Composed by deko
Translated by Yuki Neco
A girl lying on the boarded floor was groaning in agony in a dark room. She had faced the collapse of the tumulus construction site, when gigantic struts and mud wall supported by them had collapsed onto her just an hour before. The moment she shrieked being swallowed in debris, a halo came out of her body, and the girl encircled by the sacred light managed to support the struts with all her might.
On the next afternoon, Sakura woke up all of sweat, when she could see the glitters shining in through the screen window, and heard cicadas souding restlessly.
“I hear cicadas,” Sakura mumbled.
She was lying in a airy boarded room. Getting out of the blanket, she stood up and found something strange about what she wore. She was dressed in a katoi—an ancient one-piece dress made of white cloth with a hole on the top through which to stick the head out, and with a cotton belt to fasten the dress at the waist.
“What is this outfit?” she thought to herself.
Timidly she walked to the doorway as she opened the door; before her eyes were a goegeous landscape view from up hill.
Sakura was walking on a roofed passage on a platform in the sanctuary in Yakoku. She hopelessly took a gaze at the small village below her, it was nothing like her familiar view from the 21st century.
One of the maids found her walk, and then called out, “Oh, Lady Iyo! Everybody, come out, Lady Iyo is awake!”
Girls dressed in the same katoi crowded around Sakura, and followingly men and women of various ages crowded. They cheered, “Lady Iyo, it’s good that you aren’t injured so bad. That’s a relief.”
Sakura was mobbed by the people. That was so sudden that she didn’t even notice that she was called by a different name. At that time, a very old lady walked toward Sakura, leaning onto someone walking beside to support her steps. The people stepped aside from Sakura at a glance of the old lady, and they knelt on the floor to show their loyalty.
“I’ve been worrying about you, Iyo,” the old lady talk to Sakura.
“Hoe?”
“What’s wrong? Yon don’t recognize me, your aunt, do you?”
She questioned Sakura.
Sakura doesn’t even know what to say.
“That’s OK. Take a good rest tonight,” the old lady, Reko, motioned Sakura to follow her lead; she guided her to the room to sleep in. “First of all, you need to regain your energy, future girl,” the old women said to Sakura without speaking. Sakura understood what she said even though the old lady spoke not by mouth.
“That voice!” Sakura explaimed in her mind.
Smiling knowingly, the old lady once again talked to Sakura through perception at the moment she was about to close the door.
“What is your name?”
“Sakura.”
Her name reminded her of cherry blossom immediately.
“You’re named after those beautiful blossoms blooming in the spring,” Reko whispered in mind. The lady was so old that she had deep wrincles in her face.
Back in 21st century, at the quarters of Amamiya Cooperation, the Hope got down the rain spout, with her wings half torn apart from her back, and with rips all around her through which the stuffing could be seen.
“Help me, Tomoyo,” she whimpered.
The moment she looked in the window, she hid behind, because she saw the girl with glossy gray hair.
“What do you say, Iyo. If I say so myself, this design is
super-duper terrific,” Tomoyo said with joy.
“Y-yeah... I know. These decorations are mervelous,” the girl with gray
hair said nervously.
“Call them frills, Iyo. Oh, it could be the perfectest situation
if you get married to Dai, dressed in that ourfit!” Tomoyo said
with starry eyes.
The Hope was so astounded at what she saw in the room, that she didn’t notice she let her power slightly ooze out.
“Here it comes!” Iyo said to herself at the moment she sensed
the Hope Card, besides, she said to Tomoyo, “Thank you, Tomoyo.
Let’s leave it for tomorrow.”
“What? Are you OK?” Tomoyo said in surprise and pitifulness.
Tomoyo hurriedly seized Iyo because she almost went out of the room still in the gorgeous outfit, “Be careful. It’s just basted.”
Meanshile, a gigantic figure floated above the Hope. When Iyo opened the window she could see a gigantic beast blocked the moonlight. That was Kerberos, the Guardian Beast of Sakura Cards.
“Are you all right, Hope?” Kerberos asked the worn-out Hope on his back.
“I’m OK, Kerberos,” she answered.
“Hmm, I knew it, Sakura disappered,” Kerberos continued, “furthermore,
nobody can recognize us.”
Yue, the Judge, floated upright to them as he asked, “How was it?”
“No can do,” Kerberos replied, “Tomoyo and anyone in the class don’t
even remember anything about Sakura.”
“True. Even her father and brother convinced themselves that the
girl was their daughter or siter,” Yue added his findings.
“That’s my fault! That I made a run for it, leaving Sakura. My fault!”
Hope cried.
“Stop crying!” Kerberos held her back from tears.
Having kept his eyes closed, Yue pressed his palms togerher as a tiny light appears between them.
“It’s coming. The Time, one of my subordinate, is heading for the moon,” muttered Yue, as he made a sudden turn in the air and start descending straight. Kerberos followed him in a gasp.
In a rice field in Yakoku, shone by sharp sunlight, rice plants were fluttering in a summer breeze. Women were weeding all around the field.
“Aw!” Sakura screeched, as the tip of a rice plant got in her eye. The people crowed around her.
“It hurts, Lady Iyo?” One of the maids dumpened the tip of her clothes
and cover Sakura’s eye with it.
“I’m OK, thanks,” Sakura replied.
“Lady Iyo is a lousy farmer,” a man said in a teasing manner.
“How rude!” another woman hit him in the head, as she hand in her
water, “Please use this.”
Sakura took the bamboo canteen the woman offered. The husband and wife in front reminded her of Takashi and Chiharu. That association made her feel sad, as she hold herself, “No, you mustn’t cry, you mustn’t cry...”
In Tomoeda 21st century, Dai opened the door and entered Syaoran’s apartment, when he could see some shoes of almost the same size as his were placed neatly.
“This is his place,” Dai said to himself, as Wei came to the door with a vacuum.
“Welcome home, Master Syaoran. How was the...” Wei broke his words since he notice a difference, but he stay gentle as usual.
“So please come in,” Wei motioned Dai into the place. Dai looked at him suspiciously, though the old man was merely smiling.
“Do you know I’m not him?”
“Yes, I do. I guess the first tour of a stange world can be
exhaustful,” Wei replied in a gentle manner, “uh, right.
I’ve got delicious peach cake, I hope you like it.”
He motioned Dai in the apartment, and then he followed and entered.
When the sun was setting in Yakoku, food was pile up in the kitchen in
the sancruary in Yakoku, as if it were waiting for being
cooked—including dried sweetfish and filefish, walnutes and
chestnuts. Sakura was slicing a taro with a knife made of stone.
A girl sitting next to her put soup in a wooden bowl out from
a terra-cotta pan, as she gave it to Sakura, when she said, “Lady
Iyo, how does it taste?”
Sakura sipped it as she said, “Tastes nice! But it’ll be better
if it’s a little saltier.”
“Lady Iyo, salt is too valuable. We have a few machant coming
around here lately, so we can’t waste things.” she stressed.
Sakura was depressed to know she was no longer in her good old 21st century of wealth. An elder woman served her a bowl of rice. In Yayoi period, they mainly ate steamed rice, which is tougher than is boiled as in the present days. The tough food gave Sakura touble eating, since she was used to soft food in 21st century. One of the other girls looked suspiciously as she asked, “Why didn’t you run away with Dai? I heard you convinced him in your plan.”
Her question changed the atmospher at once—respectfulness and hatred mixed and swirled, Sakura couldn’t bear to stay. She couldn’t help running out of the place.
In the palace of Kukoku, the powerful king, Kuna, was holding a party with beautiful women serving him. In contrast, Geso Li was modestly and wimpily served sake to everyone in the party.
“You’ve got more tasty drink in the time you came from, haven’t you?
Why don’t you use your magic to snitch one for me?” Kuna demanded.
“That would need way too much power, I can’t,” replied Geso.
Annoyed Kuna signed the beauties beside him to stay away, and then he showed off to Geso the ball he was hiding. Geso was totally attracted, gulped the saliva in his mouth, and sank down on the floor at a glance of the magic ball he was wanting.
“Hey, hey, are you OK? You want me to give you a massage?”
Kuna put on a big grin in his mouth.
“No, I’m fine. You don’t have to...” Geso timidly replied.
“Leave it to me. Well, we attack Yakoku as soon as the harvesting
season is over. I don’t need no God’s blessing!” Kuna said as he
grasp Geso’s shoulder, and at this moment, a shoriek in agony
echoed all over the palace.
In Iyo’s bedroom in the sanctuary in Yakoku, Sakura was sitting on the bedding while she was looking at the ceiling empty minded. In the corner of the room, there was the dinner she left over that could hardly eat. Suddenly, fear and lonliness attacked her, so that she couldn’t hold back her tears as she cover her face with her hands, sobbing silently.
“You musn’t cry. You mustn’t...”
There were a few commdity beside her—candle that illuminates very weakly and a water mirror, a shallow bowl filled with water. Sakura saw her own face on the water mirror. Even under the dim light of the candle, she can see her honey brown hair and her tearful face.
“I look awful.” she whimpered.
She scooped water to wash her face. Droplets fell off her face... and then teardrops followed...
“You mustn’t cry. You mustn’t cry. That is all right. I can make it!”
The teardrop call out a miracle. A gigantic magic circle appeared from the spot where the teardrop sank down. Furthermore, the Mirror Card emerges at the center and turned into its visible form.
“Mirror Card!!” Sakura exclaimed.
“Good you finally remembered us. We, Sakura Cards, have been
worrying about you, Sakura,” Mirror softly talked to Sakura,
“No one of us can appear unless you cast a spell.”
“You mean every one is OK around here?” Sakura asked in surprise.
“Why not? We reside inside you in the form of spirits.” Mirror answered.
“Hoeee.”
Sakura and Mirror smiled at each other just like true sisters, holding
tightly. Mirror said, “Cast a spell! Cast your wish that you
have in your mind.”
“To Sakura Cards, my true precious friends, now appear and show
yourselves. Release!”
All the Sakura Cards but some remaining in the 21st century came out glowing.
“Time and Change... I can sense them,” Yue mumbled.
“Yeah, they’re protected by the Shield,’ Kerberos complemented.
“Light of magic can’t be seen by humans, but it sure is weak,” Yue commented.
“That means Sakura is...’ Hope mumbled with amxiety.
Meanshile, something was coming behind them.
A big magic circle was glowing in the sanctuary in Yakoku. Sakura Cards appeared one after another, and turned into their visible form, who are all glowing supported by a strong magical power.
“Well done, Sakura. You have so strong a power that you
can channel your power to all of us without the sealing wand,”
the Light explained.
“Really amazing! Clow Reed will be pround of you,” said Dark.
“Hurah, hurah!” The Power Card cheered innocently.
“Oh, be quiet!” warned the Silent Card.
Sakura turned around in a determined look, the she looked as if she can put her mind to one thing.
“Shadow, Fly, Windy!”
Sakura tripple-released the Cards.
“Shadow Card, trace the shadow of my true love, Syaoran Li, and trap him! Release!”
Windy Card called a gust of wind to open the door violently, when Sakura already put a pair of wings on her back. The Shadow made its way forward, and Sakura and the others followed it. Meanwhile, Reko was wathing how it was going from up the balcony.
“You did great, Sakura. But that’s not even half of it. I’m sure you can do it.” she thought to herself.
Shadow entered a dwelling at the corner of the village as if it was sucked by someting. There Syaoran planted in Dai’s body was laid.
“It’s the Shadow...”
Syaoran faded. Despondency facing death was overwhelming him, but at this time, a shriek was thrown at him, “Syaoran, wake up!!”
Old Masaki Amamiya was lying on the sofer in the president room, Amamiya Cooperation. Butts of cirarette were piled in the ash tray.
“Who are you?” Masaki threw a question to the picture taken at the porch of Kinomoto residence. Iyo was in the picture instead of Sakura who should originally be there. The old man glared at the picture firecely, then another figure could be overlapped in the picture.
“You’re Iy... no, you’re Sakura... my great-granddaughtere!”
Iyo disappeared from his vision, but he could see Sakura Kinomoto instead just before his eyes.
Sakura was crying out on the chest of Syaoran who was left unattended on the floor, as his hand stroke gentle up and down Sakura’s hair.
“Syaoran!” gasped Sakura.
“Don’t, Sakura. I don’t want to see you crying,” Syaoran whispered.
Impulsively, Sakura held his arm tightly against her chest.
“Warm.... I can feel you. Don’t cry, OK?” Syaoran soothed Sakura, then she nodded.
The two teenagers said together, “That’s OK. I can make it.”