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.


Syaoran drew his attention from the quite sigh behind him. He should be listening instead to the teacher who was explaining the solutions to the science finals exam.

Finally the last school bell rang and everyone packed up to go home, all except one.

"Should we wake her up?" asked Syaoran uncertainly.

Flowright looked at Kinomoto who was sleeping at her desk using her crossed arms as a pillow and then shook his head. "Let her sleep. Apparently she hasn't been sleeping well recently especially recent events. I think it will be okay for us to leave her here… Are you coming?"

"I need to grab something from my desk. I'll catch up."

His friends left and Syaoran rummaged through his bag looking for his history book. He found only his science, mathematics and literature books, and at his desk was his magical theory book which he didn't need. He must have left it at home.

Syaoran turned at the yawning sound. Kinomoto stretched her arms above her head and then sat there blinking at him.

His first reaction was to get away quickly, but unfortunately he tripped and collided into Kurogane's desk.

"Hoe?" Her chair squeaked backwards. "Are you all right?"

"Sorry." He stood up, not quite facing her, unsure of what to do.

She gave a small smile and then noticed the empty classroom. "Ah, has class finished. I can't believe I slept through the bell." Her last sentence trailed off into another yawn, and she leant against her desk. "I got back to the dorm a little late last night visiting my brother. I don't think I told you yet, he should be all right now. They've been watching him the past couple of days, but he hasn't shown any signs of turning into a geong-si. I should've told you earlier especially since you saved his life."

"It's nothing."

She shook her head. "If you hadn't donated your blood to him when you did he would've died."

It just so happened that he was the only one with the correct blood type and besides, really it was his fault in the first place.

He gripped his bag tighter. He had to tell her. He already told his family but this felt much worse. He had to tell her that it was his fault and that she was in danger. Maybe then she'd go back to Lecourt where it was surely safer than here despite what his mother said. The demon from the cave referred to the spirts and demons as his soldiers. Why would Hell and the Spirits join forces… unless there waging war against Heaven? A war would explain the increase in abnormal incidents recently. Something on that scale would throw everything out of balance, and not just his world but all the other worlds too. But Lecourt or anywhere else would be safer than Heung Gong. There were people being discovered who were not as lucky as her brother. She had to leave, they knew her True Name.

… They knew his True Name.

"It's all my fault," he confessed. "I knew what he was, what they both were. If I said something sooner, then maybe your brother wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"Or maybe he would've. My brother knew what he was from his dreams," she pointed out. "It's not your fault. I'm sure that you had your reasons."

He found that he couldn't meet her gaze. He suddenly found it too embarrassing to admit that he didn't say anything so they wouldn't hurt her. "Sorry."

"You don't need to keep apologizing. I'm not blaming you for anything."

He thought for a moment. "You also put risked your lives when it was us who we were the idiots and walked straight into danger."

He's been nothing but an idiot. He led his friends to the cave, he followed Tsukishiro at the school festival like a puppy, and he introduced himself to using his full name when he had been told to never do that because spiritual beings could read the characters of spoken words. He should've known better, but he was blinded by him and by his own desire to prove his worth. Not only did he put himself at risk, but his friends.

"I wasn't alone," she said with a shrug. "Our Lady was the one who came up with the plan, and you would've done the same for us."

"Sorry."

After a moment she said, "You're always apologizing even when it's not your fault."

Did he really do that all the time?

She tilted her head. "Why don't you try saying thank you instead?"

"So-Thank you." It felt weird on his tongue.

She smiled and he found himself returning it. "It's no trouble."


"So what's your blood type, Star?" asked Chiharu.

"Hoe?" Sakura's thoughts were all over the place. That afternoon she had she had visited her brother in the hospital who, from tomorrow was going to stay at her cousins. They had to thank Syaoran Li for saving yet again another member of her family. Going over her recent conversation with him in her head again, she realized that the reason he couldn't say anything could have been related to her somehow which would have been the reason he's looked extra guilty. He's such a good person and she's been nothing but trouble for him.

She couldn't forget the news that Yukito Tsukishiro was a geong-si. Her brother insisted that he was a good person, and Sakura desperately wanted to believe that, but it was an undeniable fact that Yukito attacked him. She had heard from Meiling who heard from her family that Nakuru Akizuki was also a geong-si, but Sakura liked her too.

No one had been able to find either of them since the attack.

Chiharu held up Tao Fa's magazine. The girls had pushed their bunk beds together and created some of the sheets around the side. Tomoyo also created tiny spheres of glowing green light, and Mao procured a bunch of food which was spread out in the middle. Even Sai sat with them on the lower bunk. There were only a couple weeks left of the school year and they were already feeling the summer holiday mood.

"What is your blood type?" she repeated. "According to this magazine you can tell a lot about a person's personality by their blood type. I have O-positive blood so that means I'm apparently confident, strong willed and optimistic."

"But also self-centred and unpredictable," added Mao.

Chiharu stuck her tongue out at her.

Sakura wasn't too keen on the conversation about blood but she still said, "I'm A-positive."

"Type A's," Chiharu read from the article, "are earnest and responsible, but also stubborn and tense."

Tao-Fa nodded sagely. "Yeah I can see that. What are you, Lady?"

"No, wait let me guess!" said Mao, nose twitching as she thought. "I bet that you're an AB; rational, sociable and adaptable."

"That is correct," confirmed Tomoyo.

Chiharu looked around at everyone. "So no one here is a Type B."

"What are they?" asked Tao-Fa.

"Passionate, active, doer, creative, strong, irresponsible, and unforgiving," she listed.

Mao laughed. "That sounds like Mei-Li."

"It does sound like her," agreed Tao-Fa, nodding. "No wonder all the guys like her."

"She does seem to go through guys pretty quickly. She was dating Chan not that much earlier than when she was dating Bo."

Sakura glanced at Tomoyo during the two girls' quick exchange. "What does Meiling having Type B blood have to do with guys liking her?"

"As Chiharu said, Type Bs are passionate," Mao explained emphasizing the last word, "if you know what I mean."

Tao-Fa restarted their previous conversation again. "Have you heard about Zhang's Mei-Li's wild night?"

"They both did seem more energetic now that you mention it."

Sakura still couldn't follow the conversation, "What do you mean?"

Mao rolled her eyes. "They've been sleeping together," she said together as if that explained everything.

"….But after you wake up, you're normally more energetic...?"

The girls snickered which Sakura didn't think as very nice.

"Wow, you're really innocent, Star," said Mao.

"We're saying that they had sex," explained Tao-Fa with a lot more composure than Sakura was able to manage. "When you make love, the male and female energies combine to form jing energy which gets converted into chi."

"But that doesn't sound like something Mei would do," countered Sakura. Meiling was always an idealist and had said that she wouldn't make love with someone she wasn't in love with and she hardly said more than one sentence to Zhang. "You shouldn't be spreading rumours like that."

"They were pretty public with their displays with affection..."

She had to admit that there was some truth to that statement, but it wasn't fair to talk about Meiling or the boys like that. She didn't know the boys well - Zhang was in another class, and Sakura found it a little difficult to make conversation with Bo, when he always wanted to spend time with Meiling – but she didn't think that they would like what was being said about them. "But-"

"It is well past midnight," interjected Tomoyo. "I believe that we follow Sai's example and go to sleep. We all have class in the morning."

Everyone agreed and removed the food from the middle of the bed to make room for everyone to lie down comfortably. It took a while, and Tomoyo's glowing green lights had long faded by then, but eventually Sakura managed to drift to sleep.


Tomoyo, Sakura, Kobato and Meiling entered the cafeteria listening to Meiling's plan to volunteer at a children's hospital during the summer holidays which was to start next year.

They were all worried about her after the breakup, especially since it was only last year that they nearly lost her and she because would always defend him and insist that she loved him, even when tried to monopolize her and make her feel guilty about spending time with her friends. However it seems that they need not have worried. She had learnt how to manage her stress and anxieties, mostly by keeping herself busy. Perhaps part of the reason Meiling was not so heartbroken was that she realized that it was not a healthy relationship.

They reminded her constantly that if anything were to happen, Meiling she could always depend on them.

"Hey," said Sakura, pointing at the end of the line, "it's Cousin Tori!"

"Cousin Tori! Congratulations on being accepted…" Tomoyo trailed off as her cousin visibly paled.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"Hoe?"

"What is it?" asked Koe.

Tomoyo clasped her hands over her mouth and apologized profusely. "It must have been a dream. I did not mean- I apologize- I thought that-"

"It's all right, little Lady," said Cousin Kotori, embracing Tomoyo. "You didn't mean any harm."

"What is it, sister?"

"I got accepted into the Hallow Ares College of Arts and Design in Lecourt," she explained.

The college was one of the best design schools in the world. The courses were taught by active specialists and had close ties with the fashion industry with many alumni working in areas such as designers, stylists, and journalism.

It was well known amongst their family that Cousin Kotori and Tomoyo had aspirations of attending the college – Cousin Kotori was more interested in the college's undergraduate course for textile design, while Tomoyo was considering the fashion design course - so she assumed that she would have announced it to her family as soon as she received the acceptance letter. Tomoyo thought that she remembered Kobato proudly announcing the good news, but it turned out it was and extremely vivid foretelling dream and Cousin Kotori had intended to keep it quiet.

"But I don't think I'll be going," she said.

"HOE?"

"What?!"

"You should take it!" exclaimed Meiling,

Sakura nodded vigorously. "Mei-Li is right."

She waved off their exclamations. "It's all right, I wasn't serious about it. I only applied because I was procrastinating from my studies…"

"What do you not want to go, sister? If it's because of us…"

Cousin Kotori averted her eyes.

"It is!" Kobato put her hands on her hips. "We'll be fine! You should go!"

"But the Double Seventh Festival…"

"We'll be all right," said Kobato. "I will do my very best! Don't worry!"

"And the expenses…"

"Do not worry about that," interjected Tomoyo. "My mother will gladly sponsor your education. We are blood relatives."

She could see her cousin realize the implications of having Tomoyo's mother involved. She definitely would not let her relinquish this opportunity.

"Will you be okay without me?" relented Cousin Kotori. "The course starts once the holidays start."

Kobato faltered for a moment at that news then nodded determinedly. "I'll be all right. Besides we'll be sending each other letters and contacting each other every day so it will still be like you're here."

"And Star and our Lady will be leaving soon."

"Actually," said Sakura, "Mother has asked me to stay here until summer is over."

Aunt Nadeshiko had been having odd dreams that even she had been having difficulty deciphering. Despite the inherent uncertainty from being in Heung Gong, and the threat of the war, the parents had agreed that it would be better for them to stay here as opposed to returning to Lecourt.

"But we haven't discussed the living arrangements yet."

"You could stay with us," said Kobato.

"Mother wants us to have some bodyguards with us at all time."

"However, this means we can help you with the Star Festival."

"Is that so…"

"Well," said Sakura, "in any case we need to have a farewell party before Cousin Tori leaves, right?"

Their cousin hesitated to Kobato's annoyance.

"I said that we'll be fine! You can't give up your dreams because of me- eh? What's wrong Mei-Li?"

Meiling was staring at a group of girls who were whispering amongst themselves. When they realized that they had been noticed, they avoided their gaze.

"Did you see that?" Meiling gestured violently in their direction. "This isn't the first time this has happened. I think that they were talking about me."

Tomoyo and the others looked at each another.

Meiling looked over at them critically. "Do you know why people are acting like that around me?"

They looked at one another again and reluctantly nodded. They tried to stop the rumours, but it kept spreading and became more outrageous with each telling. She would not like to hear this news.

"Well?" She put her hands on her hips.

"It's not nice…" began Cousin Tori.

"And we don't believe it," added Sakura.

"Tell me," she said glaring at Sakura, who shut her eyes shut tight.

"Hoe!"

Tomoyo spoke up. "Do you sincerely want to know?"

"Yes!"

She determined that Meiling had a right to know the truth of what was being said about her. "There are rumours that you have been sleeping with guys."

It took a moment for those words to sink in. "What? Where did it come from?"

"Tao Fa and Mao were the ones who first told us."

Meiling groaned in frustration and spun on her heel.

"Where are you going Mei-Li?" asked Sakura.

Without turning to them she said, "I'm going to hunt them down whoever started these rumours."


There were a lot of things going on in the world right now. The eldest Hanato Sister was leaving for Lecourt to study, there were geong-si on the loose and the weather was acting strange, but Meiling had more personal matters to take care off. It's been a trying couple of days, but she still wasn't at the bottom of this.

"Where you talking about me?" she asked fully knowing that the guys were calling her names behind her back. They thought she couldn't hear them.

She didn't know which type of rumour she hated more; the insulting names or the claims she slept with them.

They looked away guiltily when she glared at them.

"I don't know-" said the shorter boy.

"Then why were you saying that about me?"

"Look, I don't know. I heard it from my friend. I don't even know you-"

This was a nightmare. At this point it didn't matter whether to them if the rumours were true or not. Whatever she said would only add credibility to the rumours. Honestly, Meiling didn't care enough to keep track of who everyone was seeing or doing what with who, but she would not tolerate people smear her good name especially when they didn't know her.

"And that makes it okay to talk about me?"

All they could manage was a pathetic whimper.

"And who did you hear these lies from?"

The one who spoke nudged his friend.

"I-I heard it from Su, who heard it from Luo and Cheung who heard it from Bo."

This was the third time that she heard that it started with him. When she first heard it, she approached him, but he swore that it wasn't him. She let him go, giving him the benefit of the doubt and instead chased the other threads, only to find from very different sources that it was him. She needed find him.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know."

"Ugh."

Realizing that she wouldn't get much more out of them, she instead went into Syaoran's classroom ignoring Miss Kinomoto's requests to join them for lunch and walked straight to her cousin's desk. He was reading his book. She knocked his elbow from und under his chin.

"Mei! Honestly!" he said rubbing his chin.

She held her arm outstretched. "Give me the Rashinban."

"But-"

"Quickly."

He glared and drew it from his bag. He gave it to her and muttering, "The barriers won't let it work."

Meiling ignored him and focused all of her energy to pinpointing Bo's chi signature. The beam pointed to her left and moved slowly.

She rushed out of the classroom and saw him turn the corridor. She ran after him, students skittering out of her path. He turned at the commotion and paled at the sight of her and the beam pointing straight at him.

He ran, knocking the pile of papers from the teacher's hands.

"You little-"

She swatted the paper and followed the light's trajectory. It pointed down the flight of stairs and she caught sight of him. He hadn't made it to the floor below yet. She landed in front of him. He tried to climb the stairs, but his escape was blocked by a crowed of students.

"Stop," he said, violently sliding the window open and standing on the edge. "I'll jump."

"We're on the third floor. Your magic isn't enough here. You'll die!" she shouted.

He held his arms wide with an ecstatic expression. "You do care, Mei-Mei!"

That wasn't what Meiling was expecting. "What? Are you crazy?!"

"You care about me."

"You're about to jump outside the window," she said. "What kind of person would I be if I let that happen?"

"You wouldn't have come if you didn't care."

"I came because it was you who started all those rumours about me, wasn't it?"

"Well-"

"Yes or no?"

He huffed and puffed up his chest. "I only said that you were a good kisser."

"You did?! And did you try to stop the rumours when they blew out of proportion?"

"No one will treat you better than me-"

"Are you serious? You willingly let those disgusting rumours spread, to make me - undesirable to the entire male population, so what? that I had no one to turn to but you?"

Meiling wasn't just angry anymore. She was livid. White hot livid. She should've listened to her friends earlier and broken up with him earlier. She was much happier when he wasn't around. He wasn't a good kisser anyways.

He turned to the window and the students watching gasped.

"What are you doing?"

"If you won't take me back-"

"Bo Xie!" boomed the teacher's voice from the top of the stairs. "Step down from the ledge and go see the principal."

The idiot immediately climbed down. He walked past Meiling and went through the crowd of students.

Meiling grumbled to herself. She could've handled the situation.

"Li, you go too."

"What?!" Meiling whirled around. This wasn't even fair. It wasn't even her fault and she was being punished for what he started?! She couldn't believe that she once liked him.


Nakuru sighed with relief when she found her brother sitting on the edge of the International Commerce Centre, the tallest structure in Heung Gong. She had to admit it had pretty spectacular views of the main land city below and Heung Gong Isle across the bay, but it was flooded with light. She could feel her skin already start to burn.

"I've finally found you," she said. "The country's authorities are hunting us. We need to leave now and probably change our names again. I'm kind of partial to, "Ruby" … and I was thinking maybe we should join the spirits and demons in their little war. It will be fun."

He turned around, only it wasn't Yukito, it was Yue.

When they were changed into geong-si all those many, many years ago, instead of accepting the new identity given to them like what Nakuru did, Yukito fought against it and managed to separate his human side from that instinct, at least for the most part. If he couldn't keep his energy levels up from eating and sleeping, or if he was in life-threatening danger, Yue would take over his body and stop him. Usually once he had his feed and became powerful again, Yukito would be able to gain control, but apparently it wasn't the case this time.

Yue's long, silver unbound hair floated behind him and turned his feline like gaze on hers.

Nakuru barely had enough time to launch herself into the wind. He managed to slice a lock of her hair with his claws. She fell, aiming for the tops of one of the lower sky scrapers, but it was difficult to concentrate when she was being bombarded with his crystals.

She landed on her feet, and used the momentum and magic to jump to the next rooftop. She needed to something else other than run away.

Instead of jumping away, she pushed herself backwards, kept her body straight and swung her feet over her head in a wide arc. At the top of the arc she let out a barrage of her own crystals at a surprised Yue. He still had his arms blocking his head when she landed at the top of a higher building and aimed an energy arrow straight at his heart.

"Stop now! I'm warning you!" she shouted with as much force as she could muster. The energy quivered at her fingertips. The longer she held it, the harder it was for her to hold it.

Yue charged.

"Yukito Tsukishiro, stop!"

He didn't.

She tried started throwing the different combinations of names he used over the years but nothing worked and she had no choice but to release the arrow.

He dodged it, and she lost track of him. She whipped around, disparately trying to find him first, but he managed to put a claw on her shoulder and whisper a name she hadn't heard in a long time in her ear.

When she woke up, feeling very groggy and weak, there was no trace of Yukito.


Author's Notes:

This was was an extremely difficult chapter to work on. I usually shuffle scenes around when writing, but this chapter is almost completely different from it's original draft. There's a few ideas in this chapter that I took a risk with which admittedly are dramatised but also, scarily enough, based off a bunch of different incidents and conversations I've had over the years.

The jing energy and the blood type personality stuff are tropes that CLAMP has included in their works.

Also, sometimes in the Author's Notes I'll bring attention to some real world concept and not elaborate on it, not because I necessarily agree with it, but just because I mainly just wanted to point it out and also because if I wrote everything I felt about it, it would take another story or chapter.

On that note, there is anything that you think needs more attention, please let me know what it is and where it was written so I can fix it. I don't mean to hurt anyone. This story and I are still in working progress.

=)