Today, Sakura's class was on a field trip to the Gold Island, just off
the coast of the Grimmlands (the island continent born of the dreams and
writings of the Brothers' Grimm) for a field trip.
But for Keiko Yamanaka, being one of the chaperones on this field trip
was the last thing she ever wanted. It meant a return to memories of when
she first came to the Grimmlands--- as she pushed her memories back into
her head she watched everyone frollick and play on the
beautiful golden sand of the huge beach. In the background behind her was
the camp, and a small forest. Above that forest was the reason they came
here for the field trip---
"You want to play some volleyball with us?"
Keiko is brought out of her thoughts by Rika, who stands nearby looking
at her waiting for a reply. "Uh--- sure. OK." ('Anything to get my mind
off the past.' Keiko thinks glumly to herself while keeping a smiling
face as she joins the others.)
As Sakura joins them, Rena takes a look around cautiously, "Anyone see
Yama the Liar?"
"Don't jinx us." Keiko sighs, "One less reality bending lie from him a
day is all I ask out of life. Is that too much? I don't think so."
"OK, then---" Sakura cheerfully broke in, "Let's do---"
"Do you know about Beach Volley---" (at this point Keiko is already upon
him like a flash holding his mouth shut) "Enough of that already!! (Can't
you say one truthful thing in your life you bastard you?!?)"
"I'm bored enough that even a reality bending lie from him sounds too
good to pass." Rebecca muttered in boredom.
"Your evil, you know that Rebecca? Evil." (finally Keiko relents and
allows him to start talking as she begins to drift back abit, looking
upwards at the mountain---)
* * * * * *
Gold Town
In the 17th Century---
The Japanese trading vessel had dropped her off at the dock, making it's
drop as it did.
The island was huge, and like all of Edenina it touched into a lot of
times old and yet to come. Middle Age shops and stores stood next to
technology yet to be made in the waking world, while aliens from all
points of call walked amongst the humans and "mythical" beings of
dreams and races no longer living in the mortal coil.
After a little searching about, Keiko met a couple of Galerians (huge
reptilian beings with hyper intelligence) who lead her to a huge castle
on the hill, where the ruling family once stood. There, within the now
empty halls, she met a cursed princess, and---
* * * * * *
"Story's done."
"---?---"
Tomoyo smiled as she pointed at the game getting underway. "Story's
done."
"Oh. Right---" (Keiko stretches abit) "---do I really want to know what
he said?"
Tomoyo shook her head, "Maybe not."
"That bad, huh?"
"Are you going to play Beach Volleyball?"
Sakura - "Ms. Mitsuki!"
At this Keiko groaned inwardly, while Rebecca shuffled her feet. "Why did
she have to come along anyway?"
Ms. Kaho Mitsuki. Gifted with the paranormal ability to see into the
future. Born with the paranormal ability to annoy certain members of the
female species (Keiko & Rena included).
Ms. Mitsuki - "Can I play too?"
Everyone nods their heads and cries out yes.
Everyone that is, except Keiko & Rebecca who just stand there not saying
much. At that she stops next to them and says "You two don't like me
much, do you."
Both women exchange glances, then look back at her. "Gee, were we being
that obvious?"
"I feel guilty already! I'm such a bad, bad chaperone." Keiko sighs,
"(note the obvious sarcasm in that statement, folks.)"
"Yawn!" (Rebecca turns and walks off into the water) "I'm going to go
drown myself. Anyone else wants to follow? It's painless that way."
Keiko - "Take Yama the Liar with you. He deserves a good drowning."
Mr. Terada - "COME ON IN!!"
Keiko - "Aw damn."
"Too bad, free time's over." Ms. Mitsuki announces in a matter of fact
way.
"Oh, really." (Keiko shuffles her feet in turn as Rebecca walks back onto
the shore) "No kidding."
Ms. Mitsuki - "We'll play later."
Keiko - "Sure, whatever---" (everyone heads in) "---what did he say the
Ancient Hawaiian's used again to "play" Beach Volleyball? I missed that
part."
Rebecca - "Coconuts."
Keiko - "Oh." (pauses for dramatic effect) "I'm all for skipping the play
part and going straight to the senseless blunt force trauma strike to
Mitsuki's head."
Mr. Terada - "Ladies?"
Keiko - "WE'RE COMING! WE'RE COMING!" (Keiko sighs) "I hate my life."
Rebecca - "The way your screaming you'd think you really were com..."
"Shut up."
* * * * * *
Meanwhile back at the Daidouji Estates (Nippon)
"And Eliza's more than my friend!" Nina argued back at her opponent down
in the Holochamber, "I like to think of her more like my husband..."
"Wonder why."
Nina turns around, her face lighting up, "ELIZA!"
"Took you long enough to notice me. Now does the--- ahem--- "man" of your
life need to duel for you or can you take him yourself?"
"I'm doing fine. Don't worry about me." (smiles) "NOW it's your move.
(don't jump ahead until I'm done!)"
Her opponent blushes and smiles sheepishly, "Sorry. You didnt specify if
it was my turn or not. Well fine. Now I play Tribute to the Doomed and
discard a card from my hand to destroy your imp---"
"And once again my card is mummified and destroyed--- yeah, yeah, what
else is new."
"Then I lay a continuous card, Messenger of Peace. I pay 100 LP a turn
and no monster with 1500 or more attack can attack. If I decide not to
pay the card is destroyed. So I lose 100 LP and its your turn."
"Fine." Nina relents, looking at her cards.
Nina - 4600LP (Arena)
Andrew - 5250LP (Arena)
"Didn't know peace could be so dangerous for your health, Nina."
Nina - "It's not. I still have this nice little face down card, but I'm
not familiar with the card he played so I'll have to ask--- what did you
play, anyway? Trap or Magic---" (alarm goes off once again) "---he did it
again."
Eliza - "Kero?"
Nina - "He must have dropped the books from Sakura's shelf onto himself
again. Go take him to the store to get some new games, just keep him from
killing himself why dontcha!"
Eliza - "Right. I'll be back later."
Nina - "Fine. So let's take a break while we wait for her to come back---
I'll call down for drinks and food from the upstairs---" (Nina sighs as
Eliza leaves) "I miss her already."
Andrew - "Keiko?"
Nina - "Hell no, nobody misses her. I meant Eliza... why the hell would I
miss Keiko for."
* * * * * *
Back on the Gold Island (Grimmlands)
Eve finds Keiko pouting off to one side beneath a tree, not even
attempting to help cook.
"Don't want to learn how to cook fish?"
"Fish isn't one of my strong suits---" (looks up as Eve sits down next to
her) "---about Cath..."
"It's nothing." Eve deflects sullenly, "It's just that when we were
younger I thought she was coming on to me, silly me... but I'd never do
anything to betray..."
Keiko - "It's not that. I'm not..."
Eve - "I know."
"No! No! No! I just---" (Keiko leans back, looking over at Eve) "---why?"
"Keiko."
Keiko - "?"
Eve - "I-I...I don't know--- I'm sorry."
Keiko - "Why fish? Why not a bar-b-q? Rabbits are all over the place
and..."
Eve smiles, resting her head against Keiko's shoulder, knowing she
changed the subject just to spare Eve's feelings. "We're in a National
Reserve, that means rabbit poaching is illegal and in the same category
as... ahem... "Owl Huggers" (as you put it) that's been after your neck for
the past 100+ years for eating that rare owl... remember?"
"Yeah, I remember that one Eve." (a thin smile etches across her face) "I
also remember the song Grethel's dad would sing everytime he thought of
killing one of those disgusting flying fleabags that those fricking Owl
Huggers love so much---" (suddenly Keiko starts to sing
"Disco Inferno" while making "bursting into flame" motions w/ her hands).
Eve - "Is that any way to really remember the Striped Owl?"
Keiko - "Is it extinct, Eve?"
Eve - "No."
Keiko - "Then screw the Striped Owl. Burn, baby, burn--- disco inferno---
burn, baby, burn--- yahh!!"
Eve - "*sigh*"
* * * * * *
Rebecca sighs discontentedly as she watches Sakura keep up with her pace
by pace in cutting her potatoes flawlessly. "Iron Chef Sakura--- phht."
Trinity - "Iron Chef Japanese Vs. Iron Chef American in a fight to
the---" (stops) "---sorry."
Rebecca - "Even think of doing your William Shatner improv in front of me
again at a moment like this, Trinny, and I won't sleep with you for a
month!"
Trinity - "Your glaring at Sakura too much, and the rice is done."
"Why---" (stops) "---oh. We're trying to avoid the glazed over fright
look on Sakura. Right." (sighs) "Never mind." (takes rice, and grabs a
handful of aromatics from Trinity's pouch) "I'll take that to Sakura."
(as she heads over, a strange feeling comes over her as if Tomoyo would
jump in front of Sakura if she got too close). "Here, Sakura. Your rice
is done. And
here---" (palms off handful of herbs) "---Tomoyo'll know what to do with
these."
"Thanks---" (stops Rebecca) "---I didn't have a chance to ask you---"
"For what?"
Sakura - "About what you said when we first met."
"Ah, forget about it Sakura." (Rebecca stretches as she speaks) "I'll
have to get over it I suppose, as Trinity said. Nothing to get your hair
up about."
Sakura - "Do you know Ms. Mit---"
"Only abit." (smiles as she looks over at Sakura) "She gave me a bad bit
of mojo once by telling me more than I needed to hear. Unlike her, I'd
rather not know what's coming at me in the future if it's all the same to
her." (stops) "Sakura--- would you have wanted---"
Sakura turns, listening.
Rebecca shakes her head, "Never mind. Forget it. I'm just rambling."
(sighs) "You better get that to Tomoyo so she can make the fish."
This leaves Sakura in a confused state.
Trinity - "You confused her aga---"
Rebecca - "Thanks for the blow-by-blow reporting, Trinny. Now are you
going to make our rice or---"
Trinity holds up the pot, "Done."
"---oh--- never mind then."
* * * * * *
Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop.
Tomoyo - "Done chopping yet?"
Sakura - "Yes."
Tomoyo - "Alright, I need your help with the aromatics. Here, I'll show
you how to use them."
Tomoyo's arms snake around Sakura, her hands grasping onto Sakura's,
leading the other girl's hands as she shows her how to prepare the fish
with the herbs, wrapping it in aluminum foil before putting it down for
cooking. Gently, as Sakura finishes the task, Tomoyo pulls
her arms together and squeezes her tightly, her head rested comfortably
on Sakura's strong shoulder as she holds the smaller young woman tightly.
"Your going to be a beautiful chef one day if you keep this up, Sakura."
"Tomo-chan?"
"Hmm?"
"Would you--- I mean would you have wanted to know--- I mean, about us---
if you---I mean--I mean our futures together?"
Tomoyo - "Our futures before it happened? Would I have wanted to know?"
Sakura bites her lip nervously, "Yeah."
For the longest time Tomoyo held her, and thought about it. Silence
reigned as she waited, until finally--- "Once maybe, but not anymore."
"Why?" Sakura asked.
Tomoyo - "It'd break my heart if you were gone from my life and there was
nothing I could do about it."
"But Tomo-chan---"
"Hush---" (Tomoyon presses her fingers onto Sakura's lips) "---I'm just
saying I wouldn't want to know if one day I wouldn't have you in my arms
anymore--- like now. I'd rather treasure each and every day of our love,
and not worry about tomorrow because--- well--- tomorrow will always be
tomorrow."
"Eh?" (confused)
Tomoyo - "It'll always be out of our reach. We have to focus on today,
Sakura-chan, and not worry about what might come, or what has yet to
come. It'll come, soon enough, but for now this is all that matters to
me." (hugs Sakura tighter)
"Tomo-chan."
Tomoyo - "Now check the fish to make sure it's cooking."
Sakura - "pwweeh?"
"Come on, I'll help---" (Tomoyo's hands reaches out again to grasp
Sakura's, bringing a slight whimper from Sakura as she lets go) "---cook
first, soft hugs in a minute---"
Sakura smiles as she focuses back on cooking again. Checking the fish---
Sakura stops, "It's staring at me. It looks kinda sad---"
Tomoyo - "---I'll cut it's head off later---"
Sakura - "---whimper---"
Tomoyo sighs as she realizes she should have cut the head off before
Sakura got a good look at the fish's sad gaze. (She'll be mourning the
fish for a few hours at least.)
* * * * * *
Later that night.
"So tell me again why we're the only two who didn't think of getting a
private accommodations?" Keiko sighs irritably as she rolls over to stare
at Eve. "Sorry, Keiko--- it's our bad luck the camping store sold out of
private tents before we went on the trip?"
"Sigh."
The night wasn't going very well. Sakura felt completely restless and
despite Tomoyo's assurances that they'd sleep together in each other's
arms that night, she still felt uncertain about it.
Rika nearly blushed herself to death when she was praised for dinner, and
kept fidgeting with her ring all night (probably the mention of her being
a good wife that did it--- again).
"Is it me or is Rika dodging the whole marriage thing?" Keiko remarks in
a hushed whisper.
"Maybe she got married during vacation?" Eve said innocently.
"At that age? What kind of girl gets married at that young..." (stops,
looks, sighs) "Oh, right, Nadeshiko. Right. My bad."
Of course, there's the lights out incident to speak of.
As the lights went off, and Sakura cuddled into Tomoyo's loving embrace
to fall asleep, Tomoyo had to bring up--- "Are we having another test of
courage? Like the cliff? I saw a cave---"
Sakura tensed up, "HUH?!"
"Oh, no." Keiko responded, calming Sakura down for a second. "Not in the
cave. We're going to the nearby Dragon's mound for the test of courage."
Sakura - "PWEEHH?!?"
Tomoyo - "What Dragon's Mound? I didn't see---"
"Eve?"
Eve rolls over, drawing a circle into the floor in the middle of the
grouping, chanting as she does. Seconds later a burst of smoke and a
small pillar of light forms. Inside that pillar an image of a floating
mound above the forests. While everyone's attention is focused on Eve,
Tomoyo brings the CardCaptor's head to rest against her nude breasts.
Eve - "Normally the Mound is hidden by ShadowCloak magic, but tomorrow
it'll appear for a short amount of time during it's monthly visible cycle
which lasts several days."
"Speaking of the mound---" (Naoko) "---have you heard this story?"
Sakura begins to cry, Eve turns to look on in interest, Keiko sighs,
"Fuji TV hires you to consult every Halloween for their scary specials
don't they."
Naoko - "Actually---"
Keiko - "Never mind, never mind, forget I said anything---" (sighs)
"---go on."
(Sakura begins to cry abit more, holding Tomoyo tight as she cradles
Sakura against her breasts)
Naoko - "A long, long time ago--- a student group just like us came here
on a field trip just like us---"
"I think I heard this---" (everyone shushes Keiko)
Naoko - "On the first day, they swam and made fish, and had a generally
fun day."
"Then you started this story and---" (everyone shushes Keiko again)
Naoko - "On the next day they too had a test of courage---"
"Aren't you all too old for such childish---" (again everyone shushes
Keiko)
Naoko - "---at that very same Dragon Mound."
"What kind of dragons are buried there?" (someone asked, bringing silence
to the group)
Eve - "Water dragons. It's only perched above the forests of the island
because it was grounded over the forest after the hurricane of '27."
(everyone turns to Keiko and looks, to which she only shrugs) "She's
right. Go on."
"I did quite abit of checking on it." Eve remarks as she points at the
image, "According to records, a shrine like this has one long stairway
that leads from the platform top to the center shrine."
"That leads to the Central Prayer Chamber, surrounded by a reflecting
pool where one can speak to the spirits of the dragons entombed in the
mound. The shrine itself is very complex and huge. The stairs is the
dragon culture representation of the path to the next "life" past the
Dreaming. One must walk the bridge to get to the shrine. The test of
courage is to rotate a light sphere on the shrine and say a prayer."
Sakura looked like she was going to explode from the fear if Tomoyo
wasn't holding her.
Naoko - "The students paired off and each traveled the stairs to the
shrine, carrying their sphere of light. The stairs is very long,
representing a long journey to the next "world". But, eventually, it was
clear none of the students were coming back up the stairs. Not one---"
"Uh-huh." (Keiko already felt Sakura's hypertension)
Naoko - "No matter how long the stairs to the shrine was, or how
beautiful the shrine, this was too strange a thing to be happening. So
the teachers and remaining students went looking for them--- and they
were nowhere to be found."
If Sakura grew anymore pale, she'd have found work on CSI-Tokyo as one of
the corpses.
"So what happened next? A tormented water dragon spirit ate them all?"
(Sakura shrieks in a soft voice causing Eve to give Keiko a stern glance)
"Sorry."
Naoko - "The truth is--- in that shrine---"
"TEACHER!!" Keiko hurriedly whispers, motioning outside. Quickly everyone
falls silent.
"I thought you put sound dampeners---" Eve begins to whisper, "---I did,
but she doesn't need to know that nobody outside can hear us. At least it
killed that story pretty fast---"
A few seconds later Eve gives the all clear.
By now Tomoyo noticed Sakura's horrid disposition, and begs off the rest
of the story so they could go to "sleep".
Naoko - "I'll finish the story tomorrow."
Keiko sighs. "Wonderful." (looks over at Sakura) "Now she'll never fall
asleep." (with a tired grunt, Keiko rolls over, whacks Sakura with 10cc
of sleepy drugs, and rolls back towards Eve as Sakura falls into Tomoyo,
consciousness slipping fast but her mind screaming to be awake. Her fears
gripping her).
* * * * * *
"Sakura? SAKURA!!"
Tomoyo's arms wraps around Sakura, her voice straining as she screams.
"It's alright! It's alright--- don't scream--- I'm here---"
As Sakura looks into Tomoyo's face she notices the room was gone.
In it's place they were sitting on a grassy hill overlooking the forest
of the island, and the ocean beyond said forest. In the background, the
mound was floating as they saw it in Eve's hologram.
Tomoyo - "We're dreaming, Sakura, we're dreaming--- don't be afraid---"
Sakura - "I'm too scared. I shouldn't be asleep! I'm scared!"
Tomoyo - "I think it's safe to say Keiko drugged you. She warned me she
might do that if you were about to start wandering around in the dark
because you couldn't sleep."
Sakura - "I don't want to sleep. I'm too scared!"
"I'm here--- please don't be scared---" (Tomoyo holds her tight)
"---there's nothing to be---"
"HEY!"
"ACCKK!!!" (Sakura nearly jumps out of her night clothes, spinning about
as she does) "REBECCA?"
"DON'T DO THAT!!" (sighs) "What are you doing in my dreams anyway you
two?"
"Your in my dreams! And you scared me!" Sakura countered.
"You scared ME!! And we're in my dreams!" Rebecca countered in turn.
"I think your both in my dreams." Tomoyo points out.
Rebecca frowned, "Whatever--- you really didn't have to scare me like
that though sheesh."
Eventually the topic shifts from who's dreams they were in to---
Sakura - "Why are you in my dreams?"
Rebecca - "It's my dreams, Sakura, and you tell me first--- or did Keiko
really go through with it and hit you up with sleepy time juice?"
"W-well---"
"She did." Tomoyo finishes, cuddling Sakura as she spoke. "Why are
you---"
Rebecca - "My Dream Familyar felt something and came to tell me about it,
so here I am."
Sakura - "A CLOW CARD?!?"
"----" (Rebecca looks about slightly miffed) "---well I don't see the
dead rising just yet so please be sure to SCREAM a little louder next
time! (I still have the ability to hear)." (avoids Sakura's hurt
expression, and Tomoyo's understanding gaze) "My Familyar didn't know."
Sakura - "M-m-may-maybe it's a gh-- gh--?"
Tomoyo - "Ghost? Dragon ghost?"
Sakura - "Don't say that!!"
Rebecca - "Then why bring it up."
"Rena!"
"Sigh." (Rebecca lays back on the "grass" of the hill and sighs) "How
should I know? You're the Card Captor, you tell me. All I know is that
the feeling is coming from the mound."
"How old is the mound?" (Tomoyo)
"Thousands of years old. It used to be a submerged shrine but it was
destroyed in the 7th Century (Waking world timeology) by some sort of
undersea "event". It was replaced with an airborne shrine that's been in
place ever since." (sighs) "Seems the minerals in the anti-grav
rocks that floats the shrine acts as a powerful conduit for psychic
energy and amplifies spirit activity in the shrine---"
"PHWEEEE!!" (Sakura shivers and sweat drops coldly in Tomoyo's loving
grasp)
"---and I probably shouldn't have said that---" (sighs again)
Sakura - "Let's talk about something else! Ok? Ok?"
Rebecca tried to talk again, "It's a benevolent shrine of peaceful
spirits and---"
Sakura - "Ok??"
"Ok. Ok. Whatever---" (Rebecca changes the subject) "---I was debating
before I
fell asleep whether to ask the walking 8-ball if she knew what was going
to happen tomorrow or not but I couldn't resolve my feelings before
sleep."
Tomoyo - "Ms. Mitsuki?"
"Any other creepy future seeing former math teachers on this field trip?"
"But---" (Sakura fidgets) "---she used to make me feel all floaty---"
"Then you discovered Tomoyo and after sex you never stopped float---"
(Rebecca looks at Sakura's askew expression) "---and there's another
topic I probably should have steered clear of. Look. In any case she's an
enigma. She can seemingly see the future, but she doesn't seem capable of
Minority Report-ing her ability."
Sakura - "Huh?"
Rebecca - "She doesn't seem to be able to see the "two side of the coin"
her power could offer up and see the alternate choices the future might
hold. In fact, I dare say her powers drags her along by the nose because
once she sees it she's dead certain it'll happen even if it
doesn't have to happen the way she sees it."
"Doesn't she know this? Maybe she already has made her choices and we're
just hearing the end result of those choices?" (Tomoyo)
"Maybe. But still it's very odd." (Rebecca looks up at the sky) "Yeah,
it's my dreams."
Sakura - "How do you know?"
Rebecca - "I just do. Just like I know her powers creep me out. She
shouldn't have come back, yet for some reason here she is--- what's her
angle this time?"
Sakura - "She's not a bad person, she doesn't have an "angle"! She's just
trying to help!"
"Sakura---" (Rebecca looks at her sternly) "---we don't know what she
really wants, and her "involvement" at the end a few years ago is still a
mystery to those who studied the event, forget you who allows her
feelings to cloud her judgment."
Sakura shakes her head no.
Rebecca - "You do remember when you realized how much Tomoyo meant to you
though, right? You remember that."
Sakura - "I knew--- when I was so close to losing her--- as a friend---
how much she truly meant to me."
Tomoyo smiles, leaning her head against Sakura as she hears Sakura speak
of their love.
"Well, I felt the same with Trinny when---" (stops to notice both
Sakura/Tomoyo staring at her, blushing, causing her to blush in turn)
"WHAT?!?" (stands up) "I gotta go! Go crash in your own---"
"WAIT!" (Sakura) "What about you--- when did you--- I- I mean-I-I---"
Blushing from ear to ear, Rebecca plops herself back down in a huff.
"During our first little adventure together to free a village from under
a spell of darkness. She was attached to me for sometime before that,
firmly set in this belief that I was her intended love after
I--- well--- got drunk and sorta--- made all these promises that even now
I don't remember. When she took a shot meant for me I thought I'd go
crazy because she--- she was always by my side, I thought she was a pest
but--- she only wanted to be loved---" (silence endures after this, Rena
refusing to speak anymore). "When she was raped and then vanished
(absorbed by Fly) I thought I would go insane. It hurt me so much that
she was gone."
Silence reigns for a few minutes before Tomoyo speaks
"You and Sakura are so much alike."
Both look at Tomoyo in their own way, Sakura with understanding and Rena
in confusion.
"You can't help living, feeling and loving without restraints. You wear
your hearts on
your sleeves and are all out in your emotions, not accepting anything
less in yourselves or others. You two are just like sisters---"
"Oh I really have to go now!!" Rebecca spits, jumping up to move off
without waiting to be called back. Sakura sighs, leaning into Tomoyo as
she does, "I love you."
"I love you too--- forever---" (Tomoyo reaches a hand up to touch
Sakura's cheek)
* * * * * *
With a slight sigh, she drops out of her hiding spot and wanders off,
only to find herself face to face with Rebecca. "Voyeurism seemingly
suits you, doesn't it Piccadello."
Catherine waves Rebecca off, "I felt something in the sublayer and
investigated. Is it my fault that Sakura has a very strong "vision" self
that reads off like a beacon when she's in "dream" mode?"
Rebecca grabs the Raven, "Don't give me that self indulgent "It's all for
the job" thing! Your
still mourning over her---"
"Don't psychoanalyze me." (Catherine pushes past Rena in a huff) "I'm
really not in the mood."
Rebecca - "It's still sticking in your craw, isn't it. Even after all
this time it's still---"
"Give me a break!" (Catherine spins about, face tight and narrowed, "I
don't need to listen to you preach to me about my shortcomings! It has
NOTHING to do with that! NOTHING!" (And, with that, she "vanishes" from
the forest).
"So you say."
With that Rebecca heads off to find Trinity in her dreams.
* * * * * *
Sakura woke up the next morning in Tomoyo's loving arms, the other girl
sleeping as she stirred in her grasp. For several minutes before Tomoyo
woke she relished the comfort of being so lovingly cradled, then they got
up (dressed) and were outside washing up. In the
backdrop, over the forest, was the mound, but as of yet Sakura had not
noticed it (while the others were just becoming aware of it's presence).
Sakura finished washing up, only to feel a towel pressed into her face,
and two familiar hands slowly drying her off. "Is that OK?"
"Thanks." (muffled abit as she spoke, smiling at how attentive Tomoyo was
to her this morning) "Sorry about last night. I guess I should have
warned you."
"That's OK---" (start laughing abit)
"What's so funny, Sakura?"
"I sorta liked the dream we shared though. I guess it was worth it just
for that." Sakura remarked.
Tomoyo - "You were rather frisky and energetic once you got over your
fears! I almost thought I had to change my panties this morning from all
the orgasms we had last night!"
Sakura suddenly blushes and drops her head on Tomoyo's shoulder.
"Oh, right. Your still shy about talking about sex in public." (Tomoyo
looks about smiling abit as the others walk around them, some obviously
hearing about their "nocturnal fun".)
* * * * * *
While the others swam, Sakura/Tomoyo soaked in the sun and relaxed. The
golden sand feeling so warm against their bodies as they laid in the sun
and soaked in the morning warmth before taking a swim.
"Last night was beautiful, Tomo-chan--- thank you."
"No problem. That's what lovers are for. Hey, look---"
Behind them they could see the mound. Suddenly it shimmered abit.
"Huh? Did anyone see that?" Sakura asked.
Tomoyo - "What's wrong?"
"The mound just looked kinda--- odd for a second." (she grabs Rebecca as
she passes her by) "Did you see that?"
Rebecca shakes herself abit trying to dry herself, "I just got out of the
water. Let me dry first---" (?) "---see what?"
After a hurried explanation, Rebecca retrieves her Seeker from her gear
and comes back with it, then gives the mound a once over. "That's odd---"
"What is?" (Tomoyo)
"Even from this distance my Seeker is sensing something. It's telling me
the shrine tried to dry start it's ShadowCloak spell again."
Sakura - "Is that strange?"
Rebecca - "Very strange, Sakura. The mound's ShadowCloak is made
specifically to go dormant once a month for visitors to have access to
the shrine to pray and stuff, but somehow the shrine itself tried to go
back into ShadowCloak. At least, that's what my Seeker is telling me."
(blinks) "Weird. It's as if the shrine doesn't want to be visible right
now--- I don't know why though. After all tonight's the big Test of
Courage thing and it's as if something in there doesn't want anyone in
it. Probably going to go through a great deal to defend itself and keep
out intruders too, maybe even go so far as---"
"WAAAHHHH!!!" (Sakura)
"---and why can't I learn to stop talking after two minutes---" Rebecca
sighs irritably.
"Come with me! Tomo-chan COME WITH ME!!"
"Get a room you two!" (Keiko walks by drying herself off as she does)
"One game of water tag and it gets out of hand--- can't hear straight---
have to remove the squid from my hair--- too much water---"
Silence.
"Well---" (Rebecca) "---that was weird." (walks off)
"Want to go back to the room? Maybe a little sex will make you heroic---"
(Tomoyo smiles)
Sakura takes her hand and lets her lead her back to their empty
bunkhouse, a wide smile on her lips as she shivers in anticipation of
what was to come.
* * * * * *
That night
One short teleport through a platform set to link to the shrine and
everyone was on the entrance platform, the stairs heading into the mound
lying before them. Close up what once looked like a flying rock now
resembled a proper temple, shaped perfectly to look like a hill
but obviously made by humanoids. The rock walls and floors were all
smooth to the touch, and grass grew on the mound in spots but was well
maintained and trimmed. Inside the stairs were well lit by spell lights.
All in all, Naoko was dying to get in. Sakura was dying to leave. Tomoyo
was intrigued by the mound, while Rena was just really interested in
getting the whole thing over with.
A clear case of opposites in a small confined area of people.
Rena stretched her muscles, looking up at the early night sky at the
"stars" above (it would be three more hours before the rotation of the
world faced them towards the Central Hub so they had a good view of the
other "dream moons" which glittered like stars in the "sky". "Knew I
should have feigned illness and stood home like Nina. Me and my big
un-helpful mouth."
"AND NOW---" ('EEK!' Rebecca jumps at the sudden burst of noise) "---WHAT
YOU'VE ALL BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO! THE TEST OF---" (Rebecca yanks the
megaphone out of the teacher's hand and aims it right back at her) "WAKE
THE DEAD WHY DONTCHA!!" (in a huff she tosses the megaphone back at her
and snarls) "What's next? We're going to traipse the class through the
Hollow Vatican next week?"
"?" (Sakura)
Keiko - "Because places that have a strong tie to either heaven or hell
has no place in dreams (religions here are mostly to comfort and soothe,
but have no real fierce ties to either "philosophy" of heaven/hell)
certain places of religious power is nothing more than hollow shells in
Edenina. Hence Vatican City is pretty much an empty shell of buildings,
rooms, and so forth that nobody feels comfortable stepping into." (Keiko,
as everyone turns to regard her) "Hence the name "Hollow Vatican"."
Eve - "Rumor has it Vatican City (or to be more precise, it's dream self)
is in fact alive, well, and teeming with angels and devils that walk the
halls of the Hollow Vatican using it as a sort of "neutral territory" to
thrash out differences amongst the sides. Certain large religious
areas like the "Hollow Vatican" and cities like Jerusalem are a "open
door" to the opposing sides of light/dark and they tend to gather there
in great numbers, so the Goddesses sealed those areas off and made them
"No Dream Land" because of the fear of contamination from
either side of the religious spectrum."
Everyone begins to nod, whisper, and talk about the stories. Naoko no
doubt would have a ton of Hollow Vatican stories to tell that night---
unfortunately. 'Wonder if the Teacher trick will work again?' Keiko
laments to herself as everyone gets their instructions about the
shrine.
Basically it goes like this.
There's a huge shrine with many light spheres lining it's walls
surrounded by a huge reflecting pool which can be gazed into from the
shrine. Over time these spheres die out and need to be replaced, hence
the Test of Courage. Students must go down the stairs and into the Shrine
chamber, swap a dead sphere for a live one, then say a prayer for the
spirits within the shrine (any prayer will do, the shrine is
multi-culturally sensitive). The students then exit back out up the
stairs and put the spheres (dark) into the recharge nitches along the
platform's railing to recharge them with sunlight, and that's that.
"ARE YOU READY?!?" (teacher)
"YEAH!!"
Rebecca grabs the megaphone again and this time doesn't give it back.
(Somehow the one with the megaphone ended up standing next to Rebecca)
Sakura wasn't too happy with the idea already, shaking as Tomoyo held her
hands tightly to try and comfort her frightened lover. Keiko was overtly
bored with the idea, (she's done this before), and Rebecca couldn't care
less (she didn't care one way or the other).
"Alright. Remember to divide yourself into groups of 2 or 3." (Keko was
talking now) "The stairs is the only way in, or out, so don't worry about
becoming confused and taking the wrong route out. The "reflecting pool"
is protected by a perpetual barrier shield so
there's no chance of anyone drowning in the shrine. Additionally, the
pool does reflect the spirits in the shrine, but it's common knowledge
that the spirits only want to come out for relatives so unless your part
dragon and know someone in this shrine whose buried there it's a safe bet
nobody's seeing any spirits no matter how hard they glare at the pool.
Once you swapped your spheres and said a quick prayer, just head back up
the stairs and place it in on the the recharge nitches and that's that.
Nuff said, let's go. First group come up and get
their sphere---"
As the groups began to go in, Keiko took a brief moment to speak to Ms.
Mitsuki---
"What is she saying?" Tomoyo asks, looking on as the two converse.
"I can't hear--- too much noise." (For a few brief seconds, the desire to
know what Keiko was saying to Ms. Mitsuki (and vice versa) swallowed up
Sakura's fears. But as the groups go in one at a time, Sakura's fears
return quickly and with a vengeance). "It's almost our turn!"
"It's alright. You brought the cards, right? And your rings?" Sakura nods
her head quickly. "They'll keep us safe if there's anything to fear.
Trust me."
"It's our turn now!"
Rebecca didn't need to turn around to know she was being glared at behind
her back by Sakura, who had an expression like she was being asked to
step through a wood chipper (or worst). "Oy vey."
As the last group before Sakura's enters, Keiko sighs and nudges Rebecca
in the arm, "Think she'll buck up and---"
"WE'RE NEXT!!!"
"Forget about it."
"----" (sighs as Sakura/Tomoyo walk up). "Here's your sphere. Good luck.
I'll be praying---"
"FOR US???"
"For the spirits in there. Pity the first dragon spirit that's curious
about YOU! Re---" (stops) "Oh, sure, walk away! Hey, nice walk Sakura!
Too much starch in your diet?" (sighs, turning her gaze on Ms. Mitsuki
now) "What?! Go stare at somebody else with your creepy eyes, you bug
me!"
"Think they can do this without something going wrong?"
"What do you think, Rena?"
"----aw damn---"
Slowly the last of the students enter the stairs, and time passes.
"Want to go in?"
"Been there, done it, big deal." Keiko sighs, "I don't think there's
anything that could possibly make me want to take the trip all over---"
(a soft repetitive sound, like someone banging on a huge drum, could be
heard) "---aw damn."
"What?"
"That means the Auto Defense system just came on--- but what---"
Before Keiko can say anymore she's already in motion, scurrying through
the opening and into the stairs before the shrine's defense barrier drops
into place, leaving the few remaining teachers on the platform.
"What the---?"
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