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Chapter Eleven - The Girl Who Stole The Stars

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Decisions...

      ...made wrong...

     ...how wrong could I have been...?

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   My feet aching, as I stood before the doors of the icy structure that I had been heading for. From here, I could see that where I had started my walk was far away...very far away...

    I pushed open the door, as I could hear a bell ring the hours. I stepped in, the smell of an ageless odor filled my lungs.

    There were two stairways to the side, and at the top was a balcony in which torches lit the hall of which I stood inside of.

    I took out my sword, and slowly walked up one of the staircases. The steps creaked as I walked, and I had to hold onto the rail to convince myself that I wouldn't fall down.

    On the balcony was a single door. There was also a small window which gave a good view of the outside. Ahead of the tower was a huge pennisula-like piece of land. maidel's ruins lay on the western coast, and the bus stop of where I had started was near the tip. I opened the door, which thank god, was a normal door.

     Ahead of me however didn't look like it were the inside of a building.

     'Sakura' someone said to me. I turned around. It...it was Meiling.

     'Sakura...' someone else said to me, as I turned the other way. It was Syaoran.

          ...it couldn't be the real one though...

      'Syaoran?' I asked him, as he reached for my hand.

       I hald his hand, as he held mine, but he...didn't seem to let go. His grip...was nearly inhuman.

       Then, I felt something hit by back as I collapsed. I lifted my head, as Meiling kicked me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. Syaoran held my hand though, and smiled at me.

       Meiling continued attacking me, as I lifted the sword to attack her. However, she merely kicked me again to make me drop my arm again. She seemed to know my every move. I couldn;t escape though....Syaoran continued to hold my hand...

        So, I picked up the sword and slashed at his arm to make him let go of me, as Meiling continued her assault. He didn't budge however, even as his blood dripped on the floor. I took another good swing at him, as my arm was free, but with his hand still latching onto mine. I tried to rip it off my hand, but it didn't even move.

        Meiling stood still, as her body glowed a greenish color. She looked at me, her eyes giving me a lifeless glare.

         'I am Vita Dos, gatekeeper of the Cosmos.' she said, as I held the Chronos Sword to my side. It was about time I saw another 'Vita' here...I hadn't seen one since I had gotten my first weapon.

         She lifted her arm, as a light blue ring of energy surrounded her body. I pointed my sword at her, the blade glowing a bright yellow.

          'You dare to try and oppose the Cosmos, when it is you who shall falter to its power' Vita Dos said to me, as an expanding ring of blue energy raced to the areas surrounding her. I held out my sword and jumped over the ring, rushing in for an attack.

          Vita Dos reached out her arm, as it turned silver in color and mutated into a blade of some sort as well. using her blade, she deflected my attack, and went for a try of an attack. I tried to back away, as Vita Dos' eyes gave a deep aura of blue. It started to snow again, and I faced my sword towards her.

           The energy my sword gave off focused at the tip, and finally shot out towards Vita Dos.

           I could see a bright flash, but suddenly, Vita Dos jumped up and pinned me down. I screamed in pain, as she touched my arm, freezing it in place. I couldn't attack her with my sword any longer.

          Then, Vita Dos backed away and laughed at me. I was helpless once again...

          She prepared for a final attack, as I could feel something burning on my neck. Yumiko's Necklace...

          My frozen arm started to grown warm, as a small ball of fire appeared in my hands.

          The hell....?

           The ice melted away, as I dropped the Chronos Sword. I pointed my hand at Vita Dos as a blaze of ascension burned around me. I lifted my hand, the fires growing hotter around me, and I could feel my eyes burning as well. A huge reddish cloud gathered over Vita Dos.

            'Damn you!' I yelled, as a huge pillar of fire shot down from the clouds and incinerated Vita Dos. She screamed, as the pillar disappeared. All that was left was a small flower in her place. I picked it up and sniffed it. It was a destined flower.

            I put it in my pocket, alongside the decayed one I had picked up in Maidel. I picked up the Chronos Sword and walked forward, towards a door which I could tell would get me out of this room.

            Outside the next door was a stairwell, which winded up alongside the wall of the circular tower which I stood in. I ran up the stairs quickly as I could, grabbing a torth from the wall..for it looked as if it were extremly dark above.

             On the top of the stairs, as I thought...it was nearly completly dark. I could see light comming from the other side of the room, but it couldn't possibly be that easy to get across this room...something was up...

              ...so I ran though the room and to the other side easily. I guess I was wrong...

             Another winding staircase lay ahead of me, and I held onto the railing while running. As I ran up, however, I started to wonder what had even led me into this tower. What had made me tell Yumiko to stay behind in Maidel...? What...what if she were to come across trouble...?

             I don't know. Still...is that an excuse..?

             Theres no time to think like this now...Syaoran...he could be here...I can feel him here.....

             'Syaoran? Syaoran?' I called out, running through the door ahead of me. I stood within a huge domed room, one of which stars filled the ceiling. In the center was a small balcony, which was basically too high to get to. I could hear someone call out my name, and my attention immediatly focused upon a small glass box on the other side of the room. Taking no time, I rushed over to it and saw that Syaoran was trapped inside the box.

            'Dammit!' I yelled, trying to break the glass with the sword. It didn't even crack...

            The stars on the ceiling soon started to move, as they gathered in the area above the small balcony. I stopped hitting the glass, as Syaoran seemed to fade away from inside the glass box...soon the box was empty...

            A small beam of light shot down, focused mainly upon the balcony. I covered my eyes, as I could see what had appeared in front of me...

                         ...Kenji...

            'I see you have made it to the top of this clever diversion...' Kenji seemed to declare, holding his thin gleaming white sword at his side. He gave out a small laugh, and pointed his sword towards me once again.

            'If it means to find your Syaoran, then it will mean that you will have to defeat me.' He said, holding his hand up. In his hand, a bright light shone, as the metal tiles of the floor rose and created a staircase. He slowly walked down, his robe sweeping the floor as he went. I stood there, waiting for a possible chance to strike...while knowing fully well that I didn't know the extent of his true capabilities...

           I held up my sword, willing to fight, as he laughed at me again.

          'Do you simpley expect me to win you over by killing you? It is much easier to strike when one is vulnerable...' he gleamed.

          ...Yumiko...I had left her in Maidel...could Kenji be possibly...

          The room started to fade away, as I could see the walls slowly turning into glass. Kenji's balcony remained, as Kenji and I stood among the dancers of the Dome of Souls. How had we arrived here...?

          Naroays sat in his seat above the grand stairs, and Kenji slowly walked towards him. It seemed as if...Naroays didn't even notice that Kenji was there though...

          'Kenji! What are you doing?!' I cried, running towards him. Kenji pointed his hand at me,   as I couldn't move any longer...

           The music box inside my bag started to shake, as it ripped through the side of it. The music box slowly floated towards Kenji, where it landed in his hands. He smiled to me, and faced it towards Naroays...slowly opening the lid...

           ...and the music box began to play its usual tune...but...differently...as if it were playing the tune backwards. I struggled to move, but there was nothing I could do now...

           'Very much do I enjoy this moment, Angel.' Kenji snickered to me. Naroays soon faded away, leaving nothing more than a small feather in his place. The dancers froze in place, and seemed to refuse to dance. Slowly...one by one...each person left the dome, as the ground started to shake.

           'Come Angel' he ordered, as he walked through the door. I found myself forcefully moving towards the door as well, not able to do a thing. I closed my eyes, as I felt myself hit the ground...and feeling snow hit my cheeks.

           'Sakura!' someone yelled out, and I heard footsteps. I lifted my head to see Yumiko running to me. I was...in Maidel somehow...

           A strange bright light shone behind her though, as she stopped in place. I heard a whistle go off, as blood started to stain Yumiko's shirt. She gave out a short scream, as another spot of blood appeared. One after another...she gave off a small breath, as her body twisted around and hit the ground. Piercing her back, a handful of arrows reached into her.

           'NOOO!' I screamed, running to her side. Her hands were cold, and starting to grow pale. II turned her around in my arms, but I felt no pulse at all. Her eyes were still open though, as if she were alive though...

           I put my hands over her eyes, closing them, and stood up. A figure stood in it and slowly walked towards me. I held out my sword, standing by Yumiko's body, furious. Yumiko was dead.....

          '...Damn you!' I yelled, as a wolf's head emerged from the blinding light. The light disappeared, as Naroays stood, crossbow in hand, surrounded by a strange green aura.

          He laughed an inhumane laugh. His very soul seemed drenched with a foul poison that wasn't easy to detect...

                   ...he wasn't himself anymore...

          'You think of who I used to be...and know that I am part of the Cosmos now...' he said in a devilish tone, his voice burning with the inflamation of his spirit. 'He is no more.'

          '...I don't give a shit...' I replied, my hands bloody from Yumiko's wounds. 'I don't give a shit about who you are, or what the hell you have been infested with, Naroays.'

          I ran towards Naroays, him firing the small crossbow bolts at me. I clipped each shot with my sword, and ran in for the murderer.

         Sakura, what are your dreams for the future?

         I swung, Naroays holding out his hand. Crossbow in his other hand, he attempted to grab and shoot me, but I backed away from him in time.

        'Your eyes light like fire' he said to me, pulling out a sword. 'I like that...'

        Sakura...usually when I cry, its good to have a shoulder to lean on...

         The sky seemed to go crazy in its own way. The sun and moon rotated, as day and night passed like seconds. I continued my frenzy, hitting whatever I could.

         'Your fire grows...continue...' he whispered in a schemish tone.

         He was weakening me from the inside, my spirit was hurt...but still longed for revenge...for vengeance...

          'Why did you have to kill Yumiko?!?!' I screamed, unleashing my anger with the Chronos Sword. I held onto the grip in a manner that could've shattered the hilt, constantly swinging, misjudging hits and hitting anything in my sight. Naroays kept his distance, however, as each hit reached nothing more than air.

           Don't leave me alone in Maidel, Sakura...let me come with you...

            Spinning the sword in my hand, I ran up to Naroays, striking his weapon as he blocked my attacks with ease. One after the other my attacks followed, each strike bringing a piece of my loss with it, furthur increasing my desire to kill him...

                       ...kill the wolf...

            I swung my sword with even more power, the fire, as Naroays mentioned, burning in my eyes. It ripped through Naroay's sword, slicing through it and through his hand, which fell mercilessly to the ground. He stumbled and gave out a loud roar, laying his other arm on the ground. Blood spilled from his dismembered arm, staining the ground he lay on. He gave out pathetic moans, as I stood before him, making it seem as if she were kneeling to my presence.

            'Angel....' he mumbled, his eyes shut completly. '...Angel...its me again...its Naroays...'

             He lifted his head, reaching out with his remaining hand. His eyes, however, flickered a greenish color. I could sense myself crying, as I lifted my sword and stabbed it deep into Naroays' back. I twisted the sword to ensure he was dead, and ripped it out of his wound. His hand slowly closed, his eyes faltering but still open. His entire body lay flat on the ground, as I kneeled down and waved my hand over his eyes, closing them for all eternity.

             Yumiko still lay near me, as I ran over to her. I held her in my arms and shook her furiously, expecting her to smile and wake up....just as she always had. She couldn't be dead...could she...?

                        ...without Syaoran or Yumiko...

                               ...............................I'm..........truly..........all......

                       alone...

             'Yumiko! Wake up!' I cried, crying beyond my control and shaking Yumiko's cold body in my arms. Her head leaned back, her eyes closed. her hair reaching straight down, almost reaching the ground.

              Still...she was truly dead now...

              I stood up, still holding her, and walked out of the city and into the snowy wasteland. My feet dug deep into the snow with  every step, and my toes felt as if they could move no longer. I walked on, however, Yumiko's body slowly turning a pale whitish color.

              I had finally arrived at the bus stop, snow making my hair seem white in the bus stop windows. I stepped inside, laying Yumiko on the bench. I stood by her, and reached into my pocket. I took out the destined flower, the one I  had only gotten recently...and gently placed it on top of Yumiko. I then turned my back, not taking a single glance at the bus stop again, and walked back to Maidel.

              'Is there something wrong?'

              'No...just a feeling'

              'We usually all feel that way, Yumiko'

              'Thank you stranger, I very much doubt that you aren't an angel impersonified.'

    ~to be continued