Nakoruru: Okay, sorry for the wait everyone, but a lot of things are happening. For starters my sister and I got shots and I guess we had a bad reaction cause both our arms were swollen and haven't been able to really use them.

Blazer: Did you take your aspirin today?

Nakoruru (rolling eyes): Yes mother, I did. Well the second thing that's happening is the fact that my semester is almost over, so I've been trying to study for my upcoming tests next week. So, I finally found time to sit down and do this. I would like to thank everyone for reviewing and waiting. Hopefully I can do more updating when school lets out.

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"I'm leaving now!" Serena made a mad dash out of the house like she did almost every morning now.

"Serena!" Her mother called out to her.

"I gotta go now! I'll be late for school!" Serena shouted, not waiting for her mother to say another word. The woman stuck her head out of the kitchen, with a short smile. She was going to remind the girl that today was Sunday, and there was no school. Oh well, eventually she would find. "I'm going to be so late! I told Kero to wake me up when it was time to go to school. But no, he has to be asleep too. What good is a guardian of the cards to me if he can't do that simple task! I'll just have to use—"

Serena collided with a solid object, almost falling if not for the fact she was caught. Looking up, she found the last person she wanted to see, smirking at her. "What's the hurry meatball atama?"

Serena's face turned bright red at the remark. "I thought I told you not to call me that, you jerk! Now would you mind letting me go before I'm late for school?"

"School?" Darien said with an amused brow.

"Yes, school. The place that you learn things at," Serena said annoyed with him. Why did he have to pick on her all the time? Why couldn't he be a nice monkey and go climb a tree and hang himself?

"They actually let you learn things? That's a risky thing to do, seeing as how you're clumsy, ditzy, spacey, and a complete crybaby when you can't get your way," Darien said. Serena's face went from red to scarlet with anger. If it weren't for the fact that she had to use the cards for the power of good, she would definitely use the Silent card. Allow her never to hear Darien speak again.

"You know, you should speak, you're wasting smart people's oxygen," Serena said through clenched teeth.

"Oh, you actually have a comeback. Too bad that when you mention that, you're not one of those smart people," Darien grinned. "So, why did you want to go to school on a Sunday again? I don't think you gave me a reason."

"What are you talking about?" Serena blinked.

"Come on, you can't really be that ditzy," Darien said. "I thought you realized that today is Sunday. Why do you think your mother didn't drag you out of bed by now?"

"No way! I could have slept in!" Serena wailed, just as her mother was coming out of the house. She looked over and waved at Darien, who let go of Serena, of course, letting her fall.

"Hello Darien, how are you doing this morning?" Mrs. Tsukino called.

"I'm fine. I was just stopping Serena before she got all the way to school and found that it was closed," Darien smiled with a smile that should have been on an angel. It didn't suit the devil himself.

"Oh, thank you. Before I could tell her, she was already out the door," Mrs. Tsukino smiled. "Oh, Darien, while you're here, would you mind going with Serena to the store to get me some sugar, I've ran out of it and I need it for an apple pie I'm making today."

"MOM! Why do I have to go to the store with...with...him!" Serena pointed as if he wasn't there. "I can go to the store by myself! Why do I need him?"

"Oh Serena, you've known Darien since you were small. You shouldn't be like that. He's such a sweet young man. The perfect boyfriend material," Mrs. Tsukino smiled. Serena turned her eyes to Darien with horror. If he was the perfect boyfriend material, why in the world was he evil? Were all hot guys supposed to be as dorky as him?

*She doesn't know the devil for his true form I see. * Serena thought. But then, her head stopped thinking and her stomach starting talking. Apple pie, Kero would kill to have some of that, and so would she.

"I guess I could go to the store with that thing," Serena remarked. "With the prospect of an apple pie, I'll go into the flames of Hades for you."

"I don't think I need you to go that far," Serena's mother smiled. She walked over to Darien, handing him the money for the sugar. "Get me a big bag. And with what's left over Serena, you can get you something to hold you over until dinner, all right?"

"Thanks mom! I'm on the way! Come on Darien, I want to get this over with so I can have some apple pie!" Serena said, getting to her feet. And so the two set out on their small excursion to the store. What Serena didn't know was she was being watched from a distance by the same mysterious force that witnessed her battle with Fly and Earthy.

"Hm...there's something about that male with her. He has strong latent abilities. He could be a risk to the captor, or...he may be the one that can help her success in her mission. I better keep a close eye out on him. I have a feeling that he may play a very important part in this battle." The figure disappeared once more into the shadows.

Serena unaware that she's being watched sighs, wondering still why she had to do this with Darien? She had a feeling it was her mother trying to hook them up. Why in all the four corners of hell would she want to go out with a dork like him? He was rude, insensitive, annoying, irritating, self- centered, a brat, a dork, the devil and....

"He has no sense of fashion and I wonder what any girl would see in him!" Serena shouted, rather than keeping her thoughts in her head like she should have. She felt a bead of sweat roll down her cheek finding Darien watching her.

"You know, you could do good to keep those comments in your head," he remarked. "I doubt I want to know who you're talking about. I doubt that the guy you're denying liking would want a ditzy, clumsy, meatball like you anyway."

"Who are you calling ditzy!" Serena said. "I've put up with your attitude since I was small. You're nothing but a big bully, why don't you act your age!"

"I would act my age, but you bring me down a few levels when I talk to you that I forget that I'm an adult," Darien said, with a shake of his head. "If it wasn't for Amy and Mina, you would lose yourself."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Serena said angrily.

"Just as it sounds. Remember when we were younger and you lost your way from school? I had to go find you and lead you home by the hand. You wailed the whole way home," Darien said. "I had better things to do that day, you know."

"Well excuse me! Like I wanted you to come find me anyway!" Serena said. "Dork!"

"Ditz," Darien countered.

"Bully!"

"Gaki."

"Stupid!"

"Stubborn."

"Annoying."

"Headache causing meatball atama," Darien said. He moved out of the way as Serena tried to hit him. Placing a hand on her head, he kept her way from swinging at him. "Let's not forget short, violent, and clueless."

"I hate you so much you big bully. Wait until I get to you!" Serena swung some more, but after all while, she tired herself out. Darien let her go, laughing as she pouted angrily at him. Tears in the corners of her eyes, she was cute when she did that. "I hate you so much, you know that."

"I know, I know. You just can't admit that you like that I'm concerned about you, meatball atama," Darien said. For a moment, he continued to smile, but something came to his mind. He had to ask her this now while they were alone. "Serena for a bit now, there's something that I've wanted to ask you."

"What?" Serena said, crossing her arms over her chest, not noticing the seriousness in his eyes. All she could think about was how she was going to get him back for the dirty stunt he pulled.

"For a while now, I've noticed you've changed. Are you in some kind of trouble? At times, I see how tired you are, as if there's something that's been worrying you. You're energy...somehow it's changed."

"What?" Serena said, turning her eyes on Darien. Could he tell that? Did he have magic abilities that could tell him that? She could sense anything from him. So how could he sense her magic, if that was truly what he was sensing from her? "What are you talking about, baka?"

"Serena, I know you know what I'm talking about," Darien said, turning to face her completely. "Tell me, what it is. I don't want your mother to worry about you if you collapse from whatever you're doing. I've known you since you were small, I can tell things about you that you may not think I know. But I do, I know them Serena."

"Darien..." Woah, this was definitely different from what she expected of him.

"Serena, what is it?" Darien looked at the girl turn her head, a small smile on her face.

"I can't tell you what it is. Let's just say that I'm taking a test and I have to do this on my own. It's...my destiny in a way, to find out if I going to be able to do this. You don't have to worry about me, I can take care of myself...and I have others that will watch over me also," Serena smiled, thinking about Kero. So far, he hadn't let her down. She would continue to believe in the guardian of the cards.

"Well, whoever he is, he better be taking good care of you," Darien said.

"What? Trying to play the big brother role, are we?" Mina said, popping up out of nowhere. "That's so cute! I wish I was that lucky to have a cute guy like you worry about me with that much care."

Darien flushed, realizing what Mina was implying. "What! Me like that airhead, clumsy, violent, ditzy, wailing, cry baby! Mina, I have more taste than that. I was just stating that I don't want to hear her whining or complaining to me over some guy who probably is a complete dork."

"You know, you don't have to hide it," Mina giggled.

"Mina!" Serena screamed. "Why would you insult me like that? Why in the world would I want someone as dull and stupid as him?"

"Are they always like this?" Raye asked Amy; two girls that Serena did not see and had no idea how in the world they got there, along with Mina.

"Oh, those two are always like this. They're like brother and sister by now," Amy explained. "They grew up together. She's known him since she was seven."

"Oh, I see," said Raye. She had no idea that the man she sensed strong magical energies in, knew the captor. This was very interesting. It was like she drew those with magic to her, or who had something to do with Sakura and the cards. This was starting to become really interesting.

"Hey, you're the girl that I met before, Raye Hino, right?" Darien said.

"That's right," Raye replied.

"How do you know Serena?" he inquired. "I wasn't aware that you and her were friends."

"There's many things about me that you don't know," Serena shouted.

"Well, Serena and I, we met a little while back when we sort of bumped into each other. We share a common interest and goal," Raye smiled.

"Hey, guys!" Mina said, breaking into the warring path of Serena and Darien. "Have you guys heard about the mysterious fires that have been going on lately? It's been all over the news and stuff. People say that trees and houses and other things have been catching on fire by themselves, but always at the scene is this person."

"What person?" Serena inquired.

"They say that this guy is always there. Watching the flames with curious eyes. They think that he's the one doing all this stuff," Raye said. "He's supposed to have red and orange hair. His eyes are supposed to be like crimson or a color close to it."

"You mean that he's like an alien," Mina gasped.

"Why would an alien come set fire to things and sit back and watch?" Amy inquired to her friend.

"Maybe he's sending us a message that we need to clean up our act," Serena added in. Both Raye and Amy stared at the two girls while they went over alien conspiracy theories with one another.

"Serena, don't you think it's strange that a boy would appear out of nowhere and fires spring up?" Raye asked. "You know, there are four elements in the world. Water, Earth, Wind, and Fire, if you collect two, there are two more left." Raye seriously hoped that the blond girl would get the undertones of which she was speaking. Raye had asked her sacred fire about this and it gave her only the shape of a card. She had a feeling that this card was Firey.

"What do you mean if you collect two you, you have two more left?" Serena blinked.

"I think what Raye means is card," Amy tried to help the raven-haired girl explain the message. Serena continued to blink for a long minute before it hit her what Raye was getting at.

"Oh! Earth and wind! I see! You really think so?" Serena blinked.

"Absolutely," Raye nodded. "I think that soon this fire starter will be caught though, really soon. I doubt he can continue to do this without someone catching him." As if on cue, a trail of fire blazed around them. Cutting them off from escaping. "I figured this much, it wouldn't be long before he tracked us down."

"What's going on?" Darien inquired.

"Serena, you know what you have to do!" Raye yelled.

"Right!" Serena pulled out her key, raising her hands around it. The magic circle appeared under her. "By the power of my star that burns bright. Surrender the staff once made by Clow. Reveal to me your true form now! Release!" The staff unlocked for Serena just as she raised the Sleep card. "Sleep, do your thing!"

Before Darien could ask, he found himself falling into a state of unconsciousness. "That's better, I'll do something about his memory later," Raye said as she called up her staff. "I think it's not safe for Mina and Amy to be in the middle of this battle."

"Yeah! You guess get to safety." Serena pulled out Windy, tossing it into the air. "Windy, blow these flames away so Mina and Amy can escape!" Windy was summoned from its card form, blowing away the flames, making a path for Mina and Amy. "Make sure you get Darien, he has the money for the sugar for the apple pie. I can't have him die yet!"

"Are you always thinking with your stomach?" Amy said, as she and Mina dragged Darien to safety also.

"Well, what else is he good for?" Serena wondered. "I can't think of too many things."

"Okay, let's get back on the same page now," Raye shouted.

"Huh...oh yeah, right." Serena closed her eyes, sensing the presence of the card. "Card! Show yourself to us now! Reveal!" Right in front of them, a young man that fit Raye's description of the figure found at all the sights of the arsons appeared before them. He titled his head to the side, staring at them with curiosity. "Wow, that was easy."

*Who are you? Where's Sakura? * Came a voice into Serena's head.

"Are you talking to me?" Serena asked the male that stared at her.

"Serena?" Raye inquired.

"I think he's talking to me in my mind," Serena said.

*Who are you? Where's Sakura? * The voice repeated.

"Sakura...she's..." Serena looked down.

*I want Sakura. Why do you have my mistress's cards? Why do you have her staff? What have you done with Sakura? *

"Sakura's gone! She passed away a long time ago," Serena said.

*You're lying! * A path of fire blazed at her and Raye as the male's eyes narrowed. *Tell me where Sakura is! Tell me now! *

Serena raised her staff, tossing another card into the air. "Wave! Stop his attack!" A huge wave of water raced at the wave of fire, canceling it out. "Listen to me, I'm not your enemy! I want to help you!"

*You're lying! Tell me now, where is Sakura! I remember fighting with her...then she sent us away. We slept for so long. Then we awoke...and Sakura wasn't there. * The male looked down, as if about to cry. Serena could sense the card's distress and could not blame it at all. It was lost and afraid, it didn't know what happen, and when it couldn't sense Sakura's power, it did the only thing that it could to get her attention only it was not Sakura that found it.

"It's okay, I know that you liked Sakura a lot. I can't replace her in your heart, but she would want you to help me avenge what was done to her. Please, you mustn't be angry, or afraid. I promise I will do everything I can to make you feel as comfortable as Sakura did," Serena replied, taking a step towards the card.

*Stay away from me! * A path of fire blazed between Serena and Firey, but Serena used Windy to break way between them. *No! *

"Don't worry, I won't let you down. I got you!" Serena reached Firey, wrapping her arms around the fire element. Even though fire blazed up around them she did not let go of the elemental, she only hugged on tighter. "It's okay, I know you're afraid, the other cards are here with us." All the cards that were in Serena's possession came out, surrounding Serena and the weary Firey.

A pair of green eyes flickered over the scene, impressed that the girl was able to calm down the card so easily. Even the previous mistress had problems getting that certain one under control. There was indeed something special about this girl. Something that would be discovered soon, rather than later.

"I think I should make my appearance soon." The figure disappeared with a short smile. The time would come when they would meet the captor face to face.

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Nakoruru: Okay, that's it. Now I'm going to listen to some T.M. Revolution, everyone leave me alone with Nishikawa-san. (admires many pictures of him)

Blazer (;;): You're too obsessed with that man. Get over it, you'll never marry him.

Nakoruru: Shut up! I'm not obsessed!

Blazer: Go study now! Or go to bed.

Nakoruru (gathering up her pictures): Come on Nishikawa-san, let's go to bed. (walks out the room)

Blazer (;;) : Okay, that's creepy...back to the point, we hope we can update soon. And again sorry for the long wait. Until next time.