At school Sakura shows the pop-up Alice in Wonderland book to Akiho, who of course loves it. She’s even more thrilled when Sakura tells her to keep it because it would make Rika happy.
The conversation eventually turns to the missing sweets from the day before, and this makes Sakura super uncomfortable and paranoid. Thankfully Tomoyo is there to steer the conversation in another direction. What are best friends for eh?
In a flashback we see that Sakura ended up giving her sweet roll to Syaoran, and that she’d decorated it to look like the outfit he wears in magical battles. It’s a cute scene what with Sakura being her traditionally shy self and Syaoran showing his gratitude for the gift. But talking about Sakura’s gift makes Akiho think about what happened with Yuna back at her house (his reaction to her gift and maybe even his laugh, I’d imagine) and turn bright red, so Sakura tries to go back to class a little quicker than usual. That’s enough embarrassment for Sakura and Akiho for one day, thanks!
However as she and her friends are heading back to class, Sakura falls back into the dream world. This is the first time she’s spaced out to that realm while she’s awake. Nothing has changed – there are still lots of clocks and the unknown stranger in the long robes.When Akiho jolts Sakura awake by grabbing Sakura’s hand, Sakura just pretends she wasn’t paying enough attention to where she’s going.
Later that day at Akiho’s house, Yuna intercepts Akiho as she’s putting the pop-up book into her family’s library. Akiho starts describing what happened with Sakura to Yuna, but she lapses into the clock dream world as well. When Yuna snaps Akiho back to reality, Akiho shelves the book and the two to have dinner. Yuna makes a cryptic comment about Akiho’s friendship with Sakura, almost like he’s looking forward to watching their friendship be put to the test. >:/
Elsewhere Sakura and Syaoran are getting ready to capture a new card. Along with Kero and Tomoyo, the four are at Tsukimine Shrine. In the original anime, this was where Sakura captured the very first Clow Card – The Fly. There’s some reminiscing and jokes about Kero’s first meeting with Sakura and then the capture begins!
This new card takes the form of a massive fire bird, like a phoenix! It’s obviously very powerful. Sakura tries to put the bird’s flames out with water, but Aqua is turned to steam by the phoenix.
Syaoran tells Sakura to take to the air using Flight before using a special wind technique which wraps the phoenix up in vine-like tendrils. Interesting that water didn’t work to take the fire bird, but wind-based magic did. Syaoran manages to restrain the bird long enough for Sakura to fly down and seal the card with her magic. Which card is it? Blaze.
Kero and Tomoyo congratulate Sakura on her newest card, but Syaoran’s clearly hiding something. Again. Man his list of secrets is getting so long that to reveal them all is going to take damn near an entire episode at this point. -_- Whatever this particular secret is, it looks like it might be related to what kind of magic or technique Syaoran used. Could Eriol and Spinny be involved somehow? Maybe it’s something Eriol told him to make, knowing he would eventually need it to help Sakura?
Meanwhile back at the Kinomoto home, Toya and Yukito are studying their notes and working on some homework. Toya has a hunch and enters Sakura’s room; sure enough, the lump under the covers isn’t Sakura, but instead her hat and schoolbag. Toya is annoyed that Sakura doesn’t try to use her magic to conceal her absence.
When Toya explains this to Yukito, the latter transforms into Yue. What follows is a conversation about Sakura’s powers, which leads down a tangent into a discussion of Toya’s emerging power. Toya still won’t tell Yue what his power is or what he’ll use it for, much to Yue’s frustration. Could Toya be waiting to sacrifice his life for Sakura’s in the final battle?!? o_O
The final scene with Toya and Yukito/Yue talking was a nice way to wrap up the episode, and it was a nice example of how close they really are to each other. As Toya points out, the two have known each other for quite awhile now so why shouldn’t Toya know Yue’s name? Besides, what would Toya would he call him instead, Long-Silver-Haired-Angel? xD
(Also isn’t this shot with Yue and Sakura just freaking gorgeous?? It’s definitely one of my favourites thus far. Bless this show’s amazing animation! 😀 )