Fuu (the maid) lets Eve into the house, and she’s lead into the kitchen where Keiko is waiting. “Did anyone arrive yet? I thought we had an invitation to dinner tonight.”
Eve - “Mostly because I volunteered to cook, remember?” (sighs) “They’re still out and Tomoyo hasn’t checked in yet in the holochamber below (or so the readings say) so we’re mostly alone except for Fuu and Light/Dark. Everyone else is out.”
Keiko - “Right.”
Eve - “Something wrong?”
Keiko “What?” she jumps abit, looking nervous. “What’s wrong? There’s nothing wrong with me. Nothing‘s wrong.”
Eve looks at her severely. “You can’t fool me. I know you better than that, remember?”
* * * * * *
Anarchist looks about and checks her hand pistols again before moving. “Oh, the fun places I’d go in my life… right.” she mutters, walking down one corridor and ducking into a room to wait for Sakura.
Sakura watches as one of the creature briefly steps into the open, then vanishes off the board again as she blasts it. Sakura slumps her shoulders looking weary as she looks about, wondering where the next enemy might come from. She reaches for one door hand slowly reaching for the knob as she watches about.
“SAKURA STOP!!”
Suddenly she freezes, hand jolting backwards as it brushes the doorknob, the door disintergrating at the slightest touch. “WHAT?!?”
“Ooops.” Anarchist’s voice echoes in her mind, “You must have triggered one of Maze’s traps! Lucky you you weren‘t holding that when it went bam like that!”
Sakura - “TRAPS?!?”
Anarchist - “Uh-huh. Nasty little buggers all over the place. And, worst yet, it would drain you abit if you were caught by it.“
Nina (voice booming) - “How the hell do you know about that?!“
Anarchist - “…no reason…“ (sighs at smoking hand) “…no reason whatsoever.“
Sakura - 4000LP
Anarchist - 3275LP
* * * * * *
Eve - “This has something to do with Piccadello, doesn’t it?”
Keiko - “It’s not what you think---” (sighs) “---I just don’t want to be near her now.”
Eve - “I know your disappointed with me, and I’m sorry I am such a disappointment…”
“It’s not like that,” Keiko reprimends her, “I could never be disappointed of you, you‘re my one and only remember? It‘s not that.” (Keiko’s shoulders slump as she leans on the dining table) “You don’t understand. It‘s something that happened during our relationship. I‘m… just feeling inadequate because of it.”
Eve - “Are you angry with me because of it?”
For the longest time Keiko neither moves nor speaks, but finally “I don’t know what the hell I’m feeling right now. Jealous, angry, embarrassed, humiliated, I just don’t know. I wish I could put a finger on my heart and tell you what I’m feeling but it’s a hard thing to decipher my own feelings, let alone express them out loud.“ (Keiko leans back) “I feel ashamed, yet I don’t even know why I feel this way. Am I’m afraid she’ll want to try to pick up where she left off, try to take you from me… am I really that petty…”
Eve kisses Keiko on the lips. “Do you want her to act on these feelings?”
“No, but I don’t want you to be hurt if you’d rather be with her than me. I don’t know---”
Eve - “Let me worry about that. You just keep being the sweet lover I always cared for---” (a slight beeping noise catches their attention) “---Tomoyo’s here. Guess we better head down and tell her…”
Keiko - “I guess.” Reluctantly the two get up, and holding each other’s hand the two walk towards the staircase leading down to the holochamber below them.
* * * * * *
“That’s not fair!” Nina yells, “You didn’t warn her!”
Anarchist shakes her hand as feeling returns to it, “Why should I? If she can’t handle little twists like that she might as well stop being a Card Captor if the slightest wrong turns throws her off her game -- (damn that smarts!)”
Nina - “But---”
“I’m not thrown yet!” Sakura growls. “Might as well be because I think I got the hang of this, but first…” she quickly spins about and shoots down a corridor, the sound of something dying in the distance echoing in her ears. “Thanks, Rebecca.”
Sakura - 4000LP
Anarchist - 3200LP
“Aww!” Nina scoffs, “Did the little girl not like that little twist in the plot?”
“SHUT UP!!” Anarchist yells, picking herself off the ground (the creature shot was standing in front of her and knocked her over on it‘s death) “That had to be a fluke.“ she grumbled to herself, “No big loss. I can get back into this with a little…” (shoots another monster as it tries to get the drop on her) “…effort.”
A new creature moves up to cut Sakura off from walking down the corridor, but is stuck in the doorway it tried to come through to sneak attack Sakura (making it visible to Sakura in the progress). She easily shoots it and moves on.
Sakura glances about the corridor trying to find Anarchist as she does. Left, right, left, right, above her Nina and Rebecca glanced around the board nervously.
“I saw her somewhere on that side of the board.“ Nina called out from above, her voice booming as she did, “Watch it! She could be any--“
Suddenly the world goes bright as something plows into Sakura and knocks her over and over head over tails until she rolls into a wall and unconscious.
Nina - “SAKURA!!”
Rebecca - “Damn.”
Everything blacks out.
Anarchist - “Your turn, but I’m getting close to nailing you. That was only a distant shot, nowhere near as powerful as it could have been.”
* * * * * *
Tomoyo took the news rather well, for someone who started to frantically yell for Sakura to be found safe and sound. As she sat on the holo-suite’s bed she began to think back to when she told Sakura…
Flashback (Tomoyo)
“Your going on a business trip?” Sakura asked, cuddled in Tomoyo’s arms as they sat in the holochamber (set to a duplicate of New King Penguin Park at night), “It won’t be for long, and I’ll be back before you know it… and we can use this room to keep in touch in realtime, be together even over a great distance. That way it softens the blow of the trip a little bit.”
“I wish I could go with you.” Sakura whispered softly. “Somebody has to stay to get my studywork so I don’t fall behind.” Tomoyo announced, rubbing her cheek to Sakura’s cheek, “I wish I didn’t have to go, I hate to see you so depressed when I leave on these trips.”
As Tomoyo looks up at the sky above she holds Sakura a little tighter in her arms, “It’s been quite sometime since we swore our hearts to each other, and longer since the day you returned my love for you and we started to build our lives together. Yet still, despite the time that passed, it still kills me every time we have to separate even for a short time. I know I have to, but I can’t help missing you. I’m so happy. I love you so much I can’t bear being apart from you. But I had to go on this trip, and it was quite productive when I participated in the release of the Sakura movie in America--- (strange that it’s dream continent is named the same as the real thing).”
“Why the past tense?” Sakura asked.
Tomoyo - “Because it’s past for me already and I’m back in your arms. Going there tomorrow is just a formality, because I’m already by your side again and that’s what truly counts.”
End of Flashback (Tomoyo)
Eve & Keiko collapse on the bed. Tomoyo looks at them oddly. “Did I say that out loud?”
“What do you think?” Keiko grumbles under her breath, “Go on, make us feel like we’re invisible why dontcha---” (Keiko checks the monitoring station she set up on one side of the room to watch for Sakura) “Nina & Rebecca are still incommunicado, where are they---” (stops) “---they must be with Sakura, but what is she doing…”
Tomoyo suddenly gasps, “I remember where Sakura said she was going today!”
* * * * * *
Sakura slowly pulls herself back onto her feet, shaking the dust out of her head as she did. She stumbles into a room… then silence… then she exit’s the room and simply sits down crosslegged in the middle of the corridor, and waited. Anarchist stares in disbelief, pondering Sakura’s strategy. ‘Oh who am I kidding?’ she thinks to herself, ‘She’s just tired of getting her butt kicked about. There’s no real strategy here, dammit! She’s too thick skulled even now to be of much threat. Too easy.’
Shuffling feet signals that Anarchist was moving, but Sakura couldn’t see what’s going on. She sweats a little as she waits for the noise to stop before moving.
“Alright, fine then tough girl.’ Anarchist thought as she drew closer to Sakura, ’Let’s see what your playing.’ And with that she steps out in front of Sakura and aims to finish her.
* * * * * *
Keiko rolls one of the spare hover cycles off of the huge tech shuttle Nina keeps parked in the backyard of the Daidouji residence as Eve approaches her. “I called her school, and they said her practice ended quite sometime ago. Nina’s command center also stated that she & Eliza left sometime ago, but Eliza hasn‘t seen her since she went to Cherry Hill Temple. Also I checked with Trinity and she doesn’t know where Rena is.”
Keiko nods, “Then Tomoyo had it dead on. I’ll go over to the Cherry Hill Temple like Tomoyo recommended, they should be there now.”
Eve - “Should I call in Command Tokyo?”
Keiko shakes her head in the negative, “Not yet. Nina’s going to blow a gasket if we called this into her superiors.” (gets on hover cycle) “Let’s keep this under wraps for the time being until I find out what’s going on. I’ll keep in constant contact. Otherwise I’ll be right back ASAP.”
“Good luck---” Eve silently whispers as Keiko takes off out of the estates’ grounds and onto the streets, the cycles hover engines on full power.
* * * * * *
Sakura did not move, she simply stared at Anarchist without flinching.
“I thought you were supposed to be all that and here you are waiting for me to plug you!“ Anarchist complained, waving her gauntlet arm at her in a huff. “Come on, twitch or something! You can’t be tired already!!“ Silence. “Well? Say something!” Silence.
Finally Anarchist hisses once and aims at Sakura, “Forget it already! Just drop!”
Near point blank she shoots, and is too close to dodge as the shot reflects back and hits her fully, throwing her to the ground hard as “Sakura” shatters back into water.
“Screw you!” Nina cheers from the sideline. “SAKURA Do it! Waste her!!”
Sakura pokes her head out of the door and shoots, taking Anarchist point blank range and knocking the slowly rising woman down again hard.
Sakura walks over (over the loud booming protests of Nina) and holds her hand out to Anarchist, “Please, let’s not fight anymore. I just want to capture the---”
“SHUT UP!!” Anarchist screams, aiming her own gauntlet up towards Sakura’s head, “Give me one good reason not to cave your fricking head in damn you!!“ As Sakura watches her, she can only sigh. “Is it me---” Nina starts motioning towards the scene below, “---or is this all too unreal? I mean, Sakura’s suddenly all tough girl Rambo one minute then Pollyanna let’s all be friends the next. What’s up with that?”
“How the hell should I know.” Rebecca replies honestly, “What’s with you anyway, while I’m on the topic? You suddenly defending the Snoozer like that? I thought you hated her guts?”
Nina - “Eck. It’s a weird day so I figured why bother staying in character.”
Rebecca - “Oh.”
Anarchist fires point blank range, missing once again as Water springs forth and shields Sakura, bringing a rageful scream from the Assassin. “You cheated! That ring!! You don’t get the cards, I’m NOT giving them to you!!“ (fires again) “BITCH!! BITCH!! BI--“
To Sakura’s surprise, Big moves forward placing her hand on Anarchist, holding her down and stopping her attacks. “Goddess…” Anarchist cries, Big picking her up and bringing her close, “Help me Willow… please help me…”
‘---Big’s helping her?’ Sakura thinks to herself, ‘Could they be---’
“Wait! Time out! I want to talk about this!”
Everything stops.
* * * * * *
Maze returns Sakura and Anarchist to their normal sizes.
Sakura - “Your in love with Big aren’t you.”
Both Nina & Rebecca look over at the two in surprise. “But she’s so much bigger than her!” Nina cries out, “Are you serious?!?”
“So what?!” Anarchist screams out, turning to hold Big to herself (looking abit weird this smaller tough woman being hugged by this tall almost mystical looking being, seeming rather fragile next to her. “I’m the only one she really talks to. And she’s the only one who really wants to be with me, listen to me---”
Nina - “Oh please don’t say it, for god’s sake don’t say it.”
Anarchist - “Make love to me.” (Big blushes abit as she holds her smaller lover tightly, nodding her head in the affirmative)
“I SAID NOT TO SAY IT!!” Nina screams.
Sakura - “Pheew?”
Nina - “Phew? Is that all you can say?” (Nina huffs her annoyance at Sakura) “A minute ago you couldn’t stop being vocal but now it’s phew? Sheesh!”
Rebecca points at her head, “Eliza stopped talking to me in my earpiece.”
“WHAT?!?” (everyone falls over, but Nina is up first) “WHEN DID YOU FIND THE TIME---”
“Actually Eliza wanted me to tell her if they sold Fairy adult sex aides here so she could surprise Nina and I said probably not but I’ll check so she wired me for sound and---”
Nina - “Since when did Eliza wire YOU for sound?!?” (silence) “This is a shrine, not an adult novelty shop! They don’t sell---”
“Yes they do.” (Everyone looks over at Anarchist) “That’s why we were here--- lover girl here needed a little more lovin’ when we---”
Nina - “I SAID NOT TO TELL US THE BLOODY DETAILS!!!” Nina screams (again). “So Eliza’s been spying on this the whole time and you couldn’t say a word about it because…“ (silence) “…what.“
Rebecca - “It has a vidlink and she’s watching--- now she’s apologizing because she realizes Nina found out and she only wanted to get that special fairy lubricant--- now she’s yelling at me to shut up because she doesn’t want me to air their sex lives and--- OUCH!!” (pulls earpiece) “She yanked the plug! Ouch! The feedback shriek hurts!”
Nina - “I really don’t blame her for being pissed at you. Even I don‘t talk too much about our sex lives.” Nina laments, to which everyone does a group sigh.
Anarchist butts in, “I don’t care what you do with the others, but don’t seal Willow! I love her!” (Big tries to move towards Sakura but Anarchist holds onto her tight) “Don’t leave me alone--- don’t--- don’t---”
Sakura - “Willow?”
“It’s Winterian.” Rebecca points out to Sakura, “Big is a close approximation to the Winterian word “Willow”, or to be more precise, “Pu”---”
Nina - “DON’T FINISH THAT SENTENCE EITHER!!” (Nina) “I know what “Big” means in Winterian!! Don‘t say--”
Sakura - “I don’t. What does it---” (Nina/Rena) “ASK TOMOYO!!”
“----” Nina takes her stuff back and gives Sakura her key. She charges it up and regards the three. “Clow cards return to your power confined---” (Anarchist holds Big tighter, crying) “Maze card! Little card---” (stops, looking at the two) “Big card, return your power to me--- and be free.”
With that Sakura seals Big’s power, but leaves her intact. Big, smiling (and blushing a little) takes the smaller Cyberroid into her arms and holds her tight, rocking her tears away (her legs dangling in the larger woman’s arms).
“DAMMIT ANARCHIST! DON’T YOU DARE HURT--- her and--- oh for god’s sake is that Madison? What the hell is she doing?!?” (looks at the Cyberroid and former Clow card together) “---oh for crying out loud that’s disturbing to look at!”
Rebecca shakes her head, “I don’t get it.”
Nina shrugs, “I never took Maddy to be a closet macro-philia type--- think that’s what it’s called-- anyone know what’s the name for someone with a taste for large things. Large bods, breasts, legs and---”
“Don’t finish that sentence.” Keiko/Rebecca blandly hiss point blank at Nina.
* * * * * *
Sakura couldn’t get into Tomoyo’s arms fast enough.
As the two held each other, Sakura couldn’t help but feel abit ashamed for Tomoyo worrying about her. Upside everyone sits around (Keiko picked up takeout on the way home) and talks. “Guess I’m not the one then.” Madison (Anarchist) remarks, reaching over to touch Willow (Big)’s shoulder as she eats her first solid meal. “What do you mean?” Nina asked, “Your not the one what?”
“Guess I can tell you since everything turned out alright.” Madison (Anarchist) remarked, “When I first began to fall for Willow I sought the advice of a friend I knew who had this pipeline to the future thing or something (probably born in the 24th Century or something). Anyway, she told me someone with an unrequited love she could never fulfill would shape the destinies of all those touched by the cards. I thought that was a remark about me losing Willow, but since I didn’t lose her it’s obviously not me.”
Keiko falls into a deep thought process, “Shape the destinies of all those touched by the cards? What the heck does that mean.”
“Beats me.” Madison said offhandedly, “She was a little vague on the details (then again she’s always vague on the details). She did help me find Maze & Little though, and taught me about the Clow cards and then I--- well, you know the rest.”
Keiko - “You know what that means?”
“Sorry, Keiko,” (Eve shrugs) “Never heard of it before.”
Keiko - “Rebecca?”
Rebecca - “Do I look like a wandering fortune cookie to you? N-O, I don’t know what that means.”
Keiko - “Maybe someone else will know.”
Rebecca - “Yeah, whatever… somebody pass the soy sauce please.”
* * * * * *
The next day
Sakura’s school, the school library.
“Why are you laughing at me?” Ms. Mitsuki slaps Keiko on the back a few times as she laughs, “You NEVER ask me about the future before and now you do and even I don’t know what your talking about!”
Keiko - “Well that’s a first…” (stifles a few more laughs) “Your actually clueless about something… (if this wasn’t so dreadfully important I’d laugh more at your expense).”
“Whatever.” (Ms. Mitsuki pats Keiko on the head) “You’re a good girl. Sit. Stay. Stop that.” (then she leaves, Keiko facefaulting as she does) “Whattya think I am? A puppy? Cut that out damn you!!”
Eve - “So you didn’t find out anything?” (Eve steps in from the shadows) “You know I didn’t find out anything since you were standing there listening---” (sighs) “---she creeps me out. Always so cheery and manipulative and bouncy happy and scheming! It’s like a bad cross between a stereotypical bubbly anime girl and a Ferengi! Disturbing to say the least!”
Eve - “She manipulating?”
Keiko - “She’s not entirely honest and always has three cards up her sleeve, in a sense, so I say that if anything is a sure sign of manipulation if I ever saw one.”
Eve - “Still crossing your fingers and hoping for the best with this job, aren’t you. You haven’t changed one bit, Keiko.”
The two spin around, coming face to face with Catherine. “See you in class, Keiko.” Eve calls out as she leaves Keiko huffs her breath, “Speaking of people that creep me out---”
* * * * * *
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean.
Tomoyo finishes packing her bags and smiles, helping take them down to the limo.
“Miss Tomoyo? We’re taking down twice as many bags as we started with!”
Tomoyo nods her head as she packs the last bag, “I got some costumes from the Studio that they weren’t using anymore! I’m going to use them to make Sakura-chan a whole new set of costumes! She’s going to be so cute in the new designs I want to try out I can’t wait to get home and start making them!”
Her bodyguards sweat drops as the elevator doors close.
To Be Continued
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