Yukito carried Li into the darkened house. He tiptoed up to the bedrooms. A push on the door to the room he normally shared with Touya showed Touya completely spread out across the bed and Kerberos stretched out on a blanket on the floor. Li still couldn't get used to seeing what was actually his body this way.
"Sakura-san is probably worried about you," Yukito whispered at the door to her room, "Why don't you sleep with her tonight?"
"Like this?!" Li indicated his toy body.
"I didn't say you were to do anything!" Yukito laughed quietly, "Kerberos-san boasts to Yue-san there is no feeling in the world like being hugged as a stuffed animal through the night. Why don't you go in there and see if it is true?"
Yukito cracked the door just wide enough to Li to slip into the darkened room. Li didn't know Kerberos could see in the dark until he had jumped up onto the bed.
He softly walked up the length of the bed, enjoying the vista of Sakura from this extraordinary perspective until he got to her head on her pillow. He reached a gentle paw out and ran it along the lashes of her closed eye.
"Hmm? Syaoran-kun? I'm so glad you're here...I was worried!" Sakura mumbled, still half-asleep as she reached out and scooped him against her chest. She snuggled until her chin was touching the top of his head, sighed contentedly and fell asleep. Li reminded himself to tell Yukito and Yue that Kerberos was 100% right about being hugged as a stuffed animal as he fell asleep.
********
"My 'cute relative' is okay?" Eriol asked.
"He's not adjusting very easily to being in Kerberos-san's body, but he'll be okay," Yukito told him.
"Good! I need to know what you are doing...and why!" Eriol demanded in a no-nonsense voice.
Yukito bowed his head in submissive agreement and Yue manifested.
"I promised Touya I would tell him too," Yue told Eriol.
"Well then, get him. I do not want to wait until morning!" Eriol commanded him.
Yue extended one hand, palm up and Sleep appeared above it. She smiled a welcome and bowed to Eriol before turning her attention to Yue. He locked a gaze on her for a long moment. Finally she nodded and flew out into the house.
"You had Fujitaka perform a very dangerous Ritual," Eriol noted flatly, "You should have let me know!"
Sleep returned and floated before Yue. He extended his hand again. She settled above it and disappeared. Very faint tendrils of power entered Yue's hand.
"How many?" Eriol asked coldly.
"Five," Yue answered.
"Sustaining them could kill you."
"They are all primary Moon Cards. Thus far, I have used Sleep twice and Change once. Fujitaka borrowed some spells from the Cards so he could cast them and help me conserve my energy. He is doing all he can to lessen the energy requirements on me," Yue explained, "Please, don't say anything to Touya! He worries too much as it is!"
Yue floated down the hallway to Touya's room. Kerberos, in the thrall of the Sleep Card, didn't even flinch as Yue woke Touya.
"Wha, what? Oh, Yue, you're back? How's Li? Kero told me he was upset..." Touya asked sleepily.
"He's fine. I was going to check on him next. Come with me and I will explain what is happening," Yue commanded.
Opening Sakura's door revealed Sakura curled up around Li most protectively. Li still had his little arms stretched out trying vainly to hug her face.
"Aw...he's kinda cute!" Touya remarked.
"He is really devoted to Sakura," Yue agreed urging Touya down the hallway.
"Oh, hi, Eriol," Touya stammered as he entered the room.
"I will explain to both of you, and ask for help from both of you," Yue told them before laying the situation out before them.
"...so Fujitaka bound five of the Cards to me and two of them to himself to hide what I was doing," Yue finished.
"But...why? Why did you want Sakura's Cards?" Touya asked.
"You haven't been here lately; Kerberos and Li are both hurting from their insecurities and sniping at each other all the time. Sakura's love for Li makes Kero feel inadequate and it turns out that Li has always thought of himself as a lesser magician since he couldn't claim all the Clow Cards," Yue explained, "My taking the ones he did have from him at the time of Sakura's Judgment didn't help his self-esteem either," Yue muttered quietly.
"That's ridiculous!" Eriol snapped, "I knew that my other half would reincarnate here, so I set the Cards here for that reason! It has nothing to do with the power or value of the magician!"
"When they were switched the first time, Li never learned to use Kerberos' wings or any of Kero's power. Kero-chan, brash as he is, never learned how to really act like a human. He sometimes wishes he could simply be a normal human, not a Guardian Beast and not a toy. It seemed reasonable to Change them again...let them learn more about the other and settle some of their insecurities by being the other..." Yue mused.
"It is a very Clow-like approach to solving the problem!" Eriol told him.
"Thank you!" Yue was surprised.
"But...?" Touya asked.
"But, what?"
"How did you get control of Sakura's Cards? I know you, Yue," Touya told him, "You've done something dangerous!"
"I didn't want to tell you..." Yue hedged.
"Tell me, Yue!" Touya demanded with a hard edge to his voice. Eriol lifted his eyebrows in surprise at both Touya's harsh command and Yue's compliance.
"Fujitaka-san performed a Ritual for me. It rendered me into moonlight so Sakura could absorb me into her staff...then Fujitaka-san bound the five Cards to me through the staff..." Yue explained.
"..." Touya looked hard at Yue.
"I can see the Cards now that I know to look for them. I can see they are draining you!"
"I do have to sustain them, yes," Yue admitted.
"You are trying to get Kerberos to learn Li's magic and Li to learn Kero's right?" Touya demanded.
"Yes...that's part of it...I want Li to hopefully access all of Kerberos' Guardian Beast power and transform once...and I want Kero to learn how to use Li's Elemental Cards. That way, each feels they accomplished something and both of them should appreciate the other more..."
"Once either of them learns the other's magic your secret is out. If I can see the Cards in your aura so will they!" Touya warned.
"Hmm," Eriol cupped his chin in thought.
"Allow me to try something," Eriol pulled out the Moon Bell, "Kaho thought this might be useful," he explained. He handed it to Touya, then evoked his key.
"Ring it for me, Touya-kun," Eriol commanded. Sensing the magic of the Bell, Touya brought all of his own magic into resonance with the Moon before ringing it. Eriol smiled at how quick Touya was to understand even as he shaped the moon-magic with his staff. A globe of moonlight and magic formed around Yue. Eriol shaped it and bound it to Yue's soul.
"Now, can you sense the Cards?" Eriol asked Touya.
"No...but it could be I'm weakened..." Touya admitted.
"The Bell doesn't draw that much magic. I coaxed the magic into a false aura for Yue so as to hide the Cards. If you want, you can also use the aura to impart energy to Yue, but be careful! Do not drain yourself trying to help him!" Eriol warned, "Yes, I know what you did before. If you drain yourself, you will not be able to help us undo what Yue has done to himself. That's where the real danger of this Ritual lies!" Eriol warned.
"Now...what can I do to help with Li and Kerberos?" Eriol smiled helpfully, turning toward Yue.
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Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get!
stargarde@stargarde.com
Next chapter teaser - Flying Lessons
