Haha, I finally found a way to update!!! Now if only the creepy librarian will stop glaring at me…Anyways, I'm happy that I can update. I think I'm switching to cable internet now, but I don't know exactly when they're going to come and install it so the updating is still on the fritz. Enjoy the newest chapter! BlueNovaBunny

BNB: Wahoooo! Chapter 11 is finally out!

Ken: Took long enough—Ack!

BNB: holds a frying pan Ahem, it was technological difficulties

Phoenix: HEHE, I got Ken!!!!! .

Ken: Ahhhhhhh! Hhheeellpp mmmeeeee!

BNB: Yeah, whatever. Oh and those that review for last chapter, I'll name you in the next chapter because they were a lot and I kinda forgot the name and I know I'm making runons because I nervous. I WILL NOT FORGET YOU!!!

Ken: Yeah…so on with the next chapter!

Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura is owned by Clamp until BNB can figure a way to take over the company.

Chapter 11: Journey On The Kyuudou

Her steps flew swiftly as she stumbled to the stables. The young magician had made it clear that rush was the necessity. She growled in frustration as the stable entrance was bound tightly. She started banging on it to see some way to get the doors unglued.

"Ugh, who's making all this racket? Can't someone get decent sleep here?"

"Kaisamaru!" The young man opened his sleepy eyes and stared at her.

" Miss Sakura, what are you doing?" Sakura gave Kaisamaru a distressed look.

"Well, Lord Hiragizawa came to my room this morning and he—

"He came to your room this morning!" Kaismaru nodded his head in understanding. Those damn nobles were always taken advantage of servants, and he couldn't this believe this could happen to poor Sakura. Well actually he could. He had to admit Sakura was beauty beyond the normal bounds.

"C'mon, I'll help you steal a horse. The sooner we get out of here, the better."

Sakura squeaked, "we?" Kaisamaru gave her one of his boyish smiles.

"Yeah, you don't really think I would let you travel alone. I mean," He laughed, "a girl journeying by herself isn't the best ideal travel. Didn't you ever think of bandits and slave drivers who attack you while you were traveling?"

Sakura just gave him a blank face. No, she did not. Kaisamaru smirked, "And look what happened to you while you were traveling alone. Rota caught you." Sakura nodded, his reasoning was just hitting her.

"Oh Kaisamaru, thank you for helping me!"

Kaisamaru winked at her, "No problem." He took the key from his pocket and unlocked the Iron Gate. Sakura glanced quickly around and saw the horse Lord Hiragizawa had assigned to her. She bit her lip, Kaisamaru would have to ride with her or he could be punished for stealing a horse. She was quite sure Hiragizawa wanted her to go alone.

"Kaisamaru, I think we need to share a horse because the loss of one won't go unnoticed unlike the missing of two." Kaisamaru agreed with her and saddled the horse. The dust flew as they rode outside to the city and finally even past that.

Her steps were small, but assured. Her usually composed face was marred by a wrinkle in her brow. The echoing shuffle of her slippers on the immense hallway just increased the gravity of trouble that surrounded her. She sighed in relief as she finally reached to the door of the room she wanted. Why did her grandmother have to build the most important room away from her quarters?

Lady Yelan Li opened the door with the symbols of sun, moon, and star embossed on the front. Nicknamed the Celestial Room, it was the center point of all magic that flowed through the establishment. Yelan used it as a concentration for premonitions and scrying.

Lately she had dreams of a great danger. She remembered the only time she felt like this was eighteen years ago. Something bad was released, but she didn't know what. And now another power is appearing. The fabric of sense seemed to be unraveling before her eyes.

She dipped her hands in the bowl of water that was sat on a pillar in the middle of the room. The dim lighting combined with her magic flowing through her cast a sliver glow on the surface.

The surface became bathed in sliver light but changed to different colors in its center. Yelan saw a girl with honey kissed hair? She concentrated harder to make the picture less blurry. The girl was riding a horse, smiling into the breeze. Then her features changed to horror as she heard something her partner say. The sliver light dimmed somewhat to reflect the time of day of the travelers.

Yelan noticed the forest surrounding them was filled with restless spirits, but there was something else lurking there. An immense power, but what was it? She gasped as she recognized that power.

The bowl shimmered dark purple, and Yelan yelped as she pulled her hand out of the bowl. She gazed in disbelief as the ancient bowl used for scrying and premonitions cracked and then broke before her eyes. The girl must be very strong to have stopped her scrying.

She must call her son to stop this girl. So the power of the seal was finally unlocked and she didn't know if this girl was dangerous. No matter, her family line was the direct descendent of the great Clow Reed. She was sure her son would be the captor of this power. She rang the nearby bell.

The old family servant appeared. "Wei," Yelan ordered, "Fetch my son and tell him it is the utmost importance. The legend seems to have come true, but it is not we thought it would be."

Sakura glanced nervously around as she and Kaisamaru entered a thick dark forest. A prickling sense filled her. Kaisamaru noticed the tension that filled her shoulders and thought of distracting her.

"Hey Sakura, wanna hear a story?" Sakura nodded nervously. She was getting a bad feeling around her.

"Well there were once these two lost peasant children who wondered accidentally into this thick forest while looking for some herbs. But this wasn't an ordinary forest. The villagers always warned the children and strangers of the forest. Those who went never came out. They said it was the wondering spirits of young samurai men who been killed too violently to move on roam the forest."

Sakura paled and started to tremble a little. Of course Kaisamaru was oblivious to the fact.

"Well the kids went missing for hours and the villager finally took it amongst themselves to look for them. What they found was beyond recognition."

"What was beyond recognition," Sakura whispered hoarsely. Kaisamaru rolled his eyes.

"The bodies of the children of course! Their bodies were mutilated with a sword beyond recognition and how they knew it was a sword that did the work because there was an old ancient looking sword stuck in the rock nearby."

Sakura shrieked at him, "Why the hell would you tell me a story like that!" Kaisamaru gave her an incredulous look.

"Well duh, I wanted to get you distracted. You seemed tense and a thought a scary story would distract you. Geez, if I knew you would be so ungrateful, I wouldn't have said a thing." He seemed to get huffy as he didn't understand. Scary stories were always his favorite. He even shared a few with Lady Yanagisawa. He sighed, Naoko was a sweet girl.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the story was actually true. The village I was talking about was actually mine." Sakura shrieked at him again and then started moaning how all men were idiots. Sakura finally stopped yelling at Kaisamaru when she noticed how tense he got.

"Sakura pull out your map and show me what road we're on." Sakura grabbed it from her knapsack and unrolled the map.

"Hmm, I think we're still on Kyuudou." Kaisamaru's face tensed up, "And what forest we are entering," he asked."

"Um, we're now entering the Naratoi forest." A terror overtook his features. "Sakura, this is the forest the children were found mutilated. My village is a day's ride away." Sakura was stricken with terror as she was glowing orbs ahead of them. They slowly took the shape of a human, but something was wrong. They were transparent!

Sakura couldn't help but scream in terror as they advance on them. She could clearly see their armor now and a wicked aura that surrounded them. Kaisamaru and Sakura hugged each other and stared in terror at those bourei closed in.

'No, my journey, my brother, my life. My journey hasn't started yet. I can't end like this!' Sakura's tears glistened as the slivery light of the moon shone down on them. 'What?' She felt warmth fill her heart and spread throughout her body. What was this power that flowed to her fingertips? Her throat was parched and she so wanted to say something. But what?

"Sakura!" Sakura gasped as Kaisamaru was sliding from her side. The ghost wanted them! She sniffled, where was this hidden power that everyone kept talking about? She wasn't powerful at all! She closed her eyes as she felt herself being dragged. 'I just wish I could help everyone…' She sank to the floor as she heard Kaisamaru's screams. Lightening hot pain ran down her leg as she tried not to scream.

A breeze shifted through her bangs. Sakura barely had the strength to open her eyes as she gazed at the looming figures above her. She could see them move away from her as the breeze turned into a gale. 'What now?'

Her jade eyes widen as the gale forced the spirits back. Soon most of them disappeared and she saw…

'Oh my god, Kaisamaru!' His gray eyes were clouded; dull without life. Which was not surprising since his neck was slit to his stomach. His face lay in the pool of his own life-blood. The wind picked up and would not stop. Won't be long before Kaisamaru's body would be blown away. Suddenly the words caught in the back of her throat grew into a shout.

"I don't know what you are or why you helped me, but I have to stop you now." Her voice quieted, "And so I can give Kaisamaru a proper burial."

Gasping, Sakura hand reached for her necklace. By instinct she reached for it and pulled it off. In the glimmering moonlight, a figure of a woman formed. Her pale eyes narrowed and charged at Sakura.

Sakura started backing away, but a frown marred her features. She didn't do anything when Kaisamaru when he was being dragged away, but she would do something now! The necklace spun in her hand and glowed faintly. She felt a warmth course through her arm and travel to her fingertips. The necklace glowed faintly before releasing its long kept light.

Sakura knew the staff in her hand was meant to help her somehow, but she was clueless on how to use it. Name the element…Her eyes widened. 'Where did that voice come from?' The wind blew harder and temporarily blinded her when it picked up dirt and grit. 'Windy! Its name is Windy!' The staff twirled at her side before coming in front of her to complete her defensive stance.

"From the power of Clow Reed you stem

I command you to return to your form of gem…

Windy!"

The elusive power wailed before taking the form of a beautiful womanlike creature. Surprising Sakura by smiling, she spun around Sakura and then turned to a glowing white gem. Sakura stared at the small crystal she held in her hand. She gave a closer glimpse inside and faintly saw Windy howling within the gem.

She gazed at Kaisamaru's still body. 'Why did he have to die? Oh god, the only best thing to do now is return his body to his village.' She wondered how she was going to carry his deadweight body to the village until she glanced down at the jewel still in her hand. A simple "O" formed on her lips. This was definitely her first and last journey on the Kyuudou.

kyuudou (n) old road

bourei (n) ghost; the dead; departed spirits; apparition

BNB: cries I didn't want to kill him!!!

Ken: Meh, doesn't bother me.

BNB: smacks Ken That is a mean thing to say. I had a partial attachment to that character…what's his name again?

Ken: sigh

Phoenix: Cheer up BNB, the next chapter is a very eyeful intro with Syaoran and his naked—

BNB: Don't, you'll alert the Syaoran fans! I don't want another lawsuit. So the next chapter is Chapter 12: Gather The Itsubun. Til next time, bye!

Phoenix: ReVIeW!!!