Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Dark side of the moon ❯ chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Darkness, that's what surrounded her. All around her was darkness, all consuming darkness. It was cold and quiet only sound of something dripping could be heard. Rei walked towards the noise letting it guide her in the darkness. When she reached it she found herself standing in front of a large oval mirror.

She went up to it and looked inside, her reflection staring back at her. She blinked only to have the image of her disappear and the image of another reappear. She stepped back a little afraid of what she say but at the same time curious.

A creature of some kind was looking back at her. It had golden hair that came to her chin her bangs hanging lower on its face. It's eyes were like that of an animal's gold and green flecked together, the iris small slivers from the lack of light. It had very large pointy ears sticking out from under its boyish haircut.

"Who are you?" Rei asked

"You are who?"

"I'm Rei."

"I'm Rei."

"Nani?" Rei whispered

The creature in the mirror leaned forward its hand reaching out towards Rei. Unable to move Rei just stood their transfixed to the spot. The creature emerged from the mirror its surface rippling like water as it came out to hover in front of Rei.

Its large wings spread open to their fullest, its tail hanging behind it. Rei stepped back a small gasp escaping her lips as the creature moved towards her its wings lifting up and circling around her pulling her in.

--

Yuki, Touya and Nakuru had stayed with Rei waiting for her to wake up. The nurse said she couldn't find anything life threatening but she was running a fever. Touya was the first to leave saying he had to go to work, so Nakuru and Yuki stayed to watch Rei.

Nakuru reluctantly left too, leaving just Yuki sitting beside her. He was about to leave when he groan caught his attention. She was stirring her eyes fluttering open to reveal her confused sleep fogged eyes. Her lips parted slightly a faint flush covering her cheeks.

He watched her blink a few times before slowly sitting up and looking around.

"What happened? Where am I?"

"In the infirmary. You passed out during lunch."

Rei looked up quickly to see Yuki sitting next to her. The fast movement unfortunately caused the sharp pain to come back and pound in her head. She bent her head down grabbing her head and squeezing her eyes shut.

Yuki reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

" Are you alright? Rei?"

She opened her eyes head still bent, they flashed a green gold before returning to the gentle lavender. She glanced up at him as if seeing him for the first time then she moved and pushed off the cot.

" I don't think you should be moving about so-"

Rei was already out the door forcing Yuki to get up and follow her. She shook her head a few times to clear it before stopping.

`What was that? Was that dream real, was it some sort of message?'

She glanced down at her hands to see they were still human looking a creamy white, her nails still short and dull.

`It seemed so real though. Was that another side to me or was it I? I'm so confused.'

Yuki just followed Rei; he told himself it was to make sure she got home safely but for some reason something else kept nagging him. They reached her house and he was about to leave when a light touch on his arm stopped him.

"Yuki."

It was just the faintest of whispers but he heard it and turned around slowly to meet her gaze.

"Arigoto."

She smiled then her entire face lighting up, her lavender eyes shinning pulling him into their depths.

" Your welcome. What are friends for?"

She smiled even more but it seemed to be filled with sadness this time. Before he could ask what was wrong she was at the door closing it behind her.

Yuki was walking down the streets trying to gather his thoughts when he sensed his mistress was in trouble. Two huge white wings appeared and engulfed him; a flash of bright light and Yue was standing where Yuki used to be.

--

Sakura had insisted on going to the shrine to check it out. Kero tried to persuade her to wait for Yue or call Li but she refused saying she didn't want to bother either one and that she would be able to handle it. Besides it wasn't like they were going to do anything they were just going to look around.

How wrong had she been? They had crept onto the grounds following the source of energy that Sakura felt. It led them to a very old and twisted oak tree. It had shakra's on it and wards around it, upon closer inspection Sakura noticed that it was actually two trees that had wrapped around something.

" Kero it's coming from the trees."

"I know."

Sakura moved closer to it.

"Sakura we found it and looked at it so now lets go home."

"Kero, don't be such a baby. Nothing is going to happen."

Kero frowned before a sly smile slid across his face.

"It could be haunted."

"H-haunted?"

"Yeah, ghosts could be lurking about."

Sakura swallowed her eyes widening at the thought of ghosts, her hands shook slightly as she clutched her wand.

" K-Kero?"

She turned to find the guardian beast no longer behind her or near her for that matter. She began to panic thinking the ghosts had gotten him. She walked a couple feet whispering his name when.

" Boo!"

"Aack!"

She jumped a few feet in the air her face a deadly shade of white. When she landed she could hear laughter and the gasps of the guardian beast trying to speak. She had a small hand over her heart but it was at her side in a fist her face red with anger.

"Kero!"

With out any other warning she knocked the small stuffed animal over the head with her staff. He fell to the ground his eyes swirling and a lump on his head.

"That wasn't funny!"

She straightened up before walking away heading towards the mysterious tree again. She stopped a foot in front of it looking up into its branches her confidence slipping as she stood there looking at it.

She cocked her head to the side when she noticed it was glowing slightly, she reached out to touch it, unaware that the vines and roots around her were moving around. Quietly urging her to touch the tree, moving around impatiently when she her hand stopped hovering only a few inches from the surface.

--

Yue raced through the air hoping to reach his mistress in time. He came upon the shrine and flew to his mistress's side. He sensed the evil inside the tree and saw how it was moving towards his mistress. Its vines and branches reaching out towards her trying to pull her into its twisted hallows.

Yue cried out to her but Sakura seemed unaware of anything around her. He opened his palm to reveal a blue crystal, it slowly split apart into many and he launched them at the vines and branches. They sliced through but more only seemed to take their place.

`Dam it! Where is Keroberous?!'

No sooner had the thought formed then the guardian beast in question appeared beside him.

" We have to get her away from the tree."

" You think so?" Yue said resisting the urge to roll his eyes

Keroberous only growled before launching a fireball towards the tree roots, they retreated from the scorching flames.

--

Sakura was so entranced by the power emanating from with in the tree she didn't sense what was going on around her. Her cards seemed to sense her danger though and a clear shield of light appeared around her. The tree seemed to actually cry out and shy away from her.

Sakura blinked a few times the spell wearing off as the tree backed away the light repelling it. She glanced around wondering what had just happened.

"Keroberous? Yue?"

"Sakura! Are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine Keroberous."

The two guardians glanced at each other before turning towards the tree. Sakura glanced back at the tree to see it was indeed glowing. A dark black aura was wrapped around it and a faint dark purple light was coming from in side the twisted hallows of the trunk.

" It's the same power." Said Yue

" Your right." Sakura said nodding her head.

Yue did not like how this felt, there was something wrong about this. Almost as if they were being lead to their end like a pig to the slaughterhouse, his blue eyes narrowed to slits the energy was getting stronger. It seemed to flare up dancing about wildly reaching out to them, past them.

Yue glanced behind him to see the young boy, Clow Reed's descendant standing behind them, his eyes transfixed on the tree before them. He watched as the young boy walked towards them his sword at his side a small frown on his face.

When he walked past them not heading his mistress's calls Yue knew something was definitely wrong. He moved towards the boy only to be pushed back by a black-purple force field.

"Li!" Sakura yelled trying to get his attention but he didn't hear her instead he kept walking towards the tree, its vines and branches moving around restlessly anticipating his approach.

"Li! Stop!"

Yue turned to see the young girl, Meiling, running up to them a look of fear on her face. She raced past them trying to reach Li only to be knocked back landing on her butt.

"Dam it! Li stop!" she shouted again

Meiling jumped up and tried to move through the field but was not able to reach him. She whirled around towards Sakura her eyes angry and pleading .

"What are you doing just standing there Kinomoto? Do something! Help him!"

Her voice cracked at the end betraying her. A look of concern past Sakura's eyes before determination took its place and she pulled out a card and tossed it in front of her hitting it with her wand, instantly transforming it into a pink and white sword with a star and the end of the handle.

She stepped towards the power field and struck it, the energy around it crackled fighting against hers. Both struggling to break the other, in the end the dark magick won knocking Sakura back.

Yue caught her and set her down beside Keroberous. Her staff was back and her eyes flashed before she tossed two more cards out. Her staff turned back into the sword but this time when she struck the field it was with more force and power causing it to buckle slightly.

" Keroberous! Yue!"

The two guardians came to their mistress's call and began their barrage on the barrier. It flocculated for a few moments before it grew stronger and repelled them all back.

Sakura got up glancing inside at Li, he was standing right in front of the tree his eyes vacant and dull. The branches reached out to him the vines snaking around his legs and arms pulling him closer to the twisted center.

"NO LI!"

Sakura shouted tears pricking at the corner of her eyes, she would not loose him. She glanced over to her right to see Meiling crying, the silent sobs racking through her body. With a look of determination in her eyes she pulled out four cards and threw them into the air before her.

--

Yue watched as his mistress began to split into three, each one holding a bow. The copies circled around the barrier so that they surrounded it.

"Ready." Sakura asked her copies

They nodded and pulled back on their bows and released a burning white arrow straight at the barrier. The arrows slowly pushed against the barrier the two energies crackling against each other.

"It's not enough." Whispered Sakura

She could feel the tears threatening to spill over when she heard swoosh. She looked up to find Yue had released an arrow from above the barrier and Keroberous was slamming against the edge near her. She noticed the barrier was cracking slightly giving away.

She smiled along with her doubles, she notched another arrow and pulled back releasing it and hitting the same spot again causing it to flicker.

Meantime Li was now flush against the tree his dead eyes staring out at Sakura and the others. You could almost hear the laughter and cries of triumph coming from the tree.

"LI!" Meiling yelled as she moved towards him, she had to push hard against the barrier but it was weakening and after a couple of attempts she was able to break through. She rushed over to him dodging the roots and vines that sprung up trying to keep her away.

Sakura felt her heart drop when she saw Li fading away into the tree.

"NO LI!"

`HELP ME! SOMEONE PLEASE SAVE HIM!'

Her mind screamed as her heart began to break the tears falling freely down her face now.

She looked up to see a bright green blue light flash and consume the barrier and a black figure swoop down blocking Meiling from the onslaught of roots and vines.

The figure's hand twitched and a storm of green crystal shards rained down on the tree hitting its surface, burning it and causing it to scream and shrivel back from the pain. Li began to reappear the figure flying down and prying him from the tree, it set him down near the small shrine before flying back to help the others.

Yue watched as the akuma flew in slicing at the vines and branches, she was hit from behind crying from the pain before she whirled around her tail ripping through the vine that attacked her.

--

Sakura rushed over to Li with Meiling close behind, she fell down beside him and began to call his name. He stirred but his eyes still remained closed, Sakura began to shake him yelling at him to wake up.

"Please Li Wake up! Wake up! Li please don't leave me!"

Meiling was crying because her friends were hurting, Sakura's heart being broken and her cousin's life taken. She fell to the ground her head resting on her hands crying openly.

She didn't notice the huge white paws that walked past her nor did Sakura until a voice broke their thoughts and cries.

" Master. Master it is time to wake up."

Sakura looked over her shoulder to see a large white cougar with blue eyes staring at Li. The cat walked over to Li so that it was nose to nose with him, it bumped foreheads its eyes burning into his, a faint glow coming from the jewel upon its collar.

--

Li felt like he was drowning the darkness consuming him, he had stopped struggle a while ago because it was no use he wasn't able to fight it. Now however a faint voice was calling to him, pulling him from the darkness. He opened his eyes slowly and large white cat appeared before him wearing a silver collar with a dark green jewel in the middle.

`Master, you must wake up.'

`Who are you?'

` Ryuu sei, master.'

The cat bowed its head before looking at him again before leaping above him standing on a ledge.

` You must wake up master. You're destiny is calling you.'

Li was going to ask more but the cat faded and her could her Sakura's worried voice trying to wake him up.

"Sakura?"

He began to struggle against the blackness, he did not want to be consumed by it he wanted to see the light to see her again.

--

Sakura watched as the large cat back away and began to walk towards Meiling. Sakura turned back to Li to find him still lifeless and his eyes closed. She began to cry again hugging him close to her, she did not want to loose him.

Li opened his eyes and blinked a few times he noticed a pink and white sailor hat blocked his vision. He looked down to find Sakura sobbing in his arms, he blushed at their position then slowly raised his arms and hugged her.

"Sakura?"

She stopped crying her whole body going stiff, she raised her head up to see Li's warm amber eyes looking down at her.

"Li!"

She cried as she flung her arms around his neck hugging him tightly. He smiled down at her forgetting about everything except her. He suddenly felt himself and Sakura being toppled over, he turned his head to see Meiling hugging him her eyes shinning with tears and relief.

"Come on you guys." Li said trying to get up only to be pushed back down by the two girls.

He sighed and looked away only to find a large white cat sitting a few feet away watching him. He stiffened instantly and easily pushed the two off him as he stood up.

"It's you." He said as he walked towards the animal

Their attention was caught when a huge explosion sounded and a large figure flew past them crashing into the stonewall. Keroberous and Yue were still fighting off the branches and black vines.

The cat stood up and walked in front of the three its head bent low a growl coming from its mouth. A shadowed figure emerged from the tree and it was headed towards them.

"It's that figure again." Said Sakura

"Gohi" Li whispered as his eyes locked with the shadows glowing purple ones.

Li and Sakura readied themselves for battle shielding Meiling while the cat stood in front of them. Just then a roar could be heard and thousands of green shards flew through the air towards the shadow. It dodged as many as it could but the shards were a distraction because the `akuma' came up behind it kicking it in the back making it slam hard into the ground.

Not stopping there the akuma pulled back making a green energy arrow appear and releasing it where the shadow had landed. It hovered over it moving back and forth waiting for the smoke to clear. It shifted to the left just as a large black vine shot out and wrapped around its leg.

The creature broke through it using its claws but more just came out ensnaring the akuma pulling it down. The akuma struggled and roared in frustration trying to free itself but not succeeding too well.

Ryuu sei watched as the other guardian struggled against the black vines, her eyes shifted towards her young master and lord, the young boy. His eyes were watching her struggle but failing in escaping.

Li watched the akuma it had defended him and saved him and Sakura before. He felt like he knew her but was uncertain all he knew was she was in trouble and he had a debt to pay.

Not waiting any longer Li leapt forward slicing the vines holding her hands. He then sliced at the ones holding onto its tail, when it was able to move about a little the creature roared and spread its wings breaking the vines binding it.

The shadow growled before it attacked again heading towards Li. The cat protected him this time a burst of white and blue flames exploding around the shadowed figure causing it to back up slightly.

Sakura watched as Li and the two new allies fought against the shadowed figure. She glanced behind her to see that Yue and Keroberous were fighting against the inky blobs. It didn't look to good for them they seemed to be loosing the battle.

It was by chance that her gaze stopped on the twisted old tree.

`It's the tree. If I destroy it then I'll destroy everything out here hurting my friends. I have to destroy the tree.'

Her mind made up Sakura raced towards the tree using the jump card to dodged the vines and make her way towards the tree. She skidded to a halt in front of it pulling out two cards and flinging them in the air in front of her striking them with her wand.

Her wand turned into a sword but instead of a regular blade it was burning red small flames leaping off the tip. She pulled it back and sliced the tree down the middle causing a huge energy release.