Chapter 9-Life at Uncle Guan’s

Sakura coughed as she wiped the dust off the empty desk in her new room. Since she had gotten to Uncle Guan’s house after school, she had been cleaning nonstop. She had explored some of the house, but it was truly a castle, with many dead end corridors and trick doors. Sakura’s room was in the same large hall that her father and Touya were staying in. The room was large, but it was the smallest room she could have. Sakura was horribly scared of the house, for it seemed to be haunted with things other than magic. Her bed was like a tower in itself-an ancient canopy with white veils falling over all four sides. Sakura had been working on getting the dust out of the room, which turned out to be an impossible task.

Sakura dropped the cloth and cleaner and walked over to her small window for a break. The sky was quiet tonight, yet the dark was thick as it settled over the house. Sakura watched the last beams of sunlight disapear in the horizon, not wanting them to go. Kero fluttered in through a door Sakura had not yet used.

"We better light some candles, or whatever lights this place." Kero said.

"It’s not that remote, Kero! They have electricity." Sakura walked away from the window, searching for a light switch. She flicked it up, and the small chandeleir in the middle of the room cracked to life. Dust was on it, too, but Sakura was releived to not see any cobwebs. Sakura walked over to the door Kero had opened and looked out it. The door was like a hole in the wall, Sakura hadn’t noticed it because it had been hidden with a heavy velvet tapestry. It opened and immediately gave way to stairs, that started right from the threshhold. Sakura looked down them, a bit scared of the blackness at the bottom for lackness of light. "What’s down there, Kero?"

Kero yawned and flew over. "Oh, you know, just your average junk. Not a crumb of food to be found! They had lots of metal parts, car stuff, I think."

Sakura nodded and abruptly shut the door, getting scared just looking down it. "Well, I’m hungry, how about you?"

Kero grinned and flew excitedly over to the main door. "Always!"

Sakura shook her head. "I’ll bring some stuff for you."

Sakura walked out onto the wide plush carpeted hallway, then made her way down the short set of spiraling steps. She could hear her father and Touya, already talking to her uncle. Sakura had spoken to him very little since they had arrived, for he was weak and couldn’t talk much without getting short of breath. Sakura thought it best to stay out of the way until she was needed.

She found them seated around a relativly normal looking table. She sat down in the remaining chair and looked expentantly around for food. Much to her surprise, a girl with trancing eyes, set apart, but still attractive in a mysterious way, walked in with a tray of rolls in one hand and a tray of drinks on the other. She set down the drinks and then the rolls, her eyes locked on Sakura’s. Sakura squirmed uncomfortably in her chair, looking for escape from those penetrating eyes. This is just like when Syaoran first came to school. Sakura’s father broke the stare.

"This is Chindra. She is Uncle Guan’s carekeeper." Chindra gave a short curtsey, her eyes never leaving their target. Her curly jet black hair fell around her face, held up high with a princess like band. Her clothes were simple enough; A long sleeve shirt of green and long black pants that half covered her bare feet. She walked out of the room and place the rest of the food on the table, not ever meeting Sakura’s eye again. After this she left, not coming back.

No one else seemed to find her strange. Only Touya remarked about her. "Uncle Guan, you sure have good taste in maids."

Uncle Guan only laughed and replied, "She’s a bit odd."

The rest of the meal Sakura listened quietly to her family catch up on old relatives. The more she heard, the more she realized she knew nothing about her distant family. After it was quiet for a while, Sakura dared to speak. "Does anyone have a clock? I need to set an alarm for school tommorrow morning."

Uncle Guan nodded. "Chindra!" He called hoarsly. Chindra floated in, her expression unchanged. "Will you please get a clock with an alarm?" He looked at Sakura. "Take my neice with you, she could use a little tour." Chindra nodded and turned around, heading for the open archway that led into the main room. Sakura got up and walked quickly after her, a bit scared and nervous for the prospect of being along with the strange girl.

Chindra grabbed two lamps from a post on the wall and handed Sakura one. She spoke for the first time. "You are not afraid of the dark?" She asked, her voice cool and never changing pitch. She had an accent of some sort-of what she was not sure.

Sakura was a bit confused with the sentence. Is that a question or a statement? Sakura shook her head, and Chindra turned back around, turning her lamp on. Sakura did the same. She followed her through a long passage of hallways. They finally reached the end, and Chindra pulled out a large circle of keys from her pocket. She picked through the locks.

Sakura looked at the door they were about to enter. In this narrow hallway, it ended with two doors across from each other. One, the one they were about to enter, was normal looking, wood and sturdy. The one across from it was crumbled looking behind the boards that nailed it shut. Curiosity and want for releif of suspicions made Sakura ask. "What’s in that room?"

Chindra found the key and shoved the door open, then turned to see the door Sakura was looking at. "Nothing to concern you." She said lightly, turning on the light that lit the large room. The room looked more like an apartment, with its own kitchen and living room. Chindra walked over to the bedroom and then came back with a clock. "This should work." She said.

Sakura took the clock from her then looked around again. "Is this where you live?"

Chindra ignored the question and asked one of her own. "Can you find your way back?"

Sakura frowned, somewhat startled. "What-by myself? I don’t think so, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going-"

Chindra sighed and pushed past Sakura, back out the door and into the narrow hallway. Sakura watched her leave with confusion, then quickly jogged after her to catch up. Sakura took note of where they went this time, and with this concentration the trip ended much more quickly. Chindra left Sakura in the main room, where she set the lamps back where she had gotten them. Sakura walked back into the kitchen, where only her father and uncle were left. Her father looked up from his conversation. "Touya decided to make it an early night. You might want to too, you’ll have to leave about a half hour earlier to get to school."

Sakura nodded. She walked over to her father and uncle and gave them a kiss goodnight before she left. She also made sure her pockets were stocked plentiful with food Kero would like. She went up the stairs and into her already lit room and greeted Kero.

"There is a maid living here, my age. She’s weird." Sakura said as she handed Kero some of the food out of her pockets. Kero didn’t offer much consolation being busy with eating, so Sakura fixed the clock’s alarm settings and fell over onto her large oversized bed.

"I am going to bed, Kero. Turn out the lights when you are done eating." She said.

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Sakura slept restlessly that night, though she never remembered waking up. She got up on her own ten minutes before her alarm went off, so she got ready at her own leisure. The morning light made the ‘estate’ as Sakura decided to call it, look more friendly.

Sakura went down to the kitchen and ate the bacon and eggs that had been prepared. She never saw, but she guessed that it was Chindra who prepared them. Sakura peeked outside to see the weather she would be walking to school in. The early November frost had hold of the air, and heat seemed to be unexisted outdoors. Sakura closed the door and walked back into the kitchen heat appreciatively.

Touya came waltzing in, still in his pajamas. Sakura knew they had a little time left, but not that much time. "Touya you are going to be late!"

Touya shrugged. "Says who? I’m gonna drive." Touya tried to hide the pride from his voice, but was unsuccessful.

"Not fair! Oh please, bring me! I don’t want to walk in that cold!"

Touya eyed her a while before agreeing. "I guess. Don’t make a habit of it."

Sakura thanked him and sat her things down, now having another twenty minutes with nothing to do. Sakura decided to go upstairs and see how Bob the Bug was settling in.

Bob now had his own heating lamp and an extended jar. Sakura figured his short life should be indulged with pleasures. Kero had told her that cocooned bugs didn’t need heat lamps, but Sakura had insisted anyway. "How would you like it if you were freezing your entire life?" she had reasoned.

Sakura admired the jar for a while, then drew her attention somewhere else. The door Kero had come through the other night...She walked over to it and pushed her fear down, opening the door. The stair case was the same as before, steep and narrow, but small glass windows deepset in the stone wall followed the stairs down, and shone orange rays of light on the old steps. The steps were made of stone, and looked reasonably older than the rest of the house. Still, Sakura with all her curiosity could not force herself to go down alone, so she shut and locked the door. She walked away and headed back out of her room, careful not to wake Kero from his peaceful sleep. She took her time going down the stairs, looking at all the framed pictures that hung around the house.

She saw Touya walk by with his coat, so she figured she had wasted enough time. She hopped down the stairs and ran after Touya, who was already in the car. Sakura jumped into the passenger seat and sat down.

"I thought I was gonna have to leave you." Touya said as he drove along towards the school.

Sakura looked over at her brother, pretending to be offended. "You would make your little sister walk a halfhour in the freezing cold?"

Touya grinned as they turned down the main road, the one the school was on. "Yep."

Sakura shook her head. "Heartless."

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Syaoran sprinted as best he could with his bookbag. He had been at the Penguin Park practicing kicks in the woods when he realized he was going to be late for school, again. He sprinted harder, looking at his watch. He reached the corner of this street and dashed across the road blindly, not able to see the oncoming cars because of a large bush. A moving car swerved to miss him, and Syaoran looked after it in disbeleif. Was that Sakura?

He watched with dispair as the car slowed to a stop in front of him. He slowed to a jog and reluctantly stopped next to the car. Sakura looked cheerfully out of her open window. "You are gonna be late! Come on, we’ll give you a ride!" Touya stared grumpily ahead at the road, an unmistakable glare of hate shooting forth from his eyes.

Syaoran sighed and threw his bookbag into the back seat, quickly following it. The moment the door shut, Touya was off again. They reached school in a matter of minutes, and Sakura and Syaoran hopped out. "Thanks Touya!" Sakura said, quickly hugging her brother before running to catch up with Syaoran.

Syaoran walked silently, even as Sakura walked beside him. Sakura tried her best to ignore this hostility and she tried to start conversation. "With all these tardies, they will expel you!"

Syaoran shook his head. "I know."

They walked quietly for a while, approaching the school doors. "I moved." Sakura said.

Syaoran frowned, still looking ahead. "What do you mean?"

"My Uncle was sick, so we moved in to his house to take care of him. His house is scary-it’s huge! I think the ghost lived there or something before me."

Syaoran raised his eyebrows. "Really." Syaoran tried to hide his mounting curiosity with a basic question. "Where is your house, anyway?"

Sakura waited to answer as they opened the doors to the school, going into the heat. "It’s kind of far from the school." Sakura’s eyes lit up. "I know! Tomoyo is coming to see it after school today, why don’t you and Meilin come as well?"

Syaoran cringed at Meilin’s name. This morning’s workout was for the sole purpose of beating out Meilin-caused-frustration. She had been hugging him and telling him how happy she was he made it back alive for the past few days non stop. Well at least with more people, she can’t humiliate me. On cue, Meilin came running in the school doors. She ran up to Syaoran and threw her arms around his neck. "I didn’t know where you were this morning! I woke up and you weren’t anywhere in the apartment! Even Wei didn’t know where you had gone! I am so glad to see you!" I stand corrected. Syaoran thought.

Sakura smiled at Meilin. "I was just telling Syaoran that you two should come see my new house. I am staying at an uncles for a while, and he has a really neat house."

Meiline frowned, in thought. "What time?"

"Today after school."

Meilin looked at Syaoran for a while, gathering her plans, then turned her eyes back to Sakura. "Syaoran and I would love to come, but we’ll have to leave a bit early. I hope that’s alright." Meilin said with only the energy Meilin can have.

Sakura nodded. "That’s fine! Touya is gonna give us a ride after school, so meet me then, ‘kay?"

Meilin nodded. "Sure."

Sakura bounded away cheerfully, stopping to tell Tomoyo before reaching her locker. Syaoran looked at Meilin. "Why do we have to leave early?"

"I thought maybe you’d like to go see a movie? You know, I haven’t seen you lately and I miss you!" Meilin’s voice went into that if-you-won’t-do-it-then-I’ll-guilt-you-into-it tone.

Only Syaoran knew how to resist it. "It won’t be very polite to leave early, you know."

Meilin glared. Her eyes softened and she tried one more time. "You do still like me, right? I mean, I am your cousin, I came back to Japan just for you, and..." She added in a tear glaze for extra emphasis.

Syaoran sighed. "Whatever you say, Meilin." Syaoran walked away before she could make him agree to anything else. Dinner with Sakura and family. Great, what could be better? I mean, bad enough that Touya is convinced that I am going to abduct his little sister, why not give her old dad a bad impression, too? Why do I agree to these things so easily for her?

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"...It’s not only the most developing sport, it’s fast taking over the American sports as a number one favorite. I know you all have played this before, so you don’t need me telling you anymore."

Sakura struggled to stand still. They had been standing in a straight line listening to a lecture about basketball in p.e. for about ten minutes now. Their teacher decided they might as well excersise some strength while standing still, so he had them stand on one leg, switching off ocassionally to the other leg. Right now Sakura’s left leg ached, it had to have been three minutes since they started on this leg. She waited anxiously for the teacher to divide them onto teams and let them play.

"...We will be playing basketball until your break (this of course refering to the Christmas break), so you have a good month to practice up before we do the basketball skills test at the end of next month. Any questions before we start?...Good. Alright. Ones on that side of the gym, twos on the other." He began counting off down the line. Sakura was discouraged to see she wasn’t on Tomoyo’s team. She hoped that she wouldn’t be on Mark’s team, either, because he had been getting quite annoying the past few weeks since she had gotten back. Today in lunch he had asked her if she would ever kiss a boy in public. Sakura had blushed beat red and shook her head, trying to evade the question as best she could. Honestly, she found the question invading and unintelligent. She didn’t understand his level of maturity and character, so she figured she better avoid him-or at least his questions-until she figured him out.

Sakura, however, had no such luck, and Mark came strutting over to the accumulating group of twos. Syaoran was the last pick, and was sent to the ones side with Tomoyo and some other kids. Meilin sighed loudly next to Sakura, obviously disagreeing with the pick of teams.

The game started, nine versus nine (cause Sakura’s gym class was very small), with Syaoran and Mark immediatly fighting against each other with their finest skills. Sakura had to admit, Mark was a bit better at basketball than she would have thought, but then again, it seemed to be his type of sport. Indoors, no contact, rare injuries. Just right for him, the kitten. He couldn’t stand one minute against Syaoran!

Sakura made an effort to participate in the game, but it was basically a one on one sport, since Syaoran and Mark were hogging the ball. So far they had tied, three to three. Syaoran ducked under Mark’s gaurding arm and stole the ball, running down to the other side of the court. Mark kept in hot pursuit, trapping Syaoran sideways from the basket. A look of triumph glinted in Mark’s eyes. He was forcing Syaoran to make a pass.

Tomoyo jogged out of Sakura’s gaurding range and waved her arms for a pass. Syaoran, however, stuck in one spot, was trying to figure out how he would shoot from his cornered posistion. Without ever looking her way, he threw the ball over at Tomoyo. She then proceded to pass it to Rika, who made another series of passes that led to a score.

The game switched posistions, and Mark was now sprinting down the court, trying to lose Syaoran so he could get an open shot. Syaoran, much to Mark’s dismay, stayed on him like glue, not giving Mark a chance to slip up. He trapped him in a corner, the same way Mark had trapped him, and Mark looked mortified.

Meilin was running hysterically around him, waiting for him to pass. Mark, however, was not even considering passing. He looked around Syaoran for a way to shoot. Sakura ran out in the open for a perfect pass, but Mark never looked her way. She could see her other teamates were ready for a pass, too, but Mark refused it.

Meilin was getting fed up with this neglect. "PASS IT ALREADY!" She yelled at him as she stood wideopen, a perfect shot within her reach. Mark glanced at her, but did not pass.

Meilin’s distraction gave Syaoran the perfect chance to steal the ball. He expertly grabbed the ball out of Mark’s clutching hands and took off, sprinting down the court before Mark could catch up. He made a perfect lay-up shot, then turned around, trying to hide the smug feeling inside from making it’s way to his face. Mark looked furious.

Mark made off with the ball, but Syaoran stayed easily with him, his gaurding techniques better then he had remembered. Mark made a wild effort at a shot, but it missed horribly, going out of bounds. Syaoran ran out and threw the ball in, passing it to Trent, a boy in their class. Trent ran to the goal and scored well.

The rest of the game went like this; Mark would get the ball and miss, and Syaoran would get the ball and occasionally pass. All in all, it was a very boring experience for Sakura, and she was glad when the game ended. Syaoran’s team had won, and Sakura had never even touched the basketball, a very unfair game in her opinion. Meilin was very upset with Mark as well, and told him so.

After they were dismissed to change into their normal uniforms, Meilin chased after Mark before he got to the boy’s locker room. "You have got to be the worst basketball player in the world! My Syaoran could beat you any day! No wonder he won today, and I think he was shooting with his eyes closed. At least he wasn’t such a ballhog!"

Mark turned around and faced Meilin, trying to decide whether he should shout back or if he should stick with his flirting approach. He decided to fight back, the crack about Syaoran beating him was just too much to keep calm. "Maybe I didn’t want to pass to such a loudmouth as you!" He calmed himself. "I’m not the kind of guy that gets into catfights, despite your low opinion of me. Not to judge you or anything, I mean girls are supposed to get in catfights." He started walking over to the locker room. A bunch of guys from gym were walking in as well. "Maybe we can get together some other time, Meilin, but I am really busy tonight." He said exstremly loudly, making sure all the other guys heard him. Before Meilin could scream back, he was in the sanctity of the locker room, with Meilin fuming in the hall.

Meilin punched her fists into the hard wall, venting out some of her anger. Sakura was generally wary of Meilin, but she sympathized with her for the moment. To think I thought about liking that jerk. He is so horribly immature and...jerkish! "He’s not worth fighting Meilin, I can’t beleive he said that!"

Meilin rubbed her fists, which were red and some blood was apparent in a few places. "He’ll wish he had never met Meilin Rae. I knew there was something fishy about him, he kept hitting on me for the few hours you guys were lost. Which, by the way, thanks alot for that, Kinomoto. You could have almost killed my fiance."

Sakura was tempted to correct Meilin’s statement by added ex to fiance, but she held her mouth shut. Sakura walked in quietly and dressed, anxiously awaiting the dinner after school. Funny, but its almost like I am happy to have Syaora-no that’s not true. I just want to show my friends my new house, that’s all! The thought of Chindra crossed her mind. I hope she doesn’t show up. She’s so weird. Sakura fought back ‘and I am jealous of her’.

Tomoyo watched the display of emotions crossing Sakura’s face. They were in the least entertaining. "What’s so happy, Sakura? Your face is all lit up."

Sakura’s smile shied away. "Oh, nothing. I just can’t wait for you to see Uncle Guan’s house, that’s all." Sakura shoved her gym clothes into her bag. "Did I tell you, Meilin and Li-kun are coming as well?"

Tomoyo couldn’t help but laugh. "Yes, I beleive you did."

They walked out of the locker rooms and headed for their last class. "That match was just like when Syaoran played against Eriol in basketball, remember?"

Sakura smiled. "Yeah, I remember that. That was pretty-"

Sakura stopped talking to watch Meilin as she confronted Mark. Some words were exchanged, then Meilin threw a full blown punch into Mark’s face. Mark teetered back, holding his face in horror. Meilin looked at him smugly. "That will give your ego a lesson! I hope I won’t break your heart if I say ‘I would never in your wildest dreams go out on a date with you.’"she said mockingly. "Besides, I happen to have plans tonight, I am going to Sakura’s."

Mark took his hand off his swelling eye and managed to glare at her. "I told you, I don’t get into catfights. That’s for girls."

Meilin was not stumped. "Girls don’t fight back. I think it’s you who’s in the catfight."

This was enough for Mark. Enough humiliation. They already had a crowd of people of important social status standing around, Mark couldn’t let them down. He brought back his arm and was about to strike, when a strong force pushed him down onto the ground. Mark’s leg ached as the harsh landing had not felt good, and he stifled a groan as he looked up. Amber eyes glared into his.

"It’s pretty sad when you resort to hitting a girl, Mark." Syaoran said coolly, the scorn and repremand in his voice weighing down on Mark’s consciousness. Mark tried to stay cool, but his cowardly interior showed through.

"Watch your back, Syaoran." Mark got up and brushed invisible dust off his pants, then walked away with his head high. Syaoran watched him go with bitter contempt.

Meilin smiled admiringly at Syaoran. "My Syaoran! Even though I could’ve handled the situation perfectly well by myself, I am just as happy as to stand aside and watch a real man at work." She smiled widely at him. Syaoran tried to hide his embaressed feelings as he walked away, having a rough time getting through the circled crowd.

Sakura couldn’t figure out her feelings. So Syaoran is very nice and he gaurds people. It doesn’t mean he likes them. I know he doesn’t like Meilin, I know that! But then...If protecting people doesn’t mean he likes them, then are all the time he protected me accountable for nothing? Sakura followed Tomoyo hurriedly through the halls, the little stop causing them time and maybe causing them a tardy to their next class. They reached the class and sat down, the bell ringing as soon as they rested their feet on the ground.

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Syaoran walked along to the school gates, the school day just ended. He was reading a peice of paper in his hand, a slip giving him a detention for tommorrow through the rest of the week. Somehow, the story had turned that he punched Mark in the face. Since this had already happened once before, the story was easily beleived by teachers, so another weeks worth of detention met Syaoran.

A fimiliar beat of running feet came up behind Syaoran. He turned to see who it was, though he had an idea. Meilin was beaming. "Thank you so much! Covering for me like that, brilliant!" Syaoran nodded, not smiling because he wasn’t very happy with what he had gotten stuck with. Meilin continued. "Anyway, we are going to Sakura’s new house, remember? We’d better hurry over to the other parking lot, Touya will leave without us!"

Syaoran nodded, remembering their plans. Dinner with the family. Now I remember. He tried a light outlook. Well at least Sakura keeps Meilin under tabs. Meilin doesn’t bother me as much when she’s around, so I guess it’s good Sakura will be there. Not that I want to see her or anything. I haven’t talked to her since we were moved-Moved! Syaoran had a chain of thoughts running rampid through his brain. Without Meilin’s help, he was sprinting off in the direction they were supposed to go. He spotted Sakura and Tomoyo, standing just outside the gates.

"Sakura!" He said as he was within audible range.

Sakura was already looking his way, so this added to her curiosity. She watched him intently, trying to hide from herself she actually thought he was cute when he ran. "What?"

Syaoran reached them and stopped, catching his breath as he tried to explain his chain of thoughts. "The move card-it can’t move anything living! We just accepted that it had moved us there, but how could it? I mean, it can’t!"

Sakura took a couple seconds to realize what he was talking about. "Oh! Yes, you’re right! Well couldn’t another card have helped it do that, or..." She thought about her statement. Syaoran quickly summed her thoughts before she was able to.

"Well, I don’t know what card would give it that power. It’s almost like she-like the ghost thing-modified the cards when she used them. I don’t understand how-they can’t be changed, but maybe they can be modified."

Tomoyo nodded, joining into the conversation. She hated suggesting things when they were talking about magic, because she knew she had no clue, but sometimes you just have to rough it and talk. "Well, couldn’t she have just added more power to the spell? She would’ve used all of your power, Li-kun."

Syaoran nodded, finally getting a grip on his excited thoughts. "And that was why I was so especially tired. I was really tired then and-"

Sakura had to ask, she couldn’t help the perfect timing. "How are your cuts healing, anyway?"

Syaoran stopped talking abruptly, surprised at Sakura’s open concern. "O-okay, I guess."

Sakura smiled and nodded, trying not to be embaressed for asking such a question. It’s not like I asked him if he enjoyed staying with me, I was just voicing general normal friend concern, nothing to be ashamed of.

Tomoyo smiled at the silence that seemed so awkward. Meilin came running up at just the right time. "Sorry I took so long but some girls were asking if I liked Mark and of course I had to correct them so-"

"Oh no!" Sakura exclaimed, watching her brother’s car drive off towards their house. Their house so far, far away. Tomoyo saw the car and sighed. "Never count on Touya."

Meilin sighed and put her hands on her hips. "What now, Kinomoto? I can’t walk all the way over there, Syaoran and I have a busy schedule."

Meilin’s hostility against Sakura still needed time to turn into friendship. "Wellll....There’s always the bus. There’s one that comes by here, you guys rode on it a while ago, or at least Syaoran did, when he rode over to the barn. I think that bus goes two different routes, the other one would be ours."

Meilin frowned at some of the information in Sakura’s sentence. "Barn? Syaoran? What is she talking about?" She faced Syaoran for an answer.

Sakura gladly answered. "You know, the one where that hors-" Somehow Syaoran’s foot had managed to sneak out of Meilin’s glare to kick Sakura before she let out all of the information. Sakura stuttered for a coverup. "Where they grow horseradish. I think Tamakazi invited him over there, a long time back. You probably don’t even remember it, do you?" She paused, Meilin staring incredously between Sakura and Syaoran, Syaoran trying to bide by Sakura’s lamo story, Sakura nervously scratching her head, and Tomoyo, holding her smallest camera under her arm, undetected. She had, of course, caught Syaoran’s prompt kick before Sakura had finished the word ‘horse’. The silence was interrupted by the bus, making it’s debut as it roared down the street. Sakura hurriedly lead the way out of the school gates and over to the bus stop. They hopped up the steps and sat down in the empty front booths. Meilin made sure she sat next to Syaoran, of course.

The drive over was relatively silent, Sakura and Tomoyo talked about the basketball game and everything that had happened that day in school. Meilin was doodling on her hand with a loose pen that had fallen out of her bookbag. Syaoran sat looking out the window, wishing already he had never come.

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Sakura led the way up the huge stairs, a bit flattered by everyone’s amazement at the huge mysterious house. Sakura was itching to explore-she had finished cleaning, and it was bright out, but she gave her guests the first priority. The huge hall was broad enough that all four of them could walk side by side comfortably, and they could have easily fit two more in. Sakura led them into her room, big as it was, yet well furnished.

Meilin’s eyes widened as she saw her room and everything in it. "You have a canopy bed!" Meilin ran over and jumped on it, then landed flat on her back on the soft, large bed. Her little body looked lost among the layers of blankets and pillows.

Tomoyo was examining the veiw out Sakura’s window. "Sakura, did you know this is stained glass? Really expensive, you know?" Sakura ran over, surprised.

"I didn’t notice that! Wow, look all the edges of these windows are like that too!" Sakura pointed at the other windows. The veiw out the window looked over the courtyard of the ‘estate’, and looked upon the opposite side of the castle. It wasn’t much to look at, however, because alot of the castle was in ruins, it’s halls open to the sky, without ceiling. It was eerie and skeletan like, so Sakura defered her attention somewhere else. "Hey Li-san! Come look at what I’ve done with Bob!" Sakura said without looking up as she grabbed the large jar off the desk. When no one answered, she looked away from Bob.

Meilin was up now. "Where’d he go?" She shook her head. "My Syaoran, that’s just like him. Go exploring. Boys."

Sakura’s concern was broken by Kero as he fluttered out of Sakura’s personal bathroom. She hadn’t been brave enough to use it, yet, because it was rather drafty in her opinion, and she had been using the main one near the kitchen. Kero was flying laborously with a sponge in hand. "I heard your father say you were having guests, so here I was all day, laboring away in your bathroom, trying to get it ready for Tomoyo. Then I hear you say that kids name!? Why, why this injustice to me? Me the hard laborer?"

Sakura sighed. "Kero, there’s nothing wrong with him, it’s not like he has a disease or something."

Kero shook his head. "Need I remind you that kid tried to suffocate me only a few days ago!?"

Meilin’s ears perked up. "A few days ago? When did Syaoran see you Kero?"

Kero sighed, now breathing hard from tredding the air with his heavy weight. "You know, when he was gone from your school thingy. At the hotel Sakura and I were staying?"

Meilin’s eyes rose to a men’s size bowling ball. "Hotel? With Kinomoto? I’m sorry, say again?"

Sakura jumped into the conversation, realizing that Syaoran hadn’t yet told Meilin he had been gone for a whole week. She could see his reasoning, but it wasn’t fair to Meilin in her opinion, but now was not the time for judging. "The hotel I sent Bob the Bug to. When you were at the camping trip and we had to go home, I took Bob to a...a...bug peticure place, you know? Wings and Clip, something like that. Bob stayed a night, and Syaoran went to see him. I guess Kero and him got into a squabble or something." Sakura smiled sheepishly.

Meilin eyed Sakura for a long time. "Syaoran hates bugs." She said statingly. Sakura kept her smile for a while, and the silence in the room was screaming at them. Sakura finally walked over to her main door to look out the hall.

"Well he’s not out here." She said.

Tomoyo pointed at the scarlet velvet banister that had been pushed aside. The door handle was pertruding out from behind. "He might be in there."

Sakura nodded and walked over to the door, very scared to go down the broken steps, but seeing no other alternative. She twisted the handle and opened the door, preparing herself to go down the steps, when she was met by Syaoran who was on the other side of the door. His abrupt appearance startled Sakura and made her hop backwards. Syaoran looked at her a bit confused, then closed the door behind him.

The awkwardness in the room was already apparent to Syaoran. He could see Meilin was staring at him, her eyes demanding an answer to something. Sakura was calming herself down by gazing at Bob who was in the jar, and Tomoyo was leaning in the far wall of the room watching the whole scene, no doubtedly taping everything somehow. Syaoran glanced warily at Bob before moving. "When are we going to eat?" Practical question, I didn’t sound like I was dreading seeing her family again or anything. No big deal, just some food to keep us moving, that’s all. It’s not like I am talking to my future father-in-law. NO way! hahah Even Syaoran’s thoughts seemed to be betraying him these days.

Sakura couldn’t help but notice the flat tone in Syaoran’s voice. If he didn’t want to come he didn’t have to. He doesn’t have to be so rude about everything. "In a few minutes, I suppose." She answered with the same dullness. Syaoran nodded at her answer then leaned against the wall, obviously getting impatient for staying too still.

Meilin never took her eyes off Syaoran’s. "What ever hapened to the praying mantis I use to have? You remember that, Syaoran? That pretty bug I had, it sure was huge wasn’t it?" Syaoran nodded hesitantly. "I can’t remember what happened to that bug. Do you?" She asked Syaoran.

Syaoran avoided meeting both Sakura and Meilin’s eyes. "It must have slipped my memory." He muttered.

Meilin grinned slightly. "Oh, please, would you like me to refresh it for you?" Syaoran shook his head. "Oh don’t be modest, it’s my pleasure." Meilin turned to face Sakura. "We once had this huge praying mantis bug I had found outside. I named it Religious Bug, since it was always praying. So I kept it in a huge jar on top of our TV. This is, of course, back when we had a TV." Sakura looked at Meilin with interest.

"What happened to the TV?" Sakura asked.

"It met the wrong end of my sword-"Syaoran started.

"No matter! No, my friends, let me continue with the bug story. Syaoran was always telling me how much he hated seeing such a neat bug trapped in such confining living. Late one night I heard a sound outside my room. I peaked out to see, and I saw glass broken on the floor. Broken glass, the jar! I ran into the living room, only to see Syaoran blizting out because the bug had managed to crawl into his pantleg. He ran around till it fell out, which was an eternity, then,...then he SQUISHED it! A lump of green gooey mess in the middle of the floor, and that lump was...*sniff*...was my favorite pet, my Religious Bug!"

Sakura unconsciously pulled Bob’s jar protectively closer to her. She was a bit taken aback at Syaoran’s cruel behavior to the bug, but another part of her found the whole thing absolutely hysterical. Tomoyo had her hand covering her mouth, and it was hard to tell whether she was shocked, or whether she was laughing. The corner of Syaoran’s lips twitched upwards, though he pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. The story wouldn’t and shouldn’t have been funny, but Meilin’s melodramatic reenactment was enough to make the saddest story a bit humorous.

Meilin surveyed her audience and looked at them with disbeleif. "You people are SICK! That was one of the only times I doubted my feelings for Syaoran, and you are...you are laughing at it?" Meilin glared hotly at Sakura, who had forced her small smile down. "Kinomoto, I know you were lying, I know Syaoran didn’t go to a bug peticure shop- one because Syaoran hates bugs, and two because there IS NO SUCH THING! It’s been nice staying here, but Syaoran and I really must be going." Meilin grabbed Syaoran’s wrist and pulled him along behind her.

Sakura watched Meilin head into the hallway with disbeleif. "Meilin wait! I didn’t think your story was funny, I agree, I mean, Syaoran was very mean! He doesn’t like bugs, I don’t know why he came (Sakura is saying this refering to the Wing and Clip bug parlor). Please don’t go yet!" Sakura felt bad saying Syaoran was mean, she did not feel that way at all, but she didn’t want them to leave so...

Meilin paused and turned around. "Well, well, well. I wouldn’t exactly call Syaoran mean, but you and I have different opinions of him." She softened slightly, liking the justice of her words, though it was only one sided. "I guess, will you forgive me for storming out? I mean...I get really touchy about that subject so..."

Sakura smiled graciously. "It’s already in the past! Come on, I think supper is ready anyway, I can smell it." Sakura turned around in the doorway. "Come on, Tomoyo, you are gonna be the last person to get to eat!" Tomoyo smiled and ran after them.

Syaoran sat down, a bit sadened to see he was across from Sakura. Her words had definately left an impression in him. What did she mean- ‘I don’t know why he came?’ She didn’t want me to come in the first place? I am such a fool for not seeing that, of course she wouldn’t want me to come, I am just raining in on their little girl parade. Why did she call me mean? Just refering to the story? That’s not very fair, she’s normally not that quick to judge, and...and she didn’t disagree with Meilin. ‘Different opinions’, what is that supposed to mean? I have got to stop supposing Sakura likes me, I know she doesn’t, I have her words as proof. Why can’t I keep my old resolution? I promised myself I would stay her friend and nothing else. I am just helping out with the magic, then I will go back to Japan, with my family, and never worry about her again. She doesn’t want me to.

Tomoyo sat quietly next to Syaoran, amazed at how well he dealt with Sakura’s unintentionally hurting words. Poor Sakura, she is sometimes so innocent, she doesn’t realize how other people twist her words. Syaoran would normally be very angry with someone if they had said that, but he looks more worried than anything else. If those two wouldn’t be so dense sometimes. Sakura may seem niave, but Syaoran is the one who is blinded by his own hard and gaurded feelings. I am needed to intervene. I better keep my ears open for a good place.

Sakura’s father came in, followed by Uncle Guan. He smiled in welcome, but it was obvious he wasn’t too up to company in his health. The kids sympathized and smiled back, trying to stay on their best behavior for him. Touya came meandering into the room, chewing on a straw. Sakura glared at him. "You were supposed to bring us home. There we were, at the school gates, and we see your car driving away in the distance."

Touya shurgged and sat down, about as far away from Syaoran as he could possibly be. "Good for you little monsters to experiment with public transportation."

Uncle Guan smiled weakly at the other end of the table, then raised his arm. Chindra came in, her cat eyes and high held curls of hair in full swing as she placed the rolls on the counter. She walked around to the other side and set down salt and other spices, then left the room as abruptly as she had left. Only Sakura and Syaoran noticed the look Chindra had given to Syaoran. Sakura was dealing with jealousy, as Syaoran was trying not to feel flattered, he did not want to go crazy over some girl. Egyptian. I have never seen anyone now days that so closely resembles what the ancients use to look like. Syaoran remarked to himself.

Tomoyo and Meilin were both watching the girl with mild curiosity. Tomoyo couldn’t help but remark to herself how oddly perfect and even each of her curls were. They are all so consistant. Perms don’t give those ringlets, that must be natural. Amazing! I wish Sakura would let me put rollers in her hair, it would have the same type effect. Tomoyo failed to think that it would also look strange with Sakura’s hair being only shoulder length.

Chindra returned to the room and set down the main courses, then hurried out of the room. She didn’t return, so everyone ate their meals uninterrupted. Sakura’s dad began the conversation.

"Meilin, I have not seen you since you left for Hong Kong three years ago. Seems so long ago, doesn’t it? What made you come back to Japan?"

Meilin smiled and set down her fork from her half devoured Salami. "Yeah, it does seem a long time ago, to think of it. I came back because life was so boring in Hong Kong, and I missed all my friends in Japan." She paused, taking a sip of their tea. "By the way, this is delicious! What is it?"

Mr. Kinomoto smiled. "Once a busy life, always a busy life. This, I beleive, is Salami. Since when, Touya, did you learn to cook Italian so exstravegantly?"

Touya shrugged. "School."

Sakura jumped for an opportunity to tease her brother. "My big bad bro is taking home econ?"

Touya growled. "Required for graduation..." He grumbled.

Uncle Guan went into a coughing fit, diversing all attention to him. He sip his tea with his shaking hand, then set it down, calming his breathing. "Do excuse me." He brought his cup back up for one more drink. "Jolly good meat, Touya."

Tomoyo raised her eyebrows at his choice of words. "Jolly good?" She mouthed to Sakura.

Sakura leaned in and whispered. "Uncle Guan traveled alot. Every day he has a theme for his language. I guess today is U.K." Tomoyo giggled and went back to eating.

Sakura looked up from her food and unintentionally caught Syaoran’s eye. He looked away, obviously not thinking anything of it, but Sakura was a bit confused with what she saw. He is giving me the cold shoulder again. What did I do this time? I don’t deserve this! She was just about to say something to him when Meilin broke the thoughts.

"What’s for desert?" She set her fork down cheerfully.

Touya’s face lit up with pride. "Upside down pineapple cake." Meilin half smiled then looked back at her empty plate, apparently saddened by hearing the news.

Tomoyo leaned over. "My," She started, "I am allergic to pineapple." Sakura looked sympathetically at her.

"Well, you aren’t missing much. I find his cake rather disgusting, anyway." Sakura said quietly.

Touya had managed to hear. "What was that squirt?"

Sakura snapped to attention, stammering. "I, I, uh...I said the steak looked umm rather...robusting on my plate!" She tried to add a convincing smile.

Meilin looked at Sakura with disbeleif. "Robusting isn’t a word, and if it is, it shouldn’t be used to describe steak."

Touya shook his head. "Someday, little squirt, honesty’s going to get you into trouble."

Chindra broke the moment by arriving with the cake, which looked like a science expirement gone wrong. She started clearing the plates with one hand to make room. Meilin, oblivious to her presence, asked, "Do we get a tour of your house, Kinomoto? It seems like such a fun place to play games like hide and go seek and tag."

Sakura smiled sheepishly. "I can show you around what I know-"

Uncle Guan broke in. "Chindra, take these kids on a tour of the main hall and its facilities." Chindra nodded with revered obedience.

Touya frowned, looking offended. "What about my cake?"

She quickly left and reentered the room. When she came back, she had rid herself of the dishes and now was looking more lively than she had the last night Sakura was with her. "Follow me." Chindra said through her thick accent. They left Touya’s question unanswered; apparently none of them had been too thrilled with the look of desert.

Sakura, Meilin, Tomoyo, and Syaoran all got up from their chairs. They followed her into the main entrance room. Chindra stopped and turned around, facing them for the first time with level eyes. Her catlike eyes still caught Sakura off gaurd, but she found herself getting use to the girl quickly.

"Where would you like to go?" She asked.

Meilin was intrigued with the girl, though jealousy was creeping it’s way into her feelings as well. "What nationality are you?"

Chindra frowned and stared blankly at Meilin, as if not understanding the question.

Tomoyo smiled apathetically. "I guess she didn’t understand." She said after a while.

Sakura frowned, not realizing the girl did not understand fluent English. She tried rephrasing the question. "Where are you-"

"Egypt, isn’t it obvious?" Syaoran cut in, studying the girl closely. Chindra glared at him for his judging eyes, and a feirce glare it was.

"Egypt, I was born there." She said, keeping her glaring eyes on Syaoran, much like she had the previous day when Sakura had first seen her.

Sakura was a bit surprised with this information, her mysterious character all the more intriguing. Still, one fact hung in Sakura’s mind. "Did you understand Meilin? Do you understand English?"

Chindra nodded, finally stealing her eyes away from Syaoran to glare at Sakura. "Mostly. Some words I do not comprehend at the present. You said-national..." She looked at Meilin for the rest of the word.

"Nationality? You know, where you came from, what type-race or person you are. I am Chinese, you are Egyptian." Meilin finished.

Tomoyo watched Chindra with the greatest of amazement. The Egyptian culture had always fascinated her. She enjoyed talking with Sakura’s father about ancient artifacts, particularly the Egyptian ones, because their culture was so old and yet ahead of their time, with strong beleifs. "Did you live there most of you life?"

Chindra nodded, such a small and slight movement that it might have been missed had you not been looking for it, then walked over to another light switch, turning no lights to a hall that branched out of the main hall that Sakura hadn’t seen before. Suddenly Sakura recognized it, though it looked much different since she had last seen it. Yesterday she made us walk with torches, I could hardly see where I was going, why didn’t she turn the light on?

They followed Chindra as she led them through a few narrow hallways, then stopped when she did. The narrow hallway ended at a T, where two wide hallways moved to each side into the last rays of the setting sun. The stone windows carved along the walls made the halls look like something from a fantasy. Tomoyo gasped as she looked at the rough stone walls hilighted with the brilliant orange rays of sunlight. The ground was stone, but another red plush carpet ran along the middle of the hall. Chindra gazed at the halls, seeming to be tranced as well by it’s beauty, then spoke.

"These halls are last that have electricty. A portion of the house is without light." She looked left down the hall, then right. "To go left is to go to the pool, to the right is the....is the..." She paused, trying to think of the words. "The shrine." She said at last, her accent making it sound more like ‘de rhine’.

Tomoyo was looking to the left with great interest. "A pool? A swimming pool?"

Chindra frowned, not quite sure of a word in Tomoyo’s sentence. "Swimming?" (more like ‘swimmy’).

Tomoyo smiled. "Yes, you know, swimming? Playing in water?"
Chindra hesitantly nodded. "Yes, play in water. Come." She started walking, not looking back to see if they followed or not.

Sakura followed her, amazed at the beauty in this house. She looked up at the window which was just over her head, but could see only the pink sky. The sun had appeared to have set, and now the remaining glow was all that lit the hall. Sakura instinctivly moved closer to the rest of them, not wanting to be left behind in the increasing dark.

The hall bent around, it’s carpet following it precisely, then showed it’s end at a large wooden door. Chindra did not hesistate but pushed the door open, a musty smell coming off it as much of the house smelled from old age. Sakura’s eyes widened as she looked upon the ‘pool’.

Tomoyo shook her head. "This is not a swimming pool. What a shame. It is pretty, though"

They were looking upon a small contained river, one that went horizontally, east to west, much like the Nile. It wasn’t really quite the size of a river, but more of a rushing stream. Sakura couldn’t help but think of how it reminded her of the stream that was in the cave, the cave they had gone spelunking for a class trip. The difference was, the stream went under the walls of the room, and it had safe stepping stones to cross it. Across the stream the room widened, with benches and seats to look onto the stream. A skylight, more of a hole cut into the ceiling, allowed the only light to come into the room, light from the sky.

Chindra gazed at it, then crossed the stream effortlessly, her barefeet gripping well on the slick stone. Tomoyo and Sakura took more time to ensure their safe trip, and Meiln and Syaoran had no difficulty crossing. Sakura couldn’t help but feel a bit lonely from the isolation Syaoran was giving her. She found it difficult to be near him and not acknowledge him as she longed to do. But to do that might mean admitting her feelings, and was she sure of how she felt?

Syaoran was looking around with the greatest of interest, though his face might not of shown it. He found the house amazing from every aspect, and he wasn’t quite sure how it could be real. He knew Sakura would be an easier target now with this large old house, a ghost would thrive in such atmosphere. Another thing that bugged him was that now he no longer could easily sprint to her house. Now he would have to sit in the bus for five minutes just to get there. If only he had a fly card of his own. I wonder if I got my powers up, if I’d be able to use wind to move me far distances? It’s a plausible thought, but my powers are no where near ready and...Why does that ghost have to be up to so much trouble? I cannot ever live peacefully. But then,...if the ghost hadn’t started this trouble, I might not have gotten friends with Sakura after so long, and I probably would have given up and went back...

"This hall connects to the other hall here." Chindra walked out of the room through a small passageway, where the passage opened into an identical red carpeted hallway. The only difference was this hallway was now dim and more eerie looking now that the orange rays of sunlight had left the walls.

They followed her along the hallway. Tomoyo was now walking next to Meilin, and Syaoran had no choice but to walk beside Sakura in the back. He knew she was waiting for him to say something, say anything, about the house. "If she got a hold of the water card, she could use that to floor your house."

Sakura was obviously a bit disturbed that that was the only comment he could come up with. "I don’t like this house. It’s gorgeous, really it is, but it’s too big, too dark, too old, too..."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. If I were you and I were afraid of ghosts I’d probably-" Syaoran stopped his sentence, seeing Sakura was glaring at him. "I mean, um...sorry, I was just pointing out, I agree with you."

Sakura sighed and nodded. They stopped at the end of that hall, where Chindra was opening another door. Sakura went back to their conversation, not wanting it to end. "I am so scared to fall asleep, it is so dark and...and my room has that one door, I don’t like it at all! You went down it, what did you see?"

Syaoran shrugged. "It was just a old storage dump, bunch of stuff for everything." He paused, lowering his voice. "You lock those doors, right, just to be safe? I mean, I’m sure nothing would happen, but it’s better safe than sorry..."

Sakura nodded. She followed them into a smaller room, two walls on either side in stained glass, following the same pattern that the windows in Sakura’s room had followed. A large cross was the center of attention for the room, with a small pew in front of it. Chindra gazed at the cross for a while before speaking.

"Uncle beleieves in God strongly. He is a strong man. He prays every day." She looked at her audience to make sure they were listening before going on. "He says he is not scared of death. He says life will be better afterwards." She fixed her eyes back on the cross. She quietly motioned for them to leave, followed them out, then gently shut the door behind her. The hall was now almost completely dark, and Sakura had a hard time not being afraid. She instinctively moved close to the rest of them.

Syaoran couldn’t help but smother a smile as they walked into the hall, because he had immediatly noticed how close Sakura had come to his side. He knew she didn’t notice that she was doing so, or even that she was next to Syaoran instead of Tomoyo or Meilin. Still, since he was as observant as he was, he had noticed. The hall was very dark, he would admit, but he knew it was a straight away that was impossible to be lost in, so he followed it willingly. They reached the narrow hallway that shone light into one side of the wall. Chindra walked in and turned, waiting for them to get ahead of her.

"We are just going back. That’s about it." She said.

Sakura was calmed to see electrical light again. "But what about where you went the other night, we went through a bunch of places then. Remember, when we went to get a clock?"

Chindra didn’t slow to answer the question. "It’s just a bunch of halls. Nothing umm...er...nothing embaressing."

Tomoyo giggled. "You mean ‘interesting’ ?"

Chindra sighed impatiently. "Yes. Interesting." The way she said ‘interesting’ still sounded like ‘embaressing’, but no one said anything. They reached the main hall again. The large entrance doors that led outside to their right, the stairs to their left, and the kitchen straigh ahead. Sakura could hear Uncle Guan and Touya speaking.

Chindra shuffled her feet impatiently. "Are you finished then?"

Sakura found that a strange question, because they should be asking her that. "I guess. Thank you."

Chindra tossed her hair back and nodded, half politely and half arrogantly, as she walked into the kitchen. Sakura watched her leave, then looked upon the guests she now had to entertain herself. She knew she would have to come up with something to do or else Syaoran was sure to leave, and she did not want him to just yet.

"Well we can look around upstairs. I looked around there the other night, when we first got there. There is a huge open room, it looks perfect for a gymnastic floor." Sakura trotted up the stairs. They walked along the lit broad hallway until it ended. It was a rather long hallway, with lots of rooms on each side. Meilin took interest in all the doors.

"What’s in all these rooms?" Meilin asked.

Sakura shook her head. "I am not sure what all of them are for. Some of them have boxes and extra furniture. A couple are for guest rooms, and there are a few other furnished rooms for other people that use to live here. I think Chindra lives somewhere downstairs, maybe even the basement. I am not sure, it was like a third floor, level with the ground. There are a bunch of boarded doors down there, and it’s really drafty, I think that’s the part where some of the stone has fallen down. It must be really old." Sakura finally reached the end of the hallway, and opened the door to her left with some trouble, the old doors had been closed for a long time. The room was huge, it had an open wood floor, and several mirrors ran along each wall. Syaoran seemed to glow when he looked around at it.

"It’s a dojo!" He exclaimed, running into the dark room happily. The walls were stone as the rest of the house, though the floor was the good condition wood.

Tomoyo frowned. "A what?"

Meilin sighed with frustration, though she had no need to do so. "A dojo, don’t you know what a dojo is? You know, a room for karate?"

Sakura smiled sheepishly. "Oh, I thought it was for dance. Silly me. I am sure I can still play in it though, no one else is using it." Sakura paused in thought. "All though, I think I heard my dad say Uncle Guan was really good at Tai Chi. Maybe that’s what it was for."

Syaoran had to hold back the urge to kick and go into catas(fighting stanses). "It’s really nice, you should try and keep it better, though." Syaoran swept the mirror with his finger, and a line of clean glass glowed from underneath. He had to grit his teeth to keep from asking if he could come and play in it sometime.

Meilin was looking around in wonder. "I want to come and spar in it sometime! OO let’s fight right now Syaoran! Come on!" Meilin danced around.

Syaoran shook his head and glared at her. "Not now, Meilin! Fight yourself!"

Meilin pouted, and walked back to the doorway. "You could have a killer party here, Kinomoto! Think of it!" She moved over and leaned on Syaoran dreamily. He shoved her off and walked into the doorway, looking down the long hall.

"We’d better get going, Meilin." He said bluntly, seeming to be too bored to stay.

Meilin nodded. "Yeah, I was thinking that a long time ago. Well, nice house, Kinomoto, thanks for having us."

They walked down the hall without another word. Sakura sighed at their abrupt exit, but figured nothing could be done to help it. Sakura closed the door to the large room and faced Tomoyo. "Meilin can be so...so..."

Tomoyo smiled kindly. "She’s just jealous of you, Sakura."

"Of what?" Sakura asked in return.

Tomoyo smiled once more, her scheming, you-are-so-naive-but-it’s-funny look. "I think she’s afraid you are going to take Syaoran away from her."

Sakura laughed nervously. "W-why would she think that?" She gathered her pride and brushed the statement aside. "I wouldn’t want to take Syaoran away from her, he could marry her for all I care." She knew the sentence was harsh, but she had to deny Tomoyo with all she had. Tomoyo had hit a sore point, she couldn’t imagine being as honest about her feelings as Tomoyo was.

Tomoyo smiled and began walking down the large hall, towards Sakura’s room. "I want to talk to Kero before I leave. Did you get him anything to eat?"

Sakura sighed. "No, and I better not come back empty handed. I’ll go down to the kitchen, you can go in my room." Sakura jogged down the stairs into the kitchen. Chindra was in the sculvery scrubbing at a pan, and the rest of Sakura’s family had moved in next to a fire in the study, which was linked to the dining room. Sakura grabbed a peice of Touya’s cake and put it on a small plate, then grabbed some of the cold salami that was still sitting out. She rushed passed Chindra and hurried up the stairs. Chindra watched her suspiciously as she smuggled the cold food away.

Sakura got to her room and pulled the door shut, then set the foor items in front of Kero. "Here ya go, be thankful I got it before it was thrown away!"

Kero poked at the cold meat. He pushed it aside and began devouring the oversized peice of cake, somehow enduring the taste. Tomoyo watched him smiling. "Kero, you better be careful of you will choke yourself, and you won’t be able to eat." Kero disregarded her and continued wolfing it down. "Your house is really cool, Sakura! That stream was so pretty! How long are you going to stay here?"

Sakura shook her head. "I’m not sure. I know it’s neat and all, but I get freaked out. I think it’s a bit scary, don’t you? We are staying here as long as Uncle Guan is sick."

Tomoyo nodded. "Well Sakura, you shouldn’t be all that frightened. Just remember Kero is always here protecting you-" she cast a sideglance at Kero, who was not looking very heroic at the moment "-who could transform into Keroberus whenever you needed him, and Touya and your father are right outside the hall." Tomoyo sighed. "I’d just love to get some footage of the house." Tomoyo, of course, had taped the short tour Chindra had given them, but she wanted some action, some cardcaptor stuff to go on, some Sakura and Syaoran stuff.

When Kero finished eating, he and Tomoyo chatted over some TV show Sakura didn’t recall ever watching, so she listened quietly while gazing at Bob the Bug. Syaoran wouldn’t squish him. Syaoran found him in the first place. Tomoyo was laying across the bed, staring up at the canopy. Kero was now fluttering around the room looking for something. Sakura sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. Life is so boring. Sakura checked what she was thinking. Then again, life is about the strangest it could ever be, I should not complain about boredom. Still, I get so used to fighting and capturing cards that when nothing happens for a while, I get bored so easily. Well at least...at least I have a huge house to play in. Still,...Sakura felt lonely, though Tomoyo and Kero sat around her. I saw Syaoran today in a completly magic-unrelated environment. Shouldn’t I be happy, doesn’t this help prove or disprove my theory ‘we are only friends because we both use magic’? But I hardly talked to him, and Meilin was being so annoying and interrupting, and...Sakura yawned and glanced at the clock. It wasn’t that late, only about eight in the evening, but Sakura felt exhausted.

Tomoyo sat up and glanced at the clock. "I had better get going soon. Do you have a phone I can use?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, I should. I asked my dad to put one in my room today while I was at school." Sakura glanced around and spotted the phone on the corner of her desk. "Here it is."

Tomoyo picked up the phone and quickly dialed to her house. She asked her mom to come pick her up, then covered the phone with her hand. "She needs directions." Sakura nodded and took the phone from Tomoyo. She quickly gave the easiest directions she knew, then hung up the phone.

"She’ll probably be ten minutes. We can go downstairs and wait." Sakura opened the door and walked out to the hallway. It was warmer outside of her room, which seemed to stay a steady temperature of cold.

Sakura walked absent mindedly down the stairs, noticing for the first time she was beginning to get use to her surroundings. Seeing the house with people I know helps me adjust, I think. I can’t get too comfortable, though, who knows how long I will be staying here.

They waited only a few minutes in front of the fire with Touya and Uncle Guan before they heard Tomoyo’s mother coming into the long gravel driveway. Sakura walked Tomoyo to the door and watched her leave, then felt the true feeling of loneliness set in. The other nights had not seemed so empty as this one did, and Sakura had a bad feeling about it. She decided to go up to see Kero as Tomoyo had suggested.

She tried to ignore the paintings that hung along the wall of the hallway, though she could feel the paintings’ lifeless eyes on her as she passed. She increased her walking speed and hurried into her room, quickly flicking on the light switch. Kero was lounging on one of the pillows on her bed, reading a nintendo magazine by candlelight.

"Kero, I’m scared. I think I might sense something."

Kero reluctantly took his attention off his reading. "What do you mean ‘I think I might sense something’? Do you or don’t you, it’s as simple as that. Just don’t get your magic sense mixed up with your feelings."

Sakura nodded. "Maybe I’m just a bit jumpy tonight, I guess." She didn’t like the advice Kero was giving her. So much for comfort. I might as well go to sleep and get up early in the morning. Maybe I can go see the indoor stream before I go to school. "I am going to go to bed, Kero. Blow out your candle when you are done."

Kero nodded. "Okey dokey. Sweet dreams."

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Syaoran awoke sitting upright in his bed. Had he sense something? Was it a dream? He was not sure. I could call Sakura just to make sure everything is alright. Wait, no I can’t. She is not at her normal home. Syaoran’s memory began fight through his sleepy disorientation. Syaoran closed his eyes and concentrated. If it is magic, it is exstremly weak. It’s probably just my imagination. Syaoran swung his legs over the side of his bed and gently stood on the floor. He crept his way to his door, left the room, and headed for the main room of the apartment.

Syaoran quietly poured a cup of water, then sat on the couch, thinking in the dark. He glanced out the window, but the sky was cloudy, and no stars could be seen. He leaned back and drank the cold water, then, ignoring his bad feeling, went over and set his empty cup on the counter and headed back to his room. He could hear Meilin in her room rustling around in her bed, so he was extra careful not to make a noise. He laid back down on his bed and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes.

I took for granted she lived so close. Now I can’t walked over if I sense something. I hope she’s alright. Syaoran’s thoughts were interrupted with sleep, and he worried no more as he almost immediatly fell into deep slumber.

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Sakura slowly opened her eyes. Something in the back of her mind was wrong, but she couldn’t place her finger on it. She opened her eyes and saw her dark room. She glanced at the clock only to see it was midnight. Kero was fast asleep in his little droor, so Sakura immediatly felt the loss of company. She closed her eyes to go back to sleep, when another sound startled her.

A scratch noise. Sakura immediatly pulled her covers tight to her and opened her eyes, looking frantically around the room. The sound had caused a terrifying memory to reappear. She felt the same fear she had felt the night her window had broken in her old room, when she had passed out. Sakura tried to calm herself and fall asleep while she still could, before she was wide awake. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to sleep, but only felt all the more awake for it.

The horrible dragging noise sounded again. Sakura was more awake this time to hear it, which made it all the more frightening. The sound was coming from...Sakura stared with horror at the door behind the scarlet curtain. She was sure it was coming from in there. Sakura looked to her sides, feeling watched from all directions. She was too scared to call Kero, she was too frightened to make a sound. She could only stare at the door with a horrific fear of the unknown.

A few minutes passed by, no noise interrupted the screaming silence that had settled in the room. Sakura had not moved any part of her body, fearing the noise of moving curtains would attract her fear. She finally was getting a grip on herself. She sank deeper into her bed and shut her eyes for the first time that seemed like eternity. She had held them open expectantly for so long that they had become dry and blurred.

A close banging and clashing sound sent Sakura almost to the edge of her fear. An empty laugh followed it, echoing it’s way up the narrow stone steps and out the door hidden behind the velvet curtains. Sakura longed to pass out, to forget completly the sound of that dull, cold laugh that had so imprinted itself in her mind. The sound had stopped outside, but it continued to ring in Sakura’s ears, driving her mad. She shook with fear beneath her covers, then in one swift motion pulled the covers over her head, trying to block out the room around her. She hid beneath this collapsible fortress for a good hour, until, shaken with exhaustion the uptight fear had caused her, she fell into a restless sleep.

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Dawn woke with Sakura. She shot nervous glances at the door for a while, before planting her feet onto the rug next to the bed. Most of the room’s floor was smooth stone, though the large gymnastic one was floored with wood. Sakura shivered, the room was about as cold as it was outside, she guessed. She grabbed a sweatshirt from a hanger in his temporary closet and pulled it over her head, then searched around for her slippers. She snuck a peak at Kero, who was still sleeping peacefully. Sakura couldn’t help but feel stupid for being so scared of a silly door. The door looked so harmless in the sunlight.

Still, her thoughts lingered on the laugh. She was sure she had heard it, possibly Touya or her father heard it? It probably wasn’t a big deal, maybe just something had fallen and squeaked like a laugh. No matter how many times Sakura tried to think up other logical explinations for the laughing, none seemed to fit, because deep down she was sure it was someone laughing.

Sakura hurried out of her room, not wanting to think about it any longer, and was pleased to find it a bit warmer in the hallway. She trotted down the stairs and looked about the main room, which was still a bit dim because of the limitied rising sunlight. She walked into the kitchen, only to find her father sitting alone at the table, quickly eating some eggs, looking ready to go.

"Are you going to work early, father?" Sakura asked, helping herself to a portion of scrambled eggs.

Her father smiled. "I was hoping you would be up early, I was just about to go up and consult you. Do you remember how your brother was going to visit a few colleges this week, and would be gone for several nights?"

Sakura nodded after some hesitance. "Yeah, I remember. Is he going today?"
Her father nodded. "Yes, but there is a bit of a problem. The University wants me to go to Tokyo to give a speech. I’d be gone a few nights also. Now I know babysitters are a pain, and I know you are older now, but I am not sure if you would want to stay here with just Uncle Guan. It might be a little strange. If you want me to, I am sure either myself or Touya can figure something out."

Sakura shook her head. "No, no, go ahead, this is a really big thing for you, no? I’m sure I’ll be fine." Sakura’s voice couldn’t help but waver slightly at her last few words. Will I be fine? Maybe a babysitter isn’t such a bad idea. Then again, I wouldn’t be able to use any magic around them so...I need to fight my fear! Syaoran would call me a wuss if I told my father to his face I was too afraid for him to leave me by myself.

Her father eyed her carefully. "Are you sure, now? Really, it wouldn’t be a big deal if one of us stayed-"

"No, I will be fine, really." Sakura added her biggest smile.

Her father smiled in return. "That is good, Sakura, I am sure I wouldn’t have been able to find a baby sitter this late. Besides, Uncle Guan will be around if you really need him, and I am sure that, what is her name...uh Chindra! I am sure she will be around too. I left some money taped to your door for food if you would like to order. It will only be three days before Touya comes back, I will be gone for about five." Her father stood up and set his empty cup of coffee down on the table. "I really should be leaving soon. How about a goodbye hug before I get going?"

Sakura nodded and hugged him, trying to fight away her fear derived impulse to ask him to stay. "Have fun!"

Her father smiled and walked out of the kitchen, heading for a suitcase Sakura hadn’t noticed when she had walked into the main room. "I will see you in a week then. I’ll call every night!"

Sakura sweat dropped and waved as he left the big door. When she heard the door click, her smile immediatly dropped into a panicked frown. I can’t sleep alone in this house! Uncle Guan’s room is on the main floor next to the den, and Chindra’s apartment is like in the basement! Sakura tried to force some bravery into her system. Well Kero is with me, and I’ll keep a phone next to me just in case.

Sakura sighed and went into the kitchen, returning to her now-cold scrambled eggs. She looked at the clock and sighed once more, realizing she still had another two hours before school. She decided to take a while getting ready for school, and fought her boredom by using her portable curling iron in attempt for some "pretty" curls. Her hair was more of a failure than anything, but Sakura didn’t feel like washing it out, so she pulled the curls back with a clip and walked away from the mirror, feeling satisfied with the feeling of hair off her neck.

She managed to waste away an hour doing this, but still had an hour left. She decided she would walk to school, so she told Touya, said bye and hope he had a good time looking at colleges, and grabbed her thickest coat, a wool lined suede jacket her father had boughten her for Christmas last year, and set outside. The cold felt bad at first on Sakura’s stiffening joints, but she quickly grew fond of the feeling of her cold face with her warm body. She pushed her hands into her pockets and quickly brought them back out, happily seeing several coins of money. Sakura walked more briskly down the long driveway, finally reaching the road. She figured there must be a breakfeast shop somewhere from here to school, so she kept an eye out for one.

Her directions were a bit rusty, because the roads looked different on foot than in a car, but the first part was following the same country road. A few houses were set in the woods along the road, but for the most part the road was desolate.

Sakura finally reached a higher traffic road, one with a sidewalk, and turned left onto it. Shops were all along this road, so Sakura was sure she could find something or somewhere to go. I’m not really hungry. Sakura remarked to herself. I already ate eggs. Still, I feel like getting a drink. Maybe some hot chocolate or something, I need to do something before I go to school, I’d get there too early if I went straight there. Sakura looked into the windows of the shops, most of them just opening. It was only about seven thirty in the morning.

Sakura watched her breath turn visible in puffs as it left her mouth. She enoyed the cold around her, glad that she had such a nice coat to keep her warm. Sakura watched her reflection in the window next to her, a bit surprised with herself. She looked a bit older, somehow, now that she could catch her full figure in the glass. Her coat looked very becoming, and her hair, messy as it was, looked rather complimentary. Sakura tried not to think vainly, but rather found it a pleasant surprise. I look so independent! Look at me, 13 year old girl walking by herself in the cold morning to get a drink, with her cool coat and cool hair! If only I could feel this brave by myself all of the time. Sakura normally wasn’t such a solitary person, but she was enjoying her own company this morning. Maybe I should walk to school more, I would get too lazy riding with Touya, anyway.

Sakura was happy to see a small shop open, a grocery store. Fair enough, I am sure they’ll have something to drink there. Sakura walked into the store, her walk keeping it’s bouncy cheer. Sakura smiled at the clerk, who looked tired behind his counter. The other checkout aisle was closed; there was no need for it this early in the morning, customers were rare. Sakura wondered around to the drinks. She was happy to see a coffee machine sitting next to the refridgerated drinks. Sakura grabbed a cup and stepped back to see the different drinks that she could get.

Cappuccino. That’s what I got with Syaoran when we were in Indiana. Sakura’s memory showed her different images she remembered. She had not thought about their trip to the States for a while, she had almost forgotten they had gone. Then her mind went to one other irritating question. He never answered me. Would he leave me or wouldn’t he? I guess the question wasn’t important enough for him to answer. This thought dimmed Sakura’s cheery mood momentarily. Why should I dwell on that? He did many things for me, how can I forget? He let himself get slashed in the stomach! This thought made up for the other one.

Well I don’t really feel like any caffine. This machine has hot chocolate, too. That’s what I want. Sakura set the cup under the machine and pressed the button, filling her cup to maximum containment before turning it off. She grabbed a cover and set it on the cup, then walked her way over to the cash register. The clerk made an attempt to smile, but his sleepy eyes made it impossible. Sakura paid for the drink, thanked the clerk, then walked out of the store, welcoming the cold onto her now flushed cheeks. Being in the heat of the store with her jacket on made her very hot. She quickly became reaccustomed to the cold, and began sipping on the hot chocolate. It was warm as it fell down her throat, and seemed to warm her body to the perfect temperature. She reached the end of the square of store, and looked at the two directions she could go. To go right would be towards school, but she still had a good twenty five minutes left.

Sakura thought about this while standing on the corner of the street. I could go to Penguin Park and drink my hot chocolate on the swings. Sakura liked this idea, so she went left down the road, already seeing the park from a distance. The woods surrounding the park went along the road, though this street was much more urbanized than the one Uncle’s Guan’s house was.

Sakura reached the entrance to the park and walked in, happy to see no one else was there. She walked over to the swings and sat down, drinking her hot chocolate more easily now that it had cooled down. Sakura fidgeted at her jacket as she sat, pulling it straight. She quieted herself and listened to the outside sounds around her. There were not many birds in the cold weather now, though several were still there, toughing it. Sakura could hear the rustling dead leaves on a few of the trees. The cold wind whipped Sakura’s bangs and short hair around her face. She shook it away and watched the trees as they stood bare in the wind. Another sound caught Sakura’s attention. Footsteps were coming along the sidewalk outside the park, but Sakura could not see the person because the woods blocked her veiw.

The person came into sight, and Sakura was surprised to see. "Syaoran!" She called pleasantly from her swing, waving with her free hand.

Syaoran froze in his step and saw Sakura, waving at him from the nearby swings. He frowned to himself, wondering how he was going to train now that she was here. He walked reluctantly over to where she was sitting, having some trouble because he still had his sword hidden beneath his coat and it made walking a chore without revealing it.

Syaoran reached Sakura and sat down on the swing next to her, his sword’s end sticking out from underneath his coat. He drew his eyes up and looked at her, a bit surprised at how nice she looked, even at the cold and early morning. Her hair is different or something, it’s looks really nic-

"I didn’t know you came here in the morning, too? I got up very early, so I just figured I’d waste time here before school."

Syaoran nodded. "Yeah, I come here alot." To train by myself. He added silently.

Sakura leaned back in her swing and looked at the trees. "I was watching the leaves on the tree over there. It’s really peaceful. Sorry, I know that sounds really dumb."

Syaoran shook his head. "No, I understand." He said quietly.

Sakura stayed quiet for a while, watching the trees. Syaoran watched her with the corner of his eye, nervous from the heavy silence that fell now that they were both alone. He was about to tell her he had to leave when she spoke again.

"Can I tell you something? You have to promise not to laugh, it’s kind of stupid of me to say but..."

Syaoran was a bit surprised with her open honesty, and was curious of what she was going to say. I hope this is nothing about me...I won’t know what to say back. "Yes, I promise."

Sakura sighed and drew her eyes down from the tree. "Last night I heard noises coming from the stairs that are in my room. You know, the ones you went down?"

Syaoran nodded. "Like what kind?"

"Maybe it was my imagination but..." It would be so easy for him to make fun of me, to brush it off and say ‘you were imagining it. Stop being such a scaredy cat’. Sakura forced her eyes up and met his, he looked earnest in his listening, and his eyes questioned her hesitancy. Sakura forced herself to go on, trying to trust him. "Well, it was like the sword-dragging noise. Then there was a loud bang, it sounded pretty close by, and then...then something laughed. It wasn’t like a good laugh or anything, it was really scary." Sakura halfsmiled, trying to look as unsure about the thing as she could.

Syaoran didn’t seem to find it funny, to Sakura’s releif. "Well did you sense anything? I mean, if it was the ghost, you should’ve felt something."

Sakura nodded silently. "Well, I think I felt something, but I was so tired and..."

"And you were so scared, you couldn’t concentrate?" Syaoran finished for her, seeming more concerned than annoyed.

Sakura nodded. "I tried to be brave, but it was such a horrible noise, and I remembered what happened the last times I saw the ghost, so...I know I should be braver, I am a card mistress for goodness sakes, but I was so scared, and everyone was asleep, even Kero!..." Sakura said, all of this in a quick breath. She couldn’t help but feel surprised at his understanding.

Syaoran nodded and stayed silent for a while. "Well, tommorrow night, try to keep Kero awake with you. If it is the ghost, Kero should be able to sense it. Besides, remember you can wake your father up if something tries to hurt you." Syaoran wanted to say ‘you can call me if it tries to hurt you’, but for one, his courage wasn’t high enough, and for two, even if she did call him, he would never be able to run there in time. This thought annoyed him for the second time, as much as he didn’t want to admit it to himself, he hated having her so far away.

Sakura couldn’t help but feel the cruel irony in his words. Too bad my dad won’t be home. "My father and brother are going to be gone for the next few days." She said dully.

Syaoran raised his eyebrows. "You mean you will be alone in that house-at night?"

Sakura nodded sadly. "Well-maybe not completly alone. Uncle Guan is still there, and Chindra will be there also. Don’t forget Kero."

Syaoran shook his head. "What are you going to do if the ghost decides to show up!? You can’t be that ungaurded! Can’t you stay at Tomoyo’s or something?"

Sakura brightened at his idea. "I never thought of that! That’s a great idea, I will ask her at school. I am sure I would be able to!"

Syaoran nodded. "I hope so." Syaoran wanted to take back the deeply concerned words the moment they slipped out of his mouth.

Sakura hid her surprised feelings at Syaoran’s words. He must be really concerned! That’s odd, I never thought he was that much of a worrying person. Well, people prove you wrong every day, I guess.

Sakura glanced at her watch. They still had another ten minutes before they could leave. "So why did you come here, anyway?"

Syaoran grinned crookedly. He pulled his sword out from under his coat. Sakura widened her eyes. "Oh! You use that here?"

Syaoran nodded. "Sometimes I train in the woods."

Sakura frowned, another thought arriving in her mind. "How do you have the sword? I mean, if the ghost had your sword, how do you have it also?"

Syaoran shook his head. "I never thought about that. Maybe...Maybe the twin card copied it? I know that I had the sword at home every time the ghost had it, once, when I came back, Meilin had been using it when I was gone and wrecked some extra mattresses we had and-." He stopped himself, suddenly remembering the previous night when he had been trying not to wake Meilin, he had woken up with a sense of something. So I was right! Something did happen. My magic hasn’t completly gone out the door, I can still sense stuff every now and then. Syaoran decided it wouldn’t matter if he told this fact to Sakura, it would just make her ask why he did’t call and check in on her.

Sakura waited for Syaoran’s story to finish, but it never did. "And...?"

Syaoran snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh? Oh. nevermind." He shivered through his black jacket as another cold wind went through, blowing his hair around. He looked towards the woods longingly, wanting to get some training in before school. He remembered he had come mainly to get a coat he had left behind the previous morning. He had been so late to school, he had taken off at a run and left it behind.

Sakura could read his thoughts, and felt badly for keeping him behind. I would love to watch him, but I am sure he would get annoyed at that. Maybe it’d be best if I just let him go his way?

"I gotta go get some stuff I left yesterday out in the woods." Syaoran said, getting up from the swing.

Sakura nodded and looked up at him. Syaoran fought between mixed feelings and then added very quickly, "You can come if you want." Syaoran could have kicked himself for saying that, but now that he had offered, he had to wait for an answer.

Sakura got up from her swing and smiled. "Alright, we’d better hurry, though. We’ve got six minutes to get from here to school."

Syaoran nodded and started walking his way into the woods, following the same path he followed many morning before. Sakura walked a ways beside him, looking at the pretty scenery. "You and Mark sure played hard against each other yesterday."

Syaoran nodded. "Yeah."

"I can’t beleive he would hit Meilin, though, he can be a very sore loser sometimes." Sakura said, carefully checking her words as she spoke around the sensitive subject.

"He’s a jerk that’ll do whatever he has to to get what he wants." Syaoran said, casting a sideglance at Sakura to make sure she had heard his small amount of advice.

Sakura nodded but did not say anything for a while. They reached the spot and Syaoran quickly spotted his coat. It was his nicer coat, it would keep him much warmer than the one he had on. He put it on over his jacket and turned, ready to go. Sakura was staring at a tree to their side.

"Did you do this?" Sakura pointed to a spot in the tree where several deep slashmarks hacked away almost to the center of the tree.

Syaoran smiled shyly and scratched his head. "Yeah."

Sakura shook her head as they kept walking. "Your fighting training is really important to you, isn’t it?"

Syaoran chose his words wisely before answering. "It’s very useful fighting against the ghosts and protecting...people."

Sakura nodded, wondering what the pause in his sentence was for. Protecting me? Was that what he was going to say? Sakura blushed slightly, but quickly retained herself. She glance at her watch and half gasped. "Three minutes! We better run!" Syaoran nodded and started jogging next to her.

They broke out of the woods and stopped momentarily for Syaoran to grab his bookbag from the swingset, then continued sprinting towards the school. They reached it within their time limit, luckily. Syaoran shoved his sword quickly into his large gym bag before entering the school gates. He entered the school walking next to Sakura, only to be quickly reprimanded by Meilin.

"Li Syaoran! This has got to be the tenth time you go running off at dawn! Why can’t we just walk to school together like normal people!?" She noticed Sakura. "Oh, I see, you decided to walk with Kinomoto instead. Well, that’s fine, if you want to go out with a lower class girl, that’s just fine with me." Meilin stalked off, leaving Sakura a bit bewildered and angry.

Syaoran shook his head. "Ignore her, she has been in a bad mood since I told her last night I couldn’t stand her Ramen-that I had been spitting it out in a napkin for years."

Sakura smiled. "I admire you for staying with her all this time."

Syaoran shook his head and walked to his locker, dodging some giggling younger middle school girls huddled to the side of the hall. Sakura watched him walk for a moment before snapping herself to attention and going to her own locker. She looked around for Tomoyo as she shoved her bookbag into her locker, but was too distracted to give the hall a thorough search. She grabbed her books and set off to her first class.

She sat down in her assigned seat and saw Tomoyo’s desk empty. Sakura sighed inwardly, hoping she’d hurry and get there before school started. She watched all the students come in and sit down, each sitting in their own groups, talking and laughing. It seemed the large groups of friends were now more isolated into different classes. When Tomoyo was absent, Sakura didn’t have very many people to talk to openly. They were all ‘friends’, but not true friends.

Syaoran and Meilin entered the class just before the bell rang, but Tomoyo was still not there. Syaoran was sitting to Sakura’s far right, but he looked over, noticing Tomoyo’s absense as well. Sakura shrugged at Syaoran. "She’s not here." She mouthed, since the senseii was already lecturing in front of class. Syaoran nodded and turned his attention to the front.

Sakura sat miserably, hoping her friend was okay first of all, and also selfishly hoping she would be alright so Sakura could escape her fears from her own house.

___________________________________________________________________

Sakura bolted out of their fourth class, happy to get to lunch. She was starving, plus she was hoping to call Tomoyo during lunch to see what was wrong. She headed to her locker to get her handphone, then headed to the cafeteria. The room was pretty full, so Sakura headed outside with her lunch and found a nice bench to sit at. She dailed Tomoyo’s number then waited for her to answer.

It rang for a while until a weak voice answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Tomoyo! What’s wrong, are you okay?"

The other end of the line laughed weakly. "Hi Sakura. It’s actually quite funny. Kero persuaded me into eating some of Touya’s cake, which I forgot was made of Pineapple. So here I am, sick as a dog, make sure you tell Kero." She coughed quietly.

Sakura pitied her friend. "Oh I am so sorry. It’s Touya’s fault."

Tomoyo laughed again. "Am I missing anything at school today?"

Sakura shook her head, forgetting Tomoyo couldn’t see her. "No, nothing but a boring day here. I just wanted to make sure you are alright, that’s all."

Tomoyo laughed. "Thanks, I am fine. I was planning to call you after school, anyway. Don’t worry about me, I shouldn’t be gone more than two days-today included."

Sakura sighed, though tried to hide it from Tomoyo. "Well you take care of yourself, I’ll make sure I tell Kero about it."

Tomoyo giggled for the twentieth time. "Okay. Bye Sakura!"

Sakura clicked END and set the phone down next to her. She was startled to see Syaoran standing in front of her. I wonder how long he was there? "Tomoyo’s got an allergic reaction to Touya’s pineapple cake. She won’t be recovered for another day or so."

Syaoran nodded. "Well, maybe Rika or Chiharu would let you-"

"No, I will be fine, I am sure. I’ve got Kero there, plus my clow cards. If anything goes really wrong, I can just call you, right? The bus gets to Uncle Guan’s within five minutes."

Syaoran nodded, once again amazed at her openness. "Y-yeah. I’ll, uh, see you later, then."

Sakura nodded, watching him walk away with confusion. What did he really come over here to ask me? Was that it? There must have been something else? Sakura finished her lunch and went back inside, ready to leave and get through another night.

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So there you have it folks, my longest chapter yet! The sad thing is, nothing major happened in any department. It wasn’t especially funny, no major S + S, no hilarious scenes. What am I to do with myself? I had to spend most of the chapter setting up the next ones. So this chapter had to be about her new house n stuff. Well that’s enough from me, I better get going. My friend bought Final Fantasy on PPV so I am gonna go watch it.

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________*SYAORAN fan 4 life*________