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Yuuko sat, watching the rain. Such a dreary day. Such a dreary time. Yuuko sighed.
“Does Mistress want Sake?” An excited voice shouted from behind Yuuko.
“Sake!”
“Sake!” The twins Maro and Moro were at play, hoping to cheer their mistress up; the promises of sake were almost too much to pass. Almost though. She had a duty
“No. Today is not the day for sake.” The witch smoked her pipe, blowing out smoke slowly, the patterns reflecting the strings that bound the universe together. “No, today is not the day for sake.” The twins both nodded. “How about you two play inside today. We’ll be having a visitor; and I wish to speak to him alone for now.” The twins, energetic as always, nodded.
“Play!”
“Play!”
“Yes. Play.” The two girls ran off, into the shop. Yuuko sucked in more smoke from the pipe; a gift most precious to her, and then blew it out once again.
“Still see you’re intent on killing yourself through cancer.” A male voice spoke behind her. Yuuko did not turn around, merely motioned for her guest to sit down. “I brought some wine. It’s from Arcadia. Or, well it was.” He sat next to her, producing three glasses, each half filled with some green liquid. She didn’t bother asking if it was safe to drink, merely draining one glass quickly. Her guest refilled the glass just as fast though, and they drank in silence for a moment.
“I didn’t hear you come. I take it that she still doesn’t trust me?” Yuuko asked, not looking at her guest. She never bothered to. His essence was the same, even if the face and voice wasn’t. Bothering to remember what he looked like now would only leave her confused the next time he popped by.
“Hey, it’s not a matter of trust with her. She has no wish; therefore she cannot be on these grounds. You know the rules better than I.” Yuuko snorted at that.
“As if. We both know perfectly well she doesn’t play by my rules. Or anyone else’s for that matter. No, she works on a different plane all together. And even if she did, you have come here many times with no wish. Though…. This time I can’t help but feel it might be different.”
Her guest nodded slowly, taking a sip of the wine. “Ah yes, the three chosen ones. Her, The Book, and The Card. Each in turn choosing someone as their champion. Me, Clow, and Him. And for some reason, we all choose humanity as our protected race; though none of us are actually human.” He paused for a moment, before shifting gears, as he often was ought to. “You know, this is the last bottle of Arcadian Wine to exist. The rest were destroyed…..” His voice cut off, memories as old as time, but as fresh as yesterday threatened to come forward and break the dam he had built in his mind. “I want you to have it,” He continued, his emotions once more under control, “As payment.”
“An unusual gift from you. Generally you only offer favors. And knowing how much payment from you means to Balance, you are going to ask a heavy wish from me, isn’t that right?” She smirked, placing the bottle next to her. She would drink it later.
“To me it is the universe; to you it is the weight of a feather. Just some things to you are heavy, but to me they are light.” Yuuko cleared her throat, indicating her guest to get on with it. “Fine, fine. No exposition for you. I need to know something Yuuko. Could-“
“No.” Yuuko interrupted, “That was the only path. The only way to end it. You have to pay the price, yes. But you still did the only thing that you could. You know that, as well as anyone. Why are you asking me? This bottle is too much of a payment for that question.”
“No it isn’t.” He answered. “I needed to know. It was you or him, either one of you could have told me the information. But I needed someone to confirm it. One who wasn’t her.” He stood up, dusting off his pants. “Now, if you’ll excuse me Yuuko, I need to take my leave. She wouldn’t like it if I’m late again. And any over balance….. well I guess I’ll just call it a gift.”
Yuuko nodded, his speech giving her understanding to how much that question was worth to him. “Very well. And-” She turned around, only to see that he had left already. “Good luck Doctor.” A faint whine; off in the distance, “Moro, Maro?” She called out to the twins, who had been listening this whole time behind the doors. Not that she minded that is, it was always better to know where those two were rather then let them destroy the shop. “Take this bottle to the storage room. And I think I will have some sake now. That talk whetted my thirst.” She smiled, the first real smile since he ended the war long ago, or was it yesterday, or perhaps he was ending it right now? Time was always so confusing. And headachy. Nevertheless, now she understood. Now she would drink to the friends he lost, the loves, the heartache, the patch of land he had once cultivated. For the Doctor, for he had better things to do then drink. So she would have to do it for him.
The End of the Beginning.