Author's Note: A trip to St. Louis starts out as business as usual. Of course, today's card is a mere formality. In this chapter…something will happen that will threaten Li and Sakura's relationship.
Cards captured so far: Vision, Heat, Vine, Bell, Sleep, Wind, Angel, Sludge, Multiple, Silence, Smoke, and Memory
CCS: The American Cards: Part 16
Usually, Sakura would sit next to Madison on the bus. But for this trip to St. Louis, Sakura needed to talk to the person she loved most. She had to talk to Li. And when she saw the look on his face, she knew he had something to say, too. But first thing was first. She pulled out Kero.
"What?" Kero mumbled softly.
"I need to talk to Li alone," Sakura told him, so no one would hear her. "Stay with Madison and Meilin for a few minutes."
Sakura walked over and dropped Kero with Madison and went back to sit with Li. She didn't know how to begin. There was so much she wanted to say…about what happened the night before in Chicago.
"Did…you see anything last night?" Sakura began.
Li hesitated, then nodded. "From the Memory Card? I saw something."
Sakura was almost afraid to ask. "What did you see?"
Li didn't say anything. Sakura couldn't blame him…but she had to know. She took his hand.
"You can tell me, Li."
"I…saw the airport," Li finally said. "It was that day eight years ago…when I left Japan the first time."
"You saw that, too?" Sakura gasped.
"What do you mean?" Li asked curiously. "Did you see the same thing?"
"I saw the same thing," Sakura told him. "The day you left me…it was the saddest day of my life."
"Mine, too."
"But I overcame the Memory Card…by remembering one thing. You kept your promise. You came back to me. And you'll never leave me again, right?"
Silence.
Sakura was starting to get scared. "…Right?"
"I'm glad you were able to see the bright side of that moment," Li finally replied. "I couldn't. I was so scared about having to relive that moment. It would've happened…if my family had their way."
Sakura hung her head down. She didn't realize how afraid of that possibility Li really was. But she also couldn't shake the cold reality. Li had forsaken his family…for her. Just then, Li gently lifted Sakura's chin and gave her a kiss.
"But I'll never let that happen," he said.
Sakura started to think that maybe something good came out of the Memory Card. If she or Li were starting to take their relationship for granted, they weren't anymore. Sakura really appreciated what she had now…a loving boyfriend…who would sacrifice anything for her.
For the rest of the trip to St. Louis…Sakura laid back into the arms of Li.
Once again, night had fallen. Sakura could sense the location of the next American Card and the Lasin Board confirmed its location. But she couldn't help but notice the demeanors of her friends. Li was still unsure about his experience the night before. Meilin was shaken up about her experience, too. But Meilin was a tough girl. She carried on, shaking off the bad memories. The one Sakura was worried about was Madison. She didn't say anything all day. She didn't even have a costume ready for Sakura. And in a move completely unlike her…she didn't recharge the battery on her camera. She couldn't tape this capture.
Sakura wanted to say something, but she had a job to do. Kero kept her focused on the task of finding the next American Card, which was in St. Louis's Gateway Arch, the highest monument in the United States. The park was closed off for the night, but that wouldn't stop Sakura. She took out her key…
"Key of Clow. Power of Magic. Power of Light. Surrender the wand. The force ignite. Release!"
…and took out the Sleep Card.
"Sleep Card! Send everyone in the park to sleep! Release and dispel! Sleep Card!"
The Sleep Card sprayed its pollen all over the park. It was a long and tedious wait, but soon, Gateway Arch's security was in a deep sleep. The only thing left was to walk in and look for the next card. After a few minutes of walking, Sakura found herself directly under the Gateway Arch. She looked straight up and felt a little queasy. It really was HIGH. Then she started to hear rattling.
"Do…you hear that?" Sakura whispered.
Silence. Everyone heard the rattling as it slowly began to get louder.
Li could make the sound out. "It sounds like…"
He couldn't get the last word out. Out of nowhere, a long metal chain flew out and tied Li up. He fell to the ground as he struggled to get loose.
"Li!" Meilin shouted. "Are you ok?"
"It's the Chain Card!" Li responded. "It's…TIGHT! I can't get loose!"
Meilin bent down and tried to loosen the chain's grip. "Don't just stand there, Avalon! Do something!"
Sakura heard the rattling again. She could see Madison point behind her.
"Sakura! Look out!"
Sakura ducked as another metal chain flew by her. Unfortunately, the chain then nailed Madison and tied her up. Sakura scowled as she saw what happened. The Chain Card tried to ambush her. Sakura then began to sense it was nearby. So she quickly pulled out the Vine Card.
"Vine Card! Restrain the Chain Card! Release and dispel! Vine Card!"
A big vine rose out of the ground in front of Sakura and went straight for a bush nearby. Then it pulled the Chain Card out by the leg. It was a gray, stocky, and stumpy mummy that was wrapped in chains instead of tape. The Chain Card wasn't held for long. It sliced the vine with one of its sharper chains and got loose. Then it tried to throw three more chains at Sakura. But Sakura acted fast.
"Windy! Release!"
The Wind Card released just in time as it blew the chains out of reach. Sensing a long battle, the Chain Card pointed to the sky. It then threw one of its chains up and started climbing. The Chain Card was climbing to the top of the Gateway Arch.
"This is not good," Kero muttered. "That looks like a very high place."
Sakura felt a little nervous. Maybe someone could help her. She looked to her left. "Have you got him loose, Meilin?"
"NO!" Meilin snapped. "These chains are stuck! I still can't get them loose."
"Just go after it, Sakura," Li told her. "You can do it!"
Sakura nodded nervously and looked up at the sky again. The Gateway Arch was very, VERY high at 630 feet tall. She knew there was only one way up there. Sakura took out the Angel Card and sighed deeply.
"Angel Card! Release!"
Sakura could feel the sudden expansion of the large wings. Then she looked up again. It would be a long flight straight up.
"Ready, Kero?"
"Ready for takeoff."
Sakura jumped off the ground and took off into the sky. She flew alongside the edge of the Gateway Arch until she reached the very top where she saw the Chain Card standing. It was ready for a duel. Sakura concentrated hard as she made the gentle landing on top and then she got ready for a fight.
The Chain Card began by swinging a chain at Sakura. Sakura caught the chain with her arm and held in the pain from the sudden contact. Suddenly, it was down to a tug-o-war. Sakura pulled hard but felt herself being overpowered by the Chain Card. Then the Chain Card tried playing dirty and swinging the chain left and right in an attempt to knock Sakura off. Then Sakura realized something. This wasn't a competition. There weren't any rules. So Sakura would out-cheat the Chain Card. With her free hand, she took out…
"Smoke Card! Fill the sky with smoke! Release and dispel! Smoke Card!"
The Smoke Card came out and blew smoke into the sky and left it black. Sakura knew this was a risk. One wrong step and she would take a 630-foot fall. But this risk was worth taking. The Chain Card couldn't see in front of it and started staggering around blindly, still holding onto its chain. Sakura quickly took action. She flew around the Chain Card and tied it up, before pushing it over the edge of the Gateway Arch. The Chain Card fell, but was still hanging. The chain acted as a bungee cord, with one end of the chain wrapped around the Chain Card and the other end…in Sakura's hands. Of course, the Chain Card was pretty heavy and Sakura knew she couldn't hold onto it. So she flew off the edge of the Gateway Arch and slowly descended to the ground.
When she landed, the Chain Card tried to shake itself loose. Before it could get away, Sakura pointed her wand.
"Chain Card! Return to your power confined! Chain Card!"
The Chain Card was then sealed. Sakura put the Chain Card away and recalled the Angel Card. Then Sakura looked over towards Meilin. She was still trying to free Li. She wanted to help, but there was someone else who needed her help. Sakura ran over to Madison.
"Are you ok?" Sakura asked.
Madison didn't say anything, but only nodded. Sakura didn't know what to make of this. Something was obviously wrong with her best friend. Sakura couldn't help but wonder what.
"Are you going to be ok?"
Madison nodded. Sakura was desperate to find out what was wrong, but Madison didn't want to say anything. It was a gloomy atmosphere in that hotel room.
"You sure you don't want to come with us?" Sakura asked.
Madison shook her head. "You go on ahead without me. I'll stay here."
Sakura headed out. Now it was down to her and Meilin. Li was already out, saying he wanted to be alone. It looked like Madison had that same feeling. Sakura reluctantly headed for the door.
"Madison…?"
"I just want to be alone," Madison said softly. "Please, Sakura."
Sakura didn't want to leave, but it was Kero that coaxed her. "Just go, Sakura. She needs some time to herself."
It wasn't until Sakura was out the door that Kero elaborated further.
"Call me crazy, but it might a residual effect from the Memory Card. She might have seen something…that left her emotions in shambles. She might not even be thinking straight."
Sakura looked back at the closed door. "I hope she'll be ok. I'm really worried about her."
It was a cold night, and that's why Li came back to the hotel. He really needed some time alone. As much as Sakura tried to reassure him, he still was unsure about what the Memory Card showed him. Part of that was from what Meilin told him a week ago. She really believed that Sakura wasn't meant for Li. If she wasn't…then he wouldn't have anybody since he had shunned his family for her.
Li thought about that as he walked up the hotel's stairs. Maybe he could talk to Sakura. He walked over to the door of her room, but stopped short of opening it. He heard someone…crying. Li opened the door and looked inside. Sakura wasn't there. The only one there…was a sobbing Madison.
"Madison?"
"Why won't anybody leave me alone?" Madison sniffled. "I don't want to talk to anybody!"
Li couldn't take a hint. So he took a seat on the bed right next to Madison. "Madison…you're my friend. I can't just leave you alone like this. What's wrong?"
Madison turned away. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Please tell me, Madison," Li pleaded. "I don't want to see you like this." Then he took a big stab in the dark. "It's the Memory Card, isn't it?"
Madison looked shocked. "…That's exactly it. That night in Chicago…I relived memories that I hoped to keep locked away forever."
"What did you see?" Li asked curiously.
Madison hesitated for a while. This must've been hard for her. "Do you remember the day Sakura sealed the last 2nd Card?"
"It was five years ago," Li nodded. "I…still don't remember much. I mean…Sakura did accidentally hit me with a stray ice beam."
"Did Sakura ever tell you how she beat the Psychic Card?"
Li knew exactly how to answer. "She told me she didn't do it alone. She had help from…"
Suddenly, that's when Li realized what Madison saw…actually…more like…who.
"It's him, isn't it?"
Madison nodded somberly. "My old boyfriend, Tommy. I don't know how many times I had to have slapped him. I called him a liar so many times. But…when he said he liked me…I think he may have meant it. Then he just…left. He never even said goodbye."
"It's ok, Madison," Li said comfortingly. "He wasn't worth it. Trust me. He wasn't good enough for you."
"But that wasn't the only thing I saw."
"You saw more?" Li asked. He couldn't understand that. He only saw one painful memory, but Madison had apparently seen more.
"It was…a few years before," Madison continued. "And…it was probably the saddest moment of my life. It was…Eriol."
Li shuddered to think about that. He knew how close Madison and Eriol got seven years ago. Then Eriol suddenly had to leave to go back to England. He knew that Madison felt something for him. He couldn't bear to think what the reminder of that day could have done to poor Madison.
Madison dried off some more tears. "I saw myself and Eriol at the airport…back when he had to leave. I really wanted to tell him…how I felt. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. He walked out of my life…forever. I couldn't take seeing that again. I feel so stupid, Li!"
"Madison…you have nothing to be ashamed of."
"I can't believe the rotten luck I've had! Any time I ever get close to somebody, they just walk out of my life! I think back to those days and the days I've had in high school and I think of every time I've gotten my heart broken! It's just heartbreak after heartbreak after heartbreak! Is there something wrong with me? Why doesn't anybody like me?!"
Madison buried her face in her hands and continued crying. Li didn't want to see her like this. He lifted her head up and let her cry onto his shoulder.
"Madison…" Li began. "You…are a beautiful girl. I don't see why anybody wouldn't like you. You're one of the nicest girls I've ever met. Please…I don't want to see you cry."
Madison lifted her head from Li's shoulder and dried a few more tears off. Then she looked Li in the eye. Li didn't know what happened next. He didn't know how it happened. He didn't know why it happened. Neither one of them did. But it happened.
In a completely spontaneous moment…Li and Madison………kissed.
As suddenly as it happened, that's how quickly the kiss broke up. Li was so overtaken that he fell backwards off the bed. Then he got up and looked at Madison. She was as shocked as he was. They stood there for about a minute, with their stunned expressions, and looked at each other.
Finally, Madison broke the silence. "………What…just…happened?"
Li had no idea how to answer. He didn't know what to make of what just happened. How did it happen? How did he end up…kissing Madison? WHY did he do it? And what would Sakura have said if she saw it? Li was thanking God that she didn't see it.
Li couldn't explain it. He could only say one thing. "………I've got to go."
Madison nodded. "Yeah…you should go."
Li nodded back. "I'm…going to go now."
He turned to walk out, but ran right into the door. Li was clearly flustered by this whole thing. He opened the door and ran out and slammed the door behind him. Li sat down on the floor and buried his face in his knees. He felt…so confused. Why did he do what he just did? He…just betrayed Sakura. What was he thinking? Why did he do it?
"Li?"
"AAH!"
Li was obviously edgy. He looked up and saw Sakura and Meilin. He felt like he wanted to die right there. He could never tell Sakura what just happened. She would NEVER forgive him or Madison. He didn't know what to do?
"Are you all right?" Meilin asked.
"Is something wrong, Li?" Sakura added.
"I suddenly feel very sick," Li said queasily. "I just need to go to my room."
Li got up and stumbled over to his room. He had to think about what he just did. And he had to think about why he did it…and what could possibly happen if Sakura EVER found out.
Author's Note: Well, I shook things up good. So what happens now? This sort of thing just doesn't go away. The question now is, will Sakura ever find out? And what will happen if she does? Happy Valentine's Day!
Any comments? I know you have some! So review below and let me know!