Chapter four

Sakura took Syaoran's hand and led him up to a young woman. She had long auburn hair, blue eyes and had a crown in her hair. Noticing the crown, Syaoran went onto his knee and bowed.

"Sakura, who is this stranger that you have brought here?" The woman asked. 'Okaa-san, his name is Syaoran. He is away from his home, and I was hoping that he could stay with us," Sakura said. The woman looked at Syaoran. He just stayed where he was, not moving an inch.

"Can anyone vouch for him?" The woman, who Syaoran realised was the queen, asked. "I can, your majesty. He will not harm anyone in this castle," Fai said. "Alright. Fai-san, I am taking your word as a price for letting him stay here," the queen said. Fai nodded.

Sakura pulled Syaoran up the staircase, making him stumble and occasionally fall. She opened a door and dragged Syaoran into her room. She sat him on the bed and then sat down beside him. "I'm glad that you could stay here, Syaoran," Sakura said, and she held her hands close to her chest. Syaoran just looked at his feet.

There came a loud banging at the door. "Yes, who is is it?" Sakura asked. "It is Fai! I would like to speak with Syaoran-kun, please," Fai said though the closed door. "Alright," Sakura said. Syaoran stood up and opened the closed door. Fai grabbed his arm and pulled him out.

"Syaoran, are you sure that you will be okay?" Fai asked. Syaoran looked at him. "When you go back, you might not be treated well," Fai said. "What do you mean?" Syaoran asked.

"Syaoran, that time is drawing closer and closer every minute! It might very well be when you return!" Fai exclaimed.

Syaoran just looked at his feet. "I know that. But, I don't really wish to stop it," Syaoran said. Fai's eyes widened. "Maybe, just maybe, they will stop once and for all after me," Syaoran said.

Fai looked at Syaoran with great sadness. 'But... how do you know that with you they won't get even more powerful?!" Fai asked. "I don't. But for some reason, I don't think they will," Syaoran said.

Fai looked around. They were in the garden now, and cherry blossoms were dancing everywhere. "So, do you mean that... you're going to let it happen? You're going to sacrifice yourself?" Fai asked. Syaoran just continued to look at his feet.

"Your highness, you are going to give yourself to the man who murdered your mother?!"Fai asked. Syaoran looked up at Fai. "That's the exact reason why," Syaoran said. Fai's eyes widened at the boy. The prince of the light, and the dark.

Syaoran sat beside Sakura. Her head was on his shoulder, and they were rocking back and forth. Sakura looked up at him. Four days had passed, and they had grown quite close. Sakura sighed. He had been quiet the past day though.

"Syaoran, what's wrong?" Sakura asked. Syaoran looked at her. "Nothing," he replied. Sakura looked at him and pouted. "You keep lying to me! Tell me what is wrong or you'll regret it!" Sakura mumbled. "It's just something I talked about with Fai-san," Syaoran said.

It was half true, but not the full truth. Syaoran had been blacking out, and his chest felt as if it was under a great weight of some sort. That time was coming closer, and Syaoran knew it.

"Are you sure that there isn't something more?" Sakura asked. Syaoran gasped and looked at her. He relaxed, smiled, and shook his head. "No, nothing else," Syaoran said. Sakura glared at him, turned her head away, and then did something that was the opposite of what he expected. Sakura kissed him.

She pressed her lips against his, and wouldn't ease her movement. Syaoran was shocked and first, and then put his arms around Sakura, embracing her. He lifted his arms, and slowly pushed Sakura away. She looked at him.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked. Syaoran panted heavily, and Sakura could be sure that she saw a small tear rolling down his cheek. "Sakura... please... forget about me!!" Syaoran exclaimed. Sakura gasped and stared at him. "Please... erase me from your past, heart and mind!" Syaoran pleaded. "Why?" Sakura asked.

This time there was no doubt about it. There a tear rolled out of Syaoran's eye and ran down Syaoran's cheek. "Please!" Syaoran said. He got up off the chair and walked away from Sakura. "But... why?" Sakura asked. She reached out to Syaoran, but he was gone.

"Syaoran, what's wrong?" Fai asked. Syaoran didn't look at him. "You're being called aren't you?" Fai asked. Syaoran stood up and headed for the door. Fai grabbed him and put him up against the wall.

"Aren't you going to fight?!" Fai asked. Syaoran shook his head. He looked at Fai straight in the eyes. Fai's eyes widened as he stared at the boy. His eyes had a tint of black. "There is no battle to fight. He has won," Syaoran said. Fai's eyes widened even more.

Syaoran disappeared in a flash of white light. This blinded Fai momentarily. When the light had gone, Fai looked up. Syaoran had gone, but left on the ground was a small note:

Protect Sakura for me.

Fai lifted the note, slightly shaking. Then he gave a small, sad smile. "You and your mother really are alike, Syaoran," Fai said. For, his mother had said the same thing.

"Your majesty, are you alright?" Fai asked, sitting the young queen down on her bed. "I cannot fight anymore. I have no strength left," the queen said. "Then I'll fight for you!" Fai exclaimed. "You're so loyal, Fai. I hope that you will show the same loyalty to the one following in my footsteps," the queen said.

Fai looked at the queen, tears building up in his blue eyes. "But..." Fai began, but his voice was shaky and he couldn't say anything. The queen looked at him with her amber eyes. Her long chocolate hair gleamed in the moonlight, and her face lit up like a star.

"Fai... you are my dearest friend, and I trust you. So, I am going to give you one last order," the queen said, looking straight into Fai's tear-filled eyes. "Protect Syaoran for me." The queen fell forward, and took in one last shaky breath. Fai held her body. "I promise," Fai said.

Syaoran lifted his head. He was tired, and pain filled his body. He saw his father, standing over him. The man lifted up his son and pushed him against the wall.

"It is time, so we must prepare you. You shall soon feel the true effects of darkness," Syaoran's father said. Syaoran's father called a servant, and ordered the servant to retrieve the silver robe out of the storeroom. And while he was doing this, Syaoran was forced to accept his evil and cruel fate.

The servant came in with the silver robe. Following the order his father had implanted in his body that forced him to do his order no matter what, Syaoran put on the silver robe. It was cold, and had black swirls all over it. Last time that this had happened, he had had no idea of the events slowly unfolding.

This time, now that he knew, he wish he didn't.

Syaoran walked down the steps. He turned his head and looked at his father, who just stood there. He walked across the water. It laughed at him, taunted for being given such a fate. The water ripped itself from the river and yet again entered him. Yet this time, it ripped one thing from his body and mind.

Sakura. Images of her flashed passed his mind. Syaoran screamed, his heart feeling like it was going to explode. Pain flew through Syaoran's body, and it ripped away all traces and signs of comfort.

Syaoran slowly fell to the water's surface. He whimpered, and a new feeling irrupt from his chest and envelope his entire body. It felt cold. So cold. He felt alone, and whimpered even more. He felt rough hands lift up his aching body.

Syaoran was placed on his bed, and felt even colder. He felt... evil. Dark. It was as if he had been stripped of light, even the light that ran through his veins within his blood. Then it struck him, a hard, cold truth. He cold no longer use the strength of the moon. He had been locked in darkness.

Sakura called for Syaoran, but heard no reply. She had been searching for hours, and now was the time to give up. She fell to the grass and wept softly. "Where are you?" She asked.

Sakura spun around when she heard the crunching of grass behind her. A boy her age walked out of the darkness and into the moonlight. He had chocolate brown hair and black eyes. And he looked strangely familiar. "Syaoran!" Sakura cried, jumping to her feet and throwing her arms around the boy.

Syaoran pushed Sakura away. "Sakura, please, run!" Syaoran said, gazing into her emerald eyes. Sakura looked at the boy. He reached for his sword that was strapped to his belt, and pulled it out of it's carrier. He pointed the sword at Sakura. She braced herself for the attack. But it didn't come. Sakura gasped when she felt a spatter of moisture on her face.

Fai and Kurogane ran through the trees and stared at the scene in front of them. Syaoran had his sword pointing through his body. Blood was falling to the ground from his chest. Tears rolled down his cheek as he remembered what had happened:

"Syaoran, you will kill the girl or yourself, you have a choice."

Syaoran looked up at Sakura. "I couldn't kill you. I wouldn't," Syaoran whispered. He fell forward into Sakura's arms. "Because I... love you," Syaoran fell to the ground. His eyes had gone blank, and they were empty. He was dead.

People, this is not the last chapter!! I'm sorry if this story seems cruel, but I have been reading X and Tokyo Babylon, both major angsty works of CLAMP. Who can blame me? Now, please review, and I'll upload the next chapter as fast as I can.

Thank you to Chibi Moko-chan, Artemis615, Tomi Lang, Syaoran4ever and Demon fox of midnight for reviewing the whole way. Cookies for you all!