E aí? Beleza? (Brazilian greeting lessons for beginners.)
A/N: Let us start with the usual thanks for all your reviews. I recall someone saying that I really cared a lot for them. Well, that's true. You see, I post my fanfics in here with the intent of having people read them and hearing what they think of the stories. Having one million readers is not half as pleasant as hearing a concrete opinion from one of them.
I'll take the chance to say that about reviews too. I don't really care for the number on the review counter other than the fact that it might attract more readers. Actually it's pretty disappointing to see you have a new review and it's just someone asking you to update or saying simply: "cute!!1". I know you must have meant well when you decided to review my story, but if you went as far as writing a review, please go ahead and spend a couple more words to say what you actually thought about the story. Say something you particularly liked or disliked about it, or point out some plot-hole or grammatical error you noticed. That's what reviews are really about.
There. Sorry for all that preaching, but I find important to give my opinion in this matter. I hope you appreciated it, but feel free to disagree and keep asking me to update. I'm just telling you what I'd like to read in a review. You're still the one writing it and the one who decides what's in it.
And now for something completely different. A disclaimer: Now, suppose that there was this little girl who would walk up to me and say something in the manner of: "I own Card Captor Sakura." Not only would I proceed to badly harm her sorry arse, but I would also prompt CLAMP to do the exact same, but followed by a merciless lawsuit on her sorry behind to make sure not an ounce of happiness would be left in that little criminal mind of hers. That sort of disposition and commitment to the law is, I believe, proof enough that I am absolutely against random people who try to claim ownership of CCS, therefore, I could never be one of them. It's like asking someone of the Ku Kux Klan to... Maybe I should stop before somebody attempts to lawsuit 'my' sorry behind.
You know the drill:
"Character talking"
ºCharacter thinkingº
(Me talking)
Card Captor Sakura
Chapter 3: Sakura and the Thunder
Part 3: Eye to Eye
Sakura, Tomoyo and Kero were already on the way out of Syaoran's building. Kero was now hiding in Sakura's backpack again.
"Lobby." The electronic voice on the elevator said as the metallic door slid to the side making way for the trio to exit.
"You'll have to talk to Li-kun about Yukito-san the next time Sakura-chan." Tomoyo said as they walked through the lobby.
Sakura sighed. "I wanted to talk to him, but he was acting so strange." She said. "He never answered me when I spoke, and I think he was avoiding looking at me." She adjusted the watch around her wrist, not because it felt uncomfortable against her skin, but it made her feel less uncomfortable with the thoughts going through her head. "Do you think he's mad at me for something?"
Tomoyo shook her head. "No way. He's just a shy person. He did protect you from that card didn't he? It would have hit you directly if it weren't for him." Sakura nodded meekly, a smile forming back at her face. "Didn't you say you feel safe around him?"
Sakura nodded again. "Yeah... but that was in my dream. I didn't get that kind of feeling from the real Li-kun." She looked at Tomoyo. "Actually, now that I think about it, the Li-kun in my dream and the Li-kun in real life seemed like totally different persons." She said, looking up, her index finger pressed against her lower lip instinctively to show that she was trying to remember something.
They reached the exterior of the building, but there was still a considerably long walk up to the front gates.
"You mean you remember a lot of things about the Li-kun in your dream?" Tomoyo asked with a hint of anxiety in her voice.
Sakura shook her head. "Not really, but now that I felt his magical aura, I remembered feeling something similar in the dream." She said. "But... Even his aura felt completely different back then."
At this point Kero flew out of the backpack. "Are you sure, Sakura?" He was immediately pushed back by Sakura's hand.
"You can't come out here Kero-chan!" Sakura said, desperately closing the backpack and looking around to see if there was anybody else around. Luckily the only person near them was the gatekeeper who seemed to be distracted with the interphone. She sighed in relief and whispered to the backpack. "I'm sure. His aura was completely different in the dream. Does that mean something?"
Kero's muffled voice came from inside the backpack, but it was overcast by another voice. "Hey! Wait!" Sakura and Tomoyo turned their heads to the source of the other voice.
Syaoran was running out of the elevator and towards them, clad in green clothing that Sakura thought was some sort of ritual kimono due to all the magical symbols drawn around it and its ridiculously big sleeves.
"Li-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, watching as the boy got closer. ºTomoyo-chan was right. He really has hero clothes.º She thought to herself, sweat dropping.
"What happened?" Tomoyo asked when the boy finally reached them. ºIt's prettier than I had imagined.º She thought, examining the boy's vest.
"The Thunder! I know where it is!" He said with a determined face on. "We have to get it, quick!"
Sakura and Tomoyo stared at him surprised. "Did you feel its aura?" Sakura asked.
"No time to explain! We've got to get to it as soon as possible." He ran towards the gate. "Open up! Now!" He cried to the gatekeeper. The man complied, but not without giving Syaoran an exasperated look.
Sakura and Tomoyo followed him. Tomoyo took her time to bow apologetically to the insulted man. "I'm sorry. It's an emergency." She said and quickly ran after the other two.
They all ran a few blocks, following Syaoran's lead. "Where are we going?" Sakura asked.
"To the Penguin Park again." Syaoran said.
"There's nobody around here, it's safe to use magic." Sakura stopped running and took her magical key out. "Release!"
"What are you doing?!" Syaoran said, looking around to make sure there was really nobody around.
Sakura opened her backpack. "You can come out Kero-chan." She said, taking a card from inside as well.
Kero made a few loops around the air. "Ah... I can't stand that backpack! Especially with you running around like this." He said, breathing the fresh air as hard as he could.
Sakura ignored Kero's little celebration and threw the card up in the air. "Fly!" She said, pressing her staff against the card. A pair of wings grew out of her staff. "There. We can go much faster like this." She climbed on the staff.
Syaoran looked like he was only waiting for Sakura to finish whatever she was doing. Tomoyo looked at him with curious eyes. "Aren't you going, Li-kun?" She asked the boy.
Syaoran cringed. "Me?"
Tomoyo giggled. "Of course. There's only room for two on that thing. And I am certainly not gonna be of any help to get the card." She said, matter-of-factly.
Syaoran nodded slowly. "Yeah... I guess you right." He hesitatingly climbed on the staff, sitting behind Sakura. If he had looked at her face he would have seen that she was looking at him with very confused eyes, but he was still avoiding her gaze.
Sakura waited till she was sure Syaoran was secure in the staff and pushed them up with both her feet. Kero followed them in the air and Tomoyo waved her hand in a farewell motion. "Good Luck! I'll meet you there!" She said before turning back and running for the Penguin Park.
Sakura was surprised to see that even though there was another passenger on the staff, it felt just as light. She turned her head to take a peek at Syaoran. He was looking away from her as usual. ºI can feel Li-kun's aura now. Why is it showing all of a sudden?º She though as she guided the staff through the air. ºIt feels just like it did in my dream this time.º
"We're here!" Kero said as they reached the big playground at the center of Penguin Park. "Let's go!"
Sakura steered the staff down. "Can you see the card Kero-chan?" She asked as her feet touched the floor.
Kero shook his head. "Not yet."
Syaoran climbed out of the staff. "Just stay alert. When it notices us it will probably try to attack again." He said, sitting on a bench.
Sakura took her staff up in the air again so she could get a better view of the park. "Do you think it got away?" She asked.
Syaoran didn't answer. He had his eyes closed and apparently was concentrating on something.
Kero flew up to Sakura's side. "Sakura, let's go down to the ground. The brat is already looking for the card. If it's still around you should not expose yourself by flying around like this." He said. "It must be particularly mad at you for trying to lock it before."
Sakura nodded, but before she had time to respond to Kero's words she heard a loud cracking noise behind her.
"Look out!" She heard Syaoran shout.
She didn't have to think much to know that the card was probably right behind her, ready to attack. "Run away, Sakura!" Kero shouted, flying down. Sakura immediately flew down too, but in a different direction.
Her whole body had suddenly gone into a much more animal state, letting instincts take over and all of her reflexes and senses were amplified. That was something common for anybody in a perilous situation, but Sakura was now experiencing for the first time an amplification of her sixth sense. She could clearly feel the card's aura behind her. Syaoran's aura below her felt unquiet, but it wasn't like her dream anymore. It was colder somehow. Kero's aura was the smallest of them, but that was because she didn't have sun cards yet.
Of course, she didn't have time to ponder on all that. Those thoughts flashed through her mind and she was immediately back to the running away problem. As she dived to the floor, she heard the cracking sound behind her get louder. ºIt's still after me!º She thought.
Half the way through the descent, she could even see the light that came from the card at her back. "Hoe!" She shouted as she felt the aura of the card get closer, not daring to look back. When she was about to hit the ground she pulled the staff up and flew in a parallel line to the surface, circling the large perimeter of the park.
Syaoran watched as the bolt of lightning chased Sakura. He knew that if she kept flying at that speed it would only be a matter of time before she was caught. ºThere's no way I can get them at that speed, and Kerberos is still powerless.º
"Do something brat! The card will hit Sakura at this rate." Kero said, poking Syaoran on the head.
In a split second Syaoran made up his mind. ºI didn't want to show it to her but... I've got no choice now.º He shoved his hand into his pocket, taking out a card with the symbol of the Sun on its back. He summoned his sword and pressed the tip of it against the card, careful not to let the sword go through it. "Shadow!" He shouted. "Get The Thunder!"
A dark cloak materialized itself in front of Syaoran. It would be a regular piece of clothing if it weren't for the fact that it was standing up on its own, and where there was supposed to be a person there was nothing but darkness. It had barely finished materializing before it went gliding after the card that chased Sakura. Its speed was amazing for a humanoid being. It looked as if it stood on a conveyor belt at full speed.
"It's going to make it!" Kero said, but just as The Shadow was about to reach the bolt of lightning, a different glow emerged from Sakura's chaser. It was changing its shape to that of a giant hound, with waves of electricity running around it as if they were its fur.
Sakura wasn't paying any attention to the people around her anymore. Her only concern was running away until she or somebody else thought of a way to stop the card, but the aura of a new Clow Card nearby managed to distract her. She was still trying to understand what that new aura meant when suddenly The Thunder's aura got immensely stronger, and faster.
It didn't take half a second for her to feel the card collide with her, taking her down from her staff. "Ouch!" She cried as she hit the ground and rolled around many times until friction did its job. Luckily, she'd fallen on the grass. However, the small bruises she had made on the fall were nothing compared to what came next.
Syaoran watched as The Thunder's aura overwhelmed The Shadow, forcing it back to its card form. "No!" He shouted, running towards them. He felt absolutely helpless as the card hit Sakura and she rolled on the floor. At first it seemed like she was going to get up. She was already halfway through that process when she fell back on the grass.
"Kyah!" She shouted as she hit the ground again. Waves of electricity were now running up and down her body causing her to have what looked like seizures. Her scream was much more desperate and agonizing than the ones she'd given as she ran and fell.
"The card's inside her!" Kero shouted. "We have to get it out!" Syaoran finally reached her, Kero right beside him. She wasn't screaming anymore. Instead she was clenching her teeth as hard as she could and trying to fight the seizures.
Sakura debated against the invisible force attacking her. ºThis hurts too much!º She felt completely powerless in fighting against it. The only thing that caught her attention was Syaoran kneeling beside her. She actually forgot the pain for a second when she saw that he was intentionally looking at her directly in the eye for the first time since the day of The Storm incident. He had a serious, almost angry, expression.
"Kinomoto-san, hold on for a while!" He said, maintaining the eye contact.
By now, Syaoran knew he had no control over himself anymore. His actions were all automatic, and they were all directed at one goal: Protect Sakura. Without hesitating he put his hand on her shoulder and chanted a spell in Chinese.
Sakura heard Syaoran whispering something, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. She assumed he was trying to help her. As the words kept leaving Syaoran's mouth, Sakura felt the pain decrease slowly, and she was gradually gaining control over her muscles again. ºHe's doing it! He's weakening the card.º She thought. Syaoran seemed to be fighting hard against it, cause his eyebrows pressed down harder and harder each second, and his voice was apparently getting weaker.
"Just a little more!" Kero shouted, watching the scene anxiously.
It didn't take more than ten seconds of spell chanting for all the pain Sakura was feeling to cease. Syaoran stopped chanting his spell, his muscles all tensed up and his body nearly paralyzed. "It's up to you now." He said to Sakura.
Sakura looked at him, confused. She pushed her torso up using her elbow as a support. "What's up to..." She didn't have to finish her question. Syaoran let out a loud yelp of pain and had to use both his hands not to fall face first on the grass, electric waves running all around him now. Sakura gasped. ºHe took the card to himself!º "Li-kun! Why did you do that?!" She shouted, afraid to touch the electrified body. Tears of fear started forming in her eyes. Syaoran looked out of his mind from the pain and that made her panic. "Li-kun!"
Syaoran didn't answer, letting out only a few unintelligible sounds that reflected his pain. Kero did instead. "Sakura! You have to lock the card now! The brat's fighting against it!"
"Hoe?" Sakura could feel the card's energy weakening. "You're right!" She took her staff that laid in the grass beside her. ºI can't let go of it this time!º She tightened her grip on the staff as hard as she could and pointed it to Syaoran. "Return to the shape you are meant to be in! Clow Card!"
Just like on Syaoran's roof, the card immediately left Syaoran's body and an energy rectangle appeared at the tip of Sakura's staff. Sakura felt a stinging pain on her hands as The Thunder entered the card shape, but she managed to hold on to the very last second this time. The sealed card harmlessly fell on the grass.
Syaoran fell on his face, letting out a loud sigh as he did so. Sakura crouched next to him and turned him around so he would be facing up. "You did it." He said, his lips slightly curving up in something some would interpret as a smile.
He looked at Sakura's concerned face and couldn't help but feel satisfied, not only that she was safe now, but that he was halfway through solving the problem that had been haunting him for days, thanks to that experience.
Slowly the voices around him started to get more distant and he felt his senses fading away.
Meanwhile, somewhere near the playground.
Touya talked to a mysterious figure in the shadows. "Thank you for your help." Touya said.
The figured laughed friendly. "I just gave you the information you needed on Clow. You're the one who found the card." It said, turning it's back to Touya. "I'm leaving now. My isolation spell will wear off soon and people will start crowding this place."
"Wait!" Touya said. "I still have one question that's been bugging me."
"Go ahead."
"Why didn't you just stop the brat from coming to Japan?" He said.
"That's a good question." The figure answered. "There were many reasons. Some of which I can't reveal now. But one of the main reasons was that to stop him would be a tremendous lack of respect. He has as much right to be here as any of us. Don't you think so?" It said. "Besides, as I said before, she needs someone to protect her for now."
Touya snorted. He walked away from the figure ignoring its cheerful chuckles.
Later, at Syaoran's apartment.
Syaoran opened his eyes. His head felt heavy, it wasn't lying on the grass anymore, it was lying on a pillow instead. His pillow.
"Ugh. I'm home? What happened?" He looked around his room.
The digital alarm clock marked 1:00 am. Sitting right beside it were a piece of paper with something written on it and two Clow Cards. He took the paper and read it:
'Thanks for saving me! You can keep The Thunder for yourself since it was only thanks to you that I locked it. And The Shadow was already yours so I'm leaving it with you. When did you get it, by the way? Thanks for all the stuff you taught me too, I'm looking forward for the next lessons.
P. S. Don't bring any lunch to school on Monday, I'm making your lunch to thank you for saving me.
Sakura'
Syaoran sighed when he finished reading the note. Reading it made him recall the conclusions that he had reached that night about Sakura.
ºI did have the guts to let her be shocked while I captured the card myself. Something else stopped me from doing that. And it wasn't her aura.º He put the note back on the cupboard.
"Though I care for her just as much as I care for anybody else, whenever she's in danger I feel like panicking. That can't be normal." He said to himself. "And I guess that as long as those cards are on the loose, she'll never be out of danger." He laid back his head and closed his eyes, and if it weren't for the fact that his body was absolutely exhausted, his thoughts would have kept him awake all night long.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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A/N: OK, I wrote the chapter. Now, you write the review. Simple as that!
See ya in the next chapter.