Chapter 2.
Getting to know each other
Ieran Li had just finished taking her bath. Meanwhile she was in the shower a thought came in her mind. Her only son was falling in the most deepest pit and she couldn't help him out.
"Silly thoughts." She said. She reached for her comb. Instead she felt her purse. "I didn't leave you here..."she referred to her check book. Her credit card was missingw
"What!!!!???"
"Aunt Ieran are you okay?" Meilin asked popping in front of her. It's rare for a composed person as her aunt to scream.
"Syaoran left to Japan." Ieran stated being more composed now.
"What?" Meilin waited for an answer.
"He could have waited a month until preparations were ready but he had to be irrational and leave immediately."
But why would Syaoran leave? She remembered how many times he had tried to leave to Japan to at least visit but the Elders wouldn't let him. They said it would only distract him with his training. After a while of being trained so hard Syaoran was far away from the memory of Sakura. When Syaoran kept on growing the clan started making preparations for Syaoran's fiancee. He always wanted to see Sakura but the Elders prohibited it so Syaoran never spoke of it again. Why would Syaoran leave without even saying goodbye. Oh Sakura, Meilin thought. She had done nothing to hate her but why did she feel so envious.
Japan
"So as you can see Cleopatra only seduced Julius Caesar to become queen of Egypt. I want at least five page essay of what you learned about Egypt today for homework. Any questions?" the Sensie asked. Everyone blankly stared back. "Okay then you are dismissed."
"I guess that home work will be easy for you." Sakura said to Darius.
"I can help you if you want me to." Darius offered.
"Um Darius -kun I know that I said I would be patient but can you please explain to me what is going on?" Sakura plead. "I need to know what I'm up against."
" Oh all right Sakura I'll tell you." Darius sighed. "But not here. It is too much of a long story for one and it's better somewhere else. No one should be at earshot."
"Really? Thank you Darius-kun" Sakura looked like a jolly five year old bouncing .
"Wow! I've never been to your house before Darius-kun it's absolutely gorgeous!" Sakura looked around her. Her head leaned back to see the ceiling of glass ornaments. The walls clearly untainted. One thing she did notice were the portrats on the walls of pyramids, dancers. And statues of some Egyptian gods. Another statue of Budah. A stair way with midnight blue carpet leading upstairs. Exquisite curtains placed perfectly near the window sill. Sakura loved the way there were placed but there was a sad aura surrounding them. As if they were teardrops of a crying window.
"I'm glad you like it Sakura. I use to live here before I moved. My father had died, when I was little." Darius lead them to the corridor to the main room. "My father left my mother a will. Leaving her owner of this house. Though now I wonder why he owned such a spacious place. You see my father was Japanese, (yes that's where I get my rare look from), well he met my mother during high school. They got married and so on. I never found out how my father died."
Sakura silently looked at the portraits on the wall, not knowing what to respond. Both Syaoran and Tomoyo gave Darius a sympathetic look.
"I don't know my father either." Syaoran said who had tagged along after seeing Sakura all up on Toshiwa. "My mother refuses to tell me what happened to him."
Tentatively listening to Syaoran,Sakura continued to watch the portraits. There was one women that she kept noticing in each one. The women had layered hair that was dark blue, forest green eyes and skin the color of cinnamon. From what she had learned in school her face looked Egyptian and she was, from the looks of her dress and jewelry.
"Darius-kun is this your mother?" Sakura curiously asked.
"How did you know?"
"Well, I can tell by her face you both have the same cinnamon color and your faces look the same but she's really young in here. And I guess you got your eyes from your father."
Shifting uncomfortably Darius continued. "Okay then I'll tell you what's going on as far as I know. My mother just so happened to be the Reincarnation of an Egyptian magician named Amaya. A young, beautiful, and very powerful sorceress.
She was a niece of Clow Reed and daughter of the ruler of all Egypt, Pharaoh Darius. Unfortunately she had fallen in love with a low Western magician named Lusheye, a mere servant under Clow Reed's hand. Clow Reed didn't want to mix the magic together so he prohibited the love that had grown."
"What does this have to do with what's happening right now?" Impatiently Syaoran interrupted.
"Patience Li-san I was getting to that part."
"Amaya had created the Egyptian Amaya Cards. It contained forces that had powers just like the Clow cards. And since she decided to share them with her lover Lusheye of course Clow Reed disapproved. He had heard of the rumors and threatened her that she would regret such an act.
Amaya was a stubborn girl and her mother had already mixed the blood once so why couldn't she? But at last she couldn't. Living in Egypt had caused her an illness, an illness only performed by dark magic and she was going to die. She swore the Clow Reed would pay. She swore revenge on her mother's dearest brother. Right after this happened she sealed the cards and her soul into two reincarnations. They had to appear when the Card Master had been chosen. Which just so happens to be you Sakura. My mother was one of the Reincarnations chosen to destroy the bearer of the Clow Master, the second one had to be a male around our age chosen to destroy the Clow Master. By the way... the card you captured yesterday is directly associated with Amaya as a matter of fact."
Sakura took out the card from her pocket " Are you saying that this card has a part of Amaya's soul?"
Darius shook his head. "No, you see Amaya loved egyptian muas. A type of cat in Egypt. I don't know the exact story but it's said that she fused the creature with her magic from preventing it dying."
He looked at it very closely being more careful to it then he had yesterday. Shutting his eyes for a second he meditated . "I'm sorry I feel a bit tired."
"But if all the cards were Amaya's then wouldn't they harm her too?" asked Tomoyo who had been profoundly listening to Darius asked.
"Ah, but you see the Mau was a mere pawn. That is why it was the fist form of magic sent to attack Sakura. It is now sealed under the power of the stars. Under Sakura's magic. So it cannot hurt her own Mistress"
"Darius-kun do you know if I can use this card as a pet also I mean I never had one. . .except a snail."
SAKURA FLASH BACK
"Toya I want a pet!" Sakura told her brother during breakfast. Toya looked at his sister with a sympathetic look. "Okay I'll get you one since I don't have school today."
"Really?" Sakura squealed.
"Yeah just don't get all floaty with me."
Later that day. . .
"I'm home! Where's my pet Toya?" Toya was covering his face with a newspaper. "It's right there over the counter" Sakura was so excited. She would finally have a pet for her own. After not having a younger sibling she could finally raise something on her own.
When she got there what she saw made her eyes watery. Sakura stomped all the way to the kitchen. "TOYA! How could you do this to me! How could you give this to me" She said pointing at the small slimy snail on her hand.
"Hey you said you wanted a pet. I was to lazy to go to the pet store so I just went to the garden and got it."
"But. . I wanted a puppy." Sakura looked at him with big pleading eyes. Then she looked at the snail and imagined walking it and how she would return at midnight. Sakura sweat dropped. "I guess I'll do fine."
She looked at the snail again but it was flipped over and wasn't moving.
"Hey um Toya why isn't this thing moving?"
"Let me look. Oh it died well at least you had a pet for ten minutes"
"Toya you are so mean! I never want a pet again especially not from you!"
END OF FLASH BACK
"Like I said I never had a real pet."Sakura repeated.
"Well if you want to you can you are the Card Mistress after all. There is nothing wrong with that."
"Wow" Sakura said "I finally get to own my own pet."
"I just hope your brother doesn't kill it." Syaoran commented.
"I guess you have to be leaving now." Darius said ready to standup when he saw the sun setting. "I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow." He lead them to the front door. "Good night to you all. And to you Sakura-san."
"Kaijou were have you been it's nearly night" Toya demanded his baby sister. Lately she had been coming late from school and she had spent hours in her room thinking a lot. Where had his sister gone? She no longer went around the house cleaning when there was nothing to clean. Cooking random deserts. Trying to play the piano he had bought her recently. Which she awfully failed at. He had a feeling that the whole card captor business started again. Sixth sense or not there was something cunning about her lateness.
"I was at a friend's house" Sakura answered to his demand. She didn't want to lie in the first place. Her brother was already on her tail. Yesterday she had been in her room the whole day and didn't want to come out. When she finally did she found her brother right behind the door.
Toya looked at his sister carefully. He knew she wasn't the little girl anymore. The little girl he loved to scare and tease. The sister he helped grow up. Yes, she was capable of taking care for herself. She was already fifteen years old. But he had lost his mother he couldn't bear losing a sister.
"Sakura your hiding something from me aren't you?"
"I...I'm not hiding anything" Sakura stuttered. She avoid the conversation by going to her room. Why was Toya so insisting at times. If he found out what was going on he would never let her go out and even if he did he would probably follow her. Even worst what will he do if he finds out that Syaoran came back to Japan. Sakura could just imagine both of them fuming steam from their faces.
"sakura-chan what are you thinking about you look so tired. So how did it go? Did you talk to that other brat Darius?" the flying teddy bear asked.
"I don't know Kero-chan I just feel very tired these days. I feel something absorbing my energy. It's probably the cards. I feel them calling me." She answered.
What was she going to do. Halloween was coming soon and she knew a new card was going to appear. Sooner or later she would have to confront Syaoran. And by the looks of it he would not want to be with her. Why was she truly chosen to be Card Mistress? I mean me...what makes me different from any other person. She thought.
She snapped out of her trivail conflicts. Instead there was a much greater problem. Mist surrounded her like a wall of thick cotton balls.
"Kero, where are you?"She called. Only receiving the answer of solitude.
"Kero!" She shouted again. But received no response. She rubbed her eyes to clear her vision, her eyes widened as soon as she opened them. She had only seen the images that their Sensie had showed them in the textbooks but she had never seen a full length pyramid. It was huge. It would break her neck trying to see the very top. Taking a few minutes to realize that she was standing on sand she noticed being in a small market. People fleeing here and there. Everyone was wearing clothing like the one Darius's mother was wearing. Or in worn out rags which differed the rich ones from the poor. "
"That's it. I must be in Egypt but what am I doing here?" Sakura spotted a women who apparently was looking for someone.
"Excuse me but do you know where I am?" She asked the lady. But the lady didn't seem to notice her. She asked once more but still she would not answer. Sakura reached out her hand to tap her but her hand went right through the women. "Hoe?!! Ekk! She's a ghost. Wait a second I'm a ghost!" After being scared of ghosts so long it was surprising to be one. And who would have thought I'd end up here. Wow I'm really in Egypt, i'm in Egypt in my pijamas. She sweatdropped.
Sakura looked at her surroundings. Egypt was extrodinarily huge. Far off there were people working with the hay and floor. Their feet mushing the floor one step then the next leg and the guards continuoaly yelling at them. Hoe? Then an aura sent vibes through her. It was an unmistakable light blue aura. An aura of peace. Her legs went after the source before her mind told her too. She ran for a while until she noticed she was in a palace, with pillars holding the structure. She turned around to admire it. Walls beyond walls full with hieroglyphics surrounded her. The most strange part of all was that she could interpret the symbols. Yes she had noticed that she was in Egypt but not she had relaized the time she was in. It was Ancient Egypt.
"Wow!"She exclaimed never in her life had she felt more enthusiatic. She felt so amazed at the symbols and artwork different from Japanese art but all of that was broken when she saw a women that was familiar. She had seen her somewhere today. The women had layered hair that was midnight blue. Her eyes were the same color of her hair, slanted and her skin was tanish. "Wait a second that looks like Darius's mom..no it's not his mom it's Amaya" Sakura thought or at least she assumed. Amaya looked just like the portrait she had seen earlier this evening but there was something different when she saw her. Her facial expression was different she looked more care free and young. Unlike the portrait Darius's mom looked more serious. Sakura followed Amaya to the balcony. Apparently she was waiting for someone. Amaya was wearing a white gown with a golden necklace. The necklace it was the one Darius wore. The same thin silver chain with a moon and star encarved on a silver rod.
"The day and night are two lovers,
Though the same they still can't love each other. The Night waits for Day to come,
But all she receives is no response"
Amaya recited with a sigh. Her voice was so sweet. She had a body of a women her face and aura was like of a child's.
Sakura also sighed. If she didn't know better she would say Amaya was in love.
"Amaya what are you doing out here at night?" a voice came from behind.
"Uncle Reed!" Amaya shouted, startled to see him. The last time he had come mother was still alive. "What a surprise... to um.. .see you" she stuttered.
"No, I should be surprised. You have grown into a fine women just like your mother was." Clow Reed smiled. He was just like the Clow Reed she had seen when she had battled Yue the Guardian of the Moon.
Amaya blushed lightly. She knew what he was here for. They were hers! She was their mother. Their friend and Mistress.
"Amaya" Clow Reed said. "You know what I'm here for, I've heard of the rumors. You are the only one now that is able to seal forces under the contract to become cards because I've made it that way. Don't make me take that privalage from you."
"But you can't. Their mine they are a part of me. Besides if you do you would be interfering with the magical balance remember?" Amaya snapped.
"I am the Great Clow Reed-sama. I can give you the power or take it. Either you lose the cards or you lose him but I don't want the magic mixed again. Your mother tried it once and look how she where she ended up. This is for your best Amaya." Clow Reed kept a straight face.
"What is wrong with you Uncle? You are not the type to act like this. No matter how sinister and crookedly creepy you can be sometimes. I was born with this magic, you never bestowed it to me. Just let me say goodbye if I must." Amaya pleaded. Kneeling down not looking at her uncle in the eye.
"I'll back tomorrow" he said. "You better make the right choice." he warned. Picking up his gown he left with elegance.
Amaya not wanting to leave her love Lusheye, didn't want to leave the cards either. She fled from the scene of her depression. Far away from the moonlight and into her room. Meanwhile Sakura hurried after her. "What am I going to do Isis? Tell me, your the one who's been there always" Amaya asked her pet Mau. "Meow?" the cat responded. She started to cry. "You will pay for this Clow Reed!"She screamed. It's just like in my dream Sakura thought. And all of the sudden there was a darkness of pitch black everywhere.
She closed her eyes and opened them again. There she was back in her room. Kero stared at her.
"Sakura-chan!!! You look a bit pale." Kero asked flying over to her.
'I... you mean you didn't see anything?" Sakura asked.
"No, I've been here staring at you while you expressions kept on changing. Why did something happened?"
Kero triggered Sakura's mind, her mouth began to unravel what her eyes had witnessed. Until then she always thought Clow Reed had been a good man. Clow Reed-Sama: The great magician of the East and West is not what he seems. That also meant the Eriol knew about this. Of course it wasn't Eriol's fault he was trying to live a normal life now. Sakura's head felt wobbly.
A drink of water would relief the headache. Down stairs, the water refreshed her dry tongue, moisturizing her lips. As she closed the fridge she noticed more mist surrounding her. Amaya sitting down on a chair, was mourning for Lusheye. But it didn't matter now, after death they would be reunited again. Only there was something required before her death. She took out her staff "Reincarnati!" In front of her appeared two dark figures. A tall women and a boy.
Amaya kept on sobbing. "Clow Reed I will make you pay. One of them will bear a child and he will avenge me but if he doesn't then I always have another" A hysterical laughter covered the atmosphere.
Before she died she sealed the cards where no one could find them. They would appear when the time was right. And with that last scene everything went back to normal.
Sakura dropped her glass of water. Everything was getting to her. All the images started appearing in her head. When Amaya started crying hysterically, someone dropped dead. They kept on flashing in her mind. The constant screeches filling up the canal of Sakura's ears. The intesity made her knees weak, made her mind lose contact with her body and she fell down to the floor. She winced . "Make it stop!" Sakura yelled. "Make it stop!"
"Sakura! Snap out of it! Can you hear me? Sakura?!" She could hear a voice replacing the cruelty of one heard before. Though it was harsh she knew it had no intention of malice. Someone's arm was carefully holding her shoulders up. Sakura's eyes fluttered open see a pair of amber eyes directly above hers. Syaoran was holding her with the greatest concern in his eyes. His legs kneeling right beside her. Syaoran. Since when was he this careful with her?
"Are you alright? What happened you were screaming and shaking."
"How did you get in here?" Sakura frantically examined the room for any signs of Touya.
"The windows open" Syaoran answered her. "What happened to you?" he asked spotting the broken glass on the floor and the water spilled about all over the kitchen floor.
Sakura shook her head not wanting to remember. Amaya was getting revenge on her because she was the new owner of the cards. And Darius... "One of them will bear a child and he will avenge me but if he doesn't then I always have another" she mentioned. It was definitely Darius.After all he was one of the reincarnation's son.
Sakura while turning pink, moved away from the Syaoran.
"So what happened here?" Syaoran recomposed the barrier between him and Sakura.
"Sakura!" A voice came from the window. It was Darius. He had also felt something going wrong in the Kinomoto's house.
Syaoran stood up leaving Sakura on the floor. "What are you doing here?"
"I may as well ask you the same"Darius countered impetuosly. His eyes darted Sakura on the floor. She looked confused and startled at his appearannce." You started seeing visions have you Sakura?" He picked up the cherry blossom from the floor.
"By any chance...where you having visions, some sort of taste of the past? Because if you did don't worry I use to have the same visions" He said. Sakura nodded. She noticed the plain bitterness in his voice while he was saying that.
"So it's true? You were sent to kill me?"
"Yes, I was suppose to. But I came to know the sweet cheery blossom. You defeated the Reincarnation of the Great Clow Reed-Sama. What chances do I have against you? I saw you that day when you gave money to that poor man, when you and Tomoyo had gone to the park. Or that time when there was a dead bird at the school entrance you took it home and gave it a proper burial. I got to know a girl who wanted to take the burdens of everyone she knew. Who made this world less afflictive and put more color into it. I couldn't destroy that precious blossom because if I did, something in me would die too. I cannot take away that sanctuary you have created for others and I noticed that I too..."
"You brats!" Stomping in, came a ferocious man. Sakura's brother, Touya entered with authority. Sakura gulped trying to seem as innocent as possible.
"Don't tell me your that Chinese brat." Touya grabbed Syaoran by the collar. "What are doing here at my house? Actually what are you doing here in Japan?" Then he took Darius with his other hand and grabbed him by the collar also.
"I don't want neither of you near my lil sis you hear me? Especially uninvited in my house! You touch her or hurt her you'll regret for every being a male."
"Kinomoto, you haven't changed." Syaoran took the chance to speak.
"Shut up! I want both of you out of here." And with that he threw them on the floor.
As stubborn as both of them maybe be, they both walked out. Holding in their pride, all for the sake of a girl.
Touya stared at his sister. His eyes had hardened. Couldn't she understand that she was too innocent. She had a spark that no other girl had. No one was worthy of it, she was so young and naive that she could fall in love with a sweet talker. Anyone could take advantage of her and then leave her hurting. Sakura was too much of a fragile blossom to see crumpled by the winter. If she does, all hope crumples along with her. Touya walked upstairs, not mentioning anything.
"He'll just do the same thing he did four years ago, Sakura. Don't waste your time."
"Hoe?" Besides her brothers rude manner, what did Darius mean?
Flash Back
End of last year "Class we have a new student. Welcome Toshiwa Darius." The sensie announced.
Fourteen year old Sakura looked up to see the new student. His hair was the shade of midnight blue hair that combined with his blue pale eyes and his skin was a sandy cinnamon yet matched him. Darius glanced around until he saw Sakura, gifting her a smile.
"Hanyaaa" Sakura melted under her seat. He had a very charming smile, very handsome all together.
Why did the transfer students have to look at her? Just then her thoughts when running to Syaoran. Four years had passed already. She shook her head now wasn't the time. She looked at Darius again and smiled back. Maybe she could forget about Syaoran after all.
Tomoyo leaned towards Sakura during lunch. "Sakura-chan, what do you think about Toshiwa-
kun?"
"He's extremely handsome, I hope I get to know him." Sakura said while she munched down her sandwich.
"Hello." Darius said coming from behind.
"Ohayo"Sakura greeted.
"Your Sakura right?"
"Hai! And this is Tomoyo"
"You seem nice can I sit here?" he said it as if hiding something, his words masking his true interntions.
"Sure" Sakura guilibly offered a seat to her left.
He knew exactly how to keep a conversation going. He was such a comedian too, in a proper way. If anything since the first day that Darius had sent her that smile, her was one who perplexed her more than Syaoran.
END FLASH BACK
Sakura went outside into the living room, making sure that Touya was in his room She opened the door into the porch. To her surprise both Syaoran and Darius sitting, waiting for her to come out.
"I though you guys left" Sakura said hands and hips. " So did you guys finally decide to get along?"
Both Syaoran and Darius looked at each other.
"Well?" Sakura asked.
"Ofcourse..." Darius said.
"...not."Syaoran lead on. "Either way theres another card, can't you feel it?"
"Alright! Kawai card mistress Sakura has a new card to capture!" came a voice from the bushes.
"Hoe!!!! Tomoyo since when have you been video taping?"
"oh ho ho, well since the very beginning when Syaoran took you in his arms and rescued you from your agony. It was very romantic!" Tomoyo started to form stars in her eyes. Meanwhile Syaoran turned different shades of red. Sakura blushed.
But the thought of seeing all those visions haunted her again. "Darius..what did you mean when you said you also had those visions?"
"I use to have them." As he said this Darius's eyes went into deep meditation. " When my mother died everything I knew had gone and visions kept on haunting me about the past. I came to know a hypocrite. A liar, a tyrant. If it weren't for him we'd never be in this mess in the first place. We'd be content with the simplicity of our lives. "
"But would we have appreciated it more? "Tomoyo spoke, " I've seen the course that Sakura took in her life. Accepting her role. My life has more meaning, it's more thrilling because of the events in our lives."
"So do you take it all as a game. Is it humorous to you, Tomoyo-san? Do you find our sufferment entertaining behind those lens you hide behind?"Darius reproached.
Tomoyo shook her head. "I don't humor it. I make the best of what has already been giving for our lives. I make the best of what is showned unto us. The moments of danger, I minor the atmosphere with fancy costumes that boost Sakura's confidence. Or do we have to engulf ourselves into suffering and that's all?"
Interrupting the unlikable tension, Sakura brought up minor worries. "Onni-chan will come out soon. He has a sixth sense you know. It's best if we all go to sleep. Good night Tomoyo-chan, Darius-kun, Li-kun."
"Is there food here? They should have a snackbar in the Library." Kero-chan whinned. "I'm hungry."
" The library is for investigation and reading. Kero-chan, you don't need to eat remember? Your not human." Sakura reprehended him.
"Your wasting your time. So far I haven't been able to find anything. I'm sure the stupid stuffed animal knows something." Li Syaoran slammed a bunch of books back into their shelves.
"Rude as ever aren't you gaki?" Kero glared at him.
"Well now what are we going to do?" Tomoyo also put away some books.
"Hey we can go have a picnic!" Darius ludicruosly suggested.
"You clown. You think it's funny? We need to know what we're up against." Syaoran stated.
Darius whispered to Sakura's ear. "Has he always been like this?"
"You can say that." Sakura looked at Syaoran out of the corner of her eye. Of course Li-clan training. Typical for him to come back as a stone-hearted fool. He's like that because he doesn't make his own decisions. He obeys his family. It's silly of me to be selfish. I'm only acting like this because he's been away from me for so long. And now he is nothing to me but a memory disguised as my defendor.
"Hey you guys maybe we should munch down at my place." Darius suggested.
"Well I am a bit hungry" Sakura said
"I'll come for a while." Syaoran agreed.
"Yey for FOOD!!" Kero applaud.
A fog had rapidly spread above the atmosphere. All four of them looked down and they found blood all over the floor. Tomoyo fell on her knees and started shaking. Distant recollections of an unknown death long ago came back.
"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura called out. Some sort of fog hit her in the head. A cloud in front of her mutated into the anatomy of a women. Slowly Sakura noticed the figure resemble the same person she saw frames of every morning. The figure smiled at the girl before her, walking away for her to follow.
"Mother! Wait for me!" Sakura shouted as she followed her mother out into the road. "Sakuraahhhhh!" The figured roared in a horendous way. Her mother's face sucked into a pitch black warp turning into the grim reaper. The grim reaper ascended towards Sakura. Flashes of lightning struck everywhere near the library. Now she kept on trying to run away. And when she turned around she saw Tomoyo who had fainted, meanwhile was slowly disappearing.
"Sakura!" Syoaran and Darius called out at the sight of the Grim Reaper . "I'll get to you, hold on!" Syaoran called once more from the foot steps of the library. However black mud from the ground formed into sulky corpses. Their bandages sinking inside their sockets.
"Toshiwa! What are you doing, stop stalling! Why are you not fighting back!" Syaoran fended off some decayed corpses. They were actually easily to defeat, on the contrary to Dairus who was struggling against his own fear.
"Mother..." Sakura breathed her mothers name. What's going on? Is this another card. I won't let them portray my mother like this. Never. Yet it was what she had always feared. She could barely remember her mother but she wouldn't stand to see her this way, as a monster. Something started crawling up on her leg. "This is not good. . ." Two eight legged spiders were playfully sneaking up her skirt.
"HOOOEEEEE!!!!!!!"
"Huh?" Darius's attention now focused on Sakura. "Sakura!! Wait I'll get to you."
"You can't even defend yourself. Go help her out I'll finish here!" Syoaran could beat them all.
From the corner of her eye, a large venomous snake slithered from behind Sakura's legs. "EKK!!HOEE!!!"
"Sakura!" The two boys went running towards her. When they had arrived to her the snake had already locked her up, difficult for her to wrestle out. One dangerous move and it could either swallow her or bite her to death.
"I hold it's mouth, you take the rest off." Syaoran planned. The plan was carried on but the snake resulted to be slicker. It's grasp on Sakura strenghthning it's grip. "Gah" her breathing was shortened.
"Nice work geniues, we cant take it off. The cards acting up on our fears the only one who can make it vanish is Sakura."
"She can't, don't you see she's too weak, she can't do it on her own." Before he could retrieve his words, Syaoran had already said them. On the contrary, he didn't believe she was weak but his own desperation to get her out of the situation made him speak accordingly.
"Guys this isn't the time to be fighting." The anxiety was suppose to be done on her part. Her lungs were reaching out for air. Slowly her face was blending to a greenish-bluish color. Sound was not welcomed into her ears any longer. Her vision faded away, her weight collapsing along with the shutting of her eyes. The snake had bit her, departing from it's crime.
"Damn it! Sakura! Wake up!" Syaoran deplored, "She doesn't have much time she was poisoned! We need to bring her to a hospital!"
"We can't! Its far away besides we can't explain this to them." Darius took Tomoyo by her waist carefully. "Come on we have to go to my house!"
Boom!
The Thunder was so beautiful outside. Like a god demanding it's power, humbling those who wish to forget their inferiority. Whom they forget to Fear. FEAR! Yes that was the card. Those inner fears which break the confidence of an individual. It feeds on our deepest fears.
Sakura stirred on the unfamiliar bed beneath her. The thunder kept booming with authority.
BOOM!!
Her body immediately arose to a sitting position. Sweat poured from her forehead. Where was she? She remembered being near the road of the library. Sakura's feet was ready to make contact with the floor until a voice intterupted. A gasp escaped her lungs.
"You shouldn't try to stand up." Syaoran said coming from the door.
"Where's Darius?" Sakura whispered. Her voice was weak after lack of oxygen and being squeezed to death.
"He went to buy some bandages. He couldn't find some here. How are you feeling?"
"My body still feels like its being squeezed "
Syaoran sat on the bed next to her. "The thunder hasn't seized since this afternoon. Beautiful isn't it? The thunder seems to be throwing fists down to Earth but the Lightning mezmerizes you. And then you stop caring about what you hear, only what your eyes see matters. Once we see a light that captures our attention we seem to forget our fears. They fade away and we can finally be in tranquility. " He seemed so focused on the weather outside. Or was he speaking symbollically? "I couldn't do anything to save you. I'm sorry I failed at my obligation."
"I'm not obligating you to protect me. Like you said I was too weak, I have to learn how to stand up on my own. " Sakura assured.
Syaoran shook his head. "Actually, you were pretty strong out there. No one could help you, but you didnn't cry you stood there and took the pain without hesitation. I admire you for that."
"Oh." Admire me? Why does he always contradict himself. He says I'm uncapable to stand up for myself and then he says I was strong enough. He says means things and then says nice things. What are you playing at Syaoran?
"Sakura your awake! About time too, Daidouji-san's been worrried ever since she woke up.
How are you feeling?" Darius quickly rushed over to Sakura's bedside.
"Don't worry about me. I'm perfectly fine. I must say though, everythings a blur. What happened?"
"You sort of left us back there Sakura. Li lost his composure and used most of his healing powers to get rid of the venom."
Sakura's eyes widened. "Li-kun is it true? Arigatou"
BOOM
The thunder kept roaring across the skies. "It's my responsibility to keep you safe." Syaoran stood up from the bedside, walking away.
Darius raised an eyebrow. "What's with him? Don't waste your time over him Sakura. With your charisma he'll come around. Fortunately I have the advantage for the time being."
"Hoe?"
"Nothing." Darius scratched his head, chuckling.
"I hope your not laughing at me. I know you for nearly a year now and I still don't completely get you. I wish we would become closer friends especially now that I confide in you as an ally."
Sakura leaned towards the head of the bed. Curious of Darius's past.
"You know what I'm curious about. How can you have all this power and not misuse it. How can you still trust me after knowing that I could have killed you?"
"Because you haven't." She blurted out, "as for my abilities, Kero-chan says I'm still not at my full potential. I'd never want to misuse my power. I never want anyone to hurt especiall because of me. I guess you can say that my weakness is that I care too much about everyone else. I don't care if it is."
"Maybe it is your weakness. I wouldn't know anything in matters of compassion. I still have to mature in that subject. What I do know is that you don't know how to doubt people Sakura."
"Nope!" She exclaimed, stretching her arms high.
Darius sweat-dropped. "That's not necessarily good." He fumbled through a brown bag he had held in his hand throughout the conversation. "Take this, it's suppose to make you feel better."
"Arigato." Sakura's heart began to race. "Is Li-kun okay? Did he really use most of his powers to cure me?"
"It's alright. You get some rest now." He stood up getting ready to head out.
"But is he okay?" She insisted.
"Yeah, he's okay." He mumbled. Why is all her concern towards Li.
"Thank you Darius-kun." He heard before shutting the lights.
"I offered my living room for you to sleep in and you decide to be by the window." Toshiwa pestered.
Syaoran ignored his comment. "How is she?"
A bit annoyed now, Darius's level of voice rose. " What exactly is your relationship with her? You both seem to be so fond with each other."
"Your wrong. I'm commited to protect her that's all I'm here for. It's nothing personal. I don't have the same affection I had for her long ago." He pretexted.
"In despite of what you say, Sakura's, Daidouji-san's and including my fears were all fulfillled in some way. How come nothing happened to you? Is it just a coincidence that Sakura almost died today because it's really un-like Sakura for her greatest fear to be a snake around here. Or is it that Li-sama has no fears?"
"Ohohoho. No Syaoran's greatest fear wouldn't be Sakura's affliction if that's what your trying to insinuate." Tomoyo slyly remarked as she entered the living room.
"BOOM!"
Darius was left in the living room by himself after a while. "I never want anyone to hurt especially because of me. I guess you can say that my weakness is that I care too much about everyone else. I don't care if it is."
"You don't know how to doubt people Sakura."
Darius's lips formed into a lazy smile. "Is it pure compassion or ignorance? Why did you pick her Clow Reed?"
"What are doing sleeping in the couch? Your room wasn't taken." Sakura poked a sleepy Darius.
"Huh? Oh I must have accidently slept in. Someone's very energetic this morning." All of his hair tousled around like a scruffy puppy.
"Hai! I made breakfast. Me and Tomoyo had to be leaving onni-chan said I had to be home before seven. Syaoran left at five in the morning. Well enjoy the food. Ja ne." Sakura caught up with Tomoyo at the door, waving goodbye.
Darius went to the kitchen and found steamy hot cakes on the table. At the corner there was a small note.
THANK YOU Sakura
"I don't like Halloween..." Sakura whimpered. "There's all kinds of scary masks, people like to scare me. Hoee!!! Tomoyo-chan!! I don't want to go to the festival!"
"Stay still Sakura-chan. Let me sew this up we don't want your dress to fall apart now do we?" Tomyo argued. "See how fast I finished. Come on let's go help with the decorations."
"Wow! Sakura you look like a total goddess! You look so beautiful!" The Rika,Chiharu, and Noako exclaimd in unison when they saw Sakura step out of the bathroom.
Sakura just scratched the back of her head and sweat dropped. "Arigato! Hoe!!! You finished without me!" She exclaimed as she saw everything set up. Tables were arranged, the food was set on a table, ribbons perfectly tied unto the poles.
"You don't need to worry about the set up we finished it." Said Noako. "Although it would be nice to have some ghosts around."
"HOE!!!"
"We'll be back, as soon as we get more people to come before dusk." Rika told Sakura before the three girls left.
"I don't like Halloween..." Sakura whined as she went out to the field. Everything was so nicely decorated. There was something she could do after all.
"Flowery! Mist! Glow! Decorate this Place!"
All around her the cards spun about leaving orange flowers on the tables, the mist spread fog a few inches above ground while the Glow sent a few sparks of light floating.
Pleased with her work Sakura admired the cards. "Arigato."
A crowd was starting to fill up in the backyard of the school.
"Nice work Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo felicitated. Sakura turned around to see Tomoyo had dressed up. Fashionable as Tomoyo was ofcourse her costume was flawless.
"Hanyaahh!! Tomoyo-chan your dress is splendid! Hoe..but what are you suppose to be.?"
" Ohohohoh Sakura-chan...I'm dressed as a detective."
"A detective? Isn't that too styly?"
"I have alot of interrogating to do tonight that's why. "
"Hoe!! I don't get it." Then a flame of enthusiasm spread through Sakura's body. "Look Tomoyo-chan! Wow, the costumes are so beautiful." It seemed this year a lot of people got into the spirit of Halloween. Couples wore matching costumes, or vice versa. Then again, some people didn't wear anything according to the Halloween spirit.
Sakura directly spotted Li-kun walking with his hands shoved in his pockets. "Li-kun!!" Sakura waved.
"Eh? Oh it's you."Syaoran carelesslly responded. Though beneath surface of his mind he agreed differently. Sakura definetly out did her beauty that night. A midnight blue dress made out of silk hung on her body, showing her curves all the same. There were tiny pieces of glitter perfectly placed on the silk as to illustrate a midnight sky filled with stars. A long celestial blue scarf hugged her back and tangeled around her wrists. Tomoyo had curled her hair placing each strand up with a silver star shaped pin.
"Daidouji made that?" He rudelly reffered to the costume, which more likely seemed like a dress of a goddess.
"Yup! Tomoyo-chan said I suppose to be a Goddes of Night.." She replied sweetly. Sakura gave a twirl. "I don't think I'm much of a goddess. I think I should have just come like a bunny or something."
Syaoran slightly blushed while she twirled.
"No Sakura you look beautiful. This costume suits you well." Darius said coming from behind. He was wearing a costume as well. A long black cloak. It had the same symbol his staff had on the back. He was also wearing a dark blue robe with golden edges. His hair was tousled as usual and his eyes matched perfectly with his robe. Apparently he was a magician.
"Unlike some people, Halloween is my favorite time of year. Oh, I don't mean to offend you Sakura, I will protect you if your afraid. But even in the Magician world Halloween is the most dangerous time of year, it's also fun when you dress up." Darius slowly angered Syaoran with his words. Syaoran walked away. "Sorry to lie like that but actually I didn't want to wear this but Tomoyo forced me to."
Sakura giggled. "Yeah I know how she is" Then Sakura's eyes widened with joy as she saw Yukito approaching, dressed in a white suit with a halo and strong like wings. On the other hand Touya he came right behind wearing a black suit with no sprecial props.
Sakura went running to them. She gave Yukito a friendly embrace. It had been a while since she had last seen her guardian Yue. "Wow, Sakura-chan. The costume is perfect on you." Blushing from his kind affection she bouced with delight.
Toya was amazed at his little sister. Time really flew by fast. This motivated him even more to keep anyone near her.
"Yeah but deep down, if you look really deep she's really just a monster." Toya teased.
"Oh Yeah and I guess your devil costume fits you perfectly doesn't it?" Sakura annoyed, answered back..
"Why you...!!!"
"Now Toya don't be teasing you little sister." Yukito retorted. "We'll see you later Sakura we're going to check out the games."
"Okay see ya Yukito-san." Sakura waved at him. Just before she bumped into some one. "Oh Terada-sensie sorry to bump into you."
"Pardon me, Kinomoto-san I wasn't looking where I was going. By the way have you seen Rika-san?" He asked a bit worried. He looked the same as ever since elementary school.
"I saw her earlier. She's went with Noako and Chiharu to bring people."
He left Sakura as soon as she said that. Terada-sensie was always taking care of Rika. They both had an affection for each other obviously. Everyone knew but no one said anything about it. There was nothing really to say, everyone knew how Rika kept it a secret from her parents, until the time was right for them to know.
"Now that I remember Sakura-chan, I overheard a conversation between them a while ago." Tomoyo opened her camcorder and pressed the play button.
"Rika!" Terada Semsie exclaimed in relief. He grabbed Rika and hugged her. "Your alright."
"Yeah I've been in the hallway decorating since 3 o'clock. Why, is there some thing wrong?"
"I don't know why but I had this crazy feeling that you were dead."
Rika placed her hand on his cheek. "But I'm alright. Don't you see I'm fine. It must have been silly of you to think that."
Terada hugged Rika one more time. "I must have been hallucinating."
Beep
Tomoyo put away her camcorder. "It's very touching, I couldn't help but record it. You think it can be related to what happened at the library?"
Sakura nodded. "It's a card. And I think it has to do with our fears. Apparently Terada-sensie most feared about Rika's death. The same with my mother. I've never really known my mother, I've always seen her as an angelic figure, but one of my fears is finiding out that she is not what I imagine her to be." Sakura looked up, the sky started to grumble. A streak of white light raced across the sky.
"Way to go Sakura-chan. Now we have to deal with lightning." A sarcastic squeaky voice came from her bag.
"Kero-chan!? What are you doing here? I told you to stay home. You never listen to me!" Sakura retorted.
"Your yelling at me when it should be the other way around. How could you back stab me like that? Leaving me all alone. Your so selfish, you made me stay home when you were coming here to eat candy without me. I thought I knew you better." And he kept talking on and on..
"But you must know. The Fear can easily read your mind and shows them to you, though not necessarily making them real."
If the Fear was clearly active then...
"That means it'll be a disaster here. We have to act fast." Syaoran said fiercely. He had sensed the danger as soon as the lightning flashed.
"We? It's okay Li-kun, I can handle this by myself." Sakura told him, obviosly wanting to avoid him after their first talk in so long.
"Don't be a fool. Your only a girl of course you need my help. Your to weak to handle anything by yourself." Syaoran said boldly.
"Excuse me?" Sakura snapped. Something she never really did with anyone except her brother.
"Oh dear..." Tomoyo dreaded a major conflict between those two. Then her eyes shined furiosly. "Oh Sakura-chan!!! I knew an oppurtonity like this would come sooooo I made you this." She held up a small bag, apparently everyone knew there was a costume in it. Not to mention that it was the first costume made for Card Capturing in years.
Coming out behind a tree away from the school's festival, Tomoyo admired her creation. Sakura fit perfectly in her all black one piece costume with faded pink on the edges. The costume material was water proof, appropriate for the current weather. Her gloves tightly grasped her staff and her knee high boots resulted to give her balance.
Syaoran took out his sword, the most valuable treasure he had and the only thing he trusts. Looking ahead the grim reaper lead an army of thieves, culprits, murderers. Sakura focused on a corpse wearing one of her mother's dresses. One she remembered seeing in her mother's pictures. Anger rose in her chest. " You'll regret ever using my own fears against me." She wasn't even aware of the ghosts, or thunderstorms all around her. That one fear of her mother, that one simple insecurity turned into a concrete phantasm. Though she barely remembered her mother, she was sure that she had loved her.
"Sakura! Think straight! What do you do when your scared?" Syaoran shouted out to her as he was being attacked by the infamous Jack the Ripper.
"What helps me with my fears? Then she recalled Syaoran's words from earlier. Once we see a light that captures our attention we seem to forget our fears. They fade away and we can finally be in tranquility. I turn on the li...That's it!" She knew what to do.
"Light!! Shine unto the fear!" A stream of light fell unto the Fear. Defeating it once and for all. "Spirits of the ancient world..." The fear formed into a near shape of contract. A grim reaper appeared on the card.
Bringing out the light wasn't what Syaoran had in mind but it actually worked. The light scared away the fear and it's army. Everything cleared up again and the festival was functioning well. Bouncing up and down Sakura seemed as if nothing happened.
"Don't be to proud of yourself. After all it wasn't that much of a strong force." As always since the old Card Captor days Syaoran had to rudely bring her down.
"Hai! If it weren't for you I wouldnt have defeated the Fear." Even after all the emotional put downs he always gave her, Sakura would never stop being her bouncy self. She really was unbelievable.
"Did you really lose all feelings for her Li-kun?" Tomoyo quietly intterogated him.
"Yes." he tried to respond as bluntly as possible.
"You know Li-kun, your a very contridicting person. I watched your love for Sakura grow slowly. They say when love deepens after so long it remains there. Though you say you love Sakura no more. Don't you think that the love that had grown once will soon bloom again?"
"Why are you talking in riddles?"
With a more direct point Tomoyo persisted. "I'm just saying. Don't you think you'll love her once again just like you did a few years ago?"
"Let's just hope that doesn't happen. It's for the better. I'd perfer if you stop asking me foolish questions. Stop insisting on something that's not meant to be. It's true I loved her, yet I left all that here in my ignorant years. There well be no blooming as you would put it."
"I see." Tomoyo tried to sound disappointed. "Well there's always Darius-kun for my dear Sakura-chan!"
Syaoran glared at her. "You do that on purpose don't you?"
"What do you mean?" She responded innocently.
"Nevermind." There was no reason for him to get jealous. He stared at Sakura who was far off buying a drink with Darius. "All I'm here to do is to protect her not to write a love story."
Alex: I know I took long to edit this one. . Well I thank all the reviewers. I love you guys, always motivating me even when I'm so busy. And I accidently deleted chapter 9 also. sigh I know I know, Please don't flame me!!! I;m trying my best. Journalism is so time consuming and my AP class. Well I still have a bunch of little plots forming in my head :) So you guys better keep reading!!! And for the people who want lots of S&S I know you guys love that but be patient, because if you think about it guys are reallllyyyy slow. (heheheh) Arigatou!!!!!