Wandering Star
Chapter 15

Someone was calling her.

His voice was the barest of whispers, and she could not make out any words, but she knew he was calling her. Gradually, she was gaining conscience, her body finally responding to the terrible ache she was feeling all over. Her muscles went into spasm, and she winced in pain. What happened?

Oh yes, now she remembered. It was all her fault, she should have just died rather than cause Yue to make sacrifices for her. And now he hates her for it. She lay on her side, bringing her knees up to hug them and whimpered.

"Don't cry, love," the voice was audible now.

She felt someone softly stroking the side of her face, his fingers barely touching the rim of her ear. Her eyes flew open when his hand continued to travel down her neck and shoulder, and she sat up.

It was dark, and Seika could barely make out anything besides the faint outline of a person sitting next to her. She had been resting on his lap, she realised. Stunned and still in bodily pain from various injuries she knew she sustained during the journey; she asked in a hoarse voice, "Who are you?"

"Don't play games with me, Yumi. You know who I am," the person spoke, leaning forward at the same time to steal a kiss from her, his hand now resting on the back of her neck.

Seika tried to pull away, confused and frightened, but his hand would not permit her to. He held her in position while his mouth explored hers with growing aggression.

"Yamette!" she nearly screamed as she turned to the side, breaking off the kiss. She tried to get away, but her legs would not hold her. She collapsed, feeling helpless and extremely vulnerable, but most of all, she was frightened.

"Why are you running away? Don't you love me?" Now his voice was starting to waver, as if he was unsure of himself. He was getting off the bed, moving towards her. Seika scrambled to get up, her eyes finally getting used to the darkness, and she looked around frantically for the door.

"Yumi," he called, "don't run from me. Please don't force my hand on you."

As soon as she got on her feet, she felt her hands being pulled behind her and her ankles locked together, causing her to trip and fall again. There was an invisible force binding her wrists and her legs. Escape escape escape… But how? She was lying back down on her side, and she knew he was coming.

She was trembling with fear. Seika had no idea where she landed herself in. This wasn't how things looked when she left Eden, and she hadn't the faintest idea where she was right now. Who was Yumi, and why was this person, whoever he was, calling her by that name? Her head was beginning to ache too, and she groaned. She wanted to get up and fight, but she felt drained of energy and her binds were too strong. She could feel them bruising her skin as they tightened around her delicate joints.

Seika shut her eyes tightly when she felt him turn her over on her back. "I don't want to hurt you, love," he spoke gently, but that didn't stop her from shivering as she felt his breath on her neck, and his lips lightly brushing over her collarbone.

Her breath was coming in gasps, and her muscles were tense, causing her more pain to her badly injured body. When his tongue dipped into the hollow between her collarbones, she shrieked and squirmed out of his hold.

With all of the strength she had left, she screamed as loud as she could, "YUE!!!"

*~*~*~*~*

"Hoe?? Koko wa doko?" Sakura asked in puzzlement as she took in the surroundings. She was feeling slightly tipsy, for the journey had not been smooth at all. They were tumbled and tossed in all directions, and she was most fearful that they would lose each other before it was over. However Eriol had made yelled at them to hold hands, and they were able to draw close together. The Guardians then covered them with their wings protectively as they descended. Thankfully it ended before Sakura barfed. Her mind was swirling and all she could think was, 'hoe!' [koko wa doko: where is this place]

Dusting off his pants, Eriol straightened up and looked around. He heard a soft moan beside him, and looking down, he saw that Tomoyo was trying to get up… with a twisted ankle.

"Tomoyo!" he exclaimed as he bent down to help her up.

"Tomoyo-chan!" cried Sakura, hurrying towards Eriol who had lifted Tomoyo in his arms. "Daijoubu?" she asked worriedly.

"Hai," Tomoyo blushed, thrilled that Eriol was carrying her. "Daijoubu, Sakura-chan," she smiled in encouragement, "I must have been careless when I landed. Demo this means I can't film you anymore," she said in disappointment.

Sakura tried to hide her embarrassment. She could never understand her friend's obsession. "Tomoyo-chan, you'll have to stay with Eriol-kun and – "

"Minna, mittekuru!" Syaoran interrupted. [Everyone, look!]

It was dark, very dark. Even the light from the moon felt like it was shining hesitantly; ready to fade behind a protective layer of clouds at any moment. Mother nature seemed to have deserted the land, for they were standing on barren hard ground. Beyond them was a thicket of coarse black thorn bushes. They were huge, and they certainly looked sharp, almost like a natural barbwire.

"Hoe!" Sakura cried with realisation that they were standing in the middle of the thicket itself. The protective force field she had cast upon them probably disintegrated the thorns growing in the area that they landed, creating the circle of smooth concave land that they were standing on. "What is this place?" she asked, leaning into Syaoran for protection.

"I believe this is Seika's home," said Eriol, before he shook his head and changed his mind. "Iya, this was Seika's home. Something happened here that changed this place into what it is now. Yue, can you get above and see if there is any sign of civilisation?" [Iya: no]

Obediently, Yue flew up, his eyes were used to such darkness being the Moon Guardian. They glowed as he looked in the distance. There was a fog building up, and if they expected to get anywhere, they had to do it soon.

"There is a fortress ahead," he announced, pointing in the direction of the dark and looming structure a few miles from where they were situated. "The fog thickens. We have to hurry."

"Hai," said Sakura. She and Syaoran quickly got on Cerberus while Eriol carefully placed Tomoyo in front of him, making sure he held onto her firmly before both Sun Guardians ascended.

Yue was right, the fog was getting thicker by the minute, and even as they were closing in on their destination, it was getting increasingly difficult to see where there were going. Sakura was half afraid that Cerberus would crash into something.

Peering through the dark grey blanket of mist, Sakura could just about make out the dark fortress. It had towers; four of them to be exact, and black stone walls. The exterior look was definitely daunting. She wondered what kind of place this was. Eden indeed.

"Tomeru!" Yue's order pierced through the air and the Sun Guardians following him jerked to a halt, the force created by the flapping of their wings dispersing the thick mist clouding their vision to reveal the black walls of the fortress a few feet ahead. [Tomeru: stop]

Sakura was about to call upon the 'Through' card, but Eriol stopped her. "Let me handle this," he said with his calm and carefree disposition, "you need to save your energy for later."

He held up his sun staff and directed it at the wall, while his eyes were closed in concentration. Gradually, a gap in the wall came into view. Its diameter grew consistently until it was big enough for everyone to fit through. How he managed to do it, Sakura had no idea. She had yet to master controlling her cards without having to call them out.

Cautiously, the Sun Guardians flew in first, followed by Yue. Tomoyo gasped, while Sakura cried out her trademark exclamation. Nothing they had seen so far of this world had prepared them for the sight in front of them.

Behind the gloomy walls of the fortress was a garden more beautiful than anyone's wildest imagination. Strangely, the sky was no longer dark, and the sun was shining down on them warmly and invitingly. The gorgeous rays of light touched everything, bringing every leaf, every flower, every nook and corner of the magnificent garden worthy of the name 'Eden' into view. There was a cool breeze sweeping through the garden, touching their faces as softly as butterfly kisses. Lush greenery covered the ground and everywhere they looked, there was a tree, a bush, a flower or a bud. It seemed like all the plants of the world were brought into this place. Fruit trees were in sight as well, fresh and ripe offspring hanging from their branches temptingly.

Yue was the only one frowning. He wasn't the least bit impressed by this show of flora and fauna. It would only make it more difficult to find Seika in this mess, he concluded grimly. It would suit him better to tear a house apart looking for her than to tediously run a search party through such a place. He growled in frustration, and then found himself startled by his vehemence to find Seika. No, it wasn't so. He couldn't be so possessive. Possessiveness only came when you were in love, and he was NOT in love with her. No, he told himself again. He was loyal to Clow.

Then why was he cursing himself for having let her slip out of his hands? Why did he feel like giving himself a good kick for not being able to get her out of harm's way? Why did he feel like it was his fault? And damn it, why was he so worried for her safety?

The ground rumbled under them, bringing Yue out of his thoughts and getting his senses back into action just in time to hear a faint call. Straining his ears, he realised it wasn't a call; it was a scream, and a desperate one at that.

"Seika wa komatteiru!" he said, wasting no time in looking for the direction of the scream for help. [Seika's in trouble]

"Chotto matte!" Sakura called out to him, a split second before a flash of red shot through the air. Yue managed to dodge it by a few inches.

"What the hell!" he cursed, quickly losing patience. This was no time for distractions. Seika was in danger. The mysterious beam charged at him again, and again he narrowly dodged it. "Show yourself, you coward!"

A shrill cry tore through the air, and the group had to cover their ears to avoid being driven deaf. In a burst of light, they came to face with a phoenix. It was the size of a gigantic bird, and fire licked at their skin with every flap of its wings.

"Sakura!" Eriol yelled for her attention. "I'll take care of this. You go with Shaoran and Yue to rescue Seika!"

"Take care of Tomoyo!" Sakura said worriedly before Cerberus veered to the side and went around the huge bird.

Eriol silently acknowledged her plea, knowing that Tomoyo was probably safer with him anyway. Sakura didn't know what she was up against, and Eriol feared for her. However there was nothing he could do to protect her from Akuma. All he could do was hope and pray that she was strong enough to see her way through, for he was powerless against that devil. The reason was simple: his powers were almost useless against Akuma's. There must have been some link Clow had to this creature, because they shared the same power.

He turned his attention back to the flaming bird, while ordering Tomoyo to hold on tightly to him as he began his attack.

*~*~*~*~*

Akuma was far beyond angry. He was livid, and his face was getting darker by the minute as proof. She refused him again. After all that he did for her, after all that he went through to get her back, and after all he did to try and win her affections. Why getting rid of that damned Clow was chicken feet compared to how difficult she was being.

He sighed, feeling slightly guilty for hitting her. He was resting in the chair adjacent to the bed where he had laid her after she passed out. He never meant to hurt her, but she was screaming so loudly that he lost himself in anger and lashed out at her to silence her. No, he definitely never meant to hurt his little angel. Yet the memory of her screaming another man's name made him grip the armrests of the chair so tightly that the leather tore. Damn, now he'd have to replace the chair. It wasn't the first time, and he was getting tired of replacing furniture that he destroyed accidentally. He hated wasting magic on repairing them. It made no sense. Magic should only be used for battle, for conquests, and for victory.

Oh yes, he loved that word. Victory. The sound of it sent a shiver down his spine and he grinned menacingly. He was the victor, and he would get anything he wanted. And what he wanted now was Yumi. He looked at her as she lay resting on the bed. She looked so pure and perfect, just the way she had been through all the years. She hadn't changed a bit. At one point of time he thought he might have killed her, when she foolishly stepped in front of Clow to defend him.

Well, she's alive, that much was obvious. He must have been using her as a distraction, he decided. She couldn't have died; Clow would have never allowed that to happen. He was furious when he learned that she was still alive, and that he had let himself be tricked by that good for nothing son of a bitch. He was distracted, and he'd almost lost the battle because of that.

It didn't matter though. He had won the war.

Now all he had to do was claim his prize.

Shiokawa Yumi.

Her name was enough to send him into childish daydreams like a silly little schoolboy. She was his; he knew it the moment he laid eyes on her. It was his birthright, and no one could take that away from him. He'd fought tooth and nail for her, and there was no way he was going to give up. He would gain all the power in the world to impress her. Already he'd conquered Eden. All the kings were under his control, ready to carry out his bidding at any time. On top of that, he'd just breached a way into a new dimension. Yes, that'd definitely impress her.

There were some surprises though. He thought he had eliminated all there was of Clow, yet it seemed he was still in existence in this alternate world. That wasn't much of a problem though. Already he could tell that this sorceress was weaker than him. Much weaker in fact, he added.

Why Yumi had attacked him came as a surprise though. He didn't expect her to be so powerful, nor as violent as she was. No, he must have been mistaken. His lovely angel was a thing of delicacy. Clow must have possessed her and used her to attack him.

"That sore loser," Akuma muttered. So his spirit was back to haunt me? That was fine with him. Yumi was his to take, and no one was going to stop him.

Suddenly a shrill cry rang through the air.

"Damn it," he cursed. That bird was doing it again. Why he chose the stupid phoenix for his Sun Guardian, he had no idea. He must have been stupid back then too, he concluded, to have made such a flaw in his decisions. But he wanted to save his powers, and taking control of a creature was far easier than creating one. He hated to admit it, but Clow's guardians were indeed a remarkable pair.

"What is it now?" he shouted into the hallway when he threw open the door of the room, nearly ripping it off the hinges. He managed to stop himself in time. He really had to control himself, however the thought of his growing strength brought an arrogant and smug smile to his face that he quickly wiped off at the sound of the servant scurrying down the corridor.

Sheepishly, the little runt appeared before him, trembling and shaking at the knees. He had the head of a beast, and a rather hideous-looking one too. His body was that of a feeble and half-starved little boy though, skin and bones. That's what he did to all those who defied him. He merely gave them a little 'plastic surgery' to correct their rebelliousness. Next, he had rationed their food supply so that they were too weak to fight back. Oh yes, he was a smart one. It didn't take him long to break their will.

"Well?" he said expectantly with growing irritation that he didn't bother to hide from the filthy little servant.

"A-A-Akum-m-ma ssss-sa-ma," he managed to sputter out while Akuma rolled his eyes. He didn't know why he even bothered with them. They were obviously brainless to begin with and of no use. But since he had already wasted precious power changing their appearance so that they became ashamed of themselves and frightened of him, he decided to put them to use anyway, even if they annoyed him still.

"There h-have b-b-been intrud-d-ders m-master."

"Intruders?" Akuma could already feel the rage building up within himself. How dare anyone challenge him? He pushed the squealing little runt out of his way, sending him flying down the corridor back where he came from.

No, it cannot be. He'd been careless again, he realised. Now that his senses were fully alert, he was shocked that he didn't feel it before. The presence of him was so disgusting that it was almost like a pungent vapour hanging in the air. Clow, he sneered.

The dead should stay in their graves, he thought. Then he smiled to himself. No, perhaps it would be more fun to put him back in his grave again. There was a glimmer in his eyes as he snickered at the idea.

Yes, that would definitely be much more fun.

*~*~*~*~*

Scribbles
Finally! An update! YES! 6 months of rotting and finally the story moves on a bit XD My sincerest apologies to those who have waited patiently for this chapter ^^6 I know I've probably lost a lot of readers anyway. However, I am not about to let this story go to waste. A lot of time an effort was put into creating the plot, and I don't want to let anyone down.

Exams had taken over for a bit, and there was also a huge inspiration drought ^^6

Well anyway, about this chapter, it might seem a little bumpy, or maybe it doesn't flow so well from the 14th chapter. I AM trying to get back on track _ I hope it doesn't sound too awful. As usual, feedback is appreciated. Arigatou for reading thus far, minna-san ^^

I haven't edited this yet and it's the first draft so you might find grammatical errors and stuff like that. Forgive my sloppiness and you can chose to inform me through a review of any changes I need to make.