Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Card Captor Sakura

Author's Notes: Things written in Italics will be considered flashbacks; anything in normal print is in current times. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy

Dreams are difficult, confusing, frightening, harsh...and not everything in them is meant to pass for humankind…yes… But look into dreams...and you can see the inner workings of the dreamer. You can see what makes them tick, the nuts and bolts.

- Avalonian Witch

Haunted

In Dreams

"Sakura. I've dreamed about you for so many years that the sound of your name brings such warmth to my soul that I could never feel otherwise…No THAT'S STUPID."

The young Sorceress-Hunter Syaoran paced back and forth in his quarters growling in frustration. Love was an emotion that the hard-nosed training of a hunter could not have prepared him for. Of course none of his current situation was something that he could have prepared for even in a million years. Sudden warfare, the adrenaline of a kill...that he was ready for…not this…never this.

Never for asking Sakura to marry him.

It wasn't the first time Syaoran had gone into someone else's dreams. Indeed it was a requirement to be a good sorceress hunter. After all, how else would you get information from someone that didn't want to give it to you if not through their dreams? However it was his first time going into Sakura's dreams, and it did bring about a certain feeling of guilt. Regardless of the ethics of it, the thing was done and while he was in her mind he intended to find out what he could.

Sorceress Sakura sat in front of her vanity. Weaving the ivory comb through her hair she made sure to remove any knots and tangles that might have been there. She had made herself the prettiest she could possibly be. She had chosen her best ch'ang-p'ao, the dark green of it accented by small leaves of a lighter shade of green. Soon she coiled her honey brown hair into a neat bun behind her head held up using a ji accented with jade-pearls, leaving her heart-shaped face exposed. Swiping some honey-gloss on her lips, and scrubbed to the point of a glow she put on her slippers and walked outside of her manor to wait for Syaoran.

There were flashes of their life before here and there. Those were the most painful, watching her get ready for him…watching his death through her eyes. As he walked through the realm that consisted of her dreams he couldn't stop the tears from falling. Soon though he heard an unfamiliar voice, and he turned to watch Sakura's latest memory…

That of Meiling.

He fell to his knees.

"Meiling will just have to understand."

At least that is what Syaoran told himself as he walked on his way to Sakura's home. The fact that the marriage had been arranged even before either of them were born made him feel less guilty about breaking his engagement with the young Chinese noblewoman

At the same time Meiling watched from behind the bushes as her Fiancé Syaoran headed in the way of the next village.

"Understand what?" She whispered softly to herself as she continued to follow him.

He certainly hadn't been expecting to see the reincarnation of the very woman that had caused both Syaoran and Sakura's deaths within the confines of Sakura's memory. But there she was, flesh and bone and not changed a bit despite the years since he had seen her. It was no wonder that Sakura and she had not taken well to each other. After all even all those years ago the two had not seen eye to eye.

Syaoran took Sakura's hand tenderly and pulled her into his arms. Leaning forward he whispered into her ear.

"My dearest Sakura…all that I am, all that I see, all that I dream and do are brighter, more beautiful and meaningful, because of my feelings for you…Sakura…Marry Me?"

Staring angrily at her now, former fiancé Meiling ran back to the Hunter's headquarters. When she arrived she quickly grabbed the attention of the head Hunter.

"Syaoran is in love…with a sorceress."

"Nonsense…he is our best and most well-trained hunter. He would never do such a preposterous thing. Syaoran knows better then that."

"Knows better then what?"

Syaoran took several steps forward, a smile permanently etched onto his face until he heard his commander's next words.

"Syaoran…please inform Meiling that you are NOT in love with some…some…sorceress."

"I…"

"See!"

"Syaoran…You know the rules…you must kill her!"

"No!"

"Then we'll do it for you…"

Syaoran ran off into the direction of Sakura's home, not even waiting to see his fellow hunters prepare for battle.

"We'll kill her for you."

Seeing all he needed to see Syaoran slipped quietly out of Sakura's dreams. Floating out of the room he didn't see Sakura bolt awake, and then rest her head onto her knees.

That night…both the ghost of the hunter, and the reincarnation of the hunted cried.

For loss of their past dreams…for the suffering…the suffering in dreams.

AN: WOO four pages! Review!