Minutes Before…

Nami considered the painting. Noting her concentration, Leiko glanced over. ”That’s the cliff at the north end of the bay.”
“Yes, it is. And I plan to dive off it one day,” Nami said, adding minor touches.
“Great, you tell me when, and I’ll gather up the squad to support you. Who knows, maybe the media will be there,” Leiko
bubbled. Neither girls’ statements were outlandish. Nami was the top diver for her school district, and she participated in long distance
swim trials. She had many fans due to her skills, though, most cheering males were only admiring her spandex form. Leiko, on the
other hand, was the first junior to ever become captain of the cheerleading squad. She loved the spotlight. Maintaining their
dominance at a national level would ensure she stayed a media darling. In the interim, she contented herself with turning heads across
campus.
Nami looked over at Leiko’s drawing. “That’s an interesting perspective,” Nami remarked. The painting depicted a girl with her
dog in what appeared to be a park, though it was hard to discern. The scenery blurred to either side of the subjects.
“It’s how I remember my childhood,” Leiko responded,”that day is clear, but the details are fading.” The girls’ attention was drawn
to Sato’s announcement of a new male student. They giggled appropriately at the art teacher’s blunt responses and apparent
conclusions. Though chased by males far and wide, at that moment, curiosity got the best of them. Nami and Leiko turned around to
evaluate the new guy.
Syaoran Li walked into the room, and shallow looks of interest were replaced by expressions seldom seen.
“Who is that?” Nami asked. “I’ll make sure I know soon,” Leiko replied.
“As if,” Nami snorted,” he looks chiseled. Plus, being new, he has to take mandatory swim.” A predatory look crossed her face.
“I’ll make sure he needs rescuing.”
“How do you know he’s well built?” Tomoyo interjected,”he’s wearing a full school uniform.”
Nami smiled,”After seeing many men in street clothes and then swim suits, you acquire the skill. It’s the way a guy walks, how
his clothes hang.” Sakura, listening to the conversation, decided to make an appraisal. To her dismay, the male in question had
already taken a seat behind the professor’s canvas, hidden from sight.
“Class,” the professor boomed,”we have a new student. Being male, we know why he signed up. Thus, he will only speak to me,
and not harass anyone else in the room.”
“You cannot harass the willing,” an anonymous girl shouted back.
“Since he is here for art, he does not need to know your names,” the professor continued,”but, in case he gives any of you
trouble, I shall provide you his name. May I introduce a Mr. Syaoran Li.”
Sakura’s paintbrush fell to the floor. Glancing at Tomoyo, she whispered,“did he say?”
“I think so,” Tomoyo nodded. “Could there be another with the same name?”
“I don’t know,” Sakura admitted. A strange emotion danced across her face. “I need to get a look.” She moved to get up.
Tomoyo grabbed her arm.
“Sakura, what are you doing?” Tomoyo hissed,”trying to get into trouble after only two days of class? We’ll wait for him after
class. Oh, just as a heads up, he’s not short anymore.”
“Tomoyo, can’t you give a better description than that? It’s been five years!” Sakura huffed.
“Sure,” Tomoyo replied,”he looks like a dessert that half our class wants to sample.”
“Li was never a girl magnet,” Sakura said in a puzzled voice.
“Li, not Syaoran,…going formal,” Tomoyo remarked. ”Puberty did wonders for that boy.”
Sakura picked up her paintbrush. “Tomoyo! I can’t believe you said that!” she exclaimed.
“You’ll see,” Tomoyo winked,”we’ll wait for him after class.”
***

“Syaoran Li may have returned, but you’re not sure?” Kero said in exasperation,”how did this happen?”
Sakura looked at the guardian of the Clow Cards, and thought, I remember when Syaoran described Kero as a “little stuffed
animal with wings”. “Kero, it’s not my fault!” Sakura said in own her defense,“I waited outside the class until it was time for next period.
The teacher held him after class to get him up to speed.”
“And rest of the day?” Kero prompted,”did he vanish into thin air?”
“Actually, he did,” Sakura grumbled. ”My feet are so sore. I ran all over the campus looking for him, but don’t worry, Tomoyo
will obtain a copy of his class schedule.”
“How?” Kero asked.
“Administrators turn to mush whenever she smiles,” Sakura answered. ”So, have you sensed anything dangerous?”
“No,” the guardian beast shook his head,” Li-san showed up last time due to the power you released. I would have noticed any
surge of that magnitude. Then again, it may not be him. Need to make sure it really is him, or we will be wasting a lot of time. After all,
what else could have brought him back.”
“I can think of a couple things,” Sakura responded,”but, don’t worry, we’ll find him tomorrow, whatever it takes.”
***

Syaoran stood in his new apartment, boxes all around him. Back in Japan, with a new school and new faces, he thought. This
is where the signs led, so here is where I will search. He ripped open the box next to him, and pulled out a set of tomes, carefully
wrapped. After all, it’s not like I haven’t done this before.
***

Past

Syaoran pulled out a set of tomes, carefully wrapped. The cloth that protected them was of the softest linen. Though rather new
in appearance, the books carried an aura of great age. The covers were embossed with gold, the pages made of the finest silk. The
sheer expenses to construct such books were staggering, to say little of the knowledge inside. He opened to the first page. “To make
a weapon, you must know its place in the world,” he read out loud. He thought for a moment. Replacing the book, Syaoran surveyed
the library around him. The circular room was a continuous wall of bookshelves which spiralled upward to untold heights. A ramped
walkway followed along the side. Roped catwalks traversed the upper reaches.
Walking up to a random shelf, Syaoran looked at the titles: Forging Silver Weapons, Controlling Fire Elementals, Magically
Imbued Cards. He pulled out the last title. This is something I know a lot about, he thought. Opening to the introduction, he
read,”…now that you have created the basic cards of your deck…”. With that, Syaoran stopped reading and closed the text. Then
again, maybe I’ve only been in the shallow end of the pool, he reconsidered.
Continuing his perusal, Syaoran walked past entire sections on potions, charms, eastern magic, western magic, and forging
weapons. Sitting on one of the higher shelves, he noticed a book whose title literally glowed: Introduction to Magic of the Spirit.
Gingerly removing the book, he sat down to read. To his dismay, he could not read it, no, best described, he could not see the page. It
was as though someone had trapped darkness within the confines of the manual. He touched the page with his hand. It did not go
through. I am looking at my hand, he thought. Along this line of reasoning, he continued, I can feel this page. He turned the page to
find its twin. Neat trick, he said to himself. Carefully replacing the book, he directed his attention to several shelves of red books, all
labelled Candidates. Glancing through one, he found it dated 2100 B.C to 1600 B.C. Each page contained lists of names. At the end
of the set, a single, black volume with gold lettering stood. It was entitled Graduates, Beginning to Present. After the implications had
fully registered, Syaoran walked back to his original tome and shook his head. Know my weapon’s place in the world? I don’t even
know my own.
Then, Syaoran berated himself. What kind of mindset is that? I am hopelessly outmatched, and lo, what has that old man
provided? A means to an end, their end, he concluded grimly. The library took on a whole new light. He picked up the tome, and
continued his reading. “…for its foundation to be solid, the craftsman must be focused…”.

***

Present

“Sakura Kinomoto and Tomoyo Daidouji,” the principal ranted,”I don’t know where to start.” The girls sat in his office, memorizing the
pattern on the floor. The quest for Syaoran had not gone well. “To start the day, you picked the lock to the art professor’s office.
Those are skills we do not wish to foster at this institution.” The principal started to pace. “You destroyed an ant farm in biology. The
exterminators had sprayed the building before the start of school. Now the ants are here, there, and everywhere.” His face was turning
red. “You knocked over three bookshelves in the library. Do you know how long it takes to shelve three thousand books?” Sweat was
forming on his brow. “Last, but not least, I find you hiding in the men’s locker room. May I never know what sort calamity you were
about to unleash.” The principal stopped to face them. “Would you like to explain yourselves?” The silence was deafening.
The principal continued,”the sad part is, I know this isn’t your fault.” The girls looked up at each other in puzzlement, and then
focused on their speaker. “When will these school clubs stop their initiation pranks? One of these days, someone will get hurt. I know
you will never admit they put you up to it. It’s a shame what peer pressure will drive teenagers to do.” He shook his head. “Everyone
deserves a second chance.” A scowl crossed his face. “But after today, I suggest you cease the pranks. I shall not be lenient again.”
Sakura and Tomoyo fled from the principal’s office back to their lockers. Sakura opened her locker and exclaimed,”Today was a
nightmare. We did not observe him, though we had no problem making fools of ourselves and destroying things.”
“So obtaining Li’s class schedule wasn’t the instant solution,” Tomoyo remarked, closing her locker,”we’ll just start again
tomorrow.”
“Yes, tomorrow we will get him,” Sakura said, vehemently, and closed her locker to find someone lounging behind
it,”oh…my…ummm, hi?”
“So much work to find me, eh, ladies,” Syaoran Li commented,”well, here I am.”
***

end of chapter one