rlm@2: Dreams
rlm@2: part 4
rlm@2: by Amazoness Duo
rlm@2: amazonessduo@hotmail.com
rlm@2: http://fly.to/moonlit_nights
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Perfect. Beautiful, dark brunette hair hung slightly lower in front than in back, framing 
rlm@2: piercing amber eyes. A well built, thin, muscular body stood still in the dark room, lit only by
rlm@2: candles. He was hairless except for the hair at his head and between his legs. Clothes lay 
rlm@2: folded on the floor nearby, yet shame didn't brush his handsome features in the least. Slender,
rlm@2: yet strong, he was a beautiful creation. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Sighing to herself, Ming Ue, current heir to the Li Clan, admired her handiwork. 'Gorgeous,' she
rlm@2: thought. Fingers reached out almost as if of their own accord, trailing ever so lightly over his
rlm@2: soft skin. Time was of the essence. But was it not honorable to make sure the body of her 
rlm@2: revered ancestor was perfect? And perfect it was. The magical body that she had created had 
rlm@2: taken every ounce of her concentration and all of her free time for the past month. All of her
rlm@2: work had not been unnoticed. Her parents were getting impatient with her lack of progress. The
rlm@2: explanation that she had to make sure their ancestor was recieved in the best body possible was
rlm@2: wearing thin. The ritual had to be completed tonight. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Kneeling in front of the still form, Ming Ue began to mark a rune into the ground around his
rlm@2: feet. It had been said that her runes were the most beautiful, that they were the writing of the
rlm@2: gods. And yet, sadly, even that wasn't enough to impress her parents. But that would change
rlm@2: shortly. Runes were the writing of reality. They were the messages that could shape the world
rlm@2: around us. Though not as direct a magic as more focussed forms, Ming Ue had grown to be quite a
rlm@2: powerful magician in her own right. Currently, she was the most powerful magician in all the Li
rlm@2: Clan. But even that wasn't enough in that day and age. The Li Clan, long the most powerful of 
rlm@2: the magical families in Asia, had been losing its strength and prestige in the past two decades.
rlm@2: Now it was seen as little more than a joke, looked down upon by some of the current elite clans. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: The job of rectifying the situation had been granted to Ming Ue. Not that she had wanted it. By
rlm@2: no means. Though a talented magician, she had never lived up to the hopes of her parents. Every
rlm@2: failure she had, every mistake she made, it was all her fault and her parents were quick to make
rlm@2: her realize that. So the thought of being the one to reclaim the Li Clan's lost honor worried 
rlm@2: her greatly. Their one chance at regaining their power was to get the recently released Sakura
rlm@2: Cards, magical Cards that had originally been created by their descendent, Clow Reed. But even
rlm@2: her ancestor, Syaoran Li, had failed to capture the Cards. Some girl from Japan, Sakura 
rlm@2: Kinomoto, had been the one to seal them. How could Ming Ue do it on her own?Suppressing a 
rlm@2: shudder at her mounting nervousness, Ming Ue finished her rune. Glancing up at the figure, her
rlm@2: beautiful figure, she glanced up at a piece of anatomy she had been careful in crafting. Her
rlm@2: cheeks flushed darkly as she quickly got out of her kneeling position. At least he wasn't alive
rlm@2: yet. That would have been embarrassing. The girl calms herself by focussing on the ritual at
rlm@2: hand.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: If Syaoran Li couldn't capture the Clow Cards, then Ming Ue had few hopes that she alone would 
rlm@2: be able to capture the Sakura Cards. She didn't have the confidence in her abilities to get them
rlm@2: on her own. So she had no intention of going on her own. When told by her parents that she would
rlm@2: go to Japan to recover their families ancient Cards, she had worried the problem over in her 
rlm@2: mind night after night. Finally, it came to her. She would gain the assistance of someone with
rlm@2: great knowledge of the Sakura Cards, a powerful magician who could help her seal them and return
rlm@2: their family to greatness, an amazing leader of the Li Clan. Together, she knew they could save
rlm@2: their family's honor. She would resurrect Syaoran Li. Creating a body had been difficult, but 
rlm@2: not impossible. Her ancestor, Clow Reed, had created a number of bodies in his time. Bodies for
rlm@2: his servants as well as for himself. And without having to create a soul to inhabit the body, it
rlm@2: became much more practical for Ming Ue. Research through the old library had taken her many late
rlm@2: nights to fill in the missing spells she would need. After many attempts and many mistakes, she
rlm@2: had finally brought the body to completeness. She had taken extra time to make sure it was
rlm@2: perfect. And beautiful. Her hand gently caressed his shoulder, her eyes gazing into his own
rlm@2: unseeing gaze. With a blush, she quickly yanked her hand away. The body had to be perfect so it
rlm@2: would be fitting for her honorable ancestor. At least, that's what she told herself. Being able
rlm@2: to spend so much time to create her version of the ideal male body had lifted her spirits. It 
rlm@2: was like sculpture, creating perfection of the human body in stone. This was her sculpture,
rlm@2: beautiful and strong. She almost wished she could show it off, all of her work finally complete.
rlm@2: Well, if Syaoran liked it, then that would be praise enough, she decided. Her beautiful
rlm@2: sculpture... Oh, he wasn't awake yet, so who cared if she got to ogle it a little longer? 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Finally pulling away, Ming Ue stood before her creation. The body was finished. Now came the
rlm@2: harder part. Out of all the souls in the afterlife, she had to call Syaoran's soul back, to 
rlm@2: bring it back to life in the body she had created for him. Chanting, she closed her eyes and 
rlm@2: held out her hands, holding them together in focus. The rune beneath the body's feet lit ablaze,
rlm@2: overtaking the candlelight in the room. Wind began to pulsate as she continued chanting, her 
rlm@2: hair and his waving about as if waiting for a storm to hit. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: 'Where are you?' she thought, the light of the rune now blinding even behind her closed eyelids.
rlm@2: 'Can you hear me, my fierce ancestor? I need your help. Please, come to me. Please, help me.
rlm@2: Together, we can seal the Sakura Cards and return our Clan, your Clan, to glory...' Something
rlm@2: touched at the edge of her spirit, something not quite there. A flood of images deluged her. One
rlm@2: of the Clow Cards waiting to be sealed, Syaoran with his sword ready to cut down the magical
rlm@2: beast that stood in his way, Syaoran walking with a girl outside game shops, later days as
rlm@2: Syaoran and the woman, Meiling, were in charge of the Li Clan. That had to be him! Those
rlm@2: memories... She gasped as she finally came back to herself, out of the memories that had
rlm@2: coalesced around her for a moment. It took her a brief moment to remember who she was, and in
rlm@2: that moment, she was disappointed. Better to have been someone from those memories. But she had
rlm@2: no time to hold onto the feeling. Chanting faster, her rune began to spin underneath the feet of
rlm@2: her magical sculpture, drawing in the soul she had just connected with. Her rune worked to 
rlm@2: infuse the soul into the body, trapping it inside the flesh so that it may live again. And with 
rlm@2: a last wave of wind and light, it was over. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: For what seemed like a long moment, Ming Ue could not see. The only way she could tell if her
rlm@2: eyes were open or closed was by the sound of her blinking. Annoyance bubbled up at herself at 
rlm@2: the thought that she could have cast a spell around herself to disperse the light. But it was 
rlm@2: too late for that now. And there were much more important things to attend to.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: The room slowly came back into focus as the Li heiress took cautious steps towards the body. Her
rlm@2: heart skipped a beat when she saw he was on his knees. And breathing! Licking her lips, she
rlm@2: contiued towards him, her heart pounding in wild excitement. It worked! It really worked! The
rlm@2: rush of accomplishment, of bringing her beautiful sculpture to life with the soul of her once
rlm@2: great ancestor, made her feel like she was floating. “Syaoran?” she asked cautiously, unable to
rlm@2: keep the smile off her face. He would make things better. With his assistance, they would have 
rlm@2: no problem with the Sakura Cards. “Syaoran?” she called again.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: The boy looked up in a daze, his eyes slowly adjusting to his surroundings. How long had it been
rlm@2: since he had used living eyes to see? The body felt awkward after so many long years of being
rlm@2: free from the confines of a body. And this one felt different... “Syaoran?” his voice got out,
rlm@2: straining. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Hands clapped excitedly. “You are here! I'm Ming Ue, your descendent, honorable ancestor. I have
rlm@2: been charged with capturing the Sakura Cards, just as you once were. I didn't know if I could do
rlm@2: it on my own, so I created a body for you and called you back. With your strength and knowledge,
rlm@2: I'm sure nothing can keep us from reclaiming what is rightfully ours.” Her words flowed out like
rlm@2: a waterfall, her heart still pounding in her chest. All of her hard work had paid off. The fear
rlm@2: of failing her parents for the last time melted away. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: The art of making words with a human body was slowly coming back to the boy. That had been such
rlm@2: an unnecessary skill for such a long time. This body felt so different from the last one. His
rlm@2: mind was still trying to make sense of what he was saying. It was as if he had awakened from an
rlm@2: extremely long, deep sleep. Memories of the afterlife were fleeting, disappearing as some dreams
rlm@2: do upon waking up. All he knew was that he wanted to go back and that he wasn't happy about 
rlm@2: being brought back. “Help you?” he got out. Frowned. Tried again. “Help you get the Cards? That
rlm@2: was...” He had to clear his throat. His voice sounded strange in his ears. “That was a long time
rlm@2: ago.” His head slumped forward, the body still exhausted from the soul being forced inside of 
rlm@2: it. That's when he made a discovery that brought his voice back quickly. “What the hell?!”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “What? What?!” Ming Ue asked, panicked. Had she forgotten something? Did she make the body wrong?
rlm@2: Was he displeased? She ran over, but the boy covered himself, cheeks darkening in what looked
rlm@2: like a mixture of shame and anger. Ohhh... She blushed herself, picking up the clothes. “I'm
rlm@2: sorry about that. I should have dressed you earlier. I was just worried about the clothes 
rlm@2: getting in the way of the ritual,” she lied. It had nothing at all to do with her wanting to see
rlm@2: her beautiful nude sculpture alive. She mentally crossed her fingers. “I've got a dick!” He spat
rlm@2: out, glaring as he looked up, still trying to cover as much of his body as possible. This was 
rlm@2: all wrong. His sharpened mental state from his shock only made it all the more disorienting. Why
rlm@2: was he here with this girl? Wasn't he supposed to be dead? And why in this body? Ming Ue
rlm@2: sweatdropped, the clothes still held to her chest. “Ummm... Didn't you always have one?” she
rlm@2: asked sheepishly. That hadn't really been one of her main concerns. It went to show that a male
rlm@2: ancestor would be happy with keeping his pieces intact. She could have made a girl body, sure,
rlm@2: and it would have been less embarrassing. But it would've been a lot less fun to make, too.
rlm@2: “No!!” The boy snatched the clothes from her, turning around and pulling them on quickly. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Ming Ue was disappointed to see him turn away from her. He was obviously confused and frustrated
rlm@2: and concerned. “Syaoran, I'm sorry for bringing you back.” Bowing low, she felt herself 
rlm@2: beginning to lose her composure. He was angry with her. Now he'd never help her. What had she
rlm@2: done wrong? “But I really need your help. I can't do it on my own.” Tears brimmed in her eyes 
rlm@2: and she shut them immediately to keep them from showing.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Syaoran...” The boy was silent for a moment, pulling the pants on. Finally, he whirled about.
rlm@2: “Whoever you are, you've screwed up. I'm not Syaoran. I'm Meiling.” Amber eyes narrowed as she
rlm@2: drove the point home. “I'm his wife.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Please.... Please don't tell my parents!” Ming Ue sobbed. Meiling paced around her room while
rlm@2: she sat with her hands on her lap, eyes downcast, her body shaking as she cried. Her parents
rlm@2: would kill her when they found out. The spell had worked, the body worked, but the reincarnation
rlm@2: spell had grabbed the wrong soul. This would be proof to her parents that she was a failure as
rlm@2: the savior of the Li Clan.Meiling sighed, pacing around the room. Her arms fell to her sides.
rlm@2: They had been crossed beforehand, but that was just an uncomfortable feeling. She was used to a
rlm@2: very different chest. Her eyes closed as she paced again, listening to the other girl sob.
rlm@2: Meiling had been resurrected and thrown into a male body and the girl who brought her back was
rlm@2: crying? This was very, very messed up. “How do I get out of this body?” she asked at last,
rlm@2: cutting to the point.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “When...” sniffle. “When it dies...” Ming Ue averted her gaze, her voice low. Her mistakes had
rlm@2: already been bad enough. Now they only seemed to be amplified. It had been her hope that Syaoran
rlm@2: would help bring the Clan back to honor with a second lifetime. But now she felt miserable to
rlm@2: tell Meiling she'd be stuck for another life.Gritting her teeth, Meiling crossed her arms. And
rlm@2: immediately uncrossed them. “Can you at least change it into a female body? I was pretty used to
rlm@2: being female seeing how I lived as one for a whole lifetime.” A voice so low that she couldn't
rlm@2: hear. “What?” she demanded.“I don't know how...” was Ming Ue's reply. She was dangerously close
rlm@2: to breaking out into fresh tears. If only she had waited for the right soul. Her impatience now
rlm@2: had her ancestor angry with her, her plan a failure, and her parents ready to exile her when 
rlm@2: they found out.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Hands ran through much shorter hair than Meiling was used to, nearly trying to crush the skull.
rlm@2: This was too much to deal with all at once. Tilting her head back, Meiling let out a sigh. “So
rlm@2: you're saying I'm stuck here all alone in this crappy body...”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “It's not a crappy body!” Ming Ue interrupted, looking up for the first time since they'd 
rlm@2: reached her room. “It's beautiful and strong and I spent so much time on it. And you're not
rlm@2: alone. I'm not much help, but I'm here and I'll help in any way I can to make your stay more
rlm@2: pleasant. And...” Meiling's hands on her face stopped her. Her words trailed off into an
rlm@2: ineffectual mumble. Her ancestor looked so handsome and dashing and protective in the body she'd
rlm@2: created and those amber eyes pierced deep inside of her, cutting off whatever thoughts she'd
rlm@2: held. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Gazing deep into her descendent's eyes, Meiling tried to hold her attention. “I'm trying to tell
rlm@2: you that I'll help you with catching the Sakura Cards.” Eyes lit up in excitement, but Meiling
rlm@2: continued before the girl could interrupt her. “But you need to listen to me. I've done this
rlm@2: before. You haven't. I know what I'm doing. These things are dangerous. They almost did awful
rlm@2: things to me and Syaoran way too many times. So if we're doing this, we're going back to Japan
rlm@2: and you need to listen to everything I say.” The girl nodded quickly. Meiling's hands slid away
rlm@2: from the other girl's face. It had been a long time since she'd helped Syaoran go after the
rlm@2: Cards. But maybe she could make a difference this time. “And I need some decent clothes if I'm
rlm@2: going to be running around like this,” she finished with a sigh.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Meishi paced nervously, her hands clasped behind her back. She kept stealing glances of Megumi
rlm@2: from behind her glasses. The woman didn't look a thing like Tomoyo. Long, blonde hair and violet
rlm@2: eyes. Her skin wasn't the delicate pale of fallen snow that Meishi had gotten to know and love 
rlm@2: so well as Sakura. But Meishi could see past the flesh as easy as if she were simply looking at
rlm@2: the surface. Her eyes saw deep into the woman sitting on her bed. And there was no way she could
rlm@2: keep from recognizing Tomoyo, her beloved wife, in everything Megumi said and did. That familiar
rlm@2: hanyaan feeling came bubbling up like a burst dam, flooding all of her senses. This was the 
rlm@2: woman she loved, after all. The woman she had only been able to watch from afar for so many
rlm@2: years. It took all of Meishi's will not to run to the bed and leap into the blonde's arms,
rlm@2: telling Megumi, her Tomoyo, how much she had missed her. To be held in Tomoyo's arms again, even
rlm@2: in this new body, would be heaven. A heaven that she had specifically forbade herself. Or 
rlm@2: rather, that Sakura had. When she had been Sakura, she had reincarnated herself as two parts. 
rlm@2: The normal girl side, Kumiko, with the enviable job of loving Megumi forever and ever. And the
rlm@2: magical side, Meishi, with the job of ending the terrible cycle of the Cards so she could 
rlm@2: finally die and so that another wouldn't be placed under their burden of power and immortality.
rlm@2: But, alas, for that mission, she had retained her memories of her past life. Most specifically,
rlm@2: her memories of her loving wife. A woman that she herself had reincarnated but never got to be
rlm@2: with. And it ate at her every day. Just as it threatened to overwhelm her now with Megumi so
rlm@2: close.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Megumi held the blanket to her lap, violet eyes slowly gliding left, right, and left again as
rlm@2: they followed Meishi's movements. Waking up in a strange bed with a younger, redheaded girl
rlm@2: kissing her and a pale, dark haired woman watching them, was a little... disconcerting. To say
rlm@2: the least. The fact that the younger girl, though looking nothing the part, reminded her 
rlm@2: fiercely of Kumiko, helped none at all. Oh, the fact that the dark haired woman had large, black
rlm@2: angel wings didn't help either, now that she thought of it. Was she dead? Was the girl some
rlm@2: interpretation of Kumiko and the dark haired woman an angel? No, she hurt far too much to be
rlm@2: dead. Dying, maybe, but not dead. There went that idea. She was almost disappointed. It would be
rlm@2: nice to finally escape that pain. But she couldn't yet, could she? Kumiko still needed her. Or
rlm@2: did she still need Kumiko? Probably both.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Dream Angel,” Megumi murmered, without fully realizing she had spoken.That's what this girl
rlm@2: remined her of and why the redhead seemed so much like Kumiko. They both seemed so much like her
rlm@2: dream angel, didn't they? When she had been young, she had often dreamed of a beautiful woman
rlm@2: with wings. The woman always came to her when she was very sick or sad or lonely. She had always
rlm@2: been there for her, if only in her dreams. A young Megumi had drawn her over and over in
rlm@2: pictures, almost obsessively. Her parents had thought it nothing but fantasy when their daughter
rlm@2: had told them quite certainly that her dream angel would come and see her someday. And she did.
rlm@2: Several years later, she met Kumiko. The beautiful, braided girl instantly reminded her of the
rlm@2: beautiful angel from her dreams. It had been love at first site, her love having grown over the
rlm@2: years for her dream angel, only to then find a home almost immediately in the cute, somewhat shy
rlm@2: girl who quickly became her best friend. And this girl, this younger girl in the glasses, she
rlm@2: felt exactly the same as her dream angel had so many years ago. And as Kumiko did everytime
rlm@2: Megumi was near her. That resonance scared her. How could she have found her dream angel twice?
rlm@2: But nonetheless, if she closed her eyes, it felt like her dream angel, her Kumiko, was the one
rlm@2: pacing before her.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Ears perking up at Megumi's soft voice, the Mistress of the Cards nearly
rlm@2: stumbled as she pulled to a halt and whirled around to face the bed. “Dream angel?” she asked.
rlm@2: Did Megumi remember her? Had she seen her in dreams, aloft on her magical wings? Her excitement
rlm@2: at the prospect was difficult to hold in check. If Megumi remembered her, even in part.... Her
rlm@2: hands clenched over her heart, fingers barely visible outside of her oversized sleeves,
rlm@2: desperately trying to keep her racing heart from escaping. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “You'd call her Sakura, I guess.”
rlm@2: Megumi rubbed her aching temples, wincing at the wave of dizziness that crashed over her at the
rlm@2: effort.  “I never really had a specific image of her. She was more a feeling than an image. I
rlm@2: know how she made me feel. The same way you and Kumiko make me feel. She made me feel like
rlm@2: everything would always be all right. Her visits always gave me the strength to carry on, even
rlm@2: when my body would almost refuse. She would come to me when I would cry myself to sleep,
rlm@2: comforting me.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Sweatdropping, Meishi rolled the information around in her head. The connection
rlm@2: between Sakura and Megumi's dream angel had come swiftly. It seemed that even in a new life,
rlm@2: Tomoyo had not lost her perceptive abilities. Part of her was just thrilled that Megumi had
rlm@2: remembered her, if only vaguely. “Why would you think that was Sakura?” she ventured.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Raising an eyebrow, Megumi couldn't help but smile faintly. “Because it's the same feeling I got
rlm@2: when I watched the videotape. Because Sakura is the key to all this, isn't she?” Her violet eyes
rlm@2: traced the younger girl's for any reaction. She was pleased to see that it did seem to respond,
rlm@2: mulling over her explanation. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Meishi harumphed, crossing her arms. “I should really wipe your mind. You're getting too close 
rlm@2: to all of this. I knew I should have stayed away.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: A mishievous smile lit up Yue's face as she 
rlm@2: sat gracefully, watching the two humans. “But she won't, because she makes snap emotional
rlm@2: decisions instead of thinking them out fully.” The glare Meishi shot her only made her smile
rlm@2: more, turning her attention to her Mistress. “It's part of your charm, Meishi-chan.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Tilting her head to the side, Megumi's mind immediately went to it's favorite subject, it's home. “Sounds like someone else I know.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Yue giggled, turning her attention back to Megumi. “I would certainly think so.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Yue...” Meishi whined admonishingly. But her magical creation was correct, as usual. Why did 
rlm@2: Yue always have to be right? It would hurt too much to wipe Megumi's mind of their meeting. The
rlm@2: reason was selfish, she knew, but she wanted to be in Megumi's memories. She wanted the other
rlm@2: girl, the love of her life, to know who she was. Even if Sakura had decided that Megumi would
rlm@2: never get to know Meishi. That had been a good plan from a planning viewpoint, but in all
rlm@2: actuality, it was hell. Meishi felt like Kero without the energy to atain his true form. Like
rlm@2: Yukito when Yue had been draining all his energy. She felt like she was a false form, everything
rlm@2: strained. Her power source, the light that bolstered her and made her strong, was Tomoyo. 
rlm@2: Without her, Meishi had to struggle to keep going everyday. And now Tomoyo was so very, very
rlm@2: close... For a moment, Meishi was horrified that she would lose control of herself and end up
rlm@2: crying and clinging to Megumi for dear life. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: The former Mistress of the Cards tried to move her mind in a different direction. Anything to
rlm@2: escape the frightening prospect of losing conrtol. How much she should allow Megumi to know was
rlm@2: still being decided in her mind, but her curiosity welled up instantly. “If you felt that same
rlm@2: feeling when you saw Sakura as when you're with Kumiko, then why didn't you want to find out
rlm@2: about it? Wouldn't you want to know who they were? If they were the two of you?”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Lithe fingers brushed blonde hair away from piercing violet eyes. A small, sad smile graced
rlm@2: Megumi's lips. “There is a reason Pandora's box was never meant to be opened. Sakura and Kumiko
rlm@2: felt the same to me. But so do you. There's no guarantee that the feeling meant Kumiko was
rlm@2: Sakura. Or if it did, there was no way of knowing if I was the woman in the video. What if 
rlm@2: Kumiko was Sakura? But what if I was someone else who loved her? What if she ended up with
rlm@2: someone else and I got her this time around? What would that mean to all of Kumiko's belief in
rlm@2: Fate?” She let Meishi take in her answer for a moment before continuing. “But most importantly, 
rlm@2: I don't have time. I don't have time to go chasing the past. I don't know what happened in that
rlm@2: video or who those people were. But I do know that I love Kumiko. And I always will. I don't 
rlm@2: have time for the past or for the future. All I have is right now. And I want to spend that with
rlm@2: Kumiko while I can.” Her eyes became downcast, her hands holding the blanket tightly. “If she'll
rlm@2: let me.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “She's scared of losing you...” Meishi's voice was quiet when she replied. The feelings that 
rlm@2: came at the thought of losing Tomoyo didn't come from her other half, but rather from the woman
rlm@2: of whom they were both shards. The fear and loneliness at losing Tomoyo was still a part of
rlm@2: Sakura's memories that lay within Meishi. Those feelings were why she had reincarnated Tomoyo to
rlm@2: begin with. So they could always be together. Sakura's immortality meant she couldn't die and be
rlm@2: with Tomoyo, but if she held on, if she never let go of her love, they would always be together
rlm@2: in this life instead. Now she saw what a grave mistake she had made. And that Kumiko was making
rlm@2: right now. “She can't bear the thought of going on without you. She's desperate. She'll do
rlm@2: anything, anything at all, to keep you with her.” Meishi's voice was distant now, lost in the
rlm@2: memories that Sakura had left her. It was happening again. But Kumiko didn't have the power to
rlm@2: keep Megumi with her. She could only hurt the blonde girl with her pain and anger that it had to
rlm@2: end this way. What had her mother told her father? Not to cry for him. She was happy for the
rlm@2: chance they had. Tomoyo was the same, wasn't she? But Sakura, in either of her forms, couldn't
rlm@2: promise not to cry. She couldn't just let Tomoyo go. It hurt too much. Maybe she took after
rlm@2: Sonomi more than she had realized. Could she really let go? She had to, though. She was hurting
rlm@2: Tomoyo by keeping her here in this limbo. But still...
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “I don't want to lose her either,” Megumi replied, her violet eyes burning wetly. “I want to see
rlm@2: her smile forever. But it isn't my choice. I'm grateful for the time I had with her. She made
rlm@2: this life worthwhile. She made me so happy. It wasn't a waste at all.” Smiling, tears slipped
rlm@2: down her cheeks. I don't want it to end, but all good things do. I loved every minute of it.
rlm@2: Everyday was a carnival. Even the pain inside seemed to melt away when she would laugh or blush.
rlm@2: I don't want her to think it was pointless. Because it meant the world to me. She is my world.
rlm@2: And leaving it, my only regret is that she can't see how precious our time together was, even if
rlm@2: it has to come to an end.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Tomoyo-chan...” Meishi's heart sank at Megumi's words. Even a life removed, she was still the
rlm@2: angel that Sakura had always known. It broke Meishi's heart to see her like this, especially
rlm@2: knowing it was her fault. If she hadn't been so selfish, trying to hold onto Tomoyo's soul even
rlm@2: after the girl died, then this never would have happened... Seeing Tomoyo cry was a very rare
rlm@2: event. She had only seen her best friend, her wife, cry on several occasions. It always made her
rlm@2: feel like crying herself. Without realizing it, she was at Megumi's side, her smaller arms
rlm@2: wrapping around the blonde tightly. Her heart pounded against the older girl's side. “I love you
rlm@2: so much, Tomoyo. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me.” Her own tears bled into the shoulder of
rlm@2: Megumi's blouse as she clung tightly onto the blonde.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: For some reason, the thought that this wasn't Kumiko felt awkward to Megumi, as if it didn't fit
rlm@2: entirely. Despite her best efforts to reason out that this girl was someone else altogether, it
rlm@2: felt like she was holding Kumiko in her arms. Her soul felt balmed by the redhead in her arms.
rlm@2: Her tears slowly faded and she felt a soothing calm trickle over her. Hands and fingers slipped
rlm@2: comfortingly up over the redhead's back, just as she had always done with Kumiko. It felt nice 
rlm@2: to hold her this way, to feel the girl's heartbeat, her small movements in her arms. Fear tried
rlm@2: to instill itself in her that this girl could feel so much like Kumiko, but even the fear had a
rlm@2: hard time making it through the warm feelings the girl evoked inside of her. Her eyes met with
rlm@2: those of the dark haired angel sitting across the room from them. The woman smiled softly. She
rlm@2: could see it there in her stormy blue eyes, a resigned, unrequited love. The angel was in love
rlm@2: with the girl she currently held. Was it that the more you loved someone, the bigger the tragedy
rlm@2: that would accompany that love? Was this Fate's way of testing the hearts of those in love? If
rlm@2: so, Fate could be remarkably cruel. She offered an apologetic smile to the angel, but the dark
rlm@2: haired woman only smiled and shook her head, waving the apology off.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Being held like this, feeling the woman she had loved through two lifetimes rubbing her back,
rlm@2: made Meishi's heart melt. How long had she dreamt of this moment? How many years had passed now
rlm@2: since she had anything but her memories of being in Tomoyo's arms? But now Megumi was awake and
rlm@2: holding her and Meishi never wanted to let her go, no matter how much was riding on it. If only
rlm@2: she could keep Megumi with her forever.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “You called me Tomoyo.” Megumi's statement was muffled by Meishi's fiery hair, but the sorceress
rlm@2: heard her all the same. Though she had expected as much, this was much more evidence to her past
rlm@2: life. It was hard to believe that the pale woman she had seen in the video could be her. If it
rlm@2: was true, did it change anything? Kumiko was the one who had wanted to know. Her love for Kumiko
rlm@2: had been much more important than any possible past life in her mind. But now... She had come 
rlm@2: too far to back away from it now. No matter how much she may want to. This had to do with the
rlm@2: dream angel of her youth and why this girl felt so very much like Kumiko in her heart. “Am I
rlm@2: Tomoyo?” she asked at last, almost dreading the answer.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Head buried against Megumi's shoulder, Meishi nodded slowly. This wasn't supposed to happen. Megumi wasn't supposed to know the truth. But then again, was Megumi dying part of the plan? 
rlm@2: The thought occured to Meishi that very few things were going according to plan. But then, 
rlm@2: plans had never been her strong point. And lying to Megumi further would just make matters 
rlm@2: worse. She never could lie to the girl she loved. How could she? Tomoyo was the sweetest,
rlm@2: gentlest soul she knew. It was like tearing off a butterfly's wings to lie to her. Sighing, the
rlm@2: young mage pushed back, looking up at Megumi. “Yes, you're Tomoyo.” Swallowing painfully, she
rlm@2: pushed her glasses up to try to hide the tears glistening in her eyes. She was sitting with her
rlm@2: wife after a lifetime, but the other woman hardly remembered her. The moment was incredibly
rlm@2: bittersweet. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: A cold numbness spread through Megumi at first. So the girl in the videotape was her after all.
rlm@2: Kumiko had been right. Her mind tried to wrap around the concept of having another body, another
rlm@2: life before the one she found herself in now. Another thought broke through to the forefront, 
rlm@2: one that demanded her attention. Her voice almost trembled as she asked. “Then Sakura is...?”
rlm@2: What if Sakura wasn't Kumiko? She had never wanted to go looking for these answers. All she had
rlm@2: ever wanted was wrapped up in the heart of the braided girl she loved. That wouldn't change to
rlm@2: her even if Sakura was someone else. She loved Kumiko. But it would break Kumiko's heart. Kumiko
rlm@2: was so desperate to believe that they had been together, that they always would be. Megumi 
rlm@2: didn't want anything to jeopardize that. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “I am,” was the first thing out of Meishi's mouth. She hated being so selfish about it, but she
rlm@2: had to let Megumi, her Tomoyo, know who she was. That she loved her. But she could see the
rlm@2: conflict already tearing at Megumi inside. Sighing, her head slumped and her glasses slipped 
rlm@2: down her nose. Tomoyo wasn't hers any longer. It wasn't her place to be with her. That was the
rlm@2: job of her other half. “So is Kumiko. Sakura was a powerful magician years and years ago. But 
rlm@2: she was too powerful. She could see parts of the future she didn't want to see. Her magic
rlm@2: wouldn't let her die. She could change practically anything she wanted. It was difficult, but 
rlm@2: she tried to live a normal enough life. But she still had to watch those around her grow and die
rlm@2: while she remained the same. And when her wife died, she couldn't stand it. She needed her.
rlm@2: Needed you. I needed you.” Her fingernails scratched against her thighs painfully, tears 
rlm@2: dropping onto her glasses. “Sakura decided she couldn't go on without you. She had to get rid of
rlm@2: her magic power. So she came up with a plan.” Snorting mirthlessly, she shook her head. “Not 
rlm@2: that she was ever good with plans. And without you, she was in an emotional cloud. She wasn't
rlm@2: thinking straight. She just did everything she possibly could, thinking she was fixing things.
rlm@2: She couldn't die, but she could start a new life. But she didn't think she could do it without
rlm@2: you. You were always her light, her strength, ever since she was a child. But she had risked 
rlm@2: your life so many times with the magic she had to fight when she was younger that she couldn't
rlm@2: put you through that again. So she came back as two people. The girl, Kumiko, to love you. And
rlm@2: the mage, Meishi, to put an end to the Cards and get rid of her magic so she could finally die.
rlm@2: What she didn't realize...” Her voice broke, her fingers scratching up her legs until they 
rlm@2: balled into fists. Tears dripped down her cheek, mixing with the small trails of blood on her
rlm@2: thighs. “What she didn't realize was that she couldn't just make one half of her heart stop
rlm@2: loving you. Not when she loved you with all of it. So while Kumiko has been able to have your
rlm@2: love all these years, I've been watching from afar, knowing you could never be mine, wanting to
rlm@2: gaze into your eyes but knowing it wasn't my place... You aren't supposed to get involved in all
rlm@2: this. Sakura didn't want you getting hurt...” She laughed bitterly, nearly shaking. “Ironic,
rlm@2: isn't it? She never wanted to hurt you, but she did anyway. You're dying and it's all her fault.
rlm@2: All my fault. Kumiko doesn't remember, so she isn't to blame. But I remember the thoughts that
rlm@2: went through Sakura's head as she cast the spell to bind you here so she could be with you 
rlm@2: again. I remember because I'm her.” Her lips trembled as her tears spilled forth, her slender
rlm@2: body shaking under the emotional hurricane that battered her heart and soul inside. Her hands
rlm@2: initially resisted Megumi's hands as they took her own small fists, but she was too weak at the
rlm@2: moment to fight the blonde. 
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Megumi slowly managed to unclench Meishi's hands, holding onto them tightly with her own, 
rlm@2: holding the cold hands to herself, trying to show the other girl that she was there, now. That
rlm@2: she was real. Head tilted low, her violet eyes slowly caught Meishi's. The girl in glasses tried
rlm@2: to avert her gaze, but the persistent blonde finally won out, holding Meishis' eyes with her 
rlm@2: own. She smiled softly, stroking the mage's trembling palms. “It was incredibly sweet what 
rlm@2: Sakura was trying to do for Tomoyo. I know Tomoyo must have been so happy that Sakura would want
rlm@2: to be with her again. And I know that she was trying to protect her by keeping her away from the
rlm@2: magic. And that she wouldn't want me to hurt in this life.” Her smile grew and Meishi could 
rlm@2: swear she saw Tomoyo's glint in the blonde's eyes. “But it wasn't a mistake to bring me here.
rlm@2: Even if I am dying, even if it hurts, this has been such a precious gift to me. My life with my
rlm@2: dream angel. Sakura tried to do what she thought was best, but she ended up hurting herself.” 
rlm@2: One hand let go of Meishi's and trailed up to the redhead's cheek, stroking tears away. “She
rlm@2: ended up hurting you to protect me. I'm glad she'd go through all that trouble for Tomoyo. For
rlm@2: me. But you shouldn't have to be so lost and lonely because of me.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “But...” Meishi began, but Megumi's gentle finger on her lips silenced her.
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “But you never got to ask Tomoyo what she thought. So you've been blaming yourself and trying to
rlm@2: stay away so you could keep me safe. I think I know what Tomoyo would say, if I really am her.”
rlm@2: Megumi's finger slipped into the other girl's fiery mane and pulled Meishi's forehead against 
rlm@2: her own. “This was not a mistake. It doesn't matter if I'm dying. It's been worth every minute.
rlm@2: And I never would have wanted you to suffer on your own. I never would have wanted to have left
rlm@2: your side. You were trying to protect Tomoyo, but if you ever asked her, I know I would have 
rlm@2: told you not to hurt yourself like that. Let me help you, Meishi. Don't push me away.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: Meishi shook her head weakly, Megumi's thumb pushing her glasses back up her nose. She had to be
rlm@2: strong, but it was so hard to stop crying, to try to fight Megumi's logic. She wasn't supposed 
rlm@2: to be near Megumi. She was supposed to keep her safe. “But you're in pain because of me. You've
rlm@2: always been so selfless, Tomoyo. I don't want to be selfish about you. If I keep you here, 
rlm@2: you'll keep hurting. What if trying to keep you here only hurts you more? I should let you go...
rlm@2: So you'll never hurt again because of me...” A sob broke through as she closed her eyes tightly.
rlm@2: “And I shouldn't let you get near the magic. I don't want to put you in danger again.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “You really are my dream angel, aren't you?” Megumi whispered softly. This girl was so sweet,
rlm@2: always trying to protect her, just like her dream angel. She was that girl from her dreams. Just
rlm@2: as Kumiko was.  “I'm so glad you'd want to protect me. But it's my choice. I'd suffer through a
rlm@2: thousand deaths to be by my dream angel's side. I don't care if I end up hurting again because 
rlm@2: of it. You... The two of you are more important to me than that. And I'd risk any danger. You
rlm@2: can't push me away because you're afraid of what might happen, Meishi. The things that mean the
rlm@2: most are those worth taking risks for. It's my life. It's my pain. And I'll accept it all
rlm@2: gladly.” Her own violet eyes closed and she smiled. “I know it's what Tomoyo would want.” 
rlm@2: Opening her eyes, the sparkled like twin suns as she gazed into Meishi's eyes, awakened from 
rlm@2: what seemed an age old slumber. “It's too sad for you to have to be all by yourself. You're the
rlm@2: other side of the girl I love. I don't want to sit back while you suffer. I'm willing to do
rlm@2: anything to help. If I end up dying over and over, so be it. You're not the only one who can
rlm@2: fight, Meishi. I'll fight for us, too. So don't give up on us.” Her lips grazed Meishi's. “Not
rlm@2: now. Not ever.”
rlm@2: 
rlm@2: “Tomoyo-chan!!” Meishi flung herself into Megumi's arms and for the first time in the years she
rlm@2: had spent as the redhead, Meishi felt at home again. She was in Tomoyo's arms once more. She
rlm@2: would fight, too. “Everything will always be all right,” she whispered. And she'd give it her 
rlm@2: all to make sure that was the truth.
rlm@2: