AN: Climax. ^_^ I'm pretty sure that this is the last chapter…then the epilogue…but we'll see. …Oh, and I see many of you are starting to discover my rather evil side. ^_^ I've been told by many that I'm rather like Eriol- including an online "personality test". But, what can I say? *smiles benignly*
Kasumi-san: Yes, Eriol is so much worse than Tomoyo's bodyguards! ^_^ Thanks for your comments- they inspire me a lot.
Everyone else: Heh!! Thanks for the comments, and the death threats. I work well under pressure.
Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.
Aratamete
Chapter Ten
Sakura and Syaoran glanced sharply at Eriol. He stood still, his eyes calm. Somehow, he seemed at peace with himself- and that's what scared Sakura so much.
'No one should be so calm in a moment like this.' She narrowed her eyes. 'I'm certainly not! It's like…like he has nothing to lose and everything to gain…' Her thoughts stopped abruptly when Eriol turned unexpectedly to face them.
"You can back out, you know. I won't lie to you- this opponent is more than likely twice as strong as I. Of course, we outnumber her-" his eyes flickered for a moment, but then returned to the soothing blue, "-but this is one of those cases where on must 'expect the unexpected'. Never underestimate.
"And…you might not come out of this fight al-" Eriol stopped abruptly. "-Unscathed."
Syaoran unconsciously scooted closer to his fiancé and wrapped an arm securely around her small waist. Eriol felt his eyes burn at the simple gesture, but blinked once and the soon-to-be tears were extinguished. He smiled wearily at the pair, and, for the first time, Sakura caught a glimpse of Clow in him- he looked older beyond his years; a man haunted by the past that he never lived. She spoke quietly.
"Alive, you mean?" Syaoran's eyes narrowed as he looked down upon her. She felt her heart in her throat as Eriol smiled benevolently…at least, his mouth curled upward in a benevolent smile. Sakura shivered under his piercing- almost sympathetic- gaze.
"Yes." Syaoran pulled Sakura closer to him, and she relished the contact. She was shocked, though- she thought he would deny it, but here he was- just saying a simple "yes" to such a crucial question. Eriol noticed her eyes widen and he chuckled a bit.
"There's no use in denial. It always comes back to you." Then, his mind caught up with his mouth- no use in denial…it always comes back to you… 'I already admitted it!' he yelled silently. 'Stop badgering me!'
Yes, but think of this- if Tomoyo asked you, would you admit it? His conscience was being, for once, gentle.
'…No. I s'pose I wouldn't, would I?'
Then you're still in a type of denial- you don't want to admit it to anyone who plays a crucial role.
Eriol eyes narrowed, and Sakura giggled despite the situation. "Ironic, isn't it?" She said coyly.
Eriol shot a mock glare toward her. "You'll be doing this 'till the end, won't you?" He asked rhetorically. That shut Sakura up. Eriol sighed. "I can't help being blunt. Gomen." But he wasn't really sorry.
Syaoran just shot a confused look at Sakura and she shook her head as if to say "tell you later".
"…But there might not be a later," he said softly. Sakura looked up at him, and kissed him gently, to comfort him. It would've worked, if Eriol hadn't at that moment gotten into a battle stance and gripped his staff tightly.
"Get ready!" He shouted, and Syaoran immediately let go of Sakura and stood in front of her, also getting into a battle stance. Sakura just whispered softly to her staff and put a hand near her pocket, ready to pull out a card. The air seemed to shiver slightly as a tall form slowly started to appear, like she was "gathering" herself in one spot, slowly coming into focus.
"Who is this again?" Sakura asked Eriol softly.
"I never told you in the first place…Clow's sister. Salanor. Actually, her reincarnation." Sakura opened her mouth to say more, but Eriol stopped her.
"Don't," he said. "Just wait." So the Card Mistress moved to Syaoran's side instead of behind him, and watched. Syaoran just glared at her; warning her. She ignored him. Eriol just raised his eyebrows and chuckled, taking his eyes off of the quivering air and misty form in front of him for a couple seconds. Then he turned back to what he felt his attention should've been on. His eyes became unreadable; they almost looked bored. Then- amazingly- the figure spoke.
"So glad you came."
Sakura's eyes widened. 'I-I recognize that voice!'
Salanor- of rather, her reincarnation, but we shall call her Salanor- was becoming clearer and clearer. Her long, golden brown hair flowed behind her as she took a step closer. Now, she had a physical form, rather than a shimmering figure. She was now directly in front of Eriol, staring straight into his eyes. They were the same height. Eriol just stood and met her gaze, but suddenly, he was hit with an unseen force. He stumbled back, but lifted his head again to glare at her.
His heart nearly stopped.
Now that he had a clear view of her, now that he saw her full figure…he glanced at his two companions. They were both staring, their mouths slightly parted. Syaoran was scowling, and Sakura was shaking her head, silently begging for it to be untrue.
Salanor was the splitting image of Kaho Mizuki…she was Kaho Mizuki.
Eriol's eyes hardened. "Explain!" He demanded, his heart pounding a mile per minute- and he wasn't completely sure it was because of the terrifying situation they were in. Salanor- or Kaho- just laughed. Eriol's was shocked- she sounded so different.
"Yes, I should explain, shouldn't I? All the more fun…" She grinned. "Kaho's always been me. I've always been her."
"What do you mean?!"
"Unlike you, Eriol, Kaho and I are two different identities. Clow is, shall we say, melded into you. Your appearance reflects it. But you aren't Clow- you're Eriol, half of Clow's reincarnation…but all yourself. Do you see now?" Her voice was surprisingly gentle.
"No."
Salanor sighed. "Kaho isn't my reincarnation the way you are Clow's. We're separate. We can switch. It's more of a control question. Instead of being "homogenous" within her, like Clow is within you, we're divided." She smiled. "Kaho never knew that she was my reincarnation. I lay dormant within her. See, right now, she's screaming at me to let her go. But I can't. I'm a still part of her, although we are separate. She wouldn't exist without me!"
A silence came over the group. Salanor smiled and nodded, satisfied. "You understand."
Sakura spoke quietly. " Why won't you let Mizuki-sensei go?"
Salanor's eyes became enraged as she snarled. "None of your business! But, let me tell you this- she's not coming back. You can't get her back! And she knows it!" Then she smirked and looked directly at Eriol. "And, the ironic thing is…you'll have to kill her to kill me."
She's right, Eriol.
'Go away! I'm a bit busy right now!'
You must kill Salanor, Eriol! She can't be left alive! Kaho-san won't be coming back, anyway!
'Call her Mizuki-san,' Eriol mumbled to his Clow conscience.
Good. You're distancing yourself. Eriol could literally feel his conscience smile.
'No. I'm not. She just isn't Kaho-san, Kaho-chan, or just Kaho to me now! I'm…I'm…'
…I'll be going now. Good luck.
'Wait!' Eriol mentally cried, but he got no response. 'Great, just when I really need him!' He fumed.
"I know,' he said coldly to Salanor. "And I'll do it." 'Kaho would understand,' he reasoned with himself.
She grinned. "Well, then- let's see." And, without a moment's hesitation, she lunged. Eriol's eyes shot open and he yelled a couple words that Sakura nor Syaoran couldn't catch. A bright purple glow surrounded Salanor and she stopped in midair. Then, she tilted her head, and smiled cutely. At once, the strange glow was gone and she floated down to the ground. Eriol took a step back, unable to hide his astonishment. Suddenly, a burst of fire came out of nowhere, but instantly disintegrated upon reaching Salanor's outstretched hand. Eriol could hear Sakura's gasps. She had put a lot of power into that attack…
'Clow magic won't work,' Eriol realized. He slapped himself. 'Damn it! Why didn't I recognize it before?' He turned and yelled, "Li! NOW! Clow
s magic won't work on her! She's his sister!"
Syaroran immediately understood, and shouted his incantation. The wind moved toward her, but blew right past. She stood, unfazed. "Is that the best you've got?" Salanor sneered, and waved her hand carelessly. Syaoran rose into the air, and was flung backwards into a broken car. A new dent appeared in it where he hit the car, and his head bowed forward. Syaoran was unconscious.
"Syaoran!" Sakura cried, and ran over to help her fiancé. Before she reached him, though, she too was flung into the air. A second later, she was slumped on top of him, also knocked out.
Salanor sighed and rubbed her hands together. "Now that those two are out of the way…let's get down to business." Eriol stared at her, and then a thought occurred to him.
"Where's Tomoyo?" He demanded.
Salanor raised her eyebrows, shocked- but trying to hide it. "You mean, Daidouji-san?" Eriol gazed at her, shocked, but fully realizing her implications.
"No. Tomoyo." Salanor took a step back, then smiled kindly- the smile, though- it was Kaho's. Not Salanor's. Eriol felt his spirits lift, but then the smile disappeared. "Don't know how she got control…" Salanor muttered. "Oh, well. Doesn't matter. Now, Tomoyo-"
"Call her "Daidouji-san"!" Eriol yelled, enraged. Salanor smirked.
"Temper, Eriol."
"Just tell me where she is!" He yelled again. Eriol was strongly being reminded of his conversations with her on the telephone.
"She's…not with me. But if you want her-" Salanor paused. "- I can easily arrange it." But without waiting for an answer, the air shimmered- and Tomoyo appeared. She looked tired, but had a strange inner glow. Eriol gasped.
"She's-"
"Yes, she's starting to discover her powers." Salanor completed Eriol sentence. "I gave her a bit of a…push." She smiled sadistically.
"NANI?!" Eriol shot a deadly glare at Salanor- something he'd never done before. She just shrugged nonchalantly.
"It worked, didn't it?"
Eriol didn't answer; he just ran over to Tomoyo's side. She was barely standing. "Are you okay, Tomoyo-chan?"
Tomoyo smiled weakly. "I'm not that easy to get rid of, y'know."
Eriol just stared, then he laughed. Laughed his frustrations, anger, tears, and latent emotions away. Laughed until he could laugh no more…
And then- the tears started running down his face. Tomoyo just looked on, speechless, and Eriol sobbed and buried his face in the crook of her neck. She felt his warm arms wrap around her tightly, she felt her torn shirt becoming damp at the shoulder…she felt her heart expanding, and her chest as light as air; yet as heavy as rock. She closed her eyes, and just breathed softly. In and out. Exhale and inhale. Breathe; live; love- those were the only things that mattered to her now.
AN: Yes, yes- you're confused. Just think of it as Salanor controlling Kaho, after being "dormant" inside her for a while. Kaho was born with Salanor inside of her; after all, she is her reincarnation. Now, one more chapter and then the epilogue. In the next chapter: Salanor and Eriol have their final showdown, but something unexpected- or, possibly expected- happens. Look for it soon! I'm on a roll!
--hazelwand