Chapter 3: Empty
Sakura stared wide-eyed out the window, all hope gone. The Cards were gone in a matter of moments, and she couldn't do a thing. What would happen now?
She got her answer. Thunder boomed loudly and suddenly lightning struck a tree just in front of Sakura's house, sending it crashing to the ground in the middle of the road. And then more lightning began flying around the house, the lights in her room flickering on and off.
Through all the light-flashing, Sakura could barely see anything, as she fumbled for the doorknob, tripping over something and falling to the floor.
A crash sent glass shards flying in the room. The lighting had went through Sakura's window.
Slowly, Sakura stood up, finally finding the doorknob and twisting it quickly, not wasting a moment's time to run as fast as she could down the stairs, not bothering to grab a coat as she ran out the front door and onto the sidewalk.
More lightning flashed just overhead, and Sakura made her legs run faster as she ripped her Key off of her neck and began her magical chant.
"Gods of my body, soul and mind, gods of my magic, power and light, forth send me the night and bring me the magic of my light! I, Sakura, your mistress, command you! Release!" Her magical circle peered beneath her feet as she ran on faster, her Key growing into her pink star staff. She then called, "Fly!" but nothing happened.
Horrified, Sakura stopped in her tracks. She starred at her Key in disbelief. No wings grew on her staff, like they usually would with the aid of her Fly Card. But the she remembered.. The Cards were gone. Her name had vanished from them, releasing them back into the world. Another truth revealed it's ugly face.
"What am I going to do..?" Sakura whispered, starring down at her feet. She clenched her fists tightly, searching frantically for anything - anything! - that might help her.
More lightning flashed above her, and abruptly, it struck the lamp posts near her and began circling around her, leaping from one lamp post to another.
"What do you want?!" Sakura cried, taking a step forward, her hand clutching her useless staff tightly. "What do you want of me?!"
The lightning just kept on continuing it's circle around her, sparks flaring and cracks of thunder emitting itself around her.
"I said 'what do you-'" Sakura stopped, when she saw an animal face appear in the flickering lightning. It was the thunder beast, the Thunder Card.
Sakura took a step back, and then ran a few quick steps forward as she jumped over the circle of lightning, running as fast as her legs could carry her, and that was to say pretty fast. Her athletic abilities were paying off.
What can I do? Sakura thought hard. I don't have any of my Cards, I can't use it to help me re-capture the Thunder Card.. What am I going to do?
Thunder crashed in the air, and Sakura looked back, now seeing that the streak of lightning was following her, and quickly.
"Kero, help me!" Sakura cried out, setting her pace faster, to the extent where everything was just a blur, as she was running so fast. The fear of her once-tame Card made her run even faster. "Please, Kero, help!"
The lightning was gaining on her. She looked back and watched it increase on her. When she went to round a corner, everything went slow. Her foot slipped on wet pavement, her eyes widening as her head whipped back to look at the lightning again, her hand groping for something to grab onto. She tried to grab the sidewalk curve, but her fingers slipped from it.
Before she could cry out, the lightning struck her, and all she could remember was a huge jolt of electricity being sent through her body.
The only sound was Sakura's staff falling, clinking softly as it rolled to a stop on the road, her body thudding to the ground. Her head lolled on the hard pavement, her eyes still half open. She tried to move her legs, her arms, anything to get up, but she couldn't. The only feeling in her body that she could sense was in her fingertips. She tried to cry out for help, but the only noise that came from her lips was a strangled whisper.
This is it, she thought. I'm going to die. She struggled to keep her eyes open, struggled to stay conscious. Her fingers twitched as she lost the mental battle for life, her eyes slowly beginning to close, all thought draining from her.
The last thing Sakura saw were human figures running towards her before she blacked out.
Sakura stared wide-eyed out the window, all hope gone. The Cards were gone in a matter of moments, and she couldn't do a thing. What would happen now?
She got her answer. Thunder boomed loudly and suddenly lightning struck a tree just in front of Sakura's house, sending it crashing to the ground in the middle of the road. And then more lightning began flying around the house, the lights in her room flickering on and off.
Through all the light-flashing, Sakura could barely see anything, as she fumbled for the doorknob, tripping over something and falling to the floor.
A crash sent glass shards flying in the room. The lighting had went through Sakura's window.
Slowly, Sakura stood up, finally finding the doorknob and twisting it quickly, not wasting a moment's time to run as fast as she could down the stairs, not bothering to grab a coat as she ran out the front door and onto the sidewalk.
More lightning flashed just overhead, and Sakura made her legs run faster as she ripped her Key off of her neck and began her magical chant.
"Gods of my body, soul and mind, gods of my magic, power and light, forth send me the night and bring me the magic of my light! I, Sakura, your mistress, command you! Release!" Her magical circle peered beneath her feet as she ran on faster, her Key growing into her pink star staff. She then called, "Fly!" but nothing happened.
Horrified, Sakura stopped in her tracks. She starred at her Key in disbelief. No wings grew on her staff, like they usually would with the aid of her Fly Card. But the she remembered.. The Cards were gone. Her name had vanished from them, releasing them back into the world. Another truth revealed it's ugly face.
"What am I going to do..?" Sakura whispered, starring down at her feet. She clenched her fists tightly, searching frantically for anything - anything! - that might help her.
More lightning flashed above her, and abruptly, it struck the lamp posts near her and began circling around her, leaping from one lamp post to another.
"What do you want?!" Sakura cried, taking a step forward, her hand clutching her useless staff tightly. "What do you want of me?!"
The lightning just kept on continuing it's circle around her, sparks flaring and cracks of thunder emitting itself around her.
"I said 'what do you-'" Sakura stopped, when she saw an animal face appear in the flickering lightning. It was the thunder beast, the Thunder Card.
Sakura took a step back, and then ran a few quick steps forward as she jumped over the circle of lightning, running as fast as her legs could carry her, and that was to say pretty fast. Her athletic abilities were paying off.
What can I do? Sakura thought hard. I don't have any of my Cards, I can't use it to help me re-capture the Thunder Card.. What am I going to do?
Thunder crashed in the air, and Sakura looked back, now seeing that the streak of lightning was following her, and quickly.
"Kero, help me!" Sakura cried out, setting her pace faster, to the extent where everything was just a blur, as she was running so fast. The fear of her once-tame Card made her run even faster. "Please, Kero, help!"
The lightning was gaining on her. She looked back and watched it increase on her. When she went to round a corner, everything went slow. Her foot slipped on wet pavement, her eyes widening as her head whipped back to look at the lightning again, her hand groping for something to grab onto. She tried to grab the sidewalk curve, but her fingers slipped from it.
Before she could cry out, the lightning struck her, and all she could remember was a huge jolt of electricity being sent through her body.
The only sound was Sakura's staff falling, clinking softly as it rolled to a stop on the road, her body thudding to the ground. Her head lolled on the hard pavement, her eyes still half open. She tried to move her legs, her arms, anything to get up, but she couldn't. The only feeling in her body that she could sense was in her fingertips. She tried to cry out for help, but the only noise that came from her lips was a strangled whisper.
This is it, she thought. I'm going to die. She struggled to keep her eyes open, struggled to stay conscious. Her fingers twitched as she lost the mental battle for life, her eyes slowly beginning to close, all thought draining from her.
The last thing Sakura saw were human figures running towards her before she blacked out.