Daidouji Toys, as well as had a say in a number of businesses in the Amamiya Group, without the aid of her husband or any other male for over a decade. I see no reason to assume that any daughter of mine could not also run this and other companies just as well if not better." With a sudden yank, several strands of his hair pulled free of the side of his head.
Matsumoto yelped in brief pain, and took a step back from the girl. "I take back you being smart and a lady. Your mother is the exception to the rule. There are so few female executives in Japan you may as well say there are none. You better chose your husband well, because I seriously doubt you'd be able to amount to anything trying to run a corporation." He spun around and marched back to where the meeting room his father was in.
Tomoyo quickly went to a refreshment center and searched the shelves for a plastic bag. Upon finding them she grabbed one and secured the boy's hair into it. She then pulled out her cellphone and dialed. "Kurogane, there may be no need to acquire Matsumoto-san's DNA, I've managed to gets some hairs from his son. Though if I get the chance, I'll see if I can obtain some of his hair as well."
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Sakura let out a sigh of relief as the school day finally ended. She watched as her friends quietly put their belongings away and prepared to go home. "Good bye! See you later!" she called out to them.
There was no reply.
Sakura slumped back into her seat. "So they blame me too."
"I don't think they blame you as much as the situation you're in," Syaoran tried to assure her.
Sakura pouted at him.
"I'll walk you to your Taichi class," Syaoran offered.
Sakura nodded, knowing any refusal would be denied. With the school's soccer team failing to make the regional playoffs, he had little to do with club activities. It would be a few weeks before the Basketball season started so even her cheerleader squad had little to do at present.
The young couple walked together out of the school without another word. After dealing with the silent treatment from her friends the quiet got to her. "I can understand Meiling-chan not talking to me, but even she will at least acknowledge my presence."
Syaoran shrugged. "I don't think Meiling could remain silent for five minutes."
Sakura let out a weak laugh. "I guess. Not that I think I'm any better."
They came to a sudden stop as an unexpected person stood ahead of them on their path.
Sakura blinked. "Ah, hi, Rika-chan."
Rika forced a smile. "Hello. I'm sorry I didn't say anything at school. I want us all to be friends again, but if I was to respond to you before they would even respond to me it'll make that job harder."
Sakura stared at her. "They've been ignoring you as well?"
"And each other," Rika affirmed.
"Why?!" Sakura cried out with a distressed note.
"They have realized from Tomoyo-chan's secret getting out that the other secrets we hold can also hurt them and others. And that if Tomoyo-chan can betray us, any of can use our secrets to hurt each other, even if unintentionally," Rika explained.
"You're not upset at Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura wondered.
"I am, but not for her video. Now if one of the tapes that contained my secret got out, then I would have... issues," Rika admitted.
Syaoran's eyes went wide and then frowned deeply. "There's, um, still a risk of that. Because of that video, the police are looking for my Great-Uncle. If they were to find his apartment and one of those tapes were there..."
Rika gasped. "They would look at the tapes to check... for other crimes."
"Exactly," Syaoran agreed.
Sakura pouted. "Tomoyo-chan and I would have a lot to explain..."
Rika then gazed at the boy intently. "And how do they know about your Great Uncle?"
"We told them," Sakura admitted sheepishly.
"And my family has sent them information on him," Syaoran added.
"Let's hope Kurogane-san finds him first so those tapes can be dealt with as well," Rika said with bitter hope. "At least you warned me."
------------------------
Naoko dragged herself to school. Part of her wished the school would find out about her after school job and suspend her until she quit, which she'd just take the permanent suspension and consent to the next anime contract. Then she wouldn't even need school anymore as frugal living could leave her set for life even assuming she was never published again.
She smirked seeing the black eye on Asaba still had yet to fade. While she knew her supposed friends had nothing to do with it, she would thank whoever punched him. Still, she could not wait for her next chapter to be released. He was in for a big surprise.
"Did you hear about Inoue?"
"What... Or should I say WHO did she do?"
"Apparently some third year guy from the senior high school. He was even engaged."
"'WAS' sounds appropriate."
Naoko clenched her fists.
"That slut really needs to be put in her place," Meiling noted.
Naoko jumped and whirled around. "What do you want?"
Meiling folded her arms. "Daidouji may have found a way to hurt Inoue. She knows who is paying for her home, but if her mother is anything like her there's a chance he's not her real father. And if that's the case, Inoue may find herself homeless."
Naoko smirked. "That's good." She then scowled. "If you have nothing else to say, I'd rather not be caught up in the bullshit problems of your family."
"It's not him," Meiling immediately barked.
"Then care to explain why Sakura-chan is being attacked? What reason would her name be attacked? It certainly wouldn't help get her stuff," Naoko accused.
Meiling opened her mouth to come up with a retort, any retort yet she failed. Her answer finally came with the girl storming angrily into the school.
"Exactly what I thought," Naoko spat.
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Rika entered the bathroom and saw someone she had considered to be her best friend splashing water onto her face. "Are you all right?"
Chiharu gave a slight scowl. "Not really."
"Anything I can help with?" Rika offered cautiously.
Chiharu pouted and glanced around to make sure they were alone. "Doubt you can help me with morning sickness."
"'Morning sickness?'" Rika gasped in surprise. "You're pregnant?"
Chiharu nodded weakly. "Don't go around advertising this. We're going to waiting until winter break before informing the school."
"I understand." Rika grabbed her friend's hands. "When did you find out?"
"The morning we also found out about Tomoyo's videos," Chiharu remarked bitterly.
"I know you're concerned that my secret could come around and get you into trouble if it's discovered by the wrong people..." Rika mentioned softly.
Chiharu let out a laugh. "What would they do? Suspend me? Like that's a real threat now."
Rika smirked slightly. "You do have a point. If there's anything I can do for you, let me know."
Chiharu huffed. "I doubt there's anything you can possibly help me with."
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"Well, well! Away from the wife?" Megumi cooed.
Yamazaki looked at her with a flat gaze, and then smirked evilly. "Do you know what ancient Sumerians did to women who had sex with men who were not their husbands?"
Megumi waved her hand dismissively. "I'm not about to listen to one of your tall tales."
"Actually I've been mixing true stories into my own fantastical stories," Yamazaki retorted. "And if you think tying an adulterous woman to a wall and having the townsfolk throw rocks at her until she dies is an extreme punishment, something which is still practiced today in some Middle East countries, you REALLY don't want to know what the ancient Sumerians did."
"Is there some point to this?" Megumi wondered.
"If Chiharu finds out you even tried to talk to me, what the Sumerians did would be down right tame to what she would be doing to your corpse," Yamazaki warned.
Megumi folded her arms. "Why is everyone over reacting? What's a little sex have to do with a relationship?"
"Are you seriously asking me that?" Yamazaki retorted.
Megumi gazed at him and then let out a laugh. "You're right. Even if you knew and told me the truth, I wouldn't believe it." She then walked away.
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With her magic back to full, Sakura didn't need to sleep more than any normal person would. As she laid down and tried to sleep, her magic naturally flowed around her. She had been feeling something since she sent The Erase out to remove all the video tapes, but now she was getting a better idea what it was.
Her mystical senses had become even stronger.
For a while now if an insect started to annoy her she could latch onto it's presence and hunt it down. Now, without even trying, she could sense a spider on the other side of the outer wall making a web. And as she tried to sleep dozens more insects crawling around the outside of her home entered her awareness. Yet those were not as troubling as the five insects inside her room. Each hidden away and in unreachable spots, yet the idea of those bugs crawling over her stuff and possibly eventually her while she slept...
The last thought caused goosebumps to form on her arms. Well there was one way to at least deal with the insects in her room. "The Shoot, seek and destroy," she muttered sleepily.
A ball of energy appeared and promptly bounced around the room, removing the creatures from her presence. While the insects outside her home were still creepy, they were not a threat. She curled up in her bed and tried to ignore those bugs and let her thoughts drift to other things in hopes that would distract her enough to fall asleep.
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Author's Notes:
Coming Next:
Chapter 28 - Sakura's Secret Consequences
Tomoyo's suspension is over and has returned to school, yet the ruined friendships remain as more secrets are threatened to be exposed.
After twenty years of fanfiction writing, and dealing with ficts concerning teenagers being in love I have come to follow Japanese laws of marriage. The laws have changed immensely in the past twenty years. When I started with Ranma 1/2, at the age of sixteen Ranma and Akane could've married without consent of their parents. What's more with a higher fee paid, their fathers could've had the two married withOUT their consent. Then the mid-1990s saw a series of laws passed to protect minors which included setting an actual national age of consent (at thirteen, local laws in most areas have it from sixteen to eighteen) instead of being when the child reached puberty, increased restrictions on marriage to being eighteen for guys and sixteen for girls without parental consent yet did allow for younger couples to marry with parental consent. As of October 2012 the marriage restrictions have increased to being twenty without parental consent, eighteen for guys and sixteen for girls with consent.
The main reason I bring this up is for someone to try to research this now, they would wonder how Nadeshiko was able to marry Fujitaka at sixteen against her grandfather's wish. Not to mention that several of my ficts would not be able to occur with the current marriage restrictions in place. In fact in several cases the mid-1990's laws made some of them of questionable validity. It also has some interesting applications to Cardcaptor Sakura series. Using the time stamp from the anime as being 1992, Chiharu and Yamazaki could've actually legally married with consent of their parents while Sakura was capturing cards with little issue. However, by the time Chiharu got to junior high, it became much more difficult for her to marry Yamazaki. Syaoran's status as a Hong Kong native creates more issues. I don't know when Japan put in laws to not enable foreigners to marry at younger ages than allowed in their home country, if it was part of the mid-1990s reforms of something that happened earlier. With current laws, Japan and Hong Kong actually have roughly the same requirements, which would force them to wait until Syaoran to turn twenty if they did not try to find and exploit a loophole, such as getting married in a country with less restrictions of which there are a number of small Pacific Island countries that can be used for that purpose.
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Rukia began her first day at her new school, which should only be very temporary. And she was conveniently in the same class as the thief who had already started collecting cards. As class ended for lunch, she poked the boy in the back. "I wish to speak with you... privately."
Ichigo raised an eyebrow. For a transfer student she was being rather fast. He then gazed at her small, slender body. She was easily the least endowed of his classroom, not that he cared for such things. He already had enough headaches without adding a girlfriend to the mix. "Not interested."
Rukia did not appreciate being looked at like a piece of meat. Then his assumption she wouldn't even be good enough for him?! "I'm not asking you out for a DATE!" She followed her declaration with her school desk being used as an impromptu club. She was rather surprised that he seemed largely to be bothered by the attack.
Whether or not she was interested in him, she was still being a headache. "Fine."
Once in a secluded section of the school, Ichigo demanded, "All right, out with it."
Rukia held out what looked like a rabbit shaped key chain, but as it dangled from her hand a light shined from the eyes right at the boy. "You are in possession of the Urahara Cards. By birth rite, they belong to my family. I--"
"Here." Ichigo immediately shoved the cards he had collected and the wand into her hands.
Rukia blinked. "You're just giving them to me?"
Ichigo folded his arms. "They've been one big headache since I got them. You want to deal with them, be my guest. Good luck dealing with Kon."
* Ichigo and Kon are from Bleach and belongs to Tite Kubo and Shounen Jump, all rights reserved.
* Coming next: Rukia tries to face off against The Thunder.