___ ___ <__< BLOSSOMS IN THE SPRING <__< A crossover Improfanfic started by The Eternal Lost Lurker Street Fighter and all related trademarks belong to Capcom. Cardcaptor Sakura and all related trademarks belong to CLAMP, Kodansha. Used without permission. ___ <__< Chapter One: Sakura's Sudden Mystery ___ <__< -----======----- Punch. Kick. Over-the-shoulder flip. Spinning kick. Dashing uppercut. Leg sweep. Backfist. The groans of pain. The thud of another opponent hitting the dust. The roar of the crowd. Show off a little. Pose. Savor. *THONK* "Ite..." Rub welt where untied shoe hit forehead. Meet Kasugano Sakura, age sixteen. With short, messy brown hair, dark eyes, and a lean, toned body, she doesn't appear to be any different from most Japanese teenagers who stick to a healthy regimen of rigorous schooling and sport club. However, the oft-shy demeanor and ever-present seifuku conceal a little-known truth about this seemingly unimpressive girl. Kasugano Sakura is a Street Fighter. A self-taught disciple of Shotokan karate (with some assistance from a rather fruity sensei in a pink gi), Sakura had entered the seamy underworld of the greatest martial arts competition circuit in the world a nobody, and had come out... ....still a nobody, but a nobody with a surprising amount of raw talent. After putting the offending footwear back on and tying it securely, Sakura sighed as she picked up her battered old training dummy and went about propping it back up on its post. A few handfuls of straw and cotton fell out of it; she absently grabbed a roll of duct tape and set about patching it up. "Mou...I need to buy a new one, and I'm broke," she complained to herself. Scuffing her sneakers on the ground, she continued, "I coulda won that time. I really coulda! I just gotta train harder...I'll win the next one!" Pumping a fist in the air, she cried, "Yosh'! I'll win the next one and prove I'm worthy of being Ryu-sama's student!" "You've been saying that for a long time, Sakura-chan," a voice trilled. The schoolgirl martial artist sighed as a dark-haired head peeked over the wall surrounding the yard. Cobalt eyes twinkled merrily as a girl in a simple yet fashionable dress walked daintily through the gate. "Come on, why don't you give up all this silly fighting? Aren't there better ways to spend your time?" Sakura sighed. "Mou, Yuriko-chan...you know I can't do that..." "I know, I know," Yuriko said, tilting her head and smiling. "It's okay, you look so happy when you're fighting." The self-styled mistress of pseudo-Shotokan suppressed the urge to groan. Yuriko was a nice friend, but she was a slight bit... "So, what godforsaken hell have you come to drag me off to this time, Yuriko?" Sakura asked. The other girl giggled. "I found this nice little shop that sells the cutest things." The street fighter rolled her eyes. "Haven't you outgrown that kind of thing already?" "Oh, come on, Sakura-chan! A cute girl never outgrows cute things!" Shaking her head and groaning in mock exasperation, Sakura tugged off her fighting gloves and straightened her fuku. "Okay, okay...let's get it over with." "Wai!" Yuriko cheered, grabbing her friend's hand and tugging her eagerly through the gate. "Sakura-chan and Yuriko-chan's cute date begins!" "Don't call it a date!" Sakura snapped. "I'm only kidding, Sakura-chan!" Yuriko smiled cutely. "Riiiight," Sakura grumbled good-naturedly, not really able to feel mad at the other girl. -----======----- Sakura felt the weight of a figurative sweatdrop on the back of her head as Yuriko dashed about the store, enthusiastically poring over shelves and bins of merchandise and generally bouncing around like a superball on crack. "Your friend is...very genki," the shopowner commented. The schoolgirl feigned an aura of boredom. "You'll have to excuse her, she isn't as sophisticated as some people." At that moment, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye: a superdeformed plushie in a cute little white gi. Sakura's eyes widened and became sparkly as she zoomed over to the shelf, sweeping up the toy and cuddling it. "WAAAAAAI! It looks JUST like Ryu-sama! Kawaii!!" After a few seconds, she blinked, looking around. "Anou..." The shopkeeper smiled, eyes twinkling. "Yes, I can see how much more sophisticated you are than your friend." Sakura blushed, and started to set the toy down when she noticed something else on the shelf just above it. A sudden unusual feeling swept through her at the very sight of it. *What...what's this feeling? I don't understand...* It was a small, somewhat shabby-looking plush toy. It looked like some kind of teddy bear, but for some reason it had a long brush-tipped tail and sported a tiny pair of white felt wings. There wasn't anything particularly remarkable about it, and yet... Seized by a sudden urge, the schoolgirl plucked the small plushie from the shelf and moved over to the counter. "I'll take it," she said. The young woman rang up the purchase, then commented, "Are you planning to buy the other little fellow too?" Sakura blinked, then realized she was still holding the toy martial artist. "Ummm...hai!" Blushing deeply, she handed over some money. A few minutes later, the two girls were standing outside the shop, each carrying a small bag. Yuriko tilted her head and glanced at her friend. "Ne, I thought you were broke?" Sakura shrugged. "Not completely broke." "Sou yo..." Sweeping back her long black hair as she walked, the slightly hyper girl commented, "That plushie was cute, but not as cute as some of the others...what made you pick him?" The martial artist was silent for a moment. "I don't know," she admitted. "I just had a...feeling." "You had a feeling about a plush toy?" Yuriko asked, giggling. "And you say *I'm* the one who needs to grow up?" Sakura growled and stuck her tongue at at the other girl. Giggling, Yuriko began to run, daring her to give chase. Several passersby stared as two teenage girls chased each other around the shopping district like small children. -----======----- Sakura padded down the hall to her room, clad in her white gi-slash-pajamas, still toweling her hair after a bath. The afternoon had been fun, admittedly, aside from a brief run-in with that bitch Kanzuki Karin. Yuriko's demeanor disturbed her a bit at times, but she was a good friend, and a lot of fun to hang out with. Sometimes it did her good to get her mind off fighting for a few hours. As she reached her bedroom, she tossed her towel into a pink wicker basket in the corner and flopped down on the bed. Taking a moment to gaze dreamily at one of her many posters of Ryu, she rolled over and picked up the bag from the toy store. Plucking out the two plushies, she gently placed them on her nightstand, facing the bed. Laying her head back on her pillow, she closed her eyes and sighed. "Tomorrow...tomorrow I'll train hard so I can win." Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, an odd sensation tickled the back of her mind. Her carefully honed warrior's instinct told her that something was amiss. Her razor-sharp senses alerted her to a presence...something was *here*, in her bedroom. Sakura opened her eyes...and stared into a pair of smaller, cuter, plushier eyes. "Konya nyatchiwa!" -----======----- Imagine for a moment that you're a magical creature, in a guise that humans assume to be harmless--indeed, thoroughly inanimate. It's to be expected that humans would react strongly to discovering that not only are you quite animate, but you also possess the power of speech. For this reason, most magical creatures usually expect a human who has just been thusly enlightened to, using the vernacular, freak out. It's almost unheard of for the magical beast to be the one freaking out from such a meeting. Nevertheless, that was the scenario precisely five seconds after Sakura opened her eyes. "KYAAAAA!" the schoolgirl screamed, lashing out with a ferocious slap which sent the small creature flying across the room. The animate plushie smacked into the wall with a soft, cottony *thud* and slid to the floor, eyes spiralling. Sakura leapt off the bed, settling into a defensive stance, breathing heavily. After a long moment she blinked, then slid to the floor, groaning. "What the heck am I doing!?" Across the room, the fuzzy brown stuffed animal rose woozily from the floor, shaking its head. "I dunno, but please don' do it again," the plushie moaned. The short-haired girl shrieked. "Wh--wha---wha---!?" Before she was aware she was doing it, she'd formed a blazing blue sphere of ki between her palms. "H--hey!? What th' hell!?" The flying plushie boggled. "Oi...s--stop that!" "HADOU--" The door slammed open. Instantly, Sakura's fireball fizzled, the plushie dropped to the floor motionless, and the worried face of the girl's mother peered into the room. "Sakura-chan? Are you alright?" "M-m-um..." Panting, Sakura collected herself, smiling sheepishly. "Uhhh...hai! Hai...I just, um....there was a spider!" "A...spider." The teenager nodded frantically. "Un! Sou yo! It was a BIG spider! Really big! Scared the heck outta me!" The girl's mother peered around the room curiously. "I don't see any spider..." "Uhhh...well..." Sakura laughed, rubbing the back of her head. "I kinda threw a plushie at it, and it skittered away..." "Well..." The matronly woman eyed the plushie lying on the floor, seeming to corroborate her daughter's story. "If you see it again, hit it with something heavy enough to kill it, alright?" "Hai!" "Oyasumi nasai," Sakura's mother said as she closed the door. "Oyasumi nasai!" the teenager called out, then flopped onto the bed. "Chikushou...!" "Nice save," a voice from the floor said. Sakura started as the bizarre little monster picked itself up off the floor and took to the air, floating unsteadily on its tiny wings. The street fighter drew in a breath to scream again, before remembering her mother. Covering her mouth and biting her lip, she took a second to regain her composure before raising her hands again, forming a smaller burst of ki between them. "Hadou..." The flying plushie freaked out, dropping to the floor and prostrating itself. "No shooting at plush toy," it whimpered, quivering. Blinking, Sakura let her attack gutter out again. "Umm...what the hell *are* you?" she asked. Realizing it was no longer in imminent danger of becoming a small torch, the creature stood again, thrusting out its soft fuzzy chest. "I'm Sakura-chan's trusted ally and the great magical guardian beast, Cerberus!" The plushie let out a strangled 'urk' as Sakura picked him up, pulling and twisting and squeezing. "Wow, where are the batteries? I thought you were just a normal plushie..." Indignantly, Cerberus pried himself out of the teenager's grasp, mentally noting the difficulty he had in doing so. "I'm NOT a plush toy!" he yelled. "I'm a very important magical beast!" Sakura blinked for a moment as another notion struck her." Wait...how...how did you know my name?" Cerberus blinked, then frowned thoughtfully, pacing. "Shimatta...how best to explain..." He sighed. "It's a long story and I'm not sure if I know where to begin, but..." "Ah! I know! You heard my mom call me, of course!" the teenager said, smacking her forehead. The plushie sweatdropped. "Ahhh...yeah, I guess that'll do for now." Cerberus hovered around Sakura for a long moment, examining her. After a few moments, the girl began to feel self-conscious, blushing at the inspection. Finally, she snapped, "Cut it out, willya?" "Okay okay, sorry," the creature muttered, stubby arms crossing. "Sheesh, you didn't use'ta be this grouchy..." After a pause, he amended, "Well, actually you were at times..." He urked as a fist conked him on the head. "Stop insulting me, you little sack of fluff!" the street fighter huffed. "And what do you mean 'used to'?" Ignoring her question, Cerberus peered deep into her eyes. "Hmm...not the same eyes you had...but I still see your spirit in there! It really *is* you..." "What are you BABBLING ABOUT!?" Sakura shouted, grabbing the plushie from midair and shaking him violently. "Ack...hey....quiddit...geh..." Once the intense shaking let up, Cerberus gasped for air. "Look...this is gonna be kinda hard for you to believe, but...we knew each other before. In another lifetime." Sakura rolled her eyes. "Oh, geez...this sounds like one of those dumb magical girl shows..." Eyeing the diminuitive creature skeptically, she said, "Wait, don't tell me. I was some kind of magic princess in some kind of magic fairy kingdom that got crushed by an evil force but a miracle at the last minute made sure I'd be reborn to fight the bad nasty monsters again in another life. Am I right?" "You're absolutely wrong." Sakura facefaulted. "Sorry to disappoint you," Cerberus said, "but there's no magic kingdoms or evil forces or magic princesses. There is, however, a last-minute miracle, and that's the only reason we're in the same place again." The teenager stifled a yawn. "I'm dreaming," she muttered. "Or hallucinating. This is absolutely too stupid to really be happening to me." "This was easier when you were younger," Cerberus groaned, rubbing his forehead. "What are you talking about? I've never seen anything as weird and ridiculous as you in my life!" She blinked as the small creature drooped visibly, hurt evident on his face. "Ah...gomen nasai...I didn't mean..." "I guess I was wrong," Cerberus said, toeing the floor sullenly. "You're not who I thought you were. Even though I was sure...you couldn't be." "Look...I didn't mean it like that, okay? I'm sorry...really..." Sakura said. Thinking frantically, she reached into her bedstand and pulled out a box of Pocky. Withdrawing a stick of the chocolate-coated candy, she offered it to the upset creature. "Peace offering?" Cerberus seemed uncertain for a moment...then he eagerly pounced on the treat, gobbling it down. "Ookini!" "Osaka dialect," the teenager said, giggling. "I guess I didn't notice it until now." "I guess it suits me," the plush creature shrugged. Looking up at her seriously, he began, "Listen, Sakura...I know this is all really strange, and it's hard to know how to deal with something like this. But a lot has been sacrificed just to arrange this meeting...I shouldn't even be able to be here. Will you please hear me out?" Sakura considered it for a long moment. Plopping herself on the end of the bed, she nodded. "Alright." "Yosh'." Cerberus cleared his throat... -----======----- "Six years ago, a little girl named Kinomoto Sakura opened a book that shouldn't have been opened. She didn't realize what she was doing, so she wasn't in the wrong...it was an accident. "That book, The Clow, was full of magical cards created by a powerful wizard. When the girl read the spell on one of the cards by mistake, all the cards scattered from the book and disappeared into the world. "The guardian beast of the seal--that's me--awoke from a long slumber to discover that the book had been opened and the Clow Cards were loose in the world. Upset and dismayed, I enlisted the help of the young Sakura to recapture the missing cards. She was reluctant at first, but eventually accepted her role and came to embrace it. She was the Card Captor--she was Card Captor Sakura. "Things weren't easy, but eventually all the Clow Cards were reclaimed, Sakura easing into the use of magic and the way the cards behaved. She had friends, rivals, uneasy allies, and above all, a strong heart. It was this quality more than any other that allowed her to prevail. "In the end, Sakura was called upon to face a Judgement meted out by a guardian even more powerful than myself. Through this Judgement, Sakura would either become the new Mistress of the Clow, or would suffer the catastrophe--everything associated with the Clow Cards would forget about her, and she would forget about the Clow Cards and everything associated with them. With her pure and strong heart, Sakura was confident she could withstand the trial set before her. "Unfortunately, things went horribly, horribly wrong. "Sakura fell dead, victim of a blow more powerful than the guardian had intended. Nevertheless, though the sorrow of her loss was great, the challenge had been lost. Remorseful, the guardian restored the life of the fallen girl, but removed her from the life she had led. She was reborn in a world apart from that which she knew--her own, and yet not her own. "Kinomoto Sakura was erased from existence. Everyone who knew her, everything she had ever been part of, carried no memory of her. "Her soul, however, continued to live on in another guise, with a new life, new family, and new friends. A world was reshaped for her personal happiness, that she would live a normal life without ever knowing what had happened in that other existence. "It was ordained by the magic of the great wizard Clow Reed. Everything was set--the cards would return to their slumber, and the world would continue unaware. "However...Clow Reed had underestimated the strength of the Clow Cards...and the strength of the human heart." -----======----- Sakura blinked as she tried to digest all that. "So...are you trying to say that I...I'm..." Cerberus nodded. "You are the Card Captor, reborn in this guise after failing your Judgement." The martial artist shook her head. "But that's crazy! I never opened any stupid book with stupid magic cards! My name isn't Kinomoto, it's Kasugano! I...I..." The guardian beast floated in front of her face. "There's a part of you that knows who and what you are. It shouldn't be there at all, but your heart, your soul...they're far stronger than the magic of Clow Reed. And...your connection to the Clow Cards couldn't be destroyed even by the magic of the Guardian Yue." "But I'm...not..." Sakura looked down at her hands, clenching the fabric of her pajamas tightly. "It couldn't be...my life can't be a lie...it can't..." "Sakura-chan..." Thrashing violently, she flopped face-first onto the bed, tears streaming from her eyes. "Leave me alone...please...just leave me alone..." Cerberus sat on the bedstand, deep sadness in his plushie eyes as he watched Sakura cry herself to sleep. *Gomen ne...Sakura-chan...* -----======----- Shapes flashed through her dreams. Faces, forms...things physical and ephemeral blurring in a barrage of vague, intangible, surreal images. "Sakura-chan!" "Oi...you..." "Little tramp..." "...such a kind girl..." "...little monster..." "...cute and wonderful..." "...stupid or something?" " You have a kind heart..." "...Sakura-chan..." "Sakura-chan." "Sakura-chan..." The images resolved into a vague representation of Tokyo Tower, ethereal lines glowing in the shape of the colossal structure. Wispy mists shrouded the observation deck, upon which stood an intangible, ephemeral figure. Clad in a familiar gi, his eyes blazed with intensity... ....but the eyes were alien, enigmatic... Eyes that belonged to a suddenly unfamiliar face... ....a face that was still, somehow, known to her... -----======----- Rays of brilliant sunlight filtered through the window, rousing Sakura from her sleep. As she pulled herself to a sitting position, she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Ugh, I have such a headache..." Stepping into her slippers and shambling down the hall to the bathroom, she splashed some water onto her face, noticing her red, puffy eyes in the mirror. *Aw, geez...* Popping a couple aspirin into her mouth and swallowing them, she shuffled into the bath, shedding her pajamas and, after scrubbing up, slid into the furo. The steaming hot water felt good, and she rubbed some on her face, hoping to relieve some of the swelling in her eyes. "I'm glad it's break," she muttered. "That was some weird dream last night." After she felt sufficiently soaked and her headache began to clear a bit, she pulled herself out of the bath, drying off and tossing on a light cotton robe. Shuffling back to her bedroom, she shed the robe as she methodically gathered some clothes for the day and got dressed. Since it was break and she wasn't expecting to do much except train for the day, she settled on a simple pair of bicycle shorts and a T-shirt bearing the English legend 'FOR POPPING CHERRY' across the chest. After inspecting herself in the mirror and running a hand through her hair, she turned-- --and locked gazes with a certain cuddly little stuffed animal. Said creature had a decidedly appreciative look on its face. "Konya nyatchiwa!" Cerberus greeted. Sakura stood stock-still for a long moment, staring at the innocent-looking plushie. "You...you're still here." "Un." "So I didn't dream last night." "Un." "And you've been here all this time." "Un." A sudden red flush spread across the teenager's face. "Then just now...when I was changing...you were watching." "Un," Cerberus nodded. "You certainly have grown up nicely, Sakura-chan." The magical creature never saw it coming. One minute, Sakura was standing in front of her closet. The next, she was everywhere, slapping, kicking, pounding, tossing, and attempting to crush him. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCHI!!" Cerberus' eyes swirled as he bounced to a stop at the foot of the bed. "It's turning, it's turning...the moon's a merry go round..." he sang to himself, staggering a bit before pitching over onto his face. The enraged schoolgirl picked the small animal up, holding him at eye level. As his gaze steadied, she glared right into his eyes. "Let's make one thing clear. NOBODY. And I mean *NOBODY*. Sees me naked without my permission. Is that understood?" "H--hai," Cerberus quickly agreed. "I didn't mean to, you know..." "But you certainly didn't turn away, did you?" Sakura asked, smirking. Squirming out of her grip, Cerberus bounced onto the bed. "Sakura-chan...about last night..." Calming herself, the street fighter also sat down. "I had some...strange dreams," she said. "I guess I cried myself to sleep, but I started seeing things...hearing voices. It all seemed so strange, but...familiar." The stuffed animal nodded. "I figured as much. The seal on your past life is dissolving. It won't be long before you start to remember." Sakura shook her head. "Assuming I even believe...I'm not sure I want to remember. My life...I've got my life. I don't need another life intruding onto it." "It's not that simple at all," Cerberus said. "Believe me, I wish I hadn't come here to upset you so. Right before...right before I forgot you, I knew you were going to be reborn and have a happy life, and I was glad for you." "So why?" Sakura asked. "A number of reasons," the magical creature said. "The Clow Cards remained bound to you. Even the powerful Guardian Yue didn't realize that a thin thread still tied your destiny to the Clow." He paused. "Fate is stronger than magic, Sakura. Sometimes fate has a plan beyond what we might want, and following that plan is only inevitable. "But there's one thing even stronger than fate. That's the will of a human heart." "The will of a human heart?" Sakura asked. "Your heart didn't want to let go of your friends...didn't want to let go of that other life. And...although it's true that the magic of Clow Reed was able to overcome many of those whose lives you touched, there were some whose will couldn't be broken by any spell. One in particular, in fact, couldn't be made to forget you for even the briefest moment." At that moment, there was a gentle knock on the door. Cerberus dropped to the bed, putting on his best 'I'm just a plushie' act. "Sakura-chan?" a soft voice called. Sakura blinked. "Yuriko-chan? Uh...come in..." she ventured hesitantly. The door opened, admitting the dark-haired girl. Gazing with concern at her friend, she tilted her head. "Are you alright, Sakura-chan?" "Ummm...I'm not really feeling very well, Yuriko-chan," Sakura said. "I hate to sound rude, but..." The other girl smiled, her blue eyes twinkling. "I'll stay and take care of you then, Sakura-chan." "Nono...that's okay, really!" Sakura protested, waving her hands around. "I mean, I wouldn't want you to get sick too if I have something..." "It's alright," Yuriko said. "I couldn't bear to think of you lying here sick or anything." She blinked as she noticed the plush toy lying stiffly on the bed. "Ara..." Sakura blushed. "It's that toy from yesterday. It really is a silly little thing, isn't it?" The dark-haired girl knelt beside the bed, poking at the stuffed animal's chest. "Ohayou, plushie-san," she said. "Do you mind if I call you Kero-chan?" The toy growled. "Don't call me such a name! I'm not a frog!" Sakura's eyes widened. Yuriko beamed. "Kero-chan! It *is* you!" "Yeah, it's me," Cerberus muttered. Looking up at the dark-haired girl, he smiled. "You look as cute and cheerful as always, Tomoyo-chan." The teenage martial artist blinked. "Anou..." "Thank you, Kero-chan," Yuriko (Tomoyo? Sakura wondered, mind churning) replied, blushing slightly. "So, does she remember?" "Anou..." "Not yet," the plushie shook his head. "She's starting to, but she's having a hard time dealing with it." "I see..." The dark-haired girl smiled. "Well, we'll just have to do our best to get our Sakura-chan back!" "AAAAANOOOOOOOOOUUUUU!" said girl shouted. The other two looked up at the aggravated martial artist, who was standing on the bed, glaring down at them angrily. "You two know each other? Yuriko, why did this thing call you Tomoyo? Would SOMEONE explain!?" Cerberus rubbed the back of his head. "Well, you see--" -----======----- "...so when I realized I'd found you again," the girl who had once been known as Daidouji Tomoyo wound down. She had fetched tea for the three of them while Cerberus explained how the former Card Captor's best friend had held onto her memories of Sakura and became determined to find her. Once she'd returned, she picked up on the tale where the magical beast had left off. "I talked to my mother about leaving home to find you so I could be near you. She didn't really remember you because of the magic, but when I mentioned your mother, Nadeshiko...well, after that she was willing to agree to anything. So, I changed my name, found a family to board with, and..." "...stalked me without me even realizing it," Sakura muttered. "Have you ever considered therapy?" "How can you be so cold to your friend?" Cerberus asked. "Tomoyo-chan's love was so strong it held up against the most powerful magic ever created by humans! Doesn't that mean anything to you?" "It's alright, Kero-chan," Tomoyo said sunnily. "I don't mind if she feels that way. I'm just happy to be able to be near her." Sakura deflated a bit, trying hard not to blush. "This just gets weirder by the minute." Sipping tea from a small fingerbowl, Cerberus spoke up again. "In any case, there's more involved than just Tomoyo. It's also the Clow Cards. Sakura...they escaped from the book again." "Gee, you're just some great guardian, aren't you?" the street fighter smirked. "It's not my fault!" the plushie exclaimed. "Something happened to the cards as a result of their exposure to you and the Judgement. Their power changed...and they were able to break the seal of their own volition. "But their forms were still sealed, so they had to resort to another method in order to roam the world frely. The Clow Cards began possessing humans with strong hearts." "Possessing--?" Sakura asked. Cerberus nodded. "In fact, one even possessed you...which is what ultimately destroyed the careful and intricate spells which were woven to lock reality into its present state." He looked up at her seriously. "This world wants Kasugano Sakura. But the Clow Cards, as well as those who were strong enough to resist the spell of the Guardian Yue, want Kinomoto Sakura. A middle balance has to be found and maintained, or something truly awful could happen...something far worse than the catastrophe brought about by failing the Judgement." "Like what?" The creature began to pace. "Imagine the history of the world as a book that's always being written. What has already been written is set, and is not meant to be changed. "When Kinomoto Sakura failed the Judgement, everything in the book that pertained to her was erased, and the life of Kasugano Sakura was written down in its place. But there were complications Clow Reed had not foreseen...the parts of the book which were unwritten began trying to write themselves back in on top of that which had replaced them. "Right now, the book is stable, except that in the present, two realities are trying to write themselves upon it at once. That simply isn't allowed...the book can only record one tale. "In order to set everything straight, everyone and everything involved with both realities must strive to make the two realities meet in the middle, so that one single record of history is inscribed upon the book." "And if that doesn't happen?" Sakura asked. Cerberus looked forlorn. "Then the book begins erasing itself. The paradox of a present without a past will destroy the world." The three were silent for a long moment. "So...what do I have to do?" Sakura asked at length. "In order to set things right, there must be a Card Captor once again," the guardian beast said. "The cards must have a master...and the two realities existing within one world must reconcile." He paused. "I'm not expecting you to accept this without knowing what you'll be getting into. It's not going to be easy...it shouldn't interfere too heavily with your present life, but you may be required to face ghosts of a past you've forgotten. And...there's always a chance that you may..." He trailed off. Sakura frowned. "I don't know if I can deal with all this," she said. "I'm just a normal girl...okay, so I'm a normal girl who goes out and fights in secret tournaments, but still..." She ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "You're asking me to give up who I am now for who I was then, is that it?" Cerberus shook his head. "No. Although it wasn't meant to be so, the person you were in another reality can reconcile with the person you are now and become one. In fact...that's what *must* happen, in order for this world to be restored. The Sakura who died that day...and the Sakura who has lived with no memory of that other life..." "In other words," Tomoyo said, "First you have to remember. Then you have to accept. Then you have to fight." The teenage martial artist was silent for a long moment. Finally, she nodded grimly. "I...if there's that much at stake, the entire world...then I have to try." She looked between the two of them. "So...what do I do now?" Cerberus suddenly seemed sheepish. "Aaahhh...that's going to be the tough part. You see, I...well, something important has gone missing..." "You mean this?" Tomoyo withdrew a large heart-shaped pendant from within her blouse and opened it. Inside the locket was a small pink key. It seemed to be little more than a trinket, a small child's toy. The guardian beast's eyes lit up. "Tomoyo-chan...you found it!" "I've had it ever since that day," the dark-haired girl said solemnly. She held it out before her, and Cerberus floated over to examine it. "So what is it?" Sakura asked. "The key," the magical creature said simply as his body began to glow. "The key to everything." His voice became somewhat ethereal as he intoned a spell. Key that binds the seal, There is one who seeks a pact. Honor the ancient rites-- This one, named Sakura Seeks thy power to aid her By the power of Clow Reed Bind thyself to the contract-- RELEASE!! As the spell was completed, the tiny pink key expanded to a roughly half-meter-long rod, floating over to the short-haired schoolgirl as it did so. Blinking, she held out her hands, allowing it to come to rest. As the magical artifact made contact with her, the room exploded in a blinding flash of light... -----======----- LEAVE IT TO KERO-CHAN! -----======----- Konya nyatchiwa! Sakura-chan sure has grown up, hasn't she? It's so good to see her again, and looking so well! Since today we spent so much time with Sakura-chan in her bedroom, I'm going to focus on a really interesting aspect of her private life. Are you ready? OK! KERO-CHAN CHECK! Today, we're going to be taking a peek at a naked Sakura-chan! [Sakura: I DON'T THINK SO! HENTAI!] [*CRUNCH*WHAM*BANG*CRASH*SLAM*] ....anyway, I'll see you next time... -----======----- NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW Ohmygod...what have I gotten myself into? It's hard enough being a Street Fighter, but now I'm a Card Captor on top of that! This whole thing is getting really weird, and it's only just started! Kero-chan says I have a card possessing me...that's a little scary, don't you think? Join us next time for "Sakura draws out the Fight Card!" RELEASE!! -----======----- Good God almighty... When this hairbrained idea hit me several months ago, I never expected to bother trying to do anything with it...much less turning it into an Impro starter! In the (unlikely) event this does win, I apologize for somewhat forcing the next author's hand, but hey...we've had one shoujo series work with next episode queues from the previous author, why not try it with a mahoushoujo series? A note to any prospective future authors: 1. Keep in mind that Sakura will still be fighting as a Street Fighter in addition to being a Card Captor. Also, it's possible that her two different missions will coincide at times... 2. As mentioned, Sakura is currently on break. That means that, for a while at least, school won't be a factor. 3. Don't forget to write a Leave it to Kero-chan segment! They're very important! They're pointless, but still very important! Okay, I'm done. I'm ready for my due reamings now.