Yeah, I'm getting to the end! Only four more chapters till the end! Then it's done! TT sob it has pretty much turned into my child. If I did have any children. But I don't 'cause I'm only 17. much to early for that!" Some parts in this chapter might be confusing as I switch from one character to the other. The jump in time or part will be shown with a line. Disclaimer is the same as in the beginning and when I remember to put it in. I do not own CCS or the characters that come with it. Only the characters that I have made up.
Sakura struggled against the magical fire ropes and gag that bound her arms behind her, with her ankles bound to the chair as well. 'When I get out of here, I will use Firey on that dumb Kazak!' she thought in the dark dungeon like room.
Sakura had known she was in trouble the moment the lights went out. She had screamed when hands roughly grabbed her from behind. A gag immediately slipped into her mouth, as one of the hands yanked away the gauze covering her mouth, before Sakura could make another sound. "Not another noise. Or that lovely chandelier of Miss Taylor's will simply have to come down and we don't want that, do we? People could get hurt." A malicious voice silkily murmured in her left ear. He quickly dragged Sakura with him as he vanished out of the ballroom a split second before the lights were flipped back on. They reappeared in a dungeon room halfway across town. Sakura was shoved into a straight backed wood chair as Kazak, she now understood, made magical black colored ropes edged in purple, to tie snugly around Sakura's ankles and bind her arms behind the chair's back. The fire didn't burn or hurt but Sakura immediately found that it dampened her magical ability and sense. "You have something that I want and I aim to get it." Kazak informed Sakura as she glared at him emerald eyes snapping dangerously at him. "While I wait to get my present, I'll leave you with this lovely mirror so you can see Aurora at her best." Kazak placed a black standing mirror that suddenly appeared in his hands, right where Sakura could see. There Aurora was dancing with Lee and talking to Sakura's friends'. Sakura made an odd sobbing sound. Kazak tilted his head toward Sakura. "Music to my ears. It won't be long now. I'll leave you now but I will be back in a little while, so try not to do anything really, really stupid while I'm gone. Okay? Be a good captive." Kazak patted Sakura's head, like one petting a pet dog and vanished in a flash of black, purple edged fire.
Sakura blinked away the spots in her vision and struggled against the magical fire ropes and gag that bound her arms behind her, with her ankles bound to the chair as well. 'When I get out of here, I will use Firey on that dumb Kazak!' she thought in the dark dungeon like room. She quickly became exhausted as the ropes quickly drained her of what little magic Sakura had left, when Kazak had first put the ropes on her, taking some of her power a little at a time. Sakura made the mistake of looking the mirror. Lee had just given Aurora a lemon ice. Sakura could see Aurora as she was, long red hair and the outfit from the fit time they had met. Sakura sagged dejectedly against the chair as Lee put his arm around Aurora's waist. 'Lee, can't you see that's not me?' Sakura thought 'Can't you see through that fake?' through the magic she had left, hoping to reach them, Sakura screamed her rage.
A soft voice answered her enraged call. "What is it that you need young sorceress?"
'Clow Reed?' Sakura thought back incredulous.
A gentle chuckle issued through Sakura's head. "Yes, it is I. Have you forgotten me so quickly?"
'No, never you!' Sakura answered hastily.
"Why are you waiting for your friends to figure out that's not you?" Clow asked.
'Because he has chained me! I can't get free on my own!' Sakura called desperately. 'He has taken most, if not all my magic. I don't have anything left!'
"Poppycock, you know how and most certainly can free yourself, young cardcaptor. But heed my words; this is the last time I will talk to you. My time in this realm grows dim and it's time you forge your own path. Not one that I have foreseen or know how it will turn out."
'But-!' Sakura silently protested.
"No buts, Sakura. You still have the star cards and your staff but that will all change shortly." Clow's voice began to dim. "Sakura, your powers are great but will grow greater still. It will soon encompass light, dark, sun, moon, and stars. This power comes not from the stars but burns with the strength of all your heart. Take care of Yue, Kero, and the cards."
Sakura felt Clow's presence start to fade for the final time. 'Clow! Thank you so much! I'll do my best with what you have passed onto me! I won't let you down! I PROMISE!' Sakura thought spoke to her mentor for the last time after being mind taught by him for the past three years.
Sakura felt Clow smile, that fatherly smile of his, "Your welcome my dear. I have no doubt that you will be fine. Good luck…Goodbye…" with that, Clow Reed was gone.
Sakura opened her eyes, because they had closed of their own accord during her conversation, to find her cheeks wet with tears. 'Alright, what did Clow say?' Sakura tried magic but there was no response. Sakura glanced in the mirror. The talk with her old mentor had taken longer than she had expected. The mirror showed her group getting ready to leave, getting on coats and walking out the door into the cold, starlit night. Aurora held Lee's hand! Sakura renewed her struggles but was only rewarded with sore wrists and ankles. 'Okay Sakura, calm down. What did Clow say? My powers will soon encompass light, dark, sun, moon, and stars? The power burns with all my heart?' Sakura thought trying to muddle through Clow's riddle. 'Heart? Of course! I don't need to say the words out loud because they are already imprinted on my heart!' Sakura triumphantly thought. Already a warm buzz was filling Sakura's mind and body, the star key floated till Sakura could see it before her eyes, shifting to the star staff. As the staff hung there Sakura thought 'What words?' the party group had almost made it to the Avalon house where they would say goodbye to Eli and part ways. Then the fury that Aurora and Kazak were going to get near her family and friends burned Sakura. Kazak appeared in the room. Sakura, furious, then knew the words. 'Key that holds the power of the stars reincarnate to receive powers of light, dark, sun, moon, and stars! Release!' white light filled Sakura, body and soul, burning with the strength of her heart. White colored magic spun round and round the star staff and a pure white light filled the room.
Lee stopped short on the sidewalk that the group was walking on, almost making Salena stumble. "Lee what's wrong?" Salena asked as Lee glared at her and yanked his hand violently out of hers.
"You're not Sakura. I wasn't sure if something had hit you in the head back at the party because you weren't even mad that Yue had called you mistress. It was almost like you've been called that before and like being called that." Lee said.
"What are you talking about Lee? Of course I'm Sakura." Salena tried to hold on fleetingly to her lie.
"No you're not." Eli had his sun staff key out if he needed it. "We all just felt Sakura's magic, though a little different, it was still Sakura's and it definitely did not come from you." Eli explained. Meilin looked mystified at the abrupt change of atmosphere. Sakura had sent a clear signal that all who had even a inkling of magic felt it sing in their bodies now. Even Tori had felt it.
Salena tried slipping away, shedding her disguise, Aurora flapped her wings to fly but a sword point held her in place. "I don't think so." Lee coldly told her even as Tori grabbed one arm and Meilin grabbed the other.
Yue made to help Lee but a strange sound burst from his lips and he dropped to one knee. "Yue!" Ruby cried. She glared at Salena while she quickly knelt beside Yue. "What's wrong?"
Eli came over to look at the shivering moon guardian. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know, he won't say anything!" Ruby cried helplessly.
'Kazak what's going on? Things are going down fast on this end!' Aurora shouted down their mind link.
'Not right now! I'm busy!' Kazak cut her off but not before Aurora saw a blindingly white space.
Yue looked up at Ruby a jubilate look in his eyes. They met ruby's frightened ones. "I'm alright but something has filled me. A magic I have no knowledge of, I no longer grow weaker with the waning of the moon."
Eli gasped. "How is that possible?"
Aurora took the opportunity to shake off Meilin to the ground while Tori's attention was for his girlfriend; Aurora shook him off as well. Tori landed beside his girlfriend on the concrete. Aurora took off down the street.
"Hey!" cried Lee taking after her as the rest of the group followed closely behind.
Sakura squinted her eyes against the bright light. Blinking away spots, Sakura saw her new staff. It was about four feet tall with a blue staff. At the very bottom of the staff, was a small reddish pink heart the size of a golf ball, separating the heart only from another heart a little bit bigger, was a piece of the staff. Then there was only the blue rod until the top. At the top of the staff was another heart that was bigger than the first two hearts; on top of the heart was a small, black, thin, platform. Attached to the platform was Yue's symbol of the silver moon, sat on one side while Kero's symbol of the golden sun sat on the other, the moon's points' touched two of the sun's ray points. In the middle was Sakura's symbol a golden star with silver highlighting the lines on the star. Connected to the curve of the moon was a pure snow-white wing shot with glittering sliver thread. The same pure snow-white wing adorned the sun's outer side; shot this time with glittering gold thread.
Sakura thought 'Star cards!' and they appeared before her swirling around, frightened at sensing their mistress tied up. 'Sword' the card touched the top of the staff and changed a sky blue color as the staff changed into a sword with a blue hilt. It made quick work of the magical ropes tied to Sakura. Sakura yanked off the gag as Kazak came forward "What the-?"
"I don't think so!" Sakura marched toward him, the air around her crackling dangerously. She grabbed a card out of the circling cards. "Firey!" Sakura yelled. It too changed and raced towards Kazak. The magic circle had changed as well. The moon, sun, and star had moved to form a triangle around a heart symbol that had the picture of a flame in the middle of the heart.
Kazak jumped out of the way, the room revolved back to an apartment room not far from where the Avalon house was. "That was for tying me up." Sakura snarled. "Wood!" Kazak was soon tied up himself.
"Blast it!" He cried and in a blink he was gone.
Sakura sighed. "Why do they always run?" she asked the cards around her as Sakura made her way to the sliding balcony door. Opening it she stepped out into the cold night air. Sakura shivered. 'This really doesn't help.' "Create!" Sakura changed her clothes to an outfit Madison had made back in her Cardcaptor days, and then changed the Fly card. Sakura glanced for the last time at the mirror, seeing Aurora running. "I don't think so!" Sakura cried springing off the balcony into the night, two snow-white wings flapping Sakura silently off into the night sky.
Aurora ran as fast as she could, fiery-red hair streamed behind her as she ran in purple leather boots. Lee and the others were catching up. "Storm!" the storm card picked up the fleeing Aurora and slammed her painfully into a wall. The others pulled to a stop as Sakura landed in front of the trapped girl.
"Sakura?" Lee and the others were flabbergasted. Yue sense something was not right with Sakura.
"Why did you impersonate me and tie me up?! Tell me!" Sakura flashed down her staff and it changed to the sword again. "Or do I have to cut the words right out of that pretty neck of yours?" Sakura pressed the point to Aurora's bare ivory white throat.
Yue called "Sakura! No you don't know what you are doing!" flying towards Sakura as she drew her sword back.
"No!" Sakura shouted in a tight voice. Yue slammed to the pavement with a painful thud. Yue looked at Sakura with heartbroken eyes as he struggled to a crouch.
"Yue!" Ruby cried moving toward the down guardian.
Sakura waved a hand at the group as it neared Yue and the trapped Aurora. They froze in their tracks. Sakura turned her head towards the group and they found they could speak as one Lee and the others gasped. Sakura's eyes weren't the normal warm emerald color; instead an eerie silver color had replaced it. Eli told the others "We have to do something quick! The magic is so powerful that it took over Sakura! It could destroy her!"
"Thanks a lot Sherlock, we have figured that out by now!" Meilin yelled at the young wizard. If Eli were able to move he would have glared at her.
Lee looked at Sakura in anguish as she turned back to the ensnared Aurora. "Now back to you." The magic made Sakura's voice seem strange, hollow.
Kazak suddenly appeared in the air with a naked sword gleaming in his right hand. "Let her go!" Sakura rose up with a snarl at her other captor. Kazak brought up to defend, not realizing that Sakura had been practicing with the sword card these past three years.
The sound of clashing swords filled the night sky. Aurora struggled against the storm card. Sakura risked a look to see if Aurora was still there. Kazak took that opportunity to lock hilts with her, slamming his left shoulder into her shoulder, knocking her to the ground with a thump. Storm let go of Aurora as Sakura lost grip of that card. Aurora fluttered over to Kazak. "Thank you." She said relief apparent in her voice.
Kazak sneered at her. "We'll talk later." Then they retreated in a flash of purple and black. Sakura shook her sword at the sky in frustration at losing her prey.
"Sakura are you alright?" Meilin asked Sakura as she staggered over to the still frozen group.
Sakura planted herself in front of Yue. Sakura had kept the freezing spell off of Yue and Ruby's wings. So now Yue's wings fluttered uselessly as he tried to bring himself upright from where he knelt on one knee on the pavement. "Pathetic." Sakura spat in displeasure, the magic still having sway on her mind. Yue's wings' flinched as if Sakura had physically punched Yue in his face.
Ruby called to Yue, "Don't listen to her! She doesn't know what she is talking about!" she ruffled her wings in exasperation. "That's not her! You know that!"
Sakura looked over at Ruby Moon, a look Ruby couldn't decipher came onto Sakura's face as she sauntered over to the woman, frozen in position, hand reaching out, as if to help the fallen Yue. Sakura snapped her fingers and Ruby stumbled as she was suddenly released from the spell. Sakura used the wood card to tie her up again but where Sakura could see her face. Sakura caught Ruby's eye as they flitted from looking at her then worriedly at Yue as his wings drooped lower and lower. Sakura sneered, starting to prowl around Ruby. "She's very pretty, is she not Yue?" she called over to him. "I would very much like to know what you are thinking about right now; no, whom you are thinking about." Sakura said stopping again in front of Ruby as the wood card brought Ruby's frightened eyes to look directly into Sakura's empty silver colored ones. Sakura reached up two fingers on either side of Ruby's head and pressed them lightly to her temples. Ruby gasped in agony as she tried to fight Sakura forcing herself into her mind, from reading her thoughts. Ruby tried hiding them from her.
"Sakura, please don't." Eli pleaded with Sakura but it fell on deaf ears.
A slow self-satisfied smirk manifested upon Sakura's face. "Would you like to know something about Yue over there?" Sakura whispered to Ruby so only she could hear. "Yeah, him." Sakura told her when Ruby's eyes flitted back over to Yue's quivering wings. "He's breaking up. He can't handle it anymore. Soon he'll be but a distant memory." Sakura hissed at her as she released Ruby but froze her again. Ruby's eyes shed tears at Sakura's harsh words about Yue.
"Sakura, fight me!" Lee sharply said, trying to get Sakura distracted from doing something even worse.
Sakura looked surprised then pleased at this challenge. A white glow was beginning to gather around her body. Sakura snapped her fingers and Lee was free once more. Sakura walked back in front of Lee as he brought his sword up to bear against Sakura's. "Sakura, can you hear me? I know you're in there! Guys, keep talking to her!" Lee told the others while he and she met swords clashing, throwing sparks at the contact. Sakura pushed Lee back but Lee pushed her off. "Elemental fire!"
"Watery!" Sakura defended well against him.
The others were trying to talk to Sakura. "Sakura, I'm your brother! I go to school with Julian!" Tori called out to her.
Sakura shook her head in denial as Lee met her again with his sword. "Listen to me Sakura, it's Lee!" Lee pleaded with her while the others shouted encouragements.
Sakura faltered, allowing enough room for Lee to knock her sword out of her hands. Sakura groaned putting a hand on her head while she scrambled for her weapon. "Keep talking to her!" Lee instructed the others.
"Sakura, it's Eli, remember? I'm dating your best friend, Madison! Don't forget her!" Eli called as Sakura came around again, slashing and hacking with her recovered sword.
"I have nothing! You kept my true power locked up in me! I don't want to be shut up again!" cried Sakura but it really was the magic talking.
"We won't lock you up promise! We want you to use your power! But for good purposes, not hurting people with it!" Lee said.
"Lies!" screamed Sakura, clutching her head she froze Lee again.
"Sakura, listen to him!" Tori said.
"No! You can't make me!" Sakura covered her ears and turned her back on them.
"Sakura, I'm dating your brother!" Meilin called.
Sakura slumped to the ground, moaning. "Help me." Came the pitiful whispered sound from the real Sakura.
Lee struggled to get to her, to move, anything. Lee found he could sluggishly make his way over to the distraught and shaking Sakura. Lee was almost afraid to touch her as he knelt on one knee in front of Sakura. But his hand closed over Sakura's arm as she stared sightlessly at the ground, hands still grasping her head. "I can't…I can't…I'm not strong enough…it wants too…" Sakura broke out in tortured gasps.
"Shhh…" Lee gathered her in his arms, pretending he didn't see the glow around her get brighter. "You can."
"I can't…I can't control it." Sakura got panicky.
Eli's eyes widened as he felt something shift in Sakura's fine line of control. "Hurry damn it! Whether Sakura knows it or not, she's gathering enough power to blow up the world three times over!" Eli bellowed at Lee, terror in his usually calm voice.
Lee ignored him as he started rocking Sakura gently. She looked up at Lee, tears of pain streaming down her face. Her eyes flitted back and forth in color, as she tried to regain control. "It hurts…" Sakura whimpered.
Lee kept swaying her slowly. "I know Sakura. Keep fighting though. We're all here for you, keep fighting!" the atmosphere in the area was building rapidly as it came down to mere minutes before Sakura lost complete control. Sakura shuddered, as her white glow got even brighter. "Sakura, think of capturing the cards with me, then becoming the master of the Clow cards. Yue was the judge." Lee told her. Sakura gulped, afraid. "We need you." Lee paused a second before going on. "I need you." He said bending down his head; Lee kissed her.
As Lee pulled his head away Sakura looked up at him in wonder. "I-I remember changing the cards into Sakura cards. I remember Yue didn't have enough power because I needed all my power to change the cards; Tori gave his magic to Yue. If he hadn't Yue would have disappeared. My dad shares a split soul and magic with Eli. Eli is the reincarnation of Clow Reed who told me how to unlock my heart's power." at the same time as Sakura was talking, her glow was getting dimmer and dimmer. "I never want Yue to disappear. I love both Yue and Julian as if they were my other brothers. Tori is my brother. Yue, Julian, Ruby, Meilin, and Madison are all my friends." Sakura's eyes were back to their normal color. "My one true love is you, Lee Showron." And like a candle that gets suddenly snuffed out, the magic let go of Sakura and she fell limply back against Lee's arms.
The others fell to their knees, as Sakura's spell on them broke, after being frozen in one place for so long. Lee stood up with the unconscious Sakura in his arms. "Is she alright?" Tori asked, a little in awe at the power his little sister had thrown off.
"Yeah, I think so." Lee said looking down on her tired face.
"I should hope so, as that was part of the prophecy." Yue said. He had not risen from his kneeling position yet. He recited the part that pertained to what had happened tonight.
Ruby looked at everyone else "Well, do you think we can ever get to home without being attacked at least once a day?" she asked exasperatedly, planting gloved hands on hips.
That got a tired chuckle out of everyone as they straggled toward the Avalon house.
To Be continued…