It was a leisurely Saturday afternoon at Li’s mansion where Phoenix was getting some extra training in before she had to go home.

                “Good Phoenix,” Li said. “You must let your magical powers flow through you. The Cards are only as strong as their master, and you have great magical power, but we are still working on focusing it.”

                “And once you are named the Master of the Cards, Yue and I will draw our magical powers from you too,” Kiro added.

                “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Li said. “She’s still got a long ways to go before she captures all of the cards, and she still has to defeat Yue...”

                Suddenly the three of them could sense a strong magical force nearby. They ran outside, but didn’t see anything. Phoenix closed her eyes and tried to sense where it was, but she couldn’t get a precise reading on it. The three of them walked down the street, following the magical powers of the strange force. She held out the Lasin Board in her hands and concentrated on her magical powers.

“Force know my Plight!

Release the Light!”

The Lasin Board glowed for a moment, then the light faded. Phoenix was puzzled, and tried again.

“Force know my Plight!

Release the Light!”

Again, the Lasin Board glowed for a moment, but the light soon faded.

“There is a Star Card around here, I can feel it,” Phoenix told Kiro. “I still don’t know why the Lasin Board couldn’t locate it.”

                “There are only a handful of cards that can block the magical powers of the Lasin Board,” Kiro told her. “Those are always the trickiest and most dangerous ones to capture. But it also depends on the magical ability of the person who is using the Lasin Board.”

                “Which cards could prevent me from finding them with the Lasin Board?” Phoenix asked him.

                “Well, I think that it’s the Time, Return, Illusion, Maze and Twin,” Li told her. “But as your bond with the Odifous and the Lasin Board grow, the cards won’t be able to hide from you at all.”

                “Well, that’s something to look forward to, I guess,” Phoenix said. “I already have the Time Card, so I don’t think it’s that,” She closed her eyes and concentrated, but couldn’t sense anything anymore. “I think we lost it,” she sighed. “I can’t sense it anymore. It’s odd that it was so close to your house, grandfather. Otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to sense it so quickly.”

                Li concentrated for a moment. “You’re right. It’s gone. Don’t worry though, we’ll get it next time.”

                Phoenix nodded. She looked up at the tree they were under. “I love this tree. It looks so beautiful when it is in bloom.” She put her hand on it gently.

                The Cherry Tree suddenly started to glow and Phoenix was raised into the air.

                “Phoenix!” Li said, trying to grab her, but she was out of reach.

                Phoenix became disoriented as she was pulled into the Cherry Tree. When she woke up she was lying on the ground near the cherry tree, but Li and Kiro were nowhere in sight. She looked out on the street and saw an old-fashioned car driving by.

                “What happened?” she asked herself. “Kiro? Grandfather?” She hurried back up the street towards her grandfather’s mansion. She ran up to the house and rang the doorbell.

                A teenage girl answered the door. “Can I help you?” she asked.

                “I…” Phoenix started.

                “Well Ruby, don’t make her stand there,” a voice said from inside. “Invite her in.”

                “No, thank you. I really have to be getting home,” Phoenix said, backing away from the house. She was sensing some powerful and unfamiliar magic inside.

                Suddenly a powerful force lifted her up off the ground and pulled her inside. She struggled to resist, but was unable to. She was lifted up a flight of stairs and down a hallway. As she approached the end of a hallway, the doors opened by themselves. Phoenix concentrated all her magical power and managed to break free of whatever had been holding her. She ran towards the stairs, but the girl, Ruby, was blocking her way. She skid to a stop in front of her.

                “Impressive, Most impressive,” a voice said from behind her. “Phoenix turned around and found herself face to face with a young, black haired boy about 11 or 12. Yet, there was something about him that made her think that he was older. She closed her eyes for a moment, and could sense a familiar magical power within him. An image flashed in her mind. * Clow Reed’s magic! Of Course! * She thought. * This must be Eli Moon! *

                “Very Good,” Eli said to her. “It even Sakura has not figured out who I really am yet.  Why don’t you come in and have a cup of tea?”

                “No, thank you. I am not exactly sure how I got here, but I think that the Return Card is the cause,” Phoenix told him.

                “Yes. I have sensed it too, that is how I knew we would be getting a visitor from the future. Don’t worry. I have blocked your arrival from Sakura’s mind,” Eli told her.

                “Well, now that I am here, how do I get back?” She asked.

                “You must find the Return Card. It has used the magical energy from the Magical Cherry Tree to bring you back here, and you must wait until it’s powers have recovered before you can return to your own time,” Eli said.

                “So sit back and enjoy yourself,” the same voice from the entryway told her.

                “Who said that?” Phoenix asked uncertainly as she turned around.

                “I am Spinner Sun, and this is Ruby Moon,” Spinner said indicating the girl beside him.

                “Li told me about you,” Phoenix said. “But where did you come from?”

                “Clow Reed created them before he died,” Eli told her. “They remained hidden from everyone for all these years, waiting for the reincarnation of Clow Reed to appear to test the new Cardcaptor. Yue and Kiro knew of them, but I have erased their memories of them from their minds.”

                “It’s a good thing too, or we would have a much harder time concealing ourselves from them,” Spinner said.

                “What am I supposed to do while I am here?” she asked them, still anxious to get back home.

                “Well, as Sakura has not even passed the final test yet, I think that it would be wise if you stayed here. I will make sure she doesn’t sense you,” Eli said.

                “How could she sense me? I wouldn’t think my magical powers were strong enough yet,” Phoenix asked him.

                “Your magical powers are stronger than you realize,” Eli said. “You carry the magical powers of Clow Reed, Sakura, and Li within you. I also sense that I may be part of your lineage as well.”

                “How is that possible?” Phoenix asked. “Sakura is my grandmother, Li is my grandfather, and Clow Reed is one of my ancestors. I don’t see how you fit into my family tree.”

                “Nor do I, but I do not believe it is important right now. The Return Card is still near the Cherry Tree. If you want to capture it, its magical powers would be restored much faster,” Eli told her.

                “Ok,” Phoenix said. She walked outside and up to the Cherry Tree. She closed her eyes and sensed around for the Return Card. She sensed it nearby, and when she opened her eyes she saw the Return Cards visible form in front of her.

“Return Card!
I command you to return to your power confined!

Return!”

The Return Card, still weakened from it’s travel across time was pulled into it’s card form, which floated into Phoenix’s outstretched hand.

                Phoenix then heard someone coming and ran back up towards the mansion. She saw Sakura and Kiro walking towards the tree with Li and another girl. They talked for a moment and then Sakura transformed the Return Card and disappeared through the Cherry Tree.

                “The time has come,” Eli said from behind her. “The Day of Judgment is here.”

                “What do you mean?” Phoenix asked as Ruby and Spinner approached her too.

                “Sakura has just transformed the Return Card and used it to travel back to the days of Clow Reed. It will not be long before she discovers the truth. The time has come when I must test Sakura to see if her powers are strong enough to overcome mine,” Eli said. “In order for her to overcome my power she must transform the rest of the cards.”

                “I remember Kiro telling me about this!” Phoenix exclaimed. “But really, must you be so hard on her? After all, she is only about my age. You can’t expect us to combat the magic and wisdom of Clow Reed, can you?”

                “But you too, shall have to pass a test. However yours, I sense, will be much harder,” Eli said, concentrating on the things yet to come.

                “Why? You know that she defeated you, otherwise I wouldn’t be here,” Phoenix said angrily. “If she hadn’t defeated you the world would have been plunged into eternal darkness, but I can tell you that it is not!”

                “Still, she must pass the test for herself,” Eli said. “I sense that the Return Card is not yet fully recovered. You may stay and watch if you’d like. But you must not interfere with our battle.”

                Phoenix thought about her options, she then slowly nodded.

                “Before we go I think a change is in order,” Eli snapped his fingers and he instantly changed into his wizard outfit.

                “Now that I am changed I think that we should be off,” Eli said.

                In an instant they were out near the Cherry Tree. Eli was on top of the arch and Spinner and Ruby were hiding nearby.

                Phoenix looked around the tree she was hiding behind. She saw Sakura come back through the Cherry Tree and talk with Li, Kiro and another girl.

                “Their memories have been erased!” exclaimed Li.

                “Erased? By whom?” Sakura asked.

                “I can tell you,” Eli said.

                Looking at her grandmother Phoenix felt her grandmother’s confusion. She wanted to tell her what was going on, but she remembered her promise to Eli. She remained silent as Eli cast the world into darkness. She felt the power of Eli’s spell working against her, trying to make her fall asleep with the rest of the world. She focused her power and her head cleared of its drowsiness. She saw the other girl fall asleep and Li was struggling. She then looked up and saw a winged creature carrying a teenager with him.

                “Yue,” Phoenix whispered to herself, still watching them.

Phoenix watched in fascination as Yue, Kiro, Ruby, and Spinner battled each other. Sakura tried to use her magic to confront Eli, but it was no use. She was knocked out of the sky by Eli and came hurtling towards the ground. As Phoenix watched her fall, she knew that she must do something to help.

“Oh Key of Clow,

Power of Magic,

Power of Light

Surrender the Wand

The Force Ignite!

Release!”

Phoenix felt the pull of Eli’s magic working against her, and she struggled to overcome it. She managed to focus her power, but she was getting weaker by the moment.

Wood Card!

Create a bush beneath Sakura to break her fall!

Wood Card!

Release and Dispel!

The Wood Card quickly made a bush and disappeared before Sakura landed. Exhausted from trying to overcome Eli’s magic Phoenix felt herself being pulled towards something. She suddenly found herself near the magical Cherry Tree. She watched as her grandmother transformed 6 of the 8 remaining Star Cards.

                “You must leave now,” Eli told her from inside her mind. “It will soon all be over and you mustn’t be here when it ends.”

                “Phoenix took out the Return card and with one last glance at Sakura trying to transform the Light and Dark Cards she summoned her power and returned to her own time.

“Return Card!

Take me back to my own time!

Return Card!

Release and Dispel!”