Disclaimer: No Cardcaptors doesn't have anything to do with me, I simple stole the characters and put them in my story. Aside from that as a heads up, I've taken a few liberties with the cards powers in order to make some things work and I've also stolen a few elements of Tsubasa –Fei Wong, Yuuko etc, you'll know it when you see it.
"…..And then you multiply equation A by 3 and equation B by 4 so that the numerators of X are the same and then subtract equation A from B…" the lecturer droned on but half the class wasn't listening. It was the middle of summer and it was far too hot to try and think about anything but finding someway of keeping cool.
Sakura struggled valiantly to stay focused and awake but the heat was slowly getting to her. The building they were in was newly built and not everything was working as it should, the lights sometimes flicked on and off and the air conditioning would sometimes switch abruptly from cold to hot or vice versa. This morning it had turned from cold to hot in the middle of a lecture –half the class had almost fainted before someone figured out what had happened and turned it off. As a result the room, filled with 100 warm bodies and with only a few windows up near the ceiling, was now stifling in the afternoon heat of summer.
Sakura's head dropped lower and lower until it finally rested on the desk and she fell asleep. Beside her Madison, who was slightly better off with her chilled water bottle and paper fan smiled lightly and jotted down some more notes so her friend could copy them later. Meanwhile, oblivious to the world around her Sakura dreamed of the past.
"You can't beat Raijuu with Windy! Use something else!...The Power Card likes games!...Don't stop thinking you have to find a way out, Maze will trap you forever if you don't!... Wait! You can't combine two attack cards you don't know what might happen!" Phantom words called out to her in the midst of fear and confusion. Phantom hands held hers on the staff "Don't give up! I'm a descendant of Clow, let me help you, you can do this! Now, transform them and break his spell!"
Sakura shifted but kept sleeping. "Who are you?" she asked her dream, yet again. She knew that voice, even if she'd never seen him in reality. In her dreams she knew his name but forgot it even as she woke. He called out to her with advice and once even magic, she didn't know how but he was there when she needed him, even if they could only meet in dreams.
"Syaoran." She mumbled, starting to come awake. Madison's sharp ears caught the name and she wondered who it might be. Unbeknown to either of them they were about to face a far more immediate problem.
The fire started on the ground floor in an empty classroom. With no one to notice it was there it grew quickly, running along the floor like a river before climbing the curtains to the ceiling. In minutes the room was devoured. Smoke leaked out from the door hinges and the floor gap. Finally the pressure grew too much the door blew open sending the fire leaping out into the main corridor.
With more fuel to feed on it grew bigger and bigger, smoke billowed down the corridor in both directions. A student running from one class to the other almost ran directly into the smoke as she rounded a corner. She immediately smashed the glass and hit the fire alarm and then raced back the way she had come, shouting to alert everyone to the danger. Students streamed out of their classes in an orderly fashion at first, most people thought it was a drill. However upon seeing the flames so close and coming closer every second many of them panicked. The main exit was already blocked by the fire, the classroom it had started in was on the same corridor.
As the fire lapped at their heels the students trying to leave by the main exit turned and tried to go back the other way, the press of people behind them making it almost impossible. People started to panic and ran into computer rooms and other ground floor classrooms to try and get out the windows. The two other smaller exits kept a steady stream of people flowing but the fire spread rapidly and soon they too were in danger of being blocked by the smoke and flames.
Sakura and Madison were in their math class on the top floor of the building when the fire alarm went off. The class quickly grabbed what they could and headed for the already crowded stairwells which led to the exits. They were halfway down when the flow of people reversed and the crowd started to flee upwards away from the hungry flames below. Madison immediately realised what had happened and urged the teachers to take them to the roof. Other students took up the cry and the crowd surged up the stairs, taking the teachers with them. They got to the roof and started looking for ways to get down.
In the confusion Madison manoeuvred Sakura into a corner, "Can't you use Water to put the fire out?" she whispered.
Sakura nodded, "I was just waiting for a chance to get away from everyone to use my magic." She turned away from the crowd and took out the Star Key. "Make sure no one's looking at me ok?"
Madison nodded and moved so that she was between Sakura and the crowd, partly obscuring her from unwanted eyes. "Ok, go."
Sakura raised the key and chanted softly "Oh Key of Clow, power of Magic power of Light. Surrender the wand, the force ignite! Release!" The Key transformed into the staff and her magic circle disappeared from beneath her feet. Sakura carefully looked around, keeping the staff hidden and made sure no one had seen. Turning back she took out a card. "Mirror!" she called softly.
Mirror appeared quickly. Taking in the situation at a glance she transformed into another Sakura and then crouched down behind Madison. "I need you to be me while I put the fire out." Sakura told Mirror, "Help Madison keep everyone calm." Mirror nodded, "Ok. Good luck mistress."
"Thanks," Sakura took out another card. "Through!" She slid through the fence surrounding the roof and balanced precariously on the outside rim. "Illusion!" Her clothes flowed and changed into the pink and gold battle costume she'd worn to capture the Void Card with the addition of a pink mask to hide her face. Her hair was also longer and hung freely to add to the disguise. Finally she made herself look several years older than her actual age. No one would even think of her as Madison's friend Sakura now. "Fly!" She jumped off the roof and flew up and out to get a clearer view of the situation.
The whole bottom section of the building was on fire, windows spewing out black smoke. The flames were moving fast. Despite her mastery of the Fire Card Sakura was still very, very respectful of the power and danger even normal fire wielded, magic just added to the problem. Circling the building several times she carefully planned what to do before acting, she didn't want to make any mistakes with so many lives at stake.
As she circled the crowd that had gathered below spotted her and people on the roof also started to take notice. Trying to ignore the growing noise as people shouted and pointed Sakura took out another card. The first order of business was to get the students off the roof and out of danger. A small grin, tugged at the corners of her mouth, this should cause a stir. "Float!" The cries of amazement turned to shouts of fear and surprise on the roof as pink bubbles surrounded each and every student there, lifting them off into the air and bringing them safely down onto clear spaces in the evacuation area.
Once she was sure all of them were safe Sakura turned her mind back to the fire. She knew there might still be people inside. Task two would be their protection. "Shield!" The card spirit raced through the building, enclosing every person it found in a protective circle of magic. Maintaining so many separate shields was a big drain on her power but Sakura refused to leave even one person unprotected. It was too big a risk to hope that everyone would remain safe until she could get them out.
Inside the building all those trapped by the fire or smoke were amazed as white bubbles of light appeared around them, dispelling whatever flames and smoke were inside and then keeping the danger outside at bay.
Next Sakura summoned the Move Card. Patiently, one by one she moved all the trapped people outside and the injured ones to the car park where emergency services were starting to arrive. Once every person was safe and outside the danger zone, Sakura summoned her last two cards.
"Water! Rain!" Rain floated above Water, smiling and giggling as she poured liquid down onto her more powerful cousin, giving Water a power boost as she prepared for the challenge ahead. Water was not one of the most forgiving cards at the best of times and she was more than a little angry that her mistress was being put in this position by outside forces rather than choosing the time and place to reveal her powers. This would be a good way to vent her anger.
Water grinned and then hurled herself forward. Streaking down to the base of the building and then surrounding it she took no little satisfaction from the screams and shouts that heralded her appearance (stupid people troubling her and her mistress) before plunging in through windows, doors and any other entry point she could find. Steam replaced smoke as she unleashed all her fury on the fire.
Working her way up from the bottom floor she filled every last nook and cranny with her power, drowning the fire in her watery embrace before moving up to the next level. Water flowed into classroom, offices, bathrooms and lecture halls, extinguishing every tongue of flame that dared to show itself.
Thanks to Sakura's magic not a single computer or piece of furniture or stationery was damaged by Water's passage, there were no shorts or trapped bubbles anywhere and every electronic device that was not damaged by smoke or fire remained that way, such was Sakura's wish as Water's mistress. Within minutes the fire was extinguished.
As she hovered above the crowd Sakura began to think about how to make her escape and grimaced. With all the cell-phone cameras and video cameras trained on her it would be difficult to just fade into the background and replace Mirror with her real self.
"I suppose I'll have to give them a show," she muttered, "Madison's must be loving this." Even though the rest of her was exasperated with the mess she'd gotten herself into, a small part of her was excited –like an actor about to go on stage. "Alright, I'd best get it over with."
Madison, on the ground with the rest of the student body had had her video camera trained on Sakura since she took off from the roof. Capturing every moment of her friend's dramatic appearance and rescue activities she was thrilled to pieces. As Sakura floated above them Madison listened to the excited talk of the people around her and smiled to herself, this was going to make so many more opportunities to film Sakura in action! "It's about time too," She said to herself, "Sakura was going to get rusty if she didn't do anything soon." Giggling to herself she watched in excitement as Sakura made her exit. Her long association with Sakura and her non-theatrical nature made what Sakura did next very surprising and impressive.
An intensely bright light suddenly surrounded Sakura, illuminating her despite the brightness of the afternoon sun and drawing every eye that was not already looking in her direction. The light then faded around her body until only her wings were glowing, casting her face in shadow. With each flap of her wings silver edged feathers rained down on her captive audience, more and more appearing until it seemed the sky was full of feathers. Madison –still filming –grabbed a few and stuffed them into her bag to admire later.
As the rain of feathers fell Sakura raised her staff, which then disappeared and then curled up into a ball. Reminiscent of when Kero and Yue transformed her shining wings grew and then wrapped themselves around her. After several seconds the enshrouding wings opened again but there was nothing inside them. The crowd gasped and then gasped again as the wings dissolved into streamers of magic which curled and twisted in the air for a moment before fading away into nothing.
Several seconds passed as the crowd absorbed what had just happened and then suddenly someone near the middle whistled and started clapping. Everyone then burst into cheers and applause even though no one knew if the mysterious girl was still near enough to hear. It took several minutes for the clamour to die down and the police who had arrived halfway through the spectacle immediately started questioning students. Madison quietly slipped away with Mirror still disguised as Sakura and they quickly made their way back to Sakura and Madison's apartment. It was obvious that classes wouldn't be happening for the rest of the day.
Madison opened the door to the apartment and ushered Mirror in then locked the door behind them. Sakura jumped up from the couch where she'd nervously been waiting for them. "Did I do okay?" she blurted out. "I didn't overdo it or anything did I? I knew I wouldn't be able to switch with Mirror without somebody filming it so I thought I'd distract everyone with a big exit and –"
Madison held up her hands to stem the flood of nervous chatter. "You did great Sakura, just great, Mirror did fine and you saved everyone in the building. You. Did. Great." She made Sakura sit back down on the couch and went go make her a soothing cup of tea. While she was in the kitchen Mirror reassured Sakura again, that yes she had done a wonderful job, no she hadn't disappointed Madison and yes the Cards were happy to be used to help people and then reverted back to her card form.
"What am I going to do now Madison?" Sakura asked her friend when she came back in, "I'm a celebrity now, and they probably think I'm some sort of superhero. What if they expect me to fight crime all the time like in the movies? I'll never pass my courses!"
"Well the cat's out of the bag now, what we need is to do is try and keep things under control. First we need a way of finding out quickly where and when a crime or disaster or whatever happens. Then we need a system of dealing with it –when to act, when not to act etc."
Sakura groaned, "I know we didn't have any other choice but I'm wondering if I really should have put out that fire in such a spectacular manner." Madison patted her on the shoulder.
"Hey, you're not alone in this Sakura. Me, Kero, Yue and the cards are all right here with you. We can do this together, just relax and help me brainstorm. We need to get things organised before something else happens."