Sakura slowly stood up and started to follow Kanna out the room. Ryo turned in his sleep and opened a sleepy eye just in time to see her about to walk out the door.

"Sakura, where are you going?" he asked.

"Bathroom." Sakura said distantly. Ryo shrugged as he lay back down and Sakura continued walking. She went softly down the stairs and out the front door, following the image of Kanna that was visible only to her. The moon shone down illuminating a path that they followed as the night wind sent leaves scuttling across the forest path.

A few minutes later Kero opened his eyes to find Sakura missing. The tiger jumped off the bed and went in search of his missing mistress. Kero followed her scent to the door and turned and ran back to Ryo. Kero nudged Ryo causing him to open his eyes giving a loud protest again as he saw Sakura hadn't returned. He sat up quickly.

"Kero, where is she?" he asked as the tiger bit the end of his shirt and dragged him toward the stairs; followed by White Blaze.  Ryo walked to about the middle of the stairs and peered around the dark living room, he then spied the partly open front door. He ran outside and looked around in an attempt to find her. Seeing no sign of her he ran back upstairs as he barged his way into Sage, Rowen, Kento, and Cye's room.

"Guys, wake up!" he demanded. The men groaned as they rubbed the sleep out of their eyes.

"Ryo, its 2:00 in the morning!" Kento complained.

"I didn't even know there was a 2:00 in the morning." Sage added. 

"Guys, I think something is happening to Sakura." Ryo said. Instantly all four guys shot up in bed.

"What?!"

"She just got up and left. The front door is open, and now I can't find her." Ryo said in a worried voice.

"Wake up the others." Cye instructed as they got up and began to hurriedly get dressed.  Ryo did as Cye had asked and woke up the warlords, Mia, and Alanna. They all had the same reaction as the others. Once everyone was up they ran out the front door in an attempt to find Sakura.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sakura continued walking in a trance like state, following the projected image of Kanna who walked happily in front of her.

"Where is she?" Seriyu asked impatiently to the Illusionist who was observing Sakura in his crystal ball. The two men were waiting at the border that divided the Ronin lands from the Shadow lands.

"Patience my friend." The Illusionist replied. "She is on her way, following what she thinks is her dead friend. She should be here any second now." True to his prediction, Sakura soon came into view. The Illusionist controlled the image of Kanna, making her stop, causing Sakura to stop and stand there. Seriyu walked up next to her and waved his hand in front of her face, receiving no return response.

"Where is this image of Kanna?" Seriyu asked, turning his attention off of Sakura and onto The Illusionist.

"Right there." He said pointing to a spot in front of Sakura. Seriyu squinted his eyes, attempting to see it.

"Where, I don't see it." He argued.

"That is because the illusion isn't meant for you. Sakura is the only one who can see it." He explained as he swept past Seriyu and observed the red glowing of Sakura's locket. "Good, the locket is working properly." He said in a pleased voice.

"You mean you gave her a fake locket?" Seriyu asked. "You idiot, the locket is the first step to opening the door. No amount of magic can duplicate the locket's purpose, only the genuine article can open the first door." He yelled angrily.

"Don't you think I know that!" The Illusionist hissed at him. "That is the real locket. I knew that I couldn't create a copy that would open the door, so I just put a spell on the real one."

Seriyu calmed down a bit as the Illusionist finished checking on the locket. "Now what?" he asked.

"Now we lead her to her father's castle." The Illusionist said. "Once we get there. She'll open the door and we both get what we want."

"How do you know for sure that she'll open it?" Seriyu demanded to know

"She will." The Illusionist replied confidently as they started to move toward the castle once again. "She will."