Ghost Whisper: Well, this is certainly a change. I haven't worked on this story in a while. /looks at last update date in January/ In a ummm... very long while I guess. Sorry for anyone who was really interested in this!

Thanks to Mathais-8888, who got me off my but and kept telling me to update!

Chapter 7: Stuck!

School was boring Sakura decided, as she listened to her teacher lecture them about the climate of Africa, and how it influenced the types of creatures living there. While normally geography was one of her favourite subjects, she just couldn't bring herself to be interested in it today. Instead, she was staring off into space, her chin resting in one hand.

'Maybe the reason Hope showed up has something to do with all the weird things that have been happening lately. I really don't think it could be a coincidence that he would show up right at this point in time.'

She sighed quietly, thinking of how he had rescued her yet again last night when she had been about to become a Sakura pancake on the pavement. He always seemed to show up just when she needed him the most, and then disappear almost as quickly as he came.

'It's kind of odd that I always sense Clow Reed's power whenever something weird happens though. Hope and Yue look so much alike... No! That's silly! Hope couldn't have anything to do with Clow Reed. Wouldn't he have showed up when the Clow cards were first released if he had?'

/Bring/

Sakura jumped in her seat as the bell for the end of class rang. With all of her daydreaming, she hadn't even noticed when the teacher's lecture came to an end. Normally, on the last class of the day, like this was, she would have been hopping in her seat for it to end.

'Maybe I should do that more often if it makes class go by faster.'

A couple of seats away, TK was giving her an odd look. "Are you okay Sakura? You kinda spaced out there. I was wondering if you would even hear the bell."

"Heh heh..." Sakura blushed. "Yeah, I was just day dreaming I guess. I was thinking about... umm... Mythology! You know, those old legends about wizards and exotic creatures and stuff."

TK gave her a wide smile. "That's cool. I always loved those stories myself. My favourites were always the ones about angels. My mom used to read them to me a lot when I was a kid..." He trailed off, his eyes darkening slightly in sadness, before quickly flashing back to their usual cheerfulness.

The change was so fast, that Sakura wasn't even sure it had happened. 'What could he be sad about,' she wondered. 'Could it be because his parents are always away on some kind of business trip?'

"I have a great book of angel stories at home. Do you want to borrow it TK?"

He paused for a moment, considering, though she could tell by the way that his eyes lit up that he would probably say yes. "Sure Sakura, I'm always up to seeing a few new stories. Should I come over to your house to pick it up?"

"That great. Any time after six should be fine. My dad's made a new rule that I'm supposed to have my homework done first if I want to have friends over, and I'm sure that you don't want to sit through that." She made a sour face at the thought of the math problems that were awaiting her.

"Okay then I'll come over some time around 7:30." Picking up his books from his desk with one hand, he gave her a quick wave with the other before leaving the classroom.

"This is getting really annoying," Sakura grumbled as she looked around the empty park. "It's the second time now that I've sensed something, and then it's vanished before we got here." Scowling, she shrunk her staff back to the size of a charm and placed it around her neck once more.

The burnt orange light of the sunset turned her white toga-like battle costume an amber color that closely matched her hair, and she squinted in the direction of the sun as she took one last look around the park for signs of anything unusual before they left.

"You don't suppose that it could be something moving, do you?" Keroberos asked, turning to give her what looked like a questioning glance on his lion face.

Yue replied for her. "It could have been something moving, but even if it were, it is gone now. There is no trace of magic anywhere around the city, nor any sign of a disturbance."

"I guess we'll just have to go back home then," Sakura sighed. "There's no point in staying out here if nothing's happening. And besides that, Takeru was supposed to come over to my house to pick up a book I'm lending him tonight. If I'm not there, he's going to think something's up."

Madison grinned. "Is that the only reason he's coming over Sakura? Come on! Spill the beans! I'll bet you've been planning some sort of romantic dinner for two..." The black haired girl sidled up to her friend, nudging her in the side with a sly wink.

In the background Keroberos and Yue sweat dropped.

"Madison!" Sakura gave her a demon glare. "It's nothing like that! He's just coming over to pick up that book about angels that Tory gave me for my last birthday!"

Madison only giggled and raised her eyebrows at Sakura before running down the street as the amber haired girl gave chase. The two guardians sighed and followed after the girls. They didn't feel the surge of magical power that was suddenly released, as somewhere hidden in the darkness a golden staff swung downward.

'Just what I need,' Sakura thought. 'Not only is there some kind of false alarm with the Clow Cards, but then it just has to start raining on the way back.' Sighing, she reached up and began to ring out her hair. To her supreme irritation, Yue was not even the slightest bit damp, even though he had returned to the house at a stately pace suited to a prince. Keroberos, at least, was looking decidedly wet.

"It's not fair," she complained to the moon guardian when they reached the doorstep. "How come you don't get affected by the rain?" Yue only raised an eyebrow, looking slightly amused – if one could imagine that on his mostly expressionless face.

"Whatever." She sighed, turning to peak in through the window of her house. The light in the living room was still on, and Tory was sitting on the couch reading a book. "You two better change back now. We're definitely not going to be able to get past Tory with you in your guardian forms."

Nodding silently, Yue began to push the power of the moon, which supported his magical form back inside of himself. As he did so, the magic circle that had been Clow Reed's symbol appeared in glowing gold below his feet as he floated of the ground and allowed his wings to enfold him.

Keroberos yelped, ducking behind a bush to hide himself so that Julian wouldn't see him. "Next time, warn me when you're going to do that," he said sourly. A few moments later, the white feathers spread apart again to reveal Yue... unchanged.

"Huh? What happened Yue?"

Yue gave his mistress a Look, which said it should have been obvious. "I can't transform." He told her.

Keroberos walked around Yue a few times, examining every inch of him. "Well nothing looks different," he stated. "Try it again. Perhaps you just weren't concentrating enough."

"There is nothing wrong with my concentration." Yue told him simply. However, he once again began pulling his magic back inside of himself beginning the sequence that was supposed to bring him back into his borrowed form. His wings dropped away a second time, showing the group that indeed, nothing had happened.

"This is so not good," Sakura groaned dejectedly, as she began to hit her forehead against the side of the house. "TK is going to be here any minute, and you guys still can't change back, and he's going to see you and..."

"Perhaps we can hide in your room Mistress?" Yue suggested calmly.

"I would do that," Sakura moaned, "except that I'm lending him that book, and it would be rude not to invite him in for a minute. Besides that, how am I supposed to get you past Tory? He would see if we tried to sneak you past him. . ." Her voice trailed off as she glanced upward and her eyes lit on the window to her room. "That's it!"

Sakura pushed up the window in her bedroom and leaned out. "Okay Kero, you first," she called quietly. The lion-like creature raised his wings and flew upward to the open window. Poking his head in, he gave a grunt as he found himself stuck. His wingspan was too large to fit through. Backing out, he tried again from a slightly different angle. No luck.

"It's no use," he told Sakura, struggling to fit himself in again. "The windows just not big enough."

Yue sighed from his vantage point beside the sun guardian. Sometime during the commotion he had flown up beside him. "Try folding up your wings," he suggested.

Keroberos stopped moving quickly and gave a sheepish look. "Oh. I hadn't thought of that." He folded his wings up. His back end fell quickly, as both sets of paws struggled for something to pull himself into the house. His front paws hooked into the windowsill, and his back ones... well let's just say that Yue wasn't happy about being used for leverage.

Finally, Keroberos managed to get inside the room, where he flopped himself comfortably on the bed. He scowled at Yue, who tucked his wings in gracefully, and slid carefully into Sakura's bedroom. The lion muttered under his breath about moon guardians who were too perfect for their own good.

"Okay you guys," Sakura told the two. "You're going to have to hide in the washroom for now. Tory's watching TV, so he shouldn't be a problem – I think. Just don't make a lot of noise okay? I'll try not to have TK here for too long." The doorbell rang, and Sakura 'eeped', pushing Yue and Keroberos in the direction of the washroom. "Hurry up and hide!" she told them.

"I got it Tory!" She shouted down to her brother, as she took the stairs two at a time. She pulled open the front door to reveal TK.

"Hey Sakura," he smiled. "I hope I didn't come at a bad time or anything. You look a little out of breath." The golden haired boy cocked his head curiously at her panting form.

"It's nothing," she told him. "I was just running down the stairs that's all. Come on up to my room, and I'll show you the book." TK nodded and placed his shoes and umbrella to the side. She ignored the suspicious look Tory shot TK and herself as she led the boy upstairs. 'That brother of mine is too protective for his own good. I'm just bringing TK up to my room. It's not like we're going to make out or something.' Her face flamed at the idea that had made it into her head. 'Bad Sakura, bad Sakura. . .'

"Here it is", she pronounced cheerfully, handing him the white and gold book. On the cover, a golden-haired angel was kneeling in supplication; it's hands in a position of prayer. "It's got a lot of great stories. The one about the angel called Nozomi was always my favourite, but they're all really nice. You'll have to let me know what you think."

"Thanks." He smiled. "Maybe sometime I'll bring one of mine to school and you can borrow it. I'm sure I'll have one that you haven't read before."

"That'd be great! Thanks TK." A muffled thump could be heard from down the hall, and she cringed lightly, hoping that TK hadn't heard it. Thankfully he gave no evidence that he had. 'I need a distraction.' She thought.

"Do you want to go get some hot chocolate? You're probably still cold from walking in the rain like that – Cherry Grove Lane isn't exactly a short walk, even if it isn't too far away." Without waiting for an answer, she ushered him from the room and down the stairs.

TK looked back over his shoulder, fixing the girl with confused sapphire eyes. "I'd love that Sakura, but I think I'll have to pass it up this time."

Internally, Sakura sighed with disappointment and relief. Disappointment that he was leaving and couldn't stay any longer, and relief that he wouldn't be at he house long enough to notice any other irregularities such as thumps from supposedly unoccupied rooms.

"I have . . . some extra projects at home that I have to finish," he continued, regret in his eyes. "Maybe some other time though."

Sakura allowed some of her disappointment to show in her eyes, carefully masking anything else. "Yeah, maybe some other time," she agreed, walking him to the door. As he turned to leave, she put one hand on his shoulder, blushing at the contact. "Let me know what you think of the book, okay?"

"Sure," he said, smiling cheerfully. "Oh, and Sakura; you might want to get your brother to check the plumbing in your house! I thought I heard something from the bathroom!"

The brown haired girl sunk to the ground as she leaned against the now closed door. 'Could he know?' she wondered. The thought was dismissed almost as suddenly as it had come, however, as she heard another thump from the washroom upstairs.

Racing to the room where she had hidden her guardians, she opened the door only to be nearly crushed by Kero's large form as he fell out of the door.

"Next time," the winged lion said dazedly, as he lay on the floor with swirling eyes. "Please choose a larger room." Behind him, Yue strolled out calmly, dusting his hands off in a satisfied manner.

TBC

Ghost Whisper: Boring chapter, I know. . . but it needed to be done! I swear! And there will be a lot more excitement in the next chapter! I promise! At least I managed to get it out, even if it was a long time in the writing. ;;

- - - Oh yeah! New author pen name, 'cause of 's new rules. I didn't like the number on the end of my name.

- - - Oh yeah again! See that little purple button below? It's calling you. . . You want to review. . . you will review. . .