16 October, 2000

Card Captors

"Dimensions"

By : The MOUSE........................... October 28th Dear Diary, Today had promised to be a weird day and I wasn't disappointed in the least. I woke up this morning, terrified by a dream... a vision of things to come. I saw my own death, but that was after the part that terrified me. Syaoran vanished in my vision. All that was left was his sword. I don't know what that Clow Card is that can do that, but I know I have to stop it... for Syaoran's sake. *sigh* To make matters even stranger, when I went out to skate around a bit to clear my head, I got that strange feeling again. And there was Syaoran, just up the street. It's like we know when the other is around. He and I later shared minds... sort of like... I don't know, but I liked it before the vision came. It was just so soothing to have him so close. It's like we were one. *giggle* He showed me the most beautiful place in the whole city. It's in the park. It's like the whole place is alive and breathing, but it's not scary. It feels... I don't know how it feels really, I just know I like it there... alone... with Syaoran... Oh, dear God, I love him so much... but I can't tell him. No, not can't. Unable. I am such a wimp when it comes down to that. His engagement to Meilin used to be my excuse to keep it a secret, but he told me the whole betrothal was annulled a year before he came to Japan. But now I know he has a crush on someone else. I waited too long to tell him. Have I lost him for good?

Sakura bit the tip of her pen as she read over the words she had just written. She smiled sadly and closed her diary, shoving it into the back of her desk drawer just as a tingling sensation touched her senses. It was stronger than the first time she had felt it that morning. Sakura shook the feeling away, knowing full well there was no way he would come to her place. Her Onii-chan, Touya, would see to it that he never made it past the front door. She didn't understand why Touya hated him so much. Prejudiced against the Chinese? No, Touya had to be more tolerant than that. She shrugged mentally to herself. She would have to ask him about the reason. She turned to look at a small, animated stuff toy totally engrossed in a video game. His long thin tail and tiny wings twitched every so often with concentration. She chuckled lightly at the sight.

"If he could only put half that kind of concentration to figuring out your vision, we'd be set." a voice suddenly stated from her open bedroom window.

The toy yelped in surprise as Sakura nearly fell off her chair. They both looked to the window to see Li Syaoran sitting comfortably on the window ledge, seemingly both guarding from exterior attack and watching the happenings inside the room. He wore the warrior's uniform of white, yellow and green of the Li Clan. Sakura suddenly felt very self-conscious about the baggy pale yellow pyjama she was wearing.

"You Chinese brat! I was almost to the next level!" the small animal berated angrily.

"Kero, hush!" Sakura hissed and stood slowly as she watched Syaoran's face. His frown did nothing to hide the turmoil she knew he was going through, his eyes averting from hers to stare at his hands folded in his lap. Small talk first, Sakura. Don't jump in, let him tell you when he's ready, she thought as she forced a smirk. "And how long have you been there?"

A fake grin touched his lips. "Not long. I was out patrolling, see if maybe I could find that card."

"To try and catch it without me no doubt."

A genuine mortified look crossed his face as he looked up at her. "I would never."

She blinked at this, but decided to dismiss the entire thought with a wave of her hand. "Find anything out there?"

"Nothing. Not even a glimmer."

"I guess... it's one of the more powerful cards. They're better at hiding themselves. Right, Kero?"

"On the nose." the now flying creature replied. "The cards you already captured were some of Clow Reeds early attempts at creating the Clow Cards. Sort of like practice until he could figure out how to concentrate more power into an obedient card. Speaking of cards, ever figure out which cards you fought in your vision."

"We did figure out one." Syaoran answered, heavy sorrow underlying his voice.

Kero looked at him strangely. "She told you her vision?"

Sakura balled her fists on her hips indignantly. "Of course I did. He knows just as much about the Clow Cards as you, Kero. Besides, the vision involves him. It's only fair."

"Oh, right, the part where he gets swallowed up. Couldn't happen to a nicer gaki."

"Kero! Apologize right now or I permanently take your video games away." she snapped. Kero seemed to go into a panic and went down on his knees to beg forgiveness. "Not me, Kero. Apologize to Syaoran."

"Nani? Me, apologize to the Chinese Brat? As if!"

"Kero..." she began in warning.

"No, it's okay, Sakura." Syaoran stated to stop her.

The Mistress of the Clow and the Guardian Beast of the Seal both froze to look at him. Kero was confused at Syaoran's sudden lack of willingness to get into an argument, but thought it best to change the subject back to the vision. "Um... so... which card in her vision was what?"

Syaoran struggled with his words. "We figured out the card that killed her."

Sakura blinked at the sound of pain in his voice.

"So what was it?" Kero demanded.

Syaoran closed his eyes tight. "The Death Card."

"Nani?! No, that can't be possible! She can't face that card until she has more experience! No, she just can't--"

"Don't you think I know that!" Syaoran snapped, coming eye to eye with the diminutive creature. "I know what'll happen if she faces it now! She'll die and I don't want that to happen anymore than you do! I care too much to let her get hurt!" He suddenly blinked, his brain catching up with his words, his face beginning to register shock. Oh, no...

He could feel Sakura's eyes on him, watching him in curiosity, about to ask him the question he had no courage to answer just yet. But before she could utter a word, a call was shouted out into the night. All three of them crowded around the window to see who the caller was. She passed under one of the street lamps, suddenly becoming visible in her white fighting outfit. Syaoran groaned in dismay, pulling out of sight around the window's edge, while Kero grunted and turned to his video game. Sakura blinked in surprise.

"Syaoran! I know you're out here! Where are you? Syaoran!" the girl called over and over relentlessly.

The Card Captor looked to her friend as he banged his head slowly on her wall. "Meilin? Didn't you...?"

"Hai, I did tell her." he sighed and sat against the base of the wall. "She didn't believe me. I even called home to the Elders and asked them to please explain the whole situation to Meilin. They did."

She sat next to him. "And...?"

"And... The only thing I can say about all this is she's obsessed. She has to be! I keep telling her no and her twisted little brain says hai instead."

"I thought you were going to call me afterwards. I could've helped."

"And have Meilin try to kill you for it, literally. I may resent you for being the Card Captor, but not by that much."

She grinned. "Domo."

He shrugged. "And it's kind of hard to get near a phone guarded by one very jealous Cousin. The only one left was in her room and there was no way I was falling for that trap."

"Ne, she could make it very hard for you and your mystery girl."

He smirked at her. "Don't even start. I'm still not telling."

She smiled. "Hey, a girl can try." and she stood to walk back to her desk. "But, as for the problem with Meilin, you have to admit it, Syaoran. You don't really make it easy for a girl to resist you." Sakura froze, a blush creeping up her cheeks. She couldn't believe she had just admitted that. Onegai, don't ask! Onegai, don't ask! she pleaded silently.

"In what way?"

Eep! she winced mentally, her blush deepening, keeping her back to him. "Um... you just do."

She heard him stand. "No, c'mon, tell me so I can do the complete opposite and maybe get Meilin to stop hanging off me, literally. What am I doing?"

She toyed with a pen on the desktop, not daring to look at him. "Nothing, actually. It's... it's just the way you are."

"The way I am? What do you mean, the way I am?"

"Um... well... you almost never smile or talk much... unless it's to Tomoyo and I about the cards... even if the other girls at our school don't have any magic, they can still feel your strength. Strong, silent type. It's... um... it's very attractive. That, and you look so... well... so kawaii! Any girl would consider herself lucky to be with you." she ended in a hush, hoping he wouldn't hear.

But he did since he was standing so close behind her. "Any girl?" he asked softly, his fingers gently brushing the back of her hand.

She blushed again, a smile tugging up the corners of her lips as she cast a furtive look to him from over her shoulder. He looked so hopeful standing so close behind her. There was a sudden loud commotion coming from downstairs, soon followed by the sound of someone rushing up the stairs to Sakura's room. Curious, Sakura got to the door just as it flung wide open, knocking her backwards. Syaoran caught her in time before she hit the floor and Kero hovered before her in protection. A raven haired girl stood in the doorway, a bundle of fabric thrown over her arm, a video camera in her other hand. She was breathless from an obvious run. She looked up at the three and shock registered on her face at the sight of Syaoran in Sakura's bedroom, holding Sakura from behind.

"Tomoyo! Don't you ever knock?" Kero chided. "You made me lose my game... again." and he shot an evil look at Syaoran who was reluctantly letting go of Sakura.

"Gomen, Kero, but I had to get here as soon as I could. Quick, turn on the TV at channel twelve."

Sakura did so on the small television where Kero's game was hooked up. It was a news cast. "... Again, citizens are urged to stay away from King Penguin Park due to a rash of unexplained robberies. Swing sets, two slides, and a merry-go-round have all gone missing. Sketchy eye-witness reports say the object were swallowed up by a dark cloud, but investigators are denying any such phenomenon exists. If anyone has any information on these thefts..."

Daidouji Tomoyo turned off the television set. "That's what brought me over here. I thought maybe it was a Clow Card..." and she turned to face Sakura who was suddenly a very pale shade of white. "Sakura?" she questioned in concern.

Syaoran peered at the Card Captor's features in worry. "Are you okay?"

She pointed to the television, her hand trembling in shock. "That's it." she rasped.

"What's it?"

"The vision... it starts there, right now."

* * *

The last male descendant of Clow Reed stared at the closed door with growing anxiety. "C'mon, hurry up! That Clow Card won't wait at the park forever!"

"Good!" came her muffled reply from the bathroom. "If it leaves there then maybe we can change the vision!"

"Good theory, but if it leaves then we might not be able to find it again!" and he went to stand by the window to wait.

"By the way, Touya says he's leaving for the rest of the weekend, something about a study date! He says you have the house to yourself for the weekend!" Tomoyo called to her friend.

"Figures! He meets a new girl and off he goes to try to impress her!" Sakura called back.

"Anything to get him out of the house for a while, I say!" She then turned to Syaoran and watched him for a moment, then smirked at a positively coy thought, training her camera on the young warrior/sorcerer. "So, Li, any particular reason why you were here, in Sakura's room, this late in the evening, without her Onii-chan chaperoning?"

He didn't bite to her bait, keeping his frown as he stared out the window in the direction of the park. "No reason."

"Oh, c'mon! When I walked in you were holding her!"

He redirected his frown at the violet-eyed videographer. "I caught her when you knocked her back opening her door like you did."

She smirked coyly. "Yeah, right, like I believe that."

"It's the truth!"

"That you're willing to tell me. But there's a real truth there, a deeper truth, and I'm going to find out what it is."

Syaoran sighed. "You've been watching too much X-Files."

"Way, way, too much X-Files." Sakura corrected as she appeared from the bathroom.

Tomoyo chuckled silently to herself as she made sure to record Syaoran's reaction to the outfit she had made for Sakura. His jaw looked about ready to hit the floor and keep right on going through it. Awe-struck. A shiny, silk like fabric of a rival green to the Card Captor's eyes made up the mid-thigh length tunic. Cherry blossoms were embroidered against the shoulder, a horizontal row of buttons sewn on the other shoulder. The sleeves were short, barely past the shoulder. Underneath was a tight, black bodysuit with built in gloves. A red belt, a pair of red wrist cuffs, and a pair of red ankle boots completed the outfit. Sakura looked herself over critically in the mirror behind her door and sighed, tightening the green ribbon in her hair.

Green and red. Just like in my vision. She called forth her wand and turned to her friends with a determined expression, Syaoran's words echoing in her mind. "You've had visions like this before, some of them were far worse than this one. But we beat Fate over and over again. We'll beat this one, just like all the others."

He was right. When they stood together against the cards they could accomplish anything they set their minds to.

"Let's get this over with." she announced and walked purposefully towards the window where Syaoran was standing.

"Nice outfit." she heard him breathe only moments before he leapt out of the window into the night.

Sakura blinked in utter surprise. A compliment? From Syaoran? A smile crept over her lips as a light blush warmed her cheeks. A rare treat. She released The Fly from its card to her wand, both she and Tomoyo climbing aboard before following Syaoran into the dark yard and then out into the street. Kero clung to his Mistress's shoulder, ready to aid and advise at a given moment. The Mistress of the Cards then re-sealed the Fly Card. From there they began to run for King Penguin Park. Kero floated off ahead of them in an attempt to help locate the mystery card. Within seconds he had completely vanished from sight. As they ran Syaoran risked a glance to the beautiful Mistress of the Cards. She seemed apprehensive and deep in thought. His perpetual frown deepened in concern.

"What's wrong?" he questioned, still running.

"Nothing! Just a feeling!" she replied.

"About?"

She blushed. "I just can't get rid of the feeling that I'll never see you again after we seal this card!"

He turned his head to see her running at his side. She seemed to be holding back tears. He looked ahead again and grit his teeth. "I made a promise to always be there when you needed my help!" he admitted. "I intend to keep that promise, Sakura! No matter what!"

She looked at him in surprise. She didn't remember him making any such promise to her. Did he say that just to reassure her? Or had he taken this vow privately? He pulled ahead of them, coming to a sharp corner in the park's surrounding stone wall. He pulled back out of sight of whatever was beyond. The two girls approached silently and carefully peered around Syaoran and the corner. Two police cars and a few police officers on foot were right in front of the park's entrance.

Syaoran hissed a curse in Chinese. "It's probably like this at every entrance." He looked at the wall. "If we can't take the easy route in, then we'll take the harder route."

"Way ahead of you, Li." Sakura stated as gave Tomoyo a boost up over the wall.

He blinked a small smile at this. She had anticipated, good!

"Meilin's not here. Do you think that might mean the vision changed?" Sakura asked the last descendant of Clow Reed.

He shook his head slowly in a negative. "She'll show. It's one of her most annoying traits, showing up when she's not wanted or needed."

She sighed heavily. "Here's hoping tonight's an exception." and Syaoran boosted her up.

She sat on the wall for a moment, stretching her senses out all around her to get a feel on where the Clow Card was hiding. Hopefully it didn't know she was there yet and wasn't hiding itself very well. She was nearly overwhelmed by the warm feel of Syaoran's bright aura when he jumped onto the wall next to her. Even over that she managed to get a slight glimmer of sensation from the rogue card and another more powerful one before she reeled in her senses quickly. She rubbed her temples in pain. Syaoran looked at her in worry.

"You okay?" he asked. "Did it attack?"

"No... I just forgot to block you out before I tried to find it."

He looked apologetic. "But did you manage to sense it?"

"Hai. It's over that way." and she pointed West. "At least, one of them is."

"One of them? They're both here?" She only nodded. "Great. Just perfect." he grumbled and they leapt off the wall together.

Tomoyo brought her video camera up to her eye and began recording her favorite subjects, namely Sakura and Syaoran. They groaned quietly at their friend's persistence to always tape them during a card capture. She was right on their heels as they dashed through the park's small woods in the direction the Mistress of the Cards had indicated. The park seemed to be teeming with police officers, searching for any sign of an intruder or the mysterious thieves who were running off with some of the park's equipment. The trio stopped under a large bush to look around and catch their breath.

The young warrior/sorcerer of the Li Clan grumbled under his breath. "I'm starting to feel like I'm escaping from a prison state with so many cops around."

Sakura smirked. "What, you've tried before?" she quipped.

He gave her a mock-suffering stare. "No, of course not."

She bumped her shoulder to his gently. "Lighten up, Syaoran. I was kidding." She looked at all the flashlight beams cutting through the darkness and frowned. "This'll be a challenge. Catching either one or both Clow Cards without attracting the attention of the police."

"We've done it before." he shrugged.

"Hai, we did, but then the police were never this close before."

"Then I'll used the Time Card and freeze time long enough to do the capture. They'll never know we were here."

"You'll be drained."

"And I won't be able to catch any of the action." Tomoyo added in protest.

"Complaints, complaints..." he muttered.

Sakura suddenly grabbed the front of his shirt to force him to look her in the eye. "Now you listen to me, Li Syaoran." she hissed.

He blinked at the intensity of her voice and stare. It was unusual to see this kind of forceful display from her, but at the same time it was quite exciting.

"The Time Card drains you of your power each and every time you use it. These new cards are strong ones and I don't know what one of them is or what it can do. You have infinitely more knowledge on these things that I do. I need you to be a hundred percent in this to help me." Her voice lowered even more so only he would hear. "I don't want to lose you."

He blinked at the genuine fear he saw in her eyes. "Sakura..."

"You said you'd always be there when I needed you. Don't break your promise now."

Syaoran could just stare at her for the moment, watching her fight with growing fear. He barely heard the soft whir of Tomoyo's video camera recording the whole scene. All he could concentrate on were Sakura's eyes, those beautiful orbs as clear and bright as the finest cut emeralds. Never leaving her eyes he carefully pried her hand off the front of his shirt and held it tight. The fear in her eyes seemed to recede.

"I never break my promises." he whispered.

A relieved smile turned up the corners of her lips at this. His perpetual frown vanished as he, too, began to smile. A smile from Kinomoto Sakura was more addictive than any narcotic, and a hundred times more pleasant. Tomoyo did her best to hold in her squeal of delight at being able to capture such a touching scene between them on video.

Now if I could only get them to kiss, she giggled inwardly. They're just so perfect for each other.

There was a sudden light cracking of twigs from behind the small group. The quickly whirled around only to find Li Meilin Rae standing there, hands on her hips, a scowl on her face. Sakura felt and icy chill race up her spine from Meilin's hard glare.

"And I find you with Kinomoto again!" Meilin shot to her Cousin.

He tackled her to the ground, his hand over her mouth forcefully. "Not another word, Meilin!" he hissed. "The park is crawling with police officers and we're not supposed to be here, but we have to find that card. The less noise we make, the better. So either shut up or it's up to you to explain to the cops what we're doing here, dressed as we are, while they take us to the police station. Got that?"

She nodded, her eyes wide in shock.

"Good. Now stay with Tomoyo." and he quietly crept back over to Sakura who had kept an attentive eye on the path just beyond the bush. "Can you still feel where it is?" he questioned her. "I'm not getting anything."

The Card Captor stretched out her senses once again, being careful to avoid Syaoran's aura this time around. Whereas she had gotten a faint glimmer from one of the Clow Cards the first time, she felt completely nothing this time. She frowned and shook her head slightly in a silent negative.

"Nothing?" he questioned in surprise.

"Not a glimmer. It somehow knows we're here now and it's hiding."

He cursed softly, looking around the woods quickly. "Where's the stuffed animal when you need him?" Then, "The other card from your vision is around here too, right?"

She blinked at him. "Hai, somewhere, just watching. What're you suggesting?"

"That we go after that one first and figure out a way to capture it. Get the really powerful one out of the way."

Sakura began to smile suddenly in understanding. "And alter the events of the vision. Syaoran, you're a genius." and she placed a quick kiss on his cheek. They both blushed furiously from the spontaneous action. The impulse had just been too strong for Sakura to deny. Then, recovering slightly, "Use your Laizen Board. It has a lot stronger magic than either of us so it should have an easier time finding that card."

He took out the magical item from a hidden pocket in his uniform and held it in front of himself, eyes closed in concentration, and began to chant softly.

"Magic board with ancient spin

Send forth the magic power within.

Force, know my plight

Release the light!"

A thin beam of blue light shot out from the center of the board, across one of the park's many walking paths and into the dense woods on the other side. The beam vanished mere seconds before a police officer came jogging into sight. Syaoran made a quick hand gesture to his friends with him and they all rapidly flattened to the ground, going completely still and quiet. The officer came closer, flashing his flashlight into the woods until he stood on the very edge of the path, his back to the hidden group.

"Could've sworn I saw something." the officer muttered.

Sakura tapped Syaoran's shoulder to get his attention. Then she pointed to the officer and placed her index on the center of her forehead. He understood the reference and shook his head in negative. He couldn't use magic to put him to sleep. She frowned, confused. He pointed to the officer, his own eyes, then made a motion to encompass their whole group. The officer would have enough time to see them before the spell took effect. She looked away defeatedly. He tapped her shoulder gently and she looked at him. Syaoran pointed at her, then his eyes, then down the path to her left. He then pointed to himself, his own eyes, and hooked his thumb down the path to his right. Sakura nodded in understanding. Silently they crawled under the dry bush, Sakura checking to the left and Syaoran to the right for anymore approaching officers. There were none in sight.

The Mistress of the Cards looked up at the officer, silently wishing he would just go away, then looked at his shoes at a thought. A sly grin turned up the corners of her lips as she stared at the laces. Snagging a long blade of grass she nudged Syaoran's shoulder, indicated the officer's laces with a nod, and tied a knot in the blade of grass. The young warrior/sorcerer looked at the officer's shoes, then frowned a knowingly sly smirk at Sakura. Being as careful as possible they both reached forward and untied the officer's shoes. Syaoran then took both pairs of laces and tied them together with a quick and solid knot. The duo then quietly backed off. Syaoran reached into another hidden pocket and pulled out a small glass-like sphere. In a quick move he tossed it down the path to the officer's left. The sphere exploded with a bright flash of light, immediately catching the officer's attention. He tried to race off to investigate, but toppled over due to the state of his laces. Syaoran was on him in a heartbeat, his hand coming down hard in a chop at the base of the officer's neck, knocking him out before he could see anything. Then, keeping a watchful eye down the path, he motioned the three girls with him to dash across the path to the cover of the woods on the other side. Sakura paused to stare at the unconscious officer in worry. Syaoran urgently grabbed her arm, being ever so careful not to hurt her in the process.

"He's fine, he'll just wake up with a nasty headache." he whispered to her as he tugged her towards the other side of the path. Green eyes met amber. "He's fine, I promise." he assured.

She squared her shoulders and nodded once to him. They dashed into the woods in hot pursuit of their friends already far ahead. They came to a steep incline leading to a clearing below it. Meilin, Tomoyo and Kero were there waiting for them.

Sakura smirked. "In all likelihood Kero's demanding to know where we are and what's taking us so long."

"Humph! And he calls me impatient."

She giggled and carefully let herself slide down the incline, doing her best to remain on her feet the entire time. Syaoran was a step behind her. The loose shale and sand-like ground gave just enough under their feet to allow for speed and control over the descent. Once on level ground again Sakura began to run towards her friends. She didn't feel the sensation of danger until it was too late. Her steps hesitated as the feeling began to wash over her, then she was thrown clear across the clearing into a tree by an invisible force. Stunned and dazed she tumbled limply to the ground. Syaoran growled menacingly at the invisible foe, interposing himself between the Mistress of the Cards and whatever it was that had attacked her, his sword held at ready.

Which card is it? he thought frantically. Is it Death, or the other one we were hunting for? And where is it? Out of the corner of his eye he saw both Meilin and Tomoyo debating whether they should rush over to try to help. "No, stay there!" he ordered. "It's a Clow Card so you're safer where you are!" Kero appeared on the young warrior's shoulder suddenly. "Why is this card only attacking Sakura and not me too?"

"She's the Card Captor and the Clow Cards can feel that. She's the one they all consider to be more of a threat than you because she has the power to bind them."

"Where is it? I can't feel it."

"Li, behind you!" Tomoyo suddenly shouted.

Syaoran whirled around in time to see Sakura shoot up from the ground, clutching at some invisible force at her throat. She seemed to be choking. His years of training fell into place and he analyzed the situation in the blink of an eye. He couldn't take a swipe at the enemy for two simple reasons: He risked accidentally hitting Sakura; and where was the enemy? Magic was his only option left.

"Raiden Shorai!" he called out, aiming his energy to where the invisible foe hopefully was. Don't hit Sakura, he prayed silently.

At his bidding a bolt of pure energy suddenly arced across the sky, coming down full force on the invisible foe not a meter away from the dangling Mistress of the Cards. The electrical force gave the enemy definition briefly, a hooded figure resembling the Shadow Card. It howled in agony, the first sound Syaoran had ever heard a humanoid shaped Clow Card make, and it released its prey. Sakura crumpled to the ground in a heap, gasping desperately for air through a bruised throat. Carefully scanning their surroundings Syaoran moved to her side and aided her to her feet by wrapping his arm around her waist. She wobbled on unsteady legs from lack of air.

"Are you okay?" he asked her gently, his voice laced with concern, not once looking at her.

She blinked in slight surprise at the worry she heard in his voice. "I'll... I'll be alright in a second. It took me by surprise." she told him as she looked around the clearing. "Where did it go?"

"You can't feel it?"

"No. You?"

"The same. It must be blocking us somehow."

"Why is it I get the feeling we're way over our heads here?"

A small scraggly bush suddenly caught Sakura's eye. It wasn't very interesting and she wondered why she noticed it so much...

... when it suddenly began to shrivel and decay before her very eyes!

She pointed her wand straight at the bush with a determined frown, drawing everyone's attention to the spot. "Death Card! Reveal yourself in your true form!"

A howl filled the air as a dark, cloaked figure materialized. In its pale white hands was clutched a long and sharp scythe. Sakura felt Syaoran's arm tightened around her waist protectively at the sight of the familiar weapon. It was just like in her vision. She risked a quick glance at the amber-eyed warrior and saw his jaw muscle twitch as he set his jaw in determination, his sword held before them both to offer some measure of protection. The Death Card hovered for a moment more, seemingly evaluating the youths, then charged straight at the Card Capting duo. Syaoran instinctively pushed Sakura behind himself to protect her and take the brunt of the attack, but the card completely ignored him. It easily flew over the warrior, making it known that its target was the Mistress of the Cards and no other.

Sakura swiped at the card with her wand, hoping to seal it before it could attack. But just as she opened her mouth to begin the sealing chant the Death Card easily dodged her swing, picked her up, and slammed her down hard to her back on the loose shale. She cried out as she felt the stone shards biting into the flesh of her back. Syaoran attacked the card from behind, preparing to slice it in half to help his beloved Card Captor. He never got the chance. The Death Card merely swatted him away into a tree as if he were nothing more than a fly, temporarily knocking the wind out of him, then turned its attention fully on his prey once again. Holding her firmly against the ground it dragged her along at a great speed, shredding her back mercilessly. It slammed her, head first, into a tree next and Sakura's world exploded in a flash of white before going dark and silent. Managing to get to his knees Syaoran looked up in time to see the impact. Her body arched in pain on its own, then fell completely limp and still. He couldn't tell if she was still breathing or not from that distance. His carefully disciplined world turned to red.

"Sakura!"

With a terrifying war cry he charged straight for the Death Card, his sword slicing towards it in a deadly arc. The card barely leapt out of the way, but Syaoran stayed with it relentlessly. There was no way he was going to let this card get away with hurting his beloved Mistress of the Cards. He had only one chance to make his attack really count. All his remaining strength and magic was focused at the Death Card.

"Raiden Shorai!"

The air seemed to explode with crackling electricity, greater than any attack he had used in the past, with the Death Card as ground zero. It howled in pure, excruciating agony from the powerful onslaught, then took off like a shot towards a weakened Syaoran, knocking him hard to one side against another tree, then disappeared into the dark of the woods. The young warrior/sorcerer breathed heavily, in pain and drained both physically and magically, leaning heavily on his sword as he struggled to his feet. It was over... for now. Tomoyo and, surprisingly, Meilin were already tending to the unconscious Sakura. Kero zoomed over to the last male descendant of Clow Reed, anxiety etched into his teddy bear-like features.

"She needs help... Now!"

Syaoran frowned in thought. Can't go to the hospital, too many questions to answer about what happened...Her Otou-san and Touya will be home tomorrow night... No, too long and they can't see her this hurt... She needs to disappear at least until Monday... He quickly went to Sakura's still form and picked her up in his arms, being careful of the bleeding wounds on her back. "We'll take her to my place." and he began to run before any protest could be voiced and just as police whistles began to fill the air.

At all costs they had to avoid the police. Meilin ran in front, setting the pace, while Tomoyo did her best to keep up with the two, trained warriors. Kero clung to Syaoran's shoulder to be able to remain close to his Mistress. She was still unconscious and losing blood. Syaoran was exhausted. He could feel his limbs trembling in fatigue, threatening to give out at any second. But he pressed on, holding his precious cargo tighter to his chest. Ahead, Meilin had reached one of the park's outer walls and was waiting for Tomoyo to help boost her over it. Despite his growing fatigue, Syaoran took a running leapt onto the wall, pausing for a moment to look back at his friends.

"I'm going on ahead. I'll see you guys at the apartment." he told them, then jumped off and disappeared.

Meilin growled as she helped Tomoyo over the park wall. "Hey, I'm not thrilled about being left behind either." the videographer told the dark haired warrior girl. "I risk missing out on some really kawaii shots between those two."

"Don't go encouraging them, Tomoyo!" she snapped. "Syaoran is mine! No one, not you or Kinomoto or him or the Li Clan Elders can stop us from being together! We're fated!"

"Him or the Li Clan Elders? Nani...? Oh, matte, he broke off his engagement to you, didn't he?"

Meilin begin to tremble in a mix of anger and sorrow. "He's confused. Japan is confusing him. I just need to get him back to China. He loves me, I know he does."

Tomoyo placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Of course he does. It shows. But it isn't the kind of love you're hoping for. He loves you, but more like he loves a little Sister."

"I want to be more that that!" she snapped, tears in her eyes. "Why can't he see that?"

"Meilin, Li was already starting towards a different road than yours long before you followed him here. Gomennasi."

* * *

Li Syaoran carefully peered around the edge of the alley to his apartment building. A crowd had formed near the front door from all the police racing to the park in response to the howls and the strange lightning show. He frowned. There was no way he could get by all those people unnoticed. Especially not with Sakura's bleeding body cradled ever so carefully in his arms and most definitely with a flying stuffed toy hovering at his shoulder. He went down on one knee to rest a bit, holding Sakura's limp form to his heart to support her. Her head lolled against his shoulder and he looked at her face. Her expression was pained, her breath coming in soft, shallow gasps, her skin pale. Syaoran cursed himself for letting this happen to her, tenderly brushing a stray strand of her auburn hair away from her face.

"Any ideas how we're going to get in your place now, gaki?" Kero demanded.

"Back off, fluff ball, or I'm sending you out there as a diversion... Hmm, not a bad idea actually."

"You wouldn't dare!"

Syaoran faced him, his amber eyes flashing impatiently. "You want me to help her or not?"

"Hai, but--"

"Then get out there and draw away the crowd! For the love of Kami, you can fly! All you have to do is stay out of their reach."

"Hey, you know, that's not too bad a plan after all. Okay, I'm entrusting Sakura to you until I get back. If anything more happens to her I swear you'll regret it."

"Oo, a threat from a stuffed animal, how terrifying." he mocked.

"Why you...!" But he caught himself and backed up. "No, later. Just keep her safe." and he flew off towards the crowd. Little by little people started to take notice of the small, yellow, winged creature and followed it as it hovered away from the apartment building. Soon Kero had the whole crowd enthralled. "That's right, people, follow the bouncing Guardian Beast of the Seal. Don't look away." He looked up slightly and saw Syaoran carrying Sakura rushing into the building. "Alright! Now to ditch this crowd." and he took off like a shot.

Inside the apartment building Syaoran was beginning to have more and more trouble walking, let alone seeing. His limbs felt like lead and they trembled despite his best efforts not to. His vision was blurred and doubled from exhaustion. He had drained himself pretty thoroughly in his attack on the Death Card. His magic was at its very weakest and he was using the last of his strength just to climb the stairs to his apartment. He struggled briefly with his keys to unlock the door, then carried Sakura inside.

Where are you going to put her? his muddled mind suddenly questioned.

Don't know yet. Couch?

Not very comfortable for such a lovely angel.

Good point. Guest room?

Too many people can go in and out without resistance. Meilin could see it as an opportunity to hurt Sakura. And you know she would given how much she hates her.

I don't want Sakura getting more hurt than she is. The training room?

Hard floors, no privacy... no.

All that's left is my room. He chuckled to himself. The nights I've dreamed of having her there. Too bad she's hurt and unconscious.

He took a step forward and stumbled. Syaoran struggled with himself to stay standing, but his legs refused to respond anymore and he collapsed into a sitting position with Sakura in his lap. He was so tired that he felt lightheaded. He struggled again to stand and his dizziness won the upper hand. He fell to his back panting for breath, fighting to hold on to the Mistress of the Cards now lying across his chest as bright spots played before his eyes.

Don't pass out, he repeated as a mantra. Don't pass out... Don't pass... out... Don't pass... Don't..."

And Li Syaoran passed out.

To Be Continued...