Chapter Three-Mizuki-sensei's problem

"Suppi, tell Eriol that I'm still cross about him hogging the bath, and that I'm not speaking to him until he apologizes."

"What? He's right there! And it's Spinel! S-P-I-...."

"But Suppi's so much cuter!"

Eriol rubbed his temples. The part of him that actually was a real teenager wanted to rebel, to stand up and scream things. Things like, "Good God, woman, that was three days ago!" He really did have a headache, and Ruby's whiny behaviour was not improving his mood one bit. He wondered absently if this was that 'Motrin Pain' they were always blathering about on the American channels he'd watched on the telly. "Ruby. I am very sorry about monopolizing the shower. Although there are several other washroom facilities in the mansion," he paused smoothly, letting that gentle suggestion take effect-it worked, Ruby looked somewhat chagrined-"I do realize now that you had drawn that bath for yourself." The young Englishman moved towards one of the kitchen's many cupboards in a series of very fluid motions. "I was not feeling well this morning and was temporarily confused. I apologize."

He removed a croissant and began searching the kitchen's industrial-sized fridge for something to go with it. "Ah, current jelly." He sat down and began to spread the jelly onto the croissant, and then attacked it with a knife and fork, eating slowly. An image of Yue naked sitting astride him, robes unfurled, his strong shoulders beading with an ephemeral, otherworldly sort of sweat, suddenly filled his vision. He began to choke.

*~*

His dark blue-black hair stuck to his forehead, he was panting with the exertion of creating the card. With a flick of his hand he sent it back to his favourite hiding place for them, a hollowed-out book where he stored the Cards. He looked at his cousin adoringly. "Yes."

"What? I haven't even asked you yet. How can you know what I'm going to ask you?"

"Because the answer... is Yes."

*~*

"MASTER!" Ruby shrieked, rushing over to where Eriol sat. Wordlessly, she locked her hands around his waist and started to give him the Heimlich manoeuver.

When the young reincarnation of Clow Reed came to, he found himself lying on the kitchen floor with Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun hovering over him like a pair of mother-clucking hens.

"No. Yes. I don't think so. Perhaps. Alright."

"Can I get you anything, Master?"

"Are you okay?"

"Don't you think you'd ought to sit down?"

"How about you go back to your room and if you decide you do need anything, you can call?"

There was a long pause. "Yes. Okay. No, I don't like cream. Two sugars." He headed back towards his room, except the house was strange. He bumped into something hard when it shouldn't be there. Oh! He was thinking of the wrong house. He was no longer in Japan, now, was he? Perhaps he'd just stand very still until his vision passed back into the present?

He waited for what seemed like a few seconds, but was probably more like a few minutes.

"Uhm... would you like some tea, Eriol? We made some. There's cream and sugar...." Ruby trailed off. "Oh."

***

Yukito and Touya had been up all night, but it wasn't because they were "studying". They were worried. "I can't believe that she'd not come home without phoning or anything," Touya said for what had to be the millionth time. It was twelve o'clock midnight. "She'd at least have the courtesy to replace herself with that demon-thing."

"The cards are not demons," Keroberos replied softly. He'd come back to Sakura's room in his true form after searching King Penguin park many times over. Yue had been with him, but had reverted back to his false form immediately to conserve his strength. He was running low again, he suspected, but true to Yue's personality, he hadn't bothered mentioning it.

"Well, whatever they are, they've been nothing but trouble!" He yelled suddenly.

Yukito froze. "T... Touya!" He exclaimed, his eyes showing hurt.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean...."

"But the Cards are a part of Yue as they are a part of me, and a part of Sakura. There is no separating us. Without the Cards and their power even you and your father would not exist," The Sun Guardian explained gently. "Our destinies are intertwined."

The pink cellphone on Sakura's desk bleeped. Touya picked it up in an agitated motion. He pushed the "on" button angrily. "Hello?"

"Sakura would like you to know that she is fine. She's at the temple with me."

"Mizuki-san?"

"Yes?"

"I have her Guardians with me... and they haven't been able to do much Guarding, because they claim they can't sense her. What's going on? I demand an explanation."

"Then you'd better come down here yourself."

Touya put the phone down with an air of confusion. "She's at the temple with Mizuki. Which means Tomoyo and that brat are probably down there too."

Yukito smiled. "I'm glad that she's okay."

Keroberos nudged Touya with his head. "If you'd like, you can ride on me." This was a big thing, to allow some human to ride on him like he were just an ordinary animal. "It's faster."

"No," Touya said grimly. "That's alright. I'll use my bike. It will be fast enough. You two go ahead. I'll catch up."

Yukito put a hand on his lover's face, cupping one of his cheeks gently. "Mizuki-san would not lie about this," he soothed. "I'm sure that Sakura is fine."

"Maybe," the dark-haired human admitted. "But then that woman often tends to understate things that mean a lot to some people."

***

Sakura blinked. There were people swirling around her, dancing before her vision like tiny fireflies. She moaned.

"Sakura!" A pair of strong arms wrapped around her, she was being held tightly. Whoever it was, they smelled nice. Tiny undercurrents of sweat and blood overpowered by incense. The person was shaking. Crying? Why were they crying? "Don't you ever do that to me again, you hear?"

What? What had she done? And where was she? Sakura could make out the blurry outlines, brown wood and cream-coloured rice-paper walls. She felt a holy aura surrounding the building. A temple? "Do what again?"

"Mizuki-san explained it to us." A very familiar female voice said. It was the sort of voice you sang with. Soft and full of depth. "After all this time of only using the Cards once in a while, you used a lot of them at once. Including the Time Card, which is one of the most powerful. So once we got here, you passed out."

Sakura felt something damp and cool being pressed against her forehead. Gently, the person who'd been holding her so tightly lay her back down again. "It was foolish of you to use Shield, Fly, and Power all at once," he admonished, sounding more relieved than angry.

"Had to...." She found herself saying. "Had to get you guys out of there." She paused, memories resurfacing. "There was... a dragon...."

"Gone, mysteriously. I guess whatever the Illusion Card decided to show it, it worked."

"I'm actually very interested in hearing what you told that Card to do in order to make the dragon go away." That voice was Mizuki-sensei's. Sakura suddenly felt embarrassed. Mizuki-sensei wanted to hear about something that she did? Hanyaaan....

A thought came to her. "What time is it?" she asked. "How long was I out?"

"It's about midnight, I think. You were asleep for five hours at least."

A tight ball of worry began to form in Sakura's stomach. "Onii-chan will be wondering where I am."

"I think Sakura needs to be left alone for a bit," Syaoran jumped in suddenly.

Mizuki and Tomoyo exchanged a significant look. "I'll be sure to phone your house," the temple master's daughter assured her. "Tomoyo-chan and I will be outside if you need anything." They both left under the pretense of making some tea and late-night snacks.

"Why did you send them away?" Sakura asked blearily. Her words were coming out funny, slower than normal. She yawned.

"Because," Syaoran said, his voice cracking with emotion, "I need to talk to you."

"Hmm? About what?"

He drew her into another tight hug. "Never, never, never do that again,"

"You already said that."

"No-but what I mean is-I thought I'd lost you. When you collapsed, you were so cold. I was scared. That lady tried to take you away from me and I almost fought her. I still don't trust her. Daidouji-san stopped me...." He was crying again.

"Syaoran-kun...."

***

"That boy cares a lot for Sakura, doesn't he?"

Tomoyo nodded. "He loves her."

"And does she return the feelings?"

"Hai. When he came back from China back for junior high, and he said that he'd be staying for good, she was very happy."

"But part of you wishes you could have her for herself."

Tomoyo halted. "I would never do anything to ruin Sakura's happiness." Her face was stony. "She is my best friend, that is all."

"Really?" Mizuki stopped cutting the sandwiches she was making, and stroked the young girl's hair. "But don't you get lonely?"

The teenager finished placing some cups and napkins on her tray. "I...." She blushed. Something didn't feel right.

"There, there." The older woman pulled Tomoyo into a gentle embrace. "Tell Mizuki-sensei all about it." Something about the lady was soothing. Tomoyo felt all warm and tingly. It was almost....

"Still up to your old tricks, I see." A voice came from the door that led outside.

The priestess smiled, but Touya could tell that the smile was forced. She was irritated. "Your sister's in the next room. Shall I lead you to her?"

"Please."

The schoolteacher slid the door open silently. Touya peeked inside. Sakura was sleeping soundly with her head in that brat's lap! He opened his mouth to yell but Keroberos got there first, clamping a large paw over it. "She's sleeping! Let her get her rest," The Sun Guardian hissed.

Yue sat in the far corner of the room, watching yet saying nothing. Purple eyes glinted in the moonlight that seeped in through the open windows as a faint breeze played with small tendrils of his long white hair that had fallen loose from his ponytail.

*~*

"Do you like Sakura?" Eriol had asked.

"I don't hate her." He'd replied.

"Which in Yue terms means, you like her a lot."

*~*

Touya glared at the Moon Guardian, remembering how a few nights ago, while he and Yukito had been in the middle of... something private, Yue had appeared, and had thrown him against the wall. His back still ached a bit from the experience. It was a little nerve-racking, not knowing when your best friend and lover was going to transform himself into a cold and angry God-like being of destruction. Not to mention disappearing randomly for hours at a time without warning. It was heart-breaking knowing that he couldn't tell Yukito, whom he usually told everything, about it, because it would hurt him.

Yue spoke. "Their clothes are singed and the magical aura fits. It was a real dragon this time. Not a Card."

"But who would have access to a real dragon? And who would unleash one at an unsuspecting town full of innocent people?"

Yue looked solemn. "I don't know. But there is someone who might. Tell the girl to write Eriol."

"Why don't you go and see him yourself?" Keroberos asked, perplexed. "You visit him all the time!"

"He WHAT?" Touya fumed.

"Hmm?" Sakura flinched in her sleep. Syaoran, who had been awake through all this, remained silent, but he glared at Touya pointedly. "Don't shout." He stroked the girl's hair. "Do you want to wake her up?"

"We need to stay and protect Sakura right now." Yue snapped. "Besides. I can't fly there. I've been banned."