A/N: I own NOTHING!
This is it! If you noticed I've been completely neglecting ALL the CCS crew except for Sakura in the most absolute way and that is for one simple reason: I am very afraid I won't be able to write their characters, but, as I said before, this is it: I'm nine chapters in an I can't neglect them any longer. They are a part of this universe, too, and I have plans for them, mostly Tomoyo, Eriol, and Li (sorry Touya and Yokito, but for now I got no plot for you, though after this chapter I'll see how I feel. That was very cryptic, I know.). What can we expect from our favorite CCS characters? Similar things of how I've tried to portray Sakura: Tomoyo will still be fairly quiet, yet quirky. Li will be the strong and silent type, with slight tenancies towards aggression (which have rubbed off on Sakura a little), and Eriol will still be that mysterious enigma, but with the exception that there all a bit older and wiser, they've matured. For our purposes Tomoyo is 15, Eriol is 16 (45), and Li is 16.
AN IMPORTANT NOTE: I can no longer ignore the language barrier issue. All members of the household are fluent in English and Japanese, while Syaoran is fluent in English, Latin, Japanese, several forms of Chinese and possibly several other native Asian languages (The Li's are just ridiculous this way *smirk*).
Without any further ado:
Chapter 10: I'm fighting in a war
Sakura was at her front door, standing next to a pleasantly smiling Mrs. Weasley, and Ceroberos was floating on her other side.
Mrs. Weasley had magicked trunk down to palm size and Sakura had it as well as several other belongings in a rucksack over her shoulder. She wouldn't need to worry about having to un-magic it, because here she was free to use wizardry as she saw fit. Japan had no Ministry of Magic, per say, because the wizarding population was simply nonexistent here. The other houses of magic that were more prominent (namely sorcerers, monks, and shaman) held a somewhat isolationist policy. They kept to their small groups, or their clans in the case of sorcerers.
The Li clan was by far the most prominent of all the Asian sorcerer clans, but several others, like the Jiang clan based in Beijing and the Takahashi based in Osaka, were also ancient and well established. These clans ran their own affairs with no national government intervention. Their acolytes were taught privately, as Sakura had been by Li, Eriol, and several of Li's mentors. Although Sakura had to admit she greatly preferred the Hogwarts method of teaching over the grueling hours she spent hovering over ancient tomes by lamplight, written in Chinese no less.
Sakura had sent an owl the day she found out when she was going to be returning to Tomoedo, and she learned from the reply that everyone who could make it would be here today for a little homecoming party. She was practicably bouncing on her toe's in titillation. She opened the door, walking in and inviting Mrs. Weasley inside, which she acquiesced, stepping inside and looking about the entry hall happily.
"I'm home!" She said loudly, taking in a deep breath of fresh, cool air that restored her senses and reminded her of how long she had been away. There was a wonderful tranquil feeling that was always associated with one coming home after a long time away, and though her stay at Grimmauld Place was comfortable, she didn't fool herself that she enjoyed being inundated in the dilapidated but decidedly dark magic that clung to the place like disease. She preferred the familiar feel of polished wood floors, clean tiles, and fresh colored walls over decaying dark artifacts, peeling vomit colored wallpaper, and under lit hallways any day.
"Over here, Sakura!" She heard Touya yell from the living room. Sakura promptly began to walk to the living room, gesturing for Mrs. Weasley to follow and Ceroberos floated close behind. She turned the corner and gasped hugely, her mouth opened in a smile. Tomoyo was finishing hanging up a banner that read "Welcome Home Sakura!" over a table arranged with delectable sweets and appetizers and a large bowl of punch. Touya, her father, and Yokito were all standing in a small group, they looked like they had been talking before. Even Naoko and Chiharu were there, standing over by the chair Tomoyo was standing on. Lastly, Syaoran and Meilin was nearest to the exit, standing with small smiles and staring at Sakura.
"Welcome home!" They all shouted at once, and Sakura could hear Mrs. Weasley chuckling softly behind her. Sakura was overtaken, and she ran up to person nearest to her: Syaoran. She was only slightly surprised when he picked her up and spun her around. Sakura laughed gleefully and they kissed passionately briefly, before reality fell on them and they realized they were kissing in front of practically half of all the people they knew. Sakura and Syaoran stared at each other, and their faces turned beet red. Sakura chanced a glance behind Syaoran and observed a mix of amused and uncomfortable grins, with the exception of Touya, who just scowled. Even Mrs. Weasley, who tutted quietly, had a smirk on her face.
Syaoran, who hadn't dare looked behind him yet, said, "Tomoyo has her newest camera fixed on us, doesn't she?"
"Of course," Sakura said, surprised her voice didn't crack from the mortification.
"So," Syaoran said slowly, "How are we going to do this?"
"With dignity, and pretend that nothing out of the ordinary happened."
"Sounds pretty good to me." He said lightly, and Sakura immediately jumped to the next person.
"Meilin!" She said enthusiastically, and embraced her, "It's good to see you again! You don't visit nearly enough!"
With that practically everyone in the room went into hysterics, and continued conversing in their small groups as Sakura made her way around the room.
"How is Hong Kong?"
"Wet." She said dryly, "England?"
Sakura chuckled, "Wet, too, I'm afraid. At least eight inches of snow."
"Sheesh!" Meilin said, making a face.
"And what of this school that Eriol's been raving about?" Syaoran said.
"It's been... amazing!" Sakura said in wonder, but quickly sobered, "but, you two, me, Tomoyo, Eriol, and Ceroberos and Yue need to talk privately and soon, but first we should enjoy the party."
"What, did something come up?" Syaoran said, him and Meilin looking more than a little concerned.
"Yeah," She chuckled at the understatement of the century, "You could say that." Giving a pained expression to Mrs. Weasley, who frowned. Sakura had been in regular contact with Syaoran and the rest of family but had kept silent about the dangers she had been in, or the war she had thrown her lot in.
"Meiling, Syaoran, this is Mrs. Weasley. She's the mother of Ronald, the boy I told you about in my letter?"
"Ah." Syaoran said, bowing politely, "Pleased to meet you! Ron sounds like a... nice guy."
"Nice to meet you." She said, and gave Syaoran a similar bow.
"Mrs. Weasley, this is Syaoran Li and Meilin Li. Syaoran is heir of the Li Corporation and dynasty, and obviously," she said blushing, "my boyfriend. This is Meilin, his cousin and one of my best friends."
The four of the chatted idly for a minute before she excused herself and moved on to Yokito, Touya and her dad.
"That was quite that spectacle you showed there. Not trying to eat the brat, were you, monster?" Sakura narrowed her eyes at Touya, but didn't try to stomp on his foot because her father, Mrs. Weasley and Yokito were there and would see.
"How is England, Sakura?" Yokito said. His quiet speech was another breath of fresh air that reminded Sakura firmly of home.
"Awesome! Yokito, Touya, and Dad, this is Mrs. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley this is my brother Touya, his boyfriend Yokito, and my Dad, Professor Fujitaka Kinomoto."
"Nice to meet you all. Professor? What do you teach?"
"Archeology."
"Exciting!"
Sakura left Mrs. Weasley to talk while she visited Naoko, Tomoyo, and Chiharu, "Tomoyo!" The two embraced briefly, "Naoko! Chiharu! How are you?! How is Takashi, Chiharu?!"
Chiharu smiled warmly, "Takashi and Naoko are working on a fantasy novel!"
"Yeah?"
Naoko nodded, and Chiharu continued, "It's a really good read! You'd be surprised the kind of stuff Takashi's overactive imagination can come up with!"
"Hey!" Naoko said quietly, swatting Chiharu softly, "It's not all Takashi, you know," The four of them laughed at this, and picked up cups of punch.
"What's it about?" Sakura asked.
"Well, its about a girl who fights ghosts with her magical powers, but-"
"Knowing Takashi, nothing is quite as it seems." Sakura said knowingly, and Naoko smiled and nodded.
"So how's England?" Chiharu asked.
"Wizard school!" Naoko said dreamily, and Sakura jumped slightly. She always seemed to forget that almost all of her friends knew her secret. It had made her feel kind of foolish for not telling them in the beginning. She had expected them to make fun of her, or ridicule her, or be afraid of her, but after she was forced to tell them, almost nothing between them changed. Sakura was quite relieved, and she didn't realize just how much energy and concentration she had been putting into keeping the secret.
"It's... well, amazing just doesn't seem to be a good enough word for it!" She told them about her adventures with Ron, Harry, and Hermione, trying with some difficulty to leave out words like "war", "death", "Voldemort", and phrases like "almost got killed" and "evil bakutoni of a teacher!" and "I really want to cause serious harm to Draco Malfoy". She realized with a sigh that she was starting another secret between her friends, but she wanted to tell her closest friends and Syaoran first.
"Sakura," she turned, it was Mrs. Weasley, "Thank you for your hospitality, but I must return to England. After all, a house full of food doesn't prepare itself, you know! I'll be back on New Year's Day to pick you up, have a good vacation!"
Sakura bid the kindly woman farewell and then mingled with her family and friends for another hour or so, before the party slowly began to disband. When Chiharu and Naoko left, Sakura grabbed Yokito, Meilin, Li, and Ceroberos and slipped out onto the small back yard with the excuse that she was going to play some yard games. Thankfully, Touya had to work an hour earlier. She had decided that it would be best if Touya didn't know about what she was doing in England.
"I contacted Eriol, he'll be here any second now."
"Where's he coming from?"
"Teleporting from his estate in England. So, whats wrong, Sakura? You sounded quite urgent."
"Yes, the matter is urgent, but we'll wait for Eriol. Yokito," Sakura turned and gave him a soft hug, "I need you to do me a favor and not tell Touya about what your about to learn through Yue."
Yokito closed his eyes in a big smile, "Just like I haven't told him that your life has been in grave danger twice?"
"What-!" Sakura said to Yokito, while Syaoran said it to Sakura simultaneously. Tomoyo and Meilin simply stared at Sakura with wide eyes.
"Yue can sense when your endanger, too, Sakura."
"Ahh," She smiled at her own forgetfulness.
"What does Yue mean by 'grave danger'?"
Sakura smiled uncomfortably, almost in a grimace, "When Eriol gets here, I'll expl-"
"Hello Sakura! Hello my cute little descendant!" Eriol was walking around the house, "Ah! I see the whole group is here! This must be important!"
"It is!" Sakura broke from Yokito, and asked politely, "Sorry, Yokito, but we really need Yue right now."
Yokito nodded slowly with his trademark spacy smile and in an instant white wings were wrapped around him and in the next moment, the tall form of Yue was standing next to Sakura.
Sakura stood in front of the group of five assembled before her, all waiting anxiously for an explanation, with the exception of Yue, who remained stoic as ever, and Eriol who waited patiently with a slight smile on his face.
"So, do you want the quick version, or the long version?" she said uncomfortably.
"How about both?" Eriol said, "Why don't you start with the short version and go from there?"
"Okay." Sakura said, her eyes larger than they should be, and she took a big swallow, gathering her courage, "I'm fighting in a war."
"WHAT!" Syaoran, Meilin, and Tomoyo said all at once, Ceroberos simply winced, his expression clearly saying 'not going easy on them, are you'.
So Sakura explained to them about the wizarding world and how they were in a war against an evil that had just been awoken several months ago, a man named Voldemort, the very same man whom the three of them sensed that day seven and half months ago. She told them that after seeing their world, and meeting the key players, she had decided that she would join this fight, and she had been made member a group dedicated to defeating Voldemort once and for all.
She told them about Harry, and his friends Ron and Hermione, how he had lost most of his childhood to this madman, and how he had been fighting him since he was eleven years old. She told them about the stupid Umbridge woman, and about Lupin, and Fred and Geroge and dreams with snakes and poor Mr. Weasley. She poured everything about the last month and a half out to the group in front of her. After ten minutes of explaining she took a very deep breath and let it out slow. It was nice to vent her problems.
"Sakura," Syaoran said slowly, almost sadly, "Why didn't you tell us?"
"I'm telling you now because I wanted to tell you in person."
"Sakura, you can't be serious about fighting in... in a war?" he said still slowly, disbelieving.
"Syaoran," Sakura said simpathetically, knowing it would effect him worst of all, and them Tomoyo, but she would figure things out with her next, "We are sorcerers, and I am the Mistress of the Clow Cards. You and me both know that its my duty to use my abilities to fight evil, and right now Voldemort is probably the greatest form of evil on the planet. Honestly, It's a miracle that they've held out this long, let alone beat him the first time he was here."
"Yes," he said, grudgingly, then came to full height, "Your right, but as Syaoran Li, it is my duty to protect you, and more than that, you know I love you and don't want you in harms way." Sakura felt herself melt, after four years this man still couldn't say that he loved her without blushing like a completely adorable fool, "So, I should come back with you?"
Sakura stopped for a second, her mouth opening, "I don't know, Syaoran. The ministry repealed almost all of the educational provisions that Dumbledore has made over his career, including the exchange program. The only reason I'm still there is because someone with Dumbledore on the Wizengamot managed the articles being repealed to be grandfathered in, so it doesn't affect me. It would be difficult."
At this, Sakura felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked to see Eriol standing next to her smiling at her and Syaoran, "Lets not worry about that right now, Syaoran, I'll see what tinkering I can do." And Sakura realized just how serious the situation was when Eriol referred to Syaoran by first name.
Sakura then turned to Tomoyo and Meilin, "What about you, Tomoyo how do you feel about all this."
"Actually," She said, with a smile, "I think I'm okay with this, but I've never wished I could do magic more than now, if just that it meant I could go back with you and capture your latest adventure on video!" She sighed breathily, that dreamy look going onto her face. Sakura smiled, some things never change. Thank goodness! "Will you teach me, Eriol?"
"Sure" He said, almost as if it were a conversation of no consequence.
"Teach her magic, you can do that?" Meilin said, skeptically.
"Well, sort of. I can teach her to use Druidic Magic. Have you noticed, Sakura?"
"Noticed what?" Tomoyo said, excitement building, after all she had been completely joking.
"Well, you have no magic, but you have excellent perception. There's been many times over the years that you've noticed people coming long before anyone else has, you've felt things that none of us have, and can see things from a different perspective than anyone else-"
"Not to mention that you have a knack for sensing people's true feelings," Syaoran said, pulling Sakura close to him, "Of which I'm very grateful for." Tomoyo giggled.
"All of these things add up to a high potential for Druidic magic," Eriol explained, "Druids have little magic of their own, but they are so in tuned with the world around them that can use the magic of places, the very magic that is put into exsistance when something is created, or the natural magic that exist in everything."
"I-I'm really going to learn magic!?!" Tomoyo said in an uncharacteristic shriek.
"I was saving this for your birthday, but yes, your going to learn magic."
Tomoyo jumped over to him and wrapped her arms around him, "Thank you!"
The blush on Eriol's face didn't escape Sakura.
"What about me!" Meilin said, trying not to look hurt. The fact that she was the one person in a family of sorcerers who couldn't do magic was an old and painful wound, "Can you teach me Druidic magic?"
"Sorry, Meilin" He said, "Don't count yourself out yet, though. I sense great things from you, I just haven't figured it out yet." Meilin looked appeased by this, buy Sakura wasn't done yet.
"There's more," Sakura said, and instantly composure swept across the group, "Voldemort has hired two mercenaries to deliver me personally to him. Two sorcerer mercenaries."
Eyes went wide as she revealed this fact.
"They're powerful, too. On two separate occasions they almost defeated me. I would have lost iff something unexpected hadn't turned the tide, first Ceroberos appeared, then Harry Potter."
"They almost beat you? I mean, Sakura, your the most powerful sorcerer in half a millennium!" Syaoran said.
"I know, I know. I couldn't- I mean I didn't want to-"
"You didn't want to kill them." Tomoyo said plainly and Sakura shook her head.
"I mean, I've never k-killed anyone before," Sakura said, turning slightly green, "and I can sense good in them. In fact, I sense almost no evil at all, only... a troubled life, perhaps."
"It's a lot to think about," Syaoran said.
"Sakura," Meilin said sympathetically, "I know it's going to be hard for you, especially you... but you are in a war. It's pretty likely... that you'll have to take another human life in order to stay alive. You're going to have to deal with that fact, and sooner rather than later."
"I know," she said sadly, "but not these two. Not Miame and Zachary. I don't know what it is, but... I don't know... It won't be them... I will not murder them."
* * *
Zachary Trenton was freaking out. He was sitting in a chair lightly padded chair that did nothing to comfort him. The wooden door opened that was next to him opened and he jumped up.
"Is she alright?"
The man who had come out of the door had kind blue eyes and about a weeks worth of growth on his chin, he was in a blue scrub with a white apron, clearly a doctor.
"She'll be fine, just a moderate concussion and some scrapes and burns," Zachary sighed in relief, "Are you going to tell me how she got these injuries, or are should I get the NYPD and file a report?"
"Of course," Zachary said without pretense, "My sister and me are sorcerers. We were in Great Britain fighting another sorcerer and we she got injured!"
The doctor, who had heard many queer stories in his day, but nothing quite as far fetched as this, simply stared at Zachary with an opened mouth.
"As you can see," Zachary said emphatically, "Telling the truth doesn't get me far, usually. So here's where we do one of two things, you can make up some cock n' bull story and we can pay you for services rendered, or when my sister is recovered we can just disappear as if we never were here at all."
At this the doctor finally lost it, "Sorcerers?" He was laughing rather hard. He hadn't heard such a good joke in a long time, and boy was it ever a good one. Magic of all things, "So in other words: 'No, sir, I'm not going to tell you. Yes, you should go call the NYPD.' I'll go make the call now, then." He said, getting up.
"Can I visit her, then?" Zachary sighed. This is why Zachary hadn't paid a single bill relating to medical expenses in over five years. The police always wanted to know, and they were usually far two smart for their own good, so any stories he made up weren't good enough. They saw through lies, and would try to lock him in a mental institution for the truth.
He opened the door slowly and stepped in. His sister was beautiful, it wasn't a fact that escaped him. Even there, lying on the hospital bed, breathing slowly and bandages on her arms and a couple of Band Aids on her face, she was a truly beautiful woman. Her skin was pale, and her hair blue, and her eyes a shocking shade of impossible emerald. She didn't deserve this, and it certainly wasn't his dream for her. He didn't want her to go off looking for targets and collecting on bounties (which could be almost as dangerous). He wanted his little nineteen year-old sister to find someone special, settle down, live out a happy, successful and full live that was as beautiful as she is. That had always been his wish for her, but apparently what she wanted now was more like what he wanted for himself.
His story was simple and sad, just like he was: They had grown up impossibly poor, and far too fast. Their parents farm couldn't support them, so they left to New York City, the city of wealth and dreams. Zachary often wondered if New York was called 'The Big Apple' because their was enough for everyone to have a bite, plenty of pie for everyone to have a piece of it. Instead, he found that the apple was rotten, and anyone who haddn't brought lunch with them and was forced to eat the apple simply died. His mother became diseased, and soon she left the three of them. He didn't like to think of his kindly mother, so righteous even to steal medication for herself, dying like that. Dying in a world that didn't deserve people like her.
His father worked odd jobs, trying to support them. He would steal food and supplies if he couldn't cut it. They all worked. It was seamless, almost stable. Then he was gone. It was that simple. He went to work one day and never returned. There was dozens of things that could have happened to him, none better than any of the others. He could have been caught stealing, got involved with one of the local gangs, or simply left them alone. The last option was alien to him. His father wasn't perfect. He was a thief and not nearly as kind and loving as his mother, especially after her death, but he was as good a father as any and he wouldn't just abandon them. That was when him and his sister had brown hair.
It was pathetic to him how he could divide his life in half by hair color.
So after the third day and still nothing, they left. They took what they could carry inn their packs and left for good. They wanted to leave the city, but the filthy streets held onto them. They couldn't leave without money, and they couldn't make money here. After all, employment opportunities for two street urchins were undesirable at best, non-existent at worst. They were on their last legs, no food, no where to stay, things were bad. Thats when they met Mr. Yama.
They had hidden out behind his shop in an ally, waiting for sleep to consume their tired bodies, when they were attacked by a street gang. It could have been a band of street bums like him and his sister, looking for any food they could steal off of them. Mr. Yama stepped out of the back of shop, holding a staff and told them if they valued their lives, then they'd leave now. They ran off, laughing at the crazy old man, waving his stick at them. Little did they know just how much danger they could have been in.
What Mr. Yama next would stay with Zachary for his entire life. He reached out and, with the hand that wasn't holding the staff, reached down and said, "Get your bum off the street, son. Your meant to do much greater things." Zachary didn't remember taking his hand.
Together, the three of them lived together. It was, without a doubt, the best time of his life. Mr. Yama was impossibly honest. He didn't faulter, nor beat around the bush when he told them about magic, and that they were, in fact, sorcerers. That he would be teaching them how to use their magic.
They stayed there, and trained for three years. He taught them everything, from mathematics to world culture. Then one day he told them one day that he had something important to tell them. It was in his shop of curiosities, that he told them that it was prophesied that the two of them should have his most precious possessions. It was that day that he gave them the Sentinel Stones. They were two stones he knew very little about, only that it would give them extraordinary abilities if they were truly the ones that were the ones meant to own them.
They took the two amulets and everything changed.
He was shaken out of his reverie by a slight moan as his sister shook herself awake.
"Zachary?" She said.
"I'm here, are you feeling better?" He asked quietly.
"Where are we?"
"St. Marsis Hospital on Staten Island. You've been injured, a concussion. Nothing too major."
She was quiet for a moment, "We're not too far from Mr. Yama's shop. We should go visit him when we leave."
"We should, but I think we'd better put off the visit until we've finished what we set out to do."
"Okay," Miame said tiredly, "Any news?"
"A bit, actually. The bad kind, too."
"Yeah?"
"We've been had. Voldemort doesn't have that kind of money and he's been lying to us completely."
She was quiet again, before responding, "That is bad."
"Theres more. The information he told us, about how she was connected with the evil that we're supposed to help defeat?"
"Yeah?"
"We've been fighting in the wrong side. I just got word from the oracle in Siberia. Voldemort is the evil we should we helping destroy, not Sakura!"
"This is really bad!" Miame said, sitting up more alert.
The two stared at each other for a long time before Miame said disparagingly, "What have we done?"
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I hope it helps explain a lot about the two 'villains' Miame and Zachary.
Yomoyo with magic? Your either cheering or sneering at this idea. If your cheering, then your with me, and you like the idea of Sakura's best friend there with her. I always loved Tomoyo as a character and want to see more of her. Also, Sakura says that if I keep her from her friend too much longer she's going to sick Ceroberos on me. If your sneering than I say: "Don't worry! It's going to work just fine! (I hope!)". Tomoyo's powers are going to be fitting of her. She will not be powerful like Sakura, Eriol, or Dumbledore, but just powerful to make a difference and to make an impression, and if thats still not good enough, than take consolation in the fact that she wont get her powers for a LONG time, like maybe not even in this story! It was a hard decision giving her magic.
For anyone who doesn't know, NYPD stands for New York Police Department. My shout-out and respect to all men and women who wear a uniform.