Was the cliffhanger last chapter enough for you? Well, Episode 188 is up! Hehehehe, bet you’ve all waited for this, haven’t you? Even though I did blatant foreshadowing…

Disclaimer/Notes: See a previous chapter please

Psychic Sabrina –hi! Yes, the artist changed… but it looks very similar in my opinion. You think the test wasn’t hard? Oh well… I don’t mind if you hate Charlotte… and who said Morty was _mortal_? I never did… I might add Lisa and Tate in extra episodes if I feel like it… Enjoy my website, have you read ‘Call to Twilight’ by the way?

Briememory – nope, CCA ends with Celestial Spirits

Akiko Koishii – I am! That’s why I have my own site, but I do put some non-shonen-ai fics here occasionally…

Ranma – ah, no problem! ^-^

Jarzard – cool. Ok!

Link Masters – k. I shall update… by the way, can I have permission to host your championshipping fanfic on my page?

Episode 188: Deny your heart and fulfill your duty?

His eyes were downcast as he stepped through the last set of silver doors.

“Lance-chan…”

“So, she told you?” A mocking voice asked.

“No.”

“Ah.” The Dragon Master allowed the shadows around her form to stop coalescing and fade away. “You figured it out on your own?”

A barely perceptible nod was her answer.

“Well, you know what’s expected. I’m not in final form yet. You can kill me now, and have the guardianship.”

Ash’s head snapped up. “What?!”

“I wouldn’t stop you, you know.” She said, staring at him with half-closed golden eyes, as her gold and silver streaked red hair shimmered in the darkness. Recalling Charlotte’s words and his own experience, Ash inwardly winced. She was already in second form, The Dragon Master.

He hoped she wasn’t out of control at this point… he liked her the best when she was herself, or the ice guardian, his best friend, laughing in her silver dragon armor and blue robes, as she played with him in the dream realm.

And he knew she was telling the truth, which only made it hurt all the more.

“Demo… I can’t. Why do I have to? I didn’t have to kill her!”

“No, you didn’t.” Lance said in a contemplating tone. “Perhaps. But you do have to defeat me.”

Ash’s eyes glimmered as tears filled them and he shifted the grip on his new weapon. “I see.”

“Shall we begin?”

Lance disappeared as the darkness wove around her in wispy strands, merging into a wall of shadows.

A few minutes later, the shadows splintered apart.

Lance stepped out, or more accurately, the Master of Hidden Darkness, also known as Dark Illusions. Blood red eyes stared at him, as a double pair of scaly black dragon wings fanned out behind her back. Dark hair, streaked through with two red bands, flowed around her face, brushing her shoulders. She wore night-black fitted armor, with white scales outlined on it, and a dark red cape that swept the floor.

Ash stepped back involuntarily.

The wings flapped, twice, and then abruptly he found himself encased in a shell of darkly tinted ice.

Ash quickly used Eternal Flame, which shattered his prison, before calling up Eternal Thunder.

“Poor little guardian,” She said, almost wistfully. “This is hard for you isn’t it? And it won’t get any easier if you pass this test, because then Serebii will test you.”

Ash blinked, as he paused in his attacking.

“You know that shadow is light and darkness, correct?”

Ash nodded.

“Well, if things had progressed the way they were ‘supposed’ to, according to Serebii’s plan, you would be light with only hints of darkness, barely shadow. A shadow of light.”

“But…” Ash prompted, feeling that something important was about to happen.

“Because I joined you, my darkness has corrupted you. You are a shadow of more darkness than light.”

Ash stared as Lance dropped down next to him.

“What?”

“Ash, think back to when you first killed.” The guardian said all to calmly. “Do you remember why you killed? And more importantly, do you know who you killed for?”

Ash scrunched his eyes up and quickly ran through him memories.

“It was the person on the S.S. Anne, wasn’t it? The only who nearly killed your Charmander.”

“Correct.” Lance inclined her head. “And so you see, how my joining you caused your light to be tainted with darkness, and formed the shadow magic you have now.”

“But in the prophecy it says I’m supposed to have shadow!” Ash protested.

“True, but you were supposed to travel on your own or stay with Charlotte.” Lance continued calmly. “That way you would only have the faintest hint of the dark inside of you, from personal experience.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Perhaps it doesn’t, but we have not lived our lives to Serebii’s formula this time, and we shall have to pay the price.”

Without further ado, Lance teleported away and took up a battle position again. Ash gripped his staff tightly and waited for the blow to come.

Instantly, a hail of diamond shards flew at him. Ash quickly teleported out of the way again, and used Eternal Thunder.

He hit instead a sudden outcropping of rock that appeared out of nowhere.

“You’re not trying hard enough, little guardian.” The voice taunted. “You’ll never pass this way.”

Ash shivered. For a few moments, he thought he had seen Lance again, even in that other ‘form’, but now, the darkness was back. * I’m not giving up! If I don’t want Lance-chan stuck like this forever, I have to do this, even if I have to hurt her! *

“Eternal Rainbow!”

This time, fire, water, psychic, electric, ice, light, and dark energy flew at the guardian. She attempted to teleport away, but a ring surrounded her, trapping her as the energy slammed into her, sending her flying.

Ash crossed his fingers, worriedly. * Please let it work… *

Unbeknownst to him, more changes were taking place. His clothes melted and reformed into black armor that shimmered with the colors of the rainbow, while his pair of wings became a spectrum of colors themselves, too many colors mixed in the feathers to count. Two white streaks wove into his black hair, as white feathers framed his face again. His legs stayed the way they were, no talons, but out of his ankles sprouted two more pairs of white wings. A fantail swept behind him, nine plumes in all, in nine iridescent colors.

A second later, the other testers shimmered into being, all looking healed and fine.

< You have passed. I have seen the courage in your heart, and also, the power that you wield, the compassion that you have shown, and the ruthlessness you have demonstrated as well. >

< You are now the Shadow Master, as well as the Thunder Guardian. >

Ash nodded as a symbol appeared on his forehead, glinting gold, then silver, then gold again, as he rushed over to the fallen Ice Guardian. Lance had reversed transformation upon being hit with the attack, and he needed to see if she was okay.

A pair of dazed blue eyes opened and looked at him.

“Lance-chan?” Ash said worriedly as he helped her into a sitting position.

‘Hai…you passed…” The guardian said, smiling faintly.

Ash nodded and kissed her without any further ado.

Lance’s eyes widened and she pulled away. “Ash, are you sure about this? I mean…I’m darkness! I’ve already corrupted you, and…”

“And I’m shadow, now.” He returned simply. “Why wouldn’t I love you? You’ve always been supporting me, behind the scenes as well as in full view. You’ll die for me in the course of duty; I’ve seen it before. You love me unconditionally, and you never ask for anything in return. And we’re soulmates. No matter how uncertain the future is, or how rocky the road through the tests, we’ll find a way.”

That was enough for the ice guardian, as she leaned against him and wept soundlessly.

Ash stroked her hair, briefly reminded of his self in the past when she had done the same. < Don’t worry, Lance-chan. I’ll be here for you. I promise. And I won’t leave you alone again. >

A star fell as they watched. < A promise on a star is never broken. >

< And may it never be. >

As the two watched, Ash felt a tugging on his soul, and smiled and let the feeling flow in, as the realm accepted its new guardian, and the land flourished under the stars.

THE END

Yes, this is the end of the Card Captor Ashura series. I hope you readers enjoyed it as much as I did!

Of course, there are related stories and sequels. Yay!

One of the sequels will also be titled with Card Captor Ashura. That’s the dark shadow guardian arc that really should not be read, well, at least the first few chapters. I think the flashbacks are safe.

Completed 12/12/2003