[For heading, see Chapter 1]

2. In Which Help is Found



I woke with a slight tug to my hair as Keroberos purred at my feet. He grabbed
the tendril of hair and tugged on it. It came loose in a messy bundle. I never
could manage to put it up as well as Clow did. At least I looked better than
Keroberos.

“Yue?” the lion-like guardian asked softly and without turning I let out an
exasperated, “Emm?”

“I’m hungry,” he purred softly, grabbing a chunk of my hair in his mouth and
pulling on it- h.a.r.d.

“Ah!” I yelled as I was jerked back suddenly to land on my backside on the
floor. “What was that for?”

“I’m hungry,” Keroberos said softly, tilting his head slightly in my direction.
I nodded softly and headed away from the protection of the window I had been
sitting at. The window had become my favorite place in the house. From there I
could watch as the spring grass slowly covered the resting place of my Master
and I could cry as I watched the cherry tree bloom without his help.

“What do you want?” I asked and opened the nearest cupboard to reveal several
flour dusted books. I yanked down the one that looked the most worn and held it
softly against my chest.

“Pudding!” Keroberos said enthusiastically, sitting on his haunches as he slowly
licked a paw.

I stared helplessly at the book. Reading a book of spells was one thing. This
was a whole ‘nother story. Forgive the pun. I shook the book hard and a worn
page hit the floor. I picked it up, “Lemon Pork Chops,” I said as I shook the
dust and salt from the page. “Does that sound like a pudding?”

Keroberos looked confused for a minute, “Does it involve sugar?” I nodded and
pointed to where it read: 4 tablespoons packed brown sugar.

Grabbing the page from me with his jaws, Keroberos slid it to the floor and
crossed his paws, laying down in front of it, “Look it’s got Clow’s writing on
it!” I snatched it back and picked at the flour covering the ink with a
fingernail until it crumbled away.

“Well?” the Sun Guardian demanded.

“’Yue officially decided he didn’t like food the day I cooked this. It was the
second day after his birth. I’m not sure if I did something wrong or it’s just a
portion of his nature. He felt guilty admitting it- but I just got muffin in his
hair and assured him that if he did the dishes we’d be even,’” I finished.

“Nothing about me?” Keroberos demanded. I shook my head and opened the book
rapidly. The entries in the cook book were completely random but at least they
were dated. Clow had taken the time to scribble anything remarkable we’d said
about the entries in small script.

“Aha!” I yelled as I yanked out a page. “Listen to this and guess what this is
describing: ‘On the first day, Keroberos couldn’t have been any happier with the
discovery of what I had in the oven. And, with the discovery of the oven. He
dived into the dessert and forced Yue and I to relinquish ours. It was quite
amusing to see a gigantic lion sitting on the table with his face covered in
vanilla-’”

“Why’d you stop?” Keroberos demanded. “It was about me!”

“There’s only one word left,” I laughed, waving the page in front of his face.

“Pudding!” Keroberos roared and tackled me for the page. He placed it on the
floor and started rummaging through the counter for the ingredients, while I
poked underneath the oven and fought to light the fire.

Suddenly, I sat up rapidly and dropped the match, the stove coming to blaze as I
tilted my head to the side, “Did you hear that?”

“No, what?” Keroberos asked as he watched me stand up.

“I thought I heard a horse,” I whispered, taking a step towards the hallway.

“What?” Keroberos asked.

“Stay here,” I whispered as I passed him out into the hall. “I might pass for
human in the darkness.” Behind me, I shut the kitchen door.

-`-

Crreeakkk... the door opened and I stepped closer, watching the wooden door from
the dark end of the hallway. The door opened and a man emerged from the shadows.
He shook rain from his coat and eased it onto a hanger to the left of the door
and called softly, “Clow Reed?” The man seemed to focus for a second and exhaled
softly as he saw my form, “Is that you?” Another step closer. “They’re not
saying good things in town...”

The man relit the lantern at his side and I instinctively turned my eyes
downwards as he gasped. I could see him clearly now- not at all scared of what I
appeared to be, merely curious and worried.

“You must be Yue,” he whispered. “Clow’s jewel. Where is he? I must speak with
him at once.”

I said nothing and just stared at the man. Clow called me his jewel? The thought
made me warm and cold at the same time... Clow was gone. Clow would never nibble
against my neck. Clow would never run his hands through my hair or curl against
me or capture me in an embrace.

The man seemed to catch my hesitation, “Yue this is important. Where is Clow?”

“Do you know how to light a fire?” I asked.

He nodded mutely.

“Then, follow me.”
-End Ch. 2-