A/N: AWW, I feel so unloved ((sobs)) 133 hits and ten reviews. If all you people bothered to review I could have like, um, fifty reviews? And only 133 hits... people, sympathize with me! I am just an itty bitty girlie, ya know?

Joking. Well, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY (10000000000x) THANKS TO THESE WONDERFUL PEOPLE FOR BOTHERING TO REVIEW ME:


Hououza (YAY YOU REVIEWED 2 TIMES), :.JoEy.: (who actually bothered to help me read through this before posting; thanks, Joey!), dbzgtfan2004, spunkygal me (this is the only story she said she didn't feel like sleeping when reading it… considered a great accomplishment for me…), gamma-rae, The CherryBlossom Artist, Firalyn Tiatra (nice name you've got there : D), and last but not least, Lord Cynic.

ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO BOTHERED TO READ THIS ROCK. AND THOSE WHO HAVE ME ON THEIR STORY ALERT LIST… Man, you people didn't even review! Argh… well, some of you. Or was it all? But thanks for putting me on the story alert list, anyways. I have 5 story alerts and 2 favs… O.o

Sorry for my trash… you can uh, skip this and read the rest… of this extremely weird, un-my-style-ish chapter.

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Struck

He stepped into the cave, shivering slightly. Why did Boss have to choose such a hideout? Stinky, smelly, dank, dirty; the place made him feel disgusting all over.

"Boss, I have some news."

The huge, fat man reclining comfortably in a large, red chair turned around.

"Oh, you," he said, rolling his eyes and inspecting his spotless (well, spotless in his imagination) fingernails. "You're of low standard; what you come here for?"

Wincing, he approached the huge, mouldy desk in front of the Boss. Boss had just come over from Japan; his Cantonese sucked.

"I have news on our target. I know who she is," he said breathlessly, ducking his head immediately to avoid looking at the Boss's ugly face.

"Really…? Fifty-two members throw into the incinerator because they give wrong information; got burnt alive. You want to be them ah," inquired Boss contemptuously. He winced again at the misuse of his language and ran his fingers through his tousled hair.

"I think I know who she is."

"A girl, you say?"

He nodded, a lump fixing itself into his throat. Why couldn't he say this without any regrets? The girl was just so innocent, so naive, too young to go through such hell. Boss had tried to squeeze it out of maybe a hundred civilians or more, and with no success.

"How you know correct one?"

"I… sense it."

No, he couldn't reveal his magical powers. Boss would pounce on him the second the words were out.

Boss narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Explain 'sense it'," he said.

"It's just a feeling. The power seems to radiate out of her very skin; she doesn't even know it."

"You can sense magic?" asked Boss greedily, pounding both fists on the desk in his eagerness.

"No, no, I can't," he said hastily, raising both hands. "It's just so obvious she has a lot of power."

"The brooch we planted at the jewellery store. Was she attracted to it?"

"I don't know! It's not easy to ask," he said, lifting his head to stare at the ceiling. Bits of mould were growing on it, and the damp moisture it gave out was dripping down on his head. The stupid leaky pipe she had relayed to him in her dream was still there, and there was the barred window. All the same. She had to be the one.

"How about that black-haired boy and his father you led to us yesterday night?"

"They were the girl's family members," he said. He had sensed that, too; the brooch had glowed green instead of red, he had seen it, and knew the magical person's family members weren't far. He had found them; the brother had an amazing amount of magical power, too.

"Better have more information before you see me again, boy. Now get lost," said Boss.

"But-"

"Scram!" yelled Boss, flinging a book at him. He narrowly avoided it. "Bet you're sneaking off from your stupid company to come see me, eh? Your fault not mine if you get found out!"

He rolled onto his side just as the Boss hurled a porcelain jug towards him. Swiftly, he scrammed.

---

"No Sakura-chan here," murmured Fuutie, flipping through the newspaper. Feimei and Shiefa peered over her shoulders, while Fanren didn't bother, for she knew she would just get knocked to the ground by her over-excited sisters.

Sakura poked anxiously at her spring roll.

"Do I have to stay here for one more day, then?" she asked timidly.

"Guess so," said Syaoran carelessly.

"Gomen, I'm so interfering," she murmured, ducking her head and allowing her silky auburn tresses to hide her face.

Fuutie looked extremely happy.

"Of course NOT, Sakura-chan!" she squealed, clasping her hands dreamily. "You are so sweet and nice; I WANT you to stay here!"

"YEAH!" screamed the other three sisters.

Syaoran said something that sounded like a cross between a cough and a snort.

"Hoe… When Onii-chan and Otou-san comes, they'll surely repay you. Arigatou!" said Sakura ecstatically, giving everyone at the table a huge smile. Syaoran let out a deep breath. It was lucky Sakura was staying. Otherwise the plan wouldn't go as smoothly as it was meant to.

"Oi, Syao-chan, why don't you bring Sakura around?" yelled Fuutie, plopping her hands on the table and standing up.

"I'm right in front of you; you don't need to shout," muttered Syaoran.

"Yeah, little bro! Bring her out!" shrieked Fanren, throwing down her chopsticks.

"I said, I'm right in front of you," grunted Syaoran, looking away and making his chestnut brown bangs flop over his face in his movement. Sakura smiled weakly.

"Um, I can just stay here, can't I…?"

"NO!" hollered all four sisters. Just then, Syaoran's mother walked in. Syaoran, as usual, stood up automatically and bowed.

"We're meeting the Clan members today," she said softly.

"What?" said Sakura unbelievingly, her face turning pale.

"Again? We met them last week!" cried Syaoran, for once not standing at attention and looking scandalized.

"Must I go? Can I stay here?" asked Sakura desperately.

"Yes, and Syaoran, stay here too. Only your four sisters will come with me."

"Why me and Li?" asked Sakura tensely, stealing terrified glances at Syaoran, who was looking utterly confused.

"Wait, I'm the Clan leader, why aren't I going?"

"A great power is masking us all," she whispered, raising her head. "You are to stay here, to keep an eye on the one who can control this power. You don't need to change," she added to the girls, who were fighting to get through the stairway. "You must take care of her, Syaoran. I have applied for leave for your work, so you don't need to go."

"Wait, Okaa-san-" started Syaoran, but Yelan had already swept off, four daughters at her tail. Syaoran stared dumbly after his family members before turning to Sakura.

"Um," he said stupidly. Sakura smiled nervously.

"Hehehehehe…" she giggled, sounding stupid as well.

"So, um," said Syaoran, stupidly, again.

"Um, what can we do?" piped up Sakura, finally saying something that made sense.

"I don't know," said Syaoran gruffly, also finally saying something that made sense. He ran his fingers through his hair and grabbed a handful of his long, messy bangs. "Stupid fringe. Don't know why Okaa-san doesn't allow me to hack them off."

Sakura stayed silent, not knowing whether to laugh or not.

"Uh," said Sakura, her emerald eyes shining with anticipation, "Can we do something fun?"

"Like?" said Syaoran sceptically, raising an eyebrow at Sakura.

"Do you know how to play badminton?" asked Sakura happily.

"Uh... yeah," said Syaoran slowly.

"Can we play? Come on, Li-kun, let's play! I like playing badminton! Come on!" cried Sakura enthusiastically, clasping her hands together. "I haven't played badminton for so long! Where's the badminton rackets! Li-kun, let's play badminton!"

"Wait, let me get them," muttered Syaoran, escaping from the over-excited teenager, who was jumping up and down.

"WAI!" cried Sakura, thrilled, as she hopped out of the house. "Where can we play? Come on, let's play!"

Syaoran took the badminton rackets and stared at the single shuttlecock he held in his other hand. He hadn't played badminton for very long, either, ever since he had joined them, him and his group of brainless twits.

She didn't deserve it. She really didn't deserve it. He shouldn't have told him about her; she was just too innocent. He shook his head furiously and stepped out of the house, trying to shake off his guilty conscience.

"Okay, Li, where can we play?" inquired Sakura eagerly, taking one badminton racket and skipping all the way across courtyard that stretched as far as the eye could see. There were railings all around, and the place overlooked the sea. A small, circular platform jutted out and merged with the other straight railings; that was where Syaoran's mother practised her magic. "We can play here, ne, Li-kun? Your house is HUGE!"

"Uh, hai," he said, running to the other side of the garden. "I'll serve."

"Hai!" Sakura called back excitedly, brimming with happiness.

Syaoran weighed the badminton racket in his hand. He didn't know why, but it seemed heavy. He swung the racket backwards and hit the shuttlecock. The shuttlecock flew in a graceful arc toward Sakura, and she narrowed her eyes, raising her racket –

Too high. He had hit it too high; even if she jumped, it was unlikely she would hit it –

Sakura glowed a strange, ethereal pink, the kind of glow only people with magic could see, and she sprung upwards; only trained people like himself could jump like that – how could she - and expertly, she smacked the shuttlecock downwards. It whizzed across the garden, spinning in the air, and struck Syaoran right smack in the middle of his chest. Hard. He toppled down backwards.

"AHH! HOE! Gomen!" Sakura cried, clapping her hands to her mouth in horror as she watched Syaoran rub his head painfully. "Are you all right?"

So this was what his mother had been talking about... she had sensed Sakura's power, and now, for some reason, Sakura couldn't keep it bottled up inside herself any longer, and whacked her magic straight into the shuttlecock. Maybe it was because the Clow Cards had finally been unearthed by his boss.

Man, he really pitied her.

"Sorry, Li, I'm so sorry!" cried Sakura despairingly, as she raced towards him. His eyes widened; she ran almost as fast as he could. He was trained, and his magic helped him; he seriously doubted the young girl with her slim frame had actually been trained so vigorously before.

"I'm all right," he said, looking at her incredulously. "Where did you learn how to run and jump like that?"

Sakura knelt down beside him, tilting her head to one side.

"I didn't learn it from anywhere," she said bewilderedly. She smiled and her face shone with pride. "I got the sporty genes from my father."

That explained the running and jumping. Although her magic helped a lot.

"Maybe we shouldn't play badminton anymore," suggested Syaoran, picking himself up. Sakura's face fell.

"Okay," she said sadly. Then, her face lightened up. "Can we go for a walk instead?"

"Uh..." said Syaoran apprehensively. Sakura was probably going to magic everything out of her way. But then...

He could bring her to the boss. Yeah, and prove himself right. His mother wouldn't even know it was him; he could say Sakura had been brought home (finally) by her family members, and blah di blah di blah.

But Sakura – was too innocent – he couldn't do such a thing to her.

He clenched his fists.

"Okay, we'll go for a walk," he said forcedly. Sakura beamed and sprang to her feet.

"Yay! We're going for a walk! Wai!" exclaimed Sakura blissfully. She grabbed Syaoran's hand and jerked him towards herself.

"Oi!" he yelped, as Sakura spun around, laughing delightedly. She pointed at the gates.

"I'll race you there!" she sang, readying herself. Syaoran, bemused, stared at her.

"Wait!" he yelled, as Sakura, without warning, giggled and sprinted off.

"Try to catch up with me!" she called back, turning her head to flash a proud grin at Syaoran. He scowled.

He was going to act uncharacteristic. It was her fault; she made him do so.

"All right!" he shouted finally, darting after her. Sakura squealed in exhilaration and quickened her footsteps, while Syaoran raced after her. She was laughing happily, and a smile crept onto his face, along with a few beads of perspiration.

Never had he run so fast, and never had he seen anyone so outgoing, and so cheerful. His irritating bangs lifted off his face, and he smiled, grounding his teeth as he aimed to catch up with Sakura, the slim figure a few paces in front of him.

"Li-kun, you can't catch me!" she trilled. "You're so far away!"

"Am not!" he cried indignantly, and he reached out to grab Sakura's shoulder, stopping her effectively. She shrieked and almost fell over, while Syaoran dashed past her, and in a blink of an eye, he had reached the wrought iron gates, the same one he had carried her through two days before.

"You cheated!" cried Sakura angrily.

"I only touched your shoulder," he said calmly, shrugging and smiling victoriously.

"Wow," she whispered suddenly. Syaoran stared at her.

"What?"

"You smiled," said Sakura admiringly, her emerald eyes full of surprise and glee.

"I... didn't," he muttered, looking away, his chestnut brown bangs lifting slightly in the wind.

"You did!" cried Sakura happily. "I almost thought you couldn't smile!"

"I can't smile," he snapped.

"You did just now!" Sakura said, smiling. Syaoran glanced at her, just a simple, 'stop talking that kind of crap' glance.

And for that moment, he was frozen.

She looked so...

Pure.

And he'd only just noticed it. How stupid.

"Li-kun? Are you ill?" asked Sakura, peering concernedly at him.

"Uh, no! Why?" said Syaoran hurriedly, shaking his head.

"Your face is a bit red."

He flushed some more and looked away quickly, pressing the code to open the gates so fast his fingers were a blur.

"We ran just now, didn't we?"

"Oh, yeah. Oh, right! Let's go, Li!" cried Sakura, skipping through the gates. "When I first came here, I thought this place was all scary, because YOU were kind of scary too, Li, but now, it's actually really fun!"

"Oh, uh, right. Thanks," he said uncomfortably, while Sakura just 'whoa-ed' and 'hoe-ed' at the size of his house, as seen from outside the gates.

"Li, your house is just so amazingly big!" said Sakura, looking all amazed.

"It's not that big."

"Are you sure?" said Sakura doubtfully, staring at the normal-sized house beside it, which looked like a broom shed compared to the huge mansion.

"Yeah, it isn't," he said convincingly, rolling his eyes. Sakura seemed so gullible. She hopped a few paces in front of Syaoran, taking in her surroundings.

"Okay, Li, you be the guide!" she chirped, tilting forward slightly and smiling at him. "Where should we go?"

"Um – somewhere near my company building," he said, trying to sound casual.

"That's weird, but okay. You're the guide!" said Sakura enthusiastically, hopping down the pavement, her auburn tresses swinging with her movement. Syaoran sighed and placed both arms behind his head, locking his fingers together and supporting it (it's the famous Syaoran airing-armpit pose) while he followed Sakura, who was going, "Ahhhh!" in an excited manner at every single opportunity.

He sighed heavily and looked up at the sky. He didn't feel like bringing her to that place. But he had no choice. He was going to be tortured sooner or later; he was too lowly to be tortured, yet, like all the others who were long-term servants of that freak. But if Boss thought that he had been joking around, footling around, he'd be dead meat.

But giving up Sakura for his freedom would be...

Horrible. Inhuman. Because Sakura was just too pure, too innocent to be given up like that –

"Li-kun! What are they doing?" whispered Sakura, grabbing his hand and dragging him behind the corner they had just turned. Syaoran slammed his head against the brick wall, and he moaned silently.

"What?" he groaned, thoroughly irritated.

"They're – they're kicking her, Li, make them stop!" she whispered, her voice trembling. Syaoran peered around the corner; three guys were heartlessly kicking a small toddler, kicking her stomach, her face, everywhere.

Around these areas, this was normal. Syaoran even recognised the girl; she got bullied everyday, everyday when he walked into the building.

He just ignored it.

All the time.

"It's normal. Just ignore them and move," hissed Syaoran, peeved.

"Li, they're making her bleed! Make them stop!" whispered Sakura, tearing at her face with her fingers. Her tears trickled down them, each drop crystal-clear and full of pain.

"Hey, don't cry-"

"Please stop them! The girl is crying, she's bleeding, stop them!"

"Oi, please, don't cry-"

"Stop it! It's wrong!" screamed Sakura, jumping out from behind the corner. The three boys stopped momentarily, and Sakura murmured a tiny 'hoe'. These guys were older than her, even older than Syaoran. The surveyed her through narrowed eyes.

"Pretty baby, what do you want?" asked one in Cantonese, inching closer to her. Sakura squeaked and stepped backwards.

"Stop bullying her, it's wrong," she said angrily, balling her fists. She gestured towards the tiny toddler, who was whimpering pitifully, blood seeping from deep cuts in her arms and legs.

"Japanese, eh?" he whispered, snatching Sakura's wrist and pressing her tightly against himself. He took her chin and forced her to look up at him. "You are a damn pretty Japanese girl, sweetie..."

"Let go of me! Stop kicking her!" screamed Sakura tearfully, struggling frantically. "Li-kun!"

Syaoran was at a loss. If Sakura was weakened by these morons, he could easily drag her off to the Boss's lair and he could escape and be free.

But he couldn't do that. That would be just devilish, completely sinful.

Because Sakura was – he still couldn't find the word for it, but the stupid, annoying lump was stuck in his throat again, and with a spurt of what he thought was insanity, he sprung forward and slammed his foot into the guy's stomach. He groaned and released Sakura, doubling up and clutching his stomach.

"Don't touch her," he snarled, pushing Sakura behind himself. "Don't you dare touch her."

"Li-kun..."

The two other guys had hoisted the other guy onto his feet, and he was glaring with pure hatred at Syaoran, who was staring defiantly back at him. He wiped a trickle of blood flowing down from the side of his mouth with the back of his hand, keeping his gaze locked on the determined clan leader.

"You're going to get it," he grunted, raising his fist. "I'll get your girl if it's the last thing I do."

"Get the little girl," Syaoran said from the corner of his mouth, readying himself into a fighting position. "I'll distract them."

"But, Li-kun, you're going to get hurt!"

"Just go!" hissed Syaoran, watching the other man intently. The other man roared with fury and struck, plunging a fist towards Syaoran, but Syaoran just sprung up and landed behind the man.

Sakura stood rooted to the spot. Everyone else was busy watching Syaoran and that ugly guy. She swallowed hard and darted towards the little girl.

"I'm your friend, let's go," she whispered consolingly, picking up the girl and staggering with her weight. Sakura didn't really go around carrying heavy stuff, and to her the little girl was really quite heavy. She wondered how Syaoran had managed to walk such a long distance carrying her.

"Oi, Boss, she's leaving! The Japanese girl is leaving!" yelled one of the ugly guy's cronies, pointing at Sakura, who struggled to run.

"Get her, I want her!" bellowed the man, who was bruised all over from Syaoran's furious fighting. He was no match for the trained fighter, but he didn't care. He wanted to hurt the guy in front of him, hurt the stupid, interfering teenager in front of him that dared to defy him...

Syaoran, without warning, leaped up and cuffed the guy hard on his cheek with a flying kick, before flipping backwards and chasing after Sakura. The guy fell backwards once more, and he cursed, brandishing a fist.

"Oi! Sakura, pass me the girl!" he shouted. Sakura blinked and passed him the tiny toddler, who was whimpering with pain. Syaoran hoisted the toddler properly on his arm before grabbing Sakura's upper arm, making her squeal in surprise as he ran at top speed away from that alley, making passers-by cast unbelieving looks on them.

Finally, he turned a third corner and leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. Sakura dropped to her knees, trying to regain her regular breathing rate.

"So, where do we go now, Li-kun? Remember, you're the guide," she said breathlessly, smiling faintly.

"We bring this girl home," he said simply, all intention of bringing Sakura to that freak gone from his mind.

And then Syaoran gestured for Sakura to stand up, with the same movement he used with his hand on the first night he met her.

This time, she understood.