VictorianPearl: Alrighty, this is the second to the last chapter (I'm still not sure if I'll include an epilogue). I know it's been an extremely long journey.

Sakura: You're telling me.

VictorianPearl: The next chapter(s) after this will all be up extremely quickly and before the end of the month. I plan to stick to that resolution.

Sakura: That means that you must magically type the next chapter(s) within exactly 8 days if you want them up by the 30th of June.

VictorianPearl: Don't remind me. Anyway, here's the next chapter.

Living Metonymy

Chapter 10 A New Plan

Syaoran stood in his apartment gazing at the night sky through his open window. The warm breeze barely ruffled the hair o his head. He was trying to clear his mind. He had been thinking non-stop of a way to stop the creature and find its secrets. Now he was trying the opposite affect.

"Light wielders that repel darkness."

"What?" Syaoran asked, snapping back to reality. He turned to see Sakura in her white nightgown, running her hands over her silver necklace.

"The book said that the necklaces were light wielders. Maybe we should try using these."

Syaoran studied her small form as she came to stand next to him. Her nightgown was thin strapped and had a low, heart-cut, neckline. The gown flowed to her ankles but had long slits on the sides, revealing her slim legs.

Syaoran unconsciously ran a hand across her shoulders. "We can try it. I would prefer it if Kero gave us more information on a weakness though."

Sakura sighed. "Yes, we would all like that."

Syaoran gently took Sakura in his arms. Ever since that one night that he had stayed with her, it had been happening more often.

"I was thinking," Sakura started. "Maybe I could use the Return Card to see what happened to the creature."

"Only if you want to take a plane to China." Syaoran said.

Sakura mentally kicked herself. "I had forgotten I actually had to be at the place it happened."

Syaoran sighed into Sakura's hair. "Don't worry, we'll think of something."

Sakura leaned into Syaoran's chest and let his strong arms swallow her. Who would have thought that he would have brought the use of magic back into her life? It was odd how everything played out.

Only a few doors down, Meiling was also staring at the night sky through her open window. She was sad for what had happened to Eriol, Tomoyo, Spinnel, and Nakuru; but, she couldn't help but feel happy about her new relationship with Raiden.

Her new life in Japan was filling her with hope that she could defeat any trial in her way. Actually, the last time that she had ever felt this happy was the last time that she had been here in Japan. Who would have thought that a boy from America had helped her feel this way?

A sigh escaped Meiling's lips as she reminisced about a few days before. She and Raiden were alone, tending to the four wounded in one of the room's in Eriol's mansion.

She wasn't quite sure how it all came together. She had been working one second and in his arms the next. They were so close to kissing when Touya burst through the door, demanding to see Yukito.

Meiling leaned against the wall and let herself slide down to the floor, her arms wrapped around herself. As crazy as it sounded, she actually was glad that this creature was festering Tomoeda. If it hadn't been, she and Raiden may have not gotten a chance to get so close. It was so weird how everything worked out ne?

OOO

"I'm sure that you're all wondering why I've called you to this meeting." Sakura said.

Currently, Sakura Kinomoto was standing at the head of her dining room table. Sitting around the table were Syaoran, Tomoyo, Meiling, Eriol, Nakuru, Spinnel, Kero, Yue, Touya, and Raiden.

"I've called you here because we must come up with a plan for defeating this creature once and for all." Sakura continued. "We've been terrorized, wounded, and have been given no plausible explanation."

"Do you have any plans in mind?" Touya asked, arms crossed and brow raised.

"That's exactly why you're all here." Sakura said. "We have to figure out some sort of way of beating this thing."

"We could always try the surround and destroy method." Nakuru put in.

"I did think of that, but…" Sakura trailed.

"But then how would we keep it from going underground?" Syaoran finished.

"By using the Loop Card of course."

Syaoran gaped at the person who said that before sending him a glare. "Please tell me why you failed to mention that detail before, Hiirigizawa?"

Eriol shrugged innocently. "I guess it slipped my-excuse me, Clow's memory."

"Of course!" Sakura slammed a fist on the table. "That's it!"

"It seems mistress has figured it out." Yue commented. "Finally."

"Does anyone who lives with or has something to do with that creepy house of Eriol's know something and won't tell us?" Syaoran asked, sending a suggestive glare toward Eriol.

"They don't." Yue said. "But it would appear that some of us piece the puzzle pieces of the mystery together faster than others."

"Perhaps, but it does nobody any good if they don't vocalize their thoughts." Syaoran muttered.

"Does anyone care to hear Sakura's thoughts?" Meiling asked.

Everyone quieted down, giving Sakura a chance to speak. "Okay, now hear me out before you say anything."

Sakura went through her newly concocted plan, step by step. When she was done, she stepped back to observe everyone's thoughts.

"I think it could work." Meiling commented. "We would need a lot of help from Raiden though, ne?"

Raiden slightly blushed. "Hai, I could help out a lot."

"The special effects you were talking about shouldn't be too hard either." Tomoyo said, sketching some things down on scratch paper.

Kero, who had been silent the entire time, finally gave a word. "You now, thinking right now, I just figured out what that thing's weakness is. Actually, I feel stupid that I didn't notice it before. What its weakness is are things based on the earth element."

Sakura's eyes lit up. "That could work in perfectly!"

"The two preferable cards to use would be Earth and Wood…perhaps Create could work." Kero pondered.

"Well, let's not wait. Let's start getting organized." Touya said, standing up.

And so they did.

OOO

Yelan sat in one of the temples outside. She had come out about an hour ago to calm her thoughts. She was sitting on her knees, facing outside. It was night. It was raining extremely hard…a recent development.

The sound of rain was pounding on the temple roof. It was the middle of summer; the rain had come from almost nowhere. It had been clear all day until only a couple of hours ago. Yelan would have mistaken it as coincidence any other day, but today, she felt a strong sense of foreboding.

Yelan knew that the great evil she had sensed was gaining power. She also felt that Syaoran was, or would soon be, in danger. The emotional overwhelm of everything going on in her head rendered her useless to thinking. Henceforth, she was kneeling in the temple, waiting for the rain to pass.

The mansion next to the Li estate could be seen over the stone wall. It made Yelan think of Meiling; for, it was her parent's dwelling place. She vaguely wondered how the girl was. She couldn't be worse off than she was when she was here in China.

A sigh escaped Yelan's rouged lips. She so wanted to see her son and niece again. Would she ever be able to see them? Yes, she would. She was sure of it. She knew Syaoran wouldn't give completely into the elder's commands without a fight…a fair fight. The elders had taken to twisting some of the rules they dealt. Oh well, they were old and would hopefully die soon. If anyone could restore the elders' council, it was Syaoran. When the time was right, he would be able to come back and take over as the leader of the clan…if he wished to.

The lights in the home of Meiling's parents went out. It must have been late. Yelan no longer looked for what time it was. Without Syaoran here, things seemed to have lost just a little bit more of their meaning. A similar thing had happened when her husband had died. Although, Syaoran was not dead; therefore, there was still hope burning bright within Yelan.

The rain started to come down even harder than before. It would be a long night. There would be plenty of time to clear all of her mind. There was nobody waiting for her to return back inside. She would take as long as the rain lasted, and by the looks of it, that would be a long while.

OOO

The day had flown by. It was already night time in the town of Tomoeda. In it's park, many young adults lay in wait for something about to happen. If anyone were able to look down on them though, they wouldn't be able to see all of them. In fact, they would only be able to see one of them, an older teenager with short auburn hair holding a pink wand with a yellow star.

It would have been a very interesting sight indeed. For the girl, who was seemabley playing with a little girl's toy, seemed extremely alert and serious about what she was doing. If anyone had happened to walk into the clearing in the park in which she stood, they would have had some type of booby trap spring on them or some type of magic hit them.

However, nobody was looking down on the auburn haired girl and nobody was anywhere near the park. It was an extremely quiet and clear night. All of the town's residents were already in their homes, although it was not all that late. All of the children were already asleep, even though it was summer and they had stayed up later many a night before this one.

What was about to happen to them was not anything that would prove to be good in any particular way. What was about to take place, would not make everyone happy again. The battle that would be fought would cause more energy from the mind than it would energy from the body.

In the middle of a clearing, an auburn haired Sakura Kinomoto stood waiting. She was the bait for a very large and dangerous fish. Although she was sure that her plan would work, she felt as if it would take much more than what they had planed to win the battle. For this battle, would decide the winner of the war.

OOO

VictorianPearl: Yep, this one is shorter than my usual chapters, but I have decided to make an epilogue. Instead of making one extremely long chapter that would take forever to post. I'm making two smaller chapters and then an epilogue that will be posted in faster order.

Touya: Please review, that way I can get some fighting action in the next chapter.

VictorianPearl: Listen to Touya, Ja ne.