Li was silent as he gazed at Sakura, somehow startled
by the words that she had uttered. He didn't have enough power
to fight off the fire element charm's guardian, what more to defeat
the earth and the void elemental charm guardians.
He stood rooted on the spot, biting his lip as his
fists slowly clenched and unclenched. Finally, he spoke through
his gritted teeth, not taking his cold amber stare off Sakura.
"Are you sure, Sakura-chan?"
She nodded, her leaf green eyes startled at his sudden
change of temper. "Hai. Daijobu desu ka, Li-kun? Is something
wrong? You seem angry."
He blinked as the angry expression disappeared from
his face, only to be replaced by the slight red tint of embarrassment.
"Iie, Sakura-chan. It's just that I'm not sure if I can defeat
the two guardians of the void and the earth elemental charms."
She smiled, her eyes shining as she shook her head.
Laying a hand on his right shoulder, she grinned at him, hoping
to comfort him as she spoke.
"Don't criticize yourself too much, Li-kun.
You are capable of defeating the both of them, and I believe that
you can. Besides, we're issho, remember? You promised me before,
ne?"
He nodded, turning around so that she couldn't see
his entire red, blushing face. Trembling slightly from her touch,
he smiled as he whirled around, hoping that he wasn't blushing
anymore.
"Hai, Sakura-chan. We'll work together from
now on, ne?"
"Hai!"
-------
Meilin could feel something inside her well up as
she watched Li and Sakura promise each other what they should
have promised themselves a long time ago.
There had always been something between the two of
them, whether they realized it or not. Li could never dream to
even injure Sakura when they were still capturing the Clow cards.
In fact, he had saved her numerous times.
Sakura, on the other hand, could not stand to see
Li injured in any sort of way, be it physically or spiritually
because of her. Even when Li had been almost drained of all his
energy when he helped to bring her back from the past, releasing
her from The Return's grasp, she had hugged him.
There were many special times between the two cardcaptors,
she reflected with a wry smile. They had spent more time with
each other, more than another person could imagine. In a way,
that was how Li and Sakura's relationship grew close.
All the same, Li hadn't gave a second thought when
protecting her against any Clow cards, though. Even if she was
there watching, he wouldn't risk anything to see Sakura injured
by any of the magical cards.
Likewise, Li also took great pains in making sure
that she was protected. At first, Meilin had merely assumed it
as some type of responsibility that he had to fulfill due to their
engagement, but she soon found out that Li would go as far as
to sacrifice himself for his cousin.
Meilin sighed, somehow wishing that she could make
up for what she had done when she had been in fourth and fifth
grade. She had been a block to the Li and Sakura's relationship,
she realized as she looked down for a split second.
She had felt that Li would somehow regard Sakura
as her superior as Sakura had magical powers. That was actually
the cause of all the friction between her relationship with Sakura.
However, she had no choice but to give in when Li admitted his
feelings towards Sakura to her at last.
She turned her gaze to Eriol and Tomoyo who were
gazing at the crystal globe that was hovering in the air in front
of her as she smiled. Just as Li and Sakura were a good pair,
so were Eriol and Tomoyo. In fact, the both of them seemed to
be meant for each other.
She sighed, wondering if she would ever find someone
special in Tomoeda just as Li and Eriol had. Besides, she knew
that Sakura and Tomoyo were two of the best girls that she had
ever known all her life.
Meilin was silent as she gazed somehow proudly at
the crystal globe. Part of her was cheering on for Li and Sakura,
but she knew that she would always support her most treasured
cousin:
Li Syaoran.
-------
Sakura could feel the strange aura around them again;
now it seemed stronger than before. A slight suspicion began to
form in her heart that this aura was actually the aura of the
two elemental charms that she and Li were searching for.
She stopped, closing her eyes as she tried to focus
her energy to locate the source of the aura that was surrounding
them. The two charms had to be around here somewhere, but where?
Li stopped, noticing that Sakura had closed her eyes
and was rooted on one spot. "Sakura-chan? Daijobu desu ka?
Is something wrong?"
She shook her head, opening her eyes to reveal its
clear green nature before blinking a few times. "Iie. Li-kun.
It's just that I felt that weird aura again."
The brown haired boy frowned as he gazed at Sakura.
"Again? Is it still around us?"
She nodded, wondering what the mysterious aura meant.
There had to be a reason why the aura was around them. Could it
be a sign that they were drawing closer to the earth and void
elemental charms?
"Li-kun, could this be the auras of the earth
and the void elemental charm? Could they be giving off this strange
presence?"
The crease on his forehead grew deeper as he gazed
at her. "That may be, Sakura-chan. All the same, it could
also be the auras that the guardians of those elemental charms
are expelling. Whatever it is, we have to be careful, Sakura-chan.
It could be dangerous."
Biting her lip, she gripped her wand tightly as she
whispered a soft "Hai". Li's words were true; not matter
how harmless they thought the aura was, it could belong to a very
dangerous source that could destroy the both of them.
Li gazed at the girl that he had not seen for almost
ten years, wondering how much she had changed over the years.
She was still as friendly and even asbeautiful.
He blinked, somehow shamed by his very own thoughts
as he shook his head, as if to clear it. He couldn't think about
Sakura now, he scolded himself. He had to find the way out of
this world, and also sacrifice himself when Sakura changed the
Clow cards into Sakura cards.
He breathed a soft sigh, oblivious to Sakura's curious
gaze at his strange behaviour. He had no choice but to sacrifice
himself this time, for there was no way he would sacrifice the
only girl that he loved. Now, three whispered words sprung to
his lips, but died there as he closed his eyes, trying to bear
all the agony.
"Ai shiteru, Sakura-chan"
-------
Tomoyo could almost feel the emotions that were sparking
between Li and Sakura as she watched them through the crystal
globe. Watching them try their best not to show their true feelings
She shook her head, wondering how the both of them
couldn't sense each other's feelings for each other. Li and Sakura's
intense emotions towards each other were so obvious. Couldn't
they see it?
Eriol, who was standing beside her at that moment,
grinned slightly as he viewed the look of slight frustration on
her face. He understood what she meant; after all, Li and Sakura
were meant to be together.
"I'm afraid Li-kun won't confess his feelings
to Sakura-chan, Tomoyo-chan. He just doesn't see the use of it
when he knows that he's going to disappear from this planet."
She breathed an impatient sigh, wondering if Eriol's
explanation was really true. Was Li giving up because of the thought
that he would never exist on this planet ever again?
Eriol smiled at the sight of her impatient face,
wondering if this was the first time that he had seen Tomoyo express
her dissatisfaction towards Li and Sakura's relationship. He couldn't
blame her; the both of the just wouldn't admit their feelings
for each other.
Still, something was bound to happen to the both
of them in that world, he knew. It was very dangerous, more dangerous,
in fact than the time they went to capture Clow cards.
They would be facing more danger that they knew,
he predicted silently as he studied the images of Li and Sakura.
They had to pass this test, he knew. If they didn't, there was
no hope for the world. The Clow disaster would at last be unleashed
and the world would be destroyed by the power.
His fists clenched, he closed his eyes, trying not
to imagine the consequences if the both of them were to fail.
It was already midnight, yet sleep hadn't taken its toll on him.
Neither had it affected anyone else.
Everyone was too tense, wondering the outcome of
this test, he knew. No one could tell if both Li and Sakura could
come out safely of if they would remain trapped in that world.
In fact, he couldn't tell if they would be safe either.
Yet, something deep down inside his heart told him
that the both of them would come out safe and sound no matter
what they went through. As long as Li and Sakura were together,
they still had hope.
Eriol shook his head. He had no powers whatsoever
to control whatever was going on in the other world. All he could
do was to watch and wait for the outcome, be it good or bad.
Somehow, he hoped that it was good.
Eriol watched as Li and Sakura tried to sort out
their feelings. His blue eyes were fixed on his descendant as
he clenched is fists tightly.
Li had been destined to be with Sakura, he knew.
The stars and the numerous predictions that he had been doing
had assured him that the both of them would eventually end up
together? All the same, could it truly happen? Could Li remain
on this planet?
He turned, fixing his stare on The Unlimited. That
Clow card held untapped powers, he knew. However helpless and
weak she looked, The Unlimited still could bring together the
Sakura cards and change them all into Clow cards, bringing the
Clow disaster.
Once that happened, Sakura couldn't do anything,
he reflected, remembering the spell he had cast on all the magical
cards that he had created. If the Clow cards were released once
more all over Tomoeda, she wouldn't have enough time to capture
all of them if Li was gone.
Besides, she would be in even graver danger as the
Clow cards would shrink Keroberos into his former smaller size
and Yue would be sealed inside Yukito once more. In fact, she
would have to face the Clow cards alone if Li were to disappear
from the face of this earth.
He shook his head, wondering why all these negative
thoughts had begun to enter his head. He had to trust Li and Sakura
when it came to this. In fact, the fate of the entire world lay
in their hands now.
-------
Li closed his eyes, feeling the aura that surrounded
him. Concentrating, he focused his energy on the location of the
aura, intent on owning the last two elemental charms. All the
same, how could he possibly defeat the earth and the void elemental
charm's guardians?
At least he had Sakura with him, he thought as he
opened his eyes. The elemental charms were close to them all right;
he could detect their presence. Still, where were they?
Suddenly, there was a whoosh of wind as something
flew past Li. He whirled around automatically, his eyes roaming
from left to right to see what had past them a minute ago.
There was nothing. He blinked confusedly before feeling
a soft hand on his right shoulder, tapping it gently. He turned,
wondering if his mind was just playing tricks on him as Sakura's
face slowly came into view.
"You felt that aura too, didn't you?" she
asked, her voice soft as she gazed at him with half frightened
eyes. She hasn't changed, he thought as he blushed, nodding his
head as he did.
How Sakura could make him blush like a young schoolboy
he had no idea. She always seemed to have some power to control
him, to make him do whatever she wanted. Yet, she acted as if
she didn't know about it.
"Let me have a look around, Li-kun," Sakura
spoke at last, breaking the barrier of silence between them as
she held up a Sakura card. "Fly card! Bind your powers with
my wand! Fly! Release and dispel!"
Wings appeared on her wand as she flew upwards, above
the tall treetops. Li shaded his eyes from the sunlight, squinting
as he tried to make out her slim figure among the tall trees.
"Sakura-chan!" he called out, unable to
see anything since the sunlight was half blinding him. "Where
are you?"
Suddenly, there was a scream from above. Li took
a step forward, realizing that it was Sakura's voice.
"Sakura-chan!"
There was a sudden crash through the trees as a figure
came hurtling down. Li dove, catching the falling figure in his
arms as something long slipped from the figure's hand.
It was Sakura's wand.
Li shook Sakura who was now lying unconscious in
his hands, urging her to wake up. Something in him was making
his heart speed up in fear as he began to panic. Why did he let
her scout around? Why did he have to put her in danger?
His amber brown eyes were now filled with almost
uncontrollable panic as Li took her by her shoulders and shook
her. Every single vibe of emotion inside him was screaming for
her to wake up and laugh at his reaction.
Yet, Sakura didn't move.
Tears began to flood Li's eyes as he hastily wiped
them away, not letting go of the girl that he was holding at that
moment. Nothing can happen to Sakura-chan, he thought as he shook
his head wildly. Nothing!
"Sakura-chan, wake up! Sakura-chan!"
-------
Meilin watched in horror as Sakura plummeted from
above, only to be caught by Li. What had happened to her? Sakura
couldn't have suddenly fainted for no apparent reason!
"Tomoyo-chan," she spoke, turning to look
at the long haired girl that was standing not far away from her
together with Eriol. "What's happened to Sakura-chan? Why
is she suddenly like this?"
Tomoyo shrugged, unable to reply as she turned to
look at Eriol to answer the question. Even she couldn't stand
the sight of her best friend seeming so weak for the first time
when she went to battle against anything magical.
"It's the void element charm guardian,"
Eriol spoke, his voice filled with a slight horror as he stared
at the crystal globe, somehow unable to draw his eyes away from
it.
"Nani? She hasn't even found the charm yet!"
Eriol shook his head, gazing straight at Meilin before
sighing heavily and speaking. "My best guess is that she
stumbled upon the charm when she was scouting around the treetops.
That's why the guardian attacked her."
Meilin was silent as she viewed Li's worried expression
on his face as he shook Sakura. He did care about Sakura, she
thought somewhat triumphantly with a slight smile. Li did have
feelings for the girl herself.
Li had never admitted his feelings for Sakura, yet
he didn't need to. Looking at how worried he was due to her condition,
Meilin knew by the first glance that Li truly cared about Sakura
without a single doubt in his heart.
"Li and Sakura," she whispered, the roaring
worry in her heart minutes ago now turned into a smooth, gentle
sound. Those two names sounded so matching. The two of them were
perfect for each other, she reflected as she gazed at the crystal
globe.
The two of them can never be separated, she thought
as she watched Li continue to shake an unconscious Sakura.
Never.
-------
Li had never felt so panicked ever in his entire
life; it was as if his entire heart had been ripped away and left
a gigantic gaping hoe in its place. Now, he was faced with an
unconscious Sakura, and he was having troubles controlling his
emotions!
He blinked back the tears that came to his eyes when
he felt a presence behind him. Whirling around suddenly, he reached
out an arm just in time to dodge a black sphere that had hurtled
from a dark corner.
He ducked, watching as the black sphere hurtled a
few meters before it struck a tree and engulfed it in its darkness.
Shocked, Li turned around, only to face a pale skinned girl in
a light blue yukata.
"Who are you?"
The girl laughed with a slight tinkle, gazing at
him before switching her even gaze to the unmoving girl in his
arms. She raised a slight eyebrow, watching as Li tightened his
grip on Sakura.
"Enjoy what I did to that little friend of yours?"
she spoke, eyeing Sakura carefully. "I'm sure you didn't
want anyone interfering when you actually wanted this."
She held up a black sparkling object that glittered
in the sunlight that filtered through the leaves if the trees.
His eyes widened as he immediately realized and acknowledged that
it was the void element charm.
"Like it? It's the elemental charm that I've
been assigned to guard."
Li gritted his teeth, gazing at the elemental charm
that she held in her long fingers. Watching her twirl the black,
almost translucent charm between her long fingers, he switched
his gaze from Sakura to her, wondering if he should try and fight
the void element charm guardian.
He was silent as he pondered the decision that he
had to make. If he left Sakura, he had no idea what the guardian
could do to her. All the same, he couldn't afford to lose the
void element charm. It was one of the keys that could bring him
and Sakura closer to leaving this world.
"Of course," the guardian continued, gazing
at the black object in her hand as she smirked at him. "I'm
sure you'll be too busy with that girl there than to fight me,
ne? A waste of my time to actually think that you can battle."
Li took a step forward, his rage burning inside him
at the sound of the guardian's cruel taunt. His dark amber eyes
glared at her, as if red hot fiery coals lay inside them. How
dare she taunt him like that!
"That's what you think," he spoke slowly,
his eyes fixed on the girl that stood not far from him as he closed
his eyes. "Very well then. I accept your challenge. Only
with one condition, though."
She looked down, her light blue eyes seeming to belittle
him as she spoke. "Very well. Name your price."
"Keep Sakura-chan out of this. I'll battle you
if needed. If I win the battle, you'll have to give me the void
element charm."
She smiled, somehow satisfied with the conditions
that he had set. "Very well, then. All the same, I'd advise
you not to be so self confident. You might not win"
He raised an eyebrow as he gazed down at Sakura.
"I'm not doing this for myself," he replied quietly
as he placed he gently against the bark of a sturdy tree. "I'm
doing this for Sakura-chan."
The guardian blinked, somehow startled to see the
show of emotions in Clow Reed's descendant. She stared hard and
long at the unconscious Sakura, wondering if this was the girl
that she had heard about who had defeated both Yue and the reincarnation
of Clow Reed, Eriol. Surely it couldn't be her?
Now, Li stood opposite the guardian, standing in
his natural posture as he awaited the guardian's first attack.
He couldn't possibly lose this battle, he told himself, briefly
glancing at Sakura as he clenched his fists.
He had to save Sakura. He had no idea how her condition
was, but something inside him told him that he had to bring her
out of this world as fast as he could.
No matter what it took.
-------
Tomoyo's hands began to tremble slightly as she watched
Li come face to face with the void element charm guardian. Part
of her wanted to beg Eriol to take Sakura out of the other world,
but she knew that her best friend would never approve of that
action.
"Eriol-kun," she whispered, her eyes somehow
glued to the crystal globe. "What's happened to Sakura? Why
is she unconscious?"
Eriol turned to look at her and was struck at the
amount of pain and worry that was inflicted in her blue eyes.
Something in those eyes of hers began to pull at his heart as
he quickly shook his head. He and Tomoyo were just friendsright?
"It's one of the void element charm's guardian's
attacks," he spoke softly as he gazed at the hovering globe.
"This attack can paralyze any single living thing. It then
sucks all the energy out of its victim."
She gasped, leaning forward slightly as her eyes
widened in panic. This was the first time that she had seen Sakura
in such danger; she had never been knocked out in any of her battles
when she was still battling the Clow cards or Eriol.
"Is there any way to cure her of the attack?"
"There is," he began slowly, trying not
to look into her panic stricken eyes. "Li has to bring her
back to this world as soon as he can. That's the only way that
can break her out of that coma. All the same, if he's too late"
Eriol could only shake his head quietly as he lifted
his eyes to meet Tomoyo's worried blue eyes. He didn't have to
say anything; she understood. If Li brought her in her too late,
Sakura couldn't be saved.
"You have to tell Li-kun, Eriol-kun. How long
does he have before the attack starts reacting on Sakura-chan?"
"He has an hour at the least. All the same,
Sakura-chan has a tough resistance system. If she manages to wake
up in time, she's all right. Any later"
For the first time since she had met Sakura, tears
began to flood Tomoyo's eyes. She had never felt so worried before
for her best friend, fearing that she couldn't see the brown haired
cheerful girl ever again.
Eriol watched, and somehow, her tears triggering
something in his heart. He couldn't stand to watch Tomoyo cry,
yet he didn't know why. Enveloping her in his arms, he comforted
her.
"Don't worry, Tomoyo-chan," he spoke reassuringly
as he listened to the girl sob silently. "I'm sure Sakura-chan
will be okay. Li-kun will be able to reach here in time. Either
that or Sakura will wake up. I trust them."
Yet, as he said those words, the accomplishment of
that feat seemed so far away
-------
Li stood on his feet, his amber eyes fixed on the
girl who was dressed in the light blue yukata. They stood face
to face as a light breeze blew. He brushed a few loose strands
of brown hair back as he tightened his grip on his sword.
Suddenly, she closed her eyes, and two black spheres
suddenly appeared beside her. Pointing at him, the spheres started
to hurtle towards him as he jumped aside.
His amber eyes turned to glance at Sakura before
he turned back to the serious faced guardian. Raising his sword,
he closed his eyes as he uttered a charm.
"Force, know my plight; release the light! Lightning!"
She gasped, dodging to the left as she narrowly missed
the bolts of lightning which then bounced back to hit her on the
back. Letting out an ear piercing scream, she immediately released
two spheres that surrounded Li.
His eyes roamed from side to side as closed his eyes
again as the sphere slowly faded around him. Now, he stood on
the ground, his eyes full of determination as he glared at the
guardian who stood wide eyed on top of a branch.
Her lips slowly broke into a smile as she raised
an arm again. "You're not bad. You can actually block that
attack, unlike your little Sakura friend there."
He gasped at the sound of Sakura's name, his heart
suddenly beating faster. "Nani?" he whispered. "What
did you say about Sakura-chan?"
"Why do you think your little 'Sakura-chan'
is in that condition?" she taunted, her blue eyes flashing
at him as she watched his fists clench tighter. "You were
so lucky. That attack was meant for you, but she blocked it using
herself instead."
Li turned to gaze at Sakura, his amber eyes showing
how startled he was. Sakura had sacrificed herself for him?
That couldn't be true, he scolded himself as he gritted
his teeth, turning back to the guardian. Sakura wouldn't have
used herself just to save him from the void element charm guardian's
attack, would she?
Suddenly, a black sphere appeared in front of him
and split into two spheres. Then, all the black spheres in front
of him began to multiply, and soon, he couldn't even see the face
of the void element charm guardian.
As suddenly as it all had started, the black spheres
disappeared.
Li blinked, somehow startled as he inspected his
surroundings warily. There was no sign of the guardian, yet he
could still feel her strong aura around him. Surely she couldn't
have assumed invisibility?
He was suddenly ambushed from the back as two strong
black void spheres struck him. Gasping for air, he gripped his
now injured right shoulder, silently cursing his bad luck. To
imagine coming down with an injury at such a time!
The triumphant guardian stood behind him, her blue
eyes staring at him as she watched him stagger a few steps to
the front. "Ne, do you think you can handle anymore? You
can always give up"
He whirled around, his face contorted with pain as
he tried to stop the red liquid from flowing down his shoulder.
"I'm not going to give up," he growled. "Never!"
She sighed, shrugging as she averted her eyes to
gaze at Sakura who was stirring at that moment. Raising an eyebrow,
she watched as the cardcaptor slowly stood up, disoriented with
her surroundings.
Now, there was more fun in store for her
-------
Meilin could feel a sense of dread looming down on
her as her eyes was glued at Li's gigantic wound on his shoulder.
Li was hurt! Every fiber in her screamed for Sakura to wake up,
that her cousin was injured and that she was the only one that
could save him.
Finally, there was some stirring from the previously
unconscious cardcaptor who slowly stood up, seeming somehow confused.
"Come on, Sakura-chan! You have to help Li-kun!"
she muttered, clenching her fists tightly. Her eyes stayed focused
on the image of an injured but determined Li who still stood straight
although he had been hit by the guardian's spheres.
She averted her eyes for a split second, wondering
what Tomoyo and Eriol were doing since it had been quite quiet
at the back. She blinked, only to be greeted by the sight of Eriol
comforting a relieved Tomoyo. Was there something between the
both of them that she didn't know?
Eriol could feel some type of relief coursing through
him as he watched Sakura slowly get up. He had never felt so relieved
nor the anxiety before ever in his life so far.
Looking down at Tomoyo, his felt his cheeks grow
red as he blushed. There was something charming about this girl,
yet he couldn't pinpoint it. Every time he was with Tomoyo, he
felt somehowdifferent. He felt much more relaxed.
It was then that he noticed Meilin's curious gaze
that was forwarded to the both of them. He blinked, but didn't
want to let go of Tomoyo. The girl was crying; he didn't want
to disturb her at all.
Offering a weak smile to Meilin, he blushed hopelessly
red, hoping that Tomoyo wouldn't look up and notice. Unfortunately,
she did.
"Eriol-kun?" she spoke, hastily wiping
away the tears from her tear stained face. She blinked back the
tears that were threatening to spill out, hoping that he wouldn't
think that she liked to cry.
Looking up at him, she noticed for the first time
that his face possessed a bright, fiery red colour. Raising her
video camera to her eyes as she sniffed again, she grinned slightly
as she watched him retreat.
"You look wonderful on tape with that red face,
Eriol-kun," she commented softly as she smiled, her blue
eyes shining. "Just like Li-kun when I found out that he
liked Sakura-chan or even when he saw Sakura-chan anywhere."
He blinked, growing even redder under his skin as
he laughed nervously. How could Tomoyo actually compare him to
Li when Li and Sakura used to be in elementary school?
He shifted his uncomfortable gaze to Meilin, who
seemed to have her eyes glued to the sight of the both of them.
Trying his best to discourage her, he turned away.
Meilin smiled, watching the Eriol look at Tomoyo
anxiously. Eriol didn't know it, but he did like Tomoyo, Meilin
thought as she smiled. His reaction to Tomoyo was exactly the
same reaction that Li had towards Sakura when she smiled at him.
Still, Li had to be all right, she reflected silently
as she turned her attention back to the crystal globe in front
of her.
Li had to be all right!
-------
Li gritted his teeth, glaring at the smirking guardian
who stood in front of him. He couldn't be defeated by such a guardian;
he had his dignity to uphold as the leader of the Li clan!
"So," the guardian jeered as she blew at
her fingernails, gazing at him closely as she smirked. "Do
you want to give up? It's an easier way of escape than to get
yourself killed in this world"
He growled, clutching the wound on his shoulder as
a fresh wave of pain coursed through him. He had no choice, he
thought bitterly as he closed his eyes, letting the pain slowly
settle down as he felt the trickle of the warm liquid on his shoulder.
He had to defeat this guardian!
"Wind card, attack that guardian! Wind! Release
and dispel!"
He blinked at the sound of the chant, immediately
recognizing Sakura's chant. He whirled around, only to see Sakura
holding her wand, standing up as she glared at the guardian.
The void element charm guardian, Yoko Nakahara smiled
as she lifted a slow hand. A black sphere suddenly appeared around
her, blocking The Wind's attack. As the sphere slowly disappeared
into thin air, she smiled at the girl.
Sakura took a step back, her eyes wide with fear
as she gazed at The Wind card in her hand. This guardian had exactly
the same characteristics as The Void; she could avoid any attacks
from the Sakura cards. So how could she defeat this guardian?
"Nice to see you've woke up, girl," Yoko
spoke as she turned to gaze sharply at Sakura who retreated yet
another step. There was something odd about this guardian, something
that felt somehowdangerous.
Li narrowed his eyes as he took a step forward. "You
promised not to involve Sakura-chan in our battle," he reminded
her bitterly as the pain in his shoulder was forgotten for a split
second.
She smiled, turning back to him as she studied his
anger filled amber eyes. "Nice try for you to protect her,"
Yoko scoffed as she grinned evilly at the two of them. "I'll
just have one of my tomodachi to help me."
"One of your tomodachi?"
Suddenly, the earth behind Li rose, molding into
a human shape before hardening into a girl who was dressed in
a light green uniform that was almost identical to Li's cardcaptor
uniform. Her eyes roamed around warily before settling on Li and
Sakura.
"Nanda, Yoko-chan?"
The both of them blinked at the sight of the other
girl. Taking advantage of the situation, Sakura rushed to Li's
side and began to examine his wound worriedly as Li's face grew
red in its original blush whenever Sakura was anywhere near.
"Li-kun, we have to get you out of this world
before your injury gets worse," she spoke softly as she watched
the two girls confer with each other. "It might get infected.
Li-kun, are you listening? Li-kun?"
He blinked, as if just waking up from a dream as
he nodded hurriedly. "Hai, I heard you, Sakura-chan. Don't
you worry about me. I'm all right."
She frowned, her leaf green eyes gazing into his
dark amber until the both of them turned away. Their faces were
red, regardless of the presence of the two other girls that now
stood watching them.
Li gritted his teeth as another wave of pain coursed
through him.
He had to protect Sakura no matter what would happen
to him!
-------
The Unlimited stood gazing at the crystal globe,
her face emotionless as she watched Li and Sakura together. She
could do nothing about what happened in that world; she just created
it. It was the guardians that ruled that world.
"Worried about the two cardcaptors, Unlimited?"
The Influence stepped forward, looking at the crystal
globe before switching his gaze to Tomoyo and Eriol. He didn't
quite understand human traits; they were willing to sacrifice
themselves for something that they loved. Why?
The magical Clow card sighed, her blue eyes soft
as she spoke. "What can I do here, Influence? I don't even
have the power to control the world that I can create. Even more,
my friends are in there!"
"That can't be helped, Unlimited," The
Hope spoke up as she slipped a comforting hand around The Unlimited's
shoulders. She had heard many stories that this card possessed
great power, yet she still seemed so helpless here. "Let
Li and Sakura handle it. I believe they can come out safely."
The silence among the three yin Clow cards was evident
as each one was deep in his or her on thoughts. They didn't want
to inflict much pain on the cardcaptors, but it was by a rule
that no one could change all of three of their forms without undergoing
a test.
Still, Li hadn't cared when she had told him that
he might disappear from this earth, The Unlimited reflected. He
had said in fact, that he would do anything to prevent Sakura
from getting hurt, but surely this was going to far?
Li did have some deep feelings towards Sakura since
ten years ago, The Hope recalled as she smiled, remembering Li's
last words before he had been surrounded by the black sphere.
"Even if I were to lose this feeling, I am
sure to come to love you once again, Sakura-chan."
Yet, Li had never confessed his true feelings towards
Sakura even when he was about to leave Sakura to return to Hong
Kong. He couldn't stand to see her cry, but neither did he want
to make her cry.
She smiled, watching the crystal globe that hovered
motionless in the air as she breathed a soft sigh of relief.
With any luck, Li and Sakura might just be able to
end up together
-------
Sakura watched the two girls warily as they took
a few cautious steps. Her right hand gripped Li's hand, crushing
it tightly until he gazed at her in surprise.
All of a sudden, Yoko raised her arms, making two
separate black spheres appear around Li and Sakura respectively.
It wrapped around the both of them tightly, seeming to squeeze
every single last of their breath out of their bodies.
Li gritted his teeth, trying to withstand the excruciating
that wrecked his entire body now. Holding a charm in his right
hand, he closed his eyes, muttering the chant under his breath.
"Force, know my plight; release the light! Fire!"
The fire seemed to tear through the sphere that bound
Sakura, freeing Sakura from its death grip. Immediately, she retrieved
a Sakura card from her deck and closed her eyes.
"Sword card, bind your power with my wand! Sword!
Release and dispel!"
The spirit of the Sakura card flew out, enveloping
her wand in its almost translucent spirit before disappearing.
It formed her wand into the shape of a long handled sword that
was identical to Li's as she charged forward, slashing the sphere
that bound Li into pieces.
It shattered, breaking into a thousand tiny pieces
before fading away. Now, Li stood free from the sphere as his
amber eyes narrowed at Yoko. His right hand gripped the handle
of his sword tightly as he stepped forward.
"Force, know my plight; release the light! Lightning!"
The bolts of lightning lunged at the two girls who
stood motionless on the ground. The other girl closed her eyes,
and suddenly opened them again.
Mounds of soil suddenly assembled themselves in front
of the girls, blocking the lightning from coming any further to
harm them. As the light faded, the other girl smiled.
"Earth can defeat lightning. Didn't you know
that?"
Li gritted his teeth, stepping forward as he glared
at her. "And who might you be?"
A small smile appeared on the corners of her mouth
as she took a step forward, ignoring Li's sword. She shook her
head, watching as he lowered his sword in slight confusion.
"You cardcaptors never learn," she sighed
as she averted her eyes for a split second to look at Yoko. "I'm
Miyuki Okishima, the guardian of the earth element charm. I presume
that you're looking for this too?"
She held out the brown tinted element charm, showing
it to Li and Sakura. It was obvious; this was the last elemental
charm that they were looking for to exit this world!
Miyuki closed her palm over the shining charm as
she gazed closely at them. Loose strands of her black hair were
blown to the back by a slight breeze as she took a closer step
towards the both of them.
"All the same, I'm sure you're aware of what
you have to do get this charm, ne?"
Yoko was getting impatient as she folded her arms.
Her blue eyes glowed angrily as she pulled Miyuki back. "Enough
of all this talk," she hissed, glaring at Li and Sakura.
"If you want these two charms, you'll have to get it yourselves.
Understand?"
Li took a step forward, his amber eyes confident
as he raised his sword. At the back of him, Sakura clenched her
wand and nodded.
"Wakata," he spoke as he pushed a few loose
strands of dark brown hair back from his eyes. "If we win,
you'll give us the charms, ne?"
The two guardians nodded, their eyes aglow as they
gazed at their opponents. Their confidence seemed to match Li
and Sakura's as they stared back at each other.
Each was wondering if they could win, yet some unspeakable
confidence bound the two pairs together.
-------
Meilin wondered if she had ever seen so much unity
between Li and Sakura as she gazed at the crystal globe. Li hadn't
seen the other cardcaptor for about ten years, yet he still had
feelings towards her. Sakura, too had never forgotten him, for
she had kept waiting all these ten years for the day of his return
to Tomoeda.
Besides, there had been a somewhat hindrance in their
relationship when she had first came to Tomoeda. Being Li's fiancee,
Meilin had always used suspected that something was amiss when
Li and Sakura were together.
It was not until she returned to Tomoeda from Hong
Kong did Li reveal his true feelings for the other cardcaptor.
True, she had been a little disappointed and sad at first, but
Tomoyo had comforted her, telling her to leave things for the
better.
Li had never stopped liking Sakura, she realized
with a slight smile as she gazed at her cousin. The boy had a
strong personality and a determined aura around him, but it all
crumbled when Sakura was around.
There was not a doubt about it; Li did have feelings
for Sakura. Still, Meilin had no idea if Sakura had feelings for
her cousin. Sakura seldom showed any feelings for Li, but she
did blush a little when he was around. Did that signify anything?
She sighed, her eyes gazing at the crystal globe
as she watched Li and Sakura face their ultimate challengers:
the two guardians of the elemental charms, Yoko and Miyuki. There
was something powerful about the two guardians, Meilin could feel.
Even if she was in another world, she could almost
feel the immense power that radiated from the two pairs. If Li
and Sakura failed this time, they would never find their way out
of that world!
A slight breeze blew her hair back, and the contours
of her face relaxed. Then, feeling a gently hand on her shoulder,
Meilin turned around, only to come face to face with Kaho.
"Nanda, Kaho-sensei?" she spoke, her voice
trembling slightly as she forced a smile on her face. Her ex teacher
was silent for a moment as she scrutinized Meilin before finally
smiling.
"Li and Sakura will be able to overcome this
challenge," she spoke, her eyes shining as she put both her
hands on Meilin's shoulders. "Trust me."
Li's cousin nodded mutely. In her heart, she was
silently cheering on the couple, wishing that they would succeed
over all odds and that nothing would happen to either of them.
Nothing.
-------
The silence between the opposing pairs were deafening;
each were glaring at each other. Li stood firmly on the ground
in a ready stance as he gripped his sword. Sakura on the other
hand, stood staring at the two guardian as she held her wand close
to her.
There was a sudden movement as Yoko suddenly raised
her hands, and black spheres appeared around the two cardcaptors.
Li closed his eyes, muttering a charm almost inaudibly. Fire burned
through the sphere as he opened his eyes confidently.
Sakura followed him, using The Fire. "Fire card!
Burn away this sphere! Fire! Release and dispel!"
The sphere was burnt away as it fell onto the ground.
It disappeared as the flames crackled around it, just as The Fire
reverted into its original form: a Clow card. Sakura watched,
horrified as the previous Sakura card flew into Yoko's outstretched
hand.
"Nani?"
Yoko smiled, holding up the Clow card as she smirked.
"I'm sure you've had some run-ins with The Void
in your world," she spoke decisively, her blue eyes glinting
slightly. "It must have taken away your Sakura cards, ne?
Well, I have exactly same power as it."
Sakura gasped, taking a step back as Li narrowed
his eyes. "We'll see about that," he spoke as he raised
his sword. "Force, know my plight; release the light! Lightning!"
The lightning bolts hurtled towards the guardian,
but was suddenly blocked by a thin screen. He gritted his teeth,
turning to glare at Miyuki who lowered her hand slowly as she
smiled.
"You're against me," she spoke softly,
her voice containing a hint of a challenge. "Your Sakura
friend will go against Yoko. One against one, ne?"
Li's fists clenched as his amber eyes stared at Sakura.
Could she defeat the guardian? It had taken all of her power for
her to defeat The Void while they were in the other world ten
years ago. Could she defeat Yoko?
Sakura smiled grimly, her leaf green eyes boring
into him as she nodded slowly. "You fight for the earth element
charm, Li-kun," she decided as she turned away. "I'll
do my part by fighting for the void element charm."
"Demo"
She forced a smile on her face as she raised her
wand. "I'll be all right, Li-kun. Don't worry."
He sighed, looking slightly deflated as he contemplated
her decision. Finally, he looked up, his amber eyes burning with
somewhat strong intensity within.
"Very well, Sakura-chan. I'll leave the void
element charm to you."
Miyuki smiled, watching the cardcaptor turn towards
her. "You, on the other hand," Li growled warningly
as his amber eyes glinted dangerously. "Are going against
me."
She smiled in satisfaction as she nodded. There was
something she had to admire about this boy: his ability and spirit
to fight. As long as he had that, he would never fail in life.
"Hai."
She moved into a ready pose as she smiled. Maybe
there was some hope for these cardcaptors to escape this world
after all.
-------
There was something in Meilin that she had always
been proud of, Kaho knew as she gazed at the girl that had continued
to stare at the crystal globe in front of her. She had one of
the strongest spirits among all of them.
Turning her head, she blinked at the sight of Eriol
and Tomoyo together. She stared at the both of them curiously,
before finally smiling at the couple secretly. They did seem to
be made for each other-just like Li and Sakura. Could these two
be the next couple in Tomoeda?
Shaking her head, she could sense Meilin's worry
regarding the battle. She turned, gazing at the girl carefully
out of the corner of her eye. "Meilin-chan? Is something
on your mind?"
The black haired girl turned, smiling grimily at
her ex teacher's voice. Kaho had some type of power to detect
the other person's feelings, and Meilin knew it since she had
known that Kaho was more than acquainted with Eriol.
"Hai, sensei," she spoke, gazing at the
globe that was hovering in the air not far from her as she sighed
almost inaudibly. "I've been thinkingI was the one
that had been chasing after Li-kun all this time while he himself
liked Sakura-chan. Now, it seems as if I were a small child only."
Kaho was silent as she scrutinized the wry smile
that Meilin shot towards her. Meilin had changed after these ten
years, she noted silently . She had not only become more mature,
but also much more independent and much more self reliable.
"You weren't aware of Li-kun's feelings towards
Sakura-chan earlier, Meilin-chan. There was no way to know if
he really had feelings towards her."
Meilin shook her head, wiping away hastily the teardrops
that were rolling down the smooth skin of her cheek. "Still,
I should have known of his feelings earlier. I was too hasty in
everything, and I think Li-kun knew it too."
Kaho smiled, hoping to console the girl's injured
feelings. "Sometimes things are not meant to be, Meilin-chan,"
she spoke softly, smiling as she spoke. "I'm sure that you'll
find that all things will turn out well in the end."
Meilin sighed, her eyes turning to gaze at the crystal
globe once more.
"I truly hope so, Kaho-sensei."
-------
Li watched worriedly as Sakura and Yoko began their
most vicious fight. Part of him wondered if Sakura could truly
defeat the void element charm guardian, yet a voice in him told
him that everything would be all right-she could overcome this
challenge alone.
He gritted his teeth, trying his best not to get
his attention too occupied on Sakura. Still, how could he now
worry about her? She was in danger after all
Suddenly, he dodged to the side, narrowly missing
a ring of earth that had been conjured up with Miyuki's special
powers. His amber eyes were glued on the guardian, yet his mind
was definitely wandering somewhere else.
Miyuki paused, her eyes studying the tall boy that
stood opposite of her. He seemed so calm on the surface, yet she
sensed worry and anxiety within his heart. She couldn't possibly
fight him if his mind was somewhere else; it wouldn't be fair
at all for him.
Finally, she sighed heavily, moving into her normal
pose once again as a slow smile stretched across her face. She
honoured the true values that this boy held inside him. He was
extremely worried for a girl that he had feelings for, and she
didn't blame him.
"I'm not the type to take advantage of one's
emotions," she sighed as she retreated, handing the charm
to him as she grinned slightly. "I don't have to fight you,
and I know that. Even if I were to battle with you, it wouldn't
be fair for you at all."
Li blinked, his eyes gazing at the girl in amazement
as she spoke. "Nani?"
She smiled gently, turning to look at Sakura who
was glaring at Yoko. "I can sense your feelings for this
Sakura girl, Li. You don't have to deny it. I admit defeat this
time."
He stared at the translucent brown charm that she
had handed to him, and he looked up, wondering if this all was
a dream. Still, his face took on its usual red colour at the mere
mention of his feelings towards Sakura.
"What do you mean by 'this time'?"
She turned back , raising an eyebrow as she pointed
towards Sakura. "You don't think I'm going to let you off
without a battle, ne? After all of this ends, I want you to return
to this world and battle with me, do you hear?"
He was silent before a slow smile broke across his
face. There was something about this girl that he admired, yet
he couldn't pinpoint it. Perhaps it was the humane qualities that
she had inside her, or maybe the girl's truthful nature. Still,
it gave him a chance to help Sakura
"Hai!" he spoke, pocketing the charm in
his cardcaptor uniform before running to help Sakura, leaving
Miyuki gazing after him.
That boy's going to be the greatest of the Li clan
that has ever lived, Miyuki thought as she watched him raise his
sword at Yoko. He would rule the clan not only with fairness,
but also with the responsibility that he had been thought since
he was young.
And of course, she reflected with a slight smile.
He would most probably rule it together with Sakura.
-------
Yoko blinked at the sight of Li beside Sakura, holding
his sword to ward off a sphere that had nearly hit her a minute
ago. Had that boy already defeated Miyuki? That was impossible;
Miyuki was invincible!
"Aren't you supposed to be battling with Miyuki,
boy?" she hissed, her blue eyes glaring coldly at him as
she spoke. "Don't come interfering into my battle when you're
not supposed to!"
Li grinned confidently at the guardian before he
turned to look at Sakura. "Miyuki has a much softer heart
that you'll ever have," he spoke, gripping his sword in a
ready pose. "Let's just say that it's me and Sakura-chan
against you now, ne?"
Sakura blinked, turning to stare at him in surprise.
Whatever did his words mean?
"Li-kun, what about the earth element charm?"
He smiled, just as Yoko began to attack the both
of them. Raising his sword, he closed his eyes and uttered a chant.
"Force, know my plight; release the light! Lightning!"
The bolts of lightning that shot out from his sword
swirled around the two black spheres, inserting small electrical
bolts before finally electrocuting the two black spheres. When
the smoke cleared, Li and Sakura could see Yoko's angry face.
"I'm not going to be defeated by some cardcaptor!"
she declared, just as she raised both her arms. A row of black
spheres appeared around Li and Sakura, and they took a step back
in shock.
Li gritted his teeth, gazing at the long row of black
spheres that surrounded them in a circle. How were they ever going
to defeat this? His power was going to run out soon, and he knew
Sakura couldn't handle this all by himself. But what other choice
did he have?
He raised his sword again, but Sakura grabbed his
arm suddenly. His eyes shot open, staring at the girl as she pointed
towards a far end of the area. Following her indication, he slowly
turned to gaze at the group of elemental charm guardians that
they had defeated standing there. What could they possible want?
Korashiku, the water element charm guardian, smiled,
his eyes gleaming as he gazed at Li and Sakura. "Let us handle
Yoko, Li. I do believe we've got a score to settle with her, ne?"
Sonoko nodded, her eyes on the two other guardians,
Natsue and Miyuki who stood beside her, nodding in unison. "You've
looked down on our powers in the past, Yoko-chan. it's time you
receive what you truly should have."
Sakura blinked, looking confused about the entire
thing that seemed to be happening in front of her in a most amazing
speed. Why would the rest of the elemental charm guardians gang
up against one of their own kind?
"Don't worry, Li," Miyuki assured him with
a grim smile as she moved into a ready pose. "We'll make
sure you get the void element charm. Just leave this work to us;
we'll be more than glad to do it for you."
Yoko gritted her teeth, glaring at the group that
stood facing her. How could these weaklings that couldn't even
defeat her, now turn their back on her one by one and actually
support those cardcaptors?
"I do believe you're going against the wrong
person here, minna-san," she addressed the group of guardians
that stood opposite of her. "As far as the rules go, we're
supposed to be getting rid of them, not fighting with me. Or have
your brains been somehow damaged by their battles with them?"
Natsue snorted, gazing sharply at the void element
charm guardian until the girl retreated a few steps to the back.
"That's why we have never liked to work with you, Yoko-san,"
she spoke curtly, signaling for Li and Sakura to move to one side.
"You insult us too much."
Yoko smirked, moving into a ready pose as she glared
at the other four guardians. "Very well then. I accept your
challenge, but I warn you, you'll be sorry for uttering those
words to me!"
"We'll see!"
With that cry, Korashiku rushed forward, aiming his
sword as a few waves of water appeared around Yoko. She, in turn,
simply yawned and with a sweep of a hand, brought a row of black
spheres to view.
The three guardians stepped forward, each bent on
defeating the void element charm as Korashiku staggered a few
steps back. Finally steadying himself, he narrowed his eyes, raising
his sword once more, only to be stopped by Natsue.
"No, Korashiku-san," she spoke decisively
as she stepped forward. "Let me try. I've been defeated by
her before- and I won't lose this time."
Yoko let out a laugh as she turned to gaze at the
group that stood a few meters away from her. "All of you
don't even value your own lives," she sniffed disdainfully
with a wave of her hand. "I don't mind that; I can always
earn all your charms once I've killed all of you."
There was an audible gasp from Sakura as she stepped
forward. How could Yoko be so evil as to kill all of her friends?
Was there no hope for her and Li to return to their
world?
-------
The sudden astounding silence was deafening as the
seven individuals watched all the happenings in the other world.
Each could sense how intense the atmosphere was; no one uttered
a word.
Finally, Tomoyo broke the silence. "Sakura-chan
is going to be all right," she spoke, trying to convince
all the people there. "She and Li-kun have been able to get
through so many challenges before this. They're bound to return
with success."
Eriol turned to gaze at her seriously, his blue eyes
seeming to penetrate the deep regions of her heart, She fell silent,
blushing slightly under his careful blue gaze. He sighed, turning
back to stare at the crystal globe.
"I only wish it were that easy," he sighed
audibly before turning to look at the rest of the people there.
"The feud between the guardians have long existed since The
Unlimited created that world. Yoko has long insulted the other
guardians; something was bound to happen."
Kaho nodded, her eyes serious as she turned to look
at the three yin Clow cards. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid that
Yoko might do what she has threatened. After all, she has the
third element, The Fire, in her hands now. It'll be easy for her
to defeat all the other four guardians alone."
The Unlimited, in turn, nodded silently. Kaho's words
were true; the conflict this time would most probably lead to
bloodshed on that world. "What about Li and Sakura?"
Eriol looked down, clenching his fists as he spoke.
His voice was quiet, yet Tomoyo could sense anger and frustration
behind his controlled tone of voice.
"I don't know. If Yoko is defeated by any chance,
the charm will be theirs. All the same, if all four guardians
are defeated, they might have to battle Yoko by themselves. They
would have a lesser chance of winning, unfortunately."
"Isn't there any way for the four guardians
to win their battle against Yoko?"
"The powers of all the four guardians combined
isn't enough alone to defeat Yoko. Of course, if Li-kun and Sakura-chan
were to work together with them, the odds might turn to them.
After all, the guardians do possess some magic"
Meilin could the worry inside her rising once more
as she closed her eyes in silent prayer. "Please let both
Li and Sakura be fine," she prayed, her heart racing.
There was nothing more precious than her cousin,
and she wasn't going to lose him!
-------
Li was silent as he watched the four guardians battle
against Yoko. His eyes were closed, and he was concentrating on
something, but Sakura couldn't sense what he was feeling at that
moment.
"Li-kun? Daijobu desu ka?"
He opened his eyes, only to blink at the sight of
Sakura's inquisitive green eyes. Shaking his head, he turned red
as he looked away, embarrassed as always by her mere gaze.
"Daijobu, Sakura-chan. Nani?"
She was silent as she gazed at him. Li did know that
the four guardians' didn't stand a chance against Yoko, she could
tell as she heaved a sigh. His powers had increased, yet he just
didn't use them to their full extent.
"You know that Korashiku, Natsue, Sonoko and
Miyuki don't stand a chance against the void element charm guardians,
ne?" she asked, staring at his back as he nodded slowly.
"Hai. Their powers aren't enough even if they
were to combine all four element together; it's as if we were
using The Wind against The Fire. It worsens the entire condition.
All four of them may have the spirit, but they simply don't have
sufficient powers to defeat her."
The brown haired girl's eyes narrowed as she laid
a gentle hand on his shoulder. She didn't know if he would agree
with her idea; he might simply protest and remark that it was
a crazy idea to start with.
"Why don't we help them, Li-kun?"
Turning to gaze at the eager leaf green stare, Li
averted his gaze to the battle that was going on in front of them
doubtfully. Need they actually interfere in a battle when they
had specifically told not to?
"I don't know, Sakura-chan," he spoke at
last, turning unwillingly to meet her eyes. "Miyuki-chan
has already told us not to enter this battle. Still"
His voice trailed off as he stared doubtfully at
Yoko who was easily defending herself against all of their attacks
that came one by one. It was true; the four guardians could never
defeat Yoko this way. However, if he and Sakura were to help them,
their chances of reaching victory might increase
"We have nothing against them," Sakura
argued pleadingly as she watched his fists slowly clench. "They
can't do any harm to us anyhow, as we already have their elemental
charm with us due to our successes over them. What harm could
come in our way?"
"Wakata. Demo, you must think of the consequences
that might befall us to if we were truly to battle against her
too, Sakura-chan. The chances of us winning over her is a slight
one; the combination of our powers with the four other guardians
is just a little more than hers. Is it worth it?"
Sakura stared at him, holding back the anger that
had now risen inside her. How had Li changed all these years?
If they had been faced with the same dilemma ten years ago when
they were still in fifth grade, she was sure that he wouldn't
have hesitated to help them!
"I've always thought that you were someone with
a heart, Li-kun," she spoke bitterly as she began to march
into the battle site. "I didn't know that the Li Syaoran
that I had known ten years back had changed into this type of
person."
He watched her walk away, stunned. Did she really
mean what she said. Had he really become heartless after all the
training on the ways of how to govern the Li clan when he had
been in Hong Kong?
"Sakura-chan!" he called, something finally
clicking into his mind.
"Matte!"
Sakura raised her wand just as she felt a pair of
gentle hands pushing it down once more. She spun around, only
to smile at the sight of Li who was holding his sword in his right
hand.
"You don' really expect me to miss all the fun
while you battle your way through here, do you?" he spoke
as he grinned. He released her hand, narrowing his eyes as he
glared at Yoko who was standing not far from them.
She nodded. Li was right about something, she thought
as she watched him raise his sword slightly.
They would always be together. Issho.
-------
Meilin bit her lip as she watched Li and Sakura join
into to the fierce battle. Could they come out safe with the void
element charm? Although they did have a slight advantage over
Yoko, but the doubt still resided in her mind on their chances
of winning.
She sighed, her hands trembling slightly as she watched
Li blend into the scene of the battle. He had always been more
than glad to take risks for the people that were close to him;
she had experienced that in fifth grade where he had been extra
protective of her because of her frequent interference while he
and Sakura were capturing Clow cards.
Li had never liked anyone else than Sakura all these
years, she reflected with a wistful smile. Being the head of the
Li clan, many girls constantly came to visit him, but none ever
took his heart, for he claimed that she was the one that he was
waiting for.
Clenching her fists, she gave a silent prayer that
the both of them would come out safe from that world. Still, Li
had to remember that he would take the consequences when Sakura
changed the remaining yin Clow cards into Sakura cards. he had
to disappear from this earth.
His decision wasn't questioned; Eriol, Tomoyo and
Kaho did know that the two of them were perfect for each other.
To tell the truth, everyone knew about how the both of them felt
towards each other, it was only Li and Sakura who didn't face
the truth.
Still, she couldn't tell how she'd feel if she were
to lose Li. He had been her closest cousin, always protecting
and looking out for her no matter what she did. Could she bear
the pain that followed on if he disappeared?
"Meilin-chan?"
She blinked, spinning around at the sound of Tomoyo's
soft voice, only to be greeted by a pair of worried blue eyes.
"Are you worried about Li-kun and Sakura-chan, Meilin-chan?"
There was a silent nod from the girl who turned back
to gaze at the crystal globe once more. "No one will ever
understand how I treasure Li-kun as a brother and not merely a
cousin," she spoke softly. "He was always looking out
for me whenever I got into trouble. What'll I do without him?"
Tomoyo nodded understandingly, her blue eyes sympathetic
as she threw a gaze at Eriol who was watching the both of them
with a slight frown. She knew how worried Meilin felt; she and
Sakura were cousins too after all.
"Don't worry, Meilin-chan. I have faith that
they'll escape from that world unharmed," she tried to convince
the girl who simply kept quiet. To tell the truth, Tomoyo herself
wasn't even sure if she believed in her own words. The words and
their logic seemed so far away from each other for some reason.
"I hope so, Tomoyo-chan," came the gentle
reply as Meilin looked up and smiled. For a split second, Tomoyo
saw a flash of the old Meilin that she had known ten years ago,
but the glitter in Meilin's eyes was quickly gone as she turned
back to the crystal globe.
"I want to see Li-kun one more time if he were
to disappear from this earth."
-------
Sakura fended off a black sphere with The Water and
crouched, readying herself for the next attack from Yoko. Li and
her together with the other four guardians did have a little advantage
over Yoko, but what Li said was true. The combination of their
powers weren't enough to defeat her.
Yoko let out a small snarl just as The Water attacked
her, but was quickly subsided when a black sphere appeared around
the spirit of the Sakura card, preventing it from attacking her
any longer. "Don't think that you've won yet, girl,"
she growled, her blue eyes flashing as she readied herself into
a fighting pose.
The brown haired girl could feel herself tense just
as she gripped her wand. Beside her, Li stiffened, his amber brown
eyes fixed on the guardian as he gave a small smile.
"Don't think you've won either!" he spoke,
rushing forward as he attacked her with his sword. Fending off
the spheres that seemed to generate themselves around him, he
concentrated on hitting the guardian with what was left of his
powers.
Yoko let out a scream of pain as a lightning bolt
hit her right shoulder, and her eyes immediately narrowed dangerously
at the wary amber gaze. "You'll pay for that," she swore
as two spheres generated themselves around Sakura.
"Sakura-chan!"
He rushed forward, but was frozen in his tracks just
a sphere appeared out of nowhere and blocked his path. Spinning
around, he gritted his teeth as he glared at her.
"What do you want? Why are you treating Sakura-chan
in such a way?"
She merely shrugged, her blue eyes having an evil
and mysterious glint in them as she gazed at the spheres that
were blocking the other cardcaptor from view. "I told you
you'd pay for what you did to me. This is what I would call 'revenge',
ne?"
Li gritted his teeth, perspiration beading his forehead
as he stared worriedly at the gigantic sphere that had appeared
due to the combination of the two spheres earlier.
"Perhaps you'd be interested to know what might
be going on in that sphere," Yoko spoke as she gazed intently
at him. "Let's just say that for every attack that I get
hit with, your little tomodachi over there will take the same
beating. Wouldn't you call it fair?"
Li stood, clenching his fists tightly as he stared
worriedly at the sphere. Dare he risk the life of the girl that
he loved for just this battle?
He closed his eyes, trying to withstand the tears
that threatened to squeeze out at that very moment. Sakura was
the only girl that he had ever cared so deeply for. Yet, he was
afraid that he wouldn't be able to utter the three words that
he had been keeping a secret from her all this time.
Unexpectedly, the words that he couldn't utter before
rose to his lips now, and a lone tear streamed down his face as
they came out.
"Ai shiteruSakura-chan."
Authors notes:
Well, that's the second last batch of the series
(I hope ^o^;;). I haven't any idea what this may lead to, and
come to think of it, I have no idea where Tomoyo and Eriol's relationship
will lead to either. Notice that I haven't put Eriol's new name
'Eli Moon' in this story, for the news has only come out when
I was half writing this story and it was too late to change it
now. The adventure at its height now, so please be patient for
the last chapter of the entire story! \^o^/
Japanese words:
Matte- Wait
-sensei- used as a suffix for teacher, can also be used as a single
word "sensei" meaning "teacher"
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"
Demo- but
Daijobu- I'm okay/all right, or it's okay/all right
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. ^^
Nani- what
Yukata- Something like a kimono. In fact, I have trouble on naming
these clothes: are they kimono or yukata? Anyway, it's a kind
of informal summer kimonoat least, that's what the dictionary
says
Iie- no
Ai shiteru- I love you
San - Mr/Mrs/Miss, honorific for someone of status equal to yourself.
Is to be add at the end of the name
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.
Hai - Yes.
Iie - No..
Issho - Together
Wakata- I understand
