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Chapter Three - Blood on One's Cheek -
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The Cosmos
The Collection
The Imprisonate
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'Naroays…' I asked Naroays, as we both walked through a large glass tunnel. 'What exactly is the Cosmos…?'
'The Cosmos is Syaoran' Naroays replied in a cool tone. 'Its his thoughts, dreams, and memories all put into one place.'
'Wait…' I inturrupted. 'That means that this entire place…where I am right now…'
'Every place here was either thought of or experienced by him.' Naroays said back. 'It's a complete projection of who he was…'
'You said he was taken over by the Cosmos…would that mean that he was taken over by a part of himself?' I asked, simply not knowing what had happened.
'I am saying he has been taken over by something from his past…something he's been trying to deny all this time…' Naroays said to me. 'Another fragment…is taking over him.'
'…but…what could that be…' I asked myself behind my breath. I couldn't think of a single time that he had been so distraught to not tell me. We were too close…but if so…then it could be when…no, that can't be it.
'Angel, it is time to continue on your journey…' Naroays replied. 'It will only be a matter of time before I will be taken over as well.'
A small door appeared in front of me as I took my next step, and Naroays stood watching behind me.
'Before you leave' Naroays inturrupted. 'Please take this…'
From the sky, a small sword fell. It had a grey handle with a straight steel blade. Hanging from the hilt was a small piece of paper attached to string. I picked it up, reading the small paper.
'From the forests of which the wolves spring, the sword of their power rests in your hands...the Foxes' Sword'
'Angel, use it to defend yourself here….you don't know what to expect…'
With that, I turned the knob of the door and entered. Beyond it was complete darkness, and Naroays obliged me to enter it. I shut my eyes and entered it. Holding the sword tightly in my hands, I could feel a sudden rush of wind before me.
I found myself in the middle of a street. Around me, it seemed as if I were in downtown Tokyo.
I could hear a single voice from the distance.
'Syaoran! Run!'
It was a girl's voice, maybe fourteen. I could hear the sound of someone running, as I could see just where it came from.
At the top of the street, I could see Syaoran, about fourteen also, running for his dear life from a huge …thing. I didn't even recognize it at all. What was that thing?!
Then, I saw a smaller version of myself running also. She was fourteen, as well, and was somehow lodged into the monster's skull.
The monster was huge, about 2 stories tall, and completely red. On its right arm was a tattoo…
Cosmos O-N-E
With every step, it made the ground shake…and made me shake as well. I ran after it, passing Syaoran, and jumped high into the air, sword drawn out.
The other Sakura screamed, as the monster reached out to me. It hit me with its hand, and I landed on the street sidewalk. My arm started to ache, as I tried to stand again. I saw that my arm was bleeding a little, and I held it, sword still drawn out.
'Young one who choose to defy the Cosmos, I am here to challenge you!' The monster said to me. 'For the goddess, Vita Una shall battle!'
Vita Una then pointed its head up and breathed out a huge gust of fire. I felt the flames burning heat, but looking down, I could see that my arm seemed to fade in and out of existance. Seeing the monster's head, I saw that the other Sakura was damn close to the flames that beast was breathing! If she died, I'd die also!!
I rushed towards the beast, as it faced me and started to shoot out fire. I dodged it, and kept running towards it.
Syaoran Li…I am a part of Syaoran, Li…
The sword started to glow a bright yellow to my surprise, and I suddenly felt much stronger, taking my hand off the wound on my arm, I ran even faster it seemed.
Racing through my heart…spirit of the fox…
Lifting it, the sword being bright yellow, with instinct, I just spun the sword around me, creating an aura of power. I didn't even know what I was doing at all..
Angel…release the power…strike!!
I yelled out loud, as I let go of the power with my mind. The bright yellow aura split into multiple small blades, and each rushed towards the beast.
…and then it became quiet. I saw each hit strike Vita Una, and the other Sakura getting free from its head. She ran towards me, and held my hand, as Vita Una simply vanished. All that was left was a small hairpin, lying on the ground and glowing a bright red.
Sakura and everything around me vanished, as I found myself in the middle of the white room again, with the hairpin on the ground. Picking it up, it again, gave a small aura of red when touched.
This is me… I heard something say in my mind. 'This is me…'
I put the hairpin on my head, seeing my hands were glowing. Glowing a bright red, red as the roses Syaoran gave me every Sunday…
Upon the hairpin was an engraving, dug into the side of it.
My heart, as valiant as ever, everlessly glows with my power…my desire to love, my desire to succeed, my desire to care…
Naroays said that Li had been scattered throughout the Cosmos…maybe this was one of the pieces? I put it into my hair, feeling so much more confident. I could feel my hair grow out, long, past my neck.
My heart was now burning furiously, burning with hopes….and burning with my goal set in my mind. I would find Li, even if it would kill me in the process….
Without Li, I was dying inside anyway…
Another door appeared next to me, as I walked to it, hand feeling my newly-grown long hair. It felt…so much more different. Maybe it was a representation of something…or someone…
I sheathed my sword, and put my hand on the knob, stopping in place to think back. Back to when Li and I were just 'friends'…and the day I finally gave out to him. The day that he truly became mine…and held me…
…and I opened the door…hoping he'd be on the other side waiting for me.
Looking around, I could see he was. He stood on the other side of the huge field I now stood in. The wind blew, and I saw I was wearing a yukata and holding a small fan.
It was…that day…
I walked up to him, him not noticing me at all. Every step I took didn't make him even raise an eyebrow, it seemed. He just looked out, out towards the fields.
I called out his name, when he finally answered me. He looked back, but in a tone I didn't recognize, he said back my name, but in a more casual way. He usually said my name with…such…heart…
'Sakura, I know what you are up to' he said to me. 'I know about Naroays…I know about everything. Your attempts are futile…you've lost Li already.
I looked and stared into his eyes. They were a glowing green, as if he were possessed.
…it scared me…
What scared me the most, however, was the encouragement that Li could be gone. I shook my head, and went down on my knees. I looked up, Li's image gone. Instead…It was Kenji standing in his place. Kenji's figure stood against the sun, making me have to squint in order to see him well.
'Sakura, what need of you do you have to even be within the Cosmos?' he asked me, hand on his sword at his side. 'Do you wish for Li back, even when that is impossible?'
'How is it impossible?!' I screamed. 'How can is possibly be impossible…?!?!'
He lunged forward and grabbed me by the hair. He pulled my head up, and I shut my eyes.
'It doesn't matter!' he yelled at me, pulling even harder as he spoke. 'Its finished, your attempts are pointless!'
He then let go and pushed me to the ground. I felt my face scrape against the dirt, and I lay there. He pointed at me, as I looked up, too weak to get up for some reason.
'You are nothing more than a self-pitying little girl.' He said silently, as if his low tone were to build a form of fear within me. A fear distilled into my heart to ward me away from my goal. I couldn't leave Li though. Not at all…
I gave a loud yell, grabbing my sword from my back, standing back up quickly, and pointing my sword at Kenji. He smirked, and held out his sword as well.
'So, the little girl rises for more….you are nothing more than a lost soul…' he said to me, acting as if I were nothing more than some innocent girl. I ran up to him, holding the sword, ready for my attack.
I saw him vanish from my view, and turned around to see him try to slash at me with his sword. It braised against my cheek, leaving along a trail of blood against my cheek.
I jumped back, as I saw that small pinkish-white petals were falling from the sky. The wind blew, blowing my hair against my head and towards Kenji.
'Let it be, Kinomoto Sakura, that that scratch on your cheek be a reminder to turn back while you can…you cannot find Li again…' I heard him give out to me, and I saw a bright light. I covered my eyes, and then looked to see he had vanished…vanished amongst the huge cloud of petals…
I put away my sword, and went down on my knees. My cheek started to sting, and I put my hand on it, hoping for it to stop bleeding. It was a small scratch…but it still left a mark.
Dammit Kenji! You coward! Get back here!
The cloud of petals whispered away into the sky, and I looked around to see nothing more than a door and a tree nearby.
I don't care what Kenji says…I'm one step closer to my Syaoran…
~to be continued
