And behold; the elmo-doodle produces another chapter!!!!! yay

Now, for the Disclaimer: I do not own CCS. Help us all if I did.

This is really the only chapter that needs to be read to find out the changes I've made in the story!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Rohan's apartment was located a few streets away from Syaoran's (much to his delight). It was a spacious, first floor accommodation and was decorated with pieces of furniture here and there. Rohan lead Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, Kero and Yue over to the 'seating area' where he asked them all to have a seat. Kero instead floated in the air and Yue stood in the corner (as usual). Rohan stood before them.

"So…" he began, clapping his hands together. "I believe you want some questions answered?"

"Why did that force tonight change in to a card?" Syaoran asked. "The one a few nights ago evaporated when Sakura tried to seal it."

"Ah…" Rohan said. "Not exactly the question I was expecting to be asked first," he admitted. He brought his hand to his chin in thought. "How do I explain this?" he questioned himself. "Aha! Got it!" He clicked his fingers and four objects appeared out of nowhere; a blank card, two little replica dolls of Sakura and Syaoran and what looked light a fluffy black cloud."

"That's amazing!" Sakura exclaimed.

"The dolls are so cute!" Tomoyo said, going starry eyed over the little Sakura and Syaoran figurines.

"Right, pay attention," Rohan said, as if about to teach a class. "Pretend," he said, picking up the blank card from the air, "that this card represents a magical force, similar to the Clow Cards or the Sakura Cards. In a way, it is similar, until it is released. Now," he continued, picking up the fluffy black object, "this is the composition of the card. This black stuff is what you get when you break a force down to its simplest form, and believe me, that is a tricky thing to do. Do you follow?"

Everyone nodded their heads, bar Yue, who stood in the corner looking indifferent.

"Good. Now, there were two different types of forces that Master created-"

"Who is this 'Master' guy?" Syaoran cut across Rohan. "You've mentioned him a few times, but you haven't explained who he is properly."

Rohan gave Syaoran a smile. "All in good time," he told him. "So there were two types of forces created by Master; mischievous ones, and ones that were dangerous. What did the force look like a few nights ago?" Rohan asked Sakura. "Did it show its true form?"

"It was a tiger," Sakura said. "With plain yellow eyes."

Rohan's eyes seem to light up with a touch of reminiscence. "Ah!" he exclaimed happily. "That adorable little thing? It mustn't have been that hard to seal."

Syaoran looked at Rohan as if he were crazy. "Hernandez, that 'adorable little thing' was a full grown tiger, and it hurt Sakura."

"Sakura-chan! You were hurt?" Tomoyo asked, worried.

"I-I'm fine," she reassured her cousin. "Syaoran helped me."

Rohan looked very confused. "The Black Tiger was the size of an adult tiger?"

"Yes," Syaoran said.

"What did it originally look like?" Sakura asked him.

Rohan looked a little sad. "The Black Tiger was originally created in the form of a little tiger cub…Master used to keep it with him at all times…The tiger had as much violence in it as a house cat…"

"I'm sorry," Sakura said, sincerely. "What do you think happened?"

"The one who had control of the cards now is forcing them to be evil," Rohan said, running a hand through his hair. "They know how much Master was fond of that tiger…that must be why it turned in to the mist…"

"Why did it disappear?" Syaoran asked.

"First of all," Rohan began to explain, breaking out of his sad mode, "the more dangerous cards were created in such a way that, should they ever fall in to the wrong hands and be used for cruelty, they would only be able to be released once. After that, part of the card's magical make-up would prevent it from returning to a card again. Secondly, the force didn't disappear." This time Sakura and Syaoran both looked slightly lost. "When you tried to seal it, did the mist surround you?" Rohan asked.

Sakura and Syaoran nodded.

"That's because the force entered your bodies."

Now, Sakura and Syaoran looked bewildered.

"Do you mean to say that a dangerous force has been trapped inside our bodies?" Syaoran asked, hotly.

"Yes, but," Rohan said quickly; Syaoran looked ready to hit him, "the force entered in to someone who uses magic for the good of others; not for their own selfish deeds. The force that entered the two of you will no way affect your personality. You won't turn in to a dark magician or try to achieve world domination…but you now posses the power to call upon the force of the Black Tiger, and use it."

"So can you remember how many dangerous forces there are?" Tomoyo asked him.

"Uh…no," Rohan said, sweatdropping. "Master couldn't even remember it himself…"

"Who is 'Master'?" Kero asked. "You've mentioned him a few times, but we need to know who he is."

"You're right," Rohan said, nodding. He stood in the centre of the room again. "Master was my tutor, my sire, in magic. I was born with powers that I couldn't control so he took me in and trained me. In the years that I was with him, he also became my friend, my brother. 'Master' wasn't a formal way of addressing him; it was just a nickname that he had given himself. There wasn't anything imperative about it."

"So, you knew him when he made the forces??" Sakura asked, interested in the story of Rohan's life.

"Oh, yes," he replied, smiling at the memory. "I was with him when he created the very first card."

"So you know all their names?" Kero asked.

"Ah…no," Rohan said, hanging his head. "I would only see the forces twice, maybe three times if I were lucky. When Master created a force, he would call me to come and see. The new force would be out in the garden usually, showing off its abilities. I was always amazed at each new creation he made."

"How many forces were created?" Syaoran asked him.

"21…I think," Rohan said. "Master honestly didn't know what he was doing when he made them so powerful…"

"Then why did he do it?" Syaoran demanded.

"…did I mention that Master had a twisted sense of humor?" Rohan asked back.

"When did he start making them?" Sakura was curious about his 'Master' and each of the cards he made. If they had some background information, it would really help in sealing them.

"He made the first card about 8 years ago," Rohan said. "I was young then, so I cannot remember what it was. It took him two years to create all 21 cards. Before that, he taught me the concept of being a magician; the right and wrongs, that sort of thing. I loved being taught how I could use my magic to my advantage, so between the ages of 5 to 15, he trained me and guided me."

"That's all very interesting," Syaoran said, studying Rohan with an intense gaze…why did he get the feeling that Rohan was telling them everything?... "but can you explain to us how and why the cards are attacking us now?"

Rohan looked down at the floor sadly. "The last card he created…" he began in a much quieter voice, "was powerful…so powerful. Master didn't intend for it to become that way, but he gave the new card so much strength that it began magically stronger than him. Not by much, but it was enough."

The room was silent when Rohan paused.

"I was ten years old when it happened," he continued. "The new card was intelligent, witty, and possessed the ability to talk There was so much that Master couldn't decipher about his newest creation, so he named it 'The Mysterious Brother'. Master thought that he could train the Brother to not use his powers extravagantly. It was remarkable one evening when I walked in to the lounge and saw Master and Brother having a leisurely talk, and laughing together…that must have been the last time I saw the good side of the Brother."

"What happened?" Sakura asked quietly.

"They were standing in the garden one afternoon talking. I was in my bedroom and I began to hear raised voices from below. I walked downstairs and stood behind the open garden doors, listening. I caught words they were saying, like 'power', 'foolish' and 'disastrous'. They began shouting at each other and I realized what they were arguing about; the world. The Mysterious Brother was calling Master an idiot for sitting back when he had the power to make the world his own. Master would never even dream of such a thing and he told the Brother that because one possesses power does not mean he can abuse it. The Brother got mad and lashed out with his magic. I washed in awe as the strongest magician at that time and the most powerful force battled. It was a vicious thing to watch…I remember the horror I felt when I saw Master starting to bleed."

Rohan turned his back on them and clenched his fists. "You have no idea," he said softly, "what it's like to sit on the side-lines and watch someone you know get hurt, and you can't do a thing about it."

Syaoran felt a strange pang of sympathy for Rohan. He himself knew what it was like to feel useless when the person you care about was being struck. Syaoran had to stop himself from shooting a glare at Yue.

"Master put up a good fight," Rohan continued, still facing away from them, "but it wasn't enough. Because of the accident during the Mysterious Brother's creation, he had the upper hand. Just one more ounce of power and Master was helpless. I thought that the Brother would kill him when Master lay on his back, struggling for air. The Brother raised his hand and said, "You sicken me. So much power and you put no use to it. I will not let my powers rot away. I'm taking my brothers and sisters and they will help me in my defeat of this world." All 20 of the cards went straight to the Brother's outstretched hand. He was just about to disappear when he turned back to Master and said, "Friend, next time I meet you, it will be your end." And then, he vanished."

The room remained deadly quiet, a silence that no one wanted to break.

"So," Tomoyo began, hesitantly, and Rohan turned round to face them again, "the Mysterious Brother…is causing the trouble here?"

"Yes," Rohan said, running a hand over his face. "What his intentions are here, I have no idea, but I'm sure that it has something to do with the Card Mistress." He looked at Sakura.

"Why were you sent here?" Syaoran asked, frowning. "Why not Master?"

"In the 6 years since the Mysterious Brother fled, Master has been training me to become stronger," Rohan said, looking slightly proud. "There was this one point about four years ago when Master stood in the back garden looking up at the sky and talking about 'Clow Cards' and 'Mistress'. I honestly thought he was loosing it then," he chuckled, "but then before he transferred me here, he told me all about the Clow Cards and their new Mistress. I was quite excited at the prospect of meeting someone else with magical powers, other than Master.

I asked him myself why he was sending me, and not going himself. He told me that I would fit in better and would be of more help. I just accepted what he said and left."

"And so know the Mysterious Brother is controlling all the other cards?" Sakura asked, trying to keep up. "And there are 20 of them? Hoe! I have to seal them all?"

"Yup!" said Rohan cheerfully. "I'm here to help now, so please make good use of me."

"Hernandez-kun," Sakura began, "I want to get to know you as a friend; not as someone who I just call when I need help. I hope we can have a close friendship some time!"

"'Friendship'…" Rohan muttered, looking dazed but he quickly broke out of it, and smiled cockily at Sakura. "Well, you can all start by calling me 'Rohan'; I'm not that fond of being addressed by my surname."

"Sure!" Sakura and Tomoyo said. Syaoran vowed to call him 'Hernandez' for the rest of his life.

"We better go," Sakura said standing up. Tomoyo and Syaoran followed suit. "We've got school tomorrow, so we should see you there!"

"Of course," Rohan walked them all towards the door and opened it for them. "See you tomorrow!" he called out after them.

"See you tomorrow!" Sakura and Tomoyo called back.

--------

"Rohan-kun sure has an unusual childhood," Sakura said as the four of them (Yue flew back to Yukito's house as soon as they left Rohan's) walked on the pavement.

"He does," Tomoyo agreed, "but that makes him all the more interesting!"

"I feel as though there's something he's not telling us," Syaoran said.

"Like what?" Sakura questioned.

"I don't know," he replied, "but there's the tiniest thing off about his story…"

"Syaoran-kun, you think there's something wrong with every new person you meet," Sakura told him.

"I don't!" he protested. "It's just, there's something about him that's, well, weird."

"Well, you're the only one who thinks like that, kid," Kero said.

--------

Rohan collapsed onto his bed once everyone had left. He hated bringing up old memories; it always felt like he was reliving them. The conversation had somehow drained him. Although he was glad to get it over and done with…now he just had to live with the story he had told them…

"I'm a terrible person," he told himself, staring up at the ceiling.

But Sakura…she had mentioned something which he didn't believe in. "I hope we can have a close friendship sometime!" her voice rang in his head.

…Friendship. Was there such a thing? Could he ever again let his barriers down and trust in someone? He used to think that there was nothing better in the world than having a friend…

A sixteen year old Rohan sat in an arm chair in front of the fire in Massachusetts, America. He was dressed all in black with the addition of a black cloak hung around his shoulders. In his hand he held a glass of what may have been wine to the naked eye. Rohan seemed much focused on this glass as he did not take his eyes off it.

"How are you feeling?" he asked suddenly, seemingly to no one. His voice was deep and lacked the boy-ish tone that I should have at his age.

"Tired," replied a male voice from the shadows cast by the flaming embers, "which is ironic, as you should be the one needing rest."

Rohan chuckled slightly and took a sip out of his glass. "The way my body works is almost as mysterious as your very existence."

"You make it sound like a bad thing," said the voice and the speaker emerged from the shadows. He was a tall person, with dirty blonde hair and mysteriously dark black eyes. He was dressed in the way of a monk, except that his robes were completely black.

"I enjoy a mystery," Rohan said thoughtfully. "It makes the world seem brighter, for no one knows everything about this earth. A little mystery in the world is needed."

The robed person nodded. He walked to sit in the chair in front of Rohan, and then he studied the contents of Rohan's glass. "What is it you are drinking?" he asked. "I know it is not wine."

"And how you know that is a complete surprise to me," Rohan said, smiling. "It is a special blend of herbs and spices; I usually drink it when I am relaxed." Rohan waved his hand and a small table appeared beside him. He set his glass down on this table and then faced the robed person.

"There are few times when I feel fully relaxed," Rohan told him. "When one is as lonely as I am, it is hard to find a moment in which you can be at peace with the world."

"If you are so lonely," the robed man asked, "why do you not go out and create friendships with others?"

Rohan stiffened slightly. "I never had a friend, even when I was younger. The other children would point at me and call me names and never approach me. My life was as lonely as it is now."

"You now speak as if a do not exist," said the other man with a small smile. "I may not have been in this world long, but I do know of friendship-"

"That is because I gave you my intelligence, Brother," Rohan said, smirking.

The man straightened up slightly. "I dislike that name," he said.

"You will adjust to it," Rohan told him. "Everyone had disliked their name at one point."

The Brother gave a look that pointed out quite clearly that he was not going to attempt to accept his name. "I do not even know your true name," the Brother said.

"And we shall keep it that way," Rohan told him. "Some things are better left unsaid."

They sat in silence, staring in to the fire.

"What do you know of friendship?" Rohan questioned him.

"I know that it is not good for one to be so lonely," the Brother replied. "Every person needs some one whom they can open up to." He looked at Rohan. "A lost soul needs to be found in life."

Rohan ran his hand over his face. "I never would have believed that one of my creations would council me on life," he said.

"Yet, you must have created me for a reason," the Brother told him. "The ability of speech is uncommon amongst my brothers and sisters. We, together, are unusual."

Rohan smiled. "Yes, we are." He picked up his glass and drained the contents. Slowly, he got up and headed towards the door. "I shall retire for his evening," he said, keeping his back to the fire. "If you wish to remain active, please, I should like to find the house still standing when I awake."

The Brother huffed ever so slightly. "I am not that careless."

"I know," Rohan said opening the door.

"Good night, Master."

"Good night, Brother," Rohan said and, smiling slightly, he added, "my friend."

Rohan turned on to his side and started to gaze at the wall.

"Can I learn to trust?" he asked himself. "Is there such a thing as 'friendship'?"

Rohan sighed and, with a wave of his hand, the lights turned off.

Outside his window and hidden in the shadows, a familiar person watched him.

"Trust is only the beginning of friendship," came a strange accent. "Perhaps," the figure added with a sly smile, "that is where we went wrong." The person stepped out of the shadows and in to the moonlight. Kusatsu Taisho stood in the small garden, watching Rohan through the darkened window. "You must learn to trust those around you, and yet you must also learn who is not to trust. That was where you went wrong with me. Sleep well." With a swish of his long, black robes, Taisho disappeared in to the night.

------------------------------------------------

Badda-bing, badda-boom.

Okay, so it took me longer than I anticipated to redo this chapter...sorry for the wait! I'm working on chapter 5, I swear!!

OH!! And a big, BIG thank-you to all the people who have reviewed this story so far! I appreciate it much!

rushes off to continue writing chapter five!!