Chapter 3: A Force to be reckoned with

'Sakura-chan! You'll never believe this!'

'What won't I bel-'

'SAKURA-CHAN! TOMOYO-CHAN! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?'

Sakura and Tomoyo turned around quickly. The class was spotless, everything all nicely cleaned up, and the two girls stood in the middle, staring at the fuming teacher.

'Ms., I had just finished cleaning, and Tomoyo came back because she had forgotten something.'

'Is that true, Daijudi-san?'

'Yes. Actually, I just got here.'

'Well, in that case, go. I don't want to see your faces until Monday!'

Sakura and Tomoyo grabbed their bags, almost running out of the room.

'Well, Sakura? You never answered my question? What do you think about Li-kun having a crush on you?'

Sakura turned her head towards Tomoyo, and looked at her quizzically.

'You know, Sakura-chan, that is the second time today I have been looked at like that. What is up with you and Syaoran!?'

Sakura quickly turned away and blushed. She wasn't sure if Tomoyo was just joking, but either way she'd have to confront Syaoran about it that night. Speaking of that night...

'I dunno, Tomoyo-chan, but I've gotta go! I'll see you tomorrow! Bye!'

Tomoyo stared after her best friend. Must be something really important for her to just sprint off like that. Oh well...

--------------------------------------------{I}Mrow{I}-----------------------------------------

Sakura stood at the door of Syaoran's apartment.

'Go on, Sakura! Just open the door! Or at least knock! We've been out here for at least five minutes!'

She looked down at Kero-chan.

'For your information, Kero, I-'

Suddenly she stopped because the door opened, and there stood Syaoran.

'Hi Sakura-chan, Kero-chan. Won't you come in?' He asked in a relatively nervous way.

She looked at him for a second, then smiled. 'Of course we will, Li-kun! And its nice to see you too.'

He stepped out of the way to let her and Kero in. 'Wei had to go back to Hong Kong for a few days, because his mother is very ill. But I'm a pretty good cook- do you want something to eat or drink before we begin?'

Sakura smiled and replied with a light-hearted 'Sure!', while Kero eyed the boy suspiciously.

'Does Wei happen to know about this little get-together you're having? Well, does he?! And a better question- does your mom?!'

Syaoran looked at him startled. 'Yes. When my mother sent all my dad's books over, she said that I would need them soon, and that you might be a great help- both of you- in finding whatever I'm looking for. And as for Wei? Actually, he said that he had to go back right after I told him that you two were coming over. That answer your question?'

'Ok, fine... but I admit you're a really great cook! Can I have some food... em Please?!?!?! /em '

Syaoran looked at the tinny guardian, and sighed. 'I'm not sure...' he started to say, but before he could, Kero flew up close to his face, and imitated a look that Sakura was noted for in his mind. Cue the sad-puppy-dog-eyes He thought sarcastically.

'Fine, fine! I'll get you, Sakura-chan, and me something to drink and eat. Speaking of her, where is Sakura-chan?'

Both Syaoran and Kero looked around the room, only to find Sakura leaning half-over the balcony railing, looking at something.

Syaoran rushed over to grab her before she slipped over the side.

'Sakura, what are you looking at?! You almost fell off the balcony!'

She turned around, and almost jumped off the balcony, she jumped so high.

'Sakura-chan, what is up with you?! You keep almost falling off!'

She stared around her, mystified.

'I do?! Oh, well. But Syaoran... look down there!'

She pointed to a small crowd gathered around a stall.

Leaning over the balcony, he stared at the banner across the top of the screen until he saw what it was.

'Sakura-chan! Are you crazy?! Signing up for some kind of battle instructions- with someone teaching us who no doubt has magical powers?! He'll find out for sure that you're the Mistress of the Clow! And, anyways, we have to look through the books... please?! Maybe some other time,' he added, seeing the hurt look on her face, 'but not right now.'

She looked at him in the eye. 'You promise?!'

He looked back at her. 'I do.'

She smiled and hugged him.

'Sakura?'

'Yeah, Syaoran?'

'I'm sorry, but would you please get off me?!'

She released him, and blushed heavily.

'I'm sorry, I'm just so happy...'

'Well, why don't you that energy to good use, and start looking?'

She looked at him strangely, startled by his tone.

'Ok... but Syaoran?'

'Yeah?'

'How many books are there? In all, I mean.'

'Over 70. Why?'

She looked startled by the amount. 'Do we have to do them all at once?'

'Don't worry. As it is, with all the studying we're gonna have to do, there might not be a lot of time. You know,' he added, seeing the puzzled look on her face, 'with our exams and stuff.'

'Are you sure? I mean- wait, when do exams start?'

'A week Monday. Why?'

'Oh. I was wondering why we would have so much homework and why they hadn't told us to study.'

'Okay. But can we get to work? We have a lot of books to go through, and since exams are coming up, the more we can do now the better.'

'That sounds like a very good idea you have for once Syaoran,' came a small voice by his bedroom door.

Sakura looked from both Syaoran to Keroberos, and back again. Syaoran obviously wanted to get to work looking through all the books, and Kero obviously didn't want them talking alone in the front room. She sighed reluctantly at the thought of endless hours of studying old and new books, and the possible training ahead. Although she didn't really mind since Syaoran would be there.

Looking from Kero to Syaoran, she sighed again, and followed Syaoran into his room where Kero was already starting to look through some books.

I wonder if I could ever have a normal life...

-----------------------------------------------{I}Mreh{I}---------------------------------------

They stayed up the whole night, and got through little less than one eight of all the books. It was past midnight when Sakura fell asleep. Kero had been sleeping since long before that.

Syaoran looked up from his work when he heard her fall asleep, and quietly got up. He picked her up, put her on his bed ever so carefully so as not to disturb her. He looked at her face, so peaceful, and again was glad that he was not the Master. Sakura was so much better at it.

Looking at the clock, he decided to do Sakura's homework, and his, because he was sure that if he didn't do it right then, that he and Sakura would completely forget about it until Monday, when it would be too late.

He quickly ran into the main room, grabbed both their bags, and walked straight to his desk. First he did Sakura's work from the day before, then he did their homework for that night (trying to make his writing look as much like her's), and finished off his own work just before three in the morning. He slumped forward onto all the pages, and quickly fell asleep.

----------------{O}Dream Sequence{O}--------------

It all looked so real. The buildings, house, towers, parks.

She looked around her again. It all seemed so familiar. Then she looked down right below her and saw a well.

And then it hit her.

'Hong Kong...' she whispered.

Looking down at the city, she felt a strong presence. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. The power was so intense...

She looked around, trying to find where the source of the power was.

And who she saw made her jaw drop to the floor.

'It's... it's me...'

The dream Sakura was standing on another building not too far away, with Syaoran standing behind her, bracing her, while the dreaming Sakura watched in awe.

Suddenly a bright stream of light shot up from the two of them and struck a foe that the dreaming Sakura hadn't seen. It disintegrated, as well as that vision. Then she was standing back on the beach, reliving the same dream that she had already seen so many times.

Again she moved over to the cave mouth, and ran through it, with Syaoran pulling her. When they reached the part where it always ended, Syaoran reached back behind her, like always, but instead of pulling something on the wall, he pulled her head towards his.

Carefully, without making too much noise, he brushed his lips ever so gently against hers.

She was about to pull back, but when their eyes met, Sakura couldn't move. There was no way she would ever be able to forget that kiss, and now, she was amazed to find, she wanted the dream to last.

But the dream was begging to fade, becoming all blurry.

When she opened her eyes, she found that she had no idea where she was, nor how she got there.

Casting a look around, she realized that she was laying on Syaoran's bed, while he was fast asleep at the desk in front of her. Kero was still asleep on the carpet, with a few books on top and under him.

She sighed pleasantly. After that dream, she would gladly have another one just like it. She wondered if she was falling in... no, she couldn't. She was the Mistress, and she was only 15. Soon to be 16 she thought to herself, as she realized that her 16th birthday was coming up in less than a month.

Looking up at the clock, she realized that even though it em was /em a Saturday, she still had to get home soon before her brother's morning walk/run.

Getting up reluctantly (why does my brother have to go for a run every morning? Why do I have to have a brother anyways?) see hastily scribbling a note to explain to Li-kun, she grabbed a small apple, her books and Kero from his room, and on her way out, (thinking of another way to thank him) she gave Syaoran a big hug, and a small kiss on the top of his head as an after thought. Then she hurried out of his apartment, down the elevator, and sprinted up the street as fast as she could.

Sakura had an idea about what Touya and her father would think about her sleeping over at Syaoran's house for a night, and although it did worry her, she still felt like this was where she belonged- although she still didn't know why.

---------------------------------------------{I}Morw{I}----------------------------------------

Looking groggily up from his desk, Syaoran found that he was alone in his room.

He wondered momentarily about whether his having Sakura over was just a dream, or if it really did happen. All the books scattered on the floor, and the messy note he recognized to be Sakura's hand writing was proof enough for him.

Swinging himself around to look at what he was sleeping on, he found a few text-books open in front of him. Then he realized that it was a Saturday, so he didn't have to sprint out of the room. Besides, if it was a school day, he was sure that Sakura would have woken him.

Getting up to go make breakfast, he suddenly felt a strong force circling Tokyo, and it's suburbs. The strange Shield was still there, and the force was coming from the outside. Stepping out onto his balcony, he saw a strange cloud hovering over the shield.

Throughout the entire shield, he found a force, so powerful... it felt like a mix of Clow Reed, Sakura, himself, and many other people throughout the city. Concentrating hard on the parts that felt like himself and Sakura, Syaoran had a strange feeling... like all his energy was being drained out of him.

He felt an impulse to get a knife and slightly cut his palm. He let a little bit of blood drip out, and then flung his hand toward the sky, and the shield. A tinny droplet of blood found it's way to it. He suddenly found almost his entire body becoming ridiculously weak, and he collapsed on the balcony, while his magical powers and energy were slowly being fed to the shield.

And all across the city, others like him were doing the same. Everyone with magic, except for Sakura.