(I couldn't think of a name. . .)

The dark figure on clock tower watched the city silently.
Every light in every house was out. The only flicker of light came from
the street lamps that shone dimly on the concrete below.
The boy standing there in the shadows was almost in his teens, a year
younger than the girl crouched beside him. Her fiery hair whipping in
the wind, Jez slanted her green cat-like eyes at him.
"Be patient," he hissed, tilting his head away from her and down, giving
him a very childish appearance. "You'll have your reward soon enough
Jezebel. . . .soon enough."
He eyed one house in particular before turning and walking away, his
black robes billowing around his feet.

Sakura slammed her locker shut and skidded into home room just as
the bell sounded.
"I won't count you late this time Sakura," Mr. Torada said, giving her a
warm smile.
"Thank you," she sighed, bowing and going to her seat.
"Sakura, hi!" Madison said, waving slightly.
"Late again, I see," Meilin said, turning her nose up at Sakura.
"Give it a rest Meilin," Madison snapped.
"Okay class! Now that we're all here I think you'll be happy to know
that tomorrow is our camping trip," Mr. Torada said, pausing to let the
class finish their cheering. "Make sure to bring all your equipment.
Now, how about we go outside?"
The class cheered again as they got up to go outside. "You really should
get it together Avalon. I mean, if you want to capture any more cards,"
Li whispered, brushed past her, shooting a superior look over his
shoulder.
"Come on Sakura, lets go play some volleyball!" Nikki said, holding the
ball out to her.
Sakura's frown instantly disappeared, replaced by an excited smile.
"Sure!" she said, taking the ball from Nikki and leading the way
outside.

"Tori. I'm home!" Sakura cried, kicking off her shoes and dropping her
bag, rushing into the kitchen.
Her big brother wasn't there.
"Tori?" she called, searching the downstairs before heading up to his
room.
She knocked.
Silence.
She knocked again, harder this time.
"Tori? Are you in there?" she yelled, pounding on the door with both
fists.
"Don't waste your breathe Sakura."
"What do you mean Kero?" she asked, turning.
"He's not here," he said, stuffing the last of a piece of chocolate into his
mouth.
"Oh."
She pouted for a minute, then rushed back down the hall and into her
room.
Kero floated after her, settling on her dresser while she threw things
from the closet onto the bed.
"Got it!" she cried, dragging a bag out of the closet and lifting it onto
the bed. "Great! Now I can start packing for the trip!"
"That's tomorrow? Sakura. . .shouldn't you have already packed?"
Sakura gathered up everything that normally didn't belong in her room
and stuffed it back in the closet.
"Now. . . .Let's go make dinner Kero!" she said, grabbing him and
running down the hall.

Kero eyed Sakura.
"Why are you so happy? It's just a field trip. . . .What's the big deal?"
he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I'm just so glad to get a break from those silly costumes! I won't have
to worry about capturing any cards for three weeks!" she said, smirking
as she zipped the big blue bag.
"Not that you were doing very much of it in the first place," he
muttered. "Sakura you've got to quit slacking off! Before long Li will
have all the cards!"
She picked up her phone as it rang. "Shut up Kero! It's not like I'm
doing it on purpose! I just need a break is all. My brain is over stuffed
with school! I swear I'll get a card as soon as I get back! Hello?"
"Avalon, look. I . . . .know that-"
"What do you want?" she snapped, going to her window seat and sitting
down.
Kero looked up from his video games.
"Uh. . . . . .I . . . .Listen, I just wanted to . . . apologize . . .for
today. I
didn't mean to be so rude. I . . . .I'm sorry," Li said, talking softly.
Sakura was silent, to stunned to breathe.
"You there?"
". . . . .Yeah," she said, sliding her window open and leaning outside.
"Really. . . .I didn't mean it. Sakura I-" he paused. " . . . . .I think
your a
great Card Captor. Way better than I am, so . . . .I'm really sorry."
"Okay," she said, eyes locked on the figure on the clock tower.
"Hey . . .are you looking at that guy on the tower?" he asked suddenly.
"Uh-huh," she whispered.
"Meet me there," he said, hanging up.
Slowly, she turned the phone off and then, coming to her senses, ran
from the house, ignoring Kero's questions.

"Lord Tolken. . . ." Jez said, watching the pair approach.
"I'm not blind Jezebel," he said.
"We should go. Before they discover us."
"Go. . .I'll follow in a moment. I . . . .just want to see her. Just once,
then I'll follow through with our plans."
"Yes, my lord," she said bowing and fading into the shadows.
"I told you we'd meet again Li. . . .only this time I will kill you."

"Oh no! Sakura!" Kero cried.
Li turned and ran toward her, knowing he was already too late.
"No!" he cried, skidding to a stop a few feet in front of the shield around
Tolken and Sakura. "Tolken!"
"So you did miss me Li," he said, grinning, his icy blue eyes lighting up
with sarcasm.
"Think what you want, but leave her out of this!"
Tolken shook his finger at Li. "Shame on you Li. Your the one who
brought her into this and now you plead for her safety? What a fool you
are!"
Sakura looked at Li, emerald eyes wide with confusion. "Li. . . .?"
Tolken reached for her.
"Cut it out!" Li shouted, forgetting his previous encounter with Tolken
and touching the shield.
He received a jolt of electricity cursing through him that would have
killed a normal kid his age.
With a groan of pain, he sank to his knees and slumped foreward until
his forehead was touching the ground.
"Uh-oh," Kero muttered, floating over to him. "If it can knock Li out
cold. . . .we're in some deep trouble . . . ."
"Oh no!" Sakura shouted, taking a step foreward, but staying a safe
distance from the shield. "Li get up!"
"Fool!" Tolken laughed, reaching for her again.
She flinched, expecting him to hurt her, but was surprised when he only
cupped her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him.
He studied her closely.
"Your more beautiful than I imagined," he whispered, leaning closer.
"Get away from her you creep! When Li wakes up in a minute we're
gonna kick your butt mister!" Kero yelled, flying as close to the barrier
as he dared.
Tolken laughed. "He won't be up for a while, I assure you. . . . Three
weeks at the least and that's if he's a strong as he thinks he is!"
Sakura took a step backward, being to shake.
If he could hurt Li that easily she'd be no match for this guy. . .this
Tolken.
"Why are you shaking Sakura? Are you afraid of me?" he asked.
"Don't count on it!" she shot at him, knocking his hand away.
He might be a lot stronger than her, but she wouldn't give up without a
fight.
"I've seen a lot worse than you! Your nothing to me!"
Tolken, sensing her anger rising, stepped back, waving his hand and
making the shield disappear.
Without hesitation she ran to Li, cradling his head in her lap.
"Li. . . .Please be okay. Please," she sobbed, burring her face in his hair.
With an angry growl, Tolken turned on his heel and left, swearing
silently to make sure Li suffered a painful death.

"Like I said Li . . . .We're just glad your all right," Mr. Torada said,
smiling at him.
"Yes," Ms. Mackenzie said. "Some girls have been asking about you.
Two in particular that seem very emotional about your absence."
Li looked at her out of the corner of his eye.
She laughed. "Now Li, don't look so upset. They asked about you
everyday. When you would be coming back or if we'd heard anything. It
was sweet really."
He snorted in response and picked up his bag, turning to go.
"I'll be going to the cabin if that's okay Mr. Torada. . . .Or do you need
something else?" he added, noticing the distant look in his teacher's
eyes.
"Now that you mention it. . . .Meilin has been awful nosy lately. Always
asking about Li and threatening Sakura," he said absentmindedly.
Li froze at the last part.
Threatening Sakura? Li swore when he got his hands on Meilin he'd
ring her pretty little neck or worse. . . .
"Li?" Ms. Mackenzie asked. "Is something wrong?"
"N-no," he muttered, shaking his head as he reached for the door.
"Oh Li!" Mr. Torada said, standing. "Make sure you go and see Sakura
today. . . .She's been really worried about you. I think she's starting to
get sick."
"Huh?" Li asked, turning, leaving the door standing open.
"She's very concerned about you Li. Please go see her as soon as you
get settled in. She's in the girls' cabin. She's getting sick from worrying
so much."
For the life of him, Li hope she wasn't sick. He'd feel awful if she was. .
. .But not as awful as Meilin when he-
"Sure Mr. Torada," he said, smiling slightly. "I'll go see her as soon as I
put my stuff away."
"Thank you."
"Whatever. . ."

"So where's Sakura?" Li asked after her group of friends had quit
fussing over him and Madison had stopped hugging him. "Is she okay?"
"Mr. Torada told you? That's she's getting sick?" Madison asked.
He nodded.
"She is!" Rita said, frowning. "She tries to stay busy all the time to stop
worry so much, but it just wears her out. She's worse everyday!"
"Sakura barely made it to the cave today," Nikki said, looking toward
the beach. "She was so tired when she got out of the water. You could
tell from here."
"I think she's still at the cave Li," Madison said, pointing to the trail
through the woods. "The trails pretty creepy and the camp officials told
us to stay away from it, but. . . .I think you can make it."
Li looked at the trial she was pointing at. "It goes straight to the cave?"
"Yeah. Just climb a few small rocks and your up to the entrance. I think
Sakura will come back that way."
"Thanks Madison," he said, starting to jog toward the trail.
"Li!!! Wait!!!"
He stumbled, turning. "Meilin . . . .?"
"Li! I'm so happy your back!" Meilin cried, running to him.
He moved away from her as she reached for him.
"What's this I've been hearing about you threatening Sakura?!" he
demanded. "What the hell did you think you were doing?!"
". . . .I know you didn't have an 'electrical accident' Li. Your way to
smart for that! Avalon had to have had something to do with it," she
said, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at him.
"Your right! She was involved! But if it wasn't for Sakura I would be
dead right now!" he shouted.
"Why. . .why are you taking up for that brat Li?! You-"
"Sakura's not a brat Meilin! She's been nicer to both of us than we
deserve! She's better than I'll ever be and she's earned my respect."
Meilin opened her mouth to snap back.
"Meilin if you say another bad thing about Sakura I swear I'll hit you!"
he cried, turning and running into the woods.

"Easy. . . .Yeah, right," Li grunted as he hauled himself up yet another
rocky cliff.
Okay. . .so it wasn't exactly a cliff. Much smaller, but it did involve
clinging for dear life and swearing to get revenge on Madison. That
counted. . .right?
With a sigh he reached above his head and caught the next ledge,
pulling himself up with more effort.
"Okay. . .now I'm ready to turn around and kill her," he muttered,
shivering at the sudden chill in the air. "Weird. . . ."
Thankfully he saw a path through the rocks.
He jogged up the remaining hill and had to bend over, hands on his
knees, panting when he reached the top.
"So. . . .I'm not in the best shape. No big deal," he panted, standing up
straight.
A loud scream erupted from the cave in front of him.
"Looks like I'm right on time," he growled, running inside. "I swear. . . .
. . .once I get my hands on Madison. . . . ."

Sakura screamed again, turning her face away from the teeth snapping
inches from her nose.
The big wolf like beast was on top of her now and it was a loosing battle
on her part.
She'd grabbed a stick earlier, but that was long gone. Now she held it by
the neck, trying to force it away.
It all happened to fast for her to react properly. To fast to call the Clow
Key.
The 'wolf' had jumped out at her when she'd been making her way out
of the cave. It'd blocked the only way foreward so she'd done the only
thing she could, ran back in the other direction. Only she'd taken a
wrong turn and ended up trapped by the fallen bridge in the back when
she'd meant to loop around and run out the front.
She pushed harder on its neck.
"No!!!" she shouted, trying to kick it off.
It was useless. It was sitting right on her legs.
"No!! Help!! Someone please, help me!!!"
With a small sigh of fear, she stopped moving. She couldn't fight this
thing. She was much to weak from all the activities the past four days. .
. . . .ever since Li had been put in the hospital. . . . .
Tears came to her eyes as she dropped her arms, closing her eyes.
The 'wolf' prepared to attack with the final blow.
Suddenly, it howled in pain.
She felt the weight being thrown off her and strong arms lifting her into
a sitting position.
"Sakura. . . ." a male voice whispered softly.
Her eyes flew open. "Li?!"
"Sakura?!"
She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly and
beginning to cry.
"I thought that. . . .that I was too late. . .That I'd," he said, tightening
his
grip on her. "I thought I'd lost you, Sakura."
She shook her head as her body shook from the force of her sobbing.
"Why are you crying?" he asked, stroking her hair gently, loosening his
hold to one that barely touched her, yet held her firmly in place.
"Everything's okay now. I'm here."
"I know," she said, looking up at him with a small smile.
To him she'd never looked more angelic. In fact it took his breath away.
Tears rolled down her cheeks, her eyes wide and shinning a deep
emerald color, her hair messed up. . . .
"That's why I'm crying Li," she whispered, leaning her forehead against
his cheek. "I'm so glad your okay. I can't believe your up already. I
thought I'd have to spend these three weeks without you!"
"Oh, Let you kick Tolken's butt?!" he asked, raising an eyebrow,
thankful she couldn't see him blushing. "I don't think so!"
"Li I-"
People shouted in the distance.
"They're looking for us," he said, scooping her up in his arms and easily
picking her up.
"But. . . ."
"Just relax Sakura. . . .I've got you now," he said, starting back toward
the entrance.
She sighed, snuggling into him. 'Do you ever. . . . .'
"I'll take care of you.