Chapter 1: The new beginning

Ding! A bell rings in the night. Someone, someone is waiting; someone with long hair and large wings. The bell rings again. This time, a great lion with giant wings waits.

"Who is out there? Who are you?"

The bell rings once more, and a blinding flash comes with the shape of a book, embodied with the words: "SAKURA" on top, and a sun and lion face on the front appears. Suddenly, the shape of a pier appears, and the full moon shines as brightly as the sun. Cards fall from the sky as a figure standing next to the giant lion, holding a staff with a circle and star with wings on the end of it. The lion assures that she would be safe, and she flies off the pier with great confidence.

"Ayumi! It's time to wake up and have breakfast!"

"Yep coming!"

Ayumi Daidouji was a fourteen year old who went to high school at Tomoeda High School. She was reasonably short, and has three people in her family, her mum, younger brother and herself. She never had a father, she never knew, neither did her mother. She tried having DNA tests, but doctors have just been shocked. Her younger brother was born when her mother married her step father, Toya Kinomoto. However, her mother got fed up with Toya and divorced him. Toya is her sword-fighting teacher, and he and Ayumi have a close relationshi. She walks into the kitchen.

"Good morning everyone!"

Her little brother, Katoya, jumped on her straight away. He went to Tomoeda Elementary and was eight years old. However, Katoya's leap at Ayumi was not a friendly one. He started jumping on her as soon as she was knocked over.

"Get off, Katoya! That hurts!" Ayumi screamed.

"Hahahahaha!" Katoya laughed evilly.

"Katoya! Get off your sister now or I'll smack your bum!" Ayumi's mother appeared. She was Tomoyo Daidouji. She worked at a filming company that ran the TV programs that was broadcasted throughout Tomoeda. "Katoya, finish your breakfast and go to school!"
"Fine, mum. Can I go to dad's place after school?"

"Yes, but just don't be a pain." With that Ayumi's mother dismissed her son and gave Ayumi her breakfast. Ten minutes later, Ayumi went to school. There she met her best friend, Umishi Kasayashi. Umishi was tall and was very good at netball. She was also very good at drawing, and occasionally draws Ayumi without her noticing and shows her afterwards. This makes Ayumi very embarrassed.

Ayumi had her favourite class at the end of day, which was history. Her history teacher was a very interesting bloke, and she suspects that he is much, much more than an ordinary teacher. His name was Syaoran Li, and he was born in Hong Kong. He seemed a lot friendlier to Ayumi than everyone else. She tried to ask why but he has never told her.

"Ayumi, would you care to come with me to the library this afternoon? I have a book that might interest you. It's on Magic and how it used to be used in Japan. Want to see?" Mr. Li asked her at the end the lesson. Ayumi accepted.

At the library, Mr. Li grabbed the book and handed it to Ayumi. Then, while she was checking out the book, he suddenly opened her bag put in another book. Ayumi didn't seem to notice.

When Ayumi got home, she realised that no-one was home. She knew her brother was at Toya's place, but where was her mother? She went to the notice board and saw that she posted up a notice saying that she got overtime that day. She smiled to herself. Maybe today would be one of the most enjoyable days with her new book she could read. She went up to her room and pulled out her book. She smiled to herself. These days can only get better. Wrong.

While she was reading about Clow Reed, her bag started glowing. She looked in. She gasped. There is another book in there! Where that came from, she wondered. She pulled it and gasped again. It was that book from her dream! It looked up at her just as she looked at it. Suddenly, she saw the lock. It seems to be tempting her. It seems to be saying: "I know all about you Ayumi, open me up and you shall know all the answers you crave to know." She wondered. She craved to know a lot of things, like why her mother divorced Toya, who Mr. Li really was, and most of all, who was her true father. Unable to resist the temptation, she opened up the book. What she saw inside was a deck of cards. How would a deck of cards reveal to her all the secrets she wanted to know? She was furious. Tightening her grip on the book, she threw the book as hard as she could at the wall. Immediately all the cards flew out.

What happened next was much beyond the extraordinary. The cards started to glow as if in a rage, and they started to attack Ayumi. Ayumi screamed for her life. Then suddenly, a yellow creature flew out of the book and created a shield around Ayumi. The cards, startled, fled the room and went everywhere. Ayumi managed to grab on to one and the creature as well.

"No, wait!" called the yellow creature. It fell to the ground after it saw that the cards flew away. "No! Those cards were my responsibility! I have failed you, Sakura!"

Ayumi was confused. She nudged the creature, and wondered what was wrong. The creature frowned. Then it explained everything to her. It revealed that its name was Keroberos, and it responsibility was to protect the cards and made sure nothing happened to them.

"Those cards were Sakura Cards and were found by an amazing sorceress named Sakura Kinomoto." He explained. "She was the one who able to turn them into her own, after the cards were created by Clow Reed. They all have different strengths and weaknesses, but one thing is for sure: If they are not captured, the world would suffer annihilation from the inability to control these cards."

"Kinomoto? That's the surname of my sword-fighting teacher! And Clow Reed, I was just reading about him, it said he was a mysterious sorcerer who was able to make seasons travel in an instant!"

"That's right. We have to stop the cards spreading and return them to the book before that catastrophe happens. You, my friend are coming with me."

"Why me?" Ayumi spluttered at the creature.

"You're the one who threw that book, causing the cards to escape!"

"Damn… but it was your job to protect them!"

"I know, but I cannot do the job alone. The fact that you managed to open the book means you have magical powers." Keroberos pointed out, while Ayumi looked at him with disbelief. "What's your name?"

"Ayumi Daidouji."

"Well, Ayumi, I want to introduce you to a friend you will find be your companion. Stand up." Ayumi did as she was told.

"Key of the Stars…" chanted Keroberos. The room went dark and then a key flew out of the book. Ayumi couldn't believe her eyes. "I have someone who you would find to be a contractor. She is a girl, named Ayumi. The Cards have run wild. Please key, lend her the power! RELEASE!" The key shot out a blinding light, making Ayumi shield herself. The key suddenly extended and turned into a staff. It had a circle with a star embodied in it with extended out. It was the staff from Ayumi's dream.

"Ayumi! Grab the staff!" called Keroberos. Obediently, Ayumi grabbed the staff and it then extended itself to be just right for her. "Yes!" called Keroberos. "We are going to get our cards back!" Ayumi looked stunned. "Well," said Keroberos. "The job isn't going to be that hard, as we already have two of them already. Those cards are the WINDY and the JUMP. You can jump really high if you use the JUMP, and WINDY are one of the four elemental cards, and it has the power of wind. To summon the staff from the key, you just need to tell it that you are Ayumi to reveal its true form under the contract. Understand?" he added. Ayumi understood. "Good."

Later that night, as Ayumi was having shower, Keroberos flew in and called: "Ayumi! Sakura Card alert!"

"What? I'm in the shower!" she called.

"No time!" called Keroberos. "Get out of there, get dressed and meet me outside in a minute, with your staff and the Cards you already have!"

Ayumi cursed under her breath. However, she obeyed Keroberos and met him outside in a minute. "Look, Ayumi. Look at that thunderstorm! That is no ordinary thunderstorm. It is a doing of the STORM card!"

Ayumi looked on in disbelief. "How do you know that's not just an ordinary thunderstorm?"

"I know because that is the way the STORM card acts." explained Kero.

"Fine, I believe you. Lead me to it, Keroberos. Say, would you mind if I called you Kero?" Kero nodded, but at this, he burst into tears. "What's wrong?" asked Ayumi.

"Not much, but the name "Kero" just brings back so many memories of Sakura. She was such a good master. You'd just better get on with the STORM card. Let's go."

Kero led her to the spot where the STORM card was wreaking havoc. He pointed upwards. "Look, Ayumi. That is the STORM card's true form. If only we get rid of the storm around it."
"Leave that to me." She then pulled out her staff.

"The Key that holds the powers of the Stars! Show your true form before me! I, Ayumi, command you under our contract! RELEASE!"

The staff obediently extended itself to its rightful length.

"Wind, becoming a binding chain and rip out the trees next to us! WINDY!"

The WINDY card ripped out the trees and threw them at the storm. Kero called: "We need to get closer, Ayumi! Use the JUMP card to get closer to the STORM card, and then use the WINDY card!" Ayumi did as she was told. She jumped closer to the STORM card.

"Wind, becoming a binding chain! WINDY!" Ayumi summoned, and the WINDY card became the binding chain and captured the STORM card.

"Good, Ayumi!" called Kero. "Now seal it! Command it to return it to its card form, the form it is supposed to be in!" Ayumi got closer to the STORM card struggling under the might of WINDY.

"Return to the guise you are meant to be in! SAKURA card!"

The STORM card returned to its card form. "Good work, Ayumi!" called Kero. "Now we need to return home!"

As Ayumi and Kero rushed home, two figures in shadows watched on.

"Brat, are you truly sure she is the one to succeed my sister?" asked the first figure.

"I'm certain, Toya. I am. She is the one born of the Hope Essences, is she not?" replied the second figure. "She managed to open the book, and she has been able to capture the STORM card. I am quite sure she is able."

"Even if she is able, I am still very worried if she is able to face Yue when it's all over. We shall see. You have done well, Syaoran."

At that, the two figures disappeared.