The dream had always been there, a haunting memory. Recently, it had reappeared, ready to wreak havoc on the defenseless Earth. Ready to put out the light, and let darkness reign.

An angel, cursed since birth, forced to fight her first friend.

A wolf, all alone, finding his mate.

A voice, solo yet pure, carrying another.

A pure soul, guarding the earth, leading the lost one.

This verse was one of many that haunted her dream. The angel…the wolf…the voice…the soul…the four who were, who would come again when the time was right. Closest of friends, confused by lying shadows, shining through the dark.

They were cursed and blessed, never knowing their fate.

None knew who would win, who would lose, who would die, who would shine.

Each played a part, creating a chance for life…or death.

Niria woke with a start as her dream came back, full force. She looked at the peaceful face of Sakura, her first friend. It was already 11:59. 11:59 P.M.

NO! I WILL NOT HARM HER! I WON'T GIVE IN! For the first time in her life, she fought the spirit that tried to take over her body. She moved to the window sill, hoping to let Sakura sleep. Little did she know that her friend was wide awake, watching the fight between angel and mortal. The full moon's light shone on her, at exactly 12:00. Midnight.

Souls shall rise

to banish the dark.

This shall pass

when light's most dark.

I know that angel… Sakura gasped. The angel looked like Niria. They were one and the same, yet… There was a darkness forming around Niria. The light of the angel washed it out, and the girl collapsed into the heavenly being's arms. "The darkness is growing…I should not have left her for so long." The being became a ball of blue-green magic (Niria's magic, Sakura thought.) and was absorbed into Niria's body.

The darkness was fully gone by now, and Sakura got up and put Niria in her bed. That angel looked like the girl from my dream…maybe…the dream was real! Sakura had been dreaming of the angel who had saved her from a car crash when she was only a year old.

The next morning, neither of them spoke of the night's events. They got ready for school, and, while walking there, Niria spoke.

"That angel. You know her." she didn't ask, merely commented.

"Yeah. She saved me from a car crash when I was only a year old."

"…" Niria looked thoughtful.

School passed in a blur, and no one was paying much attention. It was the day before summer break, after all.

After school, Niria and Sakura led Tomoyo and Syaoran to the sakura grove by Penguin Park.

They all had a picnic, and talked until the sun was setting. Sakura and Niria looked at each other, then nodded in silent agreement. They stood up in unison, and Tomoyo was confused.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Nowhere. We wanted to show you something." –S

Niria moved so that the sun rose at her back. She was surrounded by an aura of light. It shone blue-green, even to non-magical people.

"We worked on this last night, and finally got it right. Tomoyo-chan, watch this!" –S

Tomoyo walked over to Sakura, gasping when she realized she saw Niria's aura, not the sunlight.

"B-but I c-can't…" she stuttered. "How can I see her aura? I'm not magical!"

Niria smiled, a true smile. "You are close friends with Sakura and Li, ne? Magic affects friends." she said in her quiet, rainy voice. She held her hand out to Tomoyo, who took it.

"We decided that Niria should take you up, because I'm still learning how to control my magic. Go ahead!" –S

"Shut your eyes, Tomoyo-chan, and look inside yourself." Niria spoke quieter than usual, leading Tomoyo through to her heart. "See that pinkish-purple flame? Good. Reach out to it, slowly, slowly… Hold a small string, and lead it out to your hands…"

A pinkish-purple glowing strand of magic appeared in Tomoyo's hands, leading to her heart. Her eyes fluttered open, and she gasped.

Syaoran merely watched, but he felt proud of Sakura. She had finally realized her true power: awakening others.

"Now," Niria continued in her quiet voice. "lead the strand, let it fill your hands, let it lift you up, on an angel's wings…" she unconsciously was quoting poetry. "Open your hands, Tomoyo, and turn around…"

Tomoyo gasped. There, on her back, were two lavender wings, slowly beating the air around her.

Sakura used the Fly card and led Tomoyo into the air, and Niria soon followed on her blue-green angel's wings, casting a quick spell to let green wings form on Syaoran.

They danced in the air: three angels, and a stern guardian. Syaoran couldn't help but laugh as Sakura and Niria led Tomoyo though the air.

They had fun, flying until the sun had long since set. They went their separate ways, and went home.

All summer long, they flew from noon to sunset. There was plenty of good luck from all the magic.

(AN: of the four friends, on a scale of 1 to 20, their magic levels were: Sakura-20+ ; Syaoran-18 ; Tomoyo-5 and rising, very slowly ; Niria-unknown, above 20)

In the middle of the summer, the four friends flew to a place Niria had told them of. It was by a river, near the ocean. They told their parents (except Niria) they were staying with someone else for a week.

There were thousands of trees surrounding a clearing, with an old alter in the middle. The alter was made of blue-green-silver-pink metal-like stone, with a clear stone in the center.

"This place is full of magic!" Sakura exclaimed.

"This is where…" Niria began, before trailing off.

Sakura looked at her understandingly. "They're here, aren't they?" she said quietly.

Niria nodded. She realized now why the place had never truly been dead. Only one soul was here: her mom.

She led Sakura to the center of the clearing, leaving the other two at the edge. They weren't able to enter.

"Sakura, there's something I have to tell you. But first, you need to meet someone." She turned to the alter, and the stone became blue-green with her magic. "Lady of Flowers, answer my call! Soul of Flowers, your daughter needs you! I summon thee, come! Nadeshiko!"

A tall white form appeared above the stone, shifting into the shape of a woman. The form drifted between Niria and Sakura and solidified into the soul of Nadeshiko Amamiya, mother of Sakura and Toya, wife of Fujitaka.

"Mom…" Sakura whispered.

"Sakura, my cherry blossom," the soul of Nadeshiko said. "I only have a short time here, so listen. There is a verse you must make true, for a darkness is coming. The Sakura Cards will not be enough. Trust your heart, and it will never lie to you. You are not alone, this time. Three others will stand with you, an invincible diamond to protect the world. Sakura, my cherry blossom…I am sorry to have left you so early. I wish I could hold you now, and know you were safe…I will continue watching you, my daughter. My Sakura…" her voice trailed off as tears fell down her face. Her had reached out, cupping Sakura's tear-stained cheek. "Trust your heart. It will not fail you. I will always be with you, in your heart, cheering you on. Farewell, my daughter…"

"Mom…I love you…" Sakura whispered to the form.

Nadeshiko smiled. "I love you too, flower of my heart." She turned to Niria. "Daughter of the Skies, it is good to see my daughter will not be alone for this fight."

"Shir'nait. Gohena'lona-shir. Shola, konai. We will not lose."

(Translation to come!)

"Thank you, Aquaniria Solaka, last of the angel's tears. Because of you, we have hope." The form whispered farewell to everyone, then dissipated.

Sakura was crying. "Thank you, Niria." she whispered. She dried her tears, then said "What were you telling her?"

Niria looked thoughtful. Suddenly determined, she said "I told her 'Your daughters stand together. We are not as lost as we once were, Mother of Flowers. Do not weep, for she has triumphed over the dark.' That leads me to my next, um… bit of news."

She suddenly looked nervous. Sakura was confused.

Until she heard what Niria had to say. Niria told her story for all to hear.

"About thirteen years ago, a perfect family was in their car, driving home after a Christmas vacation. There were three children: Toya, the eldest, was nine. His younger sisters were twins. Their names were Sakura, cherry blossom, and…" her voice trailed off.

"Aquaniria." Sakura said.

"Yes. They were only a year old, and were almost total opposites. Sakura was happy, open, cheering others up with her free smile. Aquaniria was quiet, closed, with the same smile that shone only rarely. They had perfect lives, until the crash. Another car had been speeding away from the cops, and slammed into their car. Aquaniria, the elder of the twins by only a second, transformed into the angel that was her alter form and grabbed her twin. They escaped the crash, along with their elder brother. Their father was fine, but their mom…"

"She was hurt badly, and only lived for another two years." Sakura continued.

"The elder of the two twins never knew this. She placed her sister in the arms of her brother, and disappeared from her family's life. She was presumed dead, and it was this, more than any injury, that caused her mother's decline. She never saw her family again, and soon believed that they had all died in the crash. That is, she did until she moved from America, where she had escaped to, back to Japan, the land of her birth. She moved to Tomoeda, where she was born, and met a girl named Sakura.

"This girl was exactly what she had remembered her was like: pink aura, emerald eyes, warm, open smile…and the hidden grace of an angel, the grace that hinted at her true heritage. The girl was her twin sister, who she had thought dead for so long. She just wouldn't admit it, even to herself. She had been guided back to her birthplace by a verse, one that had haunted her dreams.

An angel, cursed since birth, forced to fight her first friend.

A wolf, all alone, finding his love.

A voice, solo yet pure, released through another.

A pure soul, guarding the earth, leading the lost one.

"She was reluctant to accept her part in the verse. So, when her dream left her, she forgot about it. Until she opened up to the one soul that had always listened to her. Her sister. The dream returned, but it wasn't so haunting. The verse is now complete."

Tomoyo and Syaoran heard every one of Sakura and Niria's words. They walked to their friends, who were no longer shielded from them. Tomoyo didn't realize that it was a true story, that the sisters were truly Sakura and Niria. Syaoran, however, understood completely.

"So," he said. "The angel and soul of the poem have found each other. But what of the wolf, and the voice?"

"The angel has fought her first friend: her sister. I denied the bonds of blood, and so denied my friend, Sakura. The wolf loves the cherry blossom, and no longer stands alone." Syaoran did not blush like he used to, but instead hugged Sakura from behind. She leaned back against him. Niria smiled at this. So, the wolf truly did choose the cherry blossom. She continued, saying "The voice was released with another's friendship. Tomoyo has always had the potential, but by befriending Sakura in fourth grade, she began her journey to unlocking it."

"But what of the pure soul?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura answered this time. "I have guarded the earth, by catching the Cards. Niria was lost, and I led her home."

"So, then, there will be no fight?" Tomoyo asked, a little disappointed.

"Tomoyo, you don't mean…" Sakura trailed off in despair.

"Of course I made more outfits! How could I not?"

Niria was totally lost for a moment, before realizing what the others were talking about. So, the voice is not cold. She loves the cherry blossom, like everyone else.

Sakura and Tomoyo continued talking for a long while. The quartet stayed at the river by the sea for the rest of the week, then returned home.

Once home, Sakura reintroduced Niria to her dad and brother. "Oniichan, dad, this is Niria, my sister."

Fujitaka and Toya smiled at the silent girl next to Sakura. They had already accepted her as part of their family when she had spent the night with Sakura.

Syaoran spent more and more time at Sakura's house, and Niria, who was badly influenced by Tomoyo (or maybe not), often found reasons to leave them alone. Toya eventually stopped calling Syaoran 'that Chinese gaki', instead using 'that Li kid', and finally just 'Li'.

Tomoyo often found reasons to dress Sakura up, and eventually Niria to. They could often be seen in similar outfits: Sakura in pinks and pale greens, Niria in blues and greens. She never gave up on trying to get Sakura and Syaoran to go out, but was more subtle, often using Niria's plans.

As for Niria, she continued living with her sister. She often could be found in the hospital, healing those close to death and easing the passing of those who had no chance for survival. She taught Sakura how to use her magic without the cards, and the cards, dressed in Tomoyo Originals, would come with them to help out around the community.

Word spread of an angel who could heal everything, and the cards each became welcome in Tomoeda. Often, they would use small amounts of magic to finish a hard job, but no one was ever surprised.

Many would say that this is the best possible ending.

I say it is the best possible beginning.

The beginning of a new life.