Sakura in Paris 2
Part Fifteen: Eiffel Tower Vertigo

Raye: Rally the troops! To arms! To arms! We're under ATTACK!!
(The Gang begin to arm themselves and take their defensive postitions. The cactuces Psycho was screaming about are advancing quickly, the foot-troops of the Evil Army. Coming in close behind the cactuces is the Beanie Baby Brigade, led by Fuzzy-Wuzzy the bear.)
Raye: First volley of stones! AWAY!! *(^0^)*
(Seven slingshots crack ominously as the volley takes flight, striking down four cactuces.)
Raye: And, AGAIN!! *(^0^)*
(Two more cactuces and a tye-dye beanie baby are cut down.)
Raye: FORWARD TROOPS!! ON TO GLORY AND HONOR!!!
(The Gang surges over their blockade and run towards the battle, meeting the opposite side in a horrible crunch and crash.)
Raye: FORWARD!!! ONWARDS!!! SALLY FORTH!!! *(*0*)*


{Disclaimer}
Ms. Sinic: Come on, Ange! Say it!
Raye: I don't wanna!
Max: You have to! You don't wanna get sued, do ya?
Raye (SIGH): Fine! I'll say it! Idon'townCardcaptorsoranyofthecharacters!
Ms. Sinic: See? It wasn't that hard was it?
Raye: I'm this close to killing Clamp.
Max: That's normal. You want to kill everyone.


"I don't know what in the heck just happened." Shawn whispered. "But it was amazing!"
"We do know some things new. The shadow's name is Garlin, and he's from someplace called Frainria." Li pointed out.
"And the fact that Nicolus had to have had some magic or something close to it to call him from the Otherworld." Sakura mused. "That glimpse from the past reminded me of a dream I had a few weeks ago."
"A dream? What happened in it?" Madison asked curiously. "I had a dream, too."
"In mine I was in a park underneath a cherry blossom tree, and everyone was with me. Even Rita and the others from home. And then this boy in a black school uniform showed up, and threw a gold locket to Madison. Madison picked it up and started saying something about soulmates and past lifetimes."
"In my dream, I was sinking into darkness, and someone rescued me. He was urging me to keep fighting, to not leave him alone. He said I was his soulmate. And then . . ." Madison paused, blushing fiercely.
"And?" Shawn pried with a mischievous grin.
"And . . . He kissed me." Madison was a luminous red now. "And then I woke up."
"Well, what should we do now?" Sakura asked.
Li spoke up quickly. "I say we should wait, see what the future holds. We can't really do anything now. Just wait and watch out for that shadow."
The others nodded in agreement.
"Let's just see what the morning brings."

"Today I've got a trip to the Eiffel Tower planned! 'Ow does that sound to everyone?" Grannie Marie exclaimed the next morning at breakfast.
Sakura and the others smiled as they tried to hide their yawns. None of them had gotten much sleep the night before. "Sounds great, Grannie."
"Well, we should get going soon. So 'urry and finish your breakfast."

"Let's go up to the very top!" Sakura exclaimed, rushing ahead of the others and into the empty elevator. It was a squeeze, but everyone managed to clamber in. "Everyone" was Shawn, Madison, Li, Sakura, Ranea, Grannie Marie, Jacque, and Jean. Jean still gave Shawn dirty looks when he didn't think anyone was watching, but he was starting to trust him again.
As everyone surged out of the elevator, Madison and Shawn detatched themselves from the others and went off to explore alone.
"I've never been in the Eiffel Tower before, have you, Shawn?" Madison asked as she ran to the railing around the high platform. "This is great! When I go home I can tell Mother all about it!"
Shawn joined her by the railing and looked down. "It's cool, isn't it? It's so high up."
There was a flash of movement in the corner of Shawn's eye, but when he turned to look more closer, the movement disappeared. Shrugging it off to his imagination, Shawn turned back to the view and Madison.
The movement in the corner of his eye returned twice, but each time he looked closer, whatever had made the movement was gone. By the third time, Shawn was starting to get worried. He could sense something powerful nearby, and he was very uneasy about it. There was something familiar about it, and he didn't like it.
Madison leaned over the edge of the railing. "This is awesome! I love heights!"
Suddenly, the movement that Shawn had been seeing for the last ten minutes returned, but this time, it didn't disappear. Faster than Shawn's eye could follow, the shadow that had hidden in the corners dashed out.
"Madison!" Shawn cried, reaching for the girl that leaned over the railing. But before he could reach her, the shadow had pushed her.
Madison screamed as she fell over the railing. "Shawn!!!!"
Shawn leaned over the railing and managed to grab Madison's hands. "Hold on!!"
Madison struggled to stop the screams and tightened her iron grip on Shawn's hands. "Help me!"
Shawn tried to pull her back over, but knew he wasn't strong enough. The others had disappeared somewhere, and he couldn't let Madison go. It looked as though they were stuck until Sakura or Li happened along.
A hateful laugh startled Shawn, nearly making him drop Madison in his surprise. "You! Get away from us! Why are you doing this? Why can't you just leave us alone?"
"But Nicolus, how can I leave my best friend all alone?" the shadow sneered as he leaned over to pry Madison's hands from Shawn's.
"Stop it!" Shawn cried, tightening his hold on Madison. "Just leave us alone!"
"I won't, Nicolus! No matter what you do or say, you're still my one and best friend," the shadow doubled his efforts. "And you don't need this girl anymore!"
"Shawn!!!" Madison screamed as the shadow pulled one hand from his grasp.
"No!! Madison!!!"
The shadow sneered at Madison's terrified expression. "Die, Kanthel! Die like you did decades ago!"
"Don't let me go, Shawn! Don't let me go!" Madison cried fearfully.
Shawn tightened his hold on Madison's hand and turned to glare at the shadow. "Leave us alone. Leave us alone!"
The shadow laughed evilly. "I've already told you, Nicolus. I can't leave you alone. I don't want to!"
Shawn glared angrily at the shadow, feeling his blood begin to boil. "I don't want you to stay! I don't want you to! I want you to leave, to disappear! I want you gone from my life forever! Go away, Garlin!!! Go away!"
The shadow reeled back as if physically struck, clutching his head in clawed hands. "No, Nicolus! No! You cannot mean that!"
"I do! I just want you to go AWAY!!!" Shawn cried, feeling a strange power burning inside.
A sudden crack cut through the air, and the shadow disappeared.


So, what do you think just happened? Good or bad? Will Madison be okay?! And just what in the hell is going on with all this Nicolus and Kanthel business?!?!?
Raye: ANOTHER VOLLEY, TROOPS!! BUT DON'T SHOOT TILL YOU SEE THE WHITES OF THEIR EYES!!! *(^0^)* (Laughing maniacally)
Max: I didn't know cactuces had eyes.
Raye: DON'T SHOOT TILL YOU SEE THE NEEDLES IN THEIR SKIN!! There. Good enough for you, Miss Nitpicker?
Max: Just fine, thank you.
Raye: ANOTHER VOLLEY!!!! GO!!!!
(And another three bite the dust.)
Ameoba Boy: I've been stabbed! I've been stabbed!
(Begins staggering around with a tiny toothpick stuck in his arm.)
Ameoba Boy: Oh! The agony! The agony!
Ms. Sinic & Max & Raye: SISSY! TAKE IT LIKE A MAN!! *(-o-)*