Chapter 36: For There To Be A Rainbow

Release date: October 1st, 2001 

Word count: 20.820

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Thoughts: The title for this chapter is really special with the rainbow colours. Nice way to present the finale of Arc 2!

In the grand scheme of things, it's inconvenient for the contest to be prolonged one extra day. The Seijou Middle School crew can chill at the Akagi estate for as long as they want, but what about the four other people who made the final? 

I can't stand public speaking so I appreciate reading about S&S's anxiety and how they would rather be facing a dark force. 

Takashi's answer to what does the music box represent is great. Telling the story of Pandora falls into step with his character.

I remember S&S's portion because they were hopelessly contradictory to one another when answering where they found the box and when did they meet.

Though Sakura wanted to keep the music box (designed by Shing!) she did offer it to Syaoran if he wanted to keep his most valuable treasure there. He replied, "Nah, don’t think it will fit in it." Heeheehee!

This chapter has the first appearance of The Riddle. My, that is going to be one pesky card!

"Throw a stone into a lake; it never reaches the bottom. Look at your reflection; nothing is seen. Cry your heart out; tears don’t fall. Give your soul; face betrayal" is a riddle where the answer is love, even though that's pretty depressing. I wondered if Wish-chan made it up herself so I Googled it. All hits led to NT with the exception of a 2004 fic that clearly used this riddle for its own purposes without sourcing.

Chapter 35: It Must Rain First

Release date: August 31st, 2001 

Word count: 17,169

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Thoughts: Out of the five events in the contest (sandcastle building contest, the obstacle course, the talent show, the scavenger hunt, and the questionnaire) I remember the talent show the most and have no recollection of the obstacle course

Erika and Aki stole S&S's sandcastle by switching numbers and 2003 me was absolutely furious as I saw in an email I sent Wish-chan ("GRR!! Stupid Erika and Aki! THEY SHOULD BE PUNISHED!!"). 

Erika's saboteur ways continue with her tampering the obstacle course's bridge with oil. I'm surprised that Aki is putting up with her schemes. Instead he devises additional ways of cheating.

After reading about that gruelling obstacle course, no wonder I blocked it out of my mind. Maybe I would have remembered if there was a fanart of Syaoran carrying Sakura across the finish line. 

Tomoyo's a great manager but she really dropped the ball when springing the violin performances for the talent show at the last minute. She had their instruments since she arrived to Kusakou, after all. 

Wish-chan's descriptions of the acts: "Some sang, some played the piano, some performed skits, some danced, some made fools of themselves." Savage!!

I absolutely adored Takashi and Chiharu's skit to pieces! So glad that Wish-chan fleshed it out. 

The way Wish-chan described S&S's talent show performance is so beautiful. It's moments like these that I wish NT was animated. 

Chapter 34.5: Chiharu and Takashi's Special (Sincerity)

Release date: June 30th, 2001 

Word count: 3021

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Thoughts: This is the first chapter I ever read of New Trials. I was a huge Takashi and Chiharu fan and I gobbled up the very few fanfics that featured them. Nothing was able to hold a candle to Sincerity and I promptly caught up with the chapters. My original reviews from 2003 are still on FF (which we called ff.net back in the day!).

The problem with T&C being a tertiary couple was the fact that there is a ridiculously small amount of information about them so many of the same plot points circle around. But in this special, Wish-chan invents fresh backstories that are completely believable.

Takashi and Chiharu have a bond like no other couple. On paper they seem to be such opposites but the flashback shows why they click.

The tie-ins to canon is top notch. Takashi names his bear Suama instead of Chiharu to her frustration in the show, but in the chapter it's his favourite dessert that he gives him. 

Takashi notes how a lot of his friends have missing parents. This is also a common theme in Disney movies.

The title "Sincerity" seems ironic due to Takashi's endless lies. But it refers to his true feelings, the ones that never wavered since he proposed at six-years-old, and that's so special. 

Fanart spotlight: Wish-chan moved me to tears when she dedicated this Takashi and Chiharu fanart to me shortly after I joined the NT team in 2003. Back then, fanfiction was my life and to be recognized like this was a first. I was in my first wave of NT involvement when I started uploading the chapters where Digidynasty left off. There's not a lot of T&C fanart out there so I enjoy them immensely. 

Chapter 34: Beyond the Widest Ocean

Release date: June 30th, 2001 

Word count: 8524

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Thoughts: It took some time, but Chiharu finally blew up at Takashi for not taking anything seriously. I used to hate conflict until it dawned on me that more problems equal more "screen" time, which is why the end of Arc 2 is the peak of T&C content.

Syaoran and Sakura are finally having the long overdue conversation about how Eron and Erika are their enemies. Sakura's speech to him about how it was important to give the twins a chance despite everything was so powerful and very Sakura-like, especially since the method worked so well with Syaoran.

Chiharu being saved by Kaitou and getting to ride his motorcycle is quite the fantasy come true.

Syaoran makes the first reference of the puppy Leiyun gave him as a child. Because I already read Syaoran's special, chronologically speaking Sakura is supposed to know this, which is why I was surprised when Sakura forgot what happened. But Wish-chan didn't release Syaoran's special so to anyone reading this in chapter released order, this is new information.

Miho going around stamping X and ? symbols on everyone seems to be one of the last anime-ish qualities of NT before it takes a more serious tone in Arc 3.

There's a really sweet scene where Takashi confides in Sakura about his problems with Chiharu. This is the first time they had a meaningful conversation in all of their years of knowing each other!

Our three Seijou couples introduced themselves in this chapter. Takashi was able to be serious and give an honest apology. Plus, it's sweet that Syaoran prepped beforehand with the sunrise conversation from Chapter 4 or else Sakura would have suffered from stage fright.

Fanart spotlight: Here's another prompt for Fanart100 that got an upgrade after I tweaked around with Miho in Wish-chan's Girls of NT drawing. Where? is a collaboration between Wish-chan's piece and my original fanart. It was fun erasing the locket and fashioning a magnifying glass!

Chapter 33: Finding You

Release date: June 30th, 2001 

Word count: 11,278

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Thoughts: Sakura falling asleep on Syaoran or vice versa is probably one of Wish-chan's favourite things considering the amount of times it happens and the amount of fanart out there.

Signs of the times! When Syaoran was explaining how he removed the tracker, he talked about using the floppy disk program. Man, I haven't used a floppy disk since the late nineties.

While it was a stupid move of Syaoran to accidentally keep the tracker after dislocating it, the scene where S&S had to jump off the train so the police won't meet then at the station was exhilarating. 

Kero-chan is reunited with Sakura and their reunion reminds me of my clingy cat when I come home from work. 

The police's reaction to the Kaitou charges being dropped ("All the police were turning super-deformed, crying half because of relief, half because they felt taken advantage of.") is probably the last anime-esque reference in New Trials and would probably meet the chopping block when Wish-chan edits the chapter.

I'm a cat person, but Wolfie-chan's entrance and utter fondness for Syaoran is endearing!

It's a good thing that the Akagi estate is big enough since it has to hold Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, Takashi, Chiharu, Rika, Erika, Aki, Eron and Miho! 

There's more bickering than usual on the Takashi and Chiharu front to foreshadow their mini story arc. 

Takashi mentions that the town came with a werewolf story but there was no elaboration. The fun part of a NT re-read is spotting the foreshadowing!

Fanart spotlight: It may look like a regular portrait of Kai, but what Selenity drew is an exact description of what he was wearing when he visited Sakura in the middle of the night. I always love how Wish-chan is so good as describing outfits. It's a huge plus for the artists in the community! 

Chapter 32: Believe Me When the Sun Rises

Release date: June 21st, 2001 

Word count: 12,892

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Thoughts: The Phantom makes its first appearance when it tries to take over Syaoran's body. It's a scary dark force, but I think The Plague was worse.

Syaoran sets up a date with Sakura at a fancy Italian restaurant. I don't remember the outcome, but I have a sinking feeling that it's not going to happen. In comes the Kinomoto clan! Of course Syaoran dawdled behind to learn how to free Kaitou. 

I'm glad that Syaoran managed to make it even if he was an hour late.

This is the second time that I have no memory of an S&S almost kiss. He actually takes her in his arms arms and tells her that she's a special person to him when she remembered that cold day last winter and ran away. Fellow fans, can we blame Syaoran for simply catching Sakura off guard all three times he kisses her later on in the series? And of course there's that kiss that doesn't count…

The fact that Kaitou and Tomoyo were spying the whole time was hilarious. 

When Sakura is calling her grandfather out for stealing a Tanaka family heirloom, I don't think she realizes that it's Miho's family.

Sakura faces off with The Phantom after he possessed Tomoyo's father, but it turns out to be the first Dark Force that she is unable to seal the first time. 

Sakura used so much energy against The Phantom that The Shield broke. But then she and Syaoran escaped with The Fly and The Invisible. I don't think Sakura would have been able to have enough power but Wish-chan does get more conscious of that later on in the series. 

Arima giving S&S the key to her estate in Kusakou is something I remember clearly. S&S hijacking a police car shortly after to get to the train station-- not so much.

Sakura and Syaoran's first kiss was absolutely magical. Why they just didn't become a couple then and there is beyond me. Next kiss will be the Star-Crossed one!

Fanart spotlight: There was no question about it. S&S's First Kiss by Wish-chan is probably one of the sweetest fanarts in the fandom. Sunrises has been an important theme for them. Sakura is so pretty in her blue dress. I think that's the one she wore on her Italian dinner date with Syaoran.