Composed by deko
Translated by Yuki Neco
The magic circle that the Cardcaptor generated glowed above the moat, in which the Big Card was released. “Oh, no. There are three. Which one should I magnify?” the released Card murmured. “I know,” she said before she magnified the choice she made. It was the Hope who got magnified and strode over the moat. Sakura and Syaoran braced themselves to the the gigantic doll’s shoulders with swirly eyes.
“Hoeeee!! You are too big, Hope!” Sakura exclaimed.
“It’s good you’re not the one magnified, Sakura,” Syaoran breathed a sigh of relief.
“No, why should I be this big? Why me?”
In squatting down, the Hope happened to stomp on the moat and the fence, falling on her own face. When she lifted up her head she sprang tears, practically crying. The gigantic Hope Card cried way too loud, bothering people inside and outside the moat.
“Hey, stop crying,” Sakura tried to soothe her, “Easy, Hope.”
Nevertheless, the Hope kept on having tears running rather like a waterfall than springs. Her enormous crying affected some other Sakura Cards around to cry, too.
“Hey, don’t cry!” Syaoran said. “Whoa!” He ducked and braced himself when he found the Kukoku army shot arrows from beyond the moat. Subsequently, catapulted rocks attacked the gang.
“Look, Hope! Aw!” Sakura screeched and crouched getting hit by one of the rocks in the knee. The Hope Card gasped and turned her back to the enemies to protect Sakura. Syaoran ran up to her and tore his shirt to wind her wounded knee with it like a bandage.
“Are you all right, Sakura?” Syaoran and Hope asked in a concerned look.
“Yeah, thanks.”
But it was not the time to calm themselves in the caring mood, besides, a number of arrows are still in the attack. Getting back to herself, the Hope Card stopped crying, growling, “What the heck are you trying to do, bastard?”
Kukoku soldiers shivered in fear to see the furious gigantic plush doll.
“Let’s go, Sakura.”
A swing on her wings blew a powerful gust through the enemies. She knocked attacking arrows down when she roughly flicked her arms down. She began stepping with a ground-shaking thud, then there were footprints where she had walked.
The moon slightly past half moon illuminated the excavation site on Tomoeda Hill. The shadow of a beast flew in front of the shade of the moon. “It’s been a while, Kerberos,” it was Spinel that showed up. The black beast breathed an intense beam, and the golden beast blocked the greeting blow by spreading his gorgeous wings like a shield. When he flew up and got ready to breathe back fire, the terra-cotta dolls answering to Iyo got in the way between the two beasts.
“That’s enough of greeting,” Eriol gave them a command standing dignifiedly between Ruby and Yue, slightly different than his usual calm attitude. He spoke to Iyo and Dai standing in front, “I’m afraid the Time Card won’t work unless there was a call from the past.”
“Is that so,” Iyo replied sadly, “Now that we have to get back to the past when my aunt passed away, though.”
There was a hole by Dai’s foot. With a look inside, he could see the hole was stuffed with soil at the bottom, “It’s just a pothole now.”
“The Time is wating for the mistress to call it,” Yue commented, “so we have to wait, too.”
“Yes, we have,” Ruby Moon giggled, “Hey, Suppi, let’s have some snack!” Ruby lit a magic circle to turn back into Nakuru Akizuki. Eriol smiled bitterly and changed his staff back into the key.
Touya Kinomoto was staring out the window of the excavation quarters. From the kitchen, Kaho Mizuki brought coffee on a tray. “There’s nothing we can do unless we hear them in the past,” she said.
“Is it possible to hear them?” Touya rolled his eyes.
“There were so many wizards in the history, but the only one who succeeded in stabilizing a time magic was Clow Reed himself,” Kaho answered, “and your sister is the one and only one successor of his. That’s beyond our reach.”
“Kaho.” Touya could feel Kaho’s gracefulness that could make a young man at twenty something of age like him feel untouchable about her.
“You’ve been obsession type, as ever. But I’m sure you know better than that,” Kaho said.
“What do you mean by that? Are you calling me...”
“You know, Yue is one of Sakura’s guardians. As you can see, Yukito Tsukishiro exists because Yue is around.”
Touya took his seat and turned on a computer, when a slight shiver could be seen on his back. At this time, Kaho felt someone—a young woman standing outside by the door.
Out of the moat of Yakoku, as the Hope proceeded with stomps on the ground, Kukoku soldiers screamed with fear. The troops facing to the gigantic monster lost their spirits to fight against it. When the gigantic foot came down just above them, they all fainted. She took the soldiers that had fainted to the side, and ignored coward soldiers.
“OK, Hope. Mist!” Sakura called the Mist Card. Corrosive mist drifted to the Kukoku soldiers and corroded the metal armors, exposing their masculine bodies.
“Wow, look at those machos. You did a great job, Sakua,” the Hope smirked.
“Hoeee! No, I didn’t mean to do that,” Sakura blushed with embarrassment.
On the other hand, Syaoran was attacking with his lightning magic. Kukoku soldiers below were all twitching from the electric shock. “Rain and Watery, extinguish the torches!” Sakura commanded.
Getting their camp completely darkened, Kukoku soldiers in panic bumped into each other. There stood the gorgeous general among the soldiers, shouting, “Nothing to fear! It’s just a little girl and a kid.”
“But they’re reinforced by evil spirits,” said the squad captain.
The handsome general named Kuka pulled back an arrow to aim at Sakura, “Disappear, evil spirits! Take the arrow I shoot with all my might.” Although Kuka’s arrow targetted Sakura’s heart, Hope staggered in blocking and then the arrow pierced and tore Sakura’s skirt between her thighs.
“Wow! Pretty legs, foxy! Way to go, General Kuka! One more shot!” the soldiers exclaimed and whistled. Even in an olden day, the guys who were responsible for something obscene were to suffer a horrible fate. So was Syaoran, even if it was not on purpose.
“Oh, yuck, Syoran,” Sakura screamed, “Watery! Freeze!”
The soldiers and Syaoran got soaked by Sakura’s water magic, and then solidly frozen by the icy cold wind that befall them.
“Hey, you’re scary, Sakura! That’s going too far!” the Hope warned Sakura.
“Oh, no, sorry about that,” Sakura noticed what exactly she was doing, “Firey Card, burn gently to warm them up!”
Freed by the fire spirit, Syaoran collapsed on his knees wearily as he was caressed by fine arms. It was Sakura saying, “Promise you won’t look at me that way, Syoaran?”
“I do...” He nervously replied. Even though the girl in front was his dearest one at heart and that’s a fact, he kind of wondered whether his choice was right to naturalize as Japanese for the sake of her.
“Sakura, we’re not through with it,” the Hope said. They had raid roughly half of the enemies’ camp, but the rest is still ready to fight back, they found.
The courtyard of the sanctuary of Yakoku was full of the injured and the poeple to treat their wound, so there was no spots open.
“The slightly injured, take care back at home, please,” the Mirror Card announced. She, pretending to be Sakura, was very busy, wearing a headband to brace herself.
The captain of the squad walked to the Mirror Card and reported, “We took in all the injured, Lady Iyo. But I worry about...”
“The people imprisoned by the enemy, don’t you?” Mirror replied. “Besides, there’s a turmoil I can hear outside the moat for an hour. That sounds eerie.” The captain asked, “Would you allow me to lead my squad to the scene?”
“No way! As the shrine maiden princess of Yakoku, I can’t bear to see any more casualties,” the Mirror refused as the captain bowed with a sincere loyalty.
The 21st century, on Tomoeda Hill, the people from different countries are having night snack.
“Suppi, here’s takoyakis, your favorite,” Nakuru brought Suppi a plate of takoyakis.
“Nice to be back in Japan. I love eating takoyakis,” Suppi was pleased into tears. But in the blink of an eye, there was only one takoyaki left on the plate. That was because Kero swallowed three pieces at one time.
“First come, first served,” chuckled Kero.
“He’s right. You need to be faster if you want to eat goodies,” Kaho mentioned while she was serving takoyakis to the couple who came from the past. Suppi cried into tears, “How mean can you guys get? Don’t you have a mercy on other people, or fairy?” At this time, Kero patted him on the shoulder, and offered two pieces he had been hiding.
“Are you giving these to me?” Suppi began to get back to his mood, “Anyway, if you mean to give me some from the first place, why didn’t you...”
At the very moment, Yue found the hole change a little as Eriol sensed that the Time Card, who had been sleeping on top of the hill, just woke up. Eriol thought to himself, “It’s almost the time you had to return. I hope you’re fine, Sakura.”
Kukoku army is ready for the final battle with their back to the steep mountain. Sakura and Syaoran were watching the state with anxiety.
“What should we do, Syaoran?” asked Sakura.
“It’s like Xiang Yu’s strategy,” Syaoran replied, “but it could be risky because they are way too desperate.”
“Too bad. It’s almost the daybreak. Achoo,” Sakura sneezed, “We gotta get them out of there really quick.”
Syaoran was attracted by his girlfriend while he was looking her side view of her anxious face. Intense responsibility, immense mercy and kindness to the weak—that’s why she should be chosen to be the Card mistress. Furthermore, feeling how lovely she was to him, he couldn’t resist the charm to make him blush even redder. At this time, some spirits appeared in their visible forms.
“Who is it?!” the Hope gasped.
It was the Flame Card that just showed up, saying, “Excuse our interrupt, the mistress of Sakura Cards,” Besides him, Teleport, Hover, and Quake Cards were there floating.
“What’s the matter? What happen to Geso Li, your master?” Sakura questioned.
The Cards kept floating without a word, but the Life Card spoke to them when he had a clue, “Something happened to him, right? He was struck in a fit of depression?!”
“You know something, don’t you?” Syaoran asked the Life Card.
“Sakura, Syaoran, listen. I used to be a human, his private doctor. He is suffering from disorder,” the Life Card answered.
“I don’t believe it,” Sakura uttered a surprise, “He doesn’t look weak at all.”
“Mental disorder,” the Flame Card explained, “He has two personalities switching his attitude in turn.”
“One is a confident great wizard’s personality. The other, that first appeared after he drifted to this world, is a fragile personality like an old man, negative, idle, obsessed with alcohole,” the Life Card supplemented.
“That remind me,” Sakura nodded, “that he acted as if he was a different person.”
Then the Quake Card reported, “Now he is so aggressive. I’m sure he’ll be back into a wino then it’ll be the time he’s to be killed by Kuna.”
“Actually, our master took off to get his enchanted ball back from Kuna,” the Hover Card continued, “The enchanted ball is the source of the magic of the time tunnel to the future.”
“We’d better hurry. We gotta get the enchanted ball and Geso safe and sound, or he’ll be in danger.”
“Right! But in that case... I know! I’ve got a plan,” Sakura said with a determined look.
Injured soldiers were carried to the base of Kukoku army. Among the haste, King Kuna was enjoying his gorgeous dinner attended by his major vassals.
“Hmph, I’m hungry as well as angry! What the heck are you looking at?” Kuna barked at the vassals, “No dinner unless you work enough to please me.” At this time, Geso Li brought rice balls.
“Oh, Geso. Give me another. I’ve been waiting for them. Wh-what are you trying to do?”
To the surprise, Geso passed rice balls out to the injured. Some are so weak that they couldn’t utter an appreciation, and some other could nothing but manage to put the food in their mouths, when he said. “Allow me to say this, but can’t your majesty see how badly your men suffering? Now you are fighting against...”
“Shut up. I know that, that’s why I saved your life. Destroy Yakoku with your magic,” Kuna shouted back at Geso. Geso then raised his hand to show disobedience to him. Next, he took out a blade.
At this time, the guards shouted at the very side of the base, “Enemy attacking! Enemy attacking! Two gigantic monster are approaching from north and south!”
“Oh, she used the Twin Card,” Geso said to himself, “Really impressive.”
No sooner had he heard the emergency, King Kuna jumped on his feet and fled as fast as he could. Geso tried to catch him, but was blocked by Kuna’s vassals and guards.
“Thunder!” Sakura struck the base with a thunderbolt, unfortunately, all the people down in the base were struck by the electric shock. “Oh, pardon me,” Sakura whimpered. She landed and ran up to Geso to see if he was all right, then she saw how different he had changed, “Uh, cute little girl, you want to comfort this poor me...” Even though his mental disorder was doing this, the guy who acted obnoxious was to suffer a punishment.
Sakura and Syaoran landed on top of the mountain behind the base with Sakura Cards floating around. They could see the state of the battle taking place far blow them. Two of gigantic Hope coordinated themselves to destroy Kukoku army.
“I wonder if the gigantic footprint was...” Syaoran sweatdropped.
“There’s no other choices,” Sakura said, “But what would Dad say if he knew the truth?” She, using the Power Card, placed Geso Li safe on the ground, as she said, “But...”
“But what?” Syaoran asked when he pulled Geso closer.
“We will make it somehow. I’m sure of it.”
However, Sakura’s optimism faded at the moment the Vision Card showed them that the imprisoned injured soldiers were suffering a pre-daybreak chills. Most of them were poorly dressed, not to mention that they didn’t even have a blanket to keep themselves warm.
“We’d better hurry, Syaoran, or they’ll be frozen to death,” Sakura was upset.
“Don’t be so fast. At this rate, that tyrant will probably take them hostage,” Syaoran mentioned.
“Then what should we do?”
“The best way,” Syoran replied, “is to capture the King. I’ve got a plan. Let’s give it a try, shall we?”
“OK.”
Most of the people in the courtyard of the sanctuary went home at the daybreak, but the captain and some maides remained with worries about the Mirror Card. She was still standing in the yard whose face was illuminated by the rising sun.
“Please take some rest, Lady Iyo, or you’ll break down like Dai,” cautioned one of the maids.
“But in that case, Dai would take care of all the time,” another maid smiled at her, “What a good thing you have someone to care each other.”
The Mirror Card was happy to feel the kindness of the people around her, and said, “OK, I will take a little rest.”
When she entered the building, she heard birds from the woods screeching, then she turned around.
“Lady Iyo, look! The sun and the moon...”
The phenomenon before their eyes is impossible except at the end of the world. The sun and the moon came up the horizon at the same time, nearing to each other.
“Solar eclipse! That means we don’t have much time!” the Mirror thought.
Sakura floating up in the sky took out two Cards, when the Quake Geso Card was beside.
“I’m counting on you, Earthy and Wave. Shake the ground and come to my aide!” Sakura shouted a command. At the same time, the Quake Card flashed causing an earthquake of medium magnitude. The spirits of the two Sakura Cards spiraled into the ground near the enemy base, creating an enormous power that cracked the ground and caused a breakdown. The mountain had a landslide engulfing Kukoku soldiers down the hill violently.
“Jesus, we gotta get out of here!” shouted King Kuna with horror.
“But your majesty, there’s no way to escape,” a soldier said hopelessly. However a crowd of soldiers were trying to climb the cliff at the back of their base. King Kuna was, too, climbing the cliff with his life at stake. Shamelessly, he climbed all for the sake of himself, hanging on and stepping on soldiers along the way. His miserable behavior disgusted Syaoran who was watching at the top of the cliff.
“He’s way too nasty. What kind of king is he? I’m sorry for his men,” Syoran said with irritation.
“Yes, he is. My master, Geso Li, is even much better,” the Hover Card commented.
When the King Kuna reached the top, Syoran, who is completely calm in thoughts, lifted him up by the gorgeous collar, before taking the enchanted ball and throwing him down the cliff.
“Oh, no! I’m falling, help me!” King Kuna screamed, barely running on the steep slope of the cliff. He managed to get down the cliff barely alive. He thought he was to be engulfed by the landslide, but the earthquake and the landslide were over by that time.
“OK, everyone, please work for me,” Sakura said to the Cards, “Light and Life, apply healing energy to all the injured!” The glow of the magic circle intensified ultimately, when the Life Card passed its healing power to all the other Cards. The Cards with glow of healing energy flew to the people who needed care.
People suffering lack of energy and freezing atmosphere were abandoned in the base totally destroyed. The magic Card flying just above them flashed healing light on them, then they shouted a surprise, “I don’t believe it! My wound disappeared, I’m healed!” The magic took care of not only Yakoku soldiers but also Kukoku soldiers. “I owe you one. I didn’t expect you’d save us as well!” Kukoku soldiers cheered a thankfulness.
The gate of Yakoku opened and the people led by the Mirror Card walked out to the scene full of applause for the generous healing that had been made. The Mirror Card’s people were carrying food, water, and herbal medicine for the soldiers.
“I’ll leve it up to you. I gotta check if Dai is OK,” the Mirror said to the captain.
“Stay alert, Lady Iyo, some enemies might be looking for a chance to fight back! King Kuna might be around here! Don’t be on your own!” the Captain warned, but she ran behind the tree and turned back into her visible form and took off to her mistress.
On top of the mountain behind the base, Sakura Cards were floating joyfully. At the center was the magic circle glowing even brighter than had been so far. In a few seconds, the glow faded, when Sakura collapsed in Syaoran’s arms, “Thank you, Syaoran, Hope, my Cards, and Geso Cards.” Sakura looked completely exhausted that Syoran feels Sakura had run out of her enormous amount of magical power. Unbelievably, Geso Li was watching them with a gentle smile. There came back a final card, saying, “I’m back, Sakura, but look at that!” Hope said in a puzzled look, “What’s the matter, Mirror?”
The Mirror Card nervously pointed the sun and the moon nearly overlapping.
“Oh, here comes the time at last,” Geso uttered an impression, “That’s what I’ve been waiting for.” Sakura questioned Geso who looked intelligence at the moment, “What is it that you’ve been waiting for?”
“The world is supported on the balance between two enormous forces since the beginning,” Geso replied, “But the forces are unbalanced once in tens of thousands of years, which cause a distortion at one place in the world.”
“Distortion? You mean a distortion of space-time continuum?” Syoran gasped in surprise.
“Solar clipse is not so unusual in the scale of history of the world,” the Wisdom Card said, “but the case it begins at the horizon.”
“This solar eclipse is likely to trigger the slight defect in the space-time continuum,” Geso explained, “We can get back to our own ages getting in the time tunnel through the defect. However, I can’t do it on my own because I don’t have enough power. That’s why I drew you into this world with a miserable way. I have to apologize to you.”
“Now that we can get back to the future, in Tomoeda?” Sakura and the Hope uttered to reassure themselves. Sakura was happy, holding the Hope back in the normal plush doll size, rubbing her cheek and giving kiss on the Hope. However, Syaoran wasn’t as optimistic as them, saying, “Using a defect in space-time continuum, can you assure us we’ll be back safe?”
“Look at this ball,” Geso replied showing his enchanted ball, “it’ll lead me to the 20th century I came from. And your ball was tranfered by your mother from the 21st century, wasn’t it? Then all you have to do is to dive into the time tunnel relying on your own magical powers.”
Syaoran didn’t accept the words logically. At this time, the moon began eclipsing the sun gradually.
“Don’t be afraid, Syaoran. We can do it. We’ll be back where my friends are waiting if we give it our best,” Sakura ensured him. Strangely, a chilly wind blew up to their feet.
“Uh-oh, a storm is coming at this serious time,” Geso thought to himself, “Uh, well, in that case, if only I get back safe Li clan will be OK. I’m sorry, kids, don’t bare me a grudge.”
There are layers of clouds above Tomoeda that blocked the moon from being seen. The hole connecting the different ages began to glow, sending a narrow beam of power up beyond the sky. Kerberos found the change and shouted a joy, “Look, the time tunnel is glowing! Sakura and her Cards will be back pretty soon.”
“Why did you not mention about Syaoran and the plush doll?” Spinel commented suspiciously.
“Why don’t you accept them, or they’ll kick you out of the place,” Nakuru said with a smirk.
“Good guess,” Yue mumbled.
There are two more people who are waiting for them to be back.
“Dai, they are finally back,” Iyo said with starry eyes.
“I hope Syaoran is OK. I’m looking forward to seeing him,” Dai mentioned.
On the other hand, the boy holding a staff felt a different emotion—sorrow of parting—thinking to himself, “This is exactly what I expected. I won’t be able to see Sakura any more.”
Although he didn’t speak aloud, Tomoyo Daidouji and Kaho Mizuki knew what he thought from insight, and felt distress.