Well, hello! And Welcome to My Little World of Weirdness!
I state for the record that, despite the fact I really, really wish I did, I don't own any of the official characters that will grace this story; it's all CLAMP's! Always has been, always will be! I *DO*, however, own Marcibay Hilligans and Hei-ying Reed!! I also own Mystrasa Kyree, and the dragon isn't mine, it's on loan from my good friend, the Blue Goo! And what the heck . . . I own the mansion as well! [Laughs] Also I don't pretend to have any Mastery over the language of Japanese or any clue as to correct grammatical structure. I put it in and hope it gets across the point I'm trying to make! And I don't pretend to be able to write any sort of accents so please don't hate me!!
"Speaking"
*Stress/emphasis*
//Thinking//
In This Tainted Soul. . .
By Dr Megalomania.
Part four: Incantations and Visions
Clow spent the next days in his study; he'd decided that his spirits were going to be contained in the playing cards that he had won from the pranksters. However, he wanted to do the spell right before he contained the spirits. He decided that the cards would act like the Chinese papers, they would need an incantation to open them, and for use. He tried to remember the vision he had had in his carriage. The people he saw he knew were a mixture of his future, people that he was going to meet and creatures he was going to create. The girl, the young girl with the pink hat and the cloak held on by a yellow bow, was the most vivid, but even her features weren't precise. He knew that when he saw her, which he had no doubt he would, he would recognise her. The next vivid memory was of the cards, and the magic circle that had drawn itself under his feet. He could remember that he had seen the symbols he had chosen for his robes. The sun was complete, and in the centre of the circle, and that the moon was in orbit of that sun. It was beautiful; it contained aspects from both the spheres of magic he had been born into. He knew that was something he would see again in his lifetime. He sat in the window seat. His robes' outer coat was slung over the desk's chair and he slouched with his back hard against the window seat's frame. He stared out the window, thoughtfully.
"Move . . ." he lifted his hand into the air, "Bring my wand to me, please."
The spirit floated the wand over to Clow's hand and dropped it into his palm. "Thank you," he murmured, still staring out the window. He sighed heavily, as he leaned his head back, "I didn't know making incantations up would be so difficult." He admitted to the spirit. "Bring me the cards please."
As the pack floated card by card to him, Clow slipped his feet on to the floor and stood. He stepped into the middle of the room and paused thoughtfully. The move spirit didn't know where to put the cards, since Clow had his wand in one hand and was scratching his chin with the other. It settled instead for floating the cards around him in an orbit. A pang of déjà vu made Clow glance up. The cards were circling him like they had been in his dream. He drew his wand up, and stared at it. The image of the blue haired boy with the gilded staff came to him again; this time though, the boy was sitting in one of Clow's favourite chairs, he held his staff in front of him. Clow realised that his wand was similar only smaller. The boy smiled, and held the staff on its side in front of him. He let it go and it glowed and shrunk in size. It became the small key-size wand that Clow had created his wand to do as well. The boy smiled again and pocketed the tiny gold key. Clow blinked, and became aware of his study once more. He realised that the wand he had created might not be up to the task that was before him. He returned it to its key size, and held it up by its lace. His eyes slid shut as he let it go, knowing it would be hovering just in front of him. "O, key of magic. I, Clow Reed, command thee under our contract, reveal the staff to me."
Clow smiled as he open his eyes, he could feel the magic flow around him, the supernatural wind from his vision blew around him, and when he glance down at his feet he saw the magic circle. The movement in front of him made him look up again; his staff was growing in front of him. Awed, it took him a couple of seconds to realise he was meant to grab it. The light was almost blinding as he pushed himself forward. As Clow grabbed the staff with both hands, the mystical tempest slowed and died away. Clow knew now what the incantation was going to be. He still couldn't remember what the girl had said, but he knew where the feeling, that he had heard the words, had come from. The market, the pranksters. He was meant to use the trickster's words, he was sure of it.
"Move spirit." He commanded, he took a deep breathe, "Thy will have a new form. Close thyself in the card!" He said sternly, and struck his staff against the spirit. His staff flew straight through it, and the spirit continued to drift there nonchalantly. "Hmmm. . ." Clow raised an eyebrow. "So that didn't work . . ." he looked from the spirit to a nearby card. "Attach yourself to the card?" He shrugged, "No. . . I command thee . . ." he paced away slowly, "I command thee . . ."
Clow Reed was unaware that below him the magic circle was forming again, and the magic-laced wind was stirring under his every foot step, "I command thee . . . Seal yourself . . .Seal thyself in the form I have chosen . . . I, Clow Reed, have. . . so commanded?" The circle disappeared, and the wind dissipated again, the words were almost right, but the last command was wrong. "No. . ." Clow turned and walked back to the floating cards and the drifting move spirit. "I command thee . . . Seal thyself . . . In the form I have chosen . . ." the magic began to appear again as he paused. He was on the verge of it, the forces knew it, and the spirit felt itself being pulled towards one of the old playing cards. Clow blinked, the girl with the pink hat and the cloak was back again, she repeated her motion, pulled back her arms and. . .
Clow blinked in surprise as the vision faded again, he drew his staff back, "I command thee, Move spirit. . . Seal thyself in the form I have chosen . . ." he swung the staff toward the spirit, as one of the cards glowed and disappeared. " . . .CLOW CARD!"
The magic exploded, as the spirit struggled briefly, the winds grappling with it and dragging it toward the point where Clow's staff had struck. Bright magic ripples expanded from the card, as it came into existence, and the wind blew hard, stands of Clow's hair whipped about his face. Then it stopped. Just stopped, the circle faded, the wind dissipated, and the new card floated in front of him, before it drifted towards him. He reached out tentatively to pluck it out of the air. A warm feeling washed over him, as his fingers made contact with the new card. The spirit's visible form was now a picture, the words 'The Move' was written in English on a small gold banner below it, on top of the banner was a crescent moon, and at the top of the card was a sun with Chinese lettering, again meaning 'The Move'. He turned it over; his magic circle was gold and black on a crimson background. Clow smiled as he held the card as he had the ace of spades, his study door blew open.
"LADDIE!!" Yelled Hilligans as he stumbled through the door, "What the hell did you just do?! I just felt the most powerful wave o' magic me witchin' bones e'er encounter'd!"
Clow held the card towards Hilligans, "I've just created a new type of magic, Mister Hilligans . . ." the dark haired magician, smiled lopsidedly, as his face grew paler, "I think I might call them . . ." Clow's eyes barely focused on his long time friend, "Clow Cards . . ."
Hilligans didn't have much time to admire the handsome crimson card, as the young magician pitched forward. The creation of this new magic had drained him. Clow's gilded staff clattered to the floor, glowed and returned to it's key form, and the new card hovered of the unconscious body of it's new master.
Yet another year passed as Clow sealed the creatures he had created into the old playing cards, few things changed about them, aside from names (like the doubling spirits became the better-named 'The Twin') and all the cards went peacefully into their new forms. For this, he was grateful as it allowed him to concentrate on more important things. Like the visions. The first one he had, the one the day he first decided to create the Cards, that one had never returned. The visions since seemed like only fragments of the first. He couldn't explain it, and tried desperately to remember the full vision. He knew he had seen several people, the young girl, with the pink hat and the cloak tied with the bow and the boy with the blue hair, at first he thought the blue haired boy was his child, a future son, but Clow didn't think so. The boy seemed too . . . too . . .
"Too . . . much like me . . .?" Clow shook his head, and turned away from his study's window. The autumn was in full bloom, and the leaves fell from the trees in droves. His thoughts turned to the angels, the butterfly girl, the dragon and the large cats he had seen, who were they? They were beings of magic, that was certain, but were they all his creations? All but two had been attacking something, the girl was happily chasing something, the white haired angel was drawing his hand back in preparation, the dragon and the blue . . . //or was it black?// panther was breathing some sort of . . . fire. The only two that hadn't been attacking was the playful lion that didn't understand autumn, and the black hair angel who was trying to escape from . . . from . . .
"From . . . what?" Clow murmured. He couldn't remember their faces, only the most outstanding features. The escaping angel had black hair, shiny black hair. And his magic, the magic that was dragging him back was . . . jade green, not a pure green, but a jaded green. Clow shook his head again, and turned his attention on the cards. He had thirty of the old playing cards left, he picked them up and walked over to the window again, what kind of cards would be useful to him now?
Three months later and Clow had four cards left. His magic had become very strong; he could create several cards at once, with sometimes as much as a flick of his wrist. On the way back from the market place, Hilligans decided to ask Clow what he planed to do with the last four cards.
"What do you mean?" Clow looked up from his book, as Hilligans' question was tentatively posed, unusual for the old man.
"Laddie . . . these four will be thy last cards, they will 'ave the strongest magic in 'em." Hilligans said grimly, he was worried about Clow's choice, Clow could feel it. He was trying to hide it, but it still seeped through.
"You're right . . ." Clow became very quiet and contemplative as the night crept over the land. Hilligans' warning was sincere, and true, these four would be his last. He pulled them out of his coat pocket. Clow kept them with him lately because he never knew when he'd make his decision. The four cards were the four kings, the King of Hearts, the King of Clubs, the King of Diamonds, and the King of Spades. The four rulers of the cards. //Four rulers? // Clow glanced up; he reached into his robes again and pulled out his Chinese magic papers. They were elementals; the Elements, in Chinese folklore, control the way life was run. Wind, fire, water and lightning. Clow frowned; he had already created a thunder card.
"Laddie?" Hilligans called to him, Clow instantly snapped out of his thoughts. Soothing himself with a few whispered incantations, and the odd curse, he thought back smoothly, "Yes, Mister Hilligans?"
"Can thee use that light card o' yours? I canne see a thing, let alone the horses!"
Clow smiled as he leaned out the window, "Certainly!" He called up aloud; he pulled the light card out of his robes, "Light, show us the path," he flicked the card forward. As it flew forward, he opened the door and stood on the step. As the card came flying back on the wind, he pulled out his staff, "RELEASE!" He yelled as he activated the sealed spirit.
Hilligans smiled and nodded his thanks as Clow stepped back into his carriage. "Now where was I?" He muttered as he sat back down. As he got comfortable again, he crossed his legs, and it was then Clow noticed the mud that was splattered on his robes. "Damn," he muttered as he pulled out the bubbles card he had created for just such an occurrence . . . well, that and he just hated washing his own clothes. Thankfully it was just a bit of earth, so it would come out easily. He settled back again as the Bubble spirit cheerfully cleaned his mud splattered robes.
"If I can't use lightning as one of the ruling cards . . ." he theorised aloud, "what would be an adequate replacement? I have the Wind . . ." he held up the king of hearts, "She will be a gentle card, a card that will care and provide the love for the cards . . ." he threw the card on to the seat opposite, "I have the Fire . . ." he held up the King of Diamonds, "She will be the passionate card, a strong and fearsome card . . ." that card followed it's predecessor, "I have the Water . . ." he held up the King of Clubs, "She will be the strongest attack card after Fire, and aggressive in her protection . . ." after he threw this card onto the faded red seat opposite him, he held up the King of Spades, "But the King of Spades is the strongest playing card. . . the last card will have to be the strongest, she will be the over all ruler of the cards. . ." he turned the card, clamped between his index and middle finger, "Hmmmm. . . The last card."
The patter of rain against the window drew his attentions from his musings. "Mister Hilligans? Why didn't you tell me it was raining?"
The gruff reply sounded in his mind, "I've never minded a bit of rain, 'sides it's good for the garden, the Earth needs it . . . she's a tough ol' piece o' dirt, but she's need a drink like the rest o' us."
"I'm sure she does . . ." Clow settled back in his seat, "but I'd rather you didn't catch a cold."
"Aye, but what can we do about it?" Clow chuckled quietly, Hilligans was being stubborn again; he knew exactly what Clow could do about it.
Their journey continued, despite the pelting rain, Clow had pulled out his rain card and told it to ward the rain off Hilligans. The old man gruffly told Clow off for ". . .Wasting perfectly good magick on a pointless endeavour, thy should be savin' thy magick for good reasons Laddie, not for everyday tasks. . . yer can't fight the inevitable, if I was gonna get wet; then I was gonna get wet, no doubt about it, Laddie. . ."
Clow smiled and shook his head as Hilligans continued; the old man couldn't stand it when Clow used his magic to benefit himself or his closest friend, and told him so under no uncertain terms. He tuned the old man out, and settled back to concentrate on the thoughts that he had been entertaining before the rain started. "Hmmmm. . . Come here . . ." he beckoned the cards over, the three that had been tossed over to the other red coach seat hovered and flew straight to his hand. He no longer needed the move spirit to do that for him, but he liked to keep it, as a reminder of his first Clow card.
He added the fourth card and the four faded kings floated in front of him, he pointed at each slowly, the king of hearts ". . .Wind . . .", he pointed at the next, the King of Clubs, " . . . Water . . .", the next, the King of Diamonds, " . . . Fire . . .", he paused as he came to the last card, the King of Spades, the strongest suit. The card's property was on the tip of his tongue, he could feel it. He stare at the card, hoping something would trigger the name. Clow frowned and started again, "The Wind . . ."
The rain lingered in the air, sounds became extended. He could feel the carriage become slowed, turning his head, Clow could see each raindrop falling, the hard rain had decelerated to an almost stop. He turned his head to look out the other window and realised that he was experiencing another vision. He turned back to the four cards that were now spinning in front of him, there wasn't an explosion, but the other cards seemed to be thrown from these other cards and spun around him in their usual orbit. Clow found himself standing in the centre of his magic circle, as he turned slowly in a circle each of the cards stopped spinning showing their faces to him, as he came to the last card he had created, the Mirror, he found he had turned full circle and the last four cards were in front of him again. The other cards flew into a book, that he couldn't see but knew was there. The four remaining cards positioned themselves at the north, south, and east and west of him. The gilded staff materialised in his hands, and he was suddenly aware that he wasn't in control of his body. He watched as he turned south and struck the King of Hearts, a woman, a beautiful, soft, pale yellow woman ascended from the card, her eyes were shut for a few seconds before they snapped open, and she spread her wings. She flew straight at him, and through. He spun and struck the card at the east, the King of Diamonds, again a being ascended from the card, she spun slightly as she appeared, drawing her wings back to reveal, a confident, flame haired young woman, again the being flew at him, he spun again and struck the card at the west, the King of Clubs, another woman, this time slightly younger than the fire woman, ascended from the card. She threw up her head, and bared her fangs as she rushed towards Clow at a frightening speed. He wasn't afraid of her, knowing she would just pass through him. He spun and struck the last card. The woman that ascended was the oldest looking, and the most powerful, he could feel it; she held her hands in front of her patiently. When she had reached the top of her ascension, her head tilted back slightly, her head still closed. They opened as her head fell forward again, and she regarded him with a regal look. Time stopped even within this vision, as Clow memorised everything about the green woman, her sisters gathered behind her, all staring down at him expectantly, before the last card spread her arms, the other copying her one by one. They all dived at him; the last card's green eyes were the last things he saw, as the wave of the most powerful cards of his pack came crashing towards him.
Clow gasped, as his vision stopped abruptly, his carriage jolting slightly as it passed through the time barrier. It took him a few seconds to realise he was back in the carriage, and not in the dreamscape, he took deep breathes to calm himself as he stared out the window.
Once he felt sufficiently in control, he looked back at the four cards that were still floating in front of him. Confident now, he lifted his finger and pointed at each card.
"The Windy . . . the Firey . . . the Watery . . ." he paused as his finger came to the last card, the woman's powerful green eyes still fresh in his mind, a smile twitched at his lips, "And the last card . . . The Earthy."
It was near midnight when they arrived at the large oak doors of the Reed Mansion, Hilligans hopped off the front of the coach and rapped his gloved fist against the window, in his habituated way. "Laddie? Rouse thyself, we're 'ome." He paused outside the door, his witchin' bones were giving him a chill. He stepped back to the coach's door and opened it. Clow was staring at the last four cards of the old playing pack he had won from the town tricksters, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "Thy 'ave made thy decision . . ." Hilligans said quietly, ". . . 'Aven't thee, Laddie?"
Clow didn't take his eyes off the four cards before him as he answered in a hushed, calm voice, "Yes, Mister Hilligans . . ." Clow smiled as he nodded, "I have indeed."
Marcibay had feared that the boy would be rushed in his decision, that he'd make a choice that he would regret later, but now . . . looking at the young, powerful magician, Marcibay could see in the lad's face, that the choice he had made was wise, and would never be regretted. Hilligans allowed a small smile to lighten his face; he nodded with a deep sureness, and clapped a leather gloved hand heavily on Clow's arm. "It's the right one, Laddie . . ." he murmured softly.
Clow turned his head, and stared down on the brown leather gloved hand. It was rare that the gruff old man touched Clow. He looked up at the worn, mature face of the good man, who was never afraid to put Clow in his place, never minding that Clow could probably erase him from existence with the bat of an eyelid. The man had kept Clow grounded in reality, never letting him take refuge in his family name, nor abuse his powers . . . he'd kept his promise, he hadn't let Clow get himself into mischief. Clow gazed warmly at Marcibay Hilligans and placed his hand on Hilligans'. He squeezed gently, knowing the gesture was communicating his gratefulness for Marcibay's belief in him. Marcibay's clear eyes glinted, "Indeed," he whispered. "It's the right one."
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And now it's time for LEAVE IT TO DOCTOR MEGALOMANIA!!
Clow: I see a Mary Sue on the horizon!
DrM: you're so mean to me!
Clow: I'm mean to you?! You are writing about me! I'm entitled to be mean to you!
DrM: you're so mean! Just for that I'll tell the readers to go to www.picupload.com
Clow: why?
DrM: cos I've put up some fan art, and if they'd like to see what I think the evil dude from the first chapter looks like then all they need to do is type in DrMegalomania [don't leave a space!] and then it should take them straight to pics of you and the evil dude and the evil woman from this fic's sequel! Yeah! Think about it!
Clow: was that a blatant advert or was that a blatant advert? I'll let you, the readers, decide! Please R&R!!
I state for the record that, despite the fact I really, really wish I did, I don't own any of the official characters that will grace this story; it's all CLAMP's! Always has been, always will be! I *DO*, however, own Marcibay Hilligans and Hei-ying Reed!! I also own Mystrasa Kyree, and the dragon isn't mine, it's on loan from my good friend, the Blue Goo! And what the heck . . . I own the mansion as well! [Laughs] Also I don't pretend to have any Mastery over the language of Japanese or any clue as to correct grammatical structure. I put it in and hope it gets across the point I'm trying to make! And I don't pretend to be able to write any sort of accents so please don't hate me!!
"Speaking"
*Stress/emphasis*
//Thinking//
In This Tainted Soul. . .
By Dr Megalomania.
Part four: Incantations and Visions
Clow spent the next days in his study; he'd decided that his spirits were going to be contained in the playing cards that he had won from the pranksters. However, he wanted to do the spell right before he contained the spirits. He decided that the cards would act like the Chinese papers, they would need an incantation to open them, and for use. He tried to remember the vision he had had in his carriage. The people he saw he knew were a mixture of his future, people that he was going to meet and creatures he was going to create. The girl, the young girl with the pink hat and the cloak held on by a yellow bow, was the most vivid, but even her features weren't precise. He knew that when he saw her, which he had no doubt he would, he would recognise her. The next vivid memory was of the cards, and the magic circle that had drawn itself under his feet. He could remember that he had seen the symbols he had chosen for his robes. The sun was complete, and in the centre of the circle, and that the moon was in orbit of that sun. It was beautiful; it contained aspects from both the spheres of magic he had been born into. He knew that was something he would see again in his lifetime. He sat in the window seat. His robes' outer coat was slung over the desk's chair and he slouched with his back hard against the window seat's frame. He stared out the window, thoughtfully.
"Move . . ." he lifted his hand into the air, "Bring my wand to me, please."
The spirit floated the wand over to Clow's hand and dropped it into his palm. "Thank you," he murmured, still staring out the window. He sighed heavily, as he leaned his head back, "I didn't know making incantations up would be so difficult." He admitted to the spirit. "Bring me the cards please."
As the pack floated card by card to him, Clow slipped his feet on to the floor and stood. He stepped into the middle of the room and paused thoughtfully. The move spirit didn't know where to put the cards, since Clow had his wand in one hand and was scratching his chin with the other. It settled instead for floating the cards around him in an orbit. A pang of déjà vu made Clow glance up. The cards were circling him like they had been in his dream. He drew his wand up, and stared at it. The image of the blue haired boy with the gilded staff came to him again; this time though, the boy was sitting in one of Clow's favourite chairs, he held his staff in front of him. Clow realised that his wand was similar only smaller. The boy smiled, and held the staff on its side in front of him. He let it go and it glowed and shrunk in size. It became the small key-size wand that Clow had created his wand to do as well. The boy smiled again and pocketed the tiny gold key. Clow blinked, and became aware of his study once more. He realised that the wand he had created might not be up to the task that was before him. He returned it to its key size, and held it up by its lace. His eyes slid shut as he let it go, knowing it would be hovering just in front of him. "O, key of magic. I, Clow Reed, command thee under our contract, reveal the staff to me."
Clow smiled as he open his eyes, he could feel the magic flow around him, the supernatural wind from his vision blew around him, and when he glance down at his feet he saw the magic circle. The movement in front of him made him look up again; his staff was growing in front of him. Awed, it took him a couple of seconds to realise he was meant to grab it. The light was almost blinding as he pushed himself forward. As Clow grabbed the staff with both hands, the mystical tempest slowed and died away. Clow knew now what the incantation was going to be. He still couldn't remember what the girl had said, but he knew where the feeling, that he had heard the words, had come from. The market, the pranksters. He was meant to use the trickster's words, he was sure of it.
"Move spirit." He commanded, he took a deep breathe, "Thy will have a new form. Close thyself in the card!" He said sternly, and struck his staff against the spirit. His staff flew straight through it, and the spirit continued to drift there nonchalantly. "Hmmm. . ." Clow raised an eyebrow. "So that didn't work . . ." he looked from the spirit to a nearby card. "Attach yourself to the card?" He shrugged, "No. . . I command thee . . ." he paced away slowly, "I command thee . . ."
Clow Reed was unaware that below him the magic circle was forming again, and the magic-laced wind was stirring under his every foot step, "I command thee . . . Seal yourself . . .Seal thyself in the form I have chosen . . . I, Clow Reed, have. . . so commanded?" The circle disappeared, and the wind dissipated again, the words were almost right, but the last command was wrong. "No. . ." Clow turned and walked back to the floating cards and the drifting move spirit. "I command thee . . . Seal thyself . . . In the form I have chosen . . ." the magic began to appear again as he paused. He was on the verge of it, the forces knew it, and the spirit felt itself being pulled towards one of the old playing cards. Clow blinked, the girl with the pink hat and the cloak was back again, she repeated her motion, pulled back her arms and. . .
Clow blinked in surprise as the vision faded again, he drew his staff back, "I command thee, Move spirit. . . Seal thyself in the form I have chosen . . ." he swung the staff toward the spirit, as one of the cards glowed and disappeared. " . . .CLOW CARD!"
The magic exploded, as the spirit struggled briefly, the winds grappling with it and dragging it toward the point where Clow's staff had struck. Bright magic ripples expanded from the card, as it came into existence, and the wind blew hard, stands of Clow's hair whipped about his face. Then it stopped. Just stopped, the circle faded, the wind dissipated, and the new card floated in front of him, before it drifted towards him. He reached out tentatively to pluck it out of the air. A warm feeling washed over him, as his fingers made contact with the new card. The spirit's visible form was now a picture, the words 'The Move' was written in English on a small gold banner below it, on top of the banner was a crescent moon, and at the top of the card was a sun with Chinese lettering, again meaning 'The Move'. He turned it over; his magic circle was gold and black on a crimson background. Clow smiled as he held the card as he had the ace of spades, his study door blew open.
"LADDIE!!" Yelled Hilligans as he stumbled through the door, "What the hell did you just do?! I just felt the most powerful wave o' magic me witchin' bones e'er encounter'd!"
Clow held the card towards Hilligans, "I've just created a new type of magic, Mister Hilligans . . ." the dark haired magician, smiled lopsidedly, as his face grew paler, "I think I might call them . . ." Clow's eyes barely focused on his long time friend, "Clow Cards . . ."
Hilligans didn't have much time to admire the handsome crimson card, as the young magician pitched forward. The creation of this new magic had drained him. Clow's gilded staff clattered to the floor, glowed and returned to it's key form, and the new card hovered of the unconscious body of it's new master.
Yet another year passed as Clow sealed the creatures he had created into the old playing cards, few things changed about them, aside from names (like the doubling spirits became the better-named 'The Twin') and all the cards went peacefully into their new forms. For this, he was grateful as it allowed him to concentrate on more important things. Like the visions. The first one he had, the one the day he first decided to create the Cards, that one had never returned. The visions since seemed like only fragments of the first. He couldn't explain it, and tried desperately to remember the full vision. He knew he had seen several people, the young girl, with the pink hat and the cloak tied with the bow and the boy with the blue hair, at first he thought the blue haired boy was his child, a future son, but Clow didn't think so. The boy seemed too . . . too . . .
"Too . . . much like me . . .?" Clow shook his head, and turned away from his study's window. The autumn was in full bloom, and the leaves fell from the trees in droves. His thoughts turned to the angels, the butterfly girl, the dragon and the large cats he had seen, who were they? They were beings of magic, that was certain, but were they all his creations? All but two had been attacking something, the girl was happily chasing something, the white haired angel was drawing his hand back in preparation, the dragon and the blue . . . //or was it black?// panther was breathing some sort of . . . fire. The only two that hadn't been attacking was the playful lion that didn't understand autumn, and the black hair angel who was trying to escape from . . . from . . .
"From . . . what?" Clow murmured. He couldn't remember their faces, only the most outstanding features. The escaping angel had black hair, shiny black hair. And his magic, the magic that was dragging him back was . . . jade green, not a pure green, but a jaded green. Clow shook his head again, and turned his attention on the cards. He had thirty of the old playing cards left, he picked them up and walked over to the window again, what kind of cards would be useful to him now?
Three months later and Clow had four cards left. His magic had become very strong; he could create several cards at once, with sometimes as much as a flick of his wrist. On the way back from the market place, Hilligans decided to ask Clow what he planed to do with the last four cards.
"What do you mean?" Clow looked up from his book, as Hilligans' question was tentatively posed, unusual for the old man.
"Laddie . . . these four will be thy last cards, they will 'ave the strongest magic in 'em." Hilligans said grimly, he was worried about Clow's choice, Clow could feel it. He was trying to hide it, but it still seeped through.
"You're right . . ." Clow became very quiet and contemplative as the night crept over the land. Hilligans' warning was sincere, and true, these four would be his last. He pulled them out of his coat pocket. Clow kept them with him lately because he never knew when he'd make his decision. The four cards were the four kings, the King of Hearts, the King of Clubs, the King of Diamonds, and the King of Spades. The four rulers of the cards. //Four rulers? // Clow glanced up; he reached into his robes again and pulled out his Chinese magic papers. They were elementals; the Elements, in Chinese folklore, control the way life was run. Wind, fire, water and lightning. Clow frowned; he had already created a thunder card.
"Laddie?" Hilligans called to him, Clow instantly snapped out of his thoughts. Soothing himself with a few whispered incantations, and the odd curse, he thought back smoothly, "Yes, Mister Hilligans?"
"Can thee use that light card o' yours? I canne see a thing, let alone the horses!"
Clow smiled as he leaned out the window, "Certainly!" He called up aloud; he pulled the light card out of his robes, "Light, show us the path," he flicked the card forward. As it flew forward, he opened the door and stood on the step. As the card came flying back on the wind, he pulled out his staff, "RELEASE!" He yelled as he activated the sealed spirit.
Hilligans smiled and nodded his thanks as Clow stepped back into his carriage. "Now where was I?" He muttered as he sat back down. As he got comfortable again, he crossed his legs, and it was then Clow noticed the mud that was splattered on his robes. "Damn," he muttered as he pulled out the bubbles card he had created for just such an occurrence . . . well, that and he just hated washing his own clothes. Thankfully it was just a bit of earth, so it would come out easily. He settled back again as the Bubble spirit cheerfully cleaned his mud splattered robes.
"If I can't use lightning as one of the ruling cards . . ." he theorised aloud, "what would be an adequate replacement? I have the Wind . . ." he held up the king of hearts, "She will be a gentle card, a card that will care and provide the love for the cards . . ." he threw the card on to the seat opposite, "I have the Fire . . ." he held up the King of Diamonds, "She will be the passionate card, a strong and fearsome card . . ." that card followed it's predecessor, "I have the Water . . ." he held up the King of Clubs, "She will be the strongest attack card after Fire, and aggressive in her protection . . ." after he threw this card onto the faded red seat opposite him, he held up the King of Spades, "But the King of Spades is the strongest playing card. . . the last card will have to be the strongest, she will be the over all ruler of the cards. . ." he turned the card, clamped between his index and middle finger, "Hmmmm. . . The last card."
The patter of rain against the window drew his attentions from his musings. "Mister Hilligans? Why didn't you tell me it was raining?"
The gruff reply sounded in his mind, "I've never minded a bit of rain, 'sides it's good for the garden, the Earth needs it . . . she's a tough ol' piece o' dirt, but she's need a drink like the rest o' us."
"I'm sure she does . . ." Clow settled back in his seat, "but I'd rather you didn't catch a cold."
"Aye, but what can we do about it?" Clow chuckled quietly, Hilligans was being stubborn again; he knew exactly what Clow could do about it.
Their journey continued, despite the pelting rain, Clow had pulled out his rain card and told it to ward the rain off Hilligans. The old man gruffly told Clow off for ". . .Wasting perfectly good magick on a pointless endeavour, thy should be savin' thy magick for good reasons Laddie, not for everyday tasks. . . yer can't fight the inevitable, if I was gonna get wet; then I was gonna get wet, no doubt about it, Laddie. . ."
Clow smiled and shook his head as Hilligans continued; the old man couldn't stand it when Clow used his magic to benefit himself or his closest friend, and told him so under no uncertain terms. He tuned the old man out, and settled back to concentrate on the thoughts that he had been entertaining before the rain started. "Hmmmm. . . Come here . . ." he beckoned the cards over, the three that had been tossed over to the other red coach seat hovered and flew straight to his hand. He no longer needed the move spirit to do that for him, but he liked to keep it, as a reminder of his first Clow card.
He added the fourth card and the four faded kings floated in front of him, he pointed at each slowly, the king of hearts ". . .Wind . . .", he pointed at the next, the King of Clubs, " . . . Water . . .", the next, the King of Diamonds, " . . . Fire . . .", he paused as he came to the last card, the King of Spades, the strongest suit. The card's property was on the tip of his tongue, he could feel it. He stare at the card, hoping something would trigger the name. Clow frowned and started again, "The Wind . . ."
The rain lingered in the air, sounds became extended. He could feel the carriage become slowed, turning his head, Clow could see each raindrop falling, the hard rain had decelerated to an almost stop. He turned his head to look out the other window and realised that he was experiencing another vision. He turned back to the four cards that were now spinning in front of him, there wasn't an explosion, but the other cards seemed to be thrown from these other cards and spun around him in their usual orbit. Clow found himself standing in the centre of his magic circle, as he turned slowly in a circle each of the cards stopped spinning showing their faces to him, as he came to the last card he had created, the Mirror, he found he had turned full circle and the last four cards were in front of him again. The other cards flew into a book, that he couldn't see but knew was there. The four remaining cards positioned themselves at the north, south, and east and west of him. The gilded staff materialised in his hands, and he was suddenly aware that he wasn't in control of his body. He watched as he turned south and struck the King of Hearts, a woman, a beautiful, soft, pale yellow woman ascended from the card, her eyes were shut for a few seconds before they snapped open, and she spread her wings. She flew straight at him, and through. He spun and struck the card at the east, the King of Diamonds, again a being ascended from the card, she spun slightly as she appeared, drawing her wings back to reveal, a confident, flame haired young woman, again the being flew at him, he spun again and struck the card at the west, the King of Clubs, another woman, this time slightly younger than the fire woman, ascended from the card. She threw up her head, and bared her fangs as she rushed towards Clow at a frightening speed. He wasn't afraid of her, knowing she would just pass through him. He spun and struck the last card. The woman that ascended was the oldest looking, and the most powerful, he could feel it; she held her hands in front of her patiently. When she had reached the top of her ascension, her head tilted back slightly, her head still closed. They opened as her head fell forward again, and she regarded him with a regal look. Time stopped even within this vision, as Clow memorised everything about the green woman, her sisters gathered behind her, all staring down at him expectantly, before the last card spread her arms, the other copying her one by one. They all dived at him; the last card's green eyes were the last things he saw, as the wave of the most powerful cards of his pack came crashing towards him.
Clow gasped, as his vision stopped abruptly, his carriage jolting slightly as it passed through the time barrier. It took him a few seconds to realise he was back in the carriage, and not in the dreamscape, he took deep breathes to calm himself as he stared out the window.
Once he felt sufficiently in control, he looked back at the four cards that were still floating in front of him. Confident now, he lifted his finger and pointed at each card.
"The Windy . . . the Firey . . . the Watery . . ." he paused as his finger came to the last card, the woman's powerful green eyes still fresh in his mind, a smile twitched at his lips, "And the last card . . . The Earthy."
It was near midnight when they arrived at the large oak doors of the Reed Mansion, Hilligans hopped off the front of the coach and rapped his gloved fist against the window, in his habituated way. "Laddie? Rouse thyself, we're 'ome." He paused outside the door, his witchin' bones were giving him a chill. He stepped back to the coach's door and opened it. Clow was staring at the last four cards of the old playing pack he had won from the town tricksters, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "Thy 'ave made thy decision . . ." Hilligans said quietly, ". . . 'Aven't thee, Laddie?"
Clow didn't take his eyes off the four cards before him as he answered in a hushed, calm voice, "Yes, Mister Hilligans . . ." Clow smiled as he nodded, "I have indeed."
Marcibay had feared that the boy would be rushed in his decision, that he'd make a choice that he would regret later, but now . . . looking at the young, powerful magician, Marcibay could see in the lad's face, that the choice he had made was wise, and would never be regretted. Hilligans allowed a small smile to lighten his face; he nodded with a deep sureness, and clapped a leather gloved hand heavily on Clow's arm. "It's the right one, Laddie . . ." he murmured softly.
Clow turned his head, and stared down on the brown leather gloved hand. It was rare that the gruff old man touched Clow. He looked up at the worn, mature face of the good man, who was never afraid to put Clow in his place, never minding that Clow could probably erase him from existence with the bat of an eyelid. The man had kept Clow grounded in reality, never letting him take refuge in his family name, nor abuse his powers . . . he'd kept his promise, he hadn't let Clow get himself into mischief. Clow gazed warmly at Marcibay Hilligans and placed his hand on Hilligans'. He squeezed gently, knowing the gesture was communicating his gratefulness for Marcibay's belief in him. Marcibay's clear eyes glinted, "Indeed," he whispered. "It's the right one."
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And now it's time for LEAVE IT TO DOCTOR MEGALOMANIA!!
Clow: I see a Mary Sue on the horizon!
DrM: you're so mean to me!
Clow: I'm mean to you?! You are writing about me! I'm entitled to be mean to you!
DrM: you're so mean! Just for that I'll tell the readers to go to www.picupload.com
Clow: why?
DrM: cos I've put up some fan art, and if they'd like to see what I think the evil dude from the first chapter looks like then all they need to do is type in DrMegalomania [don't leave a space!] and then it should take them straight to pics of you and the evil dude and the evil woman from this fic's sequel! Yeah! Think about it!
Clow: was that a blatant advert or was that a blatant advert? I'll let you, the readers, decide! Please R&R!!