The Dreams We Left Behind

by Melissa Ordesky

COMPLETE. Syaoran wasn’t brave enough to tell Sakura his feelings before he left for H.K. and is held captive by his family. Sakura is forced through a deadly test. Can Syaoran get to her in time?

9. Separating Hope

.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. Based on the anime. Faith Hill's "There You'll Be" does not belong to me, and is, as you will see at the end, the theme song of this fanfic.

Thank you: to all the reviewers. And to the lovely reviewers who thought I deserved more reviews: it's not a bad thing only getting a few! It means I can cherish them more.

Author's Notes: I've gotten all serious again. Sigh. But it's DRAMA! EXPLOSIONS! EMOTIONS! Lights, camera, ACTION!

It's the END! I could cry. I've never finished a multi-chaptered fic before, aren't you all proud of me?

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Last chapter: was very mental indeed. Sakura felt that this was the day she was going to see Syaoran! Kero was a pervert, high on sugar. Fujitaka made eggs (by cooking them, not by laying them). Sakura wanted her hair cutting. Sonomi and Tomoyo made Sakura a kick-ass new costume. Yukito was very gay for a moment. Touya was grouchy. They all figured out the Test could go either way, and were all summarily freaked out. Yue glowed like a nuclear power factory. Syaoran tapdanced on the aeroplane. Sakura, at Tokyo Tower, fell unconscious again. Fujitaka, Tomoyo and Touya wanted to help. Touya hacked the planet. Fujitaka, Tomoyo and Touya rushed to the airport in Fujitaka's car, only to be knocked from the road…

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Chapter Nine

Separating Hope

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I gunned the engine, and I sped us away as fast as the car would go.

The roads were remarkably clear. Despite the short time, we nearly made it.

Of course, as sod's law would definitely have it, about half a mile from the airport something slammed into us, and we were forced off the road with such an impact that the world went black and I remembered nothing more.

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Syaoran

As soon as I got past all the airport security, I grabbed my bag and started to run. I could feel the disturbance, thrumming in my fingertips. I slammed past tourists and families waiting for their loved ones to return. I may have even knocked some over.

I didn't care.

Sakura was in danger and she needed my help.

Bursting out of the glass doors, the same doors I had walked through in the other direction to a false imprisonment of four years, I stumbled into the large car park, looking around wildly.

I had only been to the airport a couple of times, and Wei had driven me every time. I had no idea where I was or how to get anywhere, and I'd had no time to get any currency converted.

Crapitcrapitcrapitcrapitcrapitcrapitcrapit, I thought, articulately. The babbling never stops, not even in a dire emergency. Then I saw something that made my throat clamp up.

Smoke. It was hot, that was to be sure, with the sun scorching down on the pavement and turquoise blue skies stretching to eternity, devoid of even clothes. But not hot enough to cause a fire, was it?

I knew it wasn't Sakura, but something was dragging me full force towards that smoke. Running full pelt, I dodged several cars and rolled over one idiotic driver's car when he came round a corner too first.

I heard the curses being yelled behind me, but I couldn't stop. I knew time was of the essence, for everyone involved.

Staggering around the corner, having barely gotten my earth-legs back yet (Mei Ling's term, her reckoning being that if you can have sea legs for when you've perfected walking on a boat, then you can damn well have air legs and earth legs too), I ran up the grassy embankment and froze in horror for a second.

I knew that car.

I'd seen that car a hundred times parked in the Kinomoto's driveway.

My heart pounding in my ears, I ran up to the car, on its side. Two cars had stopped. It had obviously just happened.

"HELP ME!" I yelled to the drivers of the cars that had stopped. Thankfully they were both huge guys, and they ran down the embankment. Together we gingerly lifted the car down onto its wheels, and I could barely get myself to look.

I did look, though, and it wasn't too bad. Thank god for seatbelts and airbags, I thought abruptly, sharing a relieved look with the two guys who'd helped me.

As I was closest to the side Touya was sat in, I jerked open his door first. Groaning, he snapped open one eye and looked at me in surprise.

"Brat!" He choked out, then cocked one eyebrow. "It's- it's the real you, isn't it?"

I nodded, then realised what he'd said. "Real me?"

"Yeah, there's been a psychotic clone of you running around," Touya grumbled, and then started. "Dad! Tomoyo!"

He twisted in his seat to look at his dad. Kinomoto Fujitaka was looking a little dazed, a little concussed.

"I'm all right, I think," Fujitaka said. "Tomoyo?"

A groan came from the back of the car. Panicking I ran around to the side. I hadn't even noticed Tomoyo was there. I yanked the door open and scrambled into the car, undoing her seatbelt and pulling her round to face me, to check for injuries.

There was a cut on her forehead, and she'd have a pretty collection of bruises to go along with it. I decided to check to see if she did have a concussion.

"Tomoyo," I said. "What's your mother's name?"

"Gngh," Tomoyo managed. "Ungh, Daidouji Sonomi."

"And yours?"

"Daidouji Tomoyo," she slurred, pushing herself backwards and wincing. I saw why she winced. Her arm was at a weird angle.

I winced in sympathy. "Hold still," I said. "This might hurt."

Quickly checking the people outside couldn't clearly see what I was doing, I held my hands over her and performed a smaller version of the healing magic I had used on my mother. I pulled her arm straight, causing her to howl, and then used my magic to knot her bones back together.

It was clumsy, but it would save her a few painful months of recuperation.

"It's really you," Tomoyo whispered, then her blue eyes widened in horror. "Sakura, she- there's a clone version of you running about, and-"

She didn't get to finish her sentence. Something blasted the car, skidding us several feet to the side.

I instantly knew who it was. "Everyone, get out!" I yelled.

We scrambled out of the car, and assembled behind it. I peered around the boot, seeing my uncle standing there, in full ceremonial garb, brandishing my sword.

"You have been a thorn in everyone's sides too long, boy," Tae snarled, doing his Genghis Khan impression again. His eyes narrowed, and he raised my sword. I instantly realised exactly what he was doing as he lifted up one scroll paper I recognised. Lightning.

I countered with the fastest spell I could think of, fire. The first attack spell I'd ever learned, and still the most powerful. I brought my arms up, slashing the word for fire on an ersatz parchment in the air. I fuelled it with all the fury I felt, with all the restrained emotions in my heart.

Our spells collided in mid-air, scorching the dry ground even further. The very temperature of the air rose tremendously. I was sweating, but I still kept my arms up, the torrent of fire spilling forth.

Then I was faintly aware of a hand, tight on my arm. I didn't have to look, I knew it was Touya, lending me the small magic he had slowly regained over the years. Then it was Tomoyo's hand, no magic, but a tumult of emotions I could tap into.

It still wasn't enough. Tae still had my mother's power somehow, and probably more from some of the other clan Elders. I thought I was going to lose, die in a spectacular combustion of two energies, when Fujitaka placed his hand on my arm too.

Not even the combined Li strength could compete with Clow Reed's power, however suppressed it was.

Tae screamed and howled, throwing down my sword as it became too hot, conducting my fire and the last dregs of his electricity. I stopped my spell as soon as his failed, and I stepped out from behind the car menacingly.

"It doesn't matter, boy," he sniffed. "My clone of you already has your precious card mistress, and he won't treat her kindly. And you'll never find her. Not in time before our final showdown. Not before we rip her to shreds for the cards in her possession."

Before I could trap him, he whipped something out of one of his voluminous pockets, and disappeared.

"Oh god, oh god," Tomoyo muttered, holding one hand to the cut on her forehead.

"Touya, take Tomoyo to the hospital," I ordered. Touya nodded, not even protesting against an order from me. I turned to Kinomoto-san. "It may be best if you go with them while I try and find Sakura."

"Not a chance," Fujitaka responded, his eyes hard. "I've been kept out of this part of her life long enough. If there's a small chance I can do anything, I want to do it."

I nodded, recognising in him a familiar stubbornness. "Fine then. Touya?"

Touya jerked his head at me, and started to lead Tomoyo away.

Fujitaka turned towards me, fire and lightning in his face, brutal force dancing like a butterfly in his eyes. He reached forward, almost stumbling on the scorched landscape, his hand moving as if to clasp my shoulder in thanks but jerking away before it got there. "Thank you," he said instead, gratefulness evident on his impassioned face. Worry for Sakura stared back at me palpably in his expression, like a mirror. "That was some use of magic. Who are you?"

I blinked at him, running one dirt-smeared hand through my hair abruptly, pushing the strands out of my eyes. He obviously didn't recognise me from the few times he'd met me four years ago. "Er... Li Syaoran, sir. The..." I floundered for the words. "Um, the good one."

A muscle in his forehead jumped and I resisted the sudden instinct that was telling me to get out of the way. "Li Syaoran, hm?" He said, finally, as if the words were hard to say.

"Yes," I said fearfully. He was glaring at me as if trying to size me up. Whatever he saw must have satisfied him because all the tension in his posture dissipated.

"We need to find Sakura," Fujitaka said, his voice more of a murmur which caught well on the hot breeze, travelling to my very alert ears. "Where would a final showdown take place?"

I frowned, my eyebrows knotting tightly as I thought. "Twice things have happened at Tokyo tower, once at the old clock tower..." I looked helplessly across at Sakura's father. He seemed younger than before, bright-eyed from having fought and survived. He just nodded at me. "You- you don't look surprised that I know."

Fujitaka actually laughed, but it sounded brittle, like it could break easily. I sympathized. My nerves were pretty much in the same mangled state. "Sakura has spoken much of you recently." Despite my practice not to, and my self resolve, a heated blush instantly and thoroughly blazed like wildfire across my cheeks. "With that same reaction, too." He reached forwards this time and did clamp one hand on my shoulder. "Think. Feel. You know this side of Sakura better than I have had chance to."

I nodded. Padding over to where Tae had dropped my sword, I knelt on the ground with my hands clasped around the handle. I closed my eyes, feeling the hot air scorch my eyelids and made me feel even sweatier and dirtier than I already was. I forced these trivial mundane matters out of my head and focussed on what truly mattered.

'Sakura.'

Images from my memory danced tantalizingly in front of me, coming to life. Motionless limbs stretched forwards, towards me. 'You're failing me, Syaoran. You're failing me, because it's all your fault you can't find me. Your uncle will devastate this world with the power of the cards, and I will die at his hands, and it's all. Your. Fault.'

"NO! I WILL NOT BELIEVE THAT!"

I was faintly aware that I had yelled the words out loud, that my body was shaking, that Fujitaka's hands were strong on my shoulders, keeping me still. The pain did not matter. She mattered. I reached out with my unseeing eyes, letting the magic take me. The familiar refrain of magic! You can still do magic! It's still there, you are not dead! Magic! coursed through my veins, making every neuron, every cell of my body dance around in celebration. Adrenaline followed this chorus, and I swept across Tomoeda on a mass of my own magic. The scent of cherry blossom, strong, guided my search, and I rushed on the indefinite wings as fast as I could. I got a faraway glimpse of an upright structure, metal arms twisting up out the ground to meld together in a frantic prayer, rigid and upright.

"Tokyo tower," I gasped, the words burning my throat, setting it on fire. I coughed and brought myself out of my trance. I looked up at Fujitaka with wild eyes that were not me. "She's at Tokyo Tower." Launching myself up, I slammed the sword into its holder and swiftly tied it around myself. Fishing out one of the handy pieces of paper with the incantations written on, I grabbed Sakura's father around his waist before he could stop me. "WIND SUMMONS!"

He let out a yell as I took a running leap with him and jumped off the cliff. The wind I had summoned surrounded us, supported our weight and started pulling us with the speed of a gale to our destination.

'Hang on Sakura. We're coming.'

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Sakura

Gnnnggggghhhhhuuuuurrrrr…

Ahah! Eloquence! I held my head and tried to open my eyes. The world span dizzyingly in front of me. In fact, it was almost as if I was flying, up in the sky, viewing the whole world like a bird or an astronaut would…

…gnngggh.

Or like an eighteen year-old who has been knocked unconscious and left stranded up Tokyo Tower.

I looked around. I was sat on one of the wider metal parts of the structure. Neither Keroberus nor Yue were up here with me. But there was someone with me.

Cold amber eyes flashed at me.

Clone!Li.

"Card bitch," Clone!Li greeted.

I squinted at me, and refrained from answering. I was, of course, far superior than him and didn't need to deign to reply.

"Your silence tells me you agree with your slut status, whore," he said.

I told him then exactly what he thought of him, and exactly where he could insert the bits of his body I planned to hack off. Of course, he didn't have to know that I'd have my eyes closed the whole time and would be hacking bits off randomly.

Clone!Li just smirked, as if I'd just let him win that round of the game.

Although if this was marketed as a board game, it would be a really demented one, I reflected. I wondered if this was my concussion thinking for me. Like hungry, hungry hippos but on speed. Yup, definitely my concussion thinking.

I let my concussion speak for me awhile instead. "What? Cat got your tongue?" I taunted. "Want me to rip it out for you?"

I struggled to my feet. Clone!Li looked at me coldly.

"I'm sure you would enjoy that," he said.

"Who are you anyway?" I demanded. "You might as well tell me. We're at a standoff anyway. You have cards, I have more cards, and I'm not going to give you mine."

Clone!Li smiled evilly. "I'm Li Syaoran, Kinomoto. I really am he. I'm sorry if I gave you the illusion of friendship before. I was weak, I now am strong. And you will give me those cards, or I will rip them from your lifeless hands."

"My remarkably attractive lifeless hands," I amended for him, trying to keep him a little off-balance.

It worked, to my surprise. Clone!Li looked gobsmacked for a moment. That's when it hit me. This thing was a total puppet. It probably wasn't anyone, just some kind of false look-a-like.

"You're wrong," Clone!Li eventually said. "I enjoy it when you're wrong."

"Oh yeah?" I said, almost belligerently. Out of the corner of my eye I could see a forcefield of some kind on the ground, and I would bet my life's savings that it was Keroberus and Yue inside of it. Although what you would do with ¥100 is way beyond me. "How am I wrong, then?"

"I do not have the cards," Clone!Li said, smirking.

I stared at him, perplexed. Well, that obviously meant whomever was controlling him had them, instead, and that Clone!Li really was a robot.

I sighed, knowing the question needed to be asked. "All right," I said. "Who does?"

"I do," Clone!Li said back, confusing the hell out of me.

An awareness had crept into his glassy brown eyes, and I think I sort of understood. Whoever was controlling the clone didn't always control him. He was put on auto pilot most of the time, but now- now the controller was back.

I shivered, and turned around on the beam. Working purely on instinct, I pulled my key out. "Key that uses the power of the stars!" I yelled. "Appear before me in your true form. Sakura, the one with the contract with you, commands it!"

Just in time I slid the Shield out of my pocket, activating it as quickly as I could. A barrier of light flashed up around me just in time, stopping the fire lancing through the air from knocking me off my rather precarious perch.

I twisted to see clone!Li smirking at me. Fury fuelled me. I pulled out the Windy, unable to see who was attacking me. I directed the Wind with my staff to blow away the fire.

A moustached freak glowered up at me, with narrowed eyes. He kind of looked like Genghis Khan, but older, and smaller.

"You're Syaoran's uncle," I called out, remembering what clone!Li had said in our last confrontation.

"Genetically only," the man snapped, raising up his arms and flinging out one of the pieces of parchment Syaoran had always used. "WIND!"

I only had time to grab the Jump card, before his wind knocked me and clone!Li off our precarious perch. I landed gently on the ground, jumping out of the way as his wind swirled towards me again, whistling through the air furiously.

I flicked through the cards I had left quickly. "EARTHY!" The ground rumbled beneath us, and arched a stone arrow towards Syaoran's uncle, who flung out both palms, creating a similar forcefield around him.

"ARROW CARD!" Syaoran's uncle yelled. Blue energy arrows spilled at me, and I cartwheeled and jumped out of the way. However, I had forgotten clone!Li. I jumped to avoid a barrage of arrows, only for a leg to shoot out and knock me into one of the more stray arrows.

I fell to the ground, clasping my arm. Blood ran down my skin, warm, and the pain blurred my vision. I clung tightly onto the staff, my feet wavering as I got to my feet again. I dispelled the Jump, and the Earthy, and pulled out the Shield again.

It protected me for a little while, but it was drawing on my energy. I could feel myself growing weaker under the onslaught of arrows and the gradual usage of my power by the card.

"Sakura!" "SAKURA!"

I could hear Yue and Keroberus yelling, and I clenched my fists. I grabbed the Fight card, ready to let it loose to distract clone!Li while I went after Syaoran's uncle.

The Shield flickered, and in horror I realised Syaoran's uncle had let loose even more arrows from the Arrow card. I could see them speeding towards me, and I just froze, I couldn't do anything.

That's when I felt something inside me literally shiver, and something knocked me to the ground, saving me.

I looked up to thank my saviour, and my breath caught in my throat. Warm amber eyes met my own.

My heart leapt. "Syaoran!"

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Syaoran

I don't think I'd ever used so much power in one go ever before. Fujitaka and I landed about fifty metres away from Tokyo Tower, just in time for us to see Tae launching the Arrow card at her.

I yelled when she got hit, instinctively drawing my sword, only for Fujitaka to stop me with one hand on my arm.

"Be careful," he said, his eyes wide with worry. He knew he would not be any good in the fight.

I nodded. "I will."

I grabbed my sword in the traditional handgrip; realising Sakura was in deep trouble. Her shield was fluctuating!

I saw Tae wave his hand lazily, getting the Arrow card to throw another perilous barrage of energy darts at her. I just ran, dodging past a figure with brown hair and slamming into her. I winced as she fell and I fell on top of her, knowing I'd caused her more pain from her injury, but knowing I had to do it. She looked up at me, startled.

"Syaoran!"

I nodded, but there wasn't time to talk just then. The brown hair figure I'd dodged past was looming. We scrambled to our feet, me instinctively holding Sakura protectively, my arms holding hers.

The brown figure looked – well, like me, really. This must be the psychotic clone the others mentioned, I mused, feeling everything inside me prickle. My skin was singing Sakura's name, though, overcoming the dread.

"I'll distract the clone," I hissed at Sakura, as she nodded. "You go after Tae."

"Agreed," Sakura said. "On three. On, two, THREE!"

We split apart, and I dived into a roll as clone!me slammed his sword, a poor replica of my own, at me. I lifted up my own sword as I landed on my feet, kicking up dust as I went. Our swords clashed heatedly, and a swirl of magic sped over to my fake counterpart.

I slashed faster with my sword, even through the swirl of magic, but the only yield that achieved was the sound of ripping material. I'd slashed through the

Then I realised what Tae had done!

Clone!me now looked identical to me.

My guess at what Tae's plan would now be was confirmed when a huge bolt of energy flew in our direction, tumbling the swords out of our hands and knocking us both to the ground.

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Sakura

I realised Syaoran's uncle – Tae – was up to something sneaky, but I was too busy fighting my own cards being used against me! It was when he flung up a forcefield of his own that I got worried.

I blasted him a few times with Firey, but to no avail. Tae was chuckling like a half-cocked lunatic on acid, make no mistake about that. I twisted my head to see what he was looking at.

Two identical Syaorans. Each separated by an energy wall too.

I made some sort of throat-y gargling sound, realising what the moron was up to.

"I will make no advance, nor let the clone hurt you," Tae said, his voice booming. "You may have the time to destroy it." I looked back in time for him to smirk. "Of course, if you destroy the wrong one… I know you have feelings for him. It's hard to have feelings for a corpse."

I rolled my eyes and looked back at the two Syaorans. I closed my eyes for a second and felt… nothing.

Damn the man to hell! He'd put up some kind of aura dampening shield up too. I squinted at them, and- the one on the left had less injuries, but the right sleeve was slashed open, revealing… a completely bare arm.

No birthmark.

Hah, clone!Li, I thought triumphantly. Not such a perfect clone are you?

Of course, I had a plan, and needed more time.

I decided to prevaricate a little.

"All right," I said, surreptitiously trying to find the card I needed, "on the list of four things you secretly scribbled moments before leaving for Hong Kong, which one did you mean the most?"

Clone!Li, for it was definitely he, narrowed his eyes a little, while Syaoran just looked amused. He'd obviously figured out I knew which was which.

"Number four, of course," Clone!Li said quickly, hoping a swift answer would work, and – as I had hoped – he'd fallen for the idea of saving the best thing until last.

Syaoran smiled like sunshine at me, seeing my hand in my card pouch, and trying to take the attention onto him. "The list I wrote telling you the test was coming?" Syaoran called out mockingly. Behind us, Tae hissed. "It was only three things. And-" His face crinkled into a smile. "Number three. Until the day I die. Number three."

Clone!Li had barely enough time to even step back in anger, when I moved my plan into action. Firstly, I took out the Freeze. I started to run towards Syaoran, activating the Freeze as I went, freezing clone!Li to the spot.

I skidded into Syaoran's arms again, and he put his sword up, tracing a symbol onto the air and slamming up some kind of energy barrier as I frantically rooted out the card I needed.

I exchanged a long, worried glance with him as I held it up.

The Hope.

I found strength in his eyes even through the worry we both felt. If I was to get all the cards back, this was the only way.
The only way.

"If I lose my love for you," I said, as bravely as I could manage, "I'll just have to fall in love with you again."

He was crying. So was I. Our gazes held even as he fought to keep up the barrier. We were so close now. "I love you," he breathed, his voice ghosting over my cheek. I grabbed onto that and held his love for me out in front of me, like a banner.

I gritted my teeth.

I threw the Hope card into the air.

I swung my staff and yelled the words I hoped I would never have to utter in my life.

"HOPE CARD! REVERT TO YOUR POWER UNCONFINED! UNSEAL!"

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Syaoran

I let the shield evaporate. No one was paying any attention to us now, anyway, only to the energy amassing in the air in front of us. A green haired girl, beautiful in a haunting way, emerged into the air.

The girl threw a curtsey at Sakura, knowing exactly what she was needed for. Sakura held out her cards in a fan, and they sped towards the Emptiness, spinning around her in a pink glow. Sakura's face was pinched with the exertion, and I began to feel the same worry as last time. Perhaps- perhaps- perhaps it would be me that lost my most important feeling.

I shook that thought away angrily. This was no time to be selfish and think about me!

Tae looked surprised, and I treasured that expression with glee, filing it away for future reference. It was sheer payback for the years of hell he put me through. He brought up his arms to create another forcefield, but the cards he had captured slipped through the forcefield, crashing through the air to join the Emptiness.

All fifty-two cards fanned around her.

Tae tried to throw more energy bolts at her, but she smashed them back at him, leaving him in an unconscious heap on the ground.

The Emptiness floated down to us, the cards spinning around her returning to Sakura's hand. Sakura nodded in thanks, curtseying to her, her beautiful green eyes wet with emotion.

I wished for anything to stop Sakura feeling the anguish she was feeling right then.

This was different to last time. The Emptiness wanted to be changed back, and this time could feel her Mistress' pain. The Emptiness stepped forwards…

…and then turned to me.

Sakura cried out. "NO!"
She pulled me around to face her. Grime ran down one cheek, and her longer auburn hair flared in the sunshine. Her eyes were still shining with unshed tears. I'd never seen anything more beautiful in my life.

I reached up one hand to cup her cheek, my eyes trained on hers, and slowly, for probably the first and last time, I brushed my lips over hers.

She collapsed against me, and the kiss took on an urgency and emotion that I'd never felt before. She trembled in my arms as the kiss deepened. Even as we reluctantly parted, I could still feel the heat, could still taste her.

She tasted of strawberries.

Unflinchingly, I turned to the Emptiness, who looked so sorrowful.

With eyes still shining, Sakura brought up the star staff.

"Return to your star form, Sakura card!" She screamed, howling her defiance to the whole universe. This time we would have no mysterious card to save us, only…

Of course! Why didn't I think of it before?

I had lived without magic once, and survived. With Sakura by my side, it would make it more bearable…

Even as the energy swirled around the Emptiness, transforming her, I lifted forwards my palms and used the same technique I'd used to help heal my mother – a power transfer.
Power flooded through my hands in its purest form, screaming out of me, landing into Tae's motionless body.

The Emptiness, before she disappeared completely, glanced at me in surprise and grinned widely. She span, and energy started to whirl out of Tae before solidifying into a pink rectangle that flew back into Sakura's trembling hands.

Eyes wide, she turned to me. The Hope was nestled back in her hands, where they'd meant to be. Weakened horribly, I fell to the ground, and she fell with me.

"Syaoran," she whispered, brokenly. "What did you do?"

"It takes the most important feeling of the one with the most power," I explained fervently.

"You idiot!" I looked up in shock to see Sakura sobbing, grasping my arms feverishly. She started to kiss my face, feather-light kisses across my cheek, my chin, my mouth. My heart soared as my lips touched hers and we kissed like the world was going to end again.

Only it wasn't. This was real, and here, and now, and I didn't know what the hell I'd done to deserve such a utopia.

We drew apart. Sakura took deep shuddering breaths, leaning her forehead against mine.

"You could have warned me," she murmured, only slightly disgruntled.

"I only thought of it then," I said, "else I would have."

Her eyes widened and she moved back, but not out of the safe circle of my arms. "But Syaoran, your magic!"

I shrugged. "Sakura, I lived four years thinking my magic gone, and all that was painful to me was that you weren't there. Besides, Touya gave up his magic for Yukito, and his is slowly returning. Maybe one day…" I trailed off with a shrug.

"Actually, it doesn't work like that," a deep voice said, and we broke apart, startled, to see Yue and Keroberus standing over us. Both were smiling deeply, though, especially as Sakura blushed furiously realising what we'd done and – more specifically – who we'd done it in front of.

I looked timidly up at the figure looming behind them. Sakura's dad. Oh crap, oh crap, oh, crap…

"It was a temporary power transfer," Keroberus finished explaining. "Once the Emptiness took his most important feeling, then all of the power he had stolen will have been returned to their previous owners. It'll have snapped the connection."

Startled, I lifted my hand, tracing the wind symbol on the air. A light breeze swirled around us, cooling the hot air.

"It's still there," I murmured, excitedly, turning to Sakura. All my own excitement was mirrored on her weary face. If it was even at all possible, I fell in love with her even more. I had a feeling that was going to happen every day from now on.

"Phew!"

Sakura and I glared furiously at Keroberus' sigh of relief. I squinted at him uncertainly.

"You didn't know for sure, did you?" I accused. I took advantage of knowing I had it to heal Sakura's injury, and she wobbled a grateful smile at me.

"Nope!" Keroberus said cheerfully, grinning as widely as a really big demented cat with wings can. I resolved to throttle him as soon as he resumed his usual teddy bear form.

Sakura obviously knew what I was thinking, as she held my hand. I started to blush again, even considering everything. "I'll kill him later for you," she said brightly.

"I'll help," Fujitaka said, his deep voice amused. I flickered a speculative glance at him. He stepped forwards, and put one hand on my shoulder and another on Sakura's. "You kids did good," he said with a warm smile.

It was an acceptance. My heart thrilled.

"Tomoyo's gonna be mad she missed this," Sakura mused thoughtfully, squeezing my hand tighter. I looked at her quizzically, still in complete disbelief that I was there, and she loved me too, and it had all worked out, and I still had my magic, and she loved me, and her dad was okay with it, and did I mention she loved me????

Best. Day. Ever.

Yeah!

I cheered inwardly, even as we waited for Sakura to finish.

"Why?" Fujitaka asked, sizing up Yue discretely. I shared a smirk with Keroberus, who'd also seen what Fujitaka was doing.

"'cause she didn't get to tape this," she said.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Yue said. He was still trying to be aloof, but he looked vaguely unsettled. Probably a combination of worrying how close they'd come to losing Sakura and of worrying about the way Fujitaka was looking at him.

We all stared at him as if he'd gone mad.

"Up on the hill," Yue said. "They've been there for at least the last half hour."

I turned my head with dread, to see Rika, Naoko, my sister Fuu Tie, Chiharu and Yamazaki standing on the hill, waving and cheering at us. Chiharu had forsaken her usual mallet for a video camera.

I hid my head in Sakura's shoulder with a groan.

"They'll have taped us-" I said.

"Ahuh," Sakura said with an embarrassed grin.

"And Tomoyo will-"
"Ahuh."

"Aw, crap," I said, eloquently.

Sakura just grinned and yanked me closer. I let out a yelp and coloured instantly.

Fujitaka and Yue exchanged a glance and started to laugh. Sakura's eyes widened at the sight of Yue laughing.
"Weirdest day ever," Sakura murmured.

I shook my head, using one hand to push her hair away from her face, revelling in the feel of her soft silky hair in my fingers. "Nu-uh," I said, firmly, stealing another lingering kiss from her and not giving a damn who was watching, taping or anything else for that matter. "Best day ever."

Sakura grinned at me with the full force of her star.

Helpless to do anything else, I grinned right on back.

-----

When I think back all these times

Had the dreams we left behind

I'll be glad 'cause I was blessed to get to have you in my life

When I look back on these days

I'll look and see your face

You were right there for me

In my dreams I'll always see you soar above the sky

In my heart there'll always be a place for you for all my life

I'll keep a part of you with me

And everywhere I am there you'll be.

And everywhere I am there you'll be.

Well you showed me how it feels

To feel the sky within my reach

And I always will remember all the strength you gave to me

Your love made me make it through

Oh I owe so much to you

You were right there for me.

In my dreams I'll always see you soar above the sky

In my heart there'll always be a place for you for all my life

I'll keep a part of you with me

And everywhere I am there you'll be.

'Cause I always saw in you my light, my strength

And I want you to thank you now for all the ways

You were right there for me

You were right there for me, ohhhh

In my dreams I'll always see you soar above the sky

In my heart there'll always be a place for you for all my life

I'll keep a part of you with me

And everywhere I am there you'll be.

And everywhere I am there you'll be.

There you'll be.

Faith Hill "There You'll Be."

The End