The days grew long without Li here with me. I wanted him here to help me with the cards. I knew I had them all and now I had then all converted to Sakura cards… With Li gone there was something missing in me. We had told each other what we felt for one another but then after that, there was nothing done about it. Now he was back home in Hong Kong.
Li came back to visit a few times but nothing seemed to be the same. Middle School was almost over and Li was never coming back again. Or so his mother said. I didn't want to let him go and I knew I wouldn't be anytime soon. I was starting to gain admirers but none of them could match up to Li.
I looked out of the window and up to the sky. I was starting to feel strange again. Something was coming and I knew that it had to be strong. Over the years my ability to use magic and my understanding of it had grown greatly. I sighed, feeling the pulsating energy around Tokyo growing stronger. I shivered catching Madison's eyes. I looked over at her for a split second.
Without warning or word to anyone I stood from my desk and ran from the room. I heard my sensei yelling after me but I never turned around to look at him. Madison was yelling after me now too, only she was actually running after me. "SAKURA! SAKURA!!" She yelled trying to gain my attention.
I ran faster. I couldn't have Madison following me around anymore. I didn't have Li and Meilin to help me protect her and keep an eye over her. She would be in trouble if she followed. I made a few quick turns around some sharp corners and easily threw her off from my trail. I felt horrible for leaving her behind like that of course but there was nothing I could have done for her if something really bad happened.
I ran out of the school and stopped just outside of the door. It felt like something had been stabbed into my chest. The sharp pings of pain that pulsed with my blood reminded me that I was still alive and that nothing but magic had hit me. A strong magic. This was nothing like what it had felt like when Eli was here, when he was using his magic. Forcing my feet to move I ran forward to the courtyard.
Something hit me as soon as I got onto the courtyard. Almost paralyzed I shook where I stood and reached for the phone the Madison had given me. Slowly I dialed Li's number. After a quiet moment I raised the phone to my ear and pressed it close, desperate to hear someone's voice.
"Sakura?" The voice sounded bewildered and I knew it was Li. Instantly tears began to stream down my face. I was so relieved to hear his voice but I couldn't let that distract me. Something terrifying was happening to me. "LI!" I almost screamed into the phone. "I need to speak to your mom! I need her help!" I yelled frantically hating how evident it was that I was crying.
Li was silent for a long while then sighed. "Sakura, what's wrong? You know you can't change her mind. She's going to let me go back there for any more visits." He explained. I hated this. He thought I was calling for that! I shivered more, feeling the earth below me. I was the only thing moving I knew….but I felt like there was an earthquake of the highest caliber happening to me.
"Li…" I started very slowly. "I need your mom's help!" I whispered trying to stop the tears. "Something's happening…" I heard the phone drop on his line then silence. I gave up hope and hung up the phone letting my arm fall with it to my side. Forcing myself to stay calm and to stand tall, I stopped shaking and closed my eyes letting my head fall down.
'Focus…' I thought, trying to concentrate on the power I was feeling. I needed to identify it. It felt like… "HUH!" I gasped, inhaling a huge breath just as something hit me hard. My chest felt like it had lit a flame and I fell back to the cold grass and concrete that scratched up my knees and elbows. The phone began to ring and I reached for it. I pulled it up to my face and answered.
"He-" "SAKURA!" It was Li! He sounded scared. "Sakura can you hear me!?" He yelled. I sighed and chuckled. "Yes Li, I can hear you…" He sighed in relief, but I heard others as well. "We have you on speaker child, what is it that you seek of me?" Li's mom! "I need help!" I almost cried into the phone.
"There's something happening here! There's a new magic that's moving in! I tried to pinpoint the magic signature but right when I was getting close it hit me. It hit me hard in the chest and knocked me down. I thought I was going to be lit aflame! I need help! I don't know what I'm going to do! But it- there's something else…with this new power, I feel Clow cards," I explained and listened as everyone gasped. "D-Did somebody steal yours?" His mother asked. "No…" I whispered. "These aren't my cards; these are new ones, ones that I haven't changed into Sakura cards. We're dealing with new Clow cards."
No one said anything for a long time as I lay on the ground. "Did you focus enough on the magic signature to figure out where it was coming from?" Li's mother was talking now. Li I could hear was fighting back the urge to yell. "No." I admitted. I felt their hope fall and their worry build. "But I didn't break through enough of the barriers to realize who the magic reminded me of." I groaned sitting up.
"Who Sakura?" She asked me. "Who?" "That woman from before." The words sliced from my mouth like acid before I could control how it came out. But it had made my point. She knew who I was talking about. "B-But she's dead!" She yelled. I sighed. "I know. But now somebody else is practicing magic like her, with wrong doing and selfishness." I muttered. "I'll try and get to the bottom of this but I'll need all the help that I can get from you."
"Mhm." I could almost see her nodding in my head. "I'll send Li and Meilin out there to help you." I sighed and smiled. "Thank you so much. I'll call Eli and see what he knows." "Goodbye Sakura," "Goodbye and thank you for everything!" I smiled and hung up the phone then began scrolling through to find Eli's number.
One ring, two rings, and now- "AH!" I cried out in pain just as Eli answered the phone. "Sakura! Sakura are you alright?" He yelled. I panted and tried to manage a yes but nothing came out. He growled and I heard him chanting something. Within moments Spinel and Ruby had joined in with him. They were in front of me the next time I heard their voice. Spinel had shifted into his true form and so had Ruby. Eli walked over to me and helped me up onto my feet.
"What is going on Sakura?" He asked. I shook my head feeling like if I spoke another word about it, something would try to kill me again. Looking up to Eli though, I knew I had to tell him. He may have been the only one able to help me. "Do you feel it Eli?" I whispered. Spinel and Ruby nodded along with him. "Do you mean the magic?" He asked and I nodded this time.
"It started to show up about a week ago, it keeps getting stronger and stronger. I tried to ask for your help but then it attacked me for the second time just now." He nodded and reached out his hand. I took it grateful for the help and let him pull me up. Weakly I rested against him. "Li's probably being sent on his way right now," I added. Eli sighed and shook his head, "Ruby, Spinel, get ready. We're going to transport Li and Meilin." Eli ordered to his servants then stepped away from me.
I watched almost in amazement as they began to chant and one of the magic circles formed in the middle of them. A few moments later Li and Meilin stood before me, with Li's mother. I sucked in a tight breath. She wasn't expected to be with them. What was going on? Had Eli gotten sloppy? When Eli smiled and nodded to her I knew that he'd purposely included her.
She walked over to me and pressed her hand to my cheek. "Sakura my child, are you feeling well?" She asked then looked me over and paled. "Sakura…were you attacked?" I nodded feeling somewhat ashamed. I blushed and looked away. Why did she always have that air of expecting so much of me? A moment later she pulled me to her in a hug and let out a breath I assumed she'd been holding for a long moment.
Pushing away she held my shoulders and looked me in the eyes then looked my body over once more. "Well…you don't seem that injured, thank the heavens. Let's head over to your house for now and figure something out." I nodded and turned leaning on Li and Eli for support for a quick moment until a very worried voice reached my ears.
"SAKURA!" I turned my head to look over my shoulder and smiled. Yue, Kero, and Madison were all running at me. "Kero!" I smiled at his transformation into his true form and his worried face. "You worry too much." I smiled more and he glared. "Put her on my back runt!" He growled at Li. Li didn't argue and with Eli's unneeded help, lifted me onto Cerberos' back.
I sighed feeling his warm fur on my face and tried to deny it but after a few moments it was too good to resist and I fell back into a black slumber.