Also posted on my LJ for the xxxholic community, username: yatsuka.

yatsuka. livejournal. com/ 3584. html #cutid1 -- has the challenge table with current Holic shots. Y'know. If you're interested.

I bring you all another piece of fanfiction! (cheers) But I'm not completely back online, so comments might take a while for me to address. Inspired by mariko neko, so it's dedicated to her!

Title: My Wish Cannot Be Granted
Pairing: N/A
Rating: G
Genre: General
Disclaimer: I own nada.
Warning: It's another "What if…?" thing. Crossover between xxxHOLiC and Cardcaptor Sakura. It was originally meant to a reply to a comment on LJ, but then it got too long. Now it's supposed to be the prequel to "Coincidences" (located under "Circumstance" in the Ouran section), but you don't have to read it to understand this. It would help explain a few things, however.
Summary: Even the Dimension Witch has her limits. Watanuki was just getting used to the idea that things happened because of 'hitsuzen' when a strangely beautiful lady steps into Yuuko's shop.

Working at Yuuko's shop was like walking down a winding road. Sometimes the ground was straight, sometimes, uneven.

Every once in a while, he would stumble across a crossroad, each path leading him to a different encounter.

Crossroads

"My Wish Cannot Be Granted"

By Hikagi

Watanuki took in a deep sigh and stopped sweeping the front porch in order to wipe off the accumulating sweat on his brow. The leaves piled before him were only a handful of the debris that covered the rest of Yuuko's lawn, and he was going to have to work extra hard in order to finish his chores for the day...

...Especially if that conniving fox of a woman kept on sending him for more osake every half hour...

Seriously, she was so high-maintenance that it drove him crazy! And her little minions were out to get him as well! It wasn't bad enough that he had to see evil spirits everywhere, but he had to live and work with some of them (coughYuukocough) too!

Okay, so they did have their good points every once in a while, but did they have to latch on to him like leeches? Maru, Moro and Mokona might be called "cute" to others, but he knew that deep down inside, they were concocting plans to ruin his lif-

Watanuki stopped trying to strangle his broom when he realized that he had been saying his thoughts out loud (again) in front of another person (again) and that he might have looked slightly crazy (yet another again). Oh well - it wasn't anything different than normal.

"Ara, ara," she said while observing the trees in the yard. "I don't mean to intrude, but the colors on these branches are so very pretty. I noticed them and found myself walking in before I realized it."

Then the person's presence clicked something in the back of his mind and he slowly drew himself to full height. The woman in front of him just smiled as if his earlier actions were slightly amusing and nothing out of the ordinary.

"Um, welcome to Yuuko's store," he said a bit hesitantly, fumbling with the rice-paper doors. "If you would come this way..."

A few minutes later, he found himself pouring some tea for the guest and his employer. But for some reason, Watanuki felt compelled to stay in his seat unlike past times where he would leave immediately after serving the drinks.

The strange, beautiful lady was still smiling pleasantly at him, as if he reminded her of someone she once knew. He wondered if she was like some of the other unsuspecting people that would occasionally wander into Yuuko's shop.

Most of the time, he would just peek in from the hallway to listen in with Maru and Moro, but this time he was sitting just a little off to the side in the same room. And Yuuko didn't seem to mind his presence because she just got straight down to business.

"Now then," Yuuko said as she took a mug and sipped it gently. "You have a wish, do you not...?"

"Mizuki Kaho," the guest supplied. "You may call me Kaho."

"Kaho, then," the shop owner nodded. "What is it that you desire?"

Watanuki saw that the guest's face became a little less happy. For a beautiful lady to look that way, it made him wonder what could have caused such sadness.

"What I desire...cannot be granted," she said, gripping her untouched tea.

"And why is that?"

Kaho hesitated a little. "I already tried looking for him to no avail. None of my friends know where he is, nor do they have the means to find out. And I doubt if you would be able to locate him either – I have seen it in my dreams."

Yuuko laughed as a smirk crept upon her face. "And who is this person?"

Kaho finally brought the mug to her lips as she evaded the question. "Come here, Watanuki-kun," she called, holding out a hand.

Yuuko's eyes narrowed slightly at her guest as suspicions rose and started weaving together.

Kaho ignored the witch's gaze and took Watanuki's hand.

"Watanuki Kimihiro," she said. "Spelled like April 1st. I know someone who has your birthday." She smiled another sad smile. "And another who has your face…"

Watanuki just blinked. "How did you...?"

"That's because she has the Sight." Yuuko set her cup down and motioned for a refill. Then, without missing a beat, she turned her attention and said, "You're from Tomoeda."

Kaho nodded.

"Yes. I was there when the Card Mistress was named. And I am here now to see, despite my misgivings, if you can find the person I am looking for. His name is Hiiragizawa Eriol."

Kaho's piercing eyes locked on to Yuuko's all-seeing ones as Watanuki watched the interaction over the top of his glasses while pouring more tea.

"He used to go by the name of Clow Reed."

Watanuki ended up dropping the teapot on the floor. Yuuko didn't say anything about it, which was what made the whole ordeal even stranger.

"But if Clow does not want to be found," Kaho said, looking down at her cold mug with that strange, far away look on her face again, "then there's nothing I can do about it."

"Indeed," Yuuko said, eyeing the woman cautiously. "If that's the case, then there's nothing I can do for you either. Watanuki," she barked. "Please show this woman to the door."

Kaho rose graciously from her seat as Watanuki scrambled to pick up the last remains of the broken teapot. But before they could step out, Yuuko interrupted, pulling out a long thin pipe and a small pinch of tobacco.

"What was it that she says all the time – her 'invincible spell'? Zettai daijoubu da yo…?"

Kaho nodded. "That was her favorite phrase. 'Everything will surely be all right'."

Yuuko smiled. "Then I'm sure things will work out for you."

With that, the door closed and Watanuki gently led the woman back to the main doors.

"I'm sorry that she couldn't be of help to you," he apologized, bowing as he did so. "She usually is able to do just about anything."

"That's fine," Kaho said as she put on her shoes. "I benefited from this meeting anyhow."

"What do you mean?"

Kaho leaned in a little closer and placed a hand on his cheek. "Has anyone told you that you look just like him?"

"…Like who?"

There was that smile again.

"Never mind. It was nice meeting you, Watanuki-kun. I'm sure we'll see each other again sometime."

And then she turned to leave.

"Yuuko-san, what about her wish?" Watanuki asked as he watched the lady disappear past the gates.

Yuuko emerged from the seemingly empty space behind him. He knew by now to expect her to pop up out of nowhere when it seemed like no one was around.

"If she is convinced that I cannot help her, then I cannot help her. Her beliefs – not Clow's power – is what's keeping her from finding him."

Fin.

Author's Notes:

Crossed over with Cardcaptor Sakura

I think I like doing one-shots and short stories than writing long, plot-filled ones. More (possibly crossover) shots to come, so hang in there!

Feedback welcome! And I know that Kaho's background/situation wasn't explained very well, but this was a super-rushed job.

Yatsuka Hikagi

July 30, 2006