Chapter
Nine:
Syaoran was tired. It was a bad day
to be attempting this but nothing was going to stop him. Nothing. He
looked over his shoulder to see Eriol behind him. A support. One he never would
have expected in the days long passed. Yue and Keroberos also stood behind him,
Keroberos looking ready for the end of the world and Yue emanating a calmness
he wished he felt. Nakuru and Spinel Sun also stood behind him, surrounding
Eriol and it was something that Syaoran hadn't been expecting. Of course, as
Guardians they would be coming along for the ride. His own were. But now, maybe
with the number of people on his side, this might just happen.
Tomoyo stood off to the side with
Meilin, both of them with worried looks on their faces. Syaoran glanced at them
as he pulled out the Time Card and Tomoyo's eyes strayed towards Eriol who had
his eyes averted before him. Her expression saddened when he didn't meet her
gaze. Because she knew he felt her looking at him.
Meilin gazed at Syaoran and she
nodded, a small smile on her face. "Bring her home."
Syaoran stared at her, a shiver
running through him.
I love you. For always
understanding that I could never be in love with you. And for not letting it
affect you. For not blaming me. And for loving me throughout all of it.
He nodded back, slowly, and then
turned his attention forward, lifting the Time Card up.
"Time Card. I call on your strength
as Master of the Cards. Open before me and take us to the point in time when
Sakura was lost to me." He said in a firm voice, speaking loudly. He slowly
pulled his hand away, staring at the Card as it floated where he had left it.
And with his other hand he called on the Key of Clow, fingers fanning open
above his head.
A heavy atmosphere surrounded the
Time Card, radiating soft waves of energy. And above him bright light flashed,
streaking across the room. He looked up, hair flying from the power that
suddenly filled the room and he narrowed his eyes, reaching into that light. A
long object appeared in the brilliance, stretching out, and noise rang out
resembling the unsheathing of a sword. His fingers wrapped around the hilt of
his Sword and he took firm hold of it, bringing it down before him.
"Time Card!"
He lifted his blade above his head
and stabbed downward, tip of his blade coming within centimeters of the Card. And
the gentle waves surrounding the Card suddenly exploded outward, heat blasting
him in the face. He felt his robes blow, hair shoved away from his face. The
Time Card throbbed, emitting more pulses and its face shimmered like light
reflecting off its surface. A moment later it spun, twirled once, and light
broke, slowly forming a small oval.
Something opened up in that oval of
light, a rip in Time. Syaoran squinted through the powerful winds that
threatened to blind him and he frowned when he made out a night sky, with stars
shining above. He thought he saw a balcony and someone standing on it but he
couldn't be sure. All he knew was that this was not where Sakura died.
He closed his eyes and pictured the
room where they had originally faced the Mage. The debris on the floor. The
symbols on the ceiling over his head. The tile of the floor, the moon and the
star design etched into its surface. And Sakura's face, terrified as Windy took
hold of her.
Take me there…
The rip shifted, scene changing and
whirling as he opened his eyes. Night brightened into artificial light, the
candles of the room. Power was palpable as the landscape settled and he became
aware of figures, battling, green robes flowing, black cloak flying. Syaoran
clenched his jaw and looked over his shoulder. "C'mon!"
They pushed him on, the Guardians
lifting off the floor. Eriol already had his Staff in hand, face firm.
"Eriol!" Tomoyo cried, taking a step
but Meilin restrained her, long hair flying around her face. She looked at
Syaoran and smiled again, a wide grin.
"Bring her back!" she shouted,
embracing Tomoyo.
Eriol glanced over finally, dark
eyes mournful. And Tomoyo gazed at him, hopeful. "Come back." She called to him
and he knew she meant for him to return after they had Sakura-chan, after they
had set things right. He nodded to her, a gentle smile on his face.
"Only for you."
Syaoran turned to face the rip and
lunged forward, sword in hand.
It felt strange. Like something
pulled at him but from all directions. Small hands or tentacles. He fought
them, turned his eyes from the light that blinded him and he focused on the
other side of the rip, aware of the presence of his friends behind him. If he
led they would follow, he knew it. But he didn't think he had enough strength to
make it to the other side, to make it through.
Yue was at his side suddenly and he
looked at him through narrowed eyes. The Judge held out his hand, expression
blank and Syaoran found himself reaching out to take it, holding on for dear
life. Yue nodded and then his wings carried him forward, dragging Syaoran
behind. Syaoran looked over his shoulder to see Eriol, black robes flowing
around his lean frame, Nakuru and Spinel Sun surrounding him like a shield,
Keroberos leading.
Then Yue was passing through, from
darkness into light and the wind vanished as he fell out behind him,
staggering. The rest of the group came through, light flashing once.
Syaoran lifted his head, frame
heaving and the Time Card came to float before him, hovering in mid-air. He looked
at it, reaching upward to claim it. And his eyes fell on the scene, taking in
all.
Three people stared at him. A
dark-robed Mage, hands out, fingers splayed before him. A younger version of
himself, brown eyes wide in complete and utter disbelief, sword at the ready.
And a small girl, only a few years
younger than he was now, with big green eyes and short red hair. He stared at
her for a moment, breath simply ripped from him. She stared right back, lips
parted and then she looked from the boy protecting her in front to his older
self, surrounded on either side by Eriol and the Guardians.
"Syaoran?" he heard her
whisper.
The Mage recoiled, backing away from
them all. Syaoran snapped his head to glare at him, eyes narrowing. The Mage
was going to escape, he felt it. He was overcome with too much power and he was
going to flee.
With a curse Syaoran swiped at the
Time Card and pulled forth another, stabbing down furiously. "Lock!"
The Mage turned, flinging his arm at
the wall several feet behind him and a white portal opened, light streaking
around its rim. He took a step, black robes floating.
No, he was not going to lose
him now. Not now.
Mist broke from the Card, filling
the room and as the Mage made it to the portal, a yellow-green light flashed,
settling faintly. The Mage lunged, ducking his head and flinging himself toward
the light that was his exit and his body suddenly collided with an invisible
wall, figure falling away to crash to the floor.
Syaoran almost let a smile come to
his face, a perfectly elated smile.
The Mage rose onto his side, lifting
a hand to the invisible power of Lock. His hand connected with it, sparks
sizzling at the touch and angrily he banged at the field, as if trying to break
it down. On the other side his portal gleamed invitingly, still holding open.
Syaoran came forth, robes flowing
around his frame, eyes set on the Mage. He would look at Sakura later, once he
knew she was safe. Now he was going to finish this, for good.
The Mage rose to his feet and
whirled to face him, hunched over like a trapped animal. Syaoran glared back,
sword in hand. "I remember you." He uttered quietly, eyes glinting like pieces
of ice. "I remember the day you destroyed my life, right here in this very
room. The day I died inside." He shook his head slowly, glaring coldly. "I'm
not going to let it happen again."
Eriol came forth from behind him,
floating over toward Sakura and the younger version of the Card Master.
"Sakura-san." He said quietly and he knelt, reaching out to touch her face. She
stared back, clutching her arm, green eyes wide.
"Eriol-kun?"
He nodded, smiling sweetly. "We all
missed you." He said softly.
"Hoee?"
The Mage suddenly lifted a hand,
gesturing. Syaoran stiffened, ready for whatever he had to throw at him but he
whirled when Sakura shrieked from behind, bright light streaking outward.
A small glowing disc of power was
opening up before Sakura's chest, twirling, forks of lightning seizing her. She
hunched over, embracing herself with one hand and she gasped, breathing
hoarsely, "He's…trying to take something! I feel…I feel-"
Syaoran whirled back around,
reaching into his robes as Eriol pulled the younger Syaoran forth, into a
circle. He lifted his Staff and then slammed it down, the tip striking the
floor. Black light exploded from the top of the Staff, bursting from the
ornament. And a simple shield was erected, flinging away the disc from Sakura's
body. She exhaled in a whoosh, falling against Eriol heavily and she blinked,
wide-eyed. "He was trying to take my Cards! He was trying-" she said rapidly,
in disbelief. "And he was going to do it, Eriol-kun! He had them!"
Syaoran stabbed downward with his
Sword, hair flying from the burst of power. "Arrow!"
Sakura raised her head, looking all
about. "What's going on?" she demanded, clutching at first Eriol and then the
younger Syaoran before her, knuckles turning white. "What's going on?
How does he have the Cards?!"
The Mage turned once more, lashing
out at the Lock with pure bolts of magic. His movements were frantic, were
becoming all the more so as Lock seemed to swallow up all his power. He threw
himself at it, trying to bash it down but he connected with a wall, pausing
after several tries to hunch wearily.
The Arrow Card came to float down
before Syaoran, an arrow pulled back in her bow. Syaoran looked on, jaw set
grimly. The Arrow Card let the arrow fly, hair lifting with the powerful
gesture and the Mage turned to them, frame backing into the wall.
The arrow split into three, lit with
a blue glow and two of them struck the wall surrounding his frame on both
sides. The third hit home, piercing the Mage through the stomach and flinging
him backward once more against Lock's wall.
Something coursed through them, all
of them. A strange feeling of emptiness. Of non-existence. Syaoran frowned,
blinked as Arrow wavered but a moment later the feeling was gone and the Card
had another arrow waiting his command. He settled her hand, winding around her
to float toward the Mage who had slumped to the floor, chest heaving for a
breath.
"Careful, Xiao Lang!" Eriol called
to him from beneath his shield.
Sakura looked from Eriol to the
older version of Syaoran. "That is Syaoran, then? But…" she looked at
Eriol once more, "How is that possible? How does he have the Cards? Are they his?"
Syaoran paused before the Mage,
looking down at him. The man slowly raised his head, hand soiled from his own
blood and wrapped around the glowing arrow in his stomach. He caught sight of
Syaoran and instantly began to flail, scampering to get away.
"No. No more." Syaoran growled and
he reached down, taking hold of the Mage's figure and lifting him, shoving him
against Lock's magic. His hand took hold of the hood of the cloak and he ripped
it down, away from the Mage.
To find himself reflected in
Kinomoto Sakura's furious green eyes.