~*~*~*Feral Eyes*~*~*~

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS or any of the characters.

Summary: AU. He wanted to inherit Clow's power. She just wanted to help her dad. Then, the unexpected happened. Now the future of Tomoeda rests in the hands of a teenage girl and her little wolf.

Prologue: The Legend of Clow Reed

Long ago, in the ancient kingdom of Tomoeda, there lived a powerful sorcerer named Clow Reed. However, the land was ravaged by war. After 30 years of fighting, Clow agreed to the King's request and used his magic to stop the fighting. Such power does not come without cost. Even great magicians are only mortal in the end. In one great burst of magical energy, Clow ended the war and his life.

In the aftermath of the battle, the King of Tomoeda discovered a letter in his chamber. It bore no seal, but he knew who had written it even so. Without hesitation, he opened it and read:

"Many years from now, this land will be again be in peril. When that time comes, one who is worthy will come forward. They shall inherit my power and with it, print peace to the land as I have this day. Only one who is worthy may travel to the shrines of Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, Sun, and Moon. Only then will they be strong enough to bear this burden and prevent the disaster.

You must pass these words on to your children, and your children's children, for it is their fate of which I speak. Tell them, so that when the time comes, Tomoeda may remain the peaceful land that I wished for."

Many generations later, Clow's final words had become legend - mere folklore. Most forgot of course, some believed it was only a bedtime story meant for children, and only a handful remembered the truth. A young man from one such family trailed across the countryside with Clow's ancient message in mind. His thick brown mop of hair rustled gently as he ambled through the rocky pass and into Wind Valley. As he crested the last craggy hill, he took a painted wooden board from his pack and held it in front of him. Words passed his lips in a low whisper while the air sizzled with invisible sparks.

"Almost there." he breathed, lowering the board. This was turning out to be an easy journey. Why the elders wouldn't let him set out until his sixteenth birthday was beyond him. But, the timing had to be right, that was important - at least that's what his mother had said. He continued into the a meadow of tall grass, pushing his way through until he came to a cluster of trees. And then, the goal was in sight. The Wind Cave.

"Hmph." It looked like others had beat him here. Amateurs, he was sure, but judging by the amount of footprints and gear laying around, there were at least five of them. Taking a quick glance, the boy made sure he wouldn't be seen. Then, he produced a bit of paper from his pocket and chanted softly. Once again, the air hummed. In seconds, the boy had vanished completely. He made an invisible smirk. His technique was perfect. Satisfied and a bit proud of himself, the boy continued into the cave. It wasn't hard to sneak past the few busied men and women in the cave. They were far too preoccupied with their own tasks to notice the concealed figure skirting around them.

Deeper and deeper into the cave he went. Soon the general chatter and shuffling from the explorers faded away leaving only the sound of the breeze. His senses tingled. There was magic on the air, no doubt about it. Blackness enveloped him. The lantern light from the cave entrance was completely gone now. Unless he wanted to trip and break his neck on the next pointy rock, he would need a light source. He breathed a sigh of relief, releasing his invisibility spell. Holding such spells for too long was tiresome, even for powerful sorcerers and he was already feeling fatigued. But this would not be enough to stop someone of his caliber, no not nearly enough. Concentrating again, he summoned a small flame from another piece of paper.

The cave twisted and turned, but thanks to a lithe build and years of training, squeezing through was not a problem. The wind continued to blow. It was eerie: there were no other living creatures here - no rats, bats, even insects. Shrugging off the uneasiness, he inched through another narrow corridor that opened into a large room. Now there was something out of the ordinary. Just ahead, in the middle of a deep pond was a small shrine. A narrow rope bridge connected the tiny island to his position. "Found it." He smiled.

He approached cautiously, amber eyes scanning the shrine for any sign of traps. The shrine had a little pedestal in the center and a tiny roof with the kanji for 'wind' painted on it. Obvious much? He smirked. Peering down he spotted the real prize. It was a simple wooden box, about six inches across, but the cover bore a familiar emblem. It was an emblem that he had been shown many times as part of his training. He would know it anywhere - the magical circle of Clow Reed. This was it. He took a deep breath and opened it.

An empty box looked back at him.

"What's going on here? Where is it?" He growled, turning the box over in his hands. There had to be a trick to it, right? An incantation. A unique spell meant to hide it from prying eyes perhaps. None of this was mentioned in the legend. The calm winds only stoked his temper. It was just too much! He threw the box to the ground and drew his sword. He didn't give a damn if someone heard him anymore. "I am Syaoran Li, descendent of Clow Reed! It is my destiny to inherit his power. I will not play your childish games! Show yourself!"

And the wind stopped. Everything stopped. The silence was deafening. Syaoran couldn't hear the familiar drip of the water anymore or even his own breathing. His ears felt paralyzed; his senses went numb. All at once, the winds swirled fast and hard, whirling like a hurricane around him. He lurched forward as his sword was ripped from his hand. The winds pressed down on him, until he was on his hands and knees, unable to move. A voice howled in his ear.

"You who would seek Clow's power, leave this place, you are not worthy."

He tried to answer, but his voice wouldn't cooperate.

The voice continued, it's tone distinctly feminine now. "You are brave and strong little one, and you have the gift, but you are not the one. This is not your destiny." It paused, and the winds slowed. "Leave now."

Syaoran grit his teeth and found his voice again. "I will not leave! This is my life, my duty! I must do this for the sake of my family, for the sake of all Tomoeda!" He managed to push himself up into a crouching position. "I will show you that I am worthy and that this is my destiny!"

The wind seemed to consider this. The swirling around him slowed and a sudden gust made him look up. He stared into the face of a spirit. She looked like a fairy with insect wings and billowing robes flowing all around her. Her features were soft and gentle, but her frown was unsettling. "Your determination is admirable, young one, but it alone is not enough. Only one who is proven worthy may possess Clow's power. Do you still wish to try?"

Syaoran considered this momentarily. This was what he'd trained for, what he'd aspired toward his entire life. He would not let some simple spirit stand in his way. "I will do anything to obtain that power."

"As you wish."

The winds whirled and danced around him again with more magical energy than he had ever encountered. It was strangely alive, and it felt warm. The spirit suddenly flew through him bringing a bone searing chill with it. He winced, squeezing his eyes shut tight. His body was on fire. He couldn't move; couldn't cry out. There was a gut-wrenching crack and Syaoran felt his strength leaving him. His vision went black as he collapsed, the cracking continued The air slowed, then stopped. As the spirit faded back into the air, she gave Syaoran a small smile. Perhaps he would be strong enough to endure. "I wish you luck, young one and - I am sorry."

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A/N: Thank you for reading. Please review. More to come soon.

Next chapter: Sakura stood in awe. The Wind Cave was like something out of a fairy tale. The entrance stuck out of a small flower-coated hillside, but what was truly amazing was the shape of the cave. The brilliantly colored stalactites and stalagmites made the opening look like a shining pair of wings. It was breath-taking. The wind picked up around her. A strange, prickling sensation ran up her spine. Sakura looked around, suddenly aware that something wasn't right. Where was the archaeology crew? "Hello?" She called. "Is anyone there? Dad?"