Konnichiwa Minna! I'm back and ready for more! Before I go on, I need to thank my buddy Starrie for giving me a wonderful idea about what to do next! Of course, I'm going to twist her idea into a pretzel, but I think you'll all like it anyway.
And to answer Azure-chan: Yes, Rob is really THAT powerful. He knows quite a bit, and you'll know why soon. And I'll have the next chapter out... well, now!
Read on!
Chapter Six
Eriol's Garden
Rob has just dropped a real bombshell on his new friends. He has revealed that he knows everything about the Clow Cards and Card Mistress. He even seems to know that Eriol is the reincarnation of Clow Reed. He is also very strong, seeing as how he defeated Meiling while she was using the Power and Dash cards.
Eriol jumped up and yelled, "How do you know of the cards and Card Mistress!?" Tomoyo jumped a bit. She'd never heard him yell before.
"And how did you get that strong!?" Sakura joined in.
"Don't worry, I'll reveal all once Li returns with Meiling" Rob smiled at them and lay back down. Eriol and Sakura were very annoyed at his lack of respect, but calmly sat down and glared at him as they waited.
"NOW HOW IN THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT!?!?!" came Li's yell. Rob took note of Li and Meiling's return and stood in front of his audience, preparing to explain.
"First, Sakura, is the Guardian of the seal, Cerberus, here?" Rob asked.
"Yes, he's inside" Sakura replied.
"Would you mind calling him out here, I'll have more credibility if he confirms everything I say"
Sakura didn't understand what he meant, but she called Kero anyway. He looked horrified when he saw that he was called to appear before someone who he didn't know, but obeyed his mistress's command.
"Now, Cerberus, if you would be so kind as to return to your true form, I'll begin" Rob said.
Kero looked to Sakura, who only nodded. He quickly changed into his true form, a large yellow lion with large white wings. He settled somewhat between Sakura and Rob, instinctually preparing to protect her.
"Alright now, let's begin."
Rob concentrated his energy then began to chant,
"Scythe of the Dead
With power beyond mortal sight
Reveal yourself
and lend me your MIGHT!"
A small ball of dark energy appeared in front of him. He smiled and grabbed it and as soon as he grasped it, it extended into a long staff. Then, a pair of red blades extended out from the end, leaving a black and red scythe to solidify. The group gasped at this and Sakura thought it was the same scythe that Shinigami had, but he didn't look anything like him, so she dismissed the thought. He then turned to Cerberus, who had a horrified look on his face.
"Cerberus, Guardian Beast of the Seal, former Guardian of the Gates of Hell, identify this artifact for everyone" Rob ordered.
"That is the Death Scythe, a powerful weapon that allows the carrier to rip a person's soul from his/her body. It may only be carried by the God of Death, Shinigami" the great beast explained.
At his last word, everyone tensed, even Tomoyo who had put that symbol on the battle suit that she'd made for him. They had no idea that he was so powerful. Eriol, Li, and Sakura thought that he might have a few powers, but they didn't even consider that he might be a god.
"Do you not believe me? Then maybe this will convince you..." he trailed off as he began to concentrate.
Soon, he was surrounded by a dark aura that nearly engulfed him. Sakura began to worry until she noticed him smiling at her. She could just make out the changes that he was undergoing. His hair lengthened to rest just below his waist, then it braided itself tightly. He closed his eyes as his hair took only a golden hue and seemed to glow. The next thing she saw was him, spreading his wings. He had a massive pair of black, bat wings. He flapped them powerfully and a gust of wind hit them, but quickly died down. The dark aura vanished and they were left facing a being with golden hair, a massive set of wings, and a very strong dark aura. He then opened his dark, red eyes at them. Everyone except for Sakura jumped a bit at his new color.
"He has such a dark and evil aura" Syaoran sneered.
"I sense no evil" Eriol whispered.
"I feel almost a warmth coming from him" Sakura said, but no one heard her.
"I am not an evil being, just dark" Rob whispered as kindly as he could, but it still came out to sound menacing.
"I don't believe you! You must be evil to have done this to Meiling!" yelled the cousin of the injured girl.
"Yeah, that's true. Why would you beat a defenseless girl?" Sakura interjected.
Rob winced slightly and stared at Meiling.
"Can you prove to us that you are not evil?" Eriol asked.
Rob simply walked up to Meiling. She tried to move, but she was paralyzed in fear. Rob stopped a few inches from her and smiled warmly down upon the terrified girl. He reached out and embraced her in a warm and reassuring hug and more dark energy surrounded them. Li tried to run over and stop him, but he was too late. A moment later, the aura subsided and there was a smiling, healed Meiling hugging Rob gratefully. Shinigami looked to Eriol.
"Works for me!" Eriol said happily. Sakura and Tomoyo cautiously agreed, but Li wasn't so easily convinced. Rob returned to his Base form and Sakura found her courage.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" she asked him, hurt.
Rob bowed his head before replying, "I'm sorry Sakura, but I couldn't let you know when I first met you"
"Why not?" she demanded.
"I was hoping that this new power would be weak enough for me to handle without involving you, but now I know that I will need your help."
"Our help? After you lied to us?" Sakura said with more hurt in her voice.
Rob drooped noticeably, "I'm really sorry Sakura for the deception, but mortals are not supposed to involved in godly affairs. I've broken major rules by telling you all this."
Sakura turned her back on him, "I will not help a liar!"
He grabbed her hand and turned her around. She was surprised look at the boy kneeling at her feet, holding her hand. "Please Card Mistress, I beg of you. Help me. PLEASE!"
She couldn't believe it. This "god" was kneeling at her feet begging for her help. She wanted to refuse him again, but she couldn't.
"Alright," she said softly, "we will help you."
Rob stood slowly and smiled, "Thank you."
Inside Eriol's Home, tea time
The gang was sitting in Eriol's living room, sipping tea and trying to comprehend what had just happened. Kero told everyone the truth of his existence as well. He was not created by Clow Reed, but summoned by him to help protect his book. Clow was only allowed to believe that he had created Kero. The room was completely silent for ten minutes while everyone was off in their own little world. Things were looking not too good, and it was only Friday afternoon.
Robbie decided to break the heavy silence and spoke, "How about them Lakers, eh?"
Everyone looked at him like he'd gone insane, then everyone started to laugh at him. It was a very infectious laughter and everyone was soon overcome. Even the three guardians in attendance were rolling on the ground. No one knew why it was so funny, but they enjoyed the laughter while it lasted. All too soon the sound died down, but at least they were now in good spirits.
"Well, I'm sorry for dropping that on all of you like that. Will you forgive me?" Rob asked.
Everyone was silent, looking at each other, not sure what to say.
"I know that I forgive you." Meiling said.
"I do too!" Tomoyo squealed, getting another wince from Rob.
Soon, everyone forgave Rob. All except for Sakura, that is. She simply remained silent through the exchange, staring down at her full cup of tea.
"I'm sorry..." Sakura excused herself and left. Rob and Li both began to follow her, but Eriol stopped Li.
"She and Rob have a few things to work out, my cute little descendant."
Li nodded and sat back down to finish his tea.
"I hope everything is alright..." Tomoyo whispered to herself.
Eriol's House, Hallway
Sakura was sitting on the stairs lightly crying. She heard someone enter after her and she hoped that it was Syaoran, come to comfort her, but it wasn't. She looked up to see a very concerned Rob looking down at her. She wiped away the tears and glared at him.
"What do you want?" she sneered.
"To help you and make you understand."
"I understand all that I need to."
"No, you don't. You think that I betrayed you. Maybe I did, maybe I lied to you, and maybe I don't deserve your trust anymore. But, you must believe this: I did it in hopes that I wouldn't drag you and your friends into a fight that will get you all killed."
"You don't know that we'd all..."
"Yes, I do. If you all fight you will all die and even then, this evil may yet prevail."
"Than why ask for our help?"
"As long as I survive, I might be able to revive all of you. If I perish, then you won't want to be revived."
"This is some apology..."
Rob chuckled, "I'm sorry. I'm out of practice."
"I can tell."
"So, Sakura, will you forgive me?"
"Well...."
Rob cut off Sakura as he embraced her in a tight hug. Sakura struggled at first, but conceded and hugged him back.
"Please, my friend?" he whispered into her ear.
"Alright, I forgive you" she whispered back.
"Thank you..." Rob said to her, releasing her.
"Ok! So what will we tell everyone when we go back in?"
"Well, I have an idea..." he smiled evilly and whispered the rest of his plan to her as she nodded and mirrored his smile.
Eriol's Living Room... Again
They've all been waiting for Rob and Sakura to come back from talking. They thought it would take a while, but it had been 15 minutes. Syaoran was starting to get restless but sat down anyway. Eriol perked up announced that they were coming back. The opening doors revealed a smiling pair of teenagers holding hands and looking at each other lovingly. Rob took Sakura's previous seat next to Syaoran and Sakura sat on his lap. Syaoran just stared at them with wide eyes, as did everyone else.
Sakura just ignored them and held Rob tightly. She whispered to him, "I think we shocked them."
"Does that mean that I have to let you go?" Rob whispered back.
"Syaoran will start glaring in a moment if you don't."
"Well, then I'll have to give you to him."
With that, he stood up and put Sakura in Li's lap. He looked around and noticed that Meiling was standing, leaning against the couch. He walked over, picked her up, walked back to his seat, and sat down with her on his lap. She was a bit surprised but didn't mind. Sakura shot her a quick glare that no one noticed.
"Well hello there" Meiling said to Rob.
"Hello to you too"
"I don't think that we've been properly introduced"
"I'm Robbie Foster, aka Shinigami," he held a hand up, "pleased to meet you."
"I'm Li Meiling," she took his hand and shook it firmly, "pleased to meet you as well."
Tomoyo felt a bit jealous as they exchanged pleasantries and she jumped into Eriol's lap and arms. He was a bit surprised, but hugged her tightly.
"Well, I can feel the love in this room!" Robbie chimed in. Everyone chuckled as the girls climbed off the guys. They were all happy and friends again. All was good and peachy keen again! Though Sakura had a lingering feeling after seeing Meiling on her lap, but she shrugged it off.
Later that Night, Still Eriol's house
The gang decided to spend the night at Eriol's that night. Li took Meiling home to get their clothes. Tomoyo did the same with Sakura. Rob didn't have to worry about hiding his power anymore, so he grew a beautiful pair of white, feathered wings and flew home after Sakura left. They all returned about half an hour later with changes of clothing and other items. Eriol noticed that Rob was careful to hide his wings from her, but didn't know why. They ate a nice dinner together and retired to their assigned rooms. Meiling had the odd habit of hitting on Rob a LOT while they were together. For some reason this upset Sakura a little. Rob was in his room, looking out the window at the full moon when a knock came at the door.
"Enter" he called. The door silently swept open and a girl entered. "Meiling, I think that we've spent enough time together today."
"It's me, Sakura."
He chuckled to himself and called back to her, "come over and look at the moon with me," he moved over to allow her some room by the window. She walked over and leaned on the sill and gazed at the moon.
"A few days ago, I had a dream..." she started.
"Oh? What about?"
"Well, there were actually two, I think. The first one I had I just heard a flutter and a green-eyed boy with wings."
"And the second dream?"
"I'm not sure if it was a dream. I followed that boy out into the night, over a grove of trees. I flew down and stood on one, and he grabbed me from behind."
"Uh-huh..."
"Well, I turned and instead of pulling away, I put my arms around him and drew him close. He told me things that I can't seem to remember right now, but I do remember feeling content. We hugged and then we kissed... passionately."
Rob smiled at that last part, "So, what would you like to know about the 'dreams'?"
"Well, he has green eyes, and so do you. I thought that it might have been you, but your wings are black and...."
Rob cut her off as he spread his pure, white wings and placed one around her after seeing her shiver. She looked at the wing and continued to speak.
"It was you..."
"Yes, it was. I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you then, either. I just felt like I owed you a reassurance and... never mind."
"And what?"
"I probably shouldn't..."
"You lied and withheld things before and look what it got you?"
He chuckled and continued, "alright then. Promise me that you won't overreact?"
"I promise."
"I have feelings for you Sakura. I really like you. I don't know how deep the feelings go yet, that's why I waited to tell you. I understand if you don't feel the same way..."
"I really like you too Rob," she put and arm around his waist and he put his arm about her shoulders in response, "But I also love Syaoran."
"I know, I could sense the bond you shared. But, I also sensed that it was no longer fated."
"Hoe?"
"You were to come together in order to save the world and capture the Clow Cards. Now that you've done that I sense that you no longer MUST be together."
"What are you saying, that I'm supposed to be with you know?"
"No, not at all. I'm saying that before you had no choice, you were fated to love Syaoran. Now you have a choice with no obligation to love anyone."
"Thanks, but that won't change who I love."
"I know, but that may let you love one more person."
She stared at him for several minutes before replying, "I may learn to love one more, but he's going to have to give me time to accept him."
"If he has any sense, he'll give you all the time you need." He turned around and gave her a strong hug, using his wings to draw her nearer. He hugged back as tightly as she could, then broke away.
"I should go back to my room. Goodnight Rob-kun."
"Goodnight Saku-chan." She giggled at the odd shortening of her name as she left.
Rob sighed to himself as he felt a red aura move toward him. "Meiling now, great..." he said to himself as his wings disappeared.
There came a knock on his door.
"Aren't I popular tonight," he muttered to himself as he called out, "come in Meiling!"
The black-haired girl entered silently and walked up to him. She came up behind him and put her arms around his waist.
"Aren't we friendly tonight?" he said to her.
"What can I say, I'm attracted to strong men."
"Well, I must admit that I appreciate a strong woman."
She pulled back and turned him around to face her. She then drew him into an embrace.
He looked down at her and noticed her nightgown. It was a dark red with black trim. It seemed to have some of the same symbols as her battle dress. They must have some special significance to her, he surmised before returning his attention to the girl in his arms.
"Do you want to talk?" he asked her.
"No, I just want to be here with you."
He considering telling her that he just wanted to be friends, but realized that it may take a while for Sakura to come around. But in case she came around quickly, he needed a way to switch easily.
"Meiling, I only just met you today. Before we get too close, I think that we should take some time to get to know each other. Let's just be friends for now and see where it takes us?"
"I know, Robbie. You're probably right, I'll go. Goodnight."
As she walked away, she felt a hand grab her arms and she soon found herself in Rob's arms. He then bent down and pecked her softly on the lips. "Goodnight, Meiling." He released her. She smiled as she left.
Sakura's Room
Sakura was sitting on her bed looking out her own window, thinking about her conversation with Rob. She felt Meiling enter his room, but she felt unconcerned for some reason. She didn't even notice the bright green aura of Syaoran enter her room. He stood there, staring at his angel, the girl he loved. He chuckled at her gown, as it was pink with embroidered cherry blossoms. It suited her well. Sakura glanced up at his chuckle.
"What's so funny?" she asked, smiling.
"I was just thinking about how much your night gown suits you."
"Yeah, Tomoyo has a gift for making me stuff that suits me."
He walked up to her, "May I sit?"
"Of course silly!"
He sat before he continued, "Sakura, I can't help but think that you don't love me anymore."
"Hoe? What makes you think that?"
"Well, you've seemed so distant since I came back. You're also spending more time of that Robbie kid."
"Don't worry, I still love you... with all of my heart. Rob and I just had a talk about that. He told me some things that change things slightly, but he has agreed to give me space. We can be together without having to worry about anything now."
"What did he tell you?"
"He said that I was no longer fated to love you, and that now I have choice about who I love. I guess he was trying to tell me that you might not be the right one for me, but I'm sure that he was just being cautious."
"Oh..."
Sakura saw his disheartened expression and decided to do something about it. He got up and knelt in front of Syaoran so that she could look up into his eyes. "Syaoran, I love you and will always love you. Nothing can get in the way of that."
He smiled down at her and leaned down to hug her. "Thanks, Sakura. That means a lot to me. He looked down and gazed into her beautiful green eyes.
Sakura gazed up at him. She then moved up and captured his lips in a sweet kiss. She broke away after a few moments and asked, "Do you believe me?"
"Well, I'm not sure yet..."
She cut him off as she kissed him more deeply, more passionately. She felt content, but there was something nagging at her. She asked herself, 'I know this is right, but why does it feel wrong?' She broke away and smiled at Syaoran.
He sensed the slight timidity in her aura and withdrew. He gave her a last peck on the cheek before bidding her goodnight and leaving.
She closed the door behind him and collapsed onto her bed. She began to cry. "What is going on? I love Syaoran so much, but I also love Rob.." she trailed off as she realized that she finally admitted it. "I love Rob, I love him." She felt better saying it, but it didn't help her out of her situation. "Who do I choose? How can I choose? I love them both so much, but I don't know what to do!" She sighed, realizing that she can't solve anything tonight. "I'll just have to see what happens, I guess." She dried her tears and climbed under her blankets, soon falling into a dreamless sleep.
Eriol's Room
Tomoyo decided to talk about her boyfriend about Sakura and Rob. She felt that they should be together. She knew that they both loved each other even if neither would admit it. She went to Eriol for his feelings and advice.
"I know that Rob loves Sakura, and that Sakura loves him!" She began.
"I do sense that their auras tend to gravitate toward each other, that could be a sign of love"
"I'm really worried that she might not be able to handle choosing between them!"
"Don't worry, Sakura is strong, she'll be able to find who she loves the most."
"I'm worried about what will happen if she chooses Rob. Li won't take it well. He might even get violent."
"Rob is more than strong enough to contain him if he does. I'm sure that Rob will be disappointed if he isn't chosen, but will respect her decision."
"I hope everything turns out alright..." a tear rolled down her face as she thought about how much Sakura would be hurt.
"It will be, I promise..." Eriol held Tomoyo tightly and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
"Eriol, I don't want to leave."
"Then don't, he pulled back his comforter and blankets, "you can sleep with me tonight."
"Uh..."
"Don't worry, I don't bite... hard."
Tomoyo giggled at his mysterious expression and climbed into bed, followed by Eriol. He put his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "I love you Tomoyo, sleep well."
"I love you, too" she whispered back as she drifted into a deep sleep. Eriol soon did the same as the angel in his arms... his angel.
Rob's Room, about 3 AM
Rob woke with a start as he sensed trouble in Hong Kong. The Elders of the Li clan were planning something that would cause trouble. He could sense the threads of fate being changed by their power. "Fools..." he cursed at them. He quickly concentrated and disappeared, reappearing in the Elder's council chamber. He stayed hidden in the shadows while he listened.
"The Li boy will not be powerful enough to defeat this evil now, we must recall him for more training" Elder One spoke. (I don't know their names so I'm going to number them)
"Surely the combined power of him and the Card Mistress will be enough!" Two reassured.
"He has made arrangements to stay there indefinitely, it should be HIS choice, not yours" Yelen (Li's mom) stood and spoke to them. The Elders were surprised to see her interrupt, but ignored her comment.
"He must be recalled now!" the youngest of the Elders yelled. He had newly been appointed as an Elder because of his oddly strong aura. Only the eldest Elder's was stronger.
A figure in a black robe stepped into the light between the Elders and everyone stopped, not knowing where he came from. The semi-circle of tables that the Elders sat at seemed to groan and creak that this person's appearance. The youngest Elder was about to yell at him for interrupting their meeting, but the figure's glare made him sit down.
"You will not force Li to return" the figure ordered.
"What right have YOU to give US orders" the Youngest spoke.
The figure just smiled and pulled a large scythe from his robes. The elders looked in awe but still didn't think that a scythe made one worthy to interrupt them. He spoke again.
"I, Shinigami, the ruler of souls and god of death, has more than enough right to give YOU commands."
There was a great commotion about his introduction. They couldn't believe that a god had truly descended to give them orders on a "trivial" matter. Perhaps they didn't know the scope of what was going on.
"You show up with a scythe and just expect us to believe that you're a god? Can you prove it? If not th...."
Shinigami, performing a gesture with his scythe that gave the impression of forcefully pulling something, cut him off. Youngest instantly fell onto the table, dead. A small red ball, the same red as the former Elder's aura, appeared in front of the god.
"Do you all believe me now?" he asked.
All of the people in the room nodded frantically, daring not to speak.
"Now," Shinigami-sama continued, "You will follow my instruction and leave the boy alone." He turned to leave and as he did, he tossed the ball of energy behind him into the room. The ball dispersed and the energy entered the Youngest. He coughed heavily and slowly rose shakily. They glanced back to where Shinigami was, but found no one. They couldn't even sense his aura.
"Looks like we have no choice" the Eldest said.
"Indeed" another commented.
Rob's Room
He returned shortly after leaving, no one would know that he'd left. He dropped his scythe and it instantly disappeared, going wherever it goes when it does that. Rob climbed back under his blankets and fell back to sleep.
Fin Chapter Six
Well, looks like Rob does need Everyone if he had to order the Elders to allow Li to stay. What could be too powerful for a god to handle and how could the CCS gang possibly help? You'll all find out soon, very soon. Well Starrie, there's you're stinkin' S+S moment! *smiles* Ok, I'll see you all later!
And to answer Azure-chan: Yes, Rob is really THAT powerful. He knows quite a bit, and you'll know why soon. And I'll have the next chapter out... well, now!
Read on!
Chapter Six
Eriol's Garden
Rob has just dropped a real bombshell on his new friends. He has revealed that he knows everything about the Clow Cards and Card Mistress. He even seems to know that Eriol is the reincarnation of Clow Reed. He is also very strong, seeing as how he defeated Meiling while she was using the Power and Dash cards.
Eriol jumped up and yelled, "How do you know of the cards and Card Mistress!?" Tomoyo jumped a bit. She'd never heard him yell before.
"And how did you get that strong!?" Sakura joined in.
"Don't worry, I'll reveal all once Li returns with Meiling" Rob smiled at them and lay back down. Eriol and Sakura were very annoyed at his lack of respect, but calmly sat down and glared at him as they waited.
"NOW HOW IN THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT!?!?!" came Li's yell. Rob took note of Li and Meiling's return and stood in front of his audience, preparing to explain.
"First, Sakura, is the Guardian of the seal, Cerberus, here?" Rob asked.
"Yes, he's inside" Sakura replied.
"Would you mind calling him out here, I'll have more credibility if he confirms everything I say"
Sakura didn't understand what he meant, but she called Kero anyway. He looked horrified when he saw that he was called to appear before someone who he didn't know, but obeyed his mistress's command.
"Now, Cerberus, if you would be so kind as to return to your true form, I'll begin" Rob said.
Kero looked to Sakura, who only nodded. He quickly changed into his true form, a large yellow lion with large white wings. He settled somewhat between Sakura and Rob, instinctually preparing to protect her.
"Alright now, let's begin."
Rob concentrated his energy then began to chant,
"Scythe of the Dead
With power beyond mortal sight
Reveal yourself
and lend me your MIGHT!"
A small ball of dark energy appeared in front of him. He smiled and grabbed it and as soon as he grasped it, it extended into a long staff. Then, a pair of red blades extended out from the end, leaving a black and red scythe to solidify. The group gasped at this and Sakura thought it was the same scythe that Shinigami had, but he didn't look anything like him, so she dismissed the thought. He then turned to Cerberus, who had a horrified look on his face.
"Cerberus, Guardian Beast of the Seal, former Guardian of the Gates of Hell, identify this artifact for everyone" Rob ordered.
"That is the Death Scythe, a powerful weapon that allows the carrier to rip a person's soul from his/her body. It may only be carried by the God of Death, Shinigami" the great beast explained.
At his last word, everyone tensed, even Tomoyo who had put that symbol on the battle suit that she'd made for him. They had no idea that he was so powerful. Eriol, Li, and Sakura thought that he might have a few powers, but they didn't even consider that he might be a god.
"Do you not believe me? Then maybe this will convince you..." he trailed off as he began to concentrate.
Soon, he was surrounded by a dark aura that nearly engulfed him. Sakura began to worry until she noticed him smiling at her. She could just make out the changes that he was undergoing. His hair lengthened to rest just below his waist, then it braided itself tightly. He closed his eyes as his hair took only a golden hue and seemed to glow. The next thing she saw was him, spreading his wings. He had a massive pair of black, bat wings. He flapped them powerfully and a gust of wind hit them, but quickly died down. The dark aura vanished and they were left facing a being with golden hair, a massive set of wings, and a very strong dark aura. He then opened his dark, red eyes at them. Everyone except for Sakura jumped a bit at his new color.
"He has such a dark and evil aura" Syaoran sneered.
"I sense no evil" Eriol whispered.
"I feel almost a warmth coming from him" Sakura said, but no one heard her.
"I am not an evil being, just dark" Rob whispered as kindly as he could, but it still came out to sound menacing.
"I don't believe you! You must be evil to have done this to Meiling!" yelled the cousin of the injured girl.
"Yeah, that's true. Why would you beat a defenseless girl?" Sakura interjected.
Rob winced slightly and stared at Meiling.
"Can you prove to us that you are not evil?" Eriol asked.
Rob simply walked up to Meiling. She tried to move, but she was paralyzed in fear. Rob stopped a few inches from her and smiled warmly down upon the terrified girl. He reached out and embraced her in a warm and reassuring hug and more dark energy surrounded them. Li tried to run over and stop him, but he was too late. A moment later, the aura subsided and there was a smiling, healed Meiling hugging Rob gratefully. Shinigami looked to Eriol.
"Works for me!" Eriol said happily. Sakura and Tomoyo cautiously agreed, but Li wasn't so easily convinced. Rob returned to his Base form and Sakura found her courage.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" she asked him, hurt.
Rob bowed his head before replying, "I'm sorry Sakura, but I couldn't let you know when I first met you"
"Why not?" she demanded.
"I was hoping that this new power would be weak enough for me to handle without involving you, but now I know that I will need your help."
"Our help? After you lied to us?" Sakura said with more hurt in her voice.
Rob drooped noticeably, "I'm really sorry Sakura for the deception, but mortals are not supposed to involved in godly affairs. I've broken major rules by telling you all this."
Sakura turned her back on him, "I will not help a liar!"
He grabbed her hand and turned her around. She was surprised look at the boy kneeling at her feet, holding her hand. "Please Card Mistress, I beg of you. Help me. PLEASE!"
She couldn't believe it. This "god" was kneeling at her feet begging for her help. She wanted to refuse him again, but she couldn't.
"Alright," she said softly, "we will help you."
Rob stood slowly and smiled, "Thank you."
Inside Eriol's Home, tea time
The gang was sitting in Eriol's living room, sipping tea and trying to comprehend what had just happened. Kero told everyone the truth of his existence as well. He was not created by Clow Reed, but summoned by him to help protect his book. Clow was only allowed to believe that he had created Kero. The room was completely silent for ten minutes while everyone was off in their own little world. Things were looking not too good, and it was only Friday afternoon.
Robbie decided to break the heavy silence and spoke, "How about them Lakers, eh?"
Everyone looked at him like he'd gone insane, then everyone started to laugh at him. It was a very infectious laughter and everyone was soon overcome. Even the three guardians in attendance were rolling on the ground. No one knew why it was so funny, but they enjoyed the laughter while it lasted. All too soon the sound died down, but at least they were now in good spirits.
"Well, I'm sorry for dropping that on all of you like that. Will you forgive me?" Rob asked.
Everyone was silent, looking at each other, not sure what to say.
"I know that I forgive you." Meiling said.
"I do too!" Tomoyo squealed, getting another wince from Rob.
Soon, everyone forgave Rob. All except for Sakura, that is. She simply remained silent through the exchange, staring down at her full cup of tea.
"I'm sorry..." Sakura excused herself and left. Rob and Li both began to follow her, but Eriol stopped Li.
"She and Rob have a few things to work out, my cute little descendant."
Li nodded and sat back down to finish his tea.
"I hope everything is alright..." Tomoyo whispered to herself.
Eriol's House, Hallway
Sakura was sitting on the stairs lightly crying. She heard someone enter after her and she hoped that it was Syaoran, come to comfort her, but it wasn't. She looked up to see a very concerned Rob looking down at her. She wiped away the tears and glared at him.
"What do you want?" she sneered.
"To help you and make you understand."
"I understand all that I need to."
"No, you don't. You think that I betrayed you. Maybe I did, maybe I lied to you, and maybe I don't deserve your trust anymore. But, you must believe this: I did it in hopes that I wouldn't drag you and your friends into a fight that will get you all killed."
"You don't know that we'd all..."
"Yes, I do. If you all fight you will all die and even then, this evil may yet prevail."
"Than why ask for our help?"
"As long as I survive, I might be able to revive all of you. If I perish, then you won't want to be revived."
"This is some apology..."
Rob chuckled, "I'm sorry. I'm out of practice."
"I can tell."
"So, Sakura, will you forgive me?"
"Well...."
Rob cut off Sakura as he embraced her in a tight hug. Sakura struggled at first, but conceded and hugged him back.
"Please, my friend?" he whispered into her ear.
"Alright, I forgive you" she whispered back.
"Thank you..." Rob said to her, releasing her.
"Ok! So what will we tell everyone when we go back in?"
"Well, I have an idea..." he smiled evilly and whispered the rest of his plan to her as she nodded and mirrored his smile.
Eriol's Living Room... Again
They've all been waiting for Rob and Sakura to come back from talking. They thought it would take a while, but it had been 15 minutes. Syaoran was starting to get restless but sat down anyway. Eriol perked up announced that they were coming back. The opening doors revealed a smiling pair of teenagers holding hands and looking at each other lovingly. Rob took Sakura's previous seat next to Syaoran and Sakura sat on his lap. Syaoran just stared at them with wide eyes, as did everyone else.
Sakura just ignored them and held Rob tightly. She whispered to him, "I think we shocked them."
"Does that mean that I have to let you go?" Rob whispered back.
"Syaoran will start glaring in a moment if you don't."
"Well, then I'll have to give you to him."
With that, he stood up and put Sakura in Li's lap. He looked around and noticed that Meiling was standing, leaning against the couch. He walked over, picked her up, walked back to his seat, and sat down with her on his lap. She was a bit surprised but didn't mind. Sakura shot her a quick glare that no one noticed.
"Well hello there" Meiling said to Rob.
"Hello to you too"
"I don't think that we've been properly introduced"
"I'm Robbie Foster, aka Shinigami," he held a hand up, "pleased to meet you."
"I'm Li Meiling," she took his hand and shook it firmly, "pleased to meet you as well."
Tomoyo felt a bit jealous as they exchanged pleasantries and she jumped into Eriol's lap and arms. He was a bit surprised, but hugged her tightly.
"Well, I can feel the love in this room!" Robbie chimed in. Everyone chuckled as the girls climbed off the guys. They were all happy and friends again. All was good and peachy keen again! Though Sakura had a lingering feeling after seeing Meiling on her lap, but she shrugged it off.
Later that Night, Still Eriol's house
The gang decided to spend the night at Eriol's that night. Li took Meiling home to get their clothes. Tomoyo did the same with Sakura. Rob didn't have to worry about hiding his power anymore, so he grew a beautiful pair of white, feathered wings and flew home after Sakura left. They all returned about half an hour later with changes of clothing and other items. Eriol noticed that Rob was careful to hide his wings from her, but didn't know why. They ate a nice dinner together and retired to their assigned rooms. Meiling had the odd habit of hitting on Rob a LOT while they were together. For some reason this upset Sakura a little. Rob was in his room, looking out the window at the full moon when a knock came at the door.
"Enter" he called. The door silently swept open and a girl entered. "Meiling, I think that we've spent enough time together today."
"It's me, Sakura."
He chuckled to himself and called back to her, "come over and look at the moon with me," he moved over to allow her some room by the window. She walked over and leaned on the sill and gazed at the moon.
"A few days ago, I had a dream..." she started.
"Oh? What about?"
"Well, there were actually two, I think. The first one I had I just heard a flutter and a green-eyed boy with wings."
"And the second dream?"
"I'm not sure if it was a dream. I followed that boy out into the night, over a grove of trees. I flew down and stood on one, and he grabbed me from behind."
"Uh-huh..."
"Well, I turned and instead of pulling away, I put my arms around him and drew him close. He told me things that I can't seem to remember right now, but I do remember feeling content. We hugged and then we kissed... passionately."
Rob smiled at that last part, "So, what would you like to know about the 'dreams'?"
"Well, he has green eyes, and so do you. I thought that it might have been you, but your wings are black and...."
Rob cut her off as he spread his pure, white wings and placed one around her after seeing her shiver. She looked at the wing and continued to speak.
"It was you..."
"Yes, it was. I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you then, either. I just felt like I owed you a reassurance and... never mind."
"And what?"
"I probably shouldn't..."
"You lied and withheld things before and look what it got you?"
He chuckled and continued, "alright then. Promise me that you won't overreact?"
"I promise."
"I have feelings for you Sakura. I really like you. I don't know how deep the feelings go yet, that's why I waited to tell you. I understand if you don't feel the same way..."
"I really like you too Rob," she put and arm around his waist and he put his arm about her shoulders in response, "But I also love Syaoran."
"I know, I could sense the bond you shared. But, I also sensed that it was no longer fated."
"Hoe?"
"You were to come together in order to save the world and capture the Clow Cards. Now that you've done that I sense that you no longer MUST be together."
"What are you saying, that I'm supposed to be with you know?"
"No, not at all. I'm saying that before you had no choice, you were fated to love Syaoran. Now you have a choice with no obligation to love anyone."
"Thanks, but that won't change who I love."
"I know, but that may let you love one more person."
She stared at him for several minutes before replying, "I may learn to love one more, but he's going to have to give me time to accept him."
"If he has any sense, he'll give you all the time you need." He turned around and gave her a strong hug, using his wings to draw her nearer. He hugged back as tightly as she could, then broke away.
"I should go back to my room. Goodnight Rob-kun."
"Goodnight Saku-chan." She giggled at the odd shortening of her name as she left.
Rob sighed to himself as he felt a red aura move toward him. "Meiling now, great..." he said to himself as his wings disappeared.
There came a knock on his door.
"Aren't I popular tonight," he muttered to himself as he called out, "come in Meiling!"
The black-haired girl entered silently and walked up to him. She came up behind him and put her arms around his waist.
"Aren't we friendly tonight?" he said to her.
"What can I say, I'm attracted to strong men."
"Well, I must admit that I appreciate a strong woman."
She pulled back and turned him around to face her. She then drew him into an embrace.
He looked down at her and noticed her nightgown. It was a dark red with black trim. It seemed to have some of the same symbols as her battle dress. They must have some special significance to her, he surmised before returning his attention to the girl in his arms.
"Do you want to talk?" he asked her.
"No, I just want to be here with you."
He considering telling her that he just wanted to be friends, but realized that it may take a while for Sakura to come around. But in case she came around quickly, he needed a way to switch easily.
"Meiling, I only just met you today. Before we get too close, I think that we should take some time to get to know each other. Let's just be friends for now and see where it takes us?"
"I know, Robbie. You're probably right, I'll go. Goodnight."
As she walked away, she felt a hand grab her arms and she soon found herself in Rob's arms. He then bent down and pecked her softly on the lips. "Goodnight, Meiling." He released her. She smiled as she left.
Sakura's Room
Sakura was sitting on her bed looking out her own window, thinking about her conversation with Rob. She felt Meiling enter his room, but she felt unconcerned for some reason. She didn't even notice the bright green aura of Syaoran enter her room. He stood there, staring at his angel, the girl he loved. He chuckled at her gown, as it was pink with embroidered cherry blossoms. It suited her well. Sakura glanced up at his chuckle.
"What's so funny?" she asked, smiling.
"I was just thinking about how much your night gown suits you."
"Yeah, Tomoyo has a gift for making me stuff that suits me."
He walked up to her, "May I sit?"
"Of course silly!"
He sat before he continued, "Sakura, I can't help but think that you don't love me anymore."
"Hoe? What makes you think that?"
"Well, you've seemed so distant since I came back. You're also spending more time of that Robbie kid."
"Don't worry, I still love you... with all of my heart. Rob and I just had a talk about that. He told me some things that change things slightly, but he has agreed to give me space. We can be together without having to worry about anything now."
"What did he tell you?"
"He said that I was no longer fated to love you, and that now I have choice about who I love. I guess he was trying to tell me that you might not be the right one for me, but I'm sure that he was just being cautious."
"Oh..."
Sakura saw his disheartened expression and decided to do something about it. He got up and knelt in front of Syaoran so that she could look up into his eyes. "Syaoran, I love you and will always love you. Nothing can get in the way of that."
He smiled down at her and leaned down to hug her. "Thanks, Sakura. That means a lot to me. He looked down and gazed into her beautiful green eyes.
Sakura gazed up at him. She then moved up and captured his lips in a sweet kiss. She broke away after a few moments and asked, "Do you believe me?"
"Well, I'm not sure yet..."
She cut him off as she kissed him more deeply, more passionately. She felt content, but there was something nagging at her. She asked herself, 'I know this is right, but why does it feel wrong?' She broke away and smiled at Syaoran.
He sensed the slight timidity in her aura and withdrew. He gave her a last peck on the cheek before bidding her goodnight and leaving.
She closed the door behind him and collapsed onto her bed. She began to cry. "What is going on? I love Syaoran so much, but I also love Rob.." she trailed off as she realized that she finally admitted it. "I love Rob, I love him." She felt better saying it, but it didn't help her out of her situation. "Who do I choose? How can I choose? I love them both so much, but I don't know what to do!" She sighed, realizing that she can't solve anything tonight. "I'll just have to see what happens, I guess." She dried her tears and climbed under her blankets, soon falling into a dreamless sleep.
Eriol's Room
Tomoyo decided to talk about her boyfriend about Sakura and Rob. She felt that they should be together. She knew that they both loved each other even if neither would admit it. She went to Eriol for his feelings and advice.
"I know that Rob loves Sakura, and that Sakura loves him!" She began.
"I do sense that their auras tend to gravitate toward each other, that could be a sign of love"
"I'm really worried that she might not be able to handle choosing between them!"
"Don't worry, Sakura is strong, she'll be able to find who she loves the most."
"I'm worried about what will happen if she chooses Rob. Li won't take it well. He might even get violent."
"Rob is more than strong enough to contain him if he does. I'm sure that Rob will be disappointed if he isn't chosen, but will respect her decision."
"I hope everything turns out alright..." a tear rolled down her face as she thought about how much Sakura would be hurt.
"It will be, I promise..." Eriol held Tomoyo tightly and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
"Eriol, I don't want to leave."
"Then don't, he pulled back his comforter and blankets, "you can sleep with me tonight."
"Uh..."
"Don't worry, I don't bite... hard."
Tomoyo giggled at his mysterious expression and climbed into bed, followed by Eriol. He put his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "I love you Tomoyo, sleep well."
"I love you, too" she whispered back as she drifted into a deep sleep. Eriol soon did the same as the angel in his arms... his angel.
Rob's Room, about 3 AM
Rob woke with a start as he sensed trouble in Hong Kong. The Elders of the Li clan were planning something that would cause trouble. He could sense the threads of fate being changed by their power. "Fools..." he cursed at them. He quickly concentrated and disappeared, reappearing in the Elder's council chamber. He stayed hidden in the shadows while he listened.
"The Li boy will not be powerful enough to defeat this evil now, we must recall him for more training" Elder One spoke. (I don't know their names so I'm going to number them)
"Surely the combined power of him and the Card Mistress will be enough!" Two reassured.
"He has made arrangements to stay there indefinitely, it should be HIS choice, not yours" Yelen (Li's mom) stood and spoke to them. The Elders were surprised to see her interrupt, but ignored her comment.
"He must be recalled now!" the youngest of the Elders yelled. He had newly been appointed as an Elder because of his oddly strong aura. Only the eldest Elder's was stronger.
A figure in a black robe stepped into the light between the Elders and everyone stopped, not knowing where he came from. The semi-circle of tables that the Elders sat at seemed to groan and creak that this person's appearance. The youngest Elder was about to yell at him for interrupting their meeting, but the figure's glare made him sit down.
"You will not force Li to return" the figure ordered.
"What right have YOU to give US orders" the Youngest spoke.
The figure just smiled and pulled a large scythe from his robes. The elders looked in awe but still didn't think that a scythe made one worthy to interrupt them. He spoke again.
"I, Shinigami, the ruler of souls and god of death, has more than enough right to give YOU commands."
There was a great commotion about his introduction. They couldn't believe that a god had truly descended to give them orders on a "trivial" matter. Perhaps they didn't know the scope of what was going on.
"You show up with a scythe and just expect us to believe that you're a god? Can you prove it? If not th...."
Shinigami, performing a gesture with his scythe that gave the impression of forcefully pulling something, cut him off. Youngest instantly fell onto the table, dead. A small red ball, the same red as the former Elder's aura, appeared in front of the god.
"Do you all believe me now?" he asked.
All of the people in the room nodded frantically, daring not to speak.
"Now," Shinigami-sama continued, "You will follow my instruction and leave the boy alone." He turned to leave and as he did, he tossed the ball of energy behind him into the room. The ball dispersed and the energy entered the Youngest. He coughed heavily and slowly rose shakily. They glanced back to where Shinigami was, but found no one. They couldn't even sense his aura.
"Looks like we have no choice" the Eldest said.
"Indeed" another commented.
Rob's Room
He returned shortly after leaving, no one would know that he'd left. He dropped his scythe and it instantly disappeared, going wherever it goes when it does that. Rob climbed back under his blankets and fell back to sleep.
Fin Chapter Six
Well, looks like Rob does need Everyone if he had to order the Elders to allow Li to stay. What could be too powerful for a god to handle and how could the CCS gang possibly help? You'll all find out soon, very soon. Well Starrie, there's you're stinkin' S+S moment! *smiles* Ok, I'll see you all later!