Disclaimer: This fic is the only thing that's mine; characters aren't, unofrtunately. All rights to these amazing ANIMEs belong to Clamp, Kodansha, Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, yadda yadda yadda, so don't waste your time suing me! Your 'corporate bogeyman' won't get anything valuable from me, anyway, except for a bunch of lousy college grades, some leftover cookie crumbs, a Pentel point 5 standard ball pen, and some crumpled research papers.
Author's Notes: Well, here you have it. Destiny-chapter thirteen. *shrugs tiredly* I'm really sorry if this took too long. I'll do better next time, I swear!
DESTINY by rei-chan
Chapter Thirteen: The Arrival of the Enemy
Three days after the battle with the Card Mistress...
Heero looked up from his laptop when the telephone suddenly rang. Duo came careening out from the kitchen to grab the cordless receiver from its' cradle, winking mischievously at his partner before clicking the 'Talk' button on the phone. "Li Residence. Duo speaking!" The braided boy greeted cheerfully as he plopped down on the couch next to his partner.
"Hello, Duo-san. Is Syaoran or Raiu there?"
Duo smiled and flailed his hands excitedly, causing his elbow to jostle Heero's laptop off his lap. The black machine landed on the carpet with a soft thud. "Ieran-sama! What a surprise!" He crowed, slipping sideways on the sofa and resting his head on Heero's lap. His partner pushed him off in annoyance. "Ma~a, Hee-chan! Stop fidgeting around and let me relax, 'kay?" He whined as he nestled his head even deeper. "Can't you see I'm talking to my number one fan here?"
Li Ieran's soft laughter sounded from the receiver as her elder son glared darkly at his companion before picking up the computer and placing it over Duo's face.
Duo pushed the machine off his head. "Oi, where are your manners?" he scolded as he pushed himself up to a sitting position. "Stupid bastard." To Ieran, he mumbled, "Sorry about that, Ieran-san! You're son's being a big pain in the a--Oi, oi! Not the braid, not the braid!" He almost shrieked as Heero made a grab for his meter-long hair. "Waaa! Ieran-san, he's touching my hair!!! WAAAAAHH!!!"
"Give him the phone, Duo-san. I'll reprimand him for you."
"Yatta!!! Arigato, Ieran-san! Here, you great big MEANIE!" Pouting cutely, he tossed the phone to the waiting hands of his glaring partner, before sticking his tongue out and darting away from the living room, his precious braid cradled protectively against his chest.
Heero shook his head at his comrade's immaturity before placing the receiver against his ear. "Hai." he said gruffly.
His mother's soft laughter immediately died out when he came on the line. "You have battled with the Card Mistress?" Ieran asked without preamble, her voice lacking the motherly affection that Heero had come to expect from her.
Although taken aback by the businesslike tone in Ieran's voice, Heero pushed his hurt away and simply replied. "Aa."
"How did you find your battle with Kinomoto-san?"
He looked back at the events that had happened in the clearing three days ago. "She was efficient. A worthy opponent." he deadpanned. The front door opened suddenly and in came a tired-looking Syaoran. The Wing pilot gave his brother a meaningful look before pointing a finger towards the phone's extension at the end of the hallway. Eyebrows furrowed, Syaoran quickly slipped off his shoes and picked up the other line to listen to their conversation. "Eriol-san put a stop to the fight, though, after I successfully flipped the Power Card over my head after a brief tackle." He narrated in a flat voice.
"That's good." There was a brief pause. "Is Syaoran home? I could feel his aura hovering near you."
Heero raised his eyebrows in mild surprise as his brother guiltily placed the receiver back on its' cradle. He hurried over to where the older boy stood and plopped down on the couch, clasping his hands in front of him as he leaned forward on his elbows, an expectant look on his face.
"Hai. He's sitting here next to me."
"Put me on speaker phone."
The Perfect Soldier clicked on a button. "Done."
"Okaasan." Syaoran greeted their mother as Ieran cleared her throat from the other end. "Hi."
"Hello, son. How have you boys been?"
The amber-eyed boy glanced at his companion a scant second before replying. "Watashi-tachi wa li desu wa ne."(1)
"Sou ka." She went quiet for some moments before letting out a distressed sigh. "Ano ne, Raiu, Syaoran. The Elders have just received word from the Tzes. Tze Hao Shu and Tze Kang Peng have just left for Japan. They're on their way to eliminate our clan's heir."
Both boys drew sharp intakes of breath at the news. Syaoran's eyes widened with slight fear. Heero merely blinked. "I-is that s-so?" Syaoran muttered carefully, his eyes straying over to his brother's still form while he nervously cracked his knuckles together.
Their mother sighed. "Hai. That is why you have to be ready for anything. I advice that you contact Clow-sama and the Card Mistress as soon as possible for the second arc of Raiu's training. And, Syaoran--"
"Hai?"
"You have to fight alongside your brother now. You have to fight the Mistress. And Clow-sama."
~ 0 ~
Sakura was lounging lazily on the couch after cooking dinner for her father and brother when the doorbell suddenly rang. Sighing, she pushed her tired body off the soft couch and trudged towards the door. "Hai, I'm coming, I'm coming." she grumbled as she twisted the knob and pulled the door open. "Oi, Syaoran-kun! Raiu-san! Duo-san! Eriol-kun!" She greeted in surprise, taken aback by her sudden visitors. "Wha-what's up? Or should I say, what's going on?"
Eriol extended a hand at her. "Can we come in, Sakura-chan?" he asked her politely, "This is rather important."
"Ahh, sure, sure! Come in!"
After ushering her guests in the living room, Sakura excused heself to get some tea from the kitchen. The four boys were left sitting quietly and staring at each other.
"I don't get it," Duo started as he ran a hand through his jagged bangs, mouth pulled down into a frown. He turned to Eriol, "I thought your only task was to train Hee-chan. Why do you have to fight alongside Sakura-chan now?"
Eriol pulled his Key off the black chain hanging around his neck and absently started playing with it. "It's the fault of the Elders, Duo-san. They underestimated the strength of the Tze's powers."
"Nani?" Syaoran almost shrieked incredulously. Even Heero looked mildly confused at Eriol's news. The Elders' rarely make mistakes.
The English boy sighed. "The Elders' failed to realize that the Tzes had been steadily accumulating power over the years, ever since Syaoran's birth. The threat of Ieran producing another heir prompted them to search for new magical sources in order to battle with Xiao Lan when he comes to age." he explained quietly. "They do not know that Raiu is still alive and has complete control of his magic."
"You didn't answer my damn question, Eriol. What does all this have to do with you fighting alongside Sakura-chan?"
Sakura came back from the kitchen carrying a tray of tea and some cookies. She set it down on the table and plopped down on the sofa next to Eriol to listen.
"Over the years the Tzes had managed to control the forces of the Wind and the Earth. Before their magic was only represented of ofudas. But now they are already able to harness the elemental forces of the Wind and the Earth. They now have control over Tornado and Earth, two of the Cards comprising the Card Mistress' Deck. Since these newfound magic of theirs has not been seen by any of our clan members, the nearest things that could substitute them are Storm, Windy, Wood, and several combinations of the other Cards' magic. I would be assisting the Card Mistress in controlling her Cards, as well as providing a few other tests for your magic."
"Demo, Eriol-kun," Sakura suddenly interrupted, placing a hand on the English boy's knee and absently giving it a squeeze (Syaoran's eyes narrowed into tiny slits at this)(2), "You know as well as Syaoran and I that our magic can be so strong when combined. How could he and Raiu-san fight us?"
Eriol just shook his head. "That is not for me to say." He placed a hand over Sakura's and patted it reassuringly. Duo deliberately nudged Syaoran and grinned teasingly. The amber-eyed boy glowered. "However, isn't that the entire purpose of their training? To figure out how they could defeat the Tzes' new magic?"
"Yeah, I totally agree, HIIRAGIZAWA!" Syaoran almost shouted, jumping up from his seat and stalking over to where the two were still holding hands. He clapped Eriol on the shoulder roughly, causing the English boy to wince slightly. "That basically sums up the whole purpose of the training. Really."
Duo snickered at the completely confused look on Sakura's face as Syaoran almost breathed fire at the other boy. Heero, seeing that his brother was only an inch away from beating the young magician into a bloody pulp, ancestor or not, spoke up, "Let's start tonight and get this thing over with. I have a feeling that we do not have that much time."
~ 0 ~
Syaoran looked up from his Lasin board when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he found himself staring directly at his brother's slightly uncomfortable Prussian blue eyes. "Yeah?"
Heero motioned at his clothes. "Is it really necessary to wear these?" He asked darkly, plucking at the edge of his sleeves as he shifted on his feet. He was decked in a traditional Chinese warrior's garb so much like Syaoran's. The only differences were in the colors. Heero was in red while Syaoran in green. "I don't think I'll be able to fight efficiently in these clothes."
Syaoran smiled at him and shook his head, gesturing to his own costume as he stood up and sheathed his sword. "Believe it or not, 'Niisan, it's more comfortable than it looks." Glancing at the clearing, the younger boy nodded firmly to himself before speaking, "Let's go."
The two Lis walked forward at the same pace, meeting Eriol halfway as the English boy headed for the battle site. "You guys ready?" Eriol muttered in a low voice, an unmistakable look of concern in his eyes. Both Syaoran and Heero nodded at him.
"Oi!!! Sakura-chan, you look great! Where'd you get the cool costume!"
All three magical warriors spun around to find Duo ogling at Sakura's latest battle costume.
"My," Eriol observed in amusement, his eyes trained on the black-clad figure in the distance that was Sakura, a small smile etched on his face, "Tomoyo-san has outdone herself once again."
Syaoran was gaping like a dead fish at the auburn-haired girl. "Yo-you're telling me." He stuttered, his face a fire-engine red.
Duo happily circled the Card Mistress with stars in his eyes. "My little Goddess of Death!" He cried joyously, clapping his hands in delight as he skipped all around a very embarrassed Sakura. "Man, this is soooo cool!"
The emerald-eyed Card Captor was clad in a skin tight black sleeveless blouse, a very short black leatherette skirt, a pair of knee-high black combat boots, and a black head band with a pair of black bat wings attached to it. Keroberosu stood proudly on her shoulder wearing a little black amulet shaped like a bat and a holding a plastic green thermal scythe in one of his paws.(3) Duo smiled ecstatically and grabbed the miniature scythe from Kero, ignoring the Guardian Beast's angry protests. "Where'd you get this?"
Tomoyo appeared by his elbow. "I convinced Mother to start manufacturing miniature Gundams as toys. I showed her some of my video clips while you guys were fighting Oz, and she was delighted! Production started two weeks ago." At Duo's confused look, she added, "We own a toy company."
"I see."
Syaoran crossed his arms over his chest. "And I'm betting you got the idea for Sakura's costume from Duo-san's 'shinigami' act." he asked the long-haired girl as Tomoyo threw her head back and laughed melodiously.
Eriol cleared his throat. "If we could proceed with the business, please. We don't have that much time." He told them quietly, motioning for Sakura to take her place beside him as Heero and Syaoran both stood in front of the young magician. Duo grabbed Tomoyo and headed for the trees some distance away, where they could both watch (and videotape) safely.
Heero flexed his fingers nervously as he stood towering over the three kids, mindful of the almost tangible aura emanating from each of the sixth graders as they all waited for Eriol's instructions. The flash of green that was his brother's quivered uncertainly, while Sakura's pink aura faded in and out nervously. Only Eriol's grayish aura remained clear. The sound of swishing wings could be heard from a distance, and a moment later, Spinnel Sun and Ruby Moon, both in their true forms, appeared in the air, with Yue trailing behind them. The three Guardians landed beside their respective Masters. Kero tossed his little scythe and amulet at Duo before taking off beside Yue, transforming in the air.
Eriol cleared his throat as he regarded his half persona's descendants indifferently. "Good luck." he whispered before taking off in the air, Sakura not far behind him.
Heero and Syaoran simultaneously unsheathed their swords and took on battle stances, eyes trained on the two hovering figures above them.
"Release and Dispel! Maze Card!" Sakura commanded from above. The magical circle of the Moon, the Sun, and the Stars immediately appeared under her as Maze started its' work.
Heero turned to his brother, "Why--" he began, but Syaoran cut him off.
"This battle's going to be a tough one, 'niisan. Sakura used the Maze Card so that curious people would not stray around and get hurt."
"I see."
Syaoran turned serious eyes at the Wing pilot. "Be careful, 'niisan. While Sakura might be a sympathetic opponent, Eriol is not. Keep your eyes open."
Heero nodded at him. "Will do."
"Release!" Eriol's too calm command echoed from above as he raised his staff high in the air. The already darkened night sky grew even dimmer as short currents of lighting streaked its vast space.
"Rain Card!" The Card Mistress shouted. Instantly a very strong downpour of heavy rain began pouring down on them in fist size pellets, all coming from the too cute figure of a little girl sitting snugly on a rain cloud. Heero made a grab for his brother's arm to pull towards the meager protection of the trees, but Syaoran began muttering under his breath, his right arm raised parallel in front of his face with his pointer and middle fingers pointing upward. He had his eyes closed in concentration.
'He's using ancient magic. Don't interrupt him!' A voice at the back of the Wing pilot's head screamed as Heero made a move to tug at Syaoran's arm. Sure enough, a light protective shield surrounded them a moment later, completely shielding them from the pelting rain.
"Storm!"
Storm rose to the air and, with its help, Rain increased in intensity, beating against Syaoran's shield until it completely dissapperated in the air, drenching the two boys to the bone once more. Heero gritted his teeth grabbed one of his ofudas and threw it on the ground. "Raite Shourai!" he hollered, raising his sword and stabbing the ofuda with it.
Lightning ripped through the sky and zoomed to the two Cards, completely frying them. The rain immediately stopped. The two forms retreated back towards their Mistress.
Eriol swooped down on them, muttering a few incantations as the sky grew even darker. The wind then began picking up its speed, almost uprooting the trees surrounding them as Heero grabbed Syaoran's arm to keep the smaller boy from being blown away by the strong wind. He threw himself and his brother on the ground as a huge tornado appeared from nowhere and began weaving its way towards the two of them, destroying everything along its way.
"Windy!" Sakura cried, raising her wand high in the air as the Star at its tip began spinning.
The ethereal form of Windy appeared from Sakura's card and flew to the air, melding itself with the tornado. Instantly the tornado increased its speed as Windy's magic added to Eriol's.
Heero's mind was screaming panic. His soldier's training did not cover preventing a tornado from destroying everything along its path, and his knowledge of ancient magic was limited only to the few healing spells Syaoran had taught him briefly while he was still recovering from Eriol's test.
He felt Syaoran stir from underneath him. "Fuuka(4), you and I together, okay?" He bellowed as the tornado drew nearer. They could hear both Duo's and Tomoyo's warning shouts from the trees.
"Hai."
They struggled to stand up. Raising their swords, the two boys threw their respective ofudas in the air and yelled. "Fuuka Shourai!"
Their magic flew in a destructive arc towards the funnel-shaped cloud's surface, but nothing happened. Instead of stopping it's approach, it was no doubt that Sakura's and Eriol's combined magic had somehow absorbed theirs.
"Damn! They're too strong!" Syaoran yelled as he jumped away. Heero landed a couple of feet away from him, his Prussian blue eyes trained intently on the rotating tornado, his mind churning. 'There has GOT to be a weakness in this somewhere...'
His thoughts were interrupted when Syaoran suddenly gave a startled yell as the ground started shaking. Eriol was floating in the air once more, his staff and his right arm raised high above his head as he shouted incantations. Sakura was brandishing the Wood Card over her head. Her eyes filled with unspoken terror as she realized what Eriol was trying to do.
The ground split into two jagged halves.
"Syaoran!" Heero yelled as his brother landed on the other side, blood gushing freely out from an open wound on his forehead. "Damn you, Clow!" He screamed as he produced another ofuda in the air. "Raite Shourai!"
The lightning from his ofuda shot out in a fiery line of electrically-charged current at Eriol. His ancestor merely smiled bitterly at him as a bright shield enveloped him inches before the lightning hit him.
"'Niisan!"
Heero spun around as he heard Syaoran's voice. "Daijoubo ka, Syaoran?" he wanted to know as he swiftly jumped over the huge crack on the ground to land gracefully by his brother's side. Syaoran was pointing at the approaching tornado, his face contorted in an expression of pain as his finger indicated the softly glowing ball at the center of the tornado. "I think I found its weakness." He told his brother. He used his sword as leverage as he struggled to stand up, Heero supporting his other arm. "We have to get to it before it causes any more danger."
"Ryoukai." Once sure that Syaoran was firmly back on his two feet, Heero brought out his Fire ofuda and held it in front of his closed eyes, all the while aware that Syaoran was doing the same thing with his Lightning ofuda. The Wing pilot could feel himself drowning in the bright green light within him, and he held on to that firmly. Opening his eyes, he tossed the ofuda on the ground. "Kashin Shourai!" he yelled.
"Raite Shourai!" Syaoran yelled just as loudly. Both boys' magic merged before shooting off towards the tornado's eye, where Eriol's and Sakura's powers were centered. Heero didn't stop to watch if their attack was successful or not. Turning back to the ground, he studied the jagged planes of the once flat forest floor, tapping onto his magic as he searched for the power center. There. Muttering a few incantations under his breath, he tossed an ofuda at a protruding rock and watched with satisfaction as it began to tremble, then disintegrate.
Syaoran whooped joyously as his and Heero's attack hit its mark. The tornado's eye exploded in a cloud of pinkish-gray smoke, both essences returning to their respective Masters as Sakura and Eriol, both wearing tired but happy grins on their faces, floated back down towards them.
"Good. I see you're both fit for our challenge." An unfamiliar voice with a Chinese accent sneered from the trees and the four of them spun around.
Their eyes widened as the sight greeted them.
Duo and Tomoyo were both staring back at them from their bound position against one of the trees. Tears were streaming down Tomoyo's face as she pleaded with them for help. Duo's amethyst eyes were narrowed with anger as one of his captors teasingly waved his pistol in front of the Deathscythe pilot's face.
"Let them go." Heero commanded harshly, taking a threatening step forward as Yue and Ruby Moon flitted towards the two strangers, eyes burning with raw anger.
The older man's eyes took on a sinister glow. "Never." he growled.
"Moon Guardians, halt." Eriol ordered calmly as Yue moved his arms to form his magical bow and arrow.
"Who are you?" Syaoran asked the boldly as he inched his way towards Sakura, effectively shielding her from anything while he glared darkly at the two Chinese men.
The younger of the two strangers stepped forward and brought out an amulet. It was the color of ebony and shaped like the Chinese symbol for Earth.
"Your enemies."
TBC
==Aack! A cliffy! I know you guys probably hate me right now, but please try to understand! This thing is sooo difficult to construct. Demo, the next chapter will be out in a week, I swear on my parents' names!!! Hope you liked this!
FOOTNOTES:
1. "We're fine."
2. Nope, I'm not playing with you guys! I purposefully inserted this! I've observed that Sakura-chan somtimes has this tendency to be very touchy-feely with all her friends, even with Eriol. As for our beloved English boy's reaction (hand-squeezing thingie), hell, he LOVES making Syaoran-kun jealous, doesn't he?
3. As much as I would love to adopt this splendid idea for Sakura's costume, I can't. My demented Duo-loving sister came up with this cool battle costume *screams of 'Death boy rules!' could be heard coming from upstairs* I did come up with the idea of Kero carrying a scythe and wearing an amulet, though.
4. If I remember correctly, this is Syaoran's Wind charm. (Gomen ne, Natsu-chan! I lost my scratch papers!)
Like it? Hate it? Let me know!
Author's Notes: Well, here you have it. Destiny-chapter thirteen. *shrugs tiredly* I'm really sorry if this took too long. I'll do better next time, I swear!
DESTINY by rei-chan
Chapter Thirteen: The Arrival of the Enemy
Three days after the battle with the Card Mistress...
Heero looked up from his laptop when the telephone suddenly rang. Duo came careening out from the kitchen to grab the cordless receiver from its' cradle, winking mischievously at his partner before clicking the 'Talk' button on the phone. "Li Residence. Duo speaking!" The braided boy greeted cheerfully as he plopped down on the couch next to his partner.
"Hello, Duo-san. Is Syaoran or Raiu there?"
Duo smiled and flailed his hands excitedly, causing his elbow to jostle Heero's laptop off his lap. The black machine landed on the carpet with a soft thud. "Ieran-sama! What a surprise!" He crowed, slipping sideways on the sofa and resting his head on Heero's lap. His partner pushed him off in annoyance. "Ma~a, Hee-chan! Stop fidgeting around and let me relax, 'kay?" He whined as he nestled his head even deeper. "Can't you see I'm talking to my number one fan here?"
Li Ieran's soft laughter sounded from the receiver as her elder son glared darkly at his companion before picking up the computer and placing it over Duo's face.
Duo pushed the machine off his head. "Oi, where are your manners?" he scolded as he pushed himself up to a sitting position. "Stupid bastard." To Ieran, he mumbled, "Sorry about that, Ieran-san! You're son's being a big pain in the a--Oi, oi! Not the braid, not the braid!" He almost shrieked as Heero made a grab for his meter-long hair. "Waaa! Ieran-san, he's touching my hair!!! WAAAAAHH!!!"
"Give him the phone, Duo-san. I'll reprimand him for you."
"Yatta!!! Arigato, Ieran-san! Here, you great big MEANIE!" Pouting cutely, he tossed the phone to the waiting hands of his glaring partner, before sticking his tongue out and darting away from the living room, his precious braid cradled protectively against his chest.
Heero shook his head at his comrade's immaturity before placing the receiver against his ear. "Hai." he said gruffly.
His mother's soft laughter immediately died out when he came on the line. "You have battled with the Card Mistress?" Ieran asked without preamble, her voice lacking the motherly affection that Heero had come to expect from her.
Although taken aback by the businesslike tone in Ieran's voice, Heero pushed his hurt away and simply replied. "Aa."
"How did you find your battle with Kinomoto-san?"
He looked back at the events that had happened in the clearing three days ago. "She was efficient. A worthy opponent." he deadpanned. The front door opened suddenly and in came a tired-looking Syaoran. The Wing pilot gave his brother a meaningful look before pointing a finger towards the phone's extension at the end of the hallway. Eyebrows furrowed, Syaoran quickly slipped off his shoes and picked up the other line to listen to their conversation. "Eriol-san put a stop to the fight, though, after I successfully flipped the Power Card over my head after a brief tackle." He narrated in a flat voice.
"That's good." There was a brief pause. "Is Syaoran home? I could feel his aura hovering near you."
Heero raised his eyebrows in mild surprise as his brother guiltily placed the receiver back on its' cradle. He hurried over to where the older boy stood and plopped down on the couch, clasping his hands in front of him as he leaned forward on his elbows, an expectant look on his face.
"Hai. He's sitting here next to me."
"Put me on speaker phone."
The Perfect Soldier clicked on a button. "Done."
"Okaasan." Syaoran greeted their mother as Ieran cleared her throat from the other end. "Hi."
"Hello, son. How have you boys been?"
The amber-eyed boy glanced at his companion a scant second before replying. "Watashi-tachi wa li desu wa ne."(1)
"Sou ka." She went quiet for some moments before letting out a distressed sigh. "Ano ne, Raiu, Syaoran. The Elders have just received word from the Tzes. Tze Hao Shu and Tze Kang Peng have just left for Japan. They're on their way to eliminate our clan's heir."
Both boys drew sharp intakes of breath at the news. Syaoran's eyes widened with slight fear. Heero merely blinked. "I-is that s-so?" Syaoran muttered carefully, his eyes straying over to his brother's still form while he nervously cracked his knuckles together.
Their mother sighed. "Hai. That is why you have to be ready for anything. I advice that you contact Clow-sama and the Card Mistress as soon as possible for the second arc of Raiu's training. And, Syaoran--"
"Hai?"
"You have to fight alongside your brother now. You have to fight the Mistress. And Clow-sama."
~ 0 ~
Sakura was lounging lazily on the couch after cooking dinner for her father and brother when the doorbell suddenly rang. Sighing, she pushed her tired body off the soft couch and trudged towards the door. "Hai, I'm coming, I'm coming." she grumbled as she twisted the knob and pulled the door open. "Oi, Syaoran-kun! Raiu-san! Duo-san! Eriol-kun!" She greeted in surprise, taken aback by her sudden visitors. "Wha-what's up? Or should I say, what's going on?"
Eriol extended a hand at her. "Can we come in, Sakura-chan?" he asked her politely, "This is rather important."
"Ahh, sure, sure! Come in!"
After ushering her guests in the living room, Sakura excused heself to get some tea from the kitchen. The four boys were left sitting quietly and staring at each other.
"I don't get it," Duo started as he ran a hand through his jagged bangs, mouth pulled down into a frown. He turned to Eriol, "I thought your only task was to train Hee-chan. Why do you have to fight alongside Sakura-chan now?"
Eriol pulled his Key off the black chain hanging around his neck and absently started playing with it. "It's the fault of the Elders, Duo-san. They underestimated the strength of the Tze's powers."
"Nani?" Syaoran almost shrieked incredulously. Even Heero looked mildly confused at Eriol's news. The Elders' rarely make mistakes.
The English boy sighed. "The Elders' failed to realize that the Tzes had been steadily accumulating power over the years, ever since Syaoran's birth. The threat of Ieran producing another heir prompted them to search for new magical sources in order to battle with Xiao Lan when he comes to age." he explained quietly. "They do not know that Raiu is still alive and has complete control of his magic."
"You didn't answer my damn question, Eriol. What does all this have to do with you fighting alongside Sakura-chan?"
Sakura came back from the kitchen carrying a tray of tea and some cookies. She set it down on the table and plopped down on the sofa next to Eriol to listen.
"Over the years the Tzes had managed to control the forces of the Wind and the Earth. Before their magic was only represented of ofudas. But now they are already able to harness the elemental forces of the Wind and the Earth. They now have control over Tornado and Earth, two of the Cards comprising the Card Mistress' Deck. Since these newfound magic of theirs has not been seen by any of our clan members, the nearest things that could substitute them are Storm, Windy, Wood, and several combinations of the other Cards' magic. I would be assisting the Card Mistress in controlling her Cards, as well as providing a few other tests for your magic."
"Demo, Eriol-kun," Sakura suddenly interrupted, placing a hand on the English boy's knee and absently giving it a squeeze (Syaoran's eyes narrowed into tiny slits at this)(2), "You know as well as Syaoran and I that our magic can be so strong when combined. How could he and Raiu-san fight us?"
Eriol just shook his head. "That is not for me to say." He placed a hand over Sakura's and patted it reassuringly. Duo deliberately nudged Syaoran and grinned teasingly. The amber-eyed boy glowered. "However, isn't that the entire purpose of their training? To figure out how they could defeat the Tzes' new magic?"
"Yeah, I totally agree, HIIRAGIZAWA!" Syaoran almost shouted, jumping up from his seat and stalking over to where the two were still holding hands. He clapped Eriol on the shoulder roughly, causing the English boy to wince slightly. "That basically sums up the whole purpose of the training. Really."
Duo snickered at the completely confused look on Sakura's face as Syaoran almost breathed fire at the other boy. Heero, seeing that his brother was only an inch away from beating the young magician into a bloody pulp, ancestor or not, spoke up, "Let's start tonight and get this thing over with. I have a feeling that we do not have that much time."
~ 0 ~
Syaoran looked up from his Lasin board when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he found himself staring directly at his brother's slightly uncomfortable Prussian blue eyes. "Yeah?"
Heero motioned at his clothes. "Is it really necessary to wear these?" He asked darkly, plucking at the edge of his sleeves as he shifted on his feet. He was decked in a traditional Chinese warrior's garb so much like Syaoran's. The only differences were in the colors. Heero was in red while Syaoran in green. "I don't think I'll be able to fight efficiently in these clothes."
Syaoran smiled at him and shook his head, gesturing to his own costume as he stood up and sheathed his sword. "Believe it or not, 'Niisan, it's more comfortable than it looks." Glancing at the clearing, the younger boy nodded firmly to himself before speaking, "Let's go."
The two Lis walked forward at the same pace, meeting Eriol halfway as the English boy headed for the battle site. "You guys ready?" Eriol muttered in a low voice, an unmistakable look of concern in his eyes. Both Syaoran and Heero nodded at him.
"Oi!!! Sakura-chan, you look great! Where'd you get the cool costume!"
All three magical warriors spun around to find Duo ogling at Sakura's latest battle costume.
"My," Eriol observed in amusement, his eyes trained on the black-clad figure in the distance that was Sakura, a small smile etched on his face, "Tomoyo-san has outdone herself once again."
Syaoran was gaping like a dead fish at the auburn-haired girl. "Yo-you're telling me." He stuttered, his face a fire-engine red.
Duo happily circled the Card Mistress with stars in his eyes. "My little Goddess of Death!" He cried joyously, clapping his hands in delight as he skipped all around a very embarrassed Sakura. "Man, this is soooo cool!"
The emerald-eyed Card Captor was clad in a skin tight black sleeveless blouse, a very short black leatherette skirt, a pair of knee-high black combat boots, and a black head band with a pair of black bat wings attached to it. Keroberosu stood proudly on her shoulder wearing a little black amulet shaped like a bat and a holding a plastic green thermal scythe in one of his paws.(3) Duo smiled ecstatically and grabbed the miniature scythe from Kero, ignoring the Guardian Beast's angry protests. "Where'd you get this?"
Tomoyo appeared by his elbow. "I convinced Mother to start manufacturing miniature Gundams as toys. I showed her some of my video clips while you guys were fighting Oz, and she was delighted! Production started two weeks ago." At Duo's confused look, she added, "We own a toy company."
"I see."
Syaoran crossed his arms over his chest. "And I'm betting you got the idea for Sakura's costume from Duo-san's 'shinigami' act." he asked the long-haired girl as Tomoyo threw her head back and laughed melodiously.
Eriol cleared his throat. "If we could proceed with the business, please. We don't have that much time." He told them quietly, motioning for Sakura to take her place beside him as Heero and Syaoran both stood in front of the young magician. Duo grabbed Tomoyo and headed for the trees some distance away, where they could both watch (and videotape) safely.
Heero flexed his fingers nervously as he stood towering over the three kids, mindful of the almost tangible aura emanating from each of the sixth graders as they all waited for Eriol's instructions. The flash of green that was his brother's quivered uncertainly, while Sakura's pink aura faded in and out nervously. Only Eriol's grayish aura remained clear. The sound of swishing wings could be heard from a distance, and a moment later, Spinnel Sun and Ruby Moon, both in their true forms, appeared in the air, with Yue trailing behind them. The three Guardians landed beside their respective Masters. Kero tossed his little scythe and amulet at Duo before taking off beside Yue, transforming in the air.
Eriol cleared his throat as he regarded his half persona's descendants indifferently. "Good luck." he whispered before taking off in the air, Sakura not far behind him.
Heero and Syaoran simultaneously unsheathed their swords and took on battle stances, eyes trained on the two hovering figures above them.
"Release and Dispel! Maze Card!" Sakura commanded from above. The magical circle of the Moon, the Sun, and the Stars immediately appeared under her as Maze started its' work.
Heero turned to his brother, "Why--" he began, but Syaoran cut him off.
"This battle's going to be a tough one, 'niisan. Sakura used the Maze Card so that curious people would not stray around and get hurt."
"I see."
Syaoran turned serious eyes at the Wing pilot. "Be careful, 'niisan. While Sakura might be a sympathetic opponent, Eriol is not. Keep your eyes open."
Heero nodded at him. "Will do."
"Release!" Eriol's too calm command echoed from above as he raised his staff high in the air. The already darkened night sky grew even dimmer as short currents of lighting streaked its vast space.
"Rain Card!" The Card Mistress shouted. Instantly a very strong downpour of heavy rain began pouring down on them in fist size pellets, all coming from the too cute figure of a little girl sitting snugly on a rain cloud. Heero made a grab for his brother's arm to pull towards the meager protection of the trees, but Syaoran began muttering under his breath, his right arm raised parallel in front of his face with his pointer and middle fingers pointing upward. He had his eyes closed in concentration.
'He's using ancient magic. Don't interrupt him!' A voice at the back of the Wing pilot's head screamed as Heero made a move to tug at Syaoran's arm. Sure enough, a light protective shield surrounded them a moment later, completely shielding them from the pelting rain.
"Storm!"
Storm rose to the air and, with its help, Rain increased in intensity, beating against Syaoran's shield until it completely dissapperated in the air, drenching the two boys to the bone once more. Heero gritted his teeth grabbed one of his ofudas and threw it on the ground. "Raite Shourai!" he hollered, raising his sword and stabbing the ofuda with it.
Lightning ripped through the sky and zoomed to the two Cards, completely frying them. The rain immediately stopped. The two forms retreated back towards their Mistress.
Eriol swooped down on them, muttering a few incantations as the sky grew even darker. The wind then began picking up its speed, almost uprooting the trees surrounding them as Heero grabbed Syaoran's arm to keep the smaller boy from being blown away by the strong wind. He threw himself and his brother on the ground as a huge tornado appeared from nowhere and began weaving its way towards the two of them, destroying everything along its way.
"Windy!" Sakura cried, raising her wand high in the air as the Star at its tip began spinning.
The ethereal form of Windy appeared from Sakura's card and flew to the air, melding itself with the tornado. Instantly the tornado increased its speed as Windy's magic added to Eriol's.
Heero's mind was screaming panic. His soldier's training did not cover preventing a tornado from destroying everything along its path, and his knowledge of ancient magic was limited only to the few healing spells Syaoran had taught him briefly while he was still recovering from Eriol's test.
He felt Syaoran stir from underneath him. "Fuuka(4), you and I together, okay?" He bellowed as the tornado drew nearer. They could hear both Duo's and Tomoyo's warning shouts from the trees.
"Hai."
They struggled to stand up. Raising their swords, the two boys threw their respective ofudas in the air and yelled. "Fuuka Shourai!"
Their magic flew in a destructive arc towards the funnel-shaped cloud's surface, but nothing happened. Instead of stopping it's approach, it was no doubt that Sakura's and Eriol's combined magic had somehow absorbed theirs.
"Damn! They're too strong!" Syaoran yelled as he jumped away. Heero landed a couple of feet away from him, his Prussian blue eyes trained intently on the rotating tornado, his mind churning. 'There has GOT to be a weakness in this somewhere...'
His thoughts were interrupted when Syaoran suddenly gave a startled yell as the ground started shaking. Eriol was floating in the air once more, his staff and his right arm raised high above his head as he shouted incantations. Sakura was brandishing the Wood Card over her head. Her eyes filled with unspoken terror as she realized what Eriol was trying to do.
The ground split into two jagged halves.
"Syaoran!" Heero yelled as his brother landed on the other side, blood gushing freely out from an open wound on his forehead. "Damn you, Clow!" He screamed as he produced another ofuda in the air. "Raite Shourai!"
The lightning from his ofuda shot out in a fiery line of electrically-charged current at Eriol. His ancestor merely smiled bitterly at him as a bright shield enveloped him inches before the lightning hit him.
"'Niisan!"
Heero spun around as he heard Syaoran's voice. "Daijoubo ka, Syaoran?" he wanted to know as he swiftly jumped over the huge crack on the ground to land gracefully by his brother's side. Syaoran was pointing at the approaching tornado, his face contorted in an expression of pain as his finger indicated the softly glowing ball at the center of the tornado. "I think I found its weakness." He told his brother. He used his sword as leverage as he struggled to stand up, Heero supporting his other arm. "We have to get to it before it causes any more danger."
"Ryoukai." Once sure that Syaoran was firmly back on his two feet, Heero brought out his Fire ofuda and held it in front of his closed eyes, all the while aware that Syaoran was doing the same thing with his Lightning ofuda. The Wing pilot could feel himself drowning in the bright green light within him, and he held on to that firmly. Opening his eyes, he tossed the ofuda on the ground. "Kashin Shourai!" he yelled.
"Raite Shourai!" Syaoran yelled just as loudly. Both boys' magic merged before shooting off towards the tornado's eye, where Eriol's and Sakura's powers were centered. Heero didn't stop to watch if their attack was successful or not. Turning back to the ground, he studied the jagged planes of the once flat forest floor, tapping onto his magic as he searched for the power center. There. Muttering a few incantations under his breath, he tossed an ofuda at a protruding rock and watched with satisfaction as it began to tremble, then disintegrate.
Syaoran whooped joyously as his and Heero's attack hit its mark. The tornado's eye exploded in a cloud of pinkish-gray smoke, both essences returning to their respective Masters as Sakura and Eriol, both wearing tired but happy grins on their faces, floated back down towards them.
"Good. I see you're both fit for our challenge." An unfamiliar voice with a Chinese accent sneered from the trees and the four of them spun around.
Their eyes widened as the sight greeted them.
Duo and Tomoyo were both staring back at them from their bound position against one of the trees. Tears were streaming down Tomoyo's face as she pleaded with them for help. Duo's amethyst eyes were narrowed with anger as one of his captors teasingly waved his pistol in front of the Deathscythe pilot's face.
"Let them go." Heero commanded harshly, taking a threatening step forward as Yue and Ruby Moon flitted towards the two strangers, eyes burning with raw anger.
The older man's eyes took on a sinister glow. "Never." he growled.
"Moon Guardians, halt." Eriol ordered calmly as Yue moved his arms to form his magical bow and arrow.
"Who are you?" Syaoran asked the boldly as he inched his way towards Sakura, effectively shielding her from anything while he glared darkly at the two Chinese men.
The younger of the two strangers stepped forward and brought out an amulet. It was the color of ebony and shaped like the Chinese symbol for Earth.
"Your enemies."
TBC
==Aack! A cliffy! I know you guys probably hate me right now, but please try to understand! This thing is sooo difficult to construct. Demo, the next chapter will be out in a week, I swear on my parents' names!!! Hope you liked this!
FOOTNOTES:
1. "We're fine."
2. Nope, I'm not playing with you guys! I purposefully inserted this! I've observed that Sakura-chan somtimes has this tendency to be very touchy-feely with all her friends, even with Eriol. As for our beloved English boy's reaction (hand-squeezing thingie), hell, he LOVES making Syaoran-kun jealous, doesn't he?
3. As much as I would love to adopt this splendid idea for Sakura's costume, I can't. My demented Duo-loving sister came up with this cool battle costume *screams of 'Death boy rules!' could be heard coming from upstairs* I did come up with the idea of Kero carrying a scythe and wearing an amulet, though.
4. If I remember correctly, this is Syaoran's Wind charm. (Gomen ne, Natsu-chan! I lost my scratch papers!)
Like it? Hate it? Let me know!
