Chapter Three - Ghost Tale
Sakura spent the entire day staring up at the ceiling, trying to figure out what was wrong with her - and if the problem wasn't with her, then what was wrong with everyone else. Kero fluttered back and forth offering Sakura food and drink, but Sakura would just push them aside. Kero finally got sick and tired of it and sat down at the foot of Sakura's bed. " Are you going to spend the rest of today staring up there? " Kero asked. " What are you thinking? " And when Sakura didn't answer, Kero continued talking. " You're still mad from this morning, aren't you? "
Sakura sat up and sighed. " I just can't figure out why I fainted again like that. And I don't know why everyone is ignoring me. I can't figure it out. And my head is starting to hurt from thinking so much. " A loud grumble interrupted Sakura's thoughts, and she giggled a little. " I guess I'm a little hungry too. "
" Great. Because I spent all day bringing breakfast and lunch up here for you. "
Sakura laughed and helped herself to the food on the table next to her. She was happily chewing away when all of a sudden she felt something strange, as if all the warmth and light in the room had just been sucked out the window. She shivered, and noticed a shadow on the floor where sunlight was once streaming through the window.
" Sakura, out there! " Kero yelled. " The window! "
Sakura turned around to see the woman from the cemetery floating right in front of her window. She pointed one long, thin finger at the window and it shattered. Sakura screamed, then remembered the Clow key in her dresser drawers. She ran over to the dresser and rummaged through it until she felt the familiar outline of a star and a circle.
She withdrew her hand from the drawer and chanted: Key of Clow! Power of Magic, power of light, surrender the wand, the force ignite! Release! Immediately the key began to glow and turn into a long pink wand. Sakura turned around and faced the woman, who had floated through the hole in the window and was now hovering closer to her. The woman pulled something out of her long robes, and Sakura gasped - it was a Clow key, exactly like hers, only black. The star was inverted like a pentagram, and the circle around it was an upside-down half-moon. The woman began to chant in a silvery voice that echoed around the room.
Black Key of Clow! Power of darkness, power of spite, surrender the wand, the force ignite! Release!
The key transformed into a wand, like Sakura's had, and Sakura began to wonder just what she was up against. Was this girl a Cardcaptor too? And if she was, what kind of cards did she have (if she even had any)? Were there two Clow Books, another set of Clow Cards that were exactly like hers? Or were they different? Evil cards, perhaps?
" Sakura! Watch out! " Kero yelled.
Before Sakura could do anything, the woman had summoned the Wood card and black thorny branches came flying towards her, wrapping themselves around her and closing in on her like a prickly glove.
" Kero-chan! " she cried. " Help me! "
Kero fumbled for a solution. " Use the Firey card to burn the branches away! "
Sakura struggled to grab her wand from the approaching thorns. " Firey Card! Release and dispel! "
The Firey card appeared and threw little tongues of flame at the Wood card, which shrank away in fear. The woman seemed totally unfazed and used the Watery card to snuff out the Firey card.
" Firey Card! Return to your power confined! " Sakura retrieved her card and ran to the other side of the room, away from the woman. The woman approached menacingly, and her Watery card floated by her side, looking as if it were ready to swallow Sakura whole.
Someone please help me! Sakura pleaded.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. " Sakura? Sakura! I'm home! "
" Oto-san! " Sakura cried.
The Watery card stopped and returned to its confined form. The woman gave a start at the sound of Fujitaka's voice, and she floated towards the broken window. Then she turned around and looked at Sakura, and Sakura could see her icy blue eyes glinting from across the room. " This isn't over yet, " she said in her mysterious silvery voice. " I will have that power. " The woman backed out of Sakura's room. " No matter what it takes. "
Sakura breathed a small sigh of relief, but all too soon. The woman's eyes set off sparks, and Sakura felt pain hit her like a bolt of lightning. She collapsed again, crumpled onto the bed with Kero at her side.
" What? Sakura fainted? "
" That's what that girl said, her cousin. "
" Sakura never faints, though. That's not possible. "
Sakura could her voices all around her, female voices, distant and unreal. They sounded a lot like her friends from school, Tomoyo, Rika, Chiharu, and Naoko…
" I know, Sakura doesn't seem like the type to faint. "
" I wonder what could have made her do that? "
The voices started up again, sounding much closer that they had before. Suddenly there was a male voice, a voice that made Sakura's heart jump for joy - no matter how much she didn't want it to.
" I don't really care how she fainted, I just hope she's okay. "
Syaoran!
Sakura's eyes fluttered open slightly. Syaoran. He's here, he's really here…
" Look! " Tomoyo cried. " She's waking up! "
" Sakura! "
" Sakura, are you okay? "
" Wake up, Sakura! "
" Don't wake her up if she doesn't want to wake up, " Syaoran said gruffly. " She probably needs her rest. "
Sakura's eyes opened a little more, her spirit fueled by the sound of Syaoran's voice. " Syaoran? " she asked weakly. " Tomoyo? "
" Sakura! " Tomoyo knelt down next to Sakura's bed, smiling ecstatically. " You're okay! "
" Yeah. " Sakura looked up at the rest of her friends. " You guys are all here too. "
" We heard you weren't feeling well, " Chiharu said concernedly.
" From who? "
" Well, a number of people, " Naoko chirped in quietly. " Your brother. And that friend of his, your lover boy, Tsukishiro Yukito. And this new girl at school who says she's your cousin. "
" Kari… "
" Yeah, " Rika answered. " She's new here, right? She had quite the following at lunch today. A whole lineup of guys, Touya and Yukito included. Somehow she shook them off. "
" Which brings me to something else, " Naoko interjected. " I'm led to believe that there is a ghost haunting this neighborhood. "
" A ghost? "
Syaoran scoffed. " Yeah, right. "
" No, I'm very serious, " Naoko continued. " Chiharu-san and I saw a tall, thin black figure floating across the sky towards your house. And your window is broken. So I think you were a victim of the ghost. "
" Naoko-san and her ghost stories, " Syaoran said cynically. " Grow up, girl. "
Naoko stuck out her tongue at Syaoran's back. Tomoyo, Rika, and Chiharu laughed. " Well, we'd better get going now, " Tomoyo said. " Glad to see you're feeling better, Sakura. "
" Thanks for coming! " Sakura said happily.
" I'll call you later! "
" See ya, " the other three girls said. They left, and only Syaoran remained.
Kero popped up behind Sakura and looked straight at Syaoran. " What are you still doing here, kid? " he asked gruffly.
" Good question, " Sakura added, daring to look straight into Syaoran's sparkling amber eyes. She blushed furiously and tried to bury herself in her blanket. Why was he here? Wow, does he really care that much about me? Enough for him to visit me and talk with me when I'm sick? Ooh, maybe he was just waiting for a good moment for him to say he loved me - now that would totally make my day…
" I couldn't start talking about Clow Cards and anything with your bunch of chatterbox friends hovering around you, " Syaoran answered. " And you, " he added, looking at Kero, " you'd better leave me alone or else I'll throw you out the window, you stupid stuffed toy. "
" That's no way to talk to a Guardian Beast of the Clow, " Kero snapped back.
Sakura couldn't hide her disappointment. Typical Syaoran, she thought angrily. Always business before pleasure. " Okay, fine. What do you have to say? "
Syaoran took a deep breath. " Naoko-san's ghost, " he said finally. " I saw it - I didn't want to say it in front of Tomoyo-san and the others - you know how I don't believe in ghosts - but Naoko-san was telling the truth. There was something black floating up in the sky coming from the forest behind the school. "
" That was no ghost, " Sakura interrupted. She told Syaoran about the woman at the cemetery and how she had returned to attack her a few hours before.
Syaoran looked totally concerned. " A black sealing wand? " he asked. " So you mean this person is another Cardcaptor? "
" Yeah, but an evil one. "
" An evil Cardcaptor? With cards? "
" Yeah - cards exactly like mine. I don't know what to do. She's smart, she knows all my tactics before I know what I'm going to do. I can't just wait for her to come back and try to hurt anyone. "
" Right now, there's nothing we can do, " Syaoran said sadly.
" What? " Kero yelled. " You mean to say that you're just going to sit and watch while this thing attacks everyone in town? "
" Nobody asked you, " Syaoran snapped at Kero. He paced about the room wringing his hands. " We'd better wait for this person's next move so we have a plan for next time. Don't worry, I won't let that thing hurt you. "
Sakura smiled up at Syaoran. " Really? "
Syaoran blushed. " You and anyone else, " he added quickly. " Listen, I'd better get out of here before your brother gets home or anything. Get well soon. " Syaoran gave Sakura a quick wave on his way out. Sakura waved back and for one wonderful moment she was able to get that woman out of her mind.
Sakura spent the entire day staring up at the ceiling, trying to figure out what was wrong with her - and if the problem wasn't with her, then what was wrong with everyone else. Kero fluttered back and forth offering Sakura food and drink, but Sakura would just push them aside. Kero finally got sick and tired of it and sat down at the foot of Sakura's bed. " Are you going to spend the rest of today staring up there? " Kero asked. " What are you thinking? " And when Sakura didn't answer, Kero continued talking. " You're still mad from this morning, aren't you? "
Sakura sat up and sighed. " I just can't figure out why I fainted again like that. And I don't know why everyone is ignoring me. I can't figure it out. And my head is starting to hurt from thinking so much. " A loud grumble interrupted Sakura's thoughts, and she giggled a little. " I guess I'm a little hungry too. "
" Great. Because I spent all day bringing breakfast and lunch up here for you. "
Sakura laughed and helped herself to the food on the table next to her. She was happily chewing away when all of a sudden she felt something strange, as if all the warmth and light in the room had just been sucked out the window. She shivered, and noticed a shadow on the floor where sunlight was once streaming through the window.
" Sakura, out there! " Kero yelled. " The window! "
Sakura turned around to see the woman from the cemetery floating right in front of her window. She pointed one long, thin finger at the window and it shattered. Sakura screamed, then remembered the Clow key in her dresser drawers. She ran over to the dresser and rummaged through it until she felt the familiar outline of a star and a circle.
She withdrew her hand from the drawer and chanted: Key of Clow! Power of Magic, power of light, surrender the wand, the force ignite! Release! Immediately the key began to glow and turn into a long pink wand. Sakura turned around and faced the woman, who had floated through the hole in the window and was now hovering closer to her. The woman pulled something out of her long robes, and Sakura gasped - it was a Clow key, exactly like hers, only black. The star was inverted like a pentagram, and the circle around it was an upside-down half-moon. The woman began to chant in a silvery voice that echoed around the room.
Black Key of Clow! Power of darkness, power of spite, surrender the wand, the force ignite! Release!
The key transformed into a wand, like Sakura's had, and Sakura began to wonder just what she was up against. Was this girl a Cardcaptor too? And if she was, what kind of cards did she have (if she even had any)? Were there two Clow Books, another set of Clow Cards that were exactly like hers? Or were they different? Evil cards, perhaps?
" Sakura! Watch out! " Kero yelled.
Before Sakura could do anything, the woman had summoned the Wood card and black thorny branches came flying towards her, wrapping themselves around her and closing in on her like a prickly glove.
" Kero-chan! " she cried. " Help me! "
Kero fumbled for a solution. " Use the Firey card to burn the branches away! "
Sakura struggled to grab her wand from the approaching thorns. " Firey Card! Release and dispel! "
The Firey card appeared and threw little tongues of flame at the Wood card, which shrank away in fear. The woman seemed totally unfazed and used the Watery card to snuff out the Firey card.
" Firey Card! Return to your power confined! " Sakura retrieved her card and ran to the other side of the room, away from the woman. The woman approached menacingly, and her Watery card floated by her side, looking as if it were ready to swallow Sakura whole.
Someone please help me! Sakura pleaded.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. " Sakura? Sakura! I'm home! "
" Oto-san! " Sakura cried.
The Watery card stopped and returned to its confined form. The woman gave a start at the sound of Fujitaka's voice, and she floated towards the broken window. Then she turned around and looked at Sakura, and Sakura could see her icy blue eyes glinting from across the room. " This isn't over yet, " she said in her mysterious silvery voice. " I will have that power. " The woman backed out of Sakura's room. " No matter what it takes. "
Sakura breathed a small sigh of relief, but all too soon. The woman's eyes set off sparks, and Sakura felt pain hit her like a bolt of lightning. She collapsed again, crumpled onto the bed with Kero at her side.
" What? Sakura fainted? "
" That's what that girl said, her cousin. "
" Sakura never faints, though. That's not possible. "
Sakura could her voices all around her, female voices, distant and unreal. They sounded a lot like her friends from school, Tomoyo, Rika, Chiharu, and Naoko…
" I know, Sakura doesn't seem like the type to faint. "
" I wonder what could have made her do that? "
The voices started up again, sounding much closer that they had before. Suddenly there was a male voice, a voice that made Sakura's heart jump for joy - no matter how much she didn't want it to.
" I don't really care how she fainted, I just hope she's okay. "
Syaoran!
Sakura's eyes fluttered open slightly. Syaoran. He's here, he's really here…
" Look! " Tomoyo cried. " She's waking up! "
" Sakura! "
" Sakura, are you okay? "
" Wake up, Sakura! "
" Don't wake her up if she doesn't want to wake up, " Syaoran said gruffly. " She probably needs her rest. "
Sakura's eyes opened a little more, her spirit fueled by the sound of Syaoran's voice. " Syaoran? " she asked weakly. " Tomoyo? "
" Sakura! " Tomoyo knelt down next to Sakura's bed, smiling ecstatically. " You're okay! "
" Yeah. " Sakura looked up at the rest of her friends. " You guys are all here too. "
" We heard you weren't feeling well, " Chiharu said concernedly.
" From who? "
" Well, a number of people, " Naoko chirped in quietly. " Your brother. And that friend of his, your lover boy, Tsukishiro Yukito. And this new girl at school who says she's your cousin. "
" Kari… "
" Yeah, " Rika answered. " She's new here, right? She had quite the following at lunch today. A whole lineup of guys, Touya and Yukito included. Somehow she shook them off. "
" Which brings me to something else, " Naoko interjected. " I'm led to believe that there is a ghost haunting this neighborhood. "
" A ghost? "
Syaoran scoffed. " Yeah, right. "
" No, I'm very serious, " Naoko continued. " Chiharu-san and I saw a tall, thin black figure floating across the sky towards your house. And your window is broken. So I think you were a victim of the ghost. "
" Naoko-san and her ghost stories, " Syaoran said cynically. " Grow up, girl. "
Naoko stuck out her tongue at Syaoran's back. Tomoyo, Rika, and Chiharu laughed. " Well, we'd better get going now, " Tomoyo said. " Glad to see you're feeling better, Sakura. "
" Thanks for coming! " Sakura said happily.
" I'll call you later! "
" See ya, " the other three girls said. They left, and only Syaoran remained.
Kero popped up behind Sakura and looked straight at Syaoran. " What are you still doing here, kid? " he asked gruffly.
" Good question, " Sakura added, daring to look straight into Syaoran's sparkling amber eyes. She blushed furiously and tried to bury herself in her blanket. Why was he here? Wow, does he really care that much about me? Enough for him to visit me and talk with me when I'm sick? Ooh, maybe he was just waiting for a good moment for him to say he loved me - now that would totally make my day…
" I couldn't start talking about Clow Cards and anything with your bunch of chatterbox friends hovering around you, " Syaoran answered. " And you, " he added, looking at Kero, " you'd better leave me alone or else I'll throw you out the window, you stupid stuffed toy. "
" That's no way to talk to a Guardian Beast of the Clow, " Kero snapped back.
Sakura couldn't hide her disappointment. Typical Syaoran, she thought angrily. Always business before pleasure. " Okay, fine. What do you have to say? "
Syaoran took a deep breath. " Naoko-san's ghost, " he said finally. " I saw it - I didn't want to say it in front of Tomoyo-san and the others - you know how I don't believe in ghosts - but Naoko-san was telling the truth. There was something black floating up in the sky coming from the forest behind the school. "
" That was no ghost, " Sakura interrupted. She told Syaoran about the woman at the cemetery and how she had returned to attack her a few hours before.
Syaoran looked totally concerned. " A black sealing wand? " he asked. " So you mean this person is another Cardcaptor? "
" Yeah, but an evil one. "
" An evil Cardcaptor? With cards? "
" Yeah - cards exactly like mine. I don't know what to do. She's smart, she knows all my tactics before I know what I'm going to do. I can't just wait for her to come back and try to hurt anyone. "
" Right now, there's nothing we can do, " Syaoran said sadly.
" What? " Kero yelled. " You mean to say that you're just going to sit and watch while this thing attacks everyone in town? "
" Nobody asked you, " Syaoran snapped at Kero. He paced about the room wringing his hands. " We'd better wait for this person's next move so we have a plan for next time. Don't worry, I won't let that thing hurt you. "
Sakura smiled up at Syaoran. " Really? "
Syaoran blushed. " You and anyone else, " he added quickly. " Listen, I'd better get out of here before your brother gets home or anything. Get well soon. " Syaoran gave Sakura a quick wave on his way out. Sakura waved back and for one wonderful moment she was able to get that woman out of her mind.
