Li
could feel the soft billow of a breeze as he opened his eyes.
He was at the entrance of her gigantic forest, he could tell.
But how was he going to find the exit to this world?
The Unlimited had earlier warned him that he had
to go through five elements before he could escape from this world
that she created: fire, wood, water, earth and void. Could this
forest be the entrance to the place which held all of those elemental
things that she had been talking about?
He couldn't turn back now, he decided as he hesitantly
took a step forward. He had too much at stake to turn back now.
Besides, he couldn't disappoint Sakura-chan. He had, after all,
promised her that he would be careful when he was taking these
challenges.
There was a rustle as something jumped in front of
him through the trees. A flash later, it had gone, dashing back
into the heart of the forest that lay deep within. Li blinked,
rubbing his eyes to make sure that he hadn't seen wrong.
It was as if he saw The Dash. That's impossible,
he scolded himself with a frown. The Dash was a Sakura card now,
so it couldn't be here. Besides, why would it be here?
He smiled as he stepped into the vast forest that
stretched long before him. There was something in this place that
did give him the sense of challenge that he had always yearned
for.
It would be better, though, he thought, if Sakura-chan
was here
-------
Sakura could feel the tears that had began to stream
down her cheeks when the doorway that Li had entered through had
disappeared. Could Li actually come back safely? Or would he be
forever stranded in The Unlimited's created world?
"Iie, Li-kun," she whispered as she watched
a teardrop drop of the side of her face onto the cement floor
of the rooftop of Tomoeda Elementary School. "You have to
find the way out. You can't leave me now"
Tomoyo could sense her friend's sorrow as she held
her video camera away from her eye. "Sakura-chan, it's no
use crying. For now, we can only hope that he can find his way
out, ne?"
There was no reply from Sakura who was studying the
magic globe that Eriol had created to view Li. "You have
to be okay, Li-kun," she whispered as she closed her eyes.
"I know you'll be okay."
Eriol gave her a wry smile as he patted her shoulder
comfortingly. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan," he told her.
"I'm sure Li can withstand this challenge. He does have magical
powers, after all."
"You don't understand," she whispered as
she looked away. "If Li never comes back, I have no idea
what I'd do. I've been waiting for almost ten years for him to
come back to Tomoeda"
His eyes widened as he realized the true meaning
of her words. "Meaning that"
Tomoyo nodded, making him stop in mid sentence. This
had been the first time that he knew that Sakura liked Li too.
She had never shown any special emotion towards Li all this time,
unlike Li who blushed every single time he caught sight of her.
"Gomen, Sakura-chan," he apologized hoarsely
as he looked down. "I had no idea thatthis would happen.
Anyhow, I can't do anything. This test only can be taken by the
descendants of Clow Reed, and nobody else can take Li's place."
She nodded mutely as she gazed up at the stars. Li
had been staring at the stars before he entered the doorway, she
recalled as she wiped a tear away from her tear stained cheek.
Could they hold some hidden meaning that she didn't know of?
"Please," she begged softly to the stars
that twinkled above her. "If you are the ones that are going
to protect Li-kun, please take care of him. I don't think I can
stand it if I were to lose him"
-------
Meilin threw open the door that led to the roof of
Tomoeda Elementary School. She could feel something was going
to happen to her cousin, yet she didn't know what.
"Hang on, Li-kun," she muttered as she
climbed the flight of steps that led up to the roof. "Don't
do anything stupid, I tell you. I won't forgive you if you do'
Throwing open the door, she scanned for Li among
all the people who stood there at that moment. Li, however, was
not to be seen among all the people.
"Sakura-chan!" she gasped as she ran and
shook the other girl's by her shoulders. "Where is Li-kun?
Didn't he come with you to capture the two Clow cards? Where is
he now? Tell me, Sakura-chan!"
The brown haired girl was silent, but her tears that
ran down her cheek seemed to tell Meilin the entire story. "Did
the Clow cards do anything to him, Sakura-chan? Did they do anything
to Li-kun?"
Tomoyo lay a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder,
gently pulling her away from Sakura.
"Li's entered a totally different world from
ours, Meilin. He has to find the way out, for this world is a
creation of The Unlimited card. We can do nothing but hope that
he'll come out safe now."
Meilin sank down onto her knees as she closed her
eyes. Her cry that seemed to echo through the night seemed to
possess an eerie tone that seem to haunt the depths of the darkness
that night
"Iie!"
-------
Li could see the trees that seemed to branch out
in front of him as he walked into the forest. He had no idea how
to find the exit of this forest, or even what The Unlimited had
meant by the use of the five elements in this test.
There was another flash in front of him, and for
once, Li caught sight of The Jump that seemed to stare at him
before jumping off deeper into the forest. Racing to catch up
with the Sakura card, Li could feel himself losing his balance
as he made a wild grab at the former Clow card.
The Jump seemed to struggle in his grip as the both
of them tumbled down, but Li held fast. "Matte! Where's Sakura-chan?
What are you doing here?"
It stared up at him wonderingly, as if it had no
idea for what he was talking about when he slowly released it.
Jumping a considerable distance away from the cardcaptor, the
Sakura card studied Li suspiciously.
Li sighed as he sat down on a rock. He hadn't any
idea of how to find the exit of this place, yet he didn't want
to stay here. It was then that he felt something pulling the sleeve
of his cardcaptor uniform. Looking down, he saw The Jump.
It seemed to beckon him to follow it, by its pointing
and constant pulling. Sighing, Li stood up and began to run after
The Jump which was already jumping away between the trees.
Soon, he began to notice a thundering sound. The
Jump stopped in front of him, its ears twitching as it turned
around and beckoned Li once more. Nodding, Li followed its pace,
which had slowed down due to its attention to the thundering noise.
The Jump suddenly stopped in front, bringing Li to
a slow halt as he slowly stepped in front. Gasping, Li viewed
the natural scene that lay in front of his eyes at that moment.
A waterfall was crashing down onto a wide lake, causing
white mists to form at the bottom. Scooping up some water with
his hands, Li noticed for the first time how thirsty he was. Drinking
the clear, cool liquid seemed to be the only way to quench his
thirst.
It was then that he noticed something glittering
at the shallow end of the lake. Leaning forward, Li strained to
pick up the glittering object with his hands, just barely falling
in. Catching hold of the shining item, he pulled it out and sat
down on the sandy ground.
Wiping away the water that had accumulated on it
carefully, Li showed the object to The Jump which simply shook
its head as a sign to show that it had never seen it before. Bending
down, Li began to study it.
"A charm?"
The surprise in his voice didn't manage to lace his
disappointment as he set it down. How could a charm bring him
out of this world? It was useless, he reflected. A charm wasn't
going to help him any.
The Jump tugged on his lasin board that had fallen
out of his pocket. Turning his attention to The Jump, Li picked
up his lasin board and dusted it clean. His lasin board couldn't
help him now, as this entire place wasn't real and instead, created
by a Clow card.
Suddenly, a blue light shot out of his lasin board,
making him stumble back in surprise. Following the line, he blinked
as it led to the charm that he had put on the ground. Looking
back at his lasin board, he recognized the element as water.
But why would his lasin board show that this charm
had the water element and not the lake? Did this charm have some
type of magical powers that he hadn't paid attention to?
Holding it close, Li closed his eyes as he tried
to focus his attention on the charm. It was true; he could feel
some type of power being emitted by the charm, and as the lasin
board said, it had something to do with the water element.
Could this be what The Unlimited had meant by 'the
five elements'? Did he have to find five different elements from
five different places and find their charms? Could that bring
him to the exit?
The Jump seemed to nod at the question that he had
been pondering on. It seemed to smile at Li before suddenly jumping
and disappearing into the forest once more.
Li watched as the Sakura card slowly vanished from
sight as he smiled. "Arigato," he called, hoping halfheartedly
that it could at least hear him. Now, he had only four more charms
to collect before he could free himself from this world.
It was then that someone jumped out at him. This
man brandished a long sword which had some carvings on its handle.
His fiery red hair wasn't what that would surprise another; it
was his stunning blue eyes that caught Li by surprise.
"Let go of that charm. You have no right to
touch it."
Li looked down and held the small charm tighter in
his hand. "Iie," he replied bravely. "I found it.
It's mine now. Who are you?"
He sneered as he crouched into position, getting
ready for a battle with Li.
"I'm Korashiku Mizuno, the guardian of the water
charm. I'm supposed to protect the charm, and avoid people like
you from taking it," he retorted.
Li held fast to the charm in his hand. He wasn't
going to let the guardian of these charm stop him from returning
to the other world! "I'm not giving up this charm,"
he spoke, his voice dangerously quiet.
The man smiled, straightening up as he drew a sword
from his back. The sword held some carvings at its handle, and
Li was sure that this sword held the same powers as his: it had
the powers to unlock Clow cards and also to release power.
"Very well then. To own this charm, you'll have
to battle with me."
A contented smile crossed Li's lips as he nodded.
"Very well, then. Very well."
-------
Sakura walked up to Meilin's side and laid a hand
on her shoulder. "Gomen, Meilin," she spoke hoarsely,
not wanting to see Li's cousin's face. "I tried to stop him-
but he just wouldn't listen."
Meilin shook her head, wiping her tears away hurriedly,
but her puffy red eyes were enough evidence that she had been
crying. "You haven't done anything wrong, Sakura-chan. Li-kun
decided to take that challenge. It has nothing to do with you
at all."
The green eyed girl looked down, her brown hair covering
her eyes as she spoke. "If it wasn't for me, Li-kun wouldn't
have even come back to Tomoeda. This is all my fault!"
Tomoyo slipped a comforting hand around her best
friend, casting a worried look at both girls. "This is no
time to become so emotional," she advised as she pulled Meilin
up. "Eriol-kun, can Sakura-chan enter The Unlimited's world?"
He shook his head. "Iie, I'm afraid not, Tomoyo-chan.
Sakura-chan is not one of my descendants, so she cannot enter
The Unlimited's world."
"What about me?"
He turned to look at Meilin doubtfully, studying
her with some careful scrutiny. "You, Meilin? Are you sure?"
She raised her head defiantly, some of her defiance
that she had shown in her elementary school days showing in her
eyes as she marched up to Eriol.
"Why not? After all, I'm also one of your descendants.
The only difference that I have from Li-kun is that I don't have
magical powers. I don't think that counts in the world that The
Unlimited created, ne?"
He blinked, and for once, had to agree with her words.
She had a point. She was one of his descendants, after all, and
the only difference that she had was her lack of magical powers.
"Iie, Meilin. I won't allow that."
She blinked, stepping forward as she frowned. "Nani?"
"You don't have magical powers. You'll get hurt."
"That doesn't matter," she objected as
she turned to Tomoyo for help. "I have always tried to capture
Clow cards wit Li-kun back when we were in elementary school.
Tomoyo-chan saw me too. Didn't you, Tomoyo-chan?"
Tomoyo was silent for a moment before she looked
up. "Hai, Eriol-kun. All the same, I don't think that you
should go into that world, Meilin. It's dangerous. I'd rather
you stay here"
"Demo"
"Tomoyo's right, Meilin," Sakura spoke
up softly as she smiled gently. "It's too dangerous for you
to follow Li-kun around in that world over there. Besides, I think
Li-kun thinks it's better if you stay here with us. He'd be happy
to know that you're safe."
Meilin sighed, staring at the magical globe that
portrayed Li's image. "Li-kun always told me that whatever
was written in the stars was always true. Can you read the stars,
Eriol-kun?"
He blinked, his blue eyes widening in surprise as
he nodded. "Hai. Nani? Is there anything you want to know?"
"I want to know the outcome of this challenge.
Will Li-kun pass this test?"
Eriol looked up at the starry night sky, studying
the millions of stars that dotted the sky as he silently calculated
something. Finally, he spoke.
"Something bad is going to happen," he
predicted hesitatingly, as if wondering if he should have lied.
"This is followed by something considerably good, which is
enough to erase the sorrow and destruction that is left behind
by the former."
"Masaka"
Sakura sank down onto her knees, looking up at the
starry night sky.
"What have I done to Li-kun?"
-------
Li could feel the tension in the air as he grasped
his sword, alert for any sudden moves from his opponent. He couldn't
tell how powerful this guardian was from his aura, though.
Focus, Li reminded himself as he closed his eyes,
breathing in deeply before exhaling and opening his eyes once
more. You're doing this to uphold your family honour- and also
Sakura-chan. You can't fail them
There was a loud shout from Korashiku who suddenly
ran forward, brandishing his sword as he aimed it at Li. Dodging
to one side, Li watched as the guardian swung past him and rebounded
with an attack of water rings.
The rush of pain that seemed to burn into his body
seemed to be everlasting as he gripped his sword, trying to fight
the pain that was ricocheting inside him. He couldn't let this
guardian defeat him just like that!
Think, he forced himself as he tried to imagine the
circle of elements. Water. What element destroys water? There
could only be one, which was
"Earth! Force, know my plight; release the light!
..Wind!"
A sudden gust of wind blew off the fire rings before
starting to blow at the guardian of the water element charm. Li's
thoughts raced as he tried to think of some other way to defeat
the guardian.
"My wind power can't hold out much longer on
him," he muttered as he watched the wind pushing Korashiku
back. "I don't have The Earth either; that card's a Sakura
card and it's with Sakura-chan. What else can destroy water?"
A sudden idea struck him as he whipped out a fire
parchment. "Too much fire will be able to stand against water,"
he muttered, his amber eyes full of concentration. "Force
know plight; release the light! Fire!"
A flash of fire seemed to attack the guardian of
the water charm as Li sank down onto a rock, breathing heavily.
That had taken much of his own powers, just as The Time had when
he had used it when it was still a Clow card.
Korashiku struggled with the fire that burnt through
him as he tried to use his own power against the fire, only result
in futility Finally, he fell to the ground, gasping for breath
as he held both his hands up.
"Enough! I give in!"
Li smiled as he held out a hand to him, his amber
eyes lighting up with friendliness. Accepting his hand grudgingly,
Korashiku smiled back at him as he pulled himself up.
"Gomen for our bad introduction," he apologized
as he smiled at Li. "Unfortunately, that's why I'm placed
here for. You're the second person that has actually been able
to defeat me."
"Second? Who was the first?"
He shook his head. "I can't remember that clearly.
Someone with the name of Clow Reed, if I'm not wrong."
Li could feel his smile widening as he realized that
his ancestor had been here too. "That's my ancestor. I'm
the descendant of Clow Reed."
The guardian's eyes widened as he quickly bowed to
Li. "Gomen for my mistake. I had no idea that you were actually
the descendant of Clow Reed."
He shook his head. "That doesn't matter. Can
you tell me where the other charms are located? Do they have guardians
that protect the charms too?"
Korashiku looked up, his blue eyes shining with pride
as he nodded "Hai. Iie, I don't know here the other charms
are. After all, I never move from my place because of my duty.
And yes, I think they do have guardians too."
Li nodded gratefully at him as he returned his sword
to its sheath. "Arigato. Are you sure you don't know anything
else?"
He nodded as he smiled, but suddenly stretched out
his hand. "Matte! I think I do know where the wood charm
is. You have to follow the path that winds up and enter deeper
into the forest. Around the center of that site, you'll find the
fire charm. Do be careful of its guardian, though. I do believe
that I heard that he's dangerous."
Li nodded as he waved to his new found friend. "Sayonara!"
He looked at the forest that seemed to stretch for
miles in front of him and sighed. How long was it before he could
find the exit of this place?
-------
Meilin could feel Sakura's sorrow as she knelt down
and slipped a comforting hand around the girl's shoulder. "Sakura-chan,
it is isn't your fault that Li-kun wanted to go into that world.
Trust me."
It was no use. Sobs still shook Sakura's entire body
as she looked up, shuddering. She had so many happy memories with
both Li, Meilin and of course, Tomoyo and Eriol. She couldn't
afford to lose either of them!
Especially Li.
Tears filled her eyes every time she thought of him.
The memories seemed to have split open a dam, rushing out and
bringing all her emotions with them.
"You'll have to thank him for this," Kero
spoke grudgingly as he glared at Li who sat in front of him. Li's
pale face was evident, as he was almost drained of his magical
powers since he had just pulled her out the grasp of The Return
with The Time.
"It takes much power to not only reverse the
present, but also the past," Kero continued with a frown.
"The only Clow card that can be used against The Return is
The Time."
"At least you're safe, Sakura-chan," Li
protested with a weak smile as she leaned forward and hugged him.
He had almost sacrificed himself for her many times,
Sakura recalled as a tear slid down the smooth skin of her cheek.
He hadn't cared about his own safety or how weak he would become
without his powers.
She felt Meilin's hand tap her shoulder gently and
she turned, her green eyes trying to hide the immense sorrow and
pain that were hidden inside them.
"Nanda, Meilin?"
Meilin smiled wistfully despite her worry that she
was concealing deep inside her heart for her cousin. "You
can't continue being like this, Sakura-chan. Li-kun will never
forgive me if he ever sees you in this condition."
Sakura could feel herself smiling through her sorrow.
Her green eyes seemed to shine at Li's cousin as she nodded gratefully.
The two Li cousins had always been with her, she reflected with
a soft smile. They had always cheered her up.
Especially Li Syaoran.
-------
Li looked up at the trees that towered above him
with some type of triumph. He hadn't found the wood element charm
yet, but the aura of that element was already surrounding him.
Taking out his lasin board, he closed his eyes, uttering the words
that would most probably show him the way to the wood element
charm.
A blue light shot out from the lasin board, leading
deep into the forest. Following the straight line that seemed
to twist and turn into the dark shadows of the forest, Li stepped
cautiously over the roots of the trees that seemed to stretch
out on the soil below him.
His amber eyes watched for any sudden twists and
turns that might actually confuse him. All this time, he gripped
his sword, fearing that the guardian of the wood element charm
would suddenly jump out at him for no apparent reason.
The blue line that the lasin board emitted ended
at a gigantic tree which was situated at the center of the forest.
Li blinked, wondering if there was something wrong with his lasin
board. Surely the charm couldn't be in the tree itself! How was
he going to get it out?
A glittering object that was half buried in the trunk
of the tree caught Li's eye. Taking a closer look, a smile crossed
Li's lips as he realized that this was the charm that he had been
searching for.
He pulled it out, grunting slightly as it slowly
dislodged itself from the tough wood. Suddenly, he fell back as
a full forced kick hit him accurately at his torso. One hand gripping
his sword, Li pushed himself up as he glared at the culprit.
A brown haired girl stood in front of him, holding
the charm that he had been holding a second ago. Her green eyes
seemed to stare suspiciously at him as she brandished a wand that
had a star shaped object at its tip.
His eyes fell to the wood element charm that was
held tightly in the palm of her hand. He had to regain possession
of the charm if he wanted to return to the other world, he knew.
He couldn't possibly let her take this charm away from him!
"Who are you?" he called, his amber eyes
flashing as he took a threatening step forward. His voice rang
clearly in the woods as he took a threatening step forward.
Her eyes seemed to harden till they seemed like the
reflections of leaves in cold ice. "I am Sonoko Fujimara,
guardian of the wood element charm. I'm sure you already know
why I am here. After all, you did pass the water element charm's
guardian on your way here"
He could feel himself tensing as he stared at the
girl, unmoving. His eyes seemed to study the girl that stood in
front of him, as if able to read her mind. "Hai. I take it
that I have to battle you to regain that wood element charm?"
She nodded, unsmiling as she replied. "A battle
of powers, yes. And don't say the word 'regain'. This charm isn't
yours, and it won't be till you defeat me."
He nodded, his dark amber eyes flashing as he slowly
unsheathed the sword that was strapped to his back. "Wakata.
Now, can we battle?"
-------
Meilin could feel the weight of the tension around
her as she tightened her clench on her own fists. Her eyes seemed
to bore into the crystal globe that that had materialized out
of Eriol's powers so that they could see what was happening in
the other world.
Sakura-chan is really worried about Li-kun, she noticed
from the corner of her eye. The brown haired girl's gaze kept
returning to the globe no matter how she averted her eyes. Wasn't
that a visible sign that she liked Li-kun?
That was nothing to blame her about, Meilin sighed
silently as she watched Li who was challenging the guardian of
the wood element charm. Sakura-chan has the right to feel panicked
about Li-kun.
Sakura, on the other hand, felt more than panicked.
Her emotions were in a whirl, as if they were caught up in a furious
tornado inside her and was storming every single organ in her
body. Watching Li do something was a totally different thing than
to watch him actually risk his own life for her.
Her hands trembled as she slowly steadied herself
on a pillar. Feeling a comforting hand around her, she turned
to see a sympathetic Tomoyo beside her.
"Tomoyo-chan?"
The black haired girl smiled gently at her best friend,
knowing fully well that no number of comforting words could comfort
her friend at this moment. She was much too worried about Li than
to actually think rationally.
"Li-kun's going to be all right, Sakura-chan.
You have to trust in him."
She nodded mutely as her eyes shot across the platform
of the cement floor of the building, only to rest on the crystal
globe once more. Tomoyo simply shook her head at the sight of
her best friend.
All the same, what could she do? There was no denying
that Li and Sakura were meant for each other. They had been there
for each other when they had been in fourth and fifth grade.
Yet, Li had always been the one that hid his feelings
deep inside, Tomoyo recalled clearly. Being the quieter one among
the two, Li seldom voiced out what was buried deep in his heart,
unlike the straightforward Sakura. Instead, he kept all his emotions
in the deepest part of his own heart.
Something Li had accidentally uttered was the cause
why she had managed to find out about his true feelings towards
Sakura. Besides, his behaviour had gradually changed since the
time that she met him.
When Li had first moved into Tomoeda Elementary School
from Hong Kong, he had not only been sarcastic, but also cold
and bitter towards Sakura because of the responsibility that she
was given by Kero to become a cardcaptor. Slowly, his manner changed
towards Sakura, though.
Tomoyo sighed as she turned her attention to Li's
image on the crystal globe. There was nothing she could do about
this, except to pray that Li would return safely to the other
world. It wasn't foe the sake for her, she knew as she turned
to look at Sakura.
It's for the sake of Sakura-chan.
-------
Li gripped his sword by his handle as he watched
the girl. His senses were now on the alert, for he knew that she
could strike at any time suddenly. Besides, there was no telling
what kind of wood element power she could release out of that
wand of hers.
His amber eyes flashing, he took a careful step to
the front, which proved to be a wrong move when Sonoko suddenly
charged at him due to his sudden movement. He swerved to the right,
dodging a string of leaves that seemed to whirl out at him from
her wand.
It was then that he felt something clenching and
holding his arms together. Looking back, he was stunned to see
that some branches had attached themselves to his hands and had
weaved themselves into a very thick rope.
He gritted his teeth, his dark eyes blazing as he
tried to free himself from the handcuff-like objects. He struggled,
glaring at the guardian of the wood element charm. "You can't
keep me this way!"
With a flash, he cut through the tough ropes almost
effortlessly with his sword. There was a flash as Li closed his
eyes, chanting.
"Force, know my plight; release the light! ..Fire!"
There was a flash of fire as a few fire rings surrounded
the wood element charm guardian. Trying to jump out from the ring
of fire that surrounded her when the fire rings combined into
a gigantic fire ring, Sonoko closed her eyes.
Wood shot out, surrounding the fire, only to be burnt
easily by Li's fire charm.
"Masaka"
Slowly, she sank to her knees, raising her hands
up in defeat.
"Enough," she pleaded as the flames began
to cram closer to her. "Please. Get rid of this fire. I surrender!"
Li lowered his sword, a satisfied smile pasted on
his lips as he nodded finally. The flames suddenly disappeared
as suddenly as they had appeared around her.
"Can I have the charm now?"
Sulkily, Sonoko dropped the wood element charm into
his outstretched hand as she brushed the dust of her kimono-like
robe. Her green eyes seem to study Li suspiciously as she slowly
stepped back.
"Who are you?" she asked at last, raising
an eyebrow. "Why do you want the charms and why do you come
to this world?
He straightened up, his dark amber eyes now softening
as he brushed the dust of the wood element charm and held it up
so that the sunlight reflected on it. A smile appeared on his
face as he watched the sunlight filter through it.
"I'm Li Syaoran, descendant of Clow Reed. As
for how I got here, I don't think that's important."
She raised an eyebrow, staring at him suspiciously
as she sat down on a fallen branch. Her green eyes seemed to bore
through him before she finally spoke.
"Very well, Li. I'll show you the way to the
fire element charm."
-------
Meilin could feel her heart pounding as she watched
Li through the crystal globe. So far, Li had already managed to
retrieve two charms: the water element charm and the wood element
charm. Could he succeed in retrieving the fire element charm too?
Pacing back and forth, beads of sweat appeared on
her forehead as she stared at the globe worriedly. She was worried
Li although she didn't want to be, she knew as a frown appeared
on her face. Still, Li was her cousin
She shifted her gaze somewhere else, not wanting
to be caught staring. Her eyes rested on Sakura who was sitting
down on the cement floor of the roof, her knees curled up to her
chest as she held her wand close to her.
A tear seemed to slip out the corner of her eyes,
unnoticed as she remembered how Li had actually taken care of
her when she had interfered in his Clow Card captures while they
were in fourth and fifth grade. He had never minded if she came
along, yet he would warn her of the danger she was facing if she
followed him.
"Meilin-chan?"
Tomoyo's voice seemed to break her line of thoughts
as she laid a hand on the black haired girl's shoulder. "Daijobu
desu ka, Meilin-chan?"
She nodded, immediately turning her head away, afraid
that Tomoyo might spot the hint of emotion in her eyes.
"Daijobu, Tomoyo-chan. Why don't you check on
Sakura-chan? She seems to be very worried about Li-kun,"
she replied, trying to stop her own flood of tears that threatened
to spill out. Her back faced Tomoyo as the girl shook her head.
"I'm worried about you, Meilin-chan. After all,
I promised Li-kun that I'd take care of you if anything should
happen to him."
"Iie!"
Meilin spun around, her eyes wild as she shook her
head furiously. "Iie! Li-kun will come back! He has enough
magical powers to return to this world. Eriol-kun, I'm correct,
ne?"
There was an uncomfortable silence from the reincarnated
form of Clow Reed as he shuffled his feet nervously.
"I'm afraid that he can't depend mainly on his
powers, Meilin-chan. In that world, he has to use his skills as
a Li family member and descendant to defeat all the guardians.
There is a possibility that he might not succeed."
Meilin sank down to her knees, her tears now spilling
out freely on her cheeks.
"Iie, Li-kun!"
-------
Li watched the Sonoko warily as he took yet another
step to the front. He hadn't any idea why, but he didn't trust
this guardian for some odd reason. It was as if she wasplanning
something.
"Matte."
She stopped at the sound of his voice. Her back facing
him, she smiled as she looked down. "Nanda? We still have
to find the fire element charm. Don't you want it?"
He frowned, his eyebrows creasing as he glared at
her.
"You aren't bringing me to the fire element's
location," he accused as he narrowed his eyes. "You're
bringing me round in circles. Why?"
There was silence as the tension seemed to vanish
between the two of them. She trembled slightly, trying to keep
her voice steady as she spoke, denying the accusation.
"What do you mean? I'm bringing you to the fire
element charm!"
He shook his head, his amber eyes full of anger as
she reached out a hand and brushed it on the rough bark of a tree
beside him.
"You've been using your power to create all
the trees here, haven't you? That's why this forest keeps stretching
out!"
"That's impossible! Why would I want to hide
the fire element charm from you?"
His eyes narrowed as he looked down. "Perhaps
it's because this has something to do with the guardian of the
fire element charm?"
She stood shock still, her face filled with shock
when she finally realized that her secret was out. "Nani?
How did you know that I was using my powers to block you from
getting to the fire element charm?"
He smiled, unsheathing his sword before gently touching
it to the bark of a nearby tree. It evaporated into the air as
the tip of his struck it, leaving no trace of where it had been.
Smiling, he turned to look at her. "Your aura
that you left on your magic was enough to be detected. Besides,
who else could create trees? Only you are the guardian of the
wood element, after all."
Defeated, Sonoko could only grin as she waved a hand,
making all the magic around her disappear. The trees slowly shook,
before disappearing too, without leaving a single trace. Turning
to look at him, she nodded.
"You are truly fit to own this wood element
charm. Not only are you the descendant of Clow Reed; you've earned
his sharp instincts and powers as well."
He bowed, his dark amber eyes glittering slightly.
"Arigato. Now, can you please show me the way to the fire
element charm? I'm running out of time if I don't hurry."
She nodded quietly as she stepped forward.
"Hai."
-------
Tomoyo's worried gaze switched from Sakura to Meilin
as she watched the both of them blame each other for Li's entrance
into the other world. Her blue eyes seemed to study the both of
them before she diverted her gaze onto Eriol.
"How's Li-kun?" she spoke, hoping that
the reply that Eriol gave her would be enough to soothe the two
girls' feelings.
"I think he'll be able to defeat the fire and
the earth element charm guardians, Tomoyo-chan. About the void
element charm guardian, I think we'll have to wait for the outcome.
Still, judging by Li-kun's power, he'll be out of that world in
no time."
Kaho nodded, her eyes watching The Unlimited carefully.
She had no idea, but she knew that this Clow card was somehow
dangerous, and much more dangerous than any other Clow card or
Sakura card. It possessed some type of power that even she or
Eriol couldn't match.
"I don't think it'll be much trouble for him
to defeat the remaining three charm guardians," she spoke
carefully as she turned to look at Sakura. "Relax, Sakura.
Li will be okay."
Sakura smiled wryly, turning to look at Meilin who
simply nodded mutely. A sense of guilt seemed to well up in her
heart as she viewed Li's cousin in that condition. If it wasn't
for her, Li wouldn't have entered that world and Meilin wouldn't
be blaming herself for that!
"Eriol-kun," she spoke, her voice low as
she spoke to the reincarnation of Clow Reed. "I need you
to grant me permission to enter that world. I want to help Li-kun
find all the charms."
Eriol seemed to study her for a moment before shaking
his head silently. "Iie. You know that only descendants of
my bloodline can enter that world. As far as I know, only Meilin-chan
and Li-kun can fit those requirements."
She shook her head. "There must be some type
of way to get into that world without being one of your descendants,
Eriol-kun. Can't you use your magical powers?"
He glanced at her doubtfully before casting another
doubtful glance at The Unlimited.
"I don't know, Sakura-chan. As far as my powers
are concerned, I don't have much power over The Unlimited. It's
much more powerful than me."
The cardcaptor blinked, evidently surprised by his
words. "Nani? More powerful than you?"
"Hai. I don't have enough power to even seal
it myself. I can try to open a portal from here to that world,
Sakura-chan. After that, you're on your own, ne?"
She seemed to think about it before finally nodding.
"Very well, Eriol-kun. I'll be careful in that world."
He nodded, raising his two hands as he closed his
eyes. There was a gigantic burst of light as the portal appeared
in front of her.
"Hurry, Sakura-chan! I don't have the power
to open the portal any longer!"
Sakura nodded, jumping into the already diminishing
hole. There was a flash of light and she was gone.
-------
Li could feel a strong aura growing closer as he
followed Sonoko into yet another forest. Beads of sweat trickled
down his forehead as he realized that it was getting hotter every
minute.
"Are we close to the fire element charm yet?
It seems to be heating up," he commented, wiping the sweat
that had already trickled to the side of his face.
She nodded, stopping suddenly at a clear spot at
the forest. Her green eyes flew across the plains that stretched
for meters ahead of them before it reached another part of the
forest.
"Hai. We're here already. According to the aura
around here, I do believe that the fire element charm should be
somewhere around here. After all, this is where the fire element
charm guardian resides."
He nodded, keeping silent as he tried to detect the
aura of the charm. It was here, he could tell, and was much more
powerful that the guardian beside him at the moment. Still, fire
dominated wood in the cycle of the elements.
"I'll be going now. I have to get back to my
duties. Besides, my power is inferior to the fire charm guardian,"
Sonoko spoke, trembling as she retreated into the deep forest
once more.
Li watched as she disappeared into the dark shadows
of the forest before taking out his lasin board. Closing his eyes,
he uttered a chant.
"Force of light with ancient spin, send forth
the power within; Force, know my plight, release the light!"
A clear blue light shot out from the magical board,
leading to a deep hole that somehow had been dug in the ground.
Bending down, Li began to scrape away the soil and dirt that covered
the hole.
His hands clenched something hard and smooth, yet
he could tell by its texture that it wasn't a mere rock. Could
it be the fire element charm that he was searching for?
Pulling it out, he brushed the soil that had encrusted
it in its firm grip. A faint red glitter began ton show as the
soil and dirt were slowly brushed away. It was the fire element
charm!
He held it up to the sun, noticing the heat that
seemed to radiate from it as the sun's rays passed through it.
A proud smile came to his lips as he scrutinized the glittering
object.
Suddenly there was a flash, and Li dropped the charm,
holding his hand in pain. Shooting a glare at the guilty culprit,
he studied the girl that stood there with contempt.
"So, you're the boy that's been hunting around
for all the charms," she scoffed as she glared back at him.
"I don't care how easily you've managed to acclaim your other
charms, but when you're holding my charm, you have to face me!"
He bit his lip, unsheathing his sword as he glared
at the girl that now had jumped down and landed on the ground
in front of him. Picking up the charm in one hand, he gripped
his sword carefully with the other.
"Very well then," he spoke as he watched
the shining blade of his sword in the sun. "I'll fight you.
If I win, I get to keep the charm. Agreed?"
She glared at him, unsmiling as she slowly nodded.
"That is, if you can actually defeat me at all."
-------
Eriol could feel his heart pounding as the portal
disappeared from view. Sinking down, he gasped for breath, for
that mere use of his powers just now had taken most of his energy.
Tomoyo glanced at him worriedly as she diverted her
gaze from the crystal globe for a minute. "Daijobu desu ka,
Eriol-kun? Did you use too much of your power?"
He nodded, unable to speak before he regained his
breath. It was already difficult to create a portal to The Unlimited's
world, what more to defeat her! Somehow, Eriol began to feel that
he had done a great mistake when he created that Clow card.
Kaho watched as Meilin stared mutely at the crystal
globe, seemingly enchanted by the sight of Li. Tapping her shoulder
gently, she was greeted by a look of surprise on Meilin's tear
stricken face.
"Meilin," Kaho coaxed as she held out a
tissue to the crying girl. "You can't keep on crying like
this. It won't do Li any good. What would he think if he saw you
crying like this?"
Li's cousin smiled despite her tears as she accepted
the tissue gratefully. "He would say that I was over reacting,"
she sniffed as she looked up at the millions of stars in the sky.
"He would tell me that I was making a fuss over
nothing. Yethe would say that he wouldn't mind."
Kaho nodded understandingly at the black haired girl's
sorrowful words. "
"That's why you have to be strong, Meilin. Li
sees you as a headstrong girl, a girl that he can trust on and
yet dependent on him. He loves you as a cousin and perhaps another
sister. What's more, he trusts in you."
Meilin paused, her eyes wide as she listened to her
ex teacher's words.
"He doesn't like you for who you are outside.
Li isn't like that. He doesn't judge someone by their looks; he
judges them by their heart. That's how he ended up liking Sakura.
How can he recognize you if you don't act like who you really
are?"
"Meaning"
Kaho nodded, her eyes smiling as she handed another
tissue to Meilin.
"The Meilin he knows is someone that always
trusts in him no matter what happens. As much as he doesn't like
people to encourage him, he doesn't' mind your motivation. That's
why you have to keep hope in your heart, Meilin."
The girl seemed to wake up from a dream as she nodded.
"Hai. All of us will pray for Li-kun, ne?"
Kaho simply smiled as she nodded.
-------
Li watched the girl that stood clad in a long sleeved
red dress. Her black eyes sparkled with stubbornness as she stood
on the ground, unmoving.
"So, you're the guardian of the fire element
badge. And who might you be?"
"I am Natsue Ikeda, guardian of the fire element
charm. You'll have to battle me before you can even touch that
charm!"
Suddenly, some rings o fire appeared, striking Li's
hand, causing him to drop the blood red charm onto the ground.
The valuable charm was then whisked away and neatly disposed near
the forest closest to Natsue.
"If you can, come and get it yourself,"
she sneered as she twirled a strand of her black hair around her
finger. Lazily, she flicked a finger, causing another set of fire
rings to suddenly appear from nowhere.
Li gripped the handle of his sword tightly, bent
on not letting the girl actually defeat him. "Force o light,
know my plight; Release the light! Wind!"
It was useless, as the fire rings managed to swerve,
avoiding the wind. Suddenly, the rings seemed to split into halves
before joining up together and wrapping themselves around Li,
as if it was a long rope.
Li let out a yelp in pain as the heat seemed to burn
through his skin. The sensation was very painful, and his skin
felt as if it had been dipped in boiling hot oil as he struggled,
trying to free himself.
Natsue smiled, her black eyes full of the satisfaction
that she was feeling at that moment.
"Why can't you escape now? What happened to
all that spirit that I saw earlier? Where's it gone to, ne?"
He gritted his teeth, feeling the insults that flew
at him angrily.
"Water card, cut those fire rings off! Water!
Release and dispel!"
A flood of water seemed to appear from nowhere, dousing
Natsue binding fire rope and extinguishing it in less than a second.
Li immediately grabbed his sword, as he held up the water charm
in his hand.
The blue charm seemed to glitter in the sun as it
suddenly spouted water on Natsue. She sputtered, trying to avoid
the waves that seemed to follow her where ever she went.
"That's enough!" she screamed, trying her
best to defend herself with her power unsuccessfully. "I
give up! I'll give you the fire element charm!"
Li lowered his sword slowly before shooting a glance
at his saviour. A gasp of shock escaped his lips as soon as he
recognized the girl that stood there.
"Sakura-chan?"
-------
Kaho stood up, walking towards The Unlimited. As
if sensing her as a possible enemy, the Clow card immediately
raised her hands in the air and narrowed her eyes warningly.
"What do you want, Kaho-san?" she asked,
her voice cool but slightly tinged with sarcasm. Her eyes seemed
to scrutinize the woman that stood in front of her at that moment.
"I want to know your connection with the Clow
family. Why does Li have to face all these tests although the
real cardcaptor is Sakura?"
"Because only Clow Reed's descendants and relatives
are allowed to take this test. Outsiders aren't allowed, although
Sakura did get into that world."
She threw a glance at the crystal globe that showed
Li and Sakura at that moment. Her eyes seemed to soften at the
very sight of Sakura, as if approving of the girl's presence beside
Li at that moment.
Kaho frowned suspiciously, as if doubting The Unlimited's
words. Her eyes narrowed, boring into the Clow card that simply
stared back at her coolly. A slight suspicion had already formed
in her heart on the Clow card's behaviour.
Meilin's eyes was glued to the crystal globe that
floated in the air next to Eriol and Tomoyo. Watching the three
forms that were shown on the globe, a satisfied smile appeared
on her lips.
"Correct Li-kun if he acts like a baka once
more, Sakura-chan," she whispered, grinning at the sight
of Li's expression when he saw Sakura.
Her eyes glittered with the old mischief that she
used to have when she and Tomoyo had tried pairing both Li and
Sakura when they were still in fifth grade. Somehow, this seemed
exactly like it, only Sakura did volunteer to help Li.
-------
Li stared at Sakura, shocked at the sight of her.
His mind reeled, wondering how she could have got here, and also
why she was here. Hadn't he told her to stay with Eriol and Tomoyo,
where she was perfectly safe? Why did she come here for?
"Sakura-chan? Anowhat are you doing here
now? Aren't you supposed to be Eriol-kun and Tomoyo-chan? Where
are they?"
She smiled, amused at his question. Her green eyes
seemed to glitter as she gazed at him. something told her that
her face was heating up, and she turned away, afraid to be caught
blushing.
"I thought I could be of some help, Li-kun,"
she spoke slowly, unsure if her presence was actually needed as
she looked at Natsue over his shoulder. "Daijobu desu ka?"
He nodded, somehow relieved that he could see her
for another time. The simple thought of it, somehow, made his
cheeks tint with a slight red blush as he too, turned away in
embarrassment.
"DDaijobu," he stammered, almost
unable to withstand the urge to just stare into those deep leaf
green eyes of her. Somehow, the temptation was too strong, and
he allowed himself to turn and look at her.
Just the very sight of her took his breath away.
Perhaps it was that deep emotion in him that had always stirred
at her presence. Sometimes, even when she wasn't even in sight,
he could somehow sense her aura. It was as if they were inseparable
He shook his head furiously at the thought. What
was he thinking? After he had passed all these tests, he would
seal those Clow cards, and would slowly disappear from the face
of the earth. What meaning did it have for him to simply tell
Sakura his true feelings now?
Sakura studied Li curiously when he shook his head.
"Li-kun? Is something wrong?"
He blinked, the blush on his face growing even darker.
"Iie! I was just thinkingwhere's Eriol-kun
and the others? Surely they wouldn't let you come alone here!
It's dangerous!"
She smiled, holding up The Water from her pack of
Sakura cards.
"Not so, Li-kun. You see, I still have my pack
of Sakura cards when I arrived in this world. That's more than
enough as protection for me. Nani?"
He shook his head once more, turning back to Natsue
who had tapped his shoulder.
"Here," she spoke, her eyes downcast as
she dropped the red charm into his hand. "Take it. You've
earned it rightfully with the help of your"
Her voice trailed off as she smiled mischievously
at Sakura. It was as if the guardian understood his true feelings
for the cardcaptor that he had long been harbouring feelings for.
"You know what I mean, ne?"
Sakura blinked confusedly as the guardian of the
fire element charm gave Li a slight shove towards her. What was
she trying to do to Li?
"Sakura, take good care of Li, ne?" Natsue
spoke, causing a slight colour to tint the brown haired girl's
cheeks. She grinned, waving to the pair in front of her as she
slowly disappeared into the forest.
At that moment, the silence seemed to be deafening
as the both of them stared at each other. They were speechless,
wondering what they could say to each other.
Suddenly, tears started to flow out of Sakura's eyes
as he stood on her ground, looking at Li. Her heart couldn't stand
the distance within them anymore; they had always been so near,
yet the both of them had always been so distant to each other.
Li moved silently to Sakura's side. He had no idea
what to do, for he had seldom seen Sakura cry except when she
was frightened. Slowly, he slipped a comforting arm around her
shoulder, hoping to calm her down. Even his own heart ached to
see her in such a condition.
She looked up, slightly surprised at his presence.
Leaf green eyes met stormy amber, causing the both of them to
turn away, blushing furiously. Sakura hurriedly wiped the tears
off her face, realizing that she had been crying.
Li smiled gently at her, wondering how she could
be so like a cherry blossom flower. So beautiful and gentle, yet
possessing some type of infallible inner strength. Could he actually
be dreaming?
Something struck his mind suddenly. What was he to
do if he did vanish from this world?
Would he ever see Sakura again?
-------
Eriol smiled at the sight of Li and Sakura together.
He had somehow predicted that Sakura's entrance into that world
would improve her relationship between her and Li. Besides, the
two of them had been very close when they were fifth grade. How
could they forget their feelings for each other?
Something made him turn around. Maybe it was the
little voice in his brain that had warned him from the beginning
that Kaho wasn't going to be in good terms with the Clow cards.
Then again
Tomoyo blinked, turning to look at the same direction
as Eriol was looking. Her blue eyes widened at the sight of Kaho
and The Unlimited. They didn't seem to be on friendly terms, judging
by the way The Unlimited was glaring at the other woman.
Eriol shook his head, wondering why the Clow card
that he created had suddenly grown to hate Kaho. Was there a reason
why she hated the very sight of Sakura's ex teacher?
The Unlimited was suddenly aware of their staring,
and quickly turned away. Her blue eyes showed a flash of defiance
just before she turned, giving Tomoyo the real meaning of the
situation. She smiled, shifting her gaze to Meilin.
The girl didn't seemed so sorrowful anymore, she
thought, wondering what Kaho had told her to calm her down. Could
Kaho have told her something about Li?
She smiled, the thought somehow amusing her as she
looked into the crystal globe. There, she could see Li and Sakura
together. This time, they were as close as when Li had returned
to Tomoeda ten years earlier and helped captured The Void.
The memory was so clear, yet all of that had happened
ten years ago
Sakura stood shock still as The Void announced
her choice: Li. Her mind seemed to scream against the decision,
begging that she would be the one to go, not him.
He nodded, keeping silent as he looked up at the
black storm that had been created by The Void. Finally, he looked
up, straight at her.
"Even if I were to lose this love,"
he spoke shyly. "All the same, I know I shall grow to love
you again, Sakura-chan."
Somehow, her legs seemed to be glued to the ground
as she watched a black sphere descend from the storm that was
created by The Void. Tears were streaming out of her eyes as she
watched it envelope Li, blocking him from her sight.
She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to face
the pain of losing the boy that she had grown to love. It was
simply too painful for her to face that she was going to lose
Li whom had been with her for at least two years already.
Suddenly, a voice whispered a few comforting words
in her ear.
"Don't worry. He's okay."
She opened her eyes, watching as the black sphere
suddenly disappeared from view. A Sakura card flew into her hand,
and she looked down.
It was The Hope.
She blinked. Hadn't the Clow card she and Li had
encountered been The Void? Why was it labeled The Hope? She dug
into her pocket, only to find the Sakura card that she had created
when Li left Tomoeda to return to Hong Kong had changed The Void
into The Hope. All the same, what difference could it make?
Now, they stood opposite each other, not saying
a word. It was then that words came to her lips.
"You may not care me a bit now but
I don't mind," she spoke, gazing at him. "Ai shiteru.,
Li-kun!"
With that, she suddenly burst into tears.
She hadn't any idea if he would remember her, or if he would ever
like her once again. How could she live with that fact?
"I love you to, Sakura-chan."
She looked up, only to see Li smiling
at her. He didn't lose his feeling!
She took out The Jump from her Sakura
card despite Li's objections. Somehow, she couldn't stand being
far away from him anymore.
"Jump card, bond your power with
my own! Jump! Release and dispel!"
Feeling the power of the Sakura card rushing
through her, she jumped into the arms of the boy she loved the
most.
"I really love you, Li-kun!"
-------
Sakura studied Li's face silently as the both of
them headed towards their next destination: the earth element
charm. She wished that she could read his mind at that moment
and know what was troubling him. He seemed soburdened.
Li, on the other hand, was wondering how he could
break the news to Sakura that he had to leave her when he had
to seal the Clow cards. If he had his own way, he didn't want
to leave her. He'd rather stay with her forever.
A promise is still a promise, he scolded himself
as he closed his eyes, shutting everything out of his mind. He
couldn't allow Sakura to disappear. She had much more things to
do in this world, and so much people liked her.
Unlike him, that is. Almost no one knew him on campus,
so there wasn't going to be any uproar if he disappeared suddenly.
He could always ask Sakura to tell everyone that he had returned
to Hong Kong. What difference could it make?
Something scolded him, telling him that Sakura needed
him. Angrily, he pushed it away, hoping somehow that what it said
wasn't true. Sakura didn't need him. After all, many boys on campus
actually liked her. There was no difference if he disappeared;
she could simply continue her life as if he had never existed.
The little voice returned again, scolding him that
he was thinking too much about Sakura. What about himself?
"I don't need to be pitied by anyone,"
he muttered. To tell the truth, he'd rather die than let Sakura
disappear in front of his own eyes, taken by the 'curse' that
resided in every yin Clow card. He couldn't let anything happen
to her!
The little voice curled up in a corner, sobbing softly.
It blamed him, saying that Sakura would suffer if he were to disappear
and leave her alone in this world. Couldn't he see that?
"Li?"
Sakura's soft voice shattered his thoughts, bringing
him back into reality. He blinked, before answering a simple "Nanda?".
She gazed at him, her green eyes trying to bore through
him, hoping to find the source of his silence since a few minutes
ago. Had it anything to do with her?
"Li-kun, are you thinking about your promise
to me earlier that you'd take my place in sealing the Clow cards?"
He blinked again and looked down, clenching his fists.
How could she do that? How could she read through him? Did her
magical powers have something to do with it?
He shook his head furiously, denying all thoughts
of Sakura. He had made a promise, and he had better keep his word
for it! There was no way he would let Sakura face the consequences
of sealing The Influence and The Unlimited all by herself!
"Iie, Sakura-chan. I'm just wondering - where
could the earth element charm be?"
Her eyes narrowed as she concentrated on finding
the aura of the earth element charm. Her green eyes closed as
she slowly lapsed into deep concentration.
"Somewherethere," she spoke, pointing
to the direction of some mountains. She opened her eyes, gazing
at him silently until she turned away. Somehow, she hadn't any
idea why she blushed every time she was around him.
Li could feel Sakura's eyes on him, and he turned
away. He was still afraid. Afraid to look at her in fear that
she would discover the secret that he had hid from her for at
least ten years. What would she say?
The silence around them seemed to be deafening as
they walked on, hoping that someday, they could find what they
were looking for.
But was the charms what they were looking for?
-------
Tomoyo gazed proudly into the crystal globe, her
blue eyes somehow showing signs of the happiness she was feeling
that Li and Sakura could both be together. But could that truly
happen?
She had never known why she felt so, but she knew
that the both of them had been meant for each other since fourth
grade. Perhaps it was her uncanny ability to judge people by their
expressions; she had after all, been photographing Sakura since
she met her.
Li's emotions, on the other hand, wasn't as hard
to spot as Sakura. That was because of the bright red colour that
his face often registered at the mere sight of Sakura. Besides,
his bright red face could be seen from miles away!
"Tomoyo-chan"
She turned to face Eriol, who had a small smile on
his face as he stood up. Her blue eyes seemed to reflect questions
as she looked at him wonderingly.
"Nanda?"
He shook his head, his clear blue eyes seeming to
sparkle in its depths as he grinned at her. "Nothing, Tomoyo-chan.
I just wanted to know how you managed to pair both Li and Sakura
up all these years."
The long haired girl grinned back as she turned to
gaze at Meilin for a split second.
"I can't say that it was all of my work, Eriol-kun,"
she spoke with somewhat pride for Li's cousin. "Meilin also
has been a large help- although she was engaged to Li-kun earlier."
He blinked, evidently surprised at the new fact that
was recently presented to him. "Oh?"
The blue eyed girl laughed at the surprised expression
on his face as she nodded somewhat humorously. "Meilin was
engaged to Li-kun earlier back in fourth grade. They broke off
their engagement, however, when the both of them returned to Hong
Kong."
"But why?"
"Li-kun had always liked Sakura-chan, so he
told the truth to her. At first, Meilin-chan couldn't stand the
fact that he didn't like her, so she came to me. That's how I
became such good friends with her."
He turned to look at Meilin who was sitting about
a few meters away from the floating crystal globe. It seemed hard
to believe, that this cousin of Li's- had actually been engaged
to him once.
Li actually treasured the cousin that he had, he
realized silently as he gazed at the other Clow descendant. Li
would never let Sakura get into any form of trouble, neither would
he allow Meilin to be stuck in a dangerous position either.
Li knew what was more important to him than merely
improving his powers.
_______
Li could feel the aura of the earth element charm
surrounding them. It was useless for him to use his lasin board,
he knew, for they were too close and too wrapped up in the aura
of the earth element charm.
They were close to the charm; it was obvious. All
the same, he couldn't pinpoint the exact location of the charm,
for its aura was too overpowering and was simply stretching too
wide to confuse them.
"Li-kun," Sakura spoke up, raising her
wand in the air as she closed her eyes. "Let me try. I want
to see if I can detect the exact location of the charm."
Li nodded, his amber eyes resting on her as he watched
the girl slowly walk forward with her wand half raised. Her green
eyes were closed as she concentrated most of her power into detecting
the charm. This way usually worked for capturing Clow cards; what
was the difference with finding charms?
A sudden gasp escaped her lips as she viewed, in
her close eyes, two glowing items around them. Her eyes shot open
as she looked around the both of them, finally realizing why the
aura of the earth element charm was so strong around them than
of the other element charms.
She knew the truth now, and also the dangers that
lay behind it if Li were to battle its guardians
Li blinked at the sudden silence from Sakura, wondering
if she had discovered something about the earth element charm.
His eyes watched her carefully as he took a hesitant step forward.
"Daijobu desu ka, Sakura-chan? Is something
wrong?"
She was silent, debating if she should tell him the
real truth. If she told him the consequences of his actions, would
he listen to her? Would he even care about how she thought?
Turning her now serious sparkling green eyes at him,
she gazed at him. Inside her, a mixture of emotions were fighting:
raging for the victor that would make her either tell him the
truth or to tell a plain lie.
Slowly, words began to form in her mouth automatically
as she shook her head.
"Daijobu, Li-kun," she spoke at last,.
"I do believe that the earth element charm is somewhere in
this place. That's all that I know."
He blinked, listening to her words.
"What do you mean? Don't you know where the
earth element charm is?"
She was silent, but a few words managed to escape
her lips at that time.
"There's more than one element charm here, Li-kun.
There are two: earth and void."
Authors notes:
Well, that's the fourth part done. This time, I've
limited the entire story's surroundings to the world created by
The Unlimited and also reality, where Eriol, Tomoyo and Meilin
is. I do realize that I am over doing Meilin's character a little,
but after all, Meilin can't do anything without Li, ne? The last
part of my story is coming up, minna-san! Just you wait!
Japanese words
Arigato- Thank you
Ano- either "excuse me" or "well"
Daijobu desu ka- Are you okay/all right
Ne- Depends on how it's used. If it's used like here, where Sakura
says, "Ne" it means hey. Then, when
Sakura smiled at Syaoran and Chiharu and said "Ne?"
She means "right?" At least I think so. Dictionary says
it means "is it so," so I guess that's the right meaningand
is it spelled "ne" or "nee"?! So many different
spellings for kanji Oh, whatever. I'll just use "ne"
Hai- Yes
Nanda- something similar to "what," I'm not too sureI
think it means "What is it"
Gomen- meaning "sorry"
Demo- but
Daijobu- I'm okay/all right, or it's okay/all right
Masaka- Impossible, or something like "no way"
Kinomoto Sakura to Li Syaoran- Kinomoto Sakura and Li Syaoran.
By the way, Sakura means "cherry blossoms" (for several
references throughout the story) in Japanese, and Syaoran means
"little wolf" in Chinesenot that it really matters
now. ^^
Baka- Stupid or idiot. I'm trying to use it in a more light sense
here, because I think it's not exactly a good word
Nani- what
Iie- no
Minna- everybody or everyone
Ai shiteru- I love you
Chan - Honorific for someone of status lower to yourself,
and term of endearment for family and friends. Used mostly for
females and is very informal. Is to be add at the end of the name
Kun - Mr (junior), master, boy. Similar to chan, but mostly applied
to males. Is to be add at the end of the name.
Wakata- I understand
Matte-Wait
