Last Time: Sakura successfully restored the Darkness Crystal, but quickly found herself in a brief battle with the Brotherhood of Mutants. After using Time and Erase, Sakura used Illusion to send the Brotherhood a false message and send them home. The hunt is halfway over…and that gets Sakura thinking.


Hunt For the Crystals: Episode 9


Sakura didn't do this often. Night had fallen and she was very tired. In the span of one day she had gone after two Crystal Beasts, saved her friends from a dangerous octopus man from the United States, and thwarted four mutants bent on taking the crystals for themselves. Any other day, Sakura would have been fast asleep. But not tonight. Sakura had a lot of thinking to do.

Sakura was sitting on a lone tree branch outside her house. She didn't bother to change out of her pajamas, because she thought she might wake up Lita…or even worse, Kero. So she sat up on the tree branch on what was a hot summer night and started to reflect.

She held in her hands the Thunder Crystal and the Strength Crystal. Sakura still trusted Madison to hang on to the Speed Crystal and she gave the Darkness Crystal to Li. Yes, they were halfway done. This quest was halfway over.

"Sakura?"

Sakura looked down to see Lita standing on the ground below. "Lita? I'm sorry. I didn't wake you up, did I?"

Lita shook her head. "No…I just couldn't sleep…and I noticed you weren't in bed…then I looked out the window and saw you up here."

Sakura sighed. "Well…actually…I'm kinda glad you're out here. I really need someone to talk to…and I can't talk to Kero or any of my other friends about this."

Lita climbed up the tree and sat right next to Sakura. "Is something wrong, Sakura?"

Sakura paused. She wanted to begin this just right. "Lita…did you ever have a choice? Did you ever actually CHOOSE to become a Sailor Scout?"

Lita blinked. "Um…choose?"

"Yeah. I know you've liked it and everything, but did you actually have a choice in the matter?"

Lita hesitated briefly. "Uh…it just sort of happened. I never actually chose to become a Sailor Scout. Why do you ask?"

Sakura closed her eyes as she clenched the two crystals in her hands. "None of this was ever supposed to happen. Eight years ago, I was just supposed to be a normal ten-year old girl. I was just coming home from cheerleading practice that day. I never expected to find a magical book and I never expected to be the one to open it.

"Since that day…it was always my responsibility to make sure the cards didn't cause any damage and I've had to use the cards to help save the world. I was the one who had to seal all the cards and protect my friends. I almost got them killed a lot of times. But Lita…I never asked for that responsibility. I never asked to be the Sakura Card Mistress. And no one ever asked ME. It just…happened. I suddenly became an ordinary girl…with an extraordinary destiny.

"But I hate what my destiny's done to me. I can't count how many times I've put my friends and family in danger since it all started. Like the time one of the cards led my brother down a cliff, or like the time my best friend almost lost her voice, or like the time I almost lost everything…at the Final Judgment. I never had any say in the matter. It was always my destiny…and I thought it was all over. But in these last few years, so much more has happened…and I've always been the one to come to rescue.

"I never wanted any of that, Lita! I just wanted to be a normal girl! Do you have any idea what girls my age have to worry about? Friends, family, what to do on Friday night, boys, getting a makeover, taking a vacation, HAVING FUN! But me? I can't think about that…because in the back of my mind…I'll always have to think about my magic…and if the world's in danger, then it's always up to me. I don't want to think about magic anymore! I just want to have a normal life! It's not fair!"

Sakura squeezed the crystals a little tighter out of frustration. It made her feel a little better to get this all off her chest. It was a heavy burden to have to carry around all that angst.

"I…can relate," Lita said. "You don't know how hard it was to adjust to having a double life. I can't tell you how many relationships have been threatened and how many have fallen apart because I've had to live up to my responsibility as Sailor Jupiter. I can honestly relate to what you're saying. And while I wouldn't change my life…I can understand why you might want to change yours. But I don't know what to tell you, Sakura. We can't change our destiny. We just have to accept it."

Sakura finally opened her eyes and turned her head to face Lita. "What if there IS a way to change destiny?"

"What do you mean?" Lita asked incredulously.

Sakura's emerald eyes filled with hope. "Lita…the crystals…we're halfway through. And when we get them all…I'd get one wish. What if…I wished…that none of this ever happened?"

Lita gasped. "Sakura…do you realize what you're saying?"

Sakura nodded. "I know exactly what I'm saying. When we get the eight crystals and I put them back together…I'm going to wish I never found the Clow Book."

"B-But Sakura…have you thought of what might happen?"

"It means I'll get a second chance," Sakura answered. "I'll get a second chance to live my life the way I should have been living it. I can live the life of a normal person. I won't have to worry about magic or cards or anything."

"But what would your friends say?" Lita pointed out.

"I…don't know what to tell them. They might try and get me to change my mind. But I've made my decision. I don't want to do this anymore. I just want to be normal."

Lita frowned. "I hope you know what you're doing…because I don't have a good feeling about what you're going to do."

"I'm kinda scared, too," Sakura agreed. "But it's something that I want to do. I want to be in control of my destiny…for once."

Those were powerful words: for once. Lita realized it and didn't say anything else. Sakura was glad, because she was hoping Lita would just listen. If she had talked to anyone else, they might have tried to change her mind. But Sakura Avalon made up her mind. This would be her final quest. And when it was all over…it would be time to start over.

Lita started to climb down, but looked up once more. "Are you even going to tell any of your friends?"

"I don't know," Sakura replied. "Maybe I will…eventually."

Lita didn't look satisfied with that answer, but she didn't say anything else. She climbed down and started to make her way back inside. Sakura stayed out in that tree branch alone…thinking of her latest decision…a decision that would impact her life in ways that she couldn't possibly imagine.


~--------------------~


Li Shoran woke up early the next morning. This was the one thing he didn't like about living in Madison's guesthouse. Ever since Meilin went back to Hong Kong to help take care of his ailing mother, Li found himself waking up alone. Madison was far off in the distance in her room and her mother was away on business. So Li often found himself climbing onto the roof of the guesthouse and this day was no different.

As far as he could tell, everything was going just fine. Sakura had become much stronger and had overcome any obstacles that got in her way. Not only had she faced off with four Crystal Beasts, but she also faced other impromptu challenges. She was so strong. Li really admired that.

He was obviously daydreaming, because he didn't notice a hand tapping him on the shoulder. Li almost jumped, but instead he found himself slipping off the roof. If it wasn't for that hand that reached out for him, he might have fallen off. Li looked up to see Eriol.

"Don't…DO THAT!"

Eriol snickered. "Oh, dear descendent, after all we've been through, aren't I entitled to a little fun…at your expense?"

Li scowled. "No."

Eriol grinned. "You don't know how much I've needed to smile these last few days. I just wish this would all be over. You don't know how much I long to worry about simpler things."

"Like what?" Li asked.

Eriol sweatdropped. "Like Madison's birthday. It's on September 3rd and we're already halfway through August."

Li had nearly forgotten about his friend's birthday. In fact, she probably forgot about it herself. The whole hunt for the crystals had everyone distracted. Li was also itching for the end to come.

"Where is everyone?" Li asked. "Did you come alone?"

Eriol nodded. "Suppi said he had to catch up on his reading and get some rest after last night and Nakuru said she wanted to spend the day with Tori and Julian. So…it's just me."

Li smirked. "You do know that Madison's been sleeping in lately, right?"

"Really? That doesn't sound like her. Sounds more like Sakura."

Li frowned. "No…Sakura…hasn't been getting much sleep lately. She tells me she's been getting up really early."

"Oh…I don't like the sound of that. Something must be wrong."

"Yeah," Li agreed. "She never gets up early if she doesn't have to. I think something's bothering her. I just wish I knew what it was. Every time I ask her, she just changes the subject. It's like there's something she doesn't want to tell us."

"But what could it be?" Eriol asked. "Sakura's never kept any secrets from us."

Li didn't want to think about that. If Sakura was keeping a secret from him, then it had to be grim. What could she be keeping from him?


~--------------------~


Tori wasn't used to going out early in the morning, but that's what his new job required. Tori was lucky to find a job at the new restaurant in the promenade. He was getting a lot more experienced working as a waiter and he was sure that he wouldn't lose THIS job.

He got a call that there were already two customers. When Tori went out to the table outside, he was surprised to see Julian and Nakuru.

"What are you two doing here?" Tori asked.

Nakuru smiled dreamily. "We…just came to see how you were holding up. So how is it so far?"

"It's nothing too bad," Tori answered. "I'm a little surprised to see you two here, though."

"We found each other outside," Julian said cheerfully. "Isn't that a coincidence?"

"Yeah," Nakuru scowled. "Coincidence."

It was obvious that Nakuru didn't care much for Julian. She always had eyes for Tori, but he didn't exactly feel the same way. In fact, when Tori and Madison had their falling out, Nakuru tried hitting on him again. Tori couldn't believe that things were just like they used to be. That wasn't necessarily a good thing.

"So what can I get you?" Tori asked.

Nakuru grinned. "For me, a glass of water. For Julian…the entire left side of the menu."

"That's it?" Tori chuckled. "Are you on a diet today, Julian?"

"Just for today," Julian replied.

Tori took the two orders and turned around to walk back inside. But that's when he felt a fierce gust of wind. In fact…it was too fierce. The tables were starting to blow over and people were falling over. Then Tori looked up at the sky to see what looked like a large white eagle with a crystal imprinted on its chest. It flew across and landed on the street, screeching loudly and flapping its wings to create tremendous winds.

Tori wanted to go over to his friends, but that wasn't a problem. The huge winds blew his two friends over to him. The three of them then held their place by hanging on to a pole.

"What is that?" Tori asked.

"It's got a crystal on its chest," Nakuru replied. "Eriol told me about these. It's…a long story." Then she looked at Julian. "You know what we have to do, right?"

"What do you mean?" Julian asked curiously.

Nakuru tried to get to her feet, but it wasn't easy with the fierce winds. "You have to bring out your better half."

Julian wasn't sure about that idea. He looked at Tori, seemingly looking for an answer one way or another. Tori nodded. He knew that this was Julian's responsibility and that this situation called for Yue. All they needed, though, was a place to bring him out.

Tori suddenly spied an empty alley. "Over there!" Then he got an idea. "I'll distract it!"

Before his friends could protest, Tori rolled towards a metal trash can. He grabbed the trash can and tossed it towards the Eagle. The Eagle got conked on the head and didn't like the contact of metal on its cranium. It turned towards Tori and started stalking him. That gave Julian and Nakuru the opening they needed to run into the alley.

So Tori had done his job. But with the Eagle coming towards him, he couldn't help but think that this may not have been as much a distraction as it was a sacrifice.


~--------------------~


Xander peered out from behind the alley and saw the Wind Eagle land. But it didn't take long for him to go back into hiding. He crawled behind a dumpster when he saw two Earth people running towards the same alley. He began to wonder if they spotted him.

But when Xander stuck his head out from behind the dumpster, he saw that he wasn't spotted. He also saw that the two Earth people were transforming. One of them, the man, transformed into a blue guardian with white wings and a staff. The other one, the woman, transformed into a guardian with big butterfly wings. It wasn't like anything Xander had ever seen. It appeared that these two were going to fight the Wind Eagle.

As they headed out of the alley, though, Xander could only think of one thing. Were they strong enough?


~--------------------~


Tori saw that help had arrived. It came in the forms of his friends' true forms: Yue and Ruby Moon. Just before the Eagle could strike, Yue and Ruby Moon flew and landed right in front of Tori. They weren't about to let anything happen to him.

The Eagle screeched again and took to the sky. Yue and Ruby Moon followed. Tori looked up to see what was sure to be an intense fight.

Ruby Moon and Yue were about to begin, but the Eagle screeched and unleashed a tornado. The tornado wrapped up Ruby Moon and Yue and send them spiraling in circles. The tornado sent the two guardians crashing into a pile of tables in front of the restaurant. The Eagle then followed up by creating another tornado that sent the tables flying into the air. The tables then fell…and landed on Yue and Ruby Moon.

Despite being fatigued from the Eagle's attacks, Yue tried to fight back. He shot his ice crystal shards, but he couldn't aim them in the right direction. None of the shards made contact. The Eagle then swooped down and tackled Yue, sending him back into a pile of chairs. The Eagle was ready to attack Yue again. It screeched and was about to unleash a huge blast of wind and it was sure to take the guardian down. So Tori did the only thing he could do.

"YUE!!"

Tori ran in front of Yue and took the brunt of the blow. The wind blast struck Tori…and sent him crashing through the restaurant window.

Yue gasped. "Tori!"

It was all Tori heard…before he lost consciousness.


~--------------------~


While it was true the fight wasn't going in the favor of Yue, at least Tori had not been harmed…until that moment. Now the Eagle had sent Tori flying through the window. Yue knew what had to happen now.

"Ruby Moon!" he called out. "Go get the Mistress! Get Sakura!"

"What about you?!" Ruby Moon shot back.

"I'll be fine!" Yue shouted. "Just go get Sakura! I'll keep this thing busy!"

Ruby Moon didn't want to leave Yue. But the cold glare that came from Yue indicated that she had no other choice. Ruby Moon reluctantly flew off to find Sakura, leaving Yue one-on-one with the Wind Eagle.

And that's the way Yue wanted it. This Wind Eagle hurt Tori and for that, Yue wanted to take it down. Now…the fight had become personal.


Next Time: Yue and the Wind Eagle fight one-on-one…at least until Ruby Moon finds Sakura. And speaking of Sakura, will she ever tell her friends what she wants to wish for? And how will they react if she does?


Any comments? Go ahead and tell me what you think of this by mailing me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and of course you can tell me what you think by reviewing below!