Tsuki no Yume: Dream of the Moon
Chapter One: Darkness Rising
Sakura sighed as the rain fell. Kero sat near her, enjoying a hot brownie while the Card Mistress sulked about the bad weather.
"Sakura-chan, is it true that your dad and brother are away for two weeks?" Kero asked, barely being understood because of his stuffed cheeks.
"Hai. This sure is a rotten way to start spring break." Sakura muttered, as she watched the rainfall. Then a loud crash of thunder caused both of them to yelp and jump about three feet in the air.
"I hate thunderstorms……." Kero grumbled, as he wiped fudge off of his face with a napkin.
"I do too." Sakura agreed, standing up when she heard the doorbell.
"Who could that be?" Sakura asked, as she went to answer the door.
"Who's there?" Sakura asked, as she stood waiting on her side of the door for an answer.
"Mistress…………………." A soft whisper came from the other side, before a thud was heard from the outside.
"Yue!! Kero-chan! Get down here!" Sakura shouted, as she threw open the door and saw Yue lying there in a crumpled heap.
"Sakura-chan?!" Kero yelped, as he flew down and saw Sakura struggling to pull Yue inside. Instantly, Kero changed into his true form and helped Sakura get Yue upstairs.
"He's bleeding all over! What could have happened to him?!" Sakura asked, as she rushed around, gathering things she thought she would need to tend to Yue's injuries.
"Dunno. But I don't think you can handle this alone! I'm gonna call Tomoyo and tell her to get her butt over here!" Kerberos said, promptly leaving the room and doing just that.
"M-mistress………….abunai…………kuro tenshi………….kuro tenshi no abunai…….." Yue muttered, feverishly, as Sakura removed his tattered tunic/coat.
"Shh. Yue-chan, I'm here. You're not in danger any more. You're safe now." Sakura said, gently, as she smoothed back silvery white hair from Yue's face. His silver/lavender eyes opened, but were glazed with fever and pain. And he looked very afraid.
"Get some rest, Yue-chan. Tomoyo-chan, Kero-chan and I will be here if you need us." Sakura said, as the angelic guardian closed his eyes and slumbered. Moments later, Tomoyo arrived, with several unexpected guests.
"Li-kun! Eriol-kun! Meiling-chan! What're you doing here?!" Sakura asked, before Nakuru came from nowhere and hugged her.
"Nakuru-chan!" Sakura said, excited that all her friends were there, but then remembered what had happened to Yue.
"We returned because Li-kun sensed you were in danger, Sakura-chan." Eriol said, as Syaoran turned a brilliant shade of crimson.
"Yue-chan had mentioned danger earlier…….." Sakura said, thoughtfully.
"What is wrong with Yue-chan? Kero-chan had said that he was hurt." Tomoyo said, with worry in her eyes. Sakura nodded.
"He was bleeding all over! Come on! I'll show you!" Sakura shouted, as she dashed back up the stairs, with the small troop following closely behind her. When they got there, Kerberos and Spinel Sun were lying next to Yue, trying to keep him warm.
"Yue! What happened?!" Syaoran asked, looking shocked when he saw the condition of the angelic moon guardian.
"He said something about a 'black angel' earlier. Do you think that could have been what attacked him?" Sakura asked, as looks of concern were exchanged between Eriol and Syaoran.
"That may well be the case, Sakura-san." Eriol said, grimly, as he pulled out a photograph from his pocket and handed it to Sakura.
"Hoe?" Sakura asked, as she gazed at the picture. It was a picture of a dark clothed, dark winged angel. Beside him sat a panther that had glowing red eyes. Both of them emitted an aura of evil that was evident even in the photo.
"They are two rogue Guardians that have escaped their master. I didn't even know they were still alive." Eriol said, his voice soft and distant.
"Still alive? What do you mean, Eriol-kun?" Sakura asked, confused.
"Yeah, what do you mean?" Syaoran asked, suspiciously. Eriol looked at the floor, his expression showing that he was hesitant about telling them what was going on.
"These two rogues have existed since Kero's and Yue's creation. In fact, you could say that the creator of those dark creatures and Clow knew one another. Very well in fact." Eriol said, looking up and seeing the tense and shocked expressions on everyone's faces.
"You mean Suppi-chan and I and Kerberos and Yue are not the only pairs of Guardians in existence? There are others?" Ruby Moon asked, wincing when Yue moaned as Tomoyo and Meiling tended his wounds.
"There were once many such pairs, but most of them have long since disappeared. These two are an exception. When their master died, instead of going to sleep and waiting for a new master, like Kero and Yue had, these two allowed the darkness to consume them and corrupt them." Eriol replied, with an ancient guilt showing in his eyes.
"But why would they hurt Yue-san? I don't understand." Tomoyo said, with worry in her eyes.
"We won't know until they show themselves to us." Kerberos said, quietly, as Sakura draped a blanket over Yue's shuddering form.