A/N- Before I start, I owe everyone an apology. This story took a long time to update (along with all my other stories). Today I opened up my e-mail box to find that as the days go by more and more people are subscribing to my notifylist, so I thought that I better finish this. This story WILL be completed! Sorry if this chapter is a little weird, I had ta reread everything before I began! Enjoy! And please review, it makes my spirits raise! Onto the fifth test…
Chapter 10
Syaoran woke up feeling dizzy. 'I'm really going to have to stop drinking the mysterious potions that Shing hands me,' he thought, looking around. He was where he had fallen in the graveyard where Sakura's body lay. Syaoran felt footsteps coming from behind him.
Shing walked out of nowhere and said smoothly, "Well done. You have almost completed your tests. There are only two left to go."
"So there are six altogether? I was expecting more…"
Shing nodded. "If you want more, I can come up with more… you were doing so well, I thought that it could be cut down. After all, the last two tests are going to be the hardest on you."
Syaoran's arms flew up in insistence. "No no no! Six tests is plenty. Whatever you have planned, I'll get through them and Sakura will be alive. I've gone through so much already! I won't give up now." Syaoran realized that he had been starting to rant and stopped to say, "So… what about this next test?"
"This test is a bit… different."
Flipping his head to face Shing, Syaoran asked, "Different? How so?"
"In your previous tests, you've encountered danger. Proving your strength by defeating a monster, climbing heights, overcoming yourself, becoming lost in your subconscious. In this test, I'm going to flash us back to when Sakura died. I want you to watch it and accept it."
"Just accept it? That's it? Piece of cake!" Syaoran said, triumphantly.
"It may seem easy, but I think that in the end it will be a lot harder to accept than you know," Shing said, a cruel smile forming around his lips.
Syaoran tilted his head. "If I didn't know better, I'd think that you're trying to trick me."
"Trick? No such thing!" Shing replied, a sly smile on his face.
"Well then, I'm ready," Syaoran said with assurance in his voice.
Shing nodded. With the nod the world seemed to spin around Syaoran and Shing, but they stood still with ease. After a few seconds, everything returned to normal, and Syaoran and Shing were back in the graveyard.
"What's this, some kind of joke? We spin around in circles and see if it makes me feel sick?" Syaoran demanded.
"Doesn't anything feel different to you?"
"What are you talking abou---" Syaoran said before being cut off. He looked to the ground where Sakura's grave was suppose to be, only to find it gone! He muttered, "She isn't dead yet…"
Shing smiled. "From that tone of voice, I think that you know what's going on. After all, this isn't some happy reunion…"
Syaoran yelled, "You son of a bitch! You brought me back to watch her die! That's cruel!"
"Aren't you the least bit curious? Do you know how she died?" Shing calmly replied.
Syaoran glared at Shing, noticing how he had no choice. He made an attempt to redeem himself. "I know how Sakura died. She died because of the Light and Dark card. What else do I need to know?"
Shing shook his head. "How can you be so assured of yourself? She died by the Light and the Dark card, but what does that tell you? You left her after elementary school, never to see her again. Many things changed; her feelings for you, her hopes and dreams, her magical ability, and so much more. Dying by those cards shouldn't have been as easy as it appeared."
The lecture made Syaoran lower his head in shame. "I just don't want to see her die… it's hard enough knowing that it happened…"
Shing laughed with an immense cruelity edging in his voice. He countered, "Don't be so afraid, this is in the past, just accept what happened and you'll be on the final test."
Syaoran nodded and changed the subject. "Where's Kero?"
"He's living in this flashback, so that's why he isn't here with us. And anyway, I told you that you couldn't have any help. If Kero assured to you that this was exactly what happened, you would have been swayed in your decision."
"Are you telling me that you could be showing me a fake past, and as long as I believe it, I pass?" Syaoran asked, confused.
"No, I'm showing you what really happened. After watching this you may feel like I'm tricking you, heck, you already feel like I'm tricking you. If Kero was here then things would be changed in the way you think."
Syaoran gave a puzzled look. He said slowly, "I think I get it…"
"Good, because we need to go to Sakura's house," Shing replied briskly.
Syaoran's and Shing's transparent bodies began to lift into the sky.
Syaoran yelled in midair, "WHAT?! Ahhhhhhh! What's the meaning of this?!"
Shing smiled and said, "I thought you were over the fear of heights thing. The fastest way of travel is by flying there."
"Isn't someone going to see us flying?" Syaoran asked.
Shing shook his head again. "There are times when I think that you are incredibly stupid. We are transparent, and in reality we aren't really here. Sakura will not be able to see you, and neither will anyone else in this realm. We are here to watch, not to change the future."
Ignoring the stupid comment, Syaoran answered in a simple, "Ok." They flew through the air and a magnificent speed, just like Shing had proposed. Syaoran tried to keep his eyes shut, but after realizing that he didn't know how he'd get there with his eyes closed, he opened them to find he was directly above Sakura's house.
Shing and Syaoran began to lower themselves onto the ground. Shing waved for Syaoran to follow him as he walked through the shut front door. Syaoran nodded and followed. As he walked through the shut door, it slammed open and Touya walked through. Syaoran shook his head quickly to figure out what was going on.
Standing next to him was a very solid Touya.
"Remember that you're doing the chores when you get home! I gotta get going to my job!"
"I know!" came a sweet voice from upstairs. "Bye Touya!"
"Bye!" Touya answered. After saying goodbye to Sakura, Touya looked across from him to seemingly notice Syaoran standing next to him. "Wah?" Touya asked himself. He rubbed his eyes incredulously and looked again, to find that nothing was there. "I'm going crazy… I could have sworn I saw that Chinese gaki in front of me for a second," he whispered. He shrugged and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.
Syaoran froze, and felt the door slam him in. He yelled at Shing, "What was that? I thought that no one could see me! And I FELT that door slam on me. Are you trying to deceive me or something?"
Shing looked thoughtfully and the door, remembering how Touya saw Syaoran for a second before realizing it was an 'illusion.' He answered coolly, "I suppose that he used to see ghosts?"
"Yes, but he forfeited them," Syaoran answered angrily. "You told me I'd doubt you, but when you say things that aren't true, how am I suppose to trust that what you say is correct?"
"He forfeited those powers? Some things stick, I suppose. He thought he was going crazy, so it was obviously something temporary. Sheesh, don't get all crazy. As for the door, ignore it. It's just a door for goodness sakes. Don't you want to see Sakura?"
'Just a door?' Syaoran thought. But then he remembered Sakura's voice a few seconds ago saying goodbye to her brother. That beautiful sounding teenager's voice that Syaoran had never heard in his life… he remembered her voice when she was younger like it was yesterday. But to hear that sound flow through his ears made him giddy.
"I want to see her!" Syaoran exclaimed.
"Then go and do it…" Shing stated, feeling like he shouldn't have to say such obvious things.
Syaoran nodded. In eagerness, he ran up the stairs to her room. He reached for the door handle, but it went through his hand. 'Oh yeah, transparency. That sucks,' Syaoran thought. But before he walked through the door, he prepared himself for what he might see. He imagined a gorgeous Sakura, the girl of his dreams, the girl that he had missed out on all his life because he had gone to China. He imagined seeing a girl with the lively green eyes that he had envisioned looking into for years, those eyes that made him feel full of life.
Taking a deep breath, Syaoran walked into the door. He couldn't control his gasp as he saw Sakura for the first time in years.
A/N- Yes, I know. Another cliffhanger. Well, at least it's a partial cliffhanger. I'm trying to decide whether gasping after seeing Sakura is a good thing of not, LoL. So, what do ya think? I'm SO sorry that this took so long to write, but I'll let ya know now that I'm alive! I plan to finish this story pretty soon, I expect it to have about 2-3 more chapters and an epilogue. I have the ending set in my head, but this test seems a bit weird for me to write. Please forgive the late entrance on this chapter! Do review! If I get enough reviews, the next chapter will be out before this week is up!
Chapter 10
Syaoran woke up feeling dizzy. 'I'm really going to have to stop drinking the mysterious potions that Shing hands me,' he thought, looking around. He was where he had fallen in the graveyard where Sakura's body lay. Syaoran felt footsteps coming from behind him.
Shing walked out of nowhere and said smoothly, "Well done. You have almost completed your tests. There are only two left to go."
"So there are six altogether? I was expecting more…"
Shing nodded. "If you want more, I can come up with more… you were doing so well, I thought that it could be cut down. After all, the last two tests are going to be the hardest on you."
Syaoran's arms flew up in insistence. "No no no! Six tests is plenty. Whatever you have planned, I'll get through them and Sakura will be alive. I've gone through so much already! I won't give up now." Syaoran realized that he had been starting to rant and stopped to say, "So… what about this next test?"
"This test is a bit… different."
Flipping his head to face Shing, Syaoran asked, "Different? How so?"
"In your previous tests, you've encountered danger. Proving your strength by defeating a monster, climbing heights, overcoming yourself, becoming lost in your subconscious. In this test, I'm going to flash us back to when Sakura died. I want you to watch it and accept it."
"Just accept it? That's it? Piece of cake!" Syaoran said, triumphantly.
"It may seem easy, but I think that in the end it will be a lot harder to accept than you know," Shing said, a cruel smile forming around his lips.
Syaoran tilted his head. "If I didn't know better, I'd think that you're trying to trick me."
"Trick? No such thing!" Shing replied, a sly smile on his face.
"Well then, I'm ready," Syaoran said with assurance in his voice.
Shing nodded. With the nod the world seemed to spin around Syaoran and Shing, but they stood still with ease. After a few seconds, everything returned to normal, and Syaoran and Shing were back in the graveyard.
"What's this, some kind of joke? We spin around in circles and see if it makes me feel sick?" Syaoran demanded.
"Doesn't anything feel different to you?"
"What are you talking abou---" Syaoran said before being cut off. He looked to the ground where Sakura's grave was suppose to be, only to find it gone! He muttered, "She isn't dead yet…"
Shing smiled. "From that tone of voice, I think that you know what's going on. After all, this isn't some happy reunion…"
Syaoran yelled, "You son of a bitch! You brought me back to watch her die! That's cruel!"
"Aren't you the least bit curious? Do you know how she died?" Shing calmly replied.
Syaoran glared at Shing, noticing how he had no choice. He made an attempt to redeem himself. "I know how Sakura died. She died because of the Light and Dark card. What else do I need to know?"
Shing shook his head. "How can you be so assured of yourself? She died by the Light and the Dark card, but what does that tell you? You left her after elementary school, never to see her again. Many things changed; her feelings for you, her hopes and dreams, her magical ability, and so much more. Dying by those cards shouldn't have been as easy as it appeared."
The lecture made Syaoran lower his head in shame. "I just don't want to see her die… it's hard enough knowing that it happened…"
Shing laughed with an immense cruelity edging in his voice. He countered, "Don't be so afraid, this is in the past, just accept what happened and you'll be on the final test."
Syaoran nodded and changed the subject. "Where's Kero?"
"He's living in this flashback, so that's why he isn't here with us. And anyway, I told you that you couldn't have any help. If Kero assured to you that this was exactly what happened, you would have been swayed in your decision."
"Are you telling me that you could be showing me a fake past, and as long as I believe it, I pass?" Syaoran asked, confused.
"No, I'm showing you what really happened. After watching this you may feel like I'm tricking you, heck, you already feel like I'm tricking you. If Kero was here then things would be changed in the way you think."
Syaoran gave a puzzled look. He said slowly, "I think I get it…"
"Good, because we need to go to Sakura's house," Shing replied briskly.
Syaoran's and Shing's transparent bodies began to lift into the sky.
Syaoran yelled in midair, "WHAT?! Ahhhhhhh! What's the meaning of this?!"
Shing smiled and said, "I thought you were over the fear of heights thing. The fastest way of travel is by flying there."
"Isn't someone going to see us flying?" Syaoran asked.
Shing shook his head again. "There are times when I think that you are incredibly stupid. We are transparent, and in reality we aren't really here. Sakura will not be able to see you, and neither will anyone else in this realm. We are here to watch, not to change the future."
Ignoring the stupid comment, Syaoran answered in a simple, "Ok." They flew through the air and a magnificent speed, just like Shing had proposed. Syaoran tried to keep his eyes shut, but after realizing that he didn't know how he'd get there with his eyes closed, he opened them to find he was directly above Sakura's house.
Shing and Syaoran began to lower themselves onto the ground. Shing waved for Syaoran to follow him as he walked through the shut front door. Syaoran nodded and followed. As he walked through the shut door, it slammed open and Touya walked through. Syaoran shook his head quickly to figure out what was going on.
Standing next to him was a very solid Touya.
"Remember that you're doing the chores when you get home! I gotta get going to my job!"
"I know!" came a sweet voice from upstairs. "Bye Touya!"
"Bye!" Touya answered. After saying goodbye to Sakura, Touya looked across from him to seemingly notice Syaoran standing next to him. "Wah?" Touya asked himself. He rubbed his eyes incredulously and looked again, to find that nothing was there. "I'm going crazy… I could have sworn I saw that Chinese gaki in front of me for a second," he whispered. He shrugged and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.
Syaoran froze, and felt the door slam him in. He yelled at Shing, "What was that? I thought that no one could see me! And I FELT that door slam on me. Are you trying to deceive me or something?"
Shing looked thoughtfully and the door, remembering how Touya saw Syaoran for a second before realizing it was an 'illusion.' He answered coolly, "I suppose that he used to see ghosts?"
"Yes, but he forfeited them," Syaoran answered angrily. "You told me I'd doubt you, but when you say things that aren't true, how am I suppose to trust that what you say is correct?"
"He forfeited those powers? Some things stick, I suppose. He thought he was going crazy, so it was obviously something temporary. Sheesh, don't get all crazy. As for the door, ignore it. It's just a door for goodness sakes. Don't you want to see Sakura?"
'Just a door?' Syaoran thought. But then he remembered Sakura's voice a few seconds ago saying goodbye to her brother. That beautiful sounding teenager's voice that Syaoran had never heard in his life… he remembered her voice when she was younger like it was yesterday. But to hear that sound flow through his ears made him giddy.
"I want to see her!" Syaoran exclaimed.
"Then go and do it…" Shing stated, feeling like he shouldn't have to say such obvious things.
Syaoran nodded. In eagerness, he ran up the stairs to her room. He reached for the door handle, but it went through his hand. 'Oh yeah, transparency. That sucks,' Syaoran thought. But before he walked through the door, he prepared himself for what he might see. He imagined a gorgeous Sakura, the girl of his dreams, the girl that he had missed out on all his life because he had gone to China. He imagined seeing a girl with the lively green eyes that he had envisioned looking into for years, those eyes that made him feel full of life.
Taking a deep breath, Syaoran walked into the door. He couldn't control his gasp as he saw Sakura for the first time in years.
A/N- Yes, I know. Another cliffhanger. Well, at least it's a partial cliffhanger. I'm trying to decide whether gasping after seeing Sakura is a good thing of not, LoL. So, what do ya think? I'm SO sorry that this took so long to write, but I'll let ya know now that I'm alive! I plan to finish this story pretty soon, I expect it to have about 2-3 more chapters and an epilogue. I have the ending set in my head, but this test seems a bit weird for me to write. Please forgive the late entrance on this chapter! Do review! If I get enough reviews, the next chapter will be out before this week is up!