Chapter 13: Turning Point

Thunder echoed within the confines of the training grounds accompanied by flashes of light. To many of the observing eyes, it felt as if a storm had arrived within the building. They would be right to some extent; a storm was here within the inner left corner of the building. Onlookers stood in awe as lightning rained down upon the stadium, but no one was more focused on the spectacle as the boy who was dodging them.

Syaoran leapt again as a lightning bolt struck where he had been a moment ago. He landed with a roll on the ground, getting dirt on his already sweat-soaked face and shirt and stood again only to be forced to another leap as another lightning bolt headed his way. His body, having sustained multiple bruises already, strained under the constant movement he was forcing upon it. He could already feel the pain his muscles increase with each passing moment.

In his continued evasion, Syaoran looked at his opponent who was channeling the lightning with two outstretched fingers from his left hand. The attacks had driven him backwards and increased the distance between them, which gave Fang Zhi room to pick him off from a distance. He knew that it was only a matter of time before he got hit. He didn't want to risk trying to counter with his magic again as he wasn't sure it could work so that left one option: he had to get close.

Syaoran dodged another lightning bolt, this time leaping in the direction of his opponent. He did the same with the next one and the ones that followed, each time slowly closing the distance between them. Fang Zhi seemed to notice this before long as the pattern of each strike began to change. Syaoran tried his best to adapt with the changing patterns but each strike began to each closer and closer to him until finally, he dodged a second too late.

The bolt did not hit him directly but rather grazed his left arm. Still, he felt the pain immediately and let out of shriek of agony. He barely managed to keep himself from falling as he continued to advance forward. A second bolt came down and grazed his right shoulder. His steps were now erratic as he cared less about dodging as much as he wanted to power through, only making effort to keep the lightning from squarely hitting him. He continued to approach even as bolts of lightning grazed him here and there until finally a large bolt came at him. This time, he blocked it with his sword. The impact strained his feet and he barely managed to push it away. He staggered forward as he finally approached Fang Zhi, his sword poised to strike. The man had ceased raining down lightning and in response had readied his own sword.

Syaoran hit with all the power he could muster as Fang Zhi met his attack. Both blades clashed with tremendous force, sending sparks flying and echoing the sound of clashing metal throughout the training ground. The onlookers looked on with amazement at the spectacle both were making. Fang Zhi, however, was visibly unimpressed.

"Is that the best you can do? You're not going to win against me like that."

Syaoran gritted his teeth and pushed his blade harder against Fang Zhi's. However, his opponent wouldn't budge despite his efforts. The man smirked, amused at the sight of his struggle. In a sudden movement, Fang Zhi pushed back with enormous force, breaking the blade lock and pushing the smaller boy backwards.

"Not that you had a chance to begin with." he mockingly added.

Syaoran kept his sword in front of him, trying to stay aware of his opponent while catching his breath. Angered as he might be by those words, he knew he was completely at a disadvantage. The chances of him winning against Fang Zhi in close-quarter combat were only a sliver higher than his chances of winning against the man in magic now because of his current inability to use it, but he had only that miniscule difference to rely on.

Fang Zhi began to circle him menacingly. His own blade wasn't raised but Syaoran knew that the man was still alert. Surprisingly enough, Fang Zhi began to converse casually, not in his usual gruff manner.

"Look at you, struggling to catch your own breath with no magic. You're pathetic, boy. You don't deserve to have the Li name."

"Shut up!"

Fang Zhi laughed the threat off. "What are you going to do? You're struggling to stand as it is. No wonder you failed to retrieve the Clow Cards. I'd even warned the Elders about sending you in the first place but your abilities are far below even what I had imagined." Syaoran gripped his sword tighter. He knew Fang Zhi was trying to get under his skin and was irked to admit that it worked on some level. He suppressed the anger within him and kept track of Fang Zhi's position relative to his.

"Still, even my words were not enough to sway the Elders' decision. They were so sure of the predictions that they put their blind faith in you. Even your mother, the witch that she is, could see that. I've trained mages much more capable than you and I would've eagerly sent any of them to take back the artifact rightfully ours, or even retrieve them myself. But no, they had to send you, her wretched spawn. I shouldn't have been so surprised. Being a disappointment must run in the family."

The mentions of his mother fueled the fire in his heart but he did his best to disregard them. Instead, he focused on another part of Fang Zhi's words. "Predictions?"

Fang Zhi let out a mocking chuckle as he continued to circle Syaoran, slowly narrowing the distance between them. "You don't know anything, do you? I should have guessed. That witch probably didn't say anything because she didn't want it to go to your head. Not that it mattered in the end. Did you really think you were chosen because of your abilities, you conceited child? I can tell you this after all this time training you; you are nothing! You're a kid who's way over his head. You don't deserve to wear the name Li, just like your whole cursed family."

"Don't you dare talk about my family!" Syaoran snapped.

"You are in no position to be giving me threats, boy! You have no idea what how much your mother has cost the Clan! You and your family are a thorn in our side for far too long. As a member of the Li Clan, it falls upon me to remove you."

All his statements were following a pattern and Syaoran realized it immediately. "You're not here by coincidence. You chose to be my trainer."

Fang Zhi let out another mocking laugh. "At least your mind is still working a little. You're right; I volunteered myself when the Elders requested an evaluation of your capabilities. I admit I have… personal reasons for accepting the task." A grin emerged as he spoke the last sentence which sent a shiver up Syaoran. "But don't go thinking you can blame me for your shortcomings. I've treated you as I would any of my students. The standards I've set for you are those that I would expect from a mage entrusted with an important mission like the one that was given to you. That you've failed to reach that level time and time again is simply an inadequacy on your end and proof of the misplaced trust in you."

"You don't know anything about me." Syaoran spat back.

Fang Zhi let out a mocking laugh. "I know plenty enough and I remain unimpressed. Still, you are nothing but persistent; I'll give you that. I thought after last week you would've given up. I'm almost curious how long you would've kept it up before you finally broke." A malicious grin appeared on his face. "But that doesn't matter now."

The man's reaction intrigued him. "What do you mean?"

"I told you: I was sent here to evaluate you and report back to the Elders. I had originally wanted to wait a little longer but after the stunt you pulled today, I don't have to. It's become quite clear that you were unfit for the task given to you in the first place. Your abilities are significantly below standard as proven by your current inability to use magic. Even worse, you took out your frustrations on some fellow trainees which resulted in a fight breaking out; a clear sign of a lack of self-control. Simply put, you are just another child. Your power is nothing but a fluke and you clearly lack the ability to use it properly."

Syaoran heard Fang Zhi's perversion of events and felt his rage boil up. He wanted to say that they'd never believe him, but he knew better. It was his word against Fang Zhi's, and right now he didn't have any credibility left to him.

He was so absorbed in thought that he almost didn't notice Fang Zhi lunging forward and slashing at him. Syaoran blocked instinctively, locking their blades. "And when I'm done disciplining you for your actions, I will relay my assessment to the Elders. I'll make them see that you are nothing more than just another child of and they will no longer be misguided by the idea that you were anything more than that. They will never trust you again."

Fang Zhi exploded with a sudden burst of force and broke the lock, sending Syaoran back. "You have already lost."

Syaoran felt his heart turn to stone. The words sounded true; he couldn't possibly win now and his standing with the Clan is already in ruins, but even as he recognized the truth he couldn't accept it. Everything he had done, all that he had worked for, was about to be undone.

'No, no, no!'

Syaoran's vision began to darken and he felt himself being crushed by despair. The pressure built inside of him and he shook uncontrollably until it finally couldn't be contained anymore. He let out a primal scream and let all of his rage and frustration loose. He looked at Fang Zhi was watching him with amusement and charged forward to attack. As he rushed, everything seemed to fade out. All he could see was his target, who continued to look unworried even as his sword approached.

Their blades collided once more with a loud clang. Syaoran felt the impact vibrate towards his strained arms but he powered through. All he wanted was to land a blow against Fang Zhi and wipe the smirk off his face. He followed the momentum of the impact and spun around for a downward blow, which Fang Zhi blocked with ease. Unfazed, Syaoran continued to attack even as each of his slashes was immediately blocked and parried. It soon became apparent that Fang Zhi was toying with him and purposefully refraining from attacking back. He increased the intensity of his attacks in anger, but to no avail. It wasn't long before his movements started getting slower and dull and he felt the fatigue slowly creeping back up on him.

It didn't really surprise him when Fang Zhi finally retaliated, but he had left himself completely unguarded that it didn't matter. In his rage, he had cast aside his technique and posture in favor of wild swings which left him wide open. Consequently, a swift swing of his opponent's sword was enough to cast aside his own and break his defense. Before he knew it, Syaoran had a blade pointed against his face.

"Was that your second wind? That was even more pathetic than your previous attempt." Fang Zhi's smile quickly faded to his usual hardened expression "I'm done humoring you. You're done, boy. Accept your fate." Fang Zhi said flatly. The look of vengeful delight was gone from his face, replaced only with a hardened expression which told Syaoran that the man wasn't lying. Syaoran looked at the man and the blade pointed at him as the hopelessness of his situation set in again. His body started to fall slump and he felt his grip on his sword loosening. He felt tears welling up in his eyes as he closed them. He was tired, injured and cornered. There really was no other option left for him but to lay down his sword and give up.

'NO!'

The final shout of defiance echoed throughout his mind and body, jolting it awake. His sword hand moved instinctively and batted aside Fang Zhi's sword as his body jumped back to give him some distance.

Fang Zhi's anger was immediately visible. "So be it."

Both fighters moved forward and clashed against with each other. This time however, Fang Zhi made it clear he was not in the mood for humoring Syaoran any longer and quickly overwhelmed the boy with an intense offensive push. Each swing felt like he was blocking a cannon ball. In his exhausted state, it didn't take long until his defense was was completely broken again. An upward strike by Fang Zhi knocked Syaoran's sword and hand upward and his body backwards. With his body exposed, Fang Zhi immediately spun around and hunched his body to spring into a kick. Syaoran watched with dread as Fang Zhi's foot struck forward to his abdomen. He was too near to dodge and he would not be quick enough to defend. He was going to get hit on way or another.

But he could hit back.

Syaoran poised his left foot on the ground and pushed against the ground with all his might to keep himself from falling over and regain his stability. With his regained stability he moved his body forward to the incoming kick. At the same time, he brought down his sword pommel-first into the leg as hard as he can.

The pommel hammered down on Fang Zhi's leg a fraction of a second earlier as the kick connected to Syaoran's abdomen, hitting him in the calf. The downward force of the blow helped dissipate some of the force behind the kick, but it was still quite powerful. Coupled with the injuries he had already sustained, Syaoran immediately went down from the attack. He wasn't the only one though; Syaoran's counter-attack had caught Fang Zhi off-guard and he went down in one knee as he retreated his injured leg, using his sword to keep himself from falling over.

'He's open!'

Shutting out the pain as much as he could, Syaoran pushed himself upward quickly and rushed towards Fang Zhi who was still on his knees. Fang Zhi reacted immediately and for the first time since the duel began, lifted his sword to seriously defend himself. As they clashed again, Fang Zhi's sword maneuvered around Syaoran's and hooked the blade with it's hilt. This was immediately followed up with a quick spin which sent the sword flying out of Syaoran's hand to some distance to his left. Syaoran was now weaponless and too close to Fang Zhi's range too dodge.

But that didn't mean he couldn't attack.

Syaoran charged forward and placed his left foot on top of Fang Zhi's still bended right knee. With his foot anchored in position, he lifted his entire body all the while rotating it to his left with his right leg extended. A primal yell escaped him as he put as much energy as he could within the rotation. Fang Zhi, whose sword was still flung to the side, tried to move his whole body back but Syaoran's whole weight was already in his right foot, anchoring it to the ground, so instead he leaned backwards to avoid the incoming kick while raising his left arm to grab Syaoran.

Neither approach was fast enough. Syaoran connected his foot with Fang Zhi's face, hitting the man squarely in the cheek. The sight of Fang Zhi's face being pushed aside by his foot alongside the vibrations which came from the contact got his heart pumping wildly again and garnered a same response from their spectators, though he was too excited at what he had just done to notice them. After all the weeks of rigorous training and the beatdowns, he had scored his first hit against Fang Zhi. To say it felt good was a huge understatement, but he reined his excitement in; the battle was far from over.

Still at the end of his spin, Syaoran bent his right leg and delivered a second kick to Fang Zhi's face, this one connecting with the middle-left part as his face was still blown to the side by the previous kick, and simultaneously kicked away from Fang Zhi's knee with his left foot to launch his body to his left where his sword lay. He landed a short distance away from it and quickly grasped the handle tightly before rolling himself back to an upright position.

"YOU-"

Syaoran rushed immediately, knowing that he had only a short window of time before Fang Zhi recovered. He was going to force him to submit before that. He could see Fang Zhi was already getting back on his feet.

"IMPUDENT-"

Syaoran picked up his pace. Fang Zhi had not quite yet recovered, his sword was already poised to strike and he was closing the distance. He was sure he was going to make it in time when Fang Zhi made a quick spin on his feet. His black garb fluttered as he turned to face Syaoran revealing two pointed fingers outstretched at the approaching boy.

"BRAT!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a light appeared on the end of the fingers which quickly turned into a large bolt of lightning. Syaoran had barely enough time to raise his sword in defense and brace his footing as the bolt struck him. Sparks flew as lightning connected with his sword with a huongous amount of force. He tried his best to keep his guard up, but the accumulated injuries he sustained took a toll and he finally budged.

The lightning broke through the guard and hit him in the midsection. Syaoran felt the heat and the shock sting him immediately. Meanwhile, the force of the blast sent him careening backwards a distance away until gravity took it's toll. He landed roughly and rolled a few times before finally stopping and lying with his front side to the floor.

Syaoran winced as he finally rolled to a stop. A second later, pain came from his entire body and the world spun around him. Through blurred vision, he saw his surroundings. Beside him, the spectators were looking on in shock and talking amongst themselves. He shifted his gaze in front of him, where Fang Zhi was already up on his feet and wiping the blood off his mouth.

'Move…'

Syaoran commanded his body to get up but couldn't get himself to move other than a few shakes. He reached for his sword, which lay a distance away from his right hand, but could only touch the handle with a few fingers until he accidentally pushed it away from his reach. His hands gave way then and fell back on the floor. Soon after, he felt his vision blur further as darkness approached the corners of his eyes and Syaoran realized he was losing consciousness. His eyelids gradually drew to a close and all sensation of pain and fatigue faded away from his body as he retreated deeper within himself.

And then there was darkness.

It enveloped him in all directions. He didn't feel anything, not pain, not the sensation of his sweat-soaked clothes against his body, or the sensation of his body against the floor. He wasn't really conscious but he hadn't yet given in to unconsciousness, and was still aware enough to think and a single question echoed through the pitch black.

'It's over, isn't it?'

It was an unpleasant question to ask. At the moment, it seemed like the answer was obvious. He had struggled but in the end, his power was not enough and he had fell short of what was required of him, just like during his time capturing the Clow Cards and the Final Judgment. Worse, it had failed him during his time of need. It was not strong enough.

He was not strong enough.

'I gave it my best.' He said to himself and it was true; he gave it his all and no one could say otherwise, but this thought didn't comfort him at all, but had quite the opposite effect. Even worse, he had played into Fang Zhi's hands and now his fate in the Clan was uncertain. He was sure they wouldn't excommunicate him but they would never look at him the same way again if at all, and he would lose what bargaining leverage he had left to return to Sakura. Granted, the chances of that were slim in the first place, but now it was nigh impossible.

But does it even matter? Does it matter if the Elders didn't have faith in him anymore? Or if they even kicked him out of the Clan? He was already thinking about it in the first place so having himself be kicked out could benefit him. True, the Clan had provided him with the necessary funding to live in Japan in the first place and without them it would be significantly harder to do so but he believed with determination he could eventually find a way to return to Tomoeda, to her.

But he couldn't accept that. The very notion of not being in the Clan sickened him. He rejected it with every fiber of his being. For better or worse, the Clan was already a part of him. To take it away would be to take away another part of himself. He had carried it with pride knowing that he was a part of one of the most powerful clan of sorcerers in the East and had a fierce desire to preserve that legacy.

'So what do I do now?'

He stayed there within the darkness trying to answer that question but couldn't come up with an answer. He was stuck, and for the first time in his life felt the full weight of everything in his shoulders. Sakura, the Clan, all of it crushing him from all sides as the darkness steadily encroached itself around him. 'I'm losing consciousness', he realized. The darkness felt tempting and he began to readily welcome it as it drew closer and closer…

And then there was a light, shining dimly but visible within the darkness and Syaoran riled again, expelling the darkness away. He looked at the small light within the dark and felt it's glow. It felt like something familiar, something he once knew. He approached it, or rather floated towards it. As he did, the light began to shine brighter, cutting through the darkness around him until finally there was a blinding flash.

Syaoran came to and was greeted with the sight of a dark blue ceiling and recognized it immediately as the training room in his house. He felt himself move slightly as he looked up and saw the familiar face of his guardian. Wei was smiling at him and had a hand extended towards him.

"Need a hand, Master Xiao Lang?"

He paused for a moment before taking the hand, only it wasn't really him doing it. In fact, all of his actions were completely out of his control yet he was simultaneously living them. Syaoran looked at the scene playing before him. He noticed his hands which were smaller than they were the last time he remembered seeing them and at his guardian's face. Wei didn't really differ much in terms of looks for all the years he had known him, but he did look relatively younger and taller too, or rather, he was shorter.

'That's right. I remember this.'

He had already lived through this day and his mind had brought him here again in a last ditch effort. Rightfully so, for it was a day imprinted heavily on his mind and though he had not thought of it for a long time the details began to flow naturally to him like he was rereading an old book. He recalled what Wei said exactly as the old man pulled him up.

"That was a commendable effort, Young Master, but you moved a little too hastily and put your feet too close to each other. This made it easy for me to sweep them. Remember to always keep your structure stable, Master Xiao Lang."

Syaoran looked down in disappointment at his mistake. He had been keeping track of his progress at martial arts and he had definitely progressed from his earlier days when his movements were stiff, but occasionally he did make blunders like this which greatly irritated him. "Of course. That was careless of me. I won't make stupid mistakes like that again."

Wei smiled at him. "Do not be discouraged, young one. It is natural to make mistakes; it's what makes us human. What matters is that we learn from them. That is the true measure of our abilities."

Syaoran looked up at Wei and returned the smile. His guardian always did know the words to say whenever he felt discouraged. "Thank you, Wei." Syaoran dusted himself off and entered his combat stance. "I'm ready to go again."

Wei complied and entered his own battle stance and both of them continued. Syaoran wasn't sure how long they trained since he was always too caught up in the moment during their training sessions to notice the passing of time until Wei ended the session.

"That should be enough for today, Master Xiao Lang. Your skills are improving finely. Just remember to never get lost in yourself in battle." With that, Wei took a bow and ended the training session.

"Thank you, Wei." Syaoran returned the bow. He grabbed a towel from a nearby rack to wipe off the sweat on his forehead and was taking a drink to rehydrate when he felt her presence. Even before she entered the room, he already knew that it was his mother. Instinctively, he put down his water bottle and stood upright in anticipation. Sure enough, a second after he did that the graceful form of Yelan Li entered the room wearing her official robes and hair with her hands in her sleeves.

"Good evening, Mother." Syaoran greeted on cue.

"Good evening, Mistress." Wei greeted with a more relaxed tone.

"At ease, the both of you." she replied coolly and turned her attention to Wei. "Training rather long today, are we?"

"Ah yes, I suppose so." Wei rubbed the back of his head. "It's solely my fault. I got a little carried away during our training. I'm sorry if I had kept him for too long."

Yelan dismissed the apology. "It is fine. In fact, it is convenient for me. I was going to speak to Xiao Lang at this time anyway." She turned to her son. "Xiao Lang, come with me."

Syaoran jumped on the spot at the sudden command. "With all due respect, Mother, I am currently not presentable. I need to change my clothes first before dinner."

"That will not be necessary." Yelan replied. "I have already told the servants to serve dinner later for today. Right now, I wish to speak to you alone. Now come."

"O-of course, Mother." Syaoran excused himself from Wei and followed his mother as she made her way from the mansion interior to the garden. He remembered that he had felt more nervous with each step. A summon from his mother usually meant something serious and something which made her postpone dinner to talk to him alone must've been very serious. He wondered if he had done something to anger her and looked back at the past days to see if he had. All his thoughts ceased as she finally stopped at the edge of the garden veranda. He stopped as well just a few steps behind her. In the sky, the moon illuminated them both with it's light and magic.

Yelan turned around and Syaoran saw his mother in all her grace towering over him. He could see the face of his mother as it always was; calm, composed, with a stern gaze that never left whatever she was focusing on. However, something was different about her that day and it was only after looking back on it that he realized what it was.

She had looked a little sad.

He had of course not known this back then. Instead, he became more nervous as he suspected that she was mad with him. It was with both surprise and relief to him when she spoke the opposite.

"Xiao Lang, you have been progressing well in your training. Your magic skills, though far from perfect, have been improving gradually and I have it on good word that you're making similar progress in your martial arts."

It took him a moment to figure out that she was praising him. "T-Thank you, Mother." he replied hastily. His mother wasn't an overly harsh person and gave credit when it's due, but it was rare for her to actually praise someone. The gesture was so unexpected that he didn't know how to react.

"But you have only begun a very small part of the journey to the world of magic and magic can be very unpredictable. It is ever-changing and can lead you to unexpected or even dangerous paths."

"Okay…" The sudden grimness of her tone and serious shift in conversation sapped away all his previous excitement. He began to feel that there was something around the corner that she was leading up to.

Yelan shifted and took out her hands from inside her sleeves. It was then that Syaoran could see that she was clutching something in her right hand. It was a black round orb with red string running through it. The orb dangled from her hand as she clutched it by the string.

"Do you know what this is?"

Syaoran looked at the object. To the naked eye, it was just another object but he knew as soon as he saw it that it was more than what it seemed. He could sense the inherent magic within it and immediately connected it to what he'd learned. "It's a key, a magic item condensed within a compact form."

His mother's nod confirmed his answer. "Do you know how it works?"

"Yes. A magic user forms a contract with it first. Once a contract is formed, the magic user can unlock it's power and use it's true form to channel their magic." It was an overly simplified answer, one that he had copied straight out from the magical textbooks he read, but the only one that came at the time. Still, the answer satisfied his mother even if at the time his understanding was limited.

"I've created this key for you, Xiao Lang."

He was stunned at her words. She had shocked him left and right that he hadn't known whether to say thank you or stay silent. He opted for the latter and rightly so, because his mother hadn't finished.

"This item will assist you in your journey to become a magician, but it is incomplete in it's current state and requires living magic to stabilize it."

She didn't have to say anything more for him to know she meant his magic. Syaoran nodded in understanding and looked again at the object dangling from his mother's hand. He was a child of few desires but never had something looked so appealing to him. Excitement filled his heart as he reached out his hand to it.

"Do you know what taking this item means, Xiao Lang?"

The question instilled doubt in him and his hand retreated back to his side. He wanted to say that he did, but whatever he had thought up didn't seem like what his mother meant so he shook his head.

"It means choosing to walk on the path of magic. If you take this, you accept that you will knowingly embark on this path through whatever hardships it may give you. This object will help you along the way, but you must make the choice to walk the way first. That is the contract required." She outstretched her hand fully and dangled the key in front of him. "So I ask you Li Xiao Lang, are you prepared to do that?"

His initial reaction had been surprise. After all, what would be the point of teaching him magic if not preparing him for being a mage? He'd always thought of one day being a mage that would best serve his Clan. It never occurred to him to be anything else.

His second thought was that he had been tested to see if he would reject the gift given to him. It wasn't above her mother to do so, yet he didn't really have any reason to. Syaoran looked up at his mother who stayed silent in waiting. Normally, he would feel pressure from her gaze when presented with a test but at that time her eyes were soft and patient even if her expression remained stoic. She was simply waiting for his answer.

And answer he did, not with words but action. He raised his hand slowly at first but began to move faster as his hand approached the item. His mother reacted immediately and released her grip on the red string. However, the key stayed afloat in the air as he closed in on it. He could feel it's magic pulsing stronger as it reacted to his own magic until his hand tingled with the sensation. Fear and nervousness were racking within him, but his excitement trumped them.

And then he grabbed it.

The reaction was instantaneous. The key emitted a white light followed by a strong discharge of magical energy which sent dust flying in all directions. At the same time, his magic circle appeared below his feet. He felt the magic in his hands pulsating wildly and his own magic spiked uncontrollably which made him panic. His young mind pondered whether he had done something wrong and he was about to loosen his grip out of fear when his mother spoke up.

"Stay calm. It is reacting to you, trying to recognize you. Take control of your energy."

Syaoran did as he was told. He reaffirmed his grip on the string and took control of the magic he was channeling out to a steady level. As he did that, the light and force from where his hand touched the key decreased in intensity.

"Now, reach out to it. Don't try to dominate it but let your magic work with it. It's true form will then be revealed to you."

He followed the instruction and channeled his magic steadily into the object. At first, his magic couldn't mix with it and both of them stayed separate like oil and water, like it was still trying to recognize him. Then, he felt both powers gradually melding, swirling into each other. He closed his eyes and concentrated harder. He could see both his power and the key's, both a rainbow of indescribable colors similar to each other yet also distinctly different. He poured more of his magic into the key and melded more of it into the key's power. It wasn't long till the colors began to blur together until finally they were the same hue. There were no longer two magical energies. Rather, he could feel the key's power had become an extension of his own. The colors in his mind then began to shape into a white outline of the key's true form, which he recognized immediately.

Syaoran poured his magic into the shape and the energy in his hand finally became something more tangible as it began to take shape into something solid. He could feel his hand gripping something with weight. A moment later, he felt the texture of metal in his grip as the weight in his hand solidified.

'This is it.'

A final push of magic completed the picture and the key let out one final burst of magic before it dissipated, leaving behind silence in it's wake. At the same time, the image disappeared from his mind. In it's place was now something solid in his hand and he slowly opened his eyes to see it.

It was more beautiful than what he had imagined. It's black grip which felt at home in his hand which led to a yellow decorated guard reminiscent of a lotus opening it's petals and out of it, a sharp blade extended forward glistening with the magical residue of it's summoning and the moonlight's reflection. He relaxed his hand from it's upright grip to examine it closer, letting go of the decorative tassel that was it's compact form. All of it's components blend together to create the most stunning sword he had ever laid eyes on to this day. He swung it slowly a few times to feel it's weight in his hands.

"Of course, you will be trained on how to use it as a weapon. I'll make arrangements with some trainers I trust to teach you swordsmanship. However, I'll be teaching you how to use it to channel your magic." Syaoran who was still too overwhelmed by everything barely registered her comment. "With this, you have taken your first step in becoming a magician. This sword represents everything that you are. Use this power wisely, my son. Always remain true to yourself and strength will always follow."

Feelings of excitement, joy and gratitude welled up inside him. Syaoran put the sword down and bowed to her wholeheartedly. "Thank you, Mother!"

Yelan didn't reply but gave a nod instead. "You'll have to put the sword away for dinner. Returning it to it's dormant state is simple enough; all you have to do is drain it of it's magic."

"Oh, of course." He had completely forgotten about that. Syaoran closed his eyes again and mentally pulled the magic within the sword back. The grip gradually lost tangibility until finally all he clutched was the string. He put the key in his pocket and walked to follow his mother back into the house…

…and returned back to darkness.

He looked at the swirling emptiness around him. The memory had run it's course, but he had seen what he needed to see.

'I remember.' That night he had made a promise to walk in the path of a magician through whatever hardship he encountered. He made a pact to walk in the path of magic and serve the Clan, only…

… only she had never said anything about serving the Clan. She had only said to always be true to himself. He had simply assumed that acting in service to the Clan was implied to be part of the deal. Did that mean his service to the Clan had no meaning? Was it just simply a meaningless obligation?

'No., it wasn't.' he replied defiantly. 'I did everything they asked of me without hesitation because I believed in the Li Clan, and I still do. It was my path as a magician.' The darkness began to subside as a glow emanated from him. 'Everything I've done so far, I didn't do it simply out of obligation but because I wanted to. Even when everything felt hard, I never doubted that I wasn't being myself. I am a part of the Li Clan and the Clan is a part of me.'

And just like that, something clicked within him and he found his answer. The glow grew into a shining spark that cut through the darkness as Syaoran reaffirmed everything that he was. He was Syaoran Li; the only son of Yelan Li, the little brother of three sisters, a friend to Sakura Kinomoto whom he loved, and a part of the Li Clan. He was every one of these things and more. Anyone who would try to take anyone of these things away from him…

The clang echoed throughout the court and stunned the onlookers into silence. Fang Zhi, who had turned around to exit the training area, stopped dead in his tracks and stayed still for a moment before slowly turning his head towards the source of the sound behind him; a boy who had plunged his sword to the ground.

"Not… yet."

Clutching the grip of his sword tightly, Syaoran pushed himself up back up on his two feet. The creaking pain from his body threatened to make him fall but he managed to find his balance. Now standing upright, Syaoran removed his sword from the ground and put up his guard.

"We're not done yet."

Fang Zhi looked at him, annoyance visible in his eyes. "Your persistence is getting on my nerves, boy. Quit, or you'll get more than just a few bruises."

Syaoran ignored the threat. "I still have enough strength left to fight."

"Oh?" Fang Zhi grinned mockingly. "And what do you have left to fight for?"

"Myself." Syaoran replied.

Fang Zhi let out a mocking laugh. "You're really dense, aren't you? I told you; you've already lost. There is no situation where you get anything. All I need to do is to give my report and-"

"It doesn't matter." Syaoran cut off.

The response removed the delight from Fang Zhi's face and replaced it with an angry, puzzled expression.

"You can tell the Elders whatever you want to and they can give their punishments, but whatever you or the Elders can do will change one fact; that I am a Li. Even if I were kicked out of the Clan, I am and always will be Xiao Lang Li."

"Tsch!" The fiery anger had begun to return to Fang Zhi's eyes. "Now you resort to standing on false pride. Pretty words, boy, but in the end they're just hollow words. "

"I agree." Syaoran replied. "Words are nothing without action, so I'll prove once and for all that I am worthy of the name given to me and of my place in the Li Clan. Not for you, the Elders or anyone else, but for myself."

Fang Zhi laughed and turned away from him. "Find someone else to play your little games, boy. You've already proven your lack of worth to me." With that, Fang Zhi walked back to exit the court.

"I've never questioned your rage before." Syaoran suddenly began. "I've always assumed it was simply your nature, that you were just simply tough on others so I accepted that." Fang Zhi kept on walking as he continued. "But after what you told me today, I see now that it was something else."

Fang Zhi stopped on his tracks but didn't turn around. Nonetheless, Syaoran continued. "Each time we train, you push me harder and harder hoping that I would break, that I would give up and to tell you the truth, I almost did. It seemed that no matter what I did, I never seemed to be able to reach your expectations." Syaoran took a step forward and stood upright. "But that was because you wanted me to fail, to give up and I didn't and it bothers you."

Fang Zhi's sword stirred visibly as the hand clutching it grew tighter which goaded Syaoran to continue. "It bothers you that no matter what you do, I will never stop, because that means that all your effort to break me was for nothing." Syaoran clutched his sword tightly and focused at his opponent.

"It would mean that you've lost."

There was a quick blur of movement and then Fang Zhi was facing him again with two outstretched fingers, an expression of fury on his face. In the next second, lightning shot forth immediately followed by a thunderous boom as it headed straight towards him. At the same time, Syaoran produced his casting paper from his pocket and went through the motions; he threw the paper in the air, braced his sword in front of him and felt his magic flowing through him as the paper landed on his guard. Energy loaded in him clearly as Fang Zhi's lightning came closer at him.

"God of Thunder, answer my call!"

All the built up energy in flowed without resistance and came forward as a yellow streak of lightning which shot forward to mean it's opposition. Both energies collided in a show of light and electricity before exploding and sending clouds of dust in all directions. Syaoran felt a tingling feeling left by the flow of magic in his arms. It was a hot sensation but it didn't burn him but felt strangely pleasant. He embraced the feeling as the dust settled, revealing the shocked faces of the audience and the more satisfying look of surprise on Fang Zhi's face.

That's right. He was Syaoran Li; the only son of Yelan Li, the little brother of three sisters, a friend to Sakura Kinomoto whom he loved, and a part of the Li Clan. He was every one of these things and more. Anyone who would try to take anyone of these things away from him…

…will have to face him.

Syaoran clutched his sword and put up his guard. "Let's go."

A/N: The new chapter is out! I hope you like it. I apologize for the long wait time between chapters. There is just a lot going on and I'm finding it difficult to find time (although I admit I have poor time management so it's also on me) to continue this story so progress has been slower than I want it to be. I'll try to be quicker with the next one. Thanks for the people who are still interested in this story. I hope I continue to entertain you.