Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura and this fanfic is simply a product of my imagination and I am not paid to do this.
Chapter III: Last Minute Invitation
Crouching, Sakura rummaged through the bottom shelf in a crafts store.
"Can I help you, Miss?" A clerk asked her.
Surprised, Sakura quickly stood up and faced her. She smiled, "Yes, where can I find the knitting equipment?"
"Aisle six, anything else?"
"Yes. Where can I find the patterns?"
"Also in Aisle six. Is that all?"
"Yes. Thank you very much."
"You're welcome. Do you need assistance?"
"No thanks." Sakura left the clerk and started looking for Aisle six. When she found it, she started piling her basket with all the things she needed for her Christmas gifts. After she had everything, she went to the cashier and paid for them.
After she left the store, she went to another one to buy bags to disguise her purchases.
"Kinomoto-san!" Meiling called her, lugging several bags.
"Meiling-chan!" Sakura smiled.
"So, you're finished." Meiling eyed the bags Sakura was carrying. "This England stores are really different." Meiling held out her bag. "The design in my bag says the name of the store they are from but yours are designed with Christmas stuff."
Sakura blushed. "I guess it's the spirit of Christmas."
Meiling nodded. "I guess it is. Hey, there's Daidouji-san!"
"Hi." Tomoyo put down her bags. "I'm glad I found you guys, there's so many people here"
Sakura nodded. "It's so exciting to be in a new place, it is even busier here than Hong Kong."
"Not to mention the busy lines." Meiling grimace. "Hey, let's go back to the Opalake Corporate Building."
"Yeah." Sakura nodded. "Rhea-chan must be waiting for us."
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Fei Jing, the 18-year old CEO of Crystal Industries, sat working in his office. It was two days before Christmas but his work seem to have no intention of lessening.
"Mr. Jing." His secretary entered.
"What is it?" He didn't look up from his work.
"I have the proposals from Mr. Porter."
"Put them in the table."
His secretary placed the papers timidly on the table and left quickly. She heard rumors about Fei's temper and she didn't want to know if it was true.
Fei scanned the proposals and shoved it aside.
"Stupid idiots." He muttered, and then he leaned back and closed his eyes.
He opened his drawer and took out a small leather-bound album. He scanned it and his stone expression softened.
Rhea Silvia Opalake is the heiress of Opalake Internationale, rival of Crystal Industries, yet she was his best friend, his only true friend.
Fei knows how many parasites there are in both the corporate world and the magical world, but the moment he met Rhea five years ago, he knew he could trust her.
He met her after Remus defeated him in a martial arts tournament. Rhea came to him as he was sulking along a corridor.
"You don't need to be disappointed, you know." She told him. "Mommy told it's important to lose in order to become a real winner."
"How could you say that?!" Fei had replied, he had heard of the magical and non-magical achievements of Rhea. "You have never lost at anything!"
Rhea had frowned at his words. "Are you sure? I have already lost things most precious to me, and now, I feel like I'm losing at an even bigger game, something we all play."
Fei had looked away. He had suddenly remembered what happened to Rhea's parents a year ago.
"I might be losing, but I don't give up that easily!" She started walking away.
Suddenly, Fei felt sorry for her, something he never felt for her. "I'm sorry."
Rhea had stopped walking. "Do you think I will forgive you that easily?"
Fei looked up and saw that Rhea was smiling at him.
"I will only forgive you if you don't give up! I'm sure if you try your best, you'll win next time."
For the first time, Fei smiled. "Thank you."
Fei smiled at that memory. He followed Rhea's advice, and he asked Remus for a rematch. That time he won.
Remus had been sour with Rhea because of that and loathed him. But Fei believes that Remus was just jealous of him.
Rhea is his sister, but Rhea is different when she is with him, she acts more mature although still a bit childish sometimes.
Although she is mentally ill, Fei knows he is in love with her but he also knows that she likes Eriol, who represents the father she misses. But still it's okay with him.
Rhea has always been his source of encouragement, a free bird showing him the simplicity in life. He is happy as long as she is happy.
Ring!
Fei answered his cell phone. "Hello. Fei Jing speaking."
"Hey, Xin!"
"Rhea!" He fell off his chair in surprised.
Rhea started calling him Xin two years ago after she read a Chinese legend.
"Xin Jing is a nymph whose name means 'heart of crystal'!" Rhea told him. "Do you mind if I call you Xin from now on?"
Of course, he answered yes. He stood up and sat down his chair.
"Are you alright?" Rhea asked him.
"I'm fine. Um, how did you know I hurt myself? A new spell?"
"No, silly! Look behind you!"
Fei looked back and saw Rhea waving at him from the opposite building, the Opalake Corporate building.
"You're here in England?!" Fei asked, surprised.
"Yes, for Christmas. Hey, can you come at the castle this Christmas? I mean you were able to come to the Halloween party last month."
Fei nodded. "Sure, I'll be there."
"Great!" Rhea was jumping. "See you soon!"
"Yeah." He saw Remus walked to Rhea and talked to her, after he cast a loathing look at him.
Rhea put away he cell phone, Remus was probably scolding her about him again.
Fei pushed a button and his secretary entered. "Do you need anything, Sir?"
"Yes, cancel my meeting on the 25th."
"But sir-."
"Just do it!"
"Yes sir!" She quickly ran out of the room.
Fei looked back again and saw three girls talking to Rhea. He looked at one girl, the one with brown hair.
"That girl looks familiar." He thought.
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That night, Kaining slowly entered Sakura's room. He was holding a short staff, with a ruby encrusted on top. He crept upon Sakura's bed but Sakura wasn't there. He turned around and saw her sleeping on the floor, with Kero near her feet, an unfinished red scarf was at her hand.
He pointed the staff at her, and Sakura moved slightly. Kaining quickly stepped back but Sakura remained sleeping.
Kaining pointed the staff at her again, but as the ruby glowed, he glanced his name on the scarf.
Kaining suddenly dropped the staff; a weird expression was on his face. He slightly smiled and carried Sakura to her bed, dropping Kero on the floor. He put the cover over her and quietly left the room.
"What are you doing in Miss Sakura's room?"
Kaining jumped and saw Elle behind him.
"Explain yourself, Hu!"
"It's none of your business!" He pointed the staff at her and she began to levitate and eerie red light surrounded her. "You will forget this incident!"
Elle slowly hovered down and asked Kaining what she was doing there.
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"Aaahhh!" Rhea screamed. The windows suddenly opened and the toys in her room started flying around her.
"No!" She cried as she held her pillow tightly. She saw flashes of her mother, bloody, falling to her as she opened a door.
"It's here!" She cried hysterically. "It's here!" She jumped from her bed and hid in a corner.
She quickly opened a drawer and took out an old intricately designed gold necklace. She held it tightly, rocking gently.
"Mommy told me as long as I have this I will be protected!" She told herself to calm herself, then, suddenly her necklace began to glow.
Author's Notes: I'm sorry I haven't updated for a long time. My exams are coming up so I wouldn't be able to upload any story for the next two weeks so I decided to make it up by uploading two chapters. I'm sorry for the inconvenience but after my exams, I'll have plenty of free time so I could write the story faster. Thank you for reading and please review.