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 Eighteen: Remembrances

Yue tiptoed up to Clow's upstairs study, it had been a week since Hei-ying had come into his room and tried to . . . Yue gulped, he didn't want to even think about what Hei-ying had wanted to do to him. In fact, he didn't even want to think about Hei-ying at all, every time Yue went to bed, he would wake up after seeing Hei-ying's glowing jade eyes coming to get him. Yue shivered and leant closer to the door. Clow and Keroberos had been in there for hours after Keroberos had asked what Clow had planned to do with Hei-ying. They had been in Keroberos' room, when Keroberos suddenly turned to Clow and said, "And now for Hei-ying . . . What do you plan on doing with that--?" But Clow had stopped him, asked him to accompany him to his study. He paused in the door, and asked Yue to stay in Keroberos' room and not to leave. Yue nodded, and lay back down, wondering what they were going to talk about. He also started to think about his room, he knew he'd never see it again.

Four days after Hei-ying did the Bad Thing to him, Clow had asked Yue to go in there and get his most treasured possession. Yue had barely opened his eyes as he rushed in, grabbed the earring that contained his false form and the ribbon of his ice bow, and then ran back out. Once Yue was out the room, Clow asked if that was all he wanted from the room. Yue had nodded. Desperately wishing he were telling the truth, Yue lied and said it was all he wanted. Clow understood of course, Yue loved his toys, loved everything in that room, but Hei-ying had left them all stained, tainted so that if Yue ever saw them, he would never be able to forget the Bad Thing. Clow stood outside the room, and asked Keroberos to take Yue to his own room.

What Yue hadn't seen were the silent tears running down Clow's face as he took one last look around the space that was his child's room. It had been too violated; the site of too much horror for Clow to allow Yue to ever set foot in the room again. Everything in this room Clow had handmade or created himself, and now . . . Yue, *nobody*, would ever see the inside of this raped room again. Yue's blood tainted every stuffed toy, the curtains, the bed, Keroberos' stained the floor, the window . . . Clow pulled the door closed, sealing it with a spell that even he would be hard put to undo. Clow simply couldn't destroy the room, he couldn't. It would feel like he was completing Hei-ying's murder, by destroying this room, he would have felt like he was giving in, and letting go of Yue forever.

In a way, Hei-ying had already seen to this, Yue had started to deny that the whole thing had happened, insisting that his injuries were a product of his clumsy self. Clow and Keroberos couldn't understand it, Yue simply refused to accept that someone had actually done this to him, and was convinced it was all his own fault. He favoured his false form, but was too weak to keep the false form in existence for very long. Yukito was also part of this façade; he never admitted he was in any pain. Keroberos was a bit disturbed when Yue started to call his false form by name rather than calling it his false form. Even more so when Yukito seemed to deny Yue even existed.

 He had gone straight to Clow, and aired his fears, but Clow was sinking into a depression again. Keroberos and Clow argued almost daily now, Keroberos asking Clow to help Yue, prevent him from believing his fantasies that Yue and Yukito was separate but Clow didn't have the heart to make Yue face reality. To force Yue to face reality was to make Yue face the fact someone had tried to murder him, and that would require Clow to tell Yue, to admit that his creator was a failure.

Yue pressed his bandaged hands against the door and closed his eyes as he tried to make out what was being said. Clow and Keroberos were arguing, or rather Keroberos was . . . Clow's voice was soft, too soft for him to make out words, while Keroberos reacted to each word with more anger than before.

"You can't be serious!" Keroberos roared. "The man's a fucking maniac!" Yue strained to hear Clow's response. He could imagine the scene; Keroberos would be stood in front of Clow, in his full form, while Clow would be slouched in his chair. Not quite meeting Keroberos' golden eyes. Clow was sad about something. He always seemed to be sad nowadays, as if he hated his life so much that he wished it would all disappear. This made Yue sad too. He thought he had been a good boy, he thought he made Clow happy. He always used seemed happy when Yue showed him his pictures.

Yue turned away from the door and limped down the corridor. The injuries he had were still painful, despite the care Clow and Keroberos had given him. Maybe, his eldest brother had been right . . . maybe Yue's creation had brought hell to their family. Yue sniffed, as the tears rolled down his young cheeks. Perhaps, if Yue went away, if he tried to be Yukito all the time, if being a human like Clow . . . perhaps Yukito would make Clow happy again. He paused as he past the locked room. He was in there. Clow had locked Him in there.

"I know you're there."

 Yue jumped in shock as his eldest brother called to him through the door. Yue knew he should have left, just left and walked on but he stayed. He sat down, and stared up at the large black door, as his brother continued to speak.

Yue listening, like every good boy should . . .

Today was the day.

Clow had announced this fact during breakfast; he turned to Keroberos and said simply, "Today is the day"

"The day for what?" Asked Yukito, it was now precisely two weeks since the Bad Thing had happened. Keroberos looked at Yukito with sad eyes, and then nodded at Clow. Then the two resumed their eating quietly, leaving Yukito in the dark as to what today was the day for.

Keroberos lapped at his oversized teacup thoughtfully, Yukito was a constant now, Yue had disappeared a week ago. Keroberos wished he knew why, he knew that It had had something to do with it. He had stalked out of Clow's study, and had gone looking for Yue when he found his youngest brother's false form sitting in front of the door to the room that had become It's prison, listening faithfully. Keroberos frowned slightly; he couldn't even bring himself to think about It anymore.

But something It had said had made Yue go, and Yukito the prefect human take up permanent residence. Clow still refused to do anything about it, believing that the . . . the . . . Keroberos struggled to name this thing Yue had entered into, semi regression, this denial of reality was ultimately good for Yue. If Yue didn't remember about It, then It had failed in his attempted to destroy Yue. Keroberos didn't believe a word of it, but Clow had asked him not to try and make Yue remember.

"Perhaps if Yue dealt with it in his own way . . ." Clow had suggested, hesitant to lose what little of Yue he had left. The happy moonchild that had once been Yue had left, and the only suggestion that he ever existed was Yukito. Yukito was just as full of energy, full of laughter and smiles as Yue had been. Clow would let him play in his study, just so he could close his eyes and pretend that he was listening to Yue play.

Once breakfast was finished, Clow cleared away the plates; Keroberos and Yukito sat quietly on the first few steps leading to Clow's study.

"What is so special about today, Keroberos?"

Keroberos looked up the stairs solemnly; "Today is the end of a horrible nightmare, Yue."

"Yue?" Yukito blinked, "Who's Yue?"

Keroberos opened his mouth, he was going to yell, 'It's you! The real you! My real brother! I want him back!' but he . . . he couldn't. He didn't want to shatter Yue completely. "It's nothing, Yukito . . . just me . . ."

Yukito giggled, and petted Keroberos, "You're funny, Keroberos."

Clow swept into the entrance hall, "I'm ready . . ." he murmured.

Keroberos looked at Yukito once again, and stood, "As are we." He nodded.

Clow sighed, and mounted the stairs, "Keroberos . . . I . . . I don't want Yukito to—"

"I won't let him." Keroberos snapped. Clow didn't even turn at Keroberos' harsh voice; he just continued to climb the stairs.

Once he was halfway, he paused. Once again, he stood halfway between the ground floor and the third floor. Once again he had two choices, he could go and finish Hei-ying or he could return down the stairs, and accept the Yue was never going to return. He snorted with cynical mirth, now he knew why there was only one angel when he told Keroberos and the weeping angel that he was going to die, it was because Clow was either seal Hei-ying away . . . or go downstairs and allow Yue to remain hidden in his false form for the rest of his life. Clow suddenly wished Marcibay Hilligans was here. He put his hands on the railings and stared at the old, worn magic circle that was still engraved into the floor.

What was he supposed to do? One direction meant he'd lose one of his creations; Yue or Hei-ying, one of them would be effectively dead for the rest of his life. One of them bitterly hated the other, but Clow had been with that one for much longer. Hei-ying was his first creation, the one he had made love to for the first time, and the one that still loved him a lot. If Clow chose to destroy Yue, Clow would be certain that Hei-ying and he would become lovers again, that the angel of his visions was most certainly Hei-ying.

But if he chose to destroy Hei-ying, Clow had to take the chance that he'd never see Yue again, that even if he did, there was always a possibility that Yue might one day turn insane just like Hei-ying. Clow squeezed his eyes shut, could he bear to let that happen?

"Clow . . ." Clow's eyes snapped open, Eriol was stood in front of him, floating in the air on a magic circle . . . Clow's eyes widened, it wasn't just any magic circle, it was his!

"Eriol . . . that's my . . .!" Eriol looked down at his feet and smiled.

"I know . . ." Eriol lifted his head, and again Clow gasped, the impossible shadows had disappeared from Eriol's eyes and Clow could see Eriol's true face. He smiled, "And so do you . . . in my present life, my name is Eriol Hiirawagizawa . . . in my past . . ."

"I am Clow Reed . . ." Clow whispered with his reincarnation. "You're here to ensure I make the right decision?"

"No . . . I'm here to remind you of what you have seen over the years, who you have seen . . . to make you realise the right choice by yourself . . ." he looked down on Yukito, "It's already started . . . hasn't it?"

"Will it change?" Clow demanded, "Will I ever see Yue again?"

Eriol closed his eyes and shook his head, "You will see Yue . . . but your little moonbeam is dead . . . he died a long time ago."

Clow felt his eyes well up with tears, "Then my decision is made . . ." he turned to go down the stairs, he was going to gently put Yukito to sleep, in such a deep sleep that he would never wake up again.

"Please don't." A girl's voice asked quietly, "Clow-sama, please allow Yue to survive."

Clow turned again, the Cardcaptor. Her magic circle over lapped Eriol's, as she floated in the air next to him. She looked at Eriol hesitantly, Clow watched as his reincarnated self passed his hand over her face, taking the impossible shadows with his hand. She had emerald eyes; it suited her honey hair, Clow noted. "Eriol's told me the truth about these visions . . . or at least why I am meeting you today, my name is Sakura . . . I just want you to go the other way . . . walk *up* the stairs."

Clow smirked slightly at his reincarnated self, "You have told her some of what is to happen, but not all?"

"No . . . I haven't . . . but think about it, Clow . . . which have you seen with Sakura?"  

Clow stared at their overlapping magic circles as he thought. "The white haired angel . . ." he murmured, "I have seen Yue with her, every time."

Eriol nodded, "Then it is Yue who will survive your choice today."

Clow glanced down at Yukito, "But you said my moonbeam is dead."

Eriol's forehead creased in a pitying frown, "It is true that the Yue you and I will always remember is gone forever . . . but you have noticed it yourself, you can still see him through Yukito."

Sakura clasped her hands together, and stepped forward, "All I ask is that you don't take Yue away from me . . . I don't think Keroberos could take it if he suddenly lost Yue . . . I know I couldn't, and then there's my brother . . ."

"Sakura." Eriol shook his head disapprovingly, "Not now."

"But—"

"No . . ." Eriol turned back to Clow, "Clow; it is time to make your decision. I cannot force you to do anything, but I think that if you truly look in your heart you will see the truth there."

Sakura and Eriol faded, as Clow felt a sharp tug on his robes. "Clow? Clow! What is it?"

Clow looked down, Yukito was tugging at his robes, staring up at Clow unaware that with a single movement of his hand and a few quiet words Clow could just let him die. Die and not suffer this nightmare an hour longer. But Eriol was right, Clow stood and turned away from Yukito, he was right . . . Clow loved Yue and Yukito, even though he knew that the child's mind was too split to allow it to return his love. Clow looked at Keroberos who nodded, and silently gave him the support he needed. Clow looked up at the top of the stairs, and lifted his foot.

It was time, today was the day.

Time to end this nightmare forever.

Keroberos held Yukito back as they neared the top of the stairs just behind Clow, the strains of a song being sung floated down the corridor. Yukito stood on the top step, and listened.

"Who's that singing?" He asked, deep inside of him, he knew . . . he knew it was Hei-ying. His eldest brother had been singing the same lullaby every time he sensed his younger brothers nearby.

"*No* one." Keroberos spat. "Come on, we can go play in the snow."

Yukito wouldn't budge, something made his feet stay put, and he wanted to see this. Whatever it was he wanted to see it. //. . .And show him he *failed* to kill me . . .// Yukito blinked at the strange thought. Keroberos pulled at the back of his clothes again, "Come on Yukito . . . let's just go outside, shall we?"

Yukito stared at Clow; he was nearing one of the only locked doors in the mansion. Clow had only locked four rooms in the house, one used to be someone called Mister Hilligans' room, the other three Keroberos had refused to tell him. Two were on the floor above, the sleeping floor, one had the engraving of a star and a rose on it and the other . . . the other had an engraving of the moon and a snowflake. This one room was the one Yukito felt the saddest about being locked. He didn't know what was in it, but for some reason, he would go up to that door and wish he could just go lie on the bed he knew was there, touch the curtains he knew had been made especially for him, play with the toys that Clow had made just for him . . .

Yukito suddenly frowned, whatever it was that was in the last locked room, the thing responsible for the eerie lullaby that echoed down the hall, that thing was responsible for stealing that Moon and Snowflake room away.

Keroberos growled slightly as he looked at Clow, "I can't get him to move!"

Clow sighed, "Yukito . . . please . . . I don't want you to see this . . ." But still Yukito remained rooted to the floor. Clow exchange a single apologising look at Keroberos as he raised his hand. His hand glowed slightly and the lock on the door clicked open loudly. The door opened by itself, and the singing stopped. Clow didn't even move an eyelid as a black haired guardian stepped out. The deathly pale face slowly spread into a smile, one that was usually reserve for the complete innocent or the completely insane. Clow stepped back and started to walk down the corridor towards his study, knowing that Hei-ying would follow.

He had no fear of the compulsively cleaned scissors Hei-ying was twirling in his hands; Clow had used the obedience spell for once, and had ordered Hei-ying not to use the scissors to kill Clow, Keroberos or Yue. Hei-ying, so binded by the spell, agreed immediately and settled instead to mechanically cutting his hair. Hei-ying no longer had the harshly chopped fringe he had given himself, his fringe was now sharp and sloping, one side was longer than the other, covering the damage Yue and Keroberos had inflicted on him. The other side was almost identical, only shorter revealing his single remaining jaded eye, and his only ear that held his jade earring. His robes were still impossible neat; the only imperfection was his large jade jewel that rested on his chest. The Freeze card had accidentally left a large crack right through the middle of the jade stone.

Hei-ying walked silently behind Clow, who didn't even turn his head to look if Hei-ying was still following. He didn't need to, Hei-ying's single eye was staring at the back of his head just as unblinking as he used to when he had two eyes. Clow hadn't undone the damage his younger guardians had caused to Hei-ying simply because Clow didn't trust himself to face Hei-ying and not wring the life from his throat.

Clow glanced at Keroberos, then at Yukito. He wondered what was going through the spilt mind of his youngest creation, as he walked past. He stopped briefly as he felt Hei-ying stop, Clow didn't turn; he continued to walk to his upstairs study, but he listened. Keroberos growled threateningly, "Keep away from him . . ."

Hei-ying stared at Yue, his single eye wide with the virtuousness that insanity brought with it. "Little sunbeam . . ." Hei-ying began to sing, "Little moonbeam . . ." he sank to kneel in front of Yukito " . . . Where are you? 'Cause when the bough breaks the cradle will fall . . . and down will come moonbeam . . . Keroberos . . . and all . . ." Hei-ying leant forward and placed a soft kiss on Yukito's pale forehead. His single eye closed, lips still close to Yukito's skin, Hei-ying breathed, " . . .Yue . . ."

As the transformation took place quietly, Hei-ying sat back on his heels. He folded his hands over the silver scissors, and waited for Yue to open his eyes. Keroberos stared at him, "Yue, let's just go . . . there's so much snow outside . . ."

But Yue ignored him; his amethyst eyes were firmly locked with Hei-ying. "This is the End . . ." he whispered, "I am Yue . . . the Judge . . ."

Hei-ying smiled, "Indeed."

He raised the silver scissor and picked up the small plait that lay over his shoulder. Hei-ying cut it off just behind his ear. Raising the severed plait in the air, he held his other hand out for Yue's small hand. Still not breaking eye contact, Hei-ying coiled the detached hair neatly in Yue's hand.

 "Remember me . . ."

They stared at each other as if entranced as Yue whispered, ". . . I will remember you . . ."

He closed Yue's hand around the shiny black hair, and raised his hands and the scissors to cut off the identical plait that fell over Yue's shoulder, he gave this to Yue and held out his hand expectantly. Yue didn't blink as he repeated Hei-ying's motions. As soon as Yue's small white hand closed Hei-ying's deathly pale hand over the silken white plait, Hei-ying smiled at Yue.

 ". . . And I will remember you . . ."

Their secret pack was sealed as Yue whispered his echo, " . . . Remember me."

Hei-ying stood and continued his walk to Clow's study. Clow stared past him, still not looking into the jade eyes that some how knew what Clow was about to do but gave the impression that Hei-ying didn't have a clue.

Hei-ying paused again at the open doorway of the study, "And Keroberos . . .?" he smiled over his shoulder, "I suggest you keep an eye on our little moonbeam . . . because . . ." he turned and hissed quietly, "He's just like me . . . just like Clow created him to be . . ." he spoke to Clow over his shoulder, "Isn't that what you said, Clow? 'That I thought that you would like to have someone just like you . . .' Yue is just. Like. Me." Hei-ying smiled, "Just like me . . . and one day, you'll see . . . I've seen in my mind, one day . . . he will *be* just . . . like . . . me . . ." Hei-ying didn't blink as he turned and walked into the study. Clow stared at Keroberos and Yue for a few seconds before following Hei-ying into the room.

Hei-ying stood in the centre of the study, as he had done so many times before. "So, what new lesson will you teach me, Clow? Hmmm . . .? What new piece of advice should I tell the Cardcaptor?"

Clow was silent as he moved past Hei-ying; he strode over to his desk and picked up a book. Hei-ying stared at it; it was in Clow's customary colours and for a few seconds Hei-ying could have mistaken it for the Clow book. Clow remained silent as he placed the book on the floor in front of his eldest creation. Hei-ying stared at the book; it held his name on it. The book of Hei-ying the adviser, destined for the future generations of the Li clan of china. The book had a seal placed on it, and Hei-ying knew that this was his final resting place. He watched as the seal's lock snapped open.

A single white card floated out of the hollowed out book, Clow had created a new card, fashioned in the same sense as the Clow cards. As it floated in front of Hei-ying, Hei-ying glanced at Clow. "Don't do this . . ." he whispered.

"Now is a little to late to be asking for forgiveness, Hei-ying . . ." Clow couldn't meet his eyes; he stared at the white card.

Hei-ying felt an unusual feeling suddenly fill his throat; it was unusual because while he had felt it before it had always been accompanied by rage. It left a strange metal taste in his mouth, it was . . .

Fear.

Hei-ying was afraid of this simple white piece of card. He closed his eye, and felt something wet slide down his cheek, "Please . . ." his eye snapped open, he tried to meet Clow's dark eyes, "I did this for you . . . always for you . . ." Clow's mouth opened as if he was going to say something, then closed. Hei-ying tried again, "Please . . . I love you . . ."

"You love me?" Clow's eyes looked haunted as he echoed Hei-ying's tone.

"You told me to . . . you told me to love you . . . you and no-one else . . . to crave you and no-one . . . I have . . . I do . . . I always will . . ." Clow turned his back to Hei-ying, and rested his hands on his desk, "I've done everything I could to make sure no one could distract either of us from our love!" Hei-ying started to get angry now, "I tried so hard with those two . . . and that old man! The pitiful old man! He didn't put up so much of a fight, but still I should have gotten to him sooner!"

Clow turned slowly, "You are the one who drowned Marcibay . . ." Clow's dark eyes finally met Hei-ying's remaining eye, "You are the threat that almost drowned Keroberos . . . that's why the Watery was snarling at you . . . and I was so blind . . . I was so arrogant in my powers . . ." Clow scoffed at himself, "I must say, I thought I didn't have that particular Reed trait in my blood . . . but I was so wrong, wasn't I?"

"You are the Master Clow Reed . . ." Hei-ying began to recite.

 Clow ignored him, and stepped forward. His gilded staff appearing in his hand silently, "Hei-ying . . . the Adviser of the Clow . . ."

"Every action you make . . ." Hei-ying whispered, his voice an incorrect echo to Clow's.  

". . .I command thee. . ." The card began to spin slowly.

". . .every word you say. . ." Hei-ying stared unblinkingly at Clow.

Clow kept Hei-ying's gaze, as he continued the spell, ". . . as I strip thee of thy powers, remove from thee the magic I have bestowed upon you. . ."

The card started to glow, Hei-ying's tears started to flow more freely, ". . . is ultimate and right. . ."

"I command thee . . . seal thyself in this form I have chosen . . ."

Hei-ying's eye began to slide shut and he battled to stay conscious for this last time, the card burst into pure light. Hei-ying could feel the staff as it swung into place. It struck the air with an echoing magic resonance. The card disappeared, and started to materialise at the point where Clow's staff had struck.

"And I . . ." Hei-ying breathed, ". . . I must obey you . . ."

"Clow card!" Clow said quietly, sealing the spell.

Magic started to stream from the card, blindly feeling for the soul that it was going to entrap in the card's confine. Hei-ying held his arms forward, following the final order Clow had given. As the magic began to wind around his feet, Hei-ying's head fell backwards, his last eye opened to stare at the ceiling he knew so well. The last remain stable aspect of his broken soul finally snapped, his obedience spell finally gave way. Hei-ying's mouth opened into a large 'O', and all the pain he had ever felt, every rage he had ever experienced, the body consuming fear he felt at this precise moment pour through as he started to scream.

"NOOOOOOO!!!" He suddenly turned and tried to get to the door.

Clow suddenly realised that the vision he had first seen Hei-ying in was coming true. The future was beginning to meet the past. Clow stepped away from the materialising confine, "I order you to submit!"

Hei-ying paid no attention, scrambling frantically, as green magic dragged him back towards his final destination. His long black hair suddenly whipped forward and wrapped itself around the study door handle of Clow's study. Hei-ying was using his last remaining magic to try and stop the inevitable.

"Sword." Clow shouted, as the supernatural storm grew louder and more insistent. Deep violet magic wrapped around the gilded staff, transforming it into a long blade.

Hei-ying stared at the magic sword, and held out his hand, "Clow, NO!" he begged, knowing this would be his last breath, "I love—"

"Never again!" Clow yelled angrily and brought the cold blade crashing down on Hei-ying's shiny black hair.

It sliced through the last remaining lifeline easily; time seemed to stop as Clow looked into Hei-ying's last remaining eye. Hei-ying's jaded eye was filled with betrayal, and loyalty, with love and hate, insanity and understanding. It was just a second. Just a brief second, Hei-ying didn't even have time enough to draw a second breath before the card sucked him into his absolute incarceration.

The sword in Clow's hand clattered to the ground, and Clow joined it soon afterwards. The room was soundless, Hei-ying's cries silenced. Clow looked up, the new card created by Clow floated before him. Unlike the others, the card was black. Where there was crimson, there was black, gold there was grey. Clow plucked it out of the air and stared at it. Hei-ying's image was grey against the black background. The only colour was in the cracked jewel on his chest, the jaded earring he wore on his ear and the jade green gloves that he wore. Hei-ying, like the spirits of the Clow cards, was held in a pose. Visible only from his thighs upward, Hei-ying stood face on. His hands were held in front of his chest, one over the other, a jade dagger entwined with a red rose floated between the two palms. 

Clow looked closely at Hei-ying's face, the being's head was tilted slightly down, as if he was staring at the dagger, but his eye was closed. A single jade tear lay on his cheek, half shed. Clow swallowed, yet another chapter of his life had come to a close. Clow let the card go, and it floated back to the book. The card floated back to it's place, and the book slammed shut. As the lock snapped shut, the book's cover appeared to bleed. Black spread over the crimson like blood, corrupting the cover as Clow had corrupted Hei-ying. Clow closed his eyes as the book died. Hilligans had been right, something bad had happened, and Clow had been the cause of it. As the last bit of life seeped out of the blackened tome, Clow stood. He picked up the book, which glowed a dim green light, and walked over to the furthest shelve of the furthest isle, he silently slipped the black book onto the shelf. The final part of the book not yet stained by the spilling black blood, were the gold letters 'Hei-ying' but soon the letters began to seep, jade weeping into the gold. Once the transformation was complete, Clow raised his hand and waved it along the spine. He cast the last spell Hei-ying would ever be aware of, a spell that would ensure that neither Eriol . . . nor his other reincarnation . . . would ever desire to go near this book, let alone open it.

Yue stared at the coiled black hair in his hand; it was starting to fade, disappearing as Hei-ying's frantic shrieks increased. Keroberos and Yue both looked at the door when Hei-ying's voice suddenly stopped, there was a brief silence before Clow stepped out of his study. He was pale, and drained. Clow glanced at his remaining guardians before leaning back against the door. Keroberos and Yue were by his side before Clow had slid down on to the floor. He managed to pool enough energy to look up at his guardians, enough to speak, enough to meet Yue's amethyst eyes.

"It . . . is done . . ."

-------------------

And Now It's Time For LEAVE IT TO DOCTOR MEGALOMANIA!!

Hei-ying: Alas . . . Poor me . . . I knew me, Horatio, I was a fine fellow . . . A fine fellow indeed . . .

[Clow, Kero and Yue pick up Hei-ying and throw him out the window, crack open a bottle of fizz and start to dance]

DrM: As you can see everyone here at L.I.T DrM HQ are devastated by the departure of Hei-ying Reed . . .

Yue: The witch is dead!! That wicked old witch is dead!!

DrM: But he's not dead . . . Clow's just sealed him in the book . . .

Kero: [blinks] You mean there's a chance he might come . . . back?!

DrM: [smug] One never knows about these things . . .

Clow: [reads ITTS again] Oh, crap . . .

Yue: What?

Clow: Read the prologue . . .

DrM: [chuckles] And who knows what happens between the sealing and then . . . and what's this I see ahead . . .? [Pulls out spy glass] minor Yaoi ahoy . . .

Clow: [perks up] Me again?

DrM: I see . . . [Dons Mystic Meg getup] I see . . . a dark haired man and an white haired angel getting it on . . . I see . . . the readers clicking the button below . . . and typing reviews . . . and I see a message from beyond . . . it says . . . please R&R . . .