A Wizard Again
Disclaimers: CCS is owned by CLAMP. CLAMP is not me. The 'Young Wizards' series is owned by Diane Duane. Diane Duane is not me. Got it? Good. Suing me on behalf of these people will not help you. I have no money. But I have a lot of fanart!
Author's Notes: This takes place about 6 months after CCS movie 2. It takes place two years after A Wizard Alone. If people's ages are off, please tell me. This story contains shounen-ai and shoujo-ai. Get used to it. This story also contains me messing around with the CCS magical structure to suit my ulterior purposes. This may contain references to a bazillion stories including, but not limited to, Through the Looking Glass and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, and anything vaguely Middle-Earth related ever written by J.R.R. Tolkien. I wrote this prologue months ago, but since I'm lazy, I never typed it. Enjoy!
Prologue
Once upon a time...
It was so long ago, nobody remembers when. People remember poorly, even stories change, so it could have been a century or fifty centuries ago. So we say, Once Upon A Time...
...Clow Reed slept fitfully. The weight of power sat heavily on him, on of the two Senior wizards for Earth, at all times, but never more so than when he was forced to make choices for thousands of people. Such a time was upon him as he tried to rest. He was the only one with the right types of knowledge and magic to decide. Ziryha had been forced to give all decision over to him, although neither of them liked it. But it would inevitably be his action and so, ultimately, his plan.
Finally giving up on rest, Clow sat up, startled to find both his guardians watching him gravely.
"All right, what is it?" he grumbled, neither awake nor asleep.
"Well, maybe nothing-" began Yue and Keroberos in unison. They glared at each other, then continued, "Only, we thought-" They broke off again. Clow couldn't suppress a chuckle at their looks of exasperation, more alike than feline and human-mostly human-faces ought logically to be.
"One at a time, please, and slowly," said Clow."Keroberos, you may start." The giant gat shot his counterpart a gloating look, and began.
"I thought-well, Yue and I thought-that you might get a vision of the future, to help you out a bit." Clow shook his head sadly.
"One cannot request visions to order, Keroberos, more's the pity. The ability to see the future, as you know, comes from China, and is as such entirely unbiddable. No, there is no comfort to be gotten that way."
"Keroberos and I know that as well as you, Master," began Yue calmly."However, I was under the impression that there was a Western spell-the one you used on Dream, I don't know the name-that might have the desired effect when combined with the vision ability. But since you, of course, are far wiser than we, I daresay we're wasting your time." Yue's voice took on a slightly sarcastic tilt, as if daring Clow to keep lording it over his creations the way he did junior wizards. Clow noted that, although he had never intended to make his guardians into advisors, they seemed to have selected that role for themselves. He wondered if the Cards would start next. Yue's words finally sunk in, and Clow lit up.
"I think you've got it! I had considered using a lucid dream, but I discarded the idea because I couldn't think of a way to reset the temporospatial focus to the future. I've been considering using only each type of magic seperately, but it's much more effective if we use them together! Go to the study, I'll be down in a minute or less."
After his guardians vanished, Clow managed to get dressed, find his glasses(they were hanging on the bedpost), and fully awaken himself in almost no time at all. HE clattered down the stairs, knowing the havoc displaced air would cause in hsi study, to find Keroberos staring at the clock, while Yue watched the staircase. As soon as his feet touched the floor, Yue called,
"Time!", which was followed by Keroberos growling,
"One minute fifty-four seconds. Why do you get to be right all the time?" Clow smiled. They never changed.
"What were you betting on this time?" It was Yue who answered, smug.
"Whether you would really take under two minutes. I said you would, so Keroberos has to do my chores. Will you open the door now?" Clow nodded and tapped the lock on his study door, muttering a syllable as he did so, and it sprang open. He went straight to his desk, pulling down a thick tome from a shelf, and sat down.
"Yue, Keroberos, can you get the fifteenth and twenty- third volumes? I have a hunch the spell we're looking for will be in one of those. And I've got the section on eastern vision-magic, so let's get to it!"
They had been working for about half an hour when Clow stood up, smiling. "I think we've got it. If I use this rescension, and make sure to have my target in mind, it should take effect as soon as I fall asleep." He yawned."You two were right; this is exactly why I'm on this assignment. Now I am going to bed as soon as we make up this spell." His guardians tried manfully (or cat-fully) not to smirk.
Some twenty minutes later, Clow was back in his bedroom, half asleep. However, the other half refused to come.
"I don't understand," Keroberos grumbled, "why can't we just use Sleep?"
"Using magic to make me sleep will keep the spell from activating, so stop talking," replied Clow drowsily. He didn't think he would get to sleep at all, not with the guardians watching his every--
He was standing in a vague, misty sort of space. He knew he ought to go somewhere, but it was then that the vision began in a jumble.
He saw the not-quite-there wraiths converging on a place where some half-unseen--but, he knew instinctively, real and living--figures stood.
A few brief images flashed across his mind, some of which he could recognize; sparkling green eyes, an extremely well-known aura, a flicker of silver hair, even a staff, but others; sandy swirls, deep brown skin, incredible power, he had never seen before. Suddenly, one figure pinwheeled out of the mix. Clow caught a glimpse of deep blue eyes alight with an inner fire, and a staggering sense of familiarity hit him as the still-shadowed person rejoin the tumbled images. Suddenly, the vision cleared and the dark figure stepped forward, out of the group. It (he? she?) raised one hand in a gesture of command, and the wraiths shuddered to a halt. In that moment, Clow knew what he had to do.
He woke to find Keroberos and Yue still watching him gravely, although the feline was beginning to fidget. Yue simply waited, more or less patiently, for him to speak, but Keroberos was less controlled.
"Well? Did it work? What did you see? What should we do?" Clow laughed and raised one hand in a vague request for silence.
"One question at a time, please! It worked, although I think the lucidity must have been drained in order to summon any vision at all. And I think-" he paused, his eyes looking far away in time and space, "-yes, I know what we must do. As much as I hate to say it, there is just not enough of the correct type of magic available to the world right now. Some day, though, perhaps far in the future, there will be. There will be one person in particular who will be the catalyst to tip the balance. We must postpone any confrontation against his or her coming. We must seal them away."
"But who? And until when?"
"I cannot say exactly who the person will be, although I feel in my heart that one day we will all three see the people of my vision for ourselves. I know when I must set the seal. Whe-If the Cards are released, they will be also."
A few hours later, all was ready. Clow raised his staff, and began to chant in a low voice the spell of sealing.
Until the day when the magic was strong enough.
Disclaimers: CCS is owned by CLAMP. CLAMP is not me. The 'Young Wizards' series is owned by Diane Duane. Diane Duane is not me. Got it? Good. Suing me on behalf of these people will not help you. I have no money. But I have a lot of fanart!
Author's Notes: This takes place about 6 months after CCS movie 2. It takes place two years after A Wizard Alone. If people's ages are off, please tell me. This story contains shounen-ai and shoujo-ai. Get used to it. This story also contains me messing around with the CCS magical structure to suit my ulterior purposes. This may contain references to a bazillion stories including, but not limited to, Through the Looking Glass and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, and anything vaguely Middle-Earth related ever written by J.R.R. Tolkien. I wrote this prologue months ago, but since I'm lazy, I never typed it. Enjoy!
Prologue
Once upon a time...
It was so long ago, nobody remembers when. People remember poorly, even stories change, so it could have been a century or fifty centuries ago. So we say, Once Upon A Time...
...Clow Reed slept fitfully. The weight of power sat heavily on him, on of the two Senior wizards for Earth, at all times, but never more so than when he was forced to make choices for thousands of people. Such a time was upon him as he tried to rest. He was the only one with the right types of knowledge and magic to decide. Ziryha had been forced to give all decision over to him, although neither of them liked it. But it would inevitably be his action and so, ultimately, his plan.
Finally giving up on rest, Clow sat up, startled to find both his guardians watching him gravely.
"All right, what is it?" he grumbled, neither awake nor asleep.
"Well, maybe nothing-" began Yue and Keroberos in unison. They glared at each other, then continued, "Only, we thought-" They broke off again. Clow couldn't suppress a chuckle at their looks of exasperation, more alike than feline and human-mostly human-faces ought logically to be.
"One at a time, please, and slowly," said Clow."Keroberos, you may start." The giant gat shot his counterpart a gloating look, and began.
"I thought-well, Yue and I thought-that you might get a vision of the future, to help you out a bit." Clow shook his head sadly.
"One cannot request visions to order, Keroberos, more's the pity. The ability to see the future, as you know, comes from China, and is as such entirely unbiddable. No, there is no comfort to be gotten that way."
"Keroberos and I know that as well as you, Master," began Yue calmly."However, I was under the impression that there was a Western spell-the one you used on Dream, I don't know the name-that might have the desired effect when combined with the vision ability. But since you, of course, are far wiser than we, I daresay we're wasting your time." Yue's voice took on a slightly sarcastic tilt, as if daring Clow to keep lording it over his creations the way he did junior wizards. Clow noted that, although he had never intended to make his guardians into advisors, they seemed to have selected that role for themselves. He wondered if the Cards would start next. Yue's words finally sunk in, and Clow lit up.
"I think you've got it! I had considered using a lucid dream, but I discarded the idea because I couldn't think of a way to reset the temporospatial focus to the future. I've been considering using only each type of magic seperately, but it's much more effective if we use them together! Go to the study, I'll be down in a minute or less."
After his guardians vanished, Clow managed to get dressed, find his glasses(they were hanging on the bedpost), and fully awaken himself in almost no time at all. HE clattered down the stairs, knowing the havoc displaced air would cause in hsi study, to find Keroberos staring at the clock, while Yue watched the staircase. As soon as his feet touched the floor, Yue called,
"Time!", which was followed by Keroberos growling,
"One minute fifty-four seconds. Why do you get to be right all the time?" Clow smiled. They never changed.
"What were you betting on this time?" It was Yue who answered, smug.
"Whether you would really take under two minutes. I said you would, so Keroberos has to do my chores. Will you open the door now?" Clow nodded and tapped the lock on his study door, muttering a syllable as he did so, and it sprang open. He went straight to his desk, pulling down a thick tome from a shelf, and sat down.
"Yue, Keroberos, can you get the fifteenth and twenty- third volumes? I have a hunch the spell we're looking for will be in one of those. And I've got the section on eastern vision-magic, so let's get to it!"
They had been working for about half an hour when Clow stood up, smiling. "I think we've got it. If I use this rescension, and make sure to have my target in mind, it should take effect as soon as I fall asleep." He yawned."You two were right; this is exactly why I'm on this assignment. Now I am going to bed as soon as we make up this spell." His guardians tried manfully (or cat-fully) not to smirk.
Some twenty minutes later, Clow was back in his bedroom, half asleep. However, the other half refused to come.
"I don't understand," Keroberos grumbled, "why can't we just use Sleep?"
"Using magic to make me sleep will keep the spell from activating, so stop talking," replied Clow drowsily. He didn't think he would get to sleep at all, not with the guardians watching his every--
He was standing in a vague, misty sort of space. He knew he ought to go somewhere, but it was then that the vision began in a jumble.
He saw the not-quite-there wraiths converging on a place where some half-unseen--but, he knew instinctively, real and living--figures stood.
A few brief images flashed across his mind, some of which he could recognize; sparkling green eyes, an extremely well-known aura, a flicker of silver hair, even a staff, but others; sandy swirls, deep brown skin, incredible power, he had never seen before. Suddenly, one figure pinwheeled out of the mix. Clow caught a glimpse of deep blue eyes alight with an inner fire, and a staggering sense of familiarity hit him as the still-shadowed person rejoin the tumbled images. Suddenly, the vision cleared and the dark figure stepped forward, out of the group. It (he? she?) raised one hand in a gesture of command, and the wraiths shuddered to a halt. In that moment, Clow knew what he had to do.
He woke to find Keroberos and Yue still watching him gravely, although the feline was beginning to fidget. Yue simply waited, more or less patiently, for him to speak, but Keroberos was less controlled.
"Well? Did it work? What did you see? What should we do?" Clow laughed and raised one hand in a vague request for silence.
"One question at a time, please! It worked, although I think the lucidity must have been drained in order to summon any vision at all. And I think-" he paused, his eyes looking far away in time and space, "-yes, I know what we must do. As much as I hate to say it, there is just not enough of the correct type of magic available to the world right now. Some day, though, perhaps far in the future, there will be. There will be one person in particular who will be the catalyst to tip the balance. We must postpone any confrontation against his or her coming. We must seal them away."
"But who? And until when?"
"I cannot say exactly who the person will be, although I feel in my heart that one day we will all three see the people of my vision for ourselves. I know when I must set the seal. Whe-If the Cards are released, they will be also."
A few hours later, all was ready. Clow raised his staff, and began to chant in a low voice the spell of sealing.
Until the day when the magic was strong enough.