Running Out Of Time

LI: Once, long ago, a powerful magician named Clow Reed used his magic to create the Clow Cards. When they grew too difficult to control, he confined them to a magical book to protect them from falling into the wrong hands. All the cards are powerful spirits with their own special abilities. But the four elemental spirits, Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water, are the most dangerous and difficult to control. These spirits possess the power to manifest themselves into natural phenomenon's. Sakura and I worked hard to capture the cards and in the end, Yue made her the new master of the Clow Cards. We thought things would be pretty peaceful from then on, until we learned that Sakura would have to transform them all into Star Cards before they'd lose their powers.

[A very tired Sakura is out in her yard, raking leaves.]

SAKURA: Hmm. This taking too long.

[Eli walks up.]

ELI: Want some help?
SAKURA: Oh. Hi.
ELI: Hi.
SAKURA: You surprised me. How's it going?
ELI: Fine. I'm just on my way back from the grocery store. You gotta do chores today?
SAKURA: Yeah. Just a few.
ELI: Do you want me to help you, Sakura?
SAKURA: Really? I'm almost done, but I could use some help raking up the leaves.
ELI: Sure. I'd be happy to.
SAKURA: That'd be great.

[Sakura rakes the leaves into a trash bag, which Eli's holding.]

ELI: Here, I'll move the bike out of the way. How's over here by the house?
SAKURA: Sure, over there's good.

[Eli rolls the bike next to house, but when he touches the seat it glows red for a second.]

SAKURA: Huh?!
ELI: Are you finished already?
SAKURA: Yeah.
ELI: That's great. I'll just put it back where I found it.
SAKURA: It's getting late.
ELI: You're right. I guess I'd better get going. I have a lot of homework to do tonight.
SAKURA: Okay. Thanks a lot.
ELI: No problem. I'll see you at school on Monday.
SAKURA: Have a good weekend.
ELI: (thinking) Mine is going to be a lot better than yours.

[Later that night, Sakura made herself some dinner, when Tori enters the house.]

SAKURA: Hey, Tori.
TORI: Hi, there.
SAKURA: I thought you're going to be out studying late tonight.
TORI: I am. I just gotta grab my notes and I'm on my way, squirt.

[Tori senses something and looks towards his bicycle outside.]

TORI: Hmm. Hmm? Hmmm, Sakura?
SAKURA: Yeah?
TORI: Did you touch my bike today?
SAKURA: Mmm. I did move it across the yard so I could rake the lawn.
TORI: Hmm.
SAKURA: Why?
TORI: It's nothing. Just stay off it, okay.
SAKURA: Don't worry, my feet don't even reach the pedals.

[Tori reaches over and grabs a piece of food from Sakura's plate and sticks it in his mouth.]

SAKURA: Huh? Hey, stay away from my plate! That was mine!
TORI: See 'ya, squirt!

[Up in Sakura's bedroom, Kero watches Tori leave the house.]

KERO: Oh, great, now that Tori's gone, maybe I'll finally get to eat.

[Sakura enters the room.]

KERO: Hey! Where have you been?! Did you bring me any desert? Did you?

[Sakura holds out a container of pudding.]

SAKURA: Here you go.
KERO: Ah! Wow, all right, pudding! My favorite desert in the world! You're the best, Sakura! Oh, yeah!
SAKURA: No problem. Huh, oh. I'm so tired.
KERO: I know, but remember, changing the cards is going to take a lot out of you.
SAKURA: I thought that after I captured the Clow Cards, my life would get easier.
KERO: The cards need you. They require your power to transform into *munch* Star Cards. But they can't draw the power directly from your star, so they're using you as a channel. When the power travels through you, it drains your physical and magical energy. And once you've transformed all the cards, you'll get your energy back.
SAKURA: Great. Hello, Star Cards. Wow.
[The Star Cards leave the book and float around Sakura. Sakura looks back into the book at the Clow Cards and takes one out.]

SAKURA: Huh? Huh! Hey, Kero, come here.
KERO: Well, what is it?
SAKURA: It's the Clow Cards. They feel strange.
KERO: Strange?
SAKURA: Something's wrong. Whenever I touch the cards before I was able to feel this warm, magical energy from them. But now, they feel cold and distant.

[Kero leans over and touches one of the cards in the book, concentrating.]

KERO: I was afraid this would happen. I just didn't think it would happen this soon!
SAKURA: What would happen?
KERO: Hmm. How can I explain this in the simplest way? The Clow Cards use the magic of their master as a source of their energy. Before you sealed the cards, they relied on Clow Reed's magic in order to come to life. Now that you're their master, they feed off your magical powers.
SAKURA: My star.
KERO: Only you, Sakura, can transform them into Star Cards.
SAKURA: Right.
KERO: But the cards have to be transformed in a certain time frame. That's why they're becoming cold and losing their connection to you.
SAKURA: So what will happen if I don't transform them in time?
KERO: Imminent disaster. Without their master, the cards will run wild in search of any new source of power they can find. This could be extremely dangerous. Especially if the four element cards came together.
SAKURA: What are they capable of?
KERO: Tornadoes, floods, huge natural disasters!
SAKURA: No! So the elemental cards control the forces of nature and if they combined, they could destroy a whole city!
KERO: Easily.
SAKURA: We can't let that happen. The cards will listen to me. I know it!
KERO: You can use the Star Cards you already have to help you stop these forces. Plus, you've already split up the elemental cards up by transforming one of them. The Windy Card. Whoa!

[Sakura takes out her Star Key.]

SAKURA: Key of the Star, with powers burning bright, reveal the staff, and shine your light. Release!

[The key grows into her Star Wand.]

KERO: Uh, hey, what do you think you're doing?
SAKURA: I'm transforming them all into Star Cards.
KERO: You're what?!
SAKURA: I call upon the power of my star. Ancient forces near and far. Clow Cards transform all your might, and draw your power from my light! Sweet! Lock! Cloud! Sand! Libra! Change! Wave! Dash! Uh.

[Sakura falls onto her bed.]

KERO: Sakura
SAKURA: Oh.
KERO: What were you thinking? Your magical powers aren't strong enough to support transforming eight cards at once. You can't risk wearing yourself out like that.

[Seven of the newly transformed Star Cards hover around Sakura.]

SAKURA: Hey. They're back to normal. I can feel them again, Kero.
KERO: Ah, Sakura!

[They both look at the eighth card, which is glowing.]

SAKURA: It's the Dash Card.
KERO: Ah!
SAKURA: What's wrong with it?
KERO: It's spirit is caught in transition.
SAKURA: What?
DASH: *Growl*
SAKURA: Oh. Huh?
SAKURA & KERO: Ah!

[The Dash spirit jumps out of the window and down to the ground. Sensing magic coming from Tori's bicycle, it goes inside of it, becoming the bike. Then it rolls away, fast. Sakura quickly straps on her skates and follows it with Kero right next to her.]

SAKURA: Why is the Dash Card running away from me?
KERO: You ran out of magic. But even if you did have the power to convert all eight of them at once, you should never call on a card unless you have a specific task for it to fulfill. They were originally created to be free spirits. Without a direct order, you run the risk of confusing it. The Dash didn't know what to do. It was stuck between forms without a purpose. That's why it panicked and took off like that. I know there's a lot at stake, but you have to stay focused. If something happens to you we'll have no chance at all of stopping the cards. Whoa. Corner! The first thing you have to do is calm it down.
SAKURA: I call upon the power of my star. Ancient forces near and far. Windy card, transform all your might and draw tour power from my light. Star Card! Windy, stop that bike!

[The Windy spirit tries to catch up with the bike, but to no use. She then returns to her card.]

KERO: Ah, it's no use! Dash is too fats for Windy.
SAKURA: Yeah, you're right.

[Sakura pulls out her cellphone.]

KERO: What the heck are you doing? We don't have time to be chatting on the phone right now.
SAKURA: I need some help here, Kero. I'm calling Li.

[In his room, Li is lying on his bed reading a magazine, when the phone rings.]

LI: Hello?
SAKURA: Li, its me, We've got trouble.
LI: Sakura? Where are you?
SAKURA: Chasing after a runaway Clow Card.
LI: What?!
SAKURA: I tried to transform a bunch of Clow Cards into Star Cards at once, but the Dash card panicked.
LI: It's caught between Clow Reed's magic and yours.
SAKURA: I know. We have to get it back.
LI: Where's it headed?
SAKURA: To the park by the library.
LI: Right. I'll meet you there.
KERO: The Dash card is just following it's instinct to run. We'll never catch up with it at this pace.
SAKURA: Right. Jump!

[At his house, Eli, Ruby, and Spinner are watching Sakura and Kero chase after the bicycle.]

RUBY: Nice touch, maser, possessing the bike. This is more fun... then going to the movies.
SPINNER: I don't see what's so funny, Ruby, there is a Clow Card at stake here.
RUBY: Hmm? I can't help it. These humans, they amuse me.
SPINNER: Hmm.
ELI: Enough. Let's see how she does.

[Back at the park, Sakura is trying to catch the bicycle using Jump.]

KERO: You'll never be able to reach it!

[Sakura jumps after the bike, but it's too high.]

SAKURA: Ah! Uh! Ah!
KERO: Sakura!

[Li appeared and pulled out his sword and an element paper.]

LI: Come to my aide, now! Element, Wind!
SAKURA: Oh.

[The wind catches Sakura before she hits the ground and calmly brings her to the ground. Li runs up to her, followed by Kero.]

KERO: I told you you can't out run it.
LI: Are you okay?
SAKURA: Mmm-hmm
KERO: Boy, you sure got here fast, didn't you?
LI: Yeah, it sounded like you could use a hand.
SAKURA: I knew I could count in you.
LI: Dash is in the bike.
SAKURA: Uh-huh.
LI: Element, Thunder! Come to my aide!

[A bolt of lightning heads towards the bike, but it just jumped aside.]

LI: Darn it! I'll try again!

[Sakura grabs Li around the waist, stopping him.]

SAKURA: No, Li, you'll scare off the card.
LI: But, we just can't leave it here.
SAKURA: The card's rely on me. If I can just get close enough to calm it down, I know it'll come back on it's own.
LI: If you think so.
KERO: So, what are you going to do, Sakura?
SAKURA: I could use the Fly Card. It's really fast.
KERO: No, even in my true form, I couldn't catch Dash when it's a in a panic. Fly's not going to be much help. Hmm. If only we could think of a way to cut Dash off so that it couldn't escape.
SAKURA: Huh? That's it, Kero! We can use the Loop Card!
KERO: But, that means you'll have to transform another card.
SAKURA: Mmm-hmm.
KERO: You already used too much of your magic today.
SAKURA: I can handle it, Kero. And I know this will work. We have to get the Dash Card back, and this is the only way. Trust me. I'll be fine.
KERO: All right. But I am going to be right behind you, Sakura. Go for it, champ!
SAKURA: Right. I call upon the powers of my star. Ancient forces near and far. Loop Card transform all your might, and draw your power from my light! Star Card!
ELI: Loop Card. I'm impressed. But let's see how you deal with the panicky Dash.

[The Loop Card falls in place, so that wherever Dash goes, it ends up right back in front of Sakura. It's so confused, that Sakura takes the opportunity to take out the Windy Card.]

SAKURA: Windy!

[Windy swirls around Dash, trapping it. Dash then leaves the bike, and Sakura grabs it.]

SAKURA: (to Dash) It's okay. Windy's not going to hurt you. I promise. (to Kero & Li) Loop kept Dash in one spot so Windy could catch up. See, I knew all along it would work. (to Dash) It's going to be fine. Calm down. There you go. That's a good boy.

[Dash calms down and starts licking Sakura's cheek.]

SAKURA: *laughs* That tickles! You'll never be lost again. Promise. Will you change back into a card for me, now?

[Dash transforms back into it's Star Card.]
SAKURA: It worked!
KERO: Way to go, Sakura!
SAKURA: Thanks. Next time I'm going to wait until there's a reason to use my magic before I transform a card. And only one at a time from now on.
KERO: You bet!
SAKURA: I'll be able to use the Star Cards I now have to help me. You know how I can feel their energy? Well, the transformed cards are normal. It might take a while, but I will transform them all.
KERO: Right on!
SAKURA: Hey, Li, thanks for all your help. Oh.

[Sakura starts falling towards the ground. Kero flies under her, trying to hold her up.]

KERO: Uh, Sakura.
LI: What's the matter?
KERO: Oh-oh. Uh! Uh!
SAKURA: I'm sleepy.
KERO: I'm not going to say I told you so. But, hey, wake up will you? What do I look like? A pillow?

[Li reaches over and lifts Sakura off of Kero.]

LI: I got you.
KERO: Oh.

[Then Madison runs up with her camera.]

MADISON: Oh.
KERO: Huh?
MADISON: Oh, no. You mean I missed the whole thing?
KERO: Well, hey, how did you know we were here?
MADISON: I was on my way home and saw the thunder cloud over the library.
KERO: What a shame. You could've taped one heck of a chase scene, tonight.
MADISON: Oh, don't rub it in, Kero. I'm bummed out enough that I missed all the action. So, what happened?
KERO: Okay, so Sakura tried to transform a bunch of cards...
MADISON: Hold on, I'll get you on tape and you can tell me everything.
KERO: Okay, cool. Okay. Okay, you ready? Okay, here's the deal...

[From the top of a nearby building, Eli watches them.]

ELI: Well done, Sakura, well done.

SECRETS OF THE CLOW

KERO: Hey, CardCaptor fans! I'm Kero, the Guardian Beast, and this is Secrets of the Clow! Today we'll look at the elemental spirits. Windy is a strong and very loyal ally. Water is an especially difficult spirit to tame. Firey is one of the most dangerous and explosive spirits. And Earth is capable of more destruction than any of the other Clow Cards. So, remember that, CardCaptor fans. We'll have more secrets for you next time! See 'ya!