THE HUNTER, THE HUNTED
A Cardcaptor Sakura Fanfic
Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess
With Assists from Rinnako-chan and Hawking
Paid for by contributions made to this station...And by Viewers like you.
Chapter Three - Disappearing Cards...Reappearing Memories
"I've done it. I've DONE IT!"
Lightening crackled outside the large bow window of the Hawthorn's sitting room. The once sunny day began to grow darker, clouds bunching together in the sky. White turned to gray as the sun disappeared. There was a rumble of thunder off in the distance, alluding to the beginning of...of something unspeakable.
One of the Hawthorn's servants stopped in mid-stride as he heard the thunder. He looked up to the ceiling curiously. "Strange, the weather man wasn't predicting rain today." He shrugged to himself and moved on, paying the two boys in the sitting room next to him no mind.
That was partially due to a cover spell Mosely had placed on the room. It had been done to protect them from the prying eyes of Doran's household. But it also protected them - if only a little - from his grandfather, his sister and his cousins. Mosely was certain they were looking for him by now.
The wizard stared at the book as Doran opened it. He was filled with both dread and anticipation. He still couldn't shake this nervous feeling. Things will be fine, he told himself, but the power spilling from the book even before it was opened left him in doubt.
Doran was staring at the book as well. The young mortal's smile reached eerily from ear to ear. He was no longer shaking out of fear, but anticipation. He could feel the power coming from the book, feel it washing over him as he touched it.
His excitement overcame him as he lavished in the glow of the Grimorum Arcamornem. He started to laugh, a sound strange even to his ears. And the laughter continued, growing as the magic he had so desperately wanted spilled from the book.
The moment Doran touched the book it glowed an eerie red. The glow grew to encompass not just the two men, but the entire room. As soon as the cover was opened the pages started turning themselves. Quickly they flittered, noisily moving as if looking for something. As if finding it, the pages stopped turning.
Doran and Mosely both looked more closely. They leaned over the table, unsure of what to expect. Mosely leaned closer in hopes of reading the text.
But the page was blank.
"There's nothing written there," he whispered, blinking in surprise.
"But it is there. Can't you feel it?" Doran asked, still smiling. He was bracing himself on the table now, one hand on either side of the book. He was totally focused on the book, the light casting eerie shadows across the young man's face.
There was a look in his eyes that made Mosely gasp. He had heard of this before -- how men would be so taken by something that they would lose all conscious thought. Doran was definitely captivated by the book. Was he that eager for power, or was the book controlling him?
Both men jumped back as a pillar of red light shot upward from the book. It wasn't any thicker than a pencil. But as the seconds passed, it grew in size. The power it emanated began to shake the house.
It dissolved Mosely's warding spell as easily as one breathes air. Then it crept through the house, searching for more magic. It found very little, absorbing it into itself before reaching beyond the house.
Several servants screamed as the house shook. Their cries seemingly brought Doran back to himself, if even for a short time. He stared at Mosely. The anticipation was still in his eyes, but the fear had returned as well.
"What is it?" Doran asked excitedly. "What is happening?"
Mosely backed away from the table...and the book. He continued to watch the pillar of light grow, spitting powerful magic into the air. Eyes wide, he found himself cornered by a window. He looked outside quickly, noting the changes to the sky. Then he looked back at Doran.
"Evil magic," he muttered almost hysterically. "An evil
sorcery that can not be contained in this world." His bottom lip quivered
as the realization of what they'd done hit him. "It has been unleashed once
more."
* * * * *C*A*R*D*C*A*P*T*O*R*S* * * * *
"Oh this looks lovely!"
"Sakura-chan, you have to try this on."
"Does this dress make me look fat?"
Eriol and Li simply rolled their eyes.
After a their trip to the British Museum, there was a quick stop at a boutique and several other shops while Sakura and her friends made their way to the London Zoo. It had been nearly eleven, when they left Eriol's mansion. And they had spent at least two hours in the museum and another hour shopping.
"When are we going to eat some lunch?" Kero asked from inside Sakura's purse.
"I agree," Suppi said. He, too, had taken up residence in Sakura's purse. Luckily the two had not resorted to fighting, although there was one incident inside the boutique where Sakura and Tomoyo had to pretend they were the cause of the ruckus. Eriol had reprimanded the two and nothing had occurred since.
"Are they actually agreeing on something?" Li asked with a small smile.
"Humph," said both guardians.
"You two can't possibly be hungry," Meilin stated, her hands on her hips. "We only ate a few hours ago."
"So?" Kero asked, the pout on his face evident in his voice.
"It wouldn't hurt to stop before heading onto out next attraction," Eriol said. He pointed to the right, down the street. "There's a wonderful Chinese restaurant a few blocks from here. We can even get it to go and take it with us to the zoo."
Meilin's eyes lit up at the thought of Chinese cuisine. Although she wasn't very hungry at the moment, it wouldn't hurt to have provisions.
Li's eyes also lit up. He didn't think they would find any Chinese restaurants in the city. He looked down at Sakura, smiling. "What do you think?"
"I think it would be great," Sakura said with an emphatic nod. Smiling happily, she looked at Tomoyo. "Shopping wears a person out, ne Tomoyo-chan."
"Hai," the girl replied demurely. She smiled in return, tilting her head to one side. "And a picnic lunch inside the zoo is a wonderful idea."
Eriol smiled, leading the way down the street.
The Jade Garden was, as Eriol described, a fabulous Chinese restaurant. The décor was truly authentic and the food smelled delectable. Meilin sniffed the air greedily as they entered the restaurant. She would never admit to being homesick, and it was a small taste of home.
"May I help you?" a waitress asked.
"We'd like to order some carry-out, please," Eriol said, bowing slightly to the woman behind the counter.
"What can I get for you?"
Each placed an order and when they were finished, took up residence at a small table in the front of the restaurant. Thankfully they were not very busy. Their orders were brought to them quickly. Eriol treated them to the lunch and left a generous tip. The waitress thanks him many times over as he walked away.
As they left The Jade Garden, the clouds in the sky started to gather and darken. Sakura's bag unzipped, allowing Kero and Spinal Sun to gasp for air. The bag was not exactly breathable.
No sooner had they appeared than something slapped them in the face. It wasn't painful, nor was it truly physical. They stared up at the sky, then looked at each other.
"That's odd," Suppi said, glancing back up at the thickening clouds. "I don't remember the weather man predicting rain today."
"It's not like they ever get it right," Eriol replied, looking up as well with a sigh. He believed their plans for the afternoon would be ruined. But then something tickled at his senses, something not of this world. "But I do agree that this is highly unusual. I sense...magic at work here."
There was a bright flash of light coming from Sakura's purse. Li, Sakura, Tomoyo, Meilin and Eriol covered their eyes with their hands. When they opened them again, the light had vanished.
"What was that?" Meilin asked, staring at Sakura's bag.
"You're not keeping a flashlight in there," Li said. "Are you?"
"I don't remember a flashlight," Suppi said.
Sakura shook her head frantically. "No, not that I know of. Just my wallet, some make up, a notepad and pen, and--" she stopped, gasping.
"What?" Meilin asked curiously. "What else?"
Kero and Suppi answered for her. "The Clow Cards."
Eriol's frown deepened. "Which cards did you bring, Sakura?"
The girl blinked. Reaching into her bag she pulled out a small cardboard box. "A-all of them. I don't let them out of my sight."
"Sakura, we're supposed to be on vacation," Li said earnestly.
"But I always take them with me," Sakura whined unhappily. "I don't like to let them out of my sight."
"It is good that she takes care of the cards," Eriol said before the argument could continue. "But the important thing is what is happening to them. Are any missing, Sakura?"
Sakura opened the box. With Tomoyo looking over one shoulder and Meilin watching over the other, she counted the cards. Two of her cards were missing, she noticed.
The Thunder.
And the Rain.
"How odd," Eriol commented. His face went from curious to worried. The magic he had sensed before was growing at an alarming rate. He needed to locate the source, and find a way to control the magic. Otherwise something worse may happen.
And more cards would disappear.
"We must find them. And quickly."
Meilin sighed. "So much for our vacation."
"With any luck we'll find the cards and be able to finish our day," Tomoyo offered with a smile. She knew as well as the rest that that would not be the case.
But someone had to be optimistic.
* * * * *C*A*R*D*C*A*P*T*O*R*S* * * * *
Emphera nodded her head, standing in front of a shelf of music CDs. Never before had she heard the like of the music inside the box. The shop owner told her to put on the earphones to listen, showing her how. As the music started, she smiled, nodding in time to the beat.
Their older cousin's decision to stop had been unexpected. So far, only Daphne and Soleice had wanted to see the sights. Was their cousin finally mellowing out?
"Don't stare at me so," she told them, her eyes closed as she continued to listen through the headphones. "I've finally found something here I like and the two of you want to usher me along."
"We never said that," Daphne replied with a smile. She stood behind Emphera looking over the list of music selections the box could play. Without telling Emphera, she chose another selection and waited to see her cousin's reaction.
Emphera eyed Daphne carefully but otherwise said nothing. The blond continued to smile as she stepped away, heading for the shelf of miniature animals that Soleice was admiring. Once she was gone, Emphera changed the selection back to the previous one, smiling as well.
Soleice picked up a statuette of a wolf from the shelf, turning it over in her hand. She knew it was not a real animal. The mortals could not possibly be that cruel. But it was still curious to her nonetheless. She admired the coloring of the fur, the detail of the face....
"Did you feel that?" Daphne asked.
Soleice gasped, nearly dropping the statuette. Carefully she placed it back on the shelf and turned to Daphne. The younger girl was holding a hand over her stomach. At first she thought it was all the sweets she had eaten that day. The girl had only taken one decent meal since their arrival.
But then she felt it. A wave of sensation so strong it washed over her like a waterfall. Soleice closed her eyes against the onslaught of feeling. Her fingers and toes felt tingly. Her entire body felt light for an instant then turned to heavy stone. She placed a hand on the shelf to support her, keep her from falling. She reopened her eyes, searching the room for her cousins.
Emphera took off the headphones and stared outside the shop window. She had felt it too, although it was not affecting her as it did her cousins. She stepped away from the music box and walked closer to the window. Sighing heavily she turned to her cousins.
"Look outside," she told them.
Daphne was the first to join her at the window. The young girl gasped t what she saw. The clouds in the sky had turned gray, swirling high above the city. It was not a normal occurrence, she realized as the people on the street stopped to watch as well.
Soleice stood behind Daphne one hand on the younger woman's shoulder to keep her balance. She blinked, watching the clouds gather and grow thicker. She could feel the thunder in the distance before it could be heard, felt the lightening crash through her body before it struck somewhere far away.
"It has begun," Emphera stated, bowing her head. "We are too late."
"The book," Soleice said with a worried frown, "It's been opened."
Emphera nodded sadly. "May the Lady help us all."
Daphne stared up at the sky, her head tilted to one side. "This isn't
good," she said, shaking her head. "Not good at all."
* * * * *C*A*R*D*C*A*P*T*O*R*S* * * * *
Doran laughed. And he couldn't stop laughing. He could feel the power of the book washing over him, flowing through him. His body tingled, glowing with a strange new light.
Mosely remained near the window as the book continued to unleash itself upon the unsuspecting mortals. He watched with wide eyes and fear in his heart. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined something like this could happen. He could feel the power as well. Felt it eating away at him like an annoying bug. It was feeding his energy, but it was also taking away.
'Grandfather was right,' he thought, falling to his knees. 'The book should never have left Avalon. I have made a mistake. A very grievous mistake.'
Doran's laughter subsides as he watched the wizard across the room. He seemed somewhat...disappointed. And scared.
'The fool,' Doran thought with a wicked smile. 'He brought me the book. Knew what it was capable of doing. Is he afraid I will surpass him? Surpass even Merlin? Of course he is. He should be! Oh yes, he should be!'
Doran grasped the Grimorum Arcamornem with both hands and lifted the book off the table. The power surged through his body, causing him to cry out in pain. But it lasted only a moment, then it was gone. He smiled, feeling a new sense of revitalization within him. The book was feeding him.
'And soon it will give me all the magic in the world.'
As he stepped away from the table, the pillar of light vanished. Everything appeared to return to normal. Everything except the sky. It remained dark and foreboding.
Thunder resonated in the distance, causing both men to look outside again.
"This is wrong," Mosely muttered, shaking his head. "Terribly wrong." He stood, looking at Doran pleadingly. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"Me? I've done something fantastic," Doran replied, clutching the open Grimorum to his chest. "Now I will be the most powerful wizard." His blue eyes danced with am unnatural light. "I will be better than Merlin himself!"
Better than Merlin? Was that his plot all along, Mosely wondered. But the boy could never be better than Merlin. Not as long as he was mortal....
"Oh no," Mosely muttered, bowing his head.
Doran laughed. "Have you finally figured out my plan? You fool. You should've realized all along. Your only hope for survival is to serve me." He snickered. "And you will serve me well. Or you will die."
It was Mosely's turn to snicker. "You cannot kill me. I am not mortal."
"Not yet," Doran replied with a chuckle. "But I can make you mortal. And I will. You can not return to Avalon, and you will NEVER be able to return to Avalon."
As Doran's chuckle turned into a full blow laugh, Mosely sunk further into the floor. The mortal had a point. He could not return to Avalon in shame. There was no other choice.
With his face in his hands, Mosely collapsed into a fit of silent tears.
"Grandfather," he cried. "Oh grandfather, what have I done?
What have I done?"
Merlin opened his eyes, his meditation disturbed. He'd been sitting within the Cave of Miracles for several hours, time having passed without warning. It was about time for him to look in on his granddaughters. Hopefully they would have found a sign of Mosely and were close to locating the book.
But that is what disturbed him.
The ethereal plane of magic was being unhinged. He could feel something slipping inside, wanting to tear things apart slowly and painfully. He tried forcing it back with his own powers, but kept hitting an invisible wall. There was no deterring this magic. It would have its way.
Or all magic would disappear forever.
Standing, Merlin made his way outside. While he knew there would be changes to the mortal world, he had not been aware that Avalon would be affected as well.
The winds grew fiercer, blowing heavily across the isle. The once sunny afternoon had turned gray. Storm clouds began to gather and thicken. Thunder sounded somewhere in the distance and lightning flashed through the clouds above.
With a sigh, the old magician shook his head.
"They were too late," he muttered sadly. "By the Lady they were too late. Forgive me Lady...forgive me Clow Reed, for I have failed you."
Staring up at the sky, Merlin muttered a silent prayer before returning to the Cave of Miracles.
"May the Lady help us all."
* * * * *C*A*R*D*C*A*P*T*O*R*S* * * * *
"I think I can sense it over here. *sigh* Or was it over there."
"Make up your mind, Shaoran," Meilin announced, gasping for air. "I'm tired of running."
Li frowned. They had stopped on a street corner. Thankfully traffic was slow. But the weather appeared to be getting worse. Thunderclouds loomed overhead and the lightning became more foreboding. Li stared up at the sky and sighed again.
"I wonder if the cards or at work, or something else," he wondered aloud.
Meilin looked at him curiously. "The cards belong to Sakura, right? How can they act on their own?"
"Of course, not," Kero answered for her. He flew just above her head. With a huff he settled onto Li's shoulder and looked up at the sky as well.
"I'm not sure about that, Kero," he replied, looking down the street, then the other way. Something is definitely at work here."
Kero nodded, his face serious. "That's why we must find the cards."
Li shook his head. "I'm not sensing the cards anymore." He turned to look at Meilin. "Let's hurry to meet up with the others."
"Right," Meilin agreed.
Just blocks away, Eriol, Sakura, Tomoyo and Spinal Sun raced after two more cards. The Shield and the Maze card had just disappeared -- in yet another blinding flash of light -- and Suppi was hopeful they could recover the cards before they vanished for good.
Unfortunately that wasn't going to be the case. The Shield card kept blocking their way and the Maze card was sending them on a wild goose chase around town. Tomoyo was positive they passed the same music store more than once.
"Where did they go?" Sakura asked as they stopped at a street corner.
"I'm not sure," Eriol replied, gasping for air.
He bent over, hands on his knees while he caught his breath. Where had they gone, indeed. This whole situation was strange. He vaguely remembered encountering this sort of magic before, but could not recall from where. He cursed himself for his poor memory and looked down the street as Tomoyo spoke.
"I can see Li and Meilin." She frowned. "I don't think they found the cards."
"I think they're gone," Eriol said, standing. "Not permanently, but they are gone."
Sakura bit her bottom lip. The cards were...gone?!
"Gone where?" Suppi asked. "Can the Clow Cards really disappear like that?"
"I wish I could say no," Eriol replied, frowning as well. "Let's catch up with the others. Then we can...."
Eriol's voice trailed off as he felt another presence. Was it a Clow Card? He turned quickly to Sakura and Tomoyo. "I sense something. Please catch up with Li and Meilin. I'll meet you shortly."
Before Sakura or Tomoyo could voice an argument, Eriol took off. He pushed his legs to carry him more rapidly. Although they argued with the request he felt himself running faster. He had been running so fast that he barely heard Tomoyo's warning as he rounded a corner.
"Eriol, look out!"
"Another dead end! *sigh* When will this end?"
"What about there, Emphera? We haven't looked--"
"Not another candy store, Daphne, please!"
But it was too late, the girl was already inside.
"I'm just going to go around the corner," Soleice told her cousins. "Perhaps I'll find something there."
"Be careful," Emphera called out. "We'll meet up with you when we're finished." She sighed, shaking her head. "We're very close to finding the book and Daphne has to stop for more sweets."
Soleice could only smile at her cousin's disconcerting look. She turned on her heel and took several steps to round the corner. She was not expecting to see another row of shops laid out before her.
Nor did she expect the young man that plowed into her from the opposite direction.
"Ouch," the girl said, falling to the ground. It all happened so fast that she was unaware of the young man muttering quick apologies as he tried to right himself above her.
"So sorry," Eriol apologized, quickly moving from atop the young woman. Then he berated himself for not paying attention. If he had been watching where he was going, he wouldn't have collided into the young woman. But he had been close to a clow card and there was no time to look.
"I am so sorry," he apologized again, standing. He brushed off his pants and righted his glasses on his nose. He took a good look at the young woman to see how she was fairing and gasped.
A wash of Clow Reed's memories flowed through Eriol's mind. Memories of a young woman with long, auburn hair and glowing blue eyes. Of her laughter and her tears. If he had not known any better, he would have said that the woman before him was a spitting image of....
"Vivienne?"
Soleice looked up through half-lidded eyes. She was not harmed from the fall, but the sound of her mother's name surprised her. Blinking, she tried to focus on the young man who was speaking. He was already standing, a hand extended down to her.
"Vivienne, is it you?" Eriol asked, astonished.
"I'm sorry, no," Soleice answered. She accepted his hand, allowing him to help her to her feet. Once she was standing she offered him a small smile. "My name is Soleice. Thank you for your assistance."
"Soleice," Eriol said, weighing the name in the back of his mind. He could've sworn...oh nonsense, he told himself. Vivienne would not possibly be in the mortal world. It was not possible. "My apologies. I was not watching where I was going."
"Nor was I. No apologies are needed," she replied, shaking her head.
She took a moment to assess the young man. He was slightly taller than she was, with short dark hair and eyes. He was very becoming, and he was certainly not a mortal, at least not like any she had encountered earlier that day. Something clicked in the back of her mind, telling her that this man was familiar, but she didn't know how.
And how did he know her mother?
Shaking her head again, she offered him another, brighter smile. Without thinking she asked, "Please, tell me. When you say Vivienne...are you referring to Vivienne LaFountaine Du Pendragon?"
Eriol was again surprised. He had not heard that name in a very long time. Or rather, Clow Reed had not heard the name in a long time. The smile that passed Eriol's lips was not usual, nor was it his own.
"Do you know her?" he asked eagerly.
Soleice nodded. "She is my mother."
Another shock. Eriol took a step back, holding in a gasp. The resemblance was uncanny to be sure, so it was only fitting that they would be related by blood. But...a daughter? Much had changed since Clow Reed's death.
"Eriol! Are you all right? We saw you fall!"
"Soleice! Cousin, are you hurt?"
"It was an accident," Soleice and Eriol replied in unison. They realized they were still holding hands and let go quickly, startled by the realization.
Emphera and Daphne were the first to reach the two. They gave their cousin the once over, then stared at the young man.
"Are you all right?" Daphne asked.
"I'm fine, Daphne," Soleice said, patting her cousin on the shoulder. "Neither of us was watching where we were going."
Emphera raised an eyebrow at Eriol. "Have we met before? You seem...familiar."
Eriol shook his head. "I do not believe I have had that honor," he told her with a small bow.
"Eriol, are you all right?" Sakura asked as she reached the young man's side. She gave him a cursory examination before deciding that he was all right. Then she turned to the three girls. "Are you all right, miss?"
Soleice nodded. "Yes. Thank you."
"We're kind of in a hurry," Li said, stepping up behind Sakura.
"Please, excuse us," Tomoyo said.
"Sorry to bother you," Meilin added.
"Are you searching for the book too?" Daphne asked curiously.
All five blinked in confusion.
"Book?" Tomoyo asked, looking at Sakura. "What book?"
"Daphne," Emphera warned, "You have spoken out of turn."
The blond ducked her head. "Sorry, cousin. But they have magic too. I just thought...."
"Magic?" Li immediately took a defensive stance in front of Sakura and Tomoyo. "Are you the ones doing this to the city? Where are the Clow Cards?"
"What are 'Clow Cards'?" Daphne wondered aloud.
Eriol raised a hand to halt any more outbursts. "These three have not done anything wrong. Feel it with your own magic, Li, and you will realize your error."
Li closed his eyes and immediately recognized his mistake. Their power signatures were not that same as the one they were looking form, nor did he sense any Clow Cards. He quickly apologized, relaxing as Sakura put a hand on his shoulder.
Emphera was now intrigued. Three of the young mortals before them held great power. And one she recognized. She had not felt it since she was very small, but she knew it nonetheless. She eyed Eriol speculatively.
"Perhaps we should find shelter," she told him. "We can talk more once we're out of the rain."
"Rain? Nani?" Sakura said. No sooner had the words escaped her lips then several drops of water fell on her head. Followed by several more and more as a light rain began to fall over the city.
"Yes," Eriol replied, motioning towards the nearest restaurant. "Let us take shelter in there. Then we may continue our...discussion."
Emphera nodded, as did Daphne and Soleice.
"Agreed."
~~TO BE CONTINUED~~