-Sakura-

Sakura had decided that it was time to get up and train. This was her normal time anyhow so it worked for her. There wouldn't be anyone else up. She hoped. The way her cards were acting at the moment is what worried her the most.

-Tomoyo-

She followed the hall to the gardens that led the training grounds. What she saw surprised her. Eriol had taken off his glasses. 'He looks good without the glasses.' She kept that thought to herself. She watched in wonder as he had a whirling vortex of wind around the top of the staff.

"What is he doing?" She whispered.

L.P.B. - I'll tell you that it was already far too late for you to tell me that. I end doing that a lot; especially this time of year. It seems that I have been busier than I have ever been. I should be working on one of my other stories that I haven't updated but once. It seems that I have a very bad case of writer's block on it. I'm going to try again tomorrow though. That is after I finish all the baking that I have to do.

Moon Maiden 625- Thank you for taking time out before you had to rush to work to review. You don't know how many times I have caught myself doing that. I guess that I find it funny that I am not the only one that does that.

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Chapter 9

Sakura awoke with a sweat. She hadn't had that nightmare in along time. She always had to remember that it wasn't one. It had really happened.

Might as well get up." Kero shot out of the drawer that he had been sleeping in. "Morning Kero."

"Sakura are you alright?" He had felt her restlessness. When he had tried to wake her she hadn't gotten a response.

"I'm fine Kero. She brushed him off. "I'm going to go train."

He watched his mistress leave the room. He missed her. She didn't even talk to him anymore. He flew out the window to keep an eye on her. "Yelan what are you doing out here?"

"She didn't sleep well did she?"

"No she didn't. I tried to wake her from that nightmare but couldn't." Kero fluttered around sadly.''

Yelan observed Sakura sit in the field as if in a meditating state. There was a powerful aura that showed up around the field. All of Sakura's cards were circling around her. "She's not paying attention to us is she?"

Kero shook his head. "No she's not."

-Tomoyo-

"What is he doing?" The area was a little different than she was in with Sakura the previous morning. She didn't have time to notice much though. The swirling vortex of wind that had been around his staff now enveloped both of them. "Eriol what is going on?" She found herself in a weird bubble that prevented from flying around with everything else that was flying in the vortex.

Tomoyo landed in a grassy field. She couldn't see Eriol anywhere. What's going on? A lightning bolt landed at her feet. "Aahhh!" She squealed.

"Come on Tomoyo." A voice prodded inside her head. It sounded familiar to her.

"Come on what?" Tomoyo questioned.

Instead of an answer the wind picked up. It blew everything all over the place pushing clouds closer to the area that she was. The electricity was sparking in the air. "I have to stop this and find Eriol. Where is he?" She spoke out loud.

She made a careful observation of the field that she was in. while the field was in a square she couldn't go anywhere because there were trees on all sides of her. She knew that when the thunder struck that it wouldn't be safe. It certainly wasn't safe to stay in the field.

The thunder clapped in the sky as the clouds connected. "Oh no! I haven't found Eriol yet." There was another clap of thunder that was coming toward her. She didn't even have time to move.

She felt the same surge of power flow through that she had felt the previous morning. "Stop!" She called out raising her hand toward the incoming bolt. Everything that had been blowing was calming down. "It took you long enough!" Eriol materialized before her eyes.

"Eriol." She yelled at him. She was putting her hand down but somehow had managed to send the lightning bolt to Eriol.

Eriol hadn't expected the bolt to come toward him. He barely had time to teleport to Tomoyo's side.

Tomoyo was staring at the spot where Eriol had been. "You did well." He encouraged.

"I could have killed you." She whispered afraid to look at him.

"You didn't though. As a magician you learn to expect the unexpected." Eriol chuckled at her dismay.

Eriol's windy vortex showed up once more and took them back to the garden they had begun in.

"Eriol how dare you!" Tomoyo punched his arm. "Take me to Sakura. I'm tired and I wan to sit. How does she do this everyday?"

He held her around the waist as they teleported to the requested spot.

Yelan looked at them not even surprised that the couple had shown up. "How'd she do?"

"She did well. She still can't control her power but she'll get there." He paused. "How's Sakura?"

"She's holding." Li answered.

"Hey man, when are you going to propose to her?" Eriol had placed his hand over Tomoyo's mouth to keep her from saying something at the moment. He actually had a purpose for mentioning this in front of her.

"I don't know." Syaoron answered, "Ami will be here for lunch. I don't even want to talk to her." He shuddered at the thought.

-Sakura-

Sakura knew that all her cards were circling around her. She knew that she had an audience. It seemed that not one person around here slept in the slightest. She also knew that she had to get to the bottom of what was going on with her cards.

"What is wrong?" She spoke openly with them. No one in the stands could hear what she said to them.

Mirror came into her true form. "Mistress we are worried about you. There is a great evil coming that we don't understand but it seems that we should know. You must be careful." Mirror went back into her card form.

"I will." Sakura promised her card.

"Mistress," a little rabbit came out of the dash card, "there is something else which you must watch out for. You must watch out that your heart doesn't turn cold. You have turned everyone that loves you away." The little rabbit was cuddling on her lap.

"Don't do that we miss you happy." All of the cards seemed to whisper as the all went back into deck form.

"I'll try." She promised. Her mind went back to that dream with the echoing words, 'You have too many weaknesses.' You're friends are merely one of them.

Now her cards seemed to whisper, "Don't be afraid mistress."

-Lunch time-

Syaoron's sisters were all seating themselves to the table when he heard his pregnant sister grumble. "When is my husband going to be back?"

"What's the matter Futile? You miss your loving guardian?" Touya walked into the dining area.

Syaoron glanced at Sakura for a reaction. He saw nothing. There were many times that Touya had driven her so nuts that she would sneak out of the house. Now she seemed to not care that her oniichan had entered the room. He wondered what she was talking to her cards about this morning. He wondered of they were able to help her any.

"Sakura, how are you doing?" Touya tried to touch her sister but was kept off somehow.

"I'm good Touya." Her tone was icy.

Touya looked away from her sadly. He wanted her back. He wanted to know what happened three years ago that she wouldn't talk about. He wasn't going to get any answers out of her at all.

Fuutie's squeal brought him out of his thoughts. "Yukito don't you ever go away for that long again!"

"What's wrong love? Did you miss me?" He wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her. He chuckled when he felt the swelling of her belly against him.

Fuutie turned around when she heard Ami enter clearing her throat. "Well it looks like you have found your husband Fuutie. I wonder where mine is?" She questioned out loud.

"You're not married to him yet." Fuutie glared angrily at the girl.

"I will be his chosen bride by his next..."

"Likuan if you want to eat you best have a seat." Li's tone held something deadly toward her.

"What's going on Syaoron?" Sakura asked telepathically.

"I'll explain later." He ended the mental conversation there. He knew that he really would have to explain later. The time was drawing near when the counsel would try to choose his bride. He didn't want them to do that.

"Sakura-chan can I see you in my room afterwards. I have some clothes that I want you to model." Tomoyo held a dangerously familiar glint in her eyes. One that Sakura hadn't seen in a long time. It was also definitely one to be weary of.

Dinner was well underway when Sakura felt something that was really off.

- - - -

Okay it has been awhile since I have had such a bad case of writer's block that I couldn't write my stories. Luckily thought the block is only on my mystery story Rivals. I'd be in really big trouble if that was all of my stories.

I hope you enjoy the chapter. This chapter may have been a little boring but things will be heating up very fast very soon. Anyways Merry Christmas and ja ne! Don't forget to give me an honest review!