Cardcaptor Nadeshiko Chapter 7 by Amazoness Duo and G.P. amazonessduo@hotmail.com pearsong1954@yahoo.com I. “Nadeshiko?” A breeze stirred the branches of the little tree, leaves vibrating merrily, beckoning the young girl’s attention. One day she was nearly frantic with excitement while talking to a classmate about all the different leaves on that very tree. But her friend laughed, saying they all looked the same to her. It seemed incomprehensible to the silver-haired child that someone really couldn’t see how each leaf had a life, a personality, and, as fall crept closer, a death all its own. For Nadeshiko, leaves were like rocks and cats and clouds and people: all thrumming with life, their own little life, yet connected to one another by shimmering threads. Only slowly was she realizing that many people, perhaps most people, did not, or could not, see this. “Nadeshiko?” It was sort of like numbers, she mused. That thought reminded her of the math homework, and mentally she reconstructed her actions from that morning to ensure the assignment had been placed in her school bag. At first, she had done dreadfully at arithmetic, staring at the paper filled with columns of numbers in utter bafflement. Her father, though patient as always, had nearly despaired of her ever learning even the basics of the subject. One day, he told her earnestly that she wasn’t listening to what the numbers told her. This was intriguing, and she took note. For days she focused with a frightening singularity, skipping meals, conversations, and sleep to gaze at the numbers carefully etched onto paper. “Amamiya Nadeshiko.” Finally, sitting bleary-eyed at her desk early one morning, she heard a faint whispering. It was 3. 3 was the boldest number, the first to break the long silence. Enthralled, excited, but careful not to frighten her new numerical friend, Nadeshiko smiled, listened, and eventually fell into a merry conversation. Her parents found her that morning, chattering excitedly to a piece of paper. In a panic they nearly rushed her to the hospital. But when she came to everything seemed all right, or at least as all right as can be with such an unusual child. From that time on Nadeshiko’s grades in mathematics improved, one might even say soared, and it became her favorite subject. Once she even approached a teacher, asking apprehensively if it was cheating when the numbers told her the answers. “Amamiya Na-de-shi-ko.” So, maybe other people were like she once was with numbers, and that explained why they could not see that leaves and trees and bugs were all so different. Maybe that explained why most people did not stare at a burning fire for hours, or sit under a starry sky all night and wonder in astonishment why the stars were suddenly extinguished, only to realize it was now dawn. Maybe… A light tap on the head from a rolled up workbook caused Nadeshiko to blink in puzzlement. She looked up, and saw the exasperated teacher above her, looking in anticipation for a response. Nadeshiko’s mind raced to put the situation into some sort of order and context. Desperately she glanced over at her cousin for help. Sonomi, blushing for her, silently mouthed the word. Nadeshiko squinted, trying to understand, her own lips moving in a futile attempt to follow. The voice from above spoke evenly, “I believe Sonomi chan is trying to tell you the word, ‘present.’” Nadeshiko slowly digested this, and then, in a Eureka moment nearly jumped out of her chair with excitement shouting, “Oh, gomenesai, present, present!” The giggles around the class were quickly suppressed by the teacher’s glare. Unflustered, the instructor continued the roll call with, “Amamiya Sonomi?” “Present.” The girl with the strangely cut red hair glanced at her cousin in relief. As the roll call wound through the rest of the class, Nadeshiko smiled at her cousin and formed a silent thank you with her lips. Sonomi rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help smiling back. As the roll call ended, the teacher paused and announced, “Today, I am going to introduce you to a new classmate. She is not from Japan, so I want you to treat her with special consideration. Please, enter.” A transfer student was big news anytime, but one from abroad was a banner headline. The eyes of the entire class fell on the slowly opening door as their new classmate emerged. The girl walked in steadily, seemingly unaware of the curious, measuring stares that greeted her. She was tall and slender, brown eyes humbly downcast. But what most caught the class’s attention, and even caused a few gasps of surprise, was her hair. Straight, jet-black, and falling loose nearly to her knees, the lustrous hair gave her the look of a Heian-era court beauty, a mysterious visitor from another time and place. She stopped in front of the teacher and bowed low, her long hair trailing on the floor. Writing her name on the chalkboard in a lovely script, the new girl turned to face the class, then bowed and spoke in a feathery, lilting accent, “Ohayo Gozaimasu. My name is Li Ieran. I am from Hong Kong. Please help me to be a worthy student at your school.” The hush gave way to a universal “Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh” as the class gazed in wonder. Suddenly, a voice rang out, “Oh, Hello! You’re the girl from last night! I never had a chance to thank you.” All eyes swung towards Nadeshiko, who was out of her seat hopping excitedly. Ieran bowed again, her impassive face giving way to a reluctant smile. “It is utterly improper for me to smile like this,” the Chinese girl thought to herself, “but she commands my smile as the sun commands warmth.” Still bowing she spoke in her whispery voice, “It is I who am in your debt, and only my thanks, not yours, are seemly and proper.” The bewildered teacher finally restored order and settled Nadeshiko down, placing the new student in a seat behind the excitable Amamiya girl. In this tumultuous storm of curiosity, amidst the whispers, peeks and stolen glances, no one, not even the teacher, got much work done that morning. During lunch, after casting glances at the mysterious girl from Hong Kong, the students drifted away to their regular eating spots. All alone now , Ieran unwrapped her obentou. She was curious about the strange Japanese meal prepared by her guardian, Wei. Sensing a presence, she glanced up into the face of the Card Captor leaning over her, staring curiously at the little silk-wrapped package. Startled and speechless, the Chinese girl could only stare back as the pale apparition spoke in a giggly voice, “I’m sorry, Ieran-chan. I just wondered what was in there. I’ve never seen a Chinese obentou before. Would you like to eat with us? With Sonomi-chan and me?” Ieran spied the girl possessed by The Sword the night before. As if embarrassed by her friend’s eccentricities, the red-haired girl blushed slightly, blue eyes averted. The girl from Hong Kong felt a blush of her own growing, a trickily tickling of the neck and ears. Japan was a much stranger place than she had ever expected, and this situation literally left her at a loss for words. Last night was odd enough. The Card Captor was not what she expected: just a silly, pretty little girl. Yet that little girl stopped The Sword with no more than a glance. Ieran forced herself to quickly work through the possibilities. Now she casually approaches me, her rival for the Cards. Surely she knows I wield power? Perhaps she is contemptuous of me? That thought burned a little, but didn’t seem to fit with the Card Captor’s beatific smile. There was no hint of condescension or arrogance on that gentle face. Nor did the girl from Hong Kong, long trained in the subtle arts, sense guile or hidden motive. It was as if the Card Captor was genuinely interested in her. In near desperation, Ieran focused her inner eye on the smiling figure to discern the silvery-haired girl’s true motives. To her surprise, she sensed curiosity, and concern that the new girl might have to eat lunch all alone. Somewhat stunned, she whispered shyly, “Yes.Yes, I would like to eat with you. Thank you.” Delighted, Nadeshiko took the girl’s hand and walked her out of the building into the dazzling sunlight. Sonomi, frowning, followed the pair to a grassy spot beneath the trees in the schoolyard. Soon they were spread out beneath the gently swaying branches, Nadeshiko merrily chattering away. Finally Sonomi broke in and said quietly, “Nadeshiko-chan, I don’t think Ieran-san knows our names yet. We’ve never been properly introduced.” Nadeshiko stopped and stared straight ahead, as if she were replaying all the previous morning’s events in her head. With a trilling laugh she quickly arose and bowed, her long, silver gray hair cascading as she did, “Gomenesai, Ieran-chan. My name is Amamiya Nadeshiko, and this is my cousin and best friend, Amamiya Sonomi. We are very happy to meet you.” Introductions dispensed with, Nadeshiko returned to her running commentary on the weather, lunch, school, and various stars she saw last night. This latter finally gave Ieran an opening, and she asked in a quiet voice, “Um, Nadeshiko-san, may I ask you something? Something in private?” At this, Sonomi stopped short and looked at the Chinese girl with surprise. She felt a twinge of irritation, but Nadeshiko only laughed and said, “Sonomi knows all of my secrets anyway, because she knows me so well. What did you want to ask?” Ieran shifted uncomfortably and spoke in a halting whisper, “About last night. About the, the Card.” Nadeshiko brightened, “Oh, you mean the Clow Cards? Do you know about them?” Ieran looked open-mouthed at the girls. Nadeshiko casually mentioned the Cards in the same way she talked about rice balls and sunsets. Sonomi seemed equally nonplussed. Barely suppressing a triumphant smile, the red-haired girl said simply, “I already know about them.” Ieran’s mind raced for an explanation. How many others knew about the Cards? And just who was this Sonomi to the Card Captor? Judging from last night, she seemed quite close, perhaps a beloved servant? Calling upon all her training, Ieran presented a placid smile as she buzzed inside with questions. Her mind fell on a fact and anchored itself as she spoke, “Ah, I see. Nadeshiko-san, you mentioned ‘Cards.’ Do you, I mean, have you encountered more Cards than The Sword?” Nadeshiko’s eyes brightened as she gushed, “Oh, yes, I have met Wood, Fly, Jump, and the wonderful Flower! They are all my friends now.” Ieran held a frozen smile on her face as she groped for a reply, but no words came. How was it possible that this frail, flighty creature had gathered up so many of the Cards? But had she really? With forced calm Ieran asked, “Nadeshiko-san, when you say they are your friends, does that mean you have captured them? Have you sealed them all?” Nadeshiko nibbled thoughtfully on a rice ball as she replied, “Sealing. Well, that’s what Teddychan calls it. But I don’t think I capture them so much as make them my friends.” Sonomi sighed as she brushed away a stray rice grain from her cousin’s cheek, “She makes friends with everybody and everything, from the meanest bully in school to the grossest bugs in the woods.” Ieran smiled at the gentle figure and believed she could befriend anyone and anything. Suddenly puzzled, she asked, “Who is Teddychan? Does he know about the Cards?” At the thought of her funny flying companion, Nadeshiko giggled, “Oh, yes, he knows a lot of things about them. His real name is Kero…Kerobero…Kerobus…his real name is hard to say, so I call him Teddychan, because he looks just like a cute little teddy bear.” “Do you mean Kereberous?” Ieran asked in astonishment. “Yes, that’s it! Do you know him, too?” Nadeshiko leapt to her feet in excitement. “No, no I don’t,” The startled Ieran replied. “I’ve only read of him, and heard of him. But I don’t think he could be the same one. The Kereberous I know of is a large and powerful magical beast.” Ieran grew thoughtful again and asked, “Nadeshiko-san, I would very much like to meet your friend Teddy-chan someday.” Nadeshiko leaned over and said with a grin, “Would you like to come to my home tonight and meet him? You could stay for dinner. My mother is a very good cook.” Ieran looked up, again at an utter loss for what to say. Surely an invitation to the House of a Card Captor could not be made so lightly? Schooled in the ways of duplicity and suspicion that governed the shadow world of Hong Kong, Ieran wondered if all this was some elaborate trap, some great design set in motion to lure her in. But the green eyes that beheld her were empty of artifice or malice. And besides, the Chinese mage thought to herself, I need to know more about her, and how better to know the tiger than visit her den? She stood up and bowed deeply, speaking in a distant and formal tone, “Thank you for your kind offer, Nadeshiko-san. It would be an honour beyond my humble worth to be the guest of your illustrious House.” Ieran gasped as the girl fell into her arms and hugged her. Her body tensed, and then softened as the silver-haired girl held her. Wrapped in those gentle arms, a burning blush consumed her as her breath fled away. Robbed of speech yet again, she could only stand and tremble in that fragrant embrace. Finally Nadeshiko released her, leaving Ieran delirious and unsteady, her mind awhirl. II. Ieran worried all the way to the Amamiya residence. Determined to strike a commanding presence, the girl fussed all afternoon to find just the right outfit for this momentous meeting. Contemplating a closet full of garments, she realized how out of her element she was. Nervousness was something she scornfully left to opponents, but this time it infected her. The apprehension made her angry, which only led to further imbalance and blindness. She was even short with Wei when he warned her they would be late, an unforgivable display of weakness on her part. Trained in the shadowy ways of Hong Kong, she knew something of power, and was being groomed for greater things. Staring out at the unfamiliar landscape as Wei drove through the sheets of rain, she recalled overhearing the praise of an illustrious Great Uncle: “She’s young, but a fast learner.” That caused a momentary flush of pride, which she ruthlessly suppressed with a frown. Yes, she thought, there I knew names and rank, powers and flaws, tendencies and the direction of things. Knowledge is power. But here is only this troubling ignorance, ignorance both broad and embarrassingly deep. The people and customs of this island were strange, though none more so than the weird girl whose home she was heading towards. Nadeshiko. She spoke the name silently, like a prayer. For countless decades the Cards lay hidden, and now some silly little girl captures five of them. Five! It seemed ridiculous, yet she did not doubt the girl spoke truly. Despite her incredulity, Ieran remembered that most basic lesson of all her magical training: “Things are not as they seem.” So, too, it must be with her. She seemed a pretty, though inconsequential female. Yet, if she had captured so many Clow Cards, she must wield significant power. If this power exists, Ieran thought to herself, it is my weakness not to have seen it. Her fingers tightened imperceptibly into little clenched fists as she vowed, “This time I will see it.” So intent was she on this inner resolution that as soon as the car stopped she leapt out into the storm, leaving her coat and umbrella behind. The blast of wet wind slapped her awake. Wei had dashed out with an umbrella, but his efforts were mocked by a gale that blasted her carefully coiffed hair. With a little shriek she ran the long distance from the driveway to the front door, Wei following, the useless umbrella turned inside out. Rapping on the door, the manservant tried his best to shield the girl, but with little success. The door opened, and a startled older servant stared at the pair for a second before bidding them enter. Wei sheparded his young charge into the hallway then entered himself. Uncertain what to do, he bowed and stood motionless, waiting. Ieran, wet and disheveled, looked up expectantly. Flustered, the older servant of the house stared at the pair, finally blurting out, “Let us go to Amamiya-sama.” With fuss and concern, the girl was ushered into a warm kitchen, redolent of spices and simmering sauces. A pretty woman glanced at her, put down a mixing bowl, and instructed an assistant to continue with the cooking. Wiping her hands on a white apron, she approached Ieran with a smile, bowing as she spoke, “You must be Ieran-chan? My daughter told me that you would be joining us for supper. I am honored to have you as our guest.” When Ieran bowed in reply, a little trickle of water spattered onto the floor, and the woman gasped, “Oh, you poor thing! I’ve been in the kitchen so long I didn’t know it was raining. Come along; let’s dry you off before you catch yourself a death of a cold.” Wrapping the sopping wet girl in a kitchen towel, she bustled the child out through the dinning room down a long hallway. Cooed and comforted, Ieran felt a curious twinge, an inexpressible longing for her own mother so far, far away. Stopping at a door, the woman knocked and spoke rather loudly as she opened it, “Nadeshiko-chan? Nadeshiko-chan?” To her horror, Ieran saw the Card Captor: her rival, her enemy, who knew what. Far worse, the Card Captor saw her. What an absurd sight I must be, she thought in a panic. Desperately trying to straighten out her sopping wet blue silk cheongsam, she waited with dread for the mocking glance and stinging remark. Instead, she was again wrapped in those gentle arms as the giggling girl embraced her, hugging her tightly. It was the woman’s voice she heard first, “Nadeshiko-chan, your friend got wet in the rain. Would you please help her dry off and find some clothes? I’ll have Maid come by in a bit and try to dry out her outfit. Such a shame; it’s a very pretty dress.” Ieran looked up, and saw the loving eyes of the woman as she slowly pried away the clinging, still excited silver haired girl. Again, she repeated her instructions, and slow realization crept over Nadeshiko’s fair features. Filled with concern, she hugged Ieran one last time, then skittered out of the room in a frantic search for a blanket or a towel. With a bemused sigh, the woman guided the Chinese girl to an adjacent bathroom and said, “You can change in here, dear. There are towels on the rack; I’ll find you something in Nadeshiko’s closet. You’re close to the same size, I think.” The door closed, and Ieran saw a bedraggled sight in the mirror. It made her want to cry. She remembered the English phrase from school, “from the sublime to the ridiculous.” Grimacing, she peeled off her clothes, and dried herself with the fluffy pink towels. The room was toasty warm, which made things a little better. Outside, the door opened and shut, and she heard muffled voices. The excited one was Nadeshiko, the calm and reassuring one belonged to her mother. Another was familiar, but she could not place it. Curious, she peeked out of the bathroom. “It’s all right, Nadeshiko-chan, your friend is fine now. We already have towels, thank you. Now, let’s see if we can find something nice for her to wear. Sonomi-chan, what do you think of this one?” Sonomi, Ieran thought, Sonmi. Oh, yes, the girl with the sword. She watched her solemnly comparing two garments, one mint green with dark pine needles, the other sky blue, dotted with black and white cranes. Looking up, the red-haired girl spoke, “The blue, I think.” Ieran vanished inside as she saw them turning to the door. Wrapped in a long, pink towel, she sat on a chair and waited expectantly. Hearing a knock on the door, she answered, “Come in,” and Nadeshiko bustled in, her face lit with both concern and joy, “Hello again! How are you? Are you OK?” The silver-haired girl gushed, staring at the still damp figure. Ieran nodded, unable to look away from the curious and concerned Nadeshiko. The girl with the oddly cut red-hair stepped into the room, holding the beautiful blue garment she had selected, and handed it to Ieran, “Here, you can wear this. It’s a little thin, so there’s a comforter in the bedroom you can wrap up in while you dry.” Holding it up, she smiled at the Chinese girl’s curious look, “It’s called a yukata.” Ieran frowned, feeling foolish for not knowing more about Japanese customs, “Thank you, Sonomi-san,” she said formally, “when the two of you leave I shall change.” Nadeshiko, not catching the hint, was gently dragged away by her cousin. As the door shut, Ieran sat down, gazing at the lovely blue fabric. Shaking her head and smiling ruefully, she dressed herself, tied back her long, wet hair with a red ribbon, and opened the door. III. Ieran sat on the bed, huddled in her comforter, listening to rain lash the windows, watching the two cousins carefully. Nadeshiko was bubbly, effervescent, and seemed quite the chatterbox. Later, the Chinese girl would realize that this first impression was only partially on the mark. She certainly was bubbly and effervescent; genki, as the Japanese would say. But though she was merrily chattering away tonight, at other times Nadeshiko could be silent for hours, her attention absorbed by the slightest of trifles: a star, a stone, or a tree. Sonomi, on the other hand, was usually quiet, unless she was mad. But most of all, Ieran watched Sonomi watching Nadeshiko, and smiled at what she saw. Eventually, her poise recovered, Ieran subtly steered the conversation towards her true interest: The Cards. As she did, Nadeshiko jumped to her feet, her look serious and concerned, “Oh…that…that reminds me…magic…something, someone I was supposed to….” For a long minute she stood still, inwardly seeking the answer to her half-asked question. Then, leaping to the closet door, she blurted out, “Teddy-Chan!” Sliding the door open, she bent down and unclasped the brass lock of a black lacquer chest. As she opened the door, a yellow blur zipped out, gasping and coughing, “I thought I was going to die!” The tiny creature hovered in the air, wings beating furiously, breathing heavily. Nadeshiko fussed and apologized, while Sonomi looked away in irritation, “You can spare us the dramatics. The box isn’t air tight, you know.” The little creature glowered at Sonomi, and spluttered, “Well, it was, it was certainly dark, and stuffy, and…well, how would YOU like to be locked in some stupid box, forgotten and abandoned, and…and…” The two combatants glared at each other, teeth clenched, growling like cats before a fight. Suddenly, Keroberus noticed the girl wrapped in the comforter staring at him in open-mouthed amazement. The yellow creature looked to the right, then the left, and stared at Ieran with a gulp. Then, as if transforming into a stuffed animal, he fell to the floor with a clatter, and a stifled groan. Sonomi stared, and then laughed at the sight, while Nadeshiko rushed up and comforted the stricken warrior, “It’s all right, Teddy-chan, she’s a friend!” As Kereberous blinked at her, then suspiciously shot a sidelong glance at the bundled up girl, Nadeshiko spoke in a formal voice, “Ieran-chan, this is my good friend Teddy-chan. He knows an awful lot about the Cards. When you mentioned them I remembered he was hiding in there.” Ieran stared at Teddy-chan, then at Nadeshiko as she blurted out, “That is Kereberous?” Folding his arms and assuming a dignified pose, he answered, “I am known by many names: Kereberous, The Beast of the Seal, Servant of Clow Reed, and Guardian of the Cards, to name but a few.” Ieran pressed the comforter against her mouth as she stifled a giggle. With great control she managed to ask, “But are you not rather….diminutive to serve such a fearsome role?” Fortunately, the irony was lost on the self-important Beast, “My size is of little concern, though, eh-hem, my powers have waned somewhat since the release of the Cards.” This made sense to the Chinese girl. The Guardian’s power would be linked to the Cards, and their unleashing would be his undoing. Still, it was difficult to take such a flighty creature seriously. In a challenging tone she asked him, “If you are the Guardian, then shouldn’t you know where all the Cards are?” At this, Kereberous seemed rather crestfallen. “Well,” He answered hesitantly, “I can sense when they are close, but…” Suddenly, Nadeshiko chirped up, “Oh, Teddy-chan is wonderful about the Cards! He was very helpful with Jump, and Fly. He knows so very much about them. “Eeeeehh, truly?” Ieran was having a difficult time with all this, but of course was too polite to say so. The conversation wound its way through the recent history of Clow Reed’s magical cards. Like the girl herself, Nadeshiko’s narration was elliptical and eccentric, detouring into peculiar thoughts and speculations before Sonomi gently put her back on track. Teddy-chan, as he was now known, interjected modest (and not so modest) observations about his own contributions. Ieran, on the whole, listened, an art she excelled at. Sonomi watched her with increasing interest, waiting for her cousin to pause for breath before asking, “Ieran-san, Nadeshiko has told you all about herself. But what about you? Why do you know about the Cards, and what do you want with them?” For a brief instant, this query caught the Chinese girl off guard. As she had been trained, she used that instant well, weighing and calculating all the possibilities and implications of a response. She settled for telling the truth, though not all of it. In a formal tone she made her answer, “My family claims descent from Clow Reed, creator of the Cards. As future head of the Li Household, I have been designated to investigate the possibility that they have reemerged. As for what I want, well, that is of little enough importance. As the Cards are the… (She paused, nearly saying “property) responsibility of the Li, I am to ensure they are properly dealt with. As for what I know, knowledge is a thing not lightly given. Some things I know, some I do not. But then, not even having seen these cards, one can say little.” Nadeshiko looked baffled at first, but then smiled, thinking to herself, such pretty words! Teddy-chan just looked baffled. Sonomi looked at the two and rolled her eyes. As she had all her life, Sonomi explained the subtleties of human conversation to her cousin, “She wants to see the Cards.” Ieran looked somewhat taken aback at such bluntness, but did not deny the statement. Nadeshiko, smiling as realization dawned, jumped up and rushed to the drawer of her pink and white dresser. Excitedly she babbled, “Teddy-chan says I must always keep them safe, so I put them in my very most special drawer. I used to keep my very most special rocks here, but they seemed so unhappy to be in the dark all the time that I let them play in the garden, with beetle san and cicada san and ant san and, oh, here they are!” With a flourish she held them up. Ieran could barely conceal her interest as she gazed at the Cards. Wood, Jump, Fly, Flower, Sword. Catching her breath, she felt their magic pulse and throb. She didn’t need her magical finder to know they were real. Seeing Nadeshiko’s flowery signature inspired her with awe, and not a little jealousy. Still, at least they had been sealed. But aside from Sword, they were among the less aggressive Cards. In a reverent whisper she asked, “Are these all?” “All that I have, yes. Teddy-chan says there are many more, and that they must be gathered up before they cause everybody problems.” Nadeshiko was all too familiar with causing problems, being for many years a sweet one for family and friends. Problems, thought Ieran. What a word for this looming apocalypse. Still entranced by a sight that had lain hidden hundreds of years, the Chinese girl muttered, “He’s quite right. They must be gathered and sealed quickly.” She looked up at the newly met trio with analytic eyes. It seemed almost preposterous that these three could have been responsible for sealing five of the legendary Clow Cards. But here they were, unmistakably real, and unmistakably sealed. Her mind sifted through the legends and theories of the mysterious and frightening Clow Reed. Her eyes fixed on the winged creature, hovering by Nadeshiko’s side. Ieran’s voice was sharp and curt, “You have chosen her, have you not? This is an irrevocable decision, yes?” The hovering figure was taken aback, but managed a grave nod. “Have you told her of the dangers involved?” Teddy-chan shifted nervously in the air as he answered, “Well, yes, sort of, I mean, I don’t know if she quite understands it all.” At this, Sonomi jumped in, aggressively querying the newcomer, “What dangers are you talking about?” Ieran slyly watched the silver haired girl as she spoke, “The Cards hold incalculable power, and pose dire risks for all who would face them.” Nadeshiko’s expression was sweetly blank. Either she’s fearless or a fool, thought the black-haired girl. But Sonomi’s response was short and sharp, “What risks? What do you mean?” Ieran gazed at the intense blue eyes regarding her with barely concealed hostility. Here was a lever to gauge the Card Captor’s strength. This Sonomi would not allow her beloved one to enter danger lightly. Ieran replied in an even tone, “I mean what I say. This is a perilous thing, to capture these Cards. I do not know all there is about them. No one does. But I do know this is a deadly serious business.” Now she turned the tables by asking, “You, Sonomi, you care for her. Will you let her face such dangers?” The athletic girl slumped her shoulders and sighed, “I don’t like any of this, but I can’t tell her what to do. Nobody can. All I can do is be with her.” If this strong-willed girl cannot control her, surely no one can, thought Ieran. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. The maid’s voice, “The manservant of Li-san has arrived to take her home”. With hugs and goodbyes from Nadeshiko, and a stiff formal bow from a worried Sonomi, Ieran left the Amamiya mansion. The sky was crystal clear after the rain, stars blazing in the newly washed sky. On the way home, Ieran suddenly asked the old servant, “Wei, please stop at that little park we passed before, the one with the lake.” “Yes, Ieran-sama.” He did not protest that the night was late, since tomorrow was not a school day. He had learned long ago that, even as her appointed guardian, with so strong-willed a child he must pick his battles carefully. As he pulled over to the curb, she asked him to wait, in a tone that meant she wished to be alone. Walking through the empty park, leaves laden with fresh rainwater, Ieran delighted in the wetness all around her. She loved parks, the little swath of green in the busy, noisy city. She saw a couple together, close together, sitting on one of the park benches. This caused her to blush. Walking a little faster, clutching the white sweater Nadeshiko’s mother had given her. Finally she came to the lake, spring fed, she sensed, laced with the recent rains, but calm and placid now. It was a very good lake. Slipping off the sweater and hanging it on a nearby tree, she stooped down, gazing at the reflection of a thousand thousand lights. Crossing her arms on her breast, she felt the chill air through the delicate yukata. With a deep breath, she began. She willed her mind to stillness, as still as the black sky that held the dancing stars, as still as the lake before her. Kneeling gracefully at the edge of earth, air, and water, she softly chanted a call for Vision. And Vision came, shimmering on the dark water. She opened her eyes and saw three figures, battered, shaken, pressed against a gray stone wall. In the center was Nadeshiko, gripping a magical staff, illuminated by some unearthly light. Shielding the glowing girl was the one with curious hair, Sonomi. Bruised and bloodied, blue eyes defiant, she braced herself for what was to come. And by their side Ieran saw herself, clad in her finest robes, the robes of a water mage passed down through generations uncounted. Her face was dirty, and she saw the dreaded Fear in her eyes as she concentrated on a spell. A teasing little breeze rippled the surface of the waters, and the vision fled. She knelt for a long time, eyes fixed on the water. She had learned in her few years not to force the images, not to over analyze or think about them too much. It was like seeing for a brief moment 2 or 3 pieces from a massive jigsaw puzzle, the sort her mother loved to assemble on rainy nights. There was no way to know the entire picture from those few pieces. All you could do was remember the fragments, and hope they would give you some little guidance when the time was right. Ieran rose, and straightened out the delicate summer kimono. It was wet at the knees, but happily not dirty, for she had been careful to kneel on the grass. It would be a shame to ruin such a pretty thing. For a moment she thought of the yukata’s owner, another pretty thing. Flowing, silvery hair, green, green eyes, enchanting smile… Ieran blushed to be so close to her, even in such an indirect manner. Well, the yukata gives me a reason to go back, to see her again, she thought happily. She slipped on the white sweater and began to walk Strolling towards the car, she gazed at the stars and begged their blessing. She was grateful for having come so far in so short a time. She had seen the Cards, and the girl who captured them. She had met the Seal Beast, though his diminutive form made her smile even now. And she had been given a glimpse of a future, her future, seemingly entwined with that of the one who had captured five of the legendary Cards. It was a strange vision, in a strange country, but good to have for all that. Approaching the car, the ever vigilant Wei leapt out and opened the door. She bowed and smiled a greeting and then slipped into the back seat. In the warm and cozy car the utterly exhausted Ieran fell asleep, and when they arrived home the old man carried her off to bed. Uncertain what to do with the drowsing girl, he tucked her in, yukata and all. That night she dreamt of three black and white cranes, soaring together through a limitless blue sky. But when she awoke the storm had come again, and the thunder rasped out a warning that all dreams must end.