The Second Generation

The Second Generation 18

Hitori: Those pesky cardcaptors don't know whom they're messing with! They went after the Create Card and watched as the writer thought up a very evil looking three-headed dragon. I let the pipsqueaks do the fighting while I stood by and watched. A couple got knocked out, not that I care. It was fun to watch. The snake actually got its jaws on one of the pesky girls and would've swallowed her too if her brother hadn't helped out with angel boy. *growl* I will take care of them yet… he-he… Just you wait!

Hitori stood in the middle of a clearing the same patch of forest from before, and smiled at her plan. Those kids don't stand a chance! She cast her spell, and laughed before disappearing.

Sakura and Syaoran exited the restaurant. Sakura had a worried expression. "It wasn't a fluke." She stated. "There was a magical disturbance before. And I can feel more now."

Syaoran sighed and looked down at the floor, with his hands on his hips. Of course he had sense the disturbance before, but he hoped it was nothing. The kids were at home, so hopefully they weren't getting into any trouble. During the battle, both Sakura and Syaoran had felt it, but Syaoran didn't want to ruin their evening, so he told Sakura not to worry. He hoped it would blow over soon, and it did…until now.

"All right. We'll go check it out." He agreed. So much for a quiet evening…

Sakura nodded and took off to the car, followed by Syaoran. They drove home, and expected to find the kids there, but…

"Meeko! Makoto!" Sakura called when she ran through the door.

Kero came buzzing around the corner. "They aren't here!" He said.

"What do you mean they're not here?" Syaoran frowned at the guardian beast.

Kero growled. "They must've slipped out when I decided to take a nap!"

"Kero!" Sakura scolded. "You were supposed to be watching them!" She ran up the stairs to change.

Syaoran glared at Kero. "Nice going stuffed animal." Then he went up the stairs after her.

Kero sighed and crossed his little arms. "I knew I shouldn't have had that second burrito."

Meeko and the others stayed at the forest, trying to most of their wounds healed, before trying to take the trip back home. Makoto hadn't said a word, and just held Akiko's unconscious body in his arms, her head now wrapped in bandages. It's a good thing Shinji thought to bring them with him.

Shinji himself had minor injuries, a couple cuts and scraps. Meeko had a nice gruesome gash on her arm from that darn snake. Shinji now put ointment on it and wrap it as well. "There. That should keep out any infection."

Meeko blushed. "Arigatou."

Shinji stuttered. "It…uh…it was…n-no biggie."

Meeko turned to her brother. "Don't worry. She will be fine." She assured him.

Makoto looked up, dried tears on his face. "I should've been there to protect her."

"You did the best you could. That's all any of us could do." Shinji argued.

Makoto shook his head, not accepting it, and looked back down to Akiko.

"Meeko! Makoto!" A voice rang out.

Meeko shot to her feet. "Mom! Dad! Over here!"

Out of the end of the forest came Sakura and Syaoran, Syaoran wearing his battle outfit, and Sakura in another battle outfit, Tomoyo had made her ahead of time. Why she wore it? She didn't know. Maybe it was just a habit now. This one was a frilled green dress that seemed to go with Syaoran's outfit as much as Meeko's did with Makoto's.

Speaking of which, when Syaoran saw what Makoto was wearing, his eyes went wide. "Hey, that's…"

"Akiko's been hurt." Makoto cut off.

Sakura came forward and placed two hands on Akiko. Her hands glowed pink and she transferred the power into the small girl in Makoto's arms. Akiko moaned and slowly opened her eyes. She looked up and saw someone that made her smile. "M-Makoto."

He smiled back and hugged her gently. "You're okay."

Meeko smiled at the two and Shinji came up behind her to hug her from behind. Syaoran smirked at the scene. It was kind of cute to see them like this.

Kero popped out of Sakura's pocket and flew into the air. "You ran away from the house to play lovey dovey??"

Meeko frowned. "We went after the Create Card."

Sakura got up from besides Makoto and Akiko, as Makoto slowly stood Akiko on her feet. "What happened?"

Shinji grimaced. "Well, whoever had it had a pretty good imagination."

Syaoran crossed him arms and smiled. "A dragon?"

Makoto snorted. "I wish." He turned to his father. "Try a three-headed viper snake!"

Sakura gasped. "Are you all okay?"

Meeko showed her arm. "Those of us who didn't get eaten."

Syaoran came up and slowly healed the wound, like Sakura had done with Akiko, except green energy healed her wound. "You guys should've had Kero come with you."

Makoto laughed. "Yeah right. He would've been the viper's first meal."

Kero growled. "I would've shown you some of my best fighting moves." Kero started punching in midair. "Left jab! Right Jab!"

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "So where is it?"

Meeko grimaced this time. "We don't have it."

Kero stopped. "What do you mean you don't have it?"

Akiko hugged her arms to keep warm. "Hitori came and took it."

Sakura gasped. "The demon child?"

Meeko growled. "She's not a demon child! She's our friend and if you guys don't think she can be saved I will save her!" With that she ran off, deeper into the forest.

Shinji made ready to go after her, but a hand stopped him. He turned to see Makoto. "I'll get her." Her brother said. "There are some things a brother can do that a…boyfriend can't." And with that, he followed his twin into the forest.

Shinji stayed behind and blushed. Are we boyfriend and girlfriend now? Maybe guys just don't get these things quickly like some people do. ^_^

Meeko ran into the forest, never stopped to look back. How could they have such little faith? It wasn't Hitori's fault that what had happened to her happened. Her mother, no her creator, had done it to her, and Meeko didn't care about what the others thought, she would save their friend, and get her back to normal.

Meeko suddenly couldn't run any more and collapsed to her knees, panting hard.

"Meeko!" Her brother's voice came from behind her. He came up quickly, obviously using the Dash Card to follow her.

Meeko sighed. "Stupid Dash Card."

Makoto was at her side the next second. "Come on. You okay?"

Meeko snorted. 'How can they think of her like that?"

Makoto kneeled at her side and put a hand to her shoulder. "She isn't who you remember as your friend. She's not herself…not in control of herself anymore."

"Does that mean we have to think of her as a horrible monster?"

"Well…" Makoto thought about it. "I guess it's not her I hate, but the demon. That's who we should focus on destroying, ne?"

Meeko smiled and nodded. "Hai."

"Now come on, let's get back to the others." Makoto proposed.

Meeko nodded and got up, but froze as she got to her feet. Out of the deep forest ahead of them, came a soothing sound. It sounded like a person singing, to them…calling them. Meeko and Makoto looked in that direction, and closed their eyes, entranced. When they opened them, they were glazed over. They began to walk blindly towards the sound.

Back at the battle sight, Syaoran paced back and forth. "I think I should go after them now."

Sakura smiled and sighed. "Don't worry. Just give them some time."

Off to the side, Akiko and Shinji stared into the forest where Meeko and Makoto had disappeared. "I don't like this feeling. What's taking them so long?"

Shinji frowned. "I don't know Akiko. I just don't know."

Meeko and Makoto walked slowly deeper into the forest, until they came to a small house, or cottage in the center of a clearing. They walked towards it, and the door to the cottage flew open, allowing the two children to walk into it.

Once inside, the two blinked their eyes and looked around. Their eyes were back to normal. "Where are we?" Meeko asked.

Makoto frowned. "Not a clue." Then at the far end of the room, they saw a large mirror that seemed to be pulsing with power. "What's that?" He pointed and Meeko turned.

They both walked up to it, and it began to glow. Meeko knew they should've been afraid, but her curiosity drove her closer to the mirror, until both she and Makoto were side by side before the magical object.

Its surface swirled with pink and green energy, until two shadows formed in it. Meeko's hand came forward, as did Makoto's. The shadows seemed to smile and meet the hand with their own.

As the children's hand met the shadows, flesh hit…flesh? Meeko gasped and stepped back, a long with Makoto as the two forms…stepped out of the mirror! They smirked and withdrew their weapons. Meeko's eyes went wide and she let out a scream.

Meeko's scream echoed through the forests, alerting their friends and family. "Meeko!" Shinji cried and ran head first into the forest where they had gone before. Akiko ran after them, Kero above her. Sakura and Syaoran unsheathed their weapons and ran after them.

They came to the clearing as saw the house warp and disappear, leaving Meeko and Makoto in the open, facing the shadows, which now had form and identity, though not their own.

Sakura gasped at the sight, and Syaoran shook his head in disbelief. Kero though, opened his mouth in shock. "It's…it's…"

"That's me!" Sakura cried pointing to one of the figures. It was dressed in a pink dress with lots of frills, and it covered a black shirt. Pink and black ears and tail came out of the head and back. It held a wand with a pink bird with white wings. It was Sakura…as she looked when she was ten!

Syaoran pointed to the other shadow. "Then that's me." It was true, the other figure had a green Li battle robe on, and it too wielded the Li Clan sword. It had dark amber eyes and dark brown locks covering part of its face. The shadow had taken the form of Syaoran, as he was when he first came to Japan at the age of ten as well!

The two shadows stood face to face with the second generation. "Syaoran" swiped with its sword, causing Meeko and Makoto to roll or back flip out of the way.

Shinji was in shock. "No way!"

Suddenly, laughter filled the air, and Hitori materialized off to the side. "Do you like my idea? Parents fighting the children. Thanks to the Create Card, I don't have to lift a finger to destroy you brats. My clones will do it for me."

Syaoran growled and held out his sword in a defensive position. "Not today!" He charged at Hitori.

"Sword!" Sakura called out sword and went after Hitori as well.

This started the battle. Shinji aided Meeko against "Sakura". While Makoto and Akiko attempted to go after "Syaoran". Of course, even at the ten, Sakura and Syaoran were awesome fighters, giving their children the fight of their lives.

Makoto slashed at "Syaoran", his sword only meeting steel. "Syaoran" pressed against the sword, driving Makoto back, causing him to fall to the ground. "Syaoran" raised his sword for another attack, when suddenly…

"Power!" "Syaoran" cried out in pain as he was unceremoniously, lifted off the ground and thrown across the clearing. Behind him, Akiko smirked and gave Makoto a hand up.

"Arigatou." He said.

She winked, causing him to blush, and turned back towards their enemy.

Shinji on the other hand, had a problem fighting "Sakura". He never thought he'd be hitting a girl, for any reason. So Meeko went after her, attempting to slash at her with her wand. "Sakura" simply blocked it with her own wand, then backhanded Meeko across the face, sending her reeling to the ground.

That was all Shinji needed to join the fight. He pulled out his sword and charged in after her. "Sakura" smirked and called forth Sword. Shinji sliced down at her, back she blocked it with her sword. He pushed down on her, and then whipped out his leg to trip her. She went down hard, but immediately called out Fly. She went into the air.

Shinji helped Meeko up off the ground, who growled and called out her own Fly, then flew after "Sakura". Meeko narrowed her eyes at the clone. "This ends now!" She pulled out a card. "Arrow!!" Arrow's pink aura surrounded her and when Shinji looked at her, she had in her hands, a bow and arrow!

"Sakura" opened her mouth in shock, and got into a ready stance. Meeko smirked and held the arrow out in front of her, already a master of how to use it. She fired one arrow, which in mid air, split into a dozen, all aimed at the clone.

"Sakura" threw forward a card. "Shield!" Shield went around her, blocking off the attack. Meeko gasped. This was going to be tough.

Sakura and Syaoran, meanwhile, were attacking Hitori relentlessly, but no matter what they attacked with, she always deflected it. Hitori crossed blocked both Sakura's and Syaoran's sword slashes with her sword and a large staff. She threw them both back and round-housed them.

Sakura back flipped out of the way, and Syaoran ducked, and then jumped to her other side. Hitori smirked, but then attacked Syaoran with a knee to his *cough* and then whipped the same leg back to kick Sakura in the stomach.

Both doubled over, and Hitori took this opportunity to aim one of her magic ball attacks at Sakura. Sakura didn't see it coming, and it sent her into a tree. Syaoran recovered and held up his sword. "Force know my plight. Release the light. Lightning!" His lightning attack struck Hitori in the back, but only caused her to stumble forward.

She turned around to face him and growled. "You will pay for this! Your children will not survive!" With that, she laughed and disappeared.

Syaoran ran to Sakura's side and both looked towards their children. Makoto and Akiko attacked "Syaoran" from both sides, but he either dodged or blocked both. The clone then kicked Makoto in the stomach, causing him to double over and fall to the ground. He then lashed out a hand to Akiko's throat and slowly lifted her up off the ground.

Akiko gagged and gasped for air. Makoto glared at the clone, and tripped him from underneath, causing him to release Akiko, who sank to her knees.

Meeko and Shinji were in a battle of their own above them all. Shinji attacked with Thunder, and "Sakura" did the same. The blasts hit each other and exploded, sending both sides reeling in the air. Shinji caught Meeko and steadied her. The clone growled and sent out a card of her own. "Storm!"

Storm was released and turned into a cyclone. It sucked in Meeko and Shinji spinning them around inside. Meeko screamed. "Shinji!!!"

Shinji fought to open his eyes and find her. He finally spotted her and when they passed each other in the cyclone again, he caught her hand and pulled her to him. He held her tight, not wanted to let go, and wrapped his wings around her to shield her from the debris that had also been caught up in the storm.

Several twigs and rocks struck Shinji, cutting into him. He and Meeko continued to be blown around until they were thrown out of the cyclone and slammed into the ground, Shinji cushioning their fall.

Sakura and Syaoran looked on worriedly, wondering what they could do. At that point, Kero came by the two parents. Syaoran looked at him. "Why haven't you transformed you plush toy?!" He yelled.

Kero growled. "Don't you think I've tried? That witch placed some kind of magical barrier here, I can't transform!"

Sakura turned towards the battle. "We have to help them some how!"

Syaoran got an idea. "We can help them…if we fight for them."

Sakura frowned. "I think that witch hit you a little too hard "down south" because your brain seems to be scrambled."

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Just listen up, sweet heart. Remember when the demon took over Hitori's body? Why can't we do the same?"

Sakura gasped. "And fight the clones by ourselves! All right!" Then they turned towards the battle and closed their eyes.

Kero flew up and tried to stop them. Do you know how tired you'll be? You can't do this!"

"Try and stop us, fur ball." Syaoran said before starting the spell. Sakura did the same and Kero watched in amazement as both parents glowed with their auras. Their bodies started to disintegrate and soon disappear into the wind.

Meeko and Makoto were laying side-by-side Shinji and Akiko. All warn out from the fight. The clones closed in on them, weapons raised. Suddenly, Meeko heard her mother's voice in her head. "Let me in…let me fight for you…"

Makoto heard his father's voice. "We can defeat them, lend us your bodies."

Both children let in the spirits inside them, and began to glow with strange auras. Makoto was surrounded by a green and blue aura, Meeko with a pink and red one.

Shinji pulled Akiko back, as Meeko and Makoto stood up, and opened their eyes. Their eyes were white, combined with their parents' spirits', they were ten times as powerful.

The clones seemed afraid of this, and took a couple of steps back. Meeko let out a cry, but her voice was different…half hers and half her mothers. She attacked the "Sakura" clone with ferociousness. Makoto threw his sword forward and attacked the "Syaoran" clone with a lightning attack.

Sakura, inside Meeko, called out the Sakura Card Fight, and attacked her clone with powerful blows to the legs and chest. The clone defended her self well, but this was the Clow Card Mistress, not some amateur. Meeko struck the clone with a roundhouse to the chest, then a knee to the stomach, and whipped out her leg to trip her.

Makoto formed incantation cards in his hand and threw them at the "Syaoran" clone. One landed on its face, and exploded. Makoto smirked and ran after the clone, coming down hard with his sword. The clone barely had time to look up and block the blow. It threw its hand forward, striking Makoto with a magical sphere attack to his stomach, throwing him back.

Shinji and Akiko looked on in horror and awe, along with Kero. How long could this go on?

Meeko tried a high kick to the clone head, but the clone caught it and elbowed Meeko in the stomach with such strength, Meeko went flying, landing besides Makoto.

Makoto helped her up. "We have to end this now." His voice part his father's, part his own.

Meeko nodded and pulled out another Sakura Card. "Sword!" Her wand turned into a sword and she narrowed her eyes at the advancing clones.

Makoto took out his sword too. "Remember the Twin Card?" He asked.

Meeko nodded. "Let's do it!"

They ran at the clones simultaneously, striking the duo with renewed strength. The clones blocked and countered with their own attacks. The battle continued until the clones received a devastating blow to the chest that sent them into a tree, where they slumped to the ground.

Meeko and Makoto raised their swords, and plunged them into the clones' chest. The clones cried out in agony, then vanished. Meeko and Makoto then closed their eyes and their parents spirits separated from them, rematerializing a little ways away. Then both children and parents collapsed.

Shinji and Akiko ran to their friends, while Kero went to aide Sakura and Syaoran.

"Sakura! Syaoran!" A voice rang out.

Shinji turned to see his parents flying into the forest from up above. "Down here!" He called out.

Both Ruby Moon and Yue flew down to the group, gasping as they saw Sakura and Syaoran sprawled out on the floor. They flew to them and picked them up.

"What happened?" Yue said.

Kero snorted. "Long story."

Ruby Moon sighed with relief. "Well, let's get you home."

Shinji nodded and carried Meeko in his arms, while Akiko carried Makoto, using Power, and the two followed Ruby Moon and Yue out of the forest and away from another adventure. What would the future hold now that Hitori was their enemy? No longer their friend who used to help them, but now bent on destroying them? Shinji didn't know, but what he did know was that he was going to be there from now on to always protect Meeko. No matter what.