Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Neo Card Saga ❯ Chapter 3

Previously in the Neo Card Saga: Taki returns young Sakura home to her grateful mother, before returning to the more important task of recovering the Lightening card. However upon reaching Iori's house, he finds that the threat is far more immediate as the Lightening card headed for the hydroelectric power plant. As Hope once again outwitted the card and claimed it's power, a dark figure vowed revenge.

The Neo Card Saga: Chapter 3
The Cowardice Card
By Archangel Bloodraven

"Come on Taki get up. We're gonna be late for school." The soft yet insistent voice said shaking Taki.

"Not goin today momma." He mumbled burying himself deeper under the covers.

"The hell you aren't." A more masculine voice said gruffly as ice water cascaded over the sleeping teen shocking him out of bed.

"Good morning sunshine." Hika said handing him a towel and a fresh outfit. "What happened to your face?" She said fishing some concealer out her backpack.

"A card sliced me across the face. You know you could have just called." He sputtered toweling off.

"I tried. Twelve times. I had to have Yamato let me in." She grumbled covering his scars.

"Th-th-thank you Mr. Ice King." He said striding into the bathroom. "What time is it?"

"We're gonna be late if you don't get a move on." Hika called. "What happened last night?"

"Caught two cards in eight hours solo." He said yawning as he came out of the bathroom and threw on his shoes. "Took more out of me than I thought. Jasmine?"

"Right here Takeru." Spirit Hope said, her card flying from the jacket he had worn the night before to his hand. He tucked it into his shirt pocket as Hika handed him his uniform jacket and Yamato fielded him his bag. In a flash the two card captors were out the door and down the street.

***

In the classroom two streaks made it to their seats seconds before the bell rang. "Cutting it close there you two." Sensei said good naturedly.

"Gomen nasai, sensei san." The pair gasped in unison.

"Class we have a new student. I'd like you to meet Najima Sorato." Taki and Hika nearly dropped their jaws in shock, but fortunately retained their composure.

No way! Hika thought touching her spirit card to relay the thought to Taki. That's Ree's sworn enemy?

Don't let the pretty face fool you. She's probably got hundreds of years of experiences, and most importantly she wants those Neo cards. Stay sharp.

"Arigato Sensei san." Sorato said brushing her black hair down so it covered one eye.

"Why don't you take the seat beside Hikari."

Oh hell no!

Stay frosty. Until she knows exactly what we are, there's no need to blow our cover.

Fine! She snapped testily. I'll be civil.

Thank you.

But I don't have to like it.

***

Lunch found Taki and Hika sitting under a tree with the other ex-Chosen Children. "You have got to be kidding me." Miyako said looking over her glasses at them. "You're telling me that the new girl in your class is an evil sorceress out to steal the cards you're collecting? I think you need a little more sleep."

"Actually I think they're exactly right." Sorato said seeming to appear out of nowhere. "Light, Hope."

"We try not to advertise." Taki growled placing his bracelets lightly on top each other.

"And Ree." She sneered, not looking behind her.

"What are you doing here Sorato?"

"Finishing what I started. The Neo Cards, Ree. Where are they?"

"Scattered." Ree said with a funny half smile. "But you knew that didn't you?"

"I also know you can recall them. Do it." She said pulling a black and red card out of her vest. "Or I reduce your card captors to sniveling cowards."

"The cards obeyed me because I released them. Now it's up to Hope and Light, and they don't have the magic to summon stray cards. So if you do anything to them..." She trailed off with a chuckle.

Sorato looked furious for a moment then flung her card into the lunch crowd where it evaporated into a black oily smog. "Stop that." She snarled storming away.

"I knew that she'd show up sooner or later. Did you do something to your hair?" Hika asked.

"I thought I needed a new look." She said tugging at her now platinum blonde ponytail. "Are you wearing make up, Takeru?"

"Just a little concealer." He murmured, shaking his head no.

"Ah. I just wondered because I don't see the claw marks the lightening card gave you and I didn't think they healed that fast."

"What was that card?"

"The Cowardice Necro Card." She sighed. "It makes people deathly afraid of anything."

"Sounds like we're gonna have a time with this one." Hika said. "How are we gonna catch this thing if we turn into sniveling cowards?"

"These will protect you from the Necro cards, but you'll still be vulnerable to the Neo cards." She said handing them quartz crystals on a lanyard. As they each took one they glowed pink and gold respectively. "And they're interchangeable."

"Then let's get that card." Hika said looping the lanyard over her neck as the bell rang.

"Looks like it'll have to wait." Taki said slipping on his own crystal. "Sorato would rat us out in a minute if it gains her time to find the Neo cards." He said jogging back to class.

***

"I thought that day would never end." Hikari said stepping out the door as a mob bowled her over running in abject terror. "Although I am reminded of a previous responsibility." She grumbled as Taki helped her to her feet as a fresh mob charged blindly towards them.

"Jump." He said springing to the rooftop Hika following close behind.

"We've got to find that card before somebody gets seriously hurt." Hika said.

"Without knowing where to look? We'd be tearing all over Tokyo for no reason. We'd probably find all the other cards first." Taki said as his cell phone rang. "Moshi Moshi?"

"Takeru, this is Mrs. Kinomoto." The older woman sounded absolutely terrified. "It's Sakura. She suddenly ran into her room and she's huddled in the corner. Every time I go near her..."

"Calm down ma'am. The radio said that there's some kind of mass hysteria gripping the city. It seems Sakura's been affected. If it's all right I'd like to bring a friend of mine over. Maybe she can help."

"Yes please. Anything to help my little girl."

"We should be there in fifteen minutes. Please just try to stay calm." He said hanging up the phone. "We got a lead. Let's book." He said leading the way across the rooftops.

***

"Watch that last step. It can shatter your ankle." Taki said dropping into an alley. Hika landed in a kneeling crouch.

"No kidding. So who are we seeing?"

"A friend of mine. A little girl." He said ringing the doorbell. A moment later Mrs. Kinomoto dashed downstairs to open the door.

"I'm so glad you're here. She started wailing shortly after I got off the phone with you and she's barricaded her door."

"This the friend I told you about, Kamiya Hikari, Kari for short. Kari, this is Mrs. Kinomoto." Taki said as they entered the apartment to high keening wails. "Does Sakura's room have a balcony?"

"Yes, but the door is locked from the inside."

"I just hope she'll open it for a friend." He said stepping out onto the balcony.

"I hope you know what you're doing TK." Kari said.

You and me both. He thought jumping up to grab the bottom of the balcony above him and swung his legs to gain momentum before letting go and flying to grab the edge of Sakura's balcony. Kari gasped sharply as his grip slipped a moment before he heaved himself up.

YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN YOURSELF KILLED, YOU- YOU- Kari screamed through their link.

If I had made that a Triad jump, someone would get suspicious, not to mention I'd have probably broken off the balcony on impact. "I'm okay." He called as he stepped to the door. And Heeks?

Hika sighed, unable to stop her heart and anger from melting at the use of that pet name. Yeah, Taki Taki?

Thanks for caring. He thought, the sincere thought wrapping itself around her with the warmth of a summer breeze. She gave a goofy smile and a little waggle of her fingers as he tapped on the glass door.

"GOWAY!" Sakura shrieked.

"Something coherent at least." Taki said producing a knife and gently popped the lock from the outside.

He pulled the door open and slipped inside, shutting it quickly behind him. "Saki?" He whispered.

"GOWAY!" She roared again as he stepped slowly and patiently towards her.

"I'm not going to hurt you Saki. It's your friend Taki, remember?" He said reaching out to touch the frightened girls shoulder. In a flash Sakura coiled into the corner as far as she could before shooting out to slam Taki into the floor.

She's frightened, Taki. You have to comfort her. Jasmine said.

Of course. Fight or flight. She can't get out without going past me. He thought wrapping his arms gently around the kicking girl. She fought him valiantly, but he called on the power of the Triad crystal to hold her in a firm but unbreakable grip. After nearly an hour her howling subsided into whimpers and her thrashing to trembling.

"Taki I'm scared." She whispered.

"Of what, little one?"

"Everything!" She sniffled. "I don't like this."

"Come on." He said gathering her into his arms and unlocking the door. "No one's gonna hurt you here." He carried the frightened girl out to where her mother and Kari anxiously waited on the couch. Mrs. Kinomoto made to get up but was stopped by Kari's gently restraining hand. "See? Here's your mom."

"Who're you?" She asked turning a frightened eye to Kari.

The older girl got slowly to her feet and approached the frightened, tired girl. "My name is Hikari, but you can call me Hika if you like."

"What do you want?"

"She's my friend, Saki, and she'd like to be your friend too." Taki relaxed his grip on the young girl as Hikari took another step towards her and held out her arms. Saki pulled close to Taki for a moment before letting Hika take her in her arms.

The young girl tensed for the briefest of moments then settled blissfully into Hika's arms. "You smell like my old mom." Saki murmured as she drifted into a contented, exhausted sleep.

"What does she mean, her 'old mom'?" Kari asked as she settled onto the couch with the gently dozing child in her arms.

"I'm afraid that Sakura is actually my niece and not my daughter. Her parents were killed in a car crash and I was the only one willing to take care of her. She looks up to me like a mother though. I don't know what I'd ever do if I lost her."

"I think I know what you mean." Taki said laying a hand lightly on Hika's shoulder.

"I think she'll be all right now." Kari said. "More than anything she needs to know someone's there for her."

"So what should I do?"

"For now, just hold her. She just needs to feel secure." Taki said. "We better be getting home."

"Thank you both for all your help." Mrs. Kinomoto said as she gently took Sakura into her arms.

"We're glad we can help." Kari said following Takeru out the door. "She's a sweetie."

"And I've got a gut feeling, we'll be seeing more of her."

"I want Sorato." Hikari sad with a cold dangerous edge to her voice. "What kind of monster makes a child afraid of their own mother?"

"Yeah, well I can't control the cards once their cast." A voice said above them.

"Sorato." Kari snarled springing to the roof with TK close behind.

"Close light bulb. I'm Chaos." She was dressed in tight leather one piece body suit and her hair has pulled back in a pony tail revealing the black eye patch that covered her left eye. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize she was a card captor now, and imbued with her own brand of dark powers.

"Then I Hope you don't mind us shedding a little Light on the matter!" Hikari said. "NEO POWER!"

In a flash the two teens transformed into Hope and Light. "Where is the Cowardice Card, Chaos?" Hope said with a deadly even calm.

"Who knows? I didn't exactly give it any set orders, so it could be anywhere."

"Wrong answer." Light said drawing her sword. "We want the card. Now."

Don't let your feelings rule you, Light. That's what she wants. Hope thought.

I don't care! I want that card. The sooner we seal it, the sooner it will stop hurting people.

Can't argue with that. "Yes Chaos. Make our lives easier and tell us where the card is."

"You want the card? Fine. Cowardice Card, destroy these two!" Chaos shouted. A moment later the black oily smoke reappeared and formed into a feminine shape with a hideous face.

Ugh! If I had a true form like that, I'd be scary to. Jasmine said.

And just what is your true form?

You'll find out when I'm needed. Now focus on the fight. She scolded as he slung his staff off his back.

"Let's seal this thing and get out of here." Hope said circling around to attack the card from the rear as Light lunged at it from the front. Cowardice shot straight into into the air, causing the two captors to lock weapons for a heartbeat before shoving each other away.

"Is that best you can do?" The beast spat before releasing a sonic blast that ripped across the roof throwing up a dense cloud of dust and smoke. "Huh? Where'd they go?"

"Above you you dolt!" Sorato cried.

"Going down?" Light quipped as the two captors slammed the card into the roof forming a small crater.

"Looks to me, " The creature snarled whipping a long elastic arm around each captor. "that you two are all tied up."

"Any ideas Starfire?" Hope asked struggling against his bonds.

"Sorry, Hope. My hands are tied." She said groaning at her own lame pun.

"What a shocking situation." The card said releasing a massive electrical shock into the two captors.

"You're pretty tough when your opponents can't fight back." A voice said as a black whip coiled around the card trapping it and forcing it to release Hope and Light.

"That does it." Hope gasped getting to his feet. "This card is ours."

"NO!" Chaos shouted realizing what was about to happen.

Hope reached out and clasped hands with Light. Closing his eyes he began to convert the card. "Card of Power..."

Light took up the litany. "Card of Night..."

Together their voices rose into the final chorus. "Return, your power a force of right! Cowardice!"

In an explosion of light the creature vanished leaving a half a card and Chaos grasping her chest in pain. "You've thwarted me this time, but the Neo cards will be mine." She snarled before flipping off the edge of the roof as Hope and Light unconsciously reverted and collapsed against each other.

"It's okay. I've got you." Their rescuer said.

"Ken." Kari said drowsily.

"Let me guess, your Kindness right?"

"It seems our past caught up with us." Ken replied reverting to his civilian form as he handed the card to Hikari

"This is only a half a card." She said looking at it.

"Then our troubles are only just beginning."