"Taa daa!!" Todd shouted as he took the muffins out of the oven. "Now come and see the treats that I made...wait a second, that's not right!"

"That's not quite right." Madison said to Todd as he pondered the cook book. "What are you trying to make anyway?"

"Strawberry muffins...I was looking in the cookbook for a good recipe and I found one..." Todd said as he pointed to the picture. "My muffins look like a nightmare."

"Well...what did you do wrong?" Madison asked. "You followed the recipe right? You have to follow it or it won't work."

"No he didn't!" Kero smiled, pointing at the materials needed. "He put twice as much sugar as normal...he also used salt instead instead of baking powder and he used peanut butter instead of an egg. Oh right...we didn't have any strawberries so we used frozen peas, carrots and corn! He also burned them...oh right, there's also the..."

"Okay! Okay!!" Todd griped. "So I made a few short cuts...I had no idea it was going to turn out like this."

"I was wondering what those green, orange and yellow things were...at first glance, I thought they were rainbow colored chocolate chips!" Madison replied, poking them. "I'm sure they're good, though...can I try one?"

"Don't eat them, you'll probably brake your teeth or become poisoned or something." Todd stopped her from eating one. Todd threw them in the garbage and said. "That's not going to work. We'll need another approach. We have to another fund raiser to get us the money we'll need to get to the beach. Obviously baking is not an option for me."

"Well, I always get to go to the beach whether or not I have the money by fundraiser." Madison commented as she looked through her camera.

Todd looked and then heaved a heavy sigh. "I know your family is rich but you don't have to rub it in..."

"Well...I have to go home now. If I don't, then my body guards will station a world wide search for me...My parents do such un reasonable things when I'm late." Madison replied as she headed to the door. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, Todd."

"Yeah, bye Madison!" Todd called as she closed the door. He sighed again as Kero floated closer to him. "I hope we'll be able to come up with an idea in time..."

"Don't worry about it, Kid." Kero smiled as he floated around him. "Flower could make you a bunch of flowers for you to sell."

"Yeah, but that only got me 61 dollars." Todd replied. "It was about two months since I did that stuff...We need something besides what we've been doing."

"Well...maybe you could find or use a clow card that'll raise your funds?" Kero said. "You shouldn't use the cards for personal gain but...it'll also help others so it makes it okay!"

"That's good. I'll think of something tomorrow." Todd replied. "Clow cards or no clow cards...I'll help everyone out."

Miss Mackenzie finally made it home and taught Todd a lesson in cooking. It was a total disaster but she commended Todd's ability to try new things and not to give up. They ended up having leftover stew and they did the dishes. Todd then did his homework and that took almost two hours.

"Oh, man! I'm finally done that junk!" Todd sighed as he cracked his knuckles and put his homework away. Kero flew out from his room and yawned as Todd put his schoolbag in a place for easy pickup. "Okay...now what?"

"We play a game of Zylon warriors V!!" Kero cheered. "Thank you sooo much for buying it!"

"I was saving up for quite a while..." Todd mumbled as he changed into his pajamas. "Wait! It's a one player game...what do you mean we?"

"Well, in reality we actually means Me..." Kero grinned maliciously. "I...have waited so long to play it... you have to let me!"

Todd growled at him and sighed again. "Kero...you're a pain in the butt at times. We'll decide over a small matchup in Monster Battle 2000X. If I win, I get to play and if you win...you get to play."

Kero and Todd shook on it and the battle began. Todd had an easy victory and left Kero nearly in tears. "Looks like I win. Now for Zylon warriors..." Todd booted up the game and started playing.

Kero sulked in a corner, tears rolling down his face as he sighed. "Life is so SO cruel!"

Todd looked back at him and glared. "Don't give me that! Everyone knows you play the games the second I leave the house and for all day at that! Don't worry, you'll probably get to play for about eight hours or so when I go to school tomorrow!"

After about an hour of playing the game, Todd brushed his teeth and got ready. Then he went to bed and Kero flew in after him. Kero still had a grudge but it went away as he drifted into sleep.

A drop of water fell into a pool of black clear water as Todd's outline appeared when the ripples faded. "It's the dream again..." Todd found himself in his white suit with the cape and the turban. The silhouette floated above him in the lasin shrine and he looked up. "It's been a little while...so what do you want to tell me or what do you want me to do?"

"First...it's my idea that you should be tested. This test is a little different though...you will have to meet and fight the Harvester." The voice said with a little somber in its voice. "It's something you'll need to know later."

"Fine, so where is this Harvester?" Todd asked. "Is it a monster controlled by the Dark One?"

The Harvester walked into the lasin shrine and he smiled in a very defiant way. He was a slim boy of about 12 years and had messy looking blond hair and clear blue eyes. He was dressed in a ragged way. He had boots and a tunic that covered mostly his shorts and shirt. He also wore what looked like a large scarf that covered half of his chest and he wore a hat that was pointed at the top and had a flower sticking out the back. If his clothes weren't dark green, they were brown and red, all the colors of autumn. "So you're that Todd kid huh? Not much to look at..."

"Look at yourself! You look like a scarecrow!" Todd commented brashly. "I gotta fight a punk huh? You a follower of the Dark One?"

"Don't you even dare ask that! I'm not one of 'them!' Draw your weapon, let's get this over with." Harvester commanded. "I don't have all day."

"You sure are grouchy..." Todd mumbled as he summoned his spear. "Spear of Todd...power of magic...power of light...surrender the spear, the force ignite! release!!"

"What a stupid chant." Harvester commented. "Whatever make you happy, I guess..." Harvester took out his weapon which was actually quite large for it to be hidden so well. The weapon had a small handle in the middle with two blades curved on each side, each in the opposite direction. The weapon also looked as though it could be thrown as well as used for short handed combat. He took a stance much like that of a ninja. "I call this thing a 'viper.' Show me your best!"

Todd took a defensive stance and took out the jump card. "I think I'll need this..."

Harvester jumped back and leaped at Todd, intending to slice him up. Todd used the Jump card to leap out of the path of the viper. Harvester slashed at him with the viper repeatedly but Todd kept evading it. Todd sighed and thought. "I'm not going to just keep dodging... but I don't want to get hacked into kindling...What am I gonna do?"

"You realize that you can't beat me by evading my attacks..." Harvester shouted in a way that almost seemed smug as he continued his deadly strokes. Harvester took his foot and somersaulted off of Todd's chest. The force knocked Todd back and he thudded to the ground. "Here we go! Now element! Fire!!" Harvester threw an ofuda up in the air and brought down the point of the blade on it, sending a blast of fire at Todd.

"Shield card!!" Todd slammed the Shield card and it formed a blue barrier that deflected the fire. "Now...Magic missile!!" Todd raised his spear up and the tip formed an orb of light which he flung at Harvester, hitting his viper and knocking it out of his hand. Harvester jumped at Todd and used a flurry of martial arts moves that Todd had to either block with his spear or evade. Harvester swept Todd's feet out from under him with his leg and he took Todd's leg with his hands. He swung Todd around and launched him. He went flying into the pond and splashed down on the corner of the Lasin Shrine. "OW!!"

Harvester jumped back and took his viper which was sticking out of the ground. "Force, know my plight...release the light!! Lightning!!" Harvester launched a lightning bolt from his viper and it hit Todd in the chest. Todd screamed in pain as electricity coursed through his body and the water around him. Todd attempted to get up and stumbled out of the pond but fell to his knees and hit the ground. He groaned and whimpered a bit.

"If you can't beat me, you haven't a chance against the Dark One...or the one who will test you when...IF...you manage to collect all of the clow cards." Harvester replied and then rushed at him and placed his foot on Todd's head gently and decreed in a sardonic tone. "Victory goes to me...you're quite the disappointment. I was hoping for a more challenging fight." Harvester jumped to the Lasin slab in the center of the courtyard. He turned to Todd who looked at him weakly. "I have nothing more to say to you but to train harder." He threw a smoke bomb down and when the smoke cleared...he was gone.

The silhouette reappeared and showered sprinkles of light and Todd felt warmth from it. Todd gained the strength to get up and he asked. "So...did I fail the test?"

"Yes you did..." The silhouette replied. "It is not surprising though...because Harvester is extremely talented at battling. You'll have to battle him again later...You shall see the morning light..."

Suddenly the Lasin Shrine flooded with light. Todd started to float and was carried away. He looked on at a giant alarm clock. It buzzed and buzzed and Todd screamed from the noise. He woke up, practically jumping out of bed. Kero went into his room and said. "Rise and shine!!"

Todd groggily uprose from his bed and groaned as he searched for his uniform. "I hate uniforms..." Todd changed and rushed to the bathroom. He washed up and ran to the dinner table and saw today's dinner was... toast and cereal. The table was still set in a fancy way though. "Leave it to Miss Mackenzie to turn a normal breakfast like cereal and toast and turn it into something special."

"Thank you!" Miss Mackenzie replied as she smiled warmly. "I couldn't think of anything else...Guess what? Your Mom is coming home in three days!"

"Mum?" Todd said, smiling. "That's great! So I guess it's farewell in a few days huh?"

"Yes, let me say that you have been a pleasure to baby sit. You're a very polite and respectful boy!" Miss Mackenzie smiled as they finished up dinner. "...I'm also happy to see you've made so many friends, it's only been...4 or so months but you've already learned everyone's name and you're fitting in wonderfully!"

"Thank you!" Todd bowed. "I really like it here!"

Miss Mackenzie looked at her watch and put the dishes into the dishwasher. "It's almost time for school, you ready?"

Todd was helping her load the dishwasher up. He looked up and smiled. "Yeah! I got all my homework done and I'm ready to see everyone at school. I wonder what were going to decide on for the next fundraiser?"

"You can figure that out in class, I'm giving a period to getting ideas for the next fundraiser." Miss Mackenzie replied as they walked out the door. They drove to school and Todd jumped out of the car and walked up to everyone else.

"Did you think of anything else?" Madison asked. "Oh, guess what? The doctor said that I'm in great shape! Sorry I wasn't there when you fought the change card. I heard it became really complicated!"

Sakura and Li smiled at her and Li said. "Yeah it was, I got the opportunity to be a girl for the day...it is NOT an easy thing!"

"Well now you know how we feel sometimes..." Sakura smiled at him.

The bell rang and everyone went inside and to the lockers. Todd ran into the class and sat down next to Sakura and Li sat on the other side. The desks had been arranged in groups of five and within moments, everyone sat with their friends. Tatea had to sit with Nikki, Chelsea, Zachary and Rita while Jeremy sat with Jaki and Mashou as well as two other guys. Miss Mackenzie walked in and first period began. The teacher taught science and everyone was formed into lab groups in a starch testing experiment and it turned out reasonably well. The period ended and within moments, Social Studies began.

"Why aren't we talking about the fundraiser?" Todd moaned as he put his head down on the desk. "Man...I hope this period goes by fast." It didn't, and Todd and Sakura had to attempt to stay awake through that class. Lunch arrived and everyone ate their lunches indoors.

"It's getting colder..." Todd said as he looked outside. "This is creepy, it's nearing summer and it gets colder..."

"That's because we live in Japan!" Madison smiled. "You know that winters become summers and summers become winters."

"It's actually pretty cool!" Sakura said as she ate some of her sandwich. "We get the Christmas months off here!"

"Christmas months?" Todd asked. "That's pretty cool I guess..."

Zachary saw them and went to sit down. "So have you decided on an idea for the fundraiser?"

"No..." Todd replied. "If only I had an idea..."

"You know...it reminds me of a legend that I know." Zachary smiled as everyone else sighed and prepared for another fib: Zachary Brand. "It is definitely a true legend! I'll tell it to you! There was a king name Midas who gained the ability to turn whatever he touched into gold!"

"Into gold?" Todd asked. "I don't believe it..."

"It's true! I kid you not! Anyway, it was fun for a while. Midas then found out that even things like food and family turned into gold at his touch so he couldn't touch anything he loved anymore and he starved to death. I guess the moral of the story is that who you love is more important than gold."

"I wish WE had some gold!" Sakura wished. "We could pay for the trip in no time!"

Zachary had already finished his lunch and he started to leave. "Just don't wish for the golden touch!"

From outside, a girl was looking in, she was dressed oddly, like a woman dressed in a very puffy dress. She looked at Todd and grinned at him in a mischievous way. She dashed out of sight at that.

After a little while, the lunch bell rang and everyone went back to their classes. Now was the perfect time to talk about the fundraiser and it was done in Japanese class. Everyone was happy and respectful at first but then opinions conflicted and fights and debates broke out. Miss Mackenzie sighed again as she had to ref everyone again and saw Todd's table and smiled at how they were acting.

"Have you decided to do something?" Miss Mackenzie asked.

"Well...we're going to sell flowers again..." Sakura replied. "I don't know what else we're going to do though..."

"You'll surely think of something." Miss Mackenzie smiled.

The next class was a breeze, it was music and went along swiftly. Everyone was let out of the school and Sakura and Li were walking home. Sakura looked at the autumn colors the cherry trees were bringing out and the crisp winds blew. "So...Li..." Sakura started. "What do you think is a good idea?"

"Whatever you want to do, Sakura..." Li said, sort of blushing. "I'll back you up on whatever the decision is."

"I wonder if...we could go out for some ice cream and talk over it..." Sakura asked, blushing a bit. "So do you want to?"

"... yeah!" Li replied, smiling a bit and blushing some more. "So are we going to invite..."

"No, just us." Sakura replied, interrupting him.

*       *       *

Todd was walking home by himself and he smiled as he felt the crisp breeze. "This is really a nice place..." Todd didn't know it, but he was being stalked by the girl who had been watching him earlier. She followed him, smiling eerily leaping over the wall into Kyodon. Todd got to the gates of Kyodon and sighed. "I wonder what Sakura's doing? She wasn't around when school was let out..."

Todd entered the gates of Kyodon where he was attacked. The girl tackled him to the ground and he cried out. "Ow! What in the world are you doing!" She smiled mischievously and took out her wand. She tapped him on the forehead with it and jumped back to see him glow an orange-peach glow. "Ugh...what did you do? You're...a clow card aren't you!?"

She laughed and jumped back again. Todd took out his key and started to chant his release chant but she was gone by the time he summoned the spear. "What did she do to me? Todd pushed open the door in and suddenly the handle turned into the head of a huge lollipop which the stick became the handle. Todd stepped back and said. "This is getting weird..."

Todd walked up to the brick and touched it. The brick turned into a brick of chocolate. "Whaaat?! I seem to have the power to turn whatever I touch into candy. This is the work of a clow card! Argh, how do I find it?" Todd took the fly card out of his pocket and slammed it with the spear and white wings grew on the spear's head. "I'll risk flying by day..." Todd hopped onto the spear and took to the sky and looked around. He saw the card duck into a candy store and Todd set himself down in an alley near there. Todd opened the door and the knob turned into a giant gum ball. Todd shrugged and went into the candy store and a man working there asked him. "What'll it be?"

"Excuse me, did you see a girl dressed in an odd dress jump in here?" Todd asked, trying not to touch anything.

"Um...she left in a hurry." The keeper replied.

Todd saw her and she gasped. "I'm gonna get you for this!!" Todd shouted as he began to take chase. Todd started to chase her, with each step he took, he left a small pile of candy on the ground. As they rounded the corner, the girl darted toward an ice cream Store and Todd chased after her.

Inside the ice cream store, Sakura and Li were sitting at a table Li had a scoop of vanilla and Sakura was enjoying a banana split. "Thank you for paying for this Li..."

"No problem..." Li blushed a little and then he started to say something. "Sakura...I...I...I....I...I...I... I...I...I..."

"Spit it out Li!" Sakura beamed. "...I...what?"

"I...I love you..." Li replied almost babbling while blushing very red.

All of a sudden, the clow card leapt into the window and crashed into Sakura and knocked over the table. Todd ran into the store and struggled to catch his breath. He touched the wall and it turned into a giant slab of gum. Li stared at the wall with disbelief and Sweet jumped onto the counter. Everyone in the store looked at her and she giggled. Li and Todd ducked under a table. Sweet sprinkled the whole store in dust and transformed everything the dust covered into candy of some sort. Todd peeked up from the table and positioned his spear. "Now it's time for you to be captured!!"

Li took the pendant out and chanted. "Force, know my plight! Release the light!!" Li's pendant turned into his sword. Li gasped when he looked at Sakura lying on the ground. "Sakura!!"

Sakura was a giant chocolate statue. Todd frowned and said. "It's gonna be okay..."

Sweet shook her head at that and threw more powder in the air. Li took an ofuda and said. "Now element!! Ward!!" Li's ofuda summoned a barrier that surrounded him and Todd and protected them from the dust.

Todd positioned his spear and chanted. "Return to your power confined!! Sweet card!!" Todd brought his spear down and a clow card formed on the end. Sweet got drawn into it with a glowing pink mist. Sweet's picture appeared on the card and Todd took it. "It knew it was you..."

When Sweet was captured, all of the candied objects and people went back to normal with a glowing flash. Todd sighed and said. "Wow...that was weird, everyone fainted!"

"...Ugh, I don't remember a thing!" The ice cream guy mumbled. "Oh well..."

Todd, Sakura and Li left the ice cream store and were walking through the park. Sakura blinked and Li seemed a little depressed. Todd wondered what was going on. Sakura asked. "So it was the sweet card huh?"

"Yeah, the Sweet card went sour!" Todd smiled. "Another card went tainted by the Dark One..."

"I don't remember anything that happened..." Sakura said. "I remember I was in the ice cream store...but I don't remember anything after that."

Li sighed and almost shed a tear while they were walking. They got to the Kyodon manor and Todd turned and his eyes lit up. "I know what we could for our fund raiser!! We can sell candy grams!! I'll get the Sweet card to make up some candy! We'll also sell flowers care of the the flower card!"

"Hey! That's a great idea!!" Sakura replied enthusiastically. "We'll get the stuff ready this saturday!"

They all smiled triumphantly and they went their separate ways. On friday night, Sakura was getting ready for bed, she had several thoughts in her mind. "I wonder...I wonder what that dream meant? I wonder what Li said to me in the ice cream store? I'm sure I'll find out soon enough..."

Sakura fell into a deep sleep and found herself entering a forest. She looked at the beautiful trees and their canopies allowing sun in in pleasant beams. The wild flowers of blue, white and pink were everywhere. She walked down the road pondering weather or not this is the same forest that she was in before. She saw a river and a cute little country bridge that arched over it. The water was as clear as crystal and there were a few fish in it.

She crossed the bridge to see that down the road was the fork in the road which she encountered earlier. "This HAS to be the forest from which I dreamt of before...but where is that mouse like thing from  before?"

"I'm right here." A familiar voice called from behind her. "My name is pikachu..."

"I hope Kid's WB won't sue us for letting you be in here..." Sakura smiled, annoyed. "So what do you want?"

"This dream is supposed to tell you something. There are two paths that lie in front of you, you must choose one and only one in order to proceed any further. You can't go back either, you must be able to choose a path and you can't regret it or else it'll destroy you in the long run."

Sakura blinked at the yellow creature and walked away from it and sat on a large rock. She looked at the animal running up to her and asked. "Does this have anything to do with the clow cards or with magic of any sort?"

"You might put it that way but not really..." The pikachu replied. "You'll have to find out yourself..."

Sakura suddenly woke up to her alarm clock and she rubbed her eyes. She groggily got up and dressed in a nice outfit for the fund raiser. Tori called her down for breakfast and she went down the stairs. "Good Morning Tori!"

"Morning, squirt..." Tori replied. "Do you know what day it is?"

"It's Saturday!" Sakura replied as she poured herself some cereal. "The day in which we're going to have our fund raiser."

"Rats! I was hoping you forgot...and made some plans for today and I get to ruin your day by telling you that you need to be responsible by doing this fund raiser." Tori replied, sipping some coffee. "Well...you'd better go, I'm going to get ready to clean out my car, boy what a drag."

Sakura finished her breakfast and strapped on her roller blades. She skated all the way to school where everyone was setting up. Sakura saw Madison first and greeted her. "Hi, Madison! Sorry you didn't get to see that card capture!"

"It's okay, clow cards come around in the weirdest places sometimes." Madison replied, checking things over. "Isn't it great? We've got both a booth here and a delivery part. You, Todd and I are in charge of that, since we all have in line skates. Li and Meilin are in charge of the deliveries of both the flowers and the candy grams."

"That's great..." Sakura smiled as they walked to their table who had lots of people around it. "How's business?"

"Okay Sakura..." Meilin began, handing Sakura a long list of people and then showing her to the candy grams, there was a mountain of them for her to take. "You'll have to send out these deliveries, you deliver the candy grams!"

"Am I supposed to deliver to ALL of these people?!" Sakura gasped. "...ohhh...this is going to be an exhausting day." She picked up the candy grams and put them in her backpack and began the candy gram run.

Sakura lurched through the door and whined. "I feel like soaking in a hot tub for at least two months..." She collapsed on the couch and Tori walked into the room.

"What? Is the little squirt tired?" Tori teased. "The fresh air must have been good for you!"

"Go crawl under a rock, Tori!" Sakura replied bitterly and sighed again. "To think I have to do this tomorrow..."

*       *       *

"The weather report today is a very strange one. It seems that a dense fog has rolled in from the sea. Visibility is very poor today so avoid any driving if you can." The weather guy said while pointing to the patch moving in on Tokyo and the surrounding towns, including Reidenton. "Have a good day but avoid the roads. All schools in the area are closed until the fog lifts."

"Woo hoo!! No school tomorrow!!" Sakura yelled out. "I still have to make the deliveries today though..."