Yawns, morning minna. How did everyone like the last chapter? I know it was a little confusing but I had a case of writers block. It happens sometimes. Anyway, So far The bad guys are 'helping' our hero's. Syaoran is trying to get back into the conscious world. Touya is really pissed that his sister won't leave Xiao Lang's bed. (I hope no one is thinking that way.)(M: only me I'm sure). Well I could say more but then I'd loose my reputation of being evil.
Oh yeah. I got into the semi finals of the poetry competition in poetry.com. I'm so hyped about that. I got the letter yesterday. 'Jumps around like an idiot' I could win a thousand dollars.
Anyway. I'm going to let you guys read.
Enjoy.
***
"Come on Sakura." Yukito, Eriol, Touya and her father were all trying to lift Sakura out of Xiao Lang's bed. She'd fallen asleep ten minutes ago and they'd decided to get her back into her bed.
"I really don't think that's going to work." Kero said. He was sitting near the Li sisters playing on his portable game set. He knew better than to move his mistress.
"She has to rest." Touya argued. Sakura had a firm grip on both Syaoran's arm and the side of the bed. She was completely knocked out but subconsciously she knew what was going on.
"Well if she's comfortable there, then leave her." Tomoyo and Meilin retorted at the same time. Fu and Jin had gone back to the hotel to check on the others and to tell them of their friends condition.
"Leave Ying Fa there. Little brother looks so content with her there. Look how kawaii they look." Fuutie said. She was worried for her young brother. He was apparently healing better than the card mistress.
Still he hadn't woken up.
"Fine, we'll leave them there."
The four sisters were sitting on extra seats. It had taken two trips to get enough chairs for everyone.
"Poor little brother. I hope he wakes up soon. It would be no fun without him."
"He'll wake up. He'd hate to miss out on all the cuddling Ying Fa has been doing." The four women giggled at the thought of Syaoran waking up with Sakura in his arms.
Everyone in the room had to smile at the image. Well almost everyone. Touya didn't care if the brat was in a coma. His sister was still being taken away because of him.
"Oooh. It would be so kawaii if he woke up right now and saw her like that." Fei Mei said happily. Luckily for them, Yelen was speaking to one of the doctors.
"It would be so kawaii if we could get it all on tape." Fuutie sighed. Tomoyo just grinned and watched her best friend move closer to the unconscious warrior.
'You better wake up Li-kun. For your own good. For Sakura's too.'
"Excuse me?" Everyone turned around to see a girl standing in the doorway. Her hair had been platted into pigtails and she wore a pair of loose pants and a tank top.
"Fey. What are you doing here?" Meilin asked nicely. Fey smiled and looked around the room.
"Well I heard what happened and I thought I'd come see how they were. Cade is downstairs." She looked at them strangely. "I thought only two people were allowed in the intensive care unite at a time."
"Hehe, well you see. They let us all be here." Everyone looked at her nervously. They weren't about to explain Eriol's actions.
"That's really weird. Korea is really different than the States." She walked in with a small bag at her side.
"What you got there Fey?" Kero asked curiously. He smelt food.
"Oh, this? Its nothing much. Just something we cooked for Sakura and Li, and something my mom gave me."
Lifting the bag to the small table on Sakura's bed she revealed three containers of different foods. (All western foods.) She then lifted a glass bottle that had a purple liquid in it.
"Um, Fey? What is that?" Tomoyo looked at the purple liquid strangely.
"Oh this is what my mom gave me." Her accent made her sound almost cheeky. "It's something to help the healing process."
"That doesn't look very drinkable." Fei Mei said looking at the liquid.
"Don't worry its got cherry flavor." She smiled sweetly. Everyone noticed how innocent her smile looked. (Looks can deceive.) "My mom used to give us this all the time. You mix it into some juice and drink it. Though I don't think they can drink it right now."
Everyone looked over at the couple. Syaoran was definitely going to be out for a while. Sakura didn't look too good. Her face had paled over the last hour and she looked dehydrated. She still hadn't eaten.
'Damn it. The venom is working faster than it should.' Fey's eyes turned a clear silver for just a moment. They changed back to their normal color before anyone could notice.
Looking at the door she saw a blond haired boy walk into the room. He doesn't talk, just signals for her to follow him outside.
"Hey guys. I'll be right back. Cade wants something." She smiled at them and walked outside the room.
"Did you get it?" She asked the tall boy. He stared at her for a moment then an evil smile crossed his face.
"Piece of cake. You'd be surprised how well mortal women take to this form." His voice was low and intimidating. It was probably the reason he didn't talk too much.
Looking down at the bottle, Fey pulled open the lid. Luckily no one was looking their way as Cade added small drops of red liquid.
"They had the blood samples on the table. The doctor must've been looking over them."
"Are you sure these are the right ones? If you got the wrong ones I swear I'll have you chained to my torture chamber for the rest of eternity." She hissed.
"Don't worry mistress. They're the right ones. I made sure to check." He wore a devilish smirk on his face.
"Sometimes I wonder if you've got an ounce of sanity. Then I remember who your parents are, and realize there's no chance." She sighed and went back to the room, Cade tagging along.
"Sorry about that." She said happily as the group of people turned to look at them. It was obvious they'd all been quiet in her absence. The girls and Yukito all smiled at her. Eriol and Kero looked at the two Americans strangely. Touya just scoffed.
She placed the bottle on Sakura's side table and placed the food back in the bag.
"I really hate hospital food so I thought I'd bring her some real food. When she wakes up I bet she'll be hungry."
"Fey, we have to go. Xam will want to see you later." Fey gave him a 'will you just shut up' look and said good-bye to the group.
Cade followed her without another word. When the door was closed Fey gave him a degrading look.
"You know, you are a bane of your existence. I have to wonder why I even brought you along for this." She said walking down the hall
"Hmm, probably cause you didn't have a choice." He said with a leer.
"Come on, like you said, the master will want to see us."
"You think they have a clue about what's going on?"
"Nope." With that both figures disappeared into nothingness.
***
Years had gone by. Or was it seconds? Time was irrelevant here. It had no meaning. The two figures stood at a large gateway. One with a determined look on his face. The other a dark smile plastered on her face.
"Well little wolf. You're on your own now. I've taken you as far as I can. Now it's up to you and the other side to get past the gates."
It had been her duty to escort him here. She'd been nothing but trouble. They'd taken wrong turns, fallen into more dangers. She'd made his life a living hell. She'd purposely taken her time deciding which roads to take.
"It's about time. I hope I never have to see you again." He said evenly. He wasn't lying. He'd had enough of her and had to stop himself numerous times from using his sword on her.
"Aw. You're not going to miss me?" She said mockingly. She'd been dong that the whole trip. There wasn't a moment she hadn't taunted him. She'd called him names. Picked on him about the way he acted. Abused him verbally and even physically at times. Insulting Sakura seemed to be her favorite pass time.
"No." The answer was simple.
She laughed at him evilly and started to walk away.
"You have no idea what you're up against little warrior. You'll find out soon though. Oh by the way, send my regards to Elsu when you see him." With that she disappeared.
He stared expressionlessly towards the gates. What did she mean? It was another thing he hated about her. Yes, hated. She never gave clear meanings. Always spoke cryptically unless it was to insult him or his Ying Fa. The other thing he couldn't understand was Elsu. She constantly muttered his name as if it was a curse. Glancing up at the metal gates he wondered how he was supposed to get through.
There was no doorway. The metal was too strong to break and it was impossible to go through the bars because of a shield.
'Well I could try to go over it.' Walking closer to the metal bars he surveyed how high it was. Amazingly it wasn't extremely high. Nothing he hadn't jumped before.
Stretching his muscles he leapt up grabbing onto the top rails. It wasn't too hard to get up. The problem was getting down.
Hidden from view was a drop three times as far as the gate. With a pool of tar at the bottom. (I really didn't want to use the crocodiles or the fiery pits of hell. I thought I'd give them a vacation. All I had left was the tar.)(M: Good choice)
There was no other way around it. No bridges. No stairs. Absolutely nothing. The only way to get across was to jump over. It was a long jump.
"What I wouldn't give to have the jump card with me." He muttered. This wasn't going to be an easy task. Whoever built this place sure knew how to make a warriors life difficult.
'Now it's up to you and the other side to get past the gates.' The words suddenly rung through his ears. What did she mean by that. He knew he couldn't get past the gate that easily but why was it up to the other side. Who were the other side?
Sighing he sat on the gate. Amazingly the shield didn't affect him. It wasn't possessed by any magic. It was just there to make things difficult.
He knew Sakura was waiting for him. He could sense her. He felt her aura close by. She wasn't doing very well. He needed to get back. To protect her, keep her safe.
"How am I going to get through this? It's almost impossible to get across." He growled into the air. A cold wind blew his unruly hair as he cursed and muttered.
He looked down at the heated tar. It started to bubble as the heat rose. It looked almost alive as he watched it rise a little higher.
'That doesn't look right.' He thought, the tingling sense of danger swirling in the back of his mind igniting as a swirl of color moved through the boiling tar. 'That really doesn't look good.'
The colors continued to move as he stares carefully into the thick black sea of slime. The bubbles began to burst from the temperature and Syaoran started to feel the looming fog rise above the gates.
Suddenly the tar became still. An eerie silence filled the air as he focused his senses on his surroundings.
It felt calm. Not the peaceful calm though. It felt unnatural. Disturbing. Like the stillness before the storm.
He cleared his mind completely and felt, rather than saw, something moving from the depths of the tar.
A blur of red suddenly shot up as the area erupted like a volcano. The tar started to rise above the gates and Syaoran took a fighting stance.
This was definitely not good.
He stared at the ocean of black as it crashed against the walls of the other side of the large molt. The bursting bubbles made deafening noises as they exploded. The tar oozed all over the gates making Xiao Lang tense up. It was getting hotter by the minute and he knew that tar was scorching. One touch and he'd have scars for the rest of his life. That was, if he survived.
Looking up at the falling ooze he noticed shades of red appearing as the tar fell back into the pit. Red like blood. A shape started to form in front of him. He squinted his eyes slightly and saw something that looked like. A wing?
As he continued to look at the shapes forming, another wing appeared. They were immense. It looked as if it had been cut with the sharpest sword available. The top edges were slightly curved and were split in the middle, creating a spiked effect. The bottom was an arched form and was cut evenly into five slits.
He watched as the creature stretched out. Its body was small compared to the wings. They must have been three times the body's size. Its head was flat with bumps forming from its forehead. At first glance it looked like a baby dinosaur but when you looked closer you saw that it was very different.
Its teeth were sharp. Like those of a vampire. Looking at its eyes, you could see the strange color of mustard yellow. (Don't look at me. Max suggested it. He said, Mc Donald mustard yellow.)(M: lol)
Xiao Lang stayed still as the tar dripped off the red creature. Red? No it wasn't red. Looking closer he noticed that only parts of it were red. The rest was TRANSPARENT! His eyes went wide, watching the creature shake off the boiling ooze. It was definitely transparent. The red he had seen were in fact veins full of blood. All of them full of life giving liquid.
"What is that?" He screamed out loud. There was no response except the animal's earth shattering roar. Holding onto the gates Syaoran called out his sword. Looking back up he saw the dragon like animal flap its immense wings. In one powerful thrust it had shaken all of the tar off itself. Now floating in the air, it showed its true self. Syaoran had to squint to see the outline. The only visible evidence to show that the creature was actually there were the veins and mustard eyes.
With his sword in his hand Syaoran stood up and stared at the monster with impassive eyes. He had to be calm about this. He'd need all his strength to get passed this thing. He might even be able to use it to get across.
The monster let out another roar and dove towards Xiao Lang.
***
She was restless, hungry, tired, and anxious. She felt everything her partner did and she knew that right now he was in danger. She didn't care how good a fighter he was. She was terrified.
She hadn't left his bed yet. It didn't matter that it was incredibly uncomfortable; the beds weren't exactly made for two. (M: *smirks*) She avoided the aching pain her body screamed out. She didn't want to leave her warrior's side. She needed him to be safe and sound. For the first time it wasn't Xiao Lang looking out for Sakura. It was the other way around.
Sakura had been awake for five minutes and already everyone was ordering her back into bed. She refused every order and turned on her side. A very painful move. Her arm still hadn't healed so she rested it comfortably across her love's chest. Her other arm was pressed beneath her.
"Sakura will you at least have something to eat? Fey brought you some food so you don't have to eat any of the stuff the hospital serves." Tomoyo pleaded. Her friend looked very hungry but had refused to eat anything the hospital had to offer. (I don't blame her. I hate hospital food too. Mom used to sneak me in REAL food.)(M: Life's too short to eat bad pasta huh babes?)
Sakura was about to say no when her stomach answered for her. She was really hungry. It had been at least four days since she'd last eaten. The first three she'd been unconscious, but now she was awake.
"Well I guess I could eat something." She reluctantly got off the bed and slumped back to her side of the room. Everyone except Meilin and Tomoyo left to get some food. The girls had decided to stay with the card mistress.
"This looks really good. I've never tried western food though." Meilin said looking at the assortment of food. There was a container of pasta. Wrapped in plastic were turkey sandwiches (Max was eating some when I wrote this.) In a smaller container was a batch of fresh strawberries with a little can of wiped cream.
Unwrapping the plastic, Sakura took out one of the sandwiches. She looked it over carefully before taking a small bite out of the side. Fey had cut off the crusts. Chewing it cautiously she smiled and took another bite.
"This is really good." (M: damn straight! Go TURKEY!) She said as she chewed the sandwich. Tomoyo had grabbed the little plastic bowl and put some pasta into it. She was now eating it with a satisfied look on her face. Meilin was eating another of the sandwiches.
The three girls were quietly eating the food. Too hungry to think of anything to say. Half the food was gone, but Sakura was still hungry. She looked down at the pasta and started to eat it.
"Sakura, maybe you should stop eating. I mean we've eaten a lot already." Tomoyo said, watching her friend 'pull a Kero'.
"I'm still kind of hungry. I haven't eaten anything in the last four days." She finished off the pasta and looked at the strawberries. "Do you guys want some?"
"Sure" Both girls picked some strawberries and dipped them into the wiped cream that Sakura had placed on the lid. (Uh oh.)(M: *wants to see some whip cream action dammit*)
The strawberries were fresh and had a natural sweetness to them. They were a beautiful shade of red and were big and ripe. Some of the juice fell down Sakura's jaw.
Giggling she reached out for her cup. She felt a little lightheaded and thirsty. There were no drinks in the bag, and the two girls with her were all laughing uncontrollably. The only thing Sakura could find to drink was the glass bottle full of purple liquid.
"Sakura, *giggles* You can't have that. *Snorts* you have to have it with juice." Tomoyo managed to say. They felt strange. Somehow giddy.
"Well then can one of you go get some? I'm really thirsty." She looked at the flask intently. Her giggle spell had worn off and she really wanted something to drink.
"Ok. *Snort* I'll go." Meilin said, getting up from her seat. She walked out of the room and down the hall to the one of the vending machines.
Tomoyo continued to laugh and Sakura was getting worried. She didn't feel light headed anymore. Just thirsty. She looked over at Syaoran and suddenly had a great idea.
Getting out of bed she walked over to his bed. She wasn't in control of her own body as she reached up for the IV tube. Studying it intently she noticed a place she could insert a needle. She didn't have one right now but she knew that she could get one easily.
Looking over at Tomoyo, she saw her best friend still in a fit of giggles. She was turning a little blue because she couldn't breathe properly.
Turning her attention back to Syaoran, she tried to find a clear needle. There were none. The nurses had taken them to another room. Sighing she turned to the door and started walking towards the storage room.
Amazingly, no one noticed her. It was a short walk since she was very close to the room. She opened the door and walked in unnoticed. The nurses seemed very preoccupied with a new patient who had been in a car accident. No one was paying much attention to anything else.
(M: *will let this slide b/c he's already been enough of an ass*)
She looked around. Pills, liquids, files, sedatives. Everything a hospital could offer. Every draw was labeled, and it wasn't hard to find the draw that held the needles. It, unfortunately, was locked. She didn't have a key. Sighing in frustration she started to pull at the drawer. Her frustration grew when she couldn't get it open. Letting out a low growl she pulled harder. Her hand gripping it firmly she pulled at it with all her strength. Surprisingly it broke and she grabbed one of the packets.
Not stopping to think how she got the drawer opened she raced back to her room. Tomoyo was now fast asleep on the chair. She must have laughed so hard she passed out. Meilin was still not back with the drinks, so it would give her enough time to get the job done.
Her hands moved on their own. After opening the bottle of purple liquid she jammed the needle in letting it drink up half of the juice. (The bottle isn't very big.) She watched as the needle filled up.
Closing her eyes, she grabbed the IV once again and started to inject the fluid into the tubes.
Purple started to form inside the thin tubing and entered Syaoran's body. She watched as it disappeared into his arm. She was suddenly fascinated with it. She watched until it was all gone.
Placing the cap back on the bottle she walked back to her bed and waited for Meilin as if nothing had happened. The bottle was now half full and she was still thirsty.
Meilin walked into the room with three cans. A coke, sprite and juice. She saw Tomoyo asleep and giggled. Sakura suddenly snapped out of her trance and smiled at Meilin.
"She fell asleep laughing." She told the Chinese girl. They both started to giggle again and Meilin poured the juice into Sakura's cup.
"You should drink the stuff now. Fey said it would make you feel better." With a simple nod, Sakura added the purple drink to her apple juice.
The colors mixed till it was a lighter shade of purple. Reluctant at first, Sakura took a small sip of the drink. Testing the flavor, she frowned in concentration. She couldn't put her finger on the taste at first but realized that it was a mix of cherry and the apple juice.
Her thirst winning over her doubts, Sakura gulped down the drink before noticing Meilin had also fallen asleep.
"Guess I'm on my own." She whispered and looked over at Syaoran.
***
"Are you sure this will work?" Bahul sat on his mistress's bed, watching as she floated a blue ring in the air.
"I told you it will. I took it off the night stand when we were at the hospital." The ring glowed a light pink as it floated.
"So she's placed the cure in his body?" He stretched out and watched Nisha move around.
"Yes. I also added something to her food." She had a smirk on her face as she said it.
"What did you do?" Bahul knew that smirk. It meant trouble.
"Well, I added something that would make things go our way." She stated.
"What are you talking about?" Nisha moved over to him and whispered into his ear. The soldier couldn't help but laugh. "You do realize her friends have also eaten the food." Nisha just nodded and continued to float the ring.
"It won't affect them the same way. The whole process won't take effect right a way. It will take time but in the end, the results will be worth it."
"And the other two?" The ring suddenly stopped glowing and fell to the floor.
"Let them do as they please." She picked up the ring and placed it on a table.
"What about Li? You told me that the traitor helped him through. Why?" He sat back up as Nisha practiced with her sword.
"Oh, she's trying to escape her fate. By helping the warrior she earns praise with fate. It doesn't mean she'll escape though." She continued to strike at the air. "He's at the gate. I suppose he's met his opponent. The antidote will help him get through now. The rest is up to him."
"What if he doesn't make it?" He got up and grabbed another sword. He stood in front of Nisha. "You know that the guardian of the gates is strong. What if the little wolf fails?"
"He won't." She suddenly swings her sword towards him. Dodging it easily he returned the attack and they began to spar.
"What about the cards?" He lifted his sword up and lunged at her.
"I'll release them soon enough. They'll attack when they feel fit to."
"If they're sealed, what happens?" Nisha did a half turn and kicked her leg outwards.
"She keeps them."
The continued to fight. Neither giving up. Both holding a glint of determination in their eyes.
"You've made a terrible mistake." He commented.
Suddenly, Nisha kicked the sword out of Bahul's hands and flipped him onto his back. Standing on his legs, she brought the sword to his neck.
"Don't defy me. I know what I'm doing." He started to get nervous. He knew she wouldn't hesitate to cut his head off.
"Forgive me mistress." She took the sword away and got off him.
"The wolf will get through. His cherry blossom is helping him. She doesn't even know it."
***
Xiao Lang jumped up again. Avoiding another attack. He'd been running back and forward for a long time now. He'd discovered the monsters hidden attack. Fire.
It didn't throw it like Kero did. Just by looking at an object and it burst into flames. Its mustard eyes glowed after each attack.
Syaoran had dodged the fire so many times now and the gate's guardian wasn't about to give up. He'd called forth his sword and tried numerous times to strike but each time he hit thin air. Every time he'd go to attack the monster would camouflage itself against its surroundings.
It was getting frustrating. He needed to get through the gate and he couldn't. Whoever created this creature had been very detailed with his work. The guardian was small for agility but powerful in its attacks.
"Thunder, come to my aid." He called out as a thunderbolt hit close to where the guardian was. The attack hit its tail and it cried out in pain.
'Not so perfect after all.' He thought and leaped towards the ground. The gates weren't the best place to be and he'd have a better chance of succeeding if he was on solid ground.
The guardian dove down on the warrior and his eyes glowed as the launched another attack. The ground behind Xiao Lang burst into flames and he was forced to move forward.
Hitting himself against the gates he felt the pain of the electrical field. Every cell in his body felt the pain as he went on his knees. Though he felt something else.
The bond between himself and Sakura suddenly felt clearer. More open. She was calling out to him. She'd given him something. Something to make him stronger. Her own injures felt less painful through their connection.
Opening his eyes he saw his opponent less than five meters away from him. Its eyes completely dilated it let out a roar. The wind blew Syaoran's hair right back.
The guardian stood there ready to attack. It wasn't going to allow anyone through the gates. It was its purpose.
Getting up from the ground Syaoran stared straight into the guardians eyes. He needed something to at least knock him out.
"Wind, come to my aid." He called out. The gusting wind wrapped around the monster. It cried out in frustration as Syaoran avoided another burst of fire.
"I need the cards." He hissed. The sleep card would be perfect. It would knock the creature out long enough for him to figure out a way to get across the gate.
As if hearing his calls, a card formed in his hand. He stopped moving and turned the card over. It was sleep. But how?
Before he could figure it out the guardian of the gate got free from winds bonds. Letting out a battle cry it raced over to Xiao Lang.
Moving to the side he barely escaped the monsters blow. He called out for another card and it appeared in his hand. He didn't care how it was happening. He would worry about all that later. Right now he needed to get out of this.
Quickly flipping the card over he saw the picture of windy. Throwing the card up into the air he let the tip of his sword touch the card. Calling it out, he ordered it to bind the guardian who attacked him.
Windy obeyed immediately and started to bind the gate's guardian. Screeching and violently attacking the guardian created circles of fire in anger. Syaoran dodged the enraged attacks
Taking the opportunity, Syaoran threw the sleep card towards the beast calling out the card. The card took on its fairy form and covered the guardian with its sleep powder.
At first it didn't look like it was taking effect. The monster kept kicking and screeching. Its attacks kept burning everything in sight. Then it started to slow down. Ever so slowly the attacks became weaker.
The roars became whimpers and the beast fell to the ground completely knocked out. Its transparent form showed to show circulation of its blood.
"I guess now I can get through." He muttered. The guardian wrapped its immense wings around itself as windy released it.
The minute that occurred the gates started to shake. Syaoran called back the cards and watched as everything started to shift.
The gate's guardian disappeared and a large door appeared in front of him. A long bridge had emerged from the door way and it was obvious that it was unlocked.
Cautiously the Li warrior walked over to the grand gates, studying it carefully. The last thing he needed was another trap. It seemed safe enough.
The door opened slightly giving him access to the bridge. He slowly stepped through holding the two star cards in his hand. Gently pushing his sword into the bridge he checked if it was an illusion. It was completely solid.
Looking over the bridge he saw another door. This one was a lot smaller and was already open. It was too easy. Well he had spent a lot of time trying to stay alive. 'Who ever built this place must have been relying that the guardian did his job.'
Closing his eyes he started to walk over the bridge. It was safe so far. He hadn't tripped and nothing had attacked him.
Reaching the door he took a deep breath. He didn't know where it would lead him. He didn't know what awaited him on the other side but what choice did he have.
He started to walk through the door.
***
FINALLY. Cliffhanger I know. This is what is called an intermission chapter. They are really hard to write. Doesn't help that I've been so busy. The plot is thickening and I have a few variations on what could happen. I'm not sure but I might up the rating in a few chapters to come. I'm still indecisive about that. (M: Up the rating. You KNOW you want to.)
Anyway I'm going to go watch Dogma now. I wonder if I can burn it onto my computer. Well I'll talk to you guys in the next chapter. Remember to review.
Ja ne.
Kang
(M: I have to apologize for the length of the wait for this chapter. It's my fault. If anyone wants to kill someone, I'm your man. I don't suppose I can hide behind the 'I'm sick' defense? Didn't think so.)
