Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura or any of the techniques that are used or any of the Naruto names used.
Chapter 4: Memories
As the two dragons were flying in the midnight sky, the four were starting to grow tired. Sakura groaned and sighed, "Li-kun, how much farther? We have been flying for sooo long!" Syaoran looked at her and glared. He wasn't in the mood for complaints right now. He was still looking at the map; getting agitated each time Sakura asked him if they were lost. Sakura saw his glare and turned back to Raidon, her dragon. The black three headed dragon moaned restlessly, he was growing tired. Sakura heard it and she looked at Tomoyo's dragon, it was also growing tired, Sakura then turned to Syaoran, "Li-kun our dragons are getting tired, we have to find a place to rest. Is there any place on the map that we can land with no people around?" Syaoran scanned the map once more and looked up.
He pointed up at a small mountain covered with clouds, "Over there, Mount Konoha. We can rest there, there's a nearby cave near a waterfall. The cave is pretty big to hold in us and including the dragons." Sakura nodded and directed Raidon towards the mountain. As Sakura was directing Raidon, something in her mind was bothering her; it was the name of what Ronin said about his master. It has been on her mind ever since the battle was over.
"Where was that name from? It seems like I have heard of it before….but where?" Then a sudden gust came towards her and she shivered. She let go of the reins, trusting Raidon that she won't fall, she rubbed her hands on her arms to keep warm. "Hey Li-kun, get my jacket from my bag." She spoke with an agitated voice.
Syaoran looked at her and glared, "Why should I? I'm not your servant. I don't even know why I bother to talk to you." Then Raidon started to growl ferociously at him.
"You better get it for me or Raidon can drop you off right here." Syaoran grumbled and took out the jacket from her bag. It was actually like a sweater that was hand made by Sakura's mom. Wrapping the sweater around her she sighed dreamily, flying in the night sky made her seem peaceful and calm.
Then all of a sudden, her dragon spoke to her in telepathy, "Blossom, we are here…" That was what Raidon always called her ever since he could actually talk telepathy. Sakura looked up and saw the mountain that contained the cave where they were going to sleep. She grabbed the reins and pulled them, slowing the black dragon down. Tomoyo did the same and both dragons slowed down. They reached the edge of the cave and landed softly on the rocky ground. As soon as the dragons were on the ground, Sakura, Syaoran, Eriol and Tomoyo jumped off.
Sakura patted Raidon, "Arigato (thanks) Raidon." The dragon looked at her with uncertainty and looked at Syaoran who was heading towards the cave.
"I don't think I like him Blossom. I should have dropped him when he spoke to you like that. Next time I'm going to eat him if he does anything rash." Sakura laughed heartily and shook her head. She grabbed her bag and entered into the cave. Sakura looked all around her surrounding and found it quite roomy. Eriol then walked past her and walked towards the end of the cave. Sakura saw him chant something on a talisman, and then all of a sudden the whole cave was illuminated with light.
Sakura gaped at this, "How…how did you do that? You kind of remind of someone, but can't put my finger on it…" She then deeply thought at what Eriol looked like, she pictured many other guys, but none of them was the right one. Then finally she thought of a man with midnight blue hair with glasses and wearing a black robe, she compared him and Eriol to each other. Then finally it hit her…she gasped out loud and pointed at Eriol who was just smiling at her. "YOU! YOU LOOK LIKE CLOW REED!"
Eriol smiled at her and nodded, "Yes, I am technically Clow Reed but I'm the reincarnation of him."
Sakura gaped at him for a few seconds and turned to Syaoran, "You knew about this? Why didn't you tell me? So then…Li-kun…you're friends with him?"
Syaoran turned his head and scowled at Eriol, "Unfortunately yes. I am a direct descendant of Clow Reed, so I gained some of his power. He is annoying as hell when he calls me his 'cute descendant.' " Sakura still couldn't believe what she was hearing, Eriol reincarnated from Clow Reed, the creator of the Clow Cards, now known as Sakura Cards.
She looked at Eriol with disbelief and shakily asked, "So were you the one who caused all that trouble at my castle to make me transform the cards to Sakura cards! But why?"
Eriol just gave her a smile and spoke, "I had to, if you didn't transform those cards to Sakura Cards, they would have ended up just ordinary cards for fortune-telling." Sakura took out the deck of pink cards and looked at each and every one of them.
Back when Sakura was fourteen, she found an old book in her father's library. She opened it and all the clow cards escaped and separated their ways. Kero, the guardian, gave Sakura a wand and helped her capture each card. Sakura was known as a "cardcaptor."
Sakura then reached the last card and slowly put it back into her pocket. Everyone was quiet when they heard a loud rumble, they looked at different directions and then Sakura noticed it was her stomach growling.
She turned red and laughed a little, everyone looked at her and sighed, "Looks like I'm a little hungry…hehe…" Syaoran groaned, Tomoyo laughed and Eriol just smiled. Tomoyo took off her bag from her back and put it on the ground.
She rummaged through her bag and took out a pot, a pan, a big wooden spoon, bowels, spoons and forks. "I always come prepared!" She then looked at Eriol and asked, "Hiiragizawa-kun, could you start a fire for me? I need the fire to make some food for us." Eriol nodded and went outside the cave to gather some wood for the fire. Leaving Syaoran and Sakura alone, Syaoran separated himself from Sakura and went to help Eriol out. Sakura stood there for a few seconds and glanced back at Tomoyo, she was looking for rocks to hold the wood for the fire in.
Sakura decided to help Tomoyo; she walked up to her and whispered, "Need help Tomoyo-chan?"
Tomoyo looked up at her and shook her head, "It's alright Sakura-chan, I'm fine. Why don't you go outside for a little while and relax….I'll call you when I'm done preparing dinner." Sakura nodded and trudged out of the cave. She looked around to where to relax and spotted a small little cliff with a patch of grass. She walked towards it and carefully went down to the cliff. She slowly sat on it, to make sure it was stable. As soon as she thought it was safe she collapsed on top of it. Her legs couldn't walk another step. Sakura looked up at the beautiful starry sky.
Each star shining its finest, she then smiled to herself but frowned, "How long will this mission last? I've been doing missions since I knew how to fight….I hardly spend my time at home with Otoe-san and Oka-san…"A tear slipped from her emerald eyes and slid down her cheek, she was never home since her father always sent her on missions. Sakura sighed, "I'm close to the age of being married, and yet none of them is the right one! At this rate…I'll never be able to marry for love, but by force." She thought, but as she gazed at the stars she had felt peaceful. But then the name, "Kaori" shot into her mind. The name was bugging her; she calmed down and thought calmly where she heard of the name from…
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"Daddy, who's that new man over there," pointed a small seven year old princess with beautiful emerald eyes.
The King glanced at where his daughter pointed and answered her, "That my daughter is my new advisor, he will from now on advice your daddy to do what is right…" The emerald eyed girl smiled and hugged her daddy tightly. The King returned her hug also then let go of her. "Now go Sakura to your lessons, we need you to be strong when you grow up, ne?" Sakura nodded her head vigorously and turned on her heels and went towards the practice hall, holding her lessons. She hastily skipped down her hallways and turned to the right; she bumped into someone and fell down.
Sakura rubbed her head, she sat up right away and bowed, "Gomen na sai for bumping into you…"
"Oh that is quite alright little one, I was also not looking where I was going…" replied a man's voice. Sakura looked up and saw a brown haired man with dark green eyes staring right at her smiling. He was wearing a red suit with a belt strapped along his waist; he was carrying a pen and sheets of paper. The man looked at her closely and Sakura took a step backwards feeling uneasy. "Oh…? Are you not the King's daughter? Why, you look just as beautiful as your mother! So what is your name little one?"
Sakura glanced up at the man and gasped, "You're my Otoe-san's advisor!" she then found out that she wasn't giving out her name and answered again, "Oh…gomen, I'm Kinomoto Sakura…and what is your name kind sir?"
The man chuckled and replied, "My name is Kaori. It's very nice to meet you Princess Sakura. Oh! I'm very sorry but I'm keeping you late for your lessons now aren't I? I must be on my way also, I'll see you again Princess Sakura!" Kaori bowed to Sakura and Sakura curtsied back. He then left her alone in the hallways when she saw a piece of paper on the floor, it read,
The Power of "The Five Stones of the Dragons."
Each stone has its own unique power. As people already know there are five colours, these colours represent their powers.
Ruby: Represents the fire power
Sapphire: Represents the water power
Emerald: Represents the power of the Earth
Crystal: Represents the power of healing
Cobalt: Represents the power of destruction
If each stone is combined, a terrible misfortune will occur-
Little Sakura noticed that the rest was cut off after reading the paper, she then shrugged. She has heard about the stones but didn't really care much about them. After reading it she threw the paper aimlessly and continued walking towards the practice hall.
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Sakura snapped out of the memory and gasped, she stood up right away on smacked her forehead and moaned, "How could I be so stupid? That master was the advisor, for Otoe-san, but he fired him after accusing me of stealing that small slip of paper." She then closed her eyes and thought back to the horrid memory…
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"Where is it little girl!" Kaori found Sakura walking in the hallway alone when she was grabbed by the neck and pinned to the wall.
Sakura gasped and started to cry, she was about to go to dinner when Kaori snagged her, "I don't know what you are talking about!" gasped the weeping Sakura.
But Kaori didn't take that for an answer and started to choke her, "You know what exactly what I'm talking about…The paper containing the power of "The Five Stones of the Dragons!" I know you have it…stop hiding it and denying that you don't know…"
He growled and sqeezed her throat even harder, Sakura's tears were streaming down her face and she was gasping for air, "Is this the way I'm going to die?" She tried prying Kaori's hand away from her neck, but her hands were too weak and small. He choked her even harder and Sakura could hardly breathe.
"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY LITTLE SISTER?" Both heads turned and saw Sakura's 16-year-old brother.
Her eye widened and was able to gasp out, "Onii...-chan...help...me…" Touya's face turned red with anger. He charged at Kaori and tackled him to the ground. Kaori had no time to react, he yelped and hit his head hard onto the hard marble ground. Sakura feeling his hand released from her neck fell onto the ground also. She was gasping for air when a strong hand was rubbing her back,
"Sakura, you okay? I can't believe what he was doing to you!" Sakura collapsed onto her brother's chest and was holding his shirt sobbing. Touya looked at his little sister and rubbed her back and stroked her hair, "It's okay Sakura, I'm here. I'll let Otoe-san know about this right away." Sakura slowly nodded, and then Touya shouted, "GUARDS!" Three guards came and bowed,
"Hai (yes) Prince Touya."
Touya glared at them and pointed at the unconscious Kaori, "How could you have not been there while my sister was being strangled by this man?" The guards started to stutter a reason but Touya cut them off, "I want him bounded and carefully watched. You…" He pointed at another guard, "I want you to call the King right away and bring him here. Tell him it's an emergency!" The guard took haste and went to the King.
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As Sakura shuddered at the memory she thought, "I must tell the others about this right away…" She got up and climbed out of the cliff, she walked towards the cave where she could smell meat being cooked by a fire. Her mouth watered and went inside the cave. She saw Tomoyo turning the meat by a stick on the fire. Eriol and Syaoran were eating the meat that Tomoyo already cooked.
Sakura sighed with delight and continued to walk towards them; Tomoyo heard Sakura sigh and turned around, "Ah, Sakura-chan, dinner is ready! Better get it before these two wolves eat it all…" She winked at the two boys who were wolfing down the meat. Sakura blinked and then giggled at both of them. She sat down beside Tomoyo and picked off a meat stick that was perched by the fire. She smelt the delightful smell and ate it gratefully. Tomoyo was also eating and everyone was quiet, it was quiet for five whole minutes when Tomoyo broke it, "So Li-kun, do you know where to look first for this "Kaori" person when we arrive at the village?" Sakura stopped eating her food and put it on her lap, she lost her appetite.
Syaoran looked up from his food and replied, "Why ask me? I'm not a leader here. Anyway, this "Kaori" isn't important." Sakura winced at the name again and broke the stick that contained the meat and threw it in the fire angrily.
Eriol who noticed her strange behavior and asked, "Kinomoto-san, are you alright? You don't seem like yourself…"
Everyone stared at Sakura curiously and Sakura sighed out of stressed. "I have to tell them, I guess." She thought, she then inhaled some air and was sorting out her thoughts, "Well, about that guy "Kaori" I know him…" There was silence; it was so silent you could probably hear a pin drop. Tomoyo stared at her friend with disbelief, Eriol had no emotion on his face and Syaoran gaped at her with his mouth slightly opened.
Syaoran this time broke the silence and whispered, "How the heck do you know him?"
Sakura looked at him and everyone else; she fiddled with her thumbs and answered, "H-he used to be my dad's advisor and guard of "The Five Stones of the Dragons." Tomoyo-chan, don't you remember him?"
Tomoyo was snapped out of her trance and gasped; her hand was over her mouth, "You mean the one that almost killed you because you wouldn't give him what he wanted!"
Sakura nodded, and it was Eriol's turn to ask, "What happened, why he threatened to kill you…and what was this thing he wanted from you?"
"Once when I was little I bumped into him while going to the practice hall. He seemed nice when I was talking to him, but when he turned and left he dropped a piece of paper. I noticed it and read it. The piece of paper contained the power of each stone had, and then it also said if all stones were to be combined, a terrible misfortune would occur. But then it was ripped off, I was little so I thought it wasn't important and I threw it. After I was done my lessons at the practice hall I was walking to the Dining Hall when he attacked me. I was completely off guard and he pinned me on the wall. He kept on shouting at me about where the paper was, but I was too scared to talk. He was about to kill me when Onii-chan came and rescued me." Sakura sighed at her story and put her right hand on her neck rubbing it, "I can still feel his rough cold hand on me now since then…When my Otoe-san heard about this he fired and banished him out of our kingdom forever…" Sakura looked down on her hands and started to whimper, everyone watched her and notice teardrops were falling down her eyes.
Tomoyo went up to Sakura, "Sakura-chan, what's wrong? Why are you crying, it wasn't your fault…"
She comforted Sakura and wrapped her arms around her, "Tomoyo-chan you don't understand…after the guards took him away after my father banished him out of our kingdom, he stopped and looked at me."
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"Uchiia Kaori, I hereby banish you out of our kingdom forever! You attempted murdur against my daughter and I will not let you gounpunished, if you ever try to set foot on this kingdom I will kill you. Guards! I want you to lead him to the Torture Room and have him whipped seventy times!" King Fujitaka swayed his arm and the guards took him away.
Kaori was being dragged away when he saw Sakura hiding behind her mother. "Don't think that I let you slip, Princess. When I steal those stones I will make sure when I see you I will kill you…I promise you that." He sneered but then was punched in the stomach by a guard He gasped for air and coughed out blood, he raised his face and looked at Sakura again and growled, "Mark my words dear Princess, when I find you…I will not spare you…" He was finally dragged off by the guards leaving the family in the King's throne hall.
Sakura hid behind her mother and started to whimper, Nadeshiko bent down and hugged her daughter, not letting her go, she softly whispered to her daughter's ear, "Don't worry Sakura dear, no one will harm you when we're around. We will always protect you from everything…I will not let anyone kill you not even Kaori…" Sakura looked at her mother's grey eyes and her eyes were starting to well up again. She collapsed on her mother's embrace and sobbed, not letting her go.
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As Sakura finished her story to her friends, she was practically crying her eyes out. Tomoyo continued comforting Sakura and was rubbing her back; she looked back at the boys and gave them the signal to help her out. The two got the message and was starting to comfort Sakura also. Eriol stroke her hand and whispered with a soft tone "Don't worry Kinomoto-san, we'll kill him before he kills you…I promise you that." Sakura felt safe again when everyone started to cheer her up. She thanked each and every one of them. All of them smiled back at her (except Syaoran who grunted), she was happy again.
"Ano, I'm going to go outside a bit, okay?" Sakura turned and went out of the cave leaving her friends.
Tomoyo had a worried look on her face, "Sakura has never been this way before…" thought Tomoyo, she always remembered Sakura being cheerful everyday. Never once had Tomoyo saw a sad look on her face except when Yukito died.
Sakura left the cave and looked up at the sky once again; the stars were smiling at her. She smiled back and exhaled heavily, she felt a whole lot better. As the wind blew against her face she sighed happily, "Thank you…" she murmured. She gazed at the lovely scenery when she heard a small yawn from her pocket, she screamed. Out came a small yellow animal with wings. He was rubbing his hand against his eyes, trying to rub away the sleepiness.
The small dot eyes stared straight at Sakura, "Sakura…what's with all this noise you're making? Ta-ku…are we there yet……..OW!" Kero was punched on the head by Sakura.
"KERO-CHAN! DON'T EVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!" She gave Kero another punch on the head. Kero was rubbing his sore head after being punched twice. He had two large lumps on top; he was in pain when he continued touching it. Sakura was fuming…she was having a peaceful night and Kero goes and scares her. But when she looked at Kero again she was becoming a little suspicious, "Kero-chan where were you there while we were battling Ronin?" questioned Sakura,
Kero looked up at her with his small dot eyes and smiled childishly, "Er…..uh……I was asleep…in your pocket the whole time…" Sakura groaned at him and gave him another punch in the head,
"BAKA (stupid)! How could you sleep through all that excitement? And where were you when I was fighting Li-kun?"
Kero was rubbing the back of his head again and replied, "Still asleep in your pocket…..heehee." Sakura punched him once more and he had at least four lumps on his head. After the fourth punch his eyes were going swirls and he was losing his balance, then he went black and collapsed on the ground. Sakura picked him up and he mumbled stupidly, "Oooh…look at the stars….all revolving my head…Wait stars! Stop moving…you're making me dizzy!"
Sakura smiled at him and shook her head, "Baka…" whispered Sakura and she carried Kero into the caves finding her friends preparing for a nice long slumber in the land of Nod.
That's Chapter 4 for you! oooOOOOoooo…Getting a bit exciting isn't it? Ahahaha…I only think that. I'm such a dork. Oh well! That's just me! Please read and review! I'm desperate! Chapter 5 coming soon!
