New chapter! However, I have an announcement. I have recently changed my
ISP. Please send all e-mail to wallcrawler86@frontiernet.net. And please
enjoy. I also must request no more death threats in my e-mail or Molotov
cocktails through my kitchen window when I have a cliffhanger. They're
getting expensive to clean up.
Chapter 17- The Next Victim Is.?
The door to Syaoran's apartment slowly opened and the three kids entered. "Shhh." Syaoran shushed them and whispered, "Be as quiet as you can. Mia and Kero don't know I've been-"
"Been gone?" A light turned on, temporarily blinding the three new arrivals. "Wait. S-Sakura?! Tomoyo?! You're back?!" Kero said. Mia and Kero leapt up and hugged them. "But how did you. I mean, I thought you were gone for." Sakura smiled and hugged Syaoran, who immediately turned red. "He saved us! He came back into the past and saved us! We were only infants, but he protected us." Mia laughed. "Syaoran, you didn't have to play the hero! We would have come along and helped! When I woke up this morning to a cat messing in the trashcans outside and saw you were gone, I had thought you ran away or something like that. Huh? Why is your neck all bandaged up?"
Syaoran rubbed his sore neck. "I underestimated Koji. He's a lot stronger and full of hatred than ever. Just being around him. I felt even I grew angry. He has found a way to use his anger at us as a source of power. I met a sword of his. across the throat." "Oh, my! This is bad. Worse than I thought." Mia mumbled aloud. "Huh? What's bad?" Tomoyo asked.
Mia sighed. "You see, Sadin let Koji join him because he could see there was something different about Koji. He might not have been as evil as some of the demons you've faced, especially Nave, but his evil grows. Soon, if he is as strong and heartless as Syaoran said, he may surpass even Sadin himself in power."
"HOOOEEEEEE!" "What?!" "You're kidding!" They all exclaimed. Mia shook her head. "I wish I were kidding. But here, come closer, Syaoran."
Mia unwrapped the bandage on Li-kun's neck and examined the gash with great fascination. "Wow. That's some cut. A few centimeters more and you'd be dead. It must hurt. But I can fix that." She placed one hand over the wound and Syaoran's neck began to glow blue from Mia's healing mage magic. Within a second, the wound was gone and Syaoran sighed in relief. "Ah, thank you. That feels much better." He moved his neck in a circle.
"Now, you'll have to tell Kero and me all about what happened. Specific details." He shook his head. "In the morning, when we take Sakura and Tomoyo home. I'm tired." Sakura look disappointed. "We have to go tomorrow?" Syaoran nodded. "Well, you're back to normal. That's why you stayed here at all. Your family might get suspicious or worried if you're gone for too long." She sighed in displeasure. "I guess you're right." Tomoyo put one finger on her left cheek and asked, "I wonder where Koji is now, though." Mia replied, "I was wondering that, too. I've started to get a sixth sense with Koji. I've noticed when Koji attempts to change the past, I can sense it. At first, it was just a small feeling. I barely noticed. But now, I think I can even tell when and where it's coming from." Sakura smiled. "Really? So, really, you can tell when and where he'll be someplace?" She shook her head. "It's not that strong. But the next time Koji does anything wrong, I will know where we need to go. Right now, I don't sense him," she yawned. "Well, even if he was doing something right now, I don't know if I could tell if he were in this room. I'm so tired." Tomoyo and Sakura nodded in agreement. Sakura tapped Syaoran on the shoulder. "Let's just go to bed, okay? .Syaoran? Syaoran?" She bent over and noticed the boy had already fallen asleep.
Sakura blushed while staring into his face, pushing back his hair, which tried to cover his eyes. "Like an angel." "Did you say something, Sakura?" Tomoyo asked. "Ummm. uhhh. no, I was. umm. Just yawning. let's go to bed. But first, I think Syaoran deserves his own bed tonight. He's earned it."
The smell of breakfast came down the hallway and into Syaoran's room. The light fragrance woke him gently. He sat up and let out a huge yawn. "I feel a lot better. but for some reason, I'm so hungry." He quickly showered and got dressed before heading to the kitchen. Sakura and Mia just finished placing down breakfast when he walked in, as well as Tomoyo and Kero, who had been straightening up the house.
As Mia put down another plate of food, she noticed Syaoran and asked, "Are you feeling okay this morning?" "Huh?" he replied, "I feel okay; I'm just a little hungry. Why?" Sakura looked to him too and said, "You look thinner than usual. And you were skinny to begin with." He held one hand on his stomach. "Well, I'm just a little hungry. I've been hungry the last few days. I've been eating only some small supplies I had brought and saving most of them. Then, after I fought Koji, well, I was drained."
Mia thought aloud, "I guess that makes sense. Anyway, you still should eat. Get back your strength. We can't let Koji get away anymore. This time, we catch him for good. So let's be prepared." He nodded. "It smells delicious, anyway! We'll eat and then we can take everyone back to their homes."
2 minutes later, the group of four kids and one guardian beast sat at the table eating breakfast. But Syaoran ate the most, shoveling it all in as fast as he could. Sweat drops rolled down the heads of everyone except Syaoran, who was busily eating. Mia asked, "Ummm. Syaoran, did you switch bodies with Yukito overnight?" "What are you talking about? Oh. I see. But I'm just very hungry. I don't know why. It's weird." Sakura smiled. "Well, you've lost some weight over the past few days. in the past. so eat up! I made plenty." "Thank you."
Five or so minutes later, Syaoran had finished the rest of the food, but was still hungry. "Why am I still so hungry? I must have been more exhausted from fighting Koji than I thought. Oh, well. Sakura, Tomoyo, are you two ready to go?" The two girls stood by the door with a few bags of their supplies. "We're ready, Li," Tomoyo said. "Okay, I'll just clean up here and then I'll walk you home. Get started." "Okay," Sakura replied before stepping outside the apartment.
Syaoran picked up his plates and headed for the sink when-
"AUGH!" CRASH!
The door to the apartment was flung open. "Syaoran! Are you okay?" Mia cried out as she looked around to find the source of the noise. "Look!" Tomoyo pointed to the kitchen. The young Li was huddled over a pile of broken dishes on the floor. Sakura ran over to him and checked him over, crying out in concern. "Are you okay? Where does it hurt? What happened? Please, get up!"
Syaoran got to his knees. "I'm okay, I'm okay. No need to worry about me." Sakura still seemed to be worried, though. "What happened?" "It was nothing. I just got this sudden shock. I was carrying my plates when my arm sort of flashed. or faded out. or something. I think I just didn't get enough sleep last night. The weird thing is, I didn't lose my grip on them. It's like they just fell through me."
Mia looked on concerned. "Could it be.? No. It couldn't."
"Syaoran, are you going to be okay?" Sakura asked. "Yes. Let's go. I just didn't get enough sleep, so I'm a little clumsy and dizzy. I'll be fine though." Sakura put one hand on his cheek and gazed into his eyes. "But promise me that you'll get some rest when you get back here, okay?" "I. I.," he blushed, "I promise."
A few minutes later, they all walked down the street. Eventually, they reached an intersection where Mia and Tomoyo took a different road to take Tomoyo to her house. When the other two reached Sakura's house, Touya was washing the car out front and Fujitaka was working on the lawn. Touya looked up and spotted them. "What the. Sakura, what are you doing with him?" "Syaoran was kind enough to walk me home from Tomoyo's party." "Humph. I just hope you're not planning on bringing him inside." Syaoran bowed. "No, I was just going back."
Fujitaka stood up from his weeding and looked at Syaoran with a blank gaze. As Syaoran walked out of view, Sakura hugged her father. "Good morning, Dad!" "Huh, oh, good morning, Sakura." Sakura then walked into her room. Kero had hidden in her backpack.
"Touya, that boy." "Huh? You noticed it, too?" "You mean he looks somehow familiar?" Touya nodded. "Do you suppose he could be. that boy?" Fujitaka thought for a second. "You know, he looks like that boy from long ago. but. No, it couldn't be." "Yeah, you're right, Dad. If he were that kid, he'd have to be older than me." They both returned to their work.
The next day.
Sakura stepped into Mr. Tereda's class and took her seat. After her first class had started, Sakura turned around to talk to Syaoran. "So, are you feeling any better after-" She noticed Li's chair was empty. "Hoe? Tomoyo, have you seen Syaoran?" "Li? No, I haven't. Where could he be?" "I'm not sure. I never heard from him after he walked me home." Tomoyo pointed to Sakura's pocketbook. "Before cheerleading, why don't you give Kero-chan a call and ask him to go look for him?" "That's a good idea."
"Yeah! Yeah! Take that! Now, watch my Ultra-Super-Duper-Power-Puncher- Combo! Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A! Yahoo! I did it! I beat Super Combo Fighters X4 Special!" A cell phone rang. "Hello? Oh, hi, Sakura. Is something wrong? Uh-huh. What?! There's no way I'm going to look for that brat. What? You'll give me what?! TWO PUDDINGS WITH DINNER IF I FIND HIM?! I'll start looking right away!"
The plush-like beast started to fly high over the town. "Now, where would the brat be.?" He hovered in place. "Hmmm. maybe he's at that ice cream shop down there."
5 minutes later.
Kero finished eating the last of the dishes of ice cream he had "borrowed" from the kitchen of the shop. "Oh well, I guess he's not here. Maybe I'll check his house." "Helloooooooooooooooo? Is anyone home?" Kero called out throughout Syaoran's house. "Let's see. He's not in the living room, the kitchen, or outside. Let's check his room." The door to the young Li's room opened slowly and silently. "Are you in here?" Kero's jaw dropped when he saw the bed. "I gotta warn Sakura! Quick!"
The whirring of a video camera came from Tomoyo as she taped Sakura, gracefully tossing her baton in the air. "You're so graceful, Sakura-chan." "Hurry! Gotta hurry!" Tomoyo focused her camera on an approaching yellow figure. "Kero-chan?"
"SAKURA! SAKURA! HURRY!" "Hoe? KERO-CHAN!" She caught the beast and covered him in her uniform. Rika and the other girls started to stare. A sweat drop rolled down Sakura's head as she tried to hide Kero. "A. heh. It's nothing! I just. umm. need to rest for a while." She laughed nervously and walked around a corner.
"Kero-chan! I thought I told you not to come out in public! You almost-" Kero popped out of the top of her shirt. "Now's not the time! It's Syaoran! He's. he's." "What about him? Did you find him?"
Kero had a morbid look on his face. "Sakura, Syaoran. he's. he's. disappearing! He's Koji's next target!!!"
To be continued.
Chapter 17- The Next Victim Is.?
The door to Syaoran's apartment slowly opened and the three kids entered. "Shhh." Syaoran shushed them and whispered, "Be as quiet as you can. Mia and Kero don't know I've been-"
"Been gone?" A light turned on, temporarily blinding the three new arrivals. "Wait. S-Sakura?! Tomoyo?! You're back?!" Kero said. Mia and Kero leapt up and hugged them. "But how did you. I mean, I thought you were gone for." Sakura smiled and hugged Syaoran, who immediately turned red. "He saved us! He came back into the past and saved us! We were only infants, but he protected us." Mia laughed. "Syaoran, you didn't have to play the hero! We would have come along and helped! When I woke up this morning to a cat messing in the trashcans outside and saw you were gone, I had thought you ran away or something like that. Huh? Why is your neck all bandaged up?"
Syaoran rubbed his sore neck. "I underestimated Koji. He's a lot stronger and full of hatred than ever. Just being around him. I felt even I grew angry. He has found a way to use his anger at us as a source of power. I met a sword of his. across the throat." "Oh, my! This is bad. Worse than I thought." Mia mumbled aloud. "Huh? What's bad?" Tomoyo asked.
Mia sighed. "You see, Sadin let Koji join him because he could see there was something different about Koji. He might not have been as evil as some of the demons you've faced, especially Nave, but his evil grows. Soon, if he is as strong and heartless as Syaoran said, he may surpass even Sadin himself in power."
"HOOOEEEEEE!" "What?!" "You're kidding!" They all exclaimed. Mia shook her head. "I wish I were kidding. But here, come closer, Syaoran."
Mia unwrapped the bandage on Li-kun's neck and examined the gash with great fascination. "Wow. That's some cut. A few centimeters more and you'd be dead. It must hurt. But I can fix that." She placed one hand over the wound and Syaoran's neck began to glow blue from Mia's healing mage magic. Within a second, the wound was gone and Syaoran sighed in relief. "Ah, thank you. That feels much better." He moved his neck in a circle.
"Now, you'll have to tell Kero and me all about what happened. Specific details." He shook his head. "In the morning, when we take Sakura and Tomoyo home. I'm tired." Sakura look disappointed. "We have to go tomorrow?" Syaoran nodded. "Well, you're back to normal. That's why you stayed here at all. Your family might get suspicious or worried if you're gone for too long." She sighed in displeasure. "I guess you're right." Tomoyo put one finger on her left cheek and asked, "I wonder where Koji is now, though." Mia replied, "I was wondering that, too. I've started to get a sixth sense with Koji. I've noticed when Koji attempts to change the past, I can sense it. At first, it was just a small feeling. I barely noticed. But now, I think I can even tell when and where it's coming from." Sakura smiled. "Really? So, really, you can tell when and where he'll be someplace?" She shook her head. "It's not that strong. But the next time Koji does anything wrong, I will know where we need to go. Right now, I don't sense him," she yawned. "Well, even if he was doing something right now, I don't know if I could tell if he were in this room. I'm so tired." Tomoyo and Sakura nodded in agreement. Sakura tapped Syaoran on the shoulder. "Let's just go to bed, okay? .Syaoran? Syaoran?" She bent over and noticed the boy had already fallen asleep.
Sakura blushed while staring into his face, pushing back his hair, which tried to cover his eyes. "Like an angel." "Did you say something, Sakura?" Tomoyo asked. "Ummm. uhhh. no, I was. umm. Just yawning. let's go to bed. But first, I think Syaoran deserves his own bed tonight. He's earned it."
The smell of breakfast came down the hallway and into Syaoran's room. The light fragrance woke him gently. He sat up and let out a huge yawn. "I feel a lot better. but for some reason, I'm so hungry." He quickly showered and got dressed before heading to the kitchen. Sakura and Mia just finished placing down breakfast when he walked in, as well as Tomoyo and Kero, who had been straightening up the house.
As Mia put down another plate of food, she noticed Syaoran and asked, "Are you feeling okay this morning?" "Huh?" he replied, "I feel okay; I'm just a little hungry. Why?" Sakura looked to him too and said, "You look thinner than usual. And you were skinny to begin with." He held one hand on his stomach. "Well, I'm just a little hungry. I've been hungry the last few days. I've been eating only some small supplies I had brought and saving most of them. Then, after I fought Koji, well, I was drained."
Mia thought aloud, "I guess that makes sense. Anyway, you still should eat. Get back your strength. We can't let Koji get away anymore. This time, we catch him for good. So let's be prepared." He nodded. "It smells delicious, anyway! We'll eat and then we can take everyone back to their homes."
2 minutes later, the group of four kids and one guardian beast sat at the table eating breakfast. But Syaoran ate the most, shoveling it all in as fast as he could. Sweat drops rolled down the heads of everyone except Syaoran, who was busily eating. Mia asked, "Ummm. Syaoran, did you switch bodies with Yukito overnight?" "What are you talking about? Oh. I see. But I'm just very hungry. I don't know why. It's weird." Sakura smiled. "Well, you've lost some weight over the past few days. in the past. so eat up! I made plenty." "Thank you."
Five or so minutes later, Syaoran had finished the rest of the food, but was still hungry. "Why am I still so hungry? I must have been more exhausted from fighting Koji than I thought. Oh, well. Sakura, Tomoyo, are you two ready to go?" The two girls stood by the door with a few bags of their supplies. "We're ready, Li," Tomoyo said. "Okay, I'll just clean up here and then I'll walk you home. Get started." "Okay," Sakura replied before stepping outside the apartment.
Syaoran picked up his plates and headed for the sink when-
"AUGH!" CRASH!
The door to the apartment was flung open. "Syaoran! Are you okay?" Mia cried out as she looked around to find the source of the noise. "Look!" Tomoyo pointed to the kitchen. The young Li was huddled over a pile of broken dishes on the floor. Sakura ran over to him and checked him over, crying out in concern. "Are you okay? Where does it hurt? What happened? Please, get up!"
Syaoran got to his knees. "I'm okay, I'm okay. No need to worry about me." Sakura still seemed to be worried, though. "What happened?" "It was nothing. I just got this sudden shock. I was carrying my plates when my arm sort of flashed. or faded out. or something. I think I just didn't get enough sleep last night. The weird thing is, I didn't lose my grip on them. It's like they just fell through me."
Mia looked on concerned. "Could it be.? No. It couldn't."
"Syaoran, are you going to be okay?" Sakura asked. "Yes. Let's go. I just didn't get enough sleep, so I'm a little clumsy and dizzy. I'll be fine though." Sakura put one hand on his cheek and gazed into his eyes. "But promise me that you'll get some rest when you get back here, okay?" "I. I.," he blushed, "I promise."
A few minutes later, they all walked down the street. Eventually, they reached an intersection where Mia and Tomoyo took a different road to take Tomoyo to her house. When the other two reached Sakura's house, Touya was washing the car out front and Fujitaka was working on the lawn. Touya looked up and spotted them. "What the. Sakura, what are you doing with him?" "Syaoran was kind enough to walk me home from Tomoyo's party." "Humph. I just hope you're not planning on bringing him inside." Syaoran bowed. "No, I was just going back."
Fujitaka stood up from his weeding and looked at Syaoran with a blank gaze. As Syaoran walked out of view, Sakura hugged her father. "Good morning, Dad!" "Huh, oh, good morning, Sakura." Sakura then walked into her room. Kero had hidden in her backpack.
"Touya, that boy." "Huh? You noticed it, too?" "You mean he looks somehow familiar?" Touya nodded. "Do you suppose he could be. that boy?" Fujitaka thought for a second. "You know, he looks like that boy from long ago. but. No, it couldn't be." "Yeah, you're right, Dad. If he were that kid, he'd have to be older than me." They both returned to their work.
The next day.
Sakura stepped into Mr. Tereda's class and took her seat. After her first class had started, Sakura turned around to talk to Syaoran. "So, are you feeling any better after-" She noticed Li's chair was empty. "Hoe? Tomoyo, have you seen Syaoran?" "Li? No, I haven't. Where could he be?" "I'm not sure. I never heard from him after he walked me home." Tomoyo pointed to Sakura's pocketbook. "Before cheerleading, why don't you give Kero-chan a call and ask him to go look for him?" "That's a good idea."
"Yeah! Yeah! Take that! Now, watch my Ultra-Super-Duper-Power-Puncher- Combo! Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A! Yahoo! I did it! I beat Super Combo Fighters X4 Special!" A cell phone rang. "Hello? Oh, hi, Sakura. Is something wrong? Uh-huh. What?! There's no way I'm going to look for that brat. What? You'll give me what?! TWO PUDDINGS WITH DINNER IF I FIND HIM?! I'll start looking right away!"
The plush-like beast started to fly high over the town. "Now, where would the brat be.?" He hovered in place. "Hmmm. maybe he's at that ice cream shop down there."
5 minutes later.
Kero finished eating the last of the dishes of ice cream he had "borrowed" from the kitchen of the shop. "Oh well, I guess he's not here. Maybe I'll check his house." "Helloooooooooooooooo? Is anyone home?" Kero called out throughout Syaoran's house. "Let's see. He's not in the living room, the kitchen, or outside. Let's check his room." The door to the young Li's room opened slowly and silently. "Are you in here?" Kero's jaw dropped when he saw the bed. "I gotta warn Sakura! Quick!"
The whirring of a video camera came from Tomoyo as she taped Sakura, gracefully tossing her baton in the air. "You're so graceful, Sakura-chan." "Hurry! Gotta hurry!" Tomoyo focused her camera on an approaching yellow figure. "Kero-chan?"
"SAKURA! SAKURA! HURRY!" "Hoe? KERO-CHAN!" She caught the beast and covered him in her uniform. Rika and the other girls started to stare. A sweat drop rolled down Sakura's head as she tried to hide Kero. "A. heh. It's nothing! I just. umm. need to rest for a while." She laughed nervously and walked around a corner.
"Kero-chan! I thought I told you not to come out in public! You almost-" Kero popped out of the top of her shirt. "Now's not the time! It's Syaoran! He's. he's." "What about him? Did you find him?"
Kero had a morbid look on his face. "Sakura, Syaoran. he's. he's. disappearing! He's Koji's next target!!!"
To be continued.