Flowers for My Girl- Chapter 13
Shing put his hand on Syaoran's shoulder and said, "I'll tell you this upfront. This test will be the hardest. Being this is the last one, you can change your mind any time and quit without any consequences."
"Didn't you hear all the things I told you? I WILL bring Sakura back, and I refuse to think otherwise," Syaoran said firmly.
"I know, but I owe it to you to tell you," Shing replied quietly. "Let's begin."
Without another comment Shing snapped his fingers. Syaoran's world began to spin as he felt dimensions shift under his feet. A wave of dizziness overcame him as he dropped to his knees and gripped his head in pain. Shing stood silently above him, seemingly unaffected.
After a few moments, the spinning stopped. Syaoran regained control of the space around him. He found himself on a cold, cement floor. He firmly set his feet on the ground and lifted himself up to see where he was. The air was chilly and there was no light for him to see.
Shing said darkly, "We are here."
Syaoran cried out in an annoyed tone, "Why can't you tell me when we are going to do things like that! Where are we?"
As if by magic, candles began to light themselves. They came from all areas around Syaoran, dimming the room with a dark beauty.
To his amazement, 'here' was a small compact room with walls made out of the same kind of cement as the floor. There was no door, no windows, no way for Syaoran to figure out how he got into the room and no way to get out.
Syaoran turned to Shing and asked, "What's this about?"
"It's a small preview of nothingness."
"Nothingness?"
"This place represents the nothingness that people feel when they are killed by magic."
Syaoran gave Shing a confused look. "This is just an ordinary room. What causes them to feel nothing? Surely being locked away in a place like this, they'd feel anger or sadness or pain. What's special about this place?"
Shing sighed and said slowly, as if trying to find the right words to say, "It's not that their body is in the room. It's more complex than you think. When killed by magic, the magic simply turns the person into… nothing. Therefore, it doesn't really matter what the scenery around the person, they'll be stuck in their own soul."
"I don't really understand what you mean," Syaoran replied.
"It's kind of like a mental person who is so lost in their own thoughts that they don't understand what is going on around them. They take no notice of other people, of other actions. Their own mind is consumed without thoughts, so it's like they don't even know that they exist. Such is the person that you are about to see…" Shing said.
"Huh?" Syaoran asked. He was trying to take in all that Shing was saying, but it didn't make any sense to him. Then he noticed a figure huddled in the corner of the room.
The person was covered with a heavy cloak. The bodily figure was of a girl with a petite build. Her head was tucked into the folds of the cloak. Out of the mass of the curled up person, Syaoran saw familiar locks auburn hair that made him gasp.
"Sakura?" he croaked.
There was no response. "Sakura?" he tried again, barely finding his voice beneath the shock that he was feeling.
Shing shook his head and said, "I guess you don't really know what I mean."
Syaoran ignored Shing and walked slowly towards the hidden person within the cloak. Prying away the folds of the big cloth he saw the definite figure of Sakura with her eyes closed and her face at peace.
"Sakura?" he tried again, his voice regaining confidence.
Shing cried out annoyed, "Damn it! She CAN'T hear you! She…"
He was cut off by the look he saw on Syaoran's face. His confident, self-assured face had been replaced with a confused, helpless look.
"She doesn't even know you're here," Shing finished softly.
Syaoran asked, just as quietly, "Why is she here?"
Shing responded truthfully, "She was specifically brought out for this test. Until the test is finished, Sakura will be returned to the living state. Her mind will be as functional as her last thoughts were and you may speak with her."
Syaoran smiled at Shing and said, "Thank you."
Syaoran looked down at Sakura's peaceful face. He watched in slow motion as her eyes opened to reveal clouded, angry emerald eyes. Sakura's body fully came to life. She raised her arm and swiftly pushed Syaoran away from her as she sat up to find out where she was.
The blow from Sakura's arm wasn't very forceful, but the regret in Syaoran's heart caused the push to set his body meters away. He lowered his head and said once again, "Sakura?"
"Where am I?" she said, no emotion in her voice. "What are you doing here, Li?"
'Li… Li…' the word echoed in his mind as his eyes flashed when he raised his head to meet Sakura's eyes. 'For some reason, I was still expecting her to be the little girl I remember. I knew she hated me, but if she saw me… I thought she'd change her mind.'
Syaoran said softly, "You died… and I came back for you."
In the same monotone Sakura replied, "You're a little late to be coming back to see me."
Syaoran looked at her in a mix of sadness and despair. "I… know… I came to save you. I want to bring you back to the world of the living."
"Do you think that everything will end happily because you came to get me out of your own guilt? Is that what you think? What if I don't want to go back?" Sakura replied cruely.
Syaoran ignored her questions. "I know you hate me… but Sakura, I love you! I never told you and I ran away from my own feelings, but all this time! I've loved you more than anything else! I don't care if you don't want to go back! I want you to live in a world of happiness, in a world where people love you, regardless of what you think!"
"I remember my dying moments," Sakura said softly. "I remember seeing your face in my mind and thinking, 'I hate you, Syaoran.' Did you know that?"
Noting her harsh tone Syaoran replied, "I know. I saw it before my own eyes. I…"
Sakura interrupted, "Not one phone call! Not even a letter! And you say people love me? How come they couldn't realize how I felt?!"
"They did realize! They just didn't know how to respond or what to do. People hoped you would get over your sufferings and move on."
"You say they didn't know what to do or say to me? Is that the way it was for you when you left for China?"
Syaoran said softly, "Sakura… we were children then. I didn't know how to handle situations or even what my feelings were."
"And that's your excuse?" Sakura asked bitterly.
Syaoran paused. He didn't know what he could say to get through to her. He sighed and said, "I suppose there is nothing left for me to say. I was hoping that the Light and Dark card were influencing the way you thought, but it seems that your hatred for me was caused by your own emotions."
Sakura looked at him, her unemotional eyes staring him down.
Syaoran sighed and said without breaking their gaze, "Shing, I am ready for the test. I have told Sakura what I wanted to tell her. If she does not accept my apology, then that's the way it will have to be."
Looking away from Sakura, Syaoran slowly stood up. He turned around to face Shing.
Shing nodded thoughtfully and said, "It's tragic how things will end. The test is about to being. There's not much you can do now Syaoran."
"Huh?" Syaoran asked.
Suddenly the walls shook and two ropes, each on opposite sides of Syaoran ripped through the walls. Syaoran panicked and tried to figure out the scenario.
Connected to the walls, the ropes seemed to have a life of their own. They flew towards Syaoran. He dodged the ropes a few times using his graceful martial art skills but they eventually grabbed his wrists and lifted his body off the ground to render him helpless.
Syaoran fought to free himself from the gripping ropes, but it was useless. "What's going on?" Syaoran asked angrily. "How am I supposed to defend myself in this test if I'm tied to a wall and can't move?"
Shing shook his head and said, "You don't have to move. I'll explain this to in a second. First let me say something to Sakura."
Sakura looked at him with confusing eyes. "Who are you?" she asked.
Shing laughed his raspy laugh and said, "That's pretty much the first thing Syaoran asked me. You two seem alike in many ways. Sadness consuming both your hearts, and you seem to have the same stubbornness that he does…"
Sakura shook her head and replied, "We aren't alike. When we were 'children' like Syaoran says, we'd do things like that but things are different now. He couldn't possibly know the sadness I felt when he left."
Shing sighed and said, "Obviously, you aren't seeing this two ways. Syaoran fought a monster and got injured just so that you would be brought back. He beat his own evil twin at thinking, and he overcame his fears and basically blew off his fiancé."
Sakura smiled for the first time since she had awoken and said sarcastically, "And what feelings did he experience while he did this? Regret?"
Syaoran couldn't stand just listening to the conversation. He called out, "It was more than regret!"
"Then what was it? Did you just want your own personal happiness?"
Shing said quickly before Syaoran could respond, "It had to be more than that. His next test was to overcome his own happiness. In his mind he was happy. He could have lived the rest of his life in eternal bliss if he chose to stay in that test, just so he could be with you."
Sakura's eyes widened. Her emerald eyes began to gleam with a bright light as a mist appeared. The mist slowly left her eyes unclouded. She softened and said, "He gave up happiness in his own mind to free me?"
Shing turned his back on Syaoran and said, "I don't know if I made things better or worse but I have done what I needed to do."
Syaoran gave him a look of confusion. "I've been lost the entire time you were talking. What did you need to do?"
Shing replied, "For the last time, look into Sakura's eyes. Look into them and tell me what you see."
Syaoran nodded slowly before saying, "For the last time?"
"Just do it!" Shing said, a remorseful sound in his voice.
Syaoran raised his head to meet Sakura's eyes. Her eyes were wide with surprise and her face sparkled with the same innocence he had seen when they were young.
"Sakura?" Syaoran asked.
"Syaoran?"
Syaoran smiled. He turned to Shing and asked happily, "What did you do? What happened? She… changed."
"I just unclouded her eyes from what the Sakura cards did. If you are going to complete this test, it's the least I can do for both of you."
"Does that mean the Light and Dark cards really did influence her thinking?"
"Not fully. I'm sure that behind that 'happy' Sakura you see, there are still those strong emotions of anger that she was showing you. She didn't lie when she told you her feelings. The cards helped her decide through their magic what she should do."
Sakura listened patiently, not fully realize what was happening. Syaoran looked at her and asked Shing, "So they are evil?"
"No. They are the Light and Dark card which means that they are relatively neutral," Shing said shortly.
"Then how…?"
Shing finished his thoughts. "They only wanted her to be where she would feel at peace. Though Sakura's mind is unclouded right now as it was back then, she still felt those feelings of sadness and anger. The cards felt those emotions and they felt as hurt as she did. Therefore, they offered her peace of mind so she could be in this nothingness. With her feeling nothing, they would feel nothing also. Nothing is better then sadness, right?"
"Then why did they make her hate so intense?" Syaoran asked.
"Building off her own emotions, I suppose. It was convenient for both of them and made it easier for them to work their magic on her."
Syaoran nodded and said, "It's good to know, but why are you telling me? How did you know such information? Aren't you trying to make me fail these tests?"
"I've always known the information. It's not that I wanted you to fail. I just wanted to make sure that you were worthy of bringing Sakura back to death. Bringing people back from the dead isn't an ordinary task. I figured I'd attempt to make Sakura and you on good terms before this test."
"Which is?" Syaoran asked, his wrists beginning to get red rings from the rope burning into his skin.
Shing turned to Sakura, who was taking in all the information. He told her, "Syaoran had to watch you die, that was his previous test. He listened to you tell him that you hated him. As you died in his test, he attempted to hold you until you finally said, "I hate you." Now, in the same manner, you will watch him die for you."
Syaoran and Sakura gasped simultaneously. Tears began to fill Sakura's eyes.
Syaoran nodded and said slowly, "I get it. You never planned for me to complete these tests."
"Not quite. You see, I'd like to see you happy with Sakura, but that's not the way things work. Sakura died by magic. You must die and fill in her empty spot. It's a life for a life sort of deal," Shing said, a touch of sadness filled in his hoarse voice. "Remember, you can always turn back. That's what I meant when I told you this would be the hardest test. Will you accept your death or will you turn back? It's up to you, but either way, only one of you will be returning to Toemoda."
Sakura cried out, "No!! Don't do it Syaoran! I'm fine with the nothingness that I'm in. It's not worth it!"
Syaoran sighed and said, "For you to be happy again, I will do it. I accept this death."
"Syaoran, no!" Sakura attempted. "You saw what I was like when I wasn't with you! That wasn't happiness. If you're not there with me, I won't be happy."
Shing raised his eyebrows and said, "That's right. It seems as if Sakura's happiness comes directly from you. You die; she dies emotionally. There is just no way to end this circle of emotions."
"I can't leave Sakura down here. She didn't deserve to die. My foolishness caused her to die and I want to undo that. Sakura, there are plenty of people that love you. Touya loves you, your father loves you, Tomoyo, and Kero… they all care for you! Find happiness for both you and me," Syaoran said firmly.
Shing nodded and said, "You two are both very stubborn people."
Sakura began crying. Her crystal tears began to flow endlessly down her cheeks. "You don't have to prove yourself, Syaoran. Don't die!"
"You have decided," Shing said. From out of nowhere Shing pulled out Syaoran's sword.
"My sword?" Syaoran asked.
Shing nodded and said, "I took it from you before your second test. Now I will return it to you. The ropes will steady your body as I impale the sword through your body. Being as your sword carries magical powers, you will be considered to have died from magic and you can rightfully take Sakura's place."
Syaoran sighed and said steadily, "If that's the way it's going to be, then so be it."
Sakura's sobs were getting louder. Her cries were resonating the room. "No… no… please no…" she said between breaths for air.
"Yell for me to stop if you change your mind. If the pain is too unbearable for you and you decide you can't go through with this test then just say so and you'll return to Sakura's gravestone as if the tests never happened," Shing told him quietly.
Syaoran processed the information and said, "Ok, but I won't be changing my mind."
Shing prepped the sword in front of Syaoran's hanging body. "Any last words?" he asked.
Syaoran smiled and said, "I love you, Sakura."
As he finished the word 'Sakura' he felt the pain of his sword being plunged into his heart.
A/N- Only one chapter left (and maybe an epilogue)! I feel I've become a bit too wordy but *shrugs* hopefully it's not too bad. I don't have much to say... it's taken a funky twist, ne? I hope everyone sticks in till the end to read this fic! *hugs everyone* Well, thanks to all readers^_^ Since I have nothing intelligient to say... bye bye!
Shing put his hand on Syaoran's shoulder and said, "I'll tell you this upfront. This test will be the hardest. Being this is the last one, you can change your mind any time and quit without any consequences."
"Didn't you hear all the things I told you? I WILL bring Sakura back, and I refuse to think otherwise," Syaoran said firmly.
"I know, but I owe it to you to tell you," Shing replied quietly. "Let's begin."
Without another comment Shing snapped his fingers. Syaoran's world began to spin as he felt dimensions shift under his feet. A wave of dizziness overcame him as he dropped to his knees and gripped his head in pain. Shing stood silently above him, seemingly unaffected.
After a few moments, the spinning stopped. Syaoran regained control of the space around him. He found himself on a cold, cement floor. He firmly set his feet on the ground and lifted himself up to see where he was. The air was chilly and there was no light for him to see.
Shing said darkly, "We are here."
Syaoran cried out in an annoyed tone, "Why can't you tell me when we are going to do things like that! Where are we?"
As if by magic, candles began to light themselves. They came from all areas around Syaoran, dimming the room with a dark beauty.
To his amazement, 'here' was a small compact room with walls made out of the same kind of cement as the floor. There was no door, no windows, no way for Syaoran to figure out how he got into the room and no way to get out.
Syaoran turned to Shing and asked, "What's this about?"
"It's a small preview of nothingness."
"Nothingness?"
"This place represents the nothingness that people feel when they are killed by magic."
Syaoran gave Shing a confused look. "This is just an ordinary room. What causes them to feel nothing? Surely being locked away in a place like this, they'd feel anger or sadness or pain. What's special about this place?"
Shing sighed and said slowly, as if trying to find the right words to say, "It's not that their body is in the room. It's more complex than you think. When killed by magic, the magic simply turns the person into… nothing. Therefore, it doesn't really matter what the scenery around the person, they'll be stuck in their own soul."
"I don't really understand what you mean," Syaoran replied.
"It's kind of like a mental person who is so lost in their own thoughts that they don't understand what is going on around them. They take no notice of other people, of other actions. Their own mind is consumed without thoughts, so it's like they don't even know that they exist. Such is the person that you are about to see…" Shing said.
"Huh?" Syaoran asked. He was trying to take in all that Shing was saying, but it didn't make any sense to him. Then he noticed a figure huddled in the corner of the room.
The person was covered with a heavy cloak. The bodily figure was of a girl with a petite build. Her head was tucked into the folds of the cloak. Out of the mass of the curled up person, Syaoran saw familiar locks auburn hair that made him gasp.
"Sakura?" he croaked.
There was no response. "Sakura?" he tried again, barely finding his voice beneath the shock that he was feeling.
Shing shook his head and said, "I guess you don't really know what I mean."
Syaoran ignored Shing and walked slowly towards the hidden person within the cloak. Prying away the folds of the big cloth he saw the definite figure of Sakura with her eyes closed and her face at peace.
"Sakura?" he tried again, his voice regaining confidence.
Shing cried out annoyed, "Damn it! She CAN'T hear you! She…"
He was cut off by the look he saw on Syaoran's face. His confident, self-assured face had been replaced with a confused, helpless look.
"She doesn't even know you're here," Shing finished softly.
Syaoran asked, just as quietly, "Why is she here?"
Shing responded truthfully, "She was specifically brought out for this test. Until the test is finished, Sakura will be returned to the living state. Her mind will be as functional as her last thoughts were and you may speak with her."
Syaoran smiled at Shing and said, "Thank you."
Syaoran looked down at Sakura's peaceful face. He watched in slow motion as her eyes opened to reveal clouded, angry emerald eyes. Sakura's body fully came to life. She raised her arm and swiftly pushed Syaoran away from her as she sat up to find out where she was.
The blow from Sakura's arm wasn't very forceful, but the regret in Syaoran's heart caused the push to set his body meters away. He lowered his head and said once again, "Sakura?"
"Where am I?" she said, no emotion in her voice. "What are you doing here, Li?"
'Li… Li…' the word echoed in his mind as his eyes flashed when he raised his head to meet Sakura's eyes. 'For some reason, I was still expecting her to be the little girl I remember. I knew she hated me, but if she saw me… I thought she'd change her mind.'
Syaoran said softly, "You died… and I came back for you."
In the same monotone Sakura replied, "You're a little late to be coming back to see me."
Syaoran looked at her in a mix of sadness and despair. "I… know… I came to save you. I want to bring you back to the world of the living."
"Do you think that everything will end happily because you came to get me out of your own guilt? Is that what you think? What if I don't want to go back?" Sakura replied cruely.
Syaoran ignored her questions. "I know you hate me… but Sakura, I love you! I never told you and I ran away from my own feelings, but all this time! I've loved you more than anything else! I don't care if you don't want to go back! I want you to live in a world of happiness, in a world where people love you, regardless of what you think!"
"I remember my dying moments," Sakura said softly. "I remember seeing your face in my mind and thinking, 'I hate you, Syaoran.' Did you know that?"
Noting her harsh tone Syaoran replied, "I know. I saw it before my own eyes. I…"
Sakura interrupted, "Not one phone call! Not even a letter! And you say people love me? How come they couldn't realize how I felt?!"
"They did realize! They just didn't know how to respond or what to do. People hoped you would get over your sufferings and move on."
"You say they didn't know what to do or say to me? Is that the way it was for you when you left for China?"
Syaoran said softly, "Sakura… we were children then. I didn't know how to handle situations or even what my feelings were."
"And that's your excuse?" Sakura asked bitterly.
Syaoran paused. He didn't know what he could say to get through to her. He sighed and said, "I suppose there is nothing left for me to say. I was hoping that the Light and Dark card were influencing the way you thought, but it seems that your hatred for me was caused by your own emotions."
Sakura looked at him, her unemotional eyes staring him down.
Syaoran sighed and said without breaking their gaze, "Shing, I am ready for the test. I have told Sakura what I wanted to tell her. If she does not accept my apology, then that's the way it will have to be."
Looking away from Sakura, Syaoran slowly stood up. He turned around to face Shing.
Shing nodded thoughtfully and said, "It's tragic how things will end. The test is about to being. There's not much you can do now Syaoran."
"Huh?" Syaoran asked.
Suddenly the walls shook and two ropes, each on opposite sides of Syaoran ripped through the walls. Syaoran panicked and tried to figure out the scenario.
Connected to the walls, the ropes seemed to have a life of their own. They flew towards Syaoran. He dodged the ropes a few times using his graceful martial art skills but they eventually grabbed his wrists and lifted his body off the ground to render him helpless.
Syaoran fought to free himself from the gripping ropes, but it was useless. "What's going on?" Syaoran asked angrily. "How am I supposed to defend myself in this test if I'm tied to a wall and can't move?"
Shing shook his head and said, "You don't have to move. I'll explain this to in a second. First let me say something to Sakura."
Sakura looked at him with confusing eyes. "Who are you?" she asked.
Shing laughed his raspy laugh and said, "That's pretty much the first thing Syaoran asked me. You two seem alike in many ways. Sadness consuming both your hearts, and you seem to have the same stubbornness that he does…"
Sakura shook her head and replied, "We aren't alike. When we were 'children' like Syaoran says, we'd do things like that but things are different now. He couldn't possibly know the sadness I felt when he left."
Shing sighed and said, "Obviously, you aren't seeing this two ways. Syaoran fought a monster and got injured just so that you would be brought back. He beat his own evil twin at thinking, and he overcame his fears and basically blew off his fiancé."
Sakura smiled for the first time since she had awoken and said sarcastically, "And what feelings did he experience while he did this? Regret?"
Syaoran couldn't stand just listening to the conversation. He called out, "It was more than regret!"
"Then what was it? Did you just want your own personal happiness?"
Shing said quickly before Syaoran could respond, "It had to be more than that. His next test was to overcome his own happiness. In his mind he was happy. He could have lived the rest of his life in eternal bliss if he chose to stay in that test, just so he could be with you."
Sakura's eyes widened. Her emerald eyes began to gleam with a bright light as a mist appeared. The mist slowly left her eyes unclouded. She softened and said, "He gave up happiness in his own mind to free me?"
Shing turned his back on Syaoran and said, "I don't know if I made things better or worse but I have done what I needed to do."
Syaoran gave him a look of confusion. "I've been lost the entire time you were talking. What did you need to do?"
Shing replied, "For the last time, look into Sakura's eyes. Look into them and tell me what you see."
Syaoran nodded slowly before saying, "For the last time?"
"Just do it!" Shing said, a remorseful sound in his voice.
Syaoran raised his head to meet Sakura's eyes. Her eyes were wide with surprise and her face sparkled with the same innocence he had seen when they were young.
"Sakura?" Syaoran asked.
"Syaoran?"
Syaoran smiled. He turned to Shing and asked happily, "What did you do? What happened? She… changed."
"I just unclouded her eyes from what the Sakura cards did. If you are going to complete this test, it's the least I can do for both of you."
"Does that mean the Light and Dark cards really did influence her thinking?"
"Not fully. I'm sure that behind that 'happy' Sakura you see, there are still those strong emotions of anger that she was showing you. She didn't lie when she told you her feelings. The cards helped her decide through their magic what she should do."
Sakura listened patiently, not fully realize what was happening. Syaoran looked at her and asked Shing, "So they are evil?"
"No. They are the Light and Dark card which means that they are relatively neutral," Shing said shortly.
"Then how…?"
Shing finished his thoughts. "They only wanted her to be where she would feel at peace. Though Sakura's mind is unclouded right now as it was back then, she still felt those feelings of sadness and anger. The cards felt those emotions and they felt as hurt as she did. Therefore, they offered her peace of mind so she could be in this nothingness. With her feeling nothing, they would feel nothing also. Nothing is better then sadness, right?"
"Then why did they make her hate so intense?" Syaoran asked.
"Building off her own emotions, I suppose. It was convenient for both of them and made it easier for them to work their magic on her."
Syaoran nodded and said, "It's good to know, but why are you telling me? How did you know such information? Aren't you trying to make me fail these tests?"
"I've always known the information. It's not that I wanted you to fail. I just wanted to make sure that you were worthy of bringing Sakura back to death. Bringing people back from the dead isn't an ordinary task. I figured I'd attempt to make Sakura and you on good terms before this test."
"Which is?" Syaoran asked, his wrists beginning to get red rings from the rope burning into his skin.
Shing turned to Sakura, who was taking in all the information. He told her, "Syaoran had to watch you die, that was his previous test. He listened to you tell him that you hated him. As you died in his test, he attempted to hold you until you finally said, "I hate you." Now, in the same manner, you will watch him die for you."
Syaoran and Sakura gasped simultaneously. Tears began to fill Sakura's eyes.
Syaoran nodded and said slowly, "I get it. You never planned for me to complete these tests."
"Not quite. You see, I'd like to see you happy with Sakura, but that's not the way things work. Sakura died by magic. You must die and fill in her empty spot. It's a life for a life sort of deal," Shing said, a touch of sadness filled in his hoarse voice. "Remember, you can always turn back. That's what I meant when I told you this would be the hardest test. Will you accept your death or will you turn back? It's up to you, but either way, only one of you will be returning to Toemoda."
Sakura cried out, "No!! Don't do it Syaoran! I'm fine with the nothingness that I'm in. It's not worth it!"
Syaoran sighed and said, "For you to be happy again, I will do it. I accept this death."
"Syaoran, no!" Sakura attempted. "You saw what I was like when I wasn't with you! That wasn't happiness. If you're not there with me, I won't be happy."
Shing raised his eyebrows and said, "That's right. It seems as if Sakura's happiness comes directly from you. You die; she dies emotionally. There is just no way to end this circle of emotions."
"I can't leave Sakura down here. She didn't deserve to die. My foolishness caused her to die and I want to undo that. Sakura, there are plenty of people that love you. Touya loves you, your father loves you, Tomoyo, and Kero… they all care for you! Find happiness for both you and me," Syaoran said firmly.
Shing nodded and said, "You two are both very stubborn people."
Sakura began crying. Her crystal tears began to flow endlessly down her cheeks. "You don't have to prove yourself, Syaoran. Don't die!"
"You have decided," Shing said. From out of nowhere Shing pulled out Syaoran's sword.
"My sword?" Syaoran asked.
Shing nodded and said, "I took it from you before your second test. Now I will return it to you. The ropes will steady your body as I impale the sword through your body. Being as your sword carries magical powers, you will be considered to have died from magic and you can rightfully take Sakura's place."
Syaoran sighed and said steadily, "If that's the way it's going to be, then so be it."
Sakura's sobs were getting louder. Her cries were resonating the room. "No… no… please no…" she said between breaths for air.
"Yell for me to stop if you change your mind. If the pain is too unbearable for you and you decide you can't go through with this test then just say so and you'll return to Sakura's gravestone as if the tests never happened," Shing told him quietly.
Syaoran processed the information and said, "Ok, but I won't be changing my mind."
Shing prepped the sword in front of Syaoran's hanging body. "Any last words?" he asked.
Syaoran smiled and said, "I love you, Sakura."
As he finished the word 'Sakura' he felt the pain of his sword being plunged into his heart.
A/N- Only one chapter left (and maybe an epilogue)! I feel I've become a bit too wordy but *shrugs* hopefully it's not too bad. I don't have much to say... it's taken a funky twist, ne? I hope everyone sticks in till the end to read this fic! *hugs everyone* Well, thanks to all readers^_^ Since I have nothing intelligient to say... bye bye!