Vanilla Skies
Prologue: Tsukino Usagi
It seems ridiculous to return home after so many years. I can't remember whether it was Tomoyo's frantic phone call or otou-san's sudden visit to the university, but I do know that when that feeling of hopelessness hit me something was wrong. Something was very wrong…
Someone had reawakened the cards…
**
"I can't- I can't see her… Oh, do you see her Eriol?"
Hiiragizawa Eriol let out a weary chuckle at the cute picture his wife of two years made. Long ebony hair fell down in waves against her back and her blue eyes sparkled with light he hadn't seen in years. Yes, he always knew that Kinimoto Sakura held a special place in Tomoyo's heart; she held a special place in his as well. He just wished that the reunion did not have to occur under these circumstances.
"Oh my God, look," Tomoyo whispered pointing towards the direction of the outpouring of passengers. She squealed and ran forward to embrace the woman, leaving him in a bit of a trance. Gone was the child who fought against the powers of darkness, but now stood a young woman with a power emulating that he had never felt before. She was taller and slender, wearing a simple pair of jeans and a black sweatshirt. Tresses of auburn hair fell against her face as they tried to escape the clutches of the ponytail she was trying to keep. Emerald green eyes were filled with exhaustion and other emotions he couldn't quite place…
"Sakura!"
Tomoyo flew from her position next to him towards the other woman. It had been years since they've last seen under the best of circumstances. "Oh Sakura, thank god you're here…" There was a chuckle from the other woman, who was hugging Tomoyo just as tightly. He watched as she pulled back.
"I missed you too," Sakura replied softly, meeting his gaze over Tomoyo's tight grasp. "Eriol-kun…" She gave him a small smile, probably he guessed, all she could give at the moment. One day there would be room for friendship, but for now they had more important things to tend to.
"So shall we get going? Are you hungry? Have you eaten?" Sakura chuckled again, pulling them to a bunch of chairs. Tomoyo still gripped her hand tightly as if she was afraid she was going to disappear again. He sighed. The memories were still fresh in his mind as well.
"Actually, I brought someone."
He nearly choked and Tomoyo's eyes widened. A certain someone wasn't going to be too happy about that…
"It's not a guy… I… I brought someone to help us."
"Help us?"
She nodded, glancing back at the still outpouring of passengers. "We got separated in the midst of passengers. Damn Americans are always in a rush to go somewhere…"
"Flight that bad, eh?"
Sakura smirked and leaned back in her seat. "It was like having five Mei- Oh, there she is! Usa-neechan!"
Eriol's eyes widened as a woman made her way through the crowded airport terminal to their small group. Waves of silver fell into a pile on top of slender shoulders. She wore a blue sundress that sparkled when the sun hit from the windows. She was an immensely attractive woman, but it was her eyes that held him still. Blue orbs that were the color of the ocean during a storm were sparkling with several emotions, but then hidden he could see a sad story of loss.
Sakura beamed. "This is my friend Tsukino Usagi. She's going to help us with gathering the cards. I told her everything."
Tomoyo smiled and shook the older woman's hand. "Any friend of Sakura's is mine as well. Thank you, you don't understand how much this means to me and my husband."
He studied her for moment debating whether or not he should make the initiative first. Usagi gave him a small smile and held out her hand. "I understand more than you think I do."
He nodded slowly. There was something about her. He could trust her yes, but there was something else lingering. She would be an exceptional ally to them, especially with the Li Clan involved and what was left of Clow's magic.
However, he thought as he felt the energy emaciating from her. However, she'd be a formidable opponent as well.
And he'd pity the fool who made her the enemy.
**
The sky began to darken considerably, clouds rushing in like there was no tomorrow. It was far past rain season, Mika thought with a frown and pulling at her uniform. She quickened her pace through the neighborhood, hoping that the three and half blocks she had to walk would pass faster.
Pit.
Pat.
Rain began to pour down in heave after heave. What was going on? The weather had never been this weird before, she thought incredulously. And leave it to her to forget her stupid jacket…
Pit.
Pat.
"I just want to go-"
Pit.
Her eyes snapped wide open, greeting the cool pavement. "I fell?" Her gaze wandered around her and she shook head. She needed to pay more attention to her surroundings.
Pit.
"Huh?"
Pat-pit.
"Oh my God!
Pit-pat.
Pit.
Black.
**
"You don't know how happy I am to see you."
Sakura looked up from her unpacking and smiled at Tomoyo. "I'm happy to be back." Well in some respects, she thought. Coming back to Japan was more of a bitter homecoming than a happy one. Memories of a darker day were still fresh in her mind. She closed her eyes. However, she needed to focus on more important things at hand.
"So," she began slowly. "How bad is it really?"
She watched as Tomoyo looked down and let out a small sigh. She brushed a strand of her auburn hair out of her face. It was worse than she expected.
"Eriol had confirmed our suspicions of the cards being put to rest after he sat in a meeting. That… That was at least three, four years after you left home to go to England. Everything was fine until the Li Clan, well; the Li Clan has set their central focus in here… They're here in Japan, Sakura."
She said nothing and pushed all feelings threatening to flush out from their keeping place. She pushed her suitcase from the bed and sat down next to Tomoyo.
"How bad is it really? Moreover, is it as bad as I think it is?"
Tomoyo nodded. "From what Eriol has said, yes it has. And from the word from connections, the Clan has spurred it out of control. Sakura…" Tomoyo grabbed her hands. "Sakura, the forces at work are darker than ever before. People can get hurt…."
Sakura ignored the hidden reference that her friend was trying to initiate. She slowly closed her eyes. The energy had been practically roaring since she had arrived. "Not everyone is safe, I agree with you fully. But then again not everyone is completely useless…"
"Sakura-chan…"
"I'm going to have to face him one day, Tomoyo-chan. I can't hide forever from him. And I'm a different person now; I'm not going to just run into his arms in a heartbeat. I just don't work that way."
"Is she really going to help us?"
A tiny smile crossed her face. "Usa-chan 's friendship is a great asset to whatever I'm going to fight. I need her here."
Tomoyo grabbed her hand. "Then I trust her. I trust her."
**
It had to be ten years, Tsukino Usagi mused as she looked out the window of the Hiiragizawa household. Dark skies greeted her vision as she could make out the vastness of the city's life. Was Tokyo ever this large? She sighed. Sakura had been right. There was something very powerful out there in work. Something very powerful and evil to be exact. She had forgotten how sharp her senses were.
"Tsukino-san?"
She turned around to find Hiiragizawa-san standing at the door. She gave him a small smile in greeting. "Onegai, Usagi or Usagi-chan is fine."
"Demo-"
"I'm not one especially fond of formalities, Hiiragizawa-san. Just because I haven't been back home in a long time doesn't change anything."
He smiled and nodded. "All right, Usagi then you don't mind me asking… Why are you here with Sakura-chan?"
She shrugged and answered simply, "To help Sakura of course. She asked for me help and I was more then happy to comply."
"You're a woman of great power."
A sad smile crossed Usagi's features. "There are many of those of great stature. I am merely a woman of destiny who hopes to protect Sakura from a cruel path. She, for once, deserves happiness."
He looked at her with a quiet expression. "I couldn't agree more with you. She deserves to be the happiest out of all of us."
"But you want to know if I can be trusted?"
Silence.
She pointed to the window. "There's a storm of great multitude brewing outside. She cannot do this by herself, not yet at least. The cards are the cause of this yes, merely because they are looking for what was taken from them."
Boooom!
"The cards are looking for their mistress."
**
"We've made a grave mistake."
"But it is the right of our great clan. We are direct descendents! This would never of happened if that child had-"
"The situation could have been worse if the child had captured them all. She saved us and we stole what was rightfully hers. Not only that we played with fate.
"But-"
"We had no right to toy with fate."
**
So this is my first CCS fanfic, well my first CCS-centric with guest appearances from Sailor Moon, CLAMP detectives, and X/1999. I wouldn't call it a crossover since Usagi isn't the main character of the story, bust she does play a vital role. Hopefully, you've enjoyed it thus far.
Chapter One: The Problem, What Were They Thinking!
Sakura ventures out to rediscover Tokyo with Tomoyo and Usagi on a girl's day out. Eriol talks to an old ally and then some. The CLAMP detectives make an appearance and what's this about the cards? Rika?
Dedication: To my oneechan, just because…
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS or Sailor Moon. Although, I would just love to bargain with CLAMP for a little Eriol here and a little Li-kun there… Not to mention a little Subaru…