Mimic - "Are you suffering yet." Sakura - "...suffer..." "It isn‘t such a hard question to answer, is it?" Mimic prods, tightening her grip on Tomoyo's throat a little bit. "Does seeing your lover at my mercies hurt you? Knowing her exsistence hangs at the end of my fingertips like th--" Sakura - "Leave her alone!" "Stop hurting her." Tomoyo whispers, her eyes focused only on Sakura, "Sakura didn't hurt you, you're suffering isn't her fault, she only wants to he--" Suddenly the ground shakes and from the water a platform rises out. "I am not without mercy for the merciless whore before me, who'd seal me back into my card prison without a second thought of my feelings or the life I want to live." she hisses as she lands on the deck, Tomoyo still in hand as she forces her onto her knees. "I'll make it fair, more than you would do to me if our roles were reversed." Suddenly a book appears from nowhere, an invisible hand writing into it in front of everyone. "That looks like the Create book card, but how---" (Mimic motions to the Create book with her free hand) "I'm just having Create write the rules for our little engagement, nothing more and nothing less. From it's own creativity comes Sakura's judgment." "Writing your own rules to play by I see, nothing's changed with you." "Flippant as always Kerberos." Mimic coldly counters, "But your smug superior attitude won‘t save your pet Captor now." Nina glances over at Sakura nervously, noticing how she is slowly coming unraveled the longer Tomoyo is held prisoner. "Uh -- Sakura? Not to doubt you or anything but you don't look too good. Maybe I should --" "Mimic!!" Sakura suddenly screams, her nerves unraveling in her as she does, "I'll fight you! Whatever it takes! But don't hurt Tomo-chan! I'll do whatever you want but don't hurt her!" Sakura draws her cards and powers her rings. "I promise to harass you no more regardless of what happens! Just don't hurt her!" For a moment Mimic regards the offer, thinking silently before nodding her head once. "Agreed. Let's start." "Sakura!" Tomoyo calls out from her kneeling position, "Don't hold back! No matter what don't hold back!" "I won't let her hurt you, Tomo-chan!" Sakura responds, hands tightening on her star staff as she waits for Mimic‘s first move. "I'll start this off---" Mimic whispers, taking a deep breath as she focuses... and then stops. "Ready. Your turn." Sakura, uncertain what to do, aims her Water ring hand towards Mimic and screams "Water lance!!" As the ring launches it's attack, Mimic simply stares and watches with no interest, suddenly yanking Tomoyo in front of her to take the brunt of the attack. "Tomo!!" Sakura pulls her arm back, teeth clenched as the strain of turning Water's attack slams into her skull painfully. The attack veers off, only wetting the two slightly as Sakura buckles, her legs wobbly as she tries to gather her wits about her. "That's cheating!" Kero yells, to which Mimic merely replies "That's another bad trait of yours, Kerberos, you always expect your opponent to play fair and by some useless rulebook of conduct that only losers follow." (thinks it over) "As long as I have her at hand your CardCaptor there won't dare attack me, fearing she'll hurt her lover in the process." Water skeletons rises from the platform, giving Sakura the shakes as she stares at them. "Meanwhile I can attack her without fear of retribution as she's too restrained by her heart to do me any serious harm." "You are too arrogant." Eliza notes as she steps in front of Sakura, "Since these things are not you that means we don't have to hold back from attacking them. Like--" (tilts her head sharply triggering her sound system, whispering to the beat as she spellweaves) "--this." Spell lightning lashes out, shattering each water skeleton in turn without coming near the two. However as the lightning hits them at once Tomoyo screams, head snaps back in agony. "NO!!" Sakura yells, almost bolting forward if Mimic didn't stop her by pulling Tomoyo close to her again. "Don't!!" she warned, the silence of the moment only scarred by Tomoyo's whimpering, "Not so tough now, are you." Sakura, teeth clenched, can only stare in fear and anger as she is helpless to stop Tomoyo's suffering. Mimic smiles abit at her weakness, "My ability to win hasn't diminished because of my inability to "care" for others. Caring is a weakness, one you should learn to dismiss from your being before it drags you down in your needless love for this piece of flesh." Sakura stares at her intensely, shivering as she holds herself back "I love her... you used to love someone once, don't you remember what it feels like to be in love with someone..." "That it hurts?!? YES DAMN YOU YES!!" Mimic yells, "I know damn well what it feels like to love until it hurts because it hurt me when you, Kerberos, and all your pals abandoned me and left me to rot in that hell Clow Reed sealed me into! It was hell, you bastard, hell!!" Mimic loosens her hold on Tomoyo abit, looking right at Kerberos for the first time. "Born as nothing more than a mistress, and thrown away when I only wanted what Clow Reed TOOK from me without even the slightest attempt to give back to me in even the slightest way!! So am I angry?!? You bet I am!!" (silence) "And I have every right to be!" Sakura - "I won't lose my faith in love like you, I won't fail Tomoyo." Mimic - "Bad move, little Card Captor. One I'll punish you with right now." She raises her arm, powering it with dark energy. Sakura quickly raises her water ring hand and focuses on defense. "SAKURA NO!!" Nina screams but too late, as Mimic unleashes an attack that easily shreds water's shield knocking Sakura backwards hard onto her back. "SAKURA-CHAN!!" Tomoyo screams, watching teary eyed as Sakura rolls over and over until she comes to a stop face down, unconscious. Tomoyo, shaking like a leaf and scared, all thoughts focused on Sakura, watches in a blind panic. "Think I'm still a loser, Kerberos?" Mimic taunts. "As much as you don't like taking my advice--" Nina starts, pulling Sakura to her feet, slowly getting her awareness kicked back in, "--I think you better this time because you don't know what your doing!" "Tomo... Tomo-chan... Tomo..." Sakura muttered over and over, wearily looking blankly straight ahead, "Save her... save her..." "You haven't been a Card Captor in years!" Nina retorts, "This is a hostage crisis! You've never done this before! Let's get an expert to negotiate with Mimic before this gets any further out of ha--" "There's no "negotiating" with me!" Mimic yells, a look of distress on Tomoyo's face as she looks over at Mimic then back at Sakura in turn. "Oh Sakura-chan---" (stops and turns to face Mimic directly) "I won't let you use me as a pawn anymore." "Really. Is this touching threat to stop me over with or are you going to shut up before I fry you in front of your little Card Captor?" Tomoyo‘s eyes darken, her face turns grim, "I won't let you use me to harm Sakura anymore!" (holds out her hand and shows her own rings) "I will stop this right here, and right now." "Pathetic." Mimic sighs as she regards Tomoyo. "You'll have to do better than that to stop me, little girl. You are worthless." Suddenly everything stops for Sakura as she dimly looks up at the two. Tomoyo. She believed in her even if her own belief was fading. As long as Tomoyo believed in her she felt confident she could do anything. Her belief carried her forward. She just needed to remember that and hold onto Tomoyo's belief as she watched Tomoyo point towards her light ring and say... "You can‘t have sway over Sakura if you don‘t have me." Mimic, confused, looks at her severely, "What do you think your doing?! Trying to bribe me for your life? That won't help!" Mimic yells, staring at Sakura then back to Tomoyo again as she began to lose control, "Just as well, your all so predictable! I won't fall for this bluff!" Eliza shivers near Nina, Eliza's strong arms around her holding her back as they watch. Long seconds pass but finally it happens. Tomoyo's light ring flashes bright as she takes it and aims... at herself. The flash throws her back off the platform and right near Sakura, her body limply rolling just like Sakura's did earlier before coming to a stop near her, face up, her breathing ragged and hard yet she was still breathing... still alive. "W-w-what the hell...??" Mimic whispers in horror, eyes widened in shock. Sakura looks on first in shock, which turns second by second into a dark blinding rage. Grabbing the sealing staff upwards she gets onto her feet abit wobbly, teeth mashed together tight as she snarls at Mimic. "MIMIC!! RETURN TO YOUR HELL FOREVER!! MIMIC!!" Briefly a strong image of Tomoyo, smiling and radiant in her happiness, flashes in Sakura's mind, causing her to cry out loud as she unleashes her power. The power of their love courses through Tomoyo's Light ring, and it's power forged from their happiness would win this for the both of them as many tendrils of light spring from Tomoyo towards Mimic, grabbing and snaring her as Sakura‘s sealing power wraps about her. Tomoyo & Sakura together. Unbreakable. Forever. Mimic's eyes shoot wide open, her face freezes as she claws against the restraining powers, "NO!!!" Mimic screams, throwing the Create book desperately into the tendrils streaming out of Sakura's staff and Tomoyo's ring as she desperately pulls free of their combined attack, diving into a hasty portal she makes in the water to escape. "BITCH!!" Sakura screams, jumping up on the railing overlooking the lake as she does, "I'LL GET YOU DAMMIT!! I WON'T FORGIVE YOU FOR HURTING TOMOYO!! YOU HEAR ME?!? I WON'T FORGIVE YOU EVER!!" Tomoyo, her eyes flickering open from her prone position, sighs as she catches the Create card in her hand. It takes a few minutes to calm Sakura, but once she regathers her wits she sits next to Tomoyo, holding her close with her head leaning on Sakura's shoulder for support. "It's not the card you came here for, but at least it's a card." Tomoyo remarks quietly, "You saved me." "It's our card, and you saved yourself." Sakura cried softly, "I was so helpless. I felt so useless that I couldn't save you. If I let you die in her hands I don't know what I would have done in my grief... I'm sorry I'm so useless, my precious love." "You're never useless, Sakura-chan, my love." Tomoyo whispers, "Just being there for me made me strong, and gave me the strength to stand up against her. Without you... I could never have... been strong enough to resist... her." The two kiss, holding each other close as they embrace, their bodies trembling as they share this beautiful moment just for the two of them. "Let's get some takeout on the way home!" Kero calls out to the two, who are oblivious to the world, "I'm hungry! Make out kissey face and all later, feed me now!!" Somethings never change. Speaking of which--- "SAKURA!!" Nina screeches, looking down at her clothes. "I'm soaked! Your combined attacks (and it's aura burn afterwards) shielded you from the water, but I got soaked! (too close to the lake!)" (huffs) "I can't go home like this! I don't want to catch a cold or worst!" "Don't worry." Tomoyo remarks, "I came prepared just in case." "For Sakura, sure, but not for---" (blinks as Tomoyo asks Sakura to get her backpack and open it up) "--what the--" Tomoyo - "IT'S YOUR FIRST COSTUME!!" she cried out, pulling the costume up and out with Sakura's help, "I figured I'd make you and Sakura like sisters with matching outfits and everything! Isn‘t this cute?" Nina - "I'M NOT HER SISTER!!" Eliza - "And that's way flashier than the one Sakura has on." Nina faints, leaving Eliza holding the bag to explain it all (more or less). Sakura shakes her head ruefully, "I don't get it." she sighs as she watches Tomoyo (now mysteriously back up on her feet and energetic again) struggle to get Nina to put the costume on. "I'd rather go home naked!" Nina whimpers. Tomoyo - "Come on, wear it" Sakura - "It‘d look cute on you, I‘ll bet." Nina - "Mind your own beeswax, Snoozer!" Tomoyo - "But it's nice, and warm, and dry and---" Nina - "It won't be for long if I throw it in the lake!" Eliza - "Nina!!" Sakura grabs Nina and drags her into the bushes "PUT IT ON!!" Tomoyo smiles at Sakura‘s sudden "enthusiasm", "Sakura-chan can be so spirited at times." she notes, watching as Nina disappears into the brush. Eliza shakes her head, "I better promise her extra service tonight or she'll never stop cursing Sakura's existence. She can be so stubborn at times." Nina - "PERVERT!! STOP THAT!! I WANT A LAWYER!! ELIZA!! HELP ME!! ELIZA!!" * * * * * * "I was so wrong." Tomoyo sighs, "How could I have been so wrong." "Don't beat yourself up over this. It's not worth it." Tomoyo turns towards Jack, face ashen in regret. "I'm not 11 anymore, I can't pretend that my presence with Sakura doesn't affect her. I could have gotten Sakura killed being held hostage like that, being more of a liability than a help to her." Jack sits down next to her, looking at her with an understanding expression. "You do seem rather off about this whole situation, what with this whole death thing and all." Tomoyo blushes a little, "I think it's the theme of the setting and all." (looks about) "We are sitting in the middle of a dream representation of the death Tokyo and all." Jack frowns, "Oh, that..." (stands up) "...what can I say, you caught me off guard. I was waiting to speak to someone else and all, but I felt you needed the pep talk more. Hence the whole, you know, dead Tokyo thing and all. Totally not here to bring up the death thing." "Oh, really." Tomoyo noted, "But it doesn't change the fact that I am more liability than use to Sakura. If Sakura wasn't hampered by what happened to me she would have captured Mimic, but instead she was more concerned with my safety than with Mimic's capture and Mimic used that against her." (silence) "I'm Sakura's weakness, and her failing." "She doesn't see it that way." Jack begins pacing, looking at Tomoyo firmly as he walked, "You're her hope, and her joy, you're everything to her. If you stopped going out on these missions it would slowly fill her with doubt, and that doubt would grow until it became an unbearable pain that would drive her to quit before the job was done." Tomoyo - "I know that, I know. But--" "But nothing. You both complete each other, in both cardcaptoring and married life. Nothing, not even Mimic, can break you as long as your together." (Jack snaps his fingers) "That's what those like Mimic are banking on. Once they break you two apart they know Sakura's faith would crumble until she gave up the quest in order to hang onto you, it's their one weapon against Sakura... and your one strength if you don't allow their effots to come to fruitation." "But--" (Tomoyo head lowers) "--I could have lost Sakura-chan... She could have... I screwed up so badly..." Jack raises her head to stare her right in the eyes, "Everybody screws up, believe you me if there's nothing else I know it's screwing up." (smiles as he kneels close to her) "But that's your strength together, isn't it, to take a disadvantage and turn it into an advantage when things are their bleakest. It's how you fell in love, and how you'll always be in love no matter what happens." (distant sound of footfalls) "Well, that's my 2:45 so it's time to send you home." (Jack stands again and motions towards Tomoyo) "You have to be strong for Sakura. Things with Mimic are going to be worst before they get better... but they will get better, you'll see, they'll get better..." Snap. Tomoyo wakes up in Sakura's arms, held tight as she slept. Tomoyo smiles, kisses Sakura on the cheek and cuddles in to fall asleep in her beloved's arms. * * * * * * Back at the Daidouji Estates (the next day) Eliza - "I ordered a copy of the new adventures for us. And it has a cute scene of you in your new costume at the end. It'll be ready this afternoon and we can watch it tonight and--" (Eliza was apparently talking to herself because Nina was sulking over her last remains of breakfast in a pouty mood). Nina - "Give me a break." "What are you doing today, Nina?" Sakura asks with genuine interest. Nina frowns at her as she enters, "I'm going to drown myself and come back to haunt you forever. What a stupid question." (Sakura pouts as Nina gets off the table, countering with "Don't need to take your bad mood out on me. Where you going?" Nina - "Where you do think? At least some of us wake up at a godly hour." "Humph. Bad mood and ridicule." Sakura sighs. But as she pouts her mood changes the instant Tomoyo reaches out beneath the table and takes her hand, washing away Sakura's pouty mood with her bright and beautiful presence, bringing a smile to Sakura's once sad face. "Thanks, Tomo-chan." Tomoyo - "For what?" Sakura - "For being you, as always." Nina - "SOMETIME TODAY, PEOPLE, HOP TO IT!!" Tomoyo smiles as Sakura/Mirra-chan wolf down theirr breakfast (she finished awhile ago but sat patiently next to Sakura watching her eat). As they each grab their breakfast and rush out the door Nina sighs, turning to look at an empty room she whispers something as if someone's watching, then turns to leave. "Who were you speaking to, Nina?" "My guardian angel, Eliza." The image on her mind's eye when she was saved. The woman who kept her from drowning (and who protected Tomoyo at her moment of greatest need). She was there, and she heard Nina's words. She simply smiles and mouths the words "I love you too, my precious daughter." and leaves. "Love Conquers All, even Clow Cards"
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