CHAPTER THREE

Yuki hurried into his car and drove off, managing to avoid the police and the crowds of people who had just witnessed the aerial battle. He sighed from relief and shook his head from disbelief.

"This isn't right." He said to himself when he noticed a strange blur forming from behind him.

He adjusted his rearview mirror then noticed the blue-flamed specter and his horse returning for another round.

"Oh, shit..." He said as he pressed on the gas and swerved along the back roads of the city. The Demon Knight lowered himself to the ground, galloping his horse alongside the vehicle then started to lash at it with his sword.

"Hey, man!" Yuki shouted. "I just got her out of the cleaners! That's not cool!"

Another swing and Yuki decided to hit the brakes, swirling around and heading the opposite direction. Down a dark alley, the blue flames were clearly visible as the chase continued without any sign of retreat.

The menacing horseman intensified his blue flames and created a wall of fire which raised from the ground and in front of the zooming vehicle. In a panic, Yuki hit the brakes too hard and jolted back and forth in his seat.

As the firewall vanished, the Demon Knight opened the driver's door and noticed the young man was unconscious. He growled then returned to his horse, riding away back into the night.

¬¬¬¬¬ HONG KONG ¬¬¬¬¬

The wind picked up its pace, causing the chimes to jingle louder than usual. The candles all around the shrine were starting to flicker and die out as Yelan kept her eyes closed, focusing her magic.

"Mom, what's going on!?" Li asked as his sisters approached the courtyard with Meiling right behind them.

Yelan opened her eyes, which gave off an eerie bright light and startled her family. Li slowly approached his mother and tried to break her out of the trance.

"Mother?" He snapped his fingers. "Mother? Mom? Mommy? Mum? Mummy? Mamma?"

"Li, I think you should step back!" One of his sisters called out to him.

Li shook his head. "No! Something's not right!"

Just then, Yelan started to growl in a deep voice as the wind got even stronger. "Demon's might is the Demon Knight. Fear the cost of sin and vice. On the darkest day lies a sacrifice."

A distant boom thundered in the sky as a red haze glowed in the night. As the wind died down, Yelan returned to her normal self and faced her family. "I..." She started. "I fear the worst is about to happen."

"What was it, mother?" One of her daughters asked.

"It was something I didn't expect to see or hear from." She started to breathe heavily. "Something horrible."

Li chuckled nervously and clapped his hands, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, what say we go back inside and call it a night? I need to get my rest! I've got a long flight tomorrow!"

"Syaoran." The woman's voice stopped the boy in his tracks.

"Oh, damn." He said to himself, knowing things were about to get worse. "Yes, mother?"

"Do you recall the temple of Xiang Zhou?"

"...Vaguely." He answered through his teeth, expecting something bad.

"Do you remember how to get there?"

"Oh, ma!"

"Do you remember?"

Li hesitated then nodded. "...Yes."

"I need you to summon the Dragon Boat and head to the temple at once."

Li looked down and sighed. "May I ask why?"

"Listen to me, son. It is of great importance that you head over to the temple and retrieve the red gem placed in the Heart of Gold."

"Red gem? What red gem?"

"I have no time to explain. You and Meiling head over to the fields across the lake and summon the Dragon Boat."

Li was now losing patience. "Okay, wait a minute!"

Just then, the blue-flamed specter appeared from the clouds and charged into the courtyard. Yelan unleashed a sword hidden in her sash and pulled out a magic slip, preparing to do battle with the creature.

"The gem..." The warrior rasped. "Give it to me."

"Never." The woman unleashed an electrical attack and kept the creature busy as she commanded her son. "You must go! Now!"

"I'm not going to leave you here!" Li pleaded.

The boy's sisters then armed themselves and rushed him and Meiling away from the area as they prepared to assist their mother. "Go on! We'll take care of this! Just go get that gem!" One of the girls ordered.

"Li, c'mon!" Meilng grabbed the boy by his arm and ran off.

The demon warrior redirected the electrical current and took out his blade as the blue flames started to regain movement. "If you refuse, then you will die."

"Then we die in battle." Yelan said as she raised her weapon and called out to her daughters. "Do not let him escape!"

¬¬¬¬¬ TOMOEDA ¬¬¬¬¬

Sakura paced back and forth in her room, telephone in hand. She had tried calling Li for hours now but no one had picked up. Kero was getting weary from watching her do all that walking and dialing.

"Ease up, will you?" Kero begged. "I'm sure everything's fine. He's probably busy with all those relatives of his."

"I guess so." She sat down on her bed and sighed. "I can't wait to see him tomorrow." Her face was now getting red with anticipation.

"So have you decided yet?" Kero asked the young girl.

"About what?"

"If you're going to show up at the Kibou Festival this weekend."

"Oh." She hadn't really thought about it since dinner. "I guess it wouldn't hurt."

Sakura then heard a door close from outside. She looked out her window and saw her brother driving off into the distance. Kero flew over to the window and looked out as well, confused by Touya's actions.

"What does he do at night?" The doll asked. "You notice he's been going out at night for the last few months and doesn't tell us where he's been.?"

Sakura nodded. "I guess he has his reasons not to tell us."

Suddenly, the Sweet spirit escaped from its card and rummaged through Kero's cubbyhole. "Beans!" It wailed.

"Oh, not again!" Kero whined.

"I ran out of beans!"