Sentences written in 's represent a Clow card's thought-speech Breaks in the story marked with =------='s represent a jump in time
Enjoy!
Chapter 1
It was cold. It was damn cold. I'm not kidding, it was really freaking cold! I hated field trips. Especially mid-April 'End of Senior year' camping trips. I mean, I'm all for the concept of missing classes and hanging out with friends, but there are certain things about this trip that sorta took away from the overall fun level of the trip. Sleeping outside in sub-zero temperatures with ghosts off all kinds floating about what NOT my idea of a good time. Ever seen the Blair Witch Project? That was basically what the forest sounds like to someone with a sixth sense, like myself. It sucks. So there I sat, freezing my ass off, curled up in a sleeping bag and using a tree stump as a pillow. Everyone else had long since fallen fast asleep, but I found it a bit more difficult, hearing the far off shrieks and wails of the deceased. I had been lying there for a good 3 hours when I heard a peculiar sound. It wasn't one of the eerie background noises that ghosts make, but it was something else. I almost sounded like... someone crying. I debated on whether or not I should leave the warmth and comfort of my sleeping bag to go examine further, but I could not bring myself to just ignore it. I pulled on my shoes and quietly started towards the sound.
As I came closer and closer to it, I started getting a really weird feeling. It wasn't the feeling I get when I sense a ghost, and certainly not anything worldly, but rather something in-between. After about 10 minutes of looking I was about to head back, it was just too damn cold to be walking around like this. As I turned to head back I caught sight of a small, fragile-looking girl curled up and crying at the base of a nearby tree. She had strangely pointed ears with very large earrings, and wore baggy pink pants and a pink top. Very odd looking indeed. I silently approached her and sat down next to her.
"Are you okay?"
The girl's face was in her cupped hands while she sobbed so I don't think she knew I was there until I talked. She jumped in surprise and stared at me in shock.
W-wrong?! Nothing's wrong!! She quickly tried to wipe her tears off her face with her sleeve.
"Doesn't look that way..."
Look! It's none of your business! (Sniff) I... I just had something in my eye!
Whatever she was, she was very prideful. "I just want to help. Obviously something's wrong. Why don't we-"
I SAID THERE'S NOTHING FUCKING WRONG!!!! She angrily pushed me away, funny thing was, her little push sent me flying some 20 feet into the air. I hit a tree hard and landed with a resounding 'CRACK', meaning that I had most likely broken something. For a fragile looking 12-year-old, she was pretty god-damn strong. Of course, I didn't really have time to question her about it, as I was, at the moment, blinded by pain.
Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!! The little girl ran over to me and knelt next to my withering body. W-What's broken?! Are you okay?!
I couldn't seem to breathe too well, as every breath sent another jolt of pain through my body. I guess it was the lack of air or the phenomenal amount of pain I was in, but I couldn't seem to answer her.
Is it your arms?! Legs?!
I shook my head 'no'.
Ribs?
Yeah. I think that was it. I held my breath and nodded my head 'yes'.
I need to get you some help! Don't move, I'll-
Suddenly, I found that I could no longer breathe. Collapsed lung? Blocked throat? I didn't know. All I knew was that I wasn't getting any air. I struggled, trying to move, but the intense pain stopped me. It wasn't long before I just gave in and passed out.
=---------------=
It wasn't for several hours that I finally regained consciousness. To my surprise, I found that I was no longer lying in the forest. Rather, I was actually lying on a couch in someone's house. I glanced down at my shirt and saw it stained with blood. Carefully I lifted my shirt and found, oddly enough, that the wound had completely healed. Bones and all.
I see that you're awake. I was starting to get worried.
I turned my head and saw the little girl sitting beside me; she had this look of irreputable guilt on her face. She lowered her head and stared at the ground, I'm so sorry... I lied on the couch for a few minutes, trying to collect my thoughts. Nothing made any sense. How was this tiny, innocent-looking little girl in pink able to crack my ribs by just giving me a simple push? And what about my wound? How could it just suddenly heal up like that?
I pulled myself up so that I was sitting upward on the couch. I decided to start with the easy questions and work my way up, "Where am I?"
This is my apartment. It's not far from the camping grounds, about 4 miles.
"You carried me four miles!?" This kid blew my mind. How the heck is it possible for her to posses such incredible strength?
I... uh...
I could feel my sixth sense going nuts; telling me again and again how unnatural she was, "Look, I know you're not human, and I know you're not a ghost. So what, exactly, are you?"
The little girl sighed, I probably shouldn't tell you, but I guess I owe you an explanation. She sighed and looked into my eyes, I'm not a natural-born person. I was... created.
"...What?"
She nervously twiddled her thumbs and started at her feet, Have you ever wondered why you have your sixth sense?
"I always figured I just used more of the brain than others or something."
The girl smiled, It's a little more complex than that. You see, the reason you posses your abilities is because you harbor the potential to use magic.
I raised a skeptical eyebrow, Magic? I think my explanation was a little more believable.
Is it any more believable that me, a tiny little girl, breaking your ribs with a simple push? Magic is what you use every time you see a ghost, magic is the reason why I am so unnaturally strong, and magic is what I used to heal your wounds.
I glanced down again at the spot where my wound once was, "Point taken. Now, you still haven't answered my question."
She cleared her throat, My 'creator', like many people during his time, used magic. Unlike many people, however, he was exceptionally good at it. He possessed enough power to create life forms out of his own thoughts. Elements like wind, fire, water, and earth became actual physical beings. Obviously, he needed some control over this new life, so he sealed them all into cards and placed them in a magically captive book. Whenever he needed to use one, he would simply remove a card and release it.
"Makes sense."
What do you think happened after he passed on?
"My guess is that he'd probably let you all free. What use could he have for you once he's dead?"
Unfortunately for us, my master was not so generous. He thought we were 'too unpredictable' and sealed us all back inside the book. After a little moving around, we ended up waiting a few centuries before we were released.
"That's brutal. What did you do all that time?"
Nothing! We couldn't move, we couldn't see, we couldn't hear; we just sat there.
"Must've been kinda boring."
It was torture! All I could do is think! After a few centuries, you've basically thought of everything interesting. You can imagine my relief when we where freed and allowed to run around.
"How did you escape?"
Someone with strong magical powers released the seal unintentionally. Needless to say, we all to that opportunity to book it out of there. Problem is, my master, Clow Reed, also placed a Guardian on the cover, who recruited the girl who opened the book shortly after our escape. Now the heartless witch is hunting us down, one by one, and capturing us. We've tried fighting this 'Clow Mistress', but her magical strength is too much for any one of us to go up against. I'm afraid we're just not powerful enough, and with every passing week she captures more and more helpless cards.
"Is that what you where crying about earlier?"
Power balled her hands into fists as her face turned red, I WASN'T CRYING!!!
"Okay Okay!! Just don't hit me!" God, she was touchy as hell when you mentioned that whole crying thing.
ANYway... She shifted uncomfortably and stared at her tiny, gloved hands. While you were unconconsious I did some thinking and.... I wanted to ask you a favor.
"Yes?"
Well... I think the reason we keep losing to the Clow Mistress is because we are separated. We just aren't powerful enough one-on-one. If we could get ourselves organized, we might be able to beat her.
"So what do you want me to do?"
I wanted to know if you could help me... 'recruit' more of my fellow Clow cards. If you could capture enough cards before the Clow Mistress gets to them, we could actually have a chance at defeating her. That is, of course, unless you don't want to.
Find and capture Clow cards? If the other cards where anywhere as powerful as she was, I don't think I'd last too long in a fight.
"I'd love too, but I don't know the first thing about card capturing. Besides, I don't think I'd be much of a match against them anyway."
I've already thought of that. If you are willing, I can give you a Guardian Beast, like the one who trained the Clow mistress. It will teach you everything it knows about the Clow cards and will also help you develop your dormant magical abilities.
"...I guess. I mean, I only have to find a few of them, right? It shouldn't be all that hard."
Great! We'll meet up in the park tomorrow afternoon and I can introduce you to your Guardian Beast!
I turned to leave, "By the way, I don't think you ever told me your name."
It's Power. Nice meeting you... uh...
"Touya Kinomoto." I would've shook her hand, but I'd rather not of gotten back to the camp with a dislocated shoulder.
Power smiled and waved as I headed out the door. It was going to be a long hike back.
=---------------=
"Touya! Wake up, man! Why the heck do you keep falling asleep?" Yuki shook me out of my peaceful slumber and back into reality, where I had been fast asleep on Yuki's shoulder.
I rubbed my eyes and yawned, "Sorry, Yuki. I guess I didn't get much sleep last night."
"Yeah, it was pretty cold out. Took me a while to get warm too." He sat up and peeked out the window, "We're almost back to the school; you might want to get your stuff together."
I pulled my bag out from overhead and waited for the bus to stop. I was still feeling groggy from the hike back, as well as the lack of sleep. The bus screeched to a stop in front of my school and the students filed out. Now all I had to do was endure a few more classes and I was out of there. I waited up for Yuki and headed into my next class.
=--------------=
The classes were excruciatingly long, not to mention boring as all hell. You could not believe my relief when the final bell rang and we were freed. I snatched my bag off the ground and dashed out the door. After unlocking the chain on my bike, I sped off towards the park. I didn't like the idea of leaving Sakura alone on her trip back home, but Yuki promised he'd 'escort' her back.
As expected, I found a little girl lying against a tree in the middle of the park; she absent-mindedly picked the pedals off a flower as she waited.
"Hey, Power."
Power looked at me and smiled, It's about time! What kept you?
"Sheesh, I can only pedal so fast." I pulled down the kickstand and leaned my bike against the tree, "So, where do we start?"
Follow me. Power motioned towards the woods just south of the park. I followed her until we reached a small divot in the ground. She threw her fist into the ground, sinking it in up to her shoulder, then pulled up a black and bronze colored book out of the dirt. It was worn and old as the dickens, and had all this weird English writing scribbled over the front.
This spellbook used to belong to a Necromancer by the name of Rijak, who lived during the Crusades. She wiped off the excess dirt from the cover, In England, of course.
"In England? How did it end buried here?"
Rijak was slain in an unfortunate misunderstanding with the locals, and his/her loyal knight and servant, Sir Drake, brought it to Japan. Since most of the Japanese at the time were not familiar with western magic, they could not use the book. He buried it here and cast a final spell which would transform him into the book's Guardian Beast. He has been asleep ever since, protecting this book from outsiders.
"So I will be learning how to use my magic from some Second Century Crusader? Does he even speak Japanese?"
Of course he does, what kind of Sorcerer would Rijak have been if he or she couldn't even interpret Eastern symbols? Seeing as how Sir Drake was Rijak's apprentice and protector, I'm sure she/he gave him a run-down of Japanese basics. She blew a layer of dirt out from the top, Besides, I think he will appreciate getting a little air. It has been a while. She closed her eyes and began to chant some ancient English summoning spell. A feint blue glow formed around the book as it lifted out of her hands and floated in front of me.
Oh great and powerful Guardian Beast! We have come to ask a favor of you. A man by the name of Touya seeks your guidance; will you answer his call?
The book's glow intensified as it began to tremble. I took a step back, not knowing what to expect. Suddenly, there was a bright flash as the book began to fold and crumple, like a sheet of paper. It collapsed into itself until it was roughly the size of a baseball, then shaped itself into a perfect circle. The light died out, and a small, black, baseball-sized ball dropped at my feet.
"What the..." I picked the object off the ground and inspected it. Just then, two very large white eyes opened. They had no pupils or pigments of any kind, and were both oval shaped, covering a third of the creature's body. It stared blankly at me for several seconds, and I stared back. I decided to break the silence.
"Uh... hi." I cleared my throat, "Power here said that you might be able to hel-"
That cut off at the end was caused when the creature suddenly leaped out of my hands and latched onto my face, covering my mouth. Panicked, I grabbed the creature and tried to pull it off, but it held on as tight as it could. I could only watch as it shot out several tendrils, which restrained my legs and arms. Suddenly, the creature itself seemed to melt, spreading itself across my entire body and covering it like a black rubber. I tried to breathe, but the creature had blocked both my nose and mouth. I furiously tried to pry it off, but it now was elastic, and almost impossible to stretch. Just as I was about to pass out from lack of air, the black surface cleared away from my face, leaving the area from my neck up free from its grasp.
"Power!! Get it offa me! It's trying to kill me!"
Calm down, Touya. It's only bonding with your body. This way, it can easily view and maintain your body's magic reserves.
"What if I don't want him screwing around in my body? Why the heck didn't you tell me about this?!"
At least give it a try, Touya. Drake is a kindhearted, noble person. I'm sure the two of you can easily share a body. Think positive!
"I'll show you positive!" Struggled to wrap my arms around her scrawny neck, but Drake had me firmly restrained, "Let me go you freaking piece of- " My voice was silenced as a cheery, English-accented, and surprisingly female voice echoed through my head.
Calm down, master Touya! I won't hurt you!
"Wh... how..."
Allow me to introduce myself; I am your mentor, Sir Drake. If you have any questions regarding your developing magical abilities, please don't hesitate to ask.
"How's about letting me go first?"
Of course. My restraints were only a precaution.
I relaxed my muscles as she loosened her grip, "I thought you were a guy."
Guardian Beasts don't really have a gender. Everyone probably thought that I was a guy because I WAS a guy during the Crusades. I just tend to go with a female body, as it reflects more on my personality.
"Oh."
She squirmed around a bit, causing a chill to run up my spine. You have no idea how weird it felt to have her literally covering my body.
I see that you are quite adequate in the physical sense! I don't think that an exercise regiment will be necessary. That leaves the small task of developing you magical abilities.
I took that first part in a stride, hoping she just meant I was 'in shape' and not, well, checking me out "What 'magical abilities' exactly?"
Well, your card capturing skills of course! If you're gonna fight the other Clow cards, you have to at least be able to capture a card.
"And how, per say, will you be doing this?"
I will be steadily releasing your dormant energy, and feeding it into your bloodstream. Once you have reached a 'saturation' point, you will be able to call forth your powers and use them in your card capturing.
I picked myself off the ground and glanced down at my body, where the skintight black 'skin' covered my entire body like a wetsuit, "I can't go into public like this! I'll have to put my clothes on over you in order to conceal your skin."
Uh... I don't think you can do that. I kinda have to be on the outside in order to regulate your negative energy. Wait a second.
Drake shifted her body around, rising and twisting all over the place. It felt weird as hell. When she was done, she had formed herself into a perfect replica of my clothes (My old ones had been 'expelled' during the bonding process. As nasty as that might sound).
Seeing that I was done talking, and that Drake had fully bonded, Power walked over, Now Touya, I need you two to get used to each other. You two are going to need to be an efficient team if you're going to capture any cards.
I was still pretty pissed off at Power for not telling me all of the details about my 'guide', but I was tired and disoriented from the bonding, and I sure as hell didn't feel up to an argument. "Should I come back here tomorrow for more instructions?"
From here on out, you will be the one who will be able to sense nearby Clow cards, not me. I can't guide you any more.
"I guess this is goodbye then."
Goodbye? Who said anything about leaving? If I can still serve a purpose, I'm not going anywhere.
"What?"
She closed her eyes and hovered off the ground. Her pink aura steadily increased until it was a blinding light. She motioned for me to hold her hand. I squinted and was able to grab her hand through the swirling winds and flashing light. There was a bright flash as her whole body became energy. I closed my eyes to block out the light, but I still held onto her hand. Suddenly, I felt a sudden jolt, forcing my eyes open. Resting in my palm was a small, dark colored card. It, like Rijak's book, had bronze edges and a dark blue background. In the middle I saw a picture of Power, with her name located beneath.
"A Clow card?"
Power still wishes to be a service to you, so she gave you her power. If you ever wish to make use of her strength, simply release the card.
"I'll put it to good use." I stuffed the card in my pocket and grabbed my bike off the tree, "Let's get going. It's getting late."
=---------------=
I got home not long after my meeting with Power. I tossed my backpack on my bed and collapsed into my chair. Today was Friday, which meant that it was my turn to cook dinner for everyone.
"Hey Drake, do you... you know... eat anything? I need to know if I should make extra or not."
Don't worry about me, master Touya! I don't have a mouth or stomach to eat with; I simply absorb your magic to keep me going.
"Oh. Uh. Alright..." I got up and had Drake change herself out of my school uniform and into a sweatshirt and pants. I walked to the bathroom and splashed some water in my face to wake me up a bit, then proceeded down the stairs and into the kitchen.
I pulled out all the necessary items for making dinner and took a quick glance around the room. Fortunately, both my Dad and Sakura were upstairs, meaning that I could talk to Drake without looking like a lunatic.
"So! Drake, tell me about yourself. I'm sure you must have some cool stories from the Crusades."
Oh this and that! What's to tell! I lived most of my life as a loyal knight before accepting Rijak as my mentor. I of course had to change from a girl to a guy for the war, which was a little weird but... well... I wanted adventure. And I certainly found it!
"What did Rijak teach you?"
Basically everything there is to know about Western magic. Rijak tried to teach me some of the basics of Eastern magic, but it was quite difficult to grasp at the time.
"Why? What's the difference between western and eastern magic?"
They are complete opposites. East is light, West is Dark. Almost like night and day.
"Does that mean that I will be learning Dark magic?"
Yes! Fortunately for you, a lot of the Western magic was created to be used as a weapon in the Crusades. Your Card Captoring will rely less on strategy and more on simply beating each card into submission.
"Cool." I wasn't one to resort to unnecessary violence to solve my problems, but, as I said before, if the other cards were anywhere near as powerful as Power, then perhaps simple brute strength might be the way to go.
I finished up dinner and called for Sakura and my dad to come down. They seated themselves and began to eat.
As we were all happily chowing down, Sakura glanced up from her meal and looked at me, "Hey Touya, I noticed you kinda left school in a hurry this afternoon."
"I had to meet someone in the park."
"That's okay, Li walked me home."
My grip tightened around my chopsticks as I heard that accursed name, "Don't tell me you were talking to that little Chinese brat again!"
"He's not a brat! He's very nice once you get to know him. You should give him a chance!"
My father was way ahead of this discussion and decided it was time for a subject change, "Did I tell you guys about my business trip this week? I'm going to be lecturing at a university in Osaka for a few days; should be interesting."
"How long are you gonna be gone?"
"About a week. Nothing you guys can't handle, I'm sure."
"No problem." I finished up my dish and started on the dishes. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sakura grab two jello cups for desert and dash upstairs. I couldn't fathom how she was able to smuggle so much food into her room and not gain any weight. It was weird.
I take it you are not overly fond of this 'Li' guy, are you?
"No. No I am not."
Perhaps you should take your sister up on her suggestion. Maybe you should give him another chance.
"I abandoned any chance of forming a peaceful co-existence with that punk after I saw what he was trying to do to Sakura the day he transferred in. Nobody touches my sister like that."
I closed the dishwasher and headed upstairs. I was so tied from today that I had neither the strength nor the will to start on my homework. I could always do it tomorrow. Drake shifted herself into a pair of PJs as I plopped into bed. It didn't take long from me to fall fast asleep.
=---------------=
I had this really screwed-up dream after I dozed off. I guess I could call it a nightmare, but for a person who can see the gruesome, mutilated ghost of every car accident and suicide attempt in the town's long, long history, my definition of horror was slightly higher that the norm.
It was scary none the less. It started off with me standing next to Power and several other odd-looking people; Clow cards, I assumed. Standing in front of me with its weapon drawn was a threatening, shadowy figure. I could feel an overwhelming power radiating from inside of it, just waiting to be released. I knew this was my enemy. Power placed a hand on my shoulder and nodded. It was time to attack. I drew my sword and sprinted towards the creature. It started to block, but I was too fast. With one solid thrust, I had impaled the figure with my sword.
The figure dropped its staff and fell to its knees. It looked at the sword in its chest, then looked up at me. My heart froze. All I could do was stare into its terrified brown eyes as the life slowly drained out of its body. It was me. I was looking into my own eyes. This person I had just killed was none other than my very own self. His eyes closed as tears rolled down his cheeks, "Please... don't hurt Sakura." He took a weak, shaky breath, "She never did anything to deserve this..." He fell onto his side and slowly slumped to the ground. Dead.
I couldn't stand any more of this. I was about to turn away when I noticed a dark red stain on my shirt. It was the sword wound. The same wound which had killed him was now killing me. "No... I can't die. I have to be there for her. I can't leave her alone!" I started to run, but I couldn't outrun death. It was always there, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. My vision blurred as I fell to my knees, I could feel the end coming.
I tried in vain to pull myself to my feet, but they simply would not respond. I took a deep breath and mustered my strength. I started to get up, but I couldn't move my legs. I tried to reach out, but my arms were tied to the ground. I couldn't move. I managed to sputter out a weak, quivering 'help me' before hitting the ground hard. I guess that's all that was needed to snap me out of my dream, for I soon found myself out of the dream and back into reality.
When I awoke I was lying on my bed, covered in sweat. For a few minutes I just stared at the ceiling, collecting my thoughts. I hadn't had a nightmare in years, I guess I had forgotten what they were like; Confusing, cryptic, and disturbing.
I yawned and sat upright in my bed. I waited a few seconds for my eyes to readjust, then glanced around my room. Just then, I realized that there was something lying in the middle of my room, curled up and sleeping. I analyzed it for a few seconds and realized that it was a person; a woman, to be exact. She had long green hair, was about my age and height, and wore a tight black jumpsuit.
Printed on the sleeve was the word 'Kinomoto'.
She was wearing the jumpsuit I got during one of my temp jobs! I thought about this for a few seconds and looked down at what I was wearing, which was unusually scarce; my boxers.
"Drake."
Obviously, sometime during the night, Drake decided to sleep on the floor, separated, and assumed a human form. Unfortunately for me, she 'was' my clothes. No Drake, no clothes. So that's why I was so cold. Thankfully I had the presence of mind to wear my boxers underneath her, but still.
I knelt down next to Drake and gave her a shake. She didn't move. "Drake." I gave her another shake, "Drake! Wake the heck up!" I grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her. Nothing.
I sighed and opened the window to let in some cool air. I leaned out the window and stared at my town as the cold wind rushed into my face. It was then that a noticed the strange feeling coming from my forehead. It kinda felt like when you close your eyes and hold a finger a few inches away from your forehead; you know, kinda tingly. I wasn't sure what it was, but it wasn't going away. I silently closed the window and turned back to Drake, who was now starting to wake from her slumber. She let out a yawn for a few seconds and groggaly rubbed her eyes. She opened them and stared at me for a few seconds, then at my boxers, then back into my eyes.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry Master Touya! I-It's just that I couldn't sleep with you breathing while I was bonded so..."
"Why are you wearing my clothes?"
She blushed as she looked down at my jumpsuit, "I... needed something to wear..."
"Why didn't you just ask me if you wanted to separate. I could've given you my sleeping bag or something to sleep in."
"I would never dream of unconvincing you like that! You seemed awfully tired when you went to bed and I thought it inappropriate to pester you with such things."
"I'd much rather you had a decent night's sleep. Next time you want something, just ask."
She gave me a sheepish bow, "I apologize."
"And stop apologizing for everything!"
"Sorry."
"Ugh." I turned back to the window and once again felt that odd sensation sweep over me, "...and what the heck IS that?"
"What the heck is what?"
"I keep getting this odd feeling in my forehead, it's driving me nuts."
A smile formed across her face as she jumped to her feet, "Let me see." She rose her hand up to my forehead and once again turned herself into the formless black rubber as she re-bonded to my body. Her tendrils shot out and wrapped me up as she melted into my chest, slowly covering my entire body.
It took her a few seconds to finish, then she fall silent. Suddenly, she squirmed with exciment, Good news, Master Touya! You have just sensed your first Clow card! Let the hunt begin!
I glanced out the window, then back at Drake, "What do I do first?"
Well, you must at least have a battle costume! It's tradition! Give me something to work off of and I can create it for you.
Battle costume? I scanned my room and came across 'Drake's' jumpsuit lying on the floor. I picked it up and held it in front of me, "How's about my jumpsuit?"
...It's kinda plain. Don't you have anything more exciting?
"I like this suit! I spent a while summer cleaning fish tanks in this number!"
(sigh) Not very flashy, but I suppose it will do for now. Drake shifted herself into my black hooded jumpsuit in a huff, We simply HAVE to find something better, though! So plain! Where's the... the pizazz! The sex appeal!
"What?! I look so sexy in this! I met my first steady girlfriend in this number, I'll have you know" My thoughts wandered briefly to Kaho. Ahhh... good summer.
I opened my window and poked my head out; below me was a two-story drop onto my driveway. I looked for alternate routes to escape and caught sight of a large tree sitting right outside of my window. Cautiously, I climbed out my window so that my feet were planted next to the shutters, then leaped off. I managed to grab hold of one of the tree's branches and slowly let myself slide down. When I had gained enough distance from my house I stopped and closed my eyes. My senses told me that the card was in a northwestern direction from my house: the penguin slide park.
I quietly dashed across the deserted streets until I reached the park. By this time my senses where going crazy, telling me that the clow card was very close. I took cover behind the fence and peeked over. The park was desolate and silent, only the sound of my breathing could be heard as I scanned the park for any sign of life. Confident that I was in no immediate danger, I rose to my feet and quietly made my way across the park. Suddenly, I spotted a flash of blue darting from tree to tree at incredible speed. It was coming closer.
I gritted my teeth and dug my hand into my pocket. I withdrew the Power card and held it between my index finger and middle finger. Following Drake's silent instructions, I kneeled on one knee and closed my eyes, holding the card in front of my face. Silently and quickly I chanted the release spell as the card ignited in a transparent black and blue flame. "Power, I call upon your limitless strength to aid me in the coming battle. Release yourself from your magical Prison and lend me your Power!" The card gave a bright flash then melted as it seeped into my skin. I could feel the added Power course through my veins as the spell neared completion. I opened my eyes, the flame dispelled, and the release spell was complete.
As my senses resurfaced I felt my sixth sense going crazy. I quickly jumped backward and pulled myself to my feet, narrowly missing a powerful blue fist as it smashed the concrete below it to bits. The Clow card quickly and gracefully flipped herself back onto her feet and assumed a battle stance.
I channeled all Power's energy into my fists and glared at the pigtailed Clow card, "Drake, which card is that?"
It looks like the Fight card, master Touya. She is adept in almost every form of martial arts known to man.
"Great." I drew my fists to bear and got ready to fight; With Power's strength flowing through me, I felt unstoppable. I was powerful, I was strong. If I just concentrated on the task at hand, she should lose to me. I broke the standoff and charged towards her; if all went as planned, then I was going to kick her ass.