Daphne: "Hello, all! Well, here is the final chapter...of this story,
anyway. There *will* be a sequel, so read my note at the end of the chapter
to find out more on that! Anyway, I will not hold you in suspense any
longer! Enjoy!"
~*~*~*~
Hogwarts-Sakura Style
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 15.
"Ginny, come here." Ron called in a dangerously serious voice. She had just entered the Gryffindor Common Room, and had found him, Harry, and Hermione bent over a book on one of the back tables. Confused, Ginny made her way over to them.
"Explain." Ron commanded, gesturing towards the open book. Ginny frowned but looked to the page that he was pointing at. Surprisingly, there was a picture of Kero on the page, with an explanation after it. She read:
'...Cerberus's borrowed form, often used when he did not wish to be recognized. It is thought that he was put into the book in this form, but that information is not confirmed...'
"So...?" Ginny questioned, looking puzzled. Hermione glowered at her.
"Ginny! You have mentioned someone named 'Kero', many times in our presence. Who is this 'Kero', exactly?" She snapped. Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Just a stuffed bear that Sakura enchanted to come alive...oh my gosh! What is Kero doing in a book?!" Ginny gasped, looking horrified. The three older people gave each other knowing looks, while the girl groaned.
"We *have* to find Sakura!" She cried, snapping the book shut and rushing from the room.
"Why? What is so important?" Ron yelled, as they chased after her. Ginny sighed and shook her head, continuing on at a run.
"Well, I think that this might be one of the keys that we are missing to solving this whole thing." Hermione whispered back, as she jogged beside her annoyed boyfriend. The four friends rushed down to the Great Hall, only to find it empty.
"She must have already gone outside." Ginny breathed, her voice coming out worried and nervous. Again, they rushed away, into the soggy, early-morning grass of the Hogwarts Grounds.
"Tomoyo!" Ginny yelled, as they ran into the Quidditch Field, panting. The dark haired girl turned away from a woman with short red-brown hair and looked at them in confusion.
"Where is Sakura?" She questioned, as they came up beside her. Ginny paled.
"I thought that she was with you!' She exclaimed. Tomoyo looked nervous.
"Ginny dear! Ron, Harry! Hermione you look wonderful!" Came the voice of Mrs. Weasley. Ginny turned to see her mother hurrying towards them, her arms open wide. Ron winced as his mother hugged him tightly, and then proceeded to smother Ginny, Harry, and Hermione as well. Tomoyo held back a smile when she witnessed this, but her eyes were still worried. Nearby, Syaoran, Eriol, Nakuru and Rika were all talking with a strange, beautiful woman that Harry had never seen before. She had long, luxurious black hair, and sharp black eyes. She was wearing something that looked like a fancy kimono. Behind her stood four brown haired girls, looking slightly subdued; they had obviously been told to stay away from everyone, because Harry guessed that these were the overzealous sisters that Syaoran always talked about.
"Are you sure that she wasn't in the garden?" Tomoyo whispered, as soon as Ginny was out of her mother's grasp.
"Positive. It was just the Great Hall again, nothing special." Ginny replied. By now, Eriol, Rika, Draco, Syaoran, and Neville had joined them, leaving behind confused parents and guardians.
"Where is she?" Syaoran growled, his voice low.
"Syaoran, think! Feel for her." Eriol muttered, closing his eyes and concentrating.
"She's frightened, but near. Something's not right!" Eriol stated, an edge of danger entering his voice. All at once, screams began to echo across the field, as the ground gave a sickening lurch and rolled underneath them.
"EARTHQUAKE!!!" Someone screamed, as people began to fall to the ground because of the shaking. The people who were able to keep their footing tried to run for the exits, but for some reason, they never managed to make it that far. Either the earth would roll them backwards into the field, or they would fall before they got there.
Suddenly, a streak of yellow bolted past several stunned and frightened people, and darted right into the small group of friends.
"HIIRAGIZAWA-SAMA! SAKURA! He took Sakura!" Kero bellowed, ignoring the horrified looks he was getting from the bystanders. Nakuru handed Rose to a horrified Touya, and she, Yukito, and Spinnel rushed over. Again the ground shook, causing more people to fall. By now, Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron were looking at the group in horror, wondering what was going on. The earth rolled again, and the gray clouds in the sky began to swirl ominously. There was a loud rumble, and then a pause, where everything stilled.
"What is happening?" Ginny whimpered. As she said this, the ground gave another terrifying jolt, which knocked everyone to the ground.
"LOOK OUT!" Rika screamed, as a tearing sound was heard. The crowd watched in horror as the very middle of the field began to tear apart and move in separate directions. The rift widened and lengthened, causing several people to jump out of the way and run for cover. The ground rolled again, more violently this time, and the sky darkened to an almost black color. Heat rose from the rift in the field.
"It's cracked all the way down to the mantle!" Eriol managed to croak out, as dust began to sift over them. There was another rumble, and then something appeared in the air. It looked to be a large bubble, but it was solid blue. It drifted down to where the ground had split, and then hovered above it threateningly. For a moment, no one could see anything strange with it, until Eriol allowed himself to concentrate and try to find Sakura's aura again. It was then that he made the horrifying discovery.
"Sakura's in there! She's in the bubble!" He shouted, his voice openly displaying his horror. Syaoran growled and tried to make his way over to the bubble, but the ground rolled once again, throwing him back. Across the field, Tomoyo spotted, Fujitaka, her mother, and Touya looking anxiously at the bubble, and little Rose who was lying in Touya's arms, began to scream her tiny lungs out. Harry looked over and saw that the lovely lady in the kimono and the four girls behind her, were all standing, but looking rather sick and ruffled.
"What's happening?" Neville whispered, as he pulled the frightened Meiling into his arms. His grandmother was lying on the ground, not far away, looking fine but frightened. Harry spotted Remus and 'Snuffles' (Serius) on the other side, near the lady in the kimono, and they looked all right. Professor Figg and her friend, Sophia were right next to Remus, and Professor McGonagle was clinging to Dumbledore's arm for dear life. Mrs. Weasley was clinging to her husband, who in turn, was looking over to make sure his sons were alright. Charlie, Bill, Fleur, Percy, Penelope, George, and Fred were all right, and standing near one of the exits. Other parents and students were laying or standing around the field in disarray, trying to recover from the last earth-roll. Harry saw the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, standing near a group of frightened teachers.
"Nothing good." Was all Eriol could say. All at once, there was another shake, and a high-pitched, evil laugh rang out through the Quidditch Pitch.
"Voldemort!" Harry hissed, knowing that laugh all too well. There was a pop, and then all of the sudden, several dark figures appeared in the middle of the field, grouping near the rift in the earth.
"That is right, Potter." A voice hissed. There were horrified screams and yells that circulated around the field as people began to realize just who it was that was causing this. The dark figures, which turned out to be Death Eaters, moved and spread out, forming a barrier around Voldemort and pointing their wands in all directions. Harry could hear Draco's quick intake of breath, and his angry hiss. He knew that one of those people was his father.
"Give me the cards, Potter." Voldemort hissed, without further ado. Harry frowned in confusion.
"What cards, Voldemort?" He hissed back, with equal venom. Ginny whimpered and he felt her small form press into his back. Beside him, Meiling and Neville were clinging to each other for dear life. Tomoyo was shakily getting up, as Eriol gave her a hand, all the while keeping his eyes on Voldemort. Ron and Hermione were behind him, glaring heatedly at the intruder. It was then that Harry's gaze wandered over to Professor Dumbledore. He was looking grim, and his lips were moving ever so slowly, just enough for Harry to see what he was saying.
"The time has come."
"Don't play stupid with me, boy, or your little friend here will enjoy a nice ride to the depths of the earth!" Voldemort chuckled. Syaoran growled dangerously and tried to break away from Tomoyo and Eriol, who were holding him back.
"What cards, Voldemort?! We have no cards that you would be interested in." Harry spat. He was not aware of Severus Snape, who was creeping up behind him, nor of Draco, who was now coming forward to stand next to Harry. Voldemort smirked and jerked his wand at the bubble, which plummeted dangerously close to the fault. Both Draco and Snape gave growls and pulled out their wands as well, pointing them at Voldemort.
"The Clow Cards, boy. The Clow Cards."
~*~*~*~
Syaoran caught his breath at Voldemort's words and as he watched his beloved drop closer to the fault. All his muscles were screaming at him to run up and save her, but something told him that Voldemort would not stand for his bravery, and might even kill Sakura because of it; Therefore, he stood looking helplessly at the bubble, his heart breaking.
'Syaoran.' A small voice sounded in his head. He ignored it.
'Syaoran!' It was more persistent now, and it sounded familiar like...
"Sakura?!" He choked, looking at the bubble anxiously. There was a pause.
'Listen to me, Syaoran. This bubble is draining my energy. I am going to use 'Through', though, and send two cards out to you. Have Eriol distract him, so I can send them without detection. You will have to use them to get me out of here. From there, we will decide on the rest of the plan. But remember. This is Harry's fight. Don't kill Voldemort. He has to do that himself.' Sakura's voice warned. Syaoran realized that she must be using the voice card.
'I will. Please be careful!' Syaoran warned, using his thoughts to reach her. Something like a laugh flowed through their connection.
'I should be saying the same thing. I love you.' She finished, cutting it off before he could respond.
"I love you, too." He whispered, before leaning over to Eriol.
"Distract him! Sakura has an idea." Syaoran hissed. Eriol caught on and nodded.
"I'll give you to the count of three to tell me where the cards are, before I drop your precious friend into the abyss, Potter." Voldemort spat. Eriol took this as his cue.
"You won't find the cards, Voldemort!" He shouted, stepping in front of Harry. Voldemort's snake-like eyes turned to him and he sneered.
"What do you know, boy?"
"Oh, Eriol! Be careful!" Tomoyo whimpered. Eriol only smirked.
"You just don't understand. You have no idea what you just got yourself into, Voldemort." He chuckled. Now everyone was looking at Eriol as though he were crazy. The young man was acting as if this were all a game!
"You are not worth my time! Malfoy, kill him." Voldemort spat, turning away. One of the dark forms, obviously Draco's father, lifted his wand and pointed it at Eriol. There was a flash of green light and several people screamed. Eriol, however, did not flinch. The green light blasted towards him, but at the last moment, evaporated into nothingness, right in front of him. Voldemort turned when he saw that the boy was still standing, and growled.
"How?!"
"I should think you would know, *Tom Riddle*! You always were smart in school, or so I have heard." Eriol mocked, using Voldemort's true name. Voldemort looked outraged.
"You don't know what you are playing with, boy!" He hissed, his voice promising death. Eriol simply smirked.
"Oh no, Tom. *You* do not know what *you* are playing with." He returned, taking his key out of its confines and holding it in front of him.
"Ruby Moon, Spinnel Sun, I command you to change into your true forms. Cerberus, Yue, change for your mistress's sake." Eriol commanded in a deep voice. A strong wind came up and as the astonished crowd watched, Nakuru and Spinnel began to change into their true forms, Nakuru as her fairy-like self, and Spinnel as his panther-like self. Yukito fainted, and Yue's wings surrounded him. Kero's large wings enveloped him, and when he reappeared, his lion form was in all its glory. Yue too, seemed to almost glow red, with his anger.
They were not the only ones who had changed. Now, Eriol was wearing his dark-blue robes with suns and moons all over it. His hat was nowhere in sight, however. Next to him, Tomoyo stood in a flowing lavender dress that reached to the ground. It had a scooped neck and scooped sleeves, and was easy to move in. Her hair was braided around her head like a crown. Meiling had changed into a flowing red dress similar to Tomoyo's, and her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. Rika could be seen in a blue dress like the other two, and her hair was pulled back into a braid. Syaoran was on Eriol's other side, wearing an outfit similar to the one he had been wearing when he and Sakura had caught the final card.
When Voldemort's attention had been solely on Eriol, Sakura had managed to sneak the two cards out to him. They were the 'Fly' and the 'Erase'. Syaoran knew then, what she wanted him to do. It was risky, but it was the only chance that they had. With a swift motion, Syaoran drew his sword and taped it lightly on the 'Fly' card. He looked back to see two white wings sprouting from his back. With a smirk of satisfaction, he turned his attention back to Voldemort, and waited for his opening.
"WHO ARE YOU?!?!" Voldemort roared, as the growling Kero and Spinnel came into view. Ruby Moon and Yue stood protectively in front of the un-armed part of the group. Syaoran grinned and activated the 'Erase' card.
"OH NO! SAKURA!!!" Tomoyo shrieked, as the bubble disintegrated from around the seemingly unconscious girl. The crowd gasped and watched helplessly as Sakura plummeted into the fault. With one swift movement, Syaoran rocketed from his place and dove into the void after her, among screams and yells from his family, friends and watchers.
"Stupid boy!" Voldemort hissed, turning back around to face Eriol, who was still smirking.
"Oh, no, Tom. Your the stupid one. You see, the moment that you kidnapped that girl, your fate was sealed." Eriol said calmly. Voldemort hissed, his eyes widening in recollection.
"I know you, now. You're Clow Reed!" At his words, Eriol laughed outright.
"Only half of his reincarnated form, Tom. You see, that man over there, Kinomoto Fujitaka, is my other half. And he also happens to be the father of that girl you just kidnapped, Kinomoto Sakura." Eriol chuckled. This brought mixed reactions. For the Card Captor gang, it was no new thing. For the bystanders, it was the shock of a life-time. For Voldemort, it was a horrific joke, made into reality.
"And that girl...the one that you kidnapped..just happened to be..." Eriol said slowly, drawing it out...
"...the Mistress of the Sakura Cards, the evolved form of the Clow Cards."
"SHE'S WHAT?!?!" Voldemort screamed. Even Dumbledore, who usually knew everything, looked astonished. It was at that moment, that a bright light emitted from the crevasse and blinded everyone temporarily. When their vision returned, they were just in time to see a streak of blue-green dart from the fissure and rise into the sky. Then it began to plummet to earth, seemingly unstoppable.
"Now! Shield Card! Light and Dark Cards!" Came Sakura's sweet voice. There was another flash, and then two women appeared next to Eriol, one was almost all black, the other, all white. They bowed to him, and then flowed around the arena, forming a see-through barrier cutting off the bystanders from the Card Captor gang, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Draco.
"Shield! Form a barrier around the Death Eaters and Voldemort!" Sakura yelled. A dome-like thing covered the persons mentioned, just as Syaoran and Sakura landed in front of Eriol. Syaoran was holding his beloved in his arms, while she clung to his neck with one arm. In the other was her staff.
"Meiling, Tomoyo, Neville, Draco, Ron, Hermione, Ginny. I want you all to go into Light and Dark's barrier. You will be safe there." Sakura commanded. Meiling looked as if she were about to argue, but Neville put a finger to her lips and shook his head. With a sigh, she followed him into the barrier, casting a fearful look behind her as she went. Tomoyo, however, shook her head and stepped next to Eriol. Ginny followed her example and took Harry's hand. Ron and Hermione also refused to leave their friends, as did Draco.
"What is this?!" For the first time, Voldemort sounded panicked.
"It will keep your attacks from reaching us, and it will also store up enough energy to kill, if need be." Sakura stated. Several of the Death Eaters had begun to throw curses at the shield, only to have them evaporate into it. Little did they know that it was storing up all their attacks.
"I would stop doing that." Eriol warned; they took no heed.
"All right, then, Harry. It is your turn. Do this for your parents." Eriol said, stepping back a bit, as did Sakura and Syaoran. Harry nodded, and then stepped forward.
"I have only one thing to say. I was willing to let you live, Peter Pettigrew. I was content with having you in jail for what you did to my parents. But I was wrong. You helped to bring Voldemort back to life, and therefore helped in killing hundreds more innocent people. You allowed all of that blame to go to Serius Black, who in reality, was innocent. For that reason do I publicly announce that Peter Pettigrew is at this very moment in that group of Death Eaters, and he is alive and well. May he never kill another person again." Harry shouted, pointing his wand at the shield.
"Avada Kedavra!" Harry shouted. All at once, a green light exploded from the end of his wand, and hit into the shield; this caused cries of immense pain to emit from inside the shield. Ginny whimpered and buried her head in Harry's back. Hermione whimpered and put her face in her hands, while Ron rubbed her back, his face filled with horror. Next to them, Tomoyo sobbed and huddled closer to Eriol, her face hidden in his shirt. Sakura too, buried her face in Syaoran's chest and refused to look at what was happening; Syaoran, however, stood watching with a look of hatred on his face.
"Nothing's happening." He whispered, worry lacing his words. Eriol looked up in shock and then began to back away. Harry, realizing that something was wrong, followed his example, letting his hand drop as he began to nudge Ginny away.
"Run! It is going to explode!" Eriol shouted, pulling Tomoyo into a run. With horrified looks, Yue and Ruby Moon took off into the air, while Cerberus and Spinnel Sun hurried beside their masters.
"It's too late!" Sakura screamed, as a white light filled the stadium, followed by a ear-popping boom. There was a horrifying, high-pitched scream, and the group was tossed to the ground from the impact.
The last thing that Sakura consciously saw, was her own hand hitting the ground in front of her, still clutching the 'Time', 'Return', and 'Erase' cards.
~*~*~*~
*THE END*
...or is it?
SEQUEL!!!!!!!!!!!
Daphne: "Yes, I am telling you, there will be a sequel called 'Leopard Spots and Zebra Stripes'! The sequel will be a bit shorter, I think, but you will like it, I promise!!!! Now...would you like a preview of the new story? I thought so! Here it is, folks, the moment you have all been waiting for!!!!!"
Leopard Spots and Zebra Stripes.
Silence. It was deafening, and yet, it was so familiar.
Cold. No warmth to be found, no comfort, no relief from the feeling of alienation.
Alone. Not a familiar presence in sight, unless you counted the silence...
Fear. 'Where am I?'
~*~*~*~
Hogwarts-Sakura Style
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 15.
"Ginny, come here." Ron called in a dangerously serious voice. She had just entered the Gryffindor Common Room, and had found him, Harry, and Hermione bent over a book on one of the back tables. Confused, Ginny made her way over to them.
"Explain." Ron commanded, gesturing towards the open book. Ginny frowned but looked to the page that he was pointing at. Surprisingly, there was a picture of Kero on the page, with an explanation after it. She read:
'...Cerberus's borrowed form, often used when he did not wish to be recognized. It is thought that he was put into the book in this form, but that information is not confirmed...'
"So...?" Ginny questioned, looking puzzled. Hermione glowered at her.
"Ginny! You have mentioned someone named 'Kero', many times in our presence. Who is this 'Kero', exactly?" She snapped. Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Just a stuffed bear that Sakura enchanted to come alive...oh my gosh! What is Kero doing in a book?!" Ginny gasped, looking horrified. The three older people gave each other knowing looks, while the girl groaned.
"We *have* to find Sakura!" She cried, snapping the book shut and rushing from the room.
"Why? What is so important?" Ron yelled, as they chased after her. Ginny sighed and shook her head, continuing on at a run.
"Well, I think that this might be one of the keys that we are missing to solving this whole thing." Hermione whispered back, as she jogged beside her annoyed boyfriend. The four friends rushed down to the Great Hall, only to find it empty.
"She must have already gone outside." Ginny breathed, her voice coming out worried and nervous. Again, they rushed away, into the soggy, early-morning grass of the Hogwarts Grounds.
"Tomoyo!" Ginny yelled, as they ran into the Quidditch Field, panting. The dark haired girl turned away from a woman with short red-brown hair and looked at them in confusion.
"Where is Sakura?" She questioned, as they came up beside her. Ginny paled.
"I thought that she was with you!' She exclaimed. Tomoyo looked nervous.
"Ginny dear! Ron, Harry! Hermione you look wonderful!" Came the voice of Mrs. Weasley. Ginny turned to see her mother hurrying towards them, her arms open wide. Ron winced as his mother hugged him tightly, and then proceeded to smother Ginny, Harry, and Hermione as well. Tomoyo held back a smile when she witnessed this, but her eyes were still worried. Nearby, Syaoran, Eriol, Nakuru and Rika were all talking with a strange, beautiful woman that Harry had never seen before. She had long, luxurious black hair, and sharp black eyes. She was wearing something that looked like a fancy kimono. Behind her stood four brown haired girls, looking slightly subdued; they had obviously been told to stay away from everyone, because Harry guessed that these were the overzealous sisters that Syaoran always talked about.
"Are you sure that she wasn't in the garden?" Tomoyo whispered, as soon as Ginny was out of her mother's grasp.
"Positive. It was just the Great Hall again, nothing special." Ginny replied. By now, Eriol, Rika, Draco, Syaoran, and Neville had joined them, leaving behind confused parents and guardians.
"Where is she?" Syaoran growled, his voice low.
"Syaoran, think! Feel for her." Eriol muttered, closing his eyes and concentrating.
"She's frightened, but near. Something's not right!" Eriol stated, an edge of danger entering his voice. All at once, screams began to echo across the field, as the ground gave a sickening lurch and rolled underneath them.
"EARTHQUAKE!!!" Someone screamed, as people began to fall to the ground because of the shaking. The people who were able to keep their footing tried to run for the exits, but for some reason, they never managed to make it that far. Either the earth would roll them backwards into the field, or they would fall before they got there.
Suddenly, a streak of yellow bolted past several stunned and frightened people, and darted right into the small group of friends.
"HIIRAGIZAWA-SAMA! SAKURA! He took Sakura!" Kero bellowed, ignoring the horrified looks he was getting from the bystanders. Nakuru handed Rose to a horrified Touya, and she, Yukito, and Spinnel rushed over. Again the ground shook, causing more people to fall. By now, Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron were looking at the group in horror, wondering what was going on. The earth rolled again, and the gray clouds in the sky began to swirl ominously. There was a loud rumble, and then a pause, where everything stilled.
"What is happening?" Ginny whimpered. As she said this, the ground gave another terrifying jolt, which knocked everyone to the ground.
"LOOK OUT!" Rika screamed, as a tearing sound was heard. The crowd watched in horror as the very middle of the field began to tear apart and move in separate directions. The rift widened and lengthened, causing several people to jump out of the way and run for cover. The ground rolled again, more violently this time, and the sky darkened to an almost black color. Heat rose from the rift in the field.
"It's cracked all the way down to the mantle!" Eriol managed to croak out, as dust began to sift over them. There was another rumble, and then something appeared in the air. It looked to be a large bubble, but it was solid blue. It drifted down to where the ground had split, and then hovered above it threateningly. For a moment, no one could see anything strange with it, until Eriol allowed himself to concentrate and try to find Sakura's aura again. It was then that he made the horrifying discovery.
"Sakura's in there! She's in the bubble!" He shouted, his voice openly displaying his horror. Syaoran growled and tried to make his way over to the bubble, but the ground rolled once again, throwing him back. Across the field, Tomoyo spotted, Fujitaka, her mother, and Touya looking anxiously at the bubble, and little Rose who was lying in Touya's arms, began to scream her tiny lungs out. Harry looked over and saw that the lovely lady in the kimono and the four girls behind her, were all standing, but looking rather sick and ruffled.
"What's happening?" Neville whispered, as he pulled the frightened Meiling into his arms. His grandmother was lying on the ground, not far away, looking fine but frightened. Harry spotted Remus and 'Snuffles' (Serius) on the other side, near the lady in the kimono, and they looked all right. Professor Figg and her friend, Sophia were right next to Remus, and Professor McGonagle was clinging to Dumbledore's arm for dear life. Mrs. Weasley was clinging to her husband, who in turn, was looking over to make sure his sons were alright. Charlie, Bill, Fleur, Percy, Penelope, George, and Fred were all right, and standing near one of the exits. Other parents and students were laying or standing around the field in disarray, trying to recover from the last earth-roll. Harry saw the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, standing near a group of frightened teachers.
"Nothing good." Was all Eriol could say. All at once, there was another shake, and a high-pitched, evil laugh rang out through the Quidditch Pitch.
"Voldemort!" Harry hissed, knowing that laugh all too well. There was a pop, and then all of the sudden, several dark figures appeared in the middle of the field, grouping near the rift in the earth.
"That is right, Potter." A voice hissed. There were horrified screams and yells that circulated around the field as people began to realize just who it was that was causing this. The dark figures, which turned out to be Death Eaters, moved and spread out, forming a barrier around Voldemort and pointing their wands in all directions. Harry could hear Draco's quick intake of breath, and his angry hiss. He knew that one of those people was his father.
"Give me the cards, Potter." Voldemort hissed, without further ado. Harry frowned in confusion.
"What cards, Voldemort?" He hissed back, with equal venom. Ginny whimpered and he felt her small form press into his back. Beside him, Meiling and Neville were clinging to each other for dear life. Tomoyo was shakily getting up, as Eriol gave her a hand, all the while keeping his eyes on Voldemort. Ron and Hermione were behind him, glaring heatedly at the intruder. It was then that Harry's gaze wandered over to Professor Dumbledore. He was looking grim, and his lips were moving ever so slowly, just enough for Harry to see what he was saying.
"The time has come."
"Don't play stupid with me, boy, or your little friend here will enjoy a nice ride to the depths of the earth!" Voldemort chuckled. Syaoran growled dangerously and tried to break away from Tomoyo and Eriol, who were holding him back.
"What cards, Voldemort?! We have no cards that you would be interested in." Harry spat. He was not aware of Severus Snape, who was creeping up behind him, nor of Draco, who was now coming forward to stand next to Harry. Voldemort smirked and jerked his wand at the bubble, which plummeted dangerously close to the fault. Both Draco and Snape gave growls and pulled out their wands as well, pointing them at Voldemort.
"The Clow Cards, boy. The Clow Cards."
~*~*~*~
Syaoran caught his breath at Voldemort's words and as he watched his beloved drop closer to the fault. All his muscles were screaming at him to run up and save her, but something told him that Voldemort would not stand for his bravery, and might even kill Sakura because of it; Therefore, he stood looking helplessly at the bubble, his heart breaking.
'Syaoran.' A small voice sounded in his head. He ignored it.
'Syaoran!' It was more persistent now, and it sounded familiar like...
"Sakura?!" He choked, looking at the bubble anxiously. There was a pause.
'Listen to me, Syaoran. This bubble is draining my energy. I am going to use 'Through', though, and send two cards out to you. Have Eriol distract him, so I can send them without detection. You will have to use them to get me out of here. From there, we will decide on the rest of the plan. But remember. This is Harry's fight. Don't kill Voldemort. He has to do that himself.' Sakura's voice warned. Syaoran realized that she must be using the voice card.
'I will. Please be careful!' Syaoran warned, using his thoughts to reach her. Something like a laugh flowed through their connection.
'I should be saying the same thing. I love you.' She finished, cutting it off before he could respond.
"I love you, too." He whispered, before leaning over to Eriol.
"Distract him! Sakura has an idea." Syaoran hissed. Eriol caught on and nodded.
"I'll give you to the count of three to tell me where the cards are, before I drop your precious friend into the abyss, Potter." Voldemort spat. Eriol took this as his cue.
"You won't find the cards, Voldemort!" He shouted, stepping in front of Harry. Voldemort's snake-like eyes turned to him and he sneered.
"What do you know, boy?"
"Oh, Eriol! Be careful!" Tomoyo whimpered. Eriol only smirked.
"You just don't understand. You have no idea what you just got yourself into, Voldemort." He chuckled. Now everyone was looking at Eriol as though he were crazy. The young man was acting as if this were all a game!
"You are not worth my time! Malfoy, kill him." Voldemort spat, turning away. One of the dark forms, obviously Draco's father, lifted his wand and pointed it at Eriol. There was a flash of green light and several people screamed. Eriol, however, did not flinch. The green light blasted towards him, but at the last moment, evaporated into nothingness, right in front of him. Voldemort turned when he saw that the boy was still standing, and growled.
"How?!"
"I should think you would know, *Tom Riddle*! You always were smart in school, or so I have heard." Eriol mocked, using Voldemort's true name. Voldemort looked outraged.
"You don't know what you are playing with, boy!" He hissed, his voice promising death. Eriol simply smirked.
"Oh no, Tom. *You* do not know what *you* are playing with." He returned, taking his key out of its confines and holding it in front of him.
"Ruby Moon, Spinnel Sun, I command you to change into your true forms. Cerberus, Yue, change for your mistress's sake." Eriol commanded in a deep voice. A strong wind came up and as the astonished crowd watched, Nakuru and Spinnel began to change into their true forms, Nakuru as her fairy-like self, and Spinnel as his panther-like self. Yukito fainted, and Yue's wings surrounded him. Kero's large wings enveloped him, and when he reappeared, his lion form was in all its glory. Yue too, seemed to almost glow red, with his anger.
They were not the only ones who had changed. Now, Eriol was wearing his dark-blue robes with suns and moons all over it. His hat was nowhere in sight, however. Next to him, Tomoyo stood in a flowing lavender dress that reached to the ground. It had a scooped neck and scooped sleeves, and was easy to move in. Her hair was braided around her head like a crown. Meiling had changed into a flowing red dress similar to Tomoyo's, and her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. Rika could be seen in a blue dress like the other two, and her hair was pulled back into a braid. Syaoran was on Eriol's other side, wearing an outfit similar to the one he had been wearing when he and Sakura had caught the final card.
When Voldemort's attention had been solely on Eriol, Sakura had managed to sneak the two cards out to him. They were the 'Fly' and the 'Erase'. Syaoran knew then, what she wanted him to do. It was risky, but it was the only chance that they had. With a swift motion, Syaoran drew his sword and taped it lightly on the 'Fly' card. He looked back to see two white wings sprouting from his back. With a smirk of satisfaction, he turned his attention back to Voldemort, and waited for his opening.
"WHO ARE YOU?!?!" Voldemort roared, as the growling Kero and Spinnel came into view. Ruby Moon and Yue stood protectively in front of the un-armed part of the group. Syaoran grinned and activated the 'Erase' card.
"OH NO! SAKURA!!!" Tomoyo shrieked, as the bubble disintegrated from around the seemingly unconscious girl. The crowd gasped and watched helplessly as Sakura plummeted into the fault. With one swift movement, Syaoran rocketed from his place and dove into the void after her, among screams and yells from his family, friends and watchers.
"Stupid boy!" Voldemort hissed, turning back around to face Eriol, who was still smirking.
"Oh, no, Tom. Your the stupid one. You see, the moment that you kidnapped that girl, your fate was sealed." Eriol said calmly. Voldemort hissed, his eyes widening in recollection.
"I know you, now. You're Clow Reed!" At his words, Eriol laughed outright.
"Only half of his reincarnated form, Tom. You see, that man over there, Kinomoto Fujitaka, is my other half. And he also happens to be the father of that girl you just kidnapped, Kinomoto Sakura." Eriol chuckled. This brought mixed reactions. For the Card Captor gang, it was no new thing. For the bystanders, it was the shock of a life-time. For Voldemort, it was a horrific joke, made into reality.
"And that girl...the one that you kidnapped..just happened to be..." Eriol said slowly, drawing it out...
"...the Mistress of the Sakura Cards, the evolved form of the Clow Cards."
"SHE'S WHAT?!?!" Voldemort screamed. Even Dumbledore, who usually knew everything, looked astonished. It was at that moment, that a bright light emitted from the crevasse and blinded everyone temporarily. When their vision returned, they were just in time to see a streak of blue-green dart from the fissure and rise into the sky. Then it began to plummet to earth, seemingly unstoppable.
"Now! Shield Card! Light and Dark Cards!" Came Sakura's sweet voice. There was another flash, and then two women appeared next to Eriol, one was almost all black, the other, all white. They bowed to him, and then flowed around the arena, forming a see-through barrier cutting off the bystanders from the Card Captor gang, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Draco.
"Shield! Form a barrier around the Death Eaters and Voldemort!" Sakura yelled. A dome-like thing covered the persons mentioned, just as Syaoran and Sakura landed in front of Eriol. Syaoran was holding his beloved in his arms, while she clung to his neck with one arm. In the other was her staff.
"Meiling, Tomoyo, Neville, Draco, Ron, Hermione, Ginny. I want you all to go into Light and Dark's barrier. You will be safe there." Sakura commanded. Meiling looked as if she were about to argue, but Neville put a finger to her lips and shook his head. With a sigh, she followed him into the barrier, casting a fearful look behind her as she went. Tomoyo, however, shook her head and stepped next to Eriol. Ginny followed her example and took Harry's hand. Ron and Hermione also refused to leave their friends, as did Draco.
"What is this?!" For the first time, Voldemort sounded panicked.
"It will keep your attacks from reaching us, and it will also store up enough energy to kill, if need be." Sakura stated. Several of the Death Eaters had begun to throw curses at the shield, only to have them evaporate into it. Little did they know that it was storing up all their attacks.
"I would stop doing that." Eriol warned; they took no heed.
"All right, then, Harry. It is your turn. Do this for your parents." Eriol said, stepping back a bit, as did Sakura and Syaoran. Harry nodded, and then stepped forward.
"I have only one thing to say. I was willing to let you live, Peter Pettigrew. I was content with having you in jail for what you did to my parents. But I was wrong. You helped to bring Voldemort back to life, and therefore helped in killing hundreds more innocent people. You allowed all of that blame to go to Serius Black, who in reality, was innocent. For that reason do I publicly announce that Peter Pettigrew is at this very moment in that group of Death Eaters, and he is alive and well. May he never kill another person again." Harry shouted, pointing his wand at the shield.
"Avada Kedavra!" Harry shouted. All at once, a green light exploded from the end of his wand, and hit into the shield; this caused cries of immense pain to emit from inside the shield. Ginny whimpered and buried her head in Harry's back. Hermione whimpered and put her face in her hands, while Ron rubbed her back, his face filled with horror. Next to them, Tomoyo sobbed and huddled closer to Eriol, her face hidden in his shirt. Sakura too, buried her face in Syaoran's chest and refused to look at what was happening; Syaoran, however, stood watching with a look of hatred on his face.
"Nothing's happening." He whispered, worry lacing his words. Eriol looked up in shock and then began to back away. Harry, realizing that something was wrong, followed his example, letting his hand drop as he began to nudge Ginny away.
"Run! It is going to explode!" Eriol shouted, pulling Tomoyo into a run. With horrified looks, Yue and Ruby Moon took off into the air, while Cerberus and Spinnel Sun hurried beside their masters.
"It's too late!" Sakura screamed, as a white light filled the stadium, followed by a ear-popping boom. There was a horrifying, high-pitched scream, and the group was tossed to the ground from the impact.
The last thing that Sakura consciously saw, was her own hand hitting the ground in front of her, still clutching the 'Time', 'Return', and 'Erase' cards.
~*~*~*~
*THE END*
...or is it?
SEQUEL!!!!!!!!!!!
Daphne: "Yes, I am telling you, there will be a sequel called 'Leopard Spots and Zebra Stripes'! The sequel will be a bit shorter, I think, but you will like it, I promise!!!! Now...would you like a preview of the new story? I thought so! Here it is, folks, the moment you have all been waiting for!!!!!"
Leopard Spots and Zebra Stripes.
Silence. It was deafening, and yet, it was so familiar.
Cold. No warmth to be found, no comfort, no relief from the feeling of alienation.
Alone. Not a familiar presence in sight, unless you counted the silence...
Fear. 'Where am I?'
~*~*~*~
