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Author's Note/Disclaimer: The one from the first chapter still stands, but I just wanted to say that Sakura's battle costume is purely my idea. Also, continue to forgive my creative license concerning the Sand Card.
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The three-quarter moon shone brightly in the clear night sky ASK hi "" above the Tomoeda city park. The bright street lamps cast eerie shadows all around. A silent tension, still, yet anticipating, hung in the air; the park was deserted. Well, except for the two young girls and the Guardian Beast clustered near the pale, towering Penguin Slide.
"This battle costume suits you so well, Sakura," Tomoyo smiled as she began filming, panning up from Sakura's feet to her head.
"Thanks, I think," Sakura said hesitantly, blushing. She tugged at the shiny black gloves that flared into a lily-blossom shape above her elbows. Her thigh-high boots were identical. She turned around so Tomoyo could get a shot of her cape, which was navy and cut halfway down into two pointed trails.
"Well, this doesn't suit me!" Kero said loudly, pointing to his pink arm puffs. "Guardian Beasts are not supposed to look like ballerinas!"
"Kero-chan," admonished Sakura. "If I can put up with pink puffs, so can you."
"Besides, Kero-chan, I thought that you liked my costumes." Tomoyo swung her video camera around to bear on him. "You know it's important for a cardcaptor to look the part."
Bells tinkled lightly behind them, and two shadowy figures stepped out of the trees.
"Keep your voices down! Some of us are actually trying to work here!" Meiling eyed the puffy rose-colored shorts and sleeves of Sakura's dusky green jumper outfit with a superior air.
"Oh, hi Meiling. Hi, Li-kun," Sakura blushed.
"Speak for yourself, little girl! We could hear those bells a mile away!" Kero flew up into Meiling's face, and the two stared each other down.
"Stop it, you two!" Sakura interposed herself between them. "I'm sure Kero-chan's just glad you're back, Meiling," she said laughed embarrassedly, covering Kero's mouth when he tried to protest. "Let's just get this over with."
"I agree," Syaoran spoke up. "I'll be glad when the Sand Card is sealed and signed."
Meiling hmphed.
"Over here," Syaoran beckoned to Meiling. He pointed to the park's huge sandbox that all the little children played in. Buckets and shovels still lay half buried in the sand. "This is where the Sand Card showed itself before."
"Are we just going to sit here all night waiting for it?" Meiling looked at each of the cardcaptors, then stepped up to the side of the box. "Sand Card, come on out! Meiling Li's back and you're goin' down!"
"NO!" Kero yelled. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Getting its attention," Meiling grinned, hands on hips.
The ground began to shake.
Sakura clutched her wand and took a step back. "I think you succeeded!"
The ground shook harder.
"Everybody RUN!" yelled Syaoran. He grabbed Meiling's arm and pulled her back from the edge.
Suddenly, an explosion ripped through the air. Sand showered everywhere. Sakura, Tomoyo and Kero flew to the left, landing hard on the concrete. Meiling and Syaoran soared to the right, hitting the ground near the edge of some trees.
The Sand Card hovered over the sandbox. In her visible form, she was exotic looking, with harem pants and long, dark braids. Her midriff was bare. She levitated herself, legs crossed Indian-style.
Sakura got to her feet, helping up Tomoyo. She stepped forward, wand ready. "What should I do, Kero-chan?"
Just then the Sand Card raised her arm. She let loose a blast of sand, aimed at Sakura. "JUMP!" Sakura yelled, pulling out a card. The Sand Card kept aiming, shooting arcs of sand, but Sakura was too fast, jumping from tree to lamppost and on.
Off to the right, Meiling managed to pull herself up. "What's she doing? She should be attacking it, not running away!"
Syaoran rose behind her. "We've already tried attacking it. There's not much that sand is vulnerable to." He pulled out his sword. "Force, know my plight," he began the incantation. "LIGHTNING!" he called, and a bolt flew out of the sword, blasting the Sand Card with perfect accuracy.
The Sand Card tumbled to the ground. But when she raised her head, there was still a determined gleam in her eye.
"Well, Kero-chan, what do you make of it?" inquired Tomoyo as Sakura landed next to them.
"Make…" Sakura murmured, "make… Wait a second! We can make the sand into something!" She stepped forward again and pulled out two cards: the Change and the Fiery.
"What are you doing?" called Kero.
"I get it!" said Tomoyo excitedly. "She's going to heat the sand and change it into glass!"
"Exactly, Tomoyo," said Sakura over her shoulder.
But on the other side of the sandbox, Meiling and Syaoran couldn't hear the exchange.
"What's she doing now?" said Meiling, exasperated.
"I hope she knows," said Syaoran quietly.
"Well, I know what I'm doing!" proclaimed Meiling. "That's Sand's visible form, which means it's fightable. And fighting is my specialty!" She took off running toward the sandbox.
"Change Card!" called Sakura, holding up the cards.
Syaoran gasped. "Meiling, NO!" He grabbed for her and missed.
Meiling didn't hear, not Sakura's incantation and not Syaoran's call. Her hair flew back as she ran, she could feel the victory already…
"Use the Fiery Card to change the sand to glass! CHANGE!" Sakura released the cards with her wand, and the spirits flew from them.
Her eyes looked ahead to their destination…and then she saw Meiling. "Meiling, NO!" Her eyes widened with fear. She had to stop them, stop Meiling. She ran, and jumped…catching on to the Change Card's chameleon-like tail. Tomoyo, Kero, and Syaoran looked on in horror. Meiling had already met the Sand Card, Sakura couldn't stop the momentum…
They crashed into Meiling, knocking her and the Sand Card full force to the ground.
There was a blinding flash of light, and then Meiling hit the sand and everything went black.