Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Upon A Dark Road ❯ Prelude Part I ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Upon A Dark Road
Episode I - Prelude Part I

Author's Note: Hey, I'm back! Sorry it took so long but I've been...uh, busy I guess. Anyway, I've seen the entire Cardcaptor Sakura anime now (except the two movies) so I've got a good idea of what the heck I'm doing ^_^ I hope that means I can improve even more now. So, hope you enjoy the REAL first chapter/episode of Upon A Dark Road!

Sakura and Syaoran strode along a sidewalk in Chinatown, arms weighed down with numerous shopping bags. Some containing food and kitchen supplies, some containing painting supplies. Syaoran was, of course, stuck with the heaviest bags while Sakura's bags were nearly feather light.

Syaoran breathed a heavy sigh, "Are we almost done yet?" he pleaded.

"Hai, hai, just a few more things" answered Sakura, eyeing the display cases of the stores as they passed.

It had been nearly a month and a half since they moved into their new home, and it had taken a lot of hard work to fix it up. And with Syaoran forbidding Sakura to use any of her magic, it had seemed even harder. Kero tried to help as much as he could after the movers brought him over along with the rest of their things (Sakura had found him stuffed in with the rest of her stuffed animals by mistake, much to Kero's annoyance), but with Syaoran not allowing him to transform to his true form, there wasn't much he could do. Sakura was beginning to wonder if Syaoran was maybe being slightly paranoid about using magic. Course, in a bustling city like New York, she couldn't really blame him too much.

Suddenly, the store she was looking for popped into view, "Ah, there it is!" she said excitedly, pointing at a small bookstore.

"A bookstore?" asked Syaoran, his eyes raising quizzically, "You were looking for a bookstore?"

"Hai! Wait here, I'll be right back" Sakura called as she dashed into the store.

It really was a very small store, only about half the size of the rest of the shops on the street. The front window was mostly covered with posters and notices (only one or two in english), and Syaoran was only really able to see the cashier. He was an old chinese man, maybe a little older than Wei. He had a long white beard and an equally long white moustache, and he was slightly hunched over, possibly leaning on a cane. As Sakura came into view and handed something to him over the counter, he gave her a very pleasant smile. Syaoran couldn't quite see the title of the book, but once the old man had read it, he turned and gave Syaoran a peculiar look. Then Sakura appeared and Syaoran looked away so as not to be caught trying to spy. Only moments later the cash register rang, and he heard Sakura thank the old man.

Sakura came out of the store almost skipping, and wearing a smile that could've killed a diabetic with it's sweetness. She also had one extra bag, which contained, to Syaoran's surprise, two books. Syaoran maneuvered to try and see one of the titles through the bag, but Sakura quickly hid it inside another bag.

"No peeking" she scolded, switching the bag to her other arm.

"Alright, fine" Syaoran huffed, turning away, "Can we go home now?"

"Hai, hai, you're so impatient."

"No, I'm just hungry. You dragged me up town before I could have breakfast" Syaoran shot Sakura a mean glance.

Sakura smiled nervously, "Ah, gomen. We can go eat now if you want."

Syaoran pondered the offer for a few moments, "No, we better get back" he said finally, "The stuffed animal might be getting restless."

Syaoran's stomach voiced it's disapproval of his decision with a loud rumble, but he ignored it and signalled an oncoming taxi. As it pulled up to the curb the trunk popped open, and they loaded their bags into it, then closed it. Syaoran then opened the door for Sakura, and she beamed a smile at him as she entered. Syaoran took note that she had kept the bag containing the books with her. As he entered the cab, she hid it beside her, out of his line of sight, and gave him a watchful glance.

"Just in case" she said slyly.

Syaoran rolled his eyes, then gave the shabby-looking driver the address. The driver responded with a rather monotoned "You got it", and soon enough they were on their way home.

***

The air in the hallway was cold and heavy, and the sound of the snowstorm outside echoed through the stone walls. An attractive japanese woman was silently carrying a silver tray down the hallway. A steaming pot of green tea and a single cup were upon it. About her was a beautiful red kimono, and her silky black hair was currently put up into a tight bun, held in place by pins of pure jade. Her brown eyes were watchful, but calm, for she knew that in these halls she had nothing to fear. She rounded a corner, and caught sight of her destination.

At the end of this hallway there was a room lit entirely by candles, and a fire burned brightly in the hearth opposite the entrance. The entrance itself was flanked on either side by life-size brass statues of ancient samurai, each standing inside its own little niche cut into the stone. She pushed the tray past the two silent guardians, and entered the well-lit room. The air in here was a complete contrast to the hallway; warm and full of energy. Various ornaments of jade and silver occupied the corners of the room, while the walls were covered mostly with fine silk tapestries and paintings.

Off to the side there stood a fair-sized lounge chair, and in it sat an average sized dark-haired man wearing dark blue robes. He sat with hands clasped, staring into the fire, the light reflecting eerily off his deep brown eyes. His expression was one of someone lost deep in thought. He didn't even notice when the woman came up beside him and placed the tray onto a small wooden endtable. After filling the cup with tea, she moved to a nearby pillow and knelt down upon it, folding her hands and placing them onto her legs.

She also gazed into the fire, "Are the flames truly so beautiful my love?" she asked, now turning her gaze to the man in the chair.

"No, Ryoko-chan" answered the man, giving a weak smile, "I was merely contemplating our future."

Ryoko's eyes flashed with curiosity, "Do tell" she said.

At this the man stood and began to pace slowly back and forth in front of the fire, "I have been thinking...are we wise to be so cautious with the Mistress? Truly she is powerful, and should not be underestimated. But I fear that perhaps we OVERestimate her power. Why do we not strike now, when we are assured to have the advantage of surprise?"

Ryoko sighed, "My love, the Mistress has proven time and again that when faced with the deepest adversity she becomes stronger. Do you not remember her defeat of the boy named Eriol? The boy who possessed a power equal to that of Clow Read?"

"Hai, of course I remember. How could I not remember a boy who felt exactly like HIM. But that was many years ago. The Mistress has since settled with that baka from the Li clan, Syaoran, and surely after such a long time, she would not expect any sort of attack. After all, she is not even aware of our existence. No one is, not even the other clans. They all think we were finished after..." he stopped and fell silent.

"After the Hunt" Ryoko said morbidly.

The man winced at the word, "Precisely. I, myself, am not sure how my forefathers survived it. Surely they would be too shocked at our reappearance to act before it was too late."

"You speak as if the strength of the Cards is already in your possession."

"Is it not? Was I not successful in copying Clow Read's design?" he reached into his robes and pulled out what looked to be Clow Cards and held them in front of his eyes, "Are these not exact replicas of Clow Read's greatest achievement ever!?" he sounded on the edge of hysterics.

Ryoko rose from her pillow and calmly walked up to the man. She gently grasped his wrists and lowered his hands, then she looked into his eyes, "The answer is no, my love." she said, still holding his gaze, "They are but weaker faximiles. The true Clow Cards, or Sakura Cards as they are now, are far more powerful than you could ever duplicate. Even your specially-made warriors would fall before them, great as their power is. No, my love, it is best to avoid any sort of confrontation with the Mistress for now. Sooner or later she will show us a vulnerable spot, and when she does, we will be ready to exploit it.

The man took a very deep breath and then exhaled it quickly, "Where would I be without you, Ryoko-chan?" he said softly, pressing her hand to his cheek.

She did not answer, but gave him a loving smile and gently stroked his cheek. He placed a soft kiss on her hand, and then sighed contentedly.

"So now that I have finished ranting, I must ask you; how are the children?"

"Asleep. A mere snowstorm is not enough to cause them any unrest. Though I must say their room seemed rather chillier than usual. Do not fret though, I have already had a talk with Shinji, and he is seeing to the thermostat as we speak."

"Then all is well! Come join me for tea, my love. It has been ages since we had any time to ourselves."

But before any more could be said, a short japanese man with long, wild and spiky silver hair came running into the room.

"Tenma-sama! Tenma-sama!" the little man yelled in a high-pitched voice, startling the couple, "Important news from Shadow! The Mistress..." he stopped dead as he caught sight of the icy stare emanating from Tenma's eyes. Ryoko's wasn't much warmer either, "AH! GOMEN, GOMEN!" he fell instantly upon his knees and bowed so quickly he clunked his head against the stone.

Tenma looked down upon the little man with a look of pure death, "Well, speak then, Shot!" he growled, "What is so important about the Mistress that you disturb me in my private chambers?"

Shot raised his head just enough to remove it from the floor, "The, the Mistress sir" he stammered, sweat beginning to trickle down his face, "She has made a most interesting purchase at a bookstore, sir. Shadow just reported in to Time and he said, he said she has purchased two books. One is a cookbook, but the other, sir...the other..."

"The other...?" Ryoko urged him on, less anger and more intrigue in her voice.

Shot continued, "The other is a book called 'Tips for Expecting Mothers', sir."

Both Tenma and Ryoko's eyes widened and they flashed each other concerned looks.

"That would usually suggest that..." Ryoko began.

"That the Mistress is with child" said Tenma, "This IS important news. Rise, Shot."

Shot bolted to his feet, glad to have gotten away without any sort of punishment, "What is your wish, Tenma-sama?" he said quickly.

"Find the sorcerers. Tell them what you have just told me, and then tell them to meet me in the Magnification Chamber. We have much to discuss. Go, now!"

And in an instant Shot was streaking back down the hallway, his long silvery mane trailing a couple feet behid him. Tenma turned to Ryoko, his eyes filled with regret. He clasped her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing them softly against her skin.

"Forgive me, Ryoko-chan."

She waved a dismissal with her free hand, "There is no need. This is far more important than me." she stepped back and gave him an encouraging smile, "Go. I shall await your return."

Tenma gave her one last apologetic look and then hurried off down the hallway, his blue robes rippling in his wake. Ryoko watched him until he disappeared out of sight, then she knelt back down upon the pillow and gazed into the flames, hands folded in her lap. The tea sat forgotten on the tray, steam still rising slowly upward from the cup.

***

When Sakura and Syaoran arrived home from shopping, Kero was doing what he usually does; playing games. He was embroiled in a fierce dog-fight in a World War II-type flight sim. His little arms flew at lightning speed across the game paddle, and the plane on the screen was performing moves that would make even the best pilots go dizzy. Fighter planes were going down in flames all over the screen as Kero systematically hunted them down and pummeled them with machinegun fire.

As Syaoran entered, he slammed the door behind him, causing Kero to look over quickly, "Morning!" he called over, waving his arm. He then turned back to his game, just in time to witness a german fighter shower him with bullets and send him down in flames. 'Game Over' appeared on the screen in large red letters, and Kero's jaw fell open, tears welling up in his eyes, "I only looked away for a second!" he began sobbing onto the paddle, "Why, why, why, why..." he repeated the statement over and over, tapping his head against the paddle.

Sakura laughed quietly and took the groceries into the kitchen, Syaoran following behind wearing a satisfied smile. Kero's small misfortune had just brightened his day. He and Sakura went about putting the groceries away as orderly as possible. The kitchen's small size, and the amount of clutter, made it hard for both of them to maneuver, and they ended up bumping into each other more than once.

After a few minutes everything was put away, except for the things that Sakura would be needing to make lunch. They occupied some counterspace near the sink. Sakura washed her hands and then busied herself with making the meal. Syaoran knew from experience not to be in the kitchen when Sakura was trying to cook, so he crept away silently and headed for the den.

As he passed through the living room, he noticed Kero had resumed his game. He stopped in front of the tv and pretended to fix a picture behind it, "Hey! Down in front!" yelled Kero.

"Aa, gomen" Syaoran lied, moving out of the way. He hadn't achieved his goal though, Kero had pressed the pause button this time. Syaoran wondered if maybe he shouldn't have pretended to trip over the cords instead. As he left the room, Kero pressed the pause button again and resumed the destruction of german warplanes.

As Syaoran entered the den, it's familiar and pleasant fragrance entered his nostrils. It was the smell of old books and polished wood, and Syaoran breathed it in deeply. He loved this room, it was about the only place he could be alone when he wanted. Kero never went into this room, and Sakura generally avoided it as well. Though once in a while she would come in to read a book, or just take out the Sakura Book and look at her cards. She would always try to smuggle one out under Syaoran's nose, so he'd taken to patting her down every time she tried to leave after looking at them. The procedure sometimes went a little farther than just a patting down though, depending on what kind of mood Sakura happened to be in.

Syaoran's eyes glanced over at the Sakura Book, or at least where he knew it was. He kept it locked in a safe behind a fake panel of books, a safe which could only be opened by either he or Sakura. It was protected by the Lock card, and Sakura had made it so that it would only open for either her or Syaoran. Not even Kero could open it, unless he somehow convinced the card to allow him access, which wasn't very likely.

Syaoran trotted over to the fake bookcase and pulled it away, revealing the safe door behind it. He brushed his hand against a picture in the middle of the door, a picture of a lock, and the door glowed briefly and clicked open. The Lock card lay close to the door, and the Sakura Book was just behind it.

Syaoran removed the book and opened it, revealing the cards nestled inside. He removed the top card and turned it around; The Windy. The card that started Sakura's whole adventure. She liked to keep it on top as a small tribute to her beginnings in the world of magic. Syaoran thought it was rather silly, but he obliged her just the same and always returned the card to it's place whenever he looked at them. He really didn't look at them very often, mostly just to watch and make sure Sakura didn't pocket one of them. Lately though, he'd been getting odd urges just to go look and make sure they were still there. Sakura, too, seemed to be looking at them more lately. And as of late her magical energies had felt a tad different as well.

Syaoran replaced the card and then put the book back in the safe. As he closed the safe door it glowed lightly again, fading after a brief second. He put the fake shelf back in place, and then started searching through the other books. He'd started reading a book yesterday, but he couldn't quite remember where he'd put it. It would have a green bookmark sticking out of it, he knew that much.

Just as Syaoran spotted the green bookmark, the phone rang , and Sakura's voice called out, "Syaoran!"

Syaoran hurried into the living room, "I got it!" he called back to Sakura. The phone rang again, but Syaoran picked it up when it was only halfway through its ring.

"Li residence" he said into the reciever, "Syaoran speaking."

A familiar female voice answered him, "Ah, that still sounds strange everytime I hear it" she mused, "How have you been Syaoran-kun?"

Syaoran's brain clicked in to the owner of the voice, "Daidouji-san?" he said, sounding a bit surprised.

Tomoyo laughed, "Oh, come now, we've known each other for long enough. Call me Tomoyo."

Syaoran paused for a bit, "Alright. Where are you calling from Tomoyo-san?"

Tomoyo sighed, "Tomoyo...san...it just doesn't sound right. Oh! I'm calling from home, actually. Sakura-chan left me a voice mail, so I'm returning her call. Is she there?"

Syaoran cringed at the thought of what their phone bill was going to look like. Sakura was calling Tomoyo a lot this last month, "Hai. Hang on."

He placed his hand over the reciever and called, "Sakura, Tomoyo is on the phone!"

Sakura replied from the kitchen, "Haai!"

A few seconds later Sakura came running around the corner, "Syaoran, can you watch lunch for me?" she asked, taking the phone from his hands.

Syaoran nodded, then left for the kitchen. Sakura made sure he was gone, then uncovered the reciever, "Ohayou, Tomoyo-chan. You got my message?" she almost whispered.

"Hai" Tomoyo answered excitedly, "So what did the doctor say? Are you?"

Sakura paused a bit, "Hai" she finally whispered, and then moved the phone away from her ear as Tomoyo let out a loud excited yell. She waited and then returned the phone to her ear.

"Sakura-chan, that's wonderful!" Tomoyo said, quieter now, "How long? Is it in good health? Boy or girl?"

"I'm already three weeks along, and the baby's in perfect health. I didn't want to know what sex it was."

"I'm so happy for you Sakura-chan. I just know you'll make an excellent mother."

Sakura's cheeked flushed, "Arigatou, Tomoyo-chan."

"Now" Tomoyo's voice was more serious now, "When are you going to tell Syaoran?"

Sakura sucked in some breath, as if gathering courage, "Tonight" she said, exhaling, "It's his turn for dinner, so he decided to just take me out. He said he had a surprise for me too."

"Oh dear. Both of you giving away surprises to each other. I wish I could film that."

Sakura almost fell over, "Tomoyo-chan" she whispered hopelessly.

Just then, Syaoran called out from the kitchen, "Sakura! Am I cooking lunch or are you?"

Sakura covered the reciever with her hand again and then called back, "Hai, hai, just a minute!" she uncovered the receiver again, "Tomoyo-chan, I have to go. I'll call you again tomorrow and tell you how it went."

"Good luck."

"Arigatou. Ja ne."

"Ja ne."

Sakura hung up the phone and then returned to the kitchen. Syaoran was currently stirring noodles, and he looked over at her as she entered, "What did she want?"

Sakura thought for a moment on a suitable answer, "She was just returning my call" she said, moving in to take over the stirring of the noodles.

Syaoran gave Sakura a disapproving look, "That's about the fifth time you've called her this week" he said, "What have you been talking about?"

Sakura already had an answer ready for that one, "Just girl talk."

Syaoran gave her another disapproving look, but asked no more questions and returned to the den. He could tell Sakura was hiding something, but she would most likely tell him when she was ready. For now, he wanted to finish that book.

***

Shadow stood in the darkness between two small houses, his gaze fixed intently on Sakura and Syaoran's home across the street. His piercing black eyes had not shifted from their current positions for quite some time. He hadn't blinked for quite some time either, so his eyes were now quite dry and itchy. The sensible thing to do would be to blink, but Shadow did not exactly fit the definition of sensible. He took his jobs to new extremes of serious, and when Time had, half-jokingly, told him to "Not even blink" while watching the Mistress, he did just that. He was glad that Illusion would be taking over soon, he feared perhaps his eyes might now be stuck open.

As if on cue, the familiar tingle surfaced in his head, ~I am in position, Shadow.~ came Illusion's deep-voiced message.

Shadow swirled his robes about him, ~Very well~ he replied, ~Time expects reports every three hours. Sand will relieve you at midnight. Good day.~ and he severed the connection. Knowing Illusion, he would've attempted some sort of small-talk. Shadow was not one for small-talk. He closed his robes in tight around him, and was about to depart, when the front door suddenly opened and the Li clan baka stepped out. He seemed to be dressed a little too fancily for just a walk. The Mistress appeared just behind him, and she too was dressed rather fancily.

He reopened a channel to Illusion, ~Illusion.~

The response was immediate, ~I see them. A night on the town perhaps?~

~Perhaps. Inform Time I shall be extending my shift in order to follow them.~

~But Shadow, you have already been watching them for 12 hours. You must rest.~

~I am the most capable of following them in public. Especially since it is nearly night.~

~Shadow...~

~That is an order Illusion.~

Illusion's response was delayed a few moments, ~Hai.~

Shadow severed contact again and then shifted to his shadow form. He was now a shadow himself, and he began jumping across the various shadows on the ground to Sakura and Syaoran's car. He was careful to jump only when he was sure he wouldn't be seen, and eventually he came to rest underneath the vehicle. They entered shortly after, Syaoran as the driver. Shadow reverted to his physical form, careful to keep his aura suppressed, and clung to the bottom of the car and prepared for the trip to wherever their destination might be. Inside the car, he could hear the two of them talking about what they were going to eat. Obviously, they were eating out somewhere.

Shadow's stomach began to rumble slightly as the car started. He remembered that he also had not eaten for twelve hours. He groaned silently, and suppressed the urge to contact Illusion and take back his order. He couldn't change his mind now, Illusion would give him that annoying smirk the next time they met if he did. The car began to move, and Shadow took slight comfort in the fact that at least he'd be able to blink a few times on the way there.

***

Syaoran and Sakura's nostrils were assailed with a multitude of mouth-watering aromas as they entered La Maison de Terre, a favorite restaurant of the both of them. They always ate here whenever they went out. Mostly because it had possibly the nicest atmosphere in New York, and also, they served food from just about every country you could think of. From Thailand to Japan and even Brazil, the chefs there could do it all. Though the name of the place was a dead giveaway of the nationality of the owners. Mr. and Mrs. La Riviere were an elderly french couple that owned and operated the restaurant, and they had a small army of about 50 waiters/waitresses and cooks under their employ. Syaoran and Sakura actually lived just down the street from them, and Sakura was good friends with Jean-Paul and Celine. This insured that they pretty much always had a seat at the restaurant if they wanted it, but it came at the price of some small-talk with either Jean-Paul or Celine. Sakura had no problem with that, but Syaoran sometimes had trouble understanding the french duo. Heck, sometimes he couldn't understand his own wife, since she was able to speak fluent french, and would sometimes lapse into it when talking with Jean-Paul or Celine.

As they walked into the check-in area, Jean-Paul's familiar accented voice called to them, "Madame Sakura, Monsieur Syaoran!" he greeted them, appearing out of a crowd of people waiting for a seat, "So good to see you my friends."

He embraced Sakura and they traded kisses of air on each other's cheeks. Syaoran just pouted and looked away, pretending to become interested in a painting on the wall. A painting which he happened to have seen at least a hundred times before. Sakura and Jean-Paul exchanged a quick conversation in french, and then Jean-Paul sidled over to Syaoran.

"Monsieur Syaoran, you look fit as ever" he commented, extending his hand.

Syaoran turned to face Jean-Paul and shook his hand, "You too, Jean-Paul" he said, smiling slightly, "Been busy lately?"

Jean-Paul rolled his eyes, "Ah oui, we have been very very busy for the last couple of weeks now. I think it may have something to do with the upcoming International Culinary Convention, non?"

Sakura raised a quizzical eyebrow, "There's an international food convention?"

Jean-Paul gave her a knowing look, "Apparently Celine and myself have managed to organize such a thing" he said, winking, "That is why she is not here today. The mayor wished to go over the arrangements once more with her."

Sakura looked saddened by this news, "Oh, that's too bad. I really wanted to talk to her about something too."

Syaoran ventured a guess that the "something" was whatever Sakura was hiding. Celine and Tomoyo were Sakura's main sources of "girl-talk" as she would call it.

Jean-Paul tilted his head questioningly at Sakura, "You make it sound very important, Madame Sakura."

Sakura, fearing Jean-Paul might give something away to Syaoran, quickly thought of some way to cover herself, "Oh, no no, I was just hoping she would agree to give me some pointers on french cooking" her nerves caused the excuse to sound a little fishy, "I'm going to try making some french dishes at home."

Sakura could feel the patronizing gazes of both Syaoran and Jean-Paul, and her immediate feeling was that they had both seen right through her pathetic cover attempt. But after a bit, Jean-Paul just smiled and laughed, and Syaoran let her be. He already knew she had a secret, so all he had to do was wait for her to tell him.

"Well then" Jean-Paul chortled, "I am sure you are not here just to talk with me. Allow me to show you to a table. We still have a few good ones left if my memory still serves me."

Jean-Paul snapped his fingers and a few seconds later a waiter appeared out of the crowd.

"James, these are friends of mine. Give them our best available table."

James nodded, and then beckoned to Syaoran and Sakura, "If you will follow me" he said kindly. James possessed a very slight french accent.

As the trio entered into the dining area, Jean-Paul called to them, "I will drop in later and check on you my friends!"

James weaved them through dozens upon dozens of tables, most of which were full, until finally stopping at a table only a few feet from the large fountain in the middle of the room. The fountain depicted a pair of dolphins leaping from the water in opposite directions. Small streams of water jetted several inches into the air about the tails of the dolphins, meant to portray a splashing effect. The entire fountain was made from beautiful white marble, and the base was encompassed by a thin flower bed filled with various sweet-smelling flowers. Behind the dolphins was a solid wall of the same white marble with crystal clear water sliding down like a waterfall. Beside the fountain on either side were steps leading to the slightly elevated second half of the dining room. The room itself was about as big as the seating area of an opera house, and the ceiling was easily 50 feet high. A score of ceiling fans kept the air circulation nominal, and another score of heating ducts in the floor kept the room at a comfortable temperature. As a last added touch, speakers at several strategic positions in the room pumped out a constant flow of soft instrumental music.

Syaoran pulled out Sakura's chair for her and she sat down gingerly, pretending to be flattered and giving him a playful smile. He then made his way to his own chair as James placed two menus on the table.

"May I bring you some drinks to begin?" James asked.

"I'll have a glass of the house wine" Syaoran answered, picking up his menu.

Sakura was already browsing her menu when she looked up, "Ice water, please" she said, returning to her menu. Syaoran noticed that she seemed a little tense.

James made a quick note on his notepad and then smiled at the couple, "Very good. I shall return with your beverages shortly" And with that he turned on his heels and walked away to the kitchen area.

Syaoran calmly began to examine the menu, but across from him, Sakura was staring at the menu with a look of deep, intense thought. She was debating in her mind over the best way to break the news to Syaoran, and at the same time, trying to think of what his reaction would be. One such scenario went something like this:

'Syaoran...I'm...I'm going to have a baby."

'WHAT!? Sakura, how could you do this to me? We can't afford a baby! We'll have to give it up for adoption or have it aborted! What were you thinking!?'

Sakura shook her head to wipe that stupid thought from her mind. She knew Syaoran, and he would never say something like that. She had to try and think more realistically; Syaoran might think that, yes, a baby would put a bit of a strain on their pocketbooks, but she didn't think he would make her give it up or have it aborted. If anything, he would find some way to compensate, like taking a second job or something.

Now she was just trying to distract herself. She had to decide how to tell him, and she had to decide now. After a few seconds, she decided that the best way would be to just tell him.

"Anou...Syaoran-chan?" she began timidly.

Syaoran immediately knew something big was coming. Sakura only used "-chan" with him when it was either fairly important...or she was in that mood. He didn't think a restaurant was the right place for that mood.

"Hai?" he answered back tentatively. Now he was feeling a bit nervous.

"I have...something to tell you" Sakura put her menu down and looked into Syaoran's eyes, "The reason I've been acting...sort of, strange lately is because..." she broke off and averted her eyes to the table, gathering her courage.

"Because?" Syaoran urged her on. This must be very important, he'd never seen her this nervous.

Sakura returned her gaze to his eyes, "Because...I'm going...to...have a baby."

Syaoran was frozen. He couldn't blink, couldn't move his head. His heart felt like it had just stopped. Sakura's behaviour as of late, the changes in her aura, the calls to Tomoyo, it all made sense now. Sakura was going to have a child...his child. He was going to be a father. His emotions ran wild. He wanted to tell her how happy he was, wanted to hold her, wanted to do anything except sit in that chair. Suddenly, his senses began to swirl and the scenery began to spin. His eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the floor in an unconscious heap. Syaoran Li, one of the most steadfast individuals alive, had just fainted.

***

The Magnification Chamber was nothing more than a perfectly square stone room. The only thing which stood it apart from an ordinary cave was the multitude of magical rune circles carved into the walls everywhere, with the floor being one very large, very complicated rune circle. Tenma and the other sorcerers were gathered in a much smaller circle in the middle of the room. The sorcerers were all shouting things to each other, and at Tenma. Tenma simply stood in the middle of them all, massaging his temples. He'd been listening to their arguing for a few hours now, and they still hadn't made any sort of decision.

Finally, he could take no more, "Enough!" he yelled angrily. The sorcerers all stopped arguing almost immediately, "This is getting us nowhere" his voice was much calmer now, "It is apparent to me, at least, that the only logical thing to do is to perform a Soul Transmission ceremony. Since I have not heard any better suggestions in the last 4 hours or so, why do we not just begin the preparations?"

A tall sorcerer adorned in red robes stepped forward, "But, Tenma-sama" he said nervously, "Soul Transmission is still very unstable. Even if we used the Magnification Chamber to help us, all the sorcerers here might still not have enough power to keep a hold on you. You could be lost forever."

Tenma raised a dismissing hand, "I am well aware of the risks involved. But I ask you this, who else has the power to even survive the Soul Transmission?"

The sorcerer bowed his head, "No one, Tenma-sama. You are the strongest sorcerer here."

Another sorcerer stepped forward, this one wearing dark green robes, "But, Tenma-sama. Is there really no other way?" he pleaded.

Tenma shook his head, "If there is, I am blind to it. This child which the Mistress carries in her womb has the potential for great power. Possibly even greater than Clow Read. Do you really think we would stand a chance of acquiring the cards from such a power?"

The green-robed sorcerer shook his head silently, "No, Tenma-sama. It is true we have worked too hard to let the cards slip through our grasp now. But to lose you would be a great blow to the Clan. Surely, you must understand that we do not wish to risk losing you if we cannot help it."

Tenma nodded solemnly, "Indeed, I understand that, and I thank you for your concern. But if we do not act now and eliminate this threat, it will not matter whether I am here or not. This is the best chance we have ever had to take the Cards and regain our lost seat of power, and I, for one, will not miss it. No matter the cost."

The sorcerers could hear in Tenma's voice that his mind was already made up. He was going to perform the Soul Transmission with or without them.

The red sorcerer raised his head and walked up to Tenma, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Tenma-sama. We all know you too well to think that you would not go through with this without our help." the rest of the sorcerers nodded in agreement, "So we have no choice but to support you in our fullest. What is it you are going to do?"

Tenma smiled, "It is simple. This child must be destroyed without the Mistress knowing, correct?"

The sorcerers nodded.

"Well, my plan is to use the Soul Transmission and send myself to the child on the day of it's birth. I will enter the Mistress while she is in labour, and once there I shall make my way to the child. I shall then enter the child, and with one swift strike, I will destroy it's very soul. The baby will be born dead, and it will look like a completely natural death. Your task will be to not only amplify my power with the Magnification Chamber, but to use your own powers to mask my aura, so as not to be detected by the Mistress. That will be made even more difficult by the fact that I will be in such close proximity to her, but I have confidence in you, gentlemen."

The sorcerers talked amongst themselves for a bit, then the red-robed sorcerer stepped forward again, "We will do as you ask, Tenma-sama. It will take much preparation though. Such a feat will require the full power of the Magnification Chamber, and it will take quite some time to prepare all the rune circles."

Tenma nodded, "I know. We must begin as soon as possible. I will take care of the preparations for the Soul Transmission. I will leave you all to prepare the Magnification Chamber...and yourselves. Hiding my aura from the Mistress is what will make this mission a success or a failure, and the strain on you all will be great indeed."

"We are up to the challenge" said the green robed sorcerer.

Tenma smirked, "I would expect no less. Now, let us prepare. If all goes well, we will not see each other again until everything is ready. Until then, gentlemen."

And with that final word, Tenma gathered his robes about him and exited the room.

***

Sakura patted Syaoran roughly on the cheek, "Syaoran-chan, wake up!" she pleaded.

She had him propped up against the side of the fountain. His hair was wet from being splashed with cold water, but he was still unconscious. Sakura continued patting him on the cheek harder and harder, eventually just all-out slapping him. She was getting worried now. Maybe he had a heart attack?

She brought her hand back once more for a very hard slap, but before her hand could make contact, Syaoran's hand snapped out and stopped her in mid-flight.

"I'm awake" he said calmly, sitting up.

Sakura slumped to the ground, "Thank goodness" she sighed, relieved, "I thought I'd killed you."

All of a sudden, Syaoran's arms were around her, and he was squeezing her gently. Sakura was so surprised that all she could do was squeeze him back. Eventually, he released her, and she gave him a quizzical look.

"What was that for?" she asked.

Syaoran just smiled, "Just because" he said.

Sakura noticed that they were drawing the attention of just about everyone in the restaurant, and she blushed.

"Syaoran-chan, maybe we should go back to the table now."

"Not just yet, there's something I have to do."

Sakura gave him a confused look as he stood up on the fountain. Then she went wide-eyed as he began yelling.

"Hey, everybody!" he called to the entire room, "My wife is pregnant!"

Sakura went beet red as the room resounded with mixed reactions. Some people clapped, some laughed at the crazy chinese man on the fountain, and others just ignored him and continued with their meals. Sakura quickly grabbed Syaoran down from the fountain.

"Syaoran-chan! What's gotten into you?" she berated him, dragging him back to the table.

Syaoran just gave a goofy smile, "I'm happy, that's all. My beautiful wife is carrying my child."

They sat down at the table again, and the rest of the restaurant seemed to have forgotten the incident already.

"So you had to tell the entire restaurant?" Sakura said, still a bit red from her public embarassment.

"Yes" Syaoran answered matter-of-factly, still wearing his goofy smile.

That answer seemed to stump Sakura. She opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't think of any words that would work. This was the first time that she'd ever experienced Syaoran in a mega happy mode, and frankly, it was scaring her.

Syaoran's expression became a little more normal now, "I love you, Sakura-chan" he said quietly.

Sakura was a bit taken aback yet again. She'd never heard Syaoran use "-chan" in all the years she'd known him. It caused her to smile, despite the fact that she was still embarassed.

"I love you too, Syaoran-chan. But do you think you could act more normal until we get home?"

Syaoran laughed, "Hai, hai. But I can't give you any guarantees about what I'll do when we get there."

"That's fine with me. Just as long as you don't jump up on any more fountains" She kicked him gently under the table, "You're really weird when you're happy, you know that right?"

"Well, it's not every day when the woman you love tells you she's going to have your baby."

Sakura didn't respond, and Syaoran knew that he'd won. She picked up her menu again and resumed her search for what she was going to eat. Syaoran already knew what he wanted, so he just watched Sakura. He had about a dozen questions he wanted to ask her. How was she feeling? Was she tired? What kind of food should she be eating?

After a bit, she placed her menu back on the table. She noticed Syaoran staring at her.

"Nani?" she asked.

"Nothing. Just looking" he answered.

She gave him a hopeless smile, "You look just like Kero-chan whenever he looks at a pudding."

Syaoran snapped out of his watchful state, "Now that is just disturbing."

Just then, Jean-Paul appeared beside Sakura, "Hello again, my friends. Has your order been taken yet?"

Syaoran shook his head, "No, not yet. We're still waiting for our drinks actually."

Jean-Paul rolled his eyes, "Ah yes. Well, it seems there was a bit of a commotion just now. Something about someone yelling."

Sakura gave Syaoran an accusing stare. He just coughed and looked away innocently.

Jean-Paul continued, "I am sure James will be back shortly though. Please, enjoy yourselves. I have to go now and retrieve Celine from the mayor's office, so you will probably be gone before I get back. Au revoir, mon amis."

Sakura patted Jean-Paul on the arm, "Au revoir, Jean-Paul."

Syaoran just nodded, and Jean-Paul bowed courteously and left.

Sakura breathed a sigh. She'd seen enough silliness from Syaoran in the span of a few minutes to last her a lifetime. At least she knew now that if she were to have another child, she wouldn't be telling him in a public restaurant.

---------------------------------------End of Episode I------------------------------------------