Chapter 2
A Loving Family Relationship
Disclaimer: one of these days, I will be writing stuff that people will write fanfiction on. Until then, I entertain myself writing fanfiction on other people's works.
They had, apparently, arrived in the middle of classes so Professor McGonagall decided she had time to show them to the rooms she had had prepared. She warned them about how the castle liked to change 'to keep things from getting boring, like life wasn't eventful enough,' and other miscellaneous tidbits that could be helpful during their stay. Sakura shivered at the mention that the castle was haunted and that the ghosts could be seen by anyone.
A bell sounded and suddenly the halls were swamped with black robed children. Sakura was nearly carried away in all the hustle and bustle until Syaoran grabbed her hand and hauled her back.
"Almost lost you there," He joked, "That's what you get for staying so tiny,"
"Gee thanks," she muttered sourly, "Make a pass at my height,"
"You know Sakura-chan," Yukito observed, "He only does it to give himself a reason to talk to you,"
Syaoran and Sakura blushed.
"Oh! Yuki-chan! You're so naughty," Nakuru squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Please calm yourself, Nakuru," Eriol sighed.
"But Eriol!" she whined, still wrapped around Yukito's neck.
"Or else I'll forbid you from seeing Sakura-chan's brother,"
Nakuru squeaked and leapt away from Yukito. "I'll be good," she promised. Everyone rolled their eyes, each wondering how long that promise would last.
"Professor?" a girl with thick brown hair caught Professor McGonagall's attention.
"Yes Miss Granger?"
"Have you heard anything on Harry? We've been so worried,"
Sakura noticed that Fred had faded into the back of the crowd at the appearance of the girl. Odd behavior, in her opinion.
"No, Miss Granger, I have not heard anything about Potter. Not since last summer. Why do you ask? Has he not been answering your owls?"
"That's just it! They can't even locate him!"
Sakura was lost. Owls? What did they have to do with this Harry person?
"Am I the only one who's lost?" Syaoran whispered in her ear.
"I'm lost too,"
"That's a relief,"
"Professor? Who are these people?"
"Wait and you will find out along with everyone else, Miss Granger,"
"But!" She started to protest and was cut off by the Acting Headmistress's sharp glare.
"Now run along to your next class. I expect you will ensure that Mr. Weasley will be in Transfiguration this afternoon?"
"Yes Professor," and the bushy haired girl trotted off into the insane crowd.
"This is what you get for arriving in the middle of the term," Professor McGonagall sighed. "Well, come on, let's you all to my office,"
Sakura sat at one of the four student tables in the Great Hall. She stared at the food before her, eyebrows drawn together in puzzlement. She poked at the mass of food that Kero had piled on her plate.
"What is this?" she asked Syaoran. Syaoran just shrugged helplessly.
"I have no idea,"
"I believe that is what is called Toad-in-the-Hole," Yukito explain, examining Sakura's plate. "It's nothing much more than bread and eggs,"
"Oh." Sakura still looked wary, "What about this?" she pointed at some strange meat.
"I have no clue," Yukito shrugged.
"Kippers, Sakura-chan, they are called kippers," Eriol smiled from his seat down the long table.
"And what are kippers?" asked Syaoran.
"Herring, I believe, my Dear Descendent,"
"That funny fish?"
Eriol nodded. Sakura giggled at the funny face Syaoran made.
"Perhaps you would like to try these, Sakura-chan," Yukito passed her a plate with pancakes stacked on it. Finally, something she recognized. Sakura thanked him and pushed the food Kero had gotten to one side, piling up pancakes in their stead.
"So what are we going to do now that we're here?" Nakuru asked, turning to look expectantly at her Master.
"You all might as well learn as much about these Wizards as you can while we are staying here. That will include attending the classes of the students and Job-Shadowing the Professors if need be," Eriol said, "and don't forget to take notes, as we are supposed to be conducting a research project,"
"Did anyone think to bring notebooks?" Yukito asked. No one said anything.
"Don't worry about it," Eriol said with a casual wave of his hand, "I will be teaching Sakura-chan Creation so if anyone needs anything just come to either her or myself,"
"Creation? Really?" Sakura gasped, her eyes glowing in anticipation.
"Don't get too excited about it yet, Sakura-chan. Creation is a difficult, high level spell and I would not be surprised if it took me an hour just to break it down for you," Eriol warned. Sakura nodded, calming down a bit.
"When do we start?" she asked with a grin.
Sakura sat opposite her mentor on the lawn before the Castle in a swirling blaze of auras. Eriol had realized very early on in her training that Sakura learned things best if shown once and then forced to use the skill she had just been taught. Therefore, the reincarnated Clow Reed would walk her through the steps of a spell before proceeding to attack her in an illusionary world created between their two minds. The result sometimes was a rather flashy lightshow of clashing pink and blue auras. For this particular lesson they had unwittingly managed to gather a rather large crowd of curious students as well as their companions.
"How long have they been at it?" Nakuru asked as she distractedly pulled hairs out from Spinel's tail. Spinel, of course, was not sitting still for this abuse so the newer Moon Guardian was getting quite the workout chasing him.
"Three hours, I believe," said Yukito.
"Do you think she's learned the spell yet?" Syaoran asked, looking up from his task of sharpening his sword.
"Well, usually when Sakura-chan learns the spell they come out of their world," Yukito explained. Syaoran nodded and turned back to his sword.
"Blimey," said a red-haired boy they had met in the school, "What are they doing there?"
"Ron!" gasped the bushy-haired girl, apparently shocked at her friend's outburst. Yukito smiled, turning to face their audience.
"Don't worry about our friends. Eriol-san is teaching Sakura-chan," he smiled winningly.
"Teaching her what? How?" the girl asked.
"Magic. With more magic, of course," Kero sniffed.
"Yeah, but what are those lights?" asked Ron. Kero gave him a patient stare.
"Auras, little Wizard, they are their auras,"
"But no one can make their aura visible," argued the girl.
"No Wizard, maybe," Yukito said cheerfully.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That you would have been correct if you phrased your statement 'there are no Wizards that can make their aura visible' that's all," he smiled some more.
"Then why can they?" she asked defensively pointing at the passively dueling Magicians, "If they're not Wizards then what are they?"
"Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley," interrupted Professor McGonagall in a stern voice, "Would you please stop pestering out guests," the two backed off very grudgingly.
"Headmistress, how are you doing?" Yukito asked congenially.
"Pleasantly. What are your friends doing, Mr. Tsukishiro?"
"Eriol-san is presently teaching Sakura-chan a passive high level spell" he replied.
"Oh? How is it he is doing that?"
"They are dueling in an illusionary world that Sakura-chan created between their minds. Eriol-san taught her the spell this morning after the conclusion of breakfast and now Sakura-chan is battling for mastery,"
"Battling?" She looked shocked.
"Oh yes. Sakura-chan learns best in the heat of the fight. That is how she started studying magic after all," he nodded. "Don't worry, the worst either will get from this is a terrible headache from magic strain. If it keeps up for another six hours then you can start worrying. Eriol-san might not be able to last that long,"
Syaoran and the remaining Guardians snickered. The students and Professor McGonagall were shocked at this revelation.
Suddenly Yukito and Kero snapped their attention to their mistress in tandem. Sakura's aura flared violently, forcing Eriol physically back. Syaoran smiled when he noticed that she held a small dagger in her hands.
Eriol stood and brushed grass and dirt off his clothing, his bright aura fading into obscurity. He studied his student. Sakura still sat, vacant-eyed in center of the blazing inferno of her own magic.
"Not again," he sighed, "Tsukishiro-san, please restrain Yue and Kero," Yukito's eyes narrowed but he grabbed Kero to keep the little Guardian from stopping the reincarnation of their Creator.
"What are you planning, Hiiragizawa?" Syaoran growled, rising from the steps he had been sitting on, sword in an offensive position.
"Do not worry yourself, my Sweet Little Descendent. I must bring Sakura-chan back from her own World, and the only way to do that is to forcibly cut off the stream of magic she is supplying it," he summoned a sword and paced the circumference of Sakura's aura, tracing the edge into the grass with the tip of the blade. When he had completed the circle he moved behind his trapped student and tapped the base of her skull with the pommel, effectively dropping her to the ground. The flaring pink energy vanished with a flicker.
"What'd you do that for?" Syaoran shouted. The students watching muttered in shock. Yukito lost his control over Yue, shocking all of the British onlookers with the sudden appearance of the silver angel.
"Explain yourself!" the Moon Guardian demanded.
"Don't worry, Dear Descendent," Eriol returned the sword from wherever it had some from and turned Sakura onto her back, "You as well, Yue. Sakura-chan cannot be stopped any other way and you both know it. As it is, give me a moment," he fished a pendent out of his shirt and raised it to the sky, "Key that hides the forces of Darkness! By the sacred covenant! I, Eriol, command you! Release!" the impressive Sun Staff formed in his hand and he held it parallel over the unconscious girl.
"What's he up to now?" muttered some one in the student crowd.
"Sakura, Daughter of a Half-Soul of Clow, Mistress of the Cards, I Eriol, Half-Soul of Clow, command you! Heal and Awake!" he commanded. Sakura's eyes fluttered open and he returned his staff to its pendent form.
"Oh!" She sat up, "Was I trapped again?"
"Don't worry about it. You managed to create a dagger to defeat me with," he smiled down at her pointing to what she was still clutching. Sakura glanced down at the small dagger and held it up. The sun reflected off the sliver workmanship of the hilt and guard and the perfectly tempered steel of the blade.
"How long did it take me?" she asked. Eriol smiled.
"Less time then I had anticipated," he held his hand out to help her up. She took it and hauled herself to her feet.
"What should I do with this?" she asked, holding up the little dagger.
"Did you make that Sakura?" Syaoran asked, popping up by her side. Sakura nodded and handed it to the Chinese Sorcerer.
"Yeah, Eriol had forbid me from using any of the Cards, like usual. I couldn't just defend, I had to create something offensive in order to win," she shrugged. "But when I did I couldn't wake. Sometimes the fact that my control is far from perfect is all too obvious," she smiled wryly.
"That's why he had to knock you out?" Syaoran asked, shooting a glare over to Eriol.
"Yes, the only way to stop my magic is to, well, knock me out. I've gotten so that I can uphold spells even in my sleep, but if I'm forced unconscious then my magic fails," she explained, trying to calm both Syaoran and her Guardians down. "Like that time when Eriol was testing me, back when he first came to Tomoeda and I passed out when I found him in the gym,"
"I still don't like it," Syaoran glowered.
"If there was any other way then Eriol would use that," Sakura frowned, "Stop being a baby about it. Do you think I'm such a child that I can't take anything he dishes out? I defeated him when I was in grade five, I think I can still take him,"
"It's not that we don't think you're powerful enough, Sakura," Kero said, "But you're our Mistress and we gotta protect you from harm,"
"I understand, Kero-chan," she smiled a little sadly, "but you must know that if Eriol-kun left me in a state like that I could eventually be drained off all of my magic. And with how powerful I've gotten not even the combined efforts of Eriol, Syaoran, you and Yue could stop me from dying,"
"What does that mean, Sakura?" Yue demanded, his silver eyebrows furrowing.
"I've been doing research, Yue," Sakura explained, "At ten I was more powerful than Clow Reed and I had only been practicing for a year or so. Since then, I have been studying under Eriol and I have only gotten stronger. I you look at it like an equation then my powers have been increasing exponentially for years. Even what my body needs to sustain itself has increased past the point of what it would be safe for any of you to give to save me should I be drained completely,"
"Sakura, are you sure of this?" Syaoran asked, searching her emerald eyes. Sakura smiled and squeezed his hand.
"Yes. I have done the research and the math. But don't worry, it would take several days of fighting at full strength, using all of the cards as well as spells to drain me that far, so you don't have to worry," she grinned, "The odds that we'd come across an opponent that strong is doubtful,"
"Yeah," Syaoran mumbled, still not liking how things had been going.
"Oh, just forget about it you guys!" Sakura sighed loudly, "It's nothing to worry about, since I'm not going to get into a position like that. Promise." The she grinned, "But check it out! I mastered the Creation spell!"
"And in record time too, I must say," Eriol smiled at his student and successor.
"So now we can get on with out research," Spinel commented dryly, nursing his poor abused tail, having finally gotten away from the gleefully vicious Nakuru.
"Right!" Sakura smiled and handed out notebooks and pens to Syaoran, Nakuru and Yue, who had obligingly turned back into Yukito. Eriol did not need any made by Sakura since he could make his own. "Cool! This is going to make life so much easier!" she giggled madly.
"Yeah, you can make your own battle costumes. What a let down for Tomoyo," Syaoran smirked.
"Oh, don't worry about Tomoyo. Nothing could stop her from making me costumes," Sakura giggled some more.
"What are they going on about?" asked one of the students.
"Not a clue. But they are so weird," said another student. Sakura just flashed them a bright grin.
"Yep," she chirped, startling them, "I have to admit that me and my friends are a little strange. But honestly, isn't everyone?" and with that she breezed back into the school with all the dignity her position as a half-trained, all-powerful, sixteen-year-old Magician allowed.
"Well, what can one say to that?" Eriol smiled broadly, "Is it strange to see the most respected girl in all Asian Magic in action?"
"Well, I think she's handling this situation pretty well," Nakuru said, shrugging fluidly as she followed her Master up the steps after Sakura, "She's the one being driven batty by visions and to have to put up with it here of all places as well as your training..." the female Moon Guardian trailed off with a sigh.
"It's is rather remarkable that she's still passing her high school courses as well as advancing through the High Magics," Yukito agreed.
The whole school was abuzz with whisperings about the foreign guests. Of course, they all seemed oblivious to it. No one seemed to notice that none of the foreign Magickers were taking religious notes on anything. In fact many of their notebooks were filled with nothing more than doodles. Eriol had studied European Magic back when he was Clow Reed and he commented that they had not made much progress in the hundreds of years since he had studied. Yukito took notes just for the sake of taking note. It was Yuki, after all. Nakuru doodled across every page in ever notebook she could get her hands on. Syaoran did not even bother trying to look like he was taking notes. When someone asked he just stared at them until Sakura or someone else said that he had a perfect memory and did not need to take notes. A lie, of course, but oh well. Sakura doodled a little, writing down bits and pieces of her vision along the margins to keep it fresh in her mind for when the time came.
Training took place every morning before breakfast. When Eriol and Sakura were not dueling between their minds the Magician and Sorcerer faced off against Sakura, two on one in a contest of both magic and martial arts. Some of the students commented that the odds were unfair, but they stopped when Sakura obligingly took Eriol and Syaoran on one at a time. She did not even manage to break a sweat. It was almost too sad to watch.
Word of the early morning show spread through the school like a grassfire in summer. It was amazing how many children got up early just to watch the impressive displays of power and training.
But of course with fame came headaches...
"Are all Asian Wizards like you guys?"
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked. The girl with bushy hair, Hermione, had been pestering her all morning.
"Do they all fight and know magic?"
"Uh... I don't know,"
"Do you have Wizard communities like we do here?"
"No..."
"Why not? Isn't it hard to keep your magic from muggles?"
"Not really..."
"But what do you do when they find out?"
"Depends..."
"On what?"
"Who they are, I guess,"
"Oh. But what do you do when it's someone who shouldn't know?"
"Why should someone not know? Well, then we just block their memories. Eriol blocked my memories often enough before he passed Final Judgment on me back when I was Changing the Cards," Sakura shrugged.
"Cards?" Hermione pressed, intrigued. Sakura waved a hand.
"Never mind,"
"So why is Eriol your teacher? Isn't he the same age as you?"
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Eriol is my teacher because he knows more than I do. And he's not my age, despite the fact we go to school together. He used an age pausing spell back when I was a kid so that he would be able to keep an eye on me as I grew up. He's the same age as my dad,"
"Which just makes him all the more freaky," Syaoran said, popping out of nowhere and scaring Hermione witless.
"He's not freaky, he's singular," Sakura admonished lightly.
"If he wasn't an honored ancestor..." Syaoran shook his fist.
"If he wasn't an honored ancestor then you'd have less of a problem with him," Sakura retorted. Hermione was lost. "I still don't understand why you don't like him. There can never be anything between us, and there never was. He's half of my Father for goodness sake!"
Syaoran blushed bright red and muttered something incomprehensible.
"Uh..." Hermione held up a hand. Sakura waved her aside.
"Sorry, it's a long and complicated story that has little to do with anything important," she shrugged it off, the look in her eyes effectively closing the matter.
"It's not that." Syaoran finally said. "He just gets on my nerves,"
"And he does it on purpose, you know that. He's like a cross between Yamazaki-kun and Kero that way. Just don't let him get to you and he'll leave you alone, trust me," she turned back to Hermione, "Did you have any more questions?"
"Uh, yeah. How can Eriol be half your father?"
"Ah, that," Sakura shushed Syaoran before he could say anything, "Split Reincarnation. It's complicated and I don't want to get into it. If you must, look it up in an encyclopedia or something," Hermione looked a little put out at the short answer but she did not dare press too hard.
"Sakura? Toya wants to speak with you," Yukito said, holding up his mirror. Sakura took the enchanted compact from him and smiled at her brother's scowling face.
"Hey Nii-chan!" She said brightly.
"Monster! What did you think you were doing just leaving the country like that?" he fumed.
"Hey! I told Dad where I was going and why. You obviously knew I was going somewhere if you gave this thing to Yuki," she defended hotly, her smiled turning to a glare quicker than lightning.
"If I hadn't been getting my magic back I wouldn't have even known that, you brat!"
"Is that my fault? I left you a note,"
"Where?"
"Uh..." Sakura paused to think, ignoring her bemused audience; "I think I left it on some of your textbooks,"
"My textbooks? Sakura, those are Yuki's books, not mine. He left them here when he came over to study," he growled. It sounded kind of funny coming from a compact mirror.
"Oh, opps! My bad!" Sakura giggled, "I didn't think to look,"
"Monster!" Toya growled. Yukito smothered a snicker behind his hand. He had found the note.
"I'm not a monster! Stop calling me that!"
"When you stop acting like a monster, then I'll stop calling you one!"
"If you weren't so weak..." she trailed off threateningly.
"If you weren't so tiny!" Toya shot back.
Syaoran snickered as well. Sakura shot him a glare.
"Is that the Brat?" Toya asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Syaoran-kun isn't a brat and what about him?"
"What's he doing with you? Why did he have to come?"
"It's none of your business Toya,"
"If he tries anything I'll kill him," promised the over protective older brother.
"If he tries anything I don't want I promise I'll put him through the wringer," Sakura sighed, rolling her eyes.
"If he tries anything I'll kill him,"
"You hurt Syaoran for some stupid reason and I'll never forgive you,"
"It's almost hard to believe that they'd give their lives for each other," commented Eriol, having heard some of the conversation between brother and sister.
"They only fight on two subjects now, you know: Toya calling Sakura 'Monster' and Syaoran being anywhere near Sakura," Yukito observed, looking thoughtful.
"Why do they fight about you?" Hermione asked. Syaoran shrugged. Yukito smiled.
"Toya's just being an older brother. He doesn't trust any boys around Sakura and Syaoran is closest to her and has been for years," he explained. Hermione nodded, frowning.
"He's just a jerk," Syaoran muttered, glowering.
"He's a brother with the semi-latent abilities of a Seer. Since he's never received training, like Sakura has, his abilities are only half awakened and vague," Eriol explained patiently, "He knows that you are important to Sakura-chan, my Dear Descendant, but he only has the strong feeling that you are going to take Sakura-chan away from him. He knows nothing of how or when so he tries to put it off,"
"Me? Take Sakura?" Syaoran blushed dark red. Sakura had not heard, she was still arguing with Toya.
"Indeed. Hasn't your mother and the council of Elders approved your asking for her?" Eriol asked, a small mischievous smile tugging at his lips.
"When did you hear that?" the Sorcerer demanded, eyes wide.
"Oh," Eriol waved it off, "I have my sources,"
"Well it's none of your business!"
"Of course it is, my Dear Descendent. Sakura-chan is my student, successor and my Half-Daughter,"
"Toya! If you keep going on like that I swear I'll find some way to get you pregnant!" Sakura yelled, a little red in the face and getting everyone's attention.
"What?" Toya yelped from his end of the mirror.
"Oh yes," Sakura hissed, looking positively vicious, "I found some interesting books in Eriol's library and in the Magic District of Hong Kong. And I'm sure if I ask Meilin can do some research if need be. Work that in with several prayers to Inari and presto, you and Yuki can have your own bouncing little baby,"
Yukito blushed.
"You wouldn't,"
"Try me."
"Sakura..." Eriol stared at her, eyes wide. What a terrible thing to threaten a man with.
"What?" she snapped.
"Don't you think that's a little harsh? He's your brother after all,"
"If he wasn't my brother the I'd give him to Nakuru to play with,"
"Harsh," Syaoran muttered. On the mirror Toya's eyes were even wider and his face was whiter than paper.
"That's why I'm going easy on him," she nodded and turned back to the mirror, "So, deal?"
"We'll see," and Toya disconnected.
"Stubborn," Sakura sighed and smiled a little.
"Uh, Sakura?"
"Yes, Syaoran?"
"You wouldn't really... would you?"
"We'll see how far he pushes me, but I doubt it. Bending nature that far would be complicated. Possible, since I have the power, but complicated," she smiled, "Don't worry about Toya. He most likely won't ever experience the joys of pregnancy," she smiled wryly and winked at Hermione.
"How would that even be possible?" Hermione asked, a little shocked.
"What? Male pregnancy? Well, first I'd have to find the right spell to turn the guy's insides to those of a woman's then with the little aid of Inari, the God of Fertility...step one, step two and presto! M-Preg here we come," Sakura snickered at all of her male friends who were inching themselves away form her. "Of course, I'd have to supply energy to keep the feminizing spelling place cause if that broke...you have a baby in a male body without a womb to carry it in," she shuddered.
"You've thought a lot about this, haven't you?"
"I think about a lot of weird things," Sakura admitted.