Hey everyone. I know I'm such a lousy writer... never really updating... and I don't blame you people if you really think I'm a lousy writer... I already know I am. Well, here goes one of last fics... and a long one just for Christmas...

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'I'm here...you can't see me... I'm in the place where your deepest secret is...'

::Chap. 5: Welcome back::

A sharp scream pierced the silence of the woods and of the night.

"It's only me, Takahashi-chan," Syaoran's voice said softly next to her.

Cherry panted, soon recovering from her shock. "Don't do that again, Li-kun..."

Syaoran didn't reply. He walked calmly onward down the steps of the house and onto the snow. Cherry suddenly felt awkward.

'This feeling... it's so familiar... like dejavu. It's like something like this so familiar has happened in my life... but I can't pinpoint when or where...' she thought, frowning as she watched Syaoran walk farther out. She then realized that Syaoran actually walking farther out than she had thought.

"Wait! Li-kun! Where are you going?"

"Taking a walk."

"But... er... you don't even know the area of this place," she said.

"I'll find my way here again somehow."

Cherry frowned. Even though they were friends now, his stubbornness sure got on her nerves at times. 'Why did he all of a sudden come out anyways? Maybe he couldn't sleep like me.' Her curiosity got the better of her and she started to follow him. Besides, if he did get lost, she would be there to help him out.

"Why're you out here anyways?" he asked once she caught up with him.

"I couldn't sleep."

"Souka... me too..."

'So, I was right after all,' Cherry said silently to herself.

"Wow, there's a lot more stars here than in the city," he said, startling Cherry once more. Cherry looked at him and found him staring at the sky. She followed suit and smiled.

"Hai..."

"I bet that there isn't any place like this in Japan that gives out this great of a view," he replied, chuckling a bit. Cherry also started giggling until she realized something.

"Hey wait... actually... I know a better place that a greater view than this!" she exclaimed eagerly.

"Nani? Show me," Syaoran asked, curious.

"Follow me," she said as she walked swiftly towards the house. She glanced back at Syaoran who had to jog to catch up with her. She gave him a beckoning gesture and disappeared into the trees that were behind the cabin. He had a puzzled look on his face, but followed Cherry anyways.

When he entered the woods, the darkness of the forest was overwhelming but soon enough, his eyes adjusted to his surroundings. He looked around to find where Cherry had gone, but she was nowhere in sight. He called out her name several times, but no reply. 'Guess she went ahead in her excitement, but forgot completely about me... Eh... well... no problem I guess. I could just use my talismans to light the way around here. Erm...such a waste though... flashlight will do...' he thought as he reached into his pockets to find a flashlight. But the pockets were empty except for a card in the left one. He sweatdropped. 'Oh, I'm so prepared...' he thought sarcastically. 'Guess I have to go get one from the cabin... but what about Takahashi-chan? Naah... she'll be fine... it's her home anyways... kinda...' He went back to get the flashlight, when he felt his arm being pulled back. He turned around in alarm, but relaxed when he saw a confused-looking Cherry. Then he started to blush a tad bit.

"Come on, Li-kun! The way's that way!" she said as she pulled him deeper into the forest. Syaoran felt himself become hot.

"Erm... um... Takahashi-chan... I-I would k-kinda like it if you let me walk on my own..." he stuttered as she dragged him along, stumbling on his words. Cherry turned around and then looked like as if she just realized her hand was still on arm. She let out a small 'eep' before she let go of him and apologized.

"Erm..." Syaoran was still a bit red although the darkness concealed his embarrassment. "I-It's okay, Takahashi-chan... w-why don't we go on now?" He looked up at Cherry and found her looking at him with concerned eyes.

"W-w-what?"

"What's wrong Li-kun? You look like you have a fever."

Li-kun blushed harder as he gave a look of shock and embarrassment at her. 'Is my face now showing from the darkness?! Oh shoot... gotta distract! Gotta distract!!!'

"L-let's c-continue going to the place where you were going to sh-show me!!" he said as he awkwardly walked towards and past Cherry, not daring to look at her. Cherry just gave a look of concern and puzzlement at him and followed.

~*~*~*~

"Well, here we are," Cherry said as she led Syaoran out of the thick forest. After they walked for what seemed forever to him, they had reached their destination, a wide cliff. Syaoran anticipated the scene which Cherry described as. He gave out a small gasp as he looked down upon the world laid out before him. The landscape looked like it came out of a wintery painting. White was everywhere, on the trees, the ground, etc. The shadowy effect of the night gave out a mystical scent into the scene as well as the moonlight shone onto the view to create glimmers and sparkles onto the snow. Syaoran looked at all of it with awe. Meanwhile, Cherry looked at him with pleasure and smiled when she saw that he absolutely enjoyed the incredible landscape.

"This... Takahashi-chan... This is ... beautiful..." he said to her without taking his eyes off of the view, completely awestruck.

"I told you so. My sister and I always go up here to look at the sunset, so we know the pathway to here by heart," she replied with a smile.

"I've never doubted you," he answered with a grin, now looking at her. She grinned back.

"I hope you don't mind if I show this to the others, do you?" he said with a small laugh.

"Of course, I don't mind."

The two continued looking at the scene for a few more moments until Syaoran spoke up.

"I guess this is my Christmas present, ne?" he asked teasingly.

"Nani?!" Cherry exclaimed in surprise.

"Well, Christmas is tomorrow, ne?"

"Nani? I thought that it was the day after tomorrow..." Cherry said, confused.

"It's past twelve," he replied.

Cherry widened her eyes. "Nani? It is?" Then Cherry smiled. "Well then... I guess that this is your Christmas present, Li-kun."

"Well... since you gave me my present today... I'll give you a part of yours..." he said with a sly grin.

"Nani?" she asked, confused again. Syaoran reached into his left pocket and pulled out the card that was mentioned briefly a while back. "Here."

"Nani?" Cherry said again, as she received the card. Then she looked at it with mystified eyes. "Wow... this bird in the card is beautiful Li-kun... hey... there're some words... nani? The Fly?" she looked up at Syaoran with the same puzzled eyes she had before. But, he only grinned in reply. Cherry pouted and then looked back at the view. A few seconds went on by until Syaoran spoke up.

"We should be going back now, shouldn't we?" he said, deliberately changing the subject.

"I guess so..."

"Erm... do you want to watch it again... tomorrow?" he asked quietly, turning pink again.

"Sure! Why not?" she said with a smile. Syaoran smiled back in gratitude. "Let's go then," he said.

As they started to head back, they heard a slight rumbling in the earth beneath them. They stopped for moment and looked at each other.

"You heard that, didn't you?" they asked each other simultaneously. Both nodded in answer.

"I don't think that was serious, do you?" Syaoran asked.

"I don't know... I never had one before... maybe Yuki has."

"Let's go ask her once we get down."

"Hai."

But, it wasn't long before a huge rumbling underneath the earth shook the earth harshly, much larger than the one before. The two teens fell down in shock and unbalance. They slowly got up again after they realized that this earthquake was indeed a serious one.

"We gotta tell the others!!" Syaoran yelled over the sound of the rumbling. 'Damn! If only I brought my sword from the cabin! This has to be the first time I have actually forgotten my sword.' He mentally kicked himself for his forgetfulness.

"Let's go then!" Cherry called back.

The two ran together as fast as they could before they felt like the cliff was about to break off. If only the cliff wasn't so long! The rumbling constantly made them lose their balance, but the cliff was at least wide enough for them so they wouldn't fall off the edges. But unfortunately, they didn't use this advantage and didn't run into the center. They couldn't. Rocks and loose shrubs fell from above which broke their concentration in running and tripped them at times. Syaoran tripped from one of the rocks and regained his balance, but another ferocious rumble caught him off guard. Cherry looked behind her to check up on Syaoran, but in horror her eyes caught the moment when Syaoran lost his balance and was falling into the valley below. Her instincts screamed out to catch him and she dived for Syaoran's hand which was the only thing she saw left of him a second later. She caught it just before it, too fell out of Cherry's sight. Cherry gave out a sigh of relief, but then knew that it was not over yet. She then realized how heavy Syaoran was. She struggled to bring Syaoran back up onto the cliff, but the earthquake, falling debris, and his weight kept on preventing her to do that.

"Takahashi-chan!!!!! Use the key!!!!" Syaoran yelled at her as he, too struggled for his life.

'What key?!' Cherry thought frantically. 'No... panicking won't help...I have to relax and focus...' She relaxed her mind although she knew that she had to hurry. Her strength wouldn't last her much longer...

Mistress Sakura...

Now she thought she heard voices in her head.

Mistress Sakura... it called out louder inside of her. 'Nani??!!' She thought as she found the world turn white. Syaoran disappeared, the landscape disappeared, all dissolving into white. She found herself alone in the dimension.

"Hello??" she called out. "Is anyone out there? Syaoran? Where are you? Is 'anyone' out there?" She continued this for quite a while until she decided to stop for a moment. 'I don't get this...how'd I get here?? First I was in some life-and-death situation, and now I'm in a completely different place...and I heard this voice...it called me Sakura...nani?? I hear footsteps...' "Who's there?!" She yelled out, frightened.

Now really, mistress Sakura... Have you really forgotten you who are? a young woman mused as she appeared in front of Cherry, startling her.

"Who are you?" Cherry asked after she regained her composure.

I...am Light, it replied.

"Light??" Cherry asked, perplexed. "Have I met you before? You look... somewhat...just somewhat familiar..."

The figure laughed, warming Cherry's body from the winter cold. Oh, mistress Sakura--

"Why are you calling me Sakura? Is that really my name? Was Li-kun right all this time?" Cherry asked with desperate eyes.

Light smiled warmly at Cherry. It's time for you to know who you really are...

Before Cherry could make any sound, Light put one of it's index finger onto Cherry's head and immediately Cherry closed her eyes, not falling into unconsciousness though. After a few moments passed by, she opened her eyes again. She widened her eyes and then realized who was in front of her.

"Light... how... why... what... what's happened right now?" she asked flabbergasted.

Light smiled. Let me refill you of the events on what happened while you were somebody else or what you were before you fell into amnesia, Sakura...

The same process happened again and now... when Cherry opened her eyes, she was frantic.

"Light! I--" But she was silenced by the index finger of Light.

Don't worry, mistress...but I need to know something...

"Yes? What is it?"

What is your name?

"My name...my name...my name is Sakura Kinomoto!!!" Sakura said with confidence.

Excellent! Wonderful... you are truly something Mistress Sakura--

"--Thank you, Light."

Now Light was startled. But then she quickly knew what Sakura was talking about. No problem at all, Mistress...now...shall you get going?

"Yes!! Please hurry!!" Sakura said, frantically. She saw Light raise up her arms and all of a sudden, there was a shake underneath Sakura's feet.

"Hoe?!" she cried. In an instant everything came into view again. Then Sakura realized she was standing. Not leaning to one side with both of her hands occupied...

"SYAORAN!!!" she screamed as she looked over the cliff, frantically searching for Syaoran. She found him, falling still and it looked like he was unconscious for she saw a small red mark on his head.

"Oh no! A rock must have hit him on the head! Shoot!" Sakura cried as she searched in her jacket, fumbling for her key. At last, she got it and raised it into the air, crying, "RELEASE!" The wand appeared in her hand and pulled out the same card which was given to her that very same day. "FLY!!!" she cried out. Wings immediately sprouted from her back as she jumped off the cliff to save one of her most dear ones.

'If only I could just get there in time!!!' She thought, diving down the steep side. She got closer and closer to Syaoran and finally their hands met.

"Syaoran!!!! Wake up!" she said as she grabbed a hold of him and shook him. 'Nope, not a good idea,' she thought after seeing the injury on his head. 'Gotta go back to where Yuki's house is...' she said silently as she flew on quickly with her arms wrapped tightly around him. "Just when we have the chance to meet again..." she muttered, sniffling a bit from the cold, "I'm NOT going to lose my family, friends, and 'you' again!!!" she yelled

She flew on even though her back cried in pain and her arms longed for rest, but she held on stubbornly until she reached the cabin. The others except for Yuki were already out and awake for the earthquake awoke them, searching for Syaoran and Sakura. Meilin caught sight for Sakura first. Even though it was still dark, the moonlight touched Sakura in such manner that at first Meilin thought that with her cousin was his guardian angel. But after that slight moment of shock came another blow of immense surprise. That wasn't Syaoran's guardian angel... that was Sakura!!! After regaining her composure, Meiling ran towards her, stopping at where she thought Sakura was about to land. Sakura landed right where Meilin landed and she gratefully accepted Meilin's help.

"Sakura-chan? Are you really back?" Meilin asked as she walked back towards the cabin with Sakura, sort of dragging Syaoran behind them.

"Yeah... and back permanently..." she said tiredly but firmly.

Meilin smiled warmly at her. "Welcome back."

Sakura returned the smile with one of her own. "Thanks. I'm glad to be back..." Sakura looked towards the cabin and found one very shocked friend looking towards her. She sighed. This is going to be quite a day for Christmas...

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Well, there ya have it. The last chapter of the series. But don't worry, there's an epilogue after this. ^^;; Merry Christmas everyone!

~Mika aka Digiberry

Typed in Christmas Day. Published in Christmas Day. mika_aka_digiberry@hotmail.com

Merry Christmas!!!!!!