Summary: Time marches on! Today, we take a look back at that day that wouldn't go away.


Key:

"~* Thoughts *~" = Thoughts

"[NAME:]" = Character voiceover


Episode 16- Recalling the Time Card and a Day That Just Wouldn't End


Sakura examined this box closely. She had no idea what to expect. She took a quick look at Madison, who was grinning from ear to ear. She had invited Sakura over, telling her that she had a special gift for her.

"Just open it, Sakura," Madison coaxed her friend.

"Madison, my birthday isn't until tomorrow," Sakura pointed out. "Do you really want me to open it now?"

"Go ahead. It's just between us. Besides, I think you'll like it. It's kind of…sentimental."

That's all Sakura needed to hear. She tore away at the wrapping paper and opened the box to reveal a very special musical instrument. It was a flute.

"Madison…" Sakura gasped. "You really got me a flute?"

Madison giggled. "I know how badly you wanted a new one after Li accidentally…smashed yours. So I went out to find the best flute I could get. Happy birthday, Sakura!"

Sakura hugged her best friend. "Thank you, Madison. I haven't played one of these in a long time." Then Sakura eyed her scrapbook. "You know…this takes me back."

"Back to what?"

"A long time ago," Sakura answered. "Back when we had to repeat that one day over and over again."

"We?"

Sakura sweatdropped. "That's right…you don't remember. It was just me…and Li who had to repeat that day."

A voice coughed from Sakura's pocket. "And?"

"Oh, yeah. And Kero. You were the lucky one, Madison. You didn't have to go through all that pain over and over again."

Madison was getting curious. "You didn't repeat the day THAT many times, did you?"

Sakura smiled. "Sit back, Madison, and let me tell you about a day that just wouldn't end…no matter how hard I tried."


Flashback: Reedington Elementary (Day 1)

P.O.V.: Sakura Avalon

Sakura felt nervous. She had her big music test today and she didn't think her recorder was up to the task.

Madison, always optimistic, tried to calm Sakura down. "Relax, Sakura. You'll do fine."

"You really think so, Madison?" Sakura asked.

Madison grinned. "As long as you remember to breathe."

"Ok, next up…Sakura Avalon."

Sakura nervously got up. Madison offered Sakura her words of encouragement. "Remember. Just breathe."

Sakura went up to begin her test and…

~----------~

[Sakura: I really don't think I need to go any further than this.]

[Madison: Why not? You didn't do that bad, did you?]

[Sakura: …Moving right along, after the test, we went out into the playground and…]


Flashback: Reedington Elementary playground (Day 1)

P.O.V.: Sakura Avalon

"Oh, I choked!!"

Sakura was moaning over this recent failure. Her music test didn't go at all how she wanted it to.

"You didn't do that bad, Sakura," Madison said comfortingly. "You just need a little more practice."

Sakura sighed. "You're probably right. I thought I was ready, though. I just wish I had this day to do over again."

Sakura continued lamenting over her failure, while Li Shoran was coming out into the playground. Then there was a soccer ball heading out towards him.

"Li, heads up!"

Li saw the soccer ball coming. He jumped up and gave it a stiff kick, sending the soccer ball bulleting into the net. Everyone gave Li a round of applause. The shocked boy actually smiled and took a bow.

"He's pretty good," Madison admitted.

"Yeah," Sakura said hypnotically.

~* That WAS pretty good. He's pretty cool. Wait…did I just think that? No…no way! I'm sure he's a cool guy, but I don't think that way about him. Hmm…I might like him, though…if he wasn't so mean every time he gets around me. If only he could just stop putting me down all the time. *~

Sakura just looked on as Li still took his bow. She didn't have that on her mind too long, though. She was still thinking about that music test.

~----------~

[Sakura: I really wanted to have that day one more time. I knew I could ace that music test if I had one more chance. If only I knew…]


Flashback: Reedington Elementary (Day…2?)

P.O.V.: Sakura Avalon

Sakura was ready to walk into her music class, coming off her failure yesterday. She was ready to go face the music (no pun intended…ok, maybe it is), when Madison came running up to Sakura with a shocking question.

"So Sakura, you ready for today's music test?"

Sakura stopped in her tracks. "Huh? But…didn't we have a music test yesterday?"

Madison blinked. "Um…no…we have a music test today."

"But…we just had one yesterday. Don't you remember, Madison? I failed miserably."

Madison sighed. "Sakura, you're just nervous, that's all. You'll do fine, just as long as you remember to breathe."

~* Remember to breathe? That's exactly what she told me yesterday? Maybe this is just a dream. Or…maybe yesterday was just a dream. Either way, my wish came true. It actually came true! I'm getting a second chance! Now I'll ace that music test! *~

With a newfound joy, Sakura walked along with Madison into her music class.

~----------~

[Sakura: Now here I was thinking this whole thing was just one big miracle. Of course, it wasn't until later that I started to suspect it was something else…]


Flashback: Reedington Elementary playground (Day…2?)

P.O.V.: Sakura Avalon

It was a total feeling of de ja vu. Sakura could have sworn she had just had this conversation with Madison…yesterday. Furthermore, she could have sworn she was just watching this same exact soccer game…yesterday.

"Madison?" Sakura began. "Doesn't it feel like…we've done this all before?"

Madison was clearly confused. "What do you mean, Sakura?"

"I mean, we did all this yesterday, didn't we?"

Madison blinked. "I…don't get it."

"I've seen this all yesterday," Sakura continued. "And right now…Li will come out…a soccer ball will get kicked right to him…and he'll score a goal."

~* Yeah! That's it! That'll prove everything! I'm right! I'm not crazy! I can't be crazy! I'm right! She'll see! She has to see! I'm not crazy! *~

And there he was. Li Shoran was walking out, just like he was yesterday. Unfortunately, he started to take a detour.

~* No, no, NO! You're supposed to be walking THAT way! You're supposed to be proving that I'm right! You're supposed to be proving I'm not crazy! You're not supposed to be WALKING TOWARDS ME!! *~

Li walked up to Sakura and Madison. "Sakura? Have you sensed that…we've done this all before? As if yesterday's repeating itself?"

~* Finally, SOMEONE sees it! *~

"Yeah," Sakura nodded. "Everything's happening exactly the way it did yesterday."

"It's a Clow Card," Li said. "And it's coming from the Clock Tower."

Sakura looked up at the Clock Tower. "There's a Clow Card in there?"

Li shook his head. "You mean you haven't sensed it?! Boy, you ARE hopeless!"

~* There's that word again. I really wish he'd stop saying that! I am NOT hopeless! *~

"Li, heads up!"

Just like yesterday, there was a soccer ball heading right for Li. He jumped up and kicked the incoming ball and it flew right into the net. And just like yesterday, everyone began to applaud. And like yesterday, Li took a bow.

Sakura was hardly paying attention, though. She looked up at the Clock Tower. She knew what she had to do.

~----------~

[Madison: Do…I remember this part?]

[Kero: Not just yet. Your memory gets wiped out quite a few times.]

[Madison: A few times? Sakura, just how many times did you repeat this day?]

[Sakura: Um…well…]


Flashback: Outside the Clock Tower (Day…2?)

P.O.V.: Sakura Avalon

Sakura sighed as she looked down at her latest costume. It made her look like a yellow fairy. Sakura was glad no one else could see her.

"I like it!" Madison said cheerfully.

Sakura looked at herself with uncertainty. "I don't know, Madison."

Madison grinned. "This costume's for undetected night-flight."

Kero smiled into the camera. "Discovering this Clow Card has proved that you're really gettting the hang of this, Sakura."

Madison made all the necessary adjustments. "Ok, camera's ready."

Kero flew over by Sakura. "Let's fly!"

Sakura took out Fly. "Fly!" She got on her wand and looked into the camera. "We'll be right back."

Sakura took to the skies and saw the green aura coming from the Clock Tower. "Whoa, I CAN sense the Clow Card."

Seeing this, Sakura tried to move in, but everything started to slow down.

"W…H…A…T…'…S……H…A…P…P…E…N…I…N…G…,…K…E…R…O…?"

"T…I…M…E……I…S……S…L…O…W…I…N…G……U…S……D…O…W…N…!"

Sakura desperately tried to move into the Clock Tower, but she was moving too slowly. Then she froze completely. She couldn't make it into the Clock Tower before the clock struck midnight.


"Kero explained to me that Time could repeat the same day over and over," Sakura continued. "Then he told me that Time would always repeat the same day every time the clock struck midnight."

"So is this where I started to remember, yet?" Madison asked.

"Not yet," Kero answered. "That wasn't for a while. I mean, what, did you think we only repeated that day three or four times? No way! That day went on forever, right Sakura?"

Sakura nodded. "I'll tell you what. Let's go get some lunch, and I'll tell you about the rest of that day."

Kero got excited. "Lunch? Oh, yeah!"

Madison got to her feet. "It's a deal. I'm really curious as to how many times you lived that one day."

Sakura sighed. "Oh…you'll see."


Author's Note: This was pretty short, but come back next time for a look at the rest of the escapades with the Time Card, including a lot of moments not seen in any episode. (In other words, a Create Card Original)

Any comments? Then you can mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below because I want your feedback! Tell me what you think!