I know I said that there would be like four of five chapters left, but I've decided that if I'm ever going to get this story done by the end of the summer there will only be two chapters left including this one. So this is the second to last chapter. The CCS one shot I have up is in a sense a sequel or epilogue of this story set during Christmas. So there won't be a sequel or Epilogue. After I finish this story I'm going to take a break from CCS for a few months. But I will come back and write another CCS story.
Chapter is dedicated to the 14 people who have this story on their favorites and to the 4 people who have this on their story alerts.
Enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 16
Tomoyo's POV
I don't know what came over me when I told Eriol to kiss me. I actually wanted him to kiss me. I was falling for him and falling out of my crush over Syaoran. Right now Eriol was moving towards me and I was staying where I was not sure of what was going to happen. Just as he stopped before me a large blast sounded nearby. Eriol looked around and pushed me to the ground as branches and trees moved overhead, crashing down around us. I gasped in pain as my back hit a few rocks and I squirmed under Eriol trying to get rid of the pain, but only making if worse.
"You alright?" he asked.
"Does it look like I'm alright?"
"Not really."
"Then why ask."
"Jeez, is it your time of the month of something."
"Idiot." I shouted as I pushed him off of me and stood up. "Never say something like that to a lady, they might just kill you."
"Are you going to kill me then?"
"Why should I? You still haven't kissed me."
"That will have to wait until we get out of here."
"Fine."
I turned on my heel and started off in the direction of the blast, not really caring at the moment if there were still demons around. I heard Eriol running to catch up and I didn't stop to wait for him. He got me so pissed off at times and at other times I just wanted to kiss him and make him shut up. I sighed as I gripped the staff in my hand more tightly, the wind starting to pick up around is. I heard Eriol before I saw him and when he grabbed my arm I finally stopped.
"The wind is Jade's doing. Be careful at times her wind can get slightly out of control when she's pissed." He advised and I rolled my eyes.
"So she must be close by then." I muttered and started off towards the direction the wind was coming from.
I may seem like I know nothing, but I do get some good grades. Science is my best subject and I listened to everything the teacher said. I jumped easily over a fallen log and looked at a stream that ran throughout the park. I stepped atop a log and started to walked across it looking back only once to see if Eriol was following, which he was, a bit slower then me. I held the staff at a horizontal using both hands. The staff was something that could help me balance as I crossed the log to the other side of the stream, that was now looking more like a river then a stream which was very unusual because it should be a stream unless we aren't in the park anymore. As soon as I stepped off onto dirt and grass again I looked at Eriol and saw he was still crossing the log. I looked around and muttered something, bringing up a hologram of where we are. It defiantly wasn't the park. There were to many trees and mountains that definitely weren't at the park.
"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." I said once Eriol stood beside me.
"Uh?"
"That's from Wizard of Oz, you've never seen it?"
"No."
"Damn, we'll have to have a movie night and watch it together."
"Fine, what did you mean by that line, anyway?"
"We're not at the park anymore, its more like we're in a valley surrounded by mountains."
"Tomoyo, now's not the time to joke around."
"I'm not joking, Eriol. Take a look for yourself."
I moved aside to let him look at the hologram and he peered at it. One minute he was standing, the next minute he was sitting, staring at it closely. I leaned back against the tree, wanting to grip it as the wind picked up. It was like almost like tornado force winds, only not as rough. It was like Jade wanted to carry us to her. I stopped gripping the tree and I grabbed Eriol, letting the hologram dissipate.
"Hold on." I shouted over the wind and we stood there holding hands until the wind picked up more and we started being led forward into trees.
Eriol and I worked together making the trees move out of our way and back into place as the wind didn't seem that it would let us stray off course. We crashed into a few trees we didn't in time and then landed roughly in a clearing where Koji and Jade both sat in the center near a fire. They were both concentrating on something, their eyes closed. Finally the wind seemed to die down, though it was still fast, maybe around hurricane strength. I looked at them again and found Koji standing up to greet us.
"So you both finally decided to join us. Jade was about tog et pissed since you were taking forever to realize what she wanted." Koji told us and something flashed in his eyes.
"I wasn't getting pissed, get your facts straight." Jade spoke up though she never stood or opened her eyes. "So Tomoe you think we're not in Kansas anymore. Where do you think we are?"
"Kansas?" Koji asked suddenly. "What's this about Kansas?"
"Wizard of Oz, Koji. I know you've seen it." Jade muttered and he laughed sheepishly.
"Now I get it."
"You've seen The Wizard of Oz?" I asked Koji and he nodded. "Cool. Looks like Eriol is the only one who hasn't so far."
"No fair." Eriol said and Jade laughed.
"Don't worry Eriol. We both Syaoran and Touya hasn't seen it either." Jade called as she concentrated on something. "Koji a word please." Jade hissed sharply and Koji gulped. "You better get over here before I freaken kill you myself."
Mei Lin's POVAt the same time
I looked over at Touya as we crept slowly towards the door of the warehouse belonging to the Li family. We had gotten a call by the night watchman saying that there was people snooping around. Syaoran had told both Touya and I to check it out. He thought it was maybe the people of the harvest. Suddenly Touya wasn't at my side. I looked around and relaxed as I watched him climb atop a crate to pear into the warehouse. I moved towards him and started to climb up next to him when he exclaimed softly.
"Jade's older brother is inside. What do we do?" He asked as he rejoined me on the ground.
"We tell Jade." I whispered and lowered myself to the ground to meditate.
"What are you doing?" He asked from where he still stood.
"Jade will find me when I start to meditate. In her words it's the only time we can talk together because I'm so tense any other time I don't listen when someone starts to talk to me through my mind."
"Oh."
I bit back a laugh and closed my eyes imagining I was in a dojo filled with burning sandalwood candles. I opened them a few minutes alter and smiled at Jade was now sitting across from me. She blew some hair out of her face and looked at me. She didn't say anything. It was a rule of hers to not speak unless someone said something to her before. This rule was only for when she intruded on someone when they meditated. She looked a bit winded, and was pale. There was cuts on her neck and her left cheek below her eye.
"What happened?" I asked quietly.
"We ran into some trouble, what else?" She whispered and then smiled softly.
"You're meditating near the warehouse for a reason. What is it?"
"Your brother is inside the warehouse."
"Alright. Koji and I will be there as soon as we find Syaoran."
She was gone before I could ask where Syaoran was. I closed my eyes again and then when I opened them this time I was sitting on the docks with Touya standing guard over me. I stood up with his help and stretched a bit trying to get feeling back into my legs. Finally finished I started for the door to the warehouse. Touya passed me and peered around the edge to the front of the warehouse. He moved back towards me and nodded. There were guards there. I smiled and walked around the corner. The doors were shut so I easily sent kunai at the guards. They both went down simultaneously.
"Now we wait until Jade and Koji get here." I said to Touya.
"Alright."
"It might take awhile. Syaoran is seemingly missing."
"As usual."
"It's not usual."
"He disappeared in the middle of a fight. He's a gaki. I don't like him dating my little sister."
"Whatever. Sakura has a mind of her own, she can do as she pleases."
"That doesn't mean I have to like it."
"No, you don't have to like it. But you have to bare it."
"Why are you always right?"
"You're kidding me?"
"No…"
"Oh shut up."
"Fine."
"Fine."
I had to smile as he turned his back on me. We bickered sometimes like little kids, but half the time I got the last word before he walked away or in this case turned around. He was so cute when he was mad. I sighed and slumped against the wall, staring intently at my nails. Then I leaned down and pulled the kunai from the two very dead guards. I cleaned the blood off on their clothes and then used one to file one of my nails.
(I've done that before, filing my nail with a kunai. It wasn't that bad, but I almost cut my finger. So don't try that at home folks)
"Hey, someone is coming." Touya muttered as he grabbed me and pulled be behind some crates.
"Watch it, I almost killed you." I hissed and he covered my mouth with his hand as a car stopped before the warehouse next door to this one.
"Sakura, why are we here?" It was Atashi.
"You and I both know magic. You can say spells and incantations. Jade wants us to help Mei Lin and Touya apprehend her brother until she gets here. Got that?" She hissed and I sighed.
"Saku over here." I called hoping no one else heard.
She grabbed Atashi and dragged him our way, making sure to scan around her as she ran. As soon as she got within reach I reached out and yanked her towards us. Atashi landed awkwardly against the crates and Touya moved forward to stop the crates from smashing into the ground. Sakura sat down and leaned against a crate glaring at me.
"Yank much?" She asked and I smiled.
"Come on we need to get inside and take care of Ryu." Touya whispered and Sakura frowned.
"He's in there?" She asked and I nodded. "Leave him to me. The rest of you do whatever you can to apprehend the guards and keep at least one alive." She motioned towards the two dead guards. "We need to know who is behind everything."
"I thought it was the Lings." Atashi reminded her.
"They were only part of the iceberg. We're looking for the tip. The king." Sakura retorted keeping her voice low.
Sakura's POV
Awhile Later
Why did I ever say that I would take care of Ryu? I thought as I dove out of the way for the fifth time in an hour. I sent a stream of water at Ryu and growled seeing it didn't faze him one bit. He sent the water back at me and I stood there letting it come at me. A shield appeared in front of my suddenly and I jumped, knowing it wasn't mine. I looked around and saw Jade near the door, dressed strangely. Different then what she had worn when she left the house, erm mansion.
"Ryu!" She shouted and the shield dissipated. "If you want to fight someone, you fight me. You dear master would not want you fighting the person he wants as his wife."
Ryu turned and looked at her. She smiled and floated into the air. Behind her stood Koji and he had a bow aimed at Ryu who stiffened and dove to the side to avoid the arrow coming at him. I didn't notice the person coming up behind me until Jade sent a dagger flying past me. I spun and watched as the man fell to the ground, the dagger lodged in his throat. Suddenly shouts came from another door and I turned in time to dodge energy balls. A man walked through and he smiled at me. He said something to his men and I cringed knowing exactly who he was. The man who had been talking in my dream, the king who wanted me for himself, to be his wife. I sent water and drew firey from her card to hit the king. He had a shield up and the magic didn't work at all. Didn't even seem to phase him.
"Sakura, concentrate on your energy, on your soul. The power is there." Jade shouted as she continued to fight Ryu. "You just need to find it and use it."
I turned back and dodged an energy ball. The king shouted something, but yet again I didn't listen. But I grimaced as he cut the head off of the man who threw the energy ball at me. I ran forward and a sword of some sort just appeared in my hand. I held it like I had experience and used it to cut at the kings shield. The shield in response slowly dissipated and disappeared. He growled and I smirked as the sword changed forms and turned into the staff I used to activate the cards, only this staff was white with the pink wings and almost as tall as myself. Wings appeared on my back and I smiled at the king. His smirk turned into a sneer and I rolled my eyes. The sounds of fighting went on around us as the king and I faced off against each other. He wanting to make me his wife, and me wanting to just kill him.
I sighed and dove forward bringing the staff around to hit him in a very good spot. I smiled evilly as the head of the staff hit that one spot. I won't name it of course, but it's something all men have that women don't. He doubled over and sent something flying at me. A shiruken. Jade has like tons of those. I dove to the side and narrowly missed three more shirukens. I rolled my eyes as I stopped moving. This guy was supposed to be very powerful. Powerful enough to brainwash everyone in my dream. That just doesn't seem possible anymore. I sighed and pared his attack using the edge of my staff to push back on his katana. I ducked and let the katana fly over my head as I slammed the head of the staff into his stomach and then upwards to cut off the attack of his katana. I didn't know what was going on around me. All I was concentrating on was getting rid of this 'king'. I didn't know how Jade was faring, or Mei Lin and Touya. I didn't even know where Syao-kun was. How I wished I knew where he was. I dodged most of the kings attacked, but I missed one and I got a long gash on my arm to prove it. I tried doing what Jade does, turning the pain into energy, but since I didn't know how to do it, it wasn't very easy. I turned the staff back into a katana and started to par the kings attacks more easily now that I was using the weapon as he was. I managed to get a few attacks in myself and I almost smiled at the blood staining his arms a dull red. Now, I was just grossing myself out. It would be way better to just finish this jerk.
"Sakura, if I were you I'd concentrate on the fight, not on your fucking thoughts." Came Jade's voice out of the blue. "You're about to clobbered by a stupid energy ball, and your thinking." She was pissed and I pushed off with one foot and jumped into the air brining my katana down.
I heard the ring of the metal as it hit metal and I pulled back and then brought the katana down in an arc. Yet again it hit metal and by now I was back on the floor, standing…I raised the katana and then went at him brining the katana in a clean arc towards his midsection. He jumped back but not fast enough. A thin line appeared through his clothing, and there was a bit of blood, thought it wasn't as bad as I had hoped it to be. I dodged his attacks and then flipped backward into a backwards summersault dodging his shirukens. He kept throwing them at me and I wondered where he hid so many. Finally I stopped and just let a shield cover my, so the shirukens wouldn't hurt me. The fighting continued around us and I vaguely heard Syaoran's voice. He was muttering spells, incantations. I kept on fighting, pausing only minutely to get my baring. I don't remember having actually fought this much before. I threw my own magic at him, fire, wind, earth, and water. I didn't dare use my cards, if I did I wouldn't have the katana to protect me. Suddenly Syaoran came into my vision. He was attacking one of the kings guards. Within minutes the guard was down and out of the fight. I continued my own fight, though I didn't think I would be able to win.
"Syaoran, Sakura. The only way to defeat the king is for you both to fight him together. Use the one power that links you two together." Eriol shouted and I stumbled letting myself get hit by a shiruken.
"I don't know what you're saying." I shouted and barely spared Syaoran a glance as he stood beside me, his katana at the ready.
"There is only one power, not an element, that can defeat the king." Koji joined in and I knew they weren't going to tell us what it was.
"Will you just tell us what it is." Syaoran shouted as he attacked the king and got slashed on the arm, almost in an identical spot to mine. "We don't understand." The king laughed and attacked us both at the same time.
"You both love each other." Jade whispered and yet we still heard it. "Use your love."
Syaoran and I looked at each and joined hands, letting our katanas disappear. We both placed one hand toward the king and staffs appeared. We held them in our hands, my right and Syaoran's left. I heard Jade, Mei Lin, and Tomoyo come to stand beside me in that order. They all had staffs in their hands. Koji, Touya, and Eriol moved to stand beside Syaoran in that order also. All of them with staffs. Suddenly it felt as if power was pouring into us. The king started to laugh and I felt Jade tense beside me.
"So you think you can defeat me? I have more power then you. I have the power of all the magical people in the world." The King sneered. "I will have Sakura as my queen."
"Over my dead body." Jade and Koji at the same time.
"That can be arranged." The king hissed.
"Right, why do bad guys always say that after someone says 'over my dead body'?" Tomoyo uttered and the kings attention turned to her.
"Bitch." The king hissed.
"Sorry, heard that one before." Tomoyo hissed back.
"Uh, Tomoyo, let us deal with this jerk." Syaoran called to her and she started to mutter stuff.
"Sure, Syaoran. Eriol owes me something anyway and once this King is dead, I'll be able to get what he owes me." Tomoyo said and Jade smiled beside me, and I could tell she was trying not to laugh.
"Sakura, you ready?" Mei Lin asked and I nodded. "Good, Touya and I have someplace to be in an hour."
"That's right." Touya said and Mei Lin growled. "Hurry this up, will ya?"
"Sure." I muttered and smiled at Syaoran who nodded to me in return. "Any suggestions on how to use love against him?"
"I have an idea but you aren't going to like it one bit." Koji offered and Jade glared at him.
"If it includes killing one of them or physically injuring one of them, don't even mention it." Jade hissed and he rolled his eyes. "Do that again and you'll wish you were dead."
"I don't want either of them dead." Koji retorted. "All we need to do is get Tomoyo to want Syaoran and Eriol to want Sakura."
"And that'll work, why?" Eriol asked.
"It'll work." Touya said and I stared at him in shock. "Anything to kill this bastard even if it mean I have to let the gaki…"
"Touya!" I growled. "Don't you dare finish that sentence."
"Are you quite done bickering like little children. I want to get this done with so I can wed Sakura." Said the amused king.
That surprisingly enough did it. Syaoran growled beside me and suddenly he was surrounded by white flames. We still held hands, but the white flame did nothing to me. Syaoran was breathing heavily and I frowned.
"I think I'll start with you Li Syaoran." The king said and I took a deep breath.
I found myself surrounded by white flames just like Syaoran. Jade and everyone else moved away from us. Jade looked like she was ready to collapse any minute now and everyone was sweating. While Syaoran and I didn't feel the heat form the flames I was sure now that everyone else was. Suddenly it seemed as if the flame grew brighter. Jade was sitting down along with Mei Lin and Koji. They were just sitting there, but then I realized their eyes were closed. They were meditating. Tomoyo and Eriol sat down to join them and a few minutes later so did Touya. Jade was whispering things to Touya, and I was sure she was helping him to meditate, this probably being his first time. I looked at Syaoran and we both nodded. Our hands remained clasped together but the free hands were facing the king. Palms were outward and suddenly blinding white light went flying towards the king. I didn't know what was happening. I hadn't even tried anything. The king went flying backward and then he stood slowly. It hadn't been good enough. Then there was more energy flowing into us, and from where I didn't know.
"You can't kill me." The king panted and I laughed.
"Who said we wanted to kill you?" Syaoran shouted. "Maybe we just want to get rid of your magic so you can go to prison."
"I don't exist in any database in the world." The king shouted and suddenly Jade started to laugh.
"Of course you don't. You died, so every single database in the world that actually has your name in it, thinks you're dead." Jade shouted and she stood up, wavering a little in the heat. "Isn't that right…Dad."
Time basically stood still. The king laughed and sent a energy ball at Jade who easily blocked it with a wave of her hand. The king kept trying to send the energy balls at her, but to no avail. Every single one of them was pared or sent flying in the other direction. I was confused, very, ver confused. As I looked around it seemed that Jade and Koji were the only ones that weren't confused. I stepped forward and Syaoran followed.
"How did you know?" The king asked/
"Easy, the elders got rid of you because they knew the prophecy. There was a small part to the prophecy that Eriol didn't know. A part that in a sense was more important. It revealed who the enemy was. The father of a princess is the one who needs to be watched. The one who will make the prophecy true." Jade shouted.
Everything was falling into place. Every last bit of information. Jade left nothing out. She continued to tell us and the king, her father, about how she knew it was him. The one that really convinced her it was him though, was the fact that this warehouse belonged to her father, and it still did, even though he was dead. Koji had even confirmed it. I didn't know what she meant by that, but I was sure she would explain it once this was all over and done with. Suddenly she just stopped and Koji put his arm around her as she fell into him. She was getting weaker and the heat from the flame wasn't helping much. I gripped Syaoran's hand and looked at him. He nodded knowing it was time. Our staffs appeared in our hands again and within seconds a white flame was spiraling towards the king. He went flying backwards again, only this time he didn't get up afterwards. He tried but fell and closed his eyes. Jade had her eyes closed and she was still leaning against Koji. The white flame left Syaoran and I and I felt him tug me into him. His arms circled around me and he kissed my lightly on the nose. I tilted my head and kissed him on the lips. He responded and then we stopped kissing as Mei Lin had to stop an angry Touya from killing Syaoran.
"Jade…" I said and she smiled at me.
"Don't say anything Sakura. I already mourned for my father. I'm not mourning again. This time I have to mourn for my brother." She said sadly and I looked over to where Ryu lay. "Yes, he's dead. There would have been no way to release him from the darkness that my father put over him."
"I'm sorry." I uttered and she only shook her head.
"Don't be. It's probably better this way. Plus I have all of you and prom is a month away. We have a lot to do in a month. So be happy." Jade retorted smiling a genuine smile. "Tomoyo, do you want me to see if my cousin can make you a dress for prom, I know she's making Mei Lin, Sakura, and I one."
"She'll make you one too." Mei Lin said, joining in as we started to walk towards the door, leaving all of this evil behind us. "I'm sure she will."
"Alright then. Just as long as this dress doesn't make it to the stores." Tomoyo agreed and Jade started laughing.
"I can second that." She said and hooked her arm with Koji's. "So Eriol I heard you owed Tomoyo something."
He blushed and then turned to Tomoyo and kissed her right then and there. Tomoyo put her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Jade smiled at Koji and they started to kiss. Mei Lin looked around and grabbed Touya and dragged him from the warehouse winking at me as she did. I turned in Syaoran's arms and dragged his head towards mine, kissing him again.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It was around 10 pages. As I said above, the next chapter is the last one. You should all enjoy it. This chapter in my opinion was kinda to fast. But I wanted to get this story done. The next chapter should be out in a little while, maybe next week, since it is the last chapter and I want to make it the best chapter. Sorry for any mistakes.
Jade.
Reviewer Responses:
Anonymous: So glad you liked the last two sentences. They were fun to write. Well I don't like blood myself so I had to downplay it, or else I would get sick just writing it. I almost had to call in my boyfriend to write that "kill the father" part, but he would have made it to gory. Glad you like the story.
Ngoc1231: Everyone loved the cliffy. I needed a Tomoyo/Eriol moment and there it was. He did kiss Tomoyo. But of course you can read, so you can see that. thanks for the review.
LadyAkina: You aren't stupid, but Jade and Sakura are very different people. It would be kinda gross for Jade and Syaoran to be together, their cousins. Plus I don't think Sakura can be in two places at once, fighting to different people.
Lianne: Sakura has kicked a lot of ass in this story, but I think this was the best chapter with her doing that. Glad you love the story.
The True Queen of Hell: Please, please stop changing your penname. It gets very confusing after awhile. Glad you liked the Tomoyo/Eriol part. Everyone seemed to like it.
Moonstone-91: Aww, glad you like it and think it's amazing. Koji is not under the spell anymore. When Koji's father died the spell was removed. He still is with Jade. I'm sorry I got you confused, I tend to do that a lot. Thanks for the review.
Animeflower: Oh so now someone thinks the ending was amusing. Koji is still not under a spell, but he was and that's why he was evil even though it didn't seem like he was. Thanks for the review.
MiniSparky: Another person who liked the cliffy. Lol, thanks for the review.
FlowerLover: Of course they're going to kiss. Thanks for the review.