MK: Hey! Glad your back! Thanks so much for your review with "The Daughter" glad you liked it! And for your question about "Love of War" I won't be writing anymore for animespiral, but I WILL post it and FINISH it on this site, so you don't have to worry! Thanks!
Daddieslittlestar: lol, sorry for the wait!
Spike-653259: Cliffies are so fun though!
Sakura-Moonlight: Glad you liked it! Thanks for the review!
Please, Don't Forget
Chapter Twelve: And So it Begins
Wind and rain blew through Sakura's hair, licking at her face. She was on a mission.
Atashi wouldn't get away with what he did to her, Syaoran, everyone.
Her staff gripped tightly in hand, Sakura's wings beat her higher and higher into the air over Tamoeda, her emerald eyes scanning below her for any sign of a dark aura.
But she couldn't feel anything.
With a short sigh, Sakura dove down towards the city. She was happy to be back, being in the air again, the power of the Star Cards flowing through her, felt good.
Not to mention she was back with Syaoran.
I still can't believe…that I forgot about him. Sakura thought sadly as she flew through the streets, hovering a bit above the ground, in search of Syaoran, Eriol and Tomoyo. The group had split up a while ago, but promised to meet back at the school in an hour.
By then the streets were flowing like rivers, cars were ruined, houses were flooded. The people were too worried about themselves to notice a flying girl poking around the city.
Lighting flashed overhead and suddenly a fierce gust of wind blew Sakura to the side.
With a startled cry, Sakura hit a nearby building, hard, and plummeted into the flowing water below.
She surfaced, coughing. Oh yes, Atashi is so going to die. She was, once again, soaked.
Sakura had tried many times to use the water card to stop the rain, or any of her cards to stop the odd weather. But it was no use, she couldn't fight it. They had to get rid of the source.
The current was strong, pulling Sakura down the streets, slamming into cars hidden under the waves.
"This…is getting old." She groaned as her hip hit something hard. She dove under the water, her wings were soaked and thus it would be impossible to fly.
Sakura surfaced again, her emerald eyes searching for a place to get out of the water.
No use. There was noting.
Suddenly, something tugged at Sakura's ankles, pulling her under the water with a sharp gasp.
It was dark, below the surface, and eerie. Sakura tried to look around for what was pulling at her ankle, but it was no use.
She pulled a card out of her pocket and let go of it. The current carried it a bit ahead of her, once it was far enough away, Sakura hit the card with her staff.
The Wind card.
The water suddenly started to spin around her like tornado, until finally, she was standing in the center of a pillar of air.
"The water…it has to be at least three stories deep!" Sakura gasped, looking up thorough the top of the pillar.
She looked behind her. "Damn." Her wings were still soaked and the Wind Card was already being used for something, and if she used the Jump Card, she'd only land in water again.
Then, she got the idea.
Sakura open her hand and thought of the card, it appeared in her hand. The Freeze.
She tossed it into the air. "Freeze Card! Release and disbound!"
She hit the card with her staff and a wave of icy wind swept around her, freezing the tunnel of water instantly.
"Yes!" Sakura grinned, tossing another card into the air. "Jump Card! Release and disbound!"
XxXxX
"What took you so long Sakura?" Ruby asked as Sakura jumped onto the roof of the school. The water lever had almost flooded it completely.
"I had a little trouble." Sakura smiled.
Syaoran walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "You're soaking wet! What happened?"
"It got a little windy." Sakura sighed, leaning against him. "I fell into the water, it took me a while to get out."
"Did you find anything on Atashi?" Eriol asked.
Sakura shook her head. "No. But I noticed, when I was in the water, that the current was going in a certain direction, every street I went to, the current always head to the center of the city."
"Tokyo tower?" Yue asked. He and Keroberos were sitting on the roof beside Ruby and Spinel.
Sakura shrugged. "I guess."
"So should we go there then?" Syaoran asked, his arms still tightly around Sakura.
"Yeah, we should." Keroberos growled, somehow nosing himself in between Sakura and Syaoran. "But I suggest you take your hands off her."
Syaoran glared at the lion-like guardian. "Why don't you make me you over-sized stuffed animal?"
"Stuffed animal! Do you know who I am?" Kero snarled. "I dare you to say that again!"
"Come on you guys stop it!" Sakura laughed.
"No, I take that bet." Syaoran said, pointing at Kero. "Stuffed animal! Stuffed animal! Stuffed animal!"
Keroberos growled and punched at Syaoran, but he was too quick and jumped out of the way.
"Slowing down in that old age there Kero?" Syaoran laughed.
Sakura rolled her eyes and grabbed Syaoran's hand just as Spinel, who had decided to help Kero, was about to tackle him from behind and pulled him aside.
"Can we go?"
Tomoyo laughed. "Yeah."
"Spinel, Kero, cut it out!" Eriol shouted. "We have Atashi to find!"
Kero sighed and gave up his attempt attack on the Li leader, walking beside Sakura. "Can you fly yet?"
Sakura shook her head. "No, the wind's too bad."
"Then I'll take you." Kero said. "Hop on."
Sakura shook her head. "I don't think that's how we can get there."
"What?" Ruby gasped. "How else are we supposed to get to the tower?"
Sakura smirked, cocking her head towards the water.
"No…way." Ruby shrieked. "You can not make me go in that water! I hate swimming."
Eriol rolled his eyes. "Cool it Ruby, Sakura's right. That may be the only way we can get it."
"But Eriol!"
"Ruby."
Ruby sighed and walked, grudgingly, over to the edge of the roof. "Fine, but you, Eriol, so owe me new shoes."
Spinel sighed, shoving Ruby off the edge. She fell, with a short scream, into the water.
Sakura giggled, turning to Syaoran. "Time go to. I hope you're a good swimmer."
Syaoran smirked. "You know I am."
With that he gripped her hand tightly, Sakura gripped Tomoyo's and Tomoyo took Eriol's hand.
"We'll follow you through the air." Yue said, motioning at Spinel and Kero. "When the time comes we'll dive in."
"Okay, be careful." Sakura smiled.
With that, the group of four teenagers jumped into the water.
The water was freezing, and hugged Syaoran's body like a blanket.
He sputtered to the surface. He'd let go of Sakura.
"Sakura!" He Shouted over the waves. The wind was terrible, making it seem as if they were in the ocean in the middle of a hurricane. "Where are you?"
"Over here," Sakura coughed. "Syaoran!"
He caught a glimpse of her over the waves and he dove under, rising again in front of her.
She smiled. "Thought I lost you."
"Ditto." Syaoran said. "Where's Tomoyo and Eriol?"
"Over here!" Eriol shouted over the thunder. He had his arm wrapped securely around Tomoyo's waist, since she had never been the strongest swimmer. "You never said the water was this bad Sakura."
"It wasn't!" Sakura cried. "It's worse! Careful for buildings and cars beneath you!"
"We'll just let the current take us." Eriol nodded, shouting back.
Syaoran grabbed Sakura's hand, holding it firmly. The water was so cold…he didn't know how long he'd be able to last.
They swept down the streets of Tamoeda towards the Tokyo tower, which loomed not too far ahead, only a few minuets.
"What do we d-do one we get there?" Sakura asked. She was shivering.
"First, get warm." Syaoran said. "Then, find Atashi and Meilin."
Sakura nodded.
Suddenly, they heard Eriol cry from ahead of them. "Tomoyo!"
"Shit!" Sakura gasped. "Eriol what happened?"
"Something pulled her under!" Eriol shouted. "I can't find her!"
"Oh no! Do you think it's Atashi's helpers?" Sakura asked.
"He has helpers now?" Syaoran gaped.
Sakura shrugged. "Who knows. We have to find her, Tomoyo can't swim very well."
Syaoran nodded and let go of her hand. They dove under the water.
Eriol was already below, he swam up to them. The water was much calmer underneath.
Syaoran gazed around at their surroundings, all he could see were the streets to the city.
He elbowed Eriol and pointed ahead of them. Tomoyo was floating, unconscious, under the water.
Eriol nodded and the three returned to the surface, gasping for air.
"Yue!" Sakura shouted. "Find Tomoyo! She's over there under water!"
Yue, who had been soaring above them, wondering what the commotion was all about, nodded and dove under the water.
Syaoran held onto Sakura's waist possessively, Eriol treading water beside them, the current still carrying them towards the tower.
"She's been down too long," Sakura breathed, burying her face in Syaoran's shoulder. "Oh my God!"
Syaoran didn't answer her, he and Eriol watched, hopeful, to see Yue appear above the water.
It seemed like ages.
Finally, Yue burst from the waves, water spraying off him and his wings. In his arms was Tomoyo, coughing and gasping for air.
"She's okay!" Eriol sighed.
Sakura looked up, a smile brightening her face. "Thank God!"
They continued floating down the streets towards the Tokyo tower, Yue, Kero and Spinel flying above them. Spinel had, a while ago, dove in the water and picked up Ruby, who hadn't stopped screaming since she touched the water. Now she was sitting on Spinel's back, looking rather pissed.
Soon, they were seconds from the Tokyo tower. Syaoran gasped, his gaze catching something in front of the tower, just in front of the main doors.
A whirlpool.
"Shit!" He hissed. "There's a whirlpool!"
"What? No way!" Eriol gasped, looking up to the sky. "Spinel! Kero! A little help here?"
They nodded and hovered above the three teens.
"Are you okay Tomoyo?" Sakura asked from the water Tomoyo nodded and smiled faintly. "I am. What about you?"
"Talk later." Kero demanded as Syaoran grabbed onto the guardian's paw and climbed onto his back, extending his hand out to Sakura, Eriol had already crawled onto Spinel's back with Ruby. "Get on!"
Sakura nodded and reached up for Syaoran.
He was too far away.
"Sakura come on!" Syaoran shouted.
"I can't!" Sakura cried. "The current!"
The water was pulling her faster and faster towards the whirlpool. Sakura could feel a dark aura creeping closer.
Atashi.
"Sakura no!" Tomoyo screamed as the whirlpool tugged on Sakura's legs, pulling her under.
"No!" Syaoran shouted, watching, horrified, as Sakura's auburn hair disappeared into the dark depths of the water.
He dove in after her.
"No Syaoran!" He heard Eriol cry after him.
Syaoran didn't care, it was too late anyway, he was going to get Sakura.
Again, the water hit him like a million icicles. He could see Sakura in the center of the whirlpool, her arms hugging her staff against her body tightly, her eyes closed.
Syaoran kicked with all his might towards the Card Mistress, the whirlpool swinging him around her tauntingly. It was almost as if Sakura were in a barrier.
You can't have her Atashi. Syaoran thought acidly. Not again!
With one last kick of his legs, Syaoran reached out and grabbed onto Sakura, hugging her to his chest tightly.
The water swirled round them angrily, pulling them closer and closer to the bottom of the water, where Syaoran could see a dark hole.
So this is how we find him…
Okay! I hope you liked it! And don't worry, Eriol, Tomoyo and the others will show up again. After all, Atashi does have cronies, if you remember the skeletons.