Konobawa minna. I hope that everyone is enjoying the fic so far. Yes last chapter had a bit of comic relief. Also a bit of sappiness.
So far. We know that there are ten new clow cards. Sakura was sedated. Xiao Lang is still in a coma. Kero almost shook Eriol to death because he got over protective, and one of our bad guys is rude when he eats. (Lol. That's what the person I based Bahul on is like.)(M: Satan?)
Well on with the show.
***
Pain. The pain again. The noises. What were they? Murmurs? Voices? Yes, they were voices. Lots of them. Not just one. At least a dozen. Oh why did they have to be so loud? The pain rang through her ears and head as she slowly opened her eyes.
This time she saw colors. It wasn't like last time. She was fully aware of what was going on. Fully aware of the increasing pain in her body. She knew it shouldn't hurt anymore. Her injuries were healing but she kept feeling so much pain.
"Sakura?" Tomoyo? She turned her head slowly and saw her best friend sitting next to her. She graced her with a small smile, hoping to reassure her friend that she was fine.
"You're finally awake." She turned her head the other way to see her brother. He looked tired and wary.
"How long have I been asleep?" Her mouth was dry but at least it didn't hurt to talk.
"Well, three hours." Sakura's eyes went wide. She'd been asleep for that long? She sat up in bed, wincing at the pain that shot up her back.
"Sakura are you ok? I'll get the doctor." Eriol said, walking away before Sakura could protest.
"I'm fine." She said to everyone else. Kero was standing near the bed with Meilin, Fu, Jin, Yukito and her father.
She looked around the room to see other faces. Faces of people she hadn't seen in a long time.
"Li-sama?" She said quietly. The mother of her love sat on a chair close to her son. Her face was blank but Sakura knew how painful it was, because she felt the same thing.
She looked over at the Li family. Li Yelen sat next to her son, while the four Li sisters huddled around their mother. Sakura couldn't prevent the tears falling down her pale cheeks. Yes, she knew exactly how they felt right now.
"Ah, I see one of our patients has decided to wake up." The doctor came in followed by Eriol. Sakura made a face. This doctor was definitely different. He had allowed her to do a lot of things she shouldn't have been doing.
"Would everyone please move to the side of the room while I examine her?" He had a bright smile on his face.
Sakura's group of friends and family moved away and the doctor began to examine her. He checked her bandages on her arm, the cuts on her legs and face, her pulse and her breathing. He had a slight frown on his face.
"Is something wrong?" Sakura said shakily.
"It's very strange, your wounds aren't healing as well as they should be. Your heartbeat is a little irregular. You should have completely stabilized by now." He began to take her blood pressure as he spoke. "It's as if you're not healing at all. The symptoms don't concur with your injuries, it's almost like you're obtaining more injuries."
Everyone was silent as he spoke. For the first time Sakura wondered why they were all allowed in there at once. In Japan only two people at a time could go into the intensive care unit. She had a feeling Eriol had something to do with it.
"What do you mean?" She was getting scared. She'd been in a lot of pain lately.
"When we checked on you before. You were heavily sedated, and healing fine. Now that I've looked at these cuts. They're new. I know I haven't seen them before. You haven't gotten up or bumped yourself against the bed?" She shook her head. She had barely moved the entire time she slept.
The doctor sighed and looked her over again. He was right. New cuts had formed all over Sakura's back. Her neck had some bruises on it too. What puzzled the doctor most of all was the fact that some of these bruises looked exactly like the ones Li had.
"I was going to move you into another room. You were doing well, but I'm going to keep you here. This is too odd. We can't afford you going into cardiac arrest again."
Sakura just nodded and watched as he bandaged her new cuts. They weren't very deep but they made things that much more painful. She didn't want this. She wanted to be healthy so she could go over to her little wolf. She'd wasted enough time already.
"Ok, I'm going to come back in an hour to check on you. I don't want you to do anything strenuous." With that he walked over to Xiao Lang and checked on him. He was curious about the bruises on him. They hadn't changed and he hadn't received any new ones.
He wrote down some notes and left the room. An eerie silence filled the hospital room as the door closed. No one knew what to say. No one knew how to handle the situation.
They'd never had to be in a situation like this before. Sure the two card captors had gotten hurt before, it was inevitable. It was part of the job, but they'd never been this badly injured.
Sakura looked back at Xiao Lang. They still had him on the respirator; she watched his chest rise up and down slowly. She couldn't take it anymore. She'd waited far too long.
"Sakura, what are you doing?" Touya asked, watching his little sister throw the blankets off herself.
(M: *grumbles over the inaccurate terminology*)
She didn't answer. She got up feeling dizzy again. She sat down for a moment, gained her bearings and started to walk over to the other side of the room. She could balance herself better now and there were no tubes to hold her back.
"Not again." Meilin sighed and she and Tomoyo walked over to her, to cover her back. (She's still wearing that damn hospital gown.)
"You know Sakura, it might be a good idea if you changed. I mean we can't keep doing this." Tomoyo said as she walked over to where Yelen and Syaoran's sisters sat.
Sakura nodded in acknowledgement and walked to the other side of the bed. She had a determination in her eyes as she ran her fingers up his arm.
"Sakura get back in bed." Touya ordered. He was going to say something else but stopped himself for two reasons. One, the gaki's family was here, and two, Sakura was glaring at him.
"I think she picked that up from Li." Kero commented grabbing the bag Tomoyo had brought.
Yelen looked on as the card mistress murmured something to Xiao Lang. She was so tender with him. Running her fingers through his messy hair. Her lips brushing gently against his forehead as she spoke to him. She was ignoring everyone. Her brother had ordered her to get back into bed. Her friends had tried to get her into the bathroom to change, but nothing. She wouldn't move from his side. Refused to abandon him.
Yelen gave a small smile. The mistress of the cards truly lover her son. Enough to risk her health to be by his side. She motioned for Meilin and Tomoyo to come over and she asked her daughters to close the curtains.
"She can change here, I doubt she's going to give up." She said. The boys outside all tried to see what was going on.
"Don't come in here. She's getting changed." Meilin snapped. In other words she was saying 'stay away you bunch of perverts if you know what's good for you.' (Scratches head. I can just see her saying that.)
"Hey, how come she's getting changed in there? The kid's in there." Touya complained. He sincerely didn't want his Kaijiu in there getting changed, and having the gaki miraculously wake up, seeing her half naked.
"It's not like he can see her." Meilin retorted and went back to helping Tomoyo get Sakura changed.
Sakura didn't argue. She was getting tired of having her friend behind her, making sure no one saw her backside. She wasn't worried about her friends, but what if some random guy came in and saw her. Xiao Lang wouldn't be too happy when he woke up.
Tomoyo had bought her a green set of pajamas. The top was buttoned up and she'd made sure to make it very loose. The pants had a cherry blossom design on the left leg. They were also baggy, so Sakura's injuries wouldn't accidentally brush against the material.
"Thanks Tomoyo." She said, her friend smiled and watched as Sakura went back to caressing Xiao Lang's face.
No one spoke as she sat on the bed. She was careful of his injuries and of hers. The last thing she needed was to hurt him.
"Xiao Lang, I know that you can hear me. You promised me you'd come back to me. I'm holding you to that promise." She whispered, running her hands up his arm. "I'm not leaving you, you have to wake up."
***
"You called my lord?" Bahul walked into the large chamber. It wasn't the first time he'd been there, but this time the atmosphere seemed even darker than usual.
"Tell me, what condition is the card mistress in?" Elsu was standing over an unconscious figure. Anuradha.
"The traitor's venom is affecting her. The bond she has with the warrior is slowing down her healing." Any injury Syaoran had was being passed onto Sakura. That was the side affect of Anuradha's poisons. They burned into the skin creating new injuries until an antidote was found.
"How bad has her condition become?" Elsu looked at Anuradha's body. She was covered in blood. Her clothes were torn and the two snakes were barely moving.
He'd tortured her for days now. Used every known method, she'd been strong. It had taken a while for her to fall unconscious, but now that she was it gave him time to check on his true prize.
"She has a strong spirit, she's also being protected by the warrior. Even in his unconscious state he surrounds her. Though her condition is getting worse. If she doesn't get the antidote soon she'll grow weaker and… she'll die."
Elsu's eyes turned a blood red and he drove a dagger down one of the recoiling snakes. A loud hiss was heard as it wailed in agony.
"How long?" His voice was fierce and cold. His stance was rigid and Bahul could feel his anger. It was enough to cause an earthquake.
"A day. The damage will get worse. She's inherited every bruise and cut the girl gave the wolf. After tonight she'll start to feel the effects of the venom. In two days she'll be unconscious and in the same condition as the boy."
Sakura's condition was well known by Nisha. She'd told him about Anuradha's venom, for emergency's sake. It hadn't been the first time she'd attacked someone she wasn't supposed to.
He stepped back when his master growled. It was a terrifying sound. Demonic and violent. It could bring any warrior to his knees and cower, begging for mercy.
"Get your mistress to retrieve an antidote this second. I don't care how you do it; I want the card mistress alive. Kill whoever you have to. Steal anything you need. Just do it. (M: Nike!) NOW!" Bahul raced out, hearing the crack of a whip as the exited the chamber.
"Mou, what's got him so worked up?" Mei, one of the students asked as she walked up to Bahul.
"None of your business. Fetch my mistress and bring her to the throne room. Master has a job for her. Then stay close. We may need you."
With that he walked off to his room to wait a while. Nisha hadn't been seen all day. He doubted she'd be found for at least another hour.
***
'How ignorant can one being be?' Nisha walked down the hall. She'd been trying to find the little wolf in the astral plains most of the day with no luck. She'd been close to finding him but had been interrupted by one of the students. Telling her that Elsu had ordered her to go talk to Bahul.
Of course she knew about the venom. She knew that in the next twenty four hours Sakura would feel the venom entering her body. She knew that anything the male card captor was feeling was being passed on to his partner.
It wasn't that she didn't care. She needed the card captors alive. She just didn't see the need in having her there. Elsu could have figured out the antidote on his own. The ingredients weren't so hard to find. It was just a matter of mixing Anuradha's blood with some healing herbs and a little of the victims blood to get a good result.
"He's so stupid. Powerful but stupid." She muttered as she entered the master's torture room. Once she'd been drawn to it. Now it disgusted her. Her chambers were of a much higher quality.
She saw her ex-student's body thrown across a raised table. Saw how much torture he'd inflicted. Both artistic and brutal. She had to admit. He did fine work. Also, the girl deserved it. One should never betray the one who raised you.
She'd raised her and she'd betrayed her judgment. That's why she was glad he was torturing her. Otherwise it would disgust her.
It wasn't hard to retrieve some of the blood. She was swimming in it. Elsu had made shallow and deep cuts. Every part of her body was in some way sliced. Holding a small crystal vial, Nisha collected a small amount of the red liquid.
"Lucky for you he doesn't like to torture people when they're unconscious." She whispered to the girl. "You might want to stay like that for a while."
She scratched her nail across the girls face and walked out of the room. It wasn't a good idea to stay there. Elsu might have told them to do anything they had to, but she doubted he wanted them roaming around in his rooms.
"Now for the herbs. Easy. Then to get the blood of the victim. Xiao Lang and Sakura. Not so easy."
Bahul had told her what their master had said and it wasn't a shock. She'd expected him to order it. She'd been prepared. It was the first time that Anuradha's venom had affected two people at once. Well, it was the first time she'd attacked two people who were bonded.
Walking into her chambers she grabbed bottles of grinded herbs and liquids. Dark purples, aqua's, greens, gold. Each labeled in a strange dialect.
With expert precision she began to mix the ingredients. Muttering under her breath about demon ignorance. She still couldn't believe her master was this obsessed. He was ordering them to help the enemy. She did need them alive but it wasn't right.
"If he hadn't interfered in the first place we wouldn't be in this situation right now." She mumbled. Everything was always left to her. Elsu could never do anything on his own.
She mixed the vial of blood in with the rest of the concoction and watched the colors swirl. They were so pretty. So captivating and simple.
"Yes, well life isn't simple anymore is it?" She hissed waiting for everything to mix.
Things had been so simple when they ruled the earth. Mortals took to evil so well. They preferred the lies and violent ways. Not because they were right, but because they were simple. Easy to follow.
People worshiped their gods and went on their way. They paid homage to the demons and celebrated the simple way of life, but then it all changed. They exiled everything that was wicked. Banished their right as rulers.
"Well, that's all going to change." She said. An evil grin spread on her face as the mixture became a dark indigo color. "They're not going to know what hit them."
Picking up a clean vial she poured the liquid inside, careful that every drop fell in.
"Now, to get the blood of the card captors. Not going to be easy. Her damn guardians are there."
Lying down on her bed she pondered the possibilities of getting any samples of the card mistress's blood. The worst part was that both warriors needed the antidote. It was pointless giving it to her and having him pass on more of the venom.
"This is going to be interesting."
(M: wouldn't she pass on the antidote?)(Yeah but the venom is a little stronger.)
***
It was dark.
Dark and cold. There was no wind or air. It was just so cold. Like a cold winters morning. Enough to freeze you to death.
There was no lights, no sounds. It was all so blank. Nothing made sense. He couldn't hear anything, couldn't feel anything.
"Where am I?" His amber eyes looked around his surroundings. It looked like a forest but it was hard to tell. Everything looked dead.
"You're nowhere." A voice called from behind him. He spun around to see a blond girl sitting on a rock.
"I know you." He hissed looking at a snake coil around her waist. "You're the bitch who tried to kill Ying Fa!"
He didn't hide his anger. Because of this girl, he was in a coma and Sakura was badly injured.
"The boy isn't as baka as we thought." Her voice was oozing with sarcasm.
"What do you want?" He glared at her. She smiled at him sweetly and focused her ice blue eyes on the forest.
"Well, I want a lot of things. Doesn't mean I'm going to get them." She traced her fingers over her snake's patterns. "But I'm actually here to help you."
"Why should I believe anything you say?"
"Well, the obvious reason. You don't have a choice." She laughed at the sight of his glare. "You have no idea what the cherry blossom and you are up against."
"What the hell are you talking about?" He was getting impatient.
"Well I won't tell you too much, but I'll tell you this. Your Ying Fa has caught the attention of someone very powerful. Two actually. One wants her for himself. The other wants the both of you."
"Why are you telling me all this?" He didn't trust her.
"Because I want my revenge on him. He did this to me. He is the reason I am what I am. I hate it. I wanted so much and he took it all away because he wanted that bitch instead of me."
Syaoran leaped over to her and slapped her face. His anger was a fever pitch now and he growled at her as he held her down.
"Don't. Ever. Call. Her. That. Again." He said through clenching teeth. No one called Sakura a bitch and got away with it.
"Ok, ok. Don't have a fury attack." She pushed him away and sat back down. "Mou, what is it about this girl that makes all the men go crazy for her?"
She walked over to a tree and closed her eyes.
"Look I really couldn't care less what happens to you and the girl. I'm evil and your good. I honestly hate the both of you, but fate seems to have chosen you."
"Keep talking." He was really annoyed now. She said she was helping. How could you trust someone who tried to kill you?
"What you do with what I'm going to tell you is your choice. If you die its your problem." She opened her eyes to face him. "There is a path that will lead you back to the real world. Right now you're in between the world of light and my universe."
"To get back you have to hide your aura. My ex-mistress is trying to find you. The last thing I want is her finding you."
"I want an honest answer. Why the fuck are you helping me?" He was now in fighting stance. The way she spoke. This wasn't just about revenge.
"Honest answer ay. Never been able to tell the truth but I'll give you the reality check. This is my punishment. I'm damned to walk these plains till the end of time. The catch to that is I have to help you get out of here or I'll be trapped in the masters dungeons for the rest of eternity."
"So if you help me you get out?" He couldn't believe this.
"Exactly. I'm free from the torments of agony." She gave him an evil look. "As kinky as torture is the side effects aren't so arousing."
"You're sick." It was disgusting. She had taken pleasure in torture.
"Thank you. Enough chit chat. I'm bored. I'd also like to get out of here so if you don't mind, follow me."
(Yes, Anuradha's still evil but haven't you noticed that all the bad guys have an altered motive for everything?)
She'd been right. He didn't have a choice. He started to follow her. Noticing how everything was in between life and death.
"Once you reach the gates it will be hard. You're going to have to rely on your bond with the man stealer."
Syaoran decided not to say anything about her comment. He didn't trust her but he really didn't have an alternative. It was go or face death.
His thoughts crossed over to his love. He could feel her pain. Her sorrow. The link they had was becoming physical. Any pain he felt she was feeling. His injuries were becoming hers.
"Xiao Lang, I know that you can hear me. You promised me you'd come back to me. I'm holding you to that promise." He felt her voice call out to him. Her words sent pleasant shivers down his spine. "I'm not leaving you, you have to wake up."
"Humans and their emotions." Anuradha sneered watching his aura glow.
***
'Scratches head.' I have a bit of writers block. So this chapter is not long. (M: phhht you should see my short chapters. They aren't 10 PAGES LONG!) Though I'll have chapter seventeen up soon. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I know it's getting confusing but like I mentioned before none of the bad guys intentions are clear. Everyone is in it for themselves.
Someone asked how many chapters this is going to be. In all honesty I don't know. I can tell you that it's not going to finish tomorrow. We have a LONG way to go. I will finish this story though. I won't leave you all hanging for more than three days. Well hopefully since Max goes back to school and I will feel bad about bothering him when he has homework.
(M: exams now. I'm actually supposed to be studying a year and a half of math work right now. My "ravenous fans" have to wait 3 weeks for the next installment- not that it's anything new… *shuts up*.)
Sigh. I'll take suggestions for anything you might want added. Please review. You know it boosts my writing skills when you do.
Anyway, I'm out of here.
Ja ne minna. (M: I know what that means now!)
Kang
