"Well, jump!" Touya Kinomoto gave his younger sister a frustrated whisper as he bent over to try snatching the bag she was throwing up to him.
"In case you hadn't noticed, my dear brother, jumping barely gets me to the first branch!" she whispered back, spreading her arms out and demonstrating her short stature. Rolling his eyes, Touya jumped down. He grabbed the bag and thrust it into his sister's hands. Then, bending over to pick her up, Touya set the small teenager on his shoulders and leaned against the tree. With a low growl, the young woman took the bag and began climbing up the tree. Feeling the burden of his sister free from his shoulders, Touya then took the two extra bags on the ground and threw them up to her. With a small squeal, the girl caught the bags and set them securely between the trunk of the tree and a branch. Surveying the area, making sure they left no obvious marks, Touya then swung himself back into the tree, climbing higher than the girl and settling on a branch.
"You know, Sakura, if you hadn't been so keen to protect the palace, we wouldn't even be in this mess," Touya stated bluntly, once they had settled in. Sakura shifted slightly, leaning against a bag.
"Well, if there weren't people like you in the world, I would be able to freely use my magic," she snapped at him. Sakura curled up into a ball, expertly balanced on the branch she was occupying. Glaring down at the young girl, Touya bit back the urge to give her a swift kick to the head. Wrapped in what little clothes she was wearing, Sakura closed her eyes and ignored her brother for the rest of the night.
A young woman with long, black hair walked gracefully through the woods. Two glowing balls of light, yellow and purple, followed her as she hummed. Dirt streaked her long white dress, but she took no mind to it. The knots in her hair, however, bothered her, something of which you could see in her eyes while she played with the tips of the beautiful tresses.
"Cerberus," she started with a musical voice. "Is there no water nearby?" she inquired. The yellow ball glowed brighter as it spoke.
"I would not know, Tomoyo-sama. My powers are weakened when the sun sets," it responded.
"Spinel?" Tomoyo asked with a small frown. The purple ball of light did not bother to answer, as it did not know either. Stepping over gnarled roots and around tall trees, Tomoyo never slowed. Her steady pace had been kept since dawn that morning, the day of walking showing obviously on her bare feet. Dried blood and mud covered her delicate skin, showing no promise of recovery. The young woman's face held a look of nonchalance, making her seem like a lost spirit. Her deep purple eyes, however, showed every emotion she endured. The pain, loneliness, heartache… even the desperate sense of a damsel in distress. Her own soft voice being the only one of comfort, Tomoyo did not bother speaking to her guardians, knowing they would not answer unless they thought eminent.
The young woman's eyes wandered up to the moon, full and displaying all its glory. Bright stars accompanied the lone symbol of night. Thoughts of her now lost family and friends made their way into her mind, creating tears in her eyes, completely contrasting with the emotionless look etched on her face. As the tears of sorrow fell, Tomoyo's porcelain skin glowed where they touched. Her eyes never leaving the moon, the young woman tripped on a bent root, sending her flailing to the ground. A loud rip was heard in the cold night air, but Tomoyo simply stood again and kept going. With tears and snot running down her face, the young woman stumbled into a clearing and froze.
Sakura opened her eyes, the bright emerald orbs taking in the night. Hearing her brother's steady breathing, she leapt out of the tree. With a bounce in her step, Sakura surveyed the area around her. Her eyes skimmed the sky, trees, and ground, an internal debate within her mind. Pushing the pieces of hair that escaped her ponytail out of her eyes, the young woman made a decision and sprinted east.
Her shorts did little to protect her thighs from the twigs and low branches in her wake, but her boots allowed her to step anywhere with ease. As Sakura ran, a smile broke out on her face as she breathed in the crisp night air. Her mind clicked when she ran a mile, earning her feet a faster pace. Trees flew by in a blur, rocks and branches on the ground not even breaking her stride. At her second mile, Sakura let out her aura. A burst of rosy pink with tints of a darker shade could be seen by the rare trained eye. Sakura could run her fingers through her aura, the magic thick enough in the air to fog anyone's vision.
At mile three, Sakura broke into a clearing in the forest and stopped in a spin, her smile directed at the stars. After a few moments, the dizzying spin sent her to the ground. Laying on her back, Sakura breathed deeply, not at all worn out from her nightly run. In her mind, the young woman recited all of the constellations she could spot.
After a few minutes of rest, Sakura let her body go limp and her mind soar. Her pink aura drifted toward the ground, a ghostly fog. In her mind's eye, Sakura saw her sleeping brother, a dagger clutched in his hand. She sensed all the small animals around her and knew there was a distant clutter of a city in her path. The weight of the world seemed to have lifted off of Sakura's shoulders, the serene look on her face reflecting the peacefulness of the night.
After a long while, Sakura slowly sat up and took in her surroundings, already aware of every tree and insect. Sitting cross legged, Sakura opened the pouch that she wore on her hip at all times. Taking a deep breath, she took out two large cards. Looking them over, she nodded to herself, seeing The Dark and The Light.
Settling herself on her knees, Sakura then laid the two cards out in front of her. Drawing a circle around herself and the cards, she then closed her eyes. Breathing deeply, Sakura channeled all of her power into the small space she had given herself. Drifting off into her own little world, Sakura took no notice to the way the cards in front of her glowed.
"Clow-sama!" Sakura ran up a set of marble steps, her yellow dress flowing around her. Touya stood in the background next to an older couple, a permanent scowl on his face. The man Sakura addressed as Clow gave a hearty laugh as he bent down to give the young woman a hug.
"Sakura, my dear, it is always such a pleasure to see you and your radiant smile," he responded. Clow Reed then turned to the rest of the family, who were rising up the steps. "Touya, my boy, you are growing so quickly," he commented. Touya grunted and bowed. Shaking his head, Clow continued. "You will make such a fine knight some day, Touya." The man next to Touya chuckled, holding his hand out for Clow.
"Clow-sama, you know him too well," he greeted. Smiling, Clow clutched his hand and bowed to the woman next to him.
"Fujitaka, Nadeshiko, I am so pleased to see you two again," he smiled gently as he gestured to a servant to bring the shaking Nadeshiko a wheelchair. Smiling gratefully, Nadeshiko handed Fujitaka the cane she was leaning on and sat gracefully. The servant pushing Nadeshiko, the family followed Clow into the palace he occupied.
"If you would," Clow began, looking at Sakura's parents. "I would like to have some time with Sakura in the gardens," he requested. Fujitaka nodded and made his way to Clow's private quarters with Nadeshiko and Touya. Curious, Sakura followed Clow to the back of the palace, where the vast gardens were displayed.
"What is it, Clow-sama?" Sakura asked, taking a seat on a bench under the shade of a cherry blossom tree. Clow, seated next to her, said nothing. As the wind played with Sakura's long auburn hair, she studied the cherry blossoms, watching them cascading to the ground, carried by the breeze. Soon, Sakura found her hand in Clow's. Startled, she looked up at him, her eyes softening upon seeing the look on his face.
"Clow-sama, you look as if you are mourning a death," Sakura stated. Chuckling sadly, Clow nodded.
"I am not, my dear, but maybe soon…" Sakura didn't know how to react. Squeezing her hand, Clow looked into the young woman's eyes. "Sakura…"
"Clow-sama, please tell me what's going on," Sakura demanded in a worried tone. Clow, taking a moment, lifted a pendant from around his neck. Slipping it over her head, Clow smiled.
"Sakura, you are the most beautiful woman in my kingdom. You will find a fine husband someday… but never one good enough for you," he started. Sakura nodded slowly, knowing not to interrupt. "And your magic… you are more powerful than even I, my dear girl, but also very young. To have all of that power… and no outlet. I was suffering from such a thing once. But when my mentor taught me how to control it… I felt so sure of myself." Clow looked off into the distance, as if watching his past flash by him.
"But you're here to train me, Clow-sama," Sakura reminded him. After a moment, Clow nodded slowly and looked down at her hand in his.
"My dear, you have always been like a granddaughter to me… and your mother like a daughter. To keep something from you would kill me on the inside, but telling you would do the same," he explained. Concern clouded Sakura's face as she waited for him to continue. "Sakura, my dear, I do not know how much more time I may have. But I know that it is not much," he said. Sakura took a few moments to process this, gripping his hand.
"Clow-sama," she whispered. "You're a sorcerer… the most powerful sorcerer of this generation. How could you say such a thing?" she questioned. Sighing, Clow couldn't bring himself to look into her eyes.
"My dear, every kingdom has its enemies. Including this one. However small this kingdom may be… it is my world. My life. I live to protect it. And if protecting it means leaving it in another's hands…" he trailed off. Sakura stared at him expectantly. "Our treaty with the Li kingdom ends in one month's time," Clow said. Sakura nodded, already knowing this. "You, Sakura, are my heir to the throne," Clow went on. Sakura nodded again, having known this her entire life. Using his other hand to lift Sakura's chin to look him in the eye, Clow regarded her sympathetically.
"I am old and worn, my dear. The Lis have armies larger than the population of our kingdom," he said. Sakura shook under his gaze, realizing what he was leading to. "You know their teachings and faiths. You also know how ruthless the royal family is," Clow continued. "Which means you know what will happen when, in a month's time, the Lis take over this kingdom," he finished. Sakura's eyes were wet, but no tears fell. They sat still for a few minutes, exchanging no words.
"Magic will be banned," Sakura whispered, her voice cracking.
"Yes," Clow replied without hesitation. Standing, he pulled Sakura up with him. "Thus, I have something I must show you. You are the most powerful sorceress this world has seen in centuries," he regarded her with pride. "Taking down an army would be no problem for you if you were at your full potential." Sakura nodded as Clow lead her back to the palace.
The Dark and The Light glowed brightly as Sakura's aura swirled around her. A glowing rectangle the size of the two other cards occupied the space in front of Sakura's chest. A star pendant around her neck tugged toward the card, eager to see what it was. Sakura herself looked like a ghost, completely still.
As the form of the card started to solidify, Sakura heard a small gasp. Her emerald eyes snapped open and immediately took in the sight of a beautiful young woman, looking as if she had been running for hours. As Sakura's power realized the girl was no longer with it, it immediately started to disperse. The rectangular shape of the card in the air shot back into the pendant around her neck and Sakura's aura soaked into her skin. This happened in a matter of seconds, completely shocking Sakura's mind and body. Frozen in place, Sakura stared at the young woman, who had fallen to her knees. She consciously noted two glowing orbs behind the girl. Sakura's breath appeared as fog in the air, although the night was moist and warm.
"How…" Sakura didn't get a chance to finish as she passed out. The young woman gasped again, her hands flying to her mouth as she watched Sakura collapse. The yellow orb of light behind the young woman zipped passed her, creating a gust of wind that sent her long dark hair flying around her. Before the girl could even blink, the yellow orb trapped itself inside the pendant around Sakura's neck, its fate unknown.
"Spinel…" the young woman whispered, scared. Glancing at the purple orb, she slowly and unsurely stumbled to her feet and clumsily made her way to Sakura. Falling to her knees beside the auburn haired sorceress, the dark haired woman lightly touched her forehead, immediately snapping her hand back. "Her skin… it's so cold…" she whispered, her eyes wide.
Touya's brown eyes opened slowly, taking in the early morning light. Taking a minute for his mind to catch up, Touya swung his leg beneath himself, attempting to nudge Sakura awake. When his foot met air, he swung his leg farther and harder, earning himself more thin air. Eyes wide, Touya flung himself off of his thick branch. Trying and failing to find something to grab onto, Touya was rewarded with the cold, hard ground. With a grunt, Touya looked up and was met with his makeshift pillow slamming into his face. Grabbing the bag and throwing it to the side, Touya's face was etched with anger. Looking up, he saw the two other bags hidden in the tree, but his sister was nowhere in sight.
"What the hell…" Grumbling, Touya dragged himself to his feet and surveyed the area. Seeing nothing of interest, Touya's eyes narrowed as he looked for any traces of magic. Seeing none, he sighed and got the remaining two bags out of the tree. Strapping two to his back and carrying the third, he made a split second decision and headed east, into the forest.
As he walked, Touya rummaged through the bag he was holding, checking their inventory. Noting what they had and what they needed, he closed the bag. As he kept walking for a few minutes, an annoyed look crossed his face as he realized how far he was walking. Narrowing his eyes again, he searched the area for any more traces of magic. As he took a few more steps, he saw hints of pink in the air… and burst into a sprint. As he ran, Touya let out a string of colorful curses, promising himself to give Sakura a good smack. Eventually, he broke into a clearing occupied by two young women and overwhelming with magic. One woman was his sister, but in a second he had the other pinned down.
"Who are you? What happened here?" he demanded viciously. If looks could kill, the young woman would be six feet under the ground. Her eyes were wide with terror, not sure how to respond. Touya pressed his dagger to the woman's throat, bright red liquid staining her porcelain skin. "I asked you a question!" he yelled.
As the dark haired woman struggled to find words, an orb of purple light flung itself toward Touya. In a moment, Touya found himself several feet away from the possible enemy, on his back. Hearing a faint "Spinnel!" being exclaimed, Touya grunted as he propped himself up on his elbows. Glaring, he resurveyed the situation. Seeing the terrified woman hiding behind a tree and his younger sister laying motionless on the ground, his heart pounded as he decided what to do.
"Ahh!" The dark haired beauty yelped in surprise and pain as a small dagger pierced her hand, embedding it to the tree.
"Sakura!" Touya rushed up to the auburn haired girl, kneeling beside her and checking her pulse.