BLEEDING ANGEL

AN: I do not own Card Captor Sakura

Chapter 12

My hand clutched the girl's as we ran through the dark streets of the city. Behind us I could hear the deafening sound of beating skinny wings and the cries of the beasts echoed harshly and menacingly through the empty streets and buildings.

Her breath was laboured as she ran behind me and I could feel her falling behind. Hastening my pace I pulled her in front of me and lifted her into my arms. Her arms held on around my neck as I continued to run with her in my arms. My eyes always focused on the large building before us encouraging me to run faster.

We stumbled in through the large doors and be both slammed the doors shut behind us. I clapped my hands urgently and all the crystals lit up to a blinding light, reflecting off the marble like floor, white walls and mirrors.

I glanced down at the girl who had collapsed to the ground. Her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths and her eyes were shut as she tried to catch her breath. Her clothes were stained with blood and dirt and her face and hair held the same exhausted and dirty look her clothes did.

I sank down next to her and her head fell on my shoulder. She stank of the dark blood clinging to her skin and clothes and I knew I must smell the same. Her faint almost hidden sent of mint and vanilla filtered through to my senses and I smiled inwardly. It's still the girl beside me.

"We made it." She breathed. Her hands clung to my blood stained shirt and she collapsed into my lap. Her chest rose and fell with each heavy breath against me and I managed to open my own eyes and look down at her.

My breath caught in my throat. Down her back ran a long gash. The red flesh sneered at me through the torn material. "By the Angel." I lifted the girl into my arms once more and laid her down on the soft coach.

My mind raced with the past events to try and realise where and when she could have gotten the cut, but found no answer. The past two nights and days have been a nightmare on it's own without remembering every detail.

The girl clutched the pillow with her hands as I washed her wound with warm water and disinfectant. I could hear faint sobs and her body shivered slightly every now and again. She cried in pain and pushed my hand back from her. "Just leave it!"

I pushed back my anger at her childish actions and tried to calm my voice as I spoke to her. "You can't! It's going to get infected and where will you be then?" My emotions were raw and I did not need her to argue with me.

"Just leave it! It's not like it will have any time to get infected." She turned on her side and her dark eyes met with mine and I knew what she was going to say. I clenched my teeth as I looked down at her. Her hand rose to my face and she wiped warm tears from my face.

"It's time Syaoran." I became aware of the lump in my throat and the burning ache in my chest as she looked up at me with her bright, loving and determined eyes. "It's the only way. You have to…" Her voice quivered slightly and fresh tears ran down her face. I pulled her to me and she cried on my chest.

"Please, Sakura. Don't make me do this." She tightened her grip on me and continued to cry. "I love you too much."

"You have to Syaoran. You have to. You have to finish what you set out to do all those years back. It's the only way."

"No there has to be some other…"

"WE'VE TRIED EVERYTHING! We've tried everything! And look where it got us! No where! We're back to square one and there is no way out except for the exit we should have taken from the very beginning."

"But…"

"We ran through these streets for the past two days and nights trying everything possible to get rid of them and nothing works! They keep coming back, time and time again. Not even light will make them back off! The only thing keeping them form your people is the over sized thick doors of the shelters! And they can't stay there forever."

"No."

"There's no other way Li! Please. For your people, for your family, for Tomoyo and Eriol and Meiling… Please."

"I don't care about them!" I roared. "I won't do it for them."

"Then do it for me! Just do it! You have to or we will all die in anyway! You have to do it."

"No."

"Yes."

"No. I can't."

"JUST KILL ME LI!"

AN: OH MY GOSH! What a question to ask! What will Xiao-lang do? Will he finish his job, or will he let his love for the girl over come his sense of duty? You will have to find out in the next and final chapter of Bleeding Angel.

Yes, people. Unfortunately all good things must come to and end. I suppose in Xiao-lang's case it's all been one big nightmare. I will not, however, leave you without any reading material. Some of you might have seen it already, but I have started a new story call Snow White. A little twist on a classic tale – the story of Snow White as told from her body guard's point of view. (No dwarves thank you very much!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope you have a brilliant 2005!

Thank you for the reviews.

Tella

Ps. Any questions, please drop them in a review and I will try to answer them.