Yay! I'm up to two reviews now! Even my father's resentment towards my
"scary" writing can't affect me. But on with the show right? I got nothing
new to say besides that so, whatever. ^-^
*cop* do you own this mam?
*me* no, I don't own anything.
*cop* that's pretty pathetic; I'm arresting you for lack of ownership.
*me* oh crap.
Like it says people, I don't own nuddin.
/// = dream
"" = words
BOLD = POV
~~~BOLD~~~ = scene
# (words) # = mental conversations
************************************
*** CHAPTER FOUR: Double Visions ***
SAKURA
"And after that?" "He'll die."
Sakura gasped and clamped her hands tightly over her mouth to keep from shrieking. After awhile she removed them slowly, thoughts running rapidly and playing tag in her mind. Eriol can't die! What am I going to do? This will kill Tomoyo when she finds out. Can I defeat Yanagi before the spell kills him? Is there an antidote for it? "Kero, we HAVE to stop the spell before he dies, is there any like, antidote I can get for him?" Kero shook his head sadly, "of course there is an antidote, but you will have to kill Yanagi to get it." Sakura's eyes widened at the thought of committing such an atrocious crime. "I-I can't do that! That's wrong Kero." Kero's voice was a cold reasonable calm. "Would you rather have you friend die? I can't guarantee that it will be painful, you saw the vision; and it was quick for them. Think about it Sakura, his energy is being stolen away slowly, little by little. Until there is none left, and you and I both know that it takes energy for your lungs to breathe and you heart to beat. Sakura, if you don't you ARE killing someone; you're killing your friend; instead of your enemy." A slow silent tear of sorrow slipped down her damp face marking its trail with the others before it. Even if Eriol had tried to kill her with stuffed sheep and a giant teddy bear and listened in on her thoughts, he was still a valued friend. Tomoyo, Sakura thought, if I let Eriol die, I would be kill her too. I can't do that, she's my best friend and I have known her forever. And if I lost her.that decided her. She swallowed and stuck her chin out determinedly. "Kero, what do I have to do?" The little yellow figure nodded with understanding. "Good, you know what has to be done, but I need to do something first; with your permission of course." Sakura became confused, what did he have to do? And why did he need HER permission to do it? "What are you going to do?" she asked warily. He started to explain, "When you first opened the Clow Book I could measure your magic level, back then it was Unaware, but I could only see your level for a millisecond-no longer. After you had caught all the Clow Cards and defeated Yue I got another snapshot of your level, Tyro. Then after you had transformed all the Cards to your own power and defeated Eriol, I saw it once again, Novice. But each time was too short to see anything other than your current level, I need to know how strong you COULD be; I need to know your Potential, and if your magic has grown any more. It HAS been three years since I last saw what your level was." Sakura looked blankly at Kero, I don't get it." Kero fell over anime style then got up surpressing his furious frustration with her. How could someone be so dense? He thought. "What do you mean you don't get it?" he practically yelled at her with a vein popping up from his forehead. "Never mind, I need to get a PERMINATE look at your skill level and potential level." "Why?" The winged creature sighed exasperatedly, a headache forming above his temples. "Sakura, Yanagi is a VERY powerful Changeling and sorceress now, and when combined with her fighting skills, it makes her deadly. Then you have to add the minor detail that she is absorbing power from one of the most powerful sorcerers of this time and of the past. And believe it or not, Eriol let you off easy with that darkness spell, your still a Rookie at most kid. You have power now, but I don't know if it will be strong enough alone with out training from me. That's why I'm going to create a Magic Level Sphere, and I need some of your magic to do it." "Oh," she said understanding that Kero was really serious about this. I wonder how he will get some of my magic, she thought, I hope it won't hurt. "How do you make it?" she inquired. Kero flew off her bed and above a clear area on her floor; he motioned her over to him. Sakura felt a little queasy about this for some reason. From here on out things will change, she thought prophetically, and will never be the same. She reached him still nervous, and her thought had just added to it greatly. "Hold my hands in your own and whatever you do, don't let go." She did as she was told a stood there feeling more than just a bit foolish, "now what?" Kero started to close his eyes and Sakura's started to close also with out her consent. "Hold on," he said quietly. Magic wind whipped around them at hurtling speeds and Sakura was lifted into the air, still unable to open her eyes. She felt Kero's grand wings encircle them both, containing the Magic wind with in their space. White blinding light shone through her eyelids causing them to sting and tear up. Something dripped away from her fingertips and took the round shape of a sphere; it became large enough that Sakura could hardly keep her grip on Kero's tiny paws. When it became the size of an American softball, Kero's wings unfolded and the wind dropped her lightly back on to her bedroom floor. Kero let go of her hands, and Sakura could finally open her eyes again. But when she saw what her hands held she had to squint slightly again. On the outside of the ball sized sphere where the colors brown, red blue, white, orange, light grey and gold. They streamed in intricate stripes transparently, shielding an inner core of purple, maroon, navy blue, mauve, rose, and amber. Which protected a silver-green flame of amazing brightness and seemed to almost completely fill the entire inside of the inner core. The flame burned like a fiery star of hope in a midnight sky. Sakura let her hands drop and the sphere remained suspended in the air, slightly bobbing as if it were a floater on a fishing line. The slivery- green illuminated Sakura's face as she spoke in reserved tones to Kero; she never once shifted her eyes away from it. "What do the colors mean Kero?" Kero was also awestruck, "the brown, red, blue and white are the elements of earth. The gray and orange are the moon and sun, gold is Clow Reed's own magic color. And the others in the inner core are Heart magics. Maroon: love, purple: trust, navy blue: sincerity, mauve: hope, rose: friendship and amber: courage. I think they are the key to unlocking your potential. "Some of the more powerful Heart magics I notice." He whispered with quiet pride. "You'll need to unlock the Heart magics before you can get to that flame of potential. And you'll have to do them one by one, with out forcing them to develop. Or else they'll burn out and you will never get to that flame." Sakura reached up and cradled it once again in her hands. She peered inside, slightly tilting her head to gaze at the internal flame with curiosity. The flame grew in response to her touch, and the sphere warmed her hands up comfortably; it was almost like it LIKED her and wanted to stay close to her. "What does the silver-green stand for then?" she asked him cautiously. For some reason she knew what his answer was going to be before he even voiced them. The winged "stuffed animal" cleared his throat nervously making it click and shook his head almost imperceptibly. "I-I don't know Sakura, I really don't"
///Sakura was in a pitch-black room that was steadily filling with an eerie fog as she looked about herself. She was all-alone. A chill crept down her spine; loneliness was her second biggest fear, only defeated only by ghosts. "Hello?" she called isolation creeping into her fearfully. Her echo mocked and called back. It was followed by a succession and added to the feeling of being mocked and her rising loneliness. The fog damply kissed her hands and she jerked them out of the now waist high fog. Where am I? She thought, where IS this place? The fog swirled and shifted faintly going just below her thighs now. Odd, she thought, why did it go back down? "It's Limbo, the realm between life and death, a kind of waiting room really." The voice was light and unconcerned, like it always was in the real world. "Eriol!" she cried and whirled around to face him; Sakura ran to him and enveloped him in a gigantic hug. Relief flooded through her; she was NOT alone after all. She didn't let him go for quite awhile, not really wanting to let go. "Geeze, Sakura. Are you trying to kill me before the spell does?" The smile faded from her lips as the day's event's coursed through her mind. She sobered out of her happiness and looked at him wondering how she was with him and a little mad that he still scoped her mind. Actually more than a little mad. But she still missed his presence in the real world and a diminutive despair trickled through her thoughts. "Oh Eriol, what am I going to do about this? I really don't want you to die, and then there is there whole 'silver-green' magic thing. And it's all potential surrounded by an inner core so Kero can't even tell me what it is exactly; in fact he has no clue." She hung her head and waited for his reply uneasily. "Silver-green eh? So that means you have a NEW type of magic-no wonder why you beat my darkness spell. Especially since you are only a Rookie at magic." He considered the magic phrase, totally ignoring the other things she said. Eriol rubbed his chin in deep thought about it. Sakura kicked his shin in frustration and he hopped up and down in pain, laughing at her gaily. "I'm serious Eriol! How am I going to defeat Yanagi? Come on, don't you at least have some pointers for me? You ARE Clow Reed's reincarnation aren't you? Help me out here man!" He stopped hopping and put his foot down, his face now finally serious. "All I can tell you is this, no more: some one will have to die, either you or Yanagi, and you can't kill what's not alive" He smiled and started to fade away, "you'll figure it out." "Wait!" she started to panic. "What is that supposed to mean?" His voice was fading fast as he started to disappear. "You'll find out soon enough, goodbye Sakura!" Then, he was gone. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Sakura walked down the steps her school building surrounded by inky darkness of night. Her footsteps making no sound at all as she padded down stealthily. Ahead of her was the soccer field of her school, bathed in the light of a full moon, empty except for leaves and grass. Out of a patch of trees a girl clad in a black cat suit, complete with little ears, appeared and ran to the center of the field. Her longish hair was pulled back into a cascading tail that whipped around as she ran. Panicking and knowing only that she should not be seen Sakura ran behind an old stately oak tree. From behind the tree Sakura watched as the girl glanced anxiously around without saying anything at all. When the girl saw nothing, she visibly relaxed and called up a casting circle. Magic wove in and about something that was clasped in her hands. So this girl knows magic, Sakura thought, I wonder who it is. A wand appeared in the girl's hand, and she redied herself, while glancing about again. She froze as a green woman appeared and approached her. With, in her hand,a large forest green wand. The green woman said something to the cat girl and she nodded sadly. There was no hope for her, the cat girl raised her wand and called the circle once again./// Beep! Beep! BEEP! Sakura's arm flew out and knocked the alarm over, but still managed to hit the snooze button. The visions came back to her in a rushing stream of memories. The soccer field was pretty much the same as it was before, but there were more details to it and she could tell that the figure was a girl about her age. That new one with Eriol disturbed her though. Some one will have to die, either you or Yanagi... and you can't kill what's not alive. What did that mean? Sakura groaned and turned in her blankets uneasily. At least it's Saturday, she with slight comfort, that means I can sleep in for awhile before I go to Syaoran to figure out what to do about Eriol. She sat up instantly. Eriol! She thought, oh no. I'm supposed to get there early. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and got out of bed. Noticing that her Magic Sphere was "sleeping" on its side on top of her desk. Half smiling, she went to the bathroom to freshen up. [AN: what am I doing up at 1 am?!?! With writers cramps and a headache in accompaniment too? Oh well the show must go on. *pops pain killers into mouth*] Her body felt totally refreshed and her magic hummed at full power inside of her. She stifled another yawn as she changed out of her pajamas and into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Sakura picked up her alarm clock and saw that it read 6:00 in the morning. No wonder why I'm yawning, she thought, its sooo early! Briefly, she laid on top of her covers for a quick doze; figuring it wouldn't do any harm. She had just closed her eyes it seemed when her phone screeched alive in her ears. Bringing her back to the world harshly. "Who would call this early?" she wondered. "Hello?" she mumbled groggily. "It's Tomoyo, how is he Sakura?" Her heart ached at hearing Tomoyo's voice so sad and vulnerable; she held back a sigh of grief and answered her. "Not too well, he's in a coma." Silence greeted her ears, broken only by the electronical whine of the phone, it seemed to fill the world, then encompass it completely. "Is he going to be okay?" Tomoyo asked quietly. Sakura hesitated, truth or avoid? "I'll meet you Syaoran's apartment and explain it to you there okay?" "Oh.okay... Meet you there then I guess." They said their goodbyes and Sakura hung up the phone thoughtfully, it was now 7:30. Some one will have to die, either you or Yanagi... and you can't kill what's not alive. Sakura shuddered, Eriol had forgotten something though. He might die too.
SYAORAN
He watched as Eriol's breath came slowly with effort. Syaoran knew Eriol wasn't going to make it past next Saturday night-no doubt at all in his mind. Eriol's normally violet aura shrunk into him a little more and turned a bit more grey as his energy drain slowly and painfully away. Syaoran set the damp cloth he had been wiping Eriol's fore head with on his coffee table and went outside to the balcony. He leaned against the railing and looked out at the rising sun as it started to cast light on the city. Last night he had felt a flare of magic as Sakura had flown away, going in intricate circles and loops. She had been beautiful and graceful out there in the moon light; he had wished that he had been out there flying with her. Perhaps with his arms around her small waist and his chin on her shoulder. He remembered last night and felt heat rise in his cheeks. Did she like him back? He wondered idly. No, no, that couldn't be. Syaoran suddenly remembered the last girl he had THOUGHT liked him back. Asa Chong. If this turned out like that did, he would absolutely kill himself. Sakura meant so much to him; he never wanted to lose her or her friendship if it turned out that they would be just friends. He turned and stepped back into his apartment, outside was too chilly for him; he could see his foggy breath. Syaoran looked at Eriol in fascination and mild amusement. Who's in control now? He thought at him grinning, your little strings can't do a thing to me when you're like this. His thoughts turned back to Asa lethargically.
~~~FLASH BACK~~~
Syaoran walked around the court yard holding Asa's hand lightly. He was only five, but he felt like he was in love. He looked at her ginger hair and greenish-grey eyes and felt his heart flutter. Boy am I lucky, he thought, she is soo pretty and I bet she likes me too! They walked past a corner and headed towards his sisters; they were laughing and telling each other secrets. She turned to look at his sisters, distractedly with avid excitement. Lightly, he kissed her cheek and blushed redly. Asa turned to him confused, "why did you do that Wolfie?" He turned even redder, "be-be-because I like you Asa, don't you like me?" he felt a little confused himself at her answer. She slapped his shoulder lightly, "of course I LIKE Wolfie! I don't LOVE you or anything but you are alright. Now can we go see your sisters? I love them," she blushed. "I hope some day they will love me too, and then me and them could be together forever." She said wistfully. "Why do you think I hang out with you so much? You're their relative!" Syaoran's face went slack with horror, and he ran away to his room, where he cried for hours. ~~~END FLASH BACK~~~ He shook his head, the only girl he had ever liked turned out to be a lesbian after his sisters, only using him as a step in their direction. Syaoran sighed woefully, and stared at Eriol's motionless Snow White pose, waiting for the second girl he had ever loved to come over.
SAKURA
She grabbed her shoulder bag and looked for Kero anxiously; they had to leave soon if they planned to make it to Syaoran's on time. He wasn't in her room, only the Magic Sphere was, still apparently "sleeping" on her desk. Sakura padded down the stairs lightly, no too concerend that he was doing anything troublesome. Stepping into the kitchen, she called his named quietly, and then she swung open the door. Sakura stifled a scream of surprise and pure unadultered rage, it was a food holocaust. Dity dishes filled the sink and all the avalible spaces on the counters and tables, crumbs and smears of dressing and frosting painted the walls in a mock horrible rendidtion of a Monet. And the center, calmly chewing on the last doughnut was Kero. "Hi Sakura." That put over the edge ompletely. "Kero! What have you done? Look at the mess you made! Now we're going to be late, because I have to clean ALL of THIS up before we go to Syaoran's! I-" "Sakura?" he said glancing at the door behind her nervously. "Then I'm going to put you head first in the-" "Sakura?" he asked again, now staring in fright at the space behind her. "What Kero?!" she yelled at him, blowing back a few hairs on his tiny head. "Look," he said and pointed behind her, cringing from her last yell still. Sakura turned around and almost let out another scream. There was Touya, face red with fury and his hands clenched savagly. He spoke softly and dead calm at her, "you're going where?"
After a detailed interrogation from Touya, she was "free" to go to Syaoran's, relivively free. He left her in the kitchen that she had cleaned as he had "talked some sense" into her, Touya said four little words that Sakura heard way too often from him. "I don't trust Him" She was glad it was finnaly over; he had told her repeatedly that if Syaoran came within two feet of her, he would die. Painfully. Kero had waited patiently during the interrogation, occasionaly adding some more Syaoran slams of his own. Sakura opened her shoulder bag and grabbed Kero by the nape of his neck, stuffing him inside savagly, no caring much at all if he got hurt. There were a few muffled shouts of protest but she ignored them, he had caused too much trouble for her to care about his feelings. It was noon by time she acctually got outside the house, immeatiatly she went to the back yard to make up for lost time quickly. Sakura was supposed to be there over two hours ago. She pulled out two cards from her bag while keeping Kero inside with one hand. She closed the shoulder bag again and called out her wand from its key form. Then she threw the two cards high into the air where they spun like celestial tops. "Fly! Give me wings, Illusion! Make others see me as a bird, Fly, Illusion, release!" Both cards went work at once in a merri-gi-round of white and kalidiscope magic and swirled around her. She closed her eyes to the light and felt her hair swirl into the air gracefully; magical wind played with it and caressed it. A few seconds went by and her shoulder length hair once again rested on her shoulders, and Sakura felt the slight weight of the wings resting on her shoulder blades. Turning, she saw her reflection in the kitchen window of her house, Sakura smiled, all there was looking back at her was a small green bird. It fluttered and twittered in midair, apparently at ease with its suroundings. She gave her wings a testing flap; it stirred up a small whirl wind of fallen leaves. Satified with the wings's strength, she flew up at break neck speed. It took less time to get to Syaoran's apartment than it had to leave it last night, the sunlight warmed her body comfortably and she felt her sun magic swell inside her. Her hair streamed behind her in a short dark- goldish mane, the ginger strands tickled her face and the back of her neck. After she had beaten Eriol she had decided to grow her hair out long, like her mothers had been. But after three years, it had only grown to shoulder length, it had been a slow process but she was detrimined to stick it out till it was as long as she wanted it to be. Sakura flew in loops and circles, diving to the very streets and high above the trees. Smiling she laughed carelessly, forgeting all about Eriol, her potential and most of all about the thousand year old murderer that was loose and after her friends. Kero peeked out and screamed; he ducked his head back into the shoulder bag and zipped it tightly. She laughed at him, he deserved it for this morning.
Finnally she made her way over to Syaoran's apartment becoming sullen and loosing her laughter. She slowed and landed on his balcony, blushing as she recalled last night. Annoyed, she found that the door was locked, so after she muttered a long string of silent curses, she rapped on the glass door. Looking inside, she saw Tomoyo saying something to Syaoran. He turned and looked at her then turned away. Slowly, he turned back to her.
SYAORAN
Tomoyo sat nevously across from him in a lazy boy chair, she had gotton here about and hour and a half ago; which made Sakura over two hours late. She never was a stickler for being on time- in fact she probably couldn't be on time if her life counted on it, but this was just too much. Syaoran could see his feelings of worry mirrored in Tomoyo's eyes and it just increased his own. "Where could she be?" Tomoyo wondered out loud, not really asking Syaoran for an answer and not really not. He had told her about how bad Eriol's condidtion was, and now he knew exactly how bad it was because Kero had called him last night on the telephone around one am. He was pissed at being distrubed at such an early hour, but the information was vital. Syaoran was about to answer her with an 'I don't know' but was interupted by a knock on his balcony door.Syaoran turned to look at the balcony and saw a tiny green bird hoveringing in the air, as if it was waiting for something. Syaoran turned away and ignored the bird and was going to answer Tomoyo when he felt Sakura's aura at the balcony. He turned back to the balcony looking at it for her, but all he saw was that annoying little green bird. Syaoran walked over to the balcony and opened the sliding door to look outside for her. Immeatiatly the green bird flew inside, one of its wings brushing the side of his face. "Hey!" he called out in surprise after it, he was angry too. Now he would have to chase the dumb thing around before he caught it and threw it out again. The bird stopped in mid air and turned to him, then it shimmered and magic poured from it, revealing Sakura in jeans and a t-shirt with a shoulder bag hung on her shoulder. In her hand she held two cards and the now shrunken wand key necklace; she slipped the necklace around her neck and placed the cards back into their holding place in the Sakura Book. Tomoyo and Syaoran stared at her with their mouths agape in surprise, Tomoyo was the first to regain her composure. "What?" Sakura asked after they had stared her for a couple minutes. "Where were you Sakura? Why were you a BIRD?!" she asked partially angry, but still too surprised for it to be real anger. Sakura looked down while she answered her, digging in her bag for something. "Oh, Touya interrogated me for two hours at home and that's why I was so late, sorry. And I had to clean up this huge mess that Kero made in the kitchen. There was half eaten food everywhere and frosting on the walls, it was horrble and he was the reason I got intterogated because-" Syaoran held up his hands defensivly, "whoa, too much information." Tomoyo nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "But I haven't gotton to the bird part yet! You see I used fly to let me, well fly and illusion to make others see me a bird. So I wouldn't draw attention-" "Okay we get it Sakura, just lay off the coffee." Syaoran said putting his hands down slowly. [AN: OMG!!!!! I got a laptop now! Well I'm borrowing it, but I am still excited beyond belief! Well anyway.] Sakura ignored his comment and shifted things about in her shoulder bag, "Kero, you better have not eaten those brownies I brought for lunch." Kero popped out of her bag, chocolate covering his full mouth. He spoke muffledly, "what brownies?" She growled and grabbed for his neck, he flew out and taunted her from across the room with the last half of the last brownie. Sakura ran at him and chased Kero around as Tomoyo ans Syaoran watched the humorous sight. Tomoyo leaned towards him and whispered in his ear, "Do you think Sakura will mind if I tape this?" Syaoran smiled, Tomoyo was soo predictable sometimes. "Sure go ahead. Whats the worst that could happen?" That was the wrong thing to say. As soon as the Tomoyo brought the camera up, Kero, who had been frantically searching for a place to hide, dove for it. Acctually it was more like behind it. Either way, he ended up hiding behind it and Sakura saw her chance to fanally catch the little monster once and for all. She dove over the lazy boy Tomoyo had been sitting in before she had walked over to Syaoran and over the coffee table, and finally over Eriol's couch bed. She was about to land on Tomoyo when Syaoran caught her by her waist in mid air. Sakura struggled against his grip, but he held on firmly, determined not to let go of her for a second. Who knows what she would so to Kero if she caught him. Of course his job would have been easier if Kero stopped floating just out of her reach taunting her. Syaoran had just about completely forgotten about Tomoyo and her camera when they both heard the noise of it zooming in on them. Sakura and Syaoran froze to look at her with identical looks of horrification. There in front of them was the unblinking red light of the worst device that Tomoyo had ever been given in her life. Then Tomoyo said the most hated words that Syaoran had ever heard in his life, just those three little, tiny words: "oh, how kawaii!" They turned stiffly to each other with mirrored faces of embarssed red. Meanwhile, Satan's device kept rolling. Syaoran suddenly became VERY aware of his hands on her slender hips and how close their faces where again, like last night. His mind battled with it's self. One side wanted to bring her in closer and kiss her lips tenderly, not caring what Tomoyo was fliming. The other wanted to attack Tomoyo and destroy her camera, until it became a tiny heap of plastic and metal. He dropped his hands from her waist reluctantly, deciding to do neither, at least not today. Ironically though, his hands had been the only thing holding her up since she was at such a slanted angle, and as soon as he let go, she windmilled her arms and fell to the floor; knocking herself unconscious. Amazingly, without extensive surgery, Tomoyo rmoved the video camera from her eye. "Syaoran! Look what you did to Sakura! You're just lucky that she looks so kawaii when she sleeps, or else I would get REALLY angry." She reattached the camera to her eye like it had never lost its place from there. Tomoyo bent over and zoomed in close to Sakura's face, partially obsuring it from Syaoran's veiw. Syaoran smiled to himself, she DID look kawaii when she slept. Then he bent over and scooped her up in his arms, pretending not to notice the rolling camera that was trained on him.
SAKURA
She woke up but kept her eyes closed, Sakura knew she was in a bed that was familiar some how but she didn't know why. Then it occurred to her and inwardly she smiled, it smelled like Syaoran, she was in HIS bed. Geeze, she thought, I must be obessed with him, I know what he smells like. She opened her eyes to slits; two figures loomed above her, concern shading their features. On her right was a fuzzy looking Tomoyo holding her hand gently. On her other side was a fuzzy looking Syaoran, his normally piercing gaze softened with concern as he brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her eyes. Oh Syaoran, she thought sadly, if only you knew how I felt. She lay there motionless feeling content with no idea why she did, but still she couldn't complain about it. Then Kero popped in to her veiw. "Sakura!" he yelled at her, ruining the whole mood she had been in. "Wake up! You need to order my pizza, now this time I'm thinking double everything with a side of-" Sakura quickly sat up with wide open eyes, instantly her head was overcome with an immeanse headache that pounded her head. To her it felt like a wild and very hungry tiger was locked in the cage of her head and just saw a tasty little child. Moaning she touched her temple and grabbed Kero's entire body with one hand leaving only his head visable. He squeaked in surprise and tried to gulp, which turned into a coughing fit because she was holding him too tight for him to do that. "No.pizza.How. Many. Times. Do. I. Have to. Tell. You?" with an exasperated growl she threw him at, ironically, a desk near Tomoyo's video camera and a coffee container. He tipped over the container of coffee grains on to the desk and slightly bumped two empty coffee cups that were next to it. Tomoyo looked concernedly at Sakura, "are you okay?" Sakura waved her concerns away with her hands. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine." She started to climb out of Syaoran's bed on her own unsteadily. "I just need to get up and walk it-" she started to collapse when a pair of stong arms caught her in mid fall. Dizzly she looked up into Syaoran's face as he brought her back up to her feet. Once again their faces became exceptionally close. They both blushed furiously just as Kero came back to the world of the waking. Kero looked curiously at the coffee grains around him. Syaoran looked back into her eyes and her heart began to beat a mile a minute, as her face reddened even more. But then again, Syaoran had some color in his cheeks too. A flash of chrome caught Sakura's attention and she once again found her herself looking into the eye of Satan's machine. The one eye stared at her unblinkingly, reflexively her hand flew up to protect herself from it and her hand knocked it away. It sailed high over their heads dramtically towards an unexpecting Kero, who was just lifting a grain of coffee to his mouth. At the last second before it was popped into his mouth, he looked up and saw it coming, but before he could react it slammed into him and he was out again. [AN: oooh that had to hurt! But I do so enjoy tortureing him. Kinda like Jadewing enjoys tortureing Syaoran! Hey, we all have our hobbies.] Tomoyo rushed over to the scene and brushed Kero away with one swipe of her hand. "Oh no! That was my favorite camera!" then she burst into heaving tears. Sakura walked over to Tomoyo with the help of Syaoran's hands on her hips and comforted her and patted her back. "Hush now," she said, "don't worry. It's only a little dent." Syaoran wiped away some coffee grains into the trash as Sakura bent to pick Kero up from the floor. Cradling him in her arms, her thoughts turned over to her conversation and postcognition experience with him. I wonder if Eriol remembers the Animaru Sisters, she thought. Kero stirred and woke up just as Tomoyo's sniffles died away. "How is Eriol today?" the Card mistress asked. "Come and see." Syaoran motioned for them to follow him back into the living room. His hide away bed in his couch was pulled out and Eriol laid on it completely motionless. His lips were parted slighly and his hands rested limply on his chest; if they added a flower boquet, he would be the picture image of Snow White. "What are we going to do Syaoran?" she asked him softly while looking at Eriol. He shrugged helplessly, "I don't know. If only you had a card that could break the spell or at least wake him up." he drifted off motioning his hands slightly while he shook his head. It seemed hopeless but Sakura got an idea suddenly.
ERIOL
He was alone in a dark and seemingly endless room of voidness. A spell, he thought, I'm under a bloody drain spell. but I only knew one person a long, long time ago that knew how to cast a drain spell and that's-
Memories of his past life flooded through his brain overwhelmingly. The rainy night he had first saw the three of them, the cards telling him about Yanagi, putting spell on her and the Clow Book, so when ever she tried to touch it her hands would right through. And that September morning when he found Delta dead in his bed, then her sister Ambi dead in hers. Both killed by their own sister. Oh no, she back, he thought sadly, now she's going finish her bussiness and kill Tomoyo then take Sakura's cards. He felt more magic slip away from him and he sank ankle deep down into the ground, he was getting closer to death. What can I do? He asked himself. "Hello?" Eriol watched Sakura appear and let her echoes answer her for the time being. A Dream fog came with her and started to fill the "room". He heard her thoughts clearly as if they were his own. Where am I? She thought where IS this place? He answered them "It's Limbo, the realm between life and death, a kind of waiting room really." She spun around and looked at him, and then she ran to him after crying out his name. Sakura hugged him, sqeezing out his breath. "Geeze, Sakura. Are you trying to kill me before the spell does?" The smile faded from her lips as the day's event's coursed through her mind. He watched them with interest, she sobered out of her happiness looked at him warily. "Oh Eriol, what am I going to do about this? I really don't want you to die, and then there is there whole 'silver-green' magic thing. And it's all potential surrounded by an inner core so Kero can't even tell me what it is exactly; in fact he has no clue." She hung her head down. "Silver-green eh? So that means you have a NEW type of magic-no wonder why you beat my darkness spell. Especially since you are just a Rookie at magic." He mock ignored all that she had said except for the part about her innercore and potential. Sakura kicked his shin in frustration and he hopped up and down in pain, laughing at her gaily. "I'm serious Eriol! How am I going to defeat Yanagi? Come on, don't you at least have some pointers for me? You ARE Clow Reed's reincarnation aren't you? Help me out here man!" He stopped hopping and put his foot down, his face now finally serious. "All I can tell you is this, no more: some one will have to die, either you or Yanagi, and you can't kill what's not alive" Sakura and her Dream Fog started to disappate. She was either waking up or was moving on to a new dream. "You'll figure it out." "Wait! What is that supposed to mean?" He desperately wanted to tell her exactly what it ment, but he was bound by the Laws of Destiny and Fate. Eriol hoped she got the message though. "You'll find out soon enough, goodbye Sakura!" She vanished completely and he was once again alone waiting for a rescue or death- which ever came first. At least, he thought, I have some entertainment while I have to wait. His glasses flashed in the dark even though there was no light there at all. Eriol recalled what he "saw" when Sakura remembered what happened that day. Oh I can tease him FORVER; he laughed maniacily, the balcony scene played out in his mind and an evil smile spread across his lips.
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Yay! Hehehehehehhe... Oh I WILL have a LOT of fun through Eriol I think. I'm pretty sure I will let him live just based on the fact that he amuses me. Ok now I will explain a little of what happened in this chapter. The personality emotions are the key to opening her poetential. One by one she will have to unlock her personality emotions. I think sincerity will be first. The others later as I came to them, oh well ta ta for now!
*** CHAPTER FOUR: Double Visions ***
SAKURA
"And after that?" "He'll die."
Sakura gasped and clamped her hands tightly over her mouth to keep from shrieking. After awhile she removed them slowly, thoughts running rapidly and playing tag in her mind. Eriol can't die! What am I going to do? This will kill Tomoyo when she finds out. Can I defeat Yanagi before the spell kills him? Is there an antidote for it? "Kero, we HAVE to stop the spell before he dies, is there any like, antidote I can get for him?" Kero shook his head sadly, "of course there is an antidote, but you will have to kill Yanagi to get it." Sakura's eyes widened at the thought of committing such an atrocious crime. "I-I can't do that! That's wrong Kero." Kero's voice was a cold reasonable calm. "Would you rather have you friend die? I can't guarantee that it will be painful, you saw the vision; and it was quick for them. Think about it Sakura, his energy is being stolen away slowly, little by little. Until there is none left, and you and I both know that it takes energy for your lungs to breathe and you heart to beat. Sakura, if you don't you ARE killing someone; you're killing your friend; instead of your enemy." A slow silent tear of sorrow slipped down her damp face marking its trail with the others before it. Even if Eriol had tried to kill her with stuffed sheep and a giant teddy bear and listened in on her thoughts, he was still a valued friend. Tomoyo, Sakura thought, if I let Eriol die, I would be kill her too. I can't do that, she's my best friend and I have known her forever. And if I lost her.that decided her. She swallowed and stuck her chin out determinedly. "Kero, what do I have to do?" The little yellow figure nodded with understanding. "Good, you know what has to be done, but I need to do something first; with your permission of course." Sakura became confused, what did he have to do? And why did he need HER permission to do it? "What are you going to do?" she asked warily. He started to explain, "When you first opened the Clow Book I could measure your magic level, back then it was Unaware, but I could only see your level for a millisecond-no longer. After you had caught all the Clow Cards and defeated Yue I got another snapshot of your level, Tyro. Then after you had transformed all the Cards to your own power and defeated Eriol, I saw it once again, Novice. But each time was too short to see anything other than your current level, I need to know how strong you COULD be; I need to know your Potential, and if your magic has grown any more. It HAS been three years since I last saw what your level was." Sakura looked blankly at Kero, I don't get it." Kero fell over anime style then got up surpressing his furious frustration with her. How could someone be so dense? He thought. "What do you mean you don't get it?" he practically yelled at her with a vein popping up from his forehead. "Never mind, I need to get a PERMINATE look at your skill level and potential level." "Why?" The winged creature sighed exasperatedly, a headache forming above his temples. "Sakura, Yanagi is a VERY powerful Changeling and sorceress now, and when combined with her fighting skills, it makes her deadly. Then you have to add the minor detail that she is absorbing power from one of the most powerful sorcerers of this time and of the past. And believe it or not, Eriol let you off easy with that darkness spell, your still a Rookie at most kid. You have power now, but I don't know if it will be strong enough alone with out training from me. That's why I'm going to create a Magic Level Sphere, and I need some of your magic to do it." "Oh," she said understanding that Kero was really serious about this. I wonder how he will get some of my magic, she thought, I hope it won't hurt. "How do you make it?" she inquired. Kero flew off her bed and above a clear area on her floor; he motioned her over to him. Sakura felt a little queasy about this for some reason. From here on out things will change, she thought prophetically, and will never be the same. She reached him still nervous, and her thought had just added to it greatly. "Hold my hands in your own and whatever you do, don't let go." She did as she was told a stood there feeling more than just a bit foolish, "now what?" Kero started to close his eyes and Sakura's started to close also with out her consent. "Hold on," he said quietly. Magic wind whipped around them at hurtling speeds and Sakura was lifted into the air, still unable to open her eyes. She felt Kero's grand wings encircle them both, containing the Magic wind with in their space. White blinding light shone through her eyelids causing them to sting and tear up. Something dripped away from her fingertips and took the round shape of a sphere; it became large enough that Sakura could hardly keep her grip on Kero's tiny paws. When it became the size of an American softball, Kero's wings unfolded and the wind dropped her lightly back on to her bedroom floor. Kero let go of her hands, and Sakura could finally open her eyes again. But when she saw what her hands held she had to squint slightly again. On the outside of the ball sized sphere where the colors brown, red blue, white, orange, light grey and gold. They streamed in intricate stripes transparently, shielding an inner core of purple, maroon, navy blue, mauve, rose, and amber. Which protected a silver-green flame of amazing brightness and seemed to almost completely fill the entire inside of the inner core. The flame burned like a fiery star of hope in a midnight sky. Sakura let her hands drop and the sphere remained suspended in the air, slightly bobbing as if it were a floater on a fishing line. The slivery- green illuminated Sakura's face as she spoke in reserved tones to Kero; she never once shifted her eyes away from it. "What do the colors mean Kero?" Kero was also awestruck, "the brown, red, blue and white are the elements of earth. The gray and orange are the moon and sun, gold is Clow Reed's own magic color. And the others in the inner core are Heart magics. Maroon: love, purple: trust, navy blue: sincerity, mauve: hope, rose: friendship and amber: courage. I think they are the key to unlocking your potential. "Some of the more powerful Heart magics I notice." He whispered with quiet pride. "You'll need to unlock the Heart magics before you can get to that flame of potential. And you'll have to do them one by one, with out forcing them to develop. Or else they'll burn out and you will never get to that flame." Sakura reached up and cradled it once again in her hands. She peered inside, slightly tilting her head to gaze at the internal flame with curiosity. The flame grew in response to her touch, and the sphere warmed her hands up comfortably; it was almost like it LIKED her and wanted to stay close to her. "What does the silver-green stand for then?" she asked him cautiously. For some reason she knew what his answer was going to be before he even voiced them. The winged "stuffed animal" cleared his throat nervously making it click and shook his head almost imperceptibly. "I-I don't know Sakura, I really don't"
///Sakura was in a pitch-black room that was steadily filling with an eerie fog as she looked about herself. She was all-alone. A chill crept down her spine; loneliness was her second biggest fear, only defeated only by ghosts. "Hello?" she called isolation creeping into her fearfully. Her echo mocked and called back. It was followed by a succession and added to the feeling of being mocked and her rising loneliness. The fog damply kissed her hands and she jerked them out of the now waist high fog. Where am I? She thought, where IS this place? The fog swirled and shifted faintly going just below her thighs now. Odd, she thought, why did it go back down? "It's Limbo, the realm between life and death, a kind of waiting room really." The voice was light and unconcerned, like it always was in the real world. "Eriol!" she cried and whirled around to face him; Sakura ran to him and enveloped him in a gigantic hug. Relief flooded through her; she was NOT alone after all. She didn't let him go for quite awhile, not really wanting to let go. "Geeze, Sakura. Are you trying to kill me before the spell does?" The smile faded from her lips as the day's event's coursed through her mind. She sobered out of her happiness and looked at him wondering how she was with him and a little mad that he still scoped her mind. Actually more than a little mad. But she still missed his presence in the real world and a diminutive despair trickled through her thoughts. "Oh Eriol, what am I going to do about this? I really don't want you to die, and then there is there whole 'silver-green' magic thing. And it's all potential surrounded by an inner core so Kero can't even tell me what it is exactly; in fact he has no clue." She hung her head and waited for his reply uneasily. "Silver-green eh? So that means you have a NEW type of magic-no wonder why you beat my darkness spell. Especially since you are only a Rookie at magic." He considered the magic phrase, totally ignoring the other things she said. Eriol rubbed his chin in deep thought about it. Sakura kicked his shin in frustration and he hopped up and down in pain, laughing at her gaily. "I'm serious Eriol! How am I going to defeat Yanagi? Come on, don't you at least have some pointers for me? You ARE Clow Reed's reincarnation aren't you? Help me out here man!" He stopped hopping and put his foot down, his face now finally serious. "All I can tell you is this, no more: some one will have to die, either you or Yanagi, and you can't kill what's not alive" He smiled and started to fade away, "you'll figure it out." "Wait!" she started to panic. "What is that supposed to mean?" His voice was fading fast as he started to disappear. "You'll find out soon enough, goodbye Sakura!" Then, he was gone. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Sakura walked down the steps her school building surrounded by inky darkness of night. Her footsteps making no sound at all as she padded down stealthily. Ahead of her was the soccer field of her school, bathed in the light of a full moon, empty except for leaves and grass. Out of a patch of trees a girl clad in a black cat suit, complete with little ears, appeared and ran to the center of the field. Her longish hair was pulled back into a cascading tail that whipped around as she ran. Panicking and knowing only that she should not be seen Sakura ran behind an old stately oak tree. From behind the tree Sakura watched as the girl glanced anxiously around without saying anything at all. When the girl saw nothing, she visibly relaxed and called up a casting circle. Magic wove in and about something that was clasped in her hands. So this girl knows magic, Sakura thought, I wonder who it is. A wand appeared in the girl's hand, and she redied herself, while glancing about again. She froze as a green woman appeared and approached her. With, in her hand,a large forest green wand. The green woman said something to the cat girl and she nodded sadly. There was no hope for her, the cat girl raised her wand and called the circle once again./// Beep! Beep! BEEP! Sakura's arm flew out and knocked the alarm over, but still managed to hit the snooze button. The visions came back to her in a rushing stream of memories. The soccer field was pretty much the same as it was before, but there were more details to it and she could tell that the figure was a girl about her age. That new one with Eriol disturbed her though. Some one will have to die, either you or Yanagi... and you can't kill what's not alive. What did that mean? Sakura groaned and turned in her blankets uneasily. At least it's Saturday, she with slight comfort, that means I can sleep in for awhile before I go to Syaoran to figure out what to do about Eriol. She sat up instantly. Eriol! She thought, oh no. I'm supposed to get there early. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and got out of bed. Noticing that her Magic Sphere was "sleeping" on its side on top of her desk. Half smiling, she went to the bathroom to freshen up. [AN: what am I doing up at 1 am?!?! With writers cramps and a headache in accompaniment too? Oh well the show must go on. *pops pain killers into mouth*] Her body felt totally refreshed and her magic hummed at full power inside of her. She stifled another yawn as she changed out of her pajamas and into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Sakura picked up her alarm clock and saw that it read 6:00 in the morning. No wonder why I'm yawning, she thought, its sooo early! Briefly, she laid on top of her covers for a quick doze; figuring it wouldn't do any harm. She had just closed her eyes it seemed when her phone screeched alive in her ears. Bringing her back to the world harshly. "Who would call this early?" she wondered. "Hello?" she mumbled groggily. "It's Tomoyo, how is he Sakura?" Her heart ached at hearing Tomoyo's voice so sad and vulnerable; she held back a sigh of grief and answered her. "Not too well, he's in a coma." Silence greeted her ears, broken only by the electronical whine of the phone, it seemed to fill the world, then encompass it completely. "Is he going to be okay?" Tomoyo asked quietly. Sakura hesitated, truth or avoid? "I'll meet you Syaoran's apartment and explain it to you there okay?" "Oh.okay... Meet you there then I guess." They said their goodbyes and Sakura hung up the phone thoughtfully, it was now 7:30. Some one will have to die, either you or Yanagi... and you can't kill what's not alive. Sakura shuddered, Eriol had forgotten something though. He might die too.
SYAORAN
He watched as Eriol's breath came slowly with effort. Syaoran knew Eriol wasn't going to make it past next Saturday night-no doubt at all in his mind. Eriol's normally violet aura shrunk into him a little more and turned a bit more grey as his energy drain slowly and painfully away. Syaoran set the damp cloth he had been wiping Eriol's fore head with on his coffee table and went outside to the balcony. He leaned against the railing and looked out at the rising sun as it started to cast light on the city. Last night he had felt a flare of magic as Sakura had flown away, going in intricate circles and loops. She had been beautiful and graceful out there in the moon light; he had wished that he had been out there flying with her. Perhaps with his arms around her small waist and his chin on her shoulder. He remembered last night and felt heat rise in his cheeks. Did she like him back? He wondered idly. No, no, that couldn't be. Syaoran suddenly remembered the last girl he had THOUGHT liked him back. Asa Chong. If this turned out like that did, he would absolutely kill himself. Sakura meant so much to him; he never wanted to lose her or her friendship if it turned out that they would be just friends. He turned and stepped back into his apartment, outside was too chilly for him; he could see his foggy breath. Syaoran looked at Eriol in fascination and mild amusement. Who's in control now? He thought at him grinning, your little strings can't do a thing to me when you're like this. His thoughts turned back to Asa lethargically.
~~~FLASH BACK~~~
Syaoran walked around the court yard holding Asa's hand lightly. He was only five, but he felt like he was in love. He looked at her ginger hair and greenish-grey eyes and felt his heart flutter. Boy am I lucky, he thought, she is soo pretty and I bet she likes me too! They walked past a corner and headed towards his sisters; they were laughing and telling each other secrets. She turned to look at his sisters, distractedly with avid excitement. Lightly, he kissed her cheek and blushed redly. Asa turned to him confused, "why did you do that Wolfie?" He turned even redder, "be-be-because I like you Asa, don't you like me?" he felt a little confused himself at her answer. She slapped his shoulder lightly, "of course I LIKE Wolfie! I don't LOVE you or anything but you are alright. Now can we go see your sisters? I love them," she blushed. "I hope some day they will love me too, and then me and them could be together forever." She said wistfully. "Why do you think I hang out with you so much? You're their relative!" Syaoran's face went slack with horror, and he ran away to his room, where he cried for hours. ~~~END FLASH BACK~~~ He shook his head, the only girl he had ever liked turned out to be a lesbian after his sisters, only using him as a step in their direction. Syaoran sighed woefully, and stared at Eriol's motionless Snow White pose, waiting for the second girl he had ever loved to come over.
SAKURA
She grabbed her shoulder bag and looked for Kero anxiously; they had to leave soon if they planned to make it to Syaoran's on time. He wasn't in her room, only the Magic Sphere was, still apparently "sleeping" on her desk. Sakura padded down the stairs lightly, no too concerend that he was doing anything troublesome. Stepping into the kitchen, she called his named quietly, and then she swung open the door. Sakura stifled a scream of surprise and pure unadultered rage, it was a food holocaust. Dity dishes filled the sink and all the avalible spaces on the counters and tables, crumbs and smears of dressing and frosting painted the walls in a mock horrible rendidtion of a Monet. And the center, calmly chewing on the last doughnut was Kero. "Hi Sakura." That put over the edge ompletely. "Kero! What have you done? Look at the mess you made! Now we're going to be late, because I have to clean ALL of THIS up before we go to Syaoran's! I-" "Sakura?" he said glancing at the door behind her nervously. "Then I'm going to put you head first in the-" "Sakura?" he asked again, now staring in fright at the space behind her. "What Kero?!" she yelled at him, blowing back a few hairs on his tiny head. "Look," he said and pointed behind her, cringing from her last yell still. Sakura turned around and almost let out another scream. There was Touya, face red with fury and his hands clenched savagly. He spoke softly and dead calm at her, "you're going where?"
After a detailed interrogation from Touya, she was "free" to go to Syaoran's, relivively free. He left her in the kitchen that she had cleaned as he had "talked some sense" into her, Touya said four little words that Sakura heard way too often from him. "I don't trust Him" She was glad it was finnaly over; he had told her repeatedly that if Syaoran came within two feet of her, he would die. Painfully. Kero had waited patiently during the interrogation, occasionaly adding some more Syaoran slams of his own. Sakura opened her shoulder bag and grabbed Kero by the nape of his neck, stuffing him inside savagly, no caring much at all if he got hurt. There were a few muffled shouts of protest but she ignored them, he had caused too much trouble for her to care about his feelings. It was noon by time she acctually got outside the house, immeatiatly she went to the back yard to make up for lost time quickly. Sakura was supposed to be there over two hours ago. She pulled out two cards from her bag while keeping Kero inside with one hand. She closed the shoulder bag again and called out her wand from its key form. Then she threw the two cards high into the air where they spun like celestial tops. "Fly! Give me wings, Illusion! Make others see me as a bird, Fly, Illusion, release!" Both cards went work at once in a merri-gi-round of white and kalidiscope magic and swirled around her. She closed her eyes to the light and felt her hair swirl into the air gracefully; magical wind played with it and caressed it. A few seconds went by and her shoulder length hair once again rested on her shoulders, and Sakura felt the slight weight of the wings resting on her shoulder blades. Turning, she saw her reflection in the kitchen window of her house, Sakura smiled, all there was looking back at her was a small green bird. It fluttered and twittered in midair, apparently at ease with its suroundings. She gave her wings a testing flap; it stirred up a small whirl wind of fallen leaves. Satified with the wings's strength, she flew up at break neck speed. It took less time to get to Syaoran's apartment than it had to leave it last night, the sunlight warmed her body comfortably and she felt her sun magic swell inside her. Her hair streamed behind her in a short dark- goldish mane, the ginger strands tickled her face and the back of her neck. After she had beaten Eriol she had decided to grow her hair out long, like her mothers had been. But after three years, it had only grown to shoulder length, it had been a slow process but she was detrimined to stick it out till it was as long as she wanted it to be. Sakura flew in loops and circles, diving to the very streets and high above the trees. Smiling she laughed carelessly, forgeting all about Eriol, her potential and most of all about the thousand year old murderer that was loose and after her friends. Kero peeked out and screamed; he ducked his head back into the shoulder bag and zipped it tightly. She laughed at him, he deserved it for this morning.
Finnally she made her way over to Syaoran's apartment becoming sullen and loosing her laughter. She slowed and landed on his balcony, blushing as she recalled last night. Annoyed, she found that the door was locked, so after she muttered a long string of silent curses, she rapped on the glass door. Looking inside, she saw Tomoyo saying something to Syaoran. He turned and looked at her then turned away. Slowly, he turned back to her.
SYAORAN
Tomoyo sat nevously across from him in a lazy boy chair, she had gotton here about and hour and a half ago; which made Sakura over two hours late. She never was a stickler for being on time- in fact she probably couldn't be on time if her life counted on it, but this was just too much. Syaoran could see his feelings of worry mirrored in Tomoyo's eyes and it just increased his own. "Where could she be?" Tomoyo wondered out loud, not really asking Syaoran for an answer and not really not. He had told her about how bad Eriol's condidtion was, and now he knew exactly how bad it was because Kero had called him last night on the telephone around one am. He was pissed at being distrubed at such an early hour, but the information was vital. Syaoran was about to answer her with an 'I don't know' but was interupted by a knock on his balcony door.Syaoran turned to look at the balcony and saw a tiny green bird hoveringing in the air, as if it was waiting for something. Syaoran turned away and ignored the bird and was going to answer Tomoyo when he felt Sakura's aura at the balcony. He turned back to the balcony looking at it for her, but all he saw was that annoying little green bird. Syaoran walked over to the balcony and opened the sliding door to look outside for her. Immeatiatly the green bird flew inside, one of its wings brushing the side of his face. "Hey!" he called out in surprise after it, he was angry too. Now he would have to chase the dumb thing around before he caught it and threw it out again. The bird stopped in mid air and turned to him, then it shimmered and magic poured from it, revealing Sakura in jeans and a t-shirt with a shoulder bag hung on her shoulder. In her hand she held two cards and the now shrunken wand key necklace; she slipped the necklace around her neck and placed the cards back into their holding place in the Sakura Book. Tomoyo and Syaoran stared at her with their mouths agape in surprise, Tomoyo was the first to regain her composure. "What?" Sakura asked after they had stared her for a couple minutes. "Where were you Sakura? Why were you a BIRD?!" she asked partially angry, but still too surprised for it to be real anger. Sakura looked down while she answered her, digging in her bag for something. "Oh, Touya interrogated me for two hours at home and that's why I was so late, sorry. And I had to clean up this huge mess that Kero made in the kitchen. There was half eaten food everywhere and frosting on the walls, it was horrble and he was the reason I got intterogated because-" Syaoran held up his hands defensivly, "whoa, too much information." Tomoyo nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "But I haven't gotton to the bird part yet! You see I used fly to let me, well fly and illusion to make others see me a bird. So I wouldn't draw attention-" "Okay we get it Sakura, just lay off the coffee." Syaoran said putting his hands down slowly. [AN: OMG!!!!! I got a laptop now! Well I'm borrowing it, but I am still excited beyond belief! Well anyway.] Sakura ignored his comment and shifted things about in her shoulder bag, "Kero, you better have not eaten those brownies I brought for lunch." Kero popped out of her bag, chocolate covering his full mouth. He spoke muffledly, "what brownies?" She growled and grabbed for his neck, he flew out and taunted her from across the room with the last half of the last brownie. Sakura ran at him and chased Kero around as Tomoyo ans Syaoran watched the humorous sight. Tomoyo leaned towards him and whispered in his ear, "Do you think Sakura will mind if I tape this?" Syaoran smiled, Tomoyo was soo predictable sometimes. "Sure go ahead. Whats the worst that could happen?" That was the wrong thing to say. As soon as the Tomoyo brought the camera up, Kero, who had been frantically searching for a place to hide, dove for it. Acctually it was more like behind it. Either way, he ended up hiding behind it and Sakura saw her chance to fanally catch the little monster once and for all. She dove over the lazy boy Tomoyo had been sitting in before she had walked over to Syaoran and over the coffee table, and finally over Eriol's couch bed. She was about to land on Tomoyo when Syaoran caught her by her waist in mid air. Sakura struggled against his grip, but he held on firmly, determined not to let go of her for a second. Who knows what she would so to Kero if she caught him. Of course his job would have been easier if Kero stopped floating just out of her reach taunting her. Syaoran had just about completely forgotten about Tomoyo and her camera when they both heard the noise of it zooming in on them. Sakura and Syaoran froze to look at her with identical looks of horrification. There in front of them was the unblinking red light of the worst device that Tomoyo had ever been given in her life. Then Tomoyo said the most hated words that Syaoran had ever heard in his life, just those three little, tiny words: "oh, how kawaii!" They turned stiffly to each other with mirrored faces of embarssed red. Meanwhile, Satan's device kept rolling. Syaoran suddenly became VERY aware of his hands on her slender hips and how close their faces where again, like last night. His mind battled with it's self. One side wanted to bring her in closer and kiss her lips tenderly, not caring what Tomoyo was fliming. The other wanted to attack Tomoyo and destroy her camera, until it became a tiny heap of plastic and metal. He dropped his hands from her waist reluctantly, deciding to do neither, at least not today. Ironically though, his hands had been the only thing holding her up since she was at such a slanted angle, and as soon as he let go, she windmilled her arms and fell to the floor; knocking herself unconscious. Amazingly, without extensive surgery, Tomoyo rmoved the video camera from her eye. "Syaoran! Look what you did to Sakura! You're just lucky that she looks so kawaii when she sleeps, or else I would get REALLY angry." She reattached the camera to her eye like it had never lost its place from there. Tomoyo bent over and zoomed in close to Sakura's face, partially obsuring it from Syaoran's veiw. Syaoran smiled to himself, she DID look kawaii when she slept. Then he bent over and scooped her up in his arms, pretending not to notice the rolling camera that was trained on him.
SAKURA
She woke up but kept her eyes closed, Sakura knew she was in a bed that was familiar some how but she didn't know why. Then it occurred to her and inwardly she smiled, it smelled like Syaoran, she was in HIS bed. Geeze, she thought, I must be obessed with him, I know what he smells like. She opened her eyes to slits; two figures loomed above her, concern shading their features. On her right was a fuzzy looking Tomoyo holding her hand gently. On her other side was a fuzzy looking Syaoran, his normally piercing gaze softened with concern as he brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her eyes. Oh Syaoran, she thought sadly, if only you knew how I felt. She lay there motionless feeling content with no idea why she did, but still she couldn't complain about it. Then Kero popped in to her veiw. "Sakura!" he yelled at her, ruining the whole mood she had been in. "Wake up! You need to order my pizza, now this time I'm thinking double everything with a side of-" Sakura quickly sat up with wide open eyes, instantly her head was overcome with an immeanse headache that pounded her head. To her it felt like a wild and very hungry tiger was locked in the cage of her head and just saw a tasty little child. Moaning she touched her temple and grabbed Kero's entire body with one hand leaving only his head visable. He squeaked in surprise and tried to gulp, which turned into a coughing fit because she was holding him too tight for him to do that. "No.pizza.How. Many. Times. Do. I. Have to. Tell. You?" with an exasperated growl she threw him at, ironically, a desk near Tomoyo's video camera and a coffee container. He tipped over the container of coffee grains on to the desk and slightly bumped two empty coffee cups that were next to it. Tomoyo looked concernedly at Sakura, "are you okay?" Sakura waved her concerns away with her hands. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine." She started to climb out of Syaoran's bed on her own unsteadily. "I just need to get up and walk it-" she started to collapse when a pair of stong arms caught her in mid fall. Dizzly she looked up into Syaoran's face as he brought her back up to her feet. Once again their faces became exceptionally close. They both blushed furiously just as Kero came back to the world of the waking. Kero looked curiously at the coffee grains around him. Syaoran looked back into her eyes and her heart began to beat a mile a minute, as her face reddened even more. But then again, Syaoran had some color in his cheeks too. A flash of chrome caught Sakura's attention and she once again found her herself looking into the eye of Satan's machine. The one eye stared at her unblinkingly, reflexively her hand flew up to protect herself from it and her hand knocked it away. It sailed high over their heads dramtically towards an unexpecting Kero, who was just lifting a grain of coffee to his mouth. At the last second before it was popped into his mouth, he looked up and saw it coming, but before he could react it slammed into him and he was out again. [AN: oooh that had to hurt! But I do so enjoy tortureing him. Kinda like Jadewing enjoys tortureing Syaoran! Hey, we all have our hobbies.] Tomoyo rushed over to the scene and brushed Kero away with one swipe of her hand. "Oh no! That was my favorite camera!" then she burst into heaving tears. Sakura walked over to Tomoyo with the help of Syaoran's hands on her hips and comforted her and patted her back. "Hush now," she said, "don't worry. It's only a little dent." Syaoran wiped away some coffee grains into the trash as Sakura bent to pick Kero up from the floor. Cradling him in her arms, her thoughts turned over to her conversation and postcognition experience with him. I wonder if Eriol remembers the Animaru Sisters, she thought. Kero stirred and woke up just as Tomoyo's sniffles died away. "How is Eriol today?" the Card mistress asked. "Come and see." Syaoran motioned for them to follow him back into the living room. His hide away bed in his couch was pulled out and Eriol laid on it completely motionless. His lips were parted slighly and his hands rested limply on his chest; if they added a flower boquet, he would be the picture image of Snow White. "What are we going to do Syaoran?" she asked him softly while looking at Eriol. He shrugged helplessly, "I don't know. If only you had a card that could break the spell or at least wake him up." he drifted off motioning his hands slightly while he shook his head. It seemed hopeless but Sakura got an idea suddenly.
ERIOL
He was alone in a dark and seemingly endless room of voidness. A spell, he thought, I'm under a bloody drain spell. but I only knew one person a long, long time ago that knew how to cast a drain spell and that's-
Memories of his past life flooded through his brain overwhelmingly. The rainy night he had first saw the three of them, the cards telling him about Yanagi, putting spell on her and the Clow Book, so when ever she tried to touch it her hands would right through. And that September morning when he found Delta dead in his bed, then her sister Ambi dead in hers. Both killed by their own sister. Oh no, she back, he thought sadly, now she's going finish her bussiness and kill Tomoyo then take Sakura's cards. He felt more magic slip away from him and he sank ankle deep down into the ground, he was getting closer to death. What can I do? He asked himself. "Hello?" Eriol watched Sakura appear and let her echoes answer her for the time being. A Dream fog came with her and started to fill the "room". He heard her thoughts clearly as if they were his own. Where am I? She thought where IS this place? He answered them "It's Limbo, the realm between life and death, a kind of waiting room really." She spun around and looked at him, and then she ran to him after crying out his name. Sakura hugged him, sqeezing out his breath. "Geeze, Sakura. Are you trying to kill me before the spell does?" The smile faded from her lips as the day's event's coursed through her mind. He watched them with interest, she sobered out of her happiness looked at him warily. "Oh Eriol, what am I going to do about this? I really don't want you to die, and then there is there whole 'silver-green' magic thing. And it's all potential surrounded by an inner core so Kero can't even tell me what it is exactly; in fact he has no clue." She hung her head down. "Silver-green eh? So that means you have a NEW type of magic-no wonder why you beat my darkness spell. Especially since you are just a Rookie at magic." He mock ignored all that she had said except for the part about her innercore and potential. Sakura kicked his shin in frustration and he hopped up and down in pain, laughing at her gaily. "I'm serious Eriol! How am I going to defeat Yanagi? Come on, don't you at least have some pointers for me? You ARE Clow Reed's reincarnation aren't you? Help me out here man!" He stopped hopping and put his foot down, his face now finally serious. "All I can tell you is this, no more: some one will have to die, either you or Yanagi, and you can't kill what's not alive" Sakura and her Dream Fog started to disappate. She was either waking up or was moving on to a new dream. "You'll figure it out." "Wait! What is that supposed to mean?" He desperately wanted to tell her exactly what it ment, but he was bound by the Laws of Destiny and Fate. Eriol hoped she got the message though. "You'll find out soon enough, goodbye Sakura!" She vanished completely and he was once again alone waiting for a rescue or death- which ever came first. At least, he thought, I have some entertainment while I have to wait. His glasses flashed in the dark even though there was no light there at all. Eriol recalled what he "saw" when Sakura remembered what happened that day. Oh I can tease him FORVER; he laughed maniacily, the balcony scene played out in his mind and an evil smile spread across his lips.
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Yay! Hehehehehehhe... Oh I WILL have a LOT of fun through Eriol I think. I'm pretty sure I will let him live just based on the fact that he amuses me. Ok now I will explain a little of what happened in this chapter. The personality emotions are the key to opening her poetential. One by one she will have to unlock her personality emotions. I think sincerity will be first. The others later as I came to them, oh well ta ta for now!