Ruby Moon: The Fall of Haven City
The dimensional rift was less of a "doorway" and more of a cosmic glitch. One moment, Sakura Avalon was chasing a rogue Clow Card through a park in Tomoeda; the next, she was tumbling through a tear in reality, landing face-first in the red dust of the Shadowlands.
"Kero-chan? Ruby?" Sakura groaned, dusting off her frilled skirt.
"I’m right here, Sakura-chan," a melodic, slightly bored voice drifted from above. Ruby Moon hovered in the air, her butterfly wings shimmering with a dark, iridescent light. She didn't look worried; if anything, she looked like she’d just found a new playground. "Though I don't think we’re in Japan anymore. The magic here tastes... dusty."
An Unexpected Encounter
A rustle in the gray scrub nearby snapped Sakura to attention. She gripped her sealing wand, but before she could cast a spell, three figures emerged from the haze.
Leading them was a young man with golden hair and a gaze that had seen too much for his age. Leif, King of Deltora, had his hand white-knuckled on the hilt of the Belt of Deltora. Beside him stood a massive, wild-haired man named Jak, whose muscled arms were crossed defiantly. At Jak’s heels, the giant black dog Doom let out a low, vibrating growl.
"Halt," Leif commanded, his eyes darting between Sakura’s bright outfit and Ruby’s wings. "Are you agents of the Shadow Lord? Or some new sorcery from the Grey Guards?"
"I don't know what a Shadow Lord is!" Sakura squeaked, waving her hands frantically. "I'm just Sakura! I’m a Cardcaptor!"
"She's a witch," Jak grunted, his eyes fixed on Ruby. "Look at the wings. Only the Ak-Baba or the monsters of the Shadowlands fly like that."
The Shadow's Reach
Before the tension could boil over, the ground beneath them shivered. The sky, already a bruised purple, darkened to a suffocating black. From the dunes rose a Grade 7 Vraal—a towering monstrosity of claws and hunger, its scales glistening with a sickly slime.
"We can argue about her wings later!" Leif shouted, drawing the Great Sword of Deltora. The gems in his belt began to glow—the Topaz for strength, the Ruby to ward off evil. "Jak! Left flank!"
Jak didn't need to be told twice. With a roar that rivaled the beast’s, he leaped forward, his sheer physical power a blur of motion. Doom followed, a black streak of fur and teeth, snapping at the Vraal's heels to distract it.
The Fusion of Magic and Steel
Sakura watched in awe as Leif parried a claw that could have crushed a house. "I have to help!" she cried. She pulled a card from her pouch.
"WINDY! Bind them!"
The green ribbons of the Wind element swirled forth, lashing around the Vraal’s massive limbs. The beast roared in confusion as its movements slowed.
"Nice trick, little girl," Ruby Moon murmured, her eyes narrowing. She didn't use cards. She simply pointed a finger, and bolts of dark energy erupted from her silhouette, striking the Vraal’s armored chest. "But let's put a bit more sting in it."
Leif saw his opening. The Ruby on his belt pulsed in resonance with the magic being slung. "Now, Jak!"
Jak grabbed a jagged rock, using it as a stepping stone to launch himself into the air. He landed on the Vraal’s neck, his weight distracting the beast just long enough for Leif to plunge the Deltoran steel into its heart. With a final, earth-shaking shudder, the Vraal dissolved into a pile of ash.
A Parting of Ways
Silence returned to the wastes. Doom trotted back to Jak, sniffing Sakura’s shoes before deciding she was "friend" rather than "food."
Leif sheathed his sword, the glow of the belt fading to a soft hum. He looked at Sakura—a girl who fought with cards—and Ruby—a being of pure power—and offered a formal bow. "Your magic is strange, Sakura Avalon. It possesses a light I haven't seen in these lands for a long time."
"It's the heart of the cards," Sakura said, smiling bashfully. "Or... something like that. Are you guys going to be okay?"
"We are used to the dark," Jak said, though his voice had softened. He nodded toward a flickering light in the distance—a rift beginning to reopen. "That’s your way home. Better move before the Shadow Lord notices the hole in his fence."
"Come on, Sakura-chan," Ruby Moon said, grabbing Sakura’s collar and hoisting her toward the rift. "I’m getting bored of the color gray anyway."
"Wait! Goodbye, Mr. King! Goodbye, Jak! Bye, Doom!"
As Sakura vanished into the light, Leif stood for a moment, looking at the spot where she had been.
"A strange pair," Leif remarked.
"Aye," Jak replied, scratching Doom behind the ears. "But I wouldn't mind having that 'Wind' girl around next time we hit a hive of Ols."
Soundbites from Card Captors, Deltoras Quest, Jak , Cowboy Bebop, Digimon Fronteir,With Samples from Red Kross, Smashing Pumpkins, Dokken, Queen, DJ Pain 1, Bad Relgion
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