Captain Jack Sparrow: Welcome to the Caribbean love...s
Olwen-Cheesecake: What he means is 'Welcome back to my CCS-filled world!'
Captain Jack Sparrow: Rum is good. It is not good to burn rum...unless you drink
more afterward.
Olwen-Cheesecake: Hey is trying to say 'This fan fiction is
good. Do not abandon it now,
unless you plan to come back and read more later?'
Captain Jack Sparrow: Grapes are good as well, love, but weren't they of the
French?
Or perhaps mayonnaise...raisins humiliate grapes you know...
Olwen-Cheesecake: He's blabbering on to say 'Other fanfics are good too, but
none of them includes this type of
originality. You see, none of my characters get amnesia...Hm, my story and plot
are original, but the characters are not
mine, but are CLAMP's. And then he just rambles on about mayonnaise...'
He stood in front of Sakura, but only his back was facing her. There was a chair opposite him. Sakura knew that they were in some sort of void. She tried ignoring the fact that this man was important to her. She knew him as soon as she had set eyes on him. It wasn't the tied-back hair, the cloak, staff, or eyes that gave away his rank in her life. It was his distinguishable aura. It brought her comfort and diminished any sort of worry or despair. This was the moment she had been awaiting for...
When he turned around to face Sakura, she could see his eyes sparkling with something less than amusement. His glasses were tilted at the edge of his nose (which he readjusted right away), and the grin planted on his lips was welcoming. It was a formal smile.
"Clow Reed," Sakura sighed, dazzled by his aura.
Clow Reed's smile softened to more of a friendly and relaxed expression. "Sakura, we meet again. I hope you remember this much at least."
Sakura nodded, "Now I do."
"You have been taking care of the cards, I see." Clow Reed waved his hand, but the cards did not obey. "And claimed them for your own-again. I am truly proud."
Sakura summoned her cards and they floated around her. Clow Reed frowned at the numbers of cards flying around her head.
"You are missing one."
"Hai-the Hope. The one I had created myself...I wish to find it soon. I know that I am close."
"No, you do not wish to..."
"Sakura's face contorted in confusion, "I don't?"
"No-you don't. You will find it." he replied, encouragingly. Clow Reed received an emerald-glittering, lit-up expression from Sakura. "Don't get your spirits up too quick. I still have more to answer for you."
"Enlighten me then..."
Clow Reed offered Sakura a seat on the chair that had appeared opposite his own, which he now sat in. The void had turned from nothingness, to a plain field and then to a plain home setting. Clow Reed cleared his throat when he knew Sakura would not be able to sit still any longer. "Let us go back before your years, before you father's years-to my years..."
Back in the times of folklore and magic, I
was respected no matter how odd my dealings. I was THE scientist. A scientist of
magic. I would experiment with magic and make new things. The people would
accept some things and I would refuse to give them others. I refused the the
ability to destroy...I refused them the ability to hurt in other ways, but they
discovered their own means of getting about those dangerous paths.
To me, the world was full of experiments waiting to be
discovered. One of these were the cards. They held my powers in each card.
Concentrated energy that I knew would be of great force and use one day. I
treasured the cards the most. They would always be a part of me. Pieces of me.
They were me.
I soon ignored all other magic and experiments. I lived for
my cards. But I couldn't me trapped in one galaxy forever. I've always been a
bit claustrophobic...So I decided I would go just this once. How wrong it was of
me to leave again. Or perhaps it was not?
I came across one unique world after another. These ones I
had never been to. They were quite interesting, but none like Obyth. Ah, the
Obyth was a whole galaxy in itself. It would consume you if you were not
careful. A heaven. A safe, wonderful and peaceful haven! I was absolutely in
love with it!
The inhabitants were not too different from myself. They
traveled within their own galaxy, from world to world. They were
intelligent, and creative. They were the peaceful folk. They were harmless.
Though, their one fault was that they loved to play-they loved to experiment.
They were full of magic themselves. One of the late sovereigns would experiment
day and night. One day he brought back a person from Earth, to keep myself
company. They delayed my departure month by month. I told them that I had other
things to get to-and eventually they found out about my cards. They were quite
the imitators.
Another fault, I must add in now is that these people would
be harmless, but if they thought you threatening enough they would immediately
kill you. We, being people of Earth, are quite a threat in our actions. They
killed him. An innocent man of nineteen of twenty. This man-no they did not just
kill him...they sucked him into the spirit of their galaxy. He was now the soul
of their galaxy.
At around this time the sovereign of the galaxy had created
his own cards. I found out that it had not been in fact his own formula, but
another emperor's. I demanded to see that emperor. I was angry. They were
handling dangerous powers, and killing people from Earth. Well, one person, but
it was an awful start.
Now, when I met this emperor I thought I was looking at a
rougher version of me. I was so scared I banished the Obythians. They were
rebelling against my warnings. They would not let me leave. They were
threatening me now. I banished them to a small planet, circling around the
universe, after destroying their galaxy. I did not destroy their galaxy. They
began to learn the ways of people from Earth. They learned destruction and
fought. Before my eyes, heaven was disintegrating. I saved as many as I could,
but it would be concluded that I would have to vacuum up the remains of the
galaxy into a black hole.
They used up my energy in this way, and I was lost unto
oblivion, until my cards found my way home-to Earth. I knew the Obythians'
purpose for remaining. It had been fate for their galaxy to be destroyed. They
were a galaxy meant to serve you-and you to serve them.
"That same sovereign that created his own two cards is
now ruling Obythia. He is the current sovereign, and he only wants one thing
from you..." Clow Reed continued from his story.
Sakura groaned, "How am I supposed to make sense of this all? What do they want from me!?"
Clow Reed smirked, "That is for you to find out in time, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I guess." Sakura nodded. "So is Eriol really the modern version of you?"
"My reincarnation, but no, not me. He is his own person." Clow Reed replied simply.
"And Angelo, what of him?" Sakura continued on her role of questions. It was a good time to get it all in one sweep.
"I will not speak any of him."
"Fine-my mother? What was she like? Do you know?" Sakura sighed. "I can't even remember her."
"Hm, beautiful and clumsy, yet an angel to your father." he replied, softly.
"Clumsy?"
"How else would your parents have met?" Clow Reed smiled. "You seem to take after her too."
"Me? Clumsy!?" Sakura protested.
Clow Reed chuckled, "I think it's time you saw exactly what happened before the world changed around you to what it is now." he paused. "We won't go back too far into the past. I think we should go back to the day you found my Clow Book."
As they sat there the scene around them changed. Sakura relived her past as it was before. She relived it and discovered so much more. She discovered herself. I was so dense! I would have never thought-I didn't in fact! Wow...The past was getting intense for her. Past loves, Syaoran wanting an answer, Syaoran leaving for China-her heart throbbed. The exchange of teddy bears made her sniffle and let out a small sob. Sakura couldn't stand the sight of her past anymore. She felt raw on the inside. She felt confused, as she always had been deep down inside.
Clow Reed noticed the change in Sakura's attitude towards her past. He immediately skipped ahead to when Syaoran came back. Sakura's distress increased, however, knowing that their new found love would be lost again. she dreaded the second it happened every moment that passed by. She shivered...knowing it would change her life forever. Was it my fault I couldn't sense the danger? How could I have been so blind to it!?
Clow Reed felt Sakura tense every now and then. He brought them back to the void, where Sakura found herself back on her chair, surrounded by white. Sakura stood up. She knew Clow Reed had something more to show her, and this time she decided to be strong.
"Sakura, because I can come to you in your dreams, I can also travel through to other people's dreams. I can take you with me. I think you deserve to see something more pleasant now. We may be unnoticeable at first, but the dreamer will recognize the glow." Clow Reed said, quite quickly.
"The glow?"
"It makes the dreamer aware that you are not at all part of their dream, but some sort of foreign interference." he informed.
Sakura was bout to say something more, but they suddenly were in a dark, pitch black void. She couldn't see anything. When her eyes adjusted she realized she was seeing green and pink lights in the air. They hung like mist, and she wondered how they remained suspended up there. It suddenly reminded her of the Aurora Borealis. Sakura pried her eyes away from the beautiful lights towards the source of movement in the black of the environment. There was a young boy kneeling in front of a pool of water, just a few feet away. Sakura's mouth twitched.
It was Syaoran.
He was leaning in, trying to see something in the pool of water. Sakura figured it was "showing" him something. He started talking to himself, inaudible to Sakura's ears. Sakura inched closer, wanting to hear what he had to say. She smiled at Clow Reed, letting him know that she was going to try and get closer. Clow Reed nodded, as if he understood her silent question.
Syaoran's hand was now in the pool of water. He was trying to pull something out, but it didn't seem to take that much effort-just a lot of time. He pulled out his hand and there sat a cherry blossom, in his palm. He smirked at the blossom and began to speak again. His voice floated throughout the darkness, and it didn't seem to be coming from his mouth. Sakura shivered.
What torture you bring-despair.
I sent you away, not really meaning for it to go so far-
You are truly my angel; my one and only star.
Why have you forsaken me?
Why is it so hard to see-
That I am angered by my love for you...
When I said "Be gone" I meant "Aishiteru".
Clow Reed watched silently as Sakura made her way, slowly, to Syaoran's kneeling form. He could feel love emanating off of Sakura. He smiled to himself. They were perfect for each other-and not even a small fight would keep them apart. Perhaps, not even death would.
Syaoran's face contorted with a mixture of fear and surprise. The cherry blossom began to fly away through the air. It was heading somewhere, but where? He followed the cherry blossom until it landed on the ground in front of someone's feet. This someone was glowing quite a bit. Interference. Syaoran thought angrily. He glared and lifted his eyes to stare at this intruder. This person that had entered his own private world.
"Sakura?" Syaoran could see someone behind her in the distance-Clow Reed-but he didn't care now.
"I miss you," Sakura said, as she stood in front of him, shyly.
Syaoran blushed and scratched the of his head, with a crazy smile planted on his face. "Me too-I-did you-well..."
"Well?"
"Well."
"Well!"
Syaoran chuckled, "Awkward moment."
"Indeed," Sakura agreed.
Syaoran continued to make conversation, only to end it again. "Would you care to dance?" Music began playing in the background.
Sakura's eyes widened, "How did you-" Sakura began. "Oh yeah-your dream; your rules." She nodded, "Let's dance."
They held onto each other lovingly as they waltzed around the dark void, which seemed to brighten because of Sakura's presence. Sakura did not notice though. Clow Reed was quite surprised by her ignorance when she was preoccupied by Syaoran. Perhaps it was the reason for not realizing that they were all in danger, two years back at the cherry blossom festival.
As they danced Syaoran whispered into Sakura's ear, "So...have we made up?"
"Perhaps."
"Well?"
"Well...yes!" Sakura hugged Syaoran closer, stopping their waltz. They remained hugging for several minutes, until Sakura fell right through him. "W-what happened?"
Syaoran began fading. Sakura began to panic. Clow Reed began to leave.
He grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her in close. "Quick, we must leave. Syaoran is waking up."
Syaoran suddenly disappeared. They did as well.
"We're back, ne?" Sakura rubbed her eyes when the whiteness began to hurt her eyes. "I must be getting up soon too, right?"
Clow Reed nodded, "It is a good thing we were not trapped in Syaoran's dream world forever. And I must say, we will meet again."
"I guess I'll have to go back to Syaoran, now that we've gotten things straightened out. Our number one priority should be finding the Hope card." Sakura added in.
Clow Reed nodded again, "Here's advice then: don't be afraid of yourself."
"What do you-" Sakura found herself staring at a ceiling very close to her nose. It was the tunnel in the ditch-yet again. "I wish I were having a a simple nightmare." Sakura sighed and crawled out of her position. She went past Mamoru, grabbed a branch, and began writing a very noticeable note on the wall of the tunnel. "I'm sorry." Sakura apologized to the scribe that slept in front of her. She did not wish to wake him up yet. Sakura crawled out of the ditch and began running. She couldn't be caught-not now.
Sakura arrived in the neighborhood covered in mud, leaves, twigs and much much more. She did not care. And it was clear Syaoran didn't either. He was waiting for her at the front door. He seemed to have known that she would come back right away, rather than wait awhile. Syaoran grabbed Sakura, hugging her and kissing her all over her face.
Sakura giggled and pushed him away, "Let me in first!" Syaoran reluctantly let go of her and followed her into the living room. Sakura's eyes were sparkling with glee, "Guess what!?" Syaoran nodded, indicating for her to go on. "I haven't cried at all since I last saw you. Aren't you proud?"
Syaoran frowned as he sat down beside her on the loveseat-couch, beside Sakura. "No, I'm very disappointed."
"Why!?" Sakura frowned as well, while snuggling into his body.
"You, of all people, should not care what people say about you. Don't take their criticism. You were perfect the way you were. Don't change anything about you. I was angry when I said those things to you. I don't want you to bottle up your emotions like I do-otherwise you'll end up like me...yelling at whomever, whenever, about whatever, as soon as I get the chance to." Syaoran replied, casually. Sakura could sense his concern for her.
"Well...you said I cried too much-and I do-for you" Sakura replied, smiling lightly.
Syaoran looked angry, but not at her-at himself. "I don't want you bottling up your emotions, Sakura. It was selfish and stupid of me to complain about such a silly thing. I love you the way you are-remember that much. I'd hate it if you changed yourself because of a stupid comment I made. Especially when it takes away one of your freedoms-your freedom of expression." Syaoran paused to think for just a moment, "Sakura, you're a brave woman to be able to express yourself the way you do. To be able to cry so freely. I respect that in you. Even I cannot do that-I'm a coward compared to you."
Sakura couldn't bottle up her emotions now even if she tried hard not to. Her tears came spilling out. They were tears she would remember forever. She hugged Syaoran, hoping the moment would never end. Syaoran did not want to separate their embrace either, but he had to when he heard her squeal.
"What!?" Syaoran pulled her away.
Her face was tear-streaked, but she wasn't look at him. She was looking in her hand. She was holding one of her Clow Cards-or as they were now-Sakura cards. Sakura flipped it over to show him the card it was. Syaoran stared at it for a long time.
A heart with wings, and a crown floated in the middle. Syaoran's eyes shifted and he looking under the picture.
The Hope.
A.N.: A short and sweet chapter! Poor Mamoru TT I feel kind of sorry for him-meh! They're back together...Earthians are so going to kick ass! No serious explanations for this chapter...if you have any questions of your own, email me or review and I'll probably answer the question in my next chapter!...R&R!