Author: Kei-chan Fushigu (kimiko)
Email: kimiko_chan@adelphia.net
samianime@hotmail.com
angelicsorceress@hotmail.com
Series: CCS
Pairing: A little Clow/Yue
Rating: PG ... kawaii stuff, this is. ^^
Notes: Prompted by two things -- episode 48, when Yue loses his wings and falls
and seems sure it's Clow ... and a very kawaii doujinshi picture of Yue and Clow
when they were little.
PS -- CLAMP themselves spell Clow's last name "Read" when they write it in Roman
characters in the character profiles. Don't believe me? Take a look at volume 11
of the original Japanese manga. Also, they spell Li-kun's first name "Syaoran",
not "Shaoran" (volume 2). Which means those are the official spellings. ^^ I'm
such an idiot ...
PPS -- Yes, Clow acts strange. One moment he's talking like a mature 30 year
old, the next he's acting like a young boy. All I can say is, he's a strange
character. Kero-chan tells him in manga volume six, "You're moody, you've got a
rotten personality, and you have altogether too much power." Sooo ... 16-year-
old Clow is moody. Yeah. I may continue this fic and speculate more on Clow's
family (and why he's so depressed and lonely) if I get enough replies. Hint hint
...
PPPS -- This is based on my belief that Yue is only the withdrawn and depressing
person that he usually is in the anime because he loved Clow so much and because
Clow left him so suddenly. I firmly believe that Yue was a little more talkative
and a lot less pessimistic back when Clow was alive. I also believe that Yukito
has Yue's personality, but since he was raised in a nice environment where he
was encouraged to be cheerful and outgoing, he's naturally happier and
talkative. But that's beside the point ...
*************************
***** Silver's Dawn *****
*************************
The young boy stepped out into the world for the first time.
He was short as boys go, and slender. His skin was as pale as the twilight just
before darkness, his slender fingers clenched in fists at his sides as he stared
up at the morning sky with his cat-like eyes. They were a very pale shade of
grey, almost white in places. It seemed as though the roiling clouds that
sometimes filled the sky were reflected in his irises. His short hair was a
delicate shade of silver, thick but soft.
"Is it ... " His voice was filled with thousands of questions. "Is it ..."
Clow Read smiled to himself. It went well, he thought. It took all day to make
him, but I can see my hard work was worth it. I couldn't know if this would work
unless I tested it ... but now my beautiful Cards will have guardians. Though I
really didn't mean to make him so pretty.
He was also short for his sixteen years, though not quite as short as the youth
a few yards in front of him. He had fine hair so black it shined blue, just
barely long enough to tye back behind his head. His mother's Chinese looks were
apparent in his dark skin and deep-set, almond-shaped eyes. Their color,
however, he had inherited from his father: a blue so deep it was found only in
the most lonely parts of the ocean, his father had often told him. And only at
night, when the moon etched a silver path across the water ...
Shaking off the painful memories, Clow stepped forward to stand beside the boy.
The boy turned to him with a face full of wonder. "Is it ... real?" He asked
hopefully.
Clow smiled a little sadly. "As real as it gets ... in this lifetime, at least."
Though the sun had just set, the sky was still alight with the dim colors of the
sunset. The two young boys were standing outside of a spectacularly large house
on top of a tall hill covered in grass. Together they stared out at the land --
green grass, rice plantations, farms and tiny houses, and off in the distance, a
great city: Edo, the largest in the world. The songbirds were quieting down for
the night, the cicadas just coming out to serenade the beautiful land.
Clow sighed. China had never taken his breath away like Japan did. And to think
that just a short time ago I wanted to leave this world, he thought to himself.
"Who am I?" The boy asked quietly. "I ... don't know."
Clow put his hand on the youth's shoulder, and the boy turned towards him. The
moon was just above the horizon, and its light reflected in his hair, making it
seem like pure spun silver. It was right behind the youth's face, giving it an
unearthly look.
The young sorcerer brushed the bangs away from the boy's eyes in a gentle
guesture. "Yue," he decided. "Your name is Yue. It means 'moon' in Chinese."
Yue's pale eyes were still curious, but calm now. "And ... " He suddenly looked
past Clow's face to something far beyond. "Where are the stars?" He asked
confusedly. "I thought they were in the sky ..."
"Ah." He smiled. He had given Yue knowledge of the world so he wouldn't be as
helpless as a newborn baby, but some things just had to be seen for themselves.
"Come with me. I'll show you my favorite place." He said, grinning a grin that
made him look younger than sixteen. "I think you'll like it." He grabbed Yue's
hand and ran off across the grass, confused boy in tow.
A little while later, they sat almost at the top of a huge tree. "This is my
favorite place to watch the stars come out." Clow confided. "See how the
branches split off so you can see the sky?"
"The stars ... come out? I thought they were always there." Yue said confusedly.
"They are," Clow answered, "But you can't see them with the sun still in the
sky. Even though the sun has set it will take a while for all of them to appear.
There are already a few -- see that bright one? It's Venus, which really isn't a
star, but the same idea applies."
"Aa." Yue said, confused.
Clow brushed some rebel strands of hair out of his eyes. "You'll see."
And they watched.
They watched the stars appear. At first, only a few came out, and many people
would have found the waiting boring. But both Yue and Clow were the kind who
could go for hours without talking, just thinking. Clow had made Yue that way on
purpose. On the other hand, he mused to himself, it might be good to make the
other guardian more talkative. Very talkative, to balance us quiet types out ...
He glanced at Yue again and smiled. His life was about to be a lot less empty.
When he first put his mind to creating a new magic, he never envisioned that he
would have a companion at last.
Clearing his mind of thoughts once more, he watched the sky.
Slowly, they appeared. After the first few stars, they came quicker and quicker,
until every time he blinked Clow was sure there were twice as many stars as
before. There were red stars and blue stars, orange stars and bright white
stars, and Clow quietly pointed out many of them to Yue, who just listened.
And when the moon was high in the sky, dominating the stars and softly lighting
the field, Yue spoke once more.
"Who are you? And who am I?"
Clow sighed. How to answer this ... "My name is Clow Read, and I'm a sorcerer. I
live in that house. Alone. Well, not anymore." He amended. "... And I created
you."
Yue was quiet for a little bit. "Why?" He finally asked.
"Because ..." Clow could have said so many things. He could have said, because I
needed guardians for this new magic I created. Because I spent so long on a
creation spell and, like all sorcerers, I just had to test it. Because I needed
to put my mind to something other than these memories. Because if I talk to
myself anymore I'll drive myself insane. Because that house is really big and
empty even though so many other people live in it ...
"Because I'm lonely." He said simply.
Yue just stared up at the moon.
"Well," Clow amended, "That was most of the reason. There are others too. But,
if you're thinking that I know everything about you, you're wrong." He added. "I
only made a very rough spell to create you, with some general limits put in. I
wanted you to be human, or very close to it, and I wanted you to be a boy about
my age or slightly younger ..." His voice trailed off. "The rest was chance. I
don't know anything about who you are, or what you like, or stuff like that."
Yue turned to look at him. His eyes were unreadable now, and Clow had a feeling
that they always would be, unless Yue was really overcome by emotion. "Thank
you," He said hesitantly, "for showing me this place. It was really nice. And I
like being up in the tree ... "
Clow smiled again. "That makes sense. Your power is the power of the moon, so
you'll probably be close to trees."
Yue looked longingly up at the sky. "That too, but I like being up ... up here
... closer to the stars ..."
They sat in silence again for a while.
Finally, unable to escape the memories, Clow had to say something. "This is one
of my favorite places. My father showed it to me, you know. He brought me up
here to look at the stars, just like I brought you. I was, oh, six? Five, maybe?
It's a dim memory. But I remember him clearly," He said longingly, "His deep
laugh and the way his face was always split by a grin."
"Is that why you constantly smile?" The question was quietly voiced, as if Yue
couldn't fathom why someone would always be so happy.
Clow smiled bitterly. "I haven't been happy so much lately. You've put me into a
good mood." His voice took on a sad, wistful tone. "You know what I want more
than anything else? I want my parents back together again, happy like they used
to be. Always laughing ... Mom smiling at me, telling me I would carry on her
family tradition of magic ... Dad laughing and telling me about the stars and
about the far-off lands ..."
Bringing himself back together, the young boy smiled a real smile. "I feel
better already, having someone other than myself to talk to." He paused. "Is
there something you want?"
Yue looked a little suprised. "Something I want?"
"Yes, something you want more than anything." Clow smiled. "It's making me
happy, having someone to talk to. I really want to give you something back."
The silver-haired boy looked up at the sky again, full of stars. Longingly.
"What I want ..." He said, turning his face to the far off moon. And Clow knew
what he could do.
He started to climb down out of the tree. "Come on, Yue. Come down, I've got
something else to show you." A little curiously, Yue followed him. Clow walked
out from underneath the tree, and Yue followed. They went back to the place
where they had first talked.
The sorcerer turned to face him. "Just stand there for a little bit, all right?"
"Aa." Yue was even more confused now, but he could wait.
Clow's new magic symbol appeared in gold lines on the ground, bringing a soft
light to the surrounding area. Picturing in his mind what he wanted to happen,
he put his arms around Yue's neck. The wind briefly swirled around the two boys,
and energy flared into the air for just one golden second. Then, for some
reason, Yue's shirt was all shredded ...
The black haired boy sat quickly on the ground, as if his legs couldn't support
him anymore. He seemed a little short of breath. "Sorry ... I've been doing so
much magic today. This really knocked the wind out of me." He grinned. "Consider
it a birthday present, since today is your first birthday. Well, do you like
them?"
Yue couldn't figure out what he was talking about. Then, he realized something
very important.
He had wings.
Falling down in shock, Yue disbelieveingly looked back behind him at the giant
wings that now sprouted from his back. They were so light, he couldn't even feel
them. He touched the feathers and shivered at the feeling.
Clow wiped his forehead. "You'll find that you don't need the wings to move
around small distances, or to levitate, but they'll be really helpful for when
you're in the air." He smiled softly. "You won't be able to reach the stars or
the moon, but you can get a lot closer now."
Yue just stared at him.
"Come on, try them out." He grinned. "Since I just created you today, it wasn't
hard to modify the design just a bit." Actually, it was really hard, but he
didn't need to tell Yue that. "Go on, fly. I want to see my work in action."
Slowly getting to his feet, he looked up at the sky longingly again. Then, he
jumped a bit to practice. Clow couldn't quite stifle his chuckle at the
expression on Yue's face when he didn't come back down from the jump.
Yue gave him an indignant look that clearly said, 'You just watch me', and he
stepped back onto the ground. Then, he leaped up into the air and kept going up.
Clow just sat and watched as Yue flew. He did flips and turns, dives and spins.
He glided through the air, and he went so high Clow was sure he couldn't breath.
I can't believe I didn't think of this before, he thought to himself. For a full
hour, Yue didn't even come back to the ground.
Then, he came shooting out of the sky right at Clow, so fast he couldn't even
see whether it was Yue or some shooting star gone wrong. The suprised sorcerer
didn't even have enough time to ready a barrier before Yue stopped barely inches
from him and slowly lowered himself to the ground satisfiedly.
Clow grinned again, and stood up. "I take it that you like my present?"
Yue just looked at him, and Clow found himself staring right into those strange,
beautiful grey eyes. He looked at the pale face turned slightly red by the chill
of the air, the windblown silver hair, the eyes that seemed to twist and turn
and broil with mist like the clouds, and wondered how this boy could have
captured his heart so quickly.
Then, Yue hugged him.
"Thank you." He said quietly. "Thank you so much. It was ... "
"I know." Clow smiled softly. "Just promise me that you'll take me flying
sometimes, OK? I could probably make myself fly but ... " He looked at Yue
again. "It wouldn't be the same."
The winged boy pulled away reluctantly, but held onto Clow's hand. His eyes lit
up a bit. He stretched his wings out. And then, Clow saw something that he was
sure we wouldn't see again for a very long time.
Yue smiled. He smiled a huge smile that lit up his whole face like the sun that
was about to rise. "I could take you right now." Before Clow could say anything,
Yue grabbed him and pulled him up into the air.
And they didn't come down for a long time.
"Clow ..."
"Hmmm?" They were sitting on top of a cloud. A few days after that first
wonderous night, Clow had shown Yue how he could convince the air to be a little
more solid, and it currently felt like a really soft cushion. Better than a bed.
Yue was lying down on his stomach, resting after flying for a while, and Clow
was engrossed in designing some kind of spell.
"It's getting dark. If you keep squinting at your tiny handwriting in this half-
light, day after day, you'll soon need glasses." Yue tried to look over at the
diagrams, but they were a little too far away. "What are you doing?"
Still engrossed in the spell, Clow answered absentmindedly. "Stuff." He murmered
to himself, "Uhh ... if this goes here, will it still balance? Hmm ... what
about this ..."
"Cloooow." Yue nudged him. "Is it another Card?"
"Nope. The other guardian ..."
He felt an uncomfortable silence descend. "Is something wrong?" Clow asked,
concerned.
Yue was just looking off into the distance. "Well," he said in a small voice,
"We've been alone for a while now, and I thought it would stay that way ..."
Clow could hear what he didn't say: Am I not company enough for you?
He sighed. "Yue, I really wish we could stay alone, too. But it's just not
balanced. You have the power of the moon, and I need someone or something with
the power of the sun. It was fine before I started making the Cards, but now ...
I need to make another guardian. Or else, bad things could happen, you see?"
Yue didn't say anything.
Clow pulled on his companion's sleeve playfully. "And here I've worked for weeks
to get you to talk to me more! I finally get you to say more than a sentence an
hour, and you're suddenly clamming up again. What are you, jealous? It's not
going to be another human, don't worry. I can only deal with one of you." He
smiled wryly.
His magic was a lot less strong than it had been before Yue came. While his
power came from the moon, Yue kept his shape and personality by consuming Clow's
magic. The sorcerer had since redesigned his creation spell to keep that from
happening, he hoped, but it was too late to change the way Yue worked. Clow's
sudden drop in stamina had confused his instructers a little at first, but then
they happily passed it off as his incredible levels of power coming down to
normal levels. He stifled a light laugh; if only they knew that he was
supporting another being AND getting stronger and stronger.
Also, Yue ate a lot. As in, enough food for five people or more. It was hard to
sneak so much food out, and it would be impossible to sneak enough for two Yues.
Sometimes he got strange looks and questions frm the other people in the house,
but it was worth it to see Yue eat happily. Yue was the only person he knew who
could be happy without smiling, Clow thought. But it didn't matter -- they knew
each other so well now that Yue didn't need to smile in order to convey his
emotions.
"I wouldn't want another one of you." Clow said, a little quieter.
Yue relaxed. "All right."
They sat together in silence for a while, Clow still deep into his spell
diagrams and Yue just being silent.
"Midsummer's Eve is coming up, longest day of the year. Perfect for making the
other guardian. If I make a creature completely of the sun, then perhaps it
won't need to siphon my power ..." Clow mused.
Yue kicked his feet. "I still feel a little guilty about that." He said quietly.
"Don't." The sorcerer made another note on his diagrams. "It's my fault for
making you human, like I wanted you to be." He shrugged. "And anyways, who cares
about a little lost power? I'm getting stronger and it's your fault." Grinning,
he added, "You're worth it, anyways."
He saw the corners of Yue's mouth move a little in what could almost be called
the beginnings of a smile. It was usually the closest Yue came to displaying
emotion.
"I like felines." The young sorcerer thought out loud. "They're predators. They
play with their food. They can look adorable, but they're usually deadly and
vicious. Reminds me of myself. What about a winged cat? No, not awe-inspiring
enough ... perhaps a panther, or a lion ..."
"A winged lion." Yue said quietly. "I like it."
"A lion it is, then." Clow agreed.
The young guardian sat up and happily stretched his wings out. They still put
him in a good mood, even though it had been a while since that first night. He
pushed his hair behind his ears. For some reason, it was growing really fast and
Yue decided to keep it long. It was currently just past his shoulders, and in a
few months he was sure it would be down to his waist ... Then, he looked over
and noticed Clow staring at him.
"Am I ... what you wanted me to be?" Yue asked hesitantly.
Clow reached over and gently brushed the soft, silver bangs out of the winged
boy's eyes in what had become a habitual guesture. "Everything." He said
happily, his hand resting just a little too long on the side of Yue's face.
"Everything and more."
Email: kimiko_chan@adelphia.net
samianime@hotmail.com
angelicsorceress@hotmail.com
Series: CCS
Pairing: A little Clow/Yue
Rating: PG ... kawaii stuff, this is. ^^
Notes: Prompted by two things -- episode 48, when Yue loses his wings and falls
and seems sure it's Clow ... and a very kawaii doujinshi picture of Yue and Clow
when they were little.
PS -- CLAMP themselves spell Clow's last name "Read" when they write it in Roman
characters in the character profiles. Don't believe me? Take a look at volume 11
of the original Japanese manga. Also, they spell Li-kun's first name "Syaoran",
not "Shaoran" (volume 2). Which means those are the official spellings. ^^ I'm
such an idiot ...
PPS -- Yes, Clow acts strange. One moment he's talking like a mature 30 year
old, the next he's acting like a young boy. All I can say is, he's a strange
character. Kero-chan tells him in manga volume six, "You're moody, you've got a
rotten personality, and you have altogether too much power." Sooo ... 16-year-
old Clow is moody. Yeah. I may continue this fic and speculate more on Clow's
family (and why he's so depressed and lonely) if I get enough replies. Hint hint
...
PPPS -- This is based on my belief that Yue is only the withdrawn and depressing
person that he usually is in the anime because he loved Clow so much and because
Clow left him so suddenly. I firmly believe that Yue was a little more talkative
and a lot less pessimistic back when Clow was alive. I also believe that Yukito
has Yue's personality, but since he was raised in a nice environment where he
was encouraged to be cheerful and outgoing, he's naturally happier and
talkative. But that's beside the point ...
*************************
***** Silver's Dawn *****
*************************
The young boy stepped out into the world for the first time.
He was short as boys go, and slender. His skin was as pale as the twilight just
before darkness, his slender fingers clenched in fists at his sides as he stared
up at the morning sky with his cat-like eyes. They were a very pale shade of
grey, almost white in places. It seemed as though the roiling clouds that
sometimes filled the sky were reflected in his irises. His short hair was a
delicate shade of silver, thick but soft.
"Is it ... " His voice was filled with thousands of questions. "Is it ..."
Clow Read smiled to himself. It went well, he thought. It took all day to make
him, but I can see my hard work was worth it. I couldn't know if this would work
unless I tested it ... but now my beautiful Cards will have guardians. Though I
really didn't mean to make him so pretty.
He was also short for his sixteen years, though not quite as short as the youth
a few yards in front of him. He had fine hair so black it shined blue, just
barely long enough to tye back behind his head. His mother's Chinese looks were
apparent in his dark skin and deep-set, almond-shaped eyes. Their color,
however, he had inherited from his father: a blue so deep it was found only in
the most lonely parts of the ocean, his father had often told him. And only at
night, when the moon etched a silver path across the water ...
Shaking off the painful memories, Clow stepped forward to stand beside the boy.
The boy turned to him with a face full of wonder. "Is it ... real?" He asked
hopefully.
Clow smiled a little sadly. "As real as it gets ... in this lifetime, at least."
Though the sun had just set, the sky was still alight with the dim colors of the
sunset. The two young boys were standing outside of a spectacularly large house
on top of a tall hill covered in grass. Together they stared out at the land --
green grass, rice plantations, farms and tiny houses, and off in the distance, a
great city: Edo, the largest in the world. The songbirds were quieting down for
the night, the cicadas just coming out to serenade the beautiful land.
Clow sighed. China had never taken his breath away like Japan did. And to think
that just a short time ago I wanted to leave this world, he thought to himself.
"Who am I?" The boy asked quietly. "I ... don't know."
Clow put his hand on the youth's shoulder, and the boy turned towards him. The
moon was just above the horizon, and its light reflected in his hair, making it
seem like pure spun silver. It was right behind the youth's face, giving it an
unearthly look.
The young sorcerer brushed the bangs away from the boy's eyes in a gentle
guesture. "Yue," he decided. "Your name is Yue. It means 'moon' in Chinese."
Yue's pale eyes were still curious, but calm now. "And ... " He suddenly looked
past Clow's face to something far beyond. "Where are the stars?" He asked
confusedly. "I thought they were in the sky ..."
"Ah." He smiled. He had given Yue knowledge of the world so he wouldn't be as
helpless as a newborn baby, but some things just had to be seen for themselves.
"Come with me. I'll show you my favorite place." He said, grinning a grin that
made him look younger than sixteen. "I think you'll like it." He grabbed Yue's
hand and ran off across the grass, confused boy in tow.
A little while later, they sat almost at the top of a huge tree. "This is my
favorite place to watch the stars come out." Clow confided. "See how the
branches split off so you can see the sky?"
"The stars ... come out? I thought they were always there." Yue said confusedly.
"They are," Clow answered, "But you can't see them with the sun still in the
sky. Even though the sun has set it will take a while for all of them to appear.
There are already a few -- see that bright one? It's Venus, which really isn't a
star, but the same idea applies."
"Aa." Yue said, confused.
Clow brushed some rebel strands of hair out of his eyes. "You'll see."
And they watched.
They watched the stars appear. At first, only a few came out, and many people
would have found the waiting boring. But both Yue and Clow were the kind who
could go for hours without talking, just thinking. Clow had made Yue that way on
purpose. On the other hand, he mused to himself, it might be good to make the
other guardian more talkative. Very talkative, to balance us quiet types out ...
He glanced at Yue again and smiled. His life was about to be a lot less empty.
When he first put his mind to creating a new magic, he never envisioned that he
would have a companion at last.
Clearing his mind of thoughts once more, he watched the sky.
Slowly, they appeared. After the first few stars, they came quicker and quicker,
until every time he blinked Clow was sure there were twice as many stars as
before. There were red stars and blue stars, orange stars and bright white
stars, and Clow quietly pointed out many of them to Yue, who just listened.
And when the moon was high in the sky, dominating the stars and softly lighting
the field, Yue spoke once more.
"Who are you? And who am I?"
Clow sighed. How to answer this ... "My name is Clow Read, and I'm a sorcerer. I
live in that house. Alone. Well, not anymore." He amended. "... And I created
you."
Yue was quiet for a little bit. "Why?" He finally asked.
"Because ..." Clow could have said so many things. He could have said, because I
needed guardians for this new magic I created. Because I spent so long on a
creation spell and, like all sorcerers, I just had to test it. Because I needed
to put my mind to something other than these memories. Because if I talk to
myself anymore I'll drive myself insane. Because that house is really big and
empty even though so many other people live in it ...
"Because I'm lonely." He said simply.
Yue just stared up at the moon.
"Well," Clow amended, "That was most of the reason. There are others too. But,
if you're thinking that I know everything about you, you're wrong." He added. "I
only made a very rough spell to create you, with some general limits put in. I
wanted you to be human, or very close to it, and I wanted you to be a boy about
my age or slightly younger ..." His voice trailed off. "The rest was chance. I
don't know anything about who you are, or what you like, or stuff like that."
Yue turned to look at him. His eyes were unreadable now, and Clow had a feeling
that they always would be, unless Yue was really overcome by emotion. "Thank
you," He said hesitantly, "for showing me this place. It was really nice. And I
like being up in the tree ... "
Clow smiled again. "That makes sense. Your power is the power of the moon, so
you'll probably be close to trees."
Yue looked longingly up at the sky. "That too, but I like being up ... up here
... closer to the stars ..."
They sat in silence again for a while.
Finally, unable to escape the memories, Clow had to say something. "This is one
of my favorite places. My father showed it to me, you know. He brought me up
here to look at the stars, just like I brought you. I was, oh, six? Five, maybe?
It's a dim memory. But I remember him clearly," He said longingly, "His deep
laugh and the way his face was always split by a grin."
"Is that why you constantly smile?" The question was quietly voiced, as if Yue
couldn't fathom why someone would always be so happy.
Clow smiled bitterly. "I haven't been happy so much lately. You've put me into a
good mood." His voice took on a sad, wistful tone. "You know what I want more
than anything else? I want my parents back together again, happy like they used
to be. Always laughing ... Mom smiling at me, telling me I would carry on her
family tradition of magic ... Dad laughing and telling me about the stars and
about the far-off lands ..."
Bringing himself back together, the young boy smiled a real smile. "I feel
better already, having someone other than myself to talk to." He paused. "Is
there something you want?"
Yue looked a little suprised. "Something I want?"
"Yes, something you want more than anything." Clow smiled. "It's making me
happy, having someone to talk to. I really want to give you something back."
The silver-haired boy looked up at the sky again, full of stars. Longingly.
"What I want ..." He said, turning his face to the far off moon. And Clow knew
what he could do.
He started to climb down out of the tree. "Come on, Yue. Come down, I've got
something else to show you." A little curiously, Yue followed him. Clow walked
out from underneath the tree, and Yue followed. They went back to the place
where they had first talked.
The sorcerer turned to face him. "Just stand there for a little bit, all right?"
"Aa." Yue was even more confused now, but he could wait.
Clow's new magic symbol appeared in gold lines on the ground, bringing a soft
light to the surrounding area. Picturing in his mind what he wanted to happen,
he put his arms around Yue's neck. The wind briefly swirled around the two boys,
and energy flared into the air for just one golden second. Then, for some
reason, Yue's shirt was all shredded ...
The black haired boy sat quickly on the ground, as if his legs couldn't support
him anymore. He seemed a little short of breath. "Sorry ... I've been doing so
much magic today. This really knocked the wind out of me." He grinned. "Consider
it a birthday present, since today is your first birthday. Well, do you like
them?"
Yue couldn't figure out what he was talking about. Then, he realized something
very important.
He had wings.
Falling down in shock, Yue disbelieveingly looked back behind him at the giant
wings that now sprouted from his back. They were so light, he couldn't even feel
them. He touched the feathers and shivered at the feeling.
Clow wiped his forehead. "You'll find that you don't need the wings to move
around small distances, or to levitate, but they'll be really helpful for when
you're in the air." He smiled softly. "You won't be able to reach the stars or
the moon, but you can get a lot closer now."
Yue just stared at him.
"Come on, try them out." He grinned. "Since I just created you today, it wasn't
hard to modify the design just a bit." Actually, it was really hard, but he
didn't need to tell Yue that. "Go on, fly. I want to see my work in action."
Slowly getting to his feet, he looked up at the sky longingly again. Then, he
jumped a bit to practice. Clow couldn't quite stifle his chuckle at the
expression on Yue's face when he didn't come back down from the jump.
Yue gave him an indignant look that clearly said, 'You just watch me', and he
stepped back onto the ground. Then, he leaped up into the air and kept going up.
Clow just sat and watched as Yue flew. He did flips and turns, dives and spins.
He glided through the air, and he went so high Clow was sure he couldn't breath.
I can't believe I didn't think of this before, he thought to himself. For a full
hour, Yue didn't even come back to the ground.
Then, he came shooting out of the sky right at Clow, so fast he couldn't even
see whether it was Yue or some shooting star gone wrong. The suprised sorcerer
didn't even have enough time to ready a barrier before Yue stopped barely inches
from him and slowly lowered himself to the ground satisfiedly.
Clow grinned again, and stood up. "I take it that you like my present?"
Yue just looked at him, and Clow found himself staring right into those strange,
beautiful grey eyes. He looked at the pale face turned slightly red by the chill
of the air, the windblown silver hair, the eyes that seemed to twist and turn
and broil with mist like the clouds, and wondered how this boy could have
captured his heart so quickly.
Then, Yue hugged him.
"Thank you." He said quietly. "Thank you so much. It was ... "
"I know." Clow smiled softly. "Just promise me that you'll take me flying
sometimes, OK? I could probably make myself fly but ... " He looked at Yue
again. "It wouldn't be the same."
The winged boy pulled away reluctantly, but held onto Clow's hand. His eyes lit
up a bit. He stretched his wings out. And then, Clow saw something that he was
sure we wouldn't see again for a very long time.
Yue smiled. He smiled a huge smile that lit up his whole face like the sun that
was about to rise. "I could take you right now." Before Clow could say anything,
Yue grabbed him and pulled him up into the air.
And they didn't come down for a long time.
"Clow ..."
"Hmmm?" They were sitting on top of a cloud. A few days after that first
wonderous night, Clow had shown Yue how he could convince the air to be a little
more solid, and it currently felt like a really soft cushion. Better than a bed.
Yue was lying down on his stomach, resting after flying for a while, and Clow
was engrossed in designing some kind of spell.
"It's getting dark. If you keep squinting at your tiny handwriting in this half-
light, day after day, you'll soon need glasses." Yue tried to look over at the
diagrams, but they were a little too far away. "What are you doing?"
Still engrossed in the spell, Clow answered absentmindedly. "Stuff." He murmered
to himself, "Uhh ... if this goes here, will it still balance? Hmm ... what
about this ..."
"Cloooow." Yue nudged him. "Is it another Card?"
"Nope. The other guardian ..."
He felt an uncomfortable silence descend. "Is something wrong?" Clow asked,
concerned.
Yue was just looking off into the distance. "Well," he said in a small voice,
"We've been alone for a while now, and I thought it would stay that way ..."
Clow could hear what he didn't say: Am I not company enough for you?
He sighed. "Yue, I really wish we could stay alone, too. But it's just not
balanced. You have the power of the moon, and I need someone or something with
the power of the sun. It was fine before I started making the Cards, but now ...
I need to make another guardian. Or else, bad things could happen, you see?"
Yue didn't say anything.
Clow pulled on his companion's sleeve playfully. "And here I've worked for weeks
to get you to talk to me more! I finally get you to say more than a sentence an
hour, and you're suddenly clamming up again. What are you, jealous? It's not
going to be another human, don't worry. I can only deal with one of you." He
smiled wryly.
His magic was a lot less strong than it had been before Yue came. While his
power came from the moon, Yue kept his shape and personality by consuming Clow's
magic. The sorcerer had since redesigned his creation spell to keep that from
happening, he hoped, but it was too late to change the way Yue worked. Clow's
sudden drop in stamina had confused his instructers a little at first, but then
they happily passed it off as his incredible levels of power coming down to
normal levels. He stifled a light laugh; if only they knew that he was
supporting another being AND getting stronger and stronger.
Also, Yue ate a lot. As in, enough food for five people or more. It was hard to
sneak so much food out, and it would be impossible to sneak enough for two Yues.
Sometimes he got strange looks and questions frm the other people in the house,
but it was worth it to see Yue eat happily. Yue was the only person he knew who
could be happy without smiling, Clow thought. But it didn't matter -- they knew
each other so well now that Yue didn't need to smile in order to convey his
emotions.
"I wouldn't want another one of you." Clow said, a little quieter.
Yue relaxed. "All right."
They sat together in silence for a while, Clow still deep into his spell
diagrams and Yue just being silent.
"Midsummer's Eve is coming up, longest day of the year. Perfect for making the
other guardian. If I make a creature completely of the sun, then perhaps it
won't need to siphon my power ..." Clow mused.
Yue kicked his feet. "I still feel a little guilty about that." He said quietly.
"Don't." The sorcerer made another note on his diagrams. "It's my fault for
making you human, like I wanted you to be." He shrugged. "And anyways, who cares
about a little lost power? I'm getting stronger and it's your fault." Grinning,
he added, "You're worth it, anyways."
He saw the corners of Yue's mouth move a little in what could almost be called
the beginnings of a smile. It was usually the closest Yue came to displaying
emotion.
"I like felines." The young sorcerer thought out loud. "They're predators. They
play with their food. They can look adorable, but they're usually deadly and
vicious. Reminds me of myself. What about a winged cat? No, not awe-inspiring
enough ... perhaps a panther, or a lion ..."
"A winged lion." Yue said quietly. "I like it."
"A lion it is, then." Clow agreed.
The young guardian sat up and happily stretched his wings out. They still put
him in a good mood, even though it had been a while since that first night. He
pushed his hair behind his ears. For some reason, it was growing really fast and
Yue decided to keep it long. It was currently just past his shoulders, and in a
few months he was sure it would be down to his waist ... Then, he looked over
and noticed Clow staring at him.
"Am I ... what you wanted me to be?" Yue asked hesitantly.
Clow reached over and gently brushed the soft, silver bangs out of the winged
boy's eyes in what had become a habitual guesture. "Everything." He said
happily, his hand resting just a little too long on the side of Yue's face.
"Everything and more."