Sakura's POV:

"Sakura! Hey, hey, Sakura!"

Eh? Someone's calling my name? I turned, and almost dropped dead. Was that . . . Eriol running towards me? No way . . .

Way. "Sakura! Have you seen Syaoran since after dinner?"

I flushed beet-red at the memory. Oh yeah. That. "N-no, not at all!" It musta come out in a rush, as Eriol raised a blue-black eyebrow at me. Uh-oh . . . shun the non-believer! Yeah, that's it, SHUNNNNN!!!

"Any idea where he could have gone? Takashi can leave the hospital today, and Syaoran expressed interest in wanting to go."

I snapped out of my mind rant. Welcome the believer! "Nope. No idea." Wait a sec . . . why was he even asking me anyway? Shouldn't he be asking Meilin, who is Syaoran's fiance? Calm down Sakura, you should be happy for your friend . . . yeah, happy . . . ARGH, NOT WORKING!

Eriol remained oblivious to the inner workings of my mind at the moment. "Oh. Then, can you help me find him? Yes, you will. I'll search outside, you search inside." He walked off without leaving any time for a reply. But hell, what kind of reply could I have made? He's the leader after all.

"Syaooooooooooooooooooooooooorannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn . . ." I called in monotone, not budging from my spot on a bench. No way was I moving. "Syaooooooooooooooooooooooorannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn . . . Syaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooorannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn . . . "

"Any luck?" Eriol came running back.

"Nope, nuffin'." was my reply.

Eriol growled a curse under his breath. I don't know which one, so don't bother asking. "He's supposed to watch the building today, too . . . where might he have gone?"

"Well, seeing as he's Takashi's friend and all, my guess would be at the hospital." I yawned. I was tired, and when I was tired I was cranky. When I was cranky, my temper was short, and when my temper was short, so were responses to annoying questions of any kind. Which would probably explain why Meilin wasn't sitting next to me right about now.

"Hah! He's probably getting a room and ambulance reserved for me." Eriol scoffed, turning very darkly-creepy.

"Whut?"

"Nevermind then. C'mon."

"I'm bringin' Chiharu. Takashi's her boyfriend."

"But it only lets in two visitors, and if Syaoran's there . . ."

"Chiharu's comin'."

"But---"

"CHIHARU. IS. COMIN'."

" . . . . okay . . . ."

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"Syaoran!" Eriol exclaimed.

"Takashi!" Chiharu shouted.

"Eriol?" Takashi blinked.

Eriol pointed to Chiharu. "Chiharu."

"Chiharu!"

"Eriol?" Chiharu blinked, confused.

"Takashi!" Eriol waved an arm helplessly.

"Sakura!" I yelled, beaming when they all stared at me. "What, you guys were shouting each other's names and all. I wanted to join in."

Everyone sweatdropped, until I saw Syaoran and had the typical response of anyone finding who/ what they were looking for in the first place. "AHA!!!"

"Shush!" Takasshi clapped a hand over my happy yell. "He's asleep!"

"Really?" Eriol raised an eyebrow. "Syaoran never sleeps in front of people. It's just not done. He's faking."

"Uh-uh." Takashi made the 'shh' sign to all three of us. Then, he reached out and shook Syaoran's shoulder gently. "Syaoran buddy, wake up . . ."

Syaoran simply moaned, grumbled something untangible, and swatted Takashi's hand away. He rolled his head to the other side, presumably to escape the annoying pest trying to wake him up. His eyes really were closed.

"He came to visit, stayed the night through and fell asleep a few minutes before you guys came in." Takashi explained in a whisper.

Eriol ruffled Syaoran's hair companion-like, which resulted in another swat and some more grumbles as I inspected his sleeping face. He was deep in dream-world, sitting on a pulled-up chair by the bed. His head rested by Takashi's left arm, and was nestled in his own arms. The chocolate hair flopped into his closed eyes, and the morning sun lit his face and made the tan glow slightly.

"Poor guy's exhausted." was my reasonable conclusion.

"He stayed to keep me awake, as I'm not supposed to sleep for the next twenty-some-odd hours. Told me stories about a Feimei, Fuutie, Seifa and Fanren."

"Seifa? Fuutie? Feimei, and Fanren? He told you about them?"

"Yep, but he stopped when he got to their training." Huh? Waitaminnut . . . Takashi was actually telling the truth for once? Hoe! "My favorite part was when the Aztecs--" Eh, guess not.

Chiharu interrupted by whacking Takashi on the head with her little rubber-mallet-o'-doomness-and-devastation. She whammed hard enough to hurt, but not hard enough to hurt his jaw.

"OW!" Takashi cried, reasonably so. "Uh, I meant, my favorite part was when they dressed him up . . ."

Eriol chuckled. "I liked that part too. So he really told you about them?"

"Yep. But seriously, why stop where they began their training? It's such a cliffhanger . . ."

"I dunno. Even I haven't heard past there. I was there, he just hasn't told me his side of the story or what happened to his family afterwards." Eriol placed a finger on his chin thoughtfully.

I had remained silent for long enough. "Okay, I'm confused. Who are these Feimei, Seifa, Fuutie and Fanren?" I crossed my arms. No way was I going anywhere without an answer this time. Syaoran had waaaaaaaaaaay too many mysteries up his sleeve . . .

Eriol opened his mouth, then shut it, only to open it again a second later. After closing it a second time, he said "I'll . . . I'll tell you all I know, but let's talk in the hall. I don't wanna wake Syaoran."

"Mm'kay." Chiharu nodded, and helped Takashi balance his way out of the hospital bed without touching Syaoran. They flocked out to the hall, then all focused their strongest stares on Eriol.

Obvoiusly uncomfortable with the very . . . focused stares, Eriol shifted uncomfortably before speaking. "Fuutie, Fanren, Seifa and Feimei were Syaoran's older sisters."

"Really? Wow! I never knew he was the baby of the family!" Takashi's eyebrows shot up. "He sure doesn't act like the youngest."

Eriol shrugged. "They used to be part of the gang, like Syaoran. That is, until it happened."

"What, they left the gang? Why? I wanna meet them!" I bounced up and down in excitement. Takashi and Chiharu nodded their agreement.

Eriol raised an eyebrow at us. "If you're all for talking to the dead and that ouija-board-mumbo-jumbo, be my guest."

"Talking to the . . . dead?" Chiharu gulped.

"Seifa and Feimei are dead, Fanren and Fuutie too." Eriol whispered. "Hey, maybe if we all gang up on him, he'll go on . . ."

"Who go on with what?" Syaoran rubbed an eye sleepily in the doorway.

"HOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" I screeched, jumping away. He blinked at me, eyes wide with surprise.

"I didn't know I was that bad when I woke up . . ."

Everyone laughed, even me. In my mind, I was slapping myself over and over. Great! Good job, Sakura! Scare the guy already, then make him relive his sisters' deaths, great idea! Ooooooh, so impressed!

"Anyway, you guys were whispering about getting someone to go on with something. Who and what?" Syaoran glued his eyes to Eriol's face, looking very expectant. Kinda creepy, really . . .

"Um . . . . er, uh . . . ." Eriol stammered, then threw his hands in the air. "DON'T HURT MEEEEEEEEE!" He ran behind me, a look of terror on his face.

"Why are you running?" I asked. "He's not gonna hurt you!"

"Are you kidding? Syaoran absolutely hates it when anyone digs into his past. He'll kill me for telling you as much as I have!" Eriol whispered back.

"Oh. But you didn't tell that much . . ." I whispered back.

"Not by Syaoran's standards. Anything qualifies as too much."

"Oh . . ."

Syaoran peered around me, narrowing his eyes at Eriol. "Eriol . . . . what did you tell them . . . ?" I shivered from his closeness and the total scary-ness in his expression.

"Only that you had four sisters and that they died." Eriol winced.

"That's it?" The scary look was replaced with one of confusion.

Eriol looked almost baffled. "You're . . . not mad?"

"Not particularily." He finally stepped away, and breathing suddenly got easier. "I did tell Takashi up to their training, so if anything it's my fault."

"Well, in that case . . . I order you to continue the story!" Eriol stood from behind me and planted his hands on his hips proudly.

Syaoran crossed his arms, face doubtful. "Don't push your luck, buddy."

"C'mon Syaoran, please?" I tried Meilin's signature pout. No effect, except a raised eyebrow. "Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!" I waved my arms around, almost slapping Chiharu in the face.

"Fine, but I warn you, it's not a particularily happy ending . . ."

Eriol placed a reassuring hand on his best friend's shoulder. "We know."

Syaoran looked at each of us weakly, gathering strength. His eyes lingered on mine before he looked at the ground, sighing.

"They'd just started their training the day before . . ." and all four excelled already. They were quick to learn swords, languages, defenses, plans, battle formations, everything. Within a few months, they were masters in everything. They even managed to come up with a move where they'd toss a sword back and forth while fighting with their martial arts. Worked amazingly well with raids, as there were three that year. Their acheivements caught the eyes of anyone they met, and thus the leader was captured. Hatsuko had to have them as his inner circle. Plus, everything they learned, they taught to me.

"Syaoran, my adorable little brother!" they'd glomped me the fourth month of their training.

"Uh, hi, sisters . . . " I tried to inch towards the door, thinking they were about to attack me with make-up and dresses again.

"Syaoran, guess what guess what guess what?!?!?!" Feimei begged.

"You just got a new dress I need to model? Again?"

"No no no, silly! Try again!" Fanren giggled.

"Um, you bought new lipstick?"

"No! We were promoted!" Fuutie squealed.

Seifa, being the (marginally) more mature and calm, touseled my hair. I hated that. "I'm the second-in-command, and those three are third."

"Really? Awesome!" I told them, both genuinely proud and genuinely relieved. I wouldn't have been able to stand another dress-up session. "Mom and Dad'll be soo proud!"

And they were. We celebrated, and celebrated, and celebrated. Mom and Dad couldn't have been happier, I guess.

And we were still partying when the raid began.

Fanren knew it first, and only seconds after the rest of my sisters knew. Without sparing even a moment, they thrust me, Mom and Dad under the table. They didn't even say anything as they ran out, Feimei grabbing the sword.

"Girls! GIRLS!" Dad shouted after them.

"What's goin' on? Where are onee-chans going?" I started to panic. In my panic, I used my childhood name for my sisters.

"Stop with that stupid name!" Dad snapped. "For heaven's sake, you're amost 13! Address them with respect!"

"Dad . . . I'm 15 . . ."

"Then act your age already!"

I must have glared at him before exploding. "You're always belittling me, always saying I'm not good enough. You can't even remember how old I am! You want me to act my age? FINE!!!" I slid under him and out from under the table. He didn't even call out after me as I ran out the door.

As soon as I was out the door, the fight surged around me. That puzzled me for a moment, as my house was on the other side of town from the hangout. It must have spread. Squinting past thrashing bodies, I saw my sisters, using their special maneuver to fell four men in a matter of minutes. I tried to squirm my way over, but a burly raider stood in my way.

Then, I realized . . . in my fleeing of the house, I'd not grabbed a weapon! The raider noticed, and leered. Gross . . . a large warrior with muscles and a gun looming over a defenseless 15-year-old. Not good at all . . . thing's weren't exactly -----------

"Hey, this si where you met us!" Takashi and Eriol chorused.

Syaoran opened one eye, arms crossed in the telling of his tale (ooh, I like that phrase too!). He gave them a reasonably soft glare (by his standards, of course) and said sarcastically "Yes, and you just interrupted for a oh-so-apprecciated cliffhanger."

"Well, if you're gonna be that way . . ." Eriol huffed, looked away and pouted.

Syaoran actually chuckled. "I'm kidding, Eriol. You should know me better than that by now. After all, this is where I met you, isn't it? Wouldn't wanna ruin such a wonderful moment."

"You and your sarcasm." Eriol retorted.

"Just move on already!" Chiharu and I chorused, mocking the boys.

"Things weren't going so well . . ." but not in the way you'd think.

I dodged a bullet (martial arts come in handy when you're really really really panicked) and cursed myself in my head. Of all the things to forget, it had to be a weapon in a raid. I mean, seriously!

Suddenly, he stopped and gaped, standing still. Then, he fell forward, dead. I stared at him for a couple seconds before looking up at my savior.

Oops. Make that saviors. A black-haired, blue-eyed boy stood behind a brown-haired guy with a gun. The barrel was smoking, and my first impression was that they were raiders.

"Hiya! I'm Mark Jewitt, and this is my good ol' buddy John Stuart!" The brown-haired guy saluted me with his gun.

"Uh . . ." What exactly does one say in such a situation, other than the obvoius thank-yous? "Uhm . . . hi?"

The brown-haired guy, Mark Jewitt, beamed. "Oooh, nice one! You know when teh Mayas were saved from the terrorists, they always said---"

"Shut up Takashi." The black-haired guy hit him over the head. "Don't listen to him, all he says is lies." He told me, smiling. "I'm Eriol Hiiragizawa, and the encyclopedia over there is Takashi Yamazaki. You are . . . ?"

"Syaoran Li, huh?" Takashi beamed.

I nodded. Everyone knew my sisters. My sisters knew me. The connection should be obvous.

"Yes! We finally meet the troublemaker! I toldja we'd meet 'im Eriol! I win, I win! Fork it over, c'mon!" takashi cheered as Eriol sighed and handed him $25.

"Shut up already."

"Troublemaker? I'll get them later for that one . . ." I muttered under my breath.

"Hey, genius kid, c'mon. We'll get you to your sisters." Takashi jumped up and down in excitement.

"Genius kid? Ano, you must be confusing me for Fuutie . . ."

"No, the Four Wonders have told us about you, and how you're a fast learner." Eriol tapped me on the head. At the time, he was taller than me. "It really is pretty cool to meet you in person."

"Uh, hi?" How else should I have responded?

Takashi cracked up, and Eriol hit him over the head again. "Hey, what was that for!"

"Shut up already. C'mon Syaoran, we'll help you get to your sisters." Eriol rolled his eyes, beckoning me after him. I followed, duh.

When we were halfway there, Eriol and Takashi were mobbed. As we started to sink under a tide of fists, Eriol turned to me.

"All right, this is where you get off. See ya soon."

"Huh?" I asked, but he and Takashi were already making a sort of tunnel between the raiders. "Hey hey, waitaminnut!"

"What?" they chorused, turning to face me.

"Wanna be friends?"

"Sure." Eriol beamed, and Takashi gave me a thumbs-up. Then, "Now go already!" Without leaving room for protest, they promptly pushed me through the hole. The force actually propelled me forwards; man, were those two strong!

I came to a sudden stop by crashing into the raider Fuutie was fighting.

"Syaoran! Where did you come from?!"

I couldn't resist being a smart-aleck just this once. "Well, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very very much---"

"Nevermind!" Fuutie laughed, interrupting. "Seriously, why are you out here?"

I ducked under a raider's sword, and she slashed the guy down as I answered. "Dad told me to act my age. Can you believe he thought I was still 13?"

"You are small for your age. Where's your weapon?"

I looked down at my empty hands, then grinned at her. "Well, that's kinda a funny story . . ."

"You didn't grab one, huh?"

" . . . yeeeeeah, that's pretty close . . ."

"Then how do you expect to fight?" she didn't see the raider coming from behind. I gasped, pushing her head down. Then, joy upon joys, I leapfrogged her and kicked his face in.

"Xiao-Lang, what the . . . dear gods . . ." Fuutie stared at the fallen raider as she threw the sword to Fanren. "So much for weapons . . ."

I smiled weakly at her, and we went to work. I fought alongside Fuutie, Feimei and Fanren, switching from one to the other like the sword (but not at the same time, that would have hurt). However, we were seperated, and I couldn't find my sisters anywhere. Instead, I ran into Takashi and Eriol again.

"Dude, we've got to stop meeting like this." Takashi grinned, shaking his head. "It's like how the Americans created sushi, and now they only come to Tomeda to---"

"Shut up already!" Eriol hit him over the head. He'd probably been doing that a lot already . . . "Takashi's right about the meeting like this, but now we fight!"

"Kick butt, buddy!"

I shrugged, but kicked him in the butt anyway. He asked for it.

"Shoulders, now!" Takashi yelled in response. I figured he wanted me up there for some reason, so I flipped up. I landed what I hoped was gently, then flipped back down and onto the heads of two raiders. I landed in my signature cat-like crouch and blinked back at Takashi and Eriol.

They looked at each other for a moment, then laughed. "Okay, new plan. You watch our backs, and we'll watch yours."

"Gotcha." I slid under Eriol and yanked the feet out from under another raider. Takashi finished the job by whacking him over the head, smiling and shaking his head as if amused by something.

Things went on like so for a while, until I was seperated from them yet again. I knew it would be impossible to find them again in this mad rush, so I just fought on my own for a while. But, in the time it took Eriol or Feimei to fell five, I'd only fell one raider. Having fought like so for so long, I was tiring and my strength was fading fast. Definetely not good.

A raider managed to trip me, and down I went. Just as he was about to deliver the fatal blow, a sword sprouted from his chest. It was almost comical how he looked at the sword, then at his, at me, and then back to the sword. He gave me a worried sort of grimace as he fell forward slowly.

Seifa yanked the sword out of the body, kneeling next to me. She didn't hesitate to start checking me over for injuries.

That is probably the reason why she didn't see the man coming until it was too late.

"SEIFA!" I yelled. "Behind you!"

She turned, and saw the man raise his sword. She didn't even reach for her own, and the raider ran his straight through her chest. He ran off laughing as Seifa fell.

"Seifa! What the hell were you thinking?! Why didn't you block it?!" I scurried over, eyes wide. "Why didn't you dodge?!"

"If I had . . . it would have hit you . . . and we couldn't let that happen . . ." Seifa gasped, smiling slightly.

Eriol appeared, supporting Hatsuko.

"Ah, Seifa too. First Fuutie, then Fanren, and Feimei, and now Seifa." the leader pulled away and leaned against the wall. A dark blot was spreading on his stomach. "In that case . . . I'll appoint a new inner circle . . ."

I tuned him out then, trying to save Seifa. Hatsuko finished naming Eriol leader, then pulled me back off Seifa's body.

"Syaoran. You are my suboordinate now. I cannot leave Hiiragizawa leader without . . . filling the posts."

"Seifa's alive. She's faking, making a sick joke." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Syaoran, please." Hatsuko sighed. "I know you loved your sisters, but they're dead. I didn't know them very well, but I'm fairly sure I can guess what they would have wanted you to have." He reached for my sisters' sword.

"You would be the only one they would trust with this." He handed it to me. As soon as I touched it, Seifa's head fell off my lap. I stared at her body, clutching the sword tight without knowing it. Eventually, I looked away and to the sword, and my tears finally fell. I sobbed for a while, and Eriol rested a reasssuring hand on my shoulder.

When my sobs died away, so did the raiders. We'd just barely won the fight, but at what cost?

I sighed, and slowly closed Seifa's eyes. "Goodbye, Seifa. Goodbye, Fanren. Goodbye, Feimei. Goodbye, Fuutie . . . I'll do my best to follow in each of your footsteps, every one of them. Your examples, your morals, your memory will never, ever die."

Slowly, I stood, gently refusing Eriol's help. I fingered the sword for a moment, then loosened the belt attached to the scabbard. After a moment of hesitation, I sighed and slipped it over my head and left arm. The sword settled on my back, heavy but not uncomfortable.

Eriol said nothing as I walked away.

Mom and Dad took it hard. It only got worse after Dad threw himself off a cliff, and Mom started to starve herself away to nothing. Not that I couldn't understand their reasons for being so heartbroken.

Mom and Dad had adored their daughters. To Dad, they were the ideal team, the ideal heritage. I was the leftovers, the bad parts, the throwaways. When he lost his shining stars, only to have a monotone wife and trashy son left, I understood his jump. Mom was the same, and the only reason she didn't die was because she was too strong for death to keep.

In my own opinion, I was worse for wear. Exhausted of hope, sisters fone, father suicided, mother an empty shell. That was the external loss, the one everyone saw. In my mind and heart, I knew it was my fault Seifa was dead. Probably my fault for the other three, too. It was my fault they were gone, and thus my fault for Dad dead and Mom's pain. I knew it, and the truth still hurts.

"That's what I am today." Syaoran finished, then went and grabbed the sword. Just like in his story, he fingered the belt before sliding it over his head and arm. It settled on his back, and Takashi was the one who recognized it.

"Seifa . . . Fanren . . . Feimei . . . Fuutie . . ."

Syaoran didn't even look back as he left.