The Crow
(Third Arc: Another World)
(Part 28)

The mirror throbbed once, pulsing out purple miasma as it swallowed light.

"It is done now… Only a matter of time" Xiao Ling's flushed lips twisted up in a smile that didn't sit well on her face – the smile wasn't reflected in the mirror.

'Let me out now! You have what you want!' The face shown in the luminously clear surface of the mirror was shouting, cheeks pale and eyes red rimmed. The image was exhausted, skin tone washing out into a sad gray and hair losing luster. 'Get out of my body!'

"No, I don't think I will leave just yet. You see, this body still has its uses" Xiao Ling told her reflection, smile turning into a smirk.

'Why don't you use your own?!' Ahh… Why, indeed?

"Because right now it is very busy absorbing Miss Potter's powers… it is going to take an awful while, so I've made myself this puppet to play around with"

'Ugh!' The mirror pulsed again, an angry beat that spilled even more noxious clouds.

…

Fire is passion.

Fire is light.

Fire is life.

Fire is destruction.

Fire is rebirth.

And Fire was telling him a very interesting tale.

Despite coming from a Fire forged elemental clan which specialized in combat and warfare, his mother – born Rosa Zelante – from an Italian family that also had fire in their veins. The Zelante family were small and kept to themselves, and like many other clans, guarded their crafts very close to themselves.

Rosa Zelante married into the de Parole family – a deal worked out between her father and her fiancé, who wanted a bride forged from fire so their children would also contain it in their blood.

At first quite against her will, Rosa came to enjoy her new family, though being kept at arms' length for years to avoid the possibility that she'd spy on behalf of her father. It obviously didn't happen. Rosa took her new role as matriarch quite seriously as the family's magic agreed with her.

She was also very careful to educate her children in her original family's crafts, with the possibility of infuriating her father, uncles and brothers. Rosa didn't care for what they thought… they sold her for the highest bidder, outcaste from her birth home in Sicily, having to learn a new language just so she could communicate with her husband. None of her children would grow up without at least having the chance to learn her forefathers' craft.

Alexander didn't care for 'girly' arts. He'd rather learn the sword and battle-crafts. Negotiation, politics, economy, war… her eldest son thought he didn't need his mother's knowledge – it would add nothing to him.

Fernando, her third born wanted to follow his eldest brother's footsteps. So he chased the same tutors, handled the same swords and hit the same targets.

Helena… Helena, her little girl. With her chocolate brown hair and olive skin, her only daughter and fourth child – Helena knew that her only worth in her father's eyes was as a commodity, something he'd use to trade favors with one of his allies. So she grew up to be a perfect woman, and by the time Rosa thought to teach the girl anything magic related, the girl refused the knowledge, settling for lessons related to the house and defensive household spells.

Now Eduardo… the second son, the spare. Rosa Zelante's pride and joy… not only because out of all her children he looked like her the most, with his thick curly hair and deep brown eyes that looked like ember licked ambers whenever fire lifted his spirit – he was also the son her husband delegated for her – the only son who agreed to learn what she had to teach.

Oh, and she had so much to teach.

For thousands of years, her ancestors have been keeping the Palici alive by stocking an eternal flame in Adranus' stomach by Mount Etna's foot in Hybla, which became Paternò. Later, when the Greek spread, the Palici became sons of Zeus and Aetna, though still honored as navigation and agricultural deities their origin was flames.

From using ashes of a sacred fire to bless plantations, to the remnants of the prophetess line of Delphi - using volcanic fumes to predict the future. The technic has been cultivated over the years and the use upgraded from noxious lethal fumes to harmless incense smoke.

Rosa Zelante mastered an accompanying art related to fire.

And she taught that to her second son.

So there Eduardo stood, his room – how did he still manage to keep his room when he knew Teacher should have kicked him out.

"You were caught in a nasty enchantment while training today" Teacher told him, eyes dangerous "Someone used your body to attack Miss Potter, although we've been able to remove the spell, there are certain side effects you will have to deal with"

..

"Not at all. It wasn't your fault; I don't blame you at all. All we wanted was to make sure you were all right after what we've been through" The apprentice said back to him when he apologized.

Twice.

Two times in as little as a month's interval that apprentice Potter covered for him. She's had the chance to damn him… the first time was his fault, as much as he'd want to blame her… he lost his temper and wanted to intimidate the insufferable baseborn who thought she could do all she wanted and curse her betters with embarrassing extra body parts. It took the entire day for him to undo that focus-less spell of hers.

And then she had to stand between him and Clow Reed – who was leaking his dangerous aura all over the place and promising retribution at the apprentice's least sign of distress.

"Just a misunderstanding. We both lost our tempers and got away with ourselves, I'm sorry Master, it won't happen again" She said then. Disarming the situation and allowing him – who lost his temper and was about to do something so ridiculously stupid he'd most likely deserve the punishment he got – to get out with a slap on the wrist, if even that.

Why did she help him? Did she want something from him? Did she think he'd own her? Not likely. He thought himself above such plebe. But then she did it again… and in this instance, what was in the line was her life.

'She has power… if not control' He grudgingly admitted to himself. Violet Potter is a powerful magician in her own right, and though he still thought the likes of her undeserving being taught magic, he understood Clow Reed's motivations about taking her in.

'He took her from the storm… he went outside that day when rain started falling… lightning cut the skies and a few minutes later Teacher was coming back into the manor with that woman in his arms… the smell of ozone clung to her for a while, it was plain to see… why didn't I?'

He's thought for a while that she might be the bastard child of a Family… but then, no family would let her go if it meant all that power stayed within their blood. Violet Potter was bathed in power – turbulent and light, coursing beneath her skin.

'And she's Clow Reed's apprentice' that on itself said something huge about the woman that he wasn't able to see before.

Clow Reed was like a wild force of nature. No one could predict where he'd strike next, his movements were his own and he owned nothing to anyone. The Master Sorcerer's tale was dark and no one really knew where he came from… One day, he was there razing to the ground a number of families and then dictating the rules for the next centuries even when he disappeared for half of them.

The Sorcerer has power, was already three hundred years old and yet looked to be in his thirties – an indicative of his power levels – more than anyone in the millennium. 'The last sorcerer to have that much power and who lived a long life was Methuselah, owner of the Sword of Methuselah, slayer of evil and ghosts…'

Clow Reed could take care of himself. He didn't need Eduardo to take offense on his behalf, nor did he need Eduardo to pick childish fights with his chosen apprentice. He chose Violet Potter for a reason.

It took a while for him to understand. But he did now.

The fire told him. Apolo's flames burned in the sun radiating heat, light and prophecy. Rosa Zelante might be a bitter woman now, after her husband for whom she was given denounced her for a younger girl barely out of her diapers... but she had reason to be confident in her skills.

'I've never been able to see Violet Potter in the flames before…'

'Why can I see her now?'

Something was very, very wrong.

XxxxXxxxX

The presence was muted.

An echo, as if coming from far away…

That caught Clow's attention immediately. His sight went inwards and searched through his precious bond with his other half. Still there, but echoing, crying out and part of it was reaching like a drowning man looking for salvation. 'Violet!' His thoughts tumbled into a jarred web of confusion.

Violet was there, but she was in distress. It was enough to urge him into action.

'Where are you' The sorcerer was out of his office and down the corridors of his manor, remembering to pick up the cards and activating with a brief switch of his will all his land's defenses. If there was an intruder, they wouldn't be getting out. And if Violet was hurt in anyway… The cards in his grasp were also singing, the same demented note that could be found in Violet's presence in the ether.

That made his blood turn to ice. At the same time as an indescribable fury licked at the insides of his stomach and almost overwhelmed all reason. 'Whoever or whatever is responsible for this…'

"C-clow, what?" Her hair was still dark and copper colored. Her eyes were still green, shining like emeralds under the lights coming from the window. Her cheeks pale and lips rosy – She looked fine. No signs of distress anywhere… 'But our bond is screaming…!' Distress curled in his chest, fear and anger making hard to breathe.

But she was right there. All her light and presence telling him she was fine. The bond was stressed, telling him that somewhere in the Library his other half was hurting. Yet here he was and she was fine.

Violet was curled on the sofa she's claimed in the library with a book in hand. Her gaze was trailed on him, studying his form with a keen interest. Clow took a moment to regain his calm before speaking "Did something happen?" He asked slowly, measuring the words and trying to convey his feelings through the bond. It sputtered and flayed – the bond was breaking. It hurt.

"Nothing that I know of" Violet answered equally as carefully, putting down her book and rising to her feet. She inched closer to him, reaching with a hand to grasp his own. Clow had to resist the urge to flinch back away from her. "Clow… what is going on?"

His teeth gritted. 'How can she not feel it? It is burning me from the inside out' the backlash of magic swirling around their connection was straining. She should be able to feel it with her understanding of their connection.

"You… are disappearing" The sorcerer told the witch, the words leaving an ashy taste in his mouth. Green eyes widened as fright took over her face. Violet lunged forward to embrace him, and Clow took her in his arms, burying his nose in her hair.

"I'm not… I am right here; you can feel me, can't you? You know I'm here in your arms"

A fixture extended. Cracked.

He saw himself wearing a crown and kingly robes. The time lines folded like tissue paper at his will… ever since he's mastered dimension travel his reach could now touch other worlds.

A winged lion and an owl. Birds of a feather. His creations and guardians. He was planning on waking them up soon, but was not prepared to see Cerberus' face forever frozen in the book, and Yui's wings sealed in the full moon. Darkness seeped through the seams of his vision…

… and then it was over.

…

Somewhere between planes of existence, in a place created solely as a prison, someone writhed and twisted in pain, screaming and begging in equal measures.

It hurt. It tore. It felt like she was being burned alive – energy sapped out of her with her every breath, torturously grating as it did not want to leave its original source.

…

Xiao Ling winced with every scream. She also felt pain in this realm, but not as much – she didn't understand why the other was in so much duress, but she did not like it.

"Calm down! Listen for a moment! I know it must be hard, but just let me help you" The young battle mage had no hands with which to reach to the other, and the other herself was just a ball of light – they were all energy in this prison made to contain them.

"I can't! I hurts so bad!" Oh… that voice. That presence. Xiao Ling knows who it is.

"Violet Potter" Her voice shook the ether. Violet's light throbbed, getting smaller and dimmer. "You are being drained…!" the other never answered, limiting herself to another scream. "If you're also here then that bitch's plan is…"

"I know it hurts, Miss Potter – no, Violet… but you should know why it does hurt so much… this is no ordinary mirror… the one who enchanted this is using it to store our consciousness, or souls" Xiao Ling explained, seeing Violet's light shimmer and tremble as if holding its form together. "It is purposely draining our magic… but the effect on you is being twice as hard as it was on me, and you are in greater pain… why?"

"My… bond… with him… is breaking!" Bond…

A lot made sense, then… the Chinese magician found the superior level of understanding not as satisfying as she thought… "Your bond with Clow… is breaking. That's why it hurts so much… Violet… I am so sorry"

The chains holding them in this place were strong. So strong that Xiao Ling hasn't been able to break them. But now she had company…

"The one who imprisoned us here is after our magic… but she never me out even after draining me of power and will, and commandeering my body… I won't last more than a few more days, and the way you are, I think you don't have more than a few hours" A broken bond was traumatizing enough when it happened naturally. Forced breaks like what Violet was going through had to be crippling. "We have to get out of here… you need to get over your pain, if you don't, she is going after Clow"

Tortured light stilled. A sense of determination wrecked through it even as it shivered in pain. Mental fortitude of that caliber was… hard to come across… and all it took to kindle it was mentioning Clow in danger… If the situation wasn't so dire, Xiao Ling would have laughed.

After having broken down in tears.

…

Violet had to get out.

Never mind that she felt as if she was being pulled in all directions at once, losing bits and pieces of herself at every second that passes. That didn't matter as much as the sight of the crumbling bond did.

If she had eyes, she'd be weeping, trying her best to hold the wisps together, tied to that other brilliant presence at the other side.

"We have to get out of here… you need to get over your pain, if you don't, she is going after Clow"

The familiar one said, desperation coloring her presence. Violet understood the need to rush, but as another wave of agony wrecked through her, she had to struggle to keep the will to fight alive.

Clow is hers. She's decided to leave her past behind for him. He's given up his future. Her soul bound to his. Light and dark…

"I am… not… letting that… h-happen"

With the remainder of her forces, Light exploded all around them.

…