Comments of Meso:
Hmm...No reviews. And I left quite a while to review. Aw well. At least if no one reviews, I can prove that I can complete a fic. If you happen to read this, please review! Alright, read on! ...And how many time did I say 'review'?
Chapter 8: White Light
Sakura glared at the person standing on a tree branch.
"Such a coward! You won't even show your face!" Syaoran barked. The man in the tree just laughed.
"Eclipse, you said you would fight, so get down here!" Kero shouted. Eclipse's smile vanished.
"My name…is Reno!" he shouted as he jumped down from the tree, still holding the shocked Tomoyo. Sakura moved forward, but Eclipse held Tomoyo tighter to himself. Tomoyo was struggling for air.
"You're hurting her!" Sakura yelled.
"Then I suggest you don't move any further," Eclipse said. Sakura tried to look into his eyes but couldn't. How was it that his face was still shrouded in shadow?
"Here's how it will go," Eclipse said, his voice booming.
"Oh, so you want to do this but only on your terms!" Kero shouted.
"You, the yellow one. We will fight. I have no time to fight worthless humans. And as for your little friend here," Eclipse looked down at Tomoyo, who was crying, "she will be joining us, too."
"Are you insane! She could get hurt!" Syaoran shouted. Eclipse ignored him.
"Return to the true form you were destined to be…Kerberus," Eclipse chanted.
"HEY! Who do you--" But Kero was stopped right in the middle of his sentence. He lifted off of the ground, and a blinding white light surrounded him.
Kero was transforming into his true form! But not on Sakura's command…How could it be?
Suddenly, long white angel wings sprouted from Kero's back. His arms and legs grew out longer, his paws brandishing fierce claws. Kero's nose got longer and formed into a muzzle. And soon where a little yellow teddy bear stood was a golden lion with wings.
"How…!" Sakura stuttered. She was amazed.
"Kerberus…Before we fight, I ask you," Eclipse started. Kerberus glared at him. "Kerberus, how does it feel…Do be controlled by a human? Every day of your life. You are meant to be free. We are not slaves," Kero still glared. "What if I gave you the chance…To be free? Would you take it?"
"NEVER! I'll NEVER betray Sakura!" Kero roared. Sakura's heart lightened a little. Syaoran watched cautiously.
"So you are telling me that you do not want freedom? The knowledge that you can do whatever you want, whenever? No one to force you to pretend to be a stuffed animal. Not having to hide yourself, just being out in the open. Wherever you wanted to be. Not forced to do what any human says. Just…you. Wouldn't you like this?"
Kero looked at Reno uneasily. A bead of sweat ran down Sakura's face.
"I-I would like that," Kero admitted. Sakura's jaw dropped, her eyes brimming with tears. Syaoran started to unsheathe his sword, but he stopped when he saw Sakura. He frowned. Had he made her that sad that day at the picnic? Syaoran snapped out of his trance of thought.
"I would like that freedom! But what would I do with it! What do you do with it? Go around harming people! I could never do that! And I could never deal with that guilt of leaving or hurting my master! Because…she's not just a master…or just a human…She's my friend, too!" Kero cried. Sakura silently beamed at her guardian. Reno just grunted.
"So be it. I'll defeat you and absorb your magic, right in front of your so-called 'friend.' HAH!" Reno screamed, and a bolt of black shot of his mouth.
"Ai!" Kero shouted, narrowly dodging the attack. Kero retaliated with a golden burst of energy. Reno swiftly turned to the side, Kero's attack setting a tree of fire.
"RELEASE! W--"
"Stop it there, you bag of dirt. Use one Sakura Card before I allow you to and your precious friend dies." Reno threatened. Sakura's staff rattled to the ground.
"How DARE YOU!" Kero roared once more, and he shot another beam at Reno. Reno did not try to dodge the oncoming blast, and it hit him in the shoulder. Reno hissed, but then he smiled. An icy smile.
"Is that all you have? Sad…" And for the first time, for no reason, Sakura saw Reno Eclipse's face. Pale white, like a sheet of paper, bags sagging under his eyes. Sakura gasped. One eye was an icy blue, the other red with a pupil like a snake's.
"Feel the real power of the Sun," Reno threw up his right hand, and it started glowing gold. Then Reno flew down at Kero, his arm brandished like a knife. Kero flew back at the last moment, Reno's arm crashing through the ground, dirt flying everywhere.
Suddenly, Kero emerged from the dust and dirt, his fierce jaws opened wide. CRUNCH! Kero clamped down on Reno's arm from the shoulder. This happened to be Reno's left shoulder, the one that represented the Moon. Reno shouted as black dust spurted from his shoulder. Sakura shielded her eyes, as well as Syaoran.
"You BEAST! I gave you a chance…A chance…" Eclipse seemed to lose all control. He punched Kero right in the side of his face, yellow energy flowing around it. Kero cried out in pain and fell down, his mouth bleeding. Reno continued punching Kero as he was down, over and over, faster and faster, more and more painful.
And some thoughts just struck Syaoran. Reno…How was he still able to fight with his left arm if it was hurt so badly? And then he remembered something else…He looked over nervously to the tree that had been set on fire. It was now burned to the ground and the fire was starting to spread.
Wait a minute…Where's Tomoyo? Syaoran thought. He looked around, but he didn't see her. He must have cloaked her somehow…
"Kinomoto, stay here and try to put out that fire. I'm going to see if I can find Tomoyo or see if she's been cloaked," Sakura opened her mouth to reject, but Syaoran put a single finger over her lips. Then he realized what he was doing. He blushed deeply and ran off. His absence was noticed by no one except for Sakura.
"AAGH!" Kero screamed.
"KERO!" Sakurashouted hysterically.
"Not a single card, or your friend is gone!" Reno reminded the Master of the Cards. Then Sakura remembered Syaoran.
"RELEASE! WATER!" Sakura screamed. The blue 'woman' emerged from Sakura's staff, immediately sensing fire.
"I told you, not a single card! Now she's dead!" Reno shouted fiendishly. He ignored the beaten Kero at his feet. Reno snapped his fingers and a dark circle emerged from the ground. Someine was laying in it... Then Sakura realized that Tomoyo was in the middle of it, unconscious. Eclipse raised his right hand, a golden ball in it.
"SYAORAN, NOW!" Sakura screamed.
"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Syaoran suddenly came raging from what seemed to be out of nowhere. He slid right over the dark circle, grabbing Tomoyo as he went. Eclipse released his attack, not knowing what was going on. It made contact with nothing. Eclipse looked over to see Syaoran holding Tomoyo in his arms.
Sakura sighed mentally. She was so relieved! Yet she felt some kind of pang in her chest at the sight of Tomoyo in Li's -- no, Syaoran's arms…
"So you've gotten your little friend!" Eclipse spat. "That doesn't mean you can DEFEAT ME!" A white light erupted from Eclipse's body.
"Sakura…" came a faint voice. Sakura looked down. It was a bashed Kero… "Run while you can…"
"I'm not leaving you, Kero!" Sakura shouted.
"THEN DIE!" Eclipse roared, and the white light shot everywhere, eating up everything in sight.
"Kiddo, FORGET ME! RUN!" Kero screamed, and then he disappeared into the white light…
"KERO!" Sakura yelled.
"Kinomoto, c'mon!" Syaoran shouted, and he grabbed Sakura's arm.
"LET ME GO!" Sakura screamed hysterically, tears running down her face. Syaoran only dragged her harder. Sakura continued screaming, but Syaoran kept dragging her away from the light. But it was coming closer…The white light was washing over everything and destroying it like a tsunami wave.
Syaoran could feel coldness of the light; it was getting close. He felt something like ice grip his ankles.
No…no! I can't give up, I can't! Syaoran cried out in his mind. He pushed forward, but it was getting harder…And then he felt something cold blast him in the back, pushing him forward, along with the two girls. Syaoran felt cold...So cold...
But what had hit him in the back? Probably the white light. He probably wasn't even alive right now! Somehow, Syaoran managed to open his eyes. He raised his pounding head, trying to see what had saved him. His sight was so blurry, and all he could see was white…But then he saw a blue figure in the distance.
The Water Card.
And then she was swallowed by the light. Syaoran had no time to really comprehend. All he cared about was Sakura. He turned to his left and saw Tomoyo, who seemed to be doing well enough. And then he looked to his right, where Sakura lie, unconscious. Sakura was the last thing Syaoran saw before he drifted off.
-
End Comments of Meso: You might have noticed that I changed te rating. I kind of had to due to this chapter. The following one might be like this tpp, so it's better safe than sorry...Remember to review!