This chapter has been a long time coming- too long, in fact. I started posting this fic to celebrate the new anime, but that also happened to be the beginning of my final undergraduate semester. With multiple papers and presentations, weekly lab hours, and thesis work to make sure I'd met all the graduation requirements, fanfiction-writing naturally fell on the back-burner. I'm getting back to it now, and while I can't promise anything, I'm taking the summer off to pursue creative endeavors and this is one of them. As always, I don't own anything, I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

3- Sakura and the Wild Dog

The morning held with it a slight chill in the air, the first indication that autumn might be arriving within the next few weeks. Sakura opened the window as she prepared for school, taking a deep breath of fresh air.

"The weather's so nice today! It's too bad we don't have cheerleading practice on Saturdays- this is the perfect weather for it."

Kero-chan was still asleep, but Stephen was awake and working on some drawings in his own little notebook. He looked up from his perch on the desktop and smiled.

"I'd love to see this… cheerleading that you speak of, Sakura-sama. Perhaps you could take me to practice with you someday?"

Sakura had finished brushing her hair, and she placed the brush back down on the vanity. "We have a big meet next Saturday afternoon. Maybe I'll bring you then."

"Oh, that would be most lovely! It was a little boring around here yesterday all by ourselves. I wish I could accompany you to school."

"I'm sorry. I wish you could come with me too," she murmured, opening the Sakura book and pulling out The Arsenal to examine. It was possible that Syaoran would find some clues about Warp Neon in the research he'd promised to do the previous day, but meanwhile Sakura had to count on Stephen for information on the Warp Cards. While he seemed genuine, there was no telling when or where the next card would appear and whether or not she'd have Stephen by her side.

Kero poked his head out of his drawer, yawning and rubbing one eye. "I assume that ya didn't have that dream again last night?"

"No." Sakura shook her head. She paused to finish tying the bow on her blouse and then turned back to the two guardians. "But I'll be sure to let you know if I have it again, though. I don't think it's a coincidence that I had the dream right after I captured the first Warp Card. If someone's trying to tell me something about the Cards, I want to know what it is."

"Well, don't force it." Kero floated up onto the desk and sat down on top of the Sakura book. "Clow always said that dreams were fickle things that never told you what you really needed to know."

"I'll keep that in mind." Sakura let out a sigh and examined her appearance in the mirror one last time before reaching for her schoolbag. "Okay, I'm off! Tomoyo and I are going out after our Saturday classes to celebrate her birthday, so I'll be home late. See you later!"

"Oh, that's today, isn't it? Tell her I said happy birthday." Kero smiled and waved. "See ya later!"

"See ya later!" Stephen repeated, trying to mimic Kero's speech patterns. He wasn't perfect at it, but he was catching on, and it was amusing to hear him mix his extremely formal Japanese with Kero's casual Kansai dialect.

The air temperature might've been inching toward autumn, but the trees were still as green as ever, and Sakura admired the way the leaves threw shadows on the sidewalk as she skated. She and Tomoyo had made plans to go shopping downtown after school, and she couldn't wait to give Tomoyo the birthday gift she'd been working on. It was the perfect sunny day to enjoy window shopping and ice cream, and there'd be lots of opportunities for them to take a cute photo to fill Sakura's hand-decorated frame. Everything was going to be perfect!

But… Tomoyo wasn't at school.

It was unusual in itself that she would be late for school, but she hadn't appeared by the time homeroom started, and when the teacher took roll, she was marked absent.

"Did Tomoyo say anything to you last night?" Once homeroom ended, Syaoran leaned forward and whispered to Sakura. "I've never known her to be absent, even for a Saturday class."

"No," Sakura responded with a shake of her head. "It's her birthday, so she and I had plans this afternoon."

Chiharu leaned over from the desk on the other side of Tomoyo's. "I wonder if she got sick. My sister's allergies started acting up because of the change in the weather."

"But Tomoyo doesn't have allergies…" Sakura murmured, looking up at the ceiling as she thought it over. "I wonder…"

Their first class started before she had the chance to think too much about it, but she was distracted throughout the morning and almost to lunch, when the door opened in the middle of chemistry. Ms. Shimazaki turned around, ready to scold someone for interrupting her class, but her expression fell as she caught sight of the girl on the other side of the doorway.

"I'm sorry for interrupting. The director told me that I should give you a copy of the hospital's note."

"Y-yes, of course. Go take a seat, Daidouji. We've just started chapter six in the textbook."

There was a tension in the classroom as the students watched Tomoyo walk to her desk, all eyes fixed on the bandages covering her left arm. A murmur of confusion began in the room, with a few students trying to whisper questions to Tomoyo, but the teacher scolded them before she could answer and they returned to the lesson. It was almost lunchtime anyway- so they'd have an explanation soon.

"So, your dog just bit you? Out of nowhere?"

Sakura and her friends had pushed their desks together for lunch, and all eyes were on Tomoyo. She held up her left arm, showing off the bandages for them to see.

"Yeah, it was my family's guard dog. I was walking to the car this morning and all of a sudden he started snarling and jumped at me. It took three of the bodyguards just to pull him off, and they got bitten too. We all went to the emergency room while they sent Pepper to the vet, but even after having to tranquilize him, the vet couldn't figure out what was wrong."

"That's so scary," Naoko murmured, putting her hands over her mouth. "I thought guard dogs were specially trained."

"They are, and he is." Tomoyo nodded her head. "That's why it was so unexpected."

Syaoran crossed his arms, closing his eyes in thought. "Did the vet test him for rabies? If he was rabid, you'll need to get the vaccine and immunoglobin as soon as possible."

Tomoyo shook her head. "We don't have rabies in Japan. It was eradicated in the '50's."

"O-oh." He blushed and looked down at the table. "They're really careful about it in Hong Kong, so I just thought-"

"It's true." Yamazaki, who was at the far end of the table, spoke up as though he had been asked a question. "While Hong Kong is considered a 'rabies-controlled' country by the European Union, rabies became such a problem in other parts of China that they enacted a 'one-dog' policy similar to the infamous one-child policy. In fact, one county in Shaanxi province went so far as to declare themselves a 'dog-free' zone, banning the presence of dogs altogether-"

Chiharu grabbed his ear and tugged on it. "That's enough. There are no rabid dogs in Japan, and that's that."

"But if he's not rabid," Rika began, folding her hands and resting them on the desktop, "then what do you think happened?"

"Maybe another disease?" Chiharu suggested, her hand still caught on Yamazaki's ear.

"Or," Naoko added, "he might be possessed by an evil spirit!"

Sakura shuddered. "I'd rather him be rabid!"

"I just hope Pepper isn't in any kind of pain…" Tomoyo looked down at the tabletop, tears lining the edges of her eyes. "When he attacked me earlier, he didn't look mean. He looked almost… frightened."

"...Tomoyo…" Sakura placed her hand on Tomoyo's shoulder, feeling her shaking slightly. "I'm sure he'll be fine. Maybe when we're in town today, we can stop by the pet store and get him some dog treats."

"That's a good idea!" Naoko was sitting on the other side of Tomoyo, and placed her hand on the opposite shoulder. "I give my hamster mealworm treats, and it always makes him extra happy."

"Thanks, but…" Tomoyo forced a smile, "...my mother wanted me to come straight home from school today. I'm being picked up once class ends."

"Oh. I see."

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I was looking so forward to this afternoon-"

"N-no, it's fine!" Sakura waved her hands. "I can give you your present now, and we can go some other time."

"If you want to, we can go to my house after school," Naoko offered. "One of the hamster blogs I follow recently posted recipes for homemade pet treats. We can make treats for my hamster and Tomoyo's dog."

Rika gasped. "I've never baked pet treats before. Is it anything like baking for humans?"

The conversation had lightened Tomoyo's spirits, and she managed a laugh. "Well, if it is, I'm sure you'll be good at it, Rika."

Sakura clapped her hands. "That's it, then! We'll bake some delicious treats for Pepper to make him feel better."

"Thank you all," Tomoyo replied with a tearful smile. "I can't wait for him to try them."

Sakura and her friends walked Tomoyo to the school gates where her family's car was waiting for them. As they got closer, they saw that it wasn't just the car either; Sonomi had come in-person to pick up her daughter.

"Tomoyo! Are you okay? How is your arm?"

"I'm fine, Mom." Tomoyo put on a happy smile. "My friends gave me their notes for this morning's classes, so I didn't miss a thing. And get this! They even said that they'll bake some homemade dog treats for Pepper-"

"Oh, Tomoyo, I'm sorry." Sonomi interrupted her, leaning down to speak with her face to face. "The vets weren't able to find anything wrong with him, so they have no explanation for his sudden, aggressive behavior. He still poses a danger to members of the staff, so... we've been advised to put him down."

Tomoyo's face turned suddenly pale. "What? No!"

"B-but he's always been such a good dog!" Sakura agreed. "This was just one time."

Sonomi shook her head. "He injured four people. Even the veterinarians had to give him a tranquilizer just so that they could examine him. There's not much else we can do."

"C-can't we give him a grace period?" Tomoyo begged, clasping her hands. "Twenty-four hours, at least, just to give him a chance to calm down and go back to normal?"

"Yeah! It's not fair to just give up on him!" Chiharu agreed. "Isn't he a member of your family?"

Sakura looked over to where Syaoran was watching, standing apart from the group and purposefully looking away. She wondered if he was trying to be respectful, or if he was just trying to hide an emotional response.

"I… I'll see what I can do. Let me give the staff a call." Sonomi sighed and retrieved her phone from her pocket, instructing the chauffeur to drive around the block while she waited. There was a moment of silence as the students watched Ms. Daidouji, and finally someone picked up on the other end.

"...Yes, I'm calling about the dog...That's right… Well, I wanted to ask if we could keep him under surveillance for another twenty-four hours before making a dec- yes, yes, I know. Yes, my own daughter. But considering how long he's been a model guard dog, I feel there may have been some mistake. ...Yes, just twenty-four hours… Yes, I understand… Thank you… Goodbye."

There was a sense of nervousness in the air as Sonomi hung up the phone and turned back to the group. "Alright, we'll wait until tomorrow to make a decision. Let's hope he's feeling more like himself by then."

Tomoyo hugged her mother, finally allowing herself to cry. "Oh, thank you! I knew you could do it!"

"T-Tomoyo, your arm…" Sonomi glanced up at the relieved faces on the girls around her and sighed once again. "Just, be careful. He's in the kennel right now, and I don't want you getting too close. Don't do anything reckless, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Tomoyo nodded and turned back to her friends. "Thanks, guys. I'll see you on Monday, okay?"

The car had come around once again, stopping by the curb to pick up the mother and daughter pair. Sakura and her friends waved weakly, putting on smiles for her. But once the car had driven away, they were able to let their smiles fade.

"...th-that's so sad…" Rika began, her eyes filling with tears. "I know dogs are dangerous, but to just kill one like that… and on Tomoyo-chan's birthday, no less..."

"G-guys, let's not forget, dogs are intelligent creatures!" Yamazaki offered. "In fact, dogs are reported to have an intelligence level comparable a two-year-old human child-"

Syaoran gave Yamazaki a hard pat on the back, cutting off his sentence. "Let's just go to Naoko's place. It's getting hot, and I think we could all use some time to rest."

"R-right…"

The group started walking, but they were silent for most of the way. There was too much to think about.

Syaoran walked in front, so Sakura couldn't see his face, but she could swear he had something in his eye.

"You know what I bet will cheer us up?" Naoko offered once they'd made themselves comfortable in her living room. She had put the television on in the background, just on low volume to keep the room from going silent, but it still seemed like they should do something to lift their spirits. "We can play with my hamster! How about it?"

The idea seemed to perk up the group, and Sakura smiled. "What kind of games does your hamster like to play?"

"Well… Mayu-chan doesn't usually play games much, but mealworms are his favorite treat, so if I hide them inside a toy, he can sniff them out. Too many will make him fat, though, so I only give him one at a time."

"Oh, I don't think you have to worry about little Mayu getting fat," Yamazaki interrupted. "You know that roborovski hamsters can run over one hundred kilometers in a single night-"

Chiharu pinched his arm. "If you're going to be like this, you ought to run a hundred kilometers away from here."

Naoko laughed and continued. "He loves sand baths too. I keep a little container of sand in his tank, but when I put him in a big container of fine sand, he goes wild! I'll show you guys."

As she ran over to the hamster cage, Sakura nudged Syaoran and whispered "do you think that was a lie? About the running thing, I mean."

"I don't know. It's a small hamster, right? It couldn't possibly…"

"OW! Hey!"

The exclamation took the two by surprise, and they ran to join the rest of the group huddled around the hamster enclosure. Yamazaki was frantically looking around him and pushed past Syaoran to grab a nearby tissue box.

"Yanagisawa, here!" Yamazaki took a tissue and wrapped it tightly around her finger. Even from where Sakura was standing, she could see a dark red stain starting to soak through.

"What happened?" Sakura gasped.

"D-don't worry. Mayu-chan bit me, is all," Naoko responded with a reassuring smile. "He must've been spooked by all the people around. I'm sorry to scare you."

"First Tomoyo's dog and now Mayu-chan?" Rika frowned, pressing close to Naoko's side. "Does he usually bite like this?"

Naoko shook her head. "Actually, no. He's never bitten me before. Roborovskis are known for their even temperaments."

"Then why all of a sudden…" Chiharu started a question, but she didn't get a chance to finish. Syaoran had been glancing back and forth between the group and the television, and he finally spoke up, pointing back toward the screen.

"Hey, unmute it for a second. They're talking about animal attacks."

Chiharu picked up the remote and turned on the volume. It was a news story, and the reporter sitting at the counter was motioning to a screen behind her showing images of nearby hospitals.

"-over thirty-five cases requiring hospitalization in the last twenty-four hours, and call lines of Tomoeda's animal control center have been flooded by those reporting less serious injuries. While the CNR program implemented by citizen volunteers has been successful in reducing the growth of the stray cat population over the last decade, their prevalence in the Tomoeda area hasn't diminished. Citizens are asked to remain aware of their surroundings and are being encouraged not to approach stray animals at this time-"

"I can't believe it. Have all the animals in Tomoeda suddenly gone crazy?" Rika asked.

"Here's another news story," Yamazaki offered, scrolling on his phone. "It says that local veterinarians have been swamped with people bringing in aggressive pets. Pets are attacking people and each other."

Naoko gasped "So it's not just Mayu-chan and Pepper. But how could they all be affected like this?"

"Do you think it's something in the water?" Chiharu asked. "Or maybe something weird in pet food…"

The conversation continued, but Sakura and Syaoran glanced at one another, a look of understanding passing between them. "You don't think…" Sakura began, and Syaoran shook his head.

"I don't know anything about these Warp Cards, but something is definitely wrong. We should ask someone who knows more."

"Yeah, but we can't just call Stephen with everyone here…" Sakura tossed a glance at the others, who were gathered around Yamazaki, reading from his phone. She cleared her throat and spoke up loud enough for them to hear. "OH! I just got a text message from my dad. He wanted Syaoran to help him out with a project in the back shed before it gets dark today. We should go so that they have enough time to work."

Naoko frowned. "Aw, but you just got here. Don't you want a snack or something?"

"It's okay. Sakura's dad has food for us at her house," Syaoran assured her. "Thank you, though."

"This day has just been one change of plans after another." Chiharu let out a long sigh. "Good luck with that shed, Li. I've heard that Mr. Kinomoto can be a total perfectionist."

"I'm aware of that," Syaoran replied, "but I appreciate the warning."

Yamazaki patted him on the back. "Gotta work hard to butter up your future father-in-law, huh?"

"H-hey, now! That's…"

Syaoran found himself stammering, and everyone laughed in response. Even Sakura couldn't help joining in, though she took Syaoran's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. A little light-hearted teasing was good, especially since they had a serious task ahead of them.

"Animals becoming aggressive, you say?"

Stephen and Kero were surprised to see Sakura home early, and even moreso to find Syaoran in tow. Kero began to scold Sakura for blowing off Tomoyo on her birthday, but Sakura and Syaoran were quick to fill them in on what'd happened. Stephen thought it over, murmuring to himself as he worked through the situation out loud.

"If that's the case, then it must be… yes, no doubt about it."

There was a pause, and Kero nudged him. "Well? No doubt about what?! Don't just leave us hangin'!"

"My apologies, Kerberos, I forget that you all don't have the knowledge of the Warp Cards that I do. It's most definitely the Feral card."

"Feral?" Sakura asked.

"That's right. The Feral is a card that appeals to an animal's deep-rooted instincts. It can return even the most domesticated pet back to the temperament of its wild ancestors." Stephen closed his eyes as he continued. "It was born from one of Warp Neon's most effective war tactics, where he'd turn the enemy's own mounts against them."

Syaoran nodded. "I see. It's no wonder, then, that Tomoyo's guard dog attacked her when she approached him. The card has erased all his domestication and training."

"I have to capture it before it hurts any more animals!" Sakura jumped to her feet, clasping her key in her hands. "What can I do to stop it?"

"Feral is a headstrong card much like Arsenal. If you can get its initial attention, you should be able to bait it into combat," Stephen explained. "But as for luring it out, I'm not sure. It can affect animals within a wide radius, so a decoy wouldn't do much good, plus the task of finding a domesticated animal not already under its control might be difficult."

"Aw, man!" Kero groaned, shaking his head. "Do you have any actual advice, or are you just here to tell us what we can't do?!"

"I-I'm sorry, Kerberos!" Stephen quickly bowed his head in Kero's direction. "I didn't study the cards' weaknesses very hard, if only because I never expected to be fighting them-"

"Don't worry!" Sakura interrupted, holding up one hand. "I have an idea. If Feral comes across an animal within its range that it can't easily control, it should approach to investigate, right? We could lure it in using one of the Sakura cards posing as a pet. Dash is very catlike, Fly looks like a bird, and Jump sorta resembles a rabbit. Once it approaches, I'll use Shield to keep it from escaping and then capture it with the same incantation I used on Arsenal."

Syaoran frowned. "Wouldn't it recognize a former Clow Card, though?"

"...ah, would it?"

Sakura's expression dropped as she spoke, and Kero glanced over at Stephen for a definite answer. Stephen sighed sadly. "Li Syaoran is correct. Even if it doesn't recognize Sakura-sama's magic, the cards' appearances would give them away. It'd recognize them at first sight."

"At first sight, huh?" Sakura leaned back on her bed with a sigh, crossing her arms across her chest. She lay there for a short time, her eyes closed as she murmured "...if it's just the appearance that would give it away, then…"

"Sakura?" Syaoran leaned closer. "What are you-?"

"That's it!"

Sakura jolted back up to a sitting position and clapped her hands. Kero and Stephen both turned to stare at her.

"What's up? You think of somethin'?"

"Yes! I know just how to catch this card." Sakura scrambled to her feet and started rummaging through her bag to find her cell phone. Once she got it, she plugged in the very first speed-dial number and sat quietly, waiting as the other end rang.

"Hello? Sakura?"

"Tomoyo! I'm sorry to ask this of you so suddenly, but can Syaoran and I come visit tomorrow?"

"Of course. You know the two of you are always welcome. But if this is just about my birthday, I promise that you don't have to worry about it-"

"It's not just that," Sakura explained. "We've figured out what's causing Pepper and other animals to act strangely."

"I saw something about it on the news," Tomoyo responded. "You don't think it's… oh!"

"It's definitely a Warp Card. And we need your help to capture it."

Tomoyo's enthusiasm was audible even through the phone. "Say no more, Sakura! I'll have a fantastic battle outfit ready for you as soon as you arrive! Oh, I can't wait!"

Sakura couldn't protest, especially on Tomoyo's birthday. And, to be honest, she was a little excited to see what Tomoyo would come up with on such short notice. "I know that if I'm wearing something you made, I'll definitely be able to capture the card. I look forward to wearing it!"

They exchanged goodbyes and Sakura hung up with a smile on her face. As she did so, Kero flew over so that he was standing face to face with Sakura.

"Well?! Tell us your plan already! We wanna help too."

"C-calm down, Kero-chan." Sakura waved her hands. "It's not complicated or anything. I just realized what we could do to attract Feral's attention."

"Oh?" Syaoran stepped closer, seeing Sakura reach for her pocket. She pulled out the Sakura cards and flipped through them until she found the one she was looking for.

"Even if we can't lure it out with an animal-like card, I'll bet we can get its attention with the help of this one."

No one spoke right away, but an understanding smile passed over their faces.

It was important that they work quickly, since they only had until one o'clock that afternoon before Sonomi had to make a decision on Pepper's fate. Sakura knew that and she knew Tomoyo knew that, but with Tomoyo so eager to dress Sakura in her latest creation, Sakura couldn't help but humor her.

"It's still summer, so I made the cloak out of a breathable nylon to keep you cool. And the sandals have extra straps around the ankles so that they don't slip while you're running."

Sakura twirled around, admiring the craftsmanship. "It's beautiful, Tomoyo!" Syaoran, however, was a bit more critical.

"Were the dog ears and tail on the cloak really necessary?"

"Of course they were!" Tomoyo chimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Today Sakura is defending the local animal population from a card that's threatening their safety. Of course her costume has to have an animal motif!"

"If you say so…" Syaoran murmured, glancing back to his backpack where Kero and Stephen were hiding. "I don't sense the card nearby. Do you really think it'll notice a target from this far away?"

"Feral, like any good hunter, has extremely sensitive instincts," Stephen replied. "It can identify animals it has come into contact with from even far away. If it senses an animal that it recognizes but can't exert its control over, it will get confused and come out to investigate."

"Makes sense to me," Sakura nodded her head. "Tomoyo, where is Pepper right now?"

"He's being held in the kennel, but there are a bunch of servants there making sure he doesn't escape. It'll be hard to get to him and use your magic."

Kero climbed out of the backpack and stood on Syaoran's head. "What about the Sleep card?"

"Already got it." Sakura held up the card and glanced around before reciting the incantation for her key. The staff appeared in her hand and she tossed the card up, calling its name. "Sleep card! Put the servants to sleep so that we can get in and out of the kennel without being seen! SLEEP!"

The card's physical form appeared and flew off, spreading its effects out across the property. Sakura ran after it, around the corner and to the storage building where the kennel was. Sure enough, the women standing outside the door had slumped over and were sleeping supported on each others' shoulders. The rest of the group followed, Tomoyo opening the door to allow the others in. Not only had the card put all the servants to sleep, but it had put Pepper to sleep too, and he was resting peacefully in one corner of the kennel on the remains of a blanket that had been brutally torn to shreds. Stephen jumped out of the backpack and flew over to the gate, looking through it with a sigh.

"Poor thing. I hate what Feral has done to him."

"You mean what Feral made him do to Tomoyo, right?" Kero corrected, still atop Syaoran's head.

"Well, that too, but… one of the biggest differences between feral animals and pets is that feral animals are afraid of humans. If they attack, they do it out of self-defense. And being cooped up like this and surrounded by humans…" Stephen shook his head. "I'm sure this poor dog has been scared senseless."

"I think so too," Tomoyo answered. "When he bit me, I saw it in his eyes. He was terrified. We have to save him."

"We will." Sakura stepped forward, this time holding up a second card. She tossed it up, hitting it with her staff and calling out orders. "Mirror card! Transform into the animal sleeping before you. MIRROR!"

Mirror emerged in the form of a large German Shepherd, identical to Pepper in every way. It turned to Sakura, tilting its head as it waited for instructions. Tomoyo gasped, approaching Mirror and petting it on the head.

"You really do look just like Pepper. If Mom saw this, surely she wouldn't put him down…"

"Yes, but just disguising Mirror as him won't solve the real problem," Syaoran replied. "Sakura, if we're going to lure Feral out, we should go back out into the garden so that we're not trapped in a tight space. It'll make us more noticeable as well."

"Right." Sakura led the way back out to the courtyard and the rest of the group followed, with Mirror trotting obediently at Sakura's feet just like a trained dog. Once they arrived in the middle of the courtyard, Tomoyo held up a dog's ball, squeezing it to produce a squeaking sound.

"Let's play with this. If Mirror acts like a real dog, it should get Feral's attention faster, shouldn't it?"

Stephen perked up, floating over to the ball and picking it up in his paws. "How do we play with this?" he asked. "Should I throw it?"

"Yeah. Throw it so that Mirror can catch it."

"...and then what will Mirror do with it?"

"She'll bring it back to you so that you can throw it for her again."

Stephen was quiet momentarily, staring down at the ball in his paws. "What's the point of this game, then? Is it simply an endless loop of catching and throwing?"

Syaoran took the ball from Stephen. "It's a form of exercise," he spoke as he threw the ball up and down in his hand. "Like running on a treadmill, you know?"

"What's a treadmill?"

Kero jumped off of Syaoran's head and snatched the ball from his hand. "It's a human torture device that I'll tell ya about later. Right now let's play some fetch. Go long, Mirror!"

He hurled across the courtyard and Mirror dashed off after it. Sakura watched as the dog gently picked the ball up in its mouth and started back towards them, but Mirror didn't make it all the way back. Instead, it was stopped partway with a yelp, freezing in its tracks. Something had gotten ahold of it, and an unfamiliar magic pulsed around its physical form. Sakura gripped her staff and called out for another card.

"SHIELD!"

"Wait, we're not-"

Syaoran didn't get to finish his statement as a barrier went up around Sakura and Mirror, cutting the two off from the other members of the group. It wasn't a moment too soon either- as Mirror wrestled with the unfamiliar magic, it reverted back to its original form and then disappeared back into the card. Left in the space was the figure of an enormous beast, its head jerking back and forth as it took in its surroundings. The face looked somewhere between that of a wolf or coyote, but the body was more ursine in appearance, and it had a bushy tail that whipped back and forth with an air of annoyance. As soon as it caught sight of Sakura, it took off running, disappearing from view. But it didn't get far before Shield's barrier stopped it and it reappeared, crashing into the side.

Sakura approached it, holding her staff aloft. "Card by evil's hand designed, reveal your power and form conf-"

Feral didn't give her the chance to finish. It snarled and lunged at her, cutting off her spell and sending her running. She screamed and Syaoran ran to the edge of the barrier, banging on it with his fist.

"Sakura! Let me in! I can help-"

"I-I've got it!" she replied, though it was panted through unsteady breaths. "I've just gotta corner it…"

As she finished the sentence, she realized the problem with what she'd said. Shield had created a circular barrier around the clearing in the courtyard, leaving her no corners to corner Feral into. She was trapped in what was essentially a fighting ring with this massive creature that was gaining closely behind her. She heard it lunge, and she ducked down to see it leap over her and land just in front, baring its teeth. Unable to think of anything fast enough, she dug into her pocket for another card to assist her.

"Fight Card, give me the ability to subdue Feral! FIGHT!"

Sakura could feel Fight's power surround her, and as Feral picked itself up and turned back toward her, her body began to move by instinct. Feral leapt again in her direction, and instead of dodging this time, Sakura turned to block the strike with her shoulder and retaliate with a kick to the creature's stomach. It let out a yelp as the kick sent it backwards, but it didn't lose its footing and stepped back into a defensive posture. The thick fur on its back rose up and it bared its teeth in a challenge.

Syaoran slammed his fist on the outside of Shield's barrier. "Sakura, be careful!" he yelled. "Fight can enhance your technique, but if your opponent is physically stronger, you could still get seriously hurt!"

"Could she use Power?" Tomoyo asked in a whisper, having to steady her video camera with both hands.

"She's already actively using both Shield and Fight," Kero replied. "Shecould use three cards at once in theory, but it would seriously affect her ability to concentrate… and with Feral as ruthless as it is, I don't like that idea."

"Then she should take down the shield and let us help!" Syaoran demanded. "Sakura, can you hear us-"

He moved toward the barrier again, but this time Kero grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him away.

"She put up the barrier for a reason, brat! All your yelling is doing is distracting her! Don't you trust her judgement?"

The question gave Syaoran pause, and he took a step back. "...that's…"

Meanwhile, Sakura met Feral's challenge, running towards it with her staff held out as a weapon. It slashed towards her with its claws, and she used the staff as leverage to swing the beast around. She wasn't strong enough to send it flying far, but it did buy her some time to think. The staff was her only weapon at the moment, and she had to figure out how to wield it appropriately. It wasn't any good for wounding the creature, but perhaps she could subdue it. Predatory animals like the kind Stephen had described when talking about Feral had fearsome bite power. If Sakura could get Feral to bite the staff, she could use its strong jaw against it… though the idea was terrifying. She didn't have much choice in the matter, though, as Feral had turned itself around and was doubling back. It leapt again, and Sakura held out her staff against it.

Feral's jaw closed around the handle of the staff, its teeth sinking into the metal. Sakura could feel her face pale in fear, and somewhere in the background both Syaoran and Tomoyo were yelling. But as she forced herself to examine thel creature who held her staff locked in its teeth, she noticed something in its eyes.

They looked familiar… like an echo of her own.

Of course! This isn't the card I should be using at all!

Stephen's words from just a few minutes earlier flew through her mind. Sakura gritted her teeth and held her staff in place as Feral pulled at it. She had just enough time to call on the right card.

"...Illusion… project the image in my imagination onto my body for Feral to see… ILLUSION!"

Rather than slamming the staff against the card, Sakura grabbed the card from her pocket and threw it at the end of the staff. The card activated, throwing its power over both Sakura and the Warp Card, and Feral stumbled backwards in surprise.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." Sakura took a tentative step forward. Her grip on the staff tightened, but her voice remained calm. "I'm sorry I scared you. If you just calm down, I can help you. Please, will you allow me that?"

Feral's eyes still held a look of uncertainty, but it took one slow step toward Sakura, and then another. Eventually it gained the courage to approach her, its head tilting to better examine her- or, at least, the illusion that she'd projected for it.

"What's she doing-?" Kero began, but Tomoyo shushed him and pointed to her camera.

Sakura held out her staff in front of Feral and began chanting quietly this time. "Card by evil's hand designed, reveal your power and form confined, reject the hold of evil's blight, and draw your power from my light. Sakura Card."

As soon as she finished the incantation, Feral was surrounded by a warm glow. Its physical form disappeared into a beam of light that collected into a card shape, and when the glow died down, all that remained in the spot was a Sakura card, the word "Feral" written along the bottom.

Sakura deactivated Shield and Syaoran ran to her side immediately.

"Sakura! When you said you'd trap it with Shield, I didn't think that meant trapping yourself too! Why did you seal yourself off like that? Don't you know how worried we were?" He pulled her into an embrace, which she happily reciprocated.

"I'm sorry, Syaoran. I just didn't want anyone else getting hurt."

"B-but you could've-"

He wasn't about to finish before he was interrupted. The rest of the group had caught up and were eager to embrace Sakura as well, and Syaoran had to step back to avoid getting caught up in it all.

"What did you do with Illusion? How did you manage to calm it down like that?" Kero demanded.

Sakura smiled and glanced over at Stephen. "It wasn't anything complicated. I just remembered what Stephen said earlier."

Stephen pointed to himself. "What I said?"

"Yeah. He said that feral animals are afraid of humans. I realized that the card was just as afraid of me as I was of it, so I used Illusion to project a mirror image of Feral onto myself. Once I no longer looked like a threat, it calmed down."

"Amazing!" Tomoyo gasped. "You're not just a Cardcaptor, you're an animal-whisperer too!"

"I-I wouldn't say that…" Sakura laughed nervously and then turned to Stephen. "So, this card… what can it do now that it's purified? Arsenal had beneficial uses, so-"

"Of course!" Stephen flew over and perched on Sakura's shoulder, leaning over to point to the card. "Feral doesn't just alter an animal's behavior, it sharpens its senses and instincts. You can use it to improve an animal's hearing, eyesight, or even sense of smell without altering its learned behaviors. With this, Tomoyo-sama could have an even better guard dog!"

"Thanks, Stephen, but I think Pepper is just fine the way he normally is." Tomoyo giggled. "Sakura, can I get some still shots of you posing with the new card? The rose bushes over there would bring out the pink in the card and staff perfectly!"

Sakura sighed, unable to argue with Tomoyo's enthusiasm. "Of course. But should we contact your mom first?"

"She has a meeting until twelve-thirty. Let's use the time when the courtyard is empty to get some special Sakura-focus shots! Now that the card is captured, its effects have been nullified, right?"

"Yes, Pepper should be back to normal, as well as all the other animals in Tomoeda," Stephen replied. "Once he wakes up, he'll be back to his old self."

"Then let's let him sleep. He deserves the rest." Tomoyo took Sakura's hand and pulled her toward the corner of the courtyard where the roses were blooming. Sakura sighed, a mixture of resignation and relief, and obediently followed along.

This left Stephen and Kero hovering around Syaoran. The boy was watching Sakura and Tomoyo with rapt attention, but Kero perched on his head and tugged at his hair to get his attention.

"O-ow! Hey, what are you doing?"

"What am I doing? What were you doing?" Kero demanded, leaning down over Syaoran's forehead. "You could've distracted Sakura from her fight with that bloodthirsty card!"

Syaoran frowned. "I was worried about her," he defended. "If she'd have lifted the barrier, I could've helped her subdue it. My magic could have trapped it easily-"

"Yeah, but she used Shield for a reason. Without it, Feral could've gotten away." Kero sighed, straightening up and hopping off Syaoran's head so that he could float in front him and make eye contact. "Sakura has made the decision to capture these cards, and she's doing it her own way. You need to respect her- and that means trusting her experience and magical abilities."

Syaoran's posture tightened, his shoulders hunching and his frown turning up into more of a scowl. "Are you saying I'm not allowed to help the girl I love?"

"No, of course not! There's lots'a situations where Sakura needs your help! But you've gotta know when to step back. I love her too, but I'm not going to question her judgement in situations like this. You shouldn't either."

"You say that," Syaoran began, turning his head away, "but you don't love her the way I do."

"Why you-!" Kero followed, his little hands balling into fists as he flew. "Sakura is my master! My everything! I love her just as much as y-"

"Kerberos."

It was Stephen's voice, calm and low. Both Kero and Syaoran turned back around to look at him, their expressions softening into curiosity. Stephen looked back and forth between them as he continued, making sure they knew he was addressing them both.

"He didn't say he loved her more than you do, Kerberos, he simply said he loves her differently. That's not an incorrect statement, is it?"

"No, but-"

"It's true that Li Syaoran ought to have more faith in Sakura's perceptiveness and ability to connect with the cards she's fighting. Watching her capture Arsenal and Feral has made me realize just what makes her such a suitable master for the Clow Cards, and I wouldn't interfere with her methods. But the passion of romantic love can make someone do irrational things. I know that better than anyone. So don't be too hard on him, okay?"

It was a reprimand for both of them, and both Kero and Syaoran looked away, their faces turning slightly red. Before either could offer a rebuttal, the sound of Sakura's voice caught their attention from across the courtyard.

"Syaoran! Come take pictures with us!"

"C-coming!" Syaoran called back, rushing off toward where Sakura and Tomoyo were standing. Kero and Stephen watched them go, the space between them filled with a tense silence. It was Kero who spoke first, his voice uncharacteristically solemn.

"...the passion of love, huh? Is that also the motivation behind your sudden crusade against your master?"

Stephen frowned. "I'm sorry, I don't understand-"

"Are the wellbeing of the Warp Cards and the principle of the mended feud really the reasons behind your request for Sakura to collect the Warp Cards? Or are you simply seeking vengeance on Warp Neon?"

"I-I-!" Stephen started, but he cut off and looked down at the ground. "...at least, I'd like to say that I'm doing this with the Warp Cards and Sakura-sama in mind. I want peace for the cards and for Sakura-sama. But to say that there isn't also a desire to get revenge on Warp Neon… I don't know. I'm not really sure how I feel. All I know is that merging the two magics is truly what I want. That part isn't a lie."

Kero crossed his arms, hovering closer to Stephen so that he could lower his voice. "What you truly want isn't the issue. You're endangering the lives of Sakura and the people she's close to. If the reason behind it is vengeance, you need to rethink it immediately. Otherwise, it'll only be a matter of time before someone else meets the same fate as Chioni."

Stephen was quiet. The light disappeared from his eyes and he fluttered to the ground, landing on a patch of grass and staring down at his paws. Kero considered him for just a moment before finally sighing and turning back around in the others' direction.

"Hey, guys, wait for me! Ya gotta get my picture too! Sakuraaaaa~"

"Oh, thank goodness! I'm so glad your dog is okay!"

When Tomoyo made it to the classroom on Monday morning, she received a barrage of questions from everyone about Pepper. She was happy to report that, after returning to his normal behavior, he'd been placed on a less strict watch and would return to work after a week if he didn't show any more signs of aggressive behavior. To drive the point home, she showed off some of the pictures she'd taken from the previous day- conveniently leaving out the ones involving magic, of course.

"That chew toy is so cute," Chiharu commented, "I don't think I could give it to my dog."

Tomoyo giggled. "That's actually Sakura's plush toy, Kero-chan. Pepper thought he was a chew toy, though!"

"He got Kero-chan all slobbery," Sakura responded with a huff. "I had to wash him after that."

Rika laughed in response. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I'm sure that, if any of your stuffed animals got damaged, Tomoyo could repair them."

"Th-that's not the point-"

"Sakura-chan, what a cute costume! I love the little dog ears on the hood," Naoko cooed as she flipped through some other photos. "Tomoyo, did you sew that yourself?"

"Well, of course," Tomoyo responded with a smile. "Here, let me show you one that better captures the adorable tail on the back of the cloak-"

Yamazaki took a step back and elbowed Syaoran. "I'm sure Li is grateful for you always giving Sakura-san cute things to wear."

Syaoran's face went red and he started fidgeting with his hands. "Th-that's not… I mean…" He looked away, avoiding eye contact. "...it's not that I dislike it…"

"Hah! That must mean you really like it, then!" Yamazaki clapped his hands. "You know, the ancient Egyptians made headwear with doglike features too. It was to represent their gods whose appearances were modeled after the African golden wolf. Most notable is Anubis, but the gods Wepwawet and Duamutef are also depicted with wolflike-"

"You know what, Takashi? I think I hear the teacher coming down the hall! Let's get back to our seats before we're marked tardy." Chiharu grabbed hold of Yamazaki and dragged him back across the room. Sakura and Syaoran were left wide-eyed, exchanging a disappointed glance. But with the bell soon to ring, they took their seats as well.

Syaoran pulled out his phone to turn it off before class began, but he was surprised to see a message notification waiting for him. Glancing at the digital clock on the top of the screen to make sure there was enough time, he opened the message.

"Sakura? Tomoyo?"

At the sound of Syaoran's voice, they turned around to look at him. "Yes?" Tomoyo asked.

"Are you two free this coming Sunday?"

"...yeah. I have a cheerleading meet on Saturday, but my Sunday is free."

"I'm going shopping with my mother in the morning, but my afternoon and evening are free. Is something going on?"

Syaoran looked at both of them and nodded.

"I just got a message from Eriol. He wants to talk to us about this Warp Neon guy… and he wants to do it in-person."

(Thank you so much for reading this far! If you're interested in seeing more of the story, I'd like your input on an important matter. Because of the episodic nature of this fic, the structure has been different from other fanfictions I've written. For me, the ideal length for a chapter is between 3-4K words. These chapters, however, have been running 8-9K, which makes it so much harder for me to get chapters done in a reasonable amount of time. For those reading, I wanted to offer a choice: would you like to continue with longer chapters, having 8-9K word updates every month or two? Or would you prefer they be split up into parts, with 3-4K word updates every week or two? Leave me a comment to let me know what you think. Thanks again for all your support!)