Disclaimer: Don't own CCS.
Author's note(s): Okay, to start off with, I've worked really hard on this chapter. . . so if anyone says it stinks, I'm really gonna be unhappy. -swings Syaoran's sword threateningly-
DEDICATED TO: Iris-for giving me the inspiration to write this chapter. Without you, I really have no idea what would happen this chapter. Thanks Nunu!
****
SPECIAL NOTE- I DID change something from last chapter. My mistake was NOT putting the Mist (yes, I DID mean to corrode their armor). My mistake was that I forgot to call Illusion. I'm attaching part of the last scene in this chapter if you'd like to see.
****
She cursed. It would be hard to finish that quickly. They needed a distraction.
"Yue, please bring me my saddlebag," she said simply. He returned within minutes.
She grabbed it from his hand and fumbled inside it for a few moments before finally grasping them. She rustled through them, finally grasping the Card she wanted. She grabbed the pendant from her neck and wrenched it off, speaking the incantation hurriedly.
'Key of Clow
Power of Magic
Power of Light
Surrender the Wand
The Force Ignite
Release!'
As everyone watched, the pendant grew into a rod. Wasting no time, Sakura grabbed the card and flung it forward, striking it with the tip of her staff.
"Mist! Spread yourself on the other side of the boulders. Weaken their armor!" She grabbed another one quickly and threw it up. "Illusion! Block the enemy from seeing us!"
The cards both smiled and nodded before leaving. Sakura watched as they disappeared over the horizon before finally reaching for her third card. She fumbles through the stack, searching for Earthy, the card she had avoided using.
'I just wanted to prove I could handle something without the Cards for once,' she thought sadly. She had mastered her magic so she could use it without being so dependent on the cards. Though many of the people acknowledged her as the Champion, many of the conservatives liked to point out that, should her cards be stolen, she would be no good. She had spent a long time trying to distance herself from them.
'And yet I still have to use them to get anything done,' she thought angrily.
Pushing her self-pitying thoughts away, she put her full attention on the Cards in her hand.
'The Shield,' she read absently. Then she frowned. She'd already been past that one. Hurrying now, she went through all of the Cards before she went numb. She grabbed for her saddlebag, wrenching it open and dumping out all the contents. She felt her blood drain.
'I left the Earthy behind.'
****
She pictured herself using it to help the gardener last week.
'Then I was called away, and I. . . I. . . left it in my desk.'
It took all her strength not to start hitting her head with her fist. All the self-loathing she had pushed away moments before suddenly rose again. She pushed them away again, angrily now. She needed to concentrate.
She spared a glance at Master Panos. The rock-wall was halfway done, but he'd need more time.
She could hear the enemy's cries as they realized their armor was being corroded. Unfortunately, however, they could also hear the sound of the rocks moving. The illusion was useless. Something had to be done now. They were getting too close.
'We don't have enough men to take on an entire army. I only took enough to guarantee a safe retreat. But we can't leave now. We need this to be closed up. We need time to gather our armies,' she thought fiercely, almost as though she was debating.
'All I need is to slow them down a little,' she thought, casting around for any ideas. 'But if I take any of the Elite to the other side of the wall, we'll be separated from the rest of the group. With no one but the enemy army. I don't really want to be dogfood.'
She forced herself to concentrate, ignoring the looks she was getting from the Elite and her guardians. There had to be a way out of this.
'I may not have Earthy, but I still have my other Cards. If I was on that side, I could use them better.'
Making up her mind, she shouted her commands. There was no need for further stealth, so she let the wind carry her words to the Elite.
"Bring the rocks to Master Panos! Start piling them high so all he has to do it fit them together. Prepare for a swift retreat once it is done!"
The men jumped to follow her command. She didn't bother to watch; instead, she pulled a fourth card from her stack. The Fly.
Raising her wand, she hit the tip on the card, watching as her wand grew wings. Without wasting another minute, she launched herself onto the wand's back.
She flew over the rock-wall, ignoring her men's calls. She heard wings behind her and called, "What do you want, Yue?"
Keroberos answered, his voice alight with fury. "Are you trying to get yourself killed, Sakura?!"
She frowned, but continued to fly. Suddenly her two guardians flew in front of her, stopping her short. Instead of ducking down, she spoke quickly. "I'm just going to hold them off. I need to be on this side to work the Cards."
Not waiting for an answer, she made the wand dive down. It hovered just above the ground and Sakura stepped off lightly. She recalled the Fly and the Mist, wanting to preserve her magic.
As she stood, she looked through her Cards again. Though she was on the other side of the wall, she still hadn't a true idea of what to do. None of the cards sent any revelations through her.
She could hear the army's shouts even clearer now.
"They're right below us," whispered Yue, pointing out movement. She watched as slowly they became more clear.
She pulled out the Shield to block their arrows, still looking for inspiration. The army was getting closer now.
She felt a sudden tug in her magic and realized the Illusion was still out. Numbly, she started to call it back when, as the cliché goes, a light bulb went off.
****
Syaoran bit his lip in concentration. He sent a small spiral of magic forward delicately. He didn't dare breath for fear of ruining the spell.
He was releasing a second spiral when the door slammed. Surprised, he released more than he'd meant to. The spell backfired, hitting him squarely in the nose. With a curse, he turned to confront Einar.
"Never enter this room when I'm working on a spell!" he yelled angrily.
The advisor blinked and stepped away from Syaoran's towering figure. Timidly, he spoke, "A spell, highness?"
Syaoran snarled. "A spell to get past Yue's shield. And I would've had it if you hadn't come blundering in here."
The prince noticed Einar's thoughtful look and smirked. "I haven't gotten to reading any of your reports yet. You can breathe easily."
The man smiled feebly. "It wasn't that, highness. I've no fear of you reading my reports." Then, with a nervous laugh, he added, "It's not as though I've anything to hide."
Syaoran raised an eyebrow, but didn't press the subject. "I assume you interrupted me for a reason, Einar?"
He straightened, suddenly, and blurted out, "The advancing army reported there was an enemy army waiting for them at the Misten Valley."
Syaoran's eyes widened. "When?"
"Just moments ago, highness," answered the advisor quickly.
With a short puff of green, Syaoran vanished.
A grin surfaced on his face immediately after the prince had departed. He turned and strode through the door, grabbing a servant girl roughly as she passed. He watched with amusement as she shrank into a clumsy curtsy.
"Girl, have you seen the queen?" he asked, voice rough.
She mumbled a polite no, looking very hesitant.
With a frown, he reached into his pocket and removed a vial. Inside was a clear liquid, though there were chunks of dark magic swirling around.
He grabbed the girl's small hand and pressed it inside quickly, casting a sly look around the corridor.
"This is for Venga, in the servant's wing. She's a person servant of the queen. I need you to give it to her right now," he said, his voice low.
Her eyes widened in fear as they shot to Einar, then to vial, and back. The advisor waited, watching her carefully.
Collapsing under his attentive gaze, she sank into the same clumsy curtsy and raced off, now heading in the direction of Venga's apartments.
"All will come together soon my love," he said aloud, knowing she heard him.
With a minute puff of black, he too disappeared.
****
"Illusion, become a large army," she said softly, hoping the army wouldn't hear her.
She heard Keroberos give a proud snort. She knew the card had obeyed her from the sudden halt in the advancing army. She heard loud yells, presumably from the commanders, and watched as they got into orderly rows.
She was just adding more power to her Shield when she heard a whisper behind her.
"That's not going to work, lady."
She whirled around, bringing her sword up swiftly. There was no one there. She growled in frustration, remembering this trick. This time, however, it was not Syaoran's voice. This voice had been decidedly female.
Feeling slightly crazy, but very hopeful, she spoke up. Her voice remained firm, untouched by her uncertainty. "And just why not, lady who must hide her body?"
The laugh came from behind again. She turned quickly, a second time, to face her foe. This time a body appeared. Her eyes widened as she took in the figure's dark look.
The woman was only slightly taller than Sakura, though the way she held herself made the champion feel like an ant. She wore a large blue robe that shadowed her face. Somehow Sakura could see the sapphire eyes. Only a small strand of her dark hair flickered in the wind.
Peeling her eyes from the great woman, she realized she was speaking.
"It will not work, lady, because it is just an illusion. If, say, another sorcerer, or sorceress," she added with a light chuckle, "came along and. . . stopped your illusion," she paused, sweeping her hand through the air carelessly. Sakura watched as Illusion vanished and the form returned to her card. "You would be perfectly helpless, wouldn't you?"
The amusement in her sapphire pools was evident. Sakura gaped at her, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The woman let out another laugh.
A storm of wings shook her back to the present. Two bodies pressed themselves near hers protectively.
The woman's eyes washed over the two guardians, taking in every inch of them. While Keroberos growled angrily, Yue remained quiet, meeting her eyes without a trace of fear. It was hard to decide which was more dangerous at the moment.
Her amused expression did not waver. With a graceful curtsy, she disappeared.
'I need to learn how to do that.'
The noise from the army brought her back to the present. They were approaching faster now after discovering the illusion. Within minutes they would be upon her. She turned and examined the rock wall. It was almost finished, but they would need more time.
Suddenly, a thought struck her.
"If there are other sorcerers around here, what'll prevent them from just destroying it after we've finished building it?"
This thought met with desperation. Keroberos, however, heard it.
"Sakura, worry about the army racing up here with their weapons. Let your guardians worry about protecting the work you're about to sacrifice your life for," he said, his powerful voice seemingly echoing in her mind.
She felt Yue's cold, probing gaze.
Her eyes swept upon the invading army, their figures becoming clearer as they raced to meet her. Cold dread broke into her thoughts, but she could think of nothing else to do. Somehow she knew her Cards would be useless now.
Shifting her weapons to a more convenient position, she stretched, her eyes never leaving the enemy. When she spoke, her voice was firm.
"Protect it then," she said suddenly. They stared at her with disbelief.
"What?" bellowed Keroberos.
"You heard me. I won't have that wall torn down," she said simply, her eyes still averted.
"You think we're going to leave you to an entire army?! Don't fool yourself, Sakura, you're good, but-"
The sun guardian's angry speech was interrupted by his painful yowl. Yue removed his foot from the lion's rips, pulling him towards the wall, muttering something about giving her a chance.
Only when they were not there did she breathe a sigh of relief. As the first head got closer, she fingered the Fly card apprehensively. If she were to escape, she would need it.
With a deep sigh, she raised her sword, ready at last to meet the enemy soldier.
A cold voice behind her jarred her.
"You're crazy."
Resisting the urge to whirl around, she clenched her teeth.
"Why do you always talk to me in the middle of a fight?"
Her arm was poised, ready for the kill, when she realized the approaching soldier had halted. The men behind him were still as well, their eyes fixed on something behind her.
Readjusting the sword, she swung around to face him.
"What do you want Syao-"
Her words were cut short when he lunged for her. She tried to bring her sword up in time, but it was too late. His arms caught her around the waist, pulling her tightly against his chest.
She struggled in his grasp until she felt something that shook her. Her body was suddenly. . . flying. As her feet left the ground unwillingly, she grabbed desperately on Syaoran, hardly noticing when he tightened his hold on her.
She closed her eyes, trying to block out the strange feeling going through her body. Her body had gone from a sensation of light flying to one of being hurled roughly around. She forgot the sword hanging limply at her side, forgot her need to pull away from him. He was the only thing solid right now.
And then it stopped. She felt her body come to halt. Something in her was afraid to move- as though her moving would make it happen again. Fearfully, she just clung to him.
She felt him lightly disentangling her hand from his shirt. He leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear, his voice almost kind, "I guess you don't like teleporting, then?"
Her eyes flew open and she jumped back from him. Her eyes widened as she examined her surroundings. Instead of the valley, she was now in a small room. A large oak bed took up the majority of the space, but there were two tables and a chair surrounding it. She saw a wardrobe in the middle with an ancient-looking sword propped up against it.
She remembered her sword and looked down. She felt the blood drain from her as she realized it was gone.
A light cluck brought her attention to the amber-eyed man across from her. He raised her sword, brandishing it.
"Looking for this?"
The only answer he received was her gaping at him.
He let out another light chuckle, though not as taunting as it was most of the time. "You didn't notice me take it, I assume?"
Sakura was ashamed. She had let the enemy take her weapon right out of her hand because she was afraid of teleporting. Pathetic.
'Perhaps what those conservatives say is true,' she thought. 'Maybe I am useless with my Cards. I certainly haven't proven otherwise today.'
"Give it back," she said, her voice firm.
He smirked. "Come get it." As though to back his words, he held the sword towards her, hilt out.
She quickly grabbed a knife from her side, aiming it at him threateningly. When he didn't react, she slowly began walking forward to reclaim her sword.
Because the room was so small, she was there in moments. She tentatively reached her hand out for the hilt. Her fingers were just closing on it when his free hand lashed out.
Her hand flew up with the knife, slashing as his hand made to grab her wrist. He used the blade from her sword as a handle and the hilt as a weapon, hitting the dangerous hand on its wrist. With a cry of pain, she dropped the knife.
Acting quickly, he grabbed the uninjured wrist and slid a copper bracelet on it. Before she could wrench her hand free, it was on.
Snarling, she grabbed the knife from the floor, placing it in her uninjured hand. In her anger, she ignored the bracelet. The knife slashed close to him, yet he made no move to stop it. He stood there, eyes intent upon her.
Not seeing this, she brought the knife to his chest.
The sound of metal snapping interrupted her triumph.
Sakura looked at her hand, bewilderment taking over her features. Instead of the knife, she now held a worthless hilt. Two pieces of metal were near his feet.
Suddenly her forehead screamed with pain. She collapsed to the floor on her knees, tears she didn't know she was crying escaping her eyes.
Her vision went red, and she closed her eyes in an attempt to help them. Her nose was burning, though she didn't smell anything. She couldn't think clearly; all her thoughts were concentrated on the awful pain.
Just when she'd started praying for death, she felt two strong hands on her shoulders and the pain was gone as suddenly as it had come.
After a few minutes, she forced her eyes open, hoping it wouldn't be red this time. Amber eyes swam into vision. She noticed a trace of worry before they went blank again.
He removed a hand, lightly fingering the bracelet.
"This thing serves two purposes. The first serves as a restriction on your movement. As long as you have this on, you cannot leave the palace walls. The second, as you've become familiar with, is a restriction that will keep you from hurting anyone inside these walls. Should you try to attack someone, not only will the attack miss, but you will also feel some pain."
She couldn't stop staring at him through his entire speech. She lowered her gaze now, gently wiping away the tears from her eyes. She still felt traces of pain, though it was bearable now.
Her eyes hooked on the bronze bracelet. It was pretty enough, indeed. The kind of bracelet many noble lords bestowed upon their sweethearts. Any woman who received one would talk of it, and nothing else, for days.
She hated it.
Her fury awoke with a heat and she looked up at him angrily. "I'm not staying here."
He backed off, his smirk reforming and all traces of worry vanishing. "You don't have much of a choice."
She snarled, fingering the bracelet desperately. He laughed.
"You won't get it off."
She stopped clawing at it, fixing him with a glare to rival his own. "And what, pray tell, are you going to do with me?"
He shrugged, his eyes never leaving her face. "You're the champion of Alexandria, the country we're at war with. I'm sure that brain's just buzzing with information." Pausing, he continued lightly, "And, if nothing else, it's always nice to torment you."
She turned away, reaching the door in a few rapid steps. One hand swung the door open and she stepped over the threshold. He grabbed her free hand, pulling her back inside and closing the door.
"There will be plenty of time to test the power later," he said. Looking at her for another minute, he added, "You'll need somewhere to sleep. I'll find you a guest room near mine, Sakura."
She wrenched her hand free. "I don't want to be anywhere near you."
He smiled. "Well, as you're in my castle, I don't see you having much choice."
He turned and strode through a side door, pulling her along with him. Tired, she let herself be pulled. The door opened into another bedroom. From the dust on the furnishings, she guessed it wasn't used often.
A heavy blue blanket covered the bed. Two fluffy-looking pillows dented the smooth surface. A large maple wardrobe stood next to another door, connected to a small dressing room. A large chair was in the middle of the room, a short table placed in front of it. Sakura's eyes immediately fell on a third door, presumably open to the hallway.
"What, no dungeon?" she taunted.
He looked back at her, his smirk taunting in return. "There's no need as long as you have that bracelet on. You're as weak as a kitten."
Following her gaze, he noticed the door. He carelessly waved a hand at it. Sakura could feel the metal locking. She cursed, but managed to mutter a response.
"Even kittens have claws."
He raised an eyebrow before reaching toward her. She stumbled back, but he caught her close. She tried to struggle from his grasp, but any attempt to punch him bought her a bolt of pain.
He placed a hand on her forehead and she gasped when she felt the green tendril of magic break from his fingertips. In seconds it had settled in her mind.
'Sleep now, cherry blossom,' it said, it's voice soothing. She felt her eyelids get heavy.
"No," she said, fighting weakly.
The day's events and night's lack of sleep joined forces with the voice, trying to overpower her will. Within seconds, her will had surrendered. Her vision went black.
****
He looked at her for a minute before placing her carefully onto the bed. He took her shoes from her feet and carefully removed her weapons. Though she couldn't use them, he felt much safer with them in his hand.
'She may be pathetic sometimes, but she can be pretty decent when angered.'
His hands found a large rectangular sheath. Puzzling over the shape, he stuck his hand inside. His fingers closed around a stack of her Cards.
The door burst open and Syaoran whirled, his hand on the hilt of his sword. He dropped the Cards back onto the bed.
A frown appeared on his features when he realized who it was.
"What do you want, Einar?"
"Highness, her majesty is sick. She's requesting your presence at once," he said breathlessly, as though he'd been running.
He looked up quickly, eyes narrowed. "Sick?"
"It doesn't appear life-threatening. Just enough to make her uncomfortable."
He growled and jumped to his feet. As he passed Einar, he stopped, his voice low. "Why is she sick? Did you give her too much of your brain- controlling magic?"
Before the advisor could answer, the prince took off down the hall. Einar watched as he went, his face contorting into an awful expression. Remembering himself in a moment, he hurried in the room, closing the door behind him.
"It's okay, love. Coast's clear."
A sapphire-robed woman appeared in the corner. With a smile to Einar, she crossed to the unconscious figure. Bending over the champion, she quickly retrieved the Cards.
With a barking laugh, she pulled a small black bag from the deep pockets. Carefully, she dropped the Cards in the bag. The top closed by itself.
"What is that, love? A new trick?" asked the breathless Einar.
She turned to him, holding it up. "No, sweet. It's a very old trick." With a glance at Sakura, she added, "We can't have the girl using her Cards, now can we? It wouldn't be beneficent for our cause."
Einar let out a laugh. He moved closer and put an arm around her shoulder.
"At least the prince fetched her for us," he said, his eyes still on the sleeping form. "It should make this much easier."
****
Author's Note 2: Ooh, I do so love writing evil scenes. Well. Isn't this a fun turn of events? ^_^ Umm, this took a LONG time to write. I'm talking a LONG time. So you guys better show your appreciation. ^-~
Again, sorry for the typos. If you are dead-set on getting a typo free version, I always submit it a second time the day after (After my wonderful proofreader has looked over it). Thanks Mini Star!
Author's note(s): Okay, to start off with, I've worked really hard on this chapter. . . so if anyone says it stinks, I'm really gonna be unhappy. -swings Syaoran's sword threateningly-
DEDICATED TO: Iris-for giving me the inspiration to write this chapter. Without you, I really have no idea what would happen this chapter. Thanks Nunu!
****
SPECIAL NOTE- I DID change something from last chapter. My mistake was NOT putting the Mist (yes, I DID mean to corrode their armor). My mistake was that I forgot to call Illusion. I'm attaching part of the last scene in this chapter if you'd like to see.
****
She cursed. It would be hard to finish that quickly. They needed a distraction.
"Yue, please bring me my saddlebag," she said simply. He returned within minutes.
She grabbed it from his hand and fumbled inside it for a few moments before finally grasping them. She rustled through them, finally grasping the Card she wanted. She grabbed the pendant from her neck and wrenched it off, speaking the incantation hurriedly.
'Key of Clow
Power of Magic
Power of Light
Surrender the Wand
The Force Ignite
Release!'
As everyone watched, the pendant grew into a rod. Wasting no time, Sakura grabbed the card and flung it forward, striking it with the tip of her staff.
"Mist! Spread yourself on the other side of the boulders. Weaken their armor!" She grabbed another one quickly and threw it up. "Illusion! Block the enemy from seeing us!"
The cards both smiled and nodded before leaving. Sakura watched as they disappeared over the horizon before finally reaching for her third card. She fumbles through the stack, searching for Earthy, the card she had avoided using.
'I just wanted to prove I could handle something without the Cards for once,' she thought sadly. She had mastered her magic so she could use it without being so dependent on the cards. Though many of the people acknowledged her as the Champion, many of the conservatives liked to point out that, should her cards be stolen, she would be no good. She had spent a long time trying to distance herself from them.
'And yet I still have to use them to get anything done,' she thought angrily.
Pushing her self-pitying thoughts away, she put her full attention on the Cards in her hand.
'The Shield,' she read absently. Then she frowned. She'd already been past that one. Hurrying now, she went through all of the Cards before she went numb. She grabbed for her saddlebag, wrenching it open and dumping out all the contents. She felt her blood drain.
'I left the Earthy behind.'
****
She pictured herself using it to help the gardener last week.
'Then I was called away, and I. . . I. . . left it in my desk.'
It took all her strength not to start hitting her head with her fist. All the self-loathing she had pushed away moments before suddenly rose again. She pushed them away again, angrily now. She needed to concentrate.
She spared a glance at Master Panos. The rock-wall was halfway done, but he'd need more time.
She could hear the enemy's cries as they realized their armor was being corroded. Unfortunately, however, they could also hear the sound of the rocks moving. The illusion was useless. Something had to be done now. They were getting too close.
'We don't have enough men to take on an entire army. I only took enough to guarantee a safe retreat. But we can't leave now. We need this to be closed up. We need time to gather our armies,' she thought fiercely, almost as though she was debating.
'All I need is to slow them down a little,' she thought, casting around for any ideas. 'But if I take any of the Elite to the other side of the wall, we'll be separated from the rest of the group. With no one but the enemy army. I don't really want to be dogfood.'
She forced herself to concentrate, ignoring the looks she was getting from the Elite and her guardians. There had to be a way out of this.
'I may not have Earthy, but I still have my other Cards. If I was on that side, I could use them better.'
Making up her mind, she shouted her commands. There was no need for further stealth, so she let the wind carry her words to the Elite.
"Bring the rocks to Master Panos! Start piling them high so all he has to do it fit them together. Prepare for a swift retreat once it is done!"
The men jumped to follow her command. She didn't bother to watch; instead, she pulled a fourth card from her stack. The Fly.
Raising her wand, she hit the tip on the card, watching as her wand grew wings. Without wasting another minute, she launched herself onto the wand's back.
She flew over the rock-wall, ignoring her men's calls. She heard wings behind her and called, "What do you want, Yue?"
Keroberos answered, his voice alight with fury. "Are you trying to get yourself killed, Sakura?!"
She frowned, but continued to fly. Suddenly her two guardians flew in front of her, stopping her short. Instead of ducking down, she spoke quickly. "I'm just going to hold them off. I need to be on this side to work the Cards."
Not waiting for an answer, she made the wand dive down. It hovered just above the ground and Sakura stepped off lightly. She recalled the Fly and the Mist, wanting to preserve her magic.
As she stood, she looked through her Cards again. Though she was on the other side of the wall, she still hadn't a true idea of what to do. None of the cards sent any revelations through her.
She could hear the army's shouts even clearer now.
"They're right below us," whispered Yue, pointing out movement. She watched as slowly they became more clear.
She pulled out the Shield to block their arrows, still looking for inspiration. The army was getting closer now.
She felt a sudden tug in her magic and realized the Illusion was still out. Numbly, she started to call it back when, as the cliché goes, a light bulb went off.
****
Syaoran bit his lip in concentration. He sent a small spiral of magic forward delicately. He didn't dare breath for fear of ruining the spell.
He was releasing a second spiral when the door slammed. Surprised, he released more than he'd meant to. The spell backfired, hitting him squarely in the nose. With a curse, he turned to confront Einar.
"Never enter this room when I'm working on a spell!" he yelled angrily.
The advisor blinked and stepped away from Syaoran's towering figure. Timidly, he spoke, "A spell, highness?"
Syaoran snarled. "A spell to get past Yue's shield. And I would've had it if you hadn't come blundering in here."
The prince noticed Einar's thoughtful look and smirked. "I haven't gotten to reading any of your reports yet. You can breathe easily."
The man smiled feebly. "It wasn't that, highness. I've no fear of you reading my reports." Then, with a nervous laugh, he added, "It's not as though I've anything to hide."
Syaoran raised an eyebrow, but didn't press the subject. "I assume you interrupted me for a reason, Einar?"
He straightened, suddenly, and blurted out, "The advancing army reported there was an enemy army waiting for them at the Misten Valley."
Syaoran's eyes widened. "When?"
"Just moments ago, highness," answered the advisor quickly.
With a short puff of green, Syaoran vanished.
A grin surfaced on his face immediately after the prince had departed. He turned and strode through the door, grabbing a servant girl roughly as she passed. He watched with amusement as she shrank into a clumsy curtsy.
"Girl, have you seen the queen?" he asked, voice rough.
She mumbled a polite no, looking very hesitant.
With a frown, he reached into his pocket and removed a vial. Inside was a clear liquid, though there were chunks of dark magic swirling around.
He grabbed the girl's small hand and pressed it inside quickly, casting a sly look around the corridor.
"This is for Venga, in the servant's wing. She's a person servant of the queen. I need you to give it to her right now," he said, his voice low.
Her eyes widened in fear as they shot to Einar, then to vial, and back. The advisor waited, watching her carefully.
Collapsing under his attentive gaze, she sank into the same clumsy curtsy and raced off, now heading in the direction of Venga's apartments.
"All will come together soon my love," he said aloud, knowing she heard him.
With a minute puff of black, he too disappeared.
****
"Illusion, become a large army," she said softly, hoping the army wouldn't hear her.
She heard Keroberos give a proud snort. She knew the card had obeyed her from the sudden halt in the advancing army. She heard loud yells, presumably from the commanders, and watched as they got into orderly rows.
She was just adding more power to her Shield when she heard a whisper behind her.
"That's not going to work, lady."
She whirled around, bringing her sword up swiftly. There was no one there. She growled in frustration, remembering this trick. This time, however, it was not Syaoran's voice. This voice had been decidedly female.
Feeling slightly crazy, but very hopeful, she spoke up. Her voice remained firm, untouched by her uncertainty. "And just why not, lady who must hide her body?"
The laugh came from behind again. She turned quickly, a second time, to face her foe. This time a body appeared. Her eyes widened as she took in the figure's dark look.
The woman was only slightly taller than Sakura, though the way she held herself made the champion feel like an ant. She wore a large blue robe that shadowed her face. Somehow Sakura could see the sapphire eyes. Only a small strand of her dark hair flickered in the wind.
Peeling her eyes from the great woman, she realized she was speaking.
"It will not work, lady, because it is just an illusion. If, say, another sorcerer, or sorceress," she added with a light chuckle, "came along and. . . stopped your illusion," she paused, sweeping her hand through the air carelessly. Sakura watched as Illusion vanished and the form returned to her card. "You would be perfectly helpless, wouldn't you?"
The amusement in her sapphire pools was evident. Sakura gaped at her, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The woman let out another laugh.
A storm of wings shook her back to the present. Two bodies pressed themselves near hers protectively.
The woman's eyes washed over the two guardians, taking in every inch of them. While Keroberos growled angrily, Yue remained quiet, meeting her eyes without a trace of fear. It was hard to decide which was more dangerous at the moment.
Her amused expression did not waver. With a graceful curtsy, she disappeared.
'I need to learn how to do that.'
The noise from the army brought her back to the present. They were approaching faster now after discovering the illusion. Within minutes they would be upon her. She turned and examined the rock wall. It was almost finished, but they would need more time.
Suddenly, a thought struck her.
"If there are other sorcerers around here, what'll prevent them from just destroying it after we've finished building it?"
This thought met with desperation. Keroberos, however, heard it.
"Sakura, worry about the army racing up here with their weapons. Let your guardians worry about protecting the work you're about to sacrifice your life for," he said, his powerful voice seemingly echoing in her mind.
She felt Yue's cold, probing gaze.
Her eyes swept upon the invading army, their figures becoming clearer as they raced to meet her. Cold dread broke into her thoughts, but she could think of nothing else to do. Somehow she knew her Cards would be useless now.
Shifting her weapons to a more convenient position, she stretched, her eyes never leaving the enemy. When she spoke, her voice was firm.
"Protect it then," she said suddenly. They stared at her with disbelief.
"What?" bellowed Keroberos.
"You heard me. I won't have that wall torn down," she said simply, her eyes still averted.
"You think we're going to leave you to an entire army?! Don't fool yourself, Sakura, you're good, but-"
The sun guardian's angry speech was interrupted by his painful yowl. Yue removed his foot from the lion's rips, pulling him towards the wall, muttering something about giving her a chance.
Only when they were not there did she breathe a sigh of relief. As the first head got closer, she fingered the Fly card apprehensively. If she were to escape, she would need it.
With a deep sigh, she raised her sword, ready at last to meet the enemy soldier.
A cold voice behind her jarred her.
"You're crazy."
Resisting the urge to whirl around, she clenched her teeth.
"Why do you always talk to me in the middle of a fight?"
Her arm was poised, ready for the kill, when she realized the approaching soldier had halted. The men behind him were still as well, their eyes fixed on something behind her.
Readjusting the sword, she swung around to face him.
"What do you want Syao-"
Her words were cut short when he lunged for her. She tried to bring her sword up in time, but it was too late. His arms caught her around the waist, pulling her tightly against his chest.
She struggled in his grasp until she felt something that shook her. Her body was suddenly. . . flying. As her feet left the ground unwillingly, she grabbed desperately on Syaoran, hardly noticing when he tightened his hold on her.
She closed her eyes, trying to block out the strange feeling going through her body. Her body had gone from a sensation of light flying to one of being hurled roughly around. She forgot the sword hanging limply at her side, forgot her need to pull away from him. He was the only thing solid right now.
And then it stopped. She felt her body come to halt. Something in her was afraid to move- as though her moving would make it happen again. Fearfully, she just clung to him.
She felt him lightly disentangling her hand from his shirt. He leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear, his voice almost kind, "I guess you don't like teleporting, then?"
Her eyes flew open and she jumped back from him. Her eyes widened as she examined her surroundings. Instead of the valley, she was now in a small room. A large oak bed took up the majority of the space, but there were two tables and a chair surrounding it. She saw a wardrobe in the middle with an ancient-looking sword propped up against it.
She remembered her sword and looked down. She felt the blood drain from her as she realized it was gone.
A light cluck brought her attention to the amber-eyed man across from her. He raised her sword, brandishing it.
"Looking for this?"
The only answer he received was her gaping at him.
He let out another light chuckle, though not as taunting as it was most of the time. "You didn't notice me take it, I assume?"
Sakura was ashamed. She had let the enemy take her weapon right out of her hand because she was afraid of teleporting. Pathetic.
'Perhaps what those conservatives say is true,' she thought. 'Maybe I am useless with my Cards. I certainly haven't proven otherwise today.'
"Give it back," she said, her voice firm.
He smirked. "Come get it." As though to back his words, he held the sword towards her, hilt out.
She quickly grabbed a knife from her side, aiming it at him threateningly. When he didn't react, she slowly began walking forward to reclaim her sword.
Because the room was so small, she was there in moments. She tentatively reached her hand out for the hilt. Her fingers were just closing on it when his free hand lashed out.
Her hand flew up with the knife, slashing as his hand made to grab her wrist. He used the blade from her sword as a handle and the hilt as a weapon, hitting the dangerous hand on its wrist. With a cry of pain, she dropped the knife.
Acting quickly, he grabbed the uninjured wrist and slid a copper bracelet on it. Before she could wrench her hand free, it was on.
Snarling, she grabbed the knife from the floor, placing it in her uninjured hand. In her anger, she ignored the bracelet. The knife slashed close to him, yet he made no move to stop it. He stood there, eyes intent upon her.
Not seeing this, she brought the knife to his chest.
The sound of metal snapping interrupted her triumph.
Sakura looked at her hand, bewilderment taking over her features. Instead of the knife, she now held a worthless hilt. Two pieces of metal were near his feet.
Suddenly her forehead screamed with pain. She collapsed to the floor on her knees, tears she didn't know she was crying escaping her eyes.
Her vision went red, and she closed her eyes in an attempt to help them. Her nose was burning, though she didn't smell anything. She couldn't think clearly; all her thoughts were concentrated on the awful pain.
Just when she'd started praying for death, she felt two strong hands on her shoulders and the pain was gone as suddenly as it had come.
After a few minutes, she forced her eyes open, hoping it wouldn't be red this time. Amber eyes swam into vision. She noticed a trace of worry before they went blank again.
He removed a hand, lightly fingering the bracelet.
"This thing serves two purposes. The first serves as a restriction on your movement. As long as you have this on, you cannot leave the palace walls. The second, as you've become familiar with, is a restriction that will keep you from hurting anyone inside these walls. Should you try to attack someone, not only will the attack miss, but you will also feel some pain."
She couldn't stop staring at him through his entire speech. She lowered her gaze now, gently wiping away the tears from her eyes. She still felt traces of pain, though it was bearable now.
Her eyes hooked on the bronze bracelet. It was pretty enough, indeed. The kind of bracelet many noble lords bestowed upon their sweethearts. Any woman who received one would talk of it, and nothing else, for days.
She hated it.
Her fury awoke with a heat and she looked up at him angrily. "I'm not staying here."
He backed off, his smirk reforming and all traces of worry vanishing. "You don't have much of a choice."
She snarled, fingering the bracelet desperately. He laughed.
"You won't get it off."
She stopped clawing at it, fixing him with a glare to rival his own. "And what, pray tell, are you going to do with me?"
He shrugged, his eyes never leaving her face. "You're the champion of Alexandria, the country we're at war with. I'm sure that brain's just buzzing with information." Pausing, he continued lightly, "And, if nothing else, it's always nice to torment you."
She turned away, reaching the door in a few rapid steps. One hand swung the door open and she stepped over the threshold. He grabbed her free hand, pulling her back inside and closing the door.
"There will be plenty of time to test the power later," he said. Looking at her for another minute, he added, "You'll need somewhere to sleep. I'll find you a guest room near mine, Sakura."
She wrenched her hand free. "I don't want to be anywhere near you."
He smiled. "Well, as you're in my castle, I don't see you having much choice."
He turned and strode through a side door, pulling her along with him. Tired, she let herself be pulled. The door opened into another bedroom. From the dust on the furnishings, she guessed it wasn't used often.
A heavy blue blanket covered the bed. Two fluffy-looking pillows dented the smooth surface. A large maple wardrobe stood next to another door, connected to a small dressing room. A large chair was in the middle of the room, a short table placed in front of it. Sakura's eyes immediately fell on a third door, presumably open to the hallway.
"What, no dungeon?" she taunted.
He looked back at her, his smirk taunting in return. "There's no need as long as you have that bracelet on. You're as weak as a kitten."
Following her gaze, he noticed the door. He carelessly waved a hand at it. Sakura could feel the metal locking. She cursed, but managed to mutter a response.
"Even kittens have claws."
He raised an eyebrow before reaching toward her. She stumbled back, but he caught her close. She tried to struggle from his grasp, but any attempt to punch him bought her a bolt of pain.
He placed a hand on her forehead and she gasped when she felt the green tendril of magic break from his fingertips. In seconds it had settled in her mind.
'Sleep now, cherry blossom,' it said, it's voice soothing. She felt her eyelids get heavy.
"No," she said, fighting weakly.
The day's events and night's lack of sleep joined forces with the voice, trying to overpower her will. Within seconds, her will had surrendered. Her vision went black.
****
He looked at her for a minute before placing her carefully onto the bed. He took her shoes from her feet and carefully removed her weapons. Though she couldn't use them, he felt much safer with them in his hand.
'She may be pathetic sometimes, but she can be pretty decent when angered.'
His hands found a large rectangular sheath. Puzzling over the shape, he stuck his hand inside. His fingers closed around a stack of her Cards.
The door burst open and Syaoran whirled, his hand on the hilt of his sword. He dropped the Cards back onto the bed.
A frown appeared on his features when he realized who it was.
"What do you want, Einar?"
"Highness, her majesty is sick. She's requesting your presence at once," he said breathlessly, as though he'd been running.
He looked up quickly, eyes narrowed. "Sick?"
"It doesn't appear life-threatening. Just enough to make her uncomfortable."
He growled and jumped to his feet. As he passed Einar, he stopped, his voice low. "Why is she sick? Did you give her too much of your brain- controlling magic?"
Before the advisor could answer, the prince took off down the hall. Einar watched as he went, his face contorting into an awful expression. Remembering himself in a moment, he hurried in the room, closing the door behind him.
"It's okay, love. Coast's clear."
A sapphire-robed woman appeared in the corner. With a smile to Einar, she crossed to the unconscious figure. Bending over the champion, she quickly retrieved the Cards.
With a barking laugh, she pulled a small black bag from the deep pockets. Carefully, she dropped the Cards in the bag. The top closed by itself.
"What is that, love? A new trick?" asked the breathless Einar.
She turned to him, holding it up. "No, sweet. It's a very old trick." With a glance at Sakura, she added, "We can't have the girl using her Cards, now can we? It wouldn't be beneficent for our cause."
Einar let out a laugh. He moved closer and put an arm around her shoulder.
"At least the prince fetched her for us," he said, his eyes still on the sleeping form. "It should make this much easier."
****
Author's Note 2: Ooh, I do so love writing evil scenes. Well. Isn't this a fun turn of events? ^_^ Umm, this took a LONG time to write. I'm talking a LONG time. So you guys better show your appreciation. ^-~
Again, sorry for the typos. If you are dead-set on getting a typo free version, I always submit it a second time the day after (After my wonderful proofreader has looked over it). Thanks Mini Star!