Disclaimer: My meagre possessions do not include the characters borrowed from Card Captor Sakura, their likenesses or their home towns. The author by no means encourages the destruction of public property and will not be held responsible for planting any idea that can be found in a variety of movies and, probably, several widely available books.

Past Incarnation

By Azi

Chapter 8: Their Saving Grace

Japan

"She was skating fairly quickly, and then for some reason, she stopped and crouched. When she stood back up, she started skating even faster than before. Just before she reached the end, there was an explosion…so much fire."

The scene played over and over in Tomoyo's head as she described her vision. She could clearly see the auburn hair flying behind the female figure. It was dusk – not quite dark but late enough that outdoor lights were on. It wasn't a bridge she remembered seeing but then again, she hadn't been everywhere in Japan yet. And then the explosion... it was loud, as though there was more than one and the bridge started to fall away. The resultant ball of fire was huge. What bothered Tomoyo was that all explosives were strictly monitored.

"Why would Sakura be on a bridge that was being demolished?" Tomoyo looked up and saw the questioning looks on her friends' faces. "It wasn't as accident. It was intentional: there was more than one charge and the all went off at the same time. So the question is: why was Sakura on that bridge?"

Syaoran played with the remains of his breakfast for a few seconds before asking what was on his mind, "Are you sure it was Sakura? You did say it was getting dark when it happened. Maybe it wasn't her."

Tomoyo shook her head. "There's a chance it wasn't but, she looked so much like Sakura. I saw Sakura's profile; she had Sakura's hair, even Sakura's body. Maybe Mirror but why? I can't come up with any reason you or Mirror would be on a bridge that was slated for demolition. I just don't get it."

"What if – what if it wasn't me?" Sakura, too, had a good portion of her breakfast left. They had all lost their appetites as Tomoyo related her vision.

"But that girl looked so much like you."

"I know but, do you remember that dream I had the day I tripped?" Sakura paused to let Syaoran and Tomoyo catch up with the memory. When they both nodded, she continued, "There were two of me but, one had an orange aura. She looked so much like me, she could have been my twin or a mirror image but, she wasn't. She was different, from somewhere else."

"So you think the girl from Tomoyo-san's vision is the same girl from your dream? That would make sense in a way. You did say it was a bridge you've never seen before. It could be because that bridge isn't in Japan at all."

"I still think Sakura should stay away from bridges. I mean, just in case it wasn't that other girl." Tomoyo stopped talking in order to take a bite but, ended up dropping her food back on her plate. "Is there any way we can warn her?"

Sakura thought for a few seconds before shaking her head. "If we knew who she was – her name, something – we could but, I don't have a destination to send a letter to like I do with Eriol and none of us can communicate across distances any other way. Even then, we'd still need to know something about her other than that she looks like me and was in your vision." She sighed. "I hate this. Sometimes knowing is worse than not knowing. I feel awful that you have to see something like this, Tomoyo." Sakura pushed her plate away and slid out of the booth. "Enough of this, we should train, it'll help us focus."

Syaoran climbed out of the booth after Sakura and the reached back to help Tomoyo stand up. Before they left, he placed enough International Currency on the table to cover the barely touched meals and a healthy tip. He felt sorry for the waitress who had to clean up behind them.

They were quiet on their way to the Kinomoto residence. Each was carefully collecting his or her thoughts and trying to sort through the information the access to. When they reached the intersection where Sakura had almost been hit by a truck, she stopped as though this time she had been struck by something.

"Tomoyo-chan, tell us more about the refugees who made it to safety. Once they got to the East Coast, what did they do? Where did they go?"

Both Tomoyo and Syaoran shot Sakura a puzzled look. Sakura returned their looks with a blank face that meant she wouldn't tell them what she was thinking until she had something to back her up. Finally, Tomoyo relented with a sigh and spoke up.

"I do wish you would let me know what you are thinking, because then I could focus my attention on what you want to know."

"I told you what I wanted to know. Tell me where they went and how they got there. You start talking and I'll let us continue on our way."

Tomoyo shook her head and smiled, Sakura always did have a way to get what she wanted. "They went to a ferry terminal." She looked at Syaoran, then at Sakura, and then down. "The ferry wasn't there. I worried for them until the Brown one turned the parking lot into a field of wildflowers. The man he was talking to said something about 'Tenshi' before he turned to call for the boat."

Both Sakura and Syaoran looked surprised as Tomoyo mentioned the Japanese word. Of course there were Japanese speaking people all over the world, but English with its mutations was the official International Languages. This had nothing to do with the former superpowers of destruction and more to do with the language that Eria spoke when she addressed the world. In a rather natural progression, English became dominant and most other languages fell into the background. As far as they knew, 'tenshi' hadn't been assimilated yet.

"Someone from Japan is working in their resistance." Syaoran motioned for Tomoyo to continue as he mulled over that idea.

"The Brown one and the ferry man asked everyone a couple questions before pointing in one direction or another. When they were done, about a dozen people got in cars and drove away. The rest boarded the ferry."

"They decided," Sakura interrupted Tomoyo's story, "who could com and who had to stay based on a couple questions?"

"Character questions," Syaoran answered. "The Li clan has a couple of their own. They help you determine the answerer's intentions. We use them mostly in times of uncertainty but, occasionally we use them to decide if we can trust someone who will have access to the family."

"So how come I never had to answer them?"

"You're the Card Mistress." Syaoran answered as though that was all that needed to be said.

Tomoyo let out a huff that gained the attention of her two companions. "If you're quite through with the question and answer period, I'd like to continue with my recount before I'm too old to speak." A wave of the hand from Sakura motioned for Tomoyo to continue.

"When the ferry docked on the other side, the Brown one made them stop to rest for a while. After they got back in the cars, they drove along the coast – I'd say North but, I don't think that's quite right – until they came to another ferry terminal. They crossed again there. It was almost like they were backtracking. Everyone was a little tenser than when they got off the first ferry. And the people they passed were even more wary.

"Eventually they came to a bridge. Everyone looked relieved when they saw it. I think they knew that safety was on the other side. It took then ages to cross; I guess it was a very long bridge. I saw toll booths at the end but, they passed through without paying the toll. They drove to a town that looked more like a camp ground or something like it. That's where they stopped and when I woke up."

Tomoyo had seated herself on the bench in Sakura's training ground. In front of her, Sakura and Syaoran started on their stretches while she finished her story. Sakura looked up while still warming up and stretching.

"Compare your bridges for me, Tomoyo-chan. At least think about it while I find Syaoran in my maze." Behind Sakura, a maze of shrubs and other plant life grew tall enough to hide Syaoran's head. Sakura turned and ran in, leaving Tomoyo to think about the two bridges she had seen in her visions.

The Distant West

Evison paced the room feverishly. His steps were careless and quick. His face was contorted so that he no longer resembled the somewhat fresh faced boy he always presented for pictures. At this moment, Evison Stuart looked savage from tip to toe. Most people would have cowered from the youth that looked like the personification of wrath, but not Belen Nawat.

Belen sat back, almost relaxed – although he could never pull off couch potato – as he watched his protégé pace furiously. At the moment, Belen likened Evison to a volcano close to eruption. The elder man was merely waiting for the younger one to spew his verbal lava so they could get beyond the temper and actually deal with the problem.

Finally, Belen grew tired of waiting. He did, after all, have things to do. "Out with it Evison; we haven't got all day." His voice was that of an impatient man used to having his own way.

The young Decision Maker spun on his right foot to face his mentor and fellow Decision Maker. "They're gone Left the country! Vanished like a square of clean sidewalk in the trade cities!" Belen raised an eyebrow at the analogy but said nothing. "How did this happen? The borders were closed. No one could pass!" This time Belen rolled his eyes: everyone knew there were ways around closed borders. "You said they wouldn't pose a problem and now…now they're probably joining some rebel group up North. Seven people with magical abilities... We can't afford to lose any."

Seeing that Evison was losing some of his thunder, Belen held up a hand to interrupt. "I will decide what we can and can't afford to lose. Those people were a liability either way. They're better off where they won't infect the minds of our other recruits."

"I had plans for that Symon! Who does he think he is? A foreigner stealing one of our council seats!"

"Well enough you had plans, now you need to move on. All seven on them would have turned on us if given the chance. We should have killed them before they had the chance to escape. We will make up for that error in judgement."

"How, sir?"

Belen eyed Evison and wondered if maybe the boy was best put to work as a puppet, not a plotter. "Quite simple: If they have gone to hide in the North, we will search under every rock and tree until we find them. We will leave our mark behind us and make sure that not one of those polite idiots dares to think of defying our rule. We already destroyed their most powerful magician; their Decision Makers will be next."

The fierce gleam in Belen Nawat's eyes was enough in itself to equal or even best Evison's contorted face and frantic pacing. In fact, Evison himself found it a look he could barely take before cowering at least a little on the inside.

The Distant Northwest

It was not quite dawn on the Island when a string of vehicles pulled to a stop beside a make-shift campground. A few people woke enough to slip out of their tents to great the newcomers in a defensive circle. Those who had spent the entire night working on protection plans were oblivious to the going-on outside.

Symon exited his car and motioned for the refugees to stay behind him. He regarded the defensive wall of people around him in a calculating manner before he spoke. "I wish to speak with whoever is in charge."

A few people near the front raised their eyebrows as one voiced their thoughts, "It's a little early in the morning for negotiations, is it not?"

"We didn't quite plan the time of our arrival, it just so happened that our timing is less than spectacular. Please, I need to talk to whoever is in charge as soon as possible." Symon watched as those in front shifted uncomfortably while others behind them moved aside to create a path.

Just as the path reached the open area in front of Symon, a young voice rang out, "You've woken me up, state your business and be quiet about it. We have people sleeping here."

Symon bit back a laugh as he examined the blonde five-year-old in front of him doing a perfect imitation of Ria. "You, chitling, are a little young to be in charge. Is there no one else awake to speak with I know she's here, I can feel her, chitling."

Hannah straightened her back and stuck out her chin. "I know who I am and where I stand. Now state your business or leave. As I said, we have people sleeping here and I will not allow you to wake them." Hannah knew the wrath of Ria and didn't want to see it until after she had a full stomach.

"You may know who you are, chitling, but I have been away for many years. I am curious to know how you behave almost exactly like my charge and yet look nothing like her."

At this point Kuai Hua stepped forward to stand beside Symon. She examined the child for a few seconds and then smiled ever so slightly. "Usually children respect their elders, child of Eria."

Hannah's resolve wavered for a moment before she squared her shoulders and answered, "I've been told which adults I'm to respect and which I'm to lead in the absence of the others." She then turned to Symon, "Mt aunt has been teaching me for years. She is my guardian now."

Symon narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the little girl once more. "You're not really her niece, are you? Your name, child." Though said rather gently, it was enough to make Hannah deflate just as Symon had sunk a little when he realized who the child's mother wasn't.

"No, she's my cousin, though at this point, she may as well be my mother." Hannah turned to her left and motioned for Symon and Kuai Hua to follow her. She led them to the conference tent that had been vacated just a few hours earlier. The little girl climbed on a chair and sat herself on the table with her legs crossed.

Kuai Hua and Symon sat in front of her and waited. Symon figured that if she was anything like Ria – which it seemed she was – then she would get to things on her own time. Sure enough, once they were settled, they felt a weak barrier form around the tent. Assuming that the girl was trying to shield their conversation from prying ears, Symon added a little strength to the shield.

Hannah nodded in approval as she stuck her hand out, "Hannah."

Symon smirked at the action, remembering that Ria did the same thing when she met him. "Symon. Where is Ria?" he asked as he shook her hand.

"Sleeping," Hannah answered as she turned to Kuai Hua who introduced herself as, 'Li Kuai Hua of the Li clan in China.' When Hannah looked back at Symon, she could tell that he was wondering why Ria was sleeping when several cars full of strangers had invaded her camp. "At dawn yesterday, she was in the middle of rescuing a few people from the Mainland. She hasn't slept since dinner the day before and she just went to sleep a couple hours ago. Don't think she's purposely being lax with security."

Both Symon and Kuai Hua were astounded by Hannah's vocabulary and demeanour which surpassed those of a normal five-year-old. What they didn't know was that Ria had arranged for Hannah to be temporarily aged so she could handle the responsibilities she'd have until they could safely return to their homes on the Mainland.

"Let her sleep then, child." Kuai Hua seemed understanding of the situation. "We came to find sanctuary for the refugees we brought with us. All have answered the questions and are willing to work to protect themselves and the others here."

Hannah thought for a few minutes and then returned her gaze to the two adults. "You vouch for them?" Symon resisted rolling his eyes as he nodded in response. "Then there is a hotel near here that will give you space for the night. Take them there and let them rest. Tell them we will make other arrangements for them when Tenshi awakes." This she directed to Kuai Hua. To Symon, she simply stated, "You stay."

Once Kuai Hua had left, Symon watched as Hannah lost her business face. "Now what's the matter chitling?"

The girl smiled slightly, "Aunty Ri calls me that too." She slid to the edge of the table in order to examine Symon more closely before speaking again. "Your magic feels like Aunty Ri's a little, but it feels more like the girl she brought back yesterday. She's almost twelve and Aunty Ri pays more attention to her than to me." Hannah's eyes started to tear a little as she remembered the rejection she had felt earlier.

'I knew there was a child in there somewhere,' Symon thought as he wiped the girl's tears and pulled her onto his lap. "Hey, hey, I'm sure that Ria doesn't mean to leave you out, chitling. Now tell me all your troubles and maybe we can figure out who this girl is Han-chit." Symon tugged on one of Hannah's curls eliciting a giggle as he continued, "I think I know but, I'll have to talk to Ri first. How many hours before you'll let me wake her?"

"At least two, She gets cranky when she doesn't get enough sleep."

"And what, pray tell, was she doing not sleeping for almost thirty-six hours?"

Hannah sighed, "First they went over plans for going to the Mainland. Then they went and did things she didn't tell me about before they rescued the girl and her parents – they did that at dawn. After the got back, she told the girl stories and then came here for meetings. The last one was about protecting the Island. You're tired too, you should nap."

An hour and a half later and unable to sleep, Symon crept from the tent Hannah had shown him to. He noted that there were more people awake now as he silently walked to the tent he had been told was Ria's. He slipped inside and gave a smirk when he saw that Ria still slept with nothing but her hair showing above the covers.

In an attempt to wake her the normal way, Symon kicker her feet and called for her to wake up. She responded by rolling over and pulling her legs up while mumbling something about Will being an idiot. This turned Symon's smirk into a full blown grin – some things never changed. For his second attempt, Symon pulled her blankets off while snapping, "Eria, get up. You've got responsibilities to deal with."

Ria reacted to this by sitting up and grabbing her blankets back while spitting out, "I am not Eria." When she registered the voice, she opened her eyes and focussed on the man in front of her. "They're dead then, are they, Esymon?"

Symon nodded. "The news came through a few hours ago. There was an attack on the Capitol last night that took out both Decision Makers, chit. You know what that means, Eria, don't deny who and what you are. You've been next in line since you were little; it's time for you to step up."

"No," Ria shook her head, "there are so many others; why not one of them? Why not you? I'm not ready for something as big as this. Leading a bunch of refugees is one thing, but you're talking about leading an entire family the size of the Li clan in China. I can't. Please, Esymon, someone else."

"I'm sorry, chit," Symon said as he pulled Ria into a hug, "there's nothing I can do about it. They chose you based on strength, character and potential. You've been marked for leadership much like the Li clan's Xiao Lang, only he knew what he was being trained for. Out of respect, you're Eria. I get the pleasure of continuing to just be Symon." As Ria opened her mouth to speak, Symon stopped her with a, "Don't argue. Now get dressed and face your responsibilities."

That afternoon the Island shook with explosions as dock after dock was blown to pieces. The only dock left standing was the ferry terminal to the Rock – the only other remote and safe area on this coast. All airstrips and landing pads were torn up to prevent any air traffic from landing. By suppertime, the only access from the Mainland was the bridge built just over two hundred years ago.

The plan was to take out the bridge around nightfall. That gave them almost four hours to set all the charges and clear off the bridge. A few people had volunteered to take two of the cars and return to the Mainland as 'intelligence officers.' Their first duty would be to set the majority of the charges on the way back across the bridge. After that, they would scatter through the two closest provinces to gather what information they could and protect the locals from the fate of their neighbours to the South.

Ria spent hours working on codes and making sure her intelligence officers knew ways to get information back to her while all around her, the land trembled. The last thing she did before eating was to add a touch of magic to the gold bands made to be worn as bracelets. They were already magicked it detract attention and protect the wearer. Ria's magic gave the bracelets the ability to adapt to the wearer's wrist so they can't be lost. It served the dual purpose of connecting them to Ria so she could contact these people like she did with Hannah and her close friends.

MeiLie made one last check of the card to ensure they had everything the needed before she strapped on a set of rollerblades. She and Ria would be setting the charges on the first section of the bridge while those in the cars would cover the last two thirds.

Symon had tried, unsuccessfully, to convince Ria that she should not put herself as such risk when there were so many people depending on her. For the most part, his arguments fell on deaf ears as she ignored him while she worked with her intelligence officers. When she finally did give him the time to argue, she simply stated, "I won't ask anyone here to do something I'm not willing to do myself," and turned her back on him.

While Ria strapped on her own skates, MeiLie went over the plans with the others one more time. Her responsible nature was practically screaming, 'you can never be too sure.' It wasn't like they were expecting a mountain of troubles to appear out of nowhere, she just felt that maybe quadruple checking would ensure that everything would go more smoothly than planned.

The camp was eerily quiet as four cars left for the bridge after dinner. Everyone understood that they may never again see half the people who left that evening. Even those on clean-up duty had dropped everything to bid their companions farewell and then stayed to watch long after the cars had disappeared from sight. Slowly, in groups of twos and threes, the camp returned to their duties until the only people still standing there were Kuai Hua, Ayla, Caitlin, Mrs. Sutter, and Hannah.

Ayla had overheard enough to know that something dangerous was going to happen while the others were gone. She looked up to the adults and asked, "They'll be back, won't they?"

Mrs. Sutter looked down at Ayla as Caitlin wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders. "Of course they will," she replied, "at least those that are staying here will be."

"And Tenshi?"

"Aunty Ri will be back with her shield or on it but, knowing her; she'll come back with it balancing on her head." Hannah spoke as though she were an authority on all things related to Ria, the refugee's Tenshi.

Ayla looked confused, "What do you mean" She didn't have a shield when she left, none of them did."

"It's a saying, dear." Mrs. Sutter replied. "It's been in the Eria line for generations. Some people say Eria herself used to use it. All Hanni means is that Angel will face whatever she has to and overcome it." The woman started to lead the girls back to the tents but, only succeeded in turning Caitlin and Ayla.

"How does the little chit know so much? She got to be only four or five."

The women were so tired that they didn't notice Ayla's use of Symon's and Ria's favourite term for children.

"You'd be like that too, if you grew up under Angel's influence. She's been teaching Hanni since before the child cut her first teeth, though I suspect Angel has magicked her a bit to advance her abilities until things have calmed down. On top of that, Hanni's bright and she picks up concepts easily. I expect you'll be the same…your magic feels similar to theirs."

In The Cars

Ria sat with her eyes closed as she concentrated. "Symon, Symon, Symon. You'd better be listening. Why on Earth didn't you give me a warning that you were coming?"

Two cars back, Symon closed his eyes and responded to the voice in his head. "It rather slipped my mind. Why? Did I scare you?"

Ria laughed lightly before silently replying, "Of course not, I just would have set up a welcoming committee."

"I believe we got enough of a welcoming from your Han-chit. She's very much like you." Symon paused for a moment, wondering if he should ask now or wait for a better time. His curiosity got the best of him as he asked, "About Ayla, is she-"

"Yes, she is. The Keanes, you met them, adopted her. They're very protective of her so tread lightly."

"And Maria?"

Ria flinched, but she had known that question was coming too. "Six years ago. Let's not talk about this here; I need to focus on getting this done." Ria abruptly broke the connection before Symon could say anything more.

Four cars pulled up to the booths at the start of the bridge. The two in the rear turned and blocked the road to prevent anyone else from crossing to leave the Island. The other two paused as though bracing themselves for something difficult before starting the final crossing of the historical bridge. The cars drove side by side, ignoring all the lines painted on the road.

Nearly one third of the way across the bridge, the car on the right stopped to allow MeiLie to get out. After shutting the door, she bent down and placed an object on a support. Then she turned and skated back towards the Island while the car continued on its way to the Mainland, stopping further up to let someone else out for a few minutes to plant another explosive. The car on the left stopped halfway between the other two rigged points and waited long enough for Ria to exit and shut the door before taking off again. Ria copied MeiLie's previous actions before turning around and skating back towards the Island, herself.

For the entire length of the bridge, the teams planted the explosives alternately, hoping in the end that enough of the bridge would be at least too cratered to be passable. The plan had been devised to ensure that the cars would reach the Mainland first and the stand guard to keep people off until Ria and MeiLie reached the Island and triggered the explosives. Ria had made sure that MeiLie would be back first simply because she could not ask someone else to be the last person on a doomed bridge. It just made her feel better since scientific communications could be tracked and magical communications took too much concentration. It made it easier for Ria to know where everyone else was if they were safe before she was. They had developed an emergency signal just in case those on the Mainland couldn't keep someone from trying to cross but, Ria prayed to every god she knew that they wouldn't have to use it.

Ria stood up from placing her last explosive and whispered one last plea that the emergency signal not come. She started skating hard as she saw MeiLie reach the toll booths. Then it came: a large magical crack split through the air, much the way thunder would as a light shot up from the Mainland, intensified by the magic that activated the flare. Ria swore under her breath and skated harder as she counted to ten. The only other thought going through her head was the hope that she would be far enough away when they set the explosives off.

Symon saw the flare and cursed. He knew something like this would happen. Behind him, he heard someone counting to ten as MeiLie panted in an attempt to catch her breath. His eyes remained glued to Ria as she sped up. He noticed the look of fierce determination on her face and knew she was concentrating hard on getting far away before everyone reached ten. At nine, she was at the toll booths. At ten, she was passing them. A second later, the silent night roared as flames jumped into the sky and pieces of concrete and metal flew through the air. Ria felt the heat behind her as she skated towards Symon and MeiLie and she knew she was lucky she was still on her feet.