Olwen-Cheesecake: Oh man, it's been a great, but slow week.
I'd like to thank all the reviewers-
Past and present. I'd also like to dedi-
Mokono: Mokono's turn!
Olwen-Cheesecake: Fine, you do the dedications. I'll
continue in my lil' speech. Okay, so I don't own CCS, but
the plot and other various/new characters are my own. I'm sorry I had to resort
to demanding reviews,
but I needed to know that SOMEONE was still reading my fan fiction. After all,
if no one's reading it-what's the
point? Then I thought: for my pleasure? But yeah-I know that there ARE other
reading, but just didn't review.
Mokono: Mokono thinks OC is droning on.
Olwen-Cheesecake: makes smacking gesture against Mokono
Mokono: hops away Mokono wants to dedicate this chapter
to two very special reviewers. Mokono thanks midnightoasis
and loveangelli for their fantastic and most informing reviews OC has read.
(Other than OC's reviews to herself)
Olwen-Cheesecake: pushes Mokono out of spotlight Psh,
cute guy gets all the attention. Anyway, I'd also
like to inform the readers that the rumors are true-
Mokono: What rumors?
Olwen-Cheesecake: -I have started a new fanfic. It does
have a name-I just don't have it with me now. Very Japanese.
It IS a CCS fic, yet again, but there are some characters that may come from
manga/shows you don't know. I have not
posted it yet. I don't plan on posting until I'm done reviewing/editing it
myself. I need to know that it's "healthy" enough.
Mokono: Mokono apologizes for OC's droning and promises suspense-filled twists coming up.
Olwen-Cheesecake: But I'm not don-
Mokono: embarrassedly pushes OC away
Olwen-Cheesecake note: I found out that the prologue had been replaced by chapter 6 by accident! I am sooooo sorry I never realized...thanks to ChikaraDragon for noticing. I've fixed it-so you're free to check it.
"Mamoru!" Sakura cried unexpectedly, as the sword collided with the orb. There was a sudden flash. The only sound heard after the brightness had engulfed the hall was the thud of Mamoru's body hitting the floor, inside of the shield. The shield was slowly wearing off, from around his fallen body.
"Shield! Return!" Sakura summoned. "Nothing happened..." She kneeled down by Mamoru.
Mamoru lifted his bloodied face and smiled. With the strength he had, he pulled out his arm from beneath himself, revealing a card held between two of his fingers.
Sakura plucked the card out of Mamoru's hand and glanced at the back. It was a Star Card, under her name: Sakura. She flipped it over, examining the unfamiliar image on it. The picture was similar to that of the Hope Card. It portrayed a crowned, winged heart, surrounded by a swirl of sparkly colour. The heart remained untainted by the tornado.
"The..." Sakura read the label under the picture over and over again, unable to comprehend it. Why wasn't the nightmare ending?
Syaoran peered over her shoulder, "The-the Faith Card."
"But how-" Sakura began. "-Oh..."
"Oh?" Syaoran urged her to go on.
"Hope was made by Nameless and Nothing, by my emotion before-" Sakura continued. "-What if the emperor's own cards could be blended to make another?"
"He made cards too?" Touya asked.
"Yes," Sakura replied. "Clow Reed had told me this, in my dreams." Sakura strained her mind to go back to what Clow Reed had mentioned about the cards. She looked deep within herself, for the answer. She had to trust her psyche to- "That's it! It was the Psyche Card and the-the Obstacle card! They became the Faith Card! They were always with us-always there..."
"Those two cards were lost physically then, right?" Touya inquired.
Sakura nodded, "And unlike Clow Reed's own cards, they didn't need to be captured. They were fairly stable cards."
Meilin changed the subject, "We're still here though, now what!?"
Sakura shrugged, "I used the Hope on Mamoru, I suppose I should use the Faith as well."
Mamoru agreed, "Sounds good to me."
"Do you think there are any risks involved?" Sakura scanned the room as she said this.
Mamoru sighed, "Don't worry-"
"Where's Angelo?" Sakura interrupted.
"Gone," Meilin replied. "Just kinda disappeared."
"at least something's normal..." Mamoru said.
Sakura turned to Mamoru again, "What were you saying before?"
Mamoru was surprised that Sakura even remembered that he had been speaking. In fact, he was surprised she talked to him at all. "I-well..."
"Well?" Sakura's eyes sparkled, patiently.
"I'll be there."
"Huh?"
"As long as time goes on: I'll be there. As long as the sun rises and sets: I'll be there. As long as there are four seasons: I'll be there..." Mamoru smiled, causing Sakura's worries to wash away. "...As long as Cherry Blossoms grow: I'll be there."
Sakura felt her eyes burn. She grabbed Mamoru into a loving hug, "I won't forget-"
"Everything will be alright," Mamoru hugged back.
Syaoran muttered to Meilin, "Psh...always the cute, vulnerable types that get the girl."
Meilin smacked him on the back of his head, "She's yours-you know that!"
"I know, but-"
Touya tapped Sakura on her shoulder, "Sorry to ruin the moment, kaijuu, but the emperor's back...and he's got friends."
Sakura broke away from the embrace. She could see several troops, from the window, marching into the place doors, below.
"Damn, " Syaoran said sarcastically.
"You're not worried," Touya gritted his teeth.
"Nope."
"Why the hell not?" Touya stared down at Syaoran, who was only half an inch shorter than himself.
"We have magic. I do, Sakura does, Yue, Keroberous, and we also have Mamoru. We have the world not only on our shoulders, but our side."
Touya rolled his eyes, "Spare me the details. They have magic too."
"They never use it."
"What's stopping them now!?" Touya asked, in defiant anger.
His question was followed by silence and the bang of the hall doors flying open.
A voice boomed from the entrance of the hall, "Nothing, nothing at all."
The emperor.
Meilin shuffled to the huge window that Touya and Sakura had seen the troops marching in from. She was glad she could climb down ceilings. She was about to flee out of the window to get help, when Syaoran grabbed her arm.
"It's not their fight!" Syaoran declared.
Meilin shook his hand off of her arm coolly, "But it is." Meilin fled from the window sill.
Syaoran didn't stay to watch her silhouette fly from ceiling to ceiling in earnest. Instead, he unsheathed his own magical sword, read to defend his people, Mamoru, and his love: Sakura.
The emperor snickered at the magical arms their group unsheathed against his own troops. "We have our own kind of magic as well." The emperor continued, "I see you've taken advantage of my cards." he nodded at the card in Sakura's hand. "But it is of no matter to me. I designed those cards for good. They hardly do a thing."
"Oh, but they do so much." Sakura said.
"Like what?"
"Give us faith," Sakura smirked.
The emperor snorted, "Is that all?"
Sakura looked from Mamoru to Syaoran, "Faith helps us find love-"
The emperor snapped his fingers at the troops behind him. They lined up, prepared for his signal to attack the pain-inflicting intruders, "Love is a strong word. Hate is stronger."
Sakura retorted, "Hate is made of things proven weak. Love is made of things proven incredibly strong."
The emperor frowned, "Then you simply do not understand hate."
"And you simply do not understand love!" Sakura replied. "Why are you egging me on like this!?"
Sakura was startled by the emperor's cruel laughter that followed. "Egging you on-that is exactly my point-my goal. Can you feel the hate surging through you?"
Sakura's eyes widened. She did feel it.
"You can, can't you?" the emperor looked slightly saddened, but would not let his guard down. "You understand it now, don't you? When someone comes and ruins your world. Do you understand the curse of life!? Undying, living in an abandoned world! Hah! It frightens you, doesn't it? You would anything to not feel like this-alone. Wouldn't you?" The emperor saw Sakura's head bow a little. "You would even...even give up love."
Sakura's eyes widened, "Never."
"Then you are stronger than I had thought you'd be," the emperor remarked. "You were wrong when you said I did not understand love."
"What do you mean?" Sakura's curiosity sparked.
"Imagine my wife, a mystery to the world. She is loving, she helps and cares for those in need of her help, even against my will. I love her very much. I protect her and keep her in hiding in a small city. Her habits, her activities-they are all unknown to everyone in the community, as is her husband. Imagine her betraying he love for a simple servant. A simple servant that stands in front of me now, another despicable descendant of Clow Reed."
Sakura's eyes shot open. An image of her previous master came immediately to mind, "Miko-sama!?"
The emperor nodded, "So, I see you two have met." he said sarcastically. "I played you all like pawns on a chessboard. I knew of the possibilities. I knew of the danger, even." The emperor sighed, "Sometimes I couldn't even stand waiting for fate to take its place and push you along your path. My people became restless and weary. We learned to resist fate and fight back, but realized we wanted what fate had to bring. We sped fate up." The emperor looked to his troops and patted one of the soldiers on the back, sympathetically, "Clow Reed made us do this. We do not thirst for blood. Clow Reed made us the killers we are today."
Sakura was beginning to feel the emperor's malice swarm off of his aura toward her. Clow Reed had wronged them, hadn't he? Instead of punishing one man at fault for one mistake, he punished a whole civilization.
The emperor read her thoughts with ease, "You're quite right. Imagine whomever left of your civilization floating around in scraps of metal. My people are brave to have gone through such hard times. We all awaited the fulfillment of the prophecy for centuries." The emperor was seriously going to lose his mind. "Look at us! We were ruins before this! Our children suffered for one man's pleasure: Clow Reed! We are immortal-doomed to see the end of the universe. We're cursed-we're proof of torture." He sighed, "We collided with the Earth's atmosphere, finally. We found our true path from that point on."
Sakura was still confused, "Why the laws? Why take away the older humans over thirty?"
His Almighty chuckled softly, "To maintain order. I am a merciful man-I did not allow the old and wise to suffer like we've suffered. As for the siblings and missing family members, they would ruin my rule over this world." He was suddenly regretful for revealing the truth.
Syaoran muttered an aside to Touya, "Why do the villains always explain everything right before they plan to attack us?"
Touya shrugged and muttered back, "Beats me...is he gonna attack or not?"
The emperor narrowed his eyes, "Mock me, will you?"
Syaoran muttered again, "Now he's upset?"
"Silence!" the emperor commanded. "ATTACK, MY LOYAL MEN!"
"No!" Meilin's voice boomed from behind the emperor's troops, "ATTACK!"
The peasants burst through the doors by the hundreds. They even had a few weapons they used defensively against the Obythian troops. The peasants soon realized that taking on the offensive role was better. The Obythians, however, did use their own power. They only used it against the weapons, not the peasants themselves. They seemed afraid to use such power against simple mortals.
Sakura recognized what was going on as she fought some of the soldiers. They were meant to end the Obythian curse of immortality. They wanted to lose. They aimed to lose.
Although the Obythians were trying to lose, it came with difficulty. The density of peasants was dying down, as well as the density of the Obythian troops.
Gun shots echoed throughout the hall. Sakura couldn't stop the blood-spilling and anger-filled war. It was too late for that.
Sakura snapped out of her state and ordered Yue and Keroberous to protect Mamoru, no matter what the cost.
Mamoru was displeased with having to watch danger surround his friends. He even attempted to command Yue and Keroberous to protect their Mistress. Yue refused, of course.
"Are you just gonna let her die!?" Mamoru screamed.
Yue narrowed his eyes at Mamoru's challenge. He wouldn't fall for such a childish trick. His anger was soon waved away when the wimp fainted. He knelt down by the wimp as Keroberous came to aid the boy as well.
Hastily, Mamoru grabbed the guardians' heads and knocked them against one another. While Yue and Keroberous recovered from the blow, Mamoru ran for it. Mamoru was at Sakura's side, defending her-watching her back.
Sakura saw Mamoru fighting at her side. She panicked, "Mamoru! No-go back! Back!"
"I-don't-want-to!" Mamoru remained in battle with some of the soldiers.
"Shield!" Sakura called. The Shield Card manually set itself loose upon Mamoru, weaker than before.
Mamoru stubbornly pounded at the shield, "Let me out!"
"No-" Sakura was cut short. She was thrown across the room by a soldier. Mamoru was set free from the shield. He headed straight for Sakura's attacker. He picked up someone's fallen sword and struck.
The soldier fell, but more vengeful ones came at Mamoru. Mamoru fought them off bravely, while yelling random things out to Sakura, "You know, I can fight good 'cause I'm a scribe. The movement of the usage of the sword is all in the wri-" One of the soldiers aimed to stab at Mamoru from behind. Mamoru could not defend himself all at once. He fell.
"No!" Sakura shrieked as Mamoru went limp on the ground. "Mamoru!"
The room went silent. The emperor went pale. He stomped over to the soldier that had attacked Mamoru.
"Fool!" he sliced the soldier's head off in one clean sweep.
The Obythian troops were in panic. Sakura held Mamoru in her arms as they were in an uproar. Blood seeped through her white dress whilst she cried for hot her failure to the world, but her failure to protect someone she held dearly to herself.
Syaoran was suddenly by her side, as well as Takashi, Touya, Meilin, Chiharu, Yue and Keroberous.
Sakura looked hard and wiped away her tears, "No." She stood up.
"What are-you-doing?" Mamoru croaked from the ground, losing all of his blood, which eerily resembled a sea of red.
Sakura wordlessly took out one of her cards.
"I don't think the Faith will help with that deep of a gash, Sakura." Meilin said.
Sakura was still silent, as she held the card, hiding half of her visage. She turned the card with her fingers to reveal its face. "TIME!"
The soldier fell, but more vengeful ones came at Mamoru. Mamoru fought them off bravely while yelling random things out to Sakura, "You know, I can fight good 'cause I'm a scribe. The movement of the usage of the sword is all in the wri-" One of the soldiers aimed to stab at Mamoru from behind. Mamoru could not defend himself all at once. He was pushed out of the way by someone else, and he, in turn, was stabbed instead.
It wasn't a he. She. Sakura. Sakura had received the final blow. She had received the final revelation: death.
"Sakura!" Mamoru screamed. He gave the soldier that had stabbed her the death glare. He marched right up to him and sliced his head clear off his soldiers. After all, either way it was bound to happen.
Mamoru dropped down by Sakura's injured body. "No! Don't die-not now-"
"Now!" Sakura insisted. "Kiss me."
Mamoru was shaken by her demand, but he would not let her last wishes go unnoticed. He leaned over her and let his mouth find hers. Simultaneously, as he kissed her, he felt a warm tingle course throughout his body, Syaoran's glare followed by it.
Mamoru felt himself being lifted off of the ground. He was surrounded by a yellow orb now. He looked down to see Sakura smiling weakly, the Faith card held firmly in her hand.
Syaoran frowned at Meilin, "What's with all the orbs?"
Meilin shrugged, "Whoever thought of this was evidently a mental case."
Sakura's voice trembled slightly with pain, "I'll see you on the other side-destiny calls."
Mamoru smiled, "Destiny was restored, victory was made, and the Cherry Blossoms still grow. Happy Birthday Sakura."
The nightmare was washed away by a bright, yellow light and one single word. "Faith!"
A.N.: Yay! A chapter and an epilogue left to type!
LIST OF EXPLANATIONS:
1) Miko is mentioned yet again. (more like dragged back into the story.) She's
still important. (Watch out!)
2) Sakura's birthday is when this whole war thing happens, in case you didn't
understand. I made sure it would be just in time for her birthday. Ha-ha-they
all forgot her b-day except for Mamoru.
Anyway, remember to R&R! I'm anxious to read what you think-because the other
chapters are so short I might post them all up at once...what do you think? Oh
yeah, and if you didn't get it, the "mental case" Meilin is referring to is none
other than moi-me! Ciao!