Author’s Note (A/N): Well, here we go again. This isn’t a particularly happy chapter. I hope you don’t kill me for it.
Li and everyone else travel to find Sakura. They’ve made it to the Dark Realm, but got promptly split up. Sigma is by himself, Eriol is with all four guardians, and Tomoyo, Li, and Meiling have been captured by some unknown person. I wish them good luck, and hope that they make it back safely.
by Shadowpheonix
Sakura stared out her window after the two retreating shapes. Kero…
“They’ll be back for you,” Shadow said, suddenly behind her.
“Why did you have to do that? Why couldn’t you have let me go?” Sakura yelled, crying.
Shadow stared at Sakura, as if threatening her. “I did what I had to,” Shadow replied, turning to leave.
“What you had to? You didn’t have to do that! You could’ve been nicer!” Sakura shouted, grabbing Shadow’s arm. “Let me go!”
“No. Get dressed. I’ll see you in thirty minutes,” Shadow said, pulling himself free of Sakura’s grasp.
“Let me go! I’m not going through what you have set up for me this time! Let me go!” Sakura screamed, furious at Shadow.
“Thirty minutes. If you’re not there…” Shadow said, disappearing into the dark.
What am I going to do? Why does this have to happen to me? Sakura quickly put on some comfortable clothes and glanced at the clock. Thirty minutes. Should I go? Sakura thought to herself. “I don’t want to!” she yelled, crying into her pillow. “Kero, Li,” Sakura mumbled. “I miss you…”
Sakura spent the next fifteen minutes crying to herself. Sakura, what’ll happen when you’re not in your regular cheerful mood the next time something weird happens? class=GramE>she remembered Kero saying. He’s right. Whatever happens, I’ll be ok. They’ll come back for me.
Sakura walked into the bathroom to wash her face. After she had finished, she walked out and glanced at the clock again. Five minutes left. I’ll look for Shadow in the dining room. Sakura shut the door behind her as she walked out. She found her way to the dining room.
“You’re early,” Shadow said as he saw her approach. “Let’s go.”
Sakura followed silently, still angry at Shadow.
“What do you want me to do, apologize?” Shadow asked.
“That’d be too nice of you,” Sakura replied.
“Well, I know for a fact it won’t mean anything to you if I say ‘I’m sorry,’ so I’m not going to say it. We’re almost there,” Shadow said, leading Sakura through a series of winding hallways.
“Where are we going?” Sakura said, not expecting an answer.
“You have one last lesson. I hope you’ve learned well enough how to use that ring in your pocket,” Shadow said.
“What do you mean ‘last?’”
“I mean last. You should be happy, you’re going to be going away from me for a while,” Shadow said.
“Where are you sending me?”
“Where I have to. I don’t have any choice in this. Well, I do, but if I chose to keep you, you’d hate it too much,” Shadow said.
“What do you mean? This isn’t about me… yelling at you, is it?” Sakura asked, befuddled.
“Nope, nothing to do with that. I’ll tell you before you leave. I promise,” Shadow said. “Here’s your last ‘test.’ I’m going to Create two sphienents and a dragharbtek against you, both wielding very powerful weapons. You have to defeat them. If you can, then you’re ready. If not, I hope you will be able to very soon,” Shadow said.
“What are you talking about? Where am I going?” Sakura asked.
“I’ll tell you after the test. Ready?”
“Yes,” Sakura said, bracing herself.
“Good luck,” Shadow said, a long staff with a dark bird adorning the top appearing in his hands. “Create!” he shouted.
Two sphienents and a dragharbtek appeared between him and Sakura. One sphienent carried a long, black sword, requiring two tentacles to hold. The other, carried a long, white sword, requiring the same amount to tentacles. The dragharbtek took flight, wearing dark, black armor.
Sakura released her staff and brought Shot, Arrow, and Sword from her Cards. Concentrating on the ring, she yelled, “Shot! Arrow! Sword!” The three cards immediately took effect.
Arrow came out of its card in a burst of light, shooting vibrant arrows at the dragharbtek. Shot appeared and began to pummel the sphienent carrying the white blade with energy bolts. Sakura’s staff transformed into a long sword. She grabbed the floating ring in front of her and charged the remaining sphienent. She slashed downwards near the sphienent, creating a long line of explosive energy, cutting it in two.
Arrow, Shot and Sword returned to their cards. Sakura, straining to stand up, looked over at Shadow. “Did I pass?” she asked between breaths.
“You did fine. I’ll give you the pleasure of another meal with me, the last you’ll have before you leave,” Shadow said, walking over to Sakura to help her up.
“Thanks,” Sakura said, still panting for breath. “Are you… going to… tell me now?”
“I’ll tell you while you’re eating. Right now, you need to replenish some energy. We have… two hours left together,” Shadow said, looking at his watch.
“Fine. Let’s… go,” Sakura gasped.
“At least you haven’t passed out. What do you want to eat?”
“Shrimp and… rice sounds good,” Sakura said, slowly recovering from the battle.
“Alright. Promise me you won’t pass out before I come back with food,” Shadow said, smiling at Sakura.
“I promise,” Sakura said, returning the smile. Shadow walked into the kitchen, leaving Sakura at the table. I wonder where I’m going, she thought as Shadow came back with a large bowl of fried rice.
“It has shrimp in it, along with carrots, peas, and onions. I hope you like it,” Shadow said sitting down opposite Sakura.
“Thank you,” Sakura said, her breathing rate returning to normal. “So, where am I going?”
“Aren’t you going to try it first? I said I’d tell you as you ate. We still have an hour and fifty or so minutes left. Relax,” Shadow said.
Sakura took a bite of the food. “Thanks, Shadow. This is really good,” she said, continuing to eat. “Aren’t you going to tell me?” Sakura said a few minutes later.
“In a little bit. I will, don’t worry,” Shadow said.
“Ok,” Sakura said, continuing to eat the delicious meal.
“I guess I’ll tell you now,” Shadow said when Sakura had finished half of the rice. “Remember that dragharbtek that was after you? Well, you’re going to… meet Altarrin.”
Sakura nearly choked on her food. “What? You’re just going to hand me over to him? Don’t I get a say in this?”
“You can have your say if you want. Here,” Shadow said, tossing Sakura an envelope.
From: Altarrin
To: Sakura Kinomoto.
“What does he want with me?” Sakura asked.
“Read what’s inside before you decide if you’ll willingly go to him,” Shadow said in what passed as a hurried voice.
Sakura Kinomoto,
I hereby request that you come to me at once. You and your friend Shadow, have put up quite a fight for the past week. You are to find me near the Desecrated Lake at 3:00 PM. If you are not there at the aforementioned time, your friend Meiling Li will be tortured. The next deadline is 3:15 p.m. If you are not there by then, your friend Tomoyo Daidouji shall partake in the aforementioned form of punishment as well. The third deadline is 3:30 p.m. If not there by then, I shall cease punishment on Tomoyo Daidouji and Meiling Li, and turn my attention to one, Li Syaoran. At this time, he will either, one, cease to live, or two, choose his life over that of your two aforementioned friends. Every half-hour after that, one more shall depart from the world of the living.
Best regards,
Altarrin, the Summoner of Spirits
“What? He has all three of them? Eriol said… Eriol said they’d gone missing, but… I have to go!” Sakura shouted.
“I know. I knew you would do something of the sort. However, I did manage to… forge an agreement with Altarrin. He promised to keep you within this Realm. I don’t know if he’s a man of his word, but, for your sake, I hope he is. Also, the disc that Eriol gave you, it’s a tracking device of sorts. He can see it and about a one yard radius around it with one of his spells. I’ve hopefully prepared you well enough to take on this… challenge. Sakura, I’m sure you’ll make it. I’m sure of it,” Shadow said encouragingly.
“Shadow, how am I supposed to fight this guy? He has all three of my closest friends! What am I supposed to do?” Sakura said, dispirited.
“You’ll figure out some way. You always do. Almost. I’m sure you’ll be ok.,” Shadow said, walking over to Sakura and hugging her. “You’ll make it.”
“Shadow, I don’t think I can fight him. He has… He has Tomoyo, Meiling, and Li. I can’t put them in danger. Why don’t you save them? Can’t you do anything about it?” Sakura pleaded.
Shadow took Sakura’s hand and led her back to her room. “Pack some things. I’m not sure if he’ll let you keep them, but pack some of your stuff. I have a luggage bag you can put what you want in. Sakura?”
Sakura sat on her bed, crying to herself. He has all of them. How am I ever going to save them? If he’s strong enough to stand against Shadow, how’s anyone supposed to beat him?
“Sakura, don’t cry. Don’t worry, I promise you’ll make it through. Come on, let’s make the best of this last hour,” Shadow said. “Come on, we have to pack some of your stuff.” Shadow walked over to Sakura and led her over to the dresser. “Sakura, I know you’re heartbroken, but you have to stay strong. You know it’s what your friends would tell you. Besides, would they want to see you like this? You are about to be reunited with them. Come on, Sakura. Let’s pack up,” Shadow said, brushing away Sakura’s tears.
“Ok,” she said, searching through the dresser for clothes to bring.
“I’ll go grab that bag for you. Cheer up, Sakura,” Shadow said as he left.
Sakura picked out clothes which looked startlingly like her clothes back home. I hope Shadow is right. Either way, I do have to stay strong. I’ll save them. Somehow, I will!
“I’m back. You look happier,” Shadow said, seeing Sakura lying on the bed with a small smile.
“I decided you were right. My friends won’t want to see me sad. I have to be strong. Thank you, Shadow,” Sakura said, smiling.
“Well, let’s finish packing. Then, maybe we can do something with whatever time’s remaining.” With that, Shadow and Sakura started packing. They spent nearly half and hour packing. As their time together drew to an end, Sakura felt worse and worse. “Ok, we’re done. Sakura, you don’t have to worry. You’ll be fine. Eriol will come rescue you after a while. I’ll go with him. Together, we’ll save you,” Shadow said, putting his hand on Sakura’s shoulder. “Don’t worry.”
“I want to believe you, I really do, but…” Sakura stopped, unsure of what to say.
“Well, would you like to go now? It’s not exactly a long walk, but we should plan for contingencies.”
“Ok, let’s go. Better to get this over with than sit here doing nothing. What does he want with me?”
“I don’t know,” Shadow replied.
“What did you want with me?”
“I… I’m still not going to tell you. Maybe after this, when you get free of Altarrin, I’ll tell you.”
Sakura smiled, appreciating Shadow’s confidence in her. “Do you really think I’ll make it?”
“Yes, I know you will.”
“Thanks. Are you going to walk me there, or draw me a map?”
“Remember what I told you about this Realm? If even my castle rearranges itself from time to time, and you can’t get around that, how do you plan on making it to the lake?”
Shadow took a quick look at the clock and led Sakura out of the room. “Would you like some light on our walk?” Shadow asked.
“I don’t think a lantern will help us much,” Sakura said.
“That’s not what I meant,” Shadow said, pulling out one of his Cards.
“What are you going to do?”
“Light!” Shadow yelled, the eagle-like bird on his staff pointing to the Card. Light came out of its Card and created a path of light off into the distance.
“I thought you said…” Sakura stuttered, looking at the path.
“I did, but I rule this Realm,” Shadow replied. “Ready?”
“Sure. Does this lead all the way to the lake,” Sakura asked, looking down the path.
“Yes. It should let him know we’re coming. We have twenty minutes to get there. Let’s go,” Shadow said.
Sakura followed Shadow down the path of light. I hope Shadow’s right, she thought. Fifteen minutes later, the lake, with its vile waters, came into view.
“You came. I thought you would, Sakura. You’ve given me much trouble, but I suppose that’s his fault,” a platinum-haired boy said, pointing to Shadow.
“Well, I’ll be leaving you now, Sakura. Here’s your luggage,” Shadow said, putting it on the ground beside her. “Good luck.”
“Yes, good luck. You will need it if you plan on surviving for long. Tell me, Sakura, what would it take to get you to jump into these waters?” the boy said, motioning to the dark, slimy water behind him.
“I… don’t want to, Sakura said, staring at the water as the lighted path disappeared.
“Really? Well, Sakura, I command you to jump into the water and have a drink. You will, of course, do so, right?”
“I… I… I… I’m not thirsty,” Sakura said, backing away from the water. “You… You’re not going to… are you?”
“That’s a fine idea. Let’s get one of them out. Who should it be?”
“No! Don’t hurt them!” Sakura screamed. “I’ll… do as you say.”
“Good. You don’t have to jump in. I won’t be that cruel. Yet… Anyhow, you haven’t asked my name yet,” the boy said.
“Aren’t you Altarrin?” Sakura asked, slightly relieved.
“No, actually I’m not. I’m Lloyd, his loyal servant and advisor,” the boy said, laughing. “I could have had you jump in.” The boy laughed harder until a dark shape appeared behind him.
“Lloyd, leave us,” the shape said.
“Yes, sir,” Lloyd said, bowing and leaving.
“Sakura, it’s taken me a while to get you here. Why the resistance? Tell me, Sakura, what has Shadow told you about me?” the man said.
“H-He s-said your n-name w-was Altar-tarrin. Th-that’s a-all I know,” Sakura stuttered.
“He said my name was Altartarrin, did he?”
“No, uh… s-sir. H-he said y-your name was… was Altarrin.”
“At least he got my name right. Do you know how much trouble it was to get you here?” Altarrin asked from the dark.
Sakura backed away from Altarrin, unsure of what to say.
“Well?” Altarrin asked, making a motion with his hand.
Sakura felt a tremendous amount of energy as he gestured to the space behind her. Suddenly, she backed into an invisible wall.
“Scared? I hold your life in my hands. Perhaps, that’s not enough to instill fear within your heart. How’s this?” Altarrin said, his hand protruding from the dark and motioning to some cages to Sakura’s right.
“No! Let them go!” Sakura somehow found the strength to yell.
“Let’s make an agreement. I shall promise to keep your friends safe so long as you do everything that I say. Agreed?” Altarrin asked, obviously not expecting an answer. “Now then, I think I like Lloyd’s idea. Jump into the lake,” he commanded.
Sakura stared at her three friends lying unconscious in the nearby cages. What am I going to do? It’s just water. I can survive that, but what will happen when he tells me to do something I can’t survive? What could he possibly want with me?
“Have you decided? It’s a simple choice, really. Your friends’ wellness or yours. Let’s flip a coin. Heads, I win. Tails, you lose,” Altarrin said mockingly. “Five.”
Sakura stepped towards the lake, avoiding Altarrin as she did so. As she reached the edge of the lake, its putrid smell reached her nostrils. It’s just water. Better me than them, she thought.
“You may preserve your clothes if you like. Once you’ve submerged yourself completely, you may find me at my castle. I will take your luggage with me and leave a trail for you to follow. I trust you won’t escape,” Altarrin said, dropping a glowing crystal. “Follow these. Pick them up as you go. For each one you miss…” Altarrin walked away, three cubic shapes floating in the air above him.
I won’t let him hurt them. I can do this, Sakura thought. Deciding it was better to walk through the Realm with dirty clothes rather than without any, she took out just her Cards and the ring Shadow had given her and jumped into the rancid water, quickly dunked her head under, and crawled back out. Grabbing her Cards and ring, she found the first bright crystal and picked it up, looking for the next one.
One by one, she picked up the bright crystals and found her way to a large, mansion-like structure. “So, you made it,” Lloyd said from the door. “Looks like he liked my idea. Consider that your first test of obedience. Altarrin’s put your baggage up in your room,” Lloyd said, staring at Sakura. “You look very defeated. I almost feel sorry for you.”
Sakura walked up to Lloyd and waited for him to lead her inside. When he didn’t, she asked, “Aren’t you going to take me to my room?”
“Haven’t you figured it out yet? Those crystals, that’s your ticket to your room. Let’s see if you have all of them,” Lloyd said, motioning for Sakura to put them on the floor.
Sakura laid out fourteen crystals, hoping she didn’t miss any and shivering when a small breeze picked up.
“Good, you have all fourteen. Well, come on in. I’ll show you to your room. You can change if you’d like,” Lloyd said, walking into the building. “Be careful not to drip all over the floor.”
Sakura followed him inside. They walked down some stairs into a dark, underground room. “Here’s your room. There’s a… bathroom over there, though I don’t think you’ll want to use it.”
“Wh-why not?”
“It hasn’t been used or cleaned for at least ten years. There are mice and cockroaches and other… creatures in there. You can clean it if you’d like.”
Sakura stared down the hallway to where Lloyd pointed. She decided she would have to put up with the creatures. Maybe if I clean it…
“Well, I’ll let you get settled. If you’re good, maybe Altarrin will give you a better room later,” Lloyd said, leaving Sakura in the dark.
Sakura found her way over to her baggage. She searched through it for something different to wear when she found a small lantern with a note attached to it.
Sakura, if you’re reading this, you can rest knowing that Altarrin doesn’t care enough about your stuff to search it. I hope that you are doing fine where you are. Do NOT under any circumstances lose possession of that ring I gave you or the disc that Eriol gave you. It will allow him to find you whenever he wants to. I’ll see you soon. You can keep this note if you’d like. The script is written with Dark magic and can only be read by whom I designate. However, I don’t know the extent of Altarrin’s powers, so I would destroy this.
Hope to see you soon. Sincerely,
Shadow
Thanks, Shadow. She found that the lamp was filled with kerosene and found a box of matches near it. She quickly lit the lamp, grabbed a pair of clean clothes, and walked down to the bathroom.
As Sakura approached the bathroom, strange noises became audible. She inched down the hall, her sphere of light inching along with her. She put her hand up to the bathroom door, determined to fearlessly enter the bathroom. Suddenly, she felt something scuttle across her feet and leapt into the air in surprise. Looking around, the mystery creature was nowhere to be found. Just as she put her hand up to the doorknob, the door creaked open to let her in.
Slowly, she entered the small bathroom, identified the various objects within, and searched for any creatures on the floor. Seeing none, Sakura removed her shoes and socks to begin cleaning. She stepped onto the slimy, vile ground, last cleaned six and a half years ago. Suddenly, out of the dark, she heard a loud hiss and backed up against the mold and mildew covered wall.
Two small, golden eyes appeared in the dark, startling Sakura. She pressed herself against the wall, petrified. The eyes advanced, heading straight towards Sakura. No! she thought, unable to speak or move.
Slowly, taking what seemed like centuries, the creature to which the eyes belonged stepped into the light. A wave of relief washed over Sakura as she saw the creature for what it was. It’s just a mouse.
Sakura found her way back to her shoes and put them on top of the sink. She stepped into the center of the room and released her staff. Halfway through the incantation, she heard a loud thump and sped up. She held the staff tentatively, unsure of what may have caused the noise. Slowly, she turned around, scanning every inch of the dark room. When she was certain there was nothing there, she grabbed Fiery from her Cards and whispered, “Fiery!”
Fiery emerged from its Card and brightened the room. Creatures of all shapes and sizes scuttled away from the light, hissing at Sakura and Fiery as they hurried past her. She stared at the green-streaked, mildew-covered walls in disgust and turned down to look at the ground on which she was standing. All along the ground, she saw different sized droppings and a filmy layer of muddy water.
She instructed Fiery to continue to light the room with a wave of her hand and grabbed Bubbles. “Bubbles!” she whispered. The Bubbles Card effectively covered the room in a layer of soapy bubbles, removing some filth from the walls and floor.
“Float!” she whispered, the filthy water reminding her of the lake. She hovered above the growing layer of bubbles, slowly removing the filth from the ground and walls. “Rain!” Rain appeared as a large cloud and a downpour came after it. The rain swept away the bubbles, leaving behind it a relatively clean floor and walls.
Their job done, the Cards returned to their original form and floated into Sakura’s hand. Feeling proud of herself, Sakura turned to her dripping wet shoes. I forgot to shield them first! she thought. She stared disdainfully at her shoes and decided she would dry them later. She took out another of her Cards and whispered, “Glow!”
Glow took effect and created an eerie green light, just enough for Sakura to see by. She quickly removed her clothing and walked into the shower to bathe, eager to rid herself of the lake’s filth. She turned on the faucet and shrieked quietly when freezing cold water collided with her skin. She quickly turned the faucet back off, hoping there was hot water somewhere. Hurriedly, she grabbed a towel she had brought with her and wrapped herself in its warmth.
Reluctantly, she decided to take a bath rather than a shower. She plugged the bathtub and allowed the cold water to fill it three-quarters of the way. “Fiery!” She instructed Fiery to heat the water slightly and promptly stepped in. Not trusting the cleanliness of the bathtub, she decided to finish bathing quickly rather than enjoying the hot water.
Three minutes later, Sakura finished her bath, having scrubbed herself thoroughly, but still feeling a touch of filthiness, and dressed quickly. She grabbed her still wet shoes and walked back to her small room.
Sakura entered her room. She scanned the room and found it to be less than half the size of the room Shadow had given her. There was a small, wooden bed in the corner, lacking a mattress, and a tiny, rotting wardrobe next to it. The floor and walls were composed of concrete and cracked in various locations.
Sakura walked over to her bed and found a layer of dust on top of it along with everything else in the room. This is disgusting! He gives me the worst room in the place and doesn’t even give me a bathroom with decent water! Sakura wiped away some dust with her hands, creating for herself a small space suitable for sitting. Well, I suppose I shouldn’t complain. He hasn’t killed me yet.
Suddenly, a light appeared from the stairs coming down to the basement. “Sakura, Altarrin will see you now. Are you ready?” Lloyd asked, appearing at the foot of the stairs.
Sakura merely nodded and walked over to Lloyd, waiting for him to lead the way. “You used that bathroom? Well, I suppose someone was going to clean it eventually. Let’s go.”
Lloyd led Sakura up the stairs. He turned down a long corridor which ended with another staircase. Lloyd motioned for Sakura to continue up the staircase by herself. Sakura walked hesitantly up the staircase. At the top, she found a large, semi lighted room. “Don’t move,” called Altarrin’s commanding voice from the far side of the room. “Close your eyes.”
Sakura reluctantly did so. She listened as she heard Altarrin’s footsteps approach. The footsteps stopped inches from her and she felt a large pulse of magical energy. “Wh –”
“Don’t talk, either,” Altarrin said. Sakura felt the energy enveloping her. “Good,” Altariin said as all the energy disappeared. Altarrin walked away. “You may open your eyes now. Now, Sakura, tell me why you chose to come here.”
Sakura opened her eyes and peered into the dark room. “Y-you have m-my friends. I didn’t want them t-to get hurt.”
“Were you happy with Shadow? Did he treat you well?”
“I don’t know,” Sakura replied.
“Why did you put up such a fight? Do you understand what little patience I have?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“So am I, because ‘sorry’ just won’t do,” Altarrin said as a glow surrounded what Sakura knew to be the whip she had seen in her dream. “I’ll give you a choice. Turn around.”
Sakura turned to see three separate cages, each containing one of her captured friends. “No,” she whispered.
“Here’s your choice. You may choose one of them to take your punishment, or you can submit yourself to it.”
“Wh-what’s my punishment?”
“It was ten lashings. Now it’s twenty, for asking. Choose,” Altarrin commanded.
All the candles in the room blew out, leaving Sakura in darkness, complete except for the glowing whip. Knowing what would happen next, Sakura fell to her knees and began to cry.
“You’re only making this harder on yourself. For every minute you don’t choose, I’ll add ten lashings. When the count goes up to forty, all four of you will receive them. The minute starts now.”
“I… I will. Please, let them go,” Sakura pleaded. “Please…”
“So, you chose. Now, I’ll give you another choice. Either I can give them to you, or my loyal sphienent can. If you don’t choose, I will.”
Sakura brought her hands to her face and cried. This isn’t fair. “Please, let them go. I’ll stay in their place,” Sakura pleaded, looking up from her hands at the advancing whip.
“I guess you won’t choose. You could have saved yourself some pain…” Altarrin said, raising the whip above his head.
“Aaaaaahhh!” Sakura screamed, bringing her hands over her face.
The whip came down on Sakura’s arms with a crack, causing her to scream. Tears came to her eyes as she examined the marks on her arms. Suddenly, an unseen force pushed her onto her stomach, pinning her to the ground. “I wouldn’t squirm if I were you,” Altarrin said, bringing the whip up again.
“Please, stop,” Sakura pleaded, crying harder than ever.
The whip came down on Sakura’s back with another crack, cutting through the back of her shirt. Altarrin repeated the process eighteen times. When he finished, he grabbed Sakura’s arm and flung her towards the stairs. “That’s twenty normal lashings. From now on, you will do as I say, understand? Every time you do not, you will receive twenty more lashings as well as one of your friends. Are we clear?”
“Y-yes,” Sakura said, barely able to stand.
Lloyd came up the stairs, grabbed Sakura by the wrist and led her back down to her room. “Well, that’s what you get for crossing Altarrin. You better not do it again,” he said, leaving her in her room.
Sakura immediately fell onto her bed, her head throbbing painfully. Ow… she thought, continuing to cry. Slowly, she cried herself into a disturbed sleep, the bruises on her back waking her painfully every few hours.
I’m sorry! I had to do something to Sakura. Had to make Altarrin seem meaner than Shadow. I don’t want it to be too painful… I don’t know if I can take writing something if it’s like that. I promise it will eventually get better. I don’t want Sakura hurt any more than you do, so don’t yell at me…
Here’s your list of questions to ponder:
Shadow says he ‘knows’ Sakura will make it back safely. What could he be planning? Does he really know? Or is he just showing confidence in Sakura’s abilities?
Eriol now has a way of finding Sakura whenever he chooses to. However, he said he wasn’t going to until he found Li and the others…
Well… Email me questions. I’ll be happy to receive them. Here’s the random challenge again…
Challenge to the readers: Here is a challenge for all you mystery fans: What's up with Shadow? Why does he claim to care so much about Sakura, but show it in such an odd way? What's does he really want with Sakura? Be the first to email me the correct answer to this question, and I’ll post your name at the end of the fic.