Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Card Captor Sakura: The Next Quest ❯ Sakura Goes to the Sanc Kingdom ( Chapter 14 )

Chapter 14: Sakura Goes to the Sanc Kingdom

~~~~~Tokyo, Japan~~~~~

“You are going on another expedition?” Sakura said into the phone with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

“I'm sorry, Sakura,” answered Kinomoto Fujitaka from the other end of the phone line. “I have been requested personally by the leader of the country to inspect what looks like the ruins of a once great city that was just discovered.”

“It's okay, Otousan,” said Sakura, even though the statement was just the slightest bit untrue. “I know your work is important to you.”

“I know you were looking forward to coming back home for your vacation,” continued Fujitaka. “But I promise I will make it up to you.”

“Don't worry Otousan. I'll find somewhere to go during vacation. Love you. Bye.”

Heero walked into the room just as Sakura hung up the phone with her father, and quickly noticed the slightly disappointed look on her face. “Something wrong?” Heero asked as he handed Sakura one of the glasses of water he was holding.

Sakura took the offered glass and took a small sip before explaining her situation to Heero. “Well, I was going to go back home for vacation to see my family, but Otousan got called away on an expedition, so now I have nowhere to go for the vacation.”

Seeing the faintly sad look on Sakura's cute face, Heero stepped towards her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Heero already knew that Sakura's best friend, Tomoyo, along with Eriol, were both joining Ranma and Ukyo on a trip back to Nerima. Heero wasn't positive, but it seemed as though Duo and Minako were going to stay in Tokyo. Heero remembered Minako mentioning something about seeing old friends who were coming back to the city. Syaoran and Ami had already left and were on their way to Hong Kong since Li Yelan had invited Ami to come back. Not that she wasn't excited to vacation with Syaoran, but in some ways, Ami had wanted to stay to see her friends who were coming back, but she was so honored that she didn't want to say no and risk offending Syaoran's mother. “You can always come with me to the Sanc Kingdom,” Heero offered.

Sakura's face got a little brighter at the prospect of going to another country and spending vacation with Heero, but she still didn't look completely certain. “Are you sure it's okay?”

Heero nodded his head. “Hai. Both Relena and Noin said they really want to meet you anyway. Plus there is plenty of room at the castle, so you will definitely have a place to stay.”

Sakura now started to get really excited. From what she had read and heard about the Sanc Kingdom, it was a really beautiful country, and she was really looking forward to seeing it for herself. Also, the prospect of meeting a real princess was quite a thrill to the darling innocent girl. “Thank you!” exclaimed Sakura. With a smile from ear to ear on her face, Sakura jumped into Heero's arms, making both of them spill their water. “Oops! Sorry, Heero-kun.”

Heero laughed lightly at Sakura's cuteness and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before wiping up the spilled water. “I think it is going to be too late to get together any real travel plans to get to the Sanc Kingdom since there are few commercial flights that go there, so we are going to have to take ZERO. I hope you don't mind.”

Sakura shook her head from side to side at the notion. “Of course not. It is so fun riding in and piloting your Gundam.”

Heero smiled at Sakura and continued explaining his previously determined travel plan. “So you have no problems leaving in two days?”

“Nope,” answered Sakura. “That is plenty of time to pack and tell Tomoyo-chan about where I am going.”

“She will probably be sad she isn't coming too,” said Heero, knowing how much Tomoyo loved to videotape Sakura.

“She is probably preoccupied worrying about making a good impression with Ranma-kun's family. At least she has Eriol-kun going along too.” Sakura and Heero continued to talk as they walked out of Sakura's room to find everyone else and let them know that they would be leaving together in a of couple days.

~~~~~Newport City, Sanc Kingdom~~~~~

“Welcome back, Heero,” Heero heard through Wing ZERO's intercom as he entered Sanc Kingdom airspace. “It's been quite a while since you've been back.”

“It is nice to be back, Noin,” answered back Heero. “I'm going to be landing on the platform in front of the main gates to the castle in a few minutes.”

“Roger. See you soon,” said Lucrezia Noin as she hung up the radio. “Heero seems a little different,” the beautiful Captain of the Sanc Kingdom Royal Guard said, looking up at the man standing next to her.

“I noticed that as well,” said Milliardo Peacecraft, also knows as Zechs Merquise. Milliardo then turned on his heels, long platinum hair flying around to land neatly on his back. “I'll go tell Relena that Heero's arrived. We'll meet you outside.”

“You've changed as well,” whispered Noin to herself as she watched her husband, the love of her life, walk out the door of the communications center of the Peacecraft Castle. Noin was certain most of the changes in the personality of Zechs were due to their relationship with one another, and she loved the new Zechs just as much as the old one. Noin then remembered Duo saying that Heero had a pretty serious girlfriend in Tokyo, and thought that perhaps it was her that caused the subtle changes in Heero's personality. Noin had thought that perhaps Heero was going to bring along his girlfriend on his trip to the Sanc Kingdom, but guessed she was mistaken since Heero had flown in on Wing ZERO which only had the capacity to seat one. When she realized she had been daydreaming for long enough, Noin got up out of her chair and made her way out to the main landing pad out in front of the castle.

Noin walked out the front entrance to the castle just in time to be greeted with a gust of air from the engines of Wing ZERO as it gracefully landed in the center of the Peacecraft Castle's landing platform. Continuing forward, Noin stopped by the side of her husband who was waiting alongside Princess Relena, who was exceptionally anxious for Heero's return. When the wind ceased and Wing ZERO's engines shut down and the giant machine gracefully took a knee, Relena, Milliardo, and Noin all watched as the cockpit door slid open, and Heero casually stepped out.

“Welcome back, Heero,” greeted Relena as soon as she could see Heero's face. “But I thought you said you were bringing a guest? Why did you come in Wing…?” Relena stopped her comment mid sentence when she caught sight of a cute girl stepping somewhat shyly out from the inside of Wing ZERO's cockpit.

Heero did a flip down to the ground from the elevated platform of Wing ZERO's cockpit, landing smoothly in front of Relena, Milliardo, and Noin. Sakura followed Heero's movements exactly, and made a perfect landing right beside her boyfriend. “Relena, Noin, Zechs,” began Heero. “This is Kinomoto Sakura. Sakura, this is Princess Relena Peacecraft, Captain Lucrezia Noin, and Milliardo Peacecraft, also known as Zechs Merquise.”

“It is an honor to meet you,” greeted Sakura with a shy bow, since she had never been in the presence of a Princess before.

“It is a pleasure to meet you finally,” answered Relena as she got over her original shock from seeing Sakura unexpectedly step out of ZERO's cockpit.

“We have been looking forward to this for quite some time,” added Noin.

“Thank you for allowing me to stay in your country, Your Highness.”

“Please just call me Relena,” responded Relena with a smile to the nervous auburn haired girl in front of her.

Sakura smiled back at the kindness of the Princess, feeling very relieved that Relena seemed just like any other person and wasn't as intimidating as Sakura thought meeting a Princess might be. Now that she wasn't as nervous, Sakura took a little time to really take a look at the people standing in front of her. In Sakura's mind, Princess Relena was stunning. She was wearing a very elegant white gown that went perfectly with her creamy skin complexion. Her honey brown hair was put up in a intricate bun on top of her head, and was held in place with an enchanting tiara that contrasted perfectly with Relena's beautiful blue eyes. On one side of Relena stood Noin, who was a few years older than the Princess, and Sakura thought was another strikingly beautiful woman. Noin was wearing a blue and white military uniform, but still was distinctly feminine because of her stunning figure. Her hair was almost the same shade of purple as Eriol's, and was cut short but with long bangs that fell lightly across her face. Standing on Relena's other side was her older brother, Milliardo Peacecraft. Milliardo looked dashing a similar style military uniform as Noin, only in red instead of blue. Sakura could tell he had a very toned physique, and mixed with his handsome face and long platinum blonde hair, he looked very good.

“You said your name was Kinomoto, correct?” queried Milliardo who had until now been silent.

“Hai,” answered Sakura, a little confused at the questioning tone of voice Milliardo was using.

“You wouldn't happen to be related to Kinomoto Fujitaka, would you?”

“He's my Otousan. How do you know him?”

“Kinomoto-sensei is your father?” repeated Noin in slight disbelief. Sakura just nodded, now feeling very confused at the situation that had just transpired. “Kinomoto-sensei is here in the Sanc Kingdom.”

“Otousan is?” gasped Sakura in disbelief. “But he said he was called away on an archeological expedition.”

This time it was Relena who spoke up. “We recently came across the ruins of what looks like an ancient city. Kinomoto-sensei was one of the most highly recommended archeologists in the world, so we asked him to come investigate. He just arrived yesterday.”

Sakura was now beaming with excitement. She had been a little saddened before when she found out she wouldn't get to see her father for vacation, but now she just found out that not only could she see her father, but she also got to vacation with her boyfriend in a whole new country. “May I ask where Otousan is right now?”

“He should be checking out the site and getting to know the other people he will be working with,” answered Noin. “He will be back early this evening, but I can take you to him if you wish.”

“Kinomoto-sensei is having dinner with us tonight,” continued Relena. “And I would be honored if you and Heero would join us as well.”

“That sounds wonderful,” accepted Sakura. “Thank you, Princess Relena. And thank you for the offer, Noin-san, but I will just wait for Otousan to get back.”

As Sakura continued to talk with Relena and Noin, Milliardo walked over to where Heero was standing off to the side. “Was it wise to modify your Gundam to seat multiple people?” Milliardo more stated than asked.

“I added a single passenger seat to Wing ZERO,” answered Heero. “Duo did the same to Deathscythe, and Wu-Fei to Nataku.”

“Simply installing an auxiliary seat is easy enough,” said Milliardo. “I was referring to the ZERO System. It is not something just anyone can control.”

Heero had actually figured what Milliardo had really meant by his earlier question, but didn't particularly want to deal with the issue if he could avoid it. “I agree,” conceded Heero. “But Sakura is not just anyone. She is special in quite a number of ways.”

Milliardo couldn't control his facial expression from turning to one of shock at Heero's last statement. In all the time he had know Heero, Milliardo had never heard him give such a compliment to anybody. “Noin was right,” Milliardo finally said. “You have changed.” Heero was caught a little off guard by Milliardo's comment, but as he thought about it, he realized Milliardo was right. He had changed. And he had changed because of only one reason; Sakura.

Heero and Milliardo stood idly by, no longer speaking to each other, just thinking and enjoying seeing the happy faces of Relena, Sakura, and Noin as they talked with one another. After a short while, Heero noticed Sakura glance in his direction, and the two made eye contact with each other for just a second, but it was enough to make Heero smile. Something Sakura didn't realize was exactly how well trained Noin was as a soldier, so when Sakura glanced away from the conversation, Noin followed her gaze to where Heero was standing, and was quite surprised to find a smile on the Gundam pilot's face. “He's smiling?”

Noin's unexpected comment caused Relena to shift her attention to the Captain of her Royal Guard and when she saw the direction Noin was looking, Relena's gaze arrived just in time to see the tail end of Heero's smile before he closed his eyes and his face returned to its normal emotionless state. At seeing Heero's reaction to Noin and Relena noticing his smile, both Relena and Sakura began cracking up in a fit of giggles. “Sorry, Heero-kun,” said Sakura to Heero over their telepathic link. “But your reaction to Princess Relena and Noin-san seeing you smile was just so funny.”

“It's okay, Sakura-san,” answered Heero. “I had already figured Noin and Relena would find my personality changes a surprise.”

“I noticed that,” said Sakura. “They keep asking me how I got you to open up.”

“What did you tell them?”

“The truth. I really have no idea why you chose to open up to me, but I have no complaints about it.” Heero opened his eyes to Sakura's last comment and allowed the corner of his mouth to rise up in a very slight smile. Sakura noticed the slight smile on Heero's face that he usually used when a smile was necessary and he was in public, and it brought a smile to her own cute face while she continued the conversation with Relena and Noin.

Eventually, Relena, Noin, and Sakura finished talking and Noin showed Heero and Sakura to their rooms while Relena and Milliardo went back to their daily activities. Noin apologized to Sakura for not being able to situate a room near her father's, but the wing where her father was staying was filled with all the other archeological staff, so there were no empty rooms. Instead, Noin put Heero and Sakura in the wing with the rooms that were normally reserved for diplomatic parties visiting the castle. As a result, Sakura and Heero had rooms that were adjacent to each other, and even had a connecting door. When Sakura saw her room, she had been in complete awe. The room was one of the largest bedrooms she had ever been in, and the luxurious feel of the room easily rivaled that of the Li Clan Estate in Hong Kong. The decorative designs were very different from Syaoran's home, but the intricate and sophisticated ornamentation was just as impressive.

Heero and Sakura unpacked their bags, allowing Noin to get back to doing her normal daily routine, before Heero took Sakura on a tour of the castle. Despite knowing it was the capital building of the entire Sanc Kingdom, the absolute grandeur of the Peacecraft Castle was still overwhelming to Sakura. Heero showed her the historical paintings and decorations present throughout the castle, the state of the art technology used in the defensive center, and the beautiful gardens in front and around the castle. Because of the sheer size of the castle and the multitude of things to see, by the time Heero and Sakura finished the tour, it was time for them to get ready for dinner with Relena.

Sakura had asked Noin and Relena to keep it a secret that she was in the Sanc Kingdom from her father so that she could surprise him at dinner, so Sakura and Heero purposely waited a bit so that they would arrive just slightly late. Sakura poked her head into the open door of the elegant dining area where Noin, Milliardo, Relena, and Fujitaka were presently seated, and without letting her father see her, allowed Noin to make their introduction.

“Kinomoto-sensei,” began Noin. “Our other two guests that will be joining us for dinner have just arrived.” Then with a smile she added, “And one of them, I am sure you will be most excited to see.”

Fujitaka turned toward the entranceway and waited to see who the two guests were to be. However, the person he saw standing in the door was the last person he had expected to see. “Sakura?”

“Otousan!” cheered Sakura as she raced up to give her extremely surprised father a tight hug. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too honey,” said Fujitaka more out of reflex than as a response that came from his brain. Fujitaka eventually got over his utter shock and returned the embrace with his loving daughter. “How did you know I was here?” he asked when Sakura let go from around his neck.

“I didn't,” answered Sakura. “I came here with Heero-kun, and when we arrived Princess Relena told me that you were here. By the way, Otousan, this is Heero Yuy.”

Heero took one step forward and stretched out a hand to his girlfriend's father. “It is an honor to meet you sir,” Heero said politely. Normally he wouldn't have bothered with much in the way of an introduction, but he didn't want to offend Sakura's father, and it didn't feel quite as uncomfortable for him to be social as it used to.

“It is a pleasure to meet you finally, Yuy-kun,” answered Fujitaka as he shook hands with Heero. “Sakura has told me a lot about you.”

“Now that everyone has been introduced,” said Relena in her always calm, yet regal tone of voice. “Shall we sit down to eat?” Everyone nodded their heads, and Sakura and Heero sat down in the two open spots at the table.

The meal was a beautiful spread of culinary delicacies, and was enjoyed with pleasant conversations about everything ranging from Heero and Sakura's schooling and relationship, to the dig site Fujitaka was working on. By the time the meal was over, Fujitaka had already decided to himself that Heero would take good care of his daughter, and he very much liked the boy. He never said as much out loud, but based on his interactions with Heero, Sakura could tell her father liked her boyfriend, and that fact brought a smile to her face. When dinner and conversation was finished, everybody said their goodnights and headed to their respective rooms to get some rest.

After laying in bed for an hour, staring at the ceiling trying to fall asleep, Sakura finally realized that she couldn't. It wasn't that she wasn't tired, but she just didn't feel quite comfortable sleeping all alone in the beautiful room on the plush, spacious bed. Carefully slipping out from under the warm covers, Sakura quietly made her way through the door adjoining her and Heero's rooms. “Heero-kun?” whispered Sakura into the darkness.

“Hai, Sakura-san,” answered Heero telepathically to make sure nobody heard if there happened to be another guest in the room next door. “I'm awake.”

“I can't sleep,” Sakura said.

“I know,” came the response from Heero as he sat up in the bed. “I could feel that you were uncomfortable in the room, although I couldn't quite discern why.”

“You could feel I was uncomfortable?” asked Sakura quizzically.

“Hai.” As Heero continued, he pulled open his covers to allow Sakura to get in. “I have been able to feel some of your emotions very faintly for some time now. I have a feeling that you would be able to as well if my own emotions were more distinct.”

“What other emotions of mine can you feel?” asked Sakura as she slid into Heero's bed and nestled against his the warmth provided by his body.

“I can feel when you are happy, confused, nervous, and bored. I haven't come across a time yet when you have felt sad or afraid, and hopefully I can prevent you from ever having to feel those emotions.”

Sakura pulled Heero into a tight, loving embrace with their bodies melding together and gave Heero a long passionate kiss for his kindness and caring. “Thanks, Heero-kun,” whispered Sakura before she fell into a very peaceful slumber listening to Heero's heartbeat with her head on his chest.

Heero bent his head down carefully and gave Sakura a light kiss on the top of her head before falling asleep himself, looking forward to the pleasant dreams he had been having of late with Sakura in his life for years to come.

~~~~~Sanc Kingdom, The Next Morning~~~~~

“Here's the site,” said Noin as she came to a stop a few yards from the edge of a cliff. “Your father is supervising the crew that has been down there for a number of months so far.”

“Thank you, Noin-san,” said Sakura as she and Heero jumped out of the back of the jeep. “Are you sure you can't come down with us to look at the site?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I have a lot of work to do back at the castle.” After Heero and Sakura had exited the vehicle, Noin restarted the engine. “Say hi to your father for me.”

“Hai,” answered Sakura with a smile. After watching Noin drive away, Sakura and Heero turned around and carefully wound their way down the path cut into the side of the cliff, down toward the floor of the site.

“Sakura-san!” heard Sakura faintly as she and Heero reached the bottom of the ravine where the ruins had been discovered. The two teens scanned the area until they spotted the waving hand of Sakura's father in the near distance.

“Otousan!” greeted Sakura as she ran up and gave her father a tight hug around the neck. “This place is really neat.”

“I'm glad you like it honey,” said Fujitaka. “It's good to see you Yuy-kun. I trust you had no problems getting down here?”

“Not at all,” answered Sakura. “The path is really easy to follow.”

“Good. Come on, I'll show you around the site.” Sakura's father led the couple towards the center of the archaeological site, but unfortunately the three didn't get very far before one of Professor Kinomoto's staff came running up saying he needed his help. “I'm sorry, Sakura-san, but I have to take care of this. But both of you feel free to look around.”

“Hai,” answered Sakura. “We'll see you later Otousan.” Sakura's father kissed his daughter on the forehead to say goodbye before following his staff toward the problem area.

While Professor Kinomoto was busy working with his new staff, Heero and Sakura took it upon themselves to tour the ruins of the ancient city. The couple walked around the massive site, hand in hand, marveling at the many buildings. Heero was amazed that such an old city had been preserved for so long without all the details and intricate carvings eroding away. Sakura didn't view the great city in quite as practical a manner as Heero. To Sakura, the beauty of the architecture, engravings, and numerous statues, intrigued her. She was completely enchanted by the ancient art and found herself picturing in her mind what the magnificent city had looked like when it was bustling with people and basking in the beauty of the living nature around it. Sakura got so caught up in picturing the past that she actually closed her eyes to make it easier to visualize.

When Sakura closed her eyes to envision what the city had looked like in the past, she unconsciously raised her magical awareness at the same time. This was the reason she felt the presence of a Clow Card. Because the feeling was still very faint, it didn't really surprise Sakura when she felt it. As a result, Sakura calmly opened her closed eyes. “There's a Clow Card near here,” she said to Heero, who had been watching Sakura as she enjoyed the tranquility of being in the magnificent ruins.

Heero closed his eyes and raised his magical awareness in an attempt to feel what Sakura had accidentally discovered. A moment later, Heero reopened his eyes. “Your right,” he said. “But close your eyes and concentrate on the feeling for a little longer.”

Sakura gave Heero a quizzical look, wondering what he could be thinking, but did what he said without question. When Sakura closed her eyes again, she immediately picked up the Clow Card, but a couple seconds later she lost it. She was about to complain to Heero that the presence disappeared when it suddenly came back. A little later it disappeared again only to reemerge moments after. This pattern continued until Sakura opened her eyes to talk to Heero. “It's almost as if the Card is trying to hide.”

“My thoughts exactly,” agreed Heero. “It may be difficult to track down this Clow Card without arousing suspicion in all the people working down here.”

“Usually in a situation like this I use Sleep so that everyone falls asleep and we don't have to worry about them,” said Sakura.

“That might be dangerous,” answered Heero. “There are a lot of people working in precarious positions around the site, and if they fell asleep a lot of them could get injured.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” said Sakura. “That's why I didn't use it right away. But I could use the Time Card and freeze everybody while we search.”

“I don't think that will work,” responded Heero. “According to you and Li, Time uses a lot of energy, and since it may take a long while to find the Card, you should be at full strength when we encounter it.”

Sakura had to agree with Heero on the issue, but she didn't really feel dejected that her plan wouldn't work since Heero always had a way of phrasing his suggestions in a way that never hurt her feelings. Instead she just concentrated harder on thinking up a new plan. Both Sakura and Heero were beginning to get frustrated as they sat on the front steps of what appeared to have once been a very nice house. Neither of them could think of a plan to discern where the Clow Card could be located and it was getting annoying. Sakura got so irritated that she flopped onto her back and looked up at the beautiful buildings around her. Once again, she began to daydream, envisioning what life must have been like back when the city was in full bloom. Her vision was so clear that she almost felt like she was actually in the past, living amongst the occupants of the once great city. Suddenly the rational part of Sakura's mind took control, snapping her out of her reverie and back to the present, but now Sakura was pretty sure where the Clow Card was.

“I think the Clow Card is near that main city square,” she said so suddenly that she actually surprised Heero a bit.

“What makes you think that?” questioned Heero while watching Sakura sit back up.

“Well, whenever I let my mind wander, it always creates a very vivid dream of what this city was like back when it was still lively,” started Sakura. “I didn't really think much of it because it was a beautiful dream, but now that I have put my mind to it, I realized that my vision was much too detailed to be just my imagination at work. So I think it is the Clow Card that is affecting my mind, and the first time I noticed the visions was when we walked through the city square.” When Sakura finished explaining herself she looked up to see Heero smiling at her. “What?” she asked in confusion.

Heero slowly shook his head from side to side. “Nothing,” he said. “You just never cease to amaze me.” Sakura blushed and looked away from Heero's stare, a response to which Heero laughed and kissed Sakura lightly on the head. He then stood up and reached out a hand to Sakura. “Come on my beautiful cherry blossom. Let's go.”

Sakura gently grasped Heero's hand and with his help, stood up. She was still blushing profusely both from Heero's compliment and his use of her pet name, but Sakura looked Heero right in the eye and gave him a long passionate kiss. “Thanks, Heero-kun. I'm all set.”

Heero gave Sakura another kiss for good luck, and then the couple took off at a quick run pace and headed back toward the main square. It wasn't too great of a distance back to the square, so in no time at all, Heero and Sakura arrived at their destination. “Can you feel the Card?” Heero asked.

“No,” answered Sakura. “It must still be hiding.”

Just as Sakura was saying the Card was still hiding, it decided to show its presence in a strong way. The magical presence of the Clow Card skyrocketed to become so powerful that it actually caused physical pain to Heero and Sakura because of their heightened magical senses. The pain was so excruciating that they fell to the ground with hands on their heads in a futile attempt to drown some of it out. While both Sakura and Heero were feeling about the same amount of pain, Heero had a much higher tolerance for such things, so he was handling the situation a lot better than Sakura. Heero managed to open his eyes and turned around in an attempt to see how Sakura was doing. Sakura was lying on her side, body curled into a ball, with her eyes tightly squeezed shut with tears falling down her cheeks, trying to find a way to cope with the extreme pain she was feeling. Her mind-state of complete panic and despair changed a bit when she felt a pair of strong arms around her, and a familiar aura surrounding her body. When Heero had seen Sakura in so much pain, he immediately went to her and held her close. He allowed his magical presence to surround the Card Mistress in an attempt to shift at least some of her pain onto himself. As soon as Heero had pulled her into his embrace, Sakura had immediately begun to feel less pain. It was still present, but was now at a level just bearable enough for her to slowly open her eyes. Unfortunately for her, Sakura opened her eyes just in time to see a blinding white light that was so bright it forced both Heero and herself to cover their faces to protect their eyes. The light was just the physical representation of yet another surge in the Clow Card's power. This time, the pain caused by the increase in magical energy was so strong that it broke through even Heero's pain tolerance level, causing both Clow Masters to pass into the world of unconsciousness. Had either Heero or Sakura been able to withstand the unimaginable levels of pain, they would have seen the entire area warp around them; the trees, buildings, and scenery all changed until it was almost unrecognizable that they were even in the same place.

By the time Heero awoke, the episode was over and the magical presence of the Clow Card had vanished, so he took a moment to survey the surroundings. The first thing Heero noticed was that it was now night, and no longer the afternoon with the hot sun overhead. He was obviously in a place he had never been before, but the area felt familiar for a reason he couldn't quite determine. Instead of dwelling on his surroundings for very long, Heero turned his attention to the unconscious girl lying in his lap that he cared so strongly for. Heero gave her a light kiss on the forehead while gently running a hand through her silky hair and along her soft cheek. “Sakura-san,” Heero whispered. “Sakura-san.”

Sakura stirred slightly from her comfortable resting position and a few moments later her eyes fluttered open to reveal her lovely innocent green orbs. She spent a while just looking at Heero's handsome face, until the recent events that had taken place returned to her memory. She quickly sat up when she realized she no longer felt the Clow Card's presence and looked around. “How long was I sleeping?” Sakura asked when she noticed it was night.

“I'm not sure,” responded Heero. “I regained consciousness only shortly before you. It seems we were transported somewhere and must have been out for quite a while.”

“I know this place,” commented Sakura as she looked around. Heero just watched Sakura look around and patiently waited for her to continue. “I don't think we were transported anywhere. I think we got sent back through time.”

Heero considered what Sakura was suggesting and took another look around. He quickly realized why the area felt so familiar. He and Sakura were sitting in the exact same place in the ruins as before, only the ruins were no longer ruins. Instead, the area was surrounded by beautifully crafted architecture and blooming plant life.

“This place looks exactly like the visions I was having earlier,” said Sakura. “Except in my dream, there were a lot of people around. I guess since it is night, everyone is asleep.”

The two Clow Card Masters stood up, but staggered around for a moment before regaining their balance. Apparently there were a few small side effects between their minds and bodies due to the time traveling. Standing up had also made apparent how clouded their magical senses had been, for the simple act of standing up and waiting to regain their balance had also retuned their senses to the area. The most noticeable thing to both Heero and Sakura after they were righted was the strong residual magical presence all around them. It was obviously not a Clow Card, since the feeling was completely different, but the overall strength of the magic felt quite strong. This fact made the couple a little wary of their situation, so they decided it would probably be better to leave the main areas of the city until the daytime when it would likely be more crowded. They figured they would draw less attention during the day amongst the population and thus avoid any quarrels with the strong magic power.

Heero and Sakura had found their way to a large tree on the outskirts of the city and Sakura cuddled into Heero's body, who was leaning against the trunk of the tree, and the couple prepared to wait out the rest of the night. Sakura, who had found a comfortable and warm position in Heero's embrace, quickly fell asleep, but Heero purposely stayed awake the entire night to keep watch.

At daybreak the following day, Sakura slowly woke and opened her eyes to find the deep blue eyes of Heero staring down at her. “The sun is just coming up if you want to watch it rise,” said Heero as he gently brushed a few strands of hair out of Sakura's face.

Sakura pulled her head up to give Heero a good morning kiss, before getting up into a sitting position with her back resting on Heero's chest to watch the sky change to a beautiful reddish orange glow. After a little while, Sakura turned her head around to face her boyfriend. “Did you sleep at all last night?” she asked.

Heero shook his head slowly from side to side. “No. Since we are in an unknown environment I stayed awake to keep watch.”

“Are you sure you will be alright without any sleep?” Sakura asked, concerned.

“I'll be fine,” Heero answered. “I promise.”

Sakura wasn't totally convinced, but she trusted Heero's judgment. “So what's the plan? We can't just stay here forever.”

“I agree we can't stay here,” responded Heero. “The best place to go is probably the city, but with our clothes we will definitely stand out.”

“What if we ask the Remove Card to find some clothes and bring them to us?” asked Sakura.

“I was thinking of that,” said Heero. “But releasing a Clow Card puts out a strong magical signal and I don't want to attract that power we sensed last night.”

“We could sneak into the city and get some clothes on our own,” suggested Sakura.

“That is probably our best option,” agreed Heero. “Just follow my lead. Since this is the past there is no security technology so this should be a snap.”

“Hai,” said Sakura with a nod of her head.

Heero nodded back to Sakura and the couple got up off the ground and started back toward the city. Heero made sure to avoid any well worn paths as he crept through the brush with Sakura right on his heels. Neither Clow Card Master made any noise as they snuck from tree to tree and bush to bush, slowly inching closer to the city.

“Can you feel that?” asked Heero through his mind.

“Hai,” responded Sakura. “It's the same feeling from last night. It's strong, but I can't pinpoint a source.”

“It feels almost as if the source is all around us,” finished Heero. “It makes it difficult to determine what path is best to avoid whatever is putting out the signal.”

“I trust your instincts,” said Sakura. “Just lead the way and I'll follow.” Sakura watched Heero turn around just briefly and give her a smile before setting off again. Sakura said she would follow Heero, and follow Heero she did. She copied his movements perfectly as they jumped from one hiding spot to the next. She followed him all the way until he stopped at the edge of a small open field.

“Look over there,” whispered Heero. Sakura looked across the field when Heero was pointing at a fairly small, but beautiful, structure. Sakura guessed it was some type of residence but wasn't 100 percent sure. She did understand, however, why Heero had chosen the house as the target. It was isolated just enough from the main city that they would probably not be noticed sneaking around, plus it had a large tree growing right alongside it that could provide a means to jump into a number of the open window holes in the building. The only problem Sakura could see was that to reach the structure, they would have to run across the open field surrounding it.

“Think we can make it without being spotted?” queried Sakura.

“I don't see anyone around, and the house looks fairly docile, so if we move quickly I think we can make it,” answered Heero. “Shall we give it a try?”

Sakura nodded her head and got in position to follow Heero into the open field.

“Now,” said Heero as both he and Sakura took off in a dead sprint toward the house. They were about halfway across the field when a bright light flashed in front of them, causing Heero and Sakura to falter and stop. As the white light disappeared it was replaced by two figures. Each was cloaked and hooded in a different color. One was dressed in white and the other in black. The white figure had its staff raised and its eyes closed indicating it was likely the caster of the teleportation spell. Moments later another white light flashed and a similar group of white and black cloaked figures appeared. Each group moved slightly so that one group was positioned to the right of Heero and Sakura and the other to the left.

Meanwhile, Heero and Sakura were trying to determine how these wizards had found them, and also what they should do now that they had been discovered. However, their thoughts didn't get far, before a third and final bright light appeared between the two groups of mages, directly in front of the two Clow Masters. This third light was substantially brighter and covered more area than the first two and also had a bluish tint to it. When the light subsided, three figures were present in its place. The center figure, who apparently had been the caster of the teleportation spell, clearly looked to be the most powerful of the group. It also turned out that this wizard was a beautiful young looking woman dressed in a blue gown trimmed in gold with a sparkling tiara holding in place flowing blonde hair. She was flanked on either side by two more wizards, each cloaked in red.

“What do we do, Heero-kun?” asked Sakura, who was getting worried since none of the faces staring at her looked very friendly.

Before Heero could respond to Sakura, the blue robed magician spoke herself. “We knew it would be just a matter of time before someone came to help Reis. You two will give up immediately or be destroyed here and now.” To emphasize the blue wizard's point, each white mage held their staff up and began a cant, each black mage cast a small spell that caused the tip of one of the wizard's rods to light on fire, and the other to become lighting, and the two red wizards each drew swords and looked as if they were preparing for battle.

“Who is Reis?” Sakura asked Heero. In reality she knew Heero wouldn't know, but the current situation had he so scared that she wasn't really thinking straight. What Sakura didn't realize was that Heero could very clearly sense her uneasiness over the situation. He very gently placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down a bit.

“I don't know who this Reis is, but it doesn't look as if these people are in the mood to talk it out.” Heero then grasped his pendant and motioned for Sakura to do the same. “Ready?”

The gentle hand on her shoulder and the completely composed demeanor of Heero had calmed Sakura immensely. As she grasped her Clow Key, her response to Heero was in a calm and collected voice. “Hai.”

“Key that Hides the Power of the Stars/Space. Show Your True Self to Me. I Sakura/Heero Command You Under Contract. Release!”

Simultaneously, Heero and Sakura's keys transformed into their Clow items, and the couple got into ready positions and awaited the imminent attack. “So that's your answer?” said the blue wizard rhetorically. “So be it. Kill them!”

The first actions came from the two white wizards. Each magician cast a magical focus spell on each of the two black magicians in order to increase the power of their attacks. Immediately following the power-up, the black mages attacked.

“Burn amongst the fires of Hell. Flare!”

“Be struck down by the showers from Heaven. Bolt!”

Simultaneously with the attacks by the black wizards, the red magicians unleashed attacks of their own.

“Feel the weight of Earth's fury. Stone!”

“Drown in the Ocean's wrath. Flood!”

Heero and Sakura could feel that the power of the four attacks combined was immense, but the couple was also very aware of their own combined strength and so they stood their ground.

“Shield!”

“Wall!”

The couple's two defense Cards released from their Card confines and, already know what their masters wanted, immediately combined together to form a powerful defensive shield. The four incoming attacks all impacted the Wall and Shield barrier within milliseconds of each other, but each attack was either absorbed or deflected completely by the combined power of Heero and Sakura's Cards. With their Masters safe and unharmed, the Wall and Shield Cards returned to the hands of Heero and Sakura.

Needless to say, all the wizards were quite surprised that the two oddly dressed teens had been able to so easily neutralize the powerful attack. The blue magician was the only one who was not completely stunned by the power of Heero and Sakura. She was substantially more powerful and more experienced than the other wizards with her, so her abilities had allowed her to sense more of the depth of the power of the two trespassing teenagers. She was not particularly surprised that the couple's defensive power had defeated her troop of wizards' offensive attack, but she had been a bit startled that they had done so without even the slightest bit of the attack breaking through their shield. Had she been in their place, she was fairly certain she could have deflected the majority of the attack, but more likely than not, some residual energy would still get through her defense. She figured the only way they could have managed such a strong defense was if they specialized in defensive magic, and therefore probably weren't very strong offensively.

Unfortunately for the wizard, Heero and Sakura's next move proved her theory very wrong. Without hesitation, the two Clow Masters recalled their defensive cards and started their counter-attack. “Thunder!” called out Sakura as she released one of her attack cards. The lightning beast roared loudly before flying full speed toward the blue magician and her two red mage bodyguards. At the same time, Heero pulled out and released the Tsunami attack card. The giant water based Clow Card split into two on Heero's command, with each half rushing toward one set of black and white mages.

When they saw the approaching attacks, all seven magicians raised a small magical bubble around themselves to attempt to fend off the incoming power. Unfortunately for them, however, Heero and Sakura's attack cards were just too powerful. The first attack to impact was Heero's Tsunami Card. Both halves impacted the two groups of black and white magicians simultaneously with extreme force. The shields erected by the magicians did protect them for a second, but were not nearly strong enough to defend against the Clow Card. In no time at all, the Tsunami Card broke through all the magical bubbles, and effectively disabled the four mages by literally washing them off the battlefield and leaving them unconscious on the floor of the surrounding forest. Merely a split second after the Tsunami Card impacted, Sakura's Thunder Card exploded upon the protective barriers of the blue and the two red mages. The force of the explosion sent the red mages flying through the air until they unceremoniously landed on the nearby ground, but the attack wasn't quite strong enough to penetrate the blue wizard's defenses. The shield constructed by the blue magician was substantially more powerful than those of her underlings, and it had been able to effectively reflect the incoming lightning bolts away from the caster.

When the attack stopped, the blue magician lowered her shield and took a look around at her troupe of unconscious mages before staring back at Heero and Sakura with a frown. “You win this round,” she spat out. “But we will defeat Reis, and I promise to take care of you two personally.” Then with a snap of her fingers, the entire area lit up a bright white, and in an instant the blue magician and all six of her followers vanished from the scene.

After the commotion was finally finished, Heero and Sakura looked to each other in confusion. “What is going on here?” Sakura asked, even though she was certain Heero didn't have any idea, but just needed to voice her sense of being completely lost.

“I'm not sure,” answered Heero. “But it looks like we've gotten in the middle of some type of dispute.”

“So what do we do?” asked Sakura. “We don't even know how to get home, or what we got in the middle of, and that strong magical presence is still out there.” As she was talking, Sakura's body started trembling and her eyes began to water.

“Shh,” consoled Heero as he gently pulled Sakura in close to his body and allowed her to cry softly in his chest. “I promise you that we'll find a way home. Plus, I don't think we actually have to worry about the magical presence.” When Heero said this, Sakura looked up at him with eyes that still had tears in them, but were more curious than anything else. Heero gently brushed the tears from his girlfriend's face and continued. “I think the presence we have been feeling is actually a culmination of many magical presences. It seems as though this age is full of magicians, and I have a hunch that since we are not used to being around such a large number of people with magical power, that our senses are simply lumping it all together as a single source. That is why we haven't been able to identify a position.”

“You are exactly correct,” said a voice from behind Heero. He immediately spun around and pointed his sword at the offender, in preparation for an attack. The stranger didn't flinch at Heero's quick switch to hostility, but instead calmly lifted one hand to show he meant no harm. “Please,” he continued. “I am not here to fight you. In fact I was hoping you would come with me and I might be able to help explain the situation.”

“What makes you think you can trust us?” asked Heero.

“Because I have been expecting you,” answered the man. “You are the two Clow Masters.”

This incited an obvious look of shock on both Sakura and Heero's faces. They both stared at the stranger, looking for some type of reaction, but he simply stood by with his unwavering gaze. “Who are you?” Sakura finally asked.

“My name is Reis. Reis Reed.”

“Reis……Reed?” stuttered Sakura.

Reis made a very slight nod of his head. “Please, if you would follow me, we have much to discuss.” Not even waiting for an answer, Reis turned around and started to regally walk back toward his house. Heero and Sakura could only stare in disbelief at the retreating back of the stranger who introduced himself as a member of the Reed family. Both had a bunch of questions in their minds, and weren't quite sure if they should trust Reis, but they determined they had no other real options and so they slowly followed him toward his home. As they got closer to their destination, both Sakura and Heero began to feel a strange magical energy. Neither of them could place precisely where the feeling was coming from, nor figure out exactly what the feeling was. It didn't take long before it became obvious to the couple where the energy they were feeling was coming from. A few feet from the house, Reis came to a stop, closed his eyes, and placed his hand in front of him. His palm radiated a slight golden color until suddenly an opaque dome could be seen surrounding the area. It flickered for just a moment before a person sized hole in the dome opened in front of Reis' position. Keeping his glowing hand at the hole's opening, Reis opened his eyes, moved to the side, and motioned to Heero and Sakura. “Please enter. We can talk inside.”

Heero and Sakura were still feeling a little apprehension at the situation, so were quite wary as they approached the protective dome. However, since they had no other real options available to them, the two teens cautiously walked through the opening and then followed Reis to his home after he closed the barrier behind them. As they entered Reis' residence, the first thought that came to Sakura's mind was how nice his home was. The furniture and decorations were beautiful, with nothing being overly extravagant, but the most noticeable thing about the place was the feeling she got when standing inside it. Maybe it was the enchanting artwork on the walls, or perhaps it was the residual magical energy encompassing the area, but the second she stepped through the front door, she instantly felt much more at ease.

“Please have a seat,” said Reis as he motioned toward a simple yet comfortable looking couch. “I will bring you some tea and then I promise to explain everything I can.”

As Reis retreated to the kitchen, Heero and Sakura made their way to the offered seat, finally recalling their weapons in the process. “Do you think we can trust him?” questioned Sakura.

“I'm not sure,” answered Heero. “But he did know about us being the Clow Card Masters, and based on his family name, it sounds as though he may be related to Clow, so while we may not be able to trust him, we should at least hear what he has to say.”

“I am glad you feel that way,” heard Heero and Sakura from their left. They turned their heads to find Reis holding a tray of tea along with some milk and sugar and some tea cookies. It was the second time Reis had snuck up on them, and Heero couldn't help but be a little impressed at the man's stealth abilities. “With the amount of power you two have, it would be very dangerous if you were overly trusting or overly critical.” Reis put down the tray he was holding and took a seat opposite Sakura and Heero. “Now, what would you like to know first?”

Heero and Sakura glanced briefly at each other, silently deciding what to ask first. “First of all,” began Heero. “How did you know who we are?”

“I believe I can answer that,” interrupted a striking elegant woman with long black hair and beautiful pale skin. She rounded the corner and entered the room carrying what looked to be a bundle of blankets or sheets in her arms.

“This is my wife, Ayla,” introduced Reis.

“As I was saying,” continued Ayla. “The reason my husband knew your titles were because of me. I come from a family prominently known for our magical powers of vision and time. Very recently, I saw in my dreams the appearance of two stars from the future, bearing the titles of Masters of the Clow Cards.”

“Based on your family name,” said Sakura. “It sounds as though you may be related to Clow. Is that how you knew what the Clow Cards are?”

“Actually, we don't really know what the Clow Cards are,” answered Reis. “But after watching your battle, I believe I can guess.”

“And as for Clow Reed himself,” resumed Ayla. “There is someone I would like to introduce you to.” Ayla carefully pulled one blanket from her bundle to the side, and to Heero and Sakura's surprise, a young child was peacefully sleeping in the beautiful woman's arms. “I would like to introduce you to my son, Clow Reed.”

Again, for the countlessth time, Heero and Sakura found themselves speechless. In all the possible scenarios they had conceived in their minds, none had come close to the truth. “How old is he?” asked Sakura as the initial shock began to wear off and she realized how cute baby Clow looked.

“Almost two weeks,” answered Ayla. “Would you like to hold him?”

Sakura's eyes lit up at the prospect. Like most girls, Sakura loved babies. “Can I?”

Ayla smiled warmly at the bright eyed teenager, and carefully passed over her sleeping son, watching Sakura gently cradle baby Clow Reed in her arms against her chest. Sakura smiled down at the still sleeping baby as he grabbed two small fistfuls of Sakura's shirt and cuddled up to the warmth of Sakura's body. “By the way,” said Sakura as she looked up from Clow. “Who were those people that attacked us?”

“They are the King's sorcerers,” answered Reis. “The leader, the Blue Magician, is named Nadia. She is powerful, but has yet to reach her full potential. The others with her are some of her underlings. Individually they are not nearly as powerful as Nadia, but they have a lot of experience, both individually and as a team, making them very dangerous. Also under the King's command is another attack magician, the Green Magician, and the Yellow Magician, who has similar powers to that of my wife.”

“You seem to know a lot of details about these magicians,” commented Heero when Reis paused in his explanations.

“That is because I used to be the King's Blue Magician,” answered Reis. “Nadia was my apprentice, and a very good one too. She has so much potential, and was learning and progressing at an ever increasing pace, which is why she became my replacement, despite the fact that she is young and still less powerful than the Green Magician.”

“Why did you stop being the Blue Magician?” questioned Sakura.

“It sounds as though your work was not yet complete,” continued Heero.

“I do not miss my position as head of the King's sorcerers,” said Reis. “However, I would have liked to finish training Nadia. Her powers could very likely have surpassed my own, something that would have made me very proud. As for why I left, that will take a little explaining.” Reis paused shortly before continuing his explanations. “Before I explain why I had to leave my duties, it sounds as though sorcerers, and even magic in general, are a rarity in your world. As you can see, that is not the case here. Magic is such commonplace in this time, we created a scale for how powerful someone is. There are eight different magic classes: N, D, F, C, B, A, S, and Z. The N class is where the majority of people fall. It is basically the population that has no magic potential. The D class is the group who have at least some docile magic potential, but have not yet developed or shown any of it. This class consists mostly of young children who have not yet begun any training. The F and C classes are considered on an even field, but their powers are substantially different. The F class magicians aren't really magicians. They are actually physical fighters who use their limited abilities to enhance their fighting skills. The C class is filled with magicians with relatively low magical power, and can mostly only use their magic to perform simple healing techniques and limited telekinetic abilities. The B, A, and S classes are all filled with sorcerers that can perform many types of abilities. The B class is more powerful than both the C and F classes, and A is stronger than B, and S is more powerful than A. I, myself, are considered a middle ranked S class, while Nadia is somewhere around a high A, and her troop of magicians are all probably varying levels of B.”

“What rank are you, Ayla-san?” questioned Sakura.

“Like my husband, I am considered an S class magician,” answered Ayla. “However, within the S class itself, Reis is substantially higher than I.”

“This still doesn't explain why you wouldn't stay the Blue Magician,” said Heero.

“There is a single law in this time that is more important and more strictly enforced than anything else,” responded Reis. “This law states that under absolutely no circumstances are two S class magicians to ever conceive a child.”

“And as you know,” continued Ayla. “We broke this rule and had our son, Clow.”

“Needless to say,” said Reis. “After being the first ones to break this sacred rule, we could no longer stay in the King's service.”

“Why did you put yourselves at so much risk?” questioned Sakura with a look of sympathy on her face.

“I love my wife,” answered Reis. “I am willing to take on any danger and hardships to be with her.”

“Why aren't two S class magicians allowed to have a child?” asked Heero.

“I know you noticed that I said there were eight magic classes,” said Reis as he looked at Heero. “But I have only explained seven of them so far.” Heero nodded. “The last class is the Z class. This level of power not only doesn't exist as of yet, but is also forbidden to ever exist in the future.”

“There is an ancient legend,” said Ayla, “That says a person with a power level that high will create an imbalance in the world. Not just an imbalance of political strength, but an actual imbalance in the space and time surrounding the world itself.”

“There are two directions the imbalance can go,” continued Reis. “The way of good, or the way of evil. A sorcerer with such power on the side of good would be a great asset to the world, however, in all likeliness, a true Z class sorcerer would walk the path of evil.”

“Evil is the easier path for any sorcerer to walk,” explained Ayla. “The more power a magician possesses, the stronger the pull to the dark world is. Every sorcerer who can finally pass the barrier between being an A class to becoming an S class must face what we call the Trial of Darkness. Unfortunately, very few magicians manage to pass the test, which is why S class magicians are a rarity in the world. The Trial itself is an internal struggle between the heart, the mind, and the spirit. To reach the S class, one must find a way to unite all three governing powers over one's magic.”

“The easiest way to pass the trial is to force the heart, mind, and spirit down the path of darkness and destruction. I'm sure you can guess the result of that. The other way is to go down the path of good. This is extraordinarily difficult compared to the way of evil, and takes most people years to complete the journey. Based on the difficulty of passing between the A and S levels, it can only be that much harder and more dangerous to reach class Z.”

“Before you ask your next question,” interjected Ayla. “May I ask the two of you a question of my own?”

“Of course,” answered Sakura. “You both have been very helpful by answering our questions.”

“I know your titles as Master and Mistress of the Clow Cards,” said Ayla. “But I do not know your actual names.”

“Oh!” exclaimed Sakura in surprise. “I'm sorry. My name is Kinomoto Sakura, and this is Heero Yuy.”

“Thank you, Kinomoto-san,” replied Ayla. “Now, what else would you like to know?”

“Can you tell us what class Sakura and myself would be considered?” asked Heero.

“I have actually been attempting to discern that very fact ever since I met you both,” answered Reis. “My magical senses are telling me you both are middle level S class magicians, but being so powerful at such a young age as you two is unheard of. And that isn't even the strangest thing. It also feels as though you both have exactly the same amount of power. Usually only twins are even anywhere close to having the same power levels, but even in that case there is always a noticeable discrepancy. But with the two of you, I don't believe any differences would be found, no matter how closely one looks.”

“So what does that signify?” asked Heero.

“In truth, I do not know,” answered Reis. “As I said, it is almost inconceivable for two people to have the same power level and type, especially considering you two aren't related by blood. If you are with us long enough, I will try to find some information for you.”

“I have a question,” voiced Sakura. “How can we be S class magicians if we never faced that Trial you were talking about.”

“From what I can sense from you both,” said Ayla, “It feels as though your heart, mind, and spirit are all in harmony, and thankfully on the side of good. This means you must have passed the Trial.”

“I suppose it is possible you faced the Trial and didn't even realize it,” thought Reis aloud. “Try to think back. Was there ever a time when you had to change or increase your power just through concentration?”

Sakura and Heero both tried to recall all their magical escapades, trying to determine which situation fit with Reis' parameters. Despite the fact that Sakura had much more experience in dealing with magic, Heero was actually the one who first figured out the point in time they each became S class sorcerers. “It was when we first changed a Clow Card to be driven off our own power,” stated Heero. “I have only been doing magic for six or seven months, but I'm sure that was it.”

“You haven't been trained in magic since birth?” exclaimed Reis, showing a look of complete disbelief on his previously unreadable face. “How could you have reached S after only training for seven months?”

“Actually,” said Heero. “If I really am correct about when I faced the S class ordeal, I became an S class magician after training for about three months.”

“And I faced my Trial about seven years ago, when I was still eleven years old,” added Sakura.

“So you became an S level magician by age eleven,” confirmed Ayla while looking at Sakura. She then turned her head toward Heero. “And you after training for only three months.” Heero and Sakura both nodded. Ayla just smiled at the couple. “You two are quite amazing.”

“And quite a puzzle,” interrupted Reis. “The two of you have defied a number of magical laws. Before you, time travel through the use of magic was deemed impossible. Time vision is fairly common, but never travel. Secondly is your power comparison. Never before have I seen two powers of exactly the same strength and type in to different individuals. Finally, although I have a feeling I will find more the longer you stay, is your abilities to become S class so easily. If you were from our time, you would already be legends.”

“How ironic,” said Heero to Sakura via their telepathic link. “To be called a legend, when my whole life I have been taught to do my mission without anyone knowing I was ever involved.”

“I always had to hide my ability to use magic too,” commented Sakura. “It is strange being in a world where using magic is simply ordinary.” To make sure not to offend their hosts by appearing to not be paying attention, Sakura said her next thought aloud. “I wonder if Syaoran and Ami-chan are S class magicians too.”

“These two are also powerful magicians?” asked Ayla.

“Hai,” answered Sakura. “Li Syaoran of China's Li Clan, and Mizuno Ami, also known as Sailor Mercury.”

“You all must be an amazing group in the future,” said Ayla with a laugh.

“The Li Clan has probably the largest number of S and A class sorcerers of any family or clan, and your other friend I assume is part of the second generation Senshi.”

“The second generation Senshi?” asked Heero.

“Correct. I do not know the extent of the details your friend has explained to you, but the Sailor Senshi are guardians of a world called the Moon Kingdom. The Moon Kingdom is an extraordinary place, full of magical energy, that exists somewhere within the gap between this world and a parallel universe. The Kingdom first passed through the rift into this dimension three generations ago, but unfortunately the Earth thought the powerful and mysterious world was a danger and attacked. Both the Moon and Earth received heavy damages from the war before it ended when the Moon Kingdom drifted back into the gap. Before they left, however, the Queen of the Moon gave an important message to a select few people of the Earth opposed to the war. She said that in two centuries, the Moon Kingdom would again cross into our universe, and hoped these people could keep another war from breaking out when the time came. This is exceedingly important, because this time the Moon's entrance into our dimension will be of a much more permanent nature. This time the time-space of the Moon Kingdom will become permanently linked with our own, creating a single combined universe. She also said that before that time, a second generation of the Moon's most powerful warriors, the Sailor Senshi, would emerge on the Earth. These warriors would contain a spirit from the Moon World, but a body from our world. The purpose of this second generation was never explained, but it was speculated that the merging of a Moon spirit with an Earth body is the first step before the full integration between the two worlds.”

“How do you know so much about the Moon Kingdom and the Sailor Senshi?” asked Sakura.

“My ancestor was one of the few people contacted by the Queen,” answered Reis. “Ayla's ancestor was actually another one contacted, and I would guess at least one member of the Li Clan must have been told as well.”

“That explains why the Li Clan was so accepting of Ami-san,” supposed Heero. “I know I have only been associated with the family for a short time, but there are certain aspects of their Clan philosophies that are very easy to determine. The one guide they seem to follow above all else is the privacy of their Clan. The fact that the eldest and wisest of the Clan members were so quick to allow the relationship between Li and Ami-san, and even hinted at marriage and children, showed that there must have been another hidden driving factor behind their actions.”

“So you think the Elders liked Ami-chan not only because of her magical potential, like they said, but also to help the cause of avoiding a war?”

Heero nodded. “Plus, if the Moon Kingdom has as much magical energy as it sounds, they probably saw limitless possibilities of the combined powers of the strongest Li family member with a pure spirit of one of the Moon Kingdom's greatest warriors.”

“But why didn't they explain all of this to us before?”

“Probably for the sake of your Senshi friend,” answered Ayla.

“It is unlikely she knows all the details of her own existence,” explained Reis. “And because we don't really know the true reason either, it is probably best if she doesn't know until it is necessary.”

“I suppose it could be daunting to find out that not only can you control the powers of the Moon Kingdom, but actually have a spirit from a parallel universe.”

“Has your Senshi friend met any of the other second generation Senshi yet?” asked Reis.

“Hai,” answered Sakura. “Ami-chan said she met them all in Junior High, about five or six years ago I think. Minako-san, Sailor Venus, also goes to school with us.”

“How many other magic users are you friends with in the future?”

“That is it,” answered Heero quickly before Sakura could say anything. “Just the five of us, plus the other Senshi.” “Don't tell them about Hiiragizawa,” said Heero to Sakura telepathically. He knew Sakura would be wondering why he lied to Reis and Ayla, so he explained himself. “Hiiragizawa's situation is too closely related to this time. It is best if they don't know the details of their son's future, including Hiiragizawa, the Guardians, anything we can keep from them about the Clow Cards, and the distant relation between Li and myself with Clow Reed.”

“Hai, Heero-kun,” answered Sakura. “I will.”

“What are your plans for your situation?” asked Heero to change the subject. “You obviously can't stay here forever.”

“Our plan is to leave this Kingdom, and move to England,” answered Reis. “While my wife's family is from China, I have family in England who have began a transportation spell that is powerful enough to transport the three of us and some of our important belongings.”

“Unfortunately,” continued Ayla, “The spell must be completed on our side of the tunnel. The incantation is extremely lengthy and as you know, the King's sorcerers are all watching our every move.”

“But you have that protective dome,” said Sakura in confusion. “Can't you just do it within the shield?”

“No,” answered Ayla with a shake of her head. “In addition to being lengthy and difficult to do correctly, the incantation requires an extreme amount of magical energy to complete. The spell usually is performed by at least half a dozen magicians, but since we have only the two of us, we need all of our combined power to even have a chance at the spell succeeding.”

“Maybe we can help with the teleportation spell somehow,” offered Sakura.

“That is very kind of you,” said Ayla with a smile. “But unfortunately, I don't think it will work. As I said before, the spell is very lengthy and complicated, and since the word order, pronunciation, and timing must be exactly perfect, it takes a substantial amount of time to learn the chant.”

“What about lending you power to keep the shield up?”

“Impossible,” answered Reis. “The protection spell I used creates a very powerful barrier with minimal energy usage, however, it only works as long as I don't use any magical energy to do anything else.”

“How long exactly do you need to complete the tunnel?” asked Heero.

“Two hours to get everything in place, and exactly twenty four minutes and eighteen seconds of unprotected time to complete the chant.”

“And how many magicians does the King have available to send to try and stop you?”

“Perhaps three times as many magicians, assuming he doesn't send the palace guard, equaling at least five times as much power.”

“What about non-magical forces?”

“The King wouldn't risk sending non-magic users against us,” said Reis. “They are too easy to control with a simple spell, and so only pose a problem.” Reis paused for a moment and just looked at Heero. “What are you thinking?”

“Twenty-five minutes against five times as much power,” said Heero more to himself than anyone else. “You need twenty-five minutes, we'll get you twenty-five minutes. Sakura and I will be your shield.”

“You think you can do that?” asked Ayla in surprise.

“She has a point, Heero-kun,” said Sakura. “Are you sure we can really defeat that many sorcerers?”

“In truth,” replied Heero. “No.” Heero's telepathic response completely caught Sakura by surprise as she turned and looked wide eyed at Heero. “But I don't think we have a choice. These people are all very closely linked to our own existence, so we need to do this both for their sake, and our own futures.” “We can do it,” Heero stated aloud.

“No you can't,” countered Reis. “I've felt your energy. I've seen you fight. And you've told us how much experience you have in magic. You don't stand a chance at holding them off for that long without killing yourselves in the process.”

“I'm sorry,” said Ayla. “But we cannot allow such a risk at our expense.”

`You don't really have a choice,” stated Heero. “We are your best and only option at the moment. You need us to try.”

Ayla looked at her husband, and then back at her guests, and sighed. “You are going to do something no matter how hard we try to stop you, aren't you.”

Heero simply nodded his head, while Sakura, who found herself feeling slightly frightened at the situation she found herself in, kept her eyes downcast and held tightly to Heero's hand, showing she would do whatever Heero thought best.

“Then at the very least,” said Ayla. “Let us help you a little first.”

Sakura raised her gaze when she heard that. “What do you mean?”

“It is easy to tell that despite how powerful you both are already,” said Reis, “Neither of you are close to your full potential.” This was something Heero and Sakura both already knew thanks to the Li Clan, so they both waited patiently for Reis to continue. “Reaching one's full potential is something every magician must accomplish on their own. However, there is a spell that, for the both of you, should give you at least a small power jump.”

“There is a small risk involved with doing this, however,” warned Ayla. “You both possess power that is unexplainable by our current knowledge and experience. Because of that, we are not sure how much your power may jump, and you could very well reach a level of magical power neither your body or your mind will be ready for.”

“You mean you are worried the boost will push us to the Z class barrier,” stated Heero.

Reis nodded. “It is unlikely, but not out of the question.”

“Then in that case,” said Heero. “Do me first.” Heero looked Sakura straight in the eye. “I don't want anything happening to her.”

“No,” said Sakura. “I will not let you take the risk alone.”

“You are much more important to the future than I am,” replied back Heero. “You cannot take such a risk.”

“Your future is just as important as mine,” countered Sakura. “So don't you dare say your future isn't important.”

“Please,” interrupted Ayla. “Please don't argue.”

“It will take a few days for Ayla to prepare you for the spell anyway,” said Reis. “In the meantime, make yourselves at home, and feel free to go outdoors, as long as you stay within the protective barrier. Since I cannot use magic while the barrier is up, I will try to find some more information on your second generation Senshi friend.”

Heero and Sakura stood and tanked their hosts with a bow, before going outside for some air while Ayla and Reis started working on getting ready for the power increase spell.

“I'm sorry, Sakura-chan,” said Heero when they were alone. He then pulled her into a light embrace and gently kissed her forehead. “I just don't want anything to happen to you.”

“I'm flattered that you are so worried about me,” replied Sakura as she pulled Heero tighter and rested her head against his chest. “But you don't have to protect me all the time, and this is something we both need to do.”

“Hai,” answered Heero quietly before capturing her lips for along and tender kiss. “Together.”

Seven days after first meeting the parents of Clow Reed, the time came for the two Clow Masters to attempt their raise in power. Ayla had originally predicted to be prepared for the spell a couple days earlier, but since Heero and Sakura decided to do it together, it had taken her an extra while to finish. Meanwhile, Reis had been spending hours within his library, looking through his books, personal notes, and family journals, for any information he could find on the war with the Moon Kingdom and the second generation of Sailor Senshi. Unfortunately, he had only found mostly historical accounts of the war, none of which said anything important about the Senshi.

The usually inseparable Heero and Sakura, had actually spent a large portion of the last week apart. Since Ayla and Reis were spending so much time preparing everything, the duty of taking care of baby Clow Reed had fallen to Sakura. Not that taking care of the baby even felt like a chore to Sakura. She thoroughly enjoyed taking care of the infant and proved that one day she would be an excellent mother.

It wasn't that Heero disliked children or anything, but he decided his time would be better used preparing for the fight he was soon bound to face. Coming from the future gave Heero a small advantage over his opponents, for he had an extra few hundred years of information on war, weapons, and tactics he could employ to help. After erecting the Wall Card to keep any prying eyes from seeing what he was planning, Heero set to work. Knowing his battlefield was a great help to Heero. He made sure to use every hill, crest, peak, and hole to his advantage. With Reis' teachings and magic spells books, Heero found ways to combine new age weapons he was able to construct, with magical power. These hybrid weapons, which were mostly crude landmine type devices, were strategically placed, and camouflaged with their magic power hidden with seals provided by Reis.

The only real times Heero and Sakura spent together was when they were sleeping at night, and when they were training. In terms of magical training, Heero did a bit more than Sakura. Heero extensively practiced the wind spell the Li Clan had taught him, as well as changing the Ice and Angel Cards so he could use them if necessary in combat. While Heero usually trained with Syaoran in hand to hand combat on a daily basis, Sakura really didn't have such a consistent schedule. Since they knew that even if the power increase did work they would still have a difficult battle ahead of them, Heero helped Sakura with her hand to hand fighting. They both hoped the fight wouldn't come to that, but practiced anyway, just in case. Since Sakura's previous instructor in conventional martial arts was Syaoran, her form was very different from Heero's. However, Heero knew so much about fighting, he easily found ways to incorporate a different style into Sakura's. Had Sakura been a master like Syaoran, the hybrid fighting style would not have been possible, but since her training was incomplete, Heero filled in a few of the holes in her defenses. Sakura turned out to be an excellent student, and by the end of the week, she had actually developed a few moves herself for her newly invented style of martial arts.

But all that preparation was for backup and emergencies. They all knew their only realistic chance of surviving was for the spell to increase Heero's and Sakura's power, to work.

“Are you both ready?” asked Ayla. Heero and Sakura were both kneeling in front of Ayla within a very intricate magical power net, while Reis, holding baby Clow, stood by watching from the doorway. Heero, who was holding Sakura's hand to help keep her calm, gave it one last squeeze for luck before letting go. Both teens nodded that they were ready and then closed their eyes and tried to clear their minds. “If this works, usually the unconsciousness lasts around twelve hours. I will be starting with Heero, and then I will do you, Sakura. But remember, since this is a joint preparation, you must still keep your mind clear while I'm working on Heero.”

“Hai, Ayla-san,” answered Sakura.

Ayla closed her eyes, placed her hands in front of Heero, and concentrated her energy. “Spirits of the heavens and the earth. Lend me your power that I may enchant the power of another. Let the great circle of energy continue on it's righteous path and guide us our the path to destiny.”

The moment Ayla spoke the final word of the chant, a small amount of energy left her hands and surrounded Heero. Ayla opened her eyes to determine if Heero's spirit would accept the beginning part of the spell, but received an extreme shock when she saw what had happened. As planned, a thin sapphire blue energy was surrounding Heero's body, but to her surprise, the same blue energy was already around Sakura, and there were two thin energy lines connecting the two Clow Masters. Ayla didn't quite know what to make of the situation, but it appeared that starting the transformation in Heero, triggered the same change to occur in Sakura. Not knowing what else to do, Ayla quickly got up and got out of the spell area and stood next to her husband.

A few moments later, the energy net within the room began shifting and circling the area. It was a beautiful sight, watching the countless energy rays circle the room in two symmetric intricate patters around Heero and Sakura. During this time, neither Sakura nor Heero moved a muscle. Even their heart and breathing rates had dropped to minimal life sustaining levels.

“I don't understand what happened,” commented Ayla to her husband.

“I think I do,” replied Reis. “Their magic is linked. When one's magic changes, so does the other. That explains why their powers are exactly the same, and also why when you started the spell on Heero, it began in Sakura at the same moment. It could also be the reason they can use telepathy without using magical energy.”

“Should we tell them their telepathic connection is not totally secure?” asked Ayla.

“No,” answered Reis. “They have been trying very hard to keep us from finding out about our future, and I don't want them knowing it has all been for naught. Besides, they are in a strange place with no way home, and I think their connection gives them a small sense of security, that we shouldn't take away from them.” Reis then handed his wife their son and gave her a kiss. “I'll take the first watch. You go rest for a while.”

Ayla nodded and then went upstairs to spend some quality time with her son and catch up on some of the rest she had lost over the past week.

~~~~~Dream World~~~~~

Sakura awoke to find herself standing all alone in an endless wide open field with bright green grass spotted with occasional clumps of colorful flowers. The air was crisp and clean, with a gentle breeze brushing lightly across her skin and through her hair. The pure white summer dress she was wearing flowed angelically around her body in the wind. The only indication she was no longer in the real world was the pattern of swirling sapphire streaks filling the cloudless sky. Sakura didn't know, but the streaks in the sky were the exact mirror image of the intricate energy net pattern currently sweeping around Heero and herself in house of Reis and Ayla Reed. She gazed into the distance and saw a figure slowly heading in her direction. Since the person was so far away, all Sakura saw was a black shadow, but as they got closer, Sakura could easily determine the person was Heero.

Heero was dressed in black pants, a black long sleeve shirt, and wearing a pair of wrap-around sunglasses. He was not smiling, just walking straight forward looking completely serious. It was a look that had shown up on Heero's face often back at the beginning of the school year and before, but had mostly disappeared when Sakura was around. Despite the fact that Sakura always felt safe and secure when Heero was around, because he looked so serious and there was nobody else present, she began to get a little frightened. She did not feel like she was necessarily in any danger, just slightly nervous.

Without breaking stride and without needing to chant, Heero's Clow Sword suddenly appeared in a flash of black light. Holding the sword, which had changed slightly and now had a black handle and a blade that looked black but gleamed red, at his side, a strange black aura surrounded his body. As the aura grew, a chill ran through Sakura's spine, and she found herself unable to move. All she could do was stare in utter confusion as a smile crept across Heero's face. Not his usual smile, which usually served to relax her, but more of an evil grin that scared her to the core.

“Heero-kun?” stammered Sakura.

“You are so weak,” replied Heero, the grin never leaving his face. “And in this world, the weak are dealt with swiftly.” Heero then pointed his sword straight at Sakura, and at the tip of the weapon, a black energy ball began to form.

Sakura tried with all her might to break free of whatever was holding her in place, but her muscles just refused to cooperate. Just as Heero was about to fire the deadly energy attack, a flash of white came streaking through the air and impacted Heero right on the side of his head, sending him flying in a corkscrew motion through the air. The white streak that saved Sakura turned out to be a person, who landed in a crouch right in the spot Heero had just been vacated from. Much to Sakura's surprise, the person who saved her turned out to be another Heero, this one dressed in white pants and a perfect fitting sleeveless white shirt. Sakura never even had a chance to open her mouth to speak before the new Heero raised his arms in a guarding position just in time to get struck by a black flash, which sent him sliding face first along the ground in Sakura's direction. Before coming to a stop, Heero used his arm strength to flip himself to his feet, standing next to Sakura. He was a little beat up, but overall, didn't look too badly hurt or anything.

“Heero-kun?” asked Sakura, a little too confused to really trust in anything at the moment.

“It's me,” replied Heero, who looked down at Sakura and gave her a slight smile to help reassure her.

“What's going on?”

“It seems we are in some type of dream or spirit world,” answered Heero. “And it appears that another version of each of us wants us dead.”

“Each of us?”

“Hai. Look behind you.”

Sakura turned around to find a mirror image of herself, wearing a black halter top and matching black pants, grinning back at her with the same evil grin that had been on the darkly dressed Heero's face.

“They are different from us though,” warned Heero. “I have been fighting that one for the last few minutes, and she is substantially more powerful, both magically and physically, than either of us. I can only assume the other version of me is the same.” Almost as if on cue, the dark Heero and dark Sakura each charged, coming in from opposite sides of the normal Heero and Sakura. “You take you, and I'll take me,” said Heero as he ran off to face the other version of himself.

While Heero charged into what looked like was going to be a hand to hand fight, Sakura stood her ground and began concentrating her magical energies. “Key that Hides the Power of the Stars. Show Your True Self to Me. I, Sakura Command You Under Contract. Release!” Sakura's wand appeared in her hand in a flash of light, just like always, however, when her aura began to form and she prepared to attack, the darker version of herself, without breaking stride, raised a palm to face Sakura and released a small sonic boom, somehow managing to blow her aura away and keeping her from powering up. Sakura tried one more time to use her magic, but again her opponent released another sonic boom that swept away her magic. Before she could think of anything, the dark Sakura was already on top of her, ready to strike. With no magic, all Sakura could do was execute a hasty dodge to defend herself. She just managed to duck out of the way of a swift roundhouse kick and raised an arm to deflect the follow-up backhand strike. Sakura's troubles didn't end there, as her opponent continued the assault. The dark Sakura's attacks were so fast and precise, Sakura wasn't even able to cleanly block them all, let alone manage to get off a shot of her own. Sakura was extremely glad she had had at least been able to release her Star Wand, since it gave her at least the slightest defensive advantage.

Meanwhile, Heero was having no better luck in his fight. His darker counterpart proved to be noticeably stronger and faster than he was. The other Heero also seemed to possess all the fighting knowledge he had as well, which meant that combined with his heightened speed and strength, his attack and defensive fighting styles were almost perfect. There was one difference between Heero and Sakura's situations. This was that while Sakura hadn't even been able to execute a single attack, Heero had gotten in a couple of clean shots against his enemy. The only bad thing was, that to get those attacks in, Heero had taken quite a beating. The strikes Heero had made contact with were virtually unblockable, but weren't the most powerful of attacks and left the attacker very vulnerable to any opponent who was strong enough not to get knocked down. The result of using these movies on an enemy who's defensive capabilities were just as heightened as his offensive ones, was receiving numerous hits on the exposed area of the body. And this was exactly what happened to Heero. Heero had been struck so hard and often that had he had a pain tolerance of a normal person, he would most definitely have already passed out.

For Heero, however, he was more worried about Sakura than the beating he was taking himself. He wanted desperately to look over his shoulder and see how Sakura was fairing in her fight, but knew if his concentration wandered for just a split second he would be finished.

It was probably better, for Heero's sake, that he couldn't see Sakura's fight, for it would have most definitely distracted him greatly. The dark Sakura had released her own wand in an instantaneous flash of light, taking away Sakura's one small advantage. The momentum now completely in the favor of the dark Sakura, regular Sakura found herself getting even more and more desperate. So desperate in fact, she found herself contemplating attempting a martial arts move she had seen Syaoran execute once, but had never even thought of doing herself. However, at the moment it seemed that she had to try something outrageous, otherwise she would eventually slip, and then she would loose. Her mind finally made up, she had only to wait for an opportunity. When the dark Sakura let loose a head level roundhouse kick, Sakura saw her chance. Instead of raising an arm or stepping back to avoid the kick, Sakura dropped down, face heading toward the ground, and began her attack. She quickly pulled her legs into her body and used her stomach muscles to begin a forward roll. When she was in the right position, she used all the arm strength she could to pop up feet first from the ground, and extended her legs to catch her unsuspecting opponent off guard with a two-footed kick to the jaw.

Sakura had put all her strength into the kick, and that, combined with the fact that the move was nowhere in Sakura's normal repertoire and so caught her enemy by complete surprise, had been enough to lift the darker Sakura off the ground and sailing backwards. Having finally gotten some space between herself and her dark copy, Sakura was not going to waste the opportunity. She immediately popped back to her feet and began building her magical power. Unfortunately, what Sakura didn't realize was that the dark Sakura, while she was caught by surprise, was still in full control of her flip. Before Sakura could use any magic, Clow Card or otherwise, dark Sakura torqued her body around and before her feet even hit the ground, she fired another magical energy draining shot. However, instead of following the sonic wave with a physical onslaught like before, she fired a magical energy ball. Like regular Sakura, dark Sakura's magic was her strong suit compared to her martial arts skills. She had been fighting hand to hand for her own amusement, much like how a cat toys with a mouse before eating it. But after the mouse struck back, dark Sakura no longer got enjoyment from the torture.

The change in attitude of dark Sakura spelled trouble for regular Sakura. The energy ball fired by dark Sakura, which was a mix of wind, fire, and ice energies, shot through the air at extreme speed, and with her magic diffused again, Sakura didn't have the time or ability to effectively block the attack. The result of only being able to guard with her arm, was extreme pain. In all her years of fighting Clow Cards and other strange occurrences, Sakura had, surprisingly, never really been seriously injured. She'd had her power drained and received numerous bumps, cuts, and bruises, but nothing really severe. Because of this, she really wasn't prepared for the excruciating pain caused by the attack. The impact alone sent Sakura flying through the air, but that was the least of Sakura's worries. The vacuum created by the tornado wind energy ripped the skin on her arm to shreds, and the pain sensations created by instantaneous combined freezing and burning was more intense than anything Sakura could have possibly imagined. Sakura didn't even think to brace herself as she landed hard on her back on the ground. All her mind could comprehend was trying to dull the pain from her severely injured forearm, from which her bright red blood was steadily flowing.

Heero didn't see Sakura get shot with the powerful energy ball, nor did he hear her scream in complete agony. However, he felt it. He felt it in his mind. He felt it in his heart. He felt it in his spirit. He felt her pain, her fear, and her suffering. In a flash before his eyes came an image of Sakura, tears streaming down her face, lying on the ground clutching her bleeding arm. In the vision, Heero could see the pain in Sakura's expression, and the sight removed any and all restraints surrounding Heero's power. His whole body erupted, creating a magnificent white energy flame that engulfed the entire area around him. Unfortunately for the dark Heero, he was caught in too close proximity to Heero when he exploded, and so disintegrated in a cloud of black smoke by the power of Heero's energy.

The giant flame of Heero's power only lasted a moment before his aura returned to its normal size, but the pain and anger still burned strongly in Heero's unforgiving stare. Without so much as a word, Heero moved into a position right at dark Sakura's back. His speed had increased so dramatically, it appeared that he had disappeared and then suddenly reappeared in his current position, leaving the dark Sakura no time to react. Heero placed a hand on each of dark Sakura's shoulders, and within moments, Heero's power surged again, and much like his own dark counterpart, dark Sakura was erased from existence in a cloud of black smoke.

Heero quickly made his way over to Sakura's position and gently cradled the girl, who had passed out from the pain in her arm, in his strong arms. However, as soon as Sakura's body came in contact with his own, something began to happen to Heero's power. Uncontrolled by himself, Heero's aura began to manifest itself. Suddenly, a large amount of Heero's energy shot from his body and hovered in the air as a perfectly formed white energy ball. The sphere floated unmoving for only a moment before it began to pulsate. The frequency of the pulses of the energy sphere steadily increased until it reached a critical level and then the ball flashed a blinding light. When the light subsided, the sphere that had previously been Heero's white energy, was now radiating the same gleaming silver energy that was the representation of the combined auras of the two Clow Masters. The ball hung in the air for an instant before streaking back down towards its creator. Heero instinctively assumed the energy was heading for him, considering it came from his body in the first place, so was caught a little off guard when the ball streaked past his face and straight into the chest area of Sakura. His first reaction to the scene was that he was afraid his energy had just done something harmful to the girl lying in his arms, for when the energy struck Sakura, her body jolted up momentarily, as if she were just electrocuted. However, Heero's fears were quickly put to rest when Sakura's body began to radiate her familiar pink aura and her eyes fluttered open.

“Heero-kun?” said Sakura in a voice no louder than a whisper.

“Hai, Sakura-chan. I'm right here.” Heero gently ran his fingers through Sakura's silky auburn locks, immensely glad she seemed to be alright. “How's your injury?”

Sakura, who was still taking a little time to clear her head, had almost completely forgotten about her wound. She slowly brought her arm up to her face and was astonished to see an odd spiral of pink, white, and silver energies encircling her forearm. Surprisingly, Sakura found that her arm, which had previously hurt so terribly she couldn't bear it, no longer held any pain. In fact, as she looked a little closer, it appeared as though her arm was actually healing itself. The injury was no longer seeping blood, and the burn marks were slowly beginning to fade. Sakura watched in awe at the sight of regeneration of her wounded forearm. She even maneuvered her arm in various directions to make sure she wasn't seeing some type of illusion. Heero, too, was quite fascinated at the sight of Sakura's arm being healed by the magical aura surrounding it, but found himself a little more amused at watching Sakura's reaction to the spectacle. She seemed so intrigued at the situation involving her arm, that she hardly seemed to notice anything else around her. It wasn't long before Sakura's arm was fully healed and the spiraling magical aura dissolved. When her source of amusement disappeared, Sakura finally started to come back to reality.

“What happened, Heero-kun?” queried Sakura. “The last thing I remember was fighting against myself and getting hurt.” Sakura paused for a moment before continuing. “But now my arm doesn't hurt anymore, and my magic feels a little funny.”

“Truthfully,” answered Heero. “I don't know. My memory of the past few moments feels like a blur for some reason.”

“It's because this world is not reality,” came a voice that seemed to come from all directions. Both Sakura and Heero could recognize the voice, but for some reason neither of them could quite place it.

“Who's there?” asked Sakura.

“Show yourself,” added Heero.

Noticing some movement out of the corner of their eyes, Heero and Sakura both turned around to find the figure of Li Yelan, Syaoran's mother, standing behind them.

“Li-sama?” questioned Sakura, now even more confused than ever.

“No,” answered Yelan. “I am nothing more than a physical representation of the one you both know as Li Yelan. I chose this form because in each of your minds, this was one person you both know and respect.”

“Then who are you?” questioned Heero.

“I am nothing,” she answered. “I am a part of the minds of both of you.”

“What are you doing here?” Heero continued.

“I am here to inform you of something you both already know, but also don't know.”

“That doesn't make sense,” said Sakura, extremely confused at the situation.

“Everything I can say, is something you already know; you may simply be unaware you know.”

“So you are supposed to represent our unconscious mind?” clarified Heero.

“Not exactly. I represent what you know in your spirit, not your mind.”

“In our spirit?”

“It is the spirit, not the mind, that understands one's magic the best. The mind is limited by what is expected and what can be determined through the five senses, but the spirit is where all one's magic resides. The spirit knows one's full potential, and the spirit knows how much of that potential can be unlocked.”

“If you represent the spirit, how is it you are in front of both of us?” asked Heero.

“That answer is right in front of you. You need only to see it.”

“Our magic is linked,” stated Sakura. “That is why you can appear to both of us, and why our magical power levels are the same.”

The image of Li Yelan just smiled knowingly at the Card Mistress, while Heero stood with a slightly perplexed look on his face. “Linked?”

“Hai,” answered Sakura. “When one of our magic changes, so does the other. It links our auras and our spirits.”

“How did you figure this out?” Heero asked with a bit of admiration for Sakura's deductive skills.

Sakura opened her mouth, about to speak, then slowly closed it again without saying a word. The bridge of her nose crinkled a tiny bit, making her look deep in thought. A few moments later, she once again opened her mouth to speak. “I'm not sure. The answer just sort of came out of my mouth.”

Heero couldn't help but laugh a little at Sakura's answer, and gently kissed her on the forehead to show he wasn't making fun of her. Heero then turned back toward the image of Yelan. “Is she right?”

Yelan nodded her head. “The Card Mistress is absolutely correct. Your spirits, and therefore your auras are directly linked together. When any change occurs in one of your magic aura's, the same change will occur in the other.”

“You aren't here to tell us that, are you?” questioned Sakura.

“No,” answered Yelan. “I am not here to tell you anything. I am here simply as a guide to help you discover what you already know for yourselves.”

“Then it must have something to do with the change in both my magical aura and Sakura's magical aura after fighting with those other versions of us.”

“You are partially correct. I am here to help you discover your own new power, but you are mistaken about your enemies. The two whom you fought, are not a different version of yourselves, but are a representation of one of the possibilities of what your powers could become.”

“So you are saying that that is what we would be like if we allowed ourselves to travel down the path of darkness?” Sakura asked.

“Neither the path of light nor the path of dark are clear or easy. One cannot know how one's self will turn out until they have become as such. Henceforth, that is one of the possibilities, but not the only one.”

“So what are you here to tell us?”

“As I said, I am not here to tell you anything. I am here simply as a guide to help you discover what you already know for yourselves.”

“How are you to guide us?” asked Sakura.

“When the correct questions are asked, the correct answers will appear.”

“Have we become Z class magicians?” Heero asked the spirit representative.

“To reach the status of Z, one must have absolute synchronization between the body, the mind, the heart, and the spirit. A complete harmony and understanding of one's self and the attainment of one's total potential will be reached and the aura will flow freely throughout.”

“So we cannot have reached the level of Z, or else your guidance would not be necessary,” said Sakura. “Then is this the Trial?”

“No,” answered Yelan. “You will know when that time comes.”

“Then what changes did occur in our magic?”

“You should be directing that question to the Clow Master,” said Yelan.

Sakura turned her head to the side. “Heero-kun?”

Heero let out a silent, almost unnoticeable sigh. It wasn't that he wanted to keep secrets from Sakura, but for some reason, he didn't particularly feel like explaining the reasoning behind his sudden jump in power to the Card Mistress. “The power change you probably feel within yourself came from me.” Sakura looked at Heero with questioning eyes, showing she was not sure what exactly he meant. “As you said before, our power is linked. When I saw you get injured fighting the dark version of yourself, my power jumped substantially. Before I even really realized what I was doing, I released a large amount of raw energy to destroy the enemies in order to protect you. However, once that mission was accomplished, some of the new strength I had gained left my body and transferred into you. That is probably the reason for that aura that surrounded and healed your injured arm earlier.”

“So this energy,” said Sakura as she cautiously flexed her previously injured arm. “Is from you?”

“Yeah,” answered Heero with a nod.

“Well, in that case,” said Sakura with a serious face before breaking out into a bright smile. “Thank you!” She then giggled at seeing the expression of surprise on Heero's face and gave him a quick kiss.

“There is one last thing I wish to know,” stated Heero to the image of Li Yelan.

“Protection,” answered Yelan without even waiting for the question. “The need to protect each other is always first and foremost in your minds, and is a thought which gives you both continuous inner strength. This inner strength is what will keep you both from loosing sight of your chosen destinies. Together, you will keep your resolve, and together you will have the strength and power to do what is necessary to protect the world, and each other.” While Heero and Sakura took the time for the words of the image of Li Yelan to soak in, an unseen smile crossed Yelan's face and she slowly faded back into nothingness.

As soon as Yelan disappeared, the pattern of circling sapphire streaks in the sky began to increase in speed until they became a flurry of blue energy. Both Heero and Sakura looked up at the increasingly more volatile sky, each curious as to what was going to happen next. The two were staring so hard at the intriguing sky, both had to divert their eyes when it unexpectedly flashed a bright white. The white light didn't just stay in the sky, but enveloped the entire area, and before they knew what had happened, both Heero and Sakura found themselves back in the Reed household.

Scanning the area, the first thing they noticed was the blue energy net that had previously existed throughout the room, was nowhere to be seen. The next thing they saw was Reis standing in the doorway looking at them. “So you two are finally back,” Reis commented as he walked into the room.

Heero was the first to try to stand, but found that his legs were so stiff that he couldn't bend his knees correctly back from the kneeling position he was in.

“Hold still,” said Reis when he saw Heero trying to stand. Reis placed a magical ward on each of their legs before holding out a hand to each. “You should be able to stand now.”

Taking Reis' outstretched hands, Heero and Sakura stretched their now movable legs and stood up. “How long were we out?” asked Heero, not believing his legs would have been so cramped if they had been only down for 12 hours as expected.

“You've been unconscious for approximately the past 80 hours,” answered Reis.

“Three and a half days?” confirmed Sakura, doing the hours to days calculation in her head. “I thought the spell was supposed to only last for twelve hours?”

“It is. We were a little worried. My wife even tried to stop the spell once, but your magic rejected her from the room.”

“Was she hurt?” asked a very concerned Sakura who didn't want to be a reason for their host to have been injured.

“She's perfectly fine,” answered Reis. “She got a little shock from the magical energy keeping her from entering the room, but was not injured in any way, so don't worry, Ms. Sakura.” Sakura didn't respond, but it was still evident in her eyes that she was concerned for the woman who had been so kind to her the past few days.

“My husband speaks the truth,” said Ayla, who had come unnoticed to stand in the doorway. “I was a bit surprised when the energy within the room sparked at my touch, but I guarantee you I was not injured in any way.” Ayla gave a warm smile to Sakura. “So please ease your mind.”

Sakura could only smile back at the kind woman speaking to her, leaving all her worries behind. “So why were we unconscious for so long?”

“Truthfully,” answered Ayla. “We have no idea.”

“Both Ayla and myself have performed this spell many times, though I will admit we have never done it on an S class magician before, but nothing like this has ever happened before. But all this is beside the point, for it makes little difference since you both came out alright and it seems the spell was successful in increasing your powers.”

“I thank both of you again for performing this spell,” stated Heero with a slight bow. “It did more than just increase our power. It truly helped me come to terms with and understand much more about myself. I am eternally grateful for your kindness.” Sakura was a little taken aback by Heero's statement of thanks to the Reeds. It wasn't that she was surprised that he thanked them for their help, but the sincerity and meaningfulness of the apology was a bit unexpected.

“It is we who should be thanking you,” responded Ayla. “You two are giving us our only hope of a future for our son. There is nothing more precious than that. We will forever be eternally grateful to the both of you.”

“Every person has a choice between doing what's right, and doing what's easy,” said Sakura. “We cannot just stand by and watch a travesty just because you two loved each other enough to defy those in power, and choose to be together. We cannot, and we will not.” Ayla smiled, and bowed respectfully to the cute girl, who despite her youth, had the heart of a mature, honorable, and most importantly, kind human being.

“Has there been any change in the situation these past three days?” asked Heero, trying to get feel for what had been going on during the duration of the spell.

“It seems the King has realized something is amiss,” responded Reis. “A few of his sorcerers have recently been trying to break my barrier. There is no need to worry however, for they do not posses enough strength to get through the particular barrier spell I cast.”

“Unfortunately,” continued Ayla. “Since the King knows something is going to happen, he has been steadily recalling some of his magicians from around the kingdom. Not many have arrived as of yet, but if we do not act soon, there is a chance we may become overwhelmed just by sheer numbers, and if that happens, even with your help, there would be no chance of survival.”

“Then we should act fast,” said Heero. “Do you have everything prepared for the transportation spell?”

“Everything we are bringing with us has been gathered inside the house. All that remains is setting up the spell and bringing everything within the teleportation radius.”

“However,” said Ayla. “We will give it one more day. The two of you must rest before attempting to undertake this battle. I'm sure you both can tell, but your magic is not at full strength after the power-up spell. You will need a good night's rest to regain your power.”

Ayla's point was only emphasized further when Sakura chose that moment to give a slight yawn. She then blushed slightly at her unintentional action.

“Very well,” answered Heero with a sigh. “We will wait until morning.” Heero took Sakura into his arms and gave her a light kiss on the forehead, and was rewarded with another soft yawn and a cute purring noise into his chest.

“Sleep well, both of you,” commented Reis as Heero and Sakura walked toward the spare bedroom of the Reed household. “Tomorrow will not be easy.” Heero and Sakura simply nodded their heads in understanding before softly closing the door and heading to bed.

~~~~~Sanc Kingdom, The Next Morning~~~~~

“That is a lot of magicians,” commented Sakura with awe in her voice. “I think we may have underestimated a little.”

Sakura and Heero were presently standing on the roof of the Reed household, looking across the terrain at the ever growing number of magicians that seemed to be teleporting to the area. The original prediction of around twenty to twenty-five magicians turned out to be way off. From the quick count Heero took, it looked as though there were at least thirty-five sorcerers surrounding the area, with more apparently on the way. “It does appear we will have out work cut out for us,” responded Heero.

“At least I don't see the Green Magician that Reed-sama was talking about,” said Sakura. “Although the Yellow Magician did show up.”

“Yes, but he did say the Yellow Magician had more powers of foresight than attack strength,” remarked Heero. “However, we should still be wary of the Yellow one, as well as the Blue Magician, Nadia. Since they are supposed to be the most powerful, we must be cautious when dealing with them.”

Having seen enough for the moment, Heero and Sakura each jumped down from the roof of the house, landing smoothly near Reis and Ayla, who were setting up the magical pattern required for the teleportation spell. “How far along are we?” asked Heero.

“Nearly finished,” answered Reis. “We shall be ready to begin the spell within moments.”

“Good,” said Heero. “The sooner the better. There are more magicians showing up every minute, so the quicker we act, the better our chances will be.”

“Fortunately, it appears the Green Magician isn't here yet,” added Sakura, who was trying to look on the bright side of things. “From what you have said, if the Green Magician doesn't show up, it will make our job substantially easier.”

“I'm sorry, Ms. Sakura, but you are mistaken,” commented Reis. “The Green Magician is here. I am not sure exactly where, but I can feel his presence.” Sakura looked a little shocked at hearing the news, for she and Heero had surveyed the area very closely and had not seen any trace of a Green Magician.

“Are you certain?”

Reis nodded. “Positive. He has a very distinct aura that is easy to detect once you know what to search for. It is likely he is hiding somewhere within the shadows of the trees. His spells of invisibility are top notch, so until he uses his attack powers, it is unlikely either of you will be able to discern his location.”

“That is not something I wanted to hear,” commented Heero.

“Is there anything you can do to help us determine where he is?” asked Sakura.

“I could cast a nullification spell,” answered Reis. “However, that would require me using magic, so once I begin the spell, my barrier will disappear, and we would have to wait just that much longer to begin the transportation incantation.”

Heero took a moment to contemplate and weigh out the options before making a decision. “I don't believe we have much choice. If what you say about the Green Magician being the most powerful of the King's sorcerers is true, then we must know where he is. We cannot risk being attacked without warning.”

“I understand,” said Reis.

“We are all set, my husband,” Ayla informed everyone, as she walked up behind them. “We may begin anytime.”

When Sakura and Heero turned around to face the woman who was speaking, Sakura noticed something she was surprised she hadn't ever noticed earlier. “Heero-kun,” said Sakura telepathically. “Doesn't that sword on Ayla-sama's back look a lot like Syaoran-kun's sword?”

Heero was a little surprised at Sakura's observation, for he hadn't really paid much attention before, but now that he looked, it appeared Sakura was correct. “More than just a little,” responded Heero. “I think that actually is Li's sword. But that doesn't make any sense. He said his sword was a family heirloom passed down from one Chosen One of the Li Clan to the next.”

When Sakura heard Heero's comment, she immediately mentally smacked herself on the head for her own forgetfulness. No wonder Reis and Ayla knew so much about the Li Clan. Sakura knew Syaoran was related to Clow Reed, but until now she hadn't thought much of the details of it. But now it suddenly all came rushing back to her. “Of course she would have the Li Clan sword!” said Sakura telepathically, though she was talking to herself just as much as Heero. “Kero-chan and Li-kun told me a long time ago about how he was related to Clow Reed, but I had never really thought about the details. They said, he was related because Clow Reed's mother was once a very powerful member of the Li Clan! So that means, Ayla-sama is actually a member of the Clan and that is why she has the sword. I can't believe the connection didn't occur to me earlier.”

“Well I suppose that does explain a lot,” answered Heero. “Although I am not quite certain why they didn't tell us about it before, and why they continuously referred to the Li Clan as a separate and unrelated group.”

“Well, from what I understand,” said Sakura. “Clow Reed's mother fell out of favor of the Clan when she married someone who was an outsider of the Clan without their permission. So perhaps, from their point of view, Ayla-sama is no longer a part of the Li Clan, and is therefore a separate entity.”

The fact that Heero and Sakura's attention had suddenly seemed to be diverted was not missed by either Reis or Ayla. The fact that they were more or less just standing in place doing nothing made it fairly obvious what they were doing. “Have you noticed that we cannot hear their telepathic conversations anymore?” Ayla whispered in her husband's ear.

Reis nodded. “It appears the power increase also helped solidify their mind connection,” Reis whispered back. “In a way, I am very glad that happened as well. I was considering telling them we could hear their telepathic thoughts, for I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Yuy was planning on using their telepathic communication ability during the fight to help coordinate their efforts better, and I was worried that Nadia or the others would be able to hear their plans. But now, I suppose we no longer have to worry about that.”

Not really wanting to disrupt Heero and Sakura's conversation, but also knowing that time was of the essence, Ayla interrupted their telepathic dialogue. “Are you two ready?”

Ayla's voice snapped Heero and Sakura out of their little world, leaving both to hope that the two Reed's thought they were merely thinking about the upcoming battle.

“Hai, Ayla-sama,” answered Sakura, as both she and Heero nodded.

“I just want to thank you both one last time for all that you are doing for us and our son,” said Ayla. “We shall never forget you.” Both she and Reis bowed respectfully to the two young Captors.

Sakura and Heero each returned the bow. “And we will never forget you either.”

With that final statement, Heero and Sakura turned away, and walked out of the immediate spell casting area. As they walked, they both took out their Clow pendants. “Key that Hides the Power of the Stars/Space. Show Your True Self to Me. I, Sakura/Heero Command You Under Contract. Release!” In a flash of light, Sakura's staff and Heero's sword appeared in their hands. Wordlessly, Heero gently took hold of Sakura's open hand, and pulled her in for a soft, yet meaningful kiss. “We'll make it through this,” he whispered in her ear. “I promise.”

“Hai,” was all Sakura could manage to say as she buried her head in his chest as he gave her one last hug for luck.

With Sakura's head resting against his chest, Heero turned his gaze back toward Reis, and ever so slightly nodded his head.

Reis nodded back, and at the same instant Sakura and Heero separated, he began to chant. “Powers of the stars near, far, and gone.”

“Three,” said Heero, both to himself and Sakura.

“Pave the path through to the beyond.”

“Two.”

“Show the way and give us sight.”

“One.”

“Allow all forces to come to light.”

“Zero.”

After Reis' first word, the opaque shield he had erected had appeared, and by the time he was finished, the shield flickered and faded away. Simultaneously with the dissipation of the shield, two other events took place. The first was the conclusion of the nullification spell by Reis. As promised, the spell succeeded in showing the Green Magician's whereabouts, which happened to be right next to where Nadia, the Blue Magician, was standing. Unexpectedly, however, the spell also succeeded in uncloaking about a half dozen other magicians in the area, bringing the magician count above forty.

The other event that took place at the same time as the deterioration of the barrier and the casting of the nullification spell was caused by Heero. The moment his count reached zero, Heero pressed a small remote control he built with his parts from both his and Sakura's portable phones. This remote was a trigger for all the makeshift explosives Heero had built and strategically placed right at the inside edges of Reis' barrier. The moment the signal was given, all the mines exploded in a flash of white. With Reis' assistance, Heero had infused each explosive device with either Lightning, Fire, or Ice magic. Blue ice, red fire, and yellow lightning energies blasted out and around the entire area, engulfing the weaker of the magicians in its path. The stronger and more experienced of the magicians managed to erect shields around themselves, most of which were strong enough to protect them from the elemental energy. In the end, the attack had incapacitated a little over a dozen of the enemy sorcerers, which was actually a little more than Heero had expecting or even hoping for.

Before going to battle, Heero and Sakura had planned very carefully what their initial plans of action were to be. They intended to detonate the magically infused explosives the second the barrier came down as their first move, and that was to be immediately followed by calling the Wall, Shield, and Silent Cards and having them put up a protection barrier around Reis, Ayla, and baby Clow. Erecting the Wall and Shield Cards were very obvious moves, but Sakura had also suggested using Silent. When Heero had asked why, Sakura explained that she figured it would be helpful for Reis and Ayla if they could work on the spell without having to hear all the sounds of the battle at the same time. The easier it would be for them to concentrate, the more likely the spell would succeed. Heero had been quite impressed at Sakura's plans, and had praised her as such, bringing a bright smile to Sakura's cute angelic face.

While the enemy magicians had been distracted by the elemental energies being shot their direction from Heero's mines, the two Clow Masters had taken the opportunity to cast the Shield, Wall, and Silent Cards. The result of the three powers mixing was a very dark dome surrounding Reis, Ayla, and all their belongings. The dome was just the slightest bit translucent, allowing anyone who looked hard enough to be able to see the lips of Reis and Ayla moving, but strangely there were no sounds at all coming out from inside.

Following the defensive moves, Heero and Sakura had very loosely laid out a relatively simple battle plan. They had been expecting the three powerful magicians to show up, and Reis had informed them that most of the supporting spell casters each wore different colored cloaks to signify what types of magic they specialized in. After the Green, Blue, and Yellow magicians, Heero and Sakura decided they had to be most wary of the black cloaked magicians. These magicians specialized mainly in elemental attack magic, much like Syaoran's fire, wind, and lighting spells. However, despite the fact that they knew to be cautious of the Blue, Green, Yellow, and black magicians' powers, they had decided it was in their best interest not to deal with them right off. The other three types left were cloaked in red, purple, and white. The red magicians were probably of the least concern to Sakura and Heero, for they were almost like apprentices, being merely what the black magicians were, before they learned any advanced spells. According to Reis, the purple magicians were for defensive purposes. They were best at defensive magic, such as shields and illusionary spells, and so were support for some of the attack magicians. While these magicians couldn't really attack, Heero and Sakura knew they should keep an eye on them.

The last type of sorcerer was the ones cloaked in white. These were the magicians Heero and Sakura had selected to try to defeat first. The white magicians had little to no offensive spell abilities, and very weak defensive spells. Their main purpose was to support all the other magicians on the field. They were experts at healing magic, making recovery time after an attack disappear, and were also good at casting magical focus spells to increase other magicians powers, and physical increase spells that would allow magicians greater strength and speed for defensive purposes or in case the fight changed from magical to physical. If these magicians were left on the field of battle, it would make defeating the other sorcerers all that much harder. Therefore, Heero and Sakura had strategically planned to try to target these magicians first, and strike quickly and effectively in order to minimize the advantages the enemy had over them.

As it turned out, the enemy force was composed of mainly black magicians, especially after the elemental minefield was triggered. From what Heero and Sakura could tell, the initial preemptive strike had not taken out a single black magician. Mostly it was red magicians sprawled out on the ground, with three white magicians and two purple magicians joining them. That left approximately twenty black magicians, four white magicians, two red magicians, and a lone purple magician, still standing on the battlefield with the Green, Blue, and Yellow sorcerers.

“Ready, Sakura-chan?” asked Heero in their minds.

“Hai.”

“You take the purple and the two white mages to the North, and I'll take the white one to the East, and the one to the South.”

“Hai.”

“Keep safe, Sakura-chan.”

“Be careful, Heero-kun.”

Sakura and Heero nodded subtly to each other, their eyes meeting for just a split second. “Go.” Simultaneously, Heero and Sakura both released their flight cards.

“Wing!”

“Fly!”

The reason for releasing the flight cards was not for any type of offensive purposes, but more for visibility advantages and for agility reasons. The two Clow Masters took flight, and shot straight up, before separating just a few yards and facing opposite directions, with Sakura facing North and Heero pointing South. The attacks from each Heero and Sakura came simultaneously so as to not give the enemy any clues as to what their strategy was.

Sakura released both of her two most powerful attack cards, Watery and Firey, ordering the them to combine into a strengthened attack. Sakura had long since mastered the technique of combining the powers of the two conflicting elements to substantially increase the amount of power over that which each held on its own. The swirling red and blue elemental beings were flying straight at the enemies, but not quite at the small group consisting of the one purple and two white mages. Instead, Sakura had directed her attack on a pair of black mages, near to her target, but not quite in the same line of fire. Her hope was that the purple mage, whom Reis had told her was a specialist in defense, would think she was targeting the black mages first, and use his energy to cast a protective barrier around them instead of himself. Sakura's instinct turned out to be right on the dot, for once the purple magician had seen the direction of Sakura's attack, he had immediately reacted just as Sakura had predicted. The sorcerer raised his arms above his head and after muttering a few words, a purple hue force field arose around the two apparently targeted black magicians.

Unfortunately for the purple mage and the two white mages with him, they had not been expecting the fast approaching elementals to suddenly change direction and head straight at them. Watery and Firey had waited until the last possible instant before swiftly shifting their heading just enough to show their real target had never been the two black mages. Sakura could see the eyes of the purple and white sorcerers go wide in surprise as they were caught completely unaware when the red and blue energy came streaking through the sky in their direction. With the white mages having no defensive spells to cast, and the purple mage without enough time to recast a spell, the three could only watch as the energy got closer and closer at an ever increasing pace.

Meanwhile, Heero was employing a very similar tactic. It wasn't quite the same as Sakura's however, since his two targets weren't in the same area as each other. Deciding on the Magma Card, Heero released his powerful attack and sent the fire based elemental in a fast and volatile circle of the area. All the black magicians raised protective shields, just in case the attack turned their way, but since the white mages had very ineffective defensive spells at their disposal, they were sitting ducks when the Magma Card finally showed its true targets. None of the other sorcerers in the area had a chance to protect their comrades when the radiant fire energy split into two and headed toward both white magicians.

Almost at the exact same moment, Heero's Magma Card and Sakura's Watery and Firey Cards exploded in a wave of power that engulfed their targets. The Clow Cards were by now so in tune with their Masters' feelings that they knew to not cause any permanent or deadly harm, so when the sorcerers were struck, the damage was limited to only minor cuts and burns and a loss of consciousness.

Unplanned by Heero and Sakura, a third attack was made simultaneously with their own. They almost didn't notice it since they were so concentrated on their own objectives, but at the last second they saw the blue and green energies streaking across the battlefield and impacting loudly against the combined forces of the Wall and Shield. The amount of energy released when the attacks exploded was so immense that it gave a twinge of doubt to Sakura and Heero as to whether their protective barrier would be strong enough. As the dust settled and the smoke cleared, Heero and Sakura were relieved to see that their shield had indeed done its job of protecting its occupants. In fact, from what the two Clow Masters could tell, Reis and Ayla didn't even seem to notice the attack at all, no doubt because of Sakura's use of the Silent Card.

“I don't think the Shield and Wall can withstand many more attacks like that, Heero-kun,” said Sakura telepathically as she dodged a few attacks spells the black mages sent in her direction.

“I agree,” responded Heero. He paused for a moment as he made use of his wings to do an extremely acrobatic move to evade the flurry of ice shards one of the black magicians had sent his direction. “We need to cause more of a distraction so the enemy can't ignore us and attack Reis and Ayla.” Putting a bit of distance between the attacking sorcerers and himself by flying upwards, Heero pulled out the Replicate Card. “Replicate!” Upon release, the Replicate Card suddenly turned into gleaming white energy, half of which surrounded Heero, while the other half flew over to Sakura. Almost as if looking at a fun house mirror, each of Sakura's and Heero's bodies shimmed slightly until a second and third copy of themselves appeared on either side of the original. “Try to keep the black magicians busy,” said Heero. “I'm going after the others.”

“Hai,” responded Sakura. “Be careful.”

“Always,” said Heero, as all three of his forms gave Sakura a wink before shooting toward the three colored magicians back on the ground.

Sakura got momentarily distracted watching Heero fly toward the Blue, Yellow, and Green magicians before coming to her senses and realizing she had to come up with a plan of her own. “So what should we do?” Sakura asked her clones with a smile, knowing full well she wouldn't get any type of an answer since the clones and herself had different bodies but shared the same mind. Even if Sakura's clones could respond, they never would have had a chance to do so. Seeing one of their opponents heading toward their leaders and the other seeming temporarily distracted, one of the troupes of black magicians took it upon themselves to begin the attack. Caught a bit off guard, Sakura and her copies just barely had enough time to execute a few fancy flips to dodge the numerous ice shards the black magicians had sent their way. Sakura was about to think up a counterattack, but before she got a chance after evading the Yue-like ice shower, a few more black magicians decided to join in on the fun. Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura caught a glimpse of a rapidly approaching rainbow of different colored energies streaking through the sky in her direction. She quickly took flight in a down and away pattern in an effort to move out of the path of the closely bound beams. Unfortunately for Sakura, the black magicians were ranked high for a reason. As soon as she moved, the attacks suddenly split and turned. Once separated Sakura counted what looked like five attacks, all approaching at different speeds and angles. Without being able to simply sidestep the energy, the Clow Mistress had to resort to turning and running away as fast as possible. Sakura found herself in a bit of a bind. The approaching energy attacks were coming much to fast to keep outrunning for long, and without the option of evasion or raising a shield, Sakura was fresh out of ideas.

She also knew her two clones were in tight situations as well. One of her clones had two attacks heading its way and was handling the situation about as well as could be, but the other, who was running away from what appeared to be seven attacks, was in some serious trouble. Knowing there was no way it was going to survive the onslaught, the clone decided to make its death count. Purposely allowing the attacks following it to get a little closer to make sure they didn't try to pick up a new target, the Sakura clone set its plan into motion. Being composed purely of magic, the clone didn't have the fear normally associated with the prospect of death. Therefore, without even a flinch in its resolve, the clone picked a vector and flew straight into the energy beams heading toward its Mistress.

Already knowing what was about to happen, the real Sakura didn't even want to watch, but couldn't help but turn around and look back. The resulting mid-air explosion was massive. The culmination of the multiple colors created a bright white blast of light that was soon followed by the deafening roar of the exploding energies. The force of the blast rippled through the air and caught in the outstretched wings of Sakura's Fly Card, sending the Mistress tumbling in the sky. Still completely off balance from the shockwave, Sakura managed to turn her body just enough to try to get a glimpse of the quickly receding white light. However, he gaze never got that far, as she immediately caught sight of a single blue energy attack that had not impacted upon her clone and was now not twenty feet from her position and approaching fast. Without enough time to do anything else, all Sakura could do was raise her arms in front of her face and let out a yelp of fear and surprise.

The attack impacted hard enough against her left wing to result in the Fly Card detaching itself from her body and returning to Card form, causing Sakura to plummet toward the hard ground far below. Sakura was scared out of her wits. Free-falling with no Fly Card, Sakura didn't know what to do. When the Fly got recalled, not only did Sakura's wings disappear, but her remaining clone's wings had vanished as well, leaving it helpless to assist the Card Mistress. As the ground got closer and closer, Sakura closed her eyes and braced herself for the imminent painful impact.

Sakura was certain she would hit the ground at any moment, when she suddenly felt herself stop accelerating downwards and was completely surrounded by a very comforting and familiar aura. Slowly opening her eyes, Heero's handsome face gradually appeared in Sakura's vision. “Heero-kun!” exclaimed Sakura as she tightly wrapped her hands around Heero's neck from her position in his strong arms.

“You know, it is very dangerous to fly without any wings,” Heero chided with a light smile to comfort his girlfriend. Sakura's only response was a light giggle as she kept her arms around Heero's neck until she was finished catching her breath. Sakura hadn't even realized how hard she had been breathing until she was safely in Heero's arms.

Heero flew the both of them over toward the protective dome surrounding Reis, Ayla, and Clow, and gently set Sakura down to stand on her own two feet and proceeded to recall his own Wing Card. “We're in a bit of trouble,” commented Heero as he watched all the remaining black magicians gather together and form a line behind the Yellow, Green, and Blue sorcerers. Heero assumed this new formation was for intimidation purposes, for he could find no real viable strategic reason for discarding their previous strategy of surrounding their outnumbered opponents.

“The black magicians got both of my copies,” said Sakura. Her second clone had been quickly destroyed once it had lost its extra speed and maneuverability granted to it by the Fly Card.

“Mine too,” responded Heero. “The three of us barely had enough power to keep even with those two. So when I left to save you, my clones were quickly defeated.”

“So what do we do now?”

“We only have to hold them off for another five or six minutes,” responded Heero. “If we stay defensive we may be able to survive long enough for Reis and Ayla to get away, and then we can make our own escape.”

“But what if they split their attention and attack the shield while we are running away from the attacks aimed at us?”

“We won't be running away,” answered Heero. “We'll use our offense as our defense.”

Sakura tilted her head toward her boyfriend and gave him a look that showed her complete and utter confusion at what Heero was talking about.

“Obviously we can't use our main defensive Clow Cards,” began Heero. “And as you said, we can't run away, so our only real options would be to defeat all our enemies at once, or use our offensive spells to simply destroy all the incoming attacks.”

“I don't think we can possibly defeat all of them at once,” commented Sakura.

“I agree,” said Heero. “I'm thinking our best option is to deflect or destroy anything they send our way. We'll fight separately against multiple attacks, and combine our power to defeat the more powerful focused attacks.”

“I want to try something first,” said Sakura as she suddenly began walking toward the large group of enemy magicians.

“What are you planning?” asked Heero in a slightly confused, but still confident, tone of thought.

“I'm going to talk to them,” answered Sakura. “Maybe I can convince them to stop their attack, or at least explain to me why it is so necessary.”

“You really believe diplomacy will work in a situation like this?”

“I don't know,” replied Sakura. “But I have to try. Besides, worse case scenario, they don't stop their assault, but at least I would have bought us another couple minutes.”

Heero couldn't quite keep the slight smirk from appearing at the corner of his lips “You're really turning into quite an adept strategist, Sakura-san. But be careful. We don't know much about our enemy and from this range I can't guarantee I'll be able to protect you as well as I'd like.”

Sakura turned her head around momentarily and let a smile cross her cute lips as she gave Heero a wink. “Hai, Heero-kun.”

Sakura continued toward the group of magicians until she was about halfway between Heero and her enemies. Holding her hands open and to her sides to show she meant no aggression, Sakura began to speak. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because!” came a booming voice from a direction Sakura couldn't determine. She had been expecting a response from either the Blue, Green, or Yellow Magicians, so when the voice from nowhere suddenly filled the air, Sakura was caught by surprise and instinctively raised her staff to a ready position.

Moments later a bright beam of light appeared right in front of the Blue, Green, and Yellow Magicians, and from within the folds of golden energy the form of a fairly large stature man appeared. “They upset the balance, and now they must die.” When the man was finished talking, his energy cloak dissipated and Sakura could finally see a large man dressed in gold with a red velvet cape and golden scepter and crown. Based on the man's outfit and the fact that all magicians took a knee when he appeared, Sakura could only guess this man was the country's King. “That thing they have created is an abomination. Whether on the side of good or evil, it will disrupt the balance and will thus be the end of the world as we know it.”

“But Clow will be -”

“Sakura!” interrupted Heero. “We cannot reveal the future. Remember that.”

“Hai, Heero-kun. Sorry.” “I can understand you being worried that the child of Reis and Ayla will be evil and disrupt the balance of power toward the dark side, but both Reis and Ayla are good, so the odds are their child will have guidance to become a good magician. So even if he does upset the balance toward good, how can that be a bad thing?”

“The balance of magic is the most delicate of circles in the universe,” explained the King. “Even if the balance shifts toward the side of good, it still destroys the delicate equilibrium. It leaves all the positive magical energy in the world in the hands of a single individual, causing the magical abilities of the rest of the good magicians to dissipate to compensate for the excess of power in the overly powerful good magician. Now, while this is not necessarily a bad thing at the time of occurrence since that single magician should possess enough power to defeat all the darkness in the world, when the lifespan of that single sorcerer ends, it takes all the powers of good with it, leaving the world of magic to be dominated by the remaining forces of darkness. Henceforth, the upsetting of the balance ultimately ends in destruction no matter whether the shift is toward the positive or the negative.”

Sakura found herself speechless. For some reason she hadn't been expecting such a complex, yet completely sensible, answer. On several occasions she opened her mouth to speak, but each time, she found she really had no words to say. She had no idea of what type of comeback to say to the King and so her ability to try to argue his point was completely gone.

“You know, Sakura-san,” commented Heero through telepathy. “I don't think we were giving Reis and Ayla their due respect. They must have known all that information the King just said, and yet they still managed to find a way to avert disaster. I can only assume they must have found a way raise Clow to make sure he was neither on the side of good or evil, but just used his power to increase his knowledge of the force of magic while remaining more or less neutral.”

“That also explains why Kero-chan always used to complain how Clow possessed the power to make the world a much better place, but never made use of it,” agreed Sakura. “He always said it was because Clow Reed had a demented personality, but now it seems as though there was conscious effort behind the way he turned out as a person.”

During the entirety of Heero and Sakura's short psychic conversation, the King held a smirk of superiority on his face. “It seems that although you have a great deal of power, you are not very well knowledgeable in the discipline of magic. You are defending ones who will be the key to not only the destruction of the rest of the world, but of the destruction of your own powers as well.” The King paused to allow his words to sink in, oblivious to the fact that both Heero and Sakura knew what the King was worried about was never going to come to pass. “And for your poor judgment you will befall the same fate as those you are protecting.”

In one swift motion, the King swung his scepter in front of his body and from the tip of the golden rod, a fast moving ball of fire was shot straight at Sakura. With her mind still whirling from all the things the King had previously said, Sakura was caught a bit off guard and left herself with no chance to defend herself. Luckily for her, however, Heero had somehow predicted the King's move and had cast the Li Clan wind spell he had learned at the same moment the King had attacked. The spell was not nearly powerful enough to destroy the incoming fireball, but it was strong enough to change its path, causing the fireball to fly up and to the right of Sakura's position, finally detonating on a nearby tree.

Unfortunately, Heero had not seen or been expecting the King to have actually fired two balls of energy, one right behind the first. The second attack was much smaller and less volatile, making it very inconspicuous in its position of following in the primary energy ball's wake. Again, Sakura found herself with no chance to move out of the way, but this time knew Heero wasn't going to be able to save her. Strangely enough though, a very similar occurrence took place. The only difference was that this time the deflecting attack was not wind based, but instead was a fire attack, and instead of coming from Heero's direction it came from almost directly to the side of Sakura, and apparently from a somewhat elevated position.

Sakura was about to look toward the origination of the attack that had saved her life, but before she had a chance, it became obvious who the caster was. With a loud growl and heavy thump, the true form of Cerberus suddenly landed in a protective stance right in front of his Mistress. “You will not harm my Mistress,” he snarled.

“Instead it will be you who is destroyed,” came another voice from up in the air. Milliseconds later an array of blue energy arrows showered through the sky, piercing through and immobilizing almost half a dozen of the black magicians gathered around the King. In a much more calm and collected manner than Cerberus, Yue glided down to the Earth to stand next to his counterpart in front of the Card Mistress.

“Kero-chan! Yue-san!” exclaimed Sakura when her two guardians landed in front of her position.

“Are you alright Mistress?” inquired Yue in his usual calm and collected tone.

“Hai,” Sakura answered while vigorously shaking her head. “Thank you.” It took Sakura a moment to fully comprehend that Yue and Cerberus didn't belong to this timeline. “How did you two get here?”

“I wanted to ask that same question to you,” answered Cerberus. “I had been sleeping peacefully all alone in your house when I felt a strong burst of power. Then the next thing I knew I was somewhere completely different.”

“It seems that however you got to this time, it pulled us along with you,” continued Yue. “We would have found you much sooner Mistress, but the excess of magical energy during this time made it much more difficult to pinpoint your personal magical signature.”

“What is going on here anyway?” asked Cerberus, knowing nothing of the battle he blindly had jumped into to save his Mistress.

“We're protecting the future of Clow Reed,” answered Heero as he quickly made his way to their position.

“Protecting Clow?” repeated Cerberus. “I don't see Master Clow anywhere.”

“He's with his parents inside the shield Heero-kun and I made,” answered Sakura.

“So this time is before the days of Clow's dominance of the magical world,” concluded Yue. He then looked at Heero with a wary eye. “And who are you?”

“This is Heero Yuy,” introduced Sakura, just realizing that Heero had never met either Yue or Yukito. “Heero, this is Yue. And you know Kero-chan.”

Heero simply nodded an acknowledgement at Yue, who was currently still eyeing him cautiously. Heero then looked at Cerberus. “You grew a lot in the last few months.”

“This is my true form!” emphatically stated Cerberus. “And now that you have seen me in all my greatness, you had better respect the Great Cerberus unlike that stupid Gaki friend of Sakura's.”

“Kero-chan! Stop it!” scolded Sakura. “This isn't the time.”

“The Mistress is correct,” agreed Yue. “Right now is the time to move.” Yue suddenly took off upwards, taking Sakura into his arms in the process in order to pull her out of the way of the shower of incoming energy attacks.

Cerberus' face contorted in surprise as he caught sight of the fast approaching attacks. He and Heero, who had called back the Wing Card again, barely had enough time to fly out of the way before the attacks all impacted the position they had previously been occupying. “Thanks for the warning Yue!” said Cerberus sarcastically as he wagged his tail around wildly to put out the small fire that had singed the tip of it as he was flying away.

Sakura was the first to notice that the attacks that had almost incinerated them had come only from the remaining black magicians of the group. It took no time for her to realize that the attacks had been merely a distraction as she saw the Blue Magician, the Green Magician, and the King himself all gathering up immense power and firing a single combined energy beam straight at the dome protecting the Reed family.

“No!” exclaimed Sakura as she called forth the Fly Card and flew straight out of Yue's embrace and right into the path between the Reis and Ayla and the incoming deadly attack.

“Sakura!” exclaimed Heero loudly in a rare display of overtaking emotion. The second he saw Sakura fly toward the beam of energy, Heero took off right after her. Since Sakura had noticed the attack and taken action that fraction of an instant before Heero, she had time to land on the ground near the shield before the attack got there. However, Heero, though flying at top speed, was just barely staying in front of the wave of energy. With no good options available to him, Heero did exactly what anyone who knew him would think he would do. Pouring all his energy into making himself fly just that much faster, Heero ran straight into Sakura, wrapping his arms tightly around the petite girl and putting his body directly between the girl he had come to care so much for, and the imminent danger approaching from behind.

With a force just as powerful as one would expect from seeing the attack, the combined energy of the King and the Blue and Green Magicians exploded on Heero and Sakura's position, engulfing the entire battlefield in a thick layer of smoke and flame.

“Sakura! Mistress!” shouted Cerberus and Yue as they both elevated a bit to make certain they were out of the blast radius.

Both burning with rage, Cerberus and Yue turned toward the offending attackers to find the group looking up at them with smirks of confidence on their faces. With anger in their eyes, Cerberus prepared a powerful fireball, while Yue created a multi-arrow energy bow and aimed the attack right at the King's heart. The two guardians were about to fire when they noticed the gazes shift away from their direction and the smirks of confidence on their faces disappear and become replaced by looks of utter disbelief.

Cerberus and Yue followed the direction of the gazes of their enemies toward the position where Sakura and Heero had previously been. The look of disbelief plastered on all the magicians faces suddenly showed itself on the face of Cerberus and even Yue as they caught sight of what had happened within the area of destruction.

The smoke and flames that had been steadily expanding in a plume shape were now circling into a tornado and steadily getting smaller and smaller until it was centered around a bright glowing ball of energy. In an instant the tornado exploded and disintegrated in midair until all that was left was a floating oval shape of bright white light. The oval began to gradually get larger and larger until it became clear that the energy was not expanding, but unfolding from around itself to show its actual true size. From within the folds of white energy appeared a single figure. At first Cerberus and Yue were certain the figure was Heero, for it seemed to be of a similar size and build. That thought, however, quickly disappeared upon closer inspection. It turned out the figure looked to be of Heero's size because it had been hunched slightly, so when the it righted itself and stood straight, it was not substantially, but still clearly larger than the stature of Heero. The second obvious tell was the hair. Instead of Heero's short and slightly ruffled hair, the figure had a enormous bunch of spiky hair on it's head that went almost down to its waist. It was impossible to determine any more specific details of the figure, for the glow from what were now obviously giant wings, was disrupting the view.

It didn't take much longer for the energy wings to completely unfold, and once complete, what hovered midair in front of everyone was a sight to behold. The figure, who was no longer glowing, turned out to look male and was fairly sizable in stature with rippling muscles, long spiky auburn hair, and a pair of stark white wings, each of which was at least three times that of the figure itself.

The daunting figure stayed motionless with closed eyes, and without so much as even a quiver of his lips, the echo of a voice could be heard throughout the minds of all the magicians in the area. “Leave,” said the voice in a most calm and confident tone. “This is no longer a matter of your concern. Leave now, and your lives will be spared. Try to test our power, and you will be destroyed without hope of absolution. The choice is yours, but be warned; do not test us.”

“Nobody orders me around!” challenged the King. “And I submit to nothing! Not even you!” With that exclamation of his own power, the King focused his own magical power and created a torso sized black energy ball. Holding his creation above a single open palm above his head, the King smirked confidently at the new being. “If you are as powerful as you are boasting then you should be able to tell what type of energy this is. And you should know, that anything that touches this attack will be wiped forever from the universe!” Without waiting for an answer, the King hurled his powerful attack straight at his new floating enemy. “Now die!”

The black destruction ball shot through the air at the floating winged figure at incredible speed, but he made no motion that it was about to move out of the way of the deadly attack. Instead, the figure slowly opened his eyes, allowing it to be seen that his left eye was a soul piercing cobalt blue, and the right was of a enchanting emerald green. “We warned you.” Placing his left palm out in front of his body the figure kept motionless and allowed the supposedly unblockable energy to continue to creep toward his position. When the attack was mere centimeters away from the new figure's hand, it suddenly stopped, and an instant later the ball of black energy imploded upon itself and disappeared.

The King, who had created the attack, was visibly and audibly in a state of disbelief. “That's impossible!” he cried out. “That attack is unstoppable. It destroys all matter in its path. Nothing can stop it!”

“We give you one final warning. Leave this place now, or die.”

“Never!” In a rash flurry of movements, the King fired countless attacks of different sizes, colors, shapes, and elements at the floating figure.

Again, the figure did not move. Instead, it simply left its hands at its side and allowed all the attacks to come. One by one the attacks impacted and exploded harmlessly against different portions of the figures body, not a single one doing any damage whatsoever. When the last of the attacks had exploded harmlessly against him, the figure placed it's right palm out in front of its body, aimed directly at the King. “You had your chance. Not adhering to our warnings will be your final mistake.” In an flash, what appeared to be six Clow Cards appeared in the air and surrounded the outstretched palm of the figure. With a deafening boom, an enormous energy beam composed up of two shades of blue, two shades of red, a hint of yellow, and one distinct white streak, erupted out of the palm of the figure and shot down toward the King. The beam moved almost faster than the eye could follow, and in an instant the unimaginably powerful attack exploded directly upon the King's chest.

The King never even had a chance to scream as the energy attack wiped his entire existence from the face of the Earth in a single moment. “We have no wish to kill anyone else, so it is suggested you leave now before you are destroyed.”

Seeing their King so swiftly and easily defeated, all the rest of the magicians needed absolutely no more incentive to retreat. Numerous flashes of light spotted the battlefield as each magician teleported himself and as many of his unconscious comrades he could away from the monstrously powerful being.

At that same moment, Yue and Cerberus also noticed a bright flash from within the shield Heero and Sakura had erected around the Reed family, and a moment later all the contents of the field, including the family, had disappeared. Strangely, they both found themselves wondering if the Reed family had even seen the indescribable scene that had unfolded in their presence.

Once again, Yue and Cerberus shifted their attention back toward the strange powerful being floating in midair. They cautiously flew over to the being, making sure to show they meant to aggression in case he didn't know whether they were friend or foe. “Who are you?” asked Yue in his normal composed tone of voice.

“We have no name,” answered the being through telepathy. The voice that Yue heard within his head was unrecognizable, and yet at the same time, it sounded very familiar. “But if you must refer to us as something, we are those whom you used to know as the Master and Mistress of the Clow Cards; Kinomoto Sakura and Heero Yuy.”

This revelation was obviously shocking to the Guardian, though the more Yue thought about it, the more it made sense. Physically, the being didn't quite look like either Heero or Sakura, but upon close inspection, there were numerous aspects of both Clow Masters present. The body type itself had similar proportions to that of Heero, though noticeably larger in almost all aspects, including height and muscle size. The hairstyle of the being was substantially different than both Heero and Sakura, however, like the body, there were a couple aspects from the Clow Masters that could be seen. The spiky texture of the hair was much like that of Heero's, and the color was an exact match to Sakura's beautiful auburn locks. These similarities were the more subtle physical traits the new being shared with the two of whom it was born. The most noticeable and striking resemblance was the eyes. It was almost eerie to look into the two different colored eyes of the being. It wasn't the different colors of the eyes that was so striking, but the two completely different looks deep within each pool that was most evident. The left eye was of the identical deep cobalt blue and held the exact same piercing stare that Heero was so well known for. Likewise, the right eye was not only the identical emerald green color as Sakura's shimmering pools, but also held that same caring, but determined gaze. Even the telepathic voice of the new being had traces of both Heero and Sakura. What Yue had previously thought to be unrecognizable, and yet familiar at the same time, was in fact two voice overlaid together into one. The familiarity came from being able to distinguish the unmistakable voice of his beloved Mistress in synchronization with the less familiar voice of Heero.

Unlike Yue, Cerberus was having a much more difficult time processing the new information he had just been given. In more of a stutter than his real speaking voice, Cerberus tried to voice his questions. “But…What…How….How did…What are…How!?”

It wasn't clear whether he was unable to, or just choosing not to, but the being again responded in the Guardians' minds instead of vocally. “The reasoning and the ability is beyond your comprehension. All you can understand is we are of one body, one mind, and one spirit.”

Without waiting for any response or even another question, the new combined Heero and Sakura being instantaneously put a little distance between itself and the two Guardians. The gigantic wings attached to its body once again began to glow and changed back into pure white energy. These two energy wings proceeded to slowly wrap themselves around the body of the figure, until all that was left was what looked like a giant energy orb floating in the sky.

“What's going on?” asked Cerberus to himself, since he knew Yue would never answer any question he didn't have the answer to.

However, luckily for Cerberus he didn't have to wait long for an answer to appear. The energy orb gradually reduced in both size and brightness until it was not much larger than the size of a person and was glowing with only a faint white hue. The orb flickered a couple times, showing the dim outline of the shadow of two people. When the orb flickered a final time and dissipated into thin air, the unconscious figures of Heero and Sakura appeared and began to fall quickly toward the ground.

With lightning fast reflexes, Yue swooped in and gently caught the falling form of Sakura in his strong arms. Reacting a moment slower than Yue, Cerberus followed his counterpart and plucked Heero out of the sky. Both Guardians carefully descended down to the Earth and set the unconscious teenagers on the ground. From what they could tell, nothing seemed to be physically wrong with either the Clow Mistress or Master, so the Guardians had nothing they could do except wait around for the two teens to wake up.

Heero was the first of the two to begin to return to the land of the living. Opening his eyes, he discovered he had a tremendous headache, and, while holding his head in his hands in an attempt to alleviate some of the pain in his head, Heero slowly got up into a sitting position. When his vision finally cleared and his headache was at a manageable level, the Clow Master took a moment to discern his surroundings. The first thing he took notice of was the form of Cerberus towering above him, looking down with eyes of curiosity. He also took note of Yue standing a little farther back, but also looking his direction, seemingly waiting for something. As he turned his head to scan the area, Heero saw the sleeping form of Sakura down at his side, and took notice that all the magicians, and the Reed family, were nowhere in sight.

Heero was about to make an inquiry as to what the situation was to Cerberus and Yue, when his peripheral vision caught some slight movement in Sakura's form, telling him that she was slowly waking up. Cerberus and Yue also took notice of Sakura's stirring, and shifted their attention from Heero to their beloved Card Mistress.

When Sakura began to gain consciousness, just like Heero, she too found herself with a terrible headache. Letting a soft groan of muted pain escape her lips, Sakura kept her eyes shut and waited for her head to clear. When the pain had subsided, and Sakura was finally able to open her eyes, she glanced around and found Heero, Cerberus, and Yue all looking down at her. With Heero's help, she managed to get up on her feet, but stayed with her weight resting on boyfriend to make sure she stayed up.

“Are you feeling well, Mistress?” asked Yue in a voice that was similar to his usual monotonous tone, but seemed to hold just a hint of concern.

“Hai,” she answered. “Just feeling a little weak is all.”

“What exactly happened to you two?”

Sakura and Heero looked first to each other and then back at Cerberus before giving the same answer they had given while joined as one body. “We became of one body, one mind, and one spirit.”

“What does that mean?” Cerberus asked, still completely confused at the whole situation and not liking it.

“It means what it means,” answered Heero. “It is a part of who we are.”

“That makes no sense!” exclaimed Cerberus. The Guardian of the Seal was beginning to get very agitated at the lack of a comprehensive response and it was showing in his constant fidgeting and quickly rising temper.

“I'm sorry, Kero-chan,” calmed Sakura. “But it is something that words just cannot explain. It is what it is, and that is all I can tell you.”

“Leave it alone, Cerberus,” interjected Yue. “If we were meant to have all knowledge, we would know what happened.” Yue turned toward Sakura and Heero and continued to speak. “Your powers have changed since you came to this time.”

“Hai. Ayla-sama helped Heero-kun and myself increase our powers so that we would have a better chance of standing up to the King's sorcerers.”

“And that fusion of bodies. Did that change your individual powers?”

“No,” said Heero. True to form, Heero offered no more information on the subject.

“That last attack,” continued Yue, seemingly oblivious to the statement made by Heero that most others would have thought was rude. “It was Clow Card based if I am not mistaken. What was it that you did?”

Sakura pulled out three of her Sakura Cards, and Heero pulled out three of his own Heero Cards. Yue took a look at all six cards held by the two Masters. In Sakura's hand were the Firey, the Watery, and the Thunder, while Heero held the Magma, the Ice, and the Tsunami. “The attack was from all six,” explained Sakura.

“I felt the power of that attack,” said Yue. “It was more than these six cards put together currently hold.”

“Our power when we are joined is substantially greater than our combined power when we are separated,” explained Heero.

“And the Cards' power is directly linked to the power of the Master,” finished Yue. “Impressive.”

“I still don't understand what is going on here,” said Cerberus. He had been listening intently to the conversation, but his mind just couldn't comprehend how things had happened, thus leaving him still very confused.

“I'm sorry, Kero-chan,” consoled Sakura as she gave the giant beast a hug around his neck. “But there isn't a way for us to explain it.”

“Well, can you at least explain how we got here in the first place?” Cerberus asked.

“Partially,” answered Heero. “I believe it is because of a Clow Card.”

“When we were looking around the ruins of this city back in the Sanc Kingdom with Otousan, we just barely felt a Clow Card,” answered Sakura. “Then while we were looking for it, we somehow got -”

In the middle of her sentence, Sakura suddenly stopped, and both she and Heero began scanning the area intently. Cerberus and Yue looked at the pair questioningly until a moment later they realized what the Clow Masters were doing. It took them a second, but they too finally noticed the feeling of a nearby Clow Card. Cerberus was a little surprised, for he hadn't realized the time had passed when Sakura had become more aware of the presence of magic that Yue and himself.

The group never even moved from their position to look for the Card, when the same intense and overpowering feeling that had presented itself when Heero and Sakura were first pulled back in time, emerged again. Just like the first time, the magical feeling inside the heads of Heero and Sakura became so overpowering they both shut their eyes and grasped their heads in pain.

When this happened, Yue and Cerberus became immediately concerned. For some reason, the two could not feel the same overpowering magical senses that Heero and Sakura were experiencing, so they could only wonder why all of a sudden the Card Master and Mistress suddenly grasped their heads in pain. The two Guardians wanted to make their way over to check on Sakura, but before they got a chance to move, they each suddenly disappeared from sight.

The disappearance of Yue and Cerberus went completely unnoticed by Heero and Sakura, as they were both unable to see due to their tightly shut eyes. It wasn't long before both Heero and Sakura had once again passed out from the power of the Clow Card, and went tumbling forward through time without their knowledge.

When Heero and Sakura finally awoke again, they found themselves back in the present, lying on the ground in front of the ruins where they had first encountered the unknown Clow Card. The couple helped each other get to their feet, since they were both still woozy from the effects of the time traveling, and scanned the area. They saw no trace of Yue and Cerberus, but did catch sight of a Clow Card sitting on the steps beneath their feet. Heero slowly reached down and picked up the cause of so much trouble, and read it's title. “The Past,” Heero stated.

“Guess that makes sense,” added Sakura. Taking a look at the picture, Sakura saw the card was made from the powers of the Return. “I wonder what happened to Yue and Kero-chan.”

“They were probably sent back to wherever they were when the Past pulled them back through time,” answered Heero. “If you notice, we got sent back to the same position we were in when we got pulled through, not where we would be based on our position when we left the past.”

“How long do you think we were gone?”

Heero took a look around, and tried to remember around what time it had been when they had first encountered the Past Card. “I'm not sure we were gone for any time at all,” answered Heero. “I believe when we left this time period, it was early afternoon, and if you look up, the sun is still overhead. So if we were gone for some time during this period, it couldn't have been for long.”

Sakura let out a groan of exhaustion. “Then let's go back to the castle. I'm tired, and this has been the longest no time that I have ever spent.”

Heero couldn't help but laugh out loud at Sakura's comment, and gave his girlfriend a short, but sweet, kiss on the lips before taking her hand in his own and finding their way back to Sakura's father and then back to the Peacecraft Castle.

 

Chapter 14 Side Story: Syaoran and Ami's Return to Hong Kong

~~~~~Hong Kong, China~~~~~

“Are you enjoying your stay?” Li Yelan asked within the privacy of her own quarters.

“Very much, Li-sama,” answered Ami. “It's an honor to be invited back.”

Yelan gave an uncharacteristic, but very genuine, smile to the blue haired teen whom her son called his girlfriend. For some reason, Ami reminded Yelan a little of Sakura. Not that they looked alike, or even really acted alike, but they both seemed so innocent and naïve to certain situations, that Yelan found them comparable. “I am glad that you and my son are getting along so well, but I do have a confession to make. I didn't only invite you here so that my daughters and I could see you again. I sent for you because I need something from you.”

When Syaoran had first told Ami that his mother wanted her to come back to Hong Kong for a visit, both she and Syaoran had been slightly skeptical that it would merely be a social visit, although neither one told the other about their concerns. However, Ami had been at the Li Clan Estate for three days now, and until now, nothing had happened to make Ami believe this was anything other than the Li Clan wanting to see Syaoran's girlfriend again. Because of this, the thought that Yelan or the Elders had wanted Ami for something had slowly drifted from her head, so when Yelan had informed her she did indeed invite Ami down for some ulterior motive, the Senshi found herself a little surprised. “You need me for something?” Ami was finally able to ask.

Yelan nodded her head. “My son has informed me of your ongoing battle with the demon Charon, as well as his inability to fight effectively against him. Since it appears that Charon has specifically targeted my son and nephew for assassination, it is imperative that Xiao Lang learn some new fighting techniques to defend himself.”

“So you want me to try to stay out of the way and not distract him,” Ami finished for her in a slightly dejected voice.

To Ami's surprise, Yelan shook her head no. “Quite the opposite actually. Since Charon is a demon who's power comes from the element of fire, his only weakness is the counter element; water. Unfortunately, the Li Clan's main weakness is that we have little to no control over the element of water. This makes Charon a very difficult opponent for someone of the Li Clan to defeat. I have not yet told Xiao Lang about my plans yet, but what I want from you is for you to help him learn to control the element of water.”

This new news shocked Ami greatly. When she heard that Yelan had wanted to talk to her about something, Ami had immediately assumed it would be some type of bad news. “But I myself don't really understand why I can control water in the first place,” said Ami sadly as she bowed her head to avoid looking Yelan directly in the eyes. “How do I teach Syaoran-kun to control something when I don't even know how I am able control it?”

Yelan smiled slightly at the mix of innocence and modesty her son's girlfriend was displaying. “I have a feeling that you understand your own powers much more than you yourself realize,” answered Yelan. Ami looked up at the older wiser woman sitting in front of her with some confusion in her eyes. “You are the Mercury Princess after all. You are the sole person who has the greatest potential for control over the element of water on the planet, which, by the way, is one of the reasons the Elders were so quick to accept you as a possible life companion for Xiao Lang.” As Yelan continued talking, a blush spread across Ami's face at the mention of being a possible life companion to Syaoran. “Because you have so much power in the required field and you seem to have such a strong bond with my son, you are the perfect person to guide Xiao Lang to find the control he will need.”

The realization that this was not necessarily going to be an easy task for her, Ami began to get serious about the matter. It made her happy that Syaoran's mother seemed to like and even respect her, but Ami did not have the time to think about the subject for too long. “So what do I do to help Syaoran-kun?”

“Elders Qian Louh and Fan Fu will instruct you on how to combine your powers. This is the hardest part of the training, but it should be a little easier for you two since your emotional bond seems strong enough. After that is done, it is mostly guided collective meditation so that Syaoran may follow your energy to find the essence of the water element. Finally, it is merely up to Xiao Lang to train enough, preferably with your assistance, to gain full control over the element.”

As Ami listened intently at the explanation of Yelan's plan, one part in particular caught her attention. “Li-sama, Syaoran-kun and I have already combined magical auras before.” Judging by the facial expression Yelan demonstrated at hearing the news that Ami and Syaoran had already combined magical energy, it was clear it was not something she had heard before. “I would have thought Syaoran would have mentioned it to you before.”

“As would I,” said Yelan, deep in thought. “I suppose I underestimated the bond between the two of you. Otherwise I would have asked him directly if anything like that had occurred.” After a short pause, Yelan continued. “Tell me, when did the combining of power occur?”

“We have combined auras on two separate occasions,” answered Ami. “The first time was by accident when we were lending power to Sakura-chan and Heero-kun so that they could find the Night Card. The second time was intentional, and it was to increase our power in order to defeat the Ice Card.”

“Then it must not have been a fluke,” said Yelan, more to herself than anyone else. Yelan then looked up at Ami with just a hint of a smile on her elegant face. “Well, that just makes the training that much easier.”

“If it is alright,” said Ami. “I have a couple questions of my own.” Ami continued after Yelan nodded her head, indicating it was alright for Ami to ask. “Is it really true that I have the greatest control over water of everybody?”

Yelan nodded her head. “Absolutely. In fact, from the perspective of most magic users, you are the most powerful of all the Senshi. In some ways you even outclass Sailor Moon herself.”

“Really?” asked Ami in amazement. “How is that possible? I thought all of us had the same amount of potential.”

“All the Senshi do have the same amount of magical potential, and that amount is definitely less than that of Sailor Moon, however, none of the other Senshi can control all their power,” explained Yelan. “Mars, Jupiter, and Venus all have their powers governed by certain emotions. Sailor Moon had her power governed not by a single emotion, but still by emotions in general. This means that none of them can reach their full potential in just any situation. However, the Mercury power is a little different. I, myself, don't understand exactly why, but it seems that you, since you inherited the Mercury Princess power, have the ability to reach your maximum energy potential without having to resort to feeding off an emotion. In fact, if I recall correctly, you can also reach your full potential without even being in Senshi form. It would take a lot of training for you to learn to control all your power without being bound by the powers of Sailor Mercury, but it is possible.”

Ami wasn't quite sure why, but she felt strangely proud that her magic could be viewed as more powerful than any of her friends. As she thought about it some, what Yelan was saying made perfect sense. Whenever all the Senshi had been in a fight together, Ami always felt that her own powers didn't increase during the fight like the others' did. Her own power growth seemed to be a more continuous gradual increase as opposed to the power jumps her friends had experienced. Before this had always made her feel like she was the weakest of the group, but now that Yelan had explained the situation she liked the fact that she no longer had to feel like the weak link. Quickly regaining her train of thought, Ami asked the second question she wanted to ask earlier. “My other question was how did Charon escape anyway?”

“In truth, that is a slight mystery to us as well,” answered Yelan. “There are only two ways that Charon could have escaped from the magical prison he was entrapped in. The first would be for him to gain enough strength to break free. We feel, however, that is unlikely he could have gotten powerful enough within the bindings to break free so quickly. The second possibility is that someone cast a counter spell that released him. This option is also unlikely, since the spell my brother and his wife cast is a very rare and advanced spell that very few people have the power or knowledge to cast. Thus, the counter spell is equally as challenging to cast, and therefore there are very few magicians in today's world that would be able to release the demon.”

Ami thought about what Yelan's answer to her question for a moment before giving her own thoughts on the matter. “If those are indeed the only two ways that Charon could have been released, then I think it is more probable that someone found a way to release him.” Yelan didn't quite look convinced at Ami's decision, so she explained herself. “If Charon had released himself, there would be no reason for him to only seek out Syaoran-kun and Heero-kun. I could understand him being angry at the entire Li Clan, or Heero's parents if they were still alive, but there is no reason he would go specifically after Syaoran-kun and Heero-kun.”

“So you are saying that some enemy of Xiao Lang and Xiao Long released Charon to exact revenge for him?” finished Yelan. Ami nodded her head. “That just might be possible,” said Yelan quietly while deep in thought. “I must talk to Qian Louh about this. Please inform my son about both his new training and your new theory on Charon. I will call for both of you later tonight to discuss these matters with both of you together.”

As Yelan stood, Ami did the same, and Ami bowed respectfully to the mother of her boyfriend. “Hai, Li-sama.” Ami then left Yelan's chambers and headed toward the training dojo in search of Syaoran. Ami figured he would probably still be training with Meilin and Wu-Fei.

It turned out Ami didn't have to wander as far as she anticipated, for as soon as she entered the main entryway of the building, she found Syaoran leaning against the wall, waiting. “How did it go?” Syaoran asked when Ami reached the spot where he was standing.

Although he didn't show it, Ami could tell that Syaoran was a little worried that his mother had some type of bad news for Ami. “Don't worry,” responded Ami as she lightly kissed Syaoran on the lips. “It wasn't bad news.”

Syaoran wasn't sure if he liked the fact that Ami seemed to be able to read him no matter what, or if it bothered him. But either way, he relaxed a bit at hearing that his mother didn't give Ami some type of bad news. “So what did Mother have to say?”

“She actually asked for my help with something,” answered Ami proudly.

To this news, Syaoran couldn't help but look surprised. “Mother asked for your help?” Syaoran asked rhetorically, to which Ami nodded her head. “What did she want you to help her with?”

“Not help her. Help you.”

“Help me?”

“Hai,” confirmed Ami. “She asked me to help you learn to control the element of water, since she knows you have been having trouble fighting Charon since you can't control the one element he is weak against, and that you would be too proud and stubborn to ask for help yourself.”

Syaoran found himself feeling a little embarrassed at the situation of needing his girlfriend to help him learn a new magical technique, but he was a sensible guy, and knew it was necessary. “So what do we have to do?”

“Well, it seems the hardest part of our training was supposed to be learning how to combine magical auras,” said Ami with a shrug. “But since we already know how to do that, Li-sama said it is now mainly meditation and practice.”

“I suppose this new training won't be all bad,” answered Syaoran with a smile. “It means I have an extra excuse to spend more time with you.”

Ami blushed at Syaoran's words and was about to open her mouth to say something, although she wasn't sure what yet, when Syaoran pulled her into a delicate embrace and silenced her with a tender kiss. While Syaoran was kissing her, Ami's mind went blank, just like it usually did when Syaoran kissed her. But a little while after Syaoran finished the kiss, Ami's mind returned and she remembered the other bit of news she was supposed to tell Syaoran. “Your mother also wanted me to inform you that it seems very plausible that Charon did not escape by his own power, but someone actually set him free.”

“Someone actually let loose that demon on purpose?” said Syaoran in slight disbelief. “Who would have done such a thing, and why?”

“From what we could determine, it seems someone, I don't know who, but your mother seems to have a suspect in mind, released Charon in order to exact their own revenge against you and Heero-kun. I don't know the reason they want you two dead, but your mother said she was going to talk with Elder Qian Louh about it, and I assume she will tell us whatever they discern about the situation.”

“You are probably right,” answered Syaoran. “But in the meantime, would you care to join me for a walk along the beach?”

“Hai,” said Ami happily. “I'd love to.” Syaoran bent down and gave Ami another quick kiss on the lips before the couple headed hand in hand down to the sandy beach on the outskirts of the Estate.

~~~~~Hong Kong, China, A Few Days Later~~~~~

“Auntie Yelan. Have you seen Syaoran-kun?” questioned Li Meilin as she spotted Li Syaoran's mother walking between the main house and one of the smaller buildings on the Li Estate.

“He's training down on the beach with Mizuno-san,” Yelan answered. “It is best not to disturb them.”

“Again?” whined Meilin. “But he's leaving today, and this is the last chance I have to see him since the Elders are sending me into town.”

“I'm sorry, Meilin, but you know how important this training is for Xiao Lang.”

“I know,” Meilin conceded in a dejected tone of voice. “Can I at least go down there and check if Syaoran-kun is finished? I promise if he is still training I won't disturb him.”

Li Yelan sighed an inaudible sigh at her niece's stubbornness when it came to her cousin. “Very well. But you must not interfere if Xiao Lang is still training.”

“I promise!” stated Meilin emphatically, her voice and attitude changing from depressed to excited in a matter of moments. Meilin then turned around and ran full speed toward the beachside training area, forgetting to even thank her Auntie for telling her where Syaoran was.

In no time at all, Meilin was standing at the edge of the cliff overlooking the Li Clan outdoor training area. Seeing as how they were the only ones in the area, it was easy for Meilin to spot the two forms of Ami Mizuno and Li Syaoran. From what she could tell, it seemed as though they were both sitting and meditating, no doubt with Ami once again helping Syaoran familiarize himself with the water element. Despite what she had told her Auntie, Meilin was not about to let the last chance she had to see her favorite cousin before he went back to Japan, slip away. Making a lot of noise by going quickly, and accidentally almost falling down the cliff-side twice, Meilin hoped that her presence alone would startle Ami and Syaoran out of their meditative states. This way she could claim she hadn't `purposely' interrupted the training session.

Meilin's plan worked to perfection, as Ami and Syaoran both opened their eyes at the sound of falling rocks and loud footsteps. Syaoran was the first to stand up and look around to find the source of the noise, and after spotting Meilin half running, half falling, down the path along the face of the cliff, he gave his girlfriend a hand and pulled her up to stand by his side. “I knew it was just a matter of time before Meilin showed up,” commented Syaoran, knowing there was no way his cousin would let him leave without saying goodbye.

“You're important to her,” replied Ami. “We were pretty much finished anyway.”

Syaoran glanced down from the corner of his eye at the girl standing next to him. He couldn't help the slight smile that crept up at the edge of his mouth as he watched the rippling of the breeze in Ami's light blue summer dress and through her short aquamarine hair. As he watched his Mercury Princess girlfriend, Syaoran reflected on how strangely peaceful he felt after the events of the past week.

When they had first arrived back at the Li Clan Estate, they had been greeted by his sisters in what, for them, was the normal manner. Even though they were already in their twenties with families of their own, apparently Syaoran would always be their cute huggable little brother. So, as soon as he had stepped out of the limousine, all four bodies came flying through the air to suffocate him in a massive group hug. Following this, his sisters had greeted Ami in exactly the same manner, catching the teenage genius off-guard, since she had forgotten about the way she had been greeted by the girls the last time she had come. Meilin was only a step behind Syaoran's sisters, giving Syaoran a tight hug of happiness and then a friendly, though much more civil than Syaoran's sisters, hug to Ami. Once free from the clutches of his sisters, Syaoran and Ami made their way up to the house where Li Yelan was waiting. The elegant woman pulled Syaoran into a motherly embrace as she said hello to her only son, and returned Ami's formal bow as the Mercury Princess greeted her hostess.

The next few days had passed in a surprisingly normal fashion. Syaoran had been certain his mother had invited Ami down to Hong Kong for some purpose, but during the entire first few days at the Estate she had not made any indication whatsoever that this was anything but a social visit. They had spent a lot of the time in the city, shopping, sight-seeing, and catching up on news with Meilin, who turned out to be a little lonely since Wu-Fei had left for a while to help someone named Sally Po. Meilin knew he was coming back fairly soon, but found herself feeling just about as lost as she had back when Syaoran left way back in grade school. The time had passed by so quickly that Syaoran had almost completely forgotten his fears about his mother having an ulterior motive for the visit.

Until that one fateful day. On the morning of the fourth day of their stay, Li Yelan had sent for Mizuno Ami. At that moment, all Syaoran's anxiety and uncertainty about the trip came flooding back. If anyone had been able to read his mind and see how much of a nervous wreck he had been during the entire time Ami had been talking with his mother, they would have scoffed at the idea that he was to become the leader of the illustrious Li Clan.

Luckily for Syaoran, it turned out that there was no bad news whatsoever. In fact, it turned out to be more like good news. With his mother wishing for him to learn how to control the element of water, and more specifically wanting Ami to teach him, it just gave Syaoran an extra excuse to spend more time with his Senshi girlfriend. The couple had spent almost the entirety of their waking moments together working on getting Syaoran to find his way onto the path leading toward control of the element of water. Through combining powers and collective meditation, Syaoran was quickly learning to manipulate the one element who's power had previously eluded him. He did not yet have enough control over water to create an attack from nothing, but he was now able to mentally induce unnatural movements within existing bodies. He knew his time in Hong Kong would not be nearly enough to gain the mastery he needed over the element, so he and Ami were going to continue working on his training when they returned to Japan.

Syaoran came out of his reverie when Meilin crashed down at his and Ami's feet, breathing heavily from the energy she expended rushing down to the beach. Being as thoughtful as ever, Ami kneeled down and put a supporting arm around the worn out Meilin, helping her back to her feet as she continued to take in large gulps of air. “What were you rushing down here so fast for, Meilin?” asked Syaoran. “You know we aren't leaving for another few hours.”

“I…know…” struggled out Meilin between gasps of air. “But the elders…gave me a…letter to give to…someone in the city. And…I didn't know…if I would be back…before you left.”

“We wouldn't have left without saying goodbye, Meilin-chan,” said Ami with a smile.

“Besides,” continued Syaoran. “I know if you wanted to enough, you would have found a way to get back here in time, or would have just gone straight to the airport to see us off.”

“Oh yeah,” reflected Meilin. “I will already be in the city, so getting to the airport will be easy.”

Neither Ami nor Syaoran missed Meilin's use of a future tense when referring to meeting them at the airport, and both suppressed a smile, knowing they were going to be seeing Meilin again at the airport in a few hours.

“In any case, I should be going then,” said Meilin, in a much happier tone now that she had her plan to see Syaoran again all thought out.

“Bye Meilin,” said Syaoran as he gave his favorite cousin a hug.

“I'm sure we'll see you again soon,” added Ami, also giving the raven haired girl a hug.

Meilin dashed off back toward the Estate, apparently in a hurry to get her chore done quickly to make certain she would be able to make it to the airport in time to see off Ami and Syaoran.

After watching Meilin leave, Ami turned toward her boyfriend with a smile on her face.

“What?” asked Syaoran, a little confused as to what made the beautiful smile appear on his girlfriend's face.

“It's amazing how much she really loves you,” Ami said. “Not necessarily in that way I understand she used to, but it's still clear just how much you mean to her.”

“I'll always cherish Meilin,” replied Syaoran. “But, she's going to have to accept that from this point on, there is someone I care for even more.” Then, as if to demonstrate he truly meant what he said, Syaoran flashed Ami a pearly white smile, causing her to blush slightly, and then bent down and placed a long tender kiss on the Senshi's adorable lips.

The kiss only lasted a few seconds in reality, but in Ami's mind it lasted forever. Even after the kiss ended and Syaoran had pulled away, Ami stayed with her head tilted and eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Syaoran's lips were no longer touching her own. She was so lost in the sensations that it took Syaoran's voice to bring her back to reality. “Sorry,” Ami said, blushing a little more. “What did you say?”

Syaoran chuckled lightly as Ami's blush increased from embarrassment. “I asked if you were ready to move on to the next exercise.”

Looking downward in a futile attempt to hide her blush from Syaoran, Ami nodded and reached toward her pocket to retrieve her transformation wand. At that moment Ami realized that her dress had no pockets, and with nowhere to put it, she had left her transformation wand back in her room at the Estate. “I forgot,” Ami said. “I had no pockets to put it in, so I didn't bring my transformation wand. I'll go get it. Be right back.”

As Ami turned to leave, she felt a gentle hand grab her arm. “Don't worry about it,” said Syaoran. “We can do this another time.”

“Sorry,” Ami said a little dejected at her own carelessness. “I promised your mother I would do everything I could to help, and I'm not doing a very thorough job.”

“You're doing more than enough,” answered Syaoran as he pulled Ami into a light embrace. “I wish there was something more I could do in return.”

“Just being able to help you is thanks enough,” whispered Ami as she melted into Syaoran's body.

“Actually, maybe there is something I can do for you,” said Syaoran as an idea suddenly struck him.

Ami pulled away from Syaoran's body a bit and looked up quizzically at her boyfriend. “What?”

“Well, I was thinking that maybe I can help you control some of your Mercury magical energy without you having to transform.”

“You think that can work?”

“Absolutely,” answered Syaoran. “You have actually already proved it can work since you can mentally focus your power without transforming. Learning to focus your power is usually the hard part, but since you can already do that at will, using the energy is simply the next step.”

Ami thought about what Syaoran was saying for a moment, weighing what she felt were her possibilities of success. Eventually she decided that Syaoran was likely correct, and her possibility of success seemed fairly high. “So what do I do?”

Syaoran smiled at his girlfriend's love for knowledge. “Well, the first step is not much different from what we were just doing a moment ago. Concentrate your power, letting your energy surge throughout your body. Then, instead of concentrating the energy inwards as your normally would, turn that focus outward. All elemental magic is not the creation of an elemental power, but learning the control over the elemental power that exists in the world. As you become more advanced, a magician learns to control elements as small as the molecules in the air, so it appears as though the element was created out of nothing. But as a beginner, it is easier to learn to control a small amount of that element that is already apparent, such as a body of water or a small flame. In your case, I suggest concentrating on the small inlet of water we were using for my training.”

Ami seated herself in her kneeling position she had been in before Meilin had arrived and prepared herself to begin. “You might as well practice at the same time,” Ami mentioned when she noticed Syaoran was making no move to do anything but watch her. Syaoran smiled down at his kneeling girlfriend and moved into a similar position next to the Senshi at the edge of the inlet.

Finally prepared to resume their training, Ami and Syaoran both closed their eyes and their facial expressions changed to looks of seriousness and concentration. The breathing of both Ami and Syaoran slowed to a steady synchronous rhythm, as they put all of their concentration on their magical energies.

Had anyone been watching the pair of magicians practice, they would have found themselves very bored. For the next hour, it almost appeared as though Syaoran and Ami were not succeeding whatsoever in their attempts at honing their water elemental magic, for the water within the small inlet they were sitting at didn't appear to be moving even the slightest bit. It wasn't until they had been at it for close to an hour that Syaoran and Ami's efforts began to become apparent to the casual observer. The small inlet slowly began to create two miniature whirlpools, one in front of Ami, and the other near to Syaoran. Slowly but surely, the two whirlpools began to expand in diameter, until the edges touched and began to fight for more area to expand. The inability to move outward resulted in the two whirlpools moving in the vertical direction, becoming a pair of tightly spiraled waterspouts.

The mental battle between Ami and Syaoran continued to grow in intensity. Their struggle for control over the water within the inlet became so ardent, a point came when the small body of water could no longer contain the scuffle. The two clearly separated halves of the inlet water gradually melded with the coastal ocean water as the power and volume of the struggle began to increase. At a critical mass size, that was almost that of a medium sized building, the spiraling masses of water began to take on shape. Offshoots from each water funnel formed into limbs, while the main body of each water mass tightened itself inwards, to create a torso and finally a head. The sight of the two water figures was one to behold. Each stood over thirty feet tall and looked to have enough power to crush anything standing in its path. The two water figures stood motionless, minus the constant swirling of the water that made up their bodies, apparently sizing each other up. In a flash, both water elementals suddenly lunged at one another, each with a single fist raised, ready to deliver a thunderous punch.

However, as fast as the attack began, it was instantly interrupted when a raised voice pulled Syaoran and Ami out of their mental trances. As both their eyes shot open, their water creations simply liquefied and melded back into the water of the coastal ocean without so much as a noise or a splash. The couple turned their heads around to find the figure of Li Yelan towering over them, flanked on either side by a few other members of the Clan.

“Mother?” said Syaoran when he caught sight of who had interrupted his training. “What are you doing here?”

“I am stopping you two from doing something that could have endangered not only yourselves, but the entire estate,” answered Yelan.

“Li-sama?” questioned Ami, who was confused at the woman's comment.

“I am impressed at the progress you both have made in your power,” said Yelan. “However, you both focused so much on using as much of your power that you could, that you neglected to make sure you had complete control over your actions.”

“I still don't understand,” said Ami.

“Those water elementals you created,” continued Yelan. “They were both only partially under your own control, and as I'm certain you both must know, two thirty foot elementals can cause a great amount of damage if they are not properly contained.”

“Thirty feet!” exclaimed Ami. “The elementals were thirty feet?”

“You didn't know?” said Yelan, an uncustomary bewildered look appearing on her face.

“In my mind, the form I created was only a few inches in height,” explained Ami.

“Xiao Lang?” asked Yelan as she turned toward her son.

“I'm sorry mother,” said Syaoran, with a bit of shame in his voice. “I don't know what happened. I saw the same images in my mind as well.”

“You both unintentionally combined your power,” came a voice from behind where Li Yelan was standing. Yelan and the other Clan members parted in the center, allowing the eldest of the Li Clan Elders to walk through. Catching sight of Elder Qian Louh, both Ami and Syaoran made to stand up so they could bow correctly in respect to the Elder, however when they tried to move, they came to realize their muscles weren't functioning correctly. “You will both probably be unable to move much for the next hour or so. Your magical energy overwhelmed your physical and mental limitations, which is why you cannot move and why you did not mentally realize how much power you were each exerting. If Li Yelan had not stopped you both when she did, your magical energies would have begun to destroy your life force.”

Ami's eyes widened in shock, while Syaoran looked down at the ground in shame. “So how do we keep this from happening again?” asked Ami.

“To be a little cliché,” responded Qian Louh. “You must follow a simple well known saying. Practice makes perfect.” Qian Louh allowed a slight amused grin to form at the corner of his mouth at seeing Ami's surprise at his use of such a simple bumper sticker slogan. “In other words, you will only be able to keep this from happening again by continuing to practice your magical control and honing your skills.”

“Master Qian Louh?” asked Ami hesitantly.

“Yes, child?” the Elder answered.

“If what you say about what happened while Syaoran-kun and I were training is true, then isn't it dangerous for us to be attempting it again?”

“That is very true,” said Qian Louh. “My suggestion would be to make sure someone powerful is there to assist, such as Clow Reed's reincarnate or the Clow Master and Mistress.”

“Now, we'll leave you two to think for a while. When you are each once again able to move correctly, we will be awaiting you back at the house.”

After Yelan and the others had left, Ami turned her head to look at Syaoran and found him still staring downcast at the ground. “Syaoran-kun? Is everything alright?”

Without looking up or even flinching a muscle, Syaoran gave his one word response. “Fine.”

It didn't take a genius to know Syaoran was lying, and at that moment Ami would have given anything to be able to move so she could comfort her boyfriend. “Please talk to me, Syaoran-kun.”

“I can't,” responded Syaoran, still unmoving.

“We're in this together,” pleaded Ami as tears began to form in her eyes, and her words began to come out in sniffles. “Please. I need to know what is bothering you.”

At hearing Ami's pleas and the sound of her sniffling voice, Syaoran finally raised his head to peer into the watery eyes of beautiful Sailor Mercury. Surprising Ami a bit, Syaoran brought up his arm, as if he had been able to move the entire time, and gently wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes and falling down her soft cheeks. “Don't cry.”

“I just want to know what to do to help,” sniffled out Ami, who despite Syaoran's gentle actions still couldn't stop her tears.

“I'm sorry,” said Syaoran. “But there is nothing you can do this time.”

“But-,” began Ami before she was quickly silenced by Syaoran placing a finger tenderly on her soft lips.

“I am touched you are so concerned,” continued Syaoran. “But, please, this is something I must do alone.” Then, without waiting for another word from Ami, Syaoran stood up, and caringly picked Ami up into his arms since she could still not yet move.

Syaoran carried Ami back to the Estate in complete silence. Ami had almost a million things she wanted to say to Syaoran, but somehow, the look in his eye and the expression on his face stopped her from saying a word. Even when they got back to the house, Yelan could tell something was wrong between the couple, but knew enough to know that there was nothing for her to do or say in regards to the situation.

The entire drive to the airport, Syaoran still did not utter a single word, and even when Meilin met them at the gate to their private plane back to Japan, Syaoran simply stayed stone-faced and walked straight onto the plane without so much as an acknowledgement of her presence.

“What happened to Syaoran-kun?” Meilin asked Ami as she was giving her a hug goodbye.

“We had a little problem with our training,” answered Ami.

“Are you both alright?” Meilin asked with concern.

“Physically we're fine,” responded Ami. “But mentally, it affected Syaoran in a way I just don't understand.”

“And he won't talk to you about it,” finished Meilin. Ami just nodded her head slowly. “That sounds like Syaoran. Syaoran-kun takes his training very seriously, and he never discusses his problems with anyone.”

“Will he get over it?” Ami asked with a twinge of hope in her voice.

Meilin placed a hand under Ami's chin and brought her head up to look her in the eye. “He cares for you,” she said with a carefree grin on her face. “I promise you, his normal self will come back.”

Ami smiled brightly at the thoughtful cheering up of Meilin and gave her a friendly embrace. “Thank you, Meilin-chan.”

“I'm going to miss having you around, Ami-chan,” answered Meilin as the two girls separated. “And make sure to take good care of Syaoran-kun since I am not there in Japan to keep an eye on you two.” Meilin then winked at Ami and pulled her into one last goodbye embrace.

“Bye, Meilin-chan. I hope I'll see you soon,” said Ami.

“You too,” answered Meilin. After letting go of her new friend, Ami turned around and walked through the gate and onto the plane to go back to Japan, feeling much better after her talk with Meilin.