Gomen nasai, as usual. This chapter is REALLY late. But I had it done a
while back, but it took longer to correct than expected. But I think it's
worth it, as this may be one of my favorite chapters ever. ^^
Chapter 23- Moonlight Radiance
The wind blew through the robes Tomoyo wore in her Angel form, but all else was silent and still. Even Koji stood in stunned silence. Sakura's jaw dropped to the rooftop and a million thoughts raced through her mind.
"Koji." Tomoyo said, with her voice almost echoing, "You have performed too many a wicked crime. You have stolen. lied. and even attempted murder. But I shall give you one warning; I do not want to have to use force, but I will if you resist. I will protect my friends and loved ones. You mustn't interfere in my task."
Koji grimaced. "What, so you sprout a pair of wings and float? That's supposed to scare me? Get out of my way. I have a job to finish." Instead, Tomoyo only moved closer to him.
"Hoeee." Sakura exclaimed, with her face down on the rooftop. "I'm so confused! How did Tomoyo get magical powers?!"
Koji pulled out the fan. "I'm warning YOU now! Don't get in my way! I'll use this if I have to!"
Tomoyo only floated closer.
"Alright, you asked for this! FIRE!" Koji raised the fan out in front of him, and the magical heirloom sent a wall of flames barreling down towards the angel. Tomoyo lifted one hand. and the fire stopped dead in its tracks. Her hand began to glow. A gush of wind emerged from it, sending the fire back at Koji, who was barely able to dodge it. Still, the demon got a little too hot from having his attack sent back.
"Damn, that hurt! If I let her stay on her feet. err. or floating, whatever. in any case, I'm finished! But that gives me an idea." Koji stared away from Tomoyo and the others, off the roof. The dark night made it hard to see what he was doing, but it was obviously nothing good. "VINES!" A small circle of light appeared, showing all of Koji's features.
The ivy plants growing on the side of the mansion, the ones Sakura and friends had climbed, were now going berserk. They grew upwards and approached Tomoyo until they had her in their grasp. They began to tighten themselves until she was immobile. One wrapped around each arm, each leg, one across her abdomen, and one last vine squeezed her neck. The Angel flinched, squirmed, and screamed during the attack as she was dragged to the ground.
The sound of metal hitting the stone roof was heard and two glowing streaks of light blew past the vines, cutting them off Tomoyo. The sliced vegetation retreated back to its normal state.
"Thank you so much, Sakura-chan, Li-kun." Tomoyo said to her friends. Sakura had used the Sword Card to ruin Koji's plan and Syaoran had sliced the rest of the vines with his blade.
"I'm sick of this," Koji bellowed, "with you always wrecking my plans! Well, no more! I'll take every single one of you out with one attack! SHIELD!" A blue barrier, created by the Li Fan, surrounded Koji and prevented him from any attacks, physical or magical. This was proven when Syaoran tried to both break it with his sword and burn it with a Fire Charm.
Aerin and Takumi ran up to Sakura. "SAKURA," Aerin said, with fear in her deep eyes, "I've seen what he's going to do! He's charging up all of his magic into one gigantic earthquake! It will flatten the house, if my visions are right!"
"HOEEEE!" Sakura exclaimed. "Then we have to get him off the roof! Maybe we can. That's it! WATERY! TAKE KOJI TO THE SEA!"
The demon was too busy charging up his attack to notice the wave of water flying towards him. The water spirit was above him, summoning all the water nearby to try and grab him. Ponds, puddles, rainwater, and most of the sea formed as one to try and move the evil one, but to no avail. No matter how much water was used, the shield held up.
"Wait, Sakura, I have an idea." Tomoyo flew into the stream of water and seemingly vanished amongst the bodies of water as they pummeled down on the demon. There was a bright flash of light where Tomoyo vanished and Koji's shield seemed to weaken. The shield grew smaller and smaller until it was just about his size. All of a sudden, the water wrapped all the way around his defense and actually lifted him up with it! The Watery Card had him trapped, retreating to the sea. Like a giant hand, it carried him off the roof and down to the beach about a kilometer away. As soon as they reached the ocean, it went off. Koji released his earthquake.
The ground everywhere shook violently. A couple of small buildings in the distance collapsed instantly. Trees were felled. The very earth on and near the beach rose and dropped in elevation in a matter of seconds. Rocks from the nearby mountains started to roll, threatening to crush the mansion.
"If we don't do something about those rocks, we'll all be crushed!" Kero yelled. "We have to take care of them immediately!"
"We have worse problems, Kero! Look!" Syaoran pointed. From the beach, many, long cracks in the ground raced towards them, like a shockwave of tremors. If they reached the mansion, it could disrupt the foundation and it would collapse under its own weight, assuming the very shock alone didn't do that.
"Kero, Syaoran, Aerin, you handle the rocks coming down the mountains! Tomoyo, Takumi, come with me, you'll all help me get rid of these tremors!" Sakura ordered.
Aerin and Syaoran hopped onto Kero's back as he flew them to the said mountain, where the avalanche of stones would come down from in a matter of minutes.
Tomoyo flew towards the beach and the epicenter of the man-made quake. "JUMP!" Sakura held Takumi's arm and leapt into the air towards her target.
"But what can I do," Takumi asked, "if I have no magic powers? I'm only allowed to even marry into the Clan on account of my skills as a warrior!"
Sakura landed and Takumi got off. "That's exactly what we need! Koji is causing this magic. If you can stop him or at least distract him by fighting, we stand a better chance of winning! Now, let's go!"
********************************
On the other side of the mansion.
Fire scorched the land in a ravenous inferno as the great Guardian of the Clow, Keroberos, rained it down upon the boulders. "This isn't working!" the beast hollered.
Aerin concentrated all of her mental power at one particularly large hunk of rock from the bottom of the mountain. The rock above slowly began stop. Eventually, it was completely halted. But, unfortunately, more and more rocks were building up behind it. If all of those rocks hit the mansion, it would be absolutely ruined. The force of the boulder itself and the rocks behind it began to build and build.
"I. I can't. keep this up. much. longer. My p-powers are s-still sapped. from the. anti-magic. stone. I-AHHH!" Aerin yelped in pain and collapsed on the ground.
Syaoran came to the girls aid and lifted her to safety, moving her away from the path of the rocks. "Just wait here, Aerin. or great, great, great, great, great grandmother. It doesn't matter. There's nothing you can do. I have an idea. Just stay still."
Syaoran ran back towards the mansion with a plan in his mind. Aerin stared at her descendant, then away for a minute. "You have a plan? Well, so do I."
**********************************
Tomoyo stood her ground. As the wave of ground rose to meet her, she pushed back with a tremendous blow of magic. The tremor was momentarily halted, but not for long. "Sakura. I. can't hold it! I'm sorry!"
The resonance of wind came and Sakura dropped down beside her newly transformed Angelic friend, focusing her own magic to hold the shockwave back. "Don't be sorry! I don't know how powerful you are, now, but you're a great help! We just have to hold a few more. minutes. Takumi, you have to do it!"
************************************
Kero flew over the boulders in almost pacing-like fashion. "Dammit, what's left to try? Hey, who is that?"
A lone figure went charging up the mountainside as fast as it could go. It was headed directly for the avalanche. It seemed to almost be on a suicidal run for it.
"Who is that idiot? He's going to get himself killed!" Kero moved closer and closer. "OH, MY GOD! THAT'S THE BRAT! HEY! GAKI! GET OUT OF THE WAY, YOU IDIOT!" Kero-chan growled. "This is just great! The gaki is gonna get himself killed and Sakura will blame me! There will be no dessert for a week! HEY! YOU! HOLD ON! Damn, it's too late! He's a goner! The boulder is going to crush him in a second!"
**************************
"Heh. In a matter of minutes, I'll kill them all! By collapsing the house or crushing it, they'll all die!" Koji continued to blast every ounce of power he could muster through the fan, creating the shockwave that was still hurdling towards the castle. Or rather, would still be doing that, but Sakura and Tomoyo held it back, but with enough time, they'd collapse in exhaustion.
"UGH!" A sharp stinging came to Koji's face as Takumi brought his foot to it. The fan flew from his hands and landed in the sand. A figure quickly grabbed the fan and darted off. Takumi didn't have time to see who had taken it. But before he could get a clear view, he felt a fist to his jaw. Before the young man could figure out what happened, he was in the middle of a brawl with Koji.
"Hoe? We're doing it! The barrier is getting pushed back!" Tomoyo nodded. "Yes, now, Sakura, I will continue to push. When I get it far enough back, I need you to somehow seal this or block it. I can sense no magic power in this, anymore. It's just a bunch of cracks in the ground. Koji must have been stopped, but that doesn't mean this won't start up again, so you have to stop it!"
"Right, Tomoyo!"
"O, card that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under your new master, Sakura! EARTHY!"
A long, slender, serpent-like spirit of the ground rose into the air and then burrowed deep into the soil. With tremendous might, a great stonewall rose from the very Earth and formed a barrier around the spot where the cracks had stopped. Slowly, the wall encircled the fault and moved in until it covered it entirely. When the walls dropped down, the cracks were gone. The earthquake had been stopped.
"Now, to help my friends!" Sakura stated.
*******************************
Syaoran pushed harder and harder against the massive rock. With feats of unparalleled strength, he was managing to hold back the entire rocks from coming down upon the house. How he was doing this, though, was a mystery. Any normal man, or even a man with magic, should have been crushed by such weight.
"I have no idea how the brat is holding that avalanche back with his bare hands, but I better help anyway," said Kero, as he dived in from above to assist.
Meanwhile, on top of the mansion's roof, some rubble from a tower began to move. A slender hand emerged and soon dug itself out. Mia stood there, battered and bruised, but still healthy. She seemed a bit disoriented, though, as she toppled over backwards and spirals formed in her eyes. "Ooh, I'll never do THAT again. Next time, I'll make sure Koji is out cold before I try to grab things from his pockets. Now, where am I?" She stood up. "Huh? The roof still, but then. where. is. OH, MY! Look at the size of those rocks! I better move!"
Syaoran's muscles strained as he pushed the rocks back up the hill with both arms. Sweat poured down his face. Keroberos pushed beside him. However, suddenly, the weight seemed a lot lighter. In fact, the largest of all the rocks began to move uphill. Syaoran looked to his left to spot Sakura pushing as well. Hovering above, Tomoyo was in the air, using all of her magic to create a giant gust of wind to push it back.
*************************
WHACK!
With a solid punch, Takumi was sent reeling into the sand of the beach. Koji had knocked him out cold. "Well, that was a bit harder than I thought, but he's still. What? HEY!" Koji gritted his teeth and snarled when he saw his plans being thwarted. The earthquake had been stopped and the avalanche was actually being pushed back, somehow. Nothing made sense. But his next step was clear.
"I was hoping it didn't have to come to this. since this could have catastrophic effects on history, far more than I even need, but the fools have left me no alternative."
The demon reached into his jacket and pulled out a small, black box. He pulled the lid off to reveal a red button under glass. He lifted that, and smashed the button down in anger.
"Well, I'll see you all in Hell, then."
***********************************
Back on the mountain top.
Kero's ears twitched as he listened carefully. "Hey, do you all hear that?"
"ERRRRR. Kero-chan, not now! This is hard work!" Sakura said in annoyance. "I'M SERIOUS! I think I heard something dangero-"
BOOM!
The mountain shook in a thunderous roar as a blinding explosion came from the peak. Rubble flew everywhere. Debris came crashing down around the group of heroes. "HOEEEEEE!" Sakura screamed in terror as a giant chunk of rock was about to crush her, but her brave Syaoran dived into her and shoved her out of harms way. Sadly, this caused the avalanche to continue.
A piece of flaming earth smacked Tomoyo in the face and she began to drop from the sky. Her Angel wings began to fall apart feather by feather. Sakura watched helplessly from Syaoran's arms as her best friend crashed into the ground, unconscious, with a pile of rocks about to crush her fragile body. "TOMOYOOOOOOOOO!" Sakura screamed, as the youngest member of the Li clan held her back. Syaoran tried to turn her head so she couldn't watch.
Silence came as everyone turned away. Slowly, Sakura turned around. His and her jaw dropped. The entire avalanche was surrounded by a blue shield of some kind, just a meter or less from crushing the fallen Angel, Tomoyo.
Suddenly, Mia trotted up the mountain. Sakura took the opportunity to race to her friend and lift her out of harm's way. Kero and Syaoran rushed over to Mia.
"Thank you so much, Mia!" Kero said with a smile.
"Huh? What did I do?" asked Mia, very perplexed.
"Well, you just saved Tomoyo, of course," said Syaoran. "I mean, the shield. it looks like your kind of magic, right?"
Mia looked at the shield for a moment. ".No, that's not mine. If you think my magic powers are strong enough to hold back probably 100 metric tons of rock, you're insane. Besides, if I'm talking to the both of you right now, and Sakura is attending to Tomoyo over there, how could I be holding that weight back?"
Syaoran and Kero's eyes shrunk. "That's right," Kero said in utter astonishment. "Whoever is holding that back must be so extremely powerful. wait, that feeling. LOOK! IT'S AERIN!"
There she stood, Aer-ling, Li Clan Fan in hand, on the side of the hill. A familiar aura of Clow Reed's magic was around her as she concentrated hard to protect the mansion from the falling rocks. Sweat poured from her skin. It obviously drained every ounce of her strength. The wind picked up and swirled around her. Her long hair became frazzled in the breeze.
Sakura sat Tomoyo down out of harm's way and ran over to Aerin. "Thank you so much, Aerin! You saved Tomoyo!"
Aerin tried to speak through the strenuous power flowing through her. "Don't. thank me yet. we're not done. yet. The only way we can save the mansion. is to destroy this rubble until it's just sand. I can perform an attack that great, but I need time I don't have. I have to hold this back!"
Sakura reached down into her bag. "Aerin, let the rocks fall and begin to charge the attack. I have no idea what's going on and I don't understand half of the magic forces around here, but I have an idea."
Aerin was shocked to hear the order to let the avalanche continue, but she could see in Sakura's eyes that she knew what she was doing. "Okay. But please be careful." Sakura nodded.
"I know what I'm doing. but everyone else, Syaoran, Kero, Mia, I need one of you to carry Tomoyo back and the other two to evacuate the mansion in case we fail and the house is destroyed." A sweat drop rolled down Kero's head. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." Mia and Syaoran dashed towards. Kero ran towards Tomoyo, put her on his back, and flew off.
Aerin closed her fan and the shield disappeared. Quickly, the avalanche started again at a tremendous pace.
Sakura pulled a card out from her bag with her middle and index finger. She tossed it into the air and the star on her wand began to swirl.
"O, card that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under your new master, Sakura! LOOP!"
The world around Sakura began to twist and deform into a weird shape. The rocks flew by Sakura, just missing her. Then, they went by again. And again. And again. The Loop Card forced them to go into a never-ending cycle of falling as Aerin charged up for a final attack.
"FLY!" Having cast the card, Sakura took to the air and evacuated towards the roof.
The clouds overhead slowly began to part. A streak of light came down and encircled Aerin. Tiny particles of magic swirled around her like a million fireflies. Slowly, she was lifted into the air overhead.
"MOONLIGHT RADIANCE!"
ALL of the clouds above suddenly vanished. The moon began to shine brighter and brighter in the night sky. Sakura and her friends had to cover their eyes somewhat, or they were blinded by the sheer intensity of the rays. All Sakura could see were tiny sparkles of blue light descending from the Heavens and the moon towards where the rocks were circling. They began to increase in number until they completely blinded everyone.
A strong gust of wind nearly knocked everyone from his or her feet, but was over almost as soon as it started. Slowly, the land began to return to normal. Sakura moved about, trying to see where she was, but she was still momentarily blinded. She held onto something warm, soft, and it almost felt like it held her back, but of course, that was insane. She just hugged it tight and looked up.
Slowly, her pupils dilated back to their normal size and everything blurred back into sight. Her cheeks reddened. "Errr. oh, Syaoran, it's. you. Sorry, I thought you were. umm." She slowly backed away, releasing her death-like grip on his waist. She didn't seem to notice his face was even redder. "Errr. I-It's no problem, Sakura. Let's just. go check on Aerin."
The land returned to normal, with the exception of the clouds, which did not reappear. However, the rocks, which for so long had threatened to smash the mansion, were just a giant crater. Cheers erupted from the rooftop. The mansion was still standing.
Koji took off his jacket and threw it on the ground in frustration. "DAMMIT! AGAIN! THEY DID IT AGAIN!"
SHHHH!
Takumi unsheathed his sword and had it at Koji's neck. "If I were you, I'd keep quiet about now."
Aerin walked back to her home, with the archer women clapping, having just woken up. With one strike, she had practically decimated half a mountaintop. Using the fan, she created a gust of wind that lifted her up until she was side by side with Sakura and Syaoran.
"Wow, that was AMAZING!" Sakura exclaimed. Aerin blushed humbly. "Really, that was nothing! I just had to protect my friends."
Sakura scratched her chin. "Although, I don't understand a lot of things. for example, how did your powers go from weak from the effects of that stone Syaoran destroyed, to. I'm not even sure how to categorize that! And you, Syaoran, you were holding back a boulder that had to be 200 times your weight! And Tomoyo." Sakura crawled to her friend, who lied unconscious by her side and examined the jewel necklace around her neck. "How did Tomoyo get so much power?"
Out of the blue, the Windy Spirit was released from the jewel and returned to a card form in Sakura's hands.
She yawned. "But. now, I think. I'll just take a nap." Sakura collapsed into Syaoran's lap.
"Oh, my goodness, is she alright?" Aerin asked. "Don't worry," Mia explained. "This happens all the time, or so I'm told. She's used so magic today. Let's just let her rest for now. She deserves it. And I must say, using the Loop Card was a stroke of genius."
"Heh. I'd expect nothing less from my Sakura-chan." Tomoyo mumbled in her semi-unconscious state nearby.
Sakura woke up to the shining of moonlight in her eyes. "Mmm. So warm." She rolled over, though, and hugged her pillow before she opened her eyes. The young Mistress of the Clow sat up and yawned. "Hoe? Where am I?"
The door opened and in walked the chambermaid. "Ah, Kinomoto-sama, you're awake!"
".Sama?" Sakura whispered to herself, questioning the maid's choice of wording. (The maid speaks Japanese, as many people in the house do. But when they first arrived, they maid did not know Sakura and some of the others spoke Chinese, so she used that instead.) "Well, anyway, where am I? What happened?"
The chambermaid bowed. "Well, perhaps you should just follow me, instead. We have some people waiting for you downstairs."
"Hoe? Waiting? For me? Whatever for?"
"You'll see with due time," the maid said, smiling. "Now, please, allow me to show you the way."
The two of them walked down the halls towards the room where the guests awaited. Along the way, they passed by a small table with a vase on it. Beside it, there was a beautiful mirror with a gold trimming shaped like the scales of a dragon. But it was not the image of the dragon that startled Sakura; it was her own reflection.
"Hoe?!" Sakura was so drowsy that she had not noticed she had returned to normal size. She was no longer a teen, but an 11-year-old once more. She was dressed in a different outfit than before as well. Her hair was a lot longer than normal and braided in the back down to the middle of her back. Her dress was a long, sky blue robe that went down to her knees. Below that was a matching pair of pants and sandals. A set of green buttons went up the front of her robe up to her collar. "Wait, how did this-" "So sorry, madam, but there's no time for questions. You're needed downstairs quickly!"
They came to a large pair of doors, which the maid opened. The inside was extremely bright, as the light of the moon came through the giant ceiling windows and was reflected off the marble floor. The room was filled with people as far as the eye could see. It had to be the main hall or something similar to it. "Why are so many people here?" Sakura asked. "I didn't think there was a third of the people here when I fell asleep, and it's still night, so."
"Sakura!" A familiar voice beckoned her forward. It was Aer-ling. She was clad in the very same robe as Sakura, only a bit larger to fit her frame. "I'm so glad you woke up in time!"
"Hoe?" Sakura blinked. "In time? What do you mean? In time for what? I thought I went to sleep only a few ho-"
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo rushed up to her. "You look so lovely this evening, in your formal Chinese wear." Tomoyo's eyes went into their usual sparkling routine. "But you at least woke up in time for the celebration!"
"Yeah. Mmm, this is good. Sakura never has been that good at getting up on time." Kero said, stuffing another cookie or three from a platter into his tiny mouth, but endless stomach.
A vein popped up on Sakura's head. "Hey, you're not so good at it yourself. But please someone tell me what is goi-" "Sakura!" Syaoran and Mia called out and Sakura fell to the ground in exasperation.
"ALRIGHT! That's enough! Can someone please tell me what's going on here?!" A sweat drop rolled down Syaoran's head. "Errr. That's what I came here to tell you." Sakura blushed. "Oh. Sorry. I lost my temper for a second. Please, tell me."
"Well, where should I start?" asked Syaoran. Sakura took a deep breath and responded, "Well, that entire battle was really confusing. First of all, how were you alone holding back a giant boulder that had to be two-hundred times heavier than you?"
"Easy," he said, "with this!" He held up a glass bottle. "It's some strength-enhancing potion from my gift bag. Without it, I would have been crushed." During the conversation, she stared at Syaoran's clothes. He was clad in a white suit with gold buttons from his waist to his neck. The clan symbols were embroidered on both arms.
"I understand now," said Sakura, "but now I have another question. Tomoyo," she turned to her friend, "where did you get magic powers?! I knew you had them when we went to the future to fight Sadin, but now.?"
Mia stepped up. "I can answer that. It was a bit of a surprise for you all." Syaoran chuckled. "Well, we certainly were surprised, so you succeeded."
Mia smiled. "Well, thank you! This whole plot started after Koji vanished from the time when we rescued Kumiko from him. I went to investigate the place where he left and found a jewel on the ground. I picked it up and took it back. Then, while you two slept later that night, I examined it. I knew then what it was. It was the fabled 'Angel's Medallion.' It's a special piece of jewelry that absorbs magic to transfer it to the wearer, transforming him into whatever reflects his or her heart, good or evil. However, this charm does not work on those who already have magic. Koji must have learned that the hard way or else there's no possible way he'd lose it. So, I decided to give it to Tomoyo, who was more than enthralled to get a chance to help you in battle, Sakura. I gave her a little training behind your backs, but she was never truly able to merge with the borrowed magic until she had something as powerful as a Sakura Card or Clow Card."
A sweatdrop rolled down Sakura's face. "That's a bit of a long explanation. but tell me, Tomoyo, can you still use it?" Her friend smiled and held up the Medallion, which was now a deep crimson color. "Hai, I can! And I'll be sure help you next time."
Takumi walked up from behind and laughed as he put his hand on Aerin's shoulder as she blushed. "Well, there may not be a next time!"
"Hoe?" Sakura exclaimed. "Sakura, we have some more good news! I managed to capture Koji while you were sleeping. He's down in the basement with 10 armed guards constantly watching him and all of his magic material has been confiscated. We initially were going to kill him. but. err. we thought it a bit inappropriate to spill blood before our w-wedding t-tonight." he said with a blush.
"HOEEEEEEE?! WEDDING?!" Sakura screamed, "Isn't it a bit early to have a WEDDING? I mean, we only fought Koji last night, and it's probably early morning, right? The stars are still out! See?" She pointed through the skylight towards some constellations.
A sweat drop appeared on Tomoyo's brow. "Sakura? It wasn't last night. You've been asleep for three days."
Sakura's face reddened in embarrassment. "Oh. I see. That would explain why the age potion I drank to make me a teenager wore off when it lasts 24 hours. But say, if I'm back to normal, why is my hair so long still? It's usually only shoulder-length." Tomoyo smiled. "Well, when I was preparing you for the wedding, I couldn't leave your hair the way it was, so I had a special herb prepared with magic to make one's hair longer. anything to make you look great." Sakura sighed. "You'll never change, Tomoyo. But I'm sorry for delaying you all by sleeping. I guess transforming two cards and using even more was just a bit too much for my body to handle," she said with a nervous laugh. "Hai," Aerin said. "You shouldn't push yourself that hard. Besides, you deserved a nice rest after saving our mansion, and more importantly, our lives, so we didn't want to wake you. If you hadn't used that card to hold the rocks in place, I would never had the chance to destroy them in time."
Mia ran her fingers through her hair in thought. "Say, about you destroying those rocks, how DID you do that? An attack like that could have wiped out a city, if you'd wanted it to!" Aerin shook her head. "No, it wasn't THAT great. To tell the truth, it's a little something that I have been perfecting over the years, to use pure light of the moon as a weapon that only works under circumstances of danger. It won't work at any time I may wish. That's why I was never able to finish it: I was never in real danger, but when I saw that my family could have been hurt. I had to stop the avalanche from crushing the mansion. I just had to."
Tomoyo sighed. "That's so inspiring. But Takumi, where were you during all of this?"
The boy laughed. "Well, there's a rule in the Li clan: To become a member of it, you have to marry in with either great magic, or the skills of a warrior. I have no magic power. So, I had to show Koji that I was still qualified, if you take my meaning." He smiled. "Actually, I wasn't that great. Basically, I knocked him out after he detonated the mountain with that magical box thing. Whatever it was, it must have had magic powers of SOME kind to create that large of an explosion."
Aerin smiled. "Actually, it's a detonation device for use with explosives."
"Hoe?" Sakura exclaimed. "How do you know that? I didn't think explosives like that existed in this age. I think Chiharu was wrong: Yamazaki was telling the truth when he said a Chinese panda created the first stick of dynamite!"
A sweat drop rolled down each of Aerin, Mia, Kero, and Tomoyo's heads. They were not convinced by the fib. "Really? A panda?" Syaoran exclaimed. "How did it do that?" "I think it used a special kind of leaf." Sakura responded. Takumi didn't even know what they were talking about. "Actually, that was a lie. I only know about these devices from you all. When my fiancé mentioned the explosion, you all pictured it in your heads and I was able to see what you knew of them."
A sweat drop rolled down Takumi's head. "Uh-oh. maybe I'd better watch what I think from now on." Aerin smiled. "Don't worry, I'd never use this power against anyone I really care about. I was just interested in what could have caused the avalanche. I never saw anything like it before."
Another chambermaid of Aerin approached. "Pardon me, Aer-ling-sama, but it would appear you're needed for a few last minute changes to your wardrobe. It would appear it would take all the time until the wedding begins later. I'm terribly sorry." Aerin turned to her maid. "No, it's alright. I have no choice, I suppose. I'll bet anything it's my parents doing. They've been a little excited about this."
"Where are you going, Aerin?" Sakura asked. "Oh, my maid says I have to get some alterations to my dress before the ceremony." Tomoyo smiled. "Well, we're wearing the same thing, may we come along?" Aerin returned the smile. "Of course! Just follow me. I'll see the rest of you later!" Mia, Tomoyo, Sakura, Aerin, and the maid all left the main hall for the tailor's room, leaving only Takumi, Kero, and Syaoran behind. (Kero could have followed, but he was far too interested in the dinner to leave.)
An hour or two passed while Syaoran, Takumi, and Kero were just waiting around for the ceremony. Syaoran was rather relaxed. It felt good to have an hour or so to rest. Kero was enjoying his time alone as well, gorging and flying around as he pleased. Takumi, though, was not so easily calmed. He knew the significance of this day on his life. He continued to pace around the room.
Syaoran looked up from his nap on a bench. "You don't need to worry so much. Remember, everything turns out all right. If it didn't, I'd never be born. It will be fine." Takumi gulped and his face turned red. "What if your coming back in time interfered with the whole timeline and everything is ruined?"
Syaoran sighed. "If you really love Aerin." Takumi perked up. "Oh, I do, I do!" ".Then there won't be any problems, okay?" Syaoran continued.
Takumi chuckled. "Easy for you to say. Do you even have anyone you like at all?"
Syaoran's mind became clouded instantly. He saw images of Sakura laughing, smiling. It warmed his heart. His face turned red.
"Syaoran? Syaoran? Hello? Are you awake?" Takumi gazed at the preoccupied boy. "Huh? What?" Syaoran came back to his senses. He turned even redder. "I asked you if there was someone you liked, so maybe you'd understand how I feel." Syaoran couldn't say it. "Errr. no, no one at all I like at all, so don't bother asking. Oh, well. You know, I've never met Aerin's parents, so maybe I better hurry! Have to meet them soon, you know, so maybe. umm. bye!" Syaoran leapt to his feet and dashed off, but not before tripping over another bench, running into a couple of people, and falling flat on his face.
Takumi just stared. "What was THAT all about? Oh, maybe I should start going around to introduce myself and be congratulated."
Another hour passed. It was now midnight. The moon was nearly full, but not quite. The stars shone brightly. Takumi had moved towards the halls to do his pacing. Suddenly, some servants put out the candles on the walls. The only illumination was from the moon and stars through the skylight. It gave everyone's face a glowing blue shade. In the corner of the room, a piano began to play a quiet, yet moving tune. Slowly, violins came in as well. Before anyone knew it, an entire orchestra was playing. It was enough to bring tears to your eye. (Actually, pianos and violins didn't exist back then, but with a little help from Aerin's powers, she had learned of them and created them.)
Slowly, the sound of footsteps came from the hall behind. Everyone took their seat, including Syaoran, who sat in the very front row, left side, next to the aisle.
First, Takumi came out. Beside him stood who appeared to be Aerin's mother. She was a rather short, but elegant woman. Her hair was short, her eyes were green, and she had an air of class around her. Or rather, she would have, had she been able to hold her tears back as she marched down the aisle. Next, it was the bride's turn.
Slowly, Aer-ling came into view. Her dress was dramatically different. Her hair was long and blond, perfectly straight. She wore a golden tiara to hold it back. Her dress was a sky- blue gown, stretching from her neck to her feet. It was neither too loose, nor too tight. A bouquet of Sakura blossoms was in her hands, as pink as the scarf-like piece of fabric that wound around her neck and over her arms. Of course, her face was also pink in embarrassment. In the hand without the flowers, she carried the fan she had worked so hard to get back.
Beside her was a tall man with hair just like hers. A thick beard covered his chin, hiding a big smile of pride. He had a look one can only describe as "fatherly." Deep, blue, caring eyes, a stout, strong frame.
Shortly behind, Mia and Tomoyo followed the two of them to the end of the aisle. They were dressed like they were before. But where was Sakura?
Upon reaching the front of the room, Tomoyo and Mia took seats beside Syaoran. He was going to question where Sakura was, but he did not have the time.
The speaker before them spoke beautifully, referring to endless love and of the times that lay ahead for the couple. Syaoran wanted to listen, but he kept looking around, trying to spot Sakura. Had she taken her seat elsewhere?
Suddenly, before the speaker could announce the pairing of Aerin and Takumi, Aerin turned toward the crowd. The music died down to utter silence. "This may seem a bit unorthodox, but I recently became aware of a tradition in a foreign land. According to it, when two people truly love one another like I love my husband-to-be, they give each other a ring of gold. the circle of the ring symbolizing the never-ending love and devotion for one another. So, I'd like to ask my dear friend to come out, Kinomoto Sakura."
Syaoran could not believe his eyes or ears. He turned to see a dark figure walking in through the door.
Sakura wore a long silk dress of a light pink with a light blue silk scarf, similar to that of Aerin. She wore no shoes, but instead had a golden pair of ankle bracelets that showed themselves when Sakura took a step. Silver earrings reflected the moonlight into Syaoran's eyes. Then again, her great emerald eyes reflected the moon as well, like a great platter made of the finest and greenest of emeralds. Her hair was also straight down, not quite as far as Aer-ling's, but long indeed. Syaoran's heart skipped a beat just looking at her. She carried a blue pillow with gold trimmings towards the front of the room. Each partner took a golden ring and placed it on the other's hand at the same moment. There was a moment of silence and no one moved. Not so much as the sound of a breath could be heard.
Then, they embraced. The entire room erupted in applause. Tomoyo put down her camcorder for a moment to wipe a tear from her eyes. "It's so wonderful," she whispered.
Suddenly, the room became silent once more. The new bride and groom moved toward the crowd just a bit and held each other hand in hand. However, suddenly, Aerin walked to Syaoran. "You know, my great descendant-to-be." she began to say in Chinese so as not to arouse suspicion from Tomoyo, "none of this would be possible without you and your friends. So, to reward you, I ask that you dance alongside us now, as tradition says."
Syaoran blushed. "What! Me? Dance? But with whom?" Aerin smiled back. "I'm sure you can find someone."
Then, she walked away and held Takumi's hand once more.
It took all the bravery in his body, but Syaoran eyed Sakura and stood up. His legs felt like they couldn't support him, but he managed to walk over to her. "Syaoran? What are you-" "S-S-Sakura?" She gave him a strange look. "Ummm. yes?" Syaoran extended his right hand slowly. His face was, of course, as red as one can imagine.
"M-May I have the p-pleasure of a d-d-dance?"
Sakura placed one hand on her cheeks to hide her embarrassment and the other on her heart to control it.
"I. I'd love that."
Slowly, but with ever so much grace, they danced. The stars seemed to get extra brilliant. Staring into each other's eyes, they felt a warm comfort in their bodies.
"Sakura. I. I've been meaning to tell you something," Syaoran said, putting one hand on her shoulder and the other in her hand, pointing outward.
Sakura looked him in the eyes and replied, "You know, you can always tell me anything."
"Well. I. I just wanted to let you know. We've been through a lot together. Nearly dying often. but. but. I guess what I want to say is. I. For you. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat."
Sakura was shocked. She didn't know quite what to say. "Syaoran. You really feel that way? You're sure?"
Syaoran smiled. "I'm more sure now than I ever have been in my life."
Sakura blushed. "And. I, too, would do it all again."
They continued to dance to the sounds of the violin and piano with such emotion. it was indescribable.
Sakura placed her head comfortingly in Syaoran's chest as they both stared up at the stars, still dancing almost instinctively.
But they could not take their eyes off the stars, especially once a shooting star slowly vanished into the dark night sky.
But... for some reason, the stars. seemed to shine brighter than ever.
And it felt like the stars shined only for them.
To be continued.
Chapter 23- Moonlight Radiance
The wind blew through the robes Tomoyo wore in her Angel form, but all else was silent and still. Even Koji stood in stunned silence. Sakura's jaw dropped to the rooftop and a million thoughts raced through her mind.
"Koji." Tomoyo said, with her voice almost echoing, "You have performed too many a wicked crime. You have stolen. lied. and even attempted murder. But I shall give you one warning; I do not want to have to use force, but I will if you resist. I will protect my friends and loved ones. You mustn't interfere in my task."
Koji grimaced. "What, so you sprout a pair of wings and float? That's supposed to scare me? Get out of my way. I have a job to finish." Instead, Tomoyo only moved closer to him.
"Hoeee." Sakura exclaimed, with her face down on the rooftop. "I'm so confused! How did Tomoyo get magical powers?!"
Koji pulled out the fan. "I'm warning YOU now! Don't get in my way! I'll use this if I have to!"
Tomoyo only floated closer.
"Alright, you asked for this! FIRE!" Koji raised the fan out in front of him, and the magical heirloom sent a wall of flames barreling down towards the angel. Tomoyo lifted one hand. and the fire stopped dead in its tracks. Her hand began to glow. A gush of wind emerged from it, sending the fire back at Koji, who was barely able to dodge it. Still, the demon got a little too hot from having his attack sent back.
"Damn, that hurt! If I let her stay on her feet. err. or floating, whatever. in any case, I'm finished! But that gives me an idea." Koji stared away from Tomoyo and the others, off the roof. The dark night made it hard to see what he was doing, but it was obviously nothing good. "VINES!" A small circle of light appeared, showing all of Koji's features.
The ivy plants growing on the side of the mansion, the ones Sakura and friends had climbed, were now going berserk. They grew upwards and approached Tomoyo until they had her in their grasp. They began to tighten themselves until she was immobile. One wrapped around each arm, each leg, one across her abdomen, and one last vine squeezed her neck. The Angel flinched, squirmed, and screamed during the attack as she was dragged to the ground.
The sound of metal hitting the stone roof was heard and two glowing streaks of light blew past the vines, cutting them off Tomoyo. The sliced vegetation retreated back to its normal state.
"Thank you so much, Sakura-chan, Li-kun." Tomoyo said to her friends. Sakura had used the Sword Card to ruin Koji's plan and Syaoran had sliced the rest of the vines with his blade.
"I'm sick of this," Koji bellowed, "with you always wrecking my plans! Well, no more! I'll take every single one of you out with one attack! SHIELD!" A blue barrier, created by the Li Fan, surrounded Koji and prevented him from any attacks, physical or magical. This was proven when Syaoran tried to both break it with his sword and burn it with a Fire Charm.
Aerin and Takumi ran up to Sakura. "SAKURA," Aerin said, with fear in her deep eyes, "I've seen what he's going to do! He's charging up all of his magic into one gigantic earthquake! It will flatten the house, if my visions are right!"
"HOEEEE!" Sakura exclaimed. "Then we have to get him off the roof! Maybe we can. That's it! WATERY! TAKE KOJI TO THE SEA!"
The demon was too busy charging up his attack to notice the wave of water flying towards him. The water spirit was above him, summoning all the water nearby to try and grab him. Ponds, puddles, rainwater, and most of the sea formed as one to try and move the evil one, but to no avail. No matter how much water was used, the shield held up.
"Wait, Sakura, I have an idea." Tomoyo flew into the stream of water and seemingly vanished amongst the bodies of water as they pummeled down on the demon. There was a bright flash of light where Tomoyo vanished and Koji's shield seemed to weaken. The shield grew smaller and smaller until it was just about his size. All of a sudden, the water wrapped all the way around his defense and actually lifted him up with it! The Watery Card had him trapped, retreating to the sea. Like a giant hand, it carried him off the roof and down to the beach about a kilometer away. As soon as they reached the ocean, it went off. Koji released his earthquake.
The ground everywhere shook violently. A couple of small buildings in the distance collapsed instantly. Trees were felled. The very earth on and near the beach rose and dropped in elevation in a matter of seconds. Rocks from the nearby mountains started to roll, threatening to crush the mansion.
"If we don't do something about those rocks, we'll all be crushed!" Kero yelled. "We have to take care of them immediately!"
"We have worse problems, Kero! Look!" Syaoran pointed. From the beach, many, long cracks in the ground raced towards them, like a shockwave of tremors. If they reached the mansion, it could disrupt the foundation and it would collapse under its own weight, assuming the very shock alone didn't do that.
"Kero, Syaoran, Aerin, you handle the rocks coming down the mountains! Tomoyo, Takumi, come with me, you'll all help me get rid of these tremors!" Sakura ordered.
Aerin and Syaoran hopped onto Kero's back as he flew them to the said mountain, where the avalanche of stones would come down from in a matter of minutes.
Tomoyo flew towards the beach and the epicenter of the man-made quake. "JUMP!" Sakura held Takumi's arm and leapt into the air towards her target.
"But what can I do," Takumi asked, "if I have no magic powers? I'm only allowed to even marry into the Clan on account of my skills as a warrior!"
Sakura landed and Takumi got off. "That's exactly what we need! Koji is causing this magic. If you can stop him or at least distract him by fighting, we stand a better chance of winning! Now, let's go!"
********************************
On the other side of the mansion.
Fire scorched the land in a ravenous inferno as the great Guardian of the Clow, Keroberos, rained it down upon the boulders. "This isn't working!" the beast hollered.
Aerin concentrated all of her mental power at one particularly large hunk of rock from the bottom of the mountain. The rock above slowly began stop. Eventually, it was completely halted. But, unfortunately, more and more rocks were building up behind it. If all of those rocks hit the mansion, it would be absolutely ruined. The force of the boulder itself and the rocks behind it began to build and build.
"I. I can't. keep this up. much. longer. My p-powers are s-still sapped. from the. anti-magic. stone. I-AHHH!" Aerin yelped in pain and collapsed on the ground.
Syaoran came to the girls aid and lifted her to safety, moving her away from the path of the rocks. "Just wait here, Aerin. or great, great, great, great, great grandmother. It doesn't matter. There's nothing you can do. I have an idea. Just stay still."
Syaoran ran back towards the mansion with a plan in his mind. Aerin stared at her descendant, then away for a minute. "You have a plan? Well, so do I."
**********************************
Tomoyo stood her ground. As the wave of ground rose to meet her, she pushed back with a tremendous blow of magic. The tremor was momentarily halted, but not for long. "Sakura. I. can't hold it! I'm sorry!"
The resonance of wind came and Sakura dropped down beside her newly transformed Angelic friend, focusing her own magic to hold the shockwave back. "Don't be sorry! I don't know how powerful you are, now, but you're a great help! We just have to hold a few more. minutes. Takumi, you have to do it!"
************************************
Kero flew over the boulders in almost pacing-like fashion. "Dammit, what's left to try? Hey, who is that?"
A lone figure went charging up the mountainside as fast as it could go. It was headed directly for the avalanche. It seemed to almost be on a suicidal run for it.
"Who is that idiot? He's going to get himself killed!" Kero moved closer and closer. "OH, MY GOD! THAT'S THE BRAT! HEY! GAKI! GET OUT OF THE WAY, YOU IDIOT!" Kero-chan growled. "This is just great! The gaki is gonna get himself killed and Sakura will blame me! There will be no dessert for a week! HEY! YOU! HOLD ON! Damn, it's too late! He's a goner! The boulder is going to crush him in a second!"
**************************
"Heh. In a matter of minutes, I'll kill them all! By collapsing the house or crushing it, they'll all die!" Koji continued to blast every ounce of power he could muster through the fan, creating the shockwave that was still hurdling towards the castle. Or rather, would still be doing that, but Sakura and Tomoyo held it back, but with enough time, they'd collapse in exhaustion.
"UGH!" A sharp stinging came to Koji's face as Takumi brought his foot to it. The fan flew from his hands and landed in the sand. A figure quickly grabbed the fan and darted off. Takumi didn't have time to see who had taken it. But before he could get a clear view, he felt a fist to his jaw. Before the young man could figure out what happened, he was in the middle of a brawl with Koji.
"Hoe? We're doing it! The barrier is getting pushed back!" Tomoyo nodded. "Yes, now, Sakura, I will continue to push. When I get it far enough back, I need you to somehow seal this or block it. I can sense no magic power in this, anymore. It's just a bunch of cracks in the ground. Koji must have been stopped, but that doesn't mean this won't start up again, so you have to stop it!"
"Right, Tomoyo!"
"O, card that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under your new master, Sakura! EARTHY!"
A long, slender, serpent-like spirit of the ground rose into the air and then burrowed deep into the soil. With tremendous might, a great stonewall rose from the very Earth and formed a barrier around the spot where the cracks had stopped. Slowly, the wall encircled the fault and moved in until it covered it entirely. When the walls dropped down, the cracks were gone. The earthquake had been stopped.
"Now, to help my friends!" Sakura stated.
*******************************
Syaoran pushed harder and harder against the massive rock. With feats of unparalleled strength, he was managing to hold back the entire rocks from coming down upon the house. How he was doing this, though, was a mystery. Any normal man, or even a man with magic, should have been crushed by such weight.
"I have no idea how the brat is holding that avalanche back with his bare hands, but I better help anyway," said Kero, as he dived in from above to assist.
Meanwhile, on top of the mansion's roof, some rubble from a tower began to move. A slender hand emerged and soon dug itself out. Mia stood there, battered and bruised, but still healthy. She seemed a bit disoriented, though, as she toppled over backwards and spirals formed in her eyes. "Ooh, I'll never do THAT again. Next time, I'll make sure Koji is out cold before I try to grab things from his pockets. Now, where am I?" She stood up. "Huh? The roof still, but then. where. is. OH, MY! Look at the size of those rocks! I better move!"
Syaoran's muscles strained as he pushed the rocks back up the hill with both arms. Sweat poured down his face. Keroberos pushed beside him. However, suddenly, the weight seemed a lot lighter. In fact, the largest of all the rocks began to move uphill. Syaoran looked to his left to spot Sakura pushing as well. Hovering above, Tomoyo was in the air, using all of her magic to create a giant gust of wind to push it back.
*************************
WHACK!
With a solid punch, Takumi was sent reeling into the sand of the beach. Koji had knocked him out cold. "Well, that was a bit harder than I thought, but he's still. What? HEY!" Koji gritted his teeth and snarled when he saw his plans being thwarted. The earthquake had been stopped and the avalanche was actually being pushed back, somehow. Nothing made sense. But his next step was clear.
"I was hoping it didn't have to come to this. since this could have catastrophic effects on history, far more than I even need, but the fools have left me no alternative."
The demon reached into his jacket and pulled out a small, black box. He pulled the lid off to reveal a red button under glass. He lifted that, and smashed the button down in anger.
"Well, I'll see you all in Hell, then."
***********************************
Back on the mountain top.
Kero's ears twitched as he listened carefully. "Hey, do you all hear that?"
"ERRRRR. Kero-chan, not now! This is hard work!" Sakura said in annoyance. "I'M SERIOUS! I think I heard something dangero-"
BOOM!
The mountain shook in a thunderous roar as a blinding explosion came from the peak. Rubble flew everywhere. Debris came crashing down around the group of heroes. "HOEEEEEE!" Sakura screamed in terror as a giant chunk of rock was about to crush her, but her brave Syaoran dived into her and shoved her out of harms way. Sadly, this caused the avalanche to continue.
A piece of flaming earth smacked Tomoyo in the face and she began to drop from the sky. Her Angel wings began to fall apart feather by feather. Sakura watched helplessly from Syaoran's arms as her best friend crashed into the ground, unconscious, with a pile of rocks about to crush her fragile body. "TOMOYOOOOOOOOO!" Sakura screamed, as the youngest member of the Li clan held her back. Syaoran tried to turn her head so she couldn't watch.
Silence came as everyone turned away. Slowly, Sakura turned around. His and her jaw dropped. The entire avalanche was surrounded by a blue shield of some kind, just a meter or less from crushing the fallen Angel, Tomoyo.
Suddenly, Mia trotted up the mountain. Sakura took the opportunity to race to her friend and lift her out of harm's way. Kero and Syaoran rushed over to Mia.
"Thank you so much, Mia!" Kero said with a smile.
"Huh? What did I do?" asked Mia, very perplexed.
"Well, you just saved Tomoyo, of course," said Syaoran. "I mean, the shield. it looks like your kind of magic, right?"
Mia looked at the shield for a moment. ".No, that's not mine. If you think my magic powers are strong enough to hold back probably 100 metric tons of rock, you're insane. Besides, if I'm talking to the both of you right now, and Sakura is attending to Tomoyo over there, how could I be holding that weight back?"
Syaoran and Kero's eyes shrunk. "That's right," Kero said in utter astonishment. "Whoever is holding that back must be so extremely powerful. wait, that feeling. LOOK! IT'S AERIN!"
There she stood, Aer-ling, Li Clan Fan in hand, on the side of the hill. A familiar aura of Clow Reed's magic was around her as she concentrated hard to protect the mansion from the falling rocks. Sweat poured from her skin. It obviously drained every ounce of her strength. The wind picked up and swirled around her. Her long hair became frazzled in the breeze.
Sakura sat Tomoyo down out of harm's way and ran over to Aerin. "Thank you so much, Aerin! You saved Tomoyo!"
Aerin tried to speak through the strenuous power flowing through her. "Don't. thank me yet. we're not done. yet. The only way we can save the mansion. is to destroy this rubble until it's just sand. I can perform an attack that great, but I need time I don't have. I have to hold this back!"
Sakura reached down into her bag. "Aerin, let the rocks fall and begin to charge the attack. I have no idea what's going on and I don't understand half of the magic forces around here, but I have an idea."
Aerin was shocked to hear the order to let the avalanche continue, but she could see in Sakura's eyes that she knew what she was doing. "Okay. But please be careful." Sakura nodded.
"I know what I'm doing. but everyone else, Syaoran, Kero, Mia, I need one of you to carry Tomoyo back and the other two to evacuate the mansion in case we fail and the house is destroyed." A sweat drop rolled down Kero's head. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." Mia and Syaoran dashed towards. Kero ran towards Tomoyo, put her on his back, and flew off.
Aerin closed her fan and the shield disappeared. Quickly, the avalanche started again at a tremendous pace.
Sakura pulled a card out from her bag with her middle and index finger. She tossed it into the air and the star on her wand began to swirl.
"O, card that Clow has made, I command you to lose your form and be born again under your new master, Sakura! LOOP!"
The world around Sakura began to twist and deform into a weird shape. The rocks flew by Sakura, just missing her. Then, they went by again. And again. And again. The Loop Card forced them to go into a never-ending cycle of falling as Aerin charged up for a final attack.
"FLY!" Having cast the card, Sakura took to the air and evacuated towards the roof.
The clouds overhead slowly began to part. A streak of light came down and encircled Aerin. Tiny particles of magic swirled around her like a million fireflies. Slowly, she was lifted into the air overhead.
"MOONLIGHT RADIANCE!"
ALL of the clouds above suddenly vanished. The moon began to shine brighter and brighter in the night sky. Sakura and her friends had to cover their eyes somewhat, or they were blinded by the sheer intensity of the rays. All Sakura could see were tiny sparkles of blue light descending from the Heavens and the moon towards where the rocks were circling. They began to increase in number until they completely blinded everyone.
A strong gust of wind nearly knocked everyone from his or her feet, but was over almost as soon as it started. Slowly, the land began to return to normal. Sakura moved about, trying to see where she was, but she was still momentarily blinded. She held onto something warm, soft, and it almost felt like it held her back, but of course, that was insane. She just hugged it tight and looked up.
Slowly, her pupils dilated back to their normal size and everything blurred back into sight. Her cheeks reddened. "Errr. oh, Syaoran, it's. you. Sorry, I thought you were. umm." She slowly backed away, releasing her death-like grip on his waist. She didn't seem to notice his face was even redder. "Errr. I-It's no problem, Sakura. Let's just. go check on Aerin."
The land returned to normal, with the exception of the clouds, which did not reappear. However, the rocks, which for so long had threatened to smash the mansion, were just a giant crater. Cheers erupted from the rooftop. The mansion was still standing.
Koji took off his jacket and threw it on the ground in frustration. "DAMMIT! AGAIN! THEY DID IT AGAIN!"
SHHHH!
Takumi unsheathed his sword and had it at Koji's neck. "If I were you, I'd keep quiet about now."
Aerin walked back to her home, with the archer women clapping, having just woken up. With one strike, she had practically decimated half a mountaintop. Using the fan, she created a gust of wind that lifted her up until she was side by side with Sakura and Syaoran.
"Wow, that was AMAZING!" Sakura exclaimed. Aerin blushed humbly. "Really, that was nothing! I just had to protect my friends."
Sakura scratched her chin. "Although, I don't understand a lot of things. for example, how did your powers go from weak from the effects of that stone Syaoran destroyed, to. I'm not even sure how to categorize that! And you, Syaoran, you were holding back a boulder that had to be 200 times your weight! And Tomoyo." Sakura crawled to her friend, who lied unconscious by her side and examined the jewel necklace around her neck. "How did Tomoyo get so much power?"
Out of the blue, the Windy Spirit was released from the jewel and returned to a card form in Sakura's hands.
She yawned. "But. now, I think. I'll just take a nap." Sakura collapsed into Syaoran's lap.
"Oh, my goodness, is she alright?" Aerin asked. "Don't worry," Mia explained. "This happens all the time, or so I'm told. She's used so magic today. Let's just let her rest for now. She deserves it. And I must say, using the Loop Card was a stroke of genius."
"Heh. I'd expect nothing less from my Sakura-chan." Tomoyo mumbled in her semi-unconscious state nearby.
Sakura woke up to the shining of moonlight in her eyes. "Mmm. So warm." She rolled over, though, and hugged her pillow before she opened her eyes. The young Mistress of the Clow sat up and yawned. "Hoe? Where am I?"
The door opened and in walked the chambermaid. "Ah, Kinomoto-sama, you're awake!"
".Sama?" Sakura whispered to herself, questioning the maid's choice of wording. (The maid speaks Japanese, as many people in the house do. But when they first arrived, they maid did not know Sakura and some of the others spoke Chinese, so she used that instead.) "Well, anyway, where am I? What happened?"
The chambermaid bowed. "Well, perhaps you should just follow me, instead. We have some people waiting for you downstairs."
"Hoe? Waiting? For me? Whatever for?"
"You'll see with due time," the maid said, smiling. "Now, please, allow me to show you the way."
The two of them walked down the halls towards the room where the guests awaited. Along the way, they passed by a small table with a vase on it. Beside it, there was a beautiful mirror with a gold trimming shaped like the scales of a dragon. But it was not the image of the dragon that startled Sakura; it was her own reflection.
"Hoe?!" Sakura was so drowsy that she had not noticed she had returned to normal size. She was no longer a teen, but an 11-year-old once more. She was dressed in a different outfit than before as well. Her hair was a lot longer than normal and braided in the back down to the middle of her back. Her dress was a long, sky blue robe that went down to her knees. Below that was a matching pair of pants and sandals. A set of green buttons went up the front of her robe up to her collar. "Wait, how did this-" "So sorry, madam, but there's no time for questions. You're needed downstairs quickly!"
They came to a large pair of doors, which the maid opened. The inside was extremely bright, as the light of the moon came through the giant ceiling windows and was reflected off the marble floor. The room was filled with people as far as the eye could see. It had to be the main hall or something similar to it. "Why are so many people here?" Sakura asked. "I didn't think there was a third of the people here when I fell asleep, and it's still night, so."
"Sakura!" A familiar voice beckoned her forward. It was Aer-ling. She was clad in the very same robe as Sakura, only a bit larger to fit her frame. "I'm so glad you woke up in time!"
"Hoe?" Sakura blinked. "In time? What do you mean? In time for what? I thought I went to sleep only a few ho-"
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo rushed up to her. "You look so lovely this evening, in your formal Chinese wear." Tomoyo's eyes went into their usual sparkling routine. "But you at least woke up in time for the celebration!"
"Yeah. Mmm, this is good. Sakura never has been that good at getting up on time." Kero said, stuffing another cookie or three from a platter into his tiny mouth, but endless stomach.
A vein popped up on Sakura's head. "Hey, you're not so good at it yourself. But please someone tell me what is goi-" "Sakura!" Syaoran and Mia called out and Sakura fell to the ground in exasperation.
"ALRIGHT! That's enough! Can someone please tell me what's going on here?!" A sweat drop rolled down Syaoran's head. "Errr. That's what I came here to tell you." Sakura blushed. "Oh. Sorry. I lost my temper for a second. Please, tell me."
"Well, where should I start?" asked Syaoran. Sakura took a deep breath and responded, "Well, that entire battle was really confusing. First of all, how were you alone holding back a giant boulder that had to be two-hundred times heavier than you?"
"Easy," he said, "with this!" He held up a glass bottle. "It's some strength-enhancing potion from my gift bag. Without it, I would have been crushed." During the conversation, she stared at Syaoran's clothes. He was clad in a white suit with gold buttons from his waist to his neck. The clan symbols were embroidered on both arms.
"I understand now," said Sakura, "but now I have another question. Tomoyo," she turned to her friend, "where did you get magic powers?! I knew you had them when we went to the future to fight Sadin, but now.?"
Mia stepped up. "I can answer that. It was a bit of a surprise for you all." Syaoran chuckled. "Well, we certainly were surprised, so you succeeded."
Mia smiled. "Well, thank you! This whole plot started after Koji vanished from the time when we rescued Kumiko from him. I went to investigate the place where he left and found a jewel on the ground. I picked it up and took it back. Then, while you two slept later that night, I examined it. I knew then what it was. It was the fabled 'Angel's Medallion.' It's a special piece of jewelry that absorbs magic to transfer it to the wearer, transforming him into whatever reflects his or her heart, good or evil. However, this charm does not work on those who already have magic. Koji must have learned that the hard way or else there's no possible way he'd lose it. So, I decided to give it to Tomoyo, who was more than enthralled to get a chance to help you in battle, Sakura. I gave her a little training behind your backs, but she was never truly able to merge with the borrowed magic until she had something as powerful as a Sakura Card or Clow Card."
A sweatdrop rolled down Sakura's face. "That's a bit of a long explanation. but tell me, Tomoyo, can you still use it?" Her friend smiled and held up the Medallion, which was now a deep crimson color. "Hai, I can! And I'll be sure help you next time."
Takumi walked up from behind and laughed as he put his hand on Aerin's shoulder as she blushed. "Well, there may not be a next time!"
"Hoe?" Sakura exclaimed. "Sakura, we have some more good news! I managed to capture Koji while you were sleeping. He's down in the basement with 10 armed guards constantly watching him and all of his magic material has been confiscated. We initially were going to kill him. but. err. we thought it a bit inappropriate to spill blood before our w-wedding t-tonight." he said with a blush.
"HOEEEEEEE?! WEDDING?!" Sakura screamed, "Isn't it a bit early to have a WEDDING? I mean, we only fought Koji last night, and it's probably early morning, right? The stars are still out! See?" She pointed through the skylight towards some constellations.
A sweat drop appeared on Tomoyo's brow. "Sakura? It wasn't last night. You've been asleep for three days."
Sakura's face reddened in embarrassment. "Oh. I see. That would explain why the age potion I drank to make me a teenager wore off when it lasts 24 hours. But say, if I'm back to normal, why is my hair so long still? It's usually only shoulder-length." Tomoyo smiled. "Well, when I was preparing you for the wedding, I couldn't leave your hair the way it was, so I had a special herb prepared with magic to make one's hair longer. anything to make you look great." Sakura sighed. "You'll never change, Tomoyo. But I'm sorry for delaying you all by sleeping. I guess transforming two cards and using even more was just a bit too much for my body to handle," she said with a nervous laugh. "Hai," Aerin said. "You shouldn't push yourself that hard. Besides, you deserved a nice rest after saving our mansion, and more importantly, our lives, so we didn't want to wake you. If you hadn't used that card to hold the rocks in place, I would never had the chance to destroy them in time."
Mia ran her fingers through her hair in thought. "Say, about you destroying those rocks, how DID you do that? An attack like that could have wiped out a city, if you'd wanted it to!" Aerin shook her head. "No, it wasn't THAT great. To tell the truth, it's a little something that I have been perfecting over the years, to use pure light of the moon as a weapon that only works under circumstances of danger. It won't work at any time I may wish. That's why I was never able to finish it: I was never in real danger, but when I saw that my family could have been hurt. I had to stop the avalanche from crushing the mansion. I just had to."
Tomoyo sighed. "That's so inspiring. But Takumi, where were you during all of this?"
The boy laughed. "Well, there's a rule in the Li clan: To become a member of it, you have to marry in with either great magic, or the skills of a warrior. I have no magic power. So, I had to show Koji that I was still qualified, if you take my meaning." He smiled. "Actually, I wasn't that great. Basically, I knocked him out after he detonated the mountain with that magical box thing. Whatever it was, it must have had magic powers of SOME kind to create that large of an explosion."
Aerin smiled. "Actually, it's a detonation device for use with explosives."
"Hoe?" Sakura exclaimed. "How do you know that? I didn't think explosives like that existed in this age. I think Chiharu was wrong: Yamazaki was telling the truth when he said a Chinese panda created the first stick of dynamite!"
A sweat drop rolled down each of Aerin, Mia, Kero, and Tomoyo's heads. They were not convinced by the fib. "Really? A panda?" Syaoran exclaimed. "How did it do that?" "I think it used a special kind of leaf." Sakura responded. Takumi didn't even know what they were talking about. "Actually, that was a lie. I only know about these devices from you all. When my fiancé mentioned the explosion, you all pictured it in your heads and I was able to see what you knew of them."
A sweat drop rolled down Takumi's head. "Uh-oh. maybe I'd better watch what I think from now on." Aerin smiled. "Don't worry, I'd never use this power against anyone I really care about. I was just interested in what could have caused the avalanche. I never saw anything like it before."
Another chambermaid of Aerin approached. "Pardon me, Aer-ling-sama, but it would appear you're needed for a few last minute changes to your wardrobe. It would appear it would take all the time until the wedding begins later. I'm terribly sorry." Aerin turned to her maid. "No, it's alright. I have no choice, I suppose. I'll bet anything it's my parents doing. They've been a little excited about this."
"Where are you going, Aerin?" Sakura asked. "Oh, my maid says I have to get some alterations to my dress before the ceremony." Tomoyo smiled. "Well, we're wearing the same thing, may we come along?" Aerin returned the smile. "Of course! Just follow me. I'll see the rest of you later!" Mia, Tomoyo, Sakura, Aerin, and the maid all left the main hall for the tailor's room, leaving only Takumi, Kero, and Syaoran behind. (Kero could have followed, but he was far too interested in the dinner to leave.)
An hour or two passed while Syaoran, Takumi, and Kero were just waiting around for the ceremony. Syaoran was rather relaxed. It felt good to have an hour or so to rest. Kero was enjoying his time alone as well, gorging and flying around as he pleased. Takumi, though, was not so easily calmed. He knew the significance of this day on his life. He continued to pace around the room.
Syaoran looked up from his nap on a bench. "You don't need to worry so much. Remember, everything turns out all right. If it didn't, I'd never be born. It will be fine." Takumi gulped and his face turned red. "What if your coming back in time interfered with the whole timeline and everything is ruined?"
Syaoran sighed. "If you really love Aerin." Takumi perked up. "Oh, I do, I do!" ".Then there won't be any problems, okay?" Syaoran continued.
Takumi chuckled. "Easy for you to say. Do you even have anyone you like at all?"
Syaoran's mind became clouded instantly. He saw images of Sakura laughing, smiling. It warmed his heart. His face turned red.
"Syaoran? Syaoran? Hello? Are you awake?" Takumi gazed at the preoccupied boy. "Huh? What?" Syaoran came back to his senses. He turned even redder. "I asked you if there was someone you liked, so maybe you'd understand how I feel." Syaoran couldn't say it. "Errr. no, no one at all I like at all, so don't bother asking. Oh, well. You know, I've never met Aerin's parents, so maybe I better hurry! Have to meet them soon, you know, so maybe. umm. bye!" Syaoran leapt to his feet and dashed off, but not before tripping over another bench, running into a couple of people, and falling flat on his face.
Takumi just stared. "What was THAT all about? Oh, maybe I should start going around to introduce myself and be congratulated."
Another hour passed. It was now midnight. The moon was nearly full, but not quite. The stars shone brightly. Takumi had moved towards the halls to do his pacing. Suddenly, some servants put out the candles on the walls. The only illumination was from the moon and stars through the skylight. It gave everyone's face a glowing blue shade. In the corner of the room, a piano began to play a quiet, yet moving tune. Slowly, violins came in as well. Before anyone knew it, an entire orchestra was playing. It was enough to bring tears to your eye. (Actually, pianos and violins didn't exist back then, but with a little help from Aerin's powers, she had learned of them and created them.)
Slowly, the sound of footsteps came from the hall behind. Everyone took their seat, including Syaoran, who sat in the very front row, left side, next to the aisle.
First, Takumi came out. Beside him stood who appeared to be Aerin's mother. She was a rather short, but elegant woman. Her hair was short, her eyes were green, and she had an air of class around her. Or rather, she would have, had she been able to hold her tears back as she marched down the aisle. Next, it was the bride's turn.
Slowly, Aer-ling came into view. Her dress was dramatically different. Her hair was long and blond, perfectly straight. She wore a golden tiara to hold it back. Her dress was a sky- blue gown, stretching from her neck to her feet. It was neither too loose, nor too tight. A bouquet of Sakura blossoms was in her hands, as pink as the scarf-like piece of fabric that wound around her neck and over her arms. Of course, her face was also pink in embarrassment. In the hand without the flowers, she carried the fan she had worked so hard to get back.
Beside her was a tall man with hair just like hers. A thick beard covered his chin, hiding a big smile of pride. He had a look one can only describe as "fatherly." Deep, blue, caring eyes, a stout, strong frame.
Shortly behind, Mia and Tomoyo followed the two of them to the end of the aisle. They were dressed like they were before. But where was Sakura?
Upon reaching the front of the room, Tomoyo and Mia took seats beside Syaoran. He was going to question where Sakura was, but he did not have the time.
The speaker before them spoke beautifully, referring to endless love and of the times that lay ahead for the couple. Syaoran wanted to listen, but he kept looking around, trying to spot Sakura. Had she taken her seat elsewhere?
Suddenly, before the speaker could announce the pairing of Aerin and Takumi, Aerin turned toward the crowd. The music died down to utter silence. "This may seem a bit unorthodox, but I recently became aware of a tradition in a foreign land. According to it, when two people truly love one another like I love my husband-to-be, they give each other a ring of gold. the circle of the ring symbolizing the never-ending love and devotion for one another. So, I'd like to ask my dear friend to come out, Kinomoto Sakura."
Syaoran could not believe his eyes or ears. He turned to see a dark figure walking in through the door.
Sakura wore a long silk dress of a light pink with a light blue silk scarf, similar to that of Aerin. She wore no shoes, but instead had a golden pair of ankle bracelets that showed themselves when Sakura took a step. Silver earrings reflected the moonlight into Syaoran's eyes. Then again, her great emerald eyes reflected the moon as well, like a great platter made of the finest and greenest of emeralds. Her hair was also straight down, not quite as far as Aer-ling's, but long indeed. Syaoran's heart skipped a beat just looking at her. She carried a blue pillow with gold trimmings towards the front of the room. Each partner took a golden ring and placed it on the other's hand at the same moment. There was a moment of silence and no one moved. Not so much as the sound of a breath could be heard.
Then, they embraced. The entire room erupted in applause. Tomoyo put down her camcorder for a moment to wipe a tear from her eyes. "It's so wonderful," she whispered.
Suddenly, the room became silent once more. The new bride and groom moved toward the crowd just a bit and held each other hand in hand. However, suddenly, Aerin walked to Syaoran. "You know, my great descendant-to-be." she began to say in Chinese so as not to arouse suspicion from Tomoyo, "none of this would be possible without you and your friends. So, to reward you, I ask that you dance alongside us now, as tradition says."
Syaoran blushed. "What! Me? Dance? But with whom?" Aerin smiled back. "I'm sure you can find someone."
Then, she walked away and held Takumi's hand once more.
It took all the bravery in his body, but Syaoran eyed Sakura and stood up. His legs felt like they couldn't support him, but he managed to walk over to her. "Syaoran? What are you-" "S-S-Sakura?" She gave him a strange look. "Ummm. yes?" Syaoran extended his right hand slowly. His face was, of course, as red as one can imagine.
"M-May I have the p-pleasure of a d-d-dance?"
Sakura placed one hand on her cheeks to hide her embarrassment and the other on her heart to control it.
"I. I'd love that."
Slowly, but with ever so much grace, they danced. The stars seemed to get extra brilliant. Staring into each other's eyes, they felt a warm comfort in their bodies.
"Sakura. I. I've been meaning to tell you something," Syaoran said, putting one hand on her shoulder and the other in her hand, pointing outward.
Sakura looked him in the eyes and replied, "You know, you can always tell me anything."
"Well. I. I just wanted to let you know. We've been through a lot together. Nearly dying often. but. but. I guess what I want to say is. I. For you. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat."
Sakura was shocked. She didn't know quite what to say. "Syaoran. You really feel that way? You're sure?"
Syaoran smiled. "I'm more sure now than I ever have been in my life."
Sakura blushed. "And. I, too, would do it all again."
They continued to dance to the sounds of the violin and piano with such emotion. it was indescribable.
Sakura placed her head comfortingly in Syaoran's chest as they both stared up at the stars, still dancing almost instinctively.
But they could not take their eyes off the stars, especially once a shooting star slowly vanished into the dark night sky.
But... for some reason, the stars. seemed to shine brighter than ever.
And it felt like the stars shined only for them.
To be continued.