She runs with wolves
By Krystal Klear (Aka:T.S. Ferris)
A/N - I know how much I hate Author's notes, they hardly seem necessary but in this I feel you should know about Sakura's final test instigated by Yukko. Her full test will be written in a different story.
Chapter Two
She still remembered when she opened the beautifully wrapped cardboard box; it seemed so neat to be receiving a gift from a distant relative. Maybe it was from her mother's side, it was less believable that it could be from her father's side. Upon opening the gift she was shocked at the array of colors that swirled around her. This was not the average gift, this was magic and while it did not seem to be sinister it did not appear to be willing to let her go either. She could hear the commotion as Yue and Kerobus fought against the magic to reach her. But it was not into being disturbed its purpose was to whisk her away to another place and time. Before her stood a very old building it was traditional in design and was surrounded by an old worn brown fence. The man who stood before her was dressed in a traditional kimono. It had taken her straight to her master and rapist.
She became aware of two things even though she had come back home in the same condition she left. She was a mother, in another time. She had realized the many paths available to her she could become one of the Sakurazukamori after all with her final test she had gone back in time to create the order and consequentially gave birth to Setsuka Sakurazuka the first of the Sakurazukamori (The Cherry blossom burial mound guardian.) it sounded like and honor but now Sakura had an idea about the paths she could have chosen. Paths that let her know what kind of power she was capable of regardless of how evil those paths were. She was quite aware of what her line had become, her grandson Seshiro Sakurazuka could step into the darkness silent as a ghost and disappear into the Sakura petals drifting in the wind, he was gone now being one of the Dragon's of earth. She remembered the war completely, she also remembered how each time she attempted to intervene her magic was nullified.
Staring out the window she was so distracted that she couldn't focus until she noticed two men in dark clothing moving near the gate of her house. They were both tall one wore the clothing of a Shinto priest but his aura was weak as though a seal had been placed making him supremely ungifted, the other wore an elaborate kimono of black embroidered silk of a wealthy man his aura was full almost charged with electricity and seemed to be a twin of Sayoran's. If it wasn't for his appearance she would believe it was Sayoran. She realized they intended to open her gate and enter her domain. Angrily she automatically pulled a black card out of thin air and warded her gate by throwing it through the window. She snapped her fingers changing her pajamas into a Sakurazukamori ceremonial garb, these men needed to be feared and definitely scared off. Running down the stairs she barely acknowledged her brother who was talking quietly with her father and the dinner table.
Regally she walked out her front door where the man stood the elaborately dressed man was pulling on her gate rather dramatically. He may be Sayoran's twin soul but he was definitely not Sayoran in anyway.
"You come to my house unannounced and attempted to enter without invitation, explain why I shouldn't erase your existence entirely?" Sakura asked.
"Sakura Kinnomoto you may have created the Sakurazukamori but you are not the Sakurazukamori, you do not wish to go down that path once more." The voice sounded vaguely familiar and she stared hard at the be-speckled gentleman.
"I will if my family is threatened believe me it won't be the first time I have had to ignore my morals." Sakura answered thinking back to the pain she had felt from her final test.
"We mean no harm to your family, although I know you are aware that your heir has passed and that his successor is in a catatonic state." The be-speckled man spoke once more, and she placed him. Another Clow incarnation.
"His successor is Sumeragi." Sakura spat out the name like it was poison; it was the surname of her rapist. "I would never allow one as he to awaken if I could help it."
"You must realize that when you leave you're post here that the polarity of Tokyo will be unbalanced, Subaru Sumeragi will be needed to hold the balance together. Besides the fact that while you are the Sakurazukamori you are not the one to hold the title nor the yin of the balance. It is Sumeragi's turn." The man spoke carefully.
"What do you want?" Sakura asked testily, she knew the Clow look a like was correct whether she liked it or not.
"We wish you to come with us to the Sumeragi estate and help us awaken the Sakurazukamori successor."
"I refuse." Sakura said through gritted teeth.
"You cannot and you know it." the other man stated, Sakura had thought the man was mute but now the Shinto priest spoke.
"Take me." She answered before pulling a long card from a deck of cards.
"The key which hides the powers of the dark show your true form before me, I Sakura command you under our contract RELEASE!"
Sakura threw a pink card into the air and tapped the card with a large star wand.
"Mirror card act as me until I return!"
A version of Sakura appeared in a cloud of swirling smoke. She was the mirror image of Sakura in every way.
"You might want to change into my Pajama's I am wearing the Sakurazukamori ceremonial garb, my father might question."
"Of course. I sense your brother is home."
"Don't flirt with him, I find it unsettling."
"He knows I'm not you." the mirror replied before walking through the gate.
"Just don't do it, it gives me the creeps." Sakura answered.
She waited until her image entered the house before looking back at the men.
"Well lead the way." She said looking straight at the be-speckled man noticing something odd about the color of his eyes.
They drove in silence in a rather antique glossy black car, until they were far out of Tomeda limits. Finally the Shinto priest stopped the car before a traditional looking estate. The brown weathered fence had been replaced but the estate was still recognizable. She would never forget the Sumeragi estate for as long as she lived. Goose bumps surfaced on her skin and her hair rose on end. Closing her eyes she attempted to cut off the pain and echoing screams that reverberated in her mind. The man was dead; he had been for decades his evil could not reach her here. The be-speckled man who had introduced himself as Watanuki Kimihiro helped her out of the car and stood before the gate and rang the bell by pulling a long cord. The gate opened swiftly and she found herself looking upon an elderly woman.
"She is not welcome here!" the woman spoke in a creaky voice. "You may be young but I still recognize you! You're that filthy woman who killed my grandfather in cold blood after he trained you and taught everything he knew."
"Trust me I do not wish to enter these gates if I don't have to." Sakura answered coldly.
"Madam your wish for your grandson Subaru Sumeragi to be awakened correct." Watanuki Kimihiro asked.
"Yes but if I would have known that you would bring her, I would not have asked you for assistance." the elderly woman answered angrily.
"She is the only one for the job." Watanuki Kimihiro answered soberly.
The woman reluctantly moved away from the entrance and allowed the three to pass. The woman stood close to Sakura as though at any moment she might strike her down. Sakura ignored the woman and followed Kimihiro as he walked along planked wooden walkways Sakura had walked on before. They entered the sleeping quarters and entered a paper screened room. The man laid on a palate covered in blankets his eyes open but unseeing. Sakura frowned and reluctantly knelt before the man on the palate putting her hand to the smooth cheek.
"Sumeragi Subaru, it is time for you to awaken now. Release your sorrow and walk among us once more." Sakura whispered softly.
The man's eyes filled with tears and he blinked them away. Sakura sighed this man was stubborn he didn't want to feel the pain that was swallowing him.
"My past is my past but I have a new path to follow, you must be the once to hold the balance or the fight between the new dragons of heaven and earth will rise once more."
The man's eyes focused loosing the glassy gaze and the tears flowed more fluidly.
Sakura glanced back to Kimihiro before looking once more at the tortured man before her.
"He was suffered too much trauma, we need a vessel to hold his pain or he will never awaken."
"Perhaps this." Kimihiro answered pulling out a large vase covered in Sakura blossoms.
Sakura swallowed her answer she remembered that vase; she had traded it for a way to get home after her final test. She took the vase and set it before the crying man.
"Suppress the woman this will not be pleasant and I can not be attacked while doing this!" Sakura replied before standing up and raising her hands before her.
The silent Shinto priest pulled the struggling elderly woman back from Sakura entirely.
"Imperial king of gods, thy divinity watches over all four corners. Metal, wood, water, fire, earth, thunder, wind, lightning." Power seemed to fill Sakura her aura pulsing in a visible pink glow.
"Imperial king of the gods, they divinity watches over all four corners. Metal, wood, water, fire, earth, thunder, wind, lightning. Whirling blade of earth answer my call!" The light engulfed the sobbing man entirely.
"Release!" Sakura shouted pulling the vase towards the power before her.
The storm seemed to pull itself out of Subaru Sumeragi stubbornly taking all of its strength as it attempted to stay. Sakura pulled it out forcing it into the vase with all her effort. Panting she yanked the lid of the vase out of Kimihiro's hands and pushed it into the pulsing vase stoppering the sorrow and anger that Subaru Sumeragi was bottling up. Sakura wrapped the vase with the Sakurazukamori sash she had tied around her waist. She handed it to Kimihiro and then wiped the tears from the now wake man.
"The Sakurazukamori have held pain for too long, I forgive you for what your line had done to me. Wear the honor of the Sakurazukamori with pride as my grandson should have done. Somewhere along the line it was tainted and has lost its honor, you can redeem it." Sakura stood glancing at the elderly woman with weary eyes; she was exhausted and hadn't thought she would have to use so much energy.
The room reeked with magic, leaving little air for Sakura to breathe. Kimihiro opened the door leading her out carefully he nodded to the silent Shinto priest. The Priest looked at the woman and held out his hand for payment. The woman sobbed as she pulled her granddaughter's blood stained prayer beads as payment. The priest grunted in compliance before following his group to the vehicle parked outside of the Sumeragi estate.
Sakura silently watched as the world passed by in the car window. In order to release Subaru's pain, she had to forgive his line entirely. She hadn't wanted to, she felt as though the pain was necessary to keep her whole. Now she felt a painful emptiness where her grudge had been.
"I know who you are Kimihiro Watanuki, you are the master of space and time." Sakura whispered to the be-speckled man who sat next to her in the back seat.
"What I don't know is why your aura is entirely identical to my boyfriend's aura. You look exactly like Clow Reed in his younger days. You are definitely not from this time. None the less you owe me Kimihiro Watanuki and you will fulfill my wish right now." Sakura took a long look at her.
"Whatever you wish for Ms. Kinnomoto make sure it is worth it." Kimihiro answered softly.
"I wish for you to use your every effort to help Sayoran through his final test, he isn't aware of how much pain will consume him." Sakura's eyes filled with tears, he was strong and she knew that but when she had returned to her own time, she had felt broken for so long. Healing is a hard process she couldn't bear it if Sayoran did not come back whole.
The car stopped before her house and Kimihiro glanced at her removing his eyeglasses and began polishing them on his inner kimono. His eyes gazed into Sakura's fully, reveling the discoloration. One was pale blue, while the other was a golden brown similar to the Shinto priest's.
"Everything that is in my power." Kimihiro vowed.
Sakura nodded silently before leaving the car and walking back into the house. Kimihiro and Shizuka waited until she entered her house. Shizuka glanced at his lover in the rear view mirror noticing the mist of tears in Kimihiro's eyes.
"This isn't our time is it?" Shizuka asked turning to look directly at Kimihiro.
"The shop is constant preceding all space and time." Kimihiro answered now looking into Shizuka's eyes.
"Your mother." Shizuka paused looking once more at the modern sunny home. "She is quite beautiful."
"Yes she is, isn't she." Kimihiro answered looking directly at the window that Sakura's shadow moved in.