‘ritual’
The light breeze felt cool on her tear-streaked face, and it lifted her hair off her neck playfully. Sakura stood for a moment, trembling, as they left the interior of the tower. Here the winding staircase continued to spiral upwards, but encircling the exterior of the building rather than the interior. They were extremely high up, she could see, this was the tallest tower in the castle, rising straight up into the sky. From this exhilarating vantage point she could see that the moon, full tonight, was beginning to peek over the far eastern horizon. Behind her, the coppery sun was setting, leaving the western sky streaked with colors as beautiful as the desert cliffs.
There was another impatient tug on the chain and she stumbled forward again, climbing up the stairs. Even though they were now outside, there was no railing, and she had no way to catch herself if she slipped and fell. It was a long way down.
Up still further, and they reached their destination at last. The top of the tower held nothing, was nothing but a smooth marble surface with no railing. Here the breeze blew even harder, teasing her hair. It didn’t seem to affect Lothar in any way, his robes hanging straight and undisturbed as he waited for her. There was another glitter in his black eyes as he stared at her shivering form, then he indicated the far side of the rooftop with his staff.
"Over there."
The top of the tower wasn’t totally bare. Two posts had been erected near the edge on the northern side, a manacle dangling from each. She didn’t like the look of them, but she followed Nietzsche compliantly as he led her, until she saw what lay between them.
Intricately designed on the marble surface was a familiar symbol. It was not painted, nor carved from the stone. Rather, the light of the dying sun seemed to reflect the texture of a different stone inlaid into the marble. She could clearly see the radiant sun, the crescent moon, and the mysterious characters encircling both.
"No!" she shrieked, and began to struggle. She forgot the threat hanging over her, and the threat hanging over Julian, overwhelmed by the sudden flood of terror. "No, I can’t! Let me go, let me go!"
It would consume her. It would swallow her whole and she would cease to exist. She didn’t understand it, but she knew it, and her fear of the unknown only doubled her panic. Digging her heels into the ground, she valiantly tried to keep them from moving her forward. Whatever happened, she could not touch that symbol.
"Pick her up," Nietzsche snapped, and the soldiers lifted her bodily into the air to carry her forward, paying no attention to her screams of terror. There was a click and the feeling of release as they unlocked the binders, and she renewed her fight. A sharp yank on the chain dragged her down onto the floor, gasping for breath, and they took hold of her arms to pull her toward the posts.
No…
She could feel it the second her boots scraped over the image. Tiny tingles shot up her legs, swirling and then dissipating in her blood. The symbol was excited that she was there. It seemed almost expectant.
She was watching it so warily that she barely noticed the clicks of the manacles locking over her wrists, chaining her arms to the posts on either side of the image. Nietzsche murmured something inaudible, and the chain and collar disappeared into a mist of yellow vapor.
"And now it begins."
*****
Kero paused in his frantic flying, still only midway to Starcrest. Uncertainly he hovered in the air, looking first at the sun and then the moon. There was a funny feeling coursing through his blood, making him shake slightly.
What was going on?
*****
Julian clenched his fists as a shiver ran through his body. He could feel a cold sweat breaking out on his brow, and wondered if he was beginning to panic. He hadn’t thought that he was at that stage yet, although there was plenty of reason to be.
Indeed, the rebel leader was not in a good position. Down in the depths of the castle, where no natural light existed, he was waiting in a cell for Lothar to send for him again and kill him. The scrappy fighter was helpless for the moment, sitting against the wall of his prison with his wrists locked together above his head in an electronic lock device. It was solidly welded to the wall and not giving in any way, and his arms were already numb.
More than anything else, Julian was worried for Sakura. He couldn’t imagine how she had come to be at the castle in Lothar’s captivity, or why the ruler was so interested in her, but he was frightened for her fate.
Please, please, please don’t let anything happen to her…please let her be all right.
Another spasm shook Julian’s body, and he closed his eyes, biting his lip to keep silent. The image of the little girl he’d rescued from the chest would not leave him. He didn’t want Sakura to die. She was his…to protect.
*****
"Leave." The lonely word hung in the air for a moment, and Nietzsche stared in disbelief at his master.
"My lord?"
"Your presence is not necessary. I will call on you if I have further need."
The soldiers lined up and retreated back down the stairs gratefully. In contrast, the blue-skinned mage looked absolutely dismayed. He opened his mouth as if to argue, then recognized the dangerous look in Lothar’s eyes.
"As – as you wish, my lord." Sending another malicious glance toward Sakura, he bowed his head and clasped his hands together. There was a burst of smoke, and then he was gone.
There was no one except Sakura and the fearsome sorcerer. She trembled as he drew closer, gazing at her almost tenderly.
"Such a beautiful face. He always did prefer that which was aesthetically pleasing. How amusing that he would choose a young girl such as yourself. What did he think you could accomplish, I wonder?"
He chuckled, a harsh and unpleasant sound. Sakura recoiled at the sound of it.
"I am ruler. I possess the necessary knowledge. It should have been me that was blessed with the power, not a little female. But no matter. His efforts are in vain, I shall have his powers – in one way or another."
In one smooth motion he flipped his staff over, until the pointed end was hovering near her face. She pulled back as far as her restraints would allow, but already it was becoming more difficult to think about resisting. The feel of the symbol beneath her feet was magnetic, drawing her in.
"The Seal is the universe, you see," he explained, tracing the sharp point along her right arm. "Always in continuous balance. One drop for the sun." He exerted a slight pressure on her skin, just below the restraint on her wrist, and she gritted her teeth. A large red drop welled up and fell to the floor. Inexplicably the marble stone rippled, like the waters of a pond where a pebble had been tossed, and Sakura felt another release of energy through her feet. "And one drop for the moon."
Lothar repeated his action on her left arm, and a second drop of blood fell to the floor, sending still more waves of power into her. The tiny scratches had not hurt, but Sakura arched her back with the uncomfortable jolts running through her.
Lothar took a step back and smiled. It was done; the ritual had been performed. There was nothing to do now but wait. Already, the Seal was beginning to glow.
*****
Tory wheezed as he scrambled backward, wincing at the feel of the cut glass beneath his hands. Blade was pacing back and forth, calmly, studying him. Now that Tory was disarmed and trapped, there was no real urgency. Tory wiped the blood from a cut on his forehead and wondered how his master would choose to kill him. It was most likely going to be a very slow and painful method.
"Foolisssh ssslave," he said at last. "I can not believe you were ssstupid enough to come here. Did you think I wouldn’t be here waiting? I raisssed you, boy, I know you better than you know yourssself!"
He paused to flick his tongue in Tory’s direction.
"You risssk your life to come here, dissscarding that which wasss your home. What hasss possesssed you ssso?" He narrowed his yellow eyes. "Are you in love with her?"
Tory looked down at the floor of the balcony and did not reply. The Reptil startled him with a harsh bark of laughter.
"Sssilly boy. You had everything. Your own command, a future with the army. And you threw it all away for a girl. An unwissse decisssion, to sssay the leassst." He took a step forward as Tory pulled himself to a standing position with the railing.
"It was worth it," he muttered, and was rewarded with sharp strike across the face that sent him sprawling to the ground.
"Quiet, boy. I ssshould have known you would risssk everything to sssave her. Your pathetic father did much the sssame for your mother."
Tory choked a little as he watched a drop of blood fall to the stone floor. Another one joined it as he pushed himself up to his hands and knees. Of course. He’d known for a long time, but he’d never allowed himself to think about it. He’d been too afraid.
"You killed them," he said in a dull voice, "didn’t you?"
"With thisss very ssword." Tory wiped the blood from his nose and looked up to see Blade drawing his weapon from the scabbard on his back. Even in the brilliant rays of the setting sun, it glowed a solid red. Tory was exhausted and there was no part of him that didn’t hurt, but he forced himself to crawl backwards again, watching the Reptil warily.
"He wasss guilty of the crime of reading and writing," Blade continued, swinging his sword leisurely from one hand. "He attempted to ssstudy the originsss of Tomoeda’sss ancient ruinsss. He wasss a fool to think he would essscape Lothar’sss noticsse."
He paused to smirk in Tory’s direction.
"I don’t even remember what he looked like. He wasss a weakling; a ssscholar and unable to fight. He begged me to ssspare hisss woman, but I cut her down asss he watched. Ssshe wasss quite beautiful." He ran a scaly finger along the sharp edge of his blade, testing it. "Sssuch long and sssilky hair."
Tory closed his eyes briefly, trying to block out the smug expression on his master’s face. His mother. That was who she was, his own mother had come to visit him. And he hadn’t even been able to look up to see her face. Blade had taken everything from him, and Tory felt a new surge of hatred swelling up within him.
"Why?" he rasped. "Why did you take me?"
"Your father invited me to," Blade sneered. "Even with my sssword presssed againssst his neck, he defied me. He ssswore the people would learn their proud history, that hisss own children would fight in the rebellion and overcome Lothar. Hisss wordsss angered me. Even killing him brought no sssatisssfaction. Sssuch a challenge could not go unanssswered. But then… I found hisss ssson, hiding near our transssport. Sssuch an amusssing boy, trying ssso hard to be brave. And ssso I took you for my own ssslave, and raisssed you to fight for the caussse that murdered your father."
It hurt to breathe, and Tory clenched his fists, wishing that he couldn’t hear this. But every word rang with truth. Deep down, he had known a long time ago that surely that was what happened. But he hadn’t wanted to see. He didn’t want to know that the only one he could call a father was the one that killed his true one.
Blade was laughing again.
"It wasss wonderfully ironic. Don’t you think, Avalon?"
*****
Li finished killing the last of the soldiers and burst out of the tower onto the open stairway. He checked a little at the sight of the immense drop below him, but he could feel her clearly now. She was surely just above. He could also feel another presence. A very forbidding and dangerous presence, one that concentrated the waves he’d been feeling throughout the castle.
He activated his sword and gripped it in readiness. The time had come, and before he could lose his nerve, he raced up the stairway.
Sakura moaned out loud as she tried to force down the newest feeling bubbling up inside her. It was becoming more of an effort to push them away; it was so much harder to resist. Lothar watched her struggle, standing patiently before her. He seemed to know there was no worry.
Was it hopeless? Should she just give in, stop fighting? Whatever it was, maybe it would end more quickly.
A sound made her look up, and instantly her fatalistic thoughts were dispelled. Li was standing on the far side of the tower, panting, his sword raised at the ready.
"Not another step," Lothar ordered calmly, holding up his hand.
"Let her go!" Li shouted, but when he tried to move forward he found his feet were frozen to the floor. Sakura saw him struggle against the magic and pulled on her restraints, willing herself forward. Li had come for her. She was not alone after all.
"Li, help me!"
"It’s okay, Sakura," he assured her, still trying to drag his feet forward. "I’m going to get you out of this."
"I think not," Lothar interposed, turning finally to face him. The young warrior was muttering something under his breath, frantically searching for a counterspell, but his magic could not compare to Lothar’s. It wasn’t even close. Lothar opened his palm, and then squeezed his fist tight. Li gasped at the attack on his mind and desperately tried to repel it. "Son of Li. Come to avenge your father at last, have you? Surely you know how hopeless it is."
"I won’t let you intimidate me as you did my father," Li snarled. "I’m not afraid to fight you. I know I can do it."
"You’re as foolish as he was, then. He knew he wouldn’t have a chance as my enemy. If only he knew how dangerous it was to be my ally."
Lothar chuckled at that and extended his hand toward Li, palm facing outward.
"Give it up, boy. You don’t have a chance."
"No," Li whispered, though it took every scrap of effort to utter the word. The invisible waves of magic were battering at his will, breaking him down. Through blurred vision he could see Sakura’s terrified face. She was watching him, a desperate hope in her eyes. She was counting on him. "Won’t…"
"You will," Lothar said casually. "I do not wish to bother with you just now. Put down your weapon and kneel before me."
Li looked as though he wanted to refuse, but he said nothing. Even in the thickening dusk, Sakura could see the conflict raging in his dark brown eyes.
"Don’t listen to him, Li! He killed your father, Li, he killed your family! Fight him!"
Another rush of power shot up through her feet and she gasped and doubled over. Lothar glanced in her direction with a smile. The Li boy was kneeling down on the marble surface, placing his sword carefully in front of him.
"Li!" Sakura shrieked, upon getting her breath back. "What are you doing? Get up! Please, Li, please…" She felt her chance slipping away as she watched him. He was placing his hands on the floor beside him, gazing dreamily into space. Li…
"Your cries for help will not reach him now." Lothar waved his hand as if to dismiss the young fighter near the edge of the tower. "His father was my strongest servant, served me well for many cycles. I will save him, I think. He will be the first I kill with my newly gained power. The power that you will give me."
Eagerly he watched the Seal glow brighter, but she shook her head defiantly.
"No! No, I’ll fight it. I can keep it away, I can keep it from you!"
"You think you can?" he inquired mildly. "Don’t lie to me, Sakura, I can feel the excitement within you." He traced the wooden end of his staff along her chest and then up her neck. "It feels good, doesn’t it? Delicious, raw power. The more you taste, the more you want." He pushed it up underneath her chin, forcing her to look up at the sky. "You know you want it."
"I don’t!"
"You do. And it is only a matter of time."
Sakura would have liked to reply, but she was too busy fighting the latest torrent of energy. This one was worse than all the ones before, building within her, swelling. Lothar licked his lips as he watched her moan and arch her back again.
"What do you feel?"
"Wind," she murmured. "Flying high…on the wind."
She went slack again and dropped her head, breathing heavily, unaware she’d even spoken. But Lothar was pleased. Her resistance was weakening considerably, and the first of the elements had gone through her. It wouldn’t be long now.
*****
Julian couldn’t help himself, he moaned out loud again.
"Quiet down there!" shouted an authoritative voice, but it was impossible to stop. He was thrashing, scuffing at the earth with his feet and pulling so hard with his arms that his wrists hurt. He’d never experienced anything like this before. It wasn’t pain, and it wasn’t pleasure, but some kind of unique mixture of both. Another spasm shook his body and he bit his lip in an effort to keep quiet. It was a losing battle, and he could taste blood in his mouth after a while.
"Stop," he wheezed. "Please. Can’t…can’t take this anymore."
Another drop of sweat trickled down the side of his face, taunting him with its slow progress. The feelings paused again then, allowing him to take a couple of deep breaths, but then they started once more. They were starting to come more frequently.
*****
Have to hurry, thought Kero, flapping for all he was worth. It’s speeding up, I can feel it. It won’t be long before the transformation is complete.
*****
The sun disappeared, but it was still light enough to see. Tory locked glares with the yellow eyes of his abuser.
"The army is my home…" he recited bitterly. "You didn’t give me a home, you stole it away. You didn’t take me in. You kidnapped me! You destroyed my life!"
"What of it?" Blade inquired smoothly. "Sssurely you guesssed the truth long ago. You were the one who refusssed to sssee. You bowed your head and called me massster. You ssserved me faithfully. You enjoyed the power I gave you."
"I hate you."
"Do you really?" Tory clenched his fist again at the glint of amusement in those eyes. Why was the Reptil toying with him like this? Why didn’t he just kill him and get it over with?
"I do."
"Any number of timesss, you could have killed me," Blade said thoughtfully. "In your act of betrayal, you ssshot at me too low. You were not aiming to kill. Jussst now, you failed to pull the trigger. You can not bring yourssself to kill me, ssslave. You may hate me, but you can not fight me."
He uttered a low chuckle as he traced the sword up Tory’s shirt and rested it lightly against his throat.
"I have beaten your father again. After making his ssson my own for ssso many cssycles, I will now kill him. And the boy is powerlesss to ssstop me. The dessstruction isss complete."
*****
Sakura couldn’t help herself. It felt so good to wallow in the silky water, to feel it wash around her and do her bidding. At her command, it shot up into the sky and became a perpetual fountain, showering a light mist over her. It was like the rain she’d called down the night before, which only reminded her of Li. Again she could feel his lips on her skin, his hands caressing her as he untied the knot in her shirt.
Another moan of pleasure escaped her lips, and Lothar rubbed the wooden texture of his staff in excitement.
"No," she whimpered, returning to reality again. "No…I don’t want this."
"You do."
"I’ll fight it."
"You’ll lose. You cannot escape what your body craves. You were born to receive the powers of the Seal. You have been waiting for this your entire life."
The sunlight was completely gone now, but the moonlight was so bright and clear that she could see Li easily, still kneeling on the far side of the tower. He was paying no attention to her cries, gazing calmly into thin air.
"Forget about him," Lothar ordered. "He is an insignificant being, he cannot compare to ones such as us." She was starting to shake again, her eyes losing focus. "Already you are in the grip of Fire. The Seal is taking you as its own."
She didn’t hear him. She was lost in the flames.
*****
Julian couldn’t take it anymore and screamed.
"Oy! I said, quiet down there!" Irritably the guard marched down the corridor to peer at the prisoner through the bars of his cell. He was writhing on the ground, his eyes closed in acute suffering. "None of those tricks now, I’ve seen it all."
Wish it was a trick, thought Julian in despair. I can’t endure any more of this.
It was as he was thinking that when a particularly vicious spurt hit him, and he tore the electronic cuffs right off the wall. The guard gasped and took a step back, raising his blaster uncertainly. Julian wasn’t even aware of what he’d done, gripping the floor and biting back another scream. He only knew that the feeling was returning to his arms, and that was some relief.
"Don’t give me no trouble now," the guard ordered, voice quavering. He’d never seen anyone do what this boy had just done. "Just sit on the floor, nice and quiet."
Julian could hear a voice, saying something, but the meaning of the words were lost in the pounding in his ears. He could hear the blood moving through his heart, feel it streaming through his body. The power inside him seemed as though it would burst his body into tiny fragments, and shakily he got to his feet.
"I said stay on the floor!"
Julian paid no attention as he closed his hand over the lock and pulled it right out of the cell door, yanking it open.
"Get back!" The guard took a step back and fired his weapon. Julian watched him squeeze the trigger, and casually raised his hand, deflecting the shot with his open palm.
Both men were equally shocked, and the guard didn’t waste any more time before turning on his heels and running as fast as he could. Julian leaned against the cell bars, still trembling, staring at his hand. There wasn’t even a mark on it.
Did I – did I just do that?
No, answered another voice. I did.
Julian’s head jerked up, but there was nobody nearby.
"Who said that?" he gasped. "Who are you?"
That ‘little voice’ you’ve listened to occasionally, the voice said wryly. Her powers are growing; I am close to being able to take my own form. Don’t fight me. Just relax, and let me take over.
Julian gripped his head in his hands; certain this was some kind of nightmare.
"Get – get out! Get out of my head!"
Not likely. I’ve been here your entire life, waiting for this moment. It is my duty to protect Sakura. Do you or do you not wish to help her?
Julian dropped to his knees, hugging his arms to his chest.
"Of course I want to help her. Where is she? What are they doing to her?"
She is fulfilling her destiny. I must ensure that no harm comes to her after the ritual. The danger he poses is great.
"Lothar," Julian whispered. "Can you hurt him?"
There was a pause, and then the voice answered, reluctantly.
No. Only the One can do that.
*****
Tory wasn’t quite sure what happened. The sword had been resting lightly against the base of his throat, the air around it swirling with red energy. Two of those wisps were familiar – his mother and his father. For just a brief moment, he could feel their agony of death, witnessed Blade murdering them both. The darkness of the night seemed to close over him, and then next thing he knew he was standing on his feet three paces away and watching along with Blade as his master’s precious sword went flying over the railing and disappeared into the night. Somehow, he’d kicked it right out of the Reptil’s claws.
"I think," Tory panted, "you won’t find me as easy to kill as my father."
Blade stared at him in shock, wondering how the human had ever managed to move so fast. Even for a creature with reflexes like his, the motion had been hardly more than a blur.
"That wasss my favorite sssword," he snarled. "You will pay for that."
Tory didn’t answer, but bent his knees slightly in preparation. The long cycles of practice were over, this time it was for real. Carefully he watched Blade in the bright moonlight, and darted back to avoid a murderous swipe. Again and again Blade slashed at him, raking the air with his claws, but Tory managed to evade his strikes, forcing his body to move faster than he ever had before. He was doing well, but eventually he would run out of balcony. He knew that he would have to take the offensive and strike back. He would have to attack his master. There could be no more hesitation. Blade had killed his parents.
*****
Even the solid earth itself would do her will. Sakura held out her arms in front of her, watching the mesa crumble to dust at her feet, its beautiful colorful streaks disappearing in the wreckage.
"No!" she screamed. The badlands was her home, how could she destroy it? Who was she?
"You are becoming one with the Seal," Lothar explained. "The last of the elements has gone through you. It won’t be long until you have merged completely."
No…Sakura could feel her essence, the stuff that made her who she was, slipping away from her, disappearing into the void around her. She fought to hang onto herself, but the Seal would not be denied. It was too hungry, had been deprived of a master for too long. It was feeding off of her, yet filling her with its own magic as well. A peculiar exchange, but one she was sure she didn’t want. She didn’t want to stop being Sakura.
In her mind, she could see another symbol approaching. Round, evenly split between black and white, both colors complementing each other and giving strength.
Balance. That’s what the yin-yang means.
Uneasily she watched it come closer.
What are you?
We are Light and Dark. The most powerful magics of the Seal. There can never be one without the other; we are inevitably intertwined. Just as you and the Seal are meant to be with one another.
No! No, I am me. I will not allow the Seal to swallow me.
You cannot resist. You desire for this, you hunger for the power. It will make you complete. Accept us, and accept your destiny.
I refuse.
Impossible to refuse. You and the magic belong to one another.
The yin-yang was spinning around now, making her dizzy. It was so hard to concentrate and focus…
Accept us, the voices sang. Accept us…
*****
For the first time in his life, Tory heard Blade howl in pain. The Reptil raised a scaly hand to his face and drew it away, watching the blood drip from his fingers. With stunned disbelief, he watched Tory take another step back and open his hand, dropping the shard of glass. It had sliced open his palm, he’d been gripping it so hard, but it was worth it. At long last, he’d finally been able to strike at his master.
"So you see," he said carefully, tearing a strip of cloth from his uniform sleeve, "I can fight back after all. You are my master, and you gave me everything. Pain, suffering, and loneliness, it’s all due to you. My life with you was a miserable hell. The only thing worth living for is her." He finished wrapping his hands and clenched his fists tightly, raising his arms again in combat stance.
"Fool," Blade spat. "Ssshe isss jussst a rebel. What hasss ssshe done for you? You have known her no longer than half a moon, even!"
He slithered forward, and Tory took another step back.
"You’re wrong. I’ve known her all my life. I just don’t know how. And I’ll die before I let anything hurt her."
"Yesss," Blade promised. "You will."
Tory barely escaped that time, and gritted his teeth as four parallel lines of blood appeared on his upper arm. He knew that they were getting close to the end of the balcony. They were nearing the end of the fight.
*****
"No!"
"Yes." Lothar gazed into her eyes, and she stared right through him, unseeing. She was close, he was sure of it. Her panting was becoming louder, echoing around on the silent rooftop. Even the breeze had stilled, and the moon and stars shone placidly down upon her. They were all waiting for her.
"No…push away…"
"Do not push it away, Sakura. Accept it, draw it in, make it a part of yourself. You will absorb the power of the Seal. Don’t you want it? It will feel so good."
"No," she managed, though the word was barely a rasp.
"Yes," he crooned. His voice could be threatening and cold if he wished, or he could make it soft and persuasive. He dropped his timbre and murmured softly as he traced his staff across her slim body. "Yes, you want it. The power, the pleasure, it feels so right. You know you were meant for this."
The touch only served to bring back the memory of Li’s hands on her. The feelings the Seal had awakened inside her were so like that night of passion, yet a hundred times more powerful. It was too strong…she would come apart at the seams.
Yet she could not deny it. It felt too good for that. He was untying her shirt, pulling it off her shoulders, caressing her as he kissed her neck. Harder and harder, until she could stand it no longer and called the lightning to dance across the sky with her excitement. And still he did not stop, as he continued to undress her, sliding his hand down her stomach and past her waist. The feel of his fingers inside her hit her like a wave of pleasure, and she threw her head back, tossing her hair.
"Does it hurt?" he whispered into her ear. Frantically she shook her head in denial. "Does it feel good?"
"Yes," she moaned. "Oh, yes. Please, Li. Please…Syaoran." At the sound of his name, he wrapped his arms around her even tighter and pushed faster.
"More?"
"Please!" Sakura was floating in her ecstasy, how wonderfully right it felt. She’d never known such pleasure.
"Stop?"
"No!"
Sakura could feel something building inside her, some inexpressible emotion. A power waiting to be released… She arched her back again. They had become one.
"Please don’t stop," she begged. "Please keep going…I’m so close, Syaoran!"
Lothar watched with bated breath as his prisoner struggled in her chains, her cries becoming louder and louder. The worn soles of her boots slid over the smooth marble surface as she scrabbled for a foothold, desperate to brace herself against something.
Light and Dark flowed into her body, and Sakura submitted to the bliss. Her cries climaxed in a scream of ecstasy, and underneath her feet, the outline of a star shot outwards, pushing the moon and sun to the edges of the circle.
It happened so quickly, even Lothar was taken aback, and his eyes widened. He’d never expected her to have so much power over the Seal as to change its very appearance. And yet there it was, the newly formed star pulsing with light and power. Its creator slumped again, her head dropping onto her shoulder, spent.
The transformation was complete.
*****
Kero had just flown far enough to see the castle itself in the distance when he yelped and crashed to the ground. He could no longer control his body, he was shaking so badly, and out of the corner of his eyes he could see his wings begin to grow.
So be it, this was only an advantage. But it meant that the powers had culminated. If the One was in Lothar’s power, now was the dangerous part.
*****
Tory could hardly breathe for the pain across his back, the railing was pressing up against his spine. But he could not move, the weight of the Reptil was pinning him down, and he could barely keep his enemy’s hands pushed away.
Blade’s tongue flickered over Tory’s neck, hungrily.
"I will tear through your flesssh with my own teeth," he growled. "And drink every drop of your blood. Impertinent, insssolent ssslave. No one defiesss me and livesss!"
Tory could not answer, totally focused on keeping those lethal claws away from his face. His knee was drawn up between them, preventing the Reptil from reaching his vulnerable throat with those sharp teeth, but Blade was stronger and had the advantage. He would wear down Tory’s defenses and rip him apart.
I won’t, the young man thought determinedly. I won’t go so quietly. I’ll do anything it takes to kill him; he will regret what he did to my family. Even if I have to die too.
For a moment, the Reptil’s face blurred and he thought of Sakura. He would never see her again. But she had Li; he would protect her and keep her safe. Tory had done all he could for her.
Sakura…
Summoning the last of his energy, Tory pushed off the balcony floor. Blade was startled, and he didn’t realize Tory was using his weight to pull him over the railing until it was too late.
"No!" he hissed, but already Tory had gained too much momentum. He felt gravity beckon, the terrifying feel of empty space, and then the rush of air as they both toppled over the edge and began to hurtle downwards.
Tory paid no attention to the screams of his master as they fell separately but in unison downward. He could only think of his parents, and felt a tiny twinge of excitement that he might finally be able to meet him. At last he would be able to look his mother in the face and see what she looked like.
Had she come for him already? Tory saw a blur of feathery white wings and flash of silver, and then his freefall was cut short. With an abrupt jerk, someone had gripped his arms, paying no attention to the bleeding wounds he already carried there, and he bit back a cry of pain. He was being carried in the opposite direction now, up toward the sky, and on either side of him he saw a pair of huge wings flap again.
"No," said a cold voice behind him. "That time is not here yet. Your presence in this life is still necessary. She still needs you."
Tory tried to get his breath back as he watched the castle walls speed past them.
"What…?" he managed to wheeze.
"You spared my life. Allow me to save yours in repayment."
And that was all the explanation that Tory got before they shot up the length of the tallest tower and he was unceremoniously dumped on the cold marble surface.
*****
Lothar had flipped his staff over again and was preparing to cut a thin line across each of his palms. All that was necessary now was to place the open cuts against hers in order to receive her power. She was unmoving, still catatonic from the shift in magic, and easy prey. But hardly had he broken the skin when a dazzling figure in white flew up over the edge of the tower. He dropped a human male on the surface and floated to the ground, opening his palm upwards before shooting several sharp diamonds in Lothar’s direction.
The evil sorcerer snarled in dismay and raised a shield just in time, deflecting the missiles. Two of the stones sliced right through the chains holding Sakura up, and she dropped to the ground, not moving.
"Sakura!" Tory crawled on his hands and knees, momentarily forgetting his bleeding hands, and picked her up to cradle her in his lap. The symbol on the surface beneath them was beginning to fade, and he ignored it in his anxiety for her. She wasn’t breathing, and her eyes were open and staring. Was she dead?
Placing his hand over her chest, he thought he could feel a faint but steady heartbeat.
"Yue," announced a cold voice, and Tory looked up. Lothar was glaring at Tory’s unexpected savior, who nodded in acknowledgement and spread his wings out in an aggressive stance. His hair, clothes, and eyes all seemed to shimmer with pure silver in the dark night, rivaling even the moon above. That pale misty halo still clung to his head, and in a heartbeat Tory realized who he was.
"Yue, what a surprise. At last you’ve emerged."
"I have," Yue replied in an icy tone. "The power of Clow’s heir has been reawakened. This girl has been chosen, and it is my duty to protect her."
He was talking about Sakura, Tory realized, and looked back down at the girl in his arms. Her face was pale and damp with sweat, and Tory tried to wipe it away, clutching her tightly. What was wrong with her? Would she be all right?
Lothar was swinging his staff lazily around, eyeing this new challenger. He did not seem unduly disturbed. The only thing that annoyed him was that his chance had been delayed. Sakura obviously wasn’t going anywhere; she was completely inert. There was no cause for worry.
"You realize of course, Moon Guardian, that your powers cannot compare to mine. You won’t even have a chance."
The breeze had returned, finally, and it blew Yue’s long silver hair away from his face as he stared at Lothar.
"It is immaterial. My master instructed me to defend this Seal and its chosen One, and defend it I shall. To the death, if necessary."
"As you wish." A beam of crimson energy shot forward, almost toppling Yue, but he stood his ground under the onslaught, pushing it away with his own energy. More glittering diamonds zipped through the air, but they crumbled to dust before Lothar’s open hand. "I’ll say it again: you have no chance. Get out of my way."
"Never."
Lothar struck his staff against the floor, and Tory realized he could see a thin scarlet line weave its way across the marble toward Yue’s feet.
"Look out!" he yelped, but the warning came too late. Yue was enveloped in flames for an agonizing moment before he forced them away. Breathing hard and visibly shaken, he lifted his chin and glared at his attacker.
"Last chance, Moon Guardian," the sorcerer sneered, and placed his hands together over the end of the staff, in preparation for the final blow. Yue tensed, but before Lothar could release, a sudden onslaught of fire washed over him.
Grunting in pain, he waved his hand to dispel the flames, then saw what had attacked him. A great golden cat with sharp teeth and menacing claws circled once more over the rooftop before landing beside Yue, folding his wings and growling.
"It’s about time," Yue sniffed. "Where have you been?"
"As if you’re one to talk," the newcomer rumbled. His voice was deep and throaty, and Tory wondered what he was. "Where have you been all these cycles?"
"Right in front of you, of course. Hidden inside the rebel leader. Honestly, Keroberos, you’re slipping. Not only did you not sense my presence, you couldn’t even determine who the One was. Pitiful."
"Oh, shut up." The fearsome cat twitched his tail in annoyance and returned his attention to the enemy. "He may be annoying, but he is my partner. And I won’t let you hurt him or Sakura."
Lothar uttered a scornful laugh and waved his hand.
"Keroberos, at last. The picture truly is complete. Clow’s faithful guardians, ever anxious to do his bidding even long after his body has become dust. You are mindless servants. Do not seek to interfere with my destiny!"
"Oh, but we will," Yue replied. "You are not Clow’s heir. The Seal and its powers are not destined for you; we will not allow you to use them in your tyranny."
"Impertinent being, who do you think you are? You have no power to ‘allow’. I do what I wish, whenever I wish. Tomoeda is mine, everything in it is mine! I rule this land, and everything in it belongs to me. Especially that girl."
Keroberos pulled back his lips and growled again.
"If you were half the ruler that Clow was - "
"Enough!" Lothar slashed at the air with his free hand, and an invisible wave of power struck both Yue and Kero right off their feet. "I will listen to no more! Even your powers combined cannot hope to conquer mine. I grow impatient with this dallying. I will have that girl."
His black eyes focused on Sakura once more, still lying in Tory’s arms.
"Bring her to me, boy."
No. Never again.
Tory clutched at Sakura more tightly and remained still. He would not deliver Sakura into the arms of the enemy a second time. Lothar growled and opened his palm, shooting a wave of magic at him. Tory flinched and tried to cover Sakura’s body with his, but it was not necessary. The attack fizzled and died at the border of the Seal.
Lothar clenched his bony fist in frustration. His mind control would not reach past the Seal, now that its magic had fused with hers. His attacks would not work either. Blast. He would have to go and collect her himself.
The robed figure began to cross the tower in long strides, only to find himself confronted with Yue and Kero again. Both looked a little worse for wear, but their eyes glittered with determination.
"No. We shall not let you pass."
Lothar snorted.
"Unbelievable. Still you try to defend her. On the orders of a long-dead wizard, a man who isn’t even important anymore! Look at her."
He gestured contemptuously at the comatose girl in Tory’s arms.
"The magic has filled her completely, there is nothing of her left. She is no more, unable even to control the powers she received. What good is that? Is this part of your precious master’s destiny?"
"I will not question my master, whose wisdom and power you could never hope to compare to," Yue answered. "We will follow our orders."
"You will die."
"Perhaps. But perhaps we will keep you from her long enough for her consciousness to return. And then she will kill you."
The rooftop was silent after those words, and Tory felt a flicker of hope. Maybe she wasn’t gone completely after all.
Lothar sucked his breath in, then let it out slowly.
"I will not allow you to delay me."
He closed his eyes and muttered something under his breath. He was calling. Annoying as it was, he could not afford to waste any more time with the Guardians.
Nietzsche appeared a moment later in a puff of yellow smoke.
"You summoned, my lord?" He was simply burning to be of use to his master, and Lothar pointed toward the invaders.
"Kill them."
"As you wish, my lord."
Nietzsche was not the most powerful mage in the land, but he was formidable, and his powers were fresh while the Guardians’ were not. Hastily Yue tried to raise a shield, but bolts of yellow lightning streaked toward them too fast, crippling them both and bringing them to their knees.
No! Tory watched them struggle, despair growing within him. He didn’t understand who they were, or why Sakura was so important to them, but they were the only barrier between her and Lothar. Besides him, of course. But what could he do?
The sorcerer was walking toward them again. Walking in long, slow strides.
He could try and wake her up, that’s what he could do. They said that she could kill him; he’d heard the silver one say it.
"Sakura. Sakura, can you hear me? You have to wake up. We need you."
He turned her face toward him with one hand, speaking softly but firmly. Her eyes were still unblinking, but she felt warm and alive. There had to be a way to wake her up.
"Sakura, please! He’s going to hurt you; you have to wake up. You’re the only one that can save us."
His voice was starting to crack again, strained from all the activity that day. Helplessly he watched the forbidding figure draw closer.
"Sakura! Wake up!"
Still no response. She lay, deathly still, waiting for her doom and his.
Chapter12