The Contract

The cardcaptor contract

 

 

 

“Wait, Oniichan!” I cried, grabbing hold of a lamp post to use as leverage as I took the corner at the bottom of the hill at full speed.

Skating as fast as I could I spotted a familiar pair of bikes ahead and quickly caught up, throwing my brother – Toya - a glare as I did so.

“Why didn’t you wait for me?” I demanded, crossing my arms.

“Because you always take too long.” He shrugged. “Except from when you eat. Have you ever seen her eat, Yukito? It’s like watching a Monster devouring its meal.”

“Ah, I think Sakura-Chan’s cute when she eats.” My brothers best friend, Yukito Sempai defended me with a soft smile in my direction.

Just at the slight praise and small smile from Yukito Sempai and I felt my whole face heat up. I quickly averted my gaze, hiding the stupid smirk on my face.

“Cute for a Monster.” Toya added, and instantly my smile vanished.

“Who are you calling Monster?” I snapped. “If Yukito Sepmai had ever seen you when-“

“So, did you finish your homework, Yukito?”

I huffed in annoyance at my brothers rudeness and instead pouted silently as I skated alongside their bikes, peeking at Yukito every now and then from the corner of my eye.

I’m not sure when the crush started, exactly. All I know is that it’s been years now and though I’m no longer the little girl I was when I first met him, I know that in Yukito’s eyes, I will always be Toya’s little sister.

“See ya later, Monster.” My brother suddenly announced, cutting off my thoughts.

I glanced up to see that we were approaching the gate to my high school and felt a pang of disappointment. Why didn’t we live further away from school?

“Sakura-San?” I turned around at the sound of my name – effectively skating backwards – and just managed to catch the small object Yukito had thrown towards me. “Have a good day!” He added, as he and my brother vanished around the corner towards their own entrance to the community college.

Opening my hands slowly I smiled happily at the sight of the small lollypop in my hand – raspberry flavoured, my favourite. I slipped it into my pocket, vowing to never eat it.

“Sakura-Chan!” A voice called out.

I looked up to see my best friend, Tomoyo rushing towards me, her long, wavy dark hair falling behind her. I also didn’t miss the eyes of several male classmates watching appreciatively as she rushed over, her short skirt flipping up slightly.

“Good morning!” She greeted.

“Morning.” I smiled, no where near able to return the radiant smile she was giving me.

But that was just Tomoyo – she was always so happy. We had been friends since kindergarten ever since she had helped me find a lost bracelet during recess – the very one Yukito had given me for my birthday. It was ever since that moment of bonding searching the school field that we had been the best of friends.

“Did you have a good weekend?” She asked, waiting patiently as I removed my skates, pads and helmet and put them away in my locker, swapping my school shoes for our indoor slippers.

“Yes, me and dad baked some cakes!” I announced, remembering the chocolatey goodness. “What did you do?”

“Ah, mother had a meeting in Hong Kong, so we flew out as soon as I got home.” She announced casually. Tomoyo’s mother was a company director, but Tomoyo never let her wealth go to her head. “Say… What did you read for the project?”

“Oh, um… I read The Little Mermaid.” I answered. I was scared to hear her answer…

“I love that story!” She sighed dreamily. “I wish I had read that. Instead, I read a book about Ancient Japanese Literature.”

“Bu… But aren’t those boks over 1000 pages long?” I blinked.

“Yes...” She shrugged. “Ah, good morning!”

Still stunned over her comment I greeted our classmates and began my classes as normal. In the afternoon I had cheer practice along with baton twirling before carrying on with my lessons. But once school was out, I was still full of energy.

“I don’t know how you do it, Sakura-Chan.” Tomoyo sighed. “All I did was baton twirling and I’m so tired, yet you did that, cheer and PE!”

“I love to exercise.” I assured her. “I think I was made to be an athlete.”

“I really think so, too.” Tomoyo nodded enthusiastically. “Ah, my ride is here. See you tomorrow, Sakura-Chan!”

I waved goodbye as Tomoyo climbed into her fancy car and slowly skated my way home, enjoying the warm breeze as it blew against me.

“I’m home!” I called. No answer.

Making my way to the family notice board I read it with a groan.

Father: Working Late.

Toya: Football Club.

“Ahhh, sheesh. I’ll have to make my own tea tonight.” I complained to nobody in particular.

Deciding to get my homework out of the way, I settled down on the living room carpet and cracked open the books. That’s when I heard it.

“Ah!” I gasped, leaping upright. “Wha…” There had been a thud coming from Fathers office. “T…Toya? Is that you?”

No answer. Standing up slowly I crept into the hall outside fathers study.

“Toya if that’s you this really isn’t funny.”

Still no answer, though I heard another small thud. Aiiiish, we’re being robbed, I thought desperately. I moved to pick up the phone before pausing, remembering what happened last time; I had been home alone and had heard noises upstairs so had called the police. When they had arrived they found a bird that had flew in through an open window – and no robber. I had never been so embarrassed before.

“It’s just a bird…” I whispered to myself, moving to open the door. “Nothing to be afraid of… I’ll just let it out…” Turning the handle, I let the door swing open and stared into father’s dark study with held breath.

No movement.

Reaching around the wall I flicked on the light switch and peered around the space curiously. Definitely no intruder, so what had I heard… Thud. I jumped and gasped loudly as a pencil rolled off the desk, hitting the floor to join two others.

Looking up I saw Father’s window open a crack, blowing the curtains askew.

“Just the wind!” I exhaled with a shaky laugh.

Stepping into the room I picked up the pencils and returned them to the desk before shutting father’s window more securely. I was feeling stupid for getting so scared – once again, over nothing.

I turned around to leave when something caught my eye on father’s bookshelf. Stepping closer I stared at the book, unsure why it had caught my attention at all, since it was one of hundreds of brightly bound books on the shelf. Why… Reaching towards it I pulled it off the shelf and held it in my hands, admiring the strange drawing off a lion inside a sun on the front, the lines engraved in gold onto the red book.

“Beautiful.” I whispered, running my hands along the grooves.

The book was hardbound with a lock sealing it closed with a little catch. My hand moved to it instantly, feeling a strange pull to open the book. Just a peek, I told myself. There’s no harm in just looking, after all.

Removing the catch and unlocking the book, I opened it slowly, frowning at its contents. Inside the book was hollowed out to make room for what appeared to be an enlarged set of cards, all with the same weird sun drawn on them. Reaching for one I pulled out the sturdy card and flipped it over, where my eyebrows raised in awe.

It was a drawing of a woman in white, her limbs and even her hair back as though wind struck, all flowing together. At the bottom was a word written in English, and I stuttered over the translation.

“Wind?” I guessed before shaking my head. “Wind… Windy?” I guessed again, this time in English.

A blast of cold air whacked into my side and I yelped as I was suddenly surrounded by a freezing cold whirlwind. I dropped the cards, my hands moving to cover my freezing arms as I knelt down on the floor, afraid of being knocked over.

“Stop!” I cried uselessly, my eyes widening as I watched the cards in the book fly out and join the cyclone of wind, whipping past me quick.

Then in a daze I watched as the cards flew up into the air, disappearing through my fathers study roof as if they were never even there. I was so stunned I didn’t even blink as the wind turbine seems to gather itself together and surge towards Fathers study window, smashing the glass and vanishing into the dying light outside.

I didn’t even move for some time as I stayed frozen on the floor, unsure how to process what had just happened, especially when I had no idea what had just happened. It couldn’t have been real. Everything I had just seen was completely impossible, 100% absurd and yet…

It had happened.

“Oi! Are you the one who released the Clow Cards?” A childish voice demanded harshly.

I blinked at the gangsta like tone coming from such a childish voice and found myself eye to eye with…

“Plush… Toy…” I spoke allowed, staring dumbly at the floating teddy. “AH! Where did you come from?” I backed away from the creature fearfully, banging my hip on the edge of the desk as I did so. “Ouch!”

“Who are you calling a plush toy?” It demanded. “My name is Cerberus, and I am the guardian of the Clow Cards! And for your information, I came from there.” It pointed with a small paw like hand towards the fallen book on the floor. “Are you the one who released them?”

“The cards?” I repeated. “I… They…” I swallowed. “Yes, but I didn’t mean too.”

“You must have some magic to be able to break my seal like that.” He noted. “So… Where are the cards now? Are you hiding them from me?” He poked his head around the room, searching whilst I watched, utterly confused.

I was literally talking right now to a floating teddy after watching a deck of large cards fly through my roof. I couldn’t get any more freaked out right now than I already was.

“They…” I pointed up towards the ceiling. “The wind blew them away.”

“The wi- Wait.” The small yellow teddy-like creature held up its tiny paws and approached me. “You read a card?”

I nodded.

“Which card?”

“Windy.” I announced in Japanese. “Only… It was written in English so I-“

“Noooo!” The creature yelled, it’s bear like face dropping into it’s paws. “You weren’t supposed to read the English, no-one is! How was you even able too?!”

“I’m in the top class for English at school.” I frowned.

“What?! You’re being taught English?! Just who are you?” He demanded. “A Lady? Noble? What? What?”

“I’m just a high school student.”

“Just a… Wait. What time is this?”

“Time? Um, I think It’s a little after five-“

“Year! What year is it?”

“Oh! 2013.” I answered, feeling silly. “I still can’t believe you’re real – and floating, how are you doing tha-“

“I’ve been asleep for over two hundred years.” Cerberus suddenly announced, his voice sounding lost. “I just wanted to nap, and yet… and now…” He looked up at me with his beady eyes. “You have to get them back.”

“Get what back?”

“The cards!” He shouted. “You need to get the cards back into their seal, and fast!”

“Woah… Why do I need to do anything?” I sniffed. “I have no idea where they’ve gone, flying off through the roof like that.”

“You have to get them back because if you don’t, disaster will befall your town!”

“How?” I asked slowly.

“They’re magic cards!” He sounded frustrated. “They each have their own powers, like Windy was able to control the wind. If they’re not found soon, they will activate and cause destruction with their powers.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.” I muttered. “Then how can I possible collect them if they’re magical?”

“You need to outsmart them and seal them back into their cards.”

“I can’t do any of that!” I protested. “Look, I’m sorry I released them or whatever, okay? But I can’t collect them-“

“Fine, don’t.” Cerberus shrugged. “Let your town and the rest of the world be destroyed.”

“What? Look, can’t you just go for them-“

“I can’t.” He sighed. “My powers are linked to the cards. Until they’re all returned to their seal, I am trapped in this silly body and unable to use my powers. Unless you return all the cards back to my seal, there’s no one else.”

Just then there was a loud crash outside and the sound of car alarms going off. My head turned towards the sound of the noise curiously, whilst Cerberus groaned.

“It’s starting. They’re beginning their rein of chaos.”

“What do I do?” I asked. “How can I-“

“Here, take this.” He reached into the book where the cards were kept and pulled out from the inside of the binding – completely out of the book itself – a winged key on a chain. The necklace floated over to me slowly before hovering in front of my chest.

“What’s your name?” He asked suddenly.

“Sakura…”

“Key of the seal, here stands the one who wishes to enter a contract with thee. A girl, named Sakura.” He chanted, closing his eyes and waving his small paws over the floating key, which began to glow. “Key, the girl standing before you… RELEASE!”

I sucked in a mouthful of air sharply as the key suddenly expanded in size, becoming a full staff with a winged end and a small, pink stone. I looked down and stared wordlessly at the weird glowing circle bellow my feat which held symbols alike that on the back of the cards.

“Sakura! Take the staff!” Cerberus instructed.

I held my hand out towards the glowing, floating staff but hesitated, my eyes darting around the room until they landed on Cerberus. The plush nodded in encouragement, and for some reason, it worked. Closing my hand around the smooth handle of the staff I watched as the glow travelled down up my arm and entered me, filling me with a strange tingling warmth.

“Alright!” Cerberus cheered. “The birth of a Cardcaptor!”

“A… A what?” I asked, staring down at the staff in awe.

“A Cardcaptor…” Cerberus explained. “Is a person who collects Clow Cards.”

“Wait… What? No no… I never agreed!”

“Yes you did. You asked what to do, and this was it. You need to collect all the cards.”

“You don’t understand.” I pleaded. “I’m the wrong girl for the job, okay? Honestly, you’re better off asking some cop or something, because I-“

My words were cut off as the ground shook so violently that I was thrown to the study floor roughly.

“It’s the Clow Card.” Cerberus reminded me. “You need to go seal it, and quick.”

“What will happen if I refuse?” I huffed, climbing to my feet.

Cerberus approached me, carrying my staff between its tiny hands as it struggled to stay afloat.

“If you don’t… it will destroy your whole town – maybe even Japan.”

… Oh… No pressure, then.

 

 

A/N: Hope you all liked it :D