Before anyone could react, Eli was the first, summoning his staff, using it to slam a young girl against the wall, knocking the wind right out of her.

Eyes stone cold, he pressed it against her throat before stopping, paling when realizing who it was.

He immediately pulled away, stumbling backwards in shock, visibly shaking at what he almost did.

"Rita-chan!" Sakura gasped as she jumped from the bed, rushing to the other's side, catching her as she began to collapse, gagging for air. "You could've killed her!"

"I didn't even sense…" the navy haired boy started before pausing, the color in his face draining, scaring the others in the room.

"Eli-kun?" Madison started, reaching a hand out to him, watching as he flinched from her touch.

"I…I can't seem to sense her… I should be able to, even if she doesn't use magic… But now…now I can't sense Li-kun or Sakura-chan and they're right here with us," the boy stuttered softly.

His eyes were wide with absolute horror, his whole body shaking horribly as realization dawned on him.

"You what?" Li growled, quickly getting out of bed, running to the other's side, grabbing him by the shoulders with an angry glare. "This better not be some fucking joke, Moon!"

"I…I'm not joking, I swear!" the boy stuttered, fear evident in his eyes, causing the other to let go.

"Could it be due to whatever attacked you and Sakura-chan?" Madison asked, trying to break the two up.

"If you're talking about the lightning and weird chest pain, add me in," Rita coughed between words.

"Take it easy, breathe slowly," Sakura scolded towards her friend.

Whether she meant it or not, she caused the glasses wearing boy to silently whimper, clearly disturbed over what he almost committed.

"Wait…you said you were attacked by lightning then suddenly blacked out from chest pain? Is that right?"

"I'm not the only one," the girl began before footsteps were heard.

The others tensed before the normally timid girl forced herself up onto her feet, limping out to the hallway, giving a pained wave and smile.

Instantly, Sakura and the others relaxed when spotting Meilin and…

"Okāsan?" Li gasped when spotting his mother walking in from behind, a stoic look on her face. "What…what are you doing here?"

"I grew concerned when I no longer could feel the presence of Meilin-chan, even as she sat in the same room as myself. My concern only grew when she collapsed in pain, waking up later."

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at the girl with worry, seeing she looked weary, likely not having slept since it happened. "When did it happen?"

"A few hours ago," she answered softly. "When I woke up and Showron-sama asked me what happened, I told her what I remembered. That I felt like I was drowning, but I can't tell if it was water or soil, or maybe both."

"It was then I noticed I couldn't sense her and something inside me told me to come here, to ensure you and Sakura-chan were safe."

"So you came immediately?" Li asked, clearly surprised, "What about my sisters? Are they okay?"

"They're safe, I had them stay behind to guard the compound and do any research and send it my way if they find anything similar to what happened to Meilin-chan."

"I see…"

"Did either of you experience what Meilin-chan had?"

"Hai, but instead of drowning in something, it felt like I was being electrocuted, I could almost feel my skin burning away."

"I felt like everything was crushing me, as well as was burning, then being electrocuted, buried, drowning, freezing, vines wrapping around me. Almost like every known element out there tried to kill me right then and there," Rita explained, feeling her body tremble at the memory.

"It felt like the whole planet engulfed me, making me feel enclosed, soil filling my lungs, unable to escape," Li added solemnly.

He felt ashamed of being this weak in front of his mother before feeling her hands on his shoulders, pulling him close.

"Don't be ashamed, whatever is going on, you four are connected somehow. What it might be, I'm afraid I don't have an answer for, but I won't lose you," the boy's mother comforted.

"I'm afraid that they areconnected as well as many others who have yet to experience this terror."

"What?" Madison whimpered, hugging Sakura tightly, the other and Rita returning the gesture, tears forming in their eyes.

"They are descendants of a power even greater than that Clow Reed," a woman's voice resonated throughout their minds.

It felt as if they were being spoken to individually, yet all at the same time based on each other's expressions.

"Who is it?" Eli cried out, his voice cracking, revealing his fear.

"Trust my words, child, follow the four, theywill lead you where the answers you seek are found," the voice spoke once more, sending a strange warmth through his frame, calming him somehow, like a mother's embrace.

"What should we do?" the smoky haired girl asked nervously.

"Guess we should follow the lady's advice and let Sakura-chan and the others lead?" Kero spoke up, startling Rita when he flew into her vision. "Oh shit."

"Did…did that…did your stuffed animal just talk?" she whimpered, unsure if she was beginning to lose it.

"W-wait, Rita-chan, I can explain!" Sakura cried out, grabbing her friend's shoulders, keeping her steady.

Managing to settle her down, the sorcerous explained as much as she could without it going on forever.

She told her about the cards; how she had to catch them, later transform them, among other crazy adventures she had regarding them.

When she finished, Rita stood there, dumbfounded, not sure if she should believe it, but looking at Kero floating there and with what's happening now, knew it was real.

"So…so you can use magic?"

"Hai…Gomen'nasai, Rita-chan. I know we're friends, but I wasn't sure how you'd take it before. My otōsan doesn't even know what I can do, I'm afraid he'll freak out like you almost did."

"I understand…I guess if I had something like that, I'd be scared too."

"So you're not mad?"

"Not really, it's kinda cool though. You can use magic, protecting us in secret, never abusing them."

"They have their own personalities. It wouldn't be fair to use them selfishly."

Once they were ready, the children grabbing spare ponchos left in the school as did the elder woman, they headed back outside.

Ahead of the group were the apparent chosen four, the quartet feeling a strange tugging sensation beginning to fill them.

It was pulling them down roads and alleys, leading them towards their apparent destination. All the while, Eli and Yelan focused on creating barriers to prevent any attacks from occurring upon their trek.

Madison used her phone to call Ruby and Spinner, knowing that the boy was far too busy, plus could see he was still very much shaken over what happened.

She's never seen him lash out at anyone, human or magical being alike.

Seeing him attack so violently, with so much fear, almost crumbling over his actions, it really broke her heart.

She prayed that by calling them, it might help comfort the boy in case he had a sudden breakdown from the stress he's desperately trying to hide.

"Why are the streets so empty?" Rita asked while they walked, spotting no traffic, no signs of any life.

It was so eerie as they looked around, unsure on what was going on, making her think back to her fiancé, worried over whether he was okay or not.

Careful with her magic, the older woman concentrated on the surrounding area before heaving a small sigh.

"Just as I suspected, this magic is very unusual and rare, even amongst the most famous sorcerers."

"What do you mean?" Meilin asked with concern, having stopped along with the others traveling with them.

They needed to rest anyway; some were tired, taking shelter in an abandoned building to let the two magicians recuperate.

"There are different kinds of magic in the world. With users such as myself, Sakura-chan, Li-kun, Eli-san and others, is known as bred magic. Just as it sounds, it is literally bred into a family due to past ancestors wielding it, sometimes skipping a generation or two and coming in different forms. It is also rumored that Clow Reed-sama's magic is also bred as were his parents and theirs."

"You're kidding," Kero gasped, obviously shocked by this.

Looking over at Eli, hoping for answers, yet felt his heart sink when seeing how lost and confused he looked.

Whether he knew the answer or not, it was almost wrong to see him like this.

He usually had that coy little smile, eyes dancing with almost a playful nature when making tests for Sakura and Li.

Now, all he saw was literally a frightened child trying to act brave…

It made him wonder if Clow Reed ever looked like that prior to his and Yue's creations, the cards' creations.

His thoughts broke when the elder woman spoke again, explaining more on the different variations of magic.

"Another is natural magic, obtained through plants and animals, later consumed by humans in some manner. It is there they or their descendants' gain that magic to use, which leads into being bred magic less the descendants also consume the same food."

"What else is there?" Sakura asked with concern as she and the others listened.

"The last one I can recall is known as pure magic. It will appear spontaneously in an individual, including someone who already has magic in them. But it is very rare and rumored to be very powerful, dangerous even. Sadly, I know almost nothing about it than bits and pieces I've heard growing up."

"I see…" Rita sighed, wishing they had more to go on, but couldn't blame the woman if this is rare.

She nearly jumped though when the woman began talking again, listening intently at her words.

"I can tell you this much, whoever is causing all this has pure magic. I can only assume that you four also bear it too, having it awakened now due to the attacks. It might have saved you even."

"I don't believe it, so you're saying that we don't only have bred magic in us, but this so called pure magic as well?" the sorcerous asked as she stared at the woman. "How is that even possible?"

"I don't know, Sakura-chan. As I said, pure magic is very rare, there is little recorded, so there is almost no information. Hopefully we will find answers from whoever is leading us."

"But what are we going to do though if this is all pure magic? We know nothing about it, and we have no idea how to use whatever power this thing claims we have? How can we fight?" Rita asked, her voice cracking at the emotional build up.

"I'm sure we'll find a way, we just need to watch each other's backs. While pure magic is rare, it is still magic. We still have a chance to fight. Yelan-san and I can at least hold who or whatever is attacking back. At least long enough for you to figure out what kind of powers you have and use them properly against our foe," Eli explained with his voice quivering slightly.

He could feel his body shudder at the thought of being only good enough to hold an enemy back, not able to actually vanquish it.

While he knew upon his reincarnation he wouldn't be as strong as Clow Reed had been, yet this was different. Almost as if whatever has decided to attack is making a mockery of everything he knew, everything he had relied on.

"But…but what do you mean though that it's cause of everyone missing?" the sorcerous asked timidly.

"Whoever is causing all this is also the source of everyone's disappearance. It is likely been done to keep people from interfering. But I can't be certain if it had been done to ensure victory for the enemy, or reduce unnecessary casualties rising. As for how…"

"The flu epidemic!" Li gasped as it clicked, "A few weeks back everyone suddenly started catching the flu. Any who didn't had to stay home to tend to their sick relatives. Vets were being overwhelmed with sick animals as well as hospitals getting hundreds of patients who got worse."

"It makes sense, having the flu is dangerous enough as is, but having it used as a cover to keep people from interfering is brilliant," the boy's mother stated as she cupped her chin, thinking it over further.

Silence fell amongst the group, unsure what to say or do after all that had been said so far.

Whatever was happening, it was serious. Lives were in danger.

It wasn't like before when the cards played pranks, few actually being a threat or were from Eli's dangerous tests.

Soon, they found themselves passing Sakura's home, the girl stopping, concern showing as she looked at her place.

"I…I need to get Julian-san and Tori-O nīchan… I don't want to leave them alone if this is going on," the brunette stuttered softly.

She hurried over to her place, pulling the keys out to unlock the door.

She heard the others follow; grateful they were coming with her. She was hoping that maybe Yelan might have something to help her brother.

If his flu is actually caused by a spell and not him being an idiot from overworking or something, then having him back on his feet would give her comfort.

"Sakura-chan?" they heard the silver haired teen call out.

"Hai," she responded, hurrying up the stairs, hearing Yelan following as well as Eli's footsteps treading behind.

"What are you doing here, shouldn't you be at school?"

"There's weird shit going on," Kero piped up, "we almost got killed by lightning just trying to get to the school."

"Something's trying to kill me," the girl spoke up. "And not just me, it's trying to kill Li-kun, Meilin-chan, and Rita-chan. We don't know what it is yet, but we're hoping to find out soon. We're going to need Yue-kun's help I'm afraid."

"But what about Tori-kun?" the other asked, clearly looking distraught over leaving the other behind.

"Allow me to examine him, there is a chance his fever is only due to a spell, not actual illness," Yelan spoke up, grabbing the other's attention.

"A spell?"

Nodding, she waited for the other to lead her to the teen's room, Sakura following after, only stopping outside the room as Eli went in, Julien stepping out.

"So if it is a spell…what does that mean?"

"There's a chance Li-kun's okāsan can cure him, that way he can safely come with us or stay home, ready to run if he had too. Whatever is attacking us, I was already getting scared that it might try to attack the two of you. I don't even know if I should try contacting Otōsan or not, to warn him about this. I still haven't told him about my powers and now all this is happening…"

As she explained, her shoulders began to tremble, revealing her fear despite her attempts to hold it together.

Feeling hands on her arms, she looked up, seeing the other's kind face, causing her to relax.

"Don't worry; I'm sure your otōsan will be fine. We can tell him after we stop this. Telling him now may end up putting him into more danger than keeping him in the dark a little longer," the teen explained. "He would understand, I'm sure of it. I'll be with you when you tell him and I'm sure Tori-kun, Li-kun, everyone will be there to support and back you up."

Pulling a handkerchief out, he began to use it to wipe the girl's eyes dry.

Just as his hand made contact with a tear, his body froze, appearing shocked, causing the other to stare in confusion.

"Gomen'nasai… Whatever is happening with you, for some reason your tears feel cold, as if they're ice water."

"What?" the girl gasped, the color draining from her face.

Using a hand to touch a tear, feeling it was indeed cold, even tasting the liquid, finding no salt, almost like it was fresh water from the sink or a river.

"We'll find out soon enough, Sakura-chan," Yelan spoke calmly, guessing what was going on in the girl's mind.

However, she unintentionally startled the pair as she and Eli came out of the bedroom, the looks on their faces showing they were successful.

As if to prove their point, Tori came out, looking a thousand times better if not looking a thousand times pissed in exchange.

Already he was mostly dressed, working on getting his shirt on, grabbing a jacket as he followed them downstairs to grab his shoes.

It was safe to say he wasn't going to stay home as the girl hoped for, but felt glad he was coming.

At least she'll know where he is, knowing he's safe than alone, possibly in some sort of danger. Plus, he could help protect Madison, carry her to safety if things got really bad. Same with Rita too or any of them if they got hurt or fainted for some reason.

"So, I only got sick because some bastard wants to kill you," the girl's brother growled, fists clenching at the thought. "He'll have to get past me to even touch you."

"We should hurry," the older woman stated as she looked outside, concern showing as the winds grew in intensity. "And pray that doesn't happen."

Pulling her staff out, Sakura already called out a couple of cards, now better prepared in what they might be dealing with.

She knew it was risky to use her magic, but it was riskier letting Eli and Yelan do all the work shielding them from any unknown attacks.

This way, by using some of her cards, they're better prepared if a sneak attack was made before they had time to react.

Once outside, they pushed through the growing wind, Shield and Windy called out to protect them.

Hurrying further down the roads and alleys, the small group found themselves at an abandoned lot, a decrepit building standing in the middle.

The area was bare of all life, only dust clouds of age old ash kicking up due to the wind, parts in gray puddles from past rains.

A fence surrounded the place, barbed wire at top, a lock used at the main gate; signs set up to keep all trespassers out.

No signs of visible footprints showed of recent activity, more so when the few construction equipment that sat about had obvious signs of no usage.

The building itself had no care given or if it had, it was a futile attempt.

Signs of burns showed, as for what caused it, it was unknown.

Boards were thrown about the windows and doors, the wood closest being brand new while the rest was nothing more than charred remains.

Chains were set up in various places, namely any doors or certain equipment to keep people out.

"What is this place?" Eli questioned, concern showing more when seeing some of the others tremble at the mere sight of it.

He felt uneasy when looking the place over, finding himself trembling to the point he felt his guardian fly into his shoulder, attempting to settle his nerves.

"This…this is my earliest memory," Sakura stuttered, eyes widening.

Note:

I'm not certain if Li would actually call his mother "okāsan," I've only seen the dub, including the movies. If anyone knows if he called her something else, let me know, same if there's a word for father or anything else that'd make more sense for Li, his mother, Meilin even to say than pure Japanese.

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