Lchan: People...I'm gettin' tired o' this fic. I'm leavin' it. Sorry, okay, peeps?

...

laughs Hah!! No way!!! Not a chance!!! This thing's here to stay!! ;; Okay...I'm sorry. I'm fooling around. This isn't the last chapter, 'kay?

I'm sorry if this took so long. When I first tried to get this chapter in here (which was I think three days ago, more or less), the Download Manager went crazy and wouldn't create/upload a new chapter. Harsh. Oh well.

Here's your chapter 9, everyone!! Gomen for that moment of utter ridicule!!! Hee hee...okay. Now I'm serious. Go ahead, read. Oh, and this has more talk. Not much action. But I hope you'll like it anyway.

VIII-Mistaken Identity

"Syaoran." Sakura said, her voice firm, face stern. She ran between him and Daidouji, spreading her arms as if defending her. "No! Stop it, okay!?"

"K'so, Sakura, get out of my way," Syaoran muttered. He dropped his hands, the tip of the blade clanking against the tile as both surfaces came in contact. He could hardly feel the handle of his sword, just the agony of his muscles while he carried its weight.

"Dame!!" Sakura shook her head, her honey-colored hair moving opposite to the motion, swishing gently. Her mouth was set in a firm line, eyes hinted with a bit of anger.

Syaoran shivered a little, but he shook his head, clenched his teeth and gathered as much energy as he could, raising his sword again. "No."

"No!?" Sakura echoed. "Syaoran, I'll handle this, okay!?"

Syaoran eyed her, angrily, like the thought of her underestimating him had stung. "You think I'm weak...don't you?"

Sakura's eyes widened. "I...I...n-no..."

"Then please...let me fight!" Syaoran said, his voice having teeny hints of pleading.

"But...but you're...you're still hurt..."

Tomoyo, voice wavering with fear, spoke up. "S-Syaoran...I...you're not going to...kill me...are you?" she asked, almost timidly. "I won't have to f-fight you...will I?"

Syaoran's eyes snapped up.

Sakura turned around. "Tomoyo-chan..." she whispered.

Daidouji bit her lip, gulping. "Does that mean...you'll kill...ME? Because, I...I'm really not a card..." She looked away as if to keep herself from crying.

Sakura's eyes widened. "Hoe...Syaoran-kun, we'll have to find out who's who before fighting," she said, softly. "We can't just..."

"I know..." Syaoran murmured, avoiding her gaze as he looked to the side. His eyes fell on the bed, and suddenly he was once again craving for warmth. He closed his eyes and tried to shut out the icy surge that ran throughout his body, numbing his whole being.

Tension filled the room.

No one spoke.

No one stirred.

"Well..." Sakura finally spoke up. "I...Tomoyo-chan..." she looked towards Tomoyo, "...she...started calling me Sakura-chan again, when she suddenly entered the room earlier."

Syaoran, glad for the distraction, raised his eyes. "So?" he pressed, unable to comprehend what she was saying. They've been calling each other's names with chans in the end since the beginning.

"See...Tomoyo-chan and I had this fight yesterday--" Sakura started, slowly.

"About what?" Syaoran, asked, suddenly curious. This was a first, and he couldn't help asking, even though he would normally just leave unnecessary details out...such as this.

Sakura's cast her eyes down. "I...well...we just a had a little debate...so anyway," she rushed on, "she stopped calling me 'Sakura-chan' since I...sort of...offended her during that little...debate...and just called me Sakura. A-and...THIS Tomoyo-chan..." she turned to the whimpering Daidouji, "she's been with me...and you...since early this morning...and SHE," she looked towards Tomoyo, "just came in, a few minutes before you woke up, and...and..."

"And so you think she's the Clow Card?" Syaoran asked, softly.

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "B-but, I-I...I was downstairs...talking to Eriol...o-on the phone..." she stammered. "H-he wanted to ask about Syaoran and--"

"And Tomoyo-chan (meaning Daidouji) already said that, too...before YOU came in, so...I...I'm...I'm having doubts..." Sakura continued, in an unsure whisper.

"Twin Card..." Syaoran murmured.

"Hoe?"

"Twin Card."

"I...I don't understand..."

"The Tomoyo-imitation...is the Twin Card..." Syaoran said, his voice breaking from involuntary shivers. He clutched his sword tighter and tried to control his shallow breathing. His hands shook. He knew it. But he wouldn't give up.

"So...which one is the imitation?" Sakura asked.

"No idea," Syaoran answered, partly because he didn't want to waste energy on muttering observations and also because he didn't know yet on whose side he was on, the scrunchie-girl or the with-Sakura-girl.

Sakura looked really downhearted. Syaoran almost felt like blaming himself for giving such a stupid answer.

"Well, what should we do?" she asked.

Syaoran shook his head, silently, once again feeling the icy waves that endlessly tortured him to go back to sleep. "I...I don't know..." he murmured.

Sakura once more eyed the two, watery-eyed Tomoyos, cursing herself for once again relying on Syaoran's problem-solving abilities when she knew he was having a hard time even to just stay awake.

"Gomennasai," she said.

Syaoran glanced at her briefly, but didn't reply or even ask what for.

Sakura bit her lip and tried to think, voicing her ideas as she did. "Tomoyo-chan (Tomoyo) is a lot like, well...the original Tomoyo-chan, who loved to videotape and who was with us yesterday when...you know...the Tomoyo I've always hung out with and hadn't yelled at... But since we got into a fight, SHE (Daidouji) is closer to the real Tomoyo because the way she acts now is also the way the really real Tomoyo acted towards me yesterday after our fight. And since I don't know if she has forgiven me...I'm willing to say...that I...I..."

"That you think I'm the Clow Card!?!?" Tomoyo gasped out.

Syaoran watched Sakura closely as she slowly nodded her head. She was serious. Even though her analysis was a vague jumble of words he could barely understand what with his brain going slow on him and all, he was pretty much confident in his observation that she was dead s-e-r-i-o-u-s.

"If you're sure...then seal it."

Sakura looked at him. "....Hai...."

She brought out her key and held it in front of her, a lump in her throat as she recited her lines, armed with a huge dose of courage which she had never had to use before.

"Release!"

There was a bright glow, and gusts of wind seemed to surround her as the key stretched in midair.

Syaoran felt as if every gentle blow of the wind was slicing through him like slabs of ice, like he was walking through the sleet stark naked. He shivered violently, dropping his sword's sheath while the other hand clutched the blade's handle tighter than ever.

Sakura snatched her wand off the air. The winds stopped.

Syaoran felt frozen. His vision once again blotted and blurred, the cold numbing his brain, which was craving for warmth to provide good service. He reduced his shivers to heavy, rapid breathing, collapsing to the floor on his knees.

Daidouji ran towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Syaoran-kun, daijobu!?!?"

Syaoran felt the Clow Card's aura flare dramatically, sensing its presence stronger than ever. His amber eyes widened.

Tomoyo started to cry, backing away and dropping her camera to the floor. "DAME!!!" she cried. "Onegai, I'm not a Clow Card!!!" Her back hit the door, her tears flowing freely down her porcelain cheeks.

Suddenly, she found herself wishing she was once again hearing Eriol's mysterious voice and feeling his mysterious presence, back downstairs, holding the phone and talking to the half-reincarnation of Clow Reed, laughing and giggling to his charming replies.

But she was there. With Sakura and Syaoran, both of them against her. Desperate, she cried, "Sakura-chan, don't do this, please!!!"

England

"What's the matter?" Nakuru asked, watching the sudden change in Eriol's expression. His sly grin had somehow suddenly turned into a serious gaze, blue eyes clouded with worry.

Spinal Sun hopped down from the table and walked over to him, peered into Eriol's face. "What's up?" he asked.

Eriol ignored the question.

His serious blue eyes were narrowed with concentration, brows furrowed with hints of disapproval.

Several minutes passed, when Eriol's expression was suddenly turned into a real mask of worry, a look that was alien to both Spinel and Nakuru.

"Hmm? Doushita no?" Nakuru asked, looking into Eriol's face.

It took a few long moments before she figured out what was wrong with the suddenly-not-so-cool half-reincarnation of Clow Reed. And that didn't even require Eriol to actually TELL her what.

It was all in the way he said her name.

"Tomoyo..."

Action Scene

Sakura bit her lip, and then shook her head to wave off any emotion. It was hard to actually do this to a replica of your best friend, even though it/she IS just a replica.

But it had to be done.

"Sword Card..." she murmured. The card complied immediately. Her wand melted into a slim rapier, which she firmly held in front of her in an offensive position.

Tomoyo shut her eyes.

Sakura advanced towards her.

Daidouji's fingers tightened painfully on Syaoran's shoulder, more and more as she watched the blade go nearer to the girl whom they believed to be the Twin Card.

His vision immediately retaliated with a wild round of blotting out and blurring of colors. "Ah..." he gasped out, softly, as the pressure on his shoulder increased.

He raised his amber eyes towards Daidouji's face, which swam in and out of focus. "Stop it," he hissed, every syllable coated with pain.

She didn't seem to hear him, amethyst eyes fixed on the scene before them. They were blank, no longer shining with concern or moist with tears. The pressure of her fingers was absolutely excruciating, mercilessly digging into his skin, almost daring him to cry out loud.

And when she looked at him, he could see the naughty, triumphant smile that was on her face. He could almost hear her giggles. This chilled him to the core, and a sudden, dark realization dawned on him.

"Sakura, no!" he shouted.

"AAAAAAAHHH!!!!" Tomoyo screamed, as the rapier caught her arm, drawing blood.

"Hoe!?" Sakura exclaimed. Syaoran's sudden cry had distracted her, fortunately piercing Tomoyo's arm instead of her heart. She flicked confused emerald eyes towards the wound and gasped, covering her mouth at the sight of blood. "But..but Clow Cards don't have blood!" she cried.

Syaoran's vision blotted and dimmed as the hand on his shoulder continued to practically dislocate the joint. The pain grew unbearable. "Sakura..." he gasped out.

Sakura turned around. Her emerald green eyes widened. "HOEEEEE!!!!!" she screamed. For Daidouji was now in her Twin Card form, face masked with pure glee and triumph.

Sakura's emerald green eyes widened as she sighted an only half-conscious Syaoran desperately pulling himself from its grasp, muttering incoherent curses.

"Syaoran-kun!!!" she shouted. And then, to her horror, Syaoran's amber eyes suddenly widened, and he stopped struggling.

A wave of nausea washed over him.

And then he shook his head as if to focus himself. "Seal it!!!!" he shouted, voice strained with desperation and pain with a touch of his usual stubborn bravery.

Sakura felt a hand on her arm. She turned around.

And there was Tomoyo. She raised her camera (she picked it up, okay?) to her eye and winked at Sakura in a way she hadn't in what seemed like such a long time.

"Ganbatte ne." Complete with a charming sweet smile.

And Sakura smiled back.

"Hai."

tbc

Lchan: Okay...I dunno when I can put up a new chapter. School. You know... Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. There's gonna be some action in the next one. Please review. Oh, and 'ganbatte' means good luck, okay? Okay.

Please review!! And if you have ideas that you want me to include in this fic, please tell me in feedback-form. I'd love to hear them since I'm kinda getting short on plotlines.

Arigato gozaimasu!!

Ja ne.