Blahhh! Note to all of you, Mulberry tea is no where as good as mulberry jam, no matter how much sugar to put it in. But it sure wakes you up! ^_^' *grimace after taking another sip* Bleech, I created the grossy, and I can't waste it. *cries* Maybe I shouldn't of used two tea bags.

Thanks everyone for reviewing, now to answer a question that was asked: What are they doing at mount Fuji?

Well, I'm sorry if I wasn't clear enough about that. They are there to prevent the destruction that will befall Japan when Aldrenta releases itself, making Japan nothing more than a big crater on Earth. They can prevent this by getting there and releasing it themselves. O_o, now I think I may be confused.

Well, this is possibly the last chapter, and I have no idea how its going to turn out. I'm discovering the ending as my fingers type it. I could not write anything at all on paper for some reason. Please forgive me if it doesn't live up to your expectations, or sounds too corny at times.

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"Get out." Was all the man said, and shut the curtain. At that moment the felt to palanquin begin to lower, and was set on the ground.

Sakura looked at Shaoran in uncertainty as he begun to open the curtain, and jump out. All men in Mahoutsukai's little army where there, watching him. Mahoutsukai was at the head of it, at the base of some weathered looking stairs. Shaoran looked up. Although it was a gradual steep, the mountain loomed above them. They where here.

The turned about and gave Sakura a hand to help her out. She stepped out and was in equal awe at looking up at the mountain.

What would happen now?

"As you can see," Mahoutsukai begun, not looking at al annoyed that they weren't wearing the ropes. Apparently no one cared. "we are at the base of mount Fuji."

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Cherry Blossoms and Magic

Chapter 14

Culmination

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Now, shall we begin walking?" Mahoutsukai begun to turn around and walk up the old weathered staircase as he spoke. " Its a full nine hour walk to the top, and I actually have no idea what we are looking for."

All the other men who Sakura suspected to be mercenaries at this point, begun climbing the stairs following Mahoutsukai. So when she and Shaoran stood where they where, a especially rough looking one walked up towards them, urging them to follow. Sakura was actually frightened somewhat by this man, and snatched Shaoran's arm as they begun walking up the stairs. She tried to keep her eyes on him the whole time.

"Do these stairs go all the way to the top of the mountain?"

Sakura stopped watching the sinister man as she answer Shaoran's question. "It's supposed to. During late spring and summer it's common for people to climb. Like he said, it takes about half a day to walk to the top. Then, you can make a wish, and Fuji-San supposedly grants it." He could tell by her tone that she was far from her usual cheerful self. In the time he had known her she had always remained it no matter what.

"So we'll get to make a wish, huh?" he said this with about as much enthusiasm as Sakura had. Their situation was bad, and the outlook didn't look bright.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had been climbing the stairs for about four hours now, and their comfort was going along with the time. As they went higher in altitude, the air became colder, chilling Sakura's already tired body. She trudged now with heavy feet next to him, stumbling every once and a while on a step before regaining her footing. Her arms clung tightly around herself while she tried to keep herself warm. Cold temperatures didn't seem to do too well with her spring kimono.

Earlier Mahoutsukai had offered a cloak for her, but refused. Shaoran didn't blame her for doing so, but when she declined the offer when it was offered again, he begun to wonder how cold it would get before they reached their destination. She now looked like she was about to collapse, and they already had a break no more than ten minutes ago.

Sakura stumbled again, and this time fell to the stairs. No more than two guards ahead to then turned around to look before continuing on. They where the responsibility to the ones behind them. Shaoran leaned over and offered her his hand. Her hard expression softened, and for a few seconds he thought she was going to cry.

"Thank you." She said quietly as she took his hand. They weren't going to let anyone be able to listen to them if they could help it. Shaoran pulled her up, hand on a shoulder to keep her steady. He then slowly took his hand from her before they continued walking on.

"Next time her offers it, you should take the cloak."

"I'm not going to." She said sternly.

Shaoran looked at her in the corner of his eye. She was back to walking with her arms wrapped around herself, and again had the angry look on her face. "You'll get sick."

"I rather be sick than take it."

"Just take it next time." Kero whispered harshly from his hiding place. For the whole time he had remained in her obi, and as far as they could tell it no one around them had any idea he was there.

Sakura said nothing and walked on.

As they walked on, the weak magical feeling off somewhere on the mountain became stronger. They where approaching where ever they where heading.

"What do you think we'll have to do when we get there?" Sakura asked suddenly, eyes watching her steps.

"I don't know." He answered finally. He had been thing about that very question for the past hour, and still had no idea. "Eriol said we'd know when we would get there, but I have no idea if it's true."

As he said this, they watched as Mahoutsukai begun to lead them off the trail and to the right. They had no choice but to follow.

"We can't let him get any stronger." At that moment, were watching s Mahoutsukai disappeared over a hill.

Shaoran agreed with Sakura. "I know."

When they came over the hill the saw that Mahoutsukai had finally stopped, and about five of his men where around him as they looked at something. When they approached closer, they both stopped when they saw just what the others where looking at. In between two boulders was a dark hole big enough for a large man to fit through.

"Go in." Mahoutsukai commanded as he pushed a man next to him towards the hole. "Tell us what's down there."

The man hesitated only a minute before sliding down into the hole. After he disappeared from view it was a few seconds before they heard him. "There's a tunnel down here!" They heard him call up from the hole.

"Good." Mahoutsukai then motioned for another man to go in before turning towards them. "Please, go in." He grinned.

The soldier behind him roughly pushed Shaoran forward to get them walking towards the hole. He stared down into the hole and could see nothing.

"Well, go in!" Mahoutsukai was beginning to sound impatient.

With a swoosh of his robes Shaoran jumped into it, and landed low on his feet. As he stood he begun to look around as he moved out of the way of the hole. The hole was about ten feet above, and gave off just enough light to see stone walls and a stone floor. It was strangely warm, and the magic aura inside was intense.

"Don't you dare even try to touch me." Shaoran looked up to the opening when he heard Sakura's voice. A second later he saw her feet come through as she begun to slide into the hole. Shaoran caught her at the torso and lowered her down.

That second a flame suddenly flickered on near bye and lit up a torch. This started a chain reaction of torches becoming lit up as far as they could see down the tunnel.

Sakura moved from him and took a few steps towards the tunnel, inspecting it. More men came down from the opening, along with Mahoutsukai.

"Interesting, a spell hundreds of years old triggered by your presence. No there's no doubt whatsoever that you are the ones. Not that I ever doubted it." Mahoutsukai then begun walking down the hall. What could they do but follow?

They walked for while, and it seemed like the hallway never ended. Mahoutsukai suddenly stopped, and Shaoran could see why. In the side of a wall was a doorway. Mahoutsukai disappeared in it. When Shaoran walked in he was surprised to see a cavern, or in better words, a gigantic room. It was about half a mile wide, and circular, with a domed ceiling that went so high he couldn't really see in the top. As he walked further into he room he spotted a giant chasm in the center.

Beside him he felt Sakura stop suddenly

"What's wrong?" He whispered. He went further to try to sense it, but all he got was a jumble of mixed emotions from her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mahoutsukai was currently gazing up from the bottom of a beam of light that came from the ceiling. It most likely was the sun streaking down from a hole somewhere on the mountain, but that wasn't what caught Sakura's attention. It was the pit. She stood, wide eyed staring at it. It was exactly the same. It felt the same. The same as her dream.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" She heard Shaoran ask again. She didn't even notice he had used her name.

"This. This is it."

It was obvious by the look of confusion he wore that Shaoran didn't know what she meant.

"Come now. Don't cower near the exit." Mahoutsukai coated each word with sickly sweetness. "Destiny calls." He gazed up to the top of the room again. "This is quite breath taking, isn't it?"

The man behind him pushed Shaoran forward some more again, and Sakura instantly took hold of Shaoran's arm. She clutched onto it, hugging it too her, afraid to let go. Shaoran was a bit taken back by this reaction from her. He took a few steps to satisfy the guard, and looked down on her.

Mahoutsukai was currently exploring the room, giving them no more attention, for now.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Worry was beginning to slip through his voice.

"Don't go near the edge." She wouldn't look at him, and it was beginning to freak him out, her grip on his arm just tightened. "Tell me you won't go near it."

He looked away from her trying to see what she meant. When his eyes feel on the hole, it clicked. "Is that what you saw in your dream?"

His only answer was a squeeze on the arm. She wouldn't let him take a step towards it if she could help it.

"Mahoutsukai-sama!" A man called from a side of the room. He waved a torch high, attracting Mahoutsukai 's attention away from his surroundings. "There's writings over here on the wall!"

He smiled as he begun to walk in the man's direction. Another man motioned for Sakura and Shaoran to follow him.

As the approached the wall Sakura saw Chinese kanji, as well as English letters painted on the sun symbol of Clow. Mahoutsukai's eyes scanned over it for a minute, and Sakura became uneasy seeing a flicker in them.

"Prince." He turned to Shaoran with a smile. "You'll have to forgive me. My interpretation skills of Chinese is rusty. Could you please read it for us?" Sakura knew he was smiling. Whatever was written on the wall, Mahoutsukai wanted them to know it. "And in Japanese, please. I'd like the Cherry blossom to hear it too."

Shaoran gave Mahoutsukai a cold look in the corner of his eye before he begun reading it.

"When the Cards are separated by Clow between two,

Then two official Card Masters there are.

However, the sudden imbalance of their new power will trigger the eruption of Aldrenta,

Deep within the land where reside the children of the sun,

leaving them 14 nights to decide.

The card masters will have up until that time to decide,

and together when joined, stronger than ever in soul and power,

they will determine the Aldrenta."

"Go on, we know this part already." Mahoutsukai was smiling again.

Shaoran did.

"Only they can control it, and command it's course,

and only with a feeling that is mutual and pure." Shaoran paused as if finished. "Is that what you wanted read?"

"Yes. I'm quite satisfied." He turned around, and took a few steps towards the center of the room before facing them once again. "Well, go on with it."

"With what, there's no more to be read."

"Not the reading, you dumb boy! I mean release Aldrenta already!" They watched him and saw he was becoming more and more impatient by the second. "Come now, are you two unable to comprehend what it means, or are you just unwilling to give me Aldrenta?" He said those last words dangerously, and suddenly trusted his arm forward. Bolts of lightning hit them and threw them and sending them smashing into the wall. The shock of electricity was still tingling though him as Shaoran attempted to prop himself up with his arms. Beside him Sakura was currently trying to sit up, her face grimaced in pain.

"See. Don't make me lose my temper." Shaoran could see him begin to walk away. "Bring them towards the hole. I can feel a power coming from there."

Seconds later hands begun pulling him up. Shaoran was strong enough to get up on his own, and pulled away from their hold. He looked back to see Sakura was also walking on her own again. It appeared that either Mahoutsukai's magic was weakening, or they were becoming stronger. That or he held back on them, and that he hoped wasn't so.

They were stopped before him, and he glared at them, looking even more menacing in his black robes. "Kiss."

Both Sakura and Shaoran where surprised at this demand, but there was no amusement in Mahoutsukai's eyes.

"Its obvious from the previous incident that your kissing triggered the release of magic." He continued. "Now kiss." Still they did nothing, and he only looked more tempered. "Do it, or face the consequences." The stood for a second, and watched his threatening figure.

Beside him Shaoran heard Sakura whisper without looking at him. "Lets just do it. I don't want him to hurt you."

Shaoran slowly lifter her chin with his index finger till she looked at him with big sad eyes. "Its ok." He said softly. "We'll get through this." He gave her a small smile as if to assure her. He then blocked out the scene around them of those watching them, and slowly leaned forward and kissed her gently for a few seconds. Then he slowly pulled away, dragging them back into reality.

Mahoutsukai watched gazed at them with ever building temper. "Why has nothing happened?" They didn't answer. "The last time you kissed there was more energy then I've ever seen, and now this time- nothing. Why?"

"We have no idea what happened last time, so don't expect an answer from us." Sakura suddenly shot out at him as Shaoran hugged her.

"Well then, Sakura, What do you propose we do? My patience is running short."

She didn't answer. All she did was tighten her hold on Shaoran, sensing the anger that still filled the air.

Mahoutsukai motioned to one of his men who stepped forward immediately. From that man Mahoutsukai took what Sakura recognized as her key, and threw it at her. It fell at her feet, and she looked down at it in surprise. Next Mahoutsukai tossed 2 cards that landed next to her key.

"The Fly is for your journey, The Light for what else? Light."

Sakura looked at Mahoutsukai in confusion.

"Sakura, listen carefully." Mahoutsukai said slowly. "I want you to go and see what is at the bottom of that... fissure." He pointed to the pit just behind him. "Come back and tell me what you see. Bring back anything you think important. If you don't come back in a reasonable amount of time, I'll kill your Chinese prince."

Sakura stood in shock for a second, Mahoutsukai where taking affect of her. She took a step back from Shaoran who unwillingly let go of her, and knelt down to pick up the objects. Her hand lingered over the light card before picking it up. It was one of Shaoran's cards, so it wouldn't work for her, making it useless. However, she had a means of light Mahoutsukai didn't know about, or at least didn't bother at taking from her.

"Now go." he commanded.

Sakura transformed her wand, and held The Fly before her. "Fly!" She called out. In her hand her wand stretched out and its little wings grew. She took proper hold of it and sat on it sideways as usual.

"Go on." Mahoutsukai coaxed.

Sakura looked to Shaoran who managed to give her another small smile. It only made her feel worse before she dived into the black abyss.

When she was out of sight of the surface, she began to cry, and with one hand the she tried miserably to brush the tears away. Why did these things have to happen to her. Now she was completely alone. She reached back into her obi and searched for her ofuku scrolls, but her hand met a familiar, different object.

"Kero! I forgot about you!" She felt him fly out and take seat on her shoulder.

"Oh, that's nice to know. But of course you usually do forget about me."

As he spoke, Sakura reached back into her obi again and pulled out one of the pieces of paper and held it before her. "God of fire, give me you aid." A second later a small flame appeared on the paper, and filled her small area with light as she continued downward. Below her all her could she was darkness. Around her the stone walls. Above the little light of the surface becoming smaller and smaller. "Kero, what am I going to do?"

"Do you have anymore cards?"

"Only Fly, and then Light, but Light is one of Shaoran's cards."

The guardian beast was quiet for a moment. "Well then, the best thing for us to do is see what is at the bottom. Maybe we'll come up with something."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shaoran leaned against the wall while he watched Mahoutsukai study the writings on the wall. "Why didn't you send me instead?"

Mahoutsukai turned to face him with a smile. "Your interested in why?"

Shaoran only responded with a cold look. He wasn't in the mood for a game of questions.

Mahoutsukai must of took that as a yes, because he went on to answer. "You, my dear prince, are too unpredictable. You've been trained since you could walk, I would think, in magic and as well as combat situations. Why should I risk setting you loose?"

"You think of her as foreseeable?"

"Of course." Mahoutsukai answered. "She's only a woman." He said it as if it explained it all.

Shaoran couldn't believe he was basing it all on her gender. After receiving answer, Shaoran went on the focusing all his will on Sakura's aura. It was growing weaker as it traveled deeper into the earth, but other then that, she seemed fine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sakura was beginning to think that there was no end to the hole. It had been about twenty minutes now, and there was still no sigh to a bottom. Maybe it really was a bottomless pit, and she'd be cursed to keep traveling down it until she died or something. Then she would be falling down it for eternity. Lovely what thoughts came to people who had time to think.

The light on the scroll suddenly flickered for a second, but she wasn't sure. Perhaps she was seeing things.

"Kero, did you just feel a breeze?" she asked.

"No, why?"

The flame of light suddenly flickered again, and then the flame went out, consuming them in darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sakura opened her eyes wide and sat up straight. She was covered in a quilt and laying in a futon.

"Here, drink this. You'll feel better if you do." Sakura almost jumped at the voice. There next to her was a girl offering her a cup of tea, and at the same time the smell of green tea washed over her. "Go on, drink it. You look desperately tired for it."

Sakura just stared at the girl.

"Hikari, don't you dare give Sakura anything to eat or drink. She isn't dead yet." Sakura and the girl both turned to the source of the voice. There stood a beautiful woman in a flowered kimono. She wore her long curly black hair down, and looked at Sakura with smiling green eyes.

"She isn't dead?" The girl asked.

"No, of course my daughter isn't."

'It can't be.' Sakura thought as she watched the woman approach her.

The woman suddenly dropped down in front of Sakura, and wrapped her arms around Sakura. "Oh my little cherry blossom, it's been too long since I last held you. And look at what a woman you've become."

Sakura looked at the woman, and yet was not frightened. However, she knew she should be since what she was looking at, and what was holding her, could be nothing but a ghost. "Mamma?" Sakura asked uncertain.

"Nadeshiko, I think your scaring her." A tall, honeyed haired man suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"How can I scare my only daughter?!" The woman protested.

"Papa?" Sakura whispered under her breath. Where was she?

"Yes, its me Sakura-chan. But your time here is short, so we must be fast."

Sakura looked up at the man, not really sure what he meant.

"When you see Izanami-sama, you must not make any sign that she disgust you. Pretend not to notice her decay. She will try at first to convince you that you are dead, but don't believe it for a second. She's only trying to bring more people under her rule. After she's convinced that your not going to believe your dead, she'll give up."

"Izanami?" Sakura asked.

"She is the one who can help you defeat Mahoutsukai."

Sakura's senses were coming back to her. "Izanami can? She's in mount Fuji?"

"Yes, impress her by passing her.. test, and she'll reward you by helping you. I'm sorry that we meet again under these circumstances, but it's still wonderful to see you."

"Papa..."

"Shush." Fujitaka leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

"And forgive Touya for never revealing himself to you." He mother suddenly said. "He didn't want you to grieve over him more than once."

"Touya?" Sakura repeated.

"Ask Eriol about him later." Fujitaka answered.

"Your being called back honey." Nadeshiko wrapped her arms around Sakura and gave her a tight hug. "I loved seeing you again."

Sakura hugged back, suddenly realizing that she wouldn't see her again if what she was saying was true. Tears began coming from her eyes.

"Don't cry honey. There no reason to cry over us anymore. We're so happy with the way you've grown, and to tell you more..." Nadeshiko leaned forward until her mouth was next to Sakura's ear. "I think Shaoran is very handsome. I'll have such cute grandchildren."

Sakura blushed deep, and when she blinked again, she was looking at Kero whose face was so close that his nose was touching hers.

"Good! Your awake!"

"Kero..." Sakura looked around to see she was in a brightly lit hallway like the one to the cavern above, but this one wasn't lit by torches. Above her, way at the top, was a little dot of light. So she had made it to the bottom, but was that meeting with her parents nothing but a dream? And how did she get to the bottom? The last thing she remembered was that the flame went out. "What happened?"

"Well..." Kero began. Sakura stood up and started to brush the dirt off of her. When the flame went out, you suddenly fainted or something, and a second later we touched the ground. Except it was pitch dark, that's when..."

Before Sakura's very eyes a tall, brightly lit woman with long golden hair and a crown along with a long dress, appeared before her. Sakura couldn't help but feel she'd seen her before, but she knew she had never met her. Sakura gaped in awe of how her whole body seemed to shimmer.

"Mistress." The woman called Sakura. "When I felt you needed me, I let myself out. I hope you are not angry with me." The woman knelt down on one knee and bowed her head down in apology.

"Sakura, meet the Light card." Kero announced.

"LIGHT?!"

"Yes, mistress." The card looked up at Sakura again. "I am the Light card."

"But... but your Shaoran's card."

The card smiled at this. "I am the card of my mistress and master. I serve them both."

Sakura couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. "You will work for me now, too?"

The card nodded, and smiled once again. When she did so, Sakura couldn't help but notice that the hall seemed to get even more bright.

"We should get going Sakura. No telling how much further we have to go, and we've already been down here for some time. Who knows what Mahoutsukai meant by 'reasonable time.'"

"You right. Thank you Light." Sakura added. Light gave a little smile again, and the dissipated into the air. "Do you know what's down here, Kero?"

Kero flew next to her as she picked up her wand and placed the fly card into her obi.

"No," he said. "but walking to see for ourselves is a way to find out." He smiled. "Oh and Sakura?"

"Yes?" They already began heading down the hall, and Sakura wrinkled her nose smelling something rotten in the air.

"You wouldn't happen to have any food on you, would you?"

"Sorry Kero, I don't."

"Oh well." The hall began to curve some. "Hey Sakura, do you know what it possibly means now that your possibly capable of you using the Gaki's cards?" There were a lot of "possibly"'s in that question. He didn't wait for her to answer. "It means that I-"

The both stopped dead in the tracks. Just around the bend the hall opened up into an room, and there on the only object in it, a chair, sat a woman.

"So you are the ones who brings this light into my domain."

Sakura looked on in horror as she saw pieces of skin falling off her face, revealing bone underneath. As she spoke, a bug crawled out of her mouth. The words of her parents came back to her, and she immediately made her face go blank. This woman was a walking corpse, but was also a goddess.

"Come tell Izanami, mistress of the dead realm, why you leave it to see me."

"We need your help." Sakura said as she bowed low and deep before her, uncertain with herself, but hoping that her parents advice was right. Kero seemed in shock about what was going on, and even more surprised by Sakura's actions.

"Why would you need my help, help that made you leave the bliss of eternal happiness? Come now, and you may go back." Beside her a odd portal suddenly appeared, and through it Sakura saw a bright sunny field.

"We... we aren't dead." Sakura told her, not daring to look into her eyes.

"You aren't? How can you know if you aren't dead?"

"Because... because I do."

"Really?" The woman smiled causing the gray flesh to make a crinkly sound, and it made Sakura sick in the stomach. "How can you be so sure that you aren't dead. How do you know your alive? How can anyone be sure they are alive? Please, enlighten me with your proof you are alive. No one who is alive comes to see the mistress of the underworld. So why are you here is you aren't dead? Do you remember exactly how you got down here to me?"

Sakura's mind began to become confused. It was true that she didn't know exactly what happened after the flame went out.

"Well, what evidence do you have that you are alive?"

"Me!" Kero yelled out. "I can still sense her magical aura, and I wouldn't be able to feel it if she wasn't alive!"

"Really?" Izanami asked. How do you know you don't just think you feel it?"

Kero didn't answer this.

"Well Sakura, how do you know your alive?"

Sakura was quiet for something. How did she know she was alive? Was she really? "I know because my mother told me a wasn't dead." She said this with little confidence.

"But child, you mother is dead. How could you have seen her if you are alive? Did she seem alive to you?"

More questions, and worst, Sakura was beginning to doubt herself. She feel to her knees as she tried to find herself.

"Come now, you don't need my help if you think your alive. Your really dead. Happiness awaits you in the afterlife. You family awaits you."

Mahoutsukai would kill Shaoran if she took too long. She couldn't keep this up, but what if she was really dead?

"Please. Dead or alive, I need to help Shaoran." Sakura begged.

"Shaoran? But Li Shaoran is dead. He has been for some time now." The goddess looked down at her with pity. "See." On the other side of Izanami, opposite to the portal into a field, Shaoran suddenly appeared.

"Sakura." He smiled at her, and she looked on in shock. She couldn't of been too late. She just couldn't of. "Come Sakura," he reached out a hand to her. "I'd like to meet your family... They're waiting for us."

"Shaoran?" She asked.

"Sakura! Don't believe for one second its him!" Kero yelled. "We are not too late. No matter what Mahoutsukai said, he wouldn't kill the Shaoran. It'd defeat the whole purpose of why he's here. Just one of the two card masters can't release Aldrenta."

That's right. Mahoutsukai came all this way. Why would he suddenly give up? "Shaoran isn't dead, and neither am I."

The fake Shaoran suddenly flickered, and along with the portal, disappeared. "Pity, you'd be a lovely addition. But I guess I can wait." Izanami sat back in her chair, a look of disappointment on her face. "So, how can I help you, Kinomotto Sakura?

Sakura sat on the floor, looking up at the woman in shock. That was it? She passed? And she's was still alive!

"Well now, I may be dead, and have noting to do at the moment, but that doesn't mean I have a lot of patience. Patience isn't a virtue with me."

"My parents said you could help me. I don't know how though."

At this Izanami snorted. "Look, you almost made me laugh. Girl, you are talking to a goddess, of course I can help you against a mortal man."

"Will you?" Sakura questioned, hopes up high.

"Well, you did make me almost laugh, and you did pass the test. I find you to deserve me help."

Sakura bowed low, forehead on the ground. "Thank you so much, Izanami-sama. This means a lot to me."

"I can tell. It's enough to say no to eternal happiness, and to be with your family again, isn't it?" Sakura nodded, and Izanami stood up. To her right a portal to a room full of odd looking boxes appeared. Sakura watched as the goddess walked in, looked around, and picked up a small black box, and walked back and gave it to Sakura. It fit into the palm of Sakura's hand, and was decorated with carved birds. "I think that should do. What ever you do, make sure that when it is open, you have no hatred in your heart. And human near it when it is opened shall... pay."

Sakura looked up at the goddess. She was smiling again, and Sakura could barely notice the rotting skin, and could actually say she was pretty when she smiled.

"Go now. I believe someone important to you waits."

"Thank you so much!" Sakura actually found herself hugging the woman, and quickly removed herself, and stood up and bowed in apology.

"Go, and may for your sake it be after a long and a happy life till I see you again." She smiled at Sakura once again as Sakura walked away towards the tunnel.

"Thank you again so much!" Sakura called back.

"Go now! And take your light with you." Izanami called as Sakura turned the corner into the hallway.

Sakura ran all the way to the end, and looked up to see the little dot of light that was her destination.

"You know," Kero said as Sakura called back the Light card, and was then talking in darkness. "For the goddess who died giving birth to fire, and tried killing her husband when he saw her in the dead world, she ain't too bad."

"Well, she is the mother of Japan." Sakura said as she got on the wand, now transformed by fly. Kero held on tight and she began to shoot upward,. She held on to the wand with one hand while the other held the gift of Izanami to her chest.

"Hey Sakura?" Kero spoke into her ear.

"Yes?"

"Well, do you remember what I was talking about before we ran into the goddess of the underworld?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shaoran stood up strait, and looked to the mouth of the hole expectantly. Beside him Mahoutsukai did the same.

"I could feel her aura too. The cherry blossom is returning to us." Mahoutsukai said just as she came shooting out of the hole. She stopped about 20 feet above them.

"Ah, Sakura-san. I see you have your little guardian. Have you brought me anything? And what is down there?"

Sakura looked down at Mahoutsukai with no expression. "Give Shaoran the cards and his sword, and I'll give you what Izanami gave me." She held out the small box to show him that she held something.

Mahoutsukai looked impressed. "Izanami, you say? So she's down there. My my, I'm surprised you made it back up. What did she give you?"

"Do as I say, and you can have what she gave me."

"Tell me what it is and then give it to me, and I won't kill the boy." Mahoutsukai countered back to her as held out an arm to his left as a warning. He might attack her.

Sakura slanted her eyes, her expression gave off that she was nothing but serious. "No."

"Why you little bitch!" He yelled as he swung his arm forward, shooting bolts of lightning at her. She easily dodged it in the air, and before he could try again, Kero jumped forward from his perch on Sakura's shoulder, and for a few seconds there was a visual blur of feathers and bright light. After that disappeared, there was a giant thump as a lion with wings slammed into Mahoutsukai's newly formed shield.

Sakura honestly didn't think Kero would change, or at least not into something like that! As she watched in awe as her winged guardian attempted to break through the shield, Shaoran went unnoticed as everyone was distracted by Kero. Shaoran immediately found the man he was looking for, and with a single whack in the back of his head, Shaoran sent him down to the ground unconscious without a single person noticing. He then searched the man until he found the cards, and his talisman, which at his very touch transformed into a sword.

"Shaoran!" Sakura called as she landed next to him, practically jumping into his arms. One thing was certain to him, and that was she was happy to see him. He hugged her back, and didn't deny it to himself that he was just as happy. And hey, with the new discovery about the child's toy, correction, right now Cerberus, (A/N: Its spelt this way too! :p) things where looking up.

At that moment Kero sent a giant fireball strait at some of the mercenaries who where trying to overpower him. They went running like chickens to the exit, leaving Mahoutsukai to fend for himself.

"Since when could that toy do that?" Shaoran asked Sakura as they both watched the scene.

Sakura hugged him again. "Since the cards became one again."

Shaoran looked at her, no sure of what she meant by that.

"We can both use all the card now!"

He held out the card deck before him, and looked down at it, then to her. "Are you sure?"

"Umhmm." She nodded, and took the cards from him.

"I call on you, tenju!" Mahoutsukai suddenly yelled from his shield. Beside him the birdman appeared, and for a second it was a menacing sight. But then it became noticeable to all by the way it held itself that it was still recovering from its injury from its last fight, yet Sakura was still worried.

The bird demon hesitated for a while as it nursed one of it's wounds, and then shot off the floor strait for Kero. It tackled Kero with its talons out stretched, and Kero met it with a fire ball strait at it's chest. The bird fell to the ground, consumed in flames. Once those flames where gone, it turned to Mahoutsukai, and squawked. Mahoutsukai yelled at it to continue, and the tenju turned around, and flew out the doorway, out to the mountain.

"Can it really do that?" Sakura asked.

Shaoran answered with "I guess so." (A/N: I couldn't kill it. I just couldn't)

Sakura's attention was brought to Mahoutsukai, who she could see was currently in the middle of chanting something.

"Kero!" She yelled, but too late. Mahoutsukai sent some kind of black sphere at Kero, which shot into him hard, causing him to blast back high into the wall as the sphere flattened out and cover Kero.

"KERO!" Sakura began running towards Kero, trying to think of what card to use.

"Sakura, watch out!" Shaoran yelled as he ran after her. Mahoutsukai was about to perform another spell...

Sakura heard him, but continued running. Kero needed her. Already she could see Kero's form begin to shrink. She didn't notice that she was running past Mahoutsukai.

A bolt blue thunder hit her, sending her sprawling to the ground, feet away from the mouth of the pit. A second later Shaoran made it to her, and examined her while he kept watch on Mahoutsukai in the corner of his eye.

"Sakura?" He asked as he held her up. She grimaced, and slowly opened her eyes. She smiled when she saw him. Thank the gods she wasn't hurt badly.

"You fools. How could you think you'd defeat me? Even with the cards, your noting." Both of them looked to Mahoutsukai as he talked. "You shall die here." He yelled as he shot a giant wave of energy towards them.

"God of lightning, come to my aid!" Shaoran yelled as he quickly used one of this charms. He knew it wouldn't be much, but still there was a chance.

He cursed as he saw it did nothing. The wave as continued towards them mercilessly.

"Shaoran." Sakura clenched on to him. She looked at him softly, as if she had not knowledge of the impending danger.

At the last second before it hit them, Shaoran dropped his sword he threw himself over her, protecting her from the blast as much as he could.

The force of it pushed them over the edge, and Sakura held onto him tightly as they fell into the pit.

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Mahoutsukai limped forward to the edge of the hole. They where gone. He looked around, and an assortment of objects lay around the edge where the where. The cards for one, as well as Sakura's wand, and Shaoran's sword.

"What a pity." Mahoutsukai said to himself. No chance at all of surviving I'd say. May Izanami enjoy her newest additions."

Mahoutsukai started into the pit for a few more moments before his eyes where drawn to a small box not far from the Clow wand.

"Looks like I get out on top, in the end." He laughed.

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Sakura held on to Shaoran tightly as he embraced her to him. The wind continued to whip against them as the plummeted through the darkness.

So this was how it was going to end? She should of kept hold to the cards and her wand, then it would be different. If only she didn't run after Kero. Now it was her fault that they where both going to die.

She began to cry into his robes. "I'm sorry Shaoran... its all my fault."

"Don't be silly. I chose to go after you myself."

"But if I would of stayed, you wouldn't of followed me."

"If you insist on being blamed for something, then blame yourself for being the person you are. If you weren't you weren't who you are, then I don't think I would of fallen in love with you."

It took Sakura a moment to realize what he just said. When she did, she looked to his face. Sensing her looking at him he opened his eyes, and smiled.

"You really love me?" She asked.

"If it isn't love, then I have no idea what else could make me act like I do lately." The look she gave him made him assumed she didn't know quite what to make of what he said. He pulled her to him more tightly. "Yes, Sakura, I do love you." She still watched him, and he was pleased to see she was no longer crying. "Do you realize that before I met you, it was never even heard of me smiling? People thought I was incapable of it."

She was smiling as she snuggled under his chin. "I love you too, Shaoran Li." With the new knowledge of Shaoran's feelings for her in mind, she tried not to think of what lay ahead of them in the next few minutes.

"I'm glad I met you." Shaoran told her. "I would of most likely died a grouchy, old, loveless man without knowing someone like you."

Sakura could feel a warmness fill her with his words. She saw a bright light approach them , and closed her eyes, smiling.

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(A/N- So how'd you like it? Man, I think I'm crying here. I made a sad story. ::sniff:: I same way tooo sensitive. Heck, I cried during Moulin Rouge the first time I saw the ending. My friends were teasing me cause I was brawling my eyes out. But... It was soooo sad. Are you pissed that I ended there? Should I of upped the review to angst instead? Heck, i didn't know I'd end it so sadly. Its not right! Oh well, as long as any of you don't come after me to kill me for it, I think I'll live. Well, I'm going to go now and cry in my room at something I wrote that I think is sad. Don't forget to review. Oh yeah, go down some more.

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Mahoutsukai inspected the small box that laid in the palm of his hand. It was a pretty little thing done with great craftsmanship, and careful painting. It amazed him how detailed the feathers on the birds themselves where.

Mahoutsukai couldn't hesitate a moment longer. He reached to open the box.

(A/N: Did I have you thinking I was done? ::smiles evilly:: No way! I would never do that! ^_^)

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Sakura opened her eyes to blackness. Where was she? Beneath her, her pillow moved slightly. It couldn't be. She reached into her obi and pulled out one of the ofuku scrolls.

"God of Fire, come to my aid." She whispered, although she knew not why. The flame appeared on the paper, and looked at Shaoran, who was beginning to stir from his sleep at the light of the flame.

Sakura wasn't sure if they where dead or alive, but id Izanami asked her again, she was picking the latter. She set the burning scroll down next to her just as Shaoran began to open his eyes.

"Shaoran!" She cried as she practically jumped forward, startling him as she wrapped her arms around him.

"We're... ok?" He asked in uncertainty. "We're... alive?"

"I don't know, but I can tell you that we're at the bottom of the pit. And if we head down his tunnel, you met the creator of Japan, who is also the ruler of the dead world, Izanami."

"So that means we're dead?"

"I... I don't know." Sakura answered, beginning to worry again.

"Well, either way, it can't be so bad if your still with me." He said as he pulled her to him again. She smiled blissfully as she listened to the soothing beat of his heart.

"You have a heart beat, if that's any help." She announced.

"SAKURA!" A voice came from above. She looked up, but couldn't see anything in the darkness, but if she listened hard enough, they could hear and odd flapping.

"A yell was caught in her throat when out of the darkness above her, a lion's head suddenly appeared. It grinned at her as its whole body landed next to them. "Your alive! YOUR ALIVE!" He began to lick her face with his rough tongue.

"Kero-chan!" The practically yelled. "Your tongue hurts my face!"

Kero stopped immediately. "Sorry Sakura-chan. I sort of got carried away. For the longest time I thought you were dead, and then when I did finally try coming down here, I felt your auras. You have no idea how happy I was."

"I'm glad to see you ok, Kero. Demmo, how did you get out of that spell Mahoutsukai cast on you?"

"Well, it just ended after he... died."

"He's dead!?" Sakura and Shaoran asked in unison.

"I... believe so. One second his aura was there, the next it wasn't. When I was able to finally see again, I saw a bright light coming from that little box Izanami gave you, but that was it. I don't know how else the spell broke if he isn't dead. But that's not all I saw. There was a giant column of light coming from here, the hole. I thought it was Aldrenta. Was it?"

Sakura looked at the lion in surprise. "I don't know, Kero. I don't remember anything much after seeing a bright light. I guess we could of released it..."

"You must of, because I can't feel the build up of it anymore." Kero smiled.

"Then what happened with it?"

"Well..." Kero looked up like he was thinking. "I would say that it would eventually spread out, like air or something. Now Aldrenta is all over the world."

"Is that a good thing?" Shaoran asked?'

"Don't know, Gaki, but I do know I don't like how your holding my mistress." He growled.

"Well I like it just fine." Sakura added her wrapping her arms around Shaoran to annoy Kero more. "Get use to it, Kero-chan."

Kero just made a sour face, before going on to another subject. "Can we leave now? I'm sort of hungry."

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(A/N: Ok, trust me when I say this is the real ending. ^_^ Did I just leave it there? Oh well, I meant to do that. Heheh. But.... IF you want, it can go one. Just vote Yes for a sequel in you review! Yep, that's right! A sequel! It'll take place in China, and it'll have sappy S+S, some kind of problem (or problems ::hehehe::), and even some possible E+S. ^_^ But when I say problems, I mean PROBLEMS! So if you want to find out, ask me for a sequel!

I'm so proud of myself for thinking of Izanami! There's your little Japanese mythology lesson of the day!

I'm also happy I got to make Kero somewhat of a hero. (Ohhh, poet and don't know it! ^_^)

Man, I had fun writing this. At that last scene where they where falling down the pit, I had "moon revenge" from Sailor Moon playing of repeat. And it fit good! Ayiee, I'm so messed up! But I finished the story!!!!!!!!!!!!!

::Marches around and throws a little party::

I finished my first story!!

Sorry if there were typos, I'm to lazy to give it a proper editing. Gomen.

::Hugs everyone, even you::

Thank you everyone for reading it! ::someone nudges her in the ribbs, and she sees some of her best friends. Ohh, that's right. I almost forgot about THAT. ::Clears throat:: Ok, thanks to continuas nagging from some of my friends, this story is not "COMPLETELY" over, yet. And I don't mean the possible sequel. ::Another nudge:: ALL RIGHT, I'LL SAY IT! There will be a bonus, separate chapter within the next week that... NO DON'T POKE ME AGAIN! That MATURE readers may be interested in. Some of my friends "insisted" I add a LEMON to this story. ::blushes:: I already have it written on paper... and oh man, it was... embarrassing. However, since I don't want to up the rating on this, it will be a "separate story" but the Title will be "Cherry Blossoms and Magic - Chapter 15" and it will be rated NC-17. So if your repulsed by lemons, don't worry. Anything important from that chapter will appear in the sequel, so you don't have to read it.

I'm going to go know. Its 1:07 in the morning! bye bye! I look forward to all your reviews, even if they are flames. (GOD I HOPE NOT)

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!