The Quest for Sakura
By "Tracey"

Syaoran opened his eyes. It was light out, and snowing. School had not been canceled.
"Why must there be year-round schooling?" he thought to himself. "It's really a pain to get up and go to school in this cold weather. I'm still not used to it...they should have winters off."
He got up anyway and changed into his school uniform, thinking unpleasant thoughts about the stupid look of the boy's uniform.

When he arrived, Tomoyo was there, looking worried.
"Syaoran, Sakura's gone!" she cried.
"What are you talking about?!" he asked in alarm. "She's probably just sick or something." He hoped that this was true.
"I was filming the stars last night," Tomoyo explained shakily. "Then I saw a bright flash of light. I looked in the direction of the light, and I saw that it was coming from the Kinomoto residence! Then I zoomed in, and the flash ended. A person ran from the house..."
"NO!" Syaoran yelled. "That can't be! We have to go over to her house after school."

Neither Sakura or Eriol appeared in class. Mr. Terada didn't seem too concerned, seeing that lots of kids were absent during the winter, and Eriol was tired the day before. Syaoran barely thought about the work that he was doing. He only thought about Sakura. Where was she? Who was the person who ran from the house? Why had there been a flash of light? He continued asking himself these questions, and the bells indicating the end of the day finally chimed.

Syaoran and Tomoyo ran straight from Tomoeda Elementary to the Kinomoto residence. Touya answered the door, and frowned when he saw Syaoran.
"What'd you do with my sister, you punk?" he asked angrily.
"I didn't do anything to her!" Syaoran told him, annoyed. "I'm here because I'm trying to find her!"
"Yeah, sure you are," Touya taunted. "Why don't we settle this outside..."
Suddenly, Yukito walked over to the doorway.
"Hey Touya, is there a problem?" he asked, then he spotted Li. "Isn't this the kid who always hangs out with Sakura?"
"Beat it, Yuki, we're discussing Sakura here."
Yukito left the room. Tomoyo spoke up just as Syaoran and Touya were getting into fighting stances.
"Excuse me, Touya, we're not here to cause trouble. Syaoran didn't kidnap Sakura-" she began.
"So she was kidnapped?" Touya interrupted. "I can't seem to fully remember what happened. There was a bright flash of light..."
"Yes, I know, I saw the light," Tomoyo continued. "I videotaped it, if that would be of any use to you."
"Show me the video," Touya commanded. Tomoyo showed him what she had taped.

Yukito went into Sakura's room, hoping that he would find a clue to her mysterious disappearance. It was then that Yue felt that it would be important to talk to Cerberus.
Kero went into "stuffed animal pose", then relaxed when he saw it was Yue.
"Yue, what are you doing here?" he asked inquisitively.
"You mean to tell me that you didn't know of Sakura's disappearance?!" Yue said in horror.
Kero face-faulted. "SHE'S BEEN KIDNAPPED?!"
"Yes, weren't you awake last night?"
"No, I slept all day. No-one woke me up."
"Then of course you wouldn't know. Someone with magical powers kidnapped her. I can sense it here in the room."
Kero sat up straight. "You're right, and it feels a bit like Clow Reed's magic..."
"Stupid, you know he's been gone for a very long time..."
"You never know."
"True, but we must find who captured her. I'm going to change back now, so don't move." Kero went back into the stiff position and Yue changed back into Yukito.
"What am I doing at Sakura's bed...and what's with this odd stuffed animal?" Yukito wondered out loud. Kero wanted to bite Yukito right then and there, even if he was Yue's false form.

Sakura opened her eyes. She felt a strong magical force similar to the Clow Cards. Were they there with her? She looked around. No, they were not. Then who was?

Eriol, Spinner Sun, and Ruby Moon walked into the room.
"Master, why did you want her?" Spinner Sun asked.
"That's what I was wondering too," Ruby Moon admitted. "I mean, what's so special about her?"
"It's simple," Eriol explained. "She is the master of the cards, and I am not pleased with that."
"That doesn't make any sense to me, master Eriol," Ruby Moon said.
"But it does to me," he replied. "Isn't that all that matters?" He walked over to Sakura.
"Eriol?" Sakura asked. "Is that you? Why are you here?"
"Come now, stupid girl," he spoke coldly. "Did you really think that I was just a nice boy?"
"Eriol?!" Sakura was shocked.
"Silence!" he commanded. "Tell me right now why you were using the Clow Cards in the first place!"
"I-it was an accident," she explained, scared. "I didn't mean to let them loose...I didn't know what they were..."
"So why didn't you just leave them alone?" Eriol snapped.
"I couldn't help it, something just drew me to them...then Kero appeared and told me to get them back," she was on the verge of tears. "I didn't think that magic was real..."
"Kero?" Eriol was confused by the name.
"She means Cerberus, master," Spinner Sun explained.
"I see. So Cerberus enlisted you - a mere fourth grader - as the captor of the cards."
"Yes, he did. I didn't want to, really!" A tear fell onto the floor.
"So now you're the master, turning my creations into your own possessions!" Eriol was enraged.
"Your creations? But you're not..."
"But I am. What you don't know will hurt you this time, Sakura Kinomoto."

Syaoran and Tomoyo ran past Touya and into Sakura's room.
"Kero, who kidnapped Sakura?" Syaoran asked.
"I have no idea," Kero answered.
"Are you saying that you were asleep?" Tomoyo asked.
"Uh huh..."
"Of course," Syaoran said sarcastically. "Kero the great can sleep through anything."
Kero bit Syaoran's finger. He shook off the guardian beast.
"Cut it out, you two," Tomoyo tried to sidetrack them from their evil glaring contest. "We have to find Sakura!"
They both looked up.
"You're right," Li sighed. "But where are we gonna start?"
"We should find the source of the magic," Kero explained. "If we find the source, we'll find Sakura."
It began to grow dark. Tomoyo, Syaoran, and Kero left the room in search of the magic.

Eriol pulled out seven long pieces of thread. He slowly walked toward Sakura.
"What are you going to do to me?" Sakura gasped.
"Get my revenge," Eriol laughed madly. He tied the string around Sakura's arms, legs, hands, and neck. With every piece tied, Sakura fell deeper and deeper into a trance, until she was completely controlled by Eriol.
"Now Sakura, listen to me," Elion commanded. "Bring me the Sakura and Clow Cards." He guided her up, like a puppet, and put her on Spinner Sun's back. He instructed the beast as well. "Listen to her instructions. She will tell you how to get there. I will be riding you as well." He climbed on. He faced Ruby Moon. "You stay here and make sure no one finds us." She nodded and started standing guard.

Spinner Sun dashed off.

Syaoran (now in traditional card-chasing garb), Tomoyo, and Kero were carefully following the trail of left-behind magic, when Kero suddenly stopped.
"It's fading quickly."
Syaoran stopped too. "You're kidding."
Kero looked serious. "No. I'm not."
"Then we've gotta move faster!"
"Kero, could you transform?" Tomoyo asked timidly.
"You're a genius, Tomoyo," Kero sighed. "I should have thought of that." He embraced himself in his wings and grew into the large, golden-eyed beast of the seal. "Climb on!" Cerberus commanded in a deep voice. They clambered onto his back, and Cerberus started swiftly flying towards the source of the magic.

They traveled non-stop for a long time, when Cerberus made an announcement: "The magic is growing stronger."
Suddenly, a large, black, winged panther-like creature ran by at a very high speed.
"Did you see that?" Syaoran exclaimed in surprise.
"It emitted a strong magical force," Cerberus realized. "And it looked like two people were riding it!"
"One person looked like Sakura," Tomoyo said hopefully. "But I couldn't make out the other person."
"I'm going to try to catch up with it," Cerberus decided. "Hold on." He turned around and darted in the direction of the large black beast.

Spinner Sun slowed down.
"Master, is this the house?" he hinted towards a yellow two-story house.
"Yes, this is the one," Eriol approved. "We should go inside and find the cards. I will go in her window. You should change into your false form and guide her into the house so you will be unnoticed."
Spinner Sun obeyed, transformed, and led Sakura into the door. Touya and Yukito came downstairs when they heard the door open.
"Squirt?" Touya asked. "Is that you?"
Sakura, still in Elion's control, walked by clumsily, ignoring her brother and Yukito completely.
"Is she okay?" Yukito asked with a worried tone in his voice. "If you want, I'll go and check on her."
"That would be a good thing. She looked like she was headed for her room."
Yukito went back up the stairs.

Yukito walked into Sakura's room. He changed into Yue unexpectedly because he saw little Spii, Eriol, and Sakura sitting in the room.
"What are you doing here?" Yue spat at Elion.
"None of your business, Yue," he responded calmly. He turned to Sakura. "Show me where the cards are hidden."
Yue leapt in front of Eriol and grabbed Sakura. "You can't have them," he said firmly.
"Oh? We'll see about that," Eriol chuckled. "Spii, transform and take care of little Yue."
There was a fluttering of wings, then Spinner Sun turned to face Yue. He opened his mouth and breathed a strong stream of blue plasma at the judge of the Clow book.
"Sakura---" Yue gasped. "Don't...listen..." he collapsed.
He was completely depleted of energy. Yukito lay unconcious on the floor. Eriol kicked him aside.
"Now, where were we before that rude interruption?" Eriol pondered. "Oh, the cards. Sakura, show me where they are hidden."
Sakura slowly ambled towards her desk. She opened the top drawer and removed the Sakura Clow Book.
"Good, good," Eriol encouraged her. "Now, give it to me."
Sakura edged towards him, holding the book in her hands. The book was inches away from him. He outstretched his arms to grab a hold of it, when suddenly...

Syaoran and Tomoyo broke through the door, and Cerberus broke through the window.
"Sakura!" Syaoran yelled. He saw what was happening. "Stop!"
"It's no use," Cerberus warned him. "She's being controlled by someone with very strong powers!"
"I have to stop her somehow..." Syaoran thought to himself. "I know!" He got down on his hands and knees, then crawled under Sakura and Eriol's hands. Syaoran knocked the book out of Sakura's hands and fumbled with the lock.
"What are you doing?!" Eriol exclaimed furiously. "You'll pay for that!"