Hearts Unsealed
By: pnaixrose
Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura or any of its characters. They all belong to CLAMP.
Summary: Because of that dark, fateful day nine years ago, he had been forced to give up the only thing that had ever made him happy, to resign himself to the guilt of not being able to protect her, to look into dull, distant emerald eyes and know that he had been forgotten forever and would never be remembered. As for her, she has been living with gaps in her memory – in her heart – that have just been waiting to be filled. And with trouble arising with the Cards, a string of circumstances might actually lead her to finally find what she's been missing.
(Note: Continuation of the anime if Void had been able to take what was precious to Sakura's heart)
Chapter 14: Unfolding
An air of tension filled the kitchen table just as breakfast was ensuing. Tomoyo and Eriol looked up in surprise from their plates, Meiling stopped mid-sip of her coffee, and even Keroberos placed his fork down, his pancakes forgotten.
"What did you say, Sakura?" Kero asked incredulously.
"I have a plane ticket to return Japan so I'll be leaving Hong Kong," she repeated nonchalantly. She casually sat in her seat, avoiding her friends' eyes as she placed her plate down in front of her. She really didn't have much of an appetite though honestly. "Tonight."
Meiling almost spit out her drink in surprise. "T-Tonight?!"
Tomoyo noted the dark bags under Sakura's reddened eyes. Sakura had gotten home late last night after apparently explaining her identity and the entire situation to Shimizu Keiji. They hadn't even seen her come in last night and were expecting her to update them on what had happened with Keiji when the Card Mistress announced that she was suddenly leaving. By instinct, Tomoyo realized that something more had happened that Sakura wasn't letting on. "Did…something happen last night, Sakura-chan?"
Sakura forced a smile, hoping it was believable enough. "No, I figured that since Keiji-kun and I are completely done…it was time for me to go home." It was logical. She had no other reason to be here after all. The Li Clan leader had made that perfectly clear to her last night. But she really didn't want to bring that up at the breakfast table. Not when she felt so angry, upset, and dejected.
It was silent for a few seconds before Meiling placed down her travel coffee mug. She was already a few minutes late for work. But work could wait. "Wait a minute…What about the Cards? I thought that you needed Syaoran's–"
"I can handle the Cards by myself," Sakura asserted. Her stomach lurched at the thought of him. Just hearing his name brought her mood lower than it already was. "I've overstayed my welcome here anyway."
"What?" Meiling blinked in confusion. "No you haven't. Syaoran and I love having you guys—"
Her emerald eyes hidden from view, Sakura suddenly stood and interrupted the Chinese girl, her chair scraping against the floor. She didn't think she could stand hearing his name again for the rest of her life. "I'm finished with my food, thanks." She hadn't even touched her utensils. "I have to finish packing for my flight." And with that she stalked away out of the dining room and down the hallway towards her room.
Kero momentarily glanced at the people around him before huffing and ignoring the lingering craving for the rest of his pancakes. He hurriedly followed Sakura in suit, trying to catch up with her and knowing that something was amiss.
"This is…quite sudden," Tomoyo said quietly, looking up at Meiling.
Meiling returned her confusion with a sigh. Realization hit her. "Something's up. Last thing I heard from Syaoran today was that he had gone to Sakura's hotel room last night while she and Shimizu were talking." She looked at her two friends in exasperation and worry. "He didn't come home last night. Told me he's already at the office. What the hell happened?"
"Weren't you the one who spoke to him last, Eriol-kun?" Tomoyo asked the man sitting next to her. He had been the only one who hadn't put in his two cents on the situation. In fact, he seemed to be oddly quiet throughout the entire conversation.
He nodded slowly taking a deep breath. Eriol had actually been relieved at Sakura's news. Now there was a possibility that both she and Syaoran would be safe from harm. But he knew that his friends weren't going to understand his point of view…not when they didn't know what Syaoran was secretly going through. "I told Syaoran to…let her go."
The two girls were quiet.
"Let…her go?" Meiling asked dubiously. "What, why!"
"I thought we were all thinking that it was a good thing to have Sakura-chan here near him!" Tomoyo added, her eyebrows knotting in confusion. "He's saved her on so many occasions, she's been happier…"
"Sakura-san coming here was a mistake," Eriol said, remembering Syaoran's agonized cries from that night and how helpless they had been in stopping it. "I think it may have exacerbated the entire situation with the Cards and Void."
"Wait, wait I thought you told us that this problem had started from the very beginning," Meiling commented, noting that Eriol sounded incredibly like that pigheaded Kinomoto Touya at the moment. "That even immediately after Void took Sakura's memories and feelings, she still harbored them inside of herself somehow. And that's why we're all here in the first place."
"I…I know that…but…" Eriol sighed, knowing that his friends had legitimate points. But he also knew that no one else knew that Void had been secretly attacking Syaoran…and that it had gotten worse since Sakura arrived. He knew that something – or someone – had to be sacrificed at the end of all this. And honestly he thought it best to try to prolong that ultimate conclusion in any way that he could. Or at least try to separate Syaoran and Sakura so that when something does happen…no one would be too emotionally hurt. "…I just think that it's best that we let Sakura-san return home. Being here was a mistake."
"It's not a mistake."
Meiling and Eriol looked towards Tomoyo, who sounded uncharacteristically enraged. The sound of her heightened voice and the sight of her amethyst eyes set in a firm, upset gaze were unprecedented for her.
Eriol looked at her in surprise. "Tomoyo-san…"
She stood, staring down at him steadily. "You're hiding something, Eriol-kun. I know you. You were passionate about having Sakura-chan near Li-kun," she said quietly. "What changed?"
He sighed aloud. Damn his promise to Syaoran to keep his secret hidden from everyone else. If he could only explain to them what the truth was, he was sure they would be a tad more understanding. "I told you, I just think that we approached this wrongly. Sakura-san obviously hasn't made any gains in stopping the Cards from getting–"
"No gains?!" Tomoyo replied disbelievingly and with anger rising within her. She out of all people knew just how great her best friend has been doing here in Hong Kong. She had been with Sakura the moment after Void after all. Had seen her look utterly miserable and sullen. Had heard her nonstop sobs and couldn't stop her tears. And even after Sakura had gotten better as the years went on, nothing compared to how happy she had seemed in the past several months. "She's had plenty of gains here! She was doing so well here! She was surrounded by friends! She was re-experiencing love! She was happy! Until you went an instigated something between Li-kun and her!" She was adamant as she looked at him. There had to be something more, something that they didn't know. "Just what are you hiding?!"
Eriol was getting frustrated feeling backed up into a corner by her. Usually he admired her ever observant, analytical ways…praised it even. He just didn't expect that it would ever be used against him. And plus, he never expected that she would get this angry at him. Well, it was concerning Sakura after all so maybe he shouldn't be so surprised.
"I'm not hiding anything!" he insisted, starting to raise his voice. It irritated him that she was placing the blame on him, as if he wanted to break up whatever Sakura and Syaoran were starting to become. He didn't want this any more than she did. But he had no other choice. He cared about the Cards and Sakura and Syaoran too much. Even though Tomoyo didn't know the secret about Syaoran and Void, couldn't she at least see that he wanted the best for his friends?
Tomoyo knew that there was still something more he was keeping to himself. Did he not trust her enough to tell her? Didn't he realize that if it had something to do with Sakura, she had a right to know? "I know that you don't really think–"
Suddenly, he slammed his fist onto the dining table, rattling the silverware on top of it. He stood up from his chair, coming eye to eye with Tomoyo. He'd had enough already! "You know?! How do you already know what I think within only a few weeks?!"
Tension heightened all the more as silence settled between all of them. Meiling, completely feeling like the third-wheel, looked at her watch in faux concern of the time. She felt that it had somehow escalated to become a couple's fight and definitely did not want to intrude or get involved. She bid her goodbye quickly as she stole away using work as an excuse, although she knew that neither of her friends took note of her departure.
Eriol sighed again, running a hand through his hair. Why had he said that? It had nothing to do with the situation at hand. He looked up at her beautiful face which only showed an unreadable expression. "Tomoyo-san…I'm sorry. I didn't mean–"
"Eriol-kun, this isn't about us. This is about Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said calmly, showing no emotion. His outburst left an unmistakable sting. Of course she had realized that they had gotten close within an incredible short amount of time…but she had thought neither of them had been bothered by that. She was still feeling numb by the revelation.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry," he sighed, his expression looking haggard. It was something foreign for the usually calm and collected Hiiragazawa Eriol. He had never spoken irrationally like that. But the delicate situation at hand and speaking to a stubborn Tomoyo who was indeed correct that he was hiding something was keeping him on edge. That was the ironic thing too. She was right that she knew him well enough already despite the fact that it has only been a few weeks since they've reacquainted with each other. "Look, I know you don't believe in it but I think I did what I thought was best for them. Both of them."
Tomoyo was silenced at that. He was permitted to have his own opinions on the matter. And opinions were able to change easily. He clearly tried to do something to help the overall state of things. But ultimately, this had to do with Sakura. And if Eriol thought that this was protecting Sakura, he was wrong.
Tomoyo knew what would happen when Sakura returned home after this. She would probably succumb into loneliness again, feel lost and empty, and become even less of the Kinomoto Sakura whom they all remembered. And this time…it would be because she had found exactly what she had been looking for…but had left it behind. Eriol wouldn't have to witness all that. He wouldn't have to be there to pick up the pieces of Sakura's brokenness. Tomoyo would.
Besides, just because Sakura and Syaoran could be physically separated didn't mean that things would be fixed with the Cards and Void. That had been proven from the beginning. What made Eriol think that it would work now after they had found each other again?
And honestly…there was another, more selfish reason why she had felt so fired up when he continued to emphasize that they were wrong for being here. If Eriol thought Sakura coming to Hong Kong was a mistake…he must also think that becoming reacquainted with Tomoyo was a mistake as well. After all…the only reason why they were able to meet again was because Sakura had somehow found Syaoran in the first place.
All of what had transpired here in Hong Kong couldn't be a mistake.
At least…it hadn't been a mistake to Tomoyo until she realized he thought it was.
Tomoyo cleared her throat to break the silence and she nodded, looking away from his gaze. "I understand," she said softly. "Well, what's been done has been done. And Sakura-chan has obviously made her decision. Now I guess we all just depart on our own separate ways."
This struck Eriol. Depart on their separate ways? He hadn't even thought of what would happen in regards to his new relationship with a certain Daidouji. He was suddenly dumbstruck as he stared quietly at her.
"And where does that leave…us?"
She was silent as she gave a small defeated shrug. There was a forced, somewhat pained smile on her lips. "…As you have said yourself, Eriol-kun," her quiet voice answered, "Being here was a mistake."
And so was trusting him. Trusting him with Sakura. And trusting him with her own heart.
Eriol was deathly silent as she walked away without another glance, her long hair trailing behind her.
She might as well have slapped him across the face, using his own words against him like that. As if this was entirely his fault. As if he wanted to purposely separate Sakura and Syaoran. As if he wanted to cut things short on bad terms like this. As if he wanted this.
As if he wanted to part with the delicate, passionate woman whom he cared for a lot more than he realized.
Sakura was kneeling in front of her messily packed luggage on the floor. She honestly didn't have much packing to do. After all, she had just come from the hotel room and thus most of her belongings had already been packed away. And everything else she had safely tucked away earlier this morning as well. She didn't want to stay here a moment longer after all. She was actually considering going to the airport and waiting for her flight even though she would be hours early.
She wanted to leave. She felt stifled here. Forget being in his home, in his hometown…just knowing that she breathed the same air as him made her chest feel heavy. Hopefully being miles away would help.
The past few days had revealed nothing but her own idiocy. She had realized she was guilty for using Shimizu Keiji to try to feel love and to try to find her way to Hong Kong. She had realized she had fallen in love with another man despite being engaged to Shimizu Keiji. And she had acted on her feelings even after the said man had made it clear that she shouldn't. And now she was here. Heartbroken and feeling utterly helpless. And the funny thing was…she knew that underneath all the hurt and the contempt towards Li Syaoran…she still loved him. Not even his piercing eyes and his cold words from last night emphasizing how she meant nothing to him could make her forget about feeling warm within his embrace, the softness of his amber eyes, the feeling of his skin underneath her fingertips, and his kisses. And most of all, the feeling of comfort he provided…the feeling that he understood her…the feeling of having her tortuous past be swept away just by being in his presence…she knew in the end that she wouldn't be able to forget him. She knew that she didn't want to even try to.
She had asked Syaoran last night if he would have wanted his memories to be erased just as Keiji wanted his to be. Now she understood why he had told her no. Because bad memories are always laced good ones…ones that have ultimately changed you.
When she woke up this morning, Sakura had promised herself that she wouldn't cry. She had claimed that he wasn't worth the tears, told herself that she deserved better, and insisted on all those other clichéd phrases about heartbreak. But…when it came down to it…
She felt the tears starting to run down her face as her body began to shake.
…He just didn't care about her.
Sakura knew this all along. She had been fooling herself and keeping her hopes up as he would sometimes show that he could actually return her feelings. But she should have known better to have hope in meaningless things like that. The way he held her…kissed her…probably meant nothing compared to him. She had realized that after that first night she was with him. That was the reason why she had bought the plane ticket to return to Japan in the first place. She knew that despite everything they had gone through at that point, something always kept them separated. And she owed it to herself to stop things before she got even more attached than she had already.
But last night…he had showed up unexpectedly again. Had seemed like he was worried about her. Had even kissed her. But in the very end…he admitted that she was just a stranger who dropped into his life. Admitted that he essentially didn't care if she left.
She had never felt so confused and betrayed.
"Sakura…?"
She quickly wiped her face with her sleeve, leaving her face red and her eyes swollen. She took a deep breath as she pretended to refold a shirt, keeping her eyes averted from the visitor. "Yes, Kero-chan?"
He wasn't being fooled though. As he landed on the floor not too far away, he knew that his master's tear-stained cheeks were not just a random phenomenon. The guardian tried to think of something to say. He had no idea what had happened, but he could only assume that Sakura's sadness had to do with the Li brat trying to push her away again. As he always did. Not that he really blamed the kid though…
Kero sighed. This whole, complicated situation between the two never failed to give him a headache. "Are you sure about this…?"
"Of course, Kero-chan," she replied monotonously. "The Cards are still nowhere near to being recaptured. And only more have been taken since I arrived here. I came here to focus on getting help for them. But I totally lost sight of that." She looked at him, not completely lying but not telling the entire truth either. She didn't think she was ready to speak about what had occurred between her and a certain Li leader. "It's time we go home to refocus on the Cards, regroup, and rethink the entire thing, don't you think?"
Kero was silent. Of course he knew that what she was saying was true. After all, yesterday it had seemed like she had been so caught up with her feelings that she hadn't noticed that the Change Card had been reactivated. It was careless of her. If they hadn't gotten there when they did, things could've gotten bad. "Sure, Sakura. If that's what you want to do, maybe it is best that we go home." He tried to give an uplifting grin and sat on her shoulder to pat her head. "I'll be here beside you regardless what you choose."
Sakura appreciated his understanding as she returned it with a small, sad smile.
Tomoyo sighed as she and Sakura stood in front of security, a hidden Keroberos in Tomoyo's pocket. It was nearing their departure time now and all they had to do was go through security to get their respective gate. Luckily, Tomoyo had gotten a last minute seat on the same flight as her best friend. Although they would be seated in different areas, Tomoyo wanted to at least try to keep an eye on her. Sakura had been quiet, tense, and expressionless all day. She hadn't offered any explanation to her sudden decision and no one had pressed her to, even the usually ever-persistent Meiling. They all knew what essentially happened anyway. Things didn't work out between Sakura and Syaoran. Syaoran had hurt her badly. And now she was rightfully leaving.
Tomoyo offered strained smiles to the guests who had accompanied them to the airport. An air of sadness had seemed to remain over their heads throughout the entire day today. And looking at Meiling's and Eriol's grim faces now, Tomoyo knew that this would be yet another strained, final goodbye between all of them.
"Thank you so much for your hospitality, Meiling-chan," she said graciously as she pulled the Chinese girl into a hug.
Meiling, tears threatening to spill from her eyes, nodded. It had been a blessing to be re-acquainted with all these old friends. And it had felt as if they had gotten closer than ever before. But apparently, their friendships were doomed to be short-lived. "Of course," she choked out. "I'll miss you guys."
Meiling next went up to a silent Sakura and pulled her into a tight hug, wanting to apologize for everything she had gone through, wanting to apologize for her stupid cousin's dignity and sense of self-sacrifice. "Don't forget to call, dummy," Meiling said. But she knew that Sakura wouldn't be calling anytime soon. Or maybe any time at all. Sakura only hugged back limply and forced a smile. It was as if she was an empty shell right now, immune to everything.
Meanwhile, Eriol and Tomoyo had been left alone, standing in front of each other with unreadable expressions on their faces. Neither of them knew what to say really. And neither of them felt like they could keep their usual composure for much longer.
Eriol looked her straight in the eye, feeling a swirl of emotion brimming inside of him. Although he knew their abrupt separation was not entirely his fault and that he had urged Syaoran to stop things with Sakura for good reasons, he strangely felt as if he were to blame. At least for the apparent coldness between him and Tomoyo. And now, unsaid feelings and hundreds of miles would separate their newly developed feelings for each other. He felt his throat closing, unsure if he should admit his true feelings about her, unsure if he should reveal Syaoran's secret to possibly get her to stay. Should he do anything at all?
He had never felt this unsure in his entire lifetime as Hiiragazawa Eriol. He had always known the future and how to approach it. But this – love – was scary and unpredictable. It was an amazing guessing game and held looming possibilities at the same time. And now…looking at the girl who was about to enter the airport gate and exit his life for a second time…now he still felt incredibly unsure. Of how he would continue after this. Of how he would try to forget what had transpired in the past few weeks. "Tomoyo-san…"
Tomoyo smiled ever so slightly. He had a look of incredible doubt in his eyes, of guilt. And yes, she realized that she did love him and how he made her feel. The past several weeks with him had made her feel as if she were the only girl in the world, as if she was special. He had convinced her that she needed to enjoy life more, be herself more. And it was nice feeling…for a time. In the end she realized that Sakura would be more important to her than she was to herself. Sakura would be more important to her than anyone else for that matter. And although he had insisted that he would take care of Sakura…take care of both of them so that she would no longer need to…Tomoyo knew that promise had become null once he decided to take Sakura and Syaoran's relationship into his own hands. She was bitter towards him. She wasn't sure if she could ever forgive him. After all…she already saw how broken Sakura seemed in just the past day.
"I wish you the best, Eriol-kun," Tomoyo said quietly.
And it was with that statement that Eriol knew he had lost her. That there was nothing he could do to get her to stay. That she wanted to focus on Sakura's well-being and only on that. There was no more room for anyone or anything else. He just hoped that she would allow her passions free from time to time. He hoped that she would have time to love herself. He nodded in strained acceptance.
"Well, we should go," Tomoyo continued, forcing herself to turn her back on him. She didn't think she could face him any longer. She smiled sadly at Meiling and gently pushed an ever-so quiet Sakura to file in the security line. They waited patiently and quietly, knowing that their two friends were still waiting.
Meiling quietly patted the Englishman's back, knowing that what he was going through was difficult for him. She looked towards her two friends as they walked away, glancing every so often around the airport. She had texted Syaoran about their departure time. She hadn't gotten a response. She knew that he wouldn't be coming.
Sakura felt an impending doom and a strange lightness on her shoulders as she stood in between strangers, waiting to get on the plane that would take her away from this place forever. She had learned so much about herself here and had found that she was actually guilty of using others. She had found a sense of comfort with her past. She had found love. She had experienced heartbreak and had caused heartbreak herself. She had lost more precious Cards…
This place held so much for her in just such a short time. She didn't know how she should go about getting past it all. Should she forget? Should she forget any of it happened?
How can one place – one person – affect her life in such a short amount of time…?
And here she had thought she would be able to find out about her lost memories, about the void in her heart. Although she had found nothing about her memories, she did manage to find something that filled the void, something that mattered a whole lot more than her broken past. But now that she was leaving…this trip to Hong Kong had proved to be useless after all.
It was at that moment that she gasped aloud, eyes widening. The aura of her Sakura Cards mixed with Void's filled the atmosphere, almost choking her. She watched in horror as four Cards magically darted from her purse and disappeared. Emerald eyes widened as subconsciously, she already knew where they were headed.
"Li-kun."
And she didn't spend a moment double guessing what she would do next.
Without warning and not without irritating the other people on line, she forced herself through the crowd, running in a direction where her friends couldn't predict. Tomoyo – who had been actually going through security at the time – called her name and was left behind. Kero had been forced to stay silent as they were in a crowded area. And Meiling noted from the look in Eriol's eyes as he looked in the direction Sakura ran to that something magical was amiss.
Eriol's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Void took four Cards," he said hastily, already starting after Sakura. Depending on which Cards had been taken…a disaster was bound to happen. Sakura might be heading towards trouble…or trouble was heading towards Syaoran. Or both. Any way was bad news. "I'm going to try to catch up with her. Call me when you guys are able to start following."
And just like that, Tomoyo and Sakura's return to Tomoeda had been forgotten without a second thought.
Li Syaoran leaned backwards into his office chair as he placed his hand on his forehead over his eyes, trying to stop the migraine he has had all day. He glanced momentarily at the digital clock on his desk. It was well past ten o'clock at night. Surely she was at the airport now. Meiling had told him that her flight was at ten thirty.
In just a few minutes Kinomoto Sakura would really be out of his life. As she should be.
These past few months had been a blessing and a curse at the same time. Having her so close by was a tease. Holding her and kissing her had been a fluke. Finding out she loved him was pure torture.
And he had thrown it all away. And for what? For the possibility that Void might leave them all alone? For the possibility that she might not get hurt in the end? He had given up a lifetime with Kinomoto Sakura for just goddamn possibilities. If there was a heaven they would show him some mercy and give him a sign that it was the correct thing to do. So far, last night Void's attack had been brutal as ever, only adding onto the already shattered heart he had. A broken heart from knowing he had rejected and hurt her…when they could've had the possibility of getting the future they both wanted.
No use for regrets now though. All he could do was hope for the best. That as soon as Sakura left this country she would be safe. That the Cards would somehow return to her. That everything would somehow restore back to how it was supposed to be. Living separate lives.
But how was he supposed to forget these past several months? How was he supposed to go on knowing that she was alive and well and had actually loved him at one point in her life? Maybe…it would have been best if she hadn't shown up at all?
No. In the end, he was too selfish. In the end, even if it broke his heart a million times over, he would give anything to have her that close again…to have her in his life again. It was somehow masochistic. But he would endure all the pain in the world to just see her.
He should be happy that she had dropped into his life again. Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was by coincidence. Either way, it gave him a second chance. And even though he was destined to ruin it, he still was given that chance.
He just wished he didn't have to hurt her the way he did. He wondered if he gave a convincing enough life. Did she actually think he didn't want anything to do with her…? Was he that good of an actor?
He sighed, burying his head into his palms. The next couple of months – years – would be like this. All these 'what if's' and wondering…he speculated if in the end he would drive himself into insanity with these thoughts.
Suddenly, horror dawned on him as he felt the air thicken with magic. He almost couldn't breathe with the amount of magical power in the air. Three – no, four – Cards?! Was that even possible? And judging by their proximity, they were extremely close by.
He glanced at the clock. Sakura would have left already.
Syaoran stood up, knowing what he must do. Somehow he would have to face the Cards, possibly retrieve them before they disappeared. With Sakura already on an airplane, it was impossible that she would be able to face them herself. And he was okay with that. After all, this meant she wouldn't have to fight her own Cards, wouldn't have to put herself in harm's way.
He would stop them this time, no matter if there was one Card or four.
And with Sakura gone…he wouldn't hold back on them anymore.
Jogging up to where all four auras were dwelling, Syaoran felt the magic power stifling him, Void's aura dominant above them all. They had led him here, at the entrance of the park nearby his company building, the one where he and Eriol had bumped into Shimizu and Sakura having lunch. Hopefully no one else was around this late at night. It would be bad news if any other people got sucked up into this mess.
As he neared the entrance, he was startled to see a figure staring into the park with her back turned to him. Syaoran couldn't believe it.
"K-Kinomoto…!" She turned around and there she was. Still here. Still standing in front of him. "What are you…I thought you…"
Her emerald eyes were firm as she stared back at him. "I couldn't. Not when four of them were taken."
"Any idea which Cards they are?" he asked, peering into the park. It was abnormally dark and all the lampposts had turned off. It was impossible to really see anything except shadows, but it was clear that magic thickened and warped the air.
Sakura shook her head sadly. "I didn't get a chance to see."
Syaoran nodded and without a moment to lose, he called forth his sword with a swing of his arm. "Let's go. Stay behind me."
They stepped into the park and immediately knew the identities of two of the four Cards that had been activated. As they slowly walked along the darkened, ominous path, the trees and shrubbery distorted around them, twisting into odd, nonsensical shapes. On top of that, Syaoran noted that the park had inherently changed now with strange dark paths that had not been there before.
"Maze and Illusion," Sakura pointed out, her voice strained.
Syaoran nodded as he looked behind him. Although they had only taken a few steps into the park, the opening had already been covered with the distorted foliage. Now that they had stepped in, there was no getting out. "How are we supposed to recapture them?"
"They'll probably turn back into Cards once we solve the maze," she answered. She looked at him pointedly, "but then we only have a limited amount of time before Void takes them."
The Li leader scowled in frustration. Solve Maze? With Illusion adding to its effects, it would be damn near impossible. Prepping his sword, he prepared to strike through the foliage walls. However Sakura grabbed his arm and shook her head. "I'm sure that if we solve this, they'll come back to me. If it seems like we're running out of time we'll resort to brute force…but for now…I want to play by their rules. They might come back willingly if we do so."
Syaoran sighed. This was what he had been dreading. When had the Cards ever come back willingly or allow them enough time to play by their rules? But he didn't have the heart to tell her this with that firm look in her emerald eyes. "Fine," he said grudgingly. "But remember, there are two other Cards of which we don't even know the identities. If this doesn't work, I'm going to do things my way, Kinomoto."
She nodded. "I'm more accustomed to Maze and Illusion now…I feel like their leading me this way."
It had been several minutes into the park as Sakura led them confidently. Syaoran followed her wishing he could slash through the Cards undeterred. He was restless. Furthermore, he was started to feel a bit strange around her for some reason. Although the situation at hand required them to get down to business, the way they had left things between them last night was beyond strained. However, oddly enough he hadn't felt any of that tension. And Sakura was never one to hide her feelings well enough to be a convincing liar or pretender. She had always worn her feelings on her sleeve after all. She had neither mentioned nor let on any indication that she was upset at him or hurt. In fact, as soon as he had spotted her a few minutes ago, he had felt that something was amiss between them. As if last night hadn't even happened.
Something was off. And plus…why hadn't she called for her star staff?
They were standing in the middle of a clearing when he noted that Sakura had stopped walking up ahead. "I…wanted to tell you something," she said quietly. She slowly turned, eyes downcast and avoiding his. "I…I decided…not to leave after all."
What? Why was she talking about this all of a sudden? Well, maybe she was harboring thoughts about their relationship after all. "Well, with the Cards like this, certainly afterwards–"
She took a step towards him, finally picking up her head. Her eyes were fiery…but different from those emerald, determined eyes he was used to seeing. "No. I want to stay here. With you."
What the…?
"I don't care if you say you don't feel the same. I know deep down you do. It can't be just me who feels…this," she said quietly but earnestly. "I don't know why, but you think you can protect me by pushing me away. But being away from you…would hurt me more than anything you can ever protect me from."
When had she changed her mind so drastically? Just last night she had been determined to leave him as soon as he had rejected her.
But this – her staying here – was something he secretly wanted…right?
No, he had to be strong and remember why he had tried so hard to push her away in the first place. "Kinomoto, I–"
But at that moment, his words had been stopped as a soft hand found itself on his cheek. And slowly, as he tried to wrap his mind around what was happening and why, her lips were on his. All thoughts disappeared. Rhyme and reason vanished. Their current location and situation had been pushed to the back of his mind.
Damn it. She would always have this effect on her when she did this.
Her hands were all over his body now, grasping at him fiercely. Both of them were breathing quickly as their lips and tongues battled. Yes, this was what Syaoran secretly wanted. She was what he wanted. This. Forever. Who was he to keep denying it when she kept coming back? What if this was meant to happen? What if he just let things play their own course?
She had separated from his lips momentarily and he looked down at her with love-filled, half-lidded eyes as she breathed, tickling his skin. She had begun to nibble on the sensitive crook in his neck. "Syaoran-kun…"
Amber eyes widened. Without a second to waste, he roughly pushed her away, drawing his forgotten sword. And without hesitation, he plunged it forward into her abdomen.
Stricken and pale, Sakura looked down at the sword embedded in her body and then weakly looked up at him in confusion. "W-Why? I-I thought…this was what you…wanted…"
The kaleidoscope pattern of Illusion momentarily flickered across her form as he pulled his sword out. As he expected, there was no blood. "Exactly," he said darkly, angry at himself for getting tempted and drawn into this game. "And why would I ever get what I wanted? And…Sakura never calls me 'Syaoran-kun' anymore…Mirror."
Mirror mixed with Illusion.
He should've known Void would try to use Sakura against him, use his secret desires against him.
How could he have been so careless?
At that, the figure of Sakura collapsed to the floor. A bright light surrounded her before a familiar ephemeral figure of a small girl with long pale hair replaced the figure of the Card Mistress. Mirror looked up at him weakly with one eye closed in pain. Somehow, by regaining her true form, she seemed cured from Void's control. "P-Please…p-protect her…"
He was startled at that. "What do you mean?" Realization dawned on him as his eyes widened. No…it couldn't be that…the real Sakura was somewhere in the park as well. She was supposed to be on her way far away from here! "T-Tell me she's not here…"
"…h-help her regain her memories…"
But the only thing on his mind was that Sakura was somewhere in this labyrinth that Maze and Illusion entrapped her in.
Suddenly, Syaoran took a step back in alarm as a familiar black sphere encircled Mirror. This was undoubtedly…Void. Mirrror's voice was muffled as she continued to plea with the Li leader. "P-Please…tell her once she regains them…th-that the solution to stop Void is within her!" And with that she let out a frightful, high-pitched scream before she disappeared, the black sphere taking her to her captor, Void.
But Syaoran didn't have time to let Mirror's words sink in. Sensing an attack from behind, he jumped a few feet away, only to slip and fall on his behind. While he had been preoccupied with Mirror, the floor had become a sheet of ice. Syaoran scowled as he spotted a giant fish-like creature composed completely of ice swim within the frosty sheet beneath him. Void must have manipulated Mirror and Illusion to lead him here so that he would be ambushed. This was why Mirror didn't want him to use brute force against Maze and Illusion. This was why she wanted to lead the way. This is why she was distracting him. How the heck did he not notice the entire ground turning into ice?! He was angry at himself for falling for their tricks.
Feeling the floor tremble, he hurriedly stood up and ran just in time as the creature rose from out of the ice in the exact location he had fallen. Slipping and sliding, he attempted to avoid shards that abruptly erupted from the ground. Freeze had burrowed under the ice again and was racing him from underground when it abruptly appeared in front of him, blocking his way. He quickly drew a talisman, striking the flat side of his sword against it.
"Kashin, shourai!"
Flames burst from the yellow talisman scorching Freeze and causing it to roar in agony. However, it wasn't enough. A thick, impenetrable sheet of ice covered its body and it angrily ducked back underground, rushing towards Syaoran. He didn't have time to react before it broke through the ice again, this time striking him and lifting him into the air to fall from a high height.
Trying to brace his body from slamming against the cold, hard ice, Syaoran suddenly found himself floating and gently landing on his stomach. Noting the familiar aura, he looked up to see Hiiragazawa Eriol, his mighty, golden staff in hand. "Thanks," he said gratefully, picking his sore body off the floor. He had a couple of bruises from that direct hit from Freeze, but he most probably would have broken something if the Clow Reed reincarnation hadn't been there to save him.
Eriol simply nodded, looking towards the irate Card. "Don't thank me just yet." Freeze was roaring as it appraised its opponents from a few yards away. "We need to strike just as it's coming out of the ice."
Syaoran nodded, already knowing Freeze's weak point from battling it with Sakura all those years ago. "Would you be able to run while carrying that with you?" he asked, indicating towards Eriol's staff.
The British man simply grinned, already catching wind of Syaoran's plan. "I'll distract. You fire."
"Make sure you jump when I tell you," Syaoran instructed.
And with that they set off in opposite directions with Eriol goading the Card towards him. Luckily, Eriol was able to stay just ahead of the creature while using his magic as he ran and as Freeze exploded from the ice once again, Syaoran yelled a loud, "Jump!"
Without another moment to waste, Eriol used his magic to send himself flying into the air.
"Kashin, shourai!"
This time Syaoran struggled to siphon more of his power into the spell, causing the flames to be violent. He felt the immense heat from the fire against his face as he watched the blaze dance with the ice in front of him, but he didn't lose focus of his spell. Once again Freeze growled and began covering itself up with a protective shield of ice.
However this time Eriol wasn't going to let it. As he magically floated a good feet away from the flames, he held out his staff in front of him, causing it to glow red. Manipulating Syaoran's flames so that they would focus on the exposed part of the beast and strengthen the attack, Freeze cried out in helpless pain as the protective sheath of ice quickly melted.
"Now, Syaoran!"
"Kashin, shourai!" This time his talisman melded with his blade, causing it to glow an angry mixture of orange and red. Eyes determined and sweat dripping from his face from the heat, he began running into the flames before jumping high into the sky. He somehow grabbed onto one of the intact ice shards jetting out from Freeze's thrashing figure. He let out a mighty yell and put all his energy into thrusting his fiery blade into its body.
Freeze let out a mighty roar as its body began to still. But just as Freeze began to disappear and as the ice and fire melted, they noticed yet another familiar black sphere covering the creature. Knowing that Void was about to capture yet another Card, Eriol and Syaoran immediately ran towards it. Syaoran attempted to strike the sphere with his sword, but it was impenetrable. Eriol tried to manipulate and pierce through it with his magic, but it was also deflected. Before they could try multiple attempts, the sphere had vanished, bringing the Card with it.
"Damn it!" Syaoran yelled in frustration as he looked around, trying to pinpoint where Freeze had been taken. But because the atmosphere was still stifled with the auras of the Cards they were within, it was difficult to feel anything but Void's dominating aura over Maze and Illusion.
"It's no use," Eriol said as he neared Syaoran. "It seems like even if the Card is actually beaten, Void will still take it. There's no avoiding it if a Card gets activated and taken over by Void."
The Li leader wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeve, his work pants and button up shirt charred and ruined in random places. "This is unbelievable," he muttered, panting. Suddenly remembering Sakura, he turned to Eriol quickly. "Weren't you with Sakura?"
He shook his head. "No, she ran ahead of us as soon as she felt the auras. She probably used Fly. I followed after, leaving the girls and Keroberos behind. They're probably here stuck in the same Maze and Illusion combination by now." He noted Syaoran's worried expression. "Is something wrong?"
"Mirror led me here for an ambush pretending to be Sakura," he replied, still trying to catch his breath. He looked at Eriol pointedly. "Mirror had…mixed with Illusion…"
Eriol raised an eyebrow, understanding the implication. "Illusion shows you what you desire…and it had combined with Mirror disguised as Sakura-san so…" He knew that what Syaoran most desired was being able to be completely open with his affections towards Sakura. Eriol was sure that Mirror had acted along that line of thought. Syaoran slight nod of the head and avoidance of eye contact was all he needed for confirmation.
"What if Illusion is showing Sakura something she desired to know right now? Something that…" Syaoran paused. "…might hurt her?"
Although Illusion had the power to show someone what he or she most desired, it wasn't capable of creating anything tactile. It may be able to show you an image or figure of a person or thing, but it couldn't physically touch you. The images created by Illusions are like projections of your inner desires after all. This is why Illusion needed to combine with another Card like Mirror to produce something or someone tangible. So just how would Illusion hurt her?
"Like what? What are you getting at?"
Syaoran thought back to how Mirror was pleading with him, asking him to help Sakura regain her memories. He could only assume that all Sakura's Cards thought it was best that she regain her memories as well. If this was so…maybe…
"What if Illusion is trying to get her to remember me?" Syaoran asked apprehensively.
Eriol's eyes widened. If Illusion was trying to get Sakura to remember her past, there were only two possible outcomes. Sakura would remember. Or she wouldn't remember and fall into a state of confusion, possibly a state even worse than how she had been immediately after capturing Void. After all, she had been through a lot with Li Syaoran recently. But she had thought that he was complete stranger. Realizing that he had been the one who had been erased from her past…they weren't sure how well she would react to that.
Syaoran nodded anxiously as he turned and rushed towards the distorted wall of trees. He prepped his sword to strike through it. Finally, he would be able to get through the labyrinth his own way.
"Wait," Eriol followed after him, stopping him from cutting through the Cards by placing a hand on his shoulder. "Why would the Cards want to try to get her to remember?" he asked. All this time they had thought that if Sakura remembered, there would be dire consequences. Whether all the Cards get completely taken, Syaoran's life gets taken, or Sakura's life gets taken, they weren't sure. But they had all thought that bringing Sakura closer to her past would bring about one of those outcomes.
Maybe the Cards knew something they didn't. Maybe the Cards knew that the answer was bringing Sakura closer to Syaoran instead of further away.
Syaoran scowled, feeling pressured to hurry and save the Card Mistress from a possible threat. Why was Eriol asking such silly questions right now? "Mirror mentioned it. Said we should help Sakura remember."
This surprised Eriol who pressed further. "What? Why?"
But the Li leader had reached his limit. They were wasting valuable time. He roughly pushed Eriol's arm away. "How the hell should I know?! Just what the heck are you really thinking anyway, huh?" he asked angrily. "Just yesterday you wanted me to break ties with her so that she wouldn't get hurt. Now you're actually considering the notion that we should help her remember me?"
"But if the Cards think–"
"I don't care about what the Cards think! All I know is that if Sakura remembers me, something bad happens. And that something bad could mean her Cards get taken or her life gets taken. And if she doesn't end up remembering me…something bad still happens! She'll succumb to how she was all those years ago! Will you be okay if any of the above comes about?!"
Eriol was forced into silence. Syaoran took that as a "no." Finally and decidedly, he sliced his sword through the wall of Maze and Illusion. And because of his undeterred determination in saving the Card Mistress, the wall dared not to grow back.
Kinomoto Sakura felt as if she had been wandering around in the park for hours when it had only been about an hour at the most. She had felt the auras of two of the four Cards get taken, however she couldn't be too sure. Magic felt warped here within Maze and Illusion, just as much as her sense of direction did. She had been following random paths along the way, trying to use her magical senses to take over. However, it seemed as if Void's control over them prevented her from overpowering them. She thought that maybe solving the Maze and Illusion would turn them back into Cards and possibly lead her to the other two. Besides, the Li leader might be entangled in the same labyrinth and who knows what dangers could happen to him here. Hopefully he hadn't been put in danger's way already.
She sighed aloud, halting in her tracks and bringing her pink staff close to her chest. Closing her eyes, she tried to yet again to concentrate all her power into solving the labyrinth. But of course, the clash of auras and the ominous surroundings distracted her. It was no use.
The fact that she was standing in the center of where Void seemed most saturated at the moment was no help. The aura had never given her a good vibe since she captured it and had proven her instincts correct when it began stealing her Cards. But feeling as if she was smack dab in the middle of Void's power was…stifling. Like she couldn't breathe. Her chest had felt heavy as soon as she had entered the park. Her shoulders had sagged. This Card just…sucked the life out of her. And she never quite knew why. She never really figured out why she harbored such ill feelings towards it. And she tried to change her perspective, tried to see it as an additional friend, like her other Cards. But she had never been able to summon it, didn't even know what its capabilities were. And honestly, she didn't care and she had never felt inclined to befriend it. She knew it had given her a hard time after she captured it all those years ago, knew that she had somehow changed in ways she couldn't describe. Somehow she felt like it…took away her happiness? She didn't really know.
Her head started to pound achingly just as in the past whenever her thoughts drifted to the time she captured Void. She hated thinking about it. She hadn't thought about it lately with being so distracted with other things in Hong Kong, but that day Void had been captured…brought nothing but negative feelings and blank memories.
If only…she could remember that day…maybe she would be able to remember how she defeated Void. Maybe she would be able to defeat it again once and for all.
Sakura was startled when she was suddenly blinded by a bright, effervescent light. Within the dark foliage surrounding her, the pattern of Illusion illuminated, forcing her to block her eyes from the abrupt, stark contrast from dark to bright. When her pupils were able to focus, she somehow found herself in a new location.
Rubble. A stone rounded wall. A broken, winding, circular staircase.
She felt her chest tightening. No. Not another of these nonexistent memories. Please.
It was different though. It wasn't just a random memory she had begun to think of. It wasn't a dream of memories from her past either. Everything seemed to be a lot more stable, a lot more certain. She noted that at times, Illusion's kaleidoscope pattern flittered throughout the scene. Was Illusion trying to show her something? Perhaps it was because she had desired to remember the day she had captured Void while standing within Illusion?
Then…was Illusion showing her that day?
Emerald eyes widened. Though she felt impossibly panicked being in one of these unfamiliar yet all too familiar recollections, she knew somehow that tonight would be different. Tonight, she would be able to see. See everything. It caused her anxiety, scared her, and caused her to be eager all at the same time.
She scanned the area, trying to force herself to remember while trying to block out that hammering headache. And finally, she spotted a younger version of herself. She had been wearing a pink costume designed by Tomoyo. That's right…she distantly remembered that costume.
Sakura noticed that something was amiss with her younger self. She was skittish and frightened. Totally unhinged. She was backpedaling slowly in anger and terror while screaming at the top of her lungs, although Sakura couldn't hear a thing. She was screaming at…someone?
Illusion's kaleidoscope pattern blocked the figure opposite of her younger self, making it unrecognizable. Sakura's throat clogged up. She had no doubt that she person whom her younger self was yelling at was…the person. The person who had been stripped from her memories. The person who had been nothing but blurred static to her for the last nine years. The person whose disappearance caused so many holes in her thoughts, who jumbled her mind in confusion.
Did she want to see the person's face? After being haunted by not knowing it for so many years?
She forced herself to swallow in an attempt to moisten her throat.
Yes. Yes, she wanted to see. Wanted to see more than anything. Wanted all her questions to be answered.
And it seemed that Illusion heard her desires. Slowly the pattern disappeared and the figure came into view. It was a painstakingly slow process, as if Illusion was struggling to reveal it. Was it battling against Void's control? Somehow, after a couple of minutes, Illusion's drive seemed to prevail.
Her eyes settled on the revealed person. Sakura stopped breathing. Her body started to shake. Her emerald eyes were as round and wide as the full moon. She dropped her staff and it hit the ground deafeningly.
"N-No…"
It was impossible.
Brown, incredibly ruffled hair. And firm and set jaw. A lithe, young body clothed in green, Tomoyo-esque attire. Determined amber eyes.
Those eyes. They only belonged to one person. Albeit he was much smaller, much younger, and had years before he developed the sturdy, capable body he had now. But there was no doubt.
It was Li Syaoran.
"H-How–"
He was hopelessly and silently screaming back at her younger self, a look of desperation in his eyes. He tried to take a step towards her but she watched as her younger self recoiled, deranged. She looked irrational, was trying to cover her ears. She was shaking as if an ice age had taken over the area. The younger Syaoran was still speaking, still trying to get through to her.
It was as if Sakura was watching a silent movie take place. One that brought on wave after wave of confusion.
Her younger self had backpedaled herself into an area where the stairs had been blasted to fragments. Unknowingly, she lost her footing. And suddenly she was plunging down the dark tower. Sakura watched in shock as Syaoran jumped after her, indifferent of the consequences.
The way he moved. The way he approached her. He knew her. He had known her for quite some time.
Li Syaoran…wasn't the stranger whom she thought she was.
Syaoran felt apprehension build up inside him as he sliced down with his sword one final time. Somehow he knew that this wall would be the one to lead him to Sakura. He panted, covered in sweat as he peered around, noting the change in appearance in this part of the maze. They noted Illusion's pattern surrounding him. Eriol was close behind him and he too was glancing around in wonder.
Syaoran's breath caught as his eyes came upon Sakura's figure, her back turned to him and her staff forgotten on the floor. His heart sank. It seemed as if Illusion was doing its magic, showing only Sakura a scene which could not be seen by anyone else. But Syaoran already knew what scene it was.
They were too late.
Hopelessly, his legs carried him to where she stood. And without warning, Syaoran's body clashed into hers, knocking the air out of both of their lungs. He was desperate in trying to block her from it. He couldn't let her see.
As soon as their bodies had touched, the Cards disappeared. As did Void's menacing aura. Around them the normal, magically untouched park reemerged.
They had barely noticed. Syaoran's arms were tightly around her as he forced her face into his chest to an attempt to protect her from it all. He was pleading with the heavens that she hadn't seen too much. But as he panted, his body heaving from fatigue, he already noticed that she was shaking terribly.
And suddenly she had roughly shoved him off of her, causing him to fall to the floor.
He faintly heard footsteps and voices rushing up behind him. It seems that Meiling, Tomoyo, and a large Keroberos had finally reunited with them. Syaoran ignored them, feeling Sakura's enraged, unbelieving eyes on him. He felt like the dirt she had shoved him into as she looked at him like that.
"Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said worriedly. Sakura looked too pale. Too alarmed. Too much like her unstable state all those years ago after Void. She started towards her but Sakura roughly pushed her away.
Her dark emerald eyes never left Syaoran's. "W-Who are you?!"
That question again. Again. For the second time. Syaoran was convinced that every time she said that and directed it to him, he would feel this overwhelming, numbing pain.
"What do you mean, Sakura?" Meiling asked carefully as they started slowly towards her, trying to act cautiously.
"I saw you!" Her voice was strained as she continued to address only the man in front of her. "The day I captured Void…you were there!"
Breaths caught and silence ensued. Sakura looked to everyone, a look of pure helplessness in her eyes. She looked like a homeless and confused animal whose shelter and safety had been suddenly taken away. She turned back to Syaoran who was still stunned, sitting in the park gravel.
"Y-You lied to me!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Her eyes looked unbearably betrayed. And she certainly felt so. "You made me think that you understood how lost I felt! But in reality you're just like everyone else!" He had known. They all had. And they decided to play out this charade in front of her as if it was some game. As if she didn't deserve to know her own past.
The headache had become shatteringly sharp and constant. Her vision was being blurred by tears that were soon pouring from her face unashamed. Her thoughts were scrambled. Her chest was tight. Her heart was palpitating dangerously. She was short of breath and wanted to scream all the air from her lungs at the same time. She was angry. She felt deceived.
She felt overwhelmingly irrational. She felt like everyone and everything was targeting her.
Like she was having a panic attack.
Sakura had never felt as lost as she did at this very moment.
Meiling and Tomoyo had gone by her side, holding her shoulder and trying to calm her down. But she was unreachable. Everything but Li Syaoran had disappeared in her sight. And he dumbly and wordlessly gaped in total shock while still sitting in his rightful place on the ground, taking her words straight to heart.
"You rejected my feelings when I was willing to give them all to you! The least you could've done was be honest!"
Eriol tried to intervene, seeing that Syaoran's face had gone pale and that the Card Mistress had become inconsolable. "Sakura-san, it's not that simple–"
"It's your fault, isn't it?! You're the reason why my memories are gone! You're the reason why the Cards are being taken!" She didn't even realize how insane she sounded. She didn't even know how the thoughts had formulated in her brain and had escaped her mouth. "First you ruin my past! Then you lie to me! And then you play with my feelings!"
She had gone too far already. Kero roared a deafening, "Stop it, Sakura–!"
Spit and tears and hurt and desperation just kept pouring from her. She was unstoppable. She was erratic. "You're complete and utter filth!"
Her sobs were the only things to be heard as they looked down at a stricken Syaoran. He had become still. He hadn't even dared to breathe or blink. It seemed like the poor boy had been completely undone to the core as he stared into the air like an empty shell. Guilt and despondency exuded from him.
He believed every word she said. It was true after all. He had done everything she had listed. It was entirely his fault.
"J-Just…" she finally broke out, sobs overtaking her body. A different tone of voice had taken over. She no longer sounded completely irrational. Instead, her frenzied tone was replaced with grief too great for words to describe. Grief riddled with impossible confusion. Only one thing was clear. Li Syaoran had been an important person to her before. But how exactly? And why had she forgotten him? "Just who…were you to me…?"
At that, Syaoran suddenly gasped out loud, startling all of them. His hand found itself clutch at his chest and he turned quickly to Eriol who already knew what was happening. "E-Eriol! Get Kinomoto out of here!" he commanded, wanting to protect Sakura from this scene at the very least.
Eriol bit his bottom lip as he rushed to do as he was told, trying to push the ladies away from the scene, hurriedly making up some lame excuse as they looked on at Syaoran in confusion. But the Li leader started to heave heavily as his body jerked and shook, his eyes trying to come into focus. He had tried to get up on his feet but with no avail. He was kneeling, his hand still clutching onto his anterior chest as if his life depended on it. It was definitely something the others couldn't ignore.
And besides, Sakura had already felt the aura. Void. It had returned.
But it was on Syaoran. And only him.
She pushed through Eriol and her friends, the reappearance of the aura further knocking some more sense into her. All previous confusion had been pushed to the backburner, although she still felt apprehensive as she approached him. Her emerald eyes were widened again…but this time with downright fear. "W-Why...?" she breathed.
"What the–?!" Meiling asked, also pushing Eriol aside. She knelt beside her cousin and held him, trying to steady his uncontrollable shaking. "What the hell is going on?!" she screamed.
Tomoyo had been dumbstruck as she watched as the Li leader suffered, seemingly tortured right before her eyes. Keroberos and Eriol had also gone to his side. Eriol had rightfully ignored Syaoran's final plea.
"What's going on, Clow?!" Keroberos asked incredulously. The aura was undeniably piercing and strong. And it was still steadily growing. The beast couldn't believe that the kid was able to take it. "Why is Void…attacking him?!" However Eriol was too distracted with attempting to help Meiling in at least sitting Syaoran up comfortably to respond.
But the Li leader had been unaware to all their attempts at assistance. Tonight Void was unrelenting as Sakura's harsh words. It knew that Sakura had found out. And it was not pleased.
As soon as the aura had come on, he knew that this would be the final one. That this would literally not stop and that he wouldn't be able to survive this for too long. It had been slowly eating him up inside all these years. It was ready to fully devour his soul tonight.
He had been biting his bottom lip, his teeth actually ripping flesh and revealing blood. He had been trying so hard to withstand it, to hide it. But he couldn't anymore. Every cell in his body was enflamed. And every nerve in his body had heightened to allow him to feel more pain than ever before. His senses had disappeared. He couldn't see straight. "Damn it!"
Syaoran was letting a strained shriek erupt from his throat without him realize it. It deafened the night air with the feeling of hopelessness as his friends either scrambled about trying to help or stood and stared in shock. His lungs were ready to give out after that scream but his body jerked to the side as pain rippled through it and he was already screaming again. His throat grew raw. All color had drained from his skin in a matter of seconds. He was extremely hot to touch. "F-Fuck!" he cursed uselessly, unable to contain himself.
Meiling yelped as Syaoran's trembling body fell to its side, no longer able to hold itself up even in a kneeling position. His chest was heaving as a strained groan left his lips. He was writhing in pain in the dirt before he started to gag and cough a dry, scratchy cough. For several seconds he coughed uncontrollably, the noise of it dreadful and horrifying. His other hand had gone up to his mouth as a reflex, as an unconscious attempt to stop the ripping apart of his lungs. Faintly he heard gasps ring all around him. He felt a sticky, wet sensation on his hand. He strained to try to focus his vision on it.
Red. Blood. His blood.
His focus was broken in milliseconds as another torturous pain ran through his body, eliciting a scream. His eyes had rolled backwards as his body tried to endure the agony. It was unbearable. He couldn't even think.
"Get him on my back," Kero instructed hurriedly as he leaned over to allow them to roll Syaoran onto him. "He needs to get back to the house now!"
As Eriol and Meiling did as they were told in a state of panic, Tomoyo gingerly stepped up to Sakura, noticing how limp her body had become. "S-Sakura-chan," she whispered, still shocked herself, "A-Are you okay?"
She received no response.
Sakura's eyes were completely dull.
DUN DUN DUN! It was a long chapter, but hopefully it was interesting enough to not be too dragging!
The next chapter is the last one guys (besides the epilogue)! Thanks for all your support thus far! Stay tuned if you want to find out what happens!