The Jealousy Card:

 

 By Stirling Twilight and Amazoness Duo

 stirling_9@hotmail.com

 amazonessduo@hotmail.com

 

      Sakura took a deep breath of fresh air as she started 

 rollerblading down the street. It was a beautiful day, and the sun 

 was shining brightly. A soft breeze gently blew over her as she 

 made her way to school. She blushed lightly at the thought of 

 Yukito waiting where he usually did before school. Sighing, she 

 felt a pang of sadness at the thought of who he was waiting for. 

 She slowed down, finally coming to a stop, as her brother rode by 

 on his bike.  As long as he was happy, right? Tomoyo had once 

 told her that what really mattered was that the one you loved was 

 happy, even if they weren’t with you. 

      Waiting a few moments to make sure her brother and Yukito 

 were well on their way, Sakura started rollerblading again, a little 

 slower this time. She was glad Yukito had found love, but would 

 she ever find it herself? She had thought she loved the older boy, 

 but after her talk with him, she wasn't so sure anymore. He had 

 told her that her feelings for him were like the ones she had for her 

 father. Oddly enough, besides short bouts of sadness over him, she 

 seemed to be doing pretty well. Maybe she was just being mature 

 about it. But could there be something else to it? Could it be that 

 maybe she was falling for someone else? Thinking for a moment, 

 Sakura tried to figure who such a person could possibly be, but 

 ended up dismissing the idea. She was happy for Yukito, Sakura 

 decided, and that was all.

      Her spirits noticeably higher, Sakura flashed a smile at the dark-

 haired girl waiting for her at the front gate of their school. "Hi, 

 Tomoyo-chan!" she said, skidding to a stop in front of her best 

 friend.

      "Ohayo gozaimasu, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said happily. "How 

 did you sleep last night?"

      "Pretty well.  I had a strange dream, but I can't remember it 

 now. You were in it. And Li-kun.  And I was worried about you 

 for some reason," Sakura trailed off, trying to remember more of 

 her dream.

      "I'm very glad I was in your dreams, Sakura-chan, but don't be 

 worried about me," Tomoyo said thoughtfully. "It was just a 

 dream. And, in any case, worrying about it won't do any good. You 

 should try to relax."

      "You're right," Sakura agreed. "I wish I could remember the rest 

 of it, though. I feel like I’ve forgotten an important warning about 

 something. Like it was a premonition." She pulled off her 

 rollerblades along with the rest of her protective gear. Standing 

 back up, she walked side by side with Tomoyo towards their 

 classroom.

      "If your dream was a warning about something, I'm certain that 

 you will eventually figure it out," Tomoyo said with a reassuring 

 smile.

      Sakura found herself smiling back. 'I always do feel better after 

 talking to Tomoyo,' she thought to herself. "Thank you, Tomoyo-

 chan."

      "Whenever you want to talk, Sakura-chan, I’m always here for 

 you. I love talking to you, and if it helps you, I'm happy." Tomoyo 

 took her seat next to Sakura's and started pulling out what she 

 would need for class from her backpack.

      Sitting down in her desk, Sakura grinned to herself. She felt a 

 lot better about things now.  She wasn't worrying about her dream 

 or her sadness over Yukito for the moment. Looking through the 

 window, she watched the late students getting to school. She 

 closed her eyes, basking in the warm sunlight as she waited for 

 class to begin. This day could be a good one after all.

 

      "How does this look?" Tomoyo asked tentatively as she handed 

 Sakura a sheet of paper from her notebook. Sakura carefully took 

 the paper, finishing up another bite of her lunch at the same time. 

 She sweatdropped when she saw the sketch of herself in a costume. 

 There were several different views to show the whole costume, 

 including the large bow in back.  "What do you think?"

      "It's... nice," Sakura said, not quite knowing what else to say.

      "I think it would look really cute on you, Sakura-chan." 

 Tomoyo grew starry eyed as she blushed at she thought of Sakura 

 in the finished costume. "Do you think it could use more lace?"

      "No, no, I think it's fine the way it is," Sakura said hastily. Her 

 troubles with wild Clow Cards had ended when she became the 

 Card Mistress, and now with things settling down after Eriol, there 

 really wasn't much of a need for her to go out as a Card Captor

 anymore. But Tomoyo still made plenty of costumes for her, 

 getting Sakura to come over to her house and try them on so the 

 dark-haired girl could at least videotape her in them. She was 

 happy to humor the dark haired girl, even if it was a bit strange 

 wearing all the different costumes. Tomoyo seemed to love 

 videotaping her in them so much that it was the least she could do 

 for all the help and friendship the dark haired girl had given her.

      "Every time I finish a new costume, when I look at it, I get the 

 feeling that something isn't right. It doesn't seem really finished. 

 But when I finally see you wearing it, Sakura-chan, it's like the last 

 piece of a puzzle has fallen into place. You complete them."

 You complete me, Tomoyo wanted to add.

      Sakura blushed as Tomoyo smiled gently at her. For a second, it 

 felt like she and Tomoyo were the only ones there. The feeling 

 slowly faded and Sakura noticed all her classmates busily chatting 

 through lunch. She wasn't sure if she was relieved or saddened that 

 the moment had ended so quickly.

      "I'll start working on this one when I get home," Tomoyo 

 finished. Her head tilted to the side, a worried look spreading over 

 her face. "Sakura-chan, are you alright?"

      "Hai… I'm fine," Sakura said, laughing nervously. For some 

 reason, she felt awkward all of a sudden. Glancing around a bit 

 while she ate some more of her lunch, she noticed Syaoran walking 

 by, on his own as he often was. "Li-kun! Why don't you have lunch 

 with us?" she asked happily. Syaoran paused for a moment before 

 accepting, sitting beside the two girls.

      "I really hope we don't have much homework tonight," Sakura 

 said conversationally. "It's my night to make dinner."

      "I hope so, too. If you need to pick up ingredients or anything, I 

 could come with you before you go home," Tomoyo offered 

 helpfully.

      Sakura smiled at her. "Thanks, Tomoyo-chan. I don't think I 

 need anything, though." She placed a hand on her chin, trying to 

 make sure.

      "Sakura..." Syaoran interrupted.

      "Hoe?" Sakura turned to Syaoran who was now staring straight 

 ahead. Tomoyo turned to look at him as well, putting aside the 

 sketches.

      "There's something I want to tell you," Syaoran said slowly.  He 

 was really nervous, even though he'd probably never admit it to 

 himself.

      "What is it?" Sakura asked curiously. Tomoyo smiled at him, 

 knowing what it was that he wanted to say. She nodded slightly, as 

 if urging him to go on.

      "I... I..."

      "Syaoran-kun, are you feeling okay?" Sakura asked worriedly.

      "It's about Sakura-chan, right, Li-kun?" Tomoyo suggested 

 gently, trying to help him along.

      Syaoran nodded emphatically.  Sakura looked more and more 

 interested as she waited to hear what he had to say. 

 Syaoran rounded on Tomoyo and asked her pointedly, 

 “Can you go?”  He wanted to be alone with Sakura if he was going 

 to tell her. 

 	The dark haired girl smiled and nodded. Picking up her 

 notebook, she walked over to a nearby tree. She felt almost as 

 nervous inside as the Chinese boy. This was it. He would finally 

 tell Sakura, wouldn’t he? Maybe it was about time she did as 

 well…

      Syaoran watched her go before turning back, to meet the green 

 eyes that were watching him in confusion.  He gathered his breath 

 and in one long exhale managed to force out, "I... I... I like you!" 

      Sakura blinked in confusion several times. "You what?"

      Syaoran stood up, made an obvious effort to composes himself, 

 lost the battle and made a hasty retreat back towards the classroom. 

 He nearly bumped into Naoko in his hurry.

      "What did he mean?" Sakura asked aloud. She just couldn't 

 figure out what on earth Syaoran was trying to do, telling her that 

 he liked her and then running away.

 Tomoyo leaned towards her, having returned unnoticed.

      "I think Li-kun was trying to say that he loves you," Tomoyo 

 explained in a soft whisper.

      Sakura's face turned a deep shade of crimson as realization hit. 

 She opened her mouth and tried to speak, but nothing came out. 

 After a few false starts she finally got out, "But... but... how?"

      Tomoyo smiled brightly at her friend. "That's not hard, Sakura-

 chan. It's easy to fall in love with you. It's telling you that’s the 

 hard part."  Standing up as the bell rang for the end of lunch, 

 Tomoyo offered Sakura her hand. Sakura, still in shock, let the 

 other girl help her stand. She tried to walk, but stumbled a bit. 

 Tomoyo arms went gently around her waist, steadying the 

 brunette. Smiling gently, she helped her back towards the 

 classroom, not letting her own inner turmoil show.

 

      It was a bit colder after school, but the weather was still 

 pleasant. A gentle breeze meandered past the two girls on their 

 way home. Sakura was still having trouble coming to grips with 

 what had happened earlier with Syaoran. She was so worried, she 

 wasn't really aware of where they were going. Tomoyo was 

 silently leading her home, trying to give her best friend time to 

 think.  Though it was still early in the evening, Sakura felt

 tired, exhausted. She just wanted to lie down so that she wouldn't 

 have to think about anything. Questions kept racing through her 

 mind. How could he? Was he serious?

 What should she do now?

      Sakura, walking slowly, noticed all of a sudden that Tomoyo 

 wasn't at her side anymore. She turned around and saw the other 

 girl standing there, her long, dark hair

 fluttering behind her. Sakura looked at her with surprise.  Her 

 friend seemed deep in thought.

      "Tomoyo-chan?"

      Tomoyo looked at her, but didn't answer right away.  Sakura 

 felt a pang of nervousness. It was such an unusual attitude in her 

 friend...

      "Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said at last, startling Sakura a little, "do 

 you remember when I said that I loved you?"

      That was an easy one, Sakura thought. Tomoyo had told her 

 that many, many times. "Un!" she nodded.

      "You looked happy, Sakura-chan, and you said that you loved 

 me too. And I said: 'But Sakura-chan doesn't mean the same thing 

 as me.' Do you remember?"

      Again, Sakura nodded. 

  "After that, I told you that I'd explain everything later. Isn't that 

 right?"

      Sakura's eyes lit up with remembrance. "Oh yes, I remember! I 

 wondered so much about that, I couldn't figure what in the world 

 you were talking about."

      Tomoyo smiled gently. "Well, I think I will tell you now, 

 Sakura-chan," she said. "Truth is, I'm a little nervous about this. I 

 don't know if the time is right, I'm not sure you will understand." 

 She paused for a moment, and then added softly, "But I'm going to 

 give it a try anyway."

      Sakura looked at Tomoyo intently.  She felt very excited all of a 

 sudden. The dark-haired girl sounded so serious it was a bit scary, 

 but an overwhelming curiosity gnawed at her.  After all, she 

 thought, this was Tomoyo.  Whatever she had to say, it couldn't be 

 anything bad, could it?

      "What is it? Please, Tomoyo-chan, tell me!" Sakura begged, her 

 face bright with eagerness.

      Tomoyo took a deep breath and slowly released it. She gazed 

 deeply into Sakura's beautiful green eyes. "Sakura-chan, we've 

 been very close for a long time now, and I want you to know that 

 you've always been the most important thing in the world to me."

      Sakura smiled happily at her. "You are a very important friend 

 to me too, Tomoyo-chan." She let out a sigh. She was glad it 

 hadn’t been anything big. She’d had enough surprises for one day.

      Tomoyo sweatdropped and decided to try a different approach. 

      "Whatever I do, wherever I go, I'm always thinking about you, 

 Sakura-chan. It's like..." she was having trouble finding the right 

 words. "You make me think of an angel, Sakura-chan. You are like 

 a heavenly angel sent down to this earthly realm to fill the lives of 

 humans with light. I feel like I would never be able to repay you 

 for the joy you've brought into mine.  That's the way I feel, in my 

 heart, when I think about you."

      Sakura felt a rosy blush spread all over her cheeks.  She 

 lowered her gaze, forced out a shaky little laugh and rubbed the 

 back of her head. "I... I... Oh, Tomoyo-chan, it's nothing like that! I 

 mean, I'm not an angel. I'm not heavenly or anything. I'm just..."  

 Sakura paused briefly, as if gathering her thoughts, then looked 

 back up and smiled at her friend, a genuine smile this time. "You 

 say the nicest things, Tomoyo-chan. I feel all warm and mushy 

 inside when you say that kind of thing, even though I'm not the 

 way you say. Thank you so much! You're my best friend in the 

 whole wide world, and I'm really, really glad that you're happy 

 when I'm around."

      Tomoyo sighed softly. This was sooo much harder than she 

 thought it would be. Part of her just wanted to stop, put on her 

 trademark happy smile and tell Sakura that they were late and that 

 they should be hurrying. She knew Sakura would then dismiss 

 everything Tomoyo had just said as "some more of Tomoyo's 

 weird stuff", and things

 between them would return to normal. It would be so easy, she 

 thought, backing off and leaving love confessions for another day. 

 But she couldn't do that, not this time.

 Not when she had already come this far.

      "Sakura-chan," she started again, trying to find stronger words 

 to express the feelings in her heart, "I'm always happiest when 

 we’re spending time together. And whenever I'm unhappy, all I 

 have to do is think about you to feel better. When I see you 

 wearing one of the dresses I make for you, my heart feels like it's 

 going to pound out of my chest in joy. Being with you, doing 

 things with you is my idea of heaven. You mean so much to me. I 

 can't bear the thought of not being able to see you. I want to be 

 with you, always, forever."

      Sakura blushed again, redder this time. Tomoyo was always 

 saying strange things around her, and she knew she should be used 

 to it by now, but this... this was like all of them rolled into one. She 

 wasn't sure what to say, or if she should just wait for her friend to 

 continue.

      Tomoyo was blushing a little, too. She had said so much, and 

 yet, she could tell, just by looking at Sakura, that she still hadn't 

 gotten her point across. "I know you were surprised, today, when 

 you found out about Li-kun's love for you, but I understand his 

 feelings all too well.  Since the day I met you, you have been like 

 the sun in my life, outshining everything else. Sakura-chan, cards 

 aren't the only magic you have at your command.  I've been under 

 your spell for a long time."

      Sakura didn't realize she'd been holding her breath until her 

 lungs started to ache for air. She was blushing as red as a peony 

 now, and she was starting to find it difficult to stand still. She felt 

 weak in the knees from the nervousness building up inside her.

      "Sakura-chan, daisuki desu wa," Tomoyo declared with earnest 

 feeling, and then, before her innocent cousin could once again 

 misunderstand those three simple words,

 she continued, "And I don't mean just as a friend. I love you so 

 much more than that. Sakura-chan, I'm in love. I'm in love with 

 you, I love you. Do you understand what I'm

 trying to say?"  Tomoyo took Sakura's hands in her own and gazed 

 again into those dazzling emerald green eyes.  "I love you," she 

 repeated softly, her own stormy blue eyes trying to convey every 

 bit of the feelings inside of her.

      "To... To... Tomoyo-chan..."  Sakura barely managed to get out. 

 Her heart was thudding a mad tempo in her chest, and she was sure 

 her eyes looked like saucers. The shock of Syaoran's confession 

 felt like nothing compared to what she was feeling at this moment.  

 She had thought that, after Syaoran, nothing in the world could 

 surprise her anymore. Oh god, had she been wrong!  She knew that 

 she had to say something, she could tell the other girl was waiting 

 for her to say something, but her mind had gone completely blank. 

 First Syaoran and now Tomoyo? It was too much for her. She felt 

 like her whole world had been turned upside down.

      "Tomoyo-chan,” she stammered, “I... I... I'll talk to you later," 

 Sakura finished, a little lamely. Turning around too quickly, she 

 almost stumbled. Tomoyo's hand on her shoulder barely helped her 

 regain her balance in time.

      Waving to Sakura while the brown-haired girl hurried off, 

 Tomoyo called, "Bye, Sakura-chan! Sleep well!"

      Glancing over her shoulder, Sakura caught a glimpse of 

 Tomoyo's smiling face. She managed a faint smile of her own and 

 waved back weakly before turning back around.

 Her mind felt sluggish as she tried to sort things out.

      What was she supposed to do? Nothing in her life seemed to 

 make sense anymore. Breaking into a fast sprint after turning a 

 corner, Sakura ran all the way back home, totally unaware of the 

 fading glow that followed her.

 

      “Oh, so the monster’s home,” Touya said conversationally as 

 her heard Sakura come

 in through the front door. He put down the job ads he’d been 

 reading, ready to see his

 sister’s angry face.  He was shocked to see her disappearing up the 

 stairs.  “Sakura?” The

 small glimpse of her hadn’t offered much of an explanation as to 

 why she hadn’t argued

 with him, but she had looked rather distraught. Worse than he’d 

 seen her in a long, long

 time. The house was silent again, except for the rustling of the 

 newspaper on his lap.

 “Well, she’s heading into high school now.  She’s probably just 

 getting overemotional about 

 something,” he told himself, not quite believing it. Telling himself 

 not to worry, he went

 back to looking for another job, but he kept glancing up towards 

 her room, wondering

 what was really wrong.

 

 

 

 "Kero-chan?" 

 "Hmm?" 

 Sakura shifted her arms on the open window ledge trying to get 

 comfortable. She could see the moon behind the leaves and the 

 Jade Plate swam for a moment in the wetness that suddenly 

 appeared in her eyes. 

 "Kero-chan...." 

 Kero-chan clicked his tongue and glided to her side. 

 "Sakura" he chided, "You haven’t finished a sentence yet 

 tonight.  What's happened?" 

 She sighed and pressed her eyes against her pajama sleeve. 

 "Kero-chan, I had a dream last night." 

 "Ah", the Seal Beast breathed in pleasure.  Sakura's dreams 

 always carried a great deal of portent.  He drifted to where he 

 could look at her. "What did you dream?" 

 "I dreamt that Tomoyo-chan and Li-kun were in danger, and it 

 was because of me."  She paused, breathing hard, and then the dam 

 broke.  "I was so upset, and all through the dream I kept talking 

 and nothing was coming out of my mouth. I wanted to tell them 

 today at school, but I didn't know how, and I thought that maybe I 

 would find a way, but every time I tried the time was wrong, and 

 then Li-kun wanted to talk to me alone, and then Tomoyo-chan 

 said..." 

 "Clow Card!" Kero-chan yelled spinning towards the open 

 window.  "Hurry!" 

 “Card?” she stammered in surprise.  Obviously this was the day 

 for it, and how very like her dream it all seemed… her talking and 

 no one was hearing her.  With a sigh she gathered a few things and 

 climbed out onto the tree.  It occurred to her as she descended that 

 she should call Li and Tomoyo, but she also felt that being alone 

 would be nice too.  At least with a Card to capture she wasn't just 

 sitting and thinking. How long had it been since she’d been out 

 Card Capting anyway?

 Once out of sight of her house Sakura drew out the Key and 

 joined Kero-chan in the air.  He flew purposefully, as if he knew 

 where he was going.  Sakura saw, in her mind's eye, the many 

 videos Tomoyo had taken of the Seal Beast.  Smiling at the 

 thought she was suddenly very sorry she didn't call the dark hair 

 girl.  Tomoyo would forgive her, there was no question, but at the 

 same time Sakura also knew that no matter what her mood, 

 Tomoyo would never exclude Sakura from something that would 

 give her pleasure.  Before she realized what was happening the 

 phone was in her hand, and the redial pressed.  But what to tell 

 her?  Sakura had no idea where they were going. 

 "Look!" Kero-chan cried, stabbing a paw downwards.  Sakura, 

 phone to her head, looked down, and saw Li running in the same 

 direction they were flying in, his glowing Lasin Board held before 

 him. 

 "Sakura-chan?" 

 Momentarily disoriented Sakura realized the voice was 

 Tomoyo's and the source was the phone.  "Tomoyo-chan!" she 

 yelled over the wind, "We're near the clock tower, after a Card...." 

 "I'm on my way," and she was gone. 

 Sakura tucked the phone back into her pocket and drew closer to 

 Kero-chan. "What should we do?" she mused aloud. 

 Kero-chan turned towards her, smiling broadly, "Card Capture 

 Sakura..." 

 And he was gone. 

 Sakura suddenly found herself standing in a room. The Key was 

 in her hand. The room, a sort of box,  had no door, no windows 

 and the walls were a sickly green.  Across from her Li stood, 

 looking equally as surprised and Kero-chan was nowhere to be 

 seen. 

 "Li-kun?" she began, but no sound reached her ears.  He too 

 opened his mouth, but she heard nothing.  Stepping back she 

 pulled out the Sword Card, exchanged the Key for the Sword and 

 swiped at the nearest wall.  It had no effect. Li also began trying 

 attacks on the room, with the same effect. She moved closer to 

 him, her hand reaching for him, and just as she touched his arm her 

 hand went threw his as if he were a ghost.  Alarmed she drew 

 back...he didn't seem to be aware of her.  He suddenly turned and 

 appeared to be smiling at someone behind her.  Sakura looked back 

 and saw Tomoyo, video camera in hand, looking at Li with a look 

 that sent a chill through Sakura.   Rushing to her side Sakura was 

 almost weak with relief.  She called Tomoyo's name, heard 

 nothing, and stopped short.  Slowly she extended a hand… it 

 passed threw Tomoyo without any resistance. Tomoyo and Li 

 crossed the small room, intent it seemed, only on each other.  

 Sakura drew back in confusion as the two came together in a 

 passionate kiss. 

 Nothing more than shock made Sakura sit down heavily.  Sword 

 slipped silently from her fingers.  What did this mean?  What was 

 happening? Her mind reeled at the sight.  Closing her eyes for a 

 moment, hoping it was a dream, she opened them again.  In the 

 center of the room stood Tomoyo and Yukito, kissing. 

 "This is a dream," she screamed soundlessly, desperately, 

 "Tomoyo-chan loves me and only me, she told me so!  Only me!  

 None of this is real!" 

 Raising her head once more she found herself confronted by Li, 

 sword in hand, and Tomoyo clinging to his side.  Li was looking at 

 her with unhidden hatred.  He raised the sword, and Sakura had 

 just enough time to exchange the Sword for Shield as he swung at 

 her.  The sword rebounded, sending a shock through his arm.  He 

 staggered back, disbelief evident on his face. 

 "Why?!" Sakura screamed mentally, her mouth forming the 

 word.  Drawing herself up to her knees she studied Li.  He was 

 panting, and still looked angry, but he didn't continue to fight.  

 Could it be that he knew he was fighting a Card?  That had to be 

 the answer. They were trapped within an uncaptured Card, and she 

 had to figure out what the Card was. 

 Suddenly the pieces were fitting.  She was seeing something 

 that would make her… what?  Angry?  Jealous?  They must be 

 experiencing something similar.  Li would see… 

 Sakura sucked in her breath.  Li would see Sakura and Tomoyo!  

 No wonder he turned on her!  But no, why fight Sakura, unless 

 Sakura looked like Tomoyo to him.  That would explain his 

 surprised look at being rebuffed by Shield.  Sakura acted quickly, 

 bringing out Mirror, "Show me what Li-kun is seeing" she 

 commanded.  In the disc Mirror held Sakura saw exactly what she 

 expected.  In the place where she knelt on the floor cowered 

 Tomoyo; a Sakura, assumably Tomoyo, was being crushed to Li’s 

 side by his arm around her waist, and she looking horrified, weakly 

 fighting to reach the figure on the floor. 

 She locked eyes with Mirror and felt the color drain from 

 her face, "Show me what Tomoyo-chan sees," she mouthed.  A 

 chill went through her at the thought of what she was about to see. 

 The first thing she saw was herself. She was smiling 

 happily, seemingly without a care in the world. Two arms were 

 around her waist, holding her tight. They belonged to Syaoran, 

 who was uncharacteristically grinning. Lying on the floor in shreds 

 was one of Tomoyo’s costumes for Sakura. Sakura instantly 

 remembered it as the design Tomoyo had shown her earlier that 

 day. Syaoran pulled up an ofuda, chanting briefly before throwing 

 it on the tattered costume. Sakura’s counterpart in the Mirror just 

 laughed as the costume burned, snuggling closer to Syaoran. She 

 stopped watching when the images kissed. 

    Tears ran down Tomoyo’s pale cheeks as she looked on 

 helplessly.   A steel band crushed Sakura heart at the sight and she 

 lashed out at Mirror, blinded by tears of rage and sorrow.  "No!" 

 she screamed over and over, "It's not like that."  She rose to her 

 feet, picked up Sword and continued to rampage about the little 

 green room.  Li and Tomoyo ignored her and again embraced as if 

 nothing had happened.  Sakura stopped at the sight, and a sob 

 escaped her. 

    "Tomoyo-chan…" 

      As if she had heard her name the ghost Tomoyo turned her head 

 and smiled at Sakura, Li too smiled at her, but then the couple 

 locked eyes again and kissed.  Sakura decided that this had gone 

 on long enough.  She pulled out Darkness.  If they couldn't see 

 each other the spell just might be broken. 

    "Surround Li-kun, Tomoyo-chan and myself in a darkness that 

 we cannot see through." 

 Instantly the room was gone and she stood alone in a vast night.  

 Hesitantly she tested to see if the Card was still working. 

    "Tomoyo-chan?" she said, and heard nothing.  It was still 

 working.  Obviously she had to name this Card to overpower it, 

 like she had had to do with Mirror.  Drawing herself upright she 

 closed her eyes and yelled with all her might, "Jealousy!" and the 

 sound broke on her deafened ears like a storm.  Suddenly the green 

 room broke like glass into a million tiny pieces.  Before she could 

 do anything they gathered to her right, and were gone.  She quickly 

 recalled Darkness and found herself on the street below the clock 

 tower facing both Li and Tomoyo, who were looking around 

 dazed.  Li seemed to come back to himself first and turned to 

 Sakura with a look of raw hatred.  Sakura, shocked, took a step 

 back in alarm.  Li looked from her to Tomoyo, and Sakura 

 instantly knew she had to act, and quickly. 

    Sakura was fast, but Li was faster. 

    Li drew out an ofuda and threw it at Sakura even as she invoked 

 Shield.  The glowing paper landed on her arm and she couldn't 

 move.  Li grabbed Tomoyo roughly by the arm and began dragging 

 her away. 

    Tomoyo looked back at Sakura, who was struggling against the 

 spell.  "Sakura-chan!" she yelled helplessly. “Sakura-chan!”

    "Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura screamed back in anger and frustration.  

 "TOMOYO-CHAN!"

 

    Syaoran landed on a rooftop far away from the immobilized 

 Sakura. He shoved Tomoyo from him when they landed. She tried 

 to keep her balance but fell to her hands and knees. “You…” he 

 growled. “You’re what’s keeping me from her. You’re what’s 

 standing in my way.  She and I are supposed to be together, but 

 you keep getting in the way.”

    “No… That’s not it. I just want Sakura-chan to be happy.” 

 Tomoyo looked up at the angry gaze he directed at her and shrank 

 back. “I love her. I just hope she would be happy with me.”   She 

 knew it was the wrong thing to say to the enraged boy even before 

 she uttered it, but it was the truth. 

    “How could she ever be happy with you?” Syaoran sneered. 

 “You just get in her way. She’s only your friend because she pities 

 you.”

    Tomoyo shook her head. “No, she’s my best friend. We care 

 about each other. We’ll always be friends…” Her mind raced. 

 Nothing seemed certain to her anymore. The horrible images of 

 Sakura and Syaoran came flooding back to her mind, threatening 

 to overwhelm her. Syaoran’s hand grabbed her arm, hauling her 

 back to her feet. The dark haired girl winced at the sudden 

 explosion of pain the cruel movement brought. She flinched as he 

 clutched her arm tightly.

 	“I want you to leave her alone. To leave us alone. Do you 

 understand?” Syaoran hissed angrily. He dragged the limp girl 

 against his chest, shaking her hard.	Tomoyo, her dark hair flying 

 wildly about her, closed her eyes tightly.  This only brought back 

 earlier images. “No,” she said, trying to make him understand,  “I 

 won’t leave unless Sakura tells me too. She means everything to 

 me. I love her!” Looking at him defiantly, she tried desperately to 

 bring up happier images of Sakura, ones she treasured and kept 

 dear to her heart.

 	Angrily, Syaoran shoved the dark haired girl backwards. 

 Tomoyo gasped as she fell, landing hard on her side. “Don’t you 

 dare stand in my way. She will be mine!” he howled.

 	Keeping her eyes clamped shut, Tomoyo desperately ran 

 memories over and over in her mind. When she first met Sakura, 

 when Sakura had come to her house for the first time, when Sakura 

 had first worn one of the costumes she made, the first time she’d 

 videotaped Sakura with her camcorder. She waited quietly for what 

 Syaoran would say next, but nothing came. Cautiously, she opened 

 her eyes and looked around. “Sakura-chan!” she yelled, catching a 

 glimpse of the brown haired girl. Forcing herself to her feet, she 

 couldn’t help but smile as she ran to her friend. She stopped dead 

 in her tracks, her eyes growing wide, when she saw Syaoran 

 standing behind her. 

 Tomoyo’s spirits sank as the two kissed.  Somewhere, in 

 the back of her mind she could hear someone scream, “NO!”   She 

 shut her eyes, wishing the vision would disappear, but it remained 

 when she looked again.  She took a few slow steps towards them, 

 her heart aching with each step. “Sakura-chan…. I’m… I’m happy 

 for you,” she said quietly.  Sakura looked directly at her, giving her 

 an icy stare that chilled Tomoyo to the bone. “Sakura-chan?” she 

 asked weakly, “Why?”

 	Sakura didn’t find her worthy of her notice as she bestowed 

 all her attention on Syaoran. The two shared a deep kiss, ignoring 

 the forlorn Tomoyo, as if she had simply ceased to exist. 

 	Dropping to her already scratched knees, Tomoyo’s small 

 body was wracked with sobs. “Sakura-chan….”, she whimpered, 

 clutching her stomach.  She couldn’t bear it. Why was this 

 happening?  Glancing back up, Tomoyo saw things had changed.  

 Sakura was wearing a wedding dress and Syaoran a tuxedo.  A stab 

 of pain shot through Tomoyo’s heart.  Sakura had promised her 

 that she could make her wedding dress when they day finally 

 came, but that wasn’t anything she’d make for Sakura.  Looking 

 through her tear blurred vision, she could see her camcorder 

 smashed on the floor near them, the film pulled out.  Blinking back 

 her tears, Tomoyo could see things had shifted once again. Sakura 

 now held a baby.  Sakura and Syaoran’s baby. 

 	Unable to stand watching anymore, Tomoyo struggled to 

 her feet.  She stumbled away from the scene, half delirious from 

 the power of the Card and her visions.  “You don’t need me 

 anymore, do you, Sakura-chan?” she asked the thin air.  Again, 

 from somewhere, came the same scream of “No!”  Had she 

 dreamed it?  Tomoyo felt numb all over.  Nothing seemed to 

 matter anymore.  The person that mattered most didn’t care about 

 her at all.  And she’d lost to Syaoran.  She felt… jealous of him.  

 She wished she could be the one to make Sakura that happy.  She 

 just prayed Sakura would always be happy as she stepped up on 

 the ledge of the rooftop. “You don’t need me anymore, Sakura-

 chan.  You don’t even want me as a friend.  But you’re happy.”  

 She smiled sadly, blinded by her tears.  “I’m glad. I’m glad that 

 Sakura-chan is happy.  Please stay that way, Sakura-chan.  I love 

 you.  Forever.  Maybe I can be your guardian angel,” she added 

 hopefully.  With that, Tomoyo stepped off the ledge into 

 nothingness.  She kept her eyes shut tight as the ground raced to 

 meet her.

 

 	Syaoran watched, shocked by the sudden turn of events. 

 He’d intended to make his point clear with Tomoyo, that she never 

 get in his way with Sakura, but she had turned suddenly and started 

 looking off at something only she could see. After talking to 

 herself, the dark haired girl had thrown herself off the rooftop. The 

 screams of the Seal Beast had surprised him, but Syaoran couldn’t 

 locate the magical animal no matter where he looked.  He blinked 

 several times, still confused, and unsure about what had just 

 happened. “At least she won’t get in my way anymore,” he said to 

 no one in particular.

 

 	The world seemed to slow as a small dark haired girl 

 plummeted through the air. Further and further she went, the brief 

 amount of time slowing to a near stop for the girl as everything 

 seemed to move in slow motion. “Sakura-chan...” she whispered, 

 one last time, her eyes shut tight. Her heart felt as if it had been 

 ripped out of her chest. Her whole world, her whole reason to live, 

 had been crushed in the matter of minutes. She was looking 

 forward to an end to her pain, to the end of her torment, to 

 oblivion. And Sakura, her dear Sakura, would be happy. 

 	A sudden impact shocked Tomoya back from her thoughts 

 and her fall was suddenly interrupted as two arms wrapped around 

 her tightly, fumbling desperately to hold on to her, gripping her 

 like a pair of steel bars. “Tomoyo-chan!” a voice cried in terror, 

 over and over in a hysterical pitch.  Her mind wondered what was 

 happening, as the wind on her face gave her the impression of 

 climbing upwards. The voice, close to her ear and frantically 

 calling her name, was Sakura’s.  Tomoyo could feel her friend’s 

 breathing coming in a labored pant as they raced skyward.

  Opening her eyes slowly, Tomoyo blinked several times in 

 confusion. Wasn’t she supposed to be dead by now?  She took a 

 second to glance around, and found herself in the arms of the Card 

 Mistress, whose wings were working hard to finish the arc of 

 Saukar’s dive.  Seconds later Saukar touched down on a rooftop, 

 deposited Tomoyo on her feet and dropped to her hands and knees 

 beside the dark haired girl.

  Maybe she was dead, Tomoyo thought.  Maybe this was 

 heaven. “Sakura-chan?  Why?  Why did you save me, Sakura-

 chan?” Tomoyo asked, her mind reeling.  “I did this for you.  

 You’re happy.  That’s all I wanted.  You didn’t need me anymore.”

 “No, Tomoyo-chan.”  Sakura heaved herself into a kneeling 

 position, her hands clutching for the small girl.  She embraced her 

 friend, crushing her to her chest, “I always need you,” she sobbed, 

 “You’re my best friend. You mean so much to me. I don’t know 

 what I’d do if you were gone.”  She blinked back the stinging tears 

 in her eyes as she looked up at the dark haired girl.  Her body felt 

 cold all over from the recent shock.

 	“But, Sakura-chan, you… I would only get in the way.  

 You aren’t even happy as friends anymore. You have what you 

 want.  I hope you and Li-kun are very happy.” Tomoyo mustered a 

 pained smile before turning away. 

 	Sakura bolted to her feet and seizing her friend, shook her 

 hard. “No! Tomoyo-chan, listen to me, it’s the Clow Card.  The 

 Jealousy Card it’s still affecting you!  We’re best friends, nothing 

 will ever change that. I know you want me to be happy, but losing 

 you would definitely not make me happy. And I want you to be 

 happy, too.”  The Card Mistress sighed, looking deeply into 

 Tomoyo’s stormy blue eyes. “Tomoyo-chan, you have to fight this.  

 Please?  For me?”

 	Tomoyo held her head, confusion flooding her mind. 

 Glancing towards the roof’s edge, to Sakura and back, she 

 shuddered, unsure of herself.  Finally giving out a small cry, 

 Tomoyo threw herself into Sakura’s arms. “Oh, Sakura-chan, I’m 

 so sorry….” The dark haired girl sobbed. “I just… I thought you 

 hated me… that you didn’t need me anymore… and that you were 

 happy with, with…  him…”  Her sobs overwhelmed her and she 

 feel silent, leaning heavily against Sakura. 

 	“Tomoyo-chan, it’s going to be okay,” Sakura said 

 soothingly, hugging the limp girl close to her. Tomoyo’s hot tears 

 rolled onto her shoulder, soaking into the cloth of her pajamas. 

 “It’s just the Card.  I could never hate you, Tomoyo-chan.  You 

 know that.  You’re my very important person.”  For a second, 

 Sakura wondered where she had heard that before, but she quickly 

 shrugged it off, not having time to worry about it. “Please, 

 Tomoyo-chan, don’t cry.  It’s alright now.”

 	The dark haired girl took another shuddering breath before 

 standing up on her own. “Thank you, Sakura-chan.”  A small, 

 genuine smile formed on her soft lips. “I always knew you would 

 come save me if anything happened.”

 	Sakura smiled back, relief filling her soul. “Of course I 

 would, Tomoyo-chan.  I’m not about to let you get hurt by 

 something like this. Or anything, for that matter.  I don’t want to 

 see you hurt, Tomoyo-chan.” 

 	Before the Card Mistress could think to ask Tomoyo if she 

 was ready to go home, a sword slashed the air between both girls. 

 Tomoyo gasped and Sakura jumped back, her staff in hand. She 

 got ready to get a Card out just in case. Between them stood 

 Syaoran, hatred and jealousy flaring in his eyes. “Li-kun!? Fight it, 

 Li-kun! It’s just the Jealousy Card affecting you.”

 	“Fight what?” Syaoran spat angrily. “I saw the two of you. 

 She’s trying to steal you from me. She’s trying to get in the way.  

 To come between us!” Raising the sword, he swiped at a stunned 

 Tomoyo. 

 	Sakura lunged forward, her eyes wide with fear of what he 

 might do. Her staff barely blocked his sword inches from the dark 

 haired girl. “Li-kun, don’t do this!” she pleaded as Tomoyo sank to 

 her knees.

 	He leapt backwards, landing in a fighting stance. He held 

 the sword straight up in front of him, his eyes falling closed as he 

 began to chant. Energy surrounded the blade.

 	Sakura barely had time to throw herself in the way of 

 Tomoyo when she realized what he was doing. “Shield!” she 

 yelled desperately as his attack came flying towards them. The 

 burst of lightening dissipated against Shield, leaving the two girls 

 unhurt. Sakura glanced at Tomoyo, assuring herself that her friend 

 was unharmed when another attack hit…and another and another. 

 “Li-kun! Leave her alone!” she screamed, “Don’t hurt her!!” 

 Sakura wondered how his rage could be so focused on the dark 

 haired girl behind her.  “She’s never been anything but kind to 

 you!”

 	Syaoran narrowed his eyes as he began chanting again. 

 Sweeping the sword down, a burst of wind struck against Shield. 

 “How could you know?” he demanded.  “She blinds you with her 

 hero worship, but she keeps coming between us.  She’s why you 

 don’t returned my feelings.” 

 	‘That’s what this is all about isn’t it?’ Sakura asked herself 

 as she braced herself for his next attack. ‘They both… They’re 

 both in love with me.”  Then the realization struck her with the 

 force of an express train.  It was Sakura herself that had created the 

 problem, literally!  As Card Mistress her feelings and desire were 

 made manifest in the form of Cards.  Somehow she had created the 

 Jealousy Card without even thinking about it.  That’s how Jealousy 

 got to them both so easily, and so strongly! ‘This is all my fault.’ 

 “Stop this!” the Card Mistress yelled. 

 Turning to face him as she rose, Sakura pulled out Windy 

 and sent it spilling before her.  “Bind Li-kun!” she yelled, bringing 

 the Key down on the Card.  The resulting rush of air quickly 

 surrounded the startled boy, pinning his limbs tight against his 

 body.  Sakura didn’t hesitate as she twirled the Key over head 

 again, Windy almost drowning out her command “…Sakura 

 Card!”  The Card Mistress brought the Wand down on the softly 

 glowing green dot within the rushing wind.  The Jealously Card 

 lifted out of Windy and floated to her waiting hand.

 For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was the 

 wind rustling past them.  Sakura recalled Windy and turned to face 

 Syaoran, hoping the danger was now over.  Utter silence claimed 

 the rooftop for a moment. Then the clatter of Syaoran’s sword 

 against the roof broke the silence.  His mind started to clear from 

 the haze of jealousy the Card had managed to place over him. 

 “Sakura” he stammered, his faced blossoming to a brilliant 

 crimson, “... I… I don’t know how I… I don’t know what to say… 

 I’m… I’m sorry.”  He lowered his head.

 Sakura let Shield fade away, but remained standing 

 protectively in front of Tomoyo. “I’m not the one you intended to 

 kill,” she said quietly.  A second silence descended, this one 

 fraught with embarrassment.  Sakura looked at her friends and 

 came to a decision.

  “Fine,” she said, almost to herself.  She was tired of 

 fighting. Tomoyo and Syaoran looked back at her quizzically, 

 wondering what she meant. “Fine. You both want to know who I 

 love, don’t you?  Stop this, then.  I care too much about both of 

 you to watch either of you get hurt.  The Jealousy Card was using 

 both of you.  And it’s because of me, because of your feelings for 

 me!  It’s still getting to you both because of me.  So I want to put 

 an end to this.” Sakura took a deep breath before continuing. “I 

 will make my decision tonight. I’ll tell you both tomorrow the one 

 who I love.”

 	Syaoran looked up at her, his face still scarlet, “Tomorrow 

 you’ll….”

 	Sakura nodded, cutting him off. “Hai. Tomorrow I’ll tell 

 you both which one I’m in love with.”

 	Bending down, Syaoran retrieved his sword from where it 

 had landed. Without a word he turned and leapt into the darkness.

 	As soon as he left, Sakura collapsed to her hands and 

 knees. The battle, the Card, and her own nervousness about what 

 had happened earlier that day had finally taken their toll.  She 

 glanced over when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She saw 

 Tomoyo’s concerned face looking back down at her. Before the 

 dark haired girl could say anything, Sakura threw her arms around 

 her friend with a tearful howl. “Tomoyo-chan! Oh God, I almost 

 lost you so many times tonight. You had me so worried. I’m so 

 sorry you got dragged into all this. If I hadn’t called you, none of 

 this would have happened.” She gently rocked back and forth, 

 cradling the dark haired girl against her. 

 	Tomoyo sighed softly. She liked having the other girl so 

 protective of her, but she hated seeing Sakura so worried about 

 things. “Sakura-chan, I’m fine. It’s all over now.”

 	Sakura scrubbed her face with a free hand, trying to dry the 

 tears that continued to threaten.  She untangled her arms from her 

 friend’s neck.  Using her wand to help her weary body stand 

 upright, Sakura looked out at the dark night sky. “No. Not yet. I 

 still have to find out who I…” She blushed at the thought. In her 

 mind she could see the boy who had been her rival, but had turned 

 out to be her greatest help with the Clow Cards. She could also see 

 her best friend, the girl that had always been there for her. She let 

 her head drop sadly. She had no idea how she’d make a decision 

 by the next morning.

 	“Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo said softly, her voice barely above 

 a whisper. Sakura looked so fragile standing there. “Sakura-chan, 

 please don’t worry too much about tomorrow. Just make the 

 decision that will make you happy.”

 	Sakura turned back to her skeptically. “And I won’t have to 

 go rescuing you from jumping off buildings if it’s Li-kun?”

 	Tomoyo shook her head. “You said we’ll always be 

 friends, remember? That’s all I need.  It’s what makes me happy.”

 	Smiling a little, Sakura felt her spirits lifting. “Thanks, 

 Tomoyo-chan. We will always be friends,” she reconfirmed, “It 

 makes me happy too.”

 	“No matter who you choose tomorrow, I’ll always be there 

 for you, Sakura-chan. And I’ll always love you.” 

 	Sakura felt her cheeks burn as she blushed.  She was still 

 nervous about the idea that her best friend could be in love with 

 her.  But, putting that aside she invoked Fly, unfolded her wings 

 and turned towards Tomoyo. “Are you ready to go home?”

 	“Hai, Sakura-chan.” Tomoyo smiled. 

 “I’m so tired, but I doubt I’ll be getting any sleep tonight.” 

 Sakura sighed and lifted off into the sky. 

 

 Once Sakura had left Tomoyo on the terrace outside her 

 bedroom the Card Captor rose and allowed herself to drift.  Kero-

 chan was still missing, but she had more on her mind than the Seal 

 Beast, who was more than capable of taking care of himself.  With 

 a soulful sigh she glanced down at the town, with its the clock 

 tower silhouetted against the moon.   The clock proclaimed the 

 hour to be 1 AM.  Morning already, Sakura realized with a sigh.

 With a thought the Sakura Cards in her pocket floated into 

 the air, forming a circle around her.  She felt their presence, their 

 love for her, and she drew comfort from it.  It was a warm feeling.  

 Like when she had her arms around Tomoyo-chan.  

 She paused mentally.  

 No, not like it.  It was different.  It lacked a sort of 

 excitement.  There was more to the feeling of comfort she had 

 when she had hugged her friend.  Sakura’s mind raced away, 

 trying to put into words the feeling that was suddenly so very 

 important.  But try as she might she could not find an expression 

 for that feeling.  

 With a thought her wings vanished and she began to fall.

 “Float!” she cried over the wind, and didn’t wait for the 

 Card to answer her command before she turned in the circle of 

 Cards, looking for the one she wanted.

 “Illusion!” she yelled, as the wand came down on the Card 

 named.  “Show me my heart’s desire.”

 Even as she said it she knew she was cheating, but her 

 mind, exhausted from the earlier battle, and everything else, was 

 becoming desperate.  She could fly around all night waiting for the 

 lightening bolt that was Tomoyo-chan to strike her…

 Sakura sat down hard, in midair, as the air left her body.  

 She drew a deep breath, her eyes fighting to focus.  She sat stunned 

 for a long moment, trying to mentally collect herself. Before her 

 Illusion was beginning to take form, but she no longer cared to 

 wait for the outcome.  Recalling the Cards she resumed her wings 

 and flew as quickly as possible back the way she came.

 

 Tomoyo stood right where Sakura had left her.  Her hands 

 were pressed to her chest, and her eyes, watching the sky.  At first 

 Sakura was unsure that her friend had seen her return, but as she 

 alighted Tomoyo turned her face towards the Card Mistress.  She 

 bore a look of serene peace that lifted some massive, unknown, 

 weight off of Sakura’s shoulders.  Neither one spoke.  Sakura felt 

 her wings fade and the weight of the charm around her neck.  

 Silently she walked to her friend, who stood unmoving and 

 watchful.  When they where within inches of each other Sakura 

 stopped, and stood swaying for a moment.  Slowly she sank to her 

 knees and slipped her arms around Tomoyo’s small waist.  

 Tomoyo’s head fell back as she awaited the words that would 

 transform her life.  Sakura, her head pressed against her friend’s 

 hip, allowed her mind to express the feelings it couldn’t before. 

 “It’s you,” she whispered.

 Tomoyo’s eyes rolled closed, tears spilling onto her cheeks.

 “It’s you,” Sakura repeated, no longer surprised.  “It will 

 always be you, it has always s been you.”

 Tomoyo’s fingers unlaced themselves and found a new 

 home in Sakura’s hair.  At the contact Sakura looked up at her 

 newly discovered lover.  “Why didn’t you tell me?” she wondered 

 aloud.

 Tomoyo lowered her head to face her friend.  She smiled 

 through her tears, “You needed to learn for yourself,” was the 

 whispered reply.

 “Are you sorry it took me so long to realize?” 

 A sad smile played on the dark haired girl’s lips, her voice 

 was a mere sigh, “I was willing to wait a lifetime for you… 

 Sakura.”

 

  Kero-chan stood in the air before Li.  They had both seen 

 everything that happened, and now Kero-chan was ready to defend 

 the lovers if the need arose.  Li watched them for several long 

 minutes before he tore his eyes away to look at the Seal Beast.

 “I’ve lost,” he whispered, “… everything.  The Cards, the 

 girl I love… everything.”  

 Kero-chan’s tail whipped menacingly, “And what are you 

 going to do?”

 Li frowned.  “Do you think I would attack them?” he 

 asked, in a sort of shocked anger.

 Kero-chan allowed his silence to speak for him.  Li turned 

 his back on the scene and disappeared into the night.

 

 

 The day dawned crystal clear and Sakura was out early.  It 

 was her morning to clean the classroom, and she knew Tomoyo-

 chan would be waiting for her.  

 It had been a week since they had come together as a 

 couple.  ‘One week, six hours and 15 minutes,’ Sakura thought as 

 she pushed herself harder, racing the clock for extra seconds in the 

 company of her friend.  More than friend, she corrected herself 

 with a smile.  As she rollerbladed, she relived, for the thousandth 

 time, the feeling of Tomoyo’s hands on her as the dark haired girl 

 helped her to rise from her position of worship at her friend’s 

 waist.  Felt, again, as Tomoyo’s hands gathered her own, and then 

 drew her into the dark bedroom.  Sakura had wanted, so much, and 

 had slept, so long! She blushed, even now, thinking of it.  Not a 

 good opening for a lifetime together, she mused, but Tomoyo 

 didn’t seem to mind.

 As she came within sight of the school Sakura could make 

 out the form of Tomoyo waiting for her near the gate.  She raised 

 her hand and waved wildly, the joy in her heart becoming one 

 thought, one word…

 “Tomoyo-chan!”