CHAPTER THREE: BATTLE
Sakura gets through dinner with only a few errant glances from Touya.
He suspects something, she thinks as she changes into her costume.
"Tomoyo-chan has been watching too much 'Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon'," she groans to herself. The costume is a modified sailor suit: she wears a white beret and the pleated skirt is striped pink and yellow.
She and Kero meet Tomoyo at the school, and Syaoran shows up a few moments later. He can't seem to meet Sakura's eyes and his face is a bright shade of red.
Honestly, all I said was his name, she thinks to herself. Anyway... to the task at hand...
She uses the Fly to go up and check out the town. She doesn't sense Alcyone, but she does see something suspicious: there is a bonfire burning in Eriol's front yard.
Eriol's former front yard, she reminds herself. When I'm in this unreality, I have to play by their rules.
The flames suddenly flare up and she feels the magic involved. Alcyone is down there, she thinks grimly.
She returns to the ground, but leaves the wings on the staff.
"Alcyone is at Eriol's house!"
"Who?"
"That boy who died... He was a powerful magician, Syao-kun," she says in an exasperated tone. "Now come on!"
She extends a hand so he'll join her on the staff.
As per usual, he hesitates and flushes.
We don't have time for that! she thinks.
"Come on!!!" she says aloud, and pulls on his hand.
"Okay..." He gets on and she kicks off from the ground.
"Kero, Tomoyo, follow us!"
She takes the staff up higher, but still low enough that the others can see them.
The flight to Eriol's is uneventful. Once there, they hide behind one of the large bushes and discuss tactics.
"We should move quietly and see what we're up against!" Syaoran suggests.
"Not a bad idea..." Sakura agrees.
Their plan falls apart when the bush they are plotting behind goes up in flames.
"Aahhh!" They all jump back.
Before them stands a woman dressed entirely in shades of red and black. Her hair is spikey and a dark shade of maroon. A small smile rests on her full red lips.
"I thought I heard something.... Lilac, here!" she snaps, half-turning.
A large wolf creature bounds up. Its fur is, as one might suspect, a light shade of violet. There is a large blue jewel set in its forehead, and a bangle inscribed with magic symbols on its left foreleg. It has strange bat-like wings.
"Yes, Mistess?" it says, apparently unhampered by its long white teeth.
"That one has no magic," she says disdainfully, pointing to Tomoyo. "Put her with the others."
Sakura cranes her neck and sees other figures silhouetted against the flames.
"You can't take Tomoyo!" she protests.
"Like I can't kill Clow Reed's reincarnation, huh?" She smiles slowly.
"You did what?!?" Syaoran emits hatred. He draws his sword.
Alcyone lifts her hand and Sakura and Syaoran find themselves unable to move. They watch in horror as the wolf creature takes Tomoyo's arm in its teeth and pulls her along.
"Ow! That hurts! Sakura! Help!!!"
"Let... her go!!!" Sakura says with difficulty. Her mouth doesn't want to work.
"You don't know who you're dealing with!!!"
"But I do..." Alcyone grins once more.
"You are Kinomoto Sakura, Clowmistress. Your little friend there is Li Syaoran, enchanter of his own right. And of course, Keroberos, guardian of the Clow."
Okay... They look at each other. How does she know? Sakura mouths.
Syaoran shrugs, but very slowly.
Sakura tries to move, but it's like she's trapped in slow motion. She grits her teeth and pulls against the spell.
Alcyone notices and laughs. Her laugh is high, thin, humorless, and creepy.
"Come, Clowmistress, her guardian, her consort," she says, and begins to walk towards her bonfire.
They find themselves moving behind her in strange, jerky steps, like bad marionettes.
"Hey!" Sakura protests once more, but she cannot stop.
She finally does stop, though not of her own accord. Alcyone quits their movements when they stand before the fire.
"Lilac! Bring the first forward!" Alcyone snaps.
"Oh my Lord..." Sakura exclaims as Lilac pulls the person into view. "Dad!!!"
Mr. Kinomoto seems in shock.
"What's going on?" he asks. "Why is this -- beast-- pulling at me? Sakura, what are you doing here?"
Lilac releases Mr. Kinomoto before Alcyone and backs away submissively.
"Ahh... Yes, Kinomoto Aiden... One-half of the reincarnation of Clow Reed. I've killed your other self, you know," she says conversationally to Aiden.
"What? You killed someone?" Mr. Kinomoto frowns and shrinks back.
"Sakura, stay away from this woman! She's obviously a homicidal lunatic!!!"
"You don't know the half of it, honey." Alcyone smiles viciously.
Then she leans forward and pushes Aiden into the flames.
"Gods no! Not Dad!" Sakura tries to move, to attack, to tear her limb from limb, to make that woman pay for killing her father... but she can't, the spell makes her move so infuriatingly slowly...
Alcyone, creepy smile still on her lips, releases the movement spell and replaces it with a boundary spell: Sakura, Syaoran, and Kero can move for about five square feet before being stopped by an invisible form.
Sakura beats on the barrier. When it becomes clear that it won't break, she sinks to her knees.
"No, no, no, no!!!!" she sobs.
Syaoran thinks, I don't care if she loves me or not, she needs someone... He holds her, trying to comfort her.
"Lilac!" Bring the next one!" Alcyone directs.
"Sakura!" Syaoran says to her, amber eyes concerned, "You've gotta get yourself together! There are other people to save!" He shakes her by the shoulders.
"You.... you're right. I've gotta defeat Alcyone... pass that damn test!"
Sakura wipes her eyes and rises. She calls upon her Key.
Lilac pulls the next victim over-- Yukito!
"Yukito! We need Yue! Help us!" Sakura tells him, hoping he'll understand.
"I can't... You don't think I've tried? In this form, I don't have any powers," Yukito replies, trying to wrest his arm from Lilac's grasp. Lilac growls and bites down harder. Blood blossoms onto Yukito's white shirt-sleeve and he shudders with pain.
Sakura feels along her invisible cage. It's like a magical net, almost... She has an idea.
"Syaoran-kun! Your sword!"
She uses the Sword card and points it toward the barrier.
He nods.
"One... two.... three!"
They bring their swords down at the same instant Alcyone forces Yukito into the fire.
Involuntary tears stream down Sakura's cheeks. Remember, this isn't real...
She feels the barrier crack.
"Yes!" they exclaim.
"Lilac, the others!" Alcyone demands. "Two left..."
She does not seem to care that Sakura and Syaoran are breaking her spell.
Lilac drags first Touya, then Tomoyo to stand in front of its mistress.
"Now!" Another stroke upon the barrier. Just one more...
Alcyone has difficulties with Touya.
"Almost a magician yourself, eh?" she says genially. "Well, no matter the skill. I'm better. Bye!" She gives him a hard shove with her hands and a harder one with her magic.
Sakura and Syaoran are free!
Keroberos transforms to his true form and circles Lilac, growling. With a hiss, he leaps toward the beast and they begin to fight, with tooth and claw as much as with magic.
Sakura can't worry about Kero now, though. She rushes toward Alcyone.
"Syaoran! Protect Tomoyo!" she yells.
Syaoran does as told and sets up a protection spell around the girl.
"Be careful, Sakura!" he calls, eyes full of longing.
If only I could do it for her...
Well, the first thing to do is douse the flames, she thinks. No fire, no power.
"Watery card!" She directs it to the bonfire, but Watery sheers off like there's something in the way.
"Please!" Alcyone laughs. "Water doesn't pull these flames out!"
She shoots a gout of flame at Sakura, who barely dodges it with the Jump.
Find her weak spot, a voice echoes through her mind. It sounds strangely familiar, yet not her own....
"Her weak spot!" Sakura repeats. The elements are my most powerful cards... But fire beats water here. Wind fans the flame, flame will join its fellow... Earth muffles fire...
"Earthy!"
But once again the card shies off.
I'm missing something... she thinks desperately. What can it be?
'We shall all hang together or we shall all hang separately,' comes the strange thought-voice again.
'Hang together...' Combine the cards! The thought hits Sakura like lightning. But does she have enough power?
"Yes, yes, I can!"
With a swift breath, she finally figures out who the owner of the thought-voice is.
Thank you, Eriol-kun.
She concentrates hard and goes through the chant. Then it is:
"Earthy! Watery! Attack Alcyone!!!"
The cards soar up and move straight towards the evil woman. They do not shy off this time...
"No!!!" Alcyone screeches, for once losing her composure. "I thought... you don't have the power!"
"I wield the wand, don't I?" Sakura smiles. "Don't underestimate the Clowmistress..."
The cards are beating upon Alcyone's shield. The instant before they break through, Alcyone yells.
"Damn you!" she cries. "I won't go alone!"
She raises her hand and points to Tomoyo.
"Fire, father of elements, hear my plea! Shatter the shield and she dies with me!"
Flame shoots out of her fingertips. Syaoran shifts to a fighting stance, sword in front of him.
"Don't you dare!" he snarls.
"No... not you, child. The magicless one."
"Tomoyo!" Sakura screams, and starts running toward Syaoran and Tomoyo.
"Stay back, I can handle it!" Syaoran says worriedly.
Don't put yourself in danger...
But with a wicked howl of triumph, Alcyone's jet of flame breaks his shield.
Tomoyo doesn't even have time to scream.
Sakura can't stand it anymore. The world goes black....
IN THE REAL WORLD...
Syaoran is sitting uneasily once more, still praying silently to any god that is listening.
Something touches his shoulder and he jerks up.
It is Kero, saddened expression on his face.
"You're still worried for her, aren't you?"
"The Chamber of Trial is a grueling test. I... went in once, before I came to Japan.... Two hours, real world, but it can be days in the unreality of the Chamber."
"What was it like?"
"Hell," he answers harshly. "The Chamber plays games with your mind and pushes you to the absolute limit. I... hate to think of her suffering like that"
Kero lands softly on Syaoran's shoulder. He pats Syaoran's hand, trying awkwardly to offer comfort.
"Well, she's only got a couple minutes left. You know as well as I that Sakura can pass this test."
"Kero... I never thought I'd say this, but you're right."
They sit there, each silently comforting each other.
IN THE CHAMBER OF TRIAL...
"Sakura! Sakura, wake up!"
Syaoran's concerned amber eyes are the first things Sakura sees.
"Is it over? Am I done?" she asks groggily.
"Alcyone is gone," Syaoran says. "The cards did as told... But, Sakura... you've gotta see..."
Her vision finally settles and Sakura sits up.
"They didn't come back," she says flatly.
"No... Sakura, I'm so sorry... Can you get up? I'll take you home," Syaoran says, eyes full of pain and pity.
Sakura's throat closes up. Home, to a dark house? Home, where her brother, her father, her friends shall never tread again? No...
"I can't..." she chokes out.
What is left to this damn test? she wonders inside.
"Where's... Kero-chan?" she says, suddenly thinking of her guardian beast.
"Over here...."Syaoran says, eyes still haunted.
She stands and he guides her off to one side of the buidling, where she had seen Kero battling Lilac.
Both animals lie there with their throats torn out, unmoving.
Syaoran slips his hand into her unresponsive one for silent comfort.
"Kero..." she whispers, unable to find her voice.
"Sakura, if you don't want to go to your house... We have to get away from here... Come with me. Wei can... make arrangements," Syaoran says with pleading eyes.
If only.... She shouldn't have to see this... I love her too much to let her stay... he thinks desperately.
"Gods, they're gone!" Sakura wails. "Daddy, Onii-chan, Tomoyo-chan, Yuki, Eriol-kun, Kero-chan... All gone!"
She turns to Syaoran, eyes full of panic.
"You're the only one left!!! Don't leave me, Syaoran!!!"
She clings to him, sobbing.
"I won't," he promises solemnly. "Now, come on... Before the police get here..."
Sakura allows herself to be led down the dark street.
In the midst of her pain, she doesn't see the car coming-- but Syaoran does.
"Sakura!" he yells, and pushes her out of the way.
There is a sickening dull thud and Sakura's final friend in all the world is dead....
THE REAL WORLD....
"Li Syaoran... it is time." One of the elder's acolytes approaches him. The man stays back a bit, nervously eyeing Kero as he sits on Syaoran's shoulder.
"I don't bite!" Kero says reassuringly.
"Really...." Syaoran mumbles. He stands up and follows the acolyte to the audience room.
"Just one moment longer," an elder observes in his dry, dead voice. "If she leaves sane and unharmed..."
"You will have our permission," another man finishes in the same tone.
All faces turn to the door expectantly.
Syaoran finds himself holding his breath...
The door handle turns.
He leans forward. Never has he been so glad to see his cherry blossom.
The door opens and Sakura stumbles out. Her face is the white of plaster and tear tracks run down her cheeks, but she is fine.
"Syaoran!" she cries out, a call of pure joy.
She is running towards him and he goes to meet her... He pulls her close, content in this moment just because his beloved is alive.
"Thank the gods you're alive," Sakura says, holding Syaoran tightly. She felt like never letting go again...
"Me, cherry blossom? I was worried about you," he whispers into her hair.
"I have seen things that will haunt my nightmares... But I am unhurt, physically."
"Can you tell me about it?" he asks gently.
"Later..."
Syaoran looks up and flushes. He had forgotten about the elders... The men were still there. He can't see their faces, but still...
"We grant you, Li Syaoran, permission to marry this girl, Clowmistress Kinomoto Sakura," one of the men says impassively, like he has not witnessed the scene before him.
Syaoran and Sakura gaze at each other, pure joy in their eyes.
"We're getting married!" they say to each other at the same time.
They indulge in a kiss and then leave the elders to their business. To be Continued...