YAY! SUMMER HOLIDAYS ARE HERE!!!! Sorry about the massive delays but it's finally here (and for the reason why see the author notes)!!!! As usual 20 new reviews means a quicker (hopefully) update!!! I NEED 20 REVIEWS! Disclaimer: See previous chapters Syaoran's Angels

Chapter 29: Oh my goddess!

Previously on Syaoran's Angels

"STOP! PLEASE!" Lilia screamed raising her hands in surrender, "HELP ME!"

"Why the hell should I help you?" Sakura demanded.

"My boss knows I betrayed him… and trust me he isn't the forgiving type. He'll want me dead and he'll kill me slowly to make an example of me," Lilia explained hurriedly between gasping breaths and terrified glances behind her shoulder, "I need protection! Anything!"

"Why shouldn't I just let him kill you," Sakura paused before allowing a cold smile flit across her face, "Or kill you myself for that matter?"

"I can give you information!"

Sakura paused as she thought it over.

"Start talking," Sakura commanded coldly still eyeing the woman suspiciously, "Tell me everything you know about Spinnel Corporation or I'll leave you to fend for yourself."


"Nivaline?"

'Sakura…' Nivaline sighed, 'You know where I am?'

Sakura gasped remembering.

"Zachary! Chelsea! Where are they? Are they okay?"

'Sakura…' Nivaline's voice was grim.

"Nivaline… what's wrong?"

'Sakura… Zachary's alright.'

"Oh, thank god," a bright smile spread across her face, "You scared me with the grim tone of yours! Don't do that!"

'Sakura… Chelsea's dead.'

"Who the hell did it? Who did you hire to kill Zachary?"

Lilia stared up at her.

"What are you going on about? You know who it is!" she wailed.

"What?" Sakura snarled at her, "Don't play games with me! Who did it?"

"Alicia Rueben!"

"They're here!" Lilia wailed, her eyes wild, "Protect me! Do something!"

"No."

Lilia stared at Sakura who stared calmly back at her.

"No," a cold smile appeared on Sakura's face, "Fend for yourself."

"But… but…"

"This is how you deserve to die. Not comfortably, not when you're old and wrinkled. Now. Gunned down like the bitch you are."


"Sorry, the boss told me to," Eriol pressed the barrel of his gun against Lilia's feverish forehead, "Any last words?"

"No… no… no…"

"Not exactly memorable," the assassin noted as he pulled the trigger.

Blood splattered the floor as Lilia's body fell backwards her limbs still twitching, her eyes staring into Eriol's with stunned horror.

"But it'll have to do."


"Alicia Rueben is the final product of Project X-15. A project designed by Spinnel Corporation in conjunction with the U.S. military to create the… perfect solider. She's a genetically engineered fighter… spliced with the DNA of multiple organisms and mentally conditioned to be the perfect fighter."
"Ding dong!"

Alicia frowned as she moved to her front door.

"What the hell?" she glanced up at her clock, "At this hour? Who the hell could that be?"

She flung the door open.

"Alicia Rueben?"

Alicia stared at the strangely familiar girl standing in front of her.

"Yeah?"

A punch threw her backwards.


A quick snap-kick throttled her body as she hit the ground smacking the smooth floorboards with considerable force. The fall rattled her body as the girl fell on her lashing out with punishing blows.

"HIYA!" Alicia yelled as she lashed out with both feet catching the girl in the chest.

She stumbled backwards as the assassin took the opportunity to flip back onto her own feet. She struck the girl twice in the face with two consecutive right hooks but was blocked on the third. She hissed at the girl as she smirked back before punching her in the face with a powerful roundhouse.

Alicia stumbled backwards clutching her jaw as the girl continued to grin at her, showing way too much teeth for comfort.

"What the hell?" she spat realising who this mysterious girl was, "Zachary's protector!"

The girl's grin vanished, her eyes hardening into chips of cold emerald.

"That's right," she snarled, "And you're Alicia Rueben."

"You know me and I know you," Alicia smirked, "Great. Nice to meet you and now get the hell out of my house."

"Uh, uh," Sakura wagged a finger at her, "Ain't going to happen. You own me something Alicia. You own me blood."

"Whoa!" Alicia feigned shock, "The blood bank must be really desperate this time of the year!"

She threw Sakura a smirk.

"I didn't know they were this… forceful."

"You have no idea how forceful I can be," Sakura growled back her voice low and deadly.

Alicia barely blocked a vicious snap kick as she whirled around trying to kick Sakura away. The Angel nimbly blocked the blow with her left before punching Alicia with an open palm with her right. The strike struck Alicia in the chest forcing the assassin a few stumbling steps backwards as the African-American woman hissed in pain and fury. She grabbed Sakura's arm as the Angel tried another punch and hurled her across the room. Sakura crashed against a set of fragile metal and glass shelves falling in a cascade of glittering shards that cut into her skin. Alicia flew at her with a flying kick, Sakura fought back the throbbing pain that numbed her body and managed to roll away just in time more glass biting into her skin as she dodged Alicia's attack. The assassin crashed into the ground as Sakura staggered to her feet, Alicia doing the same. They faced each other, eyes blazing bodies slowly settling into different battle stances.

"You honestly think you can beat me?" Alicia asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Yeah," Sakura let out a small harsh laugh, "I do."

Alicia threw a punch at her that the Angel easily blocked. Sakura punched Alicia in the face kicking her away sending the assassin stumbling to the ground, Sakura leapt at her crushing the assassin under her weight as they fell in a tangled sprawl. Somehow Alicia managed to end up on top as with a fierce roar she slid her right arm around Sakura's neck and flexed her muscles beginning to choke the helpless Angel with incredible force.

Grey and black danced past her eyes as Sakura's vision blurred, Alicia's grip tightened strangling every last breath of air out of her lungs. She gasped for breath as her arms beat wildly against Alicia's as the assassin staggered to her feet dragging the Angel up with her.

"Come on bitch," Alicia growled lowly into her ears, "Thought you were going to beat me."

Sakura managed a tight smile even though her vision was slowly dimming as a dull roar filled her ears. Gasping for breath, she struggled to speak.

"Ain't finished yet," she managed to rasp as she leaned forwards slightly.

"CRACK!"

Her right leg shot upwards as she managed the almost impossible task of kicking Alicia in the face. The assassin let out a grunt of pain as she stumbled backwards, Sakura managed to rip herself free from her grip. The Angel whirled around massaging her bruised neck gently as Alicia recovered glaring at her.

"Think you're good don't you?" Alicia spat.

"I know I'm good," Sakura replied with a cold smile.

Alicia grabbed a vase of a nearby table and hurled it at Sakura the ceramic pot spinning through the air. Sakura kicked it out of the air as it crashed against the cream coloured walls shattering into thousands of pieces. Alicia hurled a glass cup at her as Sakura ducked the glassware shooting overhead as she leapt to her left and tucked into a roll jumping up beside a tall floor lamp. Grabbing the metre long lamp, she ripped it free of the power point as the light winked out casting a veneer of shadows across the walls. She charged at Alicia with the lamp held outwards like a knight of old charging at his enemy with his trusty lance, the assassin used both her arms to block the charge but the force of it sent her stumbling backwards as needles of pain shot up her arms. She grimaced in pain but had not time to recover as Sakura swung it at her.

"CRACK!"

Pain roared through Alicia's body as the lamp smashed into her ribs, she felt something break as she spat in fury. Sakura threw a smirk at her as she twirled the lamp expertly in her hands before whacking her in the thigh with it. An ugly bruise formed almost immediately as her leg came out from under her forcing her to the ground as Alicia howled in pain.

"CRACK!"

Sakura swung the lamp upwards the metal stand almost bending with the force of the blow as it cracked Alicia in the jaw sending her flying across the room. Glass shattered as she sailed through the intricate French door leading into her kitchen, her back thudding into the wooden island in the middle of the room as Sakura advanced on her, the lamp still in her hands.

"HAH!" Sakura yelled thrusting the lamp at her, "HAH!"

Alicia spun to the left dodged one thrust before spinning to her right narrowly dodging the other. She gripped the edge of bench with her hands and lifted herself into the air striking out with both feet. She kicked the lamp away as Sakura charged at her, her other foot kicking Sakura in the face. Pain shot through her body forcing Sakura to drop the lamp as Alicia kicked her again with her other foot before leaping into a back flip and tucking into a ball rolling over the surface of the bench and landing safely on the other side.

Seeing the small kitchen and knowing that the lamp would hamper rather than help her, Sakura kicked it out of her way as she leapt onto the wooden island.

"TAKE THIS BITCH!"

Alicia suddenly leapt up from behind the bench and swiped at her, a long gleaming kitchen knife clutched in her hands. Sakura's eyes widened in shock as she leapt up grabbing the overhead lamp narrowly missing getting her ankle cut off. Alicia growled in frustration, as the lamp Sakura had grabbed onto broke unable to take her weight dumping the Angel onto the wooden bench, the exposed wires above hissing and crackling with electricity. Sakura hurled the light fixture as Alicia as the assassin hurriedly ducked, the lamp hitting the sink and literally exploded into a hail of glass and twisted metal. Sakura jumped away from the island landing onto a nearby dining table as Alicia jumped up and charged at Sakura, the knife still clutched in her hands. Alicia leapt up onto the table as Sakura backed away wearily eyeing the knife as Alicia smirked at her.

"So little girl," she smirked, "Not so brave now are you?"

"Says the one with the knife," Sakura shot back.

Alicia's grin disappeared as her face hardened.

"Talk time is over, lets get down to business."

"Lets," Sakura agreed grimly.

Alicia's feet were silent as she stalked Sakura along the surface of the table, the knife held in front of her its razored edge gleaming in the dim light of the kitchen. Sakura backed away slowly always aware that the edge of the table was slowly creeping up on her.

"HAH!" Alicia swiped at her as Sakura hurriedly swerved to avoid the blade.

Metal sliced air and narrowly missed flesh as Alicia tried another wild slash as Sakura hurriedly sidestepped it, unfortunately that step was one inch too close to the edge of the table and she stumbled as Alicia let out a crow of triumph and lunged at her. Only a quick twist saved her neck from being skewered on the knife as the edge sliced through her shoulder. Sakura gasped in pain but forced herself to fight back the wave of pain and nausea that threatened to overwhelm her knowing that if she didn't get Alicia away soon she would be sliced to ribbons. She punched the assassin in the face forcing her backwards before nimbly leaping off the table launching into a quick flip before landing on her feet.

Alicia recovered as Sakura hurriedly checked her wound. It was a long cut but not very deep, annoying rather than fatal. Sakura breathed a small sigh of relief but had no time to do anything else as Alicia leapt off the table in pursuit.

"DIE!" she screamed as she lunged at Sakura again.

Sakura jumped backwards sucking in her stomach as the blade narrowly missed her. Alicia's wild swing caused her to teeter for a few seconds as she tried to regain her balance, Sakura took advantage of this and kicked her away running behind the island as Alicia hit the front of her fridge.

"Come on bitch," Alicia snarled, "Come on. Come and get me."

She ran after Sakura as she struck again. Sakura spun out of the way as the blade narrowly missed her, seeing something one the kitchen bench Sakura snatched it up and whirled around to block Alicia's next blow.

Knife hit chopping board as the metal sank into the wood sticking fast. Alicia's eyes widened in shock as Sakura smirked kicking the assassin in the stomach. Her hand flew away from the blade handle leaving it embedded into the chopping board as Sakura hurled it straight at Alicia catching the woman in the chest as a strangled gasp of pain ripped from her throat.

"BITCH!" Alicia roared rubbing her wound.

"Stick and stones won't break my bones," Sakura taunted wagging a finger at her, "But it'll do a hell of lot to yours."

Alicia let out a roar of fury and reached to her left grabbing the microwave that lay on the bench. She ripped it free from the wall and hurled it straight at Sakura. The Angel leapt to the left glass, metal and plastic spraying into the air as sparks accompanied the microwave's demise. Alicia lunged at her but Sakura gripped her leg in a scissor kick sending the assassin tumbling to the ground. Sakura tried to jump up but Alicia's hand shot up and gripped her ankle yanking her ruthlessly to the ground.

"Ain't getting away from me!" Alicia snarled as Sakura worked her ankle free and kicked the assassin.

Both women leapt up at the same time and spun around to meet the other. Sakura's open palm batted away a kick as she tried to punch the woman in the throat but was blocked as the woman shoved an elbow in the way. They stood there amidst the kitchen ruins trading blows neither winning nor losing. Alicia suddenly lunged to her left grabbing something from one of the benches that lined the kitchen walls; Sakura had no time to react as the assassin struck her in thigh with a rolling pin. Pain speared up her leg as Sakura let out a cry of pain and fell to her knees as Alicia brought the rolling pin down in an overhead strike. Sakura hurriedly blocked the blow before punching Alicia in the stomach, the assassin dropped the wooden cooking device turned weapon as she keeled over in pain. Sakura shot her left arm out striking Alicia's exposed chin with an open palm before hitting her in the stomach with two fists sending the assassin backwards. She leapt up and hit Alicia with a one-two kick hitting her first in the stomach than face. Taking advantage of her pain Sakura grabbed the woman's flailing arms and hurled her across the room with a grunt.

Alicia crashed into the wall sending a hanging spice rack tumbling down raining glass, oregano, basil, paprika and other dried herbs and spices down onto her battered body. She gasped for breath as she slowly staggered to her feet as Sakura came at her with a flying kick but Alicia grabbed her foot at last minute and with a fierce cry hurled her across the room. Sakura crashed through another door and ended up back in the living room as Alicia charged after her.

Sakura crawled to her feet as Alicia slammed into her sending her flying forwards and crashing back into the ground. She staggered onto her feet as Alicia lunged at her again.

Sakura spun around in a quick spin-kick and knocked Alicia backwards and out of the air. Alicia crash landed on top of a small coffee table and flopped over the edge as Sakura gasped in pain clutching the cut on her shoulder.

Alicia wasn't much better off if her harsh breathing was anything to judge by. She grabbed the edge of the table and pushed at it with all her might, the table shot forwards as Sakura forced her into a back flip sailing over the table as it slammed into the wall punching into the plaster as Sakura landed neatly onto the table top. She let out a hiss of pain as the impact of the landing rolled up her injured leg but had not time to dwell on it as Alicia charged at her. She staved the assassin off with a crescent kick but was too slow to react as Alicia's hand shot out and grabbed her ankle. With a vicious yank, Sakura's leg came out from under her and she felt the back of her head hit the table edge as pain roared through her skull. Through a haze of pain, she saw Alicia's fist bearing down on her. She rolled to her left just in time as the fist punched through the thick frosted glass top of the coffee table drawing out a howl of pained curses from Alicia as Sakura blinked in confusion not realising what had happened. For a few seconds Alicia was stuck, her fist caught in the glass, jagged shards biting into her skin like transparent fangs. Sakura reacted quickly; whipping her head up and head butting Alicia in the face ripping the assassin's hand free in process as the assassin stumbled backwards clutching her torn hand.

Sakura leapt at her but a roundhouse kick sending her flying into a door as the wood and glass entrance exploded inwards at the impact sending Sakura sailing into a new room. She landed, amazingly enough, right on top of a soft comfortable mattress as she laid there gasping for breath.

"Thank god for the bed," she managed to gasp feeling her blood soak into the soft fabric.

In the living room, Alicia stumbled to an armoire set into the wall. She flung the ornate glass door open and ripped away the false backing as she heard the sound of springs creaking warning her that the Angel inside her bedroom was stirring. The assassin's fingers flew across a small metal number-pad welded to the metal door behind the armoire, after a few seconds pause and with a soft hiss the light on the pad turned green and the door slid into the wall. A metal rack bearing various firearms shot out Alicia grabbing the first one she could reach and hurriedly lurched forwards towards her destroyed bedroom door.

Sakura staggered to her feet as Alicia's shadow fell across the floor.

She looked up.

"Holy…" Sakura whispered.

Alicia pulled the trigger as her rocket launcher leapt into action with a soft whir. A small black rocket propelled itself across the air as Sakura hit the ground protecting her head with her arms, the rocket jetting past overhead. It crashed into the wall unleashing a ball of fire and burning debris as Sakura felt heat sear her back. Alicia hurled the now useless weapon down in fury as she realised that Sakura had survived the blast.

"Why won't you just die?!?" she roared.

She ran back into the living room as Sakura forced herself to follow. Alicia stagged to her rack of weapons and picked up another firearm, Sakura made it to the doorway as Alicia pulled the trigger.

The Angel hurled herself to the left as a wave of blue flames swept the doorway. Alicia screamed in fury and tracked the Angel down as wave after wave of flames singed the walls, floors and ceiling sometime only narrowly missing Sakura by mere inches. The Angel rolled under an azure tongue of roiling flames as she lashed out with her foot catching Alicia above the knee. The assassin fell the flamethrower flying out of her hands and landing several inches away as Sakura leapt up and ran to the rack of firearms jutting out from the hidden compartment. She picked the most familiar weapon to her, a simple handgun, as Alicia crawled to her feet flamethrower in hand. Sakura whirled around and, without even bothering to aim, fired.

The first bullet slammed into Alicia's chest unleashing a spray of crimson blood as the assassin's body jerked backwards. Sakura fired again and this time the bullet howled through the air and missed the assassin completely… only to hit the fuel tank of the flamethrower.

For a few impossible seconds Alicia's shocked eyes stared into Sakura's as a small trail of smoke drifted out from the jagged hole in the tiny fuel tank.

Sakura looked away.

The weapon exploded unleashing a gush of flames and superheated metal as Alicia fell, engulfed by fire. It quickly spread up the walls and along the floor of the apartment as Sakura watched dispassionately. She dropped the gun as flames continued to spread through the room.

And clutching her wounded shoulder, Sakura limped away from the carnage.


"I wonder what she's doing."

Tomoyo looked at Meiling in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

The two Angels were walking up the driveway towards Tomoyo's house as Meiling sighed in relief seeing the warm cheery lights spilling out from the windows a stark contrast to the cold darkness of night.

"Sakura."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Meiling said dryly, "Big oh."

"I wonder what really happened," Tomoyo mused absently.

"Huh?"

"Oh come on," Tomoyo snorted derisively, "Spinnel Corporation overpowered her? Need I remind you that Sakura has the cards on her side?"

"They may have ambushed her…" Meiling began weakly.

Tomoyo shot her an incredulous look.

"Okay… so maybe she had something to do with it but…" Meiling shrugged, "So what? Lilia's dead but nobody's crying over it."

"Still… I think Sakura's gone off the deep end."

"Won't be the first time," Meiling reminded her bringing back memories of Sakura's disastrous solo trip to Santa Barbara.

"I'm sure she'll tell us the truth," Tomoyo said without any real conviction in her voice.

"Yeah and I'll become a tree-hugging pacifist," Meiling shot back with a roll of her eyes.

Tomoyo shook her head and opened the front door as Marcus appeared in the doorway. Meiling's sarcastic smile dissolved into a warming loving one as the two stared at each other, Tomoyo fidgeting nervously between them not wanting to ruin the moment.

"Hey, you're back," Marcus said finally with a small worried grin, "How did everything go?"

"We survived," Tomoyo said with a groan dreading the bruises that she knew would form on her pale skin by morning, "And oh look at the time! And I'm feeling so tired I think I'll just jump into bed."

She darted past Marcus throwing a final smirk at Meiling as the two stared at each other.

"Not very subtle is she?" Meiling asked dryly.

"No, not very," Marcus replied just as deadpan, "So how did everything go… really?"

"No biggie, I narrowly avoided getting ran over by motorbikes and trucks but aside from that… you know same old, same old."

"Yeah, I know," Marcus said sagely.

They stared at each other before bursting into laughter.

"Sorry about ruining the date," Meiling said as Marcus led her into the house, "I really, really couldn't hel…"

She was cut off as Marcus suddenly kissed her. Smiling against his lips Meiling flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly against her as she willed this moment to last forever. His arms drifted down to her hips as he deepened the kiss finally the need for air ended the kiss.

"Hey," Marcus murmured softly pulling away and smiling into her dazed eyes, "Don't worry about it."

"But I really want to make it up to you," Meiling said sincerely with a small smile.

Marcus's devilish grin clued Meiling in on the double meaning of her sentence.

"Oh," she gasped, her eyes going wild, "Oh!"

Marcus swept her up in his arms as she laughed wildly.

And inside her own room, Tomoyo grinned and shook her head as her friend's happy shriek of laughter filled the house.


Sakura was notably absent as the two remaining Angels sat down on the cream coloured couch facing the only connection to their mysterious boss: the speaker box.

"Good morning Angels," Syaoran greeted.

"Good morning Syaoran!" the girls chorused.

There was a short puzzled pause.

"Is it just me or is there only two of you."

"Sakura's missing…" Meiling sighed, "Again."

"Again? Is she okay? Last time she was missing she…"

"She's fine, I spoke to her on the phone," Tomoyo assured him, "I think something happened to her last night."

"What happened?"

Thus Tomoyo began the harrowing tale of the previous night telling Syaoran firstly of Lilia's sudden appearance and surrender to them and the subsequent fight against the Spinnel Corporation commando teams. She ended with Sakura's sudden departure and strange behaviour.

"You don't think…" Syaoran began, "No…"

"No what?" Meiling asked curiously wondering what was one her boss's mind.

"She murdered Lilia?"

The room fell silent.

"No!" Tomoyo protested, "No way! She wouldn't…"

"Unless…" Meiling trailed off, "Zachary… if something had happened to Zachary and Sakura find out…"

"She is very protective of those she cares about," Syaoran noted, "It is one of her greatest strengths and perhaps also her greatest weakness. Xiaolang informed me of how she… chewed him out for placing the Yamazakis in danger."

"Oh god," Tomoyo realised something, "Nivaline?"

"What?" Meiling asked staring at her.

Tomoyo quickly told her fellow Angel and boss how she had told Nivaline about their little situation and how the former Angel had offered to travel to Santa Barbara to follow up on her hospital lead.

"If she found out something, she would've probably called Sakura knowing that she would want to be the first to know," Tomoyo rubbed her temple, "Ack! I should've realised that!"

"Can you get a hold of Nivaline now?" Syaoran asked, "Ask her what she found?"

Tomoyo nodded forgetting that her boss couldn't see her as she dug out her mobile and punched in the now familiar number.

'Hello?' a sleepy voice greeted her.

"Nivaline?"

'Tomoyo?'

"Where are you?" Tomoyo demanded.

'Santa Barbara… the hospital,' Nivaline clarified.

"Why aren't you back?" Tomoyo asked hurriedly firing one question after another not giving Nivaline a chance to reply, "What happened? Is Zachary okay? Do you know what happened to Sakura?"

'To answer your questions in chronological order…' Nivaline began dryly, 'I'm watching over Zachary, Psuedo-Sakura, he's fine and didn't Sakura tell you?'

"Tell us what?" Tomoyo asked with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

'Oh god… what did she do?'

Tomoyo relayed the tale of Lilia to her as Nivaline groaned.

'And she was with Lilia at the time…'

"So she says."

'She killed her,' Nivaline said flatly.

"What!?!" Tomoyo was startled by the conviction in Nivaline's voice.

'Tomoyo… Zachary is fine… Chelsea isn't.'

"What is she okay? Is she hurt? How bad is it? Is she go…" a flurry of questions burst from Tomoyo's lips as Meiling frowned wondering what was going on.

'She's dead.'

"Oh," Tomoyo said taken aback as her mind tried actually absorb this piece of information, "Zachary… how is he copi…"

'And I think it was a professional hit,' Nivaline said grimly dropping the bombshell.

"Lilia," Tomoyo gasped realising the connection, "Oh god, Sakura…"

'Yeah, somehow I don't think Sakura would be so… forgiving towards Lilia.'

"What the hell did she do now?" Tomoyo groaned.

'Look, the nurses are giving the 'look of death' so I better go. Psuedo-Sakura tried to attack or kidnap or do something to Zachary when I got here, I'll stick around and place some protection spells or something around him and then I'll try to head back to L.A.,' Nivaline said informing Tomoyo of her plan, 'See you soon.'

And on that decisive note Nivaline hung up as Tomoyo turned back to Meiling and the speaker box.

"I think we have a problem…"

"Is something wrong Tomoyo?" Syaoran asked concerned.

"Zachary's alive. Chelsea isn't. Lilia had something do with it. And knowing Sakura's protective streak she wouldn't forgive easily. She and Lilia were alone. Lilia's dead… need I elaborate?" Tomoyo replied in a flurry of short sentences.

Meiling rolled her eyes at Tomoyo's to the point breakdown of the situation but realised the full extent of what she said.

"You don't think… Sakura killed her did you?"

"Its possible…" Tomoyo began dubiously.

"No."

The two Angels looked at the speaker box.

"Huh?"

"Sakura didn't. She may have contributed to her death but she wouldn't willingly kill a helpless woman," Syaoran said firmly, "I think we should talk to her before we wildly speculate on what happened."

The two Angels calmed down realising the wisdom of their boss's suggestion.

"Oh!" Tomoyo exclaimed suddenly smacking herself in the forward as she silent berated herself for forgetting, "The book!"

"What?" Syaoran asked startled.

"We retrieved the third talisman and I… well… I found out the location of the third book!"

"When did you find out?"

"Right after we got the talisman… I would've told you but Xiaolang informed us you were busy with something," Tomoyo finished lamely, "But I know where it is."

"Where?" Syaoran pressed.

"Japan," Tomoyo sighed, "Don't know the exact location but I saw lots of snow."

"So somewhere in the mountains then," Syaoran fell silent before sighing, "I don't think there's any other way for us to find it unless we actually go there."

"Yay!" Meiling muttered sarcastically, "Anyone up for a game of finding a needle in a haystack?"

Tomoyo elbowed her in the ribs.

"Catch a flight to Tokyo tonight. I'll have someone there to meet you at Tokyo International Airport once you land there," Syaoran commanded, "Goodbye Angels."

"Goodbye Syaoran!"


"Sakura?"

Tomoyo pushed open the door to her friend and fellow Angel's apartment and peered inside.

"Yeah?" Sakura's voice drifted through the apartment as Tomoyo and Meiling stepped inside.

She emerged from her bathroom holding a bloodstained towel to her shoulder as Meiling and Tomoyo stared at her.

"What?" Sakura asked raising an eyebrow at her.

It was obvious that she had just had shower, her auburn hair was still damp and water droplets still clung to the patches of exposed skin not covered by the thick white towel she wrapped around her body.

"Blood," Meiling commented noticing the long think cut on her friend's shoulder.

"Oh, this?" Sakura laughed, "A little memento from last night. Rika."

"Rika?!?" Meiling was surprised, "That psycho's still alive?"

"And kicking," Sakura paused, "And clawing. But don't worry, I think the shadowy-fire A-bomb took her out."

"Huh?" This time Tomoyo joined in with Meiling's confusion.

"Didn't I tell you?" Sakura asked frowning.

"Ahhh… you did suddenly appear out of nowhere told us Lilia's dead then disappeared straight away," Tomoyo frowned, "Where were you?"

"Oh, I just came straight back here," Sakura laughed, the warmth of her smile not reaching her emerald eyes, "I had to tend my wounds before I bled out."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Sakura smiled mysterious, "Just fine. Bad guys defeated, good guys won…"

"Sakura, we know about Chelsea."

Her friend froze.

"Oh," she said seemingly unconcerned.

She walked back into her bathroom and when she appeared again she was vigorously rubbing her damp hair with another towel.

"So what did Syaoran say?" Sakura asked changing the subject abruptly as she continued to dry her hair.

"He was… concerned about you."

"Why?"

Meiling snorted.

"Jeez, I don't know," she muttered rolling her eyes, "The whole disappearing act you pulled off, Chelsea and Lilia being killed and you're somewhat strange behaviour."

Sakura's face hardened.

"Lilia's dead because she deserved to die," the American Angel said coldly, "She deserved certainly deserved nothing more than that."

"Sakura," Tomoyo said softly, "Did you kill her?"

Sakura smiled coldly.

"No."

Tomoyo eyed Sakura suspiciously but she knew her friend well enough to tell that she wasn't lying. She and Meiling exchanged glances as Sakura continued to casually dry her hair as though nothing had happened.

"Where were you last night?" Tomoyo asked.

"Here."

Even Meiling could tell she was lying now but Sakura refused to look at them as she continued rubbing her hair intent on removing every single last drop of moisture from her damp auburn tresses.

"Sakura," Meiling said softly, "You wanna talk?"

"About what?"

"Chelsea."

"There's nothing to talk about," Sakura said flatly, "She's dead and it's all my fault."

"Sakura, it's not all yo…"

Sakura snorted.

"Yeah right," Sakura draped the now damp towel around her neck as she looked at her friends, her eyes cold and hard, "If I hadn't been involved, Chelsea would still be alive."

"Sakura, Zachary would have still been promoted," Meiling argued, "Lilia would have still try and gone after them…"

"The only reason why Zachary was promoted was because Hayden was killed. And why was he killed? Because he tried to kill us," Sakura said angrily, "It's all one massive interlocking web and now… Chelsea's dead."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room.

"Look," Sakura said suddenly breaking the silence, "Just forget I even mentioned it."

Silence greeted Sakura's comment.

"So," Sakura sighed, "What did Syaoran want?"

"He wants us to go to Japan… tonight," Meiling said, a concerned look still on her face.

Her friend really needed to deal with her grief and guilt not hide it behind a smiling façade. From experience Meiling knew that the feelings she repressed would fester in her mind compounding her anguish until it became almost unbearable, Meiling sympathised with her acknowledging the fact that maybe… just maybe they had something to do with Chelsea's death in a massively indirect way but Sakura couldn't dwell on that. She had to find solace and recover… something had happened last night and she refused to talk about it. She needed to or it would plague her until it drove her mad.

"Tonight," Sakura nodded, "Okay. What time?"

"I managed to book a flight for ten o'clock," Tomoyo informed her.

"Okay, I'll be at your place at nine," Sakura turned around and began walking back into her bathroom, "See ya."

Sensing they were dismissed Meiling and Tomoyo left still exchanging worried glances.

Something had to be done.


"I'll get it!" Tomoyo called.

The doorbell rang again as Tomoyo frowned wondering who it was. She went to her door and flung it open as Nivaline stumbled in, her face pale and her hazel green eyes feverish.

"Nivaline!" Tomoyo gasped grabbing the older woman's arm and supporting her, "You okay?"

"Tired," Nivaline muttered stifling a yawn, "Protection spells took more out of me than I thought."

"Didn't I tell you not to push yourself too far," a familiar voice said behind them.

Tomoyo looked up as Nivaline whirled around only to be greeted with a familiar smirking face.

"Kiyone," Tomoyo blinked in surprise, "Aren't you supposed to be… in hospital."

"Nah," Kiyone shook her head still smiling wickedly, "I got released had to threaten the doctor to do it though but here I am!"

"But I though your wounds were bad…" Tomoyo trailed off lamely, "How?"

"Ms. Harry Potter here did some healing mojo," Kiyone gestured at Nivaline.

"It wasn't easy," Nivaline said with a wry smile, "You kept trying to resist."

"Whatever you say Potter," Kiyone muttered with a roll of her eyes, "So what wacky adventures are you people up to?"

"Well, Lilia's dead," Tomoyo began, "Chelsea's dead. Sakura's gone off the deep end. And we're about to embark on a mystical quest for the third book."

Kiyone blinked.

"Chelsea?" she gasped, "Oh god… how?"

"Lilia's doing."

"So she got killed too," Kiyone muttered grimly, "Looks like the karma of the universe is working just fine…"

The three of them fell silent as they mourned for the young woman they had only known for such a small time, a young woman that had been taken from her husband and friends so cruelly and tragically…

"How's Sakura coping?" Nivaline asked suddenly.

Tomoyo sighed.

"Not good, I don't need to be a psychologist to see that she's not dealing with it. She's repressing her feelings and shoving them away," Tomoyo bit her lips, "I'm worried."

They stared at each other trying to think of a way to help Sakura but no solutions were coming any time soon. The silence dragged on as the three women stared at each other uncomfortably.

"So what was that about the mystical quest?" Kiyone asked changing the subject abruptly.

"Third book, we're going after it," Tomoyo told the two.

"So where is it?" Kiyone prompted.

"Japan."

"Care to be more specific?" Kiyone muttered.

Tomoyo sighed in frustration.

"We don't know where it is," Tomoyo said exasperated, "Meiling thinks it's like looking for a needle in a haystack…"

"Or intelligence in a group of cheerleaders," Kiyone chimed in.

Tomoyo rolled her eyes as Nivaline smothered a smile as she continued.

"Anyway, we're going there tonight and hopefully something will come up."

Kiyone and Nivaline glanced at each other as Tomoyo eyes at them warily.

"What?" she demanded thinking she might not like their response.

"Well… if it's really that hard," Nivaline said without any preamble, "We'll come with you."

Tomoyo stared at them blinking in surprise.

"Huh?"

"Hell why not?" Kiyone shrugged her shoulders, "We'll join you, we'll be like the Famous Five…. except well one us isn't a dog and we're all females but you get the gist of it…"

"I think what's she's trying to say is that we'll love to join you," Nivaline stared earnestly into Tomoyo's eyes, "That's if you want us to…"
"Of course!" Tomoyo beamed at them, "This will make our works so much easier. Come on! Come inside! I'll just book two more tickets."

She disappeared into the house as the two formers Angels followed closely behind her.


"Bloody protections spells are too strong," Psuedo-Sakura muttered.

Standing within his realm of placid lakes and imposing mountains, Yue's hair and skin gave off an aura of heavenly light blazing like a pale white sun in the shadows and darkness that wreathed his land. Psuedo-Sakura stood on the narrow ribbon of sand that reamed the calm lake that dominated much of this mysterious place as she gazed up at her 'boss' with an annoyed look on her face.

"Tried to break through but they held," Psuedo-Sakura continued annoyance clear in her dark emerald eyes.

"It does not matter," Yue said softly cutting her off as his wings gave a lazy flap keeping him above the smooth surface of the dark lake below as he gazed down at his creation, "The three is trying to locate the third book."

Psuedo-Sakura blinked in surprise.

"So it's time for Little Miss Broken Heart to step up to the plate," Psuedo-Sakura sniggered, "You know I never got the full story between you and her."

"It is none of your concern," Yue glanced at Psuedo-Sakura sharply, "You're to try and stop them but you must leave her to do most of the fighting… understood?"

He eyed her suspiciously wishing he knew what was going on inside her head. If the Angels succeeded in retrieving the third book than Psuedo-Sakura would cease to exist simply due to the fact that her role in the quest for the three books were completed but knowing her, Yue wouldn't put it pass her to try something shifty to lengthen her life span.

"Got ya," Psuedo-Sakura gave her boss a cheeky salute, "See you later."

She disappeared in a flash of white light as Yue frowned.

See you later?


Meiling snuggled against Marcus as she felt an impish grin settling over her face.

"This is nice," she murmured sleepily.

Marcus laughed and wrapped his arm around her as the distinct sound of Tomoyo's doorbell rang through the house.

"I wonder who that could be?" Marcus wondered.

Meiling smiled as she felt his voice rumble in his chest, draping an arm over his naked chest she traced random lines over his skin with her index finger and smiled as Marcus let out a low hiss of delight. Unable to take it any longer, he grabbed her hand and drew her to him as his lips brushed ever so lightly against hers.

"Stop teasing," Meiling moaned as Marcus smirked at her reaction.

He did against, another feather-light brush against her lip as Meiling moaned something incoherently.

"You…" she began but was cut off as Marcus kissed her hard on the lips.

They clung each other tightly as Meiling deepened the kiss trying to press as much of her body against his as his hands roamed her back drawing out a low moan from his lover as he continued to deepen their kiss. Meiling was lost in the moment as she rolled him onto his back and went to straddle him…

"Daddy!"

The door flung open as Meiling let out a small scream of surprise and hurriedly slid back to her side of the bed covering herself up with the twisted blanket that lay between them. Lily stood in the doorway taking in the scene spread before her with wide innocent eyes.

"Hey, Lily," Meiling stammered feeling her face heat up.

Marcus had a familiar blush on his face as Lily stared at them, the two adults staring back wondering what to say or do. Luckily Tomoyo came to the rescue.

"Umm… Lily," she appeared behind the young girl, "You want to come with me. I think your Daddy and Aunty Mei.."

"Mommy," Lily corrected stubbornly.

Meiling felt her embarrassment turn to delight as she heard Lily's correction. A small grin danced across her lips before she remembered why she wanted to Lily to leave the room as soon as possible. A deep blush settled over her cheeks once more as Tomoyo tried again.

"Mommy," Tomoyo sent a small grin Meiling's way, "Are a bit busy. Why don't you come with me, I know a certain little girl who would love some cookies."

Lily beamed up at her 'aunt' and allowed her to take her to the kitchen as Meiling sighed and glanced at Marcus. They stared at each other for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.

"I think we better get up," Marcus suggested, "Before Lily walks in on us again."

Meiling groaned but had to agree as she reached down onto the floor and picked up her discarded shirt. Trying to change as quick as possible, Meiling tried one last attempt to tidy up her ruffled hair before giving up and grabbing Marcus's hand as the two of them walked into the kitchen together.


Several hours later, Tomoyo opened her front door again and this time Sakura walked in a warm smile plastered on her beautiful face.

"Hey, Tomoyo," she said cheerfully.

Tomoyo eyed her worriedly as Sakura walked into the kitchen drawn by the delicious smell wafting from within. Her emerald eyes wept over the scene that greeted her and smiled noting that Meiling and Marcus were seated very closely together both wearing eerily similar satisfied grins, Sakura didn't need to be a genius to figure out what they've been up to and she shuddered at the thought. Lily was seated down beside her father devouring a giant bowl of spaghetti that Nivaline had just placed down in front of her and somehow managing to dump half of it on her once pristine white skirt. The former Angel herself was eating as well but was of course being more graceful and sedate about it as she gave Sakura a warm motherly smile. Kiyone, who had her back to her, wasn't much better than Lily trying to scull down a can of coke whilst simultaneously trying to fork in a mouthful of pasta at the same time. Sakura sighed and shook her head hiding a smile as she took a seat at the table, Nivaline immediately got up walking over to the stove and began filling up a plate for her as Meiling managed to snap out of her afterglow daze long enough to send Sakura a worried look before drifting back into fairyland. Sakura shuddered again as Nivaline placed a heaped up plate of pasta in front of her.

"Thanks," she beamed up at the former Angel as she began eating.

"How's your shoulder?" Tomoyo asked seating down beside her and picking up her fork again.

"You know, I took a nap and when I woke up it was perfectly fine," Sakura frowned as she put her fork down, "The cut was completely healed."

"Hmm…" Nivaline looked thoughtful, "It must be the key. It has the ability to heal its wielder amongst other things…"

"Can the other talismans do anything?" Tomoyo asked curiously, "We know that the key has healing abilities as well as some psychic powers in the form of telekinesis and that mind control thing… how about the sword and the mirror?"

"The sword…" Nivaline began glancing at Meiling.

The Asian Angel seemed dimly aware that something important was being said and managed to drag her attention away from the man seated beside her as she drew closer to them listening intently to what Nivaline had to say.

"Has the ability to protect its wielder from the elements. You know firestorms, lightning strikes, blizzards… you get the picture. I think it also allows the wielder a certain degree of control over the elements such as lighting a fire or causing water to freeze" Nivaline paused, "Or so the legend goes… the mirror on the hand is more of scrying device rather than a protection mechanism. According to what I have read, a person peering into its service can see into the future, present or even the past. They can also peer through the fabric of space and spy into other realms such as the Limbo which we all know so well."

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Trust me, been there, done that, got the T-shirt," Sakura shrugged her shoulders, "Not exactly touristy."

Nivaline hid a smile as she continued.

"And the mirror also allows a user to connect to the spirit world. You know a Sixth Sense kind of thing…"

"You mean like…" Sakura felt her throat choke with emotion, "Mom?"

Nivaline nodded gravely as Sakura stared at her, blinking furiously. Tomoyo squirmed nervously realising the power she wielded.

"But there are several things to consider…" Nivaline warned, "Scrying particularly seeing into the future is vague at best. Talking to the spirit world… well lets just say not every ghost is Casper. Some can be… anti-humans."

The three Angels stared at each other.

"Well, that's all I know," Nivaline continued, "What the mirror can do is really a mystery. As you know Yue is very cryptic and mysterious and the mirror has been hidden for much of its existence. It may possess other powers that we do not know of…"

Tomoyo was silent as she began to realise that she was in over her head, not only was she supposed to wield the mirror but how could she when she didn't even know what it did? Worse even Nivaline didn't know! Tomoyo was starting to feel really unnerved about the whole thing…

"So when do we have to be at the airport?" Kiyone spoke up suddenly swallowing a mouthful of spaghetti as she talked.

"What do you mean we?" Sakura demanded.

"We're coming with you," Nivaline informed her.

"As in you and Kiyone?"

Nivaline nodded.

"Why?" Sakura asked confused.

"Sakura," Tomoyo informed her, "We have no idea where the book is aside from the fact that it's in Japan. It could take months to find!"

"Oooo… fun," Meiling drawled sarcastically, "Lots of it."

"What do you consider as fun?" Tomoyo enquired dryly, her sparkling eyes belying the tone of voice.

Meiling had the decency to blush as Sakura smothered a snigger.

"Our flight's at ten," Tomoyo replied answering Kiyone's question.

Sakura began eating again as the adults chattered idly, Lily bounding away from the table at some point eager to watch some late night cartoons on TV but only after she had changed out of her tomato sauce-stained clothes. The remaining people at the table excluding Sakura kept shooting worried glances at each other wondering how to broach the topic of Chelsea's death.

It was Nivaline who took the plunge.

"Sakura… do you want to talk?" Nivaline paused and clarified her question, "Chelsea…"

"There's nothing to talk about," Sakura said sharply, "We need to concentrate on the task at hand."

"Sakura," Meiling began, "It's really not healthy to keep ignoring your feelings…"

"Meiling, drop it," Sakura said coldly, "What would you know about this? You've never gone through what I'm going through. I'm responsible for my friend's death. Don't you dare tell me how to feel or how to react because none of you have ev…"

"Sakura," Marcus said suddenly catching the American Angel's eyes, "I've been there. I know what you're going through. The guilt… the questions… the rage… the despair."

Marcus sighed as Meiling realised what he was talking about and squeezed his hand comfortingly shooting him a small smile.

"When my wife… died," Marcus paused to collect himself sending a small grateful smile to Meiling as she squeezed his hand again, "I felt it was my fault. If I hadn't exposed Mallus… if I hadn't married her… she wouldn't have been dead. In a way I was responsible for her death…"

Marcus sighed as everyone stared at him; Nivaline, Kiyone and Tomoyo eyed him with a newfound respect as Meiling continued to silently support him willing Sakura to accept what he was saying.

"That's how I felt at the time," Marcus told Sakura, "I was responsible, I didn't deserve to live because if my wife hadn't known me… if I hadn't done the things I did… she would've still been alive. Sakura, it took me many years of grief and despair to realise that I wasn't. I suffered from it… Lily suffered from it. Sakura unless you actually start to deal with what you're feeling… start talking about it… start working through it you'll be overwhelmed by despair and self-hatred. You'll begin this downward spiral into depression. Deal, Sakura… don't hide it. Don't pretend it's not there… you have to…"

Sakura abruptly stood up.

"I think it's time to go," she said softly looking down at the table and refusing to meet their eyes.

Marcus smiled sadly at her as Tomoyo glanced at her watch and realised Sakura was actually right.

"She's right, we've got to leave," she informed the group.

Sakura walked up from them, still refusing to meet their eyes as the others got up.

"I love you," Meiling whispered kissing Marcus as he smiled back at her, love burning in his eyes, "Thank you."

"Yeah, thanks," Nivaline smiled at him softly giving him a small bow, "You're a very wise man and we're all very lucky in having you with us."

Marcus smiled at them as Nivaline, Kiyone and Tomoyo left leaving the two lovebirds to their farewell. They kissed one last time before Meiling broke away and gave him a tearful smile.

"Bye," she whispered.

"You better not get yourself killed," Marcus told her seriously, "Or I'll never speak to you again."

Meiling gave him one last watery smile before following after her fellow Angels. Marcus looked around at the table and began picking up the dirty dishes trying to push away his fears and worries.

"Lily," he called, "Come and help daddy do the dishes."

Lily sighed in frustration and walked into kitchen shooting her father a disgruntled look.

"I love you Lily," Marcus said suddenly, a soft smile on his lips as he gazed lovingly at his daughter.

Lily beamed up at her father.

"I love you too daddy," she chirped.

And father and daughter began washing the dishes.


Sakura remained silent throughout their long flight as her companions continued to worry over her mental and emotional health. More than once each of them wished they could see what was going on inside her head but it to no avail the American Angel remained lost in her own world the whole trip staring moodily out the plane window as the emerald land below gave out to sapphire seas, the steel wing of the plane slicing through fleecy clouds like scissors running through soft cotton. Totally oblivious to the world, Nivaline was out cold recovering from her spell casting as Meiling also remained silent no doubt pining after Marcus. Tomoyo and Kiyone chatted quietly trying to come up with a viable plan for when they landed in Japan but they always came back to the same problem: they had no idea where to look. After several hours of guess working, Tomoyo and Kiyone gave up with sighs of exasperation.

Finally Sakura, Nivaline and Meiling joined reality when the pilot announced they were about to land in Tokyo International airport. With a small jolt, the plane landed as soon Angels and former Angels alike were strolling into busy airport complex.

"So did Syaoran say who his contact was?" Nivaline asked as she stifled a yawn.

Meiling shrugged.

"Didn't say," she replied.

"God," Tomoyo groaned, "He can be as cryptic as Yue sometimes, I swear it's so ann…"

"Good morning ladies," a mischievous voice said from behind them.

Kiyone barely curbed the urge to punch whoever it was that was flirting with them as the whole group turned around as one.

"Xiaolang," Meiling gasped.

The amber-eyed man that had helped them on several occasions gave the group a small bow.

"At your service," he said with a faint smile.

Sakura's eyes narrowed at him as she suddenly moved forwards and slapped him, hard.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo gasped, shocked at her friend's actions, as the others let out similar sounds of protests.

"You!" Sakura spat venomously, "If you haven't had left them, they wouldn't have died!"

"Who?" Xiaolang clutched his cheeks as Sakura glared at him.

Nivaline moved in to mediate.

"The Yamazakis," Nivaline informed him gently as she drew Sakura away.

The furious Angel allowed herself to be drawn away as sadness and guilt flashed across Xiaolang's face.

"I'm really sorry about Chelsea," Xiaolang paused, "Syaoran told me. I tried to help them as much as possible but they assured me that they would get to Bakersfield safely… if I knew someone was coming after them I would've…"

"Knew?!?" Sakura exploded drawing some of the passing people's attention, "They are naïve! They had no idea what they were messing with and you allowed them to go alone!?!"

Before anybody could react Sakura surged forwards and slapped Xiaolang across the face as Meiling for once got the pleasant task of curbing someone else's homicidal rage. She grabbed Sakura's arm and dragged the Angel away as Xiaolang rubbed his already red cheek.

"I deserved that," he said softly, "I'm very sorry for your lost. I know it's my fault… I just wish…"

"Don't worry," Nivaline assured the younger man, "Sakura just needs to calm down a little. It's been very stressful for her, all she needs is a good night's sleep and she'll be a completely different person."

She threw a quick worried glance at Sakura who had fallen silent by now, what shocked Nivaline however was her eyes. Instead of the blazing fury that had burned in them just seconds ago, there were twin pits of emerald despair and something Nivaline knew well: guilt. Sakura sagged into her friend's arms as Meiling supported her shooting the others a worried look.

"I think we need to find a hotel so Sakura can rest," she said firmly, her tone and glaring ruby eyes brooking no arguments.

"I've booked hotel rooms for us nearby," Xiaolang said quietly, "If you'll follow me?"

Soberly Xiaolang led them away from the busy airport as Sakura remained silent, lost in a sea of grief and overwhelming guilt.


"Is she okay?"

Tomoyo nodded as she took a seat beside Meiling, their whole group plus Xiaolang but minus Sakura were having dinner in the hotel's top restaurant: a chance to unwind and relax before their next perilous mission but also a chance to discuss their next step. Tomoyo took a sip of her wine noting the richness of its flavour as a waiter descended onto their table quickly they ordered their meals as Tomoyo silently reminded herself this was a time to relax and enjoy herself. As she forced a warm smile onto her face she was oblivious to the fact that a pair of dark blue eyes were spying on her from all the way across the crowded dining room.

Eriol watched her from the bar, his mind slowly drifting back to their first date particularly how beautiful she had looked in the candlelight… Growling to himself, he shook his head throwing those images out of his mind's eye as he tried to concentrate on the task at hand.

His new mysterious boss had unexpectedly ordered him to catch a flight to Tokyo supplying him with the name of a famous hotel there without even bothering to tell him why he was going. Eriol had arrived at the airport and was shocked, to put it mildly, to see Tomoyo and her fellow Angels there speaking to a young man, which Eriol vaguely remembered as a powerful businessman based in Asia. He had quickly made himself scarce but he was smart enough to know why he had been sent here: to kill the Angels. So it was to his non-surprise when he found out that the Angels were also staying in the hotel that his boss had sent him to but how? He quickly swept his eyes across the Angels' table and noted that there was one girl missing… the auburn haired one.

Where was she?

Eriol frowned but pushed it out of his head. He had concentrate! He had this thing planned: Tomoyo had to be the first to go. Once the hard part was over…

Eriol sighed knowing deep within his soul he couldn't do it but maybe if he was drunk enough…

He quickly ordered another drink.


Dinner had been pleasant; the flow of conversations steady but there was an underlying tension to everything they said. Whilst they had attempted to discuss the problem of where to look for the third book, they had decided to talk about it with Sakura in the morning as none of them really wanting to spoil their only chance for some down time before plunging into the no doubt dangerous search for the third book. However there was some topics they were all definitely skirting around: Sakura and Chelsea namely. None of they brought up Chelsea and none of them commented on Sakura's current state, it was as though a silent agreement had been struck between the diners to not talk about them tonight. After the last sip of wine had been drunk and last delicious morsel of desert had been savoured, they leaned back in their seats as waiters began talking their empty plates away.

"So what do you want to do now?" Meiling asked, her ruby eyes sweeping over the occupants of the table.

"Bed?" Nivaline smothered a yawn, "Call me old but I feel very tired all of a sudden."

"Old," Kiyone smirked

Nivaline rolled her eyes.

"You're basically the same age as me," the former Angel reminded the other woman.

"I'm eight months younger," Kiyone corrected.

"And ten years more immature," Nivaline retorted.

"Come on girls," Meiling broke in, "Play nice."

The two former Angels narrowed their eyes at the smirking Angel as Tomoyo and Xiaolang just managed to smother their laughter.

"Young people these days…" Nivaline said with a mocking scowl.

"Come on granny," Kiyone drawled, "Let's get you up to bed."

Nivaline rolled her eyes at Kiyone as she stood up.

"Seriously I think we need our rest," she warned the others, "Tomorrow will no doubt be… challenging."

She glanced at Kiyone.

"Just make sure you get some rest rather than flirting with every bellboy that comes your way," she told the other woman with a small smirk.

"Like you haven't been visually molesting them," Kiyone snapped.

"And on that disturbing note, I'm leaving," Meiling jumped up and left before anyone else could say anything, "Oh, and Tomoyo I'll check back home for you."

Tomoyo rolled her eyes.

"Just don't steam up the phone with your… conversations. Remember that Marcus does have an innocent little daughter hanging around," Tomoyo warned her with a small smile, "Plus you need to sleep."

Meiling glared at her before she left as Tomoyo hid a smirk. Nivaline shook her head and gave them a final smile.

"Oh and I'll check on Sakura," she told them before leaving.

Kiyone looked around.

"I think I'll go to the bar," she said with a wicked smirk, "That bartender looks kind of cute!"

She jumped up and made a beeline to the bar sending the bartender a brilliant grin chock full of flirty goodness as Tomoyo raised an eyebrow.

"Adults," she muttered with a small shake of her head.

"I think I better settle the bill," Xiaolang said with a small polite smile, "Then I think I'll also head to my rooms."

Tomoyo offered a small smile as the young man got up and left her alone at the table. She looked at Xiaolang contemplatively lost in her thoughts, she knew that Xiaolang had a… thing for Sakura and she instinctively knew that the attraction was mutual. But the latest problems with Chelsea's death and Sakura's accusations seemed to have driven a wedge between those two.

He's nice… and not too hard on the eyes Tomoyo thought biting her lip, her lavenders gazing emptily forwards as she mulled over the idea of those two together They would suit one another quite well plus they make a cute couple but Sakura isn't in the mood to see anyone right now

With a sigh, she realised that it could be a long time before Sakura considered seeing anyone as she got up and left the restaurant still lost in her own thoughts unaware that a young blue-haired man had detached himself from the bar and was following her through the busy restaurant. She entered the hotel foyer as she made her way to the elevator still lost in her own thoughts. She entered the lift and pressed a button waiting patiently for the door to close.

"Wait!"

Tomoyo jumped as someone forced the door open, familiar blue eyes stared into her as she blinked at the man thunderstruck.

"Eriol?!?" she gasped.

"Tomoyo!" Eriol smiled at her, "Fancy seeing you here! What are you doing?"

He entered the lift as the door closed behind him.

"I'm uh… uh…"

Suddenly the lift seemed very small as Tomoyo felt a faint blush bloom on her pale cheeks.

"Designing! Festival!" Tomoyo managed to stammer out finally as Eriol beamed his killer smile at her.

Tomoyo felt her knees turn watery as Eriol began pouring on the charm, the wicked smile still intact on his face. Casually she leant against the wall of the lift in an attempt to start herself from shaking as she gathered enough wit around her to smile back at him.

"You?"

"Business as usual," Eriol smiled at her, "I certainly didn't expect to see you here. So what festival is there? I don't remember reading about any major fashion show going on."

"Oh, it's nothing big," Tomoyo lied, "I meant to say ceremony. See, one of my friends in Japan invited me to a traditional tea ceremony whilst I'm over here. I'm here to draw inspiration for my latest range and I would love to see the kimonos they wear at those ceremonies, I'm pretty sure to get some good ideas for some new dresses from that."

She smiled at Eriol as a thought came into her head.

"I don't remember you ever telling me what you did actually," she said with a thoughtful frown.

"Oh, software," Eriol pulled a face, "I know… it's boring but hey! The money's good."

Tomoyo smiled as with a soft ding the lift jolted to a stop and the door slid open.

"And here's my floor," she glanced shyly at Eriol, "You want to follow?"

He beamed at her.

"I'd love to."


"Love you too," Meiling said contentedly before hanging up the phone.

A small knock on her door made her frown as she jumped nimbly off her bed and went to the door. Cautiously she opened it revealing a worried looking Nivaline.

"Nivaline," Meiling frowned, "Is something wrong?"

"It's Sakura," Nivaline sighed, "I went into her room and well… she wasn't sleeping well."

Meiling raised an eyebrow as Nivaline sighed.

"Okay screaming on top of her voice," she clarified, "I did a little spell…"

"Spell?"

Nivaline nodded.

"A simple one. It's an… empathy spell," she explained, "Basically I tapped into Sakura's sub-conscious to see what she was feeling…"

"What was she feeling?" Meiling asked concernedly.

Nivaline sighed as she shook her head.

"Guilt with a massive side of anger," Nivaline stopped and pursed her lips, "And also some satisfaction…"

She noticed Meiling's look and rolled her eyes.

"Not that way!" she scolded, "Jeez… some people. More in a bloody vengeance, Kill Bill kind of way."

"She killed Lilia?" Meiling guessed.

Nivaline shook her head.

"She said she didn't and I believe her," the former Angel paused, "I know for sure that whoever killed Chelsea was a pro. I think Sakura managed to find out who it was and killed him… or her."

"That would explain why she disappeared off so quickly," Meiling said thoughtfully, "And also explains her shoulder."

"Should we ask her about it?" Nivaline asked.

Meiling shook her head.

"Nah, I think it's best if she gets some undisturbed sleep."

Nivaline nodded knowing as well as Meiling that Sakura was far from fine and needed as much sleep as she could get.

"I'll look in on her again," Nivaline promised, "Perhaps I can place some kind of sleeping spell to ensure she rests…"

Still frowning thoughtfully Nivaline left room leaving a very confused Meiling behind.


Sakura woke up and glanced out the window, it was morning if the pale shafts of light piercing the curtains were anything to judge by. She sat up and groaned knowing that if she looked into a mirror, she would see an insomniac madwoman. Blearily she rubbed her hands over her eyes, dragging herself out of the twisted bed sheets that threatened to ensnare her body. Standing up she walked to the window and pulled her curtains back allowing cold pale light to spill onto her face. She stared unseeingly at the congested city sprawl below, the nightmares from the night before dancing around her head into an endless demonic cycle.

"Chelsea…" Sakura whispered, her emerald eyes feverish.

Last night had been hell. Every time she tried to sleep images of Chelsea would haunt her. The dream was always the same: she would find herself on a long stretch of dusty road, the sun an accusing eye blazing down from the sapphire heavens. She would walk and soon or later stumble upon her friend's body and always, always that guttural voice… accusing her… condemning her… questioning her…

"Why?" the voice had one point said, "Why do you always hurt the ones you love?"

Sakura forced herself away from those dark memories as she stood in front of the window allowing the bright morning sun to sear the fears of the night away from her mind. Wearily she turned around and walked over to her bags, which was splayed open on the floor. She pulled out a wrinkled piece of clothing and pulled it on before walking to the door opening it and left looking for something with a heavy dose of caffeine in it.

She had a feeling she would need all the energy she could get.

Today was going to be a killer.


Tomoyo woke up and smiled remembering the magical events of last night. It had been a surprise, a pleasant one yes but still a shock seeing Eriol inside this very hotel.

What are the chances? she mused with a small smile dancing across her face as she slowly turned over.

Fate Tomoyo smiled It was all fate

Last night had been… indescribable. The emotions she had felt were almost overwhelming but one thing she knew for sure: she had fallen in love, deeply and madly in love with Eriol Moon. It had been like all those old clichés… so unexpected and surreal yet she knew that her feelings were so real it was almost a tangible thing. Tomoyo decided right then and there she would tell Eriol of this revelation and she knew that in her heart, he felt the same about her.

How else could he have smiled at her with so much adoration and longing?

How else could he have kissed her with so much tenderness and passion?

Love, that was the only answer to those questions. There were still many hurdles to cross, Tomoyo knew that, her true identity for one. But as old saying goes, love conquers all and theirs would be no different…

She froze.

The space beside her was empty. The bed sheets rumpled, the pillow dented a little where Eriol had slept on it. But it was cold now, no sign of the warm body she had curled against just the night before.

"Eriol?" Tomoyo whispered softly.

Her voice got louder.

"Eriol?!?" she leapt out of bed, "Eriol?"

Hurriedly she wrapped the blanket around her body as she looked around wildly.

"Eriol?"

The door to the bathroom was closed.

"Eriol?" she twisted the knob open and stepped inside.

Eriol was inside, his back to her as he stared at something unseen on the pristine white walls.

"Jeez, you scared me," Tomoyo laughed, "You should've answered."

He remained silent.

"Eriol?" Tomoyo asked worriedly slowly stepping towards him, "Are you okay?"

"I love you," Eriol's rough voice ripped through the silence.

Tomoyo felt a huge beaming smile blossom on her face as her heart rejoiced in those words.

He loves me!! Tomoyo's inner voice screamed deliriously

"But I shouldn't," Eriol continued.

Tomoyo froze.

"What? Why? When?" she stammered.
"I know I shouldn't but I can't help it!"

Fury seeped into Eriol's voice as the blue-haired man whirled around, his eyes blazing with some kind of inner fire. Cool blue became liquid fire as those twin orbs drilled into Tomoyo's mind. Longing, love, anger, frustration and lose danced into a hopeless maelstrom through the windows to his confused soul as Tomoyo took a step backwards overwhelmed by what she was seeing and sensing.

"Eriol," she gently reached a hand forwards.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Eriol screamed suddenly taking a threatening step forwards.

Tomoyo jumped back hurriedly as Eriol stalked towards her, tears now streaming down his face.

What? I don't… how? Doesn't he… her usually cool and calm mind had been reduced to a tangle of nerves and screaming half-finished sentences as Eriol continued to weep, blue eyes turning red as his hands began clenching and unclenching, his breath choked and laboured.

"I can't…" he whispered, his voice plummeting down from rage to despair in the blink of an eye, "I just can't… we can't."
"Can't what?" Tomoyo whispered her voice betraying her confusion, "Can't love me? Why? I know you do… please Eriol don't lie."

"I do but I… can't. We mustn't be together. We just can't."

"Why? Tell me! Why?" Tomoyo yelled at him feeling her still beating heartbreak, "You love me, damn it! You said so! There is no reason why we can't or shouldn't or couldn't or any other goddamn synonym for no! You love me!"

"And that's why this is so hard," Eriol gave a harsh laugh, his whole demeanour changing suddenly.

He had slowly backed Tomoyo out the bathroom and into the main area of the hotel room by now, the early morning sun streaming through the tiny sliver of space that divided the two thick drapes that hung over the windows. Eriol's eyes blazed in the dimness as Tomoyo felt tears of confusion and frustration begin to stream down her face.

"Hard!?! Life is hard! Whatever it is we can beat it! I don't care!" Tomoyo whispered, "I just don't care! I don't! I don't! I. Just. Don't."

"This is wrong, Tomoyo," Eriol said shaking his head as he backed away slowly, "Wrong. I'm sorry… Oh god! Why couldn't it be simpler? It wasn't supposed to turn out like this!"

"Turn out like what? What was it meant to be like?" Tomoyo demanded angrily, "You came into my life just…"

She snapped her fingers.

"Like that… you were there and perfect and we felt something. I know you felt something especially last night! I know it and don't you dare go around telling me I shouldn't feel like this because you make me the most happiest person in the world!"

"Tomoyo…" Eriol whispered, "Do you know who I am?"

Tomoyo blinked in confusion.

"What?"

"Do you know how we met?"

"At the cafe… "

"Not where," Eriol said gently, "How?"

"Huh?" Tomoyo frowned in confusion, "I don't underst…"

"It was calculated."

Tomoyo froze.

"I was meant to be there. You were meant to fall for me. It was meant to happen and I don't mean destiny and fate and all that Hallmark rubbish. I meant for you to fall for me so it would be easier…"

The air seemed to have been sucked out of the room as silent spread its noiseless veil over them.

"For what?" Tomoyo whispered.

"Easier to kill you."

It was like getting shot in the chest, the metal bullet ripping through the meaty organ called her heart. It was if a shotgun had been fired, tearing through her body and leaving her as a mocking husk of a human: dead, numb and unfeeling. Tears cascaded down her face leaving trails of salt on her pale skin. Her mind simply shut down refusing to react, refusing to work, refusing… everything. Her soul seemed to rage and turn on itself tearing itself to pieces as she stared at him, not understanding. Refusing to comprehend what this man, this man she loved with all her heart, was telling her.

"No."

"I was meant to kill you. That night, the dinner date… I tried but I couldn't," Eriol calmly reached into his rumpled jacket pocket and pulled out something.
The dark eye of the gun's barrel stared at her as Tomoyo stared back, still reeling from what was happening to her.

"I couldn't but I must."

"Why?"

"To save myself."

"But…"

"I love you but… but…" Eriol sighed as his hands trembled, the barrel of the gun wavering dangerously, "But I… I… I'm sorry."

"That's it?" Tomoyo whispered tearfully, "I thought you…"

"I do."

"Then don't. You don't have to. You didn't have to before. We can be together… you can quit. You can," Tomoyo stared at him, tears gushing down her cheeks, "We can be…"

"We can't. I love myself more," Eriol smiled bitterly, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry!" Tomoyo screamed, "If you love someone you'll do anything for them! You don't just love someone then kill them!"

"It's either me doing it or him and he… what he'll do to you will be beyond imagination. The powers he possess are vast… you'll die screaming and begging," Eriol's aim steadied itself as he seemed to calm down, "I love you, I'm protecting you. That's why I'm doing this."

"Go to hell. Don't make excuses, you bastard! You don't love me! You never did! Tell me the truth, you never loved m…"

A gunshot rang through the air.


Sakura jumped as an eerily similar sound exploded through the air.

"Gunshot," she whispered looking around worriedly, "Where the hell?"

She sprinted to her door and flinging it open ran out into the hallway. A few metres down another door flung open, Sakura's eyes widened as she realised which room it was.

"TOMOYO!" the American Angel yelled.

A man collided straight into her as he sprinted out from Tomoyo's room. Sakura was sent sprawling on the ground as the man hip and shouldered her flinging her roughly aside. With a growl of anger Sakura swung around and tried to grab the man around the ankles however with a quick kick of the man's leg, her fingers slipped and he darted away from her ducking through into another hallway. Sakura leapt up and started to run after him until she remembered about her fellow Angel.

"Tomoyo!" she ran into her friend's room.

She froze at the sight that greeted her.

Tomoyo sprawled across the hotel room floor, her chest an oozing mess of red. Her eyes staring unseeingly up into the ceiling as blood soaked into the creamy carpet beneath her colouring each fibre into a dark crimson.

Sakura stared at her friend, her body numbed by the sight before her. Her mind seemed unable to comprehend what was going on.

"TOMOYO!" Sakura leapt towards her friend and collapsed by her side, "Tomoyo!"

She shook her friend's already cold body again and again.

She was still, cold and… dead.

"NO!" Sakura yelled, "TOMOYO! WAKE UP, DAMN IT! WAKE UP!!!"
She howled at her friend over and over again.

No reply, just a pair of pale lavender eyes staring up at her with a glassy stare frozen by death.

"No. No. No. No," with each word she muttered, Sakura's voice became more and more deeper, lower, more guttural.

"NO!" she screamed as the key around her neck blazed with light, "HEAL HER! GOD DAMN IT!"
Gold light burst from the key and trailed down her arm like lengths of golden ribbons twining around her fingers as she pressed them against her friend's cold body. Gold tendrils burst from Sakura's fingertips sinking into Tomoyo's skin as the empowered Angel forced her magic to work.

"Heal her! Heal her!" Sakura screamed over and over again as the gold light grew in strength turning from a mere pinpoint of light into a blazing sun, "HEAL HER!"
"NO!"
Sakura's body was flung backwards as an invisible forced battered her throwing her aside.

"She is beyond your power," Kerberos's visage appeared from the depths of the gold light, his amber eyes blazing with smouldering power, "To try to heal her would be to dance with death."

"I don't care!" Sakura screamed back at him.

"NO!"
Once again a force slapped Sakura to the ground as Kerberos glared at her.

"You could both die!"

"If you won't help me," Sakura said slowly and carefully glaring at Kerberos with golden eyes, "Then get the hell away from ME!"
Kerberos screamed in pain as a burst of energy sprung from Sakura's eyes and struck the guardian. Gold light devoured his image as Sakura crawled back to Tomoyo.

"MIRROR!" she screamed, power surging through every cell of her body, "COME TO ME!"

One of Tomoyo's bags suddenly burst open tearing at the seams as the third talisman, Yue's mirror, floated up into the air in a blaze of silver light. The hard glass surface rippled as though it was water as Sakura stretched her hands over at the talisman, gold light fusing with silver as she plunged into the depths of the mirror's power.

"Come to me," she whispered sending out her magic, "Come to me."

A wisp of smoke that twisted and twirled each movement producing a different colour from its smoky depths floated out from the rippling mirror surface dragged out by a net of silver and gold light.

Somehow Sakura knew that this… thing was Tomoyo's departed spirit dragged out from the netherworld by her power utilising the mirror as a gateway. Suddenly the wisp that was Tomoyo's spirit was gripped by ghostly hands that tried to yank it back into the mirror, Sakura gritted her teeth and plunged more of her magic into the mirror trying to shred the power that threatened to plunge Tomoyo's spirit back into the underworld.

With a ghostly shriek that rattled the windows and set Sakura's teeth on edge, the hands were shoved violently back into the mirror as Sakura's magic gripped Tomoyo's spirit and plunged it straight into her friend's cold body. A small piece of crumpled metal, the bullet that had slain Tomoyo floated up into the air borne by tendrils of silver and gold light removing itself from the gaping wound in the Angel's chest as Sakura concentrated forcing broken bone and muscles to knit back together. All internal bleeding stop as the wound was healed, pale skin covering the area where the mortal wound had been.

With a final burst of light and power Sakura shoved the spirit into Tomoyo's fully healed body. With a feral scream, Sakura unleashed all her magic to do her will as a force ten times more powerful than the one Kerberos had used on her threw her across the room and crushed her against the wall. Her vision turned black as she gasped for breath, her arms flailing wildly trying to break free from the spectral hand that now gripped her.

The world shook and rumbled as the sky seethed and roared, the ocean rose and fell into cataclysmic watery mountains and valleys as time itself seemed to grind to a halt.

Then all at once everything fell silent.

The ground settled.

The sky gave one last rumble then stilled.

The ocean gave a final violent hiss then calmed.

Time moved forwards once more.

And in the silence that followed, a small hesitant voice spoke.

"Sakura?"

Sakura managed to catch a blurry glimpsed of Tomoyo, alive and well, staring at her worriedly before her mind and body gave out and she succumbed into oblivion.


'This world both physical, natural and magical is about balance. Every mage knows that. Like fire and water, the earth and the sea, the sun and the moon… it's all about balance. It's physics: every action had a reaction.'

As Sakura lay slumped on the floor, Tomoyo crawled to her slowly every single muscle in her body aching.

"Sakura!" she cried, "Sakura! What happened? Are you alright?"

With her back turned to the mirror Tomoyo was oblivious to the fact that the surface of the mirror was rippling again. The now liquid surface bulged outwards as though something was about to burst through. A thin trail of black smoke shot out from the mirror as the liquid surface rippled and wobbled once more before resettling into hard glass. The smoke drifted through the air twirling this way and that way before finally descending onto Tomoyo's back, it seemed to seep into her body but the Japanese Angel was not aware of it. The black smoky substance, whatever it was, disappeared into her body as its host tried to wake up her unconscious friend.

"Sakura! Sakura! Talk to me!"

Every action has a reaction.

It's all about balance.


"What happened?"

Sakura let out a low groan and rubbed her tender temples gently as she struggled to open her eyes.

Once she had pried them open, she looked around wondering what was going on. Meiling looked down worriedly at her.

"Sakura?" she whispered.

Sakura groaned, Meiling's low voice amplifying in her ears causing it to become a dull roar that jarred her senses.

"She's awake!" Meiling called to someone behind her, "She's awake!"

Sakura winced.

"Meiling…" she began, her voice a dry croak, "Please… don't yell."

Meiling grimaced and made a small apologetic nod as three more faces appeared behind her.

"What happened?" Kiyone asked worriedly looking down at the unnaturally pale Sakura.

"She worked some big mojo here," Nivaline explained, "Big mojo bordering on dark arts."

"Voldermort style?" Kiyone quipped.

Nivaline rolled her eyes at her fellow ex-Angel before focusing again on Sakura.

"Tomoyo," Sakura whispered urgently, "How? Where is she?"

"Right here," the Japanese Angel appeared from the midst of faces looking down at her, "What did you…"

"What happened?" Sakura demanded as she struggled to sit up.

"Shouldn't we be asking you that question?" Nivaline asked arching an eyebrow.

"I heard a gunshot…" Sakura began.

"So did I," Kiyone muttered, "Wondered where the hell it came from."

Sakura ignored her comment as she continued.

"I ran outside to find out where it came from and then Tomoyo's door flung open and this man charged out bowling me over. I was going to run after him until I remembered Tomoyo and when I ran into her room…" Sakura paused trying to grapple with the bloody mental image inside her head, "Tomoyo… she was on the ground. Shot… dead."

"Dead?" Xiaolang whispered horrified, "Oh god."

"Oh god, what?" Meiling demanded, "What's with the 'oh god'? This isn't a I-won-the-lottery 'oh god' is it?"

"You raised the dead," Xiaolang murmured looking at Sakura in awe, "But how?"

"The key," Sakura shrugged, "Mirror helped."

"I was dead?" Tomoyo demanded, freaking out, "But… how?"

"The key," Nivaline began slowly, "You must have activated it… its healing abilities. But Tomoyo was dead, so your power fused with that of the mirrors using it as a gateway to the spirit world to drag her spirit back into this and forcing it into Tomoyo's body…"

She paused.

"But that's…"

"Impossible," Xiaolang finished, "Yet here's proof."

Tomoyo fidgeted nervously as everyone stared at her.

"What?" she bristled, "I didn't do anything!"

"Hey," Kiyone narrowed her eyes at her, "How did you get shot?"

Tomoyo paused as she struggled to keep her emotions in check.

Eriol… how could you? her heart mourned but years of training kept her face impassive.

"An assassin from Spinnel Corporation. Broke in here," she said shortly, "Shot me before I could do a damn thing."

There was a silence as everyone digested that piece of news.

"We need to get away from here if Spinnel Corporation knows we're here," Nivaline sighed, "Sakura? How are you holding up?"

"Surprising well for someone who feels like she's just been ran over multiple times and left out on the road to die," Sakura muttered before sighing and plastering a smile on her face, "I'm fine."

"Good, we need to move out," Nivaline looked at her companions, "Any questions?"

"No," Kiyone muttered, "Mom."

"Hey!"


Psuedo-Sakura stared around at her surroundings completely unimpressed by the grandeur landscape of snow and ice that draped over the rocky mountains of the Japanese Alps like a delicate white scarf. Chilly winds slapped her skin but the magical doppelganger pressed on fighting against the elements as she trudged through the thick snow.

"Stupid mountain!" Psuedo-Sakura yelped as she slipped over and her face slammed into the snow, "Blasted…"

"LEAVE!" a booming voice screeched at her ripping through the air, borne by a jet of icy wind, "This is my domain and I command you to LEAVE!"

Psuedo-Sakura stumbled to her feet and was almost knocked over again by a powerful buffet of snow and wind but she steadied herself at the last moment and glared in the voice's general direction.

"I come from Yue, you stupid ice statue!" she yelled, "Don't you want to hear what your lover has to say to you?"

Instantly the wind died down as an eerie silence permeated the mountain air.

"Yue…" a soft, definitely feminine, voice whispered sounding like a breeze of wind gliding through the air, "What does he have to say…"

Another silence descended around Psuedo-Sakura as the magical creature looked around nervously.

"AFTER HE ABANDONED ME!!!" the sky roared as a blizzard crashed down from the skies battering the earth with ice and snow.

Psuedo-Sakura gasped in pain as razor shards of ice ripped into her body leeching every bit of warmth from her. When she began to feel frost form on her skin she knew she was in trouble.

"Stop!" she yelled trying to overpower the roar of the wind, "STOP!"

The storm didn't abate in its fury as Psuedo-Sakura fell to her knees unable to withstand the strength of the blizzard.

"HE WANTS TO SEE YOU!!!!" Psuedo-Sakura screamed as a last ditch ploy.

The blizzard abruptly stopped.

"What?" the voice came to her again as a gentle breeze in the calm mountain air.

"But…" Psuedo-Sakura staggered back to her feet as a small smirk danced across her lips.

It seemed her plan was actually going to work after all…

"But only if you can do something for him…"


"What the friggin' hell happened?" Meiling managed to mutter through chattering teeth.

Beside her Kiyone clawed her way out from the snowdrift that had buried her as all around them the rest of their friends were doing the same.

"Power," Nivaline whispered clutching her head, "It's so overwhelming."

"And the rage and fury," Syaoran added in an almost reverent tone, "It's so strong."

"Are you sure it's here?" Sakura asked dumping herself down onto the snow and ignoring the bite of the cold on her skin.

She looked around at the glaringly white landscape, which seemed devoid of everything aside from one or two trees that poked out from the ground.

"There's like nothing here," Meiling muttered.

"It's here," Tomoyo said wearily, "I saw it here."

"The Japanese Alps," Nivaline mused, "Who would've ever guessed the third book was here…"

She looked around.

"Somewhere here," she corrected herself.

"So can we move already?" Kiyone demanded struggling to stand with two skis strapped to her feet.

Likewise the rest of the group did the same gingerly standing up, the skis they were wearing hindering their movements.

"There," Syaoran pointed in a northern direction, "The power came from there."

"Are you even sure it's the book?" Sakura asked peering at the direction he was pointing at, "There's nothing there."

"You got a better plan?" Meiling muttered.

With that the whole group moved towards the supposed source of the awesome power that had just dumped a blizzard onto the heads moments ago. Hard skis glided through powder soft snow as they continued forwards in a straight line, one after the one with Nivaline in the lead and Tomoyo at the back. The Japanese Angel didn't mind, it did give her a chance to think even though the thoughts in her head weren't exactly comforting.

"Eriol…" Tomoyo whispered feeling that queer tearing pain in her chest again as though her heart was shredding itself to pieces.

"Wha?" Kiyone looked behind her at the suddenly pale woman, "You okay?"

Tomoyo forced a smile on her face and nodded even though that was far from the real truth.

How could he have do that to her? Lie to her? Did he really even love her?

Tears were beginning to form but Tomoyo shook her head angrily flinging them away into the cool air. She bit down onto her lip and struggled for control as those endless questions tormented again and again, the things that Eriol said whirling around in her head in an endless painful cycle.

He was murderer.

Sent to kill her… and yet she loved him.

Why? Why? What had she done to deserve this? How could he love her and yet shot her? Was this love? This cruel pain in her heart? Was this it?

How could she go on with this dark secret haunting her every conscious moment? How could she go on without him? How…

"INCOMING!" Nivaline barked.

"What the hell?"

Everyone looked up only to see a giant blazing globe of cool azure light soar across the sky heading straight for them with malicious purpose.

"What the?"

"DUCK!" Nivaline yelled.

The light sped up growing in size as everybody leapt away.

"BOOM!"

It crashed into the earth spraying everyone with snow as azure light illuminated the area blinding all of them.

"Oh god…" Sakura whispered as the light faded and she could see the impact site.

Glittering ice refracted the sun's ray creating a kaleidoscope of rainbow colours as long jags of frozen ice pointed accusingly at them as though trying to command the silly humans that had managed to stumble into its territory to leave. The group slowly stumbled to their feet eyeing the five metre wide patch of ice carefully.

"Okay… that was freaky," Kiyone muttered.

"It's still emanating magic," Nivaline murmured.

"That can't be good," Sakura whispered.

A huge crack zipped across the glassy ice surface. Another one appeared followed by another and then another. The ice was split into a dozen huge slabs before the cracking stopped and azure light began to blaze out from the cracked surface.

"Not good," Sakura muttered with wide open eyes watching the glowing ice as it began to move.

A clump of ice broke free from the patch as the group backed off slowly not knowing what was happening. Another lump shifted even as the slab beside it moved as well, in a few seconds the patch had broken up into twelve separate blocks that rocked and glowed. The light died down as the lumps of ice continued to rock backwards and forwards. Flakes of ice peeled away from one of the blocks whilst another did the same. Tomoyo watched in horror as the ice broke in several pieces creating angular points and bends.

"Oh shi…" Kiyone swore as the glowing stopped.

Twelve skeletal-like creatures with jagged horns and talons stood in the snow sunlight lending their icy bodies a powerful glow. Without warning the azure light blazed again filling each creature with an internal light, in the jagged lump of ice that served as their heads two particularly strong pinpoints of light blazed where eyes would normally go.

"What are those?" Meiling whispered as the twelve ice-demons all swerved their heads to glare at them.

"Trouble," Nivaline muttered back.

Ice exploded from the ice-demon's backs as something sprouted form their thin spine, two delicate flakes of ice each about two metres long grew from each of the ice-demons back.

"Are those…" Tomoyo began.

Each demon gave the ice flakes on their backs an experimental flap before glaring at the intruders and taking to the air, their unnatural ice wings somehow defying physics as it lent the demonic ice creatures flight.

"If the next word out of your mouth was wings. I'd say yes," Meiling stared at the creatures as they glared back, "Run?"

"Oh yeah," Sakura replied, "RUN!"

They all whirled away from the creatures and tried to ski away as fast as possible but the ice-demons were on them high-pitched screeches emitting from their mouths.

"FIGHT THEM!" Nivaline yelled to them before throwing herself onto the ground, her skis tangling even as she pointed at one of ice-demons.

"HUO!" she commanded.

A sheet of flame crashed into the ice-demon forcing a screech of pain from it as two more fell from the sky to descend onto the woman.

"Hey! Back off!" Meiling barked.

She grabbed her bracelet yanking the ruby charm away from her wrist.

"Blade of Clow! Power of magic! Power of light! Surrender the sword! The force ignite!" she chanted, "RELEASE!"

In a burst of light, the Clow sword fell into her hands as Meiling glared at the ice-demons challengingly.

"FIERY!" she commanded the card falling into her hand, "RELEASE AND DISPEL! BAKE THESE CREATURES!"
Jets of red flames drilled into the demons forcing them away from Nivaline but even though fire had proved effective against the demons they were far from finished.

Sakura grabbed her key ready to join the fight.

"Key of Stars with powers burning bright! Release the staff and shine your light!" Sakura cried, "Release!"

Golden light blazed from the key as Sakura waited for her talisman to appear, with now warning at all the light died out.

"What?" Sakura gasped as an immense pain roared through her body.

She fell to her knees.

"Ow," she panted for breath, "Ow."

"SAKURA!" Syaoran was at her side, "You okay?"

"Healing Tomoyo…" Sakura whispered, "Took too much out of me. My magic's sucked dry."

"Don't worry. I got y…"

"WATCH OUT!"

An ice-demon lunged at them but Syaoran merely rammed his ski pole into its head forcing it backwards. Whispering under his breath, too quiet for even Sakura to hear, Syaoran held out his hands. White light gathered in his palms before fading revealing an ancient-looking long sword.

"What?"

"You're not the only one with a talisman," Syaoran smirked at her.

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Fire, COME FORTH!" Syaoran roared pointed his sword at the ice-demon he had injured.

Fire burst from the blade's tip engulfing the creature as it screeched in pain and hurriedly backed off. Syaoran bore down at it with the flames but with a flick of its wing, the creature took to the air avoiding the blast.

Meiling was engaged in combat with an ice-demon, metal blade clashing with icy talons as they parried each other blow for blow. Kiyone was attacking another demon with her ski poles, the tiny metal point on each pole leaving small punctures all over the demon's icy frame.

"HUO!" Nivaline fried another ice-demon beating it backwards with a wave of flame as Tomoyo sneaked up behind it battering it in the head with her discarded skis.

"Lightning!" Syaoran commanded.

Bolts of blue lightning descended from the skies frying the ice-demon. It screeched in pain and stumbled backwards as skeletal fingers of lightning charred its hard body leaving smoking gouges. It screeched again before raising its wings and folded them over its body like a shield deflecting the lightning attack.

"FIRE!" the mage pointed its sword at the demon and let loose a stream of red flame.

With a huge shriek, the ice-demon leapt over the attack and kicked Syaoran in the chest with its icy cloven feet. Syaoran fell to the ground, the ice-demon descending on him like a glittering vulture its icy talons ready for the kill. Sakura swung her ski pole around and punched through its eye leaving a gaping hole.

"Back off, Frosty," Sakura snarled ripping the pole free, "Before I make ice chips out of you."

The ice-demon clutched its eyes and screeched in pain as Sakura tracked its movements waiting for it to attack.

"HA!" Meiling kicked at her opponent sending it stumbling backwards.

"Take this!" Kiyone grabbed her ice-demon's clawed arm and threw it away with all her strength.

The two ice-demons slammed into each other, back-to-back, Kiyone darted forwards and rammed her ski pole home driving the metal shaft through the two demon's chest pinning them together.

"Hey! Want to see my impersonation of Xena?" Meiling let out a huge war cry and swung her sword around.

The two ice-demon's head were cleaved off, their headless body hitting the snow as their heads shattered. The azure light died out from their bodies as Meiling smirked at them.

"Xena?" Kiyone asked.

Meiling shrugged.

"Sorry, lame pun."

"Damn right."

Meiling rolled her eyes at her and whirled around only to see Tomoyo successfully club her ice-demon's head to mere ice chips with her skis.

Nivaline reduced one to muddles by immolating it with wave after wave of flames. Sakura tripped one ice-demon up by hitting it behind its icy knees shattering the leg completely before stepping away allowing Syaoran to slice its icy body in two.

The remaining ice-demons some sporting burns and gouges on their icy bodies backed away wearily hissing and spitting at them.

"We'll attack at once," Meiling whispered, "Xiaolang. Nivaline. Use fire, I'll summon the Fiery again. Tomoyo, Sakura, Kiyone wait until the fire dies then attack them. Okay?"

Everyone nodded their assent. Meiling raised her sword.

"FIERY CARD! RELEASE AND DISPEL!"

"HUO!"
"FIRE! COME FORTH!"

An immense firestorm sprung from thin air ripping through the snowy grounds towards the ice-demons intent on reducing each of them to water molecules. Meiling smirked as the ice-demons began panicking screeching at each other and trying to shove one its own brethren in front of it as a vain shield.

"Come on," Meiling whispered, "Got you now."

With no warning at all, a huge blast of freezing air slammed into the firestorm easily extinguishing the flames as everyone stared.

"What the?"

"YOU DARE FIGHT ME AND MINE?!?" a voice roared echoing around the mountains, "PREPARE TO FACE TRUE POWER!"

A mini tornado of ice and snow sprung up between the humans and the ice-demons, growing in size with each passing moment. A vaguely human-like shape glowing with internal white light was forming as everyone stared at it.

"HURRY! BLAST HER!" Meiling yelled, "FIERY! RELEASE AND DISPEL!"

A veritable blizzard laced with azure and white light burst from the tornado ripping through the Fiery's attack and flinging Meiling backwards as it crashed into her. Meiling landed several metres away as the winds died down revealing the person concealed within.

Icy blue eyes glared at them, a stark contrast to the pale oval of her face. Long black longs of hair framed her delicate face, her soft lips coloured a deep plum a colour that oddly suited the traditional kimono that clad her body. It was completely white in colour except for the purple obi that bounded her delicate waist, its hem stopping just at her feet revealing the wooden sandals she wore. Her hands were small and delicate as white as her skin but the two gleaming katana swords that she held in each hand belayed the seemingly innocent guise of her body.

"How dare you attack me?" her voice was a blizzard howling through the air, it was also the soft pattering of fresh snow falling on hard boulders and equally as strange it was the crunch of ice breaking under feet, "How dare you try and take it away from?"

"Take what?" Tomoyo asked.

"Who is she?"

"The Snow Geisha," Tomoyo whispered back.

"Huh?" everyone stared at her.

"The Japanese demonic goddess of snow and ice. Mistress of the mountains and keeper of lost souls lost," Tomoyo explained keeping a weary eye on the smirking snow goddess.

"She's a goddess?" Kiyone blinked, "Oh goddess."

"Ha! Ha," Meiling rolled her eyes, "Very funny."

"Silence mortals!" the Snow Geisha thundered, "You dare come here and take what's mine. But I know the truth, once you are gone he will be mine again."

"Who?"

"You know who."

"Actually no," Meiling muttered, "Jeez, for a goddess she's kind of…"

"Psycho?"

"You dare mock me?" the Snow Geisha beared her teeth and held her twin katana swords aloft each gleaming point facing them, "You stupid mortals. You think you can trick me? It's mine! He gave it to me. It's mine to keep and have. It's mine!"

"Oh great, so an ice queen with a Gollum complex," Sakura rolled her eyes, "Some guardian!"

"Prepare to die! Attack!"

The ice-demons lunged at them as the humans easily shifted into a defence formation. Sakura flung her ski pole like a spear hitting a demon, the force of the blow knocked it out of the air pinning it to the ground. The Snow Geisha howled in fury as Nivaline torched another ice-demon.

"Magic!" the goddess grinned, "You want to see real magic!"

She raised her swords and crossed them together forming a cross as her blue eyes glowed.

"Stop her!" Nivaline cried.

Syaoran lunged forwards trying to stab the goddess but in a movement too fast to see the Snow Geisha brought her twin katana swords down using one to block the blow and the other to score a bloody cut across Syaoran's stomach. The man gasped in pain and staggered backwards clutching the long cut as the Snow Geisha smirked.

"Here's some real magic!" she pointed her swords at them.

"Oh…" Sakura whispered.

A blast of ice, snow and wind gushed forwards sweeping over the hapless humans flinging them aside like rag dolls. Tomoyo lost all sense of direction and time as she felt lumps of cold ice batter her body bruises forming everywhere. Meiling was blinded and choking on snow as she tried to claw herself free from the blizzard that had her in its freezing grip. Sakura felt like she was flying borne by the icy blizzard but where to she had no idea.

The Angels and their allies succumbed to the blizzard and all they were aware of was eternal white and a numbing cold that seeped into their bodies.


Sakura moaned as she blinked slowly trying to figure out where she was.

"Tomoyo? Meiling?" she stood up and looked around slowly all she saw was snow.

"Sakura?" a weak voice muttered.

"Xiaolang!" Sakura fell to the ground crawling hurriedly to the injured man as he slowly sat up grimacing as the cut on his stomach gave a jolt of pain.

"What happened?"

"I don't know," Sakura replied gingerly probing his wound, "But I can't see the others."

"We're lost?"

"And stranded."


"That was some ride," Kiyone muttered looking around.

"Let's never do that again," Meiling moaned.

"Agreed."

"Where are we?" Meiling looked around, for miles and miles on end all she saw was a land frozen in the grips of winter.

"Completely lost," Kiyone sighed.

"The others?"

"Gone."

"We're trapped."

"Oh yeah," Kiyone smiled grimly, "And screwed."


Tomoyo come to suddenly feeling an unnatural warmth sweeping through her body.

"Calm down," Nivaline's soothing voice murmured in her ears, "I'm trying to warm you up."

"What happened?" Tomoyo asked dully.

"Don't know. We were apparently swept away by the blizzard," Nivaline sighed, "The Cliff notes? We're lost. The others seemed to have been swept off somewhere. We're no longer in Kansas and the Wicked Witch is onto us."

"Damn," Tomoyo muttered trying to sit up.

"Damn right."


The Snow Geisha smiled coldly.

"They're scattered and helpless," she murmured, "Just where I want them to be."

"The good old divide and conquer plan," Psuedo-Sakura nodded her approval, "Yue will be pleased."

"And if I kill them?" the Snow Geisha whirled on her, her blue eyes wide and pleading, "Will he come."

"When you do," Psuedo-Sakura smiled at her calmly, "He will come. He will see you have protected his gift and is worthy of his love."

"Yue," the Snow Geisha whispered lovingly glancing up at the sky, "We shall be together!"

With that the mountain goddess disappeared in a flurry of wind and snow as Psuedo-Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Fool."


YAY! ANOTHER CHAPTER AND ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER! THIS STORY IS NEARING THE END BUT THERE ARE OTHER TWISTS TO COME!!! YAY TWISTS!!!!

Next chapter:

Stranded in the Japanese Alps and separated, the Angels and their allies not only have to face the wrath and might of the Snow Geisha but avoid Psuedo-Sakura's own meddling. Meanwhile back in America, Mr. Noir is up to something that may spell doom for whole world. Will the Angels survive the Snow Geisha? Will they retrieve the third book? Find out in… Angels on ice

A/notes:

SORRY! SORRY! SORRY! Sorry for the massive delays but I had exam, career week, a relative coming over to stay so I was very, very busy but luckily summer holidays (I live in Australia) is here and I can finish this story once and for all! YAY! Please, please, please review and thank you to everybody who have supported this story all the way! You guys are the best!