Konnichiwa! This chapter is a bit shorter, but I decided it was best to
have a short update than no update. ^^;;
Chapter 26: Life, Death, Love
"It's coming. Koji knows we are here." Eriol said grimly. "I'll explain later, but he's trying to kill us badly, and he's growing more powerful by the minute."
Sakura sighed. "I know. I know. And I don't know how come you have powers and I didn't want to reveal mine, but all of this comes second to the incoming danger." Eriol nodded. "I didn't wish to reveal my powers until the time was right, either, but now we have no choice. We have to do something." Syaoran stepped over slowly; each footstep seemed to echo with the crunching of snow. "So, Eriol. I knew you weren't who you seemed."
Naoko-chan got up from the ground. Terada-sensei did the same, and slowly, so did everyone else. Most of the students just stared blankly into the sky. They knew something was going on, but they didn't know what to do. However, her friends and the teacher came to Sakura. "Kinomoto-san." That was all Terada was able to utter. "Have. Is it. Was that real?" Chiharu asked in disbelief. Sakura nodded. "I. I've had the powers for a year or two now." Eriol sighed. "I, too, will admit I have powers." "Me too," answered Mia. "Err. I don't really have too many, but. I can use a little." Tomoyo said. "I can use them too, seeing as we're all coming clean. But anyway, we're not out of danger yet, so why are we all standing around?" said Syaoran.
Yamazaki smiled. "I never thought my saying you had powers was actually true. See? I don't always lie!" However, no one really paid much attention to him.
"What's. going on? I think there's a ghost around! I LOVE GHOSTS!" Naoko said, looking in every direction, almost as if she expected (and wanted) someone to come up and grab her. "I don't know." Sakura said, "but I don't think we should leave the area." "Hmmm? Why not?" asked a puzzled Chiharu. "Because. It won't do us any good," answered Eriol in a nonchalant way, as if these things were a daily occurrence. "It's a long story. You see, a man named Koji killed Sakura-san here." "KILLED HER?!" Her friends all screamed in unison. "But she's standing right here," said Yamazaki, "and she appears to be alive." "This not really the time to be making up lies like he does," nodded Chiharu as she pointed to the closed-eyed Yamazaki-kun.
"I'm not lying. Syaoran-kun here was able to basically go back in time and prevent it from happening. And. the man has held a bit of a grudge ever since. And now. He has enough power to do us all in."
Suddenly, all felt quiet. "AUGH!" Sakura screamed. "I sense. something. Koji is. He's. THERE'S SOMETHING TRULY DANGEROUS, IT'S GROWING, AND IT'S COMING THIS WAY!" The class gasped and faced the stars, or rather where they WOULD be if a giant, blinding light weren't barreling down upon them.
The was an enormous ball of light in the sky. One couldn't look up or he or she would be blinded almost instantaneously.
All was quiet, until the sound of snow underneath someone's boots was heard once more.
"Hello, my dear friends," was what the stranger within said boots first said. "That voice." Sakura said, not even realizing it was out loud. "KOJI!"
The usually sarcastic and bumbling Koji was dead serious with a look of pure hatred on his face. "No more games, Kinomoto! I'm tired of you and your goody-goodies getting in my way!"
Syaoran growled. "WE'RE getting in YOUR way? You're the one who has been trying to kill us for so long! If you would just--" "SILENCE!" Koji raised a hand in the air as he screamed, and then slowly lowered it. He breathed very heavily, as could be seen with each deep breath in the cold, crisp, dark air. "I have heard enough lies. You're the ones who have been in my way the entire time, and now there is no holding back. Die."
With that said, the evil demon lifted his right hand and quickly brought it down. Whatever that giant, glowing ball in the sky was, it was now falling even faster and harder. Koji pointed straight up at the light overhead and said, "That light is actually a spell. a giant ball made entirely of pure Time magic. When it falls all the way and hits the ground, it will not only crush all of you, but it will open a portal to another dimension, allowing me access to where I need to go, on one last stop to rule the world! Seeing as this will be our final meeting, au revoir, adiós, ciao, sayonara, and good riddance!"
The insane demon raised his left hand and sparks of magical energy surged forth from him. He grabbed the Mirror of Time with his right and aimed it right up at the light in the sky.
Syaoran summoned his sword and charged. "You think I'll just let you do whatever it is you want to do?!" Koji lowered his right hand and a blast of pure magic came from it, throwing the boy back. "Shaoran!" Meiling ran over to her cousin and propped him up. "Are you okay?" The boy nodded. "Don't worry about me, he's up to something horrible, I can feel it!"
The group of school kids backed slowly away. Murmurs of "Who is that?" "I'm scared!" and "What's going to happen to us?" could be heard.
Koji turned to the kids. "Don't worry, it'll all be over in a moment. HRRRRRAH!" He raised his hands and the mirror again and quickly threw them down. The shining light in the sky moved down almost instantly until it was upon the kids.
"SHIELD!"
The light was blinding to all the kids. The whole park lit up like a perfectly sunny day. When everyone uncovered their eyes, they found Sakura standing directly under the giant ball of light. A blue shield lay between her and the raw power of the Time Magic, but it was plainly obvious that she could not hold it for long.
"Get out of here!" Meiling screamed, trying to shoo the class away. Terada- sensei and all of the other kids quickly got the message and fled.
"I CAN'T HOLD THIS FOR LONG! THE SHIELD CARD CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH!" Suddenly, the burden became much lighter. "E-Eriol-kun?" Indeed, the boy who had been causing her so much grief for the past few months was truly helping her. "Sakura," the young reincarnate of a sorcerer said, "this 'ball of light' is pure Time Magic! I fear that if it hits the ground, it could very well rip time and space apart!" Still concentrating her power into the shield, Sakura turned, shocked, and asked, "Why would Koji DO something like that?! He could kill himself, too!" Eriol shook his head. "Koji has lost his mind! He's gone completely insane! He's not using rational thought anymore. We have to stop his attack before it kills us all!"
Once again, the burden became somewhat lighter as Syaoran pushed against the shield with his power, too.
"Fools, do you think you can really hold out forever? With my mirror, I can only add to the pressure. You're only prolonging death."
Suddenly, the load was lightened and Koji decided to have a little fun. He stopped the ball of pure time magic completely and levitated it a few meters higher into the air. Raising a hand, Koji removed a small ball of magic from the larger ball and hurled it at Sakura, who immediately ducked out of the way. "What's the matter, Kinomoto? These little ones won't kill you, I promise. They just tend to mess up ages, change your size, and generally be a giant annoyance. I thought I'd just make it a bit easier to fight you all, first. After all, fighting you all as a bunch of infants should be much simpler." The cold wind blew from the cold East bringing more snow, but it had no effect on the magic sphere in Koji's hand or the one levitating above them, as no mere natural force could disturb his magic powers.
Suddenly, Touya stepped forward. "Hold on, you little punk. Who the Hell do you think you are? I don't care who you think you are, but if you threaten my little sister ever again." "You'll what?" Said Koji, as his face went from a smug smirk to an irritated frown.
Touya threw the first punch. Koji ducked under it and followed up with an uppercut, but Sakura's onii-chan backed up and kicked his leg straight up, hitting Koji squarely in the jaw. The Time Mage was thrown into the air and landed a meter back in a snow bank.
"Weakling," was the first slap to Koji's face from Touya's tongue. But it was not long before Koji came right back to his feet and continued fighting. He gave a sweeping kick to Touya's right leg, but as he fell, Touya kicked Koji in the side of his arm as he fell, knocking both of them down. "I don't know what you want, but I won't let you get away with it!" Touya was confused, but determined to put an end to this all. "Onii-chan, let us help!" Touya waved his hand, signaling for them to leave. "NO! I'm going to beat this guy. I can do it."
Koji was the first to his feet. "Those are some tough words from someone with no magical powers, you know." Suddenly, in a deceitful move, Koji summoned a blast of fire from his palms right at Touya's head, but the older boy was able to dodge it by jumping to one side and sneaking up on the cheater. He began to put a strangle hold on him, and answered, "Actually, I do have the power to sense things, like that cheap move you just pulled. We're going to fight fair!"
However, Koji was the last man expected to heed this call for fairness. From a distance, he called a ball of the pure time magic and caused it to fly at Touya's face. He ducked, but let go of Koji in the process. But before he could counter with a move of his own, the demon hit the ground and Meiling stood over him. "Fight fair? I've heard that one before. If you're going to cheat, we're all going to fight," she said. Koji leaped forward and threw another ball of magic at Meiling, but Mia shouted, "NOW!" Meiling jumped to one side and Tomoyo grabbed the necklace from around her neck and held it straight out. Immediately, it was absorbed into the jewel of the necklace and a blinding light surrounded her. When it died down, she was once more in her angelic form.
Meiling and Touya gasped. "Daidouji?!" Was their unanimous response. Eriol told them, "We'll explain later. For now, do something!"
"Too late!" Koji leaped into the air, high above his stationary ball of magic and started to hover. He slowly pushed it down by adding more and more energy. But it was once again stopped as a force of wind came from the ground and pushed it back. It was Sakura and Tomoyo, using their wind powers (Or rather, Tomoyo summoned wind while Sakura used Windy). "Quickly, someone has to figure out a way to stop that thing!" Touya snapped his fingers. "I've got it! I can feel it. At the center of it there is a weak point. A spot where there is less power than around it. If someone could split it through to there, it would probably disappear!" Eriol shook his head. "But that's suicide! Anyone who was to get deep enough in to do that would last three seconds at the most! The pure amount of time energy in there is enough to age a person to a hundred years or dissolve them into complete oblivion from aging below zero. The only ones who could do something like that would be people who cannot age."
"You mean like us?" They all turned to see Keroberos in his true form, also with Yue. "Kero!" Sakura exclaimed. "I was wondering where you were."
Launching himself into the air and spreading his wings, he replied, "Just leave it to us! Yue and I do not age. I knew that would be useful and I went to get him. Now, let us handle this! RAAAAGH!" He charged forward at the threatening sphere and Yue pulled back his bow and fired repeatedly. Kero was thrown back out at Meiling's feet and Yue's arrows bounced off something in the center, nearly hitting Tomoyo and Touya.
"It's no good. There's some kind of shielding," Yue said. "We can't do anything from a distance and Keroberos' claws aren't powerful enough to break it."
"No, but my sword is." Syaoran stepped up. Meiling gasped. "Shaoran, you can't! You'll be killed!" The boy didn't listen. He just prepared to jump. "Syaoran, no! You can't! I'll do it!" Sakura was determined to not let him go, but holding the said sphere up with Windy already distracted her. "Sakura. I'm sorry. I. There's something I've been wanting to tell you. but. I don't think. I can't say it." "Hoe?"
"Sakura." Syaoran whispered. The wind howled as the world drew near silent. Sakura's face gleamed with shock and worry. She was still concentrating her power on Windy, but her mind was focused only on Li. "Sakura. I've. known this for a while. And since this could be. THE end. I. I. I LOVE YOU!"
Sakura's eyes filled with tears and she recoiled in shock. However, before she could respond to the declaration of love, Syaoran turned away. "RRRAGH!" He leaped into the air right at the ominous ball and vanished within its blinding light.
One second passed. Two seconds passed.
The manifestation of time magic flashed brilliantly but then slowly faded out of existence. But nothing else could be seen. That is, until a familiar green hat floated gently in the wind to the ground.
Syaoran was not there.
To be continued.
Chapter 26: Life, Death, Love
"It's coming. Koji knows we are here." Eriol said grimly. "I'll explain later, but he's trying to kill us badly, and he's growing more powerful by the minute."
Sakura sighed. "I know. I know. And I don't know how come you have powers and I didn't want to reveal mine, but all of this comes second to the incoming danger." Eriol nodded. "I didn't wish to reveal my powers until the time was right, either, but now we have no choice. We have to do something." Syaoran stepped over slowly; each footstep seemed to echo with the crunching of snow. "So, Eriol. I knew you weren't who you seemed."
Naoko-chan got up from the ground. Terada-sensei did the same, and slowly, so did everyone else. Most of the students just stared blankly into the sky. They knew something was going on, but they didn't know what to do. However, her friends and the teacher came to Sakura. "Kinomoto-san." That was all Terada was able to utter. "Have. Is it. Was that real?" Chiharu asked in disbelief. Sakura nodded. "I. I've had the powers for a year or two now." Eriol sighed. "I, too, will admit I have powers." "Me too," answered Mia. "Err. I don't really have too many, but. I can use a little." Tomoyo said. "I can use them too, seeing as we're all coming clean. But anyway, we're not out of danger yet, so why are we all standing around?" said Syaoran.
Yamazaki smiled. "I never thought my saying you had powers was actually true. See? I don't always lie!" However, no one really paid much attention to him.
"What's. going on? I think there's a ghost around! I LOVE GHOSTS!" Naoko said, looking in every direction, almost as if she expected (and wanted) someone to come up and grab her. "I don't know." Sakura said, "but I don't think we should leave the area." "Hmmm? Why not?" asked a puzzled Chiharu. "Because. It won't do us any good," answered Eriol in a nonchalant way, as if these things were a daily occurrence. "It's a long story. You see, a man named Koji killed Sakura-san here." "KILLED HER?!" Her friends all screamed in unison. "But she's standing right here," said Yamazaki, "and she appears to be alive." "This not really the time to be making up lies like he does," nodded Chiharu as she pointed to the closed-eyed Yamazaki-kun.
"I'm not lying. Syaoran-kun here was able to basically go back in time and prevent it from happening. And. the man has held a bit of a grudge ever since. And now. He has enough power to do us all in."
Suddenly, all felt quiet. "AUGH!" Sakura screamed. "I sense. something. Koji is. He's. THERE'S SOMETHING TRULY DANGEROUS, IT'S GROWING, AND IT'S COMING THIS WAY!" The class gasped and faced the stars, or rather where they WOULD be if a giant, blinding light weren't barreling down upon them.
The was an enormous ball of light in the sky. One couldn't look up or he or she would be blinded almost instantaneously.
All was quiet, until the sound of snow underneath someone's boots was heard once more.
"Hello, my dear friends," was what the stranger within said boots first said. "That voice." Sakura said, not even realizing it was out loud. "KOJI!"
The usually sarcastic and bumbling Koji was dead serious with a look of pure hatred on his face. "No more games, Kinomoto! I'm tired of you and your goody-goodies getting in my way!"
Syaoran growled. "WE'RE getting in YOUR way? You're the one who has been trying to kill us for so long! If you would just--" "SILENCE!" Koji raised a hand in the air as he screamed, and then slowly lowered it. He breathed very heavily, as could be seen with each deep breath in the cold, crisp, dark air. "I have heard enough lies. You're the ones who have been in my way the entire time, and now there is no holding back. Die."
With that said, the evil demon lifted his right hand and quickly brought it down. Whatever that giant, glowing ball in the sky was, it was now falling even faster and harder. Koji pointed straight up at the light overhead and said, "That light is actually a spell. a giant ball made entirely of pure Time magic. When it falls all the way and hits the ground, it will not only crush all of you, but it will open a portal to another dimension, allowing me access to where I need to go, on one last stop to rule the world! Seeing as this will be our final meeting, au revoir, adiós, ciao, sayonara, and good riddance!"
The insane demon raised his left hand and sparks of magical energy surged forth from him. He grabbed the Mirror of Time with his right and aimed it right up at the light in the sky.
Syaoran summoned his sword and charged. "You think I'll just let you do whatever it is you want to do?!" Koji lowered his right hand and a blast of pure magic came from it, throwing the boy back. "Shaoran!" Meiling ran over to her cousin and propped him up. "Are you okay?" The boy nodded. "Don't worry about me, he's up to something horrible, I can feel it!"
The group of school kids backed slowly away. Murmurs of "Who is that?" "I'm scared!" and "What's going to happen to us?" could be heard.
Koji turned to the kids. "Don't worry, it'll all be over in a moment. HRRRRRAH!" He raised his hands and the mirror again and quickly threw them down. The shining light in the sky moved down almost instantly until it was upon the kids.
"SHIELD!"
The light was blinding to all the kids. The whole park lit up like a perfectly sunny day. When everyone uncovered their eyes, they found Sakura standing directly under the giant ball of light. A blue shield lay between her and the raw power of the Time Magic, but it was plainly obvious that she could not hold it for long.
"Get out of here!" Meiling screamed, trying to shoo the class away. Terada- sensei and all of the other kids quickly got the message and fled.
"I CAN'T HOLD THIS FOR LONG! THE SHIELD CARD CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH!" Suddenly, the burden became much lighter. "E-Eriol-kun?" Indeed, the boy who had been causing her so much grief for the past few months was truly helping her. "Sakura," the young reincarnate of a sorcerer said, "this 'ball of light' is pure Time Magic! I fear that if it hits the ground, it could very well rip time and space apart!" Still concentrating her power into the shield, Sakura turned, shocked, and asked, "Why would Koji DO something like that?! He could kill himself, too!" Eriol shook his head. "Koji has lost his mind! He's gone completely insane! He's not using rational thought anymore. We have to stop his attack before it kills us all!"
Once again, the burden became somewhat lighter as Syaoran pushed against the shield with his power, too.
"Fools, do you think you can really hold out forever? With my mirror, I can only add to the pressure. You're only prolonging death."
Suddenly, the load was lightened and Koji decided to have a little fun. He stopped the ball of pure time magic completely and levitated it a few meters higher into the air. Raising a hand, Koji removed a small ball of magic from the larger ball and hurled it at Sakura, who immediately ducked out of the way. "What's the matter, Kinomoto? These little ones won't kill you, I promise. They just tend to mess up ages, change your size, and generally be a giant annoyance. I thought I'd just make it a bit easier to fight you all, first. After all, fighting you all as a bunch of infants should be much simpler." The cold wind blew from the cold East bringing more snow, but it had no effect on the magic sphere in Koji's hand or the one levitating above them, as no mere natural force could disturb his magic powers.
Suddenly, Touya stepped forward. "Hold on, you little punk. Who the Hell do you think you are? I don't care who you think you are, but if you threaten my little sister ever again." "You'll what?" Said Koji, as his face went from a smug smirk to an irritated frown.
Touya threw the first punch. Koji ducked under it and followed up with an uppercut, but Sakura's onii-chan backed up and kicked his leg straight up, hitting Koji squarely in the jaw. The Time Mage was thrown into the air and landed a meter back in a snow bank.
"Weakling," was the first slap to Koji's face from Touya's tongue. But it was not long before Koji came right back to his feet and continued fighting. He gave a sweeping kick to Touya's right leg, but as he fell, Touya kicked Koji in the side of his arm as he fell, knocking both of them down. "I don't know what you want, but I won't let you get away with it!" Touya was confused, but determined to put an end to this all. "Onii-chan, let us help!" Touya waved his hand, signaling for them to leave. "NO! I'm going to beat this guy. I can do it."
Koji was the first to his feet. "Those are some tough words from someone with no magical powers, you know." Suddenly, in a deceitful move, Koji summoned a blast of fire from his palms right at Touya's head, but the older boy was able to dodge it by jumping to one side and sneaking up on the cheater. He began to put a strangle hold on him, and answered, "Actually, I do have the power to sense things, like that cheap move you just pulled. We're going to fight fair!"
However, Koji was the last man expected to heed this call for fairness. From a distance, he called a ball of the pure time magic and caused it to fly at Touya's face. He ducked, but let go of Koji in the process. But before he could counter with a move of his own, the demon hit the ground and Meiling stood over him. "Fight fair? I've heard that one before. If you're going to cheat, we're all going to fight," she said. Koji leaped forward and threw another ball of magic at Meiling, but Mia shouted, "NOW!" Meiling jumped to one side and Tomoyo grabbed the necklace from around her neck and held it straight out. Immediately, it was absorbed into the jewel of the necklace and a blinding light surrounded her. When it died down, she was once more in her angelic form.
Meiling and Touya gasped. "Daidouji?!" Was their unanimous response. Eriol told them, "We'll explain later. For now, do something!"
"Too late!" Koji leaped into the air, high above his stationary ball of magic and started to hover. He slowly pushed it down by adding more and more energy. But it was once again stopped as a force of wind came from the ground and pushed it back. It was Sakura and Tomoyo, using their wind powers (Or rather, Tomoyo summoned wind while Sakura used Windy). "Quickly, someone has to figure out a way to stop that thing!" Touya snapped his fingers. "I've got it! I can feel it. At the center of it there is a weak point. A spot where there is less power than around it. If someone could split it through to there, it would probably disappear!" Eriol shook his head. "But that's suicide! Anyone who was to get deep enough in to do that would last three seconds at the most! The pure amount of time energy in there is enough to age a person to a hundred years or dissolve them into complete oblivion from aging below zero. The only ones who could do something like that would be people who cannot age."
"You mean like us?" They all turned to see Keroberos in his true form, also with Yue. "Kero!" Sakura exclaimed. "I was wondering where you were."
Launching himself into the air and spreading his wings, he replied, "Just leave it to us! Yue and I do not age. I knew that would be useful and I went to get him. Now, let us handle this! RAAAAGH!" He charged forward at the threatening sphere and Yue pulled back his bow and fired repeatedly. Kero was thrown back out at Meiling's feet and Yue's arrows bounced off something in the center, nearly hitting Tomoyo and Touya.
"It's no good. There's some kind of shielding," Yue said. "We can't do anything from a distance and Keroberos' claws aren't powerful enough to break it."
"No, but my sword is." Syaoran stepped up. Meiling gasped. "Shaoran, you can't! You'll be killed!" The boy didn't listen. He just prepared to jump. "Syaoran, no! You can't! I'll do it!" Sakura was determined to not let him go, but holding the said sphere up with Windy already distracted her. "Sakura. I'm sorry. I. There's something I've been wanting to tell you. but. I don't think. I can't say it." "Hoe?"
"Sakura." Syaoran whispered. The wind howled as the world drew near silent. Sakura's face gleamed with shock and worry. She was still concentrating her power on Windy, but her mind was focused only on Li. "Sakura. I've. known this for a while. And since this could be. THE end. I. I. I LOVE YOU!"
Sakura's eyes filled with tears and she recoiled in shock. However, before she could respond to the declaration of love, Syaoran turned away. "RRRAGH!" He leaped into the air right at the ominous ball and vanished within its blinding light.
One second passed. Two seconds passed.
The manifestation of time magic flashed brilliantly but then slowly faded out of existence. But nothing else could be seen. That is, until a familiar green hat floated gently in the wind to the ground.
Syaoran was not there.
To be continued.