Gomen ne for the delay of this chapter! Finals really get in the way of things! Anywayz, Arigato to all the ppl who have continued to read this fic! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! And don't worry I haven't forgotten Sakura-chan! She'll be out in the next chapter! In the mean time, let's get back to our next episode of…

Card Captor Syaoran

Chapter Two: Syaoran and his cards

A few hours later, the crowd had dispersed. Every one of them went home thinking how spectacular and magical the inauguration was. But only a few knew of its true importance. For something far more significant happened that fateful night. A prophecy had come true and a destiny now lied in wait. And those select few were now assembled in the Great Hall where they were discussing what had just taken place.

"My brothers, please settle down." Seoyang's gentle voice rose above the chatter.

"Settle down?" an elder hissed. "How can we when we don't know what is going on?"

"Yes, I know but-" Seoyang started.

"You obviously know something that we don't, Seoyang-sama! Tell us!" one interrupted.

"I will, but please calm yourselves. There is no cause for such great alarm!" Seoyang said tenderly.

"Calm down?! A dragon just appeared out of nowhere! And it got sucked into Syaoran-sama's band!" another gasped.

"Well, yes but it happened-" Seoyang started.

"Something isn't right! Tell us if you know!" an elder snapped.

"Silence!" a voice boomed throughout the whole hall.

Everyone turned around to face an angry Syaoran. "I will not tolerate such disrespect towards Seoyang-sama! If all of you hadn't notice he is trying to tell you what happened but all of you keep interrupting! I am most anxious to hear what exactly all of you have witnessed that had sparked such confusion. So, Seoyang-sama" Syaoran turned to the kind elder. "Please, continue."

"Thank you, Syaoran-sama." Seoyang bowed. "As I was saying, my brothers, there is no cause for apprehension! For the sign of the dragon is a good one!" He then turned to their leader who was sitting at the head of their long table, "Syaoran-sama, during your inauguration a glorious event took place! The dragon that was prophesied so many years ago came this very night. And he came here because of you."

"Me? Why me?" an astonished Syaoran asked.

The elder smiled, "Because you, my lord, are the chosen one." Everyone gasped. All were thoroughly shocked by what was just revealed. It can't be! Some of them thought. Then that would mean…

"Allow me to explain." Seoyang smiled tenderly at the confused Syaoran. "Hundreds of years ago, when Clow Reed was still alive and our leader, he made a pack of magical cards. But not, the Clow Cards mind you. He had made the Clow cards or what is now called the Sakura Cards years before these cards. For they were a different type of card. He made them for the future. You see, Clow Reed, through his magic had seen the future and he had seen that the future needed these special cards for its nature to be balanced. Some have said that the cards he made were more powerful than the Sakura cards but I personally, believe that this isn't true for Clow Reed's cards are all equally powerful in there own right. It's just that every one of them has a different purpose and a different means to achieving that purpose."

"Well, as the legend goes, Clow Reed buried the cards and its guardian deep within the earth to be awakened only by its master." Seoyang paused and looked directly into Syaoran's smoldering amber eyes. "Its master, the direct descendant of Clow Reed."

Syaoran's eyes went wide. That meant- He was- You mean- Syaoran wasn't able to form a single coherent thought as the shock of Seoyang's words penetrated his brain. Reactions similar to Syaoran were resonated throughout the whole hall. Syaoran shook his head, "Surely, I am not his only direct descendant! There have been others before maybe-" he started.

"There was a prophecy, my lord." Seoyang smiled at the young master. "It was said in the ancient scrolls that a jade dragon of light would appear and unite with the emerald orb on the leader's band when the chosen one was crowned. And tonight it has happened."

"But the chant? How did you know that tonight was the right night? That Syaoran-sama was the right man?" an elder wanted to know.

Seoyang smiled kindly and answered, "To every leader of the Li Clan this legend and prophecy has been handed down. In the hopes that someday, one of us would be lucky enough to inaugurate the chosen one and when it did happen we were instructed to chant the magical words, you have heard me say. It is then believed that the prophesy would come true and the dragon would appear, just like it had a few hours ago." "How did I know he was the right man? I have suspected it long ago. I have never seen an aura quite as special as his. That is why earlier on I have taken it upon myself to keep a watchful eye on him. And it is also why I had strongly insisted that he went on the mission to get back the Sakura Cards for I knew that it would help him on his destiny. But the defining sign that he was the one came to me the day I met him. You see, we never knew what name Clow Reed gave the cards. We only knew his favorite nickname for them. He used to call them his "Little Wolf" Cards." And the moment I heard our master's name, I knew. He was the one. He had to be - The master of the Syaoran Cards."

Silence. Deafening silence resounded through the Great Hall. No one dared to speak. All were shocked to the core as they heard the marvelous tale. Here, before them was the chosen one. The very man whom hundreds of former Li clan masters had hoped to meet. The one who was destined to reclaim the magical cards that would balance the state of nature.

"Syaoran-sama, you are the chosen one. And you must reclaim what Clow Reed has given to only you."

"But how, Seoyang-sama? Where do I look for these cards? Can I use my Lasin board like before?" Syaoran asked.

"From what I have been told, my lord, you can detect their magic using your Lasin board and your senses. But, Clow Reed, made these cards to be almost like humans. They can speak and feel. And they could only be captured if they let you capture them." Seoyang explained.

"What?! That is preposterous!" a startled Syaoran exclaimed.

"Not quite so, young master, for the cards belong only to one man and that man must prove that he is worthy of their power and obedience. It is because of their great power that this is so and it is written that only you, Syaoran-sama, could capture them. "

"Very well. I will capture them!" Syaoran stood up and raised his fist determinedly.

"But you won't be alone, my lord, for your guardian should be arriving to guide you." Seoyang said.

"Mm- my guardian?" Syaoran sweatdropped. Please don't be like that stuffed animal. Please don't be like that stuffed animal. Be a lion, a wild tiger or a ferocious bear. Anything but a stuffed animal! Syaoran prayed to himself.

Suddenly as if on cue something barged in, opening the doors and sending ancient scrolls flying all over the place. "FOOD! I NEED FOOD!" a hovering little white winged lion cub wailed. Syaoran fell over anime-style thinking What the hell is with Clow Reed and guardian stuffed toys?! AAH FOOD! The lion cub exclaimed as he dove for the trays of food that were situated at the center of the table. The elders sweatdropped. "Do you know how delicious this cakes are? Man! I am hungry!" the cub exclaimed while stuffing himself with sweet cakes.

Seoyang smiled warmly and greeted the stuff toy lookalike, "Welcome, guardian beast! I trust you slept well?"

The lion cub smiled appreciatively at the kind elder. "Boy! Did I ever! But I'm glad that I'm finally free! Now I can get some action!" "So?" the tiger flew over to Seoyang. "Are you my master?"

"Me? No! No! I am far too old to be the chosen one!" Seoyang smiled as he patted the cub's head.

"I am your master, guardian beast." Syaoran's voice rang out. The lion cub flew over to Syaoran and as he sat on Syaoran's lap, the emerald orb that was embedded on his white forehead began to glow. As soon as they came into contact with each other something deep within them both seemed to awaken.

"The prophecy is now fully complete. The guardian beast has now met its master! You two will never be separated again!" Seoyang exclaimed. Hmm I wonder if that's such a good thing? Both of them thought.

"Well, I guess we're stuck for a long while." The lion murmured. Wow! He's only a kid! And he's my master and the LI Clan's leader? Boy! I sure wouldn't want his life! I bet he didn't have much of a childhood! Heck! He's going through it right now! Well, I for one am going to make sure he doesn't miss out on all of it! Hey! They didn't call me the Guardian Beast of fun for nothin'! The lion cub rubbed his furry head on Syaoran's stomach. Syaoran stifled a giggle as the cub rubbed his tummy. Look at that! He's not even allowed to laugh! Man! If he keeps on frowning his face would be stuck that way! the little cub thought. Hmm. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. He does seem nice, nothing like that-that pompous stuffed toy! Thank Kami for that! Syaoran thought as he patted the lion on his head.

Ahem! An elder coughed as he frowned at the little winged creature. "I hate to interrupt, my lord, but could the guardian beast tell us more of the Syaoran cards?"

The lion cub growled, "I do have a name! I am not just called Mr. Guardian Beast you know!"

"Oh yes, please tell us your name." Syaoran asked him.

"I am Raijiku, the Guardian Beast of the Syaoran Cards! The greatest and of course the most handsome!"

Syaoran sweatdropped. He was nicer but he had the same big ego as Kero! "You sound like Kero!" Syaoran commented.

Raijiku perked up as he smiled at his master. "You know, my brother?"

"Your brother?" Syaoran sputtered. It figures! he thought. "Unfortunately, yes." He answered the cub.

Raijiku looked up at his master curiously but before he could question him, an impatient elder pressed him, "Well?" He sighed inwardly. The elders haven't changed. No matter what generation he was in they would always be snotty and impatient. He turned and looked only at Syaoran. "What is it that you wish to know?"

"Everything, Raijiku. Tell me everything that you know!" Syaoran replied. Raijiku nodded, "Very well."

"Clow Reed was very very old when he was finally able to control his power to see the future. For this was a power that was very hard to manipulate and even to this day Clow Reed was the only man ever known to have successfully mastered it. When he had seen the future, he knew that it needed something to balance the sides of good and evil for if not the wicked future that he had witnessed would come true. He decided that the Sakura Cards were not enough and so he began to make new ones. But the use of the power to see the future had taken a great toll on Clow Reed's health. He tried many times before finally successfully making the first card. And with each card he made his power and health was slowly being drained from him. I watched him as he grew weaker with each card he made." Raijiku paused for a minute as a lone tear rolled down his cheek mourning the death of his creator. "I tried to get him to stop or at least to take a little more time to rest before making another one but he wouldn't listen. He was always so stubborn! He made one each and every night until he had finished. By that time we weren't even sure if the powers of the cards he made were enough. But it had to be enough for he just couldn't make any more. Because of his old age, the power drained from him, because of the little rest he gave himself, because of a lot of things he died shortly after finishing the cards." Raijiku finished staring intently at the carpeted floor.

Syaoran offered a short prayer for Clow Reed to Kami before he patted the dejected lion cub's head. He knew only too well the loss of a loved one. "But Raijiku, he prodded softly.

"Yeah?" the beast asked him lifting his head up a little.

"Why did he call it his Syaoran Cards?"

The lion cub raised his head to meet Syaoran's amber eyes with his blue ones, "…I don't know."

NEXT MORNING

"Good morning, Syaoran-sama! I trust that you slept well?" Seoyang greeted him as he entered the dining hall. Syaoran looked at the commotion to his right before answering him and sweatdropped at the sight of Raijiku shoveling down food into his mouth. Raijiku stopped aware of his master's stare and exclaimed defensively through a mouthful of food, WHAT? Syaoran shook his head in amusement and turned to Seoyang offering him a small smile, "As well as could be expected. And you?" he said.

"Quite well actually. I guess I'm much more comfortable knowing that you are now in charge." Seoyang said with a grin.

Syaoran lightly blushed.

"Mmmm! Dis is wo gwood!" Raijiku said through a mouthful of food. Syaoran shook his head and took the seat next to the small beast.

Food and candy. Must be some weird dietary Guardian Beast requirement. Syaoran thought. "Raijiku take it easy or the great Guardian Beast of the Syaoran cards might find himself choking to death." he said with a small smile.

Raijiku swallowed loudly and smiled at his master. At least his smiling today. A small barely noticeable one but a smile all the same. It's a start. The cub noted as he continued his meal. "My friends call me Raiju, Syaoran-sama." The small beast said with a smile.

"Very well, Raiju!" Syaoran grinned back.

Halfway through their meal, someone knocked at the door. "Come in." Syaoran said. All of the elders that were present last night rushed in. They bowed respectfully to Syaoran and waited for him to acknowledge them. "What is it?" he asked them.

One of them spoke up, "You are leaving tomorrow, are you not Syaoran-sama?"

Syaoran nodded, "Yes, it has been agreed that it would be for the best that we be capturing the cards as soon as possible." Raijiku and I have already sensed strong special powers coming from a certain place."

The elder nodded and continued, "If you will allow it, we would like you to take the clan's best combat fighter-" he paused and smiled warily at Syaoran. "Second to you of course."

Syaoran waved off the compliment. Butt kisser! Raiju thought in disgust.

"It is not that we aren't confident with your capabilities but he could help you on your journey. He could serve as a bodyguard and your personal assistant. We wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

Yeah right Raiju thought unconvinced of the elder's sympathy. "I have no use for a bodyguard or a servant. I am fine on my own. Besides I have Raiju." Syaoran proclaimed with a gentle pat on Raiju's head. You got that right! Raiju thought.

The elders looked dejected at having their idea shot down but as they were getting ready to leave Seoyang interrupted them. "You know, Syaoran-sama, they might have something here." He advised the young leader.

Syaoran was surprised that Seoyang actually agreed with them. "You mean to say you do not believe we could handle this by ourselves?!" he said with his voice rising.

"No! No! Of course, I mean no disrespect nor hold any disbelief in both of your abilities but as you yourself have said, Raiju, these are some very powerful cards. It isn't going to be easy capturing them. It might be wise to have some extra help in hand." Seoyang explained gently.

Syaoran thought this over for a few minutes. "Very well. I guess it wouldn't hurt, right Raiju?"

The cub shrugged. "I guess not."

The elders smiled happily. "Very well then, we suggest you take Xian Li?" the elders proposed.

Syaoran nodded. He had trained with Xian before and he was a very skilled fighter. No doubtedly the best in all of his opponents. It had always taken a lot out of him to beat Xian but he did so each and every time they have faced off. Xian's dragon fist was definitely a force to be reckoned with.

NEXT DAY

Syaoran hugged Meilin as he said his good byes. "Why do YOU always have to be the one to leave?!" Meilin wailed.

He squeezed her shoulders, "You know why."

"Well, I do but it's still not fair! Just write me from time to time okay?" Meilin said.

Syaoran nodded. "I will." He turned to his mother and sisters who were bawling their eyes out. Even after all this years they still considered him their baby.

" Take care of yourself, my son." His mother cried. "Come back to me in one piece!"

"I will, mother." Syaoran smiled as he hugged his family good bye. It would be a while before he would see them again. The whole clan had gathered to see their young master off. Finally Syaoran turned to Seoyang and proclaimed for all of clan to hear, "I now hereby declare that Seoyang be the Li clan's acting leader until I return. And everyone is not only required to honor him as such but those who don't would also be dealt with." A collective gasp was heard in the direction of the elders. Raiju chuckled to himself. They didn't really think Syaoran would let any of them be the acting leader, did they?

Seoyang smiled as he kneeled down. As Syaoran's hands blessed him he said, "I am honored, Syaoran-sama, that you have chosen me even in my old age to lead my people once again."

Syaoran smiled one of his rare smiles and said, "It is an honor that is very well placed."

The whole Li clan bowed down to their knees as Syaoran and Raiju made their way out of the village gates. Each and every one of them praying for their young master's success. And as Syaoran slowly made his way out of town he tightened his fists with determination. This time nothing would get in his way! The future was now counting on his success and he'd rather die than to fail in his new mission.

"Look out Syaoran cards! We're on our way!" Raiju shouted enthusiastically.

Syaoran pumped his fist in the air in agreement, "YEAH!" Syaoran took one last look at his now tiny village before he turned to face the road ahead. They were ready to fight for their future.

Their destination: Tomoeda, Japan.

Now that Syaoran is headed back to Japan with a new mission would he bump into Sakura? What has happened to Sakura after two years? Does she still love him? Or has she found someone else? Where does the Clow Card mistress fit in with all this Syaoran Card business? Tune in for the next episode of Card Captor Syaoran to find out! So? Did you like it? Did it suck big time? I really hope you enjoyed this fic! Please review! Please, please with cherry on top? I'd love to hear from you! All forms of feed back are welcome!