Boldfaced letters mean the name of the speaker.
Italicized letters mean what is thought in mind.
Faint letters mean what is happening in the flashback or in the dream.



Running Out of Time


At sunset, Sakura is raking the leaves in the yard tiredly.
Sakura Unnh, hunh...
This is taking too long.
Eli Want some help?
Sakura Oh!
Sakura turns to the gate, and see Eli standing with a grocery bag.
Sakura Hi.
Eli Hi.
Sakura You surprised me. How's it going? [Jogs to Eli]
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 in the dustpan, and Eli put them into the trash bag out of the pan.
Eli Here. I'll move the bike out of the way. How's over here, by the house?
Sakura Sure. Over there's good.
When he moves the bike aside, Eli pat his hand on the seat to apply the magical power to the bike. Sakura senses something and look back to Eli.
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.
Eli walks to the gate, and Sakura sees him off.
Eli I have a lot of homework to do tonight.
Sakura OK, thanks a lot.
Eli No problem. I'll see you at school on Monday.
Sakura Have a good weekend!
Eli [Mutters] Mine is going to be a lot better thank yours. Heh heh.
Eli walks away chuckling.

Sakura comes into her house.
Sakura Hey, Tori.
Tori Hi, there.
Sakura I thought you were going to be out studying late tonight.
Tori I am. I just gotta grab my notes and I'm on my way, squirt.
Tori takes a paper bag off the sofa, and glances outside the window.
Tori Hmm. Hmm?
Tori senses something evil applied on his bike.
Tori Hmm.
Besides, Sakura is having dinner at the table.
Tori Sakura?
Sakura Yeah?
Tori Did you touch my bike today?
Sakura Hmm... Oh! I did move it across the yard so I could rake the lawn.
Tori Hmm. Hmm.
Sakura Why?
Tori It's nothing. Just stay off it, OK?
Sakura Don't worry. My feet don't even reach the pedals.
Tori Heh heh.
Tori reaches Sakura's plate, takes a fry and eats it.
Sakura Huh?
Hey, stay away from my plate! That was mine!
Tori See ya, squirt.

Tori drives the car leaving home; Kero is watching him go through the window.
Kero Oh, great. Now that Tori's gone, maybe I'll finelly get to eat.
Sakura come back into her room.
Kero Hey!
Sakura Hmm...
Kero Where have you been? Did you bring me dessert? Did ya?
Sakura Here you go.
Kero Ah. All right, pudding, my favorite dessert in the world. You're the best, Sakura!
Sakura No problem.
Sakura staggers and collapes on the bed.
Sakura Hmm. Unh. I'm so tired.
Kero I know, but remember, changing the Cards is gonna take a lot out of you. [Slurps pudding off the cover]
Sakura I thought, after I captured the Clow Cards, my would get easier.
Kero The Cards need you. They require your power to transform into 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... yammm... it drains your physical and magical energy. And once you've transfromed all of the Cards, you'll get your energy back.
Sakura Great.
Sakura opens the drawer to take out the Clow Book.
Sakura Hello, Star Cards.
Star Cards float out the book and encircle Sakura.
Sakura Wow.
Huh?
Sakura notices not-yet-transformed Clow Card don't move an inch, so she pats and feels them.
Sakura 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 touched the Cards before, I was able to feel this warm magical energy from them.
But now... they feel cold and distent.
Kero touches the top Card.
Kero Aah! I was afraid this would happen. I just didn't think it would happen so 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 the source of the energy. Before you sealed the Cards, they had relied on Clow Reed'd 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 within certain time frame. That's why they're becoming cold and losing their connection to you.
Sakura So what will happen will I don't transorm 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 come together.
Sakura What are they capable of?
Kero Tornadoes, floods—huge natural disasters.
Sakura No!
So the Element 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 alredy have to help you stop these forces. Plus, you've already split the Element Cards up by transforming one of them—the Windy Card.
Sakura emits the light of magic while Kero is still talking.
Kero Uh... aah!
Sakura Key of the star, with powers burning bright, reveal the staff, and shine your light! Release!
Sakura enchants her key to change into a staff, grabs and twirls it.
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 powers 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! Voice! Chage! Wave. Dash.
Uhh... Ohhh...
Sakura collapes backward onto the bed from dizziness.
Kero Sakura!
Sakura Uhh.
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.
The Cards that has just been transformed comes down around Sakura.
Kero Huh?
Sakura Hey. They are back to normal. I can feel them again, Kero!
Kero Ah, Sakura!
Sakura It's the Dash Card.
Kero Aah!
The Dash Card turns into its visible form with an anger.
Sakura What's wrong with it?
Kero Its spirit is caught in transition.
Sakura What?
Dash grawls at Sakura, but gets attracted by Tori's bike outside which was tricked with magical powers. Dash gets out the window, and takes over the bike to dash out on the street.
Sakura Huph!
Sakura&Kero Whoa!

Sakura rollerblades after the bike taken over by the dash, and Kero flies beside 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 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 here, but you have to stay focused. If something happens to you, we'll have no chance at all of stopping the Cards!
The bike makes a steep turn at a corner.
Kero Whoa! Corner!
The Dash Card is still making a run in the steet, which Sakura and Kero follows.
Kero 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 your power from my light! Star Card! Windy, stop the bike!
Windy tries to catch up, but the Dash speeds up to get out of the reach.
Kero Oh, it's no use! Dash is too fast fo Windy!
Sakura Yeah, you're right.
Sakura takes out her cell phone and makes a call.
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.

Meanwhile, Li is reading a magazine on his side in his apartment, when his cell phone rings.
Li Hello?
Sakura Li, it's me. We've got trouble.
Li [Sits up and blushes] 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.
Meanwhile, Eli and his guardians are enjoying the scene, which is projected onto the magic circle on the floor.
Sakura is speeding the rollerblade after the Dash Card.
Kero The Dash Card is just following its instinct to run. We'll never catch up to it at this pace!
Sakura Right. [Makes a halt and takes out a Card]
Jump!
Sakura used the Jump Card to speed up chasing the Dash.

In Eli's house:
Ruby Nice touch, master, possessing the the bike. This is more fun than going to the movies!
Spinny 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.
Spinny Hmm.
Eli Enough!
Let's see how she does.

Sakura is trying to catch up with the runaway bike. It climbs the vertical wall of the library, then Sakura jumps toward it.
Kero You'll never be able to reach it!
Sakura Aah! [Struggles... but fails to reach it]
Aaah! [at the mercy of gravity]
Kero Sakura!
Li shows up in the scene.
Li Come to my aid now, element wind!
Li's wind magic absorbs the shock against Sakura when she gets on the ground.
Sakura Ugh! Unh. Ohhh.
Kero I told you can't outrun it.
Li Are you OK?
Sakura Mm-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 cound on you.
Li blushes at Sakura's comment. At this time, the bike high on the building wall glimmers.
Li Dash is in the bike?
Sakura Uh-huh.
Li Element thunder! Come to my aid!
Dodging Li's thunder magic, the bike taken over by the Dash gets on the ground.
Li Ugh, darn it!
Sakura Uhh.
Sakura can see the Dash Card in a fierce anger in the bike.
Li I'll try again.
Sakura No, Li, you'll scare off the Card! [Holds Li back]
Li But we can't just leave it here. [Blushes]
Sakura The Cards rely on me. If I can just get close enough to calm it down, I know it'll come back on its own.
Li Huhh... If you think so.
Sakura Humm.
Kero So what are you gonna 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 in panic. Fly's not gonna be much help. Hmm. If only we could think of a way to cut Dash off so that it couldn't escape.
Sakura Huph! That's it, Kero! We can use the Loop Card!
Kero That means you have to transform another Card.
Sakura Mm-hmm.
Kero You've 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 gonna be right behind you, Sakura. Go for it, champ!
Sakura Right.
Sakura strides in front of the Dash, and releases the Loop Card in the air.
Sakura 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!
The Loop Card had scrcely connected different places to make a loop when the Dash makes a run.
Sakura Huh?
Because of the warped space dimension made up by the Loop, the Dash Card ends up in front of Sakura. It turns around and runs, but it comes back to Sakura no matter how hard it tries.
Eli The Loop Card. I'm impressed. But let's see how you deal with the panicky Dash.
Sakura nears the bike, from which Dash comes out and takes off.
Sakura Windy!
Windy binds Dash, which struggles and tries to escape.
Sakura It's OK! Windy's not going to hurt you! I promise.
Sakura embraces the Dash Card when Windy takes it back to her, but it struggles in her arms to escape.
Sakura Loop kept Dash in one spot so Windy could catch up. See? I knew all along it would work. It's going to be fine. Calm down. There you go. That's a good boy.
Dash has gotten at ease, and licks Sakura's cheek.
Sakura Ha ha ha. That tickles. You'll never be lost again. Promise. Will you change back into a card for me now?
Dash turns into a Star Card.
Sakura Uh! It worked.
Kero Way to go, Sakura!
Sakura Thanks. Next time, I'm gonna 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 transormed 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.
Uhh... [Falls backward from fatigue]
Kero Uh, Sakura?
Li What's the matter?
Kero quicky flies behind Sakura to catch her falling.
Kero Uh-oh.
Sakura Um-uhh, I'm sleepy.
Kero I'm not going to say I told you so... [pressed by Sakura]... but hey, wake up, will you?
[Squashed by Sakura] Oh, what do I look like, a pillow?
Li lifts her head and shoulders.
Li I got you.
Kero Ughhh.
Madison Ohhh!
Kero Huh?
Madison stands with her camcorder in her hand.
Madison Oh, no. You mean I missed the whole thing?
Kero Hey, how'd 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 have taped one heck of a chase scene tonight.
Madison Don't rub it in, Kero. I'm bummed out enough that I missed all the action. So what happened?
Kero OK, 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 OK, cool. OK.
OK, you ready? OK, here's the deal. Sakura tried to transoform all Clow Cards...
Meanwhile, Eli is watching them down from the rooftop of the library.
Eli Well done, Sakura. Well done.


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Sakura's BME Clinic © 2002 Yuki Neco