Welcome to Northwood

It was night. The sky was an ominous black, dark clouds denying the earth the moon's gentle rays. The stars were nowhere in sight and everything was still and silent. It was as though the whole world was dead. The trees were silent, their leaves undisturbed by winds.

"CRACK!"

The sound of a twig breaking under heavy footsteps rang through the silent surroundings. Soon another set of footsteps could be heard.

Vampires were the predators of the night. They feared little, feeding off the blood of humans. They were vicious killers- killing for entertainment and torturing for fun. With their glowing eyes, wicked fangs and curved talons, they had nothing to fear. That is except for one thing... Slayers.

There was one girl in every generation. By some twist of fate and destiny, the Chosen One was the only line of defence between humans and the dark creatures of the night. It was a curse and a burden, Slayers died young and they had a thankless task of slaying vampires, monsters and god knows what else. They were cut off from society. They became loners knowing nothing but death.

The vampire managed to curse under his breath as he quickened his pace. His senses were far more superior to a normal human's, which was not surprising since vampires were demonic spirits dwelling inside human bodies. Condemned to feed off human blood for all eternity, they were immortal. They would live forever unless something or someone killed them.

The vampire's heightened hearing told them there was nothing following him. He slowed down and allowed himself a sigh of relief. He looked just like any other human with his boyish looks and seemingly frail body. But it was only a façade hiding his demonic strength. His smile was like a grimace as the flesh on his face shifted and warped turning into a ghoulish mark of ruts and bumps. His teeth lengthened and his eyes glowed in the dark. He flexed his arms and laughed. He had outwitted the Slayer! But dawn was approaching, he had to feed or he'll go hungry. With a final sneer, he headed towards the houses.

"Leaving without me?"

The vampire whirled around and stared in horror at the young girl standing behind him.

"Awww... did I catch you by surprise?" the girl's smiling face hardened, "Too bad."

She leapt forwards with supernatural speed. Her arm was a blur as she punched the vampire's nose. The monster's head whipped back as he stumbled and fell flat on his back.   

"Another one bites the dust," the girl told him mockingly as she slammed her fist onto his chest.

The vampire stared in shock as the girl removed her hand revealing the wooden stake she had held in her hands. It was buried in his chest now, the wooden tip piercing his silent heart. He managed to let out a feral scream as his body exploded into dust.

Soon the Slayer was staring at the mound of dust with a bitter chuckle she scooped up her stake from the dust brushing off the vampire's remains.

"Don't feel too bad," she commented to the pile of dust, "You're my fifth for tonight."

With a final check around to see if anybody had seen the destruction of the vampire she melted into the dark.

A Slayer's job was never finished.

~Flashback~

"It would be better for you, I promise."

"Yeah, it could help you a lot... kaiju!"

No answer.

Back in the past, Sakura would have kicked her brother by now. But the present was different. Instead Sakura stared at her brother, her emerald eyes blank and lifeless. Touya shuddered at the pain and anguish he saw in his sister's eyes.

He knew how hurt she was. He had heard his sister's weeping when she thought nobody was around. Kero had heard them he had heard them. But they couldn't do anything to comfort her.

She no longer cared. She no longer cared about the world around her and herself. She had stopped eating ages ago. She was skinny and frighteningly so.

But the once vivacious and loving cards mistress was gone. In her place was a mere shadow of her past self.

16-year-old Sakura Kinomoto existed but she no longer lived.

Sakura knew she was hurting the people around her but she no longer cared. All she was aware of was the pain inside her heart. Inside she knew that she would not heal until she released her emotions but she just couldn't.  Not here. She needed to get away from here. Away from him.

"I'll go," she said quietly.

Fujitaka Kinomoto relaxed visibly as Touya stared at his sister deep in thought.

"When do I leave?" Sakura asked quietly.

"Tomorrow."

~End of Flashback~

All that had happened a week ago and now Sakura stood at the front gates of her new school. Her father and brother had wanted to give her time to heal so they did the only thing they could send her away. Away from the source of her pain.

Sakura sighed as she made her way to the front entrance of her new school all the way in America.

She felt lonely even Kero wasn't with her. She had ordered him to stay with either Eriol or Yukito. This was something she had to do on her own. Maybe someday in the distant future she could go back home and face them again. But not for a long, long time.

Taking a deep breath she took her first step inside her new school.

"Okay, Ms. Kinomoto. Looks like everything is set. I believe you will be living in our dormitories?" the office lady smiled at her kindly, "I know this may seem strange but don't worry you will get use to it."

"Thank you," Sakura said softly.

Her English was faintly accented but most people could understand her. Sakura thanked god that languages was one of her best subjects unlike maths. She shuddered, hoping that the maths here was easy. She also hoped that she would fit in.

"Since today is a Saturday there is no school," the lady smiled at her again, "Lucky you."

Sakura smiled shyly at her instantly warming up to the nice lady.

"I guess we better show you to your dorm... Mark!" the lady called out into the hallway.

The lady turned back to Sakura.

"Mark is one of the students at this school. I think he's in your grade. If you need help in maths, he's definitely the one to ask."

Sakura kept that information in mind as someone appeared in the doorway.

"Yes, Ms. Cavell?" a warm voice asked.

"Ahhh... Mark, please show this young lady to Dorm. 3," Ms. Cavell said pleasantly, "And if you can show her around the school."

"Of course."

Sakura turned around and had to look up to see Mark's face. A pair of laughing blue-greens eyes looked down at her as a warm smile lit up his ruddy face. His dark hair was incredibly messy and flopped down over his forehead. Even as Sakura watched he brushed it out of his eyes.

"I have to get this cut," he said ruefully, "Shall I lead the way?"

Sakura nodded as she picked up her bag.

"Oh and Ms. Kinomoto?"

"Yes?" Sakura turned back to Ms. Cavell.

"Welcome to America."

"This school was built in the 1940's so it has a lot of history," Mark told her as they walked, "These are the science labs and around the corner is the library. My dad works there."

"He's a librarian?" Sakura asked curious.

"Yeah, pretty much," Mark abruptly changed the subject, "So what's your name?"

"Sakura Kinomoto."
"Hmm... Kinomoto. Sounds Japanese."
"It is."

Mark looked at her.

"Not much of talker are you?" Mark laughed, "No worry. I can talk enough for both of us."

They continued walking as Sakura tried to keep a mental map of where everything was. All the while Mark kept talking.

"And here we are Dorm. 3," Mark knocked on the door.

Minutes ticked by as Sakura shifted her weight nervously.

"Do I have to live with someone?" she asked suddenly.

"Yeah but it's a girl," Mark told her distractedly, "I happen to know..."

"What?" the door opened revealing a girl that was around the same age as Sakura.

She was slightly taller than Sakura and almost immediately Sakura noticed her muscular arms and legs.

=She must work out a lot= Sakura thought.

"Acacia," Mark said shortly, "This is your new room mate."

"Great," Acacia scowled at Sakura.

Acacia had long red hair, which was tied back into a ponytail. Her blue eyes were as cold as ice as she stepped back.

"Come in," she said coldly.

Silently Sakura stepped into her dormitory.

"Now go away," Acacia told Mark irately.

"Be nice," Mark ordered coldly.

"You're not my daddy," Acacia said sweetly, "Now go!"

Mark rolled his eyes and left as Acacia turned back to Sakura.

"The room to your left is yours. The room to my right is mine. Don't ever go in there."

With that the bad-tempered girl stormed into her room and slammed her door shut. Sakura could hear the lock clicking into place. Puzzling over the girl's behaviour Sakura went into her room and closed her door.

The room was bright and sunny as the sunlight streamed through a large window. The walls was painted a bland cream colour but this only served to fit in with the furniture, which was really a wooden desk and a wooden wardrobe. A small bed was set to one side. Sakura viewed her new room in silence.

She shrugged and smiled and began unpacking her clothes.

Deep beneath the city of Northwood lays a cavern. A cavern guarded by powerful magic unseen by human eyes for over a century. It was here that the Devourer dwelled.

It was old when the earth was young. It had dwelled here for centuries biding its time and now that time had come. Soon... so very soon could it would break free of this prison. And once again he would feast.

"My lord, all is set," the vampire bowed respectfully to his 'lord', "We're waiting for you command."

'Very well,' the Devourer's voice was a cold as a winter's blizzard and was more evil and calculating than anything any humans had even dreamed up in their nightmares.

It was in evil. The vilest creature to ever exist on earth and strangely few knew of it existence.

'You may begin tonight.'

Sakura was bored. Bored out of her mind. She had absolutely nothing to do. She sighed and flicked through the book she had been reading for the umpteenth time. Suddenly there was a knock of the door. Frowning she got up and disarmed her magical wards.

"Come in," she called.

The door opened to reveal a grumpy Acacia.

"Someone at the door," she growled before stomping off.

Curious Sakura went to the door.

"Mark!"

"Hey," Mark smiled at her, "Bored? Want to do something fun?"

"Depends."

"How about going out for a coffee or something?"

Sakura shrugged.

"Beats sitting around here doing nothing."

She walked out into the hallway.

"Acacia, I'm going out!" she called before closing the door.

"Where are we going?" she asked turning back to Mark.

"You'll see."

The vampires watched from the shadows almost giggling with glee seeing the people inside. The place was packed. It seemed the café was the only place to go within this boring little town.

Simultaneously all the vampires drop their human facades and vamped out. Their face muscles twisted and warped revealing grotesque demonic faces.

"Showtime!"

"Is it always this full?" Sakura asked as they attempted to get near the counter.

"Yeah, this is pretty much the only place to go around here," Mark told her over the noise of the crowd.

Sakura looked around at the Black Water café and saw all the tables were packed full of chatting people. The café was very slickly decorated with black and white tiles covering the floors. The walls were painted white with several potted plants breaking up the bland visage. Several paintings hung from the wall, their glass frames reflecting the cheery lights hanging from the roof.

"Hey, Mark maybe we shoul..."

The whole café exploded into screams as something heavy punched through one of the glass windows. Poking in through the hole it had made a ghoulish face smiled at them, it's lips peeled back to reveal long fangs.

"Boo."

Mark gasped in shock but he remained still as the other people around him surged towards the exit. The door exploded inwards as more of the monsters appeared at the doorway.

"Don't let any of them escape!" the monster at the window called as it smashed through the remaining glass and stepped onto the tiled floors, "All their blood is needed."

"Vampires," Mark murmured softly.

Sakura looked at him surprised. Weren't vampires a legend? But her attention was switched quickly back to the invading creatures. She looked around and almost growled in frustration. There were too many people here; she couldn't use her magic without being seen.

"Damn it!" she swore uncharacteristically.

The people around her were now rooted to the spot, their minds numb with fear. Their limbs were unable to move as they tried to comprehend what was happening. At some primitive level they knew they were going to die but they couldn't handle it. They were like a ticking time bomb about to explode into chaos at any minute. The vampire at the window, who was obviously the leader, seemed to sense this and he smiled.

"Separate the young from the old," he ordered the other vampires, "only the young ones would do. The older ones... kill them."

The other vampires reacted instantly leaping forwards as they cackled with malice. Sakura watched helpless as a female vampire pinned an elderly man to the wall and sank her fangs into him. She giggled as the man struggled and weakened as she drained more and more of the man's blood.

She felt sick. Sakura looked away as more vampires leapt into the fray. Screams filled the air as more and more humans fell.

"And now ladies and gentlemen," the leader called, "You see history in the making."

Mark grabbed her hand and gripped it tightly. She looked up as he looked at her worriedly.

"Don't worry. Everything will be okay," he said gently.

Sakura didn't believe him for a second.

"How can you be so calm?" she murmured to him.

"Because I like to be macho about everything," Mark smiled crookedly, "Why are you so calm?"

"I've been through worse," Sakura shuddered remembering all her close shaves with the Clow cards.

Clow cards. If only she could use them but there were too many people here. She couldn't use them without being spotted by a vampire and ripped to shreds. Sakura waited and bided her time.

And all around her more people died.

They were thrust to one side guarded by two female vampires as they watched on in horror. A pile of dead bodies lay to one side as the leader vampire chuckled.

"Ahhhh... blood," he held up a weeping teenager and tore his throat out.

He laughed as blood splattered onto the floor.

"Start," he ordered to one of his lackeys.

The vampire immediately got to work. He dabbed a paintbrush into the puddle of blood lying on the ground and began painting complex designs on a clean section of the floor. Working quickly he filled up half of the floor space.

"I think we need one more victim," he cowered as the leader vampire glared at him.

"Very well," he growled.

He nodded to one of the female vampires.

"Get another one."

Sakura almost choked when the female looked at her.

"Ooo... aren't you a pretty thing," the female cooed as she stroked her hair with her cold fingers, "You would do."

The female vamp grabbed her and thrust her into the leader's waiting hands. Sakura closed her eyes and waited.

The leader laughed and stroked her hair.

"Pity you have to die, you would make a lovely vampire," he hissed in her ear, "No hard feelings."

Sakura felt sickened as he stroked her thigh with his hands. She slowly opened her eyes and could see Mark who was struggling against one of the female guards.

"SAKURA!" he yelled.

But everything seemed so far away. It was as though she was in a trance. She knew she was going to die but she did not feel fear. It was as though she was a spectator watching from afar. She felt the vampire's hand wound around her hair. She waited calmly for the gentle tug that will break her neck.

She could see the other vampire had almost covered the whole floor with his bloody designs. Sakura could feel the power emanating from the designs as the blood shimmered and glowed bathing the whole café in a brilliant azure blue. 

The vampire leader chuckled and began to slowly pull.

"See you in hell..." he laughed like a maniac as he increased his strength, "HAHA... ARGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!"

He let out an inhuman scream as an arrow shot past Sakura's arm and hit the vampire's chest. The wooden shaft went straight through his silent heart.

Sakura shook out of her trance as the vampire suddenly exploded into dust showering her with his remains. She looked around confused and spotted her rescuer.

A young girl wearing a veil over her face stood at the destroyed doors of the café. Beside her two piles of dust were already being swept away by the winds. In her hands she held an ancient looking crossbow. The girl took one look at the glowing runes on the ground and fitted another arrow to her crossbow.

"Shows over, vampires."

The Devourer resisted the urge to laugh as it felt the magical wards surrounding his prison beginning to fall. It waited impatiently, as the wards grew thinner and thinner. Soon it would disappear altogether.

Then earth would be nothing more then it's own personal smorgasbord.

Chaos broke out among the vampires as the girl shot another vampire in the chest. Before it even exploded into dust, the mysterious veiled girl dropped her crossbow and withdrew a wicked-looking wooden stake from the belt she wore around her narrow waist.

With almost supernatural speed she leapt forwards and slammed a vampire into a wall. She slammed the stake home and whirled around as the vampire decayed into the dust behind her.

Sakura knew there was too many even for this extraordinary fighter. Never had seen someone with such grace, speed and power not even Meiling or Syaoran. But she was clearly outnumbered.

Everybody else in the café was too stunned to even move. Looks like it was up to her. The vampire painter sped up as his paintbrush moved every which way painting out grotesque designs on the floor. The blood was slowly becoming brighter, its bluish glow washing over the vampires making their already hideous face even more demonic.

But she needed a place to summon her wand. Sakura glanced to her right and saw the toilets. Praying that no one would notice her, she dashed towards it pushing the stunned humans away.

Sakura didn't even bother to look back as another vampire met its end. She flung the door open and making sure there was nobody around gripped the necklace, which she always wore around her neck.

"Key of stars with powers burning bright! Reveal the staff and shine your light!" she yelled hauntingly, "RELEASE!"
The key glowed and lengthened in her hands as Sakura gripped her wand tightly feeling the magic emanating from the wand.

"Illusion! Distort my features so no one will recognise me! Release and dispel!"

The Illusion burst free from its card and glowed shooting a blast of white energy at Sakura's face. Sakura's face rippled and distorted as her eyes changed from green to violet and her hair turned a dull greyish-brown and lengthened.

Sakura stared at herself in the mirror. Her face now looked like her mothers. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she shook herself and gripped her wand tightly.

With a deep breath she opened the doors and stepped into the fray.

Mark watched not even daring to breathe as the magical runes on the ground glowed even brighter. It was as if a glowing blue sun had just been born inside the café. The mysterious fighter grunted as she was hurled against the floor. Performing a neat little flip she was back on her feet and slammed her fist into another vampire's face crushing its nose. She was slowing down as her breath came up in harsh gasps. She was tiring and the vampires noticed this and strengthened their attacks.

The painting vampire laughed and leapt back as the whole café shook. The paintings fell off the shaking walls and fell to the heaving ground. The designs began fading as the floor somehow rippled. Mark strained his eyes to see through the bright blue light and could see something was pushing up against the floor.

He sucked in his breath as he saw a pair of reptilian eyes appear on the floor surface. They seemed to be looking right at him, looking right into his very soul.

'Finally,' the voice was a powerful as a brewing storm and as cold as ice, 'I shall feast!'

The floor pushed upwards as the creature seemed to struggle against an invisible barrier.

'Soon...'

"But not today," a voice yelled over the screams of the vampires.

Mark stared at the beauty, which stood in front of the glowing runes on the ground. She had vivid violet eyes and brown hair, which almost flowed down to the ground.

"WATERY! WASH THIS BLOOD AWAY!" the girl seemed to take something out from her pocket and hurled it straight into the centre of the glowing blood, "RELEASE AND DISPEL!"

The vampire painter screamed in horror and rage as some sort of blue mermaid-like being burst from the object the girl had thrown onto the ground. Water exploded from the creature as a look of utter concentration appeared on its blue face. With a wave of its hands streams of water smashed into the ground shattering the tiles and broke up the bloody paintings. Water continued to gush from the creature's hands as the blood was swept away. The blue glowing stopped as an angry roar burst from last remaining traces of the bloody runes.

'NO! HOW?' the reptilian creature raged as the floor rippled once more and settled. The shaking stopped as the eyes disappeared.

"ARRRRWWWWWW!!!" the vampire painter leapt at the girl, who was holding a pink staff in her hands. The bluish mermaid creature flicked her hand at the charging monster and a huge burst of water sent him crashing into the wall.

"Watery return!" the girl yelled holding up her wand.

The creature nodded and glowed. It shrank and warped into a glowing rectangular shape and flew into the girl's hand.

"FIERY! KILL THE VAMPIRES!" the girl screamed.

Without the glowing Mark could see what the girl had thrown onto the ground. It seemed to be a card of some sort. This time the girl threw another card onto the ground and hefted up her wand. Glowing designs appeared beneath her feet as a breeze appeared from nowhere and danced in her hair as she brought the wand down.

"RELEASE AND DISPEL!"

A red creature with long wings burst from the cards, burning flames surrounding its clenched up fist. It fixed its burning gaze on the wounded vampire who was struggling to get up.

"No..." it managed to croak weakly.

"BOOM!"

The wall practically exploded as the people standing around him screamed in horror. Fire burst from the creature's hand and surrounded the vampire burning it alive. It's screams could be heard a block away as its flesh charred and exploded into dust.

The other girl, the one armed with the stake, turned around in surprise as the red creature gestured. A long stream of flame burst from its hands and seemed to land almost delicately onto a vampire. The ribbon of fire leapt from one vampire to another wrapping all of them in its burning grip. The brown-haired girl staggered as if something had just hit her. She looked tired and weak. Mark knew that the girl must be tired from summoning those strange creatures.

The winged red creature glanced at the girl worriedly. It clapped its hands together and the fire ribbon burst into a giant ball of flames smashing through the roof as it dispersed into the night air. All that was left of the vampires were piles of ash. The red creature glowed and changed back into a card. It flew through the air as the brown-haired girl caught it.

"Who are you?" she murmured weakly to the veiled girl.

The veiled girl seemed to stare at her for a while. Suddenly in the distance the sound of police sirens could be heard. The veiled girl whirled around at the sound and dashed out the broken door disappearing into the night.

The other girl glanced at the shocked humans around her and glanced at the pile of mangled corpse on the ground. Tears flowed down her face as she took another card from her pocket.

Mark frowned. How many of those things did she have?

"Time card... freeze time... Release and dispel." The girl cried weakly hitting the card with her staff.

A greenish-yellow light washed over Mark and he knew no more.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mark asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Sakura murmured weakly still shaking.

"Thank god the police stopped the vam... masked criminals."

Sakura nodded as Mark stopped at the front door of her dormitory.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mark asked worriedly.

=Thank god, Sakura had blacked out and not seen the monster or the girl attacking the vampires= he thought gratefully.

=Thanks god he doesn't know I'm the cards mistress= Sakura thought wearily.

"Goodnight," she said as she managed to somehow shove her key into the door and unlock it.

"Goodnight," Mark said distractedly as he began to walk away.

Sakura nodded and turned to walk into her dorm.

"Sakura?"

"Yeah?" she turned around.

"Welcome to Northwood."