City Under Siege:
Chapter Two (2)
Syaoran and the others crouched behind bushes, watching the school where Yue had said the town was being held captive. "There doesn't seem to be a lot of guards." Syaoran observed.
"That's cause they don't expect us coming!" Meiling said kinda loud.
"Shhh!" Everyone told her. Meiling pouted, but remained silent.
"Come on." Yue said and led everyone to the back of school. When they got there, they stopped. "We should split up into groups. Try and find out their exact location."
"Good idea." Syaoran agreed. "Sakura, Yue, and I will be in one group. Hahaoya, can you take Tomoyo and Meiling?"
"Hai, my son." She replied. Sakura was amazed her Japanese was that good. Sakura would never speak Chinese so well.
Meiling was about to protest, when Syaoran held up a finger. "Now is neither the time nor the place, Meiling."
Meiling opened her mouth to reply, but shut it when Syaoran's mother placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Trust his judgment, Meiling." Meiling slowly nodded.
"Okay, Syaoran-kun, Yue-san, and I will come in from the field area. The other group will go inside and see what they can find." Sakura said, then the two groups left on their separate missions.
Li-san, Syaoran's mother, led Tomoyo and Meiling around the school and into the halls. They systematically began checking the rooms.
Tomoyo opened one classroom and gasped. Meilin opened one on the other side of the hall and reacted the same way. Li-san, Syaoran's mother, came to them. "Each room has approximately 20 individuals."
It was true. Inside the classrooms that Tomoyo and Meiling had checked, including the rest of the classrooms, lay the bodies of the town. Strangers, friends and family lay unmoving. Their lips, gray as ash, their skin showing no sign of life running through their veins. All color was drained from their bodies, leaving everything a little duller, a little darker.
"We must make a plan to get them out." Li-san proposed.
Both girls nodded and then gasped.
"I don't think that is a wise choice." A voice said.
Li-san whirled around and was face to face with her husband. She narrowed her eyes, but said nothing.
The figure smiled. "We meet again, dear wife."
"You are not the man I married. You are an incantation of darkness." Li-san countered.
"I would have thought you learned your lesson backing China. It seems I was wrong." He pulled out a sword. "Prepare to die!" He charged at her.
She pulled out her own sword, similar to Syaoran's, yet lighter, making it easier for a woman to wield. She blocked the blow.
While Li-san fought, Nadashiko, or rather the figure of her came up behind Tomoyo and Meiling.
She placed two firm hands on their shoulders. They both scream and collapsed, their souls taken, their skin death-white.
Li-san turned from her battle. "No!" She fired a ball of magic at "Nadashiko" blowing her back.
He attention occupied, her "husband" sent a spirit at her. It twirled around her, ignoring her death cry, draining her body of its most precious possession, its soul. Li-san turned white, like all the other victims, and fell to the floor.
"Nadashiko" got to her feet. "Three down, four to go." She smiled and she and "Syaoran's father" disappeared.
Yue took lead and the four, him, Sakura, Syaoran and Kero, made their way to the playing field of the high school. They took "base" behind the bleachers, and looked over the scene before them. A dark figure stood in the middle, surrounded by its minions, the screeching soul-takers. They twirled around the figure, praising it, in a way.
Syaoran narrowed his eyes. "That's the person responsible for this. He unsheathed his sword and started out. Sakura called forth her wand and followed him. Kero transformed into his full form, and follows, Yue flying above him.
The creatures stopped their screeching and turned to face the invaders. The figure did not turn to face them, or even move to face the coming onslaught.
Syaoran and the others stopped dead in their tracks as the figure finally turned to face them.
The figure, a woman, gazed at them with blazing red eyes. She had long jet-black hair, half pulled into a bun. She wore a kimono with red roses and black leaves against a white background. Her bright green sash countered the darkness of her demeanor.
"I've long awaited this encounter." She said.
Keroberus's mouth dropped. "Na…Natsuo?"
"Ah, yes, the guardian beast of the seal, Keroberus. Come to try and stop me?" Natsuo replied.
Keroberus growled. "How did you escape!?"
Yue's blue eyes narrowed to thin ice slits. "You broke the seal."
"Very good winged one. And now that I'm back, I need only take out the four of you, to have complete control of the city."
"That's what you think!" Syaoran countered.
Natsuo threw her head back and laughed. "Are you referring to the three invaders my servants found snooping around in the hallways?"
Sakura's eyes widened. "Tomoyo-chan, Meiling-san, Li-san, no!"
Natsuo smiled. "Don't worry. They're just taking a little rest."
Keroberus took to the air, followed by Yue. The battle had begun.
Syaoran held his sword in front of him and went after Natsuo.
Some of the minions went after Sakura. Keroberus blasted some, as did Yue. Sakura swung her staff trying to make contact with the creatures. Though when it was supposed to hit them, it went through them!
"Hoe!!! Ghosts!" She dodged more as the swooped down, trying to have her meet her friends' fate.
Syaoran was in his own battle versus Natsuo. She had a staff with the head of a cobra on its tip. It was all black, with yellow eyes.
Syaoran wanted to slice at her, but she met each blow, preventing her from bisecting her.
"You are strong, but alone you are nothing!" She jumped back and held her staff in from of her. The cobra's eyes on the staff began to glow. A yellow beam came and hit Syaoran in the chest. He cried out in pain and dropped his sword. He fell to the ground.
This caught the attention of Sakura. "Iie! Syaoran-kun!" She had her attention off the creatures so one dove down.
"Sakura!" Keroberus dove towards her and the creature hit him instead. He roared in pain and collapsed to the ground, his soul gone.
"Kero-chan!" Sakura ran to him, but Yue dove down and snatched her up.
"Iie!" Sakura tried to wiggle free.
"We have to escape my mistress! Ahh!"
Natsuo hit Yue in the back with a blast from her staff. He dropped Sakura and fell to the ground.
Sakura feel and called out a card. "Float! Transport me safely to the ground!"
Float came out and wrapped around Sakura, slowing her descent and brought her safely to the ground.
"Ha! You dare defy me?!" Natsuo said and aimed a blast at Sakura.
"Shield! Protect me from the powers of darkness!" Shield protected her for a time, but Natsuo continued the barrages and Shield soon collapsed. Natsuo let loose another blast and it hit Sakura.
Sakura put up her hands to ward it away, but the blast knocked her to the floor.
Natsuo walked up to her. "After you there will be no one to stand in my way!" Natsuo raised her staff.
Sakura grabbed her staff besides her, blood streaming down from her hands and arms, and slowly pulled out a card.
"Light! Drive back the evil that hunts me!" Light came forth, causing all the creatures in the area to screech and disappear. Natsuo screeched as well, as the light shown brightly all around her.
Sakura ran to Syaoran, while Natsuo was distracted, and called out two cards. "Power! Fly! Lend your powers to me!" White wings grew out of Sakura's back and Power's green aura surrounded her. She picked up Syaoran, his body lifeless in her arms, and flew away from Natsuo.
When the Light diminished, Natsuo growled. "This isn't over Clow Card Mistress! There's no one left! I will find you!"
Sakura closed her eyes against the voice of Natsuo. She knew they'd meet again, and Sakura would make her pay for what she did to everyone. For now though, Sakura looked down at Syaoran. "Hang in there, Syaoran-kun. Please. Stay strong, for me." She whispered to him and continued to fly back to their hideout.