No songs used in this chapter, instead I have a couple of hole fillers. Hopefully this chapter will answer some of your questions, while not giving too much away. I hate being predictable. I hate it when I cliché things. I tend to do it so often and I've tried hard with this fic not to make it cliché like some of the other ones that I've done. Namely, my Fight For Life series. Argh... please tell me if it seems cliché. I don't want it to be...
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS. But please don't copy the plot. I work really hard on my stories, and I try to make them original...
Special thanks to:
Phoniex-dragonmoon: Thanks, and as for your comment, I've tried to make a resolution to it. I've rewritten the two chapters already posted in an effort to make it less confusing. Also, I tried not to rush it as much. I guess I didn't explain who Sachi and Jomei were and how they came to be in Sakura's kitchen. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I have attempted to rewrite it. And as for how I would react- I'd probably wonder what the hell they were doing there and end up doing something that I might someday regret. ^^;; I have plans for Sachi and Jomei, and they're going to come in very handy in the upcoming three or four chapters... their ma is going to be making an appearance too... I don't want to give away too much... so I'll leave it there. But thank you for reviewing and I hope you continue to read on. Your comments are much needed. ^_^ Like I said last chapter, if you spot anything wrong or confusing, let me know and I'll attempt to right it.
Nightshade47: Evil huh? Hm... I didn't really think of it as being evil, but if that's how it came across... ^^;; Oops. There's going to be more, there's no doubt about that. Like I said in the previous chapter, speed isn't my forte so updates won't be as fast as some of the authors around this site. I like to take my time and make sure that everything's ok before it gets posted. And there's nothing wrong with being eccentric. I get a little crazy myself sometimes too. Just ask my tennis coach. --;; He's a pain... actually, more like annoying. Anyhow, thanks for your review and I hope you continue to read. ^_^
Summary: If saving her life meant breaking her heart, would you be willing to do it? Yet, if she still came chasing after you, would you still run away? Taking refuge in the Spirit World, Syaoran has separated himself from Sakura, convinced that he's doing the right thing. CCS/Spirited Away x-over.
A World Away ~ Chapter 3 ~ Anger
* * * * * Sachi and Jomei's realm of time * * * * *
"Dai! You're not going to like this... DAI! DAI! Where are you?!"
The man searching for the woman was looking everywhere. He'd looked all throughout her house, even asked that damned guardian where she was and no one knew. Dammit! He needed to give Dai some urgent news! It was about her son and daughter. The guardian that lived in her house barely spoke anymore, not since his mistress had died. Hang on, yes, there was one person that he had used to talk to, but now that she was gone, he had not spoken a word since. However, that was the currently the last thing on the man's mind.
"DAI!!!"
The woman known as Dai emerged from one of the rooms in her house. Her grey eyes travelled from Keroberos to the man that had rudely intruded into her house. Her piercing glare was instantly upon him and the man could feel himself being slowly paralysed. He couldn't move!
"What is it that you want?" Dai asked. "This had better not take too long, I have to search for my son and daughter."
"But that is what I am here to talk to you about!" the man burst out, sweat beads rolling down his forehead.
The man had long forgotten what it had felt like to be at the mercy of Dai. Of course, he was their caregiver, but that was beside the point. Sachi and Jomei often left the man to his will. They'd race off somewhere, finding some new thing to do, performing some new magic. God those brats could be annoying... Dai had forgiven him many times for letting the kids run off, but this time he feared she was at the end of her tether. She would accept this carelessness no more. The man instinctively closed his eyes and readied himself for whatever Dai was going to do to him. He'd have to accept his fate... but there was still so much that he wanted to do. Damn those brats for running away. If he got through this alive, he was going to make them pay for what they had done.
"Dai. Have mercy! PLEASE!" the man cried.
Dai's black hair swirled around her as her aura picked up. Magic became noticeable and it crackled. Dai's often absent-minded children never wondered about the consequences of their actions. They were going to give Dai grey hairs some day. Honestly. They took after their father, that much Dai could understand. Sachi was smart, but she was negligent with her brother and together they often proved to be more harm than help. That wasn't always a good thing.
There was the odd time where Sachi proved to be of help. Although she had never been all that attentive when Dai had been teaching her, she'd managed somehow to scrape by on her own wit. Strangely. But now was not the time to reflect on what Sachi and Jomei were, Dai had to find where they were.
"Speak, Shijo, and I may spare your worthless life."
The man shuddered. He had seen Dai angry before. He had pushed her to the edge too many times. This was it. He was going to die at the hands of Dai, he knew it. Because Dai was one of the most respected and feared people in her township, she was not one to be messed with, especially when she was in a bad mood and that was currently what she was in now. Oh crap, he was going to die. But when he told her where her children were, she was going to throw even more of a fit. He knew that.
"They're – they're in the p – past," Shijo managed to get out before Dai's howl of fury.
"HOW DID THEY GET THERE?!?!" she thundered.
"Sachi used her magic."
"WHEN SHE GETS BACK-"
"The thing is, Dai. I don't know when she'll be back. She didn't say."
Dai's wrathful glare was turned upon Shijo. She pointed her finger at Shijo, her red-silver eyes narrowing to tiny slits and glowing intensely.
"Boy, you're gonna pay. You better tell me what part of the timeline they went back to, or you're going to be fish food."
Shijo wasn't feeling so good. The tight binding spell that Dai had on him was choking him. If he wasn't released soon, he'd suffocate.
"They went back to just before that boy, Li, went to the Spirit World. They wanted to change history, to make sure that he stayed. Sachi wanted to make sure that Kinomoto Sakura, the Card Mistress Sakura, was alright."
Dai's eyebrow was twitching. "Very well," she replied. "But if I find out that you're lying to me, Shijo, be warned, you cannot escape my wrath."
Shijo shuddered at the thought of another encounter with Dai. He was going to make sure that that never happened, even if it meant moving to an entirely new area. He'd rather live in dirt than face an angry Dai again. He'd learnt his lesson.
* * * * * Two hours later * * * * *
Dai was preparing herself for her arrival at the past. She pulled out her coat, wrapped it around herself and brushed her long hair before placing the hood of her coat over her head. "Children, you're going to learn not to mess with your mother," Dai said, examining herself in the mirror. When everything was set in order, Dai walked out of her room, taking an amulet on the way out. Time travel wasn't her speciality, it had been her husband's, and when he had died, he had left her his amulet that had helped him.
"Satu! Get here!" Dai barked when she opened the door. A creature that looked astonishingly like a fox with two tails and a dark grey gem on its forehead dashed to her side.
It looked obediently up at its master. Its golden eyes glinted strangely in the sunlight. "What do you wish of me, Dai?" it asked.
"Find my children, Satu. I expect to hear from you within the next minute."
Satu nodded. "Very well." The gem on its forehead glowed silver. Satu closed its eyes and started ti cast its senses into the past, present and future, looking for the familiar magical signals of the present-day Sachi and Jomei. They weren't that hard to find before Jomei had one of his father's amulets with him and Satu knew those amulets back-to-front. There, he had found them.
Satu's eyes opened.
"Well?" Dai asked, tapping her foot impatiently. "Where are they?"
"Precisely where Shijo told you. He was telling the truth." Satu looked up at its mistress.
"You heard?"
"Yes, I heard everything. You shouldn't be so hard on him."
"Oh, who cares. We have to find Sachi and Jomei before they cause any more trouble," Dai said impatiently. "Let's get going."
"Fine." Satu stood by Dai's side as the both of them vanished, heading into the past.
* * * * * The Kinomoto household... the living room... ^_^ * * * * *
Sakura was watching Sachi, Jomei, Kero and Yue talking. They seemed to be conversing about something that they didn't want her to know about because Sachi kept glancing sideways at her and then looking hurriedly back at the others whenever Sakura busted her staring her at her. However, Sakura was absorbed in her own thoughts. She was still thinking of that vision that she had had while in her bedroom with Yue. It still freaked her out a little.
Sachi was watching Sakura and then turning in to talk to the others. "We have to be careful. Ma could be in soon, and we don't want to catch her in a bad mood."
"Well, it's not my fault. I didn't suggest coming here. I wasn't the one who'd been talking to the guardian," Jomei stated, shrugging. "You're going to be the one who's in trouble, Sachi. Mum'll believe me over you anyday."
"Suck up," Sachi retorted at her brother. She fiddled with one of her long braids. "She will be grumpy, Jomei. We do know that. Of course, if Shijo has told her..."
Jomei looked horrified. "He wouldn't!"
"Of course he would. Geez, are you that dense, brother?"
"I'd say sometimes he is," Kero said.
"HEY!" Jomei whacked Kero on the head.
"OW! Brat, you're gonna pay for that!"
"Stop it you two. We have to figure out what we're going to do about Ma." Sachi was looking a little irritated with both Kero and Jomei.
"Let's go back to the shrine and see what remnants of the magic that Syaoran used can be found. It might help us," Jomei suggested.
Sachi nodded her affirmative. "Let's go then."
* * * * * The Sacred Cherry Blossom Tree at the Tsukimine Shrine * * * * *
Satu's golden eyes travelled from the shrine to the tree. It had been a long time since it had last been here. But Satu could almost always remember this place and moment as if it were yesterday. Being one of the guardians of time, every moment was etched into its brain. Even its thoughts right now. Since Dai had rescued the time guardian from a near horrible fate ago all those years into the future, it had felt like it owed her, and now helping Dai find her children was repaying her a favour. There was also some business that Satu needed to take care of in this timeline, it included something to do with that Kinomoto girl who'd been upset. It had been a while. Satu remembered meeting her back when she had been just a little girl. It also remembered the little girl's older brother, who even at that time, had been very protective of his younger sister.
Satu had watched the girl capture the cards, defeat Yue in the Final Judgement, watched her battle Eriol Hiiragazawa as she transformed the last of the former Clow Cards into her own. That girl had been very stubborn, she'd never given up. Satu had watched her grow closer to the boy, Syaoran. They had almost become inseparable, until the day when Syaoran Li had received some shocking news, directly from Satu's brother guardian, Roka. Syaoran Li had learnt that the life of the Card Mistress would be in great jeopardy if he stayed near her any longer.
Satu knew the demonic presence behind it all too well. It had always promised that it would show itself some day and the demonic presence had showed itself to Roka and asked it to bestow a message to Syaoran Li. Roka had been shocked by the message and had immediately come to Satu for advice. Satu had listened to the message and had immediately instructed Roka to give the message to the Li boy. If he hadn't received it... it could've been trouble for them all, not just the guardians of time.
Satu hadn't been unwilling to deliver the message itself, but if the demonic presence had found out that Satu knew as well as Roka, then Roka would be found out and punished, not just by the demonic presence, but also by time.
Satu looked around, it could sense that there were four beings nearby, and they were heading in its direction, it could instantly tell that two of the beings were Sachi and Jomei, that much was obvious. But there was a matter of the other two beings. They were obviously magical, but who else was magical apart from the Card Mistress in this timeline? Of course! It was the girl's guardians, Keroberos and Yue!
Satu looked around, he could not sense Dai anywhere nearby. She must've got lost somewhere on the way to the time that they were now in. So, Dai was probably a few years out. She'd make an appearance some time in the next few hours, it was assured. Satu would probably be feeling her wrath sometime too, not that it was looking terribly forward to it. Dai wasn't exactly the nicest person around, as Shijo had quickly found out back in their right time.
Satu stood its ground, watching Sachi, Jomei and the others land.
Sachi's eyes instantly widened and her hand went to her mouth as she stifled a gasp. There. There! THERE! She couldn't believe it, it was Satu, her mother's guardian. Well, technically, it was one of the guardians of time, but it owed her Ma a few favours and was obviously cashing in one of them now by helping to search for her and her brother. No doubt, her mother was furious, otherwise she wouldn't have enlisted Satu's help. Oh crap. They were in BIG trouble now...
If Satu told their mother where they were... Sachi couldn't bear the think of the consequences.
"Satu! Hey, Satu!" Sachi hissed. "Where's Ma?"
"You mean Dai?" Satu asked, knowing perfectly well who she was meaning.
"Of course! What happened? Did she get lost in the past? Please tell me she did."
"Yes, she did."
"You're not kidding me are you?"
"No I'm not, but Dai will soon catch up with us. She has your father's amulet."
Sachi's eyes were wide open. "She took Papa's amulet?"
Satu nodded. "She will be here soon. What do you wish of me?"
"Give us please just a little bit more time. There are some things that I need to discuss with these guys."
Satu's eyes were narrowed. "You're going to tell them about your magic, aren't you?"
Sachi nodded. "They have to know. It could be my only chance to right the past."
"Sachi, everything happens for a reason. It's common sense. Just be careful, ok?"
Satu wasn't so sure about this idea of Sachi's. Sure the girl came up with some good ideas sometimes, but this one sounded pretty risky and Satu would be the one getting the blame if the future changed a lot. Satu was going to be in trouble because of this girl's idea, it could feel it. It wasn't just going to be Dai who was going to punish it, it would also be the head guardian. Satu was supposed to be an unbiased creature of time, yet here it was helping Sachi, Jomei and the rest of these people... they would have its head for this.
It was going to have to deal with it.
"Sachi! Hold up. Let me help you," Satu called as Sachi turned back to see the others.
Sachi turned around, looking pleasantly surprised. "Are you sure that you can do this?"
Satu nodded. "Yes. We had better get moving, we don't want Dai, the head guardian, or even Roka to find us. Let's go, otherwise we're going to be in a whole lot of trouble."
Satu started running in the direction of the Kinomoto household, the others trailing closely behind him.
* * * * * The Kinomoto living room * * * * *
Sachi opened the door, letting Satu go before her. "Make yourself at home, Satu."
"Thank you," Satu replied and walked gracefully into the lounge, sitting down near a table.
Kero was looking at Sachi with an observing expression. "Care to fill me in?"
Sachi nodded. "Upstairs." She started walking to the staircase. "And if I catch any of you following us, then you're going to feel my wrath, understand?"
Satu nodded, acting for them all.
Kero followed Sachi up the stairs. He couldn't wait to receive answers to the questions that had been bothering him, but as for Sachi, she wanted to hear the whole story.
* * * * * Sachi and Kero in Sakura's room * * * * *
"And so that's it..." Kero said.
"Hmm..." Sachi was musing.
Her eyes went from Keroberos to the window to the book of Sakura's cards that lay on her desk. Walking over to pick it up, she stared at the cover. "It's so familiar..." she breathed. Sachi shook her head, now was not the time to delve into her memories. Sachi put down the book and examined Keroberos again.
"You know, in my timeline, you're a whole lot different from what you are in this one."
"Really? What's the difference?" Kero was intrigued.
"You're a whole lot... what's the word? Oh yeah, louder. In my time, you're a heck of a lot quieter, you don't really talk much. Then again, I guess, your mistress has passed on, so there's not really much for you there. You live in my house with my brother, my mother and me. Believe me, Ma is worse than me and Jomei put together."
"And that's possible?"
"Oh yes. Definitely."
"Oh crap. What are we in for?"
"You have no idea."
Kero was staring at Sachi. She was hiding something, he could feel it. He knew it.
"You're hiding something from me," Kero accused. "What is it?"
"Maybe I'll tell you, maybe I won't."
"I'm not going to reduce myself to begging."
"Suit yourself."
Minutes passed in absolute silence. You could have heard a pin drop in the room.
"OH PLEASE TELL ME!!!!!!"
"You reduced yourself to begging, Kero."
"So what? Tell me!!"
Sachi was grinning. "Ok, I'll tell you. You remember how Yue told Sakura that there was a type of magic that could enter the Spirit World that only ran through certain bloodlines?"
"Yeah." Kero had a look of dawning comprehension on his face.
"I've got that magic."
~~To Be Continued...~~
There's the end of this chapter. I bet some of you saw that coming... geez, I'm predictable. This chapter wasn't as good as my previous ones, in my opinion anyway. Next chapter will be better, promise! Anyhow, I don't have much more to say except: Please review!
Karisa Temura
