Tam Chronin (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
tamchronin) wrote2009-01-29 11:00 am
tamchronin) wrote2009-01-29 11:00 am
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Generations of Card Captors - Chapter 27 - Awakening
This is it. The last chapter. Done, over with, behind me. At last.
I don't know who will read this, or if it will mean anything at all after so long, but I'd like to express a heartfelt thanks to everyone who has read this. Even if you didn't stick it through to the end, since it's been SO many years, I'm grateful that you let my words into your life and gave me your time. I hope it was not time wasted.
Generations of Card Captors
Awakening
The darkness that grew sent shivers down Yue's spine. It was so much like when Sakura had faced Eriol, even to the lethargy that swept across the town.
"This way!" Will called out, racing with the aid of the cards to where they felt power building. A great beam of light flashed from their destination, prompting the trio to greater speed.
"Do you think Rayne and the others are--" Cerberus cut off as the other three appeared from the other direction.
"Yes, I think so," Yue said with an amused twist to his lips.
"Good," Will said, pulling out The Fly card to take him more easily to the park that was still three blocks away. "We'll need all the help we can get." He hesitated a moment, and then Will held a hand out to Yue.
Without hesitation, Yue took Will's hand and they flew together, both of them more confident through the bond reinforced by tactile contact. A glance in the direction of the others showed that Rayne and Ruby Moon had seen that gesture and mimicked it. Yue was confident. They had love on their side. Spinel Sun and Cerberus also flew close to their respective masters, balancing and completing the triads. There was nothing that Will and Rayne couldn't accomplish now.
The light intensified as the darkness of the day around them deepened. Shadows sharpened, becoming so deep that they seemed void of anything behind whatever blocked the magical light they converged upon. At the center of the light were three figures who seemed to be gathering all the magic left in the world to them and channeling it together.
"Michael, Michelle, and their brother? Sean?" Will murmured, squinting to make them out in the brightness.
"No," Yue said, pointing with his free hand.
Sean stood outside of the circle, waving them down. "Wait!" he called out as they approached. The six of them landed before Sean, looking at him expectantly, poised for whatever action may prove necessary.
Will looked confused, looking at Sean for a minute and then looking into the light again. "Who--" he started, but he cut himself off as he realized. "Brian?"
"If you don't stop them," Sean said, "the world will be undone. It's too much magic, too much for even the three of them to handle, or contain."
"Why?" Rayne cried out. "Why would they do this?"
Sean just shook his head, turning away from them. "It's been building to this, since Clow first stepped upon this path and made Yue, and Cerberus, and the cards. It grew more likely when Eriol perpetuated the mistakes Clow had made. And it was made inevitable when Brian, who sought the power Clow had through many lifetimes, realized that this time he had the knowledge and power to do what Clow had done as well."
"They'll suck the whole world dry of magic, at this rate," Spinel Sun said, fear and awe in his voice. "What were they thinking?"
"That you would stop them," Sean answered sadly, and then he walked away, disappearing into darkness.
"How do we stop them?" Will called after him.
There was no answer.
"The cards," Rayne said, holding hers out. "If it's all been building to this moment, the cards must be the key."
"We're not finished changing them," Will protested, holding out his own deck. Too many of them remained lifeless while the others floated into the air of their own volition. For Rayne, there were even more that sat unmoving in her hands.
"At the end," Yue said, "Sakura had many cards that needed to be changed to her own as well. You're both older, and stronger, than she was." Or, at least he hoped they were stronger. The stakes this time were much higher, it seemed.
"I believe in you," Ruby Moon said, holding onto Rayne's arm.
Yue nodded, looking into Will's eyes. Nothing more needed to be said. Even Cerberus and Spinel Sun were looking into their master's eyes with unconditional support.
Will and Rayne looked at each other, the resolve in their eyes identical.
"We'll start with the cards," Rayne said.
Will nodded. "And then..."
"And then," she agreed.
They stood back to back, leaning against each other for support as they bent their will to changing the cards that remained from their decks. It was much easier for Will, who only had a handful of cards left. Even Light and Dark changed, after much effort, becoming Will cards. It left him panting and pale, but he looked into Yue's eyes in triumph when he was finally able to finish his task.
Rayne sobbed in defeat a moment later, though, falling to her knees. Will tumbled to the ground gracelessly when she did so, because of how they'd been standing to support each other. "Rayne--?"
She shook her head. "I can't," she said. "It's too much." Rayne was trembling, and to everyone's surprise she had four remaining cards.
The element cards.
Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water lay scattered on the ground, though she'd been able to convert all the rest.
"The four hardest," Cerberus whispered.
"And the four most necessary," Yue murmured in reply, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder as he glanced at the other two guardians. Without those four cards, what would happen to Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun?
"You can," Ruby Moon said confidently, taking Rayne's arm and helping her stand again. "We will lend you our strength."
Spinel Sun nodded, nuzzling against Rayne's side. "It's our turn, to trust you, and to give you everything we have. We believe in you."
Yue took a step back and looked away, giving them privacy for a moment while they explained how they could help, how they could lend their strength. It was just like the moment he and Cerberus had shared with Sakura, so long ago. For a moment, Yue was relieved that it hadn't been necessary this time for them, but then he glanced at the trio still engulfed in light before them.
It might yet come to such extreme measures.
But, no matter. Whatever it took, Yue was ready. And, beside him, Cerberus looked just as expectant and resolved to what was to come.
~~~~~@~~~~~
Brian clasped Michael and Michelle's hands tightly, exhilarated and frightened by just how much power they had flowing through them, into them, and around them. If he faltered even for a moment, lost control, let his thoughts drift off course, even for a moment, they would disappear within the power and be utterly consumed by it. He wouldn't lose control, though. If he'd had one doubt, he never would have agreed to this with them. He'd have stuck to his original plan, with any consequences falling upon his shoulders alone.
He was hyper aware of the twins, knowing them both more intimately through this magical contact than his previous incarnation had known Sakura in some ways, but even still there was a distance, a barrier, that cut him off from them and held them all apart. It was as if they were a part of him, but they were sharply, painfully aware that they were each separate beings. He felt all the more lonely and alone because he knew how close they were on another level.
It's confusing, he spoke to them in his mind, knowing they would hear him, and understand beyond the words.
Their hands tightened in sympathy, knowing what he was going through because they could feel it too. He felt love flow through the magical bond, banishing the loneliness at least temporarily, and bolstering his spirits. Michelle and Michael were both smiling at him with identical expressions, and he had to return it. There was so much hope in the world, even when Rayne was struggling. Her trials would make her stronger.
All of their trials would make them stronger.
The cards, Michelle looked at Rayne, and they saw through her eyes. The last four cards had been changed.
It's time, Michael thought, and they dropped their hands, letting go so that they could begin their own individual spells, calling upon the elements, and calling upon the energy of the sun and the moon juxtaposed above them.
It was frighteningly easy, Brian thought as the energy coalesced into two beings before him, swirling formless but aware and sentient despite being in a state of pure energy. He wondered how they would look when they took form, expectant the way a parent is before their child is born. Like a carefully rehearsed dance, Brian, Michelle, and Michael turned outward raising their hands to welcome their new guardians even as Will and Rayne began to counter them.
The formless energy guardians readily defended them, and every blow reverberated through Brian's body, jolting him like an electrical shock through the marrow of his bones. His heart pounded, racing faster and faster as the attacks grew stronger. The two guardians became six, defending the trio as the attacks came from too many sources at once. Each offensive move, however, only served to increase their power.
Do you think Will and Rayne will realize it?
He felt Michael nod, even as the attacks stopped. "It's no good," Yue shook his head violently, glaring at the swirling energy forms. "They're getting stronger!"
"Then how do we defeat them?" Ruby Moon cried out.
"I don't know," Will said in a strained and gravely voice. He looked confused, searching for an answer, but he didn't lose his determination for even a moment.
It was Rayne, who had been faltering and weak, who came up with the solution. "Balance!"
Spinel Sun gave her a skeptical look. "How?"
Will didn't hesitate. "Shield!" he invoked, bringing the card out in a rush and casting it around them all.
"Almost," Michelle murmured, saying the first word aloud among the three of them since they'd begun casting the spell. It separated them further, focusing them on their own parts, and on defending themselves instead of all three of them at once.
Brian noticed also that their guardians now began to take form, and he was somewhat amused to see that one of his guardians was taking on wolf-like qualities instead of feline ones like Cerberus or Spinel Sun.
The six new guardians worked together to bring down the Shield card, nearly succeeding before Rayne brought her Wood card to bear. They were both containment cards, and it brought everything to a standstill.
But it still wasn't enough.
"Balance cards?" Will was muttering to himself, brow creased in concentration. "Twin? Libra? No..."
"Light and Dark," Rayne called out, showing the strain of invoking both cards. Still, she bore up to it, gaining strength as she asked for their help.
Will was quick to dismiss Shield and do the same, reinforcing what Rayne was doing now instead of working against her. The Dark cards contained the light that Brian, Michael, and Michelle were still radiating, while the Light cards harmonized with the light and the energy, giving it all a more natural outlet instead of burning out from struggling against the darkness.
"Perfect," Michael said, relaxing at last and leaning backward against the others. Brian thankfully did the same, and all three of them slid to the ground in a heap together, drained and excited.
A silver wolf with golden wings walked over to Brian, nuzzling his hand in concern. "Master?" he asked softly.
Brian didn't resist. He hugged the wolf to him, smiling in triumph. "I know just what your name is," he whispered into the silver fur. "Sól. And your brother is named Máni." Brian looked up at the dark-haired beauty before him, who radiated the mysteries of the darkest moon, yet seemed somehow also to be luminous in his own way.
"The irony should eat them alive," Michael said, before turning to his own new guardians and bestowing upon them names of their own.
From the sidelines, Yue looked incredulous. "More?"
"I was just getting used to these two upstarts," Cerberus grouched.
"Upstarts?" Ruby Moon demanded, hands on her hips, in an echo of how she was when Eriol had been alive.
Brian tuned the rest of them out, though. He'd finally done it. He'd proven to everyone, and most importantly to himself, that he was every bit Clow's equal. And, having accomplished that, it didn't matter anymore. Sol and Mani, and the love and awe he had for them overshadowed it all. The future held infinite possibilities for the three of them.
The future held infinite possibilities for all of them.
~~~~~@~~~~~
When they'd all regained their strength, they gathered at Michael and Michelle's house. It was a party like never before, with fifteen of them gathered at one large banquet table, some of them eating, some of them playing, some of them talking, and some of them just watching the others. Among those just watching, somewhat overwhelmed by what Clow's legacy had wrought, were Yue...and Michael.
Michael knew that Clow had never imagined an outcome like this. It hadn't crossed his mind once that what had started with one solitary soul who chose exile to live out his days with his two guardians would turn into a veritable society of mages and their guardians. When Yue caught Michael's eye, it was almost eagerly that Clow's reincarnation slipped from the room for a few moments alone with the one who had once been his greatest love.
He sighed, looking at Yue with nostalgia and resignation. Yue would ask, it was his nature to ask-- "I was thinking India, next time," Michael said.
"India?" Yue demanded. "NEXT time?"
Michael snickered softly, holding his hand out to stop Yue, to forestall his sputtered objections. "No," he said. "I'm only teasing. There are so many variables, even with destiny and the inevitable working to guide things. This is as far as Clow, even at his most powerful, could ever foresee. Even so, this isn't the outcome he expected. Not anywhere close to what he expected."
Yue gave him a thoughtful look. "I thought you, or Eriol, would have looked further and known more."
Michael let that roll around in his mind for a bit, thinking it over. When he finally had an answer, he spoke slowly, measured with the thought he put into it. "Unlike Clow, Eriol and I both had the option not to know, not to look. I could try, right now, if I wanted to. I could know what must be done, and what should be done, and what I want to bed done. But...the price is too high. I want to be surprised. I remember what it's like to watch the pages fall open to the end of the book before I was ready to know, and read the words that were there. I just don't want that again. And, it's no longer necessary."
"You're saying it was necessary, before?"
"Yes," Michael said softly. "More than anything, it was necessary for Clow's peace of mind to know that you, and all of his creations, would be happy."
"I am," Yue said, smiling as gently, and as easily, as he had once upon a time when Clow had been alive.
I don't know who will read this, or if it will mean anything at all after so long, but I'd like to express a heartfelt thanks to everyone who has read this. Even if you didn't stick it through to the end, since it's been SO many years, I'm grateful that you let my words into your life and gave me your time. I hope it was not time wasted.
Awakening
The darkness that grew sent shivers down Yue's spine. It was so much like when Sakura had faced Eriol, even to the lethargy that swept across the town.
"This way!" Will called out, racing with the aid of the cards to where they felt power building. A great beam of light flashed from their destination, prompting the trio to greater speed.
"Do you think Rayne and the others are--" Cerberus cut off as the other three appeared from the other direction.
"Yes, I think so," Yue said with an amused twist to his lips.
"Good," Will said, pulling out The Fly card to take him more easily to the park that was still three blocks away. "We'll need all the help we can get." He hesitated a moment, and then Will held a hand out to Yue.
Without hesitation, Yue took Will's hand and they flew together, both of them more confident through the bond reinforced by tactile contact. A glance in the direction of the others showed that Rayne and Ruby Moon had seen that gesture and mimicked it. Yue was confident. They had love on their side. Spinel Sun and Cerberus also flew close to their respective masters, balancing and completing the triads. There was nothing that Will and Rayne couldn't accomplish now.
The light intensified as the darkness of the day around them deepened. Shadows sharpened, becoming so deep that they seemed void of anything behind whatever blocked the magical light they converged upon. At the center of the light were three figures who seemed to be gathering all the magic left in the world to them and channeling it together.
"Michael, Michelle, and their brother? Sean?" Will murmured, squinting to make them out in the brightness.
"No," Yue said, pointing with his free hand.
Sean stood outside of the circle, waving them down. "Wait!" he called out as they approached. The six of them landed before Sean, looking at him expectantly, poised for whatever action may prove necessary.
Will looked confused, looking at Sean for a minute and then looking into the light again. "Who--" he started, but he cut himself off as he realized. "Brian?"
"If you don't stop them," Sean said, "the world will be undone. It's too much magic, too much for even the three of them to handle, or contain."
"Why?" Rayne cried out. "Why would they do this?"
Sean just shook his head, turning away from them. "It's been building to this, since Clow first stepped upon this path and made Yue, and Cerberus, and the cards. It grew more likely when Eriol perpetuated the mistakes Clow had made. And it was made inevitable when Brian, who sought the power Clow had through many lifetimes, realized that this time he had the knowledge and power to do what Clow had done as well."
"They'll suck the whole world dry of magic, at this rate," Spinel Sun said, fear and awe in his voice. "What were they thinking?"
"That you would stop them," Sean answered sadly, and then he walked away, disappearing into darkness.
"How do we stop them?" Will called after him.
There was no answer.
"The cards," Rayne said, holding hers out. "If it's all been building to this moment, the cards must be the key."
"We're not finished changing them," Will protested, holding out his own deck. Too many of them remained lifeless while the others floated into the air of their own volition. For Rayne, there were even more that sat unmoving in her hands.
"At the end," Yue said, "Sakura had many cards that needed to be changed to her own as well. You're both older, and stronger, than she was." Or, at least he hoped they were stronger. The stakes this time were much higher, it seemed.
"I believe in you," Ruby Moon said, holding onto Rayne's arm.
Yue nodded, looking into Will's eyes. Nothing more needed to be said. Even Cerberus and Spinel Sun were looking into their master's eyes with unconditional support.
Will and Rayne looked at each other, the resolve in their eyes identical.
"We'll start with the cards," Rayne said.
Will nodded. "And then..."
"And then," she agreed.
They stood back to back, leaning against each other for support as they bent their will to changing the cards that remained from their decks. It was much easier for Will, who only had a handful of cards left. Even Light and Dark changed, after much effort, becoming Will cards. It left him panting and pale, but he looked into Yue's eyes in triumph when he was finally able to finish his task.
Rayne sobbed in defeat a moment later, though, falling to her knees. Will tumbled to the ground gracelessly when she did so, because of how they'd been standing to support each other. "Rayne--?"
She shook her head. "I can't," she said. "It's too much." Rayne was trembling, and to everyone's surprise she had four remaining cards.
The element cards.
Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water lay scattered on the ground, though she'd been able to convert all the rest.
"The four hardest," Cerberus whispered.
"And the four most necessary," Yue murmured in reply, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder as he glanced at the other two guardians. Without those four cards, what would happen to Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun?
"You can," Ruby Moon said confidently, taking Rayne's arm and helping her stand again. "We will lend you our strength."
Spinel Sun nodded, nuzzling against Rayne's side. "It's our turn, to trust you, and to give you everything we have. We believe in you."
Yue took a step back and looked away, giving them privacy for a moment while they explained how they could help, how they could lend their strength. It was just like the moment he and Cerberus had shared with Sakura, so long ago. For a moment, Yue was relieved that it hadn't been necessary this time for them, but then he glanced at the trio still engulfed in light before them.
It might yet come to such extreme measures.
But, no matter. Whatever it took, Yue was ready. And, beside him, Cerberus looked just as expectant and resolved to what was to come.
~~~~~@~~~~~
Brian clasped Michael and Michelle's hands tightly, exhilarated and frightened by just how much power they had flowing through them, into them, and around them. If he faltered even for a moment, lost control, let his thoughts drift off course, even for a moment, they would disappear within the power and be utterly consumed by it. He wouldn't lose control, though. If he'd had one doubt, he never would have agreed to this with them. He'd have stuck to his original plan, with any consequences falling upon his shoulders alone.
He was hyper aware of the twins, knowing them both more intimately through this magical contact than his previous incarnation had known Sakura in some ways, but even still there was a distance, a barrier, that cut him off from them and held them all apart. It was as if they were a part of him, but they were sharply, painfully aware that they were each separate beings. He felt all the more lonely and alone because he knew how close they were on another level.
It's confusing, he spoke to them in his mind, knowing they would hear him, and understand beyond the words.
Their hands tightened in sympathy, knowing what he was going through because they could feel it too. He felt love flow through the magical bond, banishing the loneliness at least temporarily, and bolstering his spirits. Michelle and Michael were both smiling at him with identical expressions, and he had to return it. There was so much hope in the world, even when Rayne was struggling. Her trials would make her stronger.
All of their trials would make them stronger.
The cards, Michelle looked at Rayne, and they saw through her eyes. The last four cards had been changed.
It's time, Michael thought, and they dropped their hands, letting go so that they could begin their own individual spells, calling upon the elements, and calling upon the energy of the sun and the moon juxtaposed above them.
It was frighteningly easy, Brian thought as the energy coalesced into two beings before him, swirling formless but aware and sentient despite being in a state of pure energy. He wondered how they would look when they took form, expectant the way a parent is before their child is born. Like a carefully rehearsed dance, Brian, Michelle, and Michael turned outward raising their hands to welcome their new guardians even as Will and Rayne began to counter them.
The formless energy guardians readily defended them, and every blow reverberated through Brian's body, jolting him like an electrical shock through the marrow of his bones. His heart pounded, racing faster and faster as the attacks grew stronger. The two guardians became six, defending the trio as the attacks came from too many sources at once. Each offensive move, however, only served to increase their power.
Do you think Will and Rayne will realize it?
He felt Michael nod, even as the attacks stopped. "It's no good," Yue shook his head violently, glaring at the swirling energy forms. "They're getting stronger!"
"Then how do we defeat them?" Ruby Moon cried out.
"I don't know," Will said in a strained and gravely voice. He looked confused, searching for an answer, but he didn't lose his determination for even a moment.
It was Rayne, who had been faltering and weak, who came up with the solution. "Balance!"
Spinel Sun gave her a skeptical look. "How?"
Will didn't hesitate. "Shield!" he invoked, bringing the card out in a rush and casting it around them all.
"Almost," Michelle murmured, saying the first word aloud among the three of them since they'd begun casting the spell. It separated them further, focusing them on their own parts, and on defending themselves instead of all three of them at once.
Brian noticed also that their guardians now began to take form, and he was somewhat amused to see that one of his guardians was taking on wolf-like qualities instead of feline ones like Cerberus or Spinel Sun.
The six new guardians worked together to bring down the Shield card, nearly succeeding before Rayne brought her Wood card to bear. They were both containment cards, and it brought everything to a standstill.
But it still wasn't enough.
"Balance cards?" Will was muttering to himself, brow creased in concentration. "Twin? Libra? No..."
"Light and Dark," Rayne called out, showing the strain of invoking both cards. Still, she bore up to it, gaining strength as she asked for their help.
Will was quick to dismiss Shield and do the same, reinforcing what Rayne was doing now instead of working against her. The Dark cards contained the light that Brian, Michael, and Michelle were still radiating, while the Light cards harmonized with the light and the energy, giving it all a more natural outlet instead of burning out from struggling against the darkness.
"Perfect," Michael said, relaxing at last and leaning backward against the others. Brian thankfully did the same, and all three of them slid to the ground in a heap together, drained and excited.
A silver wolf with golden wings walked over to Brian, nuzzling his hand in concern. "Master?" he asked softly.
Brian didn't resist. He hugged the wolf to him, smiling in triumph. "I know just what your name is," he whispered into the silver fur. "Sól. And your brother is named Máni." Brian looked up at the dark-haired beauty before him, who radiated the mysteries of the darkest moon, yet seemed somehow also to be luminous in his own way.
"The irony should eat them alive," Michael said, before turning to his own new guardians and bestowing upon them names of their own.
From the sidelines, Yue looked incredulous. "More?"
"I was just getting used to these two upstarts," Cerberus grouched.
"Upstarts?" Ruby Moon demanded, hands on her hips, in an echo of how she was when Eriol had been alive.
Brian tuned the rest of them out, though. He'd finally done it. He'd proven to everyone, and most importantly to himself, that he was every bit Clow's equal. And, having accomplished that, it didn't matter anymore. Sol and Mani, and the love and awe he had for them overshadowed it all. The future held infinite possibilities for the three of them.
The future held infinite possibilities for all of them.
~~~~~@~~~~~
When they'd all regained their strength, they gathered at Michael and Michelle's house. It was a party like never before, with fifteen of them gathered at one large banquet table, some of them eating, some of them playing, some of them talking, and some of them just watching the others. Among those just watching, somewhat overwhelmed by what Clow's legacy had wrought, were Yue...and Michael.
Michael knew that Clow had never imagined an outcome like this. It hadn't crossed his mind once that what had started with one solitary soul who chose exile to live out his days with his two guardians would turn into a veritable society of mages and their guardians. When Yue caught Michael's eye, it was almost eagerly that Clow's reincarnation slipped from the room for a few moments alone with the one who had once been his greatest love.
He sighed, looking at Yue with nostalgia and resignation. Yue would ask, it was his nature to ask-- "I was thinking India, next time," Michael said.
"India?" Yue demanded. "NEXT time?"
Michael snickered softly, holding his hand out to stop Yue, to forestall his sputtered objections. "No," he said. "I'm only teasing. There are so many variables, even with destiny and the inevitable working to guide things. This is as far as Clow, even at his most powerful, could ever foresee. Even so, this isn't the outcome he expected. Not anywhere close to what he expected."
Yue gave him a thoughtful look. "I thought you, or Eriol, would have looked further and known more."
Michael let that roll around in his mind for a bit, thinking it over. When he finally had an answer, he spoke slowly, measured with the thought he put into it. "Unlike Clow, Eriol and I both had the option not to know, not to look. I could try, right now, if I wanted to. I could know what must be done, and what should be done, and what I want to bed done. But...the price is too high. I want to be surprised. I remember what it's like to watch the pages fall open to the end of the book before I was ready to know, and read the words that were there. I just don't want that again. And, it's no longer necessary."
"You're saying it was necessary, before?"
"Yes," Michael said softly. "More than anything, it was necessary for Clow's peace of mind to know that you, and all of his creations, would be happy."
"I am," Yue said, smiling as gently, and as easily, as he had once upon a time when Clow had been alive.
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So, yay! *toasts Mary*
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It felt entirely too good to get it done. I need to finish stories more often!
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