Card Games (B#1)

by Bekah-chan

The Cards are bored and threaten to form a Union, if Sakura doesn’t give them games and junk food. This story is a part of the ‘Between’ series, which is set between my first Card Captor fic and ‘Sakura’s Peace’. Some Sakura + Syaoran Romance.

"Card Games"

The Between Series #1

A Card Captor Fanfiction

By: Bekah-chan

Rated: PG

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the games, or other copyrighted items, that might appear in this fic. This includes Card Captors.

Summary: The Cards are bored and threaten to form a Union, if Sakura doesn't give them games and junk food. This story is a part of the 'Between' series, which is set between my first Card Captor fic and 'Sakura's Peace'. Some Sakura + Syaoran Romance. **Complete** No Spoliers for 'Sakura's Peace', but some for 'What the Cards Were For'.

***

Sakura squinted at the algebra problem, trying to make the numbers move around til they made sense. No Luck. Sigh. She was never going to pass this year's algebra exam, never. This wasn't even the exam exam, either, just a practice exam; And she couldn't even do this right. She looked out of the corner of her eye at the others, busily scratching away with their pencils, and envied them. Double Sigh.

****Ding****

Sakura sat up straight and looked around again, this time searching for the source of that noise. It had sounded like a bell, but not like the school bell.

****Ding****

Where was that coming from?

****Ding****

Her head?

****Ding****

There was a dinging sound coming from her head.

****Ding****

Had she finally lost it? Was the algebra just too much? Was this the end?

****Ding****

No, wait! It was the Cards! They must be trying to get her attention, ~Quiet, please~ she, mentally, called back to them, ~I'm trying to take a test here!~

Silence.

Good. She went back to her test, deciding to skip that problem and come back later.... And, maybe the next problem too......

***DING***

This time she jumped, causing everyone to look at her strangely.

"Are you alright, Ms. Avalon?" the teacher inquired.

"Yes, I'm fine." she assured him.

"Then, everyone get back to work."

The students obeyed. Well, all but Sakura, and Syaoran, who was looking at her with concern.

***DING***

She jumped again, but only slightly, and no one noticed except Syaoran. Sakura caught his eyes, trying to convey something was wrong. He held her gaze for a moment, then nodded, slowly. And Sakura sighed in relief. He would help her get out of here!

***DING***

~Would you guys be quiet!! I'm trying!~

***DING*DONG***

Ouch! Now the Cards were donging as well, and it was loud! What ever Syaoran was doing, he'd better do it fast!

~Stop it!! You're giving me a headache!~

A Pause, then the dinging started up again, but it was quieter; And it was dinging out the 'Jeopardy!' theme song!! Her eyes, now almost frantic, went back to Syaoran's. She knew him so well, she could tell exactly what he was thinking. He wanted to help her, would help her, he'd just needed one more minute to finish the test. But, if things were that bad ('Jeopardy!' The horror! The horror!!) He would leave his test. Sakura was far more important to him than his math grade.

Syaoran fell out of his chair, to land on the floor, dramatically. The whole exercise was punctuated with artful moans of distress. Sakura spared a moment to look at him with admiration, before leaping from her desk to help him to his feet (with appropriate sounds of concern).

"Mr. Li, what's wrong?" the teacher asked.

"Nothing," Syaoran warbled, "I'm fine. Just...." faint gasp, "just something I ate at lunch."

"Umm, maybe you should go to the nurse's office?"

"No," Syaoran protested, weakly, "I don't want to miss the test."

"That's okay son, you can make it up tomorrow."

"Alright." the boy feebly consented.

"Good. Now Sakura, since you're already out of your seat, why don't you take Mr. Li to the nurse's office?"

"Sure." Always happy to help.........

"And you, Ms. Avalon, will also make up your test tomorrow."

Great. Thanks.

The pair made their way to the door. Syaoran was leaning on Sakura, one arm around her shoulders, while Sakura's arm was around his waist. They stayed in this position all the way down the hall and around the corner, until they were out of sight. Then Syaoran stopped leaning on her, but they kept their arms around each other. For different reasons this time.

"Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm, Da-da-da-da-da-da-da--"

"Sakura? What's wrong, and why are you humming the 'Jeopardy!' theme song?"

"Oh, was I? I'm sorry. The Cards are trying to get my attention."

"With a game show theme song?"

"Well, it started out as a loud 'ding' then moved on to the theme song."

"Ah. Have they said what they want?"

"No. Let's find a quiet place and I'll talk to Windy."

"Okay." Syaoran looked around and saw a stair well a few feet away, "There, that should be quiet enough. Class isn't out for another half hour."

When Syaoran turned, from closing the stair doorway behind them, he found Sakura looking at him oddly. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. Just: 'Thank you' for rescuing me back there."

"Anytime," he smiled at her.

"You're so gallant," she told him, putting her arms around his neck, "My brave knight; putting his own math grade in peril, just for me."

"Well," he returned her hug, " you were in such distress, that I....."

Sakura cut him off with her lips. They hardly had any time alone, she didn't want to waste it. Soon Sakura was lost, as it always happened when she was close to her love. And she quickly forgot why they'd left class in the first place.

But the Cards hadn't:

***DING***

She jumped, pulling away from Syaoran and scowling.

"Hope that's not for me."

"No it's not. It's the Cards again, I'd better see what they want."

"I'll keep watch."

They both sat on the stairs and Sakura closed her eyes:

~Okay, Windy, I'm here. What do you want?~

~Good day Mistress. And how are you?~

~Don't be smart with me, you've already given me a headache~

~I'm sorry Mistress~ Yep, the Windy sounded 'Sorry' (Not) ~But it was necessary~

~What's wrong?~

~Well, you know how you've been too busy with finals to train, or even talk to us much?~

~Yes~ and she felt guilty about it too, ~I'm sorry.~

~Oh, that's alright Mistress, we understand. It's just that....~

~What?~

~Well we're bored, Mistress.~

~Bored?~

~Yes, bored. And we've made a list of demands~ (pause) ~I meant 'requests'~

Sure it did. Sakura was beginning to remember the Windy's grating personality.

~What 'requests'?~

~Well, games for one. We'd like: Twister (tm), and Monopoly (tm), and a deck of playing cards (Thunder ate most of the last one), and Pictionary (tm), and ......~

~Hold it. You want board games?!~

~Yes, I've got a list of games here. And we also want: potato chips, and those little cupcake things, and those cheese doodle dealies, and....~

~And Junk Food?!?!?~

~Yes, Mistress. I've got a list for that too.~

~But how?... I mean you're in my head!! How am I supposed to get all that stuff in there!!!~

~Well, you should really find a way, because the natives are getting restless.~

~Restless?!?~ This was getting very bizarre.

~Exactly. I'm afraid we really must insist. There's been talk of a Union...~

~A WHAT!!??~

~A Union, Mistress. To protect our rights.~

~And what would you do if I said 'No'~ Sakura asked, curiously incredulous, ~Go on Strike?!?~

~Oh! No, Mistress, never! We are at your disposal, whenever you need us!!~ The Card sounded shocked at the very idea.

~Then, what?~ Sakura was relieved that they would still help her when she needed them, but what could they possibly use to force her to cede to their 'requests'?

~Well~ Windy said, ~We've got a xylophone here, and we're not afraid to use it.~

***DING***

Oh. Well, that was different.

******

"Kero?" Sakura called into the empty house, "Kero, where are you?"

It was later that same afternoon. Sakura had gotten the Cards to leave her alone by promising to talk to Kero about how she could meet their demands.... *ahem* 'requests', right after school. Except, now it was after school, and she couldn't find Kero.

"Kero?" She looked in her room (in his little drawer), In the kitchen (In the cupboards, breadbox, cookie-jar, under the table, in the fridge, and in the pantry), In the livingroom, and the basement. No Kero.

"Kero!?!" She had to find him! What if the Cards started to play the 'Jeopardy!' theme song again?!? What could she do???

"Yes," *yawn*, "Sakura?"

She turned to see Kero floating in from the livingroom, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. (It turned out he had been asleep on the sofa, and fallen down between the cushions.)

"Oh, good! There you are. Kero, we have a problem...."

"What?" Kero saw how upset she was, and woke up a little more, "What is it?"

"It's the Cards," she reported to him, gravely, "They've formed a Union..."

******

Sakura looked around. The last time she'd been here, she didn't recall it being so... So *pink* But then, she hadn't really been paying that much attention. At first she'd been kinda absent, with that whole 'amnesia' thing, and then she'd been worried about Syaoran, and she'd really hadn't had time to take in the scenery.

Now though, as she walked through her mind, she was paying more attention. The pink ground felt firm beneath her feet, and the pink mist cool on her face, but that was the only color she could see. No wonder the Cards were bored!! It must be mind-numbing (no pun intended) to sit around and stare at this much PINK all day, ever day.

Poor things.

Hey, wait! They were not 'poor things'!! They had been using xylophone torture on *her*, their own Mistress! She had to be firm, while she was giving them everything they wanted, so they'd know she was still in charge.

She came through the dense, pink, fog, into a clearing, and there were all the Cards. She wasn't sure, but she thought some of them looked smug.

~Mistress!~ Windy came out of the crowd to great her, ~Welcome~

Now, she was being welcomed into her own mind. Great. Just, great.

~Windy~ she acknowledged, with a nod.

Seeing that she was annoyed (who wouldn't be?) Windy dismissed all the other Cards, except one, and they got down to work.

******

Once Sakura had explained the problem(s) to Kero, they had brain stormed for awhile, and finally come up with a plan. Kero had said that, since it was in her mind, she should just be able to imagine the stuff up, and that would be it. And Sakura had the idea of using Create to help out. Then they conferred with Windy, and the plan was on.

******

~Now~ Windy said, while pulling two long lists out of some unseen pocket, ~this is the games list, and this one's the food list, and.....~

~Wait~ Sakura stopped the Card, ~I just have some questions first.~

~Alright, Mistress.~

~Okay, first: If you guys have been so bored, why didn't you complain until now?~

~Well, we did have some things to occupy us; Like the playing cards, until Thunder ate them. Then we spent a few weeks coming up with the lists; Then someone suggested the Union, and we spent about a month agreeing on the name...~

~Wait~ Sakura interrupted again, ~Name?~

~Yes. After much debate we decided on: C.A.R.D.S.~

~Huh?~

~C.A.R.D.S. it's an acronym for: Cards Announcing Rights for Diversionary Staples.~

~Oh.~

Pause

~Was that all, Mistress?~

~Oh, umm, no. I also wanted to know where you got the xylophone.~

~Oh, that was easy~ the Card waved a hand, dismissively, ~We just had Create make that for us~

~What?~ Sakura looked over at the magic book, floating patiently, beside them, ~If the Create can do that, why not just have it 'create' games for you?~

~Because, Create's creations are temporary. Or they are without your magic, anyway. It's upsetting to be four hours into a rousing game of Monopoly (tm) only to have it disappear when you're about to win.~

Yes, that would be a little upsetting.

~Okay,~ Sakura told Windy, ~That' s all I wanted to know. Let's get to work.~

******

In the end, Sakura gave them most of what they wanted. There were, however, a few exceptions. Like: She wouldn't create any game for them that had a buzzer or bell involved (she could see how the random buzzing and ringing, coming from her head, would drive her completely loony in no time at all); And they only got soda-pop on the condition that, if they spilled any, it was gone, and they wouldn't get any more (she didn't want any sticky messes in her brain).

But, everyone was happy, and C.A.R.D.S. was disbanded. So, Sakura was content as she walked back through the (now lessened, and partially different colored) fog, to the exit.

******

When Sakura opened her eyes, now back in her body, she found Syaoran staring into them. It was a nice thing to wake up to.

"How did it go?" he asked.

She stood, and stretched, before answering him; walking over to put her arms in their favorite place: Around Syaoran. "Let's just say," she smiled up at him, "No more xylophone."

"Xylophone?" his eyebrows drew together in an adorable expression of confusion, "What 'xylophone'?"

But Sakura didn't answer him, although she would later. For now she just put her lips in their favorite place; against his own, and enjoyed the silence.

The End ^_~

Author's Notes: Well, did you like it? I've got more ideas where this came from, let me know :)