Chapter 2
They walked following Yue as he carried his Mistress with all care in the world. None of them had missed the way the Violet/silver gaze softened as he looked at her. The group passed the threshold of the house and gazed at the beautiful interior. The place had a magical feel to it, as here and there were different symbols of magic from around the world. There were dragon statues, suns and moons as well as all other manner of celestial symbols.
There were various colours about the place, pink seemed to be the predominant shade but not in an offensive way. It blended in with the dark blues and pastel yellows as if highlighting the fight between light and dark. Yue made to go upstairs but the elder Sakura stopped him.
"No Yue. I would like to sit with my guests. I'll be all right." She gave Yue a bright smile as she spoke.
Yue sighed but said nothing as he turned towards the living room, he walked up to the large reclining chair and placed her upon it before pulling a light quilt over her form. Kero laid before her like a huge guard dog, Sakura scratched his ear gently before feeding him a cupcake.
"Yue, could you bring tea for our guests? I'll deal with the food" Yue nodded and with one last mistrustful glance he left the room.
Sakura took out a Clow Card and open her hand, the staff that Kero had laid upon the floor before he laid down rose up and floated to her open palm. The dim light from the light fixtures glinted off the smooth gold pole of the staff. The light fixtures were like candles but with the flickering flame like bulbs above them, to give the illusion of lit candles.
"Sweet, release and dispel!" The others in the room looked on in wide-eyed amazement as a little being came out of the card. She sparkled like sugar grains and held a small wand that was stripped like a candy cane. "Can you make us some treats?"
The little being nodded, then waving her little wand over the empty table before them all. Sweet made cakes and sweets of al kinds appear out of thin air. Then the little being returned to the card with a swirl of smoke and mist.
"If you don't mind me asking," Fye spoke to her. " But just what are those cards?"
"These are the Clow Cards, or maybe I should call them Sakura Cards now" She smiled as all the cards floated in their card form before her. The pink cards each with a picture upon them to show their being. Fiery, Earthy, Windy, Shadow, to name but a few.
"Does everyone in this country here have these cards?"
"No. A magician created the cards over 100 years ago. His name was Clow Reed." Sakura saw the younger version of herself and Syaoran start when she mentioned Clow's name. "I see that name means something to you"
"Clow Reed was my father" The young Sakura spoke.
"What? You're lying!" Kero growled. "Clow had no children. He didn't even have a wife!"
"Keroberos!" The winged lion laid down once more as Sakura looked at the quivering younger version. "Don't fear Kero. He's a real teddy bear really" Sakura smiled as Kero grumbled. After all his false form looked like a stuffed teddy.
"The other one seems not to like us either" Kurogane decided to speak after looking out the bay window for the entire time they were in the room, he gave the misconception that he was not paying attention. But his friends knew better. Kurogane had probably noticed more than the rest of them combined.
"Yue does not trust easily, like you I fear." Kurogane just grunted in return.
Giving some acknowledgement that this elder Sakura seemed very observant to people's feelings.
"You said Clow was your father?" The younger Sakura nodded to her elder. "Come here"
The young Sakura rose from her position beside Syaoran, his protective gaze never left her form as she stood before her mirror. Kero looked her over closely, testing the air with his nose. The elder Sakura placed her right hand on the young Sakura's head; they both glowed pink as their auras flared. The elder Sakura's was just a shade darker. Weather this was due to age or the sadness she seemed to carry, only she knew.
"Hum, your magic is almost the same as mine. Though I think in fact, you will become far stronger than I ever could."
They looked on wide-eyed as the elder Sakura's touch brought out an echo of the younger Sakura's wings. Then both aura's disappeared, the younger Sakura blinked her eyes as if coming out of a trance, as she did so her gaze alighted on the numerous pictures upon the fire's mantle piece.
"Umm.." The elder Sakura smiled as she saw the strangeness of the younger self, calling her by her name.
"Why don't you call me Sister? After all I look like you're older sister anyway"
"Sister, who is that? He looks like Syaoran-kun"
Yue chose that moment to return with the tea. His wings had been hidden so he could move about the house without getting stuck in doorways. He looked to see what the two Sakura's were looking at and sighed sadly at the pictures.
"Go and bring it over here Sister. So you can see it better"
The young Sakura walked over to the mantle piece looking at the other pictures also there. There was one that looked like a school photo, another as of a girl that looked like Tomoyo. Yet another was a wedding photo. It showed Sakura in her wedding Kimono and standing beside her in a ceremonial robe was an elder Syaoran. It was this one that the young Sakura picked up.
Yue kneeled on one knee beside his mistress while Fye began to pour the tea. The young Sakura walked past Yue fearfully to hand photo to her elder version. Yue seemed to pay her no heed though Kurogane could see the Violet/Silver eyes follow her every move.
"This, as you can no doubt tell, is me and this was my husband, Syaoran Li"
"Was?" Kurogane asked.
The elder Sakura sighed sadly. Kero rubbed his head against her hand in comfort, while Yue's aura changed from cold to warm. Though on the outside he remained the same.
"He was killed as year ago when a sorcerer appeared. I had seen the man before, he had no real talent. He was more of a party magician than a real one. He had heard of the Clow Cards however and tried to take them for his self. But I am their mistress, they will heed no other." Sakura took a sip from her tea before she continued.
"We thought we had heard the last of him after his failed attempt to gain the cards. But all of a sudden he could wield strong magic. He started controlling people for his own gain. The he tried to make me his own. Syaoran tried to help but he was killed. Then the magician dared to claim Syaoran's family sword. The Sword was Syaoran's magical conduit as the staff is mine. Then he announced his name to the world as Balthazar" The elder Sakura sadly ran her finger over the picture, gently tracing her husbands face.
A tear slipped from her eye, which Yue gently wiped away.
"Forgive us Mistress. We failed you" Yue hung his head in failure as Kero laid his head on the elder Sakura's lap. "We could not save him for you"
"Oh my friends" Sakura hugged Kero a moment then wrapped her arms tightly around her moon guardian, burying her head in his silver tresses. Then pressed a kiss to his cheek.
Of her two guardians, Yue was the one she worried about the most. He took his role so seriously. If he failed he would take it so hard. After Syaoran had been slain, Yue had withdrawn into himself. Barely talking and unable to look Sakura in the eyes. Even now a year on and he still blamed himself.
"There is nothing to forgive. Neither of you have done anything wrong. You both did all you could." She ran a gentle finger over his right brow where he had been hurt trying to save Syaoran. The wound had healed without a trace but Sakura could never get the vision of Yue's bloody face out of her mind. Some nights in her nightmare's Yue would join Syaoran as one of the dead. Sakura gave a thin smile as Yue leaned into the touch.
"You said this man, Balthazar, Suddenly became more powerful?" Fye interrupted the moment between guardian and mistress.
"Yes. And I believe it is through the object you seek"
"You have seen him holding a feather?" Syaoran asked.
"A feather? He has one atop his staff that looks like this.." The elder Sakura waved her hand and using a little of creates power, made a perfect replica of one of Sakura's feathers. It floated free in her hand, glowing the same shade of pink.
"Sakura's feather!" Mokona reached out to touch the feather and it popped like a bubble. Both Sakura's laughed as Mokona fell backwards in surprise.
"How did you know we were looking for something?" Kurogane looked suspiciously at the elder Sakura. They had been attacked by forces unknown before, pretending to be friends then they tried to take the feathers. So naturally Kurogane was wary of people who seemed to know so much in advance.
"Sakura told me, or should I say showed me? When I touched her aura, because it was almost the same as mine, I was shown all" Sakura coughed suddenly, she moved her hand away from her mouth. There were flecks of blood on her palm"
"Sakura!" Yue rose up quickly.
"Perhaps I should go to bed" The elder Sakura spoke meekly. "Kero, show them somewhere to sleep"
Sakura once more snuggled close to Yue as he picked her up from the chair and walked from the room. All watched as they left the room before looking at one another. Could all this be trusted?
"Kero-chan," Kero turned to look at the younger Sakura, It was strange hearing that tone once more. "How was sister hurt?
"Balthazar wanted me and Yue to become his guardians. He wanted to take everything from Sakura for spurning his advances upon her. To destroy her completely." The large lion walked to the large bay windows to look at the now glowing cherry blossom tree.
"Balthazar now controls everyone. Be it with suggestion or full mind control. Sakura is now alone but for us. Her father, brother and all her friends have been controlled into thinking Sakura is the enemy."
Kero's tail flicked back and fro in agitation as he told the story. His mistress had been through so much, why did she have to endure this? A heart so pure and full of love should never have to feel such pain. It astounded both Kero and Yue that Sakura could still get up in the morning and smile.
"Balthazar was hurting me and Yue to try and make us join him. When we refused he tried to kill us. Sakura used all her power to free us. To protect us as we were so weak from Balthazar's containment. She managed to defeat him that time but the wounds she received will scar her for life" Kero sighed heavily as if holding back a sob.
"Come I'll show you to your rooms"
Kero led them upstairs to a long corridor; he gave them a room each though Mokona decided to sleep in Sakura's room. Thus he left them to retire for the night.
KITG: There we go another chapter for you. please R&R