The X-Captor

I'd like to begin this fanfic quick, so I'll make this explanation short and sweet. This story takes place 6-7 years after Syaoran went back to China, and their confessions that they loved each other. His betrothal to Mei Ling was broken long ago. Syaoran is now the Li Clan's leader.

Now without further ado, here is the story

---Sakura---

Sakura was in a forest, running as fast as she could, for what reason, she could

not remember, but she knew it was important. The sky was changing colors rapidly-

becoming black and purple and grey before reverting to it's normal blue- only to change

colors yet again. Yet she knew that where she was going, what she had to do, was more

important that understanding what was happening to the sky. She ran harder.

Soon, an elegant building came in view at the top of a cliff; It's refined gates

open, wrecked and barely hanging on their hinges. She slowed down to a walk upon

entering them, the feeling of imminent danger slowly creeping away. She walked towards

the building.

With a crash, the doors burst open. Sakura immediately ducked, while putting one

arm up to shield her eyes, the other to reach for her staff, still in key form. She looked up,

and felt her mouth open in shock and fear, before she screamed...

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" Sakura yelled, immediately waking up from her dream.

Her shout was accompanied with someone else's shout, a yellow furred, white winged

someone.

"AAAAHHHH" Keroberos shouted along with her, taking into startled flight

before looking at Sakura, who was still shivering despite the warm summer air from her

dream. "What was that for, Sakura? You scared me half to death, screaming like that you

know," the teddy bear-sized guardian said irately, looking, in Tomoyo's words, even

more "kawaii" than usual. He got even angrier at seeing Sakura stifle a shaky giggle

despite her recent fear- Kero just looked so cute when he was angry.

"I'm sorry, Kero, I just had a nightmare again" she answered the guardian, fondly

watching the winged guardian before sitting up on her bed.

"Another nightmare?" Kero asked, concernedly, worry written in his eyes.

"Sakura, these nightmares are happening too often," he stated, before adding, "And I'm

beginning to think that they may be prophetic." He looked at her seriously, knowing that

Sakura's prophetic dreams always warned of great danger in the future- the more often

she had them, the more serious the matter. 'And from the number of dreams she's had so

far, I'd say this new danger will probably be one of her worst trials, even more trying

than battling the reincarnation of Clow Reed.'

He snapped out of his reverie as Sakura finished changing, deciding on wearing a

cute little jean skirt and an pretty pink spaghetti strap shirt, with matching hair clips and

flip flops, stunning as usual.

"Kero, I think you're right about my dreams," she said sincerely, brushing her

hair back from her face as she went to make her bed. "I have the same nightmare every

time, you know, the one where I'm in the forest and find that mansion..." It was Sakura'a

turn to drift off in her thoughts, as she remembered the dream. What came out of the

doors of that place that could scare her so badly? For some reason, she could not

remember. Kero just grumbled about being hungry as she sat down on her newly made

bed, puzzling over it.

"Well, we'll have to discuss this later if you want to make it to your summer job

in time AND, most importantly, feed me" Kero said gleefully. "Today, could you get me

lucky charms for breakfast?"

He looked up at her happily, his eyes round, but Sakura barely paid attention to

his second comment. "HOE!" She said, looking at the alarm clock on her bedside table,

"IT'S EIGHT TWENTY! (Her work starts at 8:30) I GOTTA GET TO WORK!!!" And

with that, Sakura ran out of her room at top speed, officially starting her day.

---Syaoran---

Meanwhile at the same time in China at the Li residence...

Li stood in front of a group of eight year olds, each one holding a wooden practice

sword. He himself had a practice sword, his magic wielding sword hanging about his

neck in pendant form. He balanced the wooden sword up with one finger, its flat side

resting on his flesh.

"When you sword fight, the first and foremost thing you need is a good blade,"

Syaoran said to the gaggle of students, children of the Li clan, his clan. He continued

speaking to the class.

"Most people think that the most important thing about a sword is it's sharpness,

However, you can change the sharpness of a blade easily. What you cannot change is a

sword's balance." He then lightly threw the wooden sword he was balancing in the air

and deftly caught it, getting awed looks from his little students.

"The balance of a sword greatly affects it's effectiveness in a fight. With a better

balanced blade, you will be able to parry with greater ease, execute harder moves with

less error, and strike with more accuracy." He did one of each said move, again amazing

the children.

"So today, I'd like you to learn how to tell a good sword from a bad one." He

pointed to a wall of swords marked with numbers, all dull lest the children hurt

themselves. "What you will do is use the technique I taught you to balance each sword,

and put them in order, from worst to best, on how balanced each sword is. Everyone

works alone. Write down your findings on this paper," he said, handing out a sheet. He

gave the class a small smile before saying, "Now get to work."

Syaoran watched with amusement the children picked up a sword and tried to find

their balances, some of them, dropping their swords from inexperience, others giving

looks of concentration as they tried to figure out exactly what master Li, the leader of

their clan, was trying to teach them. 'Was I ever this bad with a sword?' he wondered

mentally, trying to picture himself as one of those little kids struggling to unsheathe a

sword, and failed. He knew he had not started out as a good swordsman, but he had been

unnervingly good for a beginner, remembering the stunned looks on his peers faces as

he'd master a tricky move in a few weeks while it took them months. Sword fighting

came naturally to him; the magical Li Clan sword was like a part of his body.

His thoughts ended as Mei Ling, Syaoran's cousin came into the room with a

troubled expression on her face. She walked up to him through the group of sword-

fumbling students, gave a quick bow in respect to the young leader, and talked to him.

"Master Li, the Elders request your presence immediately," she said nervously,

wringing one of her long black pigtails.

Syaoran, forgetting all formalities, asked her concernedly, "Mei Ling, what's

happening? You look really worried."

Mei Ling looked around the room to see if there were any adults watching, before

dropping her formal attitude and began speaking to him as a friend. "Li, something big is

going on in America," she said hastily. "I don't know too much about it, but five men in

our clan were found dead there." Syaoran looked grave.

"Is that all you know, 'Ling?" he asked her, eying her still agitated state.

"There was something unusual about how they died, I know that much..." she

said, looking down. "And I know they are going to send you there to investigate it." She

looked up at him again, worry written all over her face. "Syaoran, I know I don't have

any magical abilities, but I have a bad feeling about this."

"Me too, me too..."

"J-just be careful." She still cared deeply for him as he loved her, though now

they came to mutual terms that they liked each other only as friends. He thought that Mei

Ling would take it badly, but it did quite the opposite: they became even closer. To

Syaoran, their friendship was invaluable.

"I will," he said kindly. "Thanks for telling me Mei Ling. Oh, and, could you take

over the class for me?" She smiled and nodded as he again gave his thanks before the

young leader left to find the Elders. He distractedly left the room.

"Good luck," she whispered, "You need it."