rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Cardcaptor Nadeshiko
rlm@0: Across the Distance
rlm@0: by Amazoness Duo
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	“Mama?” the young girl asked from her perch near the top of the stairs.
rlm@0: She watched the older woman through the rail of the stairs, looking like a young
rlm@0: prisoner through the bars. The auburn haired girl crouched on the steps in her frilled green nightgown.
rlm@0: 	“Hmm? Yes, Sonomi, darling?” The older woman turned her attention to
rlm@0: the little girl on the stairs, a small smile spreading across her lips. “Isn’t it past your bedtime?
rlm@0: 	Sonomi nodded slowly, as if not wanting to concede defeat just yet. Holding onto the railing, she tried to work out the jumble of thoughts that had
rlm@0: led her out of her room, slowly piecing them into words. She couldn’t even quite
rlm@0: tell what she wanted to ask, only that something had drawn her here as her 
rlm@0: thoughts had kept her tossing and turning. “I couldn’t sleep,” she said at last,
rlm@0: resting her forehead against the rail of the stairwell. She knew it was late. And
rlm@0: she wasn’t prone to disobeying her mother. But something had kept her from 
rlm@0: drifting off into sleep, thoughts and feelings that she found difficult to
rlm@0: understand. At the forefront of all of them was a shimmer of liquid silver hair, and 
rlm@0: a beautiful, pale girl’s smile. A sigh escaped her lips as the curious feelings
rlm@0: resurfaced. They weren’t anything new. Far from it, in fact. She had been dealing
rlm@0: with them for quite some time. But the thought of spending another night lying in
rlm@0: bed alone and confused didn’t appeal to her at all
rlm@0: 	The mother watched her child for a long moment, Sonomi’s normally
rlm@0: bright stormy blue eyes looking clouded over, the girl lost in her thoughts.
rlm@0: “What’s wrong, Sonomi-chan?” she asked curiously. She knew her daughter was
rlm@0: a very emotional girl, getting carried away with her emotions wherever they
rlm@0: drifted. In many ways, Sonomi was much more sensitive than her cousin.
rlm@0: Nadeshiko was a very sweet, loving girl who spent her time marvelling at the
rlm@0: wonders the world offered. Sonomi, on the other hand, was very emotional.
rlm@0: When she was sad, she was very sad. When she was happy, she was ecstatic.
rlm@0: She rode every emotion to its fullest. And when she couldn’t understand her
rlm@0: feelings, it often frustrated the poor girl. It looked like now was one of those
rlm@0: times.
rlm@0: 	Sonomi considered the question, looking down at her small bare feet as
rlm@0: she rubbed them together. A yawn overtook her before she could bite it back for
rlm@0: worry that her mother would send her back to bed. She really was tired. But sleep
rlm@0: kept eluding her. “Mama, when did you and papa fall in love?” the auburn haired
rlm@0: girl asked, looking down to see her mother. She couldn’t quite tell why the
rlm@0: question was so important, only that it was.
rlm@0: 	Pausing for a moment, Sonomi’s mother thought over the question.
rlm@0: “Hmm... Well, we met in college. We got married some time after that.” Setting
rlm@0: down the book she had been reading, she walked to the foot of the stairs,
rlm@0: looking up them towards her sleepy daughter. Sonomi didn’t look satisfied with
rlm@0: her answer.
rlm@0: 	The young heiress shook her head, auburn hair fluttering about her face
rlm@0: in its odd slant hairstyle. “No, not that. When did you know you were in love,
rlm@0: mama?” Sonomi asked, a tinge of desperation in her voice. She wanted to know.
rlm@0: But still, college felt so far away. And she didn’t feel like love was that far off. At
rlm@0: least that meant that she wouldn’t have to worry about Nadeshiko marrying
rlm@0: anytime soon. That thought was soothing, at any rate. The thought of
rlm@0: Nadeshiko getting married made her heart scream in protest. She knew she
rlm@0: wanted her little cousin to be happy, to be loved, but she couldn’t stand the
rlm@0: thought of someone taking her best friend away from her. She could make
rlm@0: Nadeshiko happy. Nadeshiko didn’t need some man to stealing her off
rlm@0: somewhere. Like some princess being stolen away by the talons of some dragon,
rlm@0: she could see a wedding dress clad Nadeshiko being pulled back from her by a
rlm@0: man in a tuxedo. Her mind placed a face on the smilingly evil groom. Assistant
rlm@0: teacher Fujitaka Kinomoto smiled pleasantly as he whisked Nadeshiko away from
rlm@0: her, leaving Sonomi all alone. Shaking her head quickly, Sonomi tried to banish
rlm@0: the thought. She had been too concerned lately with how the assistant teacher
rlm@0: had been spending so much time with her cousin. She hadn’t trusted him even
rlm@0: when they first met because he had hurt Nadeshiko, and she wasn’t about to
rlm@0: start trusting him now. Maybe he could see the wonders that Nadeshiko had
rlm@0: inside of her, but that was exactly why Sonomi would protect her best friend from
rlm@0: people like him.
rlm@0: 	Biting her lip, Sonomi’s mother ascended the stairs. This was more
rlm@0: difficult than she had suspected. Her daughter was obviously curious about this
rlm@0: sort of thing, but she didn’t know whether or not she should answer with a
rlm@0: fairytale. Sonomi could be rather mature, mostly stemming from her concern for
rlm@0: her younger cousin, but she also had a rather romantic, dreamy side that
rlm@0: manifested in her room and her love of cute things, her cousin included. Dolls
rlm@0: and stuffed animals, ribbons and lace adorned the young Sonomi Amamiya’s
rlm@0: room. But she couldn’t hide her daughter from the world forever. Life was not a
rlm@0: fairy tale. Things didn’t always have happy endings. It was with these shadowed
rlm@0: thoughts that she sat next to her daughter on the stairs, her hands folded primly
rlm@0: in her lap. Licking her lips, the older woman tried to decide how to begin. Her
rlm@0: daughter watched her hopefully, expectantly. “You don’t always get married because you’re in love, Sonomi-chan. There are many other aspects involved in
rlm@0: it. Social standing. The good of your family. What type of future you can have
rlm@0: with this person.”
rlm@0: 	“But what about love?” Sonomi asked. She felt even more confused
rlm@0: than ever. Wasn’t it all about love? Wasn’t that the most important thing? But
rlm@0: then, hadn’t she been raised with the thought that she would one day wed and
rlm@0: continue the family? The sudden thought that she was expected to wed for the
rlm@0: family, for her station as opposed to because she was in love seemed like a cold
rlm@0: air of reality blowing over her. She shivered under her nightgown. In some ways,
rlm@0: it was what she had always expected. The thought of marriage had never excited
rlm@0: Sonomi the way it did many of the girls she knew. It seemed like something she
rlm@0: knew she would have to do one day, not something she wanted. Now she
rlm@0: realized that it was exactly that, not a matter of the heart at all. That frightened
rlm@0: her. 
rlm@0: 	“Love is like a fairytale, Sonomi-chan. It’s fun to lose yourself in it, but
rlm@0: in the end you have to come back to reality. Love is a fun distraction. But you
rlm@0: have to plan for other things, to decide what’s best for you and your family. And
rlm@0: your heart can’t tell you this,” Sonomi’s mother explained gently, hugging her
rlm@0: small daughter against her side. Lithe fingers brushed through her daughter’s
rlm@0: hair, trying to sort through the odd hair cut. Sighing, she shook her head. It was
rlm@0: best to get away from such a lonely topic. “So why are you suddenly so curious,
rlm@0: Sonomi-chan? You’ll meet a handsome boy to marry one of these days.
rlm@0: 	Sonomi frowned, shaking her head, her hair fluttering between her
rlm@0: mother’s fingers. “I don’t like boys. They’re stupid.” The younger girl crossed
rlm@0: her arms, her stormy blue eyes narrowed. No, she wasn’t the biggest fan of the
rlm@0: opposite sex. There was just something she didn’t like about them. Especially
rlm@0: one in particular. His glasses glinted in her mind for a moment. She forced it out
rlm@0: immediately. 
rlm@0: 	Sonomi’s mother laughed at her daughter’s words, glad to be off the
rlm@0: topic. “Of course you like boys. All girls like boys, Sonomi-chan. Maybe you
rlm@0: don’t now, but you will in a few years, trust me.” She found it amusing to see her
rlm@0: daughter so intent. She would have to remember to point this out to the younger
rlm@0: girl in a few years when she finally changed her mind.
rlm@0: 	Shaking her head, Sonomi looked up at her mother, the older woman’s
rlm@0: fingers still in her auburn hair. “I couldn’t like someone who didn’t like pink at
rlm@0: least a little bit,” the young heiress explained. 
rlm@0: 	Laughing again, the mother grinned. “Sonomi-chan, you get such silly
rlm@0: ideas. I’m know you’ll find a nice boy one of these days who will make you
rlm@0: forget all of this nonsense.”
rlm@0: 	Resting her head against her mother, Sonomi yawned tiredly. Her mind
rlm@0: was made up. She wouldn’t let any of those insects near her beloved Nadeshiko.
rlm@0: She wouldn’t let any of them take her way, or marry her. She would protect her
rlm@0: little cousin from them all. They would be happy. She would make Nadeshiko
rlm@0: happy. Somehow. She knew that Nadeshiko made her happy. If she didn’t need
rlm@0: to be in love to get married, then she didn’t need to worry about getting married.
rlm@0: And she wouldn’t let anyone marry her Nadeshiko. No one would take her away.
rlm@0: No one would hurt her. In her fading mind, she saw a sparkling image of her
rlm@0: silver haired angel. Her heart soared at the thought, warm and overflowing.
rlm@0: ‘Nadeshiko-chan...’ she thought resolutely. The small auburn haired girl fell
rlm@0: asleep against her mother on the stairs shortly thereafter.
rlm@0: 	
rlm@0: 	Light. The first thing that existed was the light. It was white and cold,
rlm@0: like freshly fallen snow. It encompassed him, pulsing with him. The pulsing was
rlm@0: silent, but it was there, a slow rise and fall throughout the brightness. Slowly, the
rlm@0: brightness grew. His eyes burned, but he couldn’t shut them, for he still had no
rlm@0: eyes. He had no form, only the light. Thoughts spun incoherently like a spider
rlm@0: spinning its web, thoughts going in every direction and none at all.
rlm@0: ‘WhyamIwhoamIwhereamIwhenamI?
rlm@0: 	Am I?
rlm@0: Yes, you are, aren’t you? 
rlm@0: Please help me. I don’t know where I am. 
rlm@0: You aren’t anywhere. 
rlm@0: Who am I? 
rlm@0: You are the moonlight. 
rlm@0: Please, I’m scared... 
rlm@0: So am I.’
rlm@0: 	His mind was the first thing to coalesce, but it was confused and lost.
rlm@0: He searched desperately for answers within himself, within the light. It took him a
rlm@0: moment to realize that he was the light. He struggled with this newfound
rlm@0: knowledge, searching out bits and pieces, working through the jumble of chaotic
rlm@0: thoughts to paint a picture of just what was going on. His body slowly began to
rlm@0: form as his mind worked its way back from the brink. He was. He knew that now.
rlm@0: He existed. That was reassuring, somehow. It was nice to know that he hadn’t
rlm@0: simply tricked himself into believing he existed. After all, he thought, so
rlm@0: therefore, he was. At least, he thought that he could think. The idea confused
rlm@0: him further. In frustration, he discarded the notion. He knew he could spend
rlm@0: eternity arguing with himself, as he had done just moments before. But had that
rlm@0: argument been an eternity or a split second? Or had it even happened? He
rlm@0: couldn’t remember. He could remember the light. The light was everywhere. The
rlm@0: light was outside of him and within him. Within him? Yes, that was right, wasn’t
rlm@0: it. He slowly curled his fingers, the bright snowy moonlight shifting through
rlm@0: them. He could feel his legs drifting underneath him, not touching any form of
rlm@0: solid ground. Long, feathered wings were outstretched behind him, glowing with
rlm@0: their own inner light.
rlm@0: 	He looked down to see himself, to try to understand what he was, but
rlm@0: he could only see the blinding moonlight. He expected the brightness to carry
rlm@0: some form of heat with it, but it was surprisingly cold. It was the light of the full
rlm@0: moon. He moved experimentally, glad to know that his limbs were once again
rlm@0: attached. Once again? Had he been there before? Had he been himself before?
rlm@0: Yes, something of the sort. He was returning. He was being called back. He was...
rlm@0: being reawakened. Yes, something was calling him. He was waking up from a
rlm@0: deep slumber, brought back to fulfil the goals of his master. What goals? He
rlm@0: asked. But there was no answer. He frowned in the light that bathed him, still
rlm@0: trying to piece his inexplicable life together. So he was supposed to be here for
rlm@0: some reason. But what was the reason? 
rlm@0: 	Slowly, memories returned to him. He waited centuries to recall
rlm@0: everything, reliving every moment of his previous existence. It all happened i
rlm@0: the blink of an eye, his life returned in a split second. And in this split infinity, he
rlm@0: knew who he was. He knew what he was. He knew why he was. And a cold smile
rlm@0: crossed his lips. Yes, it had all returned. He knew everything now. He woul
rlm@0: accomplish his mission for his master. All would go according to plan. Except...
rlm@0: Things hadn’t gone according to plan, had they? The girl wasn’t the one he was
rlm@0: supposed to judge. Something had gone wrong. Horribly wrong. What had
rlm@0: become of his master’s plan? No matter. He would quickly remedy the situation.
rlm@0: That was what he existed for. Soon, she would be forgotten and the master could
rlm@0: pretend this little fiasco never happened. They would go about with the plan
rlm@0: again afterwards, this time without the little problem that had popped up. He
rlm@0: would erase it from the pages of history. A cold grin spread over him. It was nice
rlm@0: to be of use again. 
rlm@0: 	And with all the suddenness of a spring storm, everything was robbed
rlm@0: from him. His precious memory, his very existence was denied him. In another
rlm@0: second that lasted for all time, he felt his memories being extinguished, pulled
rlm@0: away from him with reckless abandon. He screamed into the night as all that he
rlm@0: was faded from him. “No!” he called out wordlessly. “Don’t take it away from me
rlm@0: Not again!” But he knew there was nothing he could do. Even the reason behind
rlm@0: his anger and fear disappeared. But the anger and fear remained, even as the
rlm@0: words unraveled in his mind. 
rlm@0: 	Again, he was nothing. His mind faded, thoughts disappearing into the
rlm@0: void. There was nothing. The blinding moonlight disappeared. Darknes
rlm@0: converged around him, consuming him. And all was dark
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	“Mmm...” Sonomi stretched, trying to make sure her form was in top
rlm@0: shape. She was all alone on the track field at the school, but she didn’t mind. Sh
rlm@0: was still thinking about what her mother had said the night before. It had staye
rlm@0: with her throughout the day, making it difficult for her to concentrate during her
rlm@0: classes. So she didn’t mind having some solitude for the moment. And the best
rlm@0: way to do that was to get in some practice with her running. That was always a
rlm@0: good way to get her focus on other things. You couldn’t get distracted while
rlm@0: running. The only thing that mattered was how fast you could go. It was always
rlm@0: so refreshing. It was as if she could run away from all that was bothering her,
rlm@0: leaving it far behind as she outdistanced it. It felt wonderful, free
rlm@0: 	The young heiress was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t hear the
rlm@0: sound of approaching footsteps. She was far too busy to bother with such
rlm@0: things. Her mind was focused on the task at hand, everything else seeming hazy,
rlm@0: distant. Getting into position, Sonomi felt the track beneath her fingers, waiting in
rlm@0: a crouch at the starting line. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she anticipated
rlm@0: an imaginary signal. Everything around her narrowed, fading away. The only
rlm@0: thing that existed in this half world was the track and the wind. She had to be
rlm@0: focused intently on the situation, ready to start at a moment’s notice. And. That
rlm@0: Was. Now! 
rlm@0: Like a shot, she was off, throwing herself forward. Every muscle in her
rlm@0:  body worked towards one common goal, to send her hurtling forward to the
rlm@0: finish line. Her speed was incredible, the ten year old girl darting across the field
rlm@0: in a blur. Her mind didn’t have time for anything else, no time for concerns or
rlm@0: distractions. There was still the thrill of pulling ahead, of being the fastest. Of
rlm@0: being the first to reach the goal. She was almost there. It was always over so
rlm@0: quickly, but while she was racing it felt like a lifetime had passed. And with that,
rlm@0: she had passed it.
rlm@0: Catching her breath, the brunette slowed to a halt, her hands on her
rlm@0: thighs as she slumped over, catching her breath. The world slowly sprang back
rlm@0: into existence, as if it had merely been put on pause. Sounds filtered back to her,
rlm@0: sights slowly coming into focus. A sharp sound caught her ear, making her spin
rlm@0: around despite being out of breath. To her surprise, the assistant teacher,
rlm@0: Fujitaka Kinomoto, was clapping, his usual smile on his face. Sonomi stood up
rlm@0: quickly, trying to breath normally as she crossed her arms. She had no idea what
rlm@0: he was doing there, but she instantly didn’t trust him. Why wasn’t he busy
rlm@0: trying to steal away her Nadeshiko? Wasn’t that his hobby, after all? Well, she
rlm@0: had to admit that it was better that he was there than with Nadeshiko. Though
rlm@0: not by much.
rlm@0: “Nadeshiko-chan told me you were fast, Amamiya-san. I had no idea
rlm@0: how fast. I’m impressed,” the older man said, smiling pleasantly. The young girl
rlm@0: continued to stare at him, but he only smiled in response. 
rlm@0: Smoothing down her gym uniform, Sonomi didn’t take her eyes off of
rlm@0: the assistant teacher, almost afraid that he would run off to find Nadeshiko if she
rlm@0: let down her guard. She nodded simply, her breathing slowly returning to normal.
rlm@0: “Hai. Nadeshiko-chan watches most of my races. I never lose. She says I’m like
rlm@0:  the wind,” Sonomi said proudly. If Nadeshiko believed in her, then she knew
rlm@0: that she could do anything. With Nadeshiko’s belief, how could she fail?
rlm@0: “Is that so?” Fujitaka asked curiously, still smiling. “She’s such a sweet
rlm@0: little girl, isn’t she?” 
rlm@0: Sonomi frowned, flustered by his comment. Of course she was a sweet
rlm@0: little girl. But she was Sonomi’s best friend. And the auburn haired girl wasn’t
rlm@0: about to give her up to some... some insect. He was beneath Nadeshiko. She
rlm@0: wouldn’t let him or anyone have her precious silver haired angel.
rlm@0: “Nadeshiko-chan is the sweetest, cutest, most beautiful girl there is. There’s no
rlm@0: one out there like her. She’s perfect. She has the prettiest voice and she’s always
rlm@0: so bright and happy and her eyes sparkle when she looks at you.” Sonomi took a
rlm@0: deep breath, trying to suppress the stirrings in her heart. But she always felt this
rlm@0: way when she started thinking about Nadeshiko. She couldn’t help but notice
rlm@0: how perfect her little cousin was. It was so blatantly obvious. She saw it all every
rlm@0: single day that they were together. She took a shuddering breath, closing her
rlm@0: eyes for a moment. When she opened her eyes, she had her composure back.
rlm@0: She couldn’t go off on a Nadeshiko tangent right now. She had to keep an eye
rlm@0: on the assistant teacher. Even if one was much, much more enjoyable than the
rlm@0: other. 
rlm@0: “You seem to think very highly of her. You’re lucky to have a cousin
rlm@0: like her.” Fujitaka smiled, pushing up his glasses. “You’re right. She really is like
rlm@0: an angel. I almost wouldn’t be surprised if she turned out to be one.” The young
rlm@0: man had been more and more pleased to have met his young student. She was
rlm@0: incredibly odd, but he found her fascinating. And apparently, her cousin thought
rlm@0: so as well. They could both see that Nadeshiko was somehow special.
rlm@0: “She is. She just only shows her wings to me,” Sonomi replied. She felt
rlm@0:  jealous that he would speak of her Nadeshiko that way. She had always been the
rlm@0: one to worship Nadeshiko like an angel. She was always the one to dwell on how
rlm@0: amazingly perfect Nadeshiko was. Now this man who had hurt Nadeshiko had
rlm@0: the gall to think the same thing. She just wanted him to stay away from her little
rlm@0: cousin. Nadeshiko was already accident-prone enough. Sonomi had to keep her
rlm@0: away from trouble. And she definitely considered him to be trouble.
rlm@0: 	Fujitaka laughed at Sonomi’s comment, nodding. “That must be very
rlm@0: sweet of her, then. I bet they’re very pretty. But I don’t think Nadeshiko-chan is
rlm@0: the type to keep things like that to herself. I think she would want to share, to
rlm@0: show her wings to others as well. Don’t you think?” 
rlm@0: 	Clenching her fists, Sonomi could only stare at the assistant teacher for
rlm@0: a long moment. His question sent a tremor of anger surging through her heart.
rlm@0: She knew Nadeshiko better than anyone else. How could he insinuate that he
rlm@0: knew her better? Yet she couldn’t bring herself to agree. Yes, Nadeshiko would
rlm@0: probably want to share that. But Sonomi silently wished she wouldn’t. Why
rlm@0: wasn’t she enough for Nadeshiko? Why wasn’t it enough that she was there for
rlm@0: her? She was lucky enough that no one believed Nadeshiko when she told them
rlm@0: she had magic, believing it to be just a daydream of the perpetually dreamy girl.
rlm@0: Sonomi was glad that she was the only one who knew, but she wished it could
rlm@0: just be their secret, that Nadeshiko would be happy enough with only her auburn
rlm@0: haired cousin knowing. Fujitaka correcting her didn’t help matters. She could feel
rlm@0: her nails biting into the skin of her palms as she tried futilely to respond. She
rlm@0: didn’t want to agree with him, though she knew Nadeshiko well enough to know
rlm@0: that he was right. 
rlm@0: Before she could answer, he continued, as if it wasn’t necessary for her
rlm@0: to reply. “Would you like to race, Amamiya-san? I heard you beat the quickest
rlm@0: on the boys’ team. You must make some very good competition.”
rlm@0: Without quite realizing it, Sonomi nodded. Yes, that was right. A race.
rlm@0: That would make this much better. She could finally beat him at something. She
rlm@0: could finally prove that he wasn’t better at her, that she was all Nadeshiko
rlm@0: needed. That sounded perfect. “Hai,” she replied. Bowing to him, she took her
rlm@0: place at the starting line. She would never let him near her Nadeshiko. She was a
rlm@0: delicate flower, and Sonomi would protect its blossoms with her all. Nadeshiko
rlm@0: was not something for this arrogant man to have, to ponder. She was a mystery
rlm@0: that Sonomi was slowly uncovering. She wouldn’t let him take her away.
rlm@0: Nadeshiko was her best friend, her cousin, her most precious treasure. She
rlm@0: wouldn’t let him or anyone else interfere. 
rlm@0: 	“All right. On three,” Fujitaka stated, slowly taking his place. He smiled
rlm@0: over at the younger girl, his glasses glinting. She simply looked straight forward,
rlm@0: waiting. He could tell she was ready to give her all. It would be an interesting
rlm@0: race. Smiling, he looked forward himself. 
rlm@0: “One.” The two prepared for the inevitable race awaiting them. “Two.”
rlm@0: Sonomi’s heart pounded in her chest as she waited anxiously for their duel to
rlm@0: begin. “Three.” And they were both off. 
rlm@0: Never before had Sonomi forced herself to go as fast as she did. Every
rlm@0: ounce of her being burned, pushing every forward. The only thing in her mind
rlm@0: was the goal. She had to reach the goal. It was waiting for her. Nadeshiko was
rlm@0: waiting for her. She had to show that he wasn’t better than her at everything. She
rlm@0: had to reach it. She had to be the fastest. Her vision was nonexistent with the
rlm@0: single exception of the thin strip signifying the finish line. The assistant teacher
rlm@0: and the young track star were both propelled by awesome forces towards their
rlm@0: objective. It might as well have been Nadeshiko waiting for them rather than the
rlm@0: finish line, intense passions stirring to push the two ever faster. 
rlm@0: To Sonomi’s astonishment, she still hadn’t pulled ahead of Fujitaka. By
rlm@0: now in most races, she had pulled far ahead of the pack. But she was still side by
rlm@0: side with him. Her heart pounded feriously, her body trying to force itself to go
rlm@0: even faster. But it was giving all it had. She was pushing herself as fast as she
rlm@0: could go. She kept towards the goal, trying to will herself to reach it first. Her
rlm@0: whole being tried to grip onto it, tried to give her that last bit of energy.
rlm@0: Somehow, she found it. With a trill in her heart, as sweet as Nadeshiko’s
rlm@0: singsong voice, Sonomi managed to speed up, throwing her last bit into the final
rlm@0: seconds of the race. It was all she had, every last ounce of energy inside of her.
rlm@0: But she had to win. For Nadeshiko-chan. 
rlm@0: To Sonomi’s horror, Fujitaka began to pull ahead, moving past her.
rlm@0: Even with her last burst of strength, it wasn’t enough. It was like some cruel joke,
rlm@0: her final boost pushing her across the finish line right after him. The world
rlm@0: refused to come back to her this time, her weary body slowly collapsing to her
rlm@0: knees. The world around her continued to stay a blurry, surreal nightmare,
rlm@0: nothing else appearing. But she didn’t care. Nothing else mattered. She had lost.
rlm@0: It didn’t matter who you were when you raced. It only mattered that you were the
rlm@0: fastest. And Sonomi Amamiya, a girl who had long been the fastest, no longer
rlm@0: was. The dirt beneath her irritated her legs, but it didn’t seem to matter. She
rlm@0: couldn’t get the strength to get back up.
rlm@0: “That was a good race, Amamiya-san. You did a great job,” Fujitaka
rlm@0: complimented, smiling to the younger girl as he caught his breath. She didn’t
rlm@0: meet his eye. In fact, she didn’t even seem to see him. He watched her for a
rlm@0: moment, before stepping back towards the classrooms. “I’ll tell Nadeshiko-chan
rlm@0: you’re out here if I see her, Amamiya-san,” he called back over his shoulder, still
rlm@0: smiling. He felt much better now that he’d been able to get some exercise. Now
rlm@0: back to grading tests!
rlm@0: Sonomi didn’t hear him. She was too distraught, too broken by her loss.
rlm@0: How could she have lost to him? How could he have beaten her? She had tried
rlm@0: so hard! But even then, it wasn’t enough. She hadn’t been able to win, after all.
rlm@0: She had always been the fastest, but it hadn’t meant anything against him.
rlm@0: Balling up her fists, she hit them again and again into the dirt until her knuckles
rlm@0: cried out in pain. Angry, bitter tears fell into the dust bellow, falling onto her
rlm@0: hands. She’d wanted so badly to beat him, to show that he wasn’t better than her
rlm@0: at everything. To show that she could take care of Nadeshiko. She had been
rlm@0: racing for Nadeshiko, to win for her. To beat him for her sake. Even if it hadn’t
rlm@0: been stated, she had been the reason they were racing, the rivalry behind it. And
rlm@0: she had failed. 
rlm@0: “Nadeshiko-chan..” Sonomi got out in a pained sob. Her dirty hands
rlm@0: came up to her face, smearing some along her cheeks as she rubbed angrily at her
rlm@0: tears. It wasn’t fair! It wasn’t right! She should have won! Nothing ever worked
rlm@0: with him. He was slowly trying to take her Nadeshiko away. And then she would
rlm@0: be all alone, without the most important thing in her life. And she’d just failed to
rlm@0: beat him at the one thing that she was the best at. What good was she if she
rlm@0: couldn’t even do that? How could she possibly hope to protect Nadeshiko-chan
rlm@0: that way? She had always been the fastest. And he had taken that away from her.
rlm@0: Would Nadeshiko be next? A cold chill settled throughout her battered soul,
rlm@0: weighing her down like a heavy cloak. 
rlm@0: “Sonomi-chan~!” Nadeshiko called, wandering about slowly, her eyes
rlm@0: following every trace of springtime beauty that she happened to cross. Her lazy
rlm@0: beeline eventually took her towards the field where Sonomi practiced track. Just
rlm@0: where Fujitaka had told her that her cousin was waiting. She giggled to herself as
rlm@0: she watched some ants scurrying about a few bread crumbs. “Busy, busy, busy.
rlm@0: You should have some fun, sometimes, too,” she suggested before moving on.
rlm@0: She finally caught sight of her auburn haired friend sitting in the field, collapsed
rlm@0: in the dirt. Nadeshiko tilted her head to the side, dark hair spilling across her
rlm@0: shoulder. “Sonomi-chan! Hi, Sonomi-chan! Guess what? I just found this really
rlm@0: cute..” Nadeshiko trailed off, her smile replaced with a curious look.
rlm@0: “Sonomi-chan?” Was Sonomi crying? Had something happened to her?
rlm@0:  “Sonomi-chan?” she asked again, closing the distance between them.
rlm@0: 	The auburn haired girl looked up quickly, wiping at her eyes quickly,
rlm@0: struggling to see through her tear blurred vision. She could see a pale angel
rlm@0: growing ever closer, a curious, worried look on her face. “Nadeshiko-chan..”
rlm@0: Sonomi got out, wiping more desperately at her eyes. She couldn’t let Nadeshiko
rlm@0: see her like this. How could she explain it? What could she say? Pushing herself
rlm@0: to her feet on pained muscles, Sonomi hurried away from her oncoming cousin,
rlm@0: trying to escape the pain and her tears. She had to get away. To think. To cry.
rlm@0: “Sonomi-chan?” Nadeshiko asked to her cousin’s retreating form. She
rlm@0: came to a halt where Sonomi had been, watching after her as the other girl ran off.
rlm@0: What had happened? What had hurt her cousin so terribly? Kneeling down,
rlm@0: Nadeshiko ran her fingertip through the teardrops in the dirt. “Poor
rlm@0: Sonomi-chan.. Please don’t cry,” she whispered. Nadeshiko sat in the dirt, her
rlm@0: skirt spread out around her. She looked at her dirty, tear streaked finger. The
rlm@0: image of Sonomi, hunched over and in tears played through her mind. Sonomi
rlm@0: had always been her best friend. It made her feel terrible to see her cousin in
rlm@0: tears. And she didn’t know what to do about it. She couldn’t even find Sonomi
rlm@0: to make her feel better. Sniffling, Nadeshiko began to cry. 
rlm@0: 	
rlm@0: 	“Damn it!” Sonomi punched the locker, her injured knuckles burning at
rlm@0: the contact. Her head slumped against the locker with an audible ‘clang’. She
rlm@0: slowly turned around, sliding down the locker. Her legs hurt too much to keep
rlm@0: standing. Her heart hurt too much to think. She just wanted to sit there until it all
rlm@0: went away. But she knew she couldn’t do that. She had to fight. She had to do
rlm@0: something. She had to do anything. But she couldn’t figure out what. Rubbing at
rlm@0: her eyes with her palms, she let out a wet sob. She hated him. She hated him for
rlm@0: ever meeting Nadeshiko, for ever hitting her in the head with the softball. She
rlm@0: hated him for coming to the school, becoming a part of Nadeshiko’s life. She
rlm@0: hated him for pulling Nadeshiko away during her race with Terrada. She hated
rlm@0: him for beating her at what she was best at. She hated him for trying to take
rlm@0: Nadeshiko away. Even if she knew that was silly, that she shouldn’t believe such
rlm@0: a stupid thing, she couldn’t help it. It felt like he was trying to take her place with
rlm@0: Nadeshiko. And even though he had hurt Nadeshiko, the angelic silver haired
rlm@0: girl didn’t mind at all. She was happy to be his friend. And that frightened
rlm@0: Sonomi. She wanted to protect Nadeshiko, but she didn’t always know how. She
rlm@0: wanted to keep those boys from hurting her, from snagging her away. But now
rlm@0: she didn’t even know if she could.
rlm@0: 	“Owww..” Sonomi winced as she got to her feet, her hand resting
rlm@0: against the cold metal of her locker. With slow, lifeless fingers, she began to
rlm@0: open it. She had to get dressed, to change clothes. She would need to be ready
rlm@0: to go home. But for the most part, she simply wanted a distraction. What could
rlm@0: she say to Nadeshiko? What was she supposed to do about Fujitaka? None of it
rlm@0: had any easy answers. Right now, she just wanted to curl up in bed and cry
rlm@0: herself to sleep. For once she was glad that Nadeshiko didn’t live at her house.
rlm@0: Nadeshiko would certainly want to talk to her, and she didn’t know if she could
rlm@0: face the other girl at the moment. She couldn’t even face herself. She felt
rlm@0: miserable, a failure. And it was all his fault. 
rlm@0: 	Something caught Sonomi’s eye from the back of the locker, glittering
rlm@0: faintly in the sterile light of the locker room. Reaching in, the young heiress
rlm@0: pulled out a small pendant shaped like a sword. “What’s this supposed to be?
rlm@0: Did Nadeshiko-chan put it in here?” Sighing, Sonomi held it in her hand. She
rlm@0: would have to talk to Nadeshiko, wouldn’t she? Otherwise she would only make
rlm@0: Nadeshiko worry. And she couldn’t bear to hurt her dear cousin. Closing her
rlm@0: locker, she looked back down at the pendant. Yeah, she couldn’t leave her sweet
rlm@0: cousin waiting. But before she could take another step, the little broach came
rlm@0: alive, light splashing through the room.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	Nadeshiko cried softly, shaking her head against the offers of
rlm@0: assistance, Her hands lay in her lap, her small shoulders shaking with each sob.
rlm@0: She didn’t know where Sonomi was or what was going on or even why she had
rlm@0: been crying. She kept seeing Sonomi crying in her mind, filling her own tears. It
rlm@0: was too sad for Sonomi to have to be crying. 
rlm@0: 	“It’s all right, Nadeshiko-chan,” Fujitaka said soothingly, trying to
rlm@0: comfort his pupil. “Please, just tell me what’s wrong. I’ll help however I can.” But
rlm@0: try as he might, he couldn’t coax anything other than ‘Sonomi-chan’ out of the
rlm@0: pale girl. Whatever it was, she seemed to be taking it pretty hard. She hadn’t
rlm@0: stopped crying since he had spotted her and he had no idea how long she had
rlm@0: been crying before that. Something glinted, catching his eye. “You see? She’s
rlm@0: right there. Your cousin is just fine,” he promised, smiling.
rlm@0: 	Nadeshiko wiped at her eyes quickly, breaking out into a relieved smile
rlm@0: when she saw Sonomi walking towards them. Getting to her feet, Nadeshiko
rlm@0: quickly ran towards her cousin, her arms open. “Sonomi-chan!” She felt much
rlm@0: better now. It was enough to see that Sonomi was no longer crying. She giggled
rlm@0: happily as she raced towards the auburn haired girl. But something was wrong.
rlm@0: She slowed as she approached Sonomi. The taller girl was holding onto some
rlm@0: type of sword, her eyes looking unfocused. Sonomi didn’t even seem to
rlm@0: recognize her. “Sonomi-chan?” Nadeshiko asked. Sonomi didn’t even look at her,
rlm@0: instead looking at Fujitaka as he approached. Now that confused Nadeshiko.
rlm@0: Sonomi always liked to look at her. She always got Sonomi’s full attention. So
rlm@0: why would she suddenly not have it? Something felt wrong about all this. It was
rlm@0: like Sonomi wasn’t Sonomi. But how could she not be Sonomi? Unless it was
rlm@0: someone using Sonomi. 
rlm@0: 	“Are you all right, Amamiya-san? Your cousin was very worried about
rlm@0: you. She was crying about you. But it seems like everything’s fine now,” Fujitaka
rlm@0: stated, smiling to the two younger girls. He was glad that problem was over with.
rlm@0: He couldn’t stand to see the poor silver haired girl in tears. At least that problem
rlm@0: was over. He felt so relieved.
rlm@0: 	Nadeshiko watched Sonomi for a moment. It finally fitted into place as
rlm@0: she watched the hand with the sword move. “Sonomi-chan!” Nadeshiko stepped
rlm@0: in front of Sonomi, but it was too late. Sonomi was faster than she was. The
rlm@0: auburn haired girl lunged forward, the sword tip glinting as it drove into
rlm@0: Fujitaka’s side. Crimson rain lit the sky for a split second, some of it landing on
rlm@0: Nadeshiko’s face while the rest spattered on the grass. For that long moment of
rlm@0: silence, Nadeshiko watched the red droplets, amazed at how beautiful the blood
rlm@0: was, as if it were some of the paint left over from God’s paintbrush. It all felt
rlm@0: surreal. She could see herself next to Sonomi, the other girl’s eyes clouded over,
rlm@0: their normal depth missing. She could see the blood before her. She could see
rlm@0: Fujitaka with the tip of the sword in his side. 
rlm@0: 	And everything started up again. “Sonomi-chan! Kinomoto-sensei!”
rlm@0: Nadeshiko called out, running to her teacher’s aid. The older man stumbled back.
rlm@0: Luckily, the blow had only been the tip of the sword. He was bleeding, but he
rlm@0: could still move. Sonomi was moving swiftly, like some jungle cat intent on it’s
rlm@0: prey. She was circling, waiting for another chance. 
rlm@0: 	“Run, Nadeshiko-chan! You need to get out of here!” Fujitaka yelled,
rlm@0: his eyes never leaving his magically possessed student. He winced painfully as
rlm@0: he held his side. It hadn’t been deep, but it still hurt. He saw Sonomi coming
rlm@0: closer again, sword raised. To his surprise, Nadeshiko once again got in the way.
rlm@0: “Watch out!” Grabbing Nadeshiko, he yanked her out of the way. Sonomi used
rlm@0: that moment to duck towards him, slashing again. 
rlm@0: 	“Jump!” Nadeshiko called, her staff striking the Card. As Sonomi
rlm@0: slashed ever closer, she managed to jump back, pushing Fujitaka with her. She
rlm@0: kept hopping backwards, out of Sonomi’s range. But he was heavy, and she
rlm@0: couldn’t keep it up for long. She waited near the fence, trying to catch her breath
rlm@0: 	Fujitaka watched in astonishment at the silver haired girl. What was
rlm@0: this? Magic? He had the sense not to ask about it. Now was definitely not the
rlm@0: time. Looking back up, he saw Sonomi once again barreling towards them. He
rlm@0: barely had time to throw himself into Nadeshiko, pushing her away as Sonomi
rlm@0: slashed through the fence. “Nadeshiko-chan, you have to get out of here. I’ll
rlm@0: distract her.”
rlm@0: 	Nadeshiko shook her head quickly, squirming away from her teacher’s
rlm@0: grasp. “No! I can’t leave Sonomi-chan!” She smiled a faint smile, clutching her
rlm@0: staff tightly. “Don’t worry. She won’t hurt me. Sonomi-chan would never hurt
rlm@0: me.” Pushing away from Fujitaka, Nadeshiko ran towards her cousin. 
rlm@0: 	“Nadeshiko-chan!” Fujitaka called out. He collapsed in pain, unable to
rlm@0: follow her. He watched, mortified as Nadeshiko raced towards her sword wielding
rlm@0: friend. He was helpless to stop her.
rlm@0: 	Sonomi watched as Nadeshiko came ever closer. She raised the sword,
rlm@0: still ready to attack. Her eyes focused past Nadeshiko, to the wounded man back
rlm@0: behind her. She ran towards the oncoming Cardcaptor, ducking to the side and
rlm@0: past Nadeshiko, still headed for Fujitaka. 
rlm@0: 	Whirling around, Nadeshiko watched, stunned, as Sonomi kept right on
rlm@0: towards their teacher. She had expected Sonomi to stop before her. She could
rlm@0: only watch, unable to reach the other girl in time. “Sonomi-chan!” she yelled after
rlm@0: her, her voice pleading. She had to be able to reach Sonomi. Even if that sword
rlm@0: was using her cousin, Sonomi had to be in there somewhere. She just needed to
rlm@0: bring her out.
rlm@0: 	Sonomi stopped before Fujitaka, pulling the sword above her head to
rlm@0: swipe him in half. Fujitaka just watched her through his glasses, waiting. He
rlm@0: couldn’t move enough to get out of the way in time. He could only watch and
rlm@0: wait. With that, Sonomi brought the sword down towards him. He closed his
rlm@0: eyes as the blade fell, waiting for the pain to follow. But aside from the pain in his
rlm@0: side, he still seemed to be in one piece. A clang reverberated inches in front of
rlm@0: his face. Blinking, he found a traditional fan right in front of him, holding back
rlm@0: Sonomi’s blade. Barely. He forced himself to move, crawling away along the
rlm@0: fence. He had to get Nadeshiko so they could get out of there. 
rlm@0: 	The girl who had blocked Sonomi’s strike watched her carefully, her fan
rlm@0: still pressed tightly against Sonomi’s. Leaping back, she landed on the grass, her
rlm@0: curious weapon still held at the ready. She wore a strange costume, looking
rlm@0: exotic amidst the two girls in their school uniforms. “Get out of here. I’ll handle
rlm@0: this,” she said to Nadeshiko, not bothering to look at the Cardcaptor. There were
rlm@0: more pressing matters. 
rlm@0: 	Nadeshiko shook her head quickly. “No, I can’t! She’s my best friend!
rlm@0: She needs my help!” She didn’t know who the new girl was, but she could feel
rlm@0: very strong magic coming from her. Her attention went back to Sonomi. She was
rlm@0: worried that the new girl might hurt her if they fought for long. There had to be
rlm@0: something else she could do. Did this have something to do with why Sonomi
rlm@0: was crying earlier? Is that how the Clow Card found her? She wanted to help the
rlm@0: Card, too, but she was much more concerned about Sonomi. She didn’t want
rlm@0: anything bad to happen to her big cousin. Sonomi was always looking out for
rlm@0: her. The thought of the brunette getting hurt by all this was horrifying.
rlm@0: 	The new arrival tried to size up the situation. She was lucky enough to
rlm@0: have foreseen this. Her dream had told her bits and pieces of this. But she hadn’t
rlm@0: gotten there in time to stop it. She had been hoping to keep it from escalating to
rlm@0: this point. As it was, it didn’t seem like the Cardcaptor was keeping a very good
rlm@0: handle on things. At least she had gotten there in time to save the man. Now she
rlm@0: could put a stop to all this and go about her business. To her surprise, Sonomi
rlm@0: came charging at her. She managed to block the first blow, dodging the next.
rlm@0: Whoever the girl was that was possessed by the Sword, she had more than the
rlm@0: Sword’s expert fencing. She had quite a lot of strength and speed as well. She
rlm@0: moved beautifully, almost like a dancer. Each movement was fluid, graceful. She
rlm@0: was impressed. And despite her parries, she could feel each blow through her
rlm@0: fan. This girl obviously kept physically fit. If only she had studied up more on
rlm@0: her martial arts, this wouldn’t be such a problem. But then, she doubted even
rlm@0: that would have given her the physical prowess of the other girl. She would have
rlm@0: to settle for her magic. Which should be more than enough to handle the
rlm@0: situation. She blocked another blow, searching her mind for the proper spell to
rlm@0: bring this to an abrupt end. Another thrust ducked low, slipping near her hand.
rlm@0: With a flick of her wrist, Sonomi disarmed the young mage. The mage watched in
rlm@0: shock as her fan tumbled end over end, landing at her feet. All magic spells were
rlm@0: suddenly forgotten as she stared into the cloudy blue eyes of her attacker. It
rlm@0: wasn’t supposed to go this way. She was supposed to catch the Cards, not be
rlm@0: done in by them. This was all wrong. She hadn’t foreseen this at all. Her mind
rlm@0: desperately tried to sort out what had gone wrong, as she told herself again and
rlm@0: again that this couldn’t happen, that she wouldn’t be able to die because she
rlm@0: hadn’t seen it beforehand. She stared at Sonomi, disbelieving as the brunette
rlm@0: thrust forward. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. She wasn’t supposed to.. A
rlm@0: halo of silvery gray hair blocked her vision all of the sudden. 
rlm@0: 	“Sonomi-chan!” Nadeshiko stood in front of the young mage, her arms
rlm@0: out. The sword came flying towards her, aimed right for her head. Nadeshiko
rlm@0: stood and waited, her emerald eyes searching Sonomi’s cloudy blue ones,
rlm@0: searching for any indication of her cousin. She knew Sonomi had to be in there
rlm@0: somewhere. She just had to find her. The blade stopped, inches from her head.
rlm@0: Sonomi just watched her for a long moment, unable to hurt her little cousin. The
rlm@0: sword slowly fell from her hand, clattering to the grass below. “Sonomi-chan!”
rlm@0: Nadeshiko yelled happily, rushing to Sonomi. She hugged the auburn haired girl
rlm@0: tightly. Her exhausted cousin collapsed against her, sending them both to their
rlm@0: knees in the grass. “Sonomi-chan!” She laughed joyously, pulling Sonomi as
rlm@0: close as she could. She felt so relieved, so happy. Sonomi was all right.
rlm@0: 	“I.. Thank you,” the new girl said, bowing to Nadeshiko. “You saved my
rlm@0: life, almost at the expense of your own. I’ll always remember that.” She watched
rlm@0: the two cousins hugging in the grass curiously, a bit surprised at what she saw
rlm@0: in the Cardcaptor. She had been expecting something else. Something a little
rlm@0: more akin to Clow Reed, perhaps. Not some silly schoolgirl. But the girl had
rlm@0: saved her life nonetheless.
rlm@0: 	Nadeshiko shook her head, smiling brightly. “I knew Sonomi-chan
rlm@0: wouldn’t hurt me. She couldn’t. She’s too busy trying to keep everything else
rlm@0: from hurting me. That’s why I knew she wouldn’t let the Clow Card that was
rlm@0: using her hurt me.” 
rlm@0: 	The young mage nodded thoughtfully. Looking down, she prodded the
rlm@0: Sword Card with her foot. “You should seal this before it can cause anymore
rlm@0: trouble.”
rlm@0: 	“Un,” Nadeshiko replied, nodding against Sonomi. The other girl was
rlm@0: still weak against her, not even fully conscious. But she was safe. And that was
rlm@0: the important thing. Pulling up her staff, Nadeshiko looked at the Sword. “You
rlm@0: really need to be more careful, Ms. Clow Card. You could have really hurt
rlm@0: someone tonight. So I’m going to take you home with me, all right? You can make
rlm@0: a lot of friends there, I promise. Return to your true form, Clow Card!” Bringing
rlm@0: the staff down, the Sword disappeared, only to be replaced by a small orange
rlm@0: brown card with a sword on it.
rlm@0: 	“Don’t worry about your friend. She’ll be fine with a little rest. She
rlm@0: won’t remember any of the time she was under the influence of the Sword. But
rlm@0: what about him?” The mage gestured back towards Fujitaka. 
rlm@0: 	“I’ll be fine. I’m just glad you two are all right. I guess you really do
rlm@0: only show your wings to Sonomi-san.” Fujitaka winced as he came forward, still
rlm@0: holding his side. He was amazed that Nadeshiko was a magical girl, but somehow
rlm@0: it seemed fitting. He didn’t want to make her tell him all the details. That was all
rlm@0: part of her life. He was glad for his glimpse of it, though. Did it have something to
rlm@0: do with that strange book he’d given her? It seemed so. It was strange that
rlm@0: something he’d barely thought about had such drastic repercussions. But at
rlm@0: least everything had worked out. 
rlm@0: 	“Arigato, Kinomoto-sensei!” Nadeshiko replied, smiling. He returned
rlm@0: the smile, though he still looked a little pale. “And thank you..” Nadeshiko turned
rlm@0: to thank the young mage who had helped them, but found that she was already
rlm@0: gone. Nadeshiko glanced around for her, but there was no sign that she had ever
rlm@0: been there at all. Shrugging off the thought, Nadeshiko went back to hugging
rlm@0: Sonomi. She felt one of Sonomi’s hands slowly rubbing her back, up and down.
rlm@0: “Sonomi-chan!”
rlm@0: 	“Nadeshiko-chan...” Sonomi replied, her mind still hazy. How did she
rlm@0: get there? What had happened? Where was she? She sighed softly, resting her
rlm@0: weary head on Nadeshiko’s soft shoulder. It felt so nice. She could smell the
rlm@0: sweet scent of Nadeshiko’s hair against her. She breathed deeply, her aching
rlm@0: body relaxing. Her earlier worries and pain were forgotten. Only half broken
rlm@0: fragments of her earlier thoughts floated through her mind. One of them brushed
rlm@0: past her heart, making her want to hold on tightly to Nadeshiko and to never let
rlm@0: go. She wrapped both arms around her cousin’s waist, resting against her. “I’ll
rlm@0: always protect you, Nadeshiko-chan,” she whispered tiredly.
rlm@0: 	Nadeshiko kissed the side of her head, smiling. “I know, Sonomi-chan.
rlm@0: I’ve always known. And thank you. It makes me happy to know that
rlm@0: Sonomi-chan will always be there to rescue me.”
rlm@0: 	Sonomi blushed at Nadeshiko’s words, feeling her cousin’s fingers
rlm@0: rubbing the back of her head. She couldn’t bring herself to move outside of
rlm@0: Nadeshiko’s embrace, not that she would want to even if she did have the
rlm@0: strength. The two sat together for quite some time, Nadeshiko enjoying the
rlm@0: wonders of the life around them and right next to her, and Sonomi simply
rlm@0: enjoying the wonders that lay in Nadeshiko.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	The image of the two girls rippled and then disappeared as the young
rlm@0: mage ran her fingers through the water. This was certainly interesting. It
rlm@0: appeared that things wouldn’t be so simple after all. A small smile crossed her
rlm@0: lips as she trailed her fingertips through the water. At least her time while
rlm@0: capturing the Cards wouldn’t be boring. She had the feeling that it would be
rlm@0: anything but. 
rlm@0: 	“Are you done with your bath, miss?” a voice asked from outside the
rlm@0: bathroom.
rlm@0: 	“Almost, Wei. I’ll be out in just a minute,” she called, letting herself sink
rlm@0: lower in the warm water. 
rlm@0: 	“I’ll leave your clothes out on your bed, miss. Be sure to get to bed
rlm@0: early. You have a rather big day ahead of you.”
rlm@0: 	The girl sighed softly, nodding. “Yes, I know. A very big day.” Sliding
rlm@0: back into the water, she let it surround her. A big day, indeed. After all, what
rlm@0: could be bigger than the day when one takes over the job of Cardcaptor?
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: