Illness- "Eek!"
Sorrow- "Eep!"
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Links in a Chain
Chapter 25
Evil's Deception
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Sakura stepped from the limo slowly; the glow of the streetlights lit up her face radiantly and played with the blush that painted over her cheeks.
"Wait! One second, Sakura! I have got to add a few finishing touches!" Tomoyo squealed and scrambled for the door, Eriol tossed a light spring jacket over her shoulders as she climbed out. "These clips are perfect for this dress!" Tomoyo held out delicate little clips, they were a pair of tiny, shining pink crystals in the shapes of cherry blossoms.
"Tomoyo! These are beautiful!" Sakura gasped. She allowed Tomoyo to slip the small clips into her hair and then do another once over of Sakura's outfit. Tomoyo noted that Sakura had no jacket; it was still spring and the nights were still cool but tonight wasn't too bad. Sakura didn't seem to be bothered by the cool night air at the moment. Tomoyo let the detail go.
"Miss Daidouji, Miss Kinomoto, it is already 9 O'clock," the limo driver said from the rolled down window in the front, "I suggest that Miss Kinomoto get going if she wants to meet her "special someone" on time."
"Thank you, Kino." Tomoyo said. She gave Sakura and little nudge in the lower back. "You heard him, you better get going; you don't want to be late!"
Sakura bit her lip nervously and nodded. She really didn't want to be late. She wanted to get into the park as soon as possible and meet Syaoran there! You couldn't blame her; this was one of the biggest nights of her life!
"Okay, here I go!" Sakura said and turned towards the gates of the park. She paused before walking in and glanced over her shoulder. "Wish me luck!" She called happily.
Eriol and Tomoyo waved to her. "Good Luck!" They cheered in unison as Sakura stepped delicately into the park and slowly went out of their sight. Eriol smiled at Tomoyo as she slid back into the limo, close to him. They were off to the movies, then maybe back to his place to do a little magical spying on Sakura and Syaoran to see how things were going. Kino would have to speed a little if Eriol and Tomoyo were to make it to the movie they wanted to see.
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Sakura looked around and wondered exactly where was she supposed to meet Syaoran. It wasn't very specific in the note.
"Oh dear…" Sakura peered about to try and see if there was any hint at where she was supposed to be. A trail of pink caught her eye. Sakura cautiously crept forward and was in awe of the miraculous sight before her. The path that lead deeper into the wooded park had been covered in a deep bed of cherry blossoms. Set up along the path was a parade of little stands that glowing candles had been placed on the guide Sakura down the path in the darkening night. It was so beautiful, like a fairy tale of the grandest sort but a whole lot better because it was real; Syaoran had sure gone through a lot of trouble for her!
"Wow…" Sakura breathed in the fragrant scent of the sea of cherry blossoms. She waded a careful path through the pink blossoms, the petals tickling her feet and ankles. If she weren't seeing this with her own eyes, Sakura never would have guessed that Syaoran was this much of a romantic.
The sorceress never noticed the anxious scarlet ribbons that followed her through the path of petals. They watched her every move, every bit as alive as Life's and Death's chains. This was quite an occasion that was taking place and the spirit responsible was more nervous of what was taking place than the two humans who were coming.
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Syaoran
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Syaoran flapped his wings against the cool, night air and felt his body glide through the air as if he weighed nothing. Below him was Tomoeda looking peaceful in the approaching night. This was the town that he had spent the last eight years of his life in and it was here that he had grown up the most. He first came to Tomoeda as a hardened warrior in the body of child; there was no room for love or friendship in his heart, he had a mission that he had to carry out without question. He had believed it to be the only way to live.
Oh, how that all changed…
First he gained friends; the ice around his heart began to melt just a little. It was a strange feeling to have friends, especially when he had befriended the ever happy and cute Kinomoto Sakura. He never felt lonely any more. But soon came the time when Syaoran's heart beat a little fast every time Sakura was near, when he thought his name sounded a little sweeter when spoken from her lips. At first he had been unsure of these feelings. It did not remain a mystery for long. The ice around the warrior's heart had melted so completely that for the first time in his life he knew what real love felt like, for he had fallen in love with the cherry blossom.
Syaoran sighed. Yes, he was in love with Kinomoto Sakura.
Below him he was approaching the forested area of the park, coming in the opposite direction that Sakura had come. He paused in mid air to wonder where he was supposed to land but he didn't have to wait for long. Before his eyes the leaves of the treetops lit up in the most amazing array of greens that Syaoran had ever seen. They became a path along the treetops that pointed him towards his destination.
"Whoa, Sakura really put her heart into this." Syaoran whispered to himself as he set himself to follow the light show of leaves.
He was so preoccupied with the light show he failed to feel the unmistakable aura of a demon near-by…
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The Clearing
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It was almost as if the timing had been planned. Sakura stepped into the decorated clearing the instant that Syaoran landed on the ground. Their eyes met and a scarlet blush instantly painted over both of their faces. Discretely they looked the other over, taking in their dressed-up apparel and brilliantly blushing faces. The air was thick with an awkward tension, neither knew exactly what to do but it became clear when they spotted the picnic blanket on the grass, a great leaning cherry blossom trees reaching out to act as a canopy raining down blossoms.
Without a second thought, the pair of magical teens made their way to the blanket and as they got closer the details became clear. It was a ruby red blanket with a curling pearl white dragon with a flowing azure mane embroidered over the soft surface. The most enchanting array of candles had been placed around the blanket, giving the area a gentle romantic glow and within the small area of light it illuminated a small weaved basket that most likely held some sort of food for the occasion.
As Syaoran came upon the blanket and was only an arm's length away from Sakura he held out the bouquet of flowers that Flower had handed him. Sakura gazed upon the lovely blossoms and a smile brightened her features sweetly.
"They're beautiful, Syaoran…" She whispered and brought them up to breathe in their sweet scent.
"I'm glad you like them." Syaoran replied warmly. It seemed to soon to say anything more than that so the warrior merely held her hand out for Sakura to take, she accepted the offered hand and was guided to sit down on the beautiful blanket. Syaoran sat down opposite to her. For the longest time it seemed as if they were only going to stare at each other silently. When was the other going to speak? Should they wait for the other's confession first or come right out and say it first?
"Syaoran I-!"
"Sakura there's something-!"
They both paused and laughed lightly, there was no use trying to speak at the same time.
"Go on Sakura, you can go first." Syaoran said, smiling his special smile just for her.
Sakura shook her, a light embarrassed blush tinting her cheeks pink. "Oh, I couldn't. You say what you want to, Syaoran." She murmured.
A gentle breeze picked up and swirled the fallen cherry blossoms of the ground and made them dance in the air. Both teens allowed themselves to watch the magical sight before them. But there was something off about the small blossoms… they were turning blood red. Petals soon melted into ribbons and the ribbons slithered together to form something; at first it was just a mass of writhing ribbon but then it began to take on the shape of a body. It solidified and the ribbons slowly dropped away revealing the sinfully seductive woman who stood underneath.
"Seduce!" Syaoran exclaimed. Sakura gasped and as a reflex reached for her star key, which to her shock was not around her neck. Syaoran summoned his sword and got in a defensive stance in front of Sakura. Whatever the demon wanted she was going to have to fight for it, and loose. But as it turned out, Seduce took one short look at the human pair before she raised her hands calmly before her and slowly walked forward.
"Stay back, demon!" Syaoran warned venomously.
Sakura watched as a hurt expression passed over the lovely woman's face. "Wait, Syaoran, I don't think she's here to fight…" She dared to whisper in Syaoran's ear. Seduce must have over heard or guessed what Sakura had said because she nodded sincerely. Syaoran backed down at Sakura's word but kept a wary eye on the demon. Seduce approached the edge of the silken red blanket she had laid out but never sat on it, instead she folded her legs beneath her and sat before the two sorcerers. Sakura watched seduce for a while, waiting to see what the demon would do but when she did nothing Sakura crept forward on her hands and knees around Syaoran's tense form to get closer to Seduce.
"What are you doing here, Seduce?" Sakura asked curiously.
Seduce stared up at the innocent sorceress with tears welling in her ruby eyes, she was really doing this; Seduce was actually going through with her plan. She bowed humbly before the pair and spoke to the grass, letting her long scarlet hair pool around her and giving the two humans a most generous view down her low-cut dress.
"I am here because I am the one who had sent you the notes requesting your presence here at this time," she said formally. "I am so happy that you have come as I asked- dressed most beautifully, may I add- I was almost afraid that you would not show up… As you see, I have done my best to decorate the park for this very occasion."
Sakura froze. Seduce had sent the notes, not Syaoran? A disappointed sinking feeling came alive in Sakura's chest, she had had her heart absolutely set on Syaoran, she had so desperately wanted to tell her feelings! Syaoran apparently felt the same way. He clenched his fists on his knees and averted his gaze from Sakura's when she glanced back at him.
Seduce spoke to the grass when she continued to speak. "As my letters had said, I have been thinking of this decision for a very long time and I have chosen to finally come forward and confess what has been in my heart for a while now… ever since I came to your home while you slept, Syaoran, and was confronted by Lost and Nightmare… it was them who made me see something that I had been missing all this time."
Sakura only briefly wondered when Seduce had ever come to Syaoran's before she spoke. "But, what is it you want to tell us, Seduce? You went to all the trouble of writing us notes and decorating the park and all- what was so important for you to do all this?"
"Yes, I was wondering the same thing." Syaoran growled. "I was under the impression that you demons were quite content being under Evil's control, what would be the point of setting up this sort of meeting, unless it were a trap?" As he spoke his amber eyes swept the area to see if he could catch any sight of the last remaining demons. None revealed themselves.
"This isn't a trap, Syaoran." Seduce sighed. "This is only me; a tainted and dirty spirit wishing to be whole again. I desire to repent for what I have done as I demon." There was such sadness and regret in her voice that Sakura felt tears well in her eyes. "Please, Nightmare and Lost had said that you were kind Masters and that I would not be mistreated. I beg of you, fix me, make be a real spirit again. I no longer have Evil in my head… please help me." She begged. Her voice quivered ever so slightly. "Free me, please."
"Oh, Seduce…" Sakura bit her lip. The spirit sounded so sincere and desperate, how could it possibly be a lie? This could never be a trap. Seduce was honestly asking to be set free. "Syaoran, please, we have to help her." Sakura looked imploringly into Syaoran's eyes and saw his hard expression begin to soften.
"This doesn't seem to be a trap…" Syaoran began slowly.
"Of course it isn't!" Seduce rushed in to assure the warrior.
Syaoran sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Fine, we were going to change you back sooner or later, might as well do it without a fight."
Sakura squealed happily and hugged Syaoran tightly. "You're the greatest!" She exclaimed happily.
Seduce smiled contently and wiped her eyes to make sure her tears stayed at bay. "Thank you, Syaoran, and you, Sakura. This means more to me than you can imagine." She murmured humbly before her masters-to-be.
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Syaoran's Apartment
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"Talk, you little pip-squeak!" Nightmare demanded. He grasped the front of Lost's robes and shook him a little more harshly than he meant. Lost's head bobbed back and forth and he made a few choking sounds. "You better say everything you know right now or I'll- I'll-!"
"Nightmare, threatening the poor boy will do nothing to get a straight answer from him. Let him go." Windy said calmly. It looked as if Nightmare wasn't going to listen, as a matter of fact he looked about ready to give Lost another good shake, but in the end he released Lost's robes and took a step back.
"Talk. Now." He commanded.
Lost hiccupped and scuffed his small shoes on the floor; he didn't understand why all the other spirits looked so grave, even The Little looked serious. "Miss Sakura got her secret note from Syaoran, right? Nightmare, you practically said it was from Mr Syaoran when you were talking to Miss Sakura, you know, right before I had to… I had to…" Lost trailed off and directed his gaze to the floor. 'Right before I had to make Miss Sakura's thoughts go all over the place…' The poor boy-spirit had still not been able to forgive himself for doing what he did.
The lantern came down and nudged the boy for moral support; Lost seemed to get the boost he needed. "I-I thought that this was supposed to be a happy thing! Miss Sakura and Mr Syaoran are supposed to get together, aren't they? So why are you shaking me, you big jerk?" Lost scrunched his face slightly and shot Nightmare his best dirty look; it wouldn't scare a kitten.
Flower came over and kneeled in front of the boy-spirit. "Lost, you don't seem to know the whole story." She said. "Syaoran, it seems, received a note requesting his presence in the park just like our Sakura did."
Lost cocked his head to the side. "Um- so they sent each other notes?" He asked.
Nightmare shook his head and pushed Flower out of the way so he could take the boy by his shoulders. "No, Lost, it means than neither of them sent a note. Someone else entirely has put up this charade for them."
"But- but you practically said that Mr Syaoran sent- I mean, who else could have…?" Lost tried desperately to figure out what was going on but didn't seem able to let go of the wonderful idea of his two masters finally getting together.
Nightmare sighed and brought the boy-spirit in for an awkward hug. "Hey, we may have gotten our wires crossed in that little meeting, pip-squeak…" he admitted quietly, "but that's okay. The important thing right now is that we go to Syaoran and Miss Sakura right now, if they're in danger we have to help them." Lost's little head nodded against Nightmare's chest.
"But, Nightmare, I don't think I can face Miss Sakura. Not now." Lost mumbled. Near the pair of male spirits the crowd of females cooed. If watching the pair get along and act like brothers wasn't the cutest thing that had ever seen…
"You had to do it, Lost. You can't get around it. It was either you scattered Miss Sakura's thoughts or Mistress and Master would have taken them, forever." Nightmare said.
"You're right, you're a jerk but you're right…" Lost mumbled, letting a small smile tweak the corners of his lips.
"There's a good pip-squeak." Nightmare grinned and mussed up Lost's hair in a good-natured gesture.
Someone hacking loudly broke the air. Sorrow stood out on the balcony, her poor lavender body now streaked with black veins. Everyone had completely forgotten about her.
"Sister… Illness…" She croaked. Her hand was reaching for the moon; she was governed by the moon. "Help me!" She whispered before sinking to her knees in a fit of harsh hacking, her body wracked with uncontrollable shudders.
Windy and Watery rushed forward to get the girl-spirit before she fell off the balcony but even as they approached the form of an angel over took the balcony.
"Yue!" The Sakura cards exclaimed, drawing back from the guardian.
Yue did not look back at the gaping others; his ice blue eyes were fixed on the dieing Sakura Card. "Where is your sister, Sorrow? Why are you without her." He asked, his voice steady but with an underlying hint of disapproval that one of his charges was suffering.
"She- she is with Miss Sakura." Sorrow gasped out. "I need her!"
"I can see that." Yue stated. He looked over his shoulder at the other Sakura Cards, his gaze landing on Nightmare and Lost. "You are to come with me, the both of you. I sense that Sakura and Syaoran may be in danger." He said. "The rest of you are to stay here unless you are summoned." They nodded in agreement. Yue spared a short nod to them before sweeping down to grasp Sorrow under her arms and knees and hauling her up. "Come, we shall meet Illness on the way." No one dared to question how the moon guardian knew this.
In silence Yue spread his wings and leapt up into the night sky, the added weight of Sorrow was nothing to him. He began to glide off on the night currents in the direction of the park. Nightmare ran after Yue out into the night and leapt after the guardian, drawing up into the air as if he were weightless. Lost followed suit shortly after, zipping after them astride his lantern trying to keep up.
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Cerberus & Illness
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"Are you sure you can hold on?" Cerberus asked, turning his head to check on his passenger. Illness sat cross-eyed on the sun guardian's back, already her face was marred by black veins that were sneaking down over her body. In her arms were Sakura's forgotten possessions clutched tightly to her chest. Her legs twitched spasmodically from her spreading sickness as she fought to stay on Cerberus's back. Illness's yellow eyes were determined though, no matter how much Cerberus had ordered her to return to her card form Illness had to refuse, she was going to deliver Sakura's stuff.
"I-I am fine." She lied through her teeth. Cerberus growled but said nothing. If the stupid spirit wanted to risk killing herself, that was her business. Without warning Illness jerked upright on Cerberus's back and gasped. She did it again, but this time her movement was too harsh and she nearly slipped from the sun guardian's back.
"What are you doing!" Cerberus demanded.
"My sister is coming!" Illness exclaimed before a fit of hacking over took her body.
Cerberus lifted his head and surveyed the horizon. Not far off was the growing shape of a white-clad creature with great white wings, in his arms was a small lavender-clad creature, behind the approaching moon guardian were two more creatures. One a dark navy blue and the other was nothing more than a bright speck of light zipping around. Cerberus cocked his head to the side. What would Yue being doing out here, especially with the other three Sakura cards?
When the two flying groups got within a certain distance of each other the Twins of Misery began to emit high-pitched squeals that brought the dogs below them into a barking frenzy. The closer they got to the other the better they began to feel. Yue glanced down at his charge and was relieved to see that the blackness was beginning to fade, just as he knew it would.
"Eek!"
"Eep!"
"Eek!"
"Eep!"
"Sister!"
"Sister!"
Once Yue and Cerberus had flown within range of the magic that kept the Twins of Misery alive they were positively bouncing with happiness. Before anyone could stop they pair Illness threw all of Sakura's stuff into the air and leapt off of Cerberus and Sorrow had shoved herself out of Yue's grasp to meet her sister in mid-air. They collided with an almighty thud and a duel squeal of happiness, their skinny arms went around the other's neck and they hugged like they hadn't seen each other for ages. So caught up in their moment, Sorrow and Illness had apparently forgotten that they were still in mid-air, there was nothing anyone could do as they went down like a pair of rocks.
"IDIOTS!" Cerberus yelled after the dropping pair. He had thankfully managed to catch all of Sakura's discarded stuff before it fell to the ground.
"Fools." Yue stated, he rolled his eyes for good measure.
Lost nearly fell off his own lantern in fright but Nightmare caught him in time. There was nothing to worry about; Sorrow and Illness never had a good mastery of flight in the first place but they were Queens of the Crash landing. Within seconds the yellow and lavender hues of their luminescent lit up through the gloom of the shadowy ground and revealed that the pair had remembered just in time how to fly. To everyone's relief, their faces had cleared up entirely of all black veins.
"We have no time for this foolishness." Yue said as he watched Illness and Sorrow drool in mid-air. How he disliked them when they were together, unfortunately that was the only way to keep them alive when they were in their spirit forms.
"Miss Sakura and Syaoran still need us!" Nightmare exclaimed.
Cerberus looked at the nightmare spirit sharply. "What do you mean by that? Is Sakura in danger?" He asked. Nightmare nodded. Cerberus growled and turned his head to face Yue, who still maintained his cool countenance. "You knew she was in danger? How did you find out? Why didn't you tell me?" The Sun Guardian demanded threateningly.
Yue had no intention of saying how he actually came to know how Sakura was in danger because it did brush over the subject of two curious creatures concerning the forces of life and death. "There is no time to be answering any of your questions, Cerberus-." Yue shot a sharp look at the twins who had began to sing to themselves a song that began with the words
"Twinkle, Twinkle, little dart,"
"How you shine sticking out my heart,"
"Nor do we have time for their incessant games or idiocy." The mood guardian finished with a hiss in his voice. Nightmare, who was under the moon's guardianship, shuddered from Yue's tone. Lost on the other hand, who was under the sun's guardianship, just stayed floating the air desperately wishing everyone would start moving. "The fact is, i know that Sakura and Syaoran are in danger and it is our duty to go tothem and try to help."
"Fine. We're going, now." Cerberus said. He nodded to the Twins, who were still singing and tying knots in their hair. "I'll take them," he offered. Yue nodded and turned toward the park once more, with a great flap of his wings he was off gliding through the night air currents towards the park where he felt the rising presence of evil. Nightmare and Lost flew after him. After seriously regarding the twins with a look of distain Cerberus eventually just grabbed them and threw them on his back.
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At the Park
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"Sakura, are you ready?" Syaoran asked, his hot breath tickling Sakura's neck and ear as he whispered. Sakura stifled a giggle and nodded. She gripped the hilt of Syaoran's sword, Syaoran's hands clasped over hers, the blade pointed in Seduce's direction. Sakura took a deep breath, Syaoran's chest was pressed tightly to her back and through his shirt and vest she could feel his hard, muscled chest and it made her feel giddy when she was supposed to be concentrating.
"Should I stand still?" Seduce asked nervously. Would it hurt to have her shell removed? Or would it just come off?
"Um- yeah, stand right where you are." Sakura replied. The spirit straightened up in her spot a couple feet in front of them. Seduce shook her head a little when a wave of dizziness swept over her. She brought her hand up to her face then ran it through her long fiery hair.
'What was that?' She wondered briefly before another wave of dizziness overtook her, this time forcing her to the ground. Something was welling inside her; dark and oozing, a malevolent presence that she knew all too well. Seduce's body went cold. 'No, you can't do this! Not now! Please don't do this to me, Evil! I want to chance for happiness, I want to be free from you!' Seduce screamed at Evil. Laughter, hoarse and humorless, broke out in her mind like glass breaking.
"Are you stupid, woman? There is no such thing as happiness for a demon, especially not for the likes of you and your kind. Despite all you do, you pathetic being shall always be bound into servitude by anyone strong enough to control you." Evil hissed. His malevolent presence intensified within the spirit's body and she choked. "You, Seduce shall never know true freedom; freedom shall only be a bitter taste on your lips but never really yours, ever!"
'Shut up!' Seduce screamed in her mind. 'Shut up! Shut up!'
"SHUT UP!" Sakura and Syaoran jumped back from Seduce's sudden outburst.
"Syaoran, do you sense it?" Sakura asked, her voice sounding higher than usual. Syaoran nodded gravely. They both sensed the extra presence that was now over taking Seduce's body. It was an oozing being of formless tar that filled the clearing with itself; the night sky turned inky and the air became foul.
Evil was with them.
"Stop it! Get away from her, Evil!" Sakura screamed and leapt toward the writhing form of Seduce, she vaguely registered that she had taken Syaoran's sword with her. The heavy metal took on a life of it's own and drew her power, forcing it to the blade so that when she struck out it seared through Seduce's skin like cutting through water. Seduce screamed louder as the slash appeared on her upper right arm, black blood spilling to the ground. Her scream was not the only one that erupted in the clearing, Evil screeched out as the sorceress assaulted him with the magic-endowed sword. He sent her flying back with a wave of power of his own; luckily, Syaoran caught her time.
"What is this about, Evil!" Syaoran demanded angrily as he helped Sakura to her feet. "I thought Seduce said you weren't in her head anymore, that you weren't controlling her anymore?"
Evil's dark nebulous shape twisted in the air around Seduce. He was laughing. "That stupid woman, she never once thought that it could have been a trap. I have been manipulating her thoughts to make her think that she was abandoned. Her mind was the weakest out of all of them, aside from that brat, Lost; she was so easy to manipulate. The instant that I felt her beginning to have feeling of insecurity I jumped on the chance, I knew that she would go to you two; all I had to do was wait." Evil said, his disembodied voice echoed eerily through the clearing. And look how well my plan turned out, you're both here."
Seduce struggled to rise. "This- this was all a deception. You- you used me," she hissed, "you used my feelings to get them here…"
"Of course I did, wench." Evil allowed for another wave of evil to shoot through Seduce to make her keel over onto her back, writhing and jerking.
"You're hurting her!" Syaoran bellowed.
"And you're next!" Evil replied. Without warning, Syaoran was swept up into a void. Hands closed in around him and pinched and pulled and ripped and scratched and drew blood from him wherever they touched. The darkness overwhelmed him. It was endless and powerful; it was a bigger taste of the darkness that had always lurked ominously within the regions of his heart. In his mind's eye Syaoran saw that this is what he would have felt like if he had not met Sakura, he would feel like forever drowning in darkness. A light exploded in front of his eyes.
"Syaoran!" Sakura's cry was like an angel's voice in his ear. She was kneeling above him, one arm held out clutching his sword as a defense against Evil, the sword using Sakura's supplied magic to emit a barrier for them. (Damn smart sword, ain't it?)
"Sakura, don't let your guard down." Syaoran said and rose up from his back. His skin crawled from the remnants of Evil remaining on his flesh. "It's disgusting when it touches you." Sakura nodded but made a face; she didn't want Evil to touch her, ever.
"O-onegai… p-please, run." Seduce croaked. "Save yourselves! You- you don't stand a chance against Evil." She said pitifully.
"We're not leaving you!" Sakura declared loudly. "You said you wanted to come to this side, you wanted to be good again! I'm not going to leave you to remain evil, not when there is something I can do!"
"Then you are a fool!" Evil screamed. "You shall suffer to your last breath trying to take her back!" Seduce's body convulsed wildly on the ground. Evil sunk deep within her. The spirit's lovely body went rigid for a long time; Sakura and Syaoran watched her warily, then, without warning the spirit got up. Her movement was not smooth; it was jerky and erratic like everything inside her was fighting against her own muscles not to move.
"It's got me." Seduce choked. "He's controlling my body."
"I own this body." Evil hissed darkly.
"I-I can't fight it!" Seduce gasped. Her arms rose up and her ribbons stormed into the clearing, a few of them running by trees and slitting them in half, revealing that their edges were razor sharp. Darkness formed a solid wall around the clearing and began to rise up and slowly form a great dome to encase the spirits and humans.
"Syaoran, look!" Sakura cried. She pointed with the tip of Syaoran's sword, which she still had clenched tightly in her fist. Beyond the barrier was a quickly approaching group of spirits.
"MISS SAKURA! MR SYAORAN!" Lost howled and dived for his masters, he was grabbed before he even came close to the barrier.
"Don't touch it!" Yue warned coldly. "This is a dangerous piece of magic!"
Lost screwed up his face and bolted for the gap that had yet to close at the very top of the dome. "I'm coming Miss Sakura! I'll save you!" He cried with all the hopes that he would actually be able to pull off such a feat. Before he even made it within a foot of the barrier Cerberus grabbed him by the back of his robes.
"It's too small!" Illness warned.
"You won't fit in the hole!" Sorrow cried and waved her arms.
"Lost, you have to stay back! Yue says that the barrier is dangerous! I don't know what it does but you have to stay away from it, I don't want any of you coming near it! I don't want any of you getting hurt trying to help me or Syaoran!" Sakura yelled up to them.
Syaoran looked up and spotted the long pink star staff clutched in Illness's grasp. Throw the star staff down! Sakura will need it if we want any chance of staying alive!" Syaoran yelled. Without any hesitation Illness flung the staff towards the small opening that had yet to close on the barrier. For a moment it looked as if the staff was going to catch on the edge of the opening and slide off but in the end it smackedNightmare in the face and fell right in without even brushing the sides.
"Hole in one!" Illness screamed and high-fived Sorrow.
"You did that on purpose!"Nightmare cursed and clutched his throbbing nose. "It better not be broken!"
"ARIGATOU ILLNESS!" Sakura yelled and dived for her star staff, she caught it just before it hit the ground. She had missed the part where it smacked nightmare square in the nose.The sorceress had only enough time to wave at her spirits before the last little bit of the dome filled in and left the inside in an eerie darkened silence.
Seduce's body took at step forward with the same movement giving the idea that everything within her was resisting the movement. "Now it's just the four of us in here, but let's just say that Seduce and I count as one seeing as I'll be using her body for the duration of this battle." Evil said his voice even came out of Seduce's trembling mouth.
Sakura ran back to stand with Syaoran and took up a defensive stance. "Well, then that means that it's two against one and that really doesn't seem fair at all." She said coldly, pointing out that her side had the obvious upper hand.
Seduce's body jerked violently to move down into a defensive stance, her razor ribbons turning the point themselves directly at the humans. "No, it doesn't seem fair to you at all."
Syaoran sniffed contentiously. "If you don't think it's fair now, just wait till we begin summoning Sakura Cards then the odds will definitely be tipped in our favor!"
For some reason Syaoran's taunt only made Evil laugh. "You don't get it, do you? That barrier I put up, it's not just there for looks or to keep you little humans in; it's to keep your little servant spirits out!"
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Outside the Barrier
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The Sakura Cards felt much better now that the star staff had been delivered. Now if anything were to happen Sakura would be able to summon any one of them to come help her. They didn't know what was being said on the inside of the barrier, even though they saw the lips of everyone moving, maybe there was a mute spell on the barrier. All there was to do now was watch and wait. Nightmare remained massaging his nose as Lost flittered around, glancing in the barrier every few seconds. Illness and Sorrow and been kicked off of Cerberus's back and were now floating on their own, crookedly.
Illness grabbed hold of her sister and pointed down at their mistress. "See! See! See! The pretty dress Miss Sakura wears is the one I picked out! I picked it! I did!"
"Pretty! Pretty! Pretty!" Sorrow replied happily. "She looks like an angel!"
"Syaoran looks like a prince!" Illness squealed. "Prince! Prince! Prince!" She pointed down that the warrior excitedly.
Sorrow did a sort of loop-to-loop in the air and ended up floating upside down on her head. "I delivered them to him myself, right after Windy and Watery were done cleaning and drying it!" She announced proudly.
Lost continued to ogle at his pretty mistress, her face looked angry and flushed but she was still the prettiest thing he had ever seen, ever prettier that Seduce! A blush crept over his face and he drifted closer to the barrier to get a better look. In a whirlwind of wings, Yue and Cerberus shot forward and grabbed the boy.
"Are you insane?" Cerberus roared as he tossed Lost away from the black dome.
"I was only looking at Miss Sakura!" Lost squealed and cowered.
"You were getting too close to the barrier." Yue warned coldly. "There's enough evil magic surging through that thing that if you were to have touched it you would have reverted back to your demon shape." The Sakura Cards gasped and drew away from the barrier a good couple of feet, there was no way in hell that they wanted to go back to being demons.
"I don't want to be a demon! Not again!" Lost wailed. It was still fresh in his mind when the scary things had nearly ripped his soul apart when he had been trapped within his lantern and his demon shell loose to wreak havoc.
"Then, don't touch the barrier." Cerberus snorted.
"If we cannot touch the thing, how is Miss Sakura or Syaoran going to summon us?" Nightmare inquired.
"They don't." Yue replied. "They'll have to fight this out on their own, and win, if they wish to live."
"UH-OH!" Sorrow and Illness chimed in unison.
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