Chapter Twelve
DISCLAIMER: You know who I own and what I don't—c'mon guess! Okay, here's a hint I DON'T OWN CCS!! I wonder if would just let us write that ONCE at the beginning—so much simpler!! Eh, not happening.
"Where's Sakura?" Tomoyo bit her nails nervously. That was a horrid habit of hers, and she hadn't done it ever since she entered Amber Academy 5 years ago—but, well yeah. You can tell how nervous she was now.
"Calm down Tomoyo, Sakura's a big girl she can take care of herself." Meiling sat on the edge of the log, with her legs crossed. In her hands was a cell phone—which she was trying to get through to civilization to come and rescue them—that she snatched from Dermia's handbag.
"Look, there they are!" Syaoran yelped as he leaped off the tree branch he currently was perching on, looking for a sign of Sakura.
"I thought you hated heights, man?" Eriol raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you hated girl cooties," Syaoran shot back. Eriol flushed with embarrassment remembering Tomoyo's body heat against his.
Meiling snickered at the proclamation. "Even Tomoyo's, Eriol? You guys seemed to look very cozy this morning when I woke you guys up!"
Eriol and Tomoyo both blushed. "Well, y-you and Ryu did too!" Tomoyo stuttered.
Meiling looked up at Tomoyo, while closing the dead cell phone lid in a swift, liquid motion. "Honey, Ryu and I are a couple. Besides, Ryu is a big boy—he doesn't mind girl cooties as long as he's the one kissing them."
Eriol and Syaoran looked disgusted. Tomoyo just shrugged and continued pacing a hole into the ground. Ryu slung his arm around Meiling, trying to comfort the barely visible distressed girl.
Sakura came out of the forest, Dermia and Headmistress Gracia following her. There was a fierce, determined look on her face.
"Eriol, Syaoran, Tomoyo, Meiling and Ryu get your asses up and follow me." Sakura said no more after her command, and walked out of camp.
"For what?" Tomoyo shouted back.
"Just follow me! You've been released from jail by Headmistress Gracia!"
Meiling and Tomoyo looked at each other and shrugged and chased down Sakura. Syaoran and Eriol were shell-shocked, but rapidly realized they were lagging behind and started running.
"Stop." Tomoyo commanded.
"What?" Sakura said irritably.
"Your dress."
Sakura looked down. Eriol, Ryu and Syaoran turned away. Sakura's mid-calf length dress had a huge tear exposing more thigh than a hooker, and a beautiful-looking blue and black bruise.
Tomoyo reached underneath her dress hem, and pulled out a small pouch that had been attached to her garter.
"Take it off," Tomoyo said to Sakura sternly, ignoring Sakura's red face. Meiling occupied the boys' attention, especially Syaoran's, and Sakura slipped out of her officially destroyed garment.
"My gosh," Tomoyo whistled lowly as she looked over the outfit. "The poor dress look like you'd tripped over a hundred tree roots, so does that bruise," Tomoyo nodded towards Sakura's thigh.
Sakura examined the bruise. "Yeah, you're right!" She sounded extremely surprised.
If only the two knew how true that was!
Meiling helped Sakura find a few herbs to nurse the wound, while Tomoyo did her magic on the piece of . . . dress.
"Try not to work your legs too hard," Meiling advised as she took the piece of velvet that Tomoyo had left over and bandaged Sakura's leg.
Sakura nearly snorted with derision. Work her legs hard? Um, she was trying to save Avalon, here! Her own body's selfish desires can come later.
"Here, put this on." Tomoyo shoved her new creation at Sakura.
Sakura murmured, "This feels like old times when we were 6, you forcing me to strip and wear the new outfit you pulled from your head and somehow manage to create it instantly."
Meiling looked interested, "Did she really do that?" and casted a look at Tomoyo who attempted to contort an innocent look on her face, and miserably failed.
"At least 6 times a day," came Sakura's muffled reply as she yanked the lightweight material over her head.
"Whoa, uou look damn hot!" Meiling whistled as Tomoyo threw Sakura a sly wink.
"C'mon, c'mon," Sakura rolled her eyes. "Boys, do you agree with Meiling?" All three boys turned around. Eriol nodded, Ryu cat-called, Syaoran? His jaw dropped literally to the ground.
Tomoyo, being the expert seamstress and sorcerer she was, configured the wispy white top into a floaty 2-layered tanktop. The black ankle-length skirt was transformed into a swingy miniskirt. Her original It outfit looked good on Sakura.
"Do you have scissors?" Sakura asked Tomoyo.
Tomoyo was confused but nether less handed over the scissors to Sakura. To the shock of everyone, Sakura used the scissors to hack at her precious mid-back length hair. By the time she was done it was shoulder length, but still retained its wave, and bounce.
"What was that for?"
Sakura didn't answer; instead she ripped off a vine from a nearby tree and handed over to Tomoyo and Meiling. "Tie up your hair," Sakura instructed. "And Tomoyo, can you do we all a favor and change the boys' ridiculous princely outfits to something—oh, I don't know—that normal boys wear?"
Tomoyo tied up her hair and simply waved her hand over the boys' outfits and they changed into simple t-shirts, sneakers, and shorts.
"Okay, we've done all your orders; now tell us what is going on?" Syaoran had come up to Sakura and was clenching her arms, said fiercely.
"I'll tell you as long as we can do it anywhere besides sitting on a log," Sakura quipped.
Syaoran steered Sakura towards a tree, and forced her to lean on it. Surprisingly, Sakura didn't break Syaoran's nose or anything like that.
"Tell us," Syaoran muttered lowly. His eyes drilling into Sakura's, his breath warm on Sakura's neck.
"I assume Syaoran or Tomoyo gave you brief sketch of my past, right?" Sakura raised her eyebrow at the two mentioned. They nodded.
Sakura took in a deep breath: "Headmistress Gracia is Renalia."
"WHAT?! That bitch!" Tomoyo's face darkened in anger, and she kicked a medium-sized rock with sandaled feet, it went flying for about a mile.
"I'm going to kill her," Syaoran growled, releasing Sakura. He advanced on the frightened headmistress. Dermia stepped in front of him. "Sorry, no." Her eyes were already shifting to purple.
Sakura stepped in the middle and forced Syaoran back. "Be careful. Dermia can control people's movements," She warned. "Renalia isn't actually the murderer, her father is. In fact he set the fire in Amber Academy and is currently heading towards Clow City to destroy Desiree."
"Actually, I don't think Matthew destroyed Amber Academy. I think he has an accomplice in the school. We have incredibly tight security, there's no way he could have gotten in without being spotted," Renalia spoke up.
"But, who would have the motive to destroy Amber?" Meiling sneered.
"A lot of people, who knows?" Renalia shrug.
"Real helpful," Meiling rolled her eyes.
"I need to get to Clow City so I can kick Matthew's ass, will you guys help me?" Sakura turned toward her friends with a fiercely determined look on her face. Never in a million years would she have imagined that she would make such loyal and great friends, and learn the truth so she would no longer be angry—well, not at the wrong person at least.
"Of course we'll help!" Tomoyo cried as she flung her arms around Sakura's neck.
"Where is Clow City? I thought it was just a rumor, or a legend—something stupid," Eriol put in.
"I think you know where seeing that Clow Reed's reincarnation knows how to get there," Sakura looked at Eriol.
Everyone froze seeing the expressions on Eriol's face, who just stared intensely back at Sakura.
"What did you do?" He growled.
"Are you afraid to tell everyone?" Sakura was always a confrontational one—to anyone, and she made it obvious now.
"So, this is it?" Eriol said smoothly, crossing his arms. His eyes revealed his panic.
"I'm sorry to do this to you Eriol, but you need to spill your secret. Now." Sakura's voice was slightly depressed, but she kept it in tact.
"Isn't you and Syaoran knowing enough?!" Eriol shouted back, his eyes panicked.
"What is this about," Tomoyo cut it sharply, her eyes piercing Eriol. Eriol frantically shook his head.
"I don't want to talk about it!"
Tomoyo said a small 'oh', and looked down at her feet sadly.
Sakura gently touched her friend's arm, and returned her gaze to Eriol. "Everyone really needs to know now, Eriol. Please, just tell them." Her voice broke at the last part. Wow. Her life really was a re-run of a soap opera. How sad.
Eriol grimaced. He looked back and forth from Meiling, Syaoran, and Sakura's determined faces, Ryu's clueless expression, and Tomoyo's sad but annoyed look. "All right, I'll spill." He sighed, and ran his hands through his abnormal blue locks. "I'm Clow Reed's reincarnation," Eriol blurted out.
Meiling and Tomoyo traded betrayed looks.
Ryu spat spitefully underneath his breath, "No wonder he always won magic classes." No, he liked Clow Reed. It's just too bad that Eriol lied to them all these years about not knowing a thing about Clow Reed, thinking that everything about him was mythical. That, and only telling Meiling, because of their arranged marriage, and Syaoran, who obviously didn't tell Sakura. She figured it out on her own.
Sakura nodded. "Thanks," she said firmly but kindly. "How do you get to Clow tower?"
Eriol, pitifully but resigned, pointed south.
"Let's go, buddy," Sakura grabbed him by the arm and started marching him towards his pointed finger. Tomoyo kept a downwards gaze the entire time they entire group including Dermia and Renalia trekked through the forests, that graduated into hot, tropical jungle.
"Kinomoto, duck!" Dermia screamed.
Sakura flung herself onto the ground.
A dagger flew past her. Sakura stared in shock for about a milisecond before snapping her attention around when she heard a heart-stopping scream. Her dearest childhood friend was being lifted off the ground, the sharpest knife blade Sakura ever saw placed against his neck.
"Tomoyo!" Eriol shouted out racing torwards her, when a band of bandits blocked their way. The leader, a bulky one, walked torwards Meiling. Before anyone realized what had happened, Sakura had pinned the leader to the ground, and somehow managed to twist his knife into her own hands. The blade's edge skimmed the bandit's delicate skin covering his throat. He tried to force it back, but Sakura was much too strong. He caught sight of her face.
"Sakura Kinomoto?" He asked in disbelief.
"Hello," Sakura's eyes narrowing.
"Why the hell are you going against your fellow outlaws, namely me? Ever heard of me, Toshiko Yanamoto?" He demanded, as he tried to distract her enough from the fact that he was very near on the brink of death, and to stop her from killing him with the slightest pressure of her hands.
"Bella told me something about you," Sakura said calmly, then sneered: "Release the girl or else you'll find yourself floating somewhere in hell my fellow outlaw."
To say the bandit was surprised was to put it mildly. Sakura Kinomoto was famous for everything; everything that she did was over-analyzed to heck by the entire dimension. Outlaws that have met her, helped her, been saved by her shared information regarding her in cycles. Rumors say were widespread throughout the rebelling community. Bella, a fellow outlaw friend of his, was saved by Sakura on occasion and told him that Sakura was a lone wolf, traveling by herself, and never was one to defend someone else that wasn't a known rebel.
Meiling, Eriol, Syaoran, Ryu and even Tomoyo stared at the scene--stunned to see Sakura about to take someone's life to defend a friend.
"Let go of him!" One of the bandits recklessly stepped forward, in an act of bravery.
Sakura curled up her upper lip and snarled.
Tomoyo suddenly cried out in pain, whimpering as the cold knife pressed deeper into her throat, drawing out a ruby red bead of blood.
Syaoran and Eriol glared at the bandits, hiding their horror.
What happened next was so rapid, that nobody even realized what had happened. Dermia stood in place of Tomoyo's captive. Tomoyo was on the ground on all fours, panting.
The bandits stepped in menacingly towards the group. The able-bodied fighters were trapped as the nightmares banded, circling them. The princess and princes' circled too, tightening around Tomoyo.
"We have to get out of here!" Meiling whispered frantically, right now, death seemed like a very timely thing to happen.
Eriol nodded, as his golden rod staff formed in his hands.
"No, you guys better not even think about it! I'll hold them ff, you guys leave the minute there's an opening," Dermia murmured.
"Are you sure?" Ryu casted a concerned look at Dermia. She may be um, a bit annoying, but there's no way he was going to throw a girl into a rowdy group of bandits who had a bit of a delusional gleam to their eyes that just screamed psychos.
"I'll be fine," Dermia insisted with a nod.
"Worry more about Matthew!" Renalia tacked on.
A loud explosion of sound, that was the result of Toshiko being thrown at a lackey, knocking them both down to the ground, startled them.
Sakura stood at the break in the circle with well-concealed panicked eyes.
"Go!" Sakura screamed.
Eriol scooped up injured Tomoyo and sprinted for it.
"Here!" Sakura tossed the leader's sword to Syaoran, and threw a snap kick at one of the bandits that was just staring at her.
"No! Leave already!" Dermia screeched while blocking a kick.
"No, we aren't leaving you and Dermia to fend for yourselves!" Sakura retorted as she swiftly took down another bandit, Syaoran backing her from getting killed.
"LEAVE NOW!" Dermia thundered. Sakura, Syaoran, Meiling and Ryu felt their bodies jerk and start running, like Tomoyo was running after someone if they stole her camcorder, without their consent.
About five miles of extreme running down a crude dirt road, Sakura lightly slammed against a tree and slid down, breathing heavily as she regained control of her body.
"What . . . the . . . hell . . . was . . . that?!" Meiling burst out as she collapsed on the grass near Sakura.
Syaoran practically fell; just fell, into Sakura's lap. Sakura lightly stroked his hair. Both of them desperately tried to regulate their breathing.
Ryu landed face-up on the grass clumsily next to Meiling. "Shit, I want water," He said hoarsely. There's nothing like a five-mile marathon run to tell you just how badly you're out of shape, Ryu thought to himself sarcastically as he listened to Meiling's inhaling and exhaling.
"Guys, wait up!" Eriol dragged out the phrase as he jogged up to the tree, carrying Tomoyo and his face tomato red from the Olympic paced running he had done. "How did you guys run that fast? More importantly, why?!" He panted.
"I . . . told . . . you; . . . Dermia . . . can . . . control . . . people, she practically drips extraordinary magic and skill if you haven't noticed." Sakura said, almost wanting to groan in relief when she realized that her breathing was back to normal.
"So, that's why you went with Dermia when she said 'come'," Eriol put air quotations around 'come', and smirked in understanding.
"I'm glad she saved out asses, but we're probably even further away from Clow City now!" Sakura groaned, and threw her hands up in exasperation.
"Actually, no." Eriol made it sound like a question with the rise of his voice, and his quirked eyebrow.
"Oh, really?" Sakura slowly turned to look at him. "Then show the way," She slowly stood up and gestured largely.
"Please, Sakura, can we take a break, we just ran five miles at top-speed," Meiling begged as she threw herself on top of Ryu, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt as she groaned as her muscled ached.
"There are pacirs in my pouch," Tomoyo mumbled as she connected with the cool ground, and weakly drew out her pouch.
"I love you Tomoyo!" Meiling's face lit up as she tore the pouch off Tomoyo's lap. She withdrew a dew-drop-like, flower-looking thingy. "Eat it; you'll regain, well, most of your strength you lost from controlling magic!" She tossed it to each individual member of the group. They gobbled on it like they were stranded on a deserted island and it was fancy caviar and lobster.
Sakura felt warmth spreading through her entire body, as if she had just drank hot whiskey (not that she ever had it when underage . . .) She felt so refreshed that it was like she took a cold shower in this heat. Apparently everyone else felt the same way as they all stood up and grinned at each other. Sakura yawned, stretching her hands up. "Nice," she smirked at Meiling. Meiling grinned back.
So they walked forward, with occasional guidance from Eriol—at a normal speed. The scenery was amazing. Everywhere had this dreamy yellow haze hanging over it, like pure sunshine filtered through the tall palm tree leaves above them. Next to the group, were exotic jungle plants, for instance, an orange/brown striped small split tree, with small lagoons bubbling cheerfully dotting the exotic ground plants.
Sakura pondered why Dermia saved them. There's no way that Dermia liked her, so what the heck? I guess there's more to people than I ever thought. After all, I'm in the gray area myself, Sakura wryly thought to herself.
Then there was a scream up front.
"Sakura!" Syaoran bellowed, he ran to the front of the group, and successfully saved her from plunging headfirst into a hidden hole.
"Thanks," Sakura breathed. She leaned against Syaoran for support.
"Where did that come from?" Meiling examined the dirt hole; it looked like it was carved out of stone. It had perfectly shaved sides.
"I have no idea," Sakura's voice caught, as she tried to regain a grip on herself. .
"Me neither," Eriol came up to examined the hole as well. Tomoyo inched away from him, slowly. Then when she thought he wasn't looking, Tomoyo ran backwards next to Meiling. Eriol noticed it, and swallowed hard. He kept examining the suspicious hole, with his hair hanging over his eyes.
"Matthew probably knew his daughter was going to try to stop him. Of course he wouldn't want that when he could get absolute power, he probably set up traps," Meiling pointed out, while tip-toeing around the huge hole.
"She's right. Of course it's not going to be a free-for-all," Sakura said. "After all, nothing's easy. Especially trying to save a kingdom from sardonic killers," she added on sarcastically. "Welcome to my life."
"Yours is more interesting than training to be ladies-in-waiting," Tomoyo countered.
"At least you're going to have a nice boss who'll let you make clothing for her—your most desired dream," Sakura said jokingly. If only she knew how much meaning there was in it, that meaning made Tomoyo's eyes well up. Tomoyo was so happy that her friend was going to take over the crown in her own way. Besides, Sakura never let her make clothing her voluntarily. Tomoyo hugged Sakura, and pulled back.
She smirked. "Let's go kick some M ass."
"Now we're talking!" Ryu whooped. Meiling rolled her eyes. As much as she loved her silent-and-strong man, he was not exactly the most sensitive, nor discreet, person in the world.
"What's that in the distance?" Meiling called back, her index finger pointing off in the distance.
Sakura perked up, lifting her head from Syaoran's shoulder. The four-hour monotony was finally broken. She squinted to see what Meiling was pointing at. When she tilted her head about 60 degrees to the right, she could make out the tip of a tower. It looked like Pieter Bruegel's Tower of Babel painting clouded in a yellow haze. The halfway destructed one.
"We're there," Eriol said.
"That didn't take long at all," Tomoyo said sarcastically. She bended her knee, so she could rub her aching feet.
Eriol didn't say anything after Tomoyo's brutal reappraisal.
Sakura didn't talk, as Syaoran, Meiling and Ryu murmured to themselves. She took in her settings, trying not to hyperventilate knowing in maybe two hours or less, she'll see her parents bodies. And maybe fight for her life, and kingdom.
The more they got into the Clow City, the more it graduated from bright colors, to lush green grass, clear blue skies, and a heavily unused dirt road, where emerald plants started overcrowding it. The trees got shorter, and shorter. Turning into the maple oaks near Amber Academy.
There was a shriek. A piercing shriek that pounded all their hearts to a stop. Sakura sharply whipped around, and began running towards the sound.
"No, Sakura, don't!" Meiling called after her, after the initial shock. Sakura ignored her, and veered toward the maple oaks.
Tomoyo and Meiling ran after her, leaving the boys to stare after them, dumbfounded.
They caught up with Sakura in time, to see her at the edge of a small lagoon. They stared in horror as they watched the steam rising from the lagoon hiss and deflate. The bubbling, pristine water turned to a black mucky mess. It was disgusting.
"Ah!" Meiling yelped, jumping back. She thought she saw a pair of red eyes looking back at her.
"Okay, I'm officially grossed out!" Tomoyo whimpered, hanging onto Sakura's arm. Sakura blinked. This was not something she saw daily—even in her crazy, irregular life.
"Um, you know what? Let's go back to the boys." Sakura stepped away from the lagoon, and calmly tried to walk away. In the end, the girls walk became a frantic canter to get away.
Once they came back to the dirt road, the boys were gone.
"Idiots," Sakura ground her teeth.
"When I find Ryu . . ." Meiling's voice trailed off, her eyes were wickedly gleaming thinking about all of the punishments she'd bestow to her boyfriend.
Tomoyo flung open the doors to the tower, she stalked in.
Sakura huffed in annoyance as she looked around the tower. It was dark, and kind of creepy. Plus, she had no idea where her parents' tomb was supposed to be.
Meiling shivered at the damp, cold stone inside the tower. There was just this eerie vibe that it gave up that creeped her to hell. "I can't believe this place is supposed to be heaven on earth," Meiling said softly.
"For once, I'll agree with you without making a smart remark," Sakura said, crouching low and creeping across the stone floor.
Meiling managed to hit Sakura with her elbow without touching her arm to the narrow walls.
Sakura stood up, narrowly avoiding bonking her head on the ceiling. "Shh, listen." She put her hands up, next to her eyes.
Meiling's eyes widened, Tomoyo cursed. "This is too much like a horror movie," Sakura groaned. They steeled themselves.
Sakura was the first to attack; she jumped up, managing to grab an upcoming black snake made from dark magic attacker from the cut stone ceiling. She let free a small burst of magic that instantly killed it.
Meiling managed to keep herself from getting killed and fended Tomoyo at the same time. Great practice for becoming Syaoran's martial arts trainer for his dumbass army, she thought sarcastically as she threw one of Tomoyo's high heels at a snake creeping towards them.
Sakura stepped over the last discarded snake, and glanced around warily. No more. She beckoned towards her friends, and they cautiously made their way into the depths of the tower.
Sakura's arms prickled the second some putrid smell assaulted her nose. Meiling inhaled deeply, and cupped her hands around her mouth. "RYU, YOU IDIOT!" She screamed, her magic instantly amplifying it. The sound echoed throughout the corridor, you could practically hear the sound vibrating off the walls.
There was a drop of water in the distance. Meiling brought her hands back to her sides. "I don't hear Ryu at all." Her brow furrowed in worry.
"That's not good," Tomoyo bit her lip. Meiling's call & response method never failed. No matter how far away Ryu was.
There was a creak in the stone, and suddenly they were flying. Sakura's instinct threw her hands up, clutching the cut stone ceilings, as the floor beneath them gave way. "Meiling! Tomoyo!" She screamed as her friends braced themselves against the floor as it crashed through several levels.
There was a roar of sound, and then it stopped. Sakura looked beneath her, and let out a sigh of relief. Her friends were safe. Probably a little shaken up, but nether less they were safe.
She slowly scaled her way down and lightly scurried over to their side.
Tomoyo's chest was heaving deeply up and down. She was still flat on the floor, her arms and knees bent for protection, and hands over her head. She lifted her head up and when she was satisfied the world was not trembling around her, did she get up, shakily. Nothing like having acrophobia when you just plummeted six stories down some unknown tomb-thingy.
"What the hell was that?" Meiling burst out, drawing her hands around her.
Sakura didn't answer. There was something unnaturally cold around her—and it was not the temperature. It was the magic failing. She looked up at the slitted high windows in the tower's walls, and it was pitch black outside. It was barely noon.
"There's something seriously wrong here," Meiling looked at Sakura. Her face was dead serious.
"Why do you say that?" Tomoyo looked confused
"Why would he bother, trying to drain everything from its life source? He could probably just destroy all the royal tombs."
Sakura snapped to even sharper attention. "What royal tombs?" She said tensely.
"Clow City is the place where Avalon's deceased royal family is held. It's filled to the brim with magic, so there's no need for mummifiying, burying—the deceased are in perfect condition."
"He's going to destroy my parents' bodies," Sakura realized with a sickening emotion swelling in her stomach.
"Yes." Meiling said solemnly. "Because of the magic, the spirits of the decease are still there, channeling and helping the stream of magic flow well, and untainted. So by destroying the source, would just basically plummet Desiree into the Dark Ages."
"And how do you know that?" Tomoyo asked Meiling, her voice suddenly going sharp.
Meiling sighed. "Look, you both know that—you from being there, and you Sakura from seducing Syaoran into telling you (at this Sakura had to smirk)—I was previously engaged to Eriol because of the whole reincarnation, legend crap. Apparently, the elders said 'You. Tell fiancée stuff' to Eriol and he proceeded to bore the shit out of me with crap about Clow City. Way to romance a girl," Meiling finished with a roll of her eyes.
"You know what; I might possibly kill that boy when I see him again." Guess who said that? Tomoyo, my dears.
"Okay, now I definitely know that we've been rubbing off you," Sakura laughed as she scanned the premises looking for a way—any way—out.
"Sakura?" Tomoyo asked, concern scrawled over her face.
"Something's not right," Sakura finally said. "I don't think Eriol would get so lost in his own castle-slash-tomb place that we couldn't even hear Ryu after Meiling's call back."
Meiling's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You're right," She silently just stared then she placed her hand into her jean pocket, when she withdrew there was a pacir in her hand.
Tomoyo realized what Meiling's epiphany was. She reached into her pouch, and crumpled in her hand was a cherry blossom.
Meiling combined the two in between her index finger and her thumb. She threw it at the wall as if she was throwing a fast ball. The blossom and pacir lightly hit the wall, and then it shattered as the wall shimmered and shattered in the background.
Sakura's jaw dropped. She was looking at the scene from below and it was just amazing. It looked like a rainbow was shattering into thousands of little pieces behind a glass window with rain washing down the window. It was just stunning. Then, too soon, it ended. It melted into a trail of long yellow stone stretching for miles and grass decorating both sides of the trail with thick shrubbery and forests on the grass, covered by the mask of dark.
Meiling stood at the place where the wall would've been before the explosion. She looked at Sakura and Tomoyo, and smiled slightly although her face was sincere and serious. "And that my friend is what happens when you get hoodwinked."
