Pirate: "But you're supposed to be dead!"
Jack Sparrow: "I'm not?"
-Pirates of the Caribbean
Syaoran teleported himself to Sakura's side and fell to his knees, covering his face with his hands.
"Sakura," he whispered, heartbroken, unaware that the war still raged around them.
He kissed her unresponsive lips. Already her skin was growing cold to the touch, looking even more pale when compared to the bright red blood that stained her clothes and covered her body.
With a roar he leapt to his feet, sword drawn, and hacked at any of the enemy who dared stand near his beloved.
Glancing around and seeing Snape he said, "Call everyone back inside the castle and take - take Sakura...inside. We will take care of them and we can not guarantee that you will be unharmed."
"No," replied Snape shortly. "They outnumber you at least 15 to 1."
"It doesn't matter anymore!" Not in the mood to argue, Syaoran summoned Tomoyo and Meiling.
"Have the army retreat inside by any means possible and make sure they bring...bring...h-her." His voice sounded hoarse, but he refused to let it waver.
Immediately, eyes coldly watching the field and tears glittering upon their cheeks, Meiling and Tomoyo began playing two silver flutes. The spell they used them for was complex. Similar to the pied piper, it drew their army to the gates and inside the shield while the opposing army was left in a trance so that they wouldn't take advantage of the retreating backs.
Only when the shield was back in place were they returned to normal and by then it was too late. No one could go in and none could come out.
With a scowl on his face, Severus Snape carried Sakura's body inside the castle and into the Hospital Wing.
He entered the room and the occupants immediately hushed. They had heard the news from Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. This death, no more or less important than others' deaths, struck home mercilessly. This bright cheerful girl, this professor and protector, was dead for their cause.
"What's going on outside?" asked Minerva. "Hannah said that we retreated." Her eyes, red and puffy, showed that she had been crying and Albus looked very grave.
"Li and Daidouji enchanted us to make us leave the field. They want revenge, I think. It's suicide!" he burst out, slamming his fist on the table near the bed they had lain Sakura.
No one spoke. They could only wait to see who else would fall in this war.
~*~
As soon as the shield was back up Tomoyo let the anger and bitterness she had held back since her scream return. They would pay for the life of her best friend. They would pay dearly.
Putting every bit of her enchantress power into her voice, she sang,
"Let the rain come down and wash away my tears
Let it fill my soul and drown my fears
Let it shatter their hopes of a new day
No new day for them."
Her lyrics would insure that they would regret ever having touched her Sakura.
Rain poured upon her, turning the ground into mud, and she couldn't tell if she was crying, or if the skies were doing it for her.
~*~
Kero roared again and again, fire billowing forth from his mouth with power it had never had before. Groups of wizards and Dark creatures burst into flame and he could hear nothing but his own voice. Rage and sorrow tore his heart apart.
Ruby Moon and Spinel joined him, spreading terror wherever they flew, seeking revenge.
Yue was in a state of shock. It had taken him so long to warm up to his new mistress since Clow's death and now she had died and left him, just as Clow had done.
His crystals tore his targets to pieces and his mind became a broken record. Why? Why? Why? it asked again and again and again.
Eriol blasted energy from his staff wherever he wandered, sometimes killing them outright and sometimes causing them to fall into the bottomless crevice Tomoyo's power had created. His other half's daughter, one of his best friends, was dead. Dead. No longer alive, no longer full of energy. Dead. And it felt so wrong.
Meiling did much the same as Eriol.
Syaoran went immediately for Bellatrix. She lasted ten seconds at best.
It was slaughter. Voldemort's army didn't stand a chance against the powerful rage of Sakura's friends. Corpses littered the field and the fire surrounding Harry Potter and Voldemort burned high, a tribute to its fallen creator. It would only go out when one of the wizards inside lay dead and that time was drawing near.
~*~
We must save our Mistress.
What can we do? Only five of us remain. The rest have fled.
Time must be found.
We do not have enough strength to save her. She was the only one who could sustain us.
We have never tried. I do not want to let Mistress go without trying.
Nor do we.
This has never been attempted before. You are the only one to think of it.
We must try. We must find Time.
We will. For our Mistress we will.
~*~
Harry was exhausted. He'd tried everything he could think of and Voldemort still stood, still fought. He was losing blood and it looked like he was losing the fight. How long had they been at it? Hours at least. It felt like weeks. He refused to give up, to go down without a fight. There was Ron and Hermione to consider after all. And Draco, unexpected though it had been. The students. The professors. The wizarding world. He couldn't give up when it all depended on him (though he thought that seemed a bit onceited).
And all of a sudden Voldemort stood unarmed. Harry's last spell (Expelliarmus) had gotten under his guard.
However, before he fully came to his senses, Voldemort leaped at him, striking like a snake.
The wands flew out of his hands as he fell back, Voldemort at his throat.
"Your pathetic mother's sacrifice won't save you now. All she did was in vain and now you'll die, just like your parents," hissed the Dark Lord as Harry gagged. His wind pipe was being crushed and darkness was hovering at the edge of his vision.
His struggling became weaker and weaker.
There was only one thing he could do.
The voice in his dreams, Sakura's voice, had taught him this spell last. She had said to use it only when there was no hope left. It could kill him and would definitely drain him of any energy and magic.
He concentrated. It required no wand and no words. Only magic and a strong will.
Pain emanated from his scar and Voldemort let go of his neck with a yelp, staring at his hands. They were burnt, just as Quirrel's had been in his first year.
Barely aware of gasping for air, Harry tried to maintain skin contact between the two of them.
He seemed to glow with a golden light and Voldemort recoiled. He found that skin contact wasn't needed anymore as the rays of light touched Voldemort.
The Dark Lord screamed, tryiing to escape, but Harry followed him and he received no relief from the Light.
A pure sweet voice, much quieter than Voldemort's screams, but still clearly heard said in a sing-song voice, "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust..."
With a final shriek Voldemort collapsed and dissolved with his immortality spells.
Harry passed out a second later.
The flames burned low and disappeared.
~*~
Finally there was no one left. The night was silent throwing the bodies into shadow.
Silently the warriors filed inside as the shield disappeared. There was no joy, no satisfaction in the death. There would be no peace of mind for weeks, months, perhaps years.
Eriol was the last. Seeing the fire burn out he walked over, too worn out to teleport himself, even such a short distance.
"Harry Potter."
When the boy didn't stir he felt for a pulse. It was faint, but there, to his relief.
He lifted the boy with a grunt and wearily carried him inside, heading to the Hospital Wing where the rest of his friends were gathered, where Sakura lay.
He lay him gently on the bed next to Sakura.
"He's alive," said Eriol before anyone could speak. "Just drained, exhausted."
Kazemusuke stood over Harry, studying him for a moment before breathing on him. The white mist appeared and sank into his body. He did this twice more before the cuts healed themselves.
Tomoyo turned to Dumbledore and sighed. "Hogwarts will be a much more restless place, I think. The grounds will be anyway. Without Sakura we can't lay the memories to rest."
"What do you mean?" he asked quietly.
"Eriol doused for dragon tracks - what you would call ley lines - as soon as we found out we were to be professors. Hogwarts is built where an unusual amount of them cross. It affects what and how the land remembers. A violent event like the fighting won't rest easily and Sakura must be present for us to help bury the memories. I just don't know what to do," said Tomoyo helplessly.
"I'm sure we'll think of something," reassured Dumbledore.
Just then there was a burst of bright light around Sakura's bed and everyone jumped. Seven spirits appeared.
But you must have enough strength to turn back time for the Mistress alone, a girl with greenish cast to her skin and clothes with long hair and a mirror in her hands spoke to a hunched figure in robes that was holding an hourglass.
I will not be able to go back far enough.
Nonsense, said a pale figure with an everpresent wind about her. Mirror and Earthy will help sustain you.
Do it. Now.
Mirror and Earthy swirled around Time and he turned his hourglass.
"What's happening?" asked Meiling.
"I can't believe it," whispered Eriol reverently. "I - It's never been attempted - not even thought of!"
"What?" asked Tomoyo crossly.
This time Syaoran answered. "They're trying to perform a large work independently of Sakura, their source of power."
"What are they trying to do, exactly?" asked Hermione in a small voice.
"Judging from Sakura's body, I'd say they're trying to turn back time for her and save her," replied Eriol absently.
"They can do that?"
"So it seems. Look." Eriol pointed and Sakura's wounds seemed to be bleeding again, but backwards. It was an extremely eerie sight.
That's...the best...I...can do.
Immediately Twin, Firey, Watery, and Windy entered their Mistress. They had to work fast if they didn't want Sakura to die again.
Firey sped through Sakura's veins, searing the infection as Watery washed it out and cleaned the wounds. Twin replenished her blood supply and Windy forced air into her lungs. Then they reappeared around the bed, their glow much diminished.
"Kazemusuko! Quick!" said Syaoran.
"Stand back," ordered the dragon, and then breathed upon her wounded shoulder. The blood pouring out slowed, and then stopped as a large scab appeared.
"I cannot do more than that. We will have to wait for it to disappear and it will leave a scar."
Tomoyo was sobbing tears of joy and everyone was grinning, ready to burst with joy.
The spirits returned to their card forms.
"The Cards will notice and begin to return, I think," said Eriol, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips.
"They'd better. I doubt she wants to go through with catching all 52 again. Though it would be a bit easier," said Kero.
"What about..." Unable to finish her sentence, Tomoyo gestured outside.
"The Ministry officials are identifying bodies and wizards are coming to prepare them for funerals and burial," answered Dumbledore.
"They're going to have a hell of a time," said Syaoran with grim satisfaction.
~*~
Sakura slowly became aware of her surroundings. She wished the ceiling would stop swinging around. It was very blurry too.
She blinked a few more times and managed to get the ceiling into focus. That was better.
Then she became aware of the pain and moaned. She hurt. Everywhere.
"So you're awake."
A face appeared in view and she recoiled violently. "Oh my God! It's Satan! I've gone to hell!"
Someone chuckled to her right. No, it sounded like two people.
"She's got you pegged," said a familiar voice.
"Syaoran?" she murmured, now extremely confused.
"Yep."
"Am I dead?" she asked plaintively.
"Of course not," replied a third person. She turned her head and saw Dumbledore seated next to Syaoran. Eriol stood behind them pretending to look hurt.
"You were," said Eriol.
"I was," repeated Sakura.
"You're not anymore."
"I'm not anymore," echoed Sakura, now thoroughly confused.
"Are you sure the Cards didn't mess up? I think something's wrong with her brain."
"Shut up," scowled Sakura, throwing her pillow at Eriol.
"Why, thank you," he said, catching it.
"You're infuriating," she muttered clutching her head. It felt like it was going to explode and implode at the same time.
Poppy Pomfrey entered the room with a vile looking drink. "Take this, dear. It should help. And you three, out."
"Wait," protested Sakura, holding the bottle. "I want to know what happened."
"You can find out later," said Poppy with a sniff, as if she didn't think much of Sakura's priorities.
"Drink that, and we'll tell you if you feel better," suggested Eriol.
"Fine." Sakura glared at him, and then held her nose as she chugged it down. It was so disgusting she couldn't bear to think about describing it.
Immediately she felt her eyes grow heavy and fought a large yawn. Her aches were mostly cured. What little pain there was seemed to come from far away, from someone else entirely.
"Traitors, all of you," she muttered as the sleeping potion kicked in.
~*~
She woke the next day around noon to find Tomoyo, Minerva, and Remus watching her.
"What happened?" she asked immediately.
"How are you feeling?" asked Minerva instead.
"Fine," Sakura lied through her teeth. Is anyone going to tell me what happened?!"
"Have this first," said Tomoyo, holding out a potion.
"Oh no," said Sakura. "I am not falling for that again."
"I thought you might feel that way," said Tomoyo.
"Will someone please tell me what happened? Or I'll-"
"You'll what?" asked Tomoyo smugly. "Your magic hasn't regenerated yet."
"What I'm planning to do doesn't need magic," replied Sakura darkly.
"Fair enough," agreed Remus amiably. "We'll answer your question if you answer ours."
Sakura muttered under her breath, but agreed grudgingly.
"I found this next to my bed after the fighting was over with," began Remus, holding up the bauble that contained the spell to make his transformations to wolf form like that of an Animagus. "Why not wait to give it to me after everything was done?"
"Ummm...because I didn't want to lose it," lied Sakura blandly.
Shit, she thought. I think they're on to me.
"How do I get it to work?"
Sakura frowned. What were the conditions she had placed on it? She didn't have magic at the moment, so she had to rely on memory.
"You'll have to get Syaoran or Eriol, or somebody to work it for you. It should have worked automatically, as soon as you touched it, but I was supposed to be...uh." Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!
"Dead?" asked Tomoyo sweetly.
"Ummm...yeah." Uh oh. They were going to kill her. She could see it.
"You knew you were going to die?!" shrieked Tomoyo.
"Now it's your turn to answer my question!" Sakura raised her voice to be heard over Tomoyo.
"And you didn't tell us?!"
"What happened after I died?!" bellowed Sakura. "And why am I not dead?" she asked as an afterthought.
"Well, your friends forced our army back into the castle and then went on a rampage," replied Minerva. "Then they came back with Harry, who was half-dead himself, and brought him to the Hospital Wing. Some of your Cards appeared and turned back time for your body and healed you part way. Kaze finished the healing. Then you slept for a week, the students went home three days ago, Harry has just finished recovering and will be going to live with Sirius Black tomorrow, as will Draco Malfoy, since his father is dead and his mother missing. Hermione and Ron are also here, since we couldn't tear them away from Harry's side. Am I missing anything?"
"The dragon tracks," reminded Tomoyo.
"Oh yes. They set the grounds to rest as soon as you returned to life. They said your presence was enough to work with."
"Everyone's been checking up on you," added Remus. "And I mean everyone in a literal sense."
"And not even a flower to show for it?" said Sakura with a mock pout.
"Actually, it wouldn't all fit. We moved it to a spare room," replied Minerva.
"A very large spare room," added Tomoyo
"Jeez," said Sakura. Not wanting to deal with such an overload of information she asked instead, "Have my Cards returned?"
"From what I heard, Mist and Rain are the last two and on their way," Tomoyo informed her.
"That's good," replied Sakura sleepily. She was feeling worn out. "Where's Syaoran?"
The three of them hid grins. "He didn't want to leave you even though he was suffering from sleep deprivation. Eriol knocked him out and is, I believe hiding from him at the moment," said Tomoyo.
"Your boyfriend's true name is Satan. Did you know that?" Sakura mumbled as she drifted of to sleep.
Tomoyo blushed and refused to look at Minerva and Remus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Isn't it amazing how well the quote fits? And look! I have, not one, but two, count 'em two, chapters uploaded today. Boy, did I have a lot of time on my hands in Whistler. There's only the epilogue left now. It's kinda sad actually. I've been writing this fic for how long? A year? Ah well. At least I'm developing another idea. This next excerpt is actually the beginning of the fic. Fancy that.
"Two roads converged in a wood and I-
I took the one less traveled by."
-Robert Frost
"If you understand, things are just as they are. If you do not understand, things are just as they are."
-Zen saying
"Once upon a time there was what there was, and if nothing had happened there would be nothing to tell."
-Charles de Lint, Dreams Underfoot, 'The Moon Is Drowning While I Sleep'
She didn't think she would ever get used to it. The fighting and the death. The screams haunted her dreams. The dead, bloated bodies gave her nightmares. But then, life was a nightmare. For the wizarding world, anyway. And the poor Muggles the Death Eaters used for fun. They didn't last long and were almost unrecognizable when found dead after long, drawn out torture.
The Muggle police remained baffled.
The war had been going on for over a year with no clear end in sight. Harry Potter would be graduating in June and it was a given he would formally join the Order of the Phoenix. They had long since given up on keeping him and his two friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, in the dark. More often than not, Ginny Weasley joined them as well. She'd proved more than once to be quite clever and had a knack for getting out of any trouble she landed herself in.
Minerva McGonagall didn't think she would ever get used to the unnatural deaths.
Her body was tense, all senses alert; her eyes swept the field, passing over the corpses. The sight had once caused her to be sick, but no more. She had grown used to it since this violent war had begun.
She automatically wondered who had fallen, which of their people had died. Sturgis Podmore, she knew, as well as Emmeline Vance. Remus Lupin clung to life by a mere thread as a mediwitch tended to him.
Dumbledore had taken a group of witches and wizards to defend Hogsmeade when informed of the threat of attack. The informant, while correct about the time, had been mistaken as to the number of Death Eaters staging the attack.
Though outnumbered, they had fought bravely and barely succeeded in turning the tide.
Realizing that they were losing, the Death Eaters had Disapparated, leaving behind an unusually large number of corpses littering the field. Even as she thought this some of the more able-bodied wizards were doing a sweep, checking to make sure the enemy was truly gone.
Where had Albus gone? she wondered, looking around for the tell-tale silvery hair and electric blue eyes.
"Susan!" she called, hurrying over to the younger witch. "Have you seen Dumbledore?"
She shook her head. "We've been sweeping the field and I don't recall seeing him. In fact, I haven't seen him since we were attacked."
Minerva grew worried. It wasn't like him to disappear in the middle of a fight. He was usually the one in the thick of it.
"I'm going to look for him. If Dumbledore or myself are not back in half and hour, tell Alastor he's in charge and have him do whatever he sees fit."
"All right," murmured Susan before hurrying away. "Good luck."
Minerva transformed herself into a cat and immediately regretted not waiting until she reached the edge of the forest to do it. The coppery scent of blood overwhelmed her sensitive nose and she sneezed three times in quick succession before bounding away.