The Quest of Floreata

By: Blazing_Angel

"Hmmmmmmmm! Hm, hm, hm, hmmmmm!!!!!" hummed Tomoyo in the tone of 'the Star Spangled Banner'. The Card Captor team had been traveling for hours and hours and the thicket still didn't end. Kero, with his tummy as bloated as a watermelon, was not looking too good.

"I'm too tired to eat anything else. I'm too full to be full.." he grumbled.

"Take a rest then. You will probably digest the food quicker," said Sakura.

"I'm too tired to rest," he replied looking gloomy.

"Let's land right here. I'm tired of riding. I think we all are," said Syaoran.

"Right!!!!!!" answered Eriol. I hope they find it.This is a very hard one to find. It is, after all, the illusion.

"Why don't we land over there?" Syaoran said, pointing to a sort of clearing. Eriol is onto something.and I'm going to find out what!

They landed with a thump. There was good news and bad news. The bad news was that the thicket wasn't getting any better. The good news was that the thicket wasn't getting any worse. Everything seemed hopeless until.. OUCH!!!! Meilin seemed to have stubbed herself on the toe!

"OWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!! STUPID THORNS! STUPID THICKET! STUPID QUEST! STUPID ROSES! STUPID MACE!" screamed Meilin.

"What did you say? If I heard correctly, I'd have thought you said "stupid mace" ," said an astonished Tomoyo. The team was now forming a group around Meilin, not to look at her toe, but what she stubbed it on. Even Meilin seems to have froze and was looking at it.

"It's not a mace! It's an ice cream cone!" said Tomoyo.

"No its not! It's a stone!" protested Kero.

"Are you guys crazy? It's a sword! Don't you people know anything?" said Syaoran, a little rudely.

"B-but..it's a dead cat!" exclaimed Sakura. Then suddenly, everyone stopped. Is it just me, or is it that Meilin has just saved the day.AGAIN?!?!?! They all stared at the item as if they had just seem Jesus heal the blind.

"Can it be?" whispered Sakura.

"Is it really?" echoed Tomoyo.

"HELLO! Do you guys need glasses just like me??? To capture it, then call out its real name and use the cards!" said Eriol....what can I say? The flying got on his BAD side.

"Ouch. Well, what is the name of the rose? How do we catch the rose that can change? Oh..I suppose that we can guess, or we can sit around, or just play a relaxing board game, or just read a book," Syaoran replied as he took a Magic book out from his backpack. He also took out a chess board. "Anyone want to play?" he asked.

"Stupid IDIOTS!!!!!!!!!! This is NOT the time to start reading or to play chess!!!!!!!!!! We have to capture the first rose!!!!!!!! All of you are slow-witted GAKIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" screamed an impatient Eriol.

" Okay." Sakura grumbled.

"Oh Key of the Star,

with powers burning bright,

reveal the staff,

and shine your light.

Release!

Illusion Card!

Release and Disp------"

1 Everyone froze. Sakura had suddenly stopped talking. Her star wand was stopped in midair and was dropped. Sakura's mouth was still half open. Suddenly, her eyes grew dim. Everyone was fading in her vision. Soon, only blackness was there.

She opened her eyes. She was standing in Penguin Park. She could see Syaoran and Meilin walking together at the corner of her eye. She turned to look there. They sat down on a bench. They were obviously talking about something. Sakura decided to join them. "Hi Sya---," she stood rigid in horror. Syaoran and Meilin was kissing. She turned and looked away. She had tried to hold them back, but the tears came down anyway. So Syaoran loves Meilin. He never even liked me. After all that time. I was just another obstacle that got in his way of the Clow Cards. I was a person that made him fail. I'm not good enough for anyone, especially not for him. He loves Meilin. Thoughts came and went in Sakura's head.

Meanwhile..

"SAKURA! Sakura blacked out on us," said Tomoyo, who was desperately trying to wake her.

"Well, tell us something that we don't know already," Meilin replied. She was checking for a pulse. "Ah-ha! I found her pulse!"

"So? I don't care anyways. She is only an obstacle that gets in our way. I don't care at all," said Syaoran. But worry betrayed his eyes.

"I know you didn't mean it, and for that and that only, I'll forgive you this once." said Tomoyo.

"Sakura is our friend. I know you care about her. We all do now. She has proven herself worthy. You don't have to hide your real feelings from everyone. Our days in Hong Kong are over. We are free to express ourselves now." Meilin said reassuringly.

"I'll try to wake her." Syaoran said quietly.

No one has noticed yet but the gray rose has turned into its true form and began shining a bright light. Well, that is, everyone except Kero.

"What up with the rose? Its glowing!" said Kero.

"And so is Sakura! Do you think that there is a connection?" asked Tomoyo.

"A little hand over here please! Eriol, didn't you say that the Guardian Beasts can help us? THEN WHY AREN"T THEY HELPING US?!?!?!" Syaoran yelled.

"First of all, you didn't ask, and second of all, they can only help when you need to get around or when you are hurt." Eriol replied.

"Are your glasses working properly?!? I think Sakura's hurt!!!!! And those USELESS beasts can't do a thing, can they? While we're trying to wake Sakura, they're standing way over there staring at us! Jus---"

"She's not hurt," said Eriol, interrupting Syaoran.

"Then how do I get to her. I want to go there now," said Syaoran.

"Piece of cake. Just touch the rose." Eriol replied.

"Oh! Now you tell me. Well!" said Syaoran who was already walking over toward the rose. The last words he heard was 'did someone say cake?'.

Meanwhile..

The image in front of Sakura vanished. She stood, shoulders hunched over and sobbing.

"Is something wrong, my dear? You seem awfully sad." a black-haired woman stood in front of Sakura. This was Nadeshiko, Sakura's dead mother.

"Oh mom! Syaoran never liked me. He likes Meilin. He loves Meilin. He hates me! How could I have ever been so stupid in my whole entire life!" said Sakura, crying in her mom's silky robe.

"Sakura.. Syaoran and you are not meant to be together. He is destined to be with Meilin. I'm sorry. You cannot turn back destiny," said her mom.

"Mom! How could you!" said an astonished Sakura. She had at least hoped for a few encouraging words or SOMETHING nice.

"I'm sorry, my daughter. But it is fate." replied Nadeshiko. She started fading too.

"Wait! Mom, come back!" Sakura ran after her mom, only to grab at the air at the last second and miss. Slowly, another scene appeared. It was the Sakura Cards. They were all released.

" We hate you!" shouted the Arrow Card.

"You're not meant to be our new master!" added the Watery Card.

"Leave us in peace! You have not increased our strength or anything! You are USELESS!" said the power card.

"We want a new master! Maybe Meilin or Syaoran would have been more suitable. They are strong while you are weak." said the Sand Card.

"We don't like you! We need a better master!" said the Bubbles Card.

"Wanna fight? I bet I could beat you in one strike!" said the Fight Card.

Sakura was surprised and angry now. What had SHE done to deserve all this torment?

Suddenly she felt something touch her shoulder. Instinctively, she turned and gave the thing behind her a Kung Fu kick.

"Ouch! Sakura! What did I do?" said Syaoran, who had just transported here and was welcomes by a kick.

"Oh. My. God. Sorry Syaoran, I really didn't mean to do that. I didn't know that it was you. Why are YOU here? Why aren't you on the bench in Penguin Park? With Meilin?!?" said Sakura.

"What do you mean? I haven't been to Penguin Park for over a month!" replied a clueless Syaoran.

"I saw you there just now!" said a pissed off Sakura.

"You just saw me at Pen---" Syaoran stopped. They both finally realized what was going on. The rose was giving Sakura all of the illusions.

"Rose of Illusion! I'm ready to fight you!" said Sakura.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Syaoran.

"Its either now or never." replied Sakura. She was determined.

"In that case, I'm ready too." said Syaoran.

"Then lets go."

Meanwhile..

"They were sure in there for a long time," said Ruby Moon.

"Do you think that they are in trouble?" asked Spiniel Sun.

"Illusion is a really powerful rose. I'm not sure that they can handle it by themselves. We should go in too." said Yue.

"Have faith in Sakura. I know she can do it." said Ceroberos, joining the conversation.

"But do you think that there is the slightest chance that they would need our help?" asked Yue with concern. "Yes, there might be. But if we keep on helping her, would it still be a LESSON?" challenged Ceroberos.

"I guess not." sighed Yue.

"Then let then do this one then. We will help them, only when there is no other way out." said Ruby Moon.

Meanwhile...

The cards all disappeared. In their place stood 3 identical Syaorans. The real Syaoran was gone.

"Syaoran? Syaoran? SYAORAN!" Sakura was looking for Syaoran, the real Syaoran. Suddenly, a voice sounded.

"One of the 3 Syaorans is the real Syaoran. Find him and you will pass the test."

"It's me, Syaoran! Don't you remember me? You look really pretty in that dress."

"I'm Syaoran. What do you want, Kinomoto? I don't waste time with amateurs."

"I'm the real one! Choose me! Then I'll practice martial arts. It's very important to stay in shape."

"No, it's me! It any of them ever try to hurt you, they'll pay!"

"I really don't have time for this! Kinomoto, hurry up and get this over with."

"After Martial Arts, I'll have sword practice with Master Zou."

Sakura was in difficulty. None of the Syaoran seemed like the real Syaoran by themselves. That's it! They might not seem like Syaoran by themselves, but maybe if you add them together.

"That's it! You guys are not Syaoran, but his split personalities! Personalities for Caring, Hiding, and Fighting. If you add them all together, then you get the real Syaoran." Suddenly, the 3 Syaorans joined together. The voice came again.

"You have done well, Sakura. Now it is safe to get me."

"Who are you?" asked Sakura.

"You will know soon enough. To return to Floreata, use the through card."

"Come on Syaoran. Let's go." said Sakura.

Through Card!

Release and Dispel!

I want to return to Floreata!

A wind surrounded them and the next thing they knew, they were back in Floreata. They were greeted by lotsa hugs.

"I told you they can do it," said Kero.

Read and Review! Please! I've been typing for more than two hours. It is 4:46 am Central time right now. Don't I deserve at least one review?!? ;_;