Chapter One: Meeting in the Park
Darkness had fallen on the great country of Japan. Clouds covered the sky, making it impossible to see the stars and the moon. But, the many lights of the cities kept away some of the darkness. It was the same way in the suburban town of Readington. Streetlights lined the many sidewalk paths of the town park. It was on one of these paths the young and beautiful Madison Taylor walked silently. On this fine evening, she wore a long, beautiful, light violet dress, suited for the nighttime cold. To continue the cold protection, she also wore a set of matching silk gloves, holding tight against her snow-white skin. Though they were not visible from the dress's length, Madison also wore a matching set of high-heeled shoes. Usually at this time, Madison would be in bed, having sweet dreams. But, her mother was not home to enforce such bedtime laws. Her mother was once again away on a business trip, this time to Los Angeles, California. She was expected to return in about two weeks.
To the naked eye, one would think that Madison was just a normal girl. Though, she was much more than normal. Those who lived in Readington thought she was the luckiest girl of their town. This was mainly due to her family's enormous wealth. Her mother was the president of a Japanese toy company. Due to such a high rank, her mother almost constantly had to travel, literally around the world. The two had gone to places as close as Hong Kong, to as far as Paris, France. In her early youth, Madison embraced these trips, never having any desire for a permanent home. But as her childhood faded away and she became a young lady, she began to wish for many simple things that her constant travels kept her from. But above all these things, she simply wished for real, permanent friends.
So at the age of ten, she voiced herself to her mother. At first, her mother was not sure what to do. The feelings of her daughter mattered more to her than any job, though she couldn't simply quit her own. So in a compromise, she decided to literally give Madison her own permanent residence, and they would do so in the town where she was born. It was there, in the small but wonderful town of Readington, that Madison's mansion was built.
By now, Madison had basically lost all interest in her mother's trips, so she was alone at home most of the time. Most people that knew her saw her as an ever-cheerful and carefree girl. But deep inside her, deep within her soul, she felt loneliness. She knew that part of it was because her mother was away most of the time, but she felt no animosity toward her. She had told Madison many times that the reason she had her job was to make sure that they both lived a happy life without any worries of poverty. Plus, Madison knew in her heart that her mother really loved her. But, the feeling stayed the same. It was like a gap, created in her soul, waiting to be filled. Of course, it was no ordinary gap, for it had a specific shape. It was in the shape of a heart.
Yes, Madison desired love. Though it was not the love perhaps a mother would give her child, but the love a man gave to a woman. In the first few years this gap existed, she found no one who could fill her soul. But in the last few years, she had found someone who she was certain could complete her. Unfortunately, she did not believe he felt the same way toward her. Sure, they were great friends, and they had many common qualities, such as economic status. They even occasionally shared a cup of green tea together. Even at this, Madison still doubted he would ever feel anything more than friendship for her. Of course, many would disagree with this assumption. This was because almost every boy Madison's age liked her, not just for her wealth, but also for her personality and beauty, much like the way they used to have felt for Sakura. Sakura……
Sakura Avalon was not only Madison's third-cousin, but was also her greatest friend. Though, she did not have any of the worries Madison had. In fact, she felt quite the opposite. This was because Sakura's own gap had been filled by the heart of the rough, yet kind boy, Li Showron. Of course, they seemed to be enemies when they first met, at least from Li's point of view. But as time wore on, the two slowly became closer, becoming rivals, then allies, and later becoming the best of friends. Then, in what was the most unexpected event in Sakura's life, Li admitted his true feelings for her. And to his astonishment, she felt the same way. From that wonderful day on, they became the town's prime example of what true love really was. Madison was very happy for them, and had no feelings of jealousy. Instead, she joined the two, and was allowed to be part of their love every day.
As she thought of her third-cousin's happiness, a bit of sadness began to run through her. She quickly brushed away the thought, believing it was unnecessary. At that moment, she noticed a bench in front of her, placed underneath a large oak tree. She walked up to the bench and slowly sat down. She looked up at the sky and frowned at the clouds, wishing to see the beauty they concealed. Then, she noticed the clouds had begun to part. Also, as strange as it seemed, they appeared to be doing so directly above her. In moments, a small hole appeared in the clouds, letting a lone star shine through. Madison smiled at the star and in the back of her mind made a wish upon it.
"A beautiful evening, don't you agree?"
Madison jumped up at the voice, immediately looking around for its source. She then looked up at the tree, and smiled when she saw who had spoken. It was the boy she secretly loved so much.
"Hello, Eli."
The young man smiled down at Madison, sitting on one of the tree's large branches. Madison could not help but stare at him for a moment, always amazed by his handsome features. He was now dressed in a black turtleneck, with a blue denim suit and matching jeans. Of course, he also wore his glasses, which Madison always thought was extremely cute. When she realized she was staring, she looked away with a light blush. As it slowly faded, she decided to break the momentary silence.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was about to ask you the same question." Eli replied, hopping out of the tree.
As he did so, a wide smile formed on Madison's face.
"You parted those clouds for me, didn't you?"
Eli laughed as he sat down beside her.
"My dear, you know me much too well."
When Eli first arrived in Readington, many saw him as a normal child, who happened to be from England. But, he was the farthest from the line of normality. Eli was no simple child. In fact, half of his soul was at least a thousand years old. You see, he was the reincarnation of the greatest sorcerer who had ever lived: Clow Reed. The reason this man was so great was due to the fact he created the most powerful magical talismans in the world. They were known as the Clow Cards. To the naked eye, they would seem like an ordinary deck of tarot cards. Though unlike their magic-lacking cousins, each of the Clow Cards contained spirits, each representing a specific power their master could use. They contained powers as simple as enhanced fighting skills or strength, to the ability to control the four elements: earth, fire, wind, and water. At the great man's death, he had the cards placed into a book and hidden from the hands of those who could misuse them.
After a millennia of hiding, an archeologist discovered the book, though he did not open it. Though unfortunately his daughter, Sakura Avalon, found the book. And due to the fact she herself was a descendant of Clow Reed's magic, the book opened. But in an unfortunate accident, the young girl summoned the power of the "Windy Card," which blew the cards out of the book and spread them all over her town. From that day on, with the help of the original guardians of Clow Reed, Keroberous and Yue, she became a Card Captor, and proceeded to recapture all of the cards, and later transformed them into Star Cards, so she could become their new master. And through part of this grueling process, Li fought by Sakura's side, being he was also a Card Captor.
After all the cards had been transformed, Eli revealed his true identity to Sakura, Li, and Madison. For a while, the three found it strange living around him, but they soon learned to feel friendship toward him once again. Besides, he wasn't really Clow Reed. He was simply a copy of him, set in his younger years. Plus, Eli had shown many times since then that he dearly cherished their friendship, especially since they were so close.
"So, why are you here, Eli?" Madison asked, sitting down once again.
"Insomnia, I suppose." He answered. "I simply did not feel like sleeping. So, I decided to come out and enjoy the nighttime air. How about you? I never knew that late-night walks were on your daily agenda."
"They usually aren't," Madison lightly laughed, yet showing slight sadness. "But my mother isn't home to make me do otherwise."
"You mean she is away again?"
"Amazing, isn't it?" Madison said, beginning to sound more miserable. "Los Angeles was her destination. Something about a merger I believe."
"I say, Madison," Eli said, shaking his head. "I have only known you for about three years, and yet I can already see you spend only a month out of each year with your mother. My dear, how do you do it?"
"If you're asking me if I don't like it, I suppose my answer is yes. I know she loves me, but it can become quite lonely sometimes."
"Don't forget, Madison." Eli said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I'm always here if you need me. Don't let my gender be a reason to not let me ward away your loneliness."
"N...no!" Madison nearly exclaimed. "I…I mean, I'd never feel that way about-"
Madison immediately stopped when she noticed Eli covering his mouth, hiding a laugh.
"Madison, please! I was only joking! Besides, I know you are better than that."
For a moment, Madison starred at Eli, as he quietly laughed. Then, she turned her face away from him, not laughing. In fact, she now once again wore a sad expression.
He may have been kidding, but she was not. She was afraid of letting him do as he said; almost as afraid as she was of telling him how she felt. She knew what would happen. He would probably just reject her, like all the other girls. Yes, in their town, Eli was extremely popular with the younger women. Sure, most of them would just be friends with him, but there were an occasional few who dared to try to form a more serious relationship. Though every time they did so, Eli would turn them down, always repeating the same reason.
"I am saving my heart for the one I shall spend all of eternity with. And until I find her, I shall not take the heart of any woman, nor let them take mine."
Because of this, Madison did not dare to even speak of love to Eli. The simple word seemed like a bullet. If she was to speak it to him, she would inevitably shoot down their friendship. It hurt her so when she thought about it; knowing that if she spoke her feelings, the most precious thing she had in this world could leave her. The thought now ran through her head, and caused her to become even more miserable. She was so sad, even Eli noticed. It was then Madison felt him put his arm around her. She immediately looked up in surprise.
"Madison, are you alright?"
"Y…yes, of course." Madison quickly lied, making a fake smile as well. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I don't know." Eli answered, drawing back his arm. "It's just…for a moment there, you seemed quite unhappy."
Madison still kept the smile, trying to get Eli to look away. Though when he did, he still wore a suspicious expression.
"Madison," he said, not looking back at her. "I wouldn't be the one making you sad, would I?"
"No!" Madison exclaimed. "Of course not. Eli, the only way you could ever make me sad is if you…you told me we could not be friends anymore."
"Yes, I suppose that would even make me sad." He agreed. "Then again, losing any friendship is a very unhappy experience. I cherish them all, you know. Of course, there are those who try to step beyond that boundary."
Madison looked up in surprise. She did not expect Eli to talk to her about such things.
"They all just don't understand." He continued. "It hurts me so much to turn each and every one of them down. It always inevitably leads to the destruction of any previous friendship. I keep telling them that I will only give my heart to my one true love, and that will never change."
In her heart, Madison knew that she should not say anything; that she should simply let it go and remain quiet. It was the safe thing to do. But, she was more concerned with love than safety.
"Tell me, Eli," she asked nervously. "Have you found your love yet?"
Eli did not answer for a few moments. He simply stared up at the now clear sky, soon developing a blissful smile.
"Yes." He finally answered. "Yes, I have found her. I dream of her every night, and I hope one day I will have the courage to tell her how I feel."
This surprised Madison even more, so she dared to go further.
"Do I know her, by any chance?"
Eli looked back at Madison, still wearing the same smile.
"Yes, my dear, you know her quite well. Though that is the reason I do not speak her name. I'm sure you would keep my secret, but I wish for it to remain this way, deep inside me, until I know the time is right."
"Dear God, please let it be me." Madison thought. "If it isn't I…I don't know what I'll do."
For a few moments, the two were silent. Both felt quite strange, not sure what to say. Though when the silence was broken, it was not done by words. It was broken by a low rumble, emanating from the young sorcerer's stomach. Eli blushed at this, smiling sheepishly at Madison. She returned the smile, as the two began to quietly laugh. Eli then stood up.
"As my stomach has pointed out, all this talking has made me quite hungry, and my tongue desires the taste of green herbal tea, and maybe even some cookies."
"Now that you mention it," Madison commented. "I suppose I'm a bit hungry myself."
"Splendid!" Eli exclaimed. "Please, let us go to my place. I'm sure Ruby Moon would cater to our likings."
Madison loved the idea of tea and cookies with Eli, but she desired something more.
"Actually," she dared to say. "If you would like, my house is closer. In fact, it's really only a walk away. We could go there and I could make the tea. I think I even have a few dozen sugar cookies I recently made."
It was then that Madison noticed that Eli looked quite surprised. Now that she thought about it, she had never seen the young man surprised.
"You mean…you really want me to come to your home?" he asked.
"Well yes, of course." Madison answered. "In…in fact, it would mean a lot to me if you would come."
For a moment, Eli starred at Madison. It was a questionable stare, for he wasn't sure what Madison really meant. But a few moments later, he replaced the look with a happy, and somewhat loving smile; a smile that simply melted Madison's heart.
"Well if it means that much to you, I would be glad to join you."
The young man then held out his hand.
"Shall we go, my dear?"
Madison wasn't sure if we would be able to answer Eli. She was at a total loss for words. Even standing seemed like an impossible feat, being her legs felt like jelly. But, she overcame the two problems. She looked up at Eli, and gladly placed her hand in his, letting him gently pull her up.
"Yes." She finally answered. "Let us go."
And so, the two young children began their walk into the night, soon to be at Madison's home.
Darkness had fallen on the great country of Japan. Clouds covered the sky, making it impossible to see the stars and the moon. But, the many lights of the cities kept away some of the darkness. It was the same way in the suburban town of Readington. Streetlights lined the many sidewalk paths of the town park. It was on one of these paths the young and beautiful Madison Taylor walked silently. On this fine evening, she wore a long, beautiful, light violet dress, suited for the nighttime cold. To continue the cold protection, she also wore a set of matching silk gloves, holding tight against her snow-white skin. Though they were not visible from the dress's length, Madison also wore a matching set of high-heeled shoes. Usually at this time, Madison would be in bed, having sweet dreams. But, her mother was not home to enforce such bedtime laws. Her mother was once again away on a business trip, this time to Los Angeles, California. She was expected to return in about two weeks.
To the naked eye, one would think that Madison was just a normal girl. Though, she was much more than normal. Those who lived in Readington thought she was the luckiest girl of their town. This was mainly due to her family's enormous wealth. Her mother was the president of a Japanese toy company. Due to such a high rank, her mother almost constantly had to travel, literally around the world. The two had gone to places as close as Hong Kong, to as far as Paris, France. In her early youth, Madison embraced these trips, never having any desire for a permanent home. But as her childhood faded away and she became a young lady, she began to wish for many simple things that her constant travels kept her from. But above all these things, she simply wished for real, permanent friends.
So at the age of ten, she voiced herself to her mother. At first, her mother was not sure what to do. The feelings of her daughter mattered more to her than any job, though she couldn't simply quit her own. So in a compromise, she decided to literally give Madison her own permanent residence, and they would do so in the town where she was born. It was there, in the small but wonderful town of Readington, that Madison's mansion was built.
By now, Madison had basically lost all interest in her mother's trips, so she was alone at home most of the time. Most people that knew her saw her as an ever-cheerful and carefree girl. But deep inside her, deep within her soul, she felt loneliness. She knew that part of it was because her mother was away most of the time, but she felt no animosity toward her. She had told Madison many times that the reason she had her job was to make sure that they both lived a happy life without any worries of poverty. Plus, Madison knew in her heart that her mother really loved her. But, the feeling stayed the same. It was like a gap, created in her soul, waiting to be filled. Of course, it was no ordinary gap, for it had a specific shape. It was in the shape of a heart.
Yes, Madison desired love. Though it was not the love perhaps a mother would give her child, but the love a man gave to a woman. In the first few years this gap existed, she found no one who could fill her soul. But in the last few years, she had found someone who she was certain could complete her. Unfortunately, she did not believe he felt the same way toward her. Sure, they were great friends, and they had many common qualities, such as economic status. They even occasionally shared a cup of green tea together. Even at this, Madison still doubted he would ever feel anything more than friendship for her. Of course, many would disagree with this assumption. This was because almost every boy Madison's age liked her, not just for her wealth, but also for her personality and beauty, much like the way they used to have felt for Sakura. Sakura……
Sakura Avalon was not only Madison's third-cousin, but was also her greatest friend. Though, she did not have any of the worries Madison had. In fact, she felt quite the opposite. This was because Sakura's own gap had been filled by the heart of the rough, yet kind boy, Li Showron. Of course, they seemed to be enemies when they first met, at least from Li's point of view. But as time wore on, the two slowly became closer, becoming rivals, then allies, and later becoming the best of friends. Then, in what was the most unexpected event in Sakura's life, Li admitted his true feelings for her. And to his astonishment, she felt the same way. From that wonderful day on, they became the town's prime example of what true love really was. Madison was very happy for them, and had no feelings of jealousy. Instead, she joined the two, and was allowed to be part of their love every day.
As she thought of her third-cousin's happiness, a bit of sadness began to run through her. She quickly brushed away the thought, believing it was unnecessary. At that moment, she noticed a bench in front of her, placed underneath a large oak tree. She walked up to the bench and slowly sat down. She looked up at the sky and frowned at the clouds, wishing to see the beauty they concealed. Then, she noticed the clouds had begun to part. Also, as strange as it seemed, they appeared to be doing so directly above her. In moments, a small hole appeared in the clouds, letting a lone star shine through. Madison smiled at the star and in the back of her mind made a wish upon it.
"A beautiful evening, don't you agree?"
Madison jumped up at the voice, immediately looking around for its source. She then looked up at the tree, and smiled when she saw who had spoken. It was the boy she secretly loved so much.
"Hello, Eli."
The young man smiled down at Madison, sitting on one of the tree's large branches. Madison could not help but stare at him for a moment, always amazed by his handsome features. He was now dressed in a black turtleneck, with a blue denim suit and matching jeans. Of course, he also wore his glasses, which Madison always thought was extremely cute. When she realized she was staring, she looked away with a light blush. As it slowly faded, she decided to break the momentary silence.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was about to ask you the same question." Eli replied, hopping out of the tree.
As he did so, a wide smile formed on Madison's face.
"You parted those clouds for me, didn't you?"
Eli laughed as he sat down beside her.
"My dear, you know me much too well."
When Eli first arrived in Readington, many saw him as a normal child, who happened to be from England. But, he was the farthest from the line of normality. Eli was no simple child. In fact, half of his soul was at least a thousand years old. You see, he was the reincarnation of the greatest sorcerer who had ever lived: Clow Reed. The reason this man was so great was due to the fact he created the most powerful magical talismans in the world. They were known as the Clow Cards. To the naked eye, they would seem like an ordinary deck of tarot cards. Though unlike their magic-lacking cousins, each of the Clow Cards contained spirits, each representing a specific power their master could use. They contained powers as simple as enhanced fighting skills or strength, to the ability to control the four elements: earth, fire, wind, and water. At the great man's death, he had the cards placed into a book and hidden from the hands of those who could misuse them.
After a millennia of hiding, an archeologist discovered the book, though he did not open it. Though unfortunately his daughter, Sakura Avalon, found the book. And due to the fact she herself was a descendant of Clow Reed's magic, the book opened. But in an unfortunate accident, the young girl summoned the power of the "Windy Card," which blew the cards out of the book and spread them all over her town. From that day on, with the help of the original guardians of Clow Reed, Keroberous and Yue, she became a Card Captor, and proceeded to recapture all of the cards, and later transformed them into Star Cards, so she could become their new master. And through part of this grueling process, Li fought by Sakura's side, being he was also a Card Captor.
After all the cards had been transformed, Eli revealed his true identity to Sakura, Li, and Madison. For a while, the three found it strange living around him, but they soon learned to feel friendship toward him once again. Besides, he wasn't really Clow Reed. He was simply a copy of him, set in his younger years. Plus, Eli had shown many times since then that he dearly cherished their friendship, especially since they were so close.
"So, why are you here, Eli?" Madison asked, sitting down once again.
"Insomnia, I suppose." He answered. "I simply did not feel like sleeping. So, I decided to come out and enjoy the nighttime air. How about you? I never knew that late-night walks were on your daily agenda."
"They usually aren't," Madison lightly laughed, yet showing slight sadness. "But my mother isn't home to make me do otherwise."
"You mean she is away again?"
"Amazing, isn't it?" Madison said, beginning to sound more miserable. "Los Angeles was her destination. Something about a merger I believe."
"I say, Madison," Eli said, shaking his head. "I have only known you for about three years, and yet I can already see you spend only a month out of each year with your mother. My dear, how do you do it?"
"If you're asking me if I don't like it, I suppose my answer is yes. I know she loves me, but it can become quite lonely sometimes."
"Don't forget, Madison." Eli said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I'm always here if you need me. Don't let my gender be a reason to not let me ward away your loneliness."
"N...no!" Madison nearly exclaimed. "I…I mean, I'd never feel that way about-"
Madison immediately stopped when she noticed Eli covering his mouth, hiding a laugh.
"Madison, please! I was only joking! Besides, I know you are better than that."
For a moment, Madison starred at Eli, as he quietly laughed. Then, she turned her face away from him, not laughing. In fact, she now once again wore a sad expression.
He may have been kidding, but she was not. She was afraid of letting him do as he said; almost as afraid as she was of telling him how she felt. She knew what would happen. He would probably just reject her, like all the other girls. Yes, in their town, Eli was extremely popular with the younger women. Sure, most of them would just be friends with him, but there were an occasional few who dared to try to form a more serious relationship. Though every time they did so, Eli would turn them down, always repeating the same reason.
"I am saving my heart for the one I shall spend all of eternity with. And until I find her, I shall not take the heart of any woman, nor let them take mine."
Because of this, Madison did not dare to even speak of love to Eli. The simple word seemed like a bullet. If she was to speak it to him, she would inevitably shoot down their friendship. It hurt her so when she thought about it; knowing that if she spoke her feelings, the most precious thing she had in this world could leave her. The thought now ran through her head, and caused her to become even more miserable. She was so sad, even Eli noticed. It was then Madison felt him put his arm around her. She immediately looked up in surprise.
"Madison, are you alright?"
"Y…yes, of course." Madison quickly lied, making a fake smile as well. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I don't know." Eli answered, drawing back his arm. "It's just…for a moment there, you seemed quite unhappy."
Madison still kept the smile, trying to get Eli to look away. Though when he did, he still wore a suspicious expression.
"Madison," he said, not looking back at her. "I wouldn't be the one making you sad, would I?"
"No!" Madison exclaimed. "Of course not. Eli, the only way you could ever make me sad is if you…you told me we could not be friends anymore."
"Yes, I suppose that would even make me sad." He agreed. "Then again, losing any friendship is a very unhappy experience. I cherish them all, you know. Of course, there are those who try to step beyond that boundary."
Madison looked up in surprise. She did not expect Eli to talk to her about such things.
"They all just don't understand." He continued. "It hurts me so much to turn each and every one of them down. It always inevitably leads to the destruction of any previous friendship. I keep telling them that I will only give my heart to my one true love, and that will never change."
In her heart, Madison knew that she should not say anything; that she should simply let it go and remain quiet. It was the safe thing to do. But, she was more concerned with love than safety.
"Tell me, Eli," she asked nervously. "Have you found your love yet?"
Eli did not answer for a few moments. He simply stared up at the now clear sky, soon developing a blissful smile.
"Yes." He finally answered. "Yes, I have found her. I dream of her every night, and I hope one day I will have the courage to tell her how I feel."
This surprised Madison even more, so she dared to go further.
"Do I know her, by any chance?"
Eli looked back at Madison, still wearing the same smile.
"Yes, my dear, you know her quite well. Though that is the reason I do not speak her name. I'm sure you would keep my secret, but I wish for it to remain this way, deep inside me, until I know the time is right."
"Dear God, please let it be me." Madison thought. "If it isn't I…I don't know what I'll do."
For a few moments, the two were silent. Both felt quite strange, not sure what to say. Though when the silence was broken, it was not done by words. It was broken by a low rumble, emanating from the young sorcerer's stomach. Eli blushed at this, smiling sheepishly at Madison. She returned the smile, as the two began to quietly laugh. Eli then stood up.
"As my stomach has pointed out, all this talking has made me quite hungry, and my tongue desires the taste of green herbal tea, and maybe even some cookies."
"Now that you mention it," Madison commented. "I suppose I'm a bit hungry myself."
"Splendid!" Eli exclaimed. "Please, let us go to my place. I'm sure Ruby Moon would cater to our likings."
Madison loved the idea of tea and cookies with Eli, but she desired something more.
"Actually," she dared to say. "If you would like, my house is closer. In fact, it's really only a walk away. We could go there and I could make the tea. I think I even have a few dozen sugar cookies I recently made."
It was then that Madison noticed that Eli looked quite surprised. Now that she thought about it, she had never seen the young man surprised.
"You mean…you really want me to come to your home?" he asked.
"Well yes, of course." Madison answered. "In…in fact, it would mean a lot to me if you would come."
For a moment, Eli starred at Madison. It was a questionable stare, for he wasn't sure what Madison really meant. But a few moments later, he replaced the look with a happy, and somewhat loving smile; a smile that simply melted Madison's heart.
"Well if it means that much to you, I would be glad to join you."
The young man then held out his hand.
"Shall we go, my dear?"
Madison wasn't sure if we would be able to answer Eli. She was at a total loss for words. Even standing seemed like an impossible feat, being her legs felt like jelly. But, she overcame the two problems. She looked up at Eli, and gladly placed her hand in his, letting him gently pull her up.
"Yes." She finally answered. "Let us go."
And so, the two young children began their walk into the night, soon to be at Madison's home.