AN: I think I made myself sad writing this chapter. When Sakura is sad, I am sad. I guess that's how it goes.
There was a construction company in Death City made entirely out of witches and wizards, so it didn't take long before the city looked like normal again. As normal by Death City standards. At least there were no more cracks and trenches forming in the streets, and there were no more trees on fire.
Sakura used WOOD and FLOWER to help repair some of the botanical fauna as well. Generous students and citizens were cleaning up as well. It was all Sakura could do to distract herself from the growing dread inside of her.
Tomoyo was on her mind. Her best friend would die, if she didn't find The LIGHT. However, spirits of CLOW had a natural habit of coming to her instead of her searching for one. So how was she supposed to find this particular spirit if she didn't know where the hell it was? She had to clues or leads. She felt hopeless. Her friend, her best friend in the whole world, was going to die.
The holster with the Clow Cards inside rustled to get her attention. She opened it and all of them flew out, encircling her. They floated there for some time, much to Sakura confusion.
She felt wavelengths pulsing from each one, as if they were trying to comfort her in some way. Her heart became somewhat lighter, seeing spirits she barely knew now being so kind to her.
"Thank you," she whispered. They sparkled and circled her happily, making silver bell noises until she started to giggle. She held out her hand, and they all fell into a nice neat pile, resting on her palm and fingers.
She later ate dinner with a tired Syaoran and Meiling, as they tried to cheer each other up. She wasn't going to give up just yet.
As she lay in bed, Sakura flipped through each Clow Card like she was studying flashcards. It was when she came to The DREAM that she stopped.
She was told that she had the power of precognitive dreaming, from Kero, Ms. Yuuko, and even this card. She wondered if this spirit could help her somehow. She took the card out and put all the other cards back in the holster and onto her nightstand. She decided to place DREAM under her pillow and slowly fell asleep.
All dreams were connected, as she had been told before. She hoped it would connect her to some sort of answer to save Tomoyo.
She was in a white dress, different from last time, and she was under the same cherry tree. DREAM stood there in front of her, smiling gently.
"You seek LIGHT, correct?" she asked.
"Yes, I need that spirit to save Tomoyo," Sakura pleaded.
"You needn't look far, young Sakura."
DREAM placed her hand on the cherry blossom tree, and Sakura looked up. The petals were dancing around her, falling around them like snow. Putting her hand on the trunk of the tree, Sakura swore that she could feel a pulsing, like a heartbeat.
The trunk made a slight crack, and Sakura peeked through it. It was some sort of strange vortex, like a universe was being born inside. She began to tear at the bark frantically, her fingers getting splintered, cut, and blistered. However, more of this small universe began to show. It was drawing her in. When she made the space in the trunk big enough, Sakura kicked her leg up and hopped straight in.
"Good luck," DREAM called, as the bark of the trunk repaired itself so that no trace of the universe inside could be seen.
The sky and space around Sakura was like seeing the universe, black and a spectrum of colors with stars sprinkled liberally through it all. The ground under her feet felt like cold glass when her toes touched it.
As she walked about it, she felt as if she was floating. The colors in the sparkling sky dimmed until only a few stars and blackness remained, reflecting in the glass below her, like water. She continued walking until the world around her started snowing cherry blossom petals again.
Sakura became more grounded to the glass at her feet, stepping onto cherry blossom petals. She walked slower, fearing she would slip. Strangely, the petals were soft yet created friction for her feet to tread on the smooth glass.
She heard soft "ching" of bells and followed it, quickening her pace. As she got closer, the bells got louder. Hearing them to her left, she turned. It was the older version of herself from her previous dream. She appeared to be strung up with wire, like she was being cradled in a hammock. Cherry blossom petals lay softly on her elegantly dressed form. She was still wearing the pink and purple dress from before. When Sakura stepped closer, the woman opened her eyes, like a plastic baby doll, wide and unblinking.
The adult Sakura reached out to her. Sakura stepped forward and touched her hand. With that, the bells rung again and the wires snapped, releasing the mysterious and older doppelganger. The woman floated down gracefully, petals falling off her clothes and faces and onto the glass below.
"It seems I arrived to you at the right moment," the woman smiled gently, life filling her face. She put her hand on Sakura's cheek, looking into her eyes thoughtfully.
"Who are you?" Sakura couldn't help but ask. Her older self smiled.
"I am you," she answered.
"That seems obvious, but…are you from the future?"
"No…" the woman looked down sadly, "I'm from the past and also the present."
Sakura already felt her head spin.
"Because of one man's wish, time and space has distorted," her older self explained with a stern demeanor, "It is my wish to fix it, and through your journey…we may be able to."
"How are you a past version of me and a present version of me?"
"I am not from your universe. I'm from another. In time, it will become clear for you. For now, there is something you need."
"Oh yeah! My…friend…"
"Tomoyo-chan…"
"Yes, Tomoyo-ch… you know her?"
"There is a Tomoyo Daidouji in my world as well," the woman told her, sadness filling her eyes.
"I see…"
"Your Tomoyo is in trouble, correct?"
"Yes."
"You need to bring them something…or rather someone."
"Yes!"
"Come with me."
Sakura followed her to the wires that hung limply in the air. Spreading them apart, like curtains, the woman tore open a portal that seemed to lead to another cherry blossom tree.
As they stepped through, Sakura saw a place that looked more natural. It was a garden of some sort. No…not a garden. More of a small yard. The cherry blossom tree was large and stood with a strange wooden fence behind it. Feeling something loom behind her, Sakura turned around.
It was a Japanese styled house, with sliding doors and tiled roofing. The way the house was arranged on the exterior, however, seemed more European, possibly Victorian. It had a large walking porch, wear a young man sat, smoking a pipe similar to Ms. Yuuko's. He wore a kimono loosely on his wiry frame. His hair was short and jet-black and his eyes were blue. His glasses resembled Clow Reed's glasses a little. Sitting next to him was a black rabbit of some sort with squinty eyes and a round, blue jewel on its forehead.
"What is this place?" Sakura questioned, taking it all in.
"It's a shop," older Sakura answered, "A shop that grants wishes. This tree is where I currently am."
"You're…in the tree?"
"It is a price I pay, but only for a little while longer."
"Who's the man sitting behind us?"
"Kimihiro Watanuki. He is the current owner of this shop, until his master returns. I don't know if she ever will, but…we'll let fate decide that part."
"Can he see us?"
"At one time, he could see things like me, but now he only feels them. He knows we're here, but only in a separate reality. He is in the world of the living. We are in the dream world. A world of…of the dead."
Sakura froze. Dead? This older version of herself couldn't possibly be suggesting…
"You're dead…" Sakura whispered. Her older self looked at her with sad eyes. A tear rolled down her face.
"Not fully…" she choked, "At times though, I wish I were, but that is part of the process of living this way, trapped here, and unable to move on. Death is a transition of sorts, and I haven't made the full transition. I'm waiting for the moment that I can."
Sakura felt horrified. This older version of herself looked so broken. There were times she felt hopeless, but she never knew sadness like what she was witnessing. Older Sakura was clawing at the tree's bark in front of her, as if it was a wall to break through. She then stopped crying and turned to Sakura, gripping her shoulders tightly.
"Listen to me carefully, Sakura Kinomoto," she instructed, "This spirit of Clow you are taking is a part of myself I found when I was very small. It is the light I had in my heart, much like what you have in your own soul. You must keep it close to you. This is the first step you must take in releasing me and the other spirits of Clow, alright?"
Sakura nodded, trying to calm her nerves a little.
"When I was younger, I was in a play. I played a prince. A darkness enveloped everyone around me, but I still remained. I was able to go on. Do you know how?"
Sakura shook her head slowly.
"It was LIGHT. She was in my heart, and she came with me when I was sealed in here. She's going to come with you, and you must bring her through to your world. Do you understand?"
Sakura nodded. She had a clearer idea of what to do, even if she didn't understand some of the details this version of her was saying.
"When that happens, you will need to find DARK. While this wasn't true for before, DARK is part of your Tomoyo's heart. She was…a gift of sorts."
"From you, Ms…um…"
"Ms. Sakura's fine. And no, not from me. She…she was given from the Tomoyo in…my universe."
"Where is she?"
Sakura didn't answer. The world around them was starting to crumble.
"It appears you're starting to wake up," the older Sakura pointed out. She went to the tree and made another tear. Reaching inside the grabbed a young woman's dead white hand, leading her out. It was a gorgeous woman, adorabed in all white with black as night eyes. She wore a white crown on her head, and her hair was as long as her tall figure, kinking and curling.
"Hello," the woman addressed Sakura. Sakura gaped at how beautiful this spirit was.
"Are you…LIGHT?" Sakura asked.
"Yes, young lady, I am," she said, in a voice that was as clear as crystal. The world around them crumbled.
"Come now, both of you!" the older Sakura pleaded, "There's no time to spare. We need to get LIGHT to your universe, Sakura!"
It was clear that even in these dreams, Sakura was travelling to other universes, or at least seemed like she was.
Older Sakura ripped tears through these different realities until they reached one where DREAM stood by the cherry blossom tree, waiting patiently. Sakura got through easily. Older Sakura couldn't leave.
"Why aren't you coming?" Sakura cried to her other self.
"I only was able to come into your own dream the other time because of the little power I have left!" she shouted through the crumbling around her, "I can't leave here until you wake up, but you need to bring LIGHT with you! Don't worry about me for now! Save your friend!"
The sadness in Sakura's eyes quickly turned into determination as she grabbed LIGHT's hand and dragged her through. It was more difficult than she expected.
"REMEMBER YOUR INVINCIBLE SPELL, SAKURA!" her older self called, "IT'S WRITTEN IN THE BOOK! I'M SURE YOU'LL BE ALRIGHT!"
Hearing those words seemed to spark something within Sakura as she dragged LIGHT with more force through the tear in the tree. DREAM saw her struggling and began to pull with her.
"IT'S BECAUSE SHE'S A PART OF MS. SAKURA, I BELIEVE," DREAM shouted above the turmoil, "DON'T WORRY, YOUNG SAKURA! WE'LL GET HER THROUGH! PULL HARDER!"
Sakura only had so much arm strength in her, but then…she thought of Tomoyo. She thought of her friends back home. LIGHT seemed to be coming through more easily. Older Sakura began to push the spirit through behind her.
With one more pull, the tear seemed to spit LIGHT out and everyone fell backwards. A tired older Sakura waved wearily with a bigger smile on her face as the tear in the tree closed. The world around them was calm, and all of the ladies got up off the ground.
"Thank you, young Sakura, for bringing me through," the beautiful lady in white smiled. Sakura returned with a nervous laugh and a grin.
"I guess…I'm a little surprised," Sakura admitted, "From my other dream I had the other night, she seemed so collected and…powerful. But tonight, she…she seemed so sad. What happened to her in her universe?"
"She is very troubled, young Sakura," DREAM answered, "However, you are still right to believe that she's very powerful. She will be all right. The fact that you exist now is giving her hope. You'll see."
"My existence…is giving her hope?"
"You are the key to everything, young Sakura," LIGHT added, "You will be alright."
As LIGHT brushed her fingers through Sakura's hair, the young meister relaxed a little and smiled. They all rested under the cherry blossom tree, watching the petals float to the ground and dance around them. Sakura felt her eyes droop and stretched her arms out in a big yawn. LIGHT and DREAM let the young meister rest her head in both of their laps as LIGHT continued stroking Sakura's hair. She felt her soul relax as she faded back into reality.
Sakura awoke drowsily to feel something warm under her pillow. Her eyes felt heavy, but she turned her head to see that her pillow was glowing gold. She got up quickly and lifted her pillow, liking a child checking if the tooth fairy left a quarter or a dollar.
A golden Clow soul giggled a little next to The DREAM card, which looked like it hadn't bent from being squashed under the pillow. Sakura picked up both of them, setting The DREAM on the nightstand and grabbing a blank card.
"Return to the form you were meant to be. CLOW CARD."
With that, the image of the woman in white appeared her arms criss-crossed, holding a sun in one hand and a cloud in the other. The name read The LIGHT.
Sakura stared at it for a moment before sprinting out the bedroom door and bursting into Syaoran's room.
"SYAORAN! OH MY GOD OHMYGOD SYAORAN!" she squawked.
The young weapon flailed about on the bed like a fish out of water before quickly sitting up, his hair messier than usual. He was clad in a white undershirt and boxers. When he saw who woke him up, his eyes widened and he covered himself as if he'd been caught naked, his face flushed.
"Whu—SAKURA?! WHAT…"
"LOOK!" she screamed joyously, "LOOK WHAT I CAUGHT! I WAS DREAMING AND THERE WAS THIS OLDER VERSION OF ME ANDTHENJUSTHERE! LOOK!"
She scrambled onto the bed next to him and held out the card for him to see. He squinted at it, and his eyes widened when he realized what it was.
"The LIGHT…" he stammered.
"I KNOW!" she squealed.
At this, Syaoran immediately hugged her, and she hugged him back. Their souls resonated joy back and forth, celebrating this small moment of hope out of many to come. However, Sakura sensed that they were hugging for maybe a little too long. Syaoran realized this and let go quickly, his red flush returning to his cheeks.
"It looks like we can go find Tomoyo now," he chuckled nervously, scratching his head. Sakura giggled excitedly as she leaped off the bed.
"Let's grab breakfast and get this day rolling! We've got a battle to win!" she cheered, as she ran off to call Meiling and get a plan of action together.