"What happened to you guys?" Mia questioned when Dais, Anubis, and Sakura finally met them at the meeting place.

"Did you forget what you were supposed to get?" Sage asked noticing their empty hands.

"Sorry, we got a little distracted." Sakura admitted.

"Well it wasn't really necessary so we'll just head back to the house. I bet the others are wondering what happened to us anyway." Mia said as the others nodded in agreement. The group started to head back to the house, Sakura lagging behind slightly, but not enough to be noticed. She turned her head and gazed behind her, just so she could see Ryo slowly making his way behind them. The assurance that he was still there gave her comfort as she sped up and caught up with the others. They made it back to the house in little time as entered in through the front door.

"We're back!" Sage yelled through the house. Alanna came out of the kitchen to help take the groceries as Seriyu came from downstairs. Sakura had to check herself to keep from shooting him a dirty look.

"Hey, what took you so long?" Seriyu asked giving Sakura a squeeze. Sakura forced herself to respond, but quickly dropped her arms.

"We had a lot of things to get." She said. Ryo was watching the entire scene through the window and gave an audible growl of jealousy when Sakura hugged Seriyu. Feeling a warm breath on the back of his neck he turned around to see White Blaze staring at him.

"White Blaze!" Ryo said holding out his hands. White Blaze took a tentative sniff at Ryo's outstretched hands. Giving a growl of delight at the return of his master he quickly covered his face with his tongue.

"I missed you too, White Blaze." Came the muffled answer as he pushed him off. Ryo then moved away from the window for fear of being seen. Sakura had told him where to wait for her to bring the amulet to him. Back inside the house Sakura sat wearily on the couch with a groan. Anubis noticed her melancholy sigh as he sat next to her on the couch and gave her shoulders a squeeze.

"Hey, it'll be alright." He said as Sakura leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I know, I'm just frustrated." She said sadly.

"When are you going to try for the amulet?" he whispered.

"As soon as I get the fake one ready. I should be able to make one in a little over an hour. So it'll either be done tonight or tomorrow." Sakura answered. Anubis nodded in agreement as Seriyu entered the room.
"Should I be getting jealous?" he asked upon seeing Sakura on the couch with Anubis' arm around her shoulders. Sakura shot him a look as Anubis proceeded to give her another squeeze and leave. Seriyu took his place on the couch and resumed Anubis' position, with his arm around Sakura. Sakura had to fight to contain her anger at the audacity of the man next to her. 'Who does he think he is? He will pay for this intrusion, you can count on it!' Sakura thought with a grin.

"What are you smiling about?" Seriyu asked interrupting her thoughts.

Sakura turned to face him and gave him a fake smile. "Nothing," she answered simply. "Nothing at all."

Later that night, Sakura sneaked out of the house to meet Ryo at the place she had instructed him to hide. She crept quietly down the stairs, avoiding all the ones she knew creaked, flanked by White Blaze and Kero. Opening the front door she waited with bated breath to see if she had been discovered. Hearing nothing, she slipped out the door, closing it firmly behind her. She quickly ran to where Ryo was waiting for her.

"What are you doing out here?" Ryo asked startled when she appeared behind him.

"I couldn't sleep knowing that you were out here." She said sitting next to him as White Blaze curled up next to Ryo. Kero took his place next to Sakura.

"I'm fine, but you should be inside." Ryo admonished, although he felt happy that she had been worried about him.

"Tough." She told him, "Besides, I need to make that fake amulet."

The crystal her mother had given her, emitted a blueish glow as Sakura attempted to create a duplicate of the amulet. Ryo moved closer to her to get a better look at the amulet that was supposedly supposed to take shape. Sakura stiffened at his closeness and Ryo cast her a sad look.

"It still bugs you that I look like Seriyu doesn't it?" he asked dejectedly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Deep down, I know it's you and when you kiss me and look at me the way you always do, I see you and I feel you, but it's still hard when you look so much like some one I have disliked almost my entire life. Even if deep down inside, it's still you."

"Why do you dislike him so much?" he asked tentatively remembering Dais cautioning him when attempting to broach this subject. Sakura stiffened even more and cast her attention back to the task at hand. Ryo observed this and wisely decided to let the matter drop. This was hard enough for her as it was, she didn't need to relive whatever traumatic experience that had happened between her and Seriyu. Sakura appreciated his letting the subject drop. She still wasn't ready to talk about it, even though she knew she would have to eventually.

"So what exactly are you doing?" Ryo asked averting the subject.

"Creating a duplicate of the original, it can't perform the abilities the original can, but it still looks the same and that's all we need it to do." Sakura answered as the outline of an amulet appeared between her hands. Soon, the fake amulet was ready and Sakura stood up to leave.

"It's finished." She said as Ryo stood up as well and took her free hand in his.

"I'll make the switch tomorrow." She continued avoiding his gaze. Ryo tilted her chin so that she had to meet his eyes. Sakura's expression softened as she leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder, needing his comfort.

"Everything will be all right." Ryo assured her as he hugged her close. "I promise, and we'll get married soon, and then everything will be the same." He promised.

"Why? Why is he doing this? What is it he wants?" she cried into his shoulder as Kero rubbed his head against her leg.

"I don't know, but we'll find out and beat this guy. Okay?" He asked leaning her head back. Sakura nodded dismally.

"I love you, Ryo." She said and kissed him despite his appearance of being Seriyu. Ryo broke the kiss and indicated the house.

"You better go before they notice you've been gone." He said. Sakura nodded and headed back to the house, holding onto Ryo's hand as long as she could. White Blaze looked up at Ryo as he nodded on Sakura's direction.

"Watch over her for me alright?"

White Blaze growled and trotted after her, flanked by Kero. Sakura hid the fake amulet in her pocket as she slipped inside. She was about to head up the stairs when a voice stopped her.

"Where have you been?"

Sakura spun around to reveal Seriyu sitting lazily in the chair studying her intensely.  

"I couldn't sleep, so I just went out for a walk." She lied.

"At 1:30 in the morning?"

Sakura shrugged as Seriyu placed his hand on the small of her back.

"Here, I'll walk you back to your room." He said as he forced her up the stairs. He stopped at the entrance to her room as the two tigers gave a growl of warning. Seriyu looked at them with contempt and turned to head back to Ryo's room.

"See you in the morning, sweetie." He said as he closed the door behind him. Sakura waited until her heart slowed down to normal as she slowly went in her room and fell asleep.