"Dark and difficult times lie ahead, Harry. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right... and what is easy."
-Albus Dumbledore, "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire"
Chapter 10 The Right Way, The Easy Way
"Harry? Harry!" a panicked, familiar voice drifted into the black fog that swirled in his mind.
"Get up! Are you just going to lie down when there's fighting to be done!" another voice, angrier and rougher, shook him.
"Inuyasha!" the first voice reprimanded.
"Keh." The second scoffed.
Harry Potter's eyes opened slowly, as though they were laden with weights. Inuyasha and Robin's faces swirled into view. "Wh-what happened?" he asked hoarsely, trying to stand and finding his limbs heavier than his eyes.
"You tell us." Inuyasha said, raising an eyebrow, crossing his arms.
"Those lights... what happened, Harry?" Robin asked, concerned.
Harry struggled to stand, and managed sitting up, placing his hands on the ground as he sucked in air, feeling his chest unusually heavy, as though some massive creature was placed upon it. "I... I tried using something Kurama gave me. I guess I don't have the magic to use it though..." Harry bit his lip, frowning deeply. He shouldn't have been so reckless.
"That was stupid." Inuyasha said bluntly.
Coughing slightly, Harry stood shakily, nodding and smiling weakly. "I can see that now." Thoughts of the battle came back to him, and he straightened, smile falling away like a snowfall. "What happened to the others!"
Inuyasha's face darkened and he looked away.
Robin bit her lip. "Sakura was taken, Harry. Its better for Eriol to explain the rest."
A lead weight dropped into Harry's stomach, and he felt like vomiting. Still, he took a step forward, hoping, praying things wouldn't get worse.
Shakily, Harry, flanked by Inuyasha and Robin, stepped into the shrine.
Things got worse.
A Hell of a lot worse.
"Syaoran went after this Lord Voldemort soon after you collapsed." Eriol said quietly. There was a slight cut on his cheek, and his eyes were dim with exhaustion. "Yue and Kero followed soon after. I deigned to stay here and watch over the three of you."
"We have to go after them!" Harry shouted, feeling angry and bitter at himself for having wasted so much time when there were lives to save.
"Harry... you're still weak, remember?" Robin reminded him softly, placing her hand on his shoulder gently. "You'd better rest."
"She's right. You're no good to us if you can't fight." Inuyasha added brashly, crossing his arms as he leaned into the wall.
"I don't care." The words were harder than diamond. Inuyasha and Robin's eyes widened, and even Eriol raised a single eyebrow. Harry turned towards Inuyasha with such raw, indomitable will that the half demon felt himself overwhelmed.
"I won't run away from this. I will fight." The Keybearer said, staring hard.
Inuyasha, amazed at himself, broke the gaze, unable to keep staring. "Keh. Do what you like." He scoffed, looking off to the side.
"We'll come too." Robin said, smiling slightly as she stepped next to Harry, nodding her head.
Eriol smiled warmly, and stood, leaning on his sun tipped staff. "I see. Well, I should-" Eriol suddenly stumbled forward, and his face twisted in pain.
"Eriol!" Harry shouted, and rushed forward, grabbing the younger boy before he hit the ground. "Eriol! What happened!" he said, panicked.
"I... I must have used up a great deal of my power in that battle... and I got careless and let a Heartless injure me." There was a deep red spot on the sleeve of his right arm, and Eriol winced slightly, but smiled weakly at Harry. "Please, do not concern yourself. I will be able to heal myself. Go, and help Syaoran."
"But-" Harry began, but Eriol shook his head again.
"I will be fine. Go."
Harry stood there for a moment, frozen, fixed to the floor with indecision. Then Inuyasha grasped his shoulder tightly, and the Boy-Who-Lived's emerald eyes met the half demon's gold.
"He said he'd be fine. Now come on, if you want to fight, then prove it." Inuyasha said, and stared with as much willpower as he could muster.
"We should hurry in order to catch up with them." Robin added, and placed a set of glasses on her nose, pushing them up with two fingers.
Harry swallowed hard. "Right."
As he moved forward however, he suddenly paused. "Wait. There's something I need to get." The others shot him questioning looks, but Harry started rummaging about inside of the bag Zelda gave him, feeling around for-
"There!" Harry exclaimed, holding a small vial of sapphire liquid, which swirled around silently.
"Harry, what's that?" Robin asked quietly.
"It's a magic potion. The Queen said it would help me restore some of my magic if I really need it." The Boy-Who-Lived explained, popping the cork with minimal difficulty. He wrinkled his nose. "It could smell better though..." he murmured, and screwed his eyes up as he downed it in one gulp.
Immediately, Harry felt a subtle warmth inside of him, and some of the weariness left him. He wasn't completely back to full strength, but it would give him enough power to do some good.
"Now I'm ready." Harry said, and the Keyblade flashed into existence.
"Right. Let's go." Robin agreed, nodding her head as she glanced at Inuyasha.
"I suppose someone's got to make sure you two don't get yourselves killed." The half demon said with mock irritation, placing his arms behind his head.
"We weren't the ones who went nuts last battle." Harry shot back snidely, raising an eyebrow.
"What'd you say?" Inuyasha demanded, fist clenched as he lunged forward.
Robin rolled her eyes, and giggled slightly.
Harry ducked low, grinning impishly. "Just making a statement, dog boy." He said tartly, and his grin widened.
"DOG BOY!" Inuyasha hurled himself forward, and the Boy-Who-Lived laughed loudly, ducking away easily.
"GET BACK HERE!" the half demon yelled, fist raised as Harry continued avoiding his (mostly) joking attacks.
Eriol hid a smile behind his hand, shaking his head in bemusement. Saviors as children. This is for the best... I hope.
Inuyasha landed, feet first, with a small thump on the ground, bent in a low crouch. "Alright, we're here." He said seriously, and then turned his head behind him. "Now would you get the Hell off of me!" the half demon barked, glaring at Harry and Robin.
Nodding, the witch and the Boy-Who-Lived released their hold on Inuyasha's back.
With a wrinkled nose of disgust, Inuyasha straightened, still glaring back at them. "Why exactly was I carrying the both of you on my back?" he questioned irritably.
"Because you're the fastest one, and we can't waste time." Robin responded neutrally, but her lip curled into a tiny smile.
Inuyasha growled, and his eyebrow twitched.
"Enough. Robin's right, there's no time to lose." Harry said seriously, Keyblade flashing into existence in his hand. He had been the one to feel an incredible wrongness in this direction, as though something wicked had been done. It hadn't been his scar, which was a mere faint throb, but in his gut, unsettling and disquieting.
Whatever this new skill was, it was probably because of the Keyblade.
"Where are we, anyway?" Inuyasha said, sniffing the air cautiously. The night moon was a tiny sliver, and the dark shadows crept around every corner.
Robin frowned, and glanced about. "From the looks of it, a playground." She said dubiously, eyeing the two seat swings and large, penguin shaped slide with caution.
Harry nodded, and stepped nearer to the center of the park, where the massive blue penguin dominated. It was a huge thing, comically large with a crown on top of its head and a metal slide running down from its mouth.
He waved the Keyblade in front of him slowly, eyeing every shadow.
"Wait." Inuyasha's voice was low and grave, and he sniffed the air again. "There's blood in the air tonight." His eyes shot toward a small shape on the ground. "Over there!"
The three sprinted across the ground, their footsteps ringing throughout the eerily silent night.
Harry recognized the shape first. "Its that boy, Syaoran!" he shouted, pushing himself harder as he came closer, stopping just in front of the boy as he saw what had happened.
The brown haired boy was in bad shape. His face had a long slash running across his cheek, and one of the sleeves of his garment had been burned off, leaving some seared flesh underneath. To top it all off, he was covered in already darkening bruises.
His sword stood next to him, pierced into the ground as though some force had driven it into the Earth.
"Is he-" Harry began, fear creeping into his voice.
"No, he's not dead. But he's hurt badly." Robin said, kneeling as she bit her lip, frowning, setting her fingers against Syaoran's throat. "He needs medical attention."
Harry's eyes blazed with hateful fury and his fist clenched over the Keyblade, tightening until his knuckles went white. In a blind rage, he looked up into the sky and roared, "VOLDEMORT! WHERE ARE YOU!"
Robin grabbed his pants leg from her kneeling position, looking at him with a stern expression. "Harry, we don't have time for this. You have a healing spell, don't you?"
Cursing his earlier blinding rage, Harry felt his anger settle for the moment, like a giant falling back into slumber. "Yeah." Closing his eyes, Harry gathered the energy, as much energy as he could put into the spell.
His eyes snapped open and he thrust the Keyblade into the moonlit sky. "Cure!"
A tinkle of bells rang throughout the air and a warm emerald light poured over Syaoran, sealing the cut and healing the burns and some of the bruises. He was still injured, but he wasn't in critical condition anymore.
Inuyasha set his hand near his Tetsusaiga out of reflex, barely realizing it wasn't usable. "Who did this to him..." he muttered, frowning as his eyes darted about, to and fro.
"I did." A familiar, but changed voice spoke, ringing throughout the night like a nightmare bell.
Three sets of eyes looked up, and met a single pair of emotionless emerald eyes.
"No... it can't be..." Harry whispered softly, denial desperate in his tone.
"But it is." Sakura said tonelessly, staring at them, her back to the shining light of the moon. In her hands was a slim, shortened pink staff. At the tip was a yellow star encompassed by a circle of the same pink, with two small, feathery white wings sticking out of each side.
And placed over her heart, was the unholy amethyst crest of the Heartless. The angry red slashes stood out against the night, like shining blood.
"Harry Potter. By order of the Dark Lord, I shall slay you." Sakura said emotionlessly, and raised her wand into the air.
Rising up from the shadows, two more shapes appeared.
Yue and Keroberos stood, left and right of, respectively, to Sakura. Their eyes were full of deep sorrow, and their heads were bowed.
"I am sorry, Keybearer. But Sakura is our mistress, and we must obey her will." Kero spoke, his voice a deep rumble as he stood atop a smaller slide.
"Forgive us." Yue said, and he straightened, wings outstretched, blocking the light from his position on top of the jungle gym.
Robin felt a bit of fear in her heart. She remembered the power of these creatures from earlier. "What do we do?" she asked worriedly, biting her lip as she glanced at Harry and Inuyasha out of the corner of her eyes.
Harry didn't answer her, feeling utterly lost. He came her to save these people- now he was fighting them!
"Do? We take em out." Inuyasha's voice was strong, but quiet. As two sets of emerald eyes stared at him, he grunted. "Don't look at me like that. I don't want to do it, but its them or us."
"Each of us takes one." Harry said softly, feeling much like he did back in the Department of Mysteries a few months ago, both calm and desperate at once. "I'll take Sakura."
"Wing boy is mine." The half demon added in, cracking his knuckles. He still felt the need to question Yue more, and fighting was his best way of learning things.
"Then I'll take Keroberos, I suppose." Robin murmured, feeling a bit of trepidation. With her powers so weakened, she wasn't sure if she could take this powerful an opponent.
"Don't kill them. If I can beat Sakura, then they won't have to fight us anymore." The Boy-Who-Lived cut in, keeping his eyes trained on Sakura.
"Do you think you can handle it?" Inuyasha challenged, raising an eyebrow.
Harry set his jaw. "I guess we'll find out." With one quick movement, he set his Keyblade till it faced forward, next to his ribs. "FIRE!" a burst of fire hurtled forward, blazing towards Sakura.
The girl uncharacteristically smirked, and thrust her wand into the air. "Windy!" she cried out, and a glowing, slender yellow woman appeared in the air, looking sorrowful. The woman swung her arms forward, and a terrible gust of wind slammed into the fireball, dissipating it and bowling the Boy-Who-Lived over, sending him tumbling end over end.
Getting to his feet, Harry swallowed. A battle of magic was out of the question, it seemed.
Inuyasha, meanwhile, tore through the air, claws outstretched.
Yue looked impassive as he beat his massive wings, easily avoiding the attack. His blue eyes had gone icy.
The half demon landed on top of the jungle gym, his feet balancing despite the difficult terrain. With one movement, the half demon hurled himself forward, claws ready to rend through the angel. "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!"
Once more, Yue simply, dispassionately, pushed his wings backwards, easily avoiding the triple golden crescents. "You're good." He said coldly, emotionlessly. "But not good enough."
"Shut up and fight me!" Inuyasha demanded, fist clenched and raised.
"Very well." Yue said in the same tone, moving his hands until he looked like he was knocking an arrow into a bow. In his hands, a glowing, ethereal sapphire bow and arrow appeared.
Inuyasha's eyes widened as Yue fired the shot.
Robin leapt aside as the column of shining fire slammed into the ground in front of her. The ground cracked and smouldered, leaving wispy trails of smoke.
The heat of the inferno washed over her face and she winced, trying to keep her eyes on Keroberos despite the smoke. She moved her sleeve in front of her face, blocking the smoke.
A loud, primal roar tore through the night, and Keroberos soared toward her, claws and wings outstretched.
Robin rolled aside, feeling the air shredded behind her as the winged beast flew overhead.
A loud crackle of energy reached her ears and Robin turned as she stood.
Keroberos' jaws were stretched to their limit, and a burning light was shining within. The pillar of terrible fire burst forward, tearing through the atmosphere towards her.
Robin closed her eyes and hurled her hands forward, as if to block the inferno. A deep resonance echoed through her, and she felt as though she had tapped into the fiery heart of the universe itself.
After a moment, she opened her eyes, and sucked in a breath.
Keroberos' column of gold and crimson fire was being blocked by her own, indigo colored fire, formed in the shape of a shield.
The two powers of Flame strained against one another, a clash of wills and elements.
The temperature increased exponentially and the heat was blistering for both of them. The swing set, ten feet away, was burned away in the force of the attack.
Eyes widened as the forces imploded upon themselves, releasing their force in one powerful shockwave of fire and wind.
Sakura looked down on him with what would have been called contempt if it hadn't been hers. Her lips curled into artificial disgust. "Sword! Fly!" her wand was transfigured into a slim, elongated rapier with a curved hilt. On her back stretched two feathery white wings.
With a single beat of her wings, she tore through the air, clutching her rapier in both hands as it plunged downwards, whistling through the air like a death song.
Harry grunted as he blocked the attack, feeling unnatural strength radiating off of the girl. It must be that crest...
He felt his feet shifted against the ground, slipping slowly. The Boy-Who-Lived, realizing his precarious situation, hurled himself backwards.
Sakura followed after him with a sweep of her wings, her rapier like flashing lightning as it whistled its deadly song.
Harry parried one blow, and dodged the next, feeling the wind tickle his stomach as the flashing metal passed by him. Gritting his teeth, he swung out a two-handed attack.
Sakura parried the blow with unnatural ease and lunged forward, the rapier shining in the moonlight.
He was only barely able to spin a bit before the blade connected. Harry winced as the sword sliced shallowly into his arm, tearing into the tunic.
It could have been worse, he realized, if the tunic hadn't been stronger. Silently thanking Zelda for this gift, the Boy-Who-Lived leapt backwards, feeling the warmth of his blood writhing down his arm.
Damn it. I can't match her in magic or sword fighting... I need an opening... Harry thought desperately, even as the blood dripped from his fingers. That technique!
Channeling his force into the Keyblade, Harry hurled himself forward ready to slam the weapon into the ground. "STUN IMPACT!"
The orange dome surged out of the point where the Boy-Who-Lived struck the ground, ready to send any opponent into a daze.
"Shield!" Sakura's voice rang out, and the bright outline of another, clear dome appeared in front of the girl.
"What?" Harry gasped, eyes widening as sparks of magic flickered through the air as the Stun Impact and Shield slammed into one another.
Sakura smirked beneath the burst of lights.
Inuyasha screamed as the arrow tore into his shoulder, shredding through bone and muscle with incredible force. As it passed with a loud, piercing cry that mimicked his own, the shining blue arrow slammed into the ground, expending the last of its force.
The blood dribbled down in a small, pattering rain of crimson, and the half demon clutched his damaged shoulder with his claw.
His eyes opened weakly, his face twisted into a pained grimace. "Damn... my shoulder..." the half demon said, his vision darkening.
"Surrender now. If you stop, I won't have to slay you." Yue said coldly, the glowing blue bow still in his hand.
"Go to Hell!" Inuyasha snarled, his fangs bared. Plunging his claws deep into the wound, covering them in his own blood, he roared, swinging the claw in a backhanded swipe. "BLADES OF BLOOD!"
With a loud, deep crackle, a burst of crimson half moon arcs hurtled forward, tearing through the air.
Yue's eyes widened and he thrust his hand out, a translucent sphere appearing in front of him. The Blades of Blood slammed into the sphere with loud snaps, expending their power against the shield.
Inuyasha gritted his teeth as he fell to one knee, eyes beginning to cloud over with pain as they slowly tried to close themselves.
This is bad...
Robin opened her eyes, feeling rather relieved she wasn't dead. The ground around her was smouldering and smoking, thick with the stench of smoke.
Coughing slightly, she got to her feet, brushing her dress off and putting her now crooked glasses back upright. The miasma of gray smoke wafted through the air, obscuring everything.
A dark shadow appeared in the gray mist, the familiar shape of a winged beast. "That was... unexpected..." Keroberos rumbled, coughing lightly. "You have a powerful connection to Fire."
Robin shrugged, feeling the still present heat of their attacks in the air. "I've always had this power." She explained quietly.
"Its been weakened... strained from overexertion." The lion mused, flapping his wings softly, as though stretching. "You must have drawn upon too much energy."
Frowning, Robin nodded. "I had to." She said defensively, feeling somewhat offended at the reprimanding tone.
Keroberos frowned, bowing his head. "Sorry, but it seems that my mistress wants me to continue this battle." And with that, he roared, and charged.
The witch crouched low, fire surging behind her eyes. With a loud crackle, a burst of flame tore through the air, forcing the winged lion to dodge to one side.
Undeterred, Robin pulled deeper into her reserves, hurling a barrage of fist sized fireballs through the air with a loud cry, tearing towards the creature.
Keroberos was forced to pull backwards, avoiding several of the fireballs, but a final one clipped his chin, sending the winged lion crashing to the floor.
As the dust settled, Keroberos stood again shakily, looking at her with something akin to admiration.
Harry winced as the rapier sliced his cheek open, sending a small spatter of blood to the floor. He was losing, and his fatigue was starting to grow, wearing on his body heavily.
If I don't do something... I'm going to die! He realized, and his fist clenched over the Keyblade. No! I made a promise! I will find Kingdom Hearts, and I will destroy Voldemort!
"I WON'T DIE HERE!" Harry roared, and deflected Sakura's sword, sending her staggering backwards with the force of his power.
Panting heavily, Harry stared hard at the Heartless Sakura. "I... I can't be defeated here. I won't. I won't be defeated." His breath was ragged, and sweat and blood dripped down his worn face. And yet... and yet he felt it.
-A flicker of true power-
And it was enough. Eyes blazing, the Keybearer channeled his anger into the Keyblade, and it glowed with a burning amber light. "Blitz!" he yelled, and leapt forward, slamming the Keyblade down.
"Shield!" Sakura's emotionless voice blazed, and her translucent shield appeared, blocking the attack with a loud, ringing cry. The shield strained, but didn't break. Sakura smirked, but then her eyes widened at Harry's expression.
He was smirking too.
Pulling the Keyblade backwards, he leapt upwards again, his weapon raised and still burning with power as he slammed it back down.
Sakura's eyes widened as the shield shattered with a loud, wounded cry, leaving glimmering shards of light soaring through the air.
"ITS OVER!" Harry roared, and the Keyblade flashed, the final strike of his Blitz coming down with a loud whistle.
The attack connected in a blinding flash of light that washed over the battlefield that was once a playground.
He felt the blood seeping through his fingers and Inuyasha sucked in ragged breath after ragged breath. The pain was intense.
"Why do you keep fighting?" Yue asked curiously, the first emotion he'd shown this entire battle. "What drives you to continue despite the pain?"
"You wanna know?" Inuyasha asked darkly, his voice haggard and deep. He coughed, and a bit of blood filled his throat. "I have someone to protect... someone who I lost!" he screamed, and hurled himself forward, claws outstretched.
"IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!" the half demon roared, moving faster than he had before, despite his ragged wound.
Yue's eyes widened as the golden crescents tore into his chest, ragged streams of blood flying. If he had been any slower, he'd be looking at his own heart.
"And I won't let anyone stop me from finding her again..." Inuyasha growled, his voice full of primal anger.
"I understand." Yue said quietly, sadly, looking downwards. "But I must follow my mistress' orders." The glowing blue bow appeared again, and he knocked an arrow, moving into an archer's stance.
Inuyasha bit his lip. I can't survive another arrow... but his aim is too good. I can't dodge, or block. A realization hit him, the answer shifting into his side. His eyes shot towards Tetsusaiga. Unless...
"Farewell." Yue said, like a death knell.
The arrow shot through the air, whistling the incoming death.
Inuyasha grabbed his sword and, without unsheathing it, pulled it forward, in front of him, at chest level.
Yue's eyes widened.
A crackling barrier of energy appeared, and Yue's sapphire arrow strained against it, sparks and small shocks of power flickering through the air.
The half demon grinned, relief spilling out across his face, despite his wound. Tetsusaiga's barrier is still there... His lip curled into a snarling, feral grin. "Now I can take you down."
"Wh-why..." Harry said, shocked as he fell backwards, Keyblade in his shaking hands.
Syaoran stared at him coldly, his blade smoking from intercepting the Blitz attack. "Sakura is my precious person." He said calmly, crouching as he placed his sword behind him, his other hand nearly touching the ground. "I will not allow you to hurt her."
Behind him, Sakura looked at Harry triumphantly.
"She's been turned!" the Boy-Who-Lived shouted, looking at Syaoran desperately. He couldn't take out two people, and definitely not someone who wasn't a Heartless.
"You wouldn't understand!" Syaoran snapped, shaking his head as he lunged, swinging his blade downward. "It doesn't matter to me what she's become." The Keyblade and sword met, sparks shrieking through the air as hard brown eyes met conflicted emerald.
"She's not herself! She's just a puppet now, for Voldemort!" Harry shot back, straining against Syaoran. "Don't you get it! Sakura may look the same, but all she is now is a soulless shell!"
Syaoran's eyes blazed and he shoved the Keybearer backwards, staggering. "I know that! But tell me this!" he gritted his teeth and looked downwards, fists clenched until they went white. His head shot up, hair swinging wildly as he stared demandingly at Harry. "How could you raise a blade against those you love! Tell me that!"
It was as though the Boy-Who-Lived had been struck by a five ton hammer. He staggered backwards, blinking, his own fists now clenched tight.
What... what would I do if Ron had been turned... or Hermione... or Ginny... he closed his eyes, indecision overtaking his will to fight. "I..."
Syaoran hurled himself forward, swinging his sword as it flashed in the night.
Harry, eyes wide, barely blocked it, his heart not in his weapon as sparks flared around his face, irritating his skin.
"Tell me what am I supposed to do if I have to fight the one I love..." Syaoran said quietly, glaring at him balefully.
Freezing, the Boy-Who-Lived stared with uncomprehending eyes, his face stricken and his heart caught at an indecision.
Unbidden, Harry's memories flashed in his mind.
"Harry... remember, we love you." Hermione whispered softly.
"We'll always be right with you mate." Ron chipped in, smiling.
Ron and Hermione, battling valiantly, desperately against a horde of Heartless, all to protect him...
"They wouldn't be fighting me." Harry said, a new confidence filling his voice, and he looked up at Syaoran, whose eyes widened. "Those I love would never try to hurt me! And you know that too!"
The boy was now the one who looked struck, and he looked back at Sakura's emotionless face with new understanding. "You-you're right." He whispered softly, and clenched his hand over his sword.
Slowly, Syaoran turned towards Sakura, and raised his blade against her. "I will stop you." He said quietly, his voice sad but strong.
Robin hurled her hands forward, blocking the furious column of fire that blazed through the air with her own flame.
Keroberos broke off the attack, not wishing for another explosion. With a loud roar, he tore through the air, claws flashing through the night.
With a low grunt, she hurled herself to one side, narrowly avoiding being sliced apart as the wind whistled over her head, rustling her orange hair.
Seeing an opening, the witch's eyes narrowed and a burst of flame slammed into Kerobero's back, sending the lion crashing to the floor once more, leaving a cloud of dust drifting in the air.
Silence waited with bated breath.
A column of golden fire soared through the air with a loud roar, lighting up the shadows of the night.
Robin frowned, crouching even as she tapped her power. This is going nowhere... I need to end this soon, or I'll run out of power...
Her eyes flickered towards the penguin slide where Harry was fighting. Please hurry Harry... I don't know if I can win this fight.
"Blades of Blood!" the crimson half moons whistled through the air and slammed into Yue's shield, sending crimson sparks flying through the air with loud cracks.
Blue eyes met gold eyes over the clashing powers.
Inuyasha growled as he leapt through the air, his blood flinging through the air as he slammed the sheathed Tetsusaiga downwards.
Yue raised his hand again, and the energy fields struck one another, loose bolts of energy tearing through the air with loud crackles.
The angel's eyes widened as Inuyasha's sword pushed through the shield, slowly but surely, like an unrelenting avalanche.
"Its over!" Inuyasha shouted, and plunged downwards, sending the Tetsusaiga downwards, crashing into Yue's head with a loud crack.
Yue's eyes rolled into the back of his head and the angel fell backwards, a stunned look fixed upon his face. His appearance changed immediately. The wings faded away, as well as the robes. The hair changed from snow white to deep silver, and glasses, round and wiry, appeared on the face of a teenager probably around Harry's age.
Inuyasha panted, and fell to one knee, feeling the pain surging with a vengeance. "I... did it." He gasped, breath shallow. Despite himself, his lip curled into a grin.
Syaoran's blade met Sakura's with a loud, resounding clang as sparks flew. The boy's face was twisted in pain but he kept pushing against the emotionless girl's sword.
Harry leapt in then, Keyblade soaring through the air, about to slam into Sakura's rapier.
Realizing her position, she flew backwards, narrowly avoiding the attack. Narrowing her emerald eyes, Sakura shouted, "Thunder!" a burst of lightning soared from her blade, forcing Harry and Syaoran to leap aside, left and right, respectively.
With a loud rustle, Sakura charged Harry, her blade flashing through the air as she attempted to dice him to pieces.
Harry blocked and parried, loud clangs ringing through the air and his arms with each blow.
"Wind!" Syaoran's voice rang out, and a powerful gust flew through the air with a loud roar.
"Shield!" Sakura responded, and the cyclone was deflected away, tearing the ground apart with clouds of dust and debris.
Harry narrowed his eyes. "BLITZ!" the burning amber attack flared around the Keyblade and he leapt into the air, ready to slam it directly into the translucent shield.
Sakura's lip curled, and she stared at him victoriously. "Time!" she cried out, her voice ringing through the night.
A strange feeling passed over the Boy-Who-Lived, and his eyes widened.
The Heartless girl was flapping her wings, high in the air with a superior look on her face. "My magic is unbeatable, Keybearer." She said coldly, staring at him. "You cannot win this battle."
Harry felt a bit of despair creeping into his heart.
"Don't listen." Syaoran said gruffly, clutching his own sword defensively. "The Time Card is incredibly straining. That's why she hasn't used it till now." He bit his lip, and frowned. "I doubt she can use it again."
"But how can we beat her?" Harry asked, keeping his eyes trained on the girl. "She's too strong."
Syaoran looked at him for a moment, then stared back at Sakura. "I'll distract her. You take her out with that attack." His voice wavered for just a moment.
"I wish it didn't have to be like this." Harry said, his words unbidden but he meant every syllable.
"So do I." Syaoran whispered quietly, and then launched himself forward. "THUNDER!" a crash of sound and a burst of light resounded throughout the night, tearing forward at Sakura, who laughed as she dodged the attack, plunging downwards towards the boy.
He leapt backwards, avoiding the whistling slices and Sakura continued lunging, her feet not touching the ground as her wings beat a frantic pace. With a loud cry, she slammed the blade downwards.
Syaoran blocked the rapier, looking at her with a deep, heart broken sorrow. "I'm so sorry." He mouthed inaudibly, and Sakura's eyes widened and she turned, just in time to see the Boy-Who-Lived plunge downwards.
"BLITZ!" Harry shouted, feeling a deep sadness in his heart as the attack connected with the Heartless crest, amber light bursting across his vision even as he saw and felt the amethyst symbol shatter underneath the Keyblade's force.
Sakura fell backwards, eyes closed as her sword dissipated into a small, star pendant and fell to the ground at the same time as its master.
Across the way, Keroberos paused, and looked saddened. "It is done." The lion rumbled remorsefully.
Robin looked both melancholy and relieved as she sat down heavily on the ground, exhausted, sweat dripping down her pale face.
Syaoran caught Sakura in his arms just barely. His face was at once relieved and pained. With a choked sob, he clutched the unconscious girl to his chest tightly.
Harry looked at them both with sorrow in his heart. "I'm so sorry..." he whispered quietly, and closed his eyes, a tear falling down his face.
He had won... but the cost had been far too high.
Author's Notes
The Card Captor Sakura arc is finished. As I hoped, it wasn't a very happy ending, now was it? I hope you enjoyed these past few chapters, since this is the pattern the rest of the story will be following for quite a while.
The next chapter is focused more on the aftermath of this battle, and then Harry and the gang will be heading back to Hyrule to rest up. The new arc won't start until Chapter 12, so be prepared for more of a character, not action driven chapter next. Saying that, it'll take a bit to complete.
It would please me greatly to see any interested reader joining my Yahoo Group. Link in profile, as always.
Till next chapter!