A/N: part 6 of sakura's adventures in Arda. I have been wanting to write the latter half of this chapter since I started writing this story.

The Council would be held at midmorning, when everyone would be properly awake as well as properly fed. The Hobbits, especially, would appreciate it. Not only were they important, it was Frodo and Bilbo that had a key part to play. It would also allow everyone to dress as well as they were able to. These were very important people all told, and they would at least need to look the part.

Sakura didn't quite understand, but she did understand formality. This was an important meeting, therefore they had to dress formally. Maybe her understanding of formal or proper was different, but she would do her best. It helped that when she used Illusion to create a mock-up of what she would normally wear in this kind of a situation, the Elves were eager to provide. Sakura thought part of it was the novelty and the challenge of it.

Either way, Sakura ended up with kimono and hakama done up in the warmer tones that Imladris favored. It didn't sit entirely the way that she was used to, but Sakura thought it was proper. A formal set of clothing for Arda. Sakura dressed in it, and swallowed the sudden wash of loneliness as she thought about Tomoyo. Instead, she had Flower create a sprig of cherry blossoms and asked Sam to put her hair up. Sakura thought the entire outfit looked rather nice.

Sakura went to meet with Elrond beforehand, if only to get a better understanding of what they would be discussing. She knew, of course, that it would lead to handling the One Ring. She just didn't know anything that would lead up to that.

There was also the fact that the meeting was supposed to be secret. The Hobbits knew, of course, even as they were told otherwise. She didn't think they kept secrets from each other about things like this.

"Lord Elrond?" Sakura asked. She wasn't entirely versed in reading his expressions, but she knew him well enough she felt. He seemed… embarrassed? But what about?

Elrond turned to her, and smiled. "Miss Sakura. Are those the clothes that our tailors made for you? They are lovely."

"Thank you," Sakura said. She peered up at him, studying him. She had been in Imladris long enough to figure out that this wasn't particularly rude. Apparently being both a teenager and a Wizard excused her of a lot. "What's the matter?"

"Ah," Elrond smiled, this time sheepishly. "I believe that somewhere along the way, as we prepared for this Council, we forgot something rather important."

"What?"

"We did not, in fact, invite them for this matter," Elrond explained, "They all arrived with their own reasons. It was beneficial to announce the Council since we have Frodo in attendance, but truly if not for that, I would have had no reason to do so."

Sakura blinked as she registered that. Well. Yes, that was embarrassing. That was a problem with Seers, wasn't it? They saw something they knew would come to pass, and in turn forgot the lead up to it.

"But they are here," Sakura said meekly. She looked aside, and then back at Elrond. "...I won't say anything if you don't." She brought her finger up to her lips.

"Agreed," Elrond said, and then mirrored her. He sighed. "But, now that they are here, we would do well to hear them out. I have the feeling that though their decisions were made independently, they may also relate to the matter we wish to discuss as well."

"They will," Sakura said. She blinked, surprised by her own certainty. She shared a glance with Elrond, and nodded. "They will," she repeated. "I will leave you in charge for this. Until the correct time, I will only watch."

"Are you certain?" Elrond asked.

Sakura nodded. "I will be taking action. But until then, I am a guest. This is not my world. I will leave the decisions to those that will live with the aftermath."

"Very well," Elrond said. "I will place you next to Mithrandir. Do you have a staff, like the Wizards of Arda do?"

"Yes," Sakura said, and her hand went to her neck, where her Star Key sat. "It sleeps for now, sealed, but I can summon it whenever it's needed."

"Best leave it for now, then." Elrond said. He held out his arm for her to hold. "Let us head in. I am certain that most everyone will be interested in what you will be doing."

Sakura held his arm, and followed Elrond in. Everyone had already arrived, though they were in smaller groups. Elrond led Sakura to Gandalf, who had an open seat next to him. It only took a moment for everyone to take their seats from where they milled about. There was a tense atmosphere that sat over everyone as they looked to each other. Sakura thought it was a bit much, but found herself relieved that she wasn't the only one feeling so awkward.

Gandalf, of course, found the entire experience and all of their discomfort amusing. Sakura tried to make as subtle a face at him as she could. Gandalf just smiled in reply, beard twitching.

At least Gandalf had the grace to bring start their explanation, even as he motioned Bilbo to their attention. They told the story of the adventure they had nearly a century ago. Sakura paid attention. She had been told versions of this story during her stay in Imladris, but this one felt different. Neither Gandalf or Bilbo were adding extra bits, nor doing dramatic storytelling. Sakura saw how it weighed on Bilbo, but this retelling was simple.

"Bring forth the Ring, Frodo," Elrond said when Bilbo was finished, and did a flourish with his sleeve to bring attention back to him. Bilbo sighed and slouched into his chair once most of the attention was off of him.

Frodo took a breath. He stood and walked slowly forward, almost hesitant. He pulled the Ring from his pocket and placed it gently at the center of the table, and went back to sit down.

Sakura stared at the Ring. It looked harmless, a golden ring slightly scuffed from age. But she heard it at the edge of her hearing, like the whispers of a spirit. Her Cards took offense, and Shield took the time to protect her while Light pressed the whispers away. Oh, but that was not a nice thing. That was a very, very not nice thing.

"So it is true," Boromir murmured, looking at the Ring.

Sakura looked to him, and then around at the other people within the Council. Elrond rubbed a finger of his own ring, frowning. Gandalf watched Boromir intently, as if seeing something else in his expression.

Yes, that would be a problem, wouldn't it? Sakura was trained to hear such things, especially recently, and had protections in place. So would Elrond and Gandalf. They knew to ignore the whispers, even if they were affected. But the others very likely would not.

Boromir stood up. "In a dream, I saw the sky grow dark." Sakura watched him, frowning, as he recited a dream of his. He walked slowly forward, and reached out to the Ring as if in a trance.

Then- the sky grew dark, and Gandalf stood as well, saying something in an entirely different language. Reciting. Like a spell of some sorts. Sakura stared, and looked around. Elrond pressed his face in his hand as if staving off a headache. The other Elves had their eyes closed as if hearing something truly foul. The Dwarves and the Men were merely startled by the sudden change in atmosphere.

Sakura ignored it. It was mostly an illusion on Gandalf's part. She looked to the Ring. It still looked like a random bauble to her, save for its extreme negative impact, but. There was something more. This Ring had power, and if Sakura turned her thoughts sideways, and tried to see-

"It is engraved," Dark said.

Another thought, and Illusion showed Sakura what Light and Dark saw. Both the outside and inside showed off the engraving. It was in a flowing script that Sakura didn't recognize, and they glowed a heavy red as if it had just come from the forge.

Elrond stood and looked to Gandalf, shaking out his sleeves as if to get rid of wrinkles. "Never before has any voice uttered that tongue here in Imladris."

Gandalf shook his head, looking weary. Perhaps that language was magical. If the illusion was tied into the language instead of Gandalf simply being dramatic, it likely took more from Gandalf than he was even showing here. Sakura would have to check on him later. Gandalf was not simply an old man like his appearance suggested, but still.

"I will not apologize, Lord Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West!" Gandalf looked to Boromir. "The Ring is altogether evil."

"It is a gift," Boromor refuted, and stood up again. He looked around at everyone, but his attention was solely on the Ring. He entreated the others to let Gondor carry the Ring, to defend her people from Mordor.

Sakura frowned. She would need to do something soon. But these people were here for a reason, and she had to hear what it was before she derailed the conversation. She reached up to grip at her Star Key.

"You cannot wield it. None of us can." Strider said. It was the firmest tone that Sakura had heard him take, and she turned to him. "The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

"And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" Boromir asked severely.

Legolas stood up, his silvery toned robes and his beaded hair swinging with the sudden motion. He looked to Boromir with a stern expression, rather unlike the smiling Elf Sakura had gotten used to. "He is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

"This is Isidul's heir?" Boromir asked with a smile that Sakura did not like.

Legolas did not move. "And heir to the throne of Gondor."

Strider's entire bearing turned to exasperation at that. He said something to Legolas that sounded tired, waving for him to sit down. Sakura looked to him, and Strider only caught her glance before looking away. Well then. If Strider truly were an heir to a throne, it explained why he was the way he was. Sakura decided, again, that she'd do her best to be the best friend she could be. Maybe she could throw him at the Hobbits some more. They wouldn't care at all.

Boromir did not like that at all. Sakura didn't like his reaction, either. The Ring was using their negativity against them, but not all negative things were born from the Ring. If Gondor had been fighting against Mordor for as long as they said, and Strider was not there, Sakura thought it made sense for them to be a little angry.

There was a lot here that Sakura simply didn't know enough to understand. She could feel the currents of emotions and how they felt in this situation, but that was all. There was no context or explanation for anything. Sakura gripped at her Star Key, feeling a bit lost. She would have to ask Elrond or Gandalf what was happening here, more than what was obvious.

"Aragorn is right," Gandalf said firmly. "None of us here are capable of wielding the One Ring without error. To even attempt would be folly."

Boromir did not like that either. But he did accept it, and sat down with a frown. Sakura hoped he remembered what she said to him earlier.

"But it is still a great danger to have around," Gloin said into the ensuing silence. He sighed, and seemed the very age his bright white hair made him out to be.

"What has happened, Gloin?" Gandalf asked.

It turned out to be much of the same. The Lonely Mountain, a Dwarven Kingdom, had been sent messengers asking for information about Bilbo. That was the reason why Gloin and Gimli arrived in Imladris- they wanted to inform and warn Bilbo that Mordor was looking for him. They did not expect at all that Bilbo carried the One Ring with him. Apparently, they only thought it to be a bauble that turned its wearer invisible.

Sakura shared a glance with Gandalf when she heard the proper explanation. He looked grave, but nodded in some amusement at that. Hobbits. Of course only a Hobbit could turn an extremely powerful artifact into a bauble to avoid unpleasant company.

Honestly, why were Hobbits only constrained to their Shire? It seemed the rest of Arda could use their simple common sense. Though the way that Ruby and Mayanne also went on, Hobbits had their own issues? Well, Sakura would leave the Hobbits to do what they wanted.

"There is only one choice," Elrond said. Sakura blinked at the sudden shift in his tone. He sounded stern and stately, like a proper Lord. She knew he was the Lord of Imladris, but honestly didn't pay much attention. "The Ring must be destroyed."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Gimli asked, and stood. He took out his axe and quicker than Sakura thought, he moved to hit the Ring.

His axe shattered, and he was thrown backwards. Sakura flinched as she felt the spike of negative energy- it didn't hurt, not with Shield, but it startled her. She looked to Frodo, worried. He had the Ring on his person, and that had to leave a bond of some sort. Frodo had a hand pressed to his face as if warding off a headache.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed by any craft we here possess, Gimli, son of Gloin," Elrond said. He looked at the rest of the Council briefly. "The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade."

But Gimli tried. Sakura blinked at the thought, which had the cadence of… not prophecy, but truth to it. She looked to Gimli, who was being helped to his feet. He didn't look hurt, only slightly winded. Gimli… tried. He had been as entranced by the Ring as the others, but did not hesitate when it came down to it.

Elrond looked to Sakura briefly as he explained what needed to be done before returning his attention to the Council. "One of you must do this."

Boromir sighed heavily, and held his face in his hand. "One does not simply walk into Mordor." And then went on to explain why. Mordor sounded truly horrible.

And… Sauron was there. He had a method of watching, and it was truly powerful. Sakura frowned. She had to find a way around that, for this to be done.

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" Legolas stood again, indignant. "The Ring must be destroyed!"

"I suppose you think you're the one to do it!" Gimli jumped to his feet, just as indignant in turn.

With that, the entire Council erupted into argument.

Sakura bit her lip. She wanted to move. To do something. She did not handle confrontation like this well, even when it didn't directly involve her. Even Gandalf was swept up in the yelling. The Ring shone in its energy as it grabbed and manipulated at the negative emotions now within the Council. But Sakura felt frozen, struck by the sudden, bone-deep realization that she could not handle this now. Soon, yes, but she had to wait for a little longer-

"I will take it!"

Frodo. His voice was clear, and he stood from his seat. Sakura turned to him, some sense of hers screaming yes, yes, this at his expression, pinched and uncertain as it was, like he was surprised he spoke up at all. The arguing did not stop.

"I will take it!" Frodo repeated himself, and walked forward into the throng of people.

Gandalf stopped, and she saw him turn slowly to look Frodo in the eye. He had the gentlest expression Sakura had seen on his face, and his eyes were bight. With his motion, the others all turned to see what he was looking at. Bilbo, who sat next to him, watched Frodo with such heartbreak and fear on his face that Sakura had to look away.

Frodo looked them all in the eye before looking straight at Gandalf. "I will take the Ring to Mordor."

Sakura glanced at the others. She saw Aragorn, and Gimli, and Legolas, and Boromir, the entirety of the Council, all staring at Frodo like he was a marvel to behold. She think that they, somehow, felt like she did. That this was a turning point. There was also the sense of shame that they carried as they realized what just happened, and what they were doing.

"Though…" Frodo swallowed, and he looked more uncertain than ever. But he stood firm regardless. "I do not know the way."

Sakura swallowed, almost vibrating in place. Yes, yes, this. She felt it, the need to move, to do something, to help in any way she could. But she was a traveler, and this was not her world, and something needed to happen for her to do what she wanted. She held herself as still as she could, even as she waited.

Gandalf stood straight, even as he hunched slightly to look Frodo in the eye. Even with his drab gray clothing and the appearance of an old man, Sakura saw him gather his power. This, she felt, was a Wizard. He walked slowly but surely forward, and reached out to grasp Frodo's shoulder firmly. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins. As long as it's yours to bear."

Yes, yes, this.

Strider stood from where he sat, where he watched but did not participate in the arguing. "By my life or death if I can protect you, I will." The look in his eye- this was not simply Strider, the Ranger, but Aragorn, who would become a king. He strode forward to kneel in front of Frodo, and clasped his hands. "You have my sword."

Yes, yes, this.

Gandalf, she saw, smiled proudly, a bit smug. He looked to Elrond, who nodded at him, and then both looked to her. Oh. She nodded, and watched Frodo. Almost, almost…

"And my bow." Legolas said, and walked to stand with Frodo as well. He looked at Strider and Gandalf and Frodo, and nodded firmly.

Yes, yes, this.

"And my axe." Gimli said. He glared at Legolas, but stood next to him regardless. He held his back straight, and shared a look with his father.

Yes, yes, this.

Boromir walked forward next. Sakura thought he looked sheepish, but proud, as he stood and promised Gondor's aid as well. Still, he looked at Frodo, and his expression was so incredibly kind. Sakura bit her lip at the sudden reminder of her brother.

Yes, yes, this.

And then Sam, and Merry, and Pippin burst from the foliage around them. Bilbo and Frodo sighed in unison, but were completely unsurprised. Gandalf's beard twitched as he held back his laughter. After all, the Council was supposed to be secret, even if their arrival in Imladris was not.

Yes, yes, this.

"Nine companions," Elrond said, in what was a great show of compartmentalizing as the Hobbits appeared from nowhere to interrupt the Council. He shared a glance with Gandalf, who looked incredibly amused and pleased at their sudden arrival. "So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Act.

"Ten companions." Sakura said, and stood.

She moved forward and stood in front of Elrond, carefully ignoring the crowd around her. Elrond looked to her, and she felt his attention and regard settle on her. This was not simply Elrond, her friend. This was Lord Elrond, a powerful Elf and a great Seer, watching her with the kind of focus only a Seer could.

"Miss Sakura?" Elrond asked, grave.

"I will be helping as well as I am able to," Sakura said. She looked to Frodo, and then Gandalf, and then each of this new Fellowship in turn. "I am a Wizard as well, and promised that I would do my best to help deal with Sauron, who's darkness I have felt since I arrived here."

She felt her Cards shift, and Shield and Light removed their protection. They were but a thought away, of course, but she needed her entire focus.

"And you did not speak up until now?" Boromir asked, not unkindly.

Sakura shook her head. "No. I am a visitor. I cannot make decisions on the behalf of the people who live here, when I will be leaving when I am able to. What I can do, is offer my help, to those who have already made this decision."

Frodo swallowed and stared at her. "Miss Sakura, will you help?"

Yes. Yes. Yes.

"I will," Sakura promised. Now. Now she could do what she had been wanting to do since she learned of the One Ring. What she dreamt. "And the first and likely greatest thing I can do right now, is to seal the Ring so that its influence will no longer be felt until it can be unmade."

"And how do you plan to do that?" Elrond asked.

"With this," Sakura said. She pulled out her Star Key, which glowed dimly under the sunlight. She had long since learned how to release the Key so that it turned into her Staff with only the barest twist of will. But this situation was… she had to be formal.

"Your Wizard's Staff, sealed," Gandalf said, nodding as if he had some great question answered.

Sakura nodded and held out her Key. "Key that hides the power of the stars, reveal you true form before me. I, Sakura, command you under our contract. Release!" She felt her magic circle show beneath her feet, and her Staff formed beneath her hands. She moved the Staff through a quick twirl like always, and held it in display for those around her.

The Hobbits, at least, cheered at the display of her power. It was embarrassing, but nice to have the Hobbits around. It helped with her self esteem.

"Quite a feat, Miss Sakura," Elrond said, looking surprised. "And an unusual Staff compared to those I've seen other Wizards have. It suits you."

Considering that Sakura's Staff was a pink baton topped with a star and wings, and Gandalf's staff was a gnarled wooden walking stick, she thought that was fair. She smiled wryly at him, and held her Star Staff close to her chest.

"And you will be sealing the One Ring?" Gandalf asked, looking at her with bright eyes. He gripped his own staff tightly.

"Yes." Sakura said, and turned to the Ring. Oh, but it tried to batter at her senses. She did not even feel its attempts. She had behind her a greater power than even she could comprehend right now.

"And you could not do this before?" Frodo asked curiously.

"No. I had to wait until the decision was made," Sakura said, and looked to Elrond.

"Ah," Elrond breathed. "This is what you dreamt, and what you were unable to speak to me about."

"Dreams?" Strider murmured.

Sakura took a breath. "As I said, I am only a visitor. I have come here by accident. What promises I've made, and what actions I will take, are all things I'm choosing to do because it is the right thing to do. But it is not my world, and these are not my burdens to bear, and this is not where I will be staying."

She did a slow turn, doing her best to look each and every single person here in the eye. "But you are all here, representatives of the free people. You have come together bearing burdens of a common enemy. You have, together, made the decision to act. To fight. To do what can and must be done in the face of a great evil."

She looked to the group of nine. This Fellowship. "You have created this Company, who together represent the people. I had no part in that. This decision was made entirely on your own."

"And so you are now able to act," Elrond said. He nodded. "It is not interference if we have already made the choice to do so."

Sakura nodded to him, and then turned back to the Ring. "Yes. I have a Fellowship behind me, who agree on this one thing. So now I can do this with the power that grants me."

Sakura breathed, and held out her Staff. This was no loose Clow Card, needing to be sealed so that it would no longer create havoc. But it was a loose power, causing problems and damages to the world and the people. And so, like the Clow Cards, she could seal it.

The sealing spell for the Clow Cards would not work in this situation. But she could alter it to suit the occasion. Sakura thought, and grabbed at her magic. She was powerful. She could do this. She only needed the focus and the idea to do what she needed to do.

Sakura closed her eyes, and reached for the words. "Ring of Power, that which exists without peer. Heed my call, and answer me. Contain yourself within my star. Seal!" She lifted her Staff, and then pressed it down towards the Ring. Once again, her magic circle lit up beneath her feet.

Her Staff stopped in its movement, and she felt like she was pressing against some great wall. She grit her teeth and continued to press. The Ring was powerful, and resisted her spell. But she was stronger still.

It was a battle of willpower. Sauorn was old, and so was the Ring. There was great power, which Sakura felt she could match. And that she could overcome. But she was still young, and despite her determination, could only do so much.

So, she reached. She reached for that sense of yes, yes, yes that enveloped the nine standing behind her, the Fellowship, who united against one purpose. There was power in that, and she reached for it. She reached for the rest of the Council, who were in agreement. Who, simply by existing, stood in opposition of Sauron.

It helped a lot. Sakura felt the burden ease somewhat. But the Ring was stubborn still, and she could not force her will onto it like she was. Not without causing further issue. Sakura was willing to do that, willing to push so that they did not need to fear while they traveled to Mordor.

But. She dreamt. Behind her stood another power. One greater than even she could comprehend, but there all the same. So Sakura reached for that.

Power flowed through her, and bolstered her spell. She pushed it forward, and was easily able to complete the spell. She felt it take place, felt the sealing spell settle and finish itself, its purpose done.

Sakura breathed in relief, and took a mental step back. She opened her eyes, having closed them as she concentrated.

"Oh," she breathed, startled at what she saw.

A beam of sunlight shone directly on the pedestal that the Ring sat. The Ring itself no longer sat there, its form no longer existing as it once did, sealed away now. She felt the power form into something new above her head. She looked up, and saw the familiar shape of a Card. It shimmered like the reflection of water, a bright, rippling white, with golden and deep red swirls mixed in, the color of the Ring itself. Once her eyes landed on it, it started to drift slowly downwards, held in place by the sunlight itself.

Sakura reached out to grasp the new Card in her hand. The white faded into the familiar pink of her own Cards. It did not have the familiar kanji at the top that denoted its name, but instead the delicate script that Elves used. The Ring itself was held in place by golden chains, similar to how both Shield and Sword were held in place. The Ring looked like a normal ring. Instead, the forge-red script that was engraved on it now sat in a solid circle around the Ring, overlaid on top of the chains in a dark pink.

At the bottom, in the ribbon that denoted the English name of her Cards, it simply said Power.

Sakura bit her lip. She did not expect this to end up a Sakura Card, but here it was. That was- well, that was a level of trust she was not expecting. It was a heavy feeling.

And if it were a Sakura Card, then-

It is sleeping. Light whispered to her, and she felt her Cards settle around this new one. It tired itself out, changing into its new form.

We will look after it. Dark said, sounding somewhat overwhelmed herself.

Yes, if this new Card followed the same pattern, then the Cards would be feeling the cohesive feedback, wouldn't they? Oh, and both Kero-chan and Yue would be feeling it too, if Sakura returned home with this new Card. They were her Guardians after all.

Sakura breathed. Well. Yes, this was a new thing. She turned to Frodo, very carefully ignoring everyone else's reactions to what just happened.

"Miss Sakura?" Frodo asked automatically.

Sakura held out the new Card to him. "Here. You said you would be taking the Ring to Mordor, so I will leave you to hold onto this."

The distance, after all, really did not matter. Any of her Cards could be on the other side of the continent and she could still speak with them if she wanted. It was harder, of course, and she preferred to have them nearby. But having Power with another person, and Sakura herself staying close to them? That was no issue at all. It also meant she would be close enough when Power woke up from its rest.

Frodo took the Card, and studied it. "Thank you, Miss Sakura."

"It's not a problem." Sakura turned to look at Elrond, still ignoring everyone else. Their reactions to both what she did and herself, now that it happened, was a problem for future Sakura. "With that, I believe the next steps for this Fellowship to take can be made. The One Ring will no longer influence anyone."

"That is good," Elrond said, watching her with bright eyes and the focus of a Seer. "Yes. But, how are you feeling, Miss Sakura?"

"Tired," Sakura admitted. She held back a yawn. "I would very much like a nap, please."

"Then you can go and rest," Elrond said, smiling softly at her. "We can handle the logistics of travel here and now."

"Come on, Miss Sakura," Sam said, coming to her side and holding out his arm. "If you don't mind me saying, you look awfully tired. Mister Frodo and Mister Baggins must be tired, too. We can all go back to our rooms and rest for a bit."

"That sounds nice," Sakura said, and leaned on him.

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