Been gone a while I Know, life keeps getting in the way. Not even half-way through the year yet and already had 3 seizures, including on my birthday. Ate something that didn't agree with me and spent the evening bring everything up, the vomiting was so violent it caused the seizure. Had one Easter Sunday too, not sugar related as had no chocolate due to a cold, thank god the kids had already gone home by the time I got bad. Last week must have overheated in bed, I am taking my tablets but it doesn't help when the docs don't know what is the reason I'm having the seizures for in the first place.

Enough about real life, I went back and read over from the start and I must say I am disappointed in myself for the poor plot state of the first 8 chapters. However, I cant change their quality as this could mean changing the rest where it is better into something unrecognisable. I like the restaurant scene and the "did you hear about the fight" scene and these may be cut out if I change the past so we'll just have to live with it.

I need to spend more time with my stories so my characters sound more like I made them and not someone else taking over my computer to write a scene or two.

-/-

"Speech"

Thoughts

'Exclamation'

Julian thinking

Yue thinking

(Author's note)

Hidden Lives, Hidden Destiny Chapter 11

-/-

As they dug into the wall it was clear that whoever filled in the hole did it really well. Many hands were now brown with earth an one or two even had blood on them as the material had been compacted for so long. Eventually they got through enough that they could hear murmurs from the other side.

"it cant be that far now" Milliardo panted, putting more effort into digging.

"hey, I see a light!" Duo exclaimed two minutes later and with a grin, decided to give the thinnest part of the wall his right hook before turning away to cradle his bruised knuckles. Many chuckles filled the cave.

The punch however did manage to make a crack where Trowa poked the crumbled pieces to make a hole big enough to fit a hand through. At which point everyone but Duo, and Sally who was treating him, grabbed hold and made the hole bigger until they could climb through.

The cave was warm and enclosed to look like a room, candles were lit about the room to bring enough light to work showing two low wooden workstation tables and a big drape in the far side of the room. The walls were bare other than small alcoves where candles were and there was a dark red rug covering most of the floor, it was finely made but well worn and had various yellow and orange patterns embroidered onto it. Despite the rooms carved out shape suggesting the inhabitants carved it out themselves the room had a low ceiling that could be touched, arms raised, without getting onto your toes. It's roundness, the candlelight the temperature and even the low voices of it's inhabitants gave the chamber an almost womb like feeling. Two people, the old man from before and a woman in black disappeared into blue orbs before rising and passing through the ceiling.

There were seven others in the room, including the five from before. Dark Air and Dark Water were sorting some towels and filling up a wooden bucket with water. Earth was sorting the supplies that had been mentioned before along with a blond woman dressed with the same kosode but with darker colours and another dark haired woman who, like Earth, wore the lighter colours but her kosode was white. The supplies had been medicinal herbs and food as well an obsidian gem stone the size of ping-pong ball that was placed into a black cloth the size of a handkerchief and hidden in the white dressed woman's clothes. Dark Fire was kneeling by the drape, a giant piece of grey cloth that went from ceiling to floor and wrapped around an area big enough to fit two people in lying down. A light was coming through from the other side but nothing more could be seen than silhouettes. mewling was coming from behind the drapes as Air entered the drapes with a herb in hand to comfort who was behind. Dark Fire was also trying to comfort the one within but, knowing the kind of pain she was in, it was hard to do so.

Almost everyone was open mouthed as they climbed through the hole they had made, they had just seen two people VANISH and not like they had appeared and disappeared earlier. Then, they had just walked through a wall that long ago was not there, but this time they seemed to change their molecular structure to go through solid walls UPWARDS.

Although they could not be felt by the ghosts of the past the visitors from the future kept out of their way, if only to not have to feel being walked through again though Sally did inch towards the trio by the supplies to eavesdrop on their rather interesting conversation about pain relief. The ghosts were now all unarmed as their weapons were propped up to the side, along with a crossbow, a knife with a pole for a handle, a short sword and a small pole, all blades were protected by sheaths. "Sounds like the mother-to-be had some adverse effects to the pain reliever they've been giving her" Sally mused out loud.

"This is obviously an era where medicine is nothing more than herbal guesswork" Wufei commented earning a glare from Sally.

"I don't know" said Duo, also standing near the trio. "they certainly sound like they know the properties of what their using, just wondering which will have the most effectiveness without being toxic to the baby. Sounds like something the docs back home would do"

"Some historians even argue their medicines are more effective than anything we could get in comparison, even if they DID have to guess" Quatre added. "though I bet they didn't taste like chalk" he added, earning a few smiles.

Suddenly the blue light returned but only changed into one person. Quatre felt, through his space heart, the emotional pain Wufei went through as he visibly stiffened with a gasp that was almost unheard.

The blue lights coalesced into the woman from earlier with the black clothes, though on further inspection they were not completely black. The hakama was charcoal just like the others with dark names, only her kosode was black along with her long hair tied in a loose bun. There were two thick swords on her back, criss-crossed so she could grab them at the same time, however the sheaths were facing downward. ("How dose she get them to point downward without them falling out?" Quatre asked but got only shrugs in return).

"How's the mint" she asked Dark Fire as she walked over giving news that 'Ryers' had gotten home safely.

"It's eased the nausea" he replied with an air that he felt helpless in this situation. Something that Dark Air would commonly say that males around the world usually feel helpless in times when it's the woman's job to do something. A comment that usually got a clip round the ear for the slight sexist insinuation.

"I'm so sorry Su-chan" the woman apologised, kneeling by the drape, "I didn't expect the opium to react in such a way to your body, are you OK now?" she was clearly upset.

"Wait! Did she just say opium? As in that really bad for you drug?" Duo's religious upbringing was making it's way to the surface, sister Helen never would have approved of this.

"Opium is only as bad as the user" Sally defended, her medical expertise coming into focus. "your only thinking about the dangerous recreational use of opium, but it can be used medically and legally to help people, in fact morphine actually contains opium but that is only dangerous if you take incorrectly, but then all drugs are like that"

"I'm not sure how it can be used here though" Noin interjected helpfully.

"it's a pain reliever" Wufei answered.

"Oh".

"Don't fret Ma-chan, there was no way you could have known my body would reject the medicine. Do we have any eshogi root" it sounded like she was chewing on the mint sprig. But her voice was also weak.

"No" called the blonde in the brown kosode from her workstation with the herbs (Trowa gave a start as she looked up), "but we do have Chanlibao"

"That should work" was the answer before there was a groan of pain.

"Four minutes" Air noted coming out from behind the drape. "wont be long now"

The blonde, who the living guessed was Dark Earth, nodded and prepared the chanlibao to make a tea while Dark removed her swords and placed them with the other weapons, as well as a short sword with a hook at the edge of the sheathed blade. Dark Water came over with Dark Air to place the bucket at Dark Fire's knees while the towels were passed to Air who took them with her back behind the drape. Dark Water and Dark Fire both placed their hands on the side of the wooden bucket and concentrated, after a few seconds the water let off steam and everyone came over to clean their hands with Dark Earth handing over the tea to the expectant mother. They were just finishing up and tying up their sleeves when there was a loud cry from behind the drape, Dark ran behind the drape and Dark Fire hauled the bucket out the room, possibly to empty it. "Now" was called from the drape and all the girls bar Dark Earth entered the tent like structure. Bodies were moving around and changing shapes in the candlelight, a body was lifted up from the ground and held up by three others, another by the flap nearest where Dark Earth was waiting. The last was somewhere in the middle, clearly as the midwife preparing for the birth, Dark Air was by the workstation standing straight waiting.

Dark Fire returned with the bucket but also with another man in blue this time, who's hair was dark purple adding a nodachi and two tonfa to the weapons pile before kneeled near the drape to announce himself. "Onee-san" he called. He got a breathless "Gen-kun" in return.

"i thought you were on lookout duty" Earth called from inside frustrated.

"The barrier's up" he retorted back with a scowl. His demeanour changed as he spoke again to his sister "you can do this Onee-san, it's like you said 'you already know what you need to know' you'll do well."

"Thank you Gen-kun" she replied before crying out again, turning it into a groan as she bore down. Water and Dark Fire moved away a little to refill and reheat the bucket before placing it at Dark Earth's feet and took their positions to the side in case they were needed.

-/-

(Back in the present)

"So demons are after Sakura?" Madison asked Eli who nodded solemnly. The group had gotten burgers for lunch and were now being filled in on the approaching danger.

"Clow noticed during his time that there were beings after magic and came to the conclusion they would attack Sakura in this time as well." Eli had brought forth memories from Clow's era to help answer the groups questions.

Li frowned in thought "What makes you think they're after Sakura now, Just because they were after Clow." he took a sip from his soda before continuing, "and why bring in outsiders to get rid of them? Why can't we do it?" Meilin nodded in agreement.

"Ever fought a demon before?" Ruby asked, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in her chair. At Li's shake of the head she smirked. "they don't follow the same rules as we do, killing a demon can mean meeting certain requirements, and their not about to tell you what they are. Waste time and life by trying to figure it out or hire someone who already knows the rules to do the work."

Kero looked as if he was eating something vile. "If fighting ourselves means putting Sakura in danger then the demon hunters will have to earn their pay"

"We still don't have proof this is even real" Li interrupted, "how do we know these demons are even a threat".

Eli put down his lunch and stared the boy down. "This is real. They are attacking. Only last night a scout was spotted and destroyed. The demon hunters are taking this seriously, you need to too."

Meilin sighed "there goes the hope this was all a big hoax like the time you had Sakura change all the cards"

Eli smirked before answering "your not the only ones" he became serious for a second, "Sayuri's friends were convinced this was some cruel prank and gave her some plans to escape should I go back on my word".

Spinner snorted "those boys were downright hostile when you brought up Clow, it wont be long before they make their way here themselves. They seem a close-knit group, even if they have no magic. One wrong move and they'll have the girls out of here before you can say 'it's for the best'" that last sentence caused Eli to frown at the insinuation.

"More friends?" Sakura asked. Despite the secrets, Sayuri and the others had stayed true in Sakura's eyes and had helped not only with this recently discovered demon problem but in schoolwork and just by being friends as well, to her, the more the merrier.

Li looked upset at the prospect but Ruby interrupted, "I don't know, they seem quite protective, how would you feel if 10 people just like your brother turned up and one of them decided not to like you so they all didn't" it only caused Sakura's smile to drop and Li's frown to deepen.

Julian, who had been quietly taking everything in decided to speak up, "I doubt Sayuri would be friends with people like that, and even then it's hard NOT to like Sakura. They may just not like you, but without meeting them it's hard to be sure. There can be nothing but conjecture at this point," he earned a few snorts for his comment.

Eli raised an eyebrow before replying "well what isn't conjecture is the danger here and now, don't travel alone when it gets dark and call ahead if you plan to visit someone's house, it's not just gangs prowling out there" everyone nodded in answer agreed to travel in groups for protection, the newspaper had mentioned something like that to keep safe against gangs but would come in handy for the demons as well.

-/-

Back at home Sakura and Julien updated Tori on what had been discussed at lunch and on Sayuri's behaviour beforehand, while Tori was still sceptical about the demon hunters presence, he had to admit (even if just to himself) there was a vulnerability to the woman that worried him. Sayuri had clearly been through a lot and had a support system that, while out of town, wasn't too far away, but she seemed reluctant to use it. Tori was worried Sayuri would fail in her duty to protect his sister, either because she would fall to these demons or she would stand aside and let them do so, though the longer he knew the woman the less the second option was an option.

There was also something else nagging at the back of his mind and it involved Julian. He wasn't sure what it was or what it would mean but there seemed to be something going on between them, though neither seemed to be aware of it. It was as if Tori had a spoiler card for a new film but couldn't quite understand the riddle on the card. Whatever it was, the Clow boy was in the know, but he wasn't talking.

Julian would be staying with them tonight, these demons might take advantage of him if he was alone and time was needed for the demon hunters to get there. Yue was good, but even he needed to know what he was fighting against. No, it was better to not give these things an opening.

-/-

(Dream sequence)

The forest clearing was dark but gentle; the nocturnal creatures had come alive in the forest sometime ago and were creating a calming buzz of noise in the tall trees and the small shrubbery beyond the clearing. A full moon glazed the earth in its warming, unearthly glow, lighting the way for ghostly shadows of life as they played. The night air blew a warm breeze over the soft, green grass and rich soil and flickered through the flames of a small fire that highlighted two mystical figures.

One was looking at the moon taking in its silver rays of power, glowing himself with an inhuman beauty that was as alluring as his namesake, while the other… A secret mark on the left arm had captured the woman's attention, the fabric of the sleeve glided over her skin as she swayed her arm around, gazing hypnotized at the mark in the flickering firelight. A thick band of skin in a sort of shape that looked like a mirrored zig zag had appeared on the lower arm from just above the wrist to just below the elbow, carved by a ribbon which had been tightly banded and scorched around her and the other figures arms as they held each others left elbow with their left hand, it was the result of their secret marital bonding to which they had sought out a priestess for, the being was also absorbing the heat and light from the fire to which her power originated.

The male being stopped gazing at the moon to look at his partner, his eyes filled with love, concern, hope and fear, "you know, now we are married, I don't think Clow will let you into the manor. He might hurt you, and I don't want that to happen".

The female returned his gaze, "I know but I'm glad we eloped, it might help in the future, but I don't know how." She turned her body to face his "besides if I can't go into the manor we'll have to meet up somewhere else… I don't want to have to be without you" she took his hands, "besides this was your idea, you felt that I would be safer this way… remember Yue?" she tried to re-assure him that she would be ok.

Yue faced the female properly, smiled slightly, and raised his right hand to her face, cupping it across her left cheek as she closed her eyes, gently caressing it. Even though he was smiling his eyes still shone with sadness, "I don't think that marrying you Dranzer was the best decision… " Dranzer faltered and felt heart brake at the prospect of him not loving her as much as she thought he had and not wanting to be with her anymore, she whimpered slightly in protest. "… I have made regarding your safety" Dranzer breathed a slight sigh of hopeful breath, Yue continued "you could be in more danger than you were before, what if my decision now makes your future worse… your masters in the past took advantage of you" he stopped caressing and she opened her eye to look at him, "do you realise what they would do to you if they found out about this… they could kill you".

Dranzer stared blankly before replying, "they won't kill me, they need me to protect them. Besides, master will chose someone who won't do that to me, he is a good person and will protect me as I have protected him… I'll be ok" she shifted to sit kneeling in front of him and raised her own hand to his face "don't worry about me Yue, I'll be there for you if you ever need me, I promise".

Yue was not appeased with her answer. "But…?"

"I won't let them hurt me" Dranzer got closer to Yue, heads coming closer together, her possessive side coming out "you are my husband, I won't give into them, I won't be taken advantage of anymore and I'll make sure they never do". She returned his caresses with her own and a predatory look entered her eyes. Yue softly moaned, his eyes glowing with lust before he rolled them shut, leaning back as Dranzer leaned forward to push him back, kissing him as she did. Eventually Yue had his back to the ground, Dranzer on hands and knees above him, the kiss becoming more passionate and urgent. She sat down on him, rubbing herself against him, a confused and erotic groan coming from his lips as they separated to breathe. Dranzer sat up and rode him slowly for a while, her hormones and heart pounding inside her, Yue's own groans lighting a fire within them. She stopped and leaned back down to kiss him again.

Somewhere in the distance there was a snap of a twig but it was enough to stop Dranzer's ministrations, she sat up, a ball of fire forming in her left hand then she put pressure on it to turn it into a dagger. She scanned the surroundings, watching and listening to find the one who had interrupted them, Yue leaned up on his elbows, eyes still glowing with lust but filled with confusion, curiosity and annoyance. Dranzer quickly stood up and ran into the trees as she spotted a dear, it was the one who had accidentally stepped on a twig and was in a hurry to get away as it noticed that something had been alerted to its presence. The dear would pay for its interruption by becoming their meal; they had been too preoccupied with the ritual that they had forgotten about anything else.

Five minutes passed as Yue waited for his beloved to return; a minute later she came back with the deer already with its head cut off and insides taken out. He watched her skin it and use the skin to hold the pieces of meat that she cut off from the carcass, she then picked up the carcass and dragged it off back into the forest for a bone-eating animal to devour the rest. When she came back she had two sticks in her hand and gave one to Yue, and they picked up a cut of meat, placed it on the sticks and stuck them in the ground so the meat could cook by the fire, both watching the fire silently, the last remnants of their lust disappearing from them.

"Wake up" Dranzer said suddenly still looking at the fire as if she had said nothing.

"What?" Yue asked, confused at her statement.

"Hey, Julian wake up" she said again.

"My name is Yue, not Julian" Yue replied.

"Julian wake up or we will be late" but this time when Dranzer spoke it was not in her voice, it was male and familiar. "Wake up" the male voice said again.

Then it hit him. That was Tori's voice.

Julian woke up to Tori shaking him with one hand, fully dressed and holding what looked like breakfast in his other hand. After sitting up the dark haired man put said breakfast into his friend's lap. "the monster made it so don't expect much, but we've not got time to complain, we're leaving in five minutes"

"why didn't you wake me up earlier?" Julian yawned before eating as much as he could in the time given to him, and as fast as he could.

"I tried but you slept too deeply" Tori responded, gathering Julian's uniform to him then packing his friends bag, making sure nothing he needed was left behind. "you were sleeping like a log, you were so still I thought you'd died, had to make sure you were still alive. Thought it would be quicker if I brought up food rather than have you go down for it, I even asked Sakura if the Dream card was active so don't freak out if she looks worried"

"i was remembering the past"

"With Clow?"

"Sort of"

"What does that mean?" Tori paused with the two bags in his hands. It wasn't clear to just anybody, but Julian had become uncomfortable at the topic of conversation.

"it was during that time but he wasn't in it"

The fact that his best friend wasn't looking him in the eye made Tori wonder if the recent events had caused the Moon Guardian to dream of the one who had caused a rift between the brothers, though, who was actually responsible for the rift could be debatable. Tori didn't think Clow's reasons and excuses were the truth, or at least not the whole truth. Yue may be naive, but Clow wasn't sinless himself. It was possible this Dranzer was merely a victim of circumstance and her conflicting aura had been Clow's excuse for ousting the competition. The more Tori learned about Clow the more he suspected the Magician cared less for his guardians as anything other than magical achievements. Their affection for him seemed to be wasted, though Tori wasn't brave enough to shatter their reality.

A call from downstairs drew the dark haired young man from his reverie to find Julian had managed to finish eating and get dressed in that time as he was slinging his tie around his neck. Tori found he couldn't refrain his curiosity anymore "was she beautiful?"

Julian started at the question before blushing at the implication and the memory of the dream, he took hold of his bag before looking Tori in the eye and with a silver gaze muttered "ethereal" and turned to exit the bedroom.

Tori took in the meaning as he heard Julian placating Sakura for his behaviour this morning, before leaving the room himself, gearing up for a quick journey to college as they were likely late.

-/-

just because he has no magic does not mean Tori is useless, it is common knowledge where if in one area a human is defective they will make up for it somewhere else. That is why Tori sees more about what is going on than the others because he has to pay more attention to what's going on rather than magic give him hints. He may become the first to figure it out.

Well I had to go back to previous chapters to make sure I was still consistent in what was going on. You may notice references to previous chapters, i'm trying to bring everything together without having it fall apart as a result. Sometimes I wonder if I write this for myself as this story doesn't get much if any traffic, but I wont stop as that would dishonour this story and those who are reading as well as anyone who may read in the future. It may just take a bit of time. I need to spend less time reading and more time writing.