Love On Horseback:
Part Eight
Suzy and Fumi had convinced Li that taking the horses was a better idea than walking. So Li took Lightning and Suzy rode with Fumi on Shelly. Li took the lead and they started towards Dead Man's Cavern.
Fumi moved up besides Li and turn to him. "Don't you think we're going a bit fast?"
"No." Li replied coldly.
Suzy looked over at him. He had his gaze straight ahead, yet he didn't seem to be "looking" that direction. True he had changed, since Suzy last saw him. He wasn't the little eight-year old boy he once was. But she still knew what he was thinking. His creased eyebrows and the determination in his eyes revealed everything. "We're going to get her back."
Li's eyes widened and he looked over at his cousin. "What?" He asked in disbelief.
She smiled. "I know what you're thinking. We'll pull her out of there. We weren't trained for nothing."
Li smiled back, a rarity in his case. "Thank you. It's just…you don't know who you're dealing with. Brian…is very powerful. He's…" Should I tell them? "He's our cousin."
Fumi gasped and Suzy almost fell off of Shelly in surprise. "Him!?" She exclaimed. "No way!"
Li nodded solemnly. "It's true. Kero told us so."
Fumi's eyes went wide. "Keroberus? The guardian beast of the seal? The beast with the golden eyes…"
"…Is a stuff animal." Li finished. Inwardly he smiled, remembering his own words at seeing the little yellow lion-bear with wings. "He's annoying at times…most times…but I believe him." But I would never admit it to him.
"So does Sakura have anything to do with him?" Suzy asked.
Li nodded. "She's a cardcaptor."
Fumi smirked. "No wonder you like her…you always did like the fighting type…"
Li glared at Fumi, making him stop mid-sentence.
Suzy looked straight ahead. The mouth of the cavern was now visible. "We're almost there!" Suzy exclaimed, breaking the staring match Fumi and Li were having.
The cave's entrance was large and foreboding. I hate this cave. Suzy thought.
Li and Fumi stopped at the entrance and dismounted. They tied the horses to a nearby tree (Convenient huh?) Li took out his sword, while Fumi helped Suzy down. "I would understand if you want to stay here." Li said.
Fumi unsheathed his sword and Suzy took out her staff. Li sighed. "Guess I have your answer. Okay ready?"
They nodded and Li started into the cave. Fumi quickly followed, while Suzy took one breath, gathering up her courage, before following Fumi into the cavern.
Brian smiled as he sensed the three would-be rescuers enter his domain. "They came quicker than I expected them to. He turned in his stone throne. "Shall we go greet our guests?" He asked the other person.
Sakura, still in a trance-like state, made no reaction at all to Brian's question. Brian smiled. This is going to be fun. He got up and held out his hand. "Let's go, sweetheart."
Sakura stood up, and moved more like a robot, and walked over to Brian. Her hand came up and she placed it in his. He smiled and led them to where the confrontation was to occur.
Li continued to follow his sense of Sakura to a larger section of the cavern. Suzy clutched her staff closer to her and flicked her eyes back and forth for any sight of Brian…or ghosts. Fumi waved his sword back and forth; it's shine casting a faint glow against the cavern's walls.
Li opened his senses further trying to pinpoint his precious Sakura.
"Ahhh!!!" A scream was heard.
Li's heart stopped. I know that scream. "Sakura!" He called out and ran towards the sound.
"Li! Wait!" Suzy cried, running after him, Fumi right behind her.
The three ran until they hit a dead end. "Where is she?!" Li said in frustration.
"She's where she should be..." The three looked up and saw Brian atop one of the boulders. He smiled. "…With me."
Li narrowed his eyes. "Where is she?!" He demanded, holding out his sword in front of him.
"You really want to know?"
Suzy snorted. "No we just felt like coming into a deep, dark cave, which for all we know could be haunted by ghosts, for no good reason!"
Fumi and Li glared at her for her sarcasm. She crossed her arms. "Well, it could be haunted."
Brian shook his head. "You guys are a joke! You little wolf, don't even deserve Sakura! She deserves someone better! And now she has me!" Brian looked behind. "Come here my love."
Sakura appeared behind Brian and walked to his side. She was dressed in a beautiful silk dress. It was a light pink and clung to her body, showing her form. Brian held her hand and smiled at Li. "See?"
"Sakura!" Li called out frantically. No response. "What have you done to her!?"
"I simply showed her the truth. That she loves me."
"She'd never love a creep like you!" Suzy said.
"O, contraire, mon ami. She does love me." He turns to Sakura. "Don't you?"
She nodded. "I do."
Li felt his insides break apart, his legs no longer to hold him up, he fell to his knees. "No." He whispered. "Sakura."
Brian smiled. "Show me how much you love me." Sakura wrapped her arms around Brain's neck and kissed him on the lips.
Li cried out, "Sakura!!!!" The end of his cry was washed out by Brian's laughter.
"Tah tah for now." And with that, Brian turned and left, still holding Sakura's hand.
Li growled and was ready to charge after them, when Suzy gasped. Li whirled around and followed her line of sight. Two large boulders fell at the open side of the cavern. Then Li looked up and saw a shimmering barrier at the top. "He's cut off the air!" He deduced.
Fumi's eyes went wide. "We'll die without air before long!"
Li brought his sword before him. "Let's break the barrier!" His sword began to glow. "Force know my plight! Release the light! Lightning!" His attack struck the barrier, but didn't break it. He turned to Fumi. "Let's do this together."
Fumi nodded and both boys said. "Force know my plight! Release the light! Lightning!" Both attacks struck the same spot, with little result.
Suzy tightened her hold on her staff. "I always hated this cave!"
A distinctive hissing sound was heard. Li's eyes widened, and Fumi came to the same conclusion. "He didn't seal us to cut off the air!"
Li narrowed his eyes. "He did it to gas us."
Suzy and Fumi started coughing. The greenish mist soon filled the room. Li fought against his own coughs, but soon succumbed to the gas. Fumi and Suzy fell behind him, and Li was forced to his knees.
"Sakura." He whispered before he too was driven to unconsciousness.
Brian smirked, as the three forms lay unmoving in the cavern. He used his magic and had them moved to a holding cell. That was almost too easy. He thought. Torturing them is going to be so much fun. That Li is going to get what's coming to him.
Brian turned to Sakura, who was now still seated in the throne next to him. "Kiss me." He said. She did as told as turned to kiss him. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her. This is the way it should be. The way it was meant to be. Brian loved every moment of it, but soon had to stop.
"I have to go greet our guests. Care to come with me?" Sakura nodded her head. "So be it. Let's go." He took her hand and led her down to the dungeons.
A/N: I know I said, Brian would get his, but I ran this chapter a little long, so go to part nine, he should get what's coming to him then. http://www.geocities.com/digidynasty/ I updated it today! More fanart! Dedicated to Cool Fire Bird!