Ice Jayden: I own nothing. Such a simple phrase, but a disclaimer nonetheless (I like that word). Oh, but this obscure and almost nonexistent plot is mine. It forms as I write. Hehehe, this story only had a thought out beginning, which I have passed a long time ago. Everything here on out is just as much an adventure for me, the writer, as it is for you, the reader.

I must thank my reviewers, they brighten up my day letting me know the story is actually read and appreciated.

Serenia-sd: Updating two days in a row is highly unlikely, but maybe one day I'll make it happen just for you. I won't be updating tomorrow, but I will try to get the next chapter up soon. I still gotta figure out exactly what happens and that takes time. So please have some patience. I hope that I won't be evil so much anymore, besides, my roommates tend to think I'm more of the chaotically insane type.
AnnieS23: So happy you like, and here be the update.
Kittyfaerie3000: Glad you understand my lack of super-speed updates. I'm just not the fastest writer.
Me101: Thanks for the smile, and I shall smile right back at you : )
AnimeAngel302: She didn't know if he had been stoned by the Emperor's ancestors or the Li's, afterall, most of the secret spells that the Empire contains is from the salvaged Li texts. Sorry I didn't make that clear, but she does figure out that he isn't Imperial, although I don't think I ever state it, and it is rather obvious who's side he's on in this chappy.
Smiles: Thanks so much!!! I have had a few very nice days. I even got to spend some time in someone's yard weeding, and strange as that may sound, I really enjoyed it. I was finally able to play in the dirt again and scare little bugs.
Rosie: Yeah!!! You love it, well I do too. If I didn't I would have started writing more on one of my other random ideas that I have, and I have quite a few of them. When I finish this I'll pick up and write one of them down.
Commander Cheddar: I hope that I'll be able to keep writing well, I believe that is the main goal of any writer, that and having a good story idea. Oh, and I really, REALLY like your name, my favorite cheese is Sharp Cheddar, and I absolutely LOVE cheese.

Cast In Stone
Eternal Marriage

one day later

Sakura slowly woke and ate her meager meal. After the Emperor had returned the other afternoon she had been brought a nice meal. This morning her breakfast consisted of toast and eggs.

Right after she had finished the Emperor arrived and stood outside her cell. A few guards that had been following moved farther into the dungeon. Sakura glared at him, a silent challenge to his authority. He only smirked in response.

Another guard came and opened her cell. Sakura was then forced to follow the Emperor out of the dungeon and up the stairs. When she entered a large room the guard pulled her to a stop. She was turned around, allowing her to see two guards restraining her brother and another two on the winged boy.

The guard behind her shoved her to where the Emperor stood and she saw the winged boy pushed next to her. Their wrists with the cuffs were only inches apart as the Emperor held his hand slightly above and between them and chanted a spell. Sakura watched in slight trepidation as the chain links reappeared.

"I can't very well leave you linked to another man, now can I? You didn't forget that we are getting married this afternoon?" Horror filled Sakura as she realized that before the days end all hope of her ever being able to defeat the Emperor would be lost. He meant to bind her magic and soul to him permanently.

He then grasped the cuff on the boy's wrist and caste a spell. Sakura barely noticed that it fell away from his wrist as she was still slightly in shock from the Emperor's announcement. After having been blind to his aura for the entire time he was wearing the cuff Sakura was slightly shocked. It was a side effect of wearing a magic repressor; no one can feel their magic because it is being repressed. She knew the boy was a sorcerer; he had been using a magic sword before he was stoned and she had had a vision of him using magic.

The shock was that even without a magic repressor on his wrist, she could not feel his aura. He must know how to hide it. Sakura almost felt like jumping for joy, maybe, just maybe they'll be able to escape after all. Taking a closer look at the winged warrior her heart dropped again. He looked severely ill and most likely incapable of doing anything to escape their current prison.

She watched as he was dragged back down to the dungeon. Now there were only a few guards, the Emperor, herself, and Touya in the room. Touya looked ready to kill the Emperor as the guards at his sides were straining to hold him still.

She noted that he was gagged and had both arms tied behind his back. The Emperor only laughed at him before turning his attention back to Sakura. "You will be taken to a dressing room where maids will dress you for the wedding. If you give them any trouble your brother will feel the punishment."

"What?! You can't! Leave Touya alone! He hasn't done anything!"

"Oh, I thought I told you last night of his crimes. You are mine, and no matter how much you protest it won't change that fact. It will only determine how many of your friends live through the night and how many scars your brother will gain." He then looked at the guards, "take her to her dressing room."

Before Sakura had a chance to retort she was dragged away. She could see her brother red with rage and ... tears streaming down his face? Is he crying for me?

She was shoved into a room with four young girls in servant attire. She allowed them to wash her till her skin shone and they dressed her in an elegant white dress. The whole time she reminded herself that Touya's life depended on her cooperation. The maids were quiet the entire time.

They were careful to avoid the cuff on her wrist that was linked to the open cuff. Sakura watched it swing back and forth, taunting her with its open clasp.

She saw and felt them apply the makeup onto her face. After what felt like an eternity to Sakura, but could only have been a few hours, they led her to a mirror. She looked like some type of masterpiece that sparkled radiantly. Even without a smile she looked gorgeous.

The dress had a flower pattern out of beads sewn on. The sleeves went to her wrists and the skirt flowed just millimeters above the floor. The veil was soft and had the same flower pattern out of beads.

The train dragged about ten feet behind her, also embroidered with the same flower design. One maid opened the door while the other three picked up the train and followed as Sakura was led out.

Guards led and followed the procession to a garden. Beautiful flowers were blooming everywhere. Brilliant colors and scents filled the area and Sakura was able to forget for a few moments what she was walking towards.

Without even realizing it Sakura walked down the isle, taking in the wondrous flowers that bloomed on every side. Looking up, she forgot the beauty that surrounded her and her situation came back to the forefront of her mind.

There, just a short ways ahead was the Emperor in a tuxedo. A sorcerer stood imposingly in front of him. Off to the side a short ways stood a number of guards and her brother. He was still tied and gagged and she could see now that he was trembling with rage.

She forced herself to walk the rest of the way to where the Emperor awaited her. Tears ran down her cheeks as her heart broke, all hope is gone now. The sorcerer who stood in front of her and the Emperor began chanting the eternal marriage spell. Sakura could feel her aura reacting to it and start searching for the other aura it was to be linked to.

She could not see anymore as the tears fogged up her vision. Off to the side she heard something and then the sorcerer had stopped casting the spell. At first she feared that it was done, but then she realized that her magic was still searching for another to link to.

Wiping away her tears she saw Spinel Sun attacking the sorcerer who had just been casting the marriage spell. On her right she saw Ruby Moon attacking the guards surrounding her brother with passion. She always did like Touya a lot and tended to cling to him. Looking behind her she was able to see the Emperor locked in combat with Eriol.

Sakura was feeling very confused, how had Eriol gotten the magic restraining cuffs off? Before she could answer her questions she felt a presence at her side. Turning, she came face to face with the winged warrior. He looked like he was barely managing to stand up as sweat poured off his face and his eyes were slightly glazed over.

He took her wrist that had the magic restraining cuff on it and began chanting a spell. As he was casting his spell Sakura noticed that his wings had started to flap. Quickly she grabbed the front of his robe with her free hand. A second later they were both in the air and rising. He appeared to be oblivious to the fact that they were flying.

Sakura watched as the cuff fell off her wrist and boy let go of her hand. Looking at his face she noticed that his eyes were no longer open and his body was completely limp. She was now holding unto him with both of her hands for dear life. Slowly she pulled herself closer to him until she was able to wrap her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. The skirt of the dress had made it difficult as it wrapped around her legs in the wind.

She desperately wished that she had her cards with her. It was very obvious that he had passed out and the wings were doing whatever they pleased, he had absolutely no control of them. She was feeling weak as her aura continued to search, the incomplete spell was draining her and she was feeling extremely tired.

Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest, fearful of when they would fall to their deaths. Looking down, she could see some clouds and the ground was just a blur of different shades of green and browns on rolling hills.

Her arms were getting extremely tired and she struggled to stay awake. She then saw Kero flying towards them in his true form. He was soon under her and she was able to let go of the boy and land on Kero's back. As she was relaxing her eyes refused to stay open any longer and she lost all consciousness.


Eriol could feel the sweat rolling down his face. The Emperor was slightly less powerful but more than made up for it with the vast amounts of knowledge that the Imperials kept secret. He knew that Ruby Moon had accomplished her mission, saving Touya. Silently he summoned Spinel Sun, it was time to leave.

He had seen the boy and Sakura make their escape while he was fighting the Emperor. He had also watched as Kerberos took off after them shortly thereafter. Yue was with the rest of the group making their escape so that they would have a magical link to the group of sorcerers. Besides, until just a few moments ago, Yue would have been stuck as Yukito in a magical battle.

Spinel wasted no time in arriving by his side. Eriol leapt onto his back in one graceful movement before they were both in the air and traveling farther and farther away from the Emperor. Ruby Moon carried Touya up alongside them. He did not look too happy with her clinging to him, but grateful at the rescue nonetheless.

They followed Kero to where Sakura and the winged boy were. Eriol watched as Sakura dropped onto Kero's back and promptly fainted. Kero seemed to be nervous about the boy soaring just above him.

When they caught up to Kero, Eriol saw what the problem was. Not only was Sakura unconscious but so was the flying boy. Using a wind spell, he was able to control where the boy was going and make him follow their group. They flew till they were at least twenty miles away from the palace before landing. Eriol had to concentrate more on the wind spell in order for the boy to land softly.

He was tired, but felt the need to check on Sakura before he did any resting. The Emperor had begun the marriage when they had arrived to rescue Sakura and Eriol knew that the spell they had been using was difficult and very dangerous when interrupted. He hoped that they got there early enough to reverse the effects and especially hoped that at the least she was not bound to the Emperor yet.

Feeling Sakura's aura with his magic, he noted that the spell had reached the part where her soul and magic need to be connected with another, but not actually bound to anyone in the slightest yet. It had already reached a point where it could not be reversed. She was weakening quickly, meaning that she needs to have the marriage spell completed within the next few hours or she will die.

Now for the hard part, telling her brother. "Hey Kinomoto, Sakura's in the middle of the Marriage spell, meaning that she has become a part of a whole. Without another half, the completion of the spell, she'll die." Recalling what he just said, he wasn't entirely sure he had made any sense.

"NANI?! What exactly do you mean?" He could tell that Touya didn't like what Eriol had just said one bit. Touya didn't really care for him that much anyways, especially when he had been pushing Sakura to transform all the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards.

"I mean, that Sakura needs to be married to a sorcerer in the next few hours or she will die. The Marriage spell needs to be completed and she must become connected with a sorcerer soon." Eriol made sure to put as much sternness in his voice as he could manage. Touya was very protective of his sister and only if he realized the true desperation of the situation would he be willing to marry off his little sister, and right now her life depends on it.

"And just who is she to marry, you?!" Eriol stepped back from Touya in slight shock. It had never crossed Eriol's mind that he might be stuck marrying Sakura. He had been hoping to propose to his love, Tomoyo, soon. To marry through a Marriage spell would bind him irrevocably to Sakura and he did not love her like that. It was then that Eriol realized he had only focused on the fact that Sakura needs to marry, not on who she would marry. And there were very few sorcerers around and fewer still that were of age to marry and available, and of those, most of them were working for the Empire.

"Or the flying gaki?" Touya said in a slightly calmer voice, but it was still filled with rage. Eriol looked at the unconscious sorcerer who had managed to break him out of prison and remove the magic restraining cuffs from off his wrists. He had also released everyone else with Eriol before they had gone off to rescue the Kinomotos. Tomoyo was somewhere with everyone else escaping from the Emperor's grasp as he chased the sorcerers who had 'kidnapped' his bride to be.

"That is a possibility, but we really don't know much about him. If he was ever magically bound to someone before his time as a statue than he won't be able to; a sorcerer can never marry again after being sealed in a Marriage spell. And we need have him conscious to even try, not to mention his cooperation."

"If we need his cooperation, then how come the Emperor was able to do so much to Sakura and could have sealed her to him without her cooperation." Eriol watched as Touya took on a contemplative look, "Or was she cooperating because he was using her friends as leverage?"

"I doubt she was truly cooperating in being married to him, but with a magic restraining cuff on, she had no choice. After the marriage she would be connected to him but unable to actually access the link as long as her magic remained restrained while he would have gained the ability to use her cards. That is why he so desperately wanted to marry Sakura, so that he would become the Card Master."

To Be Continued...

Hmm, now what category exactly is this story in... I have the ability to make it a tragedy or I could give it a happy ending. Anything is possible, but then again, this is (although I haven't actually stated it anywhere before) a Sakura/Syaoran fic. That pretty much gives away some of what will take place next time so I guess it really isn't that much of a cliffy in that sense. It's just a matter of exactly how it happens and then what happens after.

Wow, it took me a long time to update, for some reason I thought it had been two weeks since my last update, but it's actually more like one. So I'm not doing as bad as I thought I had been. Hopefully the next chapter will be up faster, I also want to find out exactly what will happen.