Alternate Dimensions
Chapter Five – Memories Lost
By Crow Skywalker
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Disclaimer – I don't own Card Captor Sakura or it's characters. End of story.
Author's Notes – I haven't updated in a while, have I? I had trouble writing this one…I wanted to get it done and over with so I can get to the next chapter, in which Sakura goes to school. But before I did that, I had to get all this out first. It's sort of shorter than previous chapters, and I apologize for that.
Pairings/Warnings – Slight Sakura/Syaoran. Rated PG.
Summary – What if Sakura had lost her concentration during the first movie, and had been sent to a different dimension where she's not the Card Captor? Sakura must now find her way back to her dimension with the help of this one's Card Captor, who's a familiar face in her dimension. But trouble's not too far off!
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The following week passed very slowly for Sakura. Wei had insisted she stay in bed and rest, and most of her time she spent in the room that was not hers, reading books that she found in the bookcase against the wall. Meiling spent most of her time in Sakura's room as well, keeping her cousin company the best she could, chatting and keeping the girl occupied. Yelan phoned almost every day to check up on Sakura, to see how her little girl was doing. Each day Sakura told her she was fine, that she was feeling better – but in reality, with each day that passed by, she felt worse.
On Friday of that week, Meiling finally convinced Wei to allow Sakura out of her room. Sakura was very grateful, and she stretched her legs as she walked around the large apartment, studying everything that she could. On the cabinet that held the television she found many assorted photos, mostly of Sakura and four other girls.
Syaoran's sisters, she smiled bitterly. My sisters.
"Do you recognize them, Sakura?" Meiling, whom was following her cousin around, asked hopefully.
Sakura looked up, unsure of what to say. Finally, she answered "Yes", just to please Meiling. Meiling had been pleased – she'd grinned and looked really relieved, jumping up and down in excitement.
"You remember! This is great, Sakura! Soon you'll remember everything!" Meiling had announced, and Sakura had looked away.
She wouldn't remember – there was nothing to remember. This was not her life.
On the next day, Thursday, Meiling had dragged Sakura out of her room in the late afternoon. She had told Sakura that she had a surprise for her, something that would surely bring back Sakura's lost memories. Sakura had awkwardly followed along with it, letting Meiling lead her by one hand to the living room. Once there, Meiling had dropped her hand and had started towards the wall near the glowing fire place. Sakura watched as she reached up and took Syaoran's sword off the wall, her hands holding it delicately as she returned to Sakura.
"This – I've seen you staring at this, Sakura," Meiling looked like she was pleased as she looked down at the sword on her hand. Holding it sideways, balanced on two hands, she offered it to Sakura. "Take it."
Sakura blinked, looking uncomfortable as she stared down at it. It was Syaoran's sword, the one he always carried around when he was trying to capture Cards with her. For a moment, she took an uneasy step back, looking up at Meiling's face. The girl only pushed the sword further in her direction, and Sakura gingerly took it from her.
Holding Syaoran's magical sword felt odd. She felt like she shouldn't be touching it at all – it was his special property, after all. He'd never let anyone touch it in the past, and Sakura was quite sure that if he – the old Syaoran, that is – could see her now, he would be very mad at the sight of her holding his most prized possession.
"Well?" Meiling asked after a few moments of silence, "Do you remember anything?"
Sakura shook her head, never looking up from the sword. "No."
Meiling bit her lip, looking a bit puzzled. "Maybe if you used it, you would remember something?"
Sakura looked shocked, her mouth slightly open as she looked at Meiling. "Meiling, this is a sword! I don't know how to use a sword!" Though that wasn't quite true – she had used a sword before, in the form of the Sword Card. But using the Sword Card, which was light and easy to use, and using Syaoran's heavy, very real, magical sword were two different things!
"Sure you do!" Meiling almost laughed, looking very amused. "You've been training with that sword since you were small!"
Sakura almost dropped it, shaking her head frantically. "I can't!"
Meiling frowned, looking frustrated.
Sakura stared down at it, biting her lip as she looked from Meling's pleading eyes to the sword and back again. Finally, with a sigh, she gave in and moved the sword back and forth in the air, getting a feel for it.
"It isn't heavy at all," Sakura said quietly, shifting the sword from side to side, watching as it caught the light on the blade and shone. She'd always thought the sword was heavy, from the way Syaoran handled it. Now, holding onto it herself, she saw that that wasn't true at all. It was quite light and easy to handle.
Meiling put her hands on her hips, looking quite happy with herself. "Of course it isn't, dummy! It was made just for you!"
Sakura blinked, looking up at Meiling. "Is was?" She asked, knowing nothing about the sword in her hands. Syaoran never spoke much about himself or his family, and she'd never bothered to ask about the sword that he carried. Now was a good chance.
"Yes!" Meiling looked as if it were a well known fact that Sakura should know about. "The Elders had that pendant made especially for you, for when you came here to Japan to gather the Clow Cards!" Her hands fell off her hips and Meiling gave her cousin a small smile, "By the way, as soon as we get settled into school, we have to start looking for them."
Sakura brightened suddenly, and Meiling couldn't tell if it had been the mention of school or the Clow Cards.
"School will be starting on Monday, of course," Meiling went on to say, "That is, if you're feeling up to it."
Sakura nodded, looking down at the sword that she still held in her hand. Meiling's eyes dropped as well, looking at the gleaming sword. She suddenly realized how awkwardly Sakura was holding it, and her smile melted off her face. Obviously Sakura holding onto the sword hadn't brought back any memories, because the girl didn't even know how to hold onto it properly.
With a forced, sad smile, Meiling reached out with one hand and said, "Sakura, if you wish to turn it back into its pendant form, just close your eyes and concentrate on it. You will need to wear it around your neck in the future, in case we come across danger." She took Sakura's hand into her own, trying to give Sakura an encouraging smile as they both held onto the sword. "Close your eyes."
Her fingers trembling slightly under Meiling's, Sakura nodded silently as she did as she was told.
"Now, concentrate," Meiling told her.
She felt a warmth engulf her as she did so, and as she opened her eyes she found a pink glow disappearing from around her, and within their hands there was no longer a sword but a necklace with a large pendant on it.
So that's how Syaoran did it… She thought.
"You did it!" Sakura heard the other girl cry as a pair of arms wrapped around her in a hug. She reluctantly returned it, feeling weird being this close to Meiling – Sakura's Meiling wasn't this nice to her in her own world, after all – and she gripped the transformed pendant tightly in her hand. "I knew you could."
When Meiling let go of Sakura and moved away, Sakura awkwardly put the necklace around her neck, feeling the pendant's warmth on her skin. Deciding it would be best if she hid it beneath her shirt, Sakura moved it so that the pendant was no longer visible.
"Wear it always, Sakura," Meiling told her. "In case of an emergency, and in case it helps bring back memories."
Meiling turned her back to the girl, her shoulders drooping slightly as she inhaled deeply.
"I'm sorry, Meiling," Sakura said softly, and the girl turned to face her.
"For what?" The raven haired girl asked, looking only slightly confused.
"You're trying so hard to help me, but I don't remember anything," Sakura smiled softly at Meiling. She knew that she would never remember, but she still felt bad for Meiling. In this alternate dimension, this Meiling did have a cousin named Sakura, who had been ripped away from her. She was trying so hard to help Sakura, but there was no helping her. They weren't her memories to remember.
"Its okay, Sakura," Meiling gave her an encouraging smile, "It'll come back to you."
Sorry Meiling, but it won't, Sakura thought sadly.
The rest of her days passed much like the last two. Meiling tried her best to help Sakura, and Sakura did as Meiling asked just to please the girl. They attempted to train together – Sakura remembered that Syaoran was well trained in martial arts – but Sakura was horrible at it, even when she copied Meiling's moves. They cooked together, and ate what were supposedly Sakura's favorite meals. Yelan continued to phone every day, and Sakura had the privilege of talking to Syaoran's sisters. They were disappointed to find out that Sakura couldn't even remember their names.
On the last day, the day before they were supposed to go to school, Sakura heard Meiling and Wei having a discussion in the kitchen. She had tried to ignore them, not wanting to listen in on what they were saying, but she couldn't help but overhear her name being said several times. Quietly, she stood in the hallway, her back to the wall and her hands clasped in front of her as she listened.
"I think Fai almost died right then and there when Sakura admitted that she had no idea who she was," Sakura heard Meiling tell Wei. She could picture them in her head; Meiling sitting at the table, Wei making tea for the two of them. "I heard her gasp from across the room, and later on when I was talking to her she seemed so upset!"
"Maybe letting the young mistress talk to her sisters too soon wasn't a good idea," Wei commented, taking some mugs out of the cupboards. "It seems Sakura hasn't remembered anything in the slightest."
"You're telling me!" Meiling almost forced a laugh. "You should have seen when I tried training with her! It was like it was Sakura's first time, and she didn't know what to be doing!"
"Shush Meiling," Wei scolded her lightly. "If you talk too loud she may hear you."
There was a moment of silence before Meiling spoke again.
"Are you sure she's going to be able to go to school tomorrow?"
"I don't see why not," Wei replied. "She's lost her memories, Meiling – her brain is intact. She can go to school and learn just as good as you or I can."
"I know that," said Meiling, "But there's something wrong with her…"
Sakura walked away after that, returning to her room where she slumped down on the bed, burying her face into the blankets. Across the room a clock ticked away the seconds, making the only noise that could be heard in the silent room. She took a big breath, flopping over onto her back as she stared up at the ceiling.
So it's back to school tomorrow, she thought sullenly. I wonder how different it's going to be?
Closing her eyes, she ran a hand through her hair.
I know one thing though, I have to find Kero and the Clow Cards. Kero will know what to do…he can help me.
When her eyes opened again, they were misty with tears.
I just want to go home…
The tears came, flowing freely down her face.
I want to go home!
To Be Continued…