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Love of War
Chapter Twenty-Two: Flames of Jealousy

Sakura's eyes fluttered open to the sound of rustling not too far from her, and a peculiar smell.

Where am I? She thought faintly, her eyes staring blankly up at the morning sky, still slightly pink and orange. I feel as if someone hit me with a ton of bricks.

She moaned softly and tried to sit up, but found an unknown force holding her back.

What's going on? She thought, pulling at her arms and legs, finding that she was unable to move them. No! I can't…move!

A small cry escaped her lips as she turned her head, only to see that her wrists and ankles were tied to metal circles that were driven into a wooden board, her body lying over a small bed of dried grass and hay.

Then, she remembered.

The mansion…her father…the beating…had he tied her up?

"F-Fujitaka?" Sakura cried out, refusing to call him father. He wasn't her father, not anymore.

"I guess I should have known you wouldn't call me father ever again." Fujitaka smirked, appearing at his daughter's side. He gently stroked some hair from her eyes, a faint smile crossing his lips. "Too bad."

Sakura winced under his touch, moving her face from him. "Don't touch me."

Fujitaka glared down at his daughter. "Goodbye my little cherry blossom."

He turned and grabbed a torch from beside the bed of grass and hay, holding it dangerously close to the dried plants.

"Any last words Sakura?"

"Yes." Sakura said faintly. I have to keep him busy, at least until someone comes…if someone is even coming. "How could you? What would mother think?"

Her father paused for a moment, shock evident in his eyes.

Good, I hit a sour note. Sakura thought. If I can keep him talking…

"Nadeshiko?" Fujitaka breathed. "What would she think?"

"She loved Touya and I." Sakura said softly. "She didn't care that I possessed the Kinomoto power. She loved you, too, father!"

"It was impossible for her to even possess the power." Fujitaka frowned, lowering his head. "She didn't have Kinomoto blood in her. For that she was weak."

"W-What?"

Her father looked up then, his eyes glazed over. "She was born weak, she lived weak, and she died weak."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura breathed, a cold feeling settling over her. "Father..."

"I've always told you," he said with a faint smirk. "That she died from a sickness…didn't I?"

"What are you saying?" Sakura asked, the cold feeling was in her throat now, choking her. "You…you killed her?"

"She knew I wanted you dead." Fujitaka said softly. "She tried to go to the authorities in the middle of the night…she tried to run and take you and Touya with her. I stopped her..."

I thought…he loved her! Sakura thought frantically, feeling her power rise inside her, along with her anger. He always said that he loved her!

"I know what you're thinking Sakura," Fujitaka said. "I can see it in your eyes. I did love her, and it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

"So killing me…isn't hard?" Sakura breathed. "You don't…care?"

"You stole my power." Fujitaka frowned. "So why should I care?"

"Mother would hate you for it." Sakura whispered, tears stinging at her eyes. "She would never forgive you!"

"Nadeshiko is dead," Sakura's father said, a faint smirk crossing his lips. "So what she wants doesn't concern me. Besides, don't you want to see your mother again?"

"You bastard…you fucking bastard." Sakura cried. "I'll kill you!"

A burst of light suddenly surrounded her body, breaking the binds that tied her to the bed of hay.

Fujitaka smirked and stumbled backwards, holding out the torch in front of him, as if somehow it could protect him. "You cannot escape Sakura, there's a barrier around that bed!"

Sakura growled and sat up, trying to dive at her father, but only, as he said, hitting a barrier.

"You bastard." Sakura snarled. "You killed her!"

"She deserved it." Fujitaka smirked.

Then, he tossed the torch onto the bed of hay, and watched as Sakura screamed.

XxXxX

Syaoran gasped, hearing a scream just above him.

"Sakura!" Yue shouted. "We're too late!"

"No we're not!" Syaoran growled, picking up his speed as he rushed towards the roof. The closed the got, the stronger the smell of smoke became.

The three rushed up the stairs, desperate to reach the roof in time.

When they did break out onto the roof, what they saw almost made their hearts stop.

"S-Sakura…" Syaoran breathed.

There was a bed of fire a few feet away, Fujitaka standing in front of it, his back to the three intruders, and was staring sadly down at the flames.

Sakura could see, just barely, Sakura's hand, amongst the fire.

"He…" Syaoran whispered, his eyes wide, a cold feeling gripping his heart. "She's..."

"Damn you to hell!" Yue snarled, flying at Fujitaka, anger pulsing through him.

Fujitaka gasped and spun around, diving out of the way just before Yue's attack could hit him.

"You're too late!" Fujitaka laughed, getting quickly to his feet. "You can't save her!"

"We can avenge her." Syaoran growled acidly, tears stinging at his eyes. Sakura, the woman he loved, was dead, killed by her own father.

There was nothing Syaoran wanted more, at that moment, than to see Fujitaka dead.

Rage pulsing through him, Syaoran rushed at Fujitaka, sword drawn and ready to kill.

Fujitaka smirked pulling his own sword from his hip, blocking Syaoran's attack just before it hit.

"What's the use, Syaoran?" the man laughed, holding Syaoran back with his own strength. "She's dead, why fight for her?"

"Because I loved her, and you took her away," Syaoran snarled, his voice heavy with anger and sorrow, a lump rising in his throat. "She was your daughter, and you killed her!"

With that he shoved the man backwards with little trouble, watching as he stumbled backwards, teetering dangerously on the edge of the roof.

Syaoran held out his sword, it's tip aimed at the man's neck, pressing against it lightly.

"Ready to die, Kinomoto?" the brown-haired teen snarled.

"Killing me wont bring Sakura back, Syaoran." Fujitaka smirked.

"But it'll help." Syaoran growled.

Just as he was about to stab his sword through the old man's throat, Syaoran felt a sharp pain shoot through his side.

With a startled gasp, he turned and looked, only to see Fujitaka's sword stuck in his side, dark blood dripping from the wound, sliding down the blade.

"It seems I will win this one, Syaoran." Fujitaka smirked.

Syaoran stared blankly back at the man and sank to his knees, his eyesight growing foggy as his blood continued to run from the deep wound.

Fujitaka pulled his sword from Syaoran's side, raising it above his head. "Die, leader of Li."

Syaoran closed his eyes, accepting his fate. At that moment, only one thought was in his mind.

Sakura…I will be with you soon.

But the final blow did not come. Syaoran didn't feel the pain of the black slicing through his skin, but instead, he heard a sharp gasp.

Syaoran's eyes fluttered open, only to see Fujitaka standing in front of him, his sword still raised above his head. But there was something different about him…there was a thick stream of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, his eyes were wide and dull.

Fujitaka dropped his sword with a loud clatter, his hands sliding to his chest, where a sharp spear was sticking out, covered in blood.

"N-No…" the man gasped, sinking to his knees, slumping to the side in a pool of blood, not a drop of life left in his eyes.

Startled by this turn of events, Syaoran looked beyond the lifeless body before him, and smiled at a familiar figure standing on the ground just a few feet from the large mansion.

"M-Meilin…" Syaoran breathed.

Meilin smiled up at him and waved slightly. "Syaoran! I'm sorry!"

Syaoran smiled and nodded, turning to the bed of fire, which was still burning brightly.

Yue and Keroberos were beside it, trying desperately to get to their master, but to no avail. There was a barrier around her, and it would not allow them in.

"Syaoran!" Keroberos cried, clawing frantically at the barrier. "We can't…get through!"

"Let me." Syaoran said softly, gripping his side as he stood up, snatching his sword from the ground.

"Don't Syaoran!" Yue warned. "You'll only hurt yourself more!"

"Why should…I care?" Syaoran growled weakly. His world was already spinning, and he was growing weaker and weaker with each second, and each step he took.

But he didn't care. As long as he got one last moment with Sakura, he would go on.

He made it to the barrier and, with both hands on the hilt of his sword, he raised the blade high above his head.

"Force, know my plight," he shouted with what little strength he had left. "Release the light!"

He brought the sword down on the barrier with all his might, and a bright blue, almost green, burst of light exploded from the blade, wrapping itself around the barrier that held Sakura in the fiery death trap.

"I-Impossible…" Yue breathed, shielding his eyes from the blinding light.

"Sakura!" Syaoran shouted, tears sliding down his cheeks, as he sliced through the barrier as if it were tissue.

Once the barrier had broken, the flames that surrounded Sakura were instantly extinguished, and the light vanished, leaving only the motionless Sakura lying there, her eyes closed gently, her skin pale and cold.

"What?" Keroberos gasped as Syaoran reached out and wrapped his arms around Sakura's small frame, pulling her off the bed of hay, into his arms. "She's…she's untouched!"

"Sakura…" Syaoran breathed, sinking onto the roof with the auburn-haired girl in his lap. "Wake up…please wake up."

He clutched her tightly to him, burying his face in her hair, tears running down his cheeks.

"Syaoran!" Touya shouted as he, Tomoyo and Eriol rushed onto the roof. "Syaoran!"

Tomoyo gasped. "Sakura!"

"Oh no…" Eriol breathed, quickly grabbing Tomoyo as she tried to rush to her friend, pulling the teen against his chest. "Don't Tomoyo!"

"Sakura…Sakura!" Tomoyo cried, fighting against Eriol's grasp. "Let me go! Sakura!"

"Tomoyo…please!" Eriol pleaded, clutching her to his chest as she broke down into tears, sinking to her knees.

"She's…" Touya breathed, walking slowly towards Syaoran and his sister. "No…father…he actually…went through with it..."

"And died for it." Yue said softly, resting his hand on Touya's shoulder.

Touya lowered his head, his shoulders shaking, his fists clutched tightly at his side. "No…Sakura..."

Syaoran, however, hadn't noticed any of this, for he was in his own world, with the girl he loved clutched tightly in his arms. Each moment he held her, he could feel himself slipping away, the coldness engulfing him.

"Sakura…wake up." he pleaded, his breath shaky. "S-Sakura!"

He continued to sit there on the tiled roof, letting his tears fall freely. He barely noticed the small hand reach out and stroke his cheek.

"Syaoran?" a faint voice whispered.

Syaoran gasped and lifted his head, staring down at Sakura's face, her cheeks pink and her emerald eyes open, staring up at him.

"Why are you…crying?" she whispered, cupping the side of his face with her hand. "Don't cry."

"S-Sakura." Syaoran choked. "You're alive."

He clutched her to him again, tears of relief streaking down his cheeks.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo gasped through her tears, turning from Eriol's embrace to the auburn-haired girl.

"She's alive…" Touya smiled. "Thank God."

"I saw her." Sakura said softly against Syaoran's chest.

"Her? Saw who?" Syaoran asked, pulling away just enough so he could look into her face.

"My mother." Sakura said softly, tears glossing her eyes. "She protected me from the fire. I could feel her around me…she spoke to me."

Syaoran smiled and nodded. "Thank God."

Sakura nodded, suddenly noticing Syaoran's wound. "Syaoran…you're hurt."

"I-It's nothing." Syaoran said, suddenly hit with a wave of dizziness. "I'm…fine."

"Syaoran? Syaoran!" Sakura gasped as his grip on her fell limp and he slumped to the side, lying back on the tiled roof. "Syaoran no!"

"Shit!" Touya gasped, rushing to his sister's side, falling to his knees. "He's hurt! Yue, we have to get him to a doctor!"

"I can heal him." Sakura cried as Touya wrapped his arms around her, pulling her away from the Chinese boy. "I can heal him!"

"No, you're too weak now." Touya said. "Yue, get him to a doctor!"

Yue nodded and knelt beside Syaoran, gently scooping the boy into his arms.

"Sakura…" Syaoran said softly, his amber gaze dreamy, fixed on her. "I…love you."

Then he closed his eyes, and was silent.

"Syaoran…Syaoran!" Sakura cried, reaching out for him, but Touya only held her back. "No! I can help him!"

"Not yet Sakura, not yet." Touya whispered, holding her back as Yue spread his wings and flew from the roof, carrying Syaoran away.

"Syaoran!" Sakura screamed, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Don't die! Syaoran!"

"E-Eriol?" Tomoyo whimpered, watching as Sakura turned and cried into her brother's chest. "Will Syaoran…be okay?"

"I don't know Tomoyo," Eriol said softly, staring after the winged man. "I really don't know."

DUN DUN DUN!
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