Disclaimer: I love CCS... but I don't own it. :( Oh, and I don't own Phantom of the Opera either.

---- A change in writing style/time/place/whatever (will notate in () which one if necessary)

Rating: T - for language

Summary: A new enemy is trying to break Sakura's spirit in order to weaken her enough to steal her cards from her. Everyone around her seems to be turning cruel... and the only solace she can find is in the arms of a man who doesn't want her.

Pairings: Syaoran/Sakura, Sakura/Eriol

AN: Writing style changes here, my uncle is helping me to become better! Comments and criticisms loved!

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(Chapter 10: A true magician never reveals a secret)

"Oh, I do hope he's alright..." muttered a worried female voice as it spoke to another girl nearby.

"I dunno Tomoyo... when they first brought him in here I had thought we were saved, but by the looks of him he's not going to be helping anyone anytime soon..." responded the chinese girl, returning her attention to her fruitless attempts at getting free from her chains.

Tomoyo sweat-dropped and shook her head, "Why do you continue to do that? Surely you can't think there's something you haven't tried to find a way out of those..." she muttered, but her words went unheeded as Meilin continued her struggling.

"...Ugh... where... am I?" groaned a young man as he slowly came to.

Tomoyo turned her right and stared at him tearfully, "Oh, Eriol... thank heavens..."

"It's about time you woke up. Geesh..." Meilin added from the far end of the wall.

The dark mage lifted his head slowly to stare at the two young women beside him. Uncomprehending the fact that they were both chained to the wall via shackles upon their wrists.

In fact, he did not feel at all like his usual self, an empty void floated where there was once a great power source deep within him. Vaguely he realized that he too, was shackled to the wall.

"Why were you asleep for so long Eriol-kun? When they brought us in they didn't bother knocking us out... but it appears they did quite a number on you." Tomoyo voiced her concerns, frowning softly. If Eriol hadn't been confused enough already, Tomoyo's apparent sincerity threw him further into his haze. After all, hadn't he just been arguing with her only moments before?

Eriol gave her a long curious gaze, wondering why she returned his stare with genuine concern and obliviousness. "Why..." he began, but Meilin interrupted him before he could finish asking his question.

"Tomoyo... now that he's awake, we might as well fill him in on what's been going on. It seems like even he had no idea something was up."

The violet-haired girl glanced at her friend a moment in surprise then nodded, "Yes, of course. Well, Eriol..." she began, turning to him, a forlorn expression on her face. "Do you remember back when that strange red-head appeared for the first time?"

Eriol nodded, listening closely, his eyes darting from one girl to the next.

"It turns out that she made friends with another evil dude, and together they figured out how to use their powers to disguise themselves as us!" Meilin explained, looking rather furious about this.

"What?" Eriol asked in surprise.

"They watched us and learned our mannerisms... the very first time Syaoran fought with Sakura... it was actually the man, Toro, acting like Syaoran and purposefully saying mean things to get them to start fighting with one another. Every time it seemed like they might be about to settle things one of them would pop in while either Sakura or Syaoran had gone from sight and say mean things to the other." Tomoyo began.

"Eventually they started to actually fight on their own... then the problem was getting rid of us. Tomoyo and I were getting in the way because we were trying to help get them back together. So we were replaced. Actually, only Tomoyo here was replaced, I was simply kidnapped." Meilin continued.

"They were experimenting, trying to find out what would weaken the card mistress enough for them to take her cards. It turned out that they had guessed right... by taking us away from Sakura-chan... they basically destroyed her." Tomoyo muttered sadly, tears running down her cheeks.

"Tomoyo watched most of it happen from right here... then she told me all about it when I arrived." Meilin explained.

Eriol mulled this over, wondering why he hadn't sensed anything amiss before now, and realizing for the first time just how watered-down his magic had become. For the first time in his life he'd been completely unaware of the danger lying in wait, or who was behind it. He'd been kept out of the loop... and all because he had been too afraid to face his own destiny to realize he needed his own power in order to continue to stay ahead of the game.

"If I had only tried to tap into my own power... most of this might have been avoidable..." Eriol replied glumly.

Tomoyo and Meilin exchanged confused looks, "... your own power?" they asked him.

Eriol sighed; "To make a long story short..." he quoted, causing the girls to grin slightly. "I've been using Clow's power for a long time... I have my own, but I've been too afraid to try and learn to use it." He explained shortly.

"Well, it's too late to be worrying about that now. We kinda hoped that the fact they brought you in here meant we'd probably be able to get out of here..." Meilin hinted, gazing hopefully at Eriol.

Eriol offered her a somber glance in return. "I'm sorry... but it appears they drained all of my magical energy from me." he replied.

----

(Tomoeda)

The curtain rose and a hush fell over the crowd as the opening scene began. Sakura almost missed her cue to join the chorus girls as she had be staring intensely at the crowd, trying to pick out anyone she knew. She sighed in relief as she spotted her father and Tomoyo's mother sitting nearby one another. Somehow it made her feel a little better to know that they hadn't turned against her like everyone else. It might have been ridiculous for her to worry about the people who loved her the most to turn on her... but due to what had been happening as of late she couldn't be sure of anything.

The play progressed onward, and Sakura found herself smiling as she entered the scene in which Eriol would first 'appear' to her through the mirror.

Sure enough there he was, all dressed up as the phantom she could hardly even recognize him. A secretive wink let her know that it was him, and with a grin the two of them continued on. He led her down into the den of his music and together they sang about darkness and magic, Sakura truly appreciating just how talented Eriol was. His voice was enchanting, as though he was actually casting a spell of perfection with every word that escaped his lips.

The play progressed on, Sakura found herself wrapped up within the role of Kristine, becoming torn between her childhood love Raoul and the strange angel of music who haunted her dreams and promised her that he could give her anything she desired, if only she'd be his and his alone.

----

(Portal)

Silence reigned for a while; even Meilin seemed to have given up hope after discovering that the dark mage Eriol had been stripped of all his powers.

If they can do such a thing so easily to him... then what chance does Sakura have? She thought miserably. And it's not as if they haven't already stolen all of her most powerful cards...

"We're doomed..." she voiced at last.

Tomoyo gave her a disapproving glare. "We are not doomed. Sakura will save us. I know she will." she replied defiantly.

Meilin returned the glare with one of her own. "And how is she supposed to do that exactly without any of her cards?" she returned.

"She's Sakura, she can do anything!" Tomoyo stubbornly argued.

Meilin shook her head and rolled her eyes in response, deciding that arguing with Daidouji was just about as useful as trying to escape from the shackles around her wrists.

Tomoyo triumphantly turned to Eriol to see if he had anything to add to the conversation. Her momentary enthusiasm died slightly when she noticed just how sickly he looked hanging there.

Eriol's skin tone was naturally pale, and despite that it had never before looked unhealthy in any way. Now as she gazed upon him her eyes could not believe what they were seeing. The youth and warmth was fading away, the skin itself perspiring and looking as though it could melt right off of his body. The usual bounce was gone from his hair... the midnight strands falling limply around his face, shading his features completely.

"Oh my goodness... Eriol... are you alright?" she called to him worriedly.

-----

(The Play)

They danced across the stage, elegant fans flying everywhere as they sang Masquerade. Then suddenly the party was ruined as the Phantom made his entrance; everyone shook as they observed the fury upon his features.

"So you thought I was done did you?" he laughed at them and then threatened innocent lives, giving his ultimatum that they would perform his play, and Kristine would be in the lead.

Kristine found herself becoming disgusted with him, couldn't he see she didn't want him anymore? Couldn't he just leave her be... he had claimed he only wanted her happiness... and now that she'd thought she'd found it with Raoul he was trying to destroy everything in a fit of jealous rage.

-----

(Portal)

Slowly the young man raised his head, the magic gleam gone from his eyes turning them a dark and stormy gray.

"It... would seem," he began, drawing his strength about him in order to properly answer her question. "that they did not only steal my magic from me."

Tomoyo's brow furrowed some more and she bit her lip. "What is it Eriol? What's wrong?"

"They... are using... the magic they stole from me. But... rather than sourcing it from their own power, as any good mage should do... they are using my energy to fuel it instead."

"But Eriol... I thought you said they took all of your magic?" Tomoyo replied, confused.

"Right... they are draining my life energy... to feed the magic." he explained as best he could.

"Your... life..." Tomoyo struggled for a moment, then gasped in realization. "But wait... does that mean... you're dying?!"

"Yes..." he replied softly.

"Those bastards!" Meilin shouted from her place on the wall.

"At the moment... they are only using a little bit of my energy... and so... I will be all right for a while, but who knows how much longer it will be before they release more of it, or even all of it. I... don't know what will happen."

"I thought... you just said you were dying?" Tomoyo asked as she found herself confused again.

"I am dying... yes. But this form... is only half of who I am. The other half of me... resides within a part of the magic they stole." Eriol replied.

"That magic of yours you said you were too afraid to try and use?" Meilin asked for confirmation.

Eriol nodded, "There was a part of me... hidden away inside of myself to make room for Clow's magic and memories. My childhood self... and all of the power that I was born with... have slept for my entire life because they were not necessary. My destiny was to grow up and teach Sakura how to change the cards so that they would feed off of her power instead of Clow's. During that time however, that other self grew as well... I dreamt of him often. I never saw what he looked like... but we would have the most enlightening conversations about how when Clow's mission was finally finished we could finally be one again.

"For a long time I wanted nothing more than to be a whole person... the idea that there was a side of myself I didn't even know made me eager to finish my work. But fate does not work faster when you want it to. Even after Sakura had finished sealing off the cards Clow's power remained within me, restraining my other self. It angered him... and it depressed me, I began to feel as though my dreams of being whole at last were futile and ridiculous.

"Finally my visions of the future began to waver and become foggy. I could sense that Clow's power was at last recoiling from extended use, there would be no need for an old dead man's power in the future... I was so happy... that I imagined for a moment that the future was telling me I needed to be here at Sakura's side. But something else was nagging at me from behind my glee... something so dark and sinister that it frightened me because I could no longer define it.

"It has taken me until now to realize that the darkness I may have sensed may in fact be my other half. His anger has been bottled up for so long that I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out he'd become evil." Eriol sighed at last; the long explanation had tired him greatly.

Tomoyo frowned. "Alright well... let's let Sakura worry about... whatever it is that your other half has become... right now you need to conserve your energy and rest. The longer you can hold out, the better chance you have of being rescued before you die."

Eriol nodded in agreement; glad for once that Tomoyo was so bright. Less explaining to do. He drooped his head and waited patiently for sleep to overcome him.

Despite her encouraging words however, Tomoyo felt even more uncertain now than before. Yes, she still believed Sakura would rescue her... but could she do it in time to save Eriol's life?

----

(Play)

Sakura and the cast stood up before the audience, smiling as the thunderous applause filled the small stadium. The cast bowed together then ushered themselves off of the stage.

Sakura met with Eriol afterwards behind the theater, dancing with her momentary happiness.

"Oh Eriol... that was great!" She grinned at him. He smiled back and watched her as she danced around.

"Well... this has been fun... but I'm afraid the time for fun and games is over." he muttered darkly, a devious grin spreading across his features.

Sakura paused and stared at him in confusion, not understanding. "What... are you talking about?" she asked curiously, shivering nervously at the dark grin he was giving her.

Dark smoke billowed upwards around Eriol's feet and surrounded him until she could no longer see him.

"Eriol!" she shouted in alarm, racing forward in order to 'save' him from the smoke. However when she had pulled him out, it was no longer Eriol that she was staring at.

Sakura fell backwards, her eyes wide as she stared upon a man she'd never seen before, his long black hair falling around his face. His sinister grin sent more shivers down her spine.

"Who... who are you? Where is Eriol?" she asked.

"Forgotten already have you? I'm the same man who tried to trap you in that maze not too long ago."

She blinked in surprise as she realized she recognized his voice and immediately she frowned, summoning her star staff. "What have you done with Eriol?" she demanded angrily, understanding now that he was an evil man.

"Why don't you follow me and find out." he retorted using his magic to teleport away.

She quickly summoned The Through and ordered it to make her a passageway to wherever the man had gone. Obediently it opened a dark hole out of thin air and she stepped through it, not even noticing that the card did not return to her.

After a few moments of wandering through darkness and shadows she found herself in another realm entirely. She gasped as she found she could see a tiny Tomoeda through the translucent floor. In fact, it seemed to her that the only constraint to this place was the floor, as she could not tell whether the reason she could see the stars in the night sky on all sides was because of translucent walls or no walls at all.

Then her eyes alighted upon certain proof that there was at least one wall in the vacinity. Three shadowed figures hanging about a football field's distance away from her. She strained her eyes against the darkness but could not make out who they were.

The sound of high-pitched laughter filled the area, Sakura shivered in fear, her star staff clenched tightly in both hands while she awaited the dark one's appearance.

Sure enough two figures manifested about a foot away from her. The woman with flame-red hair that had seemed so easy to defeat when they'd first crossed paths, and the black-haired man that she'd just met. They stood side-by-side and offered only devious grins in her direction.

Toro was the first to speak, "Welcome to our world cardmistress" he said darkly. Sakura's grip tightened further on her wand, and her face contorted with anger.

"What have you done with Eriol?" she demanded of the two, assuming a threatening stance.

The two merely laughed at her question, not bothering to take her seriously as they knew that she had very few cards left that she could use against them, and most of those were useless anyway.

Sakura's face reddened and she pulled out the Power, but before she could even cast it, it tore away from her, turning from pink to red right before her eyes, more red cards joined it, floating around the two as they used to do for her.

"Iie..." she breathed, her eyes tearing she realized that even more of her friends had been turned against her. Even as she began to cry, more of her cards escaped her possession and turned color.

They've lost faith in me... my cards have lost faith in me... Sakura thought helplessly, more tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Look at how easily we've broken you... to think that you would even be here searching for that washed-up young mage... and to know that it was all our doing... makes me tingle with glee." Rika laughed.

Sakura glanced up at her in confusion, wondering what on earth the woman was talking about.

"Now, now Rika, don't go telling her everything. Have I taught you nothing?" Toro warned, causing the redhead to blush in embarrassment.

Sakura frowned, and glared at the two of them angrily, "You could at least explain what the hell is going on!"

"And why, praytell, should we do that?" Toro replied with a smile.

"Don't you think you owe me at least that much? Considering you refuse to return my friend to me, not to mention stealing my cards from me!" Sakura demanded of them shrilly.

"She has a point Toro..." Rika offered with a teasing smile.

The dark-haired man looked thoughtful for a moment then sighed. "Fine... I guess there's a few things I can tell her..." he said thoughtfully.

"It is the least we can do... right before we destroy her, permanently." Rika agreed, the words making Sakura cringe in fear as the two turned to her.

Toro snapped his fingers and the far wall was lit up well enough that Sakura could easily recognize the three figures.

"T-tomoyo...M-meilin... Eriol..." Sakura breathed in disbelief, sinking to her knees at last at the sight of these three chained up by their wrists.

Rika's red lips twisted upwards in satisfaction as she watched the girl collapse at the sight of her friends. The idea the foolish mage of the stars could be so easily beaten into submission was delightful.

Sakura's emerald eyes filled to the brim with tears as they slowly observed the violet haired girl who had been so mean to her as of late. No matter how much it still hurt that her best friend had turned on her, that feeling paled in comparison to the one she was feeling now over her friend's situation. Eventually she turned to stare at Meilin; her body shaking slightly with the tears she was fighting desperately to hold back.

Meilin... the girl it had taken Sakura forever to befriend... and yet in the end it had all been worthwhile because underneath the fiery, and often stubborn, exterior, she knew beat the heart of one with true courage and conviction. To see her hanging like that from those chains looking so defeated, it broke Sakura's heart into even smaller pieces.

Lastly... she turned to stare at Eriol, the one person who had stood by her side when everyone else had been turning on her. All the light of her world, fleeing to the far corners of oblivion... yet he had resisted the pull and shined for her when no one else would. Now... as he hung there, furthest to the right of the three, he looked as though he was barely even alive... his distinct aura of magic gone entirely, and even the natural light that even normal people had because they lived was flickering before her eyes.

Sakura wrapped her arms around herself and broke down sobbing, her body shaking violently as she cried.

As it seemed her attention was diverted from them, Toro and Rika decided that it was time to snuff out the card mistress once and for all. Together they summoned the cards forth from their seals, each of them hovering around Sakura with red aura's emanating from them.

"Now card mistress... it is time to meet your doom!"

----

Ok, you have to admit... this chapter is rather long... I had to cut it somewhere!

-ducks the flying tomatoes and bricks-

rozu