I decided to start All Costs over again. As much as I love it, I'd like it to be a series. This version will have much more detail. Please note, Sakura-tachi are all 17. Also, note that I am a narrator. [Note: I think I used a little too much Japanese ^^;]
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"Kero! Kero!" Sakura flung open the Sakura Book and searched frantically through the Clow Cards for the feisty little guardian. "He's not here…" she whispered, holding the now very out-of-order Clow Cards in her hands. Suddenly, one of them floated down to her feet. She freed her hands, bent down and picked it up.
THE BEAST
Sealed 11th October 2006
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"Kero!" She exclaimed. On the card, there was a manga-style drawing of Cerberus in his true form. A memory Sakura had never even thought of before suddenly struck her mind. "I'm afraid 'I' may cause you some trouble soon…" but it was Eriol, wasn't it? And Clow was dead, wasn't he? If only he was.
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Not realizing she screamed so loud, Sakura was startled when her brother opened the door. "Sakura! Oh… what's wrong?" he asked. "Touya? Well, look what I found…" Sakura handed The Beast to Touya, who looked puzzled for a minute, but then his face went serious. He flipped the card over. "Sakura."
"…Hai?" she replied.
"Look." Holding the Cerberus card out to her, Sakura saw what caught her brother's attention. "… The back of the card…"
Touya grunted. "You are the mistress of the Clow, now, Sakura, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am…" Sakura said in a small voice. "And the back of this card… it's the Clow Card pattern."
"And it's supposed to be a Sakura Card?"
"No, it's not supposed to be any card! This is Kero!"
"Kero?! The beast that you used to have helping you?"
"Yes! The orange animal!"
"Oh yes… Mitsuki told me about him once."
"… Mitsuki? You mean… Mitsuki-sensei?!"
"Yes. Kaho Mitsuki. The English woman."
"Oh, my, you knew her?"
"Yes. After the Judgement, I was speaking to her. Sakura, I've always known there was something going on. And that day, I found out. I'd always been a little suspicious, Sakura."
"I know you have. I could sense it."
"But back to this Kero business…"
"Kero – is – not – supposed – to – be – a – card!" Sakura yelled in her brother's face. "Okay, okay, monster!"
"I am not a monster…" Sakura thought.
"Sakura, would you like me to call Daidouji?"
Sakura nodded. "Onegai, Onii-chan,"
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Five minutes later, a black haired-girl and Sakura's brother entered the room. "Sakura-chan! Is it true? Is Kero-chan… a card?"
"Hai! He is, look –"
Tomoyo interrupted Sakura with a silence so breaking, a chill ran down her spine. "Tomo…" Sakura didn't get to finish. She saw what Tomoyo was looking at. And it was definitely a card she didn't remembering catching.
THE KINOMOTO
Sealed 1990
And the image was a manga-style picture of Nadeshiko Kinomoto, Sakura's deceased mother. "Sa…" Tomoyo tried to speak, but noticed Sakura's eyes were welling up with tears. "Clow-san…" she began, "Is doing whatever he can to hurt me. He wants to drive me into The Realm of Reflections. I know it." Sakura sniffed. She wasn't crying, but this image was making her upset – or was it making her angry? "Sakura-chan… what is The Realm of Reflections…?" Tomoyo nervously asked, not sure whether to or not. "The Realm of Reflections…" she began. "is a world, which is located behind every mirror in this world. Only one with special powers can get through to it. Many have tried to prove the reason why a mirror reflects your image and world, but the opposite way. It isn't some special glass, it's another world. Every person has a reverse of himself or herself right after they are born. You're born the same time that your reverse is. And Clow wants to get rid of me. He knows Yueh loves me, as do I, and he's jealous. He wants to get rid of me. He wants to send me to the Realm of Reflections."
"So…" Touya began. "What do you do there?"
"When you are sent to the Realm of Reflections, if you find your reverse there, you have to joust with them. The surviving candidate wins and gets to stay in the Realm, but is never allowed to leave. That's why Clow wants me there. So he can have the cards and Kero back."
"Sakura…?" Tomoyo asked. "Hai?" Sakura replied.
"D… don't go." Tomoyo whimpered. "I won't." Sakura said in a whispering voice, and collapsed.
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo and Touya both said at the same time.
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