A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed again! I wuv reviews!

sakura.cherryblossom.kinomoto: That won't happen until much, much later.
someone: Of course I don't have the plot going the same way! I mean, in the movie, the little sister says she loves the rich guy, but then when she marries the guy who REALLY REALLY REALLY likes her, she starts saying she loves him. It's confusing, so I twisted the plot.

Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura. It belongs to CLAMP and CLAMP only.

CinderSakura

By: Lotus Dreams


Chapter 5: Sakura Found and Not Found

Nadeshiko took off the ring necklace and put it onto her desk. It shone in the dim light of her lamp.

"NADESHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" someone called. Nadeshiko immediately exited her room, forgetting to wear her necklace.

Mr. and Mrs. Harada had their arms around each other and were bidding Manami goodbye.

"Ja, dear," said Mrs. Harada. "Me and your otou-san[father] are going to a movie! Oh, and run the shop for me, will you Nadeshiko?" Manami snorted.

"YOU two to a movie? Please. You guys will fall asleep within the first two minutes of it!"

"What the hell do YOU know?" sneered Mrs. Harada. "Go to hell--I mean, bed." The two of them tottered out the door. Manami gave a noise of contempt and turned around to go back upstairs. When she saw Nadeshiko behind her, she looked at her up and down in distaste.

"Get out of my way."

"Gomen," said Nadeshiko, stepping to the side. Manami said, "Tuh!" to her and walked upstairs. Nadeshiko was left to run the shop, although there wouldn't be many customers at 10 in the evening.

Suddenly, the door slid open. A guy, smelling strongly of beer and with black hair, stumbled in. "Mana," he said sluggishly. "I want Mana-chan! I WANT MY MANA-CHAN!!" Nadeshiko stepped forward hesitantly.

"Um--can I help you?" The guy turned to look at her. His eyes widened, for he had never seen anything so beautiful; short, shoulder length auburn hair with startling green eyes, and she was rather thin, as well...he grinned stupidly.

"Hey there," he rasped, and pulled her into his arms, planting a hard, messy, drunk kiss onto her lips.

"AAAAAAAAH!" screamed Nadeshiko. "Get--off--me--" He was rubbing his hands across her waist, still kissing her furiously all over the face. "Mana-chan--"

"I'm--not--Manami!" Nadeshiko tried to yell. "Get off me, you slimy disgusting baka--mmph!" He grasped her tighter. Nadeshiko moved her arm slightly and socked him in the stomach. The guy backed off with a groan. Nadeshiko grabbed a towel and scrubbed her face furiously.

"Don't come near me ever again!" Nadeshiko was shaking, despite her anger. The man, however, paid no attention. Grinning an insane smile, he stumbled forwards, and tried to snatch her. Nadeshiko took a step backwards, so he grabbed the collar of her shirt instead. It ripped halfway to the waist.

Nadeshiko screamed as he tried to get a strong grip on her. "Stop!" she yelled. "Stop--" Just then, Manami came down the stairs and saw what the man was doing to Nadeshiko. Her eyes widened.

"Get your hands off her, you filthy slimy baka!" she screeched, running at him. When she jerked him off, however, she looked at his face and realized it was--

"Kan-Kansuke?" she stammered in shock. "Wh-Wha--?" Kansuke grinned stupidly at her. "Hey there." He tried to grab her waist, too, but Manami pulled away.

"What--were--you--doing--with--Nadeshiko?" she said through gritted teeth. Kansuke's insane grin widened.

"Kissing her, of course."

"Why?" said Manami shrilly, her voice growing louder. "WHY? TELL ME, WHY?!"

"Because she's pretty." Manami's eyes widened. She rounded on Nadeshiko.

"H-He tried to grab me and he ripped my shirt," said Nadeshiko shakily. Manami turned purple.

"HOW DARE YOU!" she shrieked. "I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU! HOW DARE YOU SEDUCE MY BOYFRIEND! HOW DARE YOU KISS HIM WITH YOUR FILTHY UNWORTHY LIPS! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!" Manami spotted a bowl of cold, icy water on a table. She flung the water onto Nadeshiko. Nadeshiko was shocked.

"GET OUT! GET OUT! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN! I NEVER KNEW WHY MOM AND DAD DECIDED TO KEEP YOU! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET--OUT!" screamed Manami. Nadeshiko dodged as she hurled the bowl at her head. Nadeshiko, tears in her eyes, tore out of the small shop, never to return there again.
Nadeshiko shivered convulsively as the cold night air whistled through her hair. She had no where to go. Her shirt was ripped. She looked like a disaster. Luckily, Tomoyo was just going out for a night walk and spotted Nadeshiko walking, hugging her chest tightly.

"Nadeshiko-chan?" Nadeshiko jumped a mile. There was Tomoyo, looking intensely concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Tomoyo-chan," said Nadeshiko, relieved, and collapsed into her arms. Tomoyo stroked her hair as she cried.

"What happened?"

"Some--Some guy grabbed me and kissed me all over and turns out he was Manami's boyfriend and now--now I have nowhere to go!"

"Aw, Nadeshiko, don't worry," Tomoyo soothed as Nadeshiko sobbed harder. "Come on, you can live at my house for now."

"No," hiccupped Nadeshiko, "No, it's okay--"

"You're staying at my house and that's it!" said Tomoyo firmly. "Come, I'll--"

Nadeshiko couldn't take it anymore and fainted right then.

"--take you to my house."
"What happened?" asked Sonomi at once when she spotted Tomoyo dragging Nadeshiko in.

"Nadeshiko was attacked by a crazy guy who happened to be Manami's boyfriend and was thrown out of the house," said Tomoyo grimly. Sonomi was shocked.

"Oh my goodness! You're not serious!"

"Actually, I am," answered Tomoyo. "Okaa-san, can we let her live at our house for now? She has no place to go, and no other people who would welcome her. Why don't we just keep her here?"

"Excellent idea," said Sonomi. "I've always liked Nadeshiko, she was always such a sweet, sweet girl. She can have the guest room."

"Thanks, okaa-san!" said Tomoyo happily, and kissed her mother on the cheek. She dragged Nadeshiko upstairs into the guest room, which was rather large and had a big bed, wrapped a thick warm blanket over her, and stayed with her until she came to.

When Nadeshiko finally awoke, she was surprised to find Tomoyo keeping her company.

"Tomoyo, I--"

"It's okay," interrupted Tomoyo. "We have a guest room. You can stay here for as long as you want.

"Tomoyo-chan!"

"I told you, no sweat," said Tomoyo firmly. "You're staying at my house and that's final!"

"I--I don't know how to thank you," said Nadeshiko, filled with gratitude, "I mean, you really don't need to do this."

"It's okay," Tomoyo repeated. "I'm glad to have you live at my house. The more, the merrier, right?" She gave a bright smile at Nadeshiko, which she returned. Nadeshiko felt extra warm, because she had the pleasure of having Tomoyo as a friend.

"Girls!" called Sonomi from downstairs. "Come on! It's dinner time!"

"Dinner?"

"Yeah, aren't you hungry?" asked Tomoyo.

"I--"

Her stomach growled loudly.

"--guess so."
Dinner consisted of steamed rice, roast chicken, a plate of green vegetables, fried shrimp, and fish. Nadeshiko ate like she never ate before, it was so good. Tomoyo watched her eat, giggling every so often. Tomoyo and her mother were quite rich, as her mother ran a big toy company, but they still wanted to do their own chores, make their own food, etc.

Nadeshiko smiled contentedly when she finished. "That was the best dinner I ever ate!" Sonomi laughed.

"I'm glad you like it. I bought the fish fresh from the supermarket. Isn't it good?"

Nadeshiko nodded. "So good, I almost cried when it was finished!"

"Okay...so, what do you two want to do now?"

"Erm--"

"Do you...have any books?" asked Nadeshiko shyly. Tomoyo smiled at her shyness.

"You don't have to be quiet about that sort of thing, you can ask or say anything you want here. Yeah, we have tons of books. We have a special room with shelves and shelves of them. What are you looking for?"

Nadeshiko shrugged. "Oh, you know, stuff about electronics; anything related to the Kinomoto company."

Sonomi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you thinking of working there?"

Nadeshiko seemed embarrassed. "Well, yes. Um...I applied for it once but I lost my forms. But then a really nice man named Li Syaoran found them and returned them to me; I said I wouldn't need them anymore, but he told me to keep them just in case, because they would one day come in useful." Nadeshiko shrugged. "It's my dream to work at Kinomoto Inc. It seems like a really great place to work, seems really high class. I had given up on my dream once, and I won't again."

Sonomi nodded. "I see. I admire your persistence. Tomoyo-chan, go look if there's any books that Nadeshiko requested.

"Hai." Tomoyo beckoned at Nadeshiko. "Come with me."
Manami screamed at Kansuke for a few hours, then threw him out of her restaurant-shop. She was breathing hard. That little dog! she screamed inwardly. I hate Nadeshiko, I hate her, I hate her! She was so full of anger, that if she exploded, it would probably blow up the next city.

She stomped upstairs to her room. In there, she spotted something gleaming on Nadeshiko's desk. It was her ring, that stupid one with Kinomoto Nadeshiko written on it. But it was pretty, still the same. She walked to the desk and snatched it off. She untied the string strung onto it and put the ring onto her finger. She looked at it, how good it looked on her finger.

"NADESHIKO! NADESHIKO!" a voice suddenly called. Manami gulped. Her parents were home! She ran downstairs, putting on an angry face.

"Mana!" said Mrs. Harada sharply. "Where's Nadeshiko?"

"Gone," said Manami clearly.

"WHAT?"

"Gone."

"WHAT?"

"Gone."

"WHAT?"

"Gone."

"Oh my goodness! GONE?! But--why?"

"Because I kicked her out, that's why!" said Manami furiously. "I caught her kissing with Kansuke-chan!"

"YOU BAKA!" screamed Mrs. Harada. "YOU STUPID BAKA! YOU REALIZE THE TROUBLE YOU'VE CAUSED? OH MY GOODNESS, WHO'S GOING TO COOK FOR THE CUSTOMERS NOW? WE'LL BE POOR AND DIE! YOU STUPID IDIOT! WHY DID YOU SEND HER AWAY BECAUSE OF A BOY?"

"Because she's always stealing everything I have!" shouted Manami. "I hope she dies and rots out there!"

"YOU--"

"Ahem." The three of them whirled around. A man in his late 20s was standing there, with a couple of men in black suits. "Konbanwa," he said evenly. "I'm Kinomoto Touya, grandson of the owner of Kinomoto Inc,, Mr. Kinomoto. I'm looking for my long lost sister, Sakura Kinomoto. I've heard she's here. Can I looked around for her?"

The three looked at him, dumbfounded. Manami recovered first.

"I--I don't know what you mean. There's no such person here."

"That's funny, I remember somebody saying that a 20-year-old girl here was my younger sister. Can you please let her out right now instead of acting like Cinderella's stepsister?" Touya was frantic. He hoped that when he saw Sakura, he would recognize her instantly. But they did not move.

"Excuse me, but did you hear what I said?"

"I--I'm 20 years old." Manami stepped forward. Mrs. Harada's eyes widened. Touya's eyebrows creased together. Manami had figured something out now. Maybe they thought that Nadeshiko was that Sakura Kinomoto, but whatever. She had Nadeshiko's ring in her hand. If Nadeshiko really was Touya's sister, then her ring must be proof. Then she hesitated. Doing it may cause in a crime, or she might be found out. Pretending to be Sakura Kinomoto, granddaughter of THE Mr. Kinomoto would be so, so, wrong. But then she thought of Nadeshiko with Kansuke, stealing Tomoyo's friendship from her, trying to make the hot guy like her...and she instantly spoke up.

"YOU'RE 20 years old?"

"Yes." Manami's voice was shaky. "If I...if I told you that when I lost my memory at around 10 years old because of a car crash, and was brought by my parents--I mean, Mr. and Mrs. Harada--would you believe me?"

"You lost your memory?" Touya was desperate. "Then...Then can you tell me anything?"

"No. I lost ALL of my memory. I can't tell you anything," said Manami fiercely.

"What about a piece of clothing? Hair pin? Don't you have anything?"

"Nothing," said Manami. with me. You only." Touya stepped forward, and followed Manami into the kitchen. Manami was breathing hard. This was her chance to make Nadeshiko regret everything she ever did to her.

Manami took the ring off her hand and gave it, trembling, to Touya. "When I lost my memory, I found this on my neck. I always had a suspicion that this was linked to my past." Touya's eyes widened at the ring.

"This...This..." He read the inscription inside. Kinomoto Nadeshiko. Then he looked at Manami.

"Sa...Sakura?" he whispered. Manami said nothing, not DARING to say anything, hoping her scheme would work...

Touya embraced her tightly, saying, "I finally found you, Sakura-chan. I've found you, finally!"
OH NO!! Touya has been tricked by Manami to be Sakura! But Sakura doesn't know it! OMG, the suspense! Review for more!