Chapter 2
The New Home
The flight was not as long as I remembered it. Perhaps when you are younger time seems to pass more slowly. I was happy to do this with the people I love, knowing I was not alone yet afraid of the unknown. We left early morning and were there by late afternoon. Wei, the Li family's butler, was waiting for us at the airport. He had brought a car big enough for us to ride in and drove us to the Li mansion, where we were to stay during my training. Wei was as polite as I remembered him and seemed genuinely happy to see me but even more excited to see Syaoran. I knew they were close and it brought happiness to my heart to know Syaoran will be with his family this time.
We drove for about an hour, moving away from the big city until we reached the mansion. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by Syaoran's sisters who were fussing over Yukito, my brother, Syaoran and me. I almost missed her in the craziness of the moment but once I heard her voice I knew exactly who she was.
"Nihao Sakura-chan, Xia Lang" Meiling greeted with a smile.
"Meiling! I missed you, I am so glad you are here" I told her, truly happy to see my old friend. She had visited Japan the year prior but only briefly.
"I am happy to see you too. I do not live with aunt Yelan but I wanted to stop by and see you as soon as I found out you were coming!"
"I am in your care" I told her with a smile. I could not help but feel happy. I hoped with all my heart that we could get past this situation and remain in this moment for as long as possible. Kero was happy to be able to come out and be himself while we were here but the liberty to move about was short-lived... as soon as he saw Meiling he started picking fights with her. Meiling was not faced by it and returned each insult as quickly as she received them. I think deep down they liked each other and this was the way they showed it (albeit not the healthiest).
Yelan cleared her throat and got everyone's attention. It was obvious Syaoran's mother was the leader of the family and she was respected by all of her children and extended family. Yelan gestured for me to follow her and took me inside the house showing me around once more and leading all of us to our bedrooms.
My room was spacious and had a bathroom inside. There was a big bed in the middle of the room, a desk and a chair in one corner near a window with a small balcony leading to the courtyard, and a television hanging from a wall on the opposite end with a sitting chair and a small table in front of it. I had never had a room this big to myself and I could tell someone had decorated it with my taste in mind. The sheets were a soft pink color and the room had Japanese decorations all over, perhaps to make me feel at home. I was thankful for the hospitality.
"I like this room Sakura, the bed is big enough for me too!" Kero said excitedly flying from corner to corner exploring the room.
"I am afraid this room is for Sakura-chan only, Keroberos" Said Yelan "She is a young woman after all, she needs her own privacy"
"I will have my own room, yippy! Videogames all night" Kero seemed to be okay with it so I ignored the sadness threatening to get to me at the thought of being completely alone in this room, I had never been alone after all.
"Yes, it's right next to Sakura's of course, as her protector. You can share your room with Yukito-san if you would like or we can arrange for a separate room for each of you"
"That won't be necessary, Li-san, Yukito and I will be sharing a room but thank you for your hospitality" Touya said politely, Yelan nodded in understanding while Kero yelled how happy he was that the Li family knew how to treat him with the respect he deserved after all. My brother and Yukito were then showed to a different room some doors down from my room.
"Sakura, I have to meet with my mother soon, let's meet up some other time, maybe we can have a sleep over?" Meiling asked, sensing my worry about being alone in that room. I nodded and thanked her as I watched her leave.
"In the opposite side of this floor are our family quarters, you can come and go to any other areas as you see fit. From today onwards, this is your home. I have some business to take care of now, if you need anything please feel free to ask any of my daughters, my son, Wei or the staff." Yelan concluded.
We all bowed in respect as she left. Syaoran told me he needed to take care of something as well and he told us to rest and get acquainted with the house. He reminded all of us that dinner would be served at 7 pm in the main dining room and after ensuring I did not need anything, he left as well. We all returned to our assigned rooms to organize our personal belongings, to rest, and to freshen up before dinner.
In truth I was thankful for the time to rest, I was very tired. I had captured a new card a few days ago and my strength was leaving me. The card "Mirror" had not put up a fight but sealing it drained me for some reason. I had 20 cards so far and I wondered if there were more missing still. I fell asleep before I knew it and I didn't wake until I heard a soft knock in the door. In my sleepy state I just managed to say "come in" before thinking and with surprise I saw Syaoran approach me slowly, worry visible on his face.
"I knew you would be sleeping, you looked very tired on the way here, did you get some rest"
"Yes, I am sorry I fell asleep, what time is it?" I started to look frantically for a clock, hoping I had not been asleep for long.
"It's 10 o'clock"
"I am sorry, how rude of me, I missed dinner didn't I?"
"We didn't want to wake you up, we knew you were tired so don't worry. Are you hungry? I brought some food for you" He glanced to the table near the door and I could see a tray with some food.
"Thank you" I blushed. He fetched the tray and brought it to the bedside table while I sat down. I was feeling very hungry as I had skipped lunch due to feeling nervous about traveling.
"Mother wants training to start as soon as possible, I will help you and train with you as well" Syaoran smiled, giving me some sense of calmness, I was very nervous about this training I did not know much about, but knowing Syaoran was by my side made me feel more confident.
"What does this training entitle?" I asked, still wanting more information. I had not seen Syaoran or his mother after they came to bring me the news in my home a week ago and until leaving Japan, so we had not been able to talk until now.
"Magic feeds from many things. From our emotions, our power, our strength. You will train in meditation to control your emotions, magic using the new cards, casting spells to help control your power, and martial arts to increase your physical strength."
"What about school?" We were supposed to start our 8th grade in Japan this school year but with our sudden departure I was unsure if academics were still on the table.
"It was decided we will be tutored here at the mansion and that you will have additional classes to learn Chinese"
"Makes sense" I said while I ate, taking it all in.
"I am sorry Sakura, I know you miss home, and your father. If you ever need anything, no matter how small, talk to me, okay?"
"Okay, but you too"
Syaoran was surprised by my statement, he did not know I had noticed, but I had. I knew very well he was hiding something since his return to Japan, probably to protect me.
"Sakura, I am sorry for holding back. I didn't want to scare you, I just wanted to find a way to protect you. If I could find a solution without worrying you..."
"It's okay" I interrupted him "I know that, I knew something was wrong, but I also know I am not alone. Let's rely on each other from now on, no secrets? Please" I pleaded, not wanting to be weak anymore.
"No secrets" He reluctantly agreed "I suppose you want to know what has me worried?" After I nodded he continued "You may not know this but there are several clans and organizations around the world just like the Li Clan with families of sorcerers. One such organization is located in England and our information states a powerful sorcerer was expelled from it for stealing a very important magical object. Hiragizawa was investigating more about it, thinking this sorcerer may be connected to what has been happening. This sorcerer is very powerful and good at protecting himself, so we still don't know what he took and for what motive. Being expelled from an organization like that one is a big deal. We believe he may be after you, because you have a lot of magic which may help him in some way."
I gasped, finally grasping the seriousness of the situation "You think the cards are his doing?" I asked.
"No, at first I thought so but now it's clear to me that the person behind the cards is none other than you"
"Me? What do you mean? How could I?"
"Sakura, your power is growing so much you are unconsciously making cards, just like Clow did on his time except that he consciously did so"
"Unconsciously? That's impossible!"
"Your power is growing at immeasurable speed, when you think of something or worry about something, your power is attaching itself to objects and places and makes cards. It is no coincidence that they resemble the Sakura Cards, cards that mean so much to you" It made sense, but it was hard to take in, I never thought I could do such a thing.
"How do I stop? What about the Sakura Cards?"
"We still don't know everything. We think that teaching you how to control your magic will help with the creation of new cards. As far as the Sakura Cards, perhaps it is a curse or a seal, we are still investigating. China is the safest place for you right now, especially with this new sorcerer in the picture, our home offers magical protection and we are here to protect you too"
I knew Syaoran wanted to make me feel better, take my worries away. I was thankful for the gesture and for his honesty, but the information mixed with my tiredness, emotions, and all the changes that were about to take place got to me and before I knew it I was crying. Syaoran held me in his arms until I calmed down, he made me lay down in bed as a new wave of tiredness overtook my body and kissed my forehead good night before taking the empty plates in the tray and leaving the room.
That night I dreamed of my Sakura Cards. It was bittersweet. I missed my friends, I was happy to see them again even if only in this dream. Sadness shortly overtook me knowing that they were lonely, slowly dying. I knew I needed to be strong. For my family, for my friends, my beloved cards and myself. I needed to believe in my invincible spell now more than ever so I told myself "Everything will be alright" before the dream ended.
