Chapter 2 - Secretes Revealed.
Sakura ran through the garden heading towards the forest. Not stopping she plunged into the thick trees, which only looked like blurs through the tears bunched in her eyes. She had only one thing in mind and that was to get to a place where she was alone. Where she was safe.
Suddenly the trees parted up ahead and Sakura slowed as she came to stand in the middle of a medium sized field, the almost full moon shining up ahead casting its light onto the grass making bits and pieces of it turn a silvery blue. Surrounded by trees it looked like a painting. In the very center of the field there was a single weeping willow, its wispy branches blowing slightly with the breeze, to reveal a giant rock, smooth on the top making it into a rudiment kind of chair. Which is exactly what Sakura used it for. Walking towards it she couldn't help but admire how beautiful it was. A sudden thought came to her. Ironic that the place in which I will wallow in sadness is underneath a tree that never stops crying. IT made it seem even more perfect.
But this wasn't the first time Sakura had come here. Though she probably didn't remember it, Sakura had come here to play as a small child. When Mama asked why she would say in her cute childish voice "Me safe here Mama." She'd giggle and point towards the sun/moon. "They protect me." And then off she'd run trying to catch a butterfly or to roll in the flowers. Mama of course got confused by this and worried. The creatures wouldn't come for her yet would they? So she stopped bringing Sakura to that grove refusing to let her near it. Even though it hurt her child and caused her to loose her innocent air she refused all Sakura's pleas to let her back into it.
Now yet again Sakura sat under the mourning tree's limbs, crying softly into her arms, her knees drawn up tight to her chest. For the first time in years Sakura allowed her self to cry freely. She didn't feel the need to put up a brave front here. Here was safe.
For the longest time she sat there crying. The torrent never stopping or slowing down. When she was done, when there was not a drop of moisture left in her eyes to shed, Sakura lifted her head to rest her chin on her hands. Thinking to see the field in moonlight with maybe a few fire-flies lying about Sakura's eyes grew wide when instead of seeing an empty field she saw a figure standing at the edges of the pond at the other end. Stumbling back Sakura fell off the rock and tumbled down behind it into the cover of the willow branches. Peering up over the top of her abandoned seat Sakura looked to where the man -she was sure it was a man even though the person's form was wrapped in shadow- had been only to find emptiness.
Sakura blinked. She had seen someone right? He really was there. He was wearing funny clothes like out of an ancient history book. Getting up silently and slowly, she checked the field for any sign of the man but without any luck. The man had disappeared as quickly as he had come.
Warily she sat back on the rock, now and again looking about as if she expected the man to reappear. Sakura sighed and gave up. She suspected the man would not show himself again until he wanted to. And what will happen will he decides he wants to? Sakura shivered more from the thought than from the cool breeze that had begun blowing again. She decided that even if he did appear again she wouldn't be found cowering behind a boulder. It wasn't her way.
Standing up she surveyed the field and the trees surrounding it. She went back in time to recall what she felt when she saw the tall man. Thinking back on it she found surprise - which was understandable- wariness, but to her great surprise she didn't feel unsafe or the need to protect herself. It's almost like she knew the tall man but she couldn't remember ever meeting anyone like him. But his aura...so powerful yet not to the point of suffocating. She hadfelt it before. A long time ago...she just couldn't remember when. Again she went over her feelings at meeting the Stranger. She had learned long ago to always trust her feelings. They were always right and could not be fooled. She had almost felt...safe...with the man. Like how she felt in this field. Comforted.
Shaking her head Sakura started walking back towards the direction of her house. 'Crying has made my senses all fuzzy or something. It's ridiculous to stand out here in the open with my mind distracted.' Angry with herself she stomped harder on the ground then she meant to and walked faster towards her house.
When she was in the cover of the trees Sakura looked back towards the willow tree and saw two figures standing at the base staring after her. One she recognized as the man she saw before but the other one looked more feminine. Both were dressed in the same kind of rich dark robes of medieval times. Shivering Sakura turned around and headed deeper into the forest away from them and towards her home. As she walked through the forest a thought came to her stopping her dead in her tracks. 'Home.' That feeling...that was it. The field felt like a home should have felt. Strange that her house had never felt like that. It had never felt like she...fitted...in. Shaking her thoughts away yet again she resumed her journey towards the house so lost in thought that she didn't even feel the two auras watching her leave. Nor did she feel when they suddenly winked out.
'She saw you' Nakuru reprimanded her brother in his mind.
'Yes' he agreed. 'She did.' Turning around he sat down on the stone boulder that was suddenly there. They were back to the now deserted field.
"Why did you leave!" exclaimed Nakuru aloud now that Sakura was too far away to hear them. After she had turned away both of them had transported to a deeper part of the woods so they could watch her from afar.
"Soon she would have noticed us. If she hadn't been so distracted by her thoughts she would have noticed us the very second we used our magic." Clow stated calmly, unable to keep the hint of pride from showing in his voice.
Nakuru stared at him. "You're kidding right?" He shook his head in a negative "But that's impossible! No one has been able to sense us in over four centuries! There's no way her power could have grown so much already."
"It's possible Nakuru. The only reason you find it hard to believe is the fact that Earth was the planet that got her to this strength. You always keep underestimating the power of Earth. Stop being so prejudiced against younger planets. You're not even supposed to have these kind of emotions." Clow lectured in a near growl. Sometimes his younger sister could be so immature and human like.
"sigh Sorry Brother." Said Nakuru as she bowed her head in shame. Nodding approvingly Clow stood and linked arms with her. Bringing up her head Nakuru looked at her older brother questioningly. "It's time we paid a visit to Leane again don't you think?" With that, they disappeared.
The stars twinkled over-head, reflecting off the pond in the field, giving it a shimmering effect. Softly the wind blew making the willow branches sway, almost as if it was crying. Softly,so soft you had to strain to hear it a voice whispered "It Begins..." The willow swayed in answer.