Author's notes: I'm sooo sorry for not updating the story soon! School had been hectic lately @_@ and I had no time to write -_-. Now that I have a whole week off, the story is going to be updated daily, just like before. Thanks to Gatomon, Kaitlin Borngesser, KawaiiChibiTomoyo, Djsngi and Ayana(did you change your pen name from samuri-warrior?) for reviewing; your reviews are the fuel for my works. Thank You!! ^_-

Note: Kico is my own character!

~thoughts~ - character thoughts
" "- quotes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 11 - Expected¡­Death


~ "Hold on, Taeia-chan" Ming murmured holding the injured girl in his arms "Everything will be fine"

Crimson blood poured through an open wound on her shoulder. It stained on both of them. Her breath came in soft shallow puffs.

"Ming-kun¡­I'm¡­dying" Taeia whispered

"Stop saying that" He gently scolds the girl "you're not going to die. You're going to get better."

"Don't deny it Ming-kun¡­ you know the truth" She replied even softer. She sighted quietly and closed her eyes, leaning her head on the boy's chest.

"Taeia-chan? Taeia-chan!" The boy cried out her name, but there was no response ~
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Taeia gasped, sitting up in her bed with cold sweat dripping down her forehead. She checked her watch, it was only 3 o'clock in the morning. "It was just a dream," the girl tried to convince herself "but it was too real to be just a normal nightmare, which means I really am going to die¡­" Taeia buried her face in her hands briefly. Then clicked open her lamp, carefully pulled out a piece of paper, so she doesn't wake up Re, and began to write.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Morning)

The blue-eyed girl woke up with a small yawn, she got out of bed and unbolted the window. Taeia inhaled deeply, it was a wonderful morning. She threw on a pastel green sweater and a pair of jeans, brushed her hair and went down stairs.

"'Morning Re" The girl greeted the sun guardian "Where is Ming-kun and Guang?"

"Guang is, well he's false form is at school" Re replied sipping tea from her cup

"He goes to school on a Saturday? I didn't even know he go to school at all" exclaimed Taeia

"Guang go to that collage near Tomeda High" Re munched on her omelet "He claim that the professor is giving a special lecture today"

"What about Ming-kun? What is he up to?" The Card Mistress inquired

"He's been ironing the laundry down stairs in the living room" Re flew up from the table "well, I'm off to my books, tell me if you need anything"

~Maybe I should see how Ming-kun is doing with that ironing~ The girl pondered to her self
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Taeia entered the living room. She silently watched the brown haired boy as he concentrates on his work. Ming has his brows furrowed and eyes set in determination. Both his sleeves are rolled up to his arm.

The girl couldn't help but laugh quietly as he held the iron and smooth over the wrinkles in a shirt in a dramatic fashion.

"Need some help with that?" Taeia asked tapping Ming lightly on the shoulder

"Hoe! Taeia-chan you scared me!" The jade-eyed boy lit up upon seeing his best friend

"Gomen Ming-kun, I just want to know if you need any help" Taeia stated, but quickly pointed behind him "Ming-kun! The iron!"

The boy quickly lifted the iron from the shirt. Smoke rose from a triangular shaped burnt on the shirt.

"Oh joy" He groaned

"Don't worry about it" Taeia examined the scorch mark "I can fix this, just give me some time"

"Are you sure?" Ming inspected the fabric, it's almost crispy, mending it seemed impossible "How?"

"I've got my ways" Taeia smiled mysteriously

"That was the last item I had to iron, I'm free the whole afternoon. What do you want to do?" The Card Master inquired

"Why don't we live this day to the fullest. Explore its opportunities and possibilities." Taeia smiled and added quietly "because life is a very precious thing to lose"

Ming cast a questioning glance at Her. She answered him with a reassuring smile.

"Why don't we invite our parents to dinner here?" Taeia offered

"Here?" Ming asked, "That's a great idea!"

"Perfect! Let's discuss dinner plans," The blue-haired girl said excitedly "Chinese?"

"Sure, why not" Ming replied

"I'll call them," Taeia moved toward the door "and then we can get started"

~Hope my cooking skills had not gone rusty~ Ming silently prayed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The boy has a weakness for the girl" The figure sat on a throne like chair with a wicked smile on its face "I can work with that"

"Please! Leave them out of this! You've already harmed many innocent people!" A girl around 9 plead

"Be quiet, Kico!" The figure hissed at her "I can easily destroy you if you weren't my little sister "

The little girl whimpered slightly.

"I *will* obtain the power of the cards" a cruel cackled came from the figure "one way or another, then the world will be mine"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Thanks for inviting us Taeia-chan" Sakura and Syaoran walked into the apartment

Taeia and Ming had prepared a mouth-watering dinner for their guests and are now waiting for their other two dinner companions to arrive.

Soon Eriol and Tomoyo turn up also.

"Ohayo Sakura-chan, Syaoran-kun" Tomoyo greeted the couple

"Hello cute descendent, Sakura-chan" Eriol saluted the two

"Stop calling me that!" replied Syaoran through gritted teeth

"Oh, but you just get provoked *so* easily" smirked the young reincarnation "you see, it's no fault of my own that you make an easy target it's quite the reversal, you tempt me so much that I had to do it."

"Your one sick person you know that?" Syaoran sighed

"Why thank you"

"Aarrggg!!!"

"Oh do stop Eriol-kun, you are going to make the poor boy tore his own hair out" Tomoyo chuckled, bemused.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"So this is the golden angel of the cards" The figure examined Guang, who is tied to a chair "Not what I expected"

"Humph"

"I don't like that attitude! All obeys *me*!!" The figure snarled as it sends a crackle of white energy chain at its prisoner

"I¡­will *never* obey you" Guang grounded his teeth not to shout as pain lashes everywhere on his body

"Persistence isn't going to help you" The figure watched as Guang squirmed

"Well, maybe I should take my revenge on that pretty little mistress of yours" The figure smirked stopped the torment on the moon guardian.

"Don't you *dare* touch her" he struggled to get out of his bound

"You can do nothing without your powers" It chanted a strange incantation and a red glow surrounded Guang

Guang gasped as something was pulled out of him, left him feeling weak as a newborn kitten.

"Your powers are mine," The figure smiled "and soon the cards are going to be mine too"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"It's really getting late, I think I'm going to go" Tomoyo stood up "It was a really good dinner, Taeia-chan, Ming-kun"

"We're going too" Sakura and Syaoran said goodbye

Soon all the guests went they're separate ways.

"I'm going to bed" Ming gave a small yawn

Suddenly a gust of wind blow through the open window.

"I didn't remember opening it" Taeia walked to the window and proceed to bolt it shut, when an arrow imbedded itself within her shoulder as maroon colored blood stained her sweater.

Ming saw what happened and rushed to Taeia

"Taeia-chan!" Ming scooped the girl in his arms "Re! Get Guang!"

"It's strange. Guang's still not back-"The sun guardian flew down stairs "Taeia! What happened?"

"She was shot by an arrow" Ming stated, he glanced at Re "We need Guang to heal her"

"There is nothing I can do. I can't sense his aura anywhere" Re peered at Taeia worriedly

"I'm al right" the girl whispered

"SSsshh" Ming spoke tenderly "Don't speak. We need to get the arrow out."

Ming carefully break the arrowhead that went through Taeia's shoulder and quickly pulled the arrow through.

The injured cried out in pain

"I'm so sorry" Ming kissed her sweat-drenched forehead "It'll be al right now"

"The arrow is poisoned" Re whispered to the boy so that only he could hear

~No, no¡­~ Ming's mind gone numb ~she's dying¡­and there's nothing I can do¡­~

"Hold on, Taeia-chan" Ming murmured holding the injured girl in his arms "Everything will be fine"

Crimson blood poured through an open wound on her shoulder. It stained on both of them. Her breath came in soft shallow puffs.

"Ming-kun¡­I'm¡­dying" Taeia whispered

"Stop saying that" Ming gently scold the girl "you're not going to die. You're going to get better."

"Don't deny it Ming-kun¡­ you know the truth" She replied even softer. She sighted quietly and closed her eyes, leaning her head on the boy's chest.

"Taeia-chan? Taeia-chan!" The boy cried out her name, but there was no response

Suddenly the door burst open. There stand the golden angle, battered, bruised with his cloak ripped several places and hair tangled.

"Mistress¡­no" He fainted

"Guang! What happened?" Re flew toward the angle and checked if he was all right, then turn back to her mistress "Taeia¡­"

Ming didn't move, fore his best friend had died in his arms and a sea of her own blood.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Be Continued
So, what do you think? Don't worry, I didn't kill off Taeia! R&R Plez!