Part Two: Partners Or Enemies? :Part I:
"Sakura...," whispered the low, erie voice.
"What do you want?" asked Sakura. She was in a dark place, surrounded by crystals and broken glasses and mirrors. The air was like an icy blanket. Sakura couldn't help but shiver.
"Sakura," continued the voice.
She looked all around her. Nothing, no one. She started feeling scared. "Who are you?" Sakura yelled, holding herself with her arms. Her teeth were chattering and her lips were quivering. "What do you want?" The cold air felt like steel against Sakura's body. She couldn't bear the cold any longer, for she fell to her knees as she shivered. "Pl-Please..." she whispered to the strange voice. "Leave me alone...," she breathed as everything turned black...
Sakura slowly opened her eyes to see a furry, yellow face pressed against her's. "Ohayo!!!" shouted Kero-chan.
"Hoe...!!!" screamed Sakura as she fell off her bed. She was obviously surprised. As she laid there face-down on the floor, she began to notice what a pest Kero was.
"Whoa," replied Kero as he held up a white card with the numbers '7.5' on it. "Nice, a bit rusty but you can work on that."
Sakura straightened herself up as she flashed Kero a menacing glare. It was not a day to make fun of her.
Sakura began to make her bed when she felt a sudden breeze. She shivered as she glanced at her window, but stopped when she realized it wasn't open. A sudden rush of fear enveloped her. What? she thought.
"Sakura?" asked Kero. For a moment, Sakura blanked out without her even knowing it. "Is everything alright?"
"Huh?" she asked. She had forgotten that Kero-chan was there. "Oh, yeah," she whispered silently. "Yeah," she repeated, as if to convince herself. Kero knew more than to believe her, but with the recent events that has been going on, he figured Sakura had a reason to be hiding whatever she was hiding.
Syaoran calmly creased out the wrinkle that was set in his clothing. It was a simple attire. Green with white. A ying yang sign at the edge. The same old green hat trimmed with gold. Behind his back rested his old friend, his sword. Lots of memories these possessions of his held, some he wished he could forget.
"Ready?" Ayame asked. She wore a suit similar to Meiling's fighting suit. Instead of red, it was blue, and she had knee-high pants instead of shorts. Tha ying yang sign was set on her back. Replacing the ying yang in the front, was a black circle with 3 flower petals, similar to Syaoran's claw prints. The petals and claws were a symbolic pattern; if you had one that meant you mastered in magic, if you had two that meant you mastered in magic and martial arts, and if you had three that meant you mastered in magic, martial arts, and swordplay. To anyone familiar with the meaning of the symbols, they would most likely stay away from anyone with three.
Syaoran nodded to her earlier question. "Yeah," he said as he gripped his sword. "I finally am."
"Sakura?" Tomoyo had invited Sakura over for tea. But it seemed that Sakura's mind was elsewhere.
"Huh?" Sakura asked without moving her head. She was staring blankly at her still tea. It wasn't easy to read her expression.
"Are you okay?" wondered Tomoyo. Sakura started to get irritated with everyone asking her such stupid questions. But she knew they were just worried, so she kept silent.
Tomoyo felt the need to comfort Sakura. She knew that Sakura was hurting inside, but words failed her. She decided that not saying anything, was better than saying something at all.
Syaoran and Ayame patiently waited at the Penguin Park. Syaoran was in a state of deep concentration while Ayame waited behind him.
Ayame looked on at Syaoran, lost in her thoughts. She thought about how Syaoran had changed the minute they got wind of their assignment from the Elders. She always knew there were some unfinished 'business' for Syaoran in Japan, but she never expected him to change so much. Before they knew about the assignment, Syaoran was usually almost always happy. It'd be a rare occasion to see him glare or frown at Hong Kong. He seemed to feel safe there, no worries.
Ayame sighed silently. That part of Syaoran was long gone. Now he's changed... drastically. He's always frowning, rarely smiling. And he never talked that much anymore. As if the sudden feel of the familiar place gave him no hope as to answer a simple question.
She wanted so much to help him. To help relieve the pain. But she had no idea how. She suddenly felt hopeless, like she lost him somehow. Sure he was still her fiancé, but who knows how long that'll keep up?
She thought about the past three years, all the training and hard work. Syaoran had tried his best to become stronger, physical and emotional. He never really showed much emotion anymore. The gate that led to his heart had been sealed. And Syaoran didn't even bother to resist it, or try to open it. He literally shut everyone out of his life. Even Ayame. And that frightened her. She didn't want to lose him.
Syaoran's eyes suddenly popped open. "Get ready," he warned as he stood up. Ayame nodded and stood on her guard. Syaoran tightened his grip on his sword. A small smile appeared accross his face. Just like old times, he thought.
Kero's ears twitched excitedly as he followed Sakura towards the Penguin Park. He couldn't help but feel excited. It was only this morning when all of the Sakura Cards had disappeared. And as Sakura followed a familiar power, Kero couldn't help but think that they'd get another chance to capture them.
Sakura, on the other hand, wasn't as excited. She dreaded the thought of having to capture them again. She had fun the first time, but things have changed. She no longer had a 'Little Wolf' watching over her.
"Do you think it's a Card?" Tomoyo asked as she dawdled along, stating the obvious. But Sakura was unsure. It felt different, more powerful.
When they reached the Penguin Park, it wasn't much of a surprise to see Syaoran there. But it was a rather big surprise to see that Ayame was there as well. And an even bigger surprise to see what she was wearing.
Syaoran glanced at Sakura, and gave her faint smirk. Sakura didn't have to guess at why he had smirked. It was her costume. Tomoyo's creation seemed to get wilder with every new one.
It was a pink sailor outfit, similar to their old uniform, except mostly everything was a different shade of pink. And it had a pinch of 'soldier' in it too. It was a mix between both. As wacky as the outfit was, Sakura couldn't help but look *kawaii in them.
Another reason why Syaoran smirked was because of Tomoyo. She still had a video camera in her hand. Some things never change, he thought.
No one spoke. It was complete silence, except for the sound of the wind blowing against the tree's leaves.
Sakura couldn't help but stare at Syaoran. He still wore the same green 'battle suit'. Some things never change, she thought. (a/n: thinking the same? ^^)
The deafening silence was shattered by a sudden low growl. Sakura shot a look at Kero. "You just ate!" she yelled.
"It wasn't me!" he yelled in his defense. He cocked an eyebrow. "I don't think it's me..."
Sakura was confused. "Then who is it?" She looked at Tomoyo, but it wasn't her. Neither was it Syaoran or Ayame.
That was when she sensed a sudden surge of powerful energy. She shot a look to Syaoran, he had felt it too.
"What is it? A Sakura Card?" wonderd Tomoyo. No one answered her. They all just stood on their guard. Kero's ears began twitching uncontrollably now. A large grin appeared across his face. Everyone could see his excitement, but never really understood why.
The growl continued. It sounded as if it came from all around them. Sakura couldn't help but quiver in fear. "W-What is that?" she asked out loud.
"Shh," Syaoran shushed. He focused at the rows of bushes a few feet away from him. "Quiet."
The bushes rustled. Something was definitely behind them. The rustling continued, louder this time.
"I've been waiting," said a low, feminine voice. Suddenly, out of the bushes, came a human-like creature. All ten eyes popped open in shock.
"Hoe!!!" screamed Sakura in surprise. It was maybe 6 feet tall. It's body shined a silky ice blue. It's eyes flashed a deadly white. But what caught all of their attention the most, was the Sakura Card - The Fight - incased inside it's stomach.
"Took you all long enough," the creature continued. Their eyes were as big as their heads now, and their mouths even bigger. Were they all hearing correctly? Was the creautre actually talking?
"What's wrong?" asked the creature. She flashed an evil grin. "Surprised?" None of them could even begin to talk. It caught sight of Kero. The grin grew. "Pleasure meeting you again, Keroberos."
Kero's eyes widened. "What?"
Sakura looked curiously at her Sun Guardian. "You know her?"
Kero shook his head. "No!"
"You must," Tomoyo told him. "She knows you."
"I think I'd know if I know her," Kero said with a grim look on his face.
The creature smirked. Looks like his memory's still the same, it thought. She suddenly positioned herself in a fighting stance. "Ready?" she asked.
Sakura thought she was talking to her. But it was Syaoran who answered. "Ready," he nodded and charged at the creature with his swords intact.
Syaoran's fighting had improved. He was blocking blows made by the creature, and made some blows himself. But the creature's skills were better, it blocked everything Syaoran threw at it. With every hit Syaoran tried, the creature dodged and quickly countered.
Syaoran was on the verge of failure. While he was bruised and bloody, the creature was barely scratched!
"Ugh!" Syaoran grunted as the creature hit him again. He fell to his knees, his only support was the sword he had stabbed into the ground. He panted heavily, and had trouble breathing.
The creature was disappointed. "Your out of your league, boy." it snickered as it slapped him with it's long, steel-like hands.
"No!" Ayame had seen enough. She took a step towards the creature but stopped at Syaoran's orders. "Stay out of it, Ayame!" he warned. He didn't want to see her get hurt. "Stay back."
"Now, now," said the creature, "if she wants to end up looking like you, let her. This is a new age, boy. Let the girl decide." She looked at Ayame questiongly. She awaited her answer.
"Don't Ayame!" shouted Syaoran. He was a bit irritated by the way the creature kept calling him 'boy'. The creature glared at Syaoran and delivered a kick to his ribs that sent his falling to the ground.
That was when Sakura stepped up. "Leave him alone!" she screamed, gripping her Novice Staff.*
"No...," Syraoran grunted as he struggled to get up. "This is between us," he said to Sakura, warning her to get away. Sakura tightened her grip. She wanted so much to help him, but she felt it was no longer her place to.
"I'll fight you," said Ayame. She stood in a confident fighting stance, but inside she was shaking like a leaf.
"No," Syaoran said as he finally made it up. It took most of his energy to stand, but he wouldn't dare let any of them fight his battle.
"Syaoran-kun," whispered Ayame. She wanted to fight for him. She wanted him to rest. She wanted to help.
Sakura suddenly felt like she was falling. Ayame had said 'Syaoran-kun'. The name she used to call him. That meant that Ayame was his... she stopped herself. It was no longer her business. But still, she ached.
Tomoyo and Kero watched from behind. "Poor Sakura-chan," whispered Tomoyo from behind her video camera. She had heard Ayame. She could only imagine what Sakura was feeling right now.
"This is my fight," grunted Syaoran.
But the creature ignored him, she just grinned and faced Ayame. "Ladies first," she said with a devilish look in her eyes.
"My pleasure," Ayame said as she charged at creature, giving it everything she's got. She hit punches, kicks, combos, everything she knew.
But the creature knew more. She retaliated by doing the same thing Ayame did, while blocking. If Ayame threw a right punch, she blocked with her left and also punched with her right. If Ayame kicked, she dodged and kicked back.
Ayame lasted longer than Syaoran, but it ended juat as brutal. Ayame was on her knees, gasping for air as Syaoran helplessly looked on. He was leaning agaisnt the Penguin slide, with his right arm all bloody. His left eyes squinted as a trickle of blood drained from his forehead. "Ayame...," he whispered as a tear came out. "No..."
"You were quite a warmup, maiden." As the creature was about to finish Ayame off, the sudden screech of a little girl's voice startled it.
"NO.....!!!!!!" screamed Sakura as she watched on in horror. She fell to her knees, with her hands covering her eyes. "Stop it," she cried. "Please..."
The creature smiled at Sakura. A weakness, she thought. "Then get up and fight, damsel." Sakura didn't move, she was still sobbing. "I said 'fight'!!!" yelled the creature. She grinned as she saw Syaoran and Ayame laying helplessly on the ground. "Or you lose them both."
Sakura gasped. "I'll fight," she said as she stood and wiped away the tears.
"Sakura, no!!!" yelled Kero from behind her. "Don't do it!"
"I have to Kero," Sakura said as she raised her Staff before her. She had no idea how, but she'd kill this monster. She'd make her pay.
Kero growled as he looked at his puny state. "If only I could transform, I'd...," he stopped himself. He was too upset.
"Please," Tomoyo prayed. "Please be careful."
The creature let out a maniacal laugh as she and Sakura gave each other a deadly stare. "Let the game begin!" she spat as she lunged at Sakura.
***---------------------***
*kawaii - cute
*Novice Staff - J. version: second level of her staffs, N.A. version: second level of her 'sealing wand'.
"Sakura...," whispered the low, erie voice.
"What do you want?" asked Sakura. She was in a dark place, surrounded by crystals and broken glasses and mirrors. The air was like an icy blanket. Sakura couldn't help but shiver.
"Sakura," continued the voice.
She looked all around her. Nothing, no one. She started feeling scared. "Who are you?" Sakura yelled, holding herself with her arms. Her teeth were chattering and her lips were quivering. "What do you want?" The cold air felt like steel against Sakura's body. She couldn't bear the cold any longer, for she fell to her knees as she shivered. "Pl-Please..." she whispered to the strange voice. "Leave me alone...," she breathed as everything turned black...
Sakura slowly opened her eyes to see a furry, yellow face pressed against her's. "Ohayo!!!" shouted Kero-chan.
"Hoe...!!!" screamed Sakura as she fell off her bed. She was obviously surprised. As she laid there face-down on the floor, she began to notice what a pest Kero was.
"Whoa," replied Kero as he held up a white card with the numbers '7.5' on it. "Nice, a bit rusty but you can work on that."
Sakura straightened herself up as she flashed Kero a menacing glare. It was not a day to make fun of her.
Sakura began to make her bed when she felt a sudden breeze. She shivered as she glanced at her window, but stopped when she realized it wasn't open. A sudden rush of fear enveloped her. What? she thought.
"Sakura?" asked Kero. For a moment, Sakura blanked out without her even knowing it. "Is everything alright?"
"Huh?" she asked. She had forgotten that Kero-chan was there. "Oh, yeah," she whispered silently. "Yeah," she repeated, as if to convince herself. Kero knew more than to believe her, but with the recent events that has been going on, he figured Sakura had a reason to be hiding whatever she was hiding.
Syaoran calmly creased out the wrinkle that was set in his clothing. It was a simple attire. Green with white. A ying yang sign at the edge. The same old green hat trimmed with gold. Behind his back rested his old friend, his sword. Lots of memories these possessions of his held, some he wished he could forget.
"Ready?" Ayame asked. She wore a suit similar to Meiling's fighting suit. Instead of red, it was blue, and she had knee-high pants instead of shorts. Tha ying yang sign was set on her back. Replacing the ying yang in the front, was a black circle with 3 flower petals, similar to Syaoran's claw prints. The petals and claws were a symbolic pattern; if you had one that meant you mastered in magic, if you had two that meant you mastered in magic and martial arts, and if you had three that meant you mastered in magic, martial arts, and swordplay. To anyone familiar with the meaning of the symbols, they would most likely stay away from anyone with three.
Syaoran nodded to her earlier question. "Yeah," he said as he gripped his sword. "I finally am."
"Sakura?" Tomoyo had invited Sakura over for tea. But it seemed that Sakura's mind was elsewhere.
"Huh?" Sakura asked without moving her head. She was staring blankly at her still tea. It wasn't easy to read her expression.
"Are you okay?" wondered Tomoyo. Sakura started to get irritated with everyone asking her such stupid questions. But she knew they were just worried, so she kept silent.
Tomoyo felt the need to comfort Sakura. She knew that Sakura was hurting inside, but words failed her. She decided that not saying anything, was better than saying something at all.
Syaoran and Ayame patiently waited at the Penguin Park. Syaoran was in a state of deep concentration while Ayame waited behind him.
Ayame looked on at Syaoran, lost in her thoughts. She thought about how Syaoran had changed the minute they got wind of their assignment from the Elders. She always knew there were some unfinished 'business' for Syaoran in Japan, but she never expected him to change so much. Before they knew about the assignment, Syaoran was usually almost always happy. It'd be a rare occasion to see him glare or frown at Hong Kong. He seemed to feel safe there, no worries.
Ayame sighed silently. That part of Syaoran was long gone. Now he's changed... drastically. He's always frowning, rarely smiling. And he never talked that much anymore. As if the sudden feel of the familiar place gave him no hope as to answer a simple question.
She wanted so much to help him. To help relieve the pain. But she had no idea how. She suddenly felt hopeless, like she lost him somehow. Sure he was still her fiancé, but who knows how long that'll keep up?
She thought about the past three years, all the training and hard work. Syaoran had tried his best to become stronger, physical and emotional. He never really showed much emotion anymore. The gate that led to his heart had been sealed. And Syaoran didn't even bother to resist it, or try to open it. He literally shut everyone out of his life. Even Ayame. And that frightened her. She didn't want to lose him.
Syaoran's eyes suddenly popped open. "Get ready," he warned as he stood up. Ayame nodded and stood on her guard. Syaoran tightened his grip on his sword. A small smile appeared accross his face. Just like old times, he thought.
Kero's ears twitched excitedly as he followed Sakura towards the Penguin Park. He couldn't help but feel excited. It was only this morning when all of the Sakura Cards had disappeared. And as Sakura followed a familiar power, Kero couldn't help but think that they'd get another chance to capture them.
Sakura, on the other hand, wasn't as excited. She dreaded the thought of having to capture them again. She had fun the first time, but things have changed. She no longer had a 'Little Wolf' watching over her.
"Do you think it's a Card?" Tomoyo asked as she dawdled along, stating the obvious. But Sakura was unsure. It felt different, more powerful.
When they reached the Penguin Park, it wasn't much of a surprise to see Syaoran there. But it was a rather big surprise to see that Ayame was there as well. And an even bigger surprise to see what she was wearing.
Syaoran glanced at Sakura, and gave her faint smirk. Sakura didn't have to guess at why he had smirked. It was her costume. Tomoyo's creation seemed to get wilder with every new one.
It was a pink sailor outfit, similar to their old uniform, except mostly everything was a different shade of pink. And it had a pinch of 'soldier' in it too. It was a mix between both. As wacky as the outfit was, Sakura couldn't help but look *kawaii in them.
Another reason why Syaoran smirked was because of Tomoyo. She still had a video camera in her hand. Some things never change, he thought.
No one spoke. It was complete silence, except for the sound of the wind blowing against the tree's leaves.
Sakura couldn't help but stare at Syaoran. He still wore the same green 'battle suit'. Some things never change, she thought. (a/n: thinking the same? ^^)
The deafening silence was shattered by a sudden low growl. Sakura shot a look at Kero. "You just ate!" she yelled.
"It wasn't me!" he yelled in his defense. He cocked an eyebrow. "I don't think it's me..."
Sakura was confused. "Then who is it?" She looked at Tomoyo, but it wasn't her. Neither was it Syaoran or Ayame.
That was when she sensed a sudden surge of powerful energy. She shot a look to Syaoran, he had felt it too.
"What is it? A Sakura Card?" wonderd Tomoyo. No one answered her. They all just stood on their guard. Kero's ears began twitching uncontrollably now. A large grin appeared across his face. Everyone could see his excitement, but never really understood why.
The growl continued. It sounded as if it came from all around them. Sakura couldn't help but quiver in fear. "W-What is that?" she asked out loud.
"Shh," Syaoran shushed. He focused at the rows of bushes a few feet away from him. "Quiet."
The bushes rustled. Something was definitely behind them. The rustling continued, louder this time.
"I've been waiting," said a low, feminine voice. Suddenly, out of the bushes, came a human-like creature. All ten eyes popped open in shock.
"Hoe!!!" screamed Sakura in surprise. It was maybe 6 feet tall. It's body shined a silky ice blue. It's eyes flashed a deadly white. But what caught all of their attention the most, was the Sakura Card - The Fight - incased inside it's stomach.
"Took you all long enough," the creature continued. Their eyes were as big as their heads now, and their mouths even bigger. Were they all hearing correctly? Was the creautre actually talking?
"What's wrong?" asked the creature. She flashed an evil grin. "Surprised?" None of them could even begin to talk. It caught sight of Kero. The grin grew. "Pleasure meeting you again, Keroberos."
Kero's eyes widened. "What?"
Sakura looked curiously at her Sun Guardian. "You know her?"
Kero shook his head. "No!"
"You must," Tomoyo told him. "She knows you."
"I think I'd know if I know her," Kero said with a grim look on his face.
The creature smirked. Looks like his memory's still the same, it thought. She suddenly positioned herself in a fighting stance. "Ready?" she asked.
Sakura thought she was talking to her. But it was Syaoran who answered. "Ready," he nodded and charged at the creature with his swords intact.
Syaoran's fighting had improved. He was blocking blows made by the creature, and made some blows himself. But the creature's skills were better, it blocked everything Syaoran threw at it. With every hit Syaoran tried, the creature dodged and quickly countered.
Syaoran was on the verge of failure. While he was bruised and bloody, the creature was barely scratched!
"Ugh!" Syaoran grunted as the creature hit him again. He fell to his knees, his only support was the sword he had stabbed into the ground. He panted heavily, and had trouble breathing.
The creature was disappointed. "Your out of your league, boy." it snickered as it slapped him with it's long, steel-like hands.
"No!" Ayame had seen enough. She took a step towards the creature but stopped at Syaoran's orders. "Stay out of it, Ayame!" he warned. He didn't want to see her get hurt. "Stay back."
"Now, now," said the creature, "if she wants to end up looking like you, let her. This is a new age, boy. Let the girl decide." She looked at Ayame questiongly. She awaited her answer.
"Don't Ayame!" shouted Syaoran. He was a bit irritated by the way the creature kept calling him 'boy'. The creature glared at Syaoran and delivered a kick to his ribs that sent his falling to the ground.
That was when Sakura stepped up. "Leave him alone!" she screamed, gripping her Novice Staff.*
"No...," Syraoran grunted as he struggled to get up. "This is between us," he said to Sakura, warning her to get away. Sakura tightened her grip. She wanted so much to help him, but she felt it was no longer her place to.
"I'll fight you," said Ayame. She stood in a confident fighting stance, but inside she was shaking like a leaf.
"No," Syaoran said as he finally made it up. It took most of his energy to stand, but he wouldn't dare let any of them fight his battle.
"Syaoran-kun," whispered Ayame. She wanted to fight for him. She wanted him to rest. She wanted to help.
Sakura suddenly felt like she was falling. Ayame had said 'Syaoran-kun'. The name she used to call him. That meant that Ayame was his... she stopped herself. It was no longer her business. But still, she ached.
Tomoyo and Kero watched from behind. "Poor Sakura-chan," whispered Tomoyo from behind her video camera. She had heard Ayame. She could only imagine what Sakura was feeling right now.
"This is my fight," grunted Syaoran.
But the creature ignored him, she just grinned and faced Ayame. "Ladies first," she said with a devilish look in her eyes.
"My pleasure," Ayame said as she charged at creature, giving it everything she's got. She hit punches, kicks, combos, everything she knew.
But the creature knew more. She retaliated by doing the same thing Ayame did, while blocking. If Ayame threw a right punch, she blocked with her left and also punched with her right. If Ayame kicked, she dodged and kicked back.
Ayame lasted longer than Syaoran, but it ended juat as brutal. Ayame was on her knees, gasping for air as Syaoran helplessly looked on. He was leaning agaisnt the Penguin slide, with his right arm all bloody. His left eyes squinted as a trickle of blood drained from his forehead. "Ayame...," he whispered as a tear came out. "No..."
"You were quite a warmup, maiden." As the creature was about to finish Ayame off, the sudden screech of a little girl's voice startled it.
"NO.....!!!!!!" screamed Sakura as she watched on in horror. She fell to her knees, with her hands covering her eyes. "Stop it," she cried. "Please..."
The creature smiled at Sakura. A weakness, she thought. "Then get up and fight, damsel." Sakura didn't move, she was still sobbing. "I said 'fight'!!!" yelled the creature. She grinned as she saw Syaoran and Ayame laying helplessly on the ground. "Or you lose them both."
Sakura gasped. "I'll fight," she said as she stood and wiped away the tears.
"Sakura, no!!!" yelled Kero from behind her. "Don't do it!"
"I have to Kero," Sakura said as she raised her Staff before her. She had no idea how, but she'd kill this monster. She'd make her pay.
Kero growled as he looked at his puny state. "If only I could transform, I'd...," he stopped himself. He was too upset.
"Please," Tomoyo prayed. "Please be careful."
The creature let out a maniacal laugh as she and Sakura gave each other a deadly stare. "Let the game begin!" she spat as she lunged at Sakura.
***---------------------***
*kawaii - cute
*Novice Staff - J. version: second level of her staffs, N.A. version: second level of her 'sealing wand'.