Chapter Six:

At the same time.



Kaho had tied him using magical strings. Wherever she goes, he will, too. Kaho spoke up, "I never wanted this to happen Eriol, but I cannot do anything. I have to abide. The world will be no more in a matter of seconds. Yours and my fate wouldn't be anything different. I'm sorry." She was creating a huge black hole and Eriol knew that would send them straight to Netherworld. He tried closing the hole since Eriol locked them under the sign. Slowly, the hole seemed to shrink. Kaho put up with the fight. She commanded greater power to make the hole bigger but Eriol was stronger. The hole became bigger but Eriol prevented it.

"Kaho, stop this! You will kill yourself from the struggle!" he shouted.

"No, it doesn't matter. You will too!" she shouted back.

"The powers you are commanding are far greater than your frame can handle! You cannot withstand it!" he desperately shouted at her one last time. Then, without any warning, something seemed to explode and Kaho was enveloped by light. Eriol stared at every even, dumbfounded. He knew he couldn't help Kaho anymore. It went fast but strong. All of a sudden, they're in the study room again. Kaho was bleeding profusely but still half- conscious. Eriol ran towards her.

"Kaho, are you okay?" he asked her. She tried smiling and whispered almost inaudibly, "I'm sorry, Eriol. Go back to them at once. Believe me, they need you more than I do." She choked. Blood and water are getting on her lungs. "I'm so sorry. Tomoyo is the girl you see in your dreams. Fate gave her the mission you were reading about. I am just a vessel of her power but I can see you both are carrying the greater force. Just remember that it's nothing physical. It's beyond magical," She finally said before she slid to an unconscious state. "Ruby moon, Spinnel, see what you can do. Tend her until I go back." He commanded his guardians and took off almost at once.



At the schoolyard.



Tomoyo screamed and wrapped her arms around her head for protection. But nothing happened. She looked up, seeing Eriol in front of her, creating a firm shield for her.

"Eriol!" she suddenly hugged Eriol tight and sobbed out, "I'm so scared, Eriol, so scared."

"It's okay now. Everything's all right now." He whispered and hugged her tighter.

"Eriol, what are you doing? Don't you know that she is the destroyer Chuang Tzu was prophesying about! She'll destroy us, the world! Don't defend her! You cannot be that selfish!" Yue clenched his fists as he told Eriol through gritted teeth.

But Eriol calmly replied, "I know," he paused, his eyes shadowed then looked up, his eyes clear and defiant, "and that doesn't change the fact that I love her and I will defend her whoever she is, whatever the consequences might be."

Tomoyo froze. She is the destroyer. She is. She suddenly felt it in her blood. She will destroy everything, everybody, and anything that exists including Eriol. But she loves her Eriol and he said he loves her. Her head seemed to break in pain. The sign appeared above her. She screamed. screamed and screamed until her eyes flashed red and her fiery aura returned and boosted.

"The sign," Eriol and Syaoran stated in unison. Everybody watched horrified.

"It's the apocalypse," Kero-chan whispered hoarsely. Everybody backed away a few steps. In front of them, Tomoyo's red light was replaced by yellowish white light. She seemed to grow and was suddenly a fully-developed woman. She suddenly grew wings and spread it out as she floated upward.

"She looks like an angel." Sakura whispered.

"An angel she is, the angel of death," somebody replied back. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and with one flap of her wings, a great force seemed to vibrate from her and wrapped everything. The whole world suddenly was covered with darkness and around the world disaster struck. The earth opened and swallowed the existence above it. Volcanoes erupted. Earthquakes. Tornadoes. Everything imaginable began wiping the existence of the living world.

"No!" everybody screamed out as bits of stones and twigs hit them.

"It's time," an unearthly voice came from her. Just then, her light seemed to waver and she started to shimmer. She suddenly changed into Tomoyo again, and she fell to the ground, heaving and crying.

"No. I cannot do this. I cannot destroy you. I can't." she said between gasps. Suddenly, she started to shimmer again.

"The angel of death is taking over again. They are struggling for the control," Eriol told everybody. 'Tomoyo, hold on,' he prayed. The angel of death re-appeared again. She spread her wings once more. Everybody held their breaths, anxious, nervous, terrified. Just then, a vision of Tomoyo appeared before her.

She softly said, "Eriol, I will always keep you in my heart. I love you all." Eriol went cold all over. She's saying goodbye, he realized.

"No, Tomoyo, no!" he tried shouting. Cold tears streamed down at the moment he realized he's finally losing the only person he loved. And that person is just a few feet away from him.

With that, the angel wrapped her wings around her and the force seemed to vibrate back and forth. Something seemed to explode, deafening them, blinding them and enveloping them in a very bright and cold light. Suddenly, Eriol felt that he was falling again, deeper and deeper into the abyss of Hell.



"Eriol..." a gentle voice sang out. No. God, it can't be. He opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the white light that hurts his eyes. "Erio..l." came the voice, more insistent this time. A gentle shake. Tomoyo. Tomoyo's voice is repeated over and over inside his head again. He slowly sat up. The first thing he saw was those lovely and mysterious purple pools framed with long dark lashes.

"Tomoyo!" he cried out happily. He doesn't particularly care if he was in heaven or the earth still exists. As long as Tomoyo's here. He embraced Tomoyo tightly, afraid to let go, afraid that she'll vanish or if she's just a vision. Then he saw her torn clothes, the cuts and the bruises. He knew. Tomoyo succeeded. They're still alive, still breathing.

"I can't believe this," Eriol whispered at Tomoyo. "Neither can I," Tomoyo whispered back at him. Then he withdrew, cupping Tomoyo's face and leaning it against his.

"You're crying," Eriol wiped the cold tears that ran down freely at Tomoyo's face.

"Not as much as you are," Tomoyo said between her sob and laughter.

Eriol cupped her face once more whispering hoarsely to her, "I couldn't bear the thought of losing you, Tomoyo. I have never told you and I was afraid you wouldn't know how much I love you. I never loved anybody before and I was afraid of doing so. But since the day you stepped into my life, you gave me a new hope, a new start. I love you so much and god knows how much I love you. I couldn't lose you. I love you so much and I don't care if you don't. God knows how much I do." Eriol whispered to her between his sobs. "Do you understand that?" his tears flowed more as he told her that.

Tomoyo nodded and cried even more. "I loved you so much Eriol. I wouldn't have returned if I don't. Eriol, I.." Tomoyo stopped talking and embraced him tighter instead. She loved Eriol so much that's why she was so determined to cross the line of the living world and the dead.

"Oh Eriol, heaven only knows how much I care for and love you." Then, with one meaningful look in each other's eyes, they slowly closed their eyes as they sealed their vow with their first true kiss.

Rain poured gently at first, then grew stronger, washing away all the remnants of the nightmare they have gone through. The eclipse finally ended and the apocalypse didn't come true. Sakura and Syaoran are in each other's arms looking contented at the center where Tomoyo and Eriol were. Kero-chan and Yue just stood by, wondering, amazed at how things turned out. The sun peeked out from the dark gray clouds. A rainbow appeared above them. The world regained its color, beauty and life. Life went on and on again but for Tomoyo, Eriol and the rest, it brought fresher ideas, new hope and another chance to love and be loved in return.