Touya-

Touya woke up from his sleep to find he felt and saw something that he had not seen since well he gave his powers to help Yue when he was feeding off of Sakura's powers. "Okaasan?" He whispered groggily thinking that he had only seen an image of her because he had been thinking about her.

"Yes, it is me. Welcome back."

"What's going on?"

She smiled, reaching out with her ghost like fingers to touch his cheek. "It's time."

"What does that mean?"

In another place-

"We are out of time."

"I am well aware of that. We have one more option. WE have to get her to join us."

"She won't do that."

"I'll see you in time."

Before anybody starts throwing tomatoes I'm really sorry that I haven't been able to get this. Both me and my editor have been very busy with school, home, and life itself. The fact that I also have a job and she has been taking driver's ed. You have to forgive us both.

Moondoc- I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. I'm about to drop a bomb or two on you. I hope it will be a couple of bombs. Well enjoy!

L.P.B.- Well I'm sorry to say that it is coming. It makes me want to cry. I like this story. I have also very much loved playing around with the characters. Oh and pay attention to this chapter, read chapter 17, you just might catch something.

Tramie- Thank you for editing this chapter so much. I know that you have been busy and I hope that you have luck on your finals.

Disclaimer: I don't own them! I just like to write them! Enjoy!

Chapter 18

Shaoran had been walking with Sakura in their favorite part of the gardens, talking and laughing just like they had when they were younger. The skies held few clouds and the sun was letting off a light heat in the early morning.

The peace was quickly destroyed when everything went dark. Sakura could no longer feel Shaoran's hand grasping hers. There was a shadowy figure among the darkness. "Cardmistress, if you ever want to see him safe again, there are many obstacles you must go through."

Sakura sat up in her bed and looked at the clock. "Ugh! It's only one in the morning." She muttered while she tried to settle back into her pillows. When she couldn't get back to sleep, she found her way to the kitchen. "That's funny. Shaoran is that you?" She asked mentally.

When he didn't answer, she shrugged her shoulders and continued into the kitchen. "Kin-Li, I take it that you couldn't sleep."

"Not really. I had a bad dream." The young woman answered.

"That seems to be a problem around here."

"Sorry to hear that. Will we be joined by anyone else?"

"I guess we'll find out." Sakura answered before she took out a cup to make some hot cocoa.

Kin-Li watched Sakura with interest. She hadn't been lied to by her aunt. This sorceress was just as she had been described; quiet, distraught in some way or another, powerful and very seldom giving a real laugh. She knew, however, that this wasn't always the case and wouldn't always be so. The time she had known her she had been happy with only an underlying sadness. Only when that sadness was acutely felt did you know that was actually wrong. That usually involved her family, though.

Kin-Li's thoughts then turned to the nightmares that she had been having. Some of them entailed her childhood recurring nightmares, having to do with her brother's disappearance when she was five, and some entailed a lot worse. Her mother certainly hadn't taken that too well and for a long time was withdrawn, but wouldn't cry, as far as Kin-Li knew. She spent every bit of energy that she had to find him, magical or otherwise, but it had been to no avail. Her mother had perked up some after a while, but you knew she never forgot her missing son. Now he would be about eight-teen years of age. She had a picture in her mind of what he should look like and thought she had seen him a couple of times, but she hadn't. 'I know that he is somewhere around here. I just can't pinpoint where.'

"Why are we having a meeting down here that no one knows about?" A voice broke through the thoughts of the two young women.

Sakura turned around. "Eriol, what are you doing up?"

"I felt a slightly unfamiliar aura and came to see if everything was alright." Eriol looked straight at Nadeshiko.

Kin-Li felt like hiding inside herself as much as she could. There weren't many that could hide their thoughts or what they had been through from him. She had never been able to master that trick so well. She knew her father had, but she nor her mother were successful.

"Well, I see some hot cocoa here. Would one of you ladies mind getting one cup for me?" He didn't miss the two glares that they sent his way. "Okay, I guess I'll get it myself." He chuckled. "You two need to lighten up."

Eriol, while he didn't keep his eyes on Kin-Li, did keep all of his other senses open to her. They all seemed to sit in silence, not quite sure what to say or to do. "I'm going outside." Sakura finally said, breaking the silence.

Eriol nodded. After Sakura had left he room, Eriol began his questioning. "Who are you? What are you looking for?"

Kin-Li put down her cocoa. "All you have to know is that I am on your side and I'll find what I'm looking for without help." She stood up and went out to the door. "It's not safe for anyone to help me find him." She spoke to the wind. "Where is he?"

Eriol followed her to the door and heard her last words. "Who are you and why do you feel familiar?" He shook his head before he disappeared from the doorway.

Sakura-

"Sakura, what are you doing out here?" A voice asked behind her.

Sakura turned around. "I guess no one being able to sleep around here is chronic." She said.

He walked closer to her. "No matter, that just means I get to spend more time with you."

"Shaoran, why don't you just ask the question that you've been wanting to ask." Sakura knew the question and could feel it on the tip of her tongue. She also felt that for some reason he was running out of time.

"Marry me?" He whispered into the wind.

"Why me? You were there when the illusionist showed up, showing me one of many of the nightmares I've had to live with for the last few years."

"I can't keep them from happening. I never have been able to keep them from happening. All I can do is help you with them." He whispered, stepping close enough to whisper in her ear.

"I don't know Shaoran." She stepped away.

He turned, trying to hide the disappointment. "You'll come when the time is right 'Kura."

Sakura watched him walk away. "I don't know what to say." She whispered into the air. Now Sakura couldn't think and she wasn't about to let anyone see her hurting right now. She couldn't let her heart out or they would always be hurt. Always suffer the same fate as her. She didn't want that.

Eriol-

Eriol appeared at the training site, having felt Sakura there. She stood with her pink aura as a shield and using fight's power. She was practicing her fencing skills with a heated fierceness. In the distance he saw Shaoran coming onto the field. "This should be interesting." He sat down waiting for whatever to happen.

Sakura trained with a passion she didn't even realize she held. She didn't even notice anyone was watching until she heard a third clang of a sword. She spun around to meet Shaoran's sword with her own.

"Amazing. I thought you had gone back to sleep."

"With your aura pulsing so? I would be surprised if anyone, including non-magical people, would be sleeping." He answered, pushing her sword back.

"What time is it?"

It only took a moment, but it was the only distraction she needed.

"I'd say it's about…" He never finished because he was sent flying across the field.

"I think you were distracted."

Shaoran growled. "Kinomoto-san, that was low." He muttered.

He wasn't going to be distracted again. An hour passed by without pause or word when they felt another aura join them and it wasn't Sakura's card. She had gone back to card form when she saw Sakura didn't need her to train any longer. Sakura and Shaoran both stopped and with their auras combined, searched for the source of new aura. "You know it's funny. Even when you two aren't exactly getting along, you fight alongside as you always have." Her voice was crystal clear.

"How do you know so much about us?"

"You'll find out soon enough." Kin-Li sent an attack, trying to break the barrier.

"You know, together you make a powerful team." She put some extra power into the attack. As she approached they broke apart, before she could get either one of them.

This went on for another hour and she found that she knew where and how they were going to attack. Sakura sent up a shield and a barrier so that Kin-Li wouldn't be able to read their mind. 'We have to do something else. She knows what we are going to do before we do it.'

'You're right Sakura. Any bright ideas, love?'

'Don't call me that…yet.' She hadn't meant to add that last word.

Li smiled. 'What, does it bother you that you will one day my intended?'

'You know he's right. Maybe you two can stop talking and get on with this fight?' Kin-Li had broken through the barrier.

'Follow my lead.' Shaoran said, thinking through some ideas. He didn't know who this girl was, he only knew that she wasn't what she seemed.

Kin-Li knew that something was up, but she wasn't sure of what it might be. One thing that her mother had always taught her was to expect the unexpected, in life and in magic. She kept her senses on them and opened herself up to the elements around her.

The elements that were around were torn up between the three forces, all of which somehow were united in an unexplainable way. The audience around them stared in shock. The auras should have separated, but they didn't. The elements were being called upon by the three at the same time and while they seemed to be torn, they weren't.

"It's time." Is all Eriol could say before he felt the dark aura. It was masked and it felt like there was more than one, but then no one was really sure. The only image they saw was that of a woman who held the dark captive around her and blocked out the stars that were showing in her area.

"I've felt you before." Sakura said. All movement around them had stopped.

Touya stood up. "No Kinomoto-san, they must do this on their own." Eriol stopped him.

"They can't do this alone!"

"You're time in the coming fight will be here soon. It will tire you out."

"That's my sister, she can't get hurt!"

"She won't. Something is going to happen."

"I can see that." Touya muttered before he sat down. This was his sister and he had made a promise to their mother a long time ago that there wouldn't be anything that would ever hurt her. It wasn't just that she looked so much like their mother, she was all that he had left that was anything like her.

Yelan looked at the young man. "It will be alright. She's going to be okay. You have to let go of that promise sometime. She's been taking care of herself for a long time now."

"I know." He whispered as he watched what was going on. The night was now much more dangerous.

At the Battle-

"Yes you have." The woman gave an evil laugh.

"Don't try anything funny."

"Why would we try that, Rina?" Kin-Li spat with disgust.

"I see you've found them. Have you found your brother yet?"

"That's none of your business."

"I take that as a no. That's alright. I don't think you ever will." Rina smirked and turned towards Sakura and Li.

"This battle is between you and me, leave them out of this!" Kin-Li yelled to get her attention.

"No 'Shiko!" Sakura stopped.

"She's right, you don't fight alone." Li stood tall and proud beside her.

"Fine, let's get on with this battle." Rina made the stars disappear with little effort.

"I have a treat for you, cardmistress." Rina directed her attack to Sakura.

Well you know the drill. Give me a review.