The Guardians
Chapter 7: Warning
By SilentLight
The next morning found Dawan sitting on the balcony, staring out at the rising sun. The guardians had all retired to their rooms, either to conserve energy or to brood. She no longer cared. She was more concerned with what was brooding within her.
That afternoon, Keroberos set out once again to supervise the budding Cardcaptor-to-be. Yue had flown out of the mansion with no reason or explanation, and ruby moon had followed hesistantly. The power source had retreated into the vast library, and Spinel Sun was left alonw with his collection of books and the empty house.
The library was a vast room with the greatest collection of magical and non- magical books, where two lifetimes of the greatest magician Clow Reed had amassed over the years. Dawan wandered the huge bookshelves aimlessly, letting the dormatn magic here guide her along. No creature born of true magic could survive long here, for they would be overpowered by the greater strength. This allowed Dawan to her own company here, and discouraged disturbances from the guardians.
A tingle ran through her body. Glancing around in startlement, a book caugher her eye. It was at the darkest corner of the room, at the lowest part of a shelf. Winking dimly, it beckoned like a firefly on a moonless night. Cautiously, Dawan approached the book and gently lifted it off its corner. It was covered with a thick layer of dust, which accounted for its ancient age. Dawan commanded the dust to fall away, revealing the cover of the book. A tiny flicker of hope winked into existence.
Spinel looked up from his book at the sound of an opening and closing of a door. His curiosity aroused, Spinel floated silently downt he hallway in the direction. He passed the empty hallways quickl, but saw nothing. Shruggin his little shoulders, Spinel Sun went back to his room and books. A pair of red glowing eyes lit up in a nearby ajar closet door, and twinkled evilly.
*****
Over the next few days, Dawan kept away from the four guardians and remained within the relative safety of the library. The four guardians had impromtu meetings to discuss the isolation of the power source, but Spinel Sun kept Dawan's secret, a secret. Alan continued his tremendous progress, and even the stict Moon Guardian Yue, had to admit that the soon-to-be Card Master had a talent.
Within the walls of the library however, the tiny flicker of hope was hopelessly extinguished. Her mediocre attempts to remove or stop the growth of Darkness and Evil within her had failed even with the help of the ancient spell book. Instead, as if taunting her inability, the growth of Evil had quickened, pulsing darkly in its little corner. It could do no harm to her by itself, for the spell the late Eriol and Sakura had cast gave her body the power to reject its overwhelmence, but that did not protect the guardians, the Card Master-to-be, or any others on the planet.
The Card Master-to-be. Dawan had only need to think of him to -see- what he was doing at the moment. She could visualise that Alan had improved greatly, and his natural fitness and quick learning aided him in tracing and capturing the escaped Cards. She could even feel what he was feeling, a mix of humility and pride at his success, and Keroberos' praising. A wave of yearning washed over her, and she suddenly knew that he was her hearttwin, and also her solution to the growing problem in her. But after that exhilarted discovery came overwhleming disappointment. Tears flowed and polled, even as the merciless time ticked by.
*****
They stood at the peak of the mountain, where chilling winds and icy gales blew the hardest. Neither really felt the cold, being the ethereal cold guardians of the pale moon. One was garbed in pure white, the perfect camouflage among the piles of snow. The other stood out like black on white, a being of amethyst, purple and black. Both were silent, deep in their own thoughts.
"Yue?" Ruby was the first to break the fragile glass of silence. The shattering was overwhelmed by the shrieking winds. But he heard her, as they both knew he would.
"She is keeping something important from us." The ever-serious Yue thought only of the biggest problem at hand, and as usual, Ruby moon accomodated him. Both knew that he was going nowhere.
"Indeed. But she must have her reasons." Ever so wary of others' privacy, Ruby Moon declined to probe into the power source's history.
"But the future holds a great threat." Foresight was one of his suits, even if it was not strong.
"She has her reasons," insisted Ruby gently.
"But Spinel knows." Yue's tone was accusatory. Ruby turned to look at him.
"What makes you so certain?" Puzzlement rang high.
"I just know." Yue was smug.
*****
"Spinel? Are you there? Where are you?" called Ruby Moon, stepping through the front door, Yue followed, bringin in a gust of icy wind, and the door clicked shut behind him.
"What is it, Ruby?" replied Spinel, floating down the elegant stairway, his wings flitting gently.
"You have something we want," interrupted Yue, "and I demand to know it. Now." He made as if to approach the little magic creature, but Ruby Moon stopped him.
"Let me." To Spinel Sun, "We both know where our loyalties lie. Tell us, and maybe we can help her." Her tone was pleading, sincere, something Spinel had not heard ever since Eriol had announced ever so calmly that he was dying.
"None of us can help, but to aid in the development of the Cardcaptor." Spinel refused to say, but he gave at least a fair warning. It was the only thing he could do, he surmised, without breaking the trust of any of these people had placed on him.
"You." Yue started forward, his rage kindled. But Ruby Moon extinguished that fury with an ice-cold bucket of sensibility, and pleaded.
"Let him be. It is sufficient."
*****
Alan knew that his powers were developing quickly, and it came as little shock when he felt the guardian's weariness. "What is it?"
"I have no idea." Prompted, the sun guardian poured out his woes. "The power source had isolated herself, and the other guardians have gone into their own retreats. Nobody's speaking anymore," he concluded woefully. Alan carefully placed his arms around the big lion's neck, and was rewarded with a purr.
"Time is all they need, Keroberos. Don't worry too much." But Alan knew, just like each of the guardians knew, that Time was no one's slave.
~ Thanks to all who have reviewed. ~
Chapter 7: Warning
By SilentLight
The next morning found Dawan sitting on the balcony, staring out at the rising sun. The guardians had all retired to their rooms, either to conserve energy or to brood. She no longer cared. She was more concerned with what was brooding within her.
That afternoon, Keroberos set out once again to supervise the budding Cardcaptor-to-be. Yue had flown out of the mansion with no reason or explanation, and ruby moon had followed hesistantly. The power source had retreated into the vast library, and Spinel Sun was left alonw with his collection of books and the empty house.
The library was a vast room with the greatest collection of magical and non- magical books, where two lifetimes of the greatest magician Clow Reed had amassed over the years. Dawan wandered the huge bookshelves aimlessly, letting the dormatn magic here guide her along. No creature born of true magic could survive long here, for they would be overpowered by the greater strength. This allowed Dawan to her own company here, and discouraged disturbances from the guardians.
A tingle ran through her body. Glancing around in startlement, a book caugher her eye. It was at the darkest corner of the room, at the lowest part of a shelf. Winking dimly, it beckoned like a firefly on a moonless night. Cautiously, Dawan approached the book and gently lifted it off its corner. It was covered with a thick layer of dust, which accounted for its ancient age. Dawan commanded the dust to fall away, revealing the cover of the book. A tiny flicker of hope winked into existence.
Spinel looked up from his book at the sound of an opening and closing of a door. His curiosity aroused, Spinel floated silently downt he hallway in the direction. He passed the empty hallways quickl, but saw nothing. Shruggin his little shoulders, Spinel Sun went back to his room and books. A pair of red glowing eyes lit up in a nearby ajar closet door, and twinkled evilly.
*****
Over the next few days, Dawan kept away from the four guardians and remained within the relative safety of the library. The four guardians had impromtu meetings to discuss the isolation of the power source, but Spinel Sun kept Dawan's secret, a secret. Alan continued his tremendous progress, and even the stict Moon Guardian Yue, had to admit that the soon-to-be Card Master had a talent.
Within the walls of the library however, the tiny flicker of hope was hopelessly extinguished. Her mediocre attempts to remove or stop the growth of Darkness and Evil within her had failed even with the help of the ancient spell book. Instead, as if taunting her inability, the growth of Evil had quickened, pulsing darkly in its little corner. It could do no harm to her by itself, for the spell the late Eriol and Sakura had cast gave her body the power to reject its overwhelmence, but that did not protect the guardians, the Card Master-to-be, or any others on the planet.
The Card Master-to-be. Dawan had only need to think of him to -see- what he was doing at the moment. She could visualise that Alan had improved greatly, and his natural fitness and quick learning aided him in tracing and capturing the escaped Cards. She could even feel what he was feeling, a mix of humility and pride at his success, and Keroberos' praising. A wave of yearning washed over her, and she suddenly knew that he was her hearttwin, and also her solution to the growing problem in her. But after that exhilarted discovery came overwhleming disappointment. Tears flowed and polled, even as the merciless time ticked by.
*****
They stood at the peak of the mountain, where chilling winds and icy gales blew the hardest. Neither really felt the cold, being the ethereal cold guardians of the pale moon. One was garbed in pure white, the perfect camouflage among the piles of snow. The other stood out like black on white, a being of amethyst, purple and black. Both were silent, deep in their own thoughts.
"Yue?" Ruby was the first to break the fragile glass of silence. The shattering was overwhelmed by the shrieking winds. But he heard her, as they both knew he would.
"She is keeping something important from us." The ever-serious Yue thought only of the biggest problem at hand, and as usual, Ruby moon accomodated him. Both knew that he was going nowhere.
"Indeed. But she must have her reasons." Ever so wary of others' privacy, Ruby Moon declined to probe into the power source's history.
"But the future holds a great threat." Foresight was one of his suits, even if it was not strong.
"She has her reasons," insisted Ruby gently.
"But Spinel knows." Yue's tone was accusatory. Ruby turned to look at him.
"What makes you so certain?" Puzzlement rang high.
"I just know." Yue was smug.
*****
"Spinel? Are you there? Where are you?" called Ruby Moon, stepping through the front door, Yue followed, bringin in a gust of icy wind, and the door clicked shut behind him.
"What is it, Ruby?" replied Spinel, floating down the elegant stairway, his wings flitting gently.
"You have something we want," interrupted Yue, "and I demand to know it. Now." He made as if to approach the little magic creature, but Ruby Moon stopped him.
"Let me." To Spinel Sun, "We both know where our loyalties lie. Tell us, and maybe we can help her." Her tone was pleading, sincere, something Spinel had not heard ever since Eriol had announced ever so calmly that he was dying.
"None of us can help, but to aid in the development of the Cardcaptor." Spinel refused to say, but he gave at least a fair warning. It was the only thing he could do, he surmised, without breaking the trust of any of these people had placed on him.
"You." Yue started forward, his rage kindled. But Ruby Moon extinguished that fury with an ice-cold bucket of sensibility, and pleaded.
"Let him be. It is sufficient."
*****
Alan knew that his powers were developing quickly, and it came as little shock when he felt the guardian's weariness. "What is it?"
"I have no idea." Prompted, the sun guardian poured out his woes. "The power source had isolated herself, and the other guardians have gone into their own retreats. Nobody's speaking anymore," he concluded woefully. Alan carefully placed his arms around the big lion's neck, and was rewarded with a purr.
"Time is all they need, Keroberos. Don't worry too much." But Alan knew, just like each of the guardians knew, that Time was no one's slave.
~ Thanks to all who have reviewed. ~
