Well the notes at the end are going to cover everything. Sorry for the late update and thanks for the reviews! Sorry if this chapter is a bit fast!
And Happy Birthday Sheyzie! Oh and Happy New Year to Everyone!
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS. I do own the plot and Ryu's character. Thank you very much.
Fantasy
By: Final Fantasy Princess
Chapter Three
The New Friendship
-Present-
Syaoran and I trained for two weeks straight at his house. It turns out that Syaoran indeed was superior to me in sorcery and combat. He already began to tap into his magical potential whilst I was only getting a whiff of my potential.
That didn't mean he'll always be stronger.
My brother and my guardian Kero tried many times to talk me out of training with Syaoran even though they saw my improvement. It didn't help much that Touya was Syaoran's magical instructor and tried to berate him in his class. Fortunately, that didn't work either… Syaoran always managed to be in sync with Touya.
But Syaoran no longer was cold as before. He still tried to act 'macho' around me in front of everyone and yet he usually failed.
You'll see what I mean…
But that wasn't what was important that day… that day was the beginning of the change of my life, Syaoran's life, Gaea's life…
It was the beginning of the end…
-
-Back 2 years ago-
Syaoran tapped his foot impatiently.
Everyday for two weeks, Syaoran would wait for his partner, Kinomoto Sakura, to come out of the girl's washroom.
And everyday Sakura was late.
"Kinomoto come on! I'm going to leave!" Syaoran growled as he leaned against the opposite wall. Nobody said Syaoran was patiently waiting for Sakura either…
Sakura on the other hand was trying to get out of her clothes and into her training robes Syaoran gave her after a week of training. They were a dark pink hue with a hint of light pink. He told her that his fanatic sisters made it for her, in hopes that he'll reveal his hidden 'girlfriend'. But it was no use, so Syaoran decided to give the robe to its owner.
'Hoe…' Sakura thought as she slipped once again on her clothes. She groaned as she tried to get untangled in the mess she currently put herself in. 'Li's going to kill me!'
Finally she managed to put on her training robe and stuffed her other clothes in the pink duffel bag Tomoyo exclusively made for her.
"Kinomoto I mean it! I'm going to leave!" Sakura heard Syaoran bark from outside. She hurriedly grabbed her bag and ran out the door.
Bad Idea…
Syaoran was smacked head on with the door. Sakura gasped and grabbed Syaoran just before he fell to the floor. "Gomen nasai Li!! Oh Kami-sama I'm such a klutz. Gomen…" Sakura said in a rush. Syaoran groaned and rubbed his face.
"Itai…" He grumbled.
Sakura giggled a bit and helped Syaoran up. "I'm so sorry Li-kun. I thought you were going to leave so I rushed out…" She began before Syaoran shook his head.
"You've improved Kinomoto-san. Fifteen instead of twenty minutes." Syaoran said grinning as he glanced at his watch and untangled himself from Sakura's grip.
Sakura blushed and grabbed her duffel bag. "Ready to go?" She inquired coolly, beginning to walk on her own. Syaoran chuckled and continued to rub his head.
"That girl will be the end of me." He said to himself as he raced to catch up with Sakura.
-
Tomoyo grinned from ear to ear as her best friend and 'The Syaoran Li' finally emerged from Trinity Garden. She magically took out her camera and began to film.
"Ohohohohoho! There they are Kero-chan! Finally I get to film them practicing!" She said gleefully.
"Do you know Tomoyo-chan that you get weirder and weirder each passing day?" Kero said bluntly from his hiding spot. Tomoyo only giggled and raced to follow, in Tomoyo's opinion, Gaea's cutest couple!
Kero flew to Tomoyo's shoulder and sighed. He cursed the day that Touya convinced him to go with Tomoyo on the escapade to follow his master.
'Make sure the kaijuu is FIFTEEN feet away from the gaki!'
Kero recoiled at the booming voice of Touya that kept repeating in his head. He never knew why Touya wanted fifteen feet but he guessed he'll never know for now.
-
Syaoran looked up at the sky and frowned. Instead of the sky being the same light blue it always was, the sky today was dark gray and cloudy.
"I guess we'll have to train inside today. Someone summoned the rain." Syaoran stated.
Sakura looked up and nodded. Although she knew their land needed water, she hated when it rained. It made her feel depressed since the mood is so dreary. She sighed softly before looking straight ahead to their destination.
"I suppose… Are your sisters still thinking…"
"that we're secret lovers? Yes they're obsessed with that idea." Syaoran said as he opened his house door. Sakura quietly giggled as she looked around his home. She could never get enough of its ethereal beauty.
"Let's go before they discover that we're here." Syaoran whispered as he quietly stepped inside.
Sakura nodded and proceeded to tip toe into the mansion. Syaoran silently closed the door and crept to Sakura's side. The last thing they want to do is raise the alarm for Syaoran's crazy sisters.
But it was too late. Feimei was stepping out of the bathroom when she spotted them. Her eyes shone brilliantly as she prepared her squealing voice. "Girls! It's little brother and Kinomoto!"
Syaoran grabbed Sakura's arm and ran down another hallway. Sakura nearly dropped her bag as she dashed away from the squeals of Syaoran's sisters. Syaoran pulled her from room to hall to another room to another hall.
Sakura tried to indulge in every little detail she was able to grasp of every room Syaoran and she dashed through. Royal ballrooms, dining rooms, several quarters of guests… Sakura was really overwhelmed. How big was this place?
That's when they suddenly stopped. Sakura turned around to meet a pair of eerie light blue eyes. She didn't know that the owner of those blue eyes would tell her what she would fear the most.
-
"WHY?!!!"
"Tomoyo-chan, calm down!" Kero yelled as he tried to comfort the poor girl in her distress. He didn't know how emotional she could get at the mere point that Sakura and the gaki managed to get away from her magical camera.
"Of all the times Daisuke-san had to summon the rain! Why today? Now I won't be able to film my kawaii Sakura training with THE Syaoran Li!" Tomoyo wailed in distress, flailing her arms to hit the Li mansion gates.
"Tomoyo!!" Kero yelled with his eyes wide. He didn't need for the Li guards to arrest them for sort of trying to destroy their property.
As quick as Tomoyo started to cry, she stopped. She grinned as though she were insane and started jumping up and down in glee.
"I've got it! Come Kero!" She said happily, grabbing the guardian's tail. She laughed manically as she raced down the way they came.
'Touya I swear I'm never going to listen to you again…' Kero thought angrily as he fought to get out of Tomoyo's iron grip.
-
"Meiling!"
Meiling turned from her position and motioned for the person who shouted to be quiet. She winked and turned back to the way she was looking.
Ryu sighed, not understanding his martial arts partner at all. She was always looking for trouble and this was the tip of the iceberg… they were spying on Daisuke-san, the most powerful sorcerer of their time. He was the one who summoned the rain, snow, hail, and sun for their planet. It was incredible watching him conjure the rain, because it was a funny process.
Meiling watched in joy at Daisuke, who was waving around his large staff to the sky. Ryu grumbled as he sat next to her.
"Mei, why do you always have to come here? We're supposed to be practicing!" He whispered, not liking the pink stain on her cheeks.
"Oh Ryu, you're so grumpy! Just look at him! He's so… handsome when he summons the rain!"
Ryu groaned as he flopped over to his side. He hated the fact that Meiling was overly obsessed with Daisuke. Sure Daisuke was good-looking, in his mid-twenties, and has that elegant look on him, but that didn't mean he could have Meiling's heart!
"Ryu, stop moving! He's going to lose his concentration! Oh he's so handsome…" Meiling sighed happily, batting her eyelashes.
"Oh please… he's a loner. He has no friends… what kind of life is that?"
Meiling glared at him. "Don't be jealous Ryu, he's waiting for someone to spend the rest of eternity with him, and I hope it's me."
Ryu groaned even more.
-
"I quattro maidens ora sono liberi conquistare. Il fiore o il drago vincerà... ma la nerezza colpirà se il fuoco è sotto il periodo della lucertola."
'A prophet…'
A cold wind blew from nowhere around them, making Sakura shudder in unease. The old woman opened her eyes in confusion, staring at the two figures in front of her. She wondered if they somehow listened to her message. She shivered, hoping it didn't mean why she thought it meant.
"What did you two hear?"
Sakura and Syaoran stood still, trying to absorb the words spoken to them. Sakura bit her lip, realizing it kind of fit into an old prophecy Uematsu-sensei was teaching them yesterday. Even though it was spoken in the old language, she understood. Glad that she took that language class, she slowly translated the words into her head. Syaoran, on the other hand, was trying to control his anger.
There were a few people in Gaea who were prophets, and those who were, were hidden in the ancient alcoves of Gaea, where no one could bother them. Being a prophet had its ups and downs.
More downs though.
People always attacked those who could see the future in grief, anger, or jealousy. But why? Why would anyone do such a thing? That is because as a prophet you had to swear an oath not to tell people what you have seen unless it pertains to Gaea's future. Even if it means a great plague was going to attack that Gaea people, you cannot utter a word.
That is why when some prophet sees someone dying; they cannot intervene even if they desperately want to. If they do, they die a terrible death and those whom they love will die too.
But some people didn't understand that because they're in grief for losing that loved one or ones. One of the famous prophets, Maida Kei Hidatsa, was killed by a group of people because she knew that a tidal wave was going to hit and over 10,000 people were lost in its disaster.
She tried to argue that it wasn't her fault because Gaea wasn't in grave danger, her people were. No one wanted to understand her words so she was cornered and slaughtered when she went out with her daughter to go shop. Since then, all those discovered to be prophets were hidden or disappeared on their own, camouflaging with the rest.
But to find one here, out in the open, was shocking. How could no one know of this prophet?
And what did she mean with the old prophecy?
"Are you two deaf? What did you hear?"
Sakura cleared her throat before speaking quietly. "Something that is sort of close to the Novo prophecy. But you spoke of a flower and dragon while the Novo prophecy speaks of a plant and an animal. And you said they're now free…"
The old woman froze. 'It was true, it's time.
"Get out of here, the both of you! Don't speak of this to no one! Out I tell you!"
Sakura nodded quickly and tried to pull on Syaoran's arm. But he wouldn't budge. Sakura looked at the old woman again and froze in fear. Her eerie light blue eyes were turning into a dark black color. Was this a form of black magic that she has never seen?
"Midori-san, all this time…"
The old woman looked at Syaoran in anger. "Get out!"
Syaoran shook his head and pulled his arm roughly from Sakura's grip. He wasn't going to let this old woman get away without any questions. "Answer me!" He growled. He couldn't believe that after all this time, she never told him.
"Yes Syaoran-san. Now get out before I make you!"
Syaoran glared at the woman one last time before turning away, dragging Sakura with him. Sakura was confused in many ways, but didn't question this time.
All she knew was the fear that gripped her heart.
Gaea was in danger.
-
"Tomoyo?"
Kero looked at the young girl confused, as she stood as still as stone in front of Eriol's house. She had a weird expression on her face as she stared at the sky. He thought that she was more entertained with the sky then the plot at hand. He tilted his head as the girl continued to stare at the sky, absorbed with the motions of the clouds. He was about to call out her name again when she whispered to him.
"Kero, it's not raining."
Sure enough, the guardian looked up at the dark clouded sky and saw that the clouds didn't hold any water in them. They just turned darker and darker as time went by. That was weird, considering that when a sorcerer calls the rain, it's usually a five minute process.
"What does this mean?" Kero asked, perturbed that Daisuke still didn't complete his job as of yet.
"From what my Otou-san told me before he passed on…" Tomoyo paused for a second saddened at the mention of her father. "When a conjurer doesn't complete his job, something is wrong."
Suddenly a burst of energy came from the sky and Tomoyo gasped. Four lights streamed from the clouds and went there own way.
"Kero?"
But Kero wasn't paying attention to the young lass anymore as he saw the last of the four lights disappear across the horizon. He knew what this meant and he was disheartened that it had to happen now. He had to locate his mistress, now.
'It has begun…'
-
Two figures emerged from their place, coughing and sneezing. One was helping the other walk out of the small cave ledge they were in.
"Mei, daijoubu desu ka?" One figured asked concerned at the girl who was using his weight to support herself.
It was a quick moment when the boy realized that the man they've been watching wasn't summoning the rain. The formation the rain dance had to ensue was a short and funny one. The one the man was performing was neither short nor funny.
He danced as though in a trance, long strokes of his staff. That's when the young boy knew something was wrong.
"Mei we have to get out of here!" He remembered whispering harshly. But the girl was too love struck to notice or care for that matter. He tried to pull her but she would shush him and proceed to stare at the young man, sighing every now and then.
When he tried to pull her again, he felt as if someone was staring at him. Sure enough, when he looked back the young man, his eyes were on him. There was a look of surprise and curiosity in his eyes. That was the last thing the young boy saw before a flash of light appeared in the sky and then in a brief second, smoke surrounded him and his female companion.
"Itai!" She had yelped, feeling a burn on her leg.
He had to nearly carry her out before they finally made it in the clear. She was coughing and leaning on him, hurt evident in her eyes. This led to their present position, the girl going towards a rock and the boy staring at her in concern.
"Hai, daijoubu." She muttered quietly.
"Liar. You're hurt." He answered back quietly, helping her on a rock. He looked at her cut and nearly winced. It was not a cut but a gash in her leg.
"We have to get you to Mizuki-sensei and quick!" He nearly cried as he lifted her into his arms. How good it felt to hold her was diminished in his alarm of her injury. He now wished he was a healer instead of a fighter.
He didn't know what Daisuke tried to pull but he would make sure that man would pay for hurting his friend…
-
Sakura sat quietly on the cushion in the small sparring room Syaoran brought her in. They didn't speak a word to each other ever since leaving the eerie room of the old woman. Countless questions stirred in Sakura's mind. Who was that woman? What did she mean that they were free? Was she related to Syaoran? And what was Syaoran asking about before they left? She stared at Syaoran, who was pacing back and forth until a flash of light burst through the windows of the room.
Sakura gasped as she called her float magic to peer outside the windows. Syaoran did the same but called his air magic to levitate him.
They were in time to see four balls of energy disappear to the other sides of Gaea as the sky darkened even more.
"What's going on Li?" Sakura whispered worriedly.
Syaoran's face was set into a grim line.
"The prophecy of Nova…"
Sakura gasped as she turned at her sparring partner. "You really think so?" Her eyes began to widen in fear. Syaoran continued to stare out the window, ignoring her question.
"Call your guardians, now."
Sakura blinked confused at his command but did so anyway. She closed her eyes and concentrated, scared of what might happen. Glowing a light pink hue, she felt her guardians, Kero and Yue, answer to her call.
"They're coming."
"Good. Now Sakura… brace yourself."
"Hoe?" Sakura asked puzzled, missing that he called her by her first name. That was before Syaoran tackled her down just in time to feel the whole planet of Gaea shake and his windows burst.
-
Tomoyo screamed as a huge energy ball from the sky fall to the floor of Gaea and cause a huge explosion that took her breathe away. Kero transformed and covered her just in time as objects from the explosion came hurtling at them from all directions.
Tomoyo watched in awe as Eriol ran out of his house in his own barrier, shaken visibly, heading towards them. She didn't know what was going on and she didn't want to know. All she knew was something was wrong, terribly wrong.
She didn't hear the exchange between Kero and Eriol until she saw Kero leaving. She reached out for him only to be pulled back by her beloved.
"He's responding to Sakura's calls. Where is Spinel and Ruby?" Eriol asked, referring to her own guardians.
"I'll call them." Tomoyo answered, feeling safe under Eriol's shield. He looked strangely calm but she didn't want to question him. Closing her eyes, she felt her violet hue cover her, reaching out for her guardians. She let a small smile be released as they answered her. They were all right.
"They're coming."
Eriol nodded as he wrapped his arms around her. Outside of his shield, all chaos was set loose since debris was still flying from all directions. He could only hope that the rest of his friends were okay.
-
Meiling whimpered as she looked at her fallen training partner that was by her side. She held him close as she looked outside of her own barrier, wondering how she was going to keep this up. Unfortunately for them, they were caught by surprise by the huge blast and Ryu took the hit of a rock that came from it.
In seconds Meiling managed to conjure a shield from Ryu's magic. He had taught it to her just in case since she had no magic of her own. She thanked him once again silently that he had, or else they would've been gone sooner.
"Ryu, please wake up!" She cried as she shook his unresponsive body. She couldn't believe this was happening.
"It's all my fault… you told me to get out of there and I didn't listen." Meiling sobbed as she hugged his form. She could feel the shield giving out slowly since her own energy wasn't good enough to hold the shield up that long.
"It's my entire fault…" She sniveled before feeling the shield go out. "Gomen nasai Ryu-chan. I couldn't protect you…" She whispered before closing her eyes. "But I'll try to hold on… us Rae people are too stubborn to quit."
-
"Sakura-san."
Sakura looked up to see her older guardian, Yue, standing tall with a strong shield around him. She blinked as she realized that Syaoran had collapsed next to her, keeping his own shield around them. She smiled softly as she patted his hand. That's when she realized what was going on around them.
Syaoran's mansion's ceiling was torn off somewhat and the windows were broken, probably because of the explosion she heard. The wind was howling through the collapsed windows, debris falling everywhere.
"What's happening?" She called out, unsure that her guardian can hear her. She stood up slowly, lifting up Syaoran with her.
"You do know the Nova prophecy, do you not?" Yue asked calmly, as if the explosion had no effect on him.
Sakura paused and closed her eyes, trying to remember Uematsu's lesson.
Long ago, when prophets were free to prevent a bad future was happening, there was one prophet who foretold a future that scared the Gaea people. This prophecy was known as the Nova prophecy. Why Nova you ask? Well it's quite simple. Nova in our ancient language means Maiden. There are four maidens whom we pay our respects to, and most of all a chosen summoner who worships them and calls on their powers. Those four maiden are known as Mizu, Faia, Ea, and Chi. They have the power of water, fire, wind, and earth.
One day, this prophet said that the summoner will call for more than their power… that summoner will call for them so he could control them. The maidens will happily comply, ready for a challenge, for they know whoever calls them is the utmost foolish person to try and defy their power . But this comes with a price… because that summoner called on beings beyond his control, he will unleash a powerful bomb on Gaea. No one is allowed to disrespect these beings this way, nonetheless call on them as if he were in the higher power to try and control them.
So the heart of Gaea will be destroyed by these maidens. Many people will be killed and those without magical powers will not stand a chance unless they are protected by magical ones.
The prophet said that only one true person can stop the sufferings of our Gaea people. She is known as the plant. Who knows why she said as a plant, but she is known as the plant. She is guided by another, whom loves her dearly. But the one she must defeat is the animal, the summoner who called these beings. If she fails, or if goes under the summoner's spell, we are all doomed.
Sakura's eyes hardened. Daisuke had called the four maidens and now had caused this destruction.
"Does he think he has the power to control them?"
Yue stared at her emotionlessly. "What do you think? Call on fly… we need to go to the ancient alcoves."
"But where is Kero?" Sakura asked desperately, her heart dropping at the thought of leaving her homeland behind.
"Busy with another of your friends. Let's go."
Sakura nodded as she closed her eyes and concentrated. In a moment, her staff appeared in front of her. She grasped it with her free hand, her other arm occupied with Syaoran. "Fly…" She whispered as two large angelic white wings appeared on her back.
"Let's go." Yue said solemnly, flying out the window he came through. Sakura nodded as she wrapped her arms around Syaoran and followed Yue.
-
"Where are we going?" Tomoyo asked as Eriol pulled her along through the broken homes and destroyed streets. She wanted to know if her mother was all right, but by the looks of it, she knew they weren't heading to check if their families are okay.
"Kero told me to head to the ancient alcoves of the prophets."
Tomoyo stopped completely.
"That's suicide! No one but the strongest and purest sorcerers could go there!" She screamed, pulling out of Eriol's grasp. The ancient alcoves were forbidden to trespass because of the spell and incantations the prophets put around them in fear of being attacked.
Eriol sighed as he turned to Tomoyo. He knew she wouldn't take it lightly; after all, he was shocked when Kero told him.
"But everything is going to be all right." Kero had said.
"I don't understand either Tomoyo but we must go there. Everyone else is heading there too."
Tomoyo looked quite reluctant before turning around to look at what was left behind her. A tear fell down her cheek as she looked at the wreckage of her homeland. She hoped her mother was all right.
"What of our families Eriol? What of the rest of our friends?" She cried, lashing out her arms in fear. Eriol walked forward and wrapped her in his arms.
"They'll be fine. For now, this is what we must do. For them, Tomoyo."
Tomoyo nodded, sobbing. Eriol rubbed her back for a while before realizing how much time they've wasted.
"We must make up for our time. I need you to hold onto me for this one." Eriol said as he pulled her closer to him. Tomoyo nodded again.
"Soar…" He whispered as a silverfish pair of wings appeared on his back. He took off with his love in his arms.
-
Ryu woke up groggily as he heard a pair of wings beating by his ears. He winced at the powerful sound before he realized he was flying too. Opening his eyes, he saw Sakura's guardian under him, flapping away with Meiling right behind him, passed out and bruised.
Ryu gasped as he took hold of his… friend… and held her close. He didn't know what to call Sakura's guardian because he can faintly remember the name they all had called him. He frowned, pissed off that his brain wasn't functioning properly. Instead, he decided to tap the beast's shoulder.
The beast looked back with one eye, raising it as if though he were saying 'what do you want?'
"What happened?"
Kero snorted as he flew higher. "You two are lucky I found you both."
Ryu nodded, only remembering an object hitting him hard on his back and head, before everything turned black. He wondered how Meiling became more battered. He frowned, realizing he hadn't been able to protect her as he had promised.
"And?" Ryu inquired, holding Meiling closer to him.
"And what? I was a couple of miles away before I felt your shield go out. By the time I arrived I saw Meiling's body on top of yours, taking all the hits. Good job, kid. You got the girl all bruised. Meiling is a close friend of mine and Sakura's, so for the next time suck it up."
Ryu closed his eyes in agony. She had protected him in the end, instead of the other way around. He then remembered something… his shield? He didn't conjure a shield. Even in his half past out state, he knew unconsciously he couldn't call his magic.
'Meiling…'
He remembered the day he taught Meiling to call on his magic, just in case she needed it. One of the few spells he taught her was to summon his shield. Another was to use a small beam of energy at her opponent. Not that she needed it anyway…
He was glad… he had done something right in the end.
"Where are we going?" Ryu asked after some period of time. The temperature around them was freezing, though he couldn't feel it. He knew it was freezing because of the ice that started to wrap around Kero's golden shield.
"The alcoves."
Ryu's eyes widened but he knew he couldn't contest any further. The guardian had turned back to look ahead, ending the conversation. He hoped Mizuki-sensei would be there too.
-
Sakura gasped as she looked around to see all the magical people of her homeland take off in the same manner she was flying. She smiled as she saw her brother and father along with them. Her smile broadened as she saw her brother glare at her, realizing who she was carrying.
"Everyone is fleeing to the alcoves. They remember." Yue said quietly.
"Remember what?"
"The part of the prophecy your teachers never mentioned because they didn't feel the need to. In the time this prophecy is fulfilled, all must flee to the prophets' place. Those that are pure of heart will be sheltered. Those who aren't will be left to face the wrath of the maidens."
Sakura was silent for a moment, holding onto Syaoran. She hoped that whoever the plant or flower was, they'll show up soon. Or else life as they know it will soon be gone. She looked at the passed out Syaoran and hugged him.
"Arigato." She whispered. She didn't want to know what would've happened if he wasn't keeping watch and if he didn't knock her out of the way. She looked around for his family members and was happy to see the Li sisters bustling around an old woman. That's when she realized a pair of golden eyes watching her.
The woman had a regal air around her, her hair tied into a strict bun. She had a small smile on her face as she stared at Sakura. On her back, she had long lilac sparkling wings. That's when Sakura realized who she was. On her imperial robes, was the crest of the Li family.
It was Syaoran's mother.
"Sakura!"
Sakura turned and grinned at the figure behind her. "Yukito-san!" The young man grinned at the young girl, his white wings flapping smoothly behind him.
"I see you have a cargo. Would you like for me to carry him so you can rest for a while?" He asked softly, motioning towards Syaoran.
"Iie demo arigato. He protected me, the least I can do is protect him."
Yukito nodded, understanding. He looked at Yue whom silently flew right beside his mistress. His old best friend. "Is that a new outfit Sakura-chan?"
The young girl blushed; looking at the training robe Syaoran's sisters had made her. She hadn't realized she was wearing it until Yukito pointed it out to her. She decided to keep silent since she didn't trust herself speaking at the moment.
That's when she felt Syaoran stir in her arms. Dropping just a bit, she tried to keep a good hold on him. He opened his eyes confused before examining the situation around him. He blushed lightly realizing that he was in Sakura's actually capable arms and that his family was not too far away, making funny faces. Well his sisters were…
"Sakura-san, you can let go of me now."
Startled, Sakura released her cargo and her magic at the same time. With a yelp, both of them fell towards the ground below. Syaoran gripped his pendant firmly, releasing his sword.
"Fliege!" He called out, his own golden wings appearing. Dipping lower, he grabbed Sakura's falling form before she hit the rock hard floor. He rolled his eyes as he stared at the fallen girl who sheepishly smiled.
"Mizuki-sensei told me that I lacked concentration. I guess it's still true."
Syaoran sighed as he began to fly back up where the rest were. "As I said before, you're going to be the end of me. How long have I been out and where are we heading?"
Sakura blushed as she gripped Syaoran's shoulders more carefully. "Towards the alcoves of the prophets… Yue said this was part of the prophecy. All those pure of heart may enter and those with evil are left out to feel the maiden's wrath."
Syaoran nodded as he boosted her up higher. "Already low of energy Sakura-san? And here I thought that you could've lasted longer."
Sakura stuck out her tongue before noticing something different. "You called me Sakura-san…"
Syaoran yelled at himself mentally before nodding slowly. Sakura smiled before wrapping her arms around Syaoran in a tight hug.
"Wai! I'm glad we're friends now! May I call you Syaoran-san, onegai?"
Syaoran muttered a few choice words before nodding. Squealing in delight, Sakura pulled herself closer. The young boy turned beet red and glanced around to see if anyone noticed. He sweat-dropped realizing that almost everyone was looking. And Touya looked as though he were about to burst. Figuring nothing could be worse, Syaoran moved a bit before carrying Sakura 'marriage style'. He was more comfortable that way. Sakura gave in to her exhaustion and fell asleep comfortably in her savior's arms. Yue glanced at Sakura's form before sighing.
'Why her?'
-
"Spinel-chan!" Tomoyo shrieked in delight as her guardians flew towards her. Ruby Moon smirked and wiggled her eyebrows.
"Now Tomoyo-san, you never told me you had a boyfriend."
The young girl blushed scarlet before nodding her head, confirming the young guardian's words. Ruby squealed in delight as she hugged her mistress. Spinel just sighed.
"We're way behind the others. There is a whole group about 20 miles ahead, where your best friend, Sakura, is with your family and hers." He said bored but relieved to see that his mistress was all right. Ruby scowled at him, waving him away.
"Who cares! Our Mistress has found us a Master! Aww and isn't he adorable?!" She cooed, pinching Eriol's cheeks.
"Ruby-chan! Stop pestering him! Come, I must fly on my own to give Eriol some rest and we have to catch up to the others. Any word on Meiling-chan?"
Ruby shook her head sadly. "We haven't heard of her or her partner Ryu-san. But don't fear the worst; I'm sure they'll be all right."
Tomoyo tried to hide her frown. "Hai… I'm sure they're fine…"
Spinel rolled his eyes. "From what I know, these winds won't stop until tomorrow, so we have to hold up our shields for that long. Both of you come ride on me so you can rest. Can you do that?"
"Hai… we can do it."
Eriol and Tomoyo smiled at each other before continuing on.
-
"Who is that up there?" Ryu asked the guardian, still hating the fact that his name hasn't popped into his head yet. They've been flying for a couple of hours to what Ryu thought was the guardian's top speed.
"The rest of them. Sakura-chan is there, I can feel her."
Ryu nodded, holding onto Meiling. He didn't like the way she was breathing. It steadily had gotten worse, her breathing coming in harsh gasps.
"Does Sakura-san know how to heal people?" He asked uncomfortably. He didn't want to reveal his weak moment to Meiling's friends but he felt as if he didn't have anymore of a choice.
"Hai she does. But right now she's low in energy. I can sense that she's resting. By the time we catch up to them, I'm sure she'll be okay to heal Meiling-chan a bit."
"Okay… that's good."
The guardian huffed in response as he continued to fly on. Ryu was thankful for he had saved them both. Who knows what could've happened since his shield went down and if Meiling continued to use herself as a body shield for him.
"Oi! Ryu-san!"
Turning over to his right, he saw the happiest sight he has ever seen. It was Tomoyo and Eriol, riding on Tomoyo's guardian.
Another name he couldn't remember.
Tomoyo's other guardian was hovering nearby, keeping a keen eye on anything suspicious. He grinned happily as he waved at them. He didn't remember if Tomoyo or Eriol had healing powers. He prayed that one of them did.
"You don't know how happy I am to see you both! Do any of you know how to heal?" He called out, cupping one of his hands. Meiling was stilled gripped firmly in his other arm.
Eriol and Tomoyo shook their heads and Ryu nearly collapsed in grief. That was until Tomoyo's other guardian, a girl with silky ruby hair and dark ruby eyes appeared in front of him.
"I do. What happened to Meiling-chan?"
Ryu looked away sadly and only heard a small chuckle come from the tall guardian. "It's quite all right, I won't judge you. I believe she used herself as a human shield, ne? Well that's all right. Just move her forward a bit on Cerberus and I'll heal her in a jiffy."
Ryu nodded and moved Meiling forward in time to be surrounded by a dark ruby aura. He stared in disbelief as all the wounds on Meiling began to quickly heal. After a few minutes, Ruby clapped her hands in glee since she was done.
"She's only resting now. Pretty good for only being a warrior, ne? She handled a lot." Ruby commented before flying back to her Mistress' side.
But Ryu didn't notice her comment as he pulled her close once more. Tomoyo raised an eyebrow at Eriol who only shrugged in return. They were glad they found one of their friends.
"Kero-chan! Where is Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo called out.
"Up ahead, about 8 or 9 miles. You could see the flock up ahead." Kero called back to the young girl. Ryu gave out a sigh of relief, finally recovering the name of the young guardian. Kero or Cerberus. Now he only hoped that Eriol or Tomoyo would reveal the other guardians names.
"I'm glad everyone is all right. Do you know how many… deaths yet?"
Kero growled silently. "Over 2,000. Most of them warriors."
Tomoyo looked down silently. She had wished that there were only less than a hundred casualties. She hadn't imagined in the thousands…
"Let's go." Eriol whispered into her ear, motioning for the others to go faster.
-
'It will be a battle that will last for about two years. The flower will realize too late that she has the power to stop the summoner. But water will help the flower after the test. That is where the flower will make her last mistake.'
Sakura woke up with a start, cold sweat covering her forehead. Syaoran looked down at her in confusion, quirking an eyebrow. She took in deep breaths before looking into the amber eyes of her newfound friend.
"You okay?"
Sakura nodded softly before gripping him harder. "Syaoran-san… do you know the whole prophecy?"
Syaoran looked up for a moment, wondering about his teachings with Wei-sensei. "I guess I do. Wei said that other professors are careless to not tell the whole prophecy. I guess he was right."
"Tell it to me." Sakura pleaded weakly, her hands turning clammy.
"Well…" Syaoran coughed to clear his throat. "I'll try to make it simple. The famous prophet of back then, nobody remembers his name, spoke of a great disaster in the future. That disaster was a sorcerer whom summons the rain, hail, sun… etcetera etcetera… but this time he summons something more than he is supposed to. He summons the four maidens. But with those four maidens come the three servants. The four maidens control the four elements, water, fire, wind, and earth. The water maiden is the strongest for she was created first by the grand master of Gaea." At this Syaoran rolls his eyes, causing Sakura to giggle.
"The three servants control the lesser powers… snow, lightning, and hail. Their names are Fuyu, Raju, and Koori. When one calls on the maidens to try and conquer them, or challenge them, a great power will strike Gaea's core. Many will die for the carelessness of this sorcerer and only the plant can stop him. How can a plant stop him, I have no idea." Syaoran added sarcastically. Sakura nudged his side, causing him to chuckle.
"Anyhow, the plant has to come and challenge the four maidens and respectively the three servants. She must control them before the sorcerer can and wield them to stop the destruction of our planet. But she isn't alone. She has by her side, a person who loves her unconditionally. Now I hear that something happens to him in the end but I don't know what and that part was lost throughout history because of the stupidity of our ancestors." Syaoran grumbled.
"But if Faia comes under the sorcerer's spell, we are all doomed unless the plant gains Mizu's trust. Mizu isn't easy you know. She is impassive and does not trust anyone easily. Ea is the kindest of the four and Faia is the cruelest. Chi changes her mind every now and then. She can be kind or hurtful. I forgot why."
Sakura bit her lip for a moment. "Doesn't this sound like what the old woman said in your house?"
Syaoran frowned. "Yes but she said the flower and the dragon."
"Isn't that more specific, as if she knew who they were?" Sakura asked inquisitively. The woman had given them a piece of the puzzle. But what Sakura wanted to know was why them?
"Perhaps. I didn't know she was a prophet after all this time. She trained me you know… it's difficult to find out now that she knew something was going to happen."
Sakura nodded before looking up.
"We're here."
Syaoran nodded, realizing the crystalline shape of the alcoves up ahead. But he wasn't fooled. The electrical barrier that was almost see-through was hidden by the cruel winds whipping around them. Most of the people around them were landing nearby. There was only one way to enter the alcoves and to see if you were pure of heart. That was in the northeast part of the alcoves, cleverly concealed by the amount of moss that grew in those places.
"Yue, where is Kero?" Sakura asked when they landed. Syaoran reluctantly released the young girl from his arms. Yue motioned with his chin before her. Sakura let out a sigh of relief when she saw Tomoyo, Eriol, Meiling, and Ryu coming towards them.
"They're safe. Thank Kami-sama…" She whispered as she ran towards them. Syaoran smiled a bit before proceeding to his own family. He had to see to their safety after all, he was the only man left.
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo yelled as she ran towards her best friend. They hugged each other tight before Sakura turned to her other best friend.
"Mei! What happened to Mei-chan?!" Sakura yelped as she raced over to Meiling. Ryu had gotten off of Kero and was carrying Meiling in his arms.
"She's fine, Sakura-chan. I cured her a bit back and she's only resting." Ruby Moon said as she moved towards the worried girl.
"Oh arigato Ruby Moon! I don't know what could've happened if you weren't there!" Sakura cried as she hugged the woman guardian. Ruby only smiled and patted her back. Ryu smiled a bit, now gaining another guardian's name in his memory. So far it was Kero and Ruby Moon. The dark lion cat that almost looks as the opposite of Kero's name was still unknown.
"We must go to the alcoves now. I feel him nearby." Spinel Sun said as he trotted towards the other crowds. Ruby frowned at him but nevertheless released Sakura from her grasp.
"No time for tears Sakura-chan. Hurry along, we have to go."
Sakura nodded and turned only to see her brother and her father beside her. "Oh kaijuu you don't know how worried we were until we saw you with that… that… gaki!" Touya growled as he glared at the young boy with his family.
"Quiet onii-chan! Syaoran-san helped me when the blast happened. The least I could do was offer him some protection of my own." Sakura snapped back before hugging her father. "Otou-san I'm glad you're okay. I was so scared."
"Hush my little flower, your brother was with me when it happened and protected me as if I wasn't capable to take care of myself."
Sakura froze at the word 'flower' but let go since her otou-san always called her that. That didn't mean anything about the prophecy. After all, she didn't have someone who loved her unconditionally, unless that was her family.
"I'm just glad you two are okay. We better start going with the rest. I'm sure we'll get in." Sakura said happily, holding their hands. Nearby she saw Tomoyo hugging her mother happily while Eriol was giving a pat to his father. She was so happy that everyone was all right.
-
Sakura watched sadly as some people walk through the passageway and be spit back out of it. She had hoped that no one would be.
Family members were crying to be parted from their counterparts or others. But they walked through, perhaps praying for their safety. She was happy to see Tomoyo and her mother walk in with no problem. As well as Eriol and his father, who made it in without protest, inside the alcoves. She sucked in a deep breath as she saw Syaoran and his family walk through.
She released it when she saw them go through. It was time for her family. Sakura crossed her fingers before stepping in. She was confused when she saw only Syaoran on the other side.
"Syaoran-san? Where is everyone?"
Syaoran looked up grimly as he walked towards Sakura. He grabbed her hands and forced a smile. "We're in a different dimension Sakura. We're not allowed in with the rest."
Sakura's eyes widened as she let out a sob before hugging him. She wanted to know what she did wrong to not be able to enter the alcoves with the rest of her family.
"Why? What did we do? Matte… why weren't we spit out like the others? Why are we here?" Sakura looked up tearfully at her companion.
"It's because Sakura… we're one of the chosen ones."
Sakura gaped at him but he pointed at something behind her. When she turned, she couldn't believe at what she saw.
A few feet away from them was a tall figure with long dirty brown hair…
-
FFP notes: I'm so sorry… more than a year without updating. Lack of inspiration I suppose… I think this chapter was too rushed so I asked Starrie to proofread it. Fortunately she said it was perfect, although I believe she just said that to appease me. This is also a birthday present to Starrie, because she finally turned 18! Wai!!
Starrie says that I have usually mention things and explain them later on. The funny thing is that my English teacher told me the same thing in my research paper. Ha ha, but I got an A on that paper… so I guessed it was all right.
I'm going to update the next chapter soon though because now that I finally reached where I wanted to be in and reached another point of inspiration.
Though don't blame me for this, this isn't labeled drama for nothing.
Love you all!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Or Happy Hanukkah! Or Happy whatever you are!
Miss FFP
