Author's Notes: This has to be the easiest flashback sequence/background story segment I’ve ever done. It’s just like Yue is watching a movie and commenting on it as he goes along.

Touya/Yukito/Sakura first meeting. I do realise that in the manga Yukito actually transfers to Touya’s class and Touya brings him home where he meets Sakura. But I think bumping into each other on the way to school is more fun. One big question regarding Yukito is whether is grandparents really do exist or not. I’m going for yes – when Sakura falls into the lake in the ‘Illusion’ card story, Yukito says that his grandmother changed her clothes. I don’t see Yukito lying about it, I don’t see Yue waking up long enough to take care of a Master he doesn’t really want, so therefore I think they exist. They just like taking holidays, that’s all.

Shadows of the Moon

Chapter Two

By Leareth

       

It started raining. Yukito took no heed of it, but there was something in the water, the dark clouds, a presence that told me that the rain was not natural. And my suspicions rose further when Yukito turned on the television to see the news and the weather bureau reported that the rain was falling only on Tomoeda, nowhere else.

The kehai that comes with it is vaguely familiar, as if I have encountered it a long time ago. It reminds me a bit of Sakura – or Touya.

Touya. He had given me – Yukito – many strange and unreadable looks today. What was he thinking?

What does he feel for Yukito? Friendship? Or something more?

I know so little about emotion, having felt so little of it myself. I know so little about myself – Yukito in fact, having been asleep all this time. And if I cannot understand myself, then there is no way that I can understand Touya.

But I can learn. I do have certain advantages.

As Yukito sat down on the sofa to read a book, I deftly sent him to sleep. Yukito’s slumber gives me a restricted freedom in his mind, and I delve into his memories – our memories, in an attempt to know more about the person I – Yukito loves and calls friend.

       

Yukito kissed his grandmother goodbye, giggling as the woman replaced his glasses on his nose. He gave her a hug as she handed him his brand-new Seijou blazer and book-bag.

"Take care now," said the old woman, "and don’t eat too much at lunch."

The boy laughed. "Obaa-san!"

His grandmother’s wrinkled and kindly face spread into a smile. "Have fun on your first day."

Yukito waved to her as he ran lightly down the path to the street. "I will!"

Caught up in his exuberance in starting a new school, Yukito hummed to himself as he walked, oblivious to his surroundings. He turned a corner –

– and was bowled over onto his back, glasses knocked from his face and bag sent skidding to the base of the wall. Yukito rubbed his head as he heard bike wheels skid to a stop, then footsteps running on the pavement towards him. A pair of hands on his shoulders lifted him into a sitting position.

"I’m so sorry!" he heard a voice say. "Are you alright?"

Yukito blinked and looked at the speaker. A handsome, strongly featured face with lightly tanned skin that implied an active lifestyle. Longish black hair just fell into a pair of sapphire blue eyes that looked at him with genuine concern. Yukito shook his head to clear away the fading stars and smiled.

"Ne, I’m alright!"

The other boy sighed in relief, then was caught by Yukito’s warm hazel gaze. He drew a quick breath as Yukito did the same.

He felt like he was drowning in a deep sapphire blue sea.

"Onii-chan!" yelled a second, younger voice.

The boy tore his gaze from Yukito and glanced at a smaller figure running towards them, a young girl with short auburn hair that flew out behind her. Her feet pounded on the ground.

Directly in her path were Yukito’s glasses. Seeing them, the darker boy dived for them, snatching them out of harm’s way just as the girl’s foot came crashing down. The girl, seeing the two boys on the pavement, came to a stop and stared.

"Be careful, kaijuu!" snapped the boy. He turned to the other and slid the glasses onto Yukito’s face, where they hung slightly lopsided.

"I’m not a monster!" shouted the girl, stamping one foot as Yukito righted his glasses.

The boy ignored her. He got to his feet and offered a hand to Yukito. "Sure that you’re not hurt?"

Yukito took the outstretched hand and stood up. "I’m fine!"

"You going to Seijou?" the boy asked, seeing the pale blue blazer.

"Yes. It’s my first day today."

"That’s my school," said the boy. "I’m sorry I nearly ran you down. I’m Kinomoto Touya. That’s my little sister, Kinomoto Sakura."

"Hello!" chirped the girl.

"Pleased to meet you. I’m Tsukishiro Yukito." He smiled and extended his hand in greeting.

Touya shook it, then looked at his watch. "It’s getting late," he said. "Can I give you a lift? There’s room on the back of my bike for a rider."

"Onii-chan! You didn’t let me ride today!" whined Sakura.

"That’s cause Dad’s getting you a pair of skates." Touya righted his bike and gestured to Yukito. "Coming?"

Yukito retrieved his bag. "Alright," he said with a smile.

       

I let the images and emotions that came with the memory fade away. First impressions can say a lot about people. Yukito immediately saw that Touya was a kind person, though perhaps casual in attitude. And clueless as my false self is at times, he is not stupid. He sensed that Touya would be ‘special’.

What’s more, if I read Touya’s reaction to Yukito correctly, he had felt the same connection between them.

Most interesting.

I move on.

       

"Happy birthday, Yuki."

Yukito looked up from the bench where he had been reading, in surprise. Touya stood before him, a little uncomfortable, with two packages in his hands. One was large and covered in bright paper, the other was smaller and simply wrapped in white cloth.

"Sakura insisted I give this to you from her," continued Touya. "The other one’s from me." He held out the two presents.

Yukito put down his book. "Arigato, To-ya! But you didn’t really have to do this," said Yukito, accepting the gifts.

Touya shrugged, then sat beside him. "I know. I wanted to anyway. Just something for my best friend."

Yukito flashed him a smile, then carefully opened the larger present. Sakura had given him a large box of chocolates. There was also a card, hand made with a scrawled but carefully done drawing of a rabbit on the front.

‘Dear Yukito-san,’ read the inside. ‘I hope this is your bestest birthday! Yours, Sakura.’

"Ne, you must let me thank Sakura-chan," said Yukito, his face lighting up as he looked at the chocolates. He turned his attention to the cloth-wrapped gift. With great care he unfolded the white material away, and turned over the photo inside.

The frame was a simple dark blue, the only ornament being a white crescent moon on the top left hand corner. Behind the glass, was a picture of a group of three people in front of a cherry blossom tree in full bloom, taken with Tomoyo’s usual expertise. Sakura beamed in the foreground and Yukito smiled charmingly as he knelt slightly behind to her right. Half-standing behind them looking slightly uncomfortable was Touya. He leaned forward, one arm resting on Yukito’s head.

Yukito looked at his best friend. "To-ya, it’s wonderful! Arigato!" And he gave the other boy his usual dazzling smile.

Touya waved his hand, looking very uncomfortable. "It’s nothing."

Yukito grinned. He knew his friend well enough to know that any displays of genuine emotion embarrassed him. So instead he opened the box of chocolates, and gave Touya the first choice.

       

It is obvious that Touya looks upon Yukito as one of his closest friends at this stage, and Sakura’s affection for Yukito is also clear. He is perfectly happy. No wonder I slept so peacefully.

Whether Touya’s feelings are the same as Yukito’s I can’t tell.

I feel Yukito smile in his sleep. My sojourn into his memories is giving him pleasant dreams, exactly how he affected my sleep in creating them.

Suddenly the phone rings, causing Yukito to stir. I ease the bond of slumber off that part of my mind and withdraw as my false self awakes.

       

Yukito blinked hazel eyes in confusion. The ring came insistently, its trill a cheerful counterpoint to the monotonous falling of rain outside. His mind coming into full awareness, he then stretched one lithe arm towards the phone.

"Hello, Tsukishiro residence," Yukito said in his light alto.

"Hey, Yuki," answered a familiar voice.

Yukito’s delicate face lit up in a smile. "Ne, To-ya, I was just thinking about you and you call. Funny, isn’t it."

There was a laugh at the other end of the phone. "Were you thinking about food as well?" Touya asked, "cause I’m inviting you to dinner tomorrow."

Yukito thought back to his ‘dream’. "I was thinking about the chocolates Sakura-chan gave me for my birthday," he said smiling though the other could not see.

"Well, Sakura’s going to be cooking. She makes pretty good food for a monster."

There was a muffled infuriated yell on the other end of the line followed by a strangled cry of pain.

"To-ya?"

"Sorry about that. So you want to come over to my place after school tomorrow?"

"Alright!"

       

I can hear how Touya’s reluctance at speaking disappears as he talks to Yukito – he is obviously most at ease with his best friend. I gather that other people are lucky if Touya speaks more than a dozen words to them. Despite his apparent aloofness, he is popular and respected amongst the other students. Especially the female ones, though he has never accepted an offer of a date from any, though there have been many proposals. Akizuki is merely the latest.

"Ne, why are you surprised that Akizuki-san likes you, To-ya?" Yukito asks. "You are very likable."

I can almost hear the scowl in Touya’s reply. "Oh? Why?"

Yukito smiles. "You are a kind and helpful person," he began, twirling the cord of the phone in slim fingers, "and you are clever and handsome. You take good care of people and -"

"Enough!" I can imagine Touya’s blush.

"It is all true," said Yukito. "No wonder all the girls like you."

Was it because of Mizuki-sensei that Touya never responded to them? Or some other reason?

"Doesn’t mean I like them. And Akizuki-san is getting on my nerves how she keeps popping out of nowhere when I’m trying to talk to you."

Yukito laughs, a silvery laugh like bells. "It is because of Mizuki-sensei that you do not accept date proposals. Am I right?"

There is a pause.

"Not exactly."

Yukito looked at the phone quizzically. "Oh? Then why?"

"Yuki . . ." There is a muffled call from his end of the line. "What?" asked Touya, not to Yukito but to someone at his home. Some murmured conversation, then, "Yuki, Sakura’s calling for dinner so I’ll see you at school tomorrow, okay?"

Yukito smiles. "Okay!"

"Ja, ne."

There was a click as the connection was cut. Yukito ponders over the conversation for a few moments then shrugged, returning to the sofa and the book he had never begun.

Much as I respect the Card Mistress, I really wish she could have waited before calling Touya to his dinner. I would sigh if I could. As it is, I put Yukito to sleep again and continue where I left off.

       

Yukito opened the bedroom door and gave the invalid a bright smile. Touya looked up from where he was about to eat a plateful of pancakes as he lay in bed with his sprained right ankle. Seeing whom his visitor was he put down the fork.

"Hello, To-ya," said Yukito. He dragged a chair over to the side of the bed and sat down. "I brought you a book to read, so you won’t get bored."

Touya smiled as Yukito gave him the novel, and winced as the expression strained his bruised cheek.

"Did you see something in the woods?" asked Yukito.

"Whatever I saw, it wasn’t there when I woke up," replied Touya. "Maybe it was a dream?"

Yukito smiled. "Most probably. Still, you’re a very nice person."

Touya tried to cover his embarrassment by cutting a piece of the pancake and picking it up with the fork. Before Yukito could say a word, Touya fed him the pancake.

Yukito closed his eyes, pulling the piece off the fork with his teeth as Touya drew it away. He smiled. "Did Sakura-chan make it?" he asked teasingly after he swallowed the sweet mouthful.

Touya gave him a mock-glare, and cut another piece. "This should shut you up," he muttered. He offered the pancake piece to Yukito as he held the fork. Yukito leaned forward and promptly ate it.

       

I smiled slightly to myself, amused. This memory was of the aftermath of the Card Captor’s adventure with the ‘Mirror’ card, which had imitated Sakura herself. The Card had led Touya off the edge of a cliff. Thankfully, he had only ended up with a sprained right ankle. Yukito had come over to keep him company as he lay in bed.

I allow the memory to drift away back into Yukito’s mind. There is one characteristic of Touya that is evident from all this. The young man is not a very enthusiastic speaker when it comes to what he is really thinking and feeling, much like Clow Reed in that sense. However Touya does demonstrate his emotions wordlessly, whether it be with the slightest touch or impulsive gesture. There has been ample evidence of that in Yukito’s memories.

I think back to the phone conversation. Unfortunately with that I have only Touya’s voice to go on and that isn’t enough for me. What was implied in his words that I can’t read?

I wish that I could ask – Yukito is too cluelessly innocent to request an explanation. And that is annoying.

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