Last Time: Introductions took place between our CCS heroes and one Sailor Jupiter. Then the hunt for the crystals began and Sakura finds herself chasing the Tiger representing the Thunder Crystal. Can she catch it? And…will others chase after the crystals as well?


Hunt For the Crystals: Part 3


The Thunder Tiger was starting to create a panic. The streets were clearing quickly. People actually thought they were seeing a real tiger. Sakura could only look at the bright side. At least they didn't know that this was a magical Tiger. Things could have been much worse.

The Tiger crept towards the empty promenade. With the promenade empty, Sakura and her friends had the open space needed to do whatever was necessary. The Tiger finally took the hint and stopped running. It turned around and faced everyone. Sakura and Li took a step forward, motioning for Madison and Eriol to step back.

"Thunder," Li muttered. "We can stop thunder, right?"

Sakura nodded. It was time for her to make the first move. "Windy!"

Sakura threw out Windy. Windy flew over and tried to wrap herself around the Tiger. That wasn't doing much good, because the Tiger was roaring and charging up its electricity. The Tiger emitted high voltage, shrugging Windy off.

Li shook his head. "Remember what I told you the first day we met? Windy can't stand up to Thunder."

"It was worth a try," Sakura replied, recalling Windy. Then another idea hit her. Sakura recalled the day she sealed the Thunder Card seven years ago. She remembered exactly which card she used, so she reached for it.

"Shadow Card!"

The Tiger took a step back as Shadow rose up and completely covered it. It was going just like it was seven years ago…but Sakura's luck didn't last. The Tiger brightened immensely and shot out tremendous electricity, thrusting Shadow away.

"It didn't work!" Sakura gasped.

The Tiger was now coming closer and was poised to attack. Sakura was quickly running out of options.


~--------------------~


Lita couldn't believe how late she was getting home. It would take her hours to get back home, but since she was living with her four friends (who were all on vacation) there wasn't really anyone to worry about her. Still, Lita didn't want to be out in the streets too late, so she kept moving forward, trying to take a shortcut through the promenade…which was eerily empty.

"Kero! Now what?!"

Lita stopped. She couldn't believe what she was seeing in front of her. It was that Tiger again and it was in the midst of a fight…with that Sakura Avalon girl. Lita was immediately ready to go and she had her transformation pen prepared.

"Jupiter Crystal Power!"


~------------------~


Sakura didn't know what else could stand up to Thunder. The Thunder Tiger tried to shoot its electrical bolts at her.

"Fly!"

Sakura took to the sky and the Tiger aimed more shots at her. The Tiger was distracted and Li tried to take an open shot. When the Tiger had its back to him, Li made his move.

"Now, element: Wind!"

Li's wind spell tried to contain the Thunder Tiger. It wasn't working. The Tiger only turned around and roared in fury. It had its eyes focused on Li now. Seeing her love in danger, Sakura landed and ran to the Tiger. She swung her wand forward. But without the tremendous force of Power, all the swing did was get the Tiger's attention.

The Thunder Tiger made its move. It shot a lightning bolt directly at Sakura. Sakura closed her eyes and covered her head, expecting the impact to be dreadfully painful. But when she opened her eyes…she was relatively unscathed. There were only a few bruises.

"Sakura!" Madison called out. "I made your costume out of rubber! It can't conduct electricity!"

Something occurred to Sakura. That's why the costume felt so weird. It wasn't made of cloth. It was made of rubber.

The Thunder Tiger snarled and moved closer to Sakura, but another lightning bolt shot out. But this one didn't come from the Tiger. It came from out in the distance. Sakura looked over and saw that the bolt didn't come from Li, either. She looked farther and saw a figure in the shadows…who came out to reveal herself as Sailor Jupiter.

"We have some unfinished business, Tiger," Jupiter said boldly.

The Tiger found itself surrounded, but it turned to face Jupiter. Sakura took a step back and found her opportunity. She reached in and released her next plan of action.

"Power Card! Grant your power to this wand! Power Card! Release and dispel!"

The Tiger heard the sudden noise of Power being released and turned around. It turned around just in time to see Sakura swinging her wand directly on the Thunder Tiger's head. The Tiger fell in a heap this time and was knocked out.

Sakura called out to her friends. "Eriol! Now what do we do?!"

Eriol calmly walked towards the Tiger. "We return to its crystal form…like this." Eriol kneeled over the fallen Tiger. "Return to thy form which thou should be…Thunder Crystal!"

A light enveloped the Thunder Tiger and when the light cleared, there was only a yellow crystal that remained. Eriol picked up the crystal and handed it to Sakura.

"This is it?" Sakura asked.

Eriol nodded. "We need seven more. Once we have them, we can put them together and end this. Keep it safe, Sakura. You never know who else might come looking for these crystals."

Sakura knew where to keep the crystal. She kept it in her pocket. "I'll keep it safe, Eriol." Then she saw Jupiter. "How did you know we were here?"

Jupiter sweatdropped. "I…was trying to get home. But I might have gotten lost along the way. I just happened to be passing by." She shook off the sweat. "But you know, I realized something. Maybe this isn't the best time to be going home. I have a feeling I should stick around. But…where would I stay?"

As if on cue, everyone looked at Madison.

Madison blinked. "I'm out of guesthouses. They're being fumigated. I already need Li to stay in another room."

"What about you, Sakura?" Eriol suggested.

Sakura shook her head. "I can't. How can I ask my dad to let a Sailor Scout stay at my house?"

Jupiter put a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Um…what if I show you…who I really am?"

Sakura looked at Jupiter curiously. "You mean…you'd show me your secret? You really don't have to."

"You already showed me your secret," Jupiter smiled. "It's only fair that I return the favor."

Sailor Jupiter took one step back…and began the transformation back. When it was all over, all that remained was a tall redhead…with emerald green eyes just like Sakura's. She looked to be Sakura's age.

"Well…" she said bashfully. "This is me. My name's Lita."

Sakura didn't know what to say. All she knew so far was that even though they hardly knew each other, Sakura and Lita had already shared their most important secrets. Sakura had revealed herself as the Card Mistress and Lita had revealed herself as Sailor Jupiter.

"You look so…normal," Li mumbled.

"So do you," Lita shot back. "But it's obvious you're not. I guess that's one thing we all have in common. We all have secret lives." She smiled pleadingly. "So…can I stay with any of you tonight?"

Sakura wasn't sure what her father would think of her bringing Lita home. She could always say that it was a friend…he hadn't met. It could work. But it wouldn't last long.

"One night," Sakura said. "Well…maybe two." Sakura's face brightened. "It would be fun to get to know you. Let me just make that phone call home, but I don't think my dad will have any problem."

Sakura could practically those fateful words echoing in her head. Expect the unexpected. And this was certainly unexpected. Sakura didn't expect to have a new friend sleep over tonight. But that's what was happening.

But it wasn't just a friend sleeping over…it was a partner.


~--------------------~


From his position in the dark alley, Xander saw the fearsome Thunder Tiger get taken down by this group of Earth people. The girl with the wand was particularly strong. Getting the eight crystals might not be as easy as Xander originally thought. So he took his communicator and made contact with the ship.

"Do you have something to report, Xander?"

"I've found the first crystal, Shuma. But I've encountered a problem."

"And what is this problem?"

"Someone else is chasing after the crystals. A girl and her friends. A girl who possesses magic and calls herself a…Sakura Card Mistress? And another girl who calls herself a…Sailor…Scout?"

"Hmm…these Earth people must possess great power. I have a plan. Let these Earth people do the dirty work. Let them put themselves in the face of danger to recover the crystals. You must stand by, Xander. Watch them closely. Once they are close to reaching their ultimate goal, you steal the crystals and report back to where you first embarked on your journey. The ship will come back for you."

"S-Stealing? You want me to steal from them? They're powerful, Shuma. I wouldn't stand a chance. I'm just a humanoid. I have no special powers."

"You don't need special powers. They need not see you at all. All you have to do is sneak in and steal the crystals when their guard is down."

It sounded like a plan. Xander just didn't want to get caught. All he wanted was those crystals so that his people could find a new world. He had to do whatever was necessary, even if it meant taking from these powerful Earth people.

"I'll do it, Shuma. I'll move in just before they take the eighth crystal."

"You do that, Xander. I will remain here if you need further assistance."

The communication feed went out and Xander was alone again. The Earth people were moving out and Xander was all alone in that dark alley. He could only hope this Earth girl known as 'Sakura' could find these crystals.


~--------------------~


The Next Day

The streets of Reedington were almost empty. People were scarce and it was just as well. Even if he was in another country, the sinister Dr. Otto Octavius did not want to be seen. A few days had passed since Octavius, otherwise known as Dr. Octopus, had escaped from Ravencroft in New York City and he hoped to go into hiding. But Doc Ock was surprised to find a helicopter waiting for him briefly after his escape. The helicopter brought him to Japan where someone wanted to meet with him. Ock had a sneaking suspicion who that someone was.

Doc Ock stopped by a coffee shop where there were a few people, but they wouldn't know who he was. Clad in a brown trench coat, his four metal 'tentacles' were cleverly hidden. All that remained was to wait for his benefactor.

"Ah, Doctor Octavius. I trust you had a pleasant trip."

Sure enough, it was just as Ock had expected. A large individual took a seat across the table and sat on two chairs. He was enormous, but he only had an amazing two percent body fat. It was the former businessperson, Wilson Fisk, known in the criminal world as The Kingpin.

"I knew only you would go to such lengths to assure my escape, Fisk," Ock said. "But I have a feeling that this is not a social call."

"You know me very well, Octavius," Fisk grinned. "It is true that I have called you for an ulterior motive. I require your services."

"Forget it," Ock growled. "I work alone from now on. Every time I work with you, I end up back in prison. Why should I help you this time? What makes this so different?"

"There is one important detail you forget," Fisk persisted. "Our plans have always been foiled by Spiderman. But this time, that insipid arachnid is not even aware that we're here. There is nothing here that can stop us."

"I am not convinced," Ock scowled. "Why…should I…help you?"

"Because the rewards from this endeavor shall be most plentiful," Fisk chuckled.

"And what endeavor might that be?"

"Do you believe in ancient legends, Octavius?" Fisk asked. "As in the legend of the eight crystals?"

"I've never heard of such a legend," Ock answered. "I'm sure it's just rubbish anyhow."

"It's far from rubbish," Fisk shot back. "The legend IS true and when I heard that it's been ten thousand years, then I knew that this was the opportunity for me to have my heart's desire."

"Maybe you should tell me about this so-called legend," Ock offered.

"There were eight crystals created long ago and they were all buried deep beneath this land currently known as Japan. Every ten thousand years, the crystals would rise and assume the forms of eight fearsome creatures. The creatures would roam the lands until someone restored them to their crystal form.

"The creatures come in the form of Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Thunder, Speed, Strength, and Darkness. Whomever takes the eight crystals and connects them together will be granted one wish before the crystals return to the Earth from whence they came."

"Lovely fairy tale," Ock scoffed.

"I see you are skeptical, Doctor," Fisk grinned. He tossed a newspaper on the table. "So I offer you this."

Ock picked up the Japanese newspaper that had the picture of a tiger. The headline read that a tiger had escaped onto the streets and began roaming around.

"The tiger was never found after last night," Fisk continued. "That leads me to believe that this was the legendary Thunder Tiger, the animal form of the Thunder Crystal."

"That could have been anything," Ock remarked skeptically. "Maybe one of the zoo's tigers got loose."

"Be that as it may, I won't take that chance," Fisk growled. "If I get those eight crystals and put them together, then my one wish will be granted. I will rule the world!"

"World domination again?" Ock muttered. "How original."

Fisk grinned. "And YOU shall be handsomely rewarded for your efforts, Doctor. I shall give you a considerable chunk of my territory to rule. Let's say…I give you this land of Japan."

"It's a start," Ock said, sounding more interested. "But I would require a little more. A mission of this magnitude would have to constitute a heavier fee."

"We'll talk AFTER I have my crystals," The Kingpin said. "You just begin looking for the next crystal, Doctor. And if anyone stands in your way…eliminate them with extreme prejudice."

"It's what I do best," Ock smirked evilly. "It's a deal. I shall begin immediately. And I trust you will pick up the check?"

"I suppose I owe you that much," Fisk said dryly. He left a healthy payment for the waiter. "Just don't fail, Octavius."

The Kingpin rose out of his two chairs and walked away, his enormity a sight to behold. Ock just sat in his chair for a while reflecting on all this. He had been roped into doing more of The Kingpin's dirty work. But this sounded like it was worth it. Ock was guaranteed Japan if he succeeded and with Spiderman half a world away…

…who could possibly stand in his way?


~--------------------~


Sakura wasn't ready to wake up just yet. She was dead tired from last night after spending the whole night looking for the Thunder Tiger. After one night of intense battling, Sakura had the Thunder Crystal safely stashed in her room somewhere and was just focusing on getting some rest. But something did wake her up. It was the sound of her shower.

Sakura woke up and looked at the clock. It read 11:00 AM. Her father was doing some work at the university getting ready for the fall semester and Tori was out starting another new job. So who was using her shower?

Sakura slowly rose out of bed and walked towards her bathroom. The door was locked…obviously. So Sakura took a step back…just as the door flew open.

"AAH!"

"AAH!"

Sakura was breathing deeply. "I…forgot you were here."

Sakura did forget. When she got home the night before, she went straight to sleep, hardly talking at all. She forgot that her new friend, Lita, was there.

"I…p-probably should have asked to use your shower," Lita said sheepishly. "Sorry."

Sakura sighed. "We're obviously getting off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry, Lita. Hey…maybe we can get to know each other. We have the whole day to ourselves."

"We do?" Lita asked surprisingly. "Where is everybody?"

"Well, my dad's at the university and my brother's working, so…it's just us."

Lita smiled. "That's great. I know there's a lot I want to know about you."

"And there's a lot I want to know about you."

**RING**

"Excuse me," Sakura grinned. She picked up her phone. "Hello?"

"Sakura?"

"Hey, Madison! What's up?"

"We've got trouble. It's all over the news. There's a bear running around downtown. And this doesn't look like the average bear."

"Sounds like a crystal to me. Should we all meet downtown?"

"We'd better not. What if someone sees us? Meet over by Li's guesthouse. I have…a little something to keep us inconspicuous."

Sakura felt something in the pit of her stomach. Her best friend had something in her artistic mind and Sakura was very curious to see what it was. Obviously, since this was Madison, it wouldn't be anything ordinary.

"Ok, we'll meet you there as soon as we can, Madison. I'll see you there."

Sakura hung up and saw that look of curiosity on Kero and Lita's face.

"I guess it's better we get this out of the way early," Kero tried saying. "Are you girls ready?"

Sakura and Lita eyed each other for a moment. It was time for the Sakura Card Mistress and the lone Sailor Scout to work together again. But this time against a Bear that represented…who knows what.

Sakura nodded. "Let's go."


Next Time: Sakura and her friends confront this Bear. Which crystal does the Bear represent? Doctor Octopus and Xander are also hunting for the crystals, but is there anyone else searching for them? Surprises are coming, so you don't want to miss the next parts!


Author's Note: Ok, readers, I need an opinion. There will be others from other series coming in later on in this story. The question is this. I know that our main protagonists are our CCS characters, but should I keep this story in the CCS section, or move it on to the Crossover section? The choice is ultimately yours, because you're the ones who are reading this. So in addition to your review, please tell me if I should keep this story in the CCS section or move it to the Crossover section.


The choice is yours.


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!