AN: You all are going to hate me and that's all I'm going to say.

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Chapter Twenty-one
Motivation

Sakura hadn't been this nervous about approaching her moon guardian with something since she was twelve and wanted him to come to lunch in the park with her, the cards, and Kero. But like then, she put her nervousness aside and let out a long breath. Yue raised an eyebrow at her. He already knew she had something she wanted to say. It was the only reason she would have dragged him outside the house late at night when everyone was asleep, and there was no chance they would be interrupted as they had been lately. He quietly waited for her to do so, the only indication that he might have been amused being the slight smile on his lips as he watched her.

Finally she said, "Be honest with me Yue. It's been so hard to read you since all of this started happening. What's going through your mind?"

The smile went away, replaced by that neutral expression he always wore as he raised an eyebrow. Sakura frowned. He was about to do that thing where he answered her question without at all answering it. Today she wasn't playing that game.

"No," she said firmly. "I don't want to be pacified today. As of this moment no matter what anyone says, no matter if you're duty bound to me by magic, I am not your mistress. I never wanted to be your mistress. I'm your lover, and I want you to talk to me like I'm your lover! Everyone else is dumping their demands and problems and issues on me except the one person who I really wouldn't mind."

To say the least, Yue was shocked by her outburst, not quite sure how to reply to it. But seeing that Sakura was expecting an answer he finally said, "I just… You're dealing with so much more…"

"I don't believe you, not completely anyway," Sakura said bluntly and then admitted with a sigh, "It hurts me that after all this time you still can't find it in yourself to fully trust me with all your insecurities instead of leaving me guessing."

Yue didn't say anything, his silence enough confirmation for Sakura. Yue always intended for his silence to mean that he didn't want to answer and or didn't feel the need. But if that was the case, Sakura knew he would have just wisely answered it without answering it. Silence meant he didn't want to admit she was right for fear of hurting her feeling. But it was too late for that. He was just proving her point.

Sakura sighed. It was late, she was tired, Midha had gotten on her nerve, Marie wanted to kill Yue, and said moon guardian was being difficult. Maybe she'd feel better in the morning? She started to make her way back inside when Yue reached back and caught her hand, stopping her from leaving. He was silent, looking up at the waning three-quarter moon for a while before pulling her back to him.

Finally he said, "I didn't know it bothered you so much. You don't show it." Then he added with a small smile, "Unlike you, I'm not an empath."

Sakura smiled a little adding, "I guess we're both guilty of hiding some aspect of our feelings about certain issues," Sakura admitted.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're better off without me."

Sakura snapped her head up to look him in the eyes.

"Why would you think that?" she asked. She had a general idea, but she wanted Yue to say it to her first.

"None of this is your fault. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I should have known. I did know. I just… seem to lose all sense of reason when it comes to you."

Sakura huffed. "Stop talking as though you're omnipotent or something, because contrary to your belief you're only human, just created by magic. You're allowed to give in to your own feelings against all logic just because you want to like anyone else. Otherwise you wouldn't have been created with them."

"Still…"

"Yue," she whispered with a smile. "Don't blame yourself for any of this. I'm not a child you should have guided and let do something they shouldn't have. I wanted this. I still want this. I want…"

Yue kissed her softly on the lips, cutting her off before admitting, "I know you're not a child anymore. But old habits die hard. You're still so young…"

Sakura would have been offended if anyone else said it so, but she supposed that compared to him, she was. But that still didn't keep her from being a little frustrated. She wasn't that young and she was determined to prove it to him, to make him stop blaming himself for the things he couldn't stop her from doing.

"And I've done more things than most people do in a lifetime so I think that evens it out," Sakura finally replied with a shameless grin.

This was usually the point where Sakura initiated a kiss, but to her shock, Yue moved in first, passionately and soon aggressively surprising Sakura a little for usually she had to coax him first.

"Yue," she whispered against his lips. "What?"

"Thank you."

Sakura pulled back to look him in the eyes, noting his seriousness, the usual bashfulness not there.

"For what?"

"That you put up with me, despite everything."

"Even when I thought you didn't like me, you were always my loyal protector. Despite your cynicism, you never turned away from me. It's not easy but it's worth it for you."

Yue didn't reply, but Sakura could see the appreciation in his eyes, touched by the fact that his loyalty to her went both ways, and if her dedication to staying with him against other's advice and despite the warnings of the consequences wasn't proof, nothing was.

Someone muttering under their breath in another language interrupted the moment, catching their attention. Sakura inwardly groaned. When all this was over, she was going to take Yue on a long vacation with her away from Japan and she dared anyone, particularly her brother who would have a fit, to stop her when she did.

Yue raised an eyebrow at the next string of words that came as out stumbled Dominik, still mumbling in his native language. He looked worse for wear and was holding his right wrist which was bent at an odd angle and bleeding.

"What happened?" Sakura asked as she rushed to help the man.

Dominik pushed her away. "I'm fine. I grew up fighting Anamarie and Jasmine. It's no big deal. But there is something you should be worried about."

"What?"

"Marie's on her way and she's not at all happy," Dominik warned. "And believe me. You can't imagine. I believe what she said was that if she wants something done she has to do it herself."

"What's that mean?"

"Exactly what it says."

Marie came out behind Dominik, albeit much more graceful than he had. But unlike the other times, there was no false shows of being polite, no concealed maliciousness. She obviously was not happy, and she had come to do what she needed and get it over with.

"I'm so disappointed," Marie said to Dominik without taking her eyes off of Sakura and Yue. "My own heir betrays me…"

"Mother-" Dominik was abruptly cut off as she waved her hand dismissively and sent him flying backward.

"I'll deal with your betrayal later," Marie said and without preamble summoned sliver sword with a pitch black hilt.

"When you want something done, you always have to get your hands messy," Marie said and launched forward with her sword.

Sakura help but notice that even in her rage and determination, Marie fought the same way she carried herself, with a haughty grace as though she were the superior one and there was no question she was going to get what she wanted. Sakura didn't let the observation stop her from leaping out the way using jump as Yue took to the skies to avoid the attack. Marie simply geared up for another attack and launched herself into the air where Sakura was, barely giving Sakura enough time to call her staff forward and use it to stop the sword.

Marie only pulled back and struck again from a different angle causing Sakura to fall backwards. Sakura called on the power of FLY and shot into the air.

"I don't think so," Marie said as energy gathered in the air and the surround area became charged with electricity.

It was like a thunderstorm without the thunder and dark clouds. It charged the air around them having a paralyzing effect on all those in it except the user. Sakura crashed to the ground, dropping her staff in the process.

Marie smiled in satisfaction as Sakura tried and failed to get up from where she was. Marie laughed a little, enjoying the struggle she was putting Sakura through. Sakura glared in frustration. This woman had been given her problems since the beginning of summer, and to think she had been willing to give her the benefit of the doubt a few weeks ago.

"You really are powerful. I give you that. Even people without magic can sense it. You're so powerful you can't hide it. I almost feel sorry that you aren't using your power to the extent that you can to defeat me…"

Sakura wanted to point out that Marie had at least three hundred years on Sakura but she doubted that's what the woman meant.

"When it comes to magic versus magic, you always win hands down. But when people take a more direct approach, you can't find the power," Marie said. "I'm sure if you really wanted to you could defeat me right now. But you know why you can't?"

"Enlighten me," Sakura grumbled.

Marie grabbed Sakura by the chin and forced the girl look her in the eyes.

"Because you really don't want to defeat me. You have a heart is the problem. You care too much about humanity. You're so naïve to think that one look of those pretty eyes and a little reasoning and a few words of forgiveness will melt a cold heart like it did your little angel over there," Marie said. "It doesn't work that way. Sacrificing others is the only way to get what you want in life. Someone always loses little girl, and you'd do well to figure that out now. People are friends today and enemies tomorrow. The only constant in this world is power. Either you have it or you don't, and it doesn't discriminate.

"That's why I'm more powerful than you. You don't have enough ambition, card mistress, the will to do what it takes. That's where I make up for what I lack in power in comparison to you. Your lack of ambition is what makes you weak. You have to have the drive and you have to want badly," Marie finished letting Sakura go.

"I think you need a little more motivation and ambition," Marie concluded. "It's hard to come by in people like you. But don't worry, I know exactly how to give it to you."

The woman's eyes landed on Yue, suffering from the same effects as she was. Sakura started to ask what she meant until her vision came back to her, in a much more literal sense than in her memory. This was her vision. This was…

"No," Sakura said as her heart started to pound in her chest. "You can't."

"I am," Marie said making her way over to Yue, sword in hand.

"You stop it!" Sakura yelled trying to overcome the power of the charged air.

Marie ignored her, and Sakura looked at Yue who seemed to have an idea of what was going on, but was calm and cool as always, almost accepting of the matter. Sakura was far from accepting.

"So I was right. The moon guardian is the key. Disgusting, but fitting for someone like you, someone who doesn't care about power…"

It was hard, but somehow Sakura found it in her to move and begin to stand in the charge which further amused Marie.

"Look at what you can do when I just threaten him," Marie said. "I wonder what you'll do to save him from dying."

With that statement said, Marie pulled back her sword back and punctured the moon guardian straight through the chest with her sword.

"Yue!" Sakura screamed as she yelled, the same haunting scream from her vision, the vision that tried to warn her.

Marie pulled out the sword and watched the moon guardian fall, looking not at all regretful. She hummed a little to place her hand on the moon guardian's wound.

"You really are powerful, probably a testament to how powerful your little mistress is. But even you aren't completely immortal, otherwise I might envy you," she said and then stood up to carelessly regard Sakura who could only see red. It was so much red, much more red than the streak in her vision. Red. The color of blood. The color of fire. The color of anger.

Sakura never knew true rage until that moment as she looked at Marie, who was carelessly looking upon Sakura, delighting in her pain. Electrical storm forgotten, Sakura stood up and charged with a speed she normally didn't possess in the use of her wings at Marie.

"Oh look. Now the little kitty cat's angry," Marie taunted as she moved out the way of the attack. Sakura landed clumsily in the spot the woman had been in, her ability to recover stunted by the storm, despite her ability to move.

"I did you a favor card mistress," Marie said to her. "But I'm sure you don't think that."

Being attacked by THUNDER confirmed the woman's assumptions.

"Hm," Marie said recovering from the electric attack, the card having effectively cancelled out her electrically charged atmosphere. "Go ahead and attack me child. What will it help you anyhow? Your moon guardian's still dying and you can't do anything to save him."

Dying… That word seemed to snap Sakura out her rage at the woman as her eyes landed on Yue and she fell into despair, rushing over to him, sobs beginning to rack her body as she pulled him into her laps, the tears falling harder when she heard him hiss in pain.

"Monster…" Dominik said to Marie as she passed by him. "Not a morsel of remorse."

Marie glared at him coldly and then said, "You always did have a weakness for what you deemed the innocent. No one is innocent if they get in the way of what you want."

Marie continued to walk away before turning back and saying almost as an afterthought, "Lucky for you that I'm in a good mood. I'd kill you for your betrayal otherwise. Just know you're not welcome back."

"Wouldn't want to as long as you're there," Dominik snapped.

Marie either didn't hear him or let the comment pass as she continued to walk away and slowly disappeared.

"Sakura come on. It's late. You need to at least try to rest," Tomoyo pleaded as the girl continued to be despondent as she had been since they found her outside, head buried in her folded arms as leaned on the window seal.

"Sakura…" Tomoyo tried again and looked up at Toya, Kero and Syaoran, all who had tried in vain to get her to talk, cry, do anything beside sit like that, like some comatose state.

"Come on monster. Everything will be okay…"

"Yeah. Yue will be just-."

"Stop it."

Kero's hand froze inches from Sakura's shoulder as she said the first words she had said in a couple of hours.

"Sakura," Toya tried.

"Stop trying to lie to me," Sakura snapped lifting her head up. It was said in anger, but the tone didn't quite match the despair that was on her face. "Yue's not fine. He won't be okay!"

"Sakura you can't just lose hope like that. I'm sure-" Tomoyo began but Sakura cut her off.

"It is hopeless. Marie's sword isn't normal. That sword is death. It doesn't matter what we do. We can't stop it. We can't heal him. Yue's…" Sakura put her head back in her arms as tears began to fall again.

Toya went to try to comfort the girl but she moved away from him.

"Perhaps," Dominik said from the doorway, "perhaps it's best that everyone gives her some time and space."

Everyone looked at him and he continued, "There's no point in trying to make her feel better if she doesn't want to be comforted."

Everyone filed out the room, except Tomoyo who lingered behind, looking at her best friend who was in such despair. Even in her saddest moments, Sakura wasn't usually this cynical, this downhearted or depressed. What was it about this time that was so different? Tomoyo walked out the room and closed the door behind her as she did so. She looked at Dominik who was staring at the closed door pensively. Noticing her stare, Dominik looked at her and then blinked.

"I guess you're wondering why I'm still here. I shouldn't be here. This is partly my fault anyway," Dominik said and started to walk away from the room.

"No. It's not that," Tomoyo replied.

He laughed a little. "I have to admit I'm surprised."

"It's your grandmother's fault if I wanted to blame someone."

"Then what-?"

"What is it that Sakura senses that makes her feel so hopeless?"

Dominik looked at Tomoyo in carefully concealed confusion, an eyebrow raised at her inquiry.

"I don't know much about magic but… She must be aware of something that I can't even begin to understand to make her like this. She's usually always so hopeful and optimistic."

Dominik looked at the door and then back at Tomoyo.

"Can she see the future?"

Tomoyo didn't know what that had to do with what she was asking but said, "In her dreams I guess. But it's not something… I don't think she can control it."

"She will eventually. She'll be able to see entire lives unfold before her eyes with time. But her ability to see the future is what makes her so optimistic. That's how she always knows everything will be okay," Dominik guessed.

"But Sakura's never been able to see the future like that before, and she doesn't like to meddle with magic in that way. She says that it takes the surprise out of life."

"Magic's a very complicated thing," Dominik admitted finally. "Not everyone understands it. Tell me, is the card mistress an empath?"

Tomoyo nodded, "But what's that-?"

"She can sense the emotional atmosphere of the future. She doesn't know exactly what will happen, but she can sense what it will make people feel."

"So you mean Yue's really…"

"It's likely that the card mistress' own will power is the only thing keeping him alive. But that will only last so long," Dominik said sighing. "I didn't want any of this to happen. I-"

Tomoyo put her hand on the man's arm.

"I forgive you and I'm sure Sakura forgives you too."

AN: I hated this chapter so much I could barely edit it, so excuse any typos. Oh man… I can't believe I did that. I couldn't read it in trying to edit it. I can't even gauge whether I liked it or not properly so it's up to you all. Decide! Love it, hate it, what? In the meantime I've got to get ready to go back to hel1-I mean school Monday… I need to write down my schedule too.

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