Final Chapter

Where...am I?

Syaoran stood alone in the darkness. He turned around a few times and saw no one around him.

Is anyone here?

He proceeded ahead. To what, he couldn't tell. Every direction looked exactly identical to him. He rubbed his arms; he was cold. The atmosphere was chilly and creepy.

After a few steps, he gave up. He just stood there. Then all of a sudden, a blinding light appeared. Syaoran used his arm to cover his eyes. He could barely made out what was shining.

A cross with wings?

He woke up with a burning pain in his chest. He breathed hard; and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark environment. He blinked, and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Ah..." He moaned, putting his hand over his face, he tried to remember what happened. Memories began to flash in his head. The last thing he remembered was the soldiers, and the battle...and...

Idipus.

Suddenly, he jerked up, and realized he was in a dark, grand room. It had a bed, of which he was lying on, a table at the corner, a bookshelf, and a mirror. The room had no windows but a door that seemed to be shut tightly. Then he looked down and gasped. His chest was bandaged. Then he remembered; he was shot with a harpoon, so why was he still alive, he wondered.

His instinct told him to get out of here. Though this room seemed more like a resting room than a jail, it was still enemies' ground. He had to leave. As soon as he tried to stand, he knew how weak he was. His legs trembled and his chest hurt when he tried to support himself. He collapsed on the bed, and tried to get up again. Then, with a humming noise, the door slid open, and Idipus walked through. "Don't try too hard. You'll only hurt yourself in this condition."

For some reason, Syaoran wasn't surprise when he walked in. Idipus tried to put him back to bed, but Syaoran fought back. "Let me go!" Idipus obeyed. Syaoran took the blanket and cover himself as he lay down. "I got it...I won't go anywhere. It's not like I can, anyway."

Idipus smiled. He asked. "How are you feeling?"

"How do you think I feel? You drilled through me with your harpoon!" Syaoran yelled.

"It was necessary." Idipus answered.

"What? To kill me? Of course it's necessary, dope head! You're a missionary, it's your duty to kill me!" Syaoran shouted as he got up, but his chest hurt and he had to lie down again. "But why...?" He said in between breaths. "Why did you heal me if you are trying to kill me?"

Idipus studied him. "Missionary...is that what you think?" He asked quietly.

"Huh?" Syaoran said, he could barely hear him. "What are you mumbling about now?"

To his surprise, Idipus began to undress himself.

"Huh...?" Syaoran watched as he dropped his cape on the floor. Then he began to unbutton his shirt.

"H-hold on..." Syaoran said, his voice shaky; he nudged backward. "Wh-wh-what are you doing?"

~~~~~

Thousands of feet above the fortress, all the soldiers stopped digging as they prepared for Sakura's take off in the escape pod. She sat inside and realized it was amazingly small in the inside compare of its appearance from the outside. She could hardly move when she sat in there. Jon stepped up to the opening above and looked down at her. "You comfy?"

"As comfy as a person in a tight space can be. When are we taking off?" She said. Jon turned around few times as if he was looking for something. "As soon as Elsie gets here. She stayed up all night, trying to invent something that'd help you in this journey." He blinked, and stood up. "Oh, here she comes." He jumped off the escape pod and headed towards her. Sakura could hear them talking. "Where the heck are you?"

"Sorry, I had to do some finishing touch on this. Where's Sakura?"

"Inside already."

Sakura could hear Elsie's footsteps as she climbed up the metallic surface of the escape pod. "Hey, Sakura." She appeared above her. "I'll give you this, it'll come in handy, I'm sure of it." She dropped in a piece of equipment. It looked like an egg with wings. It was silver and has a few lines here and there. "Hang on to it, okay? And good luck on saving Syaoran!" She gave her a thumb up.

"Right!" Sakura nodded.

Jon shouted, "Yo! Elsie, we have to get moving!" Elsie nodded, "Coming!" As soon as she was out of the sight, the opening shut tight.

"Everything clear! Ready to go!" The soldier outside shouted, and Sakura responded. "Roger!" Sakura tabbed a few buttons on the right side and the inside of the escape pod began to glow. The engine began to hum. On the left side, Sakura pulled the handle, and the escape pod began moving; she could feel it digging as it drilled down.

She gripped on to her necklace, and shut her eyes tight. [I'm coming...]

I'm coming, Syaoran!

~~~~~

Idipus let his shirt slid down to his waist and smiled to Syaoran. "See for your self."

Slowly, Syaoran began to turn around. He saw Idipus's muscular chest; it was well built. His skin was smooth and pale. Other than that, nothing seemed strange. Syaoran narrowed his eyes, and asked. "See...what?"

"You see? No tattoos." Idipus said.

Syaoran gasped. He was right. There were no tattoos on him anywhere; anywhere Syaoran could get his eyes on anyway. Idipus put his clothes back on. "I can show you the rest if you want...but do you really want me to go there?"

"No." Syaoran answered very quickly. "God, no."

"Then you trust me?" Idipus said as he clipped his armour back on. Syaoran studied him, and nodded weakly. "But...why? If you're not part of them, then why did you become their leader? Is that the reason you didn't kill me?" Idipus was expecting the questions; he looked at him, and replied. "You will find out later, when the time is right. As you continue on with your journey and the legend, you will know."

"My journey? But I thought my journey ends here!" Syaoran shouted; his chest was hurting again.

Idipus did not answer. He turned around and was ready to leave. "You shouldn't rush things. It'll come to you...sooner or later. For now, get some rests." He disappeared behind the door.

Syaoran slammed his pillow madly. Every breath he took burned his wound. Idipus was right; he needed to get some rests. Hating to admit that, he fell asleep uneasily.

~~~~~

Syaoran was running in a field. He took a look at his hands; they were tiny. That was when he realized he was a child again. He was going through the normal everyday trainings when he was a kid. He looked up and saw his mom standing in front of him, looking mad. "Why did you stop? Come on, get moving!"

"But mom...everyone else gets to play...why do I have to do this?" Syaoran complained with a high pitch voice.

"That's because you're the only male descendent in the Li family. Now stop complaining and give me another three laps!" His mom shouted harshly. With a push, Syaoran began to run.

He passed by the playground on his way. He saw his classmates there, having fun and playing. Even his sisters were there, cheering and laughing. He was the only one on the field. He was alone. He stood there and looked at them longingly.

"It is your duty."

Now he was in his living room in Hong Kong. His mother had summoned him, saying they needed to discuss important matters. Syaoran stood across the coffee table as his mom sat in front of him. "You know as a descendent of Clow Reed's clan, you must stop the Clow cards."

"I understand." Syaoran said without emotion.

"You have to fulfil your duty, in Japan."

"Japan?"

"Yes, you will proceed alone." She looked up. "Do you have any problem with that?"

"I..." Syaoran began. If he went to Japan, he'd have to live alone. He'd have to leave his friends and family. Then again, he thought. He had always been alone here, in Hong Kong. What friends? He never had time to meet much friends of his age. His sisters always played among themselves and left him out. His mother was strict. It'd be the same in Japan. "I...I'll go."

I have always been alone...

I always will be...

I don't care.

I'm use to it by now...

Right?

I...

No...

I...I don't want to be alone anymore...

In the dark, a hand reached out and touched his. He looked up and saw an angel with great big wings. He felt dizzy, but he held on to her. "Are you here...to comfort me?" He asked. Lowering his head, he went ahead and hugged her. "Will you be with me...forever? I don't want to be alone anymore."

The angel hugged back, but she didn't answer. Syaoran felt comfortable. He closed his eyes, and held on to the angel.

Slowly, he reopened his eyes. That was when he realized he was dreaming. As his eyes focused, he gasped. For a moment he thought he was still dreaming, for there stood his angel.

...Sakura.

She was beside him, holding on to his hand. She looked relieve to see him awake. "What are you doing here?" Syaoran asked, half getting up. "Did they get you, too?" Sakura shushed him. "It's okay, it's okay." Her voice was gentle and soothing. Syaoran couldn't help but relax and lied down. Sakura smooth his hair, still holding on to his hand. "I came here voluntarily. I want take care of you, and see you with my own eyes."

"How did you get here? What about the missionaries? Did they let you through that easily?" Syaoran said; he was getting excited again.

"Jon boarded the fortress before they sank it down. For some reason, Idipus let him back on land after Jon saw you being healed. Then I took the escape pod Jon rode and got back here." She explained briefly.

"Then what about the missionaries?"

"They were going to attack me when they saw me coming through the exit. But Idipus came and let me through." She said. Syaoran sighed, and looked straight into her eyes. "You shouldn't have risked it...you could've been hurt, or killed!" Sakura's eyes softened. She shook her head. "I would do anything to see you Syaoran. Because you're my boyfriend."

Syaoran was touched. For a moment, he didn't know what to say, so he lied back down. Seconds later, he squeezed her hand tight, and said. "I'm glad you came." Sakura blushed, and he went on. "It makes me feel...less lonely."

Sakura shook her head. "You'll never be lonely again, Syaoran. I promise, because I'll always be here. I'll be with you...forever."

Syaoran's gaze softened. He reached out and brushed her hair. He was sure; she was the angel he had been waiting for. Their eyes locked on each other's, and then with a skip of heartbeat, their lips came into contact. Syaoran wrapped his hands around her, and she did the same. They kissed, harder and harder, promising each other that they'd never separate again.

~~~~~

"What the heck is going on?"

All the missionaries held a secret meeting without Idipus's permission. After they saw Idipus's attitude towards Syaoran, they already began to get suspicious. As if nursing him and healing him wasn't enough, he went ahead and let the heroine in, too! At first they thought their leader was playing a mind game at the legendary heroes, but as time passed, their suspicion grew. Is Idipus really on their side? Or is he just using them as his puppet?

"This has got to stop!" One of the bigger missionaries said. "If this goes on, the hero and heroine will eliminate us for sure!" He pounded on the table. The others agreed. "Why the heck is the leader so nice to them? They are our enemy, right? What good will they do staying alive? I'd say the sooner we kill them, the sooner our problem would be solved."

A thin, weak missionary stood up, and argued with a shaky voice. "But...Idipus has always guided us. Maybe it's part of his plan, maybe he's trying to tame the heroes, so they'd be in his control, and help us take over Ometin."

"Won't happen." Another missionary objected. "I already thought of the possibility. It's too risky to have one of the enemies to work for us. If their heads become clear, we're goners. I'm pretty sure the boss thought of that, too. Besides, if he's really planning something like that, why won't he tell us? He's been informing us on what he's up to until recently, when the hero's captured! I'd say he's up to no good."

The others said "Yeah" and "Right on", but a few still stood strong to believe their leader. "Still, shouldn't we wait and see what happens? Or at least ask him?"

"By that time, it'd be too late." A muscular missionary said. He took out a knife and toyed with it. "If we ask anything, he'd be suspicious. I'd say we strike!" The missionary pointed the blade downward and stabbed the table hard. "We rebel! Idipus is getting us nowhere. For all I know he could be on the human side."

All the others gasped. Some of the missionaries denied the idea. "What do you mean he's on the human side? That can't be!" The muscular missionary turned, and stared at the objectors. "Oh yeah? Well let me ask you something. Have you ever seen Idipus's tattoo?"

No one spoke. That was when they realized the true that seemed impossible. "Oh my god!" Most of them yelled. "How could this be?"

"We've been fooled by this so-call leader!" The muscular missionary took the knife out of the table. He swung it like a baton and placed it back into its pouch. "We'll have to take initiative! The leader is no longer trust worthy! Tonight, we'll attack with all we've got! It's a thousand of us again on Idipus! Now are you in? Or are you out?" Most of the missionaries cheered. "Yeah! I'm in!" A few of the fateful followers remained undecided. The muscular missionary walked towards them, and said. "Come on, wimps! He's a traitor now!"

The followers argued. "What if we're wrong? He's our leader, after all. He doesn't necessarily have to explain to us what he wants to do." The muscular missionary patted his shoulder. "We have nothing to lose. If he turns out to be right, we'll just have to take over Ometin without him."

"But...we'll be without a leader."

"Heck! We'll get a new one! Someone that's on our side for a change!"

"But..." The followers began again. The muscular missionary stopped him. "Look pal, you're whether part of the problems, or part of the solution." He stared at them with cold, icy eyes. They all backed down, and decided to play alone...for now. "Heck, I'm in too!"

"That's the spirit! Tonight, we bust the leader!"

~~~~~

It was late, and Sakura fell asleep beside Syaoran. Suddenly, she woke up to a beeping sound, coming from her pocket. She looked into her pocket and realized the egg Elsie gave her was ringing. She took it out, almost dropping it. At first she was trying to turn it off so it won't wake Syaoran; that was when she pushed the button and Jon's voice came out yelling. "Elsie~!! I told you that piece of junk won't work!"

Then came Elsie's voice. "Don't insult my master piece!"

Sakura was surprised to hear from them. At first she thought they were actually here. After turning around a few times, she was convinced that this egg was some sort of walkie-talkie. "Jon? Elsie?" She said. Now Syaoran was fully awake.

"Sakura!?" The little egg yelled with Jon's voice.

"See, I told you it'd work!" Out came Elsie's voice.

"Shut up, Elsie! That's not the point right now!" Jon argued. "Sakura! How are you guys doing?"

"I'm okay. Syaoran seems to be fine, too." She said.

"Yo man! Talk to me, Syaoran!" Jon insisted.

"I'm here, Jon." Syaoran said. It seemed like they haven't seen each other for years, yet it was only yesterday when they got separated. "How're you doing?"

"The soldiers are still digging." Jon said. "Though I'd doubt it'll work."

"Look Jon, why don't we..." Just when Sakura wanted to finish the sentence, the door clicked, and she fell silence. They turned to see it was Idipus walking in. Hastily, Sakura turned off the egg. "What do you want?" Sakura demanded, backing up.

Idipus looked outside, and looked back at them. "It's starting."

"What is?" Sakura asked. Idipus closed his eyes, and reopened them slowly. "The missionaries, they are rebelling me."

Both Sakura and Syaoran gasped. Idipus shut the door tight, and bolted it shut. "I'm afraid this won't hold them for long." Sakura stood up, and walked towards him. "What's going on?" Idipus turned around, and said. "I know this would happen someday. They knew I'm not part of their clan."

"What?" Sakura said, then she looked at Syaoran. Syaoran got out from his bed. His wound tingled a little, but other than that, it was fine. "It's true." He said. "He doesn't have any tattoos." He moved on to Idipus. "But why? That makes you a...human, doesn't it? If you're a human, why did you become their leader? Who's side are you on, anyway? Are you here to help us? Or are you our enemy?"

Idipus studied him, and remained silent for a second. Finally, he said. "I'm on no body's side." Sakura and Syaoran frowned, didn't quiet understand. Idipus went on. "I don't care what happens to the missionaries, nor do I care what happens to the people in Ometin. I'm on my side, which I stand alone."

Sakura and Syaoran didn't know what to say. What did it mean? Idipus smiled. "But I want the legend to proceed, at all causes. That was why I opened the seal."

They gasped. Sakura yelled. "You were the one who opened the seal!" Syaoran was shouting, too. "Why? Why did you do that?" He asked, but they were running out of time. Outside, missionaries were gathering. They were shouting and yelling. They hit the door, harder and harder, trying to get in. Idipus went over to the bookshelf, and turned the ornament that was on it. The bookshelf opened and revealed a secret passage. It looked like a long slide with twists and turns. Idipus signalled them to get in.

Sakura went first. She didn't know whether or not to trust him, but she wasn't willing to be killed by a lot of missionaries. She slid down. Syaoran went up to the opening, and looked back. "What about you?" He asked Idipus. He closed his eyes and said. "I'll stay here." Syaoran warned him. "They'll kill you." Idipus looked at him, and said. "Do you care?" Syaoran shook his head. "I'm not sure anymore. Who are you really? If you're one of the bad guys, why you saved us? If you're one of good guys, why'd you open the seal?"

Idipus looked at him softly, and pushed him down the slide. "Whoa!" Syaoran yelled as he slid down. Before he lost sight of Idipus, Syaoran heard him say. "You'll find out..."

~~~~~

"The line's dead!" Jon yelled. "Are your device defected!?"

Elsie yelled back. "I told you! Don't insult my masterpiece!" She was busy working with a bigger device with a huge monitor. Jon came over and said. "Well, come over and help!"

Elsie snapped. "Look! I'm doing something very important! Just shut up and sit down!" Jon fell quiet, feeling afraid to yell back. Cordo came over and patted his shoulder. "She doesn't like people interrupting her while she works." Then he looked at her. "What you got?"

"I'm picking up signals...and done." The screen glowed. It showed a series of dots gradually appearing. "What's this?" Asked Jon, when he felt her fire is off. "It's a missionary radar." She said. "It picks up the unique wave pattern on their tattoos and locate them. We should have an exact number of how many of them are there in a minute or so." She concluded as she tapped a button.

"Wow." Jon said. Then, someone arrived outside the tent in a hovercraft with a gust of wind. Jon and the others went out to see who was it when his grandpa appeared before him. "Oh, she's here. I've been waiting for so long."

Elsie ran up to the hovercraft. "Oh, my dear machine!" Jon asked his grandpa as they walked. "Who's that?"

"About six months ago, I told Elsie to invent the fastest transportation available. She was such a genius to have come up with in with in a week. Then I had people to deliver it all the way to the other side so she can be here at a time like this. The shipping took six months, but I bet she only spent two days, using the hovercraft to get here." He explained.

"Who is it already?" Jon asked louder. His grandpa gestured. "See for yourself." Jon looked and gasped.

"Grandpa!" A girl with dark-blue hair shouted. She hopped out of the hovercraft, and ran towards them.

"Shi Shi~??" Jon exclaimed. The girl ran towards them and tried to hug both of them with her short hands. "Oh~ I missed you two sooooooooo much!" She looked up. "So? Where are they?"

"Where are who, now?" Jon asked. Shi Shi said with a "Duh" expression. "The legendary heroes! I haven't seen them for so long~!" Jon scratched his head, and said. "We've got to fill you in...but you won't like it."

~~~~~

"You did what?" Shi Shi shouted when Jon finished telling her the situation. "How could you have handed in both of the heroes!? I can't trust you with anything, Jon!" She crawled across the table and strangled him personally. Cordo and Elsie tried to pull her off. Once she let go, Jon said. "It's not like what it sounds."

"It's exactly like it sounds!" Shi Shi yelled with an even higher volume. She jumped off the table and flung her hair. "I guess I'll have to do everything myself if I want it done correctly. I knew I should've switch places with you in the first place! You should've been sitting in Mt. Kilos waiting!" She pointed and yelled some more.

Elsie shifted towards Cordo and whispered. "Jon's little cousin is kind of loud, isn't she?" Cordo rubbed his forehead. "You have no idea. They've been like this since they were little. Even Jon was five years older than Shi Shi, she still acts like a big sister to Jon."

"You know her since little? So she used to live around here, too?" Elsie asked.

"She left before the missionary thing started to live on Mt Kilos, just to catch up and guide the heroes when they arrived."

"What? That's on the other side of Ometin! She was to survive all on her own?"

"You don't know Shi Shi...you have no idea what that girl can do." Cordo sighed and scratched his head.

"I see..." Just when Elsie was going to ask more questions, a soldier barged in. "Ms. Olson!" He shouted; everyone stared at him. "The...the machine! It's malfunctioning!"

"What? That's impossible." She ran outside and headed straight to the control room. Everyone else followed. She entered, and saw the screen showing a big blob of light in the centre. "What the heck?" She walked closer, the soldiers answered nervously. "We didn't touch it, we swear!"

She checked the status, and said. "It's running fine, there's no problem."

"Then, what's that blob of light?" Cordo said.

She stared for a second, and then gasped loudly. "Oh my god!" Cordo and Jon ran to her and demanded. "What? What happened?" Elsie spun around and shouted. "We have to contact Sakura and Syaoran fast!"

~~~~~

"Ow!" Sakura hit her bum as she landed on a sandy surface. At first she thought sand leaked in from the outside; but as she paid more notice, she soon realized that the sand was pure white. She just came out of a hole that looks a lot like a laundry slot. In front of her was a triangular altar with decorations of a cross with wings. The altar was made of a sort of white marble. The whole place looked blessed.

Just then, Syaoran landed behind her. "Ah!" He landed face-first.

As Sakura went to help him up, her egg was beeping again. She reached in, and pulled it out. "Yes, we're here." Jon's voice burst out loud. "What the heck happened? You just hung up on me!"

Sakura said apologetically. "Sorry, Idipus came in."

"Idipus!? Are you two okay?"

"We're fine...we're just..." Just when Sakura was about to finished, someone grabbed the mike from Jon and shouted loudly. "Sakura!! Syaoran!! Are you two fine? Hurt? I'll kill Jon for either answer!" Sakura and Syaoran both skipped a heartbeat when they heard that voice. "Shi Shi?" They shouted together.

"The one and only!" Shi Shi said loud and clear. Sakura couldn't hold the excitement. "How'd you get here so fast? It took us eight months just to get here!"

"Let's talk later!" Elsie interrupted. "We have a major problem." That was when everyone fell quiet and listened. Elsie took a big breath as she continued. "Look, I developed this radar that detects the missionaries. It will show their location. But when I used them today it showed a gigantic blob. At first I thought it was broken, but when I took a closer look, I knew that wasn't the case."

She paused, and everyone waited. Elsie swallowed hard, and finally went on. "The fortress...that fortress is a missionary itself."

That shocked them. Shi Shi almost fainted. Cordo stepped up and demanded. "Are you sure?" Elsie nodded. "The radar is actually reacting to the fortress's energy. That was why it seemed like a blob, because it is...too big."

She waited for everyone to calm down, and continued. "That's not all. By what I've interpret, that fortress is alive...and further more...it is...the head of the missionary clan."

Sakura and Syaoran felt like they just woke up from a dream. That explained it; if Idipus is not the head of the missionary clan, this base must be it. Sakura cleared her mind and asked. "How do we destroy it?"

"We're still trying to figure that." Elsie said. "Where are you? And what happened?"

"We're deep inside the inner part of the fortress." Sakura said, looking around. Now that she knew the fortress is alive, she felt a chill creeping up her spine. "It has an altar, and this place is surrounded by white sand."

"The shrine!" Shi Shi yelled. Jon and the others looked at her. She ignored them. "Sakura, does the alter have a symbol of a cross with wings?"

Sakura gasped and turned. "Yes!" She double-checked. "It does! How'd you know?"

"That's the legendary shrine!" Shi Shi said. "It was part of the legend. 'The blessed cross is the key. With the help of the water, fire and wind, it'll set Ometin free'. That's the shrine that will help defeat the head of the clan! But...what is it doing in the fortress?" She sat down confusedly. Jon patted her on the shoulder, and turned seriously to face the others. "Someone planted it there." All the others focused on him. In union, Sakura, Syaoran and Jon said one name. "Idipus."

"I'm getting more and more suspicious about that guy." Elsie said. "Why did he do such a thing? Is he a friend or a foe?"

Syaoran lower his head and said. "We never knew. The missionaries...they rebelled him. He helped us escape and brought us to here."

For a while, no one said a word. Finally, Sakura broke the silence. "Let's just do this!" She took Syaoran's hand, and they nodded to each other. Together, they walked to the altar. Sakura said to the egg. "What do we do, Shi Shi?" Shi Shi brushed her hair back, and took the mike. "In front of you, you should see four small holes in the altar. Place the fire spirit at the top, the water spirit at the left and the wind spirit at the right. Lastly, in the centre, insert the 'angel's wing' crystal."

"What are the fire spirit and all that junk?" Syaoran asked. Shi Shi shook her head helplessly. "I don't know. I'm just saying this according to the legend. It didn't mention anything about them besides than the fact that you use them to purify the missionaries."

"Purify?" Syaoran asked. Shi Shi explained. "Purify is to get rid of all the missionaries in the base. All you have to do is defeat the head of the clan, this fortress."

Just then, a loud bang sounded, and the ground shook violently. Sakura and Syaoran fell to the sand, and the shaking stopped. "The missionaries..." Syaoran said. Sakura looked up, and yelled. "They're starting to fight Idipus!"

~~~~~

Dozens of missionaries charged up to Idipus. Idipus held up his hand, and energy started to gather at his fingertip. With a sweep, a large force pushed all of them against the wall. Idipus turned to flee to the outer part of the fortress, and arrived at the command centre, where it was big and he can see the enemies coming. He stood in the centre, and began to gather energy again.

Another group of missionaries charged. Idipus swept his hand from bottom up. A shock wave shot up like a sharp blade and spread out like a wave. As the missionaries fell, more came to replace them. Idipus was trying to catch his breath, but the never-ending missionaries kept coming. He tried to charge up his magic again, but the archer shot an arrow that grazed pass his face, distracting him. The arrow left a small slice on his face that started to bleed. He was growing tire, but if he give up now, he'd lose the battle, and his life.

He reached into his cape, and took out both of his staffs. His patient lost, and he used his high-rank magic to summon the dark dragon. A strange mark began to glow on the floor; then it spread, like a fuse on dynamite. Then all the marks grew, and a blinding light shot up. A dragon emerged from the light, its body as dark as a black hole. It took out half of the missionaries in the room, but more kept coming back. Idipus fought hard with his dragon. Things weren't looking good.

~~~~~

Sakura started towards the altar. "If we purify this place, we can save Idipus, right?" Syaoran grabbed her hand. "But Sakura..." Sakura turned around and began rambling. "You're right. We don't know if Idipus is our friend or our foe. But before we found out, we can't let him die! What if he's our friend? What if he's one of the good ones after all? We would've let an innocent life die!"

"Calm down!" He pulled her into his arms. "It's okay...we'll do it. We'll purify this place." Sakura looked up. "Syaoran..." She held back tightly. Then they let go, knowing there was business to take care of. "But what's the spirit of fire and stuffs?" Sakura said, walking towards the altar. Syaoran put his hand to his mouth, and thought deeply. "Fire...spirit..." He held his head; it was hurting. Then he opened his eyes and looked up. "Shi Shi! What're the three spirits?"

"Fire, water, and wind." Shi Shi replied through egg.

"Sakura, isn't that the symbol of the stones our friends gave us? Princess Zeldia gave us an aqua stone, the phoenix from Gauliodo gave us, and the fire stone the birds gave us." Sakura's face lid up and nodded, agreed one hundred percent. "Yes! Come to think of it, you're right!"

"If we put all the spirits in the right slot, maybe something will happen!" Syaoran said excitingly. Sakura looked worried. "You think it'd work?" Syaoran shook his head, he replied. "I don't know, but it's worth a try."

They looked at each other, and their eyes locked together. Then Sakura looked at him with determination and nodded stably. "Okay, we'll do it."

Together, they took out their stones and placed it in the right slots. Syaoran was right, it seemed that the stones were supposed to fit there since all the slots match the stones' shapes perfectly. But they had a problem once they got to the centre.

According to Shi Shi, the "Angel Wing" crystal was supposed to go in the centre; but no matter how hard they tried, they could never get it to fit. If they just place it in the slot loosely, nothing would happen. "Shi Shi, are you sure the crystal goes in the centre? It doesn't fit like the others." Shi Shi's voice echoed back. "I'm sorry, but that's all I know. Try it a few more times." Sakura sighed, and she tried again. But no matter how they place it, the damn thing just wouldn't fit.

"I don't understand..." Sakura sat down, giving up. "It's supposed to be there, yet it doesn't fit."

Syaoran use his finger to trace the outline of the slot. He thought the slot's shape seemed familiar, but he couldn't recall when had he seen it before. Then it hit him. Turning around, he yelled. "Sakura, release your staff!"

Sakura looked at him uneasily. "Why?" She asked, he waved and shouted again. "Just do it!" She clumsily reached in and took it out. "Alright, alright!" She commanded. "Release!" And the tiny key turned into a staff. She took it in her hands and looked back at Syaoran. "Now what?"

"Try to insert it here." Syaoran said as he pointed towards the centre slot. Sakura didn't understand at first, but as she placed it there, it fit perfectly. What was even weirder was all the other stones were glowing dimly, as if they were reacting.

"Hoe?" Sakura said. "I thought the 'Angel Wing' goes there."

Syaoran stared at the staff, now the star was starting to glow, too. "I don't know either, but it seemed that we have to do the purification through your staff." He looked around and said. "We'll never know what would happen. Are you up to the challenge?" Sakura smiled, and nodded. "Ready when you are."

Syaoran smiled back, he held her hand. Whatever they were facing, they would face it together.

Sakura started for the altar. When she got close enough, the "Angel Wing" in the bell floated in the air, and was attractive to the staff. It floated in the air like a bird with a leash. Sakura took off her necklace, and brought it even closer to the staff. The crystal seemed to be attracting to the ruby underneath the star on the staff. When the two almost touched, the ruby shattered. That scared Sakura, for a moment, she thought the power of the "Angel Wing" would be so strong that it'd shatter her staff. Instead, her necklace flew out of her hand, and with a bright light, merged with the staff. All the other stones glowed with great big light. Sakura backed up, and almost lost her balance when she stepped off the altar. Syaoran ran up and caught her. They shut their eyes, for the light were so bright, that it blinded them for a second.

All three stones circled around the staff. The "Angel Wing" now held the position the red ruby once had been. The stones accelerated, and merged with the "Angel Wing". Then the crystal grew even brighter; it stretched its ways to both side, long and sharp, making the whole staff look like a cross.

The staff was now floating in the air. Sakura stepped up again, this time she knew what to do. She cupped her hands around the star on the staff, and closed her eyes. She began to concentrate. Then with a swift motion, she stretched her hands as far as they could go. "Purify!"

The star turned furiously, and the little wings on the side spread, like they were when Sakura was using the cards. Syaoran used his hand to cover his eyes, through the gap, he could see Sakura and the staff.

Cross...

A cross with wings...!

Then the light grew even brighter, and purification began. The light shot a beam, all the way from the fortress to the sky miles above. It broke the fortress's shelter. The creature, now awakening, reacted to the pain, and emerged from the sandy surface.

People gasped, and they all stared at the beam that was coming out of the fortress, now a giant beast. It roared in pain, twisting and fighting. Its scream was eardrum breaking; it almost terrified the souls out of the livings.

Inside the fortress, the missionaries disappeared into thin air with a blinding light. Idipus, now with scars and wound all over him, collapsed on the floor and watched as the missionaries vanished. Their bodies were dissociating and their souls were all rushing to the same place: 'Angel Wing'.

~~~~~

All over Ometin, the light beam could be seen. Missionaries from all over dissolved and their souls flew towards the beam, making a meteor-shower-like phenomenon in the clear sky. Citizens all over watched with amazement.

Outside the church, Father Ribian watched the magnificent sight, and did a prayer. Chocy and Miranda came out of the stable. Immediately, Chocy knew it was Sakura and Syaoran. They finally made it to the final part of their journey. Remembering them brought back a lot of warm memories for Chocy; yet he felt a great deal of sorrow for he missed them so. Miranda came over and snuggled in his neck. He blushed and smiled. This was his life now.

The three birds came out, too, alone with their penguin bird friends. They stared childishly at the bright light beam. Then all of a sudden, the tattoos on the birds' tummies glowed. The three looked down curiously and almost tripped when the tattoos detached from them, and flew into the air alone with the other missionaries' souls. Chocy and Father Ribian rushed over to see if they were okay. Thankfully, they got up and seemed unharmed. Father Ribian was surprised to see their tattoos on their tummies were gone. "You...have been purified." The birds looked curiously at Father Ribian; he smiled brightly and nodded. "You three have been granted a new life, may god be with you." He lifted them up, and turned around. "Now...let's all pray for your owners." He closed his eyes, and began to pray again.

~~~~~

Syaoran watched as Sakura began the purification. All of the sudden, his heart trembled, and it beat hard. He placed his hand over it, as if trying to calm it. Then when the purification began, and the souls started to rush towards Sakura's staff, Syaoran felt a great deal of pain stinging his heart. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!" He crouched over and screamed.

"Syaoran!!" Sakura lost her concentration and turned to see him. Her hand was still holding in position, making it hard to turn all the way around. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" Syaoran took deep breaths, trying to calm down, but the pain never went away. [What's wrong with me...] His hand now clung to his heart tightly; so tight that he almost ripped his shirt. His other hand supported him on the floor, fingers digging into the sand. The pain was unimaginable.

"Agh..." He groaned. Sakura was getting worrier. "Syaoran? Syaoran, answer me! Syaoran!" He managed to shake his head, and replied painfully. "Just...continue with the purification...I'll...be fine..." Sakura wasn't convinced. "But...!" Syaoran interrupted her. "If you stop now, all our work would be ruined! Everyone in Ometin believes in us!" He looked up, and said softly. "Be strong."

Sakura felt his determination. "Okay!" She nodded and went back to the purification.

The large creature struggled, but finally, when all souls had been purified, he stopped, and his body began to dissolve. One by one, it leaked into the sky.

Sakura's staff dropped, and the whole place was rocking back and forth. After all, they were in the fortress, body of the creature. "Are you okay, Syaoran?" She crawled towards him. His breathed slowly, and replied. "I'm...fine. The pain seemed to be gone." It was unbelievable. Once moment he thought he was going to die then the next moment, he was fine. The pain was gone like a gust of wind.

The shrine rocked more wildly now. Then the whole place was tilted to one side and they slid to a corner. "We're going to fall hard if we don't do something before this whole fortress crash!" Syaoran yelled. Sakura agreed. "Right! We have to get out of here! But how?"

Just then, something hit Sakura's hand. She turned to see it was her staff that slid to their side. An idea hit, and she held the staff tight. "Syaoran! We can go back!" Syaoran looked at her, confused. "What?"

Sakura held up her staff, now with the "Angel Wing" crystal installed, the bell hung, and the necklace attached. The crystal, the necklace and the staff had merge into one. Further more, now the "Angel Wing" was glowing softly with a white light. They both know what it meant.

"Let's go back!" Syaoran said with a grin.

"To Japan!" Sakura continued.

Sakura took the staff, and smiled to herself. This was truly and unforgettable adventure. She met friends, and had tons of experiences. Most important of all, she was able to discover her true love. It was so wonderful that she was kind of sad that it had to end this way. "Sakura?" Syaoran called, waking her up. She looked up, smiled again, and through her arms around him. He blushed, not knowing what to do. She closed her eyes and said softly. "Let's go home."

With in seconds, they were surrounded by great bright light.

~~~~~

"Sakura! Syaoran!" Shi Shi and Jon were still trying to get the walky-talky to work when Cordo shouted. "You guys! Look!"

They all went out to watch. Shi Shi gasped, amazed by what she saw.

The fortress was almost completely dissolved now. A shinning star was born out of it, and it was heading slowly towards the sky. They knew right away, Sakura and Syaoran were inside the star; no, they were the star.

All of a sudden, they knew what they mean. It was time to say good-bye. Tears rushed to Shi Shi's eyes, and Jon came over to pat her on the shoulder. Elsie was crying, too. The long legend was finally over. Cordo used his cape to cover her, and they hugged softly.

Then Shi Shi let go of Jon's grip, and ran ahead. She went a few steps, and began to wave her hand. "Good-bye! I'll miss you! Come back and visit sometime, okay?" Jon came to her side, and cupped his mouth. "So long, Syaoran, Sakura! Good luck in the future!" He took a deep breath, and shouted on top of his lung. "And thank you~!! For everything!"

His voice echoed in the air. Now everyone was waving and shouting "good-bye" and "thank you". Jon and Shi Shi watched calmly at the star. They were thinking of the same thing.

We'll never forget you...

~~~~~

It was eight in the night in central park, Tokyo. The place was deserted, except for a couple, sleeping soundly on a bench under the soft streetlight. Their eyes flickered; then slowly, they woke up. They looked at each other, and blinked softly.

"Sakura...?" Syaoran said.

"Syaoran..." Sakura replied.

They were thinking of the same thing: was that just a dream?

Instinctively, Sakura reached in, and looked for her necklace.

It was no longer her star key. It now has a crystal in the centre and a bell in the end.

It wasn't a dream...

They looked at each other again, and smiled. Then softly, they embraced.

~ End ~

Author's Thought:

Wow! The ultimate ending! When I started, I kept hoping I'd finish, but I never thought I really can! ^-^ For two and a half long years, I'd like to thank everyone that read this from beginning to end, especially ones that stcuk by it for as long as I've written. I really appreciates all the fan mails that eveyone sent me. I read everyone of them, and enjoyed them. Together, I think I've made the greatest thing ever online. ^-^U

So does this means the end? Of course not! You guys won't let me go so easily. ^-^ Besides, there're too many unsolved mysteries, you'll have to read the sequel.

So till Legend of Ometin 2, see ya all!

Piggy Ho Ho ^(oo)^
March 2002