Chapter 57: The Gathering

Release date: August 23rd, 2008

Word count: 30,319

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Thoughts: This chapter signifies the two year mark in NT time since Syaoran transferred back to Japan and the new threat of the Dark Ones was introduced. It took Wish-chan nine years to get here.

Arc 2's summer was jammed pack with the Tokyo adventure and the detailed Best Couple contest at the Kusakou mountains. At least Wish-chan highlighted Syaoran's 17th birthday in omake form (and inadvertently confirmed Syaoran's NT age). Does the fall semester start in August or September? I would think the latter but the weather is still hot.

For the first time since Arc 2, Meilin is once again a Seijou student. Wish-chan's fanart of the Chibi cast in their junior high uniforms is misleading because Meilin was never a student when Eriol, Miho and Kai joined the school. Now if only she could transfer to Japan in CCS:CC!

Kai's makeover to Mikai was absolutely hilarious. And now he's a grade above Sakura's class! Airing out his family history in a middle of a crowd was a bit much for my taste, but maybe Kai thought Miho would create less of a scene if he causes one first.

Though Kai did offer the Five Force Swore and kept the sapphire ring as collateral to make sure that the Li Clan actually did treat him, we learn that Kara was the one who convinced Leiyun to treat Kai and keep him alive in the first place. I wonder if she saw Kai being the Mizuki in Leiyun's circle as opposed to Sakura's.

Kai told Sakura that he saw a Shing painting of a little girl who looked like her. If it wasn't for Asumei's fanart, I wouldn't know what he was talking about. The quote from Ch 20 is in the comments section.

“It’s just another trip. And with my luck, I’ll probably get attacked by another dark force.” Yeah Sakura, you won't even SEE this one coming (what, too soon?).

Woohoo, we get an adorable Chiharu and Takashi kiss during Truth or Dare. Takashi's reaction was priceless. 

I think it's great that we got to visit the original Mizuki Shrine in this chapter. Meilin having to take a punishment for lying during Truth or Dare was a great plot device to get to this point.

If I had to choose between losing sight or losing hearing, I would choose hearing. And at this point Sakura gets to experience them both. I think she had a harder time when her hearing went missing in Arc 3. 

I wonder if Sakura was having trouble with her cards because the moon was completely dark. 

I remember my mind being blown when it was Syaoran of all people who saved Sakura from the cliff. Too bad she thought it was Eron. As much as I loved this scene, I forgot that this was the first time since the Plague that he used his right arm.

In one of the recent chapters, Sakura was a bit bitter that she was the only descendant not to meet her Great 5 ancestor. She probably counts Kara out on the account of not knowing her but Kai trained with Mayura, Ruichi and Risa directly called upon Eron and Erika and I'm going to guess that Syaoran met Shulin in the Dragon Isles but I don't remember who saw who with the exception of Sakura and Ryuuren. But she does meet an imprint Hayashi in her dream.

Eight years ago Melanie did a test photoshoot inspired by the Veil! You can see the shots here. 

Fanart spotlight: This is the first time that I'm featuring my own work even though there is existing fanart for this chapter. My MS Paint drawing of Eriol, Tomoyo and Aki at the campfire was really important to me because it was the first time I drew characters. And Sakura's been featured in all of the fanart spotlights since Chapter 51 so it was time to switch things up.