Chapter 18

"So what will you choose Sakura? Will you kill the man you love? Or will you die in peace? Maybe even pieces." Toaku laughed. Sakura lowered her head to the ground. Toaku looked down at her, a smirk on her face.

"The poor baby. She's crying now. Even when you are all grown up, your still a child." Toaku said coldly.

"I am not. I'm not crying." Sakura whipped her head up to look at Toaku. I'm just thinking how I have to finish you once I finish Li. Its the only way I can save you both." Sakura choked on her words.

Toaku's eyes widened for a second but quickly became little slits again.

"You bore me. Fine, if you really think you can do it, Miss Goody Two-shoes, then go ahead. Try. But you can only save one of us."

"What?!" Sakura's eyes widened.

"That's right, you don't have enough power to save both of us. Only I have enough power to do that in this world. Only Li and I. You and your puny, little body can't possibly channel all the power without destroying yourself in the process. So. Who will you choose? Li, the man you love? Or me, the person you claim to be your best friend? Its a game of choose, but either way, you loose."

"No that can't be! There has to be a way!"

"I'm tired of your rubbish! Charge!" Li lunged forward at Sakura. She didn't even have her sword yet. She didn't have enough time to grab it before she flipped into the air. She landed on her hands and knees. She let out a yelp of pain. Glass was pushed into her hands from the floor. She didn't have time to worry about that. Li was attacking again. She transformed The Sword card and blocked with it.

"What's the matter? Why don't you fight back?" Li asked.

"You know why I don't fight back!" Sakura jumped back away from his sword. She had a cut on her face.

"Oh me, oh my, she has a cut on that perfect face of hers. Oh, how dreadful!" Toaku was mocking Sakura. "Fight back or you'll get a lot more."

Li slashed the other side of Sakura's face. She could feel the blood running down her face but she couldn't move. She didn't bother to wipe it away.

"Fight me." He demanded.

Sakura's mouth was stuck in a horrified upside down 'U'. She couldn't do anything but stare. Her eyes removed the fear from them and replaced it with confidence.

"Li. I can't fight you. I'm sorry. Slash me all you want, but I will not fight back." Sakura dropped her staff. The Sword card reverted back and it was just a plain staff.

"Heh. This should prove interesting. I really didn't think you were that big a fool, but maybe I gave you too much credit!" Toaku yelled at her. "Slash her to pieces Li!" Li didn't move, he stayed in his position. "Li! I gave you an order!" Li blocked out her words. He wasn't listening to anything. He was focused on Sakura. Flashes of them together ran through his mind. A picnic, a festival, a play, so many things one after another. He barely got a glimpse at most of them. He shook them from his mind and lifted his sword up to her throat. Sakura did not move, she held his gaze, never wavering.

"Slash her! Slash her now Li!"

He had to obey her, so why wasn't he slashing her and laughing over body right now? Why was he just standing there, threatening her? He searched her eyes. Somewhere deep in her eyes, she had love and it was directed at him. Kill her now! Don't think such thoughts! The only one you love is Toaku! Kill her now for confusing you! A voice said in his head, but he couldn't. He couldn't kill her. More flashes past over him and one didn't leave. It would go to another and then come back to that one. Him on a bus going somewhere, and this girl, running after him with a bear. Finally, the whole picture came to him.

Li was on a bus thinking about when he told Sakura, he loved her. He was leaving to go to Hong Kong, his home. He was leaving Tomoeda, leaving the girl he loved, Sakura.

'I never did...get an answer. But...'

"Syaoran!!" The girl was running after the bus, and the bus had just started leaving. Li opens the window and yells out.

"...Sakura?!" She's running as hard and as fast as she can. There are tears in her eyes and she's breathing hard.

"I...I know how I feel!" She lifts up a bear to the window. "My number one...is you Syaoran!" Her tears haven't over flown yet. Li takes the bear in amazement.

"...Thank you." He looks kindly at her. "Can I name this bear Sakura?"

"Sure...can I name the bear you gave me, Syaoran?"

"Yes." She starts to lose him. "I'll come back!"

"When?!"

"When the things I have to do in Hong Kong are finished!"

"When will that be?!"

"It'll take a while! Will you wait for me??" Sakura really doesn't want to see him go but with the promise that he'll come back she lets him go.

"...Yes!" She stops running and is crying. She waves goodbye to the out of sight bus.

A lot of pictures skipped in Li's head and went straight to what happened afterward. Afterwards...

The girl is running down the street, she's late as usual and she stops dead in her tracks when she sees the sight of the bear she made.

"Syaoran...?" She asks just to make sure she's not dreaming.

"I've finally finished the paperwork in Hong Kong...to move here. From now on, I'll be able to stay in Tomoeda." Sakura doesn't believe her ears.

"Really...?"

"Yeah." She's so happy she starts to tear up again.

"So...I don't have to settle for letters or phone calls anymore?"

"Not anymore." He promises. She jumps in his arms and he embraces her. She is crying tears of joy.

"Then we'll be together...forever!!"

There were more flashes of her smiling face and when she was sad, so many faces, so many pictures. Toaku comes up behind Li without him knowing.

"Li! What is wrong with you?! Do you not know an order when you hear one?!" Toaku has the sword that Sakura didn't pick up. "If you are too chicken to do it, then I will!" Toaku charged at Sakura. All you hear is the disgusting noise of skin ripping and then blood falling on the floor. It seemed that time had stopped. In slow motion, everyone notices what happened. Li defended Sakura and slashed Toaku in the arm. It was a pretty deep gash. Toaku screamed and stumbled backwards.

"Li?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, its me." He said smiling back at her. Her eyes filled up with tears of joy and they embraced each other. When they pulled back they looked at each other and slowly moved in for a kiss. They were seconds away when something threw Li back. Toaku was back on her feet and she wasn't happy.

"How...dare...you..." She shrieked. Her hurt arm just hung by her side. She used her other arm to send a dresser at him. He was stuck under the dresser. "I order you! I command you! You do not side with the enemy for any reason!!"

"It only means that I'm not the enemy Tomoyo." Sakura tried to calm her down.

"Shut up! You liar!!!" Toaku sent pieces of glass flying at her.

"Sakura!!" Li yelled. Sakura didn't move but she did place her hands in front of her. The glass came at her and bounced off back at Toaku. Sakura had put up a shield, without using the cards. Toaku wasn't expecting that and so one piece hit her in the eye and another across the face, the rest cut up her outfit. Her outfit was all cut up now but it still looked good in a way.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Meiaku and the evil Li stopped for a second to look at Toaku. Kero took that opportunity to strike Meiaku. She only got a slash across her cheek and then came back at him. Yue tried to attack as well, but instead Li threw him against the ceiling that had spikes on it. Yue cried in pain. He slowly fell from the ceiling to the ground.

"Yue!" Sakura ran over to his side.

"Li... Look, look what they've done to me! They took Li away from me, they destroyed my perfect body and they will not fall!" Toaku was complaining to Li. Li was holding her in his arms.

"Don't worry about it. Remember you're plan? Making them beg to die?"

"Right, of course. Li, kill them, please." Toaku just sort of fell over after she whispered that in his ear. She needed to gain back her strength and that would take a while. So he left her side to fulfill her wish.

"You should not have made her mad. She has given me a strict order to destroy you all now. Unlike some people who will need more training, I actually listen to orders." The Lis exchanged glances, then the evil Li looked at Sakura. "Starting with you."

TO BE CONTINUED