At one point in our lives, the battle is not against something we can touch or emotions; but in fact, a battle against death, and it is then when all the things in life become known.

Sakura could sense the pain before it shot through her arm. She bit back tears; Li-kun couldn't see her cry, ever. Li-kun had unsheathed his sword, he was preparing for battle.
"I can't move my arm, Li-kun," she cried, he paused and looked to her. "Watch out!" Their enemy just about sky-bombed Li-kun, however, he dodged gracefully. Sakura prayed her arm wasn't broke, although it was stuck between a slab of rock and the wall. The rock pressed into her skin.
Okay…okay, let's back up a moment. What is going on here? Well, let's start with the fight that is going on. The enemy that Li-kun was currently engaging in battle with was a…well; we'll describe it as a Sidhe, an Irish faery. It looked like a Sidhe, but whatever it was, it wasn't faery size, nor was it low on magick. What had happened was, Li-kun was calmly walking home from school, when this oversized fae attacked him with all the ferocity of a Bendith Y Mau mixed with the maliciousness of any goblin. She didn't seem too happy with Li-kun, and wielded the powers of any well-bred demon. Luckily Sakura was nearby and arrived on the scene just in time to help Li-kun out of the "sleeper hold" that the creature had him in. Sakura was slammed into the rather rough wall of a close building; her key getting knocked of from around her neck, and the creature threw a jagged rock onto her arm. However, by either chance, or magick, the rock was bigger at the top or bottom (Sakura didn't know which) and stopped before crushing her arm.
Li-kun didn't recognize the beast, and Sakura couldn't think of a way to put a stop to it. With the graceful ease of any well-trained martial arts master, Li-kun attacked, his sword drawn out before him. His mind raced, he knew he had to protect Sakura, who was currently paralyzed. The demon blocked the blow with a well-aimed blast of magick, and knocked Li-kun to his knees. At that moment, Sakura was carefully sliding her fingers in between the rock and her arm. Her mind as well was boggled with thoughts of fear and unknowing of the demon that as of now had both the magick wielders trapped.
"Kinomoto, I hope you have a plan," Li-kun said, his voice just above a whisper. He was out of breath, and weakened by the constant blows. Sakura winced when he said that, for she had no way to get the two of them out of the mess in one piece. It also pained her to hear him sound that way.
"We could always play dead," she replied. Li-kun didn't find it very funny. Sakura looked at him, his brown hair matted to his forehead with sweat, his muscles tense, his sword held steadily in one hand, his knees positioned in a kneel, and his chestnut eyes on the demon in determination. I got him into this, she thought, if only I hadn't been so careless. Her eyes looked at the monster as it advanced on the injured and helpless Li-kun. She could say he'd gotten through worse, but so far, this was the worse either of them had been in. She rubbed her arm with her fingers, then narrowed her eyes in concentration. She needed to give Li-kun time to pull his remaining strength together.
"Hey! You!" The creature turned its eyes on Sakura, "It's me you want! I'm right here, so take me!" The creature seemed to think about this a moment, long enough to give Li-kun time to raise his sword.
"Element, wind!" He cried, his voice hoarse. The strong blast of conjured wind blew the Clow key to Sakura's outstretched hand.
With deep concentration, Sakura recited the spell:

Key of Clow
Clow of Light
Surrender the Wand
The force ignite
Release!

With her hand, she snatched the wand from the air, and pulled out a card, all in one swift movement (she must be getting better, considering she only has one hand to do this with). She focused her thoughts on the card, forcing all other thoughts out of her mind. "Water, release and dispel!" The rush of water flowed from the card, driving its force into the surprised demon. Li-kun made his way to Sakura, and pushed the rock with whatever strength he could muster. The rock slowly gave way, releasing the trapped Sakura. Her arm hurt, but she could still move it. Grabbing hold of the wand with both hands, she focused on the next card she pulled out. "Windy, release and dispel!"
Windy started its magickal journey toward the demon, but before it could make it, the demon burst into flames crying in anguish. A dark voice spoke "Fool! You failed, and failures have no place in my armada!" Li-kun sheathed his sword, and before Sakura could say anything, he looked at her with a frown, and dark eyes.
"I didn't need your help, why don't you just go home and play tea party with your stuffed animal; the so-called guardian beast of the Clow cards," with that, Li-kun turned, and left.

"He said that?" Tomoyo was talking to Sakura, after the Clow Mistress had told her the story of the other day's events. The two girls were at school standing in the class, although it was the weekend, the two were waiting for the others to arrive. The class was going on a fieldtrip to another city and Tomoyo and Sakura had planned to come early to talk. Sakura nodded.
"I was just trying to help him, and he turned on me," Sakura sighed. She couldn't get over Li-kun's words, and she was depressed.
"Li-kun is very weird sometimes, I mean, at times I just don't understand him," Tomoyo answered.
"Yeah. One minute, you think you have him figured out and then he goes and does something that completely contradicts your theory," Sakura replied, then sat at a desk. Her eyes lowered as Li-kun walked in the door. It wouldn't take long for others to follow, and the whole class was there; ready to go on the fieldtrip.
The bus was uncomfortable (aren't all buses), so Sakura was happy when they finally reached their destination. She watched Li-kun, who sat in the front. His words replayed in her mind, and she fought the urge to cry again. It was now that she wished she'd brought Kero-Chan with her.
"You think Kero-Chan will be okay?" Sakura asked Tomoyo. Tomoyo nodded.

Kero-Chan is sitting on Sakura's desk and Touya walks in. He looks at Kero-Chan for a long time, and a sweat drop forms on Kero-Chan's forehead. When Touya leaves Kero-Chan whispers, "Come home, Sakura, come home."

"You're right, Tomoyo, how could I worry about that sort of thing right now?" Sakura smiled, as the two stepped off the bus. Sakura looked up at the hotel they would be staying in. It was nice, and had a Western look to it (when I say Western, I mean good old America; but you knew that, didn't you? J). Sakura listened for her name as their teacher gave out the room numbers. They'd be there for a week, learning about the culture and visiting the new exhibit at the local art museum. When she got her room number, her and her roommate (Tomoyo, of course) made there way up the stairs to the room. When opening the door, a young boy their age walked by. His hair was a light blonde, and his eyes were a beautiful shade of blue. He smiled at Sakura and walked on (uh-oh! Looks like Sakura has a secret admirer).
The room was normal sized for a Western style hotel (a Japanese style one might only have just the bed for the two girls to sleep in, oh my, talk about a cramped life). They had two small beds, which were just perfect for the girls, and a clean bathroom for the two to share. The girls each had their own dresser to put their clothes in, and one closet. Sakura lay on her bed (well, she chose a bed and laid on it). Tomoyo smiled at her.
'They have a great swimming pool just for the hotel stayers; want to go check it out? We didn't exactly pack our bathing suits to sit in our trunks all week," Tomoyo spoke up. Sakura looked at her.
"I didn't pack my bathing…"
"I packed it for you," Tomoyo interrupted. "And, I noticed you forgot your -ahem- Clow key." Sakura's hand flew to her throat in realization. The Clow key wasn't in its proper place around her neck. "So, I packed it as well." (What would Sakura do without Tomoyo?)
"Thanks Tomoyo," Sakura grinned. Tomoyo pulled out her bathing suit.
"Then let's go!" Sakura was about to say yes, then frowned and picked at a loose thread in the blanket she was laying on.
"You go ahead Tomoyo, the others have probably already taken off down there," Sakura said solemnly.
"Huh? But Sakura, you love swimming!" Tomoyo voiced. Sakura sighed, her eyes were drooping, and she laid her head down.
"I know, but you can't always have what you love," she whispered, so Tomoyo couldn't hear her, then spoke up, "I know, I just don't want to go swimming now, maybe I'll come down later." Tomoyo nodded.
"Okay, I'll see you later then," Tomoyo said, although both her and Sakura knew that Sakura wouldn't be coming down later. Tomoyo changed into her bathing suit and headed out the door and down to the swimming pool.
Sakura sat for a while. Her eyes felt a little blurry, and without thinking, she broke into sobs. She hadn't cried at all since what happened with Li-kun, but now she couldn't control herself. She cried and cried until she couldn't cry anymore, and it was actually beginning to hurt to cry. She laid there, her heart pounding, her cheek pressed against the rough blanket on the bed. Her eyes couldn't focus on anything, she lay on her belly and her arms were at her side; her hands palm up. Her mind clouded with thoughts. Why do I care so much? I'm ugly in his eyes, so it shouldn't matter to me. I'm nothing to him…She felt the sobs come back and she didn't try holding them in.
Then, there was a knock at the door. "Go away…" Sakura whispered. She didn't move to answer the door. However, the person at the door seemed persistent, and knocked again. Sakura pulled herself up sat up on her heels. "I'm coming," she called. She cleaned herself up as best she could and attempted a smile. She walked to the door and opened it. Li-kun stood there, his eyes downcast. "Li-kun?" He didn't look up. "Come in." She opened the door wide enough for him to step in. He stood, a little awkward.
"You weren't down at the pool…so I…I…" he trailed off.
"I'm okay, Li-kun, really, I am." She could feel her cheeks turn red, remembering his words, tears returned to her eyes. "I'm just tired. Good bye…" She knew that she sounded a little terse, but she didn't want him to see the tears springing in her eyes, or the wet spots on the bed's blanket. He nodded, but looked a little hurt. Sakura forced a smile as he walked out the door. She convinced herself he only looked like he was hurt because she was only seeing what she wanted to see.
Sakura walked to her bed, I do feel a little tired though, she thought. She fell to the bed and let her eyes slowly close, drifting off to an abyss called dreamland.

Sakura seemed to be walking down a long tunnel, like the ones that lead to a football stadium. She was scared and the place was dark. She didn't have her star wand out, but she knew she was heading down the tunnel to a fight. She looked around her to see Tomoyo's body lying on the ground, her camera lying beside her hand. Sakura gasped…she couldn't move for a moment. She watched Tomoyo, but there was no sign that her friend was dead or alive. Sakura memorized Tomoyo. Her black hair falling into her eyes and strewn on shoulders, it was a mess and Sakura could hear the screams Tomoyo cried when she'd been flung to the wall like a helpless rag doll. Sakura shuddered.
"SAKURA!" Tomoyo's screams echoed off the wall, but they seemed so distant…so far away. Sakura felt the impulse to run, and before she could stop herself, her legs took off at a quick pace. I can't control my own body, she thought. She stopped when she reached the "stadium". It was big like a stadium, but the seats were all gone and in there place was just wall. The room was dark, and Sakura couldn't see even herself. She could only hear her breathing, and she wondered how she'd seen the whole stadium, if the dark now engulfed her.
Then, the lights turned on illuminating the room and she got a better look at the stadium. The ground was dirt, and in the middle of the whole stadium was painted a strange symbol. While she looked at these things, a creature appeared. She didn't look up as it attacked her.
"Sakura!" Li-kun appeared and in that rare moment called her by her first name. He blocked the coming blow with his sword. Then the creature grabbed Li-kun by the neck, lifting him at least a foot off the ground. Sakura watched, horrified.
"No! Stop, you're hurting him!" The words came out, but her mouth didn't seem to move, it was almost like she was on the outside of her body looking in. She could see herself, knelt on the ground, her eyes watching, but her body immovable. However, she could feel her emotions, welling inside. Then, in an instant, she was back in her body looking up at Li-kun. She watched as the creature's nails became like daggers. She couldn't watch, and tried to close her eyes, sobbing in hand.
"Li-kun…" she whispered. She couldn't hide her eyes though, no matter how hard she tried, and she was forced to see the nails plunge deep inside Li-kun's chest; his eyes close in pain and his cries of pain echoed of the walls. Blood dropped on Sakura's face as Li-kun was thrown to the wall.

Sakura awoke with a scream. Her back was soaked with sweat, and her face streamed with tears. She gasped for breath, but she just couldn't grab any. She walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were wide and her hair was a mess. She fixed her hair, but there was nothing she could do to calm her nerves. She washed her face, and watched her body for a moment as she breathed in air.
"It was just a dream," she told herself aloud; but why did it seem so real? "I'll take a walk. I need to get out of this place." She slipped on her shoes, and opened the door. Down the other hall, she could see Li-kun; she examined the curves of his face for a moment. She'd long memorized everything about his looks. She knew when he was scared, worried, happy, sad, and even angry. She sighed; most of these emotions were never expressed for her. Right now, Li-kun's eyes were a shimmer of worry, and his lips were a frown of determination. Sakura looked down, and turned to walk the other way, down the other hall.
Sakura walked with her head down, and her mind deep in thought. It wasn't long before she ran into someone. She looked up with surprise and they both said "sorry" at the same time. Sakura's head had raised, and her eyes met the blue ones of the blond boy she'd seen earlier.
"I'm sorry," she said again, stuttering. The boy was a couple inches taller then her, he had a small awkward smile on his face and his eyes were soft, gentle. He was attractive Sakura gave him that. "It was my fault, I wasn't paying attention."
"No, the fault is mine. It takes two to run into each other, right? I should have been paying attention, so beautiful girls like you can wander deep in thought," she looked at him, a little shocked, and he lowered his eyes, slapping his head. "I'm sorry, really. When I saw you, I memorized like a million things I'd say to you, each savvy and smooth, and I go and blow it by telling you how beautiful I think you are, and that I think you daydream too much. Wait! I don't really think you daydream too much! Really! I apologize once again…jeez; I've never had this much trouble talking to a girl. Do all guys get tongue tied when they're around you?" Sakura shook her head.
"It's alright," Sakura blushed. She smiled, her first genuine smile in a long time.
"Hey…um…you want to go down to the lobby? They have a concession stand, I can buy you a soda?" He seemed so sweet. Sakura smiled, all right what can it hurt, she thought.
"Okay," she agreed. Then, stopped while they walked down the hall, "Wait, we didn't even introduce ourselves."
"Oh! You're right; I guess I was caught in the moment. My name's Mkle," he smiled. She nodded.
"It's a nice name, and nice to meet you. My name is Sakura Kinomoto," she smiled.
"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl, I guess," he lead her to the stand downstairs, and she was unaware of the brown eyes that watched them leave.
Sakura had talked with Mkle; long after their sodas had disappeared. Mkle was from America; which explained his blond hair and blue eyes. His father took him to Japan often, and when he was younger he'd learned to speak Japanese. She nodded, if he had to learn to speak it when he was older, it would probably have been much harder. Mkle had told her that his father was always coming on business, but he didn't really tell her what kind of business. Mkle was so kind to her; she couldn't help but smile the whole time. Her eyes were half shut, in a dreamy manner. His words were beautiful, almost like one of Tomoyo's songs. She was almost sad when she had to return to the confines of her room, but Mkle wanted to meet her tomorrow. She told him she'd meet him in the lobby. They'd have to meet early, before the class took its trip to the museum.

"Sakura?" Tomoyo walked to find Sakura lying on her belly on the bad. She was propped up on her elbows reading a book. Her legs swung happily through the air, and Tomoyo nearly dropped her towel. Sakura was even humming! "Sakura? Are you feeling alright?" Sakura looked up.
"Oh! Hi, Tomoyo! Of course I'm feeling alright, I've never felt better. Why?" Sakura sat up, her book dropping to the ground.
"You were so depressed when I left, I was thinking of calling the ambulance, and now you look so happy! What happened?" Tomoyo smiled. Sakura swung her legs.
"Oh, nothing. I just met this one guy…" Sakura trailed off when she saw Tomoyo's face. "What?" Tomoyo now wore a frown, a confused frown, but a frown all the same.
"You met a guy?" Tomoyo repeated.
"Yeah, and he's really nice…" Sakura went on about how great Mkle was, but Tomoyo wasn't listening. No wonder Li-kun seemed so upset earlier, Tomoyo thought.
"Sakura? Are you sure this guy is safe?" Tomoyo asked.
"Don't worry Tomoyo. I think I can handle myself," Sakura smiled.
"What about Li-kun?" Tomoyo whispered. Sakura stopped, her dream rushed back to her. Someone had said that in her dream, but who? Sakura shook it off and frowned, suddenly angry.
"What about Li-kun? It's not like I like him or even…love…him! He doesn't care about me anyhow!" Sakura snapped. Sakura stood up and slipped her shoes on. "I'm going for a walk." Tomoyo looked at Sakura as she began out the door.
"But Sakura…"

Sakura walked down to the lobby and bought a soda, then she went to sit by the pool. The moon was full and shined in the water. "I've never talked to Tomoyo like that…what's wrong with me?" She sat back, her eyes solemn.
"Why don't you just go home and play tea party with your stuffed animal…"
Li-kun's words had been so harsh, so intending to hurt her. Sakura cried again. Mkle had made her happy for just the moment, and now she sobbed. "How can I care so much about him, when he cares so little for me?" Sakura asked the water, the moon, which ever would listen. When neither of them answered, she stood up. She was done crying, tears just wouldn't come anymore. Without a word, she took her kerchief out and tied it in a knot. "Li-kun…No! I can't think about him anymore…it's making it hard for me to do anything…" she threw the kerchief in the pool, signifying Li-kun. It floated for a while, and she watched it slowly soak with water and sink to the bottom of the pool.

Sakura awoke that morning as early as she could, and looked at her sleeping friend. She moved as quickly and as quietly as she could, getting dressed and pulling her shoes on. She opened the door silently and slid down the hall. She was extra quiet slipping past the teachers' doors. She slipped into the lobby to find Mkle sitting on the couch. Not far off, in the distance, she could see Li-kun; and her heart almost stopped before she remembered last night. She stood up tall and took a deep breath. With whatever strength she had, she walked into the lobby tall, proud, and dignified. Li-kun glanced at her, then turned away, she didn't notice that he blushed slightly.
Mkle stood when she came and then took a seat with her. "I didn't think you'd ever show. For awhile it was just me and that guy, and he didn't prove to be much of a conversationalist." Mkle pointedly looked at Li-kun.
"Yeah. You can tell he's not much for talking, maybe when he does talk, it's only to say something mean," Sakura blushed then looked back at Mkle.
"Well, where are you going with your class?" Mkle changed the subject. Sakura smiled.
"Oh, we're going on a trip to the museum today," she told him.
"The Art Museum?" Sakura nodded. Mkle continued, "Oh, I suggest you check out the exhibit on European artifacts, they have a display of swords up."
"I'll do that," she smiled. When the class came down, Sakura said good-bye to Mkle. The teacher gave roll call and the students all loaded on the buses.

Sakura and Tomoyo wandered off. Tomoyo seemed silent and content taping the artifacts. Sakura fidgeted with the brochure that each of the students got.
"Tomoyo?" She said at last.
"Yeah?" Came the whispered reply. Tomoyo lowered her video camera and looked at Sakura's worried face.
"I didn't mean to yell at you last night. I don't know why I snapped at you…I was just a little tired. Well…actually, I'd had a bad dream and all that's why. I never ever would have meant to hurt your feelings Tomoyo, you know that," Sakura lowered her eyes. Tomoyo raised her camera.
"Come on Sakura, smile for the camera!" Sakura grinned.
Tomoyo and Sakura greeted their other friends but split from them too. Soon they found Li-kun and walked with him.
"I think we should go see the Europe exhibit next…" Sakura suggested, as they walked closer to the room where the exhibit was. Tomoyo and Li-kun agreed. However, as Tomoyo ran off, Li-kun caught Sakura's arm. She turned to him and he let her go.
"Here," he handed her, her kerchief. "I thought you dropped it in the pool by accident…"
"Thank you Li-kun," she held the kerchief loosely in her hand, it was unknotted and dried. She watched as he walked off to catch up with Tomoyo, and tucked the kerchief in her pocket.
"I guess I won't give up on you yet, Li Syaoran," she whispered and ran to catch up with the two of them.
The exhibit consisted of old armors, swords, and cards! Sakura looked at one set cards from a display and read the cards aloud.
"Death? Star? Tower? Judgment? Magician? What kind of cards are these? They remind me of the Clow cards…" Sakura looked at Li-kun, who was looking at the sword display with Tomoyo. They were the only ones looking at the section.
"Hey, Li-kun, do you think you could use that sword?" Tomoyo pointed to a large sword that was big at the hilt and got thinner and sharper at the bottom. It was a long sword.
"It's not a sword for Martial Arts," he explained. Tomoyo looked at Sakura.
"What did you say Sakura?" The two walked over to where the Clow Mistress stood. Sakura pointed to the cards.
"What kind of cards are they?" Sakura asked again. Tomoyo looked around the display for one of the signs that tells about the artifact.
"I don't know, but they have an ancient magick surrounding them…" Li-kun answered. Sakura looked at the cards and noted their power.
"They're called Tarot cards," a female voice said behind the two magick-wielders. They both turned. A girl about their age stood there. She had jet-black hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her eyes were a dark shade of gray. She wore a baggy shirt and baggy jeans. She smiled. "Tarot cards were used by Pagans. Along with tealeaves and runes. Here," the girl pointed to another display case. Inside this case were a series of white stones; carved in the stones were strange symbols.
"What are those symbols?" Sakura asked, her eyes on the strange girl. The girl brushed a loose strand of her hair from her eye. She had an amused look in her eyes when Sakura asked the question.
"Those are rune symbols, algiz, feh, mannaz, they all have separate meanings," the girl looked at them, "I'm sorry. I must appear really rude. My name is Raya. I…well, study ancient magick. I fancy myself a pretty good sorceress," she grinned.
"My name is Sakura, and this is Li-kun. It's alright you weren't being rude. I think it's pretty interesting." Sakura smiled. When Tomoyo came back, she told them that the class was leaving.
"Hey, Sakura! Maybe I'll see you later, right?" Raya called after her, and Sakura turned, smiling and waving good-bye.
"I think that girl should be regarded suspiciously," Li-kun finally spoke; he hadn't said a word when Raya had appeared.
"Why? She seemed nice to me," Tomoyo voiced. Sakura climbed on the bus, not saying anything.
Sakura didn't see Mkle when they got back, so she suspected he was either in his room, or he wasn't at the hotel. Sakura and Tomoyo went back to their room and settled.
"Why does Li-kun have to suspect everyone is an enemy?" Sakura finally said. Tomoyo shrugged.
"Li-kun always has good reason for his suspicions. Maybe he sensed something about her," Tomoyo answered. She was brushing out her hair. Sakura took out her pigtails.
"Li-kun senses a lot of different things about everyone. He just doesn't like her showing him up with her knowledge of magick, that's all," Sakura pulled on her nightclothes. "Now, I'm tired. Let's go to sleep already."

Syaoran walked into the lobby. He didn't like any of this. Raya had given him the worst feeling. There was something about her that he didn't like. Then, he heard voices.
"Son, you need to learn the difference between when to care and when to act like you care," Syaoran looked past the corner, into a hall. In the hall stood the boy that Sakura had been hanging out with lately, and a tall man. The man looked like a father, with glasses framing his brown eyes and his lips pursed. He had light blondish/brown hair and seemed very unhappy. His anger shined through the suit he was wearing.
"I'm trying dad, but it's hard, that's all," the boy said.
"Mkle, I didn't raise you to be weak!" The man snapped at the boy. The boy raised his hand; he held a card in it. On the back of the card was a strange symbol, and Syaoran somehow felt he should recognize it. He watched, eyes intense, as the man opened the door they stood in front of. The boy examined the card a moment, then pocketed it. Syaoran didn't leave until they'd both entered the room and the door shut.

Sakura opened the door after the third sharp knock. Li-kun stood there, preparing to knock again. He lowered his hand. Sakura rubbed some sleep from her eyes.
"Li-kun, it's late…" Before she could finish, he pulled her into the hall way and silently shut the door behind her.
"Kinomoto, I have to talk to you," he said.
"Well you have my attention now," she replied, now wide-awake.
"Kinomoto, the boy that you met here…" Li-kun began.
"Mkle? How did you know about him?" Sakura interrupted.
"Never mind that, there's something strange about him, I feel I should remember what it is, but I can't," Li-kun silenced her. Sakura crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Li-kun! I don't appreciate you being distrustful of everyone! He's my friend, and if there is something strange about him, it probably has something to do with him being from America! Just because his customs are different, doesn't mean he's to be looked down at or even be seen as an enemy! I don't like it when you do this Li-kun!" Sakura opened her door, "Now, good-night!" She shut the door and leaned against it sliding into a sitting position. The room was dark and the only noise was Tomoyo's soft breathing.

Syaoran sighed; he leaned against the door and slid, sitting down. Then, he sat up. Did she say he was from America, he wondered. That was it! He was beginning to remember. He thought about knocking again, but shook his head. She doesn't want me here, he told himself, I've been so mean to her all the time it's a wonder she hadn't yelled at me like that before now. He walked down the hall to his room to change into his robes. He grabbed his sword, and left down the hall to Mkle's room.

Morning wasn't pleasant. Sakura had crawled back into bed, but was unable to sleep. She was now searching for some clothes to wear for the class's next trip. This time the class was going to go to a temple to see a ceremony then they would go to some factory to see how something or the other was made, and then they were all going to go to some restaurant for dinner. She sighed. Li-kun, why do you have to be so difficult?
Tomoyo had left earlier for some reason. She had told Sakura, but Sakura couldn't remember. Sakura pulled on a light blue skirt and a white tank top. She pulled on a blouse over the shirt. The blouse was a series of blue flowers. She pulled her hair up into their regular pigtails and tied blue ribbons around them. She reached for her Clow key, or where she knew she put it the night before, but it was gone. Maybe Tomoyo moved it, she thought. She searched through the room for the Clow key, but it was nowhere to be found. Instead, Sakura found a note left by Tomoyo. It read:

Sakura,
Despite what Li-kun says, you two make a wonderful team.
I think you should tell Li-kun how you really feel Sakura.
It might make your teamwork go a lot easier! Oh, yeah,
Zachary wants to tell you that Li-kun wasn't in his room
this morning, and wants to know if you know
where he might be.
Tomoyo

Sakura put the note down. Li-kun was missing. She thought back to last night. "He seemed so sure…but Mkle is so sweet, he wouldn't do anything like what Li-kun was suggesting." Sakura pulled herself up. She began her search for her Clow key again, but didn't find it. She went back to the table where she put it the night before and began searching around it. She stood up with no luck, but then really looked at the table. Burned into the table was the same symbol from her dream. She touched it lightly with her fingers, but a bolt of magick shot through her hand and she pulled back in pain.

Sakura left her room in a hurry; she walked down to the lobby and saw Mkle entering a door down a hall. She looked at her class; they weren't far away. Li-kun is probably with them, she thought. However, she didn't believe herself. She walked down the hall to the door where Mkle went in. There was something about the door, something she didn't like. She opened it just a crack. It's a good thing he didn't lock his door, she thought. She peered in, but Mkle was shutting the door behind him to another room. Her eyes fell on the bathroom door and she slipped in and walked to the bathroom. She shut the door just enough so that she could see in the room. Mkle entered again, and another person, a man, walked in.
"Father," Mkle greeted. Sakura's heart stopped when she saw Mkle's face, his eyes, they seemed cold…harsh; they weren't the same gentle ones she knew.
"Son. There are no problems anymore. I know who the sorcerer is from my vision, and trust me they will suffer," Mkle's father said, determination in his voice, "On a lighter note, I have a new magick tool to sell. Japan is always a good place to find these, some of the last magick tools are left here." Sakura watched as the two left together. She counted to ten before opening the door and leaving the room. The room was completely empty except for a bed and a full-length mirror. Sakura felt drawn to the mirror, and walked to it. She touched it with her hand, and the surface of the mirror rippled. Taking a deep breath, she walked through the mirror (Curiouser and curiouser, talk about flashback to Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass).
Sakura was suddenly in another room. She was on a sort of metal wing for an upside down airplane. She stood unsteadily on it. The airplane seemed to float in mid-air, levitating. Sakura put her hand to the hull of the 'airplane' to steady herself. She looked down, but all that was there was rushing water that spilled down a gutter like thing. The walls were all painted black with no openings and there seemed to be no ceiling, but Sakura could see nothing but white when she looked at the sky. The room was huge and bright. It was almost like daylight, the light wasn't warm, but it had a natural look to it. She heard a sound not far off.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" Sakura called, feeling her heart pounding.
"Sakura?" Li-kun's voice called.
"Li-kun? Is that you?" Sakura called again, for a moment it was all silent. Then she heard the sound again.
"Yeah. What are you doing here, Kinomoto?" His voice sounded harsh, and a little scornful.

Alright, let's stop here and check on Tomoyo, because the class can't leave until all the students are there and accounted for. Tomoyo stood nervously because she had seen Sakura take off down a hall and slip into a door. Their teacher was now giving roll call and it was nearing Sakura's name. Tomoyo thought up a lie she could use if the time came. Tomoyo could sense something was up if Li-kun was gone and Sakura was sneaking around.
"Sakura?" The teacher called.
"Sakura wasn't feeling well so Li-kun and myself were wondering if we could stay with her," Tomoyo said. The teacher looked at Tomoyo.
"Alright…tell Sakura to try and feel better tomorrow," the teacher told her, then went on with his role calling. Tomoyo left to the hall that Sakura had slipped down. She was beginning to open the door she thought was the one Sakura had went in when a shadow fell over her.
"May I help you young lady?" A dark voice said.

Sakura waited for Li-kun to answer, or show himself, when she heard a crack. The wing Sakura was on jolted, and moved. It was breaking off from the 'airplane'.
"Li-kun! Help!" No answer. "Li-kun, my ledge is breaking! I'm going to fall!" Sakura called. Still no answer. She tried to climb up to the rest of the airplane, but she it was too slippery and when she fell back to the wing, it broke more. She tried again, her heart pounding. Without the Clow key, she was in trouble. She beat the airplane in defeat and, closing her eyes, felt the wing slip from beneath her feet. Then…something grabbed her hand. Her eyes shot open. Li-kun held her hand and was trying to pull her up. She helped by using her feet to climb up the frame of the airplane. When they successfully got her to the top of the airplane, she fell on Li-kun; blushing, she pulled herself up.
"Thank you, Li-kun. Where are we?" Sakura looked around the room from the top of the airplane. There seemed to be no entrances and no exits.
"What are you doing here?" Li-kun demanded. Sakura looked at him, he was frowning, and generally looked like he didn't want her there. She bit her lower lip and looked away.
"I…lost my Clow key," Sakura answered. Li-kun said nothing in return for a moment. Then, when he began to say something, the airplane rocked. "What was that?" Sakura asked, fear rising in her voice. Li-kun's eyes were wide. The airplane jerked again, and there was a loud creaking noise.
"This thing is going to fall, Kinomoto!" Li-kun answered. Sakura shuddered.
"There's no where to go, Li-kun! We're going to fall with this piece of metal!" Sakura cried. "There's got to be somewhere we can get to, some solid ground!" Li-kun and Sakura surveyed the walls, the bottom, everywhere.
"There! There's a ledge there!" Li-kun pointed. Sakura looked in the distance. "It's not that far a jump, we could make it." Sakura stepped back, shaking her head.
"No, I can't make it. It's too far," she whispered. Li-kun looked at her.
"What do you mean? We can jump there when this thing falls. It's not that far," Li-kun explained. The airplane began to shift again, and Sakura barely caught herself. "You have to decide now!" Sakura closed her eyes.
"I can't!" The airplane was falling; the air was rushing past her.
"Meilin could do it!" Li-kun yelled at her. Sakura's eyes shot open.
"Let's go, Li-kun," Sakura cried, and the two jumped for the ledge. Li-kun made a clean landing, but Sakura didn't quite make it and was wind milling in the air for a second before Li-kun grabbed her.
"We made it…" Li-kun whispered, close to her ear. He let her stand up and catch her breath, before they looked at the ledge they were on. It was a black hall and they couldn't see how far back it led. "Come on, Sakura, let's go." They walked through the hall as far as they could.
"You think this will lead somewhere, Li-kun?" Sakura asked. Li-kun shrugged.
"It's got to," he answered. He was right, wasn't he? It had to lead somewhere. When they reached the back, they touched the cool smooth wall. They were at the end of the hall, and it was a dead end.
"This isn't right!" Sakura cried, "This isn't how it's supposed to go!" Sakura slid down, sitting. Li-kun gave her a strange look.
"That's it? You're not even going to try anything? You're just going to give up?" He asked. Sakura nodded, lowering her eyes and laying her head down.
"What's the use? A lot of help I proved to be," she sighed.
"If you're going to be here, then get up and think of something," Li-kun chided. Sakura felt the tears come back.
"Wouldn't you rather I just go home and play tea party with my stuffed animal?" She asked, her voice almost a sob. Li-kun stopped. He didn't say anything for a moment, but sat down in front of Sakura.
"Sakura…I'm sorry…" He finally said. "I'm sorry that I said that. I…I didn't mean it."
"Then why did you say it?" She said, her voice muffled as she had buried her face in her arms.
"Sakura…I was…I was upset," Li-kun whispered, however, it didn't help, "Not with you though. I was upset with myself," his voice was now just below a whisper, "I was upset because…because…you got hurt…" Sakura looked up at him.
"What do you mean," she asked, hesitant.
"I just…I felt like…like…I couldn't protect you," he halted and pulled himself up.
"Syaoran?" She whispered, calling him by his first name. He stopped, "Kero-Chan is my guardian beast, and now I know I have a guardian angel." Li-kun turned to her, and she smiled at him. He smiled one of his rare smiles back at her. "Now let's try and find a way out of here." She placed her hand on the wall. There was something that wasn't right with it. She focused and it came to her. "It's a card!"
"A card? How is that possible? Unless…" Li-kun left it off at that. He walked back over to Sakura and placed his own hand on the wall, she could tell he could sense something.
"You think we can break through it?" Sakura whispered, her voice close to his ear. He looked at her, and nodded. "All right…um…Li-kun?"
"Yeah?" He held his gaze on her.
"I don't have my Clow key and I think I know who stole it. Oh, and I wanted to know why you still went to Mkle…not that I think it matters what I said," Sakura looked down, tugging at a strand of loose hair.
"It had to do with you saying he was from America," Li-kun started, unsheathing his sword and focusing his energy. "I'll explain later. I have an idea right now. I don't think you need your Clow key to help me. Just lend me some of your power." Sakura stood back and looked at him, a look of confusion on her face. "Put your hand on my shoulder and focus your energy through my sword, think of it as how you would use your wand."
"Okay, I'll try," Sakura placed her hand on Li-kun's shoulder, turning a deep shade of red. He looks so determined, she thought, it is kind of cute. Startled, Sakura nearly pulled back, then regained her composure. What am I thinking, she wondered.
"Kinomoto, you want to try now?" Li-kun asked, giving her a look. If Sakura had looked closer though, she would have seen that Li-kun was blushing as well. Sakura closed her eyes and centered her energy through Li-kun to the point of his sword. Li-kun pulled out a small paper with strange writing on it. He spoke a few words, then threw the paper in the air and struck it with the broad of his sword. Sakura pulled back as the magically conjured wind thrashed the wall breaking it. The wall gathered itself and floated back to its master.
Li-kun and Sakura stepped out of the hall to find themselves standing on a ledge. Below them was a river that led to a waterfall. On one side of the river was land with a tropical canopy. However, to get to the river, the two would have to drop about 100 feet. Sakura backed away from the edge.
"That's high, and without the fly card, it seems a lot more higher then it would if I had the fly card," Sakura exclaimed. Li-kun looked at her, obviously not understanding what she said. "Now what do we do? All that just to come to a ledge without the Clow cards! This just gets harder and harder!" Sakura felt tears of frustration weld in her eyes.
"Yeah. What a waste, and we're stuck," Li-kun added, "We might as well just jump and save ourselves the suffering of starving to death." Sakura looked at Li-kun, who apparently wasn't serious.
"That's a good idea!" Sakura clapped her hands. Li-kun looked at her to notice that she too was serious. "We could just jump, if we're lucky we'll survive the fall. Li-kun, listen, fate wouldn't have led me and you here just to meet our end! We are going to get to the end of these!"
"Kinomoto…I don't…" Li-kun began.
"Don't you see, Li-kun? We only have the one choice. We can't go back so we have to go forward," Sakura looked down. "We made it this far, we'll make it through this." Li-kun looked down to the river.
"You're right, but if we die, I'm never speaking to you again," Li-kun scolded. The two stepped up to the ledge. (Ready for a cute moment?) Sakura unconsciously took Li-kun's hand and the two held their breath. With a lot of doubt and so little faith, they jumped.

It wasn't long before they hit the water. The rush broke the hold Syaoran and Sakura had on each other's hands. The two were swept away from each other. Syaoran pulled himself onto the land, not having to struggle long in the water. He lay on the dirt and gasped in air before he sat up. He looked around, surveying the area. His eyes strained, but he couldn't find Sakura.
"Kinomoto? Hey! Sakura? Where are you?" Syaoran called; there was no answer. He turned to the water, "She couldn't have…" He scanned the water for any signs of Sakura.
"Li-ku…" Sakura's voice called, then it was cut off as she swallowed a mouth full of water. Syaoran turned just as Sakura began to fall down the waterfall. Without a thought, he pulled out one of his magick scripts and spoke the incantation. Magick wind wisped around Sakura, pulling her from the hungry tides of water and floating her safely to land. Syaoran knelt beside Sakura and realized she wasn't breathing. He caught his breath and laid her out flat on her back.
"Sakura…Sakura, say something," Syaoran bit his lower lip. He had to work fast. He just wished he'd paid more attention when the class was going over CPR. He leaned forward, close to her face and then…
Sakura started coughing, gasping for breath. Her eyes opened and met Li-kun's own eyes.
"Sakura! You're alright…" Li-kun began, then realized what he was saying and silenced. It took Sakura a moment to understand what had happened. She had finally caught her breath, so she let a smile slip on her face.
"You thought I drowned and you were going to help me? Right, Li-kun?" she ventured, hoping she was right. Li-kun sat back.
"Don't push it," he answered. Sakura smiled and flung her arms around his neck, catching him by surprise.
"Thanks, Li-kun," Sakura whispered in his ear, then; blushing, pulled away. "I must have got the wind knocked out of me…something had hit me…hit me hard." Sakura's eyes trailed off, widening. Rising from the river was a beast, like that of a sea nymph made of water. "Li-kun…" Li-kun turned around slowly. Seeing the beast, he jumped to his feet and unsheathed his sword in one swift movement. He stood in a fighting stance before realizing now wasn't the time to fight. Sakura was still coughing, and his simple magick tricks couldn't do much against a enemy as powerful as he could sense the creature was.
Jumping back to dodge the wet foes first attack, Li-kun grabbed hold of Sakura's hand and pulled her to her feet. The two ran side by side, and Sakura felt as though it was meant to be that way. Li-kun glanced over his shoulder a moment.
"It's not following us, I don't think," as if to prove him wrong, a crash of water sent mud and dirt flying in front of the two children. They halted to a stop. They spun around to face the oncoming enemy. Li-kun stepped in front of Sakura, sword in hand.
"I can freeze the moment," he whispered. "But there's no where to run, unless you have an idea?" Sakura bit her lower lip.
"I don't think so…Wait! Li-kun, fire is waters weakness, right?" Sakura looked at him, waiting for his answer.
"Yeah, but I don't see what that has to do with anything. My fire charms aren't strong enough to stop that thing!" Li-kun answered, looking at Sakura. Sakura's eyes were searching the land for anything useful.
"If we can get a huge fire started, we can stop it, can't we?" Li-kun was about to say 'yes', "Great! Freeze it Li-kun, we have work to do, and the Time card can only stop it for so long, but wait until I tell you to stop it, ok?" Li-kun nodded. Sakura ran to a nearby tree. Li-kun realized that when they were running he didn't notice the growing number of trees. Sakura watched the beast.
"Wait…wait…" she breathed, as the creature got closer, and closer, and…"Now, Li-kun! Freeze it now!" Li-kun removed the Time card, freezing the moment. Sakura then threw him some branches.
"Form a wall of wood around the thing!" Sakura yelled. Li-kun nodded, beginning to understand.
"It might work, Kinomoto," he began to put the branches in place, surrounding the water beast with as much wood as they could find. Then Li-kun pulled out a charm and said the incantation as the time unfroze. The beast only had enough time to figure out what was happening before it was engulfed in flames. Sakura grabbed Li-kun's arm and they ran from the fire and wails of the beast. The two came to a cave.
"Li-kun," Sakura whispered. They stopped walking. "I'm really sorry I didn't believe you about Mkle earlier…maybe none of this would have happened if I'd just listened to what you said," Sakura sighed, "Mkle stole my Clow key, or his father did." Li-kun caught his breath.
"Kinomoto, I have to tell you something," he took a moment to gather what he was going to say, "Remember, I told you I'd explain why I still went to Mkle's, even after you yelled at me?" Sakura nodded, "It was because you said he was from America. In America, a society formed…a society of…of…magick hunters. They search for magick relics and steal them and sell them to…demons and other evil creatures."
"I thought demons were magickal creatures, too, don't they have magickal relics?" Sakura asked, hesitantly. She was still trying to swallow what he'd just said.
"Demons are from a sub-dimension. There are bridges they can cross to get here, but they aren't very well accepted. The legend goes that they used to live here on Earth, back during the Creation period. Some types of magick were in their infancy. Magick ran strong in five major families. The demons and other creatures of the dark side of the moon were always causing trouble. So a war started between the five families and the beasts. The creatures were pushed into a sub-dimension, where they couldn't do any harm. They have little magick in the dimension.
"Bridges can be formed accidentally by amateur magicians or on purpose by evil magicians or escaped creatures. When the beasts first come through, they're weak and close to magick-less. They buy stolen magick relics from the Magick Hunters," Li-kun leaned against the opening of the cave.
"But if they stole my Clow key and cards, they can't use them, so it's okay," Sakura grinned. Li-kun sadly shook his head.
"No, Kinomoto. Magick Hunters have a special magick; they can use anyone's relics, even the Clow cards," Li-kun answered solemnly. "That's what worries me."
"I've done nothing but get us in more trouble! I never should have taken off my Clow key! Look where I've gotten us!" Sakura cried. Li-kun caught her shoulders.
"Don't say that, Sakura! If it weren't for you I'd still be on that ledge!" he whispered roughly, "Don't ever talk like that!"
"You would have figured it all out," Sakura sobbed. "And besides, my idea nearly got us killed."
"That's not true, Kinomoto, and even if I did find a way to get down from the ledge, I would have never gotten by the water beast. I would have gotten myself killed trying to fight it, but you figured out what to do all by yourself. You never give up…never…"
"Then let's keep going," Sakura whispered, "We need to get the Clow key back before the Hunters get a chance to use it against us."
The two walked slowly through the cave. It was dark inside. Li-kun made a magick light and they walked hand in hand through the cave. Then, a scream bounced off the walls and into their ears.
"Tomoyo! That's Tomoyo's voice!" Sakura let go of Li-kun's hand and raced ahead.
"NO! Sakura, come back!"

Sakura raced down the hall. "Tomoyo?" Sakura slowed down, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest.
"SAKURA!" the scream echoed off the wall. Tomoyo was thrown to the wall like a rag doll, but Sakura couldn't see the enemy. She looked at Tomoyo. Her heart caught in her throat. Her dream. Tomoyo looked the same as in her dream. Sakura could tell Tomoyo was alive though.
"Thank you," Sakura whispered, kneeling beside her friend, "Kero, I wish you were here." Sakura straightened. The urge to run came to her, and she couldn't stop herself. She ran, running into the stadium. Through the darkness she couldn't see the figure that stood in the looming darkness. She looked around the room. It was a huge stadium, except there were no seats, only walls. Sakura didn't notice the creature as it attacked her.
"Sakura!" Li-kun cried, calling her by her first name. He blocked the blow with his sword. Sakura jumped to attention. Li-kun blocked a few more blows with the skills he gained studying the martial arts. He was graceful and quick, but not quick enough. The creature caught him off guard, and knocked him to his knees.
"No!" Sakura cried, the dream rushing back to her.
"What's the matter little sorceress? Nothing without your little necklace?" The creature spoke; falling from its hand dangled her Clow key. The voice was that of Mkle's father.
"Who are you?" Li-kun questioned.
"My name is Dais," came the reply. Then Dais reached down, wrapping his hand around Li-kun's neck and lifting him off the ground. Li-kun's feet dangled a foot above the ground.
"Stop it! You're hurting him!" Sakura cried, feeling helpless. The creature looked at her giving Li-kun time to swing his sword hard into the creature's arm that held the Clow key. Both the key and Li-kun dropped. Sakura reached for the Clow key, but didn't make it. The pulled herself to her feet and jumped away from Dais as he attacked her. He picked up the Clow key, and it formed into the wand.
"Is this what you're after?" he asked. Li-kun was pulling himself to his feet. His sword had been knocked from his hand. Dais pulled out a Clow card.
"That cards? You have the cards too?" Sakura felt tears come to her eyes.
"This looks like a fun card," Dais turned the card to reveal Windy. The card released and the magick that was once Sakura's ally now pushed her back with the force of a hurricane. Sakura covered her eyes and tried to plant herself to the ground. It didn't work and she was flung soundly to the wall. She caught herself before she fell. "What about this card?" The shot card formed, almost attacking her, and then stopping before it struck her in the heart.
"Huh?" Sakura looked up.
"I said attack," Dais demanded. "Never mind, you're no fun anyhow. This one however…" The power card formed. "Crush that girl like a bug!" The power card began its attack, flying at Sakura who raised her arms in front of her face. Then…nothing happened. Sakura looked up, but the power card stood still, looking from Sakura to Dais, confused.
"Sakura! The card knows you're its master! Command it!" Li-kun cried.
"Power card! Attack that man!" Sakura pointed at Dais. The power card now began its attack on Dais.
"No! I have the Clow wand, attack her!" The Power card turned to attack Sakura.
"Attack him!" Sakura pointed. The card turned back, only to hear the same command from Dais. It stopped in the middle once more, looking from Dais to Sakura. Then, it returned to card form. Sakura smiled triumphantly.
"You think you've won?" Dais raised his hand and a blast of energy erupted from his finger tips. Sakura could taste blood in her mouth, but she couldn't feel anything. Then, pain shot through her body, spreading like wild fire. Sakura fell to her knees. Li-kun jumped in front of her, holding his sword, his other arm was limp at his side. Li-kun put up as much fight as he could, but eventually he lost, falling to the ground. Dais wrapped his fingers around Li-kun's neck, lifting him off the ground. Dais pulled back his arm, his nails extended like the claws of a cat.
"No, it's me you want!" Sakura cried. To Sakura and Li-kun's surprise, Dais broke into laughter.
"You think I'm after you? Little sorceress, you're nothing to me. A pain in my side for now, but I can deal with you later," Dais plunged the claws into Li-kun's chest, without hesitance. Li-kun's eyes shut tightly in pain and he left out a soft cry. Sakura could feel blood splatter on her face and drops on her arms. Tears mixed with the blood.
"NOOO! Syaoran!" Sakura could hear her voice, but she couldn't feel anything, see anything; her voice seemed so distant, so far away; it was as if she wasn't the one talking.

Tomoyo pulled herself up, her wrist hurt and she could barely see through the dark. The first thing she heard was Sakura's voice. Tomoyo ran to the sound, her heart pounding. Things were coming back to her. Mkle's father coming behind her, doing something to her that put her to sleep; awaking to find herself in a small chamber, the questions that…what was his name…? Dais, that was his name. Dais asked so many questions, when she wouldn't answer, a violent shock would erupt through her body. Now she awoke to find herself in a dark passage, the sounds of a battle not too far off. She checked her camera, then switched it on. Now she ran into the battlefield to see the creature throw a limp Li-kun to the wall. He slumped to the ground.

Sakura saw Tomoyo run to Li-kun. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest. She pulled herself to her feet, remembering the times she'd spent with Li-kun. Her whole body trembled and she couldn't catch herself. She stood, although her muscles all hurt; each muscle was on fire. A line of blood slipped down from a cut on her forehead, seeping into her eye, down her cheek, and into her lips. Her lip quivered, as each memory passed through her mind.
"You can take the Clow cards," she began in a whisper, "And you can attack me," Sakura closed her eyes, letting the last tears slip down, "But when you hurt my friends…" A light illuminated around her and she opened her eyes, anger burning in them. "I won't let you hurt them anymore!"
"What are you going to do? Little girl, I have all the cards on my side," Dais laughed harshly.
"Clow cards…" Sakura whispered. He's right, she thought, I stand no chance. Sakura bent, picking up Li-kun's fallen sword, but it was too heavy and she dropped it. Dais laughed again. Her eyes trailed to Li-kun, to Tomoyo. She looked back to Dais to see lights…strange, but familiar lights, floating behind her. Sakura looked closely at one of the lights, and her eyes went wide. It was the Windy Card; the other lights were the Power Card, the Sleep Card, the Shot Card, the Sword Card; all the cards were floating to her side, behind her.
"Sakura, what are they doing?" Tomoyo's voice echoed into Sakura's mind, but she couldn't answer her friend. Her heart was pounding, and the adrenaline was rushing.
"They want to fight on my side…they know I'm the one supposed to command them…" Sakura whispered, "But I don't have the Clow wand…I can't command them without the Clow wand." Sakura focused on Dais. "Windy!" The card floated to her hand, then the magick spilled from the card, a hurricane of wind, a tsunami. The wind caught Li-kun's sword, spiraling it. Dais's eyes went wide.
"No! NOOO!" The sword's blade sunk deeply into his chest, into his heart, "No…my dream, it came true! But he…he had the sword…it was him! How could…how…" Dais fell weakly to the ground, "It wasn't supposed to happen like this…it wasn't…" His face hit the dirt. Windy blew the Clow key to Sakura's outstretched hand and the cards shuffled themselves into a deck, laid neatly on the ground by Sakura.
Sakura crawled to Li-kun's body. She sat by him, laying his head on her lap.
"Li-kun…it's okay, Dais is gone. We defeated him," she whispered. He didn't answer. Her voice became desperate, "Li-kun…Syaoran, please, wake up! Please…please." She laid her head on his chest. "I love you…"
"Sakura!" Tomoyo cried. Sakura sat up. In the hallway a figure was walking from the stadium. Sakura gently put Li-kun's head down, removing her blouse to make a pillow. She race after the figure, catching up with it, as it slowed to a stop. She spun it around to look into the cold eyes of Mkle.
"You…" Sakura gasped, "What are you doing here?" Mkle smiled.
"Here," he tossed her a small object. She caught it with both her hands. "Put it on, you have fifteen minutes to save him. It has one last charge on it." Sakura looked at the object. It was a ring in the shape of a cat. Carved in the metal were strange markings.
"What is it?" Sakura whispered.
"It was taken from a Necromancer. They're powerful sorcerers that specialize in magick having to do with death. You put the ring on and touch the skin of your friend. It'll take you to the gates, where you'll have a minimum of five minutes to bring him back to his body. It will heal his body. Afterwards, the ring will be useless," Mkle explained.
"Why? I… I killed your father," Sakura whispered, swallowing hard. She'd killed a man.
"Why? Because you're powerful. You destroyed a powerful mage, and you deserve a reward. My dad's dead, I didn't like him much anyhow. Now I can hunt for my own purposes. You're running short on time. Go save him, Sakura, and clean up afterwards. A beautiful girl such as you shouldn't have blood staining your innocence." Mkle turned, walking away.
Sakura ran back to Li-kun's body, slipping the ring on her finger. She gently touched his arm.
"Sakura, who was it? What are you do-"
Tomoyo's voice drowned out. Sakura first saw black, and then she felt as though she was leaving her body. She felt the splash of cold water surround her. She stood up, looking around. Li-kun was walking down the river of water.
"Syaoran? Li-kun!" Sakura ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck. She pulled back in surprise. His skin was cold. She looked into his wide eyes.
"What are you doing here, Kinomoto?" He asked sharply.
"Come on, Li-kun, let's go. I'm here to take you back," Sakura answered, smiling.
"I don't want to go back, Kinomoto. I died honorably, and besides, why should I go back?" Li-kun's words bit into Sakura's heart, and she stared, unblinking as he trudged on.
"Li-kun, how can you talk like that?" Sakura demanded, "Please come back…come back for your family," he continued, not turning back, "Li-kun! Come back for your friends…" He kept walking. Sakura let out a sob, "Come back for me…" she whispered. He stopped, turning back to her.
"Alright, I'll go back," Li-kun whispered, close to her face now. Sakura looked up, into his eyes. She took his hand, and they felt the rush as they were pulled back into their bodies.

Tomoyo sat with Kero, who she'd called. He'd made a fly for the city and now sat with the camera-holding girl. They watched Sakura, waiting. Then, Li-kun's chest rose then fell.
"What?" Tomoyo looked at him, "He's breathing! He's alive." She pulled herself over to his body. "His injuries are gone too!" Kero floated above Sakura and looked pointedly at the ring.
"A Necromancer ring? Where'd she get that?" He asked. Sakura laid her head down on Li-kun's chest, her eyes closing completely and her breathing softening. She and Li-kun were sleeping.
"Should we wake them?" Tomoyo asked. Kero grinned.
"Naw, I think we should leave them. They've had a rough day and need the rest," Kero answered. He patted their heads and gave Sakura a light kiss on the forehead, "Poor kids. They're really wiper out"

The End