Author's Note: Sakura has yet to find her first card and is just finding out that it isn't in Boston at all. So where ARE they going?
Cards captured so far: …Get back to me when this part's over.
CCS: The American Cards: Part 3
Sakura should have known. There was a reason Madison was so eager to unpack. She wanted to unpack Sakura's latest costume. Sakura was surprised that Madison only brought one, but she assured the Cardcaptor that more were to come. Madison would try to sew a new one every night…when she wasn't doing her homework from back in Japan.
Sakura fidgeted around with her tight pink skirt. The leather pink top wasn't doing her many favors, either. So far, she wasn't enjoying what Madison had given her.
"Madison, where'd you get this?" Sakura asked. "I look like one of the Spice Girls."
"Really?" Madison giggled. "I think it's a good look for you."
"It's definitely an improvement from what you usually wear, Avalon," Meilin added.
Sakura shook her head and looked out the window. The Lasin Board pointed a lot farther than any of them thought. It went so far, that they had to rent a car. It was a roomy red Dodge that Madison could easily afford. Madison drove while Li sat in the front seat, holding out the Lasin Board. Madison just followed the light, hoping that nobody noticed an unusual light sticking out of their car. And Sakura sat in the back seat, often arguing with Meilin.
And somewhere under the driver's seat, sat Kero. And Sakura had her share of arguments with the guardian beast as well. He told her the third book was in Boston, but admitted to her the night before that he was wrong. The book was somewhere else and he guessed it was wherever the Lasin Board was pointing to.
"What's that sign say, Meilin?" Sakura suddenly asked.
She looked out the window as the sign on Route 1A passed by. "It says 'Welcome to Salem'."
Sakura wondered about that. "Salem…where have I heard that before?"
"It was our World History class," Madison answered. "Salem was the place they held those witch trials."
"I can't believe Clow Reed hid that book here," Kero suddenly piped up. "In the place the witch trials were held. How ironic."
"I can't believe you don't know the difference between Boston and Salem," Li blurted out.
"Ok, I made a mistake!" Kero burst out. "So sue me! The book is here and so is the card. I can feel it!"
"I think I finally see something," Li said.
The Lasin Board light had led them to Essex Street. Madison parked the car and everyone filed out of the Dodge. Sakura couldn't help but notice people stare as they passed by. She couldn't tell if they were staring at Li and the Lasin Board or at Sakura's strange outfit. They all walked down Essex Street, passing historic buildings on the way until the Lasin Board's light changed trajectory where Essex Street turned. Finally, they all reached an old looking building along the corner of Lynde Street. The Lasin Board was pointing past a place called the Witch Dungeon Museum.
"Is it in there?" Meilin asked.
"I doubt it," Li answered. "I think it's back here."
He ran off, nearly leaving everyone behind. Sakura had to run fast to catch up to him.
Sakura honestly didn't think Li would run that far without waiting for anybody. But he kept on running until he found the Lasin Board pointing into a construction area. Sakura looked around her and saw that this place looked familiar.
"Kero, this is just like what I saw in my dream."
"Do you remember anything?" Kero asked.
"I…only remember where the hole might be," Sakura recalled. "It should be around here somewhere."
Everyone was following the Lasin Board, but Sakura sensed something else. She started to walk the other way.
"Uh…Sakura," Kero called out. "The Lasin Board's pointing this way. Where are you going?"
Sakura didn't answer. She just ran towards the other side of the construction area and saw the giant hole she saw in her dream. Sakura made sure the coast was clear and crossed the yellow tape. She went down into the hole and found exactly what she was looking for. She walked over to a table and found a book on the ground. It was the book that contained the cards.
"Wow, Sakura," Kero said in awe. "How did you know to find the book here?"
"I sensed it," Sakura responded. "I knew I sensed something. But it was different than what I usually feel when I sense a card."
"Well, we've caught a lucky break," Kero said. "Now that we have the book, we can take it with us. And we might need it. Especially if the cards have spread just like I feared."
Suddenly, Sakura heard something. It was the light from the Lasin Board. The light shone down inside the hole where Sakura was.
"Li?"
"Sakura?!" Li called out. "Watch out! There's a card in there!"
Sakura could feel it, too. There was something around her. So she took out her magical key.
"Key of Clow. Power of Magic. Power of Light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!"
The sealing wand was now in her hand and Sakura looked around to find the card, whatever it was. Then Sakura started to feel dizzy. Her eyesight began to blur.
Sakura moaned as she started staggering around. "What's happening? Kero?"
"Sakura, what is it?" he asked. Whatever was happening, it wasn't affecting Kero.
"My…sight," Sakura cried out. "I…can't see."
"Wait there, Sakura!" she heard Li call out. "Force, know my plight! Release the light! Lightning!"
Sakura could hear lightning strike and she suddenly found her sight restored. She saw what was causing it. It was a cycloptic, black imp, holding a staff in its hand.
Kero recognized it. "It's the Vision Card!"
Sakura grew determined as she saw the Vision Card. She hadn't been this close to total blindness since she combated the Light Card back in seventh grade, five years ago. She wanted to find something to use against this Vision Card, but she had nothing. She didn't have any cards she could use.
Then she saw someone who could help. Meilin had come out of nowhere and was trying to sneak up behind the Vision Card.
"Gotcha!"
She dove for it, but the Vision Card jumped over her and started running away. It still had to get past Li, though. Li tackled it and had gripped it by the legs.
"Now, Sakura!" Li shouted. "I can't hold it!"
The Vision Card tried working its magic, but Li had his eyes closed. And the distraction was enough for Sakura. She ran up to the Vision Card and pointed her wand.
"Vision Card! Return to your power confined! Vision Card!"
The Vision Card was so busy with Li, it didn't see her coming. The Vision Card was sealed and Sakura held it in her hand.
"Are you all right?" Sakura asked Li.
"I'm fine," Li nodded. "I kept my eyes closed so it couldn't do anything. Sakura, how did you know it'd be down here?"
"I…didn't," Sakura admitted. "I came down here for another reason." She took out the book and showed it to Li.
Li took the book and examined it. "No seal, not even a label. But this is definitely the book. I always heard of Clow Reed's incomplete book. No one ever thought it really existed."
"Just where did you hear about it from?" Sakura asked.
"I heard from the rest of my 'family'," Li answered. "You know…during happier times."
Sakura felt she shouldn't go into it anymore. She knew that it wasn't easy for Li to talk about his family. And she still couldn't believe that he severed all ties with them…just for her. The only ones who stood at his side were Sakura, Madison, and…
Sakura gasped. She turned around and ran up to Meilin. "Are you ok, Meilin?"
Meilin wasn't down from injury. There was nothing injured…except her pride.
"I could've had it," Meilin muttered. "It just slipped, that's all."
"Actually, I was lucky you were there," Sakura tried saying. "If you hadn't been there, the Vision Card would've never run towards Li."
"Don't give me that, Avalon," Meilin snapped. "Don't try to make it sound like I meant to do that. I admit it. I might have messed up this time, but it won't happen again."
There was one thing that changed from eight years ago. The four were pretty much a team now. They were no longer competing. Of course that didn't stop Meilin from trying to take matters into her own hands. And Sakura knew why. She wanted to impress Li.
"Well, that's one," Kero suddenly piped up. "The first of many."
"Many?" Sakura repeated. "I though this book was incomplete. How many cards are there?"
"I think Clow Reed was shooting for another 56," Kero answered. "Luckily, he only got done with about 20."
Sakura's eyes grew wide at that announcement. "20?!?! That could take weeks!!!"
"Then we'd better hurry," Kero said. "Where's the Chinese brat? We have to keep going."
"I'm right here, stuffed animal," Li said sourly. He took out the Lasin Board and got ready to find the next card. "Force, know my plight. Release the light!"
The Lasin Board pointed outside. Sakura, Li, and Meilin ran outside where Madison was waiting for them. Sakura wanted to see where the Lasin Board pointed to, but to her dismay, it only pointed to the sky.
"It's…not pointing to anything," Sakura thought aloud. "What does this mean?"
"This is bad," Li responded. "It means that the next card's too far out of the Lasin Board's range."
"It's just as I feared," Kero said grimly. "The cards have spread. We came too late."
"But where could they be?" Madison asked.
"They could be anywhere," Kero answered.
"Then how do we find them?" Meilin asked.
"I think we need to look to Sakura for that answer," Kero replied.
Sakura looked at Kero confusedly. "Me? How would I know? I didn't even know where the first card was to begin with."
"It's a good thing the first card you captured was the Vision Card," Kero explained. "Because that may be our only means of finding the other cards."
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.
Kero explained further. "The Vision Card has the power to see beyond what is visible, but not only that, it's linked to the other 19 cards. If you call upon Vision, it can show you where the other cards are."
"Then I'll call upon Vision," Sakura nodded. "Everybody stand back."
The other three stood back as Sakura took out the card she just captured.
"Vision! Show me the location of the next card! Release and dispel! Vision Card!"
Sakura opened her eyes to see she was in the midst of a vision. She was somewhere else…full of sand…a beach. She looked around to see where she was. Then she saw a sign right next to her.
"Welcome to Belmar Beach."
Sakura then kept on walking. She walked along the side of the beach, until she found another sign.
"Welcome to Belmar, New Jersey."
Sakura knew where she was. She looked back out at the beach. It was the Jersey Shore. And this was apparently the location of the next card. Sakura recalled the Vision Card and found herself back in Salem. Her friends looked at her anxiously.
"You…looked frozen, Sakura," Madison finally said.
"What did you see?" Li asked.
"The cards HAVE spread," Sakura said grimly. "The next one's in New Jersey…it's in the Jersey Shore."
Kero shook his head. "If that one's gone as far as New Jersey, then we have no time to waste. This is it, Sakura. You've caught the first of many. But now it's a chase. We'll probably have to travel a long way to seal all these…I don't know, Clow Reed never named them…we'll call them the American Cards."
"American Cards?" Sakura repeated.
"Rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?" Kero grinned. "But seriously, if the cards have spread, then we have to hurry and find them. Who knows what'll happen if they stay loose for too long?"
Sakura thought about that. If these American Cards were like the Clow Cards before them, then they could cause a lot of damage. She could hardly believe it. Suddenly, the fate of the United States was in her hands.
"So how do we get to New Jersey?" Meilin asked.
"We'd better arrange to take a bus," Sakura sighed.
Madison sighed, too. "I just hope no one asks why I spent so much in 'Hong Kong'."
Sakura was hit with a lot tonight. Capturing 24 more cards seemed like a tough task that would likely take weeks. How could she tell Tori? How could she possibly catch up when she got back to school?
Sakura looked at the bright side, though. The Jersey Shore. Maybe she could find some time to go for a swim.
Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.