Hey, hoped you guys liked the last chapter. Sorry again for taking so long to type and update. Thank you to those who understand about the grounding and my trouble with a crude little twit named Shawn. I try to not let my personal life interfere with my writings and art…but seriously, DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD THAT IS!!!! I mean, art and writing are my life…Also, I was thinking about making this fic sort of less reality and more fantasy…not with magic….just with…well, spirits…a couple visions here and there….spooky voices….what do you think? Well, this might be up before Christmas, or before New Year….or maybe not, so, here you go!

Words from the Star Wolf (A.K.A.-TheWolfofStars):

You never seem to notice me,

No matter what I do.

I always try to reach out,

But I only pull back from you.

I am invisible,

I am a shadow.

You don't know,

But every step you take,

Is one on my heart.

I will always hide,

In the shadows of myself.

Disclaimer: CCS and all main characters belong to CLAMP…the group I adore with all my heart…Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

## - on the phone or mumbling

'' – thoughts

Last Chapter:

They cried for nearly 2 hours, and finally, the real sisterly comfort came. Their grip loosened, the numbing feeling came back, but they still hung to the other, and they drifted into a black sleep.

All became silent, all became black, all became numb.

Let the pain come,

Let it tear my heart,

But in the darkness,

But in the silence,

I will always come

You are my sister,

Whom I love and protect,

And we will go forth together,

And we will come back.

Live the Life on the Rails

The next morning, Sakura woke to see Tomoyo's soft, slightly tan but paled face. Her heavy eyelashes were closed slightly, and Sakura sighed. (She loves her cousin; she IS NOT in love with her cousin.)

The white, sheets under them were damp, and the window above the headboard had a sheer curtain, so the morning light showed through brightly. Kero-chan and Sun-chan were silently sat up at the end of the bed, watching over the girls, their brown eyes observing their every movement, their ears swerving to the other room and to their owners to hear their breaths.

Tomoyo slowly woke after Sakura, and they both got out of bed. No words needed to be spoken. They walked out of Sakura's bedroom and went in to the living room, and found there was a pair of Chinese clothes for Sakura.

Tomoyo went to her room to change with Sun-chan following. When Sakura looked in the mirror, she saw red eyes, hair looked a little messy, but the clothes were made to fit her body. She wore a crimson dress, slits all the way from her ankles to mid thigh; the right side had the traditional little frog toggles in black; the Li sign, or known as the Yin Yang, was on the front and the back. Sakura put her hair up into a tight bun with two chopsticks (like on Halloween). She knocked on the middle door, and Tomoyo answered with a small smile, wearing a dark violet of the exact same dress, her hair up the same way.

Sakura smiled brightly, her eyes gaining their usual sparkle.

"We always do that, don't we?" (Meaning about wearing the same clothes and looking somewhat alike)

Tomoyo's smile grew at Sakura's. She nodded and asked,

"Now do we go talk to Yelan? Maybe it will help a little, with the fact that we both have red eyes and a day in our new home are kind of good prospects to get it over with."

Sakura giggled lightly and nodded. They opened Sakura's main door to find a maid waiting along the sidewall. She wasn't that old, only about 25 yrs or so. She smiled gently and asked,

"Are you ready, my young mistresses?"

The two nodded, though confused to being called young mistresses, and they followed behind the maid, Kero-chan and Sun-chan were beside their owners, prim and proper, making sure no one got near ST. The maid took them up a flight of stairs, and they found themselves in front of a big parlor. Yelan's voice came from a chair facing the fireplace, but they couldn't see her.

"Thank you, and please shut the door behind you, Cho, and make sure no one disturbs us."

"Yes, Mrs. Li."

Cho lightly pushed the two girls in and shut the door behind them. Sakura and Tomoyo walked to a love seat that faced Yelan, and sat together, Kero-chan and Sun-chan sat up straight on either side, once again guarding them. Yelan looked to the girls, and they noticed she aswell had red eyes. Her voice shook.

"Are you sure you are ready to talk?"

"Yes. Tomoyo-chan and I are ready."

"I agree with Sakura-chan. We are ready."

Yelan was not surprised that the girls were ready. They had unconsciously been trained since childhood, and now was the time to put some more of the dreadful burden on their shoulders. She knew in her heart that they were ready, yet she didn't want to give them the pain. She also knew they would have questions. But she must do as she must do. She summoned up a stronger voice, speaking clearly.

"Alright. As your guardian, I am going to change your names to Li, so in this house everyone else will address you as a Li. The official public engagement party will be on Jan1st, as was planned. You will be under me and my son's protection, as well as your bodyguards, and your friends, since I know personally of how protective they are of you. As Li's you will finish the training of martial arts that you started since you could walk. Do you have that so far?"

"Yes Yelan" Both said simultaneously.

"Good. As I told you, the press has found the truth, so Yukito shall be coming back. Later today, around 10 this morning, we are going to the morgue to identify the bodies, as is required by law. Possibly some press will be hanging around there trying to get snippets of information, but we three will go in together. You two have full rights as to when, how, and where your families funerals will be, as they are your intermediate families. A will reading will be held after your families are buried, as there are revisions that must be made due to the recent…events. After we go to the morgue, you will both go to your homes to empty out all of your families' possessions. Other matters will be discussed after today, because this is the first day…"

Yelan couldn't finish the rest of it, because it hurt so much to admit they were gone. Sakura looked at Yelan, a dozen questions going through her head.

"Yelan…I know this off topic….but…Why am I to marry Xiao Lang?….and Tomoyo to Eli?"

Yelan understood, and answered.

"I just knew, Ying Fa. I just knew."

Sakura nodded with a sigh. She looked at Tomoyo, who looked back, Tomoyo nodding slightly to Sakura's telepathic question, and Sakura asked again,

"Yelan….?"

"Yes?"

The two girls were hesitant. It would be rude to ask; after all it was so soon. But they needed their hearts to be fixed, and it was one of the only ways to heal them faster.

"Can…can we call you….mom?"

Now that one surprised Yelan. Questions ran through her head, trying to understand why, but when she saw the pleading, insecure look in their blood shot eyes, and she just couldn't say anything. She understood.

'They have always had a mother or and aunt there for them, to always kiss and hug them, chasing away all the bad things in life. But now, since….they…have nothing left…it makes it so much harder to heal. They now want—no, need, someone, not to replace, but to become a part. They NEED more than each other at times…Just like it was for me when me, Nadeshiko, and Sonomi were all here….'

Yelan could no longer hold it in. She sobbed out,

"Yes!"

The girls jumped to Yelan and hugged her around her neck, aswell as each other. As Yelan cried, Sakura and Tomoyo began too. Yelan held them tightly, letting her saltine tears mix with their sweet ones.

After Yelan got it out of her system, she felt refreshed…and happy. She wiped her eyes and patted the still crying Sakura and Tomoyo, not letting them go, reassuring them that she was there for them. They stopped after awhile, and when Sakura had calmed down enough to just hiccupping and sniffles, she asked, (to relieve the stress)

"…Mom…can we…go eat now?"

Both Yelan and Tomoyo chuckled, Yelan nodding,

"Yes, it would be best to eat a meal before a day out."

All three stood and cleaned themselves up best they could, and walked to the door, opening it to find Cho, who had been waiting, and all 4 headed to the dining room, Kero-chan and Sun-chan now happy at the prospects of extra food. Servants along the way bowed to the three 'mistresses' of the house, but Sakura and Tomoyo weren't exactly used to this kind of automatic treatment, so they smiled softly and waited behind a now stern Yelan.

When they reached the dining room, the food was already on the table; and the puppies followed Cho into the kitchen, where they were already having received by the servants with love and sweets, but they got more anyway (meaning the servants of the house already loved the two puppies). The breakfast consisted of fried eggs, rice, and an assortment of foods. Sakura and Tomoyo sweat dropped, as they were used to eating very little in the morning. They decided to tell Yelan later, and sat waiting for Yelan to give the ok, and then began to eat. Though neither thought they would be hungry for more than a donut or two, they ate quite a bit compared to the usual. When they finished, they had surprisingly eaten all the way till it was 9:45.

Since the dogs were happy in their current positions (both girls scoff at how easily it was to please the pups), the girls left to the front hall without a second glance. They found matching silk slippers of their dresses, warm black coats, and sunglasses. All three put on their accessories, and went out the door into the cold, almost jumping into the limo.

It was a 25-minute slow drive to the morgue, in which Yelan and the girls held hands tightly. Even though they knew they were dead, they to go through the torture of seeing them in death, which no one wanted to be remembered in. Under the shaded glasses, their eyes were brimming with more tears. Several had fallen, but they were wiped away before the others saw.

As the morgue approached, Sakura and Tomoyo saw what they hated. In front of the morgue were over 50-100 people with signs or cameras, all with Sakura pictures, all jumping up and down at the sight of the limo. Reporters turned their cameras to the limo, and several tried to get in the way of others.

Suddenly, men and women in black suits were backing them off, forcing a way from door to door. Yelan nodded at the two girls as they looked to her for reassurance. She went out the sleek black door first, quickly followed by Tomoyo and Sakura, who stood side by side, not knowing what to do. Cameras flashed everywhere; people called for Sakura, to look their way, or give a pose, even some said they mourned with her and Tomoyo. Reporters tried to get close and ask Sakura about what will happen now or who these people with her were?

For the first time, Sakura was afraid to be in front of a large crowd; afraid to be in front of the fans and cameras she grew up with. As Tomoyo hung onto Sakura for support as well as to move her forward, Sakura hid herself and face from view. Why do they bother her when she wants to be alone? Why do they make her feel even guiltier than before?

'Because they remind you what it used to be like. Because they remind you it's al you fault. You live while your family is dead. Because you will never be the same Sakura Kinomoto, but Sakura Li. The old you was lost with the quickness of business and death. You are now only Sakura Li….'

This voice was different from Sakura's conscience. It was cold and cruel, faint yet strong. It came from somewhere, but Sakura couldn't find its source. It reminded her of-

"Sakura-chan? Are you alright?"

Tomoyo concerned voice woke Sakura from Sakura from daydreaming, who suddenly realized that they were inside the morgue. It was cold, dim-lighted…and the silence was of the unrestful dead. She looked to Tomoyo and nodded,

"I'm alright Tomoyo-chan. I guess we go see them now, huh? Mom…are you coming with us?"

Sakura's voice croaked, but she still stood. Yelan nodded, taking off her glasses and coat, and grabbed each girl by the shoulder (they also took off their coats and glasses)

"I think now is better than never."

Slowly, as if dreading, they went to the four opened shelves, where the morgue doctor stood waiting. In truth, they were afraid of what they would see. They didn't want to carry the image of their family as dead corpses, but to remember them as alive, and happy. They wanted the memories…

All to soon, they were beside the doctor, and she unmasked the first one. Sakura shrieked as she saw her father, laying there, scars of the crash all over his handsome face, yet she could easily distinguish the curve of his kind eyes. Tomoyo held Sakura's hand, seeing her uncle like that was not possible. She remembered that just a month ago, he had been playing hide and seek with them in the back yard, and when he caught both of them, he gave them a warm hug in the November air.

Had time truly gone so fast and stole everything that was left unguarded?

They moved to the next body, which showed Sakura's mother. There were several long scars across her face, but even in death, her mother was truly beautiful. The love her mother had always shown her was still there, hidden. Just last week, she had taken Sakura and Tomoyo to her modeling studio, where the girls played dress up and Tomoyo got to see how experts design and create grand fashions. Sakura swallowed down a sob, and they moved to the next.

The doctor revealed Tomoyo's mom on the next bed. Tomoyo could not handle the image, to gruesome to see, to awful to describe. She turned herself into Yelan and cried, muttering, "It's not fair. Why?" Yelan patted her back; tears aswell fell from her sore, red eyes. Sakura just stood numb, knowing whom she will see next. She did not want to see him the most of all.

Finally, it came time to show Touya. His face was the least scarred than everyone else, and it had a frown. Sakura had the tears streaming down her face. Yeah, she might have had fights with him, but she loved him. She would complain about him, but that was just all fun and games. She remembered all the times she was little, he would let her stay with him when there were storms, or just when she was having nightmares. And when she felt alone, he would always be her friend. Or when she started growing up, he would always make the boys stay at a distance. The words that he spoke less than 5 months ago still rang clearly,

"You may be a monster, but you'll always be my little, got that?"

Sakura tried to breath, but she chocked on all the pressure. Everything came crashing on her, crushing her with such a force, that she collapsed beside the cold, lifeless form of Touya.

All is black, All is silent, the pain is numb…

Author Commentary:

Hey all, hope this was a good enough chapter. I hope you people realize that this is a fic about love, hate, friendship, and family. Because there is a lot about Sakura and Touya. Thanks again to those who understand about how I am feeling right now. I was thinking about making this fic sort of less reality and more fantasy…not with magic….just with…well, spirits…a couple visions here and there….spooky voices….what do you think? Later…

Mirrors can't talk, and lucky for you they can't laugh either.

Wolf