The Guardians

Chapter 6: A New Evil Arises

By SilentLight

"And now you are the next chosen one." All four Guardians and Dawan turned to look at Alan. "It is your choice now, Alan. Would you accept the duty of being the Cardcaptor, or would you rather to have never met us?" Dawan felt a surge to tell him 'choose us! Choose ME!' but she suppressed it. It would do no good to influence her feelings on his choice.

Alan was confused. "I.I'm the heir to the powerful Sakura Cards? But.but why?" Dawan sighed, opened her eyes, and locked them with Alan's. He felt a gentle touch, a whisper, nothing more; graze the surface of his mind, but it left as silently and quickly as it had came.

Dawan extended a tendril of her essence towards the to-be-Cardcaptor, felt the similarity between them, and withdrew hurriedly. 'Earth essence. Yet not One with the Power. Certainly qualified to be the Chosen One.' To Alan, she said aloud, "You have a power different from Clow, who used the Power of the Sun, and Sakura, who uses the Power of the Star." She paused here, and saw that the Guardians were too, hanging on her every word. "You. have the essence of the Earth." "Essence of the Earth?" echoed Spinel Sun, furrowing his brows. "Isn't that the same as the Power you have?"

"Not quite exactly, Spinel Sun. I have the essence of the Earth, true, but I am fully able to use it. Alan, here," she gestured towards the teenage to- be-Cardcaptor, "He just has the potential," explained Dawan, noticing that Alan wasn't listening to her, but instead seemed to be deep in thought. "He may never be able to use the Power of the Earth, but he can use other types of magic, for example, sorcery. Also, his children will inherit that potential, and they may be fated to join me." Alan then interrupted her.

"I.I think that I would like to be a Cardcaptor," he blurted. 'After all,' he thought to himself, 'rather than wandering around aimlessly doing nothing to help the Mother Nature I love, this might just be my chance.'

Keroberos ambled forward, and placed his furry head cautiously on Alan's lap. When Alan rewarded him by scratching his fur, he almost purred in ecstasy. Dawan smiled. "Well, Alan, since you've decided, you must have a sealing wand. Do you have any family magical weapons that you use?" At his negative answer, she directed him to the center of the room, which was bare of all furniture, even rugs. Summoning her own Power, she started the instating rites.

"Key of Sakura." Alan felt himself drift away in an ocean of light, where he could see nothing but light, "With your Star light burning bright." He saw a green glow shining in front of him, "Grant thy staff to thy chosen one." And the green glow elongated, "And shine through the night." Alan felt his hand reaching of their own accord, towards the green long glow, and wrapped his fingers firmly about it. He felt a shock to his arm that dissipated through his body, as colors came flooding back to the world. He found himself standing in the middle of a circle with symbols, but it disappeared quickly. He examined the wand he held in his hand, and saw that it was of the same green of the glow he had grabbed, only now it had a star on one end, and a twist of something that looked suspiciously like a root of a plant. He looked up at the ethereally beautifully lady who had granted him the wand, and was struck, for the second time that day, how beautiful she truly was. A whisper of a voice brushed his mind, Go home, Alan, go home and rest. and the last thing he knew was the familiar space of his room in his own house before he fell into the abyss of sleep.

And in the deepest and darkest center of the ball of energy that was Dawan's life-force, at the twin cores of her Power, one of the cores began to pulse slower than the other, darkening into a dull green, edging towards black, slowly, but surely.

*****

Dawan shifted slightly in her seat on her armchair, 'watching' the scene unfolding at the bottom of Mt. Windy. The newly appointed Cardcaptor was struggling to gain control of the wings the Fly Card had granted him, newly sprouted from his back. The true form of Keroberos hovered anxiously by him. Not far away, the Jump Card was enjoying itself by making the soft toys of the children in nearby house jump out to join it, making it grow larger by the second.; Alan finally seemed to get the hand of flying with the wings, and sped towards the Jump. The wild Card avoided his flying tackle, and leaving the soft toys behind, leapt high towards the road out of town. Keroberos followed, and bellowed something to the Cardcaptor. Dawan could not hear the words, for the spell was for sight, not sound, but presumed that it was a warning. 'He's learning quickly,' Dawan noted to herself. There was an odd surge of desire to be in Keroberos' place, warning him and keeping him from danger. Dawan herself was startled by the strength of that feeling, and suppressed it quickly.

She turned her attention back to the Cardcaptor and saw that he had somehow outwitted the Jump Card and was sealing it with his wand. Dawan relaxed, and let the image disperse. She knew that Keroberos would provide her with a detailed-enough explanation.

"How was it?" asked Yue, not moving from his position at the window with Ruby Moon, both admiring the bright glow of the full moon that was the Power they were created from. Spinel Sun padded silently from his books among the cushions to lay beside Dawan's feet, near the fireplace which was the only source of light and heat in the big room.

"He's learning quickly," answered Dawan simply.

"Is he worthy?" blurted the pale moon guardian gowned in white, turning to face the power source. Dawan rose gracefully from her seat to glide over to the balcony where the moon guardians stood.

"Do you grow weary of unending life?" she asked instead, lifting her face to the light of the full moon. She felt the attraction of the moon, and loosed her tight hold on her Powers, and flooded the two Guardians with Power.

"Indeed," answered Ruby Moon, uncharacteristically solemn that night. But Yue had something else in mind.

"Is he worthy?" he repeated.

Dawan turned to face the pale white guardian. "Trust your Mistress' choice, if you don't trust Destiny and Fate." His eyes radiated puzzlement, but she had turned to face the full moon again. "There are many possibilities of what can happen in the future. No one knows for sure, not me, not Sakura. But for every possibility, there would be an heir."

"What is this possibility then? Is there a new evil? Or does." he hesitated at the name of his late Mistress, and lover. ".Sakura wants this 'Alan' to change them over to his name?"

Yes, and no." Dawan deliberately avoided the possibility question, since she has had a vision she did not like, in the few hours of sleep she managed per week.

It was perhaps Keroberos who saved the situation for declining any longer, when he flew in the front door and bounced over to Dawan. "He's learning so fast! First the Fly, then the Silent, then the Flower, and now the Jump! And all in two days!" Dawan smiled softly at Keroberos' enthusiasm, and hugged him tightly. Her eyes were brimming tears, but she refused to let them fall.

*****

Spinel Sun crept quietly to Dawan's room. It was midnight, and the bell tower in the middle of town sounded solemnly, softened at such a distance. He pushed open the unlocked door with his wet nose, and went over to the chair on the balcony where Dawan had be sitting in. He nosed her hand gently, and she lifted her tear-streaked face from her cupped hands to look at him.

"What's wrong?" asked Spinel softly. Dawan did not answer immediately, and but Spinel was patient. Finally she whispered in a voice made hoarse by racking sobs.

"I'm splitting. Into Good and Evil."

~ A long chapter. Reviews, please. ~