Hunting Emerald's Secret
Chapter 19: Endless Riddle
--- Author's Comment: ---
Guys I'm so sorry!!! ;_; I thought that the chapter was going to make it in time... but then this amazingly stupid virus (blaster) suddenly gets an infestation on everything! I lost what I had written. I lost my ending!!! *sobs* They took the computer away for two whole weeks, and when I tried to write it, I couldn't continue, it wasn't the same. So I had to get everything back from scratch. (We went to a week's vacation after it, and I forgot some things ) Anyway, in appreciation of your long, long, LONG wait and patience... here's a huge chapter.
--- ---
" What the heck does that mean? " Meilin asked.
" I really don't know... and we only have one hour, according to it..." Eriol replied thoughtfully. Tomoyo nodded slightly and stared at the floor.
Eriol frowned knowing that she still wasn't feeling well. And he probably was right. I mean, it's kind of hard to rest knowing that you almost killed somebody you love. Of course Tomoyo's mind wasn't exactly on that topic right now. She was wondering about Sakura's current state. She had objected against Syaoran when he had taken her to his apartment. Tomoyo believed that Sakura would have been better off with a doctor in a hospital. However, Meilin had told her that he wasn't too fond of them, and unfortunately, she was right; Syaoran didn't trust that much of people.
But still, the thought of Sakura being alone in bed right now, somehow scared her.
Daisuke stared at the paper in front of him. His mind for the first time was completely blank. Never in his life had he seen a more complicated riddle. The poem in itself didn't make sense at all. And did they really had an hour to finish it? What would happen if they didn't solve it?
" Li, where did you find the book? " Eriol asked.
" I already told you. In a trunk, inside an abandoned house, where Saori used to live..."
" So that means that the trunk belonged to Saori? " Meilin asked.
Syaoran shrugged, " I really don't know. But I remember that Saori once said that she had some sort of guardian..." He sighed, ' If only Sakura were here... she talked alot with that girl..."
Syaoran started to think and remember what had happened at the old house. It had all had been the fault of that cat named Oreo, who had slyly taken away the vesper, making both Sakura and Syaoran chase it. He still detested that cat.
" However..." Syaoran continued, " I do remember hearing Saori tell that someone had taken care of her during the last three years that she had lived in that old house..."
" Really? Then could it be that he or she had been the owner? " Meilin asked.
Syaoran shrugged, " She said something about a guy with white or gray hair..."
Daisuke shuddered at the thought. 'Guy with white hair?! Must have been quite old... unless he was an albino or something... '
" However, I do remember that Sakura once saw a portrait of Yue, and he had the same white hair..." Syaoran said, remembering that day at the haunted mansion.
" You mean the guy who actually discovered the vespers? " Eriol asked.
Syaoran nodded.
Daisuke sighed, " He could have been Saori's protector... Although I would have to disagree with it. You see, Yue died about a thousand years ago or even much more. It couldn't be possible. And besides, the book that you had, stated that he was already dead. That he no longer existed..."
" Daisuke has got a point," Meilin admitted. "... Or maybe it could have been someone related to him. But I doubt it... Heck, it could have been another guy who was on the crazy hunt. You know... Since the book was old..."
The rest of the gang sighed since they had no clue of what to do: try to solve the riddle, or try to find out who was the owner of the trunk. If they choose to find the owner, then maybe the torn page would be found, revealing something about the riddle. So they obviously chose the second option.
" But what if there WAS another scientist, person, or guy who actually tried to search for them... " Tomoyo suddenly said, scaring everyone off.
" What do you mean? " Meilin asked confused.
" Yeah, the book had stated that there were other people who wanted to make their dreams come true. It couldn't have been a scientist, now that I think about it... They must have thought that Yue's old legend was pure madness... However, what I'm saying is: What if that other someone had something to say? "
" Say? What could there be more to say? " Eriol asked.
Tomoyo shrugged and her face fell to the floor again.
" Maybe I could do some research ... " Daisuke stood up and went to the computer.
The rest of the gang sighed. Eriol and Tomoyo stayed still at the table not daring to speak a word. Meilin started to stare idly at the ceiling.
Syaoran got bored and started to pace around the room thinking.
' I'll guess that my only choice is to think. Lets see. According to Saori it was a man with white or gray hair. That doesn't give me a clue about it. We thought that it would have been Yue himself, but he's dead. The trunk looked about a couple of hundred years old, now that I think of it... So maybe Tomoyo is right about another guy... The book IS old, although that person could have bought it from an old bookstore... Who knows...'
Syaoran sighed. The more that he thought about it, the more complicated it got. He knew that if Sakura were here with him, he probably wouldn't have to think that much. Suddenly an idea popped into his head.
" Duh, it's a little too obvious... " he suddenly said.
Tomoyo stared confused, " What's wrong Li? "
" Nothing. However, I think that Saori knows the name of the guy... She was about to tell Sakura, but didn't get the chance..."
" Really? Then that means that we will probably find him and finally know what to do with the riddle. " Meilin smiled.
Tomoyo took out her cell phone, dialed to her house, and one of the maids answered. Tomoyo asked for Saori, but apparently they hadn't seen her. She hung up.
" Guys, we need to head over to my house and find Saori." Tomoyo said.
' Shit, where is that little girl when you need her? ' Syaoran thought annoyed.
" Yeah, we better go. Remember that we also need to bring the vespers and the riddle. Just in case..." Daisuke added.
" And we also need to bring Yuka. She might escape and cause chaos again " Meilin said in mockery.
And in some sort of way she was right. They couldn't afford for Yuka to escape and continue with her evil deeds. And since they were leaving Naomi behind, because of her current state, who knows what Yuka would do to her. Meilin however hadn't thought of that, she only wanted to annoy the brat by making her prove that she was wrong about the world ending.
" Right " Eriol said, going to the room where they had tied Yuka to the chair.
After a few minutes he finally came out with Yuka. By nature, Yuka was already trying to struggle herself free, but she was completely tied with a rope.
They finally got in the car, an expedition, and they literally threw Yuka into the back. Syaoran stopped on his way to it. Meilin turned her head back.
" Syaoran, what's wrong? " She asked.
Syaoran shook his head in confusion and tried to continue, but he stopped again. " Meilin, I have a bad feeling about Sakura..."
Tomoyo now turned her attention to him, " What do you mean? Is Sakura ok? "
" I... don't know... But I think that I should go watch her. You guys find out about Saori, then call me... "
The gang nodded. Eriol decided to drive this time, and so they headed their way to Tomoyo's house.
Syaoran stared at the sky. It was slowly darkening from blue to shades of gray. Clouds were starting to lower themselves toward the earth. ' Something's wrong, but what is it? ' He sort of had a feeling that poked him in the back each second harder. It happened whenever he thought about her. He grabbed his helmet and reached his motorbike. After starting it up, he dashed away as quickly as possible to his apartment.
By now they had about forty minutes until the hour was up.
--- Tomoyo's House ---
Once they all arrived, they immediately began to search for Saori. However this was not as easy as it sounded. With Tomoyo's huge mansion, it would probably take them each at least an hour to find her. Luckily they thought of going on separate ways.
Daisuke for instance had chosen to search outside in the vast garden. But he had chosen the worst option of all. Fog was covering every bit of tree and flowers. So he had to think of a clever idea. In some sort of way, he associated Saori with cats, and all he needed was one to know where Saori was.
He suddenly heard a 'meow' and followed it's sound until he reached some bushes. Grinning he started heading toward it and searched. Nothing. Just a plain old tabby cat licking its paws.
Daisuke groaned and continued searching when he heard yet another 'meow' where many flowers grew. Nothing. Just a really white and fat cat drinking water from a little fountain nearby. He sighed and suddenly sweat dropped when he remembered that Saori owned more than a thousand cats.
--- Streets ---
As fast as he could, Syaoran drove as though he were mad. Air wanted to slow him down as he raced to his apartment. The loose strands of hair that were left from his helmet, swung intensely. The sensation was worsening each second that he got closer. Could it be that Sakura was in danger? That question bore deep in his mind as he crossed streets skipping stop signs. And what if he didn't make it in time? He suddenly felt so stupid for leaving her in his apartment, when he could have brought her with him. But that was the past. He was now facing the hard and cold present.
Suddenly out of the blue, the fog started invading the streets he was in. Cursing he lowered his speed. He knew that the risks from crashing with a car were dangerous. But he couldn't leave Sakura alone. He had to trust in his senses. But thinking about it distracted him away from reality. He didn't really noticed that he was being followed, until he heard the streaking sirens of the police in the distance. He again cursed under his breath knowing that he couldn't and wouldn't stop. He instead of stopping, increased his speed.
But Syaoran's mind struck a thought. How the hell could the police see him in all the fog? And far worse, they also increased their speeds, making all the cars step aside. Could it have been just an illusion? But how did he even know what was happening at the back? It was as though he could see what was occurring behind him. So apparently, the pursuit was still on.
The tires screeched as he made a harsh turn on the left to meet up with a dead end. He suddenly turned and stopped. His bruised arm hurt like hell by now, but that didn't matter. He was more worried about the cops.
He waited. Nothing. Where had the cops ended up? Hadn't they been chasing him for speeding up? He furrowed his eyebrows as he continued deciding whether it had been his mind. Which probably could have been. He hadn't slept long enough. In fact, he hadn't slept at all the night before. However in the deepest part of his thoughts there was a tangling question trying to burst through: Was this happening because of the vespers?
He snapped back to reality and mounted on his bike. The motor immediately reacted and with a harsh start, he sped away without stopping. He made the turn and disappeared through the thickness of the fog.
--- Tomoyo's house ---
After ten minutes, Saori was finally found wandering through the garden. Daisuke at first had thought that it was a 'dancing ghost ', but when he got a closer look, he noticed that she was only playing in the grass. So now, Saori was exposed to the questions. Of course that the gang's luck was not in favor of them, since Saori was scared, therefore taking them more time to figure out the answers.
" Saori, Li told us that you had a guardian when you were little... was this true? " Tomoyo asked.
Saori nodded.
" And did you know what his name was? " Eriol now questioned.
Saori nodded again.
" Could you tells please us? " Meilin asked.
Saori thought for a while, and then sadly shook her head.
The gang sighed.
" But why? " Daisuke asked.
" B-because I'm not supposed to say... I swore to never tell his n-name," she answered.
" What do you mean by that? " Tomoyo wondered.
" I can't tell you... "
Daisuke thought for a while. ' This means that he doesn't want anyone to know. But why in the first place take care of a child? Did he warn or try to threaten her if she told his name?... What if this guy was really hiding something... '
Seeing that this was pointless, Meilin began raising her voice.
" Saori, we need to know. It's urgent! We only have like forty minutes to solve a stinking riddle..."
Saori's eyes widened when she heard this. And slowly, in a whispery and frail voice, she said, " You... found... the... riddle? "
This automatically drew everyone's attention. How did she know that there was a riddle? It could have been probably the guy himself. But for what reason? If he didn't want to reveal his name, then why had he told her? Or had Saori found out for herself?
" Saori, what riddle are you referring to? " Eriol asked, making sure that it was the same answer that they were looking for.
Saori shrugged and answered, " It's a song. Nothing more... "
" Hold on a sec. Your reaction was a different one... " Meilin said.
" What do you mean? " Saori felt confused.
Daisuke interrupted them both, " Guys, we have little time. Saori, why don't you sing us the song? "
Saori nodded and sang with an upbeat tune,
"In nothingness you find day,
A haunted and thirsty essay.
Sometimes exposing magic enkindled,
Sometimes reflecting a life dwindled.
When you perceive the ever new design,
All your notions tangle and twine. "
Saori changed her face to sadness, " He taught it to me. He said to remember it. I didn't know what for or what it means. "
Meilin scratched her head, " It sounds a lot like the riddle, but in a different order. Why!? "
" Sounds to me like this guy knew about the vespers. " Eriol said.
Daisuke continued thinking. ' What if that person wanted something to remember, or decipher. Could it be that he knew about the riddle? It's most probable...'
Suddenly an idea popped into his head when he again heard the song.
" Saori, please tell me the first verse. " Daisuke asked.
Saori nodded, " In nothingness you find day "
Daisuke scratched his head and started to furiously write on a notebook that was near a table. The rest just stared idly at what he was doing.
Suddenly he muttered, " From nothing you will find day. That means that you have to find something... hmmm... but what could it be? Something that doesn't exist will shine or something? "
He asked for the next verse. " A haunted and thirsty essay. "
Daisuke did the same, " ...and essay is like some sort of article, but I think that here it's mentioned as a task... something that everyone wants, something that's haunted... has stayed for a while..."
Five minutes passed and Saori had already told him the whole poem. He suddenly stood up with a satisfactory smile in his face, " Guys, this is it. The person who took care of Saori really knew about the vespers. He made this poem based on the riddle to not forget... or something like that. What I mean is that he intended to get the meaning of the first paragraph... "
" Oh, so that's why he only included the first one... " Meilin said.
" And as far as you could tell? " Tomoyo started.
" The poem describes about a certain object. And object that didn't exist, but from which you could find the power, that makes you want to take the task that everyone wants, and that has never faded away... like a legend " Daisuke tried to explain.
" Oh, you mean about the vespers. How the legend stayed for millions of years... " Eriol thoughtfully said.
" Exactly. It speaks about keeping magic within the object, but at the same time killing or making someone die... I'm not quite sure. That line's weird... Anyway, it also speaks about that object changing forms. And when you see the new one suddenly everything becomes blurry. "
" What do you mean by that? " Meilin asked.
" It means that the person will go crazy, right? " Tomoyo tried to answer.
" Sort of. It means that reality itself won't exist for that person. Something like illusions... "
" But now the question is, who's got that object? " Eriol asked frustrated about how tangling the whole problem was.
" Umm... has someone been hallucinating?" Daisuke asked sweat dropping.
They all shook their heads. He sighed, " I think that's the second part of the riddle we saw... "
" Solve the riddle,
if you want power,
Not final nor middle,
Ends in one hour. " Tomoyo repeated.
" But what the hell does it mean?! Come on. The only thing that damned riddle's telling us about is that if we want power, we have to solve it in less than one hour. What does ' not final nor middle ' suggest? " Meilin desperately said.
They all shook their heads. Saori bit her bottom lip. If it ended in one hour, time was surely running out. She thought for a while at the situation. What if she told them about 'him' ? She knew a thing that they didn't. This could help solve their problems... But the threat that still bore in her mind scared her. If she ever led a word out, then she was... Her mind stopped working at that time when she heard a shout coming from Meilin. They all stood silent.
Saori shuddered. If this secret that she knew could help them, then there was no problem in it. Right? She lowered her face and whispered the words.
--- Streets ---
Syaoran turned yet another turn and finally reached his apartment. The day couldn't even turn much more murkier, as he could no longer see sun beams of light. Everything was turning darker. He literally leaped from the bike and started running inside the hotel.
The elevator was jammed with people, and thinking that it would take him a little bit too much, he simply took the door that lead to the stairs. There were eleven floors that he had to go. And he didn't slow down to take a break. The feeling inside him seemed to grow much larger each time he got near to her.
' Sakura, I'm coming. Don't worry. '
Even though the stairs seemed to never reach an end, he was still determined. His mind was blazing with annoying questions that wouldn't let him down in peace. He suddenly saw that heavenly number that lead him to her: eleven.
He immediately reached the door and pushed it open.
The room was silent and dark. Light couldn't fill in on those shallow places that he had. He started running toward his room, already taking a deep and harsh breath in; his stomach churning inside with what seemed anxiety. He finally opened the door... and...
Sighed.
Sakura was sleeping gracefully inside his bed. Just the way he had left her.
--- Car ---
After hearing those words the gang knew only one thing: a pursuit was on. They had gotten inside the car and were driving furiously toward the destination. They didn't know who they were meeting, what was going to happen, or if they were going to find answers. But now a little bit of serenity was restored inside them. Now they knew where to go and who to find; they had half an hour to do it.
" Guys remember... if the person is there, we... " Daisuke started.
" Kill, Murder, or Hang him? " Meilin suddenly said.
He sighed, " No! We stop him and ask him as much questions as we can! "
" But what if he doesn't know anything about the vespers?" Tomoyo asked.
" What if he pretends that he doesn't know? " Eriol added.
" Whaff iff he pprepends ffhaff he kknoows when he doesn'ff? " A muffled voice came from behind.
" What?! " Meilin asked, taking the tape they had put on Yuka off.
" What if he pretends that he knows when he doesn't? "
They all shrugged.
' What a bunch of idiots ' Yuka gloomily thought . ' They haven't got a clue about what to do... '
---- Syaoran's Apartment ---
Syaoran opened the curtains and looked at the endless sky. Sakura was fine. Then what had been that feeling that he had? Had he hallucinated? Still there was that logical explanation for not getting much sleep, but still... It had been weird that as much as he had fought to get to her, the cops had tried to keep him back. But the very creepy thing here was that they hadn't existed at all.
He turned toward Sakura and gave a gentle kiss on her forehead. It continued to burn.
' At least you are safe ' He thought to himself.
---- Tomoyo's House ----
Saori sighed and started petting Oreo. Inside her chest, the aching thought of telling a secret haunted her. A warm meow from Oreo reassured her that she had done the right thing. Her conscience had been somehow cleaned. But a slight and fresh tear traveled from her left eye.
" Oreo, I just hope that they get there in time and that they take care of themselves..."
--- ? ----
The door opened with a blast as Eriol kicked it open. The whole gang, including the tied Yuka, stood still and stared. They were in some sort of... office. But why did they gape at their surroundings? What was so unusual about it?
Well, first of all, they weren't in a building, factory, bank, or anything that could have an office. They had just entered through the door of a motel. And yeah, it looked incredibly like one since it had its desk, chair, computer, and a fake view of a window hinting that it was night outside. Papers, folders, pencils, pens and all sorts of stuff where already thrown in the floor.
But that wasn't all... There was a person tied to a chair next to the desk with a rope. The clothes looked incredibly dark, as well as the skin.
Daisuke started coming forward and lifted the person's hair to reveal none other than the least they would expect...
Kazue Yunokawa
They all gasped in shock. Kazue hadn't retired, escaped, or even died. She had been kidnapped. But by whom? They all seemed to get a hint, and they all suddenly had their eyes on Yuka.
Yuka's face was filled with surprise when she actually saw Kazue. But normally, anyone would have thought that she was just acting. So immediately, Daisuke in a reaction started yelling at her.
" You did this, didn't you?! You captured Kazue and tied her up!! Just so you could get Yunokawa Inc. So you could make that evil plan of yours... "
Yuka stared acidly back at him, and with a cold tone replied, " I seriously have nothing to do with this. Surely I took over Yunokawa Inc, but I thought that she was dead. No one could have survived that big bunch of men that I had sent... "
This only got things worse, since it gave Daisuke more reasons to continue yelling at her, " I don't care what you say!! You've done horrible things to everyone!!! "
The gang followed the silence that Daisuke had with Yuka. Why was Daisuke acting like this? Ok, so Yuka had done something evil. But the rest of the gang weren't going nuts about it. It was until Kazue's voice broke the silence.
" It wasn't her, young man. It was another person with a much greater strength. For she couldn't have easily carried me toward this filthy place "
Daisuke turned and said, " She owned men. Any of them could have lifted you easily... "
Kazue shook her head, " No. It had a mind of it's own, for I listened to the whole conversation. Apparently that person had a plan. "
It was kind of weird, seeing Kazue in filthy clothes while talking properly and with dignity. She coughed before going on.
" It was that same day, when the accident occurred that after I gave the other boy the necklace, had I gone back to my house. It was empty and solemnly dark and deep within me, I started to weep for my family and friends..."
She heaved a sigh and continued, " The person caught me off guard, and snatched me covering my eyes and mouth. "
Another heavy silence followed, until Meilin spoke.
" But if Yuka was telling the truth, then for what reason... "
She was interrupted by Kazue, " ... did they kidnapped me? I really don't know... "
Daisuke clenched his fists refusing to believe that Yuka was innocent. Yuka as in response averted her gaze from him, and decided to look at the ceiling. They were both equally mad at each other. One for not believing and the other for not being believed.
Meanwhile, Eriol and Tomoyo had decided to search around the papers lying on the floor. They were all written with black ink and cursive letter. Some words had been underlined, crossed out, or circled with red ink. They both crouched and started rapidly reading one by one.
"... claimed to be the descendant of Yue lead to a murder. But after a few years, people discovered that it was false... "
"...when will the horror stop? Yesterday was the most catastrophic day of the year. Fifty archeologists died while searching for that hidden legend... "
" Seven pieces of diamond were claimed to be ancient and secret. Scientists are currently watching them... "
"... dreams would be only dreams, if Yue hadn't told about that cursed legend, this rubbish about making your dreams come true would not lead to severe consequences... "
As much as these, some were cutoffs from newspaper, and others as if the person had written their opinions. Eriol's attention caught a specific one talking about a certain scientist.
" Kero, true or false? Must people believe he didn't exist. But he surely knew what all this was about, leaving the only book that he wrote himself, lay a note about a certain legend that twisted the minds of those thirsty... Nevertheless, this book was never found, which leads us to the question of his own existence. "
Eriol turned toward Tomoyo and showed her the letter. She shrugged whether to believe it or not, and Eriol sighed. They all turned their attentions toward Kazue who had started to reproach angrily at Daisuke.
" You shouldn't judge people. Even if they did the most horrible things, they don't deserve it. You should instead apologize, young man. "
Daisuke turned his head to the other side and grunted, folding his arms in his chest. Yuka did the same thing and stared at the other side.
" Daisuke, why are you doing this? " Meilin replied suddenly at his odd behavior.
Kazue suddenly blinked, as in remembering something.
" Besides, Yuka is Kazue's granddaughter... " Meilin stated.
" What? Who's Yuka? " Kazue asked.
Meilin looked now bewildered, " Yuka told Syaoran that you were her granddaughter... "
Kazue suddenly eyed her and shook her head, " I'm sorry, but I don't know who she is. "
There was a slight sweat drop coming from Yuka herself.
" You lied to us?! " Meilin started to raise her voice. " WHY YOU... "
" Meilin stop screaming and get a hold of yourself " Daisuke replied.
Meilin started to mumbled. " Fine... okay... you can go nuts, but I can't... can I?... You are so annoying Daisuke... "
" Come again dear? " Kazue politely asked.
" Huh? "
" What did you call him? "
Meilin was lost. She slowly repeated, " You are so annoying... Daisuke? "
Kazue sighed and tears were welcomed in her eyes, " How amusing. He has the same name as my one of my nephews... He ran away, and disappeared for many years. I haven't seen him since he was he was about eleven years old... "
All of the guys stood quiet as Kazue remembered the story. For Meilin, it was all getting suspicious now. Daisuke didn't want his last name, his way of knowing Yuka's mansion, his odd behavior now... It suddenly clicked, like missing parts from an almost finished puzzle. Meilin turned around to where Daisuke was and sweat dropped. He was already leaving unnoticed.
" Come back here and explain! " Meilin shouted, getting a hold of his shoulder and dragging him back.
" Ok, Ok... I'm Daisuke Yunokawa. I ran away from home at ten, because I was sick of being with lots of luxuries. My mother died when I was about eight so I had to stay with Kazue. I never liked it. I didn't feel like I belonged there... "
Kazue stared solemnly at him, "You were always one of my favorites. Your intellect was above average, your love for your mother..."
Daisuke shook his head, " It wasn't that. It was the feeling of being shut in a mansion and never coming out of it. I was trapped. I wanted freedom, ok. You didn't give me that. I'd always have to stay with you... And now, if you excuse us, I have a riddle to finish and a secret to reveal. "
And with those hard and cold words Daisuke turned around and started heading for the door.
--- Sayoran's Appartment ---
Syaoran looked at Sakura's face with wonder. There were times when he thought that she wasn't real, as though she didn't belong with them. He swore at times that she was see-through, but his hand always reached her burning forehead.
He sat at the end of the bed and looked at her endlessly. Nothing mattered more...
--- ? ---
Kazue suddenly whispered as Daisuke left, " Everything is in chaos. I can not believe how different things have turned out. The only thing that man kept saying was that the riddle couldn't be solved by simple logic. Literally, ' not final nor middle ' means that it's only the beginning... but of what? "
Daisuke suddenly stopped. ' What if... '
" Find in nothingness day,
Thirsty haunted essay.
Exposing magic enkindled,
Reflecting a life dwindled.
Perceived ever new design,
All notions tangle and twine. "
' Nah, it doesn't mean anything. What could F T E R P A mean? It must be something else... '
Daisuke tried it again.
" Find in nothingness day,
Thirsty haunted essay.
Exposing magic enkindled,
Reflecting a life dwindled.
Perceived ever new design,
All notions tangle and twine. "
" Guys, the puzzle's not finished! There is a piece missing. I know what to do... We need to find it now! "
There was a bewildered look on everyone's faces as Daisuke returned, gave Kazue's cheek a kiss, and thanked her.
" I know where to find it. No time for explanations. We need to go to Sakura now! "
And without further ado or questions, they all hurried their way back to the car. Kazue saw them leave as she stepped out from the hotel smiling.
" Good luck "
---- Syaoran's Apartment ----
Syaoran continued to stare at Sakura knowing that he couldn't leave her alone. Suddenly his cell phone rang, snapping him back to reality. He reached for it and answered.
" Li, we got the answer to the riddle! But there is a part that's missing. I think it has to do something with Sakura. Are you in your apartment? "
Syaoran replied with a yes. It was Daisuke, and he apparently looked like he was in a hurry. He took a quick peek at his watch. Only twenty minutes left.
" Listen, whatever you do don't leave her alone, and don't turn your guard down. Kazue wasn't dead, she was kidnapped. And that same person apparently took care of Saori for unknown reasons. It seems that he is a guy. But I believe that the person is Yuka herself. "
There was a loud ' Why don't you believe me ' shriek coming from the back. Syaoran shook his head.
" Anyway, were coming to get the last part of the riddle answered... Li, are you listening?... Li?... Hello?! "
----- Car ---
" Damn it! Why doesn't he answer?! " Daisuke grunted. Meilin grabbed his cell phone.
" Syaoran?! Are you there?! Did you even hear what happened?! Hello?! " Meilin angrily shouted, and just when she was about to close it, another voice spoke in it.
" Why hello! I reckon, that you and your friends are looking for this Li... right? Well, he cannot answer right now, since he is feeling a little... knocked out right now. However, any messages that you want to give him, are currently transferred by me. What did you say about the vespers? That you solved the riddle? Oh jolly! I can't wait! You know, Sakura's more worse than ever. And you know why? Nope, I can't tell you. You've still got seventeen minutes left. Am I right? "
Meilin's widened eyes scared everyone.
" What happened? " Eriol asked.
" He knows... " Meilin whispered, closing the cell phone.
Daisuke groaned and asked, " What do we do now? "
" The question is, how did he get Li? " Tomoyo answered.
" We have to hurry! "
--- Syaoran's Apartment ---
Sakura suddenly opened her eyes, as if woken up by an endless nightmare. She noticed that she was lying in a bed that she knew, she recognized that it was were Syaoran slept. She looked to her right and saw the balcony.
' I am in Syaoran's apartment... what happened? '
Sakura tried to remember, but it was as if her memory had been erased, and chunks of it couldn't hold on together.
' Tree... Einsen... Syaoran... Vesper... '
It just didn't match. She got a hold of her head with one hand and welcomed a burning forehead. She realized that she had a fever. She slowly stood up until she was sitting in bed. Everything seemed so dark to her, and outside the sunlight had been blocked by an enormous amount of clouds. She suddenly heard a chuckle and gasped. It came from within the darkness.
" You know... you took a long time to recover from your beauty sleep... "
Sakura didn't reply. It was a voice that seemed familiar, but couldn't distinguish. As in response to one of her questions, he suddenly said.
" He is right here. I wonder why you can't see him. Oh, is it because he is lying on the floor unconscious? "
She gasped when she noticed Syaoran's body. And even though her head ached, and her body couldn't let her move, she found a way to land on the floor and get a grip of him. What had happened? How could Syaoran be defeated by some guy?
" Hon, he was hallucinating. Thought I was his dad, and I took advantage of it... "
" Why? " Sakura whispered.
" Cause he was on the way... I had to do something. Now hand it to me! "
" What? " Sakura asked bewildered.
" Don't play the fool, give it to me! "
" Really, I don't now what you are talking about... I was with fever the whole time "
She suddenly heard a sigh, and then a chuckle, " Fair enough. What was the last thing you heard about the vespers? "
Sakura answered, " Syaoran was with the final one... "
" Well, they joined them all. " the person interrupted her.
" Huh? Already?! " Sakura wondered how long she had been asleep.
" About an hour ago. And upon doing so, a riddle appeared, waiting to be solved. "
" A riddle? "
" Yup. I knew that would happen. That's why I taught Saori the song... "
" Saori? "
" Yeah. I care for the poor child. A little orphan she was... yes. I had to do something, for I knew that none of them would know the answer that easy..."
" What do you mean? " Sakura asked confused.
A sigh suddenly was heard, " You know, I thought that you would have been a lot smarter than this. Look, I was the one who lived in that old house you two burned down. "
" You mean that you were the owner of that book? "
" Not exactly. I found it in the trunk that lay on the top floor. "
' But why did he leave the book there?... '
As if the guy had read her mind, there was suddenly an answer, " I had it all planned. Ever since the beginning... "
There was a long silence, in which Sakura suddenly heard a gasp for air.
" Remember Yuka? Or should I say... Madame Yuka. She knew about the legend, and she didn't want you to join all of the vespers together. She tried to warn you that day, at the Shiroi Amusement Park. She even noticed that I was watching all of you. Clever little girl... she knew that I was after them. She even helped you in the haunted mansion, pointing to Yue's portrait. A big mistake that she made. Yup. "
" And what about Saori and Oreo? I had to lure you into the old house. I sent Saori to bump against him. Of course, you wouldn't think that a simple bump would actually make the vesper fall from the necklace? No. It had been Oreo, who had cleverly cut it before he could notice. And the kick from the first foot? That was me! "
" Oreo by instinct led you to the house where Saori fed him, and there we go. Yuka makes her henchmen go after you, and what do you do? You amazingly follow my plan. You go upstairs, and fall in the hole. He tries to save you and you return before he can argue. Suddenly, with no where to go, you go upstairs again and find the trunk. Wasn't it odd? Even more, that Syaoran had found that mysterious book... Hmmm... "
" Oh, and there's this ball that Kazue Yunokawa plans... You now why? It was my idea. I sent her a paper threatening her at first, knowing that this would catch your attention... I even wrote the article... Fang_Frolics... what a ridiculous name. OH, OH, OH, and I almost forgot. Remember Ryu? The guy you met at the hospital? You know, with the sick sister. I had caused that accident. I made him do those horrible things. How you ask? By sending him to do Yuka's dirty works. Ha! You should have seen the look on Naomi's face... when she saw him die... "
" Die?! " Sakura gasped and tears started forming in her eyes.
" Oh, didn't you hear. Yuka herself killed him. He was useless to her. Can you believe it? " There was a mocking chuckle behind it.
" Anyway, as I was saying... you met him at the ball right? Well, did you know that that's the first time we ever met? Remember? The guy with the hat? I was staring at you from the window... Did I give you shivers?! Oh, I do hope so! And worst of all, you were right. There were two of us. One was Ryu, and the other was me. "
" Did you know that Ryu made the whole mansion explode? Oh, you didn't hear him then... Yes, he said that he had left the gas turned on. How silly. It was me who left it on after he knocked everyone out. But then, he was the one that scared you in the room. He even fought him... "
" Now why did Kazue hide from all of you? Because a message had been given to her with a warning. Guess who sent it to her... ME! I wanted to have a little fun... Besides, Yuka was after the vespers too. "
" Ah yes... how dreadful life has been... You almost drowned then, and of course Daisuke's mysterious disappearance... Did you know that I caught him? Well, not exactly, I actually had to use a gun and a threat about his last name, Yunokawa, so that he could come with me... And do you know why? Huh? "
He waited as though Sakura would answer. But she stood silent, gripping more tightly Syaoran.
" Duh! To help me. And he did a fine job at it. It took a lot of convincing, but he had to deliver the message. What message? You must be asking... Well, first of all... there's that KI-KAMEN Bar... with the guy nicknamed Ryuu. I didn't have anything to do with that one, now that I think about it. I quite remember that Yuka handled this. You see, Yuka made a second mistake of selling the vesper to this man. I noticed it, and again published the article, adding that little detail that he had bought the vesper. "
"... And voila! I caught your attention, didn't I? Unfortunately she read the article and immediately sent Ryu to retrieve the vesper back. And that's when you noticed, while you were singing, that there were two of us. One was wearing the mask of a bunny and the other of a snake. I chose the bunny. So as you can see, I only stood watching you from the crowd. Ryu was the one that went after the two guys... "
" But wait a sec. You talked to Daisuke that day, he was wearing the mask of a dragon. He gave you the little tip that I told him to say... But he said a little more that I couldn't hear... Anyway, he still hadn't delivered the message. And then I let him go... for that same purpose. "
" He even lied to you about our encounter. I was the one that told him where the next vespers was. Tacos del Rio Delgado. What a funny name... Yuka found out about it and immediately sent her men. And that's when you remembered right? The same mall when it all had happened, where the journey had begun... "
" Anyway, you escape both Syaoran and Daisuke (who both know what was going to happen) and arrive at your house. But there is no house, is there? Only a pile of dust. Girl, I killed your dad and brother, and hid both bodies inside a motel, that way nobody would know about them. And when you fainted while running with your heart crushed, I decided to bring you to my ' 'office' along with Daisuke... "
" He had to disappear though, since you became conscious after an hour. I put on my disguise and play the detective. Why do you think that I knew that you were lying? And then of course there was on mistake, one of my black contact lenses fell down. Did it seem suspicious to you? I guess you didn't notice... "
" And then of course, the tragedy... Yuka gets impatient and decides to kidnap you by Ryu. I sensed that you and that wimp had hurt each other feelings. So I had to make sure that you both got the last vesper. So I called him. As simple as that. Gave him every single detail, and off he went, like a dog searching for his bone "
" And so it turns out that Ryu had a crush on you. I believe he called you Cherry Blossom... Yup. Wanted to kiss you, but Syaoran got in the way. You both try to escape, and guess what? Yuka has been the evil master!!! Getting a hold of the vesper, you sneeze and go face to face with her."
" Then, there's the car chase. Goodie! Yuka doesn't give up and men are still following you. That's when you start feeling sick right? But you ignore it. Back with the rest, Yuka deceives Tomoyo and escapes with Daisuke's car. Later Ryu catches up with both of you, and Syaoran drives him away. "
" You sit at a tree feeling funny and then I appear. You know just to show what a good 'detective' I am. Besides, I had already called the police to Yunokawa Inc, and Kazue had been kidnapped ever since her mansion expired. Pitiful... Anyway, you get into an eternal sleep, and Ryu is killed before Naomi's very own eyes by Yuka. Syaoran however, manages a way to trick her and she's caught by them. I knew that this was it. They were finally going to unite the seven vespers... "
" But why did you make us do you that favor? " Sakura asked.
" Because someone had to do the dirty job. Now don't interrupt me! I haven't finished. "
" The got to the riddle, and the rest, well I've already told you. "
Suddenly Sakura heard a thud and the lights were turned on. Einsen as Sakura had guessed was lying in the floor. Daisuke was holding him tight. In the back, Meilin was by the switch. Eriol, Tomoyo, and a tied Yuka stood at the door.
" Let me go! Now! " shouted Einsen.
Daisuke chuckled, " Not in a million years, buddy! "
" How long had you been here? " Sakura asked.
" About... when he started the story " Tomoyo answered. " This guy's done horrible stuff, far even worse than Yuka's. "
Sakura caught a better glimpse at Einsen. It was him alright. The only difference was that he had silver eyes and not black. He apparently had used contact lenses. Suddenly a flash of a memory returned to her.
" You knew my mother, didn't you? " She whispered.
Einsen tried to nod, " Naturally dear, I didn't lie about us being friends. But one day I hated her too much, and decided to kill her. She did something unforgiving "
A tear slid down her cheek, " Why? "
" She hid the pendant. The only answer to the end of the riddle. "
" The pendant Sakura! Hurry, we got less than ten minutes! " Meilin suddenly shouted.
Sakura looked confused. Einsen hadn't told her the details about the riddle. She however took out the emerald pendant and it started burning and shining brightly.
" What do I do?! " she asked with Syaoran still in her lap.
" You must place it in the middle! " Daisuke shouted.
" The middle of what?! "
" The pyramid made of vespers! " Eriol explained, pointing to the figure that stood next to Daisuke.
Without asking further questions, she carefully placed Syaoran to the side and started going toward the thing. She tore the necklace that she wore and was about to place in the hole at the top, when Yuka started shrieking.
" You are making a big mistake!!!! You can't do it! It will destroy this world! Yue wasn't the only one who discovered that the vespers really existed. Years later Kero found out that they weren't what they seemed. It was a curse to all humanity. A bomb so ingenious and well hidden, that when the human had lost all yearning to continue it's dreams by itself, the bomb would reveal itself in seven different forms. They had always existed on earth known as: hope, desire, soul, wish, feelings, trust and prospect... "
Sakura stopped midway.
" How can you believe her?! After all she's done! " Einsen replied, " After all, if its in good hands, then all your dreams will come true "
Sakura stared at both of them in confusion.
Yuka continued, " If you activate that bomb, you are telling it that humanity no longer has feelings... "
" Only four more minutes... Everyone's counting on you " Einsen urged under Daisuke.
After a few seconds, Einsen caught Daisuke off guard and gripped Sakura's hand tightly. He was trying to force her to place it inside. Sakura gasped as she could no longer last.
Einsen chuckled, " Want to know more about your mother? We both were trying to discover the mystery. And when she found out the truth, she hid it from me, inside of you... "
" Get away from her " A voice was heard as someone punched Einsen from the back, making let go of Sakura.
It was Syaoran.
Einsen did not give up that easily though. He immediately took a kick at Syaoran and with a desperate attempt at holding the pendant. Sakura by now had somehow predicted that this would happen, and without further doubt, threw the pendant in the air.
The pendant flew away, above Einsen's head, and fell down the balcony. Feeling hysterical, Einsen started running toward it, managing to grasp Sakura's hand in his. He continued dashing away until he reached the fence and without hesitation jumped out of the balcony dragging Sakura with him.
She saw that they were both going down. The apartment was eleven feet high. She heard a shriek from inside, but couldn't recognize it. Her heart stopped beating. Someone had already grabbed her from the other end. And she was a hundred percent sure that it had been Syaoran, since he was always there for her. But Einsen weighted more, and wouldn't let go. Syaoran's warm fingers that had curled around her hand were setting loose. She looked up and saw his expression, paler than ever. She even heard that Einsen was pleading her to let go. She saw Syaoran's beautiful amber eyes and cried. She wasn't going to make this time.
Both of their hands for the first time were separated.
" NOOOOOOO! " Syaoran screamed with all of his might as he tried to catch Sakura's hand again. He was willing to jump and fall down with her.
" I love you. Don't you ever die because of me! " She whispered, loud enough to stop him.
She closed her eyes, and waited for the impact.
CRACKThe pendant had shattered to pieces.
She smiled to herself.
And cried for as long as she could remember.
Remembering what Daisuke had once said,
"Nothing is what it seems in this world. "
--- THE END ---HAHAHA! I'M FINISHED! Yup. It's the end. Everything's over. That's all folks!! ... Just kidding. One more chapter to go, and finally one story to complete. If there are any questions, this is the time to ask. They will all be answered in the next one. Also, I forgot. Thank you soooo much for your lovely reviews. I can't believe how patiently you waited for this chapter, so I hope that you liked it. Remember there is still one more to go. This isn't the end... only a sarcastic joke. Well... who knows... Sorry about my grammar and spelling because in this case, I had pressure from placing it in the less time possible. So yeah. See ya later!!