Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Chains of Magic ❯ Chapter 1

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Tomeada Apartments

Within the moderately large apartment, there was complete silence pierced only by the desperate shouts and cries of the sleeping occupant of the bedroom. The Chinese warrior tossed and turned amongst the green sheets of his bed and continually called out into the night.

“No! Don’t you touch her!” Li Syaoran called out, “Sakura!” Sweat was breaking out all over his body; his bare chest rose and fell quickly with his rapid breathing. He tossed and turned with a sense of desperation, trying to wake from whatever nightmare that held him.

In Syaoran’s dream

He was in a clearing that seemed so familiar; green grass padded the ground, and trees thick with glossy leaves encased the clearing. From what Syaoran could see of the sky it was night and the moon was completely full. He glanced around at this beautiful forest clearing with a slight feeling of familiarity, when something pink caught his eye.

“Sakura? What are you doing here, shouldn’t you be at home?” Syaoran questioned. She didn’t answer though. On closer inspection to see if she had heard him, Syaoran noticed she was unconscious and chained to the trunk of a towering tree. Sakura appeared fine besides the fact that she was tied up. She wore only a light pink pyjama t-shirt that barely reached her knees to cover her lithe form. Her pale skin shone with the reflected moonlight and her auburn hair came to just above her shoulders framing her angelic face.

“Hey Sakura! Wake up!” Syaoran shouted, again Sakura didn’t answer.

That’s when they came.

First more chains slithered out of the forest and began to coil around her tightly; Syaoran could see the red welts that the harsh metal bindings were leaving on Sakura’s flesh. He tried to move forward to remove the chains and found that he was bound to the spot by an unseen force.

Then people began to emerge from the dark forest behind Sakura. There were four of them; Syaoran could see that two of them were male and two were female. But at the distance that Syaoran was at, he could not make out any of their faces. Their magical auras though were clearly tainted with dark magic.

Syaoran’s body tensed as the unknown people drew nearer to his precious Sakura. One of them, a male, reached out his hand and stroked the side of Sakura’s face. She stirred slightly in a disturbed sort of way. The group of people hissed excitedly to one another in low voices.

To Syaoran’s horror the females of the group stepped back as the males stepped forward and began to run their hand over Sakura’s body. They touched her where no one should ever touch her letting their hands roam as the two females laughed and pointed. Wherever their hands went, more red welts appeared and Sakura cried out in pain.

“No! Don’t touch her!” Syaoran shouted out of fury. They were hurting his Sakura, his beautiful angel. Anyone who was willing to do anything like that, Syaoran hated and was willing to tear these strangers to pieces for the pain that they caused her. He struggled in vain against the binding spell the held him in place. “Sakura!”

At the sound of her name being called, Sakura’s eyes snapped open and took in her surroundings and situation. The men who were feeling her never stopped their movement they continued as if she were still unconscious. Fear was visible within Sakura’s astonishing emerald eyes.

“Syaoran?” her voice quivered, then she cried out in a combination of fear and pain as one of the men moved his hand to her breast, burning her with his touch.

“Sakura!” Syaoran rush forward, but his bonds held him back. ‘No, I will not let them do this to you my beautiful Sakura!’

The two females who had been laughing through Sakura’s pain finally took his struggle. Their eyes watched him with interest, whispering to each other and pointing.

“Is your Sakura that important to you that you fight your bindings? Risking your own bodily safety for her, she doesn’t appear that special?” One woman taunted, her voice spiked with deadly mischief.

‘Bodily safety?’ he wondered what they meant. As if hearing his thoughts both of them cackled and advanced toward him. Their twin smiles had an evil taint two them. The one who spoke before ran her long fingered hand up his arm, suddenly like an illusion lifted deep red welts appeared on Syaoran’s arms identical to Sakura’s marks.

“Don’t you get it? The spell that holds you isn’t really a spell.”

“What?’

“Look down at yourself and see how our Master and Mistress has held you from your love.” One woman stated.

Syaoran looked down quickly and gasped. Identical chains that held Sakura were bound tightly around his body. With his desperate struggles Syaoran forgot to notice the pain that he was causing himself when he tried to get to his Sakura.

“Will you stop your futile struggles for the girl now?” The other asked.

At the moment Sakura gave a horrible scream, Syaoran saw that both of the men’s hands were beginning to snake up her legs and under her t-shirt. Trails of red skin followed their hands and Sakura moaned and twisted in agony. This only made him struggle more to save her.

“Please help me Syaoran, I need you...” Her voice trembled. Syaoran began to thrash desperately, tearing his skin letting blood creep down his body.

“GET YOUR FILTHEY HANDS OFF SAKURA YOU LOW LIFES!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Bellowed Syaoran. As if all four off them were burned, the two men and two women jumped back from the furious Chinese Warrior, and the half conscious Card Mistress. They circled around to the middle of the clearing, forming a tight group to have all their sides guarded. All of them hissed and clawed at the air in Syaoran and Sakura’s direction.

“Nasty human, you wait! Our power reaches far beyond what mere magic you posses!”

“Lovely Cherry blossom you will suffer at our hands!”

“Curse you Warrior!”

“Darn your weak magic!” They all curse and swore at the both of them, until a screeching noise came from the surrounding forest. This stopped all voices and movement, the chains binding Sakura and Syaoran were ripped away from them like lightning. The strangers had an odd fear surface among them.

“The Master has found us!”

“The Mistress does not sound pleased!

“We shall flee and spare more torture for these mortals later.”

“I hope the Master and Mistress kill them before they kill us!” With that they fled in a blink of an eye.

Without any chains to support her battered half conscious body, Sakura fell in a crumpled heap on the ground. Syaoran ran forward, ignoring the shocks of his wounds that still seemed to trickle blood. Sakura’s wounds looked way worse up close and her half closed eyes reflected pain, confusion, and sadness.

“Syao-ran?” Her breathing was shallow.

Syaoran flung himself to the ground next to Sakura, and pulled her weak, small form into his lap holding her close. “Shh it’s alright Sakura. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to protect you from them.” He ran his hands slowly through Sakura’s auburn tresses try to sooth her shaking body.

“They were touching me.” She whispered, Syaoran growled at the thought. He brought Sakura as close to him as he could with out crushing her. “Promise you won’t let them do that again? Every time they touched me it burned like fire-oh Syaoran!” Sakura broke down into tears and curled into a ball on Syaoran’s lap hugging him fiercely.

“Sakura as long as I live I promise I’ll make sure those people will never touch you like that again.” He whispered into her hair.

“Thanks Syaoran.”

At that moment the chains returned, moving like they had a mind of their own towards the two teens sharing a moment. Syaoran got into a defensive position ready to fight despite his injuries. Strangely the chains stopped short of the two, allowing the two to see that there were two sets of chains; one gold set of chains and one silver set of chains.

Their eyes followed the chains to their source, being attached to thick manacles that were locked around the wrists of two figures shrouded in the darkness of the forest. These were new people, not the ones that they had just encountered. Both of them walked like royalty, intimidating and graceful, demanding respect from those around them despite the hulking chains that dragged at their wrists and ankles.

One of them kneeled before Syaoran its face still unseen, “As compensation for your pain, we shall personally see that those four are punished.” The figure that spoke had a deep even man’s voice. The golden chains attached to him shook slightly at his words.

The silver chains of the other figure rose to Sakura’s face; she saw this and quickly turned away. Syaoran drew his arms around her and let her hide against his chest. The chains lowered to the ground immediately after.

“My pardons, I merely wished to observe your face, I often forget that some are frightened by our chains.” The second person’s voice belonged to a woman; a silky elegance was laced within her voice. Sakura cautiously looked around at the woman. “You are a beauty all on your own young Clow Mistress.” The lady stroked the side of Sakura’s face. “It is a pity what they have done to you Cherry Blossom, but you are strongest with your warrior by your side.” Sakura and Syaoran’s cheeks tinted light pink at the comment.

“This the best warning that I can give you, stick close to each other. They will come again and you must face them with all you have. We can punish them for what they just did, but it is up to you to capture them.” The Man patted Syaoran on the shoulder in an encouraging way.

“Capture them? Were those people Clow Cards?” Sakura asked

“Maybe...maybe not.” The Woman teased, her chains jingled.

Syaoran growled, “Will you please give a straight answer. Why would those ‘Clow Cards’ hurt Sakura like that!?”

“They used our chains to tie you up and torture you for FUN! They wanted to hurt the both of you for their own amusement! They’ll do it again if they get the chance, you are lucky we noticed what they were doing or they would have done much worse.” The Man spat.

“They are out there in reality, and there are more than just those four you met, each one of them waiting to test you to your limits. Be ready. Together you can do anything.”

“We shall be off. Good night.” Both turned and faded. Just as they were almost gone Sakura’s hand brushed against the woman’s silver chain. A shock ran through out both of their bodies, and the woman turned to face Sakura.

“Good luck.” She whispered.

The moment that they disappeared, two magical beings were ripped from their dreams.

Somewhere in a dark park

“You see! I knew it, they’re the ones!” It was she, the woman from the dream. She had dropped her regal act and was now whispering excitedly to the man beside her. The branch they sat on was bouncing slightly with their movement.

“Calm down woman! We don’t know if it’s them.” The man answered.

“NOT THEM! My silver chains it’s not them! Look where the Clow Mistress touched me, my chains are cracked! No one is supposed to be able to even chip the chains and she cracked them!” The woman shrieked.

“We can not trust them to help us! The only thing they can do is capture these bakas before they cause any more damage.”

The woman sighed, “Yes you’re right it was probably a fluke that she cracked my chain...”

“There now, we still get to punish these four for attacking before those two had a proper warning.” A smile played on the mysterious man’s lips as golden chains lifted to the branch revealing four captives that squirmed within the extremely tight hold. Fear was obvious on each of their faces.

“Yes Sakura and Syaoran deserve to be compensated.”

“Please Mistress we only wanted to have fun!”

“Don’t hurt us!”

“They were so vulnerable in their sleep we had to do it!”

“It is in our nature to cause fear and pain, don’t punish us for that!”

The four protesting cries fell on deaf ears as the woman gathered her chains into her hands. “We are aware of your nature Sorrow, but it was clearly stated that the Li Warrior and Clow Mistress would be forewarned of your coming before you did anything.” The Mistress’s voice had a sharp edge to it that made the four captives flinch.

The Master cleared his throat and spoke in a loud clear voice, “You other spirits of the Clow we shall make examples of your brothers and sisters so you can see what happens when you do not follow orders!”

Hissing came from the surrounding forest as an answer.

“Now for your punishment” The Master and Mistress turned to the unlucky four: Chains raised and expressions grim.

“NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

End dream sequence.

Ripped from his dreams roughly, Syaoran barely registered that he was back inside his own apartment, when these searing pains shot through his body. ‘What the!’ Quickly taking a look at him self, Syaoran saw horrible lash marks slashed through his tanned skin. ‘But these are the same cuts I got in the dream! How can they be real?’

That’s when the image of Sakura shoot through his mind. “No Sakura was in that dream to!” unaware that he said it out aloud, Syaoran rushed to slip a pair of joggers over his green silk boxers. ‘What if the wounds traveled to her through the dream, if she is hurt I swear that I’ll kill those bastards for doing this!’

Anger was now boiling his blood at the thought of his Cherry Blossom being hurt. Opening the balcony glass doors, Syaoran leapt right off the railing of the top floor five stories up. It was good that he had received such excellent training when he was young, for now the jump was nothing to him.

Syaoran moved from rooftop to rooftop picking up speed as he went. The idea of using his aura to check on Sakura struck him, easily reaching out with his magical senses he felt his way to Sakura’s aura. He found the beautiful pink aura fairly easy, but the state he found it in was most disturbing. Instead of the normally bouncing happy aura was now flickering and very distressed, everything about Sakura’s aura screamed fear and confusion. ‘Hold on I’m coming!’

After what seemed like hours of running and jumping, Syaoran finally made it to the source of the distressed pink aura. Hopping up to the tree branch that was set perfectly outside Sakura’s window, he peered in at his secret love. What Syaoran saw nearly shattered his heart...

Outside Sakura’s window

What Syaoran saw through that window made him forget all about his injuries. Curled up tightly into a ball on her bed was a crying bleeding Sakura, some of the cuts that she had gotten from the dream seemed to have opened when she woke up quickly making her pink sheets riddled with blood.

Inside Sakura’s room

Sakura woke up with a jolt from the horrible dream that she was having. Her clock above her bed indicated that it was nearly 1:00 am in the morning.

That was when images of Sakura’s dream began to surface in her mind. People – no worse than people- they were touching her. Their hands roamed to places that she only wanted one certain Chinese Warrior to touch. (Even though she slightly blushed at the thought of even Syaoran touching her.) The nightmarish horror that took place in her mind seemed so vivid and real, the warning of possible new cards, the people in manacles and chains, those horrible men and laughing women at Sakura’s pain, all of it was too much.

That was when Sakura felt the warm trickle of a liquid besides cold sweat run down her arm. Looking for the source, Sakura discovered the angry red welts and lashes that riddled her body and it seemed that when she had jolted up from sleep the wounds opened letting them trickle her crimson blood.

Upon the discovery of these wounds, each one seemed to ignite into a fire of their own. Sakura felt as if she were being poked with red-hot knives along every open wound, she gave off a cry of agony then curled up into a tight ball letting blood soak her pink sheets.

“Syaoran where are you... I need you!” she moaned.

These cries awoke a certain golden beast of the seal. “Sakura! What’s wrong, what happened to you?” Kero did a 180 from sleepy to panic. Seeing that his Mistress was hurt so badly in her bed. He flew over and hovered above Sakura’s crying body, easily sensing magic from the wounds.

‘How’d this happen?’ ‘Why do they hurt so much?’ ‘Where is Syaoran!’ Thoughts were running wild within Sakura’s mind. Some comfort was offered in the form of Kero carefully patting her shoulder.

“Did this happen in your dream?” he asked quietly. She nodded quickly, the small floating beast cursed the dream that did this to her.

“Who in the dream did this to you?” Kero asked. Sakura took a breath and was able to squeak “Cards”. This slightly enraged Kero. “CLOW CARDS DID THIS TO YOU!!!!!!” Sakura flinched nodded, continuing her rocking back and forth.

“Where is the brat when you need him?” sighed Kero. Although most of the time he hated Syaoran and like wise, there were times when he was useful for figuring out magical things. This was definitely one of those times.

Sakura was now on the brink of passing out; the hurt never seemed to dissipate it just kept the painful throbbing under her skin. Suddenly another feeling cut through the others like light in the dark, this was a magical feeling. Someone was reaching out to her aura, someone with a gentle green aura. ‘Syaoran.’ A slight calming relief spread through until her magical senses picked up a minor disturbance in his aura. ‘Oh no! No, no, no, Syaoran was in my dream to! What if he is hurt also?’

That alone made Sakura curl into a tighter ball and cry a few more tears. She was so occupied with her thoughts of her Chinese Warrior being hurt that she missed her window slowly being opened. And through it stepped a tall, tanned teenaged man with red patterns of lash marks across his exposed chest.

The sight of his beautiful angel body bleeding freely over her bed made Syaoran want to just drop to the bed, and hold Sakura in his arms until she stopped crying. “I’m so sorry Sakura.” He mumbled.

‘That voice, I know it!’ Sakura turned around slowly to meet owner of the voice the voice almost afraid that she was imaging the man she loved standing in her room. To her great joy, Syaoran stood there in her room with his unruly chocolate hair, deep liquid amber eyes and toned body.

“Syaoran!” as quick as she could, Sakura tried to get to him but it strained a ragged red wound that lay across her chest. “Oooowwwww” A few tears leaked out. Seeing her pain up close was really tearing Syaoran up inside. The wounds he obtained in the dream were nothing compared to the marking that stained Sakura’s body.

“You have got some explaining to do BRAT!” Snarled Kero from behind.

“Look you stuffed animal, Sakura and I got these wounds from the Clow cards in our dreams.” Growled Syaoran, he made a move towards Sakura to comfort her. Kero saw this and flew straight in front of Syaoran.

“You are not touching Sakura until I know exactly why you didn’t protect her from this!”

This time it was Sakura who spoke up, “He couldn’t help me because both of us were tied up with chains.” Sakura gave a small sniffle, “I bet if Syaoran could have stopped them he would have. Kero you don’t actually think he would sit by and let those people do this to me?”

“I wouldn’t put it past him.” Mumbled Kero. The fact was Kero was already aware of the deep feeling that each ex-card captor harboured for one another. Just because he knew this, didn’t mean he was going to make it easy for Syaoran to tell Sakura his feelings in any way.

Syaoran bristled at the accusation that he purposely let someone harm his little Cherry blossom. “I would never do that! Look at her, do think I would let anyone do this to her?”

“Oh yeah, well a couple of years back you wouldn’t have had a problem with letting that happen.” Kero said smugly.

“Kero that was out of line!” Sakura warned.

“I’ve heard enough of this!” Syaoran reached up swatted the stuffed animal looking guardian out of the way. Kero gave a cry of surprise before he toppled out the window.

Slowly Syaoran came up to the side of Sakura’s soft pink-sheeted bed and sat lightly beside her curled figure. Sakura sighed gratefully at the welcomed weight of the man sitting next to her.

“Syaoran why do these cuts hurt more than yours?” she sniffled turning so that she could finally see Syaoran properly now. She shuddered slightly at the sight of the angry red welts making their way across his chest; they didn’t seem to affect him that much. He was able to move without wincing, his wounds weren’t even bleeding unlike the painful cuts that covered her body.

“What do you mean?” Syaoran kept his voice soft.

“Well look at you, you came all the way from your apartment and I can barely get out of my bed.” Sakura knew that she probably sounded stupid and a bit whiny but it was true.

Syaoran felt a pang of guilt, he could move with little irritation from the cuts and she didn’t have the luxury. “My training back home was much worse than these little cuts and...” Syaoran trailed off, letting his hand run gently up and down Sakura’s back.

“What? And what?”

“And- well where they- they touched you. Those magical wounds you have must have an enchantment on them to make them hurt more.” Syaoran mumbled almost ashamed that Sakura had to suffer more.

“Oh.” The word came out defeated and dead. Both teens sat in silence for a few moments, with only Syaoran’s hands moving over the soft pink fabric of the back of Sakura’s night shirt. Out of the blue Sakura began to sob into her pillow.

“What’s wrong Sakura!” Syaoran stopped his ministrations encase he touched a sore spot.

“Syaoran! I don’t want (sob) I don’t want to deal with this! (sob) (sniff) These cards are different from the cards (sob) we faced before, I-I can feel it...and someone is going to (sniff) someone is going to get hurt.” Sakura looked up at Syaoran with her tear shinning emerald eyes. The last part of her sentence was hardly audible and Syaoran had to strain to hear her. “I don’t want you to get hurt-Syaoran.”

Something about the sincerity of her voice, and the deep concern for him that almost no one else showed really melted Syaoran’s heart again like this cherry blossom angel has done so many times before.

Before Sakura new what was happening, strong arms wrapped around her curled body, being gentle enough not to hurt her. She felt her body slowly being lifted into Syaoran’s lap, and being held so close to his bare chest that Sakura could feel his slightly quick heart beat through her thin nightshirt. Syaoran’s warm breath just behind her ear sent shivers down her spine.

“Don’t worry Sakura I won’t get hurt, and I promise that I’ll make sure you won’t get hurt either.” Just the feel of Syaoran being so close, holding her in his lap whispering in Sakura ear made her feel so warm like everything was alright. The feeling of them being like this was so right. Being so close to Syaoran even made Sakura forget about the painful sores that were marked all over her.

Sakura tilted her head up to look into Syaoran’s gentle liquid amber eyes. “Do you promise? Promise that you and I won’t get hurt?” She questioned, unknowingly pleading with her brilliantly emerald green eyes.

‘Oh gods she is so beautiful, what ever I did to deserve her in my life, I’ll do anything to protect her.’ Syaoran nearly lost himself in Sakura’s eyes but was able to reply softly in her ear “Of course I promise. No will get hurt.” He took in a deep breath taking in Sakura’s scent of cherry blossoms.

Now this would have been the most romantic moment they’ve had with each other; Sakura cuddled in Syaoran’s lap breathing in his of autumn and sandalwood and Syaoran sitting with his strong arms wrapped protectively around Sakura’s lithe form breathing in her scent of cherry blossoms. Perfect fluff moment if it wasn’t for all the noise made earlier that woke up Toya. (Who was staying the night here instead of his apartment because there was a party next door that got too loud for his taste.) It took him a couple minutes to wake up but the second he heard a certain Chinese gaki’s voice Toya bolted from his bed.

His footsteps coming down the hall didn’t go un-noticed by the pair of magical teens.

“Oh no it’s Toya, he woke up! If he sees me like this he’ll go nuts, oh wait- if he sees you and me like this he’ll go nuts and probably try to kill you!” Sakura gasped wide-eyed. She shot up from Syaoran’s lap and collapsed back down because her wounds still protested to movement.

“Then, there is only one thing to do.” Syaoran said in an abnormally calm voice.

“What?”

“Take you to my apartment.” Syaoran could feel a slight blush creep over his face after he purposed such an idea. “We have to hurry if you are going to come.”

Part of Sakura hesitated a bit at the thought of going to Syaoran’s apartment in the middle of the night, the other part of her felt of thrill run through her at the thought of being at Syaoran’s apartment in the middle of the night.

“Alright let’s go to your place.” Sakura gasped as Syaoran swiftly stood up and took Sakura into his arms again, carrying her bridal style.

Some where from outside Kero came flying in through the window like lighting blocking their only escape! Kero took one look at Sakura in Syaoran’s arms and the determined look on Syaoran’s face, and then heard Toya coming down the hall. In an act of almost out of character kindness Kero transformed into his true form Cerberus.

“You better take good care of her Brat!” He growled going to Sakura’s door and leaning his weight against it. “Now hurry before Toya gets here.”

“Thank you Cerberus!” Sakura praised. Syaoran nodded his thanks.

Toya just got to Sakura’s door and tried to open it when he found it blocked. “SAKURA! You better open this door now, if I find the ass in there you both are dead!” bellowed Toya through the door, shoving all his weight on the door.

Sakura couldn’t take the insult on Syaoran, on impulse she shouted back, “Syaoran in not a ASS!”

“I’ll take that as a confession that he IS in there! I’m coming in right NOW!” Toya gave a mighty push on the door surprising Cerberus, and ramming the door open. All he was able to see was his little sister in the arms of a shirtless Chinese idiot leaping out the window.

Toya ran to the open window and stuck most of his body out able to see the silhouette of the two teens making their get away running over roof tops of houses. “You get back here this instant Sakura! I mean it if that idiot does anything to you I’ll kill him!!!!” Toya yelled into the night “I swear if you don’t get back here now I won’t let you back in this house!”

Feeling a little good of him, getting away unscathed Syaoran turned his head to shout a message “Sakura is welcome at my place for as long as she wants, so she doesn’t have to come back here!”

“Yeah, and Toya you don’t even live here anymore so you can’t keep me out!” Added Sakura, suddenly not even the nasty magical cuts on her body felt bad enough to stop her from laughing. Toya was immediately shut up after the last statement.

He turned from the window with steam practically coming out his ears, so he missed Kero flying desperately back to his drawer to hide. ‘I swear if that idiot does anything to Sakura I’ll rip him limb from limb.’ Toya continued with his violent string of thoughts until a speck of crimson on Sakura’s pink bed caught his eye. Going closer to her bed, Toya felt the slight spark of magic there on then recognized the substance on Sakura’s bed. It was blood.

Not just a drop like if you prick your finger, it was more like trails of it through her bed as if Sakura had cuts all over her body. By the dark feeling of the magic Toya knew it couldn’t have been Syaoran, someone else wanted to hurt his sister. ‘The Chinese idiot was probably trying to help.’ Toya painfully admitted. ‘You better take good care her!’

Back to the escaping duo...

The thrill of getting out of Sakura’s house seemed to be wearing off slightly, as the even rising and falling of Syaoran’s chest while he breathed lulled Sakura into a half sleep state. Without realising it she turned towards his chest and snuggled closer to him taking in as much of his scent as possible, while trying to keep warm in the night air.

A vivid blush began to make its way on to Syaoran’s face. What the hell did he think he was doing? First going to Sakura’s house in the middle of the night, and holding her in his arms for comfort. Then sneaking Sakura out to take her to his apartment and saying she was welcome there as long as she wanted.
And now here was his very own angel snuggling against him in his arms, this was probably the best day of his life. ‘Now if only I had the courage to tell you that I love you.’ Syaoran thought sadly. ‘I know why, you are so beautiful you could have any guy why would you go for me?’

Unknown to him Sakura was thinking somewhere around the same line as him. Her emerald eyes stayed glued to his face while her cheeks tinted pink. What in the world was she doing in the arms of the man she loved, in ONLY a thin nightshirt? Sakura had dreamed of being whisked away in Syaoran’s arms but she never thought of it happening. The way he was holding her so close but gently made Sakura only love him more and wish that he could feel the same way.

But finally they made it to Syaoran’s apartment, landing gracefully on the balcony. Making his way inside Syaoran made a decision (a decision that caused another blush attack), Sakura would get his bed and he would sleep on the couch. Being the gentleman that he was Syaoran would never let Sakura sleep on his couch.

Of course Sakura had been here before, but at night Syaoran’s apartment seemed different. She could see bits of all the furniture by the silvery light of the moon, enough to see that everything was green. Sakura began to blush as she thought, ‘where am I going to stay?’ That’s when Syaoran began to move towards his bedroom.

“Where are you taking me?!” Sakura yelped then moaned because she jarred some of her bleeding cuts.

Syaoran saw the pain flash once again across Sakura’s face and flinched, ‘You wouldn’t be in this pain if I had been able to help.’ “Don’t worry Sakura I’m just taking you to my room so you can be comfortable.” Syaoran turned his head so Sakura wouldn’t see him blush.

“Me, stay in your bed!” Sakura’s face turned an un-natural shade of red due to blushing. “I can’t take your bed Syaoran, I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“No way, you are hurt way worse than me and I’m making sure you are comfortable.” Syaoran said forcefully.

“Fine I’ll sleep in your bed.” Sakura pouted. The look was too cute for Syaoran and he chuckled quietly. They made their way into Syaoran’s bedroom and Syaoran flicked the overhead light on with his shoulder.

Sakura took a look around the room and saw nothing really out of place or messed up. The walls were light green, along the left side of the room was a large window and along the right wall there was a dark wood drawer. Beneath the window was a large forest green bed with the sheets slightly ruffled. There was also a bookshelf full of old leather bound magical books, they probably belonged to the Li clan.

Syaoran carefully placed Sakura in his ruffled bed and straightened up unsurely. That’s when Sakura noticed something, “Syaoran my blood is to stain your bed.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Syaoran shrugged and pulled the sheets up over Sakura’s body. “I can always get new sheets. But it has been a while so shouldn’t the bleeding have stopped?”

“Um I guess...Uh Syaoran can you turn around so I can check.” Sakura asked nervously. Syaoran’s cheeks heated up and he spun around.

Sakura blushed profusely as she rolled up her nightshirt to see that all the painful lashes had stopped bleeding, but left trails of blood down her chest and stains on her shirt. Painful reminders of where those men touched her. Wincing and pulling her shirt back down Sakura signalled it was all right for Syaoran to turn around.

“Did they stop bleeding?”

“Yeah but they still sting and will probably leave scars.” Sakura mumbled.

“Wait! I read about a spell for healing wounds somewhere!” Syaoran offered, “If only I could remember what book it was in.” he sighed.

As a silence between the two magical teens settled, but out of nowhere their magical senses were sparked. Another magical presence entered the room (or was it more than one), completely invisible but extremely powerful they didn’t seem to want to harm anyone. Sakura and Syaoran stayed completely silent and still as this new entity made it’s way throughout the room.

“Syaoran do you hear something?” Sakura asked unsurely. She inched towards Syaoran keep a grip on the almost forgotten star key around her neck.

“Yeah, I think so, quiet so I can listen.” Syaoran’s eyes swept the room trying to pinpoint the source of the new intruders.

Sakura held her breath, and then she heard it. A slow rattling noise crossed the room; it sounded like eerie ghost chains that they drag around t frighten you. “Ghosts!” Sakura squeaked.

“It’s not a ghost, it’s something else.” Syaoran whispered. They had heard this noise before recently, like in a dream or ...nightmare.

“Chains.” Syaoran breathed the word.

It was like a flash almost superimposed onto reality; yards and yards of gold and silver chains were wrapped and twisted all through Syaoran’s room like a horrid spider web. As if knowing they had been caught the chains withdrew, but not before the golden chain raised itself and knocked a single book from Syaoran’s bookshelf. After that the chains disappeared.

“They were from our dream weren’t they?” Sakura questioned.

“Yeah, let’s see what they wanted.” Syaoran walked up to the fallen book and skimmed the page. Sakura saw the ends of Syaoran’s lips turn upward in a smirk and he shook his head. “I don’t believe it.”

“What is it Syaoran?” Sakura cocked her head to the side.

“I don’t know what those creatures are up to, but they just found book and the page where the healing spell was.” Syaoran handed the book over for Sakura to see. Something was strange about this, how could they get in un- noticed and why would they help a second time? He brushed of the suspicion in favour of helping a certain Cherry blossom.

Sakura wasn’t exactly fluent in Chinese, so trying to read whatever was written in the old book was pointless. “Syaoran I can’t read it, how do we do the spell?”

“Um let’s see.” Syaoran took the book and read the page quickly. Then he read it again and his face began to take on a tint of rosy blush.

“So do you know how to do the spell?” Sakura asked, completely oblivious to the hint of pink on Syaoran’s face. Syaoran nodded but refused to meet Sakura’s eyes, his head remained down cast scanning the old yellowed page.

“Well how do you do the spell?” inquired Sakura. ‘He’s acting weird.’ She crawled up behind him and peered over his shoulder.

The surprise contact made Syaoran jump a little and his face turned a dark shade of blush red. “Do you really wish to know?” Sakura nodded. “Alright, for the spell you need two people; the injured and the healthy.”

“That would be us right?”

“Yep, now the injured, you, is supposed to relax while the healthy, me, conducts the magic from me to you to heal all of your injuries. There is only one problem...” Syaoran trailed off.

“Come on, you can tell me.” Sakura encouraged.

“I’m supposed to have contact with all of the injuries to heal them...” he mumbled.

Sakura thought about the new information, not seeing the problem. (Yet) “So you’ve touched me before,” She watched as Syaoran’s face when so red that it was in danger of nosebleed. That’s when one of her cuts across her breast gave off a slight sting. ‘He has to make contact with all of my injuries...’ Sakura gasped when she realised what she said and her face blushed to the point that it matched Syaoran’s blush.

“WHAT!!!!!! I didn’t mean it that way!” Sakura shouted, looking mortified.

Syaoran shook his head trying to clear a few images that shouldn’t be there. “No of course you didn’t Sakura.” He reassured her. “Maybe we should forget about this spell.”

Sakura shifted on Syaoran’s bed thinking the situation through. ‘Don’t do the spell; I may have scars when they finally heal but since they’re magical they may not heal at all. OR. Go through with the spell; no scars for me but Syaoran will be touching me.’ A shiver of either excitement or fear ran down her spine. ‘And while he is performing the magic on me I can do the same for him!’ Sakura concluded eyeing the chain pattern of lashes across Syaoran’s chest.

Looking into Syaoran’s deep amber eyes Sakura gave him a determined look. “Lets do the spell.” She whispered. With those beautiful emerald eyes on him, Syaoran nearly lost himself in their depths. He just faintly heard Sakura agree to the spell, and his heartbeat quickened.

Yeah they’ve known each other for nearly 8 years, and are the best of friends, and are both mature adults (or mature teenagers depending on your view). And the two are secretly in love with each other and would never do anything to harm the other but could Syaoran really do this? It was just a spell right? He was only doing this to help, it meant nothing if he was only touching her due to spell requirements. Plus Sakura was hurt and Syaoran would never take advantage of her like that.

“Alright we’ll do the spell.” Syaoran whispered back to Sakura. Both of them seemed nervous and refused to make eye contact as Syaoran got up on his bed and sat in front of Sakura. “You need to relax Sakura.” Syaoran instructed. Sakura closed her eyes and exhaled the built up tension, trying to relax.

“I’ll start with your arms, okay?” Syaoran moved closer to Sakura, reaching out for her arm. Sakura nodded and held out her right arm that had chain burns coiled around it from when she was held against the tree.

All the nervousness that was building in Syaoran before slowly dissipated and was replaced with new calmer meditative state as he began to concentrate his magic to Sakura.

The effect was immediate, Sakura felt a wonderful tingling feeling run up her arm as Syaoran’s powerful warm magic fill her body, going as far as to even tickle her aura. Once Syaoran had felt every chain mark and healed every burn left by those men, he moved to Sakura’s left arm without hesitation.

Going through the same movement again over Sakura’s left arm as he did the right, Syaoran felt the drain on his own body. With every wound healed, he grew more tired and drained. ‘But I’m doing this for my Sakura so I won’t stop. Besides my training back home was way worse.’

Soon Syaoran was done both of Sakura’s arms and pulled back, unsure of his next move. But Sakura had already decided for him which body part would be healed next. With an impish grin on her face that was so out of character, Sakura lifted her right long slender leg and placed in Syaoran’s lap.

“What?” Syaoran looked up with a blush.

“My leg next!” Sakura smiled. The feeling she was having right now towards Syaoran were unfamiliar but she went along with them.

Outside Syaoran’s window

What these two teens didn’t know was, just outside Syaoran’s window, there was a group of eight people crowded around the window. Going unseen and un- sensed was their specialty as they laughed at the two magical beings blushing and growing more confident with each other.

“Oh ho! Seduce take your spell off the Card Mistress this instant!” one of the spirits demanded. His voice was childish and his moon lit form was small.

“No way Lost! This is my revenge for getting chain beaten by the Master and Mistress!” Snorted an indigent female voice.

The rest of the spirit crowd either hissed in agreement with Seduce for revenge (The ones in the dream), or growled in agreement with Lost for leaving them be. (The Clow cards not part of the dream.)

What all of them failed to realise was the platform of gold and silver chains that they stood upon was beginning to shift on its own.

“Look you little imp, it’s bad enough you took pity on those two and used Master’s chains to knock down that stupid book” Seduce was cut off by Lost.

“Which you tried to stop me with Mistresses chains and failed miserably.” Lost snorted.

“You didn’t feel those chains as punishment Lost! I want revenge; this is how I’m going to get it. Any way using our power against those bakas in there, aren’t we are supposed to do that any way!” Shouted Seduce motioning to the window. (Where Syaoran was beginning to heal a little too far up Sakura’s leg, unaware of being spied on)

It seemed the Chained platform they stood upon had had enough because it twisted apart, leaving the group to float five stories up in the air. Unfortunately floating wasn’t the worst of their problems.

“YOU LITTLE DEMONIC SPIRITS!!!! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING??” screeched the owner of the silver chains. The Clow spirits froze and slowly turned to their furious Mistress.

“We, we are introduced miss-mistress so this is perfectly in line isn’t it?” squeaked Sorrow who had tried to defend before.

“LEAVE THOSE POOR THINGS ALONE!!!!!! YOU MAY DO WHAT YOU WERE CREATED TO DO TOMMOROW!!!!!!!!!” bellow Mistress. Out of nowhere her living chains rose and wrapped around everyone. “DON’T COME BACK UNTIL TOMMOROW!” she ordered, and then flung them into the night.

A manacled hand was placed calmingly on her shoulder. “They may stupid, but I’m pretty sure they won’t come back tonight.” The Master’s deep voice seemed to sooth The Mistress.

“I know I just didn’t want them to harm Sakura and Syaoran.” The Mistress sighed. “Remind me to reward Lost for helping them.” The Master nodded in agreement.

Back inside Syaoran’s bedroom

The spell that had been weaved between the teens was suddenly broken and their eyes unglazed to see Syaoran’s hand had travelled a little too far up Sakura’s leg. Quickly he brought his hand back and blushed furiously.

“S-sorry I-I didn’t know w-what I was do-doing.” He stammered.

“It’s alright.” Sakura said, “I don’t think either of us had control so let’s just blame this on a Clow Card.”

Syaoran looked up into the smiling/blushing face of his angel ‘You are always so forgiving.’ He thought then chuckled despite what happened. “Alright we’ll blame it on a Clow Card as long as we tell no one of this incident.”

“Deal.”

Soon both of Sakura’s legs were healed and tingling from the magic.

“Um Sakura how am I supposed to do the rest of you?” Syaoran asked, aware of how that sounded in his head.

“The rest of me? Uh how about with your eyes closed,” offered Sakura blushing at the thought of Syaoran touching her. (Even with his eyes closed.)

“That could work, but how will I know where to heal?”

“I could guide your hand.”

“Yeah, but your shirt...” he trailed off not wanting to mention that it had to be off.

Sakura caught on to what he was saying, and was sympathetic of Syaoran’s situation. “It will be off. But I trust you more than anyone else Syaoran, and I know that you would never take advantage of me like that.”

Her confidence in him was encouraging but he still had his doubts. Sakura saw this and decided that she’d have to do something out of character. Gabbing the ends of her nightshirt she began to lift it, Syaoran saw this and yelped.

“What are you doing!?”

Sakura just giggled. “I wasn’t really going to take it off. I just wanted to snap you out of your little zone out.”

Syaoran blushed slightly, “No delaying the inevitable,” he sighed and closed his eyes tight. He heard the shifting of cloth, that meant Sakura’s nightshirt was gone, and of course that caused him to blush. ‘ No don’t picture her in your head. You are such a pervert; don’t think of Sakura topless like that!

‘Okay this is it.’ Sakura surveyed the damage on herself and it looked worse with the dry blood trails. Redden trails of flesh crept along her pale creamy skin, going around her breasts and trailing down to her panty line. ‘I just have to trust Syaoran.’

He jumped a little as he felt Sakura’s warm slightly shaking hand take his hand and gently pull it forward. It seemed that both held their breaths as Sakura guided Syaoran’s hand toward herself, placing his hand just below her collarbone at the tip of a particularly painful touch mark.

“S-should I start now?” Syaoran asked nervously.

“Yeah- you can start now.” Sakura answered equally nervous. With the little magic he had left, he began to concentrate it at the tip of his palm. Sakura watched as the skin Syaoran’s hand touched became normal again and ceased the painful throbbing. Looking to his face Sakura saw he was deep in concentration. ‘Perfect now I can try healing him!’

Sakura was careful to keep her attention to where she guided Syaoran’s hand so she didn’t guide it somewhere it didn’t need to be, reaching out with her free hand toward Syaoran’s own chain burns.

That is when Sakura really began to notice how shirtless Syaoran really was. A slight blush tinted her cheeks as Sakura surveyed the strong slim build of her warrior, as he moved fluidly to heal Sakura. His muscles underneath his skin moved in an almost seducingly slow way.

‘Okay Sakura just breath, you are just returning the favour of him helping you by healing him.’ She told her self. Sakura had been training with her magic since the cards were sealed so concentrating her power to heal Syaoran was a fairly easy task.

‘What is she doing?’ Syaoran wondered as he felt the warm comforting pink magic of Sakura wash through him, and the dull sting on his chain burns fade. He didn’t dare open his eyes to see what she was doing so he settled for asking. “Sakura- uh what are you doing?”

Both of Sakura’s hands paused trying to think of a good answer, “Don’t worry Syaoran, I’m only healing your wounds so you’re not bothered by them.”

“Oh thank you.” He mumbled, “You always think of others don’t you Sakura?”

“Yeah kind of...” Sakura trailed off not sure if it was a statement or a complement.

A silence sort of settled in as Sakura finished healing Syaoran, for he had obtained far less wounds than she had. At the same time her attention slipped and so did her hand, which meant Syaoran’s hand went with it, landing on her...

“AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Sakura involuntarily screeched, surprising Syaoran making his eyes open, and of course he got an eye full. Once his brain processed the information he snapped his eyes shut and began spouting apologies.

“Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to!!!!!! Syaoran babbled.

“No, no it’s my fault I was guiding your hand! I lost my concentration and let my hand slip. I’m really sorry about that Syaoran!!!!” They were getting nowhere apologizing continuously to each other, but the light tenderness of Sakura’s last remaining lash brought her back. “Syaoran do you have enough magic left for one more?” she asked timidly.
Sakura had guided his hand to a round fleshy mound also known as...

The heat in both their faces was almost unbearable just about to the point of nosebleed. Sakura slowly guided his hand over and let it enclose over her breast. The feeling that ran down her spine and tickled her insides surprised her a little. Did she enjoy his touch?

On the other side, Syaoran had nearly a full-fledged war going on inside his head. Two sides of him raged within his mind. One side was his proper well-raised future Li Clan leader who always saw things logically side, which was shouting to pull back before he did something regrettable. His other side was the wild hormone driven teenager that stayed locked up inside his head so no one ever gets to see him, but right now that side of him was screaming to go farther and tell Sakura how he felt. ‘I love her so much that I don’t want to spend a day apart. I never want anyone else to touch her!’ ‘What if she doesn’t like me that way, maybe I shouldn’t tell her how I feel just yet.’

In the end his proper side won and as soon as the wound was healed he drew back from Sakura, never opening his eyes. But in the back of his mind there was a feeling tugging at him. Was it loss?

As Syaoran drew away, Sakura immediately felt the loss of warmth and comfort and the other strange feeling she couldn’t name. ‘Maybe I should tell him that I love him... no, he doesn’t feel the same way and I don’t want to burden him.’

Before Syaoran could leave for the couch, or even before Sakura could go for her nightshirt an over whelming sense of exhaustion over took both their bodies. The magical drain on both of them was greater than they had thought. Blackness edged Syaoran’s vision as he fell back on his bed, his head hitting the pillow falling. Sakura took a similar fall, except her head did not hit a pillow, instead her head rested upon Syaoran’s chest.

Both were out like lights dreamlessly sleeping on the large bed, as Syaoran reached his arms out in his sleep wrapping them around Sakura’s lithe form protectively. It seemed as he did so that a small smile appeared on both of their sleeping faces.

Syaoran’s living room

“Rattle...rattle, rattle, rattle.” The noise broke the gentle calm silence of Syaoran’s apartment.

“Ssssssshhhhhhhhh!!!!” hissed a shadowed man, “Would you shut your chains up before you wake the sleeping ones!” he growled to the second figure who was just fitting through the balcony door.

“Sorry, they are just a little agitated from those little- little- oh you know!” the second figure’s voice hissed back, revealing that she was the woman who had thrown a fit on the lingering Clow spirits outside Syaoran’s window.

The man who had entered before her shook his head in the dim light of the dark apartment, “The temper you have is only worthy of one so full of life such as your self.” His deep voice was deathly smooth. “Come we must see if they have succeeded in repairing the damage that our charges have wreaked.”

With a simple hand movement his golden chains came to his companion and lifted her gently. “I guess that I do wish to check on the small sorcerers. But you really need not carry me.” Her voice as lively as the silvery chained that danced around her.

Syaoran’s bedroom

The light that spilled from the overhead light finally illuminated both of their figures, (Along with illuminating the sleeping pair on Syaoran’s bed. . ) shedding light on their shadowed faces.

“Ooohhhhh. Look at them, they are so adorable together.” Cooed the woman, spotting the sleeping pair cuddled with one another.

(A/n Here goes the long-winded explanation of what she really looks like.) Her eyes were dark sparkling black dancing with life as she watched Syaoran tuck Sakura closer to him. Her eyes where much contrast to her almost glowing snowy white hair that was so long it pooled around her feet. To match this magical woman’s adult voice, her body was very tall and slim and adult like.

Her creamy skin was covered in many layers of silken white, silver and blue cloth; her silver pants were tight over her long legs covered in the loose light blue skirt that went down to her feet. It was slit straight up the side to the waistband so that it showed the manacles that were attached to her ankles. The woman’s white top was very loose not showing any curve or womanly attribute, the flap came over to the right and buttoned down with silver moons and light blue suns. The sleeves were extremely wide and were trimmed in a silver chain pattern.

The three single details that seemed out of place amidst all the silver, white and blue were her black eyes, the small black braid that trailed in front of her left her and the stitched in black Japanese character for life. The character seemed appropriate because she absolutely radiated a sense of life.

She seemed the exact opposite from her friend who was prowling around the room observing the details, “It does appear that any damage caused has been repaired, we shall go now.” (A/n Please forgive another long-winded explanation of my second character. Oh yeah if you want to just skip through this and guess what he looks like that is alright I can understand. You get to hear their names just as are about the room.)

Opposite of his companion, this man was dressed in all black, gold and deep blood red. His hair was jet black and trailed down his back tied back with red tie, but his eyes were such a light blue that they almost white (Possibly a little dead looking.). Now I have already said what his voice sounded like so to match it this he was about a head taller than the woman with a tall slim and toned figure.

His clothes were all black, red and gold, (a/n Sorry, I would have put black and blue, but hey then every time I typed it I’d think he was beat up or something.) unlike the woman who’s pants were tight, the man’s blood red pants were very loose, like the shrine caretaker pants. Unfortunately the legs of the pants covered his bare feet and manacled ankles that attached to his golden chains. Worn over his pants was strange gold skirt like thing that was merely a piece of cloth in front and in the back, not much of a skirt. Now his black shirt was left open exposing his tanned chest, but the sleeves ran down his arms loosely and were very wide at the cuffs covering the manacles on his wrists.

Unlike the woman who had the black stick out on her, this man had three white things that really stuck out. First was the snowy white braid of hair that hung down in front of his right ear, second was his almost dead white eyes and third was the stitched in white Japanese character for death. How appropriate was the character for someone who emanated the calm dark aura of death.

“Go we can’t go now! Look at them.” She motioned to Sakura and Syaoran; “we need a camera for this!”

“No, there will be other opportunities.”

“Fine, I shall merely make their situation more comfortable.” With a flick of her wrist, silver chains began to slip off Syaoran’s pants.

“What are you doing!” the man hissed, intervening with his golden chains.

“As I said I’m making them more comfortable. Who likes sleeping in their day clothes?” she replied, while tossing his pants on the floor.

“When you said more comfortable I thought you meant pulling up the sheets for them, like this.” His golden chains raised and pulled the green sheets up over the sleeping pair.

“They’re not going to get cold any time soon being cuddled so closely.” She replied loftily.

Just the sheet made it to Sakura’s lower back; Syaoran’s hand shot out and gripped the golden chain. “What the!” The man pulled back and gripped his wrist as if he was burned or shocked, raising his chain to examine the spot where Syaoran had grabbed.

Syaoran never woke, but he rolled to his side so Sakura was cuddled closely to his chest and his back faced the intruders. The woman came over and glanced at her companion’s chain. “See! Right there, it’s chipped! It wasn’t just a fluke that my chain was cracked!” She seemed excited despite the grimace on her friends face.

“Protective little Wolf aren’t you...” he muttered looking at his wrist underneath the manacle. The flesh was slightly burned, “We must be going my lovely, before this couple are rudely awakened to the sight of us.”

“Yes of course, we shall be going. Give me a moment.” He watched as she began to mount the bed and lean over Syaoran. “I meant it when I said you are strongest with your warrior by your side.” She whispered and kissed Sakura gently on the forehead then backed off when Syaoran growled. “And you, Little Wolf, better take care of her. Better yet take care of each other.”

The man shook his head; his friend always had such sentimentality.

Silently both of them left the room, turning off the overhead light for the sleeping couple and stood upon the balcony to see the grey light of pre-dawn morning.

“I really do believe that they can do this... (A/n hear it comes the long awaited revealing of his name... wait for it...NOW!!!)...Don’t you- Death?” (A/n OMG! I did it; I finally gave you his name!)

Death turned to his companion and sighed, “To be honest, I really don’t know...(A/n Okay you want her name you got it!!!)...If they can do this- Life.” Both of them disappeared with a flick of their chains with only a slight rattle in the wind to say that they were even there.

(A/n Now if anyone guessed Life and Death’s names when I stitched it to the back of their outfits, would you please review me. Just remember I cannot accept any nasty flames. I love you bye-bye!!)

Now we switch back to the awakening of our sweet sleeping couple. Enjoy my typing stylings of this mortifying/funny moment in time, where this Chinese Warrior and Clow Mistress wake up in each other’s arms nearly naked.

The sun’s light filtered through the grand window, washing over the resting occupants of Syaoran’s bedroom. Sakura was brought into the waking world in the most pleasant of moods, feeling so warm, safe, and comfortable with her blanket wrapped around her. A blanket that smelled of autumn and sandalwood, Sakura snuggled closer and found her blanket seemed to move closer to her.

‘A moving blanket?’ Sakura open her eyes to investigate, only to find that she wrapped up in someone’s strong arms and pressed against their chest. ‘S- Syaoran?’ Indeed it was him holding her close, the colour in her checks began to rise while she tried to move out of his embrace.

Two things happened when she moved; one, Sakura found out that Syaoran was in nothing but a pair of green silk boxers; two, even if she wanted to move, Syaoran only pulled Sakura back to him in his sleep.

‘What... how am I supposed to get up?’ She thought desperately. Memories of what had happened last night seemed to be coming back. The nightmarish dream, waking up in pain, Syaoran coming to her house, whisking her away to his apartment (Her heart gave a little flutter) the healing spell, and of course the last memory of becoming so tired that she passed out. (On Syaoran I might add. . )

‘Is this what it would be like to be married to him? Every morning I could wake up in his arms feeling so warm and safe?’ she wondered. Some how Sakura had forgotten the fact that there was no shirt to cover her as she raised herself to look upon Syaoran’s sleeping face. ‘He is so kawaii when he sleeps.’ Sakura thought seeing his relaxed face that sported a somewhat happy smile. ‘You never smile like that in public,’ Sakura reached out a hand to brush away his chocolate coloured bangs, ‘you always seemed to be able to smile at me though... maybe you really do love-.’

Her thoughts were cut off as Syaoran began to stir. ‘What! What do I do? I know I’ll pretend that I’m still asleep. Hopefully he won’t get mad.’ Sakura dropped back down into Syaoran warm embrace, snuggling closer for comfort.

Syaoran stirred a little bit, trying to keep hold of a delightful dream where he was holding his Cherry blossom. Opening his eyes Syaoran was still under the pretence that he was still holding his Sakura in his dream, not aware that he was actually awake. ‘Another dream where you tease me with the ability to hold you in my dreams, and yet I am denied the pleasure of holding you in the waking world.’ He mentally sighed. Something tugged in the back of his mind, a detail that he should be paying more attention to but Syaoran brushed it off in favour of Sakura.

“So beautiful.” He mumbled into Sakura’s hair. Sakura shivered a little in delight, Syaoran must have taken it for something else because he drew his body closer over Sakura’s. ‘If only you were mine, I’d never let anyone hurt you.’

Her scent of cherry blossoms was so intoxicating and the feel of her warm body pressed to him (a/n heads out of the gutter hentai readers) he let out a dazed happy sigh. ‘If only I was awake.’ That’s when the fine details of his situation began to become clear, a little too clear for a dream. ‘No... I can’t be awake...’ Syaoran panicked slightly, his logical side telling him that he should get out of there.

Syaoran slowly tried to slip from the bed, but Sakura wanted to play her sleeping act a little longer (Even though she forgot she was minus a nightshirt, if Syaoran got up Sakura would be completely exposed, except for the green sheet covering her) so she latched onto his arm. Weighing his options, Syaoran decided that Sakura was too cute to wake so he turned to get back into the bed.

Syaoran’s face became severely red as he realised the absence of Sakura’s nightshirt. Flashes of last night resurfaced and Syaoran recalled everything including why Sakura’s shirt was gone, but he had been sleeping with her...

Syaoran happened to glance down and notice that his pants had taken a leave of their own also. “S-Sa-Sa-Sakura...” he was able to stammer.

“What is it?” Sakura sat up, dropping the sleeping act. Wrong thing to do because it caused the green sheet to drop down, Syaoran stared for a moment then dropped his gaze to the floor respectfully. “Huh? Syaoran what is it?”

Suddenly it seemed a little breezy to her and she looked down to discover why it felt breezy to her. There was no shirt, where there should be a shirt. ‘I took it off for the spell, that was alright... but I was next to him- (Her breath was quickening to panic status) I was sleeping really really close to him in nothing but my panties!’ Sakura caught sight of Syaoran in nothing but his boxers. It all really sunk in then.

“OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYGGGGGGGOOOOOOODDDDDDD” she screamed scrambling to cover herself up with the sheets.

Syaoran jumped at how loud Sakura screamed and rushed out the room to save further embarrassment. Running into the living room, he took deep breaths trying to cool his immensely hot face. Glancing around he spotted the wall clock that read 10:00 am, extremely late for his standards.

Once his face had cooled and Sakura’s screaming had ceased, Syaoran made his way cautiously back to his room. (Missing the glass door to the balcony was left open) Knocking lightly on the door, he poked his head in to see Sakura wearing a bed sheet as a toga and her face was cherry red. “Uh- Sakura are you alright?” really stupid question, look at how they both just woke up.

She didn’t seem to hear him. ‘Geeze! I can’t believe I had no shirt! Syaoran must really think I’m something, he is probably so mad or really disgusted with me...’ Sakura sighed. A persistent knocking coming from near by knocked her out of her thoughts. Looking up she saw Syaoran knocking on the door.

“Sakura- Sakura? Are you alright?” He seemed slightly concerned not angry.

“Yeah, I’m fine...” she trailed off. He came into the room stopping short of the bed. Bending down, Syaoran picked up the pair of joggers he should have been wearing when he woke up.

Out of nowhere Sakura blurted “I’m sorry!” then averted her eyes.

“Sorry? No you shouldn’t be sorry Sakura.” Syaoran sat attentively on his bed next to Sakura, “I’m the one who should be sorry.”

Sakura looked up, Syaoran continued, “I mean I should have been able to protect you in the first place. If you weren’t hurt I wouldn’t have had to bring you here and do the spell. Without the spell we both wouldn’t have passed out from magic depletion. Thus this wouldn’t have happened.”

Sakura noticed that Syaoran was still beating himself up over what those Clow Cards had done to her. His face went downcast and his shoulders were tense. Her modesty took second place as she came over to lightly hug Syaoran around the neck.

“You shouldn’t be sorry about that, because I’m not sorry about what they did. I’m mad! I know that we can capture all of them. That will show those Clow Cards not to mess with us!” Sakura declared fiercely. Syaoran couldn’t help but chuckle at the cuteness.

“What I am sorry about was uh...” even though Syaoran was unable to see her face he knew Sakura was blushing. “I’m sorry for- no shirt... and... snuggling. I faked being asleep so I could stay next to you longer. Please don’t be mad at me....”

“You weren’t asleep?”

Sakura shook her head.

“How long were you awake?”

“Long enough to hear that ‘so beautiful’ comment.”

“Oh.” Syaoran blushed. “I thought I was dreaming when I said that...”

Sakura sat back on the back on the bed and questioned him, “Who were you dreaming of?”

“No one, really. It was just a dream.” Syaoran lied. “Nothing about anyone.” He got up off the bed. Sakura stood with him, bringing a whole bed sheet with her.

“Come on, please there had to be some one beautiful in your dream for you to say that.” Secretly Sakura wished it were she that Syaoran dreamed of. Syaoran remained stubborn and refused to tell, saying that he dreamt of no one.

“Okay, you didn’t say it to any one in particular.” Sakura was disappointed slightly. She brushed off the small defeat by grabbing her blood stained nightshirt from the floor.

The shirt reminded her that she still had blood streaked across her body from the opened wounds that were now non-existent, healed last night, courtesy of Syaoran. ‘How will I get clean, I don’t even have a change of clothes...’

Syaoran seemed to read her thoughts (Or he saw the look Sakura gave to reddish/brown streaks that showed over her exposed skin.), but he solved her little problem with out even thinking. “You can use my washroom to take a bath.”

“Really?” Sakura looked up at Syaoran and smiled her wonderful angelic smile.

Sakura’s smiles were one of the things that Syaoran could never resist, practically melting on the spot because her smile was just for him. “Yeah go ahead, you know where it is?”

Sakura nodded, “I’ve been here before you know.” She walked passed him with her blood stained nightshirt, taking the green sheet toga with her. Syaoran followed her out of the bedroom and went to the kitchen to think.

‘Idiot! I can’t believe what you just did.’ Syaoran reprimanded himself. ‘She is in your washroom taking a bath... That means she is...’ Syaoran’s face blushed before he could even finish the mental sentence.

At the time, Syaoran could hear from the kitchen, a sound of a lithe body moving around in his washroom. (Blush) Then the rustling of cloth being dropped on the floor (blush, blush) and of course the stating of the water. After a moment there was a splashing noise, which meant that Sakura had finally dropped into the tub. (Blush, blush, blush)

A short moment of silence, then Syaoran heard Sakura’s voice float from the washroom. “Syaoran can I ask something?”

“Yeah go ahead.” He walked up to door to be able to hear what she was asking more clearly.

“Uh- well- um... I’m already in the water so I have to ask you. I got in here with out thinking, and I forgot to get a towel...could you maybe-.” Sakura voice tailed off, but it was obvious that she wanted him to grab a towel for her.

“S- Sure...” Syaoran answered. (Blush, blush, blush... holy crap near nosebleed.)

There was a small linen closet that Syaoran got as a bonus for getting the big top floor apartment. He kept all of his sheets, towels, facecloths and other thing in there to save space. (A/n Syaoran is so freaking lucky that he got a linen closet with his place, but of course he would be lucky if it wasn’t for me!)

Grabbing one of the biggest fluffiest green towels, and a large light green facecloth he made his way back to the washroom. (Blushing all the way because of some teenaged thoughts that were running around inside his head.

“Sakura how am I supposed to give you the stuff?” Syaoran asked. Silence came from inside then Sakura’s answer.

“I don’t want to soak your floor so just drop the towel off inside the door.” Her voice slightly squeaked in nervousness.

“Inside the door.” Syaoran froze.

“Yeah, I think I left it unlocked.” Sakura voice got a little bit quieter. The sound of a shower curtain being pulled came from inside.

“Okay here goes nothing.” Syaoran reached out his free hand and turned the knob on the door slowly. Careful to keep his eyes down, he deposited the towel on the floor and slid it with reaching distance of the bathtub.

“Thank you Syaoran,” Sakura’s voice floated from behind the shower curtain, which had the picture of a wolf underneath a Sakura tree at night on it.

“Don’t mention it.” Syaoran mumbled. Then by accident he glanced up to see the silhouette of an angel in front of him, through the shower curtain. Forgetting himself, Syaoran stared at the shadowed figure of Sakura. ‘She is so beautiful’ he thought seeing all of her well-shaped curves in the silhouette. But the splashing of water brought Syaoran back, and he realised what he was doing.

Quickly he backed out of the room and shut the door, berating himself for doing such a thing.

From inside he could still hear the swirling of water, and the slight giggles from the girl who was bathing.

Syaoran seemed to be starting to control his blushing now, but a single thought ran through his mind that made all of blushing come back.

‘What is Sakura going to where wear when she gets out?’


Back with Syaoran

‘Is she almost done?’ Syaoran began to wonder if Sakura had drowned by now, she was taking a long time in the tub.

He had taken advantage of the time Sakura used in the tub to train on the roof of the apartment building. It was far later in the day then he usually trained. Usually Syaoran was up at around 5:00am to go through his training exercise, but due to circumstances beyond his control, Syaoran had awoken from his sleep late.

Putting on a pair of light, loose training pants and grabbing his sword, Syaoran had spent a good hour up on the roof practicing his martial arts or sword techniques. All the while he was training, Syaoran had the foreboding feeling that he might need all of his skills in the near future.

The threats that were issued from the dark Clow Cards and his promise to protect Sakura from them, rang in his mind fuelling him to work harder,

“Lovely Cherry blossom, you will suffer at our hands!”

“Curse you Warrior!”

“Sakura as long as I live I promise I’ll make sure those people never touch you like that again.”

“Yes Sakura. I promise that I will protect you better in the future.” Syaoran promised under his breath.

Deciding that Sakura was most likely done taking her bath Syaoran went back down to his apartment, where he now sat at his small table staring at the bathroom door.

“Sakura are you alright in there?” Syaoran asked.

At first she didn’t answer, then he heard her mumble, “Syaoran, I have another problem.”

“What? Wait I know what it is.” Syaoran sighed.

“Oh, you do?” Sakura stepped closer to the door, “In that case, can I please borrow some of your clothes to wear?”

Even if Syaoran knew that was coming, there was something almost surreal about Sakura asking to wear his clothes.

“I’ll go find you some of my clothes, uh, for you to wear.” Syaoran turned to go back to his room to find something for Sakura.

Syaoran dug through his closet to find the smallest thing in there to cover Sakura’s small from. At the back of his closet, Syaoran luckily found a pair of faded cut off jeans and a yellow t-shirt that was in excellent condition. “I hope these will be alright for her, I mean hopefully they’re not too big on her.”

Quickly Syaoran went back to the washroom door, “Sakura I found you some clothes- ACK!” Syaoran had only turned the knob slightly and the door swung open with such a force that it sent him tumbling back.

Sakura had been leaning against the door waiting for his return and was not prepared for when Syaoran turned the doorknob. The only thing Sakura was able to do before toppling to the ground was secure her towel around her dripping body.

“WHAT!!!!” Sakura screeched as her unbalanced body headed towards the ground. She closed her eyes waiting to meet the floor hard, but the impact never came. Instead, Sakura hit something warm and muscular that smelled of autumn and sandalwood, ‘Oh god! I didn’t fall on him did I?’

“S- sorry Sakura,” Syaoran stammered in her ear. He was only confirming that she really had fell on him.

“No, I should be sorry.” Sakura really only began to realise what kind of position they were in . Syaoran was wearing only a pair of training pants, and Sakura in nothing but her panties and towel, “I shouldn’t have been leaning on the door...” her voice trailed off as amber met emerald.

The world seemed to be fading around them as the magical sorcerers locked eyes. If you were in the room that moment and processed magical ability, you would have seen their auras slowly begin to flow into one another, like a dance of souls who have finally found their match.

“S-Syaoran...”

“S-Sakura...”

They were only breaths away from one another when Sakura realised what she doing. ‘I can’t. Not yet!’ her mind cursed. Getting up from Syaoran and taking the bundle of clothing Sakura darted for the washroom once more.

After she shut the door, Sakura slid to the floor, ‘I was so close and yet he is so far out of my reach. I should have never tried to kiss him!’ her thoughts were only slightly blurred from the contact she had established seconds before. ‘He almost looked like he wanted to kiss me too.’ ‘YA, maybe in my dreams!’

“I can still feel your aura surrounding me...” Sakura mumbled half dazed. Similar feelings that had been tossing within her resurfaced, making her long for Syaoran to hold her again and feeling his warmth surround her. It felt so right to be like that. “Oh well.”

Sakura quickly changed into Syaoran’s clothes, finding that the jeans only stayed up if she held them and the t-shirt slipped off her shoulder occasionally. ‘Syaoran nearly saw me naked, so I guess this isn’t so bad.’ She giggled despite herself.

With Syaoran

He still lay on the ground where he’d fallen. The feeling of Sakura’s aura mingling with his was still so fresh, and the sight of her moist skin shine in the sunlight nearly hypnotized him into daze.

It felt as if some higher force (a/n Namely me!) Kept driving them together into such predicaments. Her presence felt so good being so close to him, like it had when he woke up with Sakura in his arms.

“Why does it have to be this way?” Syaoran sighed. Getting up from the floor, Syaoran’s eyes darted to the door as it opened. Out came an angel beyond beauty, her clothes hung off her loosely and her auburn tresses were still damp, but those emerald eyes really drew him in.

“How do I look?”

On impulse Syaoran breathed a single word, “Beautiful...” Sakura immediately blushed.

“W-what?”

“Oh!” Syaoran gasped and blushed. “I meant that you look alright.”

“Thank you Syaoran.” Sakura suddenly found the floor was very interesting.

“Yeah, um I think that I’ll take a shower.” Syaoran mumbled, darting quickly to the side for a towel then into the washroom. Within his mind Syaoran couldn’t help but think Sakura looked so right wearing his clothes, even if they didn’t fit her, it added to the pure beauty and fantasy of it.

With Sakura

“Okay.” Sakura nodded, making her way to the kitchen to cook Syaoran’s thank you breakfast. From the kitchen Sakura could hear the water from the shower start, and her cheeks tinted a slight pink.

“Now where do you keep everything?” she muttered. It was a good thing Syaoran was so organised, that made the job of hunting everything down for breakfast really easy. Once Sakura had eggs and bacon going, she turned on the small radio in the kitchen and hummed along with on of the tunes.

Careful to keep her eye on the eggs so they didn’t burn, Sakura walked over to the balcony and began to think. The sun had already risen high in the warm April sky. You would think it would be hard to sigh on such a Sunday, but Sakura found that thoughts of the new dark Clow Cards were enough to make her sigh.

“Why do things like this always happen to you and I, Syaoran?”

“Because you are the Clow Mistress and he is Clow’s Descendant. Things like these are drawn to the both of you, to challenge what magic you have. Such is your fate in life.” Then a flash went off.

“That voice!” Sakura gasped and spun around, “You were woman- WHAT!” Sakura began to trip over the railing of the balcony because she spun so fast.

“Watch yourself now.” Life’s silver chains nudged Sakura back to safety.

Sakura slid down on the ground and stared and the pale woman who sat on top of the couch in front of her, “How- how did you get in here!”

Life smiled kindly at the confused girl, “I sort of popped in here, forgive me for your distress.” She left her perch on the couch and kneeled in front of Sakura. “You appear far better now then you did last night,” Life’s hand traveled over Sakura’s face pensively, and then trailed down her chest.

“Remarkable,” commented a man’s voice, “all your wounds healed by that single Warrior.”

“Hhat!” Sakura’s head jerked to the familiar man who appeared behind Life, “Who are you two! How did you get in?!”

Her shouting had alerted the showering sorcerer down the hall, “Sakura!” From Sakura’s distressed tone of voice, it sounded as if Clow Cards had snuck into his apartment. Thus the basis of Syaoran bursting out of the washroom with only a small towel wrapped around his mid-section, “Are you alright?” he immediately Syaoran headed to Sakura, as Life and Death backed off.

“I- you- yeah I’m fine- but.”

Hot water from his body dripped down on Sakura’s body, as he leaned over her in concern, “But what?”

“Um, Syaoran...Guests.” Sakura motioned to the standing pair in the living room. Syaoran took notice and his face turned tomato red from embarrassment. Before he could move to hide, a flash went off.

“There! I am so glad I brought a camera this time!” Life waved two Polaroid pictures in the air happily.

“AAARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!” Syaoran dived for the washroom, and Sakura screeched in surprise, from inside the washroom Syaoran demanded furiously, “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE INVADING MY APARTMENT!”

Life smiled amusingly, “I think I am Life and my friend here is Death.” She chirped.

Sakura cocked her head to the side, “Life and Death?”

Death smirked, “Yes, that is our names.”

“Sakura, do you think you could grab me some clothes.” Syaoran mumbled from within the washroom.

“Of course.” Sakura scrambled to Syaoran’s bedroom. Opening his closet she was met uncertainty. “What would look good on him?”

With Life and Death

“Now if that wasn’t a loving married couple, I don’t know what is.” Life giggled, “I mean did you see their auras, each one was threaded with the other it was so beautiful.

Death didn’t seem to notice anything that Life had said. Instead he stared at the blackened eggs in the pan, “she killed their breakfast.”

“How about we could do a friendly favour then. I mean if Clow’s promise remains true, this could be the least we do, making breakfast for them I mean.”

Death sighed, “Very well.”

Sakura with Syaoran’s clothes

“Here, I think you’ll like these.” Sakura opened the door slightly and Syaoran’s hand snatched his clothes. “Thank you.” Sakura heard him say. She walked back to their unexpected guests so as not to be rude, only to find they were gone leaving behind a pleasant surprise.

Syaoran came out off the washroom wearing a real hot looking green button t-shirt which he left opened to show his toned chest and denim shorts. Silently he walked up behind Sakura. “So where did Life and Death go?”

“They’re gone but look what they left.” Sakura looked over the table. In the few minutes that Sakura had been selecting Syaoran’s clothes, Life and Death had managed to create a full spread of eggs, bacon, oranges, hash browns, sausages, pancakes and a large pitcher of chilled orange juice all arranged with utmost care for a two people.

“Look, they left a note.” Syaoran glared at the little piece of folded paper, while Sakura happily picked the note up, which had a cute looking thin chain dangling off it.

“Listen to this Syaoran;

Dearest Sakura and Syaoran

Please enjoy this simple breakfast that we have made for you, no thanks is necessary for this. Hopefully you don’t eat the hash browns; because Life slipped something in them I know it. Sakura we noticed that Syaoran’s jeans were far to big for you so we supplied you with a belt that should do for
you.

If you still wonder about us, don’t worry we are your friends. We wish for your forgiveness off our invasion, but both of were curious as to how you
were coping after such a nightmare.

Do watch out for each other from now on because we’re pretty sure Life
pissed off the Clow cards and now they’re planning something.

Enjoy yourselves today. We shall meet again.

Yours sincerely, Life and Death”

After reading the note, Sakura slipped on the slim chain belt. “Wow, they are so nice to do this.’

“Something is weird about those two.” Syaoran growled.

“Yeah, but guess they are on our side. Maybe they can help us with the cards. In the note they were even kind enough to warn us about the cards.”

“That was because Life pissed them off in the first place.”

Sakura sighed and sat down, “Come on let’s not waste this food!” Syaoran smiled and joined her at the small table.

While avoiding the hash browns, Sakura and Syaoran had a fine time eating their practically gourmet breakfast in comfortable silence, until Sakura decided to try to strike up a conversation.

“So have you ever heard of those two before Syaoran? Those Spirits, Life and Death.” Sakura asked while spearing an egg at the same time.

“I could have, I’m not sure.”

“Well we could always ask Eriol if we really need to.” Sakura offered.

“Hiragisawa!!! No! No way will I ever be that desperate!” He exploded. Sakura pouted a little bit.

“I don’t see your problem with Eriol, he is really nice.”

“Maybe a little too nice.” Syaoran muttered under his breath.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Once again they slipped into another comfortable silence. Finishing off what was left of the wonderful food, Syaoran began to clear the table.

“No, let me wash the dishes Syaoran.” Sakura leapt up from the table.

“Don’t worry about it Sakura, you’re a guest so you don’t have to do the dishes.”

“Hey! Come on, I slept over here, took a bath in your tub and now I’m wearing your clothes, I practically live here now, let just wash the dishes. You can dry them.” Sakura said, while blushing. The thought of living here, in the same apartment with Syaoran was really pleasing to her. Not only her, once those facts were laid out Syaoran was blushing but also thinking that it would be great if Sakura really did live with him.

“Alright you wash, I’ll dry.”

“Great. We will be done in no time!” Sakura cheered.

So while they worked together, Sakura decided that she really wanted to do something today, “Syaoran do you want to go to the park with me today. It could be fun.”

“Yeah sure why not.” Syaoran shrugged, “Maybe we could swing by your place and get you some of your clothes.”

“I didn’t even think of that, your clothes are so comfortable. We could do that afterwards.”

Syaoran chuckled a little bit, “Fine, how about after today at the park, we go to your house.”

Sakura giggled, “Sounds good.”

Outside on the balcony, in a spot where you could see

“You hear that everybody, they’re going to the park.” Whispered the voice of Sorrow. (Whom you heard in chapter 1)

“Which means we will be going to the park today.” Hissed Seduce joyfully.

“And we shall introduce ourselves to them, Whether Master or Mistress likes it or not.” Growled a new voice.

“You are positively evil, Evil...”

At Tomoeda Park

“Look at the sky it’s so blue today!” Sakura spun in a happy circle on the park path. “I wish every spring day could be like this!”

Syaoran chuckled, watching the girl who secretly held his heart, frolic around the park like a child. It was about 12:00 when they left Syaoran’s apartment and now both of them had walked a fair way into the park. The cherry blossoms were all in bloom, so pink petals rained around Sakura and Syaoran, as they walked.

‘I have known her for nearly nine years, and yet she’s barely changed.’ Syaoran thought as Sakura did a cartwheel into a pile of cherry blossoms. (A/n They were 9 in the fourth grade when Syaoran first came to Tomoeda, now they are 18, in the last year of high school. 9 to 18 is nine years.) What Syaoran really meant was Sakura’s attitude and personality had hardly changed, other things had really changed about her. Like the fact that her childish body was replaced a well developed curving woman’s body. (Always making Syaoran blush every time he got a good view.) But her cute qualities of being naïve, caring, optimistic and a little dense had hardly changed.

At that moment, the said woman came flying towards him in a flurry of cherry blossoms and tackled him playfully into another large pile of cherry blossoms that lay just off the side of the path.

“Whoa!” yelled Syaoran in surprise.

“Hey, earth to Syaoran! I’ve been calling your name for five whole minutes and you didn’t answer me!” Sakura pouted from her spot on his stomach. “Finally I decided you would probably hear me if I jumped on you!”

“...” Syaoran seemed to be speechless as he stared up at Sakura, who’s borrowed t-shirt had slipped off a shoulder exposing her pale skin. She took his speechlessness as a bad sign and face darkened with concern.

“I didn’t hurt you when I push you down, did I?”

“No! I mean no, you just surprised me that’s all.” Syaoran half lied, it was sort of the reason he hadn’t reasoned. (The other half was he was preoccupied with her “exposed skin”. Although it’s nothing he hasn’t seen before. .)

Sakura’s face brightened considerably, “I’m glad I only surprised you. You kind of had me worried when you didn’t answer me.”

“Oh sorry about that. If I buy you an ice cream would you forgive me?” He asked mockingly.

Sakura’s face scrunched cute at his mockery “Better be a good ice-cream.”

“Of course, nothing but the best for you.” Syaoran blushed, ‘Man, that sounded so lame.’ Sakura blushed as well.

Since people were beginning to stare at the fallen pair, both scrambled into a standing position. Just as Sakura composed herself, as in fixing her shirt and brushing sakura petals off her, something seemed to shoot past her and a pain erupted in her upper arm.

“Owww!” Sakura gripped at the throbbing spot on her arm.

“Sakura, are you ok?” Syaoran looked at her in confusion and concern.

“I’m fine, but my arm feels like a wasp stung it.” She motioned to the spot on upper left arm.

“Can I take a look?” Syaoran rolled the short sleeve of Sakura’s borrowed t-shirt up carefully and saw nothing to indicate a wasp sting. “Nothing there.” He narrowed his eyes and frowned deeply, “We better get moving, this could be a Clow Card.”

Sakura eyes widened and nodded in agreement, “Yeah, I can sense some sort of dark magic around here.” That very moment another thing shot from the bushes, causing twice the amount of pain to course through both teenagers.

Sakura doubled over and whimpered. Syaoran growled, ‘how can I keep my promise to protect, if I can’t even catch a glimpse of what we’re up against.’

The crackling of a bush alerted the two, and both swung around to see the glint of metal beckon them beyond the bush.

“Come on let’s follow it!” Sakura recovered quickly from the magically brought on pain, straightening up she shot off through the foliage with Syaoran hot on her heels.

Somewhere above Sakura and Syaoran, hidden within the branches of trees

“Holy crap, I didn’t know they could run that fast. Look at them go!” cheered a man. There were two others with him, leaping from branch to branch watching the duo below follow the fleeting glint of metal. They laughed in agreement.

“I would like to congratulate Pain for his excellent job down there!” Seduce clapped, she was riding on the back of a spirit beast, which gave his opinion rudely, “I could have done better!”

“Of course you could have, but you will get you chance to demonstrate your power later Fear.” Seduce soothed.

The man in front of the two nodded, “Yeah, sorry to steal your glory buddy but we are on orders that this was just a ‘spook mission’.” Pain glanced down at the wildly running humans, “All we got to do is make sure Sakura and Syaoran follow Mistress’s chain.”

Fear snorted with contempt, “I just hope that stupid shrimp, Lost, keeps his hold on her chains long enough for those two to get to where we planed.”

Pain rolled his eyes at the beast, “Ye of little faith Fear.” Seduce smirked, “Lost may be a goody- goody child spirit, but he is strong. Now shut up and run, we are being left behind!”

Back with Sakura and Syaoran running

Sakura was beginning to tire from all this chasing, but a quick glance towards Syaoran showed that he hadn’t even began to pant or sweat.

This was really starting to irritate her, it was almost like they were being led some place on purpose by the familiar metallic chain. Along with the never ceasing pull on her senses that an immense amount of dark magic was near and more drawing nearer, Sakura felt like she was on a twisted goose chase.

‘Something about this isn’t right!’ Sakura thought, watching the steady flash of metal disappear underneath some brush and reappear even farther ahead, “WHAT! Syaoran (pant) doesn’t that look like Life’s (gasp) chains?!”

Syaoran squinted slightly, “Yeah it looks like it, it must be the Clow Cards! Remember how they manipulated the chains in our dreams to tie us up, my guess the cards are controlling the chains again.”

“Then this could be a trap! We shouldn’t be runn-WWWHHAATT!!!!!!!!” Sakura’s foot caught on a hidden root and she went flying to the ground.

“Sakura!” Syaoran dived to catch her falling body, but he missed and both went skidding across the ground. Fortunately the ground was padded with a thick layer of green grass, cushioning their falls.

Syaoran leapt up from his spot and rushed to Sakura’s fallen form. He helped her up slowly, seeing that his yellow t-shirt and cut off jeans had grass stains up and down them, not to mention a smudge of dirt on her cheek. Thankfully that seemed to be the extent of the damage.

“Syaoran look where we are.” Sakura whimpered. His head shot up to see that they had entered a clearing surrounded by tall trees with thick glossy leaves, and the ground was carpeted in lush grass. ‘This clearing... Oh No! This is the clearing we were in, in our dream!’

Sakura laid a hand on Syaoran’s chest worriedly; someone or something was out there beyond her range of vision, she felt their cold stares bearing down upon the both of them. Tension in the clearing was becoming unbearable; they were just sitting there waiting for something to happen. Finally something did happen, a bush that sat opposite of them began to shake, like something was walking through it.

Sakura watched as a small boy stepped from the cover of the shrub, for an instant Sakura thought him kawaii, until she saw his small hands were wrapped around the lengths of silver that had led them here. Short and childish was his figure with mushroom cut hair and large baby eyes. He was dressed in a green outfit with swirls decorating it and in the tight grip of one hand was a huge lantern that glowed blue.

He giggled and bowed, letting the chains drop and slither away. Although the spirit’s eyes seemed vague and oddly distant, he opened his mouth and began to recite,

“We are the Clow Cards left for you to try to seal. There are eight of us in total, each of us strong and deadly in our own rights. We have waited hundreds of years for this time, when the powers of Life and Death weaken over us and we are set loose to wreak havoc and mayhem on your two insignificant lives.

And since all of us doubt your abilities as Card Captors we are going to enlighten you as to who you are dealing with! This is just so you know what to expect. You may try to prepare for our attacks, a fair offer considering that Master & Mistress would kill us if we killed you. Although we don’t really care if you live or die...I hope you the our introductions.” The small spirit boy stopped, like he was snapped out of his daze.

The pair watched as he turned to the tree behind him, and began to yell “Hey! I can’t believe you made me say those nasty things you big jerk! Unlike you heartless evil spirits I Do care if they die! I mean they may be human but that is no reason to think they are incompetent!” he shouted furiously, waving his overlarge lantern over his head, “And one more thing you bunch of meanies, YOU’RE NOT VERY NICE!”

To Sakura and Syaoran complete surprise the tree the boy was yelling at swayed and a voice answered: “Shut-up you pathetic little imp! If you were not willing to take orders, some persuasive possession was in order. Now introduce yourself before we tie you down and let those bakas capture you!!!”

The boy spirit seemed to get the message. Turning to Sakura and Syaoran with tears in his eyes the boy bowed again, “I reluctantly introduce myself as the Clow Card Lost.” Lost looked to the ground and stepped aside muttering, “your turn.”

Sakura’s eyes widened as a navy blue mass slid out of a tree, once it straightened itself out it became the form of a skeletal man. He wore a strange navy blue jesters outfit, complete with striped stocking and pointy shoes and a hat ending in multiple points. Somehow his clothes seemed to make him more of a nightmarish figure, matching with his slightly luminescent skin and shocking blank eyes.

He smiled devilishly and tipped his hat, “What a pleasure it is to see you once again Cherry Blossom, I do miss the feel of your creamy soft skin.”

“You- you were one of the men who- who...” Sakura’s breathe picked up pace and she backed herself into Syaoran’s chest. The spirit seemed to enjoy her alarm taking a few steps forward, stopping only when Syaoran stepped protectively in front of Sakura.

“Ahhh, I see the Little Wolf does not approve of my advances toward his precious little Blossom.” He laughed wickedly, “Would it do if you knew my name? For I am the bringer of bad dreams, you may address me as the Clow card Nightmare.”

Syaoran growled and narrowed his eyes, ‘He must be the one who was able to tap into our dreams. I wonder who the others were... I guess I’m going to find out.’ He watched as Nightmare took a spot standing next to Lost.

The next to enter the clearing were two female spirits, one entering from the right and the other from the left. Both caught sight of Sakura and Syaoran, then glancing at each other they dashed to the centre of the clearing, pointing and giggling.

The taller woman was dressed in deep violet robes with no shoes, long pale lavender hair and a depressing air about her. Even the grass below her feet wilted away from her. Beside her was a woman in something reminiscent of tight sickly yellow Chinese dress, with small sandals and what looked to be a tiny yellow nurses hat on top of her crudely cut blonde hair. Underneath her feet the grass had become sickly brown was beginning to die.

Both spirits hung off each other bizarrely, while they ogled at the human pair. Finally they made a move, curtseying crookedly and winking at Syaoran.

“Nice to see you again hottie!” the yellow spirit.

“You know, I’d say you looked far better in those boxers of yours then in these clothes.” The violet spirit eyed his green button up t-shirt and denim shorts.

Syaoran gave his classic death glare towards the two obviously insane spirits making them shrink away from him. Sakura peeked out from behind Syaoran to give a glare of her own, which by the way didn’t seem to have as much effect as Syaoran’s glare did.

“You two were the two women in the dream, weren’t you?” Syaoran growled. Both of the girls puffed up with pride.

“Yes we were able to sneak away from Mistress and get in to your dream with the others!” said one.

“Uh-huh, and what a fun dream that was!” squealed the other, “Although, the punishment for it was so not enjoyable.” They both shivered in disgust. While they stood reminiscing over their punishment and stone flew out from nowhere and hit one spirit then rebounded to hit the other spirit.

“Alright! We get it! No more blabbering” the violet spirit clutched her head where the stone hit.

“We’ll say our names already! No need to get violent!” The yellow one actually flipped her middle finger off in one direction. (Which caused another stone to come at her head.)

Sakura seemed to be getting less and less afraid of these two, and more amused with their actions. Once they sorted their selves out the violet robed woman stepped forward and crookedly curtseyed again.

“I am to be addressed as the Clow Card Sorrow.” Sorrow then did a weird pirouette and then stepped aside for her friend in yellow to come forward. The sickly yellow dressed woman repeated the actions Sorrow and curtseyed horribly. (Almost tipping over.)

“I have been given the name of the Clow Card Illness.” Illness then adjusted her tiny nurse hat proudly and shot a look of superiority towards the Card-Capturing duo. Syaoran maintained his glare, but Sakura felt a wave of nausea rush over her from Illness’s look.

After their little presentation Sorrow and Illness took their places standing next to Lost and Nightmare, apparently waiting for the next Clow Cards to come.

And they did...

First came a fearful serpentine beast that seemed to melt right into the clearing. With the head of some mangled animal and the mismatched body parts of every monstrous creature imaginable making up the rest of its form. One look into its bloody eyes sent Sakura backing away in terror. Something about the creature made her think of every possible frightening thing there was, and it was only making her panic worse, Syaoran even broke his glare with the thing because it was starting to unnerve him.

“Well if it isn’t the famed Card Captors, don’t look so tough cowering there now do you?” its voice was male, and very fluent, like oil. “I bet you can guess what card I am... But from what I heard I doubt it so I tell you.” he bent his large head gracefully, “I am the Clow Card Fear.”

Almost like a sneer, Fear bared his dagger like fangs at them. But he stopped when a tugging came at his ear. Rolling his eyes Fear quickly turned so his side was visible, revealing a scandalously beautiful female spirit sitting meticulously on his back.

Smiling towards the entranced humans, she slid from Fear’s back sensuously, all the while watching Sakura and Syaoran with her ruby red eyes. In every aspect of her, this was a beautiful woman with a full curved figure covered only in a sparkling crimson strapless dress that scooped to an extreme low in the back with only thin ties criss-crossing in the back to hold it up. Even the skirt to the dress came to an extreme with two slits coming up to her upper thighs.

As this spirit moved towards them, her fiery hair swung seductively and her heeled shoes poked from beneath her dress invitingly. Syaoran found that his eyes were drawn to this woman in red, like she was a magnet of some sort. He tracked every move that she made, until a voice in the back of his mind gave him a good kick. ‘You shouldn’t be looking at that thing like that! You are in love with Kinomoto Sakura no one else!’ He shook his head and glanced to the girl who was behind him.

Sakura watched this woman who had hypnotized her, ‘She is so beautiful.’ But then Sakura was brought back to reality when she felt a pair of amber eyes gazing down at her. She blushed and kept her eyes downcast from both the woman and Syaoran.

Finally this entrancing woman came to a stop a few feet ahead of Sakura and Syaoran. Unlike Sorrow and Illness who seemed tipsy and unbalanced, her posture was tall and confident. Slowly she curtseyed low, giving Syaoran and Sakura a generous view of her beasts from the top while keeping her ruby eyes on them. Once she straightened up, she began her introduction, “It is my pleasure to meet the two of you and I count on many more enjoyable encounters. Clow Reed created me as the Clow Card Seduce.” Seduce smiled seductively and turned back to Fear who had waited for her to finish.

Mounting him easily, Seduce and Fear went back to the line up. Fear almost sat down on Lost but he scattered away cursing, then Seduce adjusted herself to be more comfortable on Fear’s back while waiting for the last Cards.

“Syaoran, we’ve seen six Clow Cards so that means there is only two more to go.” Sakura whispered. Syaoran nodded waiting apprehensively for the last two to show themselves.

It wasn’t a long wait; the seventh card emerged from the trees just behind Sakura. They only realised he was there when Sakura collapsed from a sudden shock that went through her body. Syaoran spun around and came face to face with his reflection.

“WHAT THE HELL!!!!” he cursed as the spirit who looked like him raised a hand and patted him on the shoulder (which caused Syaoran to gasp as the sudden pain that awakened in his shoulder) then the doppelganger walked around the two calmly and stood there watching the Card Mistress being helped up by the Chinese Warrior.

Sakura panted from the effort to ignore the pain leaning heavily on Syaoran for support. When she looked up she had to blink a couple times to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. There standing in front of her was an exact replica of Syaoran, except for the simple differences that were seen. This spirit’s hair was more a lighter bronze rather than Syaoran’s chocolate hair, and his eyes were blank and had a coppery colour to them. Beside that it was Syaoran- or the evil Clow spirit that looks just like Syaoran.

The seventh card wore an autumn orange vest that was buttoned closed with spikes and a pair of loose deeper orange pants. Around his neck was a spiked choker and belted to his side was a whip that gleamed a shine of recent use. He was of the more plain dressed spirits but he didn’t seem weak or anything. More like he commanded respect and fear from all around him.

“He’s the one.” Syaoran muttered.

“What?”

“He is the second one who was in our dream. The other man who was- was.”

“Touching her.” Finished the spirit, who clearly over heard them, “Yes I was the one.” His voice was smooth, and deeper than Syaoran’s. His statement of confirmation only proved to make Syaoran angry, but he was unable to say anything because his double continued talking.

“Don’t worry Warrior your little Blossom is of no interest to me unless she is in pain. I am little more attracted to her then I am attracted to you.” he chuckled slightly, as did other Clow Cards. “Now since it would be rude of me to keep you in suspense I shall give you my name now, I am known as the Clow Card Pain.” As he said that a shattering fire swept over Sakura and Syaoran making them both collapse on to the grass.

As Pain made his way back to stand next to Fear and Seduce, he received applause from all the spirits except for Lost, who was looking at the two with pity and grief.

“Excellent show of power Pain.” Nightmare patted him n the back. Sorrow and Illness cheered strangely then tipped over, and Fear nudged Pain with his snout, “Show off. All you wanted to do was show you were stronger than them.”

Pain smiled and patted his friend’s neck, “Ahhh, but Fear we both know that that I am.” And with a wave of his hand Pain lifted his power off of Sakura and Syaoran leaving them to gather them selves on the grass. Lost made a move towards them, but was grabbed but the scruff of his robes by Nightmare and dragged back and given a swat in the back of his head.

“S- Syaoran?” Sakura stuttered trying to gather air into her lungs.

“I’m here.” Syaoran replied. Sakura looked over at him, his whole body seemed to be shaking as hers was. With out even meaning to, Sakura fell forward on to the grass her limbs refusing to hold her up any longer. Both of them just lay there catching their breath and listening to the cackling of the spirits when something dark over came the clearing.

Once the Clow Cards realised the presence, they all silenced themselves and stood in a military style line each with such an anxious look on their faces. They directed their attention to just behind Sakura and Syaoran, who found that their bodies had become paralysed and unable to see what was coming out of the trees.

She could feel it, the darkness seeping into the atmosphere. Tendrils of some oozing substance began to wrap around her body from behind, she couldn’t explain it but they felt like evil itself was trying to strangle her. Every inch of her skin where the thing touched Sakura made her feel like she was drowning in a deep dark place. Glancing over at Syaoran, she could see that he struggling to fight the thing through his paralysis.

Through the overwhelming darkness that threatened to over take them, they heard a single hissing voice. It pierced down to Sakura’s very heart and constricted her throat so that she could no longer breath, something was so nameless and awful about this voice that it was in describable. And it didn’t come from any physical body, sounding only in the depths of their minds echoing slightly.

“Konnichiwa...”

Syaoran stopped his struggles against the tendrils, just the sheer evil with the hissing voice made his breath catch in his throat.

“I hope that my fellow Cards have not frightened you too badly, that was my job.”

Sakura was on the verge of passing out from lack of oxygen and the want to get this spirit out of her head.

“I believe that it is my turn to introduce myself as the eighth and last spirit...”

The other seven Clow Cards straightened up and drew in a collective breath in anticipation of this dominant card’s name. It seemed that they could hear what the bodiless card was saying in Sakura and Syaoran’s heads. They obviously had immense respect for this formless Card. (Or an immense fear of it...)

“I am the Clow Card... Evil...”

As soon as the name was said the tendrils of Evil withdrew leaving Sakura and Syaoran drained. In a quick flash all of the Clow Cards that had stood the line disappeared. With darkness beginning to overcome their vision, the two weakened and shocked teenagers were left unconscious in the hidden clearing within the park.

Not long after our stars passed out

The small head of a wary spirit peaked into the clearing and spotted the two teens. With his glowing blue lantern held out he made his way quietly over to them, and leaned over the body of the girl.

“Hey. Hey Miss. Card-Captor wake up!” he whispered. Sakura moaned and slowly opened her eyes only to see that the young boy spirit was only mere inches from her face.

“You’re the Lost Card!” she gasped and backed away. Her gasp alerted Syaoran and awakened him. He immediately spotted Lost and summoned his ceremonial sword ready for a fight.

Lost gasped and tried to back away, but he tripped on his green robes and fell on his back, “No! Please don’t hurt me Mr. Card-Captor, I want to help!” he squeaked while hugging his lantern.

“Syaoran let him talk.” Sakura had recovered from her shock and was now crouching down to help Lost up. Somehow Sakura got the feeling that Lost really didn’t mean any harm, he was just a child who was frightened and trying to do the right thing.

Lost looked toward Sakura with a clear look of admiration, and he scrambled to stand. “We got to get out of here because if the others find out what I’m doing they’ll hurt me!” he said. His big wide eyes pleading Sakura to understand, she smiled nodding taking Syaoran by the arm and looked toward Lost.

The spirit took the hint and scurried off not even looking back to see if Sakura and Syaoran were even following. After five minutes of following the scurrying boy the card-captors came upon an overgrown old path that was shaded by the branches of tall trees.

Glancing ahead to see where Lost had gone, Sakura was caught by the sight of a floating blue orb the size of a basketball. It made its way over to Sakura and then bounced off Syaoran’s head coming to a stop at their feet where it morphed back into the small form of Lost.

“This way is the best way.” He motioned with his lantern to the right. As he marched off Sakura made a move to follow but Syaoran stopped her.

“How do we know he is trying to help us, he could just be trying to get us lost. He is the Lost Card after all.” Syaoran glanced at the back of Lost.

Sakura laid a hand on his arm comfortingly, “I know, but there is something about him that I think I can trust. He doesn’t have the dark aura like the others do so can’t we give him a chance?” Sakura gave Syaoran one of her best pleading faces, one that Syaoran couldn’t say no to, even if he tried

“Fine.” Syaoran sighed. Then he felt a strange tugging on his shorts, looking down he saw Lost standing there. “What is it?”

“Please trust me Mr. Card-Captor, all I want to do is help.” Lost responded then began to walk ahead again. Sakura cocked her head and looked at Syaoran before jogging up to Lost.

“Lost you keep saying you want to help, why do you want to do that?” Sakura asked gently.

Lost looked at the kind human walking next to him and decided she was safe to talk to. “I want to help because the others started acting really mean to me lately and I want to get them back to normal!” He stated desperately.

“Oh well that is a good reason.” Sakura smiled down at Lost who blushed. (Both oblivious to Syaoran death glares at Lost)

Syaoran decided to intervene at this moment “So Lost, can you tell me how you were able to use Life’s chains or the fact that we had no idea you guys even existed...?”

Lost’s face took on a pinkish hue and he and looked at the ground, “Well you see I’m the Lost Card of course so my job is to get things lost or to find things that are lost. All I had to do was make those chains so confused and lost that they would obey anyone.” He then looked up in seriousness “But I can’t answer your second question as to why you didn’t know about us. That is for someone else to tell you, Mr. Card-captor.”

Syaoran sighed at the strange name he was being called, “Just call me Syaoran, alright?”

Lost looked up at the tall teen in shock, but then smiled happily “Alright, Mr. Syaoran.” Syaoran rolled his eyes. Suddenly Lost’s lantern began to pulse. “This is great, it means we are close now!” Lost then scampered off into a bush with Sakura and Syaoran running after him.

Next thing they knew they were standing on an old shady road with a crumbling rock wall standing next to it, a single huge house stood off in the distance beyond the rock wall. It looked like no one had been down this road in a while, Sakura didn’t recognize where they were.

Noticing that the small spirit that had guided them there was nowhere in front of them, Sakura turned to see Lost standing off to the side of the road in the shadows. He looked up at the too Card-Captors with such an expression of hope and respect that Sakura wanted to duck down hug him.

“You know we have to capture you now,” stated Syaoran. Lost nodded and sighed, but Sakura shook her head.

“No, he’s willing to help us so I’m willing to put off his capture. He seems like a good spirit compared to the others so next time we meet I’ll capture him.” Sakura turned to Lost. “It’s the least I can do.”

Lost bowed respectfully in thanks than straightened up, “Follow this road down that way,” he motioned toward the house, “There are people there who can help you with- well... this” he trailed off, it seemed like there was a double meaning behind his words.

“Oh, arigatou.” Sakura figured Lost was just directing them to some nice people who might spare a t-shirt to replace the stained shirt she was wearing. Syaoran just nodded, not liking the idea of just letting the Card go even if he wanted to help. With that they began to set off down the road to a wrought iron gate covered in ivy.

“Wait.” The pair turned once more to the small spirit, “Miss. Card-Captor, Mr. Syaoran – uh” Lost became slightly nervous, “You know it’s not- it’s not their fault!” he sputtered then quickly turned into the floating orb and zoomed away.

The two teens just stood there dumbfounded at the boy spirit’s outburst. Sakura was the first to break the weird silence, “What’s not whose fault?”

“Don’t know come on let’s go.” Syaoran offered his arm to Sakura. Blushing she accepted it. They came upon the towering wrought iron gates quickly and silently, wondering about what just happened. Seeing a bench just outside of the gates, Sakura motioned for the two of them to sit down.

Once they had taken their seats, Sakura sighed shook her head, “This has been the weirdest day. Clow Cards introducing themselves- that’s a new one.” She ran her hands through her auburn locks. It was only mid-day but she seemed drained after their rough encounter with their new nemesis.

Syaoran looked over at the woman that sat beside him with a sort of sympathy, “Yeah. I can’t believe all the Cards names; The Lost, The Nightmare, The Sorrow, The Illness, The Fear, The Seduce, The Pain and The Evil. We have a real challenge ahead of us.”

“I just don’t get it with these new cards! How come we’ve never heard of them? Why are they so violent, I mean Lost isn’t, but the others! They’re like twisted or something, completely evil.”

“Of course there are evil, look what they did to you Sakura! Attacked you in you dreams and put you through such terrible pain. From what I gather about these hell bent cards, they must think we are the weakest things next to kittens.”

Sakura turned to look Syaoran in the eye then leapt onto his lap unexpectedly giving him a look of utmost determination “We’ll show them who is weak! We’ll capture them all in no time you’ll see!” Syaoran was taken back at the intensity of her words and the indignation that blazed in her eyes.

“I know we can do this,” Syaoran chuckled. “You and I together are an unbeatable pair.” He blushed at how his own words sounded.

“You think so?” Sakura blushed also and her t-shirt slipped off her shoulder again.

Syaoran began to respond, but he only began to notice Sakura’s new position in his lap. Her legs had spread so her knees were on either side of him, and her hands had come up to his shoulders so that she was looking at him from an arm’s length and she was staring him straight in the eye.

Seeing how Syaoran was now looking at her, Sakura lowered her gaze and shifted self-consciously in his lap. Being oblivious to Syaoran feelings towards her she had no idea what her little movements were doing to him. Electricity moved through Syaoran setting a fire in side him and causing peculiar sensations to come from below his belt.

Sakura tried to back off but lost her balance, but Syaoran’s arms caught her around the waist and brought her in even closer to his chest. Her arm’s that had been left out stretched on Syaoran’s shoulders slowly began to fold so that her face slowly inched towards Syaoran’s.

Both teens had become so lost within each other’s eye’s they started to lean towards each other, intent on one thing once their hormones mixed with what feelings they held for each other. The world around them instantly faded and their senses were oblivious to the pair of azure eyes appearing above them and begin to watching them.

‘His mouth looks so good right now. I wonder what it be like to kiss him? Please just let him kiss me...’ Sakura moaned longingly inside her mind.

‘Man do her lips look so rosy and inviting. I wonder what would happen if I kiss her. Please just let me kiss her...’ Syaoran’s thoughts locked on the angel in front of him.

With their eyes just glued to the other they began to speak.

“Syaoran I-.”

“Sakura I-.”

Both stopped and realised that their faces were merely a breath apart. The daze that had settled upon their senses lifted and the moment was completely ruined, both teens were blushing profusely. Sakura shot off Syaoran like lightning and scooted to the other side of the bench. They both started stuttering apologies and what not, until a single voice form above descended onto their ears.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my cute little descendant. You look like your enjoying yourself...”

“HIIRAGISAWA!!!!!”

Our cute couple is sitting down on the bench out side of the gates

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my cute little descendant. You look like your enjoying yourself...” Someone’s taunting voice floated down from somewhere above them.

“HIIRAGISAWA!!!!” Syaoran knew that voice anywhere, who else would call him his cute little descendant? A light chuckle gave this person’s hiding place away. Syaoran’s head shot straight up to on top of the rock wall hidden somewhat by a thick clump of ivy was none other than the reincarnation of Clow Reed; Eriol Hiiragisawa.

“Eriol!” squealed Sakura when she spotted the source the chuckling, Syaoran glared at the hidden sorcerer ‘why does she have to be so happy when she sees him?’ his mind pouted. Seemingly she never caught on to what Eriol said about enjoying them selves and was just happy to see a good friend of hers. The moment that She and Syaoran had just shared seemed to have forgotten by her in an instant.

Eriol jumped down from the high rock wall and landed gracefully in front of them, with his little smile still present. He stood tall and had the same well built body that Syaoran did, his midnight hair swaying in the spring breeze, and his azure eyes sparkling behind his glasses. At the moment he was wearing a loose dark blue t-shirt and a pair of khakis.

“Eriol what are you doing here?” Sakura asked politely.

Eriol’s smile widened, “I should be asking you two the same question...” he looked Sakura up and down, taking in the fact that she was wearing Syaoran’s clothes and both of them looked pretty mussed up from their encounter of the Clow Cards and red faced from their activity seconds before...( a/n man I make it sound like they were actually making out). If he didn’t know any better he would have said that it looked like his cute little descendant finally had his way with Saku-.

“It’s not like that Hiiragisawa.” Syaoran cut off his trail of thoughts, seeing that their appearances did look a little questioning. Eriol simply looked over to Syaoran and raised an eyebrow.

“It’s not like what, cute little descendant?” the look on his face betrayed the innocent tone of voice he used.

Syaoran blushed; no way in hell was he going to fall for Hiiragisawa’s trick to say something embarrassing, instead he just shot the reincarnated sorcerer a nasty glare that had little effect on him. So Syaoran attempted to explain, “Something happened last night-.” He interrupted by Eriol’s snort. “No! Not what you are thinking Hiiragisawa! We were attacked, by these new powerful-.”

“ERIOL! Where did you go?” A new voice interrupted Syaoran’s explanation.

Eriol turned and called back to whom ever was over the rock wall, “I’m outside the gate at the bench Tomoyo, come see whom I just found!”

The gate that stood behind Eriol swung open suddenly, only to have a woman with long dark grey/ amethyst hair come darting out and stop quickly at Eriol’s side. (A/n, sorry I can’t really remember what Tomoyo’s hair colour is and I’m too lazy to find out. If you do know the colour feel free to tell me.)

“Tomoyo!” Sakura cheered and ran up to her best friend giving her a hug.

“Hey Sakura!” Tomoyo greeted happily, while whipping out her new top of the line digital video camera. Aiming the lens at Sakura, she began to fire off questions “So what is with the new style of clothing Sakura, it very new grunge millennia? That t-shirt looks familiar, aren’t those Syaoran’s clothes...” Tomoyo laughed mischievously, “Is there something you want to tell me Sakura?”

“Hoe! N-no, Tomoyo it’s not what you’re thinking! I-uh-I spent the night at- at Syaoran’s (insert Tomoyo’s squeal) and um yeah...” while Sakura struggled to explain the situation under the pressure of Tomoyo’s camera, Syaoran shot Eriol a look that said, ‘I’ll explain what happened later.’ Eriol merely nodded, then casually walked over to the two girls.

“Come on Tomoyo, you can pester Sakura later. Right now I believe we should escort both of them in, and maybe they can explain their appearances later.” Eriol offered while laying a hand on Tomoyo’s shoulder. For a second Tomoyo pouted because she would loose the chance to tape her precious Sakura, but gave in to Eriol’s request to lay-off for the moment.

Hooking her arm around Sakura’s arm Tomoyo dragged her through the gate entrance not even glancing back towards the guys.

Watching the giggling girls disappear behind the blackened iron gate and thick rock wall, Syaoran turned to the midnight haired teen that stood next to him, “What are you doing here Hiiragisawa?”

Eriol considered his descendant for second before shrugging, “Some friends of mine from way back are moving in to this house. I decided to help move them in, and of course I invited Tomoyo with me so that I could introduce her.” Eriol looked up at the strange Victorian style black painted house with it’s faded white shutters and moulding. Oddly it sat out of place amongst the beautiful Japanese scenery, sort of like someone had dropped there over night and never really considered what it would look like.

“Right, this might seem like a strange question but where exactly are we? I’ve never seen this road before.” Syaoran asked, looking around at his surroundings. It was weird how every tree, bush and blade of grass was as green and full of life when it was only April.

Eriol gave him a questioning look but answered anyways, “We’re standing on Tsukama Drive, in the Ookami Estates one of the oldest estates around here I think. It’s just on the outskirts of Tomoeda.”

Syaoran gasped and stared at Eriol, “But how, we were only at the Park. It doesn’t go out this far, unless that little spirit brought us here...”

Eriol was completely confused at Syaoran’s statement, ‘Spirit?’ He covered it up his confusion though and placed a hand on Syaoran’s shoulder, “Come on, you can leave this business to the list of things you will tell me later. Right now I must insist that we follow the lovely ladies through the gates, because I fear it is not good to leave them unguarded around my old friends.” Eriol stated this with a good-natured smile, but Syaoran glared at the teen anyways.

“Syaoran, Eriol, what are you doing out there. Come on in!” Sakura’s voice traveled over the wall, her voice held no suspicion of where she was only the joy and childish laughter it usually held.

Inside the gate

After a second the two guys followed in, but the moment Syaoran stepped through the gate a strange feeling of over whelming power wrapped around his senses making his head spin from the immense sensory overload. Somehow this magic was familiar yet it wasn’t the Clow Cards doing this, he had felt this magic before somewhere...

Looking up towards Sakura he could see that she had stopped and was looking around mystified for the source of whatever possessed such magic. The feeling itself only lasted a second or two then it faded. Syaoran recovered quickly and turned towards Eriol for answers, who seemed unaffected by wave almost as if he had been expecting it to come.

“What was that?” Sakura voiced the question that was on his mind. She untangled her arm from Tomoyo’s and came to stand next to the guys. Eriol just gave his usual smile and nodded his head toward a shaded bush that was nearly hidden by the black coloured house, Sakura gasped as she saw a silvery glint of metal slip back beneath the greening foliage.

Syaoran’s attention was drawn else where, to the stationary white moving truck that was parked on the inside of the crumbling rock wall. Was it just him or did he see a golden chain slip in there? Then it all clicked in his head, he knew who the overwhelming magic belonged to, and he also recognized the chains that were attempting to hide. It was only morning when he saw them in his apartment, Life and Death were somewhere around here.

“What are they doing here Syaoran?” Sakura whispered. She wasn’t scared of them; on the contrary Sakura was just a little offended with Life and Death. They had seemed concerned about Sakura and Syaoran’s well being and had warned them of the cards but they hadn’t helped like they did in the dream. Even if she had only met them twice, Sakura had felt a strange trust between them and her, and now it was like she felt slightly betrayed.

Syaoran shrugged, he wasn’t as emotionally affected as Sakura was. He didn’t trust as easily as she did, and their unpredictable behaviour made it hard for Syaoran to guess what they were up to and why were they here now. Unless there was a good reason for them to be here... ‘Could Lost have led us here because he knew Life and Death were here? Or maybe that was just coincidence, maybe he knew Hiiragisawa was here and he could help us... Yeah right HIM help us! I’d rather ask Takashi for help. ’

Tomoyo was just standing there with her camera, it seemed that she was unable to spot the chains. “What are you looking at Sakura? Who’s here, is it something bad?” her interruption made both the sorcerers to break eye contact with the chains and they disappeared in the second Sakura and Syaoran weren’t looking.

As Sakura was about to answer her friend, the moving truck gave a very violent shudder and a voice yelled from deep within the white metal confines,

“Eriol Hiiragisawa, where the hell did you go?! I am going to break my back lifting this desk by myself!” Everyone jumped as the sudden yelling. The voice belonged to a man, it sounded strained and really agitated at the moment.

“Gomen Dren, I was merely showing some other friends of mine into your yard. I hope you don’t mind, they just sort of showed up.” Eriol called cheerfully.

The sober and serious mood that had been set completely dissipated, and was replaced with a more humanly welcoming feeling, like everything was just bursting with life and wanting to play.

For a single second, Sakura glanced back at the large black house, only to be caught by the image of Life waving at her from the very top window, she seemed sorry.

“Come on Sakura you have got to meet Dren, he is really nice!” Tomoyo squealed and took Sakura’s arm once again to guide her over to the white truck. Eriol had already disappeared inside the truck and was just reappearing with his arms full of a gigantic solid wood desk.

“Man you weren’t kidding when you said you were going to break your back lifting this thing!” panted Eriol. Sakura watched as the head of another guy peeked out from behind the desk.

He looked about their age with a mass of dark raven hair that was cut similarly to Toya’s except for a funny little white fringe of hair that stuck out oddly in front of his right ear. His eyes were beetle black and glittered with an old knowledge that they possibly held, but aside from his eyes the rest of Dren’s face was smirking, “I don’t lie Eriol, and it’s Miaka who has the inhumanly big mouth.” (A/n Miaka’s name is pronounced; ME-AH-KA, only if you were wondering...)

The second Dren said that a window shattered on the second floor and a large book flew out straight at Dren’s head. It hit and bounced off making Dren loose his balance and the desk began to tip over onto Sakura.

“HHHOOOEEE!!!!!” Sakura tried to back away but tripped and fell.

“No, Sakura!” Syaoran cried out. Dren attempted to rebalance the desk but slipped on the book that had hit his head.

It was apparent that Sakura seemed too hypnotized by the falling desk to move to safety, and Syaoran was much closer to the truck than Sakura. Using some skills that were thankfully trained into him, Syaoran manoeuvred behind the desk to catch an edge. Unfortunately the desk was far too off balance to pull it back and Sakura’s fate to become crushed seemed sealed.

Syaoran and Eriol were using all the strength they had to desperately pull the desk back; but using any magic was out of the question since Syaoran was unsure if Dren had any knowledge of magic. If Dren had no knowledge of magic, it wouldn’t be the best of times to demonstrate any powers.

“Sakura get up!” Syaoran strained for the words as his breath only came in pants. Somehow out of the corner of his eye, Syaoran could have sworn that he saw Dren flick his wrist slightly. The strange action could have been a nervous twitch, except the desk miraculously lightened and began to upright itself with only gentle coaxing from Eriol and Syaoran.

Once the desk was safely righted and placed on the ground, Syaoran and Eriol hunched over their knees to catch their lost breaths. Looking over to see how Eriol was, (He wasn’t worried or nothing, he was only curious to see how he was) Syaoran was shocked to see that Eriol was smiling tiredly. He must of noticed Syaoran’s glance because his smile widened and he nodded over to Sakura.

Both Tomoyo and Syaoran rushed to the shocked Sakura, and as they made it to her side she keeled over backwards and fainted.

“SAKURA!” Syaoran shook her lightly with no response from Sakura.

“Don’t worry Syaoran she just fainted, she’ll be alright.” Tomoyo gathered the unconscious girl into her lap. She looked reassuringly at Syaoran, “You know, you don’t have to worry so much over Sakura, Syaoran... she is always safe when you are around.” Tomoyo hinted smiling devilishly towards Syaoran.

He caught on to her hint and turned a couple shades of red and turned away from her. With her giggling in the background, Syaoran turned to Eriol, Dren and the evil tipping desk that tried to crush His Sakura. (A/N Okay that was little odd, but I couldn’t help but put in) He shot Dren an accusing/questioning glare as the strange boy rose from the ground with the book that assaulted his head.

Dren wore an expression of pure shock, like he couldn’t believe what just took place, “Hey man, are you alright? I don’t know who you are but that was a wicked stunt that you just pulled.” Then his face broke out into a very shy smile, “You must be some seriously strong guy if you were able to lift that damn desk! I mean you basically saved that lady friend’s life, no thanks to me, eh?”

Syaoran stood on the spot staring at Dren ‘It doesn’t seem like he did any magic after all...’ the trails of his thoughts were cut off as Dren came up and formally shook his hand while mumbling some embarrassed apologies to him and Sakura, asking for Syaoran to please excuse him for almost dropping the desk on ‘His lady friend’ as Dren put it and that he was very sorry for “that crazy freak of a woman- Miaka” for throwing the book that initiated the whole ordeal.

While Dren did this, Eriol took the time to come up behind Dren and gently pried him off Syaoran.

“You alright, Syaoran?” Eriol questioned. Syaoran nodded then glanced towards Sakura who stirred lightly.

“I’m fine and I believe Sakura is alright.”

“Good. Now I would like to introduce you too-“(Syaoran flinched at the word introduce, he had, had enough of introductions for the day.) “The co-owner of this house and a really old friend of mine Owari Dren.” Syaoran nodded politely towards Dren. “Dren I would like you to meet a good and close friend of mine Li Syaoran and his girl down there in Tomoyo’s lap is Kinomoto Sakura.”

Syaoran shot a nasty glare at Eriol for the ‘good and close friend’ comment and announcing Sakura as ‘his girl’, but he didn’t bother to correct the mistake. He secretly savoured the thought of Sakura being ‘his girl’.

Dren nodded respectfully to Syaoran, “I’m honoured to meet you Li Syaoran.”

“Like wise, Owari Dren.”

Suddenly the paint chipped front door flew open and out came watch looked like a screaming ghost covered completely in white sheets. From the pitch of the scream, it sounded like a woman but you couldn’t be sure until it bowled itself into Dren. Syaoran caught the flash of a woman’s face before she brought her skull down and slammed it to Dren’s skull in a very powerful head-butt.

“IF YOU EVER SAY THAT I HAVE A BIG MOUTH AGAIN, IT WILL BE MORE THAN A BOOK THAT I THROW AT YOUR HEAD!!! I MEAN LOOK, LOOK AT WHAT ALMOST HAPPENED, YOU ALMOST KILLED SOMEONE YOU STUPID SON OF A-!” The woman shrieked, but Dren seemed prepared to deal with her and cut the ghostly coloured woman off.

“YOU THREW THAT DAMN BOOK AT MY HEAD MIAKA! IT WAS YOUR FAULT!!! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT LISTENING IN ON PEOPLE, WITH YOUR TEMPER ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU HEAR GETS YOU MAD, WHITCH GETS YOU INTO TROUBLE!!!!!!” Dren picked up the supposed ghost and threw her off. She landed like a cat a few feet away and attacked him again, this time forcing Dren to roll a couple times.

Syaoran backed away in shock from the fight; it was almost like the woman had come out of nowhere and now it was like watching something from Mortal Combat or some other stupid video game. One minute Dren stood there calm as could be, the next second he was on the ground wrestling with the ghost/woman. It only got weirder from there; Syaoran also caught sight of Tomoyo holding Sakura with one hand and video taping the fight with the other. It seemed she had been expecting the fight to arise.

Soon Syaoran backed himself into the desk, which had almost crushed Sakura. Turning his back on the brawling pair he looked over the heavy piece of furniture for anything that would explain why it had just suddenly lightened on it’s own.

Running his hands along it, Syaoran came upon an abnormality in the wood so he bent closer to see it. Surprise ran through his system at the sight of the patterned gouge that made its way over the surface of the polished wood. It was as if a chain had been wrapped tightly around the desk and pulled real hard.

“No way.” Syaoran breathed. He jumped lightly when a hand was laid upon his shoulder.

Eriol leaned in curiously, “What are you looking my cute little descendant?” he asked in a whisper.

“This.” Syaoran growled and revealed the gouge to Eriol.

The reincarnated sorcerer ran his hand over the mark, not surprisingly he smirked and turned to Syaoran, “Well it seems that there is some powerful magic at foot, judging by your calm standing I expect that you have some knowledge of this marking here?”

“Hai I do. But somehow I get the feeling that you know something about this Hiiragisawa...”

Eriol only gave his usual smile and shrugged, “Possibly.” Then he glanced over his shoulder at the on going fight between his two old friends, “Keep watching those two cute descendant, I’m going to repair this before they see it. This desk is Very old and special to those two, it being damaged would upset them greatly.”

Syaoran nodded and stepped in front of Eriol hiding him from view. Soon after he felt the steady flow of magic tug at his senses signalling to Syaoran that Eriol had begun to repair the chain gouge in the desk. For a moment his body tensed as Dren and the ghostly white form of Miaka froze their fight in mid-punch, like they sensed the magic, but both shook it off and went back at it.

Seconds later Eriol was standing next to Syaoran, “I’m done, and it was quite a good job done too.”

“Don’t you think you should brake them up?” Syaoran growled. It unnerved him how Eriol and Tomoyo hadn’t made a move to stop the two teens from fighting, if something wasn’t done soon someone was going to get hurt.

Eriol only looked at him then laughed lightly, “Don’t worry my cute little descendant, this is basically a routine fight. Miaka and Dren fought like this when I knew them so long ago, they won’t get hurt.” He reassured.

“Oh.”

It seemed that the fight had come to an end with Dren grabbing Miaka’s wrists and pinning her to the ground roughly.

“Except it Miaka! You apologise to Eriol’s friends for your actions NOW!” Dren roared. The woman under him growled dangerously but dropped her glare in submission. Dren eased himself off her and she got up slowly and made her way to Syaoran.

He finally got a good view of Miaka; she wore a simple white slip dress held up by only two flimsy white straps, it was summery peasant dress that was barely enough to cover any of her. Her colourless white hair on the hand flowed straight down to her knees creating a veil around her and giving her the ghost like appearance that Syaoran had mistaken her for before. She stood about the same height as Sakura but their faces were drastically different.

Where Sakura had a sweet face like an angel and soft emerald green eyes full of innocence, Miaka had face of a pixie and her fiery blue eyes full mischief.

She marched up to Syaoran and looked up at him, “I am very sorry for my actions earlier- um?”

“Syaoran, Li Syaoran.”

“Yes Li Syaoran, please except my apologies for throwing the book even if I didn’t hit you. My name is Inochi Miaka, I welcome you and your girlfriend to my new home.”

“Girl- girlfriend?” Syaoran sputtered.

Miaka tipped her head and smiled, “Yes I thought that the hottie in Tomoyo’s lap was your girlfriend or something. My mistake.” Syaoran just blushed and nodded walking over to Sakura and Tomoyo.

“Do you want me to take Sakura now Tomoyo, she must be getting heavy in your lap?” Syaoran offered. Miaka’s smile grew into a grin.

Tomoyo nodded and gladly slid the unconscious girl into Syaoran’s lap just as Sakura woke up. First thing she caught sight of was the most attractive man she ever saw hovering over her head. Certain it was a dream; Sakura reached up and stroked the side of Syaoran’s face making Syaoran blush.

“Well- uh- I think Miaka and I can leave you to your Sakura for a while.” Dren voiced while watching Sakura’s hand run over Syaoran’s chest. “We have things in side that need tending to right now, if you need anything just come in.” Dren made a hasty break for the house; Miaka hesitated looking at Sakura longingly but followed shortly after Dren into the house.

As Sakura’s hand still traveled lower, it was stopped by Eriol taking hold of it, “Oh Sakura, if you had not noticed you are awake...” he teased and watched as Sakura’s eyes snapped opened wide in realization and bolted from Syaoran’s lap. Sitting a good distance away from him, Sakura’s face reddened considerably while keeping her eyes down

‘I can’t believe I just was feeling Syaoran. I didn’t mean to, I fainted and thought that I was just dreaming of him again!’ Her thoughts were running wildly in her head ‘What if he is mad, or thinks I’m just plain out of it? Wait, that’s what I can do, I’ll say that I was out of it from fainting and it didn’t mean a thing. Even if it is a lie...’

Syaoran was basically transfixed to staring at Sakura’s blushing face, ‘S-Sakura what are you doing to me?’ he thought, ‘from the moment that your hand touched me I could feel my heart begin to beat so fast that I thought you might hear it Sakura. My very soul told me that I should have just leaned down and kissed you, to finally shows what I have kept secret for so long. How do you manage to this to me with only a simple touch my sweet Cheery Blossom?’

Tomoyo smiled knowingly to Eriol who had his usual smile present on his face. Moving a little closer to his side she nodded to Sakura and Syaoran who both sat silently on the ground looking anywhere but each other.

“It seems so obvious that they love each other, but neither of them can see the love the other has.” Tomoyo sighed, only to be startled by a warm arm wrapping around her shoulder.

“Such a beautiful lady shouldn’t worry so much over the love life of her best friends. There are forces out there natural and supernatural that will make sure those two get together, you needn’t be concerned over this matter.” Eriol comforted while giving Tomoyo’s shoulders a light squeeze.

“You think so?” She asked, her face had heated up lightly by his actions but she kept her composure.

Eriol cast his gaze from the young woman beside him to the silent house close by, somehow it seemed that he was reassured by some presence there that only he could see, “Hai, I know that they will together. Trust me.” Eriol’s confidence in the matter really encouraged Tomoyo to smile.

“Alright! Well we can’t leave there sitting like idiots let’s get them up.” She laughed and took Eriol’s arm shamelessly. Once they stood in the space between the two ex-captors they spoke up.

“My cute little descendant, I think you can stop with the metal battle and come back to reality.” Eriol chuckled and watched as Syaoran came out of his daze with a nasty glare directed at him.

“Sakura you can stop your blushing now, your hand didn’t go that far down.” Tomoyo new that would snap her best friend out of her daze, and it did, only to make Sakura’s face heat up a couple more degrees.

Syaoran quickly regained what composure he lost and straightened up, Sakura followed suit after.

“Now that everyone is in reality and Miaka and Dren are in the house, I would like a brief explanation of what has been happening with you two.”

“Wait! I want to record this just in case it is something important!” Tomoyo squealed and brought out her video camera, “Okay now you can start!”

Sakura looked to Syaoran to see who should start and Syaoran nodded to say that he would talk. Tomoyo aimed the lens at him and focused so she had a good view of him.

“Clow Cards.” He stated grimly. “New, powerful, dangerous, (then he thought of Illness and Sorrow) and possibly insane Clow cards that are out for our blood.”

Tomoyo gasped and peeked out from behind the camera. Eriol stiffened and his eyes blazed with something... could it be a slight touch of fear? His eyes went serious after and gave Syaoran a hard stare.

“Somehow this sounds like a longer story then I thought it would be, we will have to save it for later. Tomoyo please turn off your camera now.” Eriol gently commanded. It seemed that the reincarnated sorcerer knew something about this after all. (The plot just gets thicker and thicker.)

Syaoran and Sakura nodded in agreement while Tomoyo snapped her camera off. Eriol seemed to have changed his whole attitude, before he was relaxed now you could see the tension that had built up in his frame. If Eriol got this worked up over the mention of these new Clow Cards, you knew this could only be trouble.

Sakura snuck her way back to Syaoran’s side and gripped one of his arms, “Is this bad Eriol?”

“I’m not sure, the mention of these new Clow Cards is bringing old Clow Reed memories to the surface, and these are not good memories.” He stated. “I purpose that we go inside, that will let me sort through these new memories and maybe shed some light on this new possible threat that you two have come upon.”

Sakura nodded and she attempted to lighten the mood, “So who are your two friends Eriol, I kind have missed the introductions being unconscious and all.”

“Gomen I forgot, the guy’s name is Owari Dren and the girl’s name is Inochi Miaka.” Eriol lightened a bit, “Come on we can go in so you can meet them and I could possibly negotiate lunch from them in exchange for helping them unload and unpack.”

Sakura clapped happily, “That sounds great, I may have had that huge breakfast but I’m hungry again.” She began to march off to the house in front off everyone but Tomoyo’s call halted her.

“Wait Sakura!”

“Nani?”

“I am not letting you go any further until I get you a change of clothes! No offence Syaoran but Sakura you don’t look so good covered in those grass stains.” Tomoyo pointed to the remarkably obvious green stains that stretched over her t-shirt she was wearing.

“Do you have a change of clothes?” Sakura asked nervously afraid that Tomoyo had brought one of her homemade costume creations for her. Tomoyo gave Sakura a look that said ‘What, you don’t like the clothes I make for you?’

“You’ll be happy to hear that I didn’t bring any spare change of clothes but I could always ask Miaka if she would lend you one of her slip dresses. They would look so kawaii on you Sakura!”

“Okay, that doesn’t sound too bad, I mean I never saw her slip dress but how bad could it be?” Sakura happily made her way to the house with Tomoyo. Syaoran on the other hand gave Eriol another famous glare of his and Eriol returned with a serious stare of his own.

“So these cards gave Clow Reed a bad feeling, Hiiragisawa?”

“If I am interpreting his memories right, they gave him a very bad feeling.”

“This is just great! My day just keeps getting better and better!”

“Look at it this way, you have you health and magic.”

Syaoran nodded, but secretly he added ‘for now anyway.’

Inside the house

“They seemed so serious.” Miaka frowned watching Syaoran and Eriol stand there as Sakura and Tomoyo approached the house.

“This is a serious time.” Answered Dren, “Eriol’s memories are faded and faint but even that greatly increases their odds of doing this.”

Miaka rubbed her wrist as if something was there that you couldn’t see, “It’s funny his memories of us are fine but his memories of the others or our deal seem to have become faded.” She sighed, “Oh well, I totally know they can do this. No matter what, they have to do this.” She added quietly, then turned to the unpacked and set up oven and took out a fresh batch of hash browns.

“There! Fresh batch of hash browns and there is nothing in them!” she stated proudly. Dren shot her a look as he heard the sound of two girls entering the house.

“We’ll see if there’s anything in them...”

Miaka shot him a nasty glare but brightened as Sakura and Tomoyo came around the kitchen corner, “Hey you two, would you like some hash browns?”

“Sakura hurry up!” Tomoyo pulled playfully on Sakura’s arm.

“Hoe! Tomoyo you are going too fast I’m tripping over my own feet!” Sakura giggled and Tomoyo slowed for her. Soon she was dragged up to the chipped white door of the black painted house, but hesitated to enter.

‘I saw Life in the upstairs window; it doesn’t make any sense why would she even be in this house? If I go in will she still be there, could I talk to her again?’ Sakura thought uncertainly. Tomoyo saw her pause and laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey, what’s wrong Sakura?”

“Oh gomen Tomoyo, I must have zoned out for a second I’m fine now.” Sakura pasted one of her cheery smiles on her face in hopes that Tomoyo wouldn’t spot the uncertainty in her eyes.

It seemed that her friend had caught the doubt lingering in Sakura’s eyes but decided that she would just pretend not to have seen it. “That’s good, come on let’s go in.” Tomoyo opened the door then stepped in with Sakura following behind.

“Wow.” Sakura whispered.

The interior of the house was unlike anything that Sakura had ever seen before. The entry was open to the living room, and the kitchen it seemed was just around the corner of the entryway. Although her eyes had to take a second to adjust to the dim light Sakura could see mismatched furniture everywhere; a good portion of the stuff was Japanese, but some appeared Western, Chinese, Egyptian, Victorian, East Indian, a tiny bit of Celtic and other styles that Sakura didn’t recognize.

Most of the stuff was just in random places to be sorted out later and Sakura wondered how four people could get all this stuff in the house so quickly in just one morning. Brushing aside the mental questions Sakura leaned over to her best friend.

“It doesn’t seem like they care about what they have in their house, does it?” Sakura whispered, she heard movement in the kitchen and didn’t want to insult anyone.

Tomoyo sighed and looked around the place dreamily, “It’s not that they don’t care, it’s just from what I’ve heard both of them have been all over the world and these are just some of the souvenirs they picked up. Oh Sakura I have gotten so many great ideas for some new costumes, all thanks to seeing Miaka and Dren’s wonder stuff.” The stars in her eyes twinkled brighter “And with these new Clow cards I have an excuse to make you wear them! Ohohohohoh!!!!!!” Tomoyo laughed happily.

“Hoe...” Sakura sweat-dropped.

“Come on we still need to ask Miaka if you could borrow one of her dresses so we can get you out of that grass-stained ensemble of Syaoran’s that YOU are wearing.” Tomoyo emphasized the fact that Sakura was wearing his clothes, and it only served to make Sakura blush. Rounding the corner into the kitchen both of them were surprised to have a steaming hot cookie sheet laden with hash browns shoved in their faces.

“Hey you two, would you like some hash browns?” Chirped Miaka.

“No thanks Miaka, I was wondering if you could spare one of your slip dresses for Sakura? The clothes she’s wearing aren’t hers and they got all stained from something she was doing earlier.” Tomoyo motioned to the grass stains the yellow t-shirt was sporting.

Sakura looked to the girl named Miaka as she set down the tray of hash browns and looked her over. ‘This must be Inochi Miaka’ She could feel the colour in her face rise as the ghostly girl in the revealing peasant slip stepped in closer to her and looked Sakura up and down.

“Hmm.” Miaka circled around Sakura and let her hand trail behind her over Sakura’s stomach and back; “I believe I can spare a lovely slip for her. Kinomoto Sakura is it?” She purred.

Sakura stuttered a couple times but finally was able to say, “Hai I’m Kinomoto Sakura. You must be Inochi Miaka.”

“Indeed I am, might I say that with your form you would look lovely in one of my outfits.”

“That’s great.” Tomoyo clapped her hands together thoughtfully, “Oh Sakura you have been introduced to Miaka but not Dren, come her so you can meet him.” Tomoyo led her away from Miaka’s grasp to the man dressed completely in black sitting in front of the window.

“You must be Owari Dren?” Sakura asked and bowed politely when he nodded. “It’s really nice to meet, my name is Kinomoto Sakura.”

“Yes I know

Sakura smiled brightly, “No it was an accident and I wasn’t hurt or nothing, so I think that we can still be friends.” But as she said that Sakura heard a quiet mumbling coming from behind her.

“What was that Miaka?” Tomoyo asked.

“I said ‘It wasn’t an accident, I sort of threw a book at Dren’s head which made him loose his grip on the desk.’ Dren forced me to see the error of what I did.” Miaka picked a piece of grass out of her hair then looked down in embarrassment letting her veil of white hair cover her face. “I’m really sorry that I threw the book, even if it was Dren who let the desk slip out of his hands and almost crush you.”

Even if the apology was still blaming someone else, Sakura still found that it was nice to see that Miaka would fess-up that she was partly responsible for the incident that resulted in Sakura being out cold on the front lawn.

“I’m glad that you apologized to me, it tells me that you’re a good person. I accept your apology.”

“Really?” Miaka squealed and wrapped her arms around Sakura’s neck. “Thank you!!!! That apology was just eating away at me!” Sakura laughed at Miaka’s enthusiasm.

“Alright you two, we still have to get Sakura into some new clothes.” Tomoyo reasoned while giggling along with the laughing teenaged girls. Dren only shook his head and rolled his eyes.

Unwrapping her arms from around Sakura’s neck Miaka straightened up, “This way to my room. Don’t mind the mess I haven’t unpacked or anything.”

“Sure,” Sakura heard her stomach growl a bit so she began to reach for one of the hash browns, “You don’t mind if I have one of these do you?”

“No! Of course not eat as many as you want!” Miaka cooed. Sakura had almost had one in her hand but Dren shot up like lightning and sneezed on them.

“Oops I don’t think you should eat that one Sakura. ACHOO! Don’t eat that one either. ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! I don’t think you should eat any of those now.” Dren wiped his nose with the back of his hand and shot Miaka a triumphant look.

“Jerk!!” Miaka bristled and grabbed the tray dumping all its ruined contents into an open garbage bag. “Don’t worry Sakura we’ll get you something to eat after!” she chirped then whacked Dren with the tray and muttered something like, “Just because we had to have poison control in here last time doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with my hash browns this time!”

She then marched out letting Tomoyo and Sakura follow behind.

In Miaka’s room

Miaka flitted around her moderate sized room in a light rage, digging in random boxes, drawers and closet throwing articles of clothes and little trinkets everywhere in search of something fitting for her new friend Sakura.

Her room was much like the rest of the house, moderate sized and no sense of cultural coordination. Random boxes boasted their unusual contents as Miaka dug through them in search of the perfect dress. A large glass window faced the front yard and gave a wonderful view of the surrounding trees and roads. To Sakura’s shock it was the same window she had seen Life waving in.

She and Tomoyo sat side by side on the messed up cot that was Miaka’s temporary bed. According to Miaka, her bed got busted in the move and she had to buy a new one.

Letting her eyes wonder around the room, Sakura picked up a pattern that seemed constant throughout the room; everything was basically white, silver or light blue. Even stranger was the fact that every time Sakura turned her head she could swear she saw the familiar silver flash of chains in the corner of her eye.

‘This is all getting so weird, too many things are happening at once. And why is it that I keep on getting the weird sense of deja vu in this room?’ Sakura thought to her self. Unfortunately she wasn’t given time to think any further because Miaka came out of nowhere and dived underneath the cot still mumbling remarks about her dark haired friend among other things.

“Damn, damn, double damn why do I to live with such a jerk! And why do I have all my stuff everywhere! He drives me nuts!” Most of the things she was saying were muffled from the cot and sheets she was under but the two teens still was able to hear bits and pieces. “Sneeze on hash browns will he! Just because the last few people had to go poison control and the hospital doesn’t mean that my hash browns were spiked this time! I’ll show him!”

Suddenly another thought struck Sakura and she leaned over to Tomoyo again, “Hey, you know I think Dren sneezed on those hash browns on purpose!” Tomoyo sweat dropped and patted Sakura on the shoulder.

“Hai I think he did.”

“Duh! Of course he did!” Miaka cried and threw what appeared to be a light blue silk bundle at Sakura.

“What is this?” Sakura held it up to the light of the open window.

“It’s your change of clothes.” Miaka smoothed down the hem of her own slip that reached her mid-thigh in mild irritation. “I knew I had a couple extra dresses somewhere in here.”

“Arigatou Miaka, do you think you two can turn around so I can change?”

“Sure.” Miaka and Tomoyo spun so their backs faced Sakura as she slipped off Syaoran’s t-shirt and shorts and threw the thin slip of cloth over her lithe form. “You can turn back now.” Sakura signalled and was met by the beaming eyes blue eyes of Miaka while she rubbed her wrist anxiously. She stopped her actions when Sakura cast her a glance,

“Oh it’s just my nervous habit, some people twirl hair others chew their nails I rub my wrist.” Miaka smiled happily, “Enough of me, how do you like my dress?”

“It’s wonderful, I love it!” Sakura twirled around in silky garb, letting the skirt of it fly up around her thighs. It seemed that the simple, informal style slips and dresses were definitely Miaka’s ultimate choice of clothing.

“You look so Kawaii!” Tomoyo whipped out her ever-present camera and began to record Sakura’s every movement in the dress.

“TOMOYO! Just this once would you not record me, who cares about what I’m wearing, it’s just a dress.” Sakura cried. Tomoyo pouted and put the camera down.

“I know two people who really care about what you wear, number one; I care all about what you wear! I’ve made your clothes since the fourth grade! The second person is Syaoran, what ever you wear his eyes are glued to you!”

“That’s not true-.”

“Yes it is Sakura! Just look at yourself he won’t be able to resist you!” Tomoyo reasoned and dragged Sakura in front of a full-length mirror to see herself.

Sakura’s dress fit much more snugly around her upper half than Miaka’s did, hugging to her curves and dipping down a fair way in the front leaving little to the imagination, held up with braided silk strands for straps. The skirt of the dress danced loosely around her long legs ending at her ankles.

“It’s not done yet though, I have to tie the bow in the back.” Tomoyo offered sneaking behind Sakura and tying together the dangling strips of silk into a kawaii bow, “Now you look perfect.” She praised.

“Yeah I think you look real hot, in whimsical cutie sort of way.” Miaka attempted to complement. “That Syaoran of yours is so going to go for you in this outfit.”

“Mi- Miaka.” Sakura blushed lightly, “Syaoran isn’t my- he doesn’t see me that way- he wouldn’t care, would he?”

“Sakura when will you stop be so naive and see what everyone else sees.” Tomoyo sighed. “If you care so deeply about Syaoran like he does for you, you should just tell him how you feel.”

Miaka grinned widely and nodded enthusiastically, “Hai! You do that Sakura! I’ve only met you two like thirty minutes ago and even I can see the way your eyes just light up at the mention of him. And when I was introduced to Syaoran I saw the way he looked at you, it was like, I don’t know, magic between you two,”

Sakura’s face heated up a couple degrees and she spun around to hide the blush, “Come on stop it you two! Let’s just drop the subject and go down stairs okay?” Her want to change the subject made the two longhaired teens to giggle.

When they were done Miaka leaned down to gather up Syaoran’s clothes from the floor when her and landed on the chain belt.

“What a lovely accessory, why don’t you wear it?” Miaka held it out for Sakura. As Sakura’s fingers wrapped around the chain her body tingled with a powerful force of magic that was not her own. Her eyes shot up to Miaka, only to see indifference written on her face.

“What?” she didn’t seem to notice the power.

“Nothing. Come on Tomoyo let’s go down stairs now.” Sakura hastily clipped the chain on and left the room. Tomoyo followed happily behind her, camera firmly in hand to record anything that might happen.

Miaka remained in the doorway of her room, when something nudged her leg. Looking down she spotted a length of the living silver chains waiting at her feet expectantly, “You almost gave me away.” She sighed and walked off down the stairs with two new friends.

Down with the guys in the kitchen

Syaoran and Eriol had eventually decided to follow the girls into the house. At first glance around Syaoran had felt he just entered a dimly lit museum of culturally mixed furniture only to have a shiver of familiar ancient magic run down his spine. The magic faded quickly into the background but his suspicion of the house increased greatly.

“Come on my cute little descendant, Dren is in the kitchen.” Eriol motioned for Syaoran to follow him. He either didn’t notice the magic or was ignoring it.

In the kitchen they caught sight of the mass of black that could only be Dren.

He was staring out the window pensively, tugging thoughtfully at the fringe of white in front of his ear. Eriol smirked and put a finger to his lips signalling Syaoran to be completely quiet. The infamous mischievous smirk appeared on Eriol’s face as he snuck up behind his old friend.

“Hey Friend!” Eriol shouted and brought his hands down to clap Dren on the shoulders. Syaoran watched in amusement as Dren yelped and slipped off his chair with a thud. Eriol chuckled at the out come of his little surprise and held his hand out for the fallen man.

“I will never get used to your sense of humour Eriol.” Dren brushed off his backside.

“Some people just don’t find me funny, eh Syaoran?” Eriol looked in his direction. Syaoran merely rolled his eyes. “So old friend, would it be too much if I asked you for lunch? Surly we could negotiate something?”

“Yeah, unpack my stuff and I’ll consider feeding you.”

The conversation had no need for his participation so Syaoran tuned to two men out and let his eyes wonder around the kitchen. Something on the table really caught his eye; it was a thick leather bound book with very old Chinese script written over the cover, he recognized it as the book that Miaka had thrown at Dren.

“What the hell?” Syaoran bent over to take a closer look and saw the faded symbol of Clow sketched into the cover. The characters written across the front were very hard to make out, but reading ancient Chinese was part of his training as a young boy and he could decipher the words with little difficulty.

“Records of Clow”

“I- impossible.” Syaoran gasped, gaining the attention of the two other men.

“What is it Syaoran?” Eriol looked at the book and something like recognition sparked in his eyes. “How, how is this possible?”

“What is all the fuss about?” Dren also came up behind Syaoran and spotted the weathered old book. “Oh this old book, a very old friend in China gave this to me and I thought it was cool looking so I kept it.” He laughed lightly, “Never been able to read a word of it though, but damn, does it ever hurt when it hits your head.” He laughed and threw it down again.

“Wait a second, Syaoran your Chinese aren’t you” Dren asked innocently. Syaoran nodded, “Well- um I know the book is a little bit old school and all but how about I lend you the stupid book. You and Eriol look like you have more interest in it than I do.”

“That would be nice. Arigatou.” Syaoran nodded. Eriol nodded along with Syaoran but still held a look of astonishment; it only took a moment for him to regain his usual flamboyant mischievous self.

“Alright, now that we have matters of lunch and where that book is going, could you please inform Syaoran and I of where the three lovely ladies have gone to?”

“They would be upstairs in Miaka’s room, they will be down in a moment.” Dren glanced out into the hallway and grinned, “It seems that Miaka has taken a real liking to Sakura and Tomoyo, I’m glad that you dropped by Eriol to introduce Tomoyo to her. But I have yet to figure out what you are doing all the way out here Syaoran. I doubt you just showed up all the way out here like Eriol had said.”

“Uh- well you see...” Syaoran looked to Eriol for some kind of excuse he could use. He couldn’t just say that he and Sakura had had an unusual (And nearly deadly) encounter with magical card spirits and that one of them somehow led them all the way across town to end up just in front of his house. Fortunately he was spared from saying anything when a flurry of footsteps was heard coming down the stairs.

“Ah, it sounds as if my Miaka is done playing dress-up with your Sakura, Syaoran. I can only guess what she’ll be wearing now.” Dren patted Syaoran on the shoulder good-naturedly.

“You make it sound like she’ll walk out here naked or something.” Syaoran countered, but the look that Dren gave him said anything was possible.

“You never know, when Miaka is involved they might as well all walk in naked.” Dren shrugged as if it happened all the time. Syaoran gulped.

Suddenly his senses were sparked, the sweet pink aura of the object of his affections stopped just outside the doorway along with two other presences. Almost automatically Syaoran felt his own aura go out to brush against the soft magical presence of Sakura. Her aura flared and began to brush back when Miaka strolled in and ruined the moment.

“That is just what you want to happen isn’t it? Us to parade around like exhibitionists.” Miaka launched a bundle of clothes at Dren’s head. (Think revenge for sneezing or wanting them to walk out naked, either way...)

He caught it and passed it to Syaoran, since they were his clothes being used as a projectile. “Unlike you Dren, I can tell Syaoran here is a man of taste and well up bringing. So he wouldn’t want Sakura to just walk in here naked, he’d want to watch her strip first.” Miaka stated matter-of-factly.

“Miaka!” Dren reprimanded. Syaoran swiftly turned and looked away out the open window. Her comment only brought memories of what he saw of Sakura that night and morning rushing back. They weren’t bad images or anything; more like unforgettably lovely memories that were likely to haunt his dreams the rest of his life.

“Why are you getting your pants in a bunch Dren? You don’t see Syaoran arguing with me!” Miaka stuck her tongue out.

“That’s because he agrees with you.” Eriol said. Syaoran felt his hand on his shoulder and turned to say something but the sight of Tomoyo skittering into the kitchen with a curious expression stopped him.

Sakura’s POV(Back-track it a bit.)

“So he wouldn’t want Sakura to just watch in here naked, he’d want to watch her strip first.”

Miaka’s voice floated clearly out into the hall where it reached my ears with ease. I felt the colour rise in my face and gave a whine of embarrassment; it didn’t help anything when I never heard Syaoran protest to the comment. Sliding down the wall so I could hide on the floor, I ignored whatever was said next in the kitchen.

‘Does that mean he really want me to strip? No, Syaoran’s not like that, it’s Miaka who said it! And I thought he saw enough of me this morning...’ I shook my head to try and clear those thoughts out to no avail, ‘It would be sort of funny if I was to pretend to, just for a minute for Syaoran...’ My thoughts were interrupted but Tomoyo giggling from above me.

“Sakura, come on it’s not that bad. Eriol told me Miaka was a bit of a bid mouth and you shouldn’t pay attention to what she says.” Tomoyo came down to my eye-level. I merely smiled up at her.

Unknown to her my mind was slowly being processed by thoughts and feelings that were definitely not my own. Sort of like someone was sneaking in to my head and taking control of my every move and thought. The consideration of fighting such feelings was lost against the wonderful wave of unrecognizable pleasure and confidence.

“Tomoyo go into the kitchen and turn on the radio for me.”

She gave me a strange look like she saw something weird in my eyes but complied and walked into the kitchen.

Back with the kitchen crew

Tomoyo switched on an old radio and tuned it to a good station. The music began and a twirl of light blue caught Syaoran’s eyes. Sakura stepped into view with a beautiful silky dress encasing her body.

Everyone watched as the noted naïve and innocent girl began to sway her body to the perfectly timed music, her eyes kept eye contact with Syaoran at all times. Slowly the Chinese Warrior felt his world melt away again as Sakura twirled seductively in front of him letting the skirt fly up a little too high.

“Isn’t that the dress I got you in Cairo?” Dren whispered. (Cairo is Egypt’s capital; I have friends who didn’t know that, honestly I do.)

“Shh! I don’t give a damn if you got for me in Cairo or down the street, this is better then T.V!” Miaka batted him away a watched the proceedings with interest.

Syaoran felt his back press up against the window when she swayed in front of him and let her hand ran across his chest. The instant her hand came in contact with his body, the power that had processed Sakura began to leech it’s way into Syaoran’s body and entwine itself around his mind. He felt the intruder enter his mind, beginning to move his body in time with Sakura’s.

‘I- I shouldn’t be doing this.’ He thought and tried to build up some resistance to the warm seducing power. Syaoran’s attempts at repossessing his body seemed to be futile as, whatever it was, sent him a wave a blissful pleasure and confidence.

That tipped him over the edge and the future leader of the Li Clan was now lost in the churning pleasure that was hazing his mind. Now the world consisted of only the two of them, the feel of their bodies as each moved to brush the other.

Whatever the seductive power was that held both of the card captors, it had them both now.

/Changing point of view/

“Tomoyo does it seem like our friends are not in their right minds at the moment?” Eriol whispered to the woman next to him. She had been video taping the somewhat dirty dancing that had been going on in front of her. Making sure her camera was focused on them she turned to face the questioning azure eyes of Eriol.

“I thought I saw something strange in Sakura’s eyes before I came in here. I didn’t think much of it though.” Tomoyo whispered. Eriol nodded and turned his eyes back to the scandalously close pair in the middle of the kitchen.

Taking a closer look at his good friends he saw an underlying crimson glow in their eyes that wasn’t there before. Stretching his magical senses Eriol found that the same reddish hue covered their entire bodies pulsing with a seducing malevolence.

“It appears someone or something has taken control of Sakura and Syaoran and by the looks of it, they are having a lot of fun controlling their bodies.” Eriol growled under his breath so only Tomoyo would hear.

She gasped and looked toward her friends, “You don’t suppose it’s those new Clow Cards that Syaoran had spoke of earlier?”

“I have no doubt that it is them, and we have to find a way to snap those two out of it before something worse happens.” Eriol watched, as Syaoran pulled off some very- adult- moves that he would never have done in his right mind.

“What about those two?” Tomoyo signalled to Miaka and Dren who seemed to be getting slightly suspicious of the dancing pair. Eriol shrugged but didn’t answer. It seemed a blessing when the song finally ended, except Sakura and Syaoran never noticed that it was over. Their moves only got more sexually based and were beginning to move out the room.

A light seemed to go on in Dren’s head, and then discreetly whispered something to Miaka and her eyes widened with an embarrassed shock and broke out into a fit of coughs. (Which in any case sounded a little fake...)

“You know everyone I think it’s getting a little chilly in here.” Miaka said quickly after her coughing resided and walked over to the open window. Reaching for the glass to close it, Tomoyo thought she saw Miaka’s eyes flicker from blue to black. She blinked a couple times and looked again, Miaka’ s eyes had returned to normal. She took hold of the opened ledges of the window and swung them closed a little more firmly then she should have. The aftermath left the glass vibrating.

With Sakura and Syaoran exiting the room

The magical pair deftly heard what was going on around them; their hazy worlds only consisted of each other. Whatever force held them was compelling them to leave that room and go somewhere, anywhere, and neither of them were objecting.

Even though most of their senses were dulled, the sound of a window slamming shut cut through the blur like a knife. Immediately their bodies drained of the magical pleasure, it was so quick to exit from the two humans that Sakura collapsed on the ground and Syaoran stumbled a few times from the shock of regaining his senses.

Kitchen

Eriol briefly caught sight of retreating crimson ribbons streaking out the window and sensed the mysterious thing that had processed his friends was gone. ‘It must have controlled them through the open window.’

“Sakura!” Tomoyo leapt from her place beside Eriol to go to the side of her fallen friend. (Again, except this time Sakura is conscious) The confused girl sat on the wooden floor in a puddle of blue silk; Tomoyo saw her lithe form was shaking slightly.

Syaoran was holding up much better, stumbling into the kitchen with little help from Eriol.

“How about we go into the kitchen Sakura, you can sit down.” Tomoyo whispered and assisted the shaking girl up.

“Tomoyo, what happened? I don’t remember.”

“Don’t worry, I recorded it so you can see what happened later.” Tomoyo’s voice held little humour; but it was more of a grave statement. The two girls came into the kitchen and Sakura was deposited into a chair next to Syaoran.

The two teens shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of the other four. No one had anything to say, Eriol and Tomoyo looked grave but Dren and Miaka looked confused. The silence was nearly deafening, all Sakura wanted was to know what just happened, her mind was blank to what ever had just happened.

It was Eriol who finally broke the silence clearing his throat, “Maybe it would be best if we leave right now.” He suggested. Miaka and Dren shot him a questioning glance then nodded curtly to him.

“Of course, that’s fine, here take the book. It’s alright that you didn’t finish helping us unload our stuff.” Dren hastily shoved the book into Eriol’s hands. “Miaka and I should manage fine with just the two of us un loading the moving truck.”

“Yes, it seems that it would be better if you left. Possibly that would make it easier for us to unpack all of our stuff...” Miaka trailed off giving Sakura and Syaoran a strange glance, quickly clapping her hands together “Sakura I just remembered you were hungry when you came in the house! You probably still are! Wait a second I’ll grab some things for you.”

With that said Miaka flitted around the kitchen in an almost ghostly fashion grabbing rice cakes and other treats shoving them into a bag. The she stuffed Syaoran’s clothes into the bag and handed the bag to Sakura. Miaka then proceeded to push the group of guests to the door and out of her house.

“Bye! Nice meeting you all!” Miaka chirped quickly and Dren waved until the faded door was closed in their faces.

“Did it seem weird that those two wanted to get rid of us as quickly as possible after that thing happened...” Tomoyo questioned.

“Yeah, kind of.” Eriol agreed.

At an out door café in Tomoeda

The group of teens just finished watching what had taken place at the old Victorian house outside of Tomoeda only half an hour ago. Tomoyo silently put her video camera back in her bag keeping her eyes on the two shocked teens that sat across from her. Sakura had her face down cast but you could easily see the faint blush that had appeared on her cheeks and the slight fear in her eyes of not remembering a single event that she saw on the video.

Syaoran quietly put his arm around Sakura’s shoulders trying to comfort her.

“Here you really should eat something Sakura, you look like you are about to faint.” Eriol offered her one of the rice cakes that Miaka had gave them. She took the offered treat and merely nibbled it slowly.

“I don’t remember anything.” Sakura muttered. What she had seen on the video would be seared into her brain the rest of her life the image of her dancing with Syaoran. Although it wasn’t really dancing in her opinion, more like foreplay. (A/N I was going say sex with their clothes on, but that took it a little far...) The way they had moved against one another entwined their limbs and pressed their bodies twirling to the music in the background. Sakura knew that it was her pressing into Syaoran but without a single memory of the event left her spooked.

“No it doesn’t seem you do remember anything” Eriol sighed and ran his hand through his midnight locks. “I believe this was the work of the Clow Cards that you had mentioned earlier. Maybe you should start with that, tell us all that has happened since you first found out there were new Clow Cards.”

Syaoran sighed and proceeded to tell the events of last night and that morning. Sakura nodded along with his words adding in things where her point of view could clarify things. Syaoran told about the nightmare that caused Sakura so much pain, their two saviours who the Clow cards seemed to fear then bringing her to his apartment. (Conveniently leaving out the part of the whole healing spell fiasco and other details of the next morning.) How Life and Death had come introduced themselves and made breakfast then of course the introductions of the eight new Clow cards and how The Lost card had lead them to Miaka and Dren’s place.

In the end Eriol sat there in his seat with a guarded expression on his face.

“What is it Hiiragisawa, does some of this ring a bell to you?” Syaoran questioned.

“Not the cards, but Life and Death sure bring up some old memories from Clow Reed.”

“Oh like what?” Tomoyo looked at Eriol with interest.

Eriol shrugged and fingered the old book he held, “Nothing of importance right now, just that he had known Life and Death very well and had trusted them a great deal.”

“Is there anything else about them? Maybe why they are chained up or something, it kind of seemed sad how their wrists were locked in those manacles.” Sakura sighed.

“No nothing like that, but maybe we should concentrate a little less on them and more on these new Clow Cards it seems to me that they are more dangerous then the Clow cards that you have faced already.”

“Yes, there was eight of them you said: The Nightmare, The Fear, The Seduce, The Illness, The Sorrow, The Pain, The Evil and The- the oh what was the name of the cute one you talked about!” Tomoyo scrunched up her face in annoyance.

Just at the moment Syaoran felt a slight tugging at his shorts. Casting Sakura a glance he ducked under the small café booth to see what was tugging at his shorts. There he came face to face with the luminescent face of a small spirit boy holding a lantern.

“Hi Mr.Syaoran!”

“LOST!”

“LOST!” The shocked teen yelled in surprise and accidentally smashed his head on the café table they were sitting at. The dull thump was heard throughout the small café, drawing some questioning stares that were ignored.

“Syaoran what is it?” Sakura ducked underneath the table and gasped when she saw the luminescent face of the boy spirit waving at her. This in turn sparked Tomoyo and Eriol’s curiosity and both of them came under the table to see what was so shocking.

The young innocent spirit Lost merely stood there under the table smiling brightly at everyone, seemingly oblivious that the four humans staring at him were completely in shock. With the four humans watching Lost gave Sakura a small hug and she giggled as his soft blond hair tickled her chin.

“Lost, what are you doing here!” Syaoran hissed.

“I’ve come to see you Mr. Syaoran and Ms. Card Captor! I just wanted to make sure that you were okay!” Lost stated cutely. Tomoyo giggled lightly finding the boy spirit irresistibly cute, even if he could be possibly dangerous. Eriol on the other hand looked to Syaoran and mouthed the words, ‘Mr. Syaoran?’ and Syaoran shot him a glare that only made Eriol chuckle lightly.

“Didn’t you just see me a couple of hours ago when you lead Sakura and I to Miaka and Dren’s house?” Syaoran growled.

Lost scuffed his feet on the ground and looked away from Syaoran’s piercing gaze, “Uhh- well maybe I was worried about if you were alright, I kind of had a feeling that maybe something happened.”

Sakura placed her hand on Lost’s shoulder, “I think that is so sweet you were worried about us but we are just fine Lost, nothing too big happened.” Sakura lied slightly and gave the worried boy a bright smile but Lost’s face only became confused.

“But-.” Lost began but was cut off by Sakura giving him a slight hug.

“Doesn’t it look like we’re alright?” She asked lightly, maybe Lost still was able to sense the dark magic on her.

Lost looked Sakura up and down then observed the crouched form of Syaoran who was glaring at him, they both looked fine even if Sakura was little pale. “Okay you two look fine but I was still worried about you.”

Sakura smiled sweetly, “How about you tell us what made you so worried about us that you had to come see if we were alright later, okay?” the boy nodded and Sakura saw no need to worry the boy anymore then he already was so she looked to the two friends who were crouched in front of her for something.

Tomoyo caught the hint the hint, “I’m Daidouji Tomoyo.”

“Hello Ms. Daidouji.”

“Please call me Tomoyo.” Tomoyo giggled, too much cuteness.

“Okay Ms. Tomoyo.”

Then it was Eriol’s turn and he held out his hand to the boy spirit, “So you must be one of the new Clow Cards I’ve heard so much about today. I’m Eriol Hiiragisawa.” Syaoran narrowed his eyes at the dark haired teen that was crouched down in front of him; he was definitely up to something.

Lost, sensing no danger, reached out at shook Eriol’s hand, “Hi Mr. Hiiragisawa, I’m The Lost Card!” Suddenly the boy stopped laughing and shaking Eriol’s hand his face quickly drained of happiness and slowly became shocked and fearful, “ I know you! C- Clow Reed…This is impossible, I didn’t think- well I thought you were dead.”

The spirit tried to pull away but Eriol gripped his hand harder, “Clow Reed is dead, I am only his reincarnation.” At that moment there was a slight glow that came from between Eriol and Lost’s hands. The glow didn’t last long and it wasn’t very bright, but anyone with magical ability could sense the silent incantation weaving its self around Lost.

Eriol took his hand away the instant the spell was done and observed his handy work. Where the Clow Card had stood amongst the teenagers under the table a small human boy now stood shaking, pale and looking like he was about to cry. His cute green swirl patterned robes were now green overalls and his blue lantern now a blue lollipop.

“What did you do?” Lost’s lip quivered and he backed away from the crouched sorcerer.

Eriol smiled, except now his smile was more friendly and less scheming. “There is no need to worry. I performed a simple spell that makes you look human, it makes it a lot less awkward if we could all sit up at the table instead of crouched under it.”

What he said made sense as Syaoran glanced out and caught the eye of a couple people staring at them. It was a good thing that Syaoran and Eriol’s bodies were preventing anyone from seeing Lost before the spell because it would have been a lot to try and explain the luminescent boy. With a quick glare to the people he straightened himself and sat back into his seat, the others following suit and Lost squirmed his way up on to the seat between Syaoran and Sakura. (Although the boy was so small that his head wasn’t even above the table so you couldn’t see his face)

“Um- Mr. Hiiragisawa-.”

“Eriol.”

“Okay Mr. Eriol will I be human forever?” Lost asked.

“No, not forever.”

“Oh that’s good! I feel a lot better now!” You could here the relived sigh from beneath the table.

The group sat at the table silently glancing at one another then looking to Lost. (Or looking to the top of Lost’s head since you still couldn’t see his face) What could they possibly say now in front of Lost without the situation getting even more awkward?

Eriol was the one to thankfully break the silence that had come to the table, “About this book, I can’t believe that Dren had it in his possession all this time and didn’t tell me.” He placed the dusty old book on the table.

The girls hadn’t been down stairs to know about the book’s significance so they stared with mild curiosity, Syaoran glared at the book hard almost like daring it to do something.

“What does it say on the cover?” Sakura asked leaning over the table to see the book better.

“Records of Clow.” Stated Syaoran. Both Sakura and Tomoyo gasped, spooking Lost who accidentally slid off his seat and fell on the floor.

“You mean Clow Reed kept a record of the cards? I wish we had this book a few years ago that would have made capturing the Clow cards way easier.” Sighed Sakura.

“Yes a lot easier, I wonder if there is anything in there about them?” Tomoyo motioned to the struggling boy who was trying to get up in his seat again.

“Most definitely there would be some sort of record about these new cards.” Eriol nodded, “But it is also my belief that this book contains more that just records of the Clow Cards. There could be secrets of Life and Death or ancient powers in there that have long since been forgotten.” Eriol’s eyes took on a strange light as he spoke like he was drawn to the book. And it was perfectly understandable, this book was a connection to Clow Reed a chance for Eriol to find out more about his incarnation and maybe about himself.

“Maybe it would be safer if we opened the book somewhere that was less out in the open.” Sakura offered snapping Eriol out of his slight trance. He nodded his agreement. Sakura smiled and began to nibble on the rice cake that had lain nearly forgotten.

“Someone! Anyone! Please help me!” Lost called pathetically from below the table. The poor boy was trapped under the table and couldn’t crawl up onto the seat again.

Syaoran sighed and ducked under the table to rescue the distressed spirit/human boy. As Syaoran came up with Lost in his arms Sakura gasped in shock and quickly took Lost from Syaoran.

Turning him to face her, Sakura looked into the face of a boy who had a developing black eye, multiple dark bruises and scrapes, and an obvious crack going down his lantern/lollipop. Lost refused to meet her eyes as Sakura examined each cut scrape and bruise.

The other three at the table caught sight of the boy and drew in closer to see the extent of the damage. (And to cover Lost from view so no one could see him)

“ H- how did this happen Lost?” Sakura asked gently while letting her hand rest on Lost’s cheek. The fact these injuries had actually gone unnoticed when the group had been talking underneath the café table really amazed her.

Lost’s lip quivered gently and a tear slipped from his eyes, “This is why I was worried about you Ms. Card Captor.” He whispered, “I was afraid that something like this had happened to you and Mr. Syaoran.”

“Oh Lost, please just call me Sakura!” Sakura cried quickly and brought Lost in for a tight hug, “Who could have possibly done this to you?”

Lost drew away from Sakura’s hold to look into the young woman’s face, “They found out.” He whispered so the rest of the group had to lean in to hear him, “They found out I helped you to- to them. All of them were really mad at me, calling me a worthless traitor and a disgusting human helping imp. All of them grabbed me and dragged me back to the clearing in the woods. Fear and Nightmare somehow got the idea to punish me for what I did...” The small boy broke down in silent tears while recalling his best friends turning on him and beating him.

Sakura looked to the others is shock, why would this band of Clow Cards beat one of their own kind, it didn’t make sense, “Is that why you were concerned about Syaoran and I, Lost?” Lost shook his head.

“No, I knew that you two were strong enough to fend off any stupid attack they throw at you, you’re not as weak as they say you are. But while Fear and Nightmare were ganged up on me, Seduce was using her magic. She doesn’t have real power or anything, merely the power of suggestion, to make people fall for there own desire with a little coaxing from her.” This made Syaoran and Sakura’s faces tint a good pink, Lost basically said they wanted to dance with each other like that in their heads and Seduce only seduced them into it. Boy, Syaoran was never going to here the end of it from Eriol; he could already here some snickering coming from him despite the serious mood.

Lost continued with his talk seemly oblivious to the exchanges of glances, blushing, glares and snickering, “I heard Sorrow and Illness cackling about the “Card Capturing kittens,” and “their inability to combat a weak possession spell.” I thought that it was you two in danger, so I pretended to pass out and watch what Seduce was doing from the ground.

“What happened next really surprised me, out of nowhere Seduce’s ribbons snapped back to her and since everyone was crowded around her at the time, well…” Lost giggled lightly for a second, “They were all thrown back across the clearing screeching. It reminded me fireworks although not as nice looking far, far too loud.” He paused in his story to look at Sakura and see if he made her smile. She was smiling! Yeah! He made her feel better, mission accomplished!

Eriol leaned across the table to the boy who was across from him, “My guess is you waited till all the other Clow Cards left the clearing you were in, and once it was safe you came to find Sakura and Syaoran to see if they were alright from what Seduce did. Am I right?”

Lost nodded.

“But how did you find us here, in Tomoeda? We could have been anywhere.” Sakura questioned. Lost brightened and proudly held out the blue lollipop/lantern.

“I may be called The Lost, but I can still find things. All I have to do is tell my lantern who I want to find and it will take me to who I want to find!” His statement wasn’t as impressive as it could have been, holding his cracked lollipop instead of his oversized lantern.

“That’s really impressive Lost.” Tomoyo complemented.

Lost beamed, but winced in pain after. “Thank you Ms. Tomoyo.” he bowed politely. The pure cuteness of the beaten spirit boy attracted both girls to him and left the men feeling slightly jealous.

Not wanting to be ignored any longer while Sakura and Tomoyo fawned over Lost, Syaoran cleared his throat pointedly, “Maybe we should be going now, I thought we all wanted to open the book.” Nodding to the dusty old book that lay forgotten near Eriol.

“I agree let’s leave now.” Eriol nodded quickly.

Both girls gasped and Sakura hugged Lost to her, “We can’t just leave Lost here! He’s all beat up and defenceless, what if the other Clow Cards come back to beat him up again!” Syaoran snorted something that sounded like, “ He’s hardly defenceless.” Lost was squirmed against Sakura’s chest as her protective grasp tightened.

“Ms. Sakura, your breasts are crushing my face!” At this Sakura promptly let the spirit go and blushed a good shade of red. Syaoran shot a death glare to the boy who was gasping for air, in turn Lost sent him a cute ‘What did I do?’ look. The other occupants of the table politely laughed behind their hands.

“Maybe we can take Lost with us, we can clean him up at Syaoran’s apartment and look at the record book at the same time. It’s perfect.” Tomoyo offered. Sakura brightened and nodded in agreement, but looked to Syaoran with pleading eyes to get him to agree. Syaoran, not being one to resist Sakura pleading, sighed and nodded.

Almost at once he felt to pairs of arms around him in a hug. His face pinked as he saw Sakura hugging him around his torso, but made a strange face when he saw Lost hugging him around his stomach. In the back ground you could here Tomoyo giggling and Eriol was snickering again.

(At Syaoran’s apartment)

The door opened to the dark apartment and everyone walked in and took off their shoes. Lost walked up in front of the group and looked to Eriol.

“Do you think you can lift the spell now please? I think it is starting to make me itch.” He then scratched his side.

Eriol chuckled and nodded to the scratching boy in front of him, within seconds the illusion of his humanity faded and his spirit form returned. Delighted that his old was restored Lost reverted to a blue ball and bounced around a few times, landing on Syaoran’s shoulders and retuning to his boy form.

Now Sakura could see why she and the other never saw the scrapes and bumps on Lost before, his luminescent skin, combined with all the shade under the table made it so that the bruises and bumps only looked to be shadows and smudges. With careful hands she lifted the boy off of Syaoran’s shoulders. (A good thing to since the warrior on which Lost was sitting on looked ready to kill)

“Come on we still need to get you cleaned up, you coming Tomoyo?” Sakura asked, making her way to washroom.

“Alright! I’m coming!” Tomoyo skipped after them and closed the door behind her, leaving two sorcerers just standing there in Syaoran’s apartment.

“Imagine that, we were ditched for a small boy. In your own apartment no less.” Eriol said.

“We were ditched for a Clow Card boy who we are supposed to capture. Does anyone other than me think he could just be trying to gain our trust?”

Eriol paused for a second and looked at Syaoran. “Okay, if that didn’t sound paranoid I didn’t know what does.”

“Shut-up Hiiragisawa.”

Both men walked to the table and Eriol looked to the letter that rested on the table, the letter that Life and Death had left. He read it and looked to Syaoran, he shrugged not wanting to comment on his morning. Just at that moment two familiar high-pitched squeals rang out from the washroom, than loud splashing a couple thumps and gurgling noises.

With a quick glance to each other they were off like a shot to the closed door of the washroom. Wrenching the door open the sight that met them was the last thing that they had actually expected to see. Lost was sitting in the bathtub with only a towel tied tightly around his waist, his lantern was floating off to the other side slowly filling with water from the crack. Tomoyo and Sakura were draped across the edge of the tub, one on either side of Lost, their entire upper side of their bodies soaked. Apparently those three had gotten into a little water fight and Lost ended it by pulling Sakura and Tomoyo into the water with him.

Their laughter at the situation died down as the two men surveyed the situation from the door.

“Do you want to play with us to Mr. Syaoran, Mr. Eriol?” Lost asked while taking the sunken lantern and dumping the water out.

Sakura glanced up at the amber-eyed man who was staring down at her with a strange look, until she realized that her silken dress was sticking to her a lot more snugly then it should. The light blue colour did nothing to help cover what was underneath.

“Syaoran!”

“Sorry!” Syaoran spun around and immediately walked out. Damn, what was he thinking!

“My cute little descendent is a little high strung right now, isn’t he?” Eriol smirked and walked to Tomoyo’s side to help her up from the tub. Always the gentleman, he kept his eyes averted from Sakura and Tomoyo.

After that fiasco, and once Lost was all bandaged up the group sat down at the table.

“So The Records of Clow, who want to open it?” Eriol asked.

“Well he is your incarnation, why don’t you open it?” Syaoran challenged.

“Oh, but cute little descendent, he is you ancestor so you should be the one to open the book.”

“Ah, but Sakura is the chosen one and the Master of the Clow Cards so she should open the book!” Tomoyo said merrily.

“Hoe! No Tomoyo I say you should open the book. While capturing the Clow Cards all you did was make the costumes and I say you should have something more to do this time.”

“Your incarnation.”

“Your ancestor.”

“You are the chosen one.”

“You didn’t have anything to do the first time.”

“You’re all weird!” Lost exclaimed. For a moment there was silence, in which Lost had to ask, “What?” then came some giggling and chuckles, which lead to a bout of laughter. The tension in the air seemed to have lost its hold on everyone and it made everything so much more comfortable.

“Do you have any idea how stupid we must sound, fighting over who should open a book?” Syaoran sighed.

“Yeah, I don’t know why I didn’t want to open it. Maybe cause the last time I opened an old book I released all of the Clow Cards.” Sakura admitted.

“It only stands to reason that we were all nervous about what we would find in this very record book and if it was something bad, none of us wanted to be responsible for uncovering it.” Eriol said matter-of-factly.

“So we should get the only person who hasn’t been complaining about the book to open it.” Tomoyo purposed.

“Who?”

“Lost. Wait where did he go?” The gathering of teens looked about for the Clow spirit until they heard his childish voice not far from the table.

“What does this button do…?”

“You have 15 messages, first message…” Toya’s voice filled the room.

“SAKURA! I KNOW YOU ARE THERE! THE CHINSES GAKI BETTER NOT HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO YOU! YOU BETTER GET HOME NOW OR YOU ARE BOTH DEAD!” “End first message.”

“Second message…” This time is was Kero.

“HEY BRAT! I KNOW YOU HAVE SAKURA THERE YOU BETTER SEND HER HOME! Oh wait she was cover in cuts and bleeding everywhere… YOU BETTER ESCORT SAKURA HOME RIGHT NOW! DON”T MAKE ME COME OVER THERE OR I’M GONNA OPEN A CAN OF WHOOP ASS ON YOU!” “End second message.”

“Okay I think it is safe to say that they want Sakura home right now.” Eriol muttered as Syaoran got up and pulled the plug on the message machine so they didn’t have to listen anymore.

“Hoe… If the rest of the messages are like that one I think it is safe to say that Toya and Kero want me home right now.” Sakura giggled slightly.

“I suggest that you go home, the book isn’t going to go anywhere so it’s safe. But if either of those two decide to come here looking for you, none of us are safe.” Tomoyo said looking to Sakura with a smile.

“Alright, let’s do as Kero said, Syaoran you have to escort me home!” Sakura got up and went to the door for her shoes. Syaoran blushed a little but followed after the girl. After they put their shoes on Syaoran turned to the two teens still at his table.

“Don’t worry, we can let ourselves out. Now go escort the beautiful Lady Sakura home.” Eriol waved, Syaoran glared.

“Wait I want to come too! Please Miss. Sakura!” Lost pleaded. He looked up at her with big puppy dog eyes and stuck out his bottom lip.

“I want you to come but I don’t know how to make you look human so you don’t draw any attention to your self.” Sakura patted the boy’s head.

“Oh that is really quite easy, all you have to do is focus on what he would look like as a human.” Eriol instructed. Sakura looked at him a little surprised, she hadn’t expected the spell to be as easy as that.

“Okay, let me try…” Sakura kneeled down and took Lost’s hands in her own. After a second of concentration a glow of pink magic began where their hands were clasped. Another moment later, a boy with a lollipop, overalls and green band-aids all over his face stood there.

“I feel tingly all over now!” Lost laughed, causing some giggles to come from the girls.

Syaoran only rolled his eyes and left, letting Sakura and Lost catch up on their own.

(On the way to Sakura’s house.)

“How are we going to explain things to Toya and Kero?” Sakura asked.

“We?” Syaoran looked to her.

“Yes we! You are so coming in with me, I’m not facing Toya or Kero alone!” Sakura hissed.

“ Then take Lost with you.”

Sakura stopped for a second and thought about the offer, “Okay I’ll take Lost but you’re still coming as well.” Syaoran groaned. “But that reminds me…” Sakura glanced to the human Lost frolicking in the bushes ahead of them, “How do we explain him to my family, what do we call him, because we very well can’t call him Lost all the time.”

“Uh Lost come here for a second!” Syaoran shouted to the small boy. Obediently he came trotting back to the teens with a bouquet of flowers for Sakura.

“What is it Mr. Syaoran?” He squeaked, handing over his bouquet.

“While at Sakura house we have to pretend that you are my cousin who is up from Hong Kong to visit me, is that okay?”

“Sure!”

“We can’t call you Lost but will Li Shieng be alright?” (A/N I do believe that is the best name that my brain could come up with. I know it sucks, but please can you live with it?)

“Cool!” The new Li Shieng did a little dance for his new name but tripped and skidded on the ground, “Owww….”

Syaoran sighed and picked his up, “If you would stop dancing and twirling you would fall down like that.” And to everyone’s surprise (A/N even mine!) Syaoran lifted the boy higher and placed him safely on his shoulders.

Sakura looked up to Syaoran knowingly and smiled, ‘Just because you are rough and tough on the outside doesn’t mean you don’t have a soft spot on the inside. I guess Lost, I mean Shieng, just found that soft spot.’

(At Sakura’s House)

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!” Toya’s voice traveled throughout the house down the street and roughly was able to be heard at Miaka and Dren’s.

“Calm down Toya and let Sakura explain herself.” Fujitaka Kinomoto put a hand on his son’s shoulder and guided him to the living room, motioning for everyone at the door to follow.

“So, I myself have been a little worried about your well being Sakura, from what Toya has told me it sounded like Syaoran here snuck into your room last night and kidnapped you straight out the window.” Fujitaka chuckled a little, “I think I might want to hear the true events, then maybe you could introduce me to your little friend here.” He waved to Lost, who waved back enthusiastically.

“Sorry dad, this is Li Shieng, Syaoran’s cousin who is up visiting from Hong Kong.” She leaned in close to her dad to whisper, “Don’t mention the bruises or cuts, he got in a fight at his school.”

Fujitaka looked surprised for a second but recovered to greet the small boy. “Well hello Shieng, it is very nice to meet you.” Fujitaka shook hands with the boy while Toya tapped his foot impatiently for thing to being.

At last Sakura cleared her throat and began the strangest story she ever told, possibly worthy of Yamazaki Takashi and his tall tales. It started with Sakura realizing that she and Syaoran had a project due the next day that they hadn’t finished. Without thinking she immediately called Syaoran and he agreed that they should finish the project, so he rushed over. But when he got here they both realized that all their stuff was back at Syaoran’s apartment and instead of making Syaoran go get the stuff and come back, they just should take one trip to Syaoran’s. That would be when Toya walked in and got the wrong idea.

“That’s all good and well Sakura, but how would you explain the blood on your sheets huh?” Toya gave a death glare to both guilty teens. This cost Sakura dearly in the embarrassment department but she took a deep breath and stated in a deathly calm voice,

“It isn’t my fault that it is my time of the month.” The colour inn her face was at an all time high. Why? Why did it have to be her to say something like that!

The three older guys in the room were silent as death that was the one thing guys never spoke about, even with the opposite sex. It got them every time when any girl started talking about their ‘time of the month’ but Lost just had to ask.

“Time of the month for what, Miss. Sakura?”

All the guys tensed but Sakura only patted Lost on the head, “You will find out when you are a little older, Shieng.” There was a collective release of breath.

“Well, I hope you learned your lesson Sakura, please finish your school projects ahead of time. I don’t want to be repeating this affair again.” Fujitaka rose from his seat but glanced over at the two male guests that Sakura had brought home with her.

“Would you two like to stay for dinner?”

Toya shot a poison filled glare towards Syaoran, a look that promised pain later on.

“No, I think that I should be going Mr. Kinomoto. I promise that if Sakura and I ever have to complete another school project together that we won’t leave it to the last second.” Syaoran bowed slightly and motioned for Lost to follow him out.

“But I want to stay with Miss. Sakura!” he squealed and ran to hide behind her skirt.

“Sorry Shieng, but you have to come home with me or your mom might get worried.”

“But I want to stay and protect Miss. Sakura!” Lost shouted. Toya and Fujitaka shot the group questioning glances.

“We recently told him about bed bugs and the boogie-man.” Syaoran quickly explained.

“What if they come in at night and try to get her, you already know they can!” Lost squeaked and hugged Sakura around the legs.

Fujitaka couldn’t help but smile at the sweet situation; it reminded him of when Sakura was afraid of things that went bump in the night. She was so terrified one night that Toya was gonna get eaten by a bed bug that she stayed in his room that night to protect him, even though she was scared. Maybe it was the same thing with little Shieng.

“Shieng, if we call your mother maybe she would allow you to stay over the night with us so you can look after Sakura. Is that okay?”

Lost looked absolutely delighted. Turned out when they phoned Syaoran’s apartment Shieng’s mother wasn’t in, but his father was (Thank god Eriol had stuck around that long in Syaoran’s apartment) and he gave his permission for Shieng to stay.

(That night in Sakura’s bedroom.)

While it did take some time to convince Kero that Sakura was a hundred percent fine and that the Lost was perfectly safe, once the two boys got acquainted they hit it off fine with Zailon Warriors 5.

(Deep in the woods, in that far to familiar clearing)

“If that is not the most disgusting thing I have ever saw, I don’t know what is.” Fear gagged. Through a viewing glass that one of the spirits had stolen they had been spying on the traitor spirit.

“Oh Miss. Sakura! Mr. Syaoran! Save me from the big bad Clow Cards, cause they’re gonna kick my ass again!” Nightmare mocked in a high pitched voice that somewhat sounded like Lost, “That imp has got far to big a heart and an even bigger mouth!”

“Maybe be should do something about it.” Gurgled Illness who was currently hanging off of Sorrow who was hanging off of Illness; it was a continuous circle of drunken hanging and swaying.

“Yeah we should tie him up and burn him with lit cigarettes!” Proclaimed Sorrow. Both Spirits wobbled dangerously from laughing.

“That is a prefect idea Sorrow!” Illness punched the air triumphantly.

“I Know!” Sorrow squealed. Both spirits attempted to turn so they could hug each other but they ended up falling over in a heap on the ground. From off to the side Pain was watching the proceedings, ‘How pathetic.’ He thought and shook his bronze hair.

“Fear, Nightmare, separate those two or we’ll never have a decent word from either of them!” Pain barked.

At once the two male spirits chose a female and dragged then to separate sides of the clearing. Nightmare took Sorrow by the arm and guided one way, Fear grabbed Illness by the back of her dress and dragged her the other way. When they had gotten far enough away from each other the strange spell that seemed to be draped over the two insane spirits was lifted. Sorrow and Illness straightened themselves respectively and glared at the two male that had taken them away from each other.

Nightmare scratched his head underneath his jester’s hat, “It’s funny how easy all of us forget that you two are actually sane.” Nightmare chuckled, “You two are together so often that I just think you’re permanently smashed.”

Sorrowed growled and stomped on Nightmare’s foot, “Stuff it, clown boy! You know that when a human gets sick and depressed they tend to act a little out of character, that naturally would only be reflected in us since we are the to who cause such misery. It was the limitation that Clow Reed put on us!”

“Yeah, stuff that in your hat and eat it!” Illness threw a well-aimed rock towards Nightmare’s head. Only one made contact before Nightmare had enough sense to duck out of the way.

“Bitch! Dammit, I also forgot how nasty you two are when you’re separated!” Nightmare yelled. Fear pointed one of his mangled paws at his companion and laughed heartily until Illness preformed an extremely actuate chokehold on the beast like spirit.

Seduce watched her fellow companions quarrel until the idea came to her. “We can get him back.”

“What did you say Seduce?” Fear looked up from his wrestling match with Illness.

“I said we can get him back, and cause some damage to.” The lovely spirit said.

“Why would we want the imp back?” Sorrow snorted.

“Because he is valuable now. Both of those idiot card captors now trust him so if we were to turn him against them, they wouldn’t have the heart to hurt him.”

“How do we get him back though?” Nightmare asked.

“You.” Seduce pointed her finger to the jester styled spirit. “Sneak into Sakura’s dreams tonight, Lost is there to protect her so when he goes in to fight you grab him. It’s as easy as that, once we have Lost here the rest is easy.” Seduce paused before continuing, “Evil will most likely have to force Lost to see it our way, but after that it’s clear sailing.”

“All I have to do is sneak in sneak out? Where’s the fun in that, if I do this job I’m gonna make sure I have some fun, Nightmare style.” Nightmare smirked.

Sakura sat perched on the end of her bed (the bloody sheets had been changed) watching the games take place in front her. Syaoran had left for his apartment a while ago, so it as only Sakura, Kero and Lost in the room. Kero had challenged Lost to a couple of video games, but since Lost had never played the video games before he was doing badly.

“Not fair Cerberus, you know how to play and I don’t!” Lost wailed, this was his tenth attempt at beating the sun guardian and once again he lost.

“Now I know why Clow Reed called you The Lost card, because you lost ten times in a row!” Kero taunted, doing some sort of ridiculous victory dance.

“Ooohhhhh! Miss. Sakura tell Cerberus to stop right now!” Lost whined and came up to tug on Sakura’s pyjama pant leg. “Isn’t time to go to bed or something?” He still was in his human disguise, which was recently named Shieng and was no longer dressed in his overalls but in one of Toya’s old t-shirts.

Sakura shot a nasty look to Kero, as if to say ‘stop being mean’ then looked down fondly to the sweet boy/spirit and patted his head, “I guess we really should get to bed, I mean there is school tomorrow.” She began to roll out a spare sleeping bag for Lost to sleep in.

“Hey Lost, do Clow cards need sleep?” Sakura glanced over to spirit standing at her side.

He shrugged, “I don’t know I’ve never slept before so I don’t know if I need it or not.”

Sakura smiled and shook her head, ‘I guess that means he doesn’t need sleep.’

Kero yawned and floated over to his drawer where his bed was, “Well I think I did enough butt kicking tonight, I’m going to go to bed. Night Sakura, night Lost.” The stuffed animal like creature was asleep as soon as his hit the pillow.

“But- but shouldn’t he stay awake to protect too, Miss. Sakura?” Lost looked up to the young woman. Obviously he was serious about protecting Sakura.

Sakura smiled brightly to the boy, “I’m not worried Lost, you said you would protect me.” Lost instantly blushed and looked to the floor.

“Yeah I’ll watch you, but you need to get to bed so you get to sleep and go to school tomorrow.” Lost began to usher her to her bed.

As Sakura slid underneath her sheets and Lost began to borrow into his sleeping bag, someone knocked on her door.

“Come in.”

Toya opened the door and suspiciously looked around like he was expecting to see Syaoran hiding somewhere the room, “Just came in to say good-bye and good night, I’m going back to my apartment.”

“Bye Toya.” Sakura waved to her brother, but instead of him leaving, he came further into the room. He came to a stop in front on Sakura. To her surprise he bent down and enveloped Sakura in a hug. The hug was only a pretence so that he could whisper in her ear.

“I’m not stupid you know, I know that something is going on.” He whispered to her, Sakura when rigid in her brother’s hold. “Your little friend there better be able to protect you from those…nasty bed bugs.” Quickly he straightened himself and patted ‘Shieng’ on the head.

“You better protect my sister Shieng, or else.” Toya warned playfully to the supposed human boy. ‘Shieng’ nodded vigorously.

“Yes sir, I’ll protect her.” He saluted from the sleeping bag.

“Good.” Toya proceeded out off the room.

Once he was gone Sakura got up from her bed and locked the door so she would have no intruders in the night. She couldn’t have her dad walk in and catch sight of the true form of ‘Shieng’ patrolling around her room.

Turning to make her way back to the plush and temping bed that called to her, Sakura saw Lost looking to her pleadingly.

“What is it, Lost?”

“I don’t want to be any trouble Miss. Sakura, but do you think you could lift the spell now, I think I have a rash developing.” Lost scratched at his chest.

With a nod of her auburn haired head the spell that surrounded the Clow spirit dissipated. Promptly the young spirit shot out of his sleeping bag and bounced around the room.

“No more itching!” He cried with joy.

Sakura giggled at his antics and settled down into her own bed, “Lost you’re going to have to settle down if you want to stay in my room. I have school tomorrow so I need sleep.”

Lost shut his mouth and ceased all movement at Sakura’s word. A small smile graced her lips in thanks for his silence. She reached to her night side lamp and clicked it off leaving her little guard to watch over her from his floating spot on his lamp in the corner.

(Hours later, sometime real late at night)

Lost remained vigilant on his watch. Not once had he moved from watching his precious Miss. Sakura sleep. All was well and it seemed like no one was going to attack that night, for which Lost was completely grateful.

Slowly, so as not to make any noise, the spirit boy slipped from his lantern to the floor and skittered over to Sakura’s desk. Lightly he knocked on the draw that contained the Star Cards.

“Hello? Star Cards, do you want to talk, I’m lonely?” He whispered, “I’ll understand if you don’t.”

A glow came from within the drawer signalling that the Star Cards did wish to talk to the Clow Card. The large book drifted out off the draw and hovered before their spirit brother. The book opened on it’s own accord, the Cards came spilling froth and danced around the sitting boy. Lost giggled and reached out to the Cards.

“It’s so good to see you to!” Lost bubbled, “You all look so good, I see Miss. Sakura has taken really good of you guys…” He paused to listen to their answer, “You really think I would look that good as a Star Card… Oh stop, your embarrassing me…why would I be stuck with suck nasty creatures like the Dark Clow Cards? Well, they used to be really nice and were my best friends… Of course I want to join you guys! But not until the others are fixed… You guys are so sweet, I love you to!”

While he chatted with the many Star Cards, Lost let his guard down. Unfortunately he was so wrapped up in his talking, Lost missed the blackened shadow that slipped past the window and made it’s way towards the sleeping form of Sakura.

Suddenly the Cards stopped their dance and froze in the air. In a sudden frenzy they began to shoot around the room silently screaming so that only Lost could hear.

“What?! What is it?!” Lost called frantically. A random card flew over and smacked his head so that his eyes were turned towards the bed. He gasped at the sight; a dark mass was slipping into Sakura’s body through her mouth.

“No! Nightmare don’t do it!” Lost shot to Sakura’s bed and gripped the last inches of the mass.

“It’s my job to protect Miss. Sakura, I can’t let you hurt her!” Lost strained to pull Nightmare from Sakura’s mouth. For a second Nightmare seemed to hear Lost’s plea, he backed out of Sakura’s body and rematerialized to his original spirit body.

Lost relaxed his grip on Nightmare and smiled hopefully, “Thank you for stopping, Nightmare!”

Nightmare grinned and raised his fist, “It wasn’t her I was after you idiot.” He sneered and brought his fist down onto Lost’s head. The smaller spirit let out a surprised squeal before he was knocked out from the blow.

The Star Cards went into a further fury and crowded around Nightmare, trying to force him out of the room.

“Get away from me you half wit playing cards!” Nightmare growled and swatted at the pink zooming cards.

“Who are you calling playing cards, you horror movie reject!”

Nightmare and the rest of the Star Cards froze as the voice of the Card Mistress cried out in the dark room. All eyes turned to see Sakura standing on her bed with her star key at the ready to transform into the star staff. Her green eyes blazed in the darkness full of anger towards the intruder who had slipped into her room.

The navy demon who stood opposite of Sakura smirked, “You don’t actually think that you can be a match for me, do you oh beautiful half dressed one?” Nightmare taunted, letting his eyes roam over Sakura’s body.

He frowned slightly; “I liked you better in that nice little pink number you had on the other night.”

“Shut up and get out of my room Nightmare!” Sakura yelled.

“What will you do if I don’t?” Nightmare taunted.

“This!” Sakura transformed her star key into the star staff and summoned Windy to attack Nightmare. Little did that do, the demon merely stepped out of the way and smirked.

“Come on, I know you’re weak but that was pathetic. Now here is an attack!” Nightmare gathered his energy and prepared to unleash an attack on the Card Mistress. At that exact moment, Kero had awoken to the ruckus that was going on in the room.

He exited his drawer quickly, only to see the form of Nightmare hovering in front of his Mistress, ready to attack. In an attempt to save her, he transformed into Cerberus and threw himself at Nightmare, jabbing his claws into the demon’s lower back.

“What the!” Nightmare was pitched forward from shock toward Sakura. Nightmare saw where he was headed and saw this as his opportunity to have his fun. At the last moment, he grabbed the still knocked out Lost.

“Got’cha!” he hissed before morphing into the dark mass that he was when he tried to sneak into Sakura’s body. His dark form enveloped the poor Clow Spirit, trapping him inside the nightmarish depths of the demon. Sakura was unable to move or look away at the fearful sight until it was to late.

Nightmare came forward in a dark flash forced himself through Sakura’s mouth. She felt him inside of her, making his way through her body to her mind. The world began to haze over as dropped to her bed, clutching her head.

“Sakura!” Cerberus rushed to Sakura’s side.

“No! Please don’t do this, stop it!” She cried. She could feel Nightmare within her body, exploring her and going throughout her most personal places. There was such a violation that Sakura felt it was overwhelming her.

It was no use, any magic that she tried to use to expel Nightmare was not working, he was too powerful for her. He began to twist her mind to his will, making Sakura bend into the tormenting sleep that he presented. She fought hard, and the Star cards around her tried all they could, but eventually her consciousness soon faded into unconsciousness.

“No, Sakura stay with us, don’t give in! You can over come this!” Cerberus shook her shoulders, but to no avail. He couldn’t help her now, but there was one person who may be able to… As much as it pained Cerberus to say, he had to go get the Brat. So as fast as his wings could take him, Cerberus took off into the night towards the Chinese warrior that could hopefully save his Mistress.

Sakura’s body was left writhing on her bed, tears spilling down from her closed eyes. As the nightmares began to play within Sakura’s mind, she still called out a single name into the dark room.

“Syaoran!”

-

(At Syaoran’s apartment)

-

Eriol and Tomoyo had left a long while ago. Eriol had taken his time leaving; making sure to poke fun at Syaoran for everything that had went on that day. Then he had the audacity to expect Syaoran to thank him for pretending to be “Shieng’s” father over the phone. Syaoran had enjoyed forcing the reincarnated sorcerer out of his apartment.

Now Syaoran was alone in his apartment. Curiosity had gotten the better of him and he had taken the Records of Clow book from the table. The warrior sat on his couch, debating whether or not to open the book. If it held information that would help him and Sakura, how bad could opening a book be?

Syaoran took a deep breath; he was going to open the book. Carefully he pried open the first page, the old yellowed paper crackled from the movement. He looked down at the faded writing and let out the breath he had been holding. No explosions, no traps, no big obnoxious words scrawled across the page that read “HA! HA! GOT YOU!” It was completely safe. The only thing in it was writing.

“I have created the Clow Cards. There are so many of them, each is a beautiful and unique spirit, I look forward to getting to know each of them. Along with the Clow Cards, I have given them guardians: one of the sun, the other of the moon. Cerberus and Yue. How I enjoy their company, it gets lonely here without any other humans around to talk to. No other person dares to come near me for fear of my power...

With so many people in the world who fear and hate me, I have decided to keep a record of all the Clow Cards. Some day I will pass on and a new master will be chosen. I can only hope they find this book to help them with the immense task of caring for the cards and their guardians.”

With the dim light of the table lamp illuminating the words, Syaoran flipped through a few of the pages. It went over the 52 Clow Cards that Sakura had transformed into Star Cards. Talking about ways to sub-due each spirit with least amount of force and other useful tips. Next to each description, there was a beautiful sketch of the described Clow Card.

Syaoran sighed, “Now why couldn’t we have had this book eight years ago. It would have made Sakura’s and my life way easier.”

As he made his way further into the book, he came upon a section that was sealed by both a wax seal and magic.

“What the…” Syaoran narrowed his eyes and pried at the wax, it gave away easily by the magic seal that kept the pages closed remained in place.

“Why would Clow Reed seal his records book?” he wondered. Syaoran got a sneaking suspicion that if he opened the back section of the book, he would get quite a few of the answers to the many questions that were floating around in everyone’s head.

From his room, Syaoran retrieved some of his more powerful charms and sutras in hope of breaking the seal. After a fair amount of time and spent magic, his attempts were rewarded. The seal that had been placed of the pages was broken, and the first page revealed something that made Syaoran gasp and stare at the book.

Right there on the page was a striking sketch of both Life and Death. They stood side-by-side, tall and proud with their living chains attached firmly to their wrists. If Syaoran didn’t know that this was just a sketch, he probably would have thought that the two spirits were alive and real on the page.

‘What the hell are you doing here?’ Syaoran ran his hand over the sketch. ‘I wish Sakura was here to see this…’ he thought just after he ran his hand over the drawn in chains. They cracked under his touch. Syaoran pulled his hand away like it had been stung and brought the picture close to his face.

The chains weren’t cracked anymore. ‘Was that just a trick of the light?’

“I must be seeing thing.” Syaoran sighed and rubbed his eyes, “might as well see what Clow Reed wrote in this book.” He turned to the next page and tentatively began to read what had been written hundreds of years ago.

“They have come for me. After so long, Life and Death has come to claim me and take me to the after life. We have met few times before hand and from those delightful past meetings I have learned of the curse that they carry. My fascination with these unusual benevolent spirits is still present as they inform me that my time has come to die.

An idea comes to me as Death is about to take my soul, I could lift the curse that they have carried for so many years. There is no way to describe the way Life had reacted to the news; she was so overjoyed. In the end, I was able to strike a deal with the great beings. Life granted me one more year of life, in return I find away to break the chains that bind them to this mortal plain…”

That was the end of the first entry; the second was written right under the first.

“My year has been spent and I now have the solution to the curse, but the magic it took to create the solution has drained me severely. I welcome the time in which Life and Death come to collect on their end of the deal, for I am tired and weary. All my affairs have already been set in order; the Clow Cards have been sealed away and Cerberus and Yue have been informed that they will have a new master soon. I can feel Death with his ever present companion Life, this shall be my final entry in these records.”

‘Why would Clow Reed seal this away, it doesn’t have anything important written-.’ Syaoran stopped as his eyes came upon more writing on the next page. It was not the writing of Clow Reed, it was much more spidery and delicate. His amber eyes were drawn to the writing, even if he had wanted to turn away he couldn’t.

“Oh my dear friend Clow Reed, Death has taken him. He had worked so hard to help us, and now we have this slim chance of being free. Within the year that I gave Clow Reed, he had worked with the many forces of nature and divination to help us. Somehow during his toiling the man came upon what will be in the future. Somehow his descendent and his successor are of great importance to us if we were to be granted freedom.

He gave us Clow Cards, eight of them and told us to take care of them until the time was right, when the new master was chosen. He told us that they were the key to seeing true love, whatever that means. I don’t see how baby-sitting Clow Cards, waiting for mortals to come along, and seeing true love has anything to do with me getting away from these mortal binds. But if I get to be free, I swear to God I’ll tie myself to either the descendent or the new master to make sure I get my freedom!

I wonder how long me and Death have to wait?”

Syaoran stared at the page disbelievingly. So everything that Sakura and he has to go through, the things that the cards did to them, was just so Life and Death could be free! How selfish was that?!

There was a spark of anger that welled up inside him, a hatred for the forces of Life and Death that he couldn’t control. They had given the impression that they were fair and noble spirits, when in truth neither Life nor Death wouldn’t have bothered with him or Sakura if it weren’t necessary for their freedom.

‘If I ever get the chance, I’ll make both of them pay for the pain they put Sakura and I through!’

In an in-the-moment kind of anger, Syaoran tossed the book from his lap and let it hit the wall with a satisfying thump. After it hit the floor he remembered that it wasn’t his book, he was only borrowing it and it should be kept in good condition, so he got up and went to get the book. It had fallen open to a sketch that he didn’t recognize, so Syaoran brought the page up to take a closer look.

“No way.” The title to the page said ‘Nightmare’ but whoever the sketch was it definitely wasn’t the demon jester that Syaoran had seen in the park. This spirit was tall, in sweeping formal Chinese robes, with funny horizontal stripes and a bat pattern. He was drawn with a bright smile and lively eyes, looking far more friendly then the terror that he knew.

“If this is the real Nightmare, then who the hell was the guy we met?” Syaoran growled and started to flip to the next page, but he stopped when something huge hit the glass door to the balcony.

“Hey Brat! Sakura’s in danger, I hate to say this but you’re the only one who can help!” Cerberus yelled.

The instant those words left his mouth Syaoran had ripped open the door and was in the guardians face, “What do you mean Sakura is in danger! I thought you and Lost were watching her, you stuffed animal!”

Cerberus growled threateningly, “Look, do you think that the kid spirit would be able to stand up to Nightmare! And in my defence, I was asleep!”

“Maybe you shouldn’t go to sleep anymore because bad things tend to happen when you do go to sleep!” Syaoran yelled, running back into his apartment to grab his sword.

“Come on Brat, we don’t have time for this, Nightmare is inside of Sakura doing God knows what!” You could see the worry that was etched out on his furry face. “Hop on my back, it will be faster that way!”

Syaoran nodded and leapt onto the sun guardian’s back. They took off into the night flying faster than you could imagine. When the two of the desperate males had made it nearly have way to their destination, the moon guardian unexpectedly joined them.

“Yue, what are you doing?!” Cerberus hissed.

With his cool blue eyes Yue looked over to the winged beast that flew next to him, “Recently there have been strange powers around Tomoeda. I sensed that something was wrong; I was going over to check on Sakura to make sure that she was alright.”

“You’re a little late for the party Yue! Where were you when Sakura woke up with wounds all over her body, huh?!” Cerberus roared. Yue only shot him a look and kept on flying.

“Come on, can’t we go any faster!” Syaoran yelled and kicked Cerberus in the sides.

“I’m not a horse you know! I’m going as fast as I can!”

Soon the house was in sight and the group of three rushed through the open window of Sakura’s room, only to be confronted with the sight of a writhing and crying Sakura twisted on the bed.

“Sakura!” Syaoran dived to his secret love’s side. Her aura was dark and contorted with pain. Carefully the amber eyed young man shook Sakura’s shoulders, “Come on Sakura you have to fight this, you’re stronger than Nightmare! Please don’t give up!”

Random Clow Cards zipped about in the room, hovering worriedly over their mistress. Sakura tossed on the bed, arching her back as if something had hit her from behind.

Yue and Cerberus stood above their Mistress surveying what was going on. How could they fight an enemy that was inside of Sakura with out hurting her?

“What can we do? This is really bad!” Cerberus lifted up onto his hind legs and attempted to shake Sakura awake himself. It didn’t work; all he accomplished was shaking her body uselessly and getting Syaoran mad.

“Get off her before you hurt her you idiot!” Syaoran shoved the sun guardian away.

“If trying to wake her does not work, why don’t we try combating the nightmares?” Yue offered. Sakura cried out as a bloody slit suddenly appeared on her cheek. Immediately Syaoran took part of the bed sheet to cover the wound.

“If we’re going to start fighting something, we might want to do it quickly before something worse than this cut happens!” He hissed at the moon guardian. As he said that a bruise began to appear on Sakura’s flailing wrist and she whimpered.

“No- no please don’t do that! Someone, help me! Syaoran!” Sakura curled up into a ball with tears streaming down her face.

“Sakura, I’m right here. I’m going to help you so hold on!” Syaoran hollered and hugged Sakura’s frail body closer to himself. He turned to the guardians who stood behind him, “We’ve got to think of some way of fighting Nightmare while he’s inside of Sakura!”

“I can help you with that…”

Everyone in the room swung towards the window where the graceful figure of Life sat balanced just outside the window on a seat of silver chains. She looked somewhat worried sitting out there looking in on Sakura, Death stood behind her with a similar look on his face. Syaoran growled remembering that all they wanted was their freedom; anything that was happening to Sakura right now was their entire fault.

“This is all your fault!” Syaoran bellowed and lunged at Life.

She evaded his attack easily, letting the young warrior get caught off balance and have Death catch him. Syaoran straightened himself quickly and glared at the white haired creature.

Yue came up and placed a hand on Syaoran’s shoulder to hold him back from attacking uselessly again, “You are Life and Death are you not? What is your business here?”

Life opened her mouth to say something rash, but Death intervened, “Our business is the girl. As Syaoran had said, her condition is partly our fault and we wish to assist in correcting the problem.” Death looked to Syaoran.

There was something in his white-blue eyes that let Syaoran drop his guard on Death, though he still kept it up with Life. There was something unpredictable about the woman that he didn’t trust.

“How can you assist us?” Yue inquired.

“We can get one of you in there to help poor little Sakura.” Life cooed and ran a hand through Sakura’s auburn locks slowly. “It’s easy for either Death or I to displace life forces into different bodies.”

Syaoran stepped forward with a determined look on his face, “You can do that, get me into Sakura’s head so I can help her?”

“Hai, we wouldn’t be here if we couldn’t.” Life rolled her eyes.

“Right, then I volunteer to help Sakura, but not before you answer one of my questions.” Syaoran stated with an icy glare.

Life tipped her head, “What question?”

“Nightmare, in the Records of Clow book his portrait was completely different from what I’ve seen. Are there two different Nightmares, or is this some kind of sick joke of yours?” Syaoran asked forcefully.

Death cocked his head, “His portrait? You mean you read the Records of Clow?”

“Yes, now answer my question!” Syaoran stamped his foot.

Death nodded, “Humans are not the only ones who can be possessed young warrior. The spirit you know is not the same one who was given to us, this evil Nightmare is not the friend who Lost so desperately wants back. He is merely a puppet now to the master who is controlling him.”

“Yep!” Life shot up and rattled her chains excitedly, “So now that you know, in you go!”

Next thing Syaoran knew he was wrapped up in the many layers of chains and hoisted up into the air. A feeling of something pulling at him from within came to his attention but it was it only lasted for a second, then all of him felt like he was ripped inside out. He was on the other side of the room still wrapped up in silver chains, staring at his own body that lay limp in the chains grasp.

There was no time to ogle at the scene, for a second later he was hurtled into Sakura and thrust into and very dark place.

“Good luck Syaoran. I hope you kick Nightmare’s ass in there!” Life called cheerfully.

-

(Inside Sakura’s mind/body)

-

“Sakura! Sakura where are you?!” Syaoran yelled. He saw nothing but blackness around and heard nothing but silence from his surroundings. Secretly he wondered if he was even in the right place, Sakura is such a nice and bright person how could the inside of her mind look so dark.

“Wait, what’s that?” Syaoran squinted to get a better look at the light off in the distance. What ever it was, it was coming closer by the second.

When the lights were close enough to see clearly, Syaoran gasped. The many lights were windows and each window held a different scene. The first few were from when Sakura was very young, before she had even met Syaoran. With each memory that Syaoran saw hey got worse and worse, bullying and fights, in some of them ghosts were chasing Sakura around her school.

‘Nightmare is twisting all of Sakura’s memories into nightmares!’ Syaoran thought alarmingly. He banged his fists on a few of the floating windows.

“Don’t fall for these tricks Sakura, this never happen! You were never chased by ghosts, or bitten by bed bugs or-!” Syaoran stopped as the last window came up.

It was a cathedral with a huge pipe organ in the back. He could see up to the front were Syaoran could see the form of four figures. Lost was squished into a tiny birdcage floating behind a cackling Nightmare. Sakura was crouched on the ground clutching at her head and whimpering. What shocked Syaoran the most is the image of himself standing protectively in front Sakura, facing off with Nightmare.

“Watched closely Cherry blossom as I kill your little protector.” Nightmare sneered. He dove forward and drove his own fist through the Syaoran in the cathedral. Syaoran screamed as Nightmare wrenched fist around in his body, then with drew and pushed Syaoran backwards toward Sakura.

“SYAORAN!” Sakura screamed and ran forward to the warrior’s falling body. He landed with a dull thump in a puddle of his own blood.

“No please don’t die, Syaoran you can’t die!” Sakura sobbed into Syaoran’s shirt.

“Sakura, I- I tried…” The dieing Syaoran mumbled and slowly caressed Sakura’s tear stained cheek. “Good-bye.” With that his hand went limp and fell to his side.

“Syaoran? Syaoran NO!” Sakura wailed over Nightmare’s laughter and Lost’s yells of “You are a very bad person! You killed Mr. Syaoran!”

Syaoran backed away from the window. There was such a weird feeling welling up inside him.

He just watched himself die.

Syaoran stared at his unmoving body with a strange mix of disbelief and surreal-ness. It was only some sort of illusion created to mess with Sakura’s head, but watching his own death really struck a cord with him. Could he really die like that, in a single blow? Would Sakura cry for him like she was in that nightmare that the Clow demon created? Questions circulated inside his head like a whirlpool of jumbled thoughts.

‘What am I thinking?’ Syaoran shook his head forcefully, ‘I have to help Sakura; she’s the one in trouble! Whoever that boy is in the window, it isn’t me, it’s just some sort of illusion created by Nightmare! That bastard is going to pay for messing with Sakura by forcing her to think I am dead!’

With a renewed determined spirit Syaoran placed his hands on the seemingly solid window. To his surprise the window rippled and his hands slipped through like the window was made of water. He pulled back to examine his hands, when they passed through it was like they felt frozen but on fire at the same time; all of his nerves were tingling.

A scream broke through the deep silence of Sakura’s mind. Syaoran’s head snapped up to see Nightmare advancing on Sakura with a couple of long, sharp daggers in hand. He was taunting the sorceress by juggling the daggers dangerously over the heads of everybody. Sakura was backing away from the demon as quickly as she could, while clutching her now bleeding side where he had struck her with one of the daggers.

“Sakura!” Syaoran yelled frantically. It was no use; she wasn’t able to hear his yells from where she was on the other side of the window. He stood stalk still in horror as Nightmare proceeded to attack Sakura, she had no time to retaliate or defend herself.

Syaoran felt a fire hot anger boil inside of him and he leapt through the window without a second thought. He his feet hit the polished wood floor with a soft thud, his arrival was unnoticed by most of the beings in the cathedral. Only Lost noticed Syaoran come out from nowhere and the little boy spirit waved frantically from inside his birdcage prison.

“Mr. Syaoran! You have got to save Ms. Sakura, Nightmare is really going to hurt her!” he called out.

Nightmare heard Lost’s yell and looked to see what he was looking at. Once his blank eyes had rested upon Syaoran, the Chinese warrior charged down the isle and struck Nightmare mercilessly in the stomach. The Clow Demon was sent sailing into a wall with a resounding thud. In an instant Syaoran was at Sakura’s side.

“Sakura everything is alright now, I’m here.” Syaoran kneeled down to Sakura’s level. Sakura’s eye’s widened in fear and scrambled away from Syaoran like he was one of the Clow demons. “What’s wrong? It’s me Sakura, Syaoran.”

Sakura gasped and tears began to spill from her eyes, “No you’re not! Nightmare killed Syaoran right in front of me so you can’t be the real Syaoran! He’s dead!” Sakura wailed.

Syaoran swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. He spoke in a soft pleading voice, almost begging Sakura to believe him, “You can’t really believe that I’m dead, can you Sakura. That body over there is the fake one; Nightmare was using it to taunt you and mess with your head. None of that was real, I am alive and perfectly fine.”

The look in Sakura’s eyes told differently. The words that Syaoran was saying had little effect on her, she was too in shock to believe that Syaoran could really still be alive. Slowly her body began to inch away again, only to be stopped by the wall she backed herself up against. There seemed to be such a lost and scared look in her eyes that Syaoran’s heart wrenched painfully in his chest.

“Don’t lie!” She yelled pathetically.

“You heard her party crasher, stop lying.” Nightmare taunted as he got up out of the newly made dent in the wall. “You’re nothing but an illusion, I just killed the real Syaoran!”

“Shut up Nightmare!” Lost squealed from inside his cage, “Ms. Sakura, listen to Mr. Syaoran! He’s telling you the truth, Nightmare didn’t kill-.” He couldn’t finish off his sentence for Nightmare shot over to the cage and rattled its contents angrily.

“Shut your big gapping mouth you twit!” Nightmare hissed.

“No I won’t, not until you let Ms. Sakura out of this nightmare of yours!” Lost yelled indignantly.

Nightmare snorted, “Not a chance on your life imp boy! I’m just staring to have my fun with her and now the her little warrior has arrived I can have a lot more fun!” Nightmare shook the cage one more time then turned his attention back to the card captors who were on the floor before him.

“Oh yes, I’m going to start having a lot of fun!” The jester waved his hands in the air deftly. Where his hands met the air demons, monsters, ghosts, ghouls, and every other nightmare that Sakura had ever had in her life came shooting straight at her.

There was nowhere for Sakura to go as the frightful fleet of monsters closed in, the dagger wound she sustained wouldn’t allow her to move any further from where she was. Terror was brimming in every fibre of her being and was released as an ear piercing scream that rung throughout the great cathedral. Sakura closed her eyes and covered her head in a feeble attempt to protect herself from the impending attack.

An attack that never came…

A pained grunt came from somewhere in front of Sakura and she opened her eyes to see what had happened to the fleet of attacking monsters. Her eyes met the straining back of the ‘supposedly fake’ Syaoran. He stood between Sakura and her attackers, erecting a powerful magical shield to try and keep the monsters away.

‘Why is he protecting me?’ Sakura sat on the floor watching Syaoran strain against the fighting nightmares. ‘If he is just an illusion created by Nightmare, than why is he shielding me?’

Something was nagging at the edge of her mind. Sakura turned her head to the spot where the dead body of the Syaoran she watched die lay, to her complete horror the body was no longer on the floor. The bleeding body was up and tracking its way toward Sakura in a swaying fashion much like a zombie from the horror movies. The un-dead Syaoran ignored the inclosing armada of monsters who were fighting to get through the magical shield; he stepped around the screaming crowd and made his way towards Sakura.

Nightmare was laughing hysterically in the background, loving every minute of the watching the struggle. It was absolutely priceless the look on the little cherry blossom’s face when she saw Nightmare’s replica of her beloved warrior die. Now he was walking towards her and she looked as if all the blood in her face had gone south, leaving her looking much like a ghost.

Suddenly Nightmare was aware of someone grabbing the back of his hair and yanking him backwards.

“You suck!” Lost shouted. It sounded weird coming from him, but the grip he had on Nightmare’s hair made the small spirit sound slightly more threatening than he really was.

“Let go pip-squeak!” Nightmare swatted at Lost’ small hand.

“Ms. Sakura and Mr. Syaoran are going to beat you, Nightmare! And when they do they’ll fix you so you’re not a psycho anymore!” Lost yelled and pulled on Nightmare’s hair a little harder for good measure.

“You’re the one I’m gonna fix you imp!” Nightmare bellowed and tore away from Lost’s grasp. The demon stood angrily before Lost rubbing the back of his head where a small chunk of hair was missing. “The only reason I’m here right now is because of you, ya little ankle biter! But, being the superior and good-looking guy that I am, I decided to have a little fun.” Nightmare smirked, “I think I’m going to end it now.”

In an immense display of power Nightmare increased his attacking forces by at least ten fold. The barrage of monsters rained down mercilessly on Syaoran’s weakening shield, he wouldn’t be able to stand for much longer.

Unknown to the struggling Syaoran, who was trying to keep Sakura safe, the un-dead Syaoran had finally made his way to Sakura. Blood dripped down from his wound and splattered on Sakura’s smooth skin, he had her pinned down with her wrists above her head with one of his hands. No matter how much she struggled, Sakura was not able to free herself from the iron grip that held her wrists bound. With his free hand Syaoran drew out a dagger that was identical to the ones he was juggling earlier.

Sakura’s eyes widened in horror and she let loose a gut wrenching scream. Syaoran spun around in time to see his doppelganger begin to bring the dagger down on Sakura. His heart literally skipped a beat as the warrior made a mad dash to try and save his love, it was really unfortunate that when he dived to save Sakura.

The warrior dived in front of the descending blade just in time to stop it from piercing Sakura. Unfortunately the blade ripped through his flesh, tendons and scraped dangerously against his bone, lodging itself deep with Syaoran’s shoulder. The un-dead Syaoran smirked and disintegrated; his task of stabbing someone was completed. The real Syaoran gasped painfully and rolled to the side clutching his shoulder.

“Are- are you alright Sakura?” Syaoran asked, looking up into Sakura’s terrified eyes.

“Yes, but you- I- oh my Syaoran!” Sakura threw herself down to Syaoran’s side. It was painfully obvious who had been the fake Syaoran and who was the real Syaoran. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed into Syaoran chest. “Please forgive me Syaoran! I never wanted this to happen to you!”

“It’s alright Sakura, I’m fine.” Syaoran mumbled. Even if it was only his spirit in Sakura’s mind he still felt pain and the blood loss was making things to appear blurry. “You have got to wake up, this is all a nightmare. If you don’t stop Nightmare, we’re both goners…” Syaoran trailed off as he faded into unconsciousness.

The magical shield that protected the two of them flickered for a moment then disappeared completely allowing the monsters that had been held back to spill forward. Sakura’s head shot up to see the on coming cascade of her nightmares. She had nowhere to run and even if she wanted to Sakura couldn’t because she had to protect Syaoran like he had protected her so many times before. On shaky legs Sakura rose to face her enemy, her wounds were nothing but a dull throb in the background now. Her face was set with a look of determination, and with one last glance back at Syaoran, Sakura summoned all her magic and unleashed it in a torrent of power…

(In Sakura’s Bedroom)

Life stood anxiously above Sakura’s unconscious body with a resolve to stay there until the woman woke up. The pale spirit hadn’t moved from her spot above Sakura ever since Syaoran’s spirit had been shoved into Sakura’s mind; no matter what Death or the two Clow guardians said she refused to budge from her place. Anyone could see the barely masked worry that was painted across her as she stared unblinkingly at Sakura, and jumped ever time the young woman would gasp or cry out. It was by the grace of God that Life remembered that Cerberus and Yue were in the room so she attempted to look somewhat regal. (She was failing miserably in the regal department.)

“Oh no you don’t!” Life mumbled as she watched Syaoran begin to roll over from his place on the bed and shielded Sakura from view. It would have been cute to anyone else watching, Eriol would have had months worth of black mail and taunting if he had been there to watch. With a flick of her wrist, silver chains came up and gently pushed Syaoran back to his spot on the bed.

Death was conversing with Yue and Cerberus quietly; every now and again the dark spirit would glance over to see what his companion was doing.

“So Death, you say that Clow Reed gave you these Clow Cards to break your curse?” Yue asked,

Death nodded, “Yes, in return for his offer Life gave him an extra year of life to live.”

“That explains how Clow Reed would know when he was going to die.” Cerberus sighed.

“Yes, it is highly unusual for us to bend the rules of life and death for anyone, but you must understand that Life and I are desperate to break the curse that is upon us.” Death said. “But at the moment it feels like the cards he gave us are doing more harm than good.”

“Clow Reed would never do anything to intentionally hurt another person!” Cerberus growled dangerously.

“Cerberus is right, the evil that emanates from these cards is so unlike anything that Clow Reed has ever created before. I seriously doubt that he meant for anyone, especially Sakura, to get hurt.” Yue stated icily.

“Yes, I know.” Death laid a hand on Cerberus’s head and looked to Yue with a sort of half smile. “Your old Master was a special man, a human that was unlike any other that I have ever encountered. I know he would never want to hurt any other living being, but sometimes things don’t always go as planned…” Death trailed off and his eyes took on a far away look like he was remembering something from long ago.

At the moment Life shot up and waved her arms about to alert Death. “Death! Death something’s happening, its Syaoran! His shoulder is bleeding like hell!” Life screeched. Her chains went up in a flurry and dragged her companion to her side. “Look at him! He’s a mess; the wound is so deep!”

Death looked down to the warrior on the bed who writhed in pain as blood flowed freely from the deep stab wound that had just appeared on his shoulder. “It appears that Syaoran has been struck down.”

The two guardians of the Clow came up to look down at Syaoran.

“That looks bad.” Cerberus growled, “I can’t stand the scent of blood.” The sun guardian turned his head away from the bleeding boy.

Yue gazed down coolly at Syaoran then turned to Death, “Is the wound too serious for Syaoran to be able to carry out his mission of rescuing Sakura.”

Death shrugged, “Possibly.”

Life gasped and spun to face Syaoran fully and leapt up onto the bed.

“NO!” Life grabbed Syaoran by his collar. “No! No! No! You have to save Sakura dammit! Don’t you dare die on me Syaoran, I swear it, don’t die or I’ll kill you!” Life yelled hysterically and shook Syaoran’s unmoving body. (Everyone was pretty happy that The Silent was stationed outside of Sakura’s room at the moment, if she wasn’t Fujitaka would have surly woken up to Life’s yelling.)

“Life, stop that! It won’t do any good if you snap his neck.” Death stated calmly while trying to pry Life’s hands off of Syaoran’s shirt collar; eventually the women let go and gathered back the composure that she usually had.

Just as she let go, the room was suddenly spiked with some sort of powerful magic, a kind of magic that made every magical being in the room tense. Sakura’s body began to jerk and convulse, moving erratically on the bed. Her guardians both rushed to her side to aid their Mistress, but they could do nothing but watch helplessly as Sakura flung about the bed as if she were possessed.

“What’s wrong with her?” Cerberus roared, he reared up and spun to face Life and Death accusingly.

“She’s gathering every ounce of magic she processes for something...” Death stopped and gasped, he senses the attack coming and it was too big to be kept within Sakura’s body. It was going to spill out into the room and attack the rest of them as well.

“Life get down!” Death attempted to grab Life and dive away but it was too late. Sakura arched on the bed and unleashed a tidal wave of magical energy throwing all four occupants of the room against the walls.

“GET AWAY FROM US!” Sakura screamed.

There was a series of cracks and chinks that were heard throughout the room as the powerful magic inflicted its great damaging power upon everyone. The pink waves angrily continued to roar until they broke through the thin glass windows and soared out into the night sky where it erupted into bright pink explosions!

(Within Sakura’s Mind)

The sorceress was left panting heavily after she spent all of her magic. Before her lay the piles of ash and dust that once were the legions of nightmares diving to attacker her. She was only dimly aware of Lost’s cheering from across the room and a curious howling that was echoing throughout the cathedral.

“S- Syaoran, speak to me.” Sakura dropped to her knees and gently nudged the unconscious warrior. After what seemed like forever to her, Syaoran groaned painfully and came to.

“What happened?” he mumbled.

“I- I- um… I saved you…” Sakura whispered gently and fell into Syaoran’s with a dull thump. “Sorry Syaoran, I just feel so tired.”

“That’s alright, you just spent up a lot of your magic so it’s understandable that you are tired.” Syaoran used his uninjured arm to draw the young woman closer to him.

“Oh no! It’s not alright, look what your little bitch did to me!” Nightmare howled. Syaoran’s neck snapped to the side where he was met with a horrific sight. The demon Nightmare stood only meters away panting and gasping with great difficulty; his face and body had cracks going along them, as if the spirit was made of some kind of porcelain.

“I’LL MAKE YOU PAY!” Nightmare roared and lunged forward, some of the chips of the strange cracking mask fell away.

“No you won’t.” Both Sakura and Syaoran moved as one as they gripped their hands together and combined their powers to send Nightmare flying straight into the far back wall of the large cathedral.

“This can’t be happening, I’m cracking! I’m falling apart!” Nightmare struggled to rise; more of the chips had fallen away from his body. In the places where the opening were relatively large, the two sorcerers caught sight of someone underneath; someone who wore striped robes with a bat pattern.

“I can’t stand it when I lose!” Nightmare growled and stumbled towards the birdcage that held Lost. “Come on, I was only here for you anyways!” As the demon moved, more of the chips fell away revealing bits of the person who was hidden beneath the porcelain. Lost stared hypnotically at his kidnapper as a look of recognition dawned on his small face.

“Nightmare, is that you under there?” Lost squeaked.

“No brat, you’re seeing things!” Nightmare snatched the cage and gathered up remained of his power and morphed into the dark mass that had snuck into Sakura’s room. There was nothing that the two Card Captors could do as they watched Lost be swallowed up by the dark mass.

“Lost!” Sakura cried out and tried to run forward, but the injuries she had sustained from Nightmare were now throbbing full force and kept her from saving the boy spirit.

Nightmare snarled dangerously and shot upwards through the ceiling of the cathedral and out of Sakura’s mind. His exit from her did not go unnoticed as Life screeched and sent her chains flying towards the spirit. By the skin of his teeth, Night just avoided being captured and flew out of the shattered windows. Life leapt for the windows but was pulled back roughly by Death.

“He’s not worth it.” Death warned.

“I don’t care if he is worth it or not, that bastard has Lost!” Wailed Life.

Death winced and shook his head, “I know, but the boy will be alright. Our main priority is these two.” The man motioned to Sakura and Syaoran, both of whom were starting to awaken.

Life bit her lip and sighed. “As always you’re right, Sakura is far more important.”

“Hmmm…” Sakura stirred gently then opened her eyes to take in a pair of deep black eyes that were just inches away from her own, “Hoe!” “Eep!” the two females shot away from each other.

“Sakura argh!” Syaoran shot up into a sitting position when he heard Sakura’s cry but the pain in his shoulder halted him. “What’s going on!”

“Life!” Sakura yelped.

“Sorry!” Life yelped, “I apologize for the scare, I was just wanted to make sure that you were alright!”

“Lost, Nightmare! Where are they!” Sakura twisted about quickly looking for either the kind boy spirit or the evil dark spirit.

“Please Sakura, calm down. Unfortunately Nightmare has taken Lost with him, but don’t worry we will get him back.” Death stated calmly and guided Sakura back down to her pillow.

“No, we have to get Lost back.” Sakura moaned miserably. Seeking some sort of comfort she turned to Syaoran to hold him, only to have him gasp in pain when she held his shoulder.

“Syaoran, I’m sorry I forgot about your shoulder! You got that because of me!” Sakura wailed and raised her hands to try and heal the wound like she had done for Syaoran the night before. The instant the young woman tried to summon her power an intense wave of weariness washed over her and she slumped forward. Before Sakura was able to land though lengths of silver chains wrapped about her lithe form and laid her down once more.

“Don’t even think about trying to heal up Syaoran, you have no magic left over after that stunt you just pulled.” Life scolded gently. Then she turned to Syaoran, “And you! Thank Yo!”

“Don’t even try to thank me! This is your fault in the first place!” Syaoran roared and glared his most ferrous glare at the two entities of Life and Death. At least they had the honour to bow their heads in shame.

“We know.” Death sighed.

“What are you talking about Syaoran, what is their fault? This is Life and Death, we can trust them…” Sakura trailed off as she saw both Syaoran and Death shake their heads, Life kneeled down to Sakura’s level and looked into her eyes.

“We took advantage of you Sakura, do you think you could ever forgive us?” Life looked deep into Sakura’s emerald eyes with her own pitch black eyes.

“How did you take advantage of Syaoran and I?” Sakura asked quietly.

When no one answered Syaoran growled and answered, “they made a deal with Clow Reed. Life gave him an extra year to live and in return he agreed to give them a way to break the curse that they are under. He gave them eight Clow Cards to hold on to for a certain time until they could release them, on us.”

Syaoran got a slight bit of satisfaction as he saw the horror spread across Sakura’s face, but all that satisfaction drained away as she spun to face the kneeling Life.

“You’re under a curse, how awful!” Sakura reached forward and hugged Life around her neck. Syaoran sat in shock as he watched the cheery blossom envelope the spirit in a great hug; he had been expecting her to be angry or upset not sympathetic.

‘Of course Sakura isn’t that kind of girl, she’s too nice to care that she’s being used to help someone else. If someone is in pain and she can help, there is nothing that matters more.’ Syaoran mentally sighed.

“What kind of curse do you have? What is it that you need from us, I’ll do anything that I can to help!” Sakura declared as she ended her hug. Life and Death looked to each other, apparently they had been expecting what Syaoran had been expecting not the kindness and sympathy they were being shown.

“It is a special curse, unlike any other on earth.” Death stated and kneeled next to Life before Sakura.

“Hoe?”

“Can you see us Sakura?” Life asked.

“Of course I can.” Sakura tilted her head, what a strange question to ask.

Life lifted her hand to Sakura’s face and cupped the sorceress’s cheek delicately, “Can you feel us Sakura?” Life asked.

“Yes…” Sakura answered, she didn’t know where this was going.

“Can you hear my voice?” Life asked, her voice no more than a whisper.

“Uh-huh.”

“Tell me dear girl can you break these chains?” Life let her silver chains slide up onto Sakura’s lap. Sakura looked down at the silver and saw that the chains were far more chipped and cracked than the last time she had seen them, Sakura tugged on the offered metal gently but it didn’t budge under her hand.

“No.”

Life nodded, “That is our curse Sakura. You shouldn’t be able to see, feel, or hear me. These chains shouldn’t be here… Before the curse Death and I were not tangible things, we merely existed as the forces of life and death. There was no thought or pain, we just were, but now we are real, we have bodies and all that comes along with being alive.” Life sniffed and laid her forehead down on the sheets of the bed.

Death placed a hand on his companion’s shoulder, “we long to go back to what we were; nothing.”

Nobody spoke after they heard the truth, there was nothing to say that would be right to respond with.

“Now that you know the truth, will you still capture the cards and set us free?” Life asked, ending the silence. “Will you end our pain?”

All eyes turned on Sakura since it really was her decision of what to do. Sakura turned to Syaoran, "What do you think?"

Syaoran shrugged, "Whatever you decide I'll follow along. As long as you are okay with your decision."

Slowly she nodded and looked back at Life, “Of course I’ll help you Life. If Syaoran and I are your only hope of being free than I would never just leave you to suffer.”

“Truly!” Life asked. Sakura nodded happily. “Thank you Sakura! Thank you! I don’t know what to say, how can I repay you!” Life wiped her eyes even if there was no tears, “Wait I know, I’ll heal those nasty wounds!”

Without warning Life dived forward and sealed her lips to Sakura’s. Sakura gasped and stiffened in shock but Life merely stayed where she was in the lip lock. Within seconds Sakura felt the magic enter her, it was unlike anything she had felt before. The power was so soft and gentle like a mother’s touch and washed away all the pain and tiredness that inhabited Sakura’s body. Wounds began to seal and her skin was even being cleansed of all the blemishes that had appeared there throughout her life. There was such a feeling of gentle kindness and purity that it overwhelmed all of Sakura’s senses.

But before she knew, Life ended the kiss and backed away, “There all better!” she proclaimed. The male population of the room stood dumbfounded with their jaws hanging open. A light twinge in Syaoran’s shoulder brought him sputtering back to reality and he looked wide-eyed at Life as she grinned down at Sakura who was staring with an amazed shocked look on her face.

Syaoran grew very red in the face as he realised Life had been kissing his Sakura! The warrior swung his head around to glare at Death as if it were his fault.

Death caught Syaoranglared and must have interpretated it the wrong way becuase he raised his hands and stated,"I don’t swing that way.”

Syaoran snorted and shook his head, “I’m glad you don’t! But couldn't you have controlled her!”

Death shook his head, "I've been trying to do that for thousands of years, it's not like it's an easy thing to do."

Life tilted her head to the side, she missed the short exchange between Syaoran and Death but must have guessed they were talking about healing him as well. “Right! I can’t leave your poor shoulder like that! Here let me help you.” Life leaned over Sakura to Syaoran but he drew away quickly.

“Oh no you don’t! I don’t want your kisses!” Syaoran yelled indignantly. Life shook her head, not taking no for an answer, and pecked the young man on the cheek innocently. In an instant his shoulder healed up, as well as the various wounds, marks and blemishes.

As Life stepped back from the newly healed humans, her silhouette was illuminated by the first licks of sunlight coming over the horizon.

Sakura gasped and looked to Syaoran, “We have school today Syaoran and we haven’t slept a bit, we’re going to be dead tired today! I wanted to get enough sleep so that i was wide awake to meet Miaka and Dren.”

“Oh that's right! And I still have to get back to my own apartment!” Syaoran groaned and began to rise from his bed.

“Wait!” Life cried and whipped something out from her sleeve. There was a bright flash and seconds later the woman was waving a developing picture of Sakura and Syaoran in the same bed together. “Okay, now you go!” Life cheerfully waved and stepped upon a platform of chains and left through the window, Death trailed out after her without a word.

"I should be going now that everything is in order.” Yue said and began make his way to the window, “Syaoran, I could fly you home if you wish?”

“Uh…sure!” the warrior scrambled from the bed and left quickly with the moon guardian.

Cerberus became Kero once more and floated over to his Mistress who began to sniff sadly.

“Sakura, is everything alright?” Kero asked, “Did Life forget to heal one of your wounds?”

“No I’m fine Kero, it’s just that I feel so sorry for Life and Death. They are going to all this trouble to be free and I’m not entirely sure that I can help them.”

Kero shook his small teddy bear head, “Of course you can help them, I know that you can. You have to believe that you can.”

Sakura wiped her eyes and smiled, “Yeah I should believe that I can do this or I’ll never succeed. And the same goes for rescuing Lost, I know that we’ll get him back!”

“That’s the spirit, now try and get some rest before you really have to wake up.” Kero ordered and tucked in his Mistress. With help from The Sleep, the Clow Mistress was off into dreamland quickly without a nightmare in sight.

(In the clearing of the Clow Cards)

“Let me go you bunch of jerks! What did I ever do to you huh? I don’t deserve to be treated this way!” Wailed Lost as he was tossed about between Illness, Sorrow and Fear.

“Aw, isn’t that cute. I don’t think he likes our game of toss the imp.” Fear taunted then caught Lost in his jaws. With a vicious fling, Lost was once again thrown into the air screaming.

“We’re going to make him one of us! We’re going to make him one of us!” Illness and Sorrow sang. They had been pushed together recently and now they wouldn’t stop singing their little song. Together they caught Lost but toppled over on the ground and Lost made a break for it.

“Not so fast!” Pain bellowed as he grabbed Lost by the back of his robes, “It’s time you start seeing thing our way!”

Lost gasped and began to struggle desperately, “No! I don’t want to!”

“That is too damn bad!” Pain growled and dragged the boy to the end of the clearing where Nightmare was emerging. The Clow spirit was now fully healed and not a crack on his person could be seen. There was a new malicious glint in his blank eyes as he looked towards Lost.

“Hope you have fun with Evil, little Lost boy.” Nightmare snarled and snatched Lost by throat. The boy sobbed and struggled weakly against Nightmare’s hold.

“We used to be friends Nightmare.” He whined pathetically.

“Oh and we will be friends again, just as soon as Evil gets through with you!” Nightmare cackled and threw Lost into the thicket of trees.

The boy got up unsteadily and looked around himself, wasn’t someone supposed to be here? The clearing he stood in was silent and dark and there was am ominous feeling of pure hellish evil in the air. From the bushes, tentacles began to sneak out towards Lost.

“Evil, please don’t do this, can’t we just be friends?” He squealed desperately and tried to run. It was no use; the thick drowning darkness caught him and enveloped him, dragging the boy down into the darkest pits of his own being.

It was like being drowned by terror, being ripped apart by hell, and slowly dieing by melting apart from acid. Evil soaked into Lost like water to a sponge, churning his insides and destroying his mind. Lost cried and screamed until his throat was raw and sore, it seemed like no one could heard him. Soon the spirit boy was nothing but a sobbing shell of what he used to be.

“Hush, we will be friends soon enough.” Hissed Evil before everything went black.

Sakura rubbed her eyes gently in attempt to clear the small tears that welled there as she leaned on Syaoran for support. Thanks to The Sleep, neither teens were tired they were actually fully rested, but the events of a few hours earlier weighed heavily on their shoulders. Sakura felt that it was her fault for letting Lost get kidnapped, if she had tried a little harder to save him along with Syaoran and herself, the boy spirit would be safe.

Syaoran felt the delicate cherry blossom’s shoulder quiver again and he brought her closer to him to try and ease her pain. He also felt the guilt of not being able to save the innocent boy. He looked around to see if any other student was around, no one was around since it was still miraculously early for anyone besides them to be there. After making sure no one was able to see what Syaoran was about to do, he brought Sakura into a gentle hug.

The strong warrior wrapped his cherry blossom in his arms and held her like she was a glass rose, tucking her close to his chest so that he could offer as much comfort as he could. Sakura gasped in surprise from the sudden move, but quickly wrapped her arms around Syaoran. Slowly the salty tears that flowed from Sakura’s emerald eyes dampened the front of Syaoran’s uniform. He did nothing to stem the flow; instead he slowly lifted Sakura from the ground and walked to a secluded tree that was just behind the school. He found a relatively good spot underneath the tree to set Sakura down, letting the plush grass cushion her where she sat.

The soft morning light and the gentle tune of morning bird song soon soothed Sakura so that her tears eventually stopped.

“Lost is going to be alright, right Syaoran?” Sakura asked quietly as she leaned on Syaoran’s side for a little more comfort.

“Shh, don’t worry Sakura, it’s going to be alright.” Syaoran whispered to the sniffling girl next to him. “We’ll get him back.” He felt her head nod against his shoulder.

“May I ask, get who back my cute little descendent?” asked someone from just behind Syaoran.

In surprise, Syaoran spun around to come face to face with Eriol and the lens of a camera that Tomoyo was holding. For once, Syaoran, did not shoot away from Sakura in embarrassment, he only glared at the two behind him. Did Eriol and Tomoyo have some sort of radar or something that just honed them in on Sakura and his “moments”?

“Aren’t you going to answer me, get who back?” Eriol asked again.

Syaoran growled angrily, “Get Lost back. There was a huge fiasco last night that you missed; Nightmare came to Sakura’s room and went inside her body. The stuffed animal came and got me, then Life and Death showed up and it all went to hell from there. In the end Nightmare got away and he took Lost with him.”

Eriol stood in shock, how could this have happened without him even being aware of? Tomoyo on the other hand gasped and leapt to Sakura’s side.

“Oh Sakura are you alright?” She cried and wrapped her arms around her best friend. Sakura accepted Tomoyo’s embrace and returned it.

“Yeah, I’m okay thanks to Syaoran but I can’t help but feel scared that Lost is going through something horrible right now.”

Tomoyo bit her lip and looked at her best friend, Sakura’s eyes were red from crying and you could tell that she was holding back from crying more. There wasn’t much that Tomoyo could say that would ease any of the young sorceress’s fears. So the dark haired woman merely brought her friend into another tight hug. A prickling sensation came to Tomoyo’s eyes and some tears began to flow like twin rivers down her cheeks, just as the dam broke on Sakura’s tears and she let them flow from her eyes.

Eriol still stood in spot until he was rudely snapped out of it by a very rough shove.

“It’s not polite to stare.” Syaoran stated and abruptly sat down next Sakura on the opposite side of Tomoyo. Eriol immediately took a seat next to Tomoyo. Shortly after, both of the new comers were filled in on every detail of what happened last night, right down to Life stealing a kiss from Sakura just so she could heal her.

“Eriol, why would they take Lost? What would be the advantage of taking a little boy?” Tomoyo asked quietly, both she and Sakura had stemmed the flow of their tears and were calming down.

Eriol sighed, “The Lost card is a very weak and insignificant card, he does not hold a lot of power and isn’t strong enough by himself to be any threat to anyone…unless you call losing your socks frequently a threat. (A/N You may not think this is a very dangerous thing but if it happens enough to you, it threatens your sanity severely!) That’s why Lost has not been bothered with up till now, instead of wasting the power it takes to turn him evil they have just pushed him around like bullies to get their way.”

Syaoran glared, “Your giving reasons why Lost shouldn’t be bothered with. Give me a reason why they took him!”

“I was getting to that.” Eriol stated, “My guess is that it is partly your fault that Lost was taken-.” Eriol was cut off as Syaoran growled and glared very dangerously. “Now hear me out, you and Sakura made Lost a very valuable spirit to the other Clow cards. He has a connection to you. You’re friends with him, and that can be used against you.”

“You mean they’re going to use him as bait or something?” Sakura asked horrified.

“Possibly, your guess is as good as mine, but I think that whatever happened to the other Clow Cards is going to happen to Lost. They’re going to somehow brainwash him to fight against you.” Eriol stated gravely.

“That’s terrible!” Tomoyo exclaimed. “But how will they brainwash Lost, doesn’t that take a lot of magic or something?”

“Yes, it does take a lot of magic, but I have a guess on where the magic the magic is coming from.” Eriol said, then he leaned forward to Syaoran, “Remember at Miaka and Dren’s I told you that the Clow Cards had given Clow Reed a bad feeling. I sorted through the memory and found it wasn’t all eight of the cards that he disliked, it was only one that got a bad feeling from.”

“Evil.” Syaoran hissed

“Yes, this card’s creation seems to be an accident. During the formation of the other seven cards Evil somehow slipped itself in and formed itself into a card.” Eriol stated his face was a mask of concentration as he brought forward memories of his pervious life. “Since Evil was an unexpected creation, it does not have a true body. The magic that gives it form is so unstable that it is unable to bring itself together to make a real body like the rest of the Cards.”

Sakura nodded, “Yeah when Syaoran and I met Evil in the park, it was like solid darkness or liquid smog.” She shivered as she remembered the experience; “It was more like I felt him rather than seeing him.”

Eriol nodded, “That sounds about right. But with its condition it gives him an advantage, it is able to slip into another living being body and manipulate that person from the inside.”

“The way you say it Hiiragisawa, it sounds like this card doesn’t need a master to do what it wants.” Syaoran growled.

Eriol looked over at his descendent with a strange glint in his mysterious eyes, “That’s the thing my dear descendent, it doesn’t need a master. It is able to be wicked on its own without the command of anyone.”

“How come? I thought all Clow Cards and Star Cards needed a master.” Sakura asked. She was quite shocked at all the new things that she was finding out this morning.

“Think about it, the Cards themselves are not evil in anyway, shape, or form. If an evil-hearted person were to command them to do wicked things it would be the master that was evil, not the cards. All of them are supposedly “neutral” on their standing on good and bad. Evil on the other hand was bad before it was put into a card, he had sentience before this whole mess making him able to decide what side he wanted to stand on. Apparently he decided the sides of the other cards for them as well.”

“Isn’t there anything that we could do? If it really isn’t the Clow Card’s fault because Evil is controlling them, couldn’t we break the spell somehow?” Tomoyo asked. “Wouldn’t they be “neutral” after they’re free?”

“My guess is they would return to how they were when they were first created, but how do we accomplish breaking such a powerful control?” Eriol sighed.

Syaoran tensed. There was something he was forgetting, something very important. He dug through his mind in an attempt try and find what was tugging so desperately at his consciousness.

Sakura sensed that the man beside her tensed and now he took on a far more pensive stance. “What is it Syaoran?” She asked and lightly laid her hand upon his shoulder.

Syaoran jumped as he was brought out of his thoughts; at least he found what he was trying to remember. Without even answering Sakura’s question Syaoran stated bluntly, “I think we almost broke the spell last night.”

“What are you talking about?” Sakura tipped her head to the side. Eriol and Tomoyo directed their attentions over to the pair as well. Syaoran looked up to see everyone looking his way; he sighed and reached into his bag to draw out the old book that was on loan to him.

“I’m not completely sure, it’s just take a look at this.” He flipped to the few last pages of the book and held the page that had the picture of the original Nightmare on it. “Take a look, this is what Nightmare is supposed to look like, but that isn’t what we saw, is it Sakura?”

“No, the Nightmare I know doesn’t look this nice.” Sakura said while running a delicate finger over the yellowed page. Her finger stopped when it ran over the pattern of stripes and bats that was on Nightmare’s robes.

“Wait, this looks familiar,” she whispered, “I saw this… I saw this underneath the cracks.”

“Cracks?” Eriol asked. He was quite intrigued by the picture of Nightmare, apparently even if he had memories of the Cards he wasn’t able to recall what they looked like.

“Yeah. The first time I attacked nightmare he got these weird cracks all over him, like he was wearing a shell or something.” Sakura explained. “Then when both Syaoran and I attacked together with our magic he really started to fall apart.”

“His whole body!” Tomoyo gasped. The image of a man falling apart limb by limb entered her mind.

Sakura shook her head quickly, “Not like that. Just the top layer, underneath was another person and he was wearing these robes.” She tapped the picture of Nightmare to emphasize her point.

“Exactly, like we had cracked through whatever spell he was under.” Syaoran exclaimed.

Eriol smiled his mysterious smile, “Yes it would seem that there is something about the magic that you and Sakura possess that gives you the advantage over the brainwashed Cards. Somehow, you two can break through the shield that Evil put around the others, with this knowledge we know that getting Lost back will be far easier.”

“You hear that Sakura, you can get Lost back!” Tomoyo brought Sakura in for a tight hug. Sakura returned the gesture wholeheartedly. Syaoran nodded and placed the old book away in his bag.

Everyone was now feeling a bit lighter in spirits now that they thought there was a chance of having a good defence if any attack came their way. It was just some of the smaller details that were still eating away at Syaoran but he shoved those thoughts away so that he could better enjoy the rest of his day.

Soon the ‘none magical’ crowd of friends began to arrive. It didn’t take them long to find the group of four who was relaxing out in the back of the school underneath a shady tree.

“Morning!” Rika chirped joyfully. Once she spotted Sakura her eyes flew to the watch at her wrist, “are you early or are we just really late?” she asked jokingly.

Sakura shook her head, “I’m just really early for once. Too was too excited about today that I just couldn’t stay home.”

Naoko tipped her head, “what do you mean, what’s happening today?”

“A couple of Eriol’s old friends just moved here and are going to attend this school.” Tomoyo explained.

“Really, isn’t it a little late in the school year for students to be coming in, I mean it’s April already. School’s almost done!” Chiharu exclaimed as she came around the corner, followed by poor Takashi who’s in was in Chiharu’s vice grip.

“Did you know that students coming in at the tail end of a school year always means bad luck for everyone. In the old days when a student transferred into a school late the crops in that town would fail and-.”

“Enough of that Takashi!” Chiharu yelled and shook her fist that held Takashi’s ear. “No more of your lies, no one believes you!”

Eriol chuckled and shook his head; he got that mischievous glint in his eyes. “On the contrary this is all very true, what schools used to do to kids when they tried to transfer in at a late date is test them is ridiculously hard trails until they went mad and couldn’t attend school anymore.”

Sakura stared at Eriol, he looked as serious now as he did talking about the Clow Cards, so she found herself leaning towards the idea of what was being said was true.

“Are you sure, Eriol?” Sakura asked lightly. “No one would really do that would they?”

Syaoran growled and glared murderously towards Eriol. “No Sakura, what Hiiragisawa and Yamazaki said was all lies, horrible lies at that! You shouldn’t fall for such stupid things.”

Sakura felt a blush creep on to her cheeks. She couldn’t believe that she actually had started to fall for it. Syaoran caught her embarrassment and softened his expression. He laid a hand on her shoulder and gave her one of his rare smiles.

“Sorry, I got carried away.” He apologized. “I’m still a little riled up from, you know ‘this morning’s discussion’. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

Sakura just nodded and blushed, the sincerity that she saw in Syaoran’s eyes really warmed her. Both of them became caught in the gaze of their secret love, identical smiles appearing on their lips. Unfortunately this moment was very public and every teenager witnessing the scene were big fans of the supposed ‘secret love’ that was between Sakura and Syaoran.

“Get a room you two.” Rika teased. Everyone aside from the two card captors laughed.

Syaoran and Sakura shot apart from one another and their cheeks flamed red. This fuelled the crowd to laugh harder.

Naoko calmed down first and wiped the tears of laughter out of her eyes, “come everyone, we’ve got to get going inside, it’s getting late.”

“Wait, Eriol what about Miaka and Dren? Shouldn’t they be here by now, do they even know the way?” Tomoyo asked.

Eriol scratched the back of his head guiltily. “I’m not completely sure that they know the way, but they have maps so as long as Miaka isn’t the one reading them they should be able to find the school.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

Classroom

Everyone in class was already assembled in the classroom; the bell was about to go any second.

“Eriol, they’re still not here!” Sakura whisper desperately.

“Don’t worry, Miaka and Dren will get here…eventually.” Eriol stated.

The bell rung and Mr. Takahata came in to take attendance. Shortly after he cleared his throat to make an announcement to the awaiting class.

“Today we were supposed to have two new transfer students in our class but it appears that they are not present right now-.” He was cut off by the screeching of tires that came from outside. Sakura’s head swung around to see what was the matter only to catch the brief glimpse of a speeding car with something white and billowing in the passenger’s seat. It was out of sight in a matter seconds, ripping around the corner of the school to the parking lot.

Eriol clapped his hands together grandly. “It seems that Miaka and Dren have finally found their way here!”

Mr. Takahata calmed the class down and coaxed his students back into their seats. The excitement of seeing such a thing outside in the morning had everyone chattering excitedly about who the two new students really were.

Chiharu stopped in the middle of her conversation with Naoko, Rika, Sakura, and Tomoyo. Chiharu, Rika, and Naoko were in the middle of trying to get every detail of information about Miaka out of Sakura and Tomoyo.

“Does anybody hear that noise?” Chiharu asked. Some people stopped to listen; their ears caught a strange noise that was coming from down on the first floor. Slowly the loud banging/screeching/crashing noise made it’s way upstairs and could be heard galloping down the hall that Mr. Takahata’s classroom was in.

“What in the world?” Mr. Takahata exclaimed. He went over to the door and slid it open to see what the disturbance was. He wasn’t able to get a good look at whatever it was because a ghostly white form flung itself into the room with a mighty cry. Following directly after the ghostly form was a much blacker form that came in silently. The shadow dove for the ghost and knocked the teacher out of the way.

The class went wild with questions and rushed to the front to get a better look at what had crashed in. they crowded around in a circle but no one seemed to be able to get a good look at what was happening. Only thing they could make out was that the ghost thing was brawling with the shadow.

“Hey, is this a fight!” “What are they!” “Is Mr. Takahata alright!” “Wait a second I think one of those things is a ghost!” “Then the other has to be a demon!”

“Ghost? Demon!” Sakura cried out in fright. She tried to back away but Syaoran caught her by her shoulder.

“That’s no demon and there’s no such thing as ghosts.” He stated firmly. “Take a closer look.”

Sakura turned hesitantly back to the pandemonium at the front of the class. Amidst the raucous, the forms of Miaka and Dren gradually became clearer. Dren had Miaka pinned harshly to floor and Miaka was struggling for all she was worth.

“It was your fault that we were half way to Kyoto before we realised we took the wrong way!” Miaka screeched.

“My fault! You were the one reading the map!” Dren roared.

Eriol quickly stepped up to the front; he would have to break them apart before another fight erupted. “Miaka, Dren, get up. You two are making a ridiculous scene, on your first day of school no less.”

Silence descended upon the pair as they guiltily looked up into Eriol’s face.

“Uh…Hi Eriol.” Miaka chirped unsurely. Dren released his hold on the albino girl and stood up quickly, Miaka followed suit as soon as Dren was up.

“Whoa, now that was quite a ride.” She exhaled. Her uniform was rumpled and faded so light it was almost white. Her veil of white hair was tied back in a tremendous braid that proudly sported a bright blue ribbon at the end.

“That is absolutely the last time I let you ever try and navigate.” Dren growled.

His uniform was just a rumpled but its colours were darkened to a shade that it appeared almost black. Unlike Miaka, who took no notice of the crowd of stupefied students, Dren surveyed his surroundings while tugging on the strange fringed of white hair that grew in front of his ear.

Mr. Takahata rose from the floor where he had been knocked aside. “You two must be the new students we were expecting, are you not?”

“Hai! That would be us!” Miaka cheered. Some of the guys in the class nodded their approval, she wasn’t as pretty a Sakura but none the less the ghostly girl wasn’t half bad looking.

“Alright. Class please take your seats so our new students may introduce themselves, then I’m going to talk to them out in the hall about the proper way to enter a classroom.” Mr. Takahata smirked. Some of the students chuckled lightly.

Everyone quickly obeyed the teacher and quieted down so that everyone could here Miaka and Dren introduce themselves.

Miaka stepped boldly forward and waved her hand in a single grand arc. “Hi! I’m Inochi Miaka, it’s really nice to meet you all!” Then Miaka paused to look around at the rest of her classmates and she spotted Sakura right away. “Hey Sakura! We’re in the same class! Hi Syaoran! Hi Tomoyo! Hi Eriol, even though I already know you’re there!” She cheered.

All persons mention in Miaka’s little cheer sunk down in their seats to hide from the laughing stares they got from their classmates.

Dren stepped forward before the class solemnly and bowed respectfully to everyone, making a few of the girls swoon and a couple of the guys huff jealously at the attention he received. “Hello everyone, I am Owari Dren and I am very pleased to be in this class. I look forward to getting to know all of you.”

“He is so adorable in a dark, mysterious, puppy dog kind of way.” Rika whispered.

“I wonder if he has a girlfriend?” Naoko whispered back. Chiharu leaned forward to whisper her own thoughts.

“That Miaka girl is probably his girlfriend, why else would they both be transferred into the same class. One of them must have asked the principal if they could stay together.”

Naoko sighed delightedly, “that sounds so romantic.” Her friends just rolled their eyes.

Mr. Takahata flipped through the papers he had received on his two new students. “Well this is interesting, it says here you two have been all over the world together. Is that true?”

“Oh yes! We’ve been everywhere, but mostly for- business.” Miaka chirped.

“Business?”

Miaka glanced to Dren quickly. Sakura could she it in Miaka’s eyes that she was trying hard to come up with something to say. Eriol actually was the one who saved the two’s butts.

“They study the educational systems that are around the world.” Eriol stated, “That how I met them in Hong Kong a long time ago.”

Miaka grinned and nodded vigorously. “Uh-huh! Uh-huh! That’s right we met you there and learned so much!”

A random student raised his hand. “Where else have you guys been?”

“All over, Germany, Russia, Canada, America, England, France, China, Australia, Africa and even Antarctica.” Dren listed off. “Those are a few of the places.”

“Whoa…” the class breathed.

Things got going again when the teacher took the two of them out into the hall to talk. Sakura, Tomoyo and the two guys were bombarded with questions from others about how they knew Miaka and Dren and what they really were like. It was a little over whelming and Sakura was very glad when the teacher came back into the room.

Thankfully the rest of the day wasn’t as action packed. Miaka stuck to Sakura and Tomoyo like glue, dragging Dren behind her like a really odd shadow. Lunch got interesting when Sakura was offered a dish full of Miaka’s hash browns. Dren who had swooped in and threw the supposed “food” away saved the poor cheery blossom’s life before she ate it. To everyone’s shock the projectile food smacked into the side of the school and left a dent.

A slight brawl ensued, but nothing too big.

It was the end of the day that things started to take a turn. As Sakura fished through her locker to find the bag that contained the freshly laundered dress that had been lent to her the day before, familiar voices came into range.

“Thank you Eriol for saving us this morning.” That voice was Dren’s. “This is our first time in a real school and as you can imagine, we’re a little out of our element.”

“No problem, that’s what friends are for,” Eriol’s cool voice stated.

“How awkward would it be if we told the class the truth about why we go all over the world.” Miaka laughed. “We’d be put in the loony bin faster than you could say ‘crazy people’!”

Sakura heard Eriol sigh. “That wouldn’t hold you for long, now would it? But do you realize how hard this is on me? Keeping such large secrets for you two is really weighing down on me.”

The small group was getting closer to where Sakura was standing although they hadn’t noticed her yet. For some reason it felt like this wasn’t a good conversation to eavesdrop on but she couldn’t stop listening. Thinking fast, Sakura side stepped into the nearest classroom and kept the door open a crack.

“We apologize for the inconvenience, but it is better this way. And a lot safer for everyone.” Dren stated. Slowly Sakura watched they the three made their way passed the classroom door she was hiding behind.

“Ohh! I just wish that for once they didn’t have to hide behind us, I mean aren’t we supposed to be their curs-.” Miaka cut herself off as she halted just beyond the door.

“What is it?” Eriol asked.

“I feel like we’re being watched.” There was silence in which Sakura held her breath and stood stalk still in hopes of not being discovered. It seemed like forever until someone finally said something.

“You’re just being paranoid Miaka,” Dren reasoned.

“Right I guess I am, silly me.” Miaka sighed. At the same time Sakura nearly collapsed in relief of not being discovered. “Hey some teacher left their door open, hag on I think I’ll close it for them.” Miaka chirped.

Sakura felt the bottom drop out from her stomach. She surely was going to be caught now! But no footsteps were heard to signal the pale girl’s approach. Instead there was the odd metallic rattle of something in the hall and without warning the door snapped closed on Sakura.

‘What happened!’ Sakura mentally gasped. She could hear the progress of the three she was listening in on as they got further and further away.

‘This is really freaky! What in the world is going on, what was Eriol talking about with Miaka and Dren? What did they mean by ‘the truth’? Is there some sort of secret that Eriol is holding for them? How did Miaka close the door?’ Sakura’s mind questioned. ‘Maybe there is something more to those two…’

School Parking Lot

Sakura shifted nervously as she held out the bag that had the silky blue dress that belonged to Miaka. It was hard to try and conceal the fact that she had seen and heard some very odd things earlier. Every now and then Sakura would glance over at Eriol with questioning emerald eyes.

“What is it Sakura? Are you feeling alright, you’ve been acting a little strange?” Syaoran asked.

“Hoe? Oh yes, I’m fine, just fine! Don’t worry about me.” Sakura chattered.

“Okay.”

“Well, here’s you dress Miaka.” Sakura chirped and thrust the bag in Miaka’s direction.

“Thank you.” Miaka came out to give Sakura a hug but Sakura involuntarily tensed. “Is something wrong?”

“No, no, it’s just that I kind of, sort of need to get home right now.” Sakura said quickly. Everyone exchanged glances quickly. Dren motioned for Miaka to get in the small black and white car.

“I think we really should be going. Good day to you all. I hope we see each other tomorrow.” Dren bid good-bye. Miaka whined about going home so soon but climbed in any way. The pair left in a lot slower speed than they had come in that morning.

“You want to explain what that was about?” Tomoyo asked lightly. Sakura shifted as Eriol and Syaoran focused in on her.

“Well, I was listening to something I really shouldn’t have.” She peeked up at Eriol, hoping that he would catch her drift and say something to help her. “Its about some friends of mine that have a secret…”

A look of recognition passed over Eriol’s face. He paled in shock and immediately broke out in a fit of violent coughs.

“Eriol are you alright?” Tomoyo went to his side and patted his back.

“I- (cough) need a- (hack cough) drink!” He gasped. (It was a fake fit, but thankfully everyone fell for it.)

“Come on, we can go to the corner store to get you a drink.” Tomoyo offered. Eriol nodded and looked to Sakura with a peculiar glint in his eye. Sakura merely nodded her thanks and followed after Tomoyo as she lead Eriol to the nearest convenience store, Syaoran tagging along in behind.

They walked down the familiar streets of Tomoeda only to find that with each step they took everything became a little less familiar. Soon nothing looked right and they were just wondering aimlessly through the streets. Finally Syaoran got tired of the endless walking and asked.

“Guys, does it feel like we’re lost?”

“Yeah, it’s strange I know we were going the right way but now I don’t seem to know where we are.” Tomoyo said confusedly.

“We’re lost?” Sakura asked. “We’re lost…lost…that means, Lost!”

“That’s what they call me, babe.” Sneered a voice that was somewhat reminiscent of a small boy spirit.

Sakura spun around to come face to face with the Demon Card, Lost. tears sprun to her eyes as she looked upon the once cute spirit now turned demon.

“Lost, what have they done to you?” she asked in a horrified whisper.

Demon Lost smirked. “They made me better, babe, can’t you see that?” He spread his arms out and turned on the spot so that the four teenagers could him from all angles.

Sakura bit her lip, there was nothing left of the old Lost in this demon. Now he easily stood at Syaoran and Eriol’s height with long dirtied blond hair that trailed down past his shoulders. Lost’s eyes were no longer what they used to be either, they were no longer the blue that they used to be; now they were two spots of pale frozen ice etched onto his face. Instead of the adorable green robes that Lost used to wear, he now was adorned with a ripped and dirty green yukata and a pair of black hakamas (A/N I believe those are the names for those articles of clothing, if I got screwed up somehow I apologize) which were also torn around the edges. Decorating the back of Lost’s yukata was the image of a large crumbling eight-point navigational star.

“Now be honest, what you think? Am I sexy enough for you?” Lost flirted shamelessly with Sakura.

Sakura shook her head and looked away. It hurt to see such a sweet and benevolent spirit be corrupted and changed into this foul demon. The others were having similar reactions to the new appearance of the boy spirit.

Syaoran glared nastily at Lost, seizing him up so if it turned into a fight he would know how well a chance he had. This was an abomination; this creature didn’t deserve to be called Lost! From his side, Syaoran heard Sakura sniffle a bit and he putting a comforting arm around her and summoned up his sword with the other. Lost saw Syaoran raising his defence and the demon snickered.

“Don’t even bother with that toy of yours, most you could do with that thing is use it as shish kabob stick.” Lost taunted.

Eriol narrowed his eyes dangerously. This was his first encounter with a corrupted spirit and so far he was not impressed. The original Lost was far better than this cheap knock off. It was almost an insult to see Clow Reeds hard work sullied like this, it was an insult to his name! Subconsciously the sorcerer summoned up an amount of lethal magic to his palms.

‘Ugh, look at that outfit! That’s horrible, how could he even consider walking out in public like that?’ Tomoyo wondered incredulously. Her eyes drifted disapprovingly over the ripped and roughly hewn clothes that the demon wore. ‘I really hope that Sakura and Syaoran turn Lost back soon, that is a big, serious, fashion DON’T!’

Lost seemed to get bored of the crowd ogling over him so he flipped back away from them and beckoned the group forward, like in those old kung-fu movies.

“I know you want a piece me, come and get it!” He taunted.

Syaoran stepped forward and levelled his sword directly where Lost’s heart would be. “I don’t care who you used to be, you’re going down!” He rushed forward with a furious look blazing in his amber eyes. It looked as if the sword-wielding warrior had the demon but at the last moment Lost whistled a screaming high note and a strange sphere of light came down and intercepted Syaoran.

“Argh!” Syaoran screamed as he was thrown back with immense force. He landed on all fours with his sword skidding over the pavement beside him. Thankfully he wasn’t hurt, whatever flung him back didn’t hurt him it only knocked the wind out of him, like being close-lined.

A bright flash went off and blinded the teens momentarily.

“Hey my baby, I see Evil fixed you up real good!” Everyone heard Lost coo.

“What is that?” Eriol asked while shielding his eyes against the pulsing light.

“Take a look.” Lost sneered. The light dissipated to a less painful brightness, enough so that everyone was able to get a good look at what was clutched tightly in Lost’s grip.

“Your lantern?” Sakura wondered as she stared at the piece of horrid blackened cracked glass. The light inside was muddy and dull, pulsing in a sludgy strained kind of way.

Lost grinned, almost like his child-self would, he hugged the lantern close to his chest. “Isn’t my baby beautiful now!” He cooed. “Take a look at what she can do!”

To everyone’s shock the lantern broke free of Lost’s grasp and shot forward towards the sorcerers. It hit Eriol dead on in the chest and threw him back into Tomoyo, then it bounced over to Syaoran and repeatedly jabbed itself into his back. A definite bruise was going to form later.

Sakura shot forward to try and get the lantern away from her friend but it ended its assault before she could shoo it away. Sakura ducked down to help Syaoran up but the lantern floated before her at head level. She slowly moved with Syaoran away from the floating sphere but it followed. There was something about it. Some how Sakura sensed an emotion coming from the dirty smudged lamp, it was desperate for her to see some thing. It almost felt like a child was calling to her through tears of pain.

“Lost, are you in there.” Sakura asked fearfully. With her free hand she reached forward to touch the begging light, but it shot away before she could touch it. Immediately it went back to Lost.

“Nasty little girl, what were you trying to do to my poor baby!” Lost yelled, “don’t try and corrupt my baby or I’ll give you what’s coming to you!”

“No, Lost! We’re not trying to corrupt you, we’re trying to get you back!” Sakura called out. “Don’t you know how much we care for you!”

As Sakura said this something snapped in Lost. He shot forward as a blur of green and black until he towered before Sakura in a fearsome stance. “You never cared for me! Nobody ever cared for me! I was never loved nor will I ever be loved! Evil showed me the truth and I’m never going back!” He shrieked before driving his fist forward into Sakura’s ribcage.

Tears flowed unbidden from her emerald eyes as Sakura felt the fiery pain that erupted from within her chest. Every rib felt like they were being bent, snapped, or ripped apart from one another. The force was so great she lost her grip on Syaoran and thrown back into the trunk of a tree. Her head hit first, successfully knocking her unconscious.

“Sakura!” Syaoran reacted quicker than anyone could imagine, throwing Lost away like lightning. His bruised back protested sharply to the rough movement but the pain really didn’t matter. Sakura mattered was all that mattered at the moment, and Lost hurt her.

Gathering his sword from where it had fallen Syaoran made his way to Sakura’s unmoving body. From where he was he could see a small trickle of blood was running its way down Sakura’s uniform. It infuriated him; his own blood felt like it was boiling beneath his flesh.

Syaoran carefully cupped Sakura’s cheek. “Please be okay.” He whispered into her ear knowing that Sakura probably couldn’t hear him. Quickly the warrior straightened up, his face set in a fierce stony glare.

“Tomoyo, you look after Sakura. I’m dealing with Lost.” Syaoran growled.

Tomoyo nodded and scrambled to Sakura’s side. Sakura would be in good hands so Syaoran had nothing to worry about. Eriol rose from the pavement and brushed himself off; his eyes had the same steely glint that Syaoran had.

“Maybe it’s time that you tried your magic on Lost.” Eriol suggested wickedly, “I think that this has gone a little too far, I’ll hold him down and you hit him with all you got.”

“Right.” Syaoran shifted into a fighting position and faced where he had thrown Lost.

“That was very mean Syaoran!” Lost whined while patting dust off his rear, “Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to throw people around, it hurts!”

“Then what the hell were you doing punching Sakura like that and throwing her into a tree!” Syaoran demanded.

Lost shrugged, “never had a mother to teach me.” He stated matter-of-factly.

Giggling laughter suddenly became obvious in the background. It sounded from up above and was vaguely familiar to Syaoran, like he had heard it before…

“He’s got a point, we don’t have mothers!” Squealed a girl, her tone slightly drunken and slurred.

“Or fathers if you want to get techni- uh- tecic- um- all smart like.” Said another girl. More drunken laughter sounded after this. Oh yeah, Syaoran was definitely starting to get an idea of who it was…

“What’s going on?” Eriol hissed and scanned the area to spot whoever was laughing. Finally he did, it was coming from to swaying spirits who sat up on a power line watching the activities below. One was dressed in a sickly yellow outfit; the other dressed in lavender.

The spirit in yellow noticed Eriol’s glance and she smiled crookedly. “Hi down there! You won’t believe how much you remind me of someone!” She called.

“Clow Reed!” Snorted her companion. They both giggled idiotically. Syaoran groaned. This was just what he needed, more demons to fight. Not that it would be hard fighting the two females, it didn’t look like they could stand straight.

“Sorrow, Illness, get away from here! This is my fight, I want to kick their asses!” Lost yelled.

“We’re not going to fight!” Sorrow called.

“We’re cheerleaders!” Illness cheered. From out of nowhere they both pulled out pom-poms and began waving them in the air.

“GOOOOOOOO LOST!” They cheered, almost toppling off the power line.

Syaoran and Eriol stared blankly at the two female spirits. It was completely obvious that the two females on the line were out of it.

Lost shook his head and smiled. “At least I get a cheerleading section, which is more than I can say for you two!” he sneered at Syaoran and Eriol.

“Don’t forget your mascot!” Illness yelled pointed across the street to the roof of another house.

“Or the extra cheerleaders!” Sorrow added, pointing in the same direction as Illness.

On the roof of a lone house sat a fuming Fear whose body had been covered in signs stating “Go Lost Go!” “Fight Lost Fight!” “Card Captors can GET LOST!” and of course everyone’s personal favourite sign “I LOVE YOU LOST!” The signs had been magically placed on so that the giant horrifying beast was unable to remove the humiliating words of encouragement from his sides.

Next to him sat a prim Seduce who held a single pom-pom and was waving it half-heartedly. “You can do it, yeah Lost.” She stated in a flat voice. It didn’t appear that she was too enthusiastic about being dragged out.

Nightmare was on Fear’s other side and he was quietly chuckling at the pathetic humans down below. He had a bet going with Pain, who was back at the clearing with Evil, that Lost would be strong enough to defeat the card captors without much difficulty.

“You can do it pip-squeak! They’re not that strong, they couldn’t even beat me I got away remember!” Nightmare yelled.

“Of course I remember idiot, you took me with you!” Lost yelled back.

Eriol looked back and forth between the exchanges made by the spirits. With his magically heightened senses he saw the aura around each demonic spirit was thick with Evil’s control. If the magic Evil was using on the Cards became a tangible thing it would’ve coated the area in a thick black sludge, enough to drown the entire street.

“When did this fight get so weird?” Syaoran growled. He was also keeping track of the exchanges between spirits.

“They’re trying to distract us, get us off guard by talking amongst one another as if we weren’t here.” Eriol whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

Suddenly Eriol was thrown back once again by Lost’s lantern heading straight into his chest. The dull light pulsed for a second, then dived on the sorcerer; bouncing like some invisible force was bouncing a bouncy ball.

“That’s exactly what we were doing and apparently it was working.” Lost chuckled. The demon turned to his lantern and gave it a loving pat on the side. “Keep Eriol down for me, I want Syaoran for myself.”

His lantern flickered for a moment, like it didn’t want to comply with the order. At once, the lantern ceased its bouncing and hovered unsurely above Eriol. Hadn’t Eriol been beaten enough? Why did it have to keep Eriol down? It seemed caught like a deer in headlights, it didn’t know what way to go. Lost sighed and summoned his lantern back to him with a gentle wave of his hand.

“It’s okay baby, the nasty little boy won’t hurt you. I’m only asking you to do this and then we can go home.” He cooed.

“Who are you calling little boy, just yesterday you were three feet tall!” Syaoran yelled.

Lost sneered at the warrior, “yeah, but I grew up. Which is more than I can say for guys!” He released his lantern, which flew over to Eriol and rounded him up so he was packed next to Sakura and Tomoyo. “Keep them all together baby, don’t let any slip away.” Lost warned.

Syaoran took a last glance back at Sakura’s still form. Tomoyo had ripped the bottom part of her skirt to use as a bandage to stop Sakura’s head from bleeding. Tomoyo nodded reassuringly to the warrior to silently say that he needed to concentrate on the fight; Sakura would be fine.

“Hey, over here lover-boy! You’re fighting me, not making eyes with your unconscious girlfriend!” Lost snapped his fingers to gain Syaoran’s attention again. In the background Illness and Sorrow giggled lightly and waved their pom-poms.

Syaoran turned to his opponent and glared furiously.

“Careful Lost!” Sorrow called.

“I think you made him mad!” Illness taunted.

“Oh, I’m so scared of a human.” Lost said in a mock fearful voice. “Give me a break, he’s a pansy.” Even as the demon said this, his lantern flashed angrily like it knew that was a lie.

“I’ll show you a pansy!” Syaoran roared. This attack was much more successful than his first. Lost didn’t move out of the way in time so the edge of the sword sliced into his arm in a clean sweep. As soon as his sword left Lost’s flesh Syaoran summoned up his magic and let it flow into the very blade of his sword. It took on a green aura as the shining metal sunk deep into Lost’s stomach.

The demon let loose a screech so loud that the windows of nearby house shattered into thousands of pieces. Sludgy black blood issued from the slash on his arm. He curled up on himself around the wound on his stomach. It seemed like forever that Syaoran stood above the defeated spirit while he twitched painfully upon the pavement. Slowly a feeling of guilt crept into Syaoran’s mind. An image of the old, innocent Lost flickered in his mind and he suddenly realized that he had just shoved his blade into that small boy.

“Lost?” Syaoran knelt down behind Lost’s back and slowly rolled him over. Now was the time to try and use his magic to turn Lost back, hopefully it would work.

“Hey! No fair! You used magic on Lost, that’s the only reason he’s down!” Nightmare yelled. “If you had played fair you little bastard we’d still be watching a fight!” The spirit rose from his spot and adjusted his jester’s cap like he was preparing to jump down and fight.

Syaoran ignored the demon’s words; instead he concentrated on his magic. From within him he saw the flow of his power, slowly bringing it out, placing it in his palms so that he could transfer it into Lost.

Just as the green light began to waterfall gracefully from Syaoran’s hands onto Lost’s bleeding stomach, Lost’s eyes snapped open furiously.

“Get the hell away!” The spirit bellowed and shoved Syaoran away from himself.

The warrior was caught off guard so he was easily shoved to the side.

Lost rounded on him and pinned him down without mercy. “Don’t you dare try and turn me back into that weak, disgusting form that I used to be! I will never go back to being what I was! Never again will I be picked on because I was small, I won’t be babied because I was cute! This is the form I want and I’ll kill whoever dares try and take this away from me!”

Lost ignored the pain that seared in his stomach. He was a demon not to be toiled with! Now the little brat who was pinned beneath him was going to pay! Syaoran was going to be ripped apart limb by limb. The black sludge that slowly leaked from Lost’s open stomach wound onto Syaoran, acting like an acid burning away at the school uniform Syaoran was wearing and searing the skin beneath.

“Let me go!” Syaoran struggled valiantly, but to no avail. Even injured, Lost had an inhuman strength that Syaoran couldn’t match.

Eriol tried to leap forward and help his friend, but the lantern that watched him suddenly shot forward and knocked him back. He yelped loudly as his head banged of the trunk of the tree.

“Eriol! Eriol are you alright?” Tomoyo leaned over as far as she could with Sakura balanced in her lap.

“My head.” Eriol growled and clutched the throbbing spot on his skull.

“Come here, lean down so I can take a look.” Tomoyo beckoned him closer to her. Gently he crawled over to Tomoyo and leaned his head down so that she was able to sweep his mid-night hair away from the throbbing red scrape.

“Oh, look at this you have a poor little bump on your head.” Tomoyo cooed. She came closer to Eriol and softly placed her lips upon his warm head.

Eriol gasped in surprise and nearly dropped on top of Sakura who was still unconscious in Tomoyo’s lap. “W- what was that?”

“I kissed your head better,” Tomoyo giggled.

For once, it seemed the reincarnated sorcerer was speechless, which only made Tomoyo giggle and blush more. Too bad that that was a really bad time to become a flirty with one another, they were on a battlefield after all.

“I mean it you little demon, get off me!” Syaoran roared. In his anger, Syaoran sent forth a torrent of his power that threw Lost off him. As the demon skidded along the ground painfully, Syaoran saw pieces of Lost’s shell chipping off.

‘Yes, I’m breaking through!’ Syaoran thought triumphantly. Slowly Lost began to rise from his fallen position but Syaoran knocked him back once again with a blast of magic.

“No, this can’t be happening! I just got this body, I don’t wanna go back!” Lost cried as he struggled to rise. His entire body was cracked and in several places the shell had completely chipped away revealing the true spirit beneath the demon. It looked kind of odd to say the least, the head and chest of the demon were empty, little Lost was only able to fit in the legs and lower abdomen of the demon shell.

From above there was total havoc, Illness and Sorrow was wailing at the top of their lungs for Lost to get up. Desperately they begged for him rise and fight, all the while crying like two year olds. Nightmare was shouting down from his perch for Lost to give the word so that they could come down and help him. Seduce only bowed her head, like she knew that one of their group was not going to go back to the clearing that day. Quickly the lovely demon mounted the back of Fear and left silently.

“Please Lost you got to get up!” Sorrow squealed; she was pulling at her lavender hair desperately.

“Don’t let him turn you back, you don’t want to go back do you!” Illness screeched; her voice was now hoarse and scratchy from all her wailing and screaming.

“Say the word pip-squeak, come on all you have to say is that I can fight for you and I’ll be down there!” Nightmare shouted. For demons, it was surprising how well they all stuck to their word of not fight when Lost didn’t want them to.

“I can fight on my own!” Lost struggled to say as he began to rise unsteadily.

“Stay down Lost!” Syaoran ordered. The wounds and burns he had received from Lost’s black, sludge like blood were no concern to him now. At the moment all Syaoran felt was the welling of victory churning in his stomach. Lost was down and a couple more powerful blasts of magic would turn him back completely. The sooner this was over the sooner that Sakura could get her head looked at, never mind the other various wounds collected on the bodies of himself and Eriol.

“No, I don’t think I will.” Lost taunted. “I think I want to play a little longer.” He began to chuckle deliriously, like there was a funny joke being told that only he could hear.

Syaoran’s eyes widened as the air spiked with the familiar powerful magic of a certain pair of powerful spirits. The world around him suddenly became charged dangerously, all of it concentrated around Lost and what he was doing. From every nook and cranny imaginable, the chains of Life and Death suddenly slithered forth like great metal snakes toward Lost.

“Come chains, loose your way away from Master and Mistress. Loose yourselves to me and do my will.” Lost chanted. The chains circled around him and lifted the demon up on a platform made of themselves.

“Whatever kind of trick this may be Lost, I’m still going to beat you!” Syaoran shot a couple of magical blasts in Lost’s direction, but a shield of silver chains easily blocked the attacks.

“Never expected this now did you?” Lost chuckled. He gained cheers from his fellow demons who were now very relieved that Lost had gained the upper hand.

‘This is just great!’ Syaoran thought angrily.

… … … … … … …

Unaware of the seriousness of her surroundings, Sakura began to stir in Tomoyo’s lap.

“Sakura?” Tomoyo asked. She felt the auburn haired girl shift in her lap unsurely.

“Hoe?” Sakura’s voice was a little hoarse and her head throbbed painfully every time she attempted to move. “W-what’s happening?”

Eriol glanced at Sakura from the corner of his eyes; most of his attention was on the battle before him. “Syaoran is in trouble. Lost now has the upper hand by using his powers and summoning the chains of Life and Death as his defence.” He said gravely.

Sakura’s emerald eyes widened considerably as she shot up from Tomoyo’s lap to see for herself what was happening. A wave of nausea rushed over her but she struggled to keep the bile down in her throat. Before her was Syaoran with his back to her, around him his aura flared dangerously. His shirt had been burned off revealing his badly bruised and bleeding back, looking just as bad as his burned chest.

Lost looked a little worse off; his body being cracked all over and from some of the cracks a black sludge poured. Lengths of shifting gold and silver chains surrounded him and moved agitatedly, like they were struggling to get away, but couldn’t.

“Syaoran…” Sakura whispered as she watched Syaoran leap forward and throw several blasts of concentrated magic at Lost. The attacks were blocked by a summoned shield of golden chains, letting the magic rebound toward the warrior who narrowly missed his own attacks by diving out of the way. In a lightning quick assault the silver chains came forward and wrapped around Syaoran like an anaconda.

“Syaoran!” Sakura cried out. Without a thought for herself she attempted to move forward to help. In a flash the nearly forgotten lantern that was stationed to keep them together impeded her progress.

“Please move lantern!” Sakura begged, dimly aware of how stupid it was to be begging for a lantern to move. “I have got to help him some how!” She motioned to Syaoran who was struggling for breath.

The lantern flickered where it floated and seemed to take Sakura’s pleading into consideration.

“I can’t let Syaoran get this beat up like this when I know that I can help! You understand don’t you? If there was something that you could do for your master wouldn’t you do it?” Sakura desperately asked. She got down on her knees and clasped her hands together in front of her in a desperate pleading way. Her emerald eyes wide and beginning to blur with tears, “Please lantern, let me go…”

Slowly the lantern lowered itself to be level with Sakura. For a spilt second it almost was like the sludgyness of the lantern lifted and revealed what it used to be. Sakura was transfixed to the silently bobbing light; it was drawing her in once again, trying to tell her something.

“You understand, don’t you?” Sakura asked quietly. She began to reach out the floating orb, wanting to touch it, somehow feel what was going on inside the silent light-giving object.

As her hand touched the dirtied glass an image suddenly became clear through the glass. It was the small Lost, his original form. He was trapped inside the lantern with tears streaming down his adorable little face.

“M-Miss Sakura, I- I’m really sc-scared!” He bawled. “I-I don’t have any control! I can’t get out of here!”

“Lost, you are in there! Are you alright!” Sakura cried out as she stared in wonder at the miniature version of little Lost.

“It doesn’t matter, you need to help Mr. Syaoran!” Lost choked. He threw himself to the side and looked as if he was pulling an invisible rope. To Sakura’s amazement the lantern he was trapped in began to inch out of Sakura’s way.

“G-go Miss Sakura! I can only hold it for so long!” Lost struggled.

“Thank you Lost. Don’t worry we’ll free you, somehow!” Sakura ran for Syaoran, who face was now turning blue from lack of oxygen. Just as she left, Lost’s image faded back into the smudgy, foggy light of the lantern.

“I know you can do it, Miss Sakura…”
… … … …

Syaoran struggled against the metal grip he was being held in. His vision began to become blurry and his consciousness was beginning to slip… That was until he felt a familiar pink aura flare up magically. It engulfed him and ran through the chains like electricity through wires, shocking Lost with an extreme intensity. The demon screeched and swore as he was entangled in the wildness of the pink magic.

Syaoran was released and dropped to the ground with a dull thud. He gasped for air, trying to fill his lungs with as much oxygen as possible, only ending up choking and grabbing his chest in pain. The vice grip he had been under must have cracked a few of his ribs making it painful to breath.

From somewhere behind him the light tapping of someone’s feet came closer. Soon, Sakura came into his blurred vision and dropped down beside him quickly, taking his head and cradling it close to her chest.

“Are you alright?” Sakura asked.

Syaoran tried to chuckle but it came out as a weak cough, “I should be asking you the same question.”

Tears of relief flooded Sakura’s eyes but she blinked desperately to keep them at bay. “You shouldn’t have tried to fight on your own, what would I do if something really bad happen to you? When all this began, didn’t you promise me that you wouldn’t get hurt, now look at you!” (A/N see chapter two if you don’t remember Syaoran promising)

“I’m not hurt that badly, these are just scratches honest.” Syaoran said, then flinched when he tried to move. “I had to fight so that you would be alright because I have no idea what I would do if anything ever happened to you.”

“Syaoran…” Sakura brought Syaoran closer to her and held him in a close embrace, not caring that his blood was staining her uniform or that he weight was pushing down on her bruised ribs.

“How did you get away, what about that lantern?” Syaoran asked.

Sakura giggled lightly, “Lost helped me get away.”

“Wha-?” Syaoran gave her a questioning look.

“Honestly, this is a very touching scene but may I remind you that you’re fighting a battle here!” Lost shouted. He looked even more worse off than her did before. Holes cover the shell of his body and one of his eyes had completely cracked away. Trails of the strange acid like, sludgy blood made its way down his body and pooling at his feet.

Sakura looked to Lost with a disgusted look on her face, then turned to Syaoran with a unwavering look of determination on her face.

“Let’s finish him off, together.” She stated firmly.

“Right, together. Just like we did to Nightmare last night.” Syaoran nodded and they both rose to stand side by side determinedly.

The pair of sorcerers reached for the other’s hand and laced the fingered together. In that instant it was like they completed a circuit and their powers flowed together like a clash of waves.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing!” Lost demanded.

He was ignored as Syaoran and Sakura raised their hands together and concentrated with all their might to summon up the deep well of power that resided in their souls.

“Ready?” Syaoran asked, his amber eyes burned with the flames of the intense power he felt flowing through him.

“Ready!” Sakura answered, her emerald eyes burning with the same intense flame that Syaoran’s did.

“NOW!” They shouted in unison.

At their command a blast of pure white power shot from their hands and headed towards Lost with frightening speed.

“LOST!” Sorrow and Illness screeched. “Nightmare, save him!” Without thinking the pair shoved the jester demon off the roof of the house in an attempt to save Lost.

There was an enormous explosion as the white-hot light hit, blinding everyone with its intensity and deafening everyone with a roar like no other.

It could have been minutes, hours, or evens days until the light dissipated, one could tell. Moments like that, it just seemed like time had stopped or was just gone all together.

Gradually the smoked and dust cleared. Illness and Sorrow had taken their leave some point during the moment when everyone was unsure if time was moving or not. Sakura And Syaoran were left shaking where they stood, so drained of all their magic that even the littlest of movement was costing them great effort.

Tomoyo and Eriol inched forward from their spot at the tree, the lantern was no longer around to keep them there.

“That was the most amazing display of power that I have ever seen.” Eriol said, his voice sounded hoarse and oddly uneven.

“Did you get him? Lost I mean, did you get Lost?” Tomoyo asked.

“I-I don’t know.” Sakura stuttered. It was a challenge enough to try and keep her eyes open.

Everyone turned to where the dust was still clearing. You could make out the odd shape of someone beyond the shifting clouds of obscurity.

Syaoran took an unsteady step forward, only to have Eriol rush forward and support him as he began to fall.

“I’ve got to see if we got Lost.” He muttered. Eriol nodded understandably and gently lead the warrior forward, toward the shape beyond the clearing dust.

“Come on, I have to see Lost too.” Sakura said and stumbled forward with Tomoyo by her side. As quick as they could, the four teens stumbled forward to see the small spirit boy they all so desperately wanted back. Soon it was clear enough so that they could clearly make out the form that lay before them on the ground unmoving.

“Dammit!” Syaoran growled.

“No! That’s not Lost!” Sakura cried out as she dropped to her knees miserably.

“HELP! SOMEONE! ANYONE!” Sorrow yelled hysterically.

“PAIN! EVIL! SCOTTLAND YARD! I DON’T CARE, SOMEONE HAS GOT TO HELP US!” Illness cried.

The pair of spirits crashed through the underbrush of the surrounding woods in a stampeding, frantic fashion. Supported between them was the cracked and dying Lost who could barely manage a groan every time he was tossed about from Sorrow and Illness’s poor carrying abilities. His lantern flew about like a hyped-up over sized firefly, swirling around the trees then swooping in and circling around the frantic spirits.

“Stay with us Lost!” Illness cried into what was left of Lost’s ear.

“We’re almost there, hang on!” Sorrow yelled. With an obnoxiously loud crashing noise, they entered the wooded clearing. With a flourish they threw Lost forward without realising that it might hurt him. He skidded along the ground as small chips of him flaked off leaving a trail of himself in his wake. Seduce stepped away as Lost’s body came to a halt before her.

She starred down at the dying spirit with narrowed ruby eyes. “What happened to Lost? I thought that there wasn’t going to be enough of him left that you wouldn’t be able to drag him here.” She asked while nudging him with her foot. Fear snorted and stalked over to get a closer look at his fallen comrade.

“He looks like he’s been put through the wringer.” He growled then the beast lifted his monstrous head and barked out for Pain to come. “Oi, Pain are you there! The two retards brought Lost back and it looks like he’s falling apart!”

What Fear said was true. Lost only had part of one eyes remaining and there was a horrendous hole straight through his torso. All around him were trails and puddles of black sludge that burned the grass were it touched. Since he was face down in the ground you were able to see the small body of the real Lost hanging out a large hole in demon Lost’s lower back.

“You called for me?” Pain waltzed in from behind the bushes.

Sorrow and Illness immediately rushed to him and fell before his feet in a wailing mass of two bodies.

“You have got to get Evil to help Lost, Pain!” Sorrow begged.

“He’s going to die with he doesn’t get any help, I don’t want him to die!” Illness wailed and flung herself upon Pain’s legs desperately.

Pain looked to the two wailing spirits at his feet with a look of incredulousness, than he glanced up to Seduce and Fear for a better explanation.

Seduce shrugged and shook her head, “Lost is in pretty bad shape, it would be best if you summoned Evil…unless you wish for those two to continue their blubbering…” Seduce motioned to her wailing companions.

Pain shot a look to the groaning Lost, who was trying to turn himself over desperately so his face wasn’t in the grass anymore, then he looked to the other four spirits in the clearing. Clearly each of them waited with baited breath for what his decision would be. After what seemed like an eternity, Pain sighed and gave in.

“Fine, as you all wish. I shall go to Evil to heal Lost,” he stated. Prying Illness off of his legs, the Syaoran look-a-like left the same way he came.

Seduce stuck her foot under Lost’s side (in a part that wasn’t severely cracked) and rolled him over so that he was on his back. She surveyed his damaged body with almost a pitying look. She had no idea what he was going through, but it had to hurt regardless.

“Wait a second! Hey Illness, Sorrow, where is Nightmare, isn’t he supposed to be with you two?” Fear asked.

The two female spirits stopped their bawling to look at each other with a look of horror on their faces. In unison they exclaimed one word that no one wanted to here at that moment, “Oops…”

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

“That’s- it can’t be- it’s Nightmare. The original Nightmare!” Syaoran exclaimed.

True enough, it was. Before the four teenagers lay what seemed like a completely new spirit; in actuality it was just a finally free spirit from his demonic encasing. Around his unmoving form were various chips and pieces of his demon shell, but the spirit itself was unharmed.

This Nightmare looked far finer than his sketch in the record book. Although the details of his navy, striped bat robes were dead on, and the picture of his face was correct, there was nothing like seeing the real thing. But that was how it was with all things in life; it was always better to see the real thing.

Slowly Sakura lowered her shaking form to kneel at Nightmares side, her eyes blurring with tears of happiness or sadness, she did not know. Her aura tingled as she reached out with her senses to feel for Nightmare, as his spiritual essence touched her. It was pure. There was no taint or evil to it. He was no longer a demon nor was he under the control of Evil.

“Syaoran, how did this happen?” Sakura asked in a voice no higher than a whisper. “Where’s Lost?”

Syaoran kneeled by Sakura solemnly and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t know, I could have sworn that we hit Lost dead on, there was no way that we could have missed.”

“Well, it seems that you did miss since that certainly is not Lost on the ground.” Eriol stated with a slight shrug.

“But- but- AH!” Tomoyo cut off whatever she going to say with a shriek for Nightmare began to stir and his hand accidentally brushed against her foot.

Everyone’s attention was now focused on the awakening spirit. He rose stiffly from his spot on the ground and shook his head as if to clear it.

“What’s happening?” He grumbled still unaware of the four pairs of eyes that were on him.

“N- Nightmare?” Sakura asked cautiously.

Nightmare stiffened and spun to meet Sakura’s emerald eyes.

“Sakura?” Nightmare gaped. He waited for the impulse to destroy her. It didn’t come. He didn’t feel that small voice in the back of his head telling him what to do anymore. His body was no longer heavy from the demon shell that he wore. He was free. After so long Nightmare was finally free.

“M- Miss Sakura, I don’t know how to thank you…” Nightmare trailed off as his voice cracked.

Sakura bit her lip as the spirit said her name the same way the Lost had when he was good. It was only a reminder that she had failed to bring back the little spirit boy.

The new, free Nightmare saw the slightly saddened look in the sorceress’s eyes and came to the conclusion that she was saddened by the fact he was still alive. The blast was meant to kill. Swiftly he grovelled low to the ground before her.

“I see that I cannot be forgiven for the atrocities that I have committed as a demon. If it would ease you soul Miss Sakura, you may destroy me now, I will hold no grudge against you if you wish to do so. I only ask that my end be quick by the blade of your warrior so that I do not suffer, unless that is what you wish…” Nightmare stated humbly. He was bowed so low to the ground that his nose brushed the cracked pavement.

Tomoyo hid her mouth with one of her hands so that she could giggle discretely. This new Nightmare was so polite and formal. It was kind of funny to say the least…

Syaoran cleared his throat at the end of the grovelling spirit’s request. He had felt that he had been forgotten during Sakura’s exchange with Nightmare. “If you wish me to end your existence now than I shall do so, Hiiragisawa, go get my sword will you?” This would be repayment for all the pain, suffering and absolute hell that Nightmare had given to them in the past few days.

Eriol nodded and turned to fetch the metal blade that laid several feet away from the group.

“No! Don’t do it!” Sakura cried out and grabbed Syaoran so that he would face her. “Please, I don’t want him to die. He didn’t mean what he did as a demon, it was Evil’s fault, not his! Somehow us capturing these cards are supposed to help free Life and Death and if we destroy one of them we destroy their chances at freedom! Syaoran, you understand don’t you?” Sakura pleaded. Against her will tears began to well up in her eyes.

Syaoran could do nothing but stare helplessly into the pleading eyes of the sweet, angelic girl before him. He sighed in defeat, “fine, he lives.” Sakura smiled thankfully and hugged Syaoran close, forgetting that his back was severely injured.

“Ack-!” Syaoran choked out as Sakura accidentally pressed on one of his more painful wounds.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you!” Sakura squealed.

Nightmare cautiously glanced up to the two teens before him, “does this mean I get to live?”

Eriol nodded. “Yeah, you get to live.” He answered for Sakura and Syaoran.

“Thank you.” Nightmare bowed his head and rose from his grovelling spot. “You- you look so familiar- I know this shall sound very strange but have I ever met you before?” Nightmare gazed at Eriol with a strange look of almost recognition.

Eriol smirked and held out his hand toward Nightmare, “I am Hiiragisawa Eriol, reincarnation of your creator, Clow Reed.”

Nightmare’s eyes widened and he sputtered, “you- you are- but you can’t be? Can you really be?”

Tomoyo stepped forward and laid a hand on Nightmare’s shoulder. “You better believe it, he really is the true incarnation of Clow Reed!” She chirped proudly. Eriol puffed up with pride as Tomoyo turned her gaze towards him with a brilliant smile adorning her face. Nightmare ducked forward and grasped Eriol’s outstretched hand in a firm grip and shook it with enthusiasm.

“Mr. Hiiragisawa, it’s an honour!” Nightmare breathed reverently.

Tomoyo giggled once again and made her way over to her friends who were still on the ground. Sakura was still on the ground fussing over Syaoran, never minding her own injuries.

‘You’re so selfless Sakura, Syaoran’s lucky to have you- even if he doesn’t know that he holds your heart.’ She thought.

“Please, Syaoran let me just try and heal your back! I know I can do it!” Sakura attempted to get behind Syaoran but he continually turned away.

“No, you are too low on magic! I’m not letting you use up what you have left on me, I’m fine!” Syaoran reasoned. Sakura made a pouty face and kneeled before the warrior.

“Please Syaoran, I just feel so bad!” Sakura whimpered. Syaoran’s defences quickly dissolved.

“But- but Sakura, you really don’t have to…”

“Syaoran, you know you’re never going to beat her puppy dog eyes so just give in and let her help you.” Tomoyo giggled.

Syaoran glared at her half-heartedly. “I- I can’t, Sakura is really weak right now and if I allow her to use up the last of her remaining magic on me she might hurt herself or worse!”

Sakura sat back on her heals as Syaoran’s words registered in her head. The only reason he wasn’t letting her heal him was that he was concerned for her well being. “Oh, Syaoran. If you’re that concerned about my well being I guess I’ll do as you want, I won’t use up the last of my magic on you.” She bowed her head humbly to hide the slight blush that was making its way onto her cheeks.

“I- I’m just trying to look out for you, Sakura. You’re already hurt enough and I don’t want to make it worse.”

Sakura looked up into Syaoran’s shining amber eyes to see the sincerity of his words reflected in their twin depths, “Syaoran, you are such a sweethear-.”

“DEAD MAN!”

Suddenly the lengths of silver chains that had lain dormant on the ground in the coils that they had dropped in came to life and shot up with a fury. In a lightning quick move they shot out and coiled themselves around Nightmare in a constrictor’s hold. The spirit had not been expecting the attack so he was helpless to defend against his crushing cage.

“M- Mistress-?” Nightmare choked out.

“How dare you! How dare you show your face here you low life, yellowed bellied, sewer sucking slim spirit from hell! I’m going to crush you into fairy dust then throw you into the nearest pit to hell!”

Out of nowhere, the entities of Life and Death suddenly materialized in the area. Life clearly looked enraged with barely bridled fury. Death actually had a restraining hand on her shoulder to hold back his companion so that she didn’t shoot forward and rip Nightmare apart.

“I’m going to kill you Nightmare! Have you any idea how much suffering you forced poor little Sakura and Syaoran to go through? You caused all the pain and tears and stress that have weighed down on their shoulders since Lost was spirited away! I’ll make you pay!” Life howled and tried to run at Nightmare; she was jerked back by Death’s firm hand.

“Honestly Life, you are not helping any.’ He stated monotonously. “Take a breath and assess the situation. I believe you are scaring the others…”

Sakura watched with wide eyes as Life took a calming breath and turned to face the group of teenagers with apologetic black eyes. The spirit took one look at Sakura’s beaten form and leaped forward with her arms open wide. No it wasn’t an attack, worse, it was a hug.

“Oh, you poor baby! Look at how beat up you are! Come here so I can make you feel better!” Life cooed and wrapped her arms around Sakura in a motherly (smothering) embrace. “Look at those wounds, oh those must really hurt! I wish I could have gotten here sooner to prevent this, I feel so bad!” Life snuggled into Sakura and stroked the girl’s hair like you would stroke a kitten’s fur.

Nightmare twisted vainly from within his confine of chains, “Master, Mistress, it would be much appreciated if one of you were to release me for I believe I have lost all feeling in my feet.”

Life bristled as swung her head in Nightmare’s direction. “Silence you cretin! I’ll deal with you when I’m ready!” She hissed venomously. Everyone jumped back from the unexpected lightning switch from gushing over Sakura to hissing at Nightmare.

“Bipolar that one is…” Death sighed.

Syaoran felt a pang of protectiveness as Sakura was mauled by Life. He marched up to the pair on the ground and slipped his arms around Sakura’s waist as gently as he could and disentangled the sorceress from the life spirit. His arms shook slightly as he held the girl close to his chest glaring down at Life, who in turn looked up at him with confused black eyes.

“What is the matter Syaoran, I was only greeting Sakura?” Life asked.

“Use your eyes! Can’t you see that she is injured? You can’t maul her like you would to some sort of rag doll!” Syaoran growled angrily, subconsciously bringing Sakura’s form closer to his chest.

“Syaoran, I’m alright, really I am.” Sakura squeaked and looked up at her warrior. “Life wasn’t hurting me! She wasn’t doing anything bad, honestly! Actually I feel kind of better now.”

Syaoran stared down Sakura with a questioning gaze. “Are you sure? It looked like mauling to me.”

“Life means well, she’s just overly energetic about it.” Death stated. “You can put Sakura down now if it would please you, I would be more than obliged to heal both of you since it would be the least I could do.”

Syaoran snorted and set Sakura down on her feet as gently as he could. “What could be the most, since this is basically all your fault?”

“Syaoran, that’s mean.” Sakura chided.

“Yes my cute little descendant, they’re only trying to help now. There’s no need to be so rude.” Eriol wagged his finger in Syaoran’s direction.

“Shut up Hiiragisawa!” Syaoran yelled.

“I implore anyone who is willing to listen to me, I really want to get down now!” Nightmare uselessly called.

Life once again bristled and spun to meet Nightmare face-to-face. “You have absolutely no idea much I want to hurt you right now!” She hissed.

Nightmare squirmed and looked down at his keeper frightfully. “I believe I have quite an idea.” He stated.

In the blink on an eye Life motioned for her silver chains to crush the ex-demon. Nightmare screamed as he the immense pressure around him built up and slowly squeeze him. Sakura watched in horror. Her throat suddenly seemed too dry to work.

‘No! Life can’t kill him!’ Sakura thought desperately, ‘I lost Lost, I’m not going to let Nightmare be destroyed.’

Without thinking of the consequences, Sakura leapt forward and grasped the metal bonds that were wrapped around Nightmare.

“Miss S- Sakura please- d-don’t-I-I’m not worth it.” Nightmare choked.

“I said that I forgive you Nightmare, I won’t let you get hurt anymore!” Sakura yelled and struggled against the chains. “You’re not a demon anymore! You don’t deserve to die!”

“YES HE DOES!” Life roared.

“NO!” Sakura screamed. Subconsciously she summoned what little magic she had left and let it soar out of her body. It flew into the chains that she struggled against and raced along each link until it hit Life’s manacles. Almost like seeing someone electrocuted; Life soared back through the air and skidded along the ground from the force of the magic. Nightmare’s cage was immediately undone in a flurry of metal flying to catch their Mistress.

“Sakura!” Syaoran yelled.

She didn’t hear him call her name. She didn’t see the ground coming up to meet her falling form. All she felt was a numb, tingling sensation of being completely empty and drained. She had used the last of her magic to free Nightmare from Life and now there was noting from stopping her from falling into the oblivion of unconsciousness. Thankfully Nightmare was close enough to catch the girl before she hit the ground.

“What- what happened?” Tomoyo asked cautiously. Tears prickled at her eyes as she saw her best friend fall into the arms of the nightmare spirit.

“She used up the very last remaining drops of her magic to save Nightmare from being crushed.” Eriol stated.

“Is she alright!” Tomoyo turned to Eriol as if he was her only lifeline and looked into his dark eyes pleadingly. “Please tell me she’s alright. I mean this is just like the fainting spells she used to have when she was turning the Clow Card into Sakura Cards, right!”

Eriol looked away from Tomoyo imploring eyes, gently reaching to stroke her cheek as if that would soothe her. “I wish I could say.”

“Miss Sakura, why did you do that?” Nightmare asked the unconscious girl in his arms. It dumbfounded him that this human would do such an unselfish and sacrificial act for a spirit who had committed so many horrid acts against her.

“Give her here!” Syaoran demanded as he charged up to the spirit.

“Of course.” Nightmare handed over the light burden to the warrior but continued to stare into her face. “Why did she-?”

“Sakura’s heart is far different than any of ours, she cares for everyone. If there ever was anything that she could do to help someone she cared about she would do it- even if it meant sacrificing her own safety to help others.” Syaoran growled without even looking at Nightmare. His amber eyes were focused on Sakura. ‘Why do you always have to do the right thing?’

… … … … … … … … … … …

With Life and Death

… … … … … … … … … … …

“She- she hit me…” Life stuttered uselessly from the ground where she remained sprawled out haphazardly. “All her magic- Sakura used all her magic on me.”

“Yes and she did it to save the spirit that you were going to kill.” Death’s voice floated down to Life as his dark form made its way over to her.

“But- but I was just trying to-.”

“You took it too far Life.”

“I didn’t mean- everything just got out of control-.” Life struggled to defend her actions. “I didn’t know what I was doing.”

Death looked down at the pitiful form of Life, who was slowly starting to curl up onto herself like a frightened kitten. “I know how you feel Life, if anything I too wish to seek vengeance on Nightmare, but we cannot. No matter how strong the urge to do so is. The revenge is not ours to take and those who should seek the retribution have chosen to forgive instead.”

“I feel like the lowest creature on earth. Sakura will hate me now.” Life whimpered.

“You are wrong yet again, Life. Sakura will not hate you for she should hate Nightmare yet she risks herself to help him. I believe it is not in her heart to hate.” Death whispered and grasped a length of chain that was near his foot. The links were worn and tarnished where he held them and if you didn’t know any better it looked as if you could snap all of them apart.

“I guess, but still I do not wish to approach Syaoran at the moment because I know he hates me big time right now.” Life said.

“At least you’re right there.”

Life’s lip trembled slightly, “you’re supposed to make me feel better, not worse!”

“I wasn’t aware that I was supposed to. As it is, since you don’t want to approach Syaoran we shall have help them from a far for the time being.” Death instructed.

Life brightened a bit. “Okay, I can do that.”

“On the count of three.”

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

Together they raised their hands summoned for the land to mend. Before them the pavement melted back into place and buildings rose once again to their former glory. Windows rebuilt themselves and trees suddenly righted themselves in the ground, reattaching lost branches and flourishing their leaves. The blood that had trailed into puddles on the ground was absorbed by the earth and left no sign behind. And at last, for the last of their duties to the area Life and Death allowed their spirits to flow over the teens in a wave of healing magic. Sakura’s magic was replenished in seconds and her flesh mended together like it had never been touched. Syaoran was the same, he felt his strength return and his magic come back ten-fold. His shirt reappeared completely repaired. And for the sake of being subtle, both Life and Death made their spirits undetectable so that no one would sense what was going on until they were gone.

It worked out wonderfully. They were done before anyone figured out what was happening. Then without anyone the wiser, they were gone.

… … … ... … … … ... … … … … … …

“Mmm- Syaoran, what’s going on?” Sakura murmured against Syaoran’s chest.

Syaoran stood in shock as he took in his transformed surroundings. Everything just started moving and rebuilding and healing all at the same time. No body had time to react as they felt their own bodies began to mend at speeds unimaginable by humans. It all happened in a matter of seconds and was over as quick as it began.

Sakura open one of her eyes to see why she was never answered. She shot up in surprise at what she saw; unfortunately Syaoran had not been expecting her sudden movement and nearly dropped her.

“W-what happened? Everything’s repaired!” Sakura gasped, then realised that even as she was jarred in Syaoran’s arms she felt no pain. “I’m- I’m healed! How!” No body answered her; they just seemed too preoccupied with staring at their surroundings as if it was suddenly going to start changing again. That was when the answer hit her.

“Life, Death, where are they!” Sakura asked, turning her head about to try and see where the duo went. She was wriggling so much that Syaoran had to set her down on her feet. Her eyes settled on the spot where she had thrown Life, nothing was left except a slight sparkle in the air. “Oh no, they left without saying good-bye…”

“Isn’t it better that way, they caused enough damage today.” Syaoran growled bitterly.

“Yes, but they repaired all the damage in the end.” Eriol pointed out.

“Don’t defend them Hiiragisawa, they really don’t deserve it.” Syaoran snorted.

“Syaoran, please don’t be so mean, you were going to do the exact same thing to Nightmare as Life was. You wanted to kill him too.” Sakura said.

Nightmare rubbed his left arm with his right and glanced around trying to make himself a little more unobtrusive. He didn’t want to get mixed up in this conversation; both sides had a reason to kill him so there really was no point in bothering to speak.

“But- but how were they able to do all this? It happened so fast I barely knew what was happening until it was over.” Tomoyo exclaimed, successfully steering the conversation in a better direction. She was still in awe of the newly repaired building that stood around them serenely as if nothing had happened.

“My Master and Mistress are far more powerful then you seem to give them credit for, Miss Tomoyo.” Nightmare said as he observed the handy work of his keepers. He sent Tomoyo a grateful look for changing the conversation.

“Far more powerful than any of us could ever imagine.” Eriol added.

“You know, I think we should really get moving, standing out in the open like this must really be suspicious.” Sakura said.

“Oh, and he’s not?” Syaoran asked sarcastically as he jerked his thumb in Nightmare’s direction.

“Ah, we have to change you before someone comes along and sees you!” Sakura exclaimed.

Nightmare cocked his head. “Change me? What’s wrong with the way I look?”

“Nothing at all, it’s just that normal people around here aren’t used to seeing- um- glowing men in- interesting clothing standing around the streets.” Tomoyo explained.

“I’m just going to make you look human.” Sakura said before grabbing Nightmare’s hand and concentrated her newly replenished magic to cover Nightmare in a human illusion.

In a flash of pink magic Nightmare stood before them with a completely human looking countenance. He was dressed in a dark blue work shirt and a pair of black work pants; very professional looking.

“I- I look like a human!” Nightmare exclaimed in a horrified voice and began picking at his shirt. “And I look weird!”

“You do not, I think you very good.” Tomoyo stated seriously.

“There you go, approval from a fashion queen, feel better?” Eriol grinned.

“Not really.”

“Oh well. Come on; let’s go to the park or something, anywhere away from here. I just want to find out how we got stuck with Nightmare instead of Lost.” Syaoran said and began making his way down the street.

… … … … … … … … … … … …

The Park

… … … … … … … … … … … …

Everyone’s eyes were trained on the spirit in disguise. He was leaning against a tree trying to think back to what happened earlier so that he could tell them.

“I remember you two shot a blast of white magic, it was colossal! I knew that Lost was a goner for sure- then I felt Illness and Sorrow’s hands on my back. They pushed me off the roof to save Lost… I bounced on the pavement and ended up in the direct path of the blast…” Nightmare trailed off. “I- I don’t know if Lost got hit or not. He could of because I remember seeing him crumbling behind me before everything went blank. My guess is that Sorrow and Illness took Lost and forgot about me.”

“You mean we really did hit Lost!” Sakura asked hopefully.

“Most likely he got hit with some indirect magic.” Nightmare nodded.

Eriol began to swing gently on the swing he sat on, “I can only imagine the condition that Lost is in right now, he was pretty beaten up to begin with but when you add your attack on top of that…”

Sakura’s face fell, “I never really thought of that. What if Lost is hurt really bad- so bad that we won’t be able to get him back?” She asked worriedly.

Syaoran gently nudged Sakura so that she would look up at him. “Don’t worry Sakura, no matter what, we’ll get him back.”

“You can count on us to help.” Eriol piped in, volunteering himself and Tomoyo.

“As well, you now have me to assist you, Miss Sakura.” Nightmare offered.

Sakura smiled and nodded. Discreetly wiping her eyes she looked up at Nightmare with a question gleaming in her eyes. “Why do call me “Miss Sakura” and call Life and Death “Mistress” and “Master”? Even Lost did that.”

Nightmare looked thoughtful for a second, “don’t know- more respectful I guess. It just feels right to call you “Miss Sakura”… As for the reason that I refer to Life and Death and my Mistress and Master…it’s because for the hundreds of years in which they held us bound, they ruled us- like our real Master and Mistress.”

But Sakura is your real Mistress now, right?” Tomoyo inquired.

Nightmare grinned and nodded firmly. “Yes, she is now my true Mistress and may I say-.” He turned to face Sakura and kneeled before her formally, “- I shall serve faithfully to your word Miss Sakura, to the best of my ability will carry out your orders.”

Sakura blushed and put a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. Nightmare was so formal; him kneeling before her reminded her of the time she saw that show about a knighting ceremony in England.

“Ah, but Nightmare you seem to forget Sakura has yet to capture you and transform you to your Sakura Card form.” Eriol pointed out.

“Hoe! I forgot- ah my key! Where’s my star key!” Sakura yelled and patted around her neck for her key. She didn’t find it right away and began to pat down her clothes and search around the ground to see if she could find it. “I lost my star key! I can’t believe I lost my star key! Kero is going to kill me!”

“Hold on, are you sure it’s not around your neck?” Syaoran asked. Sakura shook her head vigorously and pulled at the neck of her top to reveal that there was nothing around her neck.

“You lost it?” Eriol asked.

“Yes! Yes! I lost it! What am I going to do!” Sakura panicked.

Eriol shook his head, his face taking on a far more serious expression. “No Sakura, you lost it?”

“Yeah I- I-.” Suddenly it dawned on Sakura what Eriol was trying to say, “I lost my star key…”

“That little brat, he took your star key!” Syaoran exclaimed. “How are you going to transform Nightmare now!”

“I don’t know? How am I going to get my key back!” Sakura cried. Tears began to well up in her eyes; her star key was very precious to her. She never took it off, unless she had to transform it into its staff form. Without it she was somewhat useless in capturing the Clow Cards.

“Miss Sakura, please dry your eyes.” Nightmare said. “I won’t go anywhere so you need not worry about changing me. I’ll wait.”

“But still Nightmare! How could I have let Lost take my key!” Sakura cried.

Syaoran wrapped his arms around Sakura’s shoulders and brought her close to his chest, regardless of the peering eyes of those around them. “Hey, come on, it’s not that bad Sakura. We’ll find Lost and when we do we’ll get your star key back. Please just stop crying I hate it when you cry, a smile looks better on your face any day.”

Sakura blushed as she felt Syaoran’s warm breath tickle her cheeks, her lips curling into a sweet little smile. “Thanks Syaoran…” She whispered, “You always know how to make me feel better.”

“HEY! YOU! GAKI! WHAT DO TO THINK YOU’RE DOING TO MY LITTLE SISTER!” Toya’s voice unexpectedly split the air.

“Who’s that?” Nightmare asked as he watched the approach of the obviously angry human male.

Sakura leaned out of Syaoran’s embrace and stared at her brother with wide eyes. “It’s my- my-.”

“It my worst nightmare.” Syaoran finished.

………………………………………………………………………………………

END CHAPTER FOURTEEN!

Just kidding, there’s just a bit more! I decided to make this chapter extra long because my exams are coming up and I’ll be studying real hard! Enjoy!

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Toya marched up to his little sister who still was in the arms of the Chinese gaki.

“Sakura what the hell do you think you’re doing!” He demanded angrily. Sakura jumped out Syaoran’s embrace and stared up at her brother with desperate eyes.

“I was- um- you see Syaoran was just- well we were-.” Sakura stuttered pathetically as she was put on the spot. Syaoran narrowed his eyes into a dangerous glare and matched the fierce look he was receiving from Toya.

“We weren’t doing anything Kinomoto.” He growled warningly.

“I’ll be the judge of that you little gaki!” Toya snapped back.

Nightmare watched helplessly as the strange man bombarded his Mistress and her Warrior with angry glares. What could he do? He sworn to help and protect Sakura but that was against Clow Cards, what do you do against a human?

“Sir, I do think you should lighten up on the young lady.” Nightmare stated firmly, trying his best to seem intimidating though it seem useless in his wimpy form.

Toya rounded on the stranger, “who are you?”

“Me?- I’m-.” Nightmare thought for a second how he was supposed to respond.

Toya narrowed his eyes; there was something familiar about this guy, he had the same strange feeling about him that Shieng had … “Hey, you wouldn’t be that little kid’s father would you, the kid who stayed the night last night- Shieng?”

“Huh- I’m not a father!” Nightmare yelped. What the hell was this human talking about!

Syaoran grinned at the opportunity that had just been presented. “No, this is my other cousin Feishing, he’s Shieng’s older brother! And would you look at the time, Feishing and I are expected back home to look after Shieng for his mother, better get going! I’ll call you later Sakura!” Syaoran said hastily and grabbed Nightmare by his arm and left as quickly as he could.

“Stupid kid.” Toya mumbled as he glared after Syaoran and Feishing’s retreating backs. Then he turned to his sister who mow stood defenceless before her brother. “That still hasn’t explained why that little gaki was all over you.”

“Oh! I can explain that!” Tomoyo said cheerfully. She held out her camera to show the screen that had been focused on Sakura and Syaoran. “They were doing this as a favour for me, I wanted them to act out a scene in a play for me. I was thinking of turning it into a movie that would star them.”

Toya looked down at his sister’s best friend with questioning eyes. He smelled a lie. But either way, he had nothing to disprove them so he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Fine. Do what you want, but if I ever catch you two together like that without a camera on you, you’ll both get it.” He warned.

“Don’t worry Toya, Tomoyo and I will make sure there is a camera on them at all times.” Eriol said smoothly.

“Whatever.” Toya snorted and turned to run back to Yukito, who stood waiting a small ways off for his friend to return.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you so much you guys.”

“No problem Sakura.” Tomoyo smiled gently.

“Let’s just hope Syaoran does this well with keeping Nightmare at his house.” Eriol chuckled.

… … … … ... … … … … … … … … … … …

Syaoran’s Apartment

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Syaoran swung the door open and flung the spirit into the apartment.

“Okay, don’t touch anything, don’t move anything, for that matter; don’t breath on any of my stuff.” Syaoran ordered.

“No problem, I don’t breath in the first place.” Nightmare stated. “What was the whole “Feishing” and “Shieng” thing back there?” he asked.

Syaoran made a face. “Sakura’s family thinks that Lost is my cousin named Shieng and now Kinomoto thinks I’m related to you as well.”

“Me- and the pip-squeak- brothers?” Nightmare made a face.

“Trust me, it’s no better for me.” Syaoran growled. “Look, today’s been a long day, as you can imagine, so I’m having a hot shower and going to bed. You can have the couch or something.” Syaoran said.

“Mr Syaoran wait, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble could you remove this illusion now? It really is beginning to itch badly.” Nightmare asked as he scratched at his chest.

Syaoran snorted at the request. In a second the simple disguise was broken and the normal Nightmare stood in place.

“Thank you very much Mr Syaoran.” Nightmare bowed.

Syaoran’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Don’t! Don’t call me “Mr Syaoran” only Lost can do that! Find something else to call me by.”

“So just Syaoran, then?” Nightmare asked.

“Fine by me.” Syaoran shrugged and stalked of to the washroom, leaving Nightmare to find his own way around the apartment.

… … … … … … … … … … …

Somewhere in Darkness

… … … … … … … … … … …

Lost floated in nothingness. He was a speck of nothing in a void of enclosing darkness. It seeped into his being and slowly brought the crumbling pieces of his shell body back together. It hurt unlike any pain that existed on earth. A burning sensation that ate at every fibre of his being and felt like he was being doused in acid then rubbed on sandpaper and scraped on sharp rocks, never ending, seeming to go on forever with no end.

“Why?”

Nothing seemed to fit in his head.

“Why won’t the pain stop?”

Has he always been in this place?

“Am I alone here?”

It’s so dark that not even the glow from his dim luminescent skin could be seen.

“I want to leave.”

Suddenly there was a light in the darkness. It called to him in a strange, gentle child’s voice. The unknown entity came forward at a slow struggling pace. Lost wanted this light to come closer, it could help him. He knew it. The child’s voice was so familiar, why couldn’t he recognize the voice? The light was so close now, so close that if Lost could move he would be able to reach out and touch it.

With every ounce of determination that he had Lost twitched his hand. It burned like fire and moved as if it were rusted. It took hours- or was it minutes? Decades? Millennia? However long it took, Lost eventually brought his cracked and damaged hand up to touch the begging light.

The result was instantaneous. For a blissful split second all the pain was gone. He was washed over in the most beautiful and soothing feeling he could ever imagine. It didn’t last long though, soon all the torturing pain returned and Lost found himself kneeling in the darkness of the clearing with his hand placed over his lantern.

“W- what did y-you do?” Lost struggled to form the words in his mouth. A small spurt of black sludge dribbled from his lips. He was still far from healed. The large hole in his lower back had been mended so the real Lost didn’t hang out of him anymore but the gap in his torso was still open.

The lantern bobbed gently in the air and swung around to show a strange dangling object that hung from it. The star key. It was glowing slightly with a faint pink light.

“Sa- Sakura.” Lost breathed.

Slowly the lantern began to bob away, beckoning for Lost to follow.

“Alright. I’ll come.” Lost crawled painfully after his lantern. After a second the lantern turned back and scooped its master onto it’s itself. “W- where are we g-going.”

A child’s faint voice floated up from the lantern in an echoing reply.

"We're going to find Miss Sakura. She can help."

“There are scary things that lurk in the dark…
They reach out with claws,

And rip me apart…

From them I receive nothing but pain…

As they twist my flesh,

And my blood runs like rain…

They are all very scary…

They make my mind bend…

And I wish, I wish, my life would just end…”

A haunting child’s voice floated up through a bobbing blue lantern, it was weak and shaking, like whom ever the voice belonged to the child was very scared as if he were in a very dark place.

“W-what are you talking about?” Demon Lost asked in a hoarse whisper

“Nothing, just talking about the scary things…” The small child answered. ‘Scary things that are circling in around me, closer and closer…’

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Syaoran’s Apartment

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Water cascaded in rivulets across Syaoran’s flesh and swirled down his strong body; making his tense muscles glisten in the light. Over and over again, he scrubbed at his skin, causing it to pink then redden from the ferocity that he washed with.

‘I’ve got to get her off me…’ Syaoran thought angrily to himself. ‘I’ve got to get the feeling of Life’s magic off of me…’

There was a boiling anger underneath Syaoran’s skin and the hot water he was using to shower with was only bringing his anger out. Today Life had gone way too far, crossing lines that were not hers to cross. It angered the warrior to think that the whole battle that took place today was nothing but a way to freedom for Life and Death. They didn’t appear once during the battle, and only after the danger was gone did they appear and make things worse before making them better.

What kind of ‘life’ was Life anyways? In her own rage Life had almost destroyed Nightmare. For something that represents all life to kill something, wouldn’t that upset some sort of balance to something? And where does that woman get off being all over Sakura? Was it to just annoy him? Because if that was the purpose, it sure as hell was bugging him that another woman was all over his precious Sakura, especially when she was as injured as she was today.

Syaoran’s thoughts began to turn to Sakura and the way she had felt as he embraced her in the park. The wonderful feeling of her small form pressed up against him as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. His chest swelled with a kind of male pride that he was able to comfort Sakura, but he deflated as he thought of his chicken tactic of running out on her with Nightmare.

‘I can’t believe I left her to face her brother alone just because I didn’t want to deal with that bastard.’ Syaoran berated himself. ‘She must think I’m completely spineless or something; and what did I get for running away? Stuck with everyone’s worse nightmare, Nightmare.’

‘Although, it is hard to believe that that well mannered, polite spirit out in my apartment could be the same thing that has been taunting and torturing Sakura and me for the past few days.’ Syaoran snorted and rinsed the soap off his body. ‘I don’t know what it is but no matter how hard I try I don’t seem to be able to trust this new Nightmare. Some how I think that the whole nice act that he’s putting on is nothing but a charade. As soon as I turn my back, he’ll revert back to the demon he was and hurt someone- hurt Sakura… Not to mention that now when I have to take him out in public for something in his human disguise I have to act like he’s my cousin.’

Syaoran ran his fingers through his chocolate coloured locks, combing through the wet tangled locks. With a tired, almost pleading look Syaoran tipped his head up to stare up at the ceiling, trying to see past it. He tried to focus his eyes to the heavens where some group of gods were up there laughing at him for the situations that they put him in. It was obvious that he had made some sort of enemy up there or that his life was some sort of fun game to mess around with but it always seemed like he got the raw deal or the short end of the stick.

“Somebody up there really has to hate me…” Syaoran grumbled. In his mind’s eye the image of the laughing gods tormenting him faded and was replaced by the image of a smiling mortal angel. An angel with emerald eyes and an endearing smile, a girl who always knew how to make Syaoran’s own rare smile twitch his lips.

“…Well maybe not everybody up there hates me, since somebody gave me Sakura…”

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Sakura in her room

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

From the moment that Sakura had gotten home she had stayed up in her room. Her father didn’t bother her about going straight to her room without staying hello, he only thought it was due to her long day at school. Kero had sat patiently before her, listening to every word, every detail that was told to him. He now knew of the fight the went on with the new, demon Lost; how the battle had ended with Nightmare being changed back instead of Lost; and how Sakura’s Star Key had been stolen without her even knowing until it was too late.

Kero had tried his best to comfort Sakura over her lost Star Key but it seemed that with the loosing of her key she lost a little more hope. Was she becoming so incompetent that she couldn’t even keep track of one little necklace? What if what the Clow Cards were saying about her was true? What if she really was weak?

“I’m not weak, am I?” Sakura asked herself quietly.

Kero heard this from his place in front of his video game that he had started a short while ago and turned around to face his Mistress. “Sakura, you are anything but weak. Your heart and your magic are very strong. Don’t let this get you down, everything will turn out for the best.”

Sakura reached for one of her pillows and clutched it close to her chest. “But- but Kero I feel so stupid- so useless. What if it doesn’t turn out for the best? What if Syaoran and I fail? It took so much out of us to fight Lost and we didn’t even get him back, it was only an accident that Nightmare got caught in the blast and turned back. That won’t happen every time, we can’t always be lucky…we’re not always going to win.” Sakura couldn’t help the tears that began to flow from her eyes.

Kero dropped his game pad and flew over to hug his Mistress. She reached out to him and drew his little form into a crushing hug, letting tears splash onto his yellow fur and soak through. Sakura drowned herself in her tears, just letting herself rock back and forth clutching both the pillow she had held earlier and Kero to her chest.

“Don’t be this way Sakura, I know everything looks real bad right now but I know that if you put all of your heart and mind into doing this you’ll succeed,” Kero whisper into her hair.

Sakura pulled her small guardian away from her body to look at him with watery eyes. “Do you really think that Kero? Can I really get my Star Key back and capture all of the Clow Cards?” She asked.

“Sakura, I’ve known you long enough to know that if you put all your heart and soul into doing something, you could you do anything. That why you’re the Mistress of the Clow Cards.” Kero said warmly.

Sakura felt her eyes well up with more tears and she brought Kero close again so that she could cry into his fur once again. These were not tears of sorrow anymore though; the tears that now fell unbidden from Sakura’s eyes were tears of renewed hope. She had so many people on her side saying that everything was possible; Syaoran was there for her as her ever-lasting support; her guardians, Cerberus and Yue, were always by her side no matter what; Eriol and Tomoyo were her friends till the end; the Sakura Cards would always be with her; and of course Life and Death were on her side routing her on… in their own kind of way.

“I don’t know what I was thinking Kero, of course I’m strong enough to do this. I’ll always have the strength when I know that I will always have my dearest friends by my side.”

A small light of comfort began to spread through Sakura’s body, starting for her heart outward. It was so warm and familiar, like the touch of an old friend, but as her exhaustion swept over her Sakura no longer was able to place why it felt familiar. In a record time Sakura’s eyes feel shut and she was asleep with Kero cradled in her arms.

“I can do this. There’s no reason for me to not believe that I can…”
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

At a black Victorian house in the Ookami Estates

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

“That’s my girl, Sakura, keep up that spirit and there is no reason for you not to succeed…”

“Miaka, what are you doing on the roof? I’ve been looking for you for the longest while, didn’t you hear me calling your name?” Dren asked as his dark haired head appeared above the edge of the trapdoor that led into the house. He quickly spotted Miaka’s pale, white-clothed form sitting on the very edge of the roof with her back to him. She made no indication that she had heard Dren in the least.

“Come on Miaka, what did I do to deserve the silent treatment now?” Dren asked. He easily lifted himself onto the roof and walked to his friend. As he came up to stand just behind her shoulder, Miaka still made no move to turn around, which began to worry Dren.

“If this is about what happened today, you shouldn’t dwell over such things. You cannot help how she chooses to act. No one is angry at you; you have done nothing wrong.” Dren said in hopes of getting Miaka to snap out of whatever trance she was in. His words seemed to work for Miaka tensed and stiffly began to turn her head back to look at Dren.

“Are you so sure I’ve done nothing wrong?” It should have been Miaka’s voice that came out of her mouth, but it wasn’t. As her eyes lifted to Dren’s dark ones he was met by not Miaka’s impish blue eyes, but the black eyes of someone else. Dren did not seem shocked or frightened by strange and sudden changes in his friend; instead, he let anger flare in him.

“It’s you.” Dren growled. His eyes immediately hardened and he backed away from the body of his best friend. “What do you think you’re doing? Haven’t you caused enough trouble today, can’t you just leave Miaka and I in peace for a little while?”

“I wasn’t doing anything bad Dren, I was only offering some long-distance comfort to the dearest Sakura.” The black-eyed Miaka said while brushing some of her snow-white hair out of her face. “I was even nice enough to wait until Miaka was asleep to take over.”

Dren turned his head away from the girl before him as if he was disgusted by what he saw. “If you were going to take over, you should have changed completely, not half way; I hate it when you masquerade around in Miaka’s body. It’s like getting your own bodies wasn’t enough.” Dren said coldly.

Miaka rose from her place at the edge of the roof and brushed off her white slip. “I’m done with my business out here so instead of changing her body I’ll just give you Miaka back.” The Miaka look-a-like closed her eyes and Dren instantly felt the decrease of magic in the air, signally the presence within Miaka had gone back into dormancy.

Miaka swayed precariously on the edge of the roof; she was still asleep, just as she was before she was taken over. Dren felt the bottom of his stomach drop out as he watched Miaka tip over the edge and began her decent to the earth.

“Miaka!” Dren yelled and leapt forward for his falling friend. His fingers just missed hers as she fell out of reach. “No!”

As a last resort, Dren pulled back his arm and lashed it forward in a whipping motion as his eyes flickered to a pale white-blue. As if from nowhere, golden chains materialized out of thin air and shot down to coil around Miaka’s sleeping body. With no difficulty at all, Miaka was lifted to Dren’s side and the teen let out a sigh of relief.

The sleeping girl gave a small snort and jerked awake. Her bright blue eyes first registered the fact that she was no longer in the place she went to sleep in; second, she noticed the great golden chains wrapped around her and leading to the manacle around Dren’s wrist. She noted that Dren’s eyes remained their natural black colour, signalling that it was him, not the other him.

“Let me guess, I wasn’t sleep walking, was I?” Miaka asked.

Dren shook his head. “Damn her, she’s so careless that she almost let you fall off the roof!” He growled venomously. The golden chains that surrounded Miaka slowly lowered her to her feet; occasionally they twitched as they felt the anger from Dren flow into them. “If circumstances had been different, you could have died.”

“Yeah, but circumstances aren’t different, as it stands even if I had fell I wouldn’t have died. I wouldn’t even have been hurt if I fell off the roof. You know that.” Miaka said as she straightened out her white slip, which had ridden up a little too high. With a mind of their own, the golden chains reached up to assist her but she slapped them away and watched as they faded back into nothingness.

“I know! It’s just a reflex, you see someone falling off a roof you have to try and save them…” Dren tugged at his white fringe of hair. “She aggravates me so badly, almost as bad as she aggravates Syaoran. I just- I wish we didn’t have to live like this; her inside of you and him inside of me. Now with the new hope that Sakura and Syaoran will be able to break our curse, co-existing with them is becoming so difficult. Take tonight for example; sure she has done this to you before but never so carelessly- never in such a disrespectful manner.”

“Can you blame her? They’ve waited so long for this- we’ve waited so long for this. Lay off them for the time being because nowadays we have no idea how long we have left. As soon as the curse is lifted, Dren, we will finally be free.” Miaka stared up at Dren, her eyes wide with hope and meaning. It was enough to crack Dren’s shell.

“Alright, I’ll do as you ask I’ll lay off them for the time being, but that doesn’t mean I’ll excuse them for anymore disrespectful behaviour.” Dren stated firmly.

Miaka nodded vigorously and wrapped her arms around Dren in a tight hug. “Thank you so much Dren, for everything. You even protect me from the scary things.”

Dren reached down and picked Miaka’s light frame up and held her close as he sensed sleep over taking her body again. “Life and Death aren’t scary Miaka, they’re just a part of us I don’t like.”

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Syaoran’s Apartment

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Syaoran exited the bathroom in a cloud of steam feeling very confident that he had scrubbed every remaining ounce of Life off his person. He was feeling very refreshed in a pair of loose flannel pants and a plain t-shirt. His eyes swept over his apartment in a search for his magical guest. A cold feeling seeped into him upon realizing that Nightmare was nowhere in sight, and the balcony door was wide open.

‘He must of escaped while I was taking a shower! I knew we shouldn’t have trusted him!’ Syaoran’s mind seethed. He marched forward to slam the glass doors shut but the flapping of a certain navy, bat patterned robe halted him.

More slowly now Syaoran crept forward to see the spirit standing out in the night staring up at the dark sky with awe written in his eyes. Nightmare deftly fiddled with a small length of his robes as he stared straight up to the sky, still unaware of Syaoran. As the warrior kept silent to watch what Nightmare might do next, the spirit under observation tensed and looked over his shoulder.

“Syaoran, out of the shower already?” He asked.

Syaoran started out of surprise; how had Nightmare sensed his presence? “Yeah I am. How did you know I was behind you? I didn’t think I made any noise.”

The spirit turned to fully face the man, lifting himself to sit upon the wrought iron railing that wet around the balcony. “You wouldn’t need any noise to know where your Master is, that’s just something you know.” Nightmare stated matter-of-factly.

Syaoran snorted and looked at Nightmare as if the navy spirit had grown another head. “M-master? What are you talking about! I can’t be a master of the Clow Cards, Sakura is the only one!”

Nightmare looked a little surprised by Syaoran blatant denial of leadership towards the cards. How could he not know? It was kind of obvious. “But you are, Syaoran, you are one of my masters. It shows in your aura.”

“My aura, how can it show in my aura!” Syaoran demanded.

“We as Clow or Star Cards recognize our masters by their aura. Faces can deceive, and a lot of tricks can be played, but an aura never changes; it is unique to every individual. That way we are insured to always know at all times who and where our master is. Since I am still Clow Card, my connection to Miss Sakura and you is very weak but I can still feel you.” Nightmare explained.

“That still doesn’t explain why you think I’m your Master.” Syaoran pointed out.

Nightmare cocked his head, “I thought it had…” Then it seemed to dawn on the spirit why Syaoran hadn’t understood. Nightmare tried his best to think up a better explanation; it was only while Syaoran had been in the shower that the spirit had figured out why he felt a strange connection to Syaoran. A smile formed on his lips. “You don’t know, do you?”

“Know what?” Syaoran narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Nightmare chuckled. “You don’t know about your aura… now it makes sense why you and Miss Sakura seemed oddly distant for a pair so closely entwined together. Your aura and Miss Sakura’s aura are weaved together, closely, never one without the other in a permanent bond. We recognize our masters by their aura and since you share yours with Miss Sakura we are able to recognize you as our master.”

“Re-really?” Syaoran stuttered. When had that happened? When did his aura start to merge with Sakura’s? He had been taught at a young age that when two hearts are truly destined for one another their auras would start to merge with one another so that they may never part, but if that were true that would mean Sakura was destined for him. Could he really be that lucky?

Nightmare began to chuckle even more. “How far into denial do you have to be to not realize that your aura is making moves on your girl faster than you are? This is classic! I love it! I wish Clow Reed were here, he’s sure get a kick out of this!”

“Hey, Nightmare, it’s not that funny!” Syaoran tried to reprimand the spirit, but no such luck. Embarrassed anger began to bubble underneath his skin as a blush crept over his face. As a last resort to cease the spirit’s laughter, Syaoran gave Nightmare a shove off the railing he sat perched on. The spirit tumbled off and fell a few feet until he regained composure and floated back up with a straight face.

“You could have just told me to stop.” He stated. Syaoran allowed a smirk to appear on his lips.

“Where’d the fun be in that?” He taunted.

In that instant as the spirit settled back down on the ground before his master and their eyes met, a weird, indescribable bond was formed. Sort of like a rag-tag, bandit team between the two of them. Man to- um- spirit. If you’ve ever had one of those epiphany moments, that’s sort of what it felt like. Syaoran still harboured distrust for the spirit, but now it was far less than it had been before. The air calmed as the two of them just stood there looking at each other with the new knowledge that Syaoran was as much the Star Card’s master as Sakura was.

“…So, what were you doing out here, Nightmare?” Syaoran attempted to break the silence.

“Me? I was just enjoying the fact that I no longer have a voice in my head telling me destroy. You can’t imagine the feeling of being so cold and dead inside that not even the light from the sun can warm you. I’m just thankful that my nightmare is over, thanks to you and Miss Sakura.” Nightmare admitted, visibly relieved that Syaoran had started a conversation to end the silence.

“Your welcome Nightmare. But that feeling you had, the one of coldness inside you, I can relate to that. When I was younger I was trained to be a warrior, to collect all the Clow Cards and become their master. That plan didn’t exactly work out. Instead I got to know Sakura and she became the sunlight that started to- to-.”

“Warm your heart?”

“Yeah.” Syaoran breathed a sigh of content as he thought of his precious Sakura.

Nightmare smiled as he looked upon his master’s face. Syaoran’s eyes shined as he thought about Sakura. His lips even began to turn up in a contented smile. Silently Nightmare made a vow to his master to try his best to help Syaoran admit his true feelings to Sakura. It was least he could do for the pair off sorcerers who obviously were destined for each other.

Suddenly both males froze, a dark, familiar feeling shot through the air. Syaoran knew this feeling as the magical wave that brushed his senses every time a Clow Card was near.

“Syaoran?” Nightmare asked questioningly.

“Come on, I have a strange feeling about this.” Syaoran motioned for Nightmare to follow him back inside the apartment so that Syaoran could fetch his sword and change into his robes. For a second it occurred to him that he should really call Sakura.

‘No, she’s been through so much lately, I think I can take care of this for her…’ Syaoran thought before rushing out the door with Nightmare in toe.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

In the clearing of the Clow Cards

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

“WWWHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAA! LOST IS GONE!” Sorrow wailed. The lavender spirit darted about the clearing screaming for all she was worth. Illness was screaming after her partner, rolling on the ground pounding her fists in the grass.

“HE’S OUT THERE SOMEWHERE ALL HURT AND DIEING!” Illness screamed.

“SHUT UP! SHUT UP THE BOTH OF YOU!” Fear roared. With his monstrous claws the beast lunged forward for the wailing retards and pinned them to the ground with as much force as he could muster. “You two are not helping anyone by running around scream! Lost is injured so he can’t of gotten far without any help, if you want to find him you must shut your gaping mouths and calm down!”

“Yes sir!” The two spirits squeaked from underneath Fear.

Seduce flipped her hair and looked out into the dark wood with uninterested eyes. “Look at the trail on the ground.” She pointed to a trail of slick, black sludge on the ground. “I believe he went that way.”

Illness struggled to get out from under Fear. “Alright, so that’s the way I’m going!”

“Me too!” Sorrow said. The pair flopped about until Fear allowed them to rise; as soon as they were free they ran to exit the clearing.

“Halt!” Pain’s stern voice commanded.

Sorrow skidded to a stop and grabbed Illness to stop the other spirit.

“What is it Pain?”

“Isn’t this the right way?” The two of them coursed.

“That is the correct way, but you are not to take it.” Pain said “Lost is on his way to his own destruction, he is too injured to come back to us now. If you were to follow him, you would meet the same fate that has befallen Nightmare; life of servitude to the card captors.”

“But what about Lost?” Illness squeaked.

“It is far, far too late for him in any case. Evil had made it so that the boy will not be able to live out the week.” Pain said.

“How?”

“Evil has summoned creatures from a place so dark that light is nothing but a myth, these creatures now inhabit the lantern with Lost’s soul. If he is not joined with his body soon, the creatures shall destroy him- or drive him insane. Which ever comes first…”

“But, there must be something we could do?” Fear ventured.

Pain bowed his head. “I am sorry, there is nothing we can do. Lost has made his choice and we must let him suffer with it.”

Sorrow and Illness immediately dropped to the ground clutching each other, bawling their eyes out.

“How unfortunate, it seems the card capturing duo are stronger than we actually give them credit for.” Seduce sighed. Pain’s eyes flashed and he leapt forward to slap Seduce hard across her face. She was sent reeling across the clearing.

“Never! Never say that they have strength, bitch! We are, and always will be stronger than those bumbling idiots!” Pain hissed; his voice overshadowed with that of Evil’s voice. Seduce nodded dazedly as she picked herself off the ground. Pain/Evil nodded to her, then turned to the three other spirits who sat gathered together in shock from watching Pain’s attack. “We will always be stronger! Do I make my self clear!”

In answer to Evil’s question the four spirit’s eyes glowed demonic red. “Yes Evil. Perfectly clear.”They all stated unanimously.

Pain smirked as he felt Evil’s presence leave him. “Yes, Evil, you make everything perfectly clear.”

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

The Streets of Tomoeda

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Syaoran ran over rooftops and leapt over the spaces between the houses. He was completely silent, due to all his training as a child. The only noise in the silence of the night was the flap of his green robes as they whipped about in the wind. At his side Nightmare was flying through the air, doing his best to keep up to Syaoran’s fast run.

“Syaoran, do you know where we are going?” Nightmare asked.

“Yes.” Syaoran replied. He made a final leap off a roof and landed in a cat like stance on the pavement of the main square of Tomoeda.

“Then, where are we going?” Nightmare asked as he floated down to Syaoran’s side.

“Nowhere, what we’re looking for is coming here.” Syaoran said seriously. He drew his sword and moved into a fighting stance in anticipation for the coming spirit. In his chest, Syaoran’s heart beat a little faster as if he was afraid- no, not afraid- anxious was more like it. He was anxious to see what demon would appear, from the weal feeling that was coming from the spirit he already had a guess who it was, but that could always be a trick.

Off in the distance a strange bobbing light suddenly became apparent. It came forward through the darkness at a sluggish pace, as if something was holding it back. Syaoran recognized the dull black/blue light as that from Lost’s lantern. As soon as the lantern entered the square it came underneath a streetlight and exposed its luggage.

“Pip-squeak, is that you?” Nightmare asked.

In all honesty, Syaoran had to do a double take to make sure what he was seeing really was Lost. The spirit that was dangling off of the lantern was nothing but a mangled mess of cracked demon shell, ripped clothing and oozing black sludge. The pair who stood in defensive positions watched as the lantern set it’s master down with great care and bobbed its way towards them.

“What do you want?” Syaoran asked coldly, he felt kind of stupid for asking a lantern. The piece of floating glass swirled around the man before gently nudging him in Lost’s direction, clearly it meant, ‘Help him.’

Nightmare was already making his way towards Lost. “Hey, Lost, it’s me, Nightmare. Can you speak? Is there anything that I can do?”

Lost mumbled something unintelligible before waving his hand uselessly.

Nightmare dropped to Lost’s side and attempted to use his own robes to stem Lost’s bleeding. “I didn’t catch that, what did you say?”

“I-I said ‘get a-away from me, you cheap, traitorous, bastard’. I don’t need your help!” Lost choked out. He raised his cracked hand to try and shove Nightmare away but the force he used only succeeded in cracking the remaining of his hand off.

‘My God, is that what we did to him?’ Syaoran thought. It was a horrific sight to look upon. He was glad that Sakura wasn’t here to see this; she would have nightmares for weeks just from the mangled sight of Lost on the ground. It made Syaoran almost regret ever using his magic like that.

The lantern gave Syaoran another more forceful shove from behind. It was demanding for his master to be helped. It bobbed close to Syaoran’s face and from the proximity Syaoran could almost see something through the mist. A body- a person- someone very small; like a child… That was until he saw something else a lot more shocking, Sakura’s Star Key dangling off of the living lantern.

“You’re the one who stole it! You’re the one who took the key!” Syaoran yelled and made a move to snatch the key back. The lantern evaded his hand and floated high out of reach. “Give it back you little thief, I need to return that!” Syaoran jumped up to grab the swinging piece of jewellery but every time he jumped, the lantern floated higher.

“Syaoran! Isn’t there anything you can do for Lost!” Nightmare called over. The spirit’s robes were now covered in black sludge and starting to burn way from the acid like properties of the strange blood.

Syaoran sighed. Where was the harm in taking a look? Lost couldn’t even pick himself off the ground. So Syaoran turned away from the lantern he was playing monkey in the middle with and made is way to Lost.

As the warrior came up to inspect the fallen demon he was dimly aware of the dirty lantern swaying happily in the air. Bile rose in Syaoran’s throat the closer he got to the body. He kneeled slowly to Lost’s side and looked to Nightmare to see how the spirit was taking this; Nightmare didn’t look good, his eyes were wide and his hands were shaking.

“C-can’t you do something Master Syaoran?” Nightmare asked.

A strange choking feeling constricted Syaoran’s throat as he stared at Nightmare; the spirit didn’t seem to know what he had said. In all truth, he looked too devastated to know much of anything at the moment. To Syaoran’s horror Nightmare didn’t wait for his master’s reply; instead the spirit dove forward fiercely and began to tear at Lost’s shell.

“AAAARRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Lost screamed out into the night and Syaoran was only dimly aware that someone might awaken from the high-pitched shriek. Nightmare ignored the screams and kept on digging. He tore through the shell piece by piece and threw it in piles around him. Blood spurted into the air at strange intervals and made rain patterns on the ground. Deeper and deeper Nightmare dug in his crazed fashion, not stopping to consider what he was doing, only knowing that if he went deep enough he’d find Lost; little Lost, the innocent child that didn’t deserve to be a demon.

“N- Nightmare, what are you doing?” Syaoran asked.

“Lost, I’m getting him back! He’s in here somewhere! I don’t care what he wants, I’m not letting him stay a demon!” Nightmare answered feverishly. The lantern bobbed down to Syaoran’s side and nudged his hand urgently.

“What do you want now?” Syaoran asked without taking his eyes off the occurring massacre that was happening in front of him. Before he knew it, the Star Key was dropped in his hand. It felt warm. Syaoran glanced down and saw it glow pink in his hand. Obviously he was supposed to do something with it.

“Nightmare, move away.” Syaoran ordered. Nightmare’s hands paused in their work and he looked up to Syaoran with a questioning gaze. “Now Nightmare! Move away from Lost!” The spirit did as he was ordered to.

Syaoran stared down with now hardened eyes. He felt Sakura’s magic pulse through him from the key. It weaved within his aura and delved deep into his soul to bring out the magic that had created the blast he had used earlier to get Lost back. Behind his amber eyes a churning torrent of power was awakened.

The Star Key flared pink and slowly transformed into its staff form, melding with his outstretched sword to create a new staff. It was one with a great long golden handle and a large sword-like spear at the top, decorated with intricate stars and moons. In the dim light of the streetlights the staff gave off a golden-white aura of its own. As Syaoran hand enclosed the golden length he noticed that the staff was vibrating with all the magic it contained.

‘Sakura.’

It could have just been him, but Syaoran could have sworn he felt Sakura’s presence very close by. To him it felt like his hand was enclosed over her small delicate hand. Their magic was flowing into each other in a complete circuit. He felt stronger. To him, the feeling of Sakura being so close to him felt so right…

“Incredible.” Syaoran whispered in awe.

He raised the staff above Lost’s writhing body, pausing to feel the intensity of the power that ran through him, before bringing the magical item down in a quick, slicing motion. For an instant all that existed was screaming. Lost’s shriek was over-powering as he felt every inch of his shell being ripped off. Syaoran’s yell was mixed in as he felt all his energy being drained from him. Nightmare’s strained yelling could barely be heard as he was thrown back from the blast.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Sakura…

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

From among the mess of sheets and covers, Sakura’s body shot up to sit rigidly. Her heart was pounding wildly as if she had just run a mile.

‘What was that?’ she asked herself. Before her eyes the fast flashes of her unusual dream blurred together. Demon Lost laying on the ground, battered and mangled. Nightmare was digging Lost’s body apart in a crazed manor. Syaoran holding a long golden staff over lost and bringing it down in a wide arch to rip Lost’s demon shell off completely.

His eyes glowed fierce amber in the dark…
She still felt the ghost of his hands as if she holding the staff and his hands were enclosed over hers…

The pull of her magic, flowing into him, his magic flowing into her, making them complete… making them feel whole…

Then there was a wide sweep of the staff and all the magic that had built up rushed out at Lost’s decaying body…

“Sakura, are you alright?” Kero asked as he head popped up from his drawer. His face seemed worry that there was going to be a repeat of what happened earlier in the evening.

Sakura glance over to her guardian and smiled sleepily. “I’m fine Kero, I just had this very odd dream.”

“I bet it was nothing. You should go back to bed.” Kero said before turning and disappearing back into his drawer.

“Yeah…” Sakura glanced wistfully out her window, maybe searching for something. What she saw was nothing but the clear night sky. There was nothing to say that the images in her head were real visions or just figments of dreams.

‘What I saw couldn’t possibly be happening. Syaoran would call, wouldn’t he?’

Scary things sneak through my room…
They growl in shadows,

And bring me doom…

Every night I wish to die…

And hope to God

That the scary things were lies

Too bad for me…

Because they’re real…

If I’m not careful, my soul they’ll steal…

… …… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Syaoran…

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Syaoran dropped to his knees, dimly aware that the lantern had come in and was helping support his shaking body. He vaguely registered that the lantern had returned to it’s original form, polished and clean, but the light was a little dimmer.

The staff golden staff that Syaoran held on tightly to fell from his hand and separated on impact with the ground. His sword splayed on the ground with a metallic sound and the Sakura’s staff transformed back into its key form.

Lost was on the ground unmoving with shattered pieces of his demon shell all around him. He was back to his innocent child form. His small, luminescent body looked limp and unharmed on the ground amidst the horrid remains of his demonic self. Syaoran though, seemed a little too preoccupied with his own mind to notice.

‘Sakura, I felt her so near… for a second I thought she was right here, at my side.’ Syaoran thought to himself. The lantern lowered Syaoran so that he was able to rest near Lost’s body, then the piece of floating glass swooped down and picked up the Star Key.

“Mr. Syaoran, you did it! My body is free now!” Lost’s voice squeaked. His image appeared in the lantern looking a little worse for wear. Tattered robes adorned his body and his face was tear streaked.

“L-Lost?” Syaoran looked up to the lantern with confusion. “Shouldn’t you be in your body?”

Lost’s sniffles could be heard coming from within the lantern. “I’m stuck in here Mr Syaoran! I really can’t get out!”

“Why didn’t you say something before? It would have been easier if you had said something earlier.” Syaoran said as he gathered himself and his sword. His amber eyes turned to Lost’s body and he reached out to hold the child. The body was cold and very stiff. It felt like Syaoran was picking up a sack of potatoes or worse- a corpse.

“There’s scary things in here with me Mr Syaoran! They won’t let me out and it really, really scares me!” Lost cried. “I think they want to kill me!”

Nightmare came forward and took the lantern gently in his hands and turned it so he could look through the glass and mist to the spirit within. “They will kill you.” He stated seriously. “I remember over-hearing Evil telling Pain something, I had forgot before now but it’s coming back. You were too good, too pure, to be able to be turned into a demon; instead he ripped you apart. Half of you was encased in the demon and the other half was to be trapped in your own lantern, where you will die from something he put in there.”

“How do we get him back in his body?” Syaoran asked, clutching Lost’s body closer to him.

“Yeah, how do I get back in my body!” Lost squealed. “I don’t want to stay stuck in here! It’s really scary and cold in here!”

Nightmare held the lantern closer to his chest in an almost hug. “Sorry pip-squeak, I don’t think you’re supposed to get out. I think Evil wanted you to die in there and if you and your body remain separated too long, you’re really going to just fade out. Both of you.” Nightmare motioned to both Lost’s body and his mind trapped in the lantern.

“No! No, no, no, no! Let me out! Get me out of here! Help me Mr Syaoran!” Lost screamed. The two men watched as little Lost flung himself around the small space and continued to scream. “I can feel it! They’re coming for me! It’s getting so dark and cold! Help! Mr Syaoran Please Help Me! Nightmare, make the pain stop! They’re ripping me aaappppaaaaarrrrrrtttttttt!” The last echoes of Lost’s voice dispersed into the night as his image disappeared from the lantern.

“Lost! Lost come back!” Nightmare shook the lantern desperately. “Come on you little imp, don’t do this!”

Syaoran shifted Lost’s body in his arms so that he could use his free hand to halt Nightmare’s assault on the lantern. “Nightmare, I don’t think he can come back. The things that are inside of the lantern with him must have over powered him.”

“You don’t seem worried!”

“It’s like you said Nightmare. I’m the co-master of the cards, which means I have a connection to you as well and I just know that Lost is holding on right now. He’s getting weaker by the moment but he’s still holding on.” Syaoran said, meaning every word of what he said. “He’s a strong little kid, I know he’ll make it through.”

“Of- of course, Master Syaoran.” Nightmare nodded and stood with the lantern still in his grasp. Syaoran fisted his hand and banged it off Nightmare’s head. “Ow! What was that for!” Nightmare yelped.

“That was for calling me ‘master’, it sounds weird.” Syaoran flipped Lost so that the small body was being piggy backed on Syaoran’s back. “We got to get out of here, people are starting to wake up; I can see their lights turning on.”

Obediently Nightmare floated after Syaoran as he led the way over the rooftops back to his apartment building. They had traveled in relative silence. As they neared the apartment building the Syaoran lived in Nightmare finally broke the silence with the question that had been bothering him.

“Syaoran, what are we to do now? This is quite a big accomplishment, getting a Clow Card back, especially since it’s Lost. Do you think we should contact Miss Sakura, surly we can’t keep this good news from her?” Nightmare asked. “I believe she’d truly want to know if Lost was back.”

Syaoran remained silent for a while, thinking about what to do. On one hand, yes it would be the right course of action to tell Sakura… But what about Lost’s condition, that needed to be taken into consideration? It wasn’t fair to get Sakura’s hopes up by having her have Lost back, only to have him die on her. That would be cruel.

“I don’t think we should tell her, think about it, Nightmare. She gets Lost back only to find him broken in two, intended to be tortured in his lantern and die. I don’t want her to know about this. I think- I think that we should keep this to ourselves and try to find a spell or something to fix this. Once we’ve helped Lost back to the way he was originally we’ll tell Sakura.” Syaoran instructed.

Nightmare looked over at Syaoran with an unsure look. “Are you sure this is the best thing to do?”

Syaoran nodded firmly before crouching down to take the huge leap up to his apartment balcony. Lost’s body flopped around uselessly on his back and Syaoran had to hold on tighter to the small boy’s legs. Once up to the balcony he opened the glass door and walked in, making his way to the bedroom. With great care Syaoran placed Lost on his bed and placed a hand on the spirit’s forehead, it was cold and clammy.

Nightmare came into the room and placed Lost’s lantern next to its owner. The light from the glowing lantern flickered dangerously and became even dimmer. That only served to darkened the hearts of the two men staring down. Nightmare ran his hand through his navy hair then plucked the Star Key off of the lantern and held it up to Syaoran. “Even if Miss Sakura isn’t going to be informed about Lost, she doesn’t deserve to be parted from her key any longer than she has to be. Shall I return this to her?”

“Yes, go give her back her key but don’t wake her up.” Syaoran ordered. Nightmare bowed and left. Syaoran remained in his room and sat down next to Lost. The lights were off in his room but the dim light given off from the spirit and lamp was enough to be able to see. ‘We’ll figure this out Lost, you’ll be back in your body soon and whatever scary things are in your lantern with you, we’ll beat them. We have to…’

It could have been his imagination, but as Syaoran fell asleep on the floor of his room he could have sworn he heard a child screaming…

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Sakura’s Room

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Nightmare had flown the whole way to Sakura’s house, following his senses to his destination. He entered the room through the window and immediately spotted his Mistress asleep on her bed. Slowly the nightmare spirit snuck up and stared down at the sleeping woman. She began to toss and turn fitfully in her sleep the longer the Nightmare stared down at her. He could sense a disturbing dream beginning to penetrate her mind.

“Miss Sakura, dearest of Syaoran, let your nightmare no longer haunt your sleep.” Nightmare whispered. His hand ghosted over Sakura’s face and glowed a slight navy light. Seconds later her face relaxed and a contented sigh.

“Syaoran…”
“That’s right Miss Sakura, dream of your dearest Syaoran and know that I have vowed to get you two together.” Nightmare said warmly and deposited the Star Key next to Sakura’s head. Unconsciously her hand reached up and took hold of her key tightly.

Nightmare left without another word back to Syaoran’s apartment.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Syaoran was asleep on the floor when Nightmare returned. As expected, Lost had not moved at all. He appeared somewhat dead if you were to stare at the boy long enough.

Syaoran squirmed uncomfortably on the floor and groaned when he couldn’t find a comfortable position. As a kind gesture to the man, the spirit lifted him up and carried Syaoran to the couch. A blanket was thrown over his body and pillow placed under his head. Once Nightmare was satisfied that his master would be comfortable he went to the bathroom to try and clean up his robes, which were still dirty and burning with demon blood.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

In the morning

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Sakura had awoken to a most pleasant surprise. As she untwisted herself from the confines of her sheets the sorceress was aware of an object in her hand. She opened her hand and couldn’t hold back the squeal of joy when her eyes rested on her very own Star Key!

“Hoe! Kero! Kero wake up, look what’s in my hand!” Sakura jumped from her bed and wrenched open the sun guardian’s drawer. The small beast blinked confusedly.

“What is it Sakura?” He asked with a sleep hazy voice.

Sakura dropped her hand before Kero face and presented the key to his eyes. “My Star Key came back Kero! I don’t know how but it must have come back while I was asleep!” The young woman jumped around her room as if it were Christmas morning. “I bet Syaoran had something to do with this! I’ll have to thank him when I see him at school!”

“You want to thank the brat for sneaking in your room at night, while you were sleeping, and giving you back something that he could have returned to you at school?” Kero asked.

“Yup!” Sakura answered cheerfully.

There was a knock at her door and Fujitaka popped his head in. “Is everything alright sweetie, I heard thumping downstairs.”

“Everything is great Dad!” Sakura said brightly and ran to hug her father tightly. “I’m starving, let’s go eat breakfast!” She ran off down the hall and head straight for the kitchen.

Fujitaka grinned. This was an improvement from his moping daughter that he had seen last night.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Tomoeda High School

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

The schoolyard was packed with many high school students enjoying the warm spring weather that was just beginning to turn into summer weather. Sakura waved to her friends Rika, Chiharu, and Naoko as they saw her coming through the gates. They smiled and waved back enthusiastically.

Tomoyo and Eriol were standing near the school doors talking to each other. Sakura noticed that they were standing closer to each other than they normally would and Eriol was definitely wearing a flirtatious smile on his face. To be polite Sakura waved to them and they waved back to here before go back to talking to one another with those small, flirtatious smiles.

Sakura spotted Syaoran easily; he was sitting alone under a shaded tree staring up at the sky. With a grin spreading on her face, Sakura decided to sneak up on Syaoran and surprise him. Slowly she crept up on the warrior, being as quiet as she could and unaware of the schoolyard of students that was following her with their eyes. When she was sure that Syaoran didn’t know she was there, Sakura struck.

With a mighty cry Sakura leaped onto Syaoran’s back and hugged him tightly from behind. “Thank you so much Syaoran! I can’t believe you got my key back!” She cheered delightfully. Her surprise hug was worth it to see Syaoran’s reaction. He jumped and gave off a funny sounding squeak that made Sakura giggle and hug him tighter. “I know it was you, Syaoran! You got my Star Key back somehow!” She lowered her voice so that no one else but them would hear, “did you go up against Lost by yourself last night? Are you all right? Did you get hurt? What about Lost, is he back? Did you change Lost back, Syaoran?”

To her surprise Syaoran’s eyes darkened and he looked away from her. “I got your Star key back but I didn’t get Lost back- not completely.” He said darkly.

Sakura drew away from Syaoran and tried to look him in the eyes but he turned his head even more so that she couldn’t. What she did notice was that he looked a little more tousled than usual. His skin was pale and there were dark shadows underneath his eyes. Signs that he had either been up late or that he was coming down with something.

“Well, it’s okay that you didn’t get Lost back- I mean, it was only yesterday that we fought him and that took a lot out of the both of us, what matters is that we have my Star Key back and now I can change Nightmare. How is Nightmare doing anyways, Syaoran?”

Syaoran stiffened as he thought back to the navy spirit sitting on the bed next to Lost’s body flipping listlessly through an old book in hopes of finding something that would reverse what had happened to Lost. “He- he’s doing fine.” Syaoran answered.

“Oh… well- maybe I could come over after school to transform Nightmare?” Sakura asked lightly. It seemed to be the last thing Syaoran wanted, his eyes flashed and he promptly stood up.

“I’m sorry Sakura, you can’t come over right now.” He said firmly, but Sakura saw the flash of regret in his eyes. “Maybe another time, but not right now.” He turned away from Sakura and walked off to another shady tree.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

“What was that about?” Tomoyo asked.

Eriol shrugged. The entire schoolyard was twittering and asking each other what happened between the school’s star “unofficial couple”.

“I get the sense that my cute little descendant is hiding something and he really doesn’t want Sakura to know.”

“I wonder what he could be hiding.” Tomoyo asked. She continued to gaze at the still form of Sakura who still sat where she had been left. “I’m going to check if Sakura is alright.”

“Then I shall go and question the behaviour of my cute little descendant.” Eriol said.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

‘That was difficult’ Syaoran thought. His heart felt constricted and he felt completely horrible for lying to Sakura. Maybe hiding Lost from her wasn’t the best thing to do… he could have just told her about the whole thing and be done with it. Yeah, she would feel sad about it but at least he wasn’t lying…

“What was that about back there, my cute little descendant?” Eriol’s voice asked as the sorcerer appeared around the corner of the school.

“It was nothing, Hiiragisawa. I’m just not feeling well.” Syaoran answered coldly.

Eriol’s eyes flashed, he knew it was a lie. “Do you take me for a fool Syaoran? I know that something beyond a cold is going on with you, you don’t have to tell me what’s wrong but there is a girl out there who you have just seriously confused. Did you even think about how she would take your cold shoulder? She’s not just some girl-.”

“I know! Sakura is way more than just some girl to me Hiiragisawa! I think I care a little too much about her because here I am day in and day out thinking about her. I know she has this soft, compassionate heart and a soul purer than any other that I have ever met. For that reason I’m trying to keep her away from something that I know would break her heart! I’m trying to save her the pain!” Syaoran said.

Eriol gazed into Syaoran’s eyes trying to judge if this was the truth. He deemed it was. “I hope you know what you’re doing Syaoran because you may be trying to save her pain but you may end up hurting her more by keeping her away.”

“It- it’s not forever.” Syaoran mumbled. “Only until I fix what is broken.”

“Riiiight. Just so you know, Toya is not the only one who will hurt you if you hurt Sakura.” Eriol said with a hint of a threat. He turned on his heal and left to go inside.

‘Believe me, I think I would hurt myself if I ever hurt Sakura.’ Syaoran thought glumly. “Although I think I can be a little nicer about keeping this a secret, for Sakura’s sake and my own safety.’

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

“Maybe I hurt him when I jumped on his back.” Sakura pointed out. Tomoyo wrapped her arm around Sakura’s shoulder; the sorceress was somewhat confused at Syaoran’s behaviour and a little more concerned than she should have been. “It felt like we were back to the first day we met, I felt that coldness about him but I saw it in his eyes that he was straining. Could he be keeping something from me?

“Yeah, that could be it Sakura or Syaoran just had a really bad night. If you just let him cool down a bit I bet he’ll be in a way better mood in class.” Tomoyo offered. Sakura smiled and hugged her friend.

“I guess he could have had a bad night, I mean I had the weirdest dreams last night. First was with Syaoran and Nightmare and Lost and my key combine with Syaoran’s sword to make this huge staff. It was so weird that the dream woke me up.” Sakura nodded along with her explanation. “But the second dream was different, at first it was kind of scary- Evil had taken all of my cards and was turning them into demons. Then out of nowhere I could have sworn I heard Nightmare’s voice saying something and Syaoran suddenly appeared in my dream, we fought Evil got all the cards back and the funny thing was in my dream Syaoran was the ‘co-master’ of the cards!”

“Well, you never know, Sakura, you’ve been known to have prophetic dreams…” Tomoyo giggled. “Look over there, I think Miaka and Dren have arrived!”

Sakura looked over her shoulder to see Miaka and Dren making their way through the students, talking to one another. They didn’t notice Sakura or Tomoyo until Sakura called out to them to sit down and talk. Their reaction was strange; Miaka jumped at the offered but seemed to remember something in mid-step and took three jumps back.

“So sorry Sakura! I can’t! There’s something I have to do somewhere, sometime around now!” Miaka called and raced off in the opposite direction. Dren was left standing like a bored shadow in the middle of the crowd.

“I apologize Sakura, Tomoyo. Miaka and I have business about our transfer to take care of. I hope that is not a problem?” Dren asked courteously.

“No problem at all, we’ll see you in homeroom!” Tomoyo answered.

Dren bowed and hastily made his way after Miaka muttering something like; “When they agreed to help from a far they didn’t count us in the agreement! We could have stayed Miaka…”

“Tomoyo, is it just me or is everyone walking away from me?” Sakura asked.

“Umm, maybe it’s just you?” Tomoyo shrugged.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

End of the school day

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Sakura sat outside the school surrounded by Chiharu, Naoko, Rika and Tomoyo, all of them waiting for cheerleading practice to begin. Amongst the chattering and laughter Sakura still bore a heavy heart. The day had vastly improved once first class started and Syaoran became noticeably nicer but it was still obvious he was hiding something. Many times Sakura tried to pry it out of him but he remained strong.

Miaka continuously skirted around Sakura as if she were afraid that if she came to close she might her Sakura. Not to mention when Syaoran had come up behind Miaka, the girl had jumped so high in the air she would have made the pole jumpers jealous. Dren was a little more sensible, he spoke on even terms but eventually found an excuse to depart with.

Something was going on and Sakura really wanted to know what it was…

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Syaoran’s Apartment

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Syaoran felt tried and drained as he opened the door. Without a word he dragged himself in and dropped his bag on the table. Then it occurred to him that he couldn’t hear anyone. The entire place sounded silent as a crypt.

“Nightmare? Are you in here?” Syaoran asked.

The door to Syaoran’s bedroom swung open and Nightmare poked his head out. “I’m right here.”

“Did you find anything in any of the books?” Syaoran asked hopefully. By Nightmare’s saddened expression, he hadn’t.

“No, I’ve been looking all day! Truly I have and all I’ve found are tiny little spell that won’t help anyone!” Nightmare answered.

“What about Lost, has there been any improvement with him?” Syaoran asked.

Nightmare shook his head and motioned for Syaoran to come into the room. “It’s strange, all day all I’ve heard from Lost is poems. He says them over and over again, nothing else.” He pointed to the hovering lantern that was rocking back in forth in the air much like crazy people do in the psyche ward.

“What are the poems about?” Syaoran wondered as he watched the glowing lamp roll about aimlessly in the air.

“Scary things, the poems are always about scary things.” Nightmare answered. “And if I may say, the poems kind of freak me out. And that’s a lot coming from me, I was a demon once after all.”

Syaoran nodded. “Keep your mind off the poems then, maybe find a pair of ear plugs or something. Our first priority is to get Lost back into his body before it’s too late.” Syaoran patted Lost’s head and noticed that the boy’s body had become even colder than before, like ice.

“I’m starting to think that maybe it’s already too late.” Nightmare sighed.

“No! It’s never too late Nightmare! We just have to keep on trying! Somewhere in one of these old spell books there has to be something that can help us, they all can’t be useless!” Syaoran motioned wildly to the stack on dusty book that were hidden away in his closet. “If worst comes to absolute worst, I could always ask Hiiragisawa to help as well.”

“You’re right, I can’t give up. Lost never gave up when me and the other cards were turned demon, he always tried to get us back, so I have to do my best to get him back.” Nightmare said determinedly.

“That’s the spirit!”

“Scary things, Scary things, they are real…

They make your heart stop,

And your skin peal…

They always hide under your bed…

And wait ‘till dark to

Rip off your head…

Little can defeat them, very few…

If you’re not careful

They’ll come after you…”

Nightmare shuddered and turned to Syaoran. “Told you they were freaky poems.”

“Uh-huh.”

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

End of the Week

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The entire remains week was kind of painful for Sakura. She was stuck on the sidelines as she watched Syaoran come to school each day with darker shadows under his eyes and a more strained expression on his face. He always looked so tired and a few times at lunch Sakura had caught him asleep on the roof. Each time she offered to some over after school to cook him something or look after him he bluntly refused and said that Nightmare was doing a fine job. Obviously that was a lie but what was Sakura supposed to do?

Miaka had gotten a stern talking to from Dren and now was a lot less skittish around Sakura and Syaoran but she still found reasons to sneak away more often than not.

It seemed that the only good thing about the week was that none of the demon cards made an appearance. There was neither hide nor hair of them sensed anywhere. But that in its self made Sakura suspicious. It felt like they hiding, planning something…

It was Friday that Sakura finally hit her breaking point.

“I can’t take it anymore Tomoyo! It’s really starting to get to me that Syaoran won’t tell me what’s going on!” Sakura whispered to her best friend. Syaoran was up at the board solving an equation so they were able to whisper quietly.

“Well, confront him about it if it is bothering you that badly, Sakura.” Tomoyo whispered back.

“I think I will! Today, at lunch, I’ll get him up on the roof and ask him once and for all what’s going on.” Sakura whispered back confidently.

“Miss Kinomoto, Miss Daidouji is there something that you two would like to share with the class?” Mrs. Kamaji asked.

Sakura and Tomoyo blushed at being caught and shook their heads to say they had nothing to share with the class.

“If you’re sure that you have nothing to say please pay attention to the lesson at hand.”

“Yes, Mrs. Kamaji.” They replied in unison.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Syaoran had received a note from Sakura just before lunch that asked him to meet her up at the roof so that’s where he was, up on the roof waiting for her. He felt fatigue weigh down on his body as he stood waiting. Every night Syaoran had stayed up into the early hours of the morning looking over pages of old books in hopes of finding something.

Everyday Lost’s condition worsened. His body became colder and at times he appeared transparent on the bed. They never saw Lost’s image in the lantern anymore, they only heard his voice either repeating poems of scary things or screaming like he was being killed.

“Come on Sakura, where are you.” Syaoran mumbled to himself. He felt Sakura’s aura coming closer, she was just walking up the steps to the roof.

“Syaoran! This is an emergency, you must come quickly!” Nightmare’s voice carried over the schoolyard. Syaoran spun around to see the spirit speeding through the air like a streak of black and navy.

“Are you crazy Nightmare! People can see you!” Syaoran yelled. “Go back to my apartment right now!”

Nightmare flailed his arms. “NO! No, no, no! It doesn’t matter! I found something in one of the books! It might be a spell that can help up! You have to come right now!”

“Are you serious, you think you found a spell that can get Lost out of his lantern and back into his body!” Syaoran asked.

“Yes! Yes!” Nightmare nodded. “Come on, we have to go to your apartment now!” He tugged Syaoran by the sleeve urging him to move.

There was tree near the side of the school, close enough to be able to jump to and Syaoran took the chance. He leapt off the school and landed on a thick branch without much trouble. It was only by luck that no student was on that side of the school to witness Syaoran’s death defying leap. He hit the ground gracefully and out off at a sprint in the direction of his apartment, Nightmare flying a head far above the clouds so as not to be seen.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

“Oh my…” Sakura whispered to herself. “What are they talking about? Lost- they’re putting Lost back in his body but- but that would mean that Syaoran has Lost. I have to go!” Sakura turned to run after the two men but gasped in surprise as she was met by the face of her best friend.

“Tomoyo, what are you doing?” Sakura squeaked.

“I’m here to give you this.” She said and held out a bundle of clothes. “This is a new outfit I made for you that can double as a battle costume. I hope you like it.”

Sakura grabbed the clothes and thanked Tomoyo, asking her friend to make an excuse for her to be absent from school the rest of the day. After Tomoyo agreed Sakura made her hasty escape from the school to follow after Syaoran.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Syaoran didn’t even bother to close his door properly as he burst into his home.

“The book, it’s on the table, I left it open to the page! Take a look!” Nightmare said excitedly as he flew in through the glass door. Syaoran went for the book and Nightmare went in the Syaoran’s room to see how Lost was doing. “LOST! Pip-squeak! Syaoran, he’s fading!”

Syaoran shot up and ran to see the problem, Nightmare ran from the room with Lost in his arms. The boy was almost completely faded, you could see straight through him to Nightmare’s robes. He was dieing and didn’t have much time left. At that time the lantern chose to fling itself into the room with a mighty wail.

“THEY’RE BBBBBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKK! AND THEY”RE KILLING ME!” Lost screamed.

Above all the chaos and screaming Syaoran heard a feminine gasp come from somewhere and spun to see a rigid Sakura standing in his doorway staring at Lost’s insanely screaming lantern with a look of horror.

“Oh no, Sakura this isn’t what it looks like!” Syaoran yelled desperately.

“S- Syaoran, is Lost dieing?”

“N- no Miss Sakura, I’m not dieing… the scary things are killing me.” Lost said in a deathly calm, shaking voice. “I won’t die until they take. Every. Last. Bit. Of. Me. Apart.”

“Not die until who takes you apart?” Sakura asked. Her heart pounded in her chest painfully and air was beginning to become difficult to get into her lungs. Maybe she didn’t want to know the answer but the lantern rolled about in the air aimlessly and answered her.

“The scary things Miss Sakura. All they want is for me to die, and I think they’re going to get what they want.” Lost answered.

Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat that threatened to choke her. She had to turn away from the lantern but her eyes were drawn to another scene that was just as bad. Her emerald eyes were glued to Lost’s quickly fading body.

‘How?’

‘When?’
Now it was the questions that were beginning to bombard her mind. How did Lost get here? Was this the secret that Syaoran had been keeping from her? Was this the thing he didn’t want her to see? Sakura almost wished she hadn’t of come- almost- now that she had seen this there was no turning back.

“Y- you didn’t answer me Syaoran.” Sakura’s voice wavered. “Is Lost dieing?”

“Miss Sakura, maybe it would be best if you left?” Nightmare offered.

Sakura’s eyes shot up to look Nightmare in the eyes with a wild stare. “No! I can’t go! I can’t leave Lost!” Before her mind registered what her body was doing, Sakura leapt forward and reached out to take Lost’s fading body. She clutched him close to her chest and gazed down at his transparent face. He was so light, almost like holding a bag of feathers and so cold feeling so wrapped the bundle of clothing she had received from Tomoyo around Lost.

“What’s he doing here? How did you get him back Syaoran?” Sakura asked imploringly. “Has Lost been here all this week? This is the reason you didn’t want me over here, isn’t it! Why didn’t you tell me!”

Syaoran looked away from Sakura with his clouded amber eyes. “I’m sorry, I just didn’t want you to see Lost like this. I though that I could fix him and surprise you with a healthy, together Lost. Now I regret that decision, I’m so sorry.”

Sakura stared with pained eyes at the man before her. What was she supposed to do? One look down at the boy in her arms told her that there was nothing to do but forgive Syaoran. All week Syaoran and nightmare had been racing the clock to try and find a cure, a solution, just so Sakura would never have to see Lost in this condition. Even if it wasn’t the right thing to do to keep her away from this he did it with good intentions…

“I want to forgive you Syaoran but I can’t- not until we help Lost first.”

Syaoran looked up to Sakura’s shimmering eyes and saw that there was forgiveness shining in them, beyond the tears that were forming.

“Lost first… The spell is right here.” He held out the yellowed, flaking book to point out the page with a long, scrawling spell written on it.

“Manipulation of Souls”

Why do I get all the hurt and the pain?

Am I the bad boy that

Scary things like to maim?

They rattle the bars of their crumbling cage

And reach out to me

With incredible rage…

Isn’t anyone trying to save me?

Take me away from the scary things,

And let me be free…

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

“Manipulation of Souls”

“This is a dangerous art that should be practiced only by the most powerful and experienced of sorcerers.

To manipulate the soul is to take it into your will and displace it from one vassal to another.

Also used in the retrieval of lost or captive souls.

Do not mistake this for a spell to control souls, this spell only allows you to move a soul around, as you please, nothing further.

If a mistake is made, even a minor one, it may result in the loss of life in both parties…”

Sakura stared down at the page and took in the spell that was required. She had never seen anything like it; it was so different and definitely ancient. “You were going to do this spell by yourself weren’t you?” Sakura accused.

Syaoran nodded. “I would do anything it took to help Lost live and get him back to normal… I would do the same for you as well.” He added the last part in a whisper. Sakura blushed and tried to hide her face behind Lost, but unfortunately he was see-through.

No one had been paying attention to the lantern so it came as a surprise as it suddenly flashed a bright light, gave of a shrieking noise and fell to the floor as a ball of dark glass. Nightmare swooped in and shook the glass.

“Hey, Lost! Pip-squeak! Come on, I know you’re stronger than that, stay with us, please!” Nightmare yelled.

Sakura and Syaoran ran to gather around the lantern. A dim, small light flickered from within and Lost appeared, he was broken and bloody; wearing nothing but rags and slashed up every which way. With a small hand he reached out in Sakura’s direction.

“Miss Sakura- I’m really, really sorry that I wasn’t strong enough to stay with you. You’re the p-prettiest girl I’ve ever met. I hope that your heart won’t hurt after I’m gone, I don’t want you to feel any more pain.” Lost struggled to keep his voice. Every second was just breaking away and he desperately wanted to say his good-byes. “Mr Syaoran, you’ve been really nice to me. I want to thank you for giving me a name, even if I only got to use it for a day, it was fun being your cousin. Take care of Miss Sakura and don’t let her cry too much…Oh yeah, bye Nightmare- you big jerk.” Lost’s image finally faded completely and his body steadily followed suit.
“Syaoran, we have to do the spell! NOW!” Sakura yelled frantically. She ran to the living room and set what was left of Lost down on the floor gently. “Hurry, he’s almost all gone!”

“Summon your staff Sakura, you’re going to need it!” Syaoran instructed as he brandished his sword. “We need something to channel our magic.” Sakura quickly complied. Both teens sat on the floor on either side of Lost with their magical items out, held over Lost’s body and lantern, which Nightmare had set down for the purpose of the spell.

“Be careful, I don’t want anything to happen to either my Master or my Mistress.” Nightmare bowed. “I’ll watch over things here until you’re done.

“What do you mean by Master-?” Sakura began to ask.

“Never mind! He’ll tell you later!” Syaoran hissed. “Just concentrate now!”

Together the two started to summon all they possessed, all their magic from the depths of their souls and brought it outward. The magic flowed like a river from their hearts to their hands, into their weapons to cascade down onto the two parts of Lost. Syaoran’s voice filled the room with the incantation, his deep voice repeating the ancient text, word for word.

Sakura had become accustomed to the feeling of her magic over flowing from her body into Lost so it surprised her when Syaoran dropped his sword on top of Lost and took Sakura’s staff to do the same. Next thing she knew, Sakura was wrapped up in a tight embrace, suspended over the gap in between the teens. Slowly she raised her arms to return the hold and smiled as Syaoran’s breath tickled her ears as she listened to his voice utter the spell monotonously until it became nothing but a hum to her.

Syaoran began to stand with Sakura still in his embrace so she had no choice but to follow suit.

“Sakura, I’m done the first part of the spell the second part is the really hard part but you have to trust me. I want you to take a step forward, ignore that Lost is in front of you; you won’t hurt him. I’m going to take a step forward as well. When we do, focus as hard as you can on Lost everything about him that you can think of and be prepared for a drop.” Syaoran instructed.

“A drop?”

“You’ll see.” Syaoran chuckled. She felt him begin to take his step so she mirrored him. At first Sakura was afraid that her foot was going to kick Lost in the head but she found no resistance to her movement. Syaoran pressed Sakura close to him, his whole body pressed to hers but that was no time to be thinking about positions, they had to focus their minds on everything that they knew about Lost.

The first time they saw Lost, he was introducing himself at the clearing.

Lost leading Sakura and Syaoran to safety away from the clearing, even at his own personal risk.

Lost’s adorable human disguise, “Li Shieng”.

Syaoran placing Lost on his shoulders when they went to Sakura’s house.

Lost’s sleepover with Sakura.

His glowing blue lantern.

His smile.

His innocence.

Before either of them had time to react, it felt like the floor opened up and swallowed them both. Wind howled around them and tried to force them apart but the two held on tighter to each other. Down further and further, into a bottomless pit of blackness, maybe they wouldn’t ever stop falling… Things were reaching out from all sides, some grabbing, some clawing, others ripping at their human flesh. Below them a vague light appeared, becoming brighter and rounder as the dropped closer and closer until they fell right into the bright object.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Inside Lost’s Lantern

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Sakura’s limbs felt like lead as she attempted to lift her self up. She tried to take in her surroundings but the light was so dim in the area that all she was able to make out was vague silhouettes against a black background. Sakura realised that the comfort of Syaoran’s arms was gone from around her and a cold feeling of being left alone dropped in her stomach.

“S- Syaoran, where are you?” Sakura called out. She strained her ears to hear any noise at all but all she heard was a muffled mumbling.

“W-what was that, I didn’t hear you, Syaoran, where are you!” Sakura yelled into the dark. The seemingly solid ground below her shifted and began to rise up.

“I said, “I’m right here, you’re sitting on me!” Syaoran exclaimed as he shook Sakura off his back. She tumbled to the side giggling nervously.

“Sorry, I didn’t know.” Sakura shifted where she sat. “So where are we?”

Syaoran looked around and saw about as much as Sakura did. “My guess is we’re in Lost’s lantern. It’s so dark in here- hey Sakura you don’t have to pinch me!”

“That wasn’t me- ouch! Something pulled my hair!” Sakura yelped.

Around them the dark world rustled like the sound of a forest in the wind, branches scraping against one another and dry leaves blowing everywhere. A strange chuckling, hissing sound could be heard over the windless storm of noise. Something akin to pinpricks began to break out all over Sakura’s body and quickly became more violent, piercing into her skin painfully. Syaoran’s yell announced that the same thing was attacking him.

“We got to run for it, Sakura, this way!” Syaoran reached out blindly and found Sakura’s arm. He dragged her to her feet and took off through the barrage of attacks. Something was taunting them in the dark forest. No matter how fast or how far they ran the poking pinpricks followed them. Invisible eyes watched their every move and unseen mouths laughed at their futile antics.

Up ahead there was a very faint light, similar to the luminescence that was naturally emitted from a spirit’s skin. It was the only thing that was going for the running pair so they ran towards it and was relieved as the closer they got the less they were stabbed. Sakura stumbled just as she was about to enter the light and skidded along the ground, dragging Syaoran with her.

A hard, barky tentacle wrapped around her ankle and whipped her body back into the darkness. Multiple other tentacles reached out and each seemed to take a piece of her, pulling at her- ripping her apart.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“Sakura!” Syaoran picked himself off the ground and tried to pinpoint Sakura from her screaming. She sounded like she was being thrown about all over the place.

His eyes suddenly caught something new, a spark in the dark that was small and pink. It expanded and illuminated the surroundings around them revealing the black tree forest that they were on the edges of. The trees moved with minds of their own, flailing their branches and whipping about as if they were caught in a storm. On the thick, black trunk of all the trees was a frightening twisted face with fiery red eyes. (A/N, think of the haunted forests in those Disney movies, you know; all the trees have a creepy face and they’re all alive. Does that make a picture?)

Sakura was the origin of the pink spark (A/N surprise?) as her magic continued to spread outward and force her attackers away from her. It was a strange sight to see; when the pink light washed over a tree something would escape, a black formless shadow of some kind, and the tree would bloom into a beautiful cherry tree. Soon Sakura’s magic had reached all the trees in quite a distance and her body was now cushion in a bed of soft cherry blossom petals.

“Sakura, are you alright!” Syaoran ran up to he and dropped to his knees anxiously. She didn’t look too worse for wear; a shallow cut ran down from her forehead to her temple and there were many little red pinpricks standing out on her body but that was the worst of it.

“I’m fine Syaoran.” Sakura answered and rose up to brush herself off. That’s when the sorceress noticed a detail about Syaoran and herself that she had failed to see before in the dim light.

Now that the forest had considerably brightened now that the ‘things’ that had attacked them were gone she noticed that they were no longer wearing their school uniforms. Syaoran was dressed in his traditional outfit and Sakura was dressed in the outfit that Tomoyo had gifted to her. It was kind of a cross between the costume she had worn when capturing The Silent Card and Nightmare’s striped bat robes. She was a rainbow of different hues of pink and they complemented her very well. So well in fact that Syaoran couldn’t help but stare a little longer that he had to.

“What were those things in the trees?” Sakura asked.

Syaoran turned serious and placed his hand firmly on Sakura’s shoulder. “I believe that those were some of the scary things in here. Best keep on our guard because I know that we’ll be seeing more of those creatures, soon.”

“Good idea. Which way do we go to find Lost in this place?”

Syaoran thought back to the direction he saw the faint light; it was same direction that he was sensing a Clow Card in. “We go this way.” He announced and started to make his was out of the thicket of cherry blossom trees.

Outside the boundary forest was kind of creepy, like a battle zone without any dead bodies, just a massacre of the land. Smoke rose from piles of burning trees and animal carcasses staining the dark sky into obscurity. The lands that were laid out before them were ripped up and contained huge gouges in the earth as if someone took a giant knife and sliced the place up.

“Oh my-.” Sakura gasped and covered her mouth. How horrible- she could only imagine how Lost was doing.

“Don’t think about it Sakura, just keep moving. We have to find Lost in this mess before he fades away completely because if he goes we get trapped in here with no way out.” Syaoran took Sakura’s delicate hand and began to lead her into the chaos that was the inside of the lantern.

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How long have they been going in circles? Very path that Sakura and Syaoran walked down ended up as nothing but a dead end. Both of them were getting the sneaking suspicion that the creatures in the lantern had something to do with the dead ends; every time they were forced to turn back their surroundings would break out into cruel laughter.

“Syaoran, I think we’re lost.” Sakura sighed.

“Of course we are, we’re in Lost’s lantern after all. Would you expect anything less from a lost spirit?” He said matter-of-factly.

“No, I guess not, but-.” She was forgetting something very important. It was on the tip of her tongue; there was something in the back of her mind that knew how to use the lantern to her advantage.

“All I have to do to is tell my lantern who I want to find and it will take me to who I want to find!” (Chapter 9, Get Lost!)

“Syaoran! Syaoran! We’ve been going about this all wrong! It’s impossible to find something that is of Lost’s, we become lost ourselves; we have to let the lantern bring to us what we want to find!” Sakura jumped joyfully. “Trust me on this one, think really hard about wanting Lost’s soul here, right now!”

Syaoran gave the girl a questioning look but complied to her wishes. As he concentrated on Lost Sakura asked out loud.

“Please lantern, please! We really want Lost here, couldn’t you find him and bring him to us?”

At first nothing happened. But after a few seconds the land began to shift and shuffle, slowly, picking up speed as it went along. A snaking path suddenly formed and shot forward, carrying a squirming mass. It looked like a giant glob of moving tar with multiple red eyes and crooked mouths with rows of sharp teeth. The smell was horrible; rotting flesh mixed with the stench of sulphur, it made Sakura gag and tears came to her eyes.

As the thing moved forward they saw that the creature was ripping at something, little pieces of cloth and flesh were thrown away at different intervals. The hissing laughter that Sakura had to endure while wondering around in the lantern was coming back, louder and far crueller than before. Just as the creature stopped a few feet in front of Syaoran and Sakura and another sound was heard coming off of it; a weak, sniffling, crying sound.

“Lost?” Sakura took a tentative step forward but the tar beast lashed out and whipped her back.

“Stay back, wench!” The beast howled.

“M- Miss S-Sakura? No! G-get out of here!” Lost very faint voice cried.

“Lost, we’re going to get you out of there!” Syaoran yelled. “Don’t worry, just stay with us!”

“Mr Syaoran, the scary things are strong! Aaahhhhh! They’ll hurt you like they’re hurting me!” Lost screamed. His voice was abruptly cut off from something.

“Lost are you still there?” Sakura called.

“Sorry to disappoint you, sorceress, but Lost isn’t here any more.” As if on cue, the entire world inside the lantern was thrown into pitch darkness.

The beginning of the end.

“No! He can’t be dead!” Sakura screamed. She ran forward blindly and flung her body onto the tar creature. She was aware of a painful ripping feeling and she closed her eyes against the burning. Hands came out of nowhere and began to rip at her; long claws forcing their way into her flesh and digging deeper and deeper.

‘If you’re still alive Lost, give me a sign!’ Sakura thought.

‘Miss Sakura…’ A child’s voice echoed in her mind.

“You came to save a dieing spirit but you’re too late, we have him in our grasp. Now you will die, you and your partner…”
‘You won’t succeed. I will get Lost back!’ Sakura twisted furiously in the dark, desperately wanting to reach out for something, grab something other than tar; feel something other than pain… A small battered hand gently fell into her grasp. It was limp and cold but there was the light pulse of light coming off of it.

Sakura threw herself further into the mess trying to draw Lost to her. She had him in her grasp and hugged him to her chest with all her might. The scary things that surrounded her howled and swore. They reached in and tore Sakura’s arms and legs, destroying her costume and making it so that she felt immense pain for just holding Lost close to her. Her vision began to black out, leaving her stranded in a sea of scary things…

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“Sakura! Lost! Answer me!” Syaoran bellowed. He pivoted around to avoid being speared by a snake creature. Syaoran had to wildly throw blasts of magic around to try and clear a path through the chaos. Every scary thing that existed within the lantern now seemed to be coming out to take Syaoran on at the same time. From all the fighting and usage of all his magic reserves he was being to exhaust himself.

‘I got to keep fighting, I’m not going to loose either one of them!’ Syaoran thought determinedly. With a great stroke of luck an opening was made that allowed Syaoran to jump through a throng of monstrous beast to land on the main beast that was holding Sakura and Lost inside itself.

“Let them go, you bastard!” Syaoran yell furiously.

“We refuse!”
“Then I’m going to make you give them to me!” Syaoran threatened. He sunk his hands into the tar as far as he could, holding back the bile that was making its way up his throat.

“You cannot reach your precious people, they have sunk too far into our darkness!”
“That’s not what I’m trying to do.” Syaoran smirked darkly. His entire body began to glow green and lit up the darkness with a fiery intensity. Its touch to the beast was like acid, slowly burning away the tar. The army behind Syaoran saw what the warrior was doing and surged forward to stop him.

‘Sakura, I can’t do this alone, I need your help!’ Syaoran thought desperately. Just as he thought it was over, something brushed against his aura, a familiar pink aura that was streaked with his own green aura. Sakura was reaching out to him! She was still alive, if barely.

“I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay in here!” Sakura’s voice echoed from her spirit. “I’ve got Lost but I think it’s too late…”

“It’s never too late! I’ll get you out!” Syaoran shouted. Sakura’s magic wavered a little in its flow but stabilized as its power started to flow into Syaoran to re-energize him.

“Yes! This is just what I needed!” Syaoran grinned as he concentrated in sending a massive blast out to destroy the scary things. Magic crackled dangerously in the air around him and his stood up with a dark smirk on his face. “No more playing around, I’m going to finish all of you off!”

“Bastard!”
“But before I do, I have one question. What are you things?” Syaoran asked venomously.

The beasts chuckled, knowing that their end was coming soon. “We are creatures from your deepest pits of hell. Evil summoned us here to destroy the child and in turn destroy you; we have failed in our mission. Be warned, Evil will not be happy.”

“I wouldn’t think he would be happy about this, now would he?” Syaoran growled. “Let’s see how happy he gets when I send you all back to hell!” In the last second, all the magic around Syaoran crackled warningly and became bright white magic before exploding outward. Ripples of powers blasted out into the surrounding ranks of beasts, vaporizing all that its touch. It only lasted a couple of minutes before all the magic tapered down to small waves washing over the inside of the lantern.

Syaoran stared in shock at what he just accomplished. The feeling that ran through him as the magic surged in his veins were the same feeling the he had felt when handling the golden staff. Without realizing it Syaoran had started to back away from his spot accidentally catching his foot on something behind him.

Spinning around the warrior caught sight of the lithe body of his cherry blossom flung out haphazardly on the ground with Lost’s soul clutch tightly to her. They both were battered badly and bleeding. Lost no longer wore his robes nor even rags to cover his ripped up body. Sakura was nearly the same. Her pink costume hadn’t suffered complete destruction but it was hanging on only by threads exposing her damaged, unmoving body.

“Hey you two, you can get up now.” Syaoran called. He crouched down next to their still forms and nudged Sakura gently on the shoulder. She didn’t move. “Come on, this isn’t funny, we have to get out of here, so get up.” Syaoran ordered, his voice rising a little.

Neither of them reacted.

It was strange, why could he feel Lost anymore. Before, there was always a space in his mind where he was able to feel the slight trace of Lost but now it stood empty. His spirit felt oddly lonely as well. Something was missing from him.

Some very important had disappeared.

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Tomoeda High School

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Eriol sat rigidly in his seat as he listened to the teacher drone on. His mind was somewhere else. Tomoyo had just informed him about Sakura and Syaoran’s rapid departure from the school. The teacher had thankfully bought the excuse that the bright girl had come up with, saying that Syaoran got sick over lunch and Sakura had helped him home. It was a reasonable excuse considering how Syaoran had steadily went downhill all week.

‘What could possibly be going on?’ Eriol wondered. He was snapped from his thoughts from a loud choking sound that broke out in the classroom.

Every head in the class swivelled around to see what was going on; Dren sat in his seat with his hands clapped tightly over his mouth. The expression on his face was one of complete horror. He grasped the edge of his desk tensely to keep himself upright. Miaka didn’t look too well herself. Tears were coming to her eyes and she wrapped her arms around her body tightly. Her white hair was flung over the classroom in a veil as she wildly started to shake her head.

“Mr Owari, Miss Inochi, is something the matter?” the teacher inquired worriedly.

“We- we really have to go!” Dren gasped. “Please excuse us!” Without waiting for the teacher to answer the two teens shot out of the classroom like blurs of black and white.

Eriol felt a sinking feeling form in his stomach. ‘So something really bad must have happened.’ He thought darkly. ‘I hope Sakura and Syaoran are alright.’

Tomoyo leaned over to Eriol and tapped him on the shoulder. “Do you know what that was about?”

Eriol forced a smile on his face to hide his worry from Tomoyo. “Don’t worry about it, I bet they just got some food poisoning from one of Miaka’s hash browns. It wouldn’t be the first time this has happened.” ‘Unfortunately.’

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Lost’s Lantern

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“You can’t be dead! You can’t be!” Syaoran cried. He brought Sakura’s limp body close to him and held her tight, Lost getting caught up his hold as well. Great racking sobs made their way through his body as the realization that he had lost both Lost and his precious Sakura hit him.

Around him the lantern started to collapse in on itself. The light had been completely sucked out since its master was no longer alive so there was nothing but a cold dark emptiness to the space. Syaoran didn’t care though; all he wanted was to hold Sakura. He knew he was going to die if he stayed but maybe that’s what he wanted. At least he would be with Sakura.

Rattle, Rattle
Syaoran ears dimly registered the faint metallic sound of chains coming closer. He never let go of Sakura once as the feeling of great lengths of chains wrapped around him. He only held on tighter as a weightless feeling of rising up came over him. He was heading towards of small speck of light that was high up in the distance. (A/N no this is not the light at the end of the tunnel.) He was almost to the light when everything became to bright and he had to shut his eyes against the brightness.

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Syaoran’s Apartment

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“Wha-?” Syaoran looked around dazedly trying to get his bearings about where he was. He found himself in the middle of his living room; right where he had been before he and Sakura had went in to save Lost. Then he remembered Sakura and Lost. Twisting over onto his side he was met with the sight of Sakura’s cold, pale body in Life’s arms.

“Let her go, NOW!” Syaoran roared. Life looked up into the warrior’s flaming eyes and held out the girl’s body without hesitation.

Syaoran immediately wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him once again. But to his surprise, this was not the Sakura he had been holding inside of lantern, she had been wounded beyond repair but this Sakura had no mark on her. Come to think of it, neither did he.

“Syaoran?” Nightmare crept forward nervously. The spirit made sure there was a lot of distance between him and Life as he made his way to his Master and Mistress. “What has happened?”

“She’s gone Nightmare, so is Lost. They’re both dead.” Syaoran mumbled. Nightmare’s eyes widened in shock and he stumbled back.

“I-it can’t be.”

“It is.” Syaoran stated darkly.

“Not necessarily…” Life’s voice trailed off.

“What?” Syaoran looked up to the entity with suspicious eyes. “What are you saying?”

Life stepped back from Syaoran and pointed to her partner to explain; death wasn’t her area of expertise. Death appeared behind Syaoran and drew the man’s attention away from Life.

“You were inside the dimension of the lantern the whole time, am I correct? That is a very special dimension where souls can be enclosed. If Sakura and Lost both died in there, there in reason to believe that their souls are still inside.”

“You can bring them back to life?” Syaoran asked.

Death sighed. “I cannot go against my nature and neither can Life. I cannot counteract death and she cannot bring back life. No one is truly dead until their soul is taken by me to the other world but if the souls the people who have died were to go back into their bodies before I was to get to them, well, that’s a different story. ” The death spirit hinted.

Syaoran knew what he had to do, despite his fatigue and soreness he crawled to the dark lantern and held it up to his face. “Sakura, Lost, if you can hear me, please come out. Please go back into your bodies.” Syaoran begged.

Nightmare crawled up next to his Master and stared into the lantern’s depths. “Please Miss Sakura, you have to come back, I’m not a Star Card yet! And pip-squeak, you have to come back as well, who else am I going to harass and tease?”

“I’ll die if you don’t come back, Sakura…” Syaoran whispered. He blinked rapidly to keep the tears at bay. Subconsciously his aura started to reach out, moving like a snake into the lantern. Syaoran never noticed what was going on, but the rest of the occupants of the room did.

“Death, look!” Life pointed to the smooth flow of magic moving into the lantern.

“I see it.” Death nodded.

Syaoran sighed. If Sakura was coming back, she would have done it by now… ‘Wait! That feeling, I know that feeling!’ Syaoran’s eyes snapped open and he watched in wonder as his aura was rapidly streaked through once again with bright pink. It was pulling out of the lantern and as it came to the end of its length, a hand was brought with it. Not just any hand, it was the hand on the Mistress of the Star Cards!

Sakura’s spirit suddenly popped out of the lantern, quickly followed by Lost. Syaoran moved forward and took Sakura’s spirit as gently as he could and guided her to her body. Nightmare did the same for Lost. Automatically their souls sunk down into their bodies; Sakura’s skin regained its colour and Lost’s body slowly started to go back to looking solid.

Ever so slowly, Sakura stirred. She opened her eyes ever so slightly and the first thing she saw was Syaoran leaning over her, his face barely inches away from hers. “Syaoran, what’s going on?”

“You’re alright!” Syaoran’s face broke out into a relieved grin and without thinking he wrapped his arms around the girl. “You’re alive. You’re okay. Thank God!” He murmured into her neck. “I wouldn’t have been able to go on if you stayed dead.” His arms tightened around Sakura and brought her up so that she was pressed against his chest and he was able to feel her heartbeat. He heard Sakura gasp as his lips brushed against her neck and he took in a deep breath of her sweet scent.

Nightmare cleared his throat loudly. “Ahem- child in the room.”

Sakura spun around to see a dazed, but no longer transparent, Lost sitting up watching her and Syaoran.

“Miss Sakura, Mr Syaoran, did you save me?” He squeaked.

Sakura nodded and opened her arms for Lost, the spirit took no time in jumping up and diving into his Mistress’s embrace. “We got you back, Lost, just as I said I would! You’re back in one piece!” She cooed into his soft blond hair. His small body began to shake against her, signalling that he had started crying.

“I- I was so- so- scared! It hurt soooo much Miss Sakura!” Lost bawled. He fisted her uniform in his tiny hands and curled up into her embrace. “I don’t ever want to go back in there! The scary things were so mean! Meaner that all the Clow Cards were to me! Please don’t let that happen to me again!”

“I would never let that happen again Lost, never.” Sakura whispered. “Syaoran and I will protect you better in the future, right Syaoran?”

Syaoran nodded and crouched down to be at Lost’s eye level. “You can count on us to take better care of you in the future. You don’t have to be scared any more.”

Lost nodded solemnly. “You’re so nice to me, I missed you two a lot when I was gone.” Without warning he started to glow and shrink down into his card form. The card floated between Syaoran and Sakura and landed exactly between them; the picture displaying a contently smiling boy holding an oversized lantern that was way to big for him.

“So Lost is going to be alright?” Nightmare inquired.

“He’ll be just fine.” Life patted the spirit on the shoulder. Nightmare realized who it was and jumped away with a yelp. To save himself from Life if she decided to attack he reverted to his card form and floated down to hide behind his Master and Mistress.

Death gazed down at the pair on the floor with a slight smile playing on his lips. “Now that everything seems to be in order, I believe that Life and I should take our leave. As some friendly advice to you two, take a long nap, you’ve used up much of your magic today and in the last couple of days, give yourselves some time to recover.”

“Um- yeah- and I think your two friends Eriol and Tomoyo will be here later to give you your homework and stuff, so don’t worry about that.” Life said. She cast her eyes downwards and walked to the window to leave, Death followed behind her.

“Wait.” Syaoran called out. The two entities turned to see what he wanted. Syaoran shifted uncomfortably on the ground as he searched for the words he wanted to say. “Thanks you two, for getting us out of the lantern and all the other stuff you’ve done.”

Life’s face broke out into a wide grin. “Does that mean we’re forgiven!” She asked.

Syaoran nodded.

“Boo-ya! Did you hear that Death! We’re forgiven!” Life cheered. She danced her way out the sliding door and disappeared. Death rolled his eyes and disappeared after his shameless friend.

Sakura sighed and hugged her two Clow Cards closed to her chest. “That was kind of you to forgive Life, Syaoran.”

Syaoran blushed. “I guess I had to say it sometime, she did get us out of the lantern after all.”

“Of course.” Sakura nodded. “But about before we went into the lantern- Nightmare said his Master and his Mistress, what did he mean by that?”

Syaoran chuckled and shook his head. “How about I tell you later-.” He picked Sakura up bridal style and walked to his bedroom. “You heard what Death said, we should take a nap to help us recover from our rescue mission.” He dropped Sakura on his bed and slid beside her lay down. “After we wake up I’ll consider telling you.”

Sakura giggled and lightly slapped Syaoran on his shoulder. Together they drifted off into a well deserved sleep and snuggled into each other.

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Tomoeda High School

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“You two wouldn’t mind going and giving Miss Kinomoto and Mr Li their homework, would you?” The teacher of Eriol and Tomoyo’s last class asked.

“It would be no trouble at all.” Eriol smiled.

“We were going to their places anyways because we had to give them all their stuff that they left behind.” Tomoyo said. To show that she was saying was true she hitched Sakura and Syaoran’s bags higher on her shoulder. Eriol had taken Miaka and Dren’s bags and was now carrying them.

The teacher smiled gladly. “That’s good that it’s not too out of your way.”

Eriol and Tomoyo gathered all the homework for Sakura and Syaoran plus Miaka and Dren and made their way outside. Eriol caught sight of Miaka and Dren coming around the corner. Both of them looked a lot better than they had when they left. Miaka was even skipping around waving her arms happily.

“Oh Eriol, Tomoyo, isn’t this the best day ever!” Miaka asked.

Tomoyo smiled. “You look a lot better now, what was wrong with you before?”

“Just a little bit of food poisoning.” Dren answered with mysterious smile. “Nothing to worry about Tomoyo.”

“That’s good.” Tomoyo sighed. “Would you two like to come with us to Syaoran’s apartment to drop of Syaoran and Sakura’s stuff?”

“Sure, why not!” Miaka took hold of Tomoyo’s arm and began to skip off.

“Uh- Miaka- Syaoran’s apartment is that way.” Eriol pointed in the opposite direction to where Miaka was going.

“I knew that!” Miaka called and skipped off in the direction she was pointed in.

“So, Dren, that food poisoning that you had to leave class for, it’s okay now?” Eriol asked, the double meaning of his question was obvious.

Dren smiled. “Yes, our food poisoning case is perfectly fine right now.”

“That’s good to hear, food poisoning can be a scary thing…”