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| Cardcaptor Sakura |
Summary :
Sakura
Kinomoto was just an average 4th Grader - loved P.E., hated math -
until one day, while looking through her father's library, Sakura found
the Clow, an enchanted book designed to hold a set of magical Clow
Cards. But when Sakura opened the book, it was empty. Talk about
disasters!! Cerberus, the Creature of the Seal, emerged from the cover
of the book and told Sakura the cards must be returned to the book. "If
the cards aren't in the book, they come to life and do evil!" Kero
formed a contract with Sakura making her a Cardcaptor and together with
Sakura's best friend, Tomoyo, they embark on a mystical journey to
capture all the Clow Cards before the Cards can wreak chaos and
destruction.
Sakura Kinomoto
Sakura Kinomoto
(木之本 桜, Kinomoto Sakura) is the eponymous heroine of
Cardcaptor Sakura.
Sakura is portrayed as a well-loved, cheerful, cute and at times an
naïve ten-year old. Named after the Japanese word for "cherry blossom",
Sakura is skilled in sports at school, being called the "best baton
twirler in school" by her friends.
However, she hates math and has an open fear of ghosts. Sakura
maintains a crush on Yukito Tsukishiro for most of the manga and anime,
but eventually develops similar feelings towards Syaoran Li after he
confesses to her upon his own feelings.
She becomes the entitled Cardcaptor by guardian beast Cerberus after
accidentally opening and releasing the Clow Cards from the Clow Book.
Aided by Cerberus, her best friend and cousin Tomoyo Daidouji, and later
Syaoran, Sakura successfully captures all the cards and is named the
new Clow Mistress by the cards' second guardian Yue (Yukito's true
form).
In the second half of the manga and anime, Sakura must use the power of
her own star to transform the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards, or else the
cards would lose their powers.
Syaoran Li
Syaoran Li
(李 小狼, Ri Shaoran, Chinese Pinyin: Lǐ Xiǎoláng)
is a distant relative of Clow Reed, the creator of the Clow Cards. As
such, he believes that he should be the one to inherit the Clow Cards
and tries to capture the cards for himself. As the series progresses,
Syaoran comes to respect Sakura and becomes her friend and ally. He
eventually falls in love with her, though she is slow to realize it due
to her own feelings for Yukito.
Initially, in the anime, Syaoran has a crush on Yukito. Only later, at
the beginning of the third season of the "Cardcaptor" series, does
Syaoran begin to fall in love with Sakura, and make his feelings visible
to viewers.
In the manga, Syaoran begins to develop feelings for Sakura around the
time of the Erase card's capture. After Yukito rejects Sakura's
feelings, Syaoran comforts her and Sakura slowly reciprocates his
feelings. Near the second-half of the series, Syaoran confesses his
feelings to Sakura. With Sakura now undisputed master of the cards, he
decides to return to Hong Kong. At the end of the series, he returns
from Hong Kong a few months later to reunite with Sakura. In the anime
adaptation, Syaoran manages to catch several cards by playing a major
role in helping Sakura seal them. He is allowed to attempt the final
judgment but fails. Syaoran is shown to have similar powers to Sakura,
such as sensing Clow Cards and magical auras, is a skilled martial
artist, and wields a sword which he can use to cast spells when equipped
with incantation papers. He can also use a device dubbed a "lasenboard"
in
Cardcaptors,
which can detect and direct him to magical entities.
Tomoyo Daidouji
Tomoyo Daidouji (大道寺 知世, Daidōji Tomoyo) is the best friend of the series' protagonist, Sakura Kinomoto, and her second cousin on their mothers' sides. The daughter of the president of Daidōji Toy Company, Sonomi Daidōji,
Tomoyo lives a life of wealth and is watched over by a team of female bodyguards.
She has access to a variety of prototype
technological gadgets from her mother's company, and supplies Sakura
and Cerberus with different communication devices throughout the series.
She is depicted as being mature, kind-hearted, intelligent, and
regularly speaking using more formal verb conjugations
and expressions than normally seen in elementary students. She is a
talented singer, and is shown performing in various school events. In
the anime, her musical ability causes her to be targeted by both the
Voice and Song cards.
When she learns of Sakura's new role as a Cardcaptor, she insists that
Sakura must wear "special outfits" and begins providing Sakura with the
various costumes she wears during her captures as well as accompanying
her on missions to record the events with her video camera. In the
manga, some scenes give the appearance that Tomoyo has a crush on
Sakura's brother Toya; however, according to an interview in the
Cardcaptor Sakura Memorial Book,
this was an error caused by one of the finishing artists not being
aware that CLAMP intended for Tomoyo to have feelings for Sakura. In
future volumes, this is corrected by having a scene note that Tomoyo
blushed around Toya because he reminded her of Sakura.
While Tomoyo is in love with Sakura, she notes that she is happy to be
able to be with Sakura and does not require Sakura to love her back.
Instead, she encourages Sakura's love of Yukito, and later becomes Syaoran Li's confidante and ally when he falls in love with Sakura.
Cerberus
Cerberus (ケルベロス, Keroberus),
nicknamed "Kero", is the appointed guardian of the book which holds the
Clow Cards. He is one of two magical creatures created by Clow Reed
along with the Clow Cards. Before his death, Clow appointed Kero as the
one to select the potential candidate to be the next master of the
cards, Cerberus himself, and his "brother" and fellow guardian, Yue.
After Sakura accidentally releases the cards, Cerberus chooses her to be
the candidate and teaches her the basics of capturing the cards.
Throughout the series, he displays an extensive knowledge of mysticism.
After Sakura passes the Final Judgment to become the Clow Cards master,
Cerberus remains with her as a friend, companion, adviser, and protector
when new threats appear.
Having spent a lengthy amount of time in the book while it was in Osaka, Cerberus speaks with a pointed Osakan-accent.
He tends to be bossy, demanding, egotistical and gluttonous, but
clearly displays his affection for Sakura, especially if she is hurt or
in danger. He becomes very fond of video games, and is addicted to
sweets.
Cerberus spends most of his time in a "temporary" or "false form": a
small figure resembling an orange stuffed animal with wings.
Unlike Yue, Cerberus' magical powers are like the sun, and thus largely
self-sustaining, and he is subsequently not as dependent on his
master's power to support his life as is Yue. However, his master must
have control of the Firey and Earthy cards in order to power his true
form, a large-winged cat. In the anime adaptation, the Light card is
changed to the Earthy card to delay his obtaining his true form.
Cerberus' name is taken from the Greek mythological figure, Cerberus, a large three-headed beast who was assigned to guard the gates of Hades. In the bilingual Kodansha version of the manga, the name for Cerberus' borrowed form is Cero.
Touya Kinomoto
Touya Kinomoto
(木之本 桃矢, Kinomoto Tōya)
is Sakura's older brother. Though he teases her frequently, he cares a
great deal for her and works to protect her. He is fully aware of what
she is doing as a Cardcaptor, and regularly takes on several part-time
jobs that put him in a position to be nearby when she is working on
capturing a card. He also initially dislikes Syaoran, knowing that one
day Syaoran will "take her away" from him.
Chronicle.Touya
possesses several magical powers, including the ability to see ghosts
and other non-humans, the ability to sense when Sakura is in danger, and
mild precognition. He has a close relationship with his friend Yukito,
despite knowing he is the alter-ego of Yue. To save them both, he
eventually gives all of his magical powers to Yue, making him promise to
protect Sakura in his stead as well as himself (and, by extension,
Yukito).
Fujitaka Kinomoto
Fujitaka Kinomoto
(木之本 藤隆, Kinomoto Fujitaka) is the father of titular character, Sakura Kinomoto, and a reincarnation of the Clow Cards' creator, Clow Reed. A busy professor of archaeology at Towa University, Fujitaka is a kind and caring father. He met his late wife Nadeshiko
while doing his first year as a teacher at her high school. Nadeshiko
had climbed a tree to return a baby bird to its nest, but fell out of
the tree, landing on Fujitaka. Upon seeing her, he stated that "an angel
has fallen from the sky." They fell in love and married when she was
sixteen. Though Nadeshiko died seven years before the start of the
series, Fujitaka is shown to still be very much in love with her and
devoted to her memory. He keeps a picture of her in the dining room,
changing it each morning.
Little is initially said about Fujitaka's family or past. During the
second half of the series, it is revealed that when Clow Reed divided
his soul (seeking to no longer be the most powerful magician in the
world), he split it into two halves. One of these halves became Eriol Hiiragizawa,
holding all of Clow's magic and memories, and the other being Fujitaka,
who has no magic of his own, but fathered the one who would inherit the
cards. It is stated that Fujitaka has no magical powers of his own, but
he is also unaffected by other Clow's magic, such as the Eriol's sleep
spell. At the end of the series, Eriol gives half of his magic to
Fujitaka. This enables Fujitaka to finally see the spirit of Nadeshiko,
who has been watching over her family since her death.
Yukito Tsukishiro
Yukito Tsukishiro
(月城 雪兎, Tsukishiro Yukito) (nicknamed 'Yuki' by Toya, and 'Yuki-usagi' by Kerberus) is the close friend of Sakura's older brother, Toya, and the human alter-ego of the Clow Card guardian, Yue.Though
he is certainly Yue's temporary form, he is referenced several times by
other characters (including Eriol and Yue himself) as being
simultaneously a completely separate "heart" from Yue's. As Yukito, he
displays a kind and gentle nature, and at the start of the series,
Sakura has a crush on him. When she eventually confesses her feelings,
he gently rejects her noting that the one he "likes best" is Toya. For
most of the series, Yukito is unaware of Yue's existence, though he
maintains an enormous appetite for food in an unconscious attempt to
give Yue power. Yue's existence is revealed to the other characters
after all of the Clow Cards are collected, and Toya states he knew of
Yue's existence all along and was just waiting for Yukito to notice
himself. Once Sakura collects all of the cards, Yue begins needing
greater power as her magic isn't strong enough to sustain him.
Subconsciously, Yukito begins eating even more to try to compensate, but
it is not enough and he starts sleeping constantly, even while
standing, and eventually finds his body fading away altogether. Once
Toya gives his magical energy to Yue to sustain them, Yukito begins to
grow aware of Yue's existence and that the grandparents he thought he
lived with didn't exist. It is suggested that he came into existence
shortly before he met Toya, to be near the future new guardian of the
Clow Cards. Eriol tells Yue that while he (and Clow) did know Sakura
would be the future master of the cards, that Yukito had deviated from
his vision by falling in love with Toya instead of Sakura.
Yue
Yue
(月, Chinese Pinyin: Yuè) is the one of two Guardians of the Clow Cards, along with Cerberus. His name, which is written in
katakana rather than
hiragana is the Mandarin Chinese
word for "moon". Where Cerebus is the elector of the new Clow Card
Master, Yue is the judge who is allowed to test the candidate for their
worthiness. He spends most of the series in his temporary form, Yukito Tsukishiro,
who initially has no memory or knowledge of his other self. Unlike
Cerberus, Yue's powers are heavily dependent on the power of his master.
Sakura's power is not yet strong enough to sustain him after he
awakens, particularly after she begins transforming the Clow Cards into
Sakura Cards. Yue's growing need for power is reflected in Yukito's
ravenous appetite, and later constant sleeping. Similarly, the deficit
affects Yue himself in instances such as the blatant failure of his
magic which causes he and Sakura to fall out of the sky during one of
Eriol's synthesized 'situations'. Eventually, Sakura's brother Toya
reveals that he knows Yue and Yukito are not human and gives his power
to Yue to sustain his existence so he does not lose Yukito.
Though he is not human, he has the appearance of a beautiful young
man with long, silver, braided hair, silver-purple cat like eyes, and a
pair of white angel wings which he uses for flight. He is also
considered a genderless creation of Clow Reed, same as Ruby Moon. His
personality is depicted as more serious and aloof than Yukito's, and
while Yukito is fond of Sakura, Yue is reluctant to accept her. As the
series progress, he comes to respond to Sakura's request that rather
than being his master, she just wants to be his friend. Yue has
jurisdiction over the elements wind and water, though he is stated by
Cerberus to have control over other cards, including the Wood.
Eriol Hiiragizawa
Eriol Hiiragizawa
(柊沢 エリオル, Hiiragizawa Erioru?) is the principal antagonist in the second half of the series, commonly called the
Master of the Clow arc. The reincarnation of Clow Reed,
Eriol has both Clow's memories and all of his magic power. He has a
magical staff similar to Clow Reed's, can restrain Clow's creations Yue and Cerberus, and has created his own similar pair of guardians: Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun. He moves from England to transfer to Tomoeda Elementary school after Sakura Kinomoto
passed the Last Judgement and became the official master of the cards.
He is depicted as a quiet, mature boy while at school, though he also
shows a mischievous side when he regularly joins classmate Takashi Yamazaki in weaving complex lies about the history of objects, places, and events. While seeming a normal student to Sakura, Syaoran Li
is suspicious of him, mainly due to that Eriol is overly nice to Sakura
which makes Syaoran jealous. It is soon shown that Yue and Cerberus are
able to detect his magical signature as being Clow's, and Eriol must
erase Yue's memories after he is accidentally seen by him.
Eriol came to Japan in order to aid Sakura and force her to use her
own magical powers to convert the Clow Cards into Sakura cards. This is
necessary as the cards take their magical energy from their master, but
until Sakura converted them, they could not use her magic and were
slowly dying. The guardian Yue also was suffering the same fate, forcing
Sakura's brother to "feed" him all of his magical power to prevent Yue,
and his false form Yukito, from dying.
Sakura does not become aware that Eriol is causing all of the magical
disasters that are forcing her to convert the cards until near the end
of the series when Eriol reveals himself to her. He puts the city to
sleep and challenges Sakura to convert the last two cards, the Dark and
the Light, which must be changed together. After Sakura successfully
does so, he then tells her that she is now more powerful than Clow Reed
and asks her to perform one final task for him: to divide his own
magical power between himself and her father Fujitaka—the
other reincarnation of Clow Reed—so that Eriol will no longer be the
most powerful magician in the world. He then takes Sakura, Syaoran,
Tomoyo, Yue, and Cerberus to his home where he explains why he had to
give her a reason to convert the cards, as her doing so without a need
could have been dangerous for Sakura.
Eriol's true age is unknown, as he used his magic to halt his aging
process to remain the same physical age as Sakura. He is romantically
involved with Kaho Mizuki,
whom he originally sent from England to aid Sakura in the Final
Judgment and who offers Sakura support through letters during the second
arc. At the end of the manga series, she returns with him to England,
and in the second anime movie, they are shown together when Sakura calls
for advice.
In the anime series, Eriol is the sole reincarnation of Clow Reed,
with all of the elements from the manga regarding Fujitaka's relation to
Clow and inheriting of half of his powers removed. The final
explanation at Eriol's house is also shifted slightly so it takes place
the day after the final battle, rather than immediately after, and it is
done because Sakura seeks him out rather than him giving an invitation.
Spinel Sun
Spinel Sun
(スピネル・サン, Supineru San) is the cat-like magical guardian created by Eriol Hiiragizawa as a counter part to Clow Reed's original guardian Kerberus.
Spinel Sun's true form is a butterfly-winged black panther, while his
false form is similar to a small winged cat. Nicknamed Suppi by Ruby Moon,
Spinel Sun spends most of his time reading and projects a calm
demeanor. Ruby Moon often teases him that he needs to have more fun.
During the series, he mostly remains out of sight of the main
characters, except when he once runs into Cerberus in his false form
(though this encounter is exclusive to the anime). Fortunately for him,
Cerberus doesn't suspect anything and instead declares him a monster and
feeds him sweets, not realizing that the sweets would turn Spinel Sun
into a hyperactive eating machine. Cerberus does not learn his true
identity until just before the final battle where the two cats face one
another. Initially, Spinel Sun appears to have the upper hand, however
Cerberus' greater determination to protect Sakura enables him to defeat
him.
Ruby Moon
Ruby Moon
(ルビー・ムーン, Rubī Mūn) is one of two magical guardians created by Eriol Hiiragizawa. The counterpart to the original guardian, Yue When Eriol transfers to Tomoeda Elementary, Ruby Moon created a false form named Nakuru Akizuki
(秋月 奈久留, Akizuki Nakuru?) and enrolls in Seijou High School, entering the same class as Toya Kinomoto, Sakura's brother, and Yukito Tsukishiro,
the false form of Yue who is unaware of his true nature. Ruby Moon is
considered genderless, but prefers to look and act like a girl. As
Akizuki, she acts as a general annoyance, deliberately interfering every
time Toya tries to talk to Yukito about the latter's dwindling energy.
She claims she wants to consume Toya's energy herself, though it is
never stated that she actually has a need for it nor why she couldn't
simply steal it. When Toya is finally able to speak with Yue and give
him all of his magical energy to sustain Yue's life, Akizuki gives up
her pursuit. In the final battle, Ruby Moon battles Yue and initially
appears to be winning. However, Yue is able to get past her due to Yue's
greater determination and desire to protect Sakura.
Meiling Li
Meiling Li
(李 苺鈴, Ri Meirin, Chinese Pinyin: Lǐ Méilíng) is a character that appears only in the anime adaptation of
Cardcaptor Sakura. Introduced in episode 20, she is Syaoran Li's
cousin and self-proclaimed fiancée. As children living in Hong Kong,
they both trained in martial arts under the tutelage of Wang Wei. One
night her pet bird escaped from its cage, and the normally quiet and
withdrawn Syaoran told her not to cry, then left. After spending hours
in the rain, he returned with the bird and Meiling was both grateful and
touched. From that day, she devoted herself to him, eventually
declaring that she liked Syaoran above all others and, reasoning that he
liked her as well, she declared them to be engaged. At the same time,
she promised that if he found someone he liked more than her, he would
tell her and she would release him from the promise.
In coming to Tokyo, Meiling intends to help Syaoran gather the Clow
Cards, and actively dislikes Sakura. As the series progresses, Meiling
develops a grudging respect for Sakura that turns into a good friendship
by the time Meiling returns to Hong Kong in episode 43. During her
initial visit, Meiling seemed to recognize that Syaoran was falling in
love with Sakura, but it wasn't until she briefly returned in episode 60
that she acknowledges and accepts Sakura as the person Syaoran loves.
Wanting to keep her promise, Syaoran attempts to tell her that he loves
Sakura, but Meiling interrupts and tells him that she knows because he
is now calling Sakura by her first name, something he only does for his
sisters and her. She releases Syaoran from their promise, then quickly
leaves. Meiling spends the night at Tomoyo Daidōji's
house and releases all of her frustration by crying without burdening
Syaoran. At the end of the episode, Meiling returns home and is not seen
again in the main series. She returns in the second movie, with
Syaoran, and together with Tomoyo tries to help Sakura confess her own
feelings to him.
Unlike Syaoran, Meiling has no magical abilities, relying solely on her
physical fighting abilities and a healthy dose of pride. Her lack of
powers, however, results in her hindering more than helping Syaoran in
most battles against the cards. She challenges The Fight card in episode
20, and was nearly badly wounded and had to be rescued by Syaoran.
Recognizing that she was being a burden, Meiling grew upset and lashed
out at Syaoran. However, she was then able to be an aid to him while
fighting The Twin card, as their years of practicing martial arts
together enables them to match the card's synchronized fighting style.
Clow Reed
Clow Reed
(クロウ・リード, Kurō Rīdo) is the magician who originally created the Clow Cards, and their magical guardians Cerberus and Yue.
Born of an English father and a Chinese mother, Clow created a new type
of magic that blended both Eastern and Western magical elements. His
plan was to hand down the magic to people who would use and protect it
while meeting all of the qualifications. However, few people could learn
his brand of magic. The character of Clow is only seen in flash backs,
as he has long been dead before the series starts. Few details are
revealed about his character, personality, or life.
When Clow knew he was about to die, he chose his then unborn descendent, Sakura Kinomoto,
to become the new guardian of the cards and the new master of Yue and
Cerberus. Clow's magical ability allowed him to foresee most of the
future and plan many of the situations that would enable Sakura to
succeed in taking full possession of the Clow Cards. Likewise, he
deliberately made the sealing wand pink, reflecting that its future user
would be a young girl. He also split his soul into two reincarnations, Eriol Hiiragizawa who had all of his memories and magic he possessed, and Fujitaka Kinomoto, Sakura's father. In the anime adaptation, Clow only splits his soul into a single reincarnation.
In the first anime film, the "Madoushi
(魔導師, Madōshi, literally Sorceress?)",
the spirit of a woman who had fought bitterly with Clow about the
appropriate use of magic, is introduced. Even after her death, she
attempted to continue the feud by embedding her spirit in a book and
waits for Clow Reed. After Sakura accidentally releases her, the
sorceress refuses to believe Clow is dead and attacks Sakura and her
friends for trying to trick her. When Sakura is able to convince her
that Clow has gone, the spirit realizes that she had truly loved Clow
rather than hating him as she believed. Accepting his death, her spirit
vanishes.
Clow Cards
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| The rear-face design of the Clow Cards |
In the manga series, there are nineteen cards specifically named,
while the anime series has fifty-three (fifty-two in the series proper,
the last from the second movie). The Clow Cards were created by the half-English, half-Chinese sorcerer named Clow Reed.
After Clow's death the cards were sealed in the Clow Book, only to be
released in contemporary times when a new "chosen one" appeared. The
cards represent a combination of Eastern and Western magic centered on
the concepts of natural forces and elements. Each Clow Card has its own
personality, ranging from good-natured to violent, and its own powers
that are mostly centered around an elemental force or performing a
specific task. When in use or acting on their own, the cards assume
alternative forms that vary from card to card. The original Clow Cards
fall under a specific sign, sun or moon, corresponding to the guardians Keroberos and Yue. All cards seems to be able to float example, The Sword was floating before it had been captured, All are same except for Earthy, The Erase, The Return and The Illusion.
The nineteen cards in the manga are The Light, The Dark, The Windy, The Earthy, The Firey, The Wood, The Watery, The Flower, The Fly, The Jump, The Erase, The Mirror, The Maze, The Illusion, The Sword, The Shield, The Shadow, The Thunder, and The Glow.
These cards also gain slightly different appearances in the manga when
transformed into Sakura Cards (Star cards in the English dub). Changes
mainly include the addition of a star however The Sword and The Shield
cards gain completely different appearances.
 |
| The rear-face design of the Sakura Cards |
Within the deck, there is a hierarchy. Clow Reed and later Sakura
Kinomoto as Master/Mistress of the Clow have command of all cards and
both guardians. Below them are the Guardians of the Clow, the physical
incarnations of the powers used to create the cards. Keroberos
representing the sun and the Western magic Clow inherited from his
English magician father and Yue, the spirit of the moon and the Eastern
magic from his mother. The mother is also the ancestor of the Li clan
including Syaoran Li. Beneath the guardians are the Four Elements (The
Earthy, The Firey, The Windy and The Watery, two under each guardian)
and the Two Attributes (Light and Dark one for each guardian). The
remaining 46 cards are divided up between those six. Each attribute has
seven cards under them, while each element has eight under it. The only
cards outside the jurisdiction of either Yue or Keroberos are The
Nameless Card and The Hope (created by Sakura well after the creation of
the Guardians so she couldn't appoint one of them as protector of it)
and the Nothing, a negative card made simply to balance the Yang that
the Clow Cards make whenever they are used.
Most of the cards may be seen represented in 4 ways: most of the
time a beautiful woman or pretty girl dressed or holding an object
according to its power (Arrow, Windy, Bubbles), an animal related to the power (Jump, Change, Dash), an object (Sword, Shield, Float) or a Man (Old or Young) dressed or holding an object according to is power (Time, Fiery).
Cardcaptor List
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| Syaoran with Sakura last card ??? |
- The Windy
-
The Fly
-
The Shadow
-
The Watery
-
The Rain
-
The Wood
-
The Jump
-
The Illusion
-
The Silent
-
The Thunder
- The Sword
-
The Flower
-
The Shield
-
The Time
-
The Power
-
The Mist
-
The Storm
-
The Float
-
The Erase
-
The Glow
- The Move
-
The Fight
-
The Loop
-
The Sleep
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The Song
-
The Little
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The Mirror
-
The Maze
-
The Return
-
The Shot
- The Sweet
-
The Dash
-
The Big
-
The Create
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The Change
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The Freeze
-
The Fiery
-
The Snow
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The Voice
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The Lock
- The Cloud
-
The Dream
-
The Twin
-
The Light
-
The Dark
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The Sand
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The Earthy
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The Arrow
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The Bubbles
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The Wave
- The Libra
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The Through
-
?? ( The Love )
