"Only some of those who have worked with her remain completely intact." Lin Danu informed them. "You betray her and you die. You don't question her then you are greatly rewarded." Lin Danu stated. "Be careful if you kill her one of you will no longer exist."
Something sent them back about two feet. "Why you two haven't changed much at all."
"Oh wait! You're only a few years younger." The black mists cleared up.
Eriol looked stunned at the woman. "I know you."
"Of course you know me." The woman with hunter green eyes walked. "You were supposed to bring them to me." She paused just for a moment. "Ah, I see."
"You see what." Nadeshiko looked at the woman.
"You've broken worlds of rules." The woman looked at the group. "He wasn't supposed to remember that." The woman sent a ball of fire to each of them. What she did next surprised them.
Ngoc1231- I'm glad that you read the chapter. I've been putting up one a week for three weeks trying to finish this off.
Disclaimer: I do not own them. I have only had so much fun writing these stories. I just hope you have had just as much reading this story.
Chapter 21
A black card with a blackened star was floating about to be hit with a wand. "Erase, erase his memory."
Sakura's eyes grew large. "Windy blow that card this way!"
"YOU!"
"You're right. It's me." Sakura stood. "I'd think that you would recognize me."
"Yes, I do. However, you can't beat me because I have all of your power and then some." The woman's hunter green eyes flashed irritation.
A ball of fire mixed with the wind that was flowing all around Sakura. "Water!" Meiling sent toward Sakura. The windy fire was put out by water but Sakura came through protected in her shield.
"How!"
"It's you! You're the one that has been making my life a nightmare!" Sakura shouted before her aura began to change to red.
"Sakura no!" Tomoyo yelled.
'Okaasan you must control your temper.'
'Sakura, please we can't lose you.' Tomoyo said
'Daughter you mustn't lose your heart.' Eriol said to her.
'Lose your heart. My, whatever does that mean?' A wicked laugh went through her head. 'Come with me and I will show you what you will become.'
Lin Danu-
He stood to watch what was going on. The identity of the woman had been revealed but without all of them they couldn't win. There was only one person that could get to Shaoran. However there was only one person in this group that could get her there. "Illusion," he whispered. He brought to mind Sakura that couldn't be sent away with just one blast. It would buy them some time but not much.
He switched the two Sakura's in the middle of the battle. "What's going on?"
"We're going to get your fiancée. We don't have long." He created a pitch black portal. "You'll need a change of clothes." He said just before they stepped through.
They entered into a room that was mix of a cave and a command center. "What is this place?"
This is where you pretend you're an evil sorceress." Lin Danu looked at her. She looked down at her dress to see it was an exact replica of the one her dark side wore.
"Alright what do I do?"
"Just listen to what I tell you." He told her telepathically.
They walked through corridors to find where Sakura's other half had put Shaoran. 'He's here.' She stood perfectly still in the dark room sensing all of the corners and the angles of the room.
"Sakura?" Shaoran sat up. 'It can't be. The one I've seen could destroy the world. Wait they both could, one of them is just pure evil.' Sakura felt the shudder.
Lin Danu fell to his knees behind her. "Cardmistress, you must hurry. She has destroyed the illusion."
Sakura found the cell but there was no lock. 'How do I get him out?'
"Reach into your heart Sakura. Evil and hatred locked him in there.' Sakura did as she was told. 'Whatever is in your heart will be revealed when you try to release him.'
She stood looking inside thinking that she was going to find the wrong thing. There was a golden light that appeared around her, Shaoran and Lin Danu. They were transported back to the battlefield.
Sakura passed out on the ground. There was a whirlwind of color around her and then it was gone. "Sakura no! Oh please don't do anything!" Tomoyo was frantic.
"It's my fault." Lin Danu whispered.
"What is child?" Eriol asked.
"She wouldn't be like this if I hadn't…."
"Ootari…"
"No, don't call me that. I don't deserve that name." He turned and walked away.
Sakura-
Sakura was led through a spectrum of colors that were; be it as it may unbelievable. "What is this?"
"This is your life. I only helped it along."
"You are me. You call illusionists, labyrinths, attacking families, kidnappings, any of it helping."
"Why yes, I do. Perhaps you should take a second look." The woman showed Sakura images.
"I already know this. I don't need to be reminded." Sakura snapped.
"Oh but do you know this." The woman now showed her Tomoyo a few yeas ago before she left for Hong Kong. She saw Tomoyo watching from the window of her old house with great sadness. "How about this?" The scene changed to the Touya and her father in the house.
"Hey, Kaijuu you're actually on time?" Touya asked.
There was no returning answer to the older sibling, no stamping of the feet, no emotion passed. The two men watched her go to her chair and place a couple of pancakes on her plate. "I didn't even notice." Through all of this she began to see the changes she herself had changed. They passed through Kero and went all the way up to where she had found 'Li' kissing on Likaun but it didn't stop. The things that kept going and she could see where it didn't get interrupted by Feimei and her. She saw her aura change slowly but what hurt the most to see that Likaun had become pregnant by him. She saw how it had been an accident and the pain in his eyes and heart after she handed his ring back to him. It didn't stop here either. She left her father's house permanently, her brother's health fall apart, her father dying because she didn't respond when she was needed. She became darker and more dangerous to those around her if she was even around anyone at all. That wasn't the worst of it though she saw how she had become the woman that now stood before her.
"I will never be you. I saw what is in my heart."
"You have power that you have barely tapped into. Some of which you fear, some of which you have embraced, I can help you tap into the power and control it."
"Have you ever considered that I have reason to fear some of it?"
"You must join me. You have no idea what you can do."
"Never!" Sakura screamed. Her aura began to show silverfish pink all around her. "Magic is not about power but what you can do to help the people around you." Sakura remembered some of what she had been taught in her earlier years.
"Then if you will not join me you will die." The woman pinned her up in the black world before she sent a fiery stream to her. The force field around Sakura began to become stronger at the words.
Outside-
Eriol looked around surprised. In front of them were all the people that Sakura had been fighting throughout the years. A few of them he recognized and others he didn't. "Why have you returned?"
We have a score to settle." Rina stood before them as leader of the group.
"What are you doing here?" Nadeshiko spat.
"I promised you that we would see each other in time." Rina smiled evilly.
"I assure you won't win this time either." The battle began heated in the beginning but each was fighting his or her own battle. Rina had sent them in his or her own private world where each fought their opponents and themselves. She smiled at the thought of Shaoran fighting a very dead looking Sakura. She personally chose Nadeshiko Sayuki.
Shaoran-
"What's going on? I just arrived to this battle." Li looked around him. Likaun stood in one of her sluttish outfits beside him trying to reach for his hand. In the midst of the area he saw a pale and cold Sakura. She still had her powers but her eyes were soulless. He would have rather looked into dark Sakura's deep hunter green eyes than the empty ones that stood before him.
"You killed her remember? She attacked you with some weird something after you turned her away from your bed." Likaun's sultry voice purred in his ear.
"I wouldn't have turned her away." He looked sadly away. His sadness allowed his defenses to go down and he felt that Likaun had wrapped her arms around him comfortably. "Get away. You don't think I can't rectify this situation!" He pushed her away from him ending the illusion that had been around him.
The battle ensued all around them. Shaoran blocked one from attacking Sakura whose shield was dying. What he didn't expect to find was that he fell on top of her through the shield. There were strange looking creatures, fairies and more all rallying around her. Her shield was covered beyond anyone's sight. "You must hurry, she doesn't have long."
"Come on Sakura wake up!" Li was shaking her. "You can't die. Aisheterou." He whispered with tears coming fast.
Sakura-
A voice echoed through her mind. "Shao-kun." Sakura whispered.
"What was that? You still have energy left after this?" The dark version of her said.
Sakura closed her eyes calling her cards. She didn't know what she was going to do with them but she wasn't going this way.
Shaoran-
Shaoran could feel something going on inside of Sakura. "Come on Sakura. You can do this." He kissed her before he tried to connect with her mentally.
Nadeshiko-
Nadeshiko turned around in a circle. "What fear are you going to bring up this time Rina? Losing my Otousan and Okaasan? My brother? Those fears are no longer a matter." She shouted into the nothingness.
"No. How about losing everything you desire?"
"The only way that I lose everything I desire is if I lose this battle. Nadeshiko spat. There was a silver light that surrounded her now. "rina we went to school together, played on the same teams, were the best of friends and yet you turned your back on all of that just because i had parents who cared. I tried to help you but you did not want it. You kept pushing me away. You joined that evil woman but I know you didn't stop having a heart. It's only buried beneath the exterior that is not you."
"Oh stop babbling!" What rina saw though was Nadeshiko shimering silver. the silver wind swirled around her to reveal a woman that looked much like Sakura but somewhat different. With but one word nadeshiko had a barrier around Rina that had her remembering their school days. There were naught but memories used to defeat this battle.
Rina floated gently to the ground and let go of what had been holding her. "Gomen nasai." she whispered taking them out of this reality.
Sakura-
"I can sense him but there is nothing he can do. If you die in here then he dies as well."
"I won't be dying in here." Sakura informed her. "Power of the stars help me; reveal the true and ultimate forms of the cards that I hold."
Dark Sakura laughed at the chant. "Is that the last desperate cry for help?"
"No it's not." Sakura seemed to will the magic barrier away. "Arigato Shao-kun." That wasn't the extent of what was happening though. Sakura had done more than tap into her abundant powers. She had harnessed them enough to call all of her cards to form.
"You are going to battle me with your cards. I should know. I've been watching you and you haven't battled with all the cards at one time."
"That may be so but there hasn't been need to. If you are supposed to be me then you should know one more thing. We won't be battling in here. It shouldn't be a problem for you should it? After all one of the sorcerers that you absorbed power from could travel through different realms without a second thought."
The world around them began to shake as Sakura brought them out of her mind and landed them where the battle between good and evil waged. The minor earthquake caused the whole battle to stop but it wasn't only just the two Sakura's and Shaoran. The cards that Sakura summoned showed up in the spirit form they were almost touchable.
Touya turned to look but he didn't see spirits, he saw the people that spirits once were. One linked with his mind. It's alright protector. "We are all sorcerers from the past." He looked carefully at the men and women that stood before them.
"Who are you?"
"We are the star cards that were once Clow Reeds." They looked over to see Eriol who currently was Clow Reed himself.
"You have done well my friends and revealed yourselves at the right time." When he looked at Touya his words were. "It's time."
Touya nodded in understanding. The battle had continued around him but he stood still waiting for what was to happen. The battle however was far too distracting. That was until he felt time stop. When he opened his eyes all was motionless around him with the exception of Sakura, Shaoran, Tomoyo, Eriol, Yue and Keroberos.
They combined their hands around him with support for what he had to do. He didn't know what was happening when closed his eyes he felt an inner glow from an intense knot in his stomach. 'It's okay Touya." Sakura's voice went through his head.
The glow spread throughout his body until it completely enveloped him. "Thank you child." He looked at Sakura after he opened his eyes. They stared in surprise.
"We have a battle to win." Time began again and the powerful sorceress stared if only for a minute at the person who stood in the center of the circle.
"What are you doing here?" There was hatred in her voice when she saw the man.
"I have been Sakura's protector from you and will not allow the pleasure of destroying her."
"Her brother is a weakling. Yet you chose him."
"Yes, because he kept her heart in place when there wasn't another that could have."
Sakura however wasn't watching what was going because she had to fight the illusionist. This time it was different though at the very beginning of this battle the same power that seeped through her on the last one with Nimura. Sakura changed to reveal herself in the most powerful form and the true forms of her cards circled around her each connecting to her with a rainbow shaft of light. "What is going on?"
"You never did get it did you?" Sakura looked at the woman sadly.
"What are you talking about?"
"All I ever wanted was to be your friend. You were the only other one in school that had the power to see what was going on in the world around us. What you didn't see was the hope that kept the world going." Sakura finished. The cards had created a perfect circle with Sakura as the shaft of light in the center. She let out a scream at the power that now ran through her system but the pain was almost excruciating.
Nimura looked on in awe as Shaoran and Nadeshiko joined to soak up some of the power that was hurting her. Together the three of them formed a pyramid but the cards were no longer there.
Eriol and Tomoyo had stopped to see what was happening. They saw Li and Sakura side by side with their daughter underneath. A circle around them combined the powers that streamed but this was not meant to hurt. It was meant for Nimura to remember her past. Nimura fell to the ground and was caught Lin Danu.
"You've taken out some of my best people. The three of you together though will not be enough to take me down."
"No they will not." Lin Danu was followed by Eriol who held Tomoyo; Touya's alter ego, and the guardians. "Together we are though."
"Lin you are a traitor."
"Don't call me that. My name is Li Ootari and you can't take all of us at the same time. You're powers need a rest. They are fluctuating worse than they ever have."
"Now!" The group called around them at the same time. They created a squared beam of power that shot from the trio in the center sending the woman flying backward and hitting the tree.
"Iie, she can't be dead." Sakura broke formation and went to her other self.
"I'm not dead Cherry Blossom, you did well, for now I can rest in peace and you can have the one you love." The woman looked at her. "Take care of this legacy well." She waved her arm to the group behind Sakura. She became a dark circle of light that flew away on the wind leaving behind a small memento of what would have been. Sakura picked up the dark star wand that had been hanging around the woman's neck.
She turned around to the group that was in front of her. "I don't understand."
Clow Reed looked at her. "Daughter, you have begun to tap into the full extent of your powers but this is only the beginning. She was an image of what would have been if you hadn't defeated her. This battle has been fought before and lost. Each time it started again but this time you had help and you accepted. She is what you would have become; she is what she was trying to prevent you from becoming."
"You mean we have had this battle before."
"Yes many times." Touya's alter ego stepped forward.
"You did well brother." Eriol bowed to him. "You had to accept who you are and this time around you did your research."
"You mean the cards?" Keroberos settled down beside him.
"Yes, the cards held a secret that only Clow Reed himself knew."
"They were defeated sorcerers whose spirits were fading away. Their powers were captured and put into card form to one day be unlocked by me." Sakura had changed back into herself.
"Right." Eriol also returned with a smile on his face. Touya about passed out when Eriol's brother left his side. "The cards needed to come out in their true form for you to pass."
"You mean this was a test." Li Shaoran stepped in beside a very tired Sakura.
Mirror came out of the card and into her true form. "Yes it was but not the same. If you hadn't defeated her you wouldn't have been able to survive. There can not be two sides of you as there was. If it wasn't Reed-san's brother placing his mark on the card then you wouldn't have been able to get us in our true form."
"It's time for us to get back. Tomoyo you must be careful with this gift. It is just as dangerous as Sakura's." Mirror looked at the young woman. "Mistress you can lead your life as you will now with much less tension because you have come to accept aishetera." Mirror went back into her card form.
Tomoyo opened the time portal with help from Eriol. "Will you two be coming with us?" Li looked at the two Li children.
"No we will not everything will be alright now." Nadeshiko and Ootari bowed to the group as they stepped into the portal.
The group stepped out in the same place as they had left to hear Meiling chewing out somebody. "What makes you think that you're going to marry him Likaun-san? You're not ever going to get near him again."
"I'm afraid you don't have much of a say in this. He will be marrying me." Ami's haughty voice came from the hall.
"Yeah and I'll be marrying you're brother." Meiling said with sarcasm intended.
"You're not going near him. He wouldn't survive you."
"What makes you so sure that you will?" Meiling was sharpening her claws. "He's in love with another. I refuse to see him with the likes of you!"
"We almost slept together the other day." The girls face with smug.
"No you didn't. That was another Li. Now you get out of this house you wench and sleep with your servants or whoever it is that catches your fancy but you stay away from here." Meiling pointed down the hall where the group was standing.
A smiling Sakura stepped in at this time. "You know she's right. I was about to accept his hand," she paused, "and you won't be at the wedding. Now get out of here and I never want to see your face again."
Likaun looked over her shoulder with a smug face. "What she says just can't be true. I have been waiting for you to return from your little trip to finish what we started." She ran her hand up his chest.
"No we won't." His hand stopped her. "You can go very far away because we will never be." His eyes were cold.
"What?" She turned around to face Sakura only to see on the other side of the hall were the Li sisters, a baby and Li's mother.
"Well fine. You don't know what you're missing Shao-kun."
When she slammed the door behind her they all let out a held breath. "Sakura you mean what you said?" Li looked at her.
"Yes," she whispered before he hugged her.
This story is finished but since I will not be writing another one I offer a challenge to all of the readers and writers in I challenge you to take on Tomoyo's story of learning how to control her powers. Let me know if you opt to do it because I want to read it. I will be finishing It's Time and the Agency as well as working on stories that I have sorely neglected for a long time because I was working on these.
