This fanfiction is definitely a learning experience for me. Looking back, I can see my writing change a lot. Sorry, had a moment. Anyways, I'm finally adding this chapter. Hope you like it.

Remember:

"bla" = talking

~bla~ = thoughts

*bla* = stressed words

~~~*** = change of scene or POV

Sakura and Syaoran in New England?

Chapter 9 - I am the Second to Last

In walked an elegant black cat. It was a beautiful creature with a sleek coat and astonishing pair of green eyes.

"Oh!" Sakura gasped, bending down to pet it. She lifted the cat to confirm its gender. "Ah, you're a girl," Sakura remarked. The cat gave Sakura a satisfied look before tossing her head, revealing a beautiful, jeweled collar. Filled with curiosity, Sakura leaned forward to finger the lovely, silver chain. Her hand rested on a breathtaking jewel which was obviously the main attraction on the necklace.

It was an amber-colored jewel whose color reminded Sakura strangely of Syaoran's eyes. The colors swirled, revealing streaks of red, brown, and glimpses of orange, yellow, and purple. Sakura's eyes widened as she saw galaxies swirling in front of her eyes. "What is this you have here?" Sakura murmured. That cat purred, meowed, and the jewel fell from the necklace. There was a swift crash, and the jewel broke neatly in two.

Before Sakura could say a word, a brilliant light bursted from the jewel. Sakura shielded her eyes with her hands. "Hoe!" she gasped.

When the light dimmed a bit, Sakura let her hands fall to her sides to find a transparent image of herself. Or...was it really herself? This image looked a little younger. No, that was an understatement. She now realized that this image was exactly how Sakura looked like when she was ten years old, only this girl's eyes were much older. ~Those eyes have seen much more than I have~ Sakura realized.

The girl smiled and held out a rolled up piece of old parchment tied together with some string. Sakura reached out tentatively to grasp the paper. She was expecting to touch nothing but air, yet she felt real paper. The parchment fell into her hands, and the younger Sakura slowly diminished, leaving a cherry blossom tree outside the castle. The jewel disappeared as did the cat's collar.

Sakura looked at the paper, then the cat. The cat gave her a look, flicking her head towards the parchment. Sakura smiled then slowly untied the string. Unrolling the paper, Sakura saw a long letter written in a foreign script. "I can't even read this," Sakura cried, exasperated. She was about to put the letter aside as useless when the script changed suddenly into awfully familiar handwriting. Sakura gasped. It was her handwriting, and the foreign language had changed into Japanese! Sakura looked at the cat again with shock, but the cat was cleaning herself. When she saw that Sakura was looking at her, the cat motioned back at the letter with her tail before continuing its bath. Sakura started to read the letter.

~Dear Sakura,

I know you are Sakura, otherwise you wouldn't be able to read this letter. I have put a spell on my cat's chain to only allow *you* to receive this letter. You should know that I am also Sakura. I am the Sakura Kinomoto of this dimension. My cat was the Eriol Hiiragizawa of this dimension before he was transformed, stripped of all his power. The sorceror who did this also went so far as to change his gender, so this cat is now female. This was many years ago, so he is now used to it, but it does not lesson the severeness of the transformation.

The sorceror is one whom you are already familiar with if you have traveled to this world. His name is Alahmoi, but I am not sure how he will spell his name in your world. He is so cocky. I do not doubt that he is confident he will not be defied or found. This is why he will not change his name.

Alahmoi is a very dangerous man. He works for the Queen of this world. She is a tyrant who wants to rule the universe. However, she doesn't want to soil her gloves, so she sends Alahmoi to do her dirty work. She knows that the Cards are her best chance. Alahmoi is instructed to gather command of all the Cards in the universe by stealing it from the Sakura of each dimension. This process kills whoever is the victim of his power-draining stone. Alahmoi always brings the girls to this world, and everytime one is killed, a cherry blossom tree appears. Look our your window.~

This was when Sakura finally detected a scent in the air, a very strong scent. Sakura looked out and saw a giant grove of cherry blossoms, as far as the eye could see. Sakura gasped. Allamoy - or Alahmoi, was much worse than she had thought. How could he have killed so many innocent girls? She went back to reading the letter.

~You are the last Sakura in the entire universe. I am the second to last, and Alahmoi is going to kill me soon. He was draining only a little bit of power at a time to cause me more pain. I would, in fact, feel weaker than if he had drained my power quickly. I have no strength left to fight, only to write. Alahmoi has slain everyone dear to me except Eriol. I was in love with the Syaoran of this world, as I am sure you are with your Syaoran. I know because every single Sakura brought here has told me the same things. Sakura and Syaoran are two names meant to be together. Do not hesitate to let him know of your feelings when you have a chance. Fight Alahmoi with all your being. He will be more malicious than the Queen, for the Queen is self-assured of her new throne while Alahmoi is trying to steal away that power. If he gets your powers, the entire universe will be under rule of a tyrant before the Cards rebel and tear the worlds apart. I have seen it in a dream many times, and my dreams (or nightmares) always come true.

I wish I would give you advice on the battle itself, but I know nothing of this subject. Find it within yourself. You must make sure the worlds are not harmed. I must go now. I will place some of my spirit in a jewel, so you will receive this letter. I apologize for these unorganized thoughts. My mind is becoming weak along with my body.

-Sakura~

Sakura gasped at what she read. What did she exactly mean by "Find it within yourself"? "Fight Alahmoi with all your being." "Sakura and Syaoran are two names meant to be together." Sakura was pondering the letter when the door suddenly swung open. She dropped the letter, and the parchment went aflame. A pile of ashes was at her feet in seconds. Sakura looked up to see who was there. She gasped. Alahmoi!

~*~

A great storm raged around Syaoran, Amelia, and Craig, but it left them dry and untouched. The trio was hovering over crashing waves of an ocean. For a second, Syaoran lost his focus. In the far distance, he could see a lone row boat in harbor, tied up near a cliff. ~Is that how Allamoy got Sakura to the next dimension? Is this...the void between worlds? Is each spot of shore the way to a different universe?~ Syaoran asked himself, his mind wandering.

The trio suddenly veered off course, and the three were dangerously close to being seperated. "Syaoran!" Amelia shouted. "Focus! We can't get to Sakura if you don't concentrate on her aura! Then we'll be lost here for who knows how long."

Snapping back to reality, Syaoran frantically sought out Sakura's pink aura. ~Found it!~ Syaoran thought. He snatched onto it, and the trio was back on its path.

"Hang on!" Craig yelled, and they suddenly accelerated towards a small point right above the rowboat Syaoran was just thinking about. Everything became blurry, and then...all was dark.

~*~

Amelia landed faceflat on a cold stone floor. "Ow!" she cried as two bodies fell on top of her. "Umm...guys?" Craig and Syaoran quickly scrambled off of her, mumbling apologies. "It's all right, but do you have any idea if we're in the right place?" The three looked at the medieval castle that they were in.

"We should be. We seemed to have a pretty good grasp on Sakura's aura," Craig said. "Syaoran, can you check?" Syaoran was already ahead of him. Eyes closed, body still, Syaoran focused his heart, mind, and power on Sakura, searching for her. For the first time, Amelia and Craig could watch Syaoran as he worked. His eyes seemed to move beneath his eyelids. He was breathing deeply, as if meditating. A slight breeze that they could only see, not feel, was gently ruffling his hair. Craig and Amelia glanced at each other, making sure that the other was noticing the small details. Before today, they had not knowingly encountered magic of this kind.

"We're very close now. We're in the same castle as she is. Let's go," Syaoran said, almost commanding, almost like a wolf on the hunt. Yet he was not. It was understood. The one he cared for most was in danger, along with the rest of the world. They did not knwo it, but their entire universe would collapse and be destroyed if they were no there to...to do whatever it took to stop Allamoy.

Syaoran was running down the hallway, trying to think back to his old foes. What had he done then? What magical maneuver, what strategy had he used while defeating them? He couldn't remember. He had nothing from his past experiences to aid him. The only thing he could do...was do what felt right.

"Which way do we go?" cried Amelia when they came upon two different stairways, one leading downwards, the other leading upwards. Syaoran quickly felt for Sakura's aura, caught a hold of it, and ran towards the stairway leading upwards.

"This way!" he shouted, as he dashed up the stairs. He didn't get far before he crashed into a wall...or a guard. There were three of them. ~Uh oh,~ Syaoran thought, as they drew out long, sharp swords. "You guys ready?" he called back to his friends.

A blue fire suddenly sprang up from Craig's palms. "As ready as I'll ever be."

A/N: Okay, that was a lot of information, not a lot of action...but it was needed. I think you'd agree that this chapter was...indispensable. I know it's been forever since I've updated...but it'd be nice if you'd tell me what you thought of this chapter. This story is getting close to the ending, don't worry. Ja ne.