Cardcaptor Sakura: The New Trials (Wish-luv)

Chapter 72: Almost Left Behind

Part I: Prelude

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"Syaoran," said Sakura, cheeks flushed, standing in King Penguin Park. "Syaoran." He smiled quizzically at her, his hair a deep russet lit orange as the sun set. Taking a deep breath, she blurted out, "Syaoran, I like you!"

Li Syaoran stared back at her for a moment, then blinked his amber-hued eyes. "Sakura, you really like your brother, right?"

She nodded.

"And what about me?" he asked solemnly. "Aren't the feelings the same? Of you liking your brother and your feelings for me?" He let her ponder this. "They're really similar, right?"

Stunned, Sakura shook her head rapidly. No, of course they were not the same. Not even the slightest bit similar. "It's not the same! My feelings for you are completely different. What about you? I don't mean anything to you?"

His lips curled into a sardonic smile. "It's true, I think, I may have been drawn to your power of stars before. But that's just my power of the moon being drawn to your power of the stars. That doesn't make you my most important person. Now that I am the Great Elder, the Li Clan is the most important to me."

"But I like you," she whispered. "I've liked you for a very long time."

"I'm really sorry. I cannot accept your feelings."

She felt a lump in her throat. "But Syaoran, you were the one who told me that someday I would find my most important person."

"And I'm sure he's out there, somewhere."

Sakura dropped to her knees. This aching in her heart—when had she felt this before? Yes, when she saw him turn her back to her a year ago by the Hong Kong harbors. She screamed, but no voice came out as the ground beneath her crumbled away and she fell into a deep pitch black abyss, with Syaoran standing above her, staring down at her expressionlessly.

Kinomoto Sakura, age 17, bolted from her bed, to realize she was at home and it was still the middle of the night.

"What is it Sakura-chan?" demanded Kero-chan, finding his mistress in cold sweat. "Did you have a premonition?"

"I hope it wasn't a premonition," replied Sakura, clutching her heart. "I think that was the worst nightmare I've had in my life."

"Did you dream about the Dark Ones? Was it Chang Ruichi again? Or about a new dark force?" asked Kero-chan with a frown. "We need to analyze the dream carefully because it might carry some underlying meaning."

"No, it was a dream about Syaoran," murmured Sakura, clutching a frayed black teddy bear close to her chest. "It was awful."

Kero-chan nodded. "Yes, it would be awful dreaming about the Brat. What did he do? Bully you and steal the Sakura Cards again? Turn into a wolf? Eat your favorite pudding?"

A little puppy with pointed ears jumped onto her bed and nuzzled on her lap. Stroking his fur, she replied, "No, he was very handsome and cordial and polite."

"It's all right, it was just a dream then. We know he's rude, curt and impolite in real life," reassured Kero-chan. "He was such a beast to you in the beginning, I'm impressed you put up with him for this long. I'm sure your dream is warning you to stay away from the Brat."

"I'm not sure that's possible," she said.

******

"Everybody, please fill out your career forms and hand it in by next week," said Mizuki Kaho, handing out the sheets of paper to her homeroom class, second years at Seijou High School. "List your top three career choices, and then your top three college choices and get it signed by your guardian."