Yeah, yeah. I don't own CCS, Clamp does. Although I wouldn't be opposed to
owning it, of course.
Kero-chan: Hey! Where am I! I wouldn't let Sakura battle without her favorite guardian beast!
Me: I said you were nowhere to be found in Chapter 9, remember?
Kero-chan: You'd better give me extra pudding for this!
Last chapter:
Xian was having a hard time blocking all of the attacks, but he was sending out a lot of his own, too. Eriol shouted, "We have to find a way to end this! How are we going to seal him?"
Syaoran shrugged and kept attacking. Then the voice from the Death crystal spoke to him, "Master, that won't work forever. Soon you will have to find a way to banish him forever" What? You again? How are we supposed to beat him? "What is a common bond you all share? A power you all have? What is the opposite of Him? If you can find it and make the power strong enough with the bond, you can win. Call upon me, master, and I shall be there" Can't you ever give me a straight answer? Oh well. Hmm...a bond we all share...a power we all have...the opposite of Xian...wait. Did it call me master? So that means it must be a crystal! It's gotta be the light crystal, it's the only one left! "Ahhh!!!". His thoughts were interrupted by a yell. A very familiar yell...
The Light Crystal
Syaoran snapped out of his daze and looked around wildly for the source of the sound. Thankfully, it wasn't Sakura. "Eriol!" Tomoyo screamed. A blast of energy had headed his way, and Eriol had taken the hit. He had been yelling in pain. Tomoyo rushed to his side, sobbing. "Eriol!", He smiled weakly and said, "Don't worry Tomoyo, I'll be fine in a bit..." Damien came over and kneeled next to them. He healed Eriol like Kai had healed Syaoran. Eriol stood up and thanked Damien. Tomoyo went back to her hiding place and then the battle continued.
They had been fighting for over two hours, and everyone was getting tired, except for Xian. He seemed to actually be getting stronger as the time passed. Xian smiled and said, "This has been fun. Time to say your goodbyes now". He gathered up his energy and blasted it at Sakura. She stood there, petrified.
Sakura was scared out her wits. She closed her eyes (A/N: This is a lot like "And the Two Shall Meet", ne? Oh well. It fits the plot) Syaoran ran towards her, and took the blow. It was a lot worse than the Fire Crystal. He fell to the floor, unconscious and bleeding badly. Sakura was still standing with her eyes closed. She didn't want to look, for fear that her dream would come true. Eriol asked Kai, "Can you heal him?" She stared at Syaoran's body for awhile and started crying. "What? What is it?", asked Tomoyo. "I can't...I can't heal him..." she said.
"What? Why not?" asked Sakura. She opened her eyes, and to her horror, it was exactly like her dream. Kai crying, Syaoran on the floor...everything was the same. She looked at Kai for an answer. Kai started crying even harder and said, "You can't...you can't heal...people who are...dead" she buried her head in Damien's shoulder. Everyone was shocked. Syaoran was...dead? It couldn't be! Sakura's eyes widened. "No! Syaoran!" she dropped to the floor by his body. He wasn't breathing, and he had no pulse. She sobbed uncontrollably. "It can't be! You can't be dead! I never told you that I still love you! Please come back! Syaoran!"
Syaoran was floating. It was black all around him, and he was simply floating in a warm, almost comforting darkness. The strangest thing was, he didn't really mind. It was as if all his troubles were just gently slipping away...it was abnormal, really. Normally, just floating like this would greatly annoy him. His thoughts were becoming more and more spaced out. A dim light appeared before him, and he thought groggily, They always say to follow the light...the light at the end of the tunnel... (A/N: I'm making it sound like he's high or something. Sheesh).
So he started towards the light, but was stopped by that mysterious voice. "Master, is that really where you want to go? If you go there, you will be dead to the world. Is that really what you want?" Syaoran shrugged and said, "Why not? I've had my share of battles, loved and lost, heck, I'm only 17 and I've led a clan already. Why shouldn't I?" "What about all the people who love you and want you back?" "What people? My mother...she...died. My sisters are all grown up and married. They have children. Who would miss me?" (A/N: I had to have some reason for him to take over the clan, didn't I? So he took it over a little after his mother died).
"What about all your friends? You don't think that they would miss you?" Syaoran sighed and said, "Kai would, she's my best friend, and so would Mao, we're good friends, but they have each other now. Tomoyo and Eriol aren't that close to me anyways, they'd get over it soon enough. And Sakura? She wouldn't care either way, most likely. She only offered to be my friend because that's the type of person she is". "Are you sure about that, master? Take a look at this, then". A gray fog appeared, and soon showed what used to be Sakura's house. He could see his body lying there. Kai's head was on Damien's shoulder, and she looked miserable. Even Damien looked sad. Tomoyo and Eriol were hugging each other. Xian had been contained temporarily by Kai and Damien and was struggling to burst free. Sakura was the one that surprised him, however. She was sobbing hysterically by his body. "Does she really care that much?", he asked the voice. "Of course. You shouldn't be so pessimistic. You see, they all miss you. Especially the Card Mistress. Are you sure you want to stay now?" Syaoran looked closer at the image. He may have hated his life sometimes, but he realized that he wouldn't want to give it up for anything.
He smiled and said, "Thank you, Light Crystal. Your advice has been invaluable to me. You are a good and trustworthy friend. May I capture you now?" He could feel a slight breeze as the crystal materialized in front of him. She smiled and said, "I am the final crystal, and the most powerful. You are a good master. You have a brave heart and a pure soul. You are a good person, and you should never look down on yourself because of failure. It would be an honor to serve you, Li Syaoran. No go and beat the dark one. I assume you have figured out what to do?" Syaoran nodded. He had figured it out right before he dove in front of Sakura. "Then I will see you in a little while", said the Light. She turned into a crystal and flew into Syaoran's sword, which glowed pure white. This time, however, the glow didn't fade away completely, it stayed, lingering and filling Syaoran with a sense of completeness. Then he started glowing. The crystals flew out of his sword and surrounded him.
The Size started by saying, "Be patient, master, this won't take long. Time passes faster here than in the real world."
The Lightning said, "We merely need to make your leadership over us complete"
The Ice said, "Then you can go back and help the others"
The Strength said teasingly, "You mean he can go back to his cherry blossom", making Syaoran blush.
The Dream appeared and said, "Stop teasing our poor master. Remember master, nightmares are just as important as wonderful dreams. Heed what they say".
The Reverse said, "We trust you will use our power wisely, master. This ceremony only requires the main elements and the Life and Death, so we will take our leave now".
The crystals dissipated into the darkness, but Syaoran knew they were still there. The four elements appeared.
Air said, "I name thee as our new master by my power as the Air Crystal. Good luck, Syaoran". He left.
The Fire said, "I name thee as our new master by my power as the Fire Crystal. It will be an honor to serve you, Syaoran" He winked at him and left.
The Earth said, "I name thee as our new master by my power as the Earth crystal. You are a worthy master" she grinned at him and faded away.
The Water said, "I, the final element, name thee as our new master by my power as the Water Crystal. I knew you were the one..." she said as she faded away.
The Death appeared. "I must admit, I didn't like you at first", she said smiling. "But you are a stubborn master, and you won me over. I welcome you". She left.
Before the Life appeared, all the crystals whispered, "A gift from us to you..." His sword lifted in the air by itself. He could see the crystals merging with it, one by one. The new sword was...marvelous, really. It shimmered every color of the rainbow. The Life appeared.
"The others have said it all, Syaoran", he said sheepishly, "But I will now give you what you need to return to your world. The Light has already given her blessing, so now you will be off. Good luck, Syaoran". He disappeared into the sword, which turned back into the pendant. But instead of the plain onyx with the star, it was now an emerald orb, the color of his aura. The star was there, but instead of the golden star, a multicolored one was in the center. The colors shifted constantly, giving the star an ethereal look. He felt himself fading, and then...he was back.
In Sakura's house, Kai was the first to notice Syaoran's glowing body. Her eyes widened and she jumped up. She started smiling and said excitedly, "He's alive!" Everyone but Damien stared at her, then at Syaoran's body. They looked back and forth, wanting an explanation. Kai said, "His body is glowing, which means that the crystals are accepting him as their master, and that would only happen if he was alive, so he must be using the Life crystal! I completely forgot about it! And this means he captured the Light crystal!" Everyone started smiling, except for Xian, who was still trying to break free, and Sakura, who wasn't just smiling, she was beaming! She pulled Syaoran's head into her lap, let Kai heal his wounds, and waited for him to wake up. Everyone was happy to see Sakura happy again. Xian growled and doubled his efforts to get out. The barrier was slowly breaking.
Syaoran was in the dark again, but he realized it was only because his eyes were closed. He blinked slowly, trying to get used to the light, and was glomped by Sakura. She grabbed him tightly as soon as she saw his eyes opening and said, "Syaoran! You're ok! You had me so worried, and I was so afraid you were really gone!". Syaoran was happy that she cared, but he had a small problem to take care of first. "Uh...Sakura?" "Yes?" "Breathing is becoming an issue here!" he blurted out. It was the truth, he was turning blue from the lack of air. "Gomen nasai!" she said as she loosened her grip. He got up and released his sword. Kai rolled her eyes and smiled at him, as did Damien and Eriol. Tomoyo was busy rewinding and watching her kawaii Sakura-chan and Li-kun in each others' arms over and over again. Sakura gaped at the new sword, but her attention was drawn to Xian, who was almost free.
Kero-chan: Hey! Where am I! I wouldn't let Sakura battle without her favorite guardian beast!
Me: I said you were nowhere to be found in Chapter 9, remember?
Kero-chan: You'd better give me extra pudding for this!
Last chapter:
Xian was having a hard time blocking all of the attacks, but he was sending out a lot of his own, too. Eriol shouted, "We have to find a way to end this! How are we going to seal him?"
Syaoran shrugged and kept attacking. Then the voice from the Death crystal spoke to him, "Master, that won't work forever. Soon you will have to find a way to banish him forever" What? You again? How are we supposed to beat him? "What is a common bond you all share? A power you all have? What is the opposite of Him? If you can find it and make the power strong enough with the bond, you can win. Call upon me, master, and I shall be there" Can't you ever give me a straight answer? Oh well. Hmm...a bond we all share...a power we all have...the opposite of Xian...wait. Did it call me master? So that means it must be a crystal! It's gotta be the light crystal, it's the only one left! "Ahhh!!!". His thoughts were interrupted by a yell. A very familiar yell...
The Light Crystal
Syaoran snapped out of his daze and looked around wildly for the source of the sound. Thankfully, it wasn't Sakura. "Eriol!" Tomoyo screamed. A blast of energy had headed his way, and Eriol had taken the hit. He had been yelling in pain. Tomoyo rushed to his side, sobbing. "Eriol!", He smiled weakly and said, "Don't worry Tomoyo, I'll be fine in a bit..." Damien came over and kneeled next to them. He healed Eriol like Kai had healed Syaoran. Eriol stood up and thanked Damien. Tomoyo went back to her hiding place and then the battle continued.
They had been fighting for over two hours, and everyone was getting tired, except for Xian. He seemed to actually be getting stronger as the time passed. Xian smiled and said, "This has been fun. Time to say your goodbyes now". He gathered up his energy and blasted it at Sakura. She stood there, petrified.
Sakura was scared out her wits. She closed her eyes (A/N: This is a lot like "And the Two Shall Meet", ne? Oh well. It fits the plot) Syaoran ran towards her, and took the blow. It was a lot worse than the Fire Crystal. He fell to the floor, unconscious and bleeding badly. Sakura was still standing with her eyes closed. She didn't want to look, for fear that her dream would come true. Eriol asked Kai, "Can you heal him?" She stared at Syaoran's body for awhile and started crying. "What? What is it?", asked Tomoyo. "I can't...I can't heal him..." she said.
"What? Why not?" asked Sakura. She opened her eyes, and to her horror, it was exactly like her dream. Kai crying, Syaoran on the floor...everything was the same. She looked at Kai for an answer. Kai started crying even harder and said, "You can't...you can't heal...people who are...dead" she buried her head in Damien's shoulder. Everyone was shocked. Syaoran was...dead? It couldn't be! Sakura's eyes widened. "No! Syaoran!" she dropped to the floor by his body. He wasn't breathing, and he had no pulse. She sobbed uncontrollably. "It can't be! You can't be dead! I never told you that I still love you! Please come back! Syaoran!"
Syaoran was floating. It was black all around him, and he was simply floating in a warm, almost comforting darkness. The strangest thing was, he didn't really mind. It was as if all his troubles were just gently slipping away...it was abnormal, really. Normally, just floating like this would greatly annoy him. His thoughts were becoming more and more spaced out. A dim light appeared before him, and he thought groggily, They always say to follow the light...the light at the end of the tunnel... (A/N: I'm making it sound like he's high or something. Sheesh).
So he started towards the light, but was stopped by that mysterious voice. "Master, is that really where you want to go? If you go there, you will be dead to the world. Is that really what you want?" Syaoran shrugged and said, "Why not? I've had my share of battles, loved and lost, heck, I'm only 17 and I've led a clan already. Why shouldn't I?" "What about all the people who love you and want you back?" "What people? My mother...she...died. My sisters are all grown up and married. They have children. Who would miss me?" (A/N: I had to have some reason for him to take over the clan, didn't I? So he took it over a little after his mother died).
"What about all your friends? You don't think that they would miss you?" Syaoran sighed and said, "Kai would, she's my best friend, and so would Mao, we're good friends, but they have each other now. Tomoyo and Eriol aren't that close to me anyways, they'd get over it soon enough. And Sakura? She wouldn't care either way, most likely. She only offered to be my friend because that's the type of person she is". "Are you sure about that, master? Take a look at this, then". A gray fog appeared, and soon showed what used to be Sakura's house. He could see his body lying there. Kai's head was on Damien's shoulder, and she looked miserable. Even Damien looked sad. Tomoyo and Eriol were hugging each other. Xian had been contained temporarily by Kai and Damien and was struggling to burst free. Sakura was the one that surprised him, however. She was sobbing hysterically by his body. "Does she really care that much?", he asked the voice. "Of course. You shouldn't be so pessimistic. You see, they all miss you. Especially the Card Mistress. Are you sure you want to stay now?" Syaoran looked closer at the image. He may have hated his life sometimes, but he realized that he wouldn't want to give it up for anything.
He smiled and said, "Thank you, Light Crystal. Your advice has been invaluable to me. You are a good and trustworthy friend. May I capture you now?" He could feel a slight breeze as the crystal materialized in front of him. She smiled and said, "I am the final crystal, and the most powerful. You are a good master. You have a brave heart and a pure soul. You are a good person, and you should never look down on yourself because of failure. It would be an honor to serve you, Li Syaoran. No go and beat the dark one. I assume you have figured out what to do?" Syaoran nodded. He had figured it out right before he dove in front of Sakura. "Then I will see you in a little while", said the Light. She turned into a crystal and flew into Syaoran's sword, which glowed pure white. This time, however, the glow didn't fade away completely, it stayed, lingering and filling Syaoran with a sense of completeness. Then he started glowing. The crystals flew out of his sword and surrounded him.
The Size started by saying, "Be patient, master, this won't take long. Time passes faster here than in the real world."
The Lightning said, "We merely need to make your leadership over us complete"
The Ice said, "Then you can go back and help the others"
The Strength said teasingly, "You mean he can go back to his cherry blossom", making Syaoran blush.
The Dream appeared and said, "Stop teasing our poor master. Remember master, nightmares are just as important as wonderful dreams. Heed what they say".
The Reverse said, "We trust you will use our power wisely, master. This ceremony only requires the main elements and the Life and Death, so we will take our leave now".
The crystals dissipated into the darkness, but Syaoran knew they were still there. The four elements appeared.
Air said, "I name thee as our new master by my power as the Air Crystal. Good luck, Syaoran". He left.
The Fire said, "I name thee as our new master by my power as the Fire Crystal. It will be an honor to serve you, Syaoran" He winked at him and left.
The Earth said, "I name thee as our new master by my power as the Earth crystal. You are a worthy master" she grinned at him and faded away.
The Water said, "I, the final element, name thee as our new master by my power as the Water Crystal. I knew you were the one..." she said as she faded away.
The Death appeared. "I must admit, I didn't like you at first", she said smiling. "But you are a stubborn master, and you won me over. I welcome you". She left.
Before the Life appeared, all the crystals whispered, "A gift from us to you..." His sword lifted in the air by itself. He could see the crystals merging with it, one by one. The new sword was...marvelous, really. It shimmered every color of the rainbow. The Life appeared.
"The others have said it all, Syaoran", he said sheepishly, "But I will now give you what you need to return to your world. The Light has already given her blessing, so now you will be off. Good luck, Syaoran". He disappeared into the sword, which turned back into the pendant. But instead of the plain onyx with the star, it was now an emerald orb, the color of his aura. The star was there, but instead of the golden star, a multicolored one was in the center. The colors shifted constantly, giving the star an ethereal look. He felt himself fading, and then...he was back.
In Sakura's house, Kai was the first to notice Syaoran's glowing body. Her eyes widened and she jumped up. She started smiling and said excitedly, "He's alive!" Everyone but Damien stared at her, then at Syaoran's body. They looked back and forth, wanting an explanation. Kai said, "His body is glowing, which means that the crystals are accepting him as their master, and that would only happen if he was alive, so he must be using the Life crystal! I completely forgot about it! And this means he captured the Light crystal!" Everyone started smiling, except for Xian, who was still trying to break free, and Sakura, who wasn't just smiling, she was beaming! She pulled Syaoran's head into her lap, let Kai heal his wounds, and waited for him to wake up. Everyone was happy to see Sakura happy again. Xian growled and doubled his efforts to get out. The barrier was slowly breaking.
Syaoran was in the dark again, but he realized it was only because his eyes were closed. He blinked slowly, trying to get used to the light, and was glomped by Sakura. She grabbed him tightly as soon as she saw his eyes opening and said, "Syaoran! You're ok! You had me so worried, and I was so afraid you were really gone!". Syaoran was happy that she cared, but he had a small problem to take care of first. "Uh...Sakura?" "Yes?" "Breathing is becoming an issue here!" he blurted out. It was the truth, he was turning blue from the lack of air. "Gomen nasai!" she said as she loosened her grip. He got up and released his sword. Kai rolled her eyes and smiled at him, as did Damien and Eriol. Tomoyo was busy rewinding and watching her kawaii Sakura-chan and Li-kun in each others' arms over and over again. Sakura gaped at the new sword, but her attention was drawn to Xian, who was almost free.