Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Card Captor Sakura - Altered World ❯ Sakura's Wonderful Friend ( Chapter 2 )

Card Captor Sakura - Altered World

Notes: This fanfic will be S+S, and will deal with more mature concepts later on (not sure how bad, might change rating later). Read at your own risk. I'm poor; don't sue. I don't own CCS at all. Seems like a short chapter and a bit boring too. I'm less than proud of this. Hope the bit near the end makes up for it a bit. Sorry.

(Revised March 8, 2003)

Chapter 2: Sakura's Wonderful Friend

Beep. Beep. Beep. What a horrible sound…

"Sakura! Sakura!" called a voice frantically in an Osaka dialect.

Beep. Beep. Beep. So loud…

Sakura's arm reached out from under her covers and groped wildly for her alarm clock. Finally making contact, she grabbed it and flicked off the alarm. She stuffed her arm back happily into the covers and pulled them snugly over her with her hand. She burrowed into her bed for some more sleep in her drowsy state.

"Now Sakura, who set the alarm for seven o'clock? Don't you have to get up early?"

"Osaka dialect? No one in the house knows how speak it. Isn't Otou-san on an excavation trip and Onii-chan living in campus?" Sakura muttered as she sat up blearily in confusion.

She rubbed her eyes and noticed screen of her television was still a lifeless grey. A yellow blur floated impatiently in front o f her.

"A stuffed doll?" she said after blinking to attain a little clarity.

"You're still half-asleep! I'm Cerberus remember, Card Captor?" said the creature, waving its arms nonsensically.

"Muh? Oh right!" Sleep buried events of the last night suddenly reached the forefront of her mind. Rollerblading at an insane speed to catch a wild magical creature. Opening the Clow Book not knowing of its consequences. A teddy bear-like flying puppet manipulating her into her current position...

"The guardian of the Clow Cards! "

The covers flew off her violently as she shuffled out of her bed, staring at Cerberus.

Shouting hysterically, she wailed, "You don't understand, I can't be a Card Captor! Despite what you may think, I'm not capable of this!"

"Oh! What a modest person you are! Weren't you able to return Fly here?" argued Cerberus proudly presenting Fly with his hands as it flew in front of him.

"It was horrible and you tricked me into this!" The newly found Card Captor protested, clenching her fists. There was a short dramatic pause. "Wait, what time is it?"

"It's five past the hour," replied the doll nonchalantly.

"Ah! I haven't made breakfast and lunch, and I have clean-up duty!" she cried, desperately shoving her closet door open in search for her school uniform. After nearly mauling Cerberus in her frantic rush, she slammed the door.

Cerberus smiled smugly. End of discussion.

From then on, there were only the sounds of feet pattering, pots and pans crashing within the house. Oh, and the occasionally yelp of 'Hoe'.

*****

"Tomoyo! Tomoyo-chan!" called Sakura as she slowed her rollerblades, approaching her friend of many years.

"Ah, Sakura-chan!" A smile was instantaneously lit on her friend's face. Daidouji Tomoyo, rich daughter of the president of Daidouji Industries, makers of toys across Japan. Elegant was the only word to accurately describe Tomoyo; unfaltering polite words left her lips. She bore long, graceful hands, pale alabaster skin, and sweeping dark grey hair. When her melodic voice sung, it could warm anyone's hearts during the coldest nights. Most importantly, she possessed a kindness most could not compare with.

"Ah, no videotaping in the morning, please!" said Sakura shyly, blocking her face from the camera with a hand.

And a quirk no one but herself could quite understand.

"But my dearest Sakura-chan is so cheerful and cute in the morning! Please give me permission to film you!"

"Uh. Ah, okay," agreed reluctantly Sakura, knowing from Tomoyo's pleading dark eyes she wouldn't be able to refuse.

"Sakura-chan is very kind!" chirped Tomoyo, joyfully redirecting her lenses at her yet again.

"Hoe," said Sakura as her face tinged slightly red.

As they walked slowly through the corridors of Seijou High together, Sakura wondered at the surprise meeting with her dearest friend. "Tomoyo-chan, what are you doing so early in the morning anyway?"

"I have to assist my darling Sakura-chan for clean-up duty," said Tomoyo mischievously with an unnerving glint appearing in her eyes. "Besides I want to show you something I caught yesterday at night."

"H-HOE!" Sakura screamed her trademark sign of distress.

"Why are you be so loud, Sakura?" complained a fuzzy yellow thing, clutching his ears in distress as he popped out of her book bag.

Silence claimed the hall.

Sakura and Tomoyo stared at Cerberus wordlessly before Sakura quickly shoved the protesting guardian into her bag, made way to the nearest empty classroom.

There was a lot of explaining to be done….

*****

In an otherwise silent classroom, on Tomoyo's camcorder replayed Sakura flying on a staff, wearing only her jammies as Cerberus soared beside her.

"My Sakura-chan is a mahou shoujo! I can see it now! Glorious Sakura-chan protecting the world from evil, fighting off Clow Cards with her brilliance and I will be there to tape every wonderful moment of it!" cried Tomoyo with her hands clasped to her chest and star-struck eyes.

"T-tomoyo, keep it down will you?" pleaded an incredibly embarrassed Sakura, waving her right hand up and down meekly.

Ah, but it was too late. There was no stopping Daidouji Tomoyo in this state.

Soon Magical Girl Card Captor Sakura would be screened on Tomoyo's widescreen television.

*****

Two high school students and a doll sat in a secluded corner of Seijou High at lunch. A wall covered one side, and many trees concealed their activities. Cerberus had finished explaining the phenomenon of Clow Cards and Sakura's duties as a Card Captor to Tomoyo, who was captivated by the idea.

Tomoyo cocked her head towards Cerberus, half-hidden in Sakura's schoolbag.

"You know, you don't seem to match your name very well," mused Tomoyo thoughtfully as she examined the guardian.

"Yeah, he's more like a Kero," blurted Sakura carelessly.

"Don't call me a frog!" shouted Cerberus indignantly. "I am Cerberus, Beast of the Seal, guardian of the Clow Cards," said Cerberus with his small stubby hands on his equally thick hips, demanding respect and... failing with his 'flying teddy bear with large ears' appearance.

"Anyway, Sakura-chan, can I see your magic?" inquired Tomoyo with harmless curiosity.

"But..." trailed Sakura uncertainly while glancing at Cerberus.
"It's alright Sakura. Just do it quickly. No one will see," said the flying object, waving away her concern.

Sakura sighed in defeat and quickly transformed her wand, causing the key to elongate.

"Oh, you are amazing!" said Tomoyo while she clapped in delight. "You can use magic with this wand right?"

"Not without the cards," replied Sakura with a sigh.

"Do you have a signature pose? Mahou shoujos must have signature poses and spells!" cried Tomoyo, gesturing with her hands excitedly.

Sakura prevented an unhappy groan from escaping.

Oh, what a day…

*****

The next morning soon found Sakura, and despite her misgivings about her newfound situation, so far it was rather harmless.

"Good morning, Chiharu-chan, Rika-chan, Naoko-chan.," greeted Sakura as she slid the door open her classroom and paused, stunned at the sight.

The classroom was in a complete mess; papers were strewn across the floors and desks. The desks were all piled in the middle of the room at various angles. It would take nearly all day to clean up.

Never mind…

*****

Night soon fell over the city, and Cerberus found it was perfect time for the second appearance of Card Captor Sakura. The shadows cloaked the school building, causing the scenery carry the tone of various shades of grey to black.

"Are you sure this is the work of a Clow Card, Kero-chan?" asked Sakura, unhappy that she had to sneak out of her house so late at night.

"Positive. I can sense the aura of it," said Cerberus with self-assured confidence.

Sakura glanced sideways at the other intruder on the school grounds. "Tomoyo-chan, you know that you really shouldn't be here."

"I'll be okay," assured Tomoyo, hefting her camera.

Sakura swept a hand over her torso, gesturing at her outfit. "Do I really have to wear this costume?"

Tomoyo stared pleadingly into Sakura's eyes. "I wanted Sakura-chan to wear my costumes for so long! Please?"

"Ah, okay," said Sakura raising her right hand sheepishly behind her head. She murmured in a quieter voice to herself, "I'm so embarrassed with this."

"Sakura, the aura seems concentrated in the centre of this opening. That statue, I think," said Cerberus, pointing a finger towards Sakura's school.

The group crept cautiously towards the school, black figures lined by the moonlight. Out of nowhere, the statue raised itself off the platform and flew towards them. They dove to the side to dodge it, and the statue collided the ground, marking the cement with an indent. The statue appeared to hover for a moment before it sped towards Sakura ruthlessly. Sakura leapt to the side, falling on the ground and barely missing the impact. She blinked, was something lifting the shadow of the statue?

"Sakura! It's the card Shadow!" warned Cerberus.

"Kero-chan, take care of Tomoyo!" She called before she began chanting. "O Key which hides the forces of darkness, reveal thy true form before me. I, Sakura, command thee under contract. Release!"

There was a sudden giggle of delight. "Kawaii! I got Sakura's magical girl pose!"

Sakura fell onto the ground with a thud upon Tomoyo's remark. She'd never live this down… Sakura lifted herself and held the staff in front of her defiantly. She threw the card Windy into the air. The shadows on the ground before began to expand;, growing longer despite the angle of light had not changed. The shadows gathered, wanting to swallow her in darkness.

"O wind, become a chain of admonition! Windy!"

Windy formed out the card. Wisps of wind speed towards the rebellious card. Tendrils of air attempted to entrap Shadow and failed. However it successfully blocked the shadow's attempts to entrap Sakura.

"No good, use fly and run Sakura!" called Cerberus worriedly, as Shadow began to split into streams.

"Fly!" Sakura jumped upon the winged staff, and elevated quickly into the air. Shadows rose along with her and shot up, smacking against the staff. Sakura wobbled on the staff and managed to regain her balance, flitting away from the dark mass to escape.

Cerberus watched Sakura's escape attentively. He spoke quietly as he saw her barely dodge another attack, "This is bad, it seems that Shadow has gathered the shadows of the students to use at its own disposal. There is no way that Sakura can fight against so many enemies at her level. Shadow's weakness is light, but it's night and..."

"Leave it to me," said a voice determinedly from his side. He swerved his head to the side, to realise his companion was gone.

"Wait, what are you doing Tomoyo?" yelled Cerberus as Tomoyo ran past the double doors which lead into the school.

Sakura was doing badly. She was getting tired by the effort to flee. Even as she flew higher, strands of shadows would raise upwards, along with her. She had barely dodged the last one by a few centimetres.

From within the school shadows picked up desks and threw them around her sides, making it impossible to change her direction. There was only upwards to go.

Five strands surrounded her and she knew she wouldn't be able to dodge. She was going to be swallowed whole into the darkness.

Click. There were the rapid sounds of switches being flicked on. Sakura shielded her face, as her eyes were suddenly overwhelmed by artificial light.

"Sakura-chan, I turned on all the floodlights!" called Tomoyo's voice from a window.

From below, Cerberus shouted, "Sakura, the card is in its true form! Seal it now!"

Sakura swooped down towards the black hooded figure, reminiscent of the figure of Death. The shadow shot tendrils of itself in an attempt to divert her but Sakura successfully dodged them, sweeping side to side. She landed solidly onto the ground and raised her staff. "Return to thy true form. Clow Card!"

Shadow began reverting, black streams breaking apart and gathering into a faint outline of a card. The card flew into Sakura's free hand.

*****

From a nearby tree, a messy haired boy stuffed his ofuda back into his belt. It was a good thing that she was able to catch the card without his interference. A thunderstorm would drain a lot of his energy not to mention the officials wouldn't be happy with the damage he would have caused. With the sweep of his hand, his sword disappeared from sight. Syaoran watched the cheering girl in pure contempt. She was so helpless that she needed help from other people, even without the power. She was unfit to be the Card Captor. He briefly contemplated on letting her have a little accident with the Clow Cards so he could become the new Card Captor. No, despite his dedication to his task, he couldn't allow the demise of the girl so he could fulfill his duty. He would have to watch over her though. She was incredibly careless and clumsy. He winced, to watch over her fulltime meant that he would have to go to school... And he hated the Japanese language with a passion. The Chinese boy glowered as she talked animatedly with her friend. It was entirely that disgusting weakling's fault.

*****

"Good morning, Tomoyo-chan!" said Sakura cheerfully as she entered the Audio Visuals room, "I have something for you to thank you for last night... ERK! You videotaped me running away!"

On the television screen, Sakura was running comically away from the mass of shadows.

Sakura collapsed onto the ground, eyes closed as she contemplated her bad fate.

"Of course! I cannot let any precious moments of Sakura-chan escape my camera! I have to prepare your costume for next time! Perhaps I should add more frills and maybe a few ribbons..."

Glossary:

Otou-san - feminine way of saying Father
Onii-chan -Informal feminine way of saying brother.
-chan - Denotes affection, common between children and girls when older.
Mahou - Magic/Magical
Shoujo - Girl
Kero - Japanese for the sound of a frog croaking.
Ofuda - Warding paper that Syaoran uses for magic.
Seijou High - High school that Touya and Yukito attended.

March 17, 2001, Christine Chan aka Kinomoto Sakura of Ffnet