AN: As I am writing this chapter, it is Christmas Eve! Whoo-hoo! Remember to leave cookies and milk for Santa, lol ~.~ Anyways, thanks for reading everyone, and continue on.

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS/CC or its characters, they belong to CLAMP.


In My Fragile Dreams
By ~Xiaoling~




Chapter 8: The Fight




Sakura walked towards the gates, and unlocked it and pushed the gates wide open. She met amber, ruby, and...black beady eyes.

"Shaoran!!" Sakura ran into his arms, making him stumble back a few steps.

Syaoran held her tightly in his arms. He missed that feeling of her, and how her scent would carry up to his nose, and how her soft hair would rub against his neck.

"Sakura...I missed you," Syaoran whispered.

"Me too..."

"BREAK IT UP!" Kero flew right into the middle of them, waving his arms like crazy.

Sakura frowned, "Kero! You always have to break our moments!"

Eriol stepped out of the gates and gave a little polite bow, and Syaoran and Meiling bowed back.

"Oh! And this is Prince Eriol," Sakura introduced. "Also, he is Clow Reed."

"Half," Eriol corrected.

Sakura sweatdropped, "Yes half."

"Clow Reed?!" Kero exclaimed.

"Yes Keroberos," Eriol said. "And you must be Prince Syaoran, and Princess Meiling."

Meiling smiled, "Hai!"

"How do you know?" Syaoran asked suspiciously.

"I know many things," Eriol said happily. "Well come in, and we can have some tea and discuss about Sakura's imposter."

Meiling had a raised eyebrow. "How did you know that?"

"Sakura told me," Eriol replied and turned to walk back into the castle.

The rest followed him into the castle, down many hallways and turns, and finally into the dining hall that had huge chandeliers and a big oak table in the center.

Servants brought trays of tea and butter cookies and placed them in front of them.

"So, do we know what Sakura's imposter's name is?" Eriol asked. "Her real name I mean."

Everyone shook there heads. "We never found out what her name was, but maybe someone else did."

"I wonder why she wants to be princess," Sakura pondered out loud.

"We heard her saying that she wanted the cards," Meiling added. "But the book is here, with us."

Syaoran frowned, "Do you think she'll sense the book is here, and come here?"

"It's very possible cute little descendant," Eriol said. "But we must stay calm if it does happen..."

"What if you all get possessed!!" Sakura exclaimed. "Just like my family..."

Meiling leaned on one hand. "Maybe there's a way to pervent being possessed?"

"Why not try the sheild card?" Kero suggested. "Then maybe the dark magic wouldn't be able to affect us."

"Good idea!" Sakura smiled. "Like Meiling said, she wants the cards. Why?"

Syaoran shrugged, "Probably for power like everyone else does."

Everyone nodded in agreement, when a little flying cat like creature flew into the room. "Master! You had tea and you didn't call me?!"

Kero eyed the creature. "And who are you?"

The cat like creature stared at Kero with a raised eyebrow. "Keroberos."

"Spinel Sun," Kero muttered and pulled his plate of cookies closer to him.

Spinel didn't care and dove at Kero's cookies, and soon they were tumbling onto each other in the air. Sakura, Syaoran, and Meiling sweatdropped.

"I never knew that they knew each other," Sakura said.

Eriol smiled, "Back then they did. When I was still alive and in one piece."

"I see..." Sakura poked at her cookies. "I wonder how the Kinomoto Kingdom is getting along..."

"They shouldn't be in to much trouble..." Syaoran said.

Suddenly Meiling bolted up in her seat. "Aiyaz!"

"What Meiling?" Syaoran asked tiredly.

"We've been gone from the castle for two days without telling your mother, Xiaolang! Won't Auntie Yelan be worried sick?!" Meiling exclaimed.

Syaoran's eyes went wide. He had completely forgetten about his mother and his kingdom. "We better write a letter quick, before she sends out a billion search parties."

Eriol handed them a piece of paper and a quill and Syaoran quickly squiggled a message and handed it to one of the messengers in the castle.

"Do...do you feel that?" Syaoran asked uneasily as he rejoined them in the dining hall.

Eriol pushed back his chair, followd by everyone else. "That dark aura again!" Sakura exclaimed.

"It's her," Eriol stated.

"Then let's go," Meiling had already started running out, but Syaoran pulled her back. "It's not safe for you to come Meiling. You don't know magic."

Meiling frowned, "Even thought I'm a princess, I still know how to do martial arts! And I'm the queen of it too!"

Syaoran held her firmly on the stop. "You are not going anywhere and that's final."

Meiling sighed and relunctantly agreed. "But come back...all of you."

Sakura smiled at her, "Yes, we will come back."

"Good," Meiling smiled back and watched the three run out to the courtyard. She turned around and sweatdropped when she noticed that Kero and Spinel were still fighting over the plate of cookies. "At least I'll have entertainment."

Sakura couldn't summon her wand, so she would have to call upon her cards by thoughts. Syaoran called upon his sword and Eriol summoned his dark staff. They stood there in a fighting position as the aura got stronger.

"There's two..." Sakura remarked.

Just as she said it, they all saw a flash of black and blue as it whizzed by them and around them.

"Sheild card! Release and dispel!" Sakura summoned and pink orbs surrounded the three of them.

The whizzing figure stopped and revealed XueLian. Her long black hair was tied into two long pig tails and her nails were hidously long. Her lips were blue, and she was dressed in blue chinese robes. A couple snow lillies were stuck in her hair.

"XueLian?!" Sakura exclaimed.

She smiled wickedly. "Princess, we meet again don't we now?" She looked at the pink orbs surrounding them. "Hmpth...I see you can still summon your cards without this." From her sleeve she pulled out the Clow Key.

Sakura's eyes widened, "Give that back to me!"

"It might come in handy later, so don't give it to her."

Everyone turned to the direction of that voice.

They saw a person they had never seen before, with a tight blood red dress and a black orb in her right hand.

"Who are you?" Syaoran asked.

"Let's just say...I am Sakura's imposter..." Celeste said with a half smile. "I had to look like the disceased Nadeshiko to fool the king and prince. Or else, it wouldn't have been easy to posseess them. But now, this is my true form."

Sakura frowned, "Who are you really?"

"I am Mistress Celeste..and I am here to get the cards and the book as revenge."

"Revenge?" Sakura asked with a confused look.

Celeste's smile turned into a scowl. "It's all your mother's fault Sakura. I bet she never mentioned be before in front of you now did she?"

"...I don't remember," Sakura answered.

"Well, I use to be one of your mother's best friends. Along with Sonomi, we were like three sisters that never would seperate." Celeste said in a bitter tone. "But, she betrayed me! We were at Fujitaka's ball, since he was going to choose a wife. He was going to choose me, I know it! But then Nadeshiko had to trip in front of him, just as he was walking towards me with the ring. He caught Nadeshiko, and there eyes met. And then....he choose her instead of me!" Celeste screamed. "I could have been queen, and you could have never existed card mistress!" She pointed a finger at Sakura. "So, go join your mother Princess Sakura."

XueLian took that as a cue, and she shot lines of strings from her finger nails, and at the ends of each string was a sharp dagger. Sakura had thought that it wouldn't be able to penetrate the shield, but it went easily through.

"Watch out Sakura!" Syaoran pushed her out of the way and the two landed on the grass.

"Arigatou..." Sakura mumbled and got up slowly. *Fire card...come to my aid...* She thought furiously and Firey appeared and attacked XueLian.

Eriol took over and shot a bolt of lightning at her. "Sakura, go take care of Celeste."

"Right!" Sakura ran in front of her. *...Let's try sword...sword come to my aid!!* Suddenly a sword appeared in her hands and she striked at Celeste who easily dodged it.

"I thought you could do better card mistress," Celeste said and rubbed the dark orb in her hand. It started to glow blue and water came shooting at Sakura.

"Hoe!!" Sakura quickly summoned the jump card and she leapt out of the way. *I wish I had my star staff! It would be easier...*

"Sakura! Catch!" Sakura turned around and saw Eriol throwing the Clow Key towards her.

Sakura smiled, "Thanks!" She caught it in her hands. "Key that holds the power of darkness, reveal thy true form! I, Sakura, command you under contract, release!" Her wand appeared in her hand, as her sword disappeared.

"Earthy! Release and dispel!" Sakura summoned Earthy and it created an earthquake right beneath where Celeste was standing.

Celeste closed her eyes in concentration and soon she had floated into the air and to safety. She rubbed her orb again and it flared red, and a spiral of flames spun down at Sakura.

"Water come forth!" Syaoran had been helping Eriol fight XueLian, but he saw Sakura in trouble so he quickly sent a pillar of water up the spiral.

It went through and hit Celeste, including the fire that she had summoned herself. She fell to the ground and quickly got up, angered. "You won't win that easily."

Sakura watched in horror as Celeste's orb glowed every single color and a beam of color shot out in a dagger shape and right into Sakura's heart.

Syaoran and Eriol had just finished off XueLian, as they heard a high pitching scream.

"SAKURA!!!!!!" Syaoran shouted and caught her before she fell.

The rainbow color dagger disappeared, only leaving a deep wound and blood was oozing out quickly. Sakura's lips had paled and she forced a small smile on her pale lips.

"You...you were in my fragile dreams..." Sakura choked.

Syaoran hugged her tightly.

"I wanted...wanted to live...happily...ever after with you...guess it...was another...fragile...dream..." Sakura uttered.

Syaoran felt tears trickle down his cheeks. "No! That dream will come true Sakura! It will come true!" He stood up, his aura flaring in anger as he faced Celeste.

"You won't win," Syaoran said calmly. "Evil never wins good."




AN: Aiyaz! Will Sakura die?! You'll have to stay tooned to find out! Arigatou for reading and please review onegai =D