I'll Be Missing You

        Silenced Whispers

         By Ukyou

          Author's Note: Sakura and Syaoran are about 20 in this story, so bear with me.

         ~begin

            _________

         |Introduction|

          Are there boundaries for love?

         Could there be rules? Walls?

         Or does love flow, like a river,

         Past the obstructions of our everyday lives…?

         

         ---

         "There it is!" Li yelled, "it's the 'Warp card!"

         I grabbed my wand, as Syaoran, age 20, ran over to it with his sword. The Warp also has a long, broad sword which glittered with the sun's light. Syaoran gave out a yell, as he slashed upwards towards the card. The card backed away, its very eyes tracing all of Syaoran's moves. Syaoran spun his sword around, as I quickly conjured the Firey card.

         With one blast of heat, Syaoran's sword blade lit into flames. Syaoran continued spinning the sword, his face sweating from the high heat.

          'Alright you…' Syaoran said, as Syaoran shot his sword towards the warp card. The warp card merely vanished into a puff of smoke, as I tried to shoot at it with the firey card. With no prevail, the warp card flicked the firey blast away, setting a small tree on fire.

          Syaoran grabbed a deckful of his elemental cards, as the ground raged with fire. He threw them in all directions, each leaving behind a smokey trail as it travelled in the air. As each hit the surroundings, the area around us caught on fire, preventing the warp card from escaping.

           Li went to attack the Warp card again, as the Warp started moving its arms in a wave-like motion. I saw Li stop moving, as he dropped his sword.

           'Li!' I yelled, as he closed his eyes and floated in the air. Somehow…the Warp card had been able to render Li unconscience….

           As Syaoran fell down, I grabbed his blazing sword, and held it in front of me. I could only hope that Li's sword lessons were of good use to me right now.

            The Warp card gave me a mocking smile, as I ran over to him. I could literally smell its devious laugh…the fire inside of it that was blazing because of his overconfidence.

            He hurt Li…He will die.

            I slashed at him, as he held his sword up, blocking my attack. I gave him another strike, and another, as my final one split his sword in half. He fell down, as I held the sword in front of its face.

             'Clow Card…you have already caused enough damage…' I said, as it started to laugh. It started as a small laugh…but then it laughed furiously…as if I had said something amusing. It was starting to piss me off…        

             Then, the Warp card also started to wave its hands in front of me, as I could see time and space distorting somehow. It seemed like…his hands…were…..creating…waves of….time…

             And I fell down, unconscience.

             ---

           Chapter One – Snowy Wasteland

           Four Hours Later

           An unknown land

             ---

           I woke up to the sound of a crackling fire, as I opened my eyes. The sky was cloudy, and snow was snowing. As it hit my face, I could feel the bitter cold of it all stinging my face. Still, the fire nearby, of which I could hear, melted the snow away from my face, making it soaking wet.

           I blinked and sat up, seeing that it was snowing all around me. What had happened…? Where was the Warp card…? Where was Li…? Where…was I…?

           I could hear footsteps, as I quickly turned around. I saw Li, freezing and shivering, walking back with a large animal in his hands. It was dead.

           'Li…where are we…?' I asked, as he seemed to not pay attention to me. He merely shivered and started skinning the animal to eat.

           'The…warp card…brought us here…' he replied, as I started to shiver also.

           

            After a few minutes by the fire, Li seemed to come back to his senses. I could tell from the look in his eyes…they weren't icy any more. Instead, they were the usual eyes…the ones burning with a fire…a fire on intensity.

            "There is a large city nearby…" Li told me, as he handed me some meat. "We should head to it as soon as possible…"

            I nodded, as I ate the meat, not knowing what animal it could have been. Still, it was good to eat something…my belly was as hungry as ever.

            "How far away…is this city" I asked, as he merely shrugged.

            "I can see only the shadows…but when it stops snowing, we can try and get there…at least we won't have to freeze if we go there.

            

            "Syaoran…could we be in Hokkaido…?" I asked him, as he shrugged.

            "Sakura…for all I know…we could possibly be on a lost continent…" he replied, as the snow came down harder. I took out my Clow Wand and summoned the shield card to protect us from the storms. With the bluish globe around us, we were completely protected from the snow. I took a breath, as I went to sleep.

                 ---

           Chapter Two – The City of Ice - Agail

           Four Hours Later

           An unknown land

             ---

           Syaoran and I set foot the next morning, while it was still snowing. Even with the snow falling, I could make out a shadow of a city in the background of it all. I held on, the shield card protecting us, as we continued our journey towards the city.

            The shadow grew larger and larger as we both pressed on to reach it. Soon…very soon…we will reach the city…

            I could hear engines roaring suddenly, as I looked up. Above me was a beautiful airship of some sort, flying towards the city ahead of us. It stopped and landed, as the people inside looked at us. A man in a fur coat ran out of the airship and gave us coats as well. To my surprise, he spoke japanese, and he told us to enter the airship. I looked back at Syaoran, who nodded. I let the shield card take a rest, and walked into the giant airship.

            The inside of the airship was intricate and fancy, as if first class. However, as I walked about, I could see that there were no 2nd or 3rd class sections at all. Everyone, regardless of their social class…was being degrated or mistreated. Instead, everyone was treated as if they were humans…and that made me feel comfortable. Syaoran and I took a seat near the back of the airship, giving us a clear view of the snowy wasteland underneath us. The airship lifted, as I could feel the massive engines shaking. An intense surge of heat filled the room, as it made me feel much, much better.

             The men on the ship brought us some tea, as I poured myself a cup. Syaoran was never a fan of tea at all…so he merely put his hand up for a glass of water. I smiled at him…he was so picky sometimes.

             "Syaoran…we may not know where we are…but I have never seen a ship like this in my entire life…" I told him, as he took the glass of water and literally gurged it down his throat.

             "We need to find a way back to Japan…" Syaoran told me in his 'intellectual voice'. I liked calling it that voice. It always made him seem so much smarter than that small brain of his could possibly provide.

             "Perhaps…we can find out some information from this city we are going to…?" I asked, as he looked out the window, looking at the white mountains in the distance.

      

             "Yeah…maybe…" he replied, as he put his hand up against the window.

             I put my hand across the table, holding his. "Koibito…we will find our way back…we will…"

             He turned his head to me, and gave me a strange unsure look.

             '…and what if we don't…?'

               

               ---

            'Arriving at Agail Airship Pad' a voice said from overhead. I opened my eyes and shook my head. I had fallen asleep.

              Looking out the window next to me, I could see a huge domed city that glittered below us. It was made of a clear light blue material…which I could have mistaken for glass. Instead…something in my mind told me that it was different. It was something else…

               …it was…made completely of ice…

               I shook Syaoran to make him look out the window, but upon looking out the window, he started to freak out. He had never been so high before…and he was afraid of heights. Still, it seemed like the majestic feeling of the city of Agail below us calmed him, as his eyes glittered, much like the dome of the city itself.

                The ship seemed to spiral down towards the top of the city, of in which were two huge iron doors, which seemed to open slightly as we descended slowly towards Agail.

                Syaoran and I continued looking down, for the sight facinated us. How could they make a city of ice like this…? Or…does this snow…just never stop…?

                As we passed through the double iron doors, a smooth 'ding' went off in the airship, as the doors automatically opened. Syaoran and I walked out, as we were amazed with what we saw outside of the airship.

                There were huge machines of some sort generating steam, as it helped keep it warm. Around us however, were huge white buildings, each rising almost as high as the glass dome, which to me, seemed as high as the sky itself.

                 Li looked at me, as we both walked down the street. On each side, vegetation grew like a tropical rainforest. It was so warm inside Agail…and it must have been extremly cold in order to keep that ice dome ice. Then, suddenly, as we walked down the street, a single figure caught my eye. I ran to her, as she crawled on the ground, looking nearly dead. Li tried the best he could to heal her with his clow cards, and it seemed to work. Still…she wouldn't answer any of my questions.

                  The girl faded away in my arms as I tried to speak with her. Li took her, as we went around for a doctor. My heart was pounding…

          

                   I wouldn't let her die in Li's arms…I wouldn't…

                  As we finally reached the hospital, a woman answered the door and examined the girl in Li's arms. Then, as if she were supposed to, she pulled up the girl's sleeve to reveal a small tattoo.

                   "You dare come to this hospital and give me a level 1 citizen? This is a public hospital, not one for the putrid energy freaks that power this city!" she yelled at me, as she slammed the door in my face.

                   "Li…what the hell was all that for…? We can't let her die…" I told him, as a tear dripped down my face.

                    I put the girl into my arms and ran from door to door, hoping for someone who would help her. No one offered to help the poor girl at all…as she faded away in my arms.

                    ---

                     I stood alone, Li running after me, as the girl in my arms stopped breathing. I put her on the ground to struggle to keep her alive…but it was all futile. I tried and screamed for her to come back, as Li came over to me and held me back.

                     "Sakura! Its not your fault that she died! Its not your fault! She's gone, Sakura!" he told me, as he held me back. I struggled against him, as suddenly…the girl's body started to glow.

                      I backed off completely, as the small girl's body withered away into…a …a…

                      …the small girl turned into a clow card…

                      "Sakura…what is this thing…?" Syaoran asked me, as my hands shook like mad. I felt like I was in a horrible nightmare.

                      "Syaoran…I have no idea…" I told him, as I wwent to examine the card.

                      Imprinted on the card was a picture of a girl and a boy, chained to a wall and holding hammers. On their faces was a look of despair and one of emptiness…

                       …the card read…"The Slave"…

               ~to be continued