DISCLAIMER: I don't own ccs, if you don't realize that by now, your wierd.




"Flat dispair" indeed




Rika walked into the house. An unfamiliar aura hung about the rooms that her companions were staying in. Rika marched up the stairs with guidance from Letith and tailed by the bubble of light. She paused in front of the closed doors, slightly apprehensive. Letith reached his hand for the door knob, but Rika caught his wrist. "I want to open the door," she whispered.

When the doors were thrown open, everyone gasped.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It took a moment for everyone in the room to realize that Rika had returned. Rika however, knew as soon as she laid eyes on her companions what was wrong. She waited. She waited for them to speak first. The noise broke out all of a sudden, and they all advanced towards her. "Stop," she said, holding up a hand. "You."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

For many days now, Yue had been especially watchful of Sakura. He called her Sakura now, not because he was more comfortable with her, but becaue there was something about her that didn't belong with his mistress.

She never spoke of the two cards she had left with Syaoran. In fact, she never spoke of the Sakura cards at all. The only time she ever hinted that she even thought about magic was when they spoke of Rika. During those conversations, she payed attention. Eriol, too, had noticed that something was different about Sakura, but unlike Yue, he was reluctant to think too hard about it. He actually had toyed with the idea of asking Sakura what had happened when she was with Sobek, but he never did. There was always something holding him back.

Yue wanted to ask Syaoran if there was something wrong with Sakura, but he was so blinded by his love for her that he wouldn't have given the moon guardian a good answer. Surprisingly enough, it was Keroberos who finally spoke up. The gluttonous, lazy Keroberos, the astute, bold Keroberos, had pulled Yue aside one day. "Watch Sakura, Yue, something is off."

Yue raised both his eye brows. "You noticed it too?"

"For a while now." Kero gave Yue a funny look. "Why didn't you say something before?"

"Syaoran would protect her."

"No stupid. To me. Or to Eriol."

Yue glanced at Eriol across the room. Eriol gave a slight nod when Yue caught his eye. "He know about it too?" Yue asked.

Kero nodded. "There's deffinately something different about Sakura, but we're not quite sure what to do..."

That had been the end of that conversation as Sakura and Syaoran walked into the room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Life was a different story for Sakura, who was constantly on pins and needles because Rika had disappeared. One day while she was taking a bath, the Bauble appeared to her...in the shape of Sobek's head. She cursed under her breath and covered herself. "Damn it, Sobek," she hissed. "Can't you find some other way of talking to me?"

"No," the Bauble had mouthed. "You've that stupid Syaoran hanging off you arm day and night. When am I supposed to talk to you?"

She shrugged. "Don't surprise me like that. Ever. Pervert," she added softly.

"I heard that."

"Then you must have also heard that Rika is still missing."

"You're staying until she's found."

"You're sick, Sobek, sick." Sakura settled back into the tub of water. He raised an eye brow. Sobek knew what she was going to say. Who knew that the innocent, pure Sakura his illusion was modeled after would be so bad?

Not wanting to hear what she had to say, he ordered the Bauble to leave.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"You," Rika said, pointing at Sakura. "You're not Sakura."

Sakura pretended to be shocked. "What the hell do you mean I'm not Sakura? Who else do you think I am?"

Rika shrugged. "I don't care who you are, except that you aren't Sakura, so get out."

"Wait," Syaoran intervened. "Who are you?" he asked, desperate to find out who it was Rika claimed to be decieving him.

Sakura looked down, but didn't turn around to face Syaoran. She let out a maniacle giggle. "I am simply who I am. Do you think you can understand me? Your simple human mind can't possibly fathom the depth of my master's influence in the universe." She looked at Rika, sneering, "You can't even understand your own." Sakura ran out of the room, not looking back, but not looking foward either.

Against her will, Rika let out a shudder, then a sigh. She missed the illusion she had been in, but now was not the time for imaginations. She would not allow time for imagination again. They had already wasted three weeks here. Three unacceptable weeks. They had to make up for thier idleness. She sealed her heart even further against the nostalgic tugs that now tried to barrage her senses.

Letith approached Rika. "The key." Rika fingered the medalion handed to her and handed it off to Eriol. She turned and looked out the window, her hair shielding her face from her friends. "Let's go."

"The things we've suffered to get this little...thing," Eriol mused, and flipped it in the air. Kero snatched it before Eriol could catch it again.

"Well, one more to go...right?"

Syaoran's eyes hardened a little. The relization that he had been fooled was almost too much for him. "We're going now." His condescending tone covered the pain in his heart. He had been tricked! Fooled! Never again, would that happen. Never again.

Hope! Syaoran scoffed. Hope didn't exist. It never had, it never would. Now all that was left was dispair...



End of Part 2





...and yet....




"Our final hope
Is flat dispair......."