Hello! Being that I know quite a few people are going to want me dead by the end of this chapter I've decided to include my greetings here and take the time to go and hide while you read the chapter itself. This is the most angst I've ever written in a CCS story (at least to this day), but I promise you things will turn out alright in the end.
P.S. The faster and the more you update, the sooner you get the next chapter. It's already written!
Chapter 7.- Danger.
When Eriol finally woke up he wasn't mad because of loosing, but he was shocked because of the way he had lost.
"She just made me sleep." He repeated himself once, and again, and again.
"Aren't you supposed to be the Supreme Clow Reed, the most powerful Sorcerer of all times?" Shaoran asked him sarcastically.
"In fact no." Eriol said. "I'm not Clow anymore. I'm Eriol. And I knew there would be someone more powerful than me one day, but not that girl."
"Well, talking about that girl, she's really strange." Meiling said. "But now Shaoran just needs to defeat that wizard, and then he'll set scores with that girl. We'll prove that the Li Clan will always be the best."
"I think there's something with that girl." Shaoran said as she turned around, watching her leave. "Something we yet must find out."
The rest just looked at him, not at all understanding what he meant.
.---.
~Meanwhile, in the other side of the place.~
Sakura was leaving the place, helped by Tomoyo and Daeron. They walked to the cabins, where Yukito caught up with them.
"Sakura, are you alright?" he asked looking at the tired young lady.
"I'm perfectly fine." Sakura said.
"If having an energy drain is perfectly fine…" Tomoyo started.
Yukito opened the door to the cabin, where Kero immediately flew right to Sakura.
"What happened with you?!" he almost yelled, he was deadly worried.
"Nothing, really." Sakura said. "I just had a duel with Eriol and defeated him."
"Ah, that…" Kero said easily, "That shouldn't have been that hard." suddenly his expression changed. "Then why the hell do you look like if you had just fought a war against all the Eastern Magic Council?!"
"Because she just defeated Eriol without her staff." Tomoyo explained.
"Without her…" Kero repeated, then something hit him. "Without your staff?! How come you did something as dangerous as that?!"
"Kerberos, calm down." Yukito ordered him. He turned to Sakura. "I know, as well as Yue, that you did it because you don't want him and the Li's to know it is you…"
"The Chinese gaki is here?!" Kero yelled.
"But you know it is too dangerous." Yukito continued. "You haven't yet mastered your magic without an instrument." He sighed, kneeled down in front of Sakura and for a moment showed the eyes of Yue. "Sakura, you know you're our Mistress, and the most powerful Sorceress that has ever lived, and because of that your power is too much for you to handle it on your own, without an object to canalize it."
"I'm fine guys, I really am." Sakura insisted. "A little tired, that's true, but it won't take me long to recover. And probably in the last battle I'll use my staff anyway."
"We say all this because we care for you Sakura." Tomoyo said hugging her tightly. "We don't want something bad to happen to you."
"Nothing bad will happen to me." Sakura said sweetly. "I promise I'll be careful and take care of myself."
The rest just nodded.
"I would like to be alone for a while. Probably I'll sleep or meditate, to let my body recover for the next round." Sakura said.
Tomoyo, Daeron and her guardians nodded and left the room in silence.
.---.
~Meanwhile in the fighting grounds.~
Shaoran was fighting Wizard Mier, he was really strong, but Shaoran too was very skilled. The battle was though and both of them were gravely injured. But anyway, none of them gave up.
"Something is wrong in here." Eriol said suddenly.
"What do you mean Eriol?" Rubymoon asked.
"There's something with that wizard I don't like a single bit." Eriol explained.
Just then the images of the dream he had had right before traveling to Almaren went back o his mind. Was it that something related to it was about to happen?
"I feel it." Meiling murmured in a low murmur. "Cold, as ice, darkness, and a big feeling of loss."
Yelan looked at her niece worried. She couldn't understand what was going on. Meiling had never had magic, then why was she saying she was feeling these things? And besides, there was still that dream…
.---.
~Back to cabin 4.~
Sakura was sleeping. Her body had almost fully recovered, most of her energy restored, at least enough for a good duel before having to use her staff.
She didn't notice it, but two cards flew out of her pouch.
"I need your help Dream." The first one said.
"I don't know, I can't use my powers without the Mistress's consent." The other card, Dream, said.
"We need to do this for our Mistress's happiness." The other said.
"Ok. I'll do it." Dream said releasing some of her power to the other Card. "There you go Seer."
~In Sakura's dream.~
Sakura was walking in a beautiful garden. Her best setting when she needed to relax. Suddenly she noticed someone had just appeared in the place.
"Who is there?" she asked.
"Mistress." The newcomer said. "There's something you need to know."
And before Sakura could articulate a single word, her surroundings changed: she was now standing back in the fighting arena. Suddenly she heard a man's yell, as he hit the opposite wall, and fell into a pool of his own blood.
~Back to cabin 4.~
"No! Shaoran!!" Sakura yelled as she got up.
She noticed the two cards out of the pouch.
"Thank you Seer, Dream." She thanked them as they returned to the pouch. "Now I must help him. I can't let him die. No way!" she concentrated, there was no time to loose, she couldn't go there running, she would have to do it someway else. "Teleport!!" she yelled, and disappeared in a haze of silver light and little stars.
.---.
~In the fighting field.~
"You'll die now!" Wizard Mier yelled. He sent a massive energy attack to Shaoran.
Shaoran was already too weak, his deep cuts bleeding profusely. The attack hit him completely and he was thrown back to the coliseum's wall.
"Aargg!!" he yelled in pain.
"No!! Shaoran!!" Meiling yelled in panic.
Yelan just stood there, too afraid to even speak.
Wizard Mier laughed, an evil and ice-cold laugh. He shot another attack when…
"Shield!!" a voice yelled from the mid-ground.
Everyone gasped. A woman had just appeared in the middle of the fighting field, and summoned a shield that miraculously stood up enough to stop Wizard Mier's attack.
"It's forbidden to interrupt someone else's duel." Wizard Mier told her.
"I don't care what is forbidden you were about to kill him." She yelled in rage.
Eriol and Meiling were amazed. This Sorceress Cherry (Sakura), had just left minutes ago, completely worn out, and now she was back, and protecting Shaoran with such emotion…
"No one will stand in my way." Wizard Mier said, but just Sakura heard him.
He was about to shot another attack, but Sakura was faster.
"Windy!" she yelled.
Although Windy was normally a passive card, Sakura was so mad, her feelings gave the magic enough force to send Wizard Mier to the opposite wall.
"Someone's got to end this." She yelled to the rest.
"End the duel." Yelan finally found her voice.
"The duel has been stopped." The announcer said. "And for the circumstances the winner is Wizard Mier."
Meiling was about to yell that he was crazy, for not punishing that man, he had just tried to kill her cousin.
Eriol did a levitation spell and took Shaoran to the medical tent. His guardians followed him, as well as Meiling.
But Yelan went to Sakura, who was still trying to calm down herself.
"Thank you." She said bowing to Sakura.
"What for my lady?" Sakura asked bowing as well.
"You just saved my son's life." Yelan said. "When not even I could bring myself to interfere."
"Don't worry my lady." Sakura said smiling sweetly. "I only did what I thought should be done. It's been an honor to be of help."
Yelan noticed her smile, she had seen it before.
"Have we met each other?" she asked Sakura.
"I'm not sure my lady." Sakura said, she didn't want to lie to her. "Maybe."
Just then a man called Yelan, so Sakura didn't have to lie at all.
Once she was left alone, Sakura took a card out of her pocket.
"Seer." She said. "Answer this question, speak to me: Will Shaoran be alright? Please answer me, I command you to speak."
"I'm sorry Mistress." Seer's voice sounded in the air. "But Li Shaoran isn't yet safe, His wounds are deep, and he has lost too much blood, he may not survive unless…"
"I know." Sakura said. "And it must be done. Even if with that I reveal myself to everyone. Shaoran's life is more important than this silly secret-game, this isn't a game anymore."
.---.
Shaoran was lying in a bed, the sheets covered in blood, he was looking paler by each second that passed. The magical-doctors where doing the impossible to save his life, but it seemed to be that, impossible.
"He's going to be fine, right?" Meiling asked again and again too nervous to think of anything else. "Please tell me he'll be okay."
"Please take her out Nakuru." Eriol said.
Rubymoon turned back to Nakuru and took Meiling out of the room, to the hallway. Suppy arrived with them a moment later. They both stayed in silence, neither of them had mood for chatting.
.---.
Inside, the doctors where still doing all the efforts to cure Shaoran, but he was already one step to death.
"He can't die, not him please." Yelan was crying. "Please Kami-sama don't take him, not him, you already took Xiaolen from my side, don't take him away too."
"Don't cry Mrs. Li, everything will be alright." Eriol tried to comfort her, but even he was doubting his own words.
Just then there was a flash of silver light and a figure appeared in the middle of the room, right next to Shaoran.
The doctors stepped back, shocked.
Eriol and Yelan were puzzled, there was that Sorceress again. But this time, she looked a little different.
Sakura ignored the strange faces of everybody in the room and went next to Shaoran.
"He's cold." She murmured. "And has lost too much blood. Just like Seer said." She took a card from her pocket. "Heal won't be enough to save him, I'll have to use my full power."
.---.
~Just outside.~
"Something strange is going on." Suppy said looking at the door.
Nakuru was about to ask what when she and Meiling saw a figure that passed running right next to them.
"Miss Violet?" Meiling asked.
But the girl didn't stop and immediately entered the room, closing the door behind her.
Once inside Tomoyo noticed Sakura was already standing next to Shaoran.
"You came just in time." Sakura said.
"Are you sure of what you're about to do?" Tomoyo asked. "After all, you just recovered yourself from an energy drain."
"His life depends on it." Sakura said. "But I'll need your help."
"Count on it." Tomoyo said. "I'll be ready the moment you say so."
Eriol didn't understand what was going on.
"I won't let you die." Sakura told Shaoran with her hand on his cheek. "I'll save you, Shaoran."
Yelan opened her eyes wide. How come this girl knew her son's real name?!
"Now." Sakura told Tomoyo.
"Shield!" Tomoyo summoned raising her ring and giving a step forward.
"That ring…" Eriol started. Now he was sure it was magic.
A shield surrounded her, Sakura and Shaoran. Leaving the doctors, Eriol and Yelan out of what was about to happen.
Immediately after Sakura took the key from her neck and chanted: "I call upon the magic of my star, ancient forces near and far, with the power of magic, with the power of light, release the staff and shine your light. I command you…To Unseal!!" a golden seal appeared at her feet and her key grew up to her staff, and at the same time her mask fell to the floor, revealing her face, and letting her aura shine, finally, freely.
"Oh God…" Eriol murmured recognizing finally the aura of the young Sorceress. Then he thought something else. "Then Violet…"
Sakura set the Heal Card over Shaoran and concentrated hard.
"Heal, please, I need your powers. I know you've never done something this big. But it is very important to me. Please, save his life, I beg you." Sakura pleaded, then she raised her staff and added: "Please, release your magic and cure him. Heal!"
Heal turned to her true form.
"I'll do all I can Mistress." Heal said as she started glowing, transmitting her powers to the almost dead Shaoran.
The seconds passed, one by one.
Suddenly Sakura fell to her knees, but she never lowered her staff, she refused to give up.
"I can't give up. I can't let him die. I won't do it." Sakura repeated to herself. "I'm gonna save him."
"Mistress, I don't have enough energy." Heal told her.
"Then take mine." Sakura said.
"But Mistress…" Heal started.
In Sakura's situation, when she was just recovering from an energy drain, it was dangerous to do something like that.
"Just do it. Please." Sakura pleaded.
Heal nodded.
"She won't resist." Yelan said afraid. "It's too much magic for such a young lady."
"She has to." Eriol said. "Now not only Shaoran's life, but her own as well, depend on it."
Yelan just looked at everything in silence. It was too incredible that someone, no matter who, risked her/his life to save someone else's.
"I will resist. I need to. Shaoran, I'll save you, I swear it." She remembered all her happy times with Shaoran, when they were just in Elementary School. "You helped me many times, now it is my turn to return the favor. No matter what."
She turned to look at Tomoyo, who also was putting all her efforts to support the shield, to stop the doctors from interrupting them. She smiled, despite her situation.
"No matter what, everything will be alright." Sakura assured herself. Her magic words, her special spell, it had always worked, and it would again. It had too. "I won't fail in this." She said, still on her knees, looking at Shaoran, true and eternal love shinning in her emerald eyes. "I can't loose you Shaoran, not again. I love you too much." She smiled. "You listen to me Shaoran? I love you."
A lonely tear slipped down her cheek and ended on a Sakura Card, the Card shone brightly.
"Don't cry." She said. "Everything will be alright."
Sakura, as well as Tomoyo recognized Hope's voice.
Just then there was a huge flash of silver light.