| "Hey! Li! Wait!" Sakura yelled as she ran after Li as he headed home after school. "Li! Would you just STOP! If I have to use a card, I will!" She yelled after him frustrated. Li spun, a scowl painted on his face. "What?!" He yelled back. Sakura was so mad she almost slapped him. "Do you know that I just RAN five blocks after you?! I didn’t have time to put my skates on, or say goodbye to Toyomo or anything! That’s because I wanted to talk to you!" "So TALK!" "STOP SHOUTING!!!!!!!" Soon they were both laughing so hard they could barely breath. Li looked up and couldn’t help but notice how cute Sakura looked today, she looked the same as every other day though, maybe it was her hair...Girls were always messing with their hair. Li sat down on a bench not far from where they’d stopped, and told Sakura exhaustedly, "Put your skates on...I’ll wait." Sakura smiled her thanks as she pulled them out of her backpack. "You ran after me with those heavy skates in your backpack?" He asked in amazement. She nodded enthusiastically. "I guess you are a good athlete." "I like sports..." She replied absentmindedly. When she’d put her skates on she looked over at him and asked, "Now why did I just put these on?" "Because I’m going to walk you home." Li replied calmly. "You can’t, Toya hates you." "I don’t care what your big brother thinks." Sakura looked at him and then all a pieces fell into place. "I see," She said, raising her chin in the air, "You’re just walking me, because you think Yuki is going to be their!" Li started to protest, but Sakura cut him off, "Well, thank you for the selfish offer, but I can make it on my own, good da-" Li shook Sakura to get her to shut up and listen to him. "That’s not it at all, Sakura!" He told her forcefully. "I want to walk you home, because...well, I like-" He shook his head quickly and corrected himself really quickly, "I think we should talk and get somewhere at the same time, and you have to go home don’t you? I can’t ignore my gentlemanly duties and leave you alone, the decent thing to do is at least walk you home." A faint blush colored the Asian boy’s cheeks. "You’re acting weird." She stated in a matter of fact voice. "Only because you’re being so self righteous." He shot back at her. This was the Li Sakura knew. "Oh, all right, I guess I can LET you walk me home. But it’s not that I need your help getting there, alright?" Li nodded approvingly. Sakura twirled and skated around Li as he walked, she laughed happily, almost as if she was an ordinary girl. Li smiled, shaking his head at her childish antics. As they walked by a cafe, Sakura whirled around and asked Li, "Wanna stop for and ice cream or something?" "Sure." He said as he plopped ungracefully into a chair. Sakura landed with a thud as well. Neither of them noticed the girl sitting two tables away, with a strong aura, she was watching them keenly from Oakley sunglasses. She sipped delicately from a coffee mug. "So, Sakura, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Li asked casually. "Li, why is it that we’re always fighting?" Sakura asked just as casually as she paroled the menu. Li gulped, surprised by her angle of attack. The waitress saved him, by taking their orders, just enough time for Li to feel a strong presence watching him. "Do you feel that?" He asked her cautiously. "Feel what?" She replied. "That power, it’s close by, and it’s targeted on us." Sakura stopped for two seconds to harness her magical energy to see what Li was talking about. She inhaled deeply when she felt it and closing her eyes, she tried to pin-point it. "It’s a person...It’s not a bad energy per say, just...Watchful. There!" She said as she pointed to the table where the strange girl sat. "Do you think it’s a Clow Card?" Li asked. "No, I already told you, it’s a person, I could tell if it wasn’t human." The girl smiled at them and beckoned them over. "She’s mocking us." Li said disappointedly. Sakura rolled her eyes at him and jumped up to go join this new person. As Sakura approached the girl drew her sunglasses up to make a headband out of them. Her hair was a brilliant black and her eyes were purple! Her smiled dazzled the two of them. "Hello Sakura." She had the most musical voice, it was soft and gentle like the sea. "And Li. Tell me, how are the Card Captures going? No cards giving you grief I hope?" "Um, who are you?" Sakura asked so startled that she could hardly speak. Li was staring with his mouth slack. "That’s normally not that way you start a conversation with a stranger." The girl laughed, it was bubbly and she replied, "You’re right, my manners have left me! I am Hoshiko, Hoshiko Tsuiraku. Everyone calls me Hoshi though. And you’re probably wondering why I’m even mentioning Clow Cards, because no one’s supposed to know about them, right?" The two nodded stupidly. "Well, I’m here to warn you, not both of you, just her. I’m a direct descendent of Clow Reed. Unlike Li, who would be a great grand nephew, or something, I’d be the great grand daughter. Understand?" They both nodded again. She pushed her wavy, long black hair back before continuing, "I’m here to protect you, Sakura. Because if you succeed, my dreams will come true. Don’t ask, because I‘m not aloud to reply, just trust me." Hoshi smiled again, and Li almost dropped the bag he was holding. "Be careful, Sakura, your Yuki isn’t all that he seems to be. You have such pretty green eyes, like leaves on the trees in summer." Hoshi remarked absently. She smiled a small, sad smile, the waitress delivered the children's ice cream. "Why are you here now? When Sakura almost has all the Cards?" Li asked Hoshi politely through a mouth of jamocha almond fudge ice cream. "Things are complicated, cousin. I am not all that I seem either, but my true form wont remain hidden for long. I hate lying, plus I know he’ll force me out into the open." She said the last line with disdain. "He who?" Sakura asked curiously. This awarded her with another sad smile that she couldn’t place. "No one, Sakura. You’ll meet him soon enough too." She sounded so sad and lonely. "Yes, I am lonely." She told them, as if she could read Sakura’s mind. "Your mind, it’s like watching the stars, stars are easy to pick out." "So says you." Li muttered. Hoshi laughed at this, as if knowing some private joke she was reminded of. She shook her head and stood up, "I have to go now, the stars are beginning to light the sky..." Only then did Sakura notice the beautiful, tight fitted, angel white skirt she had that barely grazed the ground. She was wearing a blue jean, button up tee shirt with it. She nodded to them both and walked away. Both Li and Sakura looked at each other in amazement. "Was that bizarre or what?" Li asked. Sakura nodded vigorously. * * * "And she said her name was Hoshi! Hoshi Tsuiraku!" Sakura yelled at Kero. "Falling star..."He whispered to himself, "What color were her eyes?" He asked her. "Purple." She replied sheepishly, "She was so beautiful. I’ve never met a human that beautiful, not even my own mother..." "Star, you beautiful fool." Kero mutter to himself. * * * "Yuki!" Sakura yelled as she ran over to him after school. Be careful, Sakura, your Yuki isn’t all that he seems to be. Hoshi’s warning rang in her ears as she stopped five feet in front of his outstretched arms. She looked at him warily. "Sakura, what’s wrong?" He asked, a smile on his face. She remained where she stood, looking at him with and unreadable expression on her face. "I think I’m gonna go home, Yuki...Dad’s waiting for me to help cook him dinner, I just remembered." Sakura lied, then turned and ran away, ignoring him when he called out her name. "Sakura!" He called out desperately. "What brought that on?" He asked himself. "I did." He heard in his mind. "Hoshi," He said sighing, "I should have known." "I wont let you do this to her. You don’t deserve her." Said Hoshi’s voice angrily. "Come where I can see you!" Yuki demanded angrily in another voice, one not his own. "You wish! You are a LIAR! At least I had the decency to tell her my real name when I met her!" Hoshi accused him, her words bit at his conscience making him feel every twinge of guilt. He closed his eyes and yelled back angrily "I HAVE MY REASONS!" "Do you!? I had no idea, here, let me help you pull your head out of your ass for you!" "You’ve met her!" "Of course I have! She is going to fulfill the prophecy! I’m going to help her succeed, by exposing you to her!" Yuki gasped and whispered in disbelief, "You wouldn’t." "Believe what you like...I have my own hidden agenda." He felt Hoshi’s presence leave his mind as she walked away from him, out of his range. Hoshi looked up at Sakura’s lighted window in her little home. One day, Sakura, you will be happy, but only at my sacrifice. I will give you the power of the stars...And Yue, although he doesn’t deserve it, will protect you. It’s the least he can do for me. Hoshi smiled and called up the only lit window in the house. "Kero! Kero! Brother of the Sun!" She watched, her purple eyes lighting up happily as a little stuffed animal thing floated out of a crack in the open window. "I hear you Hoshi." Kero told her kindly. They looked each other in the eyes before Hoshi commented. "I hate talking to you when you’re that small, you know that." Kero smiled, in an instant he was surrounded by a bright golden light, when the light vanished, a teen age guy stood before her, in flowing golden robes, with golden hair, and (you guessed it) yellow eyes. "Better?" The new and improved Kero asked. Hoshi nodded. "I’m going to do it." Hoshi said suddenly, determination in her voice. Kero looked at her, shocked. "You don’t mean?" "Yes brother I mean just that." "But you don’t know what will happen, it’s never been done!" Kero protested. "Only because all the other Guardian's were too selfish to try. I love Sakura-chan...not like that, but like I would love a little sister if I had one. She special to me, and I have no fear when it comes to this, I wont let Yue destroy her. You know the power of the Clow is not enough to go up against him, she’ll need more, and I’m the only answer. She will pass her test with flying colors, because of my sacrifice. She’ll be happy, Kero. Like Clow never was..." ***Authors Note*** Don’t you just love suspense? Couldn’t you just die to know what Hoshi’s talking about? I know!! But you’ll have to wait! -INSERT EVIL SMIRK HERE- Well I guess you could email suggestions or if you really don’t want to wait, you could ask me what she’s talking about, I’d really love to hear from you all... And don't worry, Yue will appear soon, and make Sakura feel all mushy inside :-} Love, Makiba [email protected] |