The Choice

Ch. 3

{I'm having another dream! Maybe this is because of another of those cards…But which one? I'm not in my house- this is Tomoyo's! There's her room! She's sleeping…dreaming too…wait! I'm getting sucked into her dream! She's dreaming that she's the Card Mistress? This is weird…}

"Yeah, and it'll be more weird if you don't get up in time for your picnic. Why am I wasting my time? SAKURA, GET UP!" Kero backed away Kero: That took me years to learn to do after I wake up that girl. as Sakura jumped out of bed.

"It's that late already?" she looked at Kero, who suddenly looked away.

"Kero! Did you just wake me up for no good reason?" Kero looked back at her.

"Not exactly for no good reason. Tomoyo just called. And boy, did she sound weird! She just asked, "Is Sakura up yet?" I said no, and she just said, "Well, make sure she comes to the picnic- on time, as if she can." And then she hung up the phone. If I didn't know better, I'd think that Tomoyo was jealous or something." Sakura just shrugged.

"*Yawn* Wake me up when it's REALLY time."

Meilin looked away from her mirror, which had been enchanted to show whatever she desired.

"So my first minion failed. I still have more to go. What is next?" As if in response to her question, a gray mist floated in front of her, materializing into a boy with dull amber eyes. Although dull, they seemed to be full of spite, full of jealously. As he went into Meilin, she held out her hand. A little dagger, made of black stone, lay there. She looked at it, then said,

"Force of Darkness,

Know your blight,

Expel your shadows,

Destroy the light!

GO! Reach…Tomoyo."

Later, Sakura was running around, yelling at Kero as she did.

"I told you to wake me up! Instead, you go play video games, and the Watery Card ends up waking me- by splashing my bed, my outfit, and me! You never told me the Watery Card could come out its card or do that!" Kero looked at her mildly.

"Well, this only started happening after you changed all the cards in to your cards, and this happened to Clow Reed too, don't worry! This is just a side effect of your new powers." Sakura stopped.

"NANI?!?!?! But then again, it might come in handy. Does this mean that I can now use the cards without my wand?"

"Doesn't work that way. You see, you formed a contact with the wand, or in any case, you somehow formed a bond with the wand. You can't break your side of it any more than I can create my own Clow Book. Sorry, but you're stuck with it. Trying to work without it will work, but then the High Magic- your source of magic- within you would either become angry, or not know how to work without it efficiently. That is, putting it lightly." Sakura smiled.

"Anyway, I have to go. Come on, I don't have all day! And I'm already late…We'll have to fly." Sakura grabbed her stuff and rushed downstairs, where her brother and dad were already assembled.

"I'm late! Can I please, please, PLEASE fly over? It's kind of cloudy, so no one will see me, I promise." Sakura knew it was hopeless, but it was worth a try. Onii-chan still didn't trust Li, so how could Sakura expect him to relent?

"Absolutely not! I'll take you and that stuffed yellow thing. Come on." Touya walked out of the room behind Sakura.

"Like I'd let her. Honestly! I know she's a bit older, but she's my kid sister." Touya muttered. As he got on the bike, someone else had arrived at the kitchen.

"Hello Fujitaka."

"Nadeshiko! You're on time… Unlike your daughter." He laughed as his wife sat down.

Me: If you have no clue what's going on, you haven't read my Prologue, have you?

Nadeshiko smiled.

*I know…but she's just like you in athletics. Try catching me not tripping over my own feet! But do you know what she's up against? She's single handedly taking care of all those cards… But she's my cherry blossom, and I know she'll somehow succeed.*

Nadeshiko looked away, not telling her husband what she was really thinking. It had been a couple of years since the Judgment, and she hadn't held or talked to her daughter since. She longed to hold her, but that was impossible until Sakura decided to keep the cards. And she wasn't going to pressure her this time. She sighed, and stood up.

"Can I try to clean up again?"

Meanwhile, at the Penguin Park, Sakura stood waiting for Tomoyo.

"It's unusual for her to be even 5 minutes late. But she's already verging on 20!"

Suddenly a long, black limo pulled up. A lady in black got out and opened the door for Tomoyo, who stepped out. Sakura gasped. If Tomoyo had been going to see the Emperor of the world her attire could not have been more different.

She was wearing a purple velvet ball gown with richly embroidered flowers and full sleeves. Her hair was down up in an elegant bun, with golden jewels in it. The entire ensemble had the effect of making her look overdone and just not Tomoyo. There was a superior tinge in the way she stepped out and walked over to Sakura. As she walked, Sakura realized that this couldn't have been Tomoyo's idea. Although it went nicely with Tomoyo's eyes, there was just something not right about it. Maybe because Tomoyo wasn't that stuck up.

"Ohayo Tomoyo! Why are you so dressed up? Where do you have to go after this?" Sakura asked as her best friend came over.

"I have no appointments after our meeting. And if you consider me dressed up, then you should be informed that a person of a high class like me should always go out in proper clothing." Tomoyo replied.

Sakura looked at her. 'Innocent' Me: DENSE!!! *runs as Sakura pulls out Fiery* as she was, she knew something was not right. But, going back to the innocent issue, Sakura shrugged it off.

"Syaoran and Meilin are probably coming too, but a bit late. Why don't we chat a bit?" Sakura sat down, motioning to the seat next to her. Instead, a bodyguard pulled out a chair and placed it next to Sakura. Sakura was shocked.

"Where was that bodyguard all this time?" Sakura sat and tried to talk to Tomoyo. But it was mostly:

"How are you today?"

"Very well, thank you. And your family?"

Soon Syaoran came, without Meilin.

"Sorry I'm late, and that Meilin couldn't come. She had to do something, and she's really sorry. Tomoyo, you look nice today. Going somewhere?"

"Thank you for the compliment, but iie, I have no consequent appointments. Shall we go now?" Syaoran looked at Tomoyo. What was up with her? And who else with magic was here? Because a very strong aura coming from someone. And that someone was not Sakura. Li lagged behind the two of them. What was up with Tomoyo? She was acting so- so- so- jealous.

As he looked back at the two of them, he noticed Tomoyo making a weird hand motion. Suddenly, a huge group of bodyguards appeared out of nowhere, restraining Sakura and him. Tomoyo turned around and put out a hand to Sakura.

"Hand over the Star Wand."