Chapter Four

Misty Dreams

Card Captor Sakura

*starjade*

A Spell

a/n: Read this chapter carefully, cause it has a lot of important info. Hehehe..

Sakura sobbed, her eyes running with never ending tears as she crouched near the tree , trying to melt herself into the wood. It was taking all the energy out of her to even breath , but yet the tears kept running , faster and faster.

Her brothers, her beloved brothers. All six of them turned into....into...Swans! For goodness sakes, she never knew such a thing was possible! They were so strong , so solid , so...there....and then they were gone into a bundle of flying white feathers graceful and unknowing.

Touya....such a strong leader he was to be, gone...Kosumo, soft and quiet in his ways, always dreaming....gone, Yukito, seeping with knowledge of books and science, gone...Eiden, a warrior at heart, his eyes flashing like the edge of a sword, gone...Hiro, with his loving hands with animals, gone...and Yamazaki, the morals that filled him, the knowledge of things that hadn't yet come to pass....gone...

How could this had happened? How could she had let this happen?

" I have betrayed you mother....I'm sorry, oh, I'm so sorry..."

Tears dripped down her cheeks as memory after memory flashed through her mind until at last it rested on a memory of her father, smiling distantly as Sakura played on a swing.

Her father..

Now dying at the Kinomoto Household, with only Oribia for company...

Sakura's eyes darkened as she remembered Oribia's screeches of laughter as Sakura stood helplessly as her brothers were turned into swans.

A flash of her mother suddenly appeared and a few more tears crept out of eyes. " Oh, mother...please help me.."

She wrapped her arms around her legs and shook, trying to calm herself in order to think properly. But suddenly there was a whoosh of air, and leaves brushed past her hair and her cheeks and the trees fell back and forth , twigs hitting each other under the cloudy sky.

" Mother..." She breathed out as a presence made itself known. Her eyes widened with shock as a woman appeared before her, a rim of light outlining her body and a sad smile playing on her lips.


Sakura's heart filled with longing and she reached out with her fingers. " Mother...oh, Mother, I am sorry! I have let you down and I know it. But Oribia came out of nowhere and she has set a curse upon my brothers and my father is dying and I am out here alone , with no food or weapon and...and...and....I don't know what to do!"

Her mother smiled gently.

" It's alright daughter, it's alright. I know what happened."

" Y-you know?" Sakura gasped.

Her beautiful mother nodded slowly. " I know what pain you have gone through and I know what evil has befallen our family. But I have not much time and I cannot solve this problem for you. I have no power to undo Oribia's curse."

Sakura's jaw dropped. " No, mother , you can't say that! There must be something we can do, my brothers can't stay in that form forever! And what about father, he's dying , Mother!"

Nadeshiko nodded. " I am aware of all of this , Sakura....but there is one thread of hope in this situation. The only way to undo this curse....is you. Your sacrifice. You must sacrifice much in order to free your brothers. But this may be too much to ask-"

" No! I'll do anything, anything at all!" Sakura gasped. " Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it."

Nadeshiko smiled sadly. " You have much courage, my daughter. But this task you must do...it is hard, too hard. In order to free your brothers from this curse, you must create six shirts...Six shirts of starwort."

" Starwort?" Sakura breathed. " You can't mean-but that's impossible-"

Starwort was a plant of spiny needles that dug itself in your skin, causing white hot pain. The needles latched itself under your skin and was quite a bad experience , should you ever touch this plant.

Nadeshiko continued, " But that is not all. You must remain silent until those shirts are around your brother's necks. Not a word, not a scream, not a sound can be uttered from your lips until all six shirts are completed. Only you can cut this plant , only you can turn this plant into thread and only you can sew and weave it into a shirt. Once all six shirts are completed, you can call the swans to you , only once, and you must put the shirts around their necks one after another. Not until all six swans have shirts on will the curse be lifted."

Sakura gaped at her mother. She had to do what? But this was asking too much, to labour and speak not a word...how could she survive? But the thought of her brothers pushed her forward and she got up slowly.

" Do you accept this task?" Her mother asked , gently.

Sakura took a deep breath. " Yes....yes I do."

Nadeshiko's eyes grew worried, but a certain glint of pride made them shine. " Here is a pack, with necessary items such as a spindle and a needle as well as a change of clothes and water and a spool of normal thread."

Sakura nodded, trying to look sure of herself.

Nadeshiko smiled and her arms went out. " I must leave now , daughter, but keep this thought inside of you always. I love you , Sakura , my one and only daughter. I love you to the earth's ends.."


Sakura's eyes filled with tears and she reached out as well, but all that met her arms was a mist, as Nadeshiko disappeared. Sakura stared at the spot that her mother had been in and turned away.

She will make her mother proud and save her brothers. Determination filled her and she set off into the words, ready to save her family from Oribia.

*********

The Kinomoto guards circled them, their eyes large with excitement.

" We caught him!" Sakura heard from one of them. " Queen Oribia shall be pleased."

Queen Oribia?? Sakura thought with disgust. Now the Kinomoto people were bowing to Oribia...how could this have happened? Sakura watched them as the came closer and closer, their swords flashing in the bright sun.

Her heart filled with dread as Syaoran put a hand across her, protecting her.

"I have a dagger in the back of my left boot," Syaoran muttered to her , his eyes flicking back and forth. " Take it and run."

Sakura grabbed the dagger out of his boot and Syaoran shot her a glance of confusion and awareness. Well, now he knows she could understand his language, Sakura thought. But now was not the time. The Kinomoto guards seemed wary of this game of cat and mouse and closed in, swearing foully at Syaoran.

" Damn Li bastard," one of the guards sneered. " You killed my brother!"

" Now we shall have our revenge!" One of them whooped. " Prepare to die, son of a bitch!"

Syaoran gripped his sword tightly, and Sakura knew he didn't understand what they were shouting at him, but he understood their tone well enough. One of them leapt at him with a war cry and Syaoran snapped into action , rolling on the ground and flipping him, snatching his sword and plunging his sword into the man's vitals.

" Run!" Syaoran yelled, as two men leapt at him, angry at their comrade's death. " Dammit, run!"

Sakura nodded, frantically , as they all closed in on him, their swords flashing dangerously. She turned to run but two of the swordsmen had spotted her and one of them grabbed her arm.

His eyes peered at her curiously. " Your part of the Kinomoto Kingdom aren't you? What are you doing with the Li bastard?"

The other snorted. " Probably selling him secrets of our kingdom, along with her body."

The one who was gripping his arm, tightened his hold. " Wait a minute...those green eyes...she looks just like Princess Sakura.."

The other turned pale. " No, that couldn't be! All the royal children disappeared!"

The other shrugged. " We'd better take her with us then...just in case."

Sakura's eyes widened. No! She couldn't be taken with them! Oribia would kill her! She turned to Syaoran , who was sweating furiously, jumping up and down with the martial arts skills that were famed in the Li Kingdom. A large cut from his knee to his angle bled through the cloth and she could tell he was wearing out very fast.

Her eyes widened as the man grabbed her arm. She quickly took out the knife she had taken from Syaoran's boot and swiped it across the man's chest.

" AHHH!" The man screamed as he fell. She pushed out of the crowd of men and looked around desperately. She needed help. Syaoran needed help.

Mother, help me! I need your help! She thought, her eyes widening with fright as Syaoran dropped to his knees in pain.

All of a sudden, a storm washed over the sky. Droplets of rain pattered down on them, so fast and so furious that she could hardly see. She reached out blindly, as she was instantly soaked, reaching for Syaoran-

A hand grabbed hers and she blinked. Syaoran! She knew it was him and followed as he dragged her to a nearby cave.

They struggled inside the cave, their breathing uncontrollable and harsh. Collapsing on the floor of the cave, Sakura couldn't think sensibly. God, she was exhausted!

She turned to Syaoran and her breath caught. Syaoran's face was as white as a sheet and his hair hung limp on his forehead, his eyes feverish and pain filled. Her eyes went to the deep cut and she gasped. The cut he received had left a wedge of metal deep in his skin and if it wasn't taken out immediately-

" You-ok-" Syaoran puffed out, his head lolling on his shoulders.

Sakura nodded weakly. What was she going to do? She couldn't just let him die here!

He's a Li soldier, whispered a voice in her head. Leave him here and run!

The storm had already died out, as if it were something magical. The sun was peaking out again and Sakura knew the storm was not natural.


Thank you, Mother, Sakura prayed and she looked around for something to help Syaoran. Syaoran had saved her life out there...so she had to owe him something. She'd save his life in return.

Quickly, she grabbed his pack, and took out a pot and a small knife. She heard dripping at the back of the cave and got up, her muscles aching, and hurried to the back of the cave finding a pool. She dipped the pot into the pool and came back to where Syaoran was gasping for breath and grabbed some cloth from his pack.

She motioned to him that she wanted to help him. Syaoran glanced at her, shock in his eyes.

" You can understand me, can't you?" Syaoran wheezed.

Sakura looked down and nodded.

" And you want to heal me?"

Again she nodded.

" Alright. Tell me what I have to do."

Sakura looked up , startled and let out a hint of a smile. Syaoran gazed at her for a few second then turned away. Sakura used her hands and pointed to the cut.

Knife. In leg. Must take out.

Syaoran nodded. " Do what you have to do."

Sakura took a deep breath and washed the cut as cleanly as she could. Then she used the knife to dislodge the wedge of metal. She heard Syaoran gasp in pain and she wondered at the fact that Syaoran didn't scream at all. Must have a lot of determination, Sakura thought grimly.

Finally, when her hands were dripping with blood, she got the metal out. Then she cleaned the cut again and grabbed the spool of normal thread from her own pack. Carefully, she stitched the cut back together, taking the time to make each stitch perfect. Finally she bit off the thread and wrapped his leg in the cloth.

She inspected her handiwork with a curve on her lips, happy that she was able to save his life. She turned back to Syaoran's face and her eyes widened at the fact that he was staring at her curiously.

" What is your name?" he asked, his voice rough.

Sakura remained blank and she turned away, back to her pack, grabbing the blood filled pot so that she could wash it. A hand touched her arm and she nearly jumped at the electricity and warmth of the touch.

She whipped around and met those icy amber eyes. She gulped as he brought her closer, his head tilted in confusion.

" Fine. Don't tell me. But you have to tell me this. Peasant girls don't act the way you do, nor do they know such a craft as healing. You hold your head up with pride yet you don't speak a word. Who are you really?"

Sakura gaped at him. Oh no..

********

Two weeks had passed since Sakura's encounter with her mother. She had traveled deep into the woods, and hid out in a cave she had found. All her mind was on was saving her brothers. The cave she had selected was conveniently near a field of starwort. The first time she touched the plant, she screamed in pain. It was white hot pain spread through her body and if felt like she had touched fire. Her fingers burned as the needles dug in her flesh and her hand became more swollen.

But she doggedly cut the plant, biting through her lip. It grew into a ritual, every day, she'd brace herself and cut the plant and start the meticulous task of making patches for the shirt. By the end of the two weeks she had finished two patches and almost done her third. She'd have to finish soon and was trying to hurry.

There was no time for her to care for her hands and take out the needles, so she left her hands swollen and large. She tried not glancing at her hands, for every time she did, she winced at the ugliness of it. Her hand was swollen and puffy and purple. But all she thought about was her father, her brothers...

After a month, she had finished one shirt and had halfway done another. Touya. She had finished Touya's shirt and was almost done Kosumo's shirt.

For food, she had gathered nuts and fruits, for the land was rich in human food. She didn't touch the animals, for ever since her brothers turned into animals, she didn't dare eat an animal, much less a swan. It got quite lonely out here by herself and she had taken a habit of mind-talking with the animals she met.

One night, she decided to take a rest. Climbing her way down to the lake, she rested her back against the sandy shore and watched the sun go down, as a velvet cape enveloped the earth.

Suddenly, a sound wrenched her out of her dreams. She turned her head. A flock of swans were flying above the lake, and Sakura's eyes widened.

One, Two, Three, Sakura counted the white swans, Four, Five Six...

She leapt up. It must be her brothers! She ran to the shore and her eyes widened even more as the swans grew and grew, turning into people.

She wanted to make some sound, some sort of sound to signal them that she was there, watching them. They turned into six grown men, their hair uncut and their clothes short and dirty. They looked lost and confused and Yamazaki soon saw her.

" Sakura!"

Sakura grinned. She waited as all of them turned around and recognition appeared in their eyes. They splashed through the water to the shore where she waited and they each hugged her tightly.

Sakura smiled at all of them and raised her hand, motioning that they follow her. She led them to her cave and lit a fire quickly, settling down as they sat around the fire, the lost look still apparent in their faces but slow remembrance sinking in.

" We were turned into swans..." Kosumo trailed off.
Eiden growled. " It was because of that bitch, Oribia...I swear, when we get back, I will punch the living daylights out of her-"

Touya interrupted, " What about father? And how long are we to be humans?"

They turned to Sakura, who shrugged.

Hiro stared at her curiously. " Why aren't you talking, Sakura?"

Sakura stared at him, wincing. Oh no, now they're going to find out.

Sakura motioned to her throat then shook her head. I cannot talk.

Yukito looked confused. " Why not?"

Sakura shrugged once again, looking uncomfortable.

Touya pressed, " Well, how long do we have in our human form?"

Sakura looked grave and Yukito sighed. " From the look on Sakura's face, not long."
Eiden leaned back. " I'm still wondering why Sakura can't talk. What happened, Sakura?"

Sakura looked uncomfortable. I can' t tell you...

Hiiro's eyes narrowed. " It must have something to do with Oribia...Tell, me Sakura. Did Oribia do something to you?"

Sakura looked up quickly and looked away. Yamazaki gasped. " Oribia laid a curse on her too! That must be it! Unless...Sakura is choosing to be silent...but why?"

a/n: HELLO, all of you! Sorry for the late updating, I PROMISE I'll be faster next time! lol! Thank you so much for your reviews, you have no IDEA how much your reviews mean to me! Well, maybe if some of you are writers too, you know how much reviews are appreciated!

So review and tell me what you think of my story and where I'm going with it! ok? I'm open to suggestions and if you have a REALLY good idea about what the future of this story should be, tell me!

Luvyalotz,

*starjade*