Syaoran walked through the streets of Tomeda, on his way to Sakura's house. He wore an extra thick jacket but the cold still got to him. It was the coldest day of autumn so far, almost a record cold for this time of year, according to the radiostation he was listening to before leaving his house. It never got this cold in China. He wondered briefly what his family would think of him becoming Sakura's Fighter? Not only had he failed to capture the Clow Cards, he helped Sakura get them and turn them into Sakura Cards. And now he was going to commanded by her and fight for her. . .His rival, according to his family. He smiled at the thought. He didn't care what they thought right now though, all that mattered was Sakura, and stopping Avarice.
As he was lost in thought, a snowflake drifted into his view. He stopped. It was snowing? Sure enough, snowflakes were falling all around him, the air was quickly getting thicker with them. He didn't think it was that cold. He continued on his way, walking through the snowflakes. One landed on his cheek and he stopped again. The snowflake, once it touched him, transfered a strange feeling of happiness. The snow had emotion? That meant it was a spirit! Avarice might be behind it. As he thought that, the snow thickened tenfold. It was coming down hard now, and a sorrowful wind swept up and whipped it around and drove it sideways. The sadness of the wind and the glee of the snow mixed, causing a strange emotional sensation. Syaoran ignored it and quickened his pace. He had to get to Sakura as fast as possible.
He tripped over something and fell to the snow-covered sidewalk. Or at least he thought it was the sidewalk, the snow was falling so fast and thick it was a white-out and he couldn't see more than a couple feet in front of him. Getting to his feet, he pulled from his pocket a fulu of wind, and cast around him a little vortexing gale the blew the snow away. The snow around him was coming down so fast that there was a thick layer on the ground, and the wind was strong enough to push him around if it weren't for his own little wind shield. He closed his eyes and stood still, trying to sense where the source of this was. He could feel Avarice's aura, but it wasn't realy clear where it came from. It was as if it was all around him. Syaoran opened his eyes and started to walk foreward. His little protective wind bubble was weakening, and he let it go altogether. The wind was trying to blow him in the oposite direction he wanted to go, and he had to lean into it to stay moving foreward.
Eventually, the snow lessened and the wind suddenly dropped. He could see a lot better now, and the emotions of the elements vanished. It was just noraml snow and wind now, Avarice had stopped meddling. The snowstorm only lasted ten minutes or so, but enough had falled that there snowbanks up to Syaorans knees and he had to break a path through. After another few minutes the snow stopped entirely and the wind was nonexistant. The sky was the clearest blue it had been in days. The pale sun shone down on the snow, it was almost blindingly bright. Syaoran made it Sakura's house at last, and knocked on their pale wooden door. After a few seconds, Sakura's father Kinomoto Fujitaka opened the door.
"Li! You walked here in that sudden storm? That must have been cold! Come in and warm up." He stepped aside and closed the door after Syaoran.
"Thank you Mr. Kinomoto-san." Syaoran said, and fumbled with removing his boots. He felt quite numb and uncoordinated. Kinomoto Fujikata waited for him to remove his boots and jacket and escorted him to outside Sakura's room, which had the door closed. Though before Syaoran knocked, Sakura's father put a hand on his shoulder.
"I wanted to thank you for the other day." He said, smiling down at Syaoran.
"For what?" Syaoran was mildly confused.
"Sakura said that when the school was on fire, she got spereated from everyone else and you went back for her and helped her out. Thank you very much." Fujitaka then bent down and hugged Syaoran, who didn't know what to do. Mr. Kinomoto the let go and smiled one last time before going back downstairs. Sakura's door opened and she stuck her head out.
"You got here through the storm? Are you okay?" She asked and Syaoran nodded. She pulled him into her room and closed the door quickly. Inside, Syaoran saw Kerberos, the guardian beast of the seal. Of course, he wasn't in his true form and instead was in his false form, which looked like a little yellow-orange stuffed animal with wings. He nodded to Kero in respect, and he nodded back. They still didn't get along that well, but after all they been through they could tolerate each other more.
"So your gonna be Sakura's Fighter eh?" Kero asked, flying up to be eye-level wiht Syaoran.
"Yes." He replied with much more seriousness than any child should have. Kero nodded and flew over to Sakuras desk and sat down and motioned for them to do the same. They sat down side by side on Sakura's bed.
"Well, y'know that it'll be painful, and that Sakura wont be able to use the cards she empowers you with. Also, if she gives you an order while in 'Fighting Mode' and your either disobey or can't follow through for some reason, you'll feel varying degrees of pain. Though, if you get hurt Sakura can cast a spell that takes her energy and it'll heal you if you get wounded enough."
Sakura and Syaoran nodded. Kero continued after a moment of thinking.
"And the order that you get empowered by the cards is important too! like for example. . .If Fly was the first one, you'd probably get large wings and be able to fly fast and for long distances, and be able to turn faster y'know? But if it was the second one, the wings would be smaller and you wouldn't be as good. . .and if it was the last one, you'd probably only be able to fly for short distances and not with much accuracy!" Kero smiled at the thought and seemed to be thinking about something. He shook his head and continued.
"And certain cards have strange or realy unique abilites, like Shadow. I think, if Shadow was one of the first ones you get the abiltiy to move realy fast or instantly from one spot to another, like how shadows can. And then there are cards like glow and flower that would be pretty much useless in combat, unless you wanna make your enemies laugh to death!" Kero laughed and Sakura smiled a bit.
"While I'm her Fighter, can I use my own magic still?" Syaoran asked.
"Ya," Kero said, "an' your magic will be better while in 'Fighter Mode' which Sakura would put you in by activating the cards she used on you. And your sword will alsot get imbued with whatever you get. Like if she used Firey, your sword would burn what it hits an' stuff. Of course, how much your sword gets empowered would matter on the order of the cards as well."
"So my power would be all about the order and which cards to pick?" Syaoran asked.
"Ya."
"So. . .which cards do we use?" Sakura asked, "I wont care if I can't use the cards, Syaoran and I can jsut stick together and I wont worry about not being to use some."
"Well for starters Fly would be a got choice after some attack based cards, since Avarice would use your lack of flight against you if you couldn't fly. . ." Kero said. The three then spent the morning deciding what Syaoran would get empowered with. In the end, they decided that first would go Firey, since Avarice liked to use fire alot and having the Firey card as the first one would make him pretty much immune to the fire spirits. After Fiery would go Shadow, to make Syaoran harder to catch and to give him the ability to teleport short distances. Then in the middle would be fly, so he'd have decent movement and strong wings. After that would go Watery and Sword.
"Why Sword? I already know how to fight with my sword." Syaoran asked when Kero suggested the Sword Card.
"Having Sword Card in there would make it so that your sword could cut through anything, and give it more abilites. If you lose your sword somehow, wouldn't it be great if with the Shadows powers it would teleport back to your side when you wanted it to?" Kero had said.
Before they could continue their conversation, they heard footsteps coming up the stairs and Kero darted into a pocket on Sakuras sweater. Syaoran randomly grabbed one of Sakura's school books from her desk and opened it right when they heard a knock on the door. Without waiting for an answer, Sakuras elder brother Touya oepened it. His hair was dark brown and his eyes were a shade lighter than his hair, and he was tall. He wore a thick jacket and gloves, and a pair of large boots where in one hand.
"Hey monster, brat; Dad and I are going out to help with rebuilding the burnt parts of your school, and no you can't come. And he wanted me to tell Li that he could stay for dinner." Touya waited long enough for Syaoran to nod and say thank you, and Sakura to say goodbye before leaving. Kero poked his head out of Sakura's pocket.
"I hope Avarice dosen't mess with them at the school." He said and flew back to his spot on the desk.
"No, I don't think he would." Syaoran said.
"So when do we do this?" Sakura asked. Kero was silent.
"How about today? Before Touya and Fujitaka-san get back." Syaoran said and stood up. He walked to the window and look out at the snow that blanketted the front yard and street. People were out shoveling their walks and driveways.
"Ya, I guess the sooner the better. You still sure you want to this?" Kero siad and flew up to Syaorans shoulder and landed there. He then whispered, so only Syaoran could hear.
"If your bond isn't strong enough, you wont be able to beat Avarice y'know?" It wasn't a question.
"Don't worry," Syaoran replied at normal volume, "besdies, what does Sakura always say?" He turned to her and she smiled at him.
"Somehow, " she said, "everything will be all right."
Syaoran stood a few feet in front of Sakura in the Kinomoto's basement, where Fujitaka kept a large collection of books on many shelves. It was here that Sakura found the Book of Clow and accidentaly released the Cards, where it all began. They looked at each other, completely silent. Sakura was going over in her head what Kero-chan told her to say and do, and Syaoran was thinking only about Sakura.
"Sakura. . ." He started. She smiled. "I. . . This will turn out okay, we'll be strong enough, because. . ."
"Becuase?"
"I. . .lo-"
"Okay ready!" Came the deep voice of Kerberus in his true form. He was coming down the stairs, his paws making the floor creak. His wings were folded as tightly as possible, but he still brushed against stuff. His shoulder came to Sakuras elbow as he sat beside her, his large paws making dusty pawprints and his tail made odd swishing patterns on the floor. He looked magnificent and regal, sitting beside Sakura with an air of seriousness.
"Okay then." Syaoran said. He was annoyed to get interrupted, but he could tell her after. She smiled, and his worry and aprehaension about what they were going to do faded. She released the staff and held it high. Her star pattern covered the ground and when she pointed her staff at Syaoran, a seperate pattern that was mostly blank covered the floor around him.
"Oh Cards, aid us now! I will take this boy, Li Syaoran, as my Fighter! Help me empower him to protect me and drive away our enemies!"
The pattern Syaoran was standing on changed, in the center was Sakura's star. He fealt a tingling sensation across his body, and suddenly he couldn't move.
"Fiery! I Summon you and gift your powers to my Fighter! Make him strong and resistant to the flames of our hated enemy!"
Flames sprang up around Syaoran, the room got quite hot suddenly. They swirled around and encircled him and got closer and closer. The moment they touched him, he felt like was back in the schools burning gym. The flames licked at his body and he felt a strong pain. He stood his gorund and didn't move or make a sound. On the pattern he stood on, a border of flames decorated the outside of it. Sakura looked worried but Kerberus nudged her with his head and she kept going.
"Shadow! Grant my Fighter your abilited and powers to slip away from the enemy, to move away from their grasp!"
The cloaked form of Shadow apeared in front of him and moved to him slowly. It stopped and Syaoran raised his hand to touch the strange flowing of the fabric. The moment he touch it, Shadows cloack opened and disapeared, and Syaoran was engulfed by a black mass that neither Kero or Sakura could see through. Syaoran felt more pain, but he could stand it. The shadows moved away and another part of Syaorans pattern was decorated.
"This is the hard one Syaoran!" Kerberus said right before Sakura started the next Card.
"Fly! Give your wings to my Fighter, give him the freedom of flight!" She waved her staff to the side and watched Syoaran anxiously. The image of a bird flew foreward and hovered in front of Syaoran. He closed his eyes and the bird disapeared, and a single feather drifted towards him and touched his chest. Pain erupted from his body and he could barely stop himself from screaming. He fell to his kness. The pattern beneaht him now had large stylelized wings.
"Remember! Don't leave your spot!" Kerbuersu stood and shouted at Syaoran.
Syaoran trembled with the pain he felt, it was like his entire body was being pulled apart and burned. He could barely hear was Kerberus said, and he tried his best to stay in his spot and not scream. With a ripping noise, featherd wings sprang from his back and this time he couldn't stop himself from letting out a scream. He covered his mouth quickly with his hand and bit onto it. Sakura made a move lke she was going to run to him, but Kerberus stopped her.
"Keep going Sakura!"
"Watery!" She said, holding her eyes closed and her arms trembling a bit, "My Fighter needs your fluid motions! Make him as unpredicatble as the changing currents!"
A stream of water swirled around Syaoran, it the moved into him without warning and encricled him in a bubble of water. Sakura and Kerberus could see within the bubble, Syaoran shaking and trembling uncontrolably. The water fell to the floor and became lifeless. Syaoran was on his hands and knees, but he was able to slowly stand on his feet, but as shaky as before.
"Sword!" Sakura started. Syaoran pulled from his pocket a yellow tassle on a small rope and held it out in front of him. His sword, a jian, appeared and he held onto it tightly.
"Give my Fighters' sword the powers of Fiery, Watery, and Shadow! Lend it your keen sharpness!" She finished and released the Sword Card. Syaorans sword flashed but otherwise remained the same.
"This is the last part!" Kerberus told Syaoran. He nodded.
"Now my Fighter is complete! He will guard me with the powers of Fiery, Shadow, Fly, Watery, and Sword! Become your true Fighter form and be sealed, Li Syoaran!"
Syaoran fell to the ground again, in more pain thatn before. His wings, which were a blank white, now turned to a light brown with darker brown markings. His clothes were replaced by dark brown leather armor that covered his legs, chest, hands and feet. His stomach, arms and most of his back were bare, but a black liquid as unfathomable as the deepest shados covered his skin everywhere except his face. Red patterns apeared on his new leather armor, in the shapes of Sakuras star pattern.
And then it was all over, the ceremony was complete. The magical patterns on the floor faded, and Syaoran collapsed from the pain. Sakura fell down too, but Kerberus caught her. She was exhausted.
"I'm so sorry, Syaoran. . ." And she fainted.
Kerberus walked to Syaorans side. He put his head down and touched his nose to Syaorans forehead.
"You did well, I trust you to take care of Sakura, and I know your bond will be strong enough to beat Avarice." As Kerberus pulled away, a small star appeared on Syaorans forehead. The Guardian Beast then lay down beside Sakura and sighed. He wouldn't be able to move them so he might as well let them sleep.
Syaoran woke up. The first thing he noticed was he was no longer in pain. The second was that he was lying on the floor of the basement still. He sat up slowly. His body felt diferent, it felt so easy to move and his movements were so smooth. He looked down at himself and noticed the dark dark brown leather armor that he wore. It covered his chest, and some parts were thicker with strips of leather, and his gloves were like that too, with a second strip of leather on the back and around the wrist. His pants had extra strips on the outsides of his thighs and his knees and shins. Covering his arms and stomach was a thin layer of black fluid as black as ink, but it wasn't shiny. It looked like a void. He stood up, and he felt his wings move. This was different than when Sakura used the Fly Card and gained magical wings. Those wings didn't become a part of her, they weren't actual limbs of flesh and bone. But his were, and he had full control over them. He picked up his sword, which was on the ground, and he could feel the power coursing through it. It was a new sword now, complete with a never-dulling edge that could cut almost anything, and magical powers.
Syaoran looked up from himself and the sword, and say Kerberus laying on the floor. He walked over and Kerberus raised his head to look at him. Their eyes met, Guardain Beast and Sakura's Fighter staring into each other.
"How do you feel?" Kerberus finaly said, his deep rumbling voice sounding extra loud to Syaoran.
"Like. . .The strongest I've ever been." Syaoran said. Kerberus moved his wing and revealed Sakura lying on the floor too.
"Is she okay?" Syaoran dropped to his knees beside her, worried instantly.
"Yes, just tired. Once she's awake, she has to change you back to normal."
"I can't change back on my own?"
"No."
Sakura stirred, and opened her eyes slowly. She looked first at Kerberus and blinked, then over at Syaoran. She seemed to wake up instantly and she sat up.
"Oh Syaoran! Are you okay!" She asked with worry in her eyes.
"Yes, I'm fine. You look tired." Syaoran smiled a little bit at her.
"I am but I'll be fine!" She smiled at him and stood up. Once he stood beside her, she looked at his wings and reached out a hand. He didn't move, and felt her hand on his wing. It was an odd sensation, to have two extra limbs with feathers on them. Sakura moved her hand off his wing and touched his arm, the part covered in the black shadow liquid.
"It feels warm like you." She said.
"I hear a car in the driveway!" Kerberus said "Turn him back into his normal form now!" the moment he finished saying that, Kerberus turned back into his false form. Sakura nodded.
"My Fighter, return to your orignal form now!"
And in a flash of light, Syaoran's wings, armor and markings disapeared. He felt no pain with it, and they raced upstairs and into Sakuras room and tried to look like they were studying. The moment they closed the door to her room, they heard the door to outside unlock and open, and Touyas and Fujitakas muffled voices.
Syaoran was now Sakura's Fighter, and they had a chance to beat Avarice.