Predator 2

By Charles Xavier

The sun was shining bright in the clear blue sky in Tomoeda. Sakura Kinomoto sat on the bench under the shades of trees, around her school's playground. Her friend, Tomoyo Daidouji was sitting next to her, filming with her camera yet again…

"Sakura-chan, how's your summer vacation been so far?" Tomoyo pointed her camera at Sakura, who was too busy licking a cone of vanilla ice cream. "Would you like to share something with us?"

Sakua smiled at the camera.

"Well, I can't say much." She shrugged. "Nothing's really happened since last month."

Last month…Tomoyo remembered that very well. That was the time when Sakura managed to claim the last Clow Card and save the city from mass destruction, but best of all, she had finally confessed her love over Syaoran… How happy she felt when she heard the news. Though unfortunately after that, Syaoran and Meiling had to return to Hong Kong. 'Things were just about to get good when they had to depart'. Tomoyo thought.

"Oh, Sakura-chan. I'm sorry about what happened."

"Daidjoubu, Tomoyo-chan." Sakura replied. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure Syaoran and Meiling will visit us again someday. And when that time comes, I'll be ready for them!"

"Soo desu ne?"

"Uhn!" Sakura nodded.

"So, are you coming to the slumber party tonight, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked her as they walked down the suburban streets. "Everyone else is coming, you know."

"Slumber party?" It only took a split second for Sakura to remember that today was in fact a special day: it was Tomoyo's birthday. "Oh, gomen! I almost forgot! Of course I'll be there!"

Tomoyo's smile on her face grew bigger. "Ah, Sakura-chan!" She gave her friend a big hug. "Arigatou!"

However, both the girls took no notice of the invisible figure standing on top of the roof of one the houses nearby. Its eyes looked down closely upon the school girls, detecting their red body heat from its sight. It listened to their conversation, and actually understood what they were saying. The language the humans spoke wasn't too difficult to catch upon. The creature listened carefully at their voices and managed to record something they said…

"What time would you like me to come around, Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura asked her friend. "I need to tell father about this."

Tomoyo-chan…the line sounded rather amusing to the creature. It continued to listen to the girls chat away, arranging about tonight's schedule and what fun activities they were planning to do. But then, it got quite a surprise when Sakura lifted her face up to it. It feared that the girl had perhaps caught sight of it standing on the roof…but…

"Sakura-chan. What's wrong?" Tomoyo looked worryingly upon her. She looked like she was feeling unwell or something worse. Sakura had her eyes glued up at the wobbly shape standing on top of a house. The shape looked quite human, yet somehow it looked rather inhuman; it stared at her and it made Sakura feel very disturbed all of a sudden. Sakura couldn't tell if she was hallucinating or not, but she knew that something was up there…a Clow Card? It sounded most unlikely. All of the Clow Cards belonged to her now, and were locked away in the Clow Book.

But if it wasn't a Clow Card…what was it?

Suddenly, Sakura's eyes widened in fear when she saw the shape's eyes flash yellow for a single second. She turned her face back to Tomoyo.

"Tomoyo-chan!" She shouted as she startled her. "Look up there on that roof!" She pointed her finger up onto the roof where she had seen the scary figure…but there was only a black cat in its place…the figure that was once there, had vanished.

When Tomoyo had seen nothing up on the roof, her only response to Sakura was a little chuckle. "Oh, Sakura-chan! You really had me there for a minute!" She commented. "But maybe we should save the jokes all for tonight, ne?"

Sakura could have sworn that something was there.

"Moshi, moshi." Sakura picked up the phone.

"It's been a while since I last spoke to you, Sakura." Said the voice on the phone. "I'm sure you know who I am, ne?"

Sakura knew who it was. She knew that the owner of the voice was none other than…

"Eriol?" She said.

"That is I." Eriol responded. "And I must congratulate you on the capture of your last Clow Card, and especially your relationship with Syaoran Li. But that is not why I have called you today…I am here to tell you now, that you and your friends are in grave danger yet again."

"Nani?"

"For the past week, I had sensed a great disturbance from outer space. And it came to my understanding that an extra terrestrial being had set foot upon Earth. So far, I have learned that it has already made its way into Japan….I fear very much now the worst of this situation."

"Eriol, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the monsters that have brought Clow Reed and his family years of terror for so long…they are monsters that have proved most dangerous out of anything Clow has encountered before…these monsters are considered fearless, ferocious, intelligent, crafty, and in many ways unstoppable. They have been after the power of the Clow Cards for a long while, and every attempt has been nothing but a failure for them. But now, another one of its kind has arrived in Tomoeda, to search for the Clow Cards once again…and kill the one who possesses them."

"What are these monsters?"

"They are an alien race from a distant planet…who believe themselves far superior than mankind. And therefore, we mean nothing to them but a sport… They do follow a very strict code of honor…they challenge other dangerous enemies…they believe in an art rooted in the trials of combat and courting of death…and I've learned that they have been coming to this planet for centuries." The last line Eriol said made Sakura turn pale. "I myself had fought these creatures for too long now, and they have become unimaginably stronger by every one I defeat… These aliens keep sending in stronger foes…but today, I feel that this may be their final attempt to claim their prize that they have been longing for nearly forever."

"…"

"I don't want to frighten you, dear Sakura. But you see, I'm afraid that the one we are dealing with now, may be the highest rank of its kind…the most expert hunter."

"What do you mean?"

"A Clan Leader, Sakura. I believe our enemies have sent in their Clan Leader to hunt you down…I have seen this creature move differently from the ones before…it seems far wiser and may very well understand what us humans are saying…I know all this because I've sensed it challenging with your friend, Meiling Li, and she was too outsmarted, and overpowered by it."

"Meiling?!" Sakura cried on the phone.

"Do not despair, she is still alive…the Clan Leader saw that it had come to seek the wrong person…but now it knows where to strike next…it is coming after you."

"I've seen it." Sakura replied after having recalled a recent sighting she witnessed. "I saw it when I was walking back home with Tomoyo. It was camouflaged…but it didn't try to hurt me."

There were seconds of silence on the phone.

"Listen, Sakura. Listen to me very carefully…do you have the Clow Cards with you right now?" Eriol asked anxiously.

"Yes, they're in the Clow book here in my room."

"Keep them with you, Sakura…the Clan Leader has many ways of surprising its victims. It can strike wherever and whenever when you least expect it…do you hear me?"

"Hai."

"Sakura…" Eriol sighed. "…as the Keeper of the Clow Cards, it is your job to protect them with all your life. Do not be afraid when the Clan Leader comes for you, and do not let it defeat you as easily as it defeated Meiling Li. Otherwise the cards shall fall into the wrong hands."

"I understand."

"Very well, then…I wish you luck, Sakura. Just remember to keep your friends close, because you will certainly need their help. But keep your enemies closer, because you'll never know what might happen…"

Eriol hung up the phone while Sakura sat down on her bed, thinking about how to plan things out when she was going to be at Tomoyo's house tonight.

"Sakura. Who were you speaking to on the phone?" Kero asked, sitting beside her.

"Kero-chan." Sakura rolled her eyes around her room. "We are not alone…"