Back yet again. Oh boy! Chapter 3 is here!

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS.

Chapter Three: The Identity

The next morning Sakura woke up to the slamming of a door. "Hikaru is gone!" she muttered to herself. She looked at her beside clock; she had an hour to get ready. She was ready to go through the same stupid routine that she went through everyday. She hoped that all the fun she had had the past weekend wasn't a dream. Sakura pulled on her uniform and got her stuff. She ran her finders through her hair and rushed out the door. She got to the bus stop early so she sat down on the curb. Someone's bony fingers were stroking her hair and down her back in a matter of seconds.

"Akito, I'm warning you," Sakura growled. He ignored her warning.

"What's wrong, my precious?" he said in a romantic voice. She still didn't care how he presented himself; she didn't like him no matter what.

"Get your nasty hands off me, dammit!" she yelled in his face and started walking to school. He started to follow her but the bus pulled up to the stop, and he got on instead. Sakura kept walking. She had thirty minutes before the bell rang and that's how long it took for her bus to reach the school. She'd be late, for the first time in her life. She sighed and looked at her feet as she walked.

"Hey! Aren't you supposed to be at school?" a voice called out across the street.

"Buzz off!" she called back as she continued to walk without even bothering to look up.

"Gosh, I was just offering you a ride. You don't have to go all grumpy," the voice joked back. It sounded familiar.

"Li-kun?" she said as she turned around with a smile on her face. She saw his rough face smiling back at her. She noticed how his smile was dazzlingly beautiful. He had never smiled for her before. She smiled back brightly.

"Hop on, small one," he said teasingly. She slapped him playfully on the arm and got on the back of his black motorcycle while putting on the matching black helmet. "You might want to hold on tight, I go pretty fast," he warned. Her grip tightened around his waist and he put on his helmet. The motorcycle sped off from the curb with amazing speed.

All of a sudden two more motorcyclists pulled up on either side of them. Sakura held on tighter and he sped up. The riders pulled out guns and started aiming at Sakura and Syaoran.

"I have to switch spots with you! Just slide forward when I move. Grab the handle bars as soon as you can," Syaoran shouted the order over the sounds of the guns and the motorcycles. She was scared and had no idea what to expect.

A bullet bounced off the bar underneath Sakura's seat when Syaoran moved. He made a small flip using the handle bars for leverage and Sakura slid up to the front. He landed perfectly behind her.

The riders had caught up on either side of them now. They aimed their guns and Syaoran covered Sakura with his body. The bullets bounced right off of him. Sakura flinched but stayed hidden.

"Duck!" Syaoran yelled suddenly as both of the bikers aimed again. Sakura and Syaoran ducked simultaneously and the bullets whizzed above their heads and into the head of the other biker. Sakura took a peek under her arms at what was going on. The bikers had flown off the bikes to the sides of the road with blood flowing in a line from their bikes. Sakura's eyes widened when she realized that they had missed when they shot and hit each other instead. The bikes were slowly loosing momentum and finally just fell over on the side of the street or into a nearby parked car. Sakura leaned back into him as she sighed and he took over the handle bars. She gasped as her arm hit a gun hidden underneath his jacket.

They rode the rest of the way to the school in silence. When they reached it he helped her off the bike. "Are you ok?" she cried. He chuckled.

"Yah, bullet-proof shirt," he said, indicating the holes. "I heard you gasp."

"Why do you have a gun?" she asked with the smallest trace of fear in her voice. The pictures of the bikers still resided in her memory.

"I have it only for protection. But you might want to head inside because I think you are late enough as it is. Why were you walking anyways? Did you miss the bus?" he asked jokingly. His expression grew serious when she looked at her feet. "Tell me please. I want to help," he said as he took her head into his hands.

"It's just this guy. His name is Akito Himitsu. I'm his supposed fiancé. It's an arranged marriage between his parents and Hikaru. I wish they would listen to me for once because I hate it! He's such an ass!" she said angrily. Syaoran sighed with relief but Sakura didn't seem to notice it. She was still fuming about the idea of having to marry such a jerk. "He thinks he owns me. I need to be free. He wants a quiet wife; I could never do that!" she said. Syaoran smirked.

"Of course not, you have to be totally in charge," he said sarcastically. She slapped him playfully and then they said goodbye. Sakura entered her classroom with high spirits.

"Gomen, Sensei, I know I'm late and it won't happen again," she apologized. He nodded and she took her seat. Classes passed by quickly again. Lunch hour came too quickly, however.

"What were you doing with that boy?" Akito yelled in her face.

"My friends are my own business, Himitsu! Not yours!" she yelled back. She grabbed the cell phone Meiling gave to her and speed dialed her as she stalked away from Akito.

"Hey girl, what's up?" Meiling's cheerful voice came over the speaker.

"Come pick me up please. I can't stand this anymore. And when you come to pick me up this afternoon would you please bring me some extra clothes? Fighting clothes; I'm going to do the initiation," she said into the receiver.

"No can do, Hun. I'll pick you up now but I can't bring you clothes later. Syaoran is picking you up at the end of the day. And anyways wouldn't you rather do the other option? Futoji gave you to Syaoran of all people! Not a chance to pass up," she said as she giggled.

"Whatever, just get here fast please," Sakura pleaded as she saw Akito coming towards her. She hung up her phone and started to walk towards the doors of the school.

"Sakura come back here right now," Akito ordered. Sakura just rolled her eyes and kept on walking. "Stop this minute, Sakura Kinomoto."

She knew she was going to get it later because he used her full name, but she didn't care. Meiling's car was there so she went straight to it and got in. They sped away as he came out to the curb. "Sakura you will pay later," he whispered to himself as he turned to go back inside.

"Oh Meiling, you don't know how much you just saved me!" Sakura said as she put on her seatbelt. Meiling nodded and continued to look out her rearview mirror at the back of the retreating Akito.

"What's going on, Sakura? You can't keep it a secret if he is after you like that," Meiling said. Sakura looked at her feet again. Then she started to spill about Hikaru, her mother, her father, and her fiancé. Meiling listened to every word until she was done, her frown growing deeper with every word.

"Then come live with us. You will be safe," Meiling offered. "And Futoji likes you so much that he won't care how long you stay there until you pass the initiation. Nothing to worry about," she said. "Just be careful. Guys can hold nasty grudges." Sakura nodded and Meiling looked back at the road. "So you have 30 minutes to get back to school? What do you want to do?"

"I just want to get something to eat," Sakura said sadly. Meiling nodded. Then she smiled.

"Do you want to go out to do something fun tonight?" she asked. Sakura nodded vigorously as Meiling drove through the drive-thru for a hamburger place.

"That'll be $5.43," the guy at the window said. Meiling pulled out the money and winked as she gave it to him. He blushed and fumbled with the food as he gave it to them.

They drove off and laughed about it as they ate. Sakura finished hers hurriedly. She got out of the car and turned to Meiling.

"Thank you so much Meiling. I can't wait until you pick me up this afternoon," she said eyeing the school building.

Meiling rolled her eyes. "Remember I'm not picking you up; Syaoran is."

"Oh yah," Sakura said as she giggled. Meiling rolled her eyes, said bye, and drove off. Sakura took a deep breath and walked back up to her classroom.

The rest of the school day passed by as quickly as before; so when the bell rang letting school out Sakura was not surprised. She was changing out of her gym clothes in the locker room when a fist punched her through the shirt she was taking off. She doubled over in pain clutching her stomach when she heard Akito's commanding voice.

"You will meet me outside after you are done in here. You will not say a word to anybody else before I deal with you," he said harshly. Then he turned on his heel and walked out of the locker room. The other girls watched in astonishment at what had just happened, but mostly that there was a boy in the girl's locker room.

Sakura finished dressing, trying to avoid the stares of the other girls, and headed outside. She saw Syaoran on his motorcycle over in the parking lot but Akito was in the way. She started walking at a discrete angle towards Syaoran but Akito noticed.

"Sakura, get over here now!" he commanded. Sakura started to walk faster as glances from people standing around started to pierce her all over. Syaoran had noticed something was wrong when he put away his cell phone, and started outlining the gun in his jacket with his finger.

Sakura finally broke out into a full run towards Syaoran when Akito started following her. Syaoran stepped off his bike and caught Sakura in his arms. Then he let go and stepped in front of her protectively.

"Akito, go away!" Sakura managed to gasp out. Syaoran took a little glance at her but she had already straightened herself up, ignoring the pain.

Akito smirked. "You will be feeling a lot more pain soon if you don't do as I say this very moment," he commanded forcefully. Syaoran looked at Sakura to see what he was saying about her being hurt, but she didn't portray any pain.

"I'm not your dog to boss around! I will do what I want, when I want, and how I want!" she spat as she stepped out from behind Syaoran. He stepped back in front of her.

"Let me deal with this now and then I want to hear the whole story," he said in a monotone voice. His face was emotionless, and Sakura was scared of him. Syaoran stepped forwards.

"If you want her, come and claim her!" he challenged. Akito smirked and stepped forward. They got into fighting stances and waited for the other to make the first move. Akito threw the first punch which Syaoran easily dodged, leaving a punch in Akito's gut. He stumbled backwards and then went head-on with full rage. He threw many punches at Syaoran but none of them landed. Syaoran, however, threw few but critical punches and every one of them landed in crucial places on Akito's body. In a few minutes Akito was in a crumpled heap on the ground.

"Let's go Sakura," Syaoran said as he handed her a helmet. She took it and got on quietly. Her trembling arms clamped around his waist and he sped off. She buried her head in his back and cried softly as they went; the pain in her stomach still hurting badly.

They rode up to the mansion to see a worried Tomoyo and Meiling out front. Syaoran and Sakura got off the bike and Tomoyo rushed to Sakura.

"Are you ok? You're not hurt are you?" she asked quickly as she held Sakura by the shoulders. Syaoran was talking to a worried Meiling as well.

"I'm fine," she muttered, but then she winced as she clutched her stomach. Syaoran saw this and walked over.

"Stop faking Sakura. You're hurt; we can get you help but you have to tell us what is going on," he said. His voice was full of concern for her but she was still afraid of earlier.

"Tell us and we can help you," Tomoyo said encouragingly. Sakura sighed and lifted up her shirt just enough to see a large bruise on her stomach.

"It was Akito. He came into the girl's locker room, punched me, and then told me to meet him outside. That's when I saw you and…" Sakura stopped as she looked at Syaoran. Her face was full of fear then she turned and walked off quickly with Meiling tagging along behind her.

"Did you let her see him?" Tomoyo asked as she looked at Syaoran. His face looked shocked and hurt as she walked off. "You did, didn't you? She saw Biketh."

Syaoran turned to face the wall. "Himitsu, he hurt her. I couldn't help it. You know how Biketh has a mind of his own! Can't you explain it to her?" he pleaded. Tomoyo nodded slowly and walked out of the room. She searched for Sakura and Meiling and, when she found them, joined them in the room. It was the room they had prepared for Sakura as a surprise.

Sakura was sitting on the bed, shivering, while Meiling got some new clothing out for her. "It was scary! He just turned and his face was completely bare! It was like nobody was there but his body still lived! And he fought with such speed that I had never seen before!" she rambled on. Meiling handed her the clothes and she went into the bathroom to change.

"He let Biketh out somehow. I thought it only protected his closest friends and he's only known her for a couple of days! And for half of it she was unconscious," Tomoyo exclaimed as she went deep into thought.

"What if… what if she was the One? Rethasa, the Binder? What if she is a descendant of the Great One? The One that bound the original Biketh?" Meiling exclaimed in a whisper. Tomoyo whipped around and stared at her wide-eyed.

"So that means we have to erase the pictures of Biketh from her mind so she won't be so afraid. You, Legebra, the Remeberer, and I, Nanra, the Sleeper, shall put to sleep those harmful thoughts in her head," Tomoyo started to say when a white light encircled the two. White feathery wings sprouted from their backs and covered their bodies completely. Their true forms emerged from the wings. Clothed in pure white robes and no shoes, Meiling had the same original appearance as well as Tomoyo.

Sakura stepped out of the bathroom to see a flash of light come from the two. She crumpled into a small heap on the floor and Legebra rand to her side. Nanra stayed upright and focusing very closely on an unknown source. Soon the pounding of footsteps was heard and the bedroom door was flung open.

"What have you done, Nanra?" Syaoran yelled but it wasn't truly Syaoran. Biketh had come out again. His appearance had changed completely into his alternate form. His dark brown hair had grown longer and a braid bound it together. Sharp fangs protruded from his mouth as he yelled. "What did you do?"

"Sleep young Biketh," Nanra's strong voice resounded into his ears. "Answers will come." Syaoran also slid into a small heap. Legebra and Nanra slowly returned to their normal forms and Meiling ran from her position near Sakura to go to Syaoran. Tomoyo carried Sakura to her bed as Meiling tried to lift Syaoran.

From a short distance away a man walked away from the mansion. "Let them come, but none will defeat me!"