"What The Cards Were For"

A Card Captor Fanfiction

By: Bekah-chan

Rated: PG (for

tense stuff)



Disclaimer: I don't now, have never, and will never own Card Captors. *sigh*



Chapter 27:

Running (Out Of Time):

As they ran hand-in-hand through the fog, Syaoran noticed that it (the fog) wasn't getting any thinner. So the reason the fog was there couldn't be, as he had first thought, because of her 'clouded' state of mind. That should have cleared up by now. He came to the conclusion that the fog must be a permanent part of the landscape. Sakura and the color pink, *shrug* go figure. 2:39

They had been running for a good two minutes, and Syaoran felt that they were getting close to the 'exit'. He had almost begun to hope that they would both get out of this alive, when something stopped them in their tracks (literally), they smacked into it with all momentum, and bounced back a few feet. On closer examination, after his ears stopped ringing, Syaoran decided is was definitely an: Invisible-Barrier-Of-Unknown-Origin. He hated those. 2:22

~What now?~ Sakura asked.

~I'm not sure. It's your head, you have any ideas?~

~No~ *sigh*

~Well, let's see if I can sense anything from it, Okay?~

~Go ahead~ it gave Syaoran a warm fuzzy feeling to know that Sakura trusted him doing magic *in* her head. 2:15

Syaoran let go of Sakura's hand, which he really didn't want to do, and placed both of his hands on the barrier. It was smooth, like glass, and see-through. He closed his eyes and sent a little of his aura out through his fingers, and into the wall. What he found was... Unexpected. 2:00

Sakura's mind, much to Syaoran's surprise, was compartmentalized (metaphorically). He had never seen, or heard of, anything like this. Most of it was normal, like the language-center, the sensory and nerve network, and her long and short term memories. But all the things that had to do with magic, like her magic power, knowledge, and now the Cards, were in a different place, the place they were standing right now. Also there was her 'soul' or 'self', which couldn't be separated from her magic, all within a glass-like bubble. Her thoughts could pass back and forth like the barrier didn't exist, that was how the memory-Sakuras must have gotten there. They would have gravitated toward this place because it was where Sakura's true self resided. The Sakura beside him (who represented her true self) could no doubt pass through it as well (she, most likely, hadn't been able to before because he was holding her hand) but Syaoran couldn't get through, neither could her magic, or the Cards.

The barrier almost seemed like it had been *constructed* and not by Sakura. And when Syaoran looked a little deeper, he saw why. Kero had told him that Sakura had drained her magic trying to save him. If this was so, it was a wonder Japan still existed, rather then being blown to itty bitty particles by the power Sakura could wield. He decided (in a vaguely shocked kind of way) that it was because she had used Thunder, the electricity had probably dispersed into the ground or the sky. They were all lucky that she hadn't used the Fiery. The barrier had obviously been placed there to protect Sakura, and others, from her power until she learned how to use it. Syaoran didn't even want to think about *where* all that magic was coming from, she had been drained and already her 'power reservoir' was half-way full again.

But none of this was helping him figure out how they could leave. Sure, Sakura could waltz through the 'glass' wall any time she wanted, but he sensed that it wouldn't let him through. Ever. He could imagine how hard it was for Sakura to do any magic at all, she would have to punch a hole in the 'glass', every time, big enough to get only a minuscule amount of energy. And he would bet that the barrier could heal itself pretty quickly. He couldn't fathom the force of will it must have taken her to open a conduit large enough that it could possibly drain her power. Or what it would have felt like to have all the Cards burst through the 'glass'.

Syaoran was different because, as a soul, he was more 'solid' then her magic, he didn't think she could open a hole big enough to let him through. He didn't belong here, was surprised that he had gotten here in the first place, and couldn't see a way to leave without breaking the barrier. And he couldn't risk what that might do to Sakura. He was stuck.



Sakura:

1:50

Syaoran had been examining the barrier for quite awhile. Sakura had nothing to do but admire how his Li Clan ceremonial robes fit. Hey! Wait a minute! Hadn't they cut off the top of that outfit, so they could fix his back? Sakura realized that it must be how Syaoran saw himself. She thought it was kind of cute that his *mental image* wore his Card Captor outfit. ^_^ And she was glad he had stopped wearing the hat, that went with the outfit, a few years before. His hair was so *gorgeous*, she had always been sad when he covered it.

When Syaoran stirred and stepped away from the barrier, Sakura was a little startled (she had been watching the way the pink light caught the highlights in his mahogany locks *giggle*). He turned around and Sakura was dismayed by the haunted look she found on his face.

~Syaoran? What is it?~

~I can't leave~ he answered her.

~But, you have to! Windy said you would *die*.~

~This barrier~ he gestured behind him ~was put here to safely hold your magic power until you learned to control it.~

~Put here by who?~

~I don't know, and it doesn't really matter now. It wont let me through.~

~Well, how does my magic get through?~

~You must punch a temporary hole long enough to get magic out.~

~Can't we get you through that way?~

~No, you couldn't make a hole big enough, or hold it open long enough.~

~Alright~

~Alright?~ Sakura was *okay* with this??!!

~Alright, we'll just have to break it then.~

1:20

To Be Continued ^_^