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Sakura no Tenshi
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Chapter 2 – The Chase
Angel Sakura departed for the purification room with a heavy heart. There're still so many things I don't know and they're asking me to investigate demons. How am I going to do that without special abilities? She thought desperately. Just then, she saw Angel Hanako coming out of the purification room.
"Angel Hanako-san?"
"Yes? Oh it's you, Angel Sakura-chan. Have you gotten your first mission?"
"Yes, but-"
"So have I. Guess what it is? I'm supposed to assist in the cleaning up of the mess that was left behind after the latest fight between the angels and the demons. Isn't it exciting?"
"Cleaning up of… huh?"
"It will be dealing with the witnesses, wiping their memories and restoring their lives back to normal. It's quite an advanced first mission. I'm quite surprised they gave this mission to me. Did I tell you I didn't pass with very good marks?"
"Yes… so are you going to Chijou now?"
"Of course, oh no, I got to run. See you"
"Ho… hold on! Can you tell me how to get to Chijou?"
"Huh? You mean you don't know? You didn't tell that to Angel Hitono-sama, did you? She would have been very displeased. Actually, it's really simple. You just have to go through the heavenly gate. I really got to go now. See you when I get back."
With a last wave, Angel Hanako dashed off in the general direction of the heavenly gate. "Sou ka," Angel Sakura murmured softly to herself. With one last look around, she entered the purification room.
When she re-emerged from the purification room, she felt much calmer and relaxed. Slowly, she started strolling towards the heavenly gate. She did not see any reason for her to hasten to her mission. Her pace was still largo when she met Angel Tomoyo. The senior angel stopped her immediately.
Angel Sakura, aren't you going for your first mission?
Yes, Angel Tomoyo-sama.
Then how come you're walking so leisurely? Don't you know that all first missions are timed, starting from the moment you received your mission till the time when you come back to report your success or failure? This will reflect badly in your report.
Gomen nasai, Angel Tomoyo-sama.
Angel Sakura hurried past the other angel, her face hot with embarrassed. Angel Tomoyo watched her fluster with a certain amount of satisfaction. Actually, it did not matter if you loiter here or not, for soon, you will not be able to see this place. See you in Chijou, my little angel. Smirking, Angel Tomoyo changed direction and headed, too, for Chijou.
Angel Sakura stared at the heavenly gate uncertainly. Even though she had been on duty by the gate for a long time, she did not really observe what the other angels did when they leave the gate. She wanted to kick herself. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she murmured," Just walk through this gate and I'll be in Chijou. Then I can finish my mission and come back here. Right, just walk…"
She walked through the gate. Nothing happened. Puzzled, she looked around. No other angels are coming. She took a few more steps forward. Still, nothing happened. She was about the turn back when the ground underneath her gave way. She started falling.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
She fell and fell and fell. For a long time she fell and she screamed for as long as she fell. Finally, the clouds began to part. She was about to stop screaming to heave a sigh of relief when she saw what was meeting her on earth.
She screamed and screamed. She completely forgot about the wings that were attached to her back.
The vast forest loomed nearer and nearer. Angel Sakura flapped her arms wildly and fruitlessly. She was losing altitude with amazing speed. The huge canopy of trees stretched out to meet her. Thick solid branches reached out to break her fall, cracking nearly every bone in her body in the process. After a long and painful journey vertically through the canopy, she finally reached the forest floor.
Lying on her back, crushing her wings and horribly bruised all over, Angel Sakura stared at the tiny patch of sky that had been temporarily cleared of branches by her descend. Her mind felt numb, like one who had gone through too much shock to be aware of it. Slowly, her world grew dim as her eyelids closed. The last thing she was aware of before she slipped out of consciousness was a single, snowy-white feather falling almost lazily from the sky.
~*~*~*~*~
Akuma Syaoran was feeling much better than he had in many days. Standing at the hilltop, he was barking out orders almost joyously to the other demons.
"All those that can fly take to the skies and start searching from the air." Four demon lords spread their black, scaly wings and took off immediately. "The others search by land. This angel must be found before dawn. She can't be too far into the forest and she must have been injured. Nobody is allowed to touch her. Report back to me the moment you found her."
With wasting a single moment, the rest of the lesser demons ran off into the forest with astonishing speed, though none of them was following any specific pattern. From the bird's eye view, they almost looked like fleeing cockroaches. Syaoran watched with disgust as the last of the lesser demon ran off. He did not really believe any of them would find the angel, however, he still had to give the standard commands.
Never once taking his eyes away from the forest, Syaoran undid his long, black robe and threw it down the hill. His eyes gleamed with anticipation and excitement. Nothing was more fun than chasing after an angel and slaying her. Nothing, except maybe drinking her blood. He could almost taste it in his mouth, the sweet angelic blood, giving such energy and power, so pure, so fragrant.
On his back, two small bulges had appeared. Rapidly, they grew in size and changed in shape. Soon, they broke through the clothing as two small meaty stubs. The meaty stubs grew bigger and bigger. It was not long before they began to take the shape of two small cupid wings. Feathers began to sprout, covering the once-bare meaty stubs. All this time, the wings were still getting larger and larger. Finally, a magnificent pair of wings spread itself in readiness behind Syaoran's back. The whole process took under a minute.
Unlike the demon's wings, they were neither bat-like nor covered with scales. It was a pair of angels' wings, matching completely in size and shape. The only difference was that instead of snowy-white feathers, Syaoran had black feathers, black as the night.
Now, angel, I'm ready for you. I must warn you, that no angel has escaped from me before
. In one fluid movement, Syaoran ascended the sky. He flew towards where he remembered seeing the angel fell. His memory had never failed before.-------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Yes, people, I noe, it's very incomplete and unforgivably short. Well, juz thought that its time to put up another chapter. Actualli was inclined to combine diz chapt. with the nxt chapt., where all the real action stuff comes out. However, as it was very late now [actualli not so lar, im juz sleepy so im making up excuses] so I decided to stop writing. ::hehe:: yar, thanx very very very very much to all those who reviewed. all I can say is all of you are hardworking ppl who bothered to press dat little button there and type something. That's a commendable spirit. Keep it up! For all those who read diz fic but was too lazy to press that little button, I have nothing to say. I kant force you to review my fic. Anw, a very big thanx to all those who have been patiently reading my fic [it's the fourth chapt.! Kan you believe it?! Ok, that shows I'm not a patient person]. Hope you continue to like the rest of the chapts.
Yes, the moment you've all been waiting for [I hope], regarding the results of the poll, which concerns the ending… ::hehehehe:: one of the endings will come true, you have to read on to find out which one. Actually no lar, the ending is still open to [my] discretion. Hence, nothing is decided. It's still the beginning, there's still a long wae to go. The end is still far. Let me worry abt it when the time comes. K, now, its time for me to sleep. Gd nite everyone. :)
Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura does not belong to me… but Syaoran does. ::gets bombarded by all the Syaoran fangirls:: ::crawls out barely alive:: ok damn it, Syaoran does not belong to me.