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Chapter 6 – Hidden Faces
"I'm sure I felt something here," Sakura told the little group, who had gathered at the park. It was just starting to get dark out, and they had been here for about an hour now. "Maybe whatever it was went away without doing anything," she suggested.
"It could be," Kero agreed, and Yue nodded silently. Still, it doesn't exactly make sense that someone would go to the trouble of using enough magic that we sense it, but have nothing happen."
Unknown to Sakura and the others, they had several watchers as they stood at the middle of Penguin Park, debating what to do. TK stood silently, hiding behind the Penguin slide. He had gathered all of his power, and was ready to become Hope at a moments notice if it turned out that Sakura was in danger. There was something about her... He was connected to her in a way he had never felt before – not even with the other digi-destined. The closest comparison for this bond he could find was with Angemon. 'I must protect her' he thought silently, unaware of how much his thoughts mirrored Yue's.
Both winged 'guardians' had vowed to protect her, though for different reasons. Yue protected her because she was the mistress of the Clow cards – now Sakura cards, and also because thought he didn't show it, he did care for the young girl whom he had fought in the final judgment. Her solemn refusal to hurt him, even though it was because she didn't want to hurt Julian, had in some way touched him.
"No, I won't attack you! I won't hurt Julian!" Sakura shouted.
"Foolish child!" Yue said, throwing an attack of what looked like diamond shards.
Even when she finally brought out a Clow card, she had called forth Wood; a gentle spirit, so as not to hurt him. Though he had been able to turn wood back upon her, she had defeated him through sheer determination that she not lose her friends. Though he might never show her his feelings, he would keep them, holding them within, a part of him hidden to the world.
He was the secretive one. Though Clow Reed had created him, his personality was his own. The quiet speech, the hidden feelings. All were of his own making not Clow Reed's. This fierce protectiveness, which had once been for Clow Reed, only now went to Sakura...
Yue was wrenched from his thoughts by a flicker of magic making itself known at the edge of his consciousness. Further concentration revealed that there were two. One, a pure magic, full of strength and determination; something he had never felt before. This magic was not in use. Instead, it had been gathered, and felt ready to be released at any second. The other magic – 'It couldn't be!' was the only thought that he conceived. The other magic felt unmistakably like Clow Reed's.
"Sakura," The amber haired girl turned to look at him questioningly. "There are two magics nearby." Before she could answer, a strange rumble shook the ground of the park. With the sound of an explosion, an enormous gout of water erupted out of the ground, surrounding Madison, and carrying her upwards to be held in the middle of the funnel high above the ground.
"Madison!" Sakura yelled, feeling as if ice had frozen her heart. She quickly pulled her star key from the front of her battle costume, but before she could do anything, another geyser of water shot from the ground and dragged Li upwards. Without wasting anymore time, Sakura started reciting the incantation to release her staff.
"Oh key of the star, with powers burning bright, reveal the staff, and shine your light! Release!" Reacting instantly, the small key shaped charm grew, turning into her staff. Once more, a gout of water erupted, this time right below her. Just as it would have surrounded her, Kerobearos jumped, pushing her out of the way, only to be hit himself. "No! Kero!" Her shout echoed throughout the park.
Before another funnel of water could hit her, Yue's arms surrounded her as he took flight, carrying her into the air. Flying backward as fast as he could, he tried to avoid the water, which now began to chase them as if it were being controlled by something.
TK cursed himself for deciding to wait, and quickly loosed his powers. A bright gold and silver light shone from his hiding spot as he transformed into Hope. His hair grew, and his clothes changed, with his enormous white wings appearing. Keeping the wings tucked in slightly to avoid an awkwardness, he ran out from his hiding spot, just in time to see another figure, taller than him with white hair and wings take Sakura into the air.
Changing his glance to the three funnels staying in place and reaching toward the sky, he saw Sakura's two friends Madison and Li, and well as a lion figure also with wings. Perhaps these two new figures were the powers he had sensed earlier. But they definitely weren't the ones causing this mess - so who was it?
Another unfamiliar power caught his attention, and he turned his head sharply to look at the building on one side of the park. A three-story building with its roof high above the ground, yet three people – or creatures, still managed to get on top of it somehow. The reason was obvious, when he saw that two of the figures also had wings.
'Geeze, wings must be the fashion statement of today' was his wry thought. 'At least it explains how they got up there. I don't have to bother with 'wind harnessing spells' or anything like that. Still, if they're the one responsible for the water, I probably do have to worry. Better be careful before I start flying.'
As if one of the figures could read his thoughts, the person carrying Sakura was abruptly 'grabbed' and shaken by the wind. His arms slipped, causing Sakura to fall towards the unforgiving ground. Urgency lending to his speed, he quickly took to the air, disregarding earlier thoughts. The only thing on his mind now was that he had to save his friend.
"Aughhh!" Sakura screamed, watching in terror as the ground rushed up to meet her. Out of the corner of her eye, a green and gold blur shot towards her and caught her only a few feet from the ground.
"Are you okay?" She looked up and found herself staring into bright blue eyes. It was her guardian angel again. The same one who had saved her – Hope. 'Yes he is definitely cute.' She blushed at her thoughts.
"I – I'm fine" She blushed again at his concerned look. "Wait! Yue!" She glanced frantically back and forth trying to find her protector. There! Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the last of her friends be sucked into one of the funnels of water. "I have to save them." She told her angel. With a grave nod, he sank to the ground and set her down.
"I can not help you with this." He told her, not explaining why.
'Which card can I use to get them down? Windy and water won't work, and I definitely can't use the Freeze card. It would trap them in the water. Maybe...Yes! I can use the Wood card to pull them out of the water, and then Firey, which I've already transformed, to evaporate the water.' She grinned, and put her plan into action.
Pulling out the Wood card, she threw it up into the air to transform it. "I call upon the power of my star! Ancient forces near and far! Wood card transform all your might, and draw you power from my light! Wood card!" The card came down upon her staff with a flash of light, and transformed into a pink and white Star card.
As soon as it had transformed, Wood glided out of the card. The plant spirit created vines, which gently reached into the rapidly whirling water and pulled out her friends.
Sakura staggered as she felt Wood draw upon her own power. She felt so tired. 'No! I can't stop now,' she admonished herself. 'I still have to get rid of that water, or it will come back and go after us again.' She pulled herself upright, and threw the Firey card into the air, activating it as soon as it came down on her staff.
"Firey! Evaporate that water." Sakura sank to her knees, and watched as Firey, with its trademark smirk and folded arms, flew over to the funnels. It wrapped itself around each funnel in turn, causing it to turn into a harmless mist.
"So tired..." Kero dashed over to her with Madison and the others following close behind.
"Sakura, Are you okay?" He gave Hope, who was standing silently behind her a glare. "He didn't hurt you did he?"
Her new protector gave him a surprisingly sunny smile. "That would defeat the whole purpose of stopping her from falling to the ground now wouldn't it?" He turned to go, spreading his wings to their full length.
"Wait!" Turning around, he glanced at Yue who had, surprisingly, be the one to shout. "Who are you?" Suspicion ruled his whole expression.
"I've already told your friends," he said, smiling sweetly once more. "My name is Hope." Taking to the air, he began to glow a bright gold color, and in a single flash, he had vanished.