Shattered Skies: The Morning Lights

CHAPTER 4: Sakura and the End of Days

CHAPTER 4: Sakura and the End of Days

-VERTEX TWO: 15.721699-

Tomoeda Park

The park hung in perfect silence, as if the world were holding its breath. Sakura and Shaoran stared in a mixture of terror and bewilderment at NOTHING, an impossible phantom from the past come back to haunt them. NOTHING glowered back, not with the mournful, lonely blue eyes that they remembered from five years ago, but with eyes stained blood-red and clouded by hatred. A deep, primal loathing boiled off of her in waves, barely kept in check, so intense it was almost visible to the naked eye.

No one spoke. No one moved. Even Joker with his ever-present grin seemed the slightest bit cowed by the depth of rage radiating from NOTHING...

Shaoran was the one to finally break the stillness. "Run," he said.

In her shock, Sakura barely heard him. It took a moment to register that he had spoken at all. She turned to him, her eyes wide and frightened. "But-"

"Run!" Shaoran repeated, squeezing her hand for emphasis. "It doesn't matter what Card you use! FLY, DASH, whatever! Run! Go!"

"Shao-"

"I'll be right behind you, just get out of here!" Shaoran let go of her hand, snatched a jufu from his sleeve, and called out: "Fuuka Shourai!"

NOTHING screeched and clawed at the barrier of thick green air forming a sphere around her. Magical energy crackled, and perfect, spherical gaps appeared at random throughout the park's landscape as the brunt of her immense powers were unleashed. As Sakura turned, she heard NOTHING scream, crazed with venom: "I'll get you! I'll make you pay! IT'S YOUR FAULT, IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT...!" And over her voice, Joker laughed his terrible, insane laugh...

"FLY," Sakura whispered. She could barely force the name out, a hard lump of fear and confusion blocked her throat. FLY's feathered wings sprouted from her back, and she took to the air, choosing a direction at random, not daring to look back. If she looked, she would have to see Shaoran put up a hopeless fight against NOTHING, sacrificing himself so she could get away... just like before...

Over the rushing of the wind, she somehow heard Kero's voice as he joined her in her flight, speeding along in her wake. "Sakura!"

"Kero-chan, thank goodness you're okay!" The lump in her throat shrank just a bit. Grateful tears streamed down her cheeks and were stolen by the wind; she rubbed her eyes to clear them. "I don't understand, how is this happening?! NOTHING was supposed to be-"

"I know, I know!" The frustration was evident in the Guardian Beast's tone. "None of this makes any sense! The Cards are yours now, you're the only one who's supposed to be able to use them! And NOTHING was bad news, yeah, but she changed... she let herself be sealed! This Joker guy... it's like he's undoin' everything..."

The Cardcaptor's wings strained to compensate as she made a hard left turn and followed the street, keeping low to the ground. A few of her feathers molted and scattered. Running out of magic. Not much time left... I've got to do something!

Branches rustled to her left; Sakura let out a yelp and rolled to one side, aiming the Clow Staff, fearful that the next - and last - thing she would see would be NOTHING's fearsome gaze...

"It's all right, it's me! I bought us some time," said Shaoran as he stumbled out of a bush. He was red-faced, sweating, and out of breath, but alive.

Sakura stopped just long enough to hug him tight and transfer FLY's wings from her back to her staff, so that he could ride behind her. His arms wrapped around her waist for support, and a rush of nostalgia seized her. It was inappropriate, she had far more important things to concentrate on, but it had been so long since they had flown together...