Shaoran Lee, now more handsome and tall for his age, was still clutching Sakura's hand as they entered the school. Now in their fifth year of highschool, the couple has been the talk of the campus ever since the day Shaoran proposed at Sakura, a year ago, right in the stage when they performed for a play (again) as Beauty and the Beast. It was a big surprise for Sakura when the proposal of marriage turned out real, and all along, Shaoran had been planning it with Yamazaki and the others. The ring finger of her left hand was proof, the emerald gleaming in it, the very color of her eyes.
"I am glad for that new development, Sakura. Please show me your new staff after class, with Tomoyo, okay?" Shaoran said, smiling at her.
Blushing, Sakura looked down to her feet. "I'm excited to show you, you know." She looked at him. "The staff looks cooler, and the cards gained new forms."
"I'm sure Tomoyo would be glad to see them. I bet she would even craft you new poses and costumes." He laughed lightly.
"Tomoyo-chan…" Sakura chuckled. "…has never changed."
Maybe we have grown a bit, but some things will never change. Sakura thought as she looked lovingly at Shaoran. How she remembered the day she jumped and confessed to him, how everything turned out to be happy for both of them. Shaoran eventually stayed in Japan, just to be with her. Ever since, they became inseparable.
And we would always be, she thought.
They parted when they reached Sakura's class, for they had separate classes. Shaoran was taking specialization in computer engineering, and Sakura and Tomoyo, on the other hand, took multimedia arts. At lunch, under the trees where Sakura and Tomoyo used to eat together, she told her everything about the new magic she had developed. As expected, Tomoyo was exuberant and whizzing gleefully about it.
"…pose that will match a very pretty girl like Sakura-chan! And new costumes that will accentuate her stronger powers!" Tomoyo chanted dreamily as she gazed into the skies as petals of cherry blossoms flew by, like in a dream. "It is such a wonderful event in my life to get back on my feet to make costumes for you, Sakura-chan."
"Tomoyo-chan…" Sakura giggled. "Then come by at my house tonight and bring your camera, okay?"
Tomoyo looked at her with a rush of excitement. "Sakura-chan! Will you do magic tonight?"
"Sort of…" She blinked. "This is our first film for my new magic."
Tomoyo jumped high in delight. "I can't wait!" She grasped Sakura's hands. "Let me treat you today, Sakura-chan! Let us celebrate! Maybe we could, after class, with Shaoran!"
"Where to?" She laughed.
"In the most expensive restaurant of Tomoeda!"
"HOOEE! That is too much, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura asked her not too, but Tomoyo still insisted on that place.
"Well— I'M GOING TOO!"
Sakura and Tomoyo were taken aback by Kero's sudden appearance just in the midst of their faces. "Tomoyo, you will witness the unveiling of the brand-new, cooler, stronger, more handsome KEROBEROS, the amazing beast of the Sakura seal!" Kero thumped his chest and laughed proudly. "HOHOHO!"
"Kero-chan!" Sakura caught his tail. "You didn't ask my permission again!"
"Since when did I do, Sakura?" He laughed again and when he saw the food that the bestfriends were sharing, he immediately flew to take a piece of sushi, saying, "ITADEKIMAS!"
Tomoyo just laughed at Kero's insatiable appetite, and Sakura even wondered what sort of appetite would Kero have after receiving his new powers from her.
Not too far away, in a branch of a dead maple tree amidst the other trees, sat a familiar presence Sakura has known very well in the past.
He gazed at the Mistress of the cards, whom he knew had crafted a new form of magical arts, and smiled. The bright eyes of hers has never changed, he thought. The same beautiful face, the same angelic smile. He remembered the time he kissed her hand, and he had done it at his most sincerest will. Now, he was still asking himself, what if I return? And he has indeed returned, and like Sakura, he has gotten stronger, and he had been creating new magical arts too, back in England.
But there are things that Sakura had not uncovered yet, he thought. And those things… are the same reasons why he has returned.
The power of the stars has another kind of power you must learn to tap, Sakura.
This power is the most ancient power that the earliest magicians of history had tapped, and it is the most famous type of magical arts. It is a common art, but coupling it Sakura's magic, the power can be used to alter the future, the present and even the past.
Who would have thought that astrology is what Sakura only needs to become the most powerful magician in the world?
Just as Sakura was packing her lunchbox inside her bag, with Kero-chan lying full and contented in the grass and Tomoyo happily chanting ideas for new costumes, Sakura felt his presence and quickly glanced to a nearby tree— a dead maple— in its dried and cracked branch. There was no one in there, and yet she could feel it strongly, that magic, that aura… that presence…
Clow…
No, it couldn't be Clow, she told herself. "Or was it—"
"Let's go, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo said, rising and taking with her the already sleeping Kero-chan.
"Hai," She said and walked after Tomoyo. Glancing back at the same tree before entering the school building, she swear she saw that it was now alive— teeming with purplish-blue flowers, which bloomed beautifully as it was blown by the wind before her very eyes.
Kero-chan looked furiously at Yukito-san, who was coolly eating half of the chocolate cake that Tomoyo brought in the house. "Yue is only using his false form to eat as much as I do! Hmph!" He grumbled behind the stairway as he watched Sakura, Tomoyo, Shaoran and Yukito eat and chat happily together. "I would find a way to have that cake…"
"Hey, stuffed little bear."
Kero-chan almost froze on where he was standing. That was the voice… of Sakura's…
"Heh—heh—heh—heh…?" Keroberos turned nervously and quite slowly to face that voice. "Ah—? How— do you–do? O–ni-—i—cha—n—?" He swallowed hard, and tried to curve his mouth to smile, but he could only contort his face out of sheer awkwardness. He was met with an indifferent look on Touya's face. Or was that the same look he gives when he stares with suspicion at him?
This was the first time they actually talked one on one.
"Since when did I have a stuffed brother?" Touya replied.
This time, Keroberos thought he was really as stiff as stone. "Eh–eh–er, you know—"
"Yeah, I know." He picked up Kero-chan by the tail, and said, "I know you're some sort of a magical creature the day I first saw you in Sakura's room."
"Hoe! Really!" As quick as that, Kero showed his true character to him, "Then, do you know who I am, brother of the former cardcaptor and the mistress of the cards?" He laughed his usual snobbish, proud laugh even as Touya held his tail.
"Ah, of course," Touya smiled knowingly, enough to dry Kero's sarcasm, "You are Keroberos, beast of the seal, a kaijou guardian of my sister."
Kero simmered instantly at the word. "WHO DO YOU CALL KAIJOU?!"
"Stuffed kaijou Kero."
"HA! You wanna fight, you wanna fight? Come on, fight, fight!" He punched his little hands in the air towards Touya's face. They stared menacingly at each other, electricity almost coming off their eyes.
"Well, I thought you want to come by for a little snack." Touya said to fuel Kero's jealousy. "That chocolate cake won't last as long as Yuki is there…"
"That snow rabbit…" Kero muttered grudgingly. "I'll tear Yue to pieces for this…"
"Have a bit of fun before you two transform, shall we?" Touya headed to the living room, still holding Kero-chan's tail.
"Hey! Let me go, you—big—brat— your father shouldn't see me!"
"He's in Korea for his research paper, so you don't have to worry, little kaijou."
"Don't call me kaijou!"
As soon as they were in the living room, Sakura screamed— "Onii-chan!" They all looked at Touya, with the yellow stuffed-like Kero-chan, as he held him by the tail. Kero-chan just crossed his arms and sighed irritatingly. Shaoran and Tomoyo looked at each other, surprised, and Yukito said, "Touya, are you getting along with Keroberos?"
"On the contrary, his stubbornness is just like his mistress." He said, letting go of the annoyed guardian. Kero instantly went to plunge in the remaining cake, locking it in his eyes like a prized target. "You've been eating all this time without me!"
"But that remaining slice is for you, Kero." Tomoyo said sweetly, and Kero was teary-eyed for the assurance that he was not left behind with nothing.
"That was heartfelt, Tomoyo…" He beamed a big smile at the cake, got a fork and sat down to eat, "Itadekimas!"
"Seems that you'd be more greedy after the transformation tonight, Kero." Shaoran said, irritating him once more.
"Ha, you brat, shut up and let me finish my treat!"
Sakura just smiled to see that things really don't change that much unless you do take a step to change it. She looked at Yukito and his Onii-chan as they talked together. Their friendship has never changed, even made stronger by the years. By now, Yukito, or Yue-san rather, would have known that Touya has regained his powers through Sakura's new magic. I could feel that he's happy, she thought. She could even feel that Yue-san really wanted to talk to her already. Sakura glanced at Tomoyo, and thought, of course, she is still the same and would always be, my very best friend. When she looked at Shaoran, the same feelings of love and affection flowed in her, and thinking that they would never change their love towards each other, suddenly— the cards from her pocket emerged.
"What the—"
They were all spellbound at the strange phenomenon. Sakura's seal flashed before them, and the cards aligned right before Sakura, shuffling on their own.
Kero turned into his real form and said, "Sakura, what is this!"
"I don't know, Kero-chan! But it's like— that—"
"—they want to tell you something, Sakura."
Yue was already there in their midst, looking at the cards as they continued to shuffle through their own magic. He waived his hand and cleared the center table where the plates and the glasses were, making them disappear in the flick of his fingers. Then the cards piled together in a deck and lay in the middle of the table.
"A fortune!" Keroberos exclaimed. "But they rather acted on their own… do you think so, Yue?"
"It must be one of the powers that you unknowingly gave them, Sakura."
Sakura turned to Yue. "But I only gave them stronger magic, and more capabilities that are aligned with their specialties!"
"That is why it is some unknown power that you have as the one who holds the power of the stars." Yue said and took her hand, "Now, place your hand on the top of the deck, and summon them on their own." Yue then faced Shaoran and Tomoyo, who were sitting from across them. "Move back and stand outside the circle of the seal. Only the mistress and the guardians should be in it to perform this incantation." He turned to Touya. "Touya, please make sure that all the curtains are closed. Turn off the lights as well."
"Is this incantation going to hurt Sakura?" Touya asked worryingly.
"No, the cards would only show her something."
Touya then left to check all the windows and the doors, locking them. He turned off the lights one by one. Shaoran and Tomoyo were anxious at what will happen. They stood outside the circle, as they watch the guardians align themselves with their symbols: Keroberos atop the sun, and Yue on the moon. Sakura sat where the star was, right on the middle. The table glowed together with the cards, which were casting off a bright bluish-white aura.
"How come you know this, Yue?" Kero said, as he pushed the sofas out of the glowing seal on the floor.
"Clow told me about this incantation, wherein the cards are left to decide on themselves to act together as one in foretelling the future." He looked at Sakura. "It looks like Sakura has this definite power, for Clow himself could not perform this incantation. Clow could foretell, but not as definitely."
"I gave the cards this kind of power?" Sakura said, quite surprised at Yue's words.
"Yes, for you have the greater power tapped from the stars."
"That explains it," Shaoran butted in. "The stars are used to tell the future, Sakura. It is inevitable that you will also tap this ability, though you didn't intend to do so."
"That's… that's nuisance." Sakura said emotionlessly. "I didn't wish to see the future…"
"Just look at the bright side, Sakura." Tomoyo assured her. "Maybe this ability is destined for you as well, because you might have to use it someday."
"Just be strong," Touya said, coming back at the scene, "Sakura."
"Tomoyo-chan…Onii-chan…" Sakura smiled at them. "Yes, maybe seeing the future would help me out someday…"
At once, the deck of cards glowed brighter, and when Sakura placed her hand atop it, the guardians floated above their symbols and unknowingly closed their eyes. Then, three cards emerged from the deck, aligning before her. Another card emerged and separated from the rest, and before Sakura, the Time card materialized and sat from across her in the table. Her face was stern and she held an hourglass in one of her palms.
"I am your fortune-teller for this incantation, Mistress." Time said.
"Time…" Sakura said, awed at the power, or her own power rather, to see what lies ahead of the present. "Why do you want to tell the future for me all of a sudden?"
"Mistress, all your thoughts and feelings are connected to us now. Whenever you want to know something about the future, the cards will decide whether to tell you or not, about what we see." Time pointed to her chest, right at her heart. "You want to know something that lies in the bottom of your heart. Please, think about it in your mind. I could hear you even if you wouldn't speak about it."
Sakura's heart raced furiously, for then she figured it out why the cards suddenly decided to tell her the future. It was the thought… if Shaoran and her would stay the same…
The cards will tell me then…
"You are ready, Mistress." Time said. "Turn the first card in your left side."
Sakura touched that card, and it turned at her whim. DARK. The first card was Dark. She felt her heart leapt out of shock. Why has this something to do with Shaoran and me?
She looked at Shaoran and locked her eyes on his. Shaoran… He smiled and nodded for her to go on. "Daijobu desu, Sakura…"
She returned a small smile at him and assured herself that maybe the cards meant another thing. No, that wouldn't happen. Shaoran and I won't change.
"Mistress," Time said, "Turn the second card."
She felt too anxious now to turn this second card, and she trembled a little when she touched it. It revealed itself.
CHANGE.
The second card was Change.
Sakura heaved an upset sigh. She stared at the card, and she heard it say softly, in her mind, "It would change."
No. Tell me this isn't it…
Time felt that her mistress was afraid of knowing this. But she still urged her. "Accept the fact that this is what we see, Mistress." She said in a rueful tone. "Now is the time to turn the third card."
Sakura couldn't help thinking how Dark and Change could mark her relationship with Shaoran in the future. She unknowingly started to cry, little tears streaming down her cheeks now.
"Sakura! What is wrong!" Touya shouted, and before he could rush in inside the circle of the seal, the wings of Yue prevented him. That was the duty of the guardians to do in this incantation, to block off any intrusion in the fortune-telling. "Sakura…"
"Sakura-chan…" Tomoyo clutched her dress anxiously. "Please stay strong, Sakura-chan…"
"Sakura," Shaoran spoke worryingly, "There is no use in crying. You know that…"
Sakura looked at him. She remembered the day Shaoran told him that, and all those times he made her stop crying. But what if he too would know what would happen in the future? Maybe he wouldn't let her stop crying, or maybe he would cry too as well.
"Mistress, turn the card." Time said.
Finally, Sakura touched it, and it turned. It made her cringe. This was the card, which she made herself…
LOVE.
And now the cards were telling her a simple truth. Dark. Change. Heart. Together, they make a string of a heartbreaking phrase. A dark change of heart.
Sakura cried even more, covering her face with her own eyes. "No… no… please—"
Time felt her sadness, as all the cards did. Even them couldn't bring themselves to admit that this was what they see. The cards could even see how it would go, but they didn't want to tell her everything. It would be very hard for their mistress to accept. Light emerged from the deck, coming by to her side to console her. "Mistress, we are sorry to tell this to you. But you asked for it, and we wanted you to know."
"I can't accept that happening to me, Light-san…" She wept, as more tears flowed from her eyes.
"But mistress, if I tell you that he would be happier in the future even without you, would you be happy too, for him?"
Sakura gazed at the tranquil face of Light-san, and felt deeply what she was trying to tell her. It was the same thought of loving someone purely, as Tomoyo told her years ago. It is what makes the one you love happier that makes you happy…
Sakura was hurt, but inside her heart, she had planted this feeling early enough for her to accept the truth. She smiled at Light-san.
"Felt better?" She said in a motherly tone.
"Yes," She nodded, "It still hurts. Or maybe it will always hurt. But I'm contented at the fact that he will happy without me in the future…"
"That's the spirit." Light smiled, and waved her hand to the cards, which reshuffled
"Mistress, we just do not see the bad side of the future. We will show you the bright side too."
Sakura saw three cards before her again, unturned. Time spoke with a tinge of positive emotion in her voice, "Now turn the cards altogether, mistress."
With a rush of optimism, Sakura waved her hand over the three cards, and at once they all turned…
FIRE. MIRROR. RETURN.
A strange combination of cards… Sakura thought.
The cards materialized before her, and Fire spoke, "Look at this, Mistress," she extended her hand in front of Sakura, and a ball of fire glowed within her palm. "What is this?"
Sakura clearly knew what Fire was showing her. "Sun. It is a sun, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is." It was Mirror who replied this time. Mirror-san glanced to Touya shortly before looking back at her mistress, smiling. "Now, mistress, interpret me."
Sakura looked at Mirror, and even though she didn't change into another Sakura, Sakura said, "Just like me? Or something, someone, the same as me?"
"Correct." Mirror smiled, and then Return said, "Now, Mistress, I am the easiest to decode."
Sakura blinked for a second, and she formed the string of words in her mind…
Sun… the same as me… return…
"Correct." Time said, and she smiled. "Now we have told you what we wish you to know, and you have to figure it out yourself, Mistress. Before we end this, Flower has something to give you."
"Flower-san?" Sakura was surprised when Flower emerged and showered her with flowers, before the incantation finally ended with a whirlwind of golden light. Yue and Keroberos were finally released and the seal was gone, and what was left were the deck of cards piled neatly atop the table.
Purplish-blue flowers were on Sakura's arms, and it was giving off a very fragrant scent, like that of lavender and freesia infused together, with notes of green apple. These flowers…
"SAKURA!"
Everyone rushed in to Sakura immediately, and Shaoran embraced her even before Touya could. Touya gritted his teeth, and Yue just smiled at the scene. Keroberos went to his side and whispered in his ear very softly, "Come to think of that, Yue. I thought that brat and Sakura would stay together for forever."
"I thought so. And I'm wondering, Keroberos. Has Sakura figured who the new one would be?"
"I think not." Keroberos looked at the deck of cards. "You know how naïve Sakura could be at times like this, even though it's very obvious, isn't it?"
"True. I could feel that he is here in Tomoeda." Yue gazed at Sakura, who was now breaking the tension of the stares of Touya and Shaoran at each other. "Time tells me it would be soon, Keroberos."
"I wonder if Clow knows."
"Maybe, Keroberos."
The guardians were surprised when Sakura summoned her key now, and the seal flashed again. The new star staff, revealed by her new magic, was revealed, and Tomoyo shouted in glee. "It's amazing, Sakura-chan!"
"It's beautiful, right, Yue?" Keroberos told the moon guardian, who was smiling now in muted awe.
"Yes, it is." He replied. "Finally, an equal of Clow himself."
The golden ribbons of the staff flew towards them, turning into magical whirlwind of power surrounding them. Sakura chanted:
"O Guardians of the Seal,
Keroberos, holding the brightness of the Sun—
Yue, holding the mystery and shadows of the Moon—
Accept your new powers,
Under the realm of the light of the stars—
Reborn before me!
Keroberos—
Yue—
I, Sakura, command you!"
Before them, a strong surge of magical aura enveloped the two guardians. Silvery-pink sheaths came from Sakura's wand, giving off her power to bestow to them. Keroberos' bright yellowish aura glowed brighter as it received Sakura's power, and so as Yue's soft bluish-white aura. Finally, in a burst of feathers everywhere, Keroberos emerged, his features looking even more grander. The feathers of his wings had a silvery-yellow accent, and every paw of his bore a golden bracelet with a red jewel in it. He posed proudly, and then noticed that his tail was in flames. "HOEEE! SAKURA!" He growled. "My tail is burning!"
"Stupid," Yue's voice said as he was still covered in his own wings, "That is part of your transformation." Then he emerged, and everyone, including Touya, was slack-jawed.
Yue had become more handsome, though his hair hasn't changed; he had a thin silvery band with a blue jewel in his forehead, and his robes were more striking and majestic. But what Sakura changed about him was that…
"Well, look at Keroberos." Yue said in a rather happily sarcastic tone that wasn't him before. "I think he looks cuter in his false form!" Then he laughed aloud that made everybody stare shockingly at him. Even Kero gaped at him. Yue noticed all their shocked stares. "Hey, what's the matter? Do I look too handsome? Oh, no—you don't have to say so." He laughed again, changing into his false form. Yukito was even more handsome than before too. Tomoyo shouted, "Kawayii, Sakura-chan! Yukito-san looks exactly like a prince!"
Kero-chan said, "Sakura, you changed Yue's personality?"
Sakura smiled a bit and said, "Not really. Just merely added a touch of humor into him. Now, Kero, change back into your false form."
"Sakura…" Kero eyed her threateningly. "If I look like a laughingstock, I will resign my post!"
Yukito replied at him, "Of course not! Sakura-chan has made you cuter, right, Sakura-chan?"
"Yep!"
And so when Kero-chan transformed, everybody were silent at first, noticing that there wasn't any change at all, only that he had a thin silvery band with red jewel on top of his round stuffed-like head, and his small wings accented with silvery-yellow. But it was Touya who first saw the other change.
"Great job, Sakura." Then he turned to Kero, "So, little kaijou, what are you going wear?"
"Wear what, you big brat?" He screamed at him.
"To cover that." Then he pointed at it. And when everybody saw that Kero had indeed grown two small bumps in his behind, a burst of loud laughter filled the whole house, with Kero spurting fire everywhere in the shame of wearing nothing to cover his new butt.
That night, after Shaoran kissed her goodnight and bid Tomoyo and Yukito goodbye, she retreated to her bed, carrying with her thoughts about her inevitable breakup with Shaoran, and the purplish-blue flowers in her arms. Sun. Just like me. Return.
The scent of the flowers lulled her to sleep, and Light and Dark, who were watching her sleep, exchanged a few words with each other.
"Clow always thought that Sakura is cute, isn't it?" Dark said, with a knowing smile in her face.
"Maybe that was the other reason why he needed to be reborn." Light touched her mistress' face and said, "You'll see him soon enough."