"What The Cards Were For"

A Card Captor Fanfiction

By: Bekah-chan

Rated: PG (for,

trembling in fright)



Disclaimer: I don't now, have never, and will never own Card Captors. *sigh*



I really like the Reviews! Thank You! =)



Chapter 35:

"............. It wants us alive. And it wants to use my power to bring pain. To everything." Sakura's voice had gained volume with her rising panic, so everyone standing at the window heard her last comment. *gasps of shock*

"Are you sure Mistress?" Yue questioned.

"Yes, I'm sure. I've been having nightmares about it for 2 years now."

"Always the same dream?" Yue clarified.

"Mostly," Sakura's features moved into a confused expression, "There *is* another one, and, somehow, I know it's important, but I can't remember it. It's like the vision has been *blocked*, and I cannot get access to it."

"Well," Yue said, when no one had ventured anything for awhile, "It knows who Sakura is, knows where we are, and it's almost here?"

Everyone nodded, this seemed a fair assessment of their situation.

"Alright, then I think we should......" Yue started.

"........ Run away again." Touya (who was just starting to notice Yue's strange behavior) finished for him.

"........ retreat," Yue concluded, more tactfully.

"Very quickly," Syaoran added. He did *not* want his Cherry Blossom fighting something that scared her so much. He ignored the little voice in his mind reminding him of what Kero had said concerning their chances of beating this thing without Sakura. Syaoran would find a way. They would think of something.

"No!" They were all stirred from their thoughts by Sakura's exclamation. "I'm not running again!" her voice, though still trembling in fear, now had an edge of steel to it.

"But, Sakura..." Syaoran began.

"No! No more running! If we don't defeat this now, it will follow us forever!"

All of the people standing at the window knew Sakura. Some knew her better than others, but they all knew her. And they could see that she would not be swayed from this course. All they could do now was help her.

"Mistress?" Yue asked, "You have only begun to learn the use of your magic without the Cards. How will you fight?"

"Don't worry, I'll figure something out." Sakura felt much better, now that she had made a decision. There was no time for fear, they needed a plan.

"Yue, go hold the Guardians' Barrier again. I need to talk to Kero."

"Yes, sir! Mistress, sir!!" Yue gave her a mock-salute, and Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Just DO it!"** Yue turned to comply.

"Wait, shouldn't he eat something first?" Kent gestured toward Yue with motherly (Whoops!) fatherly concern, "He's the only one that hasn't." (AN: That's right! Kent is on a mission to: Feed Them All!! Heeheehee!!! :)

"No that's okay," Yue answered, settling once again before Kero, "I don't eat in this form." Then he closed his eyes and was gone. Leaving Kero free to come back. Which he did, popping into his 'stuffed-animal' form as soon as his eyes opened.

"What's going on?" Kero asked as he drifted over to the group. In answer they all pointed at the window.

The Guardian Beast of the (used-to-be) Seal floated closer, looking out through the curtain Touya was still holding open. Sakura watched him freeze when he saw what was out there. Then there was a golden streak, and Kero was..... Gone!

"Kero!" she called, "Where are you?"

"I think he's there," Madison pointed toward Sakura's right shoulder. Now that her friend had mentioned it, Sakura could feel something clinging to the back of her shoulder, trembling.

"Kero? Is that you?" Sakura turned her head to the right in time to see Kero's little face rise into view, though only enough for his eyes to show.

"Kero?"

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Do you know what that thing out there is?"

"Y-Yes." He gulped in terror, which Sakura could feel, rather than see. So, Sakura gestured for Touya to drop the curtain. When that was done, Kero shifted so he was sitting on top of her shoulder, instead of hiding behind it. But he was still shaking.

"Kero, what is it?"

"I'm sorry I kinda freaked-out there for a second, Sakura."

"That's okay, Kero. I'm not doing that much better myself. Just tell us why you're so scared."

"Clow never told me what the evil looked like," the trembling ball-o-fluff explained, "He said I would know."

"Do you think this is it?"

"Well, I'm really scared. And very creeped-out. So I'm gonna say 'Yes' that's the evil Clow saw in his vision. Yep, definitely feels evil to me." Kero nodded.

Okay, now they were getting some where.

"Did Clow Reed tell you anything else about this, umm, monster?"

"Nothing specific, but he said I would recognize it, and I do. I've seen that type of 'monster' before."

"You Have!?! I thought there was only ONE big evil Sakura had to fight! Are you saying there are more?!!" Syaoran demanded.

"No, I'm not saying that! There *is* only one Really, Big, Scary, Evil Sakura will have to face," ~And a number of little ones, medium ones, and not-so-big ones.~ "I just meant that I've seen this *type* before. They were a lot smaller, lived a long time ago, and were relatively easy for a sorcerer to kill."

"Why were you so scared then?" Syaoran asked.

"Have you SEEN the SIZE of that thing?"

"Good point," Syaoran conceded.

"Plus," Kero continued, "I had a little, um, 'run in', with one when I was younger. I wasn't very strong in my magic yet, and it did some damage," *gulp*, "before Clow got there and saved me."

Sakura and Madison: "Oh! Poor Kero!!" The two girls gave the little Guardian Beast hugs, and consoling pats on the head. Syaoran waited politely, if a trifle impatiently, until Kero was sitting on Sakura's shoulder again, before he continued:

"Kero, what were they called?"

"Soul-Stealers," Kero gave another little shudder of fright, soliciting another comforting pat from Sakura.

"They steal souls?" asked a horrified Madison.

"No, that's just their name."

*pause*

"Then why are they called that?" Sakura prompted.

"I'm not sure," Kero shrugged, "No one knows, really. The source of the name is shrouded in mystery." (AN: i.e. The Author thought it sounded cool ^_~ )

"If they don't steal souls, what do they do?" Syaoran wanted to know.

"Well," *gulp* "You see, they, um,"*tremble*, "They, uh....." Thunk

Sakura was surprised to feel Kero's weight slip backward off her shoulder. She quickly turned to see her Guardian Beast of the Sun sprawled inelegantly on the floor.

"What happened?" Sakura gasped.

Syaoran picked Kero up by the tail, and gave him a shake, "Kero's passed out," he reported, "from fright." *dun* *dun* *dun*

To Be Continued ^_^

**No, I do not own that old logo from Nike.