A MAGICAL DELIVERY

Adelita P.M.

The thing she liked most about autumn was the weather at night. It was cold enough for her to enjoy cuddling without waking up all sweaty, but not too cold that she would freeze at night in case the blanket ended up on the floor. Most times, the body temperature of the one who shared the bed with her was enough to keep her warm.

She loved evenings like that. She had just finished reading a book and glanced into the starry night. There was something special about the night. Being the Card Mistress, she was familiar with most types of magic, but elemental magic was her specialty. She could feel magic every time of her day, but at night she felt as if it surrounded every single thing and place. She yawned and looked at the clock: 10:31. She huffed and rolled her eyes thinking she could be going to bed now if it weren't for her big mouth. She had accidentally told Kero she too would like to have a bite of lemon pie just like the one he was describing. Incidentally, Syaoran had heard her and stood up from his seat next to her to go and find her lemon pie, even though she had insisted it was just a comment and she wasn't craving for that. Syaoran wasn't one to believe that the baby would be born looking like food if Sakura didn't eat what she wanted. But being who he was and loving her the way he did, he went out of his way to please her during her pregnancy.

She stood up thinking about all the times she knew he felt bad for not being the most sentimental and romantic person she could have in her life. She didn't need words or romantic things to know how much he loved her. He showed that every day without even realizing. He wasn't perfect but then again, she wasn't either. They had their flaws, got into arguments and were occasionally too proud to apologize, but their love was deep. They were connected through their feelings and also through their magic.

She rolled her eyes hearing noise from the kitchen, knowing Kero was there ravishing Syaoran's chocolate stash. She couldn't handle any more arguments between them, so she headed there to put a stop to Kero before things could get messy.

"Ow."

The kitchen was so close but she could walk no further. Sakura had to lean on a table for support after the overwhelming and subtle pain that filled her entire body. She felt dizzy for a second and took a deep breath. Her back had also been killing her the entire day.

"I think I need to lay down for a moment."

Slowly, she tried to head to her bedroom until a new wave hit. She gasped and grunted. Her hands immediately found their way to her huge belly and she took another deep breath before deciding to return to the couch. The pain hit one more time - this time she felt her belly and her inner parts throb. This was it.

"Kero!"

The yellow guardian came flying from the kitchen - his mouth and paws smudged in brown.

"Grab my phone. Call Syaoran."

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I think the baby is coming."

Kero's eyes widened and he flew straight to her. "WHAT?" He gulped as she pulled a chair that was closer than the couch. "Isn't it fake just like last time?"

"There's nothing fake about all this." She grunted as she sat. "It's just that today I've been feeling differently. And my parts are on fire. Call Syao-"

She couldn't finish - the pain hit again and she let out a scream. The lights of the room blinked ever so slightly. The yellow guardian was stunned and saw Shadow manifesting itself, lurking around and messing with the lamps.

"Sakura, your presence-"

She interrupted him. "Call Syaoran!" Another gasp. "Now!"

Kero flew to her phone but it started ringing. It was Syaoran, probably calling after feeling her presence shift. Kero barely picked up when he heard the voice of the Chinese warrior. "Sakura! What's wrong?!"

"Gaki, Sakura's in pain! Hurry up!"

"Shit! I'm on my way. Put me on speaker."

Kero did as he was told and flew the phone next to Sakura right in time for Syaoran to hear her gasping and trying to take a deep breath. "Sakura, is this it?"

"Syaoran!" She yelled as she held her belly with both hands.

"I'm almost there. How are you feeling?"

"How do you think I'm-" She couldn't even finish her sentence before she screamed.

"Kerberos, grab her hospital bag!" The sun guardian flew towards the bedroom.

"No time!" Sakura gasped. "I can't get to the hospital."

"What? No, Sakura, you have to-" He stopped speaking when he heard the loud noises of things falling down. Dash had manifested itself and was running around bumping into things and having them break as they fell.

"HURRY UP!"

"I'm here."

Sakura heard a noise in the roof and saw Syaoran jumping down in the backyard. She had never been so thankful for living near his favourite grocery store. Apparently, he had come jumping from roof to roof instead of driving, probably leaving the car at the store. He hurried to her side in time for a new spasm of pain. Sakura screamed louder. Windy released itself, flying around the house until the pain stopped.

"Windy?" Syaoran called as he held Sakura's hand. "What you doing?"

The Card said nothing, only stared emotionless at her Mistress.

"I don't know what's happening with the Cards." Kero admitted as he eyed Dash, Shadow and Windy - all now quiet and standing side by side in the corner of the room. Sakura was too busy trying to manage her pain to even assess the damage done to the house.

"Syaoran", Sakura tried. "You need to do this."

"Sakura, we need to get you to a hospital." He pleaded.

"I can't. This is it." She gasped as she felt the pressure at her opening. "N-now!"

"What?" Syaoran yelled, his bangs already damp from sweat. "We can't, we don't know how to-"

Another scream interrupted him. Suddenly, the lights of the house started blinking and electricity flowed around them. He didn't have to take his eyes off Sakura to know it was Thunder roaring and blasting electricity all around. It was only when he smelled smoke that he looked up to find smoke coming out of the TV.

"Kerberos, deal with these Cards!" Syaoran yelled. "Sakura, you need to lay down." He looked at the couch and quickly allowed his mind to revisit all times his four sisters gave birth. They had been either on the bed or on the floor - never on the sofa. He then left Sakura's side to grab the couch's pillows and throw blanket, and improvised a bed on the floor. "Come."

"No, I don't think so." She said, squeezing her eyes shut due to the pain.

"Sakura, you have to lay down."

"I don't know what to do!" Kero was flying after the Thunder, trying to put a stop to what the Card was causing. "I don't know what's happening!"

"I don't care!" Syaoran yelled, helping Sakura up. "Just do something!"

Before Kero could say anything else, Syaoran glared at him and he gulped. Confused, Kero changed to his original form, growling at the electric beast. Sakura took a long breath when Syaoran managed to lay her down and he stood up to quickly wash his hands and grab pillows to support her back. The lights went out and Thunder sat down quietly, close to his Mistress, looking tame. She could feel pain coming again and started taking short breaths just like she had learned at the course for new parents. Syaoran sat opposite to her legs and helped her keep her knees bent. He pulled her dress up but it was too dark.

"I can't see much." He nervously murmured.

"Oh God." She huffed. Her bangs were all glued to her forehead due to the sweat. "This is too much."

"Light's not working." Kero said, trying the switches.

"Shit."

Syaoran conjured one of his ofudas and held it up between two fingers. He was about to conjure light magic when Sakura gasped and screamed. It was Light's turn to manifest. The room instantly got so bright that made all of them blind for a few seconds. Sakura threw her head back and took short breaths as she grabbed Syaoran'a arm.

"Syaoran, I can't take it anymore. I have to push!"

"Okay!" He nodded, as his eyes adjusting to the light. When he was finally able to see between her legs, he gulped hard at the sight before him. Kero saw his face and flew closer to take a look. His eyes widened and his face got pale as he flew dizzily away from the couch. Syaoran took a deep breath and looked again at Sakura's private parts. "Sakura, I think the head is right at the opening. I don't know." He gulped. "Kerberos, get towels! Lots of towels! And call her doctor!"

"Syaoran!" Sakura yelled. "I'm pushing now!"

And she did. She pushed and screamed. Firey manifested itself to Syaoran's horror and started burning everything. He felt lost for a split second until he conjurred his own water magic to deal with Firey at the same time he helped Sakura keep her legs apart while pushing - she was too busy to notice. How would the doctor enter that house full of magic beings and not freak out?

"Kerberos, don't call the doctor!" He had his elbow on Sakura's left knee and his hand on her right knee, keeping the legs apart with only one arm, while his other hand was following Firey with water jets. "Hurry up with the towels! Call Yue! Daidouji! Someone!"

Sakura stopped screaming and pushing and Firey stopped his rampage of destruction, flying to Windy's side and keeping post there. The Cards that had manifested themselves seemed like audience to a freaky show happening in front of them. Thunder was still lying on the floor closer to Sakura and Light was the only one who was still moving, keeping the room from being dark.

"Sakura!"

Syaoran looked up to find Touya and Yue coming from the backyard.

"Syaoran, I can't! I'm pushing!"

Touya's face was filled with concern but he was quick to release rage upon Syaoran.

"Why isn't she at the hospital, you stupid?!"

"Do you think I want her doing this here?" Syaoran yelled between Sakura's own screams as she pushed and as he now used both hands to help her and keep her legs apart. Blood already filled his fingers.

"Shut up you too!" Sakura managed to yell.

"Kinomoto, find me towels!" He told Touya, since Kerberos was taking too long. "Yue, try to control the Cards!"

Yue looked at Cards and frowned not understanding why they were released and why he would have to control them, considering they were quiet and still - apart from the Light, flying around above them. He could feel magic emanating everywhere. Touya called for an ambulance while running to the stairs to find towels but was immediately transported to the bottom of the stairs. He tried again and the same thing happened.

"What the hell?!"

"It's the Loop." Yue told him.

Sakura stopped pushing and her head tumbled back again. This time, Touya managed to go upstairs. Syaoran's head went deeper between her legs so he could have a better look. It took Touya no more than a minute to bring towels as well as tablecloths, at the same time he saw Kero finally coming with a pile to towels. Syaoran put some towels on the floor under Sakura and used others to wipe her so he could have a clear view of what was happening.

"Okay, Sakura. I think I can help more you now." He said. "Ready?" Sakura gulped and nodded. Syaoran looked at Touya who was looking pale at the sight of his sister giving birth right in front of him. "Get behind her. Hold her up!" Touya stood still, paralyzed. "Touya!" He blinked when he heard his first name coming for Syaoran's mouth and hurried to help his sister. When Syaoran saw him positioned, he looked at Sakura and nodded. "Push!"

She obeyed and screamed once again as she pushed harder. It was Time's turn to manifest, making the objects around them change appearance. The flat screen TV turned into a tube TV. The notebook on the table turned into a typewriter. The smoke from the incense stood still midair and the stick stopped burning. The switches turned into touch screens on the wall. Sakura's favorite portrait of her mother now showed a baby Nadeshiko.

Yue cast a barrier surrounding them as Time messed with the objects in the house. Syaoran was now free to focus only on Sakura. Touya was handing him towels and kept his eyes both on his sister as well as in the house. Sakura stopped screaming and Time stopped his act.

"The head is out, Sakura!" Syaoran managed to say as a smile timidly blessed his face. He grabbed one of the towels and cleaned the baby's face. "Okay, the hard part is done. Ready for the next?" Sakura nodded as she took her short breaths. "Ok. Breathe, just like we learned." He coached her. "In and out." He reached for a bigger towel and laid it open on his lap. "Ready?" She nodded tiredlessly. "1... 2... 3. Push!"

Sakura pushed and screamed. Syaoran felt another Card manifesting, but Yue's barrier prevented it from bothering them. Touya was caressing Sakura's arm while coaching her to push while Syaoran focused on the baby that was nearly out.

"Almost there, Sakura!" He said. "Keep pushing!"

"I can't!" She yelled. "It's too much! I can't!"

"Just a little bit longer!" Syaoran encouraged her. "You can do it!"

With a louder scream, she managed to gather the last of her strength and pushed the hardest she could. The baby's shoulder came out and then chest and all that is below it slipped from inside Sakura. It was all so quick that Syaoran had to put his reflexes to use to avoid having the newborn baby falling on the floor.

"You did it!" He beamed as he cut the umbilical cord – he had done that already for one of his sisters. He wrapped the baby in the towel from his lap. "It's a girl!" He revealed. "Our girl, Sakura. You did it."

"My baby girl." Sakura murmured with a weak smiled, looking at the bundle in Syaoran's arms.

Syaoran looked up to ask Touya for help in cleaning his daughter, but saw the man on the phone. "What you doing?"

Touya took the phone from his ear and looked at Syaoran while wiping the tears in his eyes. "Calling an ambulance." He explained while Syaoran used a towel to clean his daughter's tiny body. "They still need to go to the hospital."

Syaoran opened his mouth to say something, but his own daughter beat him to it, releasing her first cry outside her mother's womb. Sakura could do no more than allow a single tear to fall as she heard that sound - she was too tired to do anything else. Syaoran stood up with his daughter in his arms and took her to Sakura's side. The Card Mistress couldn't even move her arms, so she looked at her daughter for the first time and managed to widen her smile, grinning in joy.

"Our daughter." Syaoran said, bringing the baby as close as he could to Sakura.

"Our Hanako."

At the moment her name was revealed, the released Cards joined the ones still inside the Sakura Book and circled Sakura, Syaoran and Hanako with their magic filling the entire house. Yue and Kerberos, now back in his original form, stepped closer and allowed their powers to mingle with the Cards' own power. It was their way to celebrate and acknowledge the new life that had been born - one that would inherit powers beyond her own imagination and love beyond measure. Born on that day, daughter to both the descendant of Clow and the Card Mistress, was Li Hanako.

Author's note: I always thought about how it would be for Sakura to give birth. She could have a pretty normal experience, yes. But seeing she's far from being a normal person and leading a normal life, I wondered how much she would be able to control her powers when literally everything would be so out of control. It's not my best piece, but it is the one who was sitting here waiting to be published.