Disclaimer: I do not own CCS.

I am so sorry. I humbly apologise to all my readers for this super late delay.

But I hope this chapter will be all right...?

I shall keep quiet now.

Enjoy!

Chapter Eleven

"Damn it, Sakura! Can't you go anywhere without causing trouble like this?"

Touya looked furious as he bandaged his sister's foot vigorously. He wasn't blaming her. He was just getting tired of her coming home looking so beaten up from a nasty prank. Back in Tokyo, he had treated most of her numerous wounds that had been caused by girls that were jealous of her. Sure, she was athletic, but there was simply no way she could fend off ten girls all at once.

*Flashback*

"Sakura…what the hell happened?"

He knelt down beside his sister, who was huddled at the bottom of the wall. Her arms were bleeding from the cuts that spelled out WHORE. His vision went red and he knew what he had to do: hunt down the bitches.

"I…I'm going to look for them. I'll be right back." He turned to go, but Sakura grabbed his shirt.

"Don't…I'm okay."She struggled to get up. Her eyes were red from crying, and her voice was coarse.

"Sakura! Open your eyes! This is the third time they've done something similar!"

"I'm fine. Don't tell dad. I don't want to make him worry."

The smell of burnt food drifted from the kitchen. Touya cursed. He had forgotten all about dinner when that brat showed up with his sister. He ran into the kitchen and looked down at the frying pan. The food was burnt black.

Black - the colour his world was painted in.

My dear Fumiko,

Happy Early Birthday.

I will not be home in time to celebrate it. I'm sorry.

I hope you like the present.

Please remember to study hard for your exams.

Fumiko put down the card from her father and stared at the beautifully wrapped present on her desk. It was done in velvet black paper and tied with an expensive pink ribbon. She undid the ribbon and the parcel fell apart to reveal a leather box, and within it a watch: one that was encrusted in sparkling diamonds and sapphires.

Three years ago, she would never have dared to take the watch out of its box. Two years ago, she would have treated it like her most precious treasure. One year ago, she would have strutted around wearing it. But now, she was just getting sick of all these extravagant presents. She just wanted a proper birthday.

Was it really that much to ask for?

"Hello, brother."

Katsu sneered at Syaoran, who was standing at his doorstep. "What a late visit…I wonder what my loving brother would ask of me?" His tone was mocking, his expression was full of hatred.

"Cut the crap, Katsu. What the hell do you want from Sakura?" Katsu shrugged, grinning.

"Nothing much. Just a bit of this, a bit of that." Catching Syaoran's expression, his smile widened. "What? I don't hear her complaining. Who are you to her anyway?" A blur, and a fist came in contact with his jaw. He staggered backwards into his house, rubbing his bruised jaw angrily. Then he walked up to Syaoran and hissed fiercely.

"You ruined my life. You, and your mother. I'm just taking back what you took from me." The door slammed, and Syaoran was left alone on the doorstep. He turned to walk home. When he passed the gates, he started running.

Running away from his past, and the boy who wouldn't stop haunting him about it.

Fumiko put down her pen and took off her reading glasses. She'd had quite enough of studying after two hours.

The mansion was impressive, and had a brown tiled roof with cream walls that were washed daily. It took 5 minutes to walk from the west wing (where the bedrooms were situated) to the east wing (where the kitchen, main living room and dining room were to be found). It had a library with oak shelves filled with leather bound books full of yellowing pages, a gym with more equipment than a sports shop would ever have, a heated swimming pool, a miniature cinema with the disc shelf looking like a video shop had been raided.

There was a team of ten gardeners tending to the lawns and flower beds. Thirty maids were stationed around the mansion, polishing windows, antiques and making sure not a speck of dust was present. Chefs from hotels whipped up the most delicious of meals. Drivers were entrusted with a select few of luxury cars out of a whole collection of vehicles.

And yet, despite all the people around the house, Fumiko felt so, so lonely.

Tomoyo was sitting at her table, looking at fashion magazines and thinking up new designs. As she turned a page, she saw an outfit that would match Sakura.

Then she stopped herself. She hadn't forgotten the image of Katsu's sketch of Sakura. She hadn't forgotten the moment when he offered to tutor Sakura. She hadn't forgotten the way he looked at Sakura. The way he used to look at her when they were dating.

Her phone vibrated. Maybe it was from…?

Hi Tomoyo-chan! (: Onii-chan told me during dinner that there was a festival coming up. Do you want to come with us? It'll feel like we were all back in elementary school. –Sakura–

What was this feeling? She felt like she didn't want Sakura in her life anymore. Tomoyo turned off her phone and sighed. "The thing is, Sakura-chan, we're not in elementary school anymore."

And yet she wished the façade could go on forever.

"Kaijuu! Get the phone! I'm in the bathroom!"

"Stop pretending! I know you're just hiding in there!"

"I'm not! I have explosive diarrhea!" Her brother never had stomach aches. He was just scared the phone call was from another fan girl of his. Sakura walked as quickly as she could while balancing on the balls of her feet, grumbling. How could he ask his injured sister to do something like this?

"Kinomoto residence, Sakura speaking."

"Just because you came back doesn't mean you're welcome." The voice was muffled and the caller ID was kept blank. "Li-kun would never like somebody like you. Don't even think about taking him, slut." The line went dead and Sakura placed the phone back shakily. Touya appeared around the corner.

"Who was it?"

"Oh…um. They had the wrong number." She turned to go up the stairs. "I'm going to bed. Night." With each step, she felt tears starting to well up. When she opened the door to her room, she went straight for her pillow. Cerberus fluttered beside her, worried, but there was nothing he could do.

There was simply nobody to blame.

"Eriol…"

"I know, Spinel. I know." The blue haired teenager clutched his staff and made a large sweeping motion. He murmured a few words and a circle of silver swirled around his feet. Then he gasped and staggered backwards, beads of perspiration on his forehead. "He's gotten stronger."

Spinel Sun gasped. "He? That card…the silver figure?" Eriol nodded mournfully.

Ruby Moon leaned back on the sofa. "Didn't you remember? Clow…no. You made that card for the whole balance of things, but you never would have guessed that it would have gotten this powerful." She chuckled quietly. "What will you do? You know both cards, the silver one and the golden one, are equal in terms of power, perhaps that silver one a bit more destructive now. This is no job for Sakura-chan. She stands no chance against that card." Eriol looked up.

"Oh? But Sakura-chan is a cardcaptor. And no matter how strong he is, he is still a card nonetheless."

How was that? :D

I'm working on the next chapter!

Please please please leave me your comments!

Until next time,

Ja ne!