Chapter 14: The Winter Wonderland

Release date: Summer or Fall 2000

Word count: 6570

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Thoughts: The brief moment where Sakura and Erika bonded over annoying brothers was sweet.

Even though she split them apart, Wish-chan is such an S&S shipper. When Sakura gets smashed with the soccer ball, of course Syaoran will be the first at her side and then secretly heal her bruisings. 

Erika calls Eron out by saying he would use concealer and foundation before he'd let anyone see his flaws. Wish-chan did mention that Eron was metrosexual.

Not a fan of Syaoran and Erika's ongoing phone conversations. At least he shuts down the notion that he's her boyfriend. 

The "If you have a good idea of how to beat this thing, I’ll get you anything you want” bet is so sweet.

How Wish-chan managed to calculate the fact of throwing a combo of Windy and Maze at the nucleus would capture The Twister is beyond me. 

First mention of Aki-kun! He went from condescending joke to tertiary character with multiple appearances and a back story.

Fanart spotlight: This fanart wasn't drawn specifically for Chapter 14, but when Shiyae-chan said that it was inspired by Arc 1, I thought it would be fitting to represent the fight against The Twister. I love the way Sakura's hair is twirling! 

Chapter 13: The Twisted Winter Concert

Release date: Summer 2000

Word count: 6584

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Thoughts: It's only the beginning of November for me, yet I can't help but feel jealous of NT!Sakura for finishing her Christmas shopping.

I'm glad that we're at the point where Meilin realizes that she no longer had feelings for Syoaran. Just because it was the second time doesn't make it easier. 

  

Eron and Erika talk about the day when they would finally come into their full power. Has this actually happened? 

Both Sakura and Syoaran independently use wind to combat the The Twister and they both fail miserably. I like the way their thoughts aligned. 

Sakura used The Stone to hold The Twister in place. I think this is the first time she used one of the newer cards.

Chapter 13 marks the debut of Wish-chan's own website with Geocities (shout out to the 2000s kids!). For a recount on her history with NT's various homes, Wish-chan wrote a blog post. 

Fanart spotlight: The only thing that jumped out at me and didn't seem too impossible to draw was Eron's chemistry experiment. It's a rather odd plot device to make Syaoran violin one. I don't think we see Eron working on experiments again. 

Chapter 12: Till You Turn to Me (A Night of Betrayed Love)

Release date: Summer 2000

Word count: 11,364

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Thoughts: The theory that Nadeshiko is clumsy because she uses her second sight is quite clever. 

I recall Ryurren's hair being cut off, but I had no recollection that The Whip was the culprit! Speaking of hair, he explains that the long hair was a sign of passing the Ordeal, which he did at 16. There's no way a person's hair can grow that much in a year. 

So Nadeshiko gets to confess halfway through Arc I and Sakura can't get there even though we're almost at the end of Arc IV? Ouch.

It was a nice touch to see the twins being included during the Sunday shopping trip. It makes them tagging along to New York make more sense. 

The Amamiya diamond makes its debut! 

When I first read this chapter, I felt it was the most random event in NT. But once we learn that the ghost was Sakura's aunt and the lonely man had been waiting for her, it's all so incredibly sad. 

I didn't notice before, but S&S facing off the mad man as a team is how they overcame the awkwardness from what happened on the bridge.

"The whole class held out an umbrella to block the spray of saliva as their sensei shouted." ~ I know these anime-like cues will disappear as Wish-chan matures as a writer but for now I'm very entertained. 

Fanart spotlight: When I read the passage, "Warmly taking his hands, Sakura said, “My mother died when I was a child, yet know that she is with me, watching over my family. I’m sure Fujiko-san is doing the same.", I immediately thought of this doodle by scribbletalk. It was actually posted on her Facebook so I don't think there's a dA link. Indirect, but none the less fitting.  Edit: I received permission from the artist to post it on dA so here's the fanart!

Chapter 11: Say Goodbye (To Yesterday)

Release Date: Summer 2000

Word count: 4268

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Thoughts: I love how New Trials is peppered with super cute Takashi and Chiharu moments like in CCS. It's what made me fall for them then and it's what continues to make me lobe them to this day. The way Takashi invited Chiharu to the Winter Wonderland is so them! 

I don't even skate so I would be mortified if a field trip to the rink included competitive relay races. I completely forgot this scene existed. 

It's nice to see some good old fashion angst in Sakura towards Erika even if she does question herself about it. Yes, she does see the good in everyone, but it's fun to see her feeling jealous. 

First mention of there being sunshine after the rain! It's a theme that Wish-chan holds close to her. 

Syaoran telling Sakura that he no longer has special feelings for her still feels like a punch in the gut even though I've remembered how this scene went down since reading it in 2003. 

I had absolutely no recollection of the scene where Touya chases Sakura after she makes fun of how Kaho dumping him. It was pretty funny!

Fanart spotlight: Out of all of the fanart collected over the years, this is the only one without a credit. Posted on a NT gallery Geocities site or maybe shared in the Yahoo group, Sakura in the Park has always been anonymous. Because it's a direct fanart from the chapter (even if Sakura isn't in winter wear), I am highlighting it today. 

Chapter 10: Icy Barrier

Release Date: Summer 2000

Word count: 4474

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Thoughts: I love the details that Wish-chan gives with each and every battle costume. We probably wouldn't have this dimension if she wasn't an artist herself. Little would she know that these details would be appreciated for years to come by fanartists. That's why I created the Dark Force Guide!

It was nice to have Sakura's thinking process about which attack Card to use. I feel like we haven't had that in a long time. The Emotions are a lot more personal and can only be resolved by the person undergoing the sensation.  

"If you don’t… If you give up, I’ll take your goddamn body and kill you over again." Woah. That's a Syaoran sentence that wouldn't pass in NT of today.

Even though Meilin assigned herself as Sakura's rival, it's really sweet to see her take care of Sakura while she was recovering from the icy barrier incident.

Ahhh, Sakura contemplating death this early on makes the April Fool's Day Massacre even more chilling. And Sakura asking Syaoran what would he do if he lost his powers practically confirms that Wish-chan knew what she was doing at the end of Arc 3. Sakura even dreams about chasing a shadowy figure disappearing in the mist, which is just another all too familiar scene. 

Fanart spotlight: Icy Barriers by Wish-chan may seem like just another sketch to our dear author, but for us it's a precious gem. I can only imagine the amount of unfinished treasures there are out there and I really, really hope that we'll get to see more no matter how rough the draft. 

Chapter 9: Ticket to the Winter Rhapsody

Release Date: Summer 2000

Word count: 5846

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Thoughts: Wish-chan was pretty upset at the beginning when the finale of CCS ruined her fanfic, but I really love how she did predict that Syaoran would leave for a period of time before coming back. Her scenario is very believable. It's funny how she complains about how she hates endings and when you fast forward 17 years, NT is still going.

The point by point passage of why Sakura wasn't too keen about having an audience while training is something that would be completely forbidden later on. It's kind of fun watching Wish-chan experiment with things.

The first time we see Miho's last name is in the signature of Tomoyo's letter from CompTech International. 

Fanart spotlight: This is the first chapter that didn't have a fanart tied to it so I sketched out the scene that jumped out at me the most. I titled it 'The Rope in Action' and I like the way it turned out even if the flaws are obvious. 

Chapter 8: The Angel of Hallow's Eve

Release Date: Spring or Summer 2000

Word count: 6173

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Thoughts: Happy October! Seeing how Tumblr loves celebrating Halloween the moment September is over, I'm definitely in the spirit (ha, ha) to dive into this chapter. 

I liked the scene where Sakura used The Firey, The Power and The Illusion. For a fic about CCS, it's a lot more about character and story development rather than the Cards ~ especially the original ones.

I barely remembered the training session, let alone Sakura punching Syaoran in the stomach. Like Syaoran, I didn't see it coming!

The way Tomoyo is pulling on Syaoran's strings is hilarious from making him dress up to roping him to compete against Eron.

Remember in the early days when Wish-chan called cell phones "handphones"? There's a name that didn't stand the test of time.

Halloween is the only night that The Haunt can do as it pleases. After breaking its contract this time, it never does it again even if there has been other Halloween specials. Forgotten plot point or did the resealing have a permanent effect?

Fanart spotlight: Another classic fanart from Asumei! Not only did she draw this adorable Chibi S&S fanart, but there's a companion piece featuring Eron and Erika in their costumes.