WOW!!!!! You guys are awesome! I'll have to individually thank each and every one of you later! You're the BEST! So many reviews! I know that this will probably take for ever, and I'm sorry! I'll try to either speed things up a bit or write longer chapters. Thank you SO much for spelling 'miracle' for me! I couldn't figure it out and it was driving me CRAZY!!!!! Urgh!!!!! ^-^ Yes, there will be Eriol+Tomoyo later, you don't think I would leave THEM out do you? Who do you think I am? Some crazy person?!? Just kidding. Well, Eriol will show up in the next few chapters for his own… um… sinister reasons at first. Little does he know his plans will get interrupted because of…. Well, actually there are many reasons, but I don't want to give it away and I believe a lot of you are in suspense right now, so on with the chapter! (most of you guessed what happened, or else you were pretty darn close. Don't get too upset though, not everything is… well…as it seems! Most of it is though. ^-^) BWA HA HA!!! I'm starting to sound like Syaoran's mother!

Disclaimer: I do not, I repeat, I do not own CCS or these characters or anything of the sort. (except this plot line. Tee hee hee)



*****Sakura*****

I read the paper with tears in my eyes. My vision blurred and I wasn't allowed to finish it, but I knew what its contents held. It couldn't be possible… could it? If it was… then who wrote this letter to me? I abruptly stood up and dashed outside, not caring about the rest of my classes that day. This was too important. I just wanted to be alone. I dashed to my room and slammed the door behind me and cried, not able to stop the tears that were scorching and burning my flesh. When I finally calmed down I looked and the blurry letter and re-read it, hoping it would make more sense. Hoping it was some stupid trick.

Dear Sakura,

I'm sorry to inform you that your family has been attacked. The Queen…is dead, along with King Fujitaka and Prince Touya. I was not there, but I wish I would have been so that I could have protected them. Even though I do not have all of my powers yet, I still feel responsible. Your family is watching you from above now, and they rest in peace knowing that you are well. I will come to visit shortly.

Yours truly,

Kero

I gasped. Kero wrote this letter? It didn't sound like him! He was never serious! Unless of course it was a really serious matter, in this case it is. The Queen said there was a weird aura on the letter. I reached out with my magic and felt for any trace of an aura. I felt one, but it was only Kero's. He did write that letter. That meant that it's…true.

I hung my head and began sobbing once again. 'How can this be?!? I only just heard from them! They all acted like nothing was going on over there! They… they're… gone.'

Unwanted tears streamed down my face. Nothing would be the same again. No, it would be too much OF the same. I'm still here, and nothing was really going on here. Home is where all of the differences were. It was a place of destruction now. It would never be the same beautiful and serene place again. It was a root for evil. Tokurashi. He did it. He had to have been the one. He was more evil then imaginable! He was… the one who wanted power. He still yearns for that power. He will never be able to be good. Not even if he was bathed in light for one hundred years! He MUST have killed my family! And I will kill him!

I ran over to my closet and threw a bunch of clothes and some bread into a bag. I was leaving. No one could stop me, they were all still in class. I would go and see for myself. I had to see for myself. Seeing was believing… wasn't it?

Something nagged at the back of my head. I was remembering something, but what was it? What could it be? I ran over to my desk and pulled open the drawer. The letter I had received was still there. I snatched it and flipped through the pages. It couldn't have been!!! Could it?!?

I opened the letter my mother had written and re-read it. Something in the letter… was it something she said? I sighed with releif when I found it and quickly read the letter.

Darling,

I just finished reading the letter you sent us. I am very happy that you are having so much fun. I miss you so much and just wanted to tell you that I love you more than you could ever imagine. Do not worry about us. As long as you have a smile on your face I will

be happy. I'm glad that you have made so many new friends and I hope that the Ball that is coming up will be a lot of fun. Try to occupy yourself and try not let your feelings get the better of you. Remember that I am always here, and no matter what, I will always

be near. Take good care of the Clow Cards. Try to be strong. They MUST be captured soon. All of them. Then they need to be changed into Sakura cards. I know that certain friends will help you. You are never alone, Sakura. Never. Take care.

Love, Forever and More,

Nadeshiko

All of a sudden it felt like a tidal wave had swept over me. How could I not have realized this before? Tears slowly dripped onto the parchment as I stared at it with resentment. She knew what was going to happen. That's why she wanted me to come here so badly. She also wanted Touya to be safe, but he wouldn't listen. He probably knew too. He wanted to stay with them to the very end.

"But I would have too," I tried to say. My throat was tight so it came out as a squeak. "I would have stayed with you. I could have… helped. Why? Why did you get rid of me? Why am I the only one alive? What'll happen… now?" I was shaking with my effort to hold in the sobs. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop the overflow of tears. "No." I said as I turned my head down to the carpet. "No!"

I grabbed my bag and ran from the room. I had to leave. I HAD to! Mother said she would always be near, but she meant her spirit. Her spirit would always be near. A spirit couldn't comfort. Not in a time of despair. It couldn't hold you, or protect you. It could make you feel loved, so that you would never be alone. But still. How could this be?

I ran fast and hard, planning to go home. To be anywhere but here. I had to. I had to. I was three miles away from the palace when recollection dawned on me. I still had to capture the Clow Cards. I slowly came to a halt. The world would be filled with darkness and destruction if I didn't. I HAD to. Mother wanted it of me anyway. I turned around and ambled back to the palace, not in the mood to talk to anyone. I didn't want anyone to see me either.

I held guilt deep within me as I came to the back of the castle and saw other people starting to come outside to eat lunch. I ducked my head, hoping no one would notice me. When I saw a crowd coming I took a sideways step behind a cherry tree. I stood there for a while, felling sorry for myself, knowing that I shouldn't. I felt sorry for everyone who had ever lost someone who was important to them. I felt sorry for the future, the people that would soon loose friends and family but hadn't felt that void yet. Why did life have to be so cruel? I barely felt the single tear that crept down my cheek. I heard rustling up above and then a person jumped down out of the tree and landed right in front of me.

"S-S-Syaoran!" I gasped, dazed. How much had he seen? Did he see my attempt to run away?

"Will you tell me what's wrong?" He asked gently, stepping forward and wiping my tear away. I broke down immediately and his arms wound around me, giving me strength. He held me close, as if he would loose me. "I felt your aura disappear. It went farther and farther away. I thought you were going to leave."

I tried to swallow. "I was going to… but I couldn't. I couldn't because of the Clow Cards… or my friends," I added softly, knowing that I would have missed him way too much but that I didn't want to admit it. "They're gone, Syaoran. They're gone!" I sobbed even harder, clutching his shirt.

"Who's gone?" He asked, concerned.

"All of them!"

"Sakura… You aren't making any sense," He said, pulling away a little bit to look down at me.

"Sakura!!!"

I looked to my left and saw Tomoyo and Meiling running towards me with concerned eyes. "Are you alright?!?"

"I'm… okay." I felt Syaoran's arms drop away from me and felt like I reached for a hand to hold and only grasped air. I sniffed.

"Sakura…" Tomoyo said as she came to a halt beside me.

"Will you tell us what happened?" Meiling asked.

I numbly nodded my head and we walked into the shade of the trees where no one would see us or overhear. "I… the letter…"

"Take it easy Sakura. Nice and slow. You don't have to tell us," Syaoran said. Tomoyo gave him a look as if to say, 'She doesn't have to tell YOU but you better not make her not tell ME! She's my best friend and if SHE'S sad I'M sad!!!'

"Kero wrote me a letter. He said that…*gulp*… he said that my family is… dead!" I could barely get it out and when I finally did, instead of feeling better I felt worse. Soon they were all hugging me and trying their best to comfort me. I wiped my tears away with the back of my hand and gave the tiniest laugh, but it was a laugh none-the-less. They were my friends, and they truly cared. 'I guess mother was right. I'll never be alone.'

"Sakura…I don't know if this is the best time to mention this, but you know all the people that are badly injured from fighting…"

"Yeah…" I said slowly, turning my attention to Syaoran.

He paused, watching my reaction, then said, "It's a card."



Okaaaaaaaayy!!! I am finally ready to up-date!!!!! Aren't you proud?!? I didn't think so. You are all mad aren't you? WELL I FEEL WORSE BECAUSE I HAVE TONS OF HOMEWORK AND I CAN'T GO ON THE INTERNET OR CHECK MY E-MAIL OR TYPE!!!!! I HAVE TO GO TO JADEWINGS' HOUSE TO TYPE!!! HOW SHALLOW IS THAT?!? By the way, she SHOULD be up-dating a new story so you should read it, (if your older than 13) They are HILARIOUS and VERY good! Check it out, okay?!? BUT I GET TO WRITE THE FIRST REVIEW!!!!! Pwease?!? ^-^ Eh he heh. `- _- Don't mind me. By the way, please e-mail me at keladry86@yahoo.com from now on. It's the only way I can check my mail. Sorry if you wrote anything to me. I should be able to check it by Sunday because my dad will FINALLY be home with the laptop. When my B-day comes up, I am SO asking for my own computer! Only four months. `-_- (JadeWing is only older than me by TWO days thank you very much!)