Chapter 16            "I Stand Alone."

Author's notes: Sorry for the long delay. But every time I tried to work on this, I got a brain freeze and ended up forgetting. But here it is, the end of the Small Wolf's protector! Enjoy!

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            Hikari stayed not one moment longer out in the backyard, and ran back inside the large house, where Eriol, Sakura, Tomoyo, Meling, Kero-chan and Yue were all waiting. They noticed Hikari's change in mood, but her expressionless face gave them nothing to go on. "Hikari, what happened? Where's Syaoran?" Sakura asked, breaking the silence.

            "Chang Liu crashed the party and took him," Hikari said emotionlessly. Everyone's eyes widened, and Sakura almost dropped Yue, whom of which was in her arms, as he wanted to get up. "I have very little time to stop her. She will only need the next two days to prepare, and I cannot go after her now since she'll expect me and it will be all over before it begins."

            Kero-chan hovered over to her. "What are ya going to do, kid? I'm a little confused as to how you prepare for this kind of battle."

            Syaoran's Guardian unsheathed the dagger, and held it up. "This dagger holds the key to defeating Chang Liu, the only thing that needs to be discovered is how." Slowly, the dagger resonated, glowing a bright blue, and in a flash, Hikari was once more Kiseki. "Chang Liu knows that two days are needed to prepare for the ceremony…and two days is all we have to save Syaoran." She gave a small sigh. "I need more time to see my powers. I don't know if I have the power needed right now to defeat Liu."

            Eriol understood the Guardian's trepidation about going into this major battle with such limited knowledge of her powers. "Time is against us, that is a fact," he said, turning the blue haired guardian's attention to him. "But we will have to make due with the time that is given to us. In the event that your powers as Kiseki cannot defeat Chang Liu, we must work also on your combat skills as Hikari."

            Kiseki nodded and de-transformed, back in Hikari. "This is what I know about the ritual to open the portal," Hikari said quietly. "Once Chang Liu has Syaoran, she will take him to the tallest tower in the city, and tie him to the posts. There, she will cut him shallowly, and let him bleed. Shallow cuts allow the blood to flow longer, allowing the gate to stay open. As the gate remains open, the monsters created to protect the Tear of Destiny will be set loose on the planet. Also, the dimensions will bleed into one another, creating total anarchy.

            "The only way for the portal to close is for the blood to stop pouring…until Syaoran is dead," Hikari said her voice slightly cracking. "There is no other way to end the ritual. I need to stop Liu before she begins to cut Syaoran or else all will be lost. There are two more days before what has been described as the end of the world. 48 hours and counting to the biggest debacle that any of you have ever seen."

            "You're not facing this alone," Sakura said firmly. "Syaoran means a lot to us too, and we're going to help you Hikari! We may not be the ones that take on Chang Liu, but we're going to help you get to her!"

            Hikari gave a faint smile. "Thank you, Sakura." She tightened her grip on the dagger and blinked when it glowed. "What the—?" Suddenly, the dagger's blade extended greatly, becoming a slender Samurai sword. Hikari tested out the weight of the sword in her hand. "Amazing…I had no idea this dagger could do this."

            "Better to find this out late than never," Tomoyo said with a smile. "I guess this is what you call serendipity!"

            Eriol gave a weary smile. "Well, some things aren't against us it seems." He turned to Yue. "But we'll have to divide up the responsibilities. We don't have to worry about Syaoran's safety for now. Chang Liu will have to keep him alive for two more days at least." He folded his arms. "Until then, we're going to have to do some heavy research."

            Sakura blinked. "That's all well and good, Eriol, but where are we going to find books with that kind of stuff in it in less than two days?"

            Meling interjected, "There's Syaoran's library we could always check, and Eriol's got to have some old books with prophecies, right?"

            The dark blue-haired boy nodded. "Yes, both my family and Syaoran's have the extensive libraries required to find the answers. But I think mine are a bit more extensive. Tomoyo, Meling, come with me. Sakura, stay here with Hikari and Yue."

            Sakura nodded and kept a hold of Yue who seemed to be looking better. "Good luck you guys! Tomoyo, call my phone when you find something!"

            Tomoyo nodded. "You got it! Let's go!" she grabbed Eriol's arm and ran out with him and Meling followed soon after. Kero-chan floated over to Sakura and Yue.

            "How are you feeling, old friend?" He asked, the usual playfulness in his voice long gone. "You went through the wringer."

            Yue offered a rare smile. "I'm doing better than before." His icy blue eyes travelled over to Hikari who was looking out at the darkening sky. It was only late afternoon and already the sky had turned to a cloudy black. Understandingly, her mood had become extremely sombre after she broke the news to everyone. It was quickly becoming Judgement Day and there was very little time to prepare.

            Kero-chan laughed. "Always with the dry wit. Well, we could try and see if you could stand, but I don't think we should just yet." He looked at Sakura. "What do you think?"

            Sakura smiled a little and looked down at the Moon Guardian. "Well, I think … and I'm sure Hikari will agree, Yue should stay sitting down for a little while longer."

            As Yue, Sakura and Kero-chan talked lightly about Yue's condition, Hikari stared out of the window, lost in thought. (I will get you back, Syaoran. Even if I don't know much about myself and my powers as Kiseki, there is little doubt in my mind that I will let the world descend into chaos because I don't know what I can do. Magic be damned, I'll beat her the old fashioned way if I have to.) Lightning crashed and thunder boomed as a storm began to rage across the once peaceful Hong Kong skyline.

            Slowly Yue got to his feet, much to Kero-chan and Sakura's dismay. He shakily walked over to Hikari and placed a hand on her shoulder. Hikari slowly reached up and placed her hand over his. No words were spoken, but the feeling was understood. No matter how hard it would become, they would come back home. However, Yue could not shake the sudden heaviness that placed itself on his heart. Something bad was going to happen. (Hikari…)

~2 Days Later~

            Syaoran looked down at the white version of his Card Capturing clothes, a strange design to them. Two days had passed and he hadn't felt anything that could have been Hikari's energy or even Sakura's. Did Chang Liu already—no! He couldn't think like that. There was no way they could have died. His isolated room was barely furnished, a cot and a chair, and a barricaded window. His old clothes sat folded neatly on the chair, and Syaoran tugged at the handcuffs that kept him restrained on the cot.

            He was tired, hungry and cold. The window was open and the cold wind and rain were free to slip in and wrap themselves around him. He hadn't eaten in 48 hours, and was forced to stay awake or else one of Chang Liu's henchmen would have come in and beat him awake. He sported bruises from the last round of 'keep awake' and could barely move. Even if he could move from the bed, he couldn't.

            The door suddenly opened and Chang Liu stood before him dressed in silk robes of a race of sorcerers from long ago. The robes fit her form perfectly, showing off her curves. Her hair was tied back in a style reminiscent to those Sorceresses from children's books. Before she had looked to be untrustworthy, but now she truly commanded the fear and respect proportional to her fearsome power. "Are you ready my key?" She asked, her tone dripping with fake concern. When Syaoran managed a 'peachy' she snorted. "It doesn't matter. You're going to be in the spotlight soon and your stupid Guardian is no where to be seen."

            Syaoran forced himself to look over at her, even though his neck screamed for him to move it back to relieve the strain. "She's coming, just you wait," he said hoarsely, wincing as he spoke. "Hikari will come and she's going to send you back to whatever the hell dimension you came from! You won't get away with this!"

            Liu shook her head. "You still don't get it, do you? Even after all you saw, you still believe your weak Guardian can defeat me? Hah! Even if she does manage to find where you are, she won't reach you in time. I have all the time I need to bleed you dry and get the Tear of Destiny. You will die, and then the world will be at peace. Before I take my rightful place as ruler." She laughed and did a small spin, her robes billowing. "Clow Reed was wrong! All those prophecies from the Li family are going to be disproved!" She smirked. "I will be all-powerful and enslave the human race." After a long pause, she said, "It is time."

~Li Residence~

            Kiseki held her staff with one hand, and placed the dagger in a specially made sheath that Tomoyo crafted wonderfully, and looked out at the sky. Yue stood beside her, Cerberus beside him, with Sakura, Meling, Eriol and Tomoyo standing behind. Kiseki opened her eyes and felt the chill envelope her. "Does everyone know what they're going to do?"

            Sakura nodded. "Yeah…Eriol and I are going to use our Clow powers to create a path for you, and Yue to make it to the tower. Tomoyo and Meling are going to stay with Cerberus. From there, it's your turn."

            "All of you must be prepared for when the gate opens, no doubt we will not reach in time to stop her from opening it," Kiseki continued, her long dark blue hair being blown in different directions from the bitter wind. "Monsters beyond your imagination will be let free, but your powers should protect you. I shall face Chang Liu alone. There is nothing else left to say except…" She turned around to face them. "Whatever happens, happens. Don't let bad hands of luck deter you. Whatever you do, stay under the tower."

            Meling bit her lip. "You better be careful, you hear me?! I don't want you to die! You gotta come back safe with Syaoran!"

            All Kiseki said didn't ease Meling's fears: "We'll see what happens."

~Atop the Bank Tower~

            His wrists were already burning from the tight knot Liu had tied. They were tied to two poles, and Syaoran kept his eyes shut. He knew what sight awaited him if he opened his eyes. A plummeting view of the busy Hong Kong streets is what would greet him. "Keep your eyes shut, then you won't see it, you won't see how high up you are," Syaoran whispered to himself over and over, almost like a mantra. Liu would come out and begin the ceremony at 12:00 A.M. directly when the new day would start.

            But the day would be over before it had even begun. Syaoran knew it was 11:45 P.M. from Liu's henchmen always reporting the time to her. Their voices were so loud he would have had to be deaf not to even faintly hear them. Twenty-five minutes and the world was going to be thrown into chaos. He shivered, wishing now more than ever he could hear Sakura's voice, telling him that everything was going to be all right. Her cheery voice, her bright eyes, her never-diminishing positive attitude—he wish he could have just a bit of that attitude. But he was scared, pessimistic, and alone.

~City Streets~

            Above the busy traffic, Kiseki and Yue flew across the city nearing the bank tower. It was the highest point in Hong Kong and the only place were Chang Liu and Syaoran would be. Cerberus stayed back at the Li Residence with Meling and Tomoyo. As much as the spunky martial-artist wanted to go and save Syaoran, Meling knew this wasn't her battle. It was way beyond Clow Cards and anything she had known. Still, she felt useless.

            Sakura and Eriol, along with Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun, travelled parallel to Yue and Kiseki. Eriol looked at his watch and bit his lip. It was already 11:52. Eight more minutes… just eight more measly minutes and they would be in for the fight of their lives. As they travelled across the city, time ticked down almost thunderously, the sky crackling with magical energy, that the residents of the mega-city could only conclude was whacked-out lightning. Glancing at Sakura, Eriol quietly said, "we're going to get Syaoran back, alive, Sakura. Don't lose faith. We will get him."

            The Card Mistress looked at Eriol and nodded. "I-I know…but I can't help feel scared, Eriol. I mean … Chang Liu could really beat us all with one fell swoop…I know I should be stronger and more courageous for Syaoran, but—"

            Eriol took her hand and gently kissed it. "Your courage can help him get through this difficult time, and his to you. All you need to do is put your fears aside and just confront the evil that threatens us. With no other thought than to save Syaoran."

            Sakura nodded. "You're right! Thanks Eriol." Eriol nodded, smiling a little since his worlds had also calmed himself down.

            It was now 12:00 A.M.

~Top of the Bank Tower~

            Chang Liu raised the black dagger to the sky, and red wispy energy swirled around it, as she chanted the sacred mantra, starting the ceremony. The earth began to shake and rumble as she reached the end of the initial mantra. Her eyes were fixed solely on the blade, its razor sharp edges, and the forgotten language characters inscribed on the blade. This was the moment she had been waiting for, preparing for, lived her entire life for. No one would stop her from achieving absolute power. No one could stop her from achieving her destiny. Especially not Kiseki, the gaki's Guardian.

            Slowly she turned around in the ceremonial room and walked with a strong stride out to the platform where Syaoran was standing. The boy was defeated; she could sense it in his very soul. He had realized there was no one to save him…because the end was here. "Powers granted by the darkness, I seek the lock of eternity and the key you wish to open you has been offered! Open your doors to me and release the power of my tears!" The rumbling intensified and Syaoran was almost glad he was tied to the secured poles.

            Liu finished speaking and with a flick of her wrist, the blade sliced diagonally down his right side, swift and succinct. The bright red blood garnished the blade, and began slowly staining the pristine white robes Syaoran was dressed in. Quickly, and saying a word with each swift movement of her hand, Liu cut the left diagonal side, below Syaoran's belly button, and above it. Syaoran let out a sound of pain, as he desperately wanted to drop to the ground and curl up into a small ball.

            The world suddenly began to bleed. The sky became more cloudy than black, swirling vortexes opened up at various points in the city. The once peaceful moon turned red, and in front of Chang Liu, a slice in the sky began to widen. "The portal to the Tear of Destiny," Liu said softly, almost entranced with the sight before her.

            Even in his pain, Syaoran looked up at the bright light before him. "N-no," he managed, whimpering. "We're doomed."

~Base of the Bank Tower~

            As soon as they landed, Sakura, Eriol, Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun were met with stiff defences of Chang Liu. In addition to her thousands of henchmen, there were the monsters released from the dimension, which kept the Tear of Destiny out of reach. Using her Sakura cards, the mistress of the Clow called upon Fiery and Windy to combine their powers, scorching the animals brutally and Spinel Sun dispatched them. Ruby Moon shielded Eriol from an electric discharge from one of the monsters as he concentrated on a spell.

            Yue quickly impaled a charging wolf-like creature with a rather large icicle. Kiseki knocked one out of her path before they turned at each other and nodded, heading up the tower. Flying up the vertical sides, the two Moon Guardians were stopped by a rather nasty looking creature. "Kiseki! Go to the top and save Syaoran!" Yue ordered. "I'll take care of this down here!" At her look, he growled. "Now! We don't have any time!"

            Kiseki's expression changed to one of determination and nodded, heading up the rest of the way to the platform. She was met with a few tough challengers on the way, but they were no match for her magic. Soon she reached the top platform and was nearly blown back by the energy being released by the widening portal. All around her she could hear the wails and cries of monsters being destroyed by the group below, but as well, the growing roars of multiplying monsters was becoming louder by the moment.

            Chang Liu had not noticed her yet, too entranced by the portal's alluring sight. "This is what I've been waiting for all my life. It will be impossible for anyone to stop me now!"

            "You realize what you've done now, don't you, Chang Liu?" Kiseki said, causing the Sorceress to turn around suddenly, "once you've said something is impossible, a way will immediately be found to beat it. It's an age-old rule."

            Liu growled and clenched the dagger in her hands. "You're too late, Kiseki! The brat's dying and the only way to stop this portal is if he bleeds dry! Your friends cannot help you now! You will fail and die with them!"

            "If I am to stand alone against you, Chang Liu, that is how fate decided it. I am not afraid anymore. I will defeat you and Syaoran will be safe. I will find a way," Kiseki returned. She didn't flinch as Liu used her magic to send her staff flying out of her hands and off of the tower. "This is the end of it all, Chang Liu."

            Liu smirked. "You don't know how right you are, Guardian. If you think you have what it takes to defeat the almighty, then by all means, let's finish this!"

            Kiseki hid a slight smirk. She knew that that would get Chang Liu to pause from heading into the portal. But it was a double-edged sword. She would not enter the portal, but it was still open because Syaoran was still bleeding. She would have to end this fast. Suddenly Liu's foot was inches from implanting itself into her face but she moved, quickly countering the blow. Syaoran was sure his vision was blurring, but it wasn't yet. The two women were moving so fast that he could barely keep track of them.

            (Come on Kiseki, you can beat her!) Syaoran thought weakly, hanging his head. His wrists were also beginning to bleed, because of his earlier attempts of breaking the rope. The battle before him intensified, and his eyes widened as Chang Liu was slowly beginning to grasp the upper hand and slashed Kiseki across the face with her dagger.

            Kiseki stumbled back and caught herself before she fell off the platform. Magic spells and martial arts kicks and punches were being traded, but the blood was quickly hindering her sight. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve, which restored her vision somewhat. The long battle was beginning to take its toll on her. Quickly she dodged another blow and used her own dagger to cut the ropes that bound Syaoran. The boy quickly fell to his knees. "You will not ruin this for me, Guardian!" Liu yelled, her punches and kicks becoming more furious. "You will die along with the rest of these pathetic mortals!"

            "You're wrong," Kiseki managed, blocking most of Liu's onslaught. The vortex, which held the pathway to the Tear of Destiny, grew wider as it was now big enough for Liu to walk through. Just as Kiseki was about to counter another attack, she was swept off her feet by a sweep kick and Liu pressed her foot down hard on the Guardian's throat.

            "Oh am I? You're not in any position to say that, now are you?" Liu hissed, pressing harder down on Kiseki's throat, crushing her trachea. She had been wounded as well in her battle, Kiseki being able to draw the dark red blood from Liu with a few well-placed slashes. All I have to do is push you off of here and you'll fall to your deserved death." Liu moved her foot and went to push Kiseki off of the platform when Kiseki's foot came up and hit Liu in the mouth, causing her to stumble back, and gave Kiseki enough time to get to her feet.

            They battled harder than before, even though both women were running on empty. There was almost nothing left in their tanks, yet they fought as if they had just started. Kiseki looked down at Chang Liu as she knocked the sorceress down onto her back. Quickly she turned to Syaoran who called out her name. "Syaoran! Don't be afraid, everything will be all right! Remember I love you!"

            "Why are you saying this?!" Syaoran demanded, hot tears stinging his eyes. "You're coming back, aren't you, Kiseki?" Yue finally appeared on the platform, and picked up Syaoran. "Yue, tell her to come back!"

            "I'm ending this once and for all, Syaoran," Kiseki replied, the wind increasing as the sky turned red, littered with black clouds. As she turned around and prepared to drive the blade into Liu's chest, a black icicle rammed itself into her midsection. Liu smirked tiredly as Kiseki let out a choked noise, her eyes widening. Suddenly she drove the dagger into Liu's chest. "There's only one way to kill the snake…with poison…"

            "If I'm going," Liu managed, choking as well, "you're coming with me!" Her form was fading as Kiseki stood up and pulled the icicle out of her midsection, wincing. Suddenly there was a huge explosion as Chang Liu's form reacted violently with the poison held within the blade of Kiseki's dagger. Yue held Syaoran's still bleeding body tight, as the tower shook violently yet still remained standing.

            The dust was still falling when Kiseki turned her head back to Syaoran and Yue. They couldn't see her, but she could see them. (The portal is still open … and it won't close until he's done bleeding…but there must be another way.) She glanced at the still open portal. (I was sworn to protect you, Syaoran. And I will.) Slowly she walked to the edge of the platform, above the gaping mouth of the vortex. (What matters is that you stay alive.)

            All that Syaoran saw once the dust had settled was Kiseki's falling form, soon being engulfed by the vortex. As the vortex swallowed her, it imploded, causing the world to shake violently one more time before it all stopped. Everything just stopped. "N-NO! Kiseki! Yue let me go! Let me go!" He shook in Sakura's Guardian's arms.

            Yue himself was in numbing shock. He was confused, and had no idea what was going on. Everything had stopped shaking, the sky was slowly returning back to the normal colour it had once been. But how could the portal have been closed? Realization suddenly hit him. Quickly he flew down to the bottom of the tower, Syaoran shaking violently in his arms. Sakura, Eriol, Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun were exhausted, and were just as confused as Yue had been. Gently laying Syaoran on the ground, he walked over to a pile of rubble. "Yue, what's going on?" Sakura asked, "Where's Kiseki?"

            Yue didn't respond, yet he continued walking to the pile of rubble and everyone soon realized what had happened when he picked up Kiseki's staff. Eriol was quickly casting a curative spell on Syaoran to staunch the bleeding. "She's gone," was the only thing that left Yue's lips. An overwhelming flood of emotions that he had never experienced before suddenly hit him like a tidal wave. "She…sacrificed herself to close the portal…to save Syaoran…to save us all…" A clear, salty tear cascaded down his flawless cheek.

            Eriol, holding Syaoran gently in his arms, looked over at the Guardian. "We have to get him to a hospital immediately. No one is going to remember what happened, so that shouldn't be a problem." It was hard for the boy to be like this, considering what had just happened, but he had to be strong for now. "He's lost a lot of blood." Yue silently turned around and picked up Syaoran in his arms. Eriol got onto Spinel Sun's back and went with him to the hospital, along with Ruby Moon. Yue stood outside the building as Ruby Moon, in her human form, Nakuru, rushed Syaoran into ER with Eriol.

            Sakura soon arrived with Cerberus, Meling and Tomoyo. Meling was just about to ask what had happened, but when she saw Yue looking brokenly at the staff, she fell to her knees and began to cry. Tomoyo, who was also overcome with the same level of grief, knelt down beside the Chinese girl and put her arms around her. Sakura walked over to Yue and put a hand on his arm. "We…have to…move on. She wouldn't want us to…be sad forever." Yue merely nodded yet Sakura continued. "Maybe she'll come back someday."

            Looking down at his mistress, Yue couldn't find the words to reply to her kindness. (I wish I could believe that … but what if you're gone from my life forever? … Then I will honour your memory, Hikari. I will never forget you and what you mean to me.)

-END-

Author's notes: I hope you all enjoyed this story; it was really fun for me to write. I just want to thank all of you who kept reading it even for my sporadic updates. Thank you so much. What's going to happen? We'll just have to wait and see. ^_~