Clamp owns CCS, I don't. Just borrowing some characters.

Genre: Romance / Drama / Angst / Humor / Mature

A.N.: This is a completely different story from MoMP. The characters personalities are interchanged. You'll soon find out in this chapter. Cursing is present in most chapters so please be guided.

Enjoy reading! R and R!

Meeting Syaoran, Loosing Sakura

Chapter 1 – The Nightmare

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"Mother?" A girl with emerald eyes, still half asleep, gazed at the woman who woke her up. It was still dark outside and from how the stars sparkled outside her window; she can tell that the sun won't rise soon.

"Fix yourself. Atari's parents are here." Her aunt Kyoko, in her cold and commanding voice, ordered. Seeing that the girl frowned upon hearing her words, she raised a brow and placed her hands on her waist. "Don't wait for me to drag you out of bed Sakura. You won't like it."

Sakura flinched hearing the words of her Aunt Kyoko who insisted that she calls her 'mother' instead of plain 'aunt Kyoko'. Not wanting to get beaten again, she hurriedly slips out from her night gown then pulled out the first dress that she saw on her dresser. Kyoko went out of her room, dragging her out. They walked down the hallways, passing several rooms before reaching the stairs. They descended the grand staircase. Her eyes watered at the tightness of her grip.

As they neared the visiting room, she heard voices and laughter. Horror ran over her as she recognized her Uncle's voice. 'No.' She tried slowing down hoping she won't reach the dreaded room. But Kyoko's grip got tighter, her blood unable to circulate, she felt numb.

When the door opened, she saw the last people she wanted to see at this hour. She met Atari Hibino's lustful eyes. He was seated beside his parents. Opposite them is her other guardian, the greedy and abusive Fuji Matsunaga. Fear immediately registered on her face.

"Well, well, well. The princess has arrived." Fuji rose, malice plastered on his face. The same lust glittered on his eyes. Her fear turned into panic as Fuji's rough hands touched her face. The lust on his eyes disappeared before he faced their visitor. "You like what you're seeing Atari?"

Atari, almost drooling with lust, smiled. "I want her. And I want the wedding tomorrow." His smile got wider, while his eyes surveyed her whole body.

"That settles it then. We shall see you tomorrow." Atari's parents stood up and followed Fuji and Kyoko out of the room. Sakura moved aside and pressed herself on the wall avoiding eye contact. However, Atari squeezed her neck forcing her to look up. He forced a kiss on her before leaving the room.

Sakura shed her tears silently as the footsteps slowly disappeared from earshot. Horrified upon learning about the marriage, she panics trying to think of a way to save herself. She needs to runaway soon. The beating she gets from Kyoko almost every day and Fuji's sexual advances whenever Kyoko is not around she can tolerate. She can't leave yet. The memories of this house were the only treasures left by her real parents aside from the enormous wealth held in the bank.

She nearly screamed when she felt a hand grab hers and pulled her out of the room but she held it when she saw Touya. "We must runaway tonight Sakura. I saw them leaving with the Hibino's." She can hear the worry and fear in her brother's voice.

"Brother, I'm scared." Her voice thin and trembling, tears started running on her face again. She felt the light squeezed from Touya's hand, reassuring her.

"I'm scared as well. But we have to leave while we have time." Touya led her to the back door of their mansion-like house. They slowly sneaked out of the house through the back garden, their footsteps careful and patient.

She somehow felt her hope rising when no one noticed them. Now they are running across the large garden. She was trying to keep up with Touya's long strides when she heard Kyoko calling out all the servants to run after them.

"Don't look back Sakura. Keep running!" Touya shouted when they went out of the back gate and saw the open field. She pushed her legs to run faster but the exhaustion is overtaking her system. Touya felt her slowing down, so he tried dragging her further. But it was no use; she was too tired to run any further.

Touya pulled her to a nearby forest. They were both familiar inside the forest since they used to play there when their parents were still alive. When he saw what he was looking for, he pushed Sakura inside the underground hide out and covered it with the hanging vines. "Stay here. When the sun rises run towards the river and follow it downhill until you reach the village. Look for Tok Aba, he will help you."

"Touya! Don't leave me." Her tears, sweat and the water running out from her nose dripped down to her neck. She tried wiping them off as she held unto her brother's arm.

"Sakura…", his voice sad and broken. "Live. I will see you again, I promise you that." He stroked her cheek and smiled tenderly. "Promise me." Sakura nodded squeezing tightly her brother's hands. He kissed her forehead and stood up. He neatly arranged the vines to fully cover her. He smiled tenderly again at her before running towards the opposite direction.

Sakura wept in silence watching her brother leave. She opened up her senses listening to his fading footsteps. Then all she heard was silence and some insect noises. She stared through the darkness while waiting for the sun to rise. Then she heard a gunshot nearby. She jumped out of her curled position, terror traveled throughout her. Then she heard another gunshot, followed by another, then…

"Sakura? Wake up." Her eyes flew open when she felt a slight tug on her shoulders. "You're having a nightmare. Her drink some water."

Sakura reached for the glass and drank water; her perspiration dripping from her forehead, hands cold and shaking; and her heart pounding rapidly. She breathed in, breathed out until her senses were calm and fit. "Thanks Meilin."

"No prob. Do you need anything else?" Her crimson eyes filled with hatred for her adoptive parents and pity for her. She knew Sakura's dark past, what she had to go through to survive and what she had become out of it.

"I'm fine. Thanks." A thin smile formed on her lips while fear still flashed on her eyes. She lay back to her bed while Meilin walked out of her room. Her footsteps getting farther, her own door opened and closed. Meilin had settled back to her own room.

Touya's death anniversary is coming and she usually gets nightmares around this time. She sighed eyeing her digital clock that showed past five in the afternoon, though she could not really tell if its day or night. Her room is always dim, windows covered with black curtains and soundproof walls. She forced herself to sleep for the night ahead will be long and tiring.

…

NICKNAMES:

AYA CHIN (Sakura Kinomoto)

MIORI LAO (Meilin Li)

Both girls use a pseudo name to hide their identity. There are only two other people who knows their true identity. Their identities must be kept hidden no matter the circumstance. For both girls have a past they are running away from while trying to map out their future.

The boisterous music can be heard all over the place. The customers, mostly men, are settled in their own tables with alcohol and different kinds of beverages. Women, in thin clothing only covering their breast and the other private part, walk around seductively to entertain guests. The waiters, all male wearing tight fitted stretchable black pants and a bowtie, carry the orders in their trays.

Then there are private rooms for strippers. The club has large and small rooms that can accommodate any number of crowds willing to pay big time just to watch their hottest, most seductive strippers. They were a selected few and two of the most in demand strippers are Meilin and Sakura.

Though the job is impure and soiled, both girls can proudly say otherwise. Whenever Larry, the club owner and a good friend, tells them that some guests are interested to take them home, they would always refuse. And later on, Larry and the club employees got used to it and had called them the "V duo".

"Hey Aya, room 5." Shouta Nagasaki (club manager) approached Sakura who was seated on the couch while waiting for her first show. He did not bother to hide his admiration as he approached her. There were a few girls seated on the other sofas waiting for their turns.

"Wipe off your drool Nagasaki. It's disgusting." Meilin uttered disgust in her voice. She was sat proudly on another couch across Sakura.

"Mind your own business Lao or you won't get a single show tonight." He glared at Meilin while trying to cover his humiliation.

"F**k you." was Meilin's answer. Sakura just shook her head and left the couch. Her friend never liked Shouta and she doesn't exactly know why. "Good luck Aya." was all Meilin said before grabbing a glass of whiskey.

"Good luck to them!" she sarcastically laughed. She had wanted to skip work tonight. The nightmare earlier left stings in her heart. Only Meilin understood what she really feels and she saw that when they looked at each other before she left the room.

The commotion in the house could only mean one thing, Yelan is angry. And when she's angry, no one is excluded from her wrath. Well except for her son who was in the study, engrossed in his own world. The noises got louder and despite's Syaoran's calm aura that day, it was pissing him off.

He closed the book he was reading, placed it on his study table and slowly stepped out of the room. He needs not to ask the servants where his mother was, he can already hear her voice coming from her meditation room.

The door was widely opened but Yelan was no where in sight. He decided to enter the room and he found her seated near the stained glass window. Most of the windows in the mansion were laboriously crafted stained glass that suits the theme of every room and corner of their mansion. That's just how meticulous Yelan is.

"Mother, why are you draining your energy this early morning?" He smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Yelan sighed in frustration but she was glad that Syaoran is here.

"It's Meilin. She finally contacted me today." She waved her hand to fan herself even though the climate is cold and gloomy. He can't help but chuckle at her action. Yelan gave him an odd expression.

"Forgive me Mother. I just can't help but wonder why you are feeling hot when I'm about to freeze due to the coldness." He mused.

She smiled at that. "You really know how to make me smile son." Then her face is serious again, her eyes deep in thought. "I was hoping you can bring her back."

"You are asking me to bring Meilin back?" Yelan nodded in response. "Why me?"

"Son, Meilin is your sister. No matter how stubborn she can become she would always listen when you talk to her. I can't leave now. We are at the most crucial stage of developing a new department."

"I see. Is that what upsets you?" The look on Yelan eyes confirmed his question. "I'd gladly go and bring her back. But are you sure this is the right thing to do? We all know that force won't work on her."

"I'm well aware of that. Take as much time needed to bring her back." She pleaded with her eyes. "What's important is she comes home. We already have the information about her whereabouts. She's just too stubborn."

He sighed in defeat. "All right Mother. I'll pay her a visit. But I won't promise anything." He reminded her.

"I'm sure you can persuade her to come back. She won't say no to you." Yelan smiled brightly at him, showing her support and trust.

Sakura was wiping the sweat forming on her forehead as she had just finished her fifth and last show for the night. She looked at herself in the mirror. Sakura now 21, her youth was purposefully hidden behind the excessive make up she applied on her face. She always makes sure she looks different when dancing, aside from the mask she constantly wears.

Five years had passed since she ran away from her home. And in those five years the remorse, hatred, fear, regret and agony of loosing her brother, her home and her life would always haunt her in her dreams especially when Touya's death anniversary approaches.

"Booo!" Sakura nearly had a heart attack when Meilin suddenly appeared at her back, her reflection in the mirror was dim and mysterious. Meilin chuckled at her reaction. "It's too late to daydream nightwalker."

"You really enjoy doing that, don't you?" She asked with a fake anger.

"You were spacing out! What else should I do?" She sat beside her grabbing her make up kit and placed it on her bag. "I'm ready. How about you?"

"Yeah I'm good." Both girls stood, checked their selves in the mirror for the last time before finally calling it a night.