Chapter 7: Pains of Misunderstanding / How to Shatter a Heart

Blast from the past: I knew that this was my least favourite chapter but after re-reading it, it wasn't as bad as I remembered it being. Re-reading a moody Eriol was actually kind of fun. I do like the fact that there were multiple spirits that made an appearance in this chapter. It's easy to plot out a storyline from having a spirit in the wild to capturing it while completely forgetting that there are quite a few cards at my disposal.

The New Trials Connection: For all of its faults, I am delighted that past me created this juvenile delinquent of a character who seems to be cut from the same cloth as Mizuki Kai. Another connection is that this chapter features misunderstandings, which occurs quite frequently through out New Trials, especially when the characters are too stubborn to talk to each other!

Reading the relaunch: One of my favourite changed that Jeremy made was that he had Tomoyo shop for Eriol's Christmas present rather than a three month anniversary gift because it's way less cheesy. He also gave some more depth to one of my throw away characters that really made me laugh. He also created a scene between the Argument and Cuddle, which I loved.

Review spotlight: I really beat myself up in the author's note so there was a whole lot of consoling going on in the reviews. This one comes from an old classmate and I laughed when I re-read it so it gets a spotlight: 

It really wasn't all that bad at all.. I quite enjoyed it. Very different from your other chapters, but refreshingly so. I especially liked the realistic anger in eriol's original reaction to Tomoyo kissing the stranger.. A swift punch with no mercy... heheheh, that's exactly what I'd expect from someone as emotionally charged as Eriol. Great job, don't be so hard on yourself.

Art: I wasn't too excited to draw The Argument since he's hands down my least favourite and there's no pretty outfit to design this time around, but I'm glad that I gave him funky hair. My goal was to ultimately make him look different that Wish-chan's Kai even though they do share similarities.

Up next: I actually don't remember. I know that there's one spirit left though I don't know who it is and that it's a two part finale but I can't remember anything expect for an intimate S&S scene that I'm part mortified and part looking forward to revisiting! 

Chapter 6: A Different Perspective / Bravery

Blast from the past: I was really looking forward to getting to this chapter. All this time of writing Destined Love, I was playing into CCS fandom tropes (Sakura and Syaoran being the best couple ever, finding a way to bring Eriol and Tomoyo together and honing in on Takashi and Chiharu's commitment to each other) but I finally got to go off the beaten track with Kai. It was brand new territory and I got to call the shots. So without even thinking about it, I wrote what I knew and came up with a shy, self-conscious teen who was way too hard on himself. Lucky for him (and me), he finds himself a solid group of friends who encourage him to be more confident in himself.

The New Trials Connection: Wish-chan has a plethora of original characters but let's face it -- we all know that Mizuki Kai is everyone's favourite. It makes me really happy that our OCs share the same name even though they couldn't be more opposite from one another. Also in New Trials, Wish-chan breaks Rika and Terada-sensei up, but that girl is loyal to canon and they eventually find their way back to each other. To be fair, I also paired Rika and Terada up in my strictly canon Before They Remembered series. Interestingly enough, while my Kai and Wish-chan's Kai are nothing alike, if I had to compare him to one character in New Trials, it would be Yutaka Ichiro, the shy boy who tries to pursue Rika but she turns him down.

The second New Trials connection is that both Wish-chan and I created the Heal Card. While hers is physical and mine is emotional, I think it's pretty cool that we share a card name.

Reading the relaunch: I created Kai's last name by combining two of the characters' last names from Digimon (Ken and Tai). Jeremy was quick to point out that 'Ichimaya' wasn't real and quickly renamed him Ishikawa Kai instead, which I used for my version 2.0. Other additions that I found enjoyable was a reunion between Chiharu and Rika along with a scene where Chiharu and Sakura tried (and failed) to comfort Rika. Finally, he makes a reference to the first story in my Before They Remembered series, Cherry Blossom and Little Wolf by noting how parental the Heal is. How sweet!

Review spotlight: One of the best parts of being in a fanfiction community is cultivating friendships. Musouka-Sama (formerly known as Kan-chan) and I would read and review each others' stories, which was always so much fun. I dedicated this chapter to her because she was the one who gave me an idea that allowed this chapter to come to life.

OOOOOOOO! you didn't have to do the dedication! having your support is enough _ KAI WAS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET! _ HEEHEEHEE! onto the next chappy!

Art: This was my first time drawing an older woman and I'm really satisfied with the results. I wasn't sure if I could pull off the bun without making it look like a ball but it worked out! This time around the wings are more on the angel side rather than the fairy side, and I was inspired by the way Jeremy connected his relaunched version of this chapter to my Cherry Blossom and Little Wolf fic when the Heal reminded Sakura of her mom.

Up next: After many suggestions from my readers, I try my hand at angst and as it was out of my mushy, fluffy wheelhouse, I wasn't too thrilled with the result. So now is a good time to take a break and switch my focus to the 31 Days of New Trials (a new prompt for every day of August) as we build up to the 21st anniversary of New Trials! I'll be back in September.

Chapter 5: Together at Last / An Unorthodox Reunion

Blast from the past: I actually had a line in my original version that started off with, "Thanks to the Internet, they were able to chat…". Oh what a novelty online used to be. I didn't start using the Internet until 2002 even though it's been around longer. There was also an adjustment period that I wasn't so warm to embrace. 

I don't know if I was the one being naive to believe that Chiharu's parents would throw themselves to her whims about moving back or if I just made it work in her favour without thinking.

I must have been really excited to get this chapter out because the amount of mistakes in the first version is nothing short of embarrassing!

The New Trials Connection: The running away theme has come up in New Trials. Kai ran away after his family fell apart. Syaoran ran away from home the moment the threat of the Dark Ones surfaced. Meilin ran away with Kai in Arc 4. Sakura and Syaoran ran off to Tokyo in Arc 2 and then ran off to Hong Kong just before the Great Elder died. 

Wish-chan crafted some excellent lies for Takashi in New Trials. I especially loved it when it tied into the chapter or story arc. 

Reading the relaunch: What I love the most about this remastered chapter is that off the bat KID-Z4P has Takashi living alone, which totally fills up the plot hole of how he managed to keep a girl in his room under his parents' nose. Another positive point is that Takashi finally got some sense knocked into him and named his bear, 'Chiharu'!

Review spotlight: When I go back to read the reviews from fellow CCS fans, they're usually always along the lines of 'so cute' or 'very romantic' or 'love this story'. This review is from Mirian, one of my oldest friends since 1998, and even though she's pretty much identified all of my plot holes, I'm glad to say that her inquisitive nature hasn't changed one bit after all these years! 

Finally, Takashi and Chiharu are together. As they should be. I'm surprised Takashi's parents didn't realize a girl was staying in his room. Was Chiharu saving up money to run away? How did she pay for the plane ride? Her parents must really care about her to move for her needs and chapter did reveal that love knows no bounds. Very well written.

Art: To my disappointment, the Unite is described the same way as the Rendezvous. However, since I was not satisfied with how young the Rendezvous came out, I took the opportunity to do things differently this time around and I think the Unite looks more mature. I have never done a looking over the shoulder fanart and I loved how it turned out. The outfit is designed after the dress that Wish-chan drew for Sakura during Syaoran's 18th birthday extravaganza in Chapter 73.5.

Chapter 4: A Night to Remember

Blast from the past: When I wrote this I had never been on a date myself so it was pure daydreaming and living through Sakura and Syaoran at this point. I thought I was progressive when I set Sakura up to proudly pay for half of the dinner but I know now that it's a lot more gallant when the guy treats the girl. Plus we all know that Syaoran's family is loaded! On my first date a few years later he paid for the dinner while I covered the movies. The cringiest part of this chapter was that out of all the fancy food I could have had them eat, I chose chow mein and dim sum. I wanted to sound exotic, but oh my gosh, it is such plain food. I switched those out for kobe beef and grilled lobster. After that it was smooth sailing and the special kiss still makes me grin from ear to ear.

The New Trials Connection: Both the Romance and the Kaitou Magician wear tuxedos! My inspiration was Tuxedo Mask. We have also seen Kai and Meilin go to a fancy restaurant on their Arc 3 date and later on that's where Syaoran takes Sakura before the mess with the Plague. Wish-chan then introduces La Seine, which ended up capturing the kind of ambiance that I was going for when I wrote this chapter.

Reading the relaunch: Alas, there was no companion chapter of 'A Night to Remember' in CardCaptor Chronicles. Jeremy simply stated that every couple in Destined Love had two chapters each with the exception of S&S who had three. And it's clear that this filler chapter in no way moves the story forward.

Review spotlight: This review is from Rhea, who was one of my online penpals back in 2003. The conversations will always start off CCS-based but then you get to know the people on a more personal level. I met her while she was actively seeking out participants to vote on her CCS fanfic poll. I remember that Little Wolf LOVER was number one because her stories were addicting and salacious. I also remember that Peacewish made it on the top authors list and The New Trials of CardCaptor Sakura and Friends made it on the top fanfic list. It was her poll that allowed me to open my eyes and search for the diamond fanfics in the rough.

That's sweet. ) Your fanfiction has very nice romance scenes... I wasn't disapointed! I think I'll keep reading it now. You've got me hooked. hehe. The romance card, what a sweet card to keep...

Art: I was pretty impressed with the way the Romance's outfit turned out! It's my second time drawing a tux. Red is my go-to choice for the tie colour so I had to choose a different route. The gold looks really nice with the black. At first I was upset with the way the wings came out so uneven, but after colouring them in they didn't look so bad. I didn't mention anything of him having them in the chapter, but I decided to keep with the theme of giving all of these spirits wings. The Romance's wings are inspired by his bow tie.

Up next: It's finally time to pick up with Takashi and Chiharu's story in Chapter 5: Together at Last. Will our two lovebirds confess their feelings for each other?

Chapter 3: Renewing Old Friendships / Blast From the Past

Blast from the past: Takashi and Chiharu are my favourite anime pairing on the grounds that they are so adorable and there is very little conflict to cause too much strife for the couple. Yes Chiharu does get short tempered with Takashi's tall tales but at the end of the day they are extremely loyal to one another. Re-reading this chapter was extra sweet and it gave me the opportunity to switch out the 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.' with '-san' along with switching 'Mom and Dad' with Okaa-san and Otou-san'. It was also fun for me to write about a "seductive" character, which was out of my mush and fluff wheelhouse. I really loved how Takashi stepped up to the plate.

The New Trials connection: It was my love for Takashi and Chiharu that led me to New Trials in the first place. I didn't start New Trials from the Prologue like the majority of fans. I scoured the Internet to the best of my ability to collect any T&C fanart (I still remember my favourite one) and read every fanfic. When I read Chiharu and Takashi Special Story: Sincerity I was amazed with how the author was able to explore beyond the tropes and really flesh out these characters' backstories. It didn't take long before falling in love with the fic all together! In return, Wish-chan  embraced my enthusiasm and inserted the sweetest T&C snippet about missing beads. I then asked my friend Dragurok to illustrate it. Another connection that that in Arc 4 of NT, Wish-chan starts to introduce the Emotions such as the Pride, the Despair and the Jealousy. These cards have an influence on emotions, just like how the Seduce had an influence on Chiharu's behaviour.

Reading the relaunch: I was very curious to see how Jeremy (KID-Z4P) would treat my OTP. I liked the way that he didn't have Chiharu live in Tokyo because that sounded rather cliché. I made the change in my own fic to have her live in Odaiba as well. I asked Jeremy which fanart he would like to see and he said Eriol linking his arm with Syaoran before running as it was really funny. His brand new aftermath scene when Syaoran commented on Eriol's weirdness increasing with age was a great addition. Another new scene was when Takashi dances with Chiharu after she asked if she wanted a good time. Oh my goodness!! Yes, that's hands down my definition of a good time. Out of everything that was done in the revamp so far, that had been my favourite part!!!

Review spotlight: Past me would have been very surprised that present me is sharing this review. I received my first bit of constructive criticism from my friend John in college, but I reacted to it as if it was a flame. Nonetheless it did make me realize that I did not have to excessively fall back the same tropes that my generation of fanfic writers got too used to. It was the wake-up call I needed!

um... this chapter was rather... suggestive...

I would think that a card named Seduce would be a little bit less... direct...

Nice chapter, but referring to the people by the colour of their eyes and hair (ex. the amber eyed girl replied) is getting to be a little tiresome for me.. I can see a little bit of you in the speech and actions of all the characters cept that of the Seduce... if that too was representative of a part of your personality, things would be much more... odd...

Art: Since the Rendez-vous came out younger than I anticipated, I really wanted to make The Seduce look older and more sophisticated. I'm very pleased with the outcome! Her hairstyle came off as a bit silly but nobody can argue that it doesn't look complicated, which is what I was going for.

Up next: You will see what was my idea of the perfect date back when I was a teenager in Chapter 4: A Night to Remember.

Chapter 2: A Chance / The Perfect Chance

Blast from the past: According to my fic, Tomoyo distrusts Eriol for *years* and only comes around because of one act of chivalry. Yup, that tracks with teenage me. When I was 13, I developed a huge high school crush that ended up turing into a friendship that went all the way to university on a boy because we were going through the same door and he held open behind him since he noticed that I was there.

The cuddling scene was a real pleasure of me to write that's mostly what naïve little me daydreamed about doing with whoever I would end up dating (the first guy I did that to compared me to a cat and I think my affection confused him).

At the end when E&T are together, Tomoyo made a comment about how now she would no longer be pitying herself for not having a boyfriend. Yikes! Needless to say that line got scrubbed out of version 2.0 and I'm glad that I'm at a place in my life where I understand that a woman does not need a man to thrive.

The New Trials connection: Wish-chan was reluctant at making an E&T pairing so I'm glad that the both of us didn't make the decision to couple them up automatically. Another connection I'd like to point out is that Nina and the Cuddle Card have similar descriptions with both of them being roughly the same age and having curly hair.

Reading the relaunch: KID-Z4P had Tomoyo give Eriol the nickname "Eri" and I found that absolutely adorable. I was a tad bit disappointed that the cuddling scene got cut considering that it was the point of the card.

Review spotlight: This review was posted by Mabel on November 28th, 2002 who happens to be one of my best friends for over twenty years. She was the runner-up for the last review spotlight because she said, "this is the kind of story that I'm always looking for but I can never find it". She was just as addicted to reading my story as I was writing it so it was really incredible to have live and immediate feedback.

Wow! That was a great chapter. I can't wait for the next one to be posted! Or maybe you can tell me at school. I think you are my favorite author now. I really like the story. Continue the good work. 

Your fan 

Mabel

Art: Eyes may be the windows to the soul but the eyes that I drew for The Cuddle looks like actual windows. It's time to start checking out tutorials. I'm glad that wings came out better this time around and I'm not too mad that the hair kind of looks like macaroni.

Up next: Who is this friend of the past and what old feelings will stir with her presence? Find out in Chapter 3: Renewing Old Friendships!

Chapter 1: A New Beginning / Starting Over

Blast from the past: The main reason why it took me so long to revisit Destined Love other than the fact that I've been re-reading and summarizing New Trials for a number of years was because I wasn't prepared to face the cringe. Much like watching old home videos, it's hard to come to terms with your past self. I finally bit the bullet and though I can not deny the amount of embarrassment I've faced from diving into the past, even my critical self can't deny that my story is so cute.

The New Trials connection: I created Destined Love in 2002 and I discovered New Trials in 2003. I was always fond of the fact that Wish-chan and I named our principal OC "Kai", and how we also share the premise of Syaoran coming back to Japan to catch a new set of cards, but I thought the similarities ended there. I titled my first chapter "A New Beginning" while she chose "The New Beginning". My whole premise of Sakura and Syaoran creating cards out of love was pretty much the origin of the Heal Card in NT. When Sakura does the firework display, I was basically describing The Explosion from NT. Finally, Sakura read the Li books, which is how New Trials begins as well!

Reading the relaunch: Chapter 1 is titled Starting Over. With CCS ending with Syaoran going back to China and then returning, it's natural that so many fics started off that way. I liked KID-Z4P's decision to make them Clear Card age. I loved the way he had Eriol return from England. In my fic he came off as a creep who was pining after a girl who was not interested in him for years. While it's actually very fitting for the New Trials version of Clow Reed (except he tried to bring back his girl in another form), that part of my fic did not age well. I never thought of a reality where Sakura was weighed down with the pressure of keeping her magic a secret. While she seemed to have a handle on it in the show, it's clear that she would never have achieved as much as she did without Tomoyo in on the secret. I thought the poem being on paper rather than being recited was a great touch and it works better for them to have their clue written down versus committing a poem to memory after hearing it once.

Review spotlight: Destined Love was fortunate enough to garner 117 reviews and I'll be spotlighting nine of them. This review was posted by my college friend Sarah on November 16th, 2002. She was the one to encourage me to post the fic on fanfiction.net in the first place so she's the one to thank for this journey today. 

Hemlata, that was amazing!

Great story line, it's going to be a great story

I love the fact that they are creating new cards it makes it extremly interesting and makes me want to read more.

Keep on writing!

I'm so glad that i'm the first one to review your work. Don't stop working on these stories i want to know how it's going to turn out!

I'll talk to you more at school on monday

Chow, Sarah

Art: If I'm going to blog about my journey, there is absolutely no way that I could post without featuring a fanart. I was really impressed with the amount of detail that I gave to my new spirits so it's only fair to draw them. The Rendezvous turned out a lot younger than I wanted, but there's lots of room for improvement as I continue drawing. I really loved the way her hair turned out and I decided to not obsess over drawing symmetrical wings.

Up next: Will Tomoyo ever change her opinion about Eriol? Find out in Chapter 2: A Chance!