Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura: Copyright © 1998 CLAMP / Kodansha / NHK / NEP21.
Foreword: Yue recalls a strange incident when he was fighting to actually come out and transform from Yukito's body. How is Yukito tied into this force that is preventing Yue to be himself? And what of Syaoran and Sakura fighting this strange spirit?
Card Captor Sakura: A Change of Kingdom
Chapter 5: Missing Hope
"NOOO!" Sakura raised her staff …Yet it was too late …for the sword pierced right through Syaoran's heart and body…
Syaoran's look of shock stayed almost as though the entire scene was a mere painting. Short giggles were heard from the air as the figure twisted the sword still pierced in Syaoran's body, but abruptly stopped in the process. Suddenly, the figure covered by the ghastly cape took out its sword from the body and shrieked with anger as it finally realized through the moment of victory, the one stabbed wasn't Syaoran at all. The Syaoran that it stabbed merely took a step back, allowing a faint bluish green aura surround him and transforming into the spirit belonging to the Mirror card. The figured whirled around to find the real Syaoran rushing in to hurl a fierce punch onto the face of the figure, but the figure immediately vaporized, causing Syaoran to nearly lose his balance from the speed at which he was ready to attack his enemy. The misty form regrouped at one of the corners of the building top. Syaoran and Sakura both turned to face their enemy. As the wind blew fiercely against them, the cape of the figure wavered with intensity. The figure stood facing its opponents. Syaoran got into a fighting pose next to Sakura, as she held some cards ready in her hands. They both knew this was going to be a longer and harder battle than they both anticipated.
As fewer students were leaving the school building, Adelah was slowly walking from the building. She was looking through some notes from her previous class and wondering what to do about tonight's dinner. Yet she stopped and slowly peered around her environment, feeling a strange aura and presence.
The figure jumped into the air and flung down towards Syaoran and Sakura, who immediately split up, as the figure whirled and quickly dashed towards Syaoran, still drawing its hazy yet solid black sword. Syaoran quickly dodged the incoming attacks with incredibly amazing speed. Every move of the enemy, Syaoran seemed to be one step ahead as finally he was able to give the figure a firm punch on the waist area, which made the figure stop for a second. Syaoran didn't miss this one second chance to follow its attack with a flow of combinations of more high punches and low punches, and finally whirling around to elbow the enemy's neck. This time the figure flung back, but still stood floating and appearing unaffected. The figure hissed, as it whirled around and blasted Sakura with an invisible force that let out a quick flash of black aura. Sakura yelped and fell back, as her Dash card returned to its card form.
Adelah whirled around and looked up as she realized the feeling came from the rooftop of the school. She narrowed her eyes to try and focus her vision. She saw the dark figure and its fluttering cape floating on the top of the roof. Adelah's eyes grew wide as she started running. With determination she spoke, "This time…for sure, they're not getting away…"
The figure then resumed attacking Syaoran but Syaoran jumped over the shadowy spirit, knowing perfectly well that he was already at a great disadvantage without the aid of great speed. He then tried to give another kick but the figure with one hand grabbed the leg and counterattacked by lifting himself up and sending a painful right kick on Syaoran's head, which made his body fall away a few steps away from the figure. Syaoran tried to get up quickly, but the figure was already at him again. The figure shrieked, as it jumped with its sword raised, ready to stab down upon Syaoran.
Syaoran moved to dodge away as Sakura yelled, "WOOD." From all corners of the building top, streams of twisted branches sprang up and wrapped around the figure. Syaoran caught his breath and looked up, as he saw the figure being continually wrapped like a mummy. Then it seemed as though the building shook for Syaoran and Sakura fell from the lost of balance. A most horrible roar was heard, which sent a cutting edge fear down Syaoran and Sakura's necks. The Wood card flashed wildly as it fell limp upon the floor and the figure's ghastly claw-like hand ripped open through the wrappings of the branches and tore its entrapment into shreds. Sakura's grew angry and even more resolute as she gripped her staff and took out the Storm card. The figure then raised its hand. Even before she called upon it, the Storm flashed so wildly that she wasn't even able to control it. The Storm card's effect was supposed to be upon the figure to limit its movement but instead it surrounded Syaoran instead. "What the!" Syaoran was shocked as he was now trapped and unable to move from within the whirling winds.
"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura ran towards him but the figure, with its cold ghastly hand, grabbed Sakura and threw her harshly against the wall. Sakura gave a little cry as she fell to the floor from the force of this attack. She gathered her breath as she saw the figure, paying no heed to her and simply walking towards the Stormy cage, in which Syaoran was trapped in.
Sakura shook her head in frustration "…no…how could this be…" Flashes of her nightmare came upon her, almost to compare this horrible current event.
Still under the protection of the Shield card, Sakura screamed as a ground breaking meteor strike, a combinational attack from Firey and Earthy broke the protection of the Shield. "What!" Suddenly Sakura thought, 'Wait, the Shield is able to protect any magical attack, no matter how strong the force….that means…' She looked at her most trusted elemental cards, as they hovered over her triumphantly. Sakura stood before them, reaching out her staff, "I command you, return!" But they all stayed floating, and a few moments passed as Sakura couldn't believe her very eyes. She saw Dash, Little, Big, Fight, Mirror, Silent, Mist, Sand, Twin, and all her beloved cards unleashed and looking towards her with grim faces. "No….what is going on…?"
The figure walked towards the Whirling cage, as his sword glistened blue and flared up with blue flames. The figure's deep voice resonated once again. "A mouse…trapped in the corner I would say…"
A malicious chuckle could be heard as Syaoran looked about, seeing quick shadows appearing and disappearing from side to side, through the turbulent surroundings. 'I've got to get out of here, or this could be my end…' Suddenly, he saw a blazing sword flash in. Syaoran barely dodged to the side, as the steam from the winds and fire increased the power of the sword even more. Syaoran looked about, finding the sword stabbing in and slicing through the windy cage. Syaoran dodged quickly in the limited space. He knew, however, this could not last forever.
He then took out a sheet of talisman paper as he yelled, "THUNDER IGNITE!" Unfortunately, the force of the winds repelled the thunder. "Che…" Syaoran was frustrated and angry as he already knew that the figure was going to strike soon. Then it came, the flaming sword moved quickly and sliced on through, Syaoran kneeled away but also jumped to side and side. Finally, in his peripheral view, he felt an attack was coming. He shut his eyes as he tried to dodge it, 'Damn it…this is it!'
"SWORD!" The clash of swords was heard from behind.
Syaoran opened his eye in shock as he saw Sakura's sword pierced through the Storm and blocked the impeding attack towards Syaoran. The Storm card fluttered onto the floor as the extent of its power was used up. The gusty atmosphere disappeared as Sakura and the ghost-like figure stood with their swords against each other.
The figure hissed with great anger, "FOOLISH GIRL! Do you still not understand!" The Sword card flashed. The figure pushed Sakura back with great force, and while Sakura was flown back, the figure hurled five flaming arrows from its hand at her.
"Watch It!" Syaoran immediately grabbed her from the air as they both rolled together on the roof floor. Sakura's sword disappeared and returned into the staff again. Sakura opened her eyes as Syaoran slowly got up, panting. Clearly they were both more than defeated and worn out from this battle. Their enemy was not only more powerful than them; it also used their own powers against them. It was a battle that could not be won. The figure walked closer and closer. Every step seemed to bring another trickle of sweat down their faces.
Sakura gripped her staff. "…there must be way…we can't…we can't lose…" Sakura took out her cards, and held them tightly, almost afraid to see them shining uncontrollably. Syaoran got in front of Sakura, in a protective manner. Sakura, however, was trying to shuffle through every card, but found her hands shaking as she flipped them through. She clearly knew nothing would work against their enemy and she realized how desperate the situation has become. "…I…I can't……"
Feeling her strength fading, she started to slow down, "I can't…I can't…" Suddenly she heard a familiar voice, "PLEASE DO NOT GIVE UP!" Sakura looked ahead and saw THE HOPE spirit, (the combination of the Void Card and Hope Card from the Second Movie) reaching its arms out to her, "You can make it! COME…" Sakura felt her body slowly restoring its energy. 'Hope…yes…Yes, there is always HOPE!"
Sakura's eyes grew wide, as she realized there was still one card that she never used. The figure stopped a few steps away from them and raised his hand with the sword. The sword was right before Syaoran, but Syaoran didn't move away nor look away from the figure's evil demeanor. They had nothing to fight with and nothing to use to defend themselves. The figure then raised its other hand. That very moment, all of Sakura cards seemed to flutter about and flash randomly. Sakura knew that her cards would be no more if this continued.
"Not so fast!" Sakura swung her staff and called out, "LIGHT!" Her staff met with the Light card and an outburst of light surrounded Syaoran and Sakura. The flashing of the other cards were beginning to slow down as well. The figure backed up for a moment. It then let the sword from his hand disappear and snapped its wrinkly fingers. One by one, all the spirits of the cards were materializing just like the scene of her dream. Yet before anything happened, Sakura didn't lose this opportunity to release all the power she ever had, shutting her eyes tightly, with a determined face, she twirled her staff to the side, and with the other hand flung out the Hope and called out, "Reveal Yourself HOPE!"
A great beam of light separated the dark clouds above them and blasted unto the roof. The force materialized, as fragments of light shaped like feathers glistened and fluttered away with the winds. Syaoran was taken aback by the power of this spirit and Sakura's narrowed her eyes as the bright light engulfed everyone. As the light slowly faded, there was the spirit of Hope, shining as though she was bright as the sun and the moon, with rays of many stars surrounding her. Syaoran and Sakura were barely able to find any real physical features for she was glowing with such radiance. Yet the words that were being spoken in the air could not be understood—it was a language that Sakura and Syaoran could not understand. Sakura and Syaoran looked at each other confused and wandering what was going on.
The dark spirit spoke back towards the direction of Hope, hissing with displeasure "…The folly of her actions will cost her dearly… to summon upon you was a great risk…we all know the consequences…if she ever do succeed, her eyes will be opened...and she will see the truth……But…do you expect me to simply allow that to happen……" The Hope spirit spoke with her gentle feminine voice, "It is a chance that she was willing to take…" and she turned as though to speak with another presence. More words of that could not be understood or translated were spoken. The voice was soft and small, but it was at the same time, full of power. Syaoran grabbed Sakura's shoulder, as she turned to him.
"Sakura, who is speaking right now…?" Sakura simply shook her head. "I…I wish I knew…" Sakura looked intently into the great Light that was surrounding Hope, and for some strange reason, she knew that it was not Hope that was shining with such great splendor but the presence of the one accompanying Hope.
The dark figure backed off and nodded as though it understood. Syaoran and Sakura looked on, as the figure raised its hand towards the sky as the sky darkened. The light of Hope started to dim and the twelve stars that slowly spun around Hope one by one blasted towards the sky and like shooting stars fell an incredible distance away from where they were. The Hope card began to flash. One by one, every other card returned to Sakura in their normal state. Sakura was bewildered but she opened her palm so that her cards could return to her. The light of hope has disappeared and slowly the figure faded away as well.
'…no…no…this can't be…why is this happening…'
Sakura ran towards Hope, "Wait! Hope! HOPE!" The moment Sakura was in contact with Hope, there was a glitch in the realities. Sakura opened her eyes and found herself in a most strange place. She looked about for she had no idea where she could be. The place was tinted a pinkish mauve color with springs of waters and mirrors floating around in various places. She slowly looked up and gasped. Above her was one of the most beautiful skies she has ever looked upon, with a river of bright stars making way towards the heavens and other bright lights scattered about- all varying in different intensity of heat. She looked around her environment again, "…oh…where could this be?"
"You are looking at a masterpiece…" Sakura whirled around as she saw the spirit of Hope standing before her without the same radiance as before. "…you are looking into your soul…" Though she heard the streams of words enter her mind, Hope did not open her mouth while she was speaking…
"Hope…" Sakura walked towards Hope but Hope sadly took a step back.
"I'm sorry…Sakura…I will not be able to help you in this fight… not until you can complete this ordeal..." Sakura's face dropped as she felt her heart feel heavy with sadness. Hope began to speak again, "Sakura…I can only say so much to you…"
"…Why…" Sakura looked below her; her heart was filled with so many questions.
Hope stopped speaking, for she knew that Sakura had too many troubled thoughts to even receive her words. "Why…Why is this happening!" Sakura raised her head up, as her hair and her bangs slightly bobbed. She looked into Hope's face with a painful expression, "I thought…I thought you would be there…! You were the only one there in my dream! Was that all a lie! The darkness was everywhere, I couldn't breathe – I couldn't THINK! I wanted to do something… but I couldn't… Nothing I did was good enoughnothing I had was good enough against it. Nothing… nothing was able to fight it, Hope. But you……I called to you…I ran to you…You called out to me…" She started to strain for her voice to come out clearly as it echoed inside the space they occupied. Her voice was cracking with anger and sadness brewing inside, "…Is…is…everything I trusted…everything…I trusted up to now…worth Nothing!" Sakura felt her tear drops fall lightly from her face.
Hope stood still, her eyes slowly closing. "…you will understand soon…for it was not I that you embraced in your dreams, it was not I who called out to you… Sometimes, the giver of such dreams will use what you can understand to represent what you have yet to see or know…" Hope raised her hand and one of the twelve stars that once surrounded her before they disappeared into the sky was in her palm.
"I have no light that can give you guidance, but there was a light once long ago, that guided people to a place of true hope and love…and it is still here, perhaps you can find it…" The star shined brightly and floated towards Sakura. Sakura, still broken and confused, raised her hand and calmly sniffed and cleared her throat. The star was in her hand. It was indeed beautiful and warm. The star floated above her and then shot up towards the beautiful sky. She looked above and the star stopped as it was embedded into the velvet sky above her. It was the brightest star she has ever seen, and it was glistening with such luster that it was beyond any stars around it.
"…You will find what you seek…Sakura…" Sakura looked back at Hope. Hope opened her eyes and gave her a most reassuring smile filled with warmth, "The Lord of Hosts will not leave you to your doom……it'll be okay- believe/ Daijobu shinjitaeru (Japanese)…" A wave of light engulfed Sakura and Hope.
Sakura woke up and found herself where she originally was, on the rooftop of her middle school. No one but Syaoran was there; everything else was gone. No dark figure and no Hope. Her eyes closed. Taking a deep breath, she slumped onto the floor. Syaoran ran to her side, as he gently put one hand on her shoulder, "Sakura…are you all right?"
She slightly looked back at him, "What…what happened here just now?"
"…I'm not sure either…when you were running after Hope card, a strange light surrounded you and I couldn't even reach you. Then dark figure disappeared and the Light that surrounded you vanished with it." Syaoran looked worried because traces of Sakura's tears were still left on her face. He held her hand and gently lifted her up. She stumbled a little and looked into his eyes. He looked back into hers. A moment of silence passed by before he spoke, "Will you be okay?"
"I…I guess…" Sakura looked down as she spoke to herself, 'no… you don't even know the answer to that……' Sakura gave out a little sigh as she shook her head, 'what are you thinking… you can't look so defeated now…everything…everything will be okay…daijobu…' She looked back at Syaoran and asked, "I…should be okay…How about you? Are you all right…?"
Syaoran walked towards the edge of the roof and looked at his watch. Noticing it was already six o'clock, he looked back at Sakura, who stood still with a tired face. He gave her a weak but tired smile, "Yea…I'm okay…" Syaoran's tired voice continued, "We should head back home…it's getting late…" Sakura slightly nodded.
"C'mon…I'll walk you home…" Syaoran gently said.
They slowly walked down the flight of stairs. Finally, they reached the outside of their school and headed towards home. Adelah stood against the side of the building. She walked around the corner and watched them walk away, tired and weary. She looked on with a worried expression and sighed, "I warned her so…Perhaps, this is for the better."
Adelah walked a little further but stopped as she noticed the dark figure appeared next to her. She turned to look at it with a nonchalant face. "What you are planning to do isn't going to work…." She spoke with confidence towards the dark spirit. "You won't have your way here…I won't let you."
The Dark figure hissed as it spoke, "Why don't you let me leave this place then? You could send me into the fields over in the country side, but you allow me to stay…" Adelah started walking away, but it continued, "I know what you can do…I know what lies within you…why not send me away now and get this battle over with…!"
"…no…" Adelah turned to look at the figure, "I will not turn aside what was placed in your hands. I know what I must do…And I know what she must do…You can't steer away my thoughts from my responsibilities…"
The figure gave a heavy chuckle, as it came in front of the girl, "She's weak…it is already a battle lost…there is no use for you to invest your time into her...you can already imagine all that I can use against her…you can see it- for the possibilities are endless…stop what you are doing…and leave this place…it's not where you belong…" Streams of voices from all different directions spoke to Adelah.
Adelah glared back at the face of darkness, "That's not for you to decide. Stop your lies and leave me be!" A great hush was upon the figure as it faded away, camouflaging into the darkness.
--------Preview of Next Chapter----------
Yukito to Touya: "What would you do if your most treasured friend couldn't be with you anymore…?"
Syaoran closed his eyes, reflecting upon the events of his life that led him back to the placed he called home.
Syaoran's house scene: The man spoke up in his deep voice, "So…Ieran-sama, this is your youngest child?" Syaoran's mother nodded. "Yes, he's my only son, Akui-san."
…Akui raised his hand and nearly hit Syaoran on the side of his head. Akui grinned with amusement, as Syaoran struck back. He stopped all Syaoran's attacks with his metal rod.
Yukito was standing by himself inside the park. Suddenly, a large figure appeared behind him, rising from the ground. The figure spoke with the same deep resonating voice, "Have you made your decision…?"
Syaoran's house scene: Akui let go of the rod and with the same hand, struck Syaoran's hand. As Syaoran lost the grip on the rod, Akui grabbed the rod from falling and used it to trip Syaoran. Syaoran fell on his back and before he could get up, he felt the cold metal staff against his cheek
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