Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Veils of Destiny ❯ Lost in the Woods ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, or Visions of Escaflowne. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Dic & Cloverway. Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP/Kondansha. Visions of Escaflowne belongs to Bandai. I am doing this for reader enjoyment only and am not making a profit.

Dedication: To Penthesilea, datajana, Yume Tenshi no Hikari, Jedijessie, Michelle Ann Myst Lady, PallaPalla-chan, Mystical_Fascination, and The Clow Mistress.

Chapter Seven: Lost in the Woods (A/N: A chapter title for the Lady)

Usagi watched in horror as she saw Sakura's body connect with the glass. "She's not going to make it." she whispered. Yet even as the words left her mouth the glass shattered and Usagi could only look with amazement and relief.

Her relief was short lived however as the fortress shifted due to the change in pressure. Sirens wailed and blared and red lights flashed. Realization dawned an Usagi. Sakura had just jumped off a floating fortress thousands of feet in the air. She wasn't going to make it, it was impossible. "Please," Usagi let out a silent prayer. "Please let Sakura be all right."

* * * *

The wind whistled around Sakura as she descended. She had a sudden feeling of de ja vu. Her mind flashed back to days before when she had plummeted to Earth from Gaia. Sakura took comfort in that far off memory remembering the reassuring arms of her guardian. Except this time was different. There was no Yue this time and no Sakura cards to save her. A knot developed in Sakura's stomach. She had jumped without thinking and now she was going to die. The general had warned her it was fatal to jump but Sakura had. It didn't matter anyway. Sakura had failed. She had failed to protect the key and in turn had failed to protect the cards and because she had failed in her duty in turn had caused pain to Touya. 'Perhaps,' Sakura thought. 'It was better to die by one's own hand then by that of another.'

Sakura saw the ground racing towards. Images shot through her mind. Li holding the teddy bear Sakura had made, Touya in her mothers faded blue apron preparing supper, Yukito ridding his bike to school, Usagi and Hitomi sharing lunch with Sakura after the appearance of the dragon. Fear gripped Sakura's heart. She didn't want to die, she wanted to live, to see her friends, and to protect the ones she loved from Lady Gemad. And yet Sakura had jumped to escape the impending battle and now she was going to die. She closed her eyes and prayed all would be well.

It was a faint whisper on the wind. "Let Sakura be all right." Sakura tilted her head. The voice was Usagi's. "Please, please let Sakura be safe." The Imperium Crystal burned in Sakura's hand and a bright light was emitted. No longer could Sakura feel herself falling but instead she found herself gently floating to the ground below.

* * * *

It was amazing how humans could sleep. They slept for enjoyment, they slept for peace and they slept to escape. It was something Yue could not comprehend, the power sleep held over humans. Yue knew his false self slept to make up for all the energy Yue generated in his true form. Yes, Yue understood sleep but couldn't accept it. In his mind it was simply a waste of time. There they were, the senshi and Mamarou, sleeping in a clearing while Sakura and Usagi were somewhere on Gaia.

He didn't mind keeping watch for Yue never grew tired. The full moon shone down on him and Yue bathed in the pale light's power. Yet the power of the moon on Gaia was not the same as the power of the moon on the Earth. Perhaps it was the distance or perhaps it was the place, but the magic of the moon seemed to diffuse in the Gaian air so it was less powerful by the time it reached Yue. This concerned Yue, only slightly, but it was a worry. Yue knew he could not keep this up for ever. He would have to revert to Yukito soon and as soon as he revered Yukito would have to eat and sleep to regain the energy that he, Yue, had exerted. Yes it was a worry but as Yue gazed up at the moon he relaxed in it's beauty, fully confident it would be a few more days before any signs of weariness would begin to show.

Yue gazed down at the sleeping companions. A small smile tugged at the corner of Yue's lips as he watched the rhythmic rise and fall of the blond one's chest. Minako was her name and she had been very adamant about staying awake if Yue was to keep watch. "We can't trust him," she had said. "He's only concerned about Sakura not Usagi. The moment we fall asleep he'll disappear into the night in search of her leaving us alone and exposed. If he's going to stay up and watch then I will too." In the end it had been the young girl Hotaru who had reasoned with Minako calmly explaining to her that if he would have left already would have left already and that they were all in this together and it wasn't helping the situation any by bringing dissent to the group. In the end Minako had reluctantly agreed and after much planning of tomorrow's course of action they had fallen into a peaceful, if not tense sleep.

Yet sleep was not peaceful for all of them. Yue turned his head away from the sleeping senshi to a spot just outside the group. He watched as Mamarou turned violently in his sleep, moonlight glinting off his perspiration. If Yue was confused by sleeping he was fascinated by dreams. He couldn't figure out if sleep was a source of rest then why dreams disrupted a peaceful slumber. Yue wondered the cause of dreams and wondered briefly if Yukito had them. He supposed if Yukito dreamed then he, Yue, was the cause.

Yue glanced down at Mamarou's troubled form. He thought he knew the cause of Mamarou' fitful sleep. It was Usagi, the golden haired goddess that Yue expected haunted Mamarou's mind. Yue supposed it was guilt that made the young man before him toss and turn so. Guilt and love.

Yue wondered about love. He knew it was a truly human emotion unique only to them. Love could be hurt and betrayal. Yue knew that. He had seen it when Yukito had told Sakura he only loved her as a brother would but Yue also knew love could be beautiful and trusting.

Yue felt a sudden feeling of jealousy. He thought he knew love. He had loved Clow Reed. Clow Reed had created Yue after all and Yue was loyal to his former master. Yet he thought that his loyalty and fondness towards Clow Reed was not true love. No Yue contemplated he would probably never know what love was. He suspected of course. His connection with Yukito affected Yue and he could sense Yukito's emotions. He had a feeling that what Yukito felt for Touya was love or the concern Yue had seen reflected in Touya's eyes when Sakura was in danger was another form of love.

So deep was Yue in contemplation that he almost missed it. It was a faint tickling at the back of his mind. He stared at the sleeping humans and considered waking them. He tried to concentrate on the feeling but it was fading quickly. That bothered Yue and he stared defiantly at the moon only to see the first rays of the purple dawn creep over the horizon. The feeling was barely a tickle now, more like a distant memory. He glanced again at the sleeping group but he could hardly feel it now. He glanced down at Venus and smiled "Just doing what you expected."

Having made his decision he spread his wings and flew upwards. Staying close to the tree line Yue flew towards the faint whisper of magic. The feeling flickered as Yue felt his power weaken and he faltered in the air. He steadied himself and prayed he would make it.

* * * *

Hitomi gazed at the young boy ahead of her in amazement. He never seemed to tire and never stopped, so adamant was he that they find Sakura. They had reached the forest edge and had risen before dawn to continue their journey. All in all Hitomi figured she had gotten three hours of sleep and judging from Li's nodding head she wondered if he had rested at all. 'Probably not,' she thought. Hitomi had seen the sorrow in Li's eyes when he mentioned Sakura. It was the same pain Hitomi felt when she thought about Van. Except Hitomi knew Van was on Earth, safe under the watchful eye of Yukari and Amano. But what did Li know? That his beloved Sakura was in the merciless grasp of some insane lady determined to take over Gaia and Earth. In Hitomi's mind that was not a comforting thought. No, she could understand why Li trudged onwards never stopping to rest but Hitomi herself was getting tired.

Li brought his horse to a halt and turned to look at Hitomi. "Do you feel that?" he asked while turning his head upwards to scan the skies.

Hitomi looked at Li and then upwards. She didn't see anything and she certainly didn't feel anything. She glanced at Li in concern and wondered how she could gently suggest they stop for a rest before he burnt out. She was just about to say something when a handful of pure white feathers floated gently down before her. She looked up confused. "Van?" but it was not her prince but the winged guardian Yue. She watched as Yue swerved in the air and spiraled to the ground. Only to turn around at the last moment and alight to the ground.

Li stared at Yue. "Are you all right?"

Yue looked Li. "I'm fine." He turned his head and stared at Hitomi. "You haven't found Sakura yet?"

Li looked downwards. "No," he lifted his head to Yue "But we know where the floating fortress was last spotted. Hitomi and I are heading there now."

"Why are we just standing here then. Let's go."

Li gave a wary glance to Yue. Do you want to ride the horse?" he questioned.

"No." Yue answered. "Let's just get going."

Travel was quiet. Yue kept a steady pace with Li and Hitomi's horses. After three hours of silence Hitomi asked the question that was on her mind. "Did you land here alone Yue?"

"No." Yue answered. "I arrived with the senshi and Mamarou."

"Oh...........so where are they now?" Hitomi asked confusion creeping into her voice.

Yue turned to her and smiled, never breaking pace with Li's horse. "I left him sleeping in the clearing."

Li halted his horse and turned in his saddle to face Yue. "You did what?" he asked.

"We had a disagreement so I left them lying in the clearing when I felt your presence."

Hitomi's hand went to her mouth to hide her loud gasp. Li's eyes narrowed and he swore under his breath. "Why didn't you tell us sooner? We have to go back. We should be traveling together. Safety in numbers and all."

Yue gave Li a cold look. "Usagi and Sakura are not together so I see absolutely no point in traveling with them. Besides I see the Triple Towers of the city on Millerna's map. We've traveled to far to turn back."

Li glanced to the horizon where three triangular towers jutted out of the landscape. He stared back the way they had come. He glanced back at Hitomi his eyes silently pleading her for advice. Hitomi just shrugged. Li glanced back at Yue noticing his skin was a shade paler. Realizing Yue's power was fading and he wouldn't be able to stay in this form forever he sighed and giving one last look the way they had come he urged his horse towards the village.

* * * *

It seemed to Sakura she had been traveling days on end. Her feet ached and her head hurt. She had found a worn path earlier and had followed it as it gradually widened into a gravel road. Logically she knew that traveling on an open roadway was an open invitation to be found but she didn't know where else to go. She stared into the distance, her throat burning from lack of water wondering when she would find a lake or a well. Up ahead she saw three high-rise towers nestled in the heart of a large village. She stopped sending a silent prayer that this city was not under Zaibach rule and then quickened her pace towards the village.

To Be Continued........

A/N: Well that's it. Feel free to leave a review, fire off an email (ladyequinox@hotmail.com) or strike up a conversation on MSN.