Card Captor Legacy - Chapter 7

[vicks111]

Series: CardCaptor Sakura
Main Characters: Touya, Syaoran
Summary: In the future, the card mistress made sure her legacy would not fall into the wrong hands, but not even she could predict who would be the one to open the seal. Her family has guarded the book, but the time for a new card master has come. Are they ready?

Card Captor Legacy

Volume I: Himitsu

Chapter 7: Word Games

The rest of the classes were over soon and uneventful. The cardcaptors and friends met up outside of the magics building. Syaoran was the last to arrive, soon followed by Sakura and her friend.

She saluted them all spiritedly, and introduced those who didn't know each other. After exchanging pleasantries with her brother's friends, she spoke to him. "Hey gaki," Syaoran couldn't hold the chuckle that came from him as she called Touya that, "Akihiko-kun and I are going out today; I won't be home until late, so please tell okaa-san."

"Kaijuu..." he muttered menacingly, "what am I, your messenger? Tell her yourself!" Akihiko placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Please do us this favor, little one" he smiled soflty; he seemed to enjoy taunting him, it almost seemed on purpose. A throbbing vein on Touya's forehead became somehow visible; who does he think he was treating him like if he was a mere child!

The other's were completely engrossed on the scene before them; Syaoran couldn't hold his sniggers, but quickly composed himself and glared as the other senior boy looked at him. Sun Rei was looking from one face to the next, expecting an explosion any moment now; she had been only one day at school, and she already knew that no one messes with Kinomoto Touya. Seniors and fellow classmates alike always kept their distance from him. As for Mina, she approached her friend and entwined their arms together, as she soothed him with a bit of magic in her touch. She looked at his friend's sister and bowed, "Don't worry, I'll let Amaya-sensei know of your message."

Sakura smiled gratefully at the girl, "Arigato Minako-chan, you are a much better sister to me than he is a brother!" She felt him struggle to let go, and held on him tighter, "Only because Sakura-chan is the best onee-chan one could have." They both laughed, and taking a hold of Akihiko’s hand, Sakura started to walk away, “I’ll see you later, everyone.”

Soon, they both were gone, and the group started walking towards the library. “I don’t know why you have to be so nice to her,” Touya complained as he let go of her arm. Minako looked at him sweetly, “I love her like my sister, as I love you as a brother; you know that already.”

Behind them, the Li siblings talked to themselves. “So that is the famous Akihiko-kun” Sun Rei laughed as her brother snorted, “I can see why she likes him better than you!” She dodged a slap to her arm that came from her brother’s way, “He doesn’t leave her alone at all! Not only that, but they are both taking the same classes, and I only see them in two periods. It’s frustrating!”

“Here we are!” In front of them, Minako exclaimed, turning to face them, “this is the school library, so far the biggest library of Magic in Japan, and probably one of the most known all over the world.” Touya opened the door and walked inside, “Yuki said they would be here, lets look for them.”

As they walked inside, the sheer opulence of the majesty inside set the foreigners aback. Unlike the rest of the campus, which was kept in a contemporary style when it came to its interior design, the library was set in a very old western style, resembling a mixture between the goth and the barroque; smooth columns and design that contrasted with intricate carvings on the roof and the walls. The walls were lined with famous paintings, and the wooden furniture was intricately carved. It was one whole room on itself, open in the center, with four floors on the east and the west, clearly divided into sections. On the first floor, the tables lay for students who needed to study on the right side, and the computers for those whose information was not found in a printed copy was on the left. An information booth stood in the center, where the librarians attended those who needed help. Approaching the booth, Touya took out a keycard.

“Konnichiwa” he saluted as the librarian took the keycard and scanned it for entry; everybody else took out their respective cards to be scanned. “I am looking for a friend of mine, and was wondering if you could direct me to where he is. His name is Tsukishiro Yukito.” The lady nodded the greeting and typed into the computer the name of the one being searched, “Ah, the boy with the old key code,” they nodded as she continued, “those codes where changed a long time ago, I wonder why he never got the new one. Anyways,” she turned the screen to them and a map of the library was shown, “He requested entry to the video room on the fourth floor, east wing”

“The conference lounge? I thought entry was restricted” Minako, of course, leaned over to have a better look at the map. The lady shrugged and turned the monitor to face her once again, “He had clearance. Kinomoto-san…” she motioned at Touya, “…has clearance too, so you can all accompany him.”

“Arigatou Gozaimasu” Touya bowed slightly and Minako motioned the other ones to follow them. They entered an elevator that took them directly to the required floor. “The first three stories of the library are open to the public. However on the fourth floor…” Minako paused as she looked up at her friend, and he just shrugged, so she continued, “The fourth floor is closed because it houses the school's main storage database. Restricted data is stored there, and even with the entry clearance code, there are other several codes needed for full access.”

“So that's why the librarian let us through; we couldn´t do anything even if we wanted to without proper the codes” Syaoran mused as the doors opened. “I wonder” Sun Rei thought out loud, “how much clearance does Tsukishiro-san actually has?"

Minako and Sun Rei giggled, and they started walking again. Touya was still bothered by the senior prick friend of his sister and to a lesser extent to the Li creep. When they arrived to the double doors that lead to the conference room, Touya entered his keycard in a magnetic keyhole, glowing a bright green, signaling them that the lock was open. Walking inside, they found the humanoid guardian seated in front of a large terminal in the far end of the room. As a conference room, it was filled with seats, and the terminal was connected to a widescreen monitor, that was the length of the wall.

“There are no windows in here?” the fact almost was taken for granted by the newcomers. Sun Rei looked around, “and there’s only one possible entry” she pointed to the door. Unlike the open spaces that made up the library below, the east and west wing on the fourth where locked and did not connect to one another. The only entry was near the elevators and these where at the extremes of the wings. “Complete privacy” Touya muttered, but they managed to hear him, “whatever happens inside, stays inside. The only security cameras in the floor are on the elevators.”

“I’ve never been here before,” Mina confessed, “It's such as I imagined it!”

The chinese siblings exchanged a look that could be described as 'hoooeee' to those who were paying attention. Thankfully, both Touya and Mina were a little preoccupied.

“Konnichiwa” Touya saluted from behind, as he approached the moon guardian, placing a hand on the other's shoulder, “What are you doing?”

He noticed then, the plushie sun guardian sitting in front of Yukito and looked curiously as the first one directed the second one on through the files on the computer screen. He raised an eyebrow inquiringly, and Minako took upon herself what exactly where they doing.

“Keroberos” she spoke, but it seemed that they were both really concentrated, and hadn't noticed the others. “No, you want that file with the red tag” Kero directed and Yukito complied, “now open it, and let me try to figure out the code.” The guardian beast of the seal stood, and taking a pencil, he started stroking keys with it. Yukito then, having nothing else to do, noticed those who had arrived, “Oh, konnichiwa Touya-kun! Tanaka-san!” he stood, leaving Keroberos to the file extracting process, “mind if I call you all by your names?” he asked everyone, and they all agreed, “arigato!”

“What are you guys looking for?” Syaoran asked, tilting his head as he spoke, he didn’t quite remember, but he knew they were looking for something important. “Back in the days, Kero-chan and I did a compilation on the cards, and it was stored in the main database. He is trying to open it up, right now.” They all looked at the plush sun guardian as he tried one and another code, failing repeatedly. “Someone messed up with my file system! All the codes were changed!” he growled as he threw the pencil in the air. “I give up!”

Yukito chuckled, as his brother flew up to the sweet girl who gave him candy earlier, “Minako-chan...” his beady little eyes opened largely and started to water pleadingly, “...give me candy?” in the background, he could discern an indignant reply from his brother, but he didn’t care, as the lovely girl who always smelled of candy handed him a sweet. He ate it wholeheartedly whilst the others spoke.

“Why don't you try, Yuki?” Touya walked over looking at the screen, “maybe Keroberos messed up.” The guardian beast of the seal started to choke on his treat, and the moon guardian couldn't help but chuckle, “I doubt so, he is the programmer here.” The room went still, and a needle dropping from the third floor of the library could have been heard. “What? As much as I like to bother him, he is not really that stupid. He's got to be useful for something more than eating.”

“I still don't believe you, Tsukishiro-san” Sun Rei glanced over to where Kero glared at her menacingly, “Please, call me Yuki-” but he was interrupted as Keroberos flew up to the girl in question, “I'll have you know, chinese brat” he glared more intensely, but she kept her eyes leveled to his, “that I was the one that created the whole programming system and networks that keeps this school floating. Well, at least the basic one, because somebody changed my system!” He floated up to the cardcaptor boy, pushing his face into the other's nose, “I want names and addresses!”

For the first time since lunch, Touya managed to laugh a little, “You really did it all by yourself?” His tone was soft, so Kero couldn't help but drop the yelling-angry screams of despair, “Well, yeah, I got some tiny” he squished his paws together, “tiny help from beings with opposable thumbs, but I made the code, the programs, they are all in here” he motioned at his head and sighed, “and now they are all gone”

Touya sat down, and started typing something on the terminal, as he motioned the guardian forward. “There's a backup from the old system,” Kero did a flip in the air, and landed in the cardcaptor's head, “Wai!”

Touya opened some files, and then in the screen appeared a whole bunch of numbers. “This is a basic command from the operating system.”

Kero flew up, approaching the screen, “Binary algorythims, but they don't make any sense,” Touya then typed a command and the numbers jumbled up, changing orders, “That can't be...” the guardian muttered. From behind some whispers could be heard, 'Do you know what they are talking about?' and the most pertinent one, 'He is making it all up as he goes!'

He did not care as he came down to Touya, “Anagrammed binary algorithms, that actually work and make sense? How?”

“Well, considering they are all numbers, you just have to turn the algorithm into an anagram that adds up to the same number as the original algorithm.” Kero nodded, thinking and retaining the information “makes sense; too much sense. Who came up with the idea?”

Touya seemed a little abashed as he replied, “I did...” Everyone jumped back, expecting the sun guardian to start flying manically around the room yelping something of the matter like 'I'll kill you' or 'I'm off to find a cliff to throw you off', but neither the first nor the latter happened. He just nodded again and sat in front of the seated boy, “I'm impressed, kid”

“Thanks...hey!” Touya yelped, “why are you calling me a kid?” The guardian beast of the seal looked up from his sitting position in front of the youngster and shrugged, “compared to me, you are a small fry” he replied nonchalantly.

“Keroberos...” Yukito muttered from beind, hoping his brother would stop bullying the cardcaptors. “Well,” now this time he did raise his voice, “what do you expect me to say, Yue? The kid made a program to turn my command lines into functional anagrams, which probably only took him an hour to code, and then turned my whole system around with it, which probably took another hour, and that was it everything works fine and dandy, because even though the code is different, its the same system.” He then raised his voice even more, “he encrypted my encryption! He is lucky to be alive right now!”

“And why is that?” Touya asked in a low sarcastic tone, so that only the guardian would hear him, “Because I may kinda like you eventually...” the other muttered, before talking loudly again, “so that means that my codes still work! We just have to run them through that thingy of yours, now open it!” The two of them worked with the terminal for a while. Minako walked over to where Sun Rei was standing, talking quietly with Yukito.

“I never thought Keroberos would have a mind for...that...” Sun Rei paused as she pointed at the screen, “It's so weeird.” Yukito chuckled, as he combed his hair with his right hand, “he has always liked electronics, and one day I found him reading a programming book and asking me to teach him some mathematical functions; I thought he was playing a prank on me, but eventually I figured that it might as well be true.”

“But why programming?” Minako inquired, taking another candy from her pocket and eating eat. “Being stuck inside a house for long hours can bore anyone down, even Keroberos. He found out that videogames and TV weren't just enough. So he thought that if he could make his own videogames, he would never be bored again. Fuzzy logic if you ask me” Yukito turned to the other two as they raised their voices once more, fighting.

Syaoran was getting bored by this trifle business they were stuck in, so he spoke to the two sitting in front of the computer, “Are you done? I'm tired of this place.” Touya turned around to glare at him, but Kero kept ordering, “Oniichan, what are you doing? open it up already!” He found himself in a bad mood again, and sighed sharply, “Hold on Keroberos”

Turning, he directed an icy glare at the Li creep, “You might as well leave, it's not like you are important in any way.” Kero sniggered as Yukito shook his head disapprovingly, and one of the girls, probably his sister muttered an 'ouch'. He was about to storm off, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him, “Li-kun, give him time, he doesn't like changes that much” a soft voice he recognized as the one from the Tanaka girl made him reconsider. “Hai, I know, but this rivalry between us is an old wound...” he spoke soflty, and she was about to ask him what he meant, when Keroberos exclaimed triumphantly, “It works! Come have a look!”

They all gathered in front of the computer as many images appeared in front of them. “This is the card's database; I was looking for it so I could show the cardcaptors what they will be dealing with. Now all we have to do is download the database into a pocket pc” Keroberos explained as he flew up to the chinese girl, “hand me yours, so we can finish this quickly.”

She did as she was told, and soon both cardcaptors' pocket pcs had everything they ever needed to know about the cards. “That means your job is even more diluted now, Keroberos; you really are lazy.” Syaoran laughed and Yukito couldn’tn help but add, “Well, if you think about it, they are better off this way, anyway.” They all laughed now at the poor guardian beast of the seal, “URUSEI!” he yelled, and they all laughed harder.

Yukito was the first one to sober up, “Then if we are done here shouldn't we be going?” They all nodded, and Touya turned off the computer. Kero glared at them all before landing in the hands of Yukito, “You know this is not a laughing matter” he used telepathy to let his brother know of his disgust. “Hai, the cards are stronger now, and they will need the help from both Syaoran and Minako-chan if they want to succeed, but no need to worry them,” Yukito sighed as he sent the telepathic message, “before it is time.”

They all headed to the elevator and where soon out of the library. Once outside, Touya led them to the parking lot, and they all got into the Kinomoto's car. Since both his parents were going to be working until late in the offices, they lent him the car to go shopping. Of course, once they were done, he had to go and pick them up.

It was already five o' clock, when they reached the Shinjuku district. It hadn't changed much from the old times, both Syaoran and Yukito noted, only that the buildings had been upgraded, making them high skyscapers if they weren't already. They arrived at the Isetan department store. A 20 floor-high building, the Isetan department stores where the oldest of all the Shinjuku district, also one of the finest. The girls chatted idly as they walked by the several stores inside. Yukito and Syaoran where still comparing the old shinjuku from the new one. As for Touya, Keroberos had clung unto him as soon as they were out of the car. Again, not one for useless words, he was staring thoughtfully around the place.

“Is something the matter, 'niichan?” Kero lay in his shoulder, simulating to be a plushie. He knew the word oniichan would elicit a reply from the cardcaptor. The other grunted, “Why do you two talk to me with so much familiarity? Even the chinese creep seems at ease with me, even though I hate his guts? We haven't known each other more than a day.”

“Hmm” Kero chose his words carefully, “some things can't be helped. If Syaoran weren't at such an ease with you, the business with the imouto would be a lot more tense. As for us,” the guardian looked over at his brother and sighed wistfully, “It’s easy for us to be friendly, when we know you are the son of Ren. Sweets also help a lot you know” he winked, “that's why I like your friend Minako a lot.”

Touya was uneasy, and Kero could feel it in his aura. “Why are you so jumpy?” He closed his eyes, feeling everything around him, “I don't feel anything out of the ordinary” The hazel eyes of the boy where looking around as if expecting something to happen, “This feels like the calm before the storm” Kero shook his head, and simply said, “paranoid as always.”

Before he could get to ask the guardian what he meant, they had caught up with the others, and Keroberos had leapt to the arms of Mina, “Lets go and get something to eat!” he chirped, and the girls giggled. “Tanaka-san and I will go and buy some things, and when we are done, we will meet you here,” Sun Rei told them, earning a hot glare from Keroberos, “of course, after we get something to eat.” With that, the two of them walked to the food court, leaving the boys in front of a clothing store.

Entering, they headed for the male section of the store. Touya was still uneasy, but neither of the other two would notice, as the older one asked fashion advice from the younger one. “Wait, you are asking for fashion advice?” the question came out of nowhere, and Touya was still a bit confused as why he was asking that. Both Syaoran and Yukito blinked, but the latter just smiled, “I don't know what is fashionable nowadays; what is appropriate or not to buy”

Might have been the perfect answer for anyone else, but Touya felt it was not right. He strayed apart of them, walking around thoughtfully. He approached the cash register and heard a familiar laughter that got him out of his thoughts, “Akihiko-kun, that's so kawaii!”

The laughter he had recognized as Sakura's floated sweetly, as he turned around to see her sister holding the hand of the boy with blonde hair, as they paid for the things they had bought. “Sakura?” he was surprised to find her here, and so more with him, on a male clothing store.

She blinked twice, turning to face her brother, “Touya, why didn't you tell me you where coming here? We could have all come together!” Akihiko saluted from behind, but he didn't acknowledge him, “We just got here” he stated seriously, but she failed to notice it. “Oh, that's too bad, we are just leaving. Akihiko is going to make me a home cooked dinner, so I'm gonna be home later than I thought." The cashier handed them the bags, and they both started walking towards the door, "I'll see you tomorrow, little one!" Akihiko saluted and they both laughed as they exited the store. Touya was fuming, to say the least, so he may have not felt the eerie presence that had entered the store as his sister walked out.

In the dressing rooms, Syaoran was standing patiently waiting for Yukito to finish trying on clothes. "So, what do you think?" he asked to the one who was on the other side of the door. "Fashion is more exuberant...and tight, but overall nice" Yukito replied, with a grunt that the chestnut-haired boy did not care to find out about. "I mean about the captors" luckily for them, the place was empty. The guardian ruffled something inside, "they seem fit, but that's all I can say without imparting any judgement." Syaoran considered the words, and had but one inquiry, "And what about Sakura?"

"That's her alright," Yukito paused, placing a hand on the doorknob, "Kero is sure of it." Syaoran was about to make a snappy comment of Keroberos, more out of habit than real emotion, but he stopped as soon as he felt a wave of magic past him, "Yue?" The moon guardian was struggling with the door, that didn't budge, "I'm locked in! The cards!"

He didn't need to say anything else, for the other was almost on his way out, "I'll go find Touya before it locks me in here too. I'll be back soon," he started to run but a command from behind stopped him, "The lock should be last; there are others inside too." Yukito muttered something unintelligible as he knocked on the door, more out of despair than to try and open it. "Hai" Syaoran acknowledged as he left the trapped guardian.

Touya was returning to where he had left the other two, when a magical signature made him turn around sharply; the door he had just passed closed almost as he had stepped out. He blinked, confusedly, but he didn't had time to consider it before another signature made its presence known and everything around him was instantly frozen. A thick layer of ice covered the place from the floor up to the ceiling, and everything in between was frozen solid, including people; thankfully there were only three people inside. He heard the cries of Li-kun and turned, noticing how the brown eyes of the boy went huge as he stared at something.

"Watch out!" he yelled, and with the momentum he had from running, he slid on the ground to reach Touya as a big ice pike was about to strike the cardcaptor from above. The hazel eyes of the cardcaptor closed instantly, as the chinese grabbed him, and they both slid away from the ice weapon. On the ground, Touya looked up to the ice sprite who floated above them, where the ice pike had been, as it sank into the ice as if it where water.

"Thanks" he acknowledged as a grunt, as he stood, helping the chinese man. "This is now a battle field, you have to be aware of your surroundings; there won't be someone to save you every time" Syaoran scolded, adding, "That's the freeze card." Touya saw the sprite that looked oddly like a fish as it swam around the ice, waiting for them to make the next move. He leaned over to a glass pane that worked as a wall to the inside of the mall, "It's completely frozen! The whole floor is frozen." Syaoran huffed, taking out an ofuda, "It probably froze the whole building."

Touya noticed how the rest of the visible floors from the window where also frozen, "We need help, where's Yue?" The freeze, grown impatient from their hesitation, lunged forward several spikes from the ground around them. Syaoran jumped away, landing on a frozen table, "Locked in by the Lock; well, technically, the lock has us locked in too." He watched as the cardcaptor struggled barely from the ice spikes the sprite was lunging forward, and used the ofuda in his hand to call forth fire magic, throwing it at the spikes that were relentessly attacking Touya. "Well, I am unlocking us!" he took out the star key and headed to the nearest door. "No!" Syaoran jumped towards him, and they slid again on the slippery floor. "The lock difuses magical senses; as long as it is present, we won't be found." For a second there, Touya failed to see the logic behind the affirmation, but then he remembered Sakura, and what would happen if she or anyone with magical senses found them.

On a lower floor, Minako and Sun Rei were just about to leave the food court with a satisfied sun guardian, when everything around them froze immediately, gaining a thick layer of ice. Sun Rei took out her own key immediately as trays and chairs started flying their way. With ease, she slid away from those that came her way, although the same could not be said from the girl who squealed as she barely dodged the frozen trays. Mina stumbled and fell clumsily on the ground, as Kero fluttered near her, "Are you alright, Minako-chan?"

"I'm not the most coordinated person when it comes to physical activities," she said, smiling dopily. The unseen force who was throwing objects at them was focusing on Sun Rei, but the girl used the ice to her advantage to dodge and glide around the ice faster. "Keroberos" she shouted, "this key is not working! I can't get transform it into the staff!"

"How dare you say it doesn't work! You must be doing the incantation wrong!" he shouted back, as Minako stood up groggily. "I am using the correct one! It won't budge!" The guardian beast of the seal recalled the incantation in his mind, using his telepathic powers to reach both of the cardcaptors and let them know the correct chant. "That's the one I am using!" Another yell came forth and Keroberos noted that the girl was being overpowered.

"Change "hides" to "borrows" or it won't work!" He flew up to her, and Minako was slowly making her way towards her. "Huh?" she wondered, her attention pulled from the unseen sprite attacking her to the sun guardian. Kero winced as he saw a big chunk of ice fly up to the cardcaptor's face, but the corresponding scream never came. Looking back, he saw as the chinese girl that laid on the floor was saved by a long whip, that struck the ice and broke the chunk into tiny pieces. "That was cool," he complimented as he turned to see the red-haired clumsy girl with a whip in her hands. Keroberos noticed that her hair was loose all around her, from where she remover her pony tail to call forth the leather whip. Raising an eyebrow he said impressed, "Now that is practical."

As the card spirit focused its attack on the sapphire-eyed girl, she lay still in the ground not moving and defending herself with her whip, Sun Rei tried the incantation again. "Key that borrows the powers of the stars," she noticed the pouncing attack on Minako halted, and the star motiff magic circle appear below her, "show your true form before me, I Li Sun Rei command thee under our contract! Release!" The magic came forth, gorging the key as it transformed into the lime-green staff. For a moment everything went still, and Sun Rei glanced around, expecting the card spirit to attack any moment. Standing, she looked over at the sun guardian, "was that the freeze card?" She walked over to Mina and helped the girl to stand up. Minako was shivering from the low temperature, and leaned over a table. "No," he hovered near them, "it was either the jump or the move.”

On the eighteenth floor, Touya and Syaoran were not fairing a lot better. "Snap out of it and start fighting, the card is not going to seal itself!" the chinese young man darted around the room, distracting the freeze sprite. "How the hell am I going to use this thing if I don't know the spell!" Touya used the objects around to push himself and earn momentum, learning how to stay stable on the ice. "Trust the stuffed animal not to do his job properly!" the other shouted, as the freeze went under the ice again, shouting frenzied ice spikes from the floor.

As he was about to snap at the chinese creep, something pulled his attention away enough to hear the sun guardian's voice in his head. He was chanting a spell, and Touya hoped it was the right one. Syaoran noticed as the cardcaptor finally took his key out and stared at it solemnly as he started voicing a familiar chant.

Key that hides the powers of the stars

Show your true form before me

A chill went town the spine of the chinese man as his vision blurred slightly. His eyes were watering, maybe it was the amount of magic the other was calling forth the key, or the infinitesimal ice splinters that hung around in the air were affecting his eyes; and maybe, just maybe it was the fact that as the magic circle appeared below the cardcaptor, an image came to his mind, of another time and another place, where a woman he had loved deeply casted a very powerful spell, if not her most powerful spell ever casted, and moved mirroring the cardcaptor, or better said, he mirrored her. "Her last spell was..." he muttered to himself as he watched it, understanding her spell as if he had been hearing it.

I, Touya command thee under our contract

As he said those words, he felt himself get weak instantly; the pull of energy around him was suffocating, but that was not it. He felt as if he was been smothered by ghosts and felt pulled to the ground. He closed his eyes from the pain and frowned as he felt chunks of ice hit his back, and he fell to his knees. But he couldn't stop, shouldn't stop the spell. This was his only chance. He supported himself with his left hand as he stretched the other to grab the key in the right time.

Release!

The shout came as a plea, but the wand transformed itself, and he pushed himself to grab it. As soon as he did, the vision Syaoran had been seeing dispersed itself instantly, and he was out of the trance he had been stuck. He held his head with both of his hands as he considered whatever he had seen meant. He didn't have time to mull over it though, as the freeze spirit, seeing the cardcaptor ready to fight, decided to thrust a really big block of ice to where the other was standing, and he was not going to make it in time.

As the huge block of ice flew towards him, Touya willed himself to fight back. Suddenly, a clear blue shield formed around him stopping the boulder as it fell down. The shield moved furiously around the cardcaptor, as it was pure water commanded. Syaoran wondered for a moment if her sister was around; since she had the Watery card, but as he saw Touya standing, he saw the water recede with a command of the boy's hand. "Seems you are not completely useless" Syaoran commented as casually as he could to enfuriate Touya. In all truth, he hadn't expected the tenth grader to be able to command water at will yet; Sun Rei was able to control fire, but she had recently learned it. And it was harder for them moon-aligned magicians. He made a mental note not to underestimate or patronize the cardcaptor boy...much.

With its attack finally reflected, the freeze went under the ice, swimming in circles around them. "It's a trap" Touya saw that the sprite was ready to attack, just as soon as anyone of them tried to move. "My ofudas aren't strong enough to fight it, and windy won't work against it. If Sun Rei was here though..." Syaoran cursed under his breath; he couldn't find a way out. "Can you change water temperature at will?” Touya asked, as an idea came to mind. “Yeah, but I don't see how...” the other started, but was shushed by the cardcaptor. “I have an idea”

Back at the food court, the girls had managed to get the spirit to show its true form. The pink bunny-like creature jumped around them, using the ice to gain speed. Every time it was directed a fire attack or a whip slash to make it jump in a desired direction, the bunny jumped in the complete opposite direction. Besides, moving around on the icy floor was not making it easy. “Come on girls, the Jump is not that bright! Trick it!” Kero shouted from way above them. Minako was still standing still in one spot, unable to move around without falling. Sun Rei was getting tired of it jumping around, so she decided it was time to attack it directly. So, instead of using the fire to change its direction, she aimed it right at him.

The magnitude of the heat of the attack made the ice below him melt and vapor flew around. The creature jumped high, dodging it easily and landing on the cardcaptor's head. He started bouncing in her head, and she couldn't grab it then. However, now she knew how to trick him, “Tanaka-san, be ready!”

The red-haired girl acknowledged the command with a nod, as the cardcaptor started throwing fireballs randomly. The Jump moved away faster until he noticed the path all around him was full of water vapor. The water vapor released blinded the sprite until it stopped. Once he did, a ring of fire surrounded him, obtruding his sight. Then, all of a sudden, the Watery card came forth and was about to attack it, but he jumped up high. He was finally out of the fire and away from the elemental's reach, but was caught from behind.

"Got him!" Minako announced as the Jump struggled in her whip's grasp. From below, the cardcaptor raised her staff to the air, "Return to the form you were meant to be in, Jump Card!" The spirit became energy, that was drawn into a card above the star wand. Once it was completely sealed, the card floated down to the hands of Sun Rei. Keroberos approached rapidly, "Nice capture, you may be a decent cardcaptor. Now, quickly write your name on the top of the card, and let's find the others." As the girl wrote her name on the card, she couldn't help but wonder, "Why is it not the same incantation as the other?" The guardian beast of the seal sighed, somehow he had hoped that this time around he wouldn't be doing much explaining; he hoped the captors would be more adequate. Unfortunately, that was not the case, "because this key has no power of its own. The other one is pure magical energy given physical form, like myself and the cards. This one," he motioned to her hands as the key glowed from his motions, "is just enchanted; like your brother's sword or Minako's whip. Unlike those weapons, however, it doesn't draw magic from you, but from the actual stars." She seemed to understand the concept, and Keroberos was really grateful she didn't ask anything more.

Taking out an ofuda, Syaoran watched the freeze sprite under them. They only had one shot, and it couldn't go to waste. Timing his movement to that of the spirit below, he released the spell, "Gods of Fire, answer my call!"

The fire spell pierced the ice, hitting the spirit, who relentlessly surfaced in a column of ice. Now, they only had a matter of seconds to attack it before it went back below. Touya conjured a water jet that pushed the Freeze away, and Syaoran ran towards it, raising the water's temperature, until it was boiling. The ice column melted, the card's true form was vulnerable. The boiling water was hurting him now, so he threw icicles towards the chinese man. Syaoran was so concentrated, however, that he didn't manage to dodge them. Running towards the sprite, Touya heard the words of the sun guardian again in his head, and knew that was the spell to seal the card. "Return to the form you were meant to be in, Freeze card!"

The sheer force and speed of the icicles rocketed Syaoran through the outside window, and Touya shouted, as the card was being sealed, "Dammit!"

"There, the name is written," Sun Rei smiled as she admired her first card. They noticed as the magical ice around them started to disappear, undoing the spell. "Wai! 'nicchan managed to capture the freeze card" Kero flipped around in the air. Minako giggled, as she pulled her hair back into its ponytail, but was exalted when she saw something rush past her window, "Li-kun!"

Sun Rei snapped out of her happiness induced daze at the name of her brother. She saw Tanaka-san leaning over the window, yelling. Keroberos zipped up to her, "Quickly, use the jump!" Not needing to be told twice, Sun Rei threw the card in the air and tapped it hardly, "Help me save my brother, Jump!" Small wings appeared at her feet, and she sailed past Minako to jump out of the window. However, it was not necessary, as once she leaned over, she saw her brother jumping back up rapidly. "Huh?" she nearly fainted from the scare she had been given.

"The Jump helped you save your brother," the sun guardian explained, but she was in too much of a shock to understand. "The command, you said to help you save your brother, and so it did. The card can affect more than one person at a given time." Jumping to the open window, Syaoran landed quickly inside, and stumbled to the floor. "I actually got scared for a moment there" he wiped away sweat from his foreheaded.

Touya was about to command Windy to save the chinese creep, when a huge bird flew up to the broken window, flapping its wings violently. The force blasted him against a nearby wall. Twisting from the pain on his back, he reached into his pocket for a card. He was going to use the newly captured freeze, but the bird backed away, flying off. Quickly, called forth, "Bind the restless bird, Windy!" The card spun in its axis as he tapped it with the staff, and a feathered woman with long hair blew past towards the escaping bird. The ice was dispelling faster by the seconds, and it was just a matter of time before people started coming out of the magical daze and frostbite. The Windy captured the bird, who fought against the hold, and brought it back to the building. "Return to the form you were meant to be in, Sakura Card!"

"I'm glad you are safe Li-kun," Minako helped him stand up. "I think that's all of them, you can dispell the lock now Sun Rei," Syaoran wobbled against Minako, his legs still weren't helping him much, "It's been some time since I've fought like this. I'm definitely getting rusty!

Keroberos couldn't help but laugh at the chinese's exclamation. The girl cardcaptor was relieved to see her brother fine, and headed towards the nearest door, "So, I assume this lock needs to be open with the key?" she asked, but didn't wait for an answer as she pushed the key into the hole. A psychokinetic attack pushed her back strongly, but it was too late, the key was already in. The lock spirit came out of the keyhole, and flew past right them to another door to lock itself. The blast sent both Mina and Syaoran to the floor, "Damn Sun Rei, you could have warned us! Catch it before it enters another lock!"

Going back for her key, she quickly turned it into the wand, "Halt the lock's attempt to enter another door, Watery!" The blue water spirit smirked as she rushed to block the door the lock was aiming to enter with a wall of water. Being there not many doors nearby, the lock turned back to the other possible door, but Sun Rei was standing in front of it, "You are as good as caught," Sun Rei announced as she captured the mischievous lock.

As the bird spirit turned into its card form, Touya felt a sudden push of energies all around him. In a second, all those auras that were diffused by the lock, came rushing back, and the impact of sensing them all together made him dizzy. The wand returned to its key form, as he dawdled to the floor, the headache too big to stand. After a few seconds, he passed out from the pain.

"See, you should have warned us!" Syaoran reclaimed, clutching his head. He was leaning against a wall, Minako sitting next to him, passed out from the magical whiplash the lock caused on them all. Grabbing the chinese cardcaptor by the scruff of the neck, Keroberos flew up to the other two. He let her down gently next to her brother, as she barely had the energy to walk. "Pansies," the guardian beast of the seal muttered as he lowered himself to lie on the red-haired girl's lap, "Let's stay here until everyone starts waking up, we don't want to seem suspicious."

The chinese boy was about to complain again, when Sun Rei leaned into his shoulder, "Syaoran, I captured two cards," she smiled slowly, as she fell asleep. He sighed, resigned to stay there until everything was back to normal.

Minutes passed, or hours, he wasn't really aware of time. He was in such a deep sleep, he was aware of himself, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn't move. He felt odd to say the least, trying to recall whatever he had been doing only to forget it as soon as it entered his conscious mind. He tried following many trains of thought, but only three words came back to him. Card, Keroberos and Yue. Keroberos, Card, Yue; Yue, Card, Sakura.

'Wow, when did Sakura enter the equation?' he thought as he felt himself shift completely and many voices started talking to him.

"How dare you do this to me?" one cried angrily at him. "Onii-chan, you are being unreasonable" a delicate one reasoned. "You are not to participate in this fight, you won't be that much of a help. You have been asked to take care of the child" another one ordered, as if it had the right. "I resent you, long time since. It doesn't matter why are you doing this now, but my family will respect your wishes. Both of them have become part of it, and I will see to it personally, that you won't hurt them again. Farewell" the last one was the clearest of them all, and he thought he recognized it.

From sad, to unyielding, to angry, his emotions shifted around him rapidly. More and more voices haunted him now, and he couldn't discern one from the other. The pain, the hurt, the uneasiness, they all attacked him, his guilt being the one that punished him the most. Not standing another second of this, he willed himself against it all, "This was my choice!"

He didn't know what pushed him to say that, but all the voices quieted down immediately. A lone one, the first one he heard, whispered before he woke up, "Then you must assume the consequences, and the hurt you have caused." Startled, he felt himself awake again. Feeling a huge migraine, he stared around him slowly. There was someone holding him to a sitting position, "How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

"Yu...Yue..." he stammered, his voice rasp from the migraine. The guardian looked at him expectantly...or worriedly, actually, "terrible, I'm terrible. What happened?" the ice around was completely dispelled, and people were starting to wake up from their frozen dreams. "Shh, try not to talk so loud and lay still," Yukito admonished, leaning the other to a nearby wall, "Once people were able to enter the building, the place was flooded with paramedics and firemen trying to save everyone. But some had already woken and seemed fine, so they are defrosting those who still are. Better lay low and not seem suspicious."

Touya groaned and looked around, "Mina...where's Mina? She could be hurt" he stood, and dawdled as he fell back against the wall. "I told you to stay still!" Yukito said in a harder tone, and pushed the boy to sit back down. "They are all fine, but if it makes you feel any better, I'll go find them. Stay here." With that the moon guardian headed out the store. Touya leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. His head still hurt, but it was bearable; he could now discern the energies around him just fine. The memories of the dream came back to him, and made him nauseous, but it was gone in a second as a quick aura brushed past his senses. It was a very familiar aura, but not quite. As he opened his eyes, though, he was startled by the person kneeling in front of him. "Sakura!"

She had thatworried look on her face; the one that always made his skin crawl. Grabbing him in a hurried hug, she spoke quickly, "Touya! I was so worried! Are you alright? You don't look alright, where are you hurt?" She squeezed him even more, getting the air out of his lungs. He gasped for the lack of air, and saw a hand being placed softly in her sister's shoulder. "Sakura, I think you need to let him go, or he won't be able to answer" No matter how soft that command was, it still was a command. No one is allowed to order his sister around, and expect to be all fine and dandy when Touya was around. Looking up, he stared right into the soft blue eyes of that wretched blonde prick, better known as 'he-who-bothers-him’the-most-Kanatsuki'. Soft but unyielding, those eyes never faltered under Touya's hard glare.

The brown-haired boy frowned; everyone who received his glares either looked away or stood back. So far, Kanatsuki had done neither, and seemed unfazed by it all. He was about to turn his glare up a notch, when the motion of Sakura leaving the embrace, made him focus on her rather than the other. Damn, he had never looked away from glaring at others before; the prick was going to pay hell for this one day. "We were trapped on the elevator, but thankfully the ice didn't affect us. I was so worried about you! Tell me, where you affected by it?" She asked, taking him out of certain tortous thoughts on a certain someone. He wanted her to know he was strong enough to avoid the ice spell; he didn't want that guy to think him weak. But if he told her that, then she would ask harder questions. He braced himself, he was about to lie to her sister for the first time. "Yes, I was frozen," he muttered lowly, but she heard him. Whether Kanatsuki heard him or not, he had no idea.

She helped him stand, and he leaned against her, "Where's Minako-chan?" she asked worriedly. He wondered that himself, but Yue should be with the others by now, "I don't know, but she shouldn't be far from here." Against all hope, he wanted her to leave it at that. Against all odds, she did; but the other one didn't. "Let's go find them, then. They could be hurt," Kanatsuki offered, and Sakura was quick to nod her agreement. 'Shit!' he swore mentally, looking for a way out. Who knows in what state would the others be, and he was not willing to risk them. Swallowing hard, he stopped them as they were about to go searching, "Wait! Weren't you guys in a hurry or something? I thought you had a dinner to go to..." He hated it; He hated it as he said it, and he hated it as it was remembered. He was practically throwing Sakura back into his arms, but there were some things more important right now. Surely it wouldn't make that much of a difference, would it?

Akihiko was surprised to say the least, and Sakura seemed thoughtful; she was actually considering it. Sighing, she asked doubtfully, "but what about the others?" All he needed now was the right answer, and she would believe him. But damn, that answer was not coming to him. "I'll," he started, unsure of how to continue, "search for them; they ought to be fine, Sakura. I'm fine already; don't worry." Sakura knew better than to push Touya when he said he was 'fine'. It usually meant he wasn't but she knew she had lost the battle the moment he said those words; he wouldn't accept any help from anyone. Taking Akihiko's hand, she let the matter go, "Fine then, I guess we should get going. But I'm calling dad!" she retorted but he only shrugged. His dad wasn't an issue.

Brushing his free hand through his hair, Akihiko looked at him, "Be careful you don't fall, little one. See ya!" he turned around, waving his hand as he did. Sakura gave him a peck on the cheek before turning and leaving with the other. After he was sure they were out of the store, he opened one window and leaned outside, inhaling the fresh air, and venting his frustration with a scream. Once he was done, he composed himself, and headed outside to look for the others.

Back at school, a woman watched intently an urgent news report. A man sat on a big chair, fidgeting with his tie, listening with eyes closed, as the woman leaned behind his chair, running her fingers through his hair delicately. "So far, there are no injuries reported from the catastrophe on the Isetan Department Stores. The police and the firemen haven't been able to determine the cause of the mysterious ice that covered the entire building, and the nearby streets. Experts theorize, however, that the cause was supernatural; once they find-" the voice shut down as the monitor was turned off. She left her place behind his chair, sitting on the couch in front of him, "I'm worried about him" she finally said.

"I don't know why, you were expecting today's events," he answered nonchalantly, but he didn't open his eyes. She knew he wasn't going to open them and show her how he really felt. Sighing, she tied her hair tightly, "I expect many things to happen; that doesn't mean I don't worry. Besides..." she trailed off as she stared out the window, to the tower in front. "Besides...?" he now asked, curiously opening his eyes.

"I don't think its right. If he had been meant to open the book, Iwould have seen it."

"You are very powerful, but you cannot know everything, my dear. You can only control so much of what you can see, you know that."

"He is my son, Ren; I should have known, Ishould have foreseen it. He would be better prepared, he wouldn't be-"

"Stop it, Amaya. This game of guilt won't take you anywhere. We did what we could, and even if it is out of our hands, there's nothing we can do about it now. It was...inevitable; remember, no coincidences?"

She was thoughtful for a while. He used to say that phrase so much, she knew it by heart; but today, that phrase was incomplete somehow. "It was inevitable, no coincidences...unless...?"

He simply stared as she uttered the last few words; she had that far off look on her eyes that meant that she was using her Sight. He knew that paradigm so well; he knew it to be true. But today, it felt empty, "Unless?"

"It was changed, but that cannot be, can it?" she asked, but he was fairly certain she wasn't expecting an answer. He groaned, shuffling some papers on his desk. He hated that particular way she talked when she wanted to know something and couldn't; it was an awful habit for someone who was used to talk straight and to the point. It made her behave completely unlike her; he knew it was a mnemonic tool. But he hadn't met anyone, yet, who used it; in fact, he had only known two others who did. But they were already dead. He stood quickly, angered by his own treacherous thoughts, leaving the office at once. Now outside, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "want to blame anyone? Blame him...It's his fault after all..."

Tiredly the group walked back to the car, with nothing bought, and without avoiding an hour of signing papers or answering questions. The girls walked with Touya up front. "So, Sakura was trapped inside too? Wow, that was close, then. I'm glad the Lock was one of the cards attacking" Minako smiled, but it was not a quite happy smile. "Yeah, I had to convince her out of her looking for you guys. After all, I did not know how you were all faring."

"We were fine, up to the sealing of the lock, that is," Sun Rei said, a little ashamed for the problems that sealing had caused. "What did you tell her for her to actually leave? And what was she doing in there, anyways?"

He clenched his fist, containing his anger, "She was shopping with Kanatsuki, and they were going to his house for a home-cooked meal. Yeah right, like I'm going to believe that! " The two girls looked at each other, and gave him a sympathetic look, "You know," Minako started, " boyfriends are the only ones who invite women to home-cooked meals..." He stared at her with disbelief, somehow thatparticular thought hadn't entered his mind. "And men," Sun Rei quickly added looking back at her brother, behind them, "only go clothing shopping with their girlfriends...and their mothers; certainly not with anyone else." He cursed, this time aloud enough so the girls heard him, and kept on cursing as they walked; both of them couldn't help but laugh.

Not far behind them, Syaoran walked slowly, so he could be far enough so they wouldn't hear his talk with the guardians, but close enough so they wouldn't worry. "I didn't expect the cards to attack such a public place, and on broad daylight." Keroberos was uncharacteristically quiet, and Yukito was lost in thought. "Not only that," he continued, noticing the guardians were not going to reply, "but they locked Yue, as if they expected him to help out. I mean, back then, they used to atack Keroberos without mercy; but they never dared to disturb Yukito."

Keroberos was the first one to speak, and it was still very soft, "I didn't feel their presence until they attacked, which was also very odd. I should have been able to feel them if they were near, even if they didn't attack." Syaoran tilted his head questioningly, "Yue felt them, and you didn't? I think you are slipping, oh Mighty Guardian Beast of the Seal! Or perhaps, you are getting...old?" he poked the guardian on the belly, earning a squeal from the plushie.

He was not old, he was definitely not old! He was in the prime of his life, and no one was better than him! Well, maybe except Sakura, and Yue was the only one he accepted on par to him. But...it was the second time in the space of two days that someone dared to say he had been wrong. And for the first time in his life, Cerberus Guardian Beast of the Seal was considering that possibility.

"They won't try it again" it was Yukito who spoke this time, "they won't attack in public again if I'm around; that's why they locked me in. I won't allow it," his tone was severe, but Syaoran wasn't so sure of that affirmation. After all, the cards were quite mischievous when unsealed. Somehow, he doubted Yue could order them around until they were captured.

"Cerberus" Syaoran called the sun guardian by his proper name, which only happened when he decided to be The Li. The Li, as in the clan head and the commanding one, not Syaoran the somehow-accepting chinese gaki. He had only seen The Li a couple of times in his long life, but he knew to be wary of that frame of mind. "Hai," Kero acknowledged, feeling a tad anxious. Yukito was staring intently at them, waiting for the chinese man to continue. "Do you know the last spell she casted?"

Great, The Li liked being cryptic; somehow he hadn't noticed that before. By she, he meant the mistress; but he was not quite sure whatever he meant by the last spell...

"Umm," he said for the lack of a better word to phrase his thoughts, "last spell? How should I know, she casted sooooo many spells..." he looked at Yukito for any clue or help, but the other guardian seemed actually confused at what Syaoran actually meant. So, he tried his luck, "wouldn't her last spell be the one where she sealed the book...?"

Syaoran frowned, so that was not the answer he was looking for. "The spell...as in THE Spells" he replied, with an edge on his voice. Slowly, Kero flew nearer Yukito. He knew better than to ask another question, when he noticed the way he said the word 'the'. He could only mean THE most powerful spells she ever casted; and from those there were only quite a few, since they were really dangerous. But he was there every time she casted those. Understanding had also dawned on Yukito, but he was looking at the group in front of them. After all, The Li wasn't talking to him; if it was the other way around, Kero knew he would also be avoiding the conversation.

"It was," his throat closed on him as he remembered, he was not used to talk about that period of time, "the one that ended the war..." and that was all The Li would ever get out of him. He had openly refused to talk about it, and Syaoran knew it very well. And if he wanted to ask more, he would be hearing Keroberos swear. And no one sane wanted to hear that.

But, after a few seconds of thought, the other only replied, "That's what I thought." And with that, The Li was gone. Even the expression of his eyes softened when his sister looked back at them. Walking faster he soon joined the other teens, leaving the two guardians behind.

"He's scary" Kero couldn't find a better way to say it. Yukito nodded slowly, adding, "He reminds me more of Clow than Eriol ever did when he is like that." Keroberos landed on the moon guardian's shoulder, "As always you are a great help!" his tone was sarcastic and weighed, but Yukito just shrugged it off, "Since when do you need my help?"

Kero noticed how they had been practically at each other's throats since they were unsealed; Yue used to defend himself and tease, but ever since he merged with Yukito he had been warm about it. Now, it seemed he was turning back to the old ways, and that was worrying. It was almost as he didn't quite know how to act around them anymore; either warm and friendly or cold and distant. Always on the extremes, never a middle point.

He was soon taken out of his own mental ramblings when they entered the car and left the mall. They picked up Ren and Amaya on the way home, and dropped of the Lis at their apartment. His mother was rather quiet, and his father was really chatty. A weird contrast, to say the least, but no one else seemed to notice it but Touya. Keroberos recounted the story of the captures with such enthusiasm, that Touya couldn't help but chuckle. He even recounted Touya's story, even though he hadn't been there. Yukito stayed at the margin of it all, and only nodded or denied when asked of something.

It was now late, and everyone had gone to bed. Yukito stayed up reading on the living room, when he felt a warm aura approach the house. Standing, he headed to the door before the person tried to open it. "Hello, Sakura-chan"

Sakura seemed a bit flushed, but saluted happily, "Yukito-san! Good evening," she hastily entered, and the moon guardian closed the door. "I got carried away, and didn't notice the hour until now," she said somehow explaining herself to him, even if though it wasn't necessary. He smiled sweetly, "It is rather late," he admonished softly, and she had the grace to look away, "but I don't think your parents will mind if I tell them you were here a tad earlier..."

She hugged him gratefully, "Thank you!" she was about to walk away, but recalled something. "What" she started, turning and gazed at him with the same spark in her eyes she had in the morning, "really happened at the mall?"

She really was expecting him to answer the question, but he couldn't. So, he lied through his teeth, "I don't know, everything was fine in one moment, and then ice started surrounding us. I don't know what happened afterwards. I woke up feeling numb, and the paramedics said I was frozen." After all, she couldn't know he had magic; his aura alone prevented her from knowing. So, it was better to claim ignorance.

She looked at him, disappointed; Yukito felt as if he was a mere child and he had failed a test. But she just couldn't know. Turning, she muttered very low to herself, "Oh what a tangled web we weave..." He didn't quite hear what she said entirely, just a few words, but his reply was automatic, "...when we first practice to deceive."

She turned her head back, keeping her back to him. She grinned at him, as if she was expecting him to answer. Oh no, he thought to himself, how had she fooled him like that? If she knew anything, then now she had just proven it. And if she didn't, then he had just given her a very big clue. Words are very powerful tools if known how to be used, she often said to him, long time ago. "I won't stop this charade of yours," she finally spoke after what the guardian thought to be hours, "but that was really close; you were almost found. If you are going to deceive, then I expect it at least to be done right. Or this all might as well be for nothing."

He was at a loss for words; she had it all figured it out. Well, maybe she did, maybe she didn't, but he was not about to let her know anymore, "Point taken." He yawned, and walked past her, finishing the conversation, "Good night, Sakura." He didn't stay long enough to hear her reply, nor did he want to. He needed to think things through; she knew why he was here. That stopped him cold, because if she knew, that meant...

No, she had him figured out, at least; she couldn't know why, though. Whether she knew more or not, he did not know. But if she knew about him, that also meant she knew about the Lis. And that made his job harder. He had the feeling he was not going to sleep much tonight.

He could not fail; whether they knew it or not, they all depended on him now.

A/N: Prepare for the long notes of a bored author!

1. Before someone tells me Keroberos doesn't have the mental capacity to be a programmer, or even to do math, let me tell you something: I dont care. This little thingy is just so Touya and Kero bond. And I can picture keroberos being all technical alnd stuff.

2. The Isetan department stores arent 20 stories high. But I guess they can be in 200 years, or even higher XD

3. Mnemonic is a tool that aids people remember things, associating them with easily remembered words. In this case, Amaya is playing with the words, hoping to see something she may have missed or trying to force her powers to look for more.

Well, now that I have explained some things, here goes the rant. Half of this chapter was written with chapter 6, but I got frustrated with the wording. There are so many play of words in here, that I didn't notice it until the very end. So, I really, really like this chapter and how it turned out. Hopefully we will get more of Sakura in the next chapter. I just couldn't add her if the gang was to be cardcapturing. Originally there were going to be 5 cards captured, but I just couldn't fit the fifth one.

Card progress: 46/53 free cards

I have the feeling this story will be utterly long XD