CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Mr. Terada stared at his class as they all sat in their desks, waiting for him to say something. The room had been quiet for almost ten minutes and their teacher didn't say a single word. He just stared at them with an adoring glimmer in his eye, which turned out to be pretty disturbing.

"Bravery…" He finally said. "Never before have I truly understood the meaning of the word. But two days ago that all changed. We have a hero in this room. A real hero."

All of the students turned to Sakura, who was starting to blush. She didn't think her teacher was going to make a big deal out of the whole incident. Just then, Terada brought down a slide screen and started the projector with the remote in his hand.

"And that hero…" He said as he brought up the first slide. "…Is me."

Everyone was taken aback by the photo of Mr. Terada proudly posing before a sunset and the wind blowing in his hair with the top of his shirt unbuttoned. The teacher looked a the obviously forged image of himself and nodded with pride. "Yes. I am a man with few words but when my words must be spoken, I give them meaning."

"Hoe…" Sakura sighed as she massaged her head.

"You should have seen me." The teacher continued. "The train was moving faster than the speed of light."

"How is that possible?" Naoko asked. "I mean surely you're exaggerating just a little bit."

"Yeah? How 'bout I flunk you just a little bit?"

Naoko hunched down in her seat. "I withdraw my comment."

"Sakura was doing her part, flying alongside the train but as I saw everyone inside screaming and giving up hope--I knew I had to be the one to raise their spirits. I called out to Sakura and I gave her the encouragement she needed to get us all to safety." The teacher then switched to another slide. It showed a poorly drawn out scale of the train and a stick figure Sakura flying alongside it while a very elaborate sketch of a muscular Terada posed outside the train. The students groaned with disbelief.

"Yes. I was a survivor of what could have been the most tragic accident ever to occur in our city." He sighed admirably, almost tearing up.

"But you weren't the only one." Rika added.

"Yes but I'm the only who matters. Why? Because I'm here. Now. With all of you… sharing my personal tale of survival."

"You didn't do anything!" Takashi blurted out. "Sakura's the one who did all the work!"

"Yeah!" All the students agreed.

"Yes but only because I had the courage to step up and tell her what had to be done." The teacher continued. "You see, children… it takes courage to encourage. Understand?"

"No." Chiharu said.

"Yes you do."

"No I don't."

"Yes… you do."

"And here you thought I was the liar!" Takashi added.

Like before, Terada chucked an eraser at his student and finally managed to hit him in the face with it. Just then, Kaho stuck her head in the room and rang a bell. "Ten points!" She said then left.

¬¬¬¬¬

After school, Li, Tomoyo and Eriol hung around Sakura's house while Touya and Yuki were out getting the WarHawk detailed. As Sakura and Tomoyo set the table to have tea, Li played with the small box in his pocket. He was sweating immensely and was blushing more than usual as he looked around for Fujitaka.

"Sakura?" He started. "Do you know where your father is?"

"He's still at work, I think." She replied. "Why do you ask?"

Li let go of the box and sighed. "Oh, nothing. Never mind."

Li's plan to announce his engagement to Fujitaka would have to wait yet another day. He wanted to marry his little cherry blossom but he wanted to make absolutely sure his father would approve.

While the four enjoyed their tea and cake, Tomoyo took out a sketchbook and showed the different drawings to Sakura.

"Well?" She started. "What do you think?"

"What are they?" She asked.

"They're my designs for a new battle outfit." She said.

"Oh, God..." Li rolled his eyes. "Here we go..."

"Go ahead. Tell me which one you like and I'll make it."

Sakura studied the sketches. "Well… I don't know…"

"Ooh!" Tomoyo got an idea.

"What?"

"I just had a nifty idea for a hat! It'll go great with any of these designs!"

"Does it really need to come with a hat, Tomoyo?"

"Hmm… maybe you're right. How about I make you a mask?"

"A mask!?" Li shook his head. "That's crazy. Everybody knows Sakura's the one going around saving people!"

"I know that." Tomoyo smiled. "I just thought she could do with a bit of mystique in her ensemble."

"Not a bad idea." Eriol nodded.

"Mystique?" Sakura winced. "Do you really think I need it?"

Tomoyo shrugged. "Who knows? But you'd be a lot like that one man in Gotham City."

Eriol, Li and Sakura all spit out their tea, nearly choking on it from what Tomoyo had just said.

"Oh, forget it!" Sakura said trying to catch her breath. "I'll wear the hat! The last thing I need is people thinking I've gone insane!"

¬¬¬¬¬

Somewhere beneath the ocean, the Blue and Red Demon Knights rode along the water on their skeletal horses. The flames around their skulls were still vibrant and unaffected by their surroundings. After riding down to the bottom of the deep blue, the Knights stumbled upon a mound of rock with an old seashell attached to it.

"Filhos de obscurum desperte . Cubo quicumque foi captus. Nisi vestri rabies. Nisi vestri vires. Exsisto existo quondam iterum. Everto Miles militis." The Blue Knight read along the shell.

After a spark of electricity, the shell crumbled and revealed a green power gem. The gem then unleashed a green flame that eventually formed into the third party of the Demon Knights.

"Clow Reed. Dead?" The Knight asked.

"He is." The Blue Knight nodded. "We must find the remaining member of our party and head forth."

"Where?"

"To the surface. Followers of Clow Reed have grown in number."

"And the girl is the strongest one of all." The Red Knight added. "She must be stopped."

"They must all be stopped." The Green Knight said as his battle axe materialized in his hands.

The Green Knight's flaming stallion appeared and carried its master back to the surface as the other two led the way. One more Knight and the attack on the human realm would soon begin.