The Lord of Black Magic
Prologue
By ssGoku_138

Disclaimer
None of the characters in my stories are owned by me (except for the ones that I have created)
So, please, I implore you, don't sue!

Long ago, when sorcerers and other magical entities existed, chaos had plagued the shadows of the world. There were constant battles and several wars over the power of one magical staff, one capable of granting unlimited power to it's master. However, only those with pure intentions and a good heart would ever be allowed to weild it, or otherwise the one touching it would be destroyed.

Reguardless of the effect, evil wizards and sorceresses attempted to gain control of such a valuble magical item. Fortunately, none of them succeeded. When all the wicked seeking the supreme staff had perished, a single good-willed sorcerer named Clow Reed had somehow been accepted by the staff to be it's master. Using this staff, he created his own magical seal and made the Clow Cards. Using these cards, he was able to restore areas of the world that had been demolished over the battles for the staff.

However, when he had created the cards, all of the evil within him had separated from his body, meaning he could not provide the negative source of power needed to keep his cards and seal active. The negative half turned into a spirit, one made of all the evil energy given off by Clow Reed. It was perfect for a negative source, so Clow helped to give it a human-like body and used him to provide the negative energy. He named this new person Kage, whom was given a body similar to that of a teenage boy. Kage did aid Clow with the creation of the Clow Cards by creating a card called the 'Void', allowing Clow's cards to activate since the balance between the positive and negative energies was now stable.

Clow Reed proceeded to create Guardians for the Clow Cards, naming the Guardian representing the sun cards Ceroberos and the one representing the moon cards Yue. Kage became the Guardian of his own card. All of these magical entities, brought together by the one staff, lived in harmony with one another for a long time.

Unfortunately, the evil ones whom survived the older era of war for the staff learned of Clow Reed's conversion of it's power into spirit cards. Knowing that they couldn't control the staff itself, they decided that taking over all of Clow's cards would have the same overall effect. They then waged countless battles with Clow, until one day when the evil ones discovered only those chosen by destiny may ever touch the cards. However, these powers did not have to be pure, like they did for the staff. Some could be evil, and this persuaded some of the most powerful wizards to come after Clow. After learning that his cards will only cause more harm if he stayed present in that world, he retreated to present day China, where he hid in the shadows for most of his life.

Kage, on the other hand, explored the world. He fought many sorcerers, wizards, sorceresses, demons, and other people and beasts along his journey, until one day he discovered that the staff Clow possessed wasn't the only item of power. There were 9 more at the time, and it turns out that anyone who could weild one of them could use Clow's cards. Kage had gotten ahold of one of them, a sword of dark and destructive power named Obelisk. He soon found out that each weapon contained it's own special power, for his was made for intense battles and summoning powerful spells. Kage was all ready abnormally strong due to how much power he acquired from Clow's negative energy, and this sword, Obelisk, only gave him more power. Kage was soon nicknamed 'Shadow Soldier', for he resembled a shadow and was a deadly warrior. However, not all of his intentions were good, since a good majority of evil dwelled within his soul.

While Clow Reed continued to age, Kage, Ceroberos, and Yue did not look a year older than the day they were created. Ceroberos and Yue began to worry for Clow Reed, but Kage did not care. He did not like Clow Reed much, and could not care less if the man died right in front of him. Before his dying day in the present town of Toemoda, Clow Reed ran into Kage one final time. He told Kage that if Ceroberos, Yue, and himself didn't get sealed away in some way, they would cease to exist when Clow died. However, they all would have to wait until someone capable of handling the Clow Cards came around, meaning that they would be sealed away for several hundred years. Kage did not like the idea, but agreed and allowed Clow to convert his Shadow Card (the 'Void') into a Clow Card, giving Clow Reed the power to seal him away with that one card. Clow feared that card, for it's power was so great. Thus, he locked it away from all of the other cards, in a place where he thought it would never be able to break out.

After Clow's death, the Clow Cards, Ceroberos, Yue, and Kage were all safely stored in some way. Now, in present day Toemoda, a young girl had released the power, and became the mistress of the Clow Cards. Yue, Ceroberos, and the Clow Cards had been freed. The only one that remains is Kage, the legendary Shadow Soldier, and the owner of Obelisk. However, old and new dark powers have arisen over time, all anxiously awaiting the revealing of the Clow Cards once again.

Sakura Kinomoto, the new Clow Mistress, must find some way to protect these cards. As for Kage, his alliance with Sakura and her friends as well as his own feelings may very well decide the fate of the entire world...

~*~*~*~*~

Deep in the dense forests of China, near where one of the largest mountain ranges in the world lie, a teenage boy stood atop a cliff, overlooking the world below him. There were trees, bushes, and all other sorts of plant life surrounding him for hundreds of miles. Not one village or town was in site. It was just now beginning to grow dark; the sun, after being in the sky for so long, had just rested itself apon the horizon.

The boy sighed. "Just one more thing to try," he said, drawing his sword. "Then I can finally go home."

He rested the tip of his sword in the ground next to him while holding the blade by it's hilt, then used his free hand to pull the incantations from his pocket. He was wearing a white tanktop, a leather belt, and black pants, which were a bit baggy. His pants tucked into his brown boots, tied at the top with rope. His brown hair ruffled in the slight breeze blowing by as he examined the scrolls.

"Well, it's now or never," he said, raising his sword. He looked around for a target, found one (which was a nearby patch of trees), and aimed his sword at it. Throwing all four of the incantations he held into the air, he began a chant for an ancient spell.

"Sources of light," he said silently. "Reveal your power, make this my enemy's darkest hour! Souls of the Winds and the Elements of the Earth, I command you to combine your strength! Force, know my plight, release the light! ULTIMA STRIKE!!!"

Upon his word, the incantations immediately flew from the air above him to right in front of his sword (which he was holding horizontally in front of him, one hand at the hilt and one on the blade). They gleamed a brilliant white color, and discharged bolts of energy amongst themselves and the sword. A circle of white energy appeared before the sword, and, with a thunderous blast, an enormous white beam erupted from the blade and straight into the boy's target.

A resounding explosion was the result, vibrating everything violently and conducted a forceful wind. Debri, dirt, trees, and rocks flew into the air, raining upon the entire area. When it was all over, the boy moved his left arm shielding his face from the sharpnel to see a large cloud of dirt particles floating around where the tree patch once stood, and below it a huge crater.

He had blown a chunk out of the mountain itself. It caused a landslide down the edge of it, but he figured it wouldn't cause any harm, since there wasn't anyone around who could be hurt. Very satisfied with the effects, the boy leaped off the side of the mountain and down towards the lake below him.

"That worked out better than I figured," he noted while free-falling into the sparkling body of water at the foot of the mountain. "I suppose it was good for a first try."

When he had almost reached the lake, he stopped himself suddenly and hovered only inches above the water. The wind he had picked up going down had caused a few waves to form near his levitating spot.

"Phew! I can finally pack up and go home... Being out in the wilderness for so many months has probably put a dent in my ability to talk with people..."

Propelling himself above the water and towards the shore, he could see that there wasn't much time left before dusk. The horizon was decorated with orange, red, and pink pigment streaming around and staining the clouds overlapping the sky into a similar color.

Looking at that sunset reminded him of a day almost two years ago, on his last day in Japan. That day was very painful to him, since he had broken the heart of the one person he cared and loved more than anyone else.

"Sakura," Syaoran whispered. "I wish I hadn't remembered that time..."

~~Flashback~~

Syaoran received a letter from his mother, demanding that he return home from Japan without question. The elders of his clan had ordered it, so it was against his or any of his relative's power to deny them without risk of being disowned. He ripped up the letter, furious that they would do such a thing to him. They wanted him to come back and serve them like almost every other male that was linked to the clan. Syaoran did not want to get caught up in their problems; instead, he wanted to stay in Japan, where he could still be with Sakura.

"Damn them all," Syaoran muttered, cursing silently as he walked down the hall of his apartment. Wei was observing him, and felt terribly sorry for the boy.

"Master Syaoran, please try to calm down," Wei pleaded. "It is something that the elders commonly issue. Please, try to understand--"

"Understand what? That these wrinkling old bastards are trying to ruin my life?" Syaoran said aburptively. "There's not a snowball's chance in Hell that I'm going back!"

"But, Master Syaoran!" Wei begged. "You must! If not, you'll be disowned and it would be beyond our power to make sure that you're safe!"

"Who cares?" Syaoran reasoned. "They obviously don't give a rat's ass for me anyway, if they're trying to take me away from--"

Syaoran trailed off, knowing that was all that had to be mentioned for Wei to know what he was talking about. "Don't tell me you want to stay here because of that girl?"

"I don't want to, I intend to," Syaoran corrected. "Reguardless of what mother or the elders have to say about her, I love Sakura. I would rather die than be separated from her."

"You... Truly feel this way?" Wei asked.

"Of course... I've never felt this way for anyone else in my life," Syaoran said. "Sakura... She answered my pledge the other day, Wei."

Wei looked more thoughtfully at him. "What did she say?" he asked.

"She told me she loved me too," Syaoran said, his voice becoming soft. "It was after she captured the final card, the 'Void'."

"It's a shame," Wei said. "Master Syaoran, for you to stay with Sakura, you would have to be disowned from the clan. They all ready said that they don't approve of her in the letter."

"And they want me to marry Meilin, which was the original intention," Syaoran said, his tone becoming harsh again. "And now neither of us want to marry each other. I found Sakura, and Meilin had supposedly found someone else..."

"Master Syaoran, please return to China," Wei persuaded. "It would forever be my suffering to know that I've left you behind without anywhere to stay, without any sort of security. Remember, you won't see any of your family members ever again if you cross the elders. That includes not only your mother, but also your little sisters as well, and anyone else you hold dear to you out there."

Syaoran paused in his ranting. What Wei spoke of was true. It would be pointless to stay in Japan if there was not a place for him to stay, and probably wouldn't make it along too well without any sort of help. Knowing that rejecting the elders was fruitless, Syaoran walked over to the kitchen window and looked out upon the streets. It was almost sunset, and the road was beginning to clear of cars and children began leaving their yards and into their houses.

He felt as if he were one of those helpless children, one whom did not have the ability to watch out for himself. Syaoran knew what had to be done. He was leaving at 3:00a.m. for a plane to Hong Kong that night, meaning he would not see the light of the sun in Japan ever again. What Syaoran had to do now was say his final good-byes.

He walked past Wei by the doorway to the living room and slipped on his shoes. Opening up the door that led to the apartment hallways, Syaoran proceeded towards the stairway without saying a word. He had a sad expression on his face, one that would make even the uncaring stop and look at him consideringly.

Once he made it down the stairway, Syaoran continued out into the streets he had just been looking at from his kitchen window. He made his way for the Kinomoto Residence, admiring the cherry blossom trees as he walked along.

He hadn't paid much attention to his surroundings. All he knew was that there were a bunch of houses on both sides of the street and that a car occasionally passed by him. He made it to his destination without knowing how much time had passed.

A cherry blossom petal whipped by him in the wind, suddenly followed by a group of them, all moving gently with the soft breeze. Syaoran caught one with his right hand, and then released it again after taking a good look at it. They reminded him too much of Sakura.

Walking up to the house was the most dreaded thing he could think of doing. He knew that he would soon be spending his final moments with Sakura, and it caused a twisting pain in his heart. Syaoran couldn't take it. He considered not even telling her that he was leaving, but decided that going through with the heartache would be worth at least one more memory of her.

Stepping up onto the porch, Syaoran rang the doorbell.

"Coming!" came a voice from within. Syaoran could easily tell it belonged to Sakura.

Quickly opening the door, Sakura seemed surprised to see Syaoran standing at her doorstep. "Syaoran-kun! Hello!" she welcomed warmly, hugging him. Syaoran returned the embrace, amazed by how she still could make his heart skip a beat.

Reluctantly breaking the embrace, Sakura looked up at Syaoran, noticing his sorrowful expression for the first time. "Syaoran-kun? Is something wrong?"

"Sakura," he said, managing to smile at her. "Can you walk with me for a little while? There's something we need to talk about."

Sakura stared at him for a moment, completely clueless. She looked cute, but Syaoran couldn't enjoy the sight right now. His mind was too set on him leaving her behind. Sakura nodded after a few seconds, and slipped on her shoes. She was still wearing her school uniform, the one with the blue shirt, white tie, and white skirt lined in red.

"Oni-chan!" Sakura called into the house. "I'm going out for a little while!"

"Where to?" came a voice from within, obviously belonging to Touya.

"I'm walking around with Syaoran-kun, not going anywhere specifically," Sakura answered.

Touya could be heard mummuring from inside, and both Sakura and Syaoran knew why. Touya, of course, hated Syaoran. They could make out one line he said, which sounded like "How in the Hell can she like that Chinese moron?"

Sakura giggled at the comment, while Syaoran stared blankly into the open doorway. All he could see is the dresser in the hallway leading to the living room, as well as the staircase. He really didn't care what Touya said. Syaoran had gotten used to that type of talk since he and Sakura had been with one another more than usual as of late.

"Well, I'm leaving! Bye, Oni-chan!" Sakura said, shutting the front door and following Syaoran off of the porch.

When they had made it to the street, Sakura glanced over at Syaoran. "Well, what's the problem?"

"Sakura..." Syaoran tried to start. "I... Got another letter from my mother today..."

As they walked along the sidewalk, Sakura looked at him silently awaiting his next words. Syaoran seen that she still didn't know what he was hinting, and knew that he was going to have to tell her outright.

"So, what did it say?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran turned away from her. "That I have to go... Back home..."

Sakura stopped walking. "You have to go back home?!" she asked disappointedly.

Syaoran nodded. He had no idea how he was going to be able to put up with telling her this.

"When?" Sakura asked.

"Tonight," Syaoran answered quietly. "At three in the morning."

For a warm, spring evening, a cold chill had strangely passed through the area after that was said. Dead silence fell over everything, including Syaoran and Sakura. She was looking at him in despair, not knowing what little time she had left with him. A tear trickled down her face.

"Syaoran-kun... Do you have to?" she asked sadly.

"Afraid so," Syaoran answered, in just as sad a voice as Sakura's. "I can't do anything about it. Seems like they don't want me to ever come back again, either..."

'Syaoran is never coming back?!?' Sakura's mind screamed at her. That line had ripped her heart in half. Tears were coming more forcefully now, Sakura trying extremely hard to fight them off.

Syaoran turned back around to look at Sakura, and felt guilty as to the expression on her face. "Sakura, I'm sorry..." was all he was able to say.

Sakura shook her head. "It's not your fault," she replied. "It wasn't your choice to do this."

Syaoran lowered his head. Sakura meant practically everything to him, and he was about to lose her forever. Unknowingly, he walked over and placed his arms around Sakura.

"I don't think we should be spending our time crying over it," Syaoran said. "I'm going to have to go and pack up soon."

Sakura muffled a sob into Syaoran's shoulder and nodded. She was crying fully now, attempting to calm herself. Sakura hadn't expected to take such a severe emotional blow today. She was in no way prepared for it.

"Syaoran-kun, I love you!" she managed say in the middle of her sobbing. Sakura knew she meant this with all her heart.

"I love you, too, Sakura," Syaoran said as well, as if they had been sealing this commitment for the first time.

They both wanted to stay in that embrace forever, but found that fate would not allow it. As the sun continued to creep below the horizon, Syaoran loosed his hold on Sakura and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Don't worry. The elders of my clan won't keep me away from here, you can count on it," Syaoran told her. Sakura had stopped crying by now, but she still looked terribly sad. Her eyes, however, were surprising bright.

"I've... Gotta go now," Syaoran said, almost completely breaking the embrace. However, before he did, Sakura leaned up and pressed her lips softly to his. Syaoran was startled to say the least, but he couldn't complain about it. He returned her kiss, and they stood together like that for several moments, breaking only when they had to breathe again.

"Syaoran-kun, I'll wait for you," Sakura promised. "I believe that you'll come back, just like you said."

Syaoran stroked her hair once with his hand, marveling at how soft it felt. "I will be true to my word, Sakura," he said, turning away from her. "I love you."

Sakura smiled as Syaoran walked farther down the sidewalk, and waved at him. "Love you, Syaoran-kun! Hope to see you soon!"

Syaoran turned around to face her one last time, and smiled back at her. He waved once, and continued down the street lined with houses, fences, and cherry blossom trees. The sun had just set. He had laid his eyes on Sakura for the last time.

~~Present Time~~

Syaoran sighed. The sunset before him looked so similar to the one he had seen on his last day with his love. It upset him to be thinking about it, since he always became so emotional that he couldn't keep focused on anything. That kiss she gave him was the sweetest memory he had of her, but it was also the saddest.

Shaking his head to free himself from that memory, Syaoran walked towards the trees. "It's time I get out of here."

Grabbing his backpack full of things, Syaoran placed his incantations back into his pocket and replaced his sword in it's sheath strapped around his back. Looking up at the sunset one last time, Syaoran got a running start and shot into the sky.

~*~*~*~*~

Eriol Hiiragizawa had been staring into the sky all afternoon from his patio. He felt a dark presence in the world, although he couldn't explain it. It felt as if doom had been looming overtop of them all, although he seems to be the only one who knows of it.

"What is going on?" Eriol asked himself in silence from his London home, leaning on the railing next to his porch swing. "I don't know why, but the sky seems to carry an ominious message within. Is it a sign of things to come?"

Suppi flew out at that exact moment. "Master, is there something bothering you?" he asked.

Eriol managed to smile at him. "In truth, yes. But it's nothing that should concern you."

"Are you sure, sir?" Suppi asked, flying up next to Eriol's shoulder.

"Positive," Eriol reassured. "Now, go and tell Nakaru to prepare dinner. It's her turn tonight."

Suppi bowed. "Yes, Master," he said, flying back into the doorway.

Eriol smiled as he went back in, but his expression became grim again. Things just didn't seem right. There was a strange disturbance in the clouds he was looking at, though he couldn't put his finger on what.

Yawning, Eriol decided to return back to the house. Perhaps it was just his mood, since he had been feeling a bit depressed lately because of the lack of things to do. It was presently March 22, the time 9:54 p.m. He knew that Sakura's birthday was coming up soon, but had no idea of what to get her. He figured that if it would give him something to do, then he would spend his time deciding on her gift. It had to be something special, for he hadn't given her anything of great surprise in the last few years. He thought briefly about getting her and Syaoran back together (he knew of Syaoran's return to China from a chat with Tomoyo on the phone), but passed it off because he knew it required more money than he could afford.

"With a little help, I might be able to pull it off..." Eriol said quietly to himself. "But it would still cost a lot of money, not to mention more than a little convincing."

Once Eriol had walked through the doorway, he noticed that the house was unusually dark. He walked down the hallway to his left, which was made of cedar and had dull coloring. At the end of the hallway, there was a doorway into the kitchen and a wall phone. He picked up the phone, and dailed Tomoyo's number. It rang a few times, when finally a girl answered.

"Hello, this is the Daidouji residence. May I ask who's speaking?" the girl asked.

"Eriol Hiiragizawa. Is this Daidouji Tomoyo?"

"Yes. Hello, Hiiragizawa-kun! It's been a while since we last talked."

Eriol smiled. It was soothing to be talking to an old friend, especially considering his mood as of late. "Ms. Daidouji, how have you been?"

"Good," she answered. "I've having a bit of a dilemma over what I should get Sakura for her birthday, but other than that, things couldn't be better."

Eriol chuckled. "You're having the same problem as me."

"Hmmm... Wanna help me out in finding a gift for her?" Tomoyo asked.

"Certainly, if you'd like to consider what I was going to do," Eriol said. "I was thinking that if we could somehow get Syaoran back to Japan for a visit, it would most likely be the best gift ."

"Oh, why didn't I think of that? It's perfect!" Tomoyo said cheerfully. "How would we do it, though? Syaoran-kun isn't allowed to return..."

"I can handle that, if you're willing to help," Eriol said. "Here's the deal. I'll spend half of the money needed, and you can spend the other. Deal?"

"Anything for Sakura-chan," Tomoyo agreed. "Now, what's the plan? I know this is going to involve some air travel... But what else?"

"Apartments," Eriol said. "I can pay all of my expenses off. However, I can't afford both Syaoran and myself, though I'm pretty sure Syaoran will be able to pay a good deal of his own off after I have a 'talk' with the elders of his clan. So, all I'm asking is that you have apartments ready for us out there."

"That's all you need?" Tomoyo asked. "I can take care of it easily. How long are you willing to stay?"

"As long as possible."

"All right, then I'll get you guys apartments for three months. Be quick on those airplane tickets, though! Those things sell like hotcakes," Tomoyo pointed out.

"Yes, I know," Eriol acknowledged. "I'll start looking them up as soon as I get off of the phone."

"So... When do you think you and Syaoran-kun are going to return?" Tomoyo asked.

"Hopefully at least a day or two before her birthday," Eriol said. "That way, we'll have time to prepare the surprise."

"I see. But, won't you have to be in Hong Kong for a little while?"

"Yeah," Eriol answered. "But I doubt that I'll be there for more than two days at the most."

"Okay, that works, depending on when you're leaving," Tomoyo said.

"Don't worry, I won't foil anything," Eriol assured. "Just get those apartments checked out and Syaoran and I will be there shortly."

"All right, I'll take your word for it," Tomoyo said. "Well, gotta go! I'm gonna go and check up on those apartments. You are checking those planes tonight, right?"

"Yes."

"Then could you call me again tomorrow and tell me about it?"

"Sure. See you around."

"Okay, Hiiragizawa-kun, bye!" Tomoyo said happily as she hung up the phone.

Eriol laid the phone down on the receiver, sighing. It looked like he would be busy tonight. However, he decided on eating dinner before he gets started on that.

~*~*~*~*~

In a secluded, mysterious place surrounded by a dark aurora, there was a strange void in the middle of the area displaying a view through the eyes of someone flying above a lush, dark forest. In front of it stood a person with spikey hair and glowering light-blue eyes, whom had been looking intently into the void.

"I feel a disturbance in his thoughts," the eerie person dressed in a black robe said to himself. "He isn't acting like his usual determined self."

Waving his hand at the void and banishing it to some unseen place, the boy turned around and approached the thick darkness behind him. "I wonder what's bothering him..."

Suddenly, there appeared the outline of a person in the darkness. It was also a boy, the same size as the spikey-haired boy. However, this brown-haired boy had a tanktop and loose black pants on. The spikey-haired boy glared at him with a creepy glowing blue gaze.

"So, Syaoran Li," the spikey black-haired boy spoke. "What is the cause behind your troubled mind?"

A strange mist, tinted a pale purple, arose in the darkness around them. Within the haze, the spikey-haired boy's eyes could still be seen clearly. Syaoran, whom looked lifeless, slowly began to speak.

"Sakura," he said. "My love."

"Love?" the spikey-haired boy asked. "Tell me, who is this 'Sakura'?""Clow's successor," Syaoran answered robotically. "Owner of the Clow Cards."

"Then that must be the girl whom captured my card..." the spikey-haired boy noted. "All right, you may leave."

Syaoran disappeared, and the mist vanished as well. Returning back from the dark area, the spikey-haired boy sat down on a chair positioned close to where he had been looking into the void only a few moments ago. As he sat there, darkness began to close in from all around him.

"I finally know the name of my card's owner..." he said to himself silently. "Perfect. Now all I need is for Clow's reincarnation to release me from this prison. Then, I shall have my revenge on Clow Reed through his successor..."

~*~*~*~*~

Sakura lay propped up on her bed, hugging her Syaoran bear and watching Kero play his game.

"Nooooo!" Kero cried. "I lost again... I've never played a boss this hard in any game before!"

Sakura, having no idea what Kero was talking about, just nodded. Sighing, she looked down at her bear.

"I miss you, Syaoran-kun..." she whispered, just barely loud enough for Kero to hear.

"You're still moping around because of that Chinese brat?" Kero asked.

Sakura shot Kero a threatening look. "Kero-chan!" she said. "Syaoran-kun is not a brat!"

"You're just saying that because he's your boyfriend," Kero teased lightly.

Sakura turned away. "So what if I love him?" she asked. "I'm not afraid to tell."

Kero chuckled. "Meaning you aren't afraid to tell no one, even your own brother?"

Sakura sweatdropped. "Uh, maybe not him," she replied. "Oni-chan hates Syaoran-kun..."

When Kero had returned his attention to the video game, Sakura rolled onto her back and held her bear up to the light, examining it. It amazed her that Syaoran could make something as cute as that bear, considering his attitude.

Sakura then sat up and moved to the side of the bed. Standing up, she stretched a bit and fixed the covers she had just ruffled. Sighing, she walked over to her desk and looked at the Christmas card Syaoran had sent to her about three months back. It had two bears on the front of it dressed in Santa Claus suits, one black and the other white. He had written down that he hoped she had a Merry Christmas and that he still loved her with all his heart. Sakura knew that Touya had not seen this card yet, because if he had, she would be dead all ready.

Sakura walked over to her window. It was dark outside, and the sky was full of stars. Unknowingly, she opened up the window and jumped out onto a tree branch nearby.

"Hey, Sakura!" Kero shouted. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"I wanna see the stars," she answered, jumping up onto another branch. Kero paused his game and flew out the window after her.

"The stars?" he asked. Kero then looked up. "Whoa, there's a lot of 'em out tonight."

"Yeah..." Sakura quietly agreed. From the highest branch she could safely get to, Sakura and Kero stood transfixed by the sight. Looking at the cresent moon for the first time, Sakura wondered if Syaoran was looking apon that moon as well.

~*~*~*~*~

On a heavily forested island located on unknown waters, a trio of people entered into a steep, dark cave near the tip of one of the islands three mountains. One was a tall man in a black cloak, followed by a young girl with long, black hair wearing a white robe and a young boy with short, brown hair dressed in a black cape and silver armor. Upon the young girl's back there was a sheath containing a sword with a blue and white hilt, while at the young boy's side there was a sheath containing a sword with a black handle.

"You two shall stay in this cave and wait for me," the man in the black cloak told the boy and the girl. "When I return, then we will carry out my plan."

"Of course," the boy in silver armor said. "In the meantime, you are going to try and acquire Obelisk as well?"

"No," the man answered. "That weapon all ready belongs to someone else. I cannot weild it."

"What a pity," the girl said. "That such a powerful sword cannot be used again because it's original owner is dead."

"It's original owner is not dead," the man corrected. "That is why none of us can weild it."

The boy and girl stared at the cloaked man. "You mean he's still alive?" the girl asked.

"Yes," the man answered, turning back around. "Now, no more questions. The chances are slim that Obelisk's master will stand in our way, anyway. It has been two years since he had supposedly been released, and yet he has not shown any sign of exisitence. My guess is that he has lost his physical body over time, and has been reduced to nothing but a mere spirit."

This news did not effect the boy, but the girl seemed to be worried. About what, the cloaked man couldn't guess. Turning away, he said his final farewells to them.

"I am going to Tomoeda now," he said. "Expect my return within a week or so. Trust me, I will be back. I hear that this new Cardcaptor is no real threat to any of us. All I need is Clow's most precious possession, and my domination over this world will be without fail. Take care, both of you."

~<{FINISH}>~

My pathetic attempt at getting the story started... Do review if you can, although the only way you'll be able to send your review to me is if you use my hotmail address, ssGoku_138@hotmail.com. Or, you could contact me on AOL, my name is ssGoku138 (how obvious). Anyways, see you around.

--ssGoku138