I wondered what I could make as a valentine day chapter, and following your suggestions, this was born! :)
1) This one shot stands independent from the other Special – It's more of a Spin Off the main story~!
2) Time line is two-three years after the original SCC, TRC and xXxHolic
3) Syaoran is Clow's descendant

The Crow

(Valentine Special)

XxxxXxxxX

He swallowed hard.

Sweat was gathering on his brows as he fidgeted with his crisply pressed dress shirt's collar, the emerald green color making his eyes and skin tone pop out.

Nervously, he shifted his weight from foot to foot, resisting the urge to tuck his hands into pockets.

"Come on…" He prepped himself, taking a deep breath and then –

"Oh, it's you… of course it could only be the weirdo lurking in front of other people's houses" Touya didn't sneer, but his usually lazy expression sharpened into a dangerous one that never failed to make Syaoran cringe.

His girlfriend's older brother was not to be trifled with. Taller than him by a good solid feet and being six years older helped.

And then came the skidding noises, accompanied by a shriek and an unintelligible yell that could be loosely interpreted as being "Onii-san!" from years of repeated occurrences. Sakura made a show of pushing Touya out of the way so she could stand in his place, breathing heavily and holding out a prettily decorated bag with pride and uncertainty written all over her face. "Here! I made this myself!"

Syaoran politely ignored the older man's grumbles, and the very pointed glare he received for his troubles. Touya never liked him, and the boy knew why. 'First my crush on Yukito when I first met him… and then the dating his little sister thing' One day, they'd sit and talk man to man. Hopefully without any pointy things in the vicinity and a clear understanding that Sakura was his, and no, he didn't harbor any feelings for the Moon guardian besides camaraderie.

"Thank you" He said to Sakura, who beamed happily when he accepted the bag and offered his other hand for her. Her chestnut brown hair fell in pretty ringlets all around her face and she was wearing a nice long sleeved dress with a denim jacket to stave off the cold.

"You better bring the Monster back by seven, weirdo" Touya called from the house, closing the door on their face as he did 'Rude caveman' Syaoran thought, shaking his head and tugging on Sakura's hand when she growled out threats and shook her fists at the house.

"We're going to the Penguin Park first" the boy told his girlfriend, who was still fuming from her brother's teasing.

They might be thirteen, but little siblings were never immune from the elders. Ever. Syaoran didn't have any brothers or sisters of his own, but he did have a collection of cousins plus Meilin, and wasn't that a whole bag of cats? Cousins were veritably worse than siblings, mainly because they were all older than him and he was still chosen as successor – not many were happy with Great grandmother's decision, but what Xiao Ling Li wanted she usually got.

He still remembered almost three years ago when he first came to Tomoeda – a small district only a few minutes always from Tokyo by commute. The culture shock was blatant and painful, with his shaky Japanese comprehension and everyone butchering his name to the point where it was easier to just go with it. But it was necessary at the time, and the one who'd tell him why had been Great grandmother.

"An old, extraordinarily powerful force has awoken… bring me the maps and crystals, Xiao Lan, let great grandmother find it for you" She told him, he'd barely started training in the family's art. "It is yours by right, but you will have to conquer it"

'Conquer what exactly?' Because it was painfully obvious when he met Sakura, the elected Card Bearer that she was the true inheritor of the power his Great grandmother spoke about. The only thing he could do was fight her until he couldn't excuse to himself anymore, and finally admitted to the fairly extrapolating infatuation he had with everything related to her.

That a light shined in her chest in accord to his own was only icing on the cake.

Sakura was life, she was light and happiness. Her presence evoked good and her eyes shined with kindness. She was the kind of person who would never abuse Clow's powers, not consciously at least – so she needed him to be there for her. He's a Li. Li in general recognized greatness and like dragons, wished to hoard it all to themselves.

"Will you eat the chocolate I made? I didn't even have to ask for Sweet's help this time!" Her green eyes were eager and her smile sweet. Syaoran blushed hotly to his ears as he thought about kissing her, but he could never overcome his shyness – and they were still in public.

Granted, people wouldn't pay close scrutiny to a pair of teenagers out and about on a date, in Valentine's day, which landed on a Sunday of all days – so no school at all. The streets were as packed with couples as was conceivable, and suddenly the boy was wondering if Penguin Park would be as available as he thought it would.

"I would eat anything you make me" Syaoran promised, aware of what that implied even if Sakura was a little naïve. To a magician trust enough another one to eat their cooking, implied a very deep sense of familiarity.

It was startlingly easy to slip something untoward in another's food or drink, and sneaky magicians with no good intentions were known to do so 'Like my cousins during family reunions and the fact I spent more time bedridden than participating…' when it was announced his new heir status, reactions varied from ass kissing to the odd assassination attempts.

'That's why mother and Auntie worked a contract between Meilin and me…' A loose, open contract that was broken the moment it was known to the larger magical communities that he was courting – rather, dating – Clow Reed's chosen successor.

Sakura didn't know yet – neither Kero nor Yui deigned to tell her the amount of clout she had with the Families. Syaoran could tell her, but the young Card Mistress was not ready to deal with politics on that level. Her family background was as mundane as they come! Her father a high school teacher whose income put them solidly in middle class… That his steady girlfriend of two and a half years was considered royalty in certain circles was bound to fluster and trouble her – He's been copiously using the Family's connections to keep Sakura safe.

"Oh! I know I don't cook as well as Touya or Tou-san, but Rika-chan and Tomoyo didn't help me again this year" The minty eyed girl playfully poked him in the arm "I wouldn't poison you..."

Syaoran smiled back, cheeks flushing from her close attention "I know" He told her, thinking about a change of subject "Did Kero want to come?"

"Yep" She nodded, carefree curls shining under the morning light. "But this is a date, we are going out to do couple things, not play around" The word date was stressed out, making both of them share a blush and a secret look.

"Aren't you too young…?" A voice startled both teens. Syaoran took a second to flinch before swirling around. This person has managed to sneak up on him, dangerous, his senses told him. Sakura jumped, her hands drifting to her Key dangling from a dainty chain around her neck.

The one who called them out was strange.

An aura of power clung to her despite her harmless expression. Wild, riotous copper colored hair and a pair of stunning green eyes – the color reminisced of Sakura's, but a lot more vivid. She was wearing a poet shirt with open sleeves and the neckline buttoned up. Washed out blue jeans and a beaten down leather jacket a couple of sizes too big for her, a studded green belt and a couple of jewelry completed the look of a rebel college student.

She was also clearly European.

His girlfriend blinked, half in astonishment at the older woman's sudden appearance and a little bit of caution… Even Sakura had her hackles raised. "W-who are you?" she asked carefully, a small offended pout on her lips. 'We are being criticized in the middle of the street for dating…' Awkward didn't even begin to describe being called out like that.

The woman smiled kindly down at them, making laugh lines stand out at the corner of her eyes. "I'm sorry dears. You remind me so much of my grandchildren that I couldn't resist teasing you"

"Grandchildren?!" Sakura yelped, wide eyed. Syaoran's reaction was a bit more sedated. He knew magician aged accordingly to their power level. The oldest Li clan's elder topped the five centuries mark easily. His own great grandmother was almost two hundred and looked no older than a middle aged woman – Fujitaka's youthful appearance was a remnant of his own latent powers, and Touya looked about years younger than he actually was.

"Sakura, this woman is a magician" He told his stupefied girlfriend. 'It seems it was an oversight not to educate her further into the magical communities…' Because of course they would be caught by surprise by a mage without Kero around to look out for them. "What do you want?"

The woman continued smiling, eyes drifting down to Sakura's neck and glancing at the key curiously before she answered the girl's unasked question first "You know about magic, yes? If you practice magic, you age a lot slower than mundane people…" She stopped talking, letting the younger magicians absorb what she said. "I saw you have a sealed staff with you, and this handsome young man is obviously a Li... I truly do find young love beautiful, and the bond you two share is even more precious"

Syaoran had to hold back the reflective wince that made his tongue click. He hasn't come around telling Sakura about that little fact yet – Soul mates was a touchy subject at the best of times after all.

"Oh sorry… I'm Sakura Kinomoto" Well-mannered Sakura greeted, returning the smile.

The woman offered a shallow bow, while the younger girl's returned bow was deeper. "Nice to meet you, dear! My name is Sumire Rido, we both have flower names it seems…"

That perked his girlfriend up "Hoe! Do you really know magic?" She asked genuinely enthusiastically. 'What about our date?' Syaoran thought to himself with glum, feeling the undeniable power this woman had crawling around him like light tendrils. They curled protectively around them, not threatening at all – but powerful magicians like this woman were to be dealt with carefully.

…

"And after talking to Sumire-obaa-chan about magic, Syaoran and I went on our date! We had a really nice picnic at the Penguin Park, and after that we visited the cinema to watch Senshi-Senshou new movie!" Kero stiffened at the mention of magic, his whole body suspending as he hovered closer to his mistress.

"Was the brat okay with that?" The stuffed lion toy asked plaintively, not imagining that Syaoran would take kindly to another magician in Tomoeda – the districting becoming Li territory as soon as the heir moved over.

Sakura tilted her head in confusion "Of course he was, he was the one who invited me to see it" Kero crossed his arms pointedly "Oh right, you mean Sumire-obaa-chan? She is alright; she is not like Eriol's guardians or Mizuki-sensei… Did I tell you that she looked foreign? She said I looked like her grandkid!"

'So she isn't a guardian' Kero wondered quietly, pondered on Sakura's first encounter with a foreign magician. Western and Eastern magics often conflicted, though the shared ground rules were enough to make them compatible – Kaho Mizuki didn't stay long to teach Sakura the crafts properly, and Eriol has long since moved back to England once his purpose was fulfilled… 'Master's last will, to be kept by his reincarnation… poor kid' At least it assured that the sole inheritor of Clow Reed's immensurable powers was Sakura, but neither the cards, nor Kero or Yui were teacher material.

Syaoran Li wasn't even taken in consideration.

For the brat to teach Sakura, she'd have to be taken by the clan as a ward – which wasn't happening, not while she didn't know the full implications of what being the Cards mistress implied.

The elder brother, Touya… now that one, despite not possessing Sakura's potential was still powerful on his own – the young man shared Clow's blood, and inherited a lot of aspects from the sorcerer – going as far as sharing aptitudes. Touya's element was also Darkness, and he'd make a really powerful Shaman or Spiritualist seeing how his Empathy and Aura Reading allow him to know people. The whole Kinomoto family shared a level of unexpected latent clairvoyance talent, which helped the elder brother see how Yui needed help behind his façade as Yukito when Sakura's powers were still immature.

'I have to learn more' the stuffed lion decided. "Let's look for that woman tomorrow then… I want to see what she's about"

Sakura grinned, magic swirling around her in a playful halo. Kero could feel the contented satisfaction pouring out the cards, and he himself was basking under the heiress' magic – so pure, so happy.

…

"It's Valentine's day, where is my chocolate?" Her husband asked teasingly, running a daring finger down her back and hooking it at one of her jeans' belt loops. He himself was dressed a lot more mundane way than usual, with a dress shirt and pressed suit pants – his hair in a high ponytail and jacket held in the crook of his elbow. Wherever they went, people craned their necks to look at him. He looked like pretty smart, like an absurdly good looking business man.

"Hidden" The witch purred wickedly, eyes glinting "Not sure it'd be proper to give it to you in front of so many people"

"Want to skip the date?" Clow asked hopefully, lifting an eyebrow. Oh, she loved these modern times when the sorcerer decided to be practical and used contact lenses instead of glasses – his eyes had this strange effect, when they'd change hues on a whim or go silver with his powers.

"Nope" Violet sassed, looping her arm through his and leading away her husband through the busy streets toward the café where their date was supposed to start. "And I met Cherry and Little Lan on my way here"

"How did it go?" The sorcerer asked interestedly. This might not be their universe, but it was always interesting to interact with counterparts.

"As expected. The poor girl is still majorly clueless about the crafts without one of us to teach her…" The witch pondered for a moment "Cerberus and Yui are doing their jobs a little too well… they have been shielding her from other magicians, and Little Lan won't bring Cherry into the Li clan without more maturity in their relationship, at least he is responsible to think about her future"

Clow sighed, opening the door to the café for his wife and ignoring the maid's knowing looks. Since the place was moderately crowded, the pair was delegated a free table by the windows – not their first choice, but agreeable.

"What are you planning?" He asked, no doubt that she wasn't planning anything. "Remember that in this universe, I am most likely gone"

"Well… I was thinking of improvising as I go" Violet answered blandly, a smile wide on her lips "But mostly, I'm thinking of leaving Cherry some instructions and introducing Peach to Kimihiro"

The sorcerer eyed the witch "Not Fei Wang?"

"At this point? I think Fei is still stuck in his obsession with Yuuko…" And didn't that make her spine stiffen… Fei Wang was a brilliant Scientist and had an unparalleled intellect for the arts. He was also madly in love with Yuuko, who was in love with Clow, who was Violet's husband and Fei Wang's sort of father. 'Clone… Copy… Alternative timeline son? Clow can wish beings into existence if he isn't careful enough…' "And if I'm not mistaken, then the alternate timeline is still inexistence… the grief struck you who decided to rewind time in a bid to lose his powers…"

Clow created an entire new timeline where he turned Tokyo into a kingdom governed by him…

Kimihito Watanuki, born Kimihiro Li is actually Syaoran's alternate self from the other timeline, created to fill the blank left by the original Syaoran… magic and parallel times so tightly stitched together that it became a jumbled up of confusion 'Oh, right… first, getting rid of his magic. Second, cleaning up the mess he's made in pursuit of the first'

It doesn't change that this version of Kimihiro is the heir of Yuuko's magic and her shop – thus he is bound to have inherited the traveling witch's knowledge as her sort of apprentice.

"This world's Clow Reed didn't have you" Her husband pointed out, lovingly caressing her hand. "I am lost without you, half of what I should be… without you I can't think straight, look where it led me and my family…"

"But you have me…" Not every version of him would be lucky to find their other half, but her sorcerer did, she did, so there was no use crying over has beens. 'As cold as it sounds… all I care about is my family'

"I do, don't I?"

The date was perfect. And Clow did love his chocolate.

…

"Oh Merlin! You are such a cutie!" Sumire-obaa-chan cooed over Kero, not touching him, but by the way the very air trembled with her feelings, it was just as much. Her guardian puffed up, glaring at the older woman with his beady black eyes.

"You're old" Was the first thing that left Kero's mouth. Sakura hurried to clamp his mouth shut, but the damage was already done and all she could really do was bow apologetically to Grandma.

They've been hunting said woman down for the whole afternoon, as soon as school let out… and now this? How embarrassing! But Sumire-obaa-chan just laughed, genuinely entertained by Kero's attitude. 'It's a first' because usually people tended to become offended.

"I am! Despite how I look, I am way older than you, little guy… in fact, I might have met the sorcerer whose presence this child exudes… that's dangerous you know? That man had a lot of enemies, many of them still kicking around" The woman told them, focusing more on Kero than Sakura. The young sorceress could see how having Clow's presence above hers was dangerous though, why, she's been already targeted by the old sorcerer's enemies more than once. "You should be teaching her how to control her powers… the cards are tools, not crutches"

"How do you know so much?" Kero asked suspiciously, but Sakura could see that glint of hope in his eyes.

It was clear to her that both Kero and Yui loved Clow so very much, and she was a cheap replacement though both guardians accepted her – Yui barely managing that if it wasn't for Yukito's persona. The young magician didn't feel bad about that… all she really wanted was for everyone to be happy.

"When I said I might have met that man, what I meant is that I actually dated him for a while" Sumire-obaa-chan said smilingly, grinning when Kero sputtered and blushed. Clow's ex-girlfriends were Troublesome with a capital T, the old fool's track record didn't favor him one bit. "Oh don't worry, we were also very good friends… it was such a long time ago, but if feels like just yesterday we were holding hands"

Sakura and Sumire-obaa-chan exchanged looks, understanding flowing between them in a way only romantics could comprehend.

"Wait… so that means you are a magician" Kero snapped back to reality and clung to something that interested him. The woman nodded, red curls bouncing over her shoulders. Today she forgone jeans and was wearing robes of all things. 'Black, blue, gold and white'

"That's what I said, yes" Sumire-obaa-chan smiled, reaching inside the folds of her robes and pulling out a massive tome, which could have in no way fitted inside there without anyone noticing the bulge… The heavy looking, impossibly think book was handled with care to Sakura, who struggled to hold onto its weight "Which brings me to why I came here! Take this, dear, my husband likes to teach sorcery so he writes a lot of books about it; I got this one for you. It is an introduction into basic sorcery and theory behind spell construction. You should consult your Li friend about acquiring more books, there are a lot of magical libraries in Europe and some in Japan… you will need a guide to access them for the first time, but since you have that" She nodded helpfully at the sealed staff dangling around the girl's neck "You don't have to worry about membership"

"You won't be staying to teach her?" Sakura's guardian asked, making the girl look hopefully at the older woman.

"Oh no. Unfortunately I cannot… I'm only here for a few more days, no longer than that… but I do have an acquaintance you can visit about receiving lessons. He lives in Tokyo, but you can summon him whenever you need if you have the right ways" The older woman offered Sakura a hand. The young girl accepted it with a dubious smile, which immediately vanished when suddenly; there was a dark looming doorway right in front of them.

"This magic…! The traveling witch's portals!" The little stuffed lion exclaimed, eyes wide. He looked from the doorway to Sumire-obaa-chan, then back again "You can't be Lady Yuuko"

"No, but I was taught this trick" The older magician told him, tugging on Sakura's hand still caught in her own "Come now! He must have felt us already!"

"Who…?" Sakura asked, striding confidently beside the strange woman – for some reason, she trusted Grandma Sumire, this niggling feeling in the back of her head that never seemed to be wrong.

"Watanuki Kimihiro, the traveling witch's successor and inheritor of the dimensional shop. I am certain he can be convinced to teach you, and he should have something in there to help with transportation"

"Will you be bringing us back?" the guardian pressed, not keen on flying all the way back to Tomoeda from Tokyo.

"Of course!"

…

"You…"

"Me…?"

"Who are you? Why can't I see you?" Mismatched eyes were wide and staring. His eyes were very pretty, Violet thought, with a cat like tilt to them and a luminous quality that came with vast amounts of magic.

"Balance" the witch answered with a tilt of her head, letting something she usually kept hidden be seen – Kimihiro would grasp the meaning of what she wasn't saying, if he was anything like his counterpart in the other universe. "But it isn't about me that we came to visit"

"Kinomoto Sakura" Kimihiro said wonderingly "It is a pleasure to finally meet you" The shop owner greeted, inclining his head and prompting Sakura to do the same, though she was a bit distracted by all the things contained in the room. Kero couldn't slide his eyes off of the young man – This Kimihiro has been raised to purposely look like Clow, so it must be quite a shock to the guardian who has never seen him before. "What can I do for you?"

Sakura thought for a moment before answering, her hand still clasped tightly in Grandma's "I want to learn more about magic" she settled for, meeting Kimihiro's colorful eyes with her own. "Why do I feel like I know you…?"

The young shop owner blinked owlishly, golden eye glinting under the dim light and the sole blue eye turning silver in a very familiar way. "There is no coincidence, only inevitability" he said slowly, staring at a point beyond Sakura, before looking back at her "We've met before, but not this me and not that you. I feel like I've loved you once upon a time… however…"

"You feel like Touya, daddy, Tomoyo, Meilin, Syaoran and Sumire-obaa-chan! Like family!" incredibly intuitive Sakura was able to nail their bond correctly, her aptitude seemed to impress the shop owner, for her smiled brightly down at her – all the poise and posture he previously had forgotten as he realized he had family.

'Their bond has been formed the moment they met' Violet thought fondly. Job well done. Now Kimihiro would teach Sakura without Syaoran's restrictions, and Sakura would have the traveling witch's successor's protection beside Clow's reputation.

…

"Hello" The achingly familiar voice startled him. Yui woke up, wearing his human skin, making Yukito's eyes dissolve into silver pools of light.

"M-master…" The voice reverberated with pain, but Yui could careless when the person he loved most in life was standing right in front of him. He looked younger than he remembered, and wearing modern clothes too… But it was him. The same presence, the same magic… Only… their bond is gone.

"Not really… I am Clow Reed, but not" the not-Master revealed sadly, smile stuck on that familiar face in an expression Yui has committed to memory centuries ago. "I am a version of him from another universe" Yui could believe that. His heart is telling the truth.

"What happened?" The question burned in his tongue for years and years. "Why?" felt so loaded and heavy… he wondered if Clow's answer would ever match that other not-Master's ones. They were one, but not. How queer.

"If this me was anything like I was back then, then I can say I've erred greatly in thinking that I could control my powers to the way I used them… I'd have thought to play god and paid the price with the life of a precious friend, become mistrustful of my gifts and create you, Cerberus and the cards in the hopes of seeing myself rid of magic – when that didn't work, I'd have ran away from friends and family, exacerbating the problem and creating trouble for a lot of people while I hid away until my life expired and my soul could be reborn"

"Why… didn't you take us with you?" The moon guardian wished to know. But Clow didn't really know, so he said so.

"I cannot answer for that me… we stopped sharing the same mind set when the event that separates our universes happened"

"Then why come here? Will you stay…?" The hope was what hurt the most.

"No… I have my own universe to return to, and my own family waiting for me. Though I can say with certainty that the other Yui will never share your past, that I've learned my lessons and grew from them, and ask that you forgive the version of Clow Reed that existed here"

Forgive…? 'Am I angry?'

"I… did, a long time ago" Yui understood, his chest swelling with emotions he couldn't describe. He still loves his Masters, both previous and current, but… without the Earth there to gravitate around of, where would the moon go? When he focused back on the spot the other-Clow stood, he was gone.

…

"You've been meddling" Clow noted, sitting down beside her on the park bench.

"Just a little bit" Violet allowed, leaning sideways so her head was on her husband's lap. The sorcerer's fingers dug into her hair, massaging her scalp slowly and deliciously.

"That's my witch" He laughed, leaning down so he could catch his wife in a breathtaking kiss.

"I am infinitely glad that things in our universe didn't turn out like this one… and you have also been meddling… Clow Country, really?"

"Well… other me had quite the ego and no witch wife to beat it down at turns…"

This time, it was Violet who laughed.

…

End! :D