rlm@0: rlm@0: Cardcaptor Nadeshiko rlm@0: Fly Me Away rlm@0: by Amazoness Duo rlm@0: and G.P. rlm@0: amazonessduo@hotmail.com rlm@0: pearsong1954@yahoo.com rlm@0: rlm@0: All is still. The world is frozen for an eternity, time standing still. Girls lined up rlm@0: together all kneel forward precariously. Even the wind does not interrupt the moment, leaving rlm@0: behind an anxious moment of calm. Thoughts are abandoned as the girls all wait silently, as if rlm@0: awaiting the judgement of the world. A single moment stretches to infinity. In an all too brief rlm@0: moment, time snaps back into place. rlm@0: “Go!” rlm@0: Like glass shattering, the silence is over. The girls all bolt from their positions, rlm@0: the sudden movement almost a blur. Silent statues transform into swift eagles, darting across rlm@0: the track. Like graceful cats, they move fluidly toward their goal. It is closer than any want rlm@0: to think about, but feels like it may as well be half a world away. The thunderous stampede of rlm@0: girls moves inexorably forward, no force in heaven or hell able to stop them. rlm@0: At the front of the pack, an auburn haired girl pushes herself. Further, faster. rlm@0: Conscious thought escaped her. Or, rather, she refused to let it impede her movement. All that rlm@0: waited for her was the finishing line. Like a beautiful angel, it beckoned to her, calling her rlm@0: and her alone. She would be the one to reach it. She would be the one to claim it for her own. rlm@0: So she pushed herself further and faster, leaving the other girls behind. Her feet barely rlm@0: seemed to touch the ground as she ran, sending her hurtling forward to her eventual goal. The rlm@0: goal awaited her, calling out her name as she drew nearer. She could hear the other girls behind rlm@0: her, waiting to pass her. With all of her energy, all of the passion in her soul, she ran rlm@0: forward to the embrace of the finish line. rlm@0: Looking down at her stopwatch, the coach whistled. “Great time, Amamiya-san. You’re rlm@0: getting better. You girls better continue practicing if you’re going to keep up with her.” rlm@0: The girl in question jogged over to a bench, picking up a towel. Her breathing came rlm@0: quickly, her heart racing in her chest. It was always such a lovely feeling. A small smile rlm@0: crossed her lips as she heard her time. Her practice was paying off. Little by little, it was rlm@0: helping. Sonomi had always been a natural at most athletic events, but track was her favorite. rlm@0: It was simple, straightforward. It didn’t matter who you were or what your background was. Boy rlm@0: or girl, age or race, it didn’t matter. On the track, it didn’t matter that she was rich or that rlm@0: her family was important. The only thing that mattered was running. The fastest person won. rlm@0: Whoever got to the finish line first was the winner. And Sonomi was almost always the first to rlm@0: the finish line. On the track, she could leave everything behind. All she had to do was run. It rlm@0: wasn’t confusing like the rest of life. Like things with Nadeshiko. Shaking her head, Sonomi rlm@0: turned to see her younger cousin nearly bursting with enthusiasm. Sonomi smiled as Nadeshiko rlm@0: hurried over to her. That was another thing that the young heiress liked about track. Her cousin rlm@0: was always there to cheer her on. rlm@0: “Sonomi-chan! You ran so fast! I could barely see you!” Nadeshiko said excitedly. The rlm@0: wind, as if it were finished holding it’s breath while awaiting the girls to run, began to play rlm@0: with her long, dark hair. Nadeshiko smiled brightly at her cousin, her pale skin almost rlm@0: glistening under the sunlight. rlm@0: Sonomi felt her heart swell at Nadeshiko’s ringing endorsement. She was always happy to rlm@0: have her cousin watching. The gray haired girl was always so confident in her. It made her feel rlm@0: like she could accomplish anything with Nadeshiko by her side. It was always nice to have her rlm@0: own personal cheerleader. “Arigato, Nadeshiko-chan!” Smiling gratefully, she took the cup of rlm@0: water from Nadeshiko’s outstretched hands. The water slid graciously past her lips, revitalizing rlm@0: her exhausted insides. The cold water helped her to forget about the burning sun overhead. rlm@0: “I bet you’re even faster than Terrada-san. He’s the fastest on the boys’ team. But rlm@0: you’re like a blur, Sonomi-chan. You’re just like the wind.” Nadeshiko brushed her hair back rlm@0: absentmindedly, the wind sending it fluttering behind her. She smiled sweetly, glad to see her rlm@0: cousin. Everything in life was fascinating to Nadeshiko. And why shouldn’t it be? After all, rlm@0: wasn’t life itself such a fascinating thing to begin with, the simple act of being such an rlm@0: amazing fact? Sitting and watching things for hours, watching them partake of life’s endless rlm@0: dream, it was something she could never tire of. And of all these things, watching her cousin rlm@0: run was one of the most fascinating that she could think of at the moment. Seeing Sonomi zip rlm@0: across a stretch of ground, moving so eagerly towards her destination, it was always so rlm@0: wonderful to watch. Nadeshiko loved the way Sonomi always looked so intent, so dedicated to rlm@0: reach her goal. Watching her move, watching her face, watching the whole thing was just a rlm@0: wonder. But then, so much of life was. rlm@0: “Do you really think so? I heard he was really fast. I’d like to race him some time,” rlm@0: Sonomi said thoughtfully, heading back into the locker room. She had to change out of her gym rlm@0: uniform and back into her school uniform before going home. She was feeling rather good about rlm@0: things. She had a wonderful best friend, she was the up and coming star of the track team, and rlm@0: her grandfather was visiting. Yes, things were going well. She smiled happily to herself as she rlm@0: pulled her school uniform out of her bag. Pulling her shirt over her head, she turned around to rlm@0: see Nadeshiko still standing there, smiling. Sonomi nearly stumbled backwards over her bag. rlm@0: Apparently, Nadeshiko had followed her back into the locker room, even though only the track rlm@0: team was supposed to be there for the moment. “Nadeshiko-chan!” Sonomi found her heart beating rlm@0: faster, her mind fuzzy. She tried to clear it as she began to pull her school uniform on. It rlm@0: shouldn’t matter if Nadeshiko were there anyway. The dark haired girl didn’t often listen to rlm@0: rules or other such nonsense. And Sonomi had practically grown up with her, so it wasn’t like rlm@0: she should worry about dressing in front of her. But still... rlm@0: Meanwhile, Nadeshiko busied herself with looking through Sonomi’s locker. Her innocent rlm@0: curiosity sent her from one object to the next, all the while waiting for her older cousin to rlm@0: walk her home as she always did. Like a big sister, Sonomi had always looked out for her. rlm@0: Nadeshiko didn’t always understand why Sonomi was always so overprotective, but she was grateful rlm@0: for it. She thought it was sweet of Sonomi to want to protect her all the time. Even if she did rlm@0: worry too much. Sonomi was always so silly. rlm@0: “Are you ready, Nadeshiko-chan?” Sonomi asked after a moment when she thought she had rlm@0: her composure back. The strange trill that Nadeshiko always sent through her heart both thrilled rlm@0: and captivated her. It left her rolling about on powerful waves that shook her heart. And it had rlm@0: grown stronger lately, nearly taking her breath away at times. It was one of those confusing rlm@0: things that made running even more enjoyable. She didn’t have to worry about weird feelings she rlm@0: couldn’t understand. The dark haired girl was her best friend and that had been her explanation rlm@0: for the strange feelings at first, but now she wasn’t so sure. It was just so overpowering. She rlm@0: almost felt dizzy when she was with Nadeshiko, her heart aching sweetly. And it was driving rlm@0: Sonomi crazy. A flash in her eyes sent her reeling back to reality. Blinking a few times, Sonomi rlm@0: finally caught sight of Nadeshiko holding her camera, the one she had received as a birthday rlm@0: present. rlm@0: Giggling, Nadeshiko held out the camera to its owner. “Take my picture, Sonomi-chan! rlm@0: You’ve been getting better with your camera. I want to have my picture taken by the future world rlm@0: prize winning photographer, Amamiya Sonomi-chan!” She giggled again as she posed for her cousin. rlm@0: Sonomi giggled herself, holding the camera by its strap. “There’s no one I’d rather take rlm@0: pictures of than you, Nadeshiko-chan. But let’s wait till we get home. I don’t want okaa-san to rlm@0: worry about us being late.” Picking up her bag, the auburn haired girl turned to lead the way. rlm@0: She was startled a second later when she felt something soft grab her hand. Her face darkened rlm@0: slightly as she saw Nadeshiko holding her hand, smiling sweetly as always. Sonomi tried to rlm@0: return the smile, but found her heart beating mysteriously again. Nadeshiko’s hand felt so soft rlm@0: against her own, her gentle fingers moving ever so slightly against her own. The young heiress rlm@0: tried to shake off the strange feeling, but it refused to leave her. Hand in hand, the young rlm@0: Amamiya girls made their way home. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Girls!” rlm@0: “Grandpa!” rlm@0: The two girls were swept up into a warm hug by their grandfather shortly after stepping rlm@0: through the front door of Sonomi’s house. The hug lasted for a long moment before the elder man rlm@0: took a step back, smiling at his lovely granddaughters. “You’re both growing up into such pretty rlm@0: young ladies.” rlm@0: Nadishiko curtsied with a flourish, smiling brightly. “Thank you, grandpa!” rlm@0: “Arigato, grandpa!” Sonomi replied, smiling herself. Though they had visited their rlm@0: grandfather recently, he had come up himself to stay for a bit. Sonomi was always happy to see rlm@0: him. He was always so nice and fun. He didn’t have the same demanding authority that her parents rlm@0: had. She loved them dearly, but there were certain things they expected of her that her rlm@0: grandfather didn’t. He was a kind, gentle soul. His visits were always something Sonomi looked rlm@0: forward to. rlm@0: “I was waiting for the two of you to get home. I have something for you.” Going back to rlm@0: the guest room he was using, he returned with two beautiful dresses. “Now which one was for rlm@0: which of you?” A smile crossed his face as he saw his granddaughters’ faces light up. The older rlm@0: man cherished his granddaughters, and enjoyed pampering them when he got the chance to. rlm@0: “Wai! They’re beautiful!” Nadeshiko smiled brightly at the two dresses her grandfather rlm@0: held. She always loved to dress up, no matter what the occasion. It was so much fun to try on rlm@0: all sorts of different things, to wear something beautiful. And her grandfather was more than rlm@0: happy to indulge her on that wish, always ready to supply another wonderful dress for her to rlm@0: wear. rlm@0: “Grandpa! It’s gorgeous!” Sonomi stated, holding onto the hem of one of the dresses. It rlm@0: was beautifully adorned with ribbons and bows. The other dress was no less adorable, a white rlm@0: dress with plenty of frills and lace. “Can we try them on?” she asked hopefully. Seeing the rlm@0: older man nod, she smiled happily and took the two dresses. “Come on, Nadeshiko-chan. I’ll go rlm@0: take your picture in both of these.” rlm@0: Laughing, the older man smiled at his granddaughters’ exuberance. “Just make sure you rlm@0: both come down to dinner in them. I want to see how they look on my pretty granddaughters.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “Hai, grandpa!” rlm@0: rlm@0: Sonomi watched her younger cousin through the lens of the camera, following every little rlm@0: movement as she lined up her shot. Nadeshiko’s emerald green eyes sparkled. There was no one rlm@0: Sonomi would rather take pictures of. Nadeshiko was the perfect model for her. The other girl rlm@0: was so pretty and she always posed gracefully. One would never be able to guess at how accident rlm@0: prone the gray haired girl was if they had only seen pictures of her. rlm@0: Sonomi was currently wearing the ribbon and bow clad dress, Nadeshiko wearing the other. rlm@0: They had taken several pictures of Nadeshiko in the other dress and now they had switched, rlm@0: allowing Sonomi to get several more pictures. Nadeshiko was currently lying on her stomach, her rlm@0: chin in her hands and her bare feet slowly kicking in the air. She was smiling happily at the rlm@0: camera. Sonomi could feel a faint blush color her cheeks as Nadeshiko gazed directly at her. Her rlm@0: finger pushed the button, the shutter closing with a click and a whir. And so another image of rlm@0: her beloved cousin was frozen forever on film. It was such an amazing thing, the camera. Some rlm@0: people said it was magical, that it had the power to trap ones soul. And Sonomi could see why. rlm@0: It certainly had its own magic. It allowed you to capture a single moment of time forever, to rlm@0: hold onto it for as long as you wished. And yes, it even allowed you to capture pieces of rlm@0: someone’s soul. No, not the whole thing, of course. But fragments. Bit and pieces. The shards rlm@0: lying around. Each picture held a little bit of Nadeshiko in it, which was why each picture was rlm@0: so precious to Sonomi. She was extremely careful with each picture she took, wanting it to be rlm@0: perfect. Another click and whir sounded as she took another picture. rlm@0: Nadeshiko watched Sonomi as the other girl moved around to get a better shot. She loved rlm@0: posing for her cousin. It was so much fun to be able to dress up for Sonomi, to have her take rlm@0: her picture with that camera. She loved getting in position for the pictures, trying to look rlm@0: pretty for each consecutive shot. It was always so lovely to be the focus of Sonomi’s attention, rlm@0: to see her trying so hard to take the perfect picture. And every picture that Nadeshiko had seen rlm@0: Sonomi take always turned out beautifully. She loved flipping through the scrapbook that her rlm@0: older cousin was keeping, seeing all of her pictures lined up neatly. The fact that all of the rlm@0: pictures were of herself didn’t seem surprising at all. Sonomi always paid attention to her, so rlm@0: it just seemed natural. It was something she always liked. She smiled prettily for the camera, rlm@0: her long dark hair framing her face, nearly obscuring her hands. Sitting up on her knees, she rlm@0: tilted her head to the side as Sonomi got ready for another shot. rlm@0: Taking another picture of her lovely cousin, Sonomi stepped around to the other side of rlm@0: the bed. It was wonderful being able to do this with Nadeshiko. It was their time alone rlm@0: together. She could take endless amounts of pictures of her photogenic cousin. And she was more rlm@0: than happy to. Sonomi was trying harder and harder to get better at taking pictures. If rlm@0: Nadeshiko was her subject, then they had to be perfect. The other girl was perfect, and so the rlm@0: pictures of her should be as well. Nadeshiko was the only thing Sonomi really liked to take rlm@0: pictures of. Maybe it was just that Nadeshiko made such an excellent model. Or maybe... Sonomi rlm@0: shook her head, unsure of where that thought would lead. She tried to shake off the confusion as rlm@0: she clicked another picture. “You’re so cute in that!” Sonomi said, her mind shifting to something much easier for her to grasp: her cousin’s irresistible cuteness. All of Sonomi’s room was filled with cute things, from toys to dolls to stuffed animals. And the cutest thing of all was, of course, Nadeshiko herself. The other girl was so innocent and sweet and cute. It was just perfect. Smiling, Sonomi took another picture. “I wish I had enough film to do this forever.” rlm@0: “Me too, Sonomi-chan,” Nadeshiko replied, smiling into the camera. “You’re so good at rlm@0: taking pictures.” A knock at the door drew her attention, long dark hair fluttering about her. rlm@0: “It’s time for dinner, girls. Hurry and wash up,” Sonomi’s mother said. rlm@0: “Hai!” Slipping off the bed, Nadeshiko hurried for the door, eager to show her rlm@0: grandfather the dress he had bought her. rlm@0: Sonomi pulled up the camera after a moment, letting Nadeshiko fill the lens. Taking another quick picture, she caught Nadeshiko’s beautiful image in film once again. A soft, rlm@0: dreamy sigh escaped her. If only she could do that forever. Nadeshiko was always at the rlm@0: forefront of her mind. It would be so nice to spend forever taking her beautiful picture. rlm@0: Setting down her camera, Sonomi quickly followed, a bright smile on her lips. rlm@0: rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ rlm@0: rlm@0: “So you don’t think I can beat you?” Sonomi asked in irritation, her hands on her hips. rlm@0: She stared the reddish haired boy down as she waited for an answer. rlm@0: “I just think that your cousin shouldn’t go around saying you’re faster than me. I’m rlm@0: sure you’re good. But you’re still a girl,” the boy replied, crossing his arms. rlm@0: Sonomi’s eyebrow twitched at his words. “If Nadeshiko-chan said I can beat you, then I rlm@0: can. Are you calling her a liar?” rlm@0: “No, no,” the boy said quickly. He sighed inwardly. He had wanted to confront her about rlm@0: the rumors that she was faster than him. He didn’t want to start a fight over Sonomi’s cousin. rlm@0: Everyone knew how touchy she could be when Nadeshiko was involved. “It’s just that I’m the rlm@0: fastest one at the school. And everyone keeps saying that you are. That’s stupid.” rlm@0: “Fine. If you want to race, then let’s race, Terrada-san,” Sonomi challenged, tossing rlm@0: her hair out of her eyes with a quick toss of her head. She wasn’t one to back down from things. rlm@0: And she was frustrated that this boy would come to her to argue about who was faster. “If you rlm@0: want to prove who’s faster, then let’s see.” And to say that he was faster because he was a boy rlm@0: at that! That was one of her favorite things about racing, that it only mattered who was the rlm@0: fastest, not who they were. She did think that it was a little embarrassing that Nadeshiko had rlm@0: been telling everyone at school that she was the fastest one, but she was happy to have her rlm@0: younger cousin’s confidence. rlm@0: The boy nodded in agreement. “All right. Let’s do it. First one to the finish line is rlm@0: the fastest at the school.” He wanted to clear this up once and for all. At first it had just rlm@0: been Nadeshiko talking about how fast Sonomi was, but now other girls were beginning to as well rlm@0: and even some of the boys. If he didn’t put an end to this fast, everyone really would think she rlm@0: was the fastest. rlm@0: The two stretched as they waited. Several other students had gathered by the time they rlm@0: had gotten ready. Sonomi was still in her school uniform, but there wasn’t anything she could do rlm@0: to fix that. She would just have to make do. She and Terrada slowly took their places, waiting rlm@0: for the signal to send them dashing towards the finish line. rlm@0: “You can do it, Sonomi-chan! No one can beat you!” Nadeshiko called out energetically. rlm@0: She didn’t see what all the fuss was about. She was proud of her cousin. Sonomi really was a rlm@0: great runner. Nadeshiko had watched her all the time. So she wanted people to know how great rlm@0: she was. It struck her as odd that someone would get mad about that. But she didn’t let it rlm@0: bother her. It didn’t matter. And it gave Sonomi another chance to run. rlm@0: “What’s going on?” a voice asked. rlm@0: Turning to answer the voice, Nadeshiko smiled pleasantly at the teacher’s assistant, rlm@0: Kinomoto Fujitaka. “Kinomoto-sensei! Sonomi-chan and Terrada-san are about to race. Did you come rlm@0: to watch?” she asked cheerfully. rlm@0: Smiling at the younger girl, Fujitaka nodded. “Yes, I guess I did. I just didn’t know rlm@0: what it was about. Thank you, Nadeshiko-chan.” Lured by the crowd of students, Fujitaka had been rlm@0: curious as to what was going on. He had been glad to find the dark haired girl there to explain rlm@0: things to him. She was rapidly becoming his favorite student. It was funny how things worked. It rlm@0: was almost like Fate that he had hit her with a ball in the park not so long ago. He could tell rlm@0: she was different from the other girls her age. She was almost other worldly, always lost in her rlm@0: own thoughts and in the world around her, never seeming concerned about anything. It was so rlm@0: refreshing with how worried all the other girls were about life’s trivialities. rlm@0: Sonomi, meanwhile, was preparing for her race. She waited motionless, her mind set rlm@0: directly on the task before her. She let out a deep breath. “Go!” a black haired girl called. rlm@0: And with that, Sonomi launched herself forward. Run! It raced through her mind in the same way rlm@0: that she raced across the track, the single thought becoming all encompassing. She could hear rlm@0: Terrada running beside her, could feel the wind sweeping across her body and the ground for a rlm@0: split second at a time. Her mind focussed on the finish line, everything else blurring, rlm@0: disappearing from her vision. There was only the goal. Even her rival began to fade away, her rlm@0: concentration remaining steadfast. Just a little further... This was her chance to prove rlm@0: herself, to show that Nadeshiko was right about her. Her strong legs propelled her forward, rlm@0: the mingled voices of the students nothing more than a whisper to her as she finally reached rlm@0: the designated finish line. It took her a moment to realize she had crossed it. Already stopped, rlm@0: she had to clear her head, to let the rest of reality back in. rlm@0: “Amamiya-san! That was unbelievable!” one of the girls said in amazement. rlm@0: “We told you she was the best, Terrada-san!” another girl said. rlm@0: “I can’t believe that a girl beat you,” one of Terrada’s friends said, shaking his head. rlm@0: Sonomi smiled to herself, brushing back her disheveled auburn hair. She had proven rlm@0: Nadeshiko right. She had proven herself right. It didn’t matter who you were with track. It only rlm@0: mattered who the fastest was. She slowly caught her breath, glancing around for Nadeshiko. Her rlm@0: eyes were well trained to the task, quickly scanning for the gray haired girl. But this time she rlm@0: couldn’t find her amongst the gathered crowd of students. Her elation at her victory quickly rlm@0: disappeared as panic began to grow inside of her. She didn’t like being away from Nadeshiko for rlm@0: too long. Nadeshiko always managed to get hurt if she wasn’t there to protect her. Ignoring the rlm@0: praise from some fellow students, Sonomi hurried off in search of her cousin. rlm@0: rlm@0: “Thank you for your help, Nadeshiko-chan,” Fujitaka said gratefully, smiling as he rlm@0: pushed up his glasses. “It would have taken me much longer to get all of those papers back to rlm@0: the teacher’s lounge on my own.” rlm@0: “You’re welcome, Kinomoto-sensei,” Nadeshiko replied, smiling in return. When he had rlm@0: asked if she wanted to help move some papers back to the teacher’s lounge, she had been happy to rlm@0: help. She had a boundless curiosity and she had never seen the teacher’s lounge before, so it rlm@0: had sounded like a great idea. She already knew that Sonomi would win, anyway. So she didn’t rlm@0: need to wait and see the results. The teacher’s lounge, once a mysterious and far off place, was rlm@0: now added to her mental map of the school. Having seen it didn’t take away any of the wonder, rlm@0: though. Nadeshiko always managed to find wonder hidden in anything. rlm@0: Sonomi stood in the doorway for a long moment, unsure of what to say. She felt hurt, rlm@0: angry, jealous. But she didn’t know what to say about any of it. Her victory felt cheap, rlm@0: pointless, with Nadeshiko leaving to go help the assistant teacher. Nadeshiko was always there rlm@0: to cheer her on, to share the victory with her when it was all over. But the assistant teacher rlm@0: had lured her off to help with some trivial task. Sonomi had been running because of what rlm@0: Nadeshiko had said about her being the fastest. It didn’t feel right to have won without rlm@0: Nadeshiko waiting for her at the end. And here that assistant teacher was, not caring at all rlm@0: about such things, smiling as if all was right with the world. And why shouldn’t he? He had rlm@0: Nadeshiko with him, so of course he was smiling. Who wouldn’t smile in Nadeshiko’s presence? rlm@0: Yeah, that was it. He had taken Nadeshiko away at her moment of victory. He was why she wasn’t rlm@0: there to share it with her. Balling up her fists, Sonomi stormed into the room. “Nadeshiko-chan, rlm@0: there you are! I’ve been looking all over for you. I was starting to get so worried. You know rlm@0: you shouldn’t wander off like that.” rlm@0: “Hi, Sonomi-chan!” Nadeshiko replied, waving to her older cousin. She hurried over to rlm@0: Sonomi’s side, glad to see the auburn haired girl. Sonomi always managed to find her, though rlm@0: she did always look worried when she did. This time she looked a little different, though. Not rlm@0: exactly worried. Something else. Nadeshiko watched her curiously. rlm@0: “Oh, she’s fine, Sonomi-chan. She’s been with me the whole time,” Fujitaka said rlm@0: helpfully, smiling all the while. “Oh, how did your little race go, by the way?” he asked rlm@0: curiously, pushing his glasses up. rlm@0: “My little race went just fine, thank you. Come on, Nadeshiko-chan.” Turning her rlm@0: attention back to Nadeshiko, Sonomi took the other girl’s hand, leading her out of the large rlm@0: classroom. She just wanted to get away from the teacher. She was still frustrated about the rlm@0: whole thing, but all she could do was to take her dearest Nadeshiko away from him. She shot him rlm@0: a gaze with her stormy blue eyes as she headed for the door, Nadeshiko in tow. Nadeshiko rlm@0: followed as she always did, waving to Fujitaka before they disappeared out the door. rlm@0: rlm@0: Sonomi lay in bed, her blanket up around her head, her school uniform laying on the rlm@0: floor. She was usually much better about keeping things in order, but she just didn’t care. Her rlm@0: grandpa has asked her if she wanted to play some tennis with him, but she had declined. She rlm@0: loved to play things like that with her grandfather, but she just didn’t feel up to it at the rlm@0: moment. She was still feeling burnt out from her race with Terrada. It just felt so shallow rlm@0: knowing Nadeshiko hadn’t been there for it. It wasn’t that she couldn’t race without Nadeshiko, rlm@0: but this was for the other girl as well as for herself. Knowing that Nadeshiko had been lured rlm@0: away made it all feel so pointless to have ran against him at all. Who cared what the other rlm@0: students thought of her? It was what Nadeshiko thought of her that was important. rlm@0: Rolling on her side, Sonomi sighed sadly. She still felt jealous that Nadeshiko had been rlm@0: with her teacher instead of with her. She was angry at him for taking Nadeshiko away while she rlm@0: was racing. Nadeshiko was supposed to be there, watching her, cheering for her. How dare he take rlm@0: her away? But what could she do about it? He was her teacher. That feeling of powerlessness sent rlm@0: Sonomi’s heart tumbling again. She hated feeling powerless, useless. She hated feeling trapped. rlm@0: It was one of the most painful feelings she could think of. She needed to be able to handle rlm@0: things, to be free. rlm@0: Her mother’s words cam ringing back to her, ones from back near her birthday. ‘Oh, rlm@0: Sonomi-chan, you’re growing up so fast! Pretty soon, you’ll be a beautiful young lady. All the rlm@0: handsome boys will start falling for you. Someday you’ll get a wonderful husband and a darling rlm@0: family.’ Sonomi had merely smiled and humored her mother at the time. Truth be told, she didn’t rlm@0: really care much about the idea of a husband or boys starting to fall for her. It didn’t sound rlm@0: like something that she would want. She never much liked boys to begin with. She was much more rlm@0: interested with the idea of having a family. One went with the other, though. She had no doubt rlm@0: that eventually she’d wed and have a child. It was how things worked. But she didn’t much care rlm@0: to think about it too much. But now that she thought about it again, it made perfect sense in rlm@0: context with her beloved Nadeshiko. Nadeshiko was already very pretty. She would only grow more rlm@0: beautiful as time went by. Though she was a little odd, boys were already becoming interested in rlm@0: her. In time, they would surely start falling for her en masse. Sonomi shook her head at the rlm@0: horrifying vision of manbeasts stalking her dear Nadeshiko. If it was anything like what was rlm@0: going on with the assistant teacher, Sonomi could already tell it would be a living nightmare. rlm@0: ‘I’ll protect you from those insects, Nadeshiko-chan. I won’t let them take you away. They don’t rlm@0: deserve you. I’ll keep them away from you,’ Sonomi vowed. rlm@0: A knock at her window shocked the auburn haired girl out of her thoughts. Getting out rlm@0: from under her blanket, Sonomi crept to the window, squinting to try and see out into the rlm@0: darkness. Her room was on the second floor, so how could anyone be at her window? Picking up a rlm@0: porcelain dolphin by her nightstand just in case, Sonomi peered out her window. What could rlm@0: possibly be making the light rapping on her window? It took her a moment to recognize the shape. rlm@0: “Nadeshiko-chan?!” The auburn haired girl immediately opened the window for her younger cousin. rlm@0: “What are you doing here? How did you get all the way up here, Nadeshiko-chan?” Without waiting rlm@0: for the dark haired girl’s answer, Sonomi pulled Nadeshiko inside, holding onto the other girl rlm@0: tightly. rlm@0: Resting against Sonomi, Nadeshiko pulled up a foot behind her, motioning to her foot, rlm@0: wings on either side of it. “I used the Jump Card. It was really helpful. You’d be surprised how rlm@0: high you can jump with them, Sonomi-chan. It’s a lot of fun. You should try it some time.” rlm@0: Sonomi held Nadeshiko’s foot, her fingers brushing along her ankle where the wings were rlm@0: located. “That’s really cute. So that’s what that little stuffed animal guy we caught does?” She rlm@0: would have said something about it not being safe for Nadeshiko to come to her window like that, rlm@0: but she was too happy to see her to argue. And the wings on her feet really were cute. Sonomi rlm@0: brushed the wings a bit, still holding Nadeshiko’s small foot in her hand. She didn’t want to rlm@0: let go. Thankfully, Nadeshiko didn’t seem to mind, her toes wiggling as Sonomi continued to rlm@0: hold her ankle and the wings. rlm@0: “Yeah. I was surprised. But I guess it makes sense with her name being Jump and all.” A rlm@0: thump at the window caught Nadeshiko’s attention. “Oh yeah! Teddy-chan came, too. I got so rlm@0: excited about jumping around to your house that I must have forgotten about her. Could you open rlm@0: the window?” rlm@0: Reluctantly letting go of Nadeshiko’s foot, Sonomi headed to the window. She paused for rlm@0: a moment, considering. That little stuffed animal was always getting Nadeshiko in trouble. Did rlm@0: she really want to let it in? Sighing, she slid the window open. If it would appease Nadeshiko, rlm@0: then she could deal with it. rlm@0: “About time you opened the window. I was freezing out there!” The little yellow Seal rlm@0: Beast shuddered to make a point, his expressive face in a frown. rlm@0: Sonomi stared at the Seal Beast for a long moment before looking back to Nadeshiko. The rlm@0: dark haired girl simply smiled brightly. Sonomi turned back to the floating teddy bear. The Seal rlm@0: Beast was wearing a small lavender dress, obviously from one of Nadeshiko’s other doll. He had rlm@0: two little green bows tied on his ears. rlm@0: “Isn’t she cute?” Nadeshiko asked, clasping her hands together. She had summarily rlm@0: decided that Cereberus was a girl shortly after having discovered him. And it only seemed rlm@0: fitting that she dress up her newest stuffed animal friend in something pretty. rlm@0: “Err.. Of course she is, Nadeshiko-chan! She’s very cute,” Sonomi said quickly, smiling rlm@0: reassuringly. Her cousin certainly had good taste. The little dress was cute. And it almost made rlm@0: the Seal Beast look friendly. Now if only Nadeshiko could fix the things attitude, then it would rlm@0: be perfect. But as far as the Seal Beast was concerned, the feeling was mutual. He didn’t seem rlm@0: particularly fond of Sonomi either.” rlm@0: “I’m not a girl,” Teddy-chan said unenthusiastically, his stubby arms crossed. Though he rlm@0: found himself to be the pinnacle of manliness, the current Cardcaptor didn’t seem to agree. All rlm@0: of his arguments had been politely ignored as Nadeshiko had gone about dressing him as prettily rlm@0: as she could. rlm@0: “Of course you are,” Sonomi said, looking him in the eyes. “And Nadeshiko-chan thinks rlm@0: you’re a very pretty girl. You should be happy.” Putting a hand on her chin, Sonomi watched him rlm@0: thoughtfully. “And though I hate to admit it, she’s right. You do look cute in that. She did a rlm@0: great job.” The auburn haired girl felt herself nearly get knocked over as Nadeshiko hugged her rlm@0: tightly from behind. A warm blush spread across her cheeks as she felt Nadeshiko hold onto her. rlm@0: “Arigato, Sonomi-chan! I’m so glad you agree! Teddy-chan didn’t seem so sure,” Nadeshiko rlm@0: said happily. She was glad to get Sonomi’s opinion of her makeover of Teddy. She had spent a lot rlm@0: of time making the Seal Beast pretty and she was happy to have Sonomi on her side. It was much rlm@0: better that Teddy have a cute wardrobe than to just fly around without any clothes all day, she rlm@0: had told him. He had agreed at first, saying he would like to wear something ‘cool’. He had rlm@0: changed his mind upon seeing the wardrobe she had found for him. At least Sonomi thought it was rlm@0: a good idea. rlm@0: Teddy grumbled to himself, holding his yellow head in his paws. “Can we please get down rlm@0: to business? We need to stop a Clow Card. It’s out there right now and it doesn’t seem very rlm@0: happy.” Why was he stuck in the middle of all of this? He was the Seal Beast. He shouldn’t be rlm@0: sporting lipstick or hair bows. He sighed miserably and tried to make the best of it. The least rlm@0: they could do is catch the Clow Cards before they caused too much damage. But between the rlm@0: Cardcaptor’s bizarre behavior and her hot tempered cousin, this was getting to be a difficult rlm@0: job. rlm@0: “A Clow Card? Again?” Sonomi wasn’t very thrilled with where this was going. She didn’t rlm@0: like the idea of Nadeshiko have to run around and catch these things. What would she do if rlm@0: anything happened to her? But that was exactly why she had to go. She couldn’t stop Nadeshiko rlm@0: from going anymore than her parents could make her go to bed on time. Nadeshiko would go with or rlm@0: without her consent. So all she could do was go with and try to protect Nadeshiko as best she rlm@0: could. rlm@0: “Mmhmm..” Nadeshiko said, nodding. “That’s why we came. I thought you’d want to come, rlm@0: too, Sonomi-chan. It’s more fun when you’re there. At least, I think it is. I’ve never gone rlm@0: without you. Except for when I got the book.” Nadeshiko looked thoughtful for a moment before rlm@0: nodding. “And I want you to come.” She smiled sweetly at her cousin, holding her staff in front rlm@0: of her. rlm@0: Sighing, Sonomi went to grab her jacket. “All right. But lets hurry. It’s getting late. rlm@0: I just want to get this thing over with.” Pulling her jacket on, she looked over at Nadeshiko rlm@0: worriedly. Stepping forward, she took Nadeshiko’s hands in her own. “Please, Nadeshiko-chan, rlm@0: always come get me before you go do these things. I want to help you with them. I want to keep rlm@0: you safe.” Her stormy blue eyes pleaded with Nadeshiko’s emerald gems. rlm@0: “All right, Sonomi-chan,” Nadeshiko agreed, smiling. rlm@0: Sighing, this time with a slight feeling of relief, Sonomi nodded. “Okay. Let’s go.” rlm@0: rlm@0: “So.. Where is it?” Sonomi asked, hugging her jacket close to herself. A cold night rlm@0: breeze blew across the two girls and the Seal Beast. Sonomi was only wearing her nightgown and a rlm@0: jacket. She hoped it wouldn’t rain. She’d have to take Nadeshiko home if it did, Card or not. rlm@0: She wasn’t going to have the other girl getting sick because of this. rlm@0: Nadeshiko looked around, holding her staff in front of her. She couldn’t see anything, rlm@0: but every once in a while she would feel strange feelings drawing her one way or another. Teddy rlm@0: had told her that it was sensing magic in the Cards, but it was so difficult to do! It was like rlm@0: trying to decide what direction ‘happy’ was in. Shaking her head, she turned to Sonomi, offering rlm@0: a small smile. “It has to be around here somewhere. Maybe it’s shy,” she suggested, glancing rlm@0: around once more. “Ms. Clow Card! Could you please come out? We’d really like to meet you! We rlm@0: want to be your friend!” rlm@0: As if in response to Nadeshiko’s call, a large object swept out of the treetops, soaring rlm@0: through the air towards them. Leaves scattered in every which direction, the wind buffeting the rlm@0: street below. rlm@0: “There she is!” Nadeshiko smiled, waving to the Clow Card as it hurtled towards them. It rlm@0: grew larger and larger as it continued to close in on them. This wasn’t so hard after all. It rlm@0: was coming right to her. Suddenly, the ground disappeared from beneath her feet and she went rlm@0: flying to the side. It took her a moment to realize that Sonomi had knocked her out of the way. rlm@0: She got up shakily, using her staff to support herself. “She doesn’t seem very happy to see rlm@0: us.” rlm@0: Sonomi crouched near Nadeshiko, watching the Card soar up into the sky again, searching rlm@0: for them. Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched it circling above, like a giant bird of rlm@0: prey. “Why is it attacking us? What’s wrong with that thing?” rlm@0: “It’s the Fly Card. It doesn’t have the most docile disposition. I think it’s a little rlm@0: angry about being stuck in the book for so long,” Teddy explained, floating next to the two rlm@0: girls. rlm@0: “But Nadeshiko-chan didn’t do that to the Card! It’s not her fault! The Card should rlm@0: thank her for setting it free,” Sonomi replied angrily. rlm@0: “Well, that’s how it works,” Teddy replied with a shrug. “And she’s the new Cardcaptor, rlm@0: so it probably isn’t happy about being stuck in the book again.” rlm@0: “I’ll take her out of the book a lot if that’s what she wants,” Nadeshiko offered rlm@0: hopefully. “She doesn’t have to stay in it if she doesn’t want to. Can we tell her that?” She rlm@0: had no want to subjugate the Cards. She simply wanted to be their friend, to meet them all. rlm@0: “I don’t think it’s in a listening mood right now, Nadeshiko-chan,” Sonomi stated, rlm@0: watching the Fly Card descend towards them. Grabbing the other girl’s pale hand, she ran as fast rlm@0: as she could. Should might be able to get away on her own, but Nadeshiko slowed her rlm@0: considerably. But she couldn’t leave Nadeshiko alone against that thing. Her eyes darted for any rlm@0: place they could escape to, anything that would let them get away from the magical creature rlm@0: hunting for them. She yanked Nadeshiko around a tree at the last moment, the wind nearly rlm@0: knocking them both off of their feet as it darted past the side of the tree, lifting into the rlm@0: air again. Her heart pounded in her chest, shaking her whole body. Never before had Nadeshiko rlm@0: actually been in danger with the Cards. This was wrong. Nadeshiko shouldn’t be out here past her rlm@0: bedtime with a giant hawk thing trying to tear her apart. And yet Nadeshiko was expected to bind rlm@0: the beast, to change it back into a Card. She was just a little girl! Sonomi had some choice rlm@0: words for whoever decided to place this burden on her beloved Nadeshiko. Her mind raced for rlm@0: options. Whatever she was going to do, she had to do it quickly. The longer they were out in the rlm@0: open, the greater the chance they would get hurt. Her eyes finally settled on a building, still rlm@0: under construction. “Nadeshiko-chan, run!” she yelled before bolting to the building. An angry rlm@0: squawk thundered above them before the Fly dove towards them. It flew ever nearer, the wind rlm@0: nearly tearing Sonomi’s hand from Nadeshiko’s. She held on tightly, finally pulling her through rlm@0: the opening as the large bird creature passed just above the ground. rlm@0: Nadeshiko leant against the wall, catching her breath. She wasn’t nearly as athletic as rlm@0: her cousin and all the physical exertion was exhausting her. She slid down the wall, breathing rlm@0: quickly. “We have to talk to her. She needs to know that we don’t want to hurt her.” rlm@0: “I’m more worried about what she wants to do to us,” Teddy answered, floating beside the rlm@0: Cardcaptor. “We need to find some way to capture it. But I don’t think you have the right Cards rlm@0: yet. Flower isn’t strong enough, Jump just isn’t the type of Card to bind her, and even if Wood rlm@0: is strong enough, she doesn’t have that kind of range.” rlm@0: The angry squawking grew louder as the Fly continued its search for the Cardcaptor and rlm@0: her friends. Something large toppled over outside as the wind beat down around it. rlm@0: Sonomi looked at the large back opening to the building. They hadn’t finished enough of rlm@0: it. It was large enough for the bird creature to get through if it found it. They would have to rlm@0: find another hiding place. But how long could they keep hiding? This thing was out there rlm@0: somewhere. They needed to catch it. But she couldn’t let it hurt Nadeshiko. She couldn’t let her rlm@0: go out there, even armed with her magic, to do battle with the Card. She could never allow that. rlm@0: It could tear apart her beautiful little cousin. No, she had promised she would protect rlm@0: Nadeshiko. And she would, no matter what. Her decision made, Sonomi walked over to the door. rlm@0: “Nadeshiko-chan. I’m going to get the Card to chase me in here through the back. When you hear rlm@0: us coming, get the Wood Card ready. You can trap it when we come in here. It won’t have the room rlm@0: to get away.” She swallowed as she held onto the doorframe. She would have to use every ounce of rlm@0: speed she had ever shown in track. This wasn’t just a game. Taking a deep breath, Sonomi rlm@0: prepared herself. This was still the same thing. It only mattered that she was fast enough. rlm@0: “Sonomi-chan? No, you can’t go out there. It might hurt you,” Nadeshiko hurried over to rlm@0: Sonomi’s side, shaking her head. “We have to talk to it first. Otherwise it might still be rlm@0: angry.” rlm@0: Sonomi smiled at her cousin, squeezing Nadeshiko’s hand. “You said I’m the fastest, rlm@0: right? Then I can’t lose. It won’t be able to catch me. I can do it, Nadeshiko-chan. I know I rlm@0: can. Because you believe in me. Please believe in me. If you do, I know I can do anything.” rlm@0: Nadeshiko smiled slowly, nodding. “Hai. I believe in you, Sonomi-chan. I know you can! rlm@0: You’re the fastest! You’re just like the wind, Sonomi-chan!” The dark haired girl gave Sonomi a rlm@0: quick hug before stepping away. rlm@0: Watching her cousin for a moment, Sonomi felt her determination swell. That was why she rlm@0: was doing this. For Nadeshiko. Because she didn’t want Nadeshiko to get hurt. So she had to lure rlm@0: the beast to her cousin. It was the only way to keep Nadeshiko out of harm’s way. Taking a deep rlm@0: breath, Sonomi darted out of the doorway. rlm@0: The squawking above grew into a frenzy as the Fly caught sight of a single girl running rlm@0: below. It dove below trying to catch its prey as it hurried through the street. It would not be rlm@0: captured again. It was free. And it would remain so. rlm@0: Sonomi could hear the roar of the creature as it flew behind her, quickly catching up. rlm@0: She threw her all into running, her mind staying constantly on the finish line. She had to reach rlm@0: it. She had to make it back to Nadeshiko. If the thing caught her, it would only wait for rlm@0: Nadeshiko to come out. She couldn’t let her cousin get hurt. Her heart ached painfully as she rlm@0: ran, both from the thought of the creature right behind her and the exhaustion of her running. rlm@0: It would be on her soon. She had to go faster. She was almost there. Almost.. She could feel the rlm@0: wind whipping around her, threatening to send her sprawling to the floor. She knew that if she rlm@0: fell down, she wouldn’t be getting back up. She finally caught sight of the opening. Her entire rlm@0: body burned as she forced her muscles to move despite the pain. Just a little more.. She could rlm@0: hear the Fly nearer and nearer, just behind her. The opening was right in front of her. Her rlm@0: entire body wanted to collapse, but instead she ran even faster, her vision blurring around her rlm@0: as her weary body threatened to give up. rlm@0: And she was through. Teddy grabbed hold of Sonomi’s jacket and yanked her into the air rlm@0: just as the Fly crashed through the opening. rlm@0: “Wood! Bind the Fly and hold it still!” Nadeshiko called out, her voice echoing in the rlm@0: confines of the unfinished building. A beautiful magical woman appeared out of the Wood Card, rlm@0: large leafy branches reaching out to entangle the Fly Card. The large branches held it in place, rlm@0: keeping it from flying away. But still, the Fly struggled, writhing about in its bonds, yanking rlm@0: and shifting desperately to escape. It cried out again and again, trying to force its way free. rlm@0: It wouldn’t be captured again. It couldn’t allow itself to be sealed away in the book. It only rlm@0: wanted to be free. To soar free. It cried out, bashing about left and right in a mad attempt to rlm@0: get away. Wood struggled to hold it, but it’s branches began to sway under the force, some rlm@0: snapping painfully. rlm@0: “No! Please don’t!” Nadeshiko called out, running through the maze of branches to the rlm@0: struggling Clow Card. She couldn’t stand to see it hurting itself and Wood so badly. She could rlm@0: already see Wood suffering from its sustained blows. The Fly’s wing was injured as well, the rlm@0: beautiful creature hurting it in its vain struggle. “Please don’t,” Nadeshiko whispered, laying rlm@0: a gentle hand on the Fly’s beak. “Don’t hurt yourself. Please. And please don’t hurt Wood. She’s rlm@0: really sweet. She’s just trying to help you. We both want to help you.” Dismissing the Wood rlm@0: Card, Nadeshiko stood before the Fly, her hand still on its beak. She looked at its frightened, rlm@0: pained eyes. She smiled gently, looking into its eyes. “It will be okay. I promise.” rlm@0: “Nadeshiko-chan!” Sonomi cried out, panic gripping her. She raced to her cousin’s side, rlm@0: but Teddy blocked the way. “Get away from it!” She almost couldn’t bear to watch. Her mind rlm@0: filled with horrible fates for her beautiful cousin, the large creature lashing out at her in rlm@0: them. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to Nadeshiko. She couldn’t live with rlm@0: herself if her younger cousin got hurt. She shoved Teddy aside, ready to run to Nadeshiko. But rlm@0: she knew she wouldn’t be in time. She was too weak from running all the way there. There was no rlm@0: way she could get Nadeshiko out of the way. Her heart hung in limbo as she watched and waited. rlm@0: Slowly, gently, the Fly Card nuzzled Nadeshiko. It’s eyes calmed as it watched her. This rlm@0: girl would enslave it. She was sincere. She was genuinely sorry for the Fly getting hurt. The rlm@0: Fly simply stood there before her. rlm@0: “Thank you very much,” Nadeshiko said happily. Holding its beak with both of her hands, rlm@0: she gave it a kiss on the tip of it. “I’ll take good care of you. You can stay with all of your rlm@0: friends, the other Cards. And Teddy-chan, too.” Holding up the staff, Nadeshiko brought it down rlm@0: gently on the Fly Card. “Return to your true form! Clow Card!” In a swirl of magic, a small Card rlm@0: appeared in the air before Nadeshiko. Hugging the card close, she smiled. “She just wanted a rlm@0: nice place to stay.” rlm@0: Sonomi sighed, reaching Nadeshiko. “I hope we never have to do anything like that rlm@0: again.” Her whole body ached. She knew it was going to be sore the next day. And she had track rlm@0: practice, too. But at least it was over with. This was their shared triumph. It was so much more rlm@0: fulfilling to share it with Nadeshiko. She smiled as she watched her cousin standing there rlm@0: cutely, wand in hand. It was nice to be there with her. Better than being home in bed alone. rlm@0: Well, the whole Nadeshiko being in danger part notwithstanding. rlm@0: “Well..” Teddy laughed nervously at Sonomi’s comment. There were other, more dangerous rlm@0: Cards out there. But they didn’t need to know that at the moment. rlm@0: “Fly!” Nadeshiko watched in amazement as wings grew on the back of her staff. “Sugoi!! rlm@0: Isn’t that great, Sonomi-chan?” The dark haired girl watched as the wings on her staff flapped rlm@0: slowly. She climbed on, deciding to test it out. Jumping had been fun earlier. Flying seemed rlm@0: even more amazing. Pushing off with her feet, the staff lifted into the air. “Wai! Come on, rlm@0: Sonomi-chan! This really is fun!” rlm@0: “Nadeshiko-chan! Wait!” Sonomi called, her concern returning. She did not like the idea rlm@0: of Nadeshiko flying on that thing. It didn’t look safe at all. She hurried behind as Nadeshiko rlm@0: began lifting into the air. She hopped on the back just as it began to ascend. The two girls rlm@0: rose into the air, riding on a staff up into the heavens. Sonomi held onto the staff tightly rlm@0: with her strong legs, her arms quickly going around Nadeshiko’s waist. Did Nadeshiko really rlm@0: need magic? Wasn’t she magical enough on her own? Or at the very least, couldn’t the Cards have rlm@0: some safer magic? She sighed as they lifted high above Tomoeda. The city sprawled out underneath rlm@0: them, the gorgeous moon shining above. Her arms wrapped tighter around Nadeshiko’s stomach, her rlm@0: eyes closing slowly. She could smell the sweet scent of Nadeshiko’s soft hair as it fluttered rlm@0: against her. She could feel Nadeshiko against her as they soared through the air. Together. She rlm@0: sighed inwardly. This did make a rather cute scene. Blushing faintly, she rested her head rlm@0: against Nadeshiko’s back. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all. No, this wasn’t bad at all. rlm@0: “Isn’t it beautiful, Sonomi-chan?” Nadeshiko asked, watching the city below, the lights rlm@0: playing like thousands of fireflies. rlm@0: “Hai. Very beautiful, Nadeshiko-chan,” Sonomi replied, not opening her eyes. She knew. rlm@0: It was beautiful. Because Nadeshiko was there. Sighing softly, she held onto the other girl.