Visions of Sleeping Beauty - A New Trials of Cardcaptor Sakura and Friends (by Wish-chan) Tribute (ET-ish)

a/n: Happy 20th Anniversary! Also, this can be read as a standalone from chapter 1.

The sky was clear again tonight, and amongst that darkness that hovered over the earth, the moon shone brightly. It was another full moon tonight, as it had been in her dreams last night, and the many nights before that.

In fact, it had been a full moon every single time since she's had these dreams.

Tomoyo looked around at her surroundings. She was standing in the middle of a courtyard of a Japanese castle. It resembled the castles she had visited during her travels or the ones she had seen in pictures, except she's never seen this one. But she had seen this place in her dreams so many times that it's become more real to her than all the other castles she's visited.

It was a mysterious place that was lit only by the full moon above, but it was not a place that frightened her. It felt almost like a second home to her by now.

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

She turned towards the soft, melodic voice that seemed to have travelled quite a distance before reaching her ears. It was a very familiar voice, but she couldn't quite identify who it belonged to. This voice felt almost like a memory, or deja-vu of sorts.

"Hello?" Tomoyo responded back, "Who are you?"

"I am—"

"Tomoyo-chan!"

Tomoyo started at the voice and shielded her face from the afternoon sunlight that shown through the windows. She quickly reoriented herself and looked around. She was sitting at her desk—and in front of her was Sakura. The classroom was empty except for just the two girls.

Her eyes met that of her best friend's. Worry was written all over the other girl's face.

"Sakura-chan?"

"Are you okay Tomoyo-chan? I just came back here after cheerleading practice to pick up something I left behind and found you asleep here," Sakura's hand rested against her forehead, "You don't seem to have a temperature…"

Tomoyo reached for her friend's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm okay Sakura-chan. I guess I was too tired with all these preparations going on for the upcoming competition. I only stopped by the classroom for some documents I left in my desk. I didn't think I'd fall asleep like that."

"Are you sure?"

Tomoyo offered a reassuring smile, "Absolutely."

"Okay, if you say so…" Sakura frowned, still a little unconvinced.

"So, what did you leave behind in the classroom?"

"Huh? Oh!" Sakura reached inside her desk to pull something out, "Chiharu-chan gave me these coupons for this new bakery. Do you want to go together?"

Tomoyo smiled, "Of course. Let me drop off these documents at the teacher's office and I'll meet you back here?"

Sakura nodded as Tomoyo got up and left classroom. Her smile dropped a bit after her friend disappeared beyond the doors. It wasn't every day that Tomoyo could get so tired that she gets caught dozing off like this. Sakura knows that she puts in a lot of practice for her choir competitions, but she is also very responsible.

Over the years, she has learned from her best friend that when it comes to singing, resting is just as important as practice, so there was no way that Tomoyo would "overdo" it. The last few times Tomoyo was so out of sorts was usually due to some magical force at work, but she hasn't detected any magic at work…

But what if there is something lurking around her friend again?

"Hello?"

It was that 'Voice' again. This time, Tomoyo decided to look for the source. Since the Voice seemed to surround her from all directions, it was a little difficult telling where it came from, but somehow, she had a feeling that her answer lies within that castle.

Before she knew it, she found herself in a large spacious room that was lavishly decorated with gold pieces. It wasn't overly distasteful, rather it was done with great refinement. However, even though she's finally moved to a new location after all these dreams, there was still not a single person in sight.

"Are you there?"

The Voice returned, stronger than before. She must be getting closer.

"I'm here," Tomoyo answered as she looked around, hoping to know which way to head next, "Who are you?"

"There's no time. You are the only one who can take this role now."

"Role?" Tomoyo felt the back of her neck prickling with a feeling she couldn't describe, "What role?"

"Daidouji Tomoyo."

Tomoyo shuddered at the sound of her name being spoken.

"Yes?"

"You must look for the Dream."

"What dream? Who are you—"

"You awake there?"

Tomoyo frowned when she opened her eyes and found herself staring at an unfamiliar white ceiling. She turned her head and saw Li Leiyun sitting at his desk; she was in the infirmary.

"Two of your classmates found you unconscious just outside the girls' bathroom earlier," Leiyun explained, his eyes glued to his copy of Weekly Shounen Jump, "It turns out that you were asleep, so they brought you here."

Tomoyo sat up from the bed and checked her body, it didn't seem like she hurt herself anywhere when she fell asleep, "How long was I here for?"

"About ten minutes."

The dark-haired girl glanced at the clock and sighed. Afternoon classes should have started so that means that the rest of her class will know what had happened.

She turned her attention back to the school doctor, surprised to see that he had closed the distance between them. He was now standing right in front of her.

"It's not every day that one finds Daidouji Tomoyo asleep in the hallways of all places. Well, in this case, there were two of them who found you…" Leiyun's eyebrows quirked a bit as he took another step closer and reached his hand towards her, "Is there something—"

Upon hearing the noise of hurried footsteps, the man backed away. He had returned to his desk just as the door opened.

"Tomoyo-chan!"

"Sakura-chan!"

"I heard you collapsed and was brought to the infirmary." Sakura rushed to her friend's side and hugged her. "I was so scared. Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?"

"I'm okay, I…"

"It was just a bit of anemia," Leiyun answered as he sank back into his seat and reached for his manga. With his other hand, he opened a drawer and reached inside and took something out, "Have some chocolate and be on your way."

Sakura's eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion but turned when she felt Tomoyo squeezing her hand.

"I'm okay now Sakura-chan. Let's head back to the classroom. You must've ran out during class."

"Ah… I…"

Seeing her best friend's flushed face made her smile. Tomoyo got on her two feet and turned towards Leiyun, "Thank you Li-sensei. Please excuse us."

When the two girls left, Leiyun placed his manga back on the table and let out a sigh. He unwrapped the mini chocolate bar that he had offered earlier and popped it into his mouth, "She didn't even bother to take the chocolate…"

Just earlier, right after the two students had helped Tomoyo into bed and excused themselves, Leiyun noticed something off about her. She couldn't have fallen asleep for more than a few minutes, but she was already showing signs of dreaming.

There were moments when she muttered something, but Leiyun was only able to catch one part. It was the last thing she said before she woke up.

"Who are you?"

There was no fear in her voice, just pure curiosity.

How very like her.

Eriol had been in the middle of playing Debussy's Claire de Lune when he felt Sakura's presence at the door. He turned towards the door just as she entered the music room.

"Sakura-san," Eriol smiled in greeting as he closed I thought you would have left already after your club practices. Were you waiting for me?"

"Eriol-kun, I need to talk to you about Tomoyo-chan."

"Tomoyo-san?"

Sakura nodded, "She's been spacing out a lot, and sometimes I catch her dozing off or falling asleep at her desk. And then today…"

Eriol nodded as he recalled how two of their classmates had come in during the beginning of the afternoon homeroom class and told the teacher that they found an unconscious Tomoyo and brought her to the infirmary. Sakura had gotten out of her seat and ran out of the classroom before the teacher could even stop her. Both girls had returned a little while later and everything went on as usual.

Tomoyo was sent home to rest at the urging of their teacher, so she had been excused from club activities today.

"She keeps saying that she's been busy with the upcoming choir competition, which is why she's been extra tired, but she's never been like this before."

Eriol frowned, "I've been helping out with the chorus club, and everything is as usual."

"I knew it… she's hiding something." Sakura frowned, "Do you think it's a Dark Force? What if Li-sensei is doing something to her?"

"Li Leiyun? Like what?"

"I don't know… leeching her life force or something like that?"

Eriol chuckled, "I doubt that someone like him, no matter how sinister he is, would dabble art of jiangshi. It isn't really a form of magic that many prefer nowadays in this part of the world."

"Hoe? Ji-jiang shi?"

"Chinese vampires," Eriol translated, "But technically they're just reanimated corpses. Puppets to their puppeteers. I suppose they resemble zombies more than vampires."

"Hoe?!" Sakura's eyes rounded in shock, "Zombies? Vampires?"

"Sakura-san, if something is going on, I'm sure that the only reason that she's hiding it from you is so that you won't worry over her too much. Let me take care of it, and you just keep doing what you need to do."

"But…"

Eriol stared back at her resolutely, and Sakura only nodded in response.

"I… I'm just scared that something bad will happen to her again."

Sakura thought of the time when the Phantom had tormented her friend. There was also the incident when Leiyun had kidnapped her. It was a good thing that Eriol had gone to rescue her at that time, but what if Tomoyo's gotten herself into something even more dangerous? She hated not being able to help the people she cared about.

"I don't understand."

Recently, her dreams have been progressing more and more each time. This time, Tomoyo found herself in dark space that was filled numerous floating mirrors and candles this time. To any others, it would appear eerie and ill-boding, but Tomoyo didn't feel that way at all.

"You must look for the Dream."

"Dream?" Tomoyo looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever it is that has been speaking to her all these times, but she only saw her own reflection in the mirrors surrounding her.

"But… what dream?" Tomoyo asked, finally settling on looking up, "Isn't this a dream? Am I… Am I supposed to look for another's?"

"Yes."

"But how?"

"I'm sure you know where to seek the answer already."

Tomoyo still felt a buzzing feeling at the tip of her finger after she rang the doorbell. In her head, she was still thinking of what to say, rehearsing different lines over and over depending on who greeted her on the other side. Most likely it would be Nakuru or Mizuki-sensei. It wouldn't bode well if Spinel were to get the door if someone like the local postal worker came by to drop off mail or packages.

Tomoyo couldn't help but giggle at the thought, her nervousness dissipating into the air at the image of such a scene. Her small moment of ease broke when the door opened, and she found herself face to face with Eriol.

"Eriol-kun! I didn't expect you to get the door yourself."

"Hello there Tomoyo-san," Eriol greeted her with a smile, "It seems like I'm house-sitting today while everyone is away."

"Where are the others?" Tomoyo asked as Eriol gestured her in and they both walked down the hallway towards the parlor.

"Miho decided she wanted a girl's day out today. Spinel was dragged along, much to his reluctance."

At the sound of his chuckle, Tomoyo let out a soft giggle. Poor Spinel.

"Have a seat."

The girl froze when she noticed that there were already two cups of tea waiting on the table with a tray of cookies. She turned towards Eriol.

"Were you expecting guests today?"

What she really wanted to ask was if he was expecting her but decided against it.

"I was getting tea for myself when I had a feeling that I should place another setting out. I was hoping my hunch was correct when the doorbell rang," Eriol gestured to a seat again and waited for his guest to sit before he sat as well.

"So, what brings you here?"

"Oh…" Tomoyo reached for the cup of tea that was offered to her, "I was wondering if I could look at some books in your library."

"You're always welcomed to look at the numerous books that are in the library, but if you're looking for specific texts related to magic… you would be safer by not delving too much into unknown territory."

Both their eyes met, unblinking for a short moment, before Tomoyo spoke.

"I've been having dreams lately and I was hoping I could find some answers."

Eriol felt his shoulders relax at her confession—up until now, he didn't even realize that he was feeling tensed.

"You're a lot more forthcoming than I thought you would."

"I knew there was no way I could go on researching this on my own. When I first suspected that it might have been something more, I had already decided that I would consult with you if I find that I absolutely needed help."

It was only after last night's dream that she decided to seek Eriol. The Voice had told her that she would know where to find the answer she was seeking. When she woke up earlier this morning, she decided to make this visit.

"In that case, I wish you would have consulted with me earlier."

"I didn't want to cause any worry, especially if they're just dreams. They could simply be what they are, just dreams."

"For magicians, dreams aren't 'just dreams'—there's a whole branch of magic dedicated to this field."

"And I am no magician."

"No, you're not, but you are a descendant of Amamiya Hayashi of the Third Eye; his blood runs through your veins all the same. Magic may not have manifested in you, but something latent probably sleeps within you."

Tomoyo smiled sadly, "So I'm neither here nor there."

Once upon a time, Tomoyo would have been so elated to find out that she had magic, latent or not. But now… now she felt somewhat sad. She had no special ability to help her best friend fight against Dark Forces, and whatever latent magic she may or may not possess has only caused more trouble to everyone around her.

Unbidden, the memory of the Phantom encroached upon her thoughts. An icy sensation crept up her spine, causing her to shiver. Her tightened grip on her cup of tea caused it to spill a little over her hands.

"Tomoyo-san?"

Eriol had reached out and removed the tea cup from her hands and replaced it with a navy handkerchief.

"Sorry, it's just a little frustrating. I can't help Sakura-chan, and I don't understand these dreams that I'm having."

Tomoyo looked down at her hands as she wiped them, she didn't feel brave enough to look at the magician who sat before her.

"Would you tell me more about these dreams? When you're ready of course."

A long silence filled the room as Tomoyo tried to collect her feelings and thoughts; she was still somewhat rattled by her near-panic attack. She wasn't aware of how many minutes had passed, but Eriol sat there patiently, waiting for her to speak.

"I'm not sure how long ago it had happened…" Tomoyo began, "They were fairly short dreams at first, only when I sleep at night. I always found myself in the same place. It was always nighttime, and always a full moon. The dream only started to progress more once I started to hear a Voice calling out to me…"

It felt nice being able to share about her so called 'adventures' to another person. Details came easily to her as she continued to share more and more of what she had seen and heard.

She also shared about how she had only started to worry when she found herself dreaming even in the daytime. Not that she felt any danger, but the frequency of the dreams gave her a sense of urgency—as if she had to find whoever it was that has been calling to her as soon as possible. By the time she was done, she felt as if a weight had lifted from her shoulders.

Eriol remained silent for a few minutes, reflecting on what he had heard before he spoke.

"Tomoyo-san, I'm going to give you something, and I hope you can keep it on you at all times."

"What is it?"

Tomoyo looked down at the item that Eriol gave her, it looked like a dreamcatcher, except it was made of a silver ring and golden thread. The design in the center resembled that of a crescent moon and a sunburst—similar to Clow's symbol. The whole thing was about the size of her palm.

"It's an enchanted dreamcatcher. I have a few texts that you can read, but I will also do some research on my end. Until then, it might be safer for you to not encounter more of these dreams."

"But… I don't think these dreams are dangerous. I don't feel discomfort or unease when I'm in these dreams. If anything, there's something familiar about them…"

"Some people spend days and days in a state of sleep just so that they can be in dreams. For you, it's gotten to the point where you're falling asleep in broad daylight. The dreams may not be dangerous, but you have no way of protecting your physical body during that time."

Tomoyo looked down at the item again, with a finger, she delicately traced the intricate design of the golden threads.

"I think it will put many of us at ease knowing that you won't suddenly fall asleep while you're outside… at the very least, keep it on you while you're awake."

"Thank you. I'll do that—oh and here, your handkerchief."

Eriol smiled, "You can hold onto it."

For the next few days, Tomoyo carried the dreamcatcher with her during the day, and at night, she kept it away in her treasure box. She remained certain that the dreams weren't harmful, so every night, she would continue to explore in her dream, looking for the Voice.

The texts that Tomoyo borrowed from Eriol were all very interesting. There weren't that many entirely devoted to the topic of dreams, so she found herself reading about different topics related to magic, and the more she read about them, the more melancholic she felt. She knew the dangers that her friends faced, but the magical world was certainly much greater than she had imagined it to be.

One day, she came across an interesting topic: Dreamseers.

Magicians who become more powerful over time can develop some form of clairvoyance. This ability can manifest in many magicians, allowing them to develop this "sixth sense" through different methods. Not all magicians do so by dreaming, and neither does it necessarily mean the same thing as "seeing into the future". Some can "sense" the future through interaction with the fundamental elements or such as water or fire. Others can do so through other forms of nature like stars or animals; others with man-made objects—tarot cards, mirrors, and the like.

Dreamseers were a little different. They are born with this ability and it allows them to travel dreams or draw others to their dreams. One journal she came across mentioned a "Dream World"—it's not a dreamscape belonging to that of a person, but simply a world of its own, made entirely of dreams. There was no other information that she could find about it.

"You must find the Dream…" Tomoyo repeated those words to herself. The one who has been communicating with her had confirmed that she was to find "someone's dream" so maybe it's not this "Dream World" that Tomoyo needs to look for. However, she had concluded that one who has been calling to her all this time was a dreamseer.

"Are your dad and brother home today?"

"No, they're both busy and are out for most of the day."

Sakura led both Syaoran and Tomoyo into her house.

"Syaoran-kun, can you wait a bit while Tomoyo-chan and I go upstairs?"

"Sure, take your time."

"You can always come up after Sakura-chan tries on her new costume," Tomoyo teased, "I can use an extra opinion."

"Tomoyo-chan!"

Tomoyo giggled as she followed Sakura up the stairs. She took a step forward and felt a familiar prickling sensation crawling up her neck.

Tomoyo looked around when her surroundings changed, she was in standing in a veranda of another courtyard this time, but it was different from the one before. She was deeper within the castle this time.

"I'm over here."

It was the Voice, and it called out to her.

Tomoyo followed the Voice as she walked along the veranda. She stopped in front of a sliding door. There was no doubt that the one who has been calling out to her all this time is on the other side.

She reached her hand out, but before she was able to touch the delicate surface, she felt something grab her other arm, yanking her backyards.

"E-eh?" Tomoyo called out in the startled voice as she tried to regain her balance. Sakura had grabbed her arm… they were both at the top landing of the stairs of Sakura's house.

"Tomoyo-chan! You nearly fell!"

"Sorry… I didn't—" Tomoyo felt the same prickling sensation at the back of her neck again.

"I thought Eriol-kun said he gave you something that was supposed to help…"

"Sakura-chan, I…"

Sakura's eyes widen as she watched her friend's eyes closed again. Her body slumped into Sakura's arms; if Sakura hadn't been holding onto her, she would have surely fallen down the stairs.

"Tomoyo-chan?! Tomoyo-chan!"

"Sakura!" Syaoran, who was in the living room, ran up the stairs. He quickly went over to help Sakura pick up her unconscious friend.

"Hey Sakura! What's with the racket?" Kero asked as he flew out of Sakura's room, "Tomoyo!"

"Kero-chan! Tomoyo-chan fell asleep again and she's not waking up!"

"Go call Hiiragizawa! He might know what to do!"

On any normal day, Kero would have complained about Syaoran giving him orders, but this situation was too dire for such antics. With a serious nod, Kero quickly flew back into the room to call for help.

Both teenagers brought Tomoyo into Sakura's room and laid her on the bed. The entire time, Sakura was still trying to wake her up.

"Tomoyo-chan! Tomoyo-chan! She's never taken this long to wake up before!"

Sensing Sakura's panic, Syaoran wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Kero flew over to them, "Hey, he said he's—"

They all sensed Eriol's presence before he even spoke.

"Eriol-kun!"

The glow of his magic circle disappeared under Eriol feet after he had fully materialized into the room from the transportation spell. Both Sakura and Syaoran moved aside as he approached.

When he reached the bed, he sank down on one knee. He laid a hand on the sleeping girl's forehead and muttered a spell. Immediately, the dreamcatcher that Tomoyo had been carrying with her materialized above her. It started to glow brighter and brighter but then it burst, scattering particles of light everywhere.

The glow from the dreamcatcher faded as the golden threads began to disappear as if they were being burnt away. What remained of it was the silver base and it fell to the floor with a clang.

Eriol removed his hand and clenched it in front of him. There was a very severe expression on his face.

"She's travelling dreams right now."

"Travelling dreams?" Sakura repeated, "What does that mean? Is that different from the dreams that I get sometimes?"

"It's an ability mainly used by dreamseers," Syaoran explained, recalling whatever knowledge he had learned about on this topic, "Your dreams are more prophetic in nature, but dreamseers don't have those kinds of dreams. Instead, they can enter the dreams of other people, or draw others into their dreams."

"Is someone trying to draw Tomoyo-chan into their dream?"

"No, it's not that simple." Eriol replied, "The dreamcatcher would have prevented it. Someone is indeed calling to her, but she is the one actively travelling dreams, though she may not be aware of it."

"Wh-what…" Sakura stared at her friend in horror, "But that means…"

Eriol nodded.

"She has a dreamseer ability within her that she's awakened, and it's been growing... This would explain why she is even falling asleep in the day time and taking longer to wake up… she doesn't know how to control her powers."

None of them knew this was happening… not even Eriol had expected this.

"It would be dangerous for her if she cannot control her powers." Syaoran said in a grave voice. It reminded him of their time in Memoria... the risks and consequences were similar. Tomoyo could still be aware of herself but be trapped for years wandering from dream to dream, not knowing how to find her way back into reality.

He felt Sakura shudder in his arms.

"Is there anything I can do Eriol-kun?"

"If she doesn't wake up soon, then I will go find her myself."

Looking behind her, Tomoyo realized she wasn't in Sakura's house anymore… she was back in the same veranda. Turning towards the sliding door, Tomoyo reached her hand out once more and slid the door open.

The light from the full moon shone flowed into the room, casting an ethereal glow around the figure who waited for her inside. She was dressed in an elaborate kimono, and she looked like a princess from the feudal times.

She had the same exact face as Tomoyo.

"This is quite strange…" Tomoyo said in wonder, "I don't think I've ever had a dream of meeting myself in my own dreams before."

"Actually," The princess who looked her returned a smile, "You're the one who is in my dream."

Tomoyo approached her look-a-like and knelt before her.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Tomoyo, just like yours. I am another you, living in a different world. In this world, I am also called Tsukuyomi, Princess of the Shirasagi Castle, and Priestess of the Country of Nihon."

A different world. An alternate universe. Tomoyo was mildly surprised at how calmly she was able to take in all this information. In any other situation, she would have felt rather giddy at such a discovery.

"So… in this world you possess magic? Did you use it summon me into your dream?"

The girl saw a forlorn smile appear on the Princess' face as she shook her head.

"No. For the sake of protecting the people I love, I no longer possess my dreamseer powers. However, I can still communicate with other dreamseers, and other versions of myself, given that they are the ones initiating the connection using their magic."

Tomoyo's eyes widen at the implication of her words, "You're saying that I…"

The Princess reached a hand out and touched Tomoyo's face, "Yes, just like me, you also have the power of a dreamseer, and it's finally awakened in you."

That was completely unexpected, and the girl did not know how to respond.

Princess Tomoyo looked at her seriously, "Daidouji Tomoyo of Tomoeda City… A role waits for you at the end of the journey and you have a choice to make."

"You mentioned this 'role' before… what exactly is it?"

"My friends are on a journey travelling worlds… I have received news from another priestess of a great danger that lies in their journey ahead, and only a dreamseer can help them in the world the awaits them next. Should they fall, the balance between the worlds will crumble and a great calamity will affect all the worlds…"

"But… I don't even know how to use these powers."

"All this time, your body has been learning. With your powers, you can travel to different dream worlds, and I can use my other powers to help guide you to the right place. Will you come and help me?"

Tomoyo opened her mouth, but before she could give a response, a deeper voice had spoken.

"No, she will not be going on this quest of yours."

"Eriol-kun!"

Tomoyo was shocked by Eriol's appearance at the entrance that she had entered from earlier. He looked a little winded, and the pale light from the moon seemed to emphasize that haggard look. It a sight she was not used to seeing on him. He had his staff in one hand, and in the other hand—

"The Dream Card? Sakura-chan?"

"She's not with me, I only borrowed this from her."

As a former Clow Card, there was still some affinity between the Dream Card and the reincarnation of Clow Reed. But having given half of his powers away to Fujitaka, it was very taxing when he used the Dream Card's powers to travel multiple dreams.

The magician entered the room and stood before the two of them.

"Tomoyo-san, you mustn't do this." He looked at the Princess who shared the same face his friend, "We mustn't meddle with the boundaries of the universe."

Princess Tomoyo frowned, "You of all people have no right to say this, Clow Reed."

Eriol flinched at the bitterness in the Princess' voice, it was as if Tomoyo herself was speaking to him, even though it wasn't her. Quickly he schooled his expression.

"That was another lifetime," Tomoyo was the one who spoke before he could give a response, surprising not just him, but also her look-a-like, "He's no longer Clow Reed."

"But he holds his memories. He never told you of the things he did that caused so much pain for others. If you even knew a fraction of the things he had done, you would agree with me."

"And he will live with the memories of whatever regrets Clow-san had in his lifetime," Tomoyo responded with a firmer voice; her expression then softened, "But he doesn't have to let those regrets plague his current life. He withholds information because he knows the pain of knowing too much, but in his own way, he has helped Sakura-chan—helped us—time and time again. He is his own person too, no one should judge him for his past life."

Eriol was so stunned by Tomoyo's words that he nearly missed how the same words were affecting the Princess. Her expression crumpled, and despair filled her eyes. It was such a tragic sight for him to see the Princess looking so full of anguish that Eriol felt something clench in him. He'd never want to see Tomoyo looking like this.

"I'm sorry…" The Princess finally spoke, "Ever since I had given up my dreamseer powers, I have been unable to communicate with my friends. It's just been so long that I have begun to lose faith of being able to see them again. I became too consumed in my negative thoughts..."

Tomoyo was the one who stroked the Princess' face this time. She too, remembered a time when she was so consumed by darkness. Every now and then, the memory still haunts her, but luckily, she had people around her who could support her.

Princess Tomoyo just needed a supportive hand.

"Will it help if I gave you my powers instead? Is that doable?"

"Tomoyo-san…"

"Touya-san has done it for Yue-san, for Yukito-san," Eriol met her gaze when she turned to look at him, "Surely I can do the same too right?"

"Yes, but…"

"If you give me your powers, you may never use them again."

"Hmm, it will be a shame to part from these powers. I had always wished to have magic, but I think you would be able to make use of it better than me. Besides, in our world, there's the Dream Card, and I already I know two people already who are better at me at this."

"Are you truly sure?"

Tomoyo nodded as she held her look-a-like's hands in her own and gave them a gentle squeeze, "Don't lose hope. I'm sure you will be able to find them now."

Tears fell from the Princess' eyes, "Thank you."

Eriol knelt before the two of them and held their clasped hands.

"I can help with the transfer."

"Are you sure you won't regret it?"

They were no longer in Princess Tomoyo's dream. Instead, they were in one of Eriol's, since he was still using the Dream Card. In this dreamscape, it was daytime; they were standing in a meadow filled with flowers, and in a distance, atop a large hill, stood western castle.

"Well… it doesn't seem like I can bring my video camera with me in my dreams or work on costumes," Tomoyo sighed as she raised her arm, as if she were holding a video camera, "I won't be able to make good use of my time helping Sakura-chan if I start gallivanting across dreamscapes and alternate universes."

The girl dropped her arm as she sank to her knees in the green grass beneath her, she reached for a purple flower in front of her, "When I read the books that you lent me, it made me realize just how vast this other world was. I started to really understand the weight that comes with one who carries magic. It's a great responsibility to be a magician, and I think I'm better suited supporting these very magicians who carry these great responsibilities on their shoulders."

Tomoyo looked up at Eriol and smiled at him, "I'll try to keep them grounded so they don't get too lost in their quest to keep the world at peace."

Her words expressed a wisdom far beyond her age.

"Tomoyo…" Eriol repeated her name in his head. In her name were the characters for 'wisdom' and 'world'—she was almost a living embodiment of her name.

"Tomoyo…"

"Hm? Did you say something?"

The magician shook his head, instead he walked over to Tomoyo and offered a hand to her, "I think it's time for Sleeping Beauty to wake up now."

"Except, the sleeping princess wakes up when her prince kisses her," Tomoyo thought to herself, "What kind of story does it become when it's a magician who finds her?"

"So, what's on your mind Tomoyo-hime?"

Looking up, the girl blushed and shook her head.

"No, it's nothing," Tomoyo reached for Eriol's hand and stood up.

The Dream Card began to glow in his other hand as he activated it to send them back to the real world.

"Thank you for coming to get me Eriol-kun."

"Anytime."

a/n: This is an AU tribute fic to Wish-chan's "The New Trials of Cardcaptor Sakura and Friends" (HAPPY 20 YEARS!) so I don't even know where in the NT timeline it would fall in, so let's just call it an alternate NT world cuz it's so TRC-inspired, lol. It's the second part to "The Dreamscape Chronicles" but can be a standalone from the first part (Visions of Snow White). The POV kinda jumps all over the place because I wanted to focus on what's going on while Tomoyo is dreaming, but wanted to limit that, so you get like a bit of Eriol, Sakura, and even a snippet from Leiyun. Yeah, I know I'm shocked too, LOL.

Those in the NT-fandom (well, maybe just the Yahoo Group) who know me will know that I'm a huge ET-shipper. So thanks to TRC/Holic, I have a headcanon that there is some world in CLAMP that exists out there in CLAMPverse where ET is a thing. Whatever floats my boat, right? LOL.

Bitter!Tomoyo-hime was a completely unexpected development! I originally meant for her to be super neutral (kinda like Yuuko from TRC), but I was suddenly inspired by the idea of impending Eriol vs Tomoyo-hime showdown (where they are fighting over Tomoyo-cuz I wasn't sure what I wanted Tomoyo to do with her dreamseer powers) that this somehow happened… so somehow it made sense that she was only being antagonistic towards Eriol (well, Clow mainly cuz he started it, really) because she was just so desperate to help her friends. The reason it actually took me longer to upload this was because I spent days wondering if I should rewrite the whole bitter!Tomoyo-hime portion but alas, it's really taken root and I couldn't undo it. It also has to do with the fact I kinda took sadistic joy in Eriol being uncomfortable being on the receiving end of Tomoyo's "hatred" (in the form of Tomoyo-hime), lol.

Anyways~is Debussy too OOC of a piece for Eriol? I just thought Claire de Lune fits because it fits with Tomoyo's dreams. Moonlight Sonata is a bit heavy IMO~~Debussy would've been like a contemporary of Clow Reed's since they probably existed around the same period so Clow may or may not have heard much of him depending on how long he had lived, where he was in the world, and whatnot, but this is Eriol here, so I'd like to think he has his own differences :3 Other pieces I thought of having him play included Debussy's The Girl With The Flaxen Hair, Liszt's Liebestraum No. 3 (maybe this one has too much romantic context, lol), Satie's Gymnopédie or Liszt's arrangement of Schubert's Serenade, but whatever it is, you probably get the idea of what kind music he was playing right?

Random moments that don't make it to this chapter: Tomoyo would later ask to keep what was left of the dreamcatcher and she occasionally wears it as a bangle bracelet of sorts. When she's not wearing it, it's wrapped up in the handkerchief that Eriol gave her and tucked away safely in her treasure box :3 Also~Princess Tomoyo gets her powers back and happily connects with her travelling friends. Whether she meets Tomoyo in dreams again can be totally up to your imagination!

Thank you for reading 3