The Forgotten Magic: Chapter Nine

In the Dream World

Sakura stared into the darkness in front of her. She turned to look at Spring, who was unconscious from trying to use her powers. Sakura sighed and tried to remember happier times, like when she'd go on picnics with Tomoyo and Syaoran.

A tear rolled down Sakura's darkened cheek. The tear glistened as it ran down her dirty face, it left a line showing her former pale ivory skin. Sakura's wrists were red and chaffed from the buckles attaching her to the dream world dungeon cell.

Spring moaned as she woke up to the pain from her bondage. Sakura looked over at the blond-haired girl. Spring had it much worse than her, she was restrained by heavy chains that bound her to the ground. Her waist was pinned and her arms, legs, and neck were all bonded to the floor as well.

Sakura thought about how Daeria had harnessed the powers of the dream world to her content. Sakura had watched Daeria form her creation while Spring and herself were left helpless to do anything.

Sakura's eyes filled with sadness as she talked hoarsely to Spring, "Daeria will probably be coming by soon."

"I won't give her the stars. Ever."

"Listen to me Spring, the stars won't be much good to anyone if you die in here! You need to do something!"

"No."

Sakura opened her mouth to speak again, but before she could the large metal door creaked open. Bright white light shown brightly through and Sakura turned her head and closed her eyes to keep from being blinded.

A cool, crisp voice called out from the doorway, "The high mistress Daeria wants to see the sister of Autumn, the cardcaptor."

Two tall men, clearly created by Daeria, marched into the dungeon and unlocked Sakura's shackles. They grabbed a hold of her and guided her outside the cell.

Sakura looked into the eyes of the person who had called her, "What does Daeria want?"

The man looked to be about thirty-five and he had short blue hair and black piercing eyes, "I don't know, I was just sent to bring you to her."

The soldiers followed the black-eyed man through Daeria's maze of hallways. Finally, the man stopped in front of two large doors. The doors opened and he marched in a bowed before the figure on a high throne. The soldiers pulled Sakura into the room and threw her on the ground behind the black-eyed man. "I bring the one you desired of great high mistress, I bring to you the sister of Autumn."

The figure rose and gracefully glided down the steps to see Sakura for herself. Even through the golden garments, Sakura could see the pale blue light shining around Daeria.

"Thank-you,"

"It was nothing mistress." The black-eyed man rose and walked out of the room, the large door slammed shut.

"So little miss cardcaptor, what are we going to do with you?"

Sakura tried to pull herself up but she felt too weak, so she spat at Daeria.

Daeria chuckled, "Trying to be sooooo brave aren't we? Well don't worry. Even though Spring tried to trap me here in the dream world, I'm beginning to make my way out. Soon I'll have my last pendant and all seven stars!"

"No! You'll never get them all!"

"Shush up! I will have them all!" Daeria stomped her foot and pointed at Sakura. Sakura forced her head up, and opened her mouth to talk, but no sound came out.

Sakura's eyes widened, How'd she do that?

Daeria grinned, "Nothing to say? Good." Daeria snapped her finger, "Hui!"

A young red headed girl hurried in from no where, "Yes mistress?" Sakura looked at the girl, she had long bright red hair that shown and glimmered. It fell to her feet. She wore a short, plain green dress that showed off her emerald eyes. Even though she looked very fine, the girl had the saddest eyes that Sakura had ever seen.

"Hui, bring me Spring!"

The girl, Hui, rushed out of the room. A few minutes she returned with the two guards behind her, they clasped poor Spring tightly in their grips. She had the chains on her wrists and she still had the buckles on her ankles. She looked very weak to Sakura.

Hui skittered to Daeria's side, "Here she is mistress."

Daeria looked pleased, "Thank-you Hui, you may go now. Guards, drop the runt on the floor and you may go."

The guards and Hui left, leaving Sakura, Daeria, and Spring in the room.

Daeria walked over to Spring and looked down at small, helpless figure on the floor. Sakura looked over at Spring, and let out a small gasp, Her eyes turned violet!

Daeria's eyes shot a glance at Sakura, then she turned back and scoffed at Spring, "Give it up, if you don't tell me then you die and I'll still be able to find the stars. On the other hand, you could tell me and you would be saving me a lot of time and your own skin."

Spring looked up at Daeria with her last bit of strength and tightened her fists, "I don't care if you torture me until I die, I'll never tell you. You don't know anything about good magic anymore! You're evil Daeria."

Daeria snickered, "Of course, brave Spring, willing to give herself up for that old Leirne's 'good' magic, but would you give someone else's life?"

"You wouldn't"

Sakura's eyes darted from Daeria to Spring, "What? What wouldn't she do? Spring? Are you crying?"

A tear had begun to fall down Spring's cheek. It glimmered as it hit to the ground. Daeria advanced at Sakura, "Well miss cardcaptor, it seems that I'm going to get to have some fun after all."

Sakura's feet were lifted up, and she floated high above the ground, Not again, I should be getting frequent flyer miles for this or something!

Daeria's eyes shone red and the pale blue light surrounding her turned red also. Her nose flared and a small globe appeared in between her hands. Daeria moved her hands farther and farther apart as the sphere grew bigger and bigger. Suddenly, Daeria pushed the red glowing sphere at Sakura with an invisible force.

It shot out and struck Sakura hard with full force. Sakura's body flew backwards, she gasped for breath and tried to yell at Spring, "Spring, don't tell her"

Spring bit her lip, I don't want anything to happen to Sakura, but if Daeria gets Leirne's stars, then the whole world will be in trouble.

Daeria sniffed, "Such a sad ending it would be, don't you think? Spring letting a little magician die because she wouldn't give a little bit of information to a harmless Ueiu? Besides, you've already done so much by taking my nice little potion to make you do as I wish, but who knew you'd grow immune to it?"

Sakura cringed in pain, but just had to know, "Spring, what's a Ueiu?"

Spring looked up at Sakura, "A Ueiu is someone who tries to collect others' magic because they don't have enough for themselves."

"I would rather be described as someone who needs a little extra magic every now and then, not something so critical"

Another sphere started to form in Daeria's hands,

"STOP!"

Spring wobbled to a standing position, "Stop, I'll tell you." Her head fell to the ground, "Just leave Sakura out of it,"

"I'm listening."

Sakura thrashed out of Daeria's magical bind and fell to the floor, "Spring, don't do it!"

Spring looked at Sakura, "I have to Sakura, just make sure that Touya knows thatthat I'll never forget him. Whatever happens to me Sakura, always remember that you shouldn't let magic control your life!"

Daeria snorted, "Such a happy reunion, now time for you two to part, I need to talk with Spring,"

She snapped her finger, "Hui!"

The redhead ran in again, "Yes mistress?"

"Hui! Take the cardcaptor away, I have things to discuss with Spring!"

"Yes mistress."

Hui led Sakura out of the room and into a large indoor garden. Hui set her down and thought for a moment. Sakura stared at the garden, It's so beautiful she looked back at Hui, Hui couldn't be more than 9, at the most 12!

Hui sighed, "I supposed we'd better get you cleaned up first."

Sakura finally noticed herself, she looked down to see many bruises. She had been so overwhelmed by the beauty of the garden that she had forgotten about all her pain. Blood trickled down her legs and face.

Hui closed her saddened green eyes,

"Magic above, glisten and gleam,
let this young girl be fully clean!"

Sakura stared in shock as her entire body was cleaned off, her cuts were gone as well as her bruises. Her clothes looked good as new too. "Who are you?"

"Hui,"

Sakura shook her head, "No, who are you really?"

Hui lowered her head and tried to smile, "I'm Daeria's twin."

Sakura's mouth fell about two feet, "Honestly?"

Hui's head nodded slightly, Sakura stared in silence, "But you both look so"

"I know, it's a long story"

"Well, I'm pretty sure I have plenty of time."

"When we were girls, Daeria and I looked exactly the same; brown hair, violet eyes. We were the best of friends."

"What happened?"

"We studied magic with our grandfather and grandmother. Each one chose one of us. Grandfather taught Daeria, and Grandmother taught me. We each learned a certain types of magic, but Daeria wanted more. After our grandparents died, Daeria studied and studied, she found out how to take magic. That's when she took mine."

"Your own sister?!?"

"Yes, Daeria didn't care, she just wanted more and more magic. She drained all my magic except for the weaker bits. The magic our grandparents had taught us began to effect our outward appearance. The magic glowed a pale blue out of Daeria and she grew with all the magic she had. My beautiful brown hair turned to this red and my eyes green, but because my magic was small, like a child learning new magic, I became to look younger. Then I was made to serve my own sister, follow her, obey her."

"That's horrible, I'm so sorryI wish there was something I could do."

"That's okay, I'm really fine, it really doesn't matter that much to me," Hui smiled, but her green eyes betrayed her and remained sad, "Daeria just lusted for power that she couldn't find anywhere."

"Does she even remember you're her sister?"

"I don't know"

A small tear trickled down Hui's child face, "I'm sure it's not really Daeria's fault."

Sakura tried to change the subject and looked about the garden, "Did you make this garden?"

Joy spread throughout Hui's face, "Yes, all by myself. It took me-"

The color drained from Hui's face, "Oh no."

"What?"

Hui's trance ended and looked at Sakura, "Daeria has had Spring locked up."