A/N: Just to clear up a few things. . . The ending on the last chapter WAS NOT a cliffhanger. . . Well at least I consider it not to be one. It was just the ending of her dream so if you thought that happened, it didn't. It all happened in her dream!
-sighs- Okay! Well I'm glad I cleared that all up. Any ways. . . THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE REVIEWED SO FAR!! IT MEANS A LOT TO ME!! -hugs everyone- Well. . . enough talk and on to the chapter!!!


The Goddess of Light & The God of Earth
Chapter 17: The Water Realm
By: Azure Rosas


She bolted up sharply, her breathing coming in short, harsh, gasps. Emerald eyes were wide and sweat beat down her brows. Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest, and in her ears. It sounded like a drum was being played in her ears and as if her ear drums would burst any moment. Wiping away the sweat with the back of her palm, she clasped a hand over her heart and inhaled deeply, trying to slow down her breathing. That dream she had. . . Zero was in it. . . But why? The memory of her dream slipped instantly from her grasp so that she couldn't remember nothing of it besides the fact that Zero was there.
-Why can't I remember that dream. . .?- The auburn hair Goddess couldn't help but wonder. -What happened? And why was Zero, there. . .?-
Confusion was written clearly in her eyes and face. Once her breathing slowed down, she leaned her back on Jade and closed her eyes, trying desperately to go back to sleep; but failed. Re-opening her eyes, the teen looked down at the sleeping God. His face looked relaxed and a few of his chestnut bangs fell over his eyes. Smiling softly down at him, she reached out a slender hand and gently moved his bangs away from his face.
-He looks so adorable when he sleeps. . . He looks a lot calmer and serene. . - She thought to herself. The girl sighed. -Oh Syaoran, when will all this end? When will we be able to live normal lives?-
Now that her friends and family were gone, she looked to Syaoran for help. He seemed to be the only one that could understand her and one that would listen. Gem, Crystallight, and Rage are there, but something in her simply told her that Syaoran was one that can help her with her troubles and sort out her emotions. She took a glance at her wrist watch and noted that it was only 8:46 in the morning.
Syaoran's eye lids parted to reveal a pair of intense amber eyes. They were met by the Goddess' emerald eyes, and he couldn't help but smile up at her as he awoken.
"Good morning Syaoran-kun!" Sakura greeted in her usual cheerful voice, happiness in her eyes.
"Morning, Sakura," he greeted in return as he sat up. Syaoran blinked and then eyed her when he noticed how pale her features seemed to be. "Sakura? Daijoubu desu ka?"
"Hoe? Oh I'm fine, Syaoran. You don't have to worry about me," Sakura replied, smiling in a reassuring way.
He still continued to eye her. "You seem a lot paler then, before. . ."
She looked at him a bit more closely and pointed out, "And YOU seem a lot paler yourself!" Their stomachs growled and both blushed in embarrassment. "I guess it's because we haven't eaten in a while. By the way, when was the last time we ate?"
"I'm not sure," Syaoran answered, while shrugging. "I completely forgot about food ever since all this," he waved a hand, indicating their surroundings, "happened."
She nodded in agreement. "Do you think we'll be able to find the stones and get rid of Zero and Haides before we die of starvation?" For some reason, there was a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"I sure hope not," Syaoran replied.
"You won't have to," a feminine voice spoke up.
The two chosen ones turned to see their three companions standing up and looking at them.
"We won't?" Sakura's voice chorused after Gem's in confusion.
"Iie," Crystallight replied.
"We can give you two food," Rage said, smiling.
Sakura's, and Syaoran's eyes seemed to brighten.
"Really!?!" Sakura exclaimed, hopefulness in her eyes.
Gem smiled also. "Hai." The other three Elemental Gods walked up to them and sat with them, creating a circle inside. Rage held his hands out in front of him, the palms facing the Earth as he closed his eyes. His lips parted and then closed, a rapid, unfamiliar language escaping his mouth. The words were unclear to Sakura and Syaoran, but at the same time, they seemed to be able to understand what Rage was saying. . . and here are the words that he has spoken:

'Powers of the Heavens.
Grant me this wish.
With the life granted by God,
And his blood forsaken on Earth,
We ask thee
To grant us nourishment's to live on'

A dim white light emitted from under his palms and encased the group in its light. The light grew brighter and everyone shielded their faces with their arms. Once the light dimmed down, they brought their hands to their sides and opened their eyes. Sakura and Syaoran had amazement and wonder in their eyes as they stared down at what lay before them. It was food. Their stomachs seemed to growl more, and it, was then they just realized how hungry they truly were.
"Dig in," Gem urged, smiling at the two.
The chosen ones looked at each other, then at their companions, and last at the delicious food that seemed to beckon to them, and cry out for them to eat. Their hunger got the best of them, and they started to wolf down whatever they can to satisfy their hunger. Gem, Crystallight and Rage sweat dropped as they ate at a fast rate.
"Hey! Slow down before the two of you choke!" Crystallight pointed out.

-Meanwhile-

He continued to watch the group through a mirror. With a wave of his hand, the image disappeared and the mirror looked like its regular self.
"Those other three. . . " he muttered a loud to himself as he stalked to his throne-like chair and sat down in deep thought. "They must be rid of. It'll just make our mission harder if they stand in the way." Hades, as everyone knows him by, has been inspecting the Card Mistress and her friends ever since the destruction of Japan. He knew what they were up to, and he knew they were searching for the Stones. His grip on the arms of the chair tightened intensely so that his knuckles turned white. A glare was on his face and anger welled in him. "There has to be a way to stop them before they gain control of the Stones, but how?"
"Master?" a cold, snarling dark voice spoke up.
"What is it?" Hades snapped, annoyance in his voice.
"Let me aid you in your time of need," the same voice replied.
"Time of need!?" he retorted. "I do not need help from you."
"Let me prove myself to you then," whoever or whatever it was said. "Let me rid you of your burdens, those other three that accompanies the chosen ones."
"And how do you plan on getting rid of them?" Hades inquired while raising an eye brow towards the darkness.
"Just leave that to me, my Lord."
"So be it. But if you fail in your mission, the consequences shall be deadly."
"I know, my Lord." The voice replied. "I shall not disappoint you."



The mares and stallions rode at a fast, swift pace. Their hooves beat heavily against the dirty, rock ground. They rode quickly in a determined way to get their riders to their destination: and that's the location of the Water Stone. Syaoran looked down at the pendant Hope had given them what seemed like a couple of years ago. The blue gem emitted an even brighter blue light then before.
-We're getting closer to it. . . - The God of Earth thought to himself.
They pulled at the horses' reins suddenly upon feeling a strong urge of magic shoot up all around them. Everyone dismounted and narrowed their eyes as they searched from where the presence was the strongest. Sakura was searching for where the presence came when she stepped on something. Looking down, she noticed weird markings under the dirt. Bending down, she blew away the dirt and dusted it away with her hands. Beneath the dirt she removed was a tomb stone with strange hieroglyphics.
"Minna! Come over here!! Look at what I found!" Sakura called.
Syaoran and the others came running up to her. They looked over her shoulder at what she found.
"That is the language of the Gods," Crystallight explained.
"What does it say?" Syaoran questioned, but he had a feeling that he knew.
"You already know. In since you and Sakura-sama are Gods, you should be able to read it with ease," Rage explained.
Sakura ran her fingers along the hieroglyphs as words formed in her mind and escaped her lips, "Under these grounds lies a Realm. A Realm of Unknown. Only when the chosen ones awaken, thus shall the temple rise. May they speak the spell of the Gods and retrieve the Four Element Stones. And maybe as long as hope are in their hearts. . .Love will triumph over hate."
Silence enveloped them like a tidal wave. Then Sakura spoke up, "What Realm? And what 'spell of the Gods'?"
"All will be revealed in due time, Card Mistress," Rage replied.
"But to answer your question of the Realm. . . they're talking about the Water Realm that lies right under the very grounds we stand on at this moment," Crystallight explained. "The Water Realm, or Water Temple, is where the Water Stone is kept guard by the Serpent, Guardian of Seas."
"How are we suppose to get the Stone then if it's under ground?" Sakura questioned.
"There is a way to get it," Gem said, while nodding to Crystallight.
She nodded in return. The Goddess of Water took a few steps in front of them. The tomb stone lied before her and a small slit could be seen on it. Crystallight's sword materialized in her hand.
"I, Crystallight, Goddess of Water, command you now! Rise now!" She lifted the sword above her head and then brought it down, the blade sliding into the slit on the tomb stone.
The ground around them started to shake and rumble. Rubbles of rock bounced up and down in a rapid way. The Earth in front of them began to rise and some sort of building rose right before their very eyes. Once the Earth stopped shaking and the building was fully shown, they marveled at the sight of it. White pillars held the building in place, and a high, marbled, two double white doors could be seen. The temple, or Realm, was made of complete marble, just like the doors. A bright light reflected off of the building from the glare of the eclipse. On the building were strange hieroglyphics, slightly resembling the ones on the tomb stone. Walking up the flight of marbled steps, Sakura rested her hands on the door and trailed her fingers along the smooth surface.
Syaoran continued to gawk at the beautiful temple in awe. Gem stared at her Master in amusement as she lightly hit him on the head.
"Are you going to stand there and stare at it all day? Or are you going to go in and retrieve the stone?" Gem questioned with humor in her voice.
Syaoran looked away in embarrassment. Sakura rested her hands on the handle of the door. They looked heavy and she wondered how they were suppose to open it. Pushing lightly against the handles, the high double doors gradually opened without a creak. A cool air enveloped Sakura as wind whipped by her. The others walked up the stairs and joined her at her sides. If Sakura and Syaoran thought the outside of the temple was marvelous, they were wrong. The inside of it was more then marvelous, it was a fascinating sight to behold. Just like the rest of the building, the inside was made of pearl-white marble that shimmered. At their feet was a silver blue carpet that ran to the other side. They looked up at the ceilings to find it painted with beautiful water creatures like mermaids and serpents. High above the walls were ledges that had statues of water dragons perched. On the walls were torches that had a bright blue fire burning on them. Dark blue tapestries clung to the walls with silver serpents knitted on them. At the very middle of the room was a fountain. The water sprouted into the air and above the fountain floated a blue stone. The stone was the colour of water, and if you looked in it, it swirled like water also. And behind that fountain at the other side of the room was a huge statue of an appealing and captivating serpent. When looking at its eyes, shivers of fear ran up and down their spines.
Sakura continued to marvel at the splendid sight of the inside. She tilted her head back to get a better look at the ceiling and the phenomenal and striking painting way above. She ran her fingers along the smooth knitting of the tapestries and then she walked towards the fountain, never aware of the dangers. The Goddess reached a hand out for the crystal like water. Once her skin touched the water, it felt cool. She looked up at the stone that floated several feet above her.
"The Water Stone. . " she breathed in awe.
Syaoran, Gem, Crystallight, and Rage joined her and all five looked at the Stone.
"How are we supposed to get it if it's that high?" Syaoran asked.
"I have an idea," Sakura said.
Removing the Star Key from around her neck, she held it in front of her as the seal appeared beneath her feet, glowing a brilliant gold.
"Key which holds the power of the stars,
Reveal thy true form before me.
I, Sakura command you
Under our contract. . . .
RELEASE!"


The Star Key slowly took shape and changed into the Star Staff. Gripping the rod, Sakura whipped out a card and flung it out in front of her. Raising the staff, she tapped it against the card.
"Float Card!"
A mini like balloon appeared underneath her so that she sat on it. It began to rise and once she was leveled with the Water Stone, it floated in place. Sakura smiled in a triumphant way at her plan and how it seemed to be going along well. She then raised an arm and reached out for the Stone. Crystallight saw a dark shadow flash by the corner of her eyes. She turned her head to the side and then looked around for whatever it was. Her eyes narrowed as her senses sharpened. The grip on her sword went tighter as she suddenly shouted:
"Hurry! Get the Stone! We got to get out of here and quick!"
Sakura blinked. "Hoe?" The others looked at her in a bewildered and questioning manner.
"Hurry, Sakura!"
But it was to late. The doors slammed shut with a loud BANG and every crack and any other chance for escape was sealed. The statue of the serpent started to crumble and once it did, a REAL serpent floated in its place. Its scales were a dark bluish colour and it glared at them with crimson eyes. Opening its mouth to reveal knife like teeth, a mighty roar escaped its mouth making the temple shake. Sakura managed to keep her balance as she took another attempt in grabbing the Stone. The serpent to note as to what she was doing and brought its tail whipping towards her at a fast rate. Its tail hit the balloon and her, making Sakura fly across the room and colliding into the marbled wall. Float returned to its card form as Sakura slid to the ground, unconscious.
"Sakura!" Syaoran exclaimed in worry as he ran towards her but dived to the ground when the creature's tail whipped over head.
Crystallight turned and looked at the water beast as she did her best to reason with it. "L'eau! I am Crystallight, Goddess of Water, and I demand you to stop at once!"
As if answering to her demand, the serpent, or L'eau, turned and looked at her.
"Now answer my question, why are you doing this? We come in peace and only ask for the Water Stone!"
"I am not the one you claim to be L'eau," the serpent said in a cold, snarling dark voice. "But this is L'eau's body. I am merely a shadow that has taken over his body."
"N-nani!?" Crystallight cried in shock. "Then who are you?"
"I am Shadow, one of Lord Hades' many dark minions," Shadow said. "I am here to destroy you three and bring the Card Mistress and future Li Clan Leader to my Lord."
Syaoran removed the red orb that hung around his neck and immediately changed it to his sword as he glared at Shadow. "We won't let you defeat us!"
"Little Wolf, you humor me," Shadow said in a mocking voice. "I am a lot stronger than that fool, Dameon will ever be. And there's no way you can defeat me."
Sakura groaned as she knitted her eye brows together. Her back ached terribly as she rubbed her head. Picking the Star Staff off the ground and into her grasp, she used the wall to help support her. Then she looked at Shadow and glared daggers.
"That hurt you know!" Sakura snapped, now rubbing her back.
Shadow chuckled at her. "And am I suppose to care?"
Sakura growled dangerously at him. In her anger, she pulled out a card. "You're going to pay for that!" She threw the card out in front of her and brought her wand down. "SHOT CARD!" (A/N: I just noticed something: Instead of saying "Shot Card" I kept on saying "Lightning Card" ^^;; Gomen nasi for that. . . ._. )
A yellow bolt of electricity shot from the card and flew towards the serpent. It hit the creature as it writhed and twitched from the shocking pain as jolts of electricity shot throughout its body. A roar of pain escaped his mouth.
"YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT YA LITTLE GAKI!!!"
"Oh did I hurt you?" Sakura asked, looking at Shadow with an innocent look on her face. "I'm sorry. . ."
"WHY YOU. . . " Shadow growled as he plunged towards her.
She whipped out another card. "JUMP CARD!"
Tiny white wings formed on her shoes and she bent her knees then jumped high into the air just as Shadow rammed under her. Landing on his back, she ran along his long spine and then jumped off when he wriggled and whipped his tail rapidly. She then landed next to Syaoran.
"Maybe you shouldn't have made him so mad. . ." Syaoran pointed out.
Sakura simply smiled at him. "Stop worrying Syaoran! Everything will be just fine, I promise!"
"Are you sure?" Syaoran questioned, a bit unsure himself.
"I'm positive," she answered, confidence in her voice.
"EVERYTHING WILL NOT BE FINE!!" Shadow's voice boomed out.
The temple started to rumble and the sound of rushing water could be hard. The water that sprouted from the fountain suddenly died out as pipes appeared around the walls way up high. And before they knew it, water rushed out and started to flood the temple they were trapped it.
"._. Or maybe not. . ." Sakura said, feeling doubtful now. -Maybe I shouldn't have spoken so soon. . . -





-End of Chapter-


A/N: Okay, okay. I know it's a bit short. . . but I just wanted to leave you all in suspense! -smiling sheepishly- I hope you don't think I'm evil. . . Because I'm really not. . .
Kero: THAT'S A LIE!!
A/N: -stuffs Kero in a cookie jar- Shut up! -grins at the readers- Any ways, it from the voting question in the last chapter, Goddess of Love got more votes so then it's Goddess of Love! And I'll be naming that Goddess. . . .Ai.

Well. . . .

PLEASE REVIEW!! AND I'M SORRY FOR THE LATE POSTING, MY COMPUTER WAS FACING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES!!!