Disclaimer: I don't own Card Captor Sakura/Cardcaptors or Magic Knight Rayearth. Only the respective company, CLAMP does. Read & Review, please!
Chapter 10: Light vs. Darkness
Once the dust had subsided, Zagato became pleased of what he has accomplished. Each person has been laid out on the ground and semi-conscious, due to the overwhelming power from him.
While others were trying to recover, Sonomi was broken free from her icy prison and opened her eyes to see a terrifying sight: Sakura and all of her friends are semi-bruised and barely awake. She runs to her and tried waking her up, if she hasn't sustained any major injuries.
"Sakura! Sakura! Sakura, wake up!"
It didn't take long for her to hear Sonomi's loud voice and woke up. "Eh? Ms. Daidoji? Why are you here?"
"I was going to ask you the same question. What's going on?"
Slowly but surely, she got to her feet, brushed herself off and clarified to her. "A man in gray armor attacked me and…" But when she turned the other way, she witnessed a shocking discovery: Both Toya and Syaoran are unconscious and hardly moving an inch. "Oh, no! Brother! Syaoran-Kun!"
With Sonomi trailing with her and also helping Toya, she falls to her knees and consoled him. "Syaoran-Kun! Syaoran-Kun! Please, open your eyes!" As tears starts to flow in her eyes, she calls out his name again but only louder. "Syaoran-Kun!"
He paid attention to her yelling and was a little unappreciated with the way, she screamed. "Did you have to say it that loud?"
She felt relieved that he was still alive and in one piece. She gradually takes him by the hand and hoisted him up. Just around the same time, Sonomi helped Toya up. "Are you okay?"
"For now, but…"
However, he was interrupted by the laughter of Zagato and at large, since acquiring 'The Big' Card.
"If you're all done yip-yapping, I'd like to put an end to your existence."
After Sonomi helped Toya out, she became somewhat scared of a gigantic figure that was standing from above her. "What the? Wh-Who is he and how did he get so huge?"
"That would be Zagato. He's responsible for toying Sakura's mind and already played some of her Cards against us. At the moment, he's already used 'The Big' Card and recently, 'The Power' Card" Syaoran explicated.
"I hate to say it, but…he's right. His approach on Sakura is a lot worse than mine" Toya said.
"That was him all along?" Sonomi's face had turned into anger. "How dare he!"
Later on, Hikaru, Umi, Fuu and Meiling were able enough to stand up after taking a serious beating from Zagato's blast.
"Oh, boy. That was some power."
"You're telling me. But nonetheless, we can't give up."
"I agree. Wait! Where's Ferio and Miss Tomoyo?"
"I don't see them, anywhere. You don't suppose that they're…"
When their worries was about to kick in, a new voice interpolated. "Relax. Both me and Tomoyo are fine."
As Fuu looked behind, she sees that they haven't suffered any injures. Although, she seemed rather strict of him being with another girl. "Ferio! Why is it that you're with her?"
He explained. "Chill out, will you? When Zagato had used one of Sakura's Cards and knocked you out, I quickly needed some assistance from Yue and Keroberos to get out of dodge. Just long enough, before he floored you and your friends."
"Ferio…" thought Fuu.
"Hey! We have a situation on our hands and we could really use your help, right about now!" yelled Hikaru to her.
"S-Sorry. I'm on my way." As Fuu hurries back to her co-hosts, Ferio gently placed Tomoyo on the ground when he was carrying her bridal style and saving both her and himself with some help from Yue and Keroberos.
"Thank you, Ferio" she says.
"Nothing to it" he chuckled after that.
Elsewhere, Sakura and her group are still facing the enormous size of Zagato ever since he activated 'The Big' Card.
"I must say, I'm quite impressed that you've avoided my onslaught on you. But, you're still powerless against someone who's already dead like me!"
"Even so, we're not running away!" Sakura stated.
"Oh? How can you? You forget that I'm holding your book as of late! With this in hand, there's no way that you can defeat me!"
"Says you!" As Keroberos fires a bright red beam from his metal plated forehead, Zagato had no time to react and got it on the back of his hand. As a result, he whelped in pain and reluctantly dropped the Sakura Book.
Luckily, Yue retrieves it and heads back down with his allies. "I've got your book, Sakura. Without it, he can't summon anymore of your cards."
"Yeah but, what now?"
When it seemed that all hope was lost, a strange bright pink glow had wrapped around Sakura's body.
"Wh-What's happening?" asked Meiling in surprise.
"I-I don't know" added Tomoyo.
Fortunately, she wasn't the only one whose body is glowing. The same goes for Hikaru, Umi, Fuu and even Syaoran. They each had a different color that matched their clothing. Except for Syaoran in a white aura.
"Any idea on, what might happen?" Sonomi told Toya.
"Beats me."
As for Zagato, he was becoming curious about the mysterious lights that were enshrouding the Magic Knights, Sakura and Syaoran. "Hmm? What on earth?"
During all of this, Hikaru felt something shaking in her pockets and as she drew it out, she became bewildered that the item had contained the same glow from her body and it was 'The Fiery' Card. "Umi! Fuu! Get your cards out, quick!"
Upon listening to her command, they too pulled out their cards and like Hikaru, they were also shining in the exact color of their auras as well.
"Watery."
"Windy. Miss Sakura! Sir Syaoran! It's your cards!"
In-spite of feeling speechless, they brought out their cards and were similar to their auras.
"Sakura, I think I know, why they are reacting in such a strange way."
"You do? What's the answer?"
He pressed forward and unveiled the truth. "Accordingly, if we unite our cards with Hikaru, Umi and Fuu, we may be able to defeat Zagato once and for all. Ready?"
"Yes!" Before they could join in with Hikaru and company, she checks on her brother regarding her relationship with Syaoran. "Brother. Listen, about…"
Just as she was about to express herself, Toya placed his hand on her shoulder with a small smile on his face.
"Let me tell you something, I'm no longer bearing any grudges on…Syaoran, again. Okay?"
She couldn't believe her eyes that he has actually said her lover's full name rather than the so-called nickname, 'brat'. "B-Brother…what has come over you?"
"Now's, not the time for that. Your friends need you and so does Syaoran. If I was you, you'd better get going."
Without a moment to spare, she took his proposition and re-joined with Syaoran as they come together with Hikaru, Umi and Fuu.
As they all showed each other's Clow Cards, Sakura immediately transformed her Star Wand into a Sword, by utilizing 'The Sword' Card.
In the meantime, the Clow Cards were reacting again with the same light from earlier.
"Do you know, what this means?" Umi asked.
"I believe it is. Let's combine our powers with these cards!" says Hikaru.
"Hey! I knew that before you did!" Syaoran protested.
"Ha! You'd expect to defeat me with that? Don't make me laugh!" Zagato teased at them for believing that their new strategy won't work.
"C'mon, hurry up and do it!" shouted Ferio to them.
"Quickly!" added Tomoyo.
"Right! Okay, let us unite these Clow Cards with our swords! Earthy!" She flung 'The Earthy' Card in the air and became one with her Sword. Hikaru, Fuu, Umi and Syaoran are also doing the same method.
"You have my word, Sakura. Go, Fiery!"
"Windy!"
"Watery!"
"Hope!"
Each of their swords had represented a unique color that were based on their Clow Cards: Earthy, Fiery, Windy, Watery and Hope. It glowed in unison and merged together to become one gigantic sword. They all held it together and as their auras had re-appeared on their bodies, they're prepared to deliver the final blow on Zagato.
And speaking of Zagato, he wasn't really intimidated of their teamwork. "Try as you might. You won't finish me off that easily!"
"Yes, we will!" Sakura continued. "For someone like you that likes playing with people's minds such as myself and then twisting it for your own pleasure, you will not be forgiven! You'll never understand the true strength from inside my heart and that's love!"
"Love? Oh, please. That's just a distraction. What's that got to do with it?"
She countered. "Everything! Including, Syaoran-Kun and my family! They mean a lot to me, since the day I was born!"
Toya and Sonomi both became touched of Sakura's statement about what love really is.
"S-Sakura…"
"That's beautiful."
"All of that is nothing compared to me! What matters most is myself! Your way of life is more pathetic than anyone!"
"You think so? Well, obviously, you're too damn selfish for your own good! Let's go!" Syaoran shouts to Sakura and to everybody, as their auras lit up on their bodies and so does the huge sword in a radiant white glow.
As it begins to manifest, Zagato couldn't bear to feel its power and as he brought out his sword, he right away fills it up with darkness. "I will not be silenced again!" With pure hatred in his eyes, he fired his attack. Just around the same time, Sakura and her teammates fired theirs.
It became a ferocious battle of light and dark, if not worse, an old game of tug-o-war. The whole ground was shaking as both combatants roared with anticipation and pushing each other with everything they've got.
Though it seems that Zagato has them on the ropes but, he hadn't estimated the full force of their combined hearts that were building up inside the sword itself. The bright light from the sword was starting to push him further.
As it did, Zagato realizes that he has underestimated them. "Th-This cannot be! NO!" Before long, he can still hear the unified voices from them and the newest attack from their arsenal.
"Sword…of…Purification!"
Their coalesced voices became much stronger and with that, the light from the sword became even brighter and then, it diminished his attack and penetrated right through him. He screamed loudly and his whole body was disintegrated into nothingness. After that, 'The Big' Card flew down and returned to the Sakura Book. All that remains of Zagato was 'The Spirit' Card, but not for very long as it becomes destroyed as well.