Episode Title: "Sakura to Okaasan no Omoide" - Sakura and the Memory of Her Mother
First Aired: May 12, 1998
Kero-chan ni Omakase!

Cards Captured: Illusion

Battle Costume

At cheerleading practice, Sakura’s friends are gathered around Naoko, who is telling them of her encounter with a ghost in the woods the night before. Sakura, frightened by the notion of a ghost nearby, screams before Naoko can finish the story. After apologizing for her outburst, the other girls suggest they visit the woods to ensure Naoko’s story is true. Sakura, afraid to go along, seeks the comfort of Tomoyo as she lunges into her, sobbing cutely as she begs Tomoyo to accompany her on the ghost hunt.

In the woods, the girls quickly encounter the ghost Naoko was speaking of. Suddenly, the apparition of a woman with long hair appears from the light. None of the girls stick around to see what’ll happen next, so they flee from the scene in horror. Safely away from the ghost now, the girls discuss what they saw in their being out-of-breath. Each of the girls suggests they saw something different. To Sakura (and the viewer), a woman with long hair appeared, but to the other girls different visions appeared from the light. Tomoyo, oddly enough, claims she saw a gigantic nikuman!

The next scene shows Sakura and her father before dinner. Sakura notices a photo of her mother on the table, and reminisces on the stories her father mentioned to her regarding her mother. Seems Nadeshiko was a model during high school, and Sakura exclaims her mother is beautiful! And despite the fact her mother died when Sakura was three, Sakura says she loves her.

By now, Sakura’s father has left for a presentation and Touya has left for work. As Sakura is cleaning the dishes, Tomoyo calls to tell her that the other girls went out to see the ghost again. Tomoyo is eager to videotape the ghost (and Sakura following it in an outfit she made for her, of course). The two go out in the woods, prepared to capture a Clow Card if one has been the cause of the ghost sightings. Sakura's first "battle" with the ghost is a passive-aggressive one, though the ghost does a nasty thing to Sakura: it takes on the image of Sakura's mother, tricking Sakura to follow it off a cliff! Miraculously, Sakura is saved by an entity wearing a ring and is carefully lowered into the arms of Yukito.

At Yukito's residence, Sakura wonders why her Mother's ghost would be in such a place and why she would trick Sakura into falling off a cliff. Yukito questions whether or not the ghost truly was Sakura's mother, asking why her Mother would try to harm her.

Touya is carrying a sleeping Sakura home from Yukito's house with Yukito. Touya explains Sakura's deathful fear of ghosts. Growing up, Touya would always tell Sakura about the different ghosts he would see. Sakura couldn't see them, but she could sense their presence and it would terrify her. Touya thinks Sakura might be lonely because they don't have a mother... but Yukito says that's probably not it, but if Sakura could get the chance to meet their mother, she'd take it. Yuki also tells Touya not to scold Sakura for what happened at the cliff. Here we also hear mention of Touya's "sister complex". Touya is the only one who is allowed to tease or mess with Sakura. At the same time, Touya is very watchful and protective of Sakura. He loves her very much.

The next day, Sakura is visited by Tomoyo and Kero. Sakura proclaims she will return to the forest without persuasion. If it really is a Clow Card, it's her duty to do something about it!

Back in the forest, Tomoyo and Sakura find the orb, which appears once again as Sakura's mother. This time, instead of everyone seeing something different, everyone sees Sakura's Mother. The next scene pretty much follows the previous night's encounter: Sakura's love for her Mother causes her to follow the ghost over the cliff. But, unlike the previous night, Sakura remembers what Yukito told her and realizes the ghost isn't her mother after all. Using the fly card to save herself from certain doom, Sakura flies back atop the cliff and confronts the ghost once again. As Sakura yells at the ghost, proclaiming that it isn't her mother at all, the ghost begins to fade into a pattern. The observant Kero recognizes the pattern, and assures Sakura it's a Clow Card! Rather effortlessly now, Sakura captures the Illusion Card, a dangerous card that shows what's inside people's hearts.

The next morning, Sakura is late for cheerleading practice. Before she leaves, she leaves a birthday gift in front of her mother’s picture. Touya, looking up from the morning paper upon hearing his sister’s felicity, becomes wide-eyed as he witnesses Nadeshiko's ghost hovering over Sakura. Nadeshiko says she came because she was worried about Sakura. With a smile and a flash of her ring (symbolizing that she was the one who saved Sakura from falling during her first battle with the Illusion card), Nadeshiko disappears.