Chapter Text
Li Syaoran ducked his head to dodge the attack of the shadow. "Shit!" He swore loudly as the shadowy sword narrowly missed the top of his head.
"Master Syaoran!" One of Syaoran's companions yelled. They too were busy fighting another shadow figure.
"I'm fine!" Syaoran yelled back as he dropped to the ground and rolled out of the shadow's reach.
Syaoran swung his sword from the ground and sliced through the mid-section of the shadow without doing any harm. "Ah, damnit!"
The shadow raised both of its arms and got ready to take a swing at him. Syaoran raised his own sword to parry the attack, but before the shadow could take a swing at him, it was enveloped in a bright energy and it dissipated into nothingness.
Syaoran's eyes widened as he felt a familiar presence. "This presence…" It had been a long time since he last felt it, but this presence was not one to be easily forgotten. His head turned towards the direction where he felt the presence came from and what he saw there made his eyes widened even further.
A pair was standing on the rooftop of a nearby temple, one of them was holding a long staff with a spiked sun-shaped figure at the top. Another energy light shot out from the staff and hit the other shadowy figure squarely, destroying it.
"Alright, it's safe now. Go say hello." Eriol told his wife with a smile, knowing how excited she was to see their old friend. He recalled his staff and it turned back into its key form, hanging on the string around his neck under his shirt.
Sakura cast Jump and jumped down from the roof and skipped over to Syaoran. She stopped in front of him and Syaroan just stared up at her.
"Hello, Syaoran!" Sakura said with a big smile on her face as she offered her hand to help him. Behind her, Syaoran could see Eriol jumping down from the roof and landed on his feet gracefully before walking towards them. "Please do forgive him. You know how he likes to make an entrance."
"Sakura?" Syaoran was shocked. "What are you doing here?"
"Helping you out with those shadow thing, of course!" Sakura told him as he accepted her offered hand and got back to his feet.
"How did you know about them?" Syaoran dusted himself off.
"Your mother contacted the council, requesting an aid." Eriol had reached them. "So here we are."
"You're… You're with the council?" Syaoran looked at them in surprise.
"Just him. I'm here to tag along and meet some old friends." Sakura informed him cheerfully. "Oh, and to help too, of course!" She added while recalling her staff.
"Hello, kid!" Kero poked his head out from Sakura's bag to greet Syaoran.
"Ah, Kero…" Syaoran nodded at the guardian, who then ducked back into the bag as Syaoran's companions approached them.
"Master Syaoran, are you alright?" One of them asked.
"I'm fine. Let's go back to the house." Syaoran said.
Syaoran led them to the car parked nearby and the three of them got into the backseat. Sakura sat in the middle, between the two men, her bag on her lap. As the car drove off, she glanced at her husband. He'd been quiet and unusually tense since he told her that they were going to Hong Kong. Eriol was not the type who got anxious or agitated over anything. His strong magic and vast knowledge allowed him to maintain his composure most, if not all, of the time. Hence, this unusual mood of his made her nervous. Now, he was staring out of the window, deep in thoughts.
A few days earlier…
Eriol and John were sitting in John's office, discussing the most recent situation in Hong Kong.
"It could be nothing." John said, but he didn't sound so convincing.
"I don't think so." Eriol said. "There's something going on and I don't want to risk it."
"Exposing yourself like that could be dangerous, even if they're your descendants. The rumours are bad enough as they are." John told him.
Due to the old-fashioned mindset of the council, the High Priests were given the title of Lords and Ladies. For most people, within and outside of the council, Eriol was known only as the mysterious Lord Hiiragizawa. None of them knew anything about him; not his first name, not how he looked like, and definitely not who he was. John and Eriol were aware of the gossip and rumours that had been going around about him, but as long as nobody confirmed it, they were nothing but rumours and they wanted to keep it that way. If words got out that one of the High Priests was a twenty one year old guy and was hired when he was sixteen, the magical community could lose faith in the council and that was the last thing that they needed right now.
Even within the council itself, the High Priests didn't usually go to the common areas, except for John. John sometimes went to visit some of the other departments, but the rest of them, including Eriol, chose to work behind the scene. Thus, John was known as the representative of the High Priests, and the council in general.
Most of the employees didn't even know how the High Priests and Priestess actually looked like. Only those with high enough clearance had access to that information. By nature, the magical community valued secrecy and most of the employees didn't even know each other. Everyone was just another face in the office, minding their own business.
"I'll handle it." Eriol simply said. The council had received some reports of unusual activities in Hong Kong regarding some shadows that started to appear and attack people, both mages and non-mages alike. A couple of days ago, Li Yelan, the head of the LI family had contacted the council, asking for an aid, which was quite surprising, considering that Li Yelan didn't like the council at all.
"Alright, fine. Just be careful." John finally agreed, albeit reluctantly. Technically John was no longer Eriol's legal guardian, but it didn't stop him from worrying about his young (former) ward, despite knowing full well who Eriol was and what he was capable of. In the past few years, he had also grown fond of Sakura as he got to know her better, having been invited many times to their house for dinner, no doubt, on Sakura's insistence. It amused John to see how Sakura could make Eriol do pretty much anything she wanted him to do. She truly had him wrapped around her little finger.
"You know me, John. I'm always careful." Eriol told him. "I'll leave first thing in the morning. The sooner I get there, the better."
Present day…
Sakura sensed Eriol's mood and left him to his thoughts. She turned her attention towards her friend instead. "How's Meiling doing?" She asked Syaoran. It had been years since she saw the Chinese girl.
"She's fine. Busy. Everyone is, since this whole thing started a couple of weeks ago." Syaoran answered. Syaoran had learned about the council as part of his training to become the next leader of the Li's family. He knew his mother despised the council, saying that they were nothing but a bunch of snobs who sat around, doing nothing. So, for her to contact the council showed him that this was a very serious matter.
Sakura could see that Syaoran was troubled, which didn't help her feel better. If Eriol had decided to come here to handle this himself, this shadow problem must be pretty bad. He hadn't told her much about it, saying that he needed more information, but she knew that she just had to trust him, and she did. Seeing that neither of them seemed to be in the mood to talk, Sakura fell silent and just looked out of the window.
Fifteen minutes later, the car entered a gate and drove up the driveway. After the car stopped, Eriol stepped out of the car and held out his hand to his wife. Taking his offered hand, Sakura stepped out of the vehicle and looked around in amazement. They were standing in front of a massive house. "This is your house?" She asked Syaoran who had made his way around the car towards them after giving some instructions to one of the servants.
"It's the Li family house, but yes, currently only I, my mother and Meiling are staying here." He answered then asked for them to follow him.
Syaoran led them through a beautiful garden, to a large room that resembled a big family room with a classic and elegant décor and gestured for them to sit down. "My mother would want to speak with you. She'll be here shortly."
Eriol nodded and gestured for Sakura to sit down on the couch before taking a seat beside her. The room was quiet as everyone seemed to be lost in their own thoughts.
Syaoran sat down on the other couch and looked at them. It had been years since he last saw them. The last time he saw them was at the airport after their junior high graduation in Japan. He received their wedding invitation a few years ago, but had to decline due to some family obligations. They both had matured up, and so had he, of course. They were no longer the teenagers that they were back then.
Sakura's hair was longer than he remembered it to be, at shoulder-length, and she let it fall naturally, framing her face. Her face hadn't changed that much. Yes, she looked older and more mature, but her face still held that innocent, childlike wonder that she always had since he first met her all those years ago. Earlier, Syaoran noticed that she had gotten taller. In fact, she was almost as tall as he was. Currently, she was wearing a beige light jacket over a pink Polo shirt with jeans and a pair of sneakers. Syaoran could also see her wedding ring on her finger, glinting under the light.
"Clow." Sakura suddenly said.
"Yes, dear?" Eriol replied absentmindedly.
"No, not you." Sakura said, then pointed at the wall. "That."
The men looked at what she was pointing at and saw Clow Reed's portrait hanging on the wall, along with the portraits of the Li family members.
"The resemblance is uncanny." Sakura said. She first looked at Eriol, turned to the picture and then back at him. She had, of course, met Clow on several occasions, but she had never seen him, or in this case, his portrait, side-by-side with her husband to be able to compare them.
"I'm not that old." Eriol protested, but Sakura could see his eyes twinkling and the corners of his mouth lifting in a smile, which only served to prove her point about his resemblance to his former self.
Syaoran had to agree with Sakura on this one. While Syaoran had never met the man himself, if his portrait was accurate, Eriol had grown to resemble Clow Reed more and more as he grew older. Instead of the slightly rounded, innocent looking, and always-smiling face that Syaoran often found annoying in the past, his face had matured, with more defined cheekbones and jawline. His short dark blue hair still held the same hairstyle as it did all those years ago, with unruly hair falling over his forehead and parted in the middle. Eriol was also taller than him and was wearing a navy blue shirt under his black jacket and pants. Like Sakura, he had his wedding band on his left ring finger. He wore a pair of black boots on his feet. All in all, he looked like the modern version of Clow.
"That portrait has been there since forever." Syaoran said.
"Your family is related to him, after all. Are those your ancestors?" Sakura asked about the many portraits on the wall.
Syaoran nodded. "Some of them are still around actually, although some of them are not even in Hong Kong. Speaking of which, I didn't know the council is also located in Japan."
"It's not. We came here from England." Sakura said, much to Syaoran's surprise. "We moved to London a few years ago." She explained.
Before Syaoran could ask any further question, the door opened, and a woman stepped into the room.
Sakura looked at the newcomer and couldn't help but feel intimidated. The woman, whom she presumed was Syaoran's mother, looked very regal in her traditional Chinese attire. Her long black hair was fashioned into an elaborate hairdo. Sakura could feel her aura and knew instinctively that she was a powerful sorceress. She walked to the armchair across from them.
Beside Sakura, Eriol stood up and she followed suit. "Good evening. Mrs, Li, I presume?" Eriol said politely. It didn't escape his notice how Syaoran suddenly stiffened up upon the woman's entrance and he had gotten to his feet and was currently standing with his back ramrod straight. 'A soldier's pose.' Eriol mused.
Li Yelan stepped into the room and looked at her guests. 'Typical.' She thought with disdain. She asked for help from the council and instead of taking her seriously, they had sent these two… youngsters. "Good evening. Yes, I'm Li Yelan." She replied.
"My name is Eriol Hiiragizawa and this is my wife, Sakura." Eriol introduced themselves. Sakura bowed in greeting. "I'm here as a representative from the council, as you requested."
Yelan's eyes widened as she recognized the name. Nobody had ever seen him, but they had heard of him. Hiiragizawa was rumoured to be the youngest High Priest in the council history and that he was a very powerful sorcerer. However, nobody knew for sure how old he was exactly. They had assumed he was in his thirties. But looking at him now, Yelan could tell that he wasn't anywhere near thirty years old. In fact, he didn't seem to be any older than her own son. She found it hard to believe that this young man was powerful enough to be a High Priest.
"Lord Hiiragizawa? The council sent a High Priest?!" Yelan asked in shock.
For his part, Syaoran too was surprised. 'He's a High Priest?!' Syaoran had heard of High Priests (and Priestesses) before. They were the highest-ranking members of the council, the leaders of the council. He didn't know who they were, but he didn't expect this. 'Why are you even surprised? Did you really think the council would hire him as a desk clerk?' Syaoran asked himself.
"They didn't send me. I volunteered." Eriol informed her.
"Why?" Yelan asked. "Not that I don't appreciate it, my Lord, but I'm just surprised." She quickly added.
"Call it personal curiosity. And please, just Hiiragizawa is fine." He said, noting that she didn't seem to recognize either him or Sakura. 'Looks like Syaoran never said anything then.' He thought amusedly.
"Please, sit down." Yelan said. She noticed the lack of tea or anything on the table. She turned to her son and asked, "Syaoran, did you not offer them any refreshment?" Her tone was sharp, almost admonishing.
Syaoran blinked. He completely forgot! "I…" He started.
"He offered, but we declined." Eriol came to his rescue, seeing how he struggled to come up with an excuse.
"Please forgive my son. He's still young." Yelan was not a fool. She could see that her son had forgotten. His look of a deer caught in the headlight told her enough.
"It looks like we could be about the same age, so I completely understand." Eriol said lightly with an easy smile on his face. He could feel his wife giving him a sideway glare at his words. He knew they were of the same age. 'Be nice.' He could almost hear her warning him. His smile widened.
Yelan quickly called for tea. "I hope your journey had been pleasant."
"It was. Thank you. But let's get straight to the point." Eriol wasn't here for pleasantries. "Tell me about these shadows, how did it start?"
"It started about two weeks ago. At first, it was just a couple of them, appearing in some areas. But it escalated, an attack here, an attack there. A few days ago, another family, the Han family, were attacked at their residence and there were some casualties. We don't know where they came from or why they're here. Swords and other weapons seem to be useless against them as they kept coming back. Some forms of magic can be used to stop them, but not everyone is equipped to do so." Yelan frowned. She had been shocked to hear about the attack and she quickly contacted the council.
Eriol thought about it for a moment and then said. "I've read through your request and some news. At first, there were just some sightings. Then the attacks started a few days after. I also did some readings of the Han family. Like yours, they are also quite a powerful family, with magic. If they dare to attack such family openly, it means that they're getting bolder and that an attack to your own family is imminent, but I think you already know that."
"Yes, that's what I fear." Yelan admitted. "That's a part of the reason why I decided to contact the council, hoping that they could either tell me where these things were coming from or send some help before things escalate even further." Yelan had to admit, he was good. As she looked at him, Yelan could feel something nagging at the back of her mind, there was something about him that was bothering her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She thought that maybe it was just a surprise to see him in person as she had only heard of him before.
Syaoran stared at his mother in shock. Yelan never shared such thing with him.
"What do you make of them? Have you ever encountered them yourself?" Eriol asked Yelan.
"I'm not sure. They're shadows, but I have a feeling that they're more than that. I have never encountered them myself, but I think Syaoran did, didn't you?" She turned to her son.
"Yes. Just now, in fact. As they said, sword is not effective against them." Syaoran told her seriously.
"What magic did you use against them?" Yelan asked.
"Uh…" Syaoran didn't know how to tell her that he didn't have the chance to use any magic because Eriol had stepped in.
"A simple energy blast seems to be effective. But I'm sure we'll have the chance to experiment more soon." Eriol said as he glanced towards the window. "Very soon."
"Eriol?" Sakura looked at him nervously. Everything about this felt wrong and she really didn't like how her husband was acting right now. If he was worried, the rest of them didn't stand any chance.
"What do you mean 'very soon'?" Yelan asked, confusion on her face.
"I mean, they're already here." Eriol made to stand up and at the same time, the door was pushed open and a servant burst into the room.
"They're here! Those shadows!" He told them breathlessly.
'How did he know?!' Yelan thought as she looked sharply at Eriol. But there was no time to dwell on that. She quickly ordered the servant to gather everyone and those who had magic should get ready to fight.
"We should get ready." Yelan turned back to them. "Mrs. Hiiragizawa?" She was uncertain as to what to make of the young woman. Yelan could tell that she had magic, she could feel her aura, but it was faint. 'She's hiding it.' Yelan thought and then she realized that she couldn't feel Eriol's presence either. Yelan was a decent magician herself and it was surprising that these two could hide their presence so well, especially Eriol. She couldn't feel him at all.
"She can hold her own." Eriol told Yelan firmly.
"Then let's go." Yelan then turned towards the wall of portraits and said, "May Clow help us all."
If the situation weren't so dire, Sakura would have laughed at that. Yelan didn't realize just how true that statement was. Like Eriol, Sakura had noticed too that Yelan didn't seem to recognize either one of them, which told her that Syaoran had not shared the details of what happened in Japan all those years ago with his mother, which meant that Yelan had no idea about who Sakura was or that of Eriol's past life.
Yelan left the room and Syaoran followed her while the couple hung back a little.
"Stay in the air at all time." Eriol told Sakura as she opened her bag to let their guardians out. "You two stay with her. Be very careful."
Kero and Spinel nodded.
With that, they left the room. They parted ways in the garden as Eriol jumped up to the roof with ease and made his way to the front, where he would be able to have a full view of the battlefield.
Sakura summoned her staff as the guardians turned into their true forms. She got onto Kero's back and off they went, into the battlefield.