The three figures raced down the alley together, the sound of barking hounds growing ever closer. "Get behind me," Sakura ordered crisply, her short brown hair falling into narrowed eyes as she expanded her key pendant into a staff. Yukito nodded, checking his digital camera even as the sandy haired young man murmured, "Well, this is exciting." "Hush," Tomoyo scolded. Her long black hair was strictly tied back, a miniature recorder running at her side. The three of them wore matching uniforms she had provided, simple black garb that helped them blend into the shadows. All around them the city echoed oddly with sounds, a odd mix of domestic animals and more wild beasts. The first few reports of sightings of lions, wolves and other wild animals had just been scoffed at by the authorities, at least until the first mauling happened. Animal control officers went into the district searching but couldn't find the animals everyone hysterically reported, or if they were unlucky they encountered something... else. They looked just like real wolves as they burst from the shadows, but there was something strangely off about them. They tailed an uncanny colored mist, looking oddly insubstantial despite the sinister gleam of fangs and claws. The fur was silvery, almost cloud-like as they raced towards them, malice evident in every motion. "Too many for just my blade," Sakura muttered as she drew forth a card from her long cloak. She held it for a moment, seemingly drawing on her willpower then tossed it up into the air. "Windy card!" Sakura yelled as she swiftly brought her bird designed staff down onto the card, light flaring brightly all around in the shape of a blazing sigil her while she continued, "Become the chain of punishment and bind my enemy. Windy!" The simple card almost seemed to burst as a figure that was made up of clouds and air rose up, a gorgeous but unearthly looking female figure made of the very air itself. Windy paused, studying the now slowing wolves and murmured in an deadly voice, "Little beast." "It talks?" Tomoyo blurted, gazing up at the regal woman in surprise. Sakura looked vaguely worried as she gestured the others backward. "This is bad," she murmured, "this might just be a Clow Card." "And that's bad because?" Yukito asked innocently. Sakura held her a staff in a guard position, watching both the Windy and the shimmering wolves warily. "Because until I bind them back into the card," she explained tensely, "the Clow Cards hate each other with a passion!" The wolves swirled apart, their substance congregating as it shifted. She languidly rose from a feral crouch, the skins of many animals making up her rough garb. A wild mane of tawny hair flowed around her as she drew her lips back to reveal gleaming fangs, those golden eyes piercing the night as she studied them hungrily. "Come little Beast," Windy smiled a truly unpleasant smile as she gazed at her opponent, "and receive the discipline you deserve." With a wild howl Beast charged right at Sakura and the others, her slim fingers lengthening into ten deadly claws. But before she could strike Windy was there, a powerful gust of wind blowing her foe backwards. Trailing mist Windy charged forward, ignoring all the Beast's strikes to swirl her substance around the other, binding her fast. "You will not harm the Mistress," Windy grasped the Beast on both sides of her head as she gazed intently into her eyes, "she's mine." Suddenly she pulled the struggling figure into a kiss, the embrace as much of a contest of wills as the battle had been. Tomoyo looked on wide eyed for a few moments before finally murmuring, "Should we really be watching this?" Sakura's cheeks were faintly red as she raised her staff and cried, "Beast Card! Return to the form you were created to be! Beast!" Out of Windy's grip the Beast swirled, the glowing substance of it's form gathering in front of Sakura in the shape of a glowing card. It took only seconds for all of the material to be captured, a card painted with the image of the beautiful Beast gently falling down into Sakura's hand. Windy moved through the air smoothly, almost looking like a woman in a white gown as she gazed down at Sakura. "Mistress," she murmured, "what is your will?" "Return to your card, Windy," Sakura said firmly, looking up with her face bathed in the mystical glow of Windy's form. "Of course," Windy gracefully reached out to stroke Sakura's cheek in what was an purely sensual gesture, "but someday, Mistress...." With those parting words Windy's body swirled apart, threads of it's substance coming together to weave the Windy card once more. As Sakura gently caught the falling card she felt Tomoyo and Yukito's gazes on her, both clearly shaken by what they had just seen. "What was that about?" Tomoyo asked. "It's a bit complicated," Sakura said with a sigh. Sirens wailed off in the distance, the sounds of the chase and battle obviously having drawn the attention of the police. "Maybe we should talk about this elsewhere?" Yukito suggested. They returned to Tomoyo's car and were gone before the first police units arrived on the scene. In the coming days the newspapers would report that the animal incidents had stopped but no one would know the exact reason why. Speculation about mass hysteria, contamination in the water and other theories were put forth until the public moved on to other topics of interest. Tomoyo knew, of course, but she wasn't telling. They went to Tomoyo's apartment, it was the nearest to the district the Beast had been roaming around in. As they entered the front door Yukito hid a smile, suspecting how his new friend was going to react to the place. He wasn't disappointed. "Wow," Sakura breathed, looking around the massive living room in awe. It was nearly the size of her house, and hallways extended out into other rooms as well. The place was beautifully decorated, tasteful couches and chairs set up for comfort and style. "Mother insisted I have a place fitting our family," Tomoyo said with a weary sigh, "I'm just glad I kept her from unleashing her personal decorator on me, too." She brightened up a bit, "Did either of you want a snack or something to drink?" Yukito's hand shot up and Sakura chuckled. "Me, too," she agreed. Once snacks had been set out and tea made, Yukito looked over at Sakura worriedly. "What happened out there?" "The Clow Cards aren't just mystical artifacts," Sakura began, "they're alive." "I though I saw that the first time you used Windy," Tomoyo noted, "she obeyed but...." "The personality of the cards seems to vary a lot," Sakura continued with her train of thought, "Fly is gentle and obedient, much like a child, Windy is a grown woman, with ideas and opinions of her own, and that Beast was simply feral." She puffed out a breath as she mused, "It really makes me wonder what the others will be like." Yukito looked oddly uncomfortable as he asked, "And the Windy is... sexual?" Sakura's cheeks reddened. "Yes, she is," she kept her voice even. Tomoyo looked deeply uncomfortable as she took the teapot and refilled their cups on the gleaming dining table. "The Windy has she... I mean, have you...." she trailed off uncomfortably. "No," the now fiercely blushing Sakura mumbled. Yukito looked over at her sympathetically. "I guess she propositioned you, right?" he asked, mildly amused at the two women's fumbling around. "I can't believe you asked that," Tomoyo scolded him even though privately she wished she had been able to raise that question. Sakura looked like she wanted to sink through the floor, she was that deeply embarrassed. "Yes, Windy did," Sakura mumbled, "but I turned her down." "Obviously it didn't take," Yukito noted as he munched a cookie. He smiled just slightly, "It's terrible to be such a babe magnet." "Yukito!" both girl's turned to him with a frown. Dressed in battered blue robes he walked up the steps, stopping for a moment in front of the locked door. The man with the whitish hair grasped the handle then with a single pull tore the door off, his wings flapping slightly with the motion. "He's here," Yue murmured, closing his hawk-like eyes a second as he sensed what lay ahead of him, "I was sure that he was." Yue strode down halls, the floors polished like glass as he made his way to the recently opened China exhibit. Oddly no alarms rang, no electronic warnings were sent out to the police department. To the many security systems it was as if he simply didn't exist. Yue paused in front of a display case, looking in at the robes and staff that were displayed there. In a voice filled with sorrow and regret Yue murmured one word, "Master." Visibly shaking himself Yue moved away, calmly walking over to another display. On a stand sat a book, covered with golden decorations and almost glowing in the dim light of the room. Beside it an ornate pen rested, the design perfectly matching the book it was made for. Yue raised a hand and shattered the glass, reaching in to pull the book and pen out. "Arise, my brother," Yue held the book, the light brighter and brighter around him, "it is time to take up our Master's task once again." The insignia on the book glowed, pulsing, then it simply exploded as a golden lion materialized in front of him, powerful golden wings stretching out on either side of him. "Who...." the lion rumbled, his voice foggy with sleep. "Welcome back, Keroberos," Yue said with a slight smile, "there is much to do."
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