Author's Notes: Guess what? This is the end of cardcaptoring! The end! I can't believe it! There'll be a next chapter with just a whole mess of S+S sappiness and epilogish type stuff, so this chapter is the final judgment and resolving a few loose ends. I'm just really sorry I didn't update sooner; I can't believe I didn't get a chance to write this during Spring Break… This is a little bittersweet; sorry but it only really fits if it is a little sad!
Big arigatos to Delita Mukara Bl'Ferno, Gihyou (thanks for stopping by), Final Fantasy Princess, Misty Showron, Wings of Fire (sorry about the cliffhanger; I thought since it's near the end and all…not really an excuse…), Silly*Niecy (hehe, this chapter is NOT a cliffhanger), LightBlossom, Ccslilazngirly, CreatiStar.
Note: Tonight I feel really awful cause I was talking to a friend and didn't see someone IMing me…hinakuu. I don't know who you are, but please don't think I was ignoring you…when I finally noticed, you were off-line and stuff, so oh well. But if you want to talk to me, feel free to IM again or e-mail…I feel guilty. =(
Disclaimer: After years of careful mediation and innumerable fortune cookies, I am finally able to say with certainly that I do not own CCS.
When Everything Else is GoneChapter 14: Judgment
Syaoran flinched instinctively, sword held in front of in him in defense. The sharp metallic clang of deflection rang with resonance, as he glared at Yue's serene figure, magic forming ice in the guardian's opened palm. If he wanted to use ice… "Freeze." Metal struck card, a flow of ice and frost erupting in torrents of Clow magic. The fingers of ice swirled like gaseous liquid, encircling Yue's form, a sudden flash before the vapours hardened to solid ice.
Yue unemotionally erected a shield, Syaoran's ice attack forming around his barrier, encrusting the guardian's bubble with thick jagged slabs of ice. Nothing moved for an instant, the stillness an eerie feeling that crept up Syaoran's spine, tingling the danger centers in the back of his mind. With nothing but a slight rumble, the ice exploded, a rain of glass edged water spraying in all directions.
Syaoran threw himself to the ground as the frosted projectiles flew overhead. He groaned as he tried desperately to regain his fighting stance; his leg sending jolts of pain through his body. Panting with exertion, he lifted his sword to point protectively before him. "Gods of Fire, descend!" Spilling forth from the ofuda, flames whipped furiously outward, covering the ground like a flaming web, each line burning its way towards Yue.
The silver haired form stood impassively, sending an ice crystal into the approaching blaze, immense magic flaring as he closed his eyes in concentration. The flames abruptly froze in mid-flicker, the hot element encased in an impossible matrix of ice, vivid orange growing fainter and fainter until nothing remained but protrusions of ice littering the tarmac like the floor of an underground cavern. Yue's extended hand glowed as the resurfacing surges of Clow's magic, engulfed the appendage in an unnatural white light.
With a pained intake of breath, Syaoran turned to his right side, starting to circled Yue carefully. He could afford no mistakes. With a quick darting of his slivered eyes, Yue flew forward at Syaoran, his hand ready to slice at his target. With a muted clang, his hand met the sharp blade of Syaoran's sword. Syaoran fended Yue off in disbelief as the guardian continually sliced at him. An unseen attack left Syaoran with a long bleeding wound down the length of his free arm. With his injured leg, Syaoran found himself unable to defend or retreat, having to meet each of Yue's blows with his sword or bleeding arm. A groan escaped his lips as he blocked a chop with his wounded arm, the harsh impact sending fire up his veins, vision blurred by pained tears. The relentless barrage of attacks continued as Syaoran tried ineffectually to gain an opening in Yue's defenses. "Raiden shorai." A crack of thunder preceded the flash of electricity, as the forked element struck neatly between the two battling figures, allowing Syaoran time to catch his breath. Another attack came from the sky as each lightning bolt rained down around Yue.
Yue twisted around, feeling the heat of crackling air barely miss him. Erecting a shield, he watched the lightning trace along the outside of the magical bubble like intensely glowing streaming water.
Syaoran breathed hard as he felt the energy leaving his body, the exhaustion of battle catching up to him. It was painfully obvious his magic wasn't strong enough to have much effect on Yue; he needed Clow's magic. He looked doubtfully at the card in his hand, knowing the strength it possessed but also it's potential futility. If anything, he could rest while Yue was distracted. "Storm." The card burst into millions of dots, flying upward to the sky, dark clouds overtaking the deep red hue of sunset, nature growling threateningly as repeated thunderclaps rolled overhead. Fierce winds blew, hammering rain driving downward upon the tarmac like stones. Syaoran pressed himself close to the side of a building as the Storm fought against Yue's approach.
Yue's shield flickered for an instant, himself caught in the face of driving gales and unleashed torrents. However, his protection remained in tact, forcefully pushing against Storm's power, face twitching at the expense of energy and magic. Stopping a few yards from Syaoran's heaving form, he held out both hands, Clow's circle tracing underneath his hovering body. As the light died, Yue's figure returned to sight, ethereal bow held upright, arrow nestled against the taught string.
Syaoran's eyes widened as the arrow flew towards him, his shifting body too slow, the quick hiss of displaced air breathing into his ears. A pain lanced through him, the arrow sticking from his left shoulder. He slumped against the concrete wall of the terminal, the overhead sky regaining its now twilight blue, full moon hanging low over the horizon. Syaoran let his eyes slide shut, summoning the remaining reserves of magic within himself. He didn't want to use this card, knowing its drain, but could not afford to stall any longer. "Time."
Time stretched its magic languidly across the tarmac, swirling slowly like a breeze, pooling near the ground like a mist. Gently, rising, all time slowed under the card's influence, the wind dying down, clouds motionless overhead, Yue's body halted.
Syaoran watched in horror as Yue's finger curled around the bow, Time's power starting to destabilize around the guardian's figure. Clow's creation lifted the bow, arrow materializing in his hand.
His voice a cold verdict, Yue dictated judgment, pulling the arrow back. "You have failed; you have proven yourself unworthy of possessing Clow's cards. You will be erased."
Syoaran closed his eyes, letting his mind drift to thoughts of Sakura as he awaited the final blow. He jerked as a familiar voice sounded from in front of him. Opening his eyes, he watched a figure behind Yue.
"Stop!" Sakura stood shakily watching the back of some unknown magic wielder, Syaoran bleeding and pinned against the wall.
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Sakura's eyes parted faintly, feeling the pounding of raindrops against her face. She cringed as she moved her body, a sharp fragment of concrete pressing into her side. Massaging her head, she tried to recall what happened before passing out. She faintly remembered a figure hovering overhead. Peering at her hand, she made out the faint outlines of the Firey card, the joy welling up inside her. Her triumph was curtailed when her skin noted a change as the rain had stopped, the overhead sky bright with stars waiting for the moon's ascension.
Taking hold against the rough wall of the pit, Sakura pulled herself up, looking for the sealing wand. As she bent, to reach for the magical staff, a gentle mist of magic cascaded over the pit's rim. Winding between her fingers, the magic languidly pulled at her, illusionary ropes restraining her movements. Yet, as she struggled against the forming bonds, they gave way, weaker than they should be. She thought hard, seeing a familiar magical aura entwined with the faint power. If Time's so weak… Sakura scrambled quickly up the wall of the hole, arching her neck to look over the edge, watching curiously at an enrobed figure floating in the air, long braided hair coiling on the ground.
Sakura lifted herself out, feeling the stretching of the muscles straining her tender sides. She almost sucked in a quick breath, before she nearly reeled on herself, air catching in her throat. Syaoran was leaning against a wall, an arrow protruding from his shoulder, the trickle of blood seeping into his shirt, running down his hands and spiraling around his downward cast sword. Without a plan in her head, she screamed out, "Stop!"
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Feeling the rise in magic levels in the air, Yue turned abruptly to face a slender figure in the moonlight, dirt and smoke smeared across her face. "Who are you?"
"I-I am Sakura; who are you?"
Yue played with the name on his lips, answers falling into place. The bow and arrow disappeared back into the darkness from which they sprung. "Are you the appointed cardcaptor?"
Sakura stood uncertainly before the towering guardian, catching Syaoran's panicked eye for a minute. She grimaced as he clutched his wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "I-I am. But who are you?"
Silver hair moved slightly as Yue straightened. "I am Yue; I was appointed by my master, Clow Reed to judge the worthiness of the card mistress or card master. You must defeat me so that you may prove you deserve the possession of Clow's cards."
Sakura shifted nervously, thinking grimly of the dull pain in her side. "A-And if I won't fight you?"
"You forfeit your claim as card mistress and will be erased."
A shadow of horror passed over her face, bitterness welling up inside as she thought of Clow's impossible standards. "I-If I have to; I-I'll fight you."
Yue nodded slowly lowering himself to place his feet upon the ground, the immediate area frosting over with his intensified ice energy.
Syaoran squinted in his lightheadedness somewhat aware of Sakura's decision. He took a step forward, the feel of his legs like foreign weights, cold stones in place of limbs. "Sakura; don't."
Yue looked askance at Syaoran's trudging figure. With a wave of his hand, Syaoran had stopped pushing up feebly against a barrier. A raise of his open palm and Yue had Syaoran floating above the ground, encased in a protective bubble, sealing his role as a spectator. His mouth moved but no sound came out. Yue watched Sakura stiffen. "Now we will fight. You may use any of the cards you possess." A tense moment passed as neither opponents moved, each pair of eyes watching for initiation.
Sakura ran through her options quickly, the various attack cards presenting themselves; she discarded the thoughts quickly knowing she didn't want to hurt Yue. She bent her head suddenly to scan her cards. As her head dipped, a quick breeze ripped through her hair, a few severed strands tangling her fingers. Looking up she threw her hands, a card flying to her aid. "Shield." As the pink screen erupted, a hard force slammed into its magical fabric. Sakura groaned as the energy of the collision shook her body with a ripple of power. No card had ever possessed that amount of power. She opened her eyes, Yue standing with bow in hand, arrow poised to strike again. With a quick collapse to the ground, Sakura flattened herself on the cold asphalt, another pounding wave of energy racing through her nerves to slam into the back of her mind. The arrow missed just overhead, ripping a hole through Shield without hesitation.
Yue lifted off the ground, arrow resting against his half-tangible bow. "You cannot defeat me if you do not attack."
Sakura turned her head upward to look meaningfully into the icy blue of Yue's eyes, searching for some sign of emotion. Disappointed in finding none, she summon Fly, taking the staff into the air. She sought comfort mindlessly, making a straight line to Syaoran's prison. Meeting his dim eyes, she pressed a palm against the barrier, warm to the touch, charging her fingertips with impenetrable magic. He leaned back, eyes closing halfway, breaths ragged, body trembling with the exhaustion and blood loss. Sakura fought against the tears that threatened to spill, instead peering into the night sky as if invoking some silent prayer. She turned around slowly, meeting the tip of Yue's arrow against her chest. A heavy veil of serenity passed through her body. Would it really be so bad to fade? She had searched for this oblivion only a few months ago; didn't she still want this?
A sharp pain shot through her as Yue released the taught string. Sakura gasped for breath, casting her eyes downward at the feather tip of an arrow sticking from her stomach. Yue's voice came down upon her. "You have failed; you are not worthy to be card mistress." A tingling sensation grew in place of the cold that was seeping through her; the area around the wound fading, growing transparent. She noted that this was what being erased felt like, a gradual loss of sensation that wasn't wholly unpleasant. Surrendering to her fate, Sakura closed her eyes, a faint light filling her mind's eye, green jewel flickering.
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Sakura opened her eyes dimly, looking down at herself. She was whole. Wondering if this was some transition between life and death, she looked forward to a glowing wall. The familiarity of it struck her, a liquid pane, amorphous figures gaining in clarity. She touched the icy surface, the images moving like a movie. Dream. This was Dream. Sakura looked at the scene before her questioningly; this was not a memory.
Tomoyo sipped at a teacup, looking blankly out across the vast expanse of green fields. Her legs dangled listlessly against the edge of a porch. The overhanging wooden roof cast strips of shadows across her face, neatly slicing across her skin. She laid the tea down softly on the ground, the soft grating of porcelain against stone breaking the uncomfortable silence. She spoke suddenly. "No change?"
A second person came into the screen, Meiling's profile dark against the brightness of the sunlight. "No. How's her father?"
Tomoyo looked visibly pained for an instant before swallowing and letting the cold, blankness pass over her face again. "He's lost; I don't know what to do. I'm worried he'll do something drastic; he's been throwing himself into his work, just writing and research all day and all night. Even the University's worried about him; I don't know what I can do to help him."
Meiling nodded quietly, lifting a glass to her lips. "It's just like Syaoran, I suppose. We have to watch him most of the time in case he does something…"
"Do you think he's improving?"
"If only he'd say something, I'd be able to tell, but not a word. Over a year and not one single word; I'm afraid Tomoyo, his mother and sisters too. It's like he doesn't even hear us anymore… What if he never gets over it? " Meiling let a tear escape her eye, leaning her head wearily against a support post. "Maybe you could get through to him; lately, I've felt like just giving up."
Tomoyo smiled ruefully. "We all miss her; I don't even know how I bring myself to get out of bed every morning. How am I supposed to help him?"
"You could try to talk to him; you were her best friend. You could…I don't know. Do something!" Meiling's sadness had subsided, buried beneath frustrated anger. "None of this was ever fair! Why was she given such an impossible destiny?"
"I don't know, Meiling." Tomoyo inhaled deeply, forcefully holding back the urge to cry, the need subsiding under months of well-practiced suppression. "I'll go see him; I can't promise anything."
"Thank you Tomoyo." Meiling opened a door, leading the way down a maze of polished wood and various works of art. Stopping before a door, she turned the knob pushing inward. Her voice came out soft, barely a whisper. "Syaoran?" She sighed as his figure remained unheeding of her voice. "Someone's come to see you." With this, she pulled Tomoyo into the room.
Tomoyo stood uncertainly in the doorway, suddenly self-conscious. The room was virtually bare, a bed, a dresser. Probably some safety precaution she thought bitterly. "Syaoran?" His head turned slowly to meet her gaze before going back to stare out the window. Tomoyo bit her lip anxiously; Syaoran was so different. His sunken eyes and pale, thin face watched the world unseeing. "Syaoran?" She crept to his side, sitting herself next to him on the bay window seat. She absently rubbed the worn softness of his threadbare robe. "I wanted to see how you were doing." He continued to stare blankly out the window. "Meiling tells me you haven't been talking. Talking is important; it gets us to release all that we've got bottled up and makes us feel a better. Even if you don't feel it immediately, I promise you it'll be better once you've gotten everything out in the open. Won't you tell me how you feel?"
Syaoran looked plaintively at Tomoyo, thin strands of hair falling into his quiet eyes. He blinked once, twisting back to watch summer play with the trees and plants.
Tomoyo looked despairingly at Meiling, trying to bring herself to say the name that had not been uttered for so long. It was painful, pronouncing the syllables in her mind. "Syaoran; we can't get away from reality. She's gone; S-Sakura's gone."
Syaoran's head shot her way, his face unreadable, hearing Sakura's name for the first time in over a year. He didn't know what it exactly was, but something overtook him, and before he could control himself, he was sobbing uncontrollably against Tomoyo's shoulder. Tomoyo's own tears rained as he clung, the strain of being so cold and composed finally finding the release she so desperately needed. She smiled a little as she heard Syaoran's voice. His hoarse speech faltered slightly, murmuring the broken syllables, "Sakura…"
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The scene froze before Sakura, her stunned silence leaving this vision realm in tensioned anticipation. She trailed a finger down Syaoran's image. A soothing voice sounded from around her, Dream's voice without the harsh quality of their first meeting. "You have a decision to make card mistress."
"Decision?"
"Do you wish to die, or do you want to live, card mistress?"
"I-I…" Sakura threw a pained glance at Syaoran's sorrowful image, her decision much easier than she expected. "I want to live."
A flash of green erupted blinding Sakura as Dream's voice echoed. "Then live."
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Syaoran strained to keep his eyes open, fixed on Sakura facing Yue. His eyes widened in languid shock as Yue approached behind Sakura's form. Sakura turned abruptly blocking Syaoran's view with her back. He struggled to find the energy to lean forward near her but was suddenly stopped as something struck against the side of the bubble, the sharp tip of an arrow meeting his scrutiny. With a terror, he traced the projectile through Sakura, her body fading, Yue's form visible through her translucent form. He convulsed as panic swept through him, feeling the complete helplessness of his condition. Stretching a trembling arm forward he reached toward Sakura's form, but halted as a quick flash of light surprised him, the faint signature of a Clow card enveloping the vicinity.
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Sakura parted her eyelids, without a plan but determined to survive at all
costs. She gingerly reached down to
touch the tip of the arrow, closing her fist around its unreal surface. Waves of magic lapped her skin as she
pulled, an uncomfortable feeling inside her.
Slowly the projectile slid out, the pointed tip scraping through her
insides, the feeling returning to her limbs.
With a jerk, the whole arrow left her body, bursting into nothingness as
its sheath disappeared from around it.
The sensation of rushing at the speed of light returned Sakura's faded
matter, a sudden onslaught of sensation accompanying the now solid and opaque
flesh and cloth. She fell, having been
supported midair on the arrow. The hard
surface of the ground met her with a resounding crack, the force shuddering her
every bone. She looked up to Yue's
form. "Firey; trap Yue."
Yue watched stunned as Sakura's hand grasped the arrow, drawing it out. In what seemed a few seconds, she had disappeared from his view. He looked distracted unnoticing of the rage of flame approaching from under him. With a concerned dart of his eyes, he flew out of the way as the burst of fire streaked by, curving around and facing him threateningly. Throwing a blast of ice, the winged Firey smiled impishly before its body disappearing into four different trails of fire heading off in all directions. The flames swirled towards Yue, avoiding his attacks, funneling at his feet and circling his body upward, trapping the guardian in a cylinder of fire.
Sakura watched the fight anxiously hoping that Firey wouldn't do any appreciable damage to Yue. She called upward, sensing Yue's attacks slow against her own magical control of Firey. "I have defeated you, Yue. The fight ends here."
Yue's voice came lowly over the crackling of the flames. "You have proven yourself worthy…card mistress."
Sakura swallowed calling Firey back, the flaming prison dissolving into the air. Yue's unscathed form floated down to meet Sakura. He lowered Syaoran's bubble, dissipating when I brushed the ground. Sakura rushed to Syaoran's side, noting with relief as the arrow had disappeared along with the wound. His skin, however, felt cold against her touch, his eyes barely parted. "Syaoran."
He shifted a few fingers, speaking lowly with effort. "Are you alright Sakura?"
She nodded dumbly, bringing her face close to his chest, the overwhelming exhaustion swathing her. "How are you?"
Syaoran coughed out a laugh, finding humour in the rigidity of her question. "Perfectly fine."
Sakura flinched uncomfortably as a hand rested on her shoulder, a quiet voice calling her. "Sakura."
She snapped her head around, coming eye level with Yukito. "Yukito?" Scanning the area, she found no trace of Yue, only the sleeping forms of everyone else. "But you're not asleep…" she said to herself more than to anyone else.
Yukito stayed silent for a while, staring at his hand as if making his mind up over some issue. "I-I'm not human?"
Sakura stared oddly at Yukito, her attention divided between Syaoran's half-concious state and Yukito's strange uncertainty. "You're not what?"
"Human…" Yukito kneeled besides Sakura, his thoughts finally finding consensus. "I'm Yue."
Sakura gaped openly, distrusting her own hearing. She started to ask what he said again when she felt a light pressure on her palm. Syaoran tugged at her slightly motioning her over to his lips. He whispered vaguely into Sakura's ear, 'he's is Yue.' "But…"
Yukito leaned in closer to Sakura's face, trailing a soft hand across her cheek. "Sakura…I'm leaving."
"I know, you already told me…"
The gray haired man shook his head slowly. "All this, it's made things much clearer. Yue will be resealed in the book, but me…I'm only a false form, I'll fade away."
Sakura stared disbelievingly at her staff. "You can't!" Without notice, she was already crying, the salty fire abrading her face. "I'm sure there's another alternative…"
"But you don't see Sakura…I want this. I don't know what will happen to me or my soul, if I even have one, if I fade, but…" He sighed heavily. "I don't want to live like this any longer; I don't know how, and I just very much believe, that once I disappear, I will be where Touya is and that…" A small lit up his face, his citrine eyes glowing with a fond remembrance. "That's where I want to be…" He peered intently at Sakura. "I wanted to say goodbye; I love you dearly Sakura."
Sakura sniffled through her conflicting emotions, devastated at losing Yukito but understanding him perfectly. "I love you too, Yukito. I believe you will be with Touya too; please tell him, I love him…"
"I will; tell Fujitaka that he's been a very good friend through everything." In a flash of light, Yue appeared before the newly installed card mistress. "I am ready to be re-sealed."
"I-I don't know how to reseal you…the book…it's not even here."
"I will reseal myself. Call upon me if you need assistance, card mistress." As a violent breeze whipped around Yue, Sakura closed her eyes against the raging dust. When the wind lessened, she found Yue gone.
"Yue…Yukito…" Sakura brought her hand to her eye, a wetness streaking down the length of her fingers. The pain ached horribly, the loss terrible under the clear, moon and starlit skies. An arm snaked around her from behind, the scent of autumn wrapping about her. She leaned backward slightly to feel breathing against her neck. "Syaoran, he's gone…" The only response was another arm sealing the embrace. Already she felt the pain subsiding; she looked to the heavens swearing that a star twinkled brighter than all the others.
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Author's Notes: I made it! Under a month! Not saying much, but I feel somewhat proud. Next chapter is some sort of epilogue but the term epilogue so it's the final chapter…I'll try not to take a month this time…*sweatdrop*