Disclaimer: I... DON'T... OWN... IT... !

C.W.: I'm SO sorry about the tardiness!

Kero: Why is that?

C.W.: Semi writers block, Christmas shopping, not getting enough sleep, everyday life, but especially final exams, need I say more? I got a lot more.

Kero: Wide-eyed

C.W.: Anyway, enjoy!

Amazed

By Cheery Wolf (a.k.a. C.W.)

Chapter 3: Emerald

"...die...?" Sakura stuttered in shock. She was about to push the subject further, but the small guardian stopped her,

"Before you go frantic with the questioning, let me first tell you this, its curable."

A small wave of relief passed through Sakura, but she was still worried, "Really!"

Kero nodded, "But it requires a very long and careful procedure. First of all you got to stay alert of the symptoms. Each one is worst than the last."

Sakura paled at that. Looking at Syaoran in her arms, she saw that he was shivering even more violently, his face was extremely flushed and she could barely hear his breathing. Kero perched himself on top of his mistress's head. He sighed, "Its a sorcerer's disease alright."

She carefully placed Syaoran back on the bed. From the small basin, Sakura grabbed a small tissue, soaked it with cold water and placed it on his forehead. She hoped that would at least help slow down the fever. After doing that, she stood up, walked over a small folding chair, grabbed it and set it beside the sick sorcerer's bed. She looked at Kero in very serious way, who was now sitting on her hand,

"I want you tell me everything you know about it. Right NOW!"

The guardian nervously looked at her and was afraid that she might squeezed him to death, "Well, from what I recall in Clow Reed's study notes in the past its called the Dream's Void."

Sakura was puzzled, "But how did he acquire it?"

"You know that every sorcerer or sorceress has a limit in magic powers like a meter gauge when it's full?"

Sakura nodded.

"I'm guessing its because he has a lot more magic than he can handle. Excessive training in magic and battles tend to do that even to the best magic users, but what started it? He had to be very weak in terms of health."

Sakura thought for a moment, "Wait, last night Tomoyo had a reunion at her house concerning the Clover Rain festival, it was raining so hard, she gave me a ride home, the rest had someone to picked them up, she offered Syaoran a ride but he declined it, so he had to walk to his apartment after we finished. He must've caught a cold and that... "

"... turned into this." Kero finished.

"What more?"

"Well, there are five stages to the Dream's Void. First stage is like a small normal cold. Second stage is the stage the kid is in now, its something like pneumonia... "

"WHAT!"

"... Its also the color changing in the eyes." Kero cleared his voice, "Third stage is abnormality in the victim's mythical abilities."

"Hoe?"

"Out of control magic powers." The guardian stated plainly.

"HOE!"

"Fourth stage is... "

Sakura urged him on, "Uh-huh... "

"... Like its own name, dreams."

"?"

Kero had a serious look, "Exactly like I said, dreams, realistic dreams. So realistic, that if something drastic happens in them, something like a severe injury. For example, cuts, bruises, broken bones and so on. They reflects themselves on his real body."

"Also like sleepwalking?"

"Its depends."

"On what?"

"The victim's level of expertise in magic."

His mistress choked, but kept listening,

"And lastly, the fifth stage is pretty basic."

"How basic?"

"Let me put it this way... death." Kero said nervously.

"!"

After seeing Sakura's shocked face, Kero continued, "Our main concern right now is to keep his body warm and head cold."

Right after he said that, Syaoran broke into a violent coughing fit. Sakura practically jumped from her seat to the bed. Seconds later she managed to calm him by stroking his chest. Seeing that Syaoran had calmed down, she let out a sigh and turned to Kero.

"I'm trying to lower the fever, and his shivering is getting worse despite all the covers I put on him."

Kero hopped off her head and hovered beside her. He thought for a moment. Then snapped his fingers, "Why don't you use your cards. There should be a card or two that can help."

Immediately, Sakura got up, grabbed the cards from her backpack and spread them on the floor. She looked at them, but before she could even pick one, her magic senses went overload.

"Sakura! Look Out!"

At Kero's shout she rolled out of the way, dodging an incoming blast. It destroyed almost the entire wall to the outside. Right before the blast, the cards automatically flew into her pocket, since her backpack didn't survived. Her senses kicked in again. This time she summoned The Fly card. With little concentration she made the wings appear on her staff instead of her back. She flew outside.

"Kero!"

The guardian, a little shaken, cried out for under the semi burned bed "It's the kid, he's entered the third stage and is almost at the fourth one! Ack!"

His tail caught fire.

Hovering just outside the destroyed wall, she saw inside. Her face paled when she saw Syaoran was standing up, leaning against the closet doors on the other side of the room. His green aura was chaotic around him, his clothes were shredded, his hair messier than usual. But when she saw his eyes, it broke her heart. Their golden color had disappeared completely, now they were replaced by a feverish bright silver color.

Sakura broke out of her reverie when she saw a green ball of magic energy formed in front of Syaoran, who as if possessed, lifted his arms and shot it directly at her.

Her instincts kicked in and lifted her right arms,

"Shield Card, protect me from the coming danger

RELEASE!"

A shield in the form of a bird appeared in front of her. The ball of green energy collided against The Shield. The impact was so strong, it threw Sakura a couple of meters away in the air. Kero, with his tail a little singed, flew behind her.

"Sakura, are you okay!"

Sakura regained her balance, "I feel like I went through the Final Judgement all over again. When did Syaoran get so strong!"

Kero landed on her shoulder, "It's the Dream's Void! Whoa!"

Another blast rushed past them. Sakura saw Syaoran slump to his knees, breathing heavily.

"Syaoran!" She was about to fly to him, to take him in her arms, but Kero stopped her.

"No Sakura! He's too dangerous in that state."

"But... " She was about to protest, but Kero cut her off, "Its for your own good and his. Also, I'm suggesting you call Clow Reed incarnate and Tomoyo and tell them about this."

After hearing that Sakura reluctantly grabbed her cell phone that was fastened to her jean shorts waistline and dialed Tomoyo's cell number. It rang for a moment when a male voice answered,

"Hello, you have reached the slaves of Miss Daidouji hotline and no, this is not an answering message, since Miss Daidouji gave me the task of receiving her messages, I am now her slave operator. Please, if you have a message for her or little o' me, I'll try to get it through to her, thank you. "

Sakura sweat dropped, recognizing the voice, "Eriol?"

She could her a startled 'Ack!' on the other side of the line, "A-hem, Sakura, its you. Just forget everything I said earlier and tell me, what can I do for you?"

"Eriol, I need your help fast!"

"Why?"

"Its Syaoran!"

"What's wrong with my cute little descendant?"

"He's sick!"

"So... he can survive a little cold and..." He kept going until Sakura couldn't take it anymore. She wildly screamed with tears in her eyes, after seeing gashes appear on his arms.

"He has the Dream's Void!"

Silence followed after the statement, some seconds of tension later Eriol's voice asked, "Where are you?"

"Syaoran's apartment. On the other side of the park where you are."

"What color are his eyes?"

"Why?"

"Just tell me!"

"Silver."

"Stage?"

Sakura looked at Syaoran and saw that the gashes now started appearing on his legs.

"Beginning fourth."

"Sakura, listen to me, use The Libra Card to stable him and whatever you do, don't do sudden movements when you're touching him!"

She was puzzled, "Hoe?"

"I'll explain later when I get there. Just do it!"

He hung up. Sakura fastened the phone to her waistline. Kero glanced at her, "What did he say?"

Sakura didn't answer, she simply maneuvered The Fly inside the half destroyed apartment, just meters away from Syaoran. Sakura turned The Fly back to card form, then took out The Libra from her pocket.

"Libra Card, stable my friend for as long as you can

RELEASE!

The form of a balance appeared before her, when it suddenly shank into the size of a marble shooting itself right into Syaoran's forehead, making him collapse forward. His appearing gashes stopped spreading and his aura had clamed down for the moment. Sakura rushed to him taking him in her arms. His head was lying on her chest, his slightly opened silver eyes looking blankly. Sakura couldn't hold it in much longer. She cried, burying her face in his surprisingly soft chestnut-colored hair.

'Eriol, Tomoyo, please hurry, help me...'

She tightened her arms around Syaoran,

'I don't want to lose him, I... I...'

She cried harder as she felt soft feathers around her and Syaoran. She didn't need look up to know that Kero transformed into his real form to cover them from the chilly night air since the whole ordeal lasted until three hours before midnight.

'I love him so much.'

TBC

C.W.: Now that was long...phew...

Kero: playing video game You're telling me, this level was longer than I thought!

Cheery: Neigh! steps on his tail

Kero: YEOW!

Spinel Sun: continuing the game This is interesting...

C.W.: Oh well. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!