Thanks SO much for all your reviews!
Just to let you know, this will be the last chapter for a WHILE because I have the chapters pre-typed...and I ran out of chapters...heh...heh...heh. Anyway, I'll try to update as soon as possible!

Love of War
Chapter Twenty-One: Fighting Back

"E-Eriol?" Tomoyo whispered, her hands tightly tied behind her back, Eriol's back against her. "What are we going to do? I'm worried about Syaoran and Sakura."

"Me too." Eriol said, tugging at the ropes around his wrists, keeping a watchful eye on the two men that had grabbed them. "I don't know what we're supposed to do"

The two were being held in the garden of the large mansion, inside, not too long ago, they could hear shouting.

"W-What's going to happen to Sakura?" Tomoyo breathed, her eyes shimmering with tears.

"Don't worry, Sakura can take care of herself. There's no doubt that Syaoran's on her way to get her." Eriol said comfortingly. "But we should be worrying about ourselves"

"What are they going to do to us?"

"Most likely, we're going to be the testers." Eriol sighed.

"Testers?" Tomoyo said flatly.

"Once their leader gets Sakura's powers, he'll probably want to test them out on something"

Tomoyo groaned. "Great! I don't feel like being burned to a crisp, thank you. God, I just wish I knew who their leader was…then I'd give him, or her, a piece of my mind!"

Eriol smirked. "I'm sure we'll find out soon enough, don't worry. But for now we have to kill these guys, and go and help Sakura"

Tomoyo nodded, watching the sun slowly rise, the dawning of a new day.

But they were still at war, what was so new about it?

Finally, Tomoyo felt warm hands tug at her wrists and the rope around them. Eriol had gotten free.

"Almost there." Eriol said, never taking his eyes off their guards, who were chatting idly to each other.

"Hurry." Tomoyo breathed.

Eriol smirked and pulled the ropes from Tomoyo's wrists. "Let's go"

Tomoyo smiled and nodded, spying her sword and Eriol's staff not far from them, but dangerously close to the two guards.

"What are we gonna do?" Tomoyo whispered to him.

"Kill them, what else?" Eriol smirked, getting to his feet.

The guards, seeing this, jumped and unsheathed their swords. "Hey! How did you get out?"

"Well." Eriol said calmly, his blue eyes shinning. "You two should know, you really suck at tying rope"

The guards glared at him, one said, "Shut up!"

The other guard smirked. "You can't even kill us, we have your sword and staff"

"Actually." Tomoyo smiled, appearing at Eriol's side, her sword in hand, handing Eriol his staff. "We do. Thanks for being the distraction honey"

Eriol smirked, holding his staff out in front of him. "Now, you were saying, boys?"

XxXxX

Syaoran ran through the mansion, his amber eyes frantically searching for Sakura.

Where is she? He wondered, rushing down the dark hallways, his sword in hand.

"Looking for something Li?" A cold voice said from behind the Li leader.

Startled, Syaoran spun around, only to come face-to-face with Doremi.

"Doremi." Syaoran growled. "Where is Sakura? What did you do to her"

"I did nothing." Doremi said, his sword in his hand, ready for a fight. "Sadly. She's with my master now"

Syaoran's heart sank. No…am I too late?

Doremi smirked, knowing very well what Syaoran was thinking. "Id hurry if I were you, Syao, or she may die. Hell, she could be dead already, I don't know"

"Where is she?" Syaoran asked angrily, his hands gripping the hilt of his sword tightly.

Doremi shrugged. "In the great hall, which is the door behind me. But like I'm going to let you go right on through"

"Please Doremi." Syaoran said. "You don't know what you're doing"

"Oh, I know what I'm doing all right, Xiao-Lang"

Syaoran glared at him. "Fine. Then I'll just have to get rid of you"

Doremi smirked. "You can try"

With that Syaoran launched himself at the other boy, their swords meeting with a loud clash.

"You can't help her anymore Li." Doremi smirked. "Why don't you just admit that you were never fit to be her protector?"

"She's not dead yet." Syaoran growled, shoving Doremi backwards into the wall with all his might.

"You can't win against me Syaoran," Doremi laughed. "You'll never be able to"

Syaoran gasped as Doremi shoved him backwards and he lost his footing, tumbling to the floor, his sword falling a few feet away.

Doremi smirked wickedly, standing over the fallen Li leader, the tip of his sword at his throat.

"It's over Li." Doremi smirked, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Give up"

"Never." Syaoran said, pulling something from his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Doremi asked, noticing the piece of paper Syaoran had pulled out.

"Just a little magic trick." Syaoran said, tossing the paper up into the air.

As Doremi watched the paper, Syaoran dove to the side and stanched his sword from the ground, swinging back around to face Doremi.

"Well, I see you have a new trick." Doremi frowned. "Clever boy"

"I have another one." Syaoran smirked, holding another slip of paper in between his fingers.

"Oh come now Li," Doremi laughed, holding his sword at ready. "Like I'll fall for that again. It's paper"

"To you, it is." Syaoran smirked.

Doremi glared at him and dove forwards. "That's it, you're through"

"Force, know my plight, release the light!" Syaoran shouted, throwing the paper in front of his sword, thrusting the flat of the sword into it. "Fire!"

Everything seemed to go in slow motion from there as Doremi gasped and tried to cover himself with his sword, but was overwhelmed by the burning flames that surrounded him instantly.

"W-What?" Doremi gasped, standing in the center of a ring of fire. "You're a wizard, too? Like that Eriol guy?"

"Not quite." Syaoran said, his dark gaze fixed on the teen in front him. "I'm giving you one last chance Doremi. Give up following Sakura's leader, run away"

Doremi laughed, just laughed. "You want to know who my leader is Syaoran? Do you want to know who sent Sakura the letter, who called you to destroy her family, who even sent her and you into the ocean that fateful week a year ago?"

Syaoran gaped at him. He…knew?

Doremi nodded, his sword lowering to his sides, the fire still burning brightly around him, it's flames crawled up the sides of the walls and floor.

"I know who he is." he said, the smirk never leaving his face, though Syaoran could tell he was growing uncomfortable in the rising heat. "You want to know who wants Sakura dead so badly?"

"If you're not going to tell me," Syaoran said, holding up another fire talisman. "Then you may as well die"

Doremi smirked. "Fujitaka Kinomoto"

Syaoran gasped, staring wide-eyed at Doremi. "You're lying. Fujitaka Kinomoto is dead! Meilin showed me his necklace"

"But not the body." Doremi said arrogantly. "Meilin knew from the beginning, she knew everything. And now Sakura's in that room behind me, being murdered by her own father"

"You-you bastard!" Syaoran shouted. "Fire!"

With that he hit the other talisman, and another wave of flames swirled around Doremi, swallowing him whole.

Just before Doremi's death, the last thing Syaoran heard him say was "I hope she dies" and then, he was gone.

Without wasting another second, Syaoran jumped over the hot flames and burst into the great hall, where Doremi had said Sakura was.

She wasn't there.

"Kid!" a familiar voice gasped.

Syaoran turned to see Sakura's brother, Touya, and the two guardians, Kero and Yue/Yukito, chained to the wall not too far away.

"Touya!" Syaoran gasped, rushing over to the older boy, who looked worse for the wear. "What happened? Where's Sakura?"

"Fujitaka took her." Yukito said acidly. "Let me go, I'll kill him!"

Syaoran couldn't help but stare at the guardian. Sakura had told him that Yue was so calm and caring, mostly quiet…this was a new side to him.

"Where is Sakura?" Syaoran asked again.

"He took her outside, to the roof." Touya said softly, his head lowered.

Syaoran had never seen Sakura's brother so…calm.

With a faint sigh, Syaoran quickly undid the three figure's chains.

"Thanks." Touya said, getting to his feet, wincing slightly when he moved his wrist.

"It's broken." Syaoran said.

"I know." Touya frowned. "But…please, help my sister"

"You don't have to ask twice." Syaoran smiled, turning and darting out of the room.

"Syaoran wait for me!" Kero shouted, flying after the Chinese boy, his wings growing and covering him as he flew.

When his wings opened, Kero was no longer the tiny creature, but a large lion-like animal.

Yue, now with his wings, was flying beside Syaoran already.

"Are you sure you two are alright to fight?" Syaoran asked.

"Anything for Sakura." Yue growled, swooping over Syaoran.

Syaoran smiled and picked up his speed, gripping his sword tightly in his hand.

We're coming Sakura…please, hold on.

Okay! Review!