Syv: Oh, hello Tomoyo-chan! I missed you! How's minna-san???
Kero: *shouting from far away* What do you mean, "how's everyone"??? You were the one that didn't want to update your story!!!
Syv: *sweatdrop*
Tomoyo: Don't mind him, Syv-chan. *smiles* He's just annoyed because he had to stay in the closet the whole while you were away.
Syv: The closet? *wide-eyed* Who put him in the closet?
Tomoyo: Actually…you did. After the audience left, you stuffed him in the closet so he'd shut up.
Syv: *question marks popping all over head* I did???
Tomoyo: *smiles* Hai…
Syv: Oh, souka (I see)…gomenasai Kero-chan!!!
Kero: *can be heard grumbling in the distance* You owe me food…
Syv: *sweatdrop* ANYWAAAAYYYYY…Let's get on with the story…
Tomoyo: Hai, and arigatou for the reviews…
Fire Temptress
Avelyn Lauren
Kurama216
Sakura G
Stargirl21
Semmerie
G.K.C.
Mycherrywolf
Hitomi-chan
Kai
Syv: Hai, arigatou for the reviews everyone! You guys made me really happy!!! ^^
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the CCS characters or the cards…but I really wish I had the cards, *sigh* life would've been so much easier…
(Translation) ~only for uncommon words
'Thoughts'
"Talking"
Author note
In the last chapter: With that, they left his room and closed the door. He looked back at the door before sighing to himself and getting ready for bed. He slipped under the covers and fell into a fast sleep, dreaming of a certain amethyst-eyed goddess.
The next day, Sakura was still too weak to go to school so the gang went without her. Her father left early in the morning because he had an archaeological expedition but Touya entered her room just before he left for school to check on her. And when he did, she was awake. She was sitting on the windowsill staring out at the city below.
"Look, Kaijuu (monster) is awake. I wonder why she wakes up early when there's no school but when there is, she sleeps in," he said in a smug voice with a smirk on his face.
Sakura didn't retort which made Touya worried.
"Sakura?" he said softly, the concern evident in his voice.
He quietly walked up to her and knelt down beside her. He stared out the window trying to see whatever it was Sakura was looking at. Seeing nothing, he became puzzled and looked at Sakura's face. What he saw stopped his heart.
Sakura was really pale and she was sweating heavily. But that wasn't what scared him. What scared him were her eyes. Her eyes were dilated and her pupils gone. Her lips moved in what seemed like a chant, but no sounds or words were heard.
Touya immediately grasped on to Sakura's shoulders, fear for his little sister gripping his heart. When he held her, she was as cold as ice. It scared him even more. He started to shake her vigorously, all the while calling her name.
"Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, SAKURA!!!"
Just when he thought she'd never stop her chanting, Sakura's pupils returned and her eyes were back to normal. She blinked rapidly and looked around her before looking back at her older brother.
"Sakura, daijoubu desu ka (are you all right)?" Touya asked apprehensively.
"Hai, doshite (why)?" she replied, confused by Touya's concern.
"D-don't you remember…anything?" Touya asked, shock written all over his face.
"Remember? Remember what?" Sakura asked, more confused then ever.
"Never mind. It's nothing," Touya said defeatedly before thinking, 'Why doesn't she remember? What just happened awhile ago?'
"You better get to bed, Sakura. I'll stay home today."
"Stay home? Don't you have school? You'll miss your classes! Just go! I'll be fine! Kero-chan's here anyway," Sakura argued.
She didn't want anyone to be bothered by her.
"Hey, you're right. The stuffed animal was supposed to be here…" Touya silently thought to himself, 'Where was he when Sakura started chanting?'
"Kero-chan? Kero-chan!" Sakura started to call but no one answered, "That's funny…"
"Something's going on here," Touya muttered before standing up.
Sakura stood up too and got her Sakura cards from her dresser. She almost collapsed again but Touya caught her just in time.
"You shouldn't be getting up yet, Sakura."
"Demo, Kero-chan is my guardian and he's a really good friend so I have to find him!" Sakura argued.
"Fine," Touya sighed before smiling, "But stay with me. We can't let you get more injured then you already are."
"Hai!" Sakura nodded energetically, "Arigatou 'niichan!"
The two siblings quietly crept down to the dining room and kitchen. They didn't see anything out of the ordinary nor did they sense anything. Touya still has powers here, okay? He regained it somehow…just imagine something. -_-; They moved to the living room but still not a sound was heard, nor was anything disturbed. They stood up puzzled.
'Where is Kero-chan?' Sakura thought worriedly.
"Let's wait for classes to end first. Yukito is supposed to come here. He is your other guardian, right? We'll discuss it later. In the meantime, go to your bed. You need rest," Touya stated firmly, meaning she wasn't supposed to argue.
Sakura sighed resignedly, "Hai, hai."
She headed up to her room and plopped down on the bed.
'Kero-chan…'
Touya, once seeing Sakura enter her room, sighed too. He went to prepare some breakfast for Sakura as he thought to himself.
'What happened this morning with Sakura? And where the heck did that stuffed animal go? I guess we can only wait till later…'
He continued to busy himself with preparing Sakura's breakfast, pancakes and orange juice. When he finished, he put it on a tray and brought it up to Sakura's room. He knocked softly and entered. He saw Sakura sitting by the windowsill again, staring out the window. He was scared it happened to her again. He quickly put the tray on top of the dresser and rushed to Sakura. He looked at her and was so relieved to see she was normal. Sakura looked at him questioningly but didn't ask. She went to her bed and sat down with a pillow at her back. Touya made sure she was comfortable before handing her the tray of food. The moment he put it in front of her, she started to gobble it down, suddenly realizing just how hungry she was. Touya chuckled at his sister's childish antics.
"Sakura, slow down! You might choke."
"Mmmrmmph, hai!" she replied after swallowing her food.
She ate more slowly while Touya watched over her. When she finished, Touya took the tray off her and placed it on the dresser before tucking Sakura in and making sure she was very comfortable in her position.
"Oniichan, are you sure you want to stay here? Shouldn't you go to school?" Sakura asked tentatively.
Touya just looked at her for a few seconds before chuckling and ruffling her hair, "Of course I'm sure. Why wouldn't I want to stay with the Kaijuu (monster) and make sure she's okay?"
Sakura smiled gratefully before retorting, realizing Touya had just called her a monster, "Sakura kaijuu janai (not a monster) I'm not sure if that's how to spell it…!"
Chuckling lightly, Touya ruffled her hair again and picked up the tray, heading downstairs to finish the chores. As Touya was busying himself with all the housework, Sakura was grateful to have a brother like him. After a while, her thoughts returned to Kero and started worrying again. As all the different possibilities of what happened to Kero crowded her mind, she fell into a dreamless slumber.
When she next woke up, it was to the grumbling of her stomach. She slowly got out of bed, grasping on to the chair to steady her as she had a short dizzying spell. When her dizziness vanished, she continued down the stairs. Halfway down, she heard angry shouts. Wondering what all the commotion was about, she hurried down the stairs, as fast as she could go without getting dizzy. When she reached the source of the noise, she was standing near the front door where Touya was shouting at Syaoran, while Meiling, Eriol and Tomoyo watched amusedly. Eriol and Tomoyo were holding each other's hand, while Meiling had her arms crossed in front of her all the while shaking her head from side to side.
"Oniichan, Syaoran-kun, YAMETTE (stop)!"
Both boys looked at her, surprised.
"Sakura, you should be in bed…" they both chided her in unison before realizing what happened and glared at each other.
They both stopped their glares when they saw Sakura wobbling from side to side. They both rushed to her as she collapsed. She was on the floor, awake, as the two boys lifted her up to a sitting position and Syaoran letting go of her when Touya glared at him. Sakura smiled slightly at the two boys. Tomoyo and the others ran to Sakura as Touya carried her into the living room. He placed her gently on the couch and went to get tea for their visitors. Syaoran and the others started asking Sakura what happened to her while she was home when he left.
"Well, Kero-chan is missing. 'Niichan and I looked everywhere but he wasn't there. We can't find him!" Sakura explained.
"Are you sure he didn't just go to a restaurant and forget about the time and hasn't returned?" Syaoran asked doubtfully.
"No, he wouldn't! Whenever I'm sick or tired from power drain, he always stays beside me and watches over me! He doesn't even eat if I'm really sick!" Sakura defended her friend.
Touya came back a while later with the tea. He handed out tea to everyone, even to Syaoran but only because Sakura asked him to, and sat down to hear what was being discussed.
"Hey, have any of you seen Yukito on your way here?" Touya asked.
"Iie, we didn't see him. We saw Nakuru-san though," Tomoyo answered.
"He didn't go to school according to Nakuru-san," Eriol said.
"Nani (what)!?" Touya said, obviously startled.
"So Kero-chan and even Yukito-san are gone," Sakura said, tears welling up in her eyes.
Syaoran, who was the closest to her, placed his hand on her shoulder comfortingly.
"Daijoubu Sakura-chan. We'll find them for sure," Meiling said in a matter-of-fact voice.
Sakura nodded with a smile, "Hai!"
They all sat still, deep in thought on what could have happened to them when suddenly, Sakura jerked in her seat and sat upright.
'Ah, Card Mistress, are you worried about your guardians? Don't worry, they're fine. But, of course, you wouldn't really know, now would you? You'll have to meet me if you want to get them back. I'll be waiting at the cherry blossom park at midnight later. If you don't show up, well, let's just say you'll never see your guardians ALIVE again.'
"Sakura-chan? Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo was waving her hand in front of Sakura's face, concern evident in her expression.
The others stared at Sakura with the same concerned look. Meiling, being the aggressive one, immediately spoke up when Sakura wouldn't answer.
"SAKURA-CHAN!"
Sakura suddenly jolted back into reality. She stared up at Meiling's concerned face and forced a weak smile.
Immediately knowing what Meiling was going to ask, she said, "Daijoubu Meiling-chan."
Meiling stuck her tongue out at the Card Mistress, "If you're fine, you'd know I'd definitely NOT fall for that kinda answer! Let me guess, that XUE guy took Kero-chan and Yue-san and he wants you to meet him somewhere sometime. Am I right?" She purposely stressed the "Xue", pouring out all her irritation and disgust into saying his name.
Sakura was shocked for a moment, then, she smiled, slowly bobbing her head up and down, "Gomenasai Meiling-chan."
"Where and when," Meiling demanded.
Sakura shook her head slightly before saying something inaudible and vanishing before their very eyes. Syaoran and Touya immediately stood up and rushed out the door. Neither knew where they were going but for some reason, they were sure of where to go. Tomoyo and the others followed a while later.
Meanwhile, Sakura had appeared in the midst of cherry blossom trees. She was surprised as to why she was there. She remembered sitting on the couch at home and Meiling shouting at her, concerned about her. She remembered shaking her head and muttering inaudibly, "I won't let you guys get hurt." And the next thing she knew, she was here. Before her brain had actually processed much, her hand reached for her neck, pulling out the Star Key. She said a few soft words and her Star Staff lay out in front of her. She held it protectively before her, sensing Xue's aura.
"SHOW YOURSELF!"
Hearing a soft chuckle, Sakura quickly turned around expecting to see Xue. Instead, she was greeted by air. She scanned her surroundings through slitted eyes, each time hearing Xue's insane chuckle echoing around her.
"SHOW YOURSELF XUE! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!" She screamed at him, annoyed and worried all at the same time.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared in front of her, slowly materializing after each second passed. When it had fully materialized, Xue stood in front of her.
"Looking for me, Card Mistress?"
"You said midnight, why did you bring me here?" Sakura demanded.
She didn't expect what happened next. Xue's eyes widened considerably as he stared at her, shocked beyond belief. She saw his eyes turn into slits as he cursed loudly. Her once tense form, relaxed slightly.
"You mean, you didn't bring me here? You didn't talk to me OR take my guardians?" Sakura asked doubtfully.
"Iie Card Mistress, I never talked to you, nor have I taken your guardians. And I have definitely NOT brought you here. I just happened to be resting on one of the branches around when I heard you call my name."
"Why did you laugh then?"
"Laugh???" Xue was obviously more confused then ever.
Sakura stared at him through slitted eyes, still holding her ground. Yet, even if she didn't want to, she knew he was telling the truth. She believed him.
"Who was it then?" Sakura questioned aloud.
Then, they both heard it. An insane laugh, one that sent shivers up anyone's spine. It held a coldness that Sakura couldn't explain. She shivered and held her staff protectively in front of her. Xue, who also heard the laugh, immediately called out his sword, which slowly formed in front of him. They stood there, comrades despite their previous encounters.
"WHO'S THERE?" Sakura called out.
Another spine-chilling laugh was the only answer.
"Face us, coward!" Xue shouted.
"Ah, Xue, what are you doing? Shouldn't you be fighting the Card Mistress? Instead, you stand beside her. You have taken too long. Master wants her NOW. And since you are not capable of completing such a simple task, I have come to complete it for you." The voice said frostily.
Sakura looked at Xue warily. Staring at him through cautious eyes, she slowly faced him with her staff. Xue stared at her puzzled.
'Just what is she doing? First she gets mad at me when I didn't do anything, then she treats me as a comrade against this unknown voice, now she treats me as an enemy.' Xue sighed slightly.
Then, he heard Sakura whisper something. It was so soft that he wasn't sure if he was just dreaming. But by the look in her eyes, she clearly wasn't joking.
She said, "I'll help you for now. I know you know nothing about this so I'm gonna help you get rid of that guy."
Sakura sighed. She stared at Xue's face, trying to determine if he heard her and understood. Seeing a slight resemblance of a nod, she grinned discreetly. Then she raised her staff higher.
"So, you were trying to trick me. You pretended not to know anything about this, then, later you were planning to stab me in the back. Well, why can't you play fair? Let's battle right now!" Sakura called to Xue, making her voice sound as angry as possible.
With that, she charged at him, calling out "Sword" on the way. When her staff fully changed into a sword, she swung it towards Xue. He immediately brought up his sword and pushed her back. Jumping back, Sakura took a second before charging again at him. Xue easily dodged the "angered" Card Mistress, then let loose his own attack. He raised his sword above his head as a lightning bolt came from the sky to hit the Card Mistress below. Sakura barely dodged the attack, tripping to the side. As Xue was about to call down another lightning bolt, Sakura called out "Thunder" as it hit against Xue's lightning. It clashed in the middle and light blinded Sakura for a few moments. Then she heard it.
A voice in the tree behind her had whispered a soft, "This is gonna be interesting."
Smirking slightly, she looked at Xue. Their eyes met for a few moments before Sakura rushed to him, her sword in a thrusting position. When she thrust, he easily moved to the side. As she passed him, she whispered, "The tree behind me awhile ago."
Xue and Sakura continued to attack each other, trying to make the battle look as convincing as possible. It was definitely convincing, especially for Touya and the others as they arrived on the scene.
"SAKURA!" Touya and Syaoran both called out before running towards her.
Sakura saw them and immediately turned towards the tree she talked about a while back. Xue, following her lead, immediately raised his sword. Sakura pulled out a card and called out, "THUNDER!" At the same time, Xue called down his lightning. It struck the tree with a loud crackling sound. Bright light filled the clearing as all present heard a loud screech.
"Xue, you shall pay! Master will kill you!" With that, the screech vanished completely as an eerie silence took its place.
Everything was silent and still. Nothing was heard except for the sound of running feet. Touya and Syaoran were equally amazed at Xue and Sakura's teamwork. Tomoyo and the others ran up to Sakura as fast as they could.
Xue turned around to face the Card Mistress.
"You didn't do so bad. But I can't let anyone get you because that's MY special assignment. We'll be enemies again after this."
"Yeah, I guess. But where are my guardians? If you didn't take them, who did?"
"I'm sorry, I really don't know. There's a possibility that they are…" Xue trailed off.
"What? Where are they?" Sakura asked anxiously.
"I'm not sure. I'll check it out. I'll tell you next time I see you. Now, I really must go and take my beating for helping you out. I shall see you soon."
"Beating? Are you sure you'll be all right? Won't you be killed?" Sakura questioned, concerned.
"Iie, Master won't kill me. I have some "special" purpose other than try to get you. Even I do not know what it is. I'll see you next time, don't worry."
"Who's worried?" Sakura said indignantly, but a trace of concern was still evident in her voice.
Smirking, Xue waved his hand and said, "Nope, no one's worried. Well, until next time." With that, he vanished from sight.
"What was that about?" Meiling asked annoyed.
Remembering the others were around, Sakura faced them with a smile, "Let's go home now."
All of them were obviously waiting for some details but they decided they could wait till they got home. When they finally reached the Kinomoto household, Sakura knew almost immediately they were going to ask her for details.
Doing her best to evade the questions, Sakura said, "Well, that was tiring. I think I'll go to bed now. Oyasuminasai (goodnight)."
"Oh no you don't!" Meiling said quickly, with her hands on her hips, "We want details and you're going to give us details."
Sighing, Sakura said, "Okay, okay. In my room, all right?"
Once they were all in the room and Sakura was comfortably tucked in her bed, she told them all that happened. Once she finished, they all stared at her as understanding slowly dawned on each of them.
"So, where are Kero-chan and Yue-san, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked her best friend a.k.a. cousin.
Sighing once again, Sakura answered wearily, "I don't know, I really don't know."
And looking out of the window, she thought to herself, 'I just hope they're all right.'
Meanwhile, Xue reached the dark castle where the Master resided with all his minions. He was currently chained to the wall in a dungeon deep below the earth. Cuts and bruises were evident all over his body. He was panting heavily as blood dripped from his wounds. The Master stood in front of him, his black cloak sweeping the dungeon floor.
"You shouldn't disobey me like that, Xue. You know better than that. After all I've done for you, this is how you repay me," the cold voice said with icicles hanging from every word, "However, you're right. I did assign you to do that job. So, if you don't want anyone else coming after you and the Card Mistress, capture her quickly. I NEED her soon…is that clear, Xue?"
Spitting out the blood in his mouth, Xue answered in a neutral voice, "Hai Master."
"Good…" the voice drawled as it cackled evilly, its laughter filling every part of the castle and even penetrating its walls to the surrounding place, and even further, to Sakura's ears.
Jolting awake, Sakura stared around at her dark room. She heard an evil cackle and it sounded so cold, so dreary.
"Who could laugh like that?" Sakura asked herself.
Shaking off the fear, she stared again out of her window.
'I wonder if Kero-chan and Yue-san are okay…' she thought worriedly, when a picture of a red-headed guy popped in her mind, 'and that Xue guy too.'
Syv: Sorry, I know. This chap is way too short, was updated way too long, and is way too crappy. Really sorry, *apologetic look* I've been way too busy lately. I'll try my best to update sooner. And before I go, I just wanted to tell those who don't know, I have a new email add: [syvonair@hotmail.com] Well, email me whenever. ^^ See ya!