Wai~! Another chapter!

Chapter 22 – Syaoran

 

            I should have known.

            Nothing magical has ever gone smoothly. So why should this be any different? In any case, I suppose I took the wrong potion.

            Where am I now?

            It’s so bright in here I have to close my eyes…

            < Syaoran! Where are you? >

            < Yue… >

            < Yes! Clow, you didn’t! You’re after the stone aren’t you? >

            < H-hai… >

            < I’ll be right there! >

            I concentrate and sure enough, Yue’s with me in a few seconds. Useful, that guardian-card master bond…

            So now what?

            We’re looking around but even after I use Shadow it’s still frightfully bright… what is going on here?

            Why can’t I see?

            I have a sinking suspicion that the potion might have killed me and this is all a hallucination, but Yue’s keeping a firm grip on my arm, so I don’t think I’m dreaming dead yet. No, I don’t think I’m dead yet.

            “Shh, we’ll find a way out.” He promises me, and I feel calmer.

            “Through!”

            With a flash, we’re out of that bright room, but now we’re in another room. Hmm…

            It’s a maze.

            I smile and focus on the Maze card’s image, and then Yue carries me. Energy loss can weaken you quite a bit.

            We’re out.

            Two more rooms, it seems. A trap within a trap. I wonder how Harry and Ron are doing? In any case, I’m out…

            I’m free, right?

            Yue and I look around, but it seems we’re in a room with nothing but mirrors on the wall. Wizards are so uncreative.

 

            But… those mirrors… they’re moving… closer.

            This is not good…

            That’s the last thing I see before everything just seems to… end. The world goes white before my eyes…

 

            “Syaoran!”

            Reaching for consciousness is like crawling out of quicksand, or the Sand card. I want to open my eyes, but I can’t.

            “Syaoran!”

            That voice sounds familiar, but who’s is it?

            What’s going on?

            I can’t move, it’s like I’m trapped… threads… bloody threads… all over me… they’re tying me down…

            Why are they here?

            I try to get up, but the threads just cut deeper into my skin… oh, I hate threads, and not just because of Eriol’s manipulation.

            Itai!

            What am I going to do?

            “Sword!”

            No, Sword just vanishes as soon as I try to summon it. What’s going on? Why didn’t it work? These wizards can’t possibly beat the Clow Cards!

            Have to stay awake, I have to get free… but they’re getting tighter, and I’m frozen. Still struggling.

            Pain! Agony and knives in my skin! Stop!

            Please stop!

            Dark…

           

            I open my eyes to see Yue bending over me. “Yue-?” That’s when I notice that he’s lying against me. What’s going on?

            “Yue?”

            This time he seems to hear me. “You blacked out. I had to use a technique I normally wouldn’t use.”

            “Hmm?”

            < Well, I entered your mind and taught your body how to fight off those threads. > He says. Nice of him…

            “Arigato, Yue!”

            Of course, he finally realizes his position and hurriedly gets up, almost… afraid. Apologizing. But why?

            “It’s nothing, Yue. You just saved my life.”

            I wonder though… did Clow hurt him? Maybe he did… then again, if Clow could lose control like Sakura, with the difference in power level… ouch.

            Now’s not the time to think of these things though.

            I feel around for my wand, but it’s gone. Yue looks at me and nods. This is not good. My sword is my focus! I can’t fight without it, can I?

            No.

            I’ve got to get it back! But how? I need it to activate my cards, don’t I? Or… do I not? I can’t remember. It feels like my head is full of cotton.

            Yue gives a startled cry as I collapse into his arms again. I wish I could move, but I can’t. The threads are coming back!

            I’m never drinking an unidentified potion again!

 

            Yue holds up as hand a shield protects us. Of course, there’s a Shield card, why didn’t I think of that? I’m about to create it when Yue stops me.

            “Not now, Syaoran. You’re magic’s been drained. That’s why you’re so weak.”

            Drained?

            That explains why it looked like I was using blood… those threads were stealing my magic…

            What kind of spell is this?

            “Snape’s trap.” Yue answers my unsaid thoughts. I’m surprised, since I never knew our potions professor was so powerful. But that’s not the point.

            I have to concentrate…

            Sword cuts through the threads, and Yue carries me out, and there’s Harry and Ron, but something’s wrong…

            And the world goes dark again…

            What’s going on? I’m not this weak! I’m not! So I’m struggling, but I’m still in the dark, and loath as I am to admit it, I’m scared…

 

End Chapter

Completed 2/5/05

Yue: …

Phantomness: *hides*

Syaoran: Cliffhanger? Bad authoress!

Random babblings: Even if Yue dislikes Syaoran he owes him, since it’s Syaoran’s magic keeping him alive… and… SPOILER

I don’t consider Yue as ‘alive’ since he is technically made of nothing but magic energy. So if spells don’t effect him, that’s why!