"Hard day?" Julian cheerfully asked.
"You aren't mad at me for skipping dinner?" Todd asked.
"You did give a note. Sorry, but dinner was prepared two hours ago, I couldn't delay my stomach any longer."
Kero popped up from Todd's pocket. "Food? I'm starved!" He anxiously floated out of the pocket and made a bee line straight to the fridge. He opened it and looked inside. "Wow! Lasagna!"
Todd made a shocked look and stared at the VCR clock. 8:52 PM was the time. Todd was actually gone for most of the evening. "It's 8:52?! I'm really sorry, I had no idea that the capture took over three hours!"
"I understand, after all...some cards won't wait for you to finish dinner and do the dishes to play with them." Julian replied. "You'll have to microwave the lasagna..."
"Thank you." Todd replied as he ran to the fridge. He opened it and started snooping around. He espied the lasagna next to the mayo. He helped himself to a slice and microwaves it. The hot lasagna was ready to eat. He scooped off a bit of his huge slice and put it on a plate for Kero. "Here you go, you little remora."
Kero gave him a dirty look and then laughed. He started stuffing his face, only to realize that it was much too hot. "Bwah!" Kero screamed as he scrambled for some water. He took a glass from the neat arrangement in the cupboard, he poured himself a glass of water and drank it all up in one gulp.
"I am not eating my lasagna yet. That should be hint enough that the food is hot!" Todd scolded the scalded.
"Ugh, its been awhile since I ate lasagna, so give me a break!" Kero snapped.
Julian chuckled and asked Todd. "Was it a difficult capture?"
"I'm new to this game, so I don't know what 'difficult' means in the card captor books. The capture could have been easy in their eyes. I don't have a clue..." Todd replied narrowing his eyes to the floor, depressed.
"Aw don't worry about it." Kero replied cheerily. "You're actually doing pretty well."
"Really?"
Todd gasped, realizing that they've been talking for nearly an hour. Todd finished his meal, and did the dishes for it. Todd then yawned. "I'm tired, I'm going to bed." Todd then opened the drapes to his sleeping area and collapsed on the bed.
Kero noticed that Todd was already snoring when he followed into Todd's room. Kero wasn't as tired as Todd, so he went back to the kitchen area where Julian was resting. Kero then floated around, pensive.
"What's up." Julian asked, serious. "You look very somber this evening. Could you be thinking about the capture."
"Yeah...there's a number of things I'm thinking about...like the aggressiveness of the clow cards...Todd's ability...The Masked person who took the Shadow Card... lots of stuff..." Kero said.
"Why are the clow cards so aggressive?" Julian asked, not knowing what's going on.
"The Dash Card raced Todd, just like Dash raced Li, but this time...the card attacked Todd many times. Dash got caught, but I wonder that will happen with the other cards." Kero wondered.
"What about Todd's ability?"
"Todd is very good at card capturing...he comes up with good plans quite quickly...he isn't afraid to barrel into battle...he's relatively gymnastic, and commands the cards very effectively. There is a problem with his aura though... I see that he's happy go lucky and kind most of the time, but underneath I see... ... a hidden sadness..." Kero replies.
"Who is this masked person?"
"I have no idea, I'm pretty sure it is a girl though... Not many boys are that collected, calm and serene...but I could be wrong." Kero said. "He or she has taken the Shadow Card though...I want to think he or she is our ally, but my gut tells me that we shouldn't trust this person." Kero replied to Julian. "This is a complicated affair..."
Julian yawned and said. "I think I'll go to bed, see you in the morning when I do my 10 mile bike ride, it will be my day off college." Julian then opened the curtains to the spare sleeping area.
Kero then flew out the window to go to the roof, outside the bright lights of the radio tower gleamed with a passion. The building tops glowed with a hidden charm. The stars were still visible and shined with an ancient brightness. Kero was looking up at the stars. "All is shrouded in mystery... who is this person who stalks the clow cards. Could the person be friend or foe...I just don't know..."
That morning was bright and sunny, the breeze was warm and the clouds looked charming in the sapphire sky above. Todd didn't know this, because was inside playing Monster Battle 2000 X. Kero had his breakfast and waved to Julian as he was going out the door.
"Hey Todd, instead of playing the game, why don't you go outside and enjoy the fresh air?" Julian asked, cheerful.
"I'd love to, but the weather is nicer in here!" Todd replied, returning the cheer.
Julian laughed and left for his long bike ride. Todd then drank his orange juice and ate a bite of his grape jelly toast. Then returned to fighting the monsters on his game. Kero was looking over his shoulder and Todd stopped playing and stared him in the face. "Do you want to play, Kero?"
"Yes! Yes! Yes! I need to build up my game to what it was originally...before you played my game and erased it out of revenge." Kero replied bitterly. "I'm not sure even pudding was worth that torture."
"Fine..." Todd replied, irritated. "I have school today anyway, enjoy your game, master!"
Todd then picked up his school supplies and piled them into his backpack. He waved to Kero and left the apartment. Kero played on, but soon noticed Todd's half eaten breakfast. "Sure wish that the kid would eat his breakfast..." Kero commented as he tore off a chunk of the toast and ate it. "Oh well...more for me!"
Todd roller bladed to school to notice Sakura waiting at the gates of the school for him. Todd smiled and waved at Sakura and she waved back. Todd went closer and said "Nice day, eh"
"Yeah, and it's so great to have our shadows back! That was a tough fight last night." Sakura replied as they went into flashback...
The maelstrom turned into a frail figure which looked more like a pale blueish grey bed sheet.
"Ladies and gentlemen...we have the shadow card." Li said.
The shadow card fluttered in the wind and then spun around, splattering blackish goo all over the place. Li and Sakura were hit by the black goo and slumped on the ground, retching violently.
"The goo it splats causes seizures." The Stranger said as the figure used its cape to shield itself from the goo. "Don't let it get on you."
Todd then threw up the Dash Card and chanted "Dash, make me and the shrouded one faster at all!" He poised his spear. "Dash...release and dispel!"
"While I distract it, sneak up with windy. Then use windy to bind it and then you seal the card." The Masked One said.
"Got it."
"Here goes." Todd said to Windy. "Windy, creep up behind Shadow and bind it."
Windy streamed up behind Shadow and bound it so it couldn't move by taking its elastic spirit form and wrapping itself to Shadow like a twist tie wrapping up a plastic bag. Todd jumped up and raised his spear to Shadow. "Now return to your power confined...Shadow Card!!"
Shadow's picture appeared on the clow card...but the card flew away from Todd and went into the Stranger's hand.
"Huh? What happened?" Todd asked, perplexed.
The Masked Stranger walked up to Todd and stated. "You did quite well...for a novice."
"Novice?! Who do you think you are?" Todd snapped. "I caught a card already!"
"I've been studying magic for a long time. I know more about the clow cards then nearly anyone." The Stranger continued. "I went to Sorcerer School in Hong Kong." The Figure then ran off into the dark night. The flashback ended.
"Sorcerer's School...?" Todd wondered. "Didn't Li go to Sorcerer School?"
"Yes...but it isn't called that..." Sakura replied.
The bell rang for first class. Sakura and Todd went to their lockers to deposit their in line skate equipment and head into class.
The class was always the same. There were posters of the pep club on the back wall. The double seats were always filled with forgotten textbooks and little notes. The teacher's desk was the biggest one. Ms. Mackenzie is very organized. Her desk has yesterday's assignments on one corner. She always brought her lunch from home and she stores it in the top drawer every single time. She also has her other stuff for teaching locked up in her filing cabinet. The classroom was general so it had objects of every subject. The lighting was over the top, to discourage sleeping in her class, it didn't stop Sakura though.
Sakura and Todd sat in their usual spots, Li and Madison were already seated. Tatea sat in the back, as usual. As they sat down, Madison cheerily said. "We have history today. We're learning about the Salem witches!"
"Salem Witches?" Todd asked, then looked knowing. "Salem is in Massachusetts. It's in my old country."
Ms. Mackenzie walked in with her lunch box. She placed her lunch in the top drawer in her desk and then walked to the front of the classroom. She then marked 'Salem' on the board and said. "In history, this term we're studying American history." She then looked in Todd's direction. "Todd is from America, he probably knows a lot already about the history of his country."
Everyone turned to Todd. Todd blushed and said. "Yeah, I've studied history before."
"Today, we're learning about the Salem Witch Trials. The trials took place in 1692, when witches were thought to be living among normal people. There's no such thing as witches, but at that time, everyone was very superstitious. They would wildly accuse anyone of witchcraft, usually the sentence was death." Ms. Mackenzie stated.
"Death?" Sakura said, surprised.
"Everyone thought witches were evil and would try to hurt normal people. If any strange instance happened, like a dying animal, a missing person or a sickness occurred, people would think witches did the crime." Ms. Mackenzie replied.
Zachary then stated for the class. "Did you know that Halloween was first created to ward evil spirits away by a trade. Usually the evil spirits would come to a door to harm the family that lived in that house...the spirits would then get a treat from the family in order to get the spirits to leave them alone."
Everyone then looked to Chelsea and she replied. "He's not pulling your leg...this time..."
Li then asked. "Aren't witches ugly old crones that fly on broomsticks?"
Everyone laughed at the question but Ms. Mackenzie then interrupted the laughter. "That's what people back then actually believe! According to them, witches had all sorts of talents. Flying on a broomstick was one...creating potions was another and performing magic was another, we all know that magic is not real though."
Sakura, Li, Madison and Todd all stared at one another. "... ... ..."
Sakura then said to Todd "If only witches really could fly, that would be so cool..."
Todd nodded but then said. "If a witch really could fly, it would be so obvious that she did witchcraft."
The bell rang and class was dismissed for lunch. The group went to the old weeping willow tree for lunch but Todd was ambushed by Jeremy before he could join them. "Hey Todd, where were you going?"
Todd then replied. "I was going to sit with Sakura, Li and Madison for lunch. Do you want to join us?"
"Naw, go sit with your beau. I hafta run anyhow..." He winked at Todd and ran to the door. "Want to do something after school?"
"By do something you mean study? We have a spelling test tomorrow."
"Aw"
"If you want to, you can come over, but Sakura, Madison and Li will be there."
Jeremy rubbed his forehead and thought about it. "Sakura is your girl right?"
"Not exactly..."
"... ... ... okay, I'll be over, Toddy." Jeremy sighed. "See ya then."
Jeremy left through the door and Todd continued his journey to the willow. He sat down with the gang and he began munching their lunches.
"What took you?" Li asked.
"Jeremy took me, he's coming over after school."
"Fine by us, we'll just keep the clow talk to a minimum." Sakura said. "What kind of person is he?"
"You know...I really don't know what to make of him." Todd replied, eating his PB and J. "He's not a bad guy but..."
"Fair is foul and foul is fair..." Li quoted. "That's from the Shakespeare play, Macbeth. The quote tells that appearances can be deceiving."
"Wow! I didn't know you liked Shakespeare, Li!" Sakura said.
"Well...I don't, it's just a saying I remember from Ms. Mackenzie."
The group ate their lunches and began to think about Jeremy some more. Li ate his food and then said at last. "Hey...maybe this Jeremy guy is the Masked Stranger that we met last night."
"He very well could be..." Sakura replied, eating her banana.
Todd then thought about what Li said and finally said. " I doubt it, the guy we met last night was cool, calm and collected. Sakura, you saw what he was like back at the library..."
Sakura thought about that...which brought on a flashback.
Jeremy had stumbled into a nest of bats. The bats screeched and started flying about in every direction,
"Aaagghhh!! Bats! Get them away, they'll attack me! Suck out my blood! They'll turn me into a zombie!!" Jeremy screamed and ran clear upstairs and into the wall crashing and burning. The crash caused an avalanche of old building materials to cover the door into the room.
"...You are the one who is the scaredy cat...the bats here can't hurt you!"
Madison and Sakura were walking down a hallway when they were confronted by a terrified Jeremy. They blocked his path.
"Where are you going? Where is Todd?" Sakura interrogated.
"Uh..Um..Maybe with the vampire bats.." Jeremy panted.
"Vampire bats?" Madison asked with a confused look. "Where is Todd?"
"He's downstairs, I'll lead the way..." The flashback ended.
"Maybe he isn't..." Sakura thought, her nose scrunched a bit.
"Well I have no idea who the person is...we'll probably meet the guy again when we find another wayward clow card." Todd replied.
The lunch bell sounded and everyone went back inside the school. Tatea looked up at the clock tower of the school. She got up and looked at Todd's group as they went back into the school. She ran into the school as well, leaving the courtyard deserted.
The last class of the day went by quickly and it was time to leave home. Li left the schoolyard and walked home with Sakura, Todd and Madison coasting along with their in line skates. It wasn't long until they walked onto the Kyoden grounds, Todd's home. They took the elevator up to the top floor, Todd skated ahead and he was not paying attention to where he was blading. He collided into a teenage girl of about 16 years of age and both stumbled onto the ground.
"Watch where you're going, you little gremlin!" She snapped.
"Sorry, hey who are you?" Todd asked. "I've never seen you here before."
"I moved here, but that's none of your business!"
"Sorry."
"What's with you, anyway."
She got up before the others arrived, she walked to the elevator and stared back at Todd. "...little wierdo..." She grumbled as she boarded the elevator.
"Who was that?" Sakura asked.
"Don't know, don't care..." Todd replied as he opened the door. "Come in, All."
The teen girl listened to her walkman as she burst through the entrance doors of the Kyoden Manor. She whipped out her skateboard and boarded to the hardware store.
In the hardware store was the broom section, an employee was stacking broomsticks. He put a special broomstick on the wall and said. "Must be one of them deluxe broomsticks..." as he stared at the broomstick.
The girl burst into the store and danced her way into the broomstick section. She then looked at the regular broomsticks and said. "These are way too modern and plain, I need a cool looking broom for my party costume..." She continued to look at the brooms and stared at the special broomstick and said. "Wow! Cool! This is perfect." She snagged the broomstick and murmured to herself. "This costume will be sooo much better then Julie's. She'll be jealous."
As the cashier rung the Broom up, the broom scanned at $1.00. The cashier became mystified and looked at the broom strangely. "This broom is only a dollar...there must be a sale or something...or an error." The sales clerk scanned it five times and finally said. "Yes, this is a sale...that's weird..."
The girl then marched her broomstick home and cooed as she got home. "This is one of the best days of my life...first Jhonny asked me to go steady, I got an A on my test and now this! Sweet!" She entered her apartment.
In Todd's apartment, Todd went to the kitchen and got pudding for everyone. Kero danced and sang with delight. Sakura went over the spelling words with everyone. They slurped their puddings and began to wonder.
"Where's Jeremy? He said he would be here..." Todd murmured to himself.
"What was that, Todd?" Sakura asked.
"Jeremy's late, I wonder if something happened?"
Madison finished memorizing her words, she then looked up at Todd and said "Something probably came up..."
"I don't think so, I think Jeremy is afraid of you guys..." Todd replied. "He always avoids me when I'm with you guys..."
"It's probably nothing..." Madison replied.
Everyone went back to studying, they went over their spelling words again. Suddenly they heard a scream and a loud crash that sounded like a window breaking. They all rushed outside to notice the girl Todd bumped into, flying high in the sky on a broomstick. Todd looked up as the girl flew with...relative control.
"How in the world is she able to do that?!" Madison asked as she manned her camera at the sky.
"This is...a clow card..." Todd replied seriously. "Right Kero?"
"Right, this is the fly card." Kero said as he looked at the crazy broomstick rider. "What we must do first is rescue the rider."
The broomstick then dived at the group. The group then ran away in terror of being broomsticked. "How...do...we...do...this...!" Todd shouted while taking the stairs to the bottom floor.
They reached the bottom floor and reached the parking lot when they were dive-bombed again. Li got hit and was knocked several feet back. Up in the sky, the girl was screaming. "Stop the ride!! Stop the Ride!! I want to get off!!"
The broom took a dive again at the group. The broom nearly hit Sakura, but she leaped out of the way. Todd then raised his pocket spear, and chanted. "Spear of Todd...." the spear glowed and flashed. "Power of magic...power of light...surrender the spear...the force, ignite! Release!!" Todd then yelled "Now what?!"
"Get the little lady off the broom!!" Kero replied.
"Somebodyhelpmesomebodyhelpmesomebodyhelpme!!" The girl was chanting in a screaming voice.
Todd twirled the spear like a baton and threw the windy card into the air. He then chanted. "Windy...release and dispel!!" He impaled the card with his spear point and a mass of ropey yellow energy swirled from the card. The energy formed into a ball of yellow light. The yellow light burst into windy's shape. Todd commanded. "Windy, create turbulence for the flying broomstick!"
Windy flew up and rocked the broom with intense wind, causing the girl to fall from the broomstick. "Catch her windy!" Todd commanded.
Windy then created an updraft for the girl as she reached the ground, allowing her a safe landing. The broomstick then whizzed about and darted for the girl. Windy created a gale wind that knocked the broomstick off course. The broomstick then slammed into the wall and broke in half.
The girl then rasped. "Who are you people?!"
"It's better that you just try and forget this little...nightmare." Todd replied cooly.
"Whatever...no one will believe my story anyway...I'm never going to a costume party as a broom bearing witch again...I'll try to find a wand. By the way, thanks for saving me."
"I'm just happy that no one was hurt." Todd said.
The girl ran off and Todd faced the broken broomstick. He, Sakura and Li moved in closer to inspect the broomstick. The broomstick began to pulsate...and change shape. The broom's broken parts mended into one piece and everyone stepped back. The broom began to glow and sent out a blast of light that sent everyone backward, sprawling to the ground. The broom then glowed a bright white and changed into a ball of light and the light turned into an egg. The egg hatched to reveal a beautiful large white bird with gigantic, magnificent wings. The bird made a shrieking noise and flew up high in the sky. Sakura and Li looked in awe as the bird then dropped out of the sun's bright circle. Everyone's awe turned into terror as the bird screamed and dive-bombed the whole group, slamming Sakura, Li and Todd back at least 10 feet.
"I've never...ever seen the Fly Card do this!" Sakura screamed.
"I thought the fly card was supposed to be gentle!" Todd shouted angrily.
The fly card then flew up again, preparing to strike the group again and dived at the group. Just as Fly dove down at the group, an emerald shuriken hit the Bird to explode into a blast of emerald energy. The white bird sprawled back and crashed into a pile of garbage in a dumpster with a loud crash.
Everyone looked up to notice the Masked Stranger standing tall on a telephone pole, with its black cape flowing in the wind. It leaped onto the roof of an old tool shed, then leaped on the dumpster that Fly was occupying and then to the ground. It then said "Are you people all right?"
"Sure." Todd replied, then looking at the dumpster. "Uh oh, here it comes!"
Fly broke free of the garbage bags and old junk. Fly then began flapping its wings creating a powerful gust which was too much for the card hunters. They fell backwards as the bird took to the sky again.
"We must now attack it in full..."The Stranger said.
"Force...know my plight...release the light! Lightning!" Li chanted. Then he swung his sword at Fly, slinging a lightning bolt which hits fly's wing. Fly was still unscathed.
"Force...Know my plight...I don't wanna fight...but evil doesn't care...emerald flare!" The Mysterious one shouted as she released several emerald ninja stars at Fly. Each detonating with a blast of emerald power. Fly was now disoriented and fell to the ground.
"Windy...attack the Fly Card while its weak, try to bind it!" Todd commanded. Windy then rushed towards fly but was hit by one of Fly's talons. Windy was slammed backward, but still okay. Windy tried again and managed to constrict Fly by wrapping it with her energy like a snake constricts a mouse. Fly was struggling to get free but Todd ran up to Fly, spear in hand. "Now return to your power confined...Fly Card!!" Todd chanted as he thrust his spear forward. A glowing card appeared on the tip and little by little Fly was magically being sucked in, transforming into rays of white energy which filtered into the glowing card. The card then stopped glowing and Fly's picture appeared on the card. Todd took the card and pocketed it, satisfied.
Madison skipped up and said "I got it all! That was really a good capture, Todd."
They all turned to the Mysterious Stranger and the Mysterious one turned away, saying "...I have served my purpose..."
"W, Wait!" Todd stammered and then said. "Are you my ally? Are you my rival? Who are you? Come on, tell me!"
"I...cannot answer your questions...but, I can say...that we'll meet again..." The shrouded one dashed off at that, leaving the others behind.
"This guy is making me mad..." Li grumbled. "We're on the same side, so why doesn't he or she come out and help us.
"The shrouded one is helping us..." Todd mused as he stared at his new found clow card. "The person has conditions, that's all."
The Masked Stranger then runs through the park. She dashes through the back alleys and back to the Kyoden manor's parking lot, she opens her apartment door and slumps into the worn out couch. She sighs and takes off her mask and whistles. Miiko, a yellow winged tiny lizard then flies up to her and said "Hard day?"
"Yeah...why can't I tell them my identity?" the shrouded one sighs, "They are starting to get suspicious."
"You can't tell them your identity because it would allow..the dark one...to find out where you are. You fled here, remember? So you can't blow your cover." Miiko replied.
"Oh..all right."
That morning in school, Madison walked up to Todd and said "Here's the picture, like it?"
"Wow! This is so cool." Todd replied as he checked out the picture. He showed it to Sakura and she laughed. Li, looked and nodded.
Todd then got out his notes and Ms. Mackenzie walked in, she then put her lunch in her top drawer, as usual and walked up to the classroom. She wrote the title "Salem" on the board and Todd stood up. Todd then walked up to the front and gave the picture Ms. Mackenzie. She saw the picture and smiled.
The picture was of Todd, Sakura, Madison and Li
in full witch robes with the wide brimmed witch hats. Riding Todd's winged
spear, thanks to the fly card.
Next time, on Card Captor Todd.
Todd leaped out of bed and stared at the calender. Kero was right, it was Saturday, the 18th. Todd then began shouting "Woo hoo" and started jumping for joy. He then took Kero by the arms and starting swinging him around the curtained bedroom. Todd then reefed the curtains aside and ran to the kitchen to make himself some breakfast.
"You actually hate school that much...?" Kero
wondered. "Sakura never made much of a fuss on a
normal Saturday."
"Aha, Kero...this isn't just a normal Saturday..."
Todd said as he playfully scolded Kero. "This is the
day where my Mom comes home!"
* * *
Sakura then thought about Todd, Madison and Li and wondered what she could do with them today. She decided to go to the phone to call someone when the phone starts ringing right in front of her, she picks the phone up "Hello?"
"Hi Sakura, this is Todd."
"Todd! This is great, I was just thinking about you."
"Really?" Todd blushed, then regained his normal
speaking tone. "I'm going to the Mall today, do
you want to come with me?"
* * *
"Oh, stop it! I got creepy vibes from a plant
in the old guy's store. I think this may be...a clow
card..." Todd replied seriously.
"A clow card? How do you know?"
"I...felt an aura." Todd replied. "The whole store is swamped in it..."
* * *
The plant then got a hold of the old man who works
there. He became entangled in a mess of vines
and roots. The roots lifted him off the ground
and threw him through the plant shop window and into
the sofa district across the hall. The window
smashed and the shop keep laid unconscious in a sofa.
"At least he's resting comfortably!" Todd joked,
though serious.