Syaoran held the boy to the kitchen wall, knife held to his throat.
"Well well, you've figured me out. I told Tomoyo you were intelligent." the boy replied smoothly, "However, do you really think her highness will love you if she saw you about to kill a man?"
Reluctantly, Syaoran dropped the knife, not letting his gaze leave his target.
"You sold your voice to us, remember? That means it is our possesion now and we can do whatever we please with it."
"Syaoran-kun! Put him down!" cried Sakura as she entered the room. In an instant Syaoran let go. Yet again, feeling ashamed of himself. Once Eriol was safely close to the ground, he picked up the knife.
"You know the funny thing about love spells," began Eriol as he waved his hand in front of Sakura's blank face, "Once they're cast on someone, they can see anyone hurt, sad, or even murdered as long as the object of their affection is unharmed..."
Eriol held the knife to Syaoran's abdomen, "I don't kill," he thrust the knife into his stomach, "But I have no qualms about hurting you."
Blood floated in the water as instinct took over and Syaoran punched him in the chest, making the small mirror shatter into hundreds of tiny fragments. Sakura's expression suddenly became concerned as the spell broke and she swam over to him.
"Syaoran-kun are you all right? You're bleeding horribly!" she cried putting her hand over the wound.
"It's all right," he wanted to say. It took Syaoran a few seconds after seeing Sakura's puzzled face to realize he really did say it!
"You just spoke!" she said in amazement.
"Sakura, there's somethi--" Syaoran's wrists and neck were suddenly restrained by shackles.
"Oh dear, it seems that since you took your voice back, we get our refund as well," said Eriol slyly, "You're ours now."
"It hasn't been the full week yet!" Syaoran protested as Eriol's features returned to his original looks.
"But you didn't hold up your end of the bargain! It's over!"
Syaoran's tail split in two and began to form into legs and feet, also held by chains.
"Sakura!" he cried as his scales began to recede to be replaced by flesh.
"Syaoran-kun..."
"I'm sorry for trying to kiss you! I'm sorry for losing your dolphin! I'm sorry for embarrassing you in the market! I'm sorry for getting you chased by that shark! I'm sorry for picking your mother's flowers! Just know that I'm the one you've been watching! I love you, Sakura and I--" he was cut off as his lungs began to function once more and he was back to oxygen. Eriol pulled his wrist outside and began to pull him toward the surface as his own merman features began to dissapear.
"Syaoran-kun!"
But it was too late. He was gone.
"You poor thing," murmered Tomoyo as she looked over Syaoran's wound. She put her hand over it and it closed up instantly, "Just when things were starting to look up for you."
"You set me up to fail!" he screeched.
"Yes, we did," Tomoyo admited, "But you should've been more specified on your part of the contract. That was your own doing."
"Is there any way I can buy my tail back?" he asked after a few seconds of silence as he sat up. Tomoyo put her hand to her chin.
"I'm sorry, but the way our contract is worded prevents that. You are mine for all eternity."
There was a loud thunk on the outside of the door.
"Open this door, damnit!" yelled an angry female voice from the other side.
"Feimei!" cried Syaoran, "Feimei! I'm in here!" Tomoyo motioned for Eriol to open the door, but before he could even stand up the wooden barier toppled to the floor. There stood his sisters, Feimei's foot upraised in a kick. Behind her was the eldest, Fuuti, carrying a limp body.
"Sakura!" Syaoran leapt from a sitting position and attempted to run for her, but his knees buckled under him and he fell to the floor.
"Why can't he walk? What did you do to Syaoran?" Fanren demanded.
"Fanren, I'm sorry I--" began Syaoran.
"He cannot walk because his legs are as young as a newborn infant's," explained Tomoyo, "For the past five days, your little brother has been swimming with that girl in your arms. He hasn't walked a single step since then."
Syaoran crawled over and held Sakura to his chest, "Sakura, can you hear me?"
Hereyes fluttered open, "Syaoran-kun... I came to save you!"
"You're dying! You can't survive on land!"
"Your voice... it sounds nice..." she mumbled as her eyelids tried to force themselves down again.
"Please stay with me!" Syaoran pleaded, "Just hold on for a little longer."
"There's... There's water coming from your eyes..." mused Sakura as she put her hand on his cheek. Syaoran closed his eyes and held her hand where it was.
"That's it!" Syaoran exclaimed, "The deal's not over yet!"
"What do you mean?" wondered Tomoyo curiously. The mirror that stated the conditions began to form a hairline crack that spread like a spiderweb.
"Getting my voice back wasn't breaking the rules of our agreement, it was just call for a return of my legs!" the more Syaoran spoke the bigger the crack got, "However, if she confessed her love to me, my tail would be permanent. There's no way you could change me back!" he smiled, "You should've been more specific on your side of the contract."
The mirror continued to crack and glow where it was broken until light was enveloping them.
"Get down!" cried Syaoran's sisters at once. In one split second the mirror blew apart, sending glass shards across the room. Tomoyo was cut into shreds as the fragments shot through her body. Without any time to waste, the four Li princesses carried the two of them outside and to the shore.
"C'mon Sakura, wake up!" Syaoran pleaded once she was in the water. The tide washed up over her pale face, but she did not move, "Sakura, you have to wake up!" He held her body close to his, "Please... I've given up everything to be with you." Syaoran closed his eyes, holding back tears. She couldn't die. Not after all this.
"Syaoran-kun..." said a tired voice in his ear. Syaoran pulled her back to watch her eyes open and gaze at him widely, "I'm back in the water," she mumbled, "Does that mean--?"
"Syaoran," said a voice Sakura had never heard before, but Syaoran had all his life. He looked up to his mother as she knelt beside him, "I understand your wanting to be with her."
Syaoran knew that tone, he didn't like where this was going.
"However," she continued, "Your home is here, on land. This is where you belong and are loved. You can't just leave and expect us to just take it in stride!"
His head hung low as he nodded, "I understand, mother."
"Syaoran-kun? What's going on?" asked Sakura wearily. Syaoran kissed her hand.
"I have to go, now," he explained, "We may never be with each other again but, if we keep up our old routine, we should at least be able to see each other. On land as a human is where I belong."
"No!" Sakura cried, wrapping her arms around him, "You can live with us! I'll show you how to read, I'll teach you about everything!"
"I'm sorry, Sakura. This is my home. Please send someone to tell me when you made it home safely. " It was difficult for him to look into her pleading eyes as he slid her deeper into the water, "Sometimes hearts have to be broken to have happiness."
"I'll never have happiness if I can't be with you!" she cried as he pushed himself up on the shore. The current began to pull her farther into the ocean, "I love you."
Syaoran nodded as she gave him one last longing look before dissapearing into the sea.
