Author's Notes: I'm sorry for the delay. I have been busy, preparing for a presentation on this coming weekend. I have done many other presentations before, but this presentation means alot to me and I need to put my heart into preparing it. Also, I'm also giving tuition now, as a part-time job to earn some extra cash, so I do not have much time as before. I hope you don't mind that. Also, I'll like to thank the readers who have given my fanfic a rating. I really appreciate your comments. Thank you.
Glossary of words that I used:
'Chotto matte' – Wait for me
'Nani' – What
'Gambatte' – Keep up the good effort; the literal meaning is 'add oil' in Chinese, which implies adding more effort into the thing
'Hoe' – Sakura's special exclamation
'Otousan' – Honorific term for father
'Gomen ne' – I'm sorry
Kero-chan paused behind a huge tree as it watched Sakura and Yukito enter the dark forest on the other end of the jogging path. It scanned the path for any possible passer-by before floating out of the shadow of the tree. "Chotto matte!" The yellow creature cried out, but silence greeted it back.
A flash of bright pinkish light penetrated from the forest itself and caught the eye of the yellow creature before it faded. What's this light? Don't tell me Sakura is in trouble. It charged out in the direction where the auburn-haired girl and greyish-haired man had entered, but was repelled back by an invisible force that covered the entire forest.
"Nani! A magical barrier! What kind of a joke is this?" Kero-chan brought itself closer to the forest and tapped its palms against empty air. The aura forming the barrier reflected off its physical contacts, showing off a shimmer of golden yellow light. It gritted its teeth. "If you don't let me through, I'm going to break my way in." The barrier did not subside to Kero-chan's taunts, but gleamed under the poor street light.
"Fine! I'm going to break my way through!" It closed its eyes and allowed itself into the state of meditation. A sphere of golden yellow aura penetrated out of the yellow creature in the form of ripples as its small, white wings extended to wrap the small body in large, yellowish-white wings. Finally, the wings pulled back to reveal a lion with amour on its upper part of its body, with a bright red jewel on its forehead.
Cerberus moved back a few paces, giving itself and the barrier some distance. Then, it pulled back a breath of air and a large stream of flame protruded out of its mouth towards the barrier. Yet, the barrier remained intact, as smaller bits of flame bounced off it.
"Darn!" Cerberus paused, contemplating. Who could be strong enough to stop me? Only Sakura and… Clow Reed.
* * *
Kaima stood way above the forest, watching with a keen, but disturbed eye. Interesting creature that can morph… I wonder if it's related to that Kinomoto girl. But how is it not able to enter the forest with the girl and the man? I did not place any barrier this time. Can there be another person around, watching and controlling this? The dark sorcerer crossed his arms, as his attention swayed from the events in the park. The cards cannot have that ability. What's their main master plan? Is someone else directing them?
He turned his attention back to the beast again. If someone is directing them, who can he be, and what is his objective?
* * *
I sense that my presence is felt. A teenage boy with bluish hair smiled faintly as a golden circle of a sun and a crescent moon lit up his feet. Cerberus may know who set the barrier, but I'm not worried over what possible threat it will pose to the intended purpose of the cards. I'm more worried over the other sorcerer. His strength is great and so is his anger and frustration. But Sakura-san will survive through this. Gambatte, Sakura-san…
* * *
Sakura moved along the dirt path in the forest uneasily. The trees looked ominous, as though the shadows hid terrible things that avoided the daylight and appeared when the moon rose up in the sky.
She took a glance behind, but saw no one there. Oh, I do regret my decision. Tsukishiro-san is lost now, and I think I am lost too. The trees are so frightening. I don't want to be alone now. A tear threatened to spill out, as she stood rooted to the spot in the forest. The branches of the tress seemed to stretch forth, almost as if to grab hold of her. Sounds of wood creaking echoed far beyond the dark shadows of the trees.
"Please leave me alone." She whispered, her palms placed together, in the form of praying, as she started moving again. Something broke and fell, creating a loud thud on the ground. Another object broke and fell onto the auburn-haired girl's head, sending her into a state of frenzy and fear. But as she calmed herself down, she realized that it was a Sakura flower.
Hoe? A Sakura here? And in full bloom at this hour? She observed it carefully for a minute longer. The beauty and simplicity of the flower overcame her fear and a breeze of calmness directed her to continue on further into the forest.
* * *
Yukito stopped in his tracks as a conscious knowledge that he could no longer see Sakura overwhelmed him. Strange. I was sure that I followed her closely enough. Now how did I lose sight of her? He glanced to his left and then to his right, conscious of the growing shadows of the trees. The branches were seemingly long, like the hands of old witches and the hour was bewitching. However, the greyish-haired man was not overwhelmed by fear, but felt rather comfortable among the trees.
"Sakura-chan, where are you?" He shouted, but the rustling of the leaves answered him back. I'm worried. I'm supposed to bring her home and it's dangerous for a girl to be alone out here. The other half of me is worried too. He wants to find her.
Yukito's eyelids covered over his eyes and unconsciousness struck him. Large pearl-white wings enveloped him and a sphere of bluish-silver aura penetrated out of him. Just as sudden as the wings had appeared, they quickly folded back to reveal a tall man with long white hair and translucent greyish-blue eyes, dawning the clothes of white and violet.
"That is an unnatural look for the trees and the woods. They are covering up the other end, as if they are blocking other people from going there." Yue moved closer to take a better look, and instantaneously, the branches and vines tightened together.
"She should be there."
* * *
Cerberus paced to and fro outside the forest, its frustration accumulating every single minute. "Arghhh! I can't think of a way to get in."
It paused in front of the sinister-looking transparent barrier, contemplating of any other alternative. This reminds me of the last time that Sakura was trapped in the hole in King Penguin Park, leaving me, Tomoyo… That's right. I'll go and get help from Tomoyo.
* * *
Sakura stopped, as a large, plain field became visible in front of her. A nearby huge tree was littering the field with many petals and leaves, creating a colourful bed of pink and green on the field. The breeze lifted the Sakura flower out of her hand and carried it to the centre of the field, and upon the flower touching the ground, an image surfaced on the other side of the field.
* * *
Yue gently touched the wall of vines and branches, and a pinkish glow emitted from them. "Cards?" He ran his fingers against the rough surface, letting his mind speak with the plants. Slowly but surely, the vines and branches softened their grip on each other and pulled away, just like a gate being pulled open.
"Thank you." Yue lifted his fingers off the wall, and proceed through the gateway. As he passed through, the vines and branches emitted the same pink glow and crept together to form back the same blockade a while ago.
* * *
Sakura stepped forward into the shower of flowers, watching the image of the Sports Meet re-enact in front of her eyes. From the far end, she recognised a tall man of late thirties carrying a big ice box. "Otousan…"
The man did not take notice of her but ran in the direction to a mat where four people were sitting. One of them, a ten-year-old girl, with auburn hair and emerald green eyes, stood up to welcome the new arrival.
"This seems to be part of my memories as well. Does that mean that I'm now in the dimension where my memories and feelings are trapped? But how can it be inside a forest? Windy, Watery, Firey and Earthy brought me there. Don't tell me another card brought me here?"
"Gomen ne, Sakura-san." Sakura turned to look at the younger Fujitaka, when he touched the head of her younger self. The girl responded by hugging her father and exclaiming that she was happy that he had come.
"Otousan looked so much younger then. He now looks like he has aged alot over this short four years. He is still always there for me, but I have taken him for granted."
The image shifted to her house's basement. The younger girl was clad in a thick pink-white outfit, and had already captured one card and was about to capture the other. But Kero-chan stopped her, telling her to wait. The surrounding woods shrunk back and finally a petite female human-like being with lush green hair appeared at the edge of the table. It floated up and returned back to its card form. "Wood is indeed a gentle card." Kero-chan added before the image disappeared and Sakura found herself back at the field.
A tear threatened to break out of her eyes. "Wood is indeed a gentle card? My name, Kinomoto Sakura, in Kanji, means cherry blossom having the base of wood. But I have not been nice towards Otousan and I have not been gentle at all. I don't deserve the name that I have." With that, she crouched down to a squatting position and sobbed.
Don't cry. We know that you aren't that bad. Two female voices resonated in her mind, from above her. Sakura looked up to see two human-like beings, one entirely in pink with her hair in huge curls and the other looking exactly like the card in the second image.
"Flower and Wood?"
Yes. What you saw is part of your memories. We have helped you recover back your memories of your true self and… your feelings you have for your father. But we have used up our strength… to bring you into the dimension… of memories.
"But I have never left the forest, unlike the other time where Windy, Watery, Firey and Earthy brought me to another place."
Yes, that's true… But this dimension of memories is not a place… It can be… very near… and it can be very far… It can come as a place totally black… and it can also come as a place deep… in the woods here… Now, we have… only unlocked the memories… pertaining to us… We shall… also have to become… normal cards.
"Why? Why do you have to do this?"
Because… we like to… see the real… happy you… Then the two beings lost their final shine of pink aura and reverted back to grey cards.
Sakura picked up the cards amidst tears. "Thank you."
* * *
"I hope we are not too late." Syaoran uttered, as he ran as fast as he could alongside Tomoyo, Meiling and Kero-chan.
"Sakura-chan, please be alright." Tomoyo whispered along, as she tried to keep in pace with the others.
* * *
Sakura pulled out her star key. "O Key that conceals the powers of the stars, reveal thy true form to me. I, Sakura, command thee under thy covenant, release!" The key flashed forth a glow and extended itself to become a staff of an arm's length.
"Thank you." She whispered to the cards and tossed them into the air. As soon as she had done so, she lifted her staff towards them and started to recite another chant. "O Cards that were once created by Clow, and once reborn under the name of Sakura, listen to thy mistress. Gifts of memories recover thy bit of power and thus, O Cards, relive upon this new strength, under the name of thy mistress, Sakura."
The grey cards were surged with an aura of bright pink, and the glare of the light lit up the surrounding trees and bushes, chasing the dark shadows away. Finally the light faded and the two cards, glowing in pink, danced around Sakura as if to say, 'Thank you'. That way they remained, dancing around in a protective manner till Yue came upon them and the sleeping girl.
Author's Notes (again): I will like to clarify the doubts existing the using of name 'Kero-chan' and 'Cerberus'. Whenever I use 'Kero-chan', I will be referring to the decoy form of the guardian beast, but when I use 'Cerberus', I am referring to the true form of the guardian beast. Of course, when Sakura calls Kero-chan 'Cerberus', I am implying that Sakura is looking at the true form of the beast.
The images that are mentioned in this chapter came from episode four and ten. As usual, I did not mention the entire episode, but gist of it. I hope this is no spoiler for those who have not yet watched the anime before.
The account of Sakura being trapped in a hole in King Penguin Park comes from episode 52, which is one of my favourites, because it is a S+S scene. Do watch it, if you haven't done so.