With Out You Beside Me
a Card Capture Sakura fanfic by the webbie:
Celestial Star
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Author's note:

Ok.. I don't know what kind of graduation tests that they have over in Japan, so I used the one from my school, in this little rinky-dink town in the middle of nowhere. So, if you don't understand how this method works, then e~mail me and I'll try to sort out all of your questions. Oh well.. I'm only a freshman with a senor sister who has already gotten accepted into the colledge that she wanted to go to. Oh well. ò_ó6 Also, I know that some of these things that I mention in this story are confusing, but that will all be explained when I actually finish the prologue. Yes, I haven't finished it, but, well, it's so long! Yea.. 8 songfics.. I don't know whether to put them all in 1 or chapter them, so please, if I could get some feedback from readers.. Well, on with the story.
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Chapter 1
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Flashes of light. A sharp pain on her cheek. Something grabbing her wrist. A scream into the night. This was her dream, the one where she was being chased through the forest by something. Every time she would have it, it would always end the same.

Her wrist would be slit by an invisible force. She would still see the flashes of light, then his face. The only face that she needed to have to carry on, to keep going when all hope was lost. All her pain would stop, all her injuries would suddenly disappear. She would loose track of time, all sense of reality. What she did know was that this could not have been any ordinary dream, because she had started having it since the beginning of her senior year of high school.

She was always awakened by Touya, him ranting that she had woken him up because she was screaming, yet again. The first few nights, he almost didn't care. But now that it had became an every night thing, he started to worry. He thought it had something to do with that Chinese kid, but Sakura would never tell him what it was about.

At first, she ignored it. God only knows why. But as it became more and more apart of her, she could no longer ignore it. She never told anyone about it, not even her best friends, not even Kero-Chan. He's been too worried about her getting into colleges and getting high scores on her SATs, and she didn't want him to have any more stress put upon his shoulders.

This morning was no different. She saw the face of Touya, and sat up. Mumbling a small "sorry for waking you, again," she got up and proceeded to do the things she needed to do to get ready to go to school. Her brother would leave her at that time, so as not to be a pervert, and Kero-Chan would just go back under the covers, trying to get some more sleep, like he needed it. He stayed home all day so he could still play those video games.

Stepping into her new fuko, she would look into the mirror and see the Sakura that she didn't know. Picking up a brush, she would brush her hair and style it in many ways, anything different from those pigtails that she would wear when he was here. To her, it just brought back bad memories.

'I am the card mistress. I will not crack because of my feelings for someone I have not seen for eight long years,' she would say to herself. 'Oh grow up. You know that you'll never see him again, but why do you hang on like there's no tomorrow? Oh give it up girl!'

Kero-Chan would get out from in under the bed covers after her last thoughts. She would plaster on a practiced forced smile, easing his nerves. Hey, just because she was depressed didn't mean that she should drag down anyone else with her. "Hey Sakura, ya know, I'm starting to worry about those dreams that you have started to have since, how long has it been now, three months? You want to talk about them?" Sakura was taken aback by this question. "Come on, I can see through your fake smile now. I wonder how I missed it in the first place."

"Oh, it's nothing. I guess that it has been stress, ya know, striving to survive my final year of grade school and all..."

"And missing your love, am I right?"

"Why do you think that I miss him?"

"Cause I can see it in your eyes. You can't hide it forever, Sakura."

Sakura grabbed her book bag and ran out the door, slamming it as she passed. 'He don't understand. Why does he have to do this to me on this day? Isn't it bad enough that I have to go to school and listen to a teacher all freaking day long, forcing me to think about him, although I don't know how that always seems to happen?' "I'm not hungry, so I'm going on to school. See you later!" she announced to her father.

"What's up with her now?" he asked to Touya.

"I don't know. Maybe she's in love," he replied.

"Our little blossom? No way!"
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Looking at her watch, she sighed. Two more hours to go until her first class started. Sheesh, being a senior, supposedly the best year of your life, was a real drag. Being one of the lucky few who had poured her heart out into studying during her middle school years and then some more, and finishing all the required classes during her last three years, she only had to be at school for her Math, Literature, and Science, and then the two classes that she wanted to take, Photography and Band. Whatever had possessed her to join band was a mystery to her, but it was her first class, which started at 10:00, and that only lasted an hour, and then her lunch, which she shared with her friends. Yeesh, she wanted more. It would look better on her college applications.

She was sitting in the library, reading the few romance books that she hadn't when she had had free time. 'What a lame book.. it has too many cliches in it,' she thought as she closed it and started to pick up another one. Halfway to the other her hand stopped, because she had sensed eyes on her, his eyes, bearing into the back of her head. Turning around, all she saw was a head of brownish hair, which could have belonged to any of her friends from her class, but why did they want to come into the library? And why did they carry themselves like they were ready to hold the burden of the world on their shoulders?

Sighing, she turned back around and picked up the last book in the stack, entitled 'Always and Forever'.
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Turning around before she could, he walked in any direction that his heart desired. He was getting careless, and he hated himself for it. 'How are you going to look after Sakura if you almost get caught staring at her reading a book? Syaoran, you are loosing your touch.' "I don't see why I even wanted to move back. Obviously all the dangers have passed," he said to himself, getting a few blank stares from the janitors as they waxed the floor. So far, he had been able to track her down every day for the past three months, and keep an eye on her.

He, like Sakura, had poured all his heart and soul into his studies as well as his training that he had to go through because he was part of the Li clan. He reached into his pocked and pulled out an envelope that had her name on it, which he had wrote on it a month ago. He suddenly realized where he was walking towards, her locker. He was too chicken to actually give it to her, so he divided that this would be the best way.

Inside was a note that told her to meet him right after her last period on the roof top, as that he only had 4 classes and she had 5. How could she have picked band, after all of that stuff from the time card did, and made her play the recorder a few time in a row in front of the whole class? He sighed as he reached her locker, decorated in cherry blossoms, and, pulling out some Scotch Tape, taped the note to where she would see it. He didn't bother putting in it, because she wouldn't find it since her head was always somewhere else as she got all of her books and got to her first class.

Walking to the school store, he pulled out his wallet. He planned on buying his new favorite drink since he had moved here, a hot, steaming cup of Java.
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Sakura got bored just reading the book, so she put her head down, and started thinking about the past. 'Great job Sakura. You did the one thing that you try not to do.'

She still couldn't shake off the effects of the encounter of the guy. 'I could have sworn that it was him, though. Maybe Kero-Chan will know something about this,' she thought as she picked up her book bag and walked to her locker. It was only thirty minutes until her first bell, and she wanted to talk to Kero-Chan with her cell phone. Stopping, she opened it and gathered all her books, then looked at a mirror that she had brought to look at to be sure there wasn't any bags under her eyes.

Seeing that there was none, she shut her locker and made sure that all the blossoms were still there. From a distance, they looked like paper, but up close, you could tell that they were really pressed to preserve them, and then glued with a really week adhesive so that they could be removed and kept for memories. Noticing an envelope taped under one of the branches, she looked around to see if any one was watching. Something had just gave her a really strange feeling. She reached up and untapped it, then read the name. She didn't recognizee the handwriting, so she took it with her, without reading it, to the nearest girls bathroom, which wasn't very far.

Arriving there, she took out her cell phone, which was illegal at school, but she kept it on her at all times, in case she needed to talk to Kero-Chan. Turning it on, she pressed the button to call him.

"Sakura? I wasn't sure you would call. Shouldn't you be in class?" Came Kero-Chan's voice over the other line.

"Kero-Chan, don't you remember, I have 2 hours free, then all of my classes? Oh nevermind, I really need to talk to someone, and there's no one that I trust about this but you."

"That makes me feel very special," Kero-Chan said in a very sarcastic voice.

She then told him everything, including the dream, her reason for running out on him like that, the lame book, the strange feeling of being watched, and the note.

"I see why you are so stressed. Why didn't you come to me sooner? I could have helped you soooooooo much more. As for the note, have you read it yet?" he asked.

"Not yet, but I'm about to. Want me to read it out to you?"

"Nah.. It's almost time for the bell to ring."

"OK then. I'll tell you about it later then. Until then, C~Ya!"

"Have a good day at school, and make me proud!" Kero-Chan hung up first. Sakura turned her cell phone and pocketed it, just in time for the bell to ring. Still holding all her books, she hustled to her next class, even though she had 5 minutes to get there, but it was what seemed like a 10 mile walk ahead of her.
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Later that day.....
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Sakura had gotten to read the note during her band class, so she had started on her way up after he last period, Photography, had ended. She was kinda nervous about the meeting. She was almost positive that the person who was staring at her had sent it to her. Arriving at the top, she looked around. She found the brown-haired boy that was in the library.

"I wasn't sure if you'd come," he said. She didn't recognize the voice.

"Well, I wanted to know who sent me this note," she said, holding it in her fingers. She felt a chill run up her spine, one she hadn't had for a very long time, 8 years to the day. 'No. There is no way...'

"Before I say why I got you to come up here, I want to know something."

"Whatever you ask, I'll try to answer to the best of knowledge."

"Have you been having a dream about flashing lights, something grabbing you, and then your wrists being slit, only to be healed by a guy from the past?"

"Maybe," she said. She always hated to cover up things. It only made things more complicated. She knew that it wasn't to well covered up, so she looked to the ground.

He turned around. "Sakura, do you know how long I've wanted to talk to you again?"

'No.. I'm not ready...' She looked up to see the face that she had been wanting to see for eight years. "Do you know how long I've wanted another chance to prove to you that I'm grown up?" She asked, tears coming to her eyes that started to fall down her cheek.

He walked towards her. "I've had a feeling. There's no need to cry. I'm here for good. No more Hong Kong, no more fighting." He wiped away her tears with his thumb. "I'm here for you, and," putting on his most stern face that was still soft as to make her laugh, "don't you forget it!"

They both burst out laughing. Sakura threw her arms around his neck, crying harder. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

"Don't worry. I'll never leave your side so long as we are alive."
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Trying not to give her friends the opportunity to yell at her, again, for video tapping them, she held her camera as steady as she could, holding her breath. 'Oh, this is going to be the best tape yet!' She thought.
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"Hey, you wanna take a walk around the park? Or do you need to call Kero-Chan again?"

"How did.."

"I have my ways." He tapped his temple.

"So, you have been spying on me using your powers? Oh nevermind.. It doesn't matter to me, just so long as you are here. Wait a minute.. How long.."

"Some questions are better left answered later. But first, I'd like to talk to Kero-Chan. I know that he's really worried about you."

"All right. Hang on." She pulled out her cell phone, not even letting go of his neck, and pressed the "on" and "Kero" buttons. The phone rang three times, then Kero-Chan answered, obviously just awakened by the phone. She handed the phone over to Syaoran before he could talk.

"Sakura! Why do you call when I'm getting the best sleep of my life?" he asked.

"Because I need to talk to you," Syaoran said into the phone.

"Who is this? Where is Sakura?" Kero-Chan demanded.

"She's here with me. I'll let you talk to her in just a minute, and don't worry about her. I'm not here to harm her."

"Then who are you?"

"Remember a guy named Syaoran? Well, that's me."

"Really? You aren't back to call me a stuffed toy again, are you?"

Laughing, Syaoran replied, "Of course not. I'm here for Sakura. I think I better let her talk to you, so that you might understand a little bit better." He handed the receiver back to Sakura, who was still hugging him.

"Hey Kero-Chan! Everything's all right! ... No, he's not.. What... Oh, the note... Yea, it told me to meet him... yea, he's still here... What??? Oh, all right.... No, I promise that I'll be home for dinner... I got to go.. Ok.. Don't you dare eat all those cookies!! I'll come and take them from you!!" She laughed. "I guess I better let you go. I'll see you when I get home! Bye!" She hung up the phone.

"One question. What is the deal with cookies?"

"Inside joke." She let go of his neck and stepped back. "How about that walk in the park? My brother won't mind that I may be a little late for supper."
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'Oh no.. There heading right for me.. Where will I hide? Where will I go? Oh yea, right down the steps and behind that plant! Why didn't I think of that before?' She ran down the steps and hid, aiming her camera back at the door, catching Sakura slipping her hand into Syaoran's. 'Aww... that is soooooooooo sweet!! I'll have to show this to them, and the rest of the tapes from the last three months. Good thing that Melin wasn't here, or his cover would have been blown. Ha ha.. Sakura is gonna be so mad at me for not telling her that he was here....' They reached the bottom of the stairs, and walked towards the front of the school. 'I better leave them to themselves, or, at least give them a little privacy. Oh well. I've got to go home to edit this with the others to make this a little bit more realistic.'
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Two hours later...
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"Hey, wanna stay at my house for supper? I'm sure that my dad won't mind, and my brother better not, because I'm too old for him to for bid me from seeing my.."

"I'd love too."

"Yea!!" Sakura jumped up and down, holding one hand up, one down with Syaoran's hand still in it.

"Calm down. Hey, we better go. It's nearly 5:30!"

"Oh my gosh! And I'm supposed to be cooking tonight!! Oh man.."

"Hey, don't worry. I'll help you. Your brother shouldn't hate me after that."
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"Where is she? Where is she?" Kero-Chan and Touya paced, er.. in Kero-Chan's place, flew back and forth in front of the front door. Touya had came in when he heard Kero-Chan's cell phone go off, and thus discovered that he could walk, talk, and fly. Kero-Chan didn't have any trouble with this, since it meant not having to freeze into a toy every time he entered the room.

The door knob turned. The two men jumped/flew backwards in suprise. The door opened, and in stepped Sakura, still holding Syaoran's hand.

"Where the heck have you been? Do you know how worried Kero-Chan and I have been? It's 5:45!!" Touya shouted.

"What the.. How do you know about Kero-Chan?"

"He found out when you called me after school, when you woke me up." Kero-Chan said.

"Um, I hope that I'm not intruding, as that this seems like a family.."

"Oh, you're not intruding. I'll be right back.. I've got to get ready to cook." Sakura glared at Touya. "And don't you run him off, OK?" She ran upstairs before he could answer.

"Um.. I offered to help cooking.." he said, trying to lighten the mood and the glare from Touya.
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Sakura got out a skirt that was a greenish color, one that matched her eyes, and she put on a white shirt, then put on her apron over that. She ran back downstairs to save Syaoran from the wrath of Touya. 'Syaoran, hang on. You won't have to suffer any more from my brother,' She thought, in hopes that he heard it, and he did.

'He's not showing me any anger or any threats to throw me out.' Sakura jumped, not used to getting a connection from someone. 'Oops.. I wasn't supposed to do that...'

'It's ok.. I just wasn't prepared for it.' Sakura walked out of her room, softly closing the door behind her. Then she headed down stairs.

"Sorry for that again," Syaoran said as he poked his head out from the kitchen. "I didn't mean to scare you.."

"Let's just start cooking," Sakura interrupted, giving him a soft smile. "besides, I don't want them to hear what you did." She walked in, while shutting the door so that Kero-Chan and Touya couldn't hear from across the hall.

"Aw nuts.. I wanted to hear what they were going to talk about," Kero-Chan said.

"Me too."
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"So, what's for supper?" Syaoran asked, watching Sakura fill a pot full of water, then placing it on the stove.

"I was thinking spaghetti and meatballs, along with a hot pie for desert? Or does that seem like I'm sucking up to Kero-Chan too much?"

"Hmmm...."

She imagined a block, for some reason, and thought, 'Gee. He's so cute when he's thinking.' She dropped the block.

"How does a home made pizza sound? I know that they really want cheese pizza.. They're thinking it right now, both of them, and Kero-Chan wants some cookies for desert. Want to supprise them?"

"That sounds cool. Let's."

They set to work. Sakura poured out the water and got out the ingredients for the pizza dough and for the cookies. Sakura started on the pizza dough while Syaoran shredded the cheese. Sakura finished the pizza dough, and started on the cookies, first preheating the oven to 350ø, then mixing together the ingredients. Syaoran then started on the sauce, mixing tomato paste with some herbs to give it flavor. Sakura sprayed a cookie sheet and spread the cookies out so that she could cut them.

"Hey, Syaoran? I need some help. How do I need to cut them? Should I cut them into a circle or some other shapes?"

"How about hearts? Or how about pumpkins?" Syaoran replied in the form of a question, (AN: Ok.. So I had to add something from Whose Line Is It Anyway? Oh well.. It's a game called questions only, and it will be brought up a bunch during this fan fic, so brace yourselves.)

"Wanna help me? I am pretty sure that you don't have to stir that anymore."

"Uh, sure!" He replied quickly, truing to cover up that he had been thinking about the past three minutes.

"What shape did we decide on?" Sakura asked.

"Here, hand me your cookie cutters in a bag." Sakura did. "Now, close your eyes and pick one. I'll pick one after you do." Sakura reached in, with the help of Syaoran, and pulled out a heart. Blushing, she got the bag and Syaoran did the same as she had before, only that he pulled out a star.

They got to work on cutting the cookies and putting them on the cookie sheet then into the oven. They had some dough left, so they put it into a bag and put it in the refrigerator for, as Sakura called it, a "snack" after they had gotten done. They started on the pizza.

They finished the pizza just as the cookies needed to be taken out. Sakura took them out and placed them on a cookie rack, then put the pizza in the oven. Closing the door, she looked at the cookies. "They need something." She said, then had an idea. She got out some powdered sugar and some sugar crystals. On half of the hearts and half the stars, she put the sugar crystals. Then for the rest, she made an icing that had the powdered sugar and some hot water, mixing the water a little at a time so as to get the sugar to be a kinda thin, kinda thick liquid. She then placed the concoction onto the stove top to keep it warm and runny, then took the remaining cookies and placed them on a piece of wax paper. She then poured the sugar/water over the top of them, keeping it so that they weren't too messy, but messy enough to be fun.

The pizza took about 15 minutes to finish cooking after she finished with the cookies, and, allowing the cookies to cool and the icing to cool, tried one of each, Sakura taking stars and Syaoran taking hearts. "Hey, this icing is really good. I'll have to write the recipe down for later!" Syaoran exclaimed, causing Sakura to blush.

Syaoran took the pizza out of the oven, and placed it onto a large wooden plate. "There, now we're done. We better call them in before they bust in, demanding to know what we are doing."

"Yea, I guess you're right. I'll go get them." Sakura walked over to the door, and opened it, with two figures falling to the floor, looking up at her.

"Uh, Hi, Sakura. I was waiting for you to get done with supper. What are we having?" Kero-Chan said, floating up, while Touya sat up.

"Cheese pizza and cookies for desert."
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"Hey, this is kinda good. So, Syaoran, what ever changed in you? I mean, not that I'm trying to butt in, but..." Kero-Chan said, scarfing down his third cookie, one of the frosted stars.

"Sakura. I had a dream about her, and I knew I needed to come back.

"Well, I noticed that you weren't as competitive as you used to be," Touya said.

Syaoran slipped his hand into Sakura's.

"Feelings change. I'm not after my childhood dream of being the Card Master. Instead, I plan on staying here, as a perfect gentlemen, never leaving his girl behind again." He gave Sakura's hand a little squeeze and she blushed.

"So, where are you staying? I mean, you don't live in the same apartment as you used to, do you?" Kero-Chan asked.

"I live in a larger one that's not too far away from here, maybe, three blocks away? Oh well. I'll show it to you sometime," he replied.(AN: Ok.. is it just me or does it seem like I have a little 3 thing goin' on? Oh well.. just a random thought..)

"Hey guys, what's with the Q&A? I would like to know," Sakura asked.

"Oh, we're just getting to know Syaoran, er, the new Syaoran," Kero-Chan said.

'I wish they would stop though. It's making me nervous,' Sakura thought.

'Want me to make them stop?'

'Please?!? I mean...'

Syaoran busted out laughing.

"What?" Touya asked as Sakura started to laugh too.

"Nothing, just thinking of a good joke that Sakura told me today."

"And you know me, I join in on laughing as much as I can."

Supper ended, and Kero-Chan tried to take all the cookies up to Sakura's room, but she caught him and told him off, saying the rest is for father.

"I guess I'll show you to the door, since it's a school night and all," Sakura said.

"I had fun tonight. Want to walk to school tomorrow morning?" Syaoran asked.

"Sure. What time and where do you want to meet?"

"7:30. Your front gate?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"See you then!" Syaoran walked out the door and out of the gate. Sakura sighed.

"Sakura's got a boy friend! Sakura's got a boyfriend!"

"Oh, stuff it, Kero-Chan!!" She giggled while blushing. She went upstairs to get ready for bed.
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A dreamless night went by, and Sakura was awoken up by Kero-Chan yacking in her face, repeating her name over and over.

"Sakura! Sakura! Sakura, WAKE UP!! IT'S 7:15!!"

"Oh my gosh, I'm gonna be soooooooo late!!" Sakura jumped out of bed and got ready in ten seconds flat, except for her shoes, which were downstairs.

She grabbed her books and ran out the door, shutting it easier than the previous morning. Kero-Chan, on the other hand, was buried in the blankets from where she had jumped. Touya opened the door, and walked in.

"Where is she going so fast? It's not time for her to go to school, I mean, she don't need to be there until 10:00, right?" Touya asked.

"She's meeting her boyfriend outside in ten minutes. I swear, I don't know what I am going to do with that girl."
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"Oh my gosh! I am so late! Sakura said while she ran out the front door. She looked at her watch approximately halfway between the door and gate. It was only 7:20. "I got ready in only 5 minutes? Way cool! I'll be sure to get my alarm clock going for tomorrow." She slowed down her pace, now 3/4 of the way to the gate. "Ten minutes to kill. What can I do?"

"Well, for one thing you can do is sit, or you could just talk to me, or you can start to school and be extremely early." Sakura looked up and saw her best friend, Tomoyo, standing on the corner, holding her video camera up to her eye, recording what had happened when Sakura ran out the door.

"Tomoyo! How's it going?" Sakura asked, smiling.
"Nothing much, just trying to think about tat video I shot yesterday."

"What video?"

"Oh, you'll see." Tomoyo had this mischievous glint in her eyes.

Ether Sakura didn't notice, or she ignored the glint. " Syaoran's back!"

"Really? I had no idea.." Tomoyo said sarcasticly, trailing off.

"Hey you knew about him, didn't you?"

"Maybe.. So, what are you doing out here so early? It's," Tomoyo looked at her watch. (yet another AN: Where do they get their watches? I'll have to write a prequel about it later.. hehehe.. MORE STUFF TO WRITE!! Ok.. calm down.. less pixi stix during the day...) "7:27. Are you waiting for someone?"

"I hope she is. It was the plan, wasn't it?" Syaoran asked as he walked up.

"Yes, it was. Ready to go?" Sakura asked.

"Yea," Syaoran replied.

"Hey, would you mind if I video tapped this? I kinda want to add to yesterday's tape.. Which you will see soon?" Tomoyo asked.

'What should we say?' Sakura thought, remembering the previous nights events where Syaoran had talked to her in her mind.

'I guess so. Just look at her face.'

Sakura did as Syaoran sai.. er.. thought. Tomoyo had started to put the 'puppy dawg' face on. "How could I say no to that?"

"YaY!" Tomoyo jumped up and down, still recording. "Now remember.."

"Act as if you're not there," Sakura and Syaoran replied at the same time.
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Hey! How's the first part so far? Final spell check ends in 5.. 4... 3.. 2.. 1.. FINISHED! Ok, the spell check is weird, so if I messed up on some of the words, it's not my fault. Well guess what. It's over! Yupers! I finally finished it!! (well, it's about dern time). The rating of this fic is due to change, so don't count on it as staying rated PG. OK? The prologue should be done within the week, so check back for updates! Well, I best go (trust me.. that will get annoying after a while.. just ask my friends) and start on the second part. 'Till then, I bid you adieu(<~~Spelling??).

~*Celestial Star*~