Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura or any of the characters associated with it. I am simply playing and making havoc in their otherwise – whatever lives they lead – lives.

Synopsis: Set after the second movie, when Sakura is twelve years old. Sakura and Syaoran are almost together after before a certain magical tragedy occurs – again. Unfortunately for the little couple, this is all Sakura's doing, and she doesn't know what she did. Worse yet, she thinks Syaoran is the problem here. This leads to an estranged relationship, where the couple are apart for three years. It'll be a rocky road to understanding each other again, and setting all the wrongs right.

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Ignorance, Salvation, Redemption, Love

by lianneharmony

Chapter 4

As for all the things you taught me
It sends my future into clearer dimensions
You'll never know how much you hurt me
Stay a minute can't you see that I

I wanna fall from the stars
Straight into your arms
I, I feel you
I hope you comprehend

-Simply Red (Stars)

If Sakura was a stupid girl – well, she was definitely not stupid, so it wouldn't really apply to her – she would have locked herself in her bedroom and refused to come out. Yet, being intelligent, she decided to wait cautiously and look at the outcome from the sidelines.

Whatever that meant.

She would lie if she wasn't a little nervous of meeting him again.

So when her father went to the door to answer it, she was almost trembling. She didn't know how she'd be able to face someone who was once so close to her.

Imagine her surprise when she saw her father open the door –

"Oh, hello Meiling. I didn't know you were in Tomoeda," said her father.

Meiling? What about Syaoran?

---

The door knocking made Tomoyo think that another guest whom she didn't know about had come. But that was strange. Who else could have been invited without her knowing?

She looked at Sakura with true surprise, and frowned when she saw the expression on Sakura's face. Sakura's porcelain skin looked as if it was carved out of marble. But the expression of fear in her face was evident. What on earth was going on? Why was she acting so strange?

Unless –

No, it couldn't be –

Oh, it wasn't. Of course not.

Was it?

She spun around to see her old friend, Meiling Li.

Was that all? Tomoyo thought. But even though she didn't know, inside, she really knew –

Syaoran Li was nearby.

---

Meiling Li couldn't deny confusion when she realized Syaoran had disappeared. What on earth had happened? Wasn't he there a minute ago?

Yet, she had no time to be confused, because almost as soon as she began to feel uneasy about Syaoran's disappearance, Mr. Kinomoto opened the door, and she noted his surprise. Yet she was finally inside the Kinomoto residence.

"Oh, hi Meiling," came the voices of old friends from Tomoeda. Ganted, she wasn't close to many of them, but given that she was both Sakura and Tomoyo's friend, besides being Syaoran's cousin/fiancée at the time, they had always welcomed her with open arms.

And speaking of Tomoyo –

"Aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! Meiling! You're back!" Came Tomoyo's voice.

"Eh? Tomoyo!"

The two great friends beamed at each other. "Where is Sakura by the way?" Meiling asked.

"I'm here," came Sakura's voice, with a faint smile. Meiling spun around to see a more gentle, rather than exuberant, outgoing girl she used to know. Had the roles been reversed?

"Happy birthday, Sakura! Here's a present for you –"

"Oh, thank you so much," Sakura gave another gentle smile. "I'll put that together with the others. We're going to open them after the cake."

"Cake?" Yelled a familiar stuffed toy. Kero flew lightning-speed to where Sakura was.

"Cake? Cake! I want cake! Sakura, where's the – oh, it's you again," Kero said, as he realized Meiling was around.

"Yeah, stuffed toy."

"Still a stupid girl, aren't you."

"You wish."

"Oh, Kero!" Sakura said with a nervous smile. "You guys don't have to fight today, do you?"

"Only if I get another slice of cake."

Sakura and Tomoyo sighed. Meiling smirked. "Obviously you haven't changed."

"Speak for yourself –" Kero began, before Sakura told him, "You'd better hurry if you want more cake."

Which resulted in Kero disappearing at top speed.

"Nothing's really changed, has it?" Meiling asked Tomoyo.

"You think?" Tomoyo replied. "Look all around. Everyone's happy –"

"Not Sakura."

"You think?"

"I know."

"It's so strange, isn't it?"

"More than three years later, and look where we are."

---

"Why isn't he here?" Sakura wondered, as she went into the bathroom, after using the Create Card and the Sweet Card simultaneously for almost forever to create numerous food to satisfy Kero's insatiable apetite.

"I wish you're more like Yue," Sakura complained to Kero.

But now, in the bathroom, she was wondering what to do with herself and how to react to Meiling.

And where was Syaoran?

Fine, she meant why was Syaoran not with Meiling? Usually Meiling accompanied her cousin everywhere. It was strange that she wasn't around where he was.

But he's here somewhere. I can feel his presence.

Sakura took the Mirror Card out, and stared at it, before she closed her eyes and took out her Star Wand.

---

Meiling and Tomoyo were talking about how things had changed when suddenly they heard a yell of laughter.

"Eh? What's going on?" Meiling asked.

"Sakura?" Tomoyo asked. "Eh, what are you doing?"

Sakura laughed and said, "Oh, Tomoyo, you have to come here! The guys are arm-wrestling?"

"She's a wrestling fan?" Meiling asked Tomoyo, who subsequently shook her head."

"No way, she hates sumo and violent sports such as boxing. Sakura, what's going on?"

"Oh, we're just cheering the guys on!" Sakura cried, laughing. Tomoyo frowned, but she seemed not to notice. "Oh, guys!" Sakura cried over the laughter. "I'll give a kiss to the winner!"

"Eh, monster, since when did you take an interest in sports like this?" Touya asked, evidently puzzled.

"Since now," Sakura replied.

Meiling raised her eyebrows. Eriol and Yamazaki, who were playing against each other subsequently applied more strength.

"This is fun!" Sakura cried. "Come on, Tomoyo!"

As Tomoyo politely declined, Meiling thought she head Yue, who was previously silent, whisper, "Why would you use the Mirror, Sakura?"

---

Whatever Syaoran Li had feared had come true in a way. Sakura, wild and untamed, and so blossoming in her happiness. Sure, she had seemed a little shocked when she saw Meiling, but she recovered soon enough. It was puzzling, though. How could she - well, perhaps she had a reason that he did not comprehend. He wished she'd understand that he had absolutely no idea what was going on -

Suddenly, the view seemed to change. A different vision came into play. A strange darkness came over the place. Darkness surrounded him, although he could see everything as clear as day.

Then, out of nowhere, arrows seemed to shoot at him. Cleverly, he managed to dodge the arrows.

Yet, the further away he ran, the closer the arrows were to him. He stopped moving, and pulled out his sword, and summoned the wind.

The arrows flew away to the opposite direction, and they would have gone on forever, if someone didn't stop them –

A figure appeared.

"What's going to happen now, Syaoran?" it said mockingly.

Was it Sakura? No. The Illusion Card and the Darkness Card were both powerful, but cold Sakura actually be that –

Well, he wouldn't say it.

No, it wasn't Sakura, he decided.

Was it?

Arrows shot out again from everywhere. Again, he summoned the wind.

Too late.

It was like he fell into an abyss. His body arched, as if he were becoming a bridge, then, it turned in the other direction, and he fell, unconscious.

---

"Eriol? I need to ask you a favour," Tomoyo asked him, as soon as she managed to get away from Sakura and the rest of the arm-wrestling bunch.

"What is it?"

"I need to you help lift off any spell there is on Sakura."

"There is no spell on Sakura."

"But she's acting so weird," Tomoyo protested.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure no one remembers this part of the day except for us too."

"But she's completely changed."

"No, she isn't. Well, maybe she is, but if you're referring to what happened just now – that wasn't Sakura."

"What do you mean?" Tomoyo asked, confused.

"It's a Sakura Card. The Mirror, I believe."

"Eh? Why would she use her mirror image?"

"I don't know," Eriol said, shrugging.

"Could you get rid of it?"

"My power isn't that strong enough anymore, remember." Eriol closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. "What is this aura?" He said aloud. Suddenly, his eyes shot open. "Syaoran's in trouble."

"Syaoran?"

"You don't think Meiling returned to Tomoeda by herself, do you? She accompanies Syaoran wherever he goes. Yelan made sure of that."

"What do you mean?"

"Syaoran's in Tomoeda, and is dueling with some sort of dark magic. I can sense its aura."

"Why don't Kero and Yue sense it too?"

"Oh, they do, all right. They're looking for the real Sakura Kinomoto. Don't you realize they're gone?"

Tomoyo turned around to see the crowd still happy and brimming with laughter; 'Sakura' in the middle of it all. Meiling, who hadn't realized that she had tiptoed off looked uncomfortable. Yet Kero, Yue and Touya were nowhere to be seen.

"Do you know where she is?"

"No, I don't. She's disappeared."

"But how do you know this?"

"Magic. All beings with magic can detect changes in the force of magic."

"But how can you just stand there and do nothing?" Tomoyo's eyes were brimming with tears and she clasped her hands together as if to plead for him to do something.

"There is something that I may be able to do, but I'll need something of Sakura's. A lock of hair, I think, should do."

Tomoyo rushed and soon returned with a hairbush.

"It's Sakura's," she told him.

"Now, remember what I told you. Tell Meiling Syaoran's in trouble and tell her to look for him. I'm guessing that whatever had happened to Sakura had also happened to Syaoran."

"Eh? So you mean this may all be interrelated?" Tomoyo asked Eriol, confused.

"Everything in the world is interrelated, Tomoyo."

"Some dark force of magic is abound. The strange aura of magic I sensed has shown forth its true colors."

"What can this mean?" Tomoyo's eyes went wide with fear.

"Tell Meiling to come here."

Quickly, Tomoyo returned with Meiling, and Meiling seemed nearly hysterical as Tomoyo narrated all that Eriol had told her.

"But, how could this happen to Syaoran? Oh, Syaoran – how – why?" Eriol heard her lamenting as they both neared him.

"There's a lot that I can't really explain, but it seems that something has gone wrong in the forces. Maybe Sakura's power is becoming to strong for her to handle, which is leading to strange events. Or perhaps it's the work of external forces. But it's strange. It is difficult and it is rare to manipulate magic into destroying another force of magic."

Eriol took out his staff. "Tomoyo, Meiling, hold tight, and don't let go."

The girls braced themselves, and soon they were surrounded by a blinding light.

---

Sakura Kinomoto had used the Mirror Card to keep herself with everyone, but she was shocked when she saw how wild the mirror image acted. But there was no time for that. She needed to avoid Syaoran from being anywhere near the house. Perhaps a mental block? That would do. She took out the Illusion Card, the Maze Card, the Darkness Card and the Light Card, which would confuse Syaoran and lead him away. Ordering the cards with her Star Wand, she began her little spell to prevent their meeting again.

She cried the incantation, summoning the cards, but somehow –

Somehow it went terribly wrong. Towards the end of the spell, somehow, all the cards broke loose of the book, and all of them entered the spell.

No, oh no! They'll kill him! Sakura's eyes went wide with fear when she realized what was happening.

He can't die –

Using all the strength she had, she tried to seal all the cards. But they were going haywire.

Why can't I control them? Sakura was in tears now. Her strength was seeping away. The cards were going out of control. Light broke, then darkness, illusion, maze, in order of the cards – and then the others were beginning to break. She only had enough strength to see the arrows break loose from the Arrow Card, and then she slipped away from consciousness.

Control over one's surroundings is a very well-thought out concept, but we are all part of Fate. Sakura, trying to control what was going on, and trying to elude fate, played into part of Fate's plans. And Syaoran, out of his desire, also became Fate's puppet. A way out of Fate's hands is impossible, yet there is always salvation for them.

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Author's Note:

Another long chapter. Hoped you guys enjoyed it. Thanks to my darling reviewers. Special bites for you!