Chapter 17: A Guest

The dinner was pleasant for everyone. Meiling had called Tomoyo as well and both were seizing any chance they could get to catch the young couple red handed while staring at each other. Tomoyo kept her camera on the table facing them. While Sakura thought that it was off, others knew she was recording. Syaoran had tried his best but Sakura always caught him off-guard to Tomoyo's delight. Michal ate very silently as much as Yelan did.

Touya was irritated in his home while Fujitaka simply smiled as ever. He was irritated that his little sister was having dinner with the 'brat' and not him. He hated the brat for slowly taking his little sister away from him. Fujitaka knew his mind and let him sulk to his amusement. Eriol lay on his sofa with an ice bag on his head and amused Kaho sitting next to him. Spinel was faking asleep near the fireplace and Ruby was busy preparing tea with her usual cheerfulness. Eriol looked frustrated for some reason.

"Stop smiling Kaho." Eriol grumbled.

Kaho chuckled to his discomfort, "It is funny."

"It is not." Eriol defended.

"Seeing the powerful Eriol without his mysterious smile is very funny." Kaho chuckled again.

"Shut up Kaho." Eriol scolded her while she just laughed.

"Is your head any better?" Kaho asked with concern this time.

"A bit. I have never used so much magic in a single day ever since I reincarnated."

Ruby rushed into the room carrying a tray with three cups of tea and many sweets. Spinel's nose twitched at the scent. Ruby stopped next to the table.

"It is tea time!" She declared happily, as she placed the tray down.

Spinel glided to the table and picked up a cookie, "Stop shouting or Yelan will get mad."

Kaho took away the cookie from his hands while Spinel watched it go with teary eyes. She picked him from his neck.

"I told you Suppy. You will not eat sweets while I am around."

Spinel spoke, "But Kaho. Just once. Please."

Kaho shook her head, "No. Just once is enough to cause us enough trouble."

Spinel glared daggers at Ruby who was enjoying putting him through the misery.

Michal stopped working at the papers and looked outside the window. It had been a week since Sakura's rampage and everything had been silent. Suddenly he felt a ripple of magic far away. One was familiar while others were new to the town. Michal silently cast an extra layer of barrier around the school to keep the changes from reaching Sakura. His shadow flickered as well.

"Go and find out what is happening." He spoke under his breath.

A black form left right under the feet of several teachers without them knowing a thing. Michal continued doing his work as if he had not stopped at all.

The black form passed over the roofs and roads without alarming anyone from the crowd. The people did not seem to notice it even when it would pass right before their eyes. It continued to head in a straight direction. All of a sudden, it stopped at the roof of a four-storey building. A lone girl in torn clothes and several wounds staggered through the alley. A few people rushed towards her. The black shadow dashed towards them and suddenly the people vanished. The black form went towards the girl and then rushed up the wall to stop at the top. A black haired tall guy was walking towards the alley on the road with a lost demeanour. The black form vanished and Michal simply smiled in his place.

Emi lost her consciousness inside the alley. She did not want to but she barely had any strength left. How could her own allies be this cruel to her just because she lost a battle against two kids? They were not just any regular kids. She slid down the wall and felt her senses go numb.

Emi woke up but she could still not open her eyes. She felt very weak.

She heard a girly voice, "Hey. She is moving. I think she is waking up."

Emi's thoughts ran, 'That voice sounds familiar. Who is it? It feels warm.'

A male voice replied, "She must be weak after all those wounds. Let her rest."

Another younger male voice spoke, "Let her rest and stay away from her. Your monster stinking smell will kill her in her sleep."

Emi chuckled in her mind at the teasing.

The girl from before shouted, "I AM NOT A MONSTER!"

Emi wanted to laugh. The little girl got angry at the teasing. This must be a family. Emi felt nice for some reason. She wanted to open her eyes and meet these people.

The little girl continued to shout, "I AM SAKURA. SA…KU…RA. Can you not even say my name properly?"

'What? Sakura! Is that not the name of the card mistress? The voice…could it be her?'

A third male voice caught her attention, "If you will shout right next to her Sakura and then I will have to stop you. You wanted to take care of her so we are letting you but you better not shout."

She heard the girl's nervous laughter, "Sorry uncle. Big brother just makes me angry. I am not a monster and…"

"Do you not know already how to shut him up? Just give a call to Nakuru and she will come running to hug him."

The second male voice whined, "Uncle! Why do you always side with Sakura?"

The third man chuckled, "That is because she is the youngest. I love to pamper her."

The little girl giggled, "Thank you uncle." She spoke very sweetly. For some reason, Emi melted at her voice.

Her uncle spoke, "Has her fever gone down a bit?"

Sakura replied, "Looks like it. But…how will she gain her energy if she does not wake up."

Emi tried to speak, "I…am…up. I can…hear you all."

Sakura shouted, "Hey she spoke. She said she is up and she can hear us."

Her uncle spoke, "I guess she is very weak. I will just have to do something about that."

Emi felt him walk closer. She felt a soft hand on her forehead and then a surge of energy flowed through her body. She began to feel energetic again. However, it was still not enough. His hands felt very warm. Emi felt safe and nice for some reason. After a while, he withdrew his hand and Emi could open her eyes. She looked around while her vision cleared up. The next second, she was ready to jump away if only she had the strength to. She saw Sakura, Michal and two unknown men in the room. She found herself on a bed, iced water in a bowl on the side and a wet cloth in Sakura's hand. She saw Sakura warmly smiling at her while she glared at her.

Emi spoke, "Where am I? Why are you two here?"

Sakura spoke, "You are in my house Miss Emi. That is my big brother Touya and that is my father. This is my uncle and that is my mom."

Emi looked around for the last person but saw no one. Sakura realised it.

"Ah yes. I forgot not every mage can see her." Sakura spoke her reason.

Michal replied, "That is not the case. Emi is simply too weak to see her right now. When she has recovered fully, then she will see Nako."

Emi turned to Sakura, "How did I get here?"

Sakura replied, "Touya found you unconscious and hurt in an alley. He was going to take you to a doctor but Uncle Michal suggested bringing you here. He healed your wounds but you still had a high fever. He suggested waiting until it goes down slightly. You have been asleep for five hours already."

Emi tried to get up, "Thank you for taking care of me but, you are my enemy. I cannot…"

Michal cut in, "Where will you go? Your clan banished you for losing to Sakura. Your wounds were the proof. It is a miracle that you survived after the poison they had used. If Touya had not found you on time and I had not neutralized it, you would have been a goner."

Emi stared at him in disbelief. Sakura stared at him with confusion.

Michal repeated his question, "Where will you go?"

Emi looked away sadly, "Anywhere far away where no one will bother me."

Sakura saw him smile, "I have a better idea. Why do you not stay here until you recover?"

Emi looked at him in disbelief, "Wha…she is my enemy. How could I…"

Michal questioned her with a straight face, "Is she really your enemy? If she is then, why?"

Emi opened her mouth to say something but then withdrew. She did not speak anything.

Michal spoke, "You were simply scared at her growth. You still have no reason to think of her as an enemy. Sakura left her enmity in the battlefield. Outside it, she will always smile at you friendlily. That is the kind of girl she is."

Sakura beamed at his praise. Emi stared at the ground frustrated since she had already heard that Sakura wanted to care for her when she was hurt. She had a feeling that he was correct.

"So…what will I do after I recover?" Emi questioned Michal still avoiding his gaze.

Michal finally broke the silence, "How about…you stay in the town after you recover? I will find you some job and a place to live. Simply stay away from the battles. Once the war is over, I am sure you can return to your family."

Emi looked at him with surprise. He simply smiled at her.

"While you recover, I will leave your care to the Kinomoto family. Touya would be the best since he is used to caring for troublesome kids." Michal grinned at Touya at the last part.

Touya yelled, "Why would I? I will rather take her to a hospital than keep her here."

Sakura scolded, "Big brother. She is our guest so you better behave properly."

Touya was about to retaliate when Fujitaka spoke, "Sakura is correct Touya. If Michal wants you to care for the guest, you should listen to him. Your mother always listened to him. He knows what he is doing."

Touya fumed as everyone went quiet. They all stared at one point in air as if something was there. Sakura simply grinned victoriously at whatever happened since Emi could not see anything but air.

Sakura spoke, "See that big brother. Even mom supports uncle on that. Now you have to take care of Miss Emi."

Michal turned to Emi, "Stay in the house Emi. You will be safe here and recover your magic very quickly."

Emi was still reluctant but she had no other option. She was still very weak and could barely move around. She nodded.

"I do not want to be a free loader during my stay. I want to be of help." Emi spoke with a serious tone.

Michal replied instantly, "I was hoping you would say that." This surprised everyone. "How about you help Touya wake Sakura up every morning and make sure she sleeps properly every night?"

Emi was surprised while the others were shocked. Nadeshiko chuckled at his happy tone. She knew that he was up to something once again.

Emi asked, "But…I want to help more."

Michal shook his head, "In that condition, it would be a good thing if you manage that alone."

Emi grumbled and Sakura was shedding tears at her mother saying he was not being fair. Nadeshiko smiled to see her like that. Touya always had trouble waking her up without saying that name. Asking Emi to help him meant that Michal thought the same.

Michal grew serious next, "In between that, while you rest and recover, you can keep a lookout for any strange movements inside the town. Sakura and Syaoran are still not trained enough. I am entrusting you with something crucial here."

Emi was shocked as much as the others were. Even Nadeshiko looked surprised.

"Wait a minute! Should you be giving that job to me? I might try and deceive you."

Michal smiled, "I give it you because I trust you Emi Shinohara. You are a righteous person."

Emi was still surprised. She turned to look at the ground with conflicting eyes. Michal waited for her answer.

"Okay. I will try my best. I am not powerful but I can sense magical movements."

Michal nodded, "That will be enough for now. When you are fully healed, contact me and I will tell you your new home and job. Should not be a problem?"

Emi nodded with a smile this time. Michal turned to Sakura.

"Are you not late for dinner Sakura?" Michal spoke softly.

The neighbours heard Sakura's infamous cry.

"!HOE!"

Syaoran shouted under his breath, "What do you mean she is in your house?"

Sakura replied, "Miss Emi was hurt when my brother found her. Uncle Michal asked him to bring her home."

Syaoran was worried, "But…she fought us. She tried to kill us."

Sakura nodded, "I do not think she is bad. Uncle Michal trusts her so I am trusting her as well. Besides, I hurt her that time so I want to make up for it."

Syaoran sighed. Sakura's ever-loving golden heart will get her in big trouble someday.

"And if she tries to sneak and attack you while you are defenceless." Syaoran asked calmly.

Sakura smiled to make him blush, "She will not. I am sure that she is a good person in her heart."

Syaoran shook his head with a sigh. Michal smiled from the window watching them. Sakura convinced him with just her smile. Syaoran would never be convinced without proof but Sakura just conquered him with her innocent smile. Syaoran took Sakura's hand with blazing eyes.

"If she causes any trouble, just tell me Sakura immediately." Syaoran had decided to let her fall in trouble rather than ask her to change. He will just be there to protect her.

Sakura blushed furiously until both felt being watched. They turned to the bushes and Tomoyo got out with her camera followed by Meiling. Both held similar starry evil grins. Sakura and Syaoran jumped away immediately.

Meiling complained, "It is not fair. With all the training, you two are starting to catch us sooner now."

Tomoyo laughed her famous evil laughter, "Not a problem. They always realise after the scene is done and I have finished recording. I am a master of concealment."

The three sweat-dropped at her another spree of laughter. Eriol came running to them with a serious face.

"Sakura. What is the deal with an enemy sorceress living in your house as a guest?" Eriol demanded.

Sakura smiled, "Touya found her hurt and brought her home. Uncle Michal asked her to stay until she recovers her full strength. She is helping him with a few things as well."

Eriol was shocked, "Michal. Why would he do that?"

Syaoran smirked, "That is the first time I am seeing you in that shocked state Eriol. I thought you knew everything."

Eriol regained his composure without gaining his smile, "This war has become more serious ever since she went on a rampage. We cannot leave lose ends on our sides. Letting an old enemy in so soon is…"

Michal landed next to them and cut him off, "There is a reason to everything I do Eriol. I will not put Sakura into danger. Emi is not an enemy anymore. You have my words on that."

Eriol and Michal stared at each other for a while and then Eriol left silently. Michal and others watched him go.

Michal spoke, "Sakura."

Sakura looked at him with a smile, "Yes sir."

"After training, buy a chocolate for Emi. She likes them a lot."

Sakura nodded with cute curious face. Syaoran stared at her with slight blush and soft smile. Tomoyo did not miss the chance to secretly record them. Meiling sniggered noticing her.

Michal spoke, "I am just trying to create friendship between the two of you. It will be needed in the future."

Sakura grinned and nodded. Michal looked around and then vanished in vapour.

Eriol and Touya stood facing each other. They both glared at each other.

Eriol spoke, "I heard there is a new guest in your house."

Touya replied, "Why does it concern you whether there is one or not?"

"Do you that she has fought Sakura and tried to kill her a while back?"

"Yes. I know that. Sakura told me. Why?"

"If you know then why let her stay?"

"None of your business."

"I will let you know that I do not trust her. She might try to harm Sakura."

Touya looked at him for a while and then turned around to leave, "Too bad. I have faith in Uncle Michal."

Eriol grumbled. He was very worried about Sakura and Syaoran. An enemy sorcerer had entered her home in the guise of a guest. Even Michal was supporting it. Eriol knew he was being paranoid but he could not help but be extra careful. This war had been giving him the creeps since the beginning. At times even he felt manipulated by an unknown force. Eriol turned around and left in opposite direction to Touya.

Michal smiled from the top of a building unknown to Eriol. He had expected Eriol to act like. However, he let Eriol do as he pleased. Michal had too much influence in Sakura's family. Eriol can do nothing but wait it out. Nadeshiko jumped out of his pocket

"You can be wicked at times Michal." Nadeshiko smirked at him.

Michal smiled, "Well I learned it from the two of the most devious women in the world."

"Are you calling me devious?" Nadeshiko faked a hurt face.

Michal nodded, "Yes. You and Eva are the very devious. Even if you are the most loving women as well and I love you two a lot, it does not change the fact that you are devious. After all, you both tricked me into something."

Nadeshiko smiled, "I do not think you hate it at all."

Michal responded, "Why would I hate looking after my precious Sakura? Why would I hate the idea of getting married to Eva one day? I love it."

Nadeshiko smiled sadly, "Too bad I will not be able to attend it."

Michal smiled, "Do not worry. You have seen us through every good and bad time. We will not miss you."

Nadeshiko nodded, "I just wanted to be there for your happiest day."

Michal took her hand, "You were Nako. The day I proposed her was the happiest in our lives."

Nadeshiko looked at his warm smile with surprise. His tone revealed that he spoke from his heart. She clutched his hand firmly and nodded with a Sakura like smile.

Michal smiled, "I still think you were cuter than Sakura when you were her age."

Nadeshiko chuckled and returned to his pocket. Michal smiled as he looked far ahead.

"No one said that I just had to do things for Sakura. I have other people I wish to help as well Nako. This guest is of no help to Sakura or Syaoran. The purpose of bringing her into her life is something else." Michal whispered.

End of Chapter 17