The Tides Turn:
Chapter Two
Li watched in horror as Sakura was dragged towards the portal. "Sakura!!" He called out. He tried to get up, but couldn't.
"Li! Help me!" She reached out, but he couldn't get to her. He saw the figure throw her into the portal. Then jump in himself.
"Sakura!!!" Li called out one last time. Then all of a sudden he was back at the park. The same one where they had caught the Dark Card that same day. He was sitting besides Sakura.
"Li? Will you always be there to protect me?" She asked as she looked up.
He looked into her beautiful green eyes and replied. "Always."
She shot to her feet and suddenly got very angry. "Lier!!! You lied to me!" She screamed at him.
He stood up. "No Sakur..." He started.
"No! You said you'd always protect me! But you couldn't could you! You let him take me away! You broke your own promise!!!" She yelled at him.
Li tried to defend himself, but he couldn't find the words. Everything she said was true. Every word. 'I fail her. I broke my own word.'
She started to cry. "Why? Why didn't you protect me? Why? Why? Why?"
Li sat up. He found himself in bed. The sheets stuck to his body with perspiration. Li shook himself back to reality. 'Stop it! Sakura's gone' He told himself.
He walked to the window to see it was just starting to approach dawn. 'May as well' He thought. He went to the bathroom and took a shower. 'Li! Help me!' Sakura's plea echoed in his mind.
Seven years. Seven years since the day she was taken away from him. The day he lied to her.
Li got out of the shower and went to the closet to get dressed. He saw hanging there his old green battle robe. On the front were those same blood stains he had left there. After the incident he didn't find any reason to wash them out. They reminded him daily of his failure.
He remembered after Sakura had been pushed through, he had gone unconscious. He later found Kero nearby. "Where is Sakura!" He demanded. "What happened to her!!"
All Li could do was start to cry. "She's gone! She's gone forever!!!" He yelled.
Kero got really mad. "What!! You didn't try to save her!!" He then flew away without so much as a good bye.
Later Li had taken on the duty of finding the rest of the Clow Cards. He had found them and had left his robe to rest. He wouldn't wear it anymore. He didn't deserve to.
Li got dressed and started off to school. Madison met him half way. "Good morning Li." She said in her usual monotone.
Li didn't respond. He never did. In fact he hadn't said anything to anyone since that night. He knew Madison had taken it hard when he had told her. He also knew she blamed him for not seeing to it that Sakura made it home that night. She wasn't alone.
Tori, after finding out what had happened, had seen to it personally that Li was punished. He had stormed into Li's house and given him a good beating. Li didn't resist or fight back. He knew he deserved every painful blow.
Now all that was just a dull throb compared to what Sakura's disappearance had done to his heart. He loved her. And still does. He wishes that things happened differently. If only...
He and Madison walked through the park like they always did. The trees were in full bloom. It hurt Li to see the blossoms. They reminded him of his cherry blossom. Who was gone because of him. Today was the seventh year to the day of Sakura's disappearance. And Li planned to go to her memorial after school.
When they got to school, Li went off to class without a word, and Madison went the other way. During class, Li just stared out of the window. Looking at thier tree. The one he and Sakura used to sit under. He never paid any attention to class anymore. Again there was no point. His grades dropped, but he didn't care. He didn't care about anything.
'Why? Why? Why?' Sakura's voice came to him again. This time he was in his last class. He stared outside and saw a figure under thier tree. Short light brown hair swayed with the light spring breeze.
'Sakura.' Li thought. The bell rang and Li ran out of class. He went down the stairs to their tree, but she wasn't there. 'Stop it! She's gone!' Li reminded himself. He must be getting delusional.
Li climbed the tree and picked some of the cherry blossoms. He would lay them on her grave today. He walked to the cemetary and went to her gravestone. It read "In memory of our lovely cherry blossom." Li wanted to cry, but no tears fell.
He bent down to lay the flowers on the stone. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!!!" A voice yelled out from behind him. Li turned around to see Sakura's brother Tori standing there. "HOW CAN YOU THINK YOU EVEN HAVE A RIGHT TO BE NEAR HER!!!" He approached, but Li didn't want to fight. He simply walked away. Tori was right. He didn't have the right to be near her. Beacuse it was his fault. His fault....
"Li." He heard a voice. He knew that voice. "Li." It said again.
Li turned around and looked aorund the cemetary. There he saw her. Standing by the entrance to the cemetary. "Sakura?!" He said. He started running towards her. She just stood there. The wind blew and her hair went wild.
He got to her and she smiled. "Sakura?" He couldn't believe his eyes.
"Yes it's me. But I'm not the same as you remember!" She laughed and her features changed. The color from her face went to ghostly white and her hair went to a jet black. The summer dress she had on was replaced by a tight fitting black leather body suit. She had a black cape that had on a crimson inside. The color came up behind her head.
"Sakura?" Li asked again.
"I am Sakura! But I've had a change for a better!!" She raised her hand and her staff appeared. It had changed as well. It was now all black, except for the grey wings and purple eyes.
She raised the staff and back handed Li across the face. He was sent to the floor. Blood came from his nose where the staff had struck.
Sakura smiled and approached him. "I'm here to get you back for what you did to me!" Her staff came down again. This time it was a blow to the head. Li felt pain rip through him before blackness consumed his vision.
When Li awoke he was in a holding cell. He also found he was chained to the wall. A million questions went through his mind at once. Was that really Sakura that he saw? Where had she been all this time? Why was she wearing those clothes? And why in the world would she attack him?!!
Li thought for hours, but couldn't find any logical explanation for any of it. It didn't make any sense. Whoever this was, it wasn't Sakura. At least not the Sakura he knew and loved deeply.
Li had to get out of here and think of a way to save Sakura. He yanked on the chains, but they wouldn't break.
"If you're trying to escape, don't" He heard a voice. He looked up and saw a figure approach him. It wasn't Sakura. No. This was someone else. Someone he remembered somehow. Someone...
"You!!!!" He cried as the realization hit him. It was the man who had first kidnapped Sakura seven years ago. "What have you done with Sakura!!!" He demanded.
The man laughed. "I did little to her. It was you who did most of the work. And I have come here to thank you." The man got closer.
"What?" Li asked.
"Oh yes. You see. Warping her mind like now was easy because of her sadness towards you." He explained. "When I first brought her here, she was very fiesty and strong. She believed you would come and save her. She waited about two years before knowing that her prince in shining armor wasn't coming for her."
Li shook his head in disbelief. "No." He whispered.
"After she gave up hope, all I had to do was turn her sorrow into a thirst for revenge. She's become a nice little queen for me. And that is why I want to thank you. Without you, none of this would have been possible.
"No!!!" Li yelled.
The figure laughed. "Admit it! You failed her and she surcombed to me because of it!"
"No! That's not true!" Li replied. "Just who are and what have you done with my Sakura!" He asked.
The man shrugged. "I guess it couldn't hurt. I am Brilan. And this..." He gestured to the door. Entered was Sakura. Still wearing the same outfit as before. She walked in and took Brilan's hand. He kissed it and turned to face Li. "...is my queen." Sakura smiled. She turned to Brilan and they kissed.
Li felt his heart ripped out of his chest. "NOOOOO!!!!" He screamed and yanked on the chains. Then he felt something. A tear. A tear had fallen down his face for the first time in seven years.
The two broke the kiss and Sakura started laughing. "This si all your fault, Li!" She said. "You weren't there for me like you said you would be. So now..." She caressed Brilan's chest. "....I've found someone else."
Li shook his head. "No." He whispered.
"Oh yes! He took me in after you left me! He was there for me when you weren't!" She appraoched him. "He loves me and I love him."
The last three words pushed Li over the edge. He cast a spell that gave him more strength and broke the chains. He stared Sakura right in the eyes. He saw they were black, not their usual emerald green. "Sakura you have to listen to me. I never left you. I never stopped loving you." He pointed towards Brilan. "He! He was the one who took you away from me." He said.
Sakura laughed. She turned to Brilan. "Shall I?" Brilan nodded. Without turning SAkura backhanded Li in the face. Li went flewing into the wall. He lloked back at her, but did not attack. "You expect me to believe your lies after what you did!" She accused. "How dare you!"
Li couldn't take much more. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't convince her alone. He needed the others. He had to get away.
Li used a spell and light filled the room. Sakura screeched and cringed back at the light, along with Brilan. Li made a dash for the door.
"No!" He heard Sakura yell. Li rounded the corner and saw lightning bolts hit the psot where he just was. He kept running until he exited the dungeon and outside. He ran out of the castle and found himself back on the beach.
What he relized made him go into temporary shock. Brilan hadn't taken Sakura anywhere. He had simply taken her to his castle, but no one knew it was there. Not even Li. Those words Brilan had spoken mustv'e been what opened the portal to get into the castle.
"You wil not escape me little wolf!" Li heard Sakura's voice behind him. He ran. He ran away. He had to make a plan to get Sakura back. He failed her once, but he would not do it again.
As Li left the beach, he heard Sakura's laughter in the back, which was soon joined by Brilan's. Li kept running. But he would return. And Sakura will be saved.
Chapter Two
Li watched in horror as Sakura was dragged towards the portal. "Sakura!!" He called out. He tried to get up, but couldn't.
"Li! Help me!" She reached out, but he couldn't get to her. He saw the figure throw her into the portal. Then jump in himself.
"Sakura!!!" Li called out one last time. Then all of a sudden he was back at the park. The same one where they had caught the Dark Card that same day. He was sitting besides Sakura.
"Li? Will you always be there to protect me?" She asked as she looked up.
He looked into her beautiful green eyes and replied. "Always."
She shot to her feet and suddenly got very angry. "Lier!!! You lied to me!" She screamed at him.
He stood up. "No Sakur..." He started.
"No! You said you'd always protect me! But you couldn't could you! You let him take me away! You broke your own promise!!!" She yelled at him.
Li tried to defend himself, but he couldn't find the words. Everything she said was true. Every word. 'I fail her. I broke my own word.'
She started to cry. "Why? Why didn't you protect me? Why? Why? Why?"
Li sat up. He found himself in bed. The sheets stuck to his body with perspiration. Li shook himself back to reality. 'Stop it! Sakura's gone' He told himself.
He walked to the window to see it was just starting to approach dawn. 'May as well' He thought. He went to the bathroom and took a shower. 'Li! Help me!' Sakura's plea echoed in his mind.
Seven years. Seven years since the day she was taken away from him. The day he lied to her.
Li got out of the shower and went to the closet to get dressed. He saw hanging there his old green battle robe. On the front were those same blood stains he had left there. After the incident he didn't find any reason to wash them out. They reminded him daily of his failure.
He remembered after Sakura had been pushed through, he had gone unconscious. He later found Kero nearby. "Where is Sakura!" He demanded. "What happened to her!!"
All Li could do was start to cry. "She's gone! She's gone forever!!!" He yelled.
Kero got really mad. "What!! You didn't try to save her!!" He then flew away without so much as a good bye.
Later Li had taken on the duty of finding the rest of the Clow Cards. He had found them and had left his robe to rest. He wouldn't wear it anymore. He didn't deserve to.
Li got dressed and started off to school. Madison met him half way. "Good morning Li." She said in her usual monotone.
Li didn't respond. He never did. In fact he hadn't said anything to anyone since that night. He knew Madison had taken it hard when he had told her. He also knew she blamed him for not seeing to it that Sakura made it home that night. She wasn't alone.
Tori, after finding out what had happened, had seen to it personally that Li was punished. He had stormed into Li's house and given him a good beating. Li didn't resist or fight back. He knew he deserved every painful blow.
Now all that was just a dull throb compared to what Sakura's disappearance had done to his heart. He loved her. And still does. He wishes that things happened differently. If only...
He and Madison walked through the park like they always did. The trees were in full bloom. It hurt Li to see the blossoms. They reminded him of his cherry blossom. Who was gone because of him. Today was the seventh year to the day of Sakura's disappearance. And Li planned to go to her memorial after school.
When they got to school, Li went off to class without a word, and Madison went the other way. During class, Li just stared out of the window. Looking at thier tree. The one he and Sakura used to sit under. He never paid any attention to class anymore. Again there was no point. His grades dropped, but he didn't care. He didn't care about anything.
'Why? Why? Why?' Sakura's voice came to him again. This time he was in his last class. He stared outside and saw a figure under thier tree. Short light brown hair swayed with the light spring breeze.
'Sakura.' Li thought. The bell rang and Li ran out of class. He went down the stairs to their tree, but she wasn't there. 'Stop it! She's gone!' Li reminded himself. He must be getting delusional.
Li climbed the tree and picked some of the cherry blossoms. He would lay them on her grave today. He walked to the cemetary and went to her gravestone. It read "In memory of our lovely cherry blossom." Li wanted to cry, but no tears fell.
He bent down to lay the flowers on the stone. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!!!" A voice yelled out from behind him. Li turned around to see Sakura's brother Tori standing there. "HOW CAN YOU THINK YOU EVEN HAVE A RIGHT TO BE NEAR HER!!!" He approached, but Li didn't want to fight. He simply walked away. Tori was right. He didn't have the right to be near her. Beacuse it was his fault. His fault....
"Li." He heard a voice. He knew that voice. "Li." It said again.
Li turned around and looked aorund the cemetary. There he saw her. Standing by the entrance to the cemetary. "Sakura?!" He said. He started running towards her. She just stood there. The wind blew and her hair went wild.
He got to her and she smiled. "Sakura?" He couldn't believe his eyes.
"Yes it's me. But I'm not the same as you remember!" She laughed and her features changed. The color from her face went to ghostly white and her hair went to a jet black. The summer dress she had on was replaced by a tight fitting black leather body suit. She had a black cape that had on a crimson inside. The color came up behind her head.
"Sakura?" Li asked again.
"I am Sakura! But I've had a change for a better!!" She raised her hand and her staff appeared. It had changed as well. It was now all black, except for the grey wings and purple eyes.
She raised the staff and back handed Li across the face. He was sent to the floor. Blood came from his nose where the staff had struck.
Sakura smiled and approached him. "I'm here to get you back for what you did to me!" Her staff came down again. This time it was a blow to the head. Li felt pain rip through him before blackness consumed his vision.
When Li awoke he was in a holding cell. He also found he was chained to the wall. A million questions went through his mind at once. Was that really Sakura that he saw? Where had she been all this time? Why was she wearing those clothes? And why in the world would she attack him?!!
Li thought for hours, but couldn't find any logical explanation for any of it. It didn't make any sense. Whoever this was, it wasn't Sakura. At least not the Sakura he knew and loved deeply.
Li had to get out of here and think of a way to save Sakura. He yanked on the chains, but they wouldn't break.
"If you're trying to escape, don't" He heard a voice. He looked up and saw a figure approach him. It wasn't Sakura. No. This was someone else. Someone he remembered somehow. Someone...
"You!!!!" He cried as the realization hit him. It was the man who had first kidnapped Sakura seven years ago. "What have you done with Sakura!!!" He demanded.
The man laughed. "I did little to her. It was you who did most of the work. And I have come here to thank you." The man got closer.
"What?" Li asked.
"Oh yes. You see. Warping her mind like now was easy because of her sadness towards you." He explained. "When I first brought her here, she was very fiesty and strong. She believed you would come and save her. She waited about two years before knowing that her prince in shining armor wasn't coming for her."
Li shook his head in disbelief. "No." He whispered.
"After she gave up hope, all I had to do was turn her sorrow into a thirst for revenge. She's become a nice little queen for me. And that is why I want to thank you. Without you, none of this would have been possible.
"No!!!" Li yelled.
The figure laughed. "Admit it! You failed her and she surcombed to me because of it!"
"No! That's not true!" Li replied. "Just who are and what have you done with my Sakura!" He asked.
The man shrugged. "I guess it couldn't hurt. I am Brilan. And this..." He gestured to the door. Entered was Sakura. Still wearing the same outfit as before. She walked in and took Brilan's hand. He kissed it and turned to face Li. "...is my queen." Sakura smiled. She turned to Brilan and they kissed.
Li felt his heart ripped out of his chest. "NOOOOO!!!!" He screamed and yanked on the chains. Then he felt something. A tear. A tear had fallen down his face for the first time in seven years.
The two broke the kiss and Sakura started laughing. "This si all your fault, Li!" She said. "You weren't there for me like you said you would be. So now..." She caressed Brilan's chest. "....I've found someone else."
Li shook his head. "No." He whispered.
"Oh yes! He took me in after you left me! He was there for me when you weren't!" She appraoched him. "He loves me and I love him."
The last three words pushed Li over the edge. He cast a spell that gave him more strength and broke the chains. He stared Sakura right in the eyes. He saw they were black, not their usual emerald green. "Sakura you have to listen to me. I never left you. I never stopped loving you." He pointed towards Brilan. "He! He was the one who took you away from me." He said.
Sakura laughed. She turned to Brilan. "Shall I?" Brilan nodded. Without turning SAkura backhanded Li in the face. Li went flewing into the wall. He lloked back at her, but did not attack. "You expect me to believe your lies after what you did!" She accused. "How dare you!"
Li couldn't take much more. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't convince her alone. He needed the others. He had to get away.
Li used a spell and light filled the room. Sakura screeched and cringed back at the light, along with Brilan. Li made a dash for the door.
"No!" He heard Sakura yell. Li rounded the corner and saw lightning bolts hit the psot where he just was. He kept running until he exited the dungeon and outside. He ran out of the castle and found himself back on the beach.
What he relized made him go into temporary shock. Brilan hadn't taken Sakura anywhere. He had simply taken her to his castle, but no one knew it was there. Not even Li. Those words Brilan had spoken mustv'e been what opened the portal to get into the castle.
"You wil not escape me little wolf!" Li heard Sakura's voice behind him. He ran. He ran away. He had to make a plan to get Sakura back. He failed her once, but he would not do it again.
As Li left the beach, he heard Sakura's laughter in the back, which was soon joined by Brilan's. Li kept running. But he would return. And Sakura will be saved.