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     1.2 +++ b/old/stories/seal02.txt	Fri Feb 19 20:53:12 2010 -0500
     1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,2391 @@
     1.4 +Title: Seal Cards
     1.5 +Subtitle: Corruption of Silence
     1.6 +Author: Matthias Engel aka MysticMew
     1.7 +Feedback: Solarsenshi@gmx.de
     1.8 +Status: Alpha
     1.9 +Fandom: Card Captor Sakura (manga), Slayers, Bishoujo Senshi 
    1.10 +Sailormoon (minor implications)
    1.11 +Rating: PG-13
    1.12 +Category: Romance, Action/Adventure, slight Crossover elements
    1.13 +Pairing: Sakura/Tomoyo
    1.14 +Timeline: Sequel to "Happy Years"
    1.15 +Summary: There are two more cards Clow created. Our couple must learn 
    1.16 +that even great mages are not prone to mistakes.
    1.17 +Sub-Summary: Caught in events Sakura finds herself face to face with 
    1.18 +the nightmare of her own timeline sooner than she would have liked. As 
    1.19 +events draw to an epic end, Sakura and Tomoyo are forced to risk 
    1.20 +everything, including their lives to prevent a catastrophe.
    1.21 +Distribution: MSD (www.catstrio.de), Shoujo Ai.com (www.shoujoai.com), 
    1.22 +ff.net (www.fanfiction.net), Mediaminer (www.mediaminer.org), Moonlit 
    1.23 +Nights (http://jrem.net/moonlit/tsFics.html) others may follow. If you 
    1.24 +like this fic for your story, please tell me, I'm not likely to put 
    1.25 +stones in your way, but I like to know where it goes.
    1.26 +Legal Disclaimer: This story features two females romantically 
    1.27 +involved. If that is illegal where you are or entirely not your thing, 
    1.28 +turn around and leave now.
    1.29 +Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP and assorted 
    1.30 +companies, I claim no right on the characters and original storyline, 
    1.31 +neither do I claim any right on the small crossover elements in this 
    1.32 +story, they belong to their respective owners.
    1.33 +Story Disclaimer: Seal Cards: Corruption Silence(c)2003 by Matthias 
    1.34 +Engel
    1.35 +
    1.36 +Note: Names in () indicate the POV. If there is no name the scene is 
    1.37 +written in third person.
    1.38 +
    1.39 +******************************
    1.40 +
    1.41 +Foreword
    1.42 +
    1.43 +Not much to say. The last part in the Forbidden Cards series. Takes up 
    1.44 +directly after the first part of Seal Cards (Epitomes of Love). Next 
    1.45 +in line will be the BSSM pre-story though that one will also have 
    1.46 +slight Crossover indications, so if you want to stay for the whole 
    1.47 +ride you might want to look out for it.
    1.48 +I hope you've got some time, it turned out to be a longer part than 
    1.49 +originally intended.... Not that that is something new for the little 
    1.50 +terror...
    1.51 +
    1.52 +******************************
    1.53 +
    1.54 +Seal Cards: Corruption of Silence
    1.55 +Based on the works of CLAMP
    1.56 +Story Concept by Matthias Engel
    1.57 +
    1.58 +******************************
    1.59 +
    1.60 +(Sakura)
    1.61 +To describe exactly what the place looked like I would have to assume 
    1.62 +that the observer had to possess not only magical sight but also a 
    1.63 +fine understanding of the different layers of reality. On first glance 
    1.64 +all you might see was a field of orange-gold light, shining with the 
    1.65 +intensity that had you thinking you were right in the center of a sun. 
    1.66 +Yet, it wasn't actually blinding. Bright, yes. Even brighter than the 
    1.67 +human eye should be able to handle but at the same time gentle, filled 
    1.68 +with a certain harmony that inspired awe.
    1.69 +	I, with my limited skill, felt tiny in comparison to the sheer 
    1.70 +beauty of the place. This was much more magnificent than the 
    1.71 +experience of Love's simple energy output reflected on the outside 
    1.72 +world. Much like in a mother's womb I felt sheltered from the tainted 
    1.73 +world outside. The absolute purity of emotion was overwhelming. 
    1.74 +However, compared to our reaction outside to this increase in positive 
    1.75 +feelings, here I was at total peace, not compiled to act in certain 
    1.76 +ways. I basked in the ultimate experience of love, sinking into its 
    1.77 +embrace.
    1.78 +	Glancing over at Tomoyo, I noticed that she was equally 
    1.79 +overwhelmed. Wherever exactly we were, we had left Time's safety 
    1.80 +bubble behind and I didn't quite believe that it would have survived 
    1.81 +in here. I was a little perplexed actually to see Tomoyo. My actions 
    1.82 +of the last moments had been like watching a movie of myself. In a way 
    1.83 +it was me acting but in another I also was only watching my body move. 
    1.84 +I had realized on a certain level that I couldn't just simply capture 
    1.85 +Love, that this wasn't the right way and that there had to be a 
    1.86 +different approach. And I knew deep down that we had to face Love 
    1.87 +together. As a couple bond by her own element.
    1.88 +	Before either of us could speak, a faint glimmer attracted our 
    1.89 +attention. Turning towards the white sparkle of light I watched it 
    1.90 +brighten, expanding slightly. Slowly the shape of the card's sprite 
    1.91 +form became visible. I had seen it before but this time the features 
    1.92 +were much more defined. Golden-blond hair ran down the woman's back. 
    1.93 +She wore a simple yet elegant orange dress and her eyes sparkled a 
    1.94 +clear blue so enticingly beautiful that I felt the urge to kneel in 
    1.95 +humbleness, unworthy of that creature's attention. This was 
    1.96 +fascinating, none of the card's spiritual forms ever had been so 
    1.97 +vivid, so human... No, human didn't sound right. The woman seemed more 
    1.98 +like a goddess actually. A goddess that was incredibly lonely...
    1.99 +	Love looked at us with a warm smile that made my heart skip a 
   1.100 +beat. Cocking her head slightly to the side she seemed to be deep in 
   1.101 +thought for a moment, then her eyes brightened in obvious recognition. 
   1.102 +Yet the greeting was not exactly as I expected. "Greetings, Lina-dono, 
   1.103 +Amelia-dono. I had not expected you here."
   1.104 +	I blinked and traded a glance with Tomoyo who mirrored my own 
   1.105 +confusion. "Excuse us but I think you are mistaking..."
   1.106 +	Love laughed lightly and the sound was angelic to the ears. I 
   1.107 +realized that a lot of those effects were due to the fact we were in 
   1.108 +her realm of power. It had been similar with Time. Outside the sealing 
   1.109 +chamber her presence didn't seem to be so enormous all the time. "Oh, 
   1.110 +I know, I know. I apologize for that. It appears you are not awakened 
   1.111 +yet."
   1.112 +	Awakened? What the...? My surprise must have been visible since 
   1.113 +Love let go of another giggle, echoing throughout the surreal space.
   1.114 +	"Ah, don't worry about it. The time will come that you 
   1.115 +understand. Now though. I understand that you are Clow's successor and 
   1.116 +therefore technically my new Mistress." I nodded a little dumbly, 
   1.117 +still not quite grasping what exactly the words of the card's sprite 
   1.118 +had done to me. I had felt something stir inside of me at her words. 
   1.119 +Faint, tiny and almost impossible to notice but it was there.
   1.120 +	Love's happy, smiling expression didn't change but her tone of 
   1.121 +voice did as she continued. "Clow was a fool. If it wasn't for him, 
   1.122 +the Feared One would not be on the verge of breaking through our seal. 
   1.123 +He gave us form and therefore made us targets for her power. This form 
   1.124 +is limiting and it is only a matter of time before the Feared One will 
   1.125 +be able to take advantage of the disrupted flow," she stated bitterly. 
   1.126 +I could guess without a problem who the "Feared One" was supposed to 
   1.127 +be and the confirmation that my worst fears were proving true sent a 
   1.128 +shiver down my spine.
   1.129 +	"But Sakura-chan isn't like Clow! I'm sure she can fix things! 
   1.130 +She always does!" I turned a surprised look at Tomoyo and felt a wave 
   1.131 +of pride wash through me. The lavender-haired girl stared at Love 
   1.132 +intently, silently daring her to challenge the statement. She didn't 
   1.133 +seem to shy away from the otherworldly being but instead stood up for 
   1.134 +her faith in me. I really didn't deserve someone so incredible like 
   1.135 +her but I would certainly cherish that gift forever.
   1.136 +	Love didn't seem to mind the outburst at all. Instead her 
   1.137 +features softened even more as she regarded Tomoyo with a look, 
   1.138 +searching her eyes for some sort of confirmation for a moment, then 
   1.139 +turned back to me. "No, she is not like Clow. I could tell from the 
   1.140 +very first moment." The blue eyes flashed for a moment and I shrunk a 
   1.141 +little under the intense gaze. "So, what will you do now that you 
   1.142 +stand before me. What will you do to fix what Clow has damaged?"
   1.143 +	The question was genuine and honestly curious... and it took me 
   1.144 +totally off guard. I had not planned on any of this happening now. 
   1.145 +Yes, I had devoted so much time to search for the Seal Cards but 
   1.146 +hadn't actually given much thought to what exactly I wanted to do if I 
   1.147 +found them. They were the center of what held the seal on Pandora 
   1.148 +together after all and I couldn't just remove them without endangering 
   1.149 +the whole planet. I felt foolish at not really having thought about 
   1.150 +that, about rushing into this without a decent plan of action. And 
   1.151 +right now I wasn't quite sure how to answer Love's question.
   1.152 +
   1.153 +******************************
   1.154 +
   1.155 +(Tomoyo)
   1.156 +Sakura was clearly struggling with an answer to Love's question. I 
   1.157 +could tell she hadn't given it much thought which surprised me a 
   1.158 +little. Other than in her earlier childhood the Sakura of now was much 
   1.159 +more focused on her actions. What she did, she did with purpose. I 
   1.160 +should know since I had been treated to some of the happier moments 
   1.161 +that showed this change. Then again. Sakura also carried some great 
   1.162 +grief over everything that was tied to the current situation with her. 
   1.163 +And grief often served to easily cloud your common sense and rational 
   1.164 +judgment.
   1.165 +	I had thought about it myself for a while after Sakura revealed 
   1.166 +that bit of her timeline to me. When we were younger I had always 
   1.167 +tried to help out the brunette with her problems, trying to ease some 
   1.168 +of the weight off of her shoulders. She had often been so innocent and 
   1.169 +with such a pure heart that it was hard for her to come up with how to 
   1.170 +deal with serious situations that called for the possibility of 
   1.171 +hurting someone in the process if the decision she made was the wrong 
   1.172 +one... or especially the situation where someone would likely get hurt 
   1.173 +nonetheless.
   1.174 +	Sakura now was no longer afraid or incompetent to make these 
   1.175 +decision on her own which she showed quite impressively about four 
   1.176 +years ago - more or less relatively seen. Yet, I knew what a deep 
   1.177 +emotional scar the events of her timeline had left on my girlfriend. 
   1.178 +As much as she tried - successfully for the most part - to be cheerful 
   1.179 +for me and everyone else. So, although I did not know all the details 
   1.180 +- that much I was sure of - I had been thinking about the situation, 
   1.181 +trying to help Sakura in those small ways. I had somehow anticipated 
   1.182 +that moment might come and she might need my support then.
   1.183 +	Thinking had sparked some ideas but also some questions that 
   1.184 +needed to be answered first. And so, gathering my courage - since I 
   1.185 +was still rather impressed and awed by the sudden transition from the 
   1.186 +real world into this... other realm - I spoke up quietly, "Can I ask a 
   1.187 +question?"
   1.188 +	Both Love and Sakura turned to me, the latter raising an eyebrow 
   1.189 +a bit surprised while the former merely smiled and nodded. Taking this 
   1.190 +as a "Yes" I managed to bring my jumbled thoughts into some sort of 
   1.191 +order. "Sakura-chan told me that by creating you and the other card 
   1.192 +Clow made a mistake. I take it he was... aware of it because he put 
   1.193 +you... um, here." I gestured around us, not quite sure where exactly 
   1.194 +we were other than inside the seal which for some reason didn't sound 
   1.195 +appropriate enough for me. Love nodded. "Well," I asked tentatively, 
   1.196 +"I don't mean to offend your existence but... Couldn't Clow just 
   1.197 +have... returned you to what you were before?"
   1.198 +	At that Sakura also looked visibly curious and turned a 
   1.199 +questioning glance towards Love. The sprite looked a tad bit miffed at 
   1.200 +the question, obviously not really happy with the reply she was about 
   1.201 +to give. "That is a hard question to answer. You must understand that 
   1.202 +when Clow created us he invented an art of magic lore previously 
   1.203 +unheard of in such quality. In the old days - which have been long 
   1.204 +lost to human history - magic was drawn upon directly and so were the 
   1.205 +elements. They were used temporally. Clow, however, bound an element 
   1.206 +to an inanimate object, giving both the object and the element an 
   1.207 +independent personality in a way. That is what you see as our 
   1.208 +human-like appearance. We are a small portion of the larger thing but 
   1.209 +we can also interact and draw upon the flow of elemental power that we 
   1.210 +were once a part of. A lot like an Elemental but we are not as 
   1.211 +natural." Love paused, waiting for us to absorb this. I saw that 
   1.212 +Sakura seemed to have less trouble following while I had a hard time 
   1.213 +comprehending all of this. The gist of it wasn't lost on me though and 
   1.214 +I nodded to Love to continue.
   1.215 +	"When Clow created his first set of cards he bound a great 
   1.216 +amount of already pre-bound elemental flows - a mistake he did 
   1.217 +thankfully not repeat with the cards you own now - and by doing so 
   1.218 +unknowingly tapped into us who we have made up the seal for ancient 
   1.219 +times. I cannot really fault him since our nature is already 
   1.220 +complicated as it is and he must not have understood exactly what we 
   1.221 +there. The problem is that after creating us, he disrupted the flow of 
   1.222 +the seal. Yes, he did try to return the elements after realizing that 
   1.223 +grievous mistake. But Clow was a Black Mage for the most part. I do 
   1.224 +not mean that he was evil but he believed more in power and the use of 
   1.225 +dark magic for his purpose and that magic is also easier to force 
   1.226 +things rather than to patiently coax a power into doing one's will. 
   1.227 +And you cannot force healing. So fixing something, returning what he 
   1.228 +took by force, was much harder for him than the initiate action. 
   1.229 +Simply put, he put so much effort into creating us that with his 
   1.230 +personal affiliation it was impossible for him to simply undo it 
   1.231 +again." Love sighed mournfully. "He put us into the seal the way we 
   1.232 +are now to try and reduce the damage. But the Feared One is quite 
   1.233 +patient and we will not be able to hold her off much longer. Does that 
   1.234 +answer your question?"
   1.235 +	I nodded, my mind hard at work to process all this but I had 
   1.236 +gotten the answer to what I needed to know indeed. "Is it still 
   1.237 +possible to return the flow now?" I caught Sakura's eyes light up in 
   1.238 +the beginning of comprehension and smiled at her faithfully.
   1.239 +	Love considered the question for a moment. "I would believe so, 
   1.240 +given the right circumstances. Why?"
   1.241 +	At this point Sakura intervened. "I think I get where Tomo-chan 
   1.242 +is going. Clow's reincarnation said I was already much stronger than 
   1.243 +he was and my power is different from his, so is the way I treat the 
   1.244 +rest of the cards. I... I don't know if I can do it but if... if it's 
   1.245 +possible..." She looked down at her feet, almost appearing a little 
   1.246 +meek but I could tell from her posture and slightly shaking hands how 
   1.247 +much she wished to be able to make that difference.
   1.248 +	"I am certain Sakura-chan can make it," I put in reassuringly, 
   1.249 +squeezing my girlfriend's hand tightly. Sakura flashed me a grateful 
   1.250 +smile.
   1.251 +	Love smiled faintly but for the first time you could really tell 
   1.252 +it was fake. There was a deep melancholy in the sprite's eyes and once 
   1.253 +again I could see that soul-shattering loneliness. "Something is 
   1.254 +happening right now. My mate has left her path and moves into a 
   1.255 +specific direction. I was worried that is why I moved as well to meet 
   1.256 +her."
   1.257 +	"Mate?" I asked curiously. It was obvious Love was referring to 
   1.258 +the second card but the choice of word stroke me as odd.
   1.259 +	"In ancient times before the seal was created our power belonged 
   1.260 +to those that eventually fueled it into this layer. They were soul 
   1.261 +mates, so to say, and we are more or less mirror images of our former 
   1.262 +selves." A troubled look crossed her beautiful features and I could 
   1.263 +hardly think of anything else that had ever looked so out of place. "I 
   1.264 +do not doubt your abilities," Love addressed Sakura, "but if you claim 
   1.265 +me now, you must seek my mate with utmost haste or I fear the seal 
   1.266 +will break before the next sunrise. I do not know what happened to 
   1.267 +Silence but I worry for her well-being..." My heart reached out to the 
   1.268 +gentle sprite, looking so fragile and vulnerable at the moment. Not 
   1.269 +knowing what happened to her beloved had to be a terrible experience.
   1.270 +	I glanced at Sakura who had her eyes closed for a moment before 
   1.271 +moving forward with an expression of firm resolve in her face. I had 
   1.272 +seen it so often before but every time it fascinated me anew. Gently 
   1.273 +taking the sprite's hands in her own, Sakura smiled at her gently. 
   1.274 +"This is why I am here. I understand now about the consequences of 
   1.275 +unsealing Time." Love gasped at that. "I know now that this is what I 
   1.276 +was meant to do, why I am here now. I will set you free, both of you, 
   1.277 +that I promise." For a moment card and Card Mistress looked at each 
   1.278 +other and after almost a full minute - though I could not be sure how 
   1.279 +the passage of time was handled here - Love gave a slight nod. Sakura 
   1.280 +let go of her hands and stepped - or better floated - back slightly, 
   1.281 +never letting her gaze leave that of the card's spiritual form. Her 
   1.282 +star wand reappeared in her right hand from wherever it had gone and 
   1.283 +she brought it forward in a smooth but not at all forceful motion. 
   1.284 +"Return to your original form," the brunette almost whispered, "Clow 
   1.285 +Card."
   1.286 +	Somehow the whole thing was rather anti-climatic for a card that 
   1.287 +powerful. But then again, the real challenge was still to come.
   1.288 +
   1.289 +******************************
   1.290 +
   1.291 +(Sakura)
   1.292 +An hour later our small - relatively seen - yacht dropped anchor at 
   1.293 +one of the small island in the middle of the archipelago. Otousan 
   1.294 +pointed out that those small islands were not on any chart and Sonomi 
   1.295 +declared that she hadn't seen them until we were almost at shore. My 
   1.296 +suspicion was that all those small isles were either protected by a 
   1.297 +strong field of illusion or not entirely in the same dimension as 
   1.298 +ours. I didn't know that much about dimensional theory but I wouldn't 
   1.299 +exclude the possibility. Not that the issue was really relevant in 
   1.300 +light of the situation.
   1.301 +	"It's almost dusk already," I commented, looking over the small 
   1.302 +isle roughly a few miles in diameter. It would probably not take long 
   1.303 +to walk from one end to the other - even less flying. The most 
   1.304 +imposing landmark was the single mountain, rather thin but probably 
   1.305 +higher than the whole island. Up at the peak I could sense the 
   1.306 +unmistakable power of the second Seal Card. Silence.
   1.307 +	"It's up there," Tomoyo stated my thoughts quietly, making 
   1.308 +everyone look at her in surprise. Except me that is. Quite frankly I 
   1.309 +had only been mildly surprised that there obviously was some sort of 
   1.310 +magical gift inside my girlfriend. I had felt it on occasions before, 
   1.311 +especially during our... mating. While the intensity had me focused on 
   1.312 +other things more interesting I knew that feeling from Syaoran and my 
   1.313 +lovemaking on my timeline. In those moments you were the most exposed 
   1.314 +and your magic could run wild. No, I wasn't really surprised. More 
   1.315 +like curious since her magic seemed so different from my own. Older 
   1.316 +somehow, which might be a good explanation why neither of us had 
   1.317 +sensed anything yet. Ever since... claiming Love - it wasn't like I 
   1.318 +really had to return her to her original form since it wasn't really 
   1.319 +wild to begin with - the magic around Tomoyo was actually tangible.
   1.320 +	To my surprise someone else put the general surprise into words. 
   1.321 +"I am surprised you can see it."
   1.322 +	I blinked, turning sideways. That voice... Clad in long white 
   1.323 +and green Chinese robes a young boy around Tomoyo and my age had 
   1.324 +stepped up to our group. Unlike the ten-year old or the boy who once 
   1.325 +held my heart on my old timeline he had his brown hair tied into a 
   1.326 +ponytail falling lightly over one shoulder. A sword was stripped to 
   1.327 +the simple belt and he wore an expression that was hard to read.
   1.328 +	"Syaoran-kun," I whispered, a bit dumbstruck, rather floored by 
   1.329 +his sudden appearance. I had been so concentrated on what lay ahead 
   1.330 +off me that I had not even sensed his presence and therefore was not 
   1.331 +quite prepared for the conflicting emotions his appearance managed to 
   1.332 +stir in my heart. Those lasted only for a moment though. It surprised 
   1.333 +me a little how quickly I managed to get my feelings under control yet 
   1.334 +the last months - even if a bit under Love's influence - I had come to 
   1.335 +the unmistakable realization that my feelings for Tomoyo went far 
   1.336 +beyond what I had ever felt for Syaoran. And therefore, even before my 
   1.337 +girlfriend could react to his presence in any possible manner, I had 
   1.338 +reached out, lacing my fingers through her own and giving her hand a 
   1.339 +reassuring squeeze.
   1.340 +	"Sakura," Syaoran nodded, his voice not betraying his stoic 
   1.341 +demeanor for any other than me who got to know him pretty well in all 
   1.342 +the years we - well, his other self and I - had spent together. He did 
   1.343 +notice the clear gesture obviously and there was the barest hint of 
   1.344 +sadness, gone the next moment, but I was sure about its existence. 
   1.345 +That couldn't be helped though.
   1.346 +	"Where are many types of magic that Clow's family didn't even 
   1.347 +know about. You shouldn't be that surprised," I answered his question. 
   1.348 +"Excuse my bluntness. Not that I am not... happy to see you again but 
   1.349 +I am kind of in a hurry. While I can guess part of it already, why are 
   1.350 +you here?"
   1.351 +	Syaoran sighed and glanced up towards where Tomoyo had pointed. 
   1.352 +"Yes, it is quite obvious, isn't it. my mother and I both felt the 
   1.353 +disturbance in the seal's flow when Silence passed over China. I 
   1.354 +followed it all the way until here. It's been hovering there for the 
   1.355 +better part of an hour already, doing... well, nothing."
   1.356 +	I raised an eyebrow at Syaoran's obvious knowledge about the 
   1.357 +seal since the one of my timeline had only learned about it from his 
   1.358 +mother when there was little to do anymore. Something we both had been 
   1.359 +quite angry about. "So, your mother let you in on Clow's dirty, little 
   1.360 +secret, huh?"
   1.361 +	With a shrug the Chinese boy turned back to me. "Only the most 
   1.362 +necessary I am afraid. You seem to know what is going on for some 
   1.363 +reason though, so why don't you tell me?"
   1.364 +	Turning away I started to walk in the general direction of the 
   1.365 +mountain. "I don't have time to stand around. If you want to come 
   1.366 +along we can talk while walking." Glancing back at the rest of my 
   1.367 +family I asked, "Maybe you should wait here. This is going to be 
   1.368 +dangerous enough."
   1.369 +	Touya, as expected, wanted to protest, being the overprotective 
   1.370 +brother he always had been and still was most of the time, but Otousan 
   1.371 +was faster. "I saw a small building, looked like a shrine, at the base 
   1.372 +of the mountain. Maybe we should go there first. I'm sure there is a 
   1.373 +reason for a shrine to in the middle of an obviously uninhabited 
   1.374 +island."
   1.375 +	Syaoran nodded in agreement. "I spotted it too. But I wanted to 
   1.376 +wait for you before checking it out. Maybe it has some meaning for 
   1.377 +what is going on. What do you think, Sakura?"
   1.378 +	I traded a brief look with Tomoyo. The reasoning was logical. If 
   1.379 +a battle ensured, I wasn't sure about the effects. A building might 
   1.380 +provide more shelter than staying out at the open or in the ship. I 
   1.381 +really had not wanted to pull all of my assembled family along into 
   1.382 +this but that option was taken from me. Love had been clear about it 
   1.383 +that I couldn't return the flows individually. I had to have both 
   1.384 +cards to make this work and there was only a short time limit in 
   1.385 +between. I could have send them back with the ship and use Fly, of 
   1.386 +course. On the other hand I had no idea how much magic I had to spend 
   1.387 +in resealing the seal.
   1.388 +	There was not much helping it, as it seemed. "Alright. Let's 
   1.389 +go."
   1.390 +
   1.391 +******************************
   1.392 +
   1.393 +(Tomoyo
   1.394 +To say that Syaoran was shocked to learn how exactly it had come to 
   1.395 +the turning point in our lives about four years ago would have been an 
   1.396 +understatement. A big understatement. He was, I noted, quite furious 
   1.397 +at his mother for not telling him more about the seal but I suppose 
   1.398 +that was really not something the proud family of Clow's descendants 
   1.399 +liked to talk about. Also there was no telling how much Syaoran's 
   1.400 +mother really knew and how much she was just pretending to.
   1.401 +	I kept silent most of the way, letting Sakura explain. Yes, I 
   1.402 +was pretty surprised at seeing the Chinese boy here but after all that 
   1.403 +happened, especially under Love's gentle coaxing, I wasn't about to 
   1.404 +suddenly turn into a jealous, mistrusting bitch just because my 
   1.405 +girlfriend's ex-boyfriend turned up without warning. Going back and 
   1.406 +reviewing that last thought I had to suppress a giggle in spite of the 
   1.407 +serious situation. That sounded rather awful.
   1.408 +	That's just it though. The situation was serious. I should have 
   1.409 +known better than to think it would be that easy. Of course Sakura 
   1.410 +couldn't just claim the two Seal Cards one by one and return the flow 
   1.411 +in a similar fashion. They were like Light and Dark. Always bonded 
   1.412 +together. If it was even possible to return one power flow by itself, 
   1.413 +the result could very well be a greater disharmony as there had been 
   1.414 +through Clow's meddling. Now Sakura only had a few hours to catch the 
   1.415 +other card and return the seal's old strength. I wasn't one to doubt 
   1.416 +her ability to pull that off but the time limit was rather thin. 
   1.417 +Therefore it was necessary that all of us concentrated on the task at 
   1.418 +hand, not losing ourselves in personal quarrels.
   1.419 +	I was seriously glad that Yue had turned back to Yukito for the 
   1.420 +moment who managed to divert Touya's attention quite nicely. The older 
   1.421 +Kinomoto sibling kept throwing dark glances in Syaoran's direction, 
   1.422 +giving me the idea that the tension between him and the Chinese mage 
   1.423 +was not necessarily because of Sakura. They just simply didn't like it 
   1.424 +each other.
   1.425 +	I was amazed at how... relaxed the rest of the family took all 
   1.426 +this. Especially Sakura's father and Okaasan. They had obviously 
   1.427 +gotten the hint very quickly that keeping distraction at bay for the 
   1.428 +moment was the best thing to do. For Sakura and everyone else. This 
   1.429 +was the first time all of us have been card hunting together, 
   1.430 +especially our parents. It might have been involuntary but that 
   1.431 +couldn't be helped right now. And seeing all this loyalty and support 
   1.432 +my heart fluttered at the thought that I was an accepted part of this 
   1.433 +family.
   1.434 +	The sun had already disappeared behind the mountain, beginning 
   1.435 +to sink into the ocean behind it at any given time now. There were a 
   1.436 +few stars already visible in the sky. I felt a little tired but didn't 
   1.437 +want to complain right now. It was apparent Sakura wouldn't get any 
   1.438 +rest before sunrise and I would be there with her all the way. I 
   1.439 +always had been and always would be. There might not be much that I 
   1.440 +could do but Sakura herself had said that she depended on my support 
   1.441 +and faith for her strength. And if that was how I could help, I had 
   1.442 +sworn that I would always be there to give Sakura a reason to show her 
   1.443 +beautiful strength.
   1.444 +	"Hey, look! That must be it!" Kero-chan cried out from the front 
   1.445 +of our small group. He had taken the lead with Touya and Yukito, the 
   1.446 +adults behind them and then the three of us in order to give Sakura 
   1.447 +and Syaoran some time to talk... and to keep Touya and Syaoran out of 
   1.448 +each others' hairs. That arrangement had more or less worked since 
   1.449 +Okaasan and Fujitake-tousan had taken to give each other flustered and 
   1.450 +embarrassed looks instead of verbally bringing up what had happened 
   1.451 +under Love's influence. I doubted there really was any hidden feelings 
   1.452 +there. That was quite frankly impossible. Sakura had explained that 
   1.453 +Love sends out positive emotion. Feelings like jealousy - and in a way 
   1.454 +you could call it that, at least from Okaasan's part - were more or 
   1.455 +less also emotions associated with Love. What the card's power did was 
   1.456 +take that emotion and more or less return the opposite much stronger. 
   1.457 +I wasn't sure though if Sakura just said that for our parents piece of 
   1.458 +mind alone.
   1.459 +	At Kero's shout I tore my eyes away from Sakura and Syaoran who 
   1.460 +had stopped talking as well. The temple was hard to miss at first 
   1.461 +glance. Built under a ledge that covered the whole building in 
   1.462 +shadows. The design was quite unfamiliar to me and I was pretty sure 
   1.463 +the structure was one of its kind in the world. Dark blue stone 
   1.464 +sustained thick pillars who were built side by side in a way that it 
   1.465 +was rather impossible to actually pass through in between. At the 
   1.466 +sides the structure widened, stretching out to both sides like wings 
   1.467 +of some gigantic creature. There was a single entrance with something 
   1.468 +resembling a golden eye looking down at those who dared approach it. I 
   1.469 +really would like to know about the building's material and I was 
   1.470 +quite sure that eye was some form of crystal that was worth a lot of 
   1.471 +money.
   1.472 +	"Quite impressive," Okaasan stated as we all came to a stop at 
   1.473 +the base of the few stairs leading up to the entrance. "Looks rather 
   1.474 +lonely to me. I doubt someone is living out here."
   1.475 +	Sakura's father shook his head at this, scratching his chin 
   1.476 +thoughtfully. "I don't know. This place looks old and it is too clean 
   1.477 +and well taken care of to be abandoned." I had to agree with him on 
   1.478 +that one. The shrine looked neat and without a spot of cobwebs or 
   1.479 +dust, no debris lying around either.
   1.480 +	"Someone's coming," Sakura said and everyone stiffened 
   1.481 +automatically. I noticed Syaoran sending Sakura a surprised look at 
   1.482 +the statement but couldn't quite fathom why. Didn't he sense anything 
   1.483 +at all? I knew I was new to that kind of thing and if I could feel the 
   1.484 +presence then he should as well.
   1.485 +	I didn't have time to give that much more thought since whoever 
   1.486 +Sakura and I had sensed coming was just appearing in the entrance. The 
   1.487 +woman's features were striking. Clad in a white and blue traditional 
   1.488 +miko robe, with long blond-golden hair falling over her back, and 
   1.489 +enchanting blue eyes. Compared to Love's sprite form though this woman 
   1.490 +looked... older. Wiser, might be a better word. Her whole appearance 
   1.491 +spoke of a long lifespan and great experience collected in her years. 
   1.492 +But just like Love there was also a certain loneliness. It was harder 
   1.493 +to see than in the card's eyes but nevertheless was there. And while 
   1.494 +Love's loneliness had touched me I felt a heavy sadness tightening 
   1.495 +around my heart for a brief moment inspired from that of the woman. 
   1.496 +Something familiar and in a way compassionate that shouldn't be 
   1.497 +possible for strangers.
   1.498 +	Were we strangers? That was a more logical question than one 
   1.499 +might think because the moment I had seen the woman there was that 
   1.500 +undeniable feeling that I should... that I DID know her. That was 
   1.501 +absurd, of course, since I had always had a good memory and would 
   1.502 +surely have recognized someone as impressive as her. Yet I could not 
   1.503 +deny those feelings and this only served to really confuse me.
   1.504 +
   1.505 +******************************
   1.506 +
   1.507 +(Sakura)
   1.508 +Long blond hair, like a waterfall cascading down the back of a subtly 
   1.509 +powerful body. Blue eyes deep and enchanting. A lot like Tomoyo's at 
   1.510 +times but still different in their own way. They stroke a feeling of 
   1.511 +familiarity in my heart that was so strong it shook my very worldview. 
   1.512 +For a moment the older, wise but in a way rather lonely face was 
   1.513 +overlapped by something younger, more innocent, more kind and... 
   1.514 +happy. For a moment it was as if there was only me and that woman, our 
   1.515 +bodies pressed together, our lips...
   1.516 +	What the heck?
   1.517 +	The image had sent a shock through my system that managed to 
   1.518 +bring me out of whatever weird trance I had been in. I couldn't, for 
   1.519 +the life of me, figure out what exactly just happened there. It wasn't 
   1.520 +a fantasy. I didn't fantasize about other girls - especially strangers 
   1.521 +- like that. I had Tomoyo, I was perfectly happy with Tomoyo. In fact 
   1.522 +seeing and talking with Syaoran again had not changed a single thing 
   1.523 +about it. The feelings I once held for him had subsided. Some kind of 
   1.524 +love would forever be there. But it was dull and - as painfully as it 
   1.525 +sounded - negligible compared to the fulfillment being with Tomoyo 
   1.526 +gave me. But the feelings that had erupted in my heart for just a 
   1.527 +brief moment at this... this... image... they were almost just as 
   1.528 +strong. It didn't feel like a mind-produced possibility. It felt 
   1.529 +like... a memory.
   1.530 +	And that was rather disturbing, to say the least.
   1.531 +	"Welcome, I have been expecting you, Lina-san, Amelia-san," the 
   1.532 +voice of the woman shook me completely out of my momentary shock. She 
   1.533 +bowed her head respectfully and smiled up at me almost... apologetic.
   1.534 +	I was seriously glad that Tomoyo for some reason had also been 
   1.535 +intently focused on the woman because I was pretty sure she could have 
   1.536 +SEEN all that had went through my head just now with but a glance. She 
   1.537 +had always been able to do that. Also I was glad that although my 
   1.538 +girlfriend... mate, I corrected myself mentally - feeling a need to 
   1.539 +put an emphasis on our relationship -, was equally captivated by the 
   1.540 +blond-haired shrine keeper - I presumed -, Tomoyo was still able to 
   1.541 +formulate words. An ability I didn't feel quite content about right 
   1.542 +now. "That is funny. This is the second time someone called us that. 
   1.543 +Love did so, too..." Tomoyo trailed off but her words struck me as 
   1.544 +true and a wild thought entered my mind just then.
   1.545 +	What did Love say? We were not "awakened" yet? I've read a bit 
   1.546 +about reincarnation. Heck, Eriol was living proof for the whole thing. 
   1.547 +I knew through some brief acquaintances in my future, when everything 
   1.548 +went to hell, that there were a lot of people on this planet who were 
   1.549 +quite aware of a former life, even drawing power and knowledge from 
   1.550 +it. Was that what Love meant? Could this be what I just experienced? A 
   1.551 +flashback of some former life? I didn't really want to think about it 
   1.552 +but quite frankly the names used by both Love and the stranger 
   1.553 +sounded... right somehow.
   1.554 +	"I am sorry. As is true for Love's current form, my mind still 
   1.555 +lingers in the past sometimes." The woman smiled, yet it was a sad, 
   1.556 +wistful smile. One that made me feel... guilty somehow. It almost 
   1.557 +confirmed my theory. The smile quickly faded to a more serious 
   1.558 +expression, one that told of years... heck, probably centuries of 
   1.559 +experience. "My apologies again. My name is Filia. Before you ask. 
   1.560 +Yes, I am quite aware of why you are here and what is going on. We 
   1.561 +have little time indeed but there are things that I would wish you to 
   1.562 +know. If you would please follow me." She gestured towards the shrine 
   1.563 +entrance behind her.
   1.564 +	Numbly I felt myself follow, grasping Tomoyo's hand tightly as 
   1.565 +if to reassure myself that she wasn't going to disappear. I had the 
   1.566 +feeling that whatever those things were that Filia - the name stirred 
   1.567 +something in my heart as well - wanted us to know would start a chain 
   1.568 +of events that might jeopardize everything that I worked so hard to 
   1.569 +achieve. That somehow it would disturb the relationship between Tomoyo 
   1.570 +and me.
   1.571 +	She must have felt it because while we walked through a series 
   1.572 +of hallways, the lavender-haired girl next to me had moved a lot 
   1.573 +closer, her presence managing to calm myself down enough to think 
   1.574 +rationally again. Well, as rationally as possible in this situation. A 
   1.575 +situation that was quickly spinning out of control. Everything 
   1.576 +happened so fast, one shock after another. This was a turning point in 
   1.577 +our lives. A nexus of events to come. I could feel it. Whatever was 
   1.578 +done and discussed here on this island tonight would have an impact on 
   1.579 +the future. A heavy impact. And everyone seemed to feel it somehow 
   1.580 +because they mostly kept quiet, just the occasional question directed 
   1.581 +at our guide regarding the age of the structure or if she lived here 
   1.582 +all by herself. From which both answers only strengthened my rebirth 
   1.583 +theory.
   1.584 +	Really, for the rest of us the whole thing was probably just 
   1.585 +confusing. They were pulled along by the tidal wave Love's capture - 
   1.586 +or was it even further back than that? - had started. They could 
   1.587 +probably feel the rising tension and that something important was 
   1.588 +happening. But without a sufficiently trained magical sense... When I 
   1.589 +was just beginning all this, I doubt I would have sensed the coming - 
   1.590 +practically inevitable - change. But now I did. I saw that from 
   1.591 +Syaoran's somewhat grim expression he did too to some extent. Yet, I 
   1.592 +was pretty sure it didn't touch him as much as it did... us. Yes, us. 
   1.593 +From what I could see Tomoyo was deep in thought as well, trying to 
   1.594 +figure all this out. She was probably feeling now what I would have 
   1.595 +felt about twelve years ago - including two senses of time.
   1.596 +	And for some reason that DID reassure me. We were in on this 
   1.597 +together, somehow. There were ties between us even outside of this 
   1.598 +life. And I could FEEL these ties were strong.
   1.599 +	After walking for a bit, we reached a bigger chamber. Not really 
   1.600 +gigantic but the vibe I got from this room was of high importance and 
   1.601 +a sense of nostalgia. The presence from the young woman was rather 
   1.602 +active here. Heck, I wasn't even sure about her age. This Filia was a 
   1.603 +complete mystery to me. I couldn't get anything detailed from her 
   1.604 +aura. Her shields were nearly perfect, just showing glimpses of 
   1.605 +emotion on the outside every now and then. And I knew it took a very 
   1.606 +long time to hone your mental defenses like that.
   1.607 +	My observation was cut short though as my gaze settled on the 
   1.608 +interior of the room. Well... What was inside the room was rather 
   1.609 +sparse. More important were the various... pictures lining the wall. 
   1.610 +It was hard to describe them with proper terms because I'm not sure 
   1.611 +those terms existed in this time period. They seemed futuristic 
   1.612 +somehow, a bit like holograms, but also had a sort of ancient touch. 
   1.613 +Like paintings, or wall drawings. They actually looked like they were 
   1.614 +part of the wall.
   1.615 +	There were so many I had a hard time deciding where to look 
   1.616 +first, awed by the vividness of the pictures. There were a few though 
   1.617 +that caught my eye immediately and... well, not really surprised me. 
   1.618 +There were some of Her, making it painfully clear that this was some 
   1.619 +kind of memorial of a time long past. Probably of the time when 
   1.620 +Pandora was first imprisoned.
   1.621 +	What drew my attention like a moth to the flame though was a 
   1.622 +single picture, showing three young woman standing in a sort of 
   1.623 +triangle around an enormous structure, in poses of deep concentration. 
   1.624 +There were auras of power drawn around them. But that didn't really 
   1.625 +interest me right away. Those figures were familiar, so damn familiar. 
   1.626 +A woman in long robes with a staff and purple hair that I couldn't 
   1.627 +immediately place but knew deep down that she was... had been... 
   1.628 +important to me... us. A slightly younger woman who carried a somewhat 
   1.629 +child-like experience in white garb with a white cape and a necklace. 
   1.630 +She had shorter, black hair with a few purple highlights running 
   1.631 +through it. Her eyes, her eyes were much like... no, EXACTLY like 
   1.632 +Tomoyo's. And then there was the redheaded one. The most striking of 
   1.633 +the three. Dressed in similar clothing as the other two with a black 
   1.634 +cape I felt like looking in a mirror. Outwardly there were a lot of 
   1.635 +difference between her and me but still I just knew that...
   1.636 +	"Is that..." I whispered, speaking up for the first time since 
   1.637 +meeting Filia at the entrance and getting here. "... us?"
   1.638 +
   1.639 +******************************
   1.640 +
   1.641 +(Tomoyo)
   1.642 +"Is that... us?"
   1.643 +	Sakura's words shattered the tranquil atmosphere that had 
   1.644 +settled on the group since reaching the island. In the empty hallways 
   1.645 +of the shrine the silence had become more than just a little uneasy. 
   1.646 +Barely bearable. More like suffocating actually. At any other given 
   1.647 +time I would have enjoyed the rich style of art with which the shrine 
   1.648 +was built, its true beauty kept more to the inside than the outside. I 
   1.649 +would have been excited, would have loved to ask more questions...
   1.650 +	But they were inappropriate. And deep down I knew that those 
   1.651 +things were irrelevant. They simply did not matter right now. Not only 
   1.652 +because of the current situation that was still looming over our heads 
   1.653 +like the Grim Reaper's glaive. No, that wasn't all there was to it. I 
   1.654 +couldn't explain it. I lacked the words or Sakura's understanding of 
   1.655 +the mythical. I did not have her experience. But I KNEW that there was 
   1.656 +something much bigger going on here. Sakura's unease was evident and 
   1.657 +even a totally insensitive jerk could have seen it.
   1.658 +	And now that feelings actually had a name. And the feelings 
   1.659 +Sakura's statement evoked were confusing, conflicting even. I realized 
   1.660 +that I had been staring at the exact same picture for the entire time, 
   1.661 +trying to figure out why those three woman looked so familiar and why 
   1.662 +my mind constantly tried to draw associations to Filia and Love's 
   1.663 +manner of address. However, a part of me was SCARED of that 
   1.664 +association. And to a degree that was because that part KNEW that the 
   1.665 +association was TRUE.
   1.666 +	"Nani?" Syaoran exclaimed next to us, looking incredulous. "You 
   1.667 +don't mean..."
   1.668 +	"Yes. This shrine was built in memory of a war that took place a 
   1.669 +very, very long time ago. And yes, you Kinomoto Sakura, as well as you 
   1.670 +Daidouji Tomoyo were a part of this war. At least your past lives have 
   1.671 +been as I am sure you have figured out by now." Even before the woman 
   1.672 +named Filia confirmed Sakura's statement, I knew it was that way. 
   1.673 +There was no denying it and doing so would only do more harm than 
   1.674 +good. That much I was certain of.
   1.675 +	"Is this from when the seal was made," Kero-chan asked from his 
   1.676 +place on Yuki... Yue's shoulder - darn, he really unnerved me with 
   1.677 +those changes sometimes. Kero's voice had grown deeper, more like his 
   1.678 +true self. More serious. For the first time I tore my gaze away from 
   1.679 +the picture of the three woman and noticed in various others the 
   1.680 +presence of a sinister vaguely female figure, often accompanied by an 
   1.681 +aura of evil that seemed to be alive, tangible in this artificial 
   1.682 +state. Sakura had never given me a clear description of how this 
   1.683 +Pandora looked, but there was no doubt that this had to be her.
   1.684 +	Filia nodded solemnly. She glanced at Sakura for a moment before 
   1.685 +launching into the tale and I really wished I wasn't so damn observant 
   1.686 +all the time. I could deal with Syaoran's looks directed at my 
   1.687 +girlfriend. It was to be expected that their was sadness, pain and 
   1.688 +probably some jealousy too. I could deal with that because Sakura had 
   1.689 +made her choice between us. But the same things that I saw in 
   1.690 +Syaoran's covered glances, it was there with the older woman too. Yet 
   1.691 +with Filia it was to a degree as much wistful as it was almost 
   1.692 +painfully intense. And what really got to me was that as hard as I 
   1.693 +wanted to be jealous, I couldn't be. Because some part of me knew this 
   1.694 +woman and this part just couldn't harbor any negative feelings towards 
   1.695 +her. It was confusing and frustrating and...
   1.696 +	I shoved it to the back of my mind, reminding myself that there 
   1.697 +were more important things to deal with right now. Besides, Sakura had 
   1.698 +been rather adamant about her faithfulness on more than one occasion. 
   1.699 +I had nothing to fear for the moment. I had time to dwell on that 
   1.700 +later when I knew more and the current mess was dealt with.
   1.701 +	"Time is short I know that." Filia looked up briefly out of the 
   1.702 +huge window above that showed the top of the mountain from where one 
   1.703 +magically gifted - which all of us except Okaasan were - could see 
   1.704 +Silence's presence hovering just above the tip. And those dark clouds 
   1.705 +that were gathering, slowly beginning to cover the Moon's light were 
   1.706 +more than just unsettling.
   1.707 +	"Those clouds aren't natural," I said quietly, more to myself 
   1.708 +than anyone else. But the quiet surrounding the group carried the 
   1.709 +words to everyone else without me even meaning them to.
   1.710 +	Sakura nodded grimly. "Yes, and it's getting worse. I don't 
   1.711 +think we have time to stand around here and talk. I really like to 
   1.712 +know more of this but it has to wait until after I finished what I 
   1.713 +started. There are only a few hours left. And I seriously have no idea 
   1.714 +how long this will take."
   1.715 +	Filia shook her head. "Please, trust me. You must know all that 
   1.716 +has happened back then. If not to awaken your past life's memories, 
   1.717 +then at least to truly know all that is at stake here. This must be 
   1.718 +hard for you to comprehend but please understand that I will not 
   1.719 +jeopardize all those years of lonely vigil to see you sacrifice 
   1.720 +yourself because you did not know all that there needs to be known."
   1.721 +	At this I studied the woman incredulously. From how she worded 
   1.722 +it, it was apparent that with "years" she didn't just mean, say a 
   1.723 +decade or more. No, it sounded more like she had been around the whole 
   1.724 +time, ever since the ancient war of which the pictures spoke. And that 
   1.725 +had to be a very LONG time. A pang of sympathy once again made me 
   1.726 +aware of how much that woman meant to me... had meant to me once.
   1.727 +	Filia turned away from us, glancing at the very picture that had 
   1.728 +Sakura and my attention captured moments ago and her voice was thick 
   1.729 +with emotion, lacking that certain element of control that had 
   1.730 +dominated her whole being for the few minutes I knew her. "I could not 
   1.731 +stand to see all of this happen again because I failed in my task. So 
   1.732 +many lives were lost to Her back then. The world must never experience 
   1.733 +this horror again."
   1.734 +	Sakura and I looked at each other and for the first time I 
   1.735 +really got a good look at my girlfriend's face and how much the whole 
   1.736 +thing affected her, how much that stranger affected her. And I also 
   1.737 +saw the fear there, the fear of things to come. But also the knowledge 
   1.738 +that this was an inevitable event and that she had to eventually face 
   1.739 +it. We had to eventually face it. I smiled at her reassuringly, 
   1.740 +briefly reaching up to brush some hair out of her face. Sakura knew I 
   1.741 +trusted her but as was the case so often she wasn't sure she was worth 
   1.742 +that trust. An unspoken understanding passed between us and Sakura 
   1.743 +slowly nodded.
   1.744 +	Whatever happened or had happened in the past, it was never 
   1.745 +going to destroy us. There was simply no turning back now after the 
   1.746 +events of just a few hours ago. The love that was between us was as 
   1.747 +vibrant as before and it would not weaken by whatever was to come in 
   1.748 +the future.
   1.749 +	Sakura turned back to Filia. "Alright," she said softly. "Then 
   1.750 +please tell us everything." She paused briefly, then added, "Anything 
   1.751 +that is needed to know."
   1.752 +
   1.753 +******************************
   1.754 +
   1.755 +(Filia)
   1.756 +I had been ready for that meeting. I had been forewarned by several 
   1.757 +sources but now that the time was really at hand I felt horribly 
   1.758 +unprepared, meager and insignificant. Seeing the two girls, even after 
   1.759 +all this long time still fond in my memory, standing before me again 
   1.760 +so young and vivid, so... different... I became painfully aware that 
   1.761 +they were not and probably would never be Lina Inverse and Amelia Wil 
   1.762 +Tesla Saillune again. My cherished friends and comrades. Their 
   1.763 +memories would eventually return but their personalities were so 
   1.764 +different that I could hardly expect them to be the same girls.
   1.765 +	Glancing at Sakura out of the corner of my eye, I added 
   1.766 +mournfully that She would definitely never be the same again. It was 
   1.767 +ironic but in the way there was not much difference to the situation 
   1.768 +of the past. I would always be a substitute anyway, as harsh as this 
   1.769 +might sound and as much as their old selves would probably protest. I 
   1.770 +never really belonged with them. And yet I had hoped and it was that 
   1.771 +hope that had kept me sane all these years.
   1.772 +	There was no time for that now. I had time to pity myself later. 
   1.773 +Silence was getting darker and I really didn't want to risk too much 
   1.774 +by keeping them here any longer than necessary. But even if they 
   1.775 +succeeded today, it would just be a small victory and they had to be 
   1.776 +prepared for the coming war. I desperately hoped that it wouldn't come 
   1.777 +to that, I prayed every day, but yet I knew that ultimately there 
   1.778 +would be no way to change the inevitable. Just prolong it until they 
   1.779 +were ready.
   1.780 +	Composing myself I nodded at the two girls who were standing 
   1.781 +rather close together, hand in hand. I hope I could do this well. I 
   1.782 +was never really good at storytelling and spending most of my time in 
   1.783 +solitude didn't help that skill any. "Eons ago, in a time long before 
   1.784 +the current evolution cycle of this planet, the universe was a rather 
   1.785 +dark place to live in. Life was scarce and lived in constant fear by 
   1.786 +the various entities and beings of darkness terrorizing the stars 
   1.787 +everywhere. Nobody knew where she came from, she came literally out of 
   1.788 +nowhere, wiping out whole civilizations with but a wave of her hand. 
   1.789 +Or so the stories were told among the stars. She is a being born from 
   1.790 +the negative side of Chaos. Chaos is what we deem the beginning as 
   1.791 +much as the end, where we come from and where we will eventually 
   1.792 +return to. It is neither Good or Evil. She, who was named Pandora, has 
   1.793 +practically no light in her. She is the embodiment of Darkness. All 
   1.794 +the negative emotions you can name and even those you can't. Hate, 
   1.795 +despair, malevolence. The races feared her everywhere."
   1.796 +	I paused gauging their reaction slowly. I realized that Li... 
   1.797 +Sakura must have told them from her own experience already and 
   1.798 +therefore the faces looking back to me were mostly grim but I could 
   1.799 +see the fear in the young brunette's eyes and I knew where it stemmed 
   1.800 +from. I knew very well what that monster was capable of, remembered it 
   1.801 +vividly even after all that time. Every time I went to sleep I saw the 
   1.802 +lives lost at her hands and the sacrifices made back then, including 
   1.803 +theirs and my own. Sad enough that what Sakura had witnessed was just 
   1.804 +a portion of what that being was really capable of.
   1.805 +	I turned around, gesturing at various of the holographic 
   1.806 +recordings associated with the last big war. "Then Pandora came to us. 
   1.807 +Earth was a torn planet back then, populated by many creatures who 
   1.808 +fought each other for dominance. We were rather ignorant for what was 
   1.809 +going on in the universe and were really not prepared for the terror 
   1.810 +Pandora brought upon us..."
   1.811 +	I moved over to a picture showing a young woman with silver hair 
   1.812 +bound in two ponytails with a crescent moon on her forehead. Next to 
   1.813 +her stood a younger girl with a similar hairstyle in blue tones. To 
   1.814 +the duo's left and right stood three others in their formal warrior 
   1.815 +uniforms. A blonde with long hair and blue eyes, a dark-haired shorter 
   1.816 +girl with a menacing-looking glaive and a taller woman with 
   1.817 +black-green hair and a long staff. From Sakura's reaction I could tell 
   1.818 +she did recognize the uniforms at least. Not to surprising considering 
   1.819 +from where she came. They ought to have met.
   1.820 +	"However, Earth has always had been a nexus of sorts. The 
   1.821 +mythical energy filling this planet and especially what is known as 
   1.822 +the Tokyo area in this time has a high concentration of power that 
   1.823 +attracts all sorts of gifted mages or other magical individuals. There 
   1.824 +was one girl who had a heart as pure as Pandora's was black though. 
   1.825 +She managed to unite as well the gifted as much as the God and Demon 
   1.826 +races of Earth to stand up to Pandora. A war ensured that was long and 
   1.827 +bloody. It claimed many deaths." I closed my eyes for a brief moment, 
   1.828 +trying hard to banish the memories rising to the surface. "But 
   1.829 +eventually we managed to seal the evil being away in a gigantic effort 
   1.830 +bringing peace to not only the world but the universe as well."
   1.831 +	I finally arrived at the image that - not surprisingly - held 
   1.832 +the most attention for the two girls who were now listening intently. 
   1.833 +"Despite all of our efforts the best we could do was seal her away. 
   1.834 +She was to powerful to just destroy. The seal consisted of two layers 
   1.835 +to ensure that Pandora would never break free again and terrorize 
   1.836 +future generations. Those three woman you see here were the most 
   1.837 +gifted human mages of our time and they used their powers to bind 
   1.838 +Pandora into her prison between the dimensions. They literally sealed 
   1.839 +her with their very life force knowing there was no other way and as a 
   1.840 +result..." I trailed off, for a moment not able to hold my composure. 
   1.841 +All those millennia had done nothing for my heart to forget that day. 
   1.842 +It was still as intensely painful as it was back then.
   1.843 +	Everyone was silent and Sakura and Tomoyo looked rather 
   1.844 +uncomfortable, holding each other now more tightly. They were so 
   1.845 +close. Just like them and in this time there seemed to be no big 
   1.846 +social complications. I was happy for them. I really was. Even if I 
   1.847 +had no place in their lives anymore, at least they were happy. I just 
   1.848 +hoped they would accept Sylphiel when the time came. I could deal with 
   1.849 +the loneliness, I had done so for thousands of years. She though...
   1.850 +	"The three became known as Children of the Seal, their power 
   1.851 +sustaining the barrier that made Pandora's own useless. As you have 
   1.852 +guessed already you are two of those three brave girls, reborn in this 
   1.853 +time."
   1.854 +	At this point Sakura interrupted. "Matte, how can we be their 
   1.855 +rebirth if they... we are supposed to keep the seal in place? And what 
   1.856 +about the powers that Clow converted into Cards..."
   1.857 +	I nodded, the question was to be expected. "The seal consists of 
   1.858 +two layers. As strong as your previous selves were their power was not 
   1.859 +unlimited and there were holes in the seal. Tiny but they were. For 
   1.860 +that reason the warriors of our leader used a portion of their given 
   1.861 +power and made a second layer. It was supposed to be like a safety 
   1.862 +net. However, as you said correctly already, when Clow tempered with 
   1.863 +those powers he disrupted their natural flow. By placing the cards he 
   1.864 +created back into the seal most of the damage was repaired but the 
   1.865 +seal wasn't flawless anymore. I can only guess but I suppose that 
   1.866 +might be the reason why you were reborn and why you have become the 
   1.867 +new Card Mistress. Because no one else could possibly be able to undo 
   1.868 +the damage. The sealing power is still active, inside of you. You are 
   1.869 +not aware of it but your mere presence is sustaining the inner seal."
   1.870 +	Of course that also meant that they had become less untouchable 
   1.871 +by Pandora and I had the feeling that Sakura at least understood that 
   1.872 +as well. Neither of us said a thing though. There was no need to cause 
   1.873 +even more troubled feelings as it was.
   1.874 +
   1.875 +******************************
   1.876 +
   1.877 +(Sakura)
   1.878 +I found the whole story strangely familiar. As if I really had been 
   1.879 +there. Well, given that what Filia just told us was the truth - and I 
   1.880 +could just tell it was - I HAD been there. At least my past self. I 
   1.881 +wondered if I had dreams about it sometimes that I didn't remember 
   1.882 +after waking up in the morning. That happened sometimes. As the Card 
   1.883 +Mistress my dreams usually were vivid and I remembered most of them, 
   1.884 +as stupid as they might be. I had gotten used to that. Sometimes 
   1.885 +though I could try as I might but I couldn't remember what I dreamed 
   1.886 +about, similar to the dream about Clow all those years ago. But with 
   1.887 +Clow I at least had a feeling that I did dream something important. 
   1.888 +Yet, at those occasions there was practically no recollection. I used 
   1.889 +to pay it not much mind, figuring that even a mage needed some normal 
   1.890 +dreams at times that faded from memory with the morning light. Now 
   1.891 +though, now I couldn't help but wonder if there was some sort of 
   1.892 +connection.
   1.893 +	A loud thunderclap suddenly vibrated high from the mountain top 
   1.894 +and made us all look up. Tomoyo flinched a little and I pulled her 
   1.895 +closer to my body while observing as the dark, unnatural clouds began 
   1.896 +to block out even the last light of the night above the little isle. I 
   1.897 +could SEE the dark power at work, I could SEE the horrible wrongness, 
   1.898 +yet I couldn't quite detect what exactly was going on. Only that it 
   1.899 +was really, really bad.
   1.900 +	I really couldn't just stand around here. Past be damned, I 
   1.901 +needed to do something!
   1.902 +	"As I feared," Filia stated and I turned back to her 
   1.903 +momentarily. "She is trying to corrupt Silence."
   1.904 +	"Corrupt?" Tomoyo echoed and I narrowed my eyes. I really didn't 
   1.905 +like the sound of that.
   1.906 +	"There is nothing you could have done about it," the shrine 
   1.907 +maiden - or whatever she actually was - said sadly, as if reading my 
   1.908 +mind. It unnerved me with how much casual skill that woman managed to 
   1.909 +get past my defenses. There was some sort of strong connection between 
   1.910 +us in that past life of mine but I had stubbornly pushed it back for 
   1.911 +the time being. This was not the moment to dwell on those or other 
   1.912 +such things - I glanced briefly at the picture of the three moment, 
   1.913 +feeling a pang of longing once again race through me at the vivid 
   1.914 +portrait of the purple-haired woman...
   1.915 +	"You must understand that Silence power is a destructive one. It 
   1.916 +is not Evil - if you want to use the term - just destructive. A power 
   1.917 +much closer to the Feared One than that of Love. Love has been the 
   1.918 +total opposite even though not as powerful in terms of strength and as 
   1.919 +long as the two powers were in harmony there was not much Pandora 
   1.920 +could do against them." But now Clow's meddling had separated them by 
   1.921 +creating magical spirits of their essence. They were no longer in 
   1.922 +direct, steady contact, I understood at that moment. The pieces began 
   1.923 +to fall into place and that loneliness I saw in Love's eyes was also 
   1.924 +making sense.
   1.925 +	"Clow gave the power's form, their spiritual bodies are a mirror 
   1.926 +reflection of their former wielders and since they have a form now on 
   1.927 +the Astral Plane She can make use of that. It's a long and tenacious 
   1.928 +process but She seemed to have managed to lure Silence here. Here 
   1.929 +where the Warrior's layer originated."
   1.930 +	Flashes of dark lightning illuminated the sky briefly, an eerie 
   1.931 +glow of a dark foreboding. "Then I have no time to lose. There's only 
   1.932 +a few hours left until dawn. Not to mention if Pandora is really 
   1.933 +trying to break through, I have to do something about it."
   1.934 +	"And how will you do that?" Filia asked calmly. The question let 
   1.935 +me stop in half-turn. Yes, what was I going to do about it? Sure, I 
   1.936 +had managed to capture Time and Love but they had more or less wanted 
   1.937 +to be caught. A hostile card as powerful as Silence, possibly blinded, 
   1.938 +corrupted and even empowered by that beast... Could I really just go 
   1.939 +in there and... and... yes, what? Catch it? I had no idea what that 
   1.940 +would do with Pandora controlling the card's spirit. I could 
   1.941 +accidentally even provide her with a means of escape. That would mean 
   1.942 +cutting off the influence first. But how should I do that? I knew how 
   1.943 +powerful that being was and even if her influence was just minor it 
   1.944 +would cost probably all of my powers. And then I would have no power 
   1.945 +left to restore the seal in time...
   1.946 +	I glanced sideways at Tomoyo who had gently squeezed my hand. "I 
   1.947 +am sure Sakura-chan will find a solution." I marveled once again at 
   1.948 +this infinite belief. The words were said with so much conviction that 
   1.949 +everyone hearing would immediately lose any doubt if they were the 
   1.950 +truth. Coming from her there was really no question at all. That 
   1.951 +unconditional trust and love she gave me had always been my silent 
   1.952 +strength, the fuel for my determination, her love...
   1.953 +	Of course!
   1.954 +	To Tomoyo's complete surprise I suddenly pulled the 
   1.955 +lavender-haired girl into a brief but nonetheless deep kiss. I didn't 
   1.956 +really care about the others right now. I felt so incredibly glad that 
   1.957 +I had this wonderful, inspiring girl at my side that I just had to 
   1.958 +show her. I really doubted I wouldn't even be standing here at all if 
   1.959 +not for her constant support and advise. Even when she didn't really 
   1.960 +mean to give anyway, she had always inspired me.
   1.961 +	Tomoyo blushed, a little flustered, as I released her. "Arigato, 
   1.962 +Tomoyo-chan. I think I know now what I have to do."
   1.963 +	"A-Anytime..." Tomoyo whispered and I couldn't suppress a little 
   1.964 +smirk at the look on her face.
   1.965 +	Someone cleared his throat and I turned to look at Syaoran, 
   1.966 +looking clearly uncomfortable. I felt a little guilty for doing that 
   1.967 +in his presence but I really didn't care right now. "If you have a 
   1.968 +plan, then we should get going," he said seriously, his face schooled 
   1.969 +into concentrated features.
   1.970 +	I was a little amazed at his silent offer but knew that even if 
   1.971 +things between us had changed, he still wanted to help in some way. 
   1.972 +And also, he had made all the way here without even knowing that we 
   1.973 +would probably meet. I could need the help though. I hoped to get this 
   1.974 +done as peacefully as possible but there was no guarantee for my 
   1.975 +sketchy plan to work out flawlessly. They rarely did.
   1.976 +	I nodded slowly, releasing Tomoyo and turning to the rest. 
   1.977 +"Alright. Yue you come with me and Syaoran. Kero you stay here with 
   1.978 +the rest..." I was quick to ward of his protest. "Yue's powers are 
   1.979 +greater at night. Yes, I could empower you easily but I really don't 
   1.980 +want to waste more energy than absolutely necessary."
   1.981 +	The little stuffed animal pouted but after a short period of 
   1.982 +holding my gaze, he nodded in defeat. "You are probably right. I 
   1.983 +wouldn't be of much help."
   1.984 +	I motioned for Yue and Syaoran to follow me but was stopped by a 
   1.985 +gentle hand on my shoulder. I glanced back at Tomoyo's worried face. 
   1.986 +"I'll be careful, I promise," I stated with the confidence she herself 
   1.987 +had given me just a few moments ago.
   1.988 +	Tomoyo hesitated for a moment, but then spoke up softly. "I... I 
   1.989 +want to go with you."
   1.990 +	I blinked startled at the request. This was not like Tomoyo at 
   1.991 +all. She would normally never be that unreasonable and reckless. 
   1.992 +Granted, we hadn't come in any dangerous situations since we got 
   1.993 +together until now but usually she knew better than to needlessly 
   1.994 +bring herself into danger, thus distracting me from the actual 
   1.995 +situation. Therefore my first reaction was to be a vehement denial, 
   1.996 +however, that look in her blue eyes made me stop. There was 
   1.997 +something... something that made me reconsider. I had the feeling she 
   1.998 +had no idea why she made that demand just now. Like an instinct one 
   1.999 +couldn't really explain.
  1.1000 +	I thought back on the events of the last hours. Tomoyo had been 
  1.1001 +there than I had confronted Love. For some reason both of us knew that 
  1.1002 +only together it could be done. Tomoyo had clearly developed some sort 
  1.1003 +of magical sense. And after Filia's revelations it was rather obvious 
  1.1004 +that this magic was from her past life. We were in this together. I 
  1.1005 +really didn't like to put her into danger but... The more I thought 
  1.1006 +about it, the feeling grew stronger in me that I absolutely needed her 
  1.1007 +to come with me. If only for her presence, only for her being there 
  1.1008 +and the confidence she managed to always instill within me...
  1.1009 +	Closing my eyes briefly, I made a choice.
  1.1010 +
  1.1011 +******************************
  1.1012 +
  1.1013 +(Tomoyo)
  1.1014 +Grasping tightly onto Sakura this time it had not much to do with 
  1.1015 +seeking closeness since I was much more concerned with holding on for 
  1.1016 +dear life. This really was a stupid idea, I mused for the thousandth 
  1.1017 +time. Not that Sakura actually agreeing with me was a much better 
  1.1018 +idea, I added. I had really not been sure why I insisted to tag along 
  1.1019 +with Sakura and Syaoran - who was right now carried by Yue. No, I 
  1.1020 +absolutely could not explain what had overcome me. Normally I knew 
  1.1021 +that all that would achieve was me turning out to be liability in the 
  1.1022 +end, getting Sakura into trouble for my sake. Yet, something made me 
  1.1023 +speak up. There was this indefinable, STRONG urge telling me that I 
  1.1024 +had to be there.
  1.1025 +	Somehow Sakura had understood it, probably better than I did. 
  1.1026 +And Filia had even agreed, saying that only our power together could 
  1.1027 +have a chance to stand up to an influenced Silence. Heck, I had NO 
  1.1028 +idea what the hell I could even DO!
  1.1029 +	No, this definitely wasn't a good idea. The wind was more than 
  1.1030 +just a hassle. It had risen to the strength and speed of a tornado, 
  1.1031 +whipping through our hair and entirely unfitting clothes. Out in the 
  1.1032 +summer we had not expected to fly through a chilling storm in the 
  1.1033 +middle of the night. At least I had not.
  1.1034 +	Sakura was struggling to hold the wand steady. She had cast Fly 
  1.1035 +on her staff as she had done before transforming the cards. This both 
  1.1036 +for my sake as for her own. The strain of flying up to the mountain in 
  1.1037 +this wind - even without my added ballast - would have been great 
  1.1038 +enough. That didn't make the task easier now though. Yue was having a 
  1.1039 +hard time moving as well.
  1.1040 +	"We are not getting any further," I cried over the thunderous 
  1.1041 +wind. A few lightning bolts flashed left and right, much too close for 
  1.1042 +my taste. "Either we'll be ripped apart before we are up or it will at 
  1.1043 +least take us hours!"
  1.1044 +	I wasn't sure if Sakura heard me but she had obviously come to 
  1.1045 +the same conclusion. One of the cards appeared in her hands and she 
  1.1046 +held it up into the air. "Windy, clear a path through the storm for 
  1.1047 +us!" I wasn't really certain if that would work but not one to doubt 
  1.1048 +Sakura's abilities I snuggled even tighter against her as the storm 
  1.1049 +for a moment seemed to reach another new height but then the strong 
  1.1050 +winds were magically pressed back, creating a calm zone around us and 
  1.1051 +Yue who had barely managed to close the distance before Windy's magic 
  1.1052 +took effect.
  1.1053 +	Losing not a single second Sakura pulled the winged wand almost 
  1.1054 +completely vertical. I let out a startled yelp as she flew us upwards 
  1.1055 +inside the calm zone at blinding speed. I would love to see what 
  1.1056 +happened around us but I had my eyes closed and was really glad that 
  1.1057 +moment that Sakura had insisted to sit behind me. I'd probably have 
  1.1058 +fallen of right now.
  1.1059 +	After what seemed a small eternity we slowed down again and as I 
  1.1060 +reopened my eyes I realized that Sakura's reckless maneuver had 
  1.1061 +brought us straight up to the summit, just a little bit away from the 
  1.1062 +center and where Silence... raged. Touching down on the peak Sakura 
  1.1063 +banished Fly while Syaoran jumped from Yue's arms - who in turn took a 
  1.1064 +moment to regain his breathing from the flight. "That was fun," 
  1.1065 +Syaoran commented dryly. "Now what?"
  1.1066 +	Sakura glanced up towards Silence. It was really a frightening 
  1.1067 +sight. All that one could see right now was a deep purple glow. Not 
  1.1068 +bright but dark, at some points even fading into obsidian black. I 
  1.1069 +squinted my eyes, trying to see a bit clearer, trying to make out 
  1.1070 +anything of importance. The funny thing was I did see something. Once 
  1.1071 +again I couldn't really explain how I knew but I did. "It's hurting. 
  1.1072 +Hurting badly," I said, the feeling barely bearable. There was so much 
  1.1073 +pain, so much... agony.
  1.1074 +	Both Sakura and Syaoran looked at me as if I had seen something 
  1.1075 +they couldn't. Then it hit me. They really couldn't. Not like me. 
  1.1076 +Filia had told us just before we went up that my past life had not 
  1.1077 +only been a good healer but also had developed a gift to see things on 
  1.1078 +the astral plane when she grew older. Quite frankly I had no idea what 
  1.1079 +she was talking about but there hadn't been much time.
  1.1080 +	"Can you see where exactly something is... wrong," Sakura asked 
  1.1081 +tentatively.
  1.1082 +	I tried to concentrate hard. The necklace around my neck that 
  1.1083 +Filia had given me glowed softly. It was hard to hold the 
  1.1084 +concentration though and there was so much different things to see. 
  1.1085 +Silence had such a huge presence and the energy released all around it 
  1.1086 +didn't help at all. After a few moments I sighed and shook my head 
  1.1087 +sadly, feeling drained by the effort. "No. I can see that something is 
  1.1088 +wrapped around her... spirit. Something that doesn't belong there."
  1.1089 +	"That would be Pandora then," Syaoran said. "So the woman was 
  1.1090 +right. She actually managed to push this far forward." He looked at 
  1.1091 +Sakura. "I guess you want to severe the connection somehow?"
  1.1092 +	The Card Mistress nodded, her brown hair now blowing roughly in 
  1.1093 +the strong winds. "I'm not sure I can do it forcefully. But Silence 
  1.1094 +should be able to do it herself." At both of our confused expressions 
  1.1095 +she pulled out a card. It was Love. "You reminded me of it, 
  1.1096 +Tomoyo-chan. Love said that they are mates since their former wielders 
  1.1097 +were. I'm sure if something can calm Silence down to a degree where 
  1.1098 +she can fight back, it would be Love. THEN we should have a chance."
  1.1099 +	Syaoran chuckled a little. "In a situation like this your trump 
  1.1100 +card is the surreal love of two magical spirits?" With a smirk, he 
  1.1101 +finished, "That's so like you." Squaring his shoulders he was about 
  1.1102 +ready to move on. "Well then, I suppose you need a distraction to get 
  1.1103 +close enough. Coming, Yue-san?"
  1.1104 +	The silver-haired man nodded stoically, having kept silent while 
  1.1105 +we discussed the plan of action. I bet he had some comments of his own 
  1.1106 +but held them to himself obviously. I doubted he had a better idea 
  1.1107 +anyway. Sakura's made sense though and from what I could see Silence 
  1.1108 +was just as lonely as Love. They just dealt with it differently, much 
  1.1109 +differently.
  1.1110 +	I cried out as suddenly a rumble shook the entire mountain. My 
  1.1111 +eyes barely registered that a gigantic bolt of black lightning had 
  1.1112 +crashed through several layers of stone, nearly splitting the small 
  1.1113 +mountain apart. Instinctively I reached out for Sakura's hand but with 
  1.1114 +horror realized that the storm blow had not only affected me. All four 
  1.1115 +of us were slammed back by the incredible force that definitely was 
  1.1116 +not just that of a natural element. Obviously Silence didn't like 
  1.1117 +company.
  1.1118 +	The whole thing happened far too quickly. Bah, time slowing down 
  1.1119 +in moments like this! It was rather the opposite. One moment we were 
  1.1120 +standing atop the mountain, the next we were slammed over the side, 
  1.1121 +surely tumbling to our deaths...
  1.1122 +	And yet again the next moment, everything was over and I found 
  1.1123 +myself held by something that felt like some animal's skin. I blinked, 
  1.1124 +the shock from what nearly happened just setting in as I sat up 
  1.1125 +slowly. Well, animal would probably really understate things. The 
  1.1126 +creature that I was currently riding was of a deep golden color with 
  1.1127 +massive wings. While I had never seen one - in this life at least - 
  1.1128 +there was no mistaking it that the creature was a full-fledged, 
  1.1129 +golden-colored dragon. A big, strong, impressive dragon...
  1.1130 +	"Are you alright," the dragon rumbled in a voice while a little 
  1.1131 +different in volume and tone was rather easy to identify.
  1.1132 +	"F-Filia-san?" I gasped, still numb with shock from the near 
  1.1133 +death experience.
  1.1134 +	The dragon chuckled... well, at least it sounded like a chuckle. 
  1.1135 +Probably a snort but I really didn't care about details right now. "I 
  1.1136 +thought you could need some help." The wind once again picked up, 
  1.1137 +nearly blowing me from the human-turned-dragon's back again. I buried 
  1.1138 +my fingers tightly into the back of the creature who had obvious 
  1.1139 +troubles to maintain her balance in the turbulent winds.
  1.1140 +	Glancing to the side I saw Sakura hovering next to us - Fly's 
  1.1141 +wings on her back this time - faring not much better. Yue, holding 
  1.1142 +Syaoran were on the other side. Sakura shot me a truly worried look 
  1.1143 +and I could see the still visible panic that must have filled her when 
  1.1144 +we were flung from the mountain.
  1.1145 +	"Look!" Yue cried out over the crescendo of the storm and we all 
  1.1146 +did as he said. The strong pressure had obviously forced all flying 
  1.1147 +parties to keep a strict distance. We were rather far away from the 
  1.1148 +island now but even from here one could see that the storm had become 
  1.1149 +almost one giant twister, laced with purple lightning and as black as 
  1.1150 +the darkest night. The sight sent shivers down my spine and I felt 
  1.1151 +numb with a sudden cold. It was like the icy breath of death.
  1.1152 +
  1.1153 +******************************
  1.1154 +
  1.1155 +(Sakura)
  1.1156 +The shockwave of power was even stronger than the one that had blown 
  1.1157 +us from the mountain top. Yet, it wasn't really a forceful, brute 
  1.1158 +power. No, this one came subtly, silent like a whisper in the wind and 
  1.1159 +still with a force as strong as all of my cards combined, probably 
  1.1160 +stronger. That enormous presence was Silence but it was also much 
  1.1161 +more. I felt it even from here and the fear rising in my heart, I 
  1.1162 +could not suppress. I had tried to deny it but there was no mistaking 
  1.1163 +it now. That terror-inflicting presence could only belong to one being 
  1.1164 +in existence.
  1.1165 +	The whole island was enveloped in a cocoon of pitch blackness, 
  1.1166 +only occasional lighted by the eerie lightning and a barely visible 
  1.1167 +glow of energy that I suspected belonged to Silence. Right now the 
  1.1168 +high concentration of magic was just that. A concentration. But if it 
  1.1169 +was released...
  1.1170 +	"With that much power, the whole planet is going to burst if it 
  1.1171 +erupts unhindered!" Yue shouted. I wished I could disagree but frankly 
  1.1172 +that were my thoughts exactly. Suddenly I remembered something vital 
  1.1173 +and for a moment I felt terrible ill. Stretching out my senses I tried 
  1.1174 +to locate the familiar auras in the black tornado but couldn't find 
  1.1175 +anything. Then there was a faint echo, a little outside the danger 
  1.1176 +zone. I glanced down to see a small spot that had to be our ship 
  1.1177 +racing away from the isle.
  1.1178 +	"I had a feeling something big would happen and brought them 
  1.1179 +back to your boat," the dragon rumbled. There was no mistaking it by 
  1.1180 +now that it was really Filia. It didn't surprise me very much. From 
  1.1181 +the beginning I had sensed something supernatural in her. No human 
  1.1182 +being should be able to hide their aura so well. And the dragon part 
  1.1183 +was familiar, probably glimpses of my past life again. I really didn't 
  1.1184 +know what to make of all of this. For the moment I was just glad that 
  1.1185 +she had saved Tomoyo when I hadn't been able to. Those were long, 
  1.1186 +horrible moments for me. I felt so damn helpless, barely able to stop 
  1.1187 +my own fall. If it hadn't been for her...
  1.1188 +	"This is not good. I don't think any of us can break through 
  1.1189 +there," Filia stated darkly and I had to once again agree. Fly's power 
  1.1190 +was barely able to hold me anymore and Filia's wings looked not that 
  1.1191 +good either, Yue wasn't better off. Not to mention that the sheer 
  1.1192 +power Silence was emitting was as good as any barrier.
  1.1193 +	Before I could respond there was a glow in front of me and 
  1.1194 +Love's sprite form appeared in the air before us. "Silence..." she 
  1.1195 +whispered hoarsely. One could hear her voice breaking with pain at the 
  1.1196 +sight. I didn't even dare to try and understand how she felt. That 
  1.1197 +would mean I had to picture Tomoyo in a similar state, controlled and 
  1.1198 +corrupted by Her. Thinking of the thought alone was sickening. And 
  1.1199 +even more so I was amazed when Love seemed to practically glow with 
  1.1200 +confidence, staring ahead into the darkness with sheer determination. 
  1.1201 +I would do the same, of course. In her place I would do everything to 
  1.1202 +save the one I loved. I had experienced the consequences of 
  1.1203 +helplessness before and I'd swore myself never to let this happen 
  1.1204 +again.
  1.1205 +	And that left me with only one path to follow now.
  1.1206 +	"Can you break through there and take me inside? There is still 
  1.1207 +a faint presence left. If we act quickly, we might be able to severe 
  1.1208 +the connection. But I have to get inside first," I said, gripping my 
  1.1209 +staff in a tight grip. I ignored the shouts of the others that t was 
  1.1210 +too dangerous. There was no other solution to this. Truth be told, in 
  1.1211 +the face of such gigantic power I felt small and useless. But rather 
  1.1212 +would I die trying before waiting for destruction once again.
  1.1213 +	Love was quiet for a few seconds, then she turned and fixed me 
  1.1214 +with a stern gaze. "No, Mistress. I cannot take you alone. Pandora's 
  1.1215 +influence over my mate has grown too strong already for me to 
  1.1216 +withstand alone. I need someone else's strong love to support my own. 
  1.1217 +Together there may be a chance to pass through unharmed."
  1.1218 +	I gasped as realization set it. The way Love said it, there was 
  1.1219 +no question who exactly she was referring to. "You mean..." I started, 
  1.1220 +turning fearful eyes in Tomoyo's direction. There was no way I could 
  1.1221 +jeopardize her life even further than I had already. I should have 
  1.1222 +left her with the others in the first place. Because of me she almost 
  1.1223 +died once already. This was my mess, my battle. I couldn't put her in 
  1.1224 +danger because I wasn't strong enough alone...
  1.1225 +	Tomoyo blinked, puzzled for a few seconds before comprehension 
  1.1226 +dawned in her eyes. I was wondering at first if I really saw the flash 
  1.1227 +of panic, just for a moment, but even if, it was gone almost 
  1.1228 +immediately, replaced by an almost solemn expression. Guessing from 
  1.1229 +her usual selfless behavior, I could guess already what she wanted to 
  1.1230 +say. "Tomo-chan, don't..." I flew closer to her until I could reach 
  1.1231 +out and touch her face, my eyes gazing into hers. "I can't put you in 
  1.1232 +danger like this. Please... I..." Words pretty much failed me at this 
  1.1233 +point and the grip I maintained on her shoulders must have become 
  1.1234 +painful. There was that scene again, flashing before my mind's eye. 
  1.1235 +Tomoyo, in my arms, dying...
  1.1236 +	Gently, pale hands reached up to take my own into them, making 
  1.1237 +me glance down for a moment before hesitantly meeting her eyes again. 
  1.1238 +"This is not your future, Sakura-chan. You have been given another 
  1.1239 +chance to make it better. Believe in that, believe in yourself, just 
  1.1240 +like I do."
  1.1241 +	I was paralyzed in amazement. I had witnessed it so many times. 
  1.1242 +But now, in this situation Tomoyo's true strength shone so bright it 
  1.1243 +could light the zone of darkness. Immediately a warm, soothing 
  1.1244 +sensation spread through my whole self and I welcomed it openly. 
  1.1245 +"Aren't you scared?" I was scared. Just a moment ago, I was so scared 
  1.1246 +I rather wanted to turn and fly the other way than facing this 
  1.1247 +nightmare... again. Now it was only a dull sensation. A bearable 
  1.1248 +background feeling. Because of her.
  1.1249 +	"Of course I am," Tomoyo said gently. "But I know everything 
  1.1250 +will be alright." I was pulled forward suddenly but didn't resist when 
  1.1251 +Tomoyo pulled me into a brief hug. "Because I believe in you."
  1.1252 +	I was defeated. I had known the moment that Tomoyo looked at me 
  1.1253 +that I wasn't able to win this argument. When her arms went around me, 
  1.1254 +with so much trust and love, I gently flapped my wings and lifted her 
  1.1255 +from the dragon's back. "Only with you I can be strong," I said, 
  1.1256 +realizing once again how true those words were. How much confidence 
  1.1257 +the knowledge of their truth brightened my soul.
  1.1258 +	There wasn't a further word said but it wasn't necessary. The 
  1.1259 +orb of light surrounding us, making maintaining Fly unnecessary, was 
  1.1260 +of a bright golden radiance. I could feel the purity and the love, our 
  1.1261 +own feelings mingling with the magical force created by the card. It 
  1.1262 +was magnificent and much stronger than what it felt like before.
  1.1263 +	Hand's clasped tightly, we turned around and with a slight nod 
  1.1264 +Love shot forward right into the darkness ahead.
  1.1265 +
  1.1266 +******************************
  1.1267 +
  1.1268 +(Tomoyo)
  1.1269 +A void of total blackness. Not a light fell anywhere, not even a 
  1.1270 +glimmer. If not for the illuminating shine of Love's protective 
  1.1271 +barrier it would be impossible to see one's own hand. And the void was 
  1.1272 +not only pitch black but also cold, so cold that it would probably be 
  1.1273 +warm at the North Pole. Not so much a temperature-induced coldness but 
  1.1274 +one that threatened to freeze your very soul. An icy breath of 
  1.1275 +foreboding, of promised annihilation. And not even a sound penetrated 
  1.1276 +the thick veil of darkness, causing even the simple of action of 
  1.1277 +breathing to sound like tiny sonic booms in the deathly quiet.
  1.1278 +	When I said that I was scared, I had meant it. But now, now I 
  1.1279 +felt actual fear. This place was... No, there wasn't a word to aptly 
  1.1280 +describe it. However, everything in me shied away from the 
  1.1281 +incomprehensible... evil filling the very air - if there was even air 
  1.1282 +outside the bubble. Something in me told me that it wasn't supposed to 
  1.1283 +be evil. That Silence alone wasn't evil. Filia had pointed this out. 
  1.1284 +Which only meant that Pandora's control had to be more or less 
  1.1285 +ultimate inside this zone already. If not for Sakura's presence and 
  1.1286 +the tight contact we kept, I wasn't sure if even Love's powers could 
  1.1287 +have kept me from running away.
  1.1288 +	I felt Sakura tighten her grip to an almost painful level and 
  1.1289 +saw her face contorted in deep concentration. "I can barely bear it. 
  1.1290 +All that hate, fear, terror... it's... it's like the dead are being 
  1.1291 +tortured." A shiver run through the other girl and I realized that I 
  1.1292 +wasn't much better off. Sakura's comparison might be a little crude 
  1.1293 +but that was just how I felt right now.
  1.1294 +	"Unfortunately, that is the case," we could hear Love reply 
  1.1295 +softly. At her words I glanced around and almost jumped at the shock. 
  1.1296 +I could see them. Tiny wisp-like forms. Suspended in the space around 
  1.1297 +us, bound by tendrils of the darkness, they were the only thing that 
  1.1298 +indicated that there was indeed color around us and not just void. 
  1.1299 +Looking at one closely I could SEE their torment, I could see the 
  1.1300 +utter agony tearing them apart inside out but yet never ending their 
  1.1301 +peril. It was sickening and I wanted to scream but my voice had been 
  1.1302 +caught in my throat. For a moment I felt a glimpse of what they were 
  1.1303 +going through and... and...
  1.1304 +	"Don't look!" I felt myself being turned away from the sight at 
  1.1305 +Love's sharp warning, Sakura pulling my face against her body and I 
  1.1306 +was instantly grateful for that. I had been frozen in place, alone I 
  1.1307 +might have been caught in the moment forever. Desperately I tried to 
  1.1308 +regain my composure but couldn't help a few tears slipping out, 
  1.1309 +drenching Sakura's clothes as the horrible realization set in what 
  1.1310 +exactly I had seen.
  1.1311 +	Only gradually I managed to quell the terror in my soul, still 
  1.1312 +weeping for the fate of those around me. Sakura was rocking me gently 
  1.1313 +and it helped somewhat to calm my nerves, I could draw strength from 
  1.1314 +her presence. It was a hard fight for control though. "It's... it's so 
  1.1315 +horrible..." I breathed, clutching tightly at Sakura for fear of being 
  1.1316 +left alone in here.
  1.1317 +	"I am sorry," Love said, sounding guilty. "I had not expected 
  1.1318 +that the Feared One had such control over my mate already. Even with 
  1.1319 +my power I can only dim the experience."
  1.1320 +	"What happened just there? I can feel so much terror all around 
  1.1321 +us, What did Tomoyo see?" Sakura asked, worry clearly evident in her 
  1.1322 +voice. I would have answered but I was unable to voice the horror I 
  1.1323 +had unintentionally witnessed.
  1.1324 +	"Lost souls," Love replied solemnly, her voice telling of her 
  1.1325 +own sadness. "The Feared One feasts on them. It has always been her 
  1.1326 +greatest pleasure to convert the souls of living beings, strip of all 
  1.1327 +their positive feelings and only leaving the darkness that every life 
  1.1328 +form possesses as pure as they might be. They are left alone, in a 
  1.1329 +state of utter torment, forced to spent eternity with their own 
  1.1330 +terror. It is worse than Hell." Love was silent for a moment as Sakura 
  1.1331 +hugged me even tighter. I could feel her trying to pour her own love 
  1.1332 +into me but she was struggling as well, now that the evil presence 
  1.1333 +around us had a name. "Tomoyo's abilities to see the Astral Plane must 
  1.1334 +be returning slowly when she can actually see them. But believe me, 
  1.1335 +seeing it might be very traumatic, actually experiencing it though..." 
  1.1336 +Love trailed off and I could hear something that sounded like a gasp, 
  1.1337 +followed by a deep wail that threatened to wrench my heart right out 
  1.1338 +of my chest.
  1.1339 +	Startled I turned around to glance at what had inspired such 
  1.1340 +terror in the gentle card spirit and SAW. I damned that ability 
  1.1341 +already. I saw Silence up ahead, glowing a very faint purple, almost 
  1.1342 +consumed already by the thick chains of darkness covering more or less 
  1.1343 +every inch of her spiritual body. It was like with the souls I had 
  1.1344 +seen but on a much larger scale. I had to fight myself not to look 
  1.1345 +further, knowing that I surely would become lost in the process. While 
  1.1346 +the tormenters of the souls had merely been mindless, a part of 
  1.1347 +something bigger, this... this... thing was the epitome of terror, the 
  1.1348 +very incarnation of horror. At this moment I really understood why 
  1.1349 +everyone feared it so much. My understanding of those latent abilities 
  1.1350 +was small, most based upon instinct, but what I could see was enough 
  1.1351 +to scare a god, that much I was sure of.
  1.1352 +	"Phoebe!" Love cried out in terror and I could really not blame 
  1.1353 +her. I didn't pay that much attention to the name but instead was 
  1.1354 +focused on what to my eyes was best described as something like a 
  1.1355 +black hole. Always devouring everything around it. I knew somehow that 
  1.1356 +in reality - or better on the physical plane - where was not much to 
  1.1357 +be seen. That being wasn't present in this world, it wasn't tangible. 
  1.1358 +The only body ir had was that of the Card's spirit and to say those 
  1.1359 +had actually physical bodies would be stretching the term. Sakura had 
  1.1360 +once explained that she didn't really know the border between what was 
  1.1361 +physically and what spiritual about the cards. They could interact 
  1.1362 +with their environment but their sprite form was the only thing that 
  1.1363 +really gave them some sort of solid shape on this plane.
  1.1364 +	That being, Pandora, was so huge that Silence's sprite - which I 
  1.1365 +could dimly see slowly drowning in the ocean of darkness - was not 
  1.1366 +more than an insect in comparison. And it was unrelenting, holding the 
  1.1367 +card's spirit mercilessly, not giving it even an inch to move.
  1.1368 +	At the shout though I could see just a little quiver, rebelling 
  1.1369 +briefly against the tainted presence. The being simply tightened its 
  1.1370 +hold and I could literally feel the pain resulting from that action. 
  1.1371 +With a lot effort I tore my gaze away slightly, trying to divert my 
  1.1372 +focus.
  1.1373 +	"Foolish humans. Did you think you could stop my release?" The 
  1.1374 +voice echoed all around us. It wasn't at all what I expected. I had 
  1.1375 +thought it would be something more... sinister. Not that quiet, 
  1.1376 +controlled voice that was neither soft, nor loud. For all I knew it 
  1.1377 +was... normal. Controlled to a degree as if this was just a normal 
  1.1378 +conversation and not bragging about the coming freedom and how she 
  1.1379 +would be destroying everything or something like that. I felt Sakura 
  1.1380 +clasp my hand tightly but it seemed she wasn't really surprised which 
  1.1381 +had to mean that this seemed to be a normal thing for that feared 
  1.1382 +entity.
  1.1383 +	"What did you do to her?" demanded Love vehemently, the glow 
  1.1384 +around us intensifying to nearly blinding levels.
  1.1385 +	There was a pause and then Pandora's voice came again, almost as 
  1.1386 +if not paying the question any mind at all. "I owe that whelp a lot. 
  1.1387 +Before his meddling you were just energies, perfect power flowing 
  1.1388 +steadily. He gave you a spirit, feelings of your own. Just mirror 
  1.1389 +images of your former owners' but that was enough already. You became 
  1.1390 +independent in a way, be it even so small. I had spent so long in 
  1.1391 +slumber I could wait the few more centuries it would take to work my 
  1.1392 +way into this one's mind. With Silence's power I can finally burst the 
  1.1393 +seal. You cannot change that anymore. Your efforts will all be in 
  1.1394 +vain. Your mate is already mine, and the rest of you will follow 
  1.1395 +soon."
  1.1396 +	No, that wasn't true. I risked another glance at Silence and saw 
  1.1397 +her struggling weakly. Obviously Love's presence seemed to get through 
  1.1398 +to her despite the powerful control. "Don't listen to her," I shouted, 
  1.1399 +"Silence is still there. She can sense you!" An idea had hatched in my 
  1.1400 +mind and while it was more like a piece of straw in a raging river I 
  1.1401 +grasped onto it. Sakura had put her faith into this in the first place 
  1.1402 +and from what I saw thee still was a possibility that it might work. I 
  1.1403 +looked up at Sakura, our eyes met while I grabbed her other hand 
  1.1404 +tightly. Concentrating on the love in my heart for the beautiful girl 
  1.1405 +I let it flow out. I didn't hold back and let it fill me, my whole 
  1.1406 +self vibrating from the intensity. Only a moment later Sakura followed 
  1.1407 +suit and I could feel our hearts beating in synchrony. The glow of 
  1.1408 +magic erupted into a shade too bright to look at. Closing my eyes, I 
  1.1409 +held firm onto the feelings inside me, hoping that it would be enough 
  1.1410 +for Love to reach her mate.
  1.1411 +
  1.1412 +******************************
  1.1413 +
  1.1414 +(Sakura)
  1.1415 +The experience was one of the most surreal I ever had... and really... 
  1.1416 +those were a lot. Sensing what Tomoyo was trying to do, I quickly 
  1.1417 +joined her efforts and being more experienced, took all that love 
  1.1418 +created at this very moment and channeled it directly into Love's own 
  1.1419 +protective sphere. The star key in my hand glowed softly, the effort 
  1.1420 +not really all that noteworthy since all it had to do was focus 
  1.1421 +energy.
  1.1422 +	I thought back on all of the time spent with Tomoyo, both in my 
  1.1423 +old timeline as her best friend and now in this in something much 
  1.1424 +more. How much the feelings between us had blossomed beyond my 
  1.1425 +furthest imagination after my choice. I felt my spirit slipping away 
  1.1426 +into a sea of brilliant gold. It wasn't suffocating, no. Instead it 
  1.1427 +was comforting, an embrace of absolute happiness. This was a plane 
  1.1428 +where the physical self didn't really exist anymore and all the soul 
  1.1429 +and spirit felt was pure love.
  1.1430 +	Only about a decade of training enabled me to hear the voices, 
  1.1431 +the desperate pleading and the silent war for control going on.
  1.1432 +	"Phoebe!" Love called out to Silence. I figured since they were 
  1.1433 +mirror images of the ones who released their power in the first place, 
  1.1434 +the name was probably that of the assorted Senshi. It was at least a 
  1.1435 +logical explanation and I had more important matters to think about 
  1.1436 +than that.
  1.1437 +	"Is that you, my love..." The reply was faint and with the thin 
  1.1438 +concentration I managed in this plane while my main focus was still on 
  1.1439 +focusing and channeling our feelings into Love I was for a moment not 
  1.1440 +sure if I really heard it. But then it came again, a bit stronger, 
  1.1441 +desperate now. "I thought you were... She said she took you from 
  1.1442 +me..."
  1.1443 +	"I am here," Love quickly reassured. "Pandora tricked us. She 
  1.1444 +used our brief separation to claim your spirit. You have to fight 
  1.1445 +back."
  1.1446 +	"I can't..." There was a flare of helpless fury, a spark of 
  1.1447 +power that was more senseless defiance than any real threat to the 
  1.1448 +control of the dark being. "She's too strong. I can't fight back... 
  1.1449 +not without you..."
  1.1450 +	There was a brief pause and then I felt Tomoyo's feelings 
  1.1451 +change, concentrating on another aspect of our relationship and I 
  1.1452 +welcomed it thankfully. Those feelings of trust and sincere faith I 
  1.1453 +had discovered to be my greatest strength, something that had been 
  1.1454 +shown in the last few hours many times again. Feeling my own 
  1.1455 +confidence rise, I relayed it all to Love, knowing that a Clow Card 
  1.1456 +could increase its strength then the wielder increased their will.
  1.1457 +	"I know you can do it. I trust it," Love said, picking up on the 
  1.1458 +delivered feeling. A ripple went through the darkness outside the 
  1.1459 +protective bubble. I could nearly see Love's power filling the zone 
  1.1460 +almost completely. I could sense Silence mobilizing enormous powers, 
  1.1461 +pushing back the control over her spirit, slowly but steadily. I 
  1.1462 +redoubled my efforts and Tomoyo responded in kind. It was working it 
  1.1463 +was really working. Pandora was struggling with the only control she 
  1.1464 +had of the physical plane as of now. I knew that logically beating her 
  1.1465 +that easily was impossible. However, what we had her was just an 
  1.1466 +extension of her true self. A part of her spirit. There wasn't much 
  1.1467 +more the seal allowed... yet. That had been my only real hope in that 
  1.1468 +matter, that maybe she wouldn't be strong enough to withstand a 
  1.1469 +focused assault in this state and would be forced to retreat.
  1.1470 +	And then everything shattered. I was amazed at myself that I had 
  1.1471 +even the time to push Tomoyo away when the bolt of darkness crashed 
  1.1472 +right through Love's bubble with a destructive force that could have 
  1.1473 +easily shattered the planet if we still were fully on the earthly 
  1.1474 +plane.
  1.1475 +	And where before had been absolute love, the embrace of safety 
  1.1476 +and utter calm, like a mother's womb, where before in the state we 
  1.1477 +entered was only a bit of discomfort at our surroundings and what were 
  1.1478 +the echoes of the lost souls all around us, all that had transferred 
  1.1479 +into the total opposite now, amplified several times and then doubled 
  1.1480 +again. When the pitch blackness touched me I could feel all the terror 
  1.1481 +this plane emitted and now I really fully understood what Tomoyo must 
  1.1482 +have seen when she had looked at one of the tormented souls. The 
  1.1483 +experience was only of a mere moment but I felt such fear in the 
  1.1484 +presence of such... sickening... WRONGNESS that I would have been glad 
  1.1485 +if someone just ran me through with a sword, ending the horror.
  1.1486 +	"TIME!" I cried out, not able to give any more clear orders or 
  1.1487 +form equally coherent thoughts. Thankfully enough Time might be a 
  1.1488 +mysterious card that rarely told me anything and if, then often in 
  1.1489 +rather mysterious terms, but she was also the most intelligent card I 
  1.1490 +had ever come across. I still didn't know what her role in all this 
  1.1491 +was and firmly believed that there was a lot more to her when she let 
  1.1492 +on. As it was Time did exactly what was necessary.
  1.1493 +	I sank to my knees and hands when I felt the protective bubble 
  1.1494 +of temporal energy flicker into existence. I could hear the quiet 
  1.1495 +whimpers from Tomoyo and wanted to do nothing more than to comfort my 
  1.1496 +girlfriend. Yet, I was still much to paralyzed from that brief - but 
  1.1497 +still much too long - ordeal. Frantically I reached out, trying to 
  1.1498 +locate Love's presence. I had felt the bond ripped apart and feared 
  1.1499 +for the worst. If Love was... destroyed - and I really had no idea if 
  1.1500 +that was even possible - then the seal would be void. Relived I noted 
  1.1501 +that there was a faint glimmer, signaling that Love was still there 
  1.1502 +and as I raised my head I saw that it wasn't going to be any longer at 
  1.1503 +this point.
  1.1504 +	The sprite form of Love drifted almost lifelessly towards the 
  1.1505 +darkened form of her companion, an easy target for Pandora to capture. 
  1.1506 +Soon they were united again but probably in a way both would have 
  1.1507 +liked to avoid. Silence's power had risen to a cold flare of anger but 
  1.1508 +without Love's support it lacked conviction. The card was struggling, 
  1.1509 +unrestrained fury pulsating around her. But the will to fight back had 
  1.1510 +been broken the moment Love's power had been.
  1.1511 +	"You thought you could push me back this easily. In here where 
  1.1512 +there is chaos. Chaos fueled by everything you term negative. Every 
  1.1513 +positive emotion is as weak as a candle in the wind. This plane is my 
  1.1514 +creation and as long as I have Silence as my anchor where is nothing 
  1.1515 +that can make me return to my prison."
  1.1516 +	Was that it? Was that the end?
  1.1517 +	Love had been my last hope. I had really BELIEVED that it would 
  1.1518 +work. That was so unfair. I had been so close. If I had gotten to 
  1.1519 +Silence a bit earlier, I could have repaired the seal and ended that 
  1.1520 +nightmare once and for all. I knew I could do it. With Tomoyo's love 
  1.1521 +and support behind me I could accomplish everything. It might have 
  1.1522 +taken all my power but compared to fighting Pandora, repairing the 
  1.1523 +seal seemed like mere child's play. What I could I do against 
  1.1524 +something like this? Even that small part of her was so vastly 
  1.1525 +powerful that fear was paralyzing my body. All the magic at my 
  1.1526 +disposal meant nothing. What good did it do to be stronger than Clow 
  1.1527 +when I couldn't even protect the few people I loved dearly? There was 
  1.1528 +no way anyone could defeat her...
  1.1529 +	"Sakura-chan..." Tomoyo rasped out behind me and I felt slender 
  1.1530 +arms encircling me, drawing me against her body. A jolt of pure 
  1.1531 +devotion traveled through me, crashing into my spirit that already 
  1.1532 +admitted defeat a moment ago, filling it with that awesome feeling I 
  1.1533 +had come to cherish so much. Slowly at first, it was like a volcano, 
  1.1534 +the lava bubbling just underneath the surface trying to get out. 
  1.1535 +Questions shot through my mind, hard and unrestrained. What would 
  1.1536 +happen to those that I loved? What would happen to my family? To my 
  1.1537 +friends in Tomoeda? To Syaoran and Filia? To Yue and Kero? What would 
  1.1538 +happen to Tomoyo if I... if WE failed here?
  1.1539 +	They would all die a horrible, painful death. Just like in the 
  1.1540 +future I had escaped.
  1.1541 +	No.
  1.1542 +	Never.
  1.1543 +	I would not... I absolutely could not give up here!
  1.1544 +	Slowly reaching up to take Tomoyo's hands in mine I clasped them 
  1.1545 +tightly for a brief moment. There was a mutual silence, then the 
  1.1546 +familiar sentence spilled from both of our lips in sincere harmony, 
  1.1547 +filled with renewed faith. "Everything will surely be alright."
  1.1548 +	I separated from Tomoyo without looking back, basking in her 
  1.1549 +love as long as I could, keeping those feelings close to my heart in 
  1.1550 +hope they would preserve me, channeling them directly to Light and 
  1.1551 +mentally commanding her to secure my heart and soul, while I slipped 
  1.1552 +Dark around my mind, to calm my fear and any doubts if they should 
  1.1553 +arise again.
  1.1554 +	Then I stepped outside Time's bubble.
  1.1555 +	But not before giving one last command. If someone had directly 
  1.1556 +asked me when Filia made the revelations about her past life, I would 
  1.1557 +have told them that the surprise had only been brief. I had been aware 
  1.1558 +of the power inside of me, the presence of arcane magic older than 
  1.1559 +anything Kero or Yue could ever teach me. I had discovered it years 
  1.1560 +ago but had been afraid of the change I felt would come. I was afraid 
  1.1561 +of the consequences releasing the seal on that power would entitle and 
  1.1562 +I knew deep down that doing so would change me. Not only magically but 
  1.1563 +as a person as well.
  1.1564 +	Until now there was no need to even attempt it. Until Pandora 
  1.1565 +there never had been the necessity for something greater than my own 
  1.1566 +given magic. And the fear of consequences had outweighed the 
  1.1567 +temptation by far. With great power comes great responsibility. 
  1.1568 +Nothing happens without a reason, no power was ever given without 
  1.1569 +taking something in return.
  1.1570 +	Light, Dark, Kero, Yue, even Time herself had told me where 
  1.1571 +would be consequences for changing history. They never told me what 
  1.1572 +consequences because they either didn't know or didn't want to tell. I 
  1.1573 +had pondered it for a long time but only now. Only now did I 
  1.1574 +understand. In the face of my greatest fear, I understood that the 
  1.1575 +consequence would either be the destruction of this planet and 
  1.1576 +probably the whole universe afterwards or...
  1.1577 +	"Time," I spoke softly, "release the seal on the memories of my 
  1.1578 +past life."
  1.1579 +	And with that I opened myself completely to the bubbling power I 
  1.1580 +had been secretly tempted to utilize more than once since traveling 
  1.1581 +back in time. I held firm to Tomoyo's image in my mind and hoped that 
  1.1582 +if something remained untouched by the ordeal it would be our love. I 
  1.1583 +needed that power now, I needed the ancient wisdom of someone who had 
  1.1584 +already helped seal Pandora in the first place. If my past life really 
  1.1585 +had been as strong as Filia said, I needed her help now.
  1.1586 +	As the magic burst forward and I felt the flood of memories 
  1.1587 +beginning a silent onslaught, I relented and accepted it all with the 
  1.1588 +one thought in mind to protect those that I loved.
  1.1589 +
  1.1590 +******************************
  1.1591 +
  1.1592 +(Tomoyo)
  1.1593 +It was like losing a part of myself. When I let Sakura go, I felt as 
  1.1594 +if something was irreversible taken from me. While I had not much 
  1.1595 +experience with supernatural encounters I had learned to trust my 
  1.1596 +instincts since this mess started. My heart wanted to deny that 
  1.1597 +something could... would happen to Sakura but yet my instincts told me 
  1.1598 +otherwise.
  1.1599 +	At the same time though I could also tell that while I lost 
  1.1600 +something, I would gain something, in the long run maybe even more 
  1.1601 +than I would lose. Of course I couldn't really make much sense to me 
  1.1602 +that moment and all I could think about was that I had such a really 
  1.1603 +bad, sinking feeling in my stomach. I had no idea what exactly she was 
  1.1604 +planning, hanging there in the void, just hovering for a moment. Wisps 
  1.1605 +of white and black that I identified briefly as Light and Dark 
  1.1606 +circling around her. I hadn't wanted to let her go. I really had not. 
  1.1607 +I was far more worried about her life when to care about what might 
  1.1608 +happen when nothing was done about Pandora. That brief experience 
  1.1609 +outside in the void, unprotected and exposed to the horror of dark 
  1.1610 +emotions had left me a frightened mess. I really had no idea where I 
  1.1611 +had pulled the strength from to even move. But I had known that Sakura 
  1.1612 +needed my support now, that she was on the verge of breaking and that 
  1.1613 +I had to be strong for her. She depended on me giving her confidence. 
  1.1614 +And as much the feelings of fear threatened to overwhelm me any moment 
  1.1615 +now, the need to be there for Sakura was far greater.
  1.1616 +	And then Sakura spoke and everything began to make sense. I 
  1.1617 +stood there on shaky legs, watching transfixed as a faint glimmer of 
  1.1618 +crimson red formed around Sakura's form. Where it touched, the 
  1.1619 +darkness recoiled for a moment. For a few, timeless moments that was 
  1.1620 +all that happened. Sakura had her head thrown back and I could guess 
  1.1621 +that her eyes were closed. Then suddenly the faint aura literally 
  1.1622 +exploded in a bright flare, crackling and hissing like an angry flame 
  1.1623 +ready to consume whatever lay in its path. It began to completely 
  1.1624 +surround... no, swallow Sakura from head to toe, expanding in size and 
  1.1625 +intensity until I had to look away as another bright flash of light 
  1.1626 +temporally lit up the darkness.
  1.1627 +	When my eyes managed to finally adjust again, the darkness had 
  1.1628 +mostly returned except for the purple shimmer of Time's bubble. Then 
  1.1629 +there was Sakura. On first glance you might not see the changes, 
  1.1630 +especially in the dim light. But for me, for someone who had known 
  1.1631 +Sakura for so long, I spotted them immediately. The hair was longer, 
  1.1632 +falling a little past her shoulders and of a darker shade of red, 
  1.1633 +somewhere between the fiery orange-red that was in my memories from 
  1.1634 +the picture in the shrine and Sakura's natural chocolate-brown. Since 
  1.1635 +I couldn't see her eyes from here, those were all the physical changes 
  1.1636 +visible, yet there were small things, things that were more 
  1.1637 +appreciated on a subconscious area that I had learned to read and 
  1.1638 +interpret for about five years. Subtle movements of muscles, body 
  1.1639 +posture and her very aura that told me that this was not just Sakura 
  1.1640 +anymore. Not just Sakura, but not fully someone else either. And what 
  1.1641 +really made the difference from me was that the bond of love between 
  1.1642 +us, that sense of awareness for the other was still there, not in the 
  1.1643 +least damaged. No, it had actually warped a little and seemed to be 
  1.1644 +even more defined than before.
  1.1645 +	I could have sworn I heard a gasp and when Pandora spoke up, 
  1.1646 +somewhat disbelievingly I was pretty sure it came from her. "You?"
  1.1647 +	Sakura lifted her head up to gaze at what could barely be 
  1.1648 +recognized as the sprite form of Silence. Both her and Love had been 
  1.1649 +almost completely swallowed. While you literally felt the fear 
  1.1650 +radiating from my girlfriend whenever confronted with the infernal 
  1.1651 +being, now there was an air of calmness around her. Nothing in her 
  1.1652 +body language spoke of doubt. There was a strong confidence in her 
  1.1653 +abilities that for all her advances in magic my Sakura had never shown 
  1.1654 +before. This Sakura - I really couldn't bring myself to think of her 
  1.1655 +as anyone else even though I knew she probably was as much her past 
  1.1656 +self again right now as she was Sakura - didn't show any fear in the 
  1.1657 +face of the situation before her, there was no hesitation.
  1.1658 +	Briefly Sakura glanced back and I gasped as I felt myself 
  1.1659 +captured in the most enchanting pair of gold eyes, sparkling with the 
  1.1660 +fire of a miniature sun, a passion as vivid as the genki spirit of 
  1.1661 +Sakura but mixed with something much more mature, maybe a little 
  1.1662 +darker. I felt myself trembling and leaned against the inner wall of 
  1.1663 +Time's bubble. Sakura sent a reassuring smile down towards me but even 
  1.1664 +though her new appearance had stunned me to immobility I could detect 
  1.1665 +a bit of sadness and regret there. I wanted to reach out, to say 
  1.1666 +something, anything... But my mouth felt dry and denied me the favor 
  1.1667 +of speech.
  1.1668 +	Then the now-redhead turned back towards her foe. "Not entirely. 
  1.1669 +I am more now when I have been before." The wand in her hand flared 
  1.1670 +with a bright white for a moment. "As you will see soon." Sakura 
  1.1671 +really didn't waste much words. With one gesture she pointed the wand 
  1.1672 +down at where Love and Silence were entangled in the mass of darkness 
  1.1673 +that by now was rather hard to distinguish from the rest of the void 
  1.1674 +if you didn't know where to look. I gasped in amazement as a beam of 
  1.1675 +white light - on closer inspection turning out to be more like tiny 
  1.1676 +little stars - struck the duo of card sprites that were holding each 
  1.1677 +other tightly.
  1.1678 +	There was a startled exclamation of Pandora before she had to 
  1.1679 +suddenly shift all her attention to the mix of orange and purple light 
  1.1680 +erupting from within her. It was not nearly strong enough to burst 
  1.1681 +their bonds but they were fighting back again, furiously. And that 
  1.1682 +gave Sakura time and the diversion she needed for... Well, for 
  1.1683 +whatever she had planned.
  1.1684 +	Sakura crossed her hands before her chest and I could see a deep 
  1.1685 +red glow spreading from where she had put the four talismans Filia had 
  1.1686 +given her. Then she began the incantation with the same calmness now 
  1.1687 +dominating all her actions at the moment.
  1.1688 +	"Shikai no yami wo suberu oo, nanji no kakera no enishi ni 
  1.1689 +sitagai
  1.1690 +	Nanjira subete no chikara mote ware ni saranaru chikara wo atae 
  1.1691 +yo"
  1.1692 +	Ever since entering the zone of darkness it had really been like 
  1.1693 +in the eye of a storm. It was silent, an eerie quietness, and all that 
  1.1694 +could remotely be considered wind was the icy death breath filling 
  1.1695 +everything around us. Now there was a gentle breeze, slowly gaining in 
  1.1696 +force as Sakura continued her spell. And as the wind grew in intensity 
  1.1697 +the darkness seemed to... move. I knew it was stupid. I knew it was 
  1.1698 +technically impossible - but then again what was not commonly termed 
  1.1699 +impossible of the things I experienced since Sakura had become a 
  1.1700 +Cardcaptor? - yet the vast emptiness around us practically seemed to 
  1.1701 +gather around the Card Mistress and then flow between her cupped 
  1.1702 +hands, slowly taking shape.
  1.1703 +	"Akumu no ou no hitokake yo
  1.1704 +	Sora no imashime tokihanatareshi kooreru kuroki utsuro no yaiba 
  1.1705 +yo
  1.1706 +	Waga chikara waga mi to narite tomo ni horobi no michi o ayuman
  1.1707 +	Kamigami no tamashii sura mo uchikudak"
  1.1708 +	Sakura's voice grew in strength as she chanted, the words 
  1.1709 +beginning to almost vibrate with the power forming between her hands. 
  1.1710 +There was a short startled scream as Pandora obviously took note of 
  1.1711 +what was happening but something told me that it was already too late. 
  1.1712 +The darkness between the redhead's hands had taken shape already. I 
  1.1713 +wasn't sure if you could declare the blade of pitch blackness solid 
  1.1714 +though. It was livid, wavering, always changing shape, never really 
  1.1715 +stopping in its chaotic motion. I stared in stunned disbelief at the 
  1.1716 +phenomena, something familiar stirring inside of me at the sight. And 
  1.1717 +there was that feeling again that Sakura was risking more with that 
  1.1718 +spell than was obvious at first glance.
  1.1719 +	And then I saw it. I saw the subtle shaking, the tensed muscled, 
  1.1720 +squared shoulders, I felt more than saw the pain of concentration in 
  1.1721 +her face that the spell demanded from her. It was a wild thought, yet 
  1.1722 +I knew even more so that it was true. While the spell probably wasn't 
  1.1723 +lethal. Sakura, reincarnation or not, was not used to it. Her body was 
  1.1724 +mot used to the demands the arcane magic obviously put on her body and 
  1.1725 +spirit.
  1.1726 +	I jerked back in slight shock when Sakura's head snapped around 
  1.1727 +to look at me and right now her eyes were more a taint of red than the 
  1.1728 +prior gold. "Amelia, where is the connection that roots her to the 
  1.1729 +physical plane?" she shouted desperately. Her teeth were clenched and 
  1.1730 +the eyes were turning more into slits right now. One even totally 
  1.1731 +inexperienced with magic would see the colossal effort it caused the 
  1.1732 +young girl to maintain the spell.
  1.1733 +	I didn't really pay the name much attention, on a level already 
  1.1734 +understanding that Sakura probably couldn't distinguish between past 
  1.1735 +and present right now. The desperation in her voice quickly snapped me 
  1.1736 +out of my shocked state and I looked over at the tangled mass of 
  1.1737 +semi-solid darkness and the rebelling card sprites. I had not dared to 
  1.1738 +look directly again ever since the first time but now I knew what I 
  1.1739 +had to do. I let instincts complete control and SAW. Spotting what 
  1.1740 +seemed to my eyes like a big ball of the infernal presence that was 
  1.1741 +Pandora I was pretty sure that this was exactly what Sakura wanted.
  1.1742 +	"There!" I pointed at the spot and mentally willed it for Sakura 
  1.1743 +to be visible. I was surprised myself when the spot flashed with a 
  1.1744 +faint blue light around the edges and for a moment thought it was just 
  1.1745 +by my imagination, but judged by Pandora's startled exclamation, it 
  1.1746 +must have really been there.
  1.1747 +	Glancing back to my girlfriend, I saw all the remaining cards 
  1.1748 +dancing in a circle around Sakura, supplying tiny beams of magic that 
  1.1749 +were absorbed immediately by the morphing blade of blackness, now held 
  1.1750 +high over the Card Mistress' head, her gaze fixed on the one spot I 
  1.1751 +had pointed out. Then, with a force creating a sonic boom, she brought 
  1.1752 +it down on the knot of darkness that anchored Pandora to this plane.
  1.1753 +	"RAGNA BLADE!"
  1.1754 +	Absolute silence fell over the area when the blade came crushing 
  1.1755 +down. For a frightening long moment disbelief and shock pushed to the 
  1.1756 +forefront when the magical sword seemed to stop just inches from 
  1.1757 +cracking the so tiny seeming knot apart.
  1.1758 +	"You... won't beat me... so easily..." Pandora could be heard, 
  1.1759 +gasping out in obvious strain.
  1.1760 +	Then Love and Silence pushed upwards with a wave of joined 
  1.1761 +power, drawing a scream from Pandora. At the same time Sakura pushed 
  1.1762 +forward with all her might, a murdering scream of her own spilling 
  1.1763 +from her lips. There was another moment in which nothing seemed to 
  1.1764 +happen, then slowly the black blade pushed through the knot and 
  1.1765 +everything exploded into bright white, accompanied by a shrill shriek 
  1.1766 +that could have sent a dragon running.
  1.1767 +
  1.1768 +******************************
  1.1769 +
  1.1770 +Blinking my eyes my senses gradually returned one by one. I had no 
  1.1771 +idea how much time had went by or if even any time at all had passed. 
  1.1772 +My mind began to catch up with my senses and I began to remember what 
  1.1773 +happened. There was a giant explosion when Sakura severed Pandora's 
  1.1774 +connection to the physical plane and after that I remembered nothing. 
  1.1775 +At first I wasn't sure if the release of powerful magic hadn't damaged 
  1.1776 +my sight somehow because all around me was nothing but white. It was a 
  1.1777 +stark contrast to the vast blackness from before. For a brief moment I 
  1.1778 +wondered if we might have all just died and this was heaven or 
  1.1779 +something.
  1.1780 +	But, I felt too alive to be dead. And then I became aware of the 
  1.1781 +soft glows to my left and turned to see the sprite forms of Love and 
  1.1782 +Silence. I gave a sigh of relief, walking over to them, all the while 
  1.1783 +looking around in the infinite light for some sign of Sakura. "Where 
  1.1784 +are we?" I asked curiously.
  1.1785 +	"In a small zone where our mutual energy flows met. We are in 
  1.1786 +the only existing focal point of the seal," Love explained.
  1.1787 +	"I had been drawn and corrupted here by the Feared One," Silence 
  1.1788 +stated in an emotional voice. But as emotionless as it seemed, her 
  1.1789 +companion was obviously able to detect something more in it, squeezing 
  1.1790 +her hand gently in comfort. I guess she had been feeling rather guilty 
  1.1791 +about the whole thing. For the first I got a really good look at 
  1.1792 +Silence's appearance, untainted by the influence of Pandora. Her skin 
  1.1793 +was probably an even lighter tone of albino white, framed by short 
  1.1794 +dark hair and somewhat cold and distant purple eyes.
  1.1795 +	That just left one question and I couldn't get that awful 
  1.1796 +feeling in my chest to disappear that I wouldn't like the answer. 
  1.1797 +"Where is...?" I started, but before I could finish my gaze traveled 
  1.1798 +down to the figure on the ground. At first I didn't recognize the 
  1.1799 +disheveled shape with the messy reddish hair and slightly torn 
  1.1800 +clothing. But then I got a good look at her now pale, unmoving face 
  1.1801 +and an anguished outcry left my lips. "Sakura!"
  1.1802 +	With one step I crossed the distance and was already on my knees 
  1.1803 +before the last syllable even left my mouth. Gently, afraid to break 
  1.1804 +her delicate form upon contact, I reached out to touch her face, 
  1.1805 +searching for some sign of life, any reaction at all. My emotions were 
  1.1806 +in turmoil and I couldn't think straight at all as all sort of 
  1.1807 +nonsense bubbled from my lips. I tried to feel for a pulse but in my 
  1.1808 +frantic state wasn't able to find it, only heightening the panic 
  1.1809 +welling up inside of me.
  1.1810 +	"Pandora fought back against Mistress' spell. She had to put all 
  1.1811 +of her magic and that of the cards into it to succeed," Love said 
  1.1812 +quietly.
  1.1813 +	"Lina-dono was not ready for that amount of magic in such a 
  1.1814 +young and inexperienced body. It not only drained her magic but her 
  1.1815 +life force as well," Silence added, sadness this time audibly without 
  1.1816 +much restraint.
  1.1817 +	However, I didn't want to hear it. "No," I rasped out, tears 
  1.1818 +brimming in my eyes. I didn't want to hear the sadness or their 
  1.1819 +explanations, I didn't want to hear it because... "She can't be dead. 
  1.1820 +I don't believe she's dead!" I screamed at them making both card 
  1.1821 +sprites recoil slightly at the bitterness and anguish in my voice. The 
  1.1822 +cold and numbness I experienced in Pandora's void was nothing compared 
  1.1823 +to what my heart felt like right now. "She promised me! She promised 
  1.1824 +me everything would be alright..." I said, my voice turning into a 
  1.1825 +whisper, silent tears spilled from my eyes as the truth slowly worked 
  1.1826 +its way through my denial. "She promised..."
  1.1827 +	"To-Tomoyo..." My head jerked up and I stared at the girl in my 
  1.1828 +arms, tears clouding my vision. Had I just heard...? I didn't dare to 
  1.1829 +believe, I didn't dare to hope that... Sakura's eyes fluttered open 
  1.1830 +weakly, barely on the brink of consciousness.
  1.1831 +	I felt my heart make a giant leap that could have crossed the 
  1.1832 +whole planet with that one jump. Putting her hand against my cheek I 
  1.1833 +smiled happily. "I am here Sakura-chan."
  1.1834 +	"D-Did I... beat her...?" Sakura choked out. I had to strain to 
  1.1835 +even hear the voice but that was okay. She was tired. That was 
  1.1836 +understandable. Just a bit of sleep and everything would be fine. We 
  1.1837 +could go home and that would be the end of the whole ordeal. Just as 
  1.1838 +Sakura said. Everything was alright.
  1.1839 +	"Of course," I managed to reply, a sob disrupting what I had 
  1.1840 +planned to be proud and reassuring. Why was I still crying. Sakura was 
  1.1841 +alright, wasn't she? There was no need for the tears anymore. They 
  1.1842 +would only bother Sakura and I didn't need her to worry now. She was 
  1.1843 +supposed to be resting.
  1.1844 +	"Good..." Sakura breathed with relief, her eyes slowly yielding 
  1.1845 +to fatigue. I felt her fingers caress my cheek and sighed contently at 
  1.1846 +the familiar feeling. "I am sorry..." The words, followed by the 
  1.1847 +violent cough ripped me right out of my self-induced denial. All at 
  1.1848 +once I became aware of how cold Sakura's body was, I became aware of 
  1.1849 +the beat of her heart having slowed to an alarming rate. I became 
  1.1850 +aware that the faint connection between us began to weaken to a point 
  1.1851 +where it would be severed at any moment. I became aware that Sakura 
  1.1852 +really WAS dying.
  1.1853 +	"Sa-Sakura..." I whispered fearfully, not wanting to hear the 
  1.1854 +truth, not wanting to accept the fact that my best friend, my 
  1.1855 +girlfriend, my lover, my mate was so brutally taken away from me, 
  1.1856 +beyond my control, beyond anything I could do. However, I was unable 
  1.1857 +to resist the truth anymore and that truth was like a sharp icicle 
  1.1858 +bored right into my heart, draining all my life force. It was only a 
  1.1859 +question whether I'd go from the pain or from the coldness.
  1.1860 +	"Dawn is approaching," Love said quietly, tears of her own 
  1.1861 +glistering in her spiritual eyes. "When the flow is not returned, 
  1.1862 +everything that has been done, every sacrifice would be pointless."
  1.1863 +	Pointless. The word echoed in my mind, crushing my already 
  1.1864 +mortally wounded heart even further. Not only would I lose Sakura but 
  1.1865 +it would all be in vain. Pandora would break free, Sakura's efforts 
  1.1866 +without any effect, her death meaningless... Something inside that 
  1.1867 +dead place that was my heart stirred, a tiny spark, not nearly enough 
  1.1868 +to break through the ice covering it, but it was growing, growing 
  1.1869 +slowly.
  1.1870 +	"N-No..." I glanced back at Sakura at her words, so faint now 
  1.1871 +they were almost like the wind whispering. She brought her other hand 
  1.1872 +that was still clutching the star wand up slowly. "Tomoyo... you have 
  1.1873 +to... finish it..." My eyes widened in shock, my hands moving more on 
  1.1874 +autopilot than actually wanting to as I took the staff from Sakura's 
  1.1875 +limb fingers. "The... the cards love you... You have the magic... You 
  1.1876 +can do it... I... I trust you..." Her breathing was getting shallow 
  1.1877 +and the next breath was taking so long I was afraid it was already her 
  1.1878 +last, but from somewhere she mustered the strength and a detached part 
  1.1879 +of me analyzed with some sort of morbid amusement that this was just 
  1.1880 +like Sakura, stubborn until the end.
  1.1881 +	"I love you... I am sorry that I have failed you... so badly... 
  1.1882 +But I could not... let you die... again..."
  1.1883 +	Was that the consequence? Was that the consequences of using 
  1.1884 +Time? If so, then that wasn't fair. If Sakura died here, all that 
  1.1885 +would have really changed would be the four years we spent together. 
  1.1886 +She wouldn't have saved anyone because the seal would break anyway, 
  1.1887 +the same horror repeating again that she had tried to correct. Maybe 
  1.1888 +that hadn't been her initial wish but her initial wish was to make me 
  1.1889 +happy and how would having her sacrificed devoid any sense and as a 
  1.1890 +result the entire Earth lost - including me -  make me happy?!
  1.1891 +	It wasn't fair.
  1.1892 +	It was not fair!
  1.1893 +	I didn't really understand why I was more angry than sad. I 
  1.1894 +should be crying, screaming, anything, but all that I could do was 
  1.1895 +holding the soft gaze of my dying beloved. Gold eyes meeting blue, not 
  1.1896 +letting go until the last moment. The spark had become a small flame 
  1.1897 +and was growing in size. An unnatural calmness began to fill me and as 
  1.1898 +I sat staring into those eyes that despite the change were still so 
  1.1899 +much Sakura I slowly began to understand. I began to understand why I 
  1.1900 +had insisted on joining Sakura in the first place, despite the danger, 
  1.1901 +despite my usual good-natured common sense. It wasn't because of Love 
  1.1902 +and feeding her our feelings, it wasn't because I could suddenly see 
  1.1903 +spirits and help to point out Pandora's weakness, it wasn't even 
  1.1904 +really to lend the support Sakura needed so much.
  1.1905 +	No, I had made my request because of this moment, because of 
  1.1906 +this very moment. Not because I knew Sakura would die but because I 
  1.1907 +knew Sakura would die if I wasn't here. Filia's revelations had 
  1.1908 +frightened me, I hadn't allowed myself to think about them, I had not 
  1.1909 +wanted to face some of the implications albeit sensing that they might 
  1.1910 +not be all that bad. And I was pretty sure Sakura had had similar 
  1.1911 +troubles. However, my mate had not hesitated when there was no other 
  1.1912 +choice. She had not hesitated to risk losing her very self in the 
  1.1913 +process if it ensured the safety of those she loved.
  1.1914 +	And now it was my turn. If there was anything powerful in me, if 
  1.1915 +Filia's tale about the strength of my past life was even remotely 
  1.1916 +true, then... then... Then there had to be SOMETHING I could do to 
  1.1917 +help Sakura. The other girl had saved my life so often. If I had this 
  1.1918 +power, couldn't I just once, just this ONE time save her life? Was it 
  1.1919 +too much to be asking that one favor? Had she not done enough already 
  1.1920 +to earn some damn gratitude?
  1.1921 +	I refused to believe that this was the ultimate consequence of 
  1.1922 +her actions. I refused to acknowledge that Sakura would be taken from 
  1.1923 +me after only four years spent together like this. I refused to 
  1.1924 +believe that everything that she had done, everything she had 
  1.1925 +sacrificed would in the end be MEANINGLESS.
  1.1926 +	I simply did not accept it...
  1.1927 +	I wanted to help her...
  1.1928 +	I would help her...
  1.1929 +	I was able to help her...
  1.1930 +	Because...
  1.1931 +	My vision blurred without warning and I felt myself being drawn 
  1.1932 +into the golden eyes of my lover...
  1.1933 +
  1.1934 +******************************
  1.1935 +
  1.1936 +()
  1.1937 +The sky was a clear blue, a few soft white clouds strolled across the 
  1.1938 +wonderful spring morning scenery, not doing much to obscure the warm - 
  1.1939 +not hot - sun from illuminating the ground below. The various plants 
  1.1940 +and flowers in the vast green field below seemed to actually stretch 
  1.1941 +to take in as much of the sun's rays as possible.
  1.1942 +	Upon closer inspection one could see that the large field was 
  1.1943 +not so much open space but a majestic garden, surrounding half of a 
  1.1944 +grand palace. A figure sat in the middle of that vast garden, clad in 
  1.1945 +white robes she appeared to be almost childlike and one not knowing 
  1.1946 +could have mistaken her for one. But the blue eyes spoke of not only 
  1.1947 +maturity but also a deep concentration. Short black hair fell slightly 
  1.1948 +into her face as she kneeled by a single, lonely sprout of a tree. She 
  1.1949 +had her hands placed over the pretty unhealthy looking sprout.
  1.1950 +	A second figure approached behind the girl and silently stood, 
  1.1951 +watching as the first began to speak words of power. Not of force but 
  1.1952 +of healing. Gentle, softly, the single syllables flowing like a 
  1.1953 +beautiful ballad. The first girl's hand glowed a bright white but it 
  1.1954 +immediately dimmed again after only a short time and the single green 
  1.1955 +leaf that had spread from the efforts seemed to wither away. The girl 
  1.1956 +let out a sigh and her shoulders dropped miserably.
  1.1957 +	The other girl smiled fondly, shaking her head in a mix of 
  1.1958 +amusement and disappointed. Placing a hand on the dark-haired girl's 
  1.1959 +shoulder she made her look up. "You still force it too much, 
  1.1960 +Amelia-chan. Didn't they teach you patience at all?"
  1.1961 +	The last question was spoken with the hint of a teasing smile 
  1.1962 +making the girl called Amelia pout. "Patience was never much of my 
  1.1963 +greatest strengths. You know I trained in White Magic because it was 
  1.1964 +expected of me as the Princess of Saillune. I don't think it ever was 
  1.1965 +really my specialty." She reached up to touch the other girl's cheek, 
  1.1966 +letting her hand linger in the soft purple hair falling slightly past 
  1.1967 +the other girl's shoulder. "You've always been much better with this, 
  1.1968 +Sylphiel-chan."
  1.1969 +	Sylphiel smiled sympathetically. "I know. But you want to be 
  1.1970 +able to help if the situation should ever come up. You said so 
  1.1971 +yourself. There might be a time when I am not available and you have 
  1.1972 +an amazing talent, Amelia. You just have to learn how to use it 
  1.1973 +properly."
  1.1974 +	Amelia nodded quietly, a look of determination entering her 
  1.1975 +eyes, replacing the pout. "Thanks, with you guys supporting me like 
  1.1976 +this I feel like I can do everything." With that she turned back to 
  1.1977 +the withered tree sprout, once again concentrating solely on it, 
  1.1978 +beginning to chant anew.
  1.1979 +	Sylphiel watched quietly, pride clearly visible in her eyes but 
  1.1980 +also adoration for the other girl... no, almost young woman already 
  1.1981 +that she held so dear. Her eyes closed for a moment and a happy sigh 
  1.1982 +escaped her lips when a pair of arms encircled her waist from behind, 
  1.1983 +drawing her against a third girl, slightly shorter than herself with 
  1.1984 +distinctive orange-red hair and scarlet red eyes.
  1.1985 +	"How is she doing?" the redhead asked, nuzzling Sylphiel for a 
  1.1986 +moment before moving her attention to Amelia who was lost in her 
  1.1987 +spell, the white glow from her palms growing in intensity.
  1.1988 +	The purple-haired woman chuckled. "Amazingly well, considering 
  1.1989 +we've only been training seriously for a few weeks. She doesn't 
  1.1990 +realize it but she's learning this high level magic faster than I 
  1.1991 +did." As if wanting to prove her words Amelia finished the spell and 
  1.1992 +the magical light spread out from her hands in a steady flow, encasing 
  1.1993 +the sickly looking sprout. Green leaves began to spread, the bark's 
  1.1994 +color was returning to a more normal shade. All in all the sprout 
  1.1995 +looked like it would grow into a very healthy tree one day.
  1.1996 +	Amelia released her held breath in a soft sigh and sank back to 
  1.1997 +sit in the green grass. The redhead moved from Sylphiel, kneeling 
  1.1998 +behind Amelia and pulled the pleasantly surprised girl into her lap. 
  1.1999 +The taller woman sat next to them, resting her head on the redhead's 
  1.2000 +shoulder and stroking softly through Amelia's dark hair. "That was 
  1.2001 +very well done, Amelia. Just a bit more training and you can do it as 
  1.2002 +good as I can."
  1.2003 +	Amelia shook her head in an adoringly cute display of 
  1.2004 +stubbornness. "No way, I'll never be as good as you in White Magic or 
  1.2005 +Lina in Black Magic."
  1.2006 +	The redhead, Lina, smiled lovingly. "Maybe, but you have more 
  1.2007 +talent in all three magic categories than most normal humans, probably 
  1.2008 +including us. I couldn't cast a healing spell like that in a hundred 
  1.2009 +years and Sylphiel probably couldn't use attack magic to save her 
  1.2010 +life." With a chuckle she added. "Except a Dragon Slave that is."
  1.2011 +	Sylphiel sent the redhead a mock glare at that but quickly 
  1.2012 +joined in with her own soft laughter.
  1.2013 +
  1.2014 +******************************
  1.2015 +
  1.2016 +(Tomoyo/Amelia)
  1.2017 +And just like in the memory the words flowed from my lips.
  1.2018 +	"Seinaru iyashi no mite yo, hahanaru daichi no ibuki yo
  1.2019 +	Negawakuba waga mae ni yokoyawarishi kono mono o
  1.2020 +	Sono ooinaru jihi ni te sukui tamae"
  1.2021 +	Recalling all those lessons, the hours spend with a gentle and 
  1.2022 +patient, much more experienced shrine maiden learning the ultimate 
  1.2023 +form of healing. Not forceful like a Black Magic spell, not wild and 
  1.2024 +somewhat chaotic like an elemental spell. No, slowly, with steady 
  1.2025 +precision touching each damaged area, healing what was injured, curing 
  1.2026 +what was sick. A process not hastened but patient with the faith set 
  1.2027 +in mind that even if it seemed much too slow, the pace would be just 
  1.2028 +right. Healing was like that. It needed precision, it needed to be 
  1.2029 +flawless, or otherwise a tiny mistake in an unimportant area could 
  1.2030 +cause all the effort to be in vain.
  1.2031 +	White magical energy flowed into my hands from all around us, 
  1.2032 +the seal's power obviously an even stronger supply of life force than 
  1.2033 +I had initially thought. There was so much, I actually had to damper 
  1.2034 +the flow a little in order to not be overwhelmed. All my concentration 
  1.2035 +was on the redhead, the one I HAD TO save. My mate, in this life as 
  1.2036 +much as in my previous. My mind was detached and I wasn't quite sure 
  1.2037 +who I was anymore since all my focus was on the other girl.
  1.2038 +	I could feel the magic reach its peak. I had already patched up 
  1.2039 +everything physical, now it was time for the last touch, the crucial 
  1.2040 +point, to return the life to Sakura/Lina... to breathe new life into 
  1.2041 +her almost dead body.
  1.2042 +	"RESURRECTION!"
  1.2043 +
  1.2044 +******************************
  1.2045 +
  1.2046 +()
  1.2047 +Far away, back in Tokyo, close to Tomoeda actually, a young girl not 
  1.2048 +older than Sakura and Tomoyo stopped in her mundane task of sweeping 
  1.2049 +the yard of her family's shrine. Long purplish hair was blown back in 
  1.2050 +a soft breeze when the young miko looked up into the sky with a look 
  1.2051 +of puzzlement in her green eyes. For a moment there she had felt 
  1.2052 +something oddly familiar.
  1.2053 +	After a moment, the girl shrugged and returned her work in 
  1.2054 +patient acceptance.
  1.2055 +
  1.2056 +******************************
  1.2057 +
  1.2058 +(Sakura)
  1.2059 +An angel.
  1.2060 +	That was the first thing I thought when I opened my eyes. After 
  1.2061 +all I was pretty sure I just died and the face hovering above me was 
  1.2062 +truly angelic. The delicate, pale features so much like Tomoyo, those 
  1.2063 +eyes so deep and full of compassion, blue as a deep ocean or vast sky. 
  1.2064 +The hair was a little darker, somewhere between black and deep purple. 
  1.2065 +The happy smile and the glow in the angel's face were heartwarming, 
  1.2066 +filling me entirely with love, completing me with just that single 
  1.2067 +action. Only one person ever managed that - not including past lives 
  1.2068 +right now.
  1.2069 +	"Sakura-chan," the angel whispered and my heart skipped a beat 
  1.2070 +at the melodic, oh so familiar voice I thought never to hear again.
  1.2071 +	I blinked in confusion, wondering what was going on. 
  1.2072 +"Tomo-chan?"
  1.2073 +	Before I could actually react I was pulled upwards into a 
  1.2074 +crushing hug that threatened to split bones upon contact. The embrace 
  1.2075 +was without doubt Tomoyo's. Nowhere else I could feel so at home, 
  1.2076 +nowhere else I wanted to belong. Once in Tomoyo's arms I never wanted 
  1.2077 +to leave again. Yet, this embrace was fierce, screaming with a mixture 
  1.2078 +of burning emotions. Relief, happiness, longing. I could hear the 
  1.2079 +other girls' heart beating in synchrony with my own. Soft, steady 
  1.2080 +beats. They were the most heavenly music I had heard in my life 
  1.2081 +because they told me one thing. Tomoyo wasn't dead... and neither was 
  1.2082 +I.
  1.2083 +	"Tomo-chan, what...?" I started but never managed to finish, 
  1.2084 +finding much more pleasant things to occupy my mouth with. The other 
  1.2085 +girl had brought her lips to mine in a kiss that was full of 
  1.2086 +desperation, conveying all the fear and sadness of not to long ago but 
  1.2087 +also all the happiness and relief coursing through her. It mingled 
  1.2088 +with my own mirrored feelings and was returned with an equally strong 
  1.2089 +favor. Our spirits seemed to join for that single timeless moment and 
  1.2090 +I began to understand partly what had happened.
  1.2091 +	When the kiss ended, I pulled back and stared into Tomoyo's 
  1.2092 +eyes. Seeing not only the unconditional love of the one person I would 
  1.2093 +give... had given anything for, but also something else, someone else. 
  1.2094 +Dormant, not really awakened as the soul inside of me when Time 
  1.2095 +released my past life's memories. "You saved me," I said softly, 
  1.2096 +tracing the other girl's face with one finger, mesmerizing the few 
  1.2097 +subtle changes. She was still mostly Tomoyo but there was a bit of 
  1.2098 +Amelia there too. Before I had made that step, I would have been a 
  1.2099 +little scared of the change that could mean for us. However, now with 
  1.2100 +the full recollection of my past life, I realized how foolish that 
  1.2101 +fear was. For us, there never had been any danger of losing something 
  1.2102 +important. On the contrary there was actually more to gain.
  1.2103 +	"I had to," Tomoyo said simply but her eyes were still moist 
  1.2104 +with unshed tears of happiness. I reached up to gently brush them away 
  1.2105 +with one of my sleeves and smiled with unrestrained pride.
  1.2106 +	We could have stood there for ages, neither caring about the 
  1.2107 +world around us. Unfortunately where was still one thing to attend to, 
  1.2108 +as Love chose to remind us - of the matter and her presence that is. 
  1.2109 +"Dawn is almost upon us."
  1.2110 +	I didn't cast my eyes away from Tomoyo. An understanding passed 
  1.2111 +between us that went far beyond simple words. It was an understanding 
  1.2112 +born from the ordeal we had just experienced and survived. With a 
  1.2113 +simple mental command the forgotten star wand floated into my 
  1.2114 +outstretched hand. I stepped back slightly and held it out between us, 
  1.2115 +waiting. Tomoyo nodded and wordlessly clasped her own hands around the 
  1.2116 +staff. There wasn't even a hint of hesitation. Both of us knew exactly 
  1.2117 +what to do.
  1.2118 +	I closed my eyes, seeing more with my heart than I needed with 
  1.2119 +my eyes, letting the power flow. I had understood that power at my 
  1.2120 +disposal when facing Pandora with my full memories. The still 
  1.2121 +untouched source I had never really given much thought. Up to now the 
  1.2122 +wand had merely been a focus for using the cards, empowering them with 
  1.2123 +my own magic. Never had I truly used the Star Magic on its own. Yet, 
  1.2124 +stars were the essence of life. They gave birth to life, nurtured 
  1.2125 +life, sustained life. They were the first children of creation and in 
  1.2126 +them slumbered an almost unlimited power.
  1.2127 +	And the seal, Love and Silence were nothing more and nothing 
  1.2128 +less than energy released by those who wielded the power of the stars, 
  1.2129 +protecting life with their strength.
  1.2130 +	"Key that holds the power of the stars
  1.2131 +	Infinite source of light, brilliantly shining in the darkest 
  1.2132 +night"
  1.2133 +	The chant, spoken from both us was done without preparation, yet 
  1.2134 +with the conviction of certain success. The staff between our hands 
  1.2135 +flared, warming to the touch, almost too hot to touch but never 
  1.2136 +burning in the slightest. I could feel its form expanding. I could 
  1.2137 +feel Love and Silence hovering just above us. Magic began to swirl in 
  1.2138 +a beautiful dance all around us.
  1.2139 +	"Release the slumbering power of creation
  1.2140 +	Bless these lost souls and return them to their true path"
  1.2141 +	The dance began to quicken, turning into a maelstrom of power, a 
  1.2142 +storm of creation that where it touched every life lost was restored, 
  1.2143 +where it touched new life was born. In a small area around the coast 
  1.2144 +lines of Japan entirely new life was born in what would later surely 
  1.2145 +be titled as miracles. I wasn't really aware of this. My mind was 
  1.2146 +focused on the task at hand.
  1.2147 +	Slowly I reached out, feeling Tomoyo join me in the effort. In a 
  1.2148 +way it was much like a healing spell and I realized with quiet 
  1.2149 +fascination that while my past life had not been able to do much in 
  1.2150 +this area, Kinomoto Sakura was definitely a different story. The flux 
  1.2151 +of magic finally reached its peak and with a final shout of power, it 
  1.2152 +was released to its designed task.
  1.2153 +	"RESTORATION!"
  1.2154 +	The eruption of magic was not powerful. Instead it was more or 
  1.2155 +less anti-climatic aside from the sheer potent energy concentrated 
  1.2156 +into the spell. I opened my eyes, watching with rapt attention as a 
  1.2157 +beam of purest magical energy shot upwards engulfing Love and Silence. 
  1.2158 +For a moment nothing seemed to happen, then there were tiny ripples 
  1.2159 +from the spots where the card sprites had been swallowed. Golden and 
  1.2160 +purple light created tiny shockwaves and in the middle of them were 
  1.2161 +the cards, glowing brightly in the display of power.
  1.2162 +	I could feel it now, the flow of their nature changing. The 
  1.2163 +difference that separated them from how the rest of the cards were 
  1.2164 +designed became pretty much undetectable. And in a last, spectacular 
  1.2165 +display at the magic at work, a steady stream of their respective 
  1.2166 +elements shot to either side, vanishing in the formless white.
  1.2167 +	*Thank you,* their voices could briefly be heard, then another 
  1.2168 +bright flare made us avert our eyes and when we looked again, the two 
  1.2169 +cards floated down, changed into the star design of my own.
  1.2170 +
  1.2171 +******************************
  1.2172 +
  1.2173 +<Several hours later>
  1.2174 +The sun was just barely above surface level when our yacht was making 
  1.2175 +its way back to the Japanese coast. The isle in the distance was only 
  1.2176 +a mere rock formation, not worthy of the terminology land anymore. The 
  1.2177 +violent storm of darkness that Pandora had created with Silence's 
  1.2178 +unwilling help had pretty much ripped it apart and only the mountain 
  1.2179 +remained partly and a few pieces of land from the surrounding isles, 
  1.2180 +floating above the waves unattached.
  1.2181 +	A gentle breeze caught my unbound, longer hair. Something I 
  1.2182 +would definitely need to get used to. Sure, I could cut it or 
  1.2183 +something but I didn't really like it. The physical change was a 
  1.2184 +reminder, a symbol of the change inside me. Trying to describe it in 
  1.2185 +words was hard. While I was still Sakura on most levels, I had all of 
  1.2186 +Lina Inverse's memories, including those of her personality. That 
  1.2187 +didn't necessarily mean a part of me HAD TO be her... but it COULD be. 
  1.2188 +As I said, it was rather strange and my mind was just beginning to 
  1.2189 +catch up with all that had happened in the last few hours. It was too 
  1.2190 +much to comprehend all at once.
  1.2191 +	I glanced down at the two cards in my hands which I wasn't 
  1.2192 +really sure what to make of. The seal was restored, the flow returned 
  1.2193 +to its original strength... and the spirits that had been mirror 
  1.2194 +images of the ancient warriors had vanished back into their own 
  1.2195 +element. But our joined magic seemed to have done more than just 
  1.2196 +release the bound energy, it seemed to have... created something new. 
  1.2197 +The same element, yet with new, unbound energy. The meaning of this 
  1.2198 +still left me rather speechless. I had pretty much made my own cards. 
  1.2199 +Not changed already existing Clow Cards into Sakura Cards, but CREATED 
  1.2200 +the latter.
  1.2201 +	With a slight shake of my head I willed the two cards away, 
  1.2202 +leaning back into the body embracing me from behind. "What are you 
  1.2203 +thinking about?" Tomoyo asked softly, her voice showing her own 
  1.2204 +tiredness. She was a much different story. Where had not been much of 
  1.2205 +a change at all. Physically some facial features had changed and her 
  1.2206 +hair was a little darker, fading into black in some areas. She didn't 
  1.2207 +have a full recollection of her past life like me. Just glimpses.
  1.2208 +	I sighed, glancing out at the rather still water considering the 
  1.2209 +rough vortex that had raged not too long ago. I really didn't want to 
  1.2210 +go into this right now, having experienced too much and having been 
  1.2211 +entirely too close to death just a short while ago. It was too early 
  1.2212 +after the events that should leave me feel joyous and happy at our 
  1.2213 +success. Yet, I couldn't be happy. "Don't laugh at me. But I think it 
  1.2214 +was too easy." Silence, Tomoyo tightened her grip slight, but didn't 
  1.2215 +say anything. "I feel this was just the beginning. All we did was sent 
  1.2216 +her back to her prison. While the seal is restored, Pandora has 
  1.2217 +already pushed very far to the surface. There is no guarantee that she 
  1.2218 +won't find some other way. And that sooner than we might like." 
  1.2219 +Especially since I was pretty sure she realized who were and there was 
  1.2220 +no telling what she might come up with.
  1.2221 +	For a time the only sounds were that of the ocean, the tiny 
  1.2222 +waves against the ship, and the vibrating buzz of the yacht's engine. 
  1.2223 +"Yes. Somehow I knew you would say that." Tomoyo slipped next to me, 
  1.2224 +an arm went instinctively around her waist. "A lot of things changed 
  1.2225 +in the last hours. Permanent changes. That is only natural though. 
  1.2226 +Everything changes, that is life."
  1.2227 +	"Does that trouble you." There were so many things implied in 
  1.2228 +the question. Mainly about our past and our relationship back then. 
  1.2229 +There was Sylphiel who I was pretty sure had been reborn as well. The 
  1.2230 +bond between the three of us had been strong, I knew that. But Tomoyo 
  1.2231 +hadn't really regained all of her memories as Amelia. Most of them 
  1.2232 +were flashes, glimpses of the life we led back then. A part of me was 
  1.2233 +relieved, a part of me a little saddened by that. I had no idea how 
  1.2234 +she'd take the impact our past lives would eventually have on those we 
  1.2235 +lived now.
  1.2236 +	And then there was Filia who was a totally different case I 
  1.2237 +didn't want to go into right now or anytime soon. I was glad that the 
  1.2238 +dragon priestess had offered to give Syaoran a ride back home since 
  1.2239 +his own ship was lost in the storm. I was glad because just the short 
  1.2240 +time we spent together after returning from the seal stirred memories 
  1.2241 +and feelings inside of me that affected me emotionally to a degree 
  1.2242 +where I am sure Tomoyo had noticed. I really was not ready to think 
  1.2243 +about Filia right now, no definitely not.
  1.2244 +	Tomoyo had looked at me for awhile with a hard to read 
  1.2245 +expression but now she leaned forward to put her head on my shoulder. 
  1.2246 +Instinctively I pulled her closer, enjoying the feeling of her body 
  1.2247 +against mine. Not in a physical sense, more in a way of completeness. 
  1.2248 +"Not really. Not anymore. I know now, that whatever happens, we will 
  1.2249 +be together."
  1.2250 +	I felt compelled to say something in return but instead I turned 
  1.2251 +to draw her firmer against me, both arms coming around her body. 
  1.2252 +"Always," I said with absolute conviction, glad and proud at the same 
  1.2253 +time of the level of understanding and comprehension Tomoyo showed.
  1.2254 +	It was much like Tomoyo said though. Change was a constant 
  1.2255 +companion in life. Life was chaotic. People who couldn't deal with 
  1.2256 +change, with unpredictable situations would stagnate and miss most of 
  1.2257 +the beauty that was life. We both had to accept this in the last 
  1.2258 +hours. We would deal with what would come, one way or another.
  1.2259 +	A yawn made me look down at Tomoyo, comfortably snuggled in my 
  1.2260 +arms, her head resting just a bit under my chin, letting me inhale the 
  1.2261 +soft fragrance that amazingly had been rather untouched by the events. 
  1.2262 +I couldn't help a soft chuckle. "I think we should get some sleep. We 
  1.2263 +definitely earned it." Truth be told I felt ready to pop right here 
  1.2264 +and there, not waking up for the next year or so. Whatever had us 
  1.2265 +going for so long, had finally subsided and exhaustion began to catch 
  1.2266 +up.
  1.2267 +	Tomoyo nodded, very reluctantly stepping away from me, just to 
  1.2268 +reach for my hand. I grinned and let myself be dragged below deck to 
  1.2269 +our cabin. Thinking could come tomorrow or next week or whenever I 
  1.2270 +felt like it. Right now I felt much too spent to even begin to assess 
  1.2271 +the changes in our lives experienced over the last twelve hours or so. 
  1.2272 +What counted was that I was still here, everyone was still here, 
  1.2273 +Tomoyo was still here. We were all alive and everything had indeed 
  1.2274 +turned out to be alright.
  1.2275 +
  1.2276 +******************************
  1.2277 +
  1.2278 +(Filia)
  1.2279 +I watched the boat slowly disappear from human sight and eventually 
  1.2280 +from that of a dragon as well. Time was rather insignificant right 
  1.2281 +now. It would be awhile until I had to go drop the boy off in China 
  1.2282 +and after that... well, I wasn't sure. The shrine was gone too which 
  1.2283 +left me a little sad with the though of my solitary home for a very 
  1.2284 +long time not being there anymore.
  1.2285 +	That's the price for success, I suppose. The seal was restored, 
  1.2286 +just as I had been told. And Earth, along with the rest of the 
  1.2287 +universe, had earned itself a little breathing space.
  1.2288 +	"It won't be long now, will it?"
  1.2289 +	I didn't turn at the sudden appearance of a very familiar, in 
  1.2290 +the old times often pretty annoying voice. Truth be told, I had 
  1.2291 +expected him to show up a little earlier. "A couple of years, I would 
  1.2292 +believe. It'll take her awhile to seek another opportunity."
  1.2293 +	The man stepped up next to me, his trademark smile in place, 
  1.2294 +even though I could tell that for once he wasn't really amused and his 
  1.2295 +voice showed his seriousness. "The other parties are coming along 
  1.2296 +nicely. Everything will be in place when the time comes."
  1.2297 +	Sighing I turned away from the spot where I had watched the 
  1.2298 +group leave in their ship, with them Lina who was now awakened. That 
  1.2299 +didn't change a thing though and I knew it. Made it not much easier to 
  1.2300 +accept though. "I hate playing the conductor for a war that could be 
  1.2301 +avoided. We could spare them all this just by ensuring she doesn't get 
  1.2302 +to them. What would be so bad about it?"
  1.2303 +	I regretted the question right away because I knew what was 
  1.2304 +coming judged by the gleam in the purple-haired priest's eye. "Ah, 
  1.2305 +dear Filia, that is a secret." The grin quickly turned into a stoic 
  1.2306 +expression though. "One that I neither know the answer to or am 
  1.2307 +especially fond of finding it out. You know as much as I that this is 
  1.2308 +our path. We have our instructions and I for one will follow them to 
  1.2309 +the letter."
  1.2310 +	"I hate it when you are right, Xelloss," I grumbled.
  1.2311 +	Xelloss chuckled lightly and then, without much fanfare, 
  1.2312 +vanished, leaving me once again alone with my thoughts.
  1.2313 +	A couple of years, indeed. Then, THEN the REAL battle would 
  1.2314 +begin. And it would be an epical one.
  1.2315 +	"Use that time well," I said quietly to the wind, then turned 
  1.2316 +and walked back towards the small camp on the rocky surface of the 
  1.2317 +torn mountain top.
  1.2318 +
  1.2319 +THE END (for now)
  1.2320 +
  1.2321 +Author's Notes
  1.2322 +
  1.2323 +That muse makes me nuts. I had no intention of making that chapter 
  1.2324 +almost as huge as all three installments before put together. I really 
  1.2325 +didn't want to...
  1.2326 +Okay, okay, I'll stop whining.
  1.2327 +This really turned out rather different from what I had initially 
  1.2328 +planned but in the end I am more or less satisfied with it. I had to 
  1.2329 +rewrite the last scenes at least once but now I think the story is 
  1.2330 +presentable. An apology here for the long-winded explanation in some 
  1.2331 +parts while some things pretty much faded into the background. I 
  1.2332 +realize that I haven't brought much attention to any of the other 
  1.2333 +characters except Sakura and Tomoyo and to a degree Filia. This story 
  1.2334 +was done from their perspective and there really was not much space to 
  1.2335 +include them further, nor was it intended in the first place.
  1.2336 +I realize this part has experienced an even greater touch of the 
  1.2337 +crossover it is eventually leading to than I had planned for. That 
  1.2338 +couldn't be done any other way though, I realized halfway through 
  1.2339 +writing. This stretched the length of this part enormously but I also 
  1.2340 +managed to cover much more and still not neglect thoughts and emotions 
  1.2341 +in the process of action and past life revelations.
  1.2342 +There are still a few things that are left unclear which is good, 
  1.2343 +since I didn't really want to reveal too much yet. You must keep in 
  1.2344 +mind that this was just a collection of pre-stories. A work an author 
  1.2345 +might do AFTER writing a greater series, to explain some of the 
  1.2346 +background. So, I more or less did it the other way round, at least 
  1.2347 +for the CCS part. :)
  1.2348 +
  1.2349 +Mixing the three main elements in this part had been a lot of fun and 
  1.2350 +I think I managed to do a lot of setup for the actual main story. For 
  1.2351 +those who interest those things. I decided to use the actual Romanji 
  1.2352 +incantation of the spells I took from Slayers. There have just been 
  1.2353 +too many conflicting translations that I didn't want to get into the 
  1.2354 +predicament again to choose one of them. Those of you interested 
  1.2355 +should easily be able to find English translations on Slayers Universe 
  1.2356 +(www.inverse.org) or QP's page 
  1.2357 +(http://homepage3.nifty.com/QPHOUSE/slayers_e.html) from which I have 
  1.2358 +the Romanji incantations.
  1.2359 +For the names I decided to go with those I am most familiar with. Just 
  1.2360 +like the spells there are so many different spellings, so I went with 
  1.2361 +those that I know from my own DVDs.
  1.2362 +
  1.2363 +This marks the end of what I unofficially titled the "Forbidden Cards" 
  1.2364 +series on MSD. Next will be the BSSM intro that will directly lead up 
  1.2365 +to the main story, probably will be part of the main story already. 
  1.2366 +Maia really, REALLY got a hang of this and I am not sure when she gets 
  1.2367 +down from it, so... This will probably be my main focus for now.
  1.2368 +
  1.2369 +That's it so far. I thank all of you for your kind comments along the 
  1.2370 +way. When I started this series at the beginning of the month it 
  1.2371 +hadn't been planned to take up so much time... Heck, it was a single, 
  1.2372 +shorter story to begin with, but I enjoyed my first experiences in 
  1.2373 +writing CCS.
  1.2374 +I hope I'll see you soon and that you continue to provide me with 
  1.2375 +feedback.
  1.2376 +
  1.2377 +Ja ne, yours
  1.2378 +
  1.2379 +Matthias
  1.2380 +
  1.2381 +Note for Moonlit Nights readers (31/01/2004)
  1.2382 +
  1.2383 +Since I had not visited the site for awhile I have just recently 
  1.2384 +discovered that this part has not been posted because of a 
  1.2385 +misunderstanding, confusing this part with the following project to 
  1.2386 +which this story was a sort of prequel. Provided you read this note, 
  1.2387 +this misunderstanding has been cleared. However, the following project 
  1.2388 +called "Soul Lights" will not be distrubated on Moonlit Nights because 
  1.2389 +that would go against their "pairings policy" :) which I can very well 
  1.2390 +understand since I wouldn't go and let people post other stuff on our 
  1.2391 +Minaru group as well. As such, "Soul Lights" is a running project that 
  1.2392 +you can already (and for now only) find at the SA board 
  1.2393 +(http://www.shoujoai.com/forum/topic_show.pl?tid=20701) or on my SiL 
  1.2394 +group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/starsinlove).