Well, hello! And Welcome to My Little World of Weirdness!

I state for the record that, despite the fact I really, really wish I did, I don't own any of the official characters that will grace this story; it's all CLAMP's! Always has been, always will be! I *DO*, however, own Marcibay Hilligans and Hei-ying Reed!! I also own Lord Maduokai, and the three of the dragons, T'listia isn't mine but on loan from one of my favourite reviewers and writers, Tam Chronin! And what the heck . . . I own both of the mansions (The Reed/Hiirawagizawa and the Tsukimine) as well! [Laughs] Also I don't pretend to have any Mastery over the language of Japanese or any clue as to correct grammatical structure. I put it in and hope it gets across the point I'm trying to make! And I don't pretend to be able to write any sort of accents so please don't hate me!

 "Speaking"

*Stress/emphasis*

//Thinking//

Extended~ [basically odd letters that the characters extend the sound of or in Ruby's case, sings]

In This Tainted Soul . . . Find Redemption . . . 

By Dr Megalomania

Chapter Eight: Hong Kong

Xie-Xie . . .

Eriol tipped his head to the air stewardess as she walked away. He glanced at his fellow passengers. Touya had fallen asleep; in his lap Spinel sat in his false form, dozing slightly, and Syaoran was gazing thoughtfully out of the window. They sat in the luxury three-seat row, window side of the plane. The three travelled second class to China, well aware that they were going to be away from the time-protected mansion for much longer than they would from Japan. Syaoran sighed. He hadn't returned to China since the elders had blocked his marriage to Sakura. His mother had been bitterly disappointed with the stubborn elders who still refused to accept a person of foreign blood – even if that blood was of one of the most powerful magicians in the world.

He stared out as they made the short journey, they were going to travel to the magical centre of Eastern Magic.

Hong Kong.

//Are you apprehensive, Little Wolf?//

He blinked and turned to look at Eriol, as the other drank. The question had been uttered mentally. Syaoran sighed and replied, //Not really. . . more like . . .//

//Weary of having to deal with people who are too stubborn?//

//Perhaps. . .// Syaoran closed his eyes and allowed the conversation to continue, //Do you remember having to deal with the Li family at all?//

//Not anymore . . .// Eriol replied evenly, he reached over and pulled Spinel Sun into his lap, allowing his fingers to lightly stroke of the cat's ears. //Since Clow's soul and memories left me, I have nothing but vague impressions . . . frustration is a feeling Clow has left me with regarding the Li family.// He smiled slightly as he took a sip of his drink again, //Of course . . . having to deal with the oracles could have had something to do with that . . .//

//Don't remind me!// Syaoran groaned quietly, and slid until his head hit the wall. He slouched there for a few moments, before opening his eyes to stare out. The white clouds parted and revealed they were flying over land. He stared down, and watched as Hong Kong Airport came into view.

He closed his eyes again and swallowed, at least he would be meeting his sisters and Wei first at the airport.

"AAAAAHHHHH!! Syaoran!! Our Little brother!! AAHHHH!!!"

Syaoran sighed as his four sisters placed him under their strangle hold, Wei smiled bemusedly, before taking Eriol's small bag, "This way please . . ." Touya yawned as he sidestepped the four sisters and followed Eriol as they walked toward the Li cars. Shaking his head, he leant over and whispered to Eriol, "Do you think they ever let up?"

"I very much doubt it . . ." Eriol smiled as he leant over and got into the first car with Wei. He glanced over as Syaoran shrugged off his sisters and quickly got into the same car, "My impression from Clow when he first met his aunts is fear of their tendency to pull very hard at his cheek. . ."

Touya smiled, "Well . . ." he sat back and nodded to Wei, "Let's make good on this trip. . ."

"Ahhhh . . . sugoi . . . Bubbles, only a little bit please . . . I don't want to be coughing up soap for the next few days. . ."

As the Bubbles card nodded, and waved her wand over the foamy mass, Keroberos peered over the rim of the bathtub. He chuckled as he clawed the tap to close, and dipped one hairy paw into the water. "Mmm . . . just right . . ." he hummed, and dipped his head so he could claw at his heavy bronze helmet. It came off slowly, blinding him for a moment as he flattened out his ears so they wouldn't get caught as he pulled.

The door opened and there was an unfamiliar chuckle.

Keroberos jerked up and frowned deeply, he was blinded by the helmet which was now stuck halfway off his head, "Who's there?!"

There were a few quiet footsteps, and a sharp tug at the helmet. Keroberos blinked dizzily for a moment before his foucs came in on Hei-ying. The dark angel raised an eyebrow and glanced at the helmet in his hands, "I do believe you're getting fat, Keroberos . . ."

"What do you want?!" Keroberos growled hotly as his elder brother straightened and placed the helmet on the side. Hei-ying swung open the window, and stared out for a moment before deigning to answer. "Yue mentioned that you'd need some help . . ." Hei-ying turned and snorted, "And he asked me to give you a hand rather than allow Ruby Moon to . . ."

"Talk about your choices between the devil and death . . ." Keroberos sighed, and turned away to look in to the steaming water, "Well for your information, I don't think I want any help . . . particularly from you . . ."

"What? You don't want me to help scrub behind your ears?" Hei-ying smirked and lifted a washcloth from the shelf, and dipped it in the water. He glanced at Keroberos, and rolled up his sleeves. Keroberos eyed him for a moment before hopping into the water with a big splash. He chuckled as Hei-ying swore in German, and sank deeper into the water. He dipped his head under for a moment, before rising again to stare at Hei-ying. The green eyed being glared at him, as he gurgled water. Keroberos spat his mouthful out and smirked, "I don't want you anywhere near me . . ."

"Oh, but Keroberos . . ." Hei-ying wrung out the washcloth and reached out for some soap, "Don't you remember how good I am with water?"

Keroberos blinked, and stared at him before murmuring coldly, "I know exactly how good you are with water . . ."

Hei-ying looked up at the sudden change of tone, then down again. He sighed, "I'm sorry . . ." he mumbled, he sighed and started to scrub Keroberos' side with the cloth, "Tomoyo-san suggested that I work on my sense of humour . . ."

"Well . . ." Keroberos breathed out and cleared his throat, "Just don't around me and Yue . . ." he eyed Hei-ying, "Your brand of humour needs Clow Reed's level of strangeness . . ."

Hei-ying nodded before smirking again, "You know . . . I don't think we've ever been this close . . ." he reached up and pulled Keroberos' earring ear forward, "without trying to kill each other that is . . ."

"You're probably right . . ." Keroberos closed his eyes as Hei-ying scrubbed behind the ear, "maybe . . ."

"You just don't want to admit that I'm right about anything, do you?"

"Not particularly . . ." Keroberos huffed again and lifted his chin, "You always got this wacko glint in your beady little eyes when Clow told you, you were right about something . . ."

"And you didn't when he rewarded you with pudding?"

"Hey, my lust for pudding never killed anyone . . ." Keroberos opened his eyes when Hei-ying didn't reply. He stared at the dark headed angel as he continued to wash his younger brother. Hei-ying's face betrayed nothing; the tears and hysterics of the previous weeks had stopped leaving behind a collected being with a calmness that was a little disturbing. Keroberos sighed, "I'm sorry, I said I'd try and cut out the jibes . . ."

Hei-ying didn't respond for a moment before murmuring, "It's okay . . ." Hei-ying scratched the top of Keroberos' head, "I suppose I walked into that one . . ."

"Hey . . ." Keroberos began and paused, he frowned and began again. "What's changed in you?"

Hei-ying smiled a very small smile, "I don't know . . . hindsight maybe . . ." he shrugged and dipped the cloth into the water again, "Maybe it's because my place here isn't definite, I could be sealed away or killed at any moment, if I want to survive I have to change . . ."

"I knew you had an ulterior motive . . ." Keroberos snorted disdainfully, "You're not remorseful at all, you don't care about what you've done, you just want to survive!"

"Does it make you feel better to hear that?"

"It's in keeping with your character . . ." Keroberos looked at him, "But . . ." the lion moved so he could prop his paws on the rim, and leant over to peer into Hei-ying face, "Your eyes say you are lying again . . ."

Jade eyes stared back at him, blinking slowly. Keroberos nudged his muzzle closer, "Yue told me that he could see the real me . . . he said the real me is hidden sometimes, but as my brother, he could always see the real me . . ." Keroberos' gold eyes glinted slightly, "I think I know what he means now . . ." he blinked and whispered, "I see you, Hei-ying . . ."

Hei-ying's pale brow creased into a small frown, "What do you see?"

"I see . . ." Keroberos paused, and looked at Hei-ying. He saw a magical creation that'd been to hell and back. When he looked at Hei-ying, he saw Yue when the young angel had first appeared before Sakura. A bitterly angry creature, which believed so much in the good points of Clow Reed that he forgot the bad. Keroberos had never really understood how he'd survived Clow's arrogant curse; the inability to consider that there was a dark side to every being. Maybe it was because Keroberos had never really been one of them, he was the animal guardian after all, and he'd never been a humanoid so maybe that explained his perspective. He knew Clow was a good person, but he was exceedingly strange, he was very nice and kind, but he was also impulsive and eccentric. Fujitaka and Eriol were the sum of Clow's good side, but Kyree proved that Clow's dark feelings were always boiling below the surface. Keroberos had only ever known Clow as a good person, but it didn't take a genius to realise that Hei-ying swore the way he did, learnt to be so cruel from the only person he'd ever known. Clow was always going to be a fond memory, but Hei-ying's very personality showed an amplification of Clow's more hidden traits taken to the extreme.

He looked at his elder brother and saw what his wretched life had done to him.

Even though Hei-ying's body had been restored almost as if it was the first day he'd been created, the jade eyes that looked out from that pale face . . . they'd seen things, the person behind them had done things darker than death . . . and things dark than death had been done to him . . .

Keroberos lifted a paw and gently clawed a lock of hair away from Hei-ying's forehead.

"I see . . . nothing . . ."

Hei-ying closed his eyes and sighed heavily as Keroberos hummed a little. The lion grinned widely as Hei-ying's guard dropped. He reached forward, and hooked his claws expertly into Hei-ying's clothing, "Nothing but a drowned rat that is!!" He hollered as he dragged Hei-ying into the bathtub.

"Keroberos!!"

Hong Kong never changes.

Spinel had never been to the place and yet he knew it, ever street, every river. He sat on his master's shoulder and gazed about. They had left the mansion shortly after Hei-ying had revealed his brand new uniform. While he was revelling in the peace and quiet away from his vociferous twin creation, Spinel also found himself missing her slightly. Ruby was the other half of him, always. However trying she was on his nerves, Spinel didn't think he could survive one day without her in the world. He knew this was because of the spells that bound them to each other for eternity, but even then . . . Spinel was fairly certain even if they were both humans, despite their differences, he would stay by her side forever.

He sighed, and moved a little closer to his master's neck.

"Feeling a bit lonely, Spinel?"

The midnight blue creation winced slightly and whispered back, "Am I really that obvious?"

"No . . ." Eriol chuckled slightly as they made another turn, walking down toward the infamous bird street. "But you are my closest family, I can tell . . ." he reached up, and petted Spinel slightly, "I miss her too . . ."

Spinel felt a little better at this admission from his creator, and continued to look around. Bird Street loomed before them, the birds in their cages twittering wildly. The street was famous for the birds and infamous for being a meeting place for magicians. Some of the birds reacted strongly to the influx of magic; therefore you could tell when a new magician entered into the scene. As soon as Eriol, Touya and Syaoran stepped closer, many of the sellers and buyers turned in surprise as hundreds of birds went absolutely crazy in their cages.

"Ah . . . It looks like I need not travel too far . . ." A voice made Eriol blink and turn, a man walked toward them, his arms spread. He was of Chinese descent, his eyes a striking dark grey. He smile cordially and bowed, "I am Kuei Maduokai . . . please, follow me."

The old Chinese house was unremarkable.

It was done in the traditional style, and was obviously based in the style of a water caster's traditional family manner. Depictions of rivers, and pools of water were carefully painted into the screen doors. Kuei Maduokai clapped his hands as he entered and the torches lit themselves. A small boy, with strange black and white hair came running, and bows sharply, "Master Kuei, welcome!" He bobbed up for a moment and then bowed deeply again, "Guests of Master Kuei, welcome!"

The three magicians glanced at each other before returning the bow. Spinel remained on Eriol's arm, before tipping his head. This was most certainly a very curious thing. Maduokai Kuei had simply come up to them, and said quite clearly, that he'd heard that they were looking for the missing bones of Clow Reed, and he was on his way to try and help them . . . he'd had some respect for the old magician, and wanted to assist them. He spoke of a way to find the bones, but had asked them to accompany him back to his little home so that they could rest. Syaoran was hesitant at first, he didn't want to trust anyone who had come out of nowhere with a mystical cure to their problem, but he also accepted that they were coming to a dead end.

Kuei Maduokai smiled brightly, "I heard of your problems years ago, and have only recently found a solution to your problem . . . I was going to travel to Japan to track down the Clow Mistress . . ."

"Mistress Kinomoto . . ." Syaoran corrected almost instantly, he didn't like the man's oily attitude.

"Master Kuei . . ." the three looked up as a youthful woman dressed in blue knelt in the doorway, her hands demurely in her lap, and her head tipped downward. "Tea is prepared now."

Maduokai nodded, "Will Lady Asil be able to join us?"

"Indeed, Master Kuei . . ." The woman dipped her head, "By your leave, Master Kuei, I will fetch her . . ."

The Lady Asil was a beautiful woman.

Her demure kimono was extremely traditional, leaving Syaoran to suspect that her waist had been bound, and pulled in as tightly as it would go. She sat at the table, as they walked in, lifting her head only to nod to them once. They were surprised to notice that her face was hidden behind a geisha's makeup. She had long eyelashes that hid her eyes demurely, and she never looked them directly in the eye. The only thing that wasn't traditional about her was her hair. Her long black hair was left loose, unusually so that two locks fell either side of her head while the rest trailed down her back. Her fringe was cut short, and straight across her brow. She sat there, not even acknowledging the guests of her master as they sat.

"Forgive my Lady Asil . . ." Maduokai sank down beside her and patted her hand, "She's one of my first more complex creations, unfortunately for me. . ." he sighed, "She doesn't seem to have much of a personality . . ." he smiled at the three magicians as he lifted a lock of her hair slightly, "but she's beautiful to look at, no?"

"Creation?" Eriol questioned quietly, "I didn't realise you had that much power. . . you keep it well hidden. . ."

"Oh, I'm not so powerful as the late Clow Reed or yourself for that matter . . ." Maduokai motioned Spinel, "my creations are merely ghosts and illusions made flesh . . . nothing so very complex. . . when I do not need my creations, they are independent, they draw much of their magic from other sources. . ."

Syaoran paid little attention to the conversation, continuing to stare at the woman Maduokai called Asil. She was so. . .

"Beautiful?" Maduokai interrupted his thoughts, with an amused tint to his voice, "I'm sorry, but my dear Lady Asil is not for sale . . ."

"No!" Syaoran blushed deeply before explaining, "She reminds me of a cousin . . ." he glanced at the others, "Meilin. . . don't you think she looks like Meilin . . .?"

Asil's eyelids twitched slightly, and Maduokai's smile seemed to turn a degree colder. "You are of the Li Clan. . .?"

Syaoran blinked and looked at him, "Yes, I am. . . in fact I am the Head of the Li Clan . . ."

"I'm sorry . . ." Maduokai dipped his head respectfully, "I didn't realise . . . Asil heard of the . . . unpleasantness that occurred, she was much upset about it . . ." he turned to address the woman, "Asil, please take some tea to our other guest, and inform the others that we leave soon . . ."

She nodded, and stood gracefully. Taking one of the trays of tea with her, she paused only by the door to turn and nod to the guest once before slipping out the door.

"You're leaving?" Touya questioned quietly, as Maduokai sipped his tea. "Where are you going?"

"With you, of course . . ." Maduokai smiled widely again, "I can help you find Clow Reed's skull . . ."

"Oh really?" Touya raised an eyebrow, "And how will you do that, when we've been searching for three years and found nothing?"

"Ah . . . but have you had nearly a decade of training in the Egyptian Magic Arts?"

"There are none." Eriol set down his cup firmly, and stared at Maduokai. "I've made it my life's business to study all types of magic . . . Egyptian Magic is a dead art."

"Perhaps for the more powerful magicians who rely on the Western and Eastern magica alone . . ." Maduokai waved his hand, "but I managed to track down a small nomadic tribe of Magi who still taught the old arts, handed down from father to son, mother to daughter since the time of the Pharaoh . . ."

Eriol didn't look very happy with this, but Touya leant forward, "And you want to help us because?"

"Like I said," Maduokai smiled broadly, "I want to help . . . I've been a grand . . . admirer, shall we say, of the great man . . ." he leant back and smiled, "My family have had very close links with him, once . . ."

"Really?" Eriol raised an eyebrow, "The Kuei Clan? I've not heard of them . . ."

"I am the last surviving member of my family . . ." The dark grey eyes narrowed slightly, "Surely you can appreciate that I wish to honour my dead family . . . by returning a favour . . ."

"Of course," Touya frowned, and glanced at Eriol, "But you can understand that we are conscious that this offer seems to come from the blue. We cannot take any chances . . ."

"But of course . . ." Maduokai smiled, "Which is why I want to help. Naturally I will wait a few days, to allow you to return and tell you kin that help is at hand . . ."

Touya spared Eriol and Syaoran another look, before turning to Maduokai. He tipped his head to the smiling man, "Of course . . ."

Darkness . . .

He waited, so patiently, he waited.

There was a soft step by the door, hesitation, his master hesitated. But that was all right, it was the anticipation . . . another night of love. He smiled, to feel his master's fingers as they ran through his hair. He almost cried . . . with the joy that came into his soul. This joy that was so claustrophobic, it made his chest tighten, his hands shake uncontrollably, his eyes water. His stomach rolled with over excitement. He wasn't alone. His master would soon wind his fist tightly into his hair, and pull him so close.

Hei-ying couldn't decide what he loved more . . .

The feeling of Clow's hand in his hair, tight, so very tight that it hurt or this, the feeling before he came in.

Both hurt, they hurt so much . . . so much that he almost wanted to cry, but one day . . . Clow would make the pain go away, but for now, Hei-ying had to withstand the pain.

The door creaked open, and Hei-ying opened his eyes.

Ah . . . his fine master, his handsome creator . . .

Clow leant on the doorframe and stared in, a slow smile appearing on his lips, his dark blue eyes were cold. But Hei-ying would fix that; Hei-ying would light a fire in those eyes that would take nearly five hundred years to extinguish. Hei-ying smiled for his master, once . . . Clow had told him, his smile was a thing of beauty . . .

Hei-ying swore that he would keep his smile only for Clow . . .

The handsome blue eyes seemed to freeze colder. "Hei-ying . . ." Clow murmured as he stepped in, "why do you smile so?"

"Only for you, master . . . only for you . . ."

Clow's hand, his fine hand, his warm hand, lashed out instantly, and struck the angel hard. Pain screamed across his face, but Hei-ying kept smiling, only for Clow, only for Clow . . .

His fist grabbed the angel's hair, and wound into the black locks tightly as he dragged the angel off the bed and threw him to the floor, and Hei-ying . . . pushing himself up to look at his beautiful master . . . could only smile, yes it hurt now . . . but soon . . . soon . . . Clow's strong hand yanked again, dragging the angel to him. Pulling, ripping, tearing, their clothes were abandoned.

Wrapping his hands gently around his master's strong shoulders, Hei-ying smiled . . . oh, how was he loved! Clow' anger had melted away as soon as it had came, and here they were entwined together for rare moments as his master slept. The juices of their bodies seeped uncomfortable from his body, but Hei-ying could nearly weep. He was so loved, so cherished; Clow had fallen asleep in his arms . . .

His smile grew . . .

Oh, to be together like this for eternity . . . for Hei-ying to hold his fine master, his handsome creator forever in his arms, his warm breath dancing over his bruised collar bone, his large hands still tightly twined in his hair. Hei-ying knew . . . oh, he knew he was so very loved, Clow would not hold him, touch him, hurt him so if it was not love . . .

Would he?

. . . his eyes glazed over, as he stared at the dark green canopy, as his smile froze into place. His heart was breaking, he was too happy . . . that's what caused the tears to roll from his eyes, he was too happy! His master loved him, and only him. . .  he carefully folded in his smile, allowed it to fall from his face as he carefully placed it away like he did his clothes, ready to show to Clow the next time.

And the next.

And the next.

And the next.

And the . . .

His eyes came open slowly.

It was still dark, so he didn't really register he was awake until the movement in his room moved again. Hei-ying sat up and looked around, his eyes coming to rest on the woman standing in his doorway. He waved his hand over the lamp by his bedside, and looked at the woman. She hesitated for a moment longer, wringing her hands.

 "I . . ." she sighed and stepped into the light. Ruby Moon, dressed in her dressing gown and nightie, brushed back a lock of hair, "Ano, ne?" she murmured, "I thought I heard you crying . . . and . . ." she blushed slightly, "Oldest Cousin, I was wondering . . ."

Hei-ying sat up in bed, "please . . . have a seat . . ." he tilted his head and stated quietly, "you aren't usually this timid."

"Just because I'm super cute all day . . ." She smiled weakly as she continued, "I worried that you were . . . not well again. . ."

He dipped his head and stared at his hands as they rested in his lap. The bed shifted, as Ruby got up, "you know. . . I used to have bad nightmares . . . I used to have to sleep in the same room as Suppi, because I felt so safe with him . . ." she sighed and sat closer, "it helped when I talked to him. . ."

Hei-ying's hands clenched, "there's nothing to talk about. . ."

"I'd say that too . . ." Ruby continued, apparently unaware of Hei-ying's reluctance to talk about it. "I'd tell Suppi that I didn't wanna tell him what scared me so much . . . because I was afraid he'd look down those stupid little glasses of his, and then ignore me . . ."

Hei-ying's knuckles turned deathly white.

"I didn't think I could ever take that, I love Suppi . . . I really do . . . I couldn't bare to be away from him for a whole day, and to have him leave me . . ." Ruby shook her head, "it was too horrible to think about . . ."

Hei-ying's jade eyes slid shut.

"And then the sickness came, the Ying-yang syndrome . . ." Ruby smiled as she brushed another lock of hair back, "Eriol had to create a human form, only a temporary form for Spinel . . ."

The moon glinted of his glasses as he took them off.

She watched them as he laid them on the bedside table, and his hand pressed softly against her cheek. Rolling over she looked up into the pale features of her magic's opposite. Spinel made a handsome human, a sharp nose like she, his features were almost exactly like hers only where there was rose pinks and reds, there was midnight blue and dark purples. . . Spinel's eyes danced as he nudged her nose with his.

His voice, a deep tenor, just as it was in his full form sent shivers in her body.

"Oh, I've longed to do this . . ." he whispered, as she raised her hands to smooth them over his shoulders. "Ruby . . ." a smile curled in his lips as he kissed her, "I won't let your nightmares bother you . . . not tonight . . ."

Smiling, she reached for him again, his soft lips pressing against hers once more, as she whispered back, "but the other nights . . ."

"Tell me . . ." his hand traced up her body, his shoulder muscles moved under her own fingers, "tell me about them . . . I won't leave you . . ."

The moonlight, and Spinel's warm body covering hers intoxicated Ruby so much so she parted her lips and began to speak.

"It did me the world of good!"

Hei-ying's eyes snapped open as Ruby bounced on to his bed, "So!" She grinned up at him, "Tell me what's wrong with you?" Hei-ying stared at her for a long moment, before raising a hand and touching her cheek gently, "No . . . I wouldn't want to bring back your nightmares . . ."

Ruby blinked with surprise, a light blush spreading over her features.

He was looking at her with such a look of melancholy, "Ruby-chan . . ." he shifted, so he could get out of bed, and held out his hand to help her up, "Why don't we go to the kitchen and begin breakfast . . . I don't want to sleep anymore . . ."

A long time . . . away . . .

Sakura frowned as she turned, the darkness surrounded her but it was not scary. She looked down at her feet her magic circle again. There was a shower of Sakura blossoms, rain, snowflakes, Sakura blossoms twirled around her in a beautiful dance. She smiled as she raised her hands to cup them, but blinked as everything around her faded.

She was sitting on a branch, staring down. A small smile spread across her face.

She was sat in a very tall tree, and cherry blossoms surrounded her. Below her, Yue and Keroberos, Spinel Sun and Ruby Moon, and Hei-ying stared up at her. The blossoms floated down all around them almost glowing as they fell from the tree on a gentle breeze. There was a light chuckle from her left, as a beautiful girl raised her hand to cover her laughter. Her tumbling purple hair curled around her pale features as her almost transparent wings fluttered with a gleam of violet. Her fringe tumbled forward, as her shoulders shook with her mirth. Sakura peered at her, she'd never seen this woman before . . . although she looked like . . .

There was a snort from her side; a snow tiger licked its paw, its eyes closed peacefully. It too had see through wings. Sakura felt like she should have been gawking at these strange new creatures but instead she felt herself turn to smile down at the five creations below her.

Standing behind Yue and Keroberos was a boy, a teenaged boy with long brown hair. He stared up at her with dark blue eyes, and a shocked expression. "Why?" He asked quietly, "Why are you . . .?"

Sakura felt pride well up in her heart as she stood up on the branch, her guardians standing with her.

"In this life . . ."

And then she was falling.

Water.

"Water . . . is something that flows . . ."

She was falling through water!

Arms spread wide and caught her. "Sakura . . ." her hands came up to press hard against her face as she began to apologise. She peeked her eye open, and blinked as a warm smile greeted her. Clow Reed stared back at her; he raised his hand and touched her cheek.

"Forces are stirring Sakura, forces that are beyond my control. . ." his smile faded, and his eyes opened. Clow's glasses fell from his face, as he stared at her with fear growing in his eyes. "Who are you?!"

"Clow?"

"I don't know you . . ." he let go of her and stumbled back. Sakura went to run after him, but . . . she found herself running into the downstairs study. Light poured into the room, as she found herself slowing to a stop and coming across Clow again, this time with a winged angel in his arms. The light was so blinding, Sakura could barely make out any features. The angel stepped out of Clow's embrace, and walked toward her. The angel tilted his head, his features completely hidden by the blinding light. Sakura tried to hold up her hand, and reach out, but the angel stepped back. "Yue?"

"I'm sorry Sakura . . . please . . ." Yue's voice sounded almost too calm for even him, "Please tell Touya that . . . I want to be with Clow . . ."

"Are you sure . . .?" Sakura couldn't believe herself, "why was she so calm about this?! Yue was betraying her brother!!" He knelt before her and smiled, the light highlighting his cheekbones and lips as he raised a hand and pressed it against her cheek. She sighed and shook her head, "I'm sure he won't take it too hard . . . but are you very sure you want to leave him?"

The angel shook his head and turned, the light glowing on his profile as he murmured, "I want to be with Clow, not him . . . for the rest of eternity . . ."

"Yue!!" Sakura felt close to tears, "Stop it please!! Yue!!" She felt hot tears track down her cheeks, and her fists strike something as she lashed out. It broke the dream, and the Dream Card floated away. "Na-nani?!" Sakura choked out, as she opened her eyes. Kero leant over her, clearly concerned and wincing as her fists lowered from his head. "Kero-chan?"

"You were having a dream . . . Sakura . . ." he stared at her deeply, "What was it about? What was Yue doing?!"

Sakura blinked for a few moments, "I don't . . ." she glanced out the window, as the lion sat back. "I don't remember . . ." She frowned, "but . . . Clow-sama . . . Clow-sama said that forces were stirring . . . forces that were beyond his control . . ."

"Clow Reed . . . once again . . ." he was silent for a long moment, the large lion taking the time to watch Sakura carefully. Kero's golden eyes narrowed, "what else did you see?"

The moonlight continued to stream in through the windows, Sakura continued to stare out of the window.

"Water . . . Kero-chan, water is something that flows . . ."

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And Now It's Time To LEAVE IT TO DOCTOR MEGALOMANIA!!!

DrM: Short AN's Today, simply because I'm in a bit of a rush!! Demo! Please take the time to R&R!! I don't write for reviews, but I do like to know what you think of what is happening!! [big shimmery eyes] Pwease!

Hei-ying: Review! Oh, please Review! Just stop her chibi-cuteness!!