Disclaimer: No, I don't own CCS. Want to, but never will. I don't own Tamora Pierce's books either, wish.
I used a lot of Tamora's stuff in this chapter. I have a major writer's block on this section. I know what will happen down the road but I have no clue how to get there. So enjoy! I finally updated. Took me like five months. Sorry! Hope I will do better and have the next chapter up by New Years.
"……" talking
'……' thinking
)( time changing
Since no one really got the last two 'scenes', I kind of re-wrote them. I hope they make more sense now. Loves.
Unable to sleep, Syaoran roamed the halls aimlessly. He held a candle in his hand, the light shinning strong and still.
But then the candlelight flickered and a flash of silver glistened in the shadows before the prince. "Show yourself," he ordered.
In a flash, the light of the candle stick moved. Though he held the stand, the flame and part of the wax was gone. It floated before him as a friendly voice whispered, "follow me," as it began to walk from the Prince.
For some reason the prince felt as if this person had a string tied round his wrist. As if being pulled by that invisible string, he followed.
Sakura was leading him back into his room. Rounding the corner, they entered his room. She blew out the candle on the tip of her sword, leaving them in total darkness. She then took the cleaning cloth that was on the table and wiped the wax off of the sword. Sakura sheathed her sword and closed her eyes. She focused all of her power on the candles in the room.
All at once the candles in the room lit simultaneously. She kept her eyes closed knowing that a harsh comment for Syaoran would follow.
"KAMI!" she flinched.
Chapter 7
Courage in the Face of Adversity
"And never disobey me! This is an order to all!" A pale white hand shot forward from the dark and a power ball of fire raced from the hand to the two kneeling servants. The flames quickly engulfed the people and decinagrated into tiny piles of ash. A sinister laugh filled the air.
The moon moved from behind a cloud and reveled the woman in the darkness. Cracking her knuckles Makoto said to the piles of ash on her floor, "it is so wonderful to have power again."
A man stepped out into the moonlight drizzling through the high window to form Feimie. His multicolored eyes glimmered as her looked at his lover. Her silver-white hair showered around her slim shoulders. Her crystal blue eyes shown anger as she gazed into the reflective glass. It showed Sakura and Syaoran talking in his room. She whispered to the man by her shoulder, "will it be soon? When can I go 'visit' my great niece and have my 'fun' with them?"
"Soon," Feimie replied before kissing her neck softly.
"Kami!" Syaoran yelled. Sakura flinched at hearing her alias name spoken so load.
"Shhh….." she whispered harshly at him, "you'll wake someone." Syaoran quickly closed his door and turned to Sakura who now sat on the corner of his bed. 'He looks different,' Syaoran thought to himself.
"Where have you been Kami? Why are you out so late and you've been gone a week! You know the Duke will be pissed," Syaoran quickly said.
Sakura stood and began to pace the length of the room. She noted the large king sized bed made of oak. The bedspread and curtains both of the same deep green color.
The prince took the space Sakura has recently occupied on his bed and waited for some answers. "I went home," she began, "not the Daidouji's, but my real home. I visited my parents and told them about everything going on in my life lately. I just got back about twenty minutes ago. I the Duke is going to be mad at me. He'll probably put me on evening serving duty for a couple of months and no town privileges either. But that's okay."
Sakura then pulled her black hood up over her head hiding her face before going to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow prince." With that she went silently out of the door.
The auburn-haired rider looked at the black sky and swore. The storm would be on her soon, and she was hours from shelter. No matter what she did, she was going to have to spend the night out of doors.
"I hate getting wet," Sakura Kinomoto told her mare. "I don't like being cold either, and well probably be both."
The horse whickered in reply, flicking her tail. Sakura sighed and patted Roxanne's neck. She also didn't like exposing her faithful mare to such conditions.
They were on the last leg of an errand for Duke Yakemazi. A forest lay before them; beyond it was the Great Road South and half a day's ride to the capital city and home to the palace. Sakura shook her head. They could probably find shelter somewhere under the tree's, if luck was with them.
Clucking to Roxanne, she picked up the pace. In the distance thunder rolled, and a few drops of rain blew into her face. Sakura shivered and swore again. Checking to make sure the scroll she carried was safe in its waterproof wrapping and trucked between her tunic and shirt, Sakura shrugged into a hooded clock. The Duke would be very upset if the document she had been sent to fetch got wet!
Roxanne carried her under the trees, where Sakura peered through the growing darkness. If they rode too much longer, it would be imposable to find dry firewood even in this thick. The rain was falling now in fat drops. It would be nice if she could find an abandoned hut, or even an occupied one, but she knew better then to expect that.
Something moved within the forest. The red mare pranced nervously until her mistress got her under control once more. For a moment Sakura sat and shook, huddled into her cloak. Ghosts or something else really creepy was there.
A hill roses sharply to the right of the road. Crowning it was an old willow tree thick with branches. It would take hours for the rain to soak through unto the ground under the tree, if it would at all. There was more then enough room for Sakura and Roxanne.
Within moments she had Roxanne unsaddled and covered with a blanket. The mare fed on grass under the tree as Sakura gathered dry sticks, branches, and leaves. With some struggle and much swearing, she got a fire going. When it burned well, she gathered large branches that were a little wet, putting hem beside the fire to dry.
Settling down Sakura took food from her saddlebags. She suddenly sneezed twice and quickly looked up. Scanning the clearing beyond the screen of the willow branches. Whenever supernatural things (not related to Clow) were about to happen, her nosed itched; she didn't know why. Pulling her hood down, Sakura loosened the blade at her side.
Roxanne whickered, backing against the willow. "Something wrong, girl?" Sakura asked. She sneezed again and rubbed her nose.
A sound came from the trees behind her. She turned, unsheathing her sword the rest of the way in the same movement. Fear started to kick in, ghosts. What the hell was a sword going to do against a ghost, or maybe a whole hoard of ghosts.
The sound was repeated, and Sakura started to shake. There-left, closer to the trees beside the willow. She frowned, but curiosity got he better of her. The yip of a fox sounded. Sakura ran toward it. In its mouth it held a large golden hawk.
Sakura yelled without thinking for the fox to drop the bird. And to her surprise, it did. The fox stood there looking expectant.
"Thank you," she said. The fox grinned at her and vanished into the darkness. Sakura quickly ran to the hawk's aid. The bird seemed to be in no way hurt, only a few missing feathers and being ruffled up.
The bird didn't try to peck her or tear at her with its talons. Sakura placed the hawk on her saddle bag next to the fire. She settled back against the willow's broad trunk. 'It will be nice to have a pet to talk to, she thought sleepily.
Then the sneezes hit her, five at once. Sakura was blinded momentarily. Swearing, Sakura wiped her watering eyes. When her vision returned, a tall hooded stranger was standing beside her fire!
Sakura jumped to her feet, her sword unsheathed and ready, spilling the hawk onto the ground.
May I be of service?" Sakura gasped. The hawk rubbed its head on her boot wanting to be held again.
"I saw your fire through the trees." the comer's voice was husky and soft, like the wind through the treetops, and yet somehow Sakura was reminded of a pack of hounds belling on the hunt. "Would you permit me to warm myself?"
Sakura hesitated, then nodded. The stranger threw back the concealing hood, revealing a woman Sakura hadn't seen in years. She was one of the tallest woman had ever seen. Her skin was perfectly white, setting of bright blue eyes and full pink lips. Her hair was unbound, falling loosely below her shoulders in dark purple/blue snaky locks. Sakura gulped. The woman's face was even more perfect then she remembered. The woman settled before the with boneless grace. She watched Sakura as she sat down clumsily again, her blue eyes shinning.
"It is odd to see a youngling alone in this place," she said at last. Her mouth curved in a tiny smile. "There are strange tales about this forest, and what moves within it."
The hawk waddled back into Sakura's lap. Sakura stroked it nervously, never taking her eyes away from her visitor.
"I was caught by the storm," she answered carefully. "This was the first shelter I found."
The woman looked her over carefully, still smiling that hooded smile. Within two years the supreme evil will rise, will you be ready for the fight? It isn't that far away,"
Sakura opened and closed her mouth several times before biting her lips together. "It has been a will mom. I pray to you often, but do the gods even hear our little prays. You must have no time to look after your children much since you became the Great Mother Goddess. How's dad?"
"Fine," Nideshiko hastily spoke, "I have only a little time. You must thing of the fears in your life."
"I am not afraid," Sakura snapped. Emerald eyes caught the blue ones of her mother and held hers, until she swallowed and looked away. "All right-I'm afraid. But, I have asked nothing of the gods, so why must I be the Chosen?
But it won't do me any good to fight you, will it? I mean, you're going to talk to me, and I can't prevent you so I may as well accept it."
"Indeed, you ask very little, you prefer to do all you can by yourself." Sakura's Mother nodded. "You have learned that there is a world outside the Great City. You can ride; you can use a bow; you can fight with knife and sword and spear. You can read a map. You can write and speak in two tongues not your own; you can heal one who is sick. I think you must answer your own question-is it worth what you have done?"
Sakura shrugged. "It is now. It won't be if I fail."
The Goddess spoke softly, "But you aren't alone in this fight. The Prince is your counterpart. You need his help in this battle." Emerald eyes caught the blue ones of her mother and held them, until Sakura swallowed and looked away.
Sakura nearly whispered, "I am afraid to reveal my identity to him. What if he hates me for lying to him these last years? Sometimes I wake up in the dark sweating, and I'm going to scream, except I don't. In those dreams I am all alone in the world again and Syaoran and everyone else has died."
Nideshiko smiled sadly. "The events for you in the next two years will decide the fate of the world and you have no mother nor father to advise you. I now give what little advice I can. Sweetie, to win the battle against Feimie you have three fears that you have to accepted." When Sakura said nothing, she went one. "You have your fear of ghosts. I know your brother is to blame, but this fear you must defeat. It will be your greatest weakness in the upcoming battle."
Sakura looked into the fire. Seeing that it was burning low, she busied herself with putting more wood on the flames. In her mind thousands of ghost came at her and there was nothing she could do.
"Sakura," her mother called, "When you have those dream in which you want to scream out but restrain yourself, who would come to see if you were all right?"
Sakura settled back down at the fireside, "Mismi, then she would send for the Prince."
"A dream is only a dream," the Goddess murmured as Sakura looked skeptical. She added softly, "Would it be so bad if Syaoran did come to offer you comfort?"
Sakura blushed. "Of course it would. He - well, I get these odd feelings around him now and I feel jealous of the girls he is with. And him visiting when I'm not in all of my attire, he would know immediately that I was a fake."
The Goddess told her, "You fear love. You fear the love of Syaoran. Yet what is there for you to fear? Warmth? Trust? A man's touch?"
"I don't want a man's touch!" Sakura shouted. Horrified, she put out her hands in a gesture of apology. "I'm sorry. I meant no disrespect. I just want the mission to be over with and avenge your death. I don't want to fall in love, especially not with Syaoran. He'll ask me to give him parts of me. I want to keep me for myself. I don't want to give me away. What is my third fear?"
"Your fear of Death. You have met the Dark Lord, but you fear him taking you and anyone you know and love. People lose people they love all the time. But most don't lose them like you did. But if Feimie wins the battle, all the children in the world will die along with their loved ones."
The Goddess bowed her head in sadness. "To deal with your fear of the spirits of the after life, visit the forest of Ever Life. There you will meet many ghost and even help a few pass on. Your fear of love, well, who knows what may happen to change your mind?"
"Nothing will change my mind," Sakura said firmly.
"My last hint to overcome the last fear is to save as many lives as you possibly can."
The Goddess reached into the bed of fire and drew out a single red hot coal. "My time with you comes to an end daughter. Take this from my hand."
Sakura swallowed hard. This was asking a bit much, for both a mother and a goddess. She looked up into her mother's eyes with her own. Slowly, trembling, she reached out and took the coal.
It was cold! Startled, she nearly dropped it. Looking at it, she saw that the ember seemed to burn within a crystal shell. There was even a tiny loop in the crystal, just big enough to permit a chain to pass through. The ember flickered in its shell, its hot red glare fading to a soft glow.
The Goddess rose. "The ghost are just lost spirits, death is just a part of life. But you. My daughter - learn to love. You have been given a hard road to walk. Love will ease it. Much depends on you, Sakura Kinomoto. Do not fail us!"
Remembering her manners, Sakura jumped up to her feet. "I won't fail you." She promised, her hand closing tight around the ember. "Or at least I will try not to."
"A Goddess can ask no more, nor a mother." Nideshiko looked down at the hawk by Sakura's feet, "Guard her well, winged one."
The hawk screeched a reply as Sakura glance at her new pet. Was there more to her new bird then she had thought?
The goddess held out her hand. "Wear my token, and be brave. Fare well, my daughter."
Sakura kissed the immortal's hand, feeling weird energy jolt through her body. She stepped away, shaking her head to clear it. "Fare well Mother."
The Goddess walked over to Roxanne, caressing the mare for a moment and talking to her in a soft voice. She raised her hand to Sakura a last time, and she was gone. Suddenly Sakura could barely keep her eyes open. It was a struggle to lay out her bedroll and to bank the fire, but she forced herself to perform the chores. Thinking about the strange conversation she just had would have to wait. When she tumbled into her bedroll at last, the hawk on a low tree branch beside her. "Stay put my friend," She whispered before she went to sleep.
It was a relief to get back to the palace the next day, back to familiar places and familiar friends. She was feeding her new hawk as it sat on the tree just outside her window. There was a quick knock on her door before it burst open revealing the prince. Syaoran's hair look devilish as it was cast about in many directions. It contained leaves and twigs as if he had been crawling through the hedges.
"Kami," he quickly whispered, "I found this dove in the forest when I was out practicing. A fox had it in his mouth and I told it to drop it without thinking what I was saying. But the fox did drop it, right at my feet. Then it just ran way. I tried to case after it, but it got away under the hedge. "
'Well, that explains the hair." Sakura thought.
"So," the prince continued, " I went back to the dove, that hadn't moved, and brought it back to you. I know you have a way with animals."
Sakura took the small dove into her hands. The dove was pure white with no sign of blood anywhere. As far as she could tell, it was unhurt. Quickly checking it with her Gift, her hypnosis proved true, the bird was unhurt.
The hawk let out a quiet cry as if it felt left out of the conversation. Syaoran looked out it oddly. "When did you find him," her questioned.
Sakura quickly looked up from the dove to the hawk. "Oh him. Yesterday on my way home."
Suddenly the dove flew from her hands to the branch which the hawk sat on. They exchanged a few whispered cries. Syaoran when to leap to save the dove thinking that the hawk was going to kill it. Sakura grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
He glared at her, "It is going to kill her."
"No it isn't. Look at them. Does it look like the hawk would 'talk' to it before killing it. No. I think there is more to these birds then we think."
Syaoran relaxed seeming to thing that this was a reasonable explanation. "We need to get Duke Mizuku and see if he can find out about them." Taking the bird they had found in their hand, they headed to Duke Mizuku office.
The duke had finished examining the birds. They stood on a desk in the center of his office. The room had several windows and many mirrors. Magical contraptions lay everywhere. He turned to Syaoran and Sakura speaking as if he had lost at a game. "These birds hold the spirits of people. They were found by you for a reason because you two are the ones who can free them. You also said that it was a fox that was carrying them. Correct. Well, the fox is 'The Keeper of Spirits.' He gave them to you because you hold enough of the gift to free them from their present forms. When I leave this room I need you two to concentrate on the soul of the bird you discovered. The rest should happen without my guidance. He quickly left the room closing the door behind him.
Sakura looked at Syaoran. He looked at her sending a tingle down her spine. Sakura quickly pulled her glaze from Syaoran to the hawk. His green eyes stared back at her with hope.
Closing her eyes, she emptied her mind, letting her breath slow until she couldn't hear it. Next to her Syaoran did the same. She concentrated on the finding the soul of the hawk.
There! A strange ball of green floated not far from her. The ball was small and hard to see as it kept changing shape. She focused on the ball and tried to pull it free of and invisible barrier. Something snapped in front of her, breaking her concentration. She opened her eyes.
The hawk was gone. Before her a man sat on the desk beside the dove. Syaoran opened is eyes, but they seemed unable to focus. "Kami, I can't change her. Help me."
She hesitated before taking his hand. Fire shot up her arm making it twitch. She wasn't sure if it was his magic or just her. Closing her eyes she let her power flow into Syaoran. He had no resistance and her flowed freely, mingling her pink aura with his green. A purple ball floated next to next to the green one. Pushing their powers to break the invisible cage that held the purple soul it shattered and a white light filled the room. Syaoran pulled Sakura into his chest keeping her eyes from the sight. She breathed in his sent. The forest, sweat, and ginger. Her body quivered. The light faded and Sakura blinked out the spots in her vision. Before her sat the man and woman. They wore white robes and wings were resting behind them.
"Angels," Syaoran whispered next to her, still holding her hand.
The angels spoke in a voice that sounded far away, "We are sent to protect you. Those who are strong and able." They held out their hands to Syaoran and Sakura. In them lay a necklace. They were intricate crosses made of silver. Sakura reached into the hands and scooped up the necklace and placed it around her neck. Syaoran did the same.
The woman angel spoke first, "I am Alexandra." She went hazy and then was sucked into the cross on Syaoran's neck. The male angel said, "Call on us when you need our guidance. I am Shane." Then he went hazy and went into Sakura necklace.