AN: Merry Christmas everyone!! And a happy new year too! Well, I finally finished this chapter so I hope you enjoy it!

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


In My Fragile Dreams
By ~Xiaoling~




Chapter 9: The Land of Dreams



I knew, when I saw Sakura walk out of the doors of the castle, that something was going to be wrong. I just had a sick feeling in my stomach...but I thought it was just that I was nervous and scared for my friends. But when I heard that scream, I knew that something was wrong. Something had gone wrong...and it was Sakura who screamed.

I don't know if I should go out there, or should I stay in here with the stuffed animal and Spinel. Or should I order the two guardian beasts to go out and save their masters? I don't know what to do...for once, Meiling Li doesn't know what to do.

Syaoran raised his sword high above his head and charged at Celeste in lightning speed. His amber eyes flared with anger and someone hurting his beloved ying fa.

"AHH!!!" He yelled while striking at her, but he gasped as he felt that he had struck air.

Celeste appeared behind him, rubbing her orb and a dark dagger shot out, aiming right at Syaoran's heart.

Syaoran's eyes widened, but when he felt no pain, he opened them again and found that the sheild card was still protecting him. And now, it was even stronger than before.

"Sakura..."

I'll protect you...with the last ounce of my life.... He heard a familiar soft voice in his head. Sakura.

"You won't die Sakura..." He said under his breath and threw a talisman into the air and struck it with his sword. "Lightning! Come forth!"

The lightning streak charged at Celeste, yet it seemed to bounce right off her. She smirked and continued to rub the orb in her hand, and now it shone that rainbowy color again.

"Watch out Syaoran," Syaoran heard Eriol warn him from the side with Sakura's limp body in his arms.

The rainbow color dagger was released and shot at Syaoran with such speed that he didn't see it coming. He knew this was it, he was going to die and join Sakura. His eyes shut, waiting...it was going to come soon.

Yet it never came.

He heard a body slump down, and his eyes shot open right away. His eyes widened at the sight of the body in front of him.

"MEILING!" He fell onto his knees and picked up his cousin.

The rainbow dagger once again vanished, only leaving a deep wound in Meiling's chest. She smiled weakly up at him and reached her hand out to carees his cheek.

"...Xiaolang...am..am I...your fav...orite cousin...?" She coughed out come blood, but the question was still clear.

Syaoran felt his eyes water. He nodded furiously. "Yes! Yes you are my favorite cousin...forever Meiling."

Meiling's smile widened, as her other hand that was covered in her own blood grasped Syaoran's. "Save...Sakura...let her dream come true..." She was having a hard time to breath now. "Live...happily ever after..." And then, her once firey ruby eyes glazed over, and her head rolled to one side.

Syaoran felt his whole body shake. His love and his favorite cousin...he wouldn't let them die so easily. Yet Meiling was already dead, and he couldn't sense Sakura's aura anymore.

"Celeste..." He hissed with anger as he felt his blood boil.

He raised his sword once again, but this time he felt another pair of hands over his left hand. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Meiling. She smiled at him, yet he could see right through her.

"Don't give up..." Meiling said softly.

Syaoran nodded, and he felt another pair of hands on his right hand. He looked over his other shoulder, and saw the emerald eyed princess. Sakura. Yet, she was tranparent too.

"Remember Shaoran, you're my number one," Sakura smiled at him.

Syaoran felt stronger, and his aura blazed mixed with a tint of pink. He ran at Celeste so fast, and amazingly his sword drove right into her chest, revealing black red blood.

Celeste's eyes widened, and she shrieked in pain and fell onto her knees. Her right hand still clutched her dark orb tightly, and she forced a triumphant smirk on her face.

"You are correct that evil never wins good..." She muttered. "Yet, this will be different...evil and good will both be...tied.."

Syaoran saw Celeste rubbing her orb for the last time, and an intense black colored arrow shot out and into Syaoran's chest. He fell back, his sword flying in the air and he hit the ground hard.

"SYAORAN!" He heard Eriol's faint voice call his name.

Shaoran....

Xiaolang...

It was all getting blurry, and his head pounded with pain. And everything...went black.

*Am I dead?* Syaoran asked himself, and received no reply. He looked around him, and a heavy mist hung everywhere, and it was impossible to see through the mist. The mist, was like clouds. *Am...am I in heaven?*

"Shaoran..."

He glanced to his right, and saw a figure emerge from the mist. The girl was dressed in all white, and she had auburn hair and sparkling emerald eyes.

"Sakura! Where are we?!" He glanced at himself, and noticed that he too, was wearing all white. "Are we in heaven?"

"No..." Was her reply as their hands met. "We are not in heaven, nor hell. We are in my dreams...yet it can break any second..."

Syaoran's expression turned from a concerned one to a confused look. "Your dreams? It is so misty though.."

Sakura gave him a light angelic smile. "Come..."

Syaoran felt Sakura tug at him, and he felt his feet leave the ground...if there was a ground. The mist flew past them at such a speed that he had to close his eyes. And the next time he opened it, he saw cherry blossom petals everywhere.

Floating, drifing, at all different speed from the heavens. The grass was a wonderful fresh green, and little daisies sprouted around. The sky was cloudless and a cerulean blue. But must of all, in the center was a girl and a boy.

The girl was around twenty, and had long auburn hair and bright cheerful emerald eyes. The boy had messy brown hair and deep amber eyes. The two were staring at each other, with blushes on both faces.

They were swing back and forth on a wooden swing in the center of this blissful scene. Not caring about their surroundings, but only noticing each other.

"This is my fragile dream..." Sakura said sadly.

Syaoran frowned, "Why is it fragile?"

"...Because it won't come true..." Sakura's sparkling eyes went dull.

"Who said it won't come true?!" Syaoran demanded.

Sakura lifted her head, to look into his eyes. "Because it is impossible. We will soon be in heaven..."

"But we will be together..."

"...We never know..." She said softly. "We never know..." Syaoran felt her presense leaving him, and he reached out for her but no one reached back.

He was alone, and the wonderful scene in front of him vanished. He was alone, in the swirling mists once again.

"Xiaolang!! Xiaolang!!"

He spun around, and saw a black haired girl running out of the mist, her ruby eyes dazzling with happiness.

"Meiling...?!" He gasped in shock.

His cousin smiled as she stopped running in front of him. "Have you seen Sakura?"

"Yes..."

"Oh! Where is she?!" Meiling asked.

Syaoran noted that Meiling was also wearing all white. "...She vanished..."

Meiling frowned, "She's on her way then..."

"What do you mean?"

"She's on her way to heaven, while we are still waiting for our turn," Meiling explained. "We are in the land between heaven and hell. Which is the land of our dreams. Not just any dreams, but our most precious ones, yet they are the most fragile..."

Syaoran felt confused more than ever, yet he slightly understood. "So don't I just wait for my turn and I'll see Sakura again? And we'll live happily ever after?"

"...It doesn't work that way Xiaolang..." Meiling said sadly. "Some lucky people that die, get reborn. Some people just stay up in heaven. It all depends on destiny. Heaven is big Syaoran, and Sakura would be anywhere."

Then Meiling vanished right before him, and he was once again alone.

"...I won't let this happen..." Syaoran muttered.

He glanced up when he felt an aura. He gasped at what he saw. It was Clow's symbol, with the sun and the moon and other inscriptions. The circle was glowing a brilliant gold, and he wondered what was happening...

"GAKI!!!"

Syaoran gasped when he saw Kero tumbling out of the symbol and flying right into his face. "Whoa! Watch it stuffed animal! And why are you here?!"

"...To save you and Sakura! There's still time! We just have to follow Eriol's plans," Kero quickly explained.

Syaoran's eyes lit up. "Really?! Tell me!"

"You have to go to heaven, and find Sakura before she goes into her dreams. Because when she does go into her dreams, she will not want to come out."

"Why?"

"Because her dreams would be what she always wanted. Who would want to leave what they always wanted their entire life?" Kero questioned. "Just follow the rules and bring her back!"

"...What about Meiling?!" He suddenly remembered.

Kero frowned, "...As much as I hate her...but I'm sorry. Eriol says that you can only bring one person back. It's your choice I guess...and the portal is closing so I better hurry." Kero turned his back and flew back into the symbol and vanished.

Syaoran felt himself fall, he was probably going to heaven now. Yet, he was left with a hard descision.

Sakura.

Meiling.

Who?




AN: Well, I think everyone knows who Syaoran will pick to save. Yet, how will this come to happen? Anyways, stay tooned and find out! Review onegai and arigatou!