Nice big chapter here. Biggest I've written yet for this story. I'm so proud. Thanks everyone who reviewed last time. And people who read this, please review. I really like reviews.

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"Time!"

'He's using another card!' She looked behind her, and saw the tenju suspended in mid air, with frozen flames engulfing it.

"Hurry." Shaoran croaked weakly. "I can't keep it up much longer. We need to hide."

"Right!" She agreed, and began to travel down towards the forest.

Suddenly the wand felt much lighter.

She looked over, and saw Shaoran hurling towards the ground. He had finally blacked out, and fallen off of the wand.

"Shaoran!" She began to dive after him, plummeting at a neck breaking speed heading towards the deadly branches of the trees.

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Cherry Blossoms and Magic

Chapter 7~
Newfound Ability Discovered.

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She was diving/falling after him, urging the wand to go faster.

The trees where now growing larger by the second as she approached, signaling that she was getting dangerously close, but she was almost to him. Almost.

He was now less than 20 feet away, the distance between them disappearing fast.

"Please get closer." She pleaded to the wand. "Please." She was utterly relived when she felt the wand give a small boost of speed, which caused her to meet up with him. She wrapped a free arm around him as they continued to plummet.

"STOP!" However, the momentum continued to increase.

WHOOSH!

She had just entered the trees, the shield card blocking branches, but causing it to take a bigger toll on her powers.

"Pull... up!" She shouted as the pulled with all the strength she had in one arm. It didn't work.

Her head became more lighter as she heard more branches snap.

"Please..."

Suddenly the branches cleared, and she saw the ground come up to meet her to what she thought would be her death.

At the last possible second, the wand went from vertical, to horizontal, and slowed down as it transformed back into a wand.

Sakura, still clutching onto Shaoran, saw the wand crash into a tree before she blacked out too, before hitting the ground.

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Shaoran opened his eyes to a sweet scent, and bolted up strait, blushing bright red.

He had been using the girl as a pillow, and she had had an arm wrapped around him.

During the whole incident, even when hitting the ground, she managed to keep hold of him.

He looked around. The last thing he could remember was him warning her to hurry up because he was getting weaker. After that, he must of blacked out.

His gaze was torn from the woods around him, back to the girl as she moaned, a slight frown appearing on her face.

He saw out of the corner of his eye her wand yards away on the ground.

'How did it get there?'

He went over and picked it up, and walked back to her. She shifted her position in her sleep.

He sat down next to her, trying to figure out what could of happened after he blacked out. He looked above to the tree canopy, and was surprised to see a giant hole through it strait to the sky, and an odd assortment of branches and leaves below it.

She must of dove after him after he blacked out, but he knew at the time she didn't have much power left. For the shield card to do that to the trees it would have to take much of her powers.

That's when it dawned on him. She had saved his life.

He felt a sense of sadness, and looked back at her. A tear slid down her cheek. She was crying in her sleep.

This troubled him, and he felt he should wake her up.

"Kinomotto-san?" He questioned as he lightly shook her. "Wake up."

He gave her another light shake, and her eyes flew opened with a "Oni-chan?"

She blushed slightly seeing it was him who woke her.

"Gomen, she whispered as she looked away embarrassed.

"Are you hurt?" He asked.

"No, I don't think so. Are you?" She asked, looking back at him with concern.

"I'm fine." He got up, and leaned against a tree a few feet away.

He watched silently, not knowing what to do as more tears came to her eyes.

"Do you think they're OK?" She whipped her tears away as she said this.

He looked away to the canopy, and remained silent for a moment before finally answering.

"I don't think they're dead."

Her expression turned her whole face bright with this little bit of hope. "You really do?"

"Yes." He looked away again, otherwise he probably wouldn't be able to stop looking at her. "No one can get rid of Eriol that easily."

In the corner of his eye, he saw her smile at this.

A wind blew, rustling all the leaves in the trees.

She sighed after a while. "I wonder where Kero went. I think I lost him after I dived down."

"No you didn't, mphhh, Sakura-chan!" Came a reply behind a giant leaf.

Sakura lifted it quickly, and grinned seeing her guardian friend, then after a minute, looked questionably to the rice ball he was eating.

"Where did you get that?" He looked at her, smiled, and returned to eating it.

She immediately stuck her hands into the giant bow on her back which was used also as a pocket, and her hands met moist rice.

"KEROOOO!"

He continued eating, pretending to have done nothing wrong.

She began whipping the rice off of her hands. "You know you aren't supposed to keep food in there." She said angrily.

"Gomen." He said as he finished the last chunk of rice, then flew to her shoulder.

"That Gaki is right." He began.

"Don't call him 'Gaki' Its rude, and he's too old to be one." She chastised.

"Whatever." Was Kero's answer as he looked to Shaoran at the tree. Any way, Clow Reed's reincarnation couldn't be killed that easily. The tenju just transported them somewhere."

Sakura was deeply relied with this. 'Now both Li-san and Kero say they're alive. That's proof enough.'

"We'll have to get them back." She said as she looked to no one in particular with total determination. She got up, and brushed the leaves, and what was left of the rice, off her kimono. She spotted her wand next to her, and picked it up.

"You can't use magic yet, Sakura-chan." Kero stated.

"Why?"

"The tenju sucked up most of your magic. Practically all of it. You nap has let you regain only a tiny bit of it left. Its going to be a day till you regain it all again. Same with Gaki."

"Kero." She warned in almost a growl.

Kero decided to change the subject. "I am so proud of you, Sakura!" He hugged her as best as he could. His eyes shinning the way Tomoyo's sometimes did. "You handled your cards like a pro!" He looked towards Shaoran. "Though, you really didn't need to save HIM."

"Kero." She said again, embarrassed with his continuous rashness towards him.

"Ahhh, but my Sakura-chan is so kind! She'd try to bandage a wounded tiger if she could! Clow reed couldn't of rescued the Gaki better than you!" He stopped a minute, considering what he had just said. "OK, maybe he could, but his reincarnation sure couldn't!" His grin changed after he saw that the mention of Eriol made her sad again. "Well get them back! Tomoyo needs to cook!"

Sakura smiled. "Got that right. I can't feed you all by myself."

Kero beamed.

"We need to plan what we'll do next." Shaoran interjected.

Sakura looked from Kero to Shaoran. "Do you have any idea what we need to do?"

He gazed at her for a moment, noticing how the light coming through the leaves in in the trees played over her features. He again tore himself away, and looked back at their surroundings.

"We should make it back to the city, and then find out where HE lives. I imagine its most likely he has them at his home. Once we find out about where he lives, we can plan on from there."

"All right." Sakura agreed with him. "Kero?"

"Hai. Sakura-chan?"

"Go up and see which way the city is, will you."

Kero stretched out his wings, and shoot up through the trees in seconds, then came back down after a minute, and landed on her shoulder.

"That way." He said, pointing in a direction.

"Ariagto." She said as she moved out in the chosen direction. "Lets go, Li-san!" She called back to him with a smile.

Shaoran stood up strait from the tree, and began to follow the now determined girl.

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Eriol sat in pure darkness. He couldn't see an inch in front of his face it was so black.

He had already tried once to use a fire spell, but it failed miserably. The room had a magic neutralizer about it, stopping all spells from being conducted.

He sat up strait, and continued focusing on building up his powers. Mahoutsukai couldn't keep him in there forever.

He sensed the girl Tomoyo wake up in the room next to his. She instantly began to cry, and he attempted to send her soothing thoughts, no knowing if the neutralizer would block telepathy.

She instantly quieted down. Well at least he knew something else about the room.

"I wonder how the little wolf and cherry blossom are doing..."

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"Li-san?" Sakura whispered. They had just reached the outskirts of Kyoto, and where hiding behind a giant tree from view.

"Hai?"

"Do you have any... ughhh... more native clothing? Your robes sort of stand out."

At the mention of his robes he looked down at them. She was right, the long sleeves of them where meant to attract attention, especially in a fight. The darkness of the color screamed "rich" (fabric is more expensive the darker the color), and plus the fact that the robes looked nothing Japanese.

"No." He finally answered.

"Well we really ought to get you some." She then turned her head to Kero. "Kero, is it the illusion card that can make people see things?"

"Hai, but I don't think you should use it yet."

"I'll be fine." She said as she took out the card. "May I, Li-san?"

Shaoran didn't know what she planned, but he gave her a nod anyway.

"Sakura, I really don't think you have enough magic for a spell!" Kero practically yelled.

"Don't worry. Illusion, make people see Li Shaoran wearing Japanese men's dress instead of Chinese."

"Nice spell, Sakura." Kero commented sarcastically.

When the illusion card finished, and turned back into a card, Shaoran was now wearing a green men's kimono with samurai pants. (And those cool looking sandals. ^_^) They where still rich looking clothing, but they would be less conspicuous.

Shaoran looked wide eyes down to his new clothing, and looked awkwardly to the two long swords at his waist. 'I'll use my sword, thank you.'

"Sakura!"

She began to sway to the side.

Shaoran grabbed her and steadied her before she feel.

"Thank you." She whispered, hand on her forehead.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO USE MAGIC!"

"Quiet down Kero, I just need a minute." She said, and after a few seconds she was able to stand on her own again.

"You sure your OK?" Shaoran questioned with more concern than he meant to show.

"Yes, I'm fine." She replied, color returning to her cheeks.

"Well, I gotta say, Sakura. Good job. You made the Chinese Gaki now looks like a Japanese one!"

Sakura chose to ignore this.

"Shut up, child's toy."

"Make me, card master wannabe."

They where now glaring at each other, continuing yelling at each other.

"Stop it you two, people are looking this way!" Sakura hissed.

People pulling their carts down the nearby road did in deed hear odd noises coming from the woods.

Shaoran and Kero stopped when Sakura said this.

After a minute of silence, the people continued on their way, thinking the noises to come form some meddlesome forest spirit.

Minutes later people looked up from their houses and booths to see a girl a warrior emerge from the forest. People instantly smiled private smiles to their own conclusions to what the young couple where doing in the forest.

Once it seemed that people weren't giving them much attention, Sakura continued on with her questions.

"So how are we going to find out where Mahoutsukai lives?"

"Ask a soldier along the street." Shaoran responded.

"What if he asks what business we have there?"

"Then we tell him a lie."

"Whats the lie?"

"I don't know. I'm not that familiar with Japanese customs, so maybe you should come up with it."

Shaoran was a bit surprised on how used to her he had gotten to her, when he had only known her for less than 2 days. He was actually OK with working with her as a partner. She saving him proved her worth to him, and he had now accepted her as CO-owner of the cards. Though he wouldn't tell her that.

"Hmmmmm." She was beginning to try thinking of a story.

"You can try the magician bit again!" came the voice from her obi, which she immediately shove her hands into, squeezing Kero to be quiet.

Luckily, the passerby's didn't seem to have noticed a voice coming from the girl's obi.

"We can't do that again, Kero, and you can't talk right now."

After she removed her hands from the obi, a light muttering came from it. She ignored it.

She began to think again.

"How about..." She had began to walk in front of Shaoran backwards, facing him. "We say where going there for jobs, and we need directions."

"Jobs?"

"Umhmmm." She nodded.

"All right, what do I do." He said, trying not to pay to much attention to her, which was hard to do when she was right in front of him.

Instead, he began counting the many people who she almost ran into, but where lucky enough to see her first.

"You're taking a job as one of his personal guards!"

He nodded, it made sense. "And you?"

"Your sister who travels with you."

"You don't look like me. People wouldn't believe we're related."

"Oh?" She questioned. "How about if I walked around glaring at people all the time." When she said this, she attempted to make what was a pathetic excuse of his glare. Shaoran found this rather amusing, and a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.

It was gone so fast, Sakura was almost sure she didn't see it. Almost.

"Hoeee! You smiled! Ofph!"

"Watch it!" The man she just bumped into yelled.

"Gomen Nasai." She said as she gave him a quick little bow, and then returned to Shaoran, this time walking next to him.

"You did smile!" She continued.

There was a pause before Shaoran answered; "So what if I did?"

"Nothing. Its just I haven't seen you smile."

'You and pretty much everyone else in existence.' He thought.

"You know, if you smile more, you'd attract more girls."

"Do you think I need help in that department?" Shaoran asked casually.

Sakura blushed. "I guess your right." She could not believe she had said that.

They where still walking, each keeping an eye out for a soldier.

"Again, you couldn't be mistaken as my sister, even with your poor attempt at a glare."

"Hoeee." She let out, and went back to thinking.

"How about a cousin?" He brought up.

"Won't work. It's odd and very rare for someone to be responsible for a cousin. She would usually live with a sibling, or her parents. That or she'd get married."

They where walking in silence again, neither really daring to bring up the suggestion of being married.

"How about that." Sakura finally said, not looking at him.

"What." He questioned, finding his swords amiss (they weren't really) and began adjusting them.

"Say that we're married." She practically squeaked.

A red tint appeared on his cheeks, went unnoticed by Sakura who was now blushing furiously at her suggestion.

"Then, if we say that, then guys would be less likely to bug me!" She backed up.

That made sense. "All right."

They each continued looking strait, each too embarrassed to look at the other.

The streets where becoming more crowded, and by the position of the sun in the sky, Shaoran assumed it to be around 4.

"Look, Li-san! There's a guard!" Shaoran looked to where she was pointing, to next corner, where a man in soldier garb was turning, finishing a round.

"Go talk to him." She said as she pushed him in the direction of the guard, causing him to think maybe she's a little too used to him.

"Why do I have to?"

"Because its proper. Now one would send his wife to ask a man for directions."

"It will make me look like an idiot!"

"GAKI!" Hissed her obi. He glared at it uselessly as she began pushing him in the guard's direction again.

"Why do you care what he thinks?" She asked, she had finally stopped pushing him.

"Fine, but won't my accent give me away?" He did know he had a slight accent. He was mainly just making up excuses.

Sakura already had an answer. "He won't recognize you as Chinese because he's probably never meant anyone Chinese before. He'll just assume your from another part of Japan, like Kero with his Osaka dialect."

"Don't compare me to him!" Kero shouted through the fabric.

"Shut up Kero, you want to attract more attention?" She asked.

"Don't have to get all uptight about it." Came the reply.

She sighed. She really hoped nobody noticed her talking to her obi. Kero sounded kinda mad. 'He must be getting hungry.'

She turned to see the guard studying them now. She smiled a fake, nervous smile, and got behind Shaoran and gave him a final push in the guards direction.

He looked back at her. She smiled more, and gave a bow. 'Sheesh.'

"Do you let your woman always talk to you like that?" The guard asked as he approached him. Sakura had stayed where she was, but could still overhear.

"It's non of your concern."

The guard looked at Shaoran like he was measuring him up, and kept his mouth shut.

"Can you tell me where Mahoutsukai lives?"

At this the guard looked at him curiously, eyebrows raised. "Why would you want to go there?"

"Business." Shaoran was really learning to dislike the guy.

The guard shrugged, and pointed north east. "He lives on the outskirts, about 3 miles away, in a giant manor. Can't miss it."

"Thank you." Shaoran said as he gave him a very small, but polite bow.

"Good luck with your business, you'd most likely need it with him."

Sakura walked up next to Shaoran, and bowed also.

"Oh, and if I where you, I'd leave her in a hotel when you go there. I wouldn't take her any where near that bastard's place. I wouldn't be there in the first place in fact."

"Why's that." Sakura couldn't help herself.

The man looked at her, and answered her question. "He killed my liege lord 10 years ago when he murdered about 15 noble families for his sick, demented reasons. No one's ever been able to prove it, but I know he did it. He whipped out whole lines of ancient families that week. That," the guard looked back to Sakura. "And he's a womanizer."

Sakura didn't show him anything on her face, but Shaoran could sense she was getting angrier.

She bowed again."Thank you for the information. My husband and I are very grateful."

"Yeah, whatever."

They left him, heading in the direction he told them.

Shaoran's mind was racing. Could Sakura's family be one of the one's Mahoutsukai killed off? He looked at her. She was walking with determination again. 'Poor girl, it must be hard being an orphan in this world.'

Sakura caught him looking at her. "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing."

He continued watching her from the corner of his eyes. She was very attractive. A pretty face, curves in all the right places, and a mind that thinks for itself. Few men appreciated that in today's world. It wasn't that he hadn't noticed all this before. Its just that with Eriol around, he never really got any chances to appreciate girls with out him teasing.

She wasn't as short as most women, in fact taller, but he was still a good 5 inches taller. She had her honeyed hair in a bun, and he began to wonder how long it was. Women sometimes never cut their hair, and even then, only let it down for brushing, going to sleep, and for their husbands in private. She had a slim figure, and skin he knew to be soft from the few times he had touched her. Then there was of course her eyes. The large, sparkling jaded gems that could almost make any man week in the knees.

'Quit looking at her, you fool. Concentrate on the now, and what your going to do. Besides,' he thought. 'According to the conversation Eriol had with the child's toy that morning, she already had a soul mate that she's going to meet.'

Sakura watched Shaoran's handsome face harden at the thought of something. Wait a minute, did she just think handsome!? Yeah he was good looking, but she shouldn't be thinking about things like that. 'He's stuck up, and and... cold.' She tried making more excuses, but didn't believe even the first two. 'Who are you fooling? Don't get attached. He's going to be going back to China soon, and he's only putting up with you because you have the rest of the cards.'

"Think of something else!"

Shaoran looked down shocked at this sudden outburst from her.

She looked at him wide eyed. "Sorry, I was just thinking out loud." She quickly looked away.

'I can't believe I thinking about him right now!' she continued on. 'I should be thinking about Tomoyo! And Mahoutsukai."

Shaoran looked down shocked. He could of sworn he had just felt a wave of anger come of her. But he had to be thinking things. No way would he be able to sense her emotions so strongly.

But then again, he had been feeling emotions coming from her since he first lay eyes on her. But there was no way. The only people whose emotions he could read where his mothers, and recently Eriol's. But even with them, it took a while, and they where never this strong.

Memories of how he sensed her being frightened the first time she saw Mahoutsukai when he walked into the room, and just today when she was dreaming. It had to be his imagination. There was no way he could be receiving such emotions so strongly with someone he'd only known for less than 2 days.

'Don't get attached.' was all he then told himself. 'Do not get attached.'

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"Ah Sakura, you look so much like your foolish mother, yet so much more powerful."

Evil eyes watched the two figures in the vision pool. He liked the pool, it showed him many things that you couldn't really tell without it. For one, you could actually see their auras. Sakura's was a lovely pink that suited her name. The Chinese prince's was a green. He could also hear conversations, and even better, feel some emotions.

"Coming to save your friends from me?" He asked. He smiled at the thought of his new prisoners.

His eyes where suddenly snapped back to the pool. He must of been seeing things. For a split second, it looked like their aura's where trying to pull towards each other.

"Interesting." He commented. He never mistakes what he saw. He continued looking at the figures as they continued talking to each other. "Seems you may be a bigger threat than I imagined, Li Shaoran. Interesting indeed."

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"I'm starving!"

Kero had already eaten all of what was left of the rice balls in her obi, and was now flying around the room like a trapped bird.

It was night now, and they had decided to get a room in an inn, since they needed a place to sleep for the night.

One thing that gave no comfort to Sakura was that the inn was located less than a mile from Mahoutsukai's estate. (a/n: I didn't know what to call it. Estate sounded good.)

'Let them be OK.' She prayed.

"That's it! If your not getting any food, I'm going to the kitchen!" Kero was already mad enough when they only ordered cha earlier.

"Just as long as you don't get caught Kero, and they can't trace you back to us." She said exhausted. She was still really tired.

"Who me?" He smiled mischievously as he flew to the door. "I won't now hurry up and open the door!"

She got up from her spot across from Shaoran where she had just finished her tea.

When she opened the door, Kero gave a delightful, yet devious laugh, and disappeared down the hallway.

She shut the door.

She was about half way back to her seat when she realized what she had done. She had shut the door.

(A/N: History note! *Aila chan clears her throat.* OK, In ancient Japan, when a woman was found in a room alone with a man that's door was shut, that was BAD. You have to leave the door open unless you're hubby and wifey. I just love using stuff I learned!)

'It's OK.' She tried to reassure herself. 'People would think it odd if I left the door open, then they'd knew we weren't really married. Yep, good thing the door is shut. He doesn't even know about that anyway.' She looked to Shaoran when she thought of him. He was looking at her oddly.

"You OK?" he asked.

"Yeah, just a bit tired."

"Well go ahead and get to sleep." He began drinking his tea again, every once in a while, looking at her oddly again.

"You sure its OK I have the bed?" she asked, she felt really bad he had given her the only futon in the room.

"Yes, I'm sure of it."

"OK." She said as she got up, and went over to it. She set aside an extra quilt for him on the tatami floor where he'd be sleeping, and then she took out the hair pins to let down her hair. It was wavy, and waist long, like she remembered her mother's.

She fell onto the futon, exhausted, and in minutes, she feel asleep.

Shaoran looked at her when he sensed she was asleep. Their was no doubt about it now. He was defiantly receiving emotions from her. And they where getting stronger, and more frequent. Even with his mother, they weren't like this. He only got emotions from her when she very worried about something, or focusing of something that caused her great emotion. With Eriol, it was what ever he wanted to let him know. But with her... He watched her sleeping form. He wondered if she was getting and emotions from him. As far as he knew, it worked both ways.

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I LOVE LONG CHAPTERS! DON'T YOU?

Dances around, glad she got so much writing done today.

I really REALLY want to hear what you people think about this chapter, so do not hesitate to write a review. I really want to know.

Next update I do will include updates of past chapters to have grammar and spelling corrections.

See yah next time. There will be more S+S mush, and more action than this chapter I think.

See yah, AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!