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.


Miss Kinomoto woke up, slowly blinking and then suddenly she sat up screaming for Syaoran. In the back of her mind Meiling noted that she was calling him by his first name.

"Shh," soothed Meiling. "You're safe now. Your brother and Miss Daidouji's bodyguards found and saved you. They're outside the room waiting to hear from you."

"Meiling?"

She nodded. "How do you feel? Careful."

"My head hurts." Miss Kinomoto held a hand to her head.

"It's just a mild concussion. Everything will be fine."

"Where's Syaoran?" she said with an edge of panic in her voice.

"Can you tell us what happened?" asked Meiling. "Breathe."

"But what about Syaoran?"

"We'll take you to see him after you tell us what you remember from when we left. Breathe."

She breathed in and out deeply as instructed before speaking. "After you left, we stayed on the rooftop for a bit then we went and had dinner at a fox spirit's noodle stand. Ah! They gave us a broth that they said had healing properties. Where is it? We need to give it to Koe."

"I think it spilled."

"What? But-"

"What happened?" repeated Meiling, firmly.

She spoke slowly. "We were walking to the hospital. We went through the park. We were talking, and then Yukito appeared. He said something that made Syaoran drop his sword walk towards him. I tried to stop him but that didn't work, so I hit Yukito. But then Yukito yanked me by the hair and the next thing I know, I'm here. What happened to Syaoran?"

Meiling grimaced. The news wasn't good. She didn't particularly want to say it, but better for it to come from someone she trusts than Meiling's parents who she wasn't as familiar with. "We sealed his wounds but we're not sure if he has the energy to make it until morning. He lost a lot of blood."

"I'll donate!"

"I don't think it will work."

"I have A-positive blood."

Meiling shook her head. "That won't work. He has O type. He can't accept your blood."

"My brother is O! Surely-"

"He's already offered but he's O-positive. Syaoran's blood is O-negative. It's an extremely rare type of blood that can only accept the same type of blood."

"Then, the hospitals-,"

"There's a waiting list. There's never enough blood there."

"Then I-I'll-," She suddenly turned very red.

"That won't work."

She then became extremely quiet.

"I'd like to see him," she finally said.

Meiling nodded. He requested to see her too, well, sort of.

Meiling's mother stepped forwards and helped with changing Miss Kinomoto clothes and putting her into a flying chair. When they exited the room, Meiling's mother cut the conversation short and escorted her to Syaoran's room. When they arrived, his sisters and mother left the room. Meiling was the last to leave, and after one last glance closed the door to give them a little bit more time together.


Sakura held Syaoran's left hand in both of hers. It was clammy and his hair was matted with sweat, possibly blood, but she pushed those thoughts away. It was difficult to tell when there was only one small sphere for light. His eyes fluttered open. They had a slight glassy look to them.

"Hey," he said hoarsely. He gave her a small smile.

She tried to answer brightly, but her breath hitched at the sight of the bandages around his neck.

"Don't cry."

"It's n-no use," she hiccupped. There was a needle inserted into his right hand that was connected to a clear bag of fluid by a thin tube, just like the time when he was in the hospital in Lecourt after he saved from a spirit she couldn't see. Just like then, there wasn't anything she could do. "I can't help it. I love you, Syaoran."

He gave her hands a small squeeze.

"Sakura, thank you."

She thought that the time when he woke up not remembering her was bad, this was worse. It felt like something was squeezing her heart dry. After everything that they've been through, was it too much to ask for them to be happy together?

"It's not fair. Why does it have to be this way?"

Every single time he ended up bedridden was because of her.

"I'm truly glad to have met you," he said.

Sakura wiped away her tears. He shouldn't see her with a sad face. "And I, you."

"You showed me how to think about others and to never give up-,"

She brushed her lips against his knuckles. "Don't talk."

He smiled. "I love you, Sakura."

"I love you too, Syaoran."

He then closed his eyes. A scream threatened to escape her throat.

The door slammed open suddenly making her jump.

"We have O negative blood!" announced Meiling pulling in Doumeki.


There was a knock on Syaoran's bedroom door a bit after lunchtime. Wei stood up from his post by Syaoran's bed to admit Sakura and her older brother. She had been ushered out during the blood transfusion. It annoyed Syaoran knowing that he owed his life to Doumeki, but he had to admit that he was feeling much better.

The older brother had an unreadable expression. Sakura looked anxious. Syaoran straightened up as best as he could while being propped up against pillows in his bed and stared at Toya Kinomoto in the eye. He tensed as the older brother approached, but all he did was mess up his hair.

He nodded, and then said to his sister, "Sakura, remember that Aunt Saya said that she will be arriving soon."

Sakura, who had exhaled loudly after her brother rubbed Syaoran's head, pressed her lips together nodded. "Be careful."

With one last look, Toya Kinomoto left.

"Where is he going?" Syaoran asked.

Instead of answering, she exclaimed, "Why haven't you eaten your chicken and corn soup? You need to eat to get your strength up."

He grimaced at the bowl sitting on the floating tray. "It's too salty. How about you? Did you eat yet?"

"Yeah," she yawned, taking the seat next to him, "and they made me take a bath and go to sleep too," she yawned.

"Where is your brother going and why did he say that your aunt was coming here? I thought that there was an evacuation and lockdown order."

The order stated that everyone was to evacuate their homes to the nearest place of worship and stay there until the morning after the Day of the Dead. There they could be protected should any spiritual energy spill over from the Bridge where delegates from Heaven, Hell and the Spirit World were meeting. The Li Family temple provided protection to anyone on the Li Compound. Of course, after nearly dying last night - on his birthday, he realized - he had to stay at home.

Sakura hesitated a moment before saying, "Brother is going to find Tsukishiro with the others."

Syaoran nodded. In addition to the evacuation and lockdown orders, there were teams being sent out to find the goeng-si. There was a communication headquarters in a government building near the Gateway. His mother and his two elder sisters were in that building and some of his relatives have volunteered to help with the search.

"And your aunt?"

"Aunt Saya is coming to pick Lady and me up," she said in a rush, hardly looking at him. "She wants to keep the family together at their shrine. She's even taking Koe out of the hospital, only for the two nights. And she said that the hospital's too big and it's shrine too small to protect her properly. Also she got Aunt Sonomi to buy all the necessary medical equipment so that the family can all stay together. But, but, but-,"

"Sakura," he interrupted her. He could tell that she was feeling conflicted about wanting to be with her family and staying here with him. He wanted her to stay too, but he couldn't protect her properly. He seemed to end up in bed more often than he was able to protect her. "It's all right, they're your family."

"Thank you!" She looked relieved. Sakura then held out her pinky finger to him. "But I'll make sure to contact you, and I promise I'll come back! It's only until the Day of the dead is over! I promise!"

He wrapped her pinky finger with his own.


When the shrine priestess joined in the protection sutra with her harmony, Tomoyo felt barrier surrounding the shrine resonate. Slowly she sang softer and softer until the priestess had full control of the barrier.

Tomoyo drank the cup of water provided to her by Kobato, thanked her and then walked past the evacuated people sitting on sheets in family groups in the halls to go to the room she was sharing with her cousins. Outside, the setting sun had stained the sky crimson.

"Ah, my cousin has returned," said Sakura to her chronophone. She was sitting on a cushion with her arms wrapped around her legs. "Sure okay. I'll talk to you soon. I love you too."

Tomoyo smiled at the blushing Sakura. It had been a stressful few days with Kobato's illness, the attack and Li's near death, but hope for the future had made Sakura cheerful again.

Kobato was currently fast asleep. She wore an oxygen nasal cannula and had an intravenous catheter in her right hand, but she seemed stable. The machines connected to her made soft beeps at regular intervals. Kohane was still occupied with her chores.

"Welcome back Tomoyo," said Sakura. "Good job."

"Thank you," she replied. She knelt on the cushion next to Sakura. "The outfit looks good on you."

Sakura was wearing armour over her black presence masking clothes that consisted of metal plates riveted between the fabric layers with the rivets heads visible on the outside. Tomoyo embroidered a phoenix along with some extra charms onto the sash as well. It may have been excessive, but she preferred to err on the side of caution.

"You made it after all. Thank you, Tomoyo, for always doing everything you can to protect me."

"Of course, I do not want to have any regrets." When Sakura did not say anything more Tomoyo added, "It is difficult waiting, however do not worry. Remember your invincible spell."

Sakura smiled. "Everything will be all right. Did you see it in a dream?"

"No," she admitted sadly. "All the dreams are tangling with one another that I can no longer decipher them. Even if I could, there is very little I can do."

"I don't believe that. Don't be too hard on yourself. Go get some rest before your next shift. Ah, I'll get the futon for you." Sakura stood up and went to the sliding cupboard.

"Thank you. You should as well."

She shook her head and tilted it towards the sleeping Kobato. "I'll keep watch. Let me be the one to look after you and Koe for once."


Time was running out to find Yukito Tsukishiro and all they found were more victims. The young woman on the ground, not that much older than himself, was unnaturally pale and had a twin set of puncture wounds on her neck just like his. He shook his head at the eldest Li sister's unasked question and shut the corpse's eyes.

The eldest Li swore then spoke over to the Daidouji industry communicator. "Mouse, this is the Dragon group. We're in Kwun Tong. We found one victim, female in her late twenties and with bite marks on her neck. Over."

"Understood, we've noted your location and will send the Horse squad to transport after they finish their current job. Continue searching and give us an update in half an hour. Over."

"What next?" Toya asked his small group.

Suddenly the all the chronophones began ringing and vibrating wildly. Toya took out his from his pocket and immediately dropped it on the ground. He couldn't hold it steady. The chronophone rolled and jumped a few paces away. Around it the air rippled, and ripped. From the tear, Toya saw eyes, all of them staring at him.


Author's notes:

Hi, I try to not repeat plot points or fall into too many cliche tropes, but sometimes it keeps happening. I'm fairly annoyed that Syaoran ended up being bed ridden again, especially when Toya had been twice and Kobato was hospitalised. Far out. Sorry.

I'm fairly certain that blood needs to be processed properly before it's donated, but for the sake of the story, I'm just going to say that magic was involved to save his life.

According to those CLAMP profiles thingies, Syaoran's blood type is O. I'm not sure if that's negative or positive, but negative blood types can't accept positive blood types.

If you have anything you want to say or have answered, let me know.