Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura
Summary: It is the story about a girl called Sakura who falls in love with a boy who saves her life (Syaoran). Unknown to her, Syaoran has a secret! By daylight he is the cold, handsome boy Syaoran, but by nightfall, immersed in the enchantment of moonlight he becomes the mysterious white wolf of the forest. Will Sakura learn of Syaoran's secret before all hope is lost?
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DM:
Hi- dee- ho fellow fan ficcers!!
As you're all aware, I usually use this space to respond to some of the individual reviews and questions I receive… Seeing as we're just SO close to the end of this story and most of the questions were answered somehow in this chapter…I thought I'd refrain from answering them today ^_~
However, I extend the usual thanks to all of my readers and my chapter 12 reviewers:
AnimeObsessionFantasy, cherrixwolf, cherryblossom91, cherryblossomprincess, Crazy cherry, Dragonstar03, Digidynasty, fruitz- kandi, GodsGirl7, heheangel kisses, Hououza, Julia and Tania, Kali Kamiya, kawaii neko, Kawaii- Syaoran, Lisa Oceans Potter, Little Wolf LOVER, maru, Mystic Moon Empress, NaStUkO- ChAn, neofilly, QTKawaii25, Risa- sama, Sakura Blossom- Cilla- 85:P, Sterling- Silver66, Syaoran- Lover, whiteil, WhiteLiliesWithAScar
Enjoy the new chapter!
Much love,
Dandy 3
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Chapter 13:
Sakura floated, adrift in white-washed ambiance as though she were a feathery air particle in a warm sea of light. Then, as one might emerge from sleep or as if from a waking dream, the white evaporated like a lifting veil of fog and Sakura's feet made contact with an invisible surface.
It was at once a strange and beautiful place that she had stumbled upon; a kind of vast, star filled chamber of deep black space cluttered in every direction to form a labyrinth of degrading grey stone. There were broken pillars and crumbling, jagged blocks of rock cut into thousands of enormous rings that reminded Sakura of the decaying Gates of Lehn.
"What is this place?" Sakura whispered as Ruby Moon floated soundlessly to her side.
"This is The Y'ahhoe Corridor. The gateway of every dimension in the universe is located here. It is the Central realm," Ruby Moon murmured serenely.
"Every…dimension…" Sakura echoed with awe. There had to be some billion stars and gates suspended here in dark void.
"Yes. Anyone who wishes to cross into another realm from their own must come here; to the place where all realms are connected."
"I see," Sakura mused, reaching out to touch the cool surface of one of the broken stone pillars.
She noticed that many of the rings were not lying horizontally like the Gates of Lehn but were positioned upright and resembled round stone archways. Others, as with the stars, were suspended beneath her feet and others jutted out at odd angles or were even placed upside down. She wondered what kinds of terrifying and wonderful dimensions they belonged to.
A cool, soft hand touched Sakura's shoulder and interrupted her thoughts.
"My Master awaits you," Ruby Moon said softly.
For several moments, Sakura followed the elegant winged woman as she weaved quickly through the ancient stone blocks, floating in their mysterious star- spangled gloom. At one point, she had almost lost sight of Ruby Moon and panicked, wondering how on earth she would ever find her way home. The guardian reappeared a moment later and urged Sakura to make haste…which she did of course, for fear of becoming lost ever again.
Before too long, they had arrived in front of a fairly ordinary looking stone archway and Sakura watched as Ruby Moon reached out with a feminine hand and rested it on its smooth grey surface. She then closed her eyes as though in tranquil concentration and in an instant, the entire stone ring shuddered. Pale white light, surprisingly tactile and plasma- like, rippled out from the inner edges of the arch and filled the once empty space within the ring with shimmering liquid light.
Sakura turned and looked at the winged guardian with uncertainty. Ruby Moon gave a faint smile and bowed.
"This is where I leave you, Miss Kinomoto," said Ruby Moon gently, "I will be waiting here for your return."
Before Sakura could say another word, the elegant winged guardian had vanished into thin air. Sakura swallowed hard, feeling all at once anxious and terrified. As before, she took a steadying breath and stepped forward through the archway and its glowing, rippling contents.
…
"Welcome Kinomoto- san. I've been expecting you," came a soft, masculine voice.
Sakura spun around in alarm, trying to find the direction in which the voice had spoken.
It seemed that she was standing in a wide dim hall, lit from its grey stone floors to its high peaked ceiling with simple candles; flickering faintly in their holsters on the spartan stone walls. For all the grandness that a room of such dimensions might potentially have, like that of a ballroom or dining hall of a castle, the room was relatively modest with all but some thick blue drapes on the large windows and the embroidered rugs that were hung on the wall in an attempt to permeate the cold. At the far end of the room however, there was a blazing fireplace crackling with warmth, a couple of wooden book shelves and two large matching red armchairs.
One of the chairs was occupied.
"Come Kinomoto-san, don't be afraid," came the soft, deep voice again. It had a touch of amusement to it. "May I call you Sakura?"
The figure raised a silhouetted hand from the armrest of the chair and made a faint beckoning motion. Sakura walked slowly, obediently, toward the fireplace. She wondered whether she should be intimidated by the man. He was after all the most powerful magician in the world…
"Y-Yes… how did you know my name?" she asked tentatively. She then drew a surprised breath.
Having come around to the front of the armchair she could see the man's features more clearly in the orange firelight. He was not the aged and dominating man that she had envisioned of a great and mighty sorcerer, but rather, a slender, pleasant- looking youth who appeared to be none too older than herself. He had fairly pale skin, a tidy mop of dark blue hair that fell to the sides of his forehead, sapphire blue eyes that shone with intelligence behind a pair of wire-rim spectacles and he wore long dark blue, white and gold robes.
Sakura could not help but stare bewilderedly at the man. Could he really be more than a hundred years old as Syaoran had said he was? He didn't look a day over eighteen…
…unless…
"I'm not immortal, if that's what you're thinking," Eriol chuckled, taking the words before they had formed on her lips, "Magic and…a whole lot of it is what has kept me looking like this for so many centuries."
"He looks good, right?" came another quiet voice and Sakura took a startled leap backwards.
There was a small black bundle on Eriol's lap that Sakura might have thought was a kitten were it not for the delicate green butterfly wings on its back…and its apparent gift of speech.
"Well, thank you Spinel," said Eriol cheerfully. He then gestured for Sakura to take a seat in the opposite armchair. When she was seated, he reached down to the small table beside his chair for a white ceramic teapot and poured some hot tea into an empty cup. He handed the cup to Sakura and she thanked him politely.
"Now that you're comfortable, I believe you have some questions for me?" he asked kindly.
Man, that was the understatement of the century. Sakura nodded vigorously and all of a sudden the words came tumbling out in rush.
"Yes! The first one from before about how you know my name and …how could you be "expecting" me when I've never even met you before? Frankly, I'm not sure how I even got here and… how come I didn't know I was the guardian of the last Jewel? Oh and of course there's the point of why I'm here and Ruby Moon said you said I had "something to give" but I don't know what that is and how-"
"Woah, one at a time please, Sakura!" Eriol laughed. Sakura flushed with embarrassment and promptly shut up. The magician took a quiet moment to scratch his chin thoughtfully, as though deciding how to approach everything.
"Hmm, okay well, let's start with that bracelet of yours," he said after a moment. "Do you remember the day your mother gave it to you?"
"Of course," said Sakura softly.
Eriol took a long sip of his tea before staring pensively into the fireplace. His deep blue eyes shone strangely in the flickering orange light. When he spoke, his voice was faintly nostalgic, as one often becomes when retelling a story of the distant past.
"I have what is called the gift of foresight, Sakura. You could say that I was aware of Syaoran's dilemma and wanted to help him. When I moved here to this new realm I made sure Syaoran had a way of following me; I gave him the key to the Gates of Lehn."
"The Jewels…" Sakura murmured in understanding.
Eriol nodded and continued. "While I gave one of the Jewels to Syaoran, I entrusted the six others into the guardianship of six of my dearest friends; Cerberus or 'Kero' as you call him, Fly, Wood, Watery and the elusive spirit; Illusion. The Jewel of the Heart was a special one that needed the protection of someone of a very pure heart…your mother, to be precise."
Sakura's heart skipped a beat.
"M-My mother...but how could she be… I mean…You knew my mother?!"
Eriol tilted his head inquisitively to one side and smiled at Sakura.
"Haven't you ever wondered about your healing powers? Where they even came from?"
"My mother could heal people as well…"
"That's right," Eriol said, grinning more broadly, "But I asked if you've ever wondered where that power came from."
When Sakura did not reply, the magician leaned back into his armchair with a somewhat amused twinkle in his eye.
"Perhaps I need to give you… a bit of a history lesson," Eriol chuckled, "Your mother was not human… at least not always. Back when her name was still N'hadia, she was a forest sprite and a very good friend of mine."
"Sp- sprite… as in 'fairy'?" Sakura asked weakly. Apparently the shock of being told that her mom was not a human but a fabled mythical creature was taking its toll on her poor aching head.
"Similar," replied Eriol with a nod. "Sprites are particularly good with healing. Your mother was kind, gentle and most importantly; pure of heart. I decided to ask her if she would guard the Jewel of the Heart for me until the day that a young man with messy brown hair came looking for it." This he added with another soft laugh. "Of course, at the time, I didn't know that something else had happened…"
"Something…?" Sakura asked with a slight frown.
"N'hadia had fallen in love with a human man. Your father," said Eriol, smiling gently once more.
Sakura's frown deepened. She remembered her father once telling Touya and herself about the day he had met Nadeshiko. He had been twenty years old at the time and was climbing a tree in his father's apiary to collect honey comb when he saw a strange and beautiful girl sitting among its boughs. He pretty much fell in love with her straight away…
"Of course," Eriol continued, "Fujitaka never knew she was a magical being, let alone an immortal one. He was aware and amazed by her mysterious ability to heal others but he never knew anything about her past; where she had come from or even if she had any family."
At the moment, Sakura lowered her head. Her eyes were now hidden beneath her fringe and she spoke quietly. "Mother wasn't immortal…she…"
"I know," replied Eriol with gentle sympathy. He reached across the armrest of his chair and took one of Sakura's hands carefully into his own. She looked up at him with shiny, tear brimmed eyes.
"But Sakura," he continued softly, "You of all people know what it means to be in love with someone, the lengths you will go to…your mother fell in love with a mortal man. Since she could never bear to watch the man she loved grow old and to one day leave her behind, she made a great sacrifice. She forfeited her immortality…to be with him."
Sakura smiled warmly at Eriol, somewhat comforted by his words. He was right of course. She did know what it meant to be in love with someone… and her very love of that someone was the reason she was here.
"Now for that question from before," Eriol whispered kindly, "Do you remember the day your mother gave you that bracelet?"
It was as though Sakura's hand were alight with warmth. The place where Eriol's hand touched her own seemed to radiate with an outward glow to every part of her body as it pooled with warmth and a strange sense of comfort, of security…
Colored memories filled her mind, as clear as though she had seen them yesterday…
…
"Is Mommy going somewhere?" Sakura asked brightly. She gave the bottom of her brother's shirt a gentle tug to get his attention. He was so much taller than her…
Big brother seemed to be awfully distracted right now, staring out the window of the hallway even though there wasn't anything particularly interesting to see…
When she spoke he drew a surprised breath and quickly rubbed his eyes. He turned and knelt down in front of his sister with a faint smile. Sakura thought that smile looked a little bit sad.
"Huh?" he asked softly
"Is Mommy going somewhere?" Sakura repeated her question, "Daddy said we have to go and say goodbye to her now. Where is she going?"
Touya's smile faltered and his bottom lip trembled slightly. He tried smiling a bit wider but there was something wrong with his eyes…they were very wet…
"Hey squirt, c'mere," he whispered gently. He reached out and pulled Sakura into his arms and held her there. She put her arms around his neck and cuddled him back happily…Big Brother hardly ever hugged her…he mostly just picked on her…
Just then, their father's face appeared from around the door of his bedroom and he gave a weak smile.
"Sakura sweetie," he called softly, "Come say 'hi' to Mommy, okay?"
"Okay!" Sakura shouted cheerfully. She just loved running into her parent's room and jumping on their big bouncy bed. Usually, Nadeshiko was standing by the vanity brushing her long hair and wearing her pink fluffy dressing gown that smelt like sunshine and something powdery. Whenever Sakura ran into the room, she would laugh, pick her up into her arms and swing her around the room.
"Mommy?" Sakura murmured; a little confused as she pushed the door open and peered into the room.
Nadeshiko wasn't standing in front of the dresser today. She was lying in bed under the covers with her eyes closed. Her pretty, silver ringlets were draped in all directions across the pillow.
When Sakura approached the bed, Nadeshiko opened her turquoise green eyes and smiled warmly.
"Hello princess," she said softly.
Sakura beamed and held her arms out, waiting for her mother to pick her up in the usual fashion.
Nadeshiko gave a soft cough and laughed. "You're getting so big now, I can hardly lift you! How about I hold just part of you today?"
Though a little disappointed, Sakura smiled nonetheless and climbed up onto the bed. She lay down on Nadeshiko's belly and tucked her head under her chin as her mother's arms came around her.
"Oh, my precious daughter," she whispered, stroking Sakura's hair, "I'm so proud of you…every single day. I love you so much."
"I know, I love you too Mommy," Sakura breathed, wondering why her mother had chosen this time in particular to tell her this.
For several minutes, Sakura and her mother lay on the bed, holding each other silently. After a moment, Nadeshiko spoke again.
"You're my very special girl aren't you?"
Sakura nodded happily. "Yep!"
"Can you do something for me?" Nadeshiko asked.
Sakura raised her head with curiosity and her mother smiled gently. It took a little bit of effort for her to sit up in bed while she reached for the bedside table, opened the top drawer and put her hand inside. When she pulled it out again she was holding a tiny silk red bag with a draw string. Nadeshiko opened it and tipped it carefully upside down. A glittery, metallic object fell into the palm of her hand.
It was a thin gold chain of some kind with a delicate charm attached to it; a little golden heart with wings; Sakura had never seen anything so pretty.
"I want you to have this to remember me by. It's a very special bracelet that will protect you and remind you that there is always hope, even in the darkest times…Will you wear this for me, Sakura?"
Sakura suddenly felt like she wanted to cry; she felt immensely happy and terribly sad at the very same time and she couldn't understand why. She simply nodded through a teary smile and held out her arm.
"I'll take good, good care of it Mommy."
Nadeshiko unclasped the chain and looped it carefully around her daughter's tiny wrist. She then leant forward and kissed Sakura softly on the forehead.
"Remember to follow your heart, Sakura. It's your invincible spell."
...
"My invincible spell…" Sakura murmured. At the time, she hadn't understood what her mother meant …
"Love," Eriol replied quietly as he carefully let go of her hand, "It's the only thing that can summon the Jewel of the Heart. You understand now."
Sakura pondered reflectively for a moment. Suddenly, a thought struck her and she sprang from her chair with a curse. She had been so caught up in the story of her family that she had almost forgotten the true reason she was here.
"Oh my god- Syaoran!! We have until sunrise!!" Sakura shouted in alarm.
Eriol nodded and shifted the sleeping Spinel from his lap as he rose from his armchair. "You're right, of course. Please follow me."
…
Sakura followed the magician at a sprint out of the great hall and into the meandering, dim corridor beyond. There, they walked swiftly along its walls with only the pale light of Eriol's oil lamp to guide their way until they reached the foot of a winding, narrow stone stairwell. Sakura gave an involuntary gulp as she peered up at the stairs; curling in a long, steep counter- clockwise direction around the inner walls of what appeared to be an immense stone tower. At the very top of the stairs, there appeared to be an opening in the ceiling where Sakura caught a glimpse of deep violet colored sky beyond. Eriol made his way silently up the stairs, apparently unperturbed by the dizzying heights, while Sakura followed slowly, nervously behind with her back pressed desperately against the wall.
It was to her utmost relief when after several agonizing minutes; they had finally reached the top of the stairs and surfaced through the opening of the ceiling onto the roof of the tower.
It was a kind of flat, round open- platform onto which they had emerged; similar to a viewing balcony but without guard rails or walls along its edges. The view from this vantage point was one Sakura had never seen before; a kind of strange vast landscape of jagged rocks and canyons stretching as far as the eye could see. There was something very surreal about the landscape; the eerie quiet, the emptiness of the land devoid of life and the swirling purple sky reminded her of a picture she had seen in a fantasy novel depicting another planet.
At that moment, Eriol walked out toward the centre of the platform and closed his eyes. There was faint, odd glimmering in his hand before a long golden staff with a sun motif at the top, materialized into his palm. He then turned to Sakura with a serious expression.
"As you know, I asked Ruby Moon to bring you, rather than Syaoran into this realm because I believe you have something to give this day," he explained softly, "Are you ready to fulfill that purpose?"
Sakura nodded firmly, "Of course."
"I need to make something clear to you now," Eriol continued, his tone becoming grave, "I do not know what the outcome of this transaction will be, I never really do. When the Y'ahhoedae grants your wish, it will take something from you in return. Syaoran once did the same and it cost him dearly… Are you absolutely sure about this?"
Again, Sakura nodded firmly and smiled, "I love Syaoran. There is nothing that I wouldn't give to see him happy; even if it destroys me."
Eriol gave a faint smile of admiration before raising his staff into the air and turning his gaze skyward. As before he closed his eyes meditatively and began to chant.
"Great Powers of the Y'ahhoedae…Eriol summons you,"
A strange symbol of golden light appeared beneath his feet in the centre of the platform; a bright glowing circle with a complex design of sun, moon and elemental symbols.
Eriol's voice echoed strangely and it was as though the violet- colored skies had responded; its clouds swirling faster, growing a deeper, angrier purple with the sorcerer's every incantation.
"I call upon the God of the Moon. Respond…Yue!"
All at once the sky seemed to lurch and an enormous fissure tore across the sky with a deafening crack. From amidst the violet wisps of severed cloud, the ghostly figure of a man emerged; pale white and silent as it descended slowly toward the platform upon which the magician stood. The figure hovered a few inches above the roof and gazed at them with calm, unsmiling serenity. Sakura drew a short breath as she watched him.
He was an incredibly beautiful man with pale skin, an elegant face and sharp, somewhat unnerving blue eyes; pale as ice. His long white hair and robes of white and deep blue fluttered carelessly in the magical breeze while the massive white feathery wings on his back made him seem all the more colossal, all the more powerful as he loomed above them. Sakura could almost feel the waves of authority radiating from his presence….she was frightened of him.
"Er- Eriol…" Sakura gave an intimidated whisper, "What's happening?"
"I've summoned Yue; the God of the Moon to give us an enchantment. Since Syaoran's curse is one controlled by the moon, Yue would most likely be the one to help us," Eriol whispered back. He then turned to the winged man and bowed. Sakura did the same.
"Yue," Eriol addressed him respectfully, "This girl seeks your counsel. She wishes to lift the curse befallen upon her loved one…"
"I am aware," the Moon God replied softly, "He is the one they call 'White'…the Wolf of the Snow'…"
Yue turned to look at Sakura who cringed inwardly. His ice blue eyes bore provocatively into her own, searching them as though for answers. After a moment, the winged god seemed to make up his mind about something and he spoke again.
"You seek the powers of the Eclipsar."
Eriol nodded in apparent understanding but Sakura touched his shoulder, waiting for a translation.
"'Eclipsar?'"
"It's a spell that causes a lunar eclipse- It makes perfect sense!" Eriol explained excitedly, "All that you really need to break Syaoran's curse is to disrupt the powers of moonlight that control his curse for one night. After that, with the curse broken, he will never turn into a wolf again."
Sakura's heart lifted with hope and she too grew excited. To think, she would finally be able to spend the rest of her life with Syaoran; a human forever!...
She frowned as a thought suddenly occurred to her….forever…
"B-But, what about his immortality?" Sakura asked Yue.
"It is not within my powers to make him mortal, I am only able to control those powers concerning the moon," the winged god replied softly.
Sakura's shoulders sagged with visible disappointment and she nodded sadly. Syaoran would be a human for eternity…and she would not stay alive forever.
But the whisper of a memory from the past suddenly called to her and filled her with comfort. She smiled as she remembered her promise to Syaoran so long ago,
"I'm not sure how…but I imagine one day I'll be able to do something for you in return…"
At the time, she had made the promise to repay him for saving her life; that fateful day when she had been attacked by wolves in the Dark Forest and consequently the day they had first met. But in time as she grew to love him, it had become more than simply 'repaying a debt'. It was about seeing Syaoran happy, and of sharing that happiness with him no matter how short a time. She would do this, whatever the cost.
"Alright. I'm ready," she stated firmly.
Light; white, dazzling and blinding lifted from the Moon God's raised arms and shot through the atmosphere like a blazing bullet through tin foil. At precisely the same moment, Sakura gave an intense cry and fell to her knees, clutching her chest with pain and surprise. Her rib cage seemed to be expanding, stretching to accommodate whatever invisible, immense force was pressing through her innards, squeezing as though through her very veins and threatening to rupture them as it pushed to the surface. Sakura released a tortured scream from the base of her lungs as an unseen dam broke within her body and flooded her senses.
Pink light; a smoky, thick curling tendril of hot pink erupted from the pores of Sakura's chest and evaporated into the air.
Sakura slumped into unconsciousness.
…
A beam of searing white light burst through the Gates of Lehn like a great shooting star as it streaked swiftly across the darkened sky.
Syaoran Wolf, Kero, Tomoyo and Meiling watched in awe as the strange light engulfed the glowing, bald sphere of the moon and shadow began to fill its surface. Strand by strand as though the shadows were a great black ribbon winding its way around the moon, the sky grew steadily darker until all that was left was the midnight gloom and but a few pinprick stars to fill the void.
Syaoran Wolf collapsed to the ground, succumbing to sudden exhaustion as he slipped slowly into comatose. Darkness fell like a damp blanket over his conscious mind and he would only be vaguely aware of the reconfigurations of his body…or even of the strange, familiar green vapour that had manifested from the gloom and filled his canine lungs.
Nonetheless, it was with the complete masking of the moon, that the White Wolf finally disappeared for good.
…
One amber eye opened, then another.
And as the world swam steadily into focus, Syaoran started to remember his bearings. Apparently, he was still at the peak of Mt. Jhuls and the sun was rising….although, for some reason he was lying on the ground on his back. Had he fainted?
Syaoran groaned softly and touched his temple with fatigue. His eyes widened instantly with shock…at the sensation of his fingers against his skin.
He pulled an arm hastily down in front of his face and examined his hand closely; that slightly calloused but nonetheless human hand- with five digits intact no less! He sat up; partly covered by the blanket that someone had wrapped around him and began to run his hands up and down the front of his bare chest as though daring it to be an illusion…it felt real enough.
"I- I'm…transformed…" he murmured, tasting the syllables on his tongue.
Good. It seemed he had regained the gift of speech as well.
The relieved faces of Meiling, Tomoyo and Kero suddenly appeared on either side of him and he grinned broadly.
"How do ya feel, kid?" Kero asked, fluttering his wings as he moved to inspect Syaoran's face.
"Great," Syaoran replied honestly, "Like I just woke up from a really long nap. How long was I out of it for?"
"It was a really long nap," Meiling stated blandly, "You've been asleep for more than twenty four hours,"
"Twenty four- ?!" Syaoran exclaimed. Geez, no wonder he felt good, he'd literally slept for a whole day. Then, he frowned at a thought and turned his head, craning his neck to see if he could find the fifth member of their party. She was no where to be found.
"Sakura hasn't come back yet," Tomoyo said quietly. Her eyebrows were creased with worry.
"Is the Gate still open?" Syaoran asked, turning all the way around to look at the degrading stone ring just a foot behind him.
Each of the seven colored Jewels were still in their places on the ring and the great white column of light in its centre continued to throb and quiver with life. The Gates of Lehn were definitely open.
Syaoran asked for his clothes and Tomoyo went to his backpack and handed them to him. He quickly pulled his trousers and shirt on and strode toward the Gate without hesitation.
"Hey, woah! kid! What do you think you're doing?!" Kero shouted as Syaoran's foot landed on the first of the two stone steps leading up to the Gate.
"What does it look like?" came Syaoran's irritated reply. "Something could have happened to Sakura in there, I'm going in to look for her…"
"Have you lost your mind?!" Meiling yelled, joining in with the panic, "There are some several billion gates in there and you haven't even got Ruby Moon as a guide! Even if you do find Sakura- you'll be lucky if you ever find your way back home!!"
The expression in Syaoran's eyes at that moment was enough to silence everyone at once; the raw heartache and longing, and the determination to succeed. Sakura was not only his savior and love…she was his soul mate.
"I have to try," he said quietly.
He glanced briefly at Tomoyo who gave a faint nod of understanding and smiled. Syaoran turned toward the Gate and prepared himself for the inevitable.
No sooner had the tip of Syaoran's bare foot touched the light's surface; a stranger's craggy face emerged from the column, just an inch from Syaoran's nose. He gave a loud cry of surprise and fell over backwards onto the ground.
The stranger moved forward from the column of light and at once, everyone realized it was an old woman; weathered, small and bent with age. She was thin and fragile looking, with bony limbs that looked liked they'd taken some knocks and bruises over the years. She wore a fraying old tunic that had bleached over time and her long white hair grew untidily past her waist to partly cover a wrinkled, sagging face.
"Wh- who is that?" Meiling whispered. Her eyes were narrowed with suspicion.
"Perhaps Eriol sent her…" Kero replied under his breath, "Just stay on your guard."
Just then, the old woman took a step forward and lost her balance, falling forward as her knees crumbled weakly beneath her. Syaoran stood immediately and reached out with both arms, catching the woman before she hit the ground. She gripped onto his arms for support and nearly scratched him with her overgrown fingernails.
"A- Are you alright, Lady?" Syaoran asked gently.
The old woman nodded gratefully and pushed a strand of white hair out of her face. She looked up at Syaoran and gave a small, wrinkly smile. Syaoran drew a sharp breath as she spoke.
"So it's true…" she murmured. Her scratchy voice sounded tired but…happy. "You really are a human again."
While the full implications of what she had said were only just taking its effect on the stunned group, it had long since been realized by Syaoran the moment he had seen her face.
There was no mistaking it.
Even beneath that thinning mop of white hair and the age- spotted creases of her paled face, the woman's doe- like eyes were as vivid and bright as they had ever been.
He would recognize those shimmering orbs of turquoise green anywhere.
"Sakura," he breathed.
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
DM:
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!! Oh the tragedy of it all!! *BAWLS*
Sakura has *dun dun dun!*…AGED!!!...
And just when things were beginning to look up for our favorite couple…
Fans of the fiction rejoice however, this is the very last cliff hanger you will ever have to put up with … the final chapter of 'Wolf of the Snow' is up next! *woot woot…shakes booty* =D
Can I turn this on its head and still make it all good?? Damn straight! Believe it or not, beneath this seemingly cruel exterior of mine is a squishy romantic centre that also wants a happy ending…
…or do I?… mwahaha…
Ja Ne!