Several weeks after the capture of the Firey, Kero was talking to Sami. While they were talking, Sami was getting ready for school. "It's been a few weeks since the last Clow card appeared," Sami said, "could they have gone someplace else?"
Kero said, "I wouldn't worry. They are still around. We just have to look more carefully."
Sami sighed and said, "I don't know, but I will take your word for it. After all, you are the guardian beast."
Sami stuck the Clow cards in her backpack, and put the Clow key on. For some time now, it had been a habit of hers to keep the Clow cards with her at all times. She didn't want to get caught off guard when a Clow card attacked. She grabbed her backpack while Kero said, "Relax, it's not the end of the world."
"Alright. See you later," Sami said as she ran downstairs and out the door.
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Sami met up with Elliot and walked to school. Along the way, they talked about how the Clow cards hadn't made their presence known for a while. "Hmmmm," Elliot said, "I think that maybe they are hiding. By capturing the Firey, you have proved that you have great power. It's not very easy to capture an elemental card. This might have frightened the other Clow cards. We must keep our eyes open and watch out for anything unusual."
Right then, Terry came running around the corner. "Speaking of unusual," Sami muttered.
"Did you hear," Terry said, "the principle took maternity leave and is in the hospital. She's going to have her baby soon!"
"Well I knew that," Sami said, "I have a feeling that there is more."
Terry smirked and said, "Yup. I know who is going to take her place until next year. It's some guy named Mr. Sagami. He looks really young, too."
"Sagami," Sami said, "Sagami Yutaro?"
Terry nodded. Sami said, "Awesome! Mr. Sagami is going to be the principle here? That must mean his family has moved to Tokyo!"
Terry and Elliot stared at Sami for a while. Then, Terry said, "you know this guy?"
Sami nodded. She said, "Mr. Sagami and my dad are friends from their college years. He and his son, Sigeru, visit us a lot," Sami blushed and went all starry-eyed, "Sigeru is the nicest, cutest, smartest, coolest guy ever!"
Elliot frowned. Terry noticed this, got a gleam in his eye, and said, "What's wrong, Elliot? Jealous?"
"Of course not," Elliot said while shaking his head and blushing furiously, "I just don't want a kid who's smarter than me in our class!"
Sami giggled and said, "You are really worried about that? You don't need to be. He's a high school junior."
Elliot breathed a sigh of relief. Sami turned to Terry and said, "How do you find these things out?"
Terry grinned and said, "I have sources. I can find out anything!"
Sami and Elliot both sweatdropped and said, "Interesting….."
They kept walking to school. With Terry in tow now, they couldn't talk about the Clow cards. Instead, Sami asked Elliot, "What's your family like?"
"Well," Elliot said, "I have a father and mother, an older brother, and my grandfather also lives with us. My brother's name is Eriol, like my grandfather. Actually, he's Eriol the 3rd, since my father and grandfather both have the same name. It's a kind of tradition in our family for the oldest son to have the same name as their father. My brother is 17. Originally, my grandfather lived in England, but when he came to Japan on an exchange trip, he fell in love with my grandmother. They got married and moved to Kyoto. I've lived there all my life, up until now. Same for my brother and father. The cost of living was too high there, so we moved here. That was about a month and a half ago."
Terry said, "Interesting past…."
"I guess," Elliot said, "It's just me, my brother, Mother, Father, and Grandfather."
"Why does your grandfather live with you," Sami asked. Elliot said, "Well, he's been kinda messed up ever since grandma died. He can't live on his own, so he lives with us. My Father took it as his responsibility, seeing as how he's the only one of his siblings left alive now."
"Wow," Sami said, "Sounds like your family has some problems."
Elliot nodded. As they walked into the school courtyard, they saw a group of kids gathered around a sign. Sami, Elliot, and Terry ran up to it. Elliot, who was the tallest, read the sign, "On November 29th, there will be a school wide arts competition. Anyone above second grade is eligible to enter. First prize will be 12,110 yen (about 100 American dollars). Second prize: 6,050 yen (about 50 American dollars) and third prize: 3,025 yen (about 25 American dollars). Entries must be received by November 19th, or you cannot enter. The judges will be several teachers from the school. Good luck to all."
Sami said, "That sounds like fun!"
Elliot looked skeptically at Sami and said, "Do you even know how to do art?"
Sami nodded and said, "Yup! I know watercolors and sketching!"
Elliot shrugged and said, "Well, that's alright. Let's sign up."
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By the 10h, 43 students signed up, including Abby, which surprised everyone. Abby kept saying, "I know how to paint a little," but Sami had a hard time believing her. Never once in Abby's life had she ever shown that she knew any kind of art. Sami began to wonder when she had been taught to paint, when Mr. Tomika said, "Our class isn't focused outside, Sami. It's focused inside."
Everyone laughed as Sami snapped back to attention and she noticed that she had been looking out the window. It was getting colder fast, and soon it would begin to snow. Mr. Tomika said, "Now, as I was saying, today we are going to the library. We need to pick a book to do a book report on."
Everyone headed of to the library. Sami was having a hard time picking a book, since she was a big fan of fantasy books. So were Abby and Cassie, but Cassie didn't like to admit it. She was a popular person, and she wasn't supposed to like reading. Elliot wasn't paying attention to where he was going, and he ran into the end of a bookshelf. Sami giggled as he straightened his glasses and said, "I thought I saw something over there."
He pointed to the far corner of the library, behind a shelf that made it hardly visible. Sami heard a screech, and saw someone fall to the ground. Just as they were about to run over there, a small blue thing flew out of there and around a corner. Sami ran to see who had screeched. When she rounded the corner of the bookshelf, she saw Cassie, passed out and on the floor. Sami checked her vital signs, and discovered that she was just sleeping. Sami heard Elliot run up behind her and say, "It's a Clow card!"
"I know," Sami said, "And it looks like it puts people to sleep, too."
"The Sleep," Elliot said, "Most likely."
Sami got up and started running back to the table where her backpack was. Elliot said, "We can't go that way! If it makes you fall asleep, who will catch it?"
"The Clow cards are in my backpack," Sami protested, "I need to get them!"
By now, the Sleep card had flown around most of the library and made everyone else fall asleep. Elliot said, "I'll go get them. You wait here."
Elliot looked around to see if the Sleep card was coming, and then bolted to Sami's backpack. He pulled out the cards and began running back to Sami, but he stopped and said, "Watch out, it's behind you!"
Sami turned around and saw the Sleep card heading at her. She ran to Elliot, then dragged him behind a bookcase. She then transformed the Clow key to the Clow wand and took the Clow cards from Elliot. She said, "We have to outsmart it."
Elliot nodded and said, "I can use my fire incantation to burn up the little particles that the Sleep card is dropping. Then, while it's caught off guard, you can catch it. Get ready."
Sami nodded and waited while Elliot changed his charm to it's sword form. Then, he stepped out from behind the bookcase and said, "Sleep card, over here!"
Sami ran to the end of the bookcase and got ready. She saw the Sleep card fly at Elliot and drop the blue sparkles. Elliot pulled out the incantation and said, "Fire!"
Fire shot out of it, and burned up the blue sparkles. Just then, the Sleep flew around him, trapping him in a tornado of blue sparkles. He tried to use the incantation again, but he wasn't fast enough. He fell to the ground, asleep. Then the Sleep looked at Sami and flew at her. She ran out from behind the bookcase, and across the library to another bookcase. She waited for the Sleep to get to her. When she could see it, Sami pulled out the Firey and said, "Firey, grab hold of the Sleep so that it can't put me to sleep! Firey!"
Sami hit it with the Clow wand, and the Firey came out and grabbed the Sleep card just as it dropped some of the blue stuff on Sami. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make her drowsy. She brought the Clow wand overhead, and with the last of her strength, she said, "Return to the form you were destined to be! Clow card!"
Sami brought the Clow wand down in front of her, and the shape of a Clow card formed. The Sleep card turned into wisps of light, and flew at the card shape. When the lights stopped, the Sleep card went to Sami. Sami said, "I did it, I got the Sleep….card……"
Right then, Sami passed out. The Firey card caught her, and laid her down gently on the ground. It then turned back into a card, and with all of the other cards, including the Sleep, flew back into Sami's backpack.
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Some time later, Elliot shook Sami awake. He said, "Sami, wake up!"
Sami groggily said, "What….."
"It's almost two," Elliot answered, "What happened? Did the Sleep card get away?"
Sami shook her head and told him what happened. They both walked back to Sami's backpack, where she saw that the cards were in her backpack. Nobody else was awake yet. Suddenly, the Sleep card flew out of Sami's backpack and floated at eye level with Sami. In a quiet voice, it said, "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."
Sami smiled and said, "It's alright."
Elliot, who had been surveying the situation, looked at Sami and said, "What's alright?"
Sami pointed at the Sleep card and said, "It said it was sorry, and I said that it was ok."
Elliot got a confused look on his face and said, "You can understand what the Clow cards say?"
Sami nodded. "Sometimes they talk to me before I go to bed at night. The Bubbles card likes to tell all of us stories."
Elliot just stared at her. He said, "When did you learn how to understand what the Clow cards say?"
Sami said, "It just happened, right after I caught the Bubbles. All you have to do is quiet your mind, and you can hear them talking."
"Well, let's talk about this later," Elliot said, "The class is starting to wake up."
Sami nodded and went to help the class wake up and get going. The Sleep card went back into Sami's backpack. Sami kept thinking about how surprised Elliot was to find out that Sami could understand the Clow cards. Was it really that strange? When Mr. Tomika woke up, he said, "Hurry up and choose your books. We will go back to the classroom and begin our math lesson."
Sami ended up choosing a book about dragons. Cassie ran up to Sami and showed her a book. It had no title on the cover, but instead it had a green starburst. Cassie said, "It's a book about a wizard! And it looks so cool!"
Right then, the principle came in with the local police. He talked to Mr. Tomika, and then said, "Head back to your classroom now, the police are going to examine the area."
They all headed back to class, with Sami wondering if any other Clow cards were hidden in the school.
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When Sami told Kero what had happened, he looked impressed. "You managed to outsmart the Sleep card," he said, "That's pretty good. Now you have seven cards."
Sami sat down on her bed and said, "Only nineteen more days….I can't wait!"
Kero said, "For what, the art competition?"
Sami nodded. She said, "That reminds me, I still have to make an entry for that…"
Kero sweatdropped.
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The next day, Elliot had some startling news. "One of the kids got hurt really badly last night. He was in the park, and he saw Abby. He went to go talk to her, and she beat the crap out of him!"
Sami, who is very surprised, said, "Whoa, I never knew she had it in her."
Elliot said, "I think there might be another force at hand."
"What could it be? A Clow card," Sami asked. Elliot nodded. He said, "Well, at least I think it might be. Let's get going to the park so we can check it out."
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Some time later, Elliot, Sami, and Kero arrived at the park. It didn't take long to find Abby, since there was a crowd of people around her. Elliot said, "We have to keep the other people from seeing."
Sami said, "I can do that," as she pulled out the Sleep card. She said, "Sleep card, make everyone except Elliot, Kero, Abby and I fall asleep! Sleep!"
Sami hit the card with the Clow wand, and everyone except Kero, Elliot, Abby, and Sami fell asleep. Sami and Elliot ran to where Abby was standing. Elliot said, "Clow card, get out of Abby!"
Abby shook her head, then charged at Elliot. She tried to punch Elliot in the face, but he easily blocked it. She sent several punches at Elliot, but he blocked those to. She tried to kick and punch him, but he kept blocking them. "Wow," Sami said, "He's a good fighter."
Suddenly, Elliot got hit hard, and is sent flying back into a tree. Sami called out, "Elliot!"
Elliot stood up and said, "I'm ok," before Abby started attacking him again. Sami said to Kero, "What can we do? He can't hold out much longer! He's getting tired!"
Kero said, "You can seal the card. You must figure out what card it is, then call out its name."
Sami thought, What card is this? Obviously, it's a good fighter, but what card can do that? Wait a sec, I know!
Sami called out, "Fight card," Abby turned and looked at her, "Leave Elliot alone!"
Suddenly, a bright light flew out of Abby, and she slumped to the ground. The Fight card jumped up and landed five feet in front of Sami. Sami said, "Fight card, return…."
The Fight card kicked the Clow wand out of Sami's hand. It then kicked Sami in the gut, sending her flying back. She landed on the ground with a thud, and had a hard time standing up. The Fight was about to kick Sami in the face, but Elliot punched it, so it's attention was drawn to Elliot. The Fight kicked Elliot in the face, knocking him unconscious. As he fell backward, Sami grabbed the Clow wand, jumped up, pulled out the Firey, and said, "Firey, stop the Fight card from attacking Elliot!"
Sami hit the card with the Clow wand, and the Firey flew out and binded the Fight. As it struggled to get free, Sami pulled the Clow wand over her head and said, "Fight card, return your power, confined! Fight!"
She pulled the Clow wand down, and the shape of a card formed at the end of it. The Fight card turned into wisps of light and flew at the card shape. When the light stopped, the Fight card flew at Sami, and she caught it. The Firey also returned to its card from. Sami ran to Elliot and said, "Don't worry, Elliot. I'll get you home."
Suddenly, Kero flew over and easily picked up Elliot. Sami said, "Wow, your strong."
Kero said, "Of course, I am the guardian of the Clow cards. Come on, I'll carry him to your house."
They set off to Sami's house. Before they got far, Terry jumped out of the bushes. He looked very scared. He said, "I saw the whole thing! You have a lot of explaining to do!"
Sami, who was both exasperated and exhausted, said, "Come to my house, and I will explain everything."
As they all went to Sami's house, nobody noticed the figure in the shadows. With a smirk, the figure said, "Heh, in over your head, Sami? Well, more fuel will be added to the fire soon enough."
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After Sami, Kero, and Terry took care of Elliot, Sami explained everything that had happened to her since she got the Clow book from her grandparents. Terry remained in a state of shock throughout the whole story. At the end, he said, "And you managed to keep it a secret from everyone?"
Sami nodded and said, "Almost everyone."
"Well," Terry said, "I am going to help you in any way I can. I may not be magical, but I am sure I can do something."
"You could probably be our alibi," Sami muttered, not meaning for Terry to hear. "That would work," Terry responded, "Oh, and I have excellent hearing, too."
Right then, Elliot started to regain consciousness and said, "Where am I?"
Sami walked over to the couch, where they had laid him, sat down on the end by his feet, and said, "Don't worry, you are at my house. I called your family, and your brother will be here soon to pick you up. You got hurt pretty badly during the fight, but you will be better soon."
Elliot said, "Thank you, Sami," and then went back to sleep. Sami smiled and said, "Your welcome."
Behind her back, Terry made a vomiting gesture so that only Kero could see. Kero chuckled. A few minutes later, someone knocked at the door. Sami opened it, and saw a bigger version of Elliot. He said, "Greetings. My name is Eriol, and I am Elliot's older brother."
Sami said, "It's nice to meet you. Elliot is asleep on the couch."
Eriol walked in and picked up Elliot. He said, "Thank you for taking care of Elliot until I got here," and left. "What a stiff…….just like Elliot," Terry said. Sami giggled and said, "Elliot isn't a stiff, and neither is his brother. What do you think, Kero?"
When he didn't answer, Sami turned around and said his name again. He looked angry. Kero said, "I don't like that guy."
Sami sweatdropped and said, "That's what you said about Elliot when you first met him."
"That was different," Kero said, "I got a different feeling from Elliot. Elliot just seemed to be confused. But this guy is different. I can't quite put my paw on it, but he is definitely different. Be careful, Sami, for he is more than he seems."
Sami was a little scared by this, but she tried not to show it. She said, "I'll be careful," but she was thinking, I really hope Kero is wrong about Eriol. He's Elliot's brother, after all. If we can't trust Elliot's own brother, then who can we trust?