The breeze blew softly over the old oak tree. It was almost summer then, and the two girls rested, taking advantage of the shade the boughs provided. A comforting silence hung in the air, each simply enjoying the other's company. The one with light hair kept hers in a tight, curly ponytail, though at the moment, it hang loose, the other running her slender fingers through it.
"'Kaze-chan," the girl with the lighter hair said. "I hope that we will always have afternoons like this."
"For as long as we can, Aure," the brunette replied calmly. "For as long as we can."
Aure sat up and looked straight into her friend's eyes.
"You will be there when I am called to summon, won't you, Makaze?"
"Of course."
"I will need you, you know. I can't do it without you. If I didn't see you, I, I..."
"I understand, Aure. You know I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Aure smiled.
"Good." She slumped back into her friend's lap, but soon put on a puzzled look once more. "What do you think he'll look like?"
"What who will look like?"
"My partner. When he comes, at least..."
"How do you know it will be a he?"
"Well, Lena had a he, and so did Tiara (at least at first), and even you have one! So why should I be different?"
"You never know. Your sister did get a ferret on her second try."
"Yes, well, I suppose." All was quiet again. Aure knew when she was beaten.
* * *
Aure took a deep breath. All she could do now was to wait. She was filled with expectancy and excitement. She had completed the ancient rites and repeated the charms, but now, she wondered, what would he turn out like? What could he turn out like?
A million thoughts ran through Aure's mind. She remembered staring in the mirror at her reflection, clothed in the elder's robes. With caution, she slipped the hood loosely over her strawberry-blonde locks. She thought of meeting Makaze and her partner Bal before the chamber entrance
'Don't worry,' her friend had said, also dressed in ceremonial clothes. 'You'll do fine.'
'Yes, Miss Makaze is right. We have much faith in you.'
She smiled.
'Thank you, Bal. And you, of course,' Aure said, turning to Kaze-chan. She smiled back and Bal nodded.
'Miss Makaze," he said, 'It is best we take our leave now and leave Miss Aure to her thoughts.'
'Yes, I suppose you're right.' Makaze gave her a hug. 'Good luck, ok? I'll see you after the ceremony.'
'Ok,' Aure said weakly, waving to the two as they strode off.
Aure was brought back to attention quite suddenly, awaking from her trance to the reality of the cold, dark chamber and the ghostly elders surrounding the circular center of the room. She could feel the ground shake beneath her and her body go off balance, but she stood her ground. Nothing could interfere.
Aure noticed that the colors in the portal had begun to swirl.
Here it comes, she thought. The moment of truth... Her eyes shut slowly, meditating in the last few instants. Makaze, in the sidelines, covered her mouth with her hands while Bal stood firm, never loosing his cool.
A corner of something appeared through the darkness. Little by little, Aure's "partner" was being revealed. She could barely force herself to watch, and when it finally dropped, it took her a second or two to recover.
It was a book.
This was no ordinary book, Aure could tell. She could feel the power eminating from it. Taking a deep breath, she approached it. Upon further inspection, Aure noticed the mystic patterns and...what was this? Faintly embellished in the cover were the scriptures, the same that had helped she and her sister to transform.
"Wha-"
Aure knelt down and picked up the strange work. She ran her fingers over it and slowly opened it. She drew back as a burst of light shot out from its "pages." A creature was drawing itself out it, from the tips of its wings to the end of its tail. Its head hung low, hovering over the book and Aure's lap. It lifted its eyes to face the girl's, languidly opening its eyelids. Dark grey pupils stared into Aure's blue-green ones.
"Good morning, Aure," the creature said. "I've been waiting for you."
* * *
It was near fall now and leaves danced in the wind above the two friends' heads. Makaze still kept Aure's head safe on her knees. The dark haired girl was first to speak.
"I will miss this," she said. "I will miss being with you the most."
"Why will you miss it?" the other asked sleepily.
"I fear we will not sit together here for a while, my dear Aure." Aure sat up abruptly, grabbing her friend's hand.
"You won't be gone for long, will you?" she inquired frantically. "I need you! The others need you too!" Makaze giggled.
"No they won't. Bal has bid farewell to Leon, as well as Alida," came the reply, Makaze referring to Alida as the creature from the book, now Aure's partner. "And She can still continue training with the ferret."
"Miss Makaze," said Bal, standing away from the two. "It is time."
"Alright," the girl said, turning to him. "Alright, Aure. I must say goodbye now." She smiled and stood.
"But Kaze-chan! When will I see you again?"
"As long as it takes," said Makaze, grinning. "Good-bye, Aure!" Reluctantly, the two parted hands.
"Kaze-chan! Wait! I- " Aure cried out, reaching out to her, but it was too late.
"I will miss you."
* * *
Aure knelt in front of the elder, bowing her head.
"Do you know why I have called you here today, child?"
"No, Elder," she answered.
"Child, we of the council are impressed with your skill. We have watched your progress with the Cards of the AlterClow and monitored your relationship with your guardian and partner. However, you have not captured all of the Cards, have you, my child?"
Aure shook her head.
"Have you any idea, my child?"
She shook her head again.
"It is because the one called Li Syaoran in the human world has foolishly opened the portal between the Guardian World and the Mortal World and has released the remainder of Gust Cards as well as the Njord and Mist Cards."
"But how - "
"That is all you need to know,
"'Kaze-chan," the girl with the lighter hair said. "I hope that we will always have afternoons like this."
"For as long as we can, Aure," the brunette replied calmly. "For as long as we can."
Aure sat up and looked straight into her friend's eyes.
"You will be there when I am called to summon, won't you, Makaze?"
"Of course."
"I will need you, you know. I can't do it without you. If I didn't see you, I, I..."
"I understand, Aure. You know I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Aure smiled.
"Good." She slumped back into her friend's lap, but soon put on a puzzled look once more. "What do you think he'll look like?"
"What who will look like?"
"My partner. When he comes, at least..."
"How do you know it will be a he?"
"Well, Lena had a he, and so did Tiara (at least at first), and even you have one! So why should I be different?"
"You never know. Your sister did get a ferret on her second try."
"Yes, well, I suppose." All was quiet again. Aure knew when she was beaten.
* * *
Aure took a deep breath. All she could do now was to wait. She was filled with expectancy and excitement. She had completed the ancient rites and repeated the charms, but now, she wondered, what would he turn out like? What could he turn out like?
A million thoughts ran through Aure's mind. She remembered staring in the mirror at her reflection, clothed in the elder's robes. With caution, she slipped the hood loosely over her strawberry-blonde locks. She thought of meeting Makaze and her partner Bal before the chamber entrance
'Don't worry,' her friend had said, also dressed in ceremonial clothes. 'You'll do fine.'
'Yes, Miss Makaze is right. We have much faith in you.'
She smiled.
'Thank you, Bal. And you, of course,' Aure said, turning to Kaze-chan. She smiled back and Bal nodded.
'Miss Makaze," he said, 'It is best we take our leave now and leave Miss Aure to her thoughts.'
'Yes, I suppose you're right.' Makaze gave her a hug. 'Good luck, ok? I'll see you after the ceremony.'
'Ok,' Aure said weakly, waving to the two as they strode off.
Aure was brought back to attention quite suddenly, awaking from her trance to the reality of the cold, dark chamber and the ghostly elders surrounding the circular center of the room. She could feel the ground shake beneath her and her body go off balance, but she stood her ground. Nothing could interfere.
Aure noticed that the colors in the portal had begun to swirl.
Here it comes, she thought. The moment of truth... Her eyes shut slowly, meditating in the last few instants. Makaze, in the sidelines, covered her mouth with her hands while Bal stood firm, never loosing his cool.
A corner of something appeared through the darkness. Little by little, Aure's "partner" was being revealed. She could barely force herself to watch, and when it finally dropped, it took her a second or two to recover.
It was a book.
This was no ordinary book, Aure could tell. She could feel the power eminating from it. Taking a deep breath, she approached it. Upon further inspection, Aure noticed the mystic patterns and...what was this? Faintly embellished in the cover were the scriptures, the same that had helped she and her sister to transform.
"Wha-"
Aure knelt down and picked up the strange work. She ran her fingers over it and slowly opened it. She drew back as a burst of light shot out from its "pages." A creature was drawing itself out it, from the tips of its wings to the end of its tail. Its head hung low, hovering over the book and Aure's lap. It lifted its eyes to face the girl's, languidly opening its eyelids. Dark grey pupils stared into Aure's blue-green ones.
"Good morning, Aure," the creature said. "I've been waiting for you."
* * *
It was near fall now and leaves danced in the wind above the two friends' heads. Makaze still kept Aure's head safe on her knees. The dark haired girl was first to speak.
"I will miss this," she said. "I will miss being with you the most."
"Why will you miss it?" the other asked sleepily.
"I fear we will not sit together here for a while, my dear Aure." Aure sat up abruptly, grabbing her friend's hand.
"You won't be gone for long, will you?" she inquired frantically. "I need you! The others need you too!" Makaze giggled.
"No they won't. Bal has bid farewell to Leon, as well as Alida," came the reply, Makaze referring to Alida as the creature from the book, now Aure's partner. "And She can still continue training with the ferret."
"Miss Makaze," said Bal, standing away from the two. "It is time."
"Alright," the girl said, turning to him. "Alright, Aure. I must say goodbye now." She smiled and stood.
"But Kaze-chan! When will I see you again?"
"As long as it takes," said Makaze, grinning. "Good-bye, Aure!" Reluctantly, the two parted hands.
"Kaze-chan! Wait! I- " Aure cried out, reaching out to her, but it was too late.
"I will miss you."
* * *
Aure knelt in front of the elder, bowing her head.
"Do you know why I have called you here today, child?"
"No, Elder," she answered.
"Child, we of the council are impressed with your skill. We have watched your progress with the Cards of the AlterClow and monitored your relationship with your guardian and partner. However, you have not captured all of the Cards, have you, my child?"
Aure shook her head.
"Have you any idea, my child?"
She shook her head again.
"It is because the one called Li Syaoran in the human world has foolishly opened the portal between the Guardian World and the Mortal World and has released the remainder of Gust Cards as well as the Njord and Mist Cards."
"But how - "
"That is all you need to know,