Receiving Rank

Even though the day had dawned with a clear blue sky the torrential rains were back shortly after lunch. Tomoyo, who was leaning on the sill during her free period, stood watching the storm and was much a feared that she was a bringer of rain. Or perhaps she had moved to a far more wet part of the country. She was afraid to ask anybody where exactly she was because they had for all intents and purposes accepted her without asking too much and she didn't want to have to explain that question away. She was also worried about her family because it had now been just over a week since she left home. Not her step family, she could care less about them, but her mother had a sister who loved Tomoyo dearly and would have easily welcomed her into her home if it was needed. She should probably call her.

It was around this time in her thoughts that Tomoyo came to notice that someone with an unfamiliar feel to them was standing very close behind her. She could almost feel the smirk on his lips and knew instinctively that this conversation was not going to be a fun one.

"Do you need something, Li-san?"

"So formal. Is that to make me go away?"

"I'm afraid it is for a more boring reason. I don't remember your first name since I only heard it once and I wasn't really attending. Aside of that, I was raised to always be polite."

He turned to lean his side on the sill beside her. "I think I can guess why," he replied with a slightly caustic tinge to his voice.

"A mite conceited too."

"Why not be? I know I look good. I have many people telling me how good I look everyday. There is no point in denying it. Especially when you indeed are good looking. Better to know thyself than to be stuck in ignorance."

"The next time I meet someone like that I'll inform them of your opinion directly."

Syaoran was about to say that he had, in fact, meant her but decided that it was pointless if she didn't already realize she was breathtaking. "It's Syaoran, by the way."

"Good to know. Now, is there a reason you have to talk to me Syaoran-san, when I am so obviously preoccupied with my thoughts?"

"Well, I though perhaps that you were lonely and everyone else was shunning you?"

He knew this for a lie since he knew that every male eye in the room glanced at her at least once or twice a minute and she knew it for a lie because she knew her classmates to not be the shunning kind.

"If you aren't going to be truthful I think I shall have to ignore you completely." Saying as much she turned back to watching the rain and seemed to not notice him any further. So pointed was her inattention to him that she didn't notice until it was too late that he had designs for a joke. Quickly he stepped behind her and pulled out both chopsticks from her hair and watched in sensuous pleasure as her hair tumbled down to its full length. It was petty, and not entirely like him. But there was always something to be said for not acting like yourself.

She turned around quickly, causing her hair to completely unwind, and glared at the boy. "What did you do that for?"

"Curiosity. It is such lovely hair you shouldn't keep it hidden up like that if you are going to have it so long."

"I keep it up because it gets annoying when it's down. Now give those back to me!"

"You could kill someone with these you know," he said factually as he handed them back without a fight.

"Very tempting, isn't it?"

"Where did you get them from?"

"A friend gave them to me. Now will you leave me alone?"

He looked at her with an unreadable look in his eyes. "I rather think I can't."

Aggravated she marched past him to the front desk where Hiiragizawa-sensei had been watching the interchange with much interest, as had the rest of the class. Discreetly the teacher looked down the length of her hair in appreciation but raised his eyes to meet hers when she finally came to his desk.

"Do you need something, Madison-san?"

"Yes, sir. May I go to the ladies room so I may put my hair back up?"

"Why did you take it down then?"

"I didn't! This...student...did," she said glaring at Syaoran. "As you well know."

"Better question. Why do you need to go to the ladies room to put it back up?"

"Because when you have as much hair as I do you need a mirror?"

"That seems to be rather troublesome and distracting for class time, Madison-san."

"Well, are you suggesting that I cut it all off then?"

"Heaven forefend. Anyway," he said returning to his papers, "go and hurry back."

Tomoyo glared at Syaoran once more and turned so quickly on her heal that the subject under discussion fluttered and hit both Syaoran and the desk before she had gone.

Syaoran reached up to touch his bare arm where the hair and hit him. "Like silk." He then turned to Hiiragizawa-sensei who had given up any pretense of doing work to look at the door through which she had just exited. Syaoran couldn't help but smirk at him. This caught the teacher's attention and he finally went back to grading papers.

"Tell me, Li-san, what was the purpose of that?"

"I had a feeling she'd be more beautiful with her hair all around her. I had to test my theory."

"I see. Go sit down now."

Syaoran turned to go but paused. "Tell me something, Hiiragizawa-sensei, what is your interest in Madison-san that you stare at her most of the time that both of you are in the room."

"You are imagining things. The only interest I have in her is that of a student. Please do not make unnecessary comments which could lead to rumors being spread."

"Oh, yeah. I bet," the student replied with a smirk.

And it was those same torrential rains that made Tomoyo pause before she opened the front doors to the school. Playing in the rain was one thing, but this was something completely different. She thanked the heavens that the mansion magickally cleaned her clothes every night but she would still have to suffer through cold wetness for another half hour at the least. The very least. Sighing and determining to bring an umbrella with her no matter what she made to open the door until an unfamiliar and vaguely unwelcome voice called her name. With a sigh she turned around.

"Yes, Syaoran-san?"

"Forgot your umbrella?"

"Forgot, no. It was beautiful when I left home. I didn't think I would need it."

"Then how 'bout I make up my rude behavior to you and walk you home, or as far as you'll let me take you. My umbrella is pretty big."

Tomoyo was about to say no, but the idea of being cold and wet was not very welcome. Chances are he didn't walk the same way as she did, and even if he did then she would just turn off at the alleyway and wait for him to leave before she did. Either way it saved her from some of the rain.

"All right."

He was surprised but hid it well. "Okay, then shall we?" He opened the door and the umbrella a bit before them then invited her under it. They walked slowly so not to kick up anymore splash from the puddles on the ground. It was big enough that they didn't have to huddle together but it still wasn't too comfortable for two practical strangers. They were saved from an even more uncomfortable conversation because the rain was too loud to be heard easily. After awhile they reached the alleyway and she stopped.

"This is my turn off."

"Oh, good. Mine too."

She was startled and wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation. She followed him in silence until he was halfway down the alley way and stopped. He turned to face her and brought up his spare hand. Grasping her silver moon pin he clearly said, "The Boarding House."

Startled, Tomoyo watched as the world around her melted away and reformed into the front porch of the mansion. He held her incredulous gaze as he closed the umbrella. They just stared at each other for more than minute before she started laughing.

"That explains a lot." Turning she opened the door. "Good afternoon Mistress, Mikkoku. I seem to have brought a boarder home with me."

"Ah yes we were expecting him."

"You could have warned me," she said as Mikkoku took her bag from her allowing her to take off her wet cloak and hang it up on the coat rack. She took Syaoran's and the umbrella as well before she took it back. "Thank you."

"That wouldn't have been as much fun, Tomoyo-chan. But thank you for bringing him home." She turned to Syaoran and looked as if she was about to say something and stopped. Then she asked, "What are you calling yourself these days?"

This question surprised Tomoyo a bit, if not anyone else but she listened as Syaoran answered. "Li Syaoran. I thought it would be appropriate to return to my real name for the time being."

"I wonder why," Mikkoku replied turning towards Tomoyo. "The usual?"

"Of course. I think I'll go ahead and change now. I'm cold. And my feet are wet." She turned and looked at Syaoran. "I'm sure I'll see you at dinner." Saying as much she quickly left the room.

It didn't escape Mistress' notice that both males followed her with their eyes until she was completely out of site. She bit back an amused smile. "I'll show you to your room, Syaoran," Mei Lin said, wrapping one arm around his neck affectionately.

"Thank you, Mei Lin," he replied, easily shrugging her arm off.

"And I'll go get tea."

"Oh I bought you some small cakes, Mikkoku."

He laughed. "Did you buy them for me or for her?"

"You imply that I don't like you."

"Not as much as you like her."

"That I won't deny."

Mikkoku smiled and turned to go towards the kitchen. However before he got too far he turned and looked at Syaoran. "You are interested in her aren't you?"

"She's why I'm here, more or less. I could smell her all the way in Hong Kong. That distinct smell of a young girl's awakening magick. The smells of tiger lilies and Jasmine. It was the Jasmine that drew me because that meant she was powerful. Not to mention that my intuition told me to come. Always follow intuition."

"Just don't do anything stupid. Or that she doesn't condone alright? I taught you better than that." So saying he continued until he reached the door. Then turning back with a look in his eyes far older than his childish body said, "And remember what I've taught you as you return to your real name."

"I surpassed his teachings some time ago. Still this is the welcome I get after being away for so long?"

"That is because you are messing with his new pet."

"Pet? No I think he's interested further than that."

"Perhaps."

"I think I'm going to enjoy my time here, Mei Lin."

"Not as much as I will," she said with a secret, knowing smile before she gestured for him to follow her to his room.

"Now you have to understand the value of watches for those who do magick, Tomoyo. Because everything flows on their own time, we have to be wary of the time we keep ourselves. And I don't mean time zones or minutes fast. In some places you may go an hour takes a day or a day lasts a second. It's almost inconsequential as long as we keep track of our own time."

"Yes, teacher," Tomoyo replied distractedly. She was looking at his pocket watch, the instigator of this discussion, not only because she thought it was funny that someone so young would be wearing one, but because it had an unusual element to it.

Mikkoku sighed. "I don't get the feeling that you are listening."

"Which proves you still have some time before you get to know me well. If I wasn't listening I wouldn't have replied." She held up his watch so that the exquisite engraving on the cover faced him. "Now, get back to the original question and tell me what this is."

She was talking about the large black bird in flight that was engraved, quite weirdly, onto his watch face. She couldn't readily identify the bird and, being quite intuitive, figured it had a special meaning or else it wouldn't be there.

"Alright. This is a black phoenix."

"Black? Do they come in black?"

"I have no idea."

"Then why do you have one?"

"Because it appeared there," he said calmly stirring their afternoon tea.

"Stop being cryptic or I'll smother you with a pillow. And trust me; with the pillows on that bed, it isn't that hard."

"Didn't mean to, Tomoyo. I was just speaking the truth. But I'll elaborate." He put down his tea and faced her completely. "Now you know how the past couple days I've been teaching you to find your aura?"

"I'd have to be an amnesiac not to. We spent almost ten hours on it yesterday."

"Yes, but now you can find it almost without effort."

"True. Which is kind of nice since it is all silvery and purple and the like. It makes me feel like some highly powerful being."

"Not to far away," he muttered. When Tomoyo asked what he said he just shook his head. "Now, all powerful magick users, which you are, have symbols of themselves. These are not symbols they themselves draw, but are symbols given to them. They denote power and are a way for people to be readily identified since so many powerful magick users tend to change their names."

"Okay. What about non-powerful?"

"Well, I think I should explain something. Everyone on earth, or practically so, can do some magick. Some have a better affinity for it and can do more, some are just…deformed and don't have any. But the most average person just doesn't have enough to be considered influential in the magick world, no do they want to. So it's no insult to them to not have a symbol for them."

"Alright. What's mine?"

"Well, how bout we figure that out. Now, this symbol will appear the first time in whatever form is most convenient for you to have it constantly on. Supposedly." He shrugged. "Anyway, find your aura. Once you do that stick your arms out towards me, palm to palm so they are horizontal."

Tomoyo concentrated and did as she was told.

"Now, try to concentrate fully on it. Try to make it flare out and be as powerful as you can make it."

Tomoyo concentrated. It was giving her a headache but in her mind she pictured the silvery purple light bursting like a bomb and filling the whole room. Mikkoku jumped when she did that. Because her eyes were closed she couldn't see that she had in fact sent her aura to every corner of the room, which, for the briefest of seconds, lit up almost blindingly.

"Now turn your hands so that your middle fingers are touching the opposite wrist." Watching as she did so he nodded to himself. "Now, you're done. Relax."

With a deep sigh she let her powers of concentration go and kind of wilted in front of her teacher, who was looking at her with a kind of deep respect. "What?"

"You have a good grasp on your powers. Almost too good for a beginner."

She just smiled brightly. "This isn't particularly hard, Mikkoku. It's almost like a game or something that you do in psychology class."

He just shook his head then pointed to her hands. "Let's see what you have got."

Opening up her hands, Tomoyo jumped a bit when she saw the silver shining back at her. The object had almost no weight to it and was bigger that it could possibly have been in her tightly clasped hands. After a moment of peering at it closely, she looked up at Mikkoku and handed it to him. "What is it?"

The boy's eyebrows shot up almost to his hair line. "I'm very impressed. This is the Silver Rain. It is an occurance that is only discussed in myths and legends." He outlined the perfect teardrop then moved his finger lightly to follow the clean swirl that wrapped itself inside the shape. "One ancient myth tells that whenever someone of legendary power is born silver rain that seems to have the very spirit of earth bound in it's droplets will rain from the sky. And since it is your symbol, it is obvious that this happened when you were born."

Tomoyo looked at him for a moment, then at the silver ornament in her hand. "You can't be serious."

"I'm not joking." He looked at his pocket watch, which played an almost eerie tune whenever it opened, then looked back at her. "It's time for me to go get ready for dinner." He stood up and went to the door as Tomoyo continued to look at what was apparently something rare to possess in her hand. Then before he left she looked up.

"By the way what is that song your watch plays?"

"Oh it's something I once heard off of a weird anime. It played in a pocket watch on the show, some watch that was supposed to designate fate. I thought it was appropriate." He smiled. "Finish your homework and get ready or else Mistress will be upset."

"Yes, your highness," she muttered looking down at the flower.

She was so engrossed with it that she didn't hear him mutter, "Not that she won't be when she sees that trinket of yours."

Unused to having to write essay's by hand, Tomoyo was almost late to dinner. Her homework took her so much longer in fact that she almost had a heart attack when she realized the time. Throwing her books to the side she quickly ran to the wardrobe and threw the doors open. She grabbed the first dinner-type dress she saw and quickly changed into it. To her vague dismay she realized that the dress was perhaps a bit too formal for dinner but she didn't have time to change into a new one. Running a brush through her hair she left it down rather than taking the time to pin it up and turned to rush out the door. Well, until she saw the silver gleam by the fire place. Tomoyo paused and bit her lip, wondering if she should just leave that for tomorrow since she didn't really have time to figure out how to wear it.

Picking it up, she examined the back, finding a silver loop on the back. "A necklace I guess...but what for the actual 'lace' part." She didn't have anything handy in her room, but she knew that Mistress kept some black ribbon in the sewing room upstairs, which was completely out of the way from the dinning hall. In desperation, Tomoyo decided to do something which she later learned she should be impressed about. For many reasons.

Scouring her mind, Tomoyo desperately tried to remember what Mikkoku did that day at breakfast. She concentrated on black ribbon and then hesitantly she knocked on the wood in front of her twice then snapped her fingers. When the ribbon appeared in the air beside her she breathed a sigh of relief. Tomoyo snatched it from the air and made for the door. As she ran through the mansion, her long flowing skirt billowing after her, her hair brushing her face as she tried to put on her newly made necklace, it might have come to a surprise to her the reaction that those who saw her had. Admittedly they were non-corporeal and, quite often, long dead, but still she might have been quite pleased to see the faces of shock and admiration. But since she didn't she made the long trek from her upstairs bedroom to the downstairs dinning hall.

So close did she cut it, that it was as the Grand Clock was tolling the first bell of the hour that she stopped to right her appearance once again, then opened the doors as the bell tolled six. She sighed in relief and smiled at her fellow occupants. Mistress Mei Lin, who had been standing up so she could ceremoniously lock the door, barring Tomoyo's entrance had she been a moment later, took one look at her, or more precisely her new choker, and dropped the glass of wine she had been holding. It seemed to take forever to fall and shattered when it landed, sending colourful crystal pieces in every direction.

Everyone looked at Mistress for a second. The rest of the room was not as close as she was and was not afforded the better look of the strange new symbol clasped to Tomoyo's neck. Still, Mikkoku had guessed this reaction and quickly twiddled his fingers until all the shards picked themselves up and deposited in the waste basket. He didn't try to hide his amusement either. Sakura and Syaoran were at a bit of a loss though, as was Tomoyo who immediately rushed over to Mistress.

"Mistress, are you alright? Do I need to get you something? You look like you were going to faint!"

While Tomoyo pattered on unnecessarily, Mistress kept her eyes on the silver ornament until she tipped her head back in laughter.

"Oh, I should have known." She turned towards Mikkoku. "You knew didn't you? When did she make it?"

"Knew? Yes and no. Not that one in particular of course came to mind, but of course I knew. And this afternoon, silly."

Mistress nodded her head and then turned back to Tomoyo who was vaguely confused but knew that this had something to do with her new symbol of magick. Smiling softly Mistress patted Tomoyo on the back and ushered her to her chair.

"Forgive me, my dear, I was just a bit startled."

"That's okay...," she replied hesitantly. She turned to smile politely at Syaoran who had risen to pull out her chair, which was, dubiously, beside his. He too paused and took a long look at her necklace. However, he hid his surprise better, only letting his eyes widen a bit before gesturing for her to take her seat.

"I knew there was something special about you, Madison-san. However, I hope this doesn't change anything and you won't completely deny my presence now that you are high and mighty."

As an answer, Tomoyo turned to Sakura. "Sakura-chan, I get off from school early tomorrow, open house or something at school, would you like to have a tea party with me after you get home?"

The young girl smiled brilliantly, "I'd love to Tomoyo-san. Can I come to your room this time?"

"Nothing else will do."

While the girls smiled at each other, the other three occupants of the room had looks of deep consideration as they ate their dinner. Their faces were readable to each other, if not to the young girls, and each one conveyed a sense of awe and anticipation. If Syaoran had a face more towards interest and bemusement and Mistress one more towards jealousy, if the affable kind, it was no wonder that Mikkoku seemed to be thoroughly amused. However, no one spoke anything aloud about the newly acquired jewelry and dinner proceeded as it always had.

The time soon came for Mistress Mei Lin to shoo Sakura to bed. Everyone bid her goodnight and Syaoran even so much as went forward to kiss her lightly on the cheek, causing the younger girl to blush scarlet before skipping after the Mistress. Syaoran smiled softly before turning to Tomoyo, his face once more composed. "Come with me out into the gardens. It's been a long time since I've been here and even longer since I've been in the gardens."

"Syaoran-san, it's cold and wet outside," she replied smiling. "I'm not looking too keenly to get pneumonia."

"Come on. I'll show you something special, if it's still there. And I need a chance to better your impression of me. I was a bit rude earlier and I wish to rectify the situation."

"Don't let him fool you. He's either playing small jokes or being completely grumpy to everyone," Mikkoku chimed in.

Tomoyo laughed as Syaoran glared at him. "All right, but only for a little while. I have to get to school early to type the English paper."

Syaoran allowed a small smile to grace his lips in response. Then he rose, took her hand, placed it on his arm and escorted her from the room with a slightly protective air. Mikkoku watched all of this with amusement and made his own way out of the room with a last look at where the crystal shards had fallen.

"It should be right over...here!"

Syaoran was leading Tomoyo through the surprisingly well lit hedge maze to the right of the house. He seemed more determined to get her lost than to find the center, or perhaps the other exit, which did cause Tomoyo to wonder about him until he exclaimed out a few seconds ago.

"A statue?" she asked, looking at the life sized statue of a woman leaning back, arms thrown wide, in a billowy dress, obviously enjoying something about the elements around her. Maybe the frostbite.

"Yes a statue, but more. Look." Crouching to the ground he looked for a moment then pushed on one of the flowers ornamenting the hem of her dress. A moment later the whole section around the flower slid forward and revealed a hideaway drawer.

"Fascinating," Tomoyo breathed as she crouched down and tried to examine just how that occurred.

"Are you looking for a mechanism, Tomoyo?" he laughed. "It's a bit of magick. It will only work for magick users.

"Oh," she replied, looking at the stone for a moment longer. "I guess that would make you one as well, huh."

"Correct. It runs in my family more or less. Still, you seem to have your fair share of power yourself," he said pointing a finger at her necklace.

Fingering it, she seemed hesitant for a moment, then rather than replying she reached her hand into the dark area of the drawer. She pulled out a small leather bound book with old pages. Then another one, very similar with slightly older pages. They both had names engraved in silver lettering. Reaching her hand in she looked to see what else there was in there and, finding nothing, stood up.

"Let's see. 'Li Xiao Lang' is on the newer book and..." she squinted her eyes to try to make out the more faded letters, "'Clow Reed.'"

"The first one is mine," Syaoran said, reaching over to take it from her hands.

"Your real name is Xiao Lang?"

"It is my proper Chinese name. Still, I don't usually use it," he replied with an instructing tone. "In the magick world we are more often known by our symbol than by our names."

"And your symbol would be...?" She scanned through his person looking for something to identify him by.

"Do you want to see the original or the copy?" he asked with a sudden spark of humour in his eyes.

"What's the difference?"

"The copies don't tend to be quite as detailed as the original."

"Original...I guess."

Before she knew it he had taken off his shirt.

Tomoyo's first reaction was shock, of course. However, she was a woman and this man standing in front of her had the body of someone who kept very active so she didn't mind so much. She briefly let her eyes roam all over his well toned muscles until he turned so that his right arm was facing her.

Tomoyo reached out to trace the intricate design with her finger. It was a large black wolf that rested his head on his forearm right below the shoulder and stretched the length of his arm, as if leaping at prey until his tail wrapped around Syaoran's wrist. The detail was so precise down to the claws that seemed to be digging into his skin, that it almost looked like there was a real wolf there.

"Please stop that, you are giving me goose bumps," Syaoran said after the second time she had followed the wolf down his arm with her fingers.

Tomoyo, not realizing what she had been doing, pulled her hand away quickly. "Sorry! But it's beautiful. Really just absolutely fascinating. You got a tattoo? That's just so…extreme and…yet very cute."

Syaoran could barely hold his blush to a minimum and only managed through the slight amusement she provided. "It's not uncommon. Well it is but it isn't. The highest rank of magick users usually get tattoos as well when they get their symbol. Mikkoku has one."

"Seriously? I really must see that. Though I can't really imagine such a small boy with a tattoo. It's rather funny."

"Yeah. Um. Can I put my shirt back on?"

"I don't know, you look rather good with it off."

Syaoran turned a bright shade of scarlet before pulling his shirt back over his chest. He had always been quite used to being topless since his training had so often called for it. But rarely had anyone been so bold as to comment.

"Ahem, anyway. Still you owe me tit for tat now."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I showed you mine, you show me yours," he replied, the confidence creeping back into his voice.

Holding her necklace again she looked kind of confused. "What do you mean, Syaoran? It's right here. You saw it at dinner."

"Ah, but didn't I tell you that you were quite powerful?"

"You said something like that, not that I'm too keen on just believing it, but what does that have to do with it."

"Idiot. Show me your tattoo."

Her eyes almost fell out they widened so far.

"My tattoo? I'm a minor!"

Syaoran smirked. "Those things don't matter in our world. I'll let you show it to me later, I guess. And it's not that I'm perverted and want to see you uncovered. Really, I want a good look at it, Silver Rain."

She saw the raw curiosity in his eyes and knew instinctively that he there was something more to it than that. Instead of agreeing to that she asked him a question, the first that came to mind.

"You said highest rank? How many more symbols, traditionally speaking, are considered highest rank?"

He smiled as he led her back through the maze to the house. "You are correct to say traditionally. While the number of symbols changes from generation to generation since some of the higher orders can achieve immortality or delayed death and so last longer, and some of the lower orders can die more quickly from their magick use. And of course, global population rising. All this added in there are new symbols being created as we speak.

"However, the highest rank, so to speak, always consists of twenty fixed symbols, ranked twenty to one, lowest to highest."

They were at the house now and Tomoyo, while interested, was tired and cold and wanted nothing more than to be huddled in her bed, wanted a quick ending to their conversation.

"So if you say I have a tattoo that would mean I am highest rank as well?" she asked. When he nodded she continued. "How many people are higher than I am?."

"Two higher, one equal."

"There are only two?" she asked incredulously. Then she shook her head with disbelief. "Whatever. Never mind I'm going to bed."

He watched her walk off until she was swallowed by the darkness.

"Black Phoenix, Black Wolf, Silver Rain and MoonStar."