The New Cards
Final Battles: Chapter Sixteen
By: Sakura
Without wasting a second, Kam Un pulled his sword free from the ground and swiftly advanced again. He brought the blade down on Syaoran repeatedly, in quick slashing motions while Syaoran brought his up to block and parry each blow. But in his next movement, instead of using his sword, Kam Un aimed a sharp kick that impacted with Syaoran's sword and threw the Li off balance, causing him to hit the ground. The wooden planks beneath him abruptly collapsed and he fell into a semi-deep pit covered with hay. Sakura's heart caught in her throat when Syaoran disappeared from sight, but she sighed, half-relieved, when she saw his fingers holding onto the ledge. She glanced over at Jiao Wan and caught him watching the entire scene with a bored expression on his face.
Before that, Di Shang had been looking for an opening so he could help his cousin in the battle, but Kam Un left no openings for him then. Now, with Syaoran out of the way for the moment, Kam Un changed his focus to Di Shang. He attacked ferociously, each time bringing down the blade with more force, while Di Shang attempted to block the blows. Every time their blades met, Di Shang could feel the force of the collided weapons snake its way to the wound on his arm. His left arm throbbed more painfully as time went on. He knew he couldn't take this kind of physical pressure every time. His body did have its limits.
Pausing in step, Kam Un took out a tiny spherical object and flicked it to the ground. A smoke screen suddenly erupted from the tiny object, blocking everyone's vision. Di Shang tried to wave away the smoke before him, but to no avail.
Feeling a sharp pain on his left side, Di Shang released his hold on his sword, letting it fall to the ground with a loud clatter, as he gripped his arm and gritted his teeth, trying to bear the pain. Kam Un smirked as he raised his hand up, palm open. A tiny grey orb of energy formed in his hand and he turned it around, directing it at Di Shang. Sakura's widened and she quickly scrambled to her feet.
Too late.
Kam Un pushed the orb away, forcing it to fly into the ceiling directly above his opponent, burrowing itself deep. A small explosion followed, causing chunks of wood, tiles, and other debris to collapse, completely burying him.
"Di Shang!" cried Sakura. She tried to move forward, toward the shower of rubble, but something held her back.
"Wait," whispered a voice, "you can't help him if you get buried as well."
"But…" she murmured in response. "He can't survive under there for long, Clow…"
"Don't worry…"
By this time, the pieces had settled but the dust still hung in the air like a smoke curtain. Sakura looked up and she could see a hole in the tiled roof, the night sky peering through it. But she could not see the reassuring - though sometimes cold - light of the moon, nor could she see the bright twinkling light of the stars surrounding it. Dark grey clouds seemed to have swallowed them up. Switching her gaze to eye level again, through the dust, she could see nothing but a pile of debris. Her heart sank…Di Shang could be completely trapped under there! When the dust had completely settled, Sakura was already beside the rubble, pulling away broken pieces of wood and tiles. Kam Un watched with amusement while the Card Mistress did what she could to help her friend. The sharp edges from the tiles cut her skin, but she ignored them. All that mattered was her friend.
In a matter of seconds, movement could be detected from under the wreckage. Underneath, Di Shang tried to place an incantation paper flat against one of the larger planks of wood. He found his sword lying beside him and, using his left hand, for his right arm was pinned under the debris, struggled to pick it up. Holding it up to the paper, he whispered, "Fuuka shourai!" A sudden gust of wind came up and blew away the rubble, leaving Di Shang lying still on the ground, his grip on the heavy sword lost when he collapsed. The fallen particles had been swept into Kam Un's direction, but with a mere flick of the wrist, he blocked each and every object with his sword. Sakura was by Di Shang's side in a second, helping him sit up.
"Di Shang," she murmured in a frantic tone, "are you okay? Answer me, please!" Hearing his name, Di Shang forced his eyelids open and turned to face Sakura. Her emerald-green eyes shimmered with tears and were filled with concern.
"I'm okay," he said in a half-whisper. "I'm just fine. Don't worry about me." Without thinking, Sakura placed her arms around Di Shang in a hug, eyes closing.
"I'm glad. I thought…I almost thought…" she started. Eyes closed, she continued, "you're okay now and that's what matters."
Bored at the tender scene before him, Kam Un held up his palm again and suddenly called forth another energy orb, unleashing it toward the Card Mistress' direction. Sakura didn't see it, for her back was to the Jiao User, but Di Shang did and he pushed her down, blocking her with himself. Sakura turned back to see the same grey orb as earlier headed toward them again and held on to Di Shang as she shut her eyes tight, waiting for it to impact. Suddenly, there was a flash of light and Sakura's eyelids flew open, in time to see a thunderbolt intercept the energy orb and disintegrate it. Following it was a strong blast of wind that blew away the dust from the fallen debris. Kam Un turned around angrily, wondering at the source.
Through the smoke behind him stepped in a lone figure; green robes covered in dust, hat falling to the ground. Syaoran stood there, his sword drawn as he finished his spell. "I won't let you hurt them," he said in a low voice. Then the corners of his mouth flitted up in a wry smile. "You didn't forget about me already, did you?" he added dryly.
"Who could forget?" stated Kam Un with a smirk. Syaoran's smile disappeared as his expression became serious again…and he glared at the User.
"And you said you were battling me now," he said, "so leave Sakura out of this!"
Kam Un laughed. "Who said I was fighting only you?" he sneered. "I am battling both Li's here. My shot was aimed at your little cousin. But," he added, smiling widely, "if the Card Mistress chooses to get in the way, it's not my problem…now, is it?" Syaoran immediately glanced over at Sakura and Di Shang who were both sitting up, Sakura helping Di Shang move.
"Sakura, get out of the way!" he commanded severely.
"But, Syaoran…" she started.
"Now!"
Sakura looked at Di Shang, her eyes filled with fear and worry for both of them. Di Shang placed his hand over hers lightly and smiled reassuringly. He nodded for her to leave. Sakura felt torn. She didn't want to leave this battle, even if it wasn't hers. But they were her friends. She didn't want them to get hurt. And Di Shang needed rest…he had taken a bad hit after all…Sakura bit her lip as she stood up and backed away to the sidelines again.
Without Sakura's support, Di Shang had a much harder time standing up. His left arm throbbed with pain from the wound and the fallen tiles had broken his right arm. The latter was useless now. But still…Gripping his sword tight with his left hand, Di Shang ignored the flaming pain as he pulled himself up off the ground. Who cared if the pain in his left arm was excruciating? If anything ever happened to Sakura…This was why he couldn't give up. Finding his footing again, Di Shang balanced himself with both feet, his left hand still gripped to the sword. He turned to look at Sakura and mouthed the words, "don't worry", to her. Turning back to face the Jiao User, he fixed a glare on him. Kam Un only laughed.
"As like at that time at the circus, Li, you still have a warrior's persistence," he commended his opponent. "But," he added, "persistence isn't enough. You have to have power, which is something you lack now and always will." Kam Un lunged at Di Shang and succeeded at driving him into the wall. Suddenly, ropes materialized from the walls again and wrapped around Di Shang, holding him tight. As Kam Un took a step back, the ropes began to glow red. A sharp pain seized Di Shang and he emitted a scream as he struggled against the bonds. Syaoran's eyes widened as he realized what was going on. Kam Un was glowing a faint red now…he was draining away Di Shang's power with those ropes…and making himself stronger. His ropes had the same effect as Jiao Wan's Drain Card. Syaoran turned to glance quickly at Sakura and saw her expression mirrored his…if Di Shang wasn't released soon, he could die…
Syaoran's grip tightened on his sword. "I won't let that happen!" he cried out, running toward his cousin and bringing his sword down on the ropes binding his cousin. Di Shang gritted his teeth as he forced open his eyelids and saw what his cousin was about to do.
"Don't do it, Syaoran!" he shouted. But Syaoran's blade had already impacted the ropes. The red energy snaked its way around Syaoran's sword and shocked him as it reached his hands. He dropped his sword as it burned him, the object suddenly becoming too hot for him to even hold on to. Syaoran looked at Di Shang. The ropes now simply bound him, since Syaoran had broken the energy-stealing chain, but his cousin had lost unconscious, leaning limply against the wall. Syaoran looked from his cousin to his hand, the latter still tingling from the slight burn.
"So that's what you felt," thought Syaoran silently. "I received only a slight pain but you - and Sakura - had to endure the full force of it." He shut his eyes tight for a second, his thoughts turning in his mind. Then he became aware that his cousin's life energy had dropped significantly. It was so weak that he could no longer feel his cousin's presence, even though Di Shang sat less than a metre in front of him.
Sakura's heart sank when she felt Di Shang's presence disappear. He wasn't…he couldn't be…She shut her eyes tight as well. Her friend couldn't die…he just couldn't!
"Are you going to fight," a voice asked, cutting into his thoughts, "or are you just going to stand there all day?" Syaoran opened his eyes and fixed a glare at Kam Un, standing several feet away with his arms folded.
"I won't let you get away with hurting my friends," said Syaoran as he moved to retrieve his broadsword.
"Oh?" asked the Jiao User, hiding a small smile. "But I already have." More ropes emerged from the wall, binding around Syaoran's arms, legs, and waist, and forcing him against the wall as they retracted back. He knew what would happen next if he didn't try to free himself; his energy would be drained and fed to Kam Un. He couldn't let that happen. Pulling sharply on the ropes, he hit the ground hard. He managed to stretch his hand forward to his sword, a few centimetres away. A shadow fell over him, but Syaoran refused to look up and concentrated on trying to reach his sword, instead.
Kam Un stared down at the younger boy, knowing that what Syaoran was trying to do was useless. The Jiao User placed his foot on the hilt of the sword and pushed it slightly closer to Syaoran, almost in reach. Syaoran knew he was taunting him, but he ignored that. Finding that Syaoran wasn't taking the bait, Kam Un frowned and viciously kicked the sword far away, into a far corner in the room. He didn't like it when people refused to play along. He had less fun and less satisfaction when he defeated them.
"You never had a chance of winning," scorned Kam Un as he changed his sword back into his staff, "you should've realized that by now. I controlled everything from day one. You weren't a victim of fate; rather, you were the victim of your own enemy. Also," he added with a cold smile, whispering into Syaoran's ear, "your Cherry Blossom is going to die very soon…and you can't stop me." Before Syaoran could react to the User's last statement, the ropes that fastened him to the wall began to glow red, placing him in a situation not unlike his cousin's.
Syaoran did his best to bear the pain that took a hold of him. He had been in worse situations before…and he had made it out of them alive…sometimes just barely making it…He should've been able to take this. Even so, a cry of pain was ripped from his throat and, to say the least, Kam Un was enjoying himself immensely. After all, he loved nothing more than seeing others suffer; it was even sweeter if they suffered at his expense.
But this was the final straw for the Card Mistress. She couldn't watch…she couldn't just watch another one of her friends - one of her best friends - get caught in the same trap. Di Shang was…she didn't know if he was even alive or not anymore! But she couldn't lose Syaoran, too. The thought of living a life without him…it had almost been unbearable once…but she could not go through that ever again!
"I'm sorry, Clow," she murmured under her breath. "I know it's not time for my battle yet, but I have to interfere. I have to fight. I…I can't let my friends die!" She reached for her key but found it no longer hung on her neck. Then she remembered. Kam Un had her key! He took it from Syaoran just earlier! Sakura's shoulders slumped forward slightly, almost in defeat. Without her star staff…she wouldn't be able to help Syaoran…help anyone! Then, help came from an unexpected source. Suddenly, someone held her star key before her eyes. Sakura looked up and locked eyes with Jiao Wan, who held her key in the palm of his hand.
"Take it," he told her. Sakura was completely baffled. He was her enemy…wasn't he? Was he trying to help her? Jiao Wan studied Sakura silently for a few moments, his expression of complete and utter boredom never lifting. "Don't think for a second that I am trying to help you, Card Mistress," said the older magician sourly. "I am only giving this back to you because the Li's no longer have a chance, and it's your turn. I only want to see you battle my son." He released the key and Sakura caught it before it could reach the ground. Turning around, Jiao Wan walked back to his chair and settled into his seat. Sakura watched him leave, confused, and looked back at her key. She couldn't understand it. But before she could contemplate further, a sharp cry cut through her thoughts like a knife. Syaoran!
"O key which hides the power of the stars," Sakura began as she held her key before her, "reveal thy true form before me. I, Sakura, command thee under contract. Release!" The key changed to her star staff and Sakura quickly pulled out a card. "Sword!" Her staff transformed into a smooth rapier. "Please," she whispered inaudibly, "please let this be powerful enough to counter Kam Un's magic." In one swift motion, the Card Mistress brought her sword down against the bonds, severing the ties. Syaoran's cries ceased as he fell forward and dropped to the ground, barely conscious. Kam Un turned around angrily, seething at the interference. He had almost completely drained Syaoran's power, but she had to get involved where she didn't belong. Suddenly, the anger dropped from his expression and Kam Un smiled at her pleasantly.
"You're a little late, Card Mistress," he told her. He turned and delivered a sharp kick to Syaoran's ribs. Syaoran made no response whatsoever. Kam Un glanced over at Sakura, his smile returning as he added, "he's gone, more or less." Sadness could be seen in Sakura's eyes. He…he had no feelings…No care at all…He wasn't the least bit like Chi Yuen…his old self. What had changed him so drastically? Then again, maybe this was his true self. Maybe Chi Yuen had been like this all his life. But she didn't want to believe that. She didn't want to believe that he could really be a bad person. He had to have some good in him left, right? She hoped so.
Kam Un watched the Card Mistress with interest. Her face was like an open book; everything could be seen clearly through her expressions. She seemed hesitant at that moment. Maybe if he provoked her, she would fight. He was getting bored and wanted to play with something else. "The Li cousins are out of the question now," thought the User with a slight smirk. "That just leaves her…and she doesn't stand a chance…" Kam Un released his grip on his staff and it dropped to the ground in a loud clatter. Sakura looked up, startled out of her thoughts. "Attack me," he said, folding his arms.
"What?" asked Sakura in surprise.
"Attack me," repeated Kam Un, impatience in his tone.
"But…I don't want to fight with you, Chi Yuen."
"The name's Kam Un! You really are weak, Card Mistress," said Kam Un disgustedly. Picking up his staff, he added, "fine, if you won't attack, I will. The same rules I used for the Li's are now applied to you, except this time, it's a battle between cards." The Jiao book floated into his hands and he opened it, drawing out one of the cards without looking to see which one it was. "Release!" A sudden gust of wind raged throughout the small room, blowing bits and pieces of the fallen building around in a whirlwind. Sakura thought quickly of what could counteract Gust. When she had battled Gust before, Syaoran and Di Shang had been with her, using their lightning ofudas while she used Thunder. The second time she had to fight Gust, Sakura had used the Lightning…but that was a Jiao Card and she no longer had those cards in her possession. The Thunder just wasn't powerful enough alone…
"It doesn't matter if it's 'weaker'…does it?" whispered Sakura. "Thunder is as strong as I make it. I have to believe Thunder can defeat the Gust, without Lightning and without Syaoran and Di Shang's help…" Before the Gust could come near Sakura, the Card Mistress drew out a Sakura Card, a look of fierce determination on her face. "Thunder!" she cried, releasing it. The visible form of Thunder immediately appeared, static electricity flowing around it. It unleashed a bolt of lightning at the Gust, but the opposing card merely swept it away as if it were a feather in the wind. The card then reverted to its visible form, hovering above Thunder, a taunting smirk on its face…equal to the one Kam Un had on his.
"No," she murmured quietly, her grip on her staff tightening every moment, "Thunder will defeat Gust…I can't let Kam Un beat me…Thunder has to!" Suddenly, the gold star in her staff glowed brightly and Thunder's power grew, its next attack intensified. In one swift flash, the Gust was caught in a sharp shock and in no time, slowly floated to the ground, sealed in the boundaries of dark yellow borders and blue backgrounds; nothing but a card again. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and called back Thunder.
Kam Un cursed silently and glared at her. He quickly drew another card and released it. "Rock!" The short, bulky, broad-shouldered form of the card appeared a few feet in front of her. In less than second, the card drew its hand up, palm facing her, and tiny spikes beginning to form in the center of its palm. Sakura knew she had seen this before, but couldn't remember exactly where. She knew she had been with Syaoran and Di Shang when- That was it! The time they were travelling through the Yangtze River…it was the same attack Di Shang had blocked her from! But she had remembered almost too late.
"Shield!" she cried, holding up her staff. Instantly, an opaque barrier covered the Card Mistress, protecting her. The few spikes, two centimetres in length, had already left the Rock's hands, aimed at Sakura's midriff. Sakura knew her cards were as strong as she made them, but she abruptly wondered what would happen to her if they weren't. Through that one twinge of doubt, the spikes successfully passed through the Shield, which disappeared into its card form.
Sakura gasped in surprise, angry with herself for thinking that way. She tried dodging them, remembering how after that incident on the Yangtze, Di Shang had told her that those particular spikes could slowly take away a person's energy, although he didn't know where to. Sakura knew now that all of the energy went to the User, to strengthen him. The spikes missed their mark, but grazed Sakura's shoulders instead, neatly slicing the fabric and cutting her skin. Tiny drops of blood welled up from the mark and Sakura suddenly felt increasingly dizzy and rather tired. She slowly dropped to her knees, unable to support herself on her two legs anymore.
Laughing out loud, Kam Un withdrew the Rock, knowing it had done part of its job. It had not ridden him of the Card Mistress, but she had lost control, over her magic and herself. There was no chance she would be able to hold up against him any longer. Again, he had given her too much credit. She was far too weak…She would never make it in a battle with Jiao Wan if she couldn't beat his son…whose powers were nothing compared to that of his father's. It was a shame that Clow Read had such a weak successor. Now Jiao Wan would never get to enact the revenge that he had built up for many years now… "Ground," Kam Un said softly, as he selected what he firmly believed to be the last card, "finish her off." He tossed the card in the direction of the Card Mistress and watched as it slowly floated to the ground, still in its card form. If Sakura had felt any hope that the card would not listen to Kam Un, her hopes would have been dashed immediately. As soon as the card touched the ground, it glowed a bright red aura and cracks began running along the floor, breaking up the cement. Sakura, through her dizziness, managed to make her way to a faded red column, still supporting the ceiling, and clutched onto it.
Sakura knew this card was a mere equivalent to the Earthy, but that comforted her little. The Earthy was one of the strongest elements; defeating it hadn't been easy. Back when the Earthy had attacked Tokyo, it had not only caused earthquakes, but it had created mountains, abruptly growing out of the ground. But this Jiao Card wasn't creating mountains of any size; rather, it violently shook the ground and created dark, endless chasms that grew each second, about to collapse the entire place. Strangely, the walls remained intact, not budging one bit. The area around Kam Un and Jiao Wan was unaffected, as well as the area around both Li cousins. It was only where Sakura was. When she tried moving, Sakura realized it followed her, threatening to swallow her up in its deep, black mouth.
The mouth suddenly twisted into a smirk as it snatched her away from the column, letting her fall into a deep, seemingly bottomless pit. Sakura took one last look at Syaoran and Di Shang as she was pulled into the darkness and chanced to glance at Kam Un before she fell. His mouth was set in a thin, determined line as he watched her fall, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. His blue eyes were cold and hardened with distaste. And yet…there was something in those eyes…something about them that made Sakura doubt the feelings that Kam Un presented externally. Chi Yuen always looked as if he could love someone, as if he hungered for it…like he had someone he cared for more than anyone else in the world. And Chi Yuen was Kam Un. They were one and the same. Could there really be someone? Before she could think of anything else, the ground closed over her.
She was trapped in darkness. If there was light, Sakura was unaware of it. As if in a trance, she pulled out her cards, selecting one with her eyes shut. Clow had once told her to trust her instincts, her emotions…her heart. Sometimes the eyes could deceive, but never the heart. A card found its way to her hand and Sakura opened her eyes. Illusion. She knew one way of getting Chi Yuen back…it was almost the same way she got Di Shang back many moons ago. Her foggy mind was cleared and she knew her task. "Fly," she whispered softly. Graceful pink-feathered wings grew out of her back and Sakura soared up high, bursting through the ground and landing lightly back in the room. Kam Un, thinking the Card Mistress had been done for, had put away the cards and was walking to rejoin his father when Sakura burst through, still alive, dizziness long since swept away. This had startled Kam Un completely and he wasn't prepared to attack. The Ground grumbled and shook the ground in protest of losing its victim, but no one noticed.
"Illusion!" cried Sakura, releasing the card. A little opaque form, in the shape of a woman, slowly fluttered toward the ground, landing gently. She had waist-length blue - blue as the night - hair, which rested lightly on her shoulders in a long, thick braid. Her warm charcoal-grey eyes sparkled in the dim light, and she smiled softy at Kam Un. It took him a few moments, but Kam Un realized whom the figure looked like. He slowly backed away in disbelief, his hearting pounding furiously within his rib cage. At that one sight, Kam Un's hair of dark charcoal changed to one of a midnight blue hue…but only for a split second. "No," he whispered hoarsely, "it can't be. You're…you're dead!" Then he realized something else. Sakura had just released "Illusion". This wasn't the real person he once knew…No, it was only a trick…The trick of a Sakura Card…At that moment, disbelief turned into rage. How dare she! How dare she use this cheap move on him! To make him see the one he missed most…the one he needed more than anyone else…He'll make her pay for that!
Sakura gaped at the figure, at the woman that had materialized out of thin air. She was…she was very pretty! Who was she? And she asked Illusion to show Kam Un who his true self was, not someone he wanted to see… And then… "Hoe?" she looked down at her hand in surprise. The Illusion was sitting in the palm of her hand. It had landed there after she tried to release it, but failed without realizing it. Sakura gripped the card tight and looked up to see whom Kam Un was facing if it wasn't one of her cards. Illusion always had a solid appearance…but…Sakura could see right through this woman… "Hoe!!" she cried in slight fear. The figure was a real ghost!
Since Sakura was preoccupied with the ghost in her thoughts, she had not paid attention to Kam Un's actions, until she heard him command, "Drain!", and whirled around to see him as he leapt around the figure, advanced forward, and threw the card straight at the Card Mistress. He somersaulted and landed hard on the ground afterward, rolling away. Sakura regretted her carelessness as she fumbled to find the Shield. But, at that rate, it would have already been too late, except…
The ghost-like woman threw herself in front of the Card Mistress, creating a shield-like barrier around the girl. The Drain touched the barrier and suddenly shuddered, as if it were repulsed from it, and rebounded back to where it came from. Kam Un, taken by complete surprise, had no chance to escape it, and the Drain attached itself to Kam Un's back and glowed bright, beginning to draw his energy away. The Jiao User cried out in shocked pain as the Drain activated and the same sharp, dark currents tortured him as they have hurt the Card Captors before him. He'd forgotten how much the Drain hurt when it stole your energy and gave it to someone else…by means of a cheap trick…a cheap trick his own father had dreamed up…Mother…would never…have been…so cruel…His thoughts getting mixed up with the pain, Kam Un dropped to his knees, holding his head as he tried his best to "forget" his pain. It was the only way to break free from it…not to let it hurt you…but it had taken so much of his energy already, he didn't think he still had enough power to do it…
The barrier around Sakura disappeared and returned to its previous form as a woman. Knowing this was a ghost, Sakura felt she ought to be afraid of her…but…there was something about the woman that reminded Sakura of her own mother…and she was never afraid of Nadeshiko. The woman was watching Sakura sadly and when Sakura brought herself to meet the woman's gaze, the woman turned and looked at Kam Un. Sakura was almost positive there was a grievous look in the woman's eyes, the sparkle dimming. And then, as suddenly as she appeared, the woman disappeared and Sakura realized that the Ground was still shaking, making the ground to break up in places, creating small chasms, and cracking walls and columns. The Drain had stopped glowing, however, and fluttered to the ground. Kam Un leaned against a column, panting heavily. He had exerted the rest of his strength to rid himself of that troublesome card. But he had no energy left for anything else. As the ground beneath him shook treacherously, Kam Un staggered on his two shaky legs, trying to regain his balance, and trying to overcome the dizziness coming over him.
Unseen to the User, a large crack snaked its way around the pillar he was standing by, created by the Ground, until it hit the roof in a small explosion. The column wavered for a moment, as if it were going to fall. Sakura was relieved when it managed to stay in its position, not falling over. But, the Ground would not let another victim escape its hard grasp again, since it had been cheated by its previous victim. A vengeful card, it was rather bloodthirsty and cared little about anything besides itself…as taught by Chen Jiao Wan. With another loud rumble, the base of the column was destroyed and it began to fall.
Sakura's eyes widened when she saw Kam Un was still directly below the pillar as it crumbled and fell. He hadn't noticed and made no move to get away. "Watch out!" she cried to her opponent. Kam Un looked up at her in surprise, forgetting his lack of energy, then whirled around to see the column about to collapse on him. But all he could do was stand rooted there, not budging even an inch, his energy nearly depleted. He didn't have the will to fight something he would surely lose in. Sakura ran toward him, seeing him stock still, and knocked him to the ground just as it fell, crashing to the ground. Both of them rolled away from the column, the force of Sakura's tackle pushing them away from the danger, finally stopping several metres away. When the pillar finally impacted the ground, both of them shut their eyelids tight, to avoid the heavy dust blowing upward.
A short while after it fell, although the dust was still in the air and slowly settling to the ground, Kam Un slowly opened his eyelids, one at a time, and looked around the room and himself. Kam Un was flat on his back while Sakura was above him after they had stopped rolling away and he noticed she was protecting him from any loose debris. Her back was covered with a thick layer of dust and some of the fallen chunks from the collapsed column. Kam Un couldn't understand it as his eyes went from the faded red pillar on the ground to Sakura's face, her mouth set in a determined line, her eyelids shut tight, dust fringing her long lashes. Why was she protecting him?
A few moments later, Sakura opened her eyes, wiping the dust from her eyelashes. Then she looked down at Kam Un and smiled weakly. "Are you okay?" she asked him, concern evident in her voice.
A feeling he couldn't understand exploded within Kam Un. He roughly pushed her over and rolled once. This time he was above her and Sakura was pinned to the ground beneath him. She gave a startled cry, not expecting that in the least. With his two hands pushing her shoulders to the ground and speaking through clenched teeth, Kam Un asked, "why did you save me?"
"I…I…" Sakura tried to find the words to say it, but she wasn't sure herself why she had saved him. He was trying to kill her after all, and her friends. But still…just something… "I know you're not that bad as you try to be, Kam Un, or you would have killed me a long time ago when I had more vulnerable…I think you still have Chi Yuen in you…And Chi Yuen is a kind person…" Kam Un just stared at her in disbelief. He opened his mouth to give a harsh remark, but couldn't find the words to say it.
"You're…you're…" Kam Un closed his eyes and fell silent for a few moments. "You're an idiot," he said, finally. He lowered his head to Sakura's level and studied her with his cold blue eyes. Sakura returned his gaze, unflinchingly, her emerald eyes holding something that looked like a mixture of sadness and pity…for him. "I don't care for you, Card Mistress," he said softly, "not at all. If I ever showed 'affection' toward you before, it was merely to anger the Li cousins. It's so easy to make them angry. They both love you so much…"
His grip on her shoulders tightened and Sakura bit her lip, refusing to let herself cry out. Kam Un continued, but his voice was barely audible and sounded decidedly weaker. "But you...you love everyone…everyone's your friend. Why can't you think anyone is evil? Or capable of evil? That's the person I've become. Hatred for everyone…especially you…but why don't you…hate…me…?" Suddenly, he collapsed and released her from his grip. The Drain and the Ground had really done the User in, and Kam Un fell, completely unconscious. His appearance suddenly changed as well, his hair changing colours and his black robes disappearing. He was only Chi Yuen now…Chi Yuen wearing a simply grey tunic, as opposed to his long black robes, with midnight-blue hair the shade of the night sky, and the gentle charcoal-grey eyes…the same as that woman…
Sakura suddenly realized that Chi Yuen bore an uncanny resemblance to the ghost earlier. Could she be…?
"Well done, Card Mistress," said a cold voice, suddenly breaking through her thoughts. Sakura gently moved Chi Yuen to the sidelines, before turning to face Jiao Wan. The latter had risen from his seat and held out his hand; the Jiao book landed in his hand and the released cards returned to their card form and placed themselves back in the book. "Kam Un is finished," he said in the same soft tone. "You must be stronger than we both initially thought…" Silence followed that comment, neither of them breaking eye contact. "But, then," he added with a slight sneer, "perhaps Kam Un is just really a weakling."
Sakura didn't answer him right away. "I don't want to fight anymore…" she whispered softly, her gaze travelling through the room, at Syaoran, Di Shang, and Chi Yuen, all lying unconscious, and the grip on her staff tightened. Her gaze finally stopped at Jiao Wan. "Why do you want to fight like this? There's no point; it's just hurting people!" Jiao Wan approached her slowly, stopping less than two feet in front of her.
"I hated Clow Read," he said, speaking in an oddly quiet tone. "I always have and always will. We were merely rivals at one point, fooling around with magic, trying to see who was stronger…all in fun...And then…it all changed and we became enemies. Because of him, my existence was sealed away. And in that time, Clow went ahead and died on me. Even though I'm back now, I'll never get a chance to fight him anymore. Something dead cannot live again. But," he added with a slight sneer, "you're Clow's successor. Since I can't have Clow to defeat, there's always you. You must be stronger than Clow; otherwise you would never have been able to take complete control of his cards and change them to feed from your power." Jiao Wan took another step forward and stared down at her, condescendingly, with his cold dark brown eyes, filled with loathing directed toward the Card Mistress. "You still don't want to fight me?"
Sakura hesitated for a moment. "Do I even have a choice?" she wondered to herself. "Either way, he's going to fight me. Though, to fight just because of revenge...That's not a good reason to battle! This sort of fighting only lets people get hurt...I don't want anyone else to get hurt...How did Clow seal Jiao Wan away? Without killing him? Could I do that as well?"
"I'm rather disappointed in you, Card Mistress," spoke Jiao Wan, breaking into Sakura's thoughts. "I expected a good deal more from a successor of Clow Read. Who would have thought he would choose such an unworthy girl to carry on his magic?" Kam Un's staff glowed bright red and flew into Jiao Wan's hand. Sakura's arms and legs suddenly felt like they weighed a ton, for she could hardly move them, as hard as she tried. Jiao Wan had planted an immobilization spell on her. "Unworthy people need to be destroyed, of course. Just like your friends," he added, gesturing toward the Li cousins. "All weak people are fated to die at the hands of those much stronger. Nothing will ever change that."
Still unable to move, Sakura slowly sank to the ground. As much as she struggled, she couldn't break free and was beginning to realize how futile it was to try. "I'm sorry, Syaoran, Di Shang!" she cried out in her mind. "I completely failed you....and Clow, as well..."
"Sakura!"
Sakura looked up in surprise, immediately recognizing Syaoran's voice. But Syaoran was still lying unconscious...
"That doesn't sound the least bit like you."
"Syaoran..." whispered Sakura. She was remembering his words from earlier.
"We can't give up," repeated Syaoran in her mind firmly. "Just because there's a large obstacle in our path doesn't mean we'll let it take over. We have to work hard and conquer it no matter how impossible it seems."
"Syaoran's right." Sakura changed her gaze to Di Shang. Although he was still unconscious, she could still hear him, just like he was speaking to her. "We can't let ourselves become the victims of our supposed fate," continued Di Shang. "We choose what we want our fate to be...our destiny...our life..."
"You're both right," whispered Sakura in a quiet voice. "I can't let him do this to us...he can't hurt us like this...he shouldn't be able to." Jiao Wan watched in amazement as Sakura struggled harder against her invisible bonds. Sakura knew she couldn't give up; she had to at least try her best. And yet, all her effort was barely shown. The most she was able to budge was a few centimetres and nothing more. But, even a few mere centimetres worried Jiao Wan. When Clow had been caught in a similar predicament, he hadn't been able to move at all. But that was before they had become enemies and were fooling around, testing their magic on each other. Jiao Wan knew that if he were able to get Clow into the same situation again, he could defeat Clow once and for all. But it never happened that way. Jiao Wan would not let Clow's successor escape from him.
"Maybe you really are stronger than Clow, Card Mistress," said Jiao Wan in a soft tone. "But, you aren't - and never will be - stronger than me." Jiao Wan raised his staff once more, the object glowing a bright red light. The immobilization effect grew much stronger.
Sakura gasped as she her earlier efforts to move her arms and legs diminished with the added spell. It was as if heavy chains had been attached to her again and she couldn't escape. "Come on, move!" she screamed silently at her body, barely able to budge an inch. It was completely useless; nothing responded.
Jiao Wan stood overhead, simply laughing at her helplessness. He had never laughed in so long...It was so good to know victory was assured to him now. He could finally get his revenge on Clow Read. Di Shang could hear the laughter, but he was too far-gone already and could do nothing to help the Card Mistress…and the one he loved. Syaoran heard it as well and it penetrated his mind like a well-shot arrow. He struggled to open his eyes and to force himself to his feet. He still had to protect her…after all, he promised…
"It's time for you to go, Card Mistress," hissed Jiao Wan. "I have to say I'm still very disappointed in you. I really did expect a much better fight from a successor of Clow Read. But now it's time to say goodbye." A small black orb of energy formed in Jiao Wan's hands and he kept feeding it with his dark aura. Then he released it, aimed straight at Sakura.
"No, Sakura!!" cried Syaoran, his eyes widening in shock.
Sakura's scream rang through the dead silence of the night.
Author's Note: Okay…that was mean…I shouldn't have done that. It was so mean…*hides from angry readers* Gomen nasai! (I'm using Japanese now? o_O) Cliffhangers…always leave the readers ready to kill the author, ne? If you kill me, I can't continue, right? ^_~ Look at the bright side. This chapter is the longest one yet!! ^_^
Oh no! What's going to happen to Sakura? She can't die, right? She's the heroine! But you never know…Would Sakura die or miraculously survive? And what about Syaoran and Di Shang? What's going to happen to them? Geez, even I hate cliffhangers. -_-
One of the main reasons this chapter took so long to come out is because fight scenes aren't my specialty. *sighs* I find I can't write a decent battle scene. Even though I had the main idea memorized for more than a year (that's such a long time…can you believe it? I still can't…), trying to write it became next to impossible. o_O
One more thing that I'll tell you all ahead of time; as soon as I finish this fic, I plan to rewrite it. When I first started, most of my information relied on Cardcaptors. But since then, I got the entire series, movies, and read the manga. My information has then switched to Cardcaptor Sakura. I'm going to rewrite it slightly and make a few corrections (such as Sakura's chant). I've also started using Sakura's word, "hoe", in this chapter. Hoe can be used in two ways. "Hoe?" is questioning, sort of like "huh?". "Hoe!" is sort of a cry/scream, such as when she thinks of ghosts and other 'scary' things. And, it's pronounced "ho-eh", not "ho".
Thank you for all your wonderful reviews! This chapter would've taken even longer to be posted if it weren't for you all! The reviews always cheer me up when I'm feeling down!
*Sakura
~The Animé Archives Team
