The trick to getting a chapter out every month is switching to a part-time course load. Now, I have time for myself and that means more time to spare here (not that grad-school stuff isn't what I chose for myself after college [I'm just crazy mad about studying (when I know I've completely lost my marbles)]). I'm very happy to also announce that my life has slowed down enough for me to relax and enjoy myself. This spring break I'm going some place snowy and bringing out the dusty snowboard. FYI, my Spring Break is in two weeks. By then, maybe CHAPTER 3 will be out. Cowabunga!

"Chapter 2"

The flying yellow teddy bear with wings and whose name was Keroberos was right about one thing. China was bursting with magical creatures; some with wings and others wingless; some completely animal and others completely fairy; some looked like a hybrid of animal and fairy. Otherwise, everything was just swell and normal looking. Except for the fact that everyone was wearing those robe-like tunics! There were the simple tunics in plain solid colors like grey, blue, or beige. There were also the more fancy long tunics like the one Tomoyo wore. They looked weird in my perspective, but who was I to judge them? I was the one who actually stood out in that age and in that part of the world. I was in my twenty-first century attire, so that made up for the reason why the villagers were all openly staring at me. The creatures took an interest in me as well. The bolder ones actually came to hover around me.

Touya pushed the land creatures away with his shoed toe and swatted the air creatures with his hand. I was relieved when Tomoyo finally pulled me into their house and steered me into the foyer.

"Don't mind those curious eyes. They are just very interested in the new master. Word goes round quickly in these parts."

Touya was grunting in that disgruntled way I knew so well. Syaoran was silently standing behind him.

"Let me show you to one of the unoccupied guest rooms. You should stay with us until you get your bearings."

"She can't stay with you. She's a complete stranger and she doesn't belong around…"

"Shut up, Li, if you know what's good for you," Touya muttered under his breath.

Syaoran glared back at Touya, but he actually did keep quiet after Touya's sharp order. I knew better than to think that the two men were in mutual agreement. Syaoran was probably keeping silent because he had nothing else to say on the matter and Touya did not pay another care to the unkempt warrior because he downright didn't care.

I came to a conclusion as Tomoyo hustled me into "my" room and got me out of my dirty clothes. I came to the conclusion in the seconds she robed me in the style of their century. I should tell you the conclusion after she left me with the task of "preparing" myself for some coming of existence ceremony. The idea kind of gave my self this high powered presence I was never so sure about. My existence as someone profound in the eyes of these strangers really did make my nerves jittery. Anyway, in conclusion, Kero was right about one thing. Magical creatures existed and I was now stuck in a dimension between my world and this world, where personas were the same in both worlds. I was wondering if I was going to run into myself in this world when Kero flew in through the open window and disrupted my train of thought.

"Whoeee, everyone acts as if they haven't seen the Sun Guardian in ages… Oh wait," Here, Kero drew in a deep breath and held it, so that his chest stuck out. "It has been ages for them." My little friend looked around the room for a moment before he joined me on the bed. "Say, are you starting to believe anything I was telling you about earlier?"

I stared back at him skeptically.

"What do I have to do to get you to believe? If you only believe in what you see, then you really are completely blind to the truth. What you see is never really the proof. You have to understand that to master your powers, Sakura."

At this I got up on my feet and started pacing. I covered my ears trying to concentrate, trying to wake from this long dream. When I didn't wake and I still saw Kero now hovering in my peripheral vision, I asked him, "What year is this?"

I was not in some kind of inter-dimensional space, people. Kero just told me it was two-hundred-something BCE in China. He didn't exactly say the year. I derived the time period because I did the math myself. He mentioned how the Middle Kingdom was just coming out of raging battles between the warlords as predicted by his previous master. This Clow sorcerer lived a hundred years ago, so it made perfect sense that NOW was after the Warring States period of China. I'm not a history buff, but I think I know enough Chinese history to say that I was now residing in the period after the Warring Sates period. And by the sound of what Kero had to say about his master, the man was a swell guy who saw into the future of every living soul that he saw fit to have their futures read. Look at China. It was coming out of their wars as Kero said Clow had predicted.

With my head in my hands I groaned. "I am so out of place and out of time right now."

"Yes. What period do you come from?" he asked.

"Would you believe me if I told you I came from the future; about a little under two-and-a-half millennia to be exact?"

Kero fluttered, so that he was right in my line of vision. His plush paws pressed into my fingers that I pressed to my cheeks in frustration. "Just because I don't see the future, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist," he said.

I started pacing so abruptly I caught Kero off guard. He swiveled in the air as I continued to rant. "It's just so hard to make sense of anything."

"It'll take some getting used to, but it'll come to you naturally," Kero assured me. He seemed to assess me with his beady eyes. "I don't doubt Clow Reed's choice."

I spun on him and lashed out, "What about my choice?"

I could not blame Kero for keeping a fair distance away from me during the festivities. Even with all the villagers surrounding me and taking me through dances and ceremonious Chinese traditions, I felt distinctively alone. The only rightful explanation for this was that I did not belong. Kero would constantly cast a look of disappointment in my direction and Syaoran would occasionally glare at me when I wasn't watching. I was not blind to the fact that the first two living creatures I met were the first two to misunderstand me in this world. I seemed to drag my petty self from one world to the next.

"Is something wrong?" Tomoyo asked me as she settled herself gracefully beside me.

She startled me. "I'm just thinking."

"I know. Your beautiful face looks thoughtful."

I gave her the weirdest look I could put on my face. No one ever called my face beautiful. I was just average looking. Scrawny. Pale. Coward. Yes, I admit to cowardice. As I mentioned before, I was never one to fight my battles. I'm the gal that slinks away at a challenge. It was high time that Clow Reed's Sun Guardian accepted that.

"It must be very hard for a foreigner to get used to a new land. If there's anything you need, feel free to ask. I'm not sure if I can provide, but I certainly will try," she murmured as she leaned towards me. I shifted away a little in my seat, so that I was slipping off the edge of the bench. "You are tired, Sakura. The people have been pestering you all night."

"No, everyone has been kind and considerate." I lifted a sleeve to rub my eyes. The material was cool to the touch and it reminded me that I was far away from home. I wanted to change the subject. "Say, what's the governor like?"

"Cousin Touya is stern, astute, and generous. When I lost my parents to an accident, he and his father took me in. After his father died, Touya became the last remaining relative of mine."

My eyes looked around for the profile that looked exactly like my brother. I spotted him in deep conversation with one of the villagers. When my eyes stayed on him longer than necessary, he turned to me. His dark eyes met mine. It was as if he was waiting for the time to excuse him self from business to talk to me. There was a lump in my throat as this man that I wanted to hug and confide in walked up to us. He stood before me with a worried expression. "What's the matter?"

That was a common question from those who even bothered to notice that something was wrong. I was grinding my teeth and looking an inch above his shoulder. He looked just like my brother, but I couldn't face him. Weird. My brother was a complete stranger here.

I paused to come up with a smart, thoughtful explanation for my somberness, but all thoughts were obliterated at the sound of a shriek that resounded through De Ding. Alerted, I stood from where I sat. Touya didn't even give me the chance to ask what the commotion was about. He was ushering Tomoyo and I back to the Governor's house, practically hauling us by the shoulders. I was dragging my feet and I could hear Tomoyo gasping as well as pointing up ahead at an unnatural eclipse.

I looked up to see what had everyone suspended in attention. It was a silver bird spanning the night sky. Its massive wings blocked out the stars and the yellow moon. It beat its wings against the air and sent a sharp and piercing gust at everyone. Frighteningly, it watched me with slits of obsidian eyes. Then, without warning, it swooped down, jaw opened, at me. I did not know what came over me, but I dug my heels deeper into the ground as I faced the black hole of the creature's mouth.

"Sakura, look out!" Kero shouted. His voice was projected in all directions and yet the little bolt of yellow in front of me meant that he was right there. Syaoran also appeared from out of no where. He brought his sword down between me and my pursuer at the last minute to parry the creature in mid-attack.

"Move back!" Syaoran shouted at me, his eyes flaring red.

Touya tugged at my shoulder until I thought the ball and socket were going to tear. I felt my world suddenly tilt and drop upside down. Touya had grabbed me and thrown me over his shoulder. He was running and Tomoyo was in step beside us.

"Sakura, snap out of it!" Touya shouted as he essentially ran for both our lives. "You're in danger." The rattling of my brain knocked me out of my stupor for a moment, but it also left my head aching.

Yeah, why was every living thing after me, anyway? I strained my neck so that I could look up at Kero and Syaoran defending me from the creature.

"What's this one?" Syaoran asked, squinting at the Clow Card coming in and out of focus.

"I'm not sure. It doesn't want to reveal itself. Only the master can see it in its true form."

"What the hell? What are we supposed to do?" He hollered, jumping backwards to avoid another attack.

Kero's explanation died with the bang of the Governor's front door. I was safe behind the closed door and Touya looked like he was dying for breath. "No offense, New Master, but you weigh a ton!"

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Tomoyo hurry off in a fury of silk. She paused right in front of the window and gasped. Irritated, I was ready to voice how peeved I was at her looks of utter hopelessness. She seemed like another damsel in distress. Do we need any more of that?

I staggered over to the window sill and peered out. I could see the silver bird in the air throwing attacks in every aimless direction you could imagine. There was absolutely nothing that could hide from its angry rampage. Its strength peeled cemented tiles off of the inclined roofs.

"What's doing that?" Tomoyo asked, her voice vibrating with fear.

I squinted in confusion. Why was I the only one who could see the bird? Was I truly the only one who could see its sharp feathers graze the rooftops and leave scars there? Was I the only person who could see the trunk-like neck shake and twist? Was I the only one who could catch this thing?

I kneeled, stone still, as I watched Syaoran fall on his back with a grunt. I felt Touya behind me, both his hands bracing the window frame on either side of Tomoyo and me. The three of us huddled there looking at the scene and seeing something different. They saw some invisible force, while I saw something only my eyes alone could see.

There was no time to waste. Another second waiting like a scared, worthless person in this world was another second that either Syaoran or Kero could die. Taking a deep gulp of air I ducked under Touya's arm and headed for the door. Touya was hollering at me as I stepped outside to face my fears. This was it.

I balked in the center of the town square and faced the bird. As its eyes seemed to specifically target me I raised my trembling finger at it. "Clow Card, show me your true form!"

It squawked and folded both wings over its small body. Then, a second later, bursts of feathers exploded from around the cocoon it formed. I clenched my eyes shut and raised my arms to shield my face from the sharp blast of wind. When I looked up the silver bird was now the same size as me. It stood in front of me, gazing at me with its head tilted to the side. We probably studied each other for nearly five minutes before either of us reacted. I think I noticed a hint of amusement in the twinkle of its black eyes before it pecked me on my forehead. "Hey!" I shouted at it. Probably that startled it because it immediately spread its wings and took off into the night sky.

There was a pause of silence where I asked everyone around if they just saw what had happened. At a few nods of response, I figured my best option was to confront whatever it was head on. This would be the second time I wriggled out of my comfort zone.

"That was The Fly!" Kero exclaimed beside me.

"Do they all attack people when I don't pay them any attention?" I asked him.

He brought a paw to the newly formed wrinkle between his brows. "The Clow Cards? Yeah, the sensible ones."

I frowned at him. "You're going to have to explain what you mean by 'sensible ones' later," I tossed over my shoulder. I trudged to where Syaoran still lay groaning. I took him off guard by bending near him with my palm stretched out in supplication. I didn't feel a wit like helping the prude up and believe me when I say I had no notion of doing so. In response, he stared at my hand like it was some sort of virus.

I spoke succinctly and firmly to state what mattered most at that moment in time. "I believe you have something that was given to me a while ago."

He answered gruffly, a grim look on his visage. "Are you sure you can handle the power?" He was already reaching into the folds of the front of the shirt under his tunic.

"You'll just have to see for yourself," I told him confidently. I snatched the small key from his hand and deliberately gave him a show. I transformed the key into the wand and weighed the staff in my firm grasp. "I'm going to need some guidance from you experts," I shouted grumpily, snubbing the roaring cheers from the villagers.

Kero led the way and I was able to hear myself speak again. Syaoran was right behind me as the three of us trudged through some wooded land. The dense trees became sparse and just when I thought I was ready to give up and call it a night, Kero shouted from ahead of the pack. "There's that presence again."

I felt it, too. It rippled between skin and muscle like a quick electric jolt. It left a tingling sensation in all my limbs. I tried to hold myself together as I took the lead and led us out into a field. "Rats. Snakes…" I muttered under my breath about all the possible pests that infested the empty fields.

"Are you scared?" The only other human amongst the three of us taunted me.

"You'd be just as much if you were a big city dweller, buster," I grumbled, glancing sideways at the warrior.

He snorted, but I ignored him. I concentrated on what Kero expected me to find. What I expected to find. With eyes closed I was able to feel the air swirling around us. I was able to feel the pebbles under the thin soles of my slippers. I was even able to hear anything as far as the great distance between us and De Ding.

Okay, I was never good at sitting or standing still. Maybe that was why I ended up being an errand girl for the higher ups. Yet, here I happened to be; in complete control of my breathing and in all encompassing harmony with my surrounding.

I drew The Windy from the pocket of my skirt and focused. No Kero. No Syaoran. Just you and I, Clow Card. I called The Windy out as my sixth sense pulsed like a second beating heart. And I watched her curl her arms around the silver bird flying up ahead.

"She got it!" Syaoran sounded, forgetting to mask the disbelief on his face.

I made sure that The Windy had a firm grasp around my capture before I ceremoniously spoke the words that Kero had taught me before hand. "Clow Card, return to your power confined. Fly!" A flash of blinding light, followed by an explosion that was accompanied with reverberating howls, finally relented as I reached my unseeing hands into the space in front of me. My momentarily blinded eyes felt the two cards between my fingers. My thudding heart threatened to leap from my rib cage.

"Told you it would come to you naturally," Kero spoke softly next to me.

"Let's get out of here. It's creepy at night." I was turning and I must have caught a rock with my toe. I fell, face forward, groaning.

That was when the stupid warrior with the magic touch lit a fire on the tip of his sword. As I was spitting out grass and dirt, he plainly stared me down. Then, he stepped right over me and lit a path for Kero and me to follow far behind him. Kero and I exchanged looks of annoyance. Was this how it was supposed to be for the rest of my stay here? I was to face humiliation in front of Syaoran, listen to Tomoyo rave about how I look, bristle at Touya's blatant stares, and look into the face of absolute confidence from a miniature Sun Guardian. Was I getting a little ahead of myself, you ask? Oh, totally not. There was much more in store for my future in old aged China.

"I hate to admit it," Kero grumbled, "but he's quite handy in certain circumstances."

I glared at Kero. "I absolutely will mind if I have to work with him!"

My voice echoed, but the idiot in front of me didn't show any sign he acknowledged my enthusiastic outburst. Maybe he shared the same sentiment and would leave me alone from now on to do whatever I was sent here to do. Oh, how totally untrue, I later find out.