"Sakura-san..."
Eriol, Ruby Moon, and Spinel Sun slowly descended from the arch near the shrine walkway. After witnessing Eriol's previous attacks, Yue and Cerberus jumped in front of Sakura protectively.
"It's over. I won't harm her." Eriol reassured the guardians as his feet reached the ground.
Sakura gripped her staff, holding it across her chest. "Over? What is?"
A small smile crept onto Eriol's lips. "They are all Sakura Cards now..."
Sakura jumped slightly, and blinked. Slowly, the cards slide from her pocket, one by one, forming a floating circle around her. She was in complete awe. Tomoyo smiled wistfully as she held her camera, allowing each moment to be captured eternally on tape. Sakura lifted her hand, palm upward, and the cards assembled on her hand in a neat stack. Sakura held them with both hands, just looking at them, with her emerald eyes glimmering.
"These are the Sakura Cards that I made with the power of the stars..." with a faint smile, she held the deck of cards against her heart and closed her eyes.
Syaoran looked on with a half smile, and both guardians looked on with pride. Eriol just smiled. Cerberus lifted his head slightly.
"Well, you promised us and explanation..." Cerberus turned in the direction of the young boy, "WHY WERE YOU BOTHERING SAKURA?!"
Sakura looked up, the cards still held against her heart, "and...what EXACTLY did you mean by...'it's over'?"
Eriol smiled calmly at the new card mistress, "My task is completed."
"What Task?" Syaoran jumped in
Eriol paused. "The cards live off of the magic of their master...Without Clow Reed to support them, they would have become nothing more than mere cards." He shifted his long staff to point towards Sakura, "You saved them with your magic."
Cerberus raised his voice, "So all these events were--"
As Cerberus turned towards where Eriol had been standing, he was surprised to find the young mage had vanished. "Th..They're gone!"
Yue lifted off the ground, and flew off to look for Eriol, with Cerberus in hot pursuit. Sakura blinked, and tucked the cards away, running after.
"S-Sakura!"
Sakura stopped and glanced over her shoulder to see a staggering Syaoran moving in her direction. "Syaoran-kun!" She ran to him, supporting his shoulders, "Daijobou?!"
"Yea..."
Both of them lowered onto the ground. Sakura kept her hand on Syaoran's shoulder, and he rested his hand on hers. Syaoran lifted his head to look into her eyes.
"Sakura..."
"Nani?" Sakura gave him the sweetest, innocent expression.
"I...I'm..." He stuttered, and averted his gaze.
"I...lo..." He tried again.
"...Hai?" Sakura urged him to finish his statement.
He looked up at her...and one look of those emerald green eyes piercing into his soul...It was too much. He yanked himself away from Sakura, and staggered quickly to his feet, "Nandemo nai!" He shouted, and he dashed off, to the best of his abilities.
Sakura blinked in pure confusion. What had he wanted to say? Tomoyo sighed, watching through her camera...
He had come so close, too...