Disclaimer:

I have no affiliation with Cardcaptor Sakura or any other of CLAMP's works. Also any similarities to real life events or people are unintentional unless explicitly stated.


"Hi Star!"

Sakura snapped out of her daydream and drew her attention to the Honey, Keita and some of the other Yomogi Orphanage children. "Hi everyone. Are you all enjoying the festival?"

"Yes!" they cheered.

"We just saw the acrobatic show!" exclaimed Keita. "It was really cool! They did all these flips and stood on each other's shoulders and everything!"

"Make sure you go to watch and cheer on Li, Yuui, Doumeki and Kurogane when they perform later."

"And Second Sister and Cousin Lady," added Honey.

"Of course! They're performing towards the end of the day."

"Ah, Little Sister!" said Li, from where he was supervising the others as they prepared the dim sums. "I was hoping you'd come. Hold on. I'll give you some food."

"What about us?!" asked Keita.

"As long as you all share."

Honey watched him as he put the food in paper boxes, then looked at Sakura, and then at him again.

"What's the matter, Honey?" she asked.

Honey shook her head. "I thought I saw someone similar to you and brother earlier."

"Is that so?" Sakura laughed nervously. Honey probably saw their Other Selves. They decided to go to the festival, but used some of Meiling's products to change their appearances temporarily. The school's magic protection spells were relaxed in the main courtyard so that the stage and cooking equipment could work during the festival.

The Other Sakura now had copper coloured hair that reached her waist which Sakura liked the look of. Maybe she'd try to grow hers.

"What are you doing?" Li yelled at Doumeki. "You're not supposed to use that much soy sauce! Can't you do anything right?"

"I can eat," replied Doumeki between mouthfuls.

Li turned around and shouted at him, "Don't eat without paying!"

Doumeki grunted in reply and turned the dim sums.

Li sighed and handed out the food to the kids. "He's so annoying. Don't you agree, Little Sister?"

Honey considered him for a moment and said, "I don't think he's like that at all. I think he's a pure person."

"WHAT?!"

Several people, including Sakura, covered their ears at his outburst.

"It's true," said Fye, arm around Li's shoulder, "He's a cinnamon roll."

Yamazaki appeared too and hung on Li's other side. "Too good for this world."

"Too pure."

"He's not!" Li shrugged them off, but his expression softened when he noticed that Honey was smiling.

Sakura had to turn to hide her warm cheeks. She thought she knew him so well since they were together back in Lecourt, but ever since she came to Heung Gong she's discovered so many new things about him. He could sing and play the guitar. He was good with kids. He wasn't so serious when he was with his family and friends, especially Doumeki.

Surely her feelings for him were obvious, but she couldn't help feeling this way.


"How is your family?" Meiling asked Miss Kinomoto who found time to stop and chat.

"My mother is at my cousin's now," she replied, "so it should be all-"

"Where were you last night?" interrupted Bo.

Meiling blinked and then returned turning the skewers. "There was an emergency."

"And you didn't think to connect to me?"

"I had no reception," she lied. The truth was that she completely forgot.

"But-"

She glared at him. "Look, I'm busy now, can you come back later?"

"Mei," said Miss Kinomoto. "I have to go-"

"No stay," pleaded Meiling.

"Why does she get to stay? I'm your boyfriend."

"Because-"

"Because what?" he demanded.

Miss Kinomoto fidgeted. "Umm, I'm needed to help move the music equipment, but I'll come back."

"Ah, sorry," said Meiling, feeling slightly embarrassed that her friend had to witness that. She waved "I'll see you later."

"Where's my apology?"

Meiling's anger flared and she was about to give him a piece of her mind but then he said, "I was really worried about you."

He looked so upset. Meiling sighed and reminded herself that his attitude was only because he loved her and only her. That was all she ever wanted, right? She reminded herself that to make a relationship work it required compromise.

"I'm sorry," she said, grabbing hold of his hands. "I'm in charge of the stall, but you have my word that we'll spend time together afterwards. Okay?"

He let out a long breath. "I forgive you," he said before kissing her deeply.


"Can I go to the toilet," Syaoran asked the student council member.

"Yeah, but make sure you return soon."

Syaoran nodded. He didn't need to go the toilet but needed to get out of the green room tent to focus on anything else besides the performances. He spotted Yukito Tsukishiro walking briskly through the school's gardens. He looked lost. Maybe he should help him. It wouldn't take that long.

Syaoran ran along trying to spot Yukito through the trees. Light gleamed from the pale silk tie that bound his long silver hair.

"Yukito, I know you're here somewhere." A female voice called.

Reflexively he held his breath to mask his chi and hid behind the tree trunk. He caught a glimpse of Akizuki's red hair streaming behind her as she ran.

"Got it!" Syaoran heard her say.

"Give it back!" was Yukito's reply.

"Not until you hear me out."

"I did. Now give it back."

"No! You don't have to do this. I found a place that will accept us for what we ah-"

Syaoran heard a scuffle and felt several thuds reverberate through the tree trunk.

"This is exactly my point," she said, voice low. "Maybe if you weren't at war with yourself, maybe you'd win for once."

"S-Shut up," he said in a raspy voice.

Syaoran strained to hear what she said. What were they talking about?

"You eat all that food and you're never satisfied. The water is too risky. If you'd just accept it, you -"

His new Daidouji Industry chronophone began to ring and he frantically declined the connection.

"What was that?"

Shards of blood red crystals embedded into the bark next to him. He let go of his breath and ran, but was pulled backwards by the collar of his shirt. Akizuki then tossed him to the ground and stood over him.

"Syaoran Li, snooping around, I see," she said.

Behind her Yukito was struggling against the crimson shards pinning him to the bark. His long hair was unbound and his claw-like nails scratched through layers of bark.

She forced him to look at her with just one push of her finger. "What did you overhear?"

Syaoran just glared.

"What did you hear, Syaoran Li?" she asked quietly.

This time Syaoran was unable to resist the order. He recited the whole conversation.

"He has a good memory," said Nakuru. She stood up straight. "I'm impressed."

"He knows too much." Yukito had calmed down and calmly ripped his free from the tree. He plucked out crystals still caught in his sleeve and crumbled it into dust. His eyes were cold.

"Well, that can easily be fixed. I was feeling a little thirsty, weren't you?" Akizuki took a step towards Syaoran. There was something dangerous in her expression. "One action, two gains. Such a shame it had to be a son of the Li Clan…"

Yukito licked his lips and approached too. Syaoran's heart thudded. With a sick feeling in his stomach, Syaoran realized what they were.

"Hello? Li, are you here?" called Sakura Kinomoto unseen. She must've gone looking for him because it was time for the performance. "Are you sure that he's near here Spinel?"

There was a meow in reply.

"Oh?" exclaimed Yukito.

"Maybe we should invite Sakura Kinomoto for tea too," suggested Akizuki.

They knew her name too!

"She's got nothing to do with this," he spat out.

She wrapped her hand around Yukito's wrist. "Let's make a deal then; her safety for your cooperation."


Sakura tried connecting to Li's chronophone but he didn't respond. Despite what the others said, she didn't believe that he would run away from this when he knew that everyone else was looking forward to it. He had been practising with all his might.

Luckily for them Tomoyo and Koe had swapped their performance slot with the Four Heavenly Kings but that still didn't give them much time to find him. She could hear the opening chords of Tomoyo and Koe's performance.

She was running around the perimeter of the main building when she bumped into Spinel. "Hello, I'm looking for Li," she told the white feline, scratching him between the ears. After the white feline was adopted Spinel found a place in the school protecting the students from minor spirits that wandered past the school's defences. "Can you help me find him?"

In response Spinel started heading towards the school gardens. The feline stopped midstride.

"Hello? Li, are you here?" she called. The feline's ears twitched. "Are you sure that he's near here, Spinel?"

The feline meowed.

They wandered down the path calling out his name. Sakura estimated that they still had two more songs left.

They found him sitting at the base of a tree with bark littered about him.

"Are you all right, Li?" she asked him.

He looked away. Something had upset him but she couldn't figure out what.

"Let's go," she said gently, pulling him up by the arm. "The others are waiting for you to perform. My cousins have swapped places with your performance. If we hurry, you can still make it."

He seemed a little dazed and moved slowly at first. Then he started running towards the stage.

They only just exited the woods when they heard the sound of applause die out.

"It's too late," he said, stopping.

Sakura shook her head. Every now and then he would have this hopeless expression and she was tired of it. "No it's not."

Suddenly, she heard the sound of screams followed by the beat of drums and then the chords of an organ.

They looked at one another.

"Is that…?"

The other instruments joined in and the singer began to sing the opening line. "This world of love…"

They sprinted into the courtyard, Spinel at their heels. From behind the crowd they saw the Four Heavenly Kings on the stage performing. Only, the lead singer was the Other Li with his gold coloured hair hidden underneath a cap.

"Wan-Wan and Miss Kinomoto?" exclaimed Meiling, in the crowd with Bo. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on stage?"

"Yeah," he said.

"Supposed to be," agreed Sakura already running away.

The two of them ran behind the stalls reached the backstage tent and rushed in. Their shoulders brushed, and she recoiled. Li gestured for her to go in first.

Tomoyo, Koe and Sakura's other self greeted them in the wings of the stage.

The Other Sakura quickly got them cups of water. "I'm so glad that you found him!"

"It's all thanks to Spinel," she said in between breaths. The white feline rubbed its head against their ankles.

The audience were enchanted by the performance and pulsed with the music. They boys were amazing. The Other Li couldn't have had much time to practise, but he sang and played so well. Then again, he was also Syaoran Li.

After the end of the song, the Other Li said into the microphone, "Everyone, I hope that you're enjoying the show," said the Other Li into the mic. "We are the Four Heavenly Kings. On the drums we have Doumeki. On the organ is Flowright. The Bass guitar is played by Kurogane, and I'm Li. I'm the lead singer and also the guitarist."

Each member played a short tune after their introduction and received a round of applause, but the Other Li received the largest.

"I love you, Li!" some girls shouted.

He stopped playing abruptly and stuttered. "U-umm… I-I-,"

"Do you have someone you like already?" asked someone in the crowd.

After a moment, he admitted, "Y-yeah."

Sakura smiled at her Other Self who was blushing furiously.

The audience was startled. There were many of cries of "What?" and "Who?!"

The Other Li bumped into the drum set behind him, and turned to apologize. He spotted Li in the wings. "J-just a moment," he said into the microphone.

He ran to the wing and handed the guitar over to Li.

"W-what?"

"Sorry," he apologized, not looking at Li as he pushed him onto the stage.

"But?" He tried to retreat.

"Go on!" said the Other Sakura, pushing him too.

"You've been practising so much!" said Sakura.

He stumbled onto the stage and approached to its centre.

"I didn't know you could play the guitar," said the Other Sakura said to the Other Li.

He rubbed the back of his head.

"You sure changed quickly," commented Fye. Some people laughed, but Sakura couldn't figure out why. "So, who is this person you like? Is it –"

Syaoran started strumming. "And now the next song!" he declared to the cheering crowd.


Tomoyo set the timer on the camera and hurried to her spot. A few moments later the flash went off and the camera floated to her presenting the photograph. It developed rapidly before their eyes. She inserted the photograph into the cream album and then presented it to the Other Sakura.

"For you to remember us by," said Tomoyo.

The other girl smiled prettily. Her natural hair colour best suited her. She was wearing her black and white school uniform again. She carried her school's winter coat in her arms. She gave Tomoyo a warm embrace. "I hope to dream of you again."

It was almost midnight and they were saying their final goodbyes at the Dimensional Gate controlled by the Heung Gong government. It required an immense amount of energy to return them to their world at the correct time. As such it was unlikely that they would ever be able to cross into each other's worlds and see each other in person again.

"You know," said the Other Sakura to Sakura, "the most powerful force in the world is love."

She nodded, and the traveller joined her companions who were waiting by the glowing gate. They waved and after a pulsing light then they were gone.


Author's Note:

- I apologize for this, but I don't think that I'll be able to update until September. Sorry. I haven't been able to flesh out the next block of chapters yet =S and I know that August will be extremely busy with work, snow trip, cousin's wedding shenanigans etc... But I'll upload as soon as possible!

- The Four Heavenly Kings is also a term used to describe the four biggest male superstars in Hong Kong in the 90's. I came across it when I was procrasti-researching and thought that it fit really nicely with the story

- Also, is it me or has there slightly more girl bands being portrayed in anime than boy bands?