Chapter 5
(....)=author talking
'......'=character thinking
"..."=character talking

Sakura nodded. "Let's go then." She started to get up. "Iie." Syaoran and Tomoyo said at once. Sakura looked at them. "Doushite?" Syaoran took her hands and looked straight in her eyes. "I, I don't want you to get hurt anymore. You stay here. Tomoyo, you stay with her. I'll handle it."
"Demo..." Sakura tried to argue, but Syaoran put his finger on her lips and kissed her, gently. She looked up at him. Syaoran carried Sakura up to the room he spent the night in last night. "Stay here." Then he ran out the door, but not before saying, "Ashiteru, Sakura." "Ashiteru....Syaoran." Sakura whispered after him.
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"Where's Sakura?" Keroberos asked Syaoran as he ran out the door. "She need to rest. She got hurt badly last night. Let's hurry." He started to run. "Do you even know where you're going?" Kero asked him. "uh.." I didn't think of that...Kuso! "Climb on my back." Syaoran looked at him. "Just do it," Kero growled. He got on and they flew off in search of the card.

In the window, Sakura watched them leave. 'They don't know where they're going.' She thought to herself. "Tomoyo, get your camera and let's go!" She said to Tomoyo. "Nani? Go where?" She asked. "To capture the card."
Sakura replied.
"But, Syaoran told us..." Tomoyo stammered. Sakura looked at her. "Syaoran and Keroberos don't know where it is. I do. Let's go!" Finally, Tomoyo nodded. "Let's go."
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"It's here. I can feel it." They stopped in front of a burning building. Sakura stopped and turned to Tomoyo. "Hayaku. Hide. I'll take care of this." She turned back to the building, then noticed a little child, no older then 3, right in front. A giant block of the building was about to fall onto him.
"NNNOOOOO!!!" Sakura threw herself onto the child and protected it from being burned. But in turn, got burnt badly herself. She dragged herself back to Tomoyo. "Tomoyo. Watch him." She dropped the child into Tomoyo's hands. Sakura...please be careful... Tomoyo thought as she watched her walk up to the burning building.
"Firey! Windy!
Return to your powers confined!
The clow cards returned to their card form and flew into Sakura's hands. Sakura looked at them then commanded Water to stop the fire. When it did, she told it to return and she looked at Tomoyo for a second and their eyes met. Sakura smiled and Tomoyo watched as she fell.
"Sakura? SAKURA!!" Frantically Tomoyo hoped that Kero still had the cellphone she gave him. She dialed the number. "Kero? Hayaku!! Please! Sakura caught the two cards that were doing mischief, but she...she. Just hurry!" Her tone was so panicked that she didn't know what to do.
Keroberos and Syaoran arrived in about two seconds. Syaoran jumped off Keroberos' back. "Sakura? SAKURA!!" He ran up to her. She was hardly breathing and her body was once again covered with burns. But this time, it was worst. 'How could this happen?' He lifted her up in his arms again. 'I told her to stay at Tomoyo's house.' "What happened to her?" He asked Tomoyo. She was still holding the child.
Tomoyo rambled out everything as tears ran down her eyes. "Sakura, she...said that you didn't know where it was, and that she did. So she...ran up to the building and saw that a giant part of the building was about to fall on a little kid, so...."
She broke of, sobbing harder then usual. She continued, "she... took off and protected the child with herself then crawled from under the block and caught the cards, and used the water card to stop the fire, and then....then...she just...fell. And didn't get back up."
She sobbed harder. "She...was...soo...brave!! She didn't care..." *hiccup* "if she got injured....she protected the kid and...risked her own life...." She started crying again.
Even Keroberos had tears running down his cheeks, for his mistress. Only Syaoran's eyes were not watery. 'I will get you! For all the things that you've done to Sakura. I'll get you for that!' He swore to Mioki.
He turned to Tomoyo. "Call Sakura's brother, Touya. Tell him what happened. Tell him... that she'll stay at my place. I'll take care of her."
Tomoyo sniffed then nodded. She reached for her phone. "One thing," he said. "Thanks." She smiled through all the tears. "No problem." As she dialed the number, Keroberos walked up to Syaoran. "Kid, let's go."
"What are you-?" Syaoran looked at Kero weirdly. "Well, you can't carry Sakura all the way to your place. So hurry up and hop on." Syaoran turned red from embarrassment and also that he had forgotten that he got this far on Kero. "Ano...aa.." He sat on Kero's back. "Kiosukete ne, Tomoyo." Kero called out.
She waved from the ground as he, Sakura and Syaoran flew into the sky. "Itterasshai!" She called back.
As they left towards Syaoran's apartment, they could hear her calling Touya. "Moshi moshi, Touya-san?"
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"Take care of her, kid. I'll be back tomorrow." He growled, then flew off. "Hai..." Syaoran whispered. "Of course I will." He reached in his pocket to get his key. He unlocked the door and carried Sakura in and placed her on his bed. Once again, she seemed so helpless. 'So beautiful, yet fragile. I promise you that nothing and no one will harm you. Well, I guess I should cure the burns first.... Hmm...'
Suddenly he blushed. He knew that there were more burns on her body, but most of them were covered with the suit that Tomoyo had made. She had a long, pink skirt on with a short black top. Over the top piece, she had a small jacket on. All parts of the suit were covered with sparkles and stars. 'She looks....so...kirei. Maybe thats the reason I have to protect her. And also why I love her.' Syaoran smiled in his daydream. Then he snapped back to reality.
'Oh great. Oh am I supposed to do this?' He took a deep breath, then turned Sakura onto her back as lightly as possible. He could feel his face turn red, as he pulled Sakura's top up just a bit. Just enough to put some salve over the many burns she had received. Then he spread the salve on her arms, legs and neck.
"Sakura. Why did you do it?" He whispered. But in his heart, he already knew. It was because she cared. She cared about everyone. She wouldn't want anyone to be hurt because of her. And the Clow Cards were her responsibility.
When he finished, he turned Sakura on her back. She looked so peaceful. He wanted to just sit there and watch her the whole night. But he had to finish putting the salve on her wounds. Or they would never leave. He began to notice a pattern. Everynight they went out to battle the Clow Cards that Mioki had stolen, but everynight Mioki won. Using only The Firey Card.
Sakura had told him about how much stronger she was when The Firey Card was used. "It seemed... invincible." She whispered to him. But now that Sakura had captured The Firey Card, she only had one more element card to recapture, then her power would be at the full strength. Without all of them, Mioki would defeat her easily. He thought some more as got up from the chair he was sitting on. He walked into the kitchen to make dinner.
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"Where is Sakura these days?" Touya asked his father, Fujitakak. "She hasn't been home since Friday." Fujitakak smiled. "So...big brother worried about his little sister?" He asked. "Nani?...Iie...hai.. She's spending a lot of time with that gaki." As he said the nickname he always gave Syaoran, he scrowled.
"Hmm...sounds like Sakura has a boyfriend." Fujitakak said, still smiling. He didn't mind. He was glad to see his daughter grow up. "Humph!" was all Touya said. Then he walked to his room.
Fujitakak knew where Sakura was. He knew about the powerful magic she had. He knew...from his wife. Natasha. (Sakura and Touya's mother.) She had passed away, but she remained at Fujitakak's side. She told him all about the things that Sakura went through. As much as he'd like to save her from the responsibility, he had no choice but to let her continue. He knew that she had saved a little kid from being hurt badly. He was proud of her. 'Sakura, I'm proud of you.'
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"Sakura. Sakura. I'm proud of you." Sakura had come into a different world. I must be dreaming. She relaxed. Then she heard that voice... "Sakura. Sakura. I'm proud of you." It said again.
"Dare?" She whispered. "Who are you?" Please, oh please don't be a ghost. Sakura was deathly afraid of ghosts ever since her oniichan, Touya talked to invisible people. That was a long time ago. But ever since that, she was afraid of them. She remembered saying once to Kero and Tomoyo why she was afraid of them. "Clow Cards are different. I can sense them. But ghosts. They appear of out nowhere. I can't sense them. They sneak up on people."
'Please, oh please don't be a ghost.' She wished again.
"Sakura. It is not your time to leave this world. You must return to Syaoran." The voice sounded...familiar. Like she heard it before. A long time ago. "Okaasan?" she whispered softly. "Yes, my Sakura." The voice replied. A form floated towards Sakura. It was her mother. Dressed in a long white dress. Surrounded by many beautiful flowers.
"Okaasan!" She ran to her mother and hugged her hard. "Sakura." Her mother hugged her back. Equally as hard. "Mother...Doushite? Why did you have to leave us?" Sakura started to cry softly. "Doushite?" Her mother replied her, "I never left you. I'm at your side. Always. I have never left you, your father, or Touya." She said these words gently.
"There is no time, Sakura." Her mother said aruptly but gently. "Syaoran is worried. You've been sleeping for 2 days. And in these 2 days, Syaoran has never left your side. You must return to him. He loves you."
"Nani? Demo...what about school?" Sakura asked. She knew that Syaoran loved her. She loved him too. But there were many unanswered questions. She couldn't leave yet.
Sensing that Sakura would not leave until she got answers, Natasha (her mother) answered one. The one she thought was most important. "Ever since your classmates and everyone else heard about how you risked your life to save the little child, thats all people have been talking about. They've been honoring you. And also praying that you would get better. This is why you must return. Also, Syaoran will become ill, if you do not."
Iie! Syaoran, I'm coming back! "Hai!" She said, then hesitated before she asked her last question. "Okaasan... will... will I ever see you again?" She looked up at her mother's soft emerald eyes. And she knew where she got her eyes from. "I hope so...my daughter. Gambatte Kudasai! Goodbye!" "Good...bye." As Sakura said that she felt tears run down her eyes again. I will see you again. Mother. But now...Syaoran! I'm coming back!
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"Syaoran...."
Syaoran was just about to sleep when he heard a voice. A tiny voice. 'It sounded like....it can't be...' "Syaoran.." It called again. It wasn't very strong. 'It had to be...'
"Sakura?!" His eyes snapped open. "Sakura! You're awake!" He almost cried for joy. He knelt down beside his bed, where Sakura lay. She smiled up at him. "Syaoran. Gomen ne."
"Doushite?" He smiled. His eyes filled with tears of joy that threatened to fall.
"Sorry...that I didn't stay at Tomoyo's.... I'm sorry...that...you had to worry about me." She said, blinking back the tears.
"Sakura, never be sorry about things like that. It's not your fault. You did the right thing. The little child needed you." She smiled again. Just looking at that smile, his whole life brightened.
"Sakura. I was worried....So very worried." He hugged her hard. "Don't ever do that again." He whispered as the tears did fall down. She nodded as tears fell down from her eyes also. He took her into his arms. All of a sudden she noticed that she was not wearing her own clothes. She looked down at herself.
She was wearing a blue buttoned shirt that was a bit too big and a pair of Syaoran's pants. She looked at Syaoran's face and noticed that it was red. "Gomen...." He started to say. "It's okay." She interrupted. Then she felt the urge to kiss him. She resisted, not knowing what he would think. 'Would he love me back? Or will he leave me? No....I shouldn't tell him....not yet....I don't want him to hate me.....' She thought.
Syaoran could see Sakura trying to fight herself. 'Whats happening in her mind?' He thought, then as soon as the frown came, it left and Sakura smiled a tiny smile, but Syaoran knew it was fake. "Let's go eat." He said, helping her up. Sakura nodded and they walked into the kitchen and made dinner.
When they finished, Sakrau asked, "Do you think you can go to school tomorrow?" Syaoran asked as they were getting ready for bed. "Well...hai. I want to see everyone. I'll take it easy. Don't worry about me." She smiled. "Silly. Of course I will always worry. I don't ever want you to get hurt." Syaoran replied.

The realization that he only had one bed came to both of them as they both finished their showers. (Seperately. Syaoran being the gentleman, let Sakura go first.) "Well....we could....share?" Sakura suggested. They had done that before a couple times, and it wasn't new to them. "It's fine with me." Syaoran said, but he blushed. Sakura smiled. She seemed to be doing that a lot. Syaoran smiled back.
They both got into bed and stared at the ceiling. Finally, it was Sakura that broke the silence. "Syaoran, what happened when I was...sleeping?" He looked into her eyes. "Nothing really. You'll find out tomorrow." There was silence once again. "Ne....what did Touya and Otousan say about me staying at your place?"
"They were okay with it. I think. Your Otousan seemed to know all about the accident and didn't mind that I took care of you." Silence...
"Oh. I'm glad." She shifted closer to Syaoran and laid her head upon his bare chest. "Mmhmmm..." She sighed. "Oyasumi, Syaoran." Then she fell asleep.
"Oyasumi, Sakura." He pulled her closer to him and kissed the top of her head.
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