Chapter 2


"Oh, this is great," Madison laughed from behind some bushes. She was videotaping the group on her camera when Kero popped in front of her viewfinder. "No, it's not. I'm starving." Kero declared, "I'm a growing beast, you know." Madison took the camera away from her face "Stick with me, and I'll buy you a whole cake — a pudding cake." Madison told him. "Yeah, cake!" he exclaimed. "Uh-oh." He added, his shades slipping off the end of his nose. "I sense something." Back at the table, Sakura gasped then looked up at Li. Li nodded, "Uh-huh." Sakura stood up. Li was already standing. He took his stand a long time ago.
"Wow." Meilin exclaimed, as she, Julian, and Tori watched a rope start to catch on fire. "What kind of gimmick is that?" Julian asked. "That's no gimmick." Tori stated, "It's on fire." The whole rope then caught on fire. At other places, around the carnival grounds, other things were catching on fire. Tree branches, lamp posts, some grass and roots. Murmured gasps and questions like, "What's going on?" passed through as people stopped to watch and wonder. Madison had stopped taping, and was holding the camera in her hand, and just staring. "There's your Clow Card." Kero said. "A Clow Card." Both Sakura and Li said this. They looked at each other and nodded, then took off running.
"Hey," Tori shouted, "What are are you doing?" He ran after them, trying to catch them. Julian turned around in his chair and looked after them. Being quicker, Sakura and Li burst through the other side of some bushes, right where Madison and Kero were hiding. "Huh! Argh!" Li growled. He pulled out a card. "Time Card!" he yelled, hitting it with the point of the sword. From where he was, a light washed over everything and everyone, freezing them. Sakura stopped running. "Unh. Huh?" she breathed, turning back around. "Sakura. I've stopped time." Li told her, "Now use the Sleep Card." "But--" she began. "Quickly!" Li interrupted. "Right." she said, nodding.
She took out the key and held it up by the string, then let it go, the string disappearing. "O Key of Clow, Power of Magic, Power of Light, surrender the Wand, the force ignite. Release!" After completing the chant and the key gathered the needed power, she grabbed the wand that floated in front of her. She then continued on, "Sleep Card... release and dispel." The nose of the wand his the card, releasing the tiny, fairy girl, Sleep. Sleep swept past Tori, Julian, and Meilin. "Sleep." Kero declared as it passed by him. It traveled until she'd covered the whole grounds. Li then put away the Time Card and everyone fell to the ground from the position they were in. "Good move, Sakura." Kero stated as Madison fell to the ground behind him, "The Sleep Card'll buy ya some time."
"Li, what's wrong?" Sakura questioned sharply. Li was on one knee, leaning against his sword. "The Time Card can use a lot of a sorcerer's power," he groaned, "I need to rest." "You sure?" The branches behind her continued to burn. "Yes. You're gonna have to handle this one alone." he told her. Her grip on the wand became fierce as she pulled out another Card. "Windy Card." she said, twirling the wand, "Release and dispel." She hit the head of the wand against the card. As Windy flew about, she only increased the flames, also making them form a circle around Li and Sakura. Kero flew up and in front of her.
"Sakura. This is Fiery." he told her. "It's a special card." "Kero, where did you come from?" Sakura asked, a little surprised.
"We can talk about that later." he said, waving her question off, "Right now, what you have to know, is that since Fiery is one of the 4 elements, it's power is incredibly strong." "You've only got Windy and Water, am I right?" Li asked. "Of the 4 basic elements?" she answered, "Yeah, and I'm guessing this is a problem." Sakura looked around at the fire wall. "It's used Windy to fan the flames." Kero pointed out. Just then, from a certain point in the fire wall, a flame rose higher and higher, taking shape of a young boy in front of them. "Oh, no. The visible form."
Slender body, his legs and other lower parts still being the fire's flame. Long, bright, orange wings emerged from his back. His hair was fire itself, and it fanned about wildly. It wasn't too long though. He had long, pointy ears and a red headgear of some kind on his forehead. Fiery's arms were crossed over it's chest and he wore a frown. "Sakura, you gotta act fast!" Kero yelled. "What about the Water Card?" Li suggested, "Use the Water Card." At Li's suggestion, Fiery tilted its head and smirked. "Time's running out, Sakura." "Hahh!" Sakura breathed, readying the Wand.
"Not so fast, Sakura. Listen up." Kero said, "If Fiery used Windy to spread the flames, it'll use water in the same way." Fiery uncrossed his arms and made a flicking motion. Fire flew between Sakura and Li as he dodged to the side and fell, while she ran, Kero coming after her. "Where are you going?" he asked. "We've gotta get help." "Hello, Sakura. We can use the Cards." "How?" she asked. "Listen," Li said, still straining on his sword, "You can't combine two Attack Cards." "Hey. Just because they haven't been allies, doesn't mean they can't be now." Kero told Li, then turned back to Sakura. "But it's risky, Sakura. You don't know what'll happen if you try."
Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and the images of, Tori, lying on the ground, still asleep, with the fire around him, came into her mind. Also the images of Meilin and Julian hanging over their chairs, and Madison, lying on the ground, her camera beside her, and other people lying around the grounds. "You've captured a lot of Cards. Maybe this is as far as you'll go." Kero said quietly. Sakura's eyes snapped open. "No!" she yelled. She skidded to a halt, then turned back around. "Not yet." she said, dodging more of Fiery's throws. "I'm a Cardcaptor, Kero, and I'm gonna finish what I set out to do." She stopped completely and held the Windy and Water Cards in her hands.
"My dream -- maybe this was the test I was expecting." She flipped up the two Cards and began. "Windy... Water... release and dispel." The Cards landed on top of each other as the head of the Wand came down on them. Windy came first, closely followed by Water. The two of them, back to back, flying together. "I don't believe it." Li said in disbelief, "It's working." Fiery saw this and made a giant ball of fire, aimed at the 2 elements, and fired it. It covered them. Sakura held the Wand tighter and glared up. Windy pushed the fire back, breaking through.
Fiery's mouth widened as Water and Windy circled around the base. Windy and Water worked their way up the flame and encircled Fiery, weakening him. As Water had made its way upwards, it had put out the flame that kept Fiery upright, and he started to fall. Halfway down, Kero shouted, "Now!" As Fiery hit the ground, Sakura rushed forward and held the Wand over her head. "Fiery Card. Return to your power confined." The empty card appeared under the nose of the wand and began to suck up Fiery. When Fiery was absorbed completely, the Clow Card, that now held it, fell to the ground.
"Wow." Li gasped, looking at the Card. Sakura bent and picked it up. All fires that were there were now gone. "We did it." Sakura said. "Way to go, Sakura." Kero congratulated. Sakura nodded. When Kero himself lit up with fire, Sakura gave a startled, "What's wrong?" "Nothing's wrong." Kero said, now being outlined by a golden light, "The energy governing my being is the Sun. By capturing the Fiery Card, you have enabled me to begin my retransformation." "And you're still here. You haven't left me." Sakura exclaimed. "Is that what you were worried about?" Kero laughed, "Hmm. Sakura. I'm still the Keroberos you all know and love, just with some of my power back."
Li walked up to them. "You're still just a stuffed animal." he concluded. Sakura sweatdropped as Kero made a fuss, "Hey, kid, I dare you to say that again!" "Now come on you two." Sakura pleaded. "I'll take that dare." Li said. "Stuffed animal, stuffed animal, stuffed animal--" he began chanting, pointing his finger at Kero. "You know who I am, huh?" Kero said. "Come on," Li threatened, "I'm not afraid of you." While they continued to argue, Miss Mackenzie watched on from a nearby bridge, her long brown hair and coat, blowing in the wind. She was wearing shades and had a smile on her face. She was just like the woman in Sakura's dream.