Heroh! Welcome to my shitty fic!

A/N: Did you like the last chapter? Yeah, me too. Specially the part where Sakura dies.

Oh... you didn't know that yet? Ooooh… Sorry.

Anyway...

First of all I'll thank my reviewers: Thank you my reviewers!

Then I'll put the stupid disclaimer on: I do not own Card... Wait... Maybe if... Nah. I definitely don't own CCS.

Almost there now.

The Plot Thickens: After telling his mother about the spell inside him, Syaoran was told to go back to Hong Kong, seeing as there was no point in keeping him around the cards anymore as it would just endanger him and the cards would end up with Sakura anyway. What the boy didn't know was that this decision was taken by his mother alone. The elders of the Li Clan (Yelan's parents.) were against it, claiming that they hadn't given up on the cards. Yelan is clearly involved in something bigger, having to lie to her own parents and son to keep the secret of the mysterious person behind all the strange events, who curiously goes by the same name as Clow. Sakura, who became desperate when she found out Syaoran was leaving, was beginning to get more self confidence and to believe that she could fight the cards by herself. However, when she was about to capture her first card without Syaoran, The Shot, it all went wrong and she suddenly found herself a second away from being hit on the head by the deadly projectile.

And finally, I'll move on to the next chapter that picks up right after The Shot goes through Sakura's head, ending her life along with the whole plot.

Well...

Not Really...

She's okay. The Shot hasn't hit her...

Yet...

Card Captor Sakura

Chapter 7: Sakura and Syaoran - Act II

Part 1: Memory is a Stranger

Syaoran looked around himself in confusion. "Where did everybody go?" He looked all around to try and find any trace of anything, but it was to no avail.

He knew he had been in the airport just a couple of seconds ago. All of a sudden everything just vanished. The people, the voices, the sound of the airplanes taking of, even the air he was breathing. All that was left now was white.

Realization hit him. ºNo way!º

He was there again. The white fog. That feeling of lightness. It was exactly like the last time that person had contacted him.

Whoever had cast that spell on him was back, trying to stop him from going away. He was trying to keep Syaoran in Tomoeda so he could keep using him. Keep controlling his thoughts. His feelings.

"Let me out!" Syaoran shouted as loud as he could. "I won't stay here and I won't let you force me to!"

There was no answer.

Syaoran tried to move in the fog but it was useless. He could only wave his arms and legs around but he didn't feel his body shift it's position in that immense nothingness. "I know you're here!" He shouted louder than before. "Are you planning to keep me here until the plane takes off?"

"This place only exists in our minds." Came the voice he had heard in his last dream. "Things happen so fast here that time becomes irrelevant." The voice said. "If I want to, I can talk to you for a whole day here and no more than ten seconds will have gone by. We can think much faster than we can actually talk. Especially when we let our minds disconnect from the real world."

Syaoran snorted. "Then what do you want from me? If you want to talk me into staying why don't you just pull some strings in my mind again?!" He said sarcastically.

There was a long pause from the voice. Syaoran was tensing up every second. Although he wouldn't show it, he was actually afraid. He knew now that fighting huge thunder beasts and giant birds was nothing when compared to this. To actually feel something because somebody else wants you to. Even the fear he was feeling now could be fake.

Syaoran was caught off guard by the voice when it finally spoke up in a soft, sincere and somewhat hesitant tone. Which was very strange coming from the one he had thought so far as the puppet master of the whole thing. "If I cut the spell on you... would you stay?" He asked.

Syaoran felt a tremendous surprise upon hearing that, but it didn't last long. It soon gave way to hope. All of a sudden the odds weren't against him any more. He felt like a little kid and could barely keep his cool.

"I..." He hesitated. Lost in excitement, he couldn't sort out the words for a proper answer.

While he was looking for a good reply to the question the heat on him slowly faded away. He managed to think about the subject properly and realized it was probably too good to be true. There had to be a catch, or it could be a trap. Maybe just plain bluffing. His excitement went away as fast as it had come, leaving only a fine line of irrational hope.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked finally. "Why do you need me so much?"

"I don't need you." The voice said. "She does."

Syaoran felt a hint of guilt in his heart. He knew exactly what the voice meant. Sakura had been relying on him so far to catch all the cards, and now that she was going to have to do it by herself she was afraid. All because he was running away.

He shook his head hard to shake that thought out. "Stop making me feel sorry for her!"

"In this place, my spell has no effect. Even if I wanted to I couldn't be doing that." The voice said.

Syaoran frowned. "Why should I believe you?"

"You shouldn't..." The voice said in defeat. "I never gave you any reason to... but I will ask you to listen to me just once and then reconsider your choice."

Syaoran sighed. He didn't feel like he had much of a choice but to agree with the voice. ºAnd if it gets me free of this spell.º "Fine!" He said.

"It was very hard on me to take this decision." The voice started. "But I've decided that it was unfair to just assume you can't help her on your own. I apologize for that."

Syaoran couldn't quite understand the meaning behind this puppet master's actions, but he understood that they were starting to be more favorable on his side. He thought it best to calm his nerves down.

The voice proceeded. "However, I can't just take the spell out like that. It would make you confused to the point of insanity. Trust me, I've seen it happen."

"What do you mean?" Syaoran asked annoyed. "Didn't you say that the spell didn't work here?"

"When you're here, the spell stops taking effect, but the changes it has already made remain. That's why you feel sorry for her, and you still have a will to protect her." The voice answered in a wise and patient tone. "If I take it out completely, the place where these feelings towards Sakura-san should be, be they good or bad, will be left with nothing but plain indifference. You'll remember her and all that you lived and felt throughout this period, but at the same time, everything regarding her will seem like a lie to you. I know I haven't exactly earned your trust, but I need you to trust me now. We're on the same side."

Syaoran looked down. It didn't make any difference, there was only the white fog, but he felt more secure looking down. It helped him think. That last bit of information had displeased him a lot. Now that he was finally presented with the opportunity to get rid of the spell he was afraid of doing it. The feelings he had felt in the past month had looked so real that he didn't know if he really wanted to get rid of them anymore. That idea frightened him. ºI had been so sure up till now.º

"As long as my spell remains, those fraternal feelings will also remain." The voice said as if reading Syaoran's mind. "You may think that it would be easier to live with the feelings I gave you, but can you really continue your life knowing that there's a link between us. Knowing I am free to see and manipulate your thoughts and feelings? I don't think that it's possible to trust anyone with this kind of power over us."

Syaoran bit his lip unconsciously. He sighed. "No..." He said in a barely audible voice. It was all too confusing. The person talking to him now seemed so reasonable and willing to help him that he was starting to have doubts if it was really him who cast such a cruel spell.

"Letting go of feelings that look so real is going to be hard, but it's the only way." The voice said.

Syaoran looked up again, trying to give himself confidence in his decision. "What do I have to do then?!"

Syaoran could almost feel the puppet master smiling in satisfaction. A relived satisfaction. "From this moment on I will present you with three possibilities. I won't use my powers to change your choice, so you must think well."

Syaoran nodded. He was willing to do just about anything to finally end the month-long soul torture he had been through.

"Possibility number one: You stay in Japan and I'll tell you how you can get rid of the spell. I can't guarantee you it will be easy or quick though. Possibility number two: You go back to Hong Kong and live your life just like your mother wants you to. Eventually, your feelings and memories of Sakura will fade and I will be able to remove the spell without serious consequences. However, this may take months, years or it may never happen at all. Possibility number three, you go back to Hong Kong, I put the spell out and erase your memory of all that's happened here, thus eliminating any chance of insanity." The voice concluded. "It's your choice."

Syaoran laughed at himself at the temptation he felt of taking the third possibility. ºRun away.º He had been surprising himself at how much he wasn't caring anymore for who was this man talking to him or why did he want Sakura to be protected. It didn't matter. All that mattered was getting himself rid of the problem and the third choice was the fastest way to do that. He not only would get rid of it but, from his point of view, it would have never even existed in the first place.

'When I get nervous about something, I usually eat a lot, but when that doesn't help, the best thing to do is to face the problem straight on.'

"I've made my choice already." He said confidently.

"Good."

"I'm leaving." Touya said as he walked through his house's front door. "Bye."

"Touya-kun, if you manage to catch up with Sakura-chan, don't forget to giver her lunch box to her." Nadeshiko said, indicating the lunch box on Touya's hand with her eyes.

Touya nodded. "Don't worry, I'll do that." He said.

"I wonder why she left so quick." Fujitaka said. "She usually waits for you before leaving."

Touya sighed. "Actually... it's usually the other way around."

"Do you think she wanted to say goodbye to her friend before going to school?" Nadeshiko questioned herself putting a finger to her chin to emphasize her thought.

Touya raised his eyebrow. "Goodbye? What are you talking about?"

Nadeshiko smiled sweetly. "Yesterday... she was all shook up remember?" Touya nodded in agreement. "Well... you were so mad at that boy that you didn't even care to listen what had he done to hurt Sakura-chan..."

Touya gasped. "You don't mean..."

Nadeshiko's smile faded a bit. "I think Sakura-chan really liked him. She was probably shocked when she found out he was going back to China."

Touya felt his face start to burn in anger. He waved his hand to his parents and turned his back to them. "Bye!" He mumbled, running for his bike, ignoring his parents' protests.

ºThat brat! If I had known this last night I would have personally kicked his sorry ass!º He pedaled furiously. ºHang on Sakura. If the brat's not around, I'll have to protect you myself.º

Sakura closed her eyes in despair She understood now what they meant when they say that in the moment before your death everything goes slow motion. She could perfectly hear the sound of the ice breaking and Kero shouting her name. She could easily notice that she would never be able to dodge the card that was now getting closer to her.

Her mind could think very clearly now. In that short period of time she remembered the time when she captured The Storm. At that time she had faced death just like this time. She was falling from a fatal height. Why hadn't she felt like this at that time?

ºLi-kun.º

It was Syaoran. Whenever he was around she didn't worry. She had no reason to trust him other than her dream. In real life he didn't give her that feeling of protection, but in her dream it had been so strong that she couldn't help but believe that it was real. That there was a reason for Syaoran to have a different aura in real life.

Even if Syaoran denied it, he had protected her so far, just like her dream told her it would be. It all had been great up till now and she believed more and more each day that she was safe around him. One would even have the impression that she thought he was some sort of white knight in shinning armor from a romantic fairytale, but that was not the case. Actually, Sakura wasn't sure about what her relationship with Syaoran was, though she often compared it with the mix of a teacher, a brother, a friend and a complete stranger. The only thing she had been sure about Syaoran was that he would protect her.

But then he left.

He left leaving Sakura with nothing but a shelter she believed to be real up till now, but had been proved fake with the very act of his departure. No one was going to protect her the way he did in her dream. It was childish of her to believe so in the first place, and that's why death was a possibility now. That's why she had to learn to fight on her own.

Her mind went back to that possibility. Time seemed to be going back to normal as her instincts took in. She quickly underwent all of the possible ways of trying to save herself. Dodging was impossible, her only hope would be defending herself with her staff.

She raised the staff in front of herself hoping that she would, as unlikely as it was, manage to hit The Shot. It would be just a matter of time before she knew she had succeeded or she didn't know anything at all anymore.

Time went by. Too much time. Sakura had started to wonder if this was just looking like it was taking too long or if something had actually happened, and so she opened her eyes.

There it was, the block of ice. There was small hole in the middle pointing towards her, but nothing else. The Shot was gone. As a matter of fact, its aura was gone too.

"Looking for this?"

Sakura nearly jumped in surprise. ºThis voice...º She turned her head around to the source of the voice, and there he was.

"Li-kun!"

In Syaoran's hands was The Shot card, sealed back to its card shape. Somehow, against all odds, he had saved her again. Even though he was supposedly on a plane back to Hong Kong, he showed up and did the impossible. He managed to lock the card before it hit her. And to top it all he had a smile on his face. It was more of a smirk, but nevertheless a smile.

Sakura felt two distinct and opposite feelings at that second. One was relief. The fact that Syaoran was standing there at that moment meant that her dream had to be true. He really would protect her. The other was disappointment. Though she was happy to be saved, part of her wanted to go back. She had been so confident at the last minute. She had actually decided to fight the card, and now she wouldn't know if she was really able to do it on her own.

"Li-kun... why?" She asked, stupefied.

Syaoran blushed a bit. He let go of his smile and looked away from her, trying as hard as he could not to frown. "I... I changed my mind." He said.

Sakura smiled. There was something about Syaoran that looked different. He looked more relaxed and peaceful. It bothered her however that he was still avoiding her look. She always wondered why he would look away every time he said anything to her.

That negative thought didn't last long. Sakura felt at home when she saw Kero bash Syaoran in the back of the head. It was somewhat an indicator that things were still the same.

"What are you doing here!" Kero protested. "Shouldn't you be on a plane to Hong Kong right now?"

In a swift movement, Syaoran swiped Kero in the grasp of his hand and stared down at the defenseless fur ball. "Well, I changed my mind! I'm staying." He said. "You should be thanking me for saving your skin."

Kero growled, trying to break free from Syaoran's grasp. "We were doing just fine without you!" He said, pausing between every other word as he tried to pull himself out of the boy's hand. Before Syaoran could reply Kero opened his mouth as wide as he could and bit one of his fingers.

Syaoran yelped in pain, letting go of the little beast. "Why you..."

Kero laughed. "Serves you right for being such a stuck-up." He mocked.

Sakura jumped between them. "Wait!" Was all she said.

There was a short period of time in which Kero and Syaoran stared at each other through Sakura, but with the girl between them there was nothing they could do but calm their nerves and so the tension slowly faded away.

Sakura waited patiently until Kero and Syaoran relaxed, but when they finally did, she felt uncomfortable. Now they were both expecting her to say something. She searched her brain for anything she might have to say.

"I..." She started, not really sure what was going to come out of her mouth next. She looked at Syaoran's eye and frowned when she saw him looking away the second their eyes made contact. "Are you really staying?" She finally asked with a shy enthusiasm.

"I am." Syaoran confirmed. He let out a hint of a smile when he said those words. It looked as if he was smiling to himself though. "At least for now that's my decision."

Sakura let a smile form itself in her face again. "I'm glad." She said.

Syaoran blushed again too. "Uh... It's not anything like that." He said hastily "I just want to see this whole matter through till the end."

Sakura giggled. "I know. But I'm glad anyway."

"Syaoran-sama!" Wei cried out, desperately running through the airport. They were going to miss their flight if he didn't find the boy at that instant. "Syaoran-sama!"

The man had been searching for only a couple of minutes, but assuming that Syaoran was still there he shouldn't be too far. ºHe wouldn't go too far.º

He walked in a fast pace and his gaze shifted constantly from side to side, but somehow he missed the luggage that was lying right on his path and nearly fell down when his legs collided with them.

After restoring his balance he looked down at the suitcases in front of him. "Who would leave these in the middle of... What?" At a closer inspection he could see those where their suitcases. "These should be in the plane already."

He frowned, things hadn't been going very well in the past few days and now it was all only getting worse. What had they done to deserve that sort of karma?

"What a terrible service!" He mumbled, picking up the luggage.

When he picked one of the suitcases he noticed a note falling on the floor. "Huh?" He picked the small paper. "Is this meant for us?" He looked at the text. "It's Syaoran-sama's handwriting!"

'Wei-san, I'm not going to Hong Kong anymore. I'm sorry for the trouble, but could you please take our stuff back to the apartment? I'll explain everything when I get there. Now I have something urgent that needs to be done. I'll be there to settle the rent affairs later today, but the apartment should still be ours for the whole month so I don't think there will be any problems.

Thank you.'

Wei couldn't help but chuckle. "His mother will be proud."

TO BE CONTINUED…

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A/N: "Oh, right. So Syaoran just shows up and saves Sakura from certain doom at the last moment in an absolutely impossible fashion right after miraculously changing his cold attitude towards her in the blink of an eye. What kind of fairytale is this? I mean… Are you really going to buy this? There's not even a reasonable explanation for anything. I bet even the writer of this junk doesn't know what's going on. He's just cornered into a bunch of unfinished plotlines and is starting to make up conclusions that lead to plot holes." Said the 'I know it all and I am qualified to give professional critiques to every single writer in this place.' type reviewer

There, this way I can answer your critiques before you even make them and you can spend your time writing useful stuff in your review. If the above doesn't match with what you intend to write or what you thought, skip my answer cause you may find it aggressive. The answer is simple: "Go bother some other writer you scumbag lowlife! I'll have you know that my plot is very well thought of. I wrote it on txt files dozens of times to make it clear of plot holes and to make sure it wouldn't become slow or boring, so point out something that you think I just put there because I had nothing better to put and I won't say a word anymore. And if you think that Syaoran saving Sakura is too cliché for you, you might as well go away and read something more 'innovative' or 'modern'. I for one believe that if 90 of the stories around have a guy saving a girl, it's because it brings something strong to the person who reads it, so if you can't see the beauty and the meaningfulness beyond the cliché, you can just go away and never come back."

Thank you for putting up with my insanity. As a matter of fact I believe that most of you who read the story up to this chapter must like something about it, enough to not jump to conclusions about how good the story is from one single event. And you know how to give proper value to a cliché here and there when it's put to good use.

Hope it wasn't too short for you. Bye.