Disclaimer: Just a friendly reminder, CCS is owned by CLAMP. OK, so you've heard it before. I dunno. If something is a fanfic, I don't think you have to say you don't own the show or book unless you're the creator or something like that. If I did own Sakura, I realy would've requested a preview of the English version before I gave Nelvana my approval. In fact, it's plain wrong for an anime distributor to totally mess around with a show. That's the job of fanfic writers ;o)
Special thanks to all my beta readers, especially Starlight Rose, who made a great effort to keep the OOC-ness to a minimum. Big kudos to all of them for dealing with this story. I'm sure it wasn't easy :o)
OK, enough of the preliminary stuff. Let's move on with the story. To the stage! :o)
[A spotlight shines on the stage. Super Deformed Sakura steps out of the curtain with Kero-chan and stands in the spotlight.]
Sakura: [Waves to the readers.] Hello. A year has passed since I became the Cardmistress (in the anime), so in this story, I'm about twelve (right?). Although Syaoran-kun is in Hong Kong, we still keep in touch and our feelings for each other haven't changed. He's still my number one.
Kero-chan: I think I'm gonna hurl...
Sakura: [Glares at Kero-chan.] Kero-chan! [Returns to the task at hand.] Well, I've captured all the Clow Cards and turned them all into Sakura Cards. Nothing's happened in Tomoeda ever since. Well, things happen, but not weird stuff. In short, I haven't had any adventures as a Cardcaptor for a while now.
[Tomoyo screams from backstage.]
Sakura: [Sweatdrops and shakes her head.] Tomoyo-chan...Anyway, I'm not a Cardcaptor anymore. Technically, I'm the Cardmistress now. No recent weirdness. So I should be living a normal life, right?
Kero-chan: Well, in this story, Sakura takes on a...
Sakura: Kero-chan! Don't spoil it for everyone!
[Sakura grabs Kero-chan and places her hand over his mouth.]
Kero-chan: [Struggles.] Mmmmmmmmph mmmmph mmmph!
Sakura: [Holding Kero-chan.] Like I said before, this story's set after the anime. The second movie is considered the end. Still, I think there are elements from the manga in it. Also, everyone will be more or less in character thanks to Starlight Rose. The writer finds it bothersome when characters from a show aren't acting like themselves. Don't ask me why.
SR: [Sticks her tongue out.] Well, excuse me! Read my post on OOC-ness in the CCS forum.
[Backstage, HA sweatdrops and wonders how SR got into this dialogue.]
Kero-chan: [Breaking free.] Yes! I can breathe! Now where was I? Oh yeah, Sakura's gonna take on a...
Sakura: [Grabs Kero-chan again. Sweatdrops and laughs nervously.] Um, well, you'll have to read the story to find out what happens. Sayonara!
[Sakura dashes behind the curtain with the still struggling Kero-chan. The curtain opens, and the story begins.]
The Funhouse
Prologue: Laughter in the Dark
"So, have you heard from him yet?" Daidouji Tomoyo asked her best friend as they walked home from school.
"Hoe?" Kinomoto Sakura blinked. "Who?"
"You know who I'm talking about." Tomoyo smiled. "You were thinking about him, weren't you?"
Sakura blushed. "Well..."
"It's a shame Li-kun had to go back to Hong Kong," Tomoyo said.
"Yeah, but he had stuff to take care of," Sakura wished Li Syaoran would have stayed in Japan. His amber eyes, brown hair, and stern yet kindly face stood out in her mind. "At least he knows how I feel about him," she said, relieved. She recalled how long it took for her to admit to Syaoran how she felt about him.
"You two were so kawaii together," Tomoyo teased. "So, did he write or call you?"
The crimson shade on Sakura's face spread. "Yes, he did write me," she answered with her head bowed. "He hopes to visit during the next school break. His business in Hong Kong is almost resolved."
"That's good to hear," Tomoyo remarked. "Maybe one day he can come and stay for good."
"I doubt it," Sakura said. "He doesn't have a reason to stay in Tomoeda."
Tomoyo nodded and they continued walking. "Well, with Hiirigizawa-kun gone and you being the Mistress of the Sakura Cards, we won't be having any more adventures," she mentioned.
Sakura reflected on that statement. A year had passed since Sakura captured all of the Clow Cards and transformed them into the Sakura Cards. The latter was the result of magical events created by Eriol Hiirigizawa, a transfer student from England and one half of the reincarnation of the Cards' creator, Clow Read. On first glimpse a malevolent entity, Eriol's goal was to help Sakura make her magic stronger so she could control the Cards and give half of his powers to he other half of Clow's reincarnation. They parted on good terms when Eriol returned to England and still kept in touch.
"I guess now I can live a normal life," Sakura said. "No more magical cards to chase around."
Tomoyo expressed her disappointment. "And I had so many new designs for your battle costumes. Plus, I won't be able to film you on your exciting adventures."
Sakura sweatdropped. "Tomoyo-chan..."
"At least I can make your wedding dress and film that," Tomoyo said with glittery eyes and a dreamy look.
The two friends continued talking, unaware something was watching them. A mechanical bird perched on a rooftop transmitted their actions to another location.
* * * * *
In a dark room, someone watched the Mistress of the Sakura Cards and her friend. His red pupils studied the young girl closely on the screen before him.
"So, you think things are dull around here, Cardmistress?" he said in a lively voice. His mouth formed a maniacal toothy grin. "Oh, don't worry, I'll liven things up around here just for you."
He tilted his head back and unleashed laughter that sounded like evil, high-pitched gurgling. He waved a clawed hand and the screen vanished.
"Is everything ready?" he asked something with yellow eyes floating behind him.
"Yes, Master. We only await your command," was the answer.
"Good, good, good!" he declared, facing his minion. Red eyes met yellow eyes. "Oh, what wonderful fun I'll have." He spun around, then stopped and rose his arms. "It's play time!" he shouted before erupting into a fit of evil laughter.
Chapter 1: A Guardian Falls
Lying on her bed, Sakura sighed. "Is it really over?" she asked, looking through her deck of Sakura Cards. She smiled as she looked at Windy, her first card, and Fly, her first capture.
"Huh?" Kero-chan paused his game and flew over to Sakura. "What's really over?"
Sakura looked at the Osaka dialect-speaking, small winged lion who was her Sun Guardian. "The cardcaptoring, Kero-chan."
"Well, you caught all the Clow Cards and converted them to Sakura Cards," Kero-chan pointed out.
"Are you sure we got them all?" Sakura asked. "We did miss that last one Clow-san left behind, and it caused a lot of trouble before we captured it."
"I'm sure we caught them all," Kero-chan said confidently. He saw the downcast look on his mistress and friend. "Sakura, what's wrong?"
Sakura sighed. "It's just that after all we've been through, I can't believe it's all over. Nothing weird has happened around here recently."
"And that's a bad thing?" Kero-chan wondered. "After all, at the beginning, you felt you were tricked into becoming a Cardcaptor."
"True, but it was quite an adventure," Sakura admitted. "If I hadn't become a Cardcaptor, I would've have been able to meet Syaoran-kun."
"Oh, so this is about the gaki," Kero-chan said. He still nursed a little grudge against Syaoran despite his closeness with Sakura. Being called a "stuffed animal" did not sit well with the Guardian Beast.
"It's not just that," Sakura said. "I mean, I have all the Clow Cards and transformed them into Sakura Cards with my Star Magic. What else is there for me to do?"
Kero-chan flew up to Sakura's face. "Maybe you can be a superhero like on TV!" he told her excitedly.
Sakura sweatdropped. "Kero-chan..."
"Yeah!" Kero-chan shouted, caught up in the moment. "I mean, you can thwart bad guys with the Sakura Cards! Plus, you can do all kinds of cool poses." Hovering in the air, he proceeded to perform a number of poses he remembered from TV.
"Uh, I think I'll stick to being normal," Sakura said, trying not to laugh at Kero-chan as he stretched his arms and bent his body in various positions.
Kero-chan stopped. "Aw, too bad, Sakura. You would've been great."
"Sorry, Kero-chan, but my magic-using days are over." Sakura took the Star Key and the Sakura Cards and walked towards her desk. Opening a drawer, she placed them inside, then closed it and a part of her life. *Now I can live a normal life. No more magic.*
"Sakura-san! Dinner!" Kinomoto Fujitaka called from downstairs.
"Coming!" she called back. "You know, Kero-chan, you can join us since oniichan knows about you."
"No can do. I'm not sure if your dad can accept a tiny talking lion at the dinner table. Besides, I have to finish my game," Kero-chan commented. "Just bring me dessert, okay?"
Sakura nodded, then went downstairs and found Fujitaka at the table with Touya and Yukito. She was not surprised at the sudden appearance of the bespectacled young man. Yukito spent more time at the Kinomoto residence than at his own home.
"Hello, Sakura-chan," Yukito greeted. "I hope you don't mind me staying for dinner."
"Not at all," Sakura responded cheerfully.
"Hello, kaiiju," Touya teased.
Sakura gave him a dirty look and stomped on his foot, but she knew her older brother cared about her. She took her place at the table.
"I hope you like tonight's meal, Yukito-san," Fujitaka said.
"Yuki likes all food," Touya remarked. "He's a bottomless pit."
Sakura laughed a little. *It's true. Yukito-san loves food a lot,* she thought.
As they ate, Sakura looked at her brother and his best friend. She remembered how she was attracted to Yukito. Now she saw him as another big brother. She had admitted her feelings to Yukito, but he said her feelings for him were the same as her love for her father. He admitted Touya was his special one. As she watched them eat and talk, Sakura agreed with that sentiment.
Touya noticed "What are you staring at, kaiiju?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing," Sakura said, smiling as she returned to her dinner.
After dinner was done and everyone digested, Yukito got up to leave. "I'd better head home. It's getting late."
"Would you like me to walk with you home, Yuki?" Touya asked.
Yukito smiled. "No, don't trouble yourself, Toya. I'll be fine. We're in a safe neighborhood."
"You're right," Touya said in agreement. "After all, what can happen?"
* * * * *
Yukito arrived at his home. He was about to put his books away when he heard someone speak. "Yukito Tsukishiro, I presume?"
Yukito looked up and saw a dark shape hovering above him. An officer's cap sat on its head. Yukito noted it resembled a ghost, and a mechanical one at that. "Nani? Who are you? What do you want?" he demanded.
The creature looked at the bespectacled teen-ager. "We want you, Moon Guardian."
"'We?'"
Suddenly, more creatures appeared. Some looked like the first one, with black bodies and yellow eyes. The others had a white color and faces with two circular eyes and a mouth.
"Surrender!" the leader declared. "You are no match for us!" The creatures surrounded Yukito, ready to attack.
Yukito eyed these strange beings, then quickly transformed into a winged figure in Eastern clothing with long white hair. He glared at the enemy, who stared at the new form. Yukito was no longer present. In his place stood Yue, Sakura's Moon Guardian. "So you think you're a match for me?" he said, amused at the leader's bravado.
"Blast it! He transformed!" the leader shouted. Overcoming his surprise, he pointed at his intended captive. "Ghosts, Shades, fire!"
The creatures raised their arms and fired energy blasts. Yue jumped over the fire and allowed some of his enemies to be hit by the crossfire. As they disintegrated, he landed behind them and fired arrows, destroying more of them.
The Ghosts and Shades fled to their leader, who was furious. His yellow eyes glowed with anger. A Ghost wearing a helmet approached the leader. "Um, Commander, he's destroying us! What should we do?"
"You call yourself a Supervisor?" the leader snarled to his subordinate. "Get him!"
The Supervisor took aim at Yue and fired. The shot missed and Yue responded by vaporizing the Supervisor with a barrage of crystals. The other Ghosts and Shades fired on him and managed to hit their mark.
"Keep firing!" Commander Shade ordered. "Keep him pinned down so he can't fly!"
Some Ghosts floated behind Yue and fired at his wings. Yue was thrown forward, then backward. "Enough of this!" he yelled before spinning around at superspeed. The resulting vortex knocked his attackers down.
"I need more room to fight," Yue told himself as the Ghosts and Shades struggled to get up from the floor. He spread his wings and flew upward through the roof. Once there, he looked for more enemies. Seeing nothing, he rested. He still felt the stings of the first attack.
That proved to be a strategic error, for he was suddenly hit from behind. Yue turned around and saw a Ghost appear behind him. As he kept his focus on this enemy, he was shot again from the front. He turned and saw a Shade. Soon, more of the creatures appeared in the sky.
Yue heard a laugh. He saw Commander Shade and his troops from the house appear with their comrades. "Thank you for flying into our trap, Moon Guardian," Commander Shade said before his troops fired on Yue again.
Yue dodged this new attack and fired crystals from his hands, destroying some of his enemies. Unfortunately, more of them appeared and kept firing on him. Yue crossed his wings in front of him for added protection. It was a futile move since he was being hit from behind as well.
"Give up! You can't win!" Commander Shade shouted.
Frustrated, Yue began firing arrows randomly at the Ghosts and Shades. His shots proved to be accurate; his targets disintegrated quickly, and their number was dramatically reduced.
"Care to rethink that statement?" Yue said with a cold grin before firing crystals on the Commander.
Commander Shade dodged Yue's crystals, which hit two Ghosts. He snarled and aimed his arm at Yue. "Shadow Spike!" he shouted, launching a spike-shaped projectile. It hit him, releasing a dark fog.
Yue tried to look past the darkness enveloping him. He continued to fire at the enemy and managed to take out more of them. They returned fire, their shots occasionally hitting him. While returning fire, Yue failed to notice something appear behind him. He heard a hissing sound. Before he could react, it leapt on him and wrapped itself tightly around him.
"Aaaaaaaaaa!" Yue felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder. His captor had bitten him. A cobra head appeared in front of his eyes. Like the Ghosts and Shades, it looked mechanical. It hissed loudly, as if daring the Moon Guardian to break free of its grasp. Yue felt the snake's body tighten around his body. He struggled, but the serpent's grip was too strong. *How?* he thought, feeling dizzy. He realized the bite was venomous. He felt a burning sensation in his body. He thought, *I am a creation of Clow Read. How can this...?*
Yue could not complete his thought. The venom took its effect, and the Moon Guardian collapsed to the floor, unconscious. The snake hissed its victory, tightening its grip. Its mouth opened, revealing the fangs that brought down its victim.
As the darkness faded away, the remaining Ghosts and Shades surrounded the fallen Guardian. "Worm, don't kill the Guardian yet," Commander Shade ordered just as the snake was about to bite Yue again. "After all, the Master prefers live bait."
The Worm hissed and closed its mouth. It tightened its hold around Yue.
"Let's go!" Commander Shade shouted to his troops, satisfied his Master's order was carried out. The Moon Guardian was his now.
A portal opened below Yue and his captor. Both descended into it followed by the remaining Ghosts and Shades. It vanished, leaving a quiet, empty house.
Special thanks to all my beta readers, especially Starlight Rose, who made a great effort to keep the OOC-ness to a minimum. Big kudos to all of them for dealing with this story. I'm sure it wasn't easy :o)
OK, enough of the preliminary stuff. Let's move on with the story. To the stage! :o)
[A spotlight shines on the stage. Super Deformed Sakura steps out of the curtain with Kero-chan and stands in the spotlight.]
Sakura: [Waves to the readers.] Hello. A year has passed since I became the Cardmistress (in the anime), so in this story, I'm about twelve (right?). Although Syaoran-kun is in Hong Kong, we still keep in touch and our feelings for each other haven't changed. He's still my number one.
Kero-chan: I think I'm gonna hurl...
Sakura: [Glares at Kero-chan.] Kero-chan! [Returns to the task at hand.] Well, I've captured all the Clow Cards and turned them all into Sakura Cards. Nothing's happened in Tomoeda ever since. Well, things happen, but not weird stuff. In short, I haven't had any adventures as a Cardcaptor for a while now.
[Tomoyo screams from backstage.]
Sakura: [Sweatdrops and shakes her head.] Tomoyo-chan...Anyway, I'm not a Cardcaptor anymore. Technically, I'm the Cardmistress now. No recent weirdness. So I should be living a normal life, right?
Kero-chan: Well, in this story, Sakura takes on a...
Sakura: Kero-chan! Don't spoil it for everyone!
[Sakura grabs Kero-chan and places her hand over his mouth.]
Kero-chan: [Struggles.] Mmmmmmmmph mmmmph mmmph!
Sakura: [Holding Kero-chan.] Like I said before, this story's set after the anime. The second movie is considered the end. Still, I think there are elements from the manga in it. Also, everyone will be more or less in character thanks to Starlight Rose. The writer finds it bothersome when characters from a show aren't acting like themselves. Don't ask me why.
SR: [Sticks her tongue out.] Well, excuse me! Read my post on OOC-ness in the CCS forum.
[Backstage, HA sweatdrops and wonders how SR got into this dialogue.]
Kero-chan: [Breaking free.] Yes! I can breathe! Now where was I? Oh yeah, Sakura's gonna take on a...
Sakura: [Grabs Kero-chan again. Sweatdrops and laughs nervously.] Um, well, you'll have to read the story to find out what happens. Sayonara!
[Sakura dashes behind the curtain with the still struggling Kero-chan. The curtain opens, and the story begins.]
The Funhouse
Prologue: Laughter in the Dark
"So, have you heard from him yet?" Daidouji Tomoyo asked her best friend as they walked home from school.
"Hoe?" Kinomoto Sakura blinked. "Who?"
"You know who I'm talking about." Tomoyo smiled. "You were thinking about him, weren't you?"
Sakura blushed. "Well..."
"It's a shame Li-kun had to go back to Hong Kong," Tomoyo said.
"Yeah, but he had stuff to take care of," Sakura wished Li Syaoran would have stayed in Japan. His amber eyes, brown hair, and stern yet kindly face stood out in her mind. "At least he knows how I feel about him," she said, relieved. She recalled how long it took for her to admit to Syaoran how she felt about him.
"You two were so kawaii together," Tomoyo teased. "So, did he write or call you?"
The crimson shade on Sakura's face spread. "Yes, he did write me," she answered with her head bowed. "He hopes to visit during the next school break. His business in Hong Kong is almost resolved."
"That's good to hear," Tomoyo remarked. "Maybe one day he can come and stay for good."
"I doubt it," Sakura said. "He doesn't have a reason to stay in Tomoeda."
Tomoyo nodded and they continued walking. "Well, with Hiirigizawa-kun gone and you being the Mistress of the Sakura Cards, we won't be having any more adventures," she mentioned.
Sakura reflected on that statement. A year had passed since Sakura captured all of the Clow Cards and transformed them into the Sakura Cards. The latter was the result of magical events created by Eriol Hiirigizawa, a transfer student from England and one half of the reincarnation of the Cards' creator, Clow Read. On first glimpse a malevolent entity, Eriol's goal was to help Sakura make her magic stronger so she could control the Cards and give half of his powers to he other half of Clow's reincarnation. They parted on good terms when Eriol returned to England and still kept in touch.
"I guess now I can live a normal life," Sakura said. "No more magical cards to chase around."
Tomoyo expressed her disappointment. "And I had so many new designs for your battle costumes. Plus, I won't be able to film you on your exciting adventures."
Sakura sweatdropped. "Tomoyo-chan..."
"At least I can make your wedding dress and film that," Tomoyo said with glittery eyes and a dreamy look.
The two friends continued talking, unaware something was watching them. A mechanical bird perched on a rooftop transmitted their actions to another location.
* * * * *
In a dark room, someone watched the Mistress of the Sakura Cards and her friend. His red pupils studied the young girl closely on the screen before him.
"So, you think things are dull around here, Cardmistress?" he said in a lively voice. His mouth formed a maniacal toothy grin. "Oh, don't worry, I'll liven things up around here just for you."
He tilted his head back and unleashed laughter that sounded like evil, high-pitched gurgling. He waved a clawed hand and the screen vanished.
"Is everything ready?" he asked something with yellow eyes floating behind him.
"Yes, Master. We only await your command," was the answer.
"Good, good, good!" he declared, facing his minion. Red eyes met yellow eyes. "Oh, what wonderful fun I'll have." He spun around, then stopped and rose his arms. "It's play time!" he shouted before erupting into a fit of evil laughter.
Chapter 1: A Guardian Falls
Lying on her bed, Sakura sighed. "Is it really over?" she asked, looking through her deck of Sakura Cards. She smiled as she looked at Windy, her first card, and Fly, her first capture.
"Huh?" Kero-chan paused his game and flew over to Sakura. "What's really over?"
Sakura looked at the Osaka dialect-speaking, small winged lion who was her Sun Guardian. "The cardcaptoring, Kero-chan."
"Well, you caught all the Clow Cards and converted them to Sakura Cards," Kero-chan pointed out.
"Are you sure we got them all?" Sakura asked. "We did miss that last one Clow-san left behind, and it caused a lot of trouble before we captured it."
"I'm sure we caught them all," Kero-chan said confidently. He saw the downcast look on his mistress and friend. "Sakura, what's wrong?"
Sakura sighed. "It's just that after all we've been through, I can't believe it's all over. Nothing weird has happened around here recently."
"And that's a bad thing?" Kero-chan wondered. "After all, at the beginning, you felt you were tricked into becoming a Cardcaptor."
"True, but it was quite an adventure," Sakura admitted. "If I hadn't become a Cardcaptor, I would've have been able to meet Syaoran-kun."
"Oh, so this is about the gaki," Kero-chan said. He still nursed a little grudge against Syaoran despite his closeness with Sakura. Being called a "stuffed animal" did not sit well with the Guardian Beast.
"It's not just that," Sakura said. "I mean, I have all the Clow Cards and transformed them into Sakura Cards with my Star Magic. What else is there for me to do?"
Kero-chan flew up to Sakura's face. "Maybe you can be a superhero like on TV!" he told her excitedly.
Sakura sweatdropped. "Kero-chan..."
"Yeah!" Kero-chan shouted, caught up in the moment. "I mean, you can thwart bad guys with the Sakura Cards! Plus, you can do all kinds of cool poses." Hovering in the air, he proceeded to perform a number of poses he remembered from TV.
"Uh, I think I'll stick to being normal," Sakura said, trying not to laugh at Kero-chan as he stretched his arms and bent his body in various positions.
Kero-chan stopped. "Aw, too bad, Sakura. You would've been great."
"Sorry, Kero-chan, but my magic-using days are over." Sakura took the Star Key and the Sakura Cards and walked towards her desk. Opening a drawer, she placed them inside, then closed it and a part of her life. *Now I can live a normal life. No more magic.*
"Sakura-san! Dinner!" Kinomoto Fujitaka called from downstairs.
"Coming!" she called back. "You know, Kero-chan, you can join us since oniichan knows about you."
"No can do. I'm not sure if your dad can accept a tiny talking lion at the dinner table. Besides, I have to finish my game," Kero-chan commented. "Just bring me dessert, okay?"
Sakura nodded, then went downstairs and found Fujitaka at the table with Touya and Yukito. She was not surprised at the sudden appearance of the bespectacled young man. Yukito spent more time at the Kinomoto residence than at his own home.
"Hello, Sakura-chan," Yukito greeted. "I hope you don't mind me staying for dinner."
"Not at all," Sakura responded cheerfully.
"Hello, kaiiju," Touya teased.
Sakura gave him a dirty look and stomped on his foot, but she knew her older brother cared about her. She took her place at the table.
"I hope you like tonight's meal, Yukito-san," Fujitaka said.
"Yuki likes all food," Touya remarked. "He's a bottomless pit."
Sakura laughed a little. *It's true. Yukito-san loves food a lot,* she thought.
As they ate, Sakura looked at her brother and his best friend. She remembered how she was attracted to Yukito. Now she saw him as another big brother. She had admitted her feelings to Yukito, but he said her feelings for him were the same as her love for her father. He admitted Touya was his special one. As she watched them eat and talk, Sakura agreed with that sentiment.
Touya noticed "What are you staring at, kaiiju?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing," Sakura said, smiling as she returned to her dinner.
After dinner was done and everyone digested, Yukito got up to leave. "I'd better head home. It's getting late."
"Would you like me to walk with you home, Yuki?" Touya asked.
Yukito smiled. "No, don't trouble yourself, Toya. I'll be fine. We're in a safe neighborhood."
"You're right," Touya said in agreement. "After all, what can happen?"
* * * * *
Yukito arrived at his home. He was about to put his books away when he heard someone speak. "Yukito Tsukishiro, I presume?"
Yukito looked up and saw a dark shape hovering above him. An officer's cap sat on its head. Yukito noted it resembled a ghost, and a mechanical one at that. "Nani? Who are you? What do you want?" he demanded.
The creature looked at the bespectacled teen-ager. "We want you, Moon Guardian."
"'We?'"
Suddenly, more creatures appeared. Some looked like the first one, with black bodies and yellow eyes. The others had a white color and faces with two circular eyes and a mouth.
"Surrender!" the leader declared. "You are no match for us!" The creatures surrounded Yukito, ready to attack.
Yukito eyed these strange beings, then quickly transformed into a winged figure in Eastern clothing with long white hair. He glared at the enemy, who stared at the new form. Yukito was no longer present. In his place stood Yue, Sakura's Moon Guardian. "So you think you're a match for me?" he said, amused at the leader's bravado.
"Blast it! He transformed!" the leader shouted. Overcoming his surprise, he pointed at his intended captive. "Ghosts, Shades, fire!"
The creatures raised their arms and fired energy blasts. Yue jumped over the fire and allowed some of his enemies to be hit by the crossfire. As they disintegrated, he landed behind them and fired arrows, destroying more of them.
The Ghosts and Shades fled to their leader, who was furious. His yellow eyes glowed with anger. A Ghost wearing a helmet approached the leader. "Um, Commander, he's destroying us! What should we do?"
"You call yourself a Supervisor?" the leader snarled to his subordinate. "Get him!"
The Supervisor took aim at Yue and fired. The shot missed and Yue responded by vaporizing the Supervisor with a barrage of crystals. The other Ghosts and Shades fired on him and managed to hit their mark.
"Keep firing!" Commander Shade ordered. "Keep him pinned down so he can't fly!"
Some Ghosts floated behind Yue and fired at his wings. Yue was thrown forward, then backward. "Enough of this!" he yelled before spinning around at superspeed. The resulting vortex knocked his attackers down.
"I need more room to fight," Yue told himself as the Ghosts and Shades struggled to get up from the floor. He spread his wings and flew upward through the roof. Once there, he looked for more enemies. Seeing nothing, he rested. He still felt the stings of the first attack.
That proved to be a strategic error, for he was suddenly hit from behind. Yue turned around and saw a Ghost appear behind him. As he kept his focus on this enemy, he was shot again from the front. He turned and saw a Shade. Soon, more of the creatures appeared in the sky.
Yue heard a laugh. He saw Commander Shade and his troops from the house appear with their comrades. "Thank you for flying into our trap, Moon Guardian," Commander Shade said before his troops fired on Yue again.
Yue dodged this new attack and fired crystals from his hands, destroying some of his enemies. Unfortunately, more of them appeared and kept firing on him. Yue crossed his wings in front of him for added protection. It was a futile move since he was being hit from behind as well.
"Give up! You can't win!" Commander Shade shouted.
Frustrated, Yue began firing arrows randomly at the Ghosts and Shades. His shots proved to be accurate; his targets disintegrated quickly, and their number was dramatically reduced.
"Care to rethink that statement?" Yue said with a cold grin before firing crystals on the Commander.
Commander Shade dodged Yue's crystals, which hit two Ghosts. He snarled and aimed his arm at Yue. "Shadow Spike!" he shouted, launching a spike-shaped projectile. It hit him, releasing a dark fog.
Yue tried to look past the darkness enveloping him. He continued to fire at the enemy and managed to take out more of them. They returned fire, their shots occasionally hitting him. While returning fire, Yue failed to notice something appear behind him. He heard a hissing sound. Before he could react, it leapt on him and wrapped itself tightly around him.
"Aaaaaaaaaa!" Yue felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder. His captor had bitten him. A cobra head appeared in front of his eyes. Like the Ghosts and Shades, it looked mechanical. It hissed loudly, as if daring the Moon Guardian to break free of its grasp. Yue felt the snake's body tighten around his body. He struggled, but the serpent's grip was too strong. *How?* he thought, feeling dizzy. He realized the bite was venomous. He felt a burning sensation in his body. He thought, *I am a creation of Clow Read. How can this...?*
Yue could not complete his thought. The venom took its effect, and the Moon Guardian collapsed to the floor, unconscious. The snake hissed its victory, tightening its grip. Its mouth opened, revealing the fangs that brought down its victim.
As the darkness faded away, the remaining Ghosts and Shades surrounded the fallen Guardian. "Worm, don't kill the Guardian yet," Commander Shade ordered just as the snake was about to bite Yue again. "After all, the Master prefers live bait."
The Worm hissed and closed its mouth. It tightened its hold around Yue.
"Let's go!" Commander Shade shouted to his troops, satisfied his Master's order was carried out. The Moon Guardian was his now.
A portal opened below Yue and his captor. Both descended into it followed by the remaining Ghosts and Shades. It vanished, leaving a quiet, empty house.