"Wait, why is there wind blowing through my hair!?"
"The last time I checked, I was sound asleep in my bed after I had finished typing up another chapter for one of my fanfics."
"But before I had gone to bed, I had filled out a form on what I assumed was a scam email that had somehow wound up in my inbox."
"Still, how is their wind now blowing through my hair right now?"
"And why am I standing on top of a building facing a radio tower that seems so familiar to me?"
"And what is this I am holding in my hands?"
"Wait, who is she?"
"Hold on, where have I seen her before, she looks familiar..."
"W-where am I?" I asked to no one in particular as I sat up in the bed that I was sleeping in.
It was then that I looked down at my hands. "Hold on a sec, why do my hands look so animated, younger in fact...I also seem to feel a heck of a lot younger then when I went to bed last night...wait a sec...why does the animation style of my hands...look so familiar?" I thought to myself.
However, once I had finished my thought, the alarm clock, that rested in between the bed I was in and the one next to me went off, and an all too familiar girl with short auburn hair and emerald colored eyes sprang up from under the covers.
"We're going to be late!" The girl said. It was when I turned my attention to the girl that I recognized her immediately, and a look of complete shock and disbelief found its way onto my face.
"W-Wait a second, you're...you're!?" I said in a shocked tone of voice.
"I can't believe it...that's Sakura Avalon!...So...wait a sec here...yep...that is definitely her...so then...that would mean that...I am in the Cardcaptors anime!?...And all that stuff I had seen before waking up with me on the building facing the radio tower...wait no...that was the dream that she had had during episode one of the anime! So that would mean that...oh good god no...I don't think I'm ready to become a Cardcaptor...I mean, Sakura had trouble doing it by herself as it was...I mean...if I'm being honest...I only ever watched as far into the show as the Jump Card episode...but still, how is the capturing regarding the clow cards, going to work, with there now being two of us?...I guess I will have to deal with that when the time comes...even though I am pretty sure...that Sakura...from the five episodes I had watched of the Nelvana Dub of the anime...can very easily handle it herself...hold on...then this would mean that I'm her brother...I mean, why else would we be in the same room as each other..." I thought to myself.
Which, when I thought more about that last part, didn't sit well with me at all. And then, another thought, came to mind. "And as if not watching the entire anime...wasn't bad enough...the only other thing I know, about the anime, is information regarding the main characters...from only the first five episodes of the anime...which basically...makes my knowledge of future events...highly limited...if not completely useless," I thought to myself, as a sweatdrop, then became present, on one side of my face. "Wait a sec, did I just sweatdrop?...So...this is what that's like...I can literally feel the sweatdrop on my face...Well...that is going to take a lot of getting used too," I thought to myself, with the sweatdrop on my face, still very much present. And, it was at this point, once I had finished that thought, that Sakura, then turned her attention to me.
"We are going to be late for school if we don't get going soon!" Sakura said, as she then quickly, got out of bed, and then proceeded, to get changed, into her school uniform, unaware of what I had said.
It was then I figured that rather than dwell on how or why things had happened the way that they had, and despite my horrid memory regarding the show, that for now I would go along with it for the time being and see where it took me. Knowing full well that anything past episode 5 would be venturing into the unknown for me. A feeling of complete nervousness washed over me with that thought, and for the time being, I pushed it aside to focus on the task in front of me, which was getting dressed into my school uniform for school. I would just have to deal with the fact that I was now Sakura's brother for the time being, despite it not sitting well with me at all.
And with that last thought, Sakura got dressed into her school uniform, followed soon thereafter by me. "So, this is what the school uniform feels like from the show...it's actually quite comfortable...who knew...because I certainly, can't experience this sort of thing...just from watching the anime..." I thought to myself, as we both, then headed downstairs for breakfast.
"Morning!" Sakura said, as we both rounded the corner, and into the kitchen.
"Sakura, Zachary, could you two be any louder?" Tori asked in a sarcastic tone.
"Yep, this is definitely the Nelvana Dub of the anime...every single word, that was just spoken by both Sakura, and Tori, was all from the first episode...'One Fateful Day'....at least...that is what I remember the title saying...my goodness...that episode opening of that version of the anime...was not very good...anyway...might as well play along for the next five episodes...seeing as how I only know all of the lines...up to that point," I thought to myself, as I then spoke up.
"We weren't that loud," I said to Tori, exactly matching Sakura's tone, from when she had said it, in episode one of the anime.
"You two sounded like small dinosaurs up there," Tori teased.
"We were walking normally!" Sakura said in response, now raising the tone in her voice.
"Hey, I'm lucky, how many brothers get two dinosaurs for a little brother and sister," Tori said.
"STOP CALLING US DINOSAURS!" I said, now yelling.
After Sakura and I had our breakfast and Tori left, we both strapped on our skates, put on our protective padding, and after I had helped Sakura up, we made our way down the street to meet up with Tori and Julian.
"Hey Sakura, hey Zachary," Julian said, as me and Sakura, caught up with him and Tori. And after about minute of Julian, me, and Sakura talking to one another, both me and Sakura, said our goodbyes, and then continued down the street, towards the school.
The only thing was, as we both skated down the street towards the school. I could only think, of what truly awaited me in the episodes to come. Even though I did not know as of yet, that me and Sakura's upcoming adventure, would only wind up being one-third, of what would be a much larger picture.
Anyway, after the school day had ended, me and Sakura, then headed back to our home. But, when we got home, and had just closed the door behind us both. We then suddenly began to hear strange noises, that seemed to be coming from the basement.
And knowing all too well what it was, from the knowledge that I knew from watching the first episode, I then decided to speak up.
"Sakura, did you hear that?" I asked with a frightened tone in my voice.
"Uh huh..." Sakura said, in a very frightened tone of voice as well.
"How about we both check it out together?" I asked, while turning to Sakura, and giving her a sort of reassuring looking expression.
"And if it's a burglar, then we'll call the police," Sakura said in response.
A few seconds later, me and Sakura were down in the basement. Sakura had her baton clenched in her hand as we both looked around, and it wasn't long until we came upon a row of bookshelves in the back.
It was then that both of us jumped out hoping to see someone, but there was no one there. But, as me and Sakura, stayed close to one another, while we were both looking around, we then heard a strange noise.
Both of us then turned around, and noticed that one of the books on a nearby shelf, was glowing. Without hesitating even once, both me and Sakura, reached for the glowing book. And, with my hand slightly below hers on the spine of the book, we both pulled it off of the shelf.
It was when we both held the book in front of us that Sakura dropped her baton as both of us gazed at the book, the book was red and had what looked like a lion type creature on the front cover, chains were on either side of it, and a sun was in front.
"That's the same book from my dream..." I heard Sakura say quietly to herself.
And upon hearing her say that, I then suddenly realized something as well.
"Hold on a second...that was in my dream too!...Great...so I guess that would mean that we both share dreams now!?...Okay...that's not creepy or anything...You know, if this wasn't supposed to happen to me, I would be so much more nervous then I am right now...But I guess, this is what going in almost completely blind feels like..." I thought to myself.
But for the time being, I had to deal, with what currently lay in front of me.
It was then that as if by magic, the catch on the book came undone by itself. Me and Sakura, got scared, since we both thought, that something scary, was going to jump out, and attack us.
But, when nothing did, both of us slowly opened the cover of the book. Inside the weird book was a stack of cards. Both me and Sakura, picked up the top one, with each of our index fingers, and thumb, each holding a bottom corner of the card. And the cards name, like in episode one of the anime, was in English.
"The Windy," Me and Sakura both said, in a low tone of voice.
It was then, as we were walking away from where we both stood with the book and card in our possession, that the card began to glow bright blue. Which wound up catching the both of us by complete surprise.
But, before either of us could react any further. A tornado then suddenly surrounded me and Sakura. Both of us wound up closing our eyes, so both of us ended up missing the glowing circle on the floor under the both of us, which was identical to the one on the back of the cards. The rest of the deck in the book, then wound up getting blown away by the wind, and then headed towards the ceiling. But, the cards didn't stop at the ceiling, they were carried off to who knows where.
When the wind finally stopped, both me and Sakura, dropped the strange book, and then sank to the floor.
"What just happened?" Sakura asked while looking at the card. But, before I could respond to Sakura's question. Me and Sakura were then suddenly staring, at a tiny, winged, teddy bear who was rising from the glowing book.
"Heydy-howdy-hoedy!" It said, while hovering in midair and smiling.
"Thank you so much for getting me out of that book you two," It said.
The teddy bear then yelped and complained, as me and Sakura, tried to figure out how he worked, including where the batteries went, finally pulling himself free.
"I'm no toy!" It shouted at me and Sakura, "I'm Keroberos, the Beat of the Seal who guards this book!"
"Seal…? Keroberos…?" Sakura asked as the bear walked forward to look at both of us.
"Yeah. Looking out for the cards in this book so that they don't do anything bad is my…" There was a pause while the fact that the cards were gone sank into the bear's head, and then, "The cards are gone! Why? Why? Where did they go?!"
A little later, Kero was up in our room hovering over the Book of Clow when me and Sakura got back up to our room after we quickly ate dinner. We were carrying a desert for the guardian of the cards.
"Anything?" I asked.
"No good," He answered, sounding depressed and landing, "I can't tell where the cards are at all."
"Here," Sakura said, putting the cake in front of him with a tea spoon. Sakura then leaned against her desk chair while I sat down next to Kero.
"It looks delicious," Kero's face lit up as he gazed at it.
Then it sank again. "There were Clow Cards in this book," Kero said.
"Clow Cards?" I asked, trying to sound as convincing as I could, due to what lay ahead.
"Clow Cards… when the seal on them is broken, a catastrophe will be fall this world… those cards were special cards made by an amazing sorcerer named Clow Reed. Each card is alive and possesses incredible powers, but they all like acting on their own and normal forces are no match for them. So, Clow Reed himself created this book and placed me, the Beast of the Seal on the book's front cover."
Kero sighed. "In any case, we have to get those cards back and I can't sense where they are because of the strong magic in the area, so you two are coming with me."
"Why us? Wouldn't one of those powerful mages in the area be better?" Sakura asked.
"Because you two are the ones that scattered the cards with the Windy spell, and I don't know if I could trust anyone with the sort of magic I sense," Kero said.
"B-but wasn't it your job to keep those cards properly sealed away in the first place?" I asked, still quite nervous.
"Well…I accidentally fell asleep," Kero said, now feeling embarrassed.
"For how long?" Sakura asked.
"About thirty years," Kero said.
"And you call yourself the Beast of the Seal!?" I asked.
"Stuff happens! All right! I never said that being a guardian was easy!" Kero said in response.
"So those noises were just snores?!" Sakura said as we both looked at him with a hint of frustration on our faces.
"In any case, the fact that you both could open this book means that both of you have some magical powers at least, and that puts you both in first place, above anyone else with magic in the area. So, what are your names anyway?"
"I'm Zachary, and this is my sister Sakura," I said, only to internally cringe after saying that.
"Alright Sakura and Zachary, stand right over there," Kero said, pointing to the side of our respective beds.
Me and Sakura, then got up, and stood by our beds, which seemed to vanish, as the magic circle from before, formed on the floor, under both of us.
But, before I could even glance at my surroundings, Kero then spoke up.
"Keys of the Seal," Kero intoned. To which two small balls of light, then rose from the keyhole of the book, and hovered in front of me and Sakura.
"These two kids will carry out the sacred promise, there names are Sakura and Zachary. I command you to bestow them with you magical powers, RELEASE THE POWER!" Kero said.
It was then that both of the two light balls expanded, as did the keys, each forming a baton like staff, one colored blue, the other colored pink. I caught the blue colored one, while Sakura caught the pink colored one when we were told by Kero to grab them.
"All right! I, Keroberos, hereby declare Sakura and Zachary, Cardcaptors!" Kero said. As the circle faded and the room returned to normal, while both Sakura and I examined our staffs, that I once had to remind myself what lay ahead. But I still wasn't at all okay with being Sakura's brother. Sakura and I then turned to Kero, expecting him to say something. But instead, he was stuffing his face full of pudding.
And though neither of us knew it yet. As time went on, me and Sakura, would wind up coming into contact with two more well known 90s magical girls. Who, like Sakura, helped to turn the magical girl genre, into what it was in the present day. I mean after all, they both weren't named 'The Guardians Of Love,' for no reason.
It had only been a few minutes since Kero dubbed me and Sakura as "Cardcaptors." And although Kero said that we were both the right people for the job, me and Sakura still felt a little dismissive. "I don't think we have the time to do something as dangerous as this" I said to Kero. "Excuse me, who let the cards out of the book?" Kero said/asked. "We did," Sakura responded back in a depressed sounding tone of voice.
It was then that me and Sakura heard a loud noise that sounded like a bird screeching. Sakura and I then ran to the window, and upon looking out the window, we noticed a giant blue bird flying in the sky. "What is that?" I asked Kero, as he approached the window. "It's a Clow Card!" Kero said. Sakura and I then gulped; we both knew then what we had to do.
A few seconds later, Sakura and I ran out of the room, downstairs, and out the door, with both of us still in our pajamas, and both of us having on our roller skates. As both Sakura and I skated down the street, Kero flew right in between us.
"Its the Fly card, Sakura, Zachary, release you staffs just like I showed you!" Kero said.
"Right!" I said in response. as me and Sakura then reached down our shirts and pulled out our respective keys.
"Oh key of clow, power of magic, power of light, surrender the wand, the force ignite, RELEASE!" me and Sakura chanted in unison. And, as the wind suddenly started to pick up around me and Sakura, and our keys quickly expanded into our respective staffs. Each of us grabbed our respective staffs, with an single overhand grasp.
And as we both brought our respective staffs closer to us. Sakura then approached the giant bird, with me following close behind. But, the bird then suddenly wound up spreading its wings and took off into the sky. And Sakura, had jumped onto the bird right before it had taken off, and was taken along for the ride.
And as for me?
"D-don't worry Sakura, I'll handle this!" I said nervously, while hesitantly pulling out the Windy Card.
I then, while still being a little bit nervous, raised my staff.
"W-Windy Card, become a chain and tie up the Fly Card's wings, W-WINDY, RELEASE AND DISPEL!" I chanted, in a somewhat nervous tone, as I then, tapped the Windy Card, with the tip of my staff.
A few seconds later, the Windy Card spirit appeared and started encircling the giant bird. Once the giant bird's wings were bound, it began to fall at a rapid speed, a few seconds after that, Sakura fell off the giant blue bird, but thankfully, I was able to use the Windy Card to catch Sakura before she hit the ground.
"That was too close for comfort," I said, as I wiped my forehead.
"Nice quick thinking Zachary!" Kero said, as he flew beside me.
"T-thanks Kero," I said in a nervous tone of voice as I ran towards Sakura, who was still on the ground to see if she was alright.
It was when I was kneeling beside Sakura that she finally woke up. "Uh…W-what happened?" Sakura asked.
"You almost got hurt when I bound the Fly card with Windy, but thankfully I was able to catch you in time" I said.
"Thank you Zachary," Sakura said, as she smiled at me.
"Y-you're welcome," I said nervously, as I then helped her up.
It was then that we turned our attention back to the bound Fly card, and Kero then flew right beside us.
"There is one thing that both of you must know before sealing the card, both of you will have to swing your staffs down in unison, or else the capture won't work," Kero said.
"R-right!" I replied in response, still not quite sure about this whole card capturing stuff.
It was then that we turned to the giant bird and raised our staffs at the same time. "Clow card, we command you to return to you power confined, FLY CARD!" me and Sakura, chanted in unison, as we swung our respective staffs down, at exactly the same time. At first, about a few seconds after that, nothing happened. But, a few seconds later, one half of a card, materialized on the tips of our staffs. The Fly card spirit, was then split in half, and then one half of it went into each of our card halves. And after the two card halves had combined with each other to form a whole card. The captured Fly card then fluttered to the ground, and then both Sakura and I dropped to our knees.
Though this very rule, regarding me and Sakura's capturing of the clow cards. Would later be called "The Unison Rule." And, as for its origin? Well, that had to do, with a certain someone, whose eventual partnering with two well known 90s magical girls, would wind up coming up with a plan, that would wind up going down, as the most elaborate, but quite simple plan, in anime history.
But, as for the current situation? Well...
"I thought I was going to fail," Sakura said.
"S-same here," I said in response, still somewhat nervous, about what lay ahead.
It was then that Kero landed in front of us.
"Both of you, will need to write your names, on the card, so that it won't escape," Kero said.
And with that, me and Sakura, then wrote our names, on the bottom of the Fly Card, with Sakura's name, below mine.
"Why don't the both of you try it out?" Kero asked after Sakura and I were both done writing our names on the card.
"What can the card do?" Sakura asked, as I went over, and picked it up.
"I guess we should find out," I said.
And with this in mind, me and Sakura, then once again raised our staffs, swung both of them down at exactly the same time, and tapped the Fly Card at the same time, with the tips of our respective staffs..
"FLY!" Me and Sakura both yelled out in unison. And, after that one word was said by the both of us. Both of our staffs then suddenly grew wings on the top. Both of us then got on our respective winged staffs, and then, after a few seconds, we took off into the sky.
"This is awesome!" Sakura said, with a noticeable smile on her face.
"I knew I could count on you two Cardcaptor Sakura and Zachary," Kero said.
"Hold on, we haven't agreed to anything yet!" I said still in a nervous tone as all three of us flew across the sky.
And this, had set a massive chain of events in motion, that would wind up setting the stage, for one of the most legendary encounters, in anime history.