Disclaimer: "Cardcaptor Sakura" and all related characters belong to Clamp. The name 'Liya' is part of my fictional creation, and any similarities are coincidental.

Author's Notes: I'm sorry that I took a long while for this chapter. Personally, I have no experience in writing magic and therefore, my writing gets a little delayed. I hope you won't mind that. Thank you for waiting for me to produce this. This scene has a little spoiler for those who have never watched the anime before, because the image that I went into detail to describe it comes from episode one. Well, enjoy then.

Glossary of words that I used:

'Ofuda' – Tailsman

'Otousan' – Honorific term for father

'Oniisan' – Honorific term for older brother

'Hai' – Yes

'Iie' – No

King Penguin Park was usually alive with the sound of children playing and adults engaging in some conversation. The jingle of a bell from a nearby van would add to the liveliness of the park with its sales of refreshments. The birds and insects often joined in to compliment the melodies of life. But as two teenagers faced four human-like creatures, the usual crowd was missing and nature remained quiet.

"What's the meaning of this?" Syaoran turned to look at Sakura. "Why do they appear like that? Is this a kind of a joke?" But he found no answer as the cards interrupted him.

Prove to us that you are worthy to be our mistress. The words resonated in their minds, which the cards telepathically conveyed. Prove to us…

"I… Why do I… do I have to prove to you?" Sakura retorted. "I don't want to."

Prove to us or else…

"Wait a minute. What is this all about?" Syaoran intercepted but to no avail.

"Or else? I don't care. I simply do not want to. All I want is to be a normal fourteen-year-old girl."

Then, don't blame us… Windy charged towards Sakura from its initial position, enclosing a sphere of wind around her. Firey, Watery and Earthy followed suit, adding onto the original magical sphere of wind with the spirits of fire, water and soil.

A scream perpetuated from the sphere and broke the unnatural silence in the park as the auburn-haired girl lost consciousness.

"What are you doing?" Syaoran retorted, his anger building up alongside with his confusion. "Isn't she your mistress? Why are you doing this to her?"

Distant relative of Clow Reed, this is none of your business. Do not interfere in our affairs.

Syaoran took out his orb and focused his mind onto it. The black orb glowed and shifted form to a large, long sword. "I don't know what is this all about. But what I do know is that as long as you are hurting Sakura, I won't let you off, not even if you are the four cards of elements."

* * *

Interesting… Kaima faintly smiled as he observed the commotion in the park from his station at the rooftop of a nearby building. So this is the young lad whom I had sensed the new aura coming from. He apparently knows Kinomoto as well.

"I don't know what is this all about. But what I do know is that as long as you are hurting Sakura, I won't let you off, not even if you are the four cards of elements."

Liya… I once said that to you… The sorcerer shook his head. Now is not the time to think about that. Let me see this interesting performance that is coming up.

* * *

Syaoran jumped aside as he dodged the raging flames protruding out of the fingers of Firey. He swirled quickly around and jumped onto a tree as he escaped the flood of gushing water that Watery cast. He tossed out an ofuda from within his sleeves and slammed the side of his sword onto it. Bright bolts of electricity shot out from the yellow paper towards the directions of the cards, but Windy cushioned and then dispelled the electric currents gently with its arms.

"Darn." Syaoran pulled out another ofuda, grasping it tightly with his one hand, while pointing his sword at the cards. "I don't believe I will miss again."

Let us not waste any more time. The cards glowed and disappeared into thin air. The multi-coloured sphere holding Sakura trapped started to flicker. Syaoran jumped down from the tree and closed up the gap between himself and Sakura. His hand reached out for her but the sphere had totally vanished and he only grasped the surrounding air.

"Sakura!"

* * *

What are the cards up to? Why do they take her away? Kaima frowned. It would not have been possible for them to instantaneously revive her memories. He turned to face the sun and its glare. That boy… From his posture and his sorcery, he must be from China. He carried with him the well-known Chinese arts of summoning the spirits of the elements of nature with the use of ofudas. He is indeed an interesting person.

* * *

Where am I? I feel like I am drifting. Sakura's eyes slowly opened and she caught the view of a constrained three-dimensional space. Am I still alive? Am I dreaming?

Yes, you are still alive and this is not a dream. A feminine voice resonated into her mind, causing her to turn around and notice the four cards.

"Where am I?" Sakura questioned as she stood up. "Why do you bring me here?"

Windy moved closer to the auburn-haired girl and smiled for the very first time. Welcome to our home, the dimension to which we are sealed inside.

"Are you saying that I'm inside a card?"

Yes. This is the dimension inside the card.

"But it looks dark and quiet. It's so frightening. Aren't you afraid?"

Yes. It's very frightening at times. That is why, it matters alot to us whether our owner is worthy to restrain us here. We seek for freedom all the while unless our owner is deemed worthy.

"You… are saying that you are willing to give up your freedom as long as your owner proves that he deserves the right to restrain you?"

Yes, and you are that owner, Sakura-san. When you captured us, you have proven to us that you are capable enough to possess us and thus, we willingly forfeit our freedom.

"But all these were in the past. Besides… I feel no natural affection towards you."

That is why we have brought you here. We want to help you regain your lost memories and feelings. We will not force it to you to remember. It will come easily.

"How can that be? When the people around me tell me about my past, I simply can't remember."

Have faith in us and in yourself. Now, close your eyes and think of nothing at all.

"Is it possible?" Sakura closed her eyes to concentrate. As her eyelids covered her vision and darkness ensued, four comforting touches graced her forehead.

You can now open your eyes.

* * *

She's around here. Syaoran opened his eyes as currents of air dispelled from Sakura's bag in the middle of the magical circle emboldened with Chinese characters. My Chinese art of searching for people indicates that she's around here. But I can't see her.

He stared blankly into the surrounding trees and bushes as he slouched onto the pavement. What is the whole meaning of all this? I do not understand. Sakura… where have you gone? Please… whatever happens… please come back, Sakura.

* * *

"Where am I?" Sakura scanned around the black boundless darkness.

This is the dimension where your memories and feelings are trapped. Windy's feminine voice sounded in her mind. We will unlock the traps for you to restore your memories.

The darkness started to shift its shape and a glimmer of light spread from the center of the darkness. Sakura squinted her eyes. "Why, this is my house." Bright cheerful yellow walls greeted her as she found herself in the hallway of her house.

Suddenly, a ten-year-old girl with auburn hair and emerald green eyes appeared from the kitchen, her hands tightly gripping her cheerleading baton. She ran across the hallway and past Sakura to stop outside the door leading to the basement.

"That girl… was me, when I was younger. But why can't she see me?"

This is an image of your memories. What you will be doing is to re-watch your past. Earthy's voice resonated. Follow her.

Sakura closed up the gap between herself and her younger self. "The feelings of fear. I thought it could be a thief. I was frightened. I did not know what to do. Otousan and Oniisan were not at home then."

The younger girl plucked up her courage and turned the knob. She quickly darted past the shelves of books, only to stop when she found nothing suspicious. Sakura followed behind. "Otousan's library has many books; some of them were found from his archaeological trips."

A sudden glow of light appeared from one of the books, illuminating the dark library. The younger girl was startled, but then moved towards it as if mesmerized. Just as she reached for it, the light faded away. The girl was surprised, but still pulled the book out of the shelf. As she observed the cover, her baton fell with a thud on the floor, setting a sparkle from the gem-like circle on the beast.

"It was frightening then." Sakura moved to look over the younger girl's shoulder. "I never expected to find a book that could move." The seal suddenly came off, startling the younger girl again. But curiosity got the better of her as she opened the hardbound book. "Cards?" she muttered as she lifted one off the top of the stack.

Sakura backed off a little as she observed the younger girl turned to leave the room. "How should I pronounce this?" The girl muttered under her breath. "Wind… wind… Windy." The card glowed blue as a gush of wind appeared from underneath and tossed the other cards into the air. One by one, they disappeared, except for the card that the younger girl was holding.

"Windy, my first card…" Sakura began, when the image of her father's library in the basement became blurred and was replaced with darkness again. "What is this about?"

The image is shifting to another one now. Firey's voice answered back into her mind. Just a few more images…

* * *

Kaima was getting impatient. He tapped his foot against the concrete slab of the roof, as he watched with waning anticipation of what was going to turn up. Why is she taken away for so long? What are the cards really up to?

His eyes gazed back and forth the park, which continued to be undisturbed under the spell of his own magic, but they ultimately rested upon the figure of the brown-haired boy. I feel an affinity with this young lad. I should meet up with him soon.

* * *

That was the last of the images. Close your eyes now. We will now return you back to where you come from.

"Hai." Sakura closed her eyes as she concentrated her mind. An overwhelming feeling of drifting overtook her. My memories… my feelings… are so fragmented…  The images… bits and pieces of them… what do they mean… I feel a bit of warmth… not quite a normal warmth… It's coming from the four cards themselves…

You can… now open… your eyes. The cards resonated to her, but sounded weak and fading.

"Sakura! You are back!" A male voice appeared from behind.

"Li-kun…" Sakura blinked. "I'm… I'm back. I'm back." She turned her attention from the brown-haired boy towards the cards. "Thank you…" she began, but the disturbing flickers of the cards stopped her. "Windy, Watery, Firey and Earthy… What's happening to you?"

We… we are dis… disappearing… We are dying…

"Iie!"

* * *

What are the cards really doing? First, they take her away to some different dimension and now, they are dying. What is this all about? Don't tell me… Don't tell me… Kaima frowned as his eyes fixated upon the girl and the four cards of elements. They could not have done that. They can't be that foolish, can they?

* * *

"Iie! Iie! Iie!" Sakura sobbed as she brought the cards close to her bosom. "This can't be true. Just when I'm starting to have this natural affection that I once had for you, you all say you are going to die."

We… have no… other… choice. In order to unlock the memories… that are trapped… alot of magic… has to be… used to bring you… into that dimension of… memories… We… gave up… our magical source… to help you… get there… But… our energies are … not enough… to unlock all the… lost dimensions of your… memories… We can… only open… those that are pertaining… to us… Sakura-san… remember what… we said earlier in… the dimension of… the card? We said… that we… are willing to forfeit… our freedom… if our owner… is worthy of… us making that sacrifice… It's the same… now. We… are willing… to become normal cards… because Sakura-san, our… mistress… you are worthy of us… making this choice…

"I don't want any of my memories back, if I am going to lose you."

Don't be… silly… The other cards… are waiting for… you to find them… They also… want to… help you get… to the other dimensions… pertaining to… them… We are glad… that you finally… recalled… your feelings for us… The last pink glow of light relinquished and the four cards turned to grey.

"No!"

Author's Notes (again): I have been extremely busy even though it's the month of December, and it leaves me hardly any time to consider some of the plot issues. But finally, I got down to it.

I want to re-emphasize the fact that I have no experience in writing fantasy works, so naturally, it was very hard for me to describe certain parts of the chapter. If I do not meet your standard, please forgive me.

I forgot to mention this in the previous chapter. In the original Japanese anime, "Cardcaptor Sakura", when Syaoran and Meiling came over, they came over as transfer students, not like the case of "Cardcaptors", where they came as exchange students. So when I mentioned that they were exchange students in this fanfic, I'm not following what "Cardcaptors" call them. I want them to be exchange students because I want to confine time onto this fanfic, which is an essential to the outcome.