Sakura's Last Chance in Time
3rd Edition
By Isaac M. Zavelsky
Chapter 2: The Cold Hard Truth
The wreaked shadow of time lingered high above the earth this day, as below the clouds scattered around was the disgraceful sign of power, as it indulges the world into an endless night. It grabbed the last plight of love and dragged it below the rock. Silent cries could be heard in people's minds as only one soul was the creator and responsible for this darkness, the person that is called 'Sakura'.
Location: Just outside Tomoda, Federal States of America
Date: March 31st, 2011.
Time: 16:28hrs
The sky was a pallet of only darkness in gray; the blue sky was extinct as huge clouds of dark gray covered the range in where Sakura would live the remainder of her unnatural life. The surroundings were surreal to the cold reality of the future Sakura and her friends had been destined to live. They lived where they'd least expect, home. But despite how much the landscape was familiar, it no longer was there true home.
The city lay abandoned the place covered itself inside a dark array of towers that lined old crushed cement pavement of its streets. The buildings stood like ancient obelisks, quietly and shadowing the ground day by day. No natural life lived; the place was sterile of anything remotely organic.
On the other side of the river stood the new part of Tomoda, or what was apart of the new power that controlled the world, a massed were many temporary buildings and concrete blocks, huge runways lined three in a row. This area what once Sakura's old neighborhood, it's now her prison.
The weather poured a deep dark rain all over the region. The storm that blew a death chills towards to anyone in this appalling place. In had become a nightmare vision of how hell could be better then living on this dark and terrifying new earth. The world stood still in progression of humanity's existence; because of this one place on earth.
On this last day of the month drove down a road a motorcade of military vehicles towards the blackened hole on the earth. Ahead of the Vehicles was a line of twisted wire and mesh, this combination included a cement gun tower surrounded by many guards and sentries. The vehicles slowed and halted before a gate warning the results of anyone attempting to get through. A guard walks with rifle at the ready towards the diver-side window and knocks on the thick glass.
The window scrolls down, Instead of a person's voice appeared a plastic card on string. After the guard takes a view; the guard snaps himself to attention and singles for the gateway to open. The window on the car scrolls up and locks in place, silently the car begins to forward towards the half open gate.
The vehicles pass over a bridge towards the decaying ruins of Japanese lifestyle, culture and livelihood piled on the streets are the furniture of its former residents, nothing they were allowed to keep, children's toys and dolls left discarded on the side of the road, damaged and slowly being broken apart by time itself. The piles of other things also remained, cars left and burnt, clothes torn apart and thrown away, people's treasures forgotten forever.
The vehicles then entered the darkest part of town, the towering buildings that once filled themselves with workers. It now seemed that they had been abandoned for centuries. there were what remain of a lost society that had seemed just vanish. The streets sidewalks were piled high with melted metal and broken glass, ripped sheets of fabric hung from windows. The streets smelt as sewages flowed freely onto the street and towards the river. They then soon approached the only bridge left standing; it crumbled as the gravel crunched underneath the tires of the vehicles.
Before them was another narrow path that intertwined thought rubble and ruin. Then there was an opening, a huge flat ground bordered by fence. The vehicles picked up speed as it went along the side of the fence towards a distant gate. In this huge area was the airbase that the military had built over the old homes. Without any warning the horrific and haunting whistles of two jet fighters pass over the vehicles towards the runways. Theses huge flying masses of metal touch downed onto the smooth runway and taxied into a huge pavilion of hundreds of aircraft.
The vehicles approach the gateway near the large buildings and hangers that lined the runway. Ahead was another gate, twice as much guns and guards walked up and down this one. The vehicle stopped and waited, as more guards approach. One particular guard leans towards the window and knocks on it gently.
"Who is this?" Spoke the Sentry.
"General. Three stars" a grumbled response from inside.
The guard stood waited before he was given an I.D card for proof. Towards the gate another guard gave a signal for effort. Still not pleased with the results, he continued to ask more questions,
"What business are you here for?"
"The business I'm here for is not of your concern son, now open the gate!" spoke a grumbled voice in the passenger seat.
The guard took no spare moment to order the gates to open.
"Welcome to Fort Dragon, sir" the soldier spoke as they prepared to drive off.
The vehicles proceeded down a fresh paved road towards the main building, which mostly was submerged in the ground. The driver came into entry that went into the ground. The vehicle went down this tunnel almost thirty meters down until they approached a gate, the driver ordered a marine to open the doorway. The door open to reveal a large room with five other vehicles parked. The driver parked into a space reserved closest to the lift. The room was brightly lit with white light across the ceiling, everything was white or green-gray this was the first of many rooms were nothing seemed to appear natural. It was all artificial.
The doors of the vehicle opened and out came a few men, the general looked around and started walking, his advisors followed, in the opposite direction approached a single officer.
"General" the man saluted "Welcome to Fort Dragon"
The general who didn't care nodded slightly and started to continue forward.
"I believe I should take you to the commanding officer, sir" he continued,
"Very well my intention major, now take me to him" the general grumbled with his tone
"Yes sir"
The small group of officers walked down the hall towards the main elevator, they all clambered into the lift and clicked to the top floor, the small box lift then lifted up to the top floor. The general flanked with his advisors entered the dark cold office hallways and proceeded to the room at the end. The general walked down and grumbled to his advisors as he returned salute to every person that saluted, the general the slammed thought the door of the commanding officer.
Leaning back in a chair, with his feet on the table was the commander of the fort, dart in hand pointed toward towards the disappeared door.
"At attention, you freaking slacker!" The general yelled,
The officer fell back in his chair and slammed into the wall, an advisor stood next to the downed commander. The major stood up and finally gave a salute.
"What in my name are you doing in my office Colonel!" The general yelled with an old grumble in his voice.
"Sorry sir" Spoke the Colonel with Texan accent "your office?"
"Colonel! What the hell gave you the initiative that your former commanding would give an officer like you command of this hellhole?"
"Sir I was left in command by…"
"I don't care who gave you this office, now here is the order, pick up your sorry rear and get out of my office, now!"
The Colonel took no time grabbing his dart and beer and ran out the door slamming it, thus making the dart board fall down.
"Clean this office up, I want all officers in the meeting room in ten minutes" The general spoke as he left the room, the advisors went to work as he said to.
Location: Fort Dragon prison/air base, Tomoda, Federal States of America
Date: March 31st, 2011
Time: 18:30hrs
"Gentlemen, firstly I've give you the news, I'm in command now, for now on if there isn't anyone that's up to my standards, I want him or her shot, understood"
The room was dimly lit, it was dusty and the only window that looked out onto the airbase was half covered in soot. The room essential was 1 long table and 12 chairs, half of which were empty. The general looked almost dead in the dark room, but his blackened overalls covered him in a dark shadow.
"As well, I'm here to speed up the interrogation, it has been 18 months since this place was built and you have only have been bale to get almost nothing out of these demented freaks, meanwhile the people in Washington state have almost found everything about the cards we need. So why can't you do the same?"
"Sir we have to be human, the Geneva Convention law says that we…"spoke an anonymous person at the end of the table,
The general approached the person in the dark and slapped him over the head.
"This is a military fort of the United States of America" The general paused for a second. The United States of America had become the Federal States of America after three years of conflict. On July 4th, 2010; the president or now Emperor declared the invaded areas officially American soil and changed the name of the vast land to something different. People were still adjusting to the change, including the high brass. A recent assignation attempt forced the Emperor to re-shuffle his staff to the front line, and this is where this man ended up. He had been the man that first read the intelligence report that came in on that day four years ago; it was his decision to allow this information to go to the president that ultimately led events to the war. The recent assignation had him stripped of two stars and shipped out to the front line. Now he wanted revenge; he had no connection to the bombing, yet he had to pay. He was fueled with hate on every degree.
"We don't have the 'Convention laws' here, we have the 'American laws', to get what we want, when we want, at any cost from with these freaks, we get what we want and that is all we do"
"Yes sir" spoke all officers,
"Now when is the next interrogation?'
"In two hours sir, with Chihura" spoke a major.
"Okay then, as of 18:45 hours I've installed a new policy of interrogation. If she say's nothing in fifteen minutes…kill her" Spoke the general in a grumble,
The entire room went mumbled silently, not one person looked away from the general.
"How" spoke the Texan Colonel, who apparently was still drunk. The general picked through his overcoat and threw an old revolver onto the table. Every person in the room then went stone cold at the movement the general made.
"Simple Colonel, one shot in the head, and if you slackers don't do it…I will personally" Not one said a word, most knew the prisoners they kept downstairs. They even started to like them, but standing up to this new commander would certainly mean death.
"Dismissed, I will personally come if she doesn't talk" the general spoke to as he picked up his gun and left.
Location: Cell 13, Cell Block C, Fort Dragon Airbase, Federal States of America.
Date: March 31st, 2011
Time: 19:00hrs
Chihura and Rita were alone in there cell; knowing that today, they would have to be interrogated. Rita was lying down after her interrogation. Chihura waited slowly before she was taken into the hallway.
"Are you feeling better Rita-Chan?" Chihura slowly spoke to her as they both lied down on the beds.
"I'm…a…little…tired…" Rita spoke and passed out.
Chihura jumped to life and crawled to her friend
"Rita-Chan? Rita-Chan, answer me!" Chihura shook her body.
Behind her the steel door blew open, and walked in the major and two armed marines. They slowly pointed the rifles at her head. And ordered her to get up and walk out.
"But sir, please…my friend…"
"She'll be fine…you on the other hand wont might not have the same kind of hope if you act like you always to"
"But I keep telling you what I know" Chihura spoke in defiance.
"Then you better think up something, quick"
Chihura cooperated with the marines and walked out of her cell, she was escorted down the hallway towards Sakura and Syaoran's Cells. In the main intersection of the hall way, they went down another hallway. At the end was a large steel door, a guard went to open it and push Chihura into the room. The room had simple lighting, only two lights that shone a light blue gleam.
The remainder of the room was a fixture of weapons of torture. Inside this room, it was below freezing, the huge radiator behind admitted a blistering cold wind into the room. Chihura was not clothed well and could only be in here for short periods of time. Chihura sat down and waited for it to begin. The door slammed shut when the interrogator walked in, the guards left the room. The integrator carried a small bag, inside was a recorder and a shock rod. He placed the recorder on the box and started to talk while playing with the end of his shock rod.
"Good Evening Chihura my dear, are you going to talk to me today…"the interrogator grabbed his shock rod and stung her stomach once Chihura moved and got up again. "…or am I going to shock you for 2 hours"
"Please…sir…I've…told you all I know"
"Rubbish" the interrogator yelled into her left ear "You have said that same thing for every second day in the two years, although I must admit you are very good to hold information in for that long"
The door opened up and in entered the Colonel.
"I have I missed anything, turn that recorder off"
"Yes sir" the interrogator spoke tuning the recorder off.
"Chihura you cant hide anything, I swear I that the new general will not approve this"
"I have been telling you for the past two years, I don't know anything about Sakura's magic"
The Colonel stood there and waited for her to respond. Ten minutes past as Chihura sat there freezing on her chair, the Colonel waited and sweated the interrogator walked around her and finally the time came. The interrogator stood there and looked towards the Colonel. The Colonel nodded and walked towards the phone and dialed it waited and hung up. He approached Chihura and spoke again,
"You do realize that if you don't tell us now, there will be no going back on your decision" the major spoke in a matter-of-fact voice.
"I cant, I don't know…anything"
"You don't know enough to save your life?" the general murmured as his voice appeared with his body form the dark corner of the room, both the interrogator and the Colonel jumped.
"Sir I beg you, I don't know anything, Sakura kept it a secret"
"Chihura, I don't beg mercy to anyone, I was the man who approved Sakura's capture, and seeing that the previous commander couldn't do his job, I've been filed into replace him" the general grabbed the shock rod off the interrogator and started playing with the end.
"But something I must admit about your boyfriend and you have a lot in common, was the name Yamazaki Takashi right? Yes, he was a tough case like you; he didn't say anything that was honestly believable"
The interrogator and the Colonel looked at the general. The general himself told one whopper of a lie. Yamazaki hadn't been captured, instead had been declared dead; although in four years, no one had ever manage to find his body or any evidence of where he went. He was one of two people affiliated with Sakura that disappeared without a trace during the war. Chihura believed the story one hundred percent, it was kind of difficult to not believe a man of his power.
"You didn't…kill him, did you?"
"When I believe he was of no use, I made his painful life much shorter"
Chihura wanted to cry, but couldn't as the general took the shock rod and stung her in her ear twice.
"Tell me what you know!" the general yelled into her other ear.
Chihura was too weak, staved and injured to carry on.
"Your time is up, Chihura…you' could have grown up to be a beautiful young woman Chihura had you not known Sakura, but you had chosen this for your destiny a traitor to us, throwing in your bidding with those freaks"
The general pulled out his gun and pointed it onto her forehead.
"…you've had your last chance to prove to me that you should live; now you will learn your true result of your choices…"
Location: Cell 11, Cell Block C, Fort Dragon Airbase, Federal States of America.
Date: March 31st, 2011
Time: 19:00hrs
Sakura screamed to awaken at the echoing crack of a gun in the interrogator's room. Sakura was extremely pail and her body was frozen into the metal clamps of her bed. She struggled to breath; her body was lying down, terribly underweight and her skin cleanly whitened by the cold winds that brew into her cell window. Sakura's body was covered in scars; her body stopped normal development; Sakura had a clean bill of health before she was imprisoned. Now her body was suffering major problems in terms of development.
Sakura found energy to get out of bed and crawled up to the doorway were a small hole remained for people to look at her. Sakura looked into the hole and saw out into the hallway. The freezing intake of flesh air flowed through the hole and hurt her eye as she peered down to the end of the hall. Was a doorway opened up, out came a bed trolley with a white sheet covered over the occupant. Sakura's eyes began to water when they started to move the trolley out and towards the room across the hall which was better known as the freezer room.
Sakura then saw a dark robed man walk directly towards her and stop short of the door, Sakura ducked and sat down by the door. Without anything better to do, Sakura started to listen to the conversations.
"Sir, we went too far, I'm not questioning your decision, but why did you kill her?"
"Colonel, her excess were are not allowed in my book, and it allowed me to decide her fate, and we cannot afford to keep these people anymore"
"What kind of book is this, sir? We can't just kill innocent people…"
"She was not innocent, she and her friends were guilty, there freaks, not even human, so why should we treat them like human's?"
"Cause they are humans!" the Colonel spoke up.
"Colonel! Keep you opinions in your hole! Now, when is the next interrogation?"
"Two days from now, I think its Tomoyo's turn"
"I'll tell you what; I won't kill Tomoyo or her friends but only if they tell me something I want to hear" the general smirked, he's deal wouldn't change much,
"Fine, but sir please. Don't kill them; they are nice people when you get to know them…"
"You have been talking with these prisoners! I don't know why I shouldn't just kill you"
"Sir, it was…a…plan"
"Plan, Colonel …a Plan?"
"Well, if we they could just trust us, they might talk"
"Rubbish Colonel, hang around me few days and you might learn a few things about these kinds of people that interrogations don't" The Colonel nodded in agreement, although he didn't agree at any point.
"The remaining prisoners will be informed that this one will be buried tomorrow morning at 0900 hours, is that understood?"
"Yes sir"
"Very well" the general spoke and walked off towards the staircase and left.
The interrogators left the room and approached the Colonel who was leaning his back on a wall with his head in his hands thinking. The Colonel looked up and spoke.
"Were not going to kill them all, yet" The Colonel announced.
"Listen" The interrogator spoke "She's with her boyfriend now, she isn't here in this hellhole, you aren't alone and a lot of people are going to miss her"
Location: Fort Dragon airbase, Federal States of America
Date: April 1st, 2011.
Time: 0850hrs
The next day was quiet different from yesterday, it was quite a rare occasion that all members of the group would be assembled in the one area, particularly here thought, this was the only time all of them were allowed to be together, at a funeral. Sakura walked slowly down the hill towards the graves of two of her other friends, Kero and Yukito; they had suffered the same fate when both attempted to escape the airbase when they first arrived. Sakura crept down to the small grave of Kero, her best friend when she was in trouble, her only friend that could help her when the odds were stacked against her. She now needed him more then any other time.
The next grave was a large one, it had to be more then 3 meters in length, Sakura looked for the tombstone to check, but it had been destroyed over the years. Sakura had known Yue more as someone she feared for so long, but now he was a lot better then the people that Sakura dealt with now.
"Sakura-Chan?" Spoke a weak flailed voice "Its been a very long time?"
Sakura turned around to face her faithful friend, Tomoyo. Tomoyo was suffering the same kind of punishment that Sakura had been given, her hair was tied back and 2/3 the size that its original length was, She had by her side a crudely made cane that she needed to get around, her body was incredibly weak from punishing conditions over time. She was thin, a major change from Tomoyo, who before all this was joking about putting on weight because of her love for Eriol's cooking. Of course; that was four years ago, it was amazing what happens over the years.
"Sakura-Chan, you still look as cute as ever" Tomoyo joked then coughed.
Sakura came to the aid of her sick friend, and hugged her back.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine Sakura-Chan"
Sakura was about ready to collapse and cry right there, until a marine came up to them and instructed them to come to the ceremony. All the remaining members, five in all stood side by side as the coffin of Chihura was lowered into the grave
'May our god, please bring mercy on her deviled soul" spoke the chaplain on the airbase, who was under strict instructions to not bless Sakura or any of her friends.
"Alright, we have been nice to you" Grumbled the general as he approached the grave "You will all have the rest of today off to sleep, the chaplain will come around and give you your blessings and wishes"
"Sir?" spoke the chaplain confused, oddly wondered by what he said,
"Ha, you gullible trash, April fools the lot of you!"
Tomoyo thought and whispered to Sakura "Today is April 1st, it's your birthday today Sakura-Chan"
'I know Tomoyo, but I don't like this day anymore"
Tomoyo nodded and started to walk of with the rest of the group. Back to there cement cells to wait, all thinking they'd be in the next grave.
Location: Commanding office, Fort Dragon airbase, Federal States of America
Date: April 1st, 2011.
Time: 12:58 hrs
Some time later in the afternoon, the chaplain went upstairs to the main office of the general of the fort. The cold hallways reminded him of downstairs in the cells, the heaters didn't work here too well, and it remained very cold, the chaplain came to the door and knocked gently
"What is it" Spoke the voice in the office.
"Sir, can I have a word with you in private" spoke the light hearted voice of the chaplain,
"Come in" responded the voice,
The chaplain slowly walked into the room, it was unusually warmer then the rest of the base, at least warm enough to work in. the chaplain slowly sat down on the chair and waited,
"Well father, what's on your mind?" The general spoke putting down some files. The general was a religious man for some reason, and this made it certain that the priest was the least likely man to die under the new commander.
"Well sir…I couldn't help but look at Sakura today, this morning, something is lacking from her, and the rest of the group they are without close friendships. Well I'm Saying is that, I want Rita brought in to Naoko and Tomoyo's cell and Syaoran brought into Sakura's cell"
"Are you out of your mind, father?" he general stared at the chaplain,
"Sir, after all this time, Sakura has barely had any contact with her boyfriend, Syaoran. Did you know those to were to marry that night you cam into there lives" The Chaplin had been on base every since Sakura and Syaoran were transferred. In his two years, he had become the medium contact between the Federal States of America and Sakura. The former commander had used this contact point as a way of getting information, it was slow, but it reduced the need to use torture; of course the rules always change when somebody new arrives.
"So?"
"Sir I'm just asking you, can we move Sakura and Syaoran in together?" spoke the army Chaplain
"No, it's too dangerous to let them, what if they breed something we can't control?" The general spoke at his desk.
"Sir, there only teenagers that need a friend, if we can't, please sir, before we lose Sakura"
"Lose Sakura?"
"Sir, we are going to drive Sakura insane at this rate, and then she'll be useless for information"
The general pondered on that suggestion and then picked up a file of his desk, and finally spoke.
"Fine, but if I hear another request anytime soon, Sakura lives alone again" the general looked seriously at him.
"I only wish to see them happy for once" the chaplain spoke and left. The Chaplin getting his way with the general decided to quickly to spread the good news to the prisoners. Making his walk towards and lift, he pressed for the second floor. He went down for three floors, until the door opened on the cell block level. He started walking to an intersection; from here he walked toward another passage until he came to a check point. Nobody checked the priest, for holy reasons, inside this area; Sakura and Company were locked in cells ten to thirteen.
Sakura was still left in her cell crying a river of tears in her small dark cell, only with a bed and enough space to stand up. This room was all her world represented, Sakura sniffed her nose and coughed some more with the beginning of another fever. Sakura was ready to fall asleep when a light tap on the door came, Sakura was most aware who that was, and smiled only for a second and looked at the door, in came a tall young man, probably the only person not wearing a military uniform.
"Good evening Sakura"
"Good…evening father, Sir I…" Sakura stammered,
"Sakura, please…calm down"
"I assume that you're here to give me my final rights?"
"No, no, no, my dear Sakura, I'm here to forgive your soul…"
"Yes father Sir"
"…and to bring good news to your mind"
"Good news? What could be good news after what happened yesterday?"
"Yes, you see…a lot of people are a lot like you Sakura, we don't show it, but we all wish that you and your friends weren't in the disgraceful place. Many like the Colonel you might have encountered last night. You are a beautiful young girl that is trapped in a place worse then hell…but you were always alone, so I've talked with the general, you and your friends won't be killed like that, but unfortunately that is only for a short time, but I have made it so that you won't live in here alone anymore"
"Who will be here?" Sakura questioned,
"In the morning Sakura, you'll find out"
The chaplain stood up and proceeded out the door to talk to the others in the next cell room. Sakura lay down to sleep trying to think of who that could be, and who did she interact with this morning. Sakura filled her mind of thought of Tomoyo and Chihura, thinking and falling asleep thinking and dreaming of leaving this place.
Location: Fort Dragon airbase, Federal States of America
Date: April 2nd, 2011.
Time: 06:30 hrs
The night slowly turned into another dawn, today the prevailing winds brew a mighty gale over the area as the rain came down in huge portions. The dirt became slippery and wet, and the rain wrecked anything that stood outside. Inside the main building, many of the officers preferred to sleep instead of doing work, the general was at his desk signing papers and cleaning his office. Meanwhile downstairs something else was happening
Sakura slowly gain awaken energy, her body was unusually warm. Sakura waited for her head to clear and her eyes to refocus before she'd do anything. Sakura first felt someone else's presence in the room, afraid that it could be the general, Sakura stayed still and waited, she then felt something touching her skin and her hair. Sakura continued to wait; she'd try to think for an answer for what or who that was.
Sakura tried to turn over on to her back, but something seamed to an interruption to her movement. Sakura finally gained focus to her eyes and turned her head and move her top arm. What Sakura discovered was a arm over covering her arm and touching up to arm joint. Sakura lifted her arm that was imbedded on her and lifted this arm up so that she could turn over onto her back. Slowly Sakura inched her way onto her back until she simplify gave up and let her body fall back onto her back, she held the arm that was on her arm and slowly lowered it onto her stomach.
Sakura then saw the body belonging to the arm; it was about her height, the skin roughened and the hands and arms with lots of muscle. Sakura then slowly turned her head to look at the face of this stranger, slowly scared of who it could be. It was a young male with dark amber hair, very messy, behind the over grown hair, was a face Sakura immediately recognized.
"Syaoran-kun?" Sakura whispered.
The figure remained still and quite, almost lifeless. Sakura picked up his hand and placed it on her chest so that he could feel her heart beat. Sakura the turned over to face him directly, Syaoran didn't make any signs of movement; this started to worry Sakura a bit. Sakura looked towards Syaoran's closed eyes and tried to look for signs of movement, Sakura the raise her hand place her cold clammy hand onto his face and felt a warm present glow around his face. Sakura could feel his magic aura growing stronger in his nervous as they all went to his eyes.
Syaoran's the started to move his hand up from Sakura's chest and lowered it onto her exposed cheek. Syaoran slowly opened his eyes and closed them again, it had looked like they had never been opened before, but he continued and struggled to open them fully. When he could, the sight he was welcomed with was unbelievable to his mind, despite the apparent changes to her; Sakura was once again with her. He was with his cherry blossom once more.
Syaoran tried to warm his lips to speak, but he couldn't do that with all his energy trying to keep his eyes open and Sakura in his sights. He closed his eyes and prepared to open his mouth. Until Sakura gently put a single finger across his lips and spoke in her soft voice,
"Don't speak Syaoran-kun, were together again…" Sakura removed her finger blocking his mouth "…you don't need to tell me"
Sakura then moved in a little and kissed him on the cheek, which suddenly gave Syaoran a quick burst of energy that he desperately needed. Syaoran opened his eyes and then hugged Sakura, then moved underneath her turned her to face him. Sakura moved in motion with him and paused. Syaoran then looked as he moved some hair blocking Sakura's left eye and continued,
"I've been too long without you my cherry blossom…" he weakened his eyes "…and don't want to part ways with you again"
Syaoran closed his eyes and kissed Sakura softly on the lips. Sakura melted in Syaoran's warm body and quickly found comfort to sleep again, Syaoran did the same as well and slowly deepened his mind into sleep, knowing that his dreams finally came true.
Across the other side of the thick wall between Sakura's cell and the next, lay a different scene altogether. Naoko and Rita reunited in an ever lasting hug as they first caught glimpse of there faces, Tomoyo thought sat distant from the group sitting up in her bed laying froze and lifeless. Staved of love and care, Tomoyo was finally starting to waste away, giving up on living on her shameful existence.
Naoko and Rita finally noticed this and came to Tomoyo to see if she was alright. Naoko and Rita weren't experts on human emotions and such; but were very much aware of her condition.
"Has she ever talked about it?" Rita spoke,
"No, she just sits there day after day with that stare, sometimes she gets up and walks, and during the winter; we shared the same bed for warmth, but she never talks about anything" Naoko explained,
Rita sat next to Tomoyo and lay next to her head on the pillow, Rita hugged her only to be greeted by a cold and clammy skin that had lost its color and depth. The two girls sat hoping to hear something from her when suddenly Rita sat up.
"Huh?" Rita thought aloud,
"What is it Rita-Chan?" Naoko asked,
"In silence, I could swear I heard Tomoyo-Chan say something in her breath"
"What did she say?"
"Sakura-Chan" Rita spoke silently,
The girls then understood two people she missed the most, one of which was only on the other side of the wall she backed.
Syaoran and Sakura dosed off little more then an hour ago, there first encounter in a long time made both of them happy. Syaoran was quite okay to accept the crushing hard mattress under him and what seemed heavier Sakura on top of him, its was only a small set back to what he had gained.
Syaoran slowly opened his eyes once more and carefully looked at the door to see another pair of eye looking back at him through the eye hole in the door. Syaoran was ready to catapult Sakura right off him and go back to sleep, when he saw a partial shine in his eye, he could then recognize the person more, it was the chaplain that made this happen.
Syaoran moved into a more comfortable position, but resulted in waking up Sakura. Sakura fizzled her eyes open, first seeing Syaoran's tired but welcoming face pretending to sleep. Sakura started to giggle which made Syaoran open his eyes again.
"What's so funny Sakura-Chan?" Syaoran whispered.
"Nothing, but you need to work on your acting skills a bit"
Syaoran didn't laugh or smile but hugged Sakura and brought her closer together. Sakura was ready to kiss when Syaoran stopped her, Sakura paused and the spoke,
"Why did you stop me…?"
Syaoran looked behind Sakura to the door and saw the chaplain still looking
"Cause I somewhat fell the presence of someone is watching us"
The chaplain with his good hearing then knew that he had to leave those to alone, walking along and up the stairs, he thought "Their such a promising couple, but why did they have to be destined for this place"
The Chaplain the made his way up the steep cement stairs up to the officers quarters and into a room at the end of a small hallway, inside was a half drunk Colonel thinking about the events two nights ago.
"Good morning Colonel"
The major noticed the presence of the man and stood up, trying very hard not to lose his balance and fall back into his chair.
"Good…morning…Father, sir"
"I was sent to talk to you by the captain that lives in the next room"
"Is that so…" the Colonel attempted to get you; only to lose his balance and collapsed into his chair, when he landed and looked up he then spoke again "Listen father, I know that what ever I do down there is not god's willing and all, but I don't want to die because I'm not following the orders"
"I know that, but I was done stairs before, what I heard about you before was unbelievable"
"What, don't tell me that someone told you last night or something"
"I fortunately did, listen I need you, to help me help one of Sakura's friends today, Tomoyo"
"I know her; she's the one that's that wont talk to anyone"
"That's not true"
"What makes you so certain father?"
"Yesterday at the funeral, I saw Tomoyo next to Sakura next to that grave of that smaller guardian beast, now I couldn't really hear them, but, Tomoyo is only approached Sakura for a reason, the same way you did that night"
"So what do you want me to do?"
"I want to firstly have Sakura and Tomoyo in the room today, and secondly, I want to be there"
"Okay, father, but I doubt that sir will approve it"
Location: Fort Dragon airbase, Federal States of America
Date: April 1st, 2011.
Time: 17:20hrs
"You want to do what!" The general yelled at the major
"Sir, it's a suggestion the Chaplain made, I…"
"Listen Colonel, I don't give a care in a world what that white collar nerd wants, this is my airbase, and we go by my rules…"
"Sir" the Colonel abruptly spoke "Tomoyo has not said a word in two years; she's lost her mental capacity, which means…"
"She'll be eliminated" the General finishing the sentence "I told you yesterday about getting rid of useless people"
"Sir, In all honesty, you are been absolutely reckless with the situation sir, these are teenagers, there not familiar to situations like this"
"Colonel, this is not a daycare center; those freaks downstairs will do what I tell them to, when I want them to talk, they will talk. When I tell them they will die, they will respect that" The general continued "…and you! And your behavior for these freaks, its not impressing me at all, unless you want to tried for treason major, I suggest you start to act like a Colonel in the United…Federal States army…"
Suddenly a loud roar came from outside, both the general and the major raced to the window and watched the southern runway as a fighter was landing. Outside the speaker was out loud yelling,
"Your too low, pull up the rear…now...now!..."
The aircraft then dived into a stall, the tail of the plane hit the and bounced of the runway, the entire plane hurled forward, nose first into the runway and exploded into a huge fireball on the runway.
"Not again! I wanted those Mig's out of this region, those things keep taking the patrol planes, I wont have anything to protect this place" the general talked to himself,
The major then quietly started for the door, before the general stopped him,
"Major! When is the next session?"
"In ten minutes sir, with Tomoyo"
"The alert the guards and get Tomoyo in the chair, I've be down there in five minutes, and she doesn't answer in fifteen minutes…"
"Sir, I must protest"
"Colonel, if you wish for her to live, then I won't kill her…straight away"
"Sir, I just don't see the sanity of killing them"
"I tell you what, if she doesn't say a word, I won't harm her today" The general though in his mind what he'd have to do with Colonel later.
The Colonel looked outside as the fire crew arrived to the scene of the crashed plane. The Colonel walked out and proceeded to the staircase; the general when to his desk and made a call to the interrogator's office.
"Is this the Captain? I want you to prepare a knife for miss Tomoyo today, yes I know, get me a good surgical knife and that's all I ask, now" The general made his demand and hung up. He looked outside again at the pillar of smoke and flame on the runway; he then reprised his anger for that crash and went down stairs with an overcoat and his gun in the holster. He had hell to pay and it seemed that he didn't give a rats who's blood would be spilt.
Location: Fort Dragon airbase, Federal States of America
Date: April 1st, 2011.
Time: 17:30hrs
Tomoyo look even paler when the doors on the cell started to sound of locks and bolts clicking back and forward. Rita and Naoko went and huddled to the corner of the cell, leaving Tomoyo sitting on her own. Tomoyo stood quivering as the guards came closer with their rifles squarely aimed at her forehead. Tomoyo started to exhale and inhale quicker. Her skin stayed pain white.
Then as Tomoyo was begin handcuffed, the Chaplain walked in and approached Tomoyo. Tomoyo wasn't as calm when he started to give her a final blessing before she left, Naoko and Rita could only now imagine what she could face, and that it seem almost certain that her fate was sealed.
Tomoyo did everything that he guard told her to do. She started to slow shuffle her body out of the cell and into the corridor towards the death chamber. Tomoyo was incredibly weak and could not sustain living for any longer, if they killed her now, she would not fear it as it would take her away from this horrible place. Sakura and Syaoran crept up to the small eyehole to watch, Sakura almost started to cry as she saw Tomoyo been brought down. Syaoran didn't know what to say and comforted Sakura and brought her away from the door.
Tomoyo shunted slowly down the finally path to the door of steel, behind it Tomoyo would most certainly know that this is where she would die, Tomoyo turned her head and looked at the red line that followed the middle of the hall, she looked up more to the other door at the opposite end. Behind that door was her friend, who despite resistance from Syaoran, still looked in the through to her friend entering the room.
Tomoyo was restrained from looking back and was pushed into the cold room. At the middle of the room was a table for her to lie on. Tomoyo was then instructed to lie on it and wait. Tomoyo did as she was told and slowly walked to the table. She got up and sat on the freezing cold stainless steel. She slowly lied down. Feeling the cold touch her delicate back, once she was lying down, to guards secured her down with straps, the ropes cut circulation to her arm and legs.
Tomoyo then waited for some of the longest 5 minutes in her life, begging for them to get it over with. Eventually the Colonel came in with a suitcase and prepared the instruments. Then finally came in the general, he dressed fully black this time and waited for the recorder to be turned on.
"Ah Tomoyo, good evening, I hope you had a nice day today, because if you don't answer any of the questions I tell you, it will be your last" The general grumbled again, he then picked up a needle from the suitcase that the Colonel had carried in.
"See this, this green liquid, looks nice doesn't it?
Tomoyo shook her head for a no.
"This is a numbed down version of the drug we use to kill people, I'll give you this in ten minutes if you don't speak to me"
Tomoyo's eye's started to form tears; she couldn't wipe them away, so she blinked as much as she could.
"You're afraid to die?"
Tomoyo nodded in answer.
"I see, well you know that it doesn't have to come to this, but I suppose that fate can't be changed, But what made you think that your secret would remain a secret?"
The Colonel stood in the background watching in frustration, it would be a cruel way to end someone's life if Tomoyo lost it.
"You and your friends thought that your magical secret would remain a secret, but you thought wrong, and your second secret that your Sakura friend keeps denying, that she had the intention of rising up against the United States and killing us all with that black magic of hers"
Tomoyo open her eyes even more ready to open her mouth, the general puts a gag on her. She tries to spit it out.
"You and Sakura planned to use that magic to destroy us, didn't you?" the general yelled at her "You wanted to deify humanity, prove something"
Tomoyo shook her head violently in response to the question. The general unhappy with her answer got a shock rod out.
"Tell me, was she going to use them for war!"
Tomoyo shook her head for a no, resulting in the general stinging her in the chest with shock rod.
"Tell me the truth!"
Tomoyo shook her head again, getting a more painful electric shock from the general.
"Tell me then, was Sakura going to keep this a secret forever?"
Tomoyo nodded. The general put the shock rod up to maximum output and shocked her chest again. Tomoyo jolted in pain, she was about ready to pass out, wishing that she would die soon. The general still thought he'd get the answer he wanted to hear, continued the progress.
"Ok, Tomoyo…Tell me then" He ripped of the gag and placed on the table "…tell me, what did Sakura really have in mind for the cards, her magic, her future"
Tomoyo didn't say a thing; she just sat there waiting for him to shock her in the chest. Instead the general adjusted the setting on the shock rod and pointed it to her throat.
"Well?"
Tomoyo remained quiet, and sweated incredibly much, her eyes started to flow with tears, her skin drabbed in gray and black around her eyes. The general's patience was too weak to wait any longer; he gave a low pulse shock to her neck. Tomoyo jolted on the table, choking and spewing her salvia out of her mouth.
"Tomoyo! Answer the god dam question! What the hell was Sakura planning to do?" The general yelled in her face.
Tomoyo couldn't predict the future; but for sure she knew that she was going to die soon. All it was trying to figure out when.
"You wish to give your life for Sakura?" The general spoke, his salvia dripping out his mouth "Why is she so important?"
Tomoyo decided to answer, but as she opened her lips she was shocked again in the stomach. When she recovered, she attempted to speak, but no sound came out, her voice box had been temporary been made too weak to produce any sound. Tomoyo tried to speak. The general took no notice of this and moved right up to Tomoyo and waited for a response.
In the background, the chaplain and the Colonel waited on as Tomoyo received a tremendous beating from this old general. The Chaplain continuously nudged the Colonel to intervene on the actions the general was taking. The Colonel kept still, knowing that his actions might force the general to simply kill her.
"Tomoyo, I'm going to give you five minutes to respond. If you don't, I will kill you, in either to ways..."
The general produced his sidearm, a revolver, with the blood of Chihura dried on the end of the barrel. He placed the gun on the table right next to Tomoyo's left ear. He then turned to another table and relived from a suitcase a medical issue needle. With out removing the safety cap, he placed it facing Tomoyo's right ear.
"Choice is yours Tomoyo, tell me, or choose either a quick or slow death" the general spoke finally.
Tomoyo just lay there, trying to figure out what to do. She wanted to be heard, but her once lovely voice was no longer audible. The general stepped back and timed his watch and looked. Tomoyo then looked to her left a bit and tried to find someone that could hear her, Tomoyo looked at the Colonel and stared at her. The Colonel couldn't stand to see her in much pain for any longer and walked forward to the table.
"Major, what are you doing?" The general yelled.
"Sir, her voice nerves appears to of been damaged in the last two shocks, you might of damaged it too much, she looks like she tried to say something as well"
"Colonel! She hasn't said a dam thing; Tomoyo has three minutes to speak"
The Colonel ignored the general and proceeded to check her neck burns. He covered his rough hand over the entire neck, the nerves were in shock. Her body looked like that too; The Colonel started to massage her neck for a minute, attempting to revive her voice quickly and looked over to Tomoyo's face and heard a quiet squeak coming from her mouth.
"What is it Colonel?" the general grumbled at him. the Colonel had officially crossed the line now, and the general was only trying to think of how he would kill him.
"She's tying to speak"
The Colonel came up close to her face and tried to hear her. Tomoyo strained to speak at all, but continued in a faint pace,
"Please..." Tomoyo's voice sounded like the air coming out of a tire
"Please...what?" the major asked,
"Please...tell...sakua...that...I...forgive...her..." Tomoyo crocked even more.
Tomoyo started to shake and her eyes started to go out of focus.
"Sir, she's going into shock" The major spoke "Medic!"
A person near phone picked up and started to ring for a medic, when the general started,
"Private, hang up that telephone, now private!" the general yelled,
The private, despite how much he wished he could disobey, did as he was ordered. The major stood back from the table, and spoke,
"Are you going to let her die? Sir I demand that we spare her"
"Colonel! You have crossed the line for the final time with me" The general spoke "Tomoyo has two options, die or talk"
"Sir, she can't talk!"
The general was hesitant in the Colonel's defiance he relived a hand gun and shot the major 3 times in the chest. The Colonel spun back from the impact force of the bullets and fell to the ground. The general walked around the table and approached the Colonel; he laid helpless and unarmed waiting for the final blow.
"The is one lesson you keep forgetting; there is no space in this world for weakness, only the strong will succeed, love and friendship are nothing compared to the strength of destruction and power, your kind will die off when my kind will win the day"
The general turned away from the Colonel and looked to the table with the other freak as he called them. He slowly waited and counted the time before Tomoyo had no time to live. Tomoyo was still able to see and hear, but the immense threshold of pain still existed making her wish for her time to end sooner.
The general waited for almost a minute before the time past. He reached into his pocket and recovered a gold watch. Slowly the time closed, and passed. The general placed the watch away and walked to the table.
"You ever heard of Dr Charles Darwin? Probably not, he was not a famous magician like your mentor; Clow Reed. Darwin was a naturalist who proposed the theory called 'natural selection'. Simply put, he believed that those species best equipped to survive would do so, while otherwise, less effective species would die out..."
Tomoyo tried look and think what he was really trying to imply,
You and your magic friends are different to the human race, in that we are superior to your kind, and he strongest species will always destroy the weaker ones. You freaks will die out, and we normal kinds will rule this earth" the general pulled his handgun out "I'll do you a favor and make your death a quick one"
Tomoyo leaned her head towards the gun on the table, lying right next to her. It still had the dried blood of its last victim covering the barrel end, she felt both fear and relieve that he was going to kill her. The general picked up the weapon and faced it directly above Tomoyo's Head
"Goodbye Tomoyo, you freak..."
As the he finished him speech the lights went out. Suddenly a huge sound from above rumbled everything in the room. The room vibrated badly from the movement, the general lost his balance and fell backwards onto the floor, everything one else dropped as well, glasses smashed and the metal clanged against the floor.
Some dim lights restored some vision to the room, before they went out as well. The general picked himself up and tried to find his gun to finish the job. A phone then rang, everybody in the room halted there actions, only to fall to another violent rumble, above the muffled sound of a huge explosion echoed into the room. The general picked himself up and ran towards the ringing phone, knocking a marine over in the progress; he picked up the receiver to hear a panting voice on the other end,
"What happened?" the general yelled "What happened to the power?"
Before he could get an answer another rumble disconnected the phone. The general approached a marine, who got up again,
"Marine! Find out what is going on!"
"Yes sir!"
Before he could move, the phone rang again, this time; the general picked up and heard loud shooting in the background.
"General Sir! The radar tower was hit sir!"
"What soldier?"
"We are under attack!"