~.~The Dreams We Left Behind ~.~
A Card Captor Sakura fic by Melissa Ordesky
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Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura does not belong to me. Duh. PG-13 for bad words, sometimes this time Sakura's and Tomoyo's fault! Eesh, Syaoran, you're baaaaaaaaad influence. Based on the anime.
Author's Notes:
Thank you sooooooooo much for the reviews! I love each and every one of you who took the special time out of your busy lives to write me those small encouraging notes. ^^;;
And to all Welsh Cardcaptors, even displaced Welsh girls like me:
Gyda dymuniadau gorau am y Nadolig a'r Flwyddyn Newydd!
To everyone else!
Best wishes at Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!!
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Last chapter: Sakura, as the "Card Mistress" is declared as state protector by the mayor and police chief of Tomoeda, while some of the media reserve judgement on her - is she good? Or is she evil? Mei Ling tests Syaoran to see if he still holds magic, and the test proves positive. It is later confirmed by an overheard conversation. Tae, after wringing information about the cards from a not-entirely truthful Syaoran, decided to go to Tomoeda to check up on Clone!Li's progress, while Sakura captured the Through card... and was seen.
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Chapter Five - The Scions of Magic
"You were seen," Tomoyo whispered.
I dared to look, and for a futile second wished for the millionth time that day that Syaoran were there. Just a touch from him, it would all be okay, I was sure. But he wasn't here. And it wasn't okay.
"I'd say you were seen," an accusing voice rang out.
I felt dizzy, and my world fell down.
-----
Syaoran
"Are you sure this is going to work?" I tried to keep my voice low as I hissed at Mei Ling. She sent me a withering glance, and I shrugged amicably at her.
"How many of my plans have you known to fail?"
I folded my arms. "The Barbie and Ken plot, the setting the terrapins free from the pet store plot, the bombing school plot, the 'let's be nasty to Sakura until she cries and gives up being a Cardcaptor' plot..."
Mei Ling stuck her tongue out at me. "One was half your idea, and the other three were when I was five."
I held up my hands in apology. "Sorry I took your question literally."
"And the Barbie and Ken plot was foiled by outside influence," Mei Ling protested. I resisted the urge to giggle. If Mei Ling found out I was the one who nuked her stupid Bermuda Ken doll so I wouldn't have to dress up like him for the New Year celebrations, then my life was so not worth living.
"Shhhh. Let's not start laying blame. We'd better start the argument."
Mei Ling grinned and tossed one of her Odomo-topped ponytails. "I tell you I'm right!"
"And I tell you that you're wrong! I have no magic left, Mei Ling."
"I still don't understand how they took it all away. You were born with it innately, Xiao Lang, that cannot be taken away." She smirked at me, and I scowled.
"Well, it's no use! And what would I do with it if I had it? Screw up again?" I shook my head furiously in case anyone had reached the front of the house and was watching. By the volume we'd raised our voices to, I didn't doubt half the household could hear.
"It would aid you, and stop making you feel useless," Mei Ling snapped back at me.
"Seriously, Mei. What would I do? If I had it now, I swear I'd-"
"You'd what? Smack me around?"
"Don't tempt me!"
"Coward. You're just too scared to test it out!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am NOT!" I roared, charging forwards. "Magical wind, DESCEND!" I moved my fingers in the ritual, and released the smallest sliver of magic I could. My meditation exercises that I had been practicing over the last few years that I'd thought were absolutely useless, considering I supposedly had no magic, kicked in. I felt the magic run across my fingers, my skin tingling, and a slight breeze knocked into Mei Ling.
She instantly looked saddened on the outside, except for a very small twinkle in the corner of her eyes.
"Are you happy now?" I let rip, expelling the anger I felt towards my family into the act of being mad at Mei Ling. "That was me trying my hardest to knock your stupid arse over. Are you satisfied? Huh?" I sank to my knees, hitting the dust harder than I'd anticipated. I allowed myself to feel some of the pain, to add a truer slant to the proceedings.
"CHILDREN!"
I felt my insides coil as I glanced up to see Tae sweep out of the house. I could detect nothing but a smug happiness emanating from the shrivelled porcine git. He pretended to be angry. It fit. I was pretending to be mad, while inside me my heart was slamming up and down in a fair approximation of an Irish jig.
"What do you think you were UP TO? Fighting like this... While your own mother, Xiao Lang, lies upstairs ill! You will both go upstairs and apologise to her right now." I glanced sideways at Mei Ling, and could see she was feeling the same jumbled mix of emotions as I was. Happiness that I still had my magic - better even that it used to be! - anger at them for deceiving me, and the same desire to smack that ingrate's expression off his smarmy face. Relative or no.
"I told you this would happen, Xiao Lang. Small remnants remain. To be honest, I was expecting you to try it sooner, so I will not admonish you too harshly. I presume you will never do it again?"
"I promise," I said, scrambling to my feet and bowing my head low. I then straightened to look my uncle in the eyes. I saw in them a small amount of fear, but the happy look of a man who has gambled and won, and it hit me. He thought that my belief of not having magic would have the effect of releasing a little amount of magic and devestating me further. If I had actually fought with Mei Ling a week earlier, perhaps that would have been the exact case, and my magic would have probably been lost forever.
"Go. Now. Apologise to your mother for making that sound."
I nodded, and then noticed the pile of cases being loaded into the car by Wei. I inclined my head at him. "Are you going somewhere, uncle?"
He blinked, surprised, then glanced back at the house to where the suitcases were being loaded into the car. That seemed to relieve him, as he grunted. "Yes. Business. In the city. I'll be back in three weeks. Look after your mother. No more silly stunts like this."
"Yes, sir." I bowed, and hearing Mei Ling pad gently behind me, went towards the house, my heart thumping like it hadn't since I'd written that note to Sakura... I felt dizzy for a long second. Sakura! I could be of some help to her after all... You know, if I ever got free of this prison...
"It worked," Mei Ling whispered to me, and I nodded as we headed up the stairs. "After we apologise, I'll tell you the next stage over some lunch."
"Good idea," I replied, my stomach growling as if it had heard her. She just laughed and shook her head as I grinned, sheepishly but fiercely at the same time. After all, things were different now.
-----
Mei Ling
Oh, gods. He's thinking of Sakura again. You can always tell. His eyes go like he's looking at something far away, and that space of his neck between his hair and collar goes pink and when you ask him a question he stutters tremendously. Hehe.
"Seen anything interesting?" I ask, innocently. Syaoran spluttered and spat half-chewed rice all over his plate (ewwwww! Remind me never to do this while he's eating!) and managed a coughed "ehhhrrrm-rhm" before he levelled a flat stare at me.
"Cow," he managed softly, the spot on the back of his neck almost glowing. He looked dismayed at my expression. "My neck glowing like a nuclear power station again, huh?"
I nodded, while he sagged on the wicker seat. We were sat on a table in the kitchens, in the quiet area near all the books and dry stored goods, where Cook lets us eat our lunch so we won't get under her feet. Syaoran was throwing a dirty look at me while he started to peel an apple, shredding the skin with his fingernails. Normally I distracted his Sakura-thinking sessions in the middle of our tutoring sessions with Aino-sensei, to get him into trouble or avoid answering a particularly fiendish question.
Syaoran sighed. "I'm worried about mother. She seemed so... fragile. Like a china doll."
I patted the back of his hand softly. "I know. That's why we have to work fast. I'm sure Tae has something evil in mind for the cards. I don't have any solid proof, just a... feeling."
Syaoran nodded slowly. "So, what's this plan you mentioned earlier?"
I looked around to check no one was listening in. Wei was safe, Aino could be persuaded to let us get away with a few small things as long as we returned the favours, and Cook was mostly harmless... but in a household like this, you could never be sure who was listening. I said a silencing charm under my breath, hoping it would be strong enough. "I know if I tried sneaking around to prove that Tae had an evil intention concerning the cards, the people left loyal to him would inform Tae and I'd be out of here before you could say shazam. At the very least I'd be separated from you, and then we'd have no chance. So, it stands to reason that we need someone we can trust. Wei has done too much for me already, I can't ask him anything else. But there's someone I know who would do it, with the right persuasion. And I know the perfect persuasion."
Syaoran looked at me confusedly. I grinned, and he pouted, disgruntled, at my sudden wicked expression. "You know who likes a tragic love story, don't you?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him.
He sighed. "You think they'd listen?"
I nodded. "Positive. All we have to do is to tell them the truth." My gaze turned fierce. "And I mean the whole truth, Syaoran. That one thing you'd prefer hidden from them is probably our one best bargaining tool."
-----
Sakura
"I'd say you were seen," an accusing voice rang out.
I felt dizzy, and my world fell down. I felt my knees weakening, and fought to stay upright.
"Chiharu, Yamazaki, Rika, Naoko..." I could hear my own voice, sad but sort of distant, like I wasn't the one speaking. "I-"
"You're the Card Mistress? After all this time?" The accusing note in Rika's voice was hard, and I winced at the words. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"I-I-I- wanted to! I wanted to!" I turned at them, fierce, trying to get them to believe through sheer power of my own will. "You have to believe that. But this is beyond me, guys. This is completely beyond me. It wasn't my secret to tell. There's so much more at stake than me, here. So many people who would be in danger if I told even the people I wanted to!" My voice sounded shrill to my own ears. I looked away, not wanting to see the fear and horror on their faces. My shoulders sagged, and I felt Tomoyo's presence as she hovered by my shoulder. "Just... come to my house. I'll... explain everything there. If we stay out here..."
I couldn't finish the sentence. I just couldn't. I forced myself to look up and see their expressions, expecting to see pure hatred, and instead saw sympathy and sorrow mingled with fear of what I was, what I did. I pressed my lips together, and closed my eyes.
"I wish he was here, Tomoyo," I muttered to my best friend, and she gently touched my shoulder before nodding at the others. They seemed to silently acquiesce to my request, and we all started walking disjointedly to my house, as if someone had died.
Eventually it was Rika who broke the silence. "Who do you wish was here?"
I turned and glanced at her in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"You just muttered to Tomoyo that you wish he was here," Rika pressed on.
"Oh." I fell silent. I hadn't thought I'd been overheard. "I- Goddess, I don't think you'd understand."
Chiharu stepped forwards across my path and pressed one hand square on my chest. "Try us. We're supposed to be your friends, Sakura. We want to help."
"Syaoran," I admitted, surprising myself. I don't think I intended to say so, but it just slipped out.
"Syaoran?" Yamazaki blurted out, incredulous. "As in Li 'too good at everything to even remember he was once our friend' Syaoran?"
"That's not Syaoran, Yamazaki," Tomoyo broke in, her voice crisp and informative. "It's some sort of clone, we think. Maybe one of his relatives changed to look like him. The real Syaoran would not have done this. He'd rather whop off one of his own limbs with a sledgehammer than-" She stopped suddenly, as if she'd said too much. Which, of course, she had. I fixed a dour glare at her. If looks could kill, it would have flattened several large villages, if not a few small towns. Tomoyo, however, merely raised one eyebrow at me and kept her tongue.
"I think there's a lot here Sakura hasn't told us, a lot more than we think," Naoko said. She didn't sound mad. Only amused. Oh, no, not now!!!!!!! I thought, panicked, feeling my face heat up. Crap, dammit, crapcrapcrap!!
"A LOT more!" Chiharu giggled, seeing my blush. "Syaoran and Sakura up a tree!"
"Doing what they should not be!" Tomoyo added in a sing-song voice, dodging out of the way as my arm """accidentally""" whistled through the air in her direction.
I gritted my teeth and stomped the rest of the way.
-----
Sakura
"Okay, okay. We get the cards stuff. We get the danger, you're now the Mistress of the Clow, blah, yadda, blah," Chiharu said, waving her hands around.
We were all crammed into my bedroom, taking up all the furniture that could be used as seating, and much of the floor space besides. I fluffed the edges of the pillows I was perched on, and waited to see what Chiharu was getting at. I think I had done a good job of telling the story, and Tomoyo obviously couldn't wait to show them the tapes she'd gotten and edited of some of the captures.
I looked at Chiharu wearily. "Blah, yadda, blah? I risked my life to, like, save the world from disappearing and do a play on the same night, and all I get is a blah?"
"Two blahs," Yamazaki corrected, a grin on his face. "Did you know the word blah was invented by Isaac Newton, godfather of physics, in a terrible accident involving a squirrel?"
WHAM!
"What have I told you about lying in public!" Chiharu screamed as we all face-vaulted and Yamazaki rubbed his cheek ruefully. She smiled sweetly at me. "So why did you want Syaoran, huh?"
My face flamed brilliantly again, and I let out a gurgle from the back of my throat. "I told you about his family, the Li clan. They're really strict about magic, but he is a descendant of Clow Reed, the guy who made the cards? Anyway, he can do magic, elemental stuff, and he would have been really great support in this fight."
"Really great support in the fight," Rika echoed dully. "What? Do you think we're five years old?? That is totally not the reason, at least not the full reason, and we all know it."
I gurgled again and hid my face in my arms. "Tomoyo? Can you get them to stop picking on me?"
"Nope, Sakura," Tomoyo giggled, "I think you're going to have to answer this one."
"Crap." I sighed and lifted my now-freakishly-nuclear-glowing face. "Well, he was a complete asshole when I first met him. All demanding, saying the cards belonged to his family, and he was the best Cardcaptor of them all. You know what he was like in the beginning. Then.. as time went on... I guess he mellowed. Changed."
Changed like my voice was changing. It was going all soft, and sappy, and I wished to hell I could stop myself. Nope, full-sap-on mode for talking about Syaoran, yet again. Sigh.
"Anyway," I continued. "He got exiled home because he hadn't managed to get the cards, and hasn't been back since."
"Nice dodge," Naoko complimented with a very shrewd expression on her face which I did not like one bit. "Doesn't explain the raspberry glow to your face."
"He managed to scribble one note before he left, thanks to a colleague of Touya's," Tomoyo butted in. I didn't know whether I did want her help or not, but decided to remain silent as my throat seemed to just want to make gargly noises. "He warned her of the test, that someone of his family would come to fight her, and he wrote down his feelings."
"Brave bastard," Yamazaki commented gruffly. "Even though - like you said - at the end of the time he was here, he changed, he still wasn't the hearts and flowers kind of guy."
"Neither am I," I said sadly. "That's the problem. And because I couldn't tell him that I-" I struggled for the word, and used silence and a shrug to imply it instead. "He'll probably never know how I feel."
"None of that crap," Rika almost growled. I looked at her in surprise. I knew she had a backbone, that was becoming more and more evident as the evening progressed, but this was strength I'd never seen in her before. "You'll see him, the real Syaoran, again. Some day. I can feel it."
I vaguely saw everyone else nodding along with her.
"True love always finds its course," Chiharu murmured like an expert, sharing a fond glance with Yamazaki.
"True love?" I blurted, like a frightened six year old. "Love?" Okay, I was slightly aware I'd started babbling, but I wasn't very good at stopping babbling when it had started. "I didn't say anything about love! I don't, I mean, I can't, I mean- I obviously don't know what I mean! Man, this sucks! Love, hah, I-"
WHAM!
I squeaked in surprise as Tomoyo's backhanded dislodged me from my precarious position on the edge of the bed and I landed awkwardly on the floor.
"Yes, Sakura," Tomoyo said firmly, not looking repentant at the heinous thing she just did to me! "Love. You love him."
I looked at the carpet for a long moment, struggling into an upright position, my knees pressed against my chest as I started to shake uncontrollably. "I-I- know. I-" Words fell out, and I was grateful. Words were usually better than the tears that had started to fall every night, burning my skin, counting the seconds until I could see Syaoran again, and, oh, I would see Syaoran again. I had to. I had to. "I've always known, but it's so hard, and hopeless... I mean, I got the cards once, I had him to help me, but now..."
"Now you have his love in your heart," Tomoyo said gently, as she knelt on the carpet in front of me, holding my hands in her own. "And your friends behind you. And the strength of your own star. Keroberus chose you for a reason, Sakura. You were born to shine. Don't be afraid to."
I nodded, fighting back tears. "I-I-I'll try," I promised, my vision swimming. My friends smiled down at me, and I felt something inside me warm to that. I would do my best. For them, for the world, for the magic, for Kero and Yue and Touya and Dad. For myself. For Clow Reed's legacy. For Eriol, and Supinel, and Ruby Moon, and Mitsuko, and all the people who believed in me. But most of all... for Syaoran. I would do it for Syaoran. And with my reclaimed power, I would fight for him back.
I clambered to my feet, the promise of victory finally stirring in my veins, and I nodded thankfully at all my friends. "I'll beat the Li clan impostor. Because I can keep this city safe. Because-"
"Because you're Sakura," Rika interrupted. I felt a scowl begin to creep on my face - why the hell do people keep giving me that reason!!!! - but forced it away by holding out my right hand. I felt Tomoyo place hers on top of mine, and the others placed theirs on top of hers.
"For Syaoran," I whispered, looking furiously up through the ceiling as if I could will myself to be there, with him.
I forced my gaze back down as we raised our joint hands into the air, and we sounded out my promise with one voice.
"For Syaoran!!!"
-----
Syaoran
I tried to keep my composure as I looked down at my sisters, perched on a row on my bed. I sent a nervous prayer to the Elements, hoping Sakura wasn't having to undergo anything as horrendous as this!
"...So that brings us up to the point of the day of the Sealing of the Void card," Mei Ling said, looking across at me with a supportive glance.
"We knew all this," Fuu Tie said, scratching her ear and looking bored.
I opened my mouth to say what I'd planned to say, and let it shut hard. Squirming, I looked helplessly at Mei Ling.
"Tell them, or I'm telling them for you," she snapped at me. I sank my face into my hands, and then lifted it up sheepishly.
"There's sort of... uhm... one thing I kind of didn't completely get around to, y'know... erm..." I squirmed again. "Telling anyone."
"Well, that was eloquent," Fan Ren complimented, looking amused. "What does it have to do with us?"
"I, uh- broke the rules and wrote a note to Sakura, telling her that the test was coming," I said, fidgeting, my fingers digging into my sleeves.
"XIAO LANG!" She Fa exclaimed. "You could get into big trouble if Tae or mother find out!"
I hung my head sheepishly. "I-I- know. I just- had to get in contact with her somehow! I had to tell her how I felt... That I-"
All signs of disappointment in my behaviour had suddenly turned to acute interest in the tale.
"Tell who how you felt?" Fei Mei asked, bemused. She Fa whacked her across the back of her head.
"Tell Sakura how he feels about her," Fuu Tie said, sounding amused at my situation.
"Oh. How does he feel?" Fei Mei asked, tilting her head to one side. All four stared at me.
"I'mkindofinlovewithherbutdon'ttellanyone," I mumbled, the words melding together in my rush to get the words out.
"Huh?"
"Kindofinlovewithherbutdon't-" I tried again.
"What?"
"I'M IN LOVE WITH HER!" I yelled. Frustrated I sat down on the carpet, and pulled my knees to my chest. Bad idea. Instantly, my sisters leapt at me, four redheaded behemoths, and started hugging me and fluffing my hair and pinching my cheek and making cooing noises.
"Our little wolf's in love."
"Xiao Lang and Sakura. How CUUUUUUUUTTTTTEEEE!"
"I thought I sensed something between you when she was here!"
"She was so pretty. I can totally see you two together... Married... Kids..."
"Little problem in that area," Mei Ling interrupted, rolling her eyes when she caught me glancing at her. My sisters let me go, but stood protectively next to me. Oh, crap. Bond with them a little, and then they don't leave you alone...
"OOOOOHHH, yeah, the family hate her!" Fan Ren exclaimed. "But wait! If you married, wouldn't the cards stay in the family?"
"And seeing as they said Sakura has Clow's blood in her too, wouldn't it be all right?" Fuu Tie added.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiit a second!" I shrieked, then winced as they all looked at me appraisingly. Elements, please say it hadn't sounded so girly to them! From their glances, it looked like it. "I have no idea how she feels about me, let alone... marriage! And what do you MEAN Sakura has Clow's blood in her too? What the hell is going on?" I was confused. I knew Eriol was only the half-reincarnation of Clow, but... Merlin, did this explain some things! No wonder the clan keeps calling her a half-blood!
She Fa hiccupped at me. "Uh, you do you know Kinomoto had valid recourse for being the next Master of the Clow because her father's the half reincarnation of Clow Reed, don't you? Eriol told us last time he was here, that he was the half reincarnation that got the memories and the power, and Kinomoto Fujitaka... Got everything else."
"And her mother was from the biggest magic clan in Japan," Fuu Tie finished. "Why do you think that that cutie Touya could see ghosts?"
"You mean, before he gave his power to that other hottie," Fan Ren sighed. "What was his name?"
"Yukito," Fei Mei half-said, half-breathed.
"So cyuuuuuute," She Fa exclaimed, clasping her hands together.
Okay, this definitely proves it. My sisters... are aliens.
"I'd better not tell them Touya and Yukito are gay until they've agreed to help, huh?" I sent to Mei Ling so just she could hear.
"THEY'RE WHAT?" Mei Ling thought-shrieked back at me, amusement half-colouring her thoughts that I could actually use my magic like this again, and genuine shock colouring the rest of it.
"Gay," I repeated tiredly, waiting until my sisters had stopped being so starry eyed.
"Sheesh, all the best ones... Gay or involved," Mei Ling sighed back at me.
"I'm not gay," I instantly protested.
"Practically involved," Mei Ling sniffed. "Anyway, there was that whole Yukito thing."
I fought to stop my neck turning red. I'd managed to stop my face from turning crimson after a lot of practice, so how come this was so difficult? "That was a misunderstanding!!" I thought-yelled back. "I was scared of his power."
"Whatever."
"You say you have no idea?"
I turned from a smirking Mei Ling to look at Fan Ren who had spoken. "Huh?"
"You said you had no idea how she feels," Fan Ren elucidated further. "And she knows how you feel about her."
I nodded, feeling heat rise up my neck.
"They'd notice a Tomoeda number on the phone bill," she continued, thinking out-loud. I could practically see the cogs turning in her head. "So, stands to reason, one of us should do what mother suggested and go after Uncle Tae, pretend to be there to help, and somehow get a message to her. Then whoever goes can phone home and give an answer."
"And then what?" Fuu Tie asked.
"Well, if her feelings are the same as his feelings, we get them together!" She Fa said firmly. "No matter what!"
Fei Mei clenched her left fist. "And if not, we-"
"-still do me a little favour," I interrupted smoothly. Again, their eyes were on me. "You four all know that mother's health is a little dodgy right now. Even when she helped give power to the Wu clan to defeat Pau Mei, she didn't get this weak. I know she's a bit older now, but still- she's in danger, and I'm worried."
"We are, too," Fan Ren said, looking directly at me.
"I suspect that maybe... Gods, I don't want to speak ill of anyone, especially one of the clan elders, but... maybe all this power isn't necessary. You know I wouldn't ask you to investigate Uncle Tae without due reason, and it's not for personal gain. If he doesn't lead the clan, it will be another, not me. Uncle Yama, perhaps." I looked down, my fingers clasped together. "I don't think his reasons for his dedication to this project are fully for the clan."
"That's what we thought," She Fa said quickly, surprising me. "Don't look so surprised, little wolf. We have minds of our own."
"And we do not always think entirely of ensnaring cute, rich husbands," Fei Mei added with a grin.
"That's why I'm going," Fuu Tie said. "We decided last night that I would do what mother requested. Not to aid Uncle Tae in this quest, to see what his motives are. We do, however, think that a little detour to facilitate true love will not harm our mission in the least."
"To be honest, it's also for the good of the clan," She Fa said. She winked at me, and the surprise got me so much I could feel my cheeks starting to warm up. So much for my control, I chided myself. "The Card Mistress, part of our family." She wiggled her eyebrows at me and I blushed furiously at the way she said it.
"The silence charm will lose power in a minute," Mei Ling warned quietly from the corner. My sisters dove at me for one last hug, ruffling my hair out of all sense of order and bestowing flighty kisses on me.
"Be patient, little wolf. She will return your love. We are sure of it," Fan Ren murmured in my ear before they all released me and walked off, conspiratorial smiles plastering their faces for the few seconds that they were still in the sanctuary of my bedroom.
"How about that," Mei Ling murmured, sinking down onto one of my chairs.
"How about that, indeed," I returned, unable to say another word, stunned. "Do you think she'll say-"
Mei Ling turned to me with a sad smile. "She'd be a fool not to feel the same way..."
I smiled warmly at her. "Thanks, Mei."
-----
Sakura
I waved goodbye to Chiharu and Yamazaki, the last to leave at 8:30 because they lived closer to me and could get home in time for the curfew, and turned back to Tomoyo with a tired shrug. I opened my mouth to say something, and the phone started to ring.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRING! RRRRRRRRRRRRRING!
"Crap," I said eloquently, shrugging again and padding gently over to the phone. "Moshi moshi, Kinomoto residence."
"Sakura? Hi, it's me."
"It's my dad," I called over to Tomoyo with my hand briefly over the handset before speaking into the phone. "Hi. Where are you?"
"At the Daidouji residence. Honey, are you and Tomoyo coming along now? Sonomi says you can stay over if you want, with the curfew in place, and everything."
"Okay," I said. "I'll start out in ten minutes when I've got my homework and toothbrush."
"Okay, 'Kura. See you in twenty minutes. Take care crossing 5th street."
"I will. I love you. Bye."
"I love you too," he said, hanging up.
I turned to Tomoyo. "I've been invited to your house to sleepover," I said, and Tomoyo flushed faintly.
"Oh, I forgot!" She giggled. "I was supposed to ask you over."
"It's kind of strange, though," I murmured.
"What is?" Tomoyo was instantly concerned, and crossed the small distance between us, one concerned hand on my elbow.
"That dad is over at your place, half an hour from the curfew," I said.
"Maybe he's staying over too," Tomoyo said, unconcerned. "Mum was your mother's cousin, you know. He and my mother have been getting on better recently. Maybe they want to reminisce or something. There's plenty of rooms."
"Yeah," I said, heading into the sitting room to where I'd dropped my school bag, while Tomoyo headed into the bathroom to get my toothbrush and to tell Kero where I was going. We'd done this ritual so many times, I didn't even have to go pick up some clothes to change into. I had nightwear and a change of clothes at Tomoyo's house, as she did here, so if we wanted to stay over it wouldn't be too difficult.
"Kero says to bring him some desert," Tomoyo said as she trotted back downstairs. She pushed my wash-kit into my hands and I put it into my bag while she locked up the house for me. I pushed the key into my bag and we set off at a fast trot to her house, as it was quite a way off. Doable, in the time. I faintly remember my Cardcaptor uniform in the bottom of my school bag, shrunk by the the Little card I'd recovered last week, and felt a little guilty. If we were too late, I could always challenge any policemen, and prove that because I was State Protector the curfew didn't belong to me. Haha.
We reached Tomoyo's house in comparative silence, me quiet because I'd talked myself to death explaining things to Naoko, Rika, Chiharu and Yamazaki, Tomoyo quiet because... I don't know, really. It had been a pretty stressful day. There were four black cars parked outside the house in front of the garages, but I didn't think that was unusual. Daidouji Sonomi was an incredibly successful business entrepreneur, and a millionaire to boot, and often had people over to discuss business. In fact, that made a lot of sense to me. Dad was probably helping her in one of her business discussions.
We headed for Tomoyo's large and airy bedroom first, so I could drop my bag off there and put my shrunk uniform and the cards in a small unobtrusive bag on my hip that also contained my mobile phone and lip balm in case anyone got suspicious. The bag was less full than I would have liked, though. The missing cards weighed very heavily on my mind, and my stomach was fluttering. I wasn't usually this nervous and unsettled in Tomoyo's house, however large it was. I shared a frantic glance with Tomoyo, who looked just as unnerved as me.
I dumped my bag under her desk, and we headed downstairs, only to come to a halt at the scene in the more posh of the (three!) sitting rooms. Daidouji Sonomi and dad were sat on one sofa, sipping coffee out of dainty cups, opposite three men that I recognised from the news immediately.
The mayor, the police chief, and the editor of the national newspaper.
-----
Tomoyo
Not again!!! I thought, petrified. It seemed like today was the designated day for Sakura to tell everyone what she was.
I looked fearfully at all five, feeling Sakura shake beside me, worse than when Yamazaki made us watch Amityville 3. They were all staring in our direction, their mouths open. I blinked, my mouth suddenly dry, and then suddenly realised they weren't actually staring at Sakura, they were staring somewhere behind us.
I turned, and then discovered why I really felt so unsettled. A girl bedecked in blue and white glared menacingly at me.
I stared back.
She rushed at me, her hands outstretched into fists, and stars exploded about my head. I felt the floor spin dizzily beneath me, the room turned black and I remembered nothing more.
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It's like 01:41 on January 1st, 2004! I'm so TIRED! Hellllllooooo new year... WAIT! I just typed straight through midnight and didn't notice. Wahhhh... Happy new year, guys, anyway!!!!
You know what would be a nice new year's present... *coughs* REVIEW! Awwww, please? I'll put a S+S kiss in the next chapter if you ask niiiiiceeeelllly*entices* Suggestions, praise, constructive criticism, nitpickings (i.e. if I've got the canon wrong somewhere or mistyped something) can all go in the lovely review box! *points vaguely to it*
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