A/N: Sorry it took so long to post this. I had 9000 words of it done since Saturday, but then I kept getting sidetracked writing future chapters. So now chapter 7 is done. 9 is almost done. 8 is started and I'm halfway done with 11. There will 14 chapters including the epilogue if you were wondering.
Thank you misstruthfully and Twillight Kisses for the reviews. And thanks to all those reading.
Disclaimer: I didn't do one of these last chapter. How about we assume I won't suddenly own CCS this whole story. So yeah, not mine.
To Protect
Part I
Protecting Sakura: Test
It had been three weeks. Three weeks since Kerberos woke from his thirty year nap to find his new mistress flirting with the strange boy named Li Syaoran. He couldn't for the life of him figure that boy out. The boy exuded a strange aura and Kerberos had to agree with what The Kid had said to Sakura his first day at school. It did seem as if Sakura had put a spell on the boy. It was hard to even feel, much less see, his aura as heavily as Sakura's pink one blanketed it. If the Kerberos didn't know any better he would think Sakura was possessing the boy, but that involved knowledge of the dark arts and an evil heart. Neither of which Sakura had. Besides she certainly wasn't controlling The Kid. But it was still rather odd.
Sakura had been capturing a Clow Card every night with remarkable ease. In fact, Kerberos was inclined to think it was too easy. Every other night or sometimes during the day Sakura would be confronted with a different card. At first they started off hostile before suddenly becoming almost playful, but after the first week the encounters were decidedly tame, gentle even. The cards not only seemed to allow Sakura to capture them, they also seemed to have deemed her worthy of being their new mistress. Sure they challenged her, but not in a way that she could get hurt. He couldn't help but wonder why. It wasn't that he didn't approve of her. He knew as soon as he felt her power she was the one because that was how Clow created him, but how did they know?
He was pretty sure it was The Kid's doing he just wasn't sure how. It was clear that cards and the boy knew each other. Hell, the Thunder Card actually ran up to the boy like some dog! A very, very well trained dog. It was disconcerting to say the least.
However none of the elements had shown themselves and it was mostly the weaker cards that Sakura had caught. It was possible it was the stronger cards that were planning to give Sakura more of a challenge.
Another alarming fact was Hiiragizawa Eriol didn't like Li Syaoran one bit. When Kero had first met the boy he was very suspicious of him because it was obvious he had a lot of power, but he seemed a lot less suspicious than The Kid. However it helped he didn't like the Li boy. What they say about common enemies and all. Not that he thought The Kid was an enemy exactly, just too mysterious for his liking.
Li Syaoran born in Hong Kong. A member of the powerful Li Clan. A boy who delivered the Clow Book to it's new mistress after he had been away from his home since he was three. If that didn't scream suspicious he didn't know what was.
"Ne, Kero-chan, what are you thinking about looking so serious?" Sakura asked him her voice concerned. It was Sunday and she'd just woken up despite the fact that it was well past noon.
"The Kid," he replied gruffly, resigned to the fact that she would forever cal him Kero-chan.
"Hoe! Are you still worried about Li-kun?" she asked him genuinely surprised. Although from what Kerberos gathered she never even thought to distrust the boy even when he was dragging her to his apartment. He wasn't at all shocked she couldn't find any reason to doubt him now.
"Sakura. There are just too many things about him that don't add up," he said exasperated knowing nothing he said would change her view of the boy.
"But Otou-san likes him. Even Onii-chan does!" she said urgently.
Kerberos frowned remembering the dinner he'd spied on three days ago.
"Sakura-san, could you set the table. Remember to set it for seven people," Kinomoto Fujitaka called from the kitchen to his bubbling with energy daughter who was currently bouncing on the living room couch while trying to look like she was reading a book for an English assignment.
"Hai!" she said enthusiastically. Kerberos watched disturbed. It was just The Kid coming over after all. No big deal.
"Make sure not to break anything Monster. You wouldn't want your friend to think poorly of you now," Toya taunted from the kitchen was her was helping his father prepare the enormous dinner. It had to be large not only because the were having four guests, but also because Toya's boyfriend was one of them. Sakura confided that he ate a lot.
"I'm not a monster!" Sakura snapped predictably as she set the table furiously. And from what Kerberos could here from his hiding spot in the living room she was setting those plates down with enough force to break them if she wasn't careful.
There was a knock at the door and Sakura ran from the dining room. She quickly messed with her hair for some reason before opening the door. "Yukito-san," she said almost disappointed.
Yukito eyes twinkled and he gave her a warm smile. "Don't sound too happy to see me, Sakura-chan," he teased.
Sakura flushed embarrassed. "Of course I'm happy to see you Yukito-san!" she assured him hurriedly.
"Monster finish setting the table! The food is done!" Toya's voice intruded rudely.
"I'm not a monster, Onii-chan," Sakura growled as she stomped back to the dining room in a very monster-like fashion.
Yukito laughed before following her into the room more sedately. It was not even a minute later when someone else knocked on the door. Once again Sakura sprinted through the house and practically threw open the door. "Li-kun!" she said excitedly as she all but yanked him into the house.
"I'm happy to see you too, Kinomoto-chan," the boy said chuckling.
Sakura blushed and looked everywhere but the boy in front of her.
"Monster, if that's your guest don't just keep them standing there!" Toya interjected rudely for the second time.
"I'm not a monster!" Sakura roared causing The Kid to raise an eyebrow at her. "Ano, please follow me Li-kun," she said sweetly.
"Of course," he responded with a smile.
Kerberos rubbed his hands together with glee. Sakura's brother was crazy over protective. Finally someone was going to teach the Kid for being so mysterious and vague all the time. Not wanting to miss the show Kerberos quickly snuck to a shelf in the dining room he'd decided would be a perfect hiding place.
Sakura hadn't told her brother or her dad that her friend was a boy because she knew her brother would freak. Kerberos himself looked forward to his reaction so he was quite shocked when Toya did not send a death glare to the boy from the chair he was just sat down in. Instead he said, "Demon, you are Sakura's friend? I thought you had better taste," he greeted him warmly like they were friends.
"Toya, you shouldn't call him that," Yukito scolded his boyfriend.
Toya shrugged. "What? He doesn't mind," he argued.
"Onii-chan, you know Li-kun!?" Sakura asked clearly confused.
"Of course, I invited him. He's my employee," Toya explained.
"And here I thought I invited, Syaoran-san," Fujitaka said sheepish, but with good humor.
"Hoe?!" Sakura exclaimed.
"I'm met him in Africa at the dig I was overseeing 6 months ago. He's my new assistant," he told her.
"What?" Toya said confused.
"It seems all three of you invited the same guest," Yukito said amused.
"Indeed Tsukishiro-san," The Kid said with an apologetic smile. "I didn't tell you because I was curious as to how you would react. I thought it would be amusing."
Kerberos was sure that then Toya would explode, but the only thing the dark haired man did was laugh. Fujitaka laughed with him. "You have strange sense of humor Li."
"Yes, he does," Fujitaka agreed.
Yukito looked a little confused, but still smiled happily anyway. Sakura, well, she looked pissed.
"Li-kun why didn't you tell me!?" she wailed.
Li made her sit down and then sat down himself before turning to her and saying simply, "You didn't ask."
She opened her mouth and then closed it. Then her face scrunched into a grumpy, but thoughtful look. Eventually she let out a defeated sigh. "I guess that's true."
"To make it up to you, I'll help you clean up," he offered as he started loading up his plate.
"Thank you, Li-kun," Sakura said pleased her good cheer restored.
"Hey, Monster, he's a guest." Toya glared at her.
"Yes, Sakura-san, I'm surprised at you," Fujitaka added uncharacteristically stern.
Sakura looked at her plate abashed.
"Kinomoto-sensei, Kinomoto-san, I don't mind helping Kinomoto-chan. It's nothing really." The kid said quickly cutting off their reprimands.
"They don't have any reason to distrust him," Kerberos said sharply.
"And neither do we Kero-chan," Sakura reminded him pointedly. "Li-kun has done nothing, but help us."
"But why Sakura? What reason does he have to help us?" Kerberos demanded irritated by her unreasonable trust. "This is too big a deal for you to be so naïve!"
A flicker hurt skittered across her face before she turned to look out her window. "Did you ever think to ask him, Kerberos-san?" she asked coldly. The use of his full communicating her anger better than volume ever could.
"Sakura, I didn't mean-"
"I did. I asked him weeks ago. Tomoyo-chan was there too and he told us both. He said that the reason he was helping me capture the Clow Cards was because he decided I would treat them well and they needed a kind master very much. He told me their happiness was very important to him and someday I would know why. I'm sure he would have told you too if you'd just asked. He respects you, I think, even though it is obvious you hold him in no such regard," she said sadly as she looked out the window.
"Respect has to be earned," Kerberos told her desperate to get her to understand.
Sakura let out a mirthless laugh. "Huh? And yet somehow you've earned his and kept it despite your attitude. He told me once that Kerberos has done more then he knows. I wonder what he means by that, Kerberos-san?"
"Sakura, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to doubt you it's just I don't understand him," Kerberos said at a loss on how make his mistress see his side. I don't understand him so just I can't trust him!
"I've been having bad dreams these last few days. I never remember anything about them except for this feeling of impending doom, but when I'm with him I can forget about that feeling. He makes me feel safe, protected," she said softly and he could tell she was crying.
"Sakura," he said with a sad sigh.
She cried for a while and didn't talk to him for the rest of the day or at night. She didn't say goodbye to him when she left for her three day outdoors class trip. He didn't dare mention the strangled screams she'd made while she'd been sleeping.
He was sad he'd hurt his mistress, but he was also mad at her. The Kid wasn't necessarily telling the truth. That kid was hiding something, lots of things, and he was dangerous because of the secrets he kept.
"Good morning Sakura-chan," Tomoyo greeted her best friend with a determined kind of happiness. Yesterday when Sakura had canceled their trip to the mall Tomoyo had thought she heard tears in her voice and one look at her morose face was confirmation of her fears.
"Good morning Tomoyo-chan," Sakura replied dully as she took a seat next to Tomoyo on the charter bus they were taking to beach where they always had outdoor classes.
"Good morning Sakura-san," Eriol adopting the same tone as Tomoyo.
"Good morning, Eriol-kun," she said with even less enthusiasm.
Tomoyo looked at her worriedly. Sakura was never this down. Not even on that day in first grade when everyone's mom came to class for an event and she didn't have one. This was different.
Tomoyo scanned the bus serendipitously for a boy amber eyed boy she'd come to know in the last few weeks. In a manner of moments she spotted him three rows from the back. No one sat beside him and those around him seemed hell bent on avoiding his gaze. Over the last few weeks most everyone had come to fear the brown haired boy. Li did not seem to mind since he actively avoided everyone's company except for Sakura and herself. And Eriol too, but Eriol didn't seem to like him all that much. Tomoyo found it all amusing because it was apparent to her Li could be very nice when he wanted to. The thing was he didn't seem to want to bother with most people.
She wished he was sitting near them because she was sure his presence would make Sakura feel much better. It was fun the see Sakura with her new crush even though she vehemently denied that she liked him that way. Although Tomoyo suspected that maybe her friend's feelings went even deeper than crush, but she felt it was too early to tell. She was thrilled on being able to capture the budding relationship on tape.
Li looked up and cast her a concerned look. She shrugged. She didn't know why Sakura was so down. He scowled frustrated before glaring out the window. Interesting. Obviously something was going on for Li to be so worried.
Tomoyo saw Eriol observing them from the corner of her eye and smiled pleasantly. When Sakura had told Tomoyo about her new magical duties she'd also told Eriol. Tomoyo didn't think her friend suspected that Eriol had already seen it coming. Tomoyo was pretty sure that's what he was doing here. Though it was obvious something had not gone to plan. He really didn't like Li and only tolerated him because of Sakura's unwavering trust in him. Tomoyo reflected wryly that it must be hard to not know someone's intentions when they already know yours. And if Li's cryptic comments were anything to go by Li knew exactly who Eriol was.
And no one knew who Li Syaoran was. He never spoke of his past in any sort of detail. It was almost as if he just appeared by magic, but he kept saying someday they'd know all they wanted and probably much more than that. "Sakura-chan, do you want to go sit by Li-kun?" Tomoyo asked her gently.
"Eh?" The question seemed to knock the girl out of her stupor. "Don't you want to sit with me?"
"Yes, but you want to sit with him more," Tomoyo said slyly.
"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura wailed embarrassed. Her cheeks were pink.
"Go! You know you want to," Tomoyo said while shooing her away with her hands.
"But what about you," her friend insisted stubbornly.
Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. I'll sit by Eriol," she told her quickly while pushing her out of the seat.
"Hoe!" Sakura squealed as she fell on her butt in the aisle.
"Now go," Tomoyo said sternly even though she was smiling widely.
Sakura gingerly stood herself up. "Fine. I'll go. If that's how you want it." She turned to walk down the aisle before spinning around to her again. "Thank you Tomoyo-chan. I really do need to talk him about some things," Sakura confided to her softly before making her way to a very curious Li. He was probably wondering why she just pushed her 'dear Sakura-chan' to the floor.
"Why did you do that?" Eriol as they both watched Sakura sit down by Li.
"I didn't want her to sulk the whole bus ride," Tomooyo informed him cheerily.
"I don't fully trust, Li-san," Eriol said carefully.
"Well I suppose it's your loss then, ne? Sometimes even when we don't know why someone is doing something they can still mean us only the best. I would think you would of all people understand that," she scolded him gently.
Eriol's jaw clenched.
"I think the problem lies more with you than Li-kun. You don't like to be wrong. You don't like to be out of the loop and this time you're both," she told him more directly.
"How can you trust him so easily?" Eriol asked angrily his voice low, his eyes hard.
"I sense from him the same thing I sense from you. The desire to protect Sakura-chan. Although I think he's being a tad more direct. If you want me to distrust that feeling, I would then have to distrust you as well." She kept her tone mild and her face agreeable, but she was actually kind of mad. She and Sakura had both given their trust to him. He should at least trust them even if he couldn't find it in him to trust Li.
Eriol's eyes became unreadable. "You have no idea what is going on," he told her harshly, sharply. Tomoyo had to steel herself to avoid flinching.
"I have at least as good a idea as you," she returned hotly. "If you will excuse me I think I will go sit with Naoko-chan," she said coldly before plopping down next to Naoko with far less than her normal calm.
"Good morning, Naoko-chan," she said, her voice almost fierce.
"Uh, good morning, Tomoyo-chan," Naoko replied hesitantly obviously taken aback by Tomoyo's odd demeanor. "Where's Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo didn't begrudge her the inquiry. She and Sakura did almost everything together after all.
"With Li-kun," Tomoyo said a little bit dreamy considering trying to sneak some footage with her camera.
"You know Tomoyo-chan I find it really strange you two are friends with him, especially Sakura-chan. He's so cold." Naoko shivered she also seemed to fear the boy. "I hear people have seen strange spirits enter his house at night and he talks to himself. There's something not right about him."
"Naoko-chan, Li-kun is really sweet when you get to know him," Tomoyo told her friend in a carefully friendly tone. It wasn't Naoko's fault Li was so scary. She supposed it was mostly his fault really.
"If you say so, Tomoyo-chan," Naoko said skeptically.
Sakura sat next to Li in a comfortable silence. Silence wasn't a problem with Li. Sakura never felt she needed to talk to fill it in for the simple reason that Li wasn't very talkative.
"Ne, Li-kun?" Sakura whispered so quietly she honestly wasn't sure if she wanted him to hear her words.
But of course he did hear her and he swiftly turned his head so his patient amber eyes asked her what was the matter.
"Do you ever have weird dreams?" She had never had such strange dreams until he gave her the Clow Book. She couldn't really remember any of them except her feelings of dread.
"Yes," he said shortly.
"Uh, are they scary sometimes? Do they seem like they might actually happen?"
"Yes."
Sakura sighed. It was good to see Li as loquacious as ever. Sometimes it was really hard to get any real feedback from him. "I've been having weird dreams for the last few days, but I always forget what they're about except for last night, so maybe I've been having them longer and can't remember," she explained to him haltingly. She really wished she'd continued to forget her dreams.
"What was your dream about?" he asked her calmly. His amber eyes seemed to be trying to look inside her head.
Sakura swallowed nervously. "It was- I-you," she tried to say before giving up.
Silence once again descended upon them while Li waited for her to continue. There was no pressure in his stare, but she didn't think she could remain silent forever under his scrutiny. She would most likely go insane while Li just wondered exactly what her dream had been about. She took a deep breath. "I was outside. It was on some street I can't quite remember the name of. It was near my brother's apartment. You-You were trying to kill me. I was pleading with you although I don't know what I said. There was no sound. And then- And then you ran at me again with your sword and I blocked it with my staff, but it broke. And then your sword was coming down towards me," she said shakily. Surprised she realized she'd been crying. She couldn't seem to find the energy to wipe her face though she just looked at Li wondering what he was going to say.
His face was a mask of indifference, but Sakura could tell he was shaken. Slowly he turned away from her and looked out the window. "I've had that dream for as long as I can remember."
Sakura shivered. It wasn't what she was expecting him to say and it certainly wasn't what she wanted him to say. It was obvious he didn't like the dream any better than she did. Tentatively she held one of his hands in both of hers causing him to straighten in his seat, but he did not pull away. "Ne, Li-kun, you know I don't care what happens in a silly dream. I could never doubt you. Maybe it's a weird metaphor or something," she said trying to spike her voice with cheer, involuntarily clutching his hand harder.
In the background she could hear Chiharu shouting at Yamazaki and she felt a little envious of the couple. They didn't have to worry about scary reoccurring dreams.
Not that Sakura thought her and Li were a couple! Sakura blushed at the thought was glad Tomoyo wasn't there and Li was looking out the window.
"Thank you. Thank you for trusting me. I know Kerberos and Blue Boy don't," he said carefully he voice almost monotone making Sakura smile. When Li really wanted to say something he hardly said anything at all.
"Well, I think, Kero-chan will eventually come around. Eriol-kun would probably like you more if you didn't call him Blue Boy," Sakura told him plainly.
Li turned to face her. "That first time was because I honestly didn't know his name," he said mock defensively.
"And all the other times after that?" Sakura asked him suspiciously.
He gave her an almost bashful smile that managed to look completely evil. "Those were to piss him off."
"Li-kun!"
"That is my name. You are a sharp one, Kinomoto-chan."
"Oh, Li-kun you're so-The beach!" Sakura nearly screamed interrupting herself.
"I'm so the beach?" Li asked her clearly puzzled.
"No, we're at the beach. Beach, beach, beach," Sakura started chanting with increasing enthusiasm.
"Well, yeah, that's where we're having the outdoor class. It makes sense we actually got here," he said perturbed at her exuberant joy. However Sakura paid him no mind and continued her chant. Li wasn't the only one of the students in her class confused by her behavior, but those who knew her shook their heads. Sakura certainly loved the beach.
It surprised no one that she was the first in the water. Since it was colder than in the summer most of the students had opted for hiking rather than swimming. Sakura had signed up for both. So she would spend one day at the beach and the next in the woods. The last day an outdoor sports competition was going to be held.
Sakura glided through the chill water happily. The water wasn't too cold with it still being September. Nothing beat swimming in the ocean.
So blissful was she that it took her a second to realize someone was swimming next to her. A quick glance showed it was Li. She stopped swimming and started treading water and he quickly stopped beside her.
"I didn't know you liked to swim, Li-kun."
"You didn't ask."
"That's your excuse for everything, isn't it?"
"Yup."
Sakura prepared to hit him when another idea struck her. "Ne, Li-kun, you wanna race?"
"To where," he asked promptly. Sakura had come to realize he was actually very competitive in things he enjoyed.
"Just back to the shore."
"Okay."
The both nodded at each other before counting out loud together.
"One."
"Two."
Three! Sakura shouted in her head before shooting forward in the water. Li ,she noticed, was as strong swimmer like her and their race was going to be close. She could distantly here Tomoyo cheering in the distance and realized that they now had an audience.
Hmmm. Let's make this a little more interesting.
With a small smile she allowed her self to sink into the water like she was drowning.
She waited until she saw Li turn around before swimming very quickly under the water. When she resurfaced she triumphantly saw she'd put a good 30 feet between her and her competition.
Discovering her he deceit shouted something distinctly angry at her, but she was already in motion. However fury must have given Li the strength and speed of a torpedo because it seemed in a matter of seconds Li had caught up to her and was pulling her underwater. He made sure she could see his smirk before he allowed her to resurface. After taking a deep breath she demanded, "Why'd you do that?"
"Oh, sorry. But you were drowning. Don't worry I'll make sure you make it safely back to shore," he said patronizingly.
"I'm fine," Sakura growled.
"Yes you're right. I'm not going to let you drown," he said solemnly. It was then the Sakura noticed how close they were to shore and that Li was pulling her along. When she tried to wiggle out of his grasp he just tightened his hold. Soon the water was shallow enough that he could walk and started to carry her to where many students in the class were waiting as well a very concerned looking teacher.
"Put me down," she hissed noticing how much drama this was generating.
"But you almost drowned," Li said his voice the epitome of concern even if his amused smirk wasn't.
"Gah! Put me down! People are going to think I really was drowning," she whined.
"You weren't really drowning?" And if Sakura didn't know better she would have thought he was, in fact, shocked.
Any other protests she had were cut off as a very worried Tomoyo ran up to her through the foot deep water separating them. The girl as always had her camera out, but she wasn't even filming and didn't seem in the least worried about it getting wet.
"Sakura-chan!" the normally calm girl called as she closed the gap between them.
"Tomoyo-chan don't worry. I'm fine," Sakura assured. It wasn't a lie. It wasn't like she'd actually been drowning.
Tomoyo stopped a few feet away from her. "Really?"
"Really."
"Okay!" she chirped as she whipped her camera into position. "Sakura-chan in Li-kun's arms is so romantic and cute!" she said her eyes sparkling.
Sakura's face heated uncomfortably. "Tomo- Li-kun!" Said boy had just dropped her. She sunk to the boot of the foot of water with a large splash. So what if she wanted him to let her go. She didn't want to be dropped! "Ouch! You could have given me some warning," she said venomously.
"You didn't ask."
Sakura was once again chasing but, but this time on land. And this time she really was going to hit him!
"Sakura-chan, I think I'll send you a copy of that picture once I get it developed," Tomoyo informed her dreamily from the bunk above her.
"Tomoyo-chan! You can't do that!"
"Oh my gosh you're right! I need to send Li-kun a copy as well," she said sounding sincerely dismayed.
"Tomoyo-chan!"
"But you have to admit you were so flirting with Li-san," Chiharu told her on a giggle.
Sakura could hear Naoko and Rika murmur in agreement.
"He started it!" Sakura said defensively.
"Ohoho!" Tomoyo cheered.
"Really? You know he's acted more human here than ever has at school," Rika said thoughtfully.
"Yeah. He so totally blushed before he dropped you into the water. What did Tomoyo-chan say?" Chiharu mused aloud.
"I guess I lost my bet with Yamazaki-kun and Eriol-kun," Naoko said morosely.
"What did you bet on?" Sakura asked curious.
"Oh, we each tried to guess what Li-san really was. I thought he was an android and Eriol-kun was sure he was a demon from hell."
"Hoe!!" Sakura exclaimed at the last part. Eriol really must not like Li-kun.
"What did Takashi-kun think he was?" Chiharu asked. The others could already feel her getting mad at her boyfriend. "What crazy things did he think Li-san was?"
"That's the thing. He just said he was human."
Sakura left out a happy sigh. Li was human just like the rest of them. He just acted a little weird. She was glad that even someone as confusing a Yamazaki could see that too.
"Oh," Chiharu said surprised as a giant balloon of anger seemed to deflate in the room. Everyone sighed in relief.
"Sometimes Yamazaki-kun can be very perceptive," Tomoyo said diplomatically.
"That's true. Have you guys heard the story about the ghost in the woods?"
"Na-o-ko-chan!" Tomoyo, Rika and Chiharu scolded in unison.
"Hoe!" she screamed alarmed. She was going into those woods tomorrow.
"Jeez, you might have just mentioned one to many you-know-whats in front of Sakura-chan!" Chiharu continued to reprimand Naoko.
"Oh, I though she was over that," Naoko squeaked ashamed in face of Chiharu's rage.
"Sakura-chan will probably be scared of ghosts until she meets something scarier," Chiharu snapped back immediately gasping at her own words. "I'm so sorry Sakura-chan. I didn't mean it like that!"
"It's okay. I'm alright. I'm really not that scared of ghosts anymore," Sakura managed to say without even tripping over the word ghost.
The room filled with sighs of relief and the sighs of sleep quickly followed.
"Sakura-chan are you really alright." Tomoyo's voice floated down to her gently and she smiled in appreciation of her best friend.
"Of course Tomoyo-chan. I have the Clow Cards to deal with now. It would be silly to still be terrified of ghosts," Sakura smoothly even though her insides felt cold. The Clow Card didn't actually seem that dangerous and were a lot less terrifying than ghosts, but she didn't want Tomoyo to worry.
"I'm so proud of you, Sakura-chan!"
Sakura winced in shame. Soon she could hear Tomoyo sleeping above her as well. Silently she rose from her bed and grabbed her coat before creeping out of the cabin like a burglar doing backwards breaking and entering.
Once she was outside she sighed a breath of relief until she felt a strange presence by the beach. "Clow Card." Of course no one was around to hear the words and she already knew.
She broke out into a run the Clow Card felt like it was on the beach.
While she might have been expecting any number of things when she reached the sandy beach and the lapping waves, two Lis was not one of them.
"Hoe!!"
The two identically scowling Lis turned towards her. "The stupid Mirror Card has decided to clone me! She says you'll have to decide who the fake if you want to capture her!" they both growled in unison.
Sakura blinked as they continued to glare at each other. Sakura wasn't intimidated by Li, really, but two of his glares in contest with the other was rather forbidding.
"How do I do that?" she queried nervously.
The Lis scowled harder causing her to wince. They might break their faces looking that angry. "Use your practice with sensing auras!"
"Alright." Sakura wasn't very good at that yet, but she supposed a human and a Clow Card would have radically different auras. She closed her eyes and tried to determine which on of them was the Clow Card. She wasn't used to detecting sorcerer auras so that should be easier. First she turned to the one on her right. It felt like a Clow Card. So, she thought as she turned to the left one, the other will not.
"Hoe! You both feel like Clow Cards! I think you're too close together for me to tell."
"Well, then think of something else! Mirror I'm going to get you for this!" Li threatened…himself. Sakura sweat dropped. It was almost funny if it wasn't so awkward.
"Okay. Ano. What would Li know that Mirror-san couldn't possibly know?" she wondered.
"That's it! Ask us about your dream. Mirror wouldn't know," both the Lis assured her before sending each other a glare.
"Okay what was my dream about? Please answer at the same time," she asked them both politely.
The one on the left confidently said, "Me."
While the one on the right rush her with a magical appeared sword! He stopped just before he would have impaled her. "Er, hello, Li-kun."
"What! No way!" the Li who was now revealed as Mirror said sounding absolutely disgusted. "You're both having that dream! That's just morbid," Mirror said obviously dismayed, but in such a girlie way. Even the clones stance was different. The effect was disconcerting.
"Shut up, Mirror," Li said annoyed.
"But it's true. Wait until I tell Windy about this! Then everybody is going to know!"
"Mirror, please don't."
"But Windy loves to gossip. I couldn't deny her some fun. Besides it's your fault." Mirror had put her hands on her hips in a decidedly female stance. Sakura started laugh.
"Why are you laughing?" Li asked at the same time Mirror inquired, "Like what's so funny?"
Sakura started laughing harder. It was too funny seeing Lis body act so girlish. She actually wished Tomoyo had been filming so they could have it on film.
"I guess I'll tell Windy your girlfriend is crazy too," Mirror said sadly. This comment cut through Sakura's hilarity like a knife.
"Hoe!"
"She's not my girlfriend."
"You haven't asked her out yet?" Mirror asked appalled actually causing Li to blush. Sakura could also feel her face heating. "Well hurry up and do it."
"Mirror!"
"Sakura and Xiao Lang sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-"
"Shut. Up!" Li looked like he was about to attempt murder. Sakura was actually afraid for the card's safety even though she didn't think a Clow Card could be harmed too easily. She quickly called up her wand as she Mirror continued unphased by Li's anger.
"I-N-G! First comes-"
"Ne, Mirror-san?"
"Call Mirror-chan sweety," Mirror insisted.
"Er, Mirror-chan could you please return to the guise you were meant to be in?" Before I die of embarrassment?
"Well since you asked so nicely." Mirror quickly flowed into a card a the end of her wand.
Sakura and Li both heaved sighs of relief as the Mirror Card drifted to Sakura's hand.
"Well she was very nice."
"And very annoying. What are you doing out here anyway? Mirror was going to surprise you tomorrow."
"Oh, well it's nothing really." It seemed silly that she was scared of ghosts all things considered.
"Nothing has you wandering around late at night? Say you're not sneaking off to meet some boy, are you? I would feel obligated to tell your brother."
Sakura paled at the thought. "Of course not! Don't tell Onii-chan that! I'm not sneaking out to meet some boy!" She imagined her brother murdering half the boys at her school in an homicidal rage.
"I know. So why are you out here?"
Sakura looked at the ground. She just couldn't tell him she was afraid of ghosts. She was in high school for cry out loud. "Why are you out here?" Sakura smirked as she turned the question back on him.
"Well, I had chat with Hiiragizawa."
"You had a civil conversation with Eriol-kun," Sakura asked completely stunned. She knew her mouth was hanging open a little, but she didn't care. "Really?"
"Well, actually no. I ended up killing him and I just got back from disposing of the body," Li said completely straight-faced.
"Hoe!"
"I'm kidding," he assured her exasperated.
"I know, I know, but still." The scenario was entirely too likely for her tastes. "What did you guys talk about?"
"My family. Where I've been. Blue Boy doesn't trust me at all. You'd think I killed his kitten or something," Li said obviously disgusted. Sakura didn't know what was more funny, the idea of Eriol with a kitten or Li going on a psychotic kitten killing spree. Actually the last one wasn't funny at all. Her sense of humor was awfully strange lately.
"Oh."
"So what are you doing up?"
Sakura sighed. She couldn't think of another distraction so she just decided to blurted it out. "I'm afraid of ghosts." It all came out in a rush and she almost didn't know what words just flew out of her mouth.
There was long pause and Sakura convinced herself Li hadn't heard and was getting ready to make her getaway.
"You know most ghosts are friendly. You actually have to look for the dangerous ones."
"Really?" Sakura liked the sound of that because she totally wasn't going to look for mean ghosts.
"Would I lie to you?"
Sakura shook her head. Li might avoid the truth, but he never actually outright lied as far as she knew. They both didn't say anything after that. Eventually Sakura actually started to feel sleepy. "I think I'm going to go to bed now. Good night, Li-kun."
"Good night." Before she turned to go Sakura sent on last look at Li. He was looking out the ocean very intensely. She shivered. Sometimes, even when she was standing right next to him, Li felt very, very far away.
Eriol was pretty sure some god enjoyed playing with him. The day before he'd gone hiking and it had been a wonderfully relaxing communion with nature. That wasn't what was happening the moment though. When Li Xiao Lang was around he rarely had any fun it seemed.
"So Li-kun do you know anything about Egypt?"
"Well, I lived there for a while."
"Amazing! You've sure been a lot of places!"
"I guess."
Eriol ground his teeth in irritation. Earlier Yamazaki had started an elaborate lie about the origins hiking and Eriol had felt compelled to verify and embellish it. Li even seemed to believe them both which actually lightening his mood for a second. The Li Xiao Lang he'd been expecting also was gullible in that sense. In recent years Eriol had remember nearly every situation that was supposed to happen concerning Sakura and his descendant. So he knew about a whole section of time that never actually happened. It was rather annoying really: completely pointless.
However Li could never leave it so Eriol was satisfied. When Yamazaki mentioned camel herding he just had to mention he'd done that. Eriol really hadn't seen that coming. So now him and Yamazaki were swapping stories. Yamazaki telling lies and Li, undoubtedly, telling a vague, blurry version of the truth. It was enough to give him a headache.
Their chat last night had given him no answers and had left him unsettled.
"Li Xiao Lang, I just recently went to Hong Kong."
It was a quiet night and the coming in of the tide wasn't loud enough to bury his words. So it was frustrating when the boy with his back turned to him didn't say anything.
"I spoke with your grandmother, Li Mei Di."
Li inhaled sharply. "What did you talk with about? Did you talk to my mother as well?"
Eriol frowned at him confused. It seemed Li really didn't know his mother was dead. That was rather curious, but it fit with what Mei Di had told him. After all the boy who she helped disappear 14 years ago did not think his mother and sisters were dead. And for those 14 years the Li Clan had been rather private and not much was known about them anymore.
"I asked her about the day you disappeared."
"I see."
Eriol wanted to hit him or something. Nothing ever seemed to cause him to react how he would expect. He was too cool, too collected. It was down right annoying. Tomoyo's words from the bus rudely replayed in his mind. It wasn't only that. This wasn't just him being petty because someone else was more mysterious than him. It wasn't.
It couldn't be. He sighed. Whatever was going on it was way bigger than something so silly.
But I still don't have to like him. I'm human and I can act irrationally if I choose. It may have been stupid, but Eriol too let his emotions guide sometimes.
"What exactly do you see?" he snapped.
Li just remained silent.
"Answer. Me."
"What Clow Reed's reincarnation doesn't know?"
Eriol's eye twitched. So he did know about that.
"Did you talk to my mother? She knows a little more than my grandmother, I think."
"No," he said, "I couldn't get an audience with her." I couldn't because she was dead! She's dead. But he couldn't find it in him to say the words. He was sure that if he did Li would react. React spectacularly, but he knew it would be cruel. It wasn't something he thought his descendant was ready to know. However irritating he found him there was no justification for him to do something so callous.
It occurred to him that as vexed as he was with the current state of affairs, as annoyingly vague Li spoke, he knew that whatever can of worms Li Xiao Lang had opened 14 years ago was not something he wanted to be involved with directly.
Most worrisome was that he felt guilty. Very much so, but he'd done nothing to provoke this. He had never even been to Hong Kong before he visited Mei Di. It wasn't his fault, but somehow he felt that wasn't entirely true.
"Oi, Hiiragizawa, check this out!" Yamazaki's voice snapped him back to reality. A very strange reality. In front of them the woods seem to fold up on themselves. It was like a part of the woods had fallen into another dimension and the edge around they missing area were zipped together.
"That's rather peculiar," he said honestly surprised. He didn't know the Erase Card could do that.
Li was already walking towards to edge. "Uh, Li-kun maybe you shouldn't go over there," Yamazaki advised, but it was too late. Li walked right up to the edge and blinked out of existence. Eriol couldn't even sense his aura.
"Hiiragizawa, what just happened?"
Eriol just shrugged. He couldn't very well tell him Li just fell into a pocket of nothing after all.
Syaoran quickly found himself in a blank white expanse. It stretched forever precisely because it was actually nowhere if he correctly remembered what Erase had told him once. Turning his head he could feel Sakura in what he was pretty sure was north pf him, but maybe direction didn't mean anything in the place he was in. Suddenly he looked up to find Sakura falling from somewhere above him above. He generously decided to catch her.
After he set her down she thanked him profusely with a light blush on her cheeks. "Uh, thanks for catching me. It's kind of hard to tell where you're going in here, don't you think? What's your name anyways," she asked searching his face intently.
He momentarily taken aback until he realized Erase must have disappeared some of her memories.
"Li Syaoran."
"That's seems familiar somehow," she said thoughtfully. "Do you know where we are?"
"The Erase Card has essentially put us in a space she erased from the physical world."
"Erase Card?"
Syaoran considered her response. It seemed Erase gotten rid of all her last month's memories. He wasn't sure why. "It seems to be another thing you've forgotten."
"Hoe? Forgotten?"
"Yes, an hour ago you knew who I was."
"I did?"
"Yes and you were madly in love with me," he said deadpan.
"Hoe!"
"Yes, my favorite noise ever."
Sakura's now brilliant red face was in very stark contrast to their pure white surroundings. "You're messing with me!"
"That's highly probable."
"Li-kun!"
"Yes?"
"Never mind. How do we get out of here? You seem like you know."
"Is that so?"
"You're good at talking all sideways, aren't you?"
"It has been said."
"Gah! Never mind. Let's go this way," she growled obviously irritated as she grabbed his hand and pulled him determinedly behind her.
"You're holding my hand?" He wasn't exactly blushing, but it was unexpected.
"Bashful now, are we? Well excuse me Mister-love-of-my-life, but I don't want to lose you in this weird place. I'm pretty sure we're friends and I'm also sure I lost the people I came in with," she informed him tartly. She was pretty sharp he observed.
"You can remember all that?" Her powers most be growing more than he realized if she could even recall that much after Erase had blanked her mind.
"I guess. How did we meet?"
"I gave you a book."
"You gave me a book?"
"Yes a magical book." He nodded to show her was serious when she glance back at him.
Sakura halted. "A magical book?" she said skeptically.
"Yes. And then you put a spell on me. So now I'm yours forever," he told her with a completely unnecessary wink.
Sakura looked at him for a beat or two and then a minute. "I'm not quite sure what you mean, but somehow I don't think you're not exactly lying either."
"Yes."
"That's very helpful Li-kun," she said sarcastically.
"Well, I thought it was."
"I think I'm getting a headache. Let's keep going. We're almost there," Sakura grumbled sounding quite mysterious herself.
Syaoran smiled to himself. The were almost to where Erase was waiting. Sakura was doing well.
"Ne, Li-kun, what's this weird baton I'm holding? It was in my hand when I found myself here," she asked as she waved the baton above her head with the hand that wasn't pulling him around.
"It's your wand."
"And what? That's how I 'put a spell on you'?" He could hear the quotes.
He shook his head even though she couldn't see him. "No. You did that before the wand came into your possession."
"Li-kun I didn't really put a spell on you? Did I?" Sakura asked worriedly.
"Of course you did," Syaoran assured her.
"Your confusing and it's starting to annoy me," Sakura told him crossly. She sounded like she was clenching her teeth.
"He is rather irritating sometimes, isn't he?"
They both turned around to find Erase looking at them with a carefree smile on her face.
"Erase," he said to notify Sakura who she was.
"Are trying to say she's the card you mentioned earlier?! Li-kun she's a person!" Sakura's tone suggested he was a retard.
"Actually, Kinomoto-chan, I'm not," Erase said obviously amused.
"Hoe!"
Erase laughed. "You are pretty cute. I can see why Xiao Lang over there has a crush on you. And are you two holding hands? That's so cute! Wait till I tell Windy she's gonna like cause a tornado in her excitement!"
Quickly Sakura dropped Syaoran's hand like it was poisonous. "Ano, if you're not a human, then what exactly are you? And are speaking another language."
"Yes. I am speaking another language how cool of you to understand me. I'm a card just like Xiao Lang said. If you can remember the magical words you can return me to my truest form," Erase said slyly as she tapped her temple with her pointer finger.
"Magical words?"
"Yes and don't you dare help her Xiao Lang. Our previous master had no one to tell him the words. Besides it would be better if she became better at finding knowledge from within her for her own safety," Erase said enigmatically.
Syaoran frowned, but nodded in agreement. He was sure Sakura could do it besides.
"Hoe? Knowledge from within?" Sakura's face was bewildered.
"Yes. I have confidence you can do it and so does Xiao Lang," Erase assured her gently.
"Um, okay. I'll just think really hard I guess."
"You do that." Erase waited until Sakura was deep in thought before continuing. "Xiao Lang I heard she is now having that dream too. I have to agree with Mirror that's so morbid."
"I didn't ask you," Syaoran said menacingly.
"What dream?" Sakura asked obviously distracted. She was staring very hard at a point in the distance.
"You'll remember soon enough," he told her. Unfortunately.
"Okay."
"Erase why did you erase her memories?"
"I already said," Erase smirked.
"Yes, I know, but why did you say that?"
"Don't forget who taught you how to talk in circles Xiao Lang."
"I thought that was Time."
"No, that crazy old coot gave you the dubious gift of his unique brand of humor. Although I hesitate to call it such." Erase sniffed in disdain.
"I think he's funny."
"Exactly my point. It's sad really. He's too strange to be funny."
"Are you saying I'm too strange to be funny?"
"Well, kind of, but you're a lot cuter than old, wrinkly Time."
"I think I've got it!" Sakura exclaimed.
"Really? That was quick," Erase said doubtful.
"It's abracadabra isn't it?"
Both Syaoran and Erase exchanged looks of disbelief. "You're not serious, are you?" Erase asked her eye twitching.
"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Kinomoto-chan, that is not even close!" Syaoran said slowly.
"Alakazam?"
"No."
"Open sesame!!"
"Look you have to use your wand to turn Erase back into a card. Try to thinking along those lines."
"Oh. Okay."
"She's kind of ditzy, in an absolutely adorable way, mind you," Erase commented.
"Yeah," he agreed distractedly.
"Don't agree with her, Li-kun!" Sakura reprimanded him.
"Yeah don't agree with me Xiao Lang," Erase teased. "Unless, of course, you're agreeing with adorable part."
"Just hurry up and figure out what to say already," he grumbled. Mirror and Erase had always been annoying. He imagined they were as annoying as his older sisters would have been if he had stayed in Hong Kong. He didn't remember them well though. Someday he hoped to fix that..
"I'm trying. It's not like I know what I'm looking for, Li-kun," she said obviously irritated.
"Not my problem."
"I think you must have driven me crazy! That's why I can't remember you!"
"And yet here I am. All ready to do it again." Sakura looked like she was going to explode. "Aren't you trying to do something?"
"Leave me alone! Go walk around or something," she said fed up.
"But you weren't worried about losing me?"
"I got over it. Go! I need to concentrate."
"Oooh, sent to the dog house, Xiao Lang!" Erase jeered.
Syaoran ignored her and went for a stroll. He wasn't sure how long it lasted, but eventually the never ending white around him disappeared. He found himself facing Sakura and Erase. Erase was bouncing around her excitedly.
"You did it, Kinomoto-chan! I'm so proud of you! I knew you could do it!" Erased said with enthusiasm he thought only Daidoji could beat and that was only a maybe.
"Ano, it was nothing. I think I may have done something like that before."
Erase just squealed.
"Er, weren't you supposed to become a card or something?" Sakura as hesitantly.
Erase laughed. "I did. Remember? I did back there."
Sakura 'hoe'ed. "I meant why aren't you still one now?" Sakura was scratching the back of her head.
"I decided to leave that form."
Sakura sighed. "But, like, why?"
"I have to make your friends reappear. Besides don't you want your memory back?"
"Hoe!" Erase laughed again and Syaoran bit his lip to restrain his amusement. There was only one Kinomoto Sakura.
Everything turned white for a second before Erase dissolved back into a card and Daidoji and one of Sakura's other friends popped into existence in between Syaoran and Sakura.
"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura cried as she gave her best friend a death squeeze.
"Good to see you too Sakura-chan, but we've been together this whole time."
"We have?"
"Are you alright, Sakura-chan?" the friend he couldn't identify asked. He believed she was the one always beating up Yamazaki for some reason. "Do you need to sit down? Drink some water?"
Sakura laughed uncertainly. "No, no. I'm fine Chiharu-chan."
"Well, if you say so," the girl replied reluctantly.
"Hello, Li-kun," Daidoji greeted. Sakura and the other one turned to face him. Sakura scowled at him I guess she's still mad.
"Hello, Daidoji-chan. How is your hike going?"
"It's swell, but you know, I could swear we were just somewhere else."
"Me too," he said with a smile. Daidoji blinked at him.
"Li-kun!" Sakura scolded.
"Er, what do you mean by that, Li-san?" the girl asked him nervously.
"Oh, nothing. I suppose," he said casually as Sakura murdered him with her eyes.
"Oh, alright then," the girl said obviously disturbed.
"Li-kun!" He turned around to and saw Yamazaki walking quickly over to his position. Blue Bly followed at a much more relaxed pace. "Where did you go? You just disappeared into thin air!"
Syaoran didn't even have anytime to reply because the girl he didn't know whacked Yamazaki smartly on the head. Syaoran winced. He hoped Sakura didn't get any ideas from that girl. "Stop making things up!"
Syaoran felt sorry for the guy. He was actually telling the truth and this girl just sentenced him without a trial. "But Chiharu-chan, I wasn't lying."
The girl, Chiharu, growled. "Yeah, yeah. You weren't lying. I so believe you."
"But really. This time-"
"Ta-ka-shi-kun," she said drawing out the name. "Shut up."
Yamazaki examined her for a moment before smiling at the rest of them. "Alright." He shrugged. "Li-kun, come on. Let's get back to our hike."
Li just nodded. He waved bye to Sakura and Daidoji over his shoulder.
Tomoyo and Sakura sat next each other on the steps leading to their cabin. Tomoyo examined her friend closely. Sakura seemed to be contemplating something. She been quieter since that strange part of their walk where Li just popped up. "What are you thinking about, Sakura-chan?"
"Today the Erase card pulled me into a pocket of nothing, you and Chiharu-chan as well."
"Oh," Tomoyo said amazed. That something that fantastic had occurred without her realizing. It was almost unbelievable. "I don't remember."
"She erased your memory. She erased my memories of the last month so I had to find the magic words within me. Knowledge from within."
Tomoyo sent a sideways glance at Sakura. They'd been friends as long as she could remember. She'd never seen her so thoughtful, tranquil almost. "How did you find this knowledge?"
"It was like I was reaching very far away. So far away that I could never reach it and still, I somehow did." Sakura clutched her Clow Key in her hand. "It was warm. When I finally found it I couldn't stop thinking of my mother. I think somehow I've done it before. Reaching like that, but I can't remember when."
"My Sakura-chan looks so mysterious in the moonlight," Tomoyo said happily as she considered her friend soaked in the half moon's rays.
"Uh, thanks, I think, Tomoyo-chan." Tomoyo could see her blush lightly and fidget a little.
"This knowledge from within. Do you think you'll need it?"
"Well, Erase kind of implied I would."
"Sometimes I wonder what road Li-kun and the cards are leading you down."
"You think they're leading me somewhere?"
"Don't you?"
Tomoyo watched Sakura as she paused obviously thinking.
"I asked Li-kun the other day about my question. About how he communicated with the cards when the were sealed up." Sakura picked up a pebble on the stair she was sitting on and rolled it between her pointer finger and thumb.
"And?"
"He said the book was made to seal Clow Cards in and keep people out," Sakura said clearly vexed. She flicked to pebble hard into a nearby bush.
"But we already know that." Tomoyo's brain was thinking. Why would Li tell them something they already knew?
"I know! And then he's like 'Consider the possibilities.' before he skips off into the night!"
Tomoyo giggled. "Li-kun didn't skip off to anywhere." It was ludicrous to imagine him skipping even without his scowl.
"That's not the point, Tomoyo-chan."
"Daidoji-chan, I hope you're charging your camera right now. Shot has been dying to play baseball for a century."
Tomoyo and Sakura's attention were drawn to the path running in front of their cabin. They could see Li's practically running away. Apparently he didn't want to stop and chat.
"Er, Sakura-chan, what do you think he meant by that?"
"You expect me to know?"
"Sakura-chan watches Li-kun as carefully as I watch her," Tomoyo said bluntly.
"Tomoyo-chan!"
"Sakura-chan is blushing!"
"Tomoyo-chan!"
There were many activities planned for all day sports competition and baseball happened to be one of them. Sakura thought back to Li's words the night before. Shot has been dying to play baseball? What did that mean.
She was still wondering that when she got up to bat and none other than Li was pitching. She swung her bat a few times before stepping into the batter's box. Instead of pitching her the ball, Li walked up to her. Baffling everyone including his teammates.
"The goal is to get to home base without being tagged out," he said seriously.
"Er, I know Li-kun. I've played before," Sakura said embarrassed. Did he think she was stupid or something?
"I just thought I'd warn you," he replied before returning to the pitching mound. He threw a curve ball she swung at and missed, but his next ball, a fast ball, made contact with her bat. It was flying high and far. It was going to land past a line that would make it a home run. At least it would have if it hadn't started floating mid-air and turning to careen back at her with impossible speed.
"Shot has been dying to play baseball for a century."
He meant the Shot Card and it was coming right at her!
"The goal is to get to home base without being tagged out. I just thought I'd warn you."
That meant. She watched the ball continue to speed her way.
I need to run!
Sakura started running to first base and she could see out of the corner of her that the ball had changed course. "Hoe!"
She managed to get to first base, but continued on to second. She realized regardless of whether she was technically safe the Shot was challenging her to get to home. She could hear her teammates cheering her own even if they sounded confused to how the ball was chasing her like that.
She was almost to second base when she felt the ball behind. She did a back flip and then cart wheeled into the out field before zigzagging managing to pick up second base. To get to third she had to run all through the out field. She even had to move someone's hand so they 'caught' the ball briefly detaining it was she ran over third.
Home was an eternity away and every time she got close the ball was there! Finally she managed to jump over the ball after charging just landing on home base before she felt the ball lightly bump into from behind.
"Safe!"
Everyone including the other team burst out into applause. No one was quite sure what happened though. Even though she felt exhausted she quickly picked the ball, the ball that had chased her across the field. "Shot, could you stay in there just a little longer?" she whispered.
She fell a small wave of energy from the ball that sounded like an enthusiastic yes.
She smiled evilly.
Her smile was downright maniacal the next inning when Li came up to bat. The pitcher had wondered why she wanted to switch with them, but had reluctantly given up the position. Maybe it had been the unusual glint I her eyes.
If Li noticed her malevolent smirk he didn't show it. He quickly raised his bat.
"Okay. Let's give Li-kun a little of his own medicine."
She threw the ball straight towards the strike zone. Li smile smiled just a little before he bunted the ball! She was confused. Obviously he knew what she was doing, but bunting didn't give him a very big head start.
She could watched reluctantly amused as Li ran the bases like she had, but taunting the ball the whole time, calling it slow and blind and stupid ect. At first the class looked on dismayed as another ball (they didn't realize it was the same ball) was chasing another student around and that the said student was talking to it, but by the time Li slid to home base the whole class was cheering him on like they had her.
Li picked up the ball and ran up to her.
"Here. I believe this is yours."
"Yeah, thanks."
Toya rubbed his face wearily. He'd been aware of magic since he could remember. He'd always known things. Sensed things. He was surprised Sakura was just now becoming aware of her power. It took a magical book shoved in her face, but she was finally starting to realize.
He didn't like it.
His thoughts stray to a monster of a different sort. Demon. That boy he was leading his sister into danger. Toya should kill him, but he couldn't. He didn't think it was the boy's fault. He didn't feel that way. Besides he trusted him for some reason. He like him.
"Probably because you met me before I met your sister."
Toya snorted. That might have been true to a point, but was almost like-Almost like they'd almost met before. Like he saw him in a crowd and was going to talk to him, but something came up. The crowd left. They didn't talk after all.
Sakura her magic was growing and he could feel it, but it had always been strong. Lately it was like when she was younger. When she did things that he couldn't even understand.
He remembered a time when his mom was still alive. Sakura had turned three a couple months before.
Sakura was sitting at her mother's feet in the living room begging to stay up. Insisting she wasn't tired even though her words were slurring together and her eyes were practically closed. Toya thought his sister was a silly little monster sometimes. He would say stupid, but her innocent charm stopped him from thinking it, if not saying it. It was his duty to tease after all.
His father was away at a conference at a university in China, but mostly to visit an old friend of his.
He looked at his younger sister it was eight o clock and it was obvious she was tired. He felt proud of his ten year old bedtime of 9:30. Sometimes he would stay up until ten and no one was ever the wiser. She was sitting cross legged bouncing a little despite her weary state.
"Okaa-san, pleeeeeeeeaase."
His mother smiled gently at her. "Well okay. Come up here sit next to me, but I don't want to hear any whining when we have to get up early to go visit Aunt Sonomi and Tomoyo-chan."
Toya snorted. Sakura never wanted to get up. He wondered if it was because her dreams were that great or if it was just part of being a monster. Stomping through the house probably is tough on a body, especially a girl one.
"Hai!" Sakura chirped, even though he and his mother knew she'd be asleep long before the hour long show was over, but she surprised him. She managed to watch the TV blearily the whole hour and even demanded to stay up another hour! But she might as well been sleep talking because her eyes were closed.
"Sweetie, I think it's time for you to go to bed," his mother said tenderly as she pushed some hair off Sakura's forehead. "You're tired." The small girl was slumped into her mother's lap.
Sakura shook her head. She frowned, but her frown was her stubborn one. It wasn't the one for things like defying her bedtime. Toya knew all her frowns and smiles, but this one was strange. It seemed afraid and sad and oddly determined.
"Silly, Sakura-chan," his mother cooed tapping her nose, but she didn't giggle like she normally would. She slowly sat up and looked straight ahead with unfocused eyes. "Sakura-chan?"
Sakura shivered like she was cold. "It's cold, but Okaa-san and Onii-chan are warm."
Toya shuddered. Her voice sounded so far away. What was she doing? He hoped she stopped soon.
Sakura hand lifted and reached forward like she was trying to grab something from the air.
"Sakura-chan what are you doing?" his mom seemed worried and knew he was. Sakura didn't even blink. She started whispering under her breath. Murmuring words that he couldn't quite catch. His skin prickled.
His mother used both her hands to gently turned her daughter face towards her own. "What are you doing?" she repeated. His mom looked more dismayed than he'd ever seen her. Did she too feel the foreboding that was creeping in light a late autumn after a forever summer.
Sakura's outstretched hand flexed and she leaned forward a bit. What was she trying to reach?
"Sakura-chan what are you doing?" There was fear in his mother's voice. He felt afraid. He knew Sakura was doing something dangerous. Starting something perilous.
Sakura's earlier frown had dissolved, but it was replaced with another. Her puzzled one. And then her worried one. She shivered again. Was she cold? It was the end of June, nearly July.
Her small hand clenched like she'd just grabbed a string out of the air. He felt something, someone? She seemed like she was pulling something closer even though her arm remained out.
"Sweetie, what do you see?"
"Far away." A hesitant, unsure smile settled on her face.
"What's far away?"
Sakura's smile became more and more. She was glowingly with happiness. That presence.
"What's far away, Sakura-chan?"
She didn't respond.
'Hello.'
Toya jerked. He heard a voice. His mom didn't seem to notice, but Sakura did. "Hello," she said softly.
"Sakura-chan, who are you talking to?"
'Where are you?' The voice was a boy's. A small one.
"I'm here. I'll be waiting." Toya felt dread sink into him. Something bad was going to happen.
"Waiting for what?" Toya knew his magic wasn't exactly like his mom's, but hers wasn't anything like Sakura's. And still she knew to be scared.
"He's coming." Sakura intoned before blinking back into a sleepy expression. She looked up confused at her mother's concerned face. "Okaa-san are you alright?"
His mother quickly gave her a tight squeeze. "Of course. Are you?"
Sakura looked a her befuddled. "Of course for a moment I was very warm."
"Warm?"
Sakura smiled, but her smile was mysterious beyond her years and outside her intentions. "Like you and Otou-san."
His mother let out a weary sigh, but mentioned nothing of Sakura's weird behavior. "Well, time for bed."
But Sakura was already asleep on the couch.
"Like you and Otou-san."
What did she mean by that?
A knock on his office door brought him out of his revelry. "Come in."
Demon walked in without even a hello.
"So my dad tells me something was up with my sister before she left for outdoor class."
Li just nodded.
"Do you know what it was?"
He nodded again.
"Well?"
"It was a dream."
"Wouldn't the dreams of someone like Monster tend to be prophetic."
"Yes."
"What was the dream about?"
"She gets murdered."
"By who!?" Toya growled.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to let it happen." Totally not answering not his question.
Toya sent him a suspicious look. He didn't exactly distrust his words it was just he was pretty sure he was missing a very big piece of the puzzle. "Okay, you won't let it happen. Is there anything else you think I should know."
Li remained silent for minute before saying, "The tiger is sending someone. It doesn't really matter, but he will be dangerous."
"He doesn't matter, but he's dangerous?"
"It can't be helped."
"Seriously, can you answer a question normally?"
"I can answer a question normally."
Toya heaved an annoyed sigh. "Anything else before you go?"
"Not really."
Li stood and had his hand on the door knob before Toya said, "Wait!"
"What?"
"What's that stuffed animal I've seen Sakura with? It has a strange aura."
"Oh, that's Kerberos. He's the Guardian Beast of the Seal. Anything else?"
"Uh, no."
Li was gone.
"The stuffed animal is alive?" What exactly was his sister caught up in?
A/N: So yeah. If you've noticed I've given the Clow Cards more human personality than they might have had in the show, but I figure they had a lot more exposure to humans in this story so they'd probably act more like them. So next chapter I'm going to introduce a villain. I'm so excited! Anyways bye.