Death is Not the End

By Anime Queen

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Ok, here's another chapter. I don't have that many reviews for this, for some really weird reason... could it be there aren't that many CCS fans? No, there are, there are, I know who they are!! *squints into the audience looking for CCS fans, but sees nothing* Come out, come out wherever you are and give me some good reviews!!! I will still continue with the story, but a little support is nice ^_^ Well, if you're a CCS fan, I LOVE YOU!! But if you'll read and review, or review without reading, (but don't read without reviewing ^_~) I'll love you more!!!

Disclaimer: I do not own CCS, so don't bother to sue.

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Chapter 3

"Li! Li! Wake up!"

The sound seemed far and unreal. My head throbbed inside and out, and I still felt sick to my stomach. My head started spinning when I tried to open my eyes, so I gave up for a while.

"Li!"

I made one more effort and slowly peeped out from under my eyelids. The ceiling slowly came into focus in front of me, and then the shadows morphed into the faces of Mr. Yashi and my co-workers.

"Syaoran, dude, are you ok? You like collapsed in the middle of the place!"

"Yeah, and it was all over the floor."

A wet and foul-smelling cloth dangled in front of my eyes, making me quite dizzy and nauseated. This time, I managed to keep it down.

"Misuki! Jenriko! Get out! Don't you see this guy needs some rest?" Mr. Yashi waved them from the room impatiently, and then returned to my side.

"How you feeling, Li?" he asked me seriously, sitting down beside me.

"I don't know..." I said slowly.

"Of course you don't. Listen, why don't you get some rest?"

"But the office - "

"Ahh, don't worry about it," Mr. Yashi smiled and patted my arm. "We've got enough folks to work those damn computers."

"Thank you sir."

I wanted to sit up, but my head started swimming. He pushed me back down on the couch.

"Get your rest," he winked and left, shutting the door and turning off the light. I was only too thankful for the dark and quiet, letting my mind slip into them.

I have no idea how long I've been out, but Mr. Yashi was in the office with me. His desk lamp was on, and he was doing paperwork. Paperwork that I probably would've been doing. He noticed that I was awake, and came to stand next to me.

"You know something, why don't you take a couple of weeks off?"

Why is he being so nice all of a sudden? The other day he was yelling at me like there was no tomorrow.

"Don't you have connections in Tomoeda?"

"Yes sir, I do, but..."

"No buts. Go home, clean up, and tomorrow I'm putting you on the first plane there."

"Thank you sir."

Arguing with Mr. Yashi was pointless. And besides, I didn't really want to. If he was offering a free vacation to Tomoeda, I was taking it. It's been too long since I've seen Sakura, anyways. Our Clow Card Quest ended when we were 10, and we haven't seen each other since.

The next morning, as promised, Mr. Yashi sent me down to the airport in a taxi. On the plane I passed the time by thinking about Sakura. It's strange how there was no correspondence between us when I moved back to Hong Kong. And I hadn't really told her I was coming back. But then again, she probably didn't care. I wondered if she knew about Meilin's death. I hoped not.

The plane landed in the afternoon, and it was sunny when I got out. The sky was actually blue, and not the smog-gray color I left behind. I felt my spirits lifting. Maybe I never had to go back. Here, I could start over, with no shadows of remembrance to haunt my every move.

"Welcome to Tomoeda, sir!" the woman behind the desk smiled at me as I passed through security, and then customs. Soon I was out of the terminal, looking for a way to get to the hotel.

It took me a while, but I've found the place. I paid the little kid on a bike for giving me directions, and checked in. Someone carried my bags up to my room on the second floor. I sat and stared out of the window while room service arrived.

Will I ever escape Meilin? She seemed to come on that plane with me, and even now, out of the blue, I was still thinking about her. I didn't even go to her funeral. What kind of person am I? The kind of person who kills the girl he loves in the back and then hides it. Why couldn't I see it was her?

And then, I remembered, it wasn't my fault - it was hot and dusty, there was no way I could've known. She shouldn't have been there at all! That's right, it was her own fault, and she paid for it with her life.

I cried all afternoon and until it was time to sleep. But when I got into bed, the tears came afresh. I cried because I didn't know what else to do. Nothing would take back what I've done, and nothing will bring her back. I'd been wrong. Meilin will never leave me, and therefore, neither will the reminder of my own foolishness. She was gone, but she was always in my mind. It's like she was not really dead, but I knew that she was. And that wasn't a good thing. I knew that if I continued like this, I would end up crazy.

I think I dreamt that night, but I can't remember. All I know is that I couldn't fall asleep for a very long time, and when I woke up, it didn't feel like I've slept at all.

I left the hotel and started walking in the general direction of Tomoeda Elementary. When I saw the building, the memories came flooding in. Sakura on her skates and in her uniform, and I in my own uniform, walking next to her. Our friends, our teachers, our classrooms, our lives, everything came back to me in a split second. She would be in high school by now, she wouldn't be here. I turned to leave. Maybe she would be at home later. I don't know why, but I had an urge to see her again.

I think I've walked for miles around the city, almost every landmark sparking a memory. I passed the park where we used to meet, and the ice cream shop where Sakura and her friends hung out after school.

I came upon a lively part of town, but it was unfamiliar. I had never been there. People were everywhere - it was a sea of white and blue. I noticed a person standing next to the entrance. The sign behind her read 'Tomoeda High'. Her back was towards me, but it had to be Sakura Kinomoto. I ran.

"Excuse me," I panted, and she turned around. It was the same frame of soft brown hair, and the same pair of bright green eyes, set in a slightly older face than I remembered. She was taller too. She turned and didn't say anything, she just stared.

"Syaoran-kun, is that you?" her voice sounded as if she didn't believe it.

"Yeah, it's me."

She smiled.

"Why did you come back?"

It was almost as if she didn't like it.

"This is so great!" she squealed suddenly and jumped on my neck, not giving me a chance to tell her.

"It's wonderful to see you, Sakura."

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There!! Now, all I need are some reviews!!! Come on people! If this chapter was boring, I can understand that, I've been a little bored writing it myself, but I absolutely had to include this so I can go on to more interesting parts! This fic *will* get interesting! I swear, it will!!!! ^_^ So please, please, pretty please with another chapter sometime very soon on top??? *puppy dog eyes* Pleeeeeeaaaaaassseeeee!!! R&R!!!