Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / Tokyo Babylon Fan Fiction ❯ The Bet ❯ The Inevitable ( Chapter 9 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: X/1999 and Tokyo Babylon and Card Captor Sakura do not belong to me at all and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

A/N: And here it is. We are winding down to the end, folks. One more chapter, tops, and maybe an epilogue. After that, either I start with the journey to the promised day, or I stop. I think I will continue, provided my interest in CLAMP continues. I hope it does. Though god alone knows how I’ll end it... though my current idea is “Zettai daijoubu”. A cop out, but I don’t feel like too much angst around...


“TOUYA!”
The knife descended, and Yukito was frozen. He couldn’t act as Touya threw himself between Yukito and the mad woman’s blade; couldn’t make himself move as he lost sight of the knife, as it was knocked away. Blood and fluid rained on the floor and on the shocked woman’s face, when she realized what she’d done.
Then Touya had turned around.
Yuki screamed.
The image would never leave his mind- the smile on Touya’s lips, his expression of relief, and the hand over his eye with blood oozing down through his fingers. He was an island of stillness as doctors and nurses erupted at Yukito’s screech.
Touya had been taken from him, again.
He was wheeled away, limp, looking like meat on a cart, and security people were grabbing the stunned woman, who had lost all her fight. She collapsed into her captor’s arms, shocked that she had maimed a bystander... even more shocked that she had tried to hurt one of her son’s friends.
Yukito locked eyes with her, and they reflected the same question.
“How did this happen?”

The white moon Guardian paced the hospital lobby waiting for his mistress to arrive. His clothing was still spattered with Touya’s blood. The smell had been too much for Yukito, and he’d run, changing into Yue with a speed that had surprised the guardian. It was odd- until this year, Yukito had never done the changing. In fact...
His thinking was circular- it would always come round to Touya again. Despite his being a warrior, the sight of... Touya, like that- it was painful. Yukito was so sensitive, it was no wonder that he was unable to handle this...
Again. Back to Touya. It was annoying when his thoughts constantly revolved around one man.
He recalled how he and Yukito had, over the past few months, spoken often with a young boy named Yuya, in the park on their way to classes- a fellow CLAMP student, though he was barely seven. Then, one day, he was no longer there.
The two beings had discovered that their little friend had a heart condition- one which required a transplant. They’d gone to visit him in the hospital.
Which had led up to their fateful encounter with his mother.
She’d been inconsolable. No donors were currently available and he was worsening daily. Unable to stand it, she’d tried slit her own throat.
As fate would have it, that was when Yukito had arrived.
They’d grappled for a few moments, but while Yukito was far stronger than his delicate frame suggested, he couldn’t bring himself to use that strength.
Angered, she had retaliated.
Then Touya had stepped in.
What else could he say about it? Shaking his pale head, Yue groaned softly. The mistress would be arriving soon, and..
“YUKI! Yue!” Sakura yelled, thundering through the doors. She was still dressed in her school uniform, no doubt having run, or flown, to the hospital when she’d heard the news. The teenager hit Yue running, babbling questions which he raced to catch up to answer.
Until she asked how Touya was.
He’d been unable to respond, his tongue sticking in his throat.
“They can’t save his right eye. His other eye is untouched, but...”
Time seemed to stop, as Sakura’s mind went through ever single way she could fix, change, something. She was Sakura, the most powerful sorceress in the world. There had to be... Something (anything!), she could do.
Yet the pain on her face when she came to a pause said she could not. The Time card was too dangerous. She had no idea how to use the others to fix his eye. There was no ‘heal’ card, either.
“It... won’t be all right, ever again, will it?” she asked, subdued, before flinging herself into his arms. Yue took a deep breath, and petted her hair. Once again, he had to be the strong one for her. Not Yukito, not Touya...
But Touya HAD been the strong one this time. He’d paid the price for it. He’d paid the price because he...
Yue bit his lip. He could see something starting to develop between his other self and Touya, and as much as he might want to share in that, he felt conflicted. Could he and Yuki truly share Touya? Could Touya handle that?
Even more... could he handle the idea of being unfaithful to Clow?
It was cheerless duo that headed into Touya’s hospital room the next day.
“Hello!” the older man chirped- causing Sakura and Yukito to stare. He was sitting up in the bed, as pale as the clean bandages wrapping his head.
“To-ya,” Yukito said, slowly, before Sakura ran forward to hug her brother.
“Oo-nii-chan!” Sakura wailed, squeezing his ribs. His face turned a deep shade of purple underneath the bandages.
“Are you all right?” she touched his face, hands fluttering over his body like he would break. He smiled at her, and moved her away.
“I’m fine.”
“No you aren‘t!”
“You mean this?” he asked, amused, pointing at his sightless eye. “It’s nothing. I’ll be up and around soon.”
Both visitors went silent for a moment, attempting to regain their mental footing. Stealing himself, Yukito approached, and took Touya’s hand.
“I’m sorry,” he blurted, squeezing. “I’m so sorry! Please don’t hate me!”
“Hate you?” Touya asked, confused. “Why would I hate you?”
“Because- its my fault that you… You…”
Touya started laughing. It caught Sakura and Yukito off guard, watching him smile cheerfully at them. “It’s not your fault.”
“It is! It’s all my fault! If I had been able to fight her off- if I had been strong enough-”
“It isn’t your fault,” Touya said softly. “I just happened to be there. You were no more at fault than if I’d been stung by a bee. Or a bird had,” and his lips twitched “crapped on my head. I wouldn’t blame you for those things.”
“But I was the one-”
“You really want to make it up to me?” Touya asked, face serious. Yukito swallowed and nodded, willingly to do anything for him at this point.
“Get me some angel creams from Mr. Donut!” Touya asked, grinning wickedly. “And some regular donuts, too! And some apple fritters. I love apple fritters…”
Yukito’s eyes widened, before his face split with a massive grin. “Sweets? That’s all?”
“Well, I’ve could ask you to take care of my plants, but since I don’t have any in my apartment that you could possibly take care of…”
Sakura smiled as well. “I could use the Sweet card-”
“No, I want real donuts,” Touya nodded.
Yukito beamed- and bolted from the room. Sakura scooted closer, peering into her brother’s face.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” she asked, nervously. Touya nodded and she laughed in relief.
“Could you go check on our friend?” Touya asked, rubbing his chin. “I don’t know if he’s heard about his mother, or knows what she’s done…”
Sakura swallowed- she’d nearly forgotten. Getting other feet, she trooped to the door- and was nearly knocked over as the door opened.
“Eriol-kun?” she asked, rubbing her abused nose.
“Hello, creep,” Touya said cheerfully- he’d not seen Eriol in a while. The reincarnated wizard’s eyes went wide behind his glasses.
“I had heard you’d been injured,” he said respectfully, after inspecting Sakura’s nose. She wanted to stay and talk to Eriol, but all his attention was on her brother. Laughing sheepishly she made her exit.
There was silence as the two men beheld each other.
“I’m glad that you protected Yukito, again,” Eriol said softly. “I knew you’d give up your powers for him- but your eye-”
“I did this of my own free will, just like I gave up some of my strength,” Touya shrugged, and leaned back, totally at ease.
Eriol was anything but. He felt… like a sword was about to fall. He couldn’t even make himself sit.
“I came to thank you, again. I’m glad you’ve been here- I did my best to encourage Yue- or at least discourage him. He needed someone else to love, so even if I knew you were just a human…”
Touya’s living eye twinkled. “So you say.”
Eriol walked over to him, offering a bouquet, trying to shake the fact that his hands were shaking for no apparent reason.
“I don’t really understand what’s going on here,” Eriol sighed. “Since you showed up- its been nearly a year, hasn’t it? Since you’ve shown up, the past has come back to haunt everyone. I’ve tried to figure things out- to understand what’s coming…” Here he winced, and Touya didn’t seem to notice.
“What’s coming?”
“Ah,” Eriol stopped. “Its not that important.” Finding a seat, his head lowered, and took a deep breath.
And gagged.
“We should call the nurses- I can still smell the blood on you,” he wheezed.
After making the fastest doughnut run in human history, Yukito sped back, walking past a group of reporters- and stopped, walking backwards to listen to what they were saying.
They were trying to ask someone about his friend. They were clamoring to find out about the woman who had stabbed some man-
Yukito swallowed.
Yet like he was watching a bunch of circling sharks, who had no care for the pain the person was suffering. Touya had somehow avoided having his name published, but their friend had no such protection.
What would he do if he found out the truth?
For a moment, he worried his bottom lip, then snuck past the legion of reporters. He could always get Touya more doughnuts…
“Yuya-kun?”
Inside was Sakura, who was sitting with a cheerful young boy- apparently he had yet to hear about his mother…
Smiling, he sat down and presented the doughnuts. “I think Touya can spare a few…”
Sakura leaned over. “He can’t have any- they’re being careful about his diet right now.”
Yukito blinked, as a lump formed in his throat, and Sakura continued. “I think he wanted us to bring them to Yuya-kun.”
“What are you and Neechan doing here, Niichan?”
“You aren’t going to press charges?” the doctor asked, as he rewrapped Touya’s bandages. A police detective sat across from him, taking his deposition.
“No, that woman was more than insane when she attacked. She was trying to protect her son; who can fault her for that?” Touya’s tone was benign. “There’s nothing to be done about the eye now. And who knows what may come of it?”
The doctor and the detective were both at a loss- most would have been furious.
“Besides, what would happen to Yuya-kun if his mother was taken from him? He has no one else.”
There was nothing but frustrated silence to answer him.
Sakura pulled back from the door quickly so it wouldn’t like she had been eavesdropping along with Yuki. The two had been standing there when Touya had been speaking, wondering exactly what he would chose… And they smiled in relief, piling into his room.
“Really you two,” a nurse said, chidingly as she walked by. The two froze. “You realize he will need his rest!”
“Ah, give them a few minutes,” Touya said, smiling at her. She wavered. “Really, they won’t take long. We just wanted to talk about our little friend.”
The nurse nodded, a bit hesitantly, then went about her business. Sakura and Yukito laughed nervously
“I take it you heard?” Touya said, his living eye creased with humor. Sakura nodded.
“Its really very kind of you,” Yukito murmured. He had found Touya’s hand and begun running his thumb over the back. “You’re such a kind person.”
“I’m not, really. But there is nothing to be gained by pressing charges. You can’t get revenge that way- and there is none to be had. Her boy will probably die soon, so its not like I can take anything away from her now.”
Yukito should have been comforted by that… But his stomach twisted oddly.
“Brother, sometimes I wonder where you get these things,” Sakura murmured, and found a chair. “I wonder if Eriol can help me come up with a solution? I’m the most powerful sorceress in the world, and he has the memories of the most clever.”
Touya tapped his chin. “Well, soon it will be time anyways. I suppose I can’t see the harm. What’s done is done.”
The silence that stretched out after that statement was most definitely uncomfortable.

The next couple of days were unusually quiet as Sakura pondered.
She wanted to save Yuya-kun, but… she hadn’t been able to do anything for Touya. His eye was already lost…
The little boy needed a new heart.
Picking up her phone, she dialed Tomoyo and Eriol and arranged a meeting.
The next afternoon, they met at Tomoyo’s house, sitting in her pleasant tea room while one of Tomoyo’s maids placed a delicate service on the table.
“Thank you,” Sakura said, and picked up her cup, but didn’t drink. She just stared at it.
“I’ve been trying to think of ways we can save Yuya-kun. He needs a heart transplant, but… well, there have been no donors available and…”
Tomoyo put her hand on Sakura’s shoulder. “I take it you are trying to find a way that involves magic?”
“And is legal?” Eriol said, raising an eyebrow. There were actually several ways to save Yuya-kun, though most of them would involve murder of some kind.
Sakura’s eyes went wide, and she frantically shook her head. “No, no, no- I mean, yes to Tomoyo and no to Eriol. We have to do this right.”
Tomoyo sighed softly. “There are many ways to do things, with the application of enough money, Sakura-chan.”
Sakura shuddered. “No, we aren’t going to do something like that! If we had wanted to do it that way, we would go give Yuya-kun’s mother the knife again!”
“You realize magic won’t fix Yuya-kun’s heart.” Eriol’s voice was soft. “You can’t just do it like that.”
Sakura shrank. That was exactly what she’d been hoping for.
“Magic is an amazing thing, Sakura-chan. Yet it has as many problems as it fixes. Kaho’s abilities were amazing, but they didn’t save her. I knew she would die…” His tone was distant as he gazed into his tea. “Yet I never knew the how or the why.”
The young sorceress bit her lip. “There has to be something. He needs a heart… but without depriving someone else who needs it.”
“Then we… what? Create a heart out of thin air?”
“Create..?”
“Create!” Eriol’s eyes went wide. “The Create card!”
Sakura’s smile lit the room. “That’s it! We could make him a heart, and then-”
“How would you make it?” Tomoyo asked softly. “His original heart was defective.”
“His mother’s heart- it wasn’t. She was compatible. We could… we could…” Sakura trailed off, forehead furrowed in thought. “We could use the Twin Card on his mother’s heart. Then it could be put in.”
Eriol nodded. “I think that would work. We explain to her the situation, somehow. Then we get her to take Yuya-kun off the donation list, and into a private hospital… I have no objections to helping pay.” He raised an eyebrow at Tomoyo, who smiled benignly.
“I would help as well, in ensuring confidentiality.”
Sakura leapt to her feet. “Then I’ll go talk to the Cards!”
“Ah, Sakura-chan, I thought you might help me with something first,” Eriol interrupted, smiling faintly. “Because we were able to get so much done today, I wondered if it would be all right if you helped me go over what we know about Kaho’s death.”
Sakura stopped, the smile slipping from her face. “Ah.”
Tomoyo sat backwards. “So- you’ve had no leads? I thought you said it was the Sakurazukamori.”
“And that’s the problem. The Sakurazukamori is powerful. I can’t use my power to crack his spells on the area. And I tried.”
“Then why don’t we,” Sakura paused to tap her chin. “I could use Time…”
“Our powers are too similar for that to work,” Eriol sighed. “We use basically the same methods.”
Tomoyo was watching them carefully. “So you are saying you need to see what happened? Why not try something else?”
“No one is going to tell us who Sakurazukamori is. He or she,” and Eriol’s mouth twisted on the words, “Works for the government. Besides, there’s no where to start looking. No one escapes, no one sees. No one I have heard of has survived an encounter with Sakurazukamori in this lifetime. Our only real lead right now is the place where Kaho died. Tomoyo- even with all your money behind it- anyone investigating could die.”
Sakura went cold. “Why didn’t you tell me that? This person could really kill you?”
“He could have killed me already. Apparently this has turned into a game.” Eriol didn’t look happy with that admission. “Then again… If he knows who I am, there is a chance he’ll ignore me.”
Sakura fell back into her chair. “Why?”
“Because… I’m harmless to him.” Eriol smiled charmingly, obviously hiding behind his glasses.
Sakura hugged herself. All right, Eriol could keep his secrets. He always had. “We need to find out what happened… Okay. How about Mirei?”
“Mirei-san?”
“Yue did save her life,” Tomoyo interjected. “And she is a natural post-cognitive. Its possible that, without a spell, she could see the events. A murder would stain an area for a very long time.”
“But what if the Sakurazukamori tries to hurt her?” Sakura protested, voice going high.
“That is why we will be there with her- with at least some of our Guardians. Yukito’s not really in any shape right now to do much Guarding…” Eriol sighed affectionately. “He’ll want to stay, I imagine, with Touya-san.”
Sakura laughed a bit. “You’re right. Its amazing, isn’t? Things have changed so much in just a year.”
“Its really been a year?”
“Yup. Tomorrow, it will be a year to the day when we found Touya again.”
It had been a long afternoon, and Yukito walked down the road, head down, hands in his pockets, holding a long internal dialogue with his other self.
The Touya they had loved- gruff, rude, over protective and gentle… He was gone. The man who had given up his seemingly most precious thing was never coming back.
In his place was a man who spoke in riddles, healed animals and practiced onmyoujitsu. Still beautiful and dark, but with a smile that never reached his eyes.
His eye, now.
“He still is the same- he gave up something for me, without thinking about it.” Yukito said suddenly, sitting down on a bench. It was times like these he wished he could talk to Yue face to face. Though at the moment it was like talking to no one at all.
“He’s still Touya.” Leaning back, he looked up at the sky, heart twisting. “His eye… He tries so hard to look after everyone…”
“Obviously you love him,” Yue said, the words echoing in their mind. “The question is who it is you love- the memory or who he is now.”
“But he’s the same man.”
“No… somehow I don’t think he is. Or perhaps we never really knew him.”
“Does that matter so much? I want to know him. I want to,” he blushed, realizing he was talking aloud and got to his feet to trudge off again. I want to spend my life learning to know him.
“Are you sure about that? A life is a long time.”
“I’m sure now. After all of this… I can forgive him anything. Even if he doesn’t love me.”
Yue was silent. Then- “You should tell him.”
“I guess I will.”
Yukito exhaled, closing his eyes for a moment before smiling softly. Pressing one hand to the door, he pushed it open slightly.
“Hey, To-ya,” he called. It was dark. Perhaps the other man was…
“Thank you for coming out with us, Mirei-san,” Sakura said nervously as she led the post-cognitive, Eriol and their sun guardians in their plushy bodies to the spot they had determined Kaho had died in.
There wasn’t much of a difference in the place she stopped in than the rest of the shrine grounds, other than being slightly remote. It was after dark but the moon was casting a soft glow over everything. A chill walked down Sakura’s spine as Mirei tugged off one of her gloves.
“Wait-” the sorceress interrupted. “Eriol-kun, can I use Illusion-?”
“So we can see what she does? Sure. Though- ah, use Loop to reverse the image. She’ll see everything in reverse. It won’t make sense to us.”
Nodding, both girls took their positions. Mirei knelt, splaying her fingers as her palm touched the cool ground.
…asleep?
No- this wasn’t normal darkness. Yukito didn’t have time to react as blackness, flecked with pale dots closed over his head. Reaching out, his mind latched onto wondering what they were.
Cherry blossoms, dancing in the dark. The air was thick with their smell- so thick they covered up the stench of rot.
“To-ya?” Yukito asked, gaping.
Across the way was the man he had fallen in love with, dressed in one of his suits and a bandage looped loosely around his head.
“It seems that the time has come, Yukito. To end our bet.”
Yukito was at a loss, and Yue was not doing much better.
“You are inside my illusion- and under my spell. It has been a year since you and I met again… and it is time for our Promised Day.”
“Touya?” Yukito and Yue were both confused.
“Don’t you remember?”
The illusion rippled around them, showing the image of a night from five years ago. Yukito saw himself, not so much younger but staring at something.

“You really can’t remember any more?” Touya sounded almost disappointed. “You don’t know why cherry trees are so beautiful?”
Illusion spun about them as the Loop card replayed it in an order they could understand.
The night shone with moonlight- and Kaho arrived, calling for someone. Sakura watched, confused and chilled. The voice was uncannily familiar, and the face of the person was obscured.
“Can you see who it is?” Sakura asked, and Eriol shook his head. “Its too blurry. And I think this guy is using a maboroushi to hide himself.”
The scene played itself out, with Kaho looking at her harasser, lips stammering as she answered a question. There was a pause, as the man seemed to sigh, lifting one arm and-
-crunch-
The light wavered, as the shadows could no longer conceal the face of who had killed Kaho. Sakura grabbed Eriol’s shoulder in denial. It couldn’t be. He would never, ever hurt someone else…
Touya couldn’t be the killer.

“You know, that cherry trees used to be white? They were white as the moon in winter,” Touya said, dreamily as the memory of the past played itself out. “Then a jealous emperor declared that ever after, a fallen warrior would be buried beneath each and every tree. The blood from the corpse would sully the pure white petals… turning them to this lovely shade of pink.” He caught a petal absently to smile at it.
Yet, Yukito could only stare. The memory had finished, blanking where Yukito’s dream had. Unable to hear the content of the bet.
“Think.” Touya stepped up behind him, murmuring in his ear, so close his lips moved against his ear. “Think about what you saw when you first arrived.”
“I saw,” the moon Guardian struggled, and Yue fought with him. He thought back to his longing to find Touya, how he his legs had carried him to… Tsukimine Shrine… And he’d seen. The two beings choked at the memory… and bloody body of a woman as she dropped, and of the murderer.
“You- you’d never hurt Kaho-sensei,” Yukito whispered, turning to look at him with wide eyes. “You’d never hurt anyone! You gave up your powers- your eye- to save me!”
Touya’s expression never changed. “I did. And I have. More often than I can count.” His tone was mildly pleasant. He smiled at Yukito charmingly. “I am Sakurazukamori.”
Yukito shook his head in denial.
“I guess its about time I let you remember,” Touya went on, carelessly. “And see the Bet that we made.”
“You can’t be. No one sees Sakurazukamori and lives.”
“Ah, but that is the nature of the bet. You see, I took away your memory of that time, so that when the year of the bet began, you wouldn’t be under such strain.” Touya chuckled.
Yukito’s disbelief hung on with teeth and toenails, his faith in his Touya holding him still as the full scene began.

Yukito’s eyes were blank as Touya wrapped his arms around him, pulling off his gloves.
“I marked you as my own that night. I used these marks to keep track of you, even when you tried to hide yourself with those gloves. You are my prey… I couldn’t let anyone else have you.”
Touya’s voice was soft, insinuating. “And… I’m sorry you lost.”
“Onnichan,” Sakura’s hand went up to her mouth as the macabre play came to its conclusion.
“That’s all this year has been then? That’s the reason Touya let himself be found?” Eriol asked, confused. “And if he’s Sakurazukamori…”
“My god,” Sakura’s eyes were wide with terror. “Its been a year, Eriol! Do you think Yukito won?”
Eriol’s eyes went wide- and turned to their Sun Guardians. “Go! Go now!
Without a word, Eriol took off after them, calling his Key and disappearing into the night. Sakura twirled her wand to summon Fly- but was stopped.
“Okaasan,” she said, seeing the spirit stand in her way.
“You should not interfere, and you must see the rest of the events that happened here. Your brother is a monster now- but the reason is more complex than you realize.”
“But- he killed Kaho-sensei-”
“Yes. But that was because… he’d already lost his soul.”
Confused, Sakura turned her eyes back, seeing Mirei’s face as it twisted in confusion, before looking up to see… Okaasan.
“Keep- wait, Sakurazukamori loses his-”
Sakura had thought Touya’s sacrifice to save Yukito had meant nearly nothing- now she realized it was worth more than anything in the world. Falling to her knees as the vision of her mother’s death faded, Sakura wept.
“You can’t- this isn’t possible, it isn’t real-”
“I can and it is very real. For years now, my emotions have been bound. To me, a human being, a sentient being, a glass vase or a piece of trash- they’re all the same to me. No value. I used to feel something for you, but…” Reaching out, he grabbed Yukito by the arm.
There was a brief flash as Yue took over, offering a bit more resistance to Touya’s grip- then shrieked when the other man’s grip tightened.
“Grabbing you like this- I feel nothing.”
Yue flared his wings to get away, and then wailed when Touya grabbed one, twisting it in his hands.
“Nothing at all.” His hands kept twisting, causing a plastic snap in Yue’s wing. He cried out in agony.
“You’re just a doll to me. A puppet. A number. Once you were the world to me... And now I feel nothing. Mother was able to overcome that, somehow.” Touya’s words were absent as he flung the shocked Guardian to the ground. Touya had hurt him.
hurt him hurt him hurt him hurt him hurt him…
He kicked Yue in the gut.
“Nothing at all. Mother had wanted me to kill her, because she was tired. Sakurazukamori is a Clan of one. When one takes the position, they kill their predecessor. Mother came to me and asked her to kill her…”
Yue listened, confused, the words heard but not registering. He just- couldn’t believe it.
“Hm. If you had really wanted to, you could break free of this illusion and go home. Yet you just lay there… I must say I’m confused.”
Yue looked up at him- he could feel himself being pulled down, sucked away. Something was starting to drain on him, but he didn’t care. Clow was gone, Touya had betrayed him... What was the point now?
The crystal sound of shattering glass heralded the breaking of the Maboroushi as it came down around Sakurazukamori, heralding the arrival of the two Sun Guardians.
“Hello,” he was all congenial welcome- before the illusion of the Tree grabbed Spinel.
“Soupy!”
Kero-chan nearly turned back, when a voice croaked. “Yue- get Yue!” Kero recognized the sound as Eriol’s voice, but shook his head before charging to the side of the fallen Moon Guardian.
“Ah, Eriol-kun. I imagine you paid dearly for breaking my illusion,” Touya said, and Kero stared at him in hatred for a moment, before turning back to Yue, grabbing him by the hair. Touya approached, menacing, then fell back as Spinel spat fire at him.
Keroberos had gotten away- but Spinel had yet to free himself. He tried to break free of the tangle of vines around him-
Sakura stood next to Eriol’s bed in the ICU unit, clutching his hand as he was kept alive by the respirators.
She wasn’t alone- Tomoyo was with her, along with Yue, even though he was still injured.
“I just don’t understand it. Onnichan, the- that? And he did it because…”
Yue sat across from them, aching and sore from what had happened. His other self was still and silent, unresponsive to even Sakura’s voice. Kero was hurt as well, though compared to everyone else, he was just singed.
“Because he’s a blood-thirsty monster? He kills people for a living?” Kero-chan asked, deeply shaken.
“No,” Sakura whispered. “He did it to save me.”
“What?”
Sakura turned to Yue, who was staring at her, befuddled. “How would becoming an assassin- well, not just an assassin, but Sakurazukamori, be to save you?”
“Oniichan… Mother was Sakurazukamori. I saw it in the vision Mirei showed us. She- she told Oniichan that she would make me become it, if he didn’t. He killed Okaasan. She wanted him to… “ Her voice was thick with sobs. “She said that his spirit vision would keep the last spell making the Sakurazukamori from working.”
Yue’s head shot up. “You mean…”
“His natural, latent ability was the one thing that kept him from… becoming evil.”
Yue stood up, his eyes massive holes in his face. Standing up, he stalked to the small dresser and mirror in the hospital room. Staring at his reflection for a moment- his fist lashed out, smashing through his image and embedding itself in the wall.
“This is my fault.” No anger, no rancor, just a simple statement, but his face was twisted in loathing. “I had thought- when I found out he was an onmyouji, that his sacrifice was less. That he had... That he wasn’t hurt by it. I’d started to think it hadn’t meant anything.”
“Yue- you couldn’t have known.” Sakura’s face was shining with tears. “He did it on his own.”
“He knew he would lose his emotions.” The guardian’s voice rose. “He let himself become this! For what? For me? I’m- I’m a magician’s toy! That’s what he told me! Just a toy!”
“Yue!” Sakura stood up. “You know that’s not true! You’re a person to me- and you were to him too! Otherwise he wouldn’t have given you his power!” She grabbed his shoulders, shaking him. Un-Sakura-like to be sure, but she had felt like she was piloting another girl’s body since this had started.
Yue didn’t answer, but went limp under her hands. “It is as my mistress says.”
“Yue, please don’t! Be yourself- be alive, be yourself!”
“I cannot. I know what I am.”
Sakura looked away. “I know you feel guilty about Niichan giving his power to you… Yet what if it was-” She stopped, and put her hand over her mouth, almost ill. “For the better? He had been Sakurazukamori for years, doing hideous things… Right now at least the guilt won’t bother him.”
“That’s a good thing?” he stared at her.
“No, but it’s the lesser of two evils. He doesn’t have to hurt anymore,” said Tomoyo, finally piping up.
Yue stood up- and left.
Sakura shook, looking ill for a moment before she ran to the tiny bathroom. The despair was so thick her body rebelled, making her lose her last meal.
Eriol was comatose, the backlash from losing Soupy driving his mind to retreat. Her brother had disappeared, and after seeing the truth about him, she couldn’t bring herself to give chase.
Cool hands touched her head, and Sakura threw herself at her best friend.
“Tomoyo-chan, what am I going to do?”
The pale girl didn’t answer, just let Sakura try to bury herself in her stomach. Petting her hair gently, she whispered. “I’ll take care of you. Just… remember you invincible spell.”
Sakura hiccupped, still crying. “Everything will be okay?”
“You just have to keep believing that. Sakura- believe it. Everything will absolutely be all right.”