RECAP: Last chapter...um..Syaoran went on a preliminary mission where he beat the crap out of a dragon thing, now he’s waiting to find out what this next ‘big’ mission is gonna be. Sakura is waiting excitedly to go to the wedding on the cruise boat...she’s having trouble getting Moondust to cooperate with her...that’s about it. Oh, Syaoran is stuck with a stupid play part, so he’s angry about that too.

Chapter 29 - Out to Sea

Syaoran kicked his feet miserably against the stage’s side as he listened to his class practicing their lines. They had gotten through almost all the scenes, except for a few- a few Syaoran did not want to do. Meilin was at the part where she was supposed to punch Alexis in the shoulder. Syaoran watched as Meilin followed through her ‘fake stage punch’- accidentally ‘grazing’ the girl’s shoulder with her sharp fist. The girl winced but showed no more pain than that, and continued on with her lines.

Syaoran looked back down at the floor in front of him. The class is almost over, You might get out of it again. But you’re going to have to do it some time. The sensei called him to the stage, and Syaoran warily got to his feet, glaring with misery at the sensei as he dragged his feet over.

"Scene eighteen. We can skip seventeen for now, we’ll work on that after school."

"I’ve got sword practice." Syaoran protested.

"I am very aware of your schedule, Li-san, I’ll work out something."

She looked to Alexis, who stood again with an oblivious look on her face. "Alright, you two, center stage." She shushed them along, and Syaoran found himself at the front of the stage. He looked down at the script in front of him to see where they were. Past the kissing scene. At least that’s a plus.

"You couldn’t..." Syaoran mumbled the lines of the script, hating having to act.

The girl read her lines with much more enthusiasm, which made Syaoran’s mumbling look very stupid. Quickly the sensei swooped in to correct. "Matte, matte (wait), Syaoran-san, do you really think you’re going to get away with that poor acting?"

Syaoran turned around. "I didn’t volunteer for this role-"

"She just told you she’s carrying your child for heaven’s sake! Put some emotion into it!"

Syaoran tried not to roll his eyes and turned around, addressing his script.

"Now reread that last line. It’s the most heart felt line in the whole play (Syaoran thinks: that shows a whole lot about the play) and I went to hear you belt that out with your innermost feelings driving it."

Syaoran glared at the words across the paper. "You couldn’t possibly think I’d run away. I couldn’t do that, because that would mean living without you, and that’s something I’m not capable of doing." Syaoran muttered again. He figured the night to actually say this line with feeling was the night of production. Who cared how he practiced it? He didn’t even need to practice it!

"Did you not hear a word I just said, Li-san? More emotion!"

Syaoran sighed and waited for the girl to say her lines, then said his lines a little louder, but still flatly and through his teeth. I would take singing in a concert to this any day. It just figures. I have to get lead role. I can’t have it easy for even one week of my life. Oh no, I’ve got to have lead part.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Syaoran looked over the paper again. "You are sure the elders sent this?" He asked his sister.

She looked at him incredously. "Oh no, wait, I mistaked the postman for one of the elders. Of course I am sure!"

Syaoran sighed. "Another stupid mission. I have to save some Japanese Senator’s life. Figures."

His youngest sister walked over and sat down, looking at the paper curiously. "Sounds like fun, little brother. Boat trip, a wedding. Sounds to me like you are getting a free cruise."

Syaoran blinked, his eyes widening. Wedding. On a cruise boat. Sounds suspiciously like someone else’s vacation. His sister noticed his sudden change in expression. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

He glanced at her, not sure if he should tell her the truth or not. "I just, uh, remembered something."

"That you hate airplanes, and they are making you fly to Japan again? But I thought you liked Japan. You wanted to delay, delay, delay...."

"Syaoran’s girlfriend is in Japan." Meilin explained, walking into the living room.

"Syaoran had a girlfriend!?" His sister asked brightly.

"No." Syaoran said, glaring darkly at Meilin, who shrugged innocently.

"You’re going to accept the mission, right? I mean, mother looks like she’s doing alot better, I’m sure you won’t have to keep this burden much longer..."

Syaoran nodded. "I guess."

"Details later? Oo, they’re sounding suspicious." Meilin said, reading the bottom of the paper Syaoran held.

"It will probably be a peice of cake for you, right little brother?"

Syaoran shrugged. "It depends..."

"Our little wolf can take on anything!" Said his oldest sister confidently as she prepared supper in the kitchen.

Syaoran rolled his eyes and stood up off the couch. "I’ve gotta go to practice." He said, setting the paper down. He walked over to the door and picked up his sword, then left his house to go out into the humid evening to practice sword play.

_______________________________________________________________________

"Yah, go! Faster!" Sakura giggled as she kicked Moondust’s sides to move faster. Keroberus was chasing after them, his swift wings carrying him right on their tail.

Sakura knew the horse didn’t like to be kicked- especially by Sakura, and Sakura gripped for dear life as she kicked her back legs out with annoyance as she ran. Sakura knew she didn’t have a hope of slowing the animal down, but it was alright, they needed to go faster anyway.

Tomoyo was atop Kero’s back, filming from the aerial veiw Sakura’s dramatic horse chase scene. This was all going to be part of Tomoyo’s next big film production, assuming she could get all the shots she wanted. Moondust wasn’t exactly cooperating with the work, and they had tried to refilm the same thing four times now.

Sakura had fallen off only once in filming, and it hadn’t been her fault. Keroberus had let out a roar and made a false assumption that it wouldn’t bother the horse. Moondust, being the flighty animal she was, threw a fit, and Sakura had half jumped half fallen off as the horse charged towards the fence. After an hour of catching her off the road, wasting three buckets of feed, and fixing one broken fence board, they were back filming.

"I got it!" Tomoyo called from Keroberus’s back.

Sakura’s bare legs ached from hanging on to Moondust’s sides so tightly, and she was sure that her legs would be sore the next day. But she also knew she was getting alot better at riding, and Syaoran would be pretty proud if he saw that she could now steer and ride a gallop at the same time. Sakura collected her reins back up and pulled at Moondust’s mouth, who hardly responded. She sat deeper and braced her arm against Moondust’s neck and pulled back for all she was worth. Moondust threw her head up in protest and hollowed out her back, then did a kind of hop as she attempted to unseat Sakura.

Sakura gripped onto the mane with one hand and pulled with the other. "Quit it, Moondust! Would you behave for once!?"

Moondust responded with a final buck, which Sakura hung on to, though her seat fell to the side. She tried to hold on as Moondust took off again, but her seat was already unbalanced, and she slid ungracefully off the left side. Sakura almost managed to do a roll up to her feet, but the momentum wasn’t enough, so she found herself sprawled across the spring grass yet again.

Keroberus landed next to her, Tomoyo looking down concerned off his back. "Are you okay, Sakura-chan?" She asked. Her concern level had gone down since Sakura had already fallen off twice before, and it wasn’t as dramatic an event.

"Twice in one day." Sakura moaned, staring up at the blue sky for a few more seconds before getting to her feet. "But I’m fine." She said, smiling. "Please tell me you didn’t get that on tape..."

"Well, with the way you were falling, I think I could input some computer animation to make it look like you were being pulled off...." Tomoyo stopped at the look Sakura was giving her. "But, I mean, I’m never going to actually use that."

Sakura sighed, all her embaressing moments were kept on tape. "Great..." She said dryly.

"Let’s catch Moondust and get her bridle off, then we can go to my house and edit it." Tomoyo said happily.

"I guess." Sakura agreed reluctantly.

They started walking out to where Moondust stood grazing. She had gotten over the first stages of shyness and now let them come near if they were taking the bridle off. "Have you packed your clothes for the cruise?" Sakura asked Tomoyo.

"Yes, and yours! The dress you’ll be wearing to the wedding is very neat! You will be looking so nice..." Tomoyo said, stars going across her eyes.

Sakura sighed and reached the horse, patting her on the neck. She pulled the bridle off, then stepped back as Moondust trotted away to avoid further capture. Sakura put the leather over her shoulder and walked towards the barn. "I’m glad to see you’re looking out for me. I’ll probably end up forgetting my toothbrush or something stupid like that. But then again, I could probably buy one on the boat. It’s going to be so huge! They’ll probably sell everything there! They’ll have a little mall!"

"I’m so excited! I am so glad my mother bought me the ticket."

"Sonomi-san is really nice!" Sakura agreed.

"Yeah..." Tomoyo said, though her smile faded a little. Sakura shook it off and walked quietly, her thoughts drifting west. I wonder how Syaoran is doing? If he would ever write me back. But he’s not going to, if hasn’t already... Sakura’s eyes weighed a little from the sad news she was telling herself. No, he doesn’t need to write back, he’ll be coming back in person soon! "I hope Syaoran-kun doesn’t come back while we are gone!" Sakura said, the thought crossing her mind.

"I’m sure he won’t." Tomoyo said.

"How are you so sure?" Sakura asked defensively.

"Because. He would write you and tell you when he’s going to return, right?"

"Well I suppose..."

"So there you have it." Tomoyo said, smiling.

Sakura sighed and looked down, her friend frustrating her yet again. Syaoran was a better friend than Tomoyo. He never bad talked her. I think, anyway. But he left, and Tomoyo’s here. So what should I think? If I saw him again, would I be able to tell him what I told Touya? Probably not. It’d be my six grade year over again. And it didn’t seem to mean anything, because we just fell apart. So if I told him now, would it mean anything?

"AHHH!" Bob’s little voice filled the air as he darted away from an accumulating mass of black. Sakura looked over warily and saw that he was fleeing from more locusts. She called out her staff and pointed it at the bugs. She shouted the spell and watched the bugs disappear. Sakura felt breif triumph at the spell, she was getting better at it.

"You are the most useless creature on the face of this planet." Keroberus grouched.

"He did a good job fighting those swords, Kero. At least he didn’t burn my phone!" Sakura growled at him. Her handphone, the one she used all the time, was now melted and out of commission, adding to the pile of burnt things. Sakura sighed, thinking of that night of the Erase cards. "I miss Chindra. I bet she would have liked to go on this cruise."

Tomoyo smiled sympathetically at her. "You’ll get her back, Sakura-chan."

Sakura frowned and looked at her feet. "I guess." I might have been able to save her if Syaoran wouldn’t have stopped me, but...he just didn’t want me to get hurt... Sakura thought of his sweet words. ‘Is that selfish? Chosing you over her? Then I guess I will have to live that down...’ Hearing his voice in her head drove her crazy, she didn’t know it was possible to miss someone so much and stay sane. And we were so close, his eyes were so...stupid Touya. Stupid stupid stupid stupid....

_______________________________________________________________________

Syaoran looked unsurely at the sensei. "What if I’m not comfortable with this-"

"Oh come on, you’re in ninth grade for pete’s sake. Go act your lines, or do you want news to spread to the elders that you are unable to fulfill your educational duties..."

"Educational duties my as..." He muttered, his voice fading out. Syaoran dragged his feet over to the stage where Alexis was sitting bored on a chair, chomping on gum and twisting a peice of her red hair around. She looked up at him. "Are we ready to start, Li kid?" She asked, smiling, and getting up.

Syaoran just glared at her, not about to offer any friendly words. "We’re supposed to start with scene seventeen." Syaoran said monotonously, looking at his script.

Alexis stood up and looked down at her script to look over what they would be doing. "Oh, this one." She said to herself. She then walked over to the trash can and spit out her gum. She walked over to him with a sly smile. "I didn’t want you stealing it."

Syaoran just looked grimly down at the script and began the chain of mushy lines that would end so horribly.

His eyes kept averting over to the italicised words indicating an action. An action! Syaoran prepared himself, after her line ‘I think I like you’ he would have to respond by kissing her -‘awkwardly at first, then with increasing passion’. Syaoran tried to keep from letting his mind panic, and about cringed as she said ‘Watashi (I)’.

"...Think I like you."

Syaoran swallowed hard. Why should I go through with this? But, but it’s not that big of a deal. It’s just acting, right? No big deal. He forced himself to step into her despite his mind’s screaming protests, and met her lips. He wanted to immediatly step away, but that wasn’t what the script called for. Syaoran substituted ‘increasing passion’ with a ‘longer kiss’, and held it for as long as he could bear before he stepped back, scowling.

"Wow." Alexis said, wiping her hand across her mouth.

Syaoran watched her questioningly.

"I think I’ve found something Li kid isn’t too good at." She said, smiling.

Syaoran glared furiously at her. "It’s not pleasure on my side either-"

"Okay you two." The sensei said, walking over. "Li-san you have the awkward part down. Now try and get some emotion into it. Try that scene again."

Again? It took all of my strength not to jump back, why the hell would I ever do that again? But Alexis was already talking. Syaoran sighed. If I got through it once I can do it again. I can’t let them insult me like this. Syaoran waited for his cue and then kissed her again, frowning through the whole thing with displeasure, despite the girl’s sweet taste. She stepped back again, looking at him unimpressed.

"Passion, Syaoran, passion! Put in some movement, something!" The sensei said.

Syaoran turned, near rage with all the frustration. "What do you want me to do, french her?" He shouted at the sensei.

She looked at him with disapprovement. "If that’s what you consider passion..."

"Hello! I’m right here, don’t talk like I’m not standing here." Alexis said, a little annoyed.

He turned and glared at her. "I’m sorry, Sakura Shinguchi, did you just say something? Or wait, that’s not a real person, is it-"

"You listen, oh king of the world, you can’t just walk in and act like you own the place-"

"Own the world? I was forced into this role, there is no way I would have ever come near you by my own will you-
"You two!" The sensei shouted, walking over. She looked threateningly at Chincawau. "Little miss, you hold your tongue, I was already considering taking away your role- if that is what’s bothering you, Li-san, your cousin would fit the role just perfectly, if that would help you be more comfortable-"

Just the start of that thought made him sick. "It’s not that! What’s wrong with you people? It doesn’t matter who’s the other person, it’s the principal-"

"Taking away my role!? You snobs and your high standards, I’m sorry if I’m not a direct relative, I suppose I don’t fulfill my role as well as a true Li would. Of course, a true Li could do anything better than I could..." Alexis fought with the sensei gesticulating mockingly with her sarcasm.

"If you can’t hold your-"

"Excuse me sensei?" Meilin’s sing songy voice broke in.

The three of them stopped their shouting and turned to see Meilin walking onto the stage, smiling innocently at them. The sensei sighed away some of her anger and smiled at Meilin. "Yes Meilin-chan?"

"Syaoran has been summoned by the elders, he’s got to leave."

The sensei nodded at her, then looked at Syaoran with a glare. She looked to Alexis, then formulated a plan. "I expect to see you two here tommorrow at eight."

"But it’s Saturd-" Alexis started.

"No excuses. This is the most important scene in the play. If nothing else, we will have this part down to a science."

Syaoran stalked away, Meilin trying desperately to keep up. They stormed out of the gym, and Syaoran continued to charge out into the evening air. It hadn’t been an in school practice, it had been an after school one, which had already had Syaoran in a bad mood. Now he had to go see the elders after the most awful half hour of his life.

"I saw you practicing." Meilin said after a while, walking with him to the building he was going to.

"Oh." Syaoran said, glaring straight ahead.

"I wish I would have taken her role..." Meilin said, sighing as she walked.

"Why do they want me?"

"Huh?" Meilin asked, being taken out of her daze.

"Why are they summoning me?" Syaoran asked through his teeth, his agrivation coming to a very narrow string.

"Oh, because, I don’t know, probably just something about that mission. Remember they said ‘details later’ or whatever."

Syaoran sighed and continued on. Great. "Go back to the house, Meilin, I can walk the rest of the way."

Meilin looked sideways at her cousin to make sure he was alright. It wasn’t unusual for him to want to go off by himself, and she had learned to tolerate it. "Don’t worry, Syaoran, I’m sure it’s just details."

That’s what I’m afraid of. "I won’t." He said.

Syaoran walked into the open doored house and walked down a long hall he knew too well. The door was open to the large room he’d be walking into... Syaoran took a deep breath and walked in, his eyes burning at the floor. He stepped up to the appropriate space and looked up to address the elders, when he found that Sensei Wanti was standing parallel to him, looking at the elders with annoyance, holding one hand on his head as if he had a headache. Syaoran quickly blinked away respectively and looked up at the head elder expectently. I hope Wanti-san isn’t bad mouthing me. I’ve been working hard at my training, what the hell do they want from me!?

"You know why you are here, Li-san. We are giving you directions for your upcoming assignment."

Syaoran nodded. So Meilin was right. Needless to say he was very releived that this wasn’t about his training or the play or anything like that.

"You are aware that Senator Chanto is a very prominent part of the Japanese government system, and is in close ties with this clan’s economy." Said another elder.

"We are heavily interdependent in trade and commerce with the companies under Senator Chanto’s management. An organization in Tokyo isn’t so hot with us, and will go to exstreme measures to jeopordize our way of life.

"Senator Chanto is marrying a week from today, and his wedding is very public, very social. Every acquaintance he has is invited and paid for to go on this free ship ride."

Syaoran had to cut in. "What is the family on the woman’s side?" He inquired.

The elder looked at him with high irritation for interrupting the story. "That is irrelevent-"

"Are you aware that her family is directly related to that of the Cardmistress’?" Syaoran dared to ask, though he wasn’t sure this fact was true itself, though it seemed very likely.

The elder gave him the darkest glower, and Syaoran bit his tongue for speaking, but continued to look up with the same strong glare, knowing that looking away would be showing fear, showing a weakness.

"Thank you for informing me." He said, though his words showed no gratitude. "As I was saying, Senator Chanto’s wedding reception is a prime setting for anything to take place. Several sources tell us the organization is planning something, an assasination perhaps. They are highly trained in the dark arts, and so we are going to send you to keep things under control.

"We will also be sending Sensei Wanti along to ensure your success, as the importance of this mission is too great to let depend on one man alone."

Sensei Wanti? Great. I can’t stand him, how will we get along...

"Suki-san, please, understand, my family is still trying to get use to this difference in culture-" Sensei Wanti started.

"You can’t suggest we leave this task to only Li Syaoran. You already expressed your high doubts in his skill-"

"I understand, but isn’t there a way you can send someone in my place. You understand I remain loyal to our cause, but this is a critical time for me to be home-"

"There is no one to go in your place." The elder said with frustration.

Syaoran dug the toe of his shoe into the floor as he always did when he was nervous. He felt like he was listening in to a private conversation that he shouldn’t be hearing, but he couldn’t do anything about it, they were talking right in front of him.

"Is your family getting in the way of your duties?" The other elder asked.

"N-no, I’m just asking for understanding on your part, I can’t possibly leave them behind while-"

"Would you be able to function with them there with you?" Asked the head elder.

"I..." Sensei Wanti was brightening a bit. "Absolutely."

"If you two fail, the consequences will be severe."

Syaoran looked questioningly at Sensei Wanti. His family- was that really Alexis’s family? He was yet to see Sensei Wanti show any type of loving family, but he seemed very faithful to those English people. Syaoran sighed and looked back up at the elders. "So my mission is to protect the Senator?" He clarified.

"Yes." The elder answered.

"Does he know who we are?" Syaoran asked again, that seeming a very sensible question to ask.

"Senator Chanto indeed suspects something going on, but I highly doubt he is expecting someone from our clan to be helping him."

"So when do I leave?" Syaoran asked with a bit of a dull tone.

"You are scheduled for the Four AM flight out of Hong Kong International airport to Tokyo. From there you’ll be taxied out to the boat’s location, which will run it’s course from Honshu to the Ryukyu Islands."

"Four in the morning next Friday?" Syaoran asked, wanting to have everything in stone.

"Correct."

Syaoran nodded. "I am honored to fulfill my duties." He lied through his teeth, responding as a respective boy would.

"You are dismissed than, Li-san, Wanti-san."

Syaoran bowed and walked out of the room next to Sensei Wanti, which was rather uncomfortable. Syaoran was tempted to say ‘so did you like how I killed that dragon in only four hours’, but he kept his mouth shut. They didn’t exchange any words as they seperated outside, and Syaoran hurried towards the stables, where he planned to let out some steam riding Iata on a couple trails before the sun set.

He rushed past a pasture with a solitary horse, hurrying down to the pony’s stall. The little brown pony whinnied hartily at Syaoran’s return, which made him smile a little bit. "Wanna go terrorize the wildlife?" He asked the pony.

Syaoran felt something tap on his shoulder, and he turned with a scowl. No one ever tapped him on the shoulder, someone would have to have quite a nerve to do that. He found himself facing a smaller boy with unruly brown hair. He quickly tried to put away his scowl, which seemed to be intimidating the boy.

"Sorry, if I’m bothering you, but I, uh, I wasn’t sure what saddle to use on that pony- Ivy." He mumbled, looking down at his feet.

Syaoran again found himself in an awkward position. He was completly clueless on how to handle younger children, so he tried to put himself in the boy’s situation and see how he would like the other to respond. Well, first of all, I would have never asked for help, second of all, I wouldn’t be so nervous around... "Come on, I’m sure there’s one in there somewhere..." Syaoran muttered, leading the boy to the tack room.

The boy followed gratefully and looked around the large tackroom as they stepped in. Syaoran searched around the nameplates for ‘Ivy’, then not finding it, he figured he could lend Iata’s saddle to the boy, Syaoran could ride just fine without it. "Are you new here?" Syaoran asked.

The boy watched him, surprised. "Yeah, uh, I moved here with my sister and my mother. She married Wanti-san, my mother, I mean."

"Your sister is Alexis?" Syaoran asked, taking the girth off his saddle to get one that would better fit the boy’s pony.

"Yeah, you know her?" The boy asked brightly.

"I guess." Syaoran said, annoyed. "How tall is your pony?"

"Oh, uh....twelve hands or so..." He said. "So are you and my sister the same age? You aren’t one of her exboyfriends are you? I know she went through them like-"

"No." Syaoran said, cutting off the boy’s endless chatter.

"She’s riding her horse in the arena right now. Were you going to ride? She’ll stay out of your way, but that probably doesn’t matter to you, you’re such a good rider that..."

Syaoran finished fixing the saddle and pulled it off its stand, handing it to the boy. "Make sure you put it back there, alright?"

"Yeah!" The boy said, smiling admiringly at Syaoran.

Syaoran wasn’t sure if he’d be spilling the beans or what, but if telling this boy what his vacation would be would annoy Sensei Wanti, it was worth doing. "Look, I’m not sure if I should be telling you this, but it sounds like you and your family will be going on a cruise from Japan in a week."

The boy blinked and frowned, confused. "A cruise in Japan? Are you sure? My family?"

Syaoran shrugged and grabbed Iata’s bridle off its hook on the wall. "That’s what rumor says."

The boy happily walked to the door. "That’s awesome!" He said with ecstasy.

Syaoran couldn’t help but grin a bit by the boy’s enthusiasm. But I shouldn’t be happy. I’ve got to warn Sakura, this could be really dangerous. She can’t go on this cruise. "Is this the same mare you rode the other day?" Syaoran asked as they walked back into the aisleway. He wasn’t generally conversation proned, but he had taken some type of overseeing-liking to the younger boy.

"No. I hope I don’t have to ride her again. This is a new one, maybe she’ll be better."

"Good luck." Syaoran said, walking back to Iata’s stall and pulling the door open. Iata came rushing over and lowered his head for the bridle, which Syaoran quickly slipped on. He led Iata out into the aisleway, then looked breifly over the sidewall where a Palimino horse was cantering in beautiful round circles, a girl with red hair stuffed into a bun riding her elegeantly. Syaoran jumped onto Iata’s back and walked the horse quickly out into the evening air.

He headed to the trail he had started to ride the other day, when the boy’s pony had been taking off with him. The trees were rustling with a nice cool breeze, and Syaoran let the wind have its way with him. But don’t I want to see her? I could, but...it’s too dangerous. She should stay home, I’ll have to call her or something, I can’t depend on a letter making it there. But I don’t wanna call her. But I am going to have to, if I want her to be safe. It’s not a matter of wants, it’s a matter of safety.

"Hey Rick!"

Syaoran turned Iata around to the hoovebeats drumming behind him. He turned the pony to find a Palimino approaching them. Syaoran comtemplated turning and taking off, but he knew he had missed his chance. The girl trotted her horse up and smiled with amusement at Syaoran. "Isn’t that animal a bit small for you?" She asked jokingly.

Syaoran glared at her. He had seen enough of her to last him a year. "What do you want?" He asked, annoyed.

She shrugged. "It’s dangerous to ride out alone on a trail, right? Rule number three in your tack room’s list. Or are you above these rules?" She asked, a slight smirk on her face.

"Listen, I am not sure why this doesn’t bother you, but I have seen all I want to of you at the school."

The girl’s smile fell a little, replaced with more of a glare. "So you are all the same. I thought maybe someone who had been away in Japan for a few years wouldn’t be the same as everyone else, but I guess I was mistaken." But she didn’t go away, she continued walking alongside Syaoran, having to rate her horse to keep it slow as the pony.

"Are you just going to follow me?" Syaoran asked with frustration after a few moments of silent walking.

"Well there’s nothing else to do. My little brother is probably tearing up the inside arena."

Syaoran sighed, then kicked the pony he was on into a fast gallop. Within a few seconds the girl’s palimino was running alongside. Syaoran saw a turn up ahead, so he took it, trying to lose this girl and her horse so he could be alone again. This trail was very open, and Syaoran didn’t recall being down it before, and he saw a house ahead. Syaoran sat deeper on his pony and slowed down, slowing to a walk. He looked at the house with curiosity, then looked over his shoulder as he saw the girl’s palimino coming again.

"That’s my house." She said brightly. "Sensei Wanti moved because we didn’t have enough room in his old one."

Syaoran nodded with fake feeling, not really caring about what she was saying. He turned his pony around, then stopped, waiting for the girl to move her horse out of the way.

"Do you want something to drink? I am going to get some water, I hate the stable water." Alexis said.

"I’m fine." Syaoran said, though a glass of water did sound good about now.

"Oh come on, Wanti-san’s not home, you don’t have to worry about running into him. He sword trains you, right?"

Syaoran hesitantly nodded. Does he talk about my ‘slow going’ training to the whole world?

"Don’t worry, he doesn’t talk about you, I just overheard him talking to the elders." She said. "Come on, unless you are scared of my house or something..." She said, grinning challengingly at him. She kicked her horse into a canter, moving away from him.

Syaoran held Iata still, though the pony wanted to follow the other horse, having a hard time deciding himself. Finally, with much frustration, he loosened the reins and let Iata run after the other horse.

They walked through the back yard of the nice house, which was completly open to the horse trail, then walked around to the front of the house. Alexis hopped off her horse and tied it by the reins to a pillar of the porch, then waited for Syaoran to do the same. He reluctantly got off Iata’s safe seat and tied him up, then walked after her. Why am I following her?

Their house had the front doors slid open, to let the air circulate, and there was the outside’s evening breeze wafting through the house. Alexis walked straight to the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of water, and tossed one to Syaoran, who barely caught it because he had been looking around. A very overweight cat came waddling into the kitchen, looking up hopefully at Alexis. She smiled and knelt down to pet the animal.

"This is Mookie." She said, looking up at Syaoran. She took some type of cat treat out of a bag and fed it to the cat.

"You know it’s bad for an animal to be overweight like that." Syaoran said, though the fat cat was very amusing.

"She’s not fat." Alexis said, picking the cat up and tucking her under her arm. "She’s just a little spoiled. And she should be, right Mookie-princess?"

Syaoran raised his eyebrows at the odd scene, then looked at the floor. He got his water, he was ready to leave.

"Here, come one, I’ll show you the other one." Alexis said, pulling on his arm with her free hand while holding the fat cat in the other. She dragged him into their living room, where there was an enormous cage, completly equipped with every kind of plastic tunnel and wheel you could have. Alexis pulled the top off of it and fished around with her hand, then pulled out a cute little fuzzy thing.

"What is that?" Syaoran asked, studying the furball that moved about in her hand.

"My hamster. Benny."

Syaoran looked at the hamster for a moment, then looked up at the cat, who rested lazily in her arms. "Doesn’t the cat try to eat it?"

"No, Mookie is much too well trained to do that. She and Benny are good friends. They travelled all the way from England on a plane together."

Syaoran blinked, the odd assortment of animals being a very strange thing to take in. "You made them come all the way to Hong Kong?" He asked.

"Of course. They go every where with me. Here, hold her." Alexis said, handing him the huge calico cat. Syaoran reluctantly took her, looking at her close up.

Everything about the cat was strange; her face was several different clashing colors, her eyes were a little too big, her head and legs too small for her body. Syaoran looked up as he saw Alexis putting the hamster into a little plastic ball. She set it loose, then watched as Benny started to roll across the house. The cat Syaoran was hanging onto began to spasm wildly. Syaoran looked unsurely at Alexis, who was too busy watching the hamster, then cringed as the cat planted a nail into his arm. He dropped it abruptly, setting it loose. The fat cat half ran half waddled after the ball, batting at it with it’s short little legs.

"They seem great friends." Syaoran said sarcastically; you could practically see the drool running out of the cat’s mouth as it tried to get through the ball’s plastic shell.

"Isn’t it funny watching them play? I never thought a hamster and a cat could get along so well." She said, smiling.

"You came from England, right?" Syaoran asked.

"Yes." She confirmed, looking up from the cat and mouse game.

"Did you know a boy called Erio-"

"Eriol, Clow Reed boy, blah blah blah. No, I never met him. England’s on a big island, you know, not like Japan, and there’s hardly a chance I ever saw him. But I know about him, because my step dad- I mean- Wanti-san - he knows all about that stuff, and he’s always going about some ‘secretive business.’ Just why did the elders pull you out of play practice?"

Syaoran again hated her for bringing that up, and he fidgeted for a second before collecting himself. "That’s not your business." He said, glaring at her.

The girl shrugged innocently. "Your cousin’s probably looking for you about now." She said.

"Meilin? She’s always looking for me." He mumbled, heading to the door, where Iata was giving him hopeful looks as the Palimino tied beside him was bugging him. "Thanks for the water." Syaoran muttered.

The girl ran after him. "I’ve got to go back to the barn too!" She called, rushing over to her horse as Syaoran was already mounting.

_______________________________________________________________________

"Oh my gosh, Tomoyo! Look, is it that one!?" Sakura asked excitedly, kneeling in the back car seat as they drove down the road that ran along the bay. Several large luxury yachts and cruise ships were docked, and Sakura was driving herself crazy trying to find it.

"Don’t fall out the window, little monster." Touya said from the passenger seat as he looked calmly out the window.

"Onni-chan!" Sakura said with annoyance. She was unable to hold a grudge, because she felt so excited. "Onni-chan, otto-san, Tomoyo and me-chan!" Sakura sang.

Tomoyo taped Sakura’s song from the other back seat, making sure to get good footage of the ocean-side backround. "That outfit looks wonderful on you, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura jumped up and down in her seat. "Look, look, that one! It’s that one! It is, it is!" Sakura said excitedly. "That one! The one with the red writing on the side!"

"Lean back so I can film it!" Tomoyo said, leaning forward in her seat to get a good shot out of the window.

"I still don’t see why monster was allowed to bring along a friend."

"I would have been perfectly okay with Yukito coming, you know that Touya-san, but not many people could afford these tickets." Her father said, flicking their turning signal on as they drove up to the parking lot they’d be parking in.

"I wonder how big our rooms are?" Sakura said to herself, leaning out of her seat as they pulled in.

"Our adjoining rooms sounded very nice, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo said, rolling down her window further so she could get a good veiw of the boat now that they had turned. "People are already boarding!" Tomoyo said.

"I still can’t beleive our luck! Aunt Yusakau was able to have such an amazing wedding! We are so lucky!" Sakura said, jumping up and down again.

The car came to a stop, and Sakura’s father set the park brake. "Well, we’re here. Get the suitcases out of the trunk."

Sakura about fell out of her door as she jumped onto the pavement. She hurried around to the trunk and pulled it open, quickly fishing her bags off the top. No Kero or Bob for a whole week! No cards or annoying magic for a whole week! Only bliss on a peaceful boat, no troubles, nothing wrong, only missing...only missing... Sakura and Tomoyo walked off after her dad, who was talking with an official who was verifying the tickets. Touya caught up with them and stood patiently. "Is there a problem?" He asked.

"No. Otto-san is just verifying tickets." Sakura said. Her father took the tickets back from the man and turned to Sakura and the rest of them. He waved them over.

Sakura attempted to skip with her suitcases and jittered with excitement as they walked up the boarding platform. Sakura and Tomoyo stood next to each other and both looked around with awe as they stepped onto the deck. Everything was sparkling white, meticulously cleaned, and lounge chairs with umbrellas were everywhere. Sakura looked excitedly to a shining surface of water. "Look, the pool!" Sakura practically shreiked.

The attendant guiding them smiled at Sakura’s enthusiasm. "Rooms 300 to 325 are right this way, sir."

Sakura jittered with excitement as they walked down the brightly lit hall, going down a large stairway under the deck. She was amazed at the similarity between this and a hotel. She looked to Tomoyo to speak, but no words came, so she just showed her excitement by the permenant smile on her face. The attendant slowed to a stop. "Your rooms, miss." He said, smiling politely, and motioning to the doors next to him.

Sakura and Tomoyo smiled back and stepped forward. He handed them their keys, and waited patiently for them to open their rooms. Sakura unlocked the door and stepped in. She gasped, the large spacious room shocking her. "Tomoyo!" She breathed in, staring around with wide eyes.

Her father and brother waiting outside smiled. "We’ll just be at our room, Sakura-chan; room 304." Her father said.

"O...okay..." Sakura said, walking around, stunned.

Tomoyo shut the door to the hallway as other people boarding walked by, and then set her suitcases down, immediatly bringing up her camera. "I forgot about the jacuzzi." Tomoyo mumbled to herself, filming all of the room.

Sakura ran around in a large circle. She saw her bed in the seperate room, with a small nightstand, completly equipped with an alarm clock and radio, a television, and a full length mirror aside a tall dresser. She walked back into the main room where there was the open kitchen, sliding door to their outside balcony, their jaccuzzi, and their larger television set. Sakura gaped at all the expensive things.

"Honestly, Tomoyo, your mother didn’t have to spend all this money on adjoining rooms..." She mumbled.

"Let’s tape the balcony veiw!" Tomoyo said, dismissing Sakura’s comment. They both sprinted over to the sliding glass door and pulled it open.

The balcony was exstremly small, but it was amazing that they had one at all, and you could almost see the ocean from it. "Look, isn’t that the corner of the pool?" Sakura said, pointing at the glistening corner of silver they could make out.

"I think so!" Tomoyo said back with excitement, though it was not exactly an exciting thing.

"Let’s go see onni-chan and otto-san’s room!" Sakura said, pulling on Tomoyo’s arm and jogging back inside. They shut the door and ran to the hallway door. Sakura opened it and narrowly missed running into another person carrying suitcases.

She and Tomoyo walked behind the other family to her father’s room, which door was cracked open. They stepped in and looked around, finding this room very modest comparitively speaking. "You guys really got ripped off." Sakura said, smiling.

Touya looked up, annoyed. "You got a jacuzzi room, didn’t you?"

Sakura shrugged, smiling innocently. "You’re welcome to use it! Me and Tomoyo are going to make a trip to the pool!"

"Wait up for me. I’m going to call your aunt and let her know we made it, then we can all head down together. We don’t want to risk getting lost." Her father said.

"That’s fine! We have to change into our bathing suits, anyway!" Sakura said cheerfully.

She and Tomoyo skipped to the room.

"So what night is the reception going to be?" Tomoyo asked as they stepped into their room.

"Umm...In two nights I think. They’re giving us time to rest. The wedding itself is that morning. It’s going to be pretty private, but you’ll be allowed in." Sakura said, heading over to her suitcase, which she had wisely packed her swimsuit right on top. She had also brought along the Hyrule swimming suit, just in case she’d get a chance to steal off and swim alone for a while.

This is going to be the funnest week!

_______________________________________________________________________

This is going to be the week from hell. Syaoran tried to keep from scowling or blowing up as the boy beside him continued his rapid chatter.

"I’ve never been to Japan, have you? Oh wait, you have, I knew that. That’s where you were when we first came. Is it nice?"

"Mhmm." Syaoran said, looking desperately out the airplane window. He looked forward to where there was a red lit sign, showing a cross bar over a telephone symbol. He sighed and looked back out the window, where they were breaking through the dismal rainy clouds. Syaoran was waiting for the red ‘x’ to go away, because it was holding him back from calling Sakura.

He had called her several times through the week, but it seemed he had bad timing, because each time he would call he’d get the same ‘the caller you are trying to reach is unavailable’. Syaoran had went to the desperate measure of calling their housephone- of which Touya could and probably would answer- but no one had been home, and he hadn’t been brave enough to leave a message. Now he waited for his last chance to contact her.

"I’ve never been on a boat before. Do you get easily boat sick, Li-san?"

Syaoran glared back at Teller, who was sitting innocently in the chair next to him. "Not really."

The boy smiled and looked off to the aisle. "I’m sure this is going to be so much fun! I can’t beleive Wanti-san managed this with the elders! He must have to kiss up to them for another ten years to repay them..."

Alexis, sitting in the chair in front of them, turned around and leaned over the seat. "Teller, I’m sure Li-kun doesn’t appreciate your endless rambling. Even I can’t stand it, and I’m up here."

Teller scowled at his sister. "You just want to trade me seats so you can sit next to your boyfriend."

"No, I don’t want to trade you seats, he is not my boyfriend, I just feel sympathy for anyone who has to put up with you." Alexis said, glaring at him.

"Lexi, dear, sit down properly, the attendant is looking at you." Her mother’s voice said from beside her.

Alexis turned back around and sat. Syaoran heard her say ‘We should have made Wanti-san sit with Teller’, but ignored anything after that. Teller was talking again.

"My sister is really stupid sometimes. Do you have any older sisters?"

Syaoran smiled grimly. "Only five." He said, leaning on the arm rest and trying to stretch his legs out, though it was impossible. It’s a shame Hong Kong is so far from Japan. All this ocean...

"Five!" Teller said to himself, his eyes wide. "Wow. You have it worse than me." He said, smiling with admiration.

Syaoran tried to handle all the boy’s admiring attention as best he could. Luckily, his attempts to ignore Teller were aided by a dinging noise from the front of the cabin. Syaoran looked up to see that the red light on the telephone sign had turned off, and he was free to call. Teller noticed Syaoran’s reaction to the sign and watched him quizzically.

"I’ve got to make a phone call." Syaoran mumbled in explaintation, pulling out the air plane phone. It would be expensive, but what was several hundred yen to Sakura’s safety? He dialed in her number, which long since had been imprinted in his head, and waited nervously for something to happen.

The same annoying bar of music played, then the voice came on. "The caller you are trying to reach is unavailable. Please call back later, or press 0 for assistance. The caller you are...."

Syaoran sighed, annoyed. When would she turn on her phone? She always had it on when he had been in Japan. Maybe she had her number switched? But she would tell me, wouldn’t she? Maybe she forgot. Maybe she’s hiding from me, or Touya forced her to stop communication from me. Syaoran hung the phone up with aggrivation, even more annoyed by Teller’s constant watch.

"Are they not home?" Teller asked after a few moments of silence.

How come I got stuck sitting next to him? I could have done this mission all by myself. I am going to have a harder time now that Sensei Wanti had to bring along the whole English family. This is horrible. "No." Syaoran said, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes, hoping that Teller would get the hint.

"That stinks. I hate leaving messages on answering machines. Back in England we used to have this fake message thing that tricked people into thinking we were answering the phone, and-"

"Would you two like anything to drink?" The flight attendant asked sweetly, her tray at her side.

Anything alchoholic, God, does this kid ever stop?

"I’d like a normal cola, thanks." The boy said politely.

The attendant nodded and poured his drink into a cup filled with ice, then handed it to him. She looked to Syaoran for his order.

"Same." Syaoran said finally, sighing.

Teller smiled happily to see that Syaoran was being like him. "You like soda too? In England we use to drink this American brand, but I doubt you’d know it...."

Syaoran sighed and sat back as Teller went on about his life west of China. Why. Why did he have to bring his family? Just to torture me. It’s enough my very worst sensei has to come along to supervise MY mission, but oh no, he’s gotta bring along the wife and kids. Then I’ll have to deal with getting around Sakura. I know I want to see her, but I shouldn’t, it’d mess me up, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate... well it’s a big boat. I doubt in the 2500 people that are gonna be there, I’ll run into her. Though cruel destiny has a way with us...

"...Though I do hope Benny is doing alright."

Syaoran rolled his eyes, though he wasn’t facing Teller.

Alexis turned around in her seat again. "Mookie’ll be keeping him company. It’s a really short flight compared to what we had to do to come over here."

"You guys understand Wanti-san is on a mission, right? Why would you bring your pets along?" Syaoran asked, glaring at Alexis’s bright and happy face.

"I told you, they come everywhere with us." She said with an expression that said ‘duh’.

Syaoran crossed his arms over his chest and went back to slouching, trying to sleep. Teller began rambling about the pets with Alexis, so Syaoran was safe from conversation now, and he was able to get a little sleep. Their flight had left exstremly early that morning, and Syaoran hadn’t gotten to be at a decent hour because of more forced sword and magic practice.

- - - - - -

"My mother invited you over for some cake, if you want some." Alexis said, leaning on the door of Syaoran’s room, looking around.

Syaoran glared up from the suitcase he was trying to unpack, where currently he was plugging the laptop into the desk’s outlet. "I’m sorry, but I’m busy." Syaoran said through his teeth. It had been enough having to sit next to Teller the whole planeride, but now it seemed somehow there was a mixup about what Syaoran came here to do; it seemed Alexis and her side of the family was convinced that he was going there with them to have fun with them.

"Busy busy busy, you need to relax some my friend. You’ll kill yourself stressing out this much. Do you do this over every mission you’re sent on?"

Syaoran glared up. "Most missions I don’t have to deal with annoying ten year old boys that don’t stop talking and their obnoxious older sisters."

Alexis’s eyes softened. "Listen, I know Teller talks alot, but please don’t ditch him, he really looks up to you. No one would be his friend in Hong Kong, he’s never had anyone stable to...to guide him. No one was his friend. Get it?"
Syaoran pulled out the silent pistol he had been given from the elders and set the safety. "I’m not exactly stable..." Syaoran mumbled, his concentration dettered.

Alexis jumped back and peered around the door, staring at the black metal he set down with wide eyes. "What’s that for?" She asked timidly.

"Precaution." Syaoran said, going back to his suitcase.

She more boldly stepped around the door again. "I thought you Li people were s’pose to use magic stuff." She said, gesticulating when she said ‘magic’ in a mocking manner.

"Something must be very important about this Senator, because the elders never armed me like this before." Syaoran said, setting out the rest of his stuff and looking up.

She was quiet for a while, looking around his room. It was plain with a small bathroom, a bed in the corner, and a nice desk area. There was a cabinent across the bed with the television in it, but even that’s size was modest. "So are you going to come or what?" She asked after a while. "To be honest, I think Wanti-san wants to talk to you about this mission stuff."

Syaoran sighed and turned from his suitcase. "What kind of cake is it?" He asked with annoyance.

"Chocolate, of course. My mother made it out of that instant stuff, but it’s good. Our oven gets hots really fast, I was so amazed how fast it baked..."

Syaoran sighed and walked forward from the suitcase. He followed Alexis out, locking the door behind him, and reluctantly followed her a few doors down where her family’s room was. He had already been here helping carry their suitcases (Syaoran had wisely packed light), and he was fimiliar with the layout of the room(s).

In the corner was the hamster’s cage, who amazingly had lived through the trauma of the airplane ride with great ease. The cat looked a bit more stressed about the whole ordeal, being the more intelligible animal, at least in Syaoran’s observations. So the cat and hamster had moved right in, claiming that corner as their territory.

"Hello, Li-san. Help yourself to some cake." Alexis’s mother said, smiling warmly at him.

Syaoran nodded back politely and started to walk over to it, but was disrupted by Teller. "Hey Li, look at this!" He called from his room, peering into the hallway.

Syaoran glared breifly at Alexis, who watched him with a wary eye to make sure he responded nicely, then walked down the hallway. Teller smiled and walked him over to the television, where he had a frozen picture of a concert stage. "Do you like Japanese music groups?" Teller asked.

Syaoran shrugged. "I guess."

"This is Shiro-Ame, if you’ve heard of them. I’m not really aware of all the band statistics there, yet, but this’s got two very hot chicks in it, look." Teller said, unpausing the movie and allowing Syaoran to watch.

Syaoran could only smile grimly. "Yeah, I know them." Syaoran said.

"Yeah, they’ve got some cool songs." Teller said, his eyes glued to the screen.

Syaoran could only sigh at the irony of this situation. They’re everywhere. Is this an omen telling me that I can only lie for so long and get away with it? He turned his head to the doorway where he saw Sensei Wanti walk by, who didn’t even bother to look in. Syaoran turned back to the television for a few more minutes, then spoke. "I’ve got to get going, Teller." He said, thinking he was being exstremly nice by addressing the boy by his name.

"Oh, alright." He said, still a bit comotose watching the television screen. He blinked and turned to Syaoran as he walked out. "Have some of that cake, it’s really good."

Syaoran nodded and continued down the hall, meeting the Sensei’s eyes, who sat at the table in the main room, looking over some paper. He looked up at Syaoran’s entrance. "Li-san. I see you are already making splendid efforts to discover the identities of our rivals in this mission?"

Syaoran found that in this family setting it was much easier to ignore the sensei. He only shrugged and took a slice of the cake, then turned back to the main room. He figured he would do best if he would talk over the plans with the Sensei first, so he walked over to the desk and sat down. "When is the wedding?" Syaoran asked.

"It’s not the wedding we should be worried about. Obviously. It’s a private wedding, how would the gang get into that?"

Syaoran sighed, Sensei Wanti had a habit of being difficult. "The reception, then. When is that?" He clarified.

"That is in two nights. Monday night, I beleive. That will be when all the action is. If we can get the Senator through that safely, then most of our job is done."

Syaoran nodded, taking a bite of cake. He glanced over at the corner, where Alexis was taking the cover off the hamster cage.

"Alexis, dear, please don’t take that thing out right now." Sensei Wanti said with forced grace. Alexis glanced up.

"He needs excersize. I’ll just put him in his ball." She said, picking the fluffy hamster out, then grabbing the plastic ball stored in his cage. She stuck him in and clamped the ball shut, then set it down on the ground. It began rolling around aimlessly, occasionally bumping into walls and other objects. Alexis stood up and watched with satisfactory. The fat calico cat watched with a hunting eye from the couch where she perched, evil plans formulating in her feline mind as she watched her prey scurry about.

Syaoran looked back from the comical scene back to the Sensei. "Will our targets look like anything? Any similarities?"

"Black hair, short, asian?" Alexis offered from across the room, running a brush over Mookie, who continued to watch the little hamster.

The Sensei cast her an irritated look before looking to Syaoran. "No, nothing to really to go on, no. Just suspicious. They aren’t expecting us, so we’ve got to be really careful, they might be really obvious at first, and give us a chance to zero in before they know we know."

Syaoran nodded and looked sadly down at his empty plate, realizing he had finished the cake without savoring the last bite. He looked up at the thudding noise, seeing Mookie leap (or try to leap) her fat body off the couch onto the ground. She thudded down the hall after the plastic ball and batted it harshly with her stubby paws. Alexis laughed and shook her head. "Those two...they crack me up." She said.

Syaoran sighed and looked back to his empty plate. This is one of my better missions, at least. No dragons to burn off my shoulder. It’s really quite easy, if I think about it. I’ve got Sensei’s help, and all I really have to do is work one night. Syaoran and the Sensei both looked down the hall at the louder crunching noise, followed by a thud and another crack.

These events were preceded with Benny, running wildly free from his plastic ball, tearing away as Mookie slowly realized he had escaped from the broken peices of plastic she was sorting through, and took off after him. Mookie tore around after Benny in a full tight circle, and they sent a wind over the table Syaoran was sitting at, forcing him to hold down his light paper plate as he watched.

Benny swerved around desperately, and, finally finding a space to fit in, he darted under the door, leaving their room. Mookie stopped abruptly at the door, pacing in front of it with irritation. Alexis jogged over to the door, though she didn’t look as horrified as Syaoran thought she would have been, seeing as they treasured their two pets so much.

"They’re real friends." Syaoran said dryly, taking a drink of his water.

Alexis glared at him, then looked down the hall. "Come on, Telly, Benny got out again." She called, turning the door knob as she spoke. "I’ll be back then." She said, smiling at Syaoran and Sensei Wanti.

Syaoran watched Teller hurry down the hall, looking a bit annoyed, and watched him walk systematically outside. Syaoran frowned, bewildered. "Aren’t they worried?" He finally asked Sensei Wanti.

"It happens all the time. Benny always gets out." Sensei Wanti said casually, looking through a newspaper.

Syaoran nodded and got up. It didn’t seem like he and Sensei Wanti had anything left to talk about. "I’m going to go look around on my laptop." He said, taking his paper plate over to the trash can. I can look up this cruise’s book list, make sure Kinomoto is actually on the list, find their room number, and stay away from it.

________________________________________________________________________

Sakura looked self consciously down at her arm one more time.

"I promise you. You can’t see it. It’s almost completly a scar now, and the fabric helps hide it." Tomoyo said, eyeing Sakura’s arm inside the see through sleeve of the dress.

"I don’t see why I can’t wear the same thing I wore to the wedding." Sakura complained again. They were getting ready for the reception, and Tomoyo had Sakura in a new ‘party dress’.

"I told you. This has got to be more casual, it’s dance wear, you’ve got to be able to move around in it. I’m sure they’ll have karaoke! We can perform that Himiko Den song!"

Sakura sweatdropped. "I don’t think I want to..."

Tomoyo buzzed around, fixing the back of Sakura’s hair. She was fussing about Sakura like she use to before she...changed. "Some of your step cousins are really cute..." Tomoyo said, grinning slyly.

"Yes, that one with the blue streaked hair was staring at you, Tomoyo-chan."

Sakura said, smiling.

Tomoyo shook her head. "I think he was looking at the one next to me." She said.

Sakura sighed and stood up. She looked at herself in their full length mirror. The dress was, in her opinion, nicer than the one she had worn to the actual wedding. It was green and silky, and fell down to her ankles with ripples. The solid sleeves were only thin spaghetti straps, but there were see-through mint green bell sleeves that hung down below her wrists that connected to the straps on her shoulders.

"Well, at least they’re going to have really good food! This could be really fun, Tomoyo-chan." Sakura said excitedly.

"Maybe after that we can go back to the pool! The floodlights looked so pretty against that waterfall!" Tomoyo said.

"Willl you actually swim this time?" Sakura asked, fiddling with a peice of hair, then looking in the mirror to see what affect it had had.

Tomoyo smiled and shrugged. "I might."

Sakura smiled with satisfaction in the mirror. She rarely was conceited or self centered, but she did feel satisfaction with the pretty reflection she saw. "Let’s go!" She said, turning and grinning broadly at Tomoyo.

Tomoyo smiled back, and they jogged energetically to the door.

"All I can smell is that stupid oil stuff." Sakura complained as they walked into the hallway.

"It was rather fragrant...." Tomoyo agreed.

Their little skin treatment from the boat’s resident spa had put several mysterious fruit oils on them, and Sakura found that after a day’s rough conditions, she still remained reaking of fruit. "At least it’s a good smell..." Sakura mumbled. It did have a nice affect on her skin; her legs looked more shiny and smooth than she ever thought possible.

They walked to Sakura’s father’s room, where Touya and her father already stood waiting in their tuxedos. Touya gave his sister a curious look for wearing such flattering clothes, but her father smiled warmly. "That’s a wonderful dress, did you make it yourself Tomoyo?"

Tomoyo beamed. "Yes." She said, glowing with happiness.

"Well, shall we?" Sakura asked impatiently, anxious to get to the action.

Tomoyo locked elbows with Sakura. "Let’s go!" She said happily. They walked hurriedly onto the deck, which had a beautiful tropical breeze blowing over it. The sun was just starting to set, and the ocean glowed a radiant orange-pink, making the water seem endless. They stopped breifly to admire it, then followed the brightly lit path to the main hall, which was bustling with activity and bright lights, people moving all about.

The hall was open on most every side to the rest of the deck, aside from a few large pillars that held the roof up to distinguish the hall from the rest of the deck. The back of the room was lined with tables of all kinds of assorted foods, which Touya was looking at with a respective eye. The floor was mostly covered with dancers, of every age and skill, moving to the carribean type tune playing from the stage in the front of the room, where a dis jockey was controlling the music.

"What should we do?" Sakura asked Tomoyo, parting from her father and brother.

Tomoyo looked around, then smiled. "Look, there he is!" She said, spotting the taller boy with blue streaked hair. "Go dance!"

"Dance? In these shoes? Please, I’ll trip and nail his foot and give him temporary paralysis or something." Sakura said, looking down dismally at the high heeled shoes she balanced precariously over.

Tomoyo shook her head and smiled. She took firm hold of Sakura’s arm. "Come on. We’ll get to the middle of the floor and work our way out."

Sakura grimly followed after Tomoyo, who politely pushed her way through the moving sea of people. I should just loosen up. Everyone here is like third cousins of mine, I’ll never see them again, what does it matter how stupid I act?

Sakura and Tomoyo reached the center of the floor where the dancers were densely packed in, and movement was hard. They started dancing to the loud beat playing through the room’s excellent stereo system, frequetly bumping into the people surrounding them. Sakura quickly found it hot and hard to dance atop her shoes, but it was fun, so she kept on going. "Tomoyo!" She shouted over the loud music.

Tomoyo looked back from the boy she had started dancing with. "What?"

"This is fun!" Sakura said back.

"Yeah!" Tomoyo replied, going back to her dancing.

Sakura let herself loosen up completely, and found herself ‘dancing’ with someone around Touya’s age, who she recognized as one of her Aunt’s friends. After a song or two, Sakura began to feel a little tired and thirsty, so she made her way back to Tomoyo. "I’m gonna get a drink!" Sakura shouted over the music.

"What?" Tomoyo called back, the music drowning out Sakura’s voice.

"I am going to get a drink!" Sakura said more clearly, pointing towards the back of the room.

"Oh! Okay!" Tomoyo shouted.

Sakura pushed her way through the crowd of people, finding that it had grown since they had come in. The whole room was full of people, and though it was dark outside, the deck had occasional couples walking along the rail. Sakura headed to the table, then saw Touya engourging a peice of something. She walked over and smiled ecstatically at him, getting such an energy rush out of the whole thing. "Eaten enough yet, Onni-chan?"

Touya glanced casually down at his little sister before leaning back on the table and looking around at the crowd. "I am just picking out the good dancers, for when the slow songs start."

"I hope they never do, I’d much rather jump around to this..." Sakura said, pouring herself a glass of punch. She looked down the long tables of food, curiously watching all the different people, looking over their outfits. She turned back around and stood next to Touya. "How long do you think we are going to be here?" Sakura asked.

"Probably another good three hours. This looks like a long party." Touya said.

Sakura raised her eyebrows with surprise, having not thought it was going to be such a long event. She turned her head to the deck, seeing the ocean reflecting the rising moon’s light. It was beckoning her to come out and look. "I’m going to look at the water." Sakura said to Touya.

When he gave her a permitting nod Sakura hurried away, not wanting Tomoyo to catch up with her. She had to admit- spending two days straight with someone could get on your nerves, and she could use a break from the rest of the world. Sakura walked quietly over the smooth wooden deck, then stepped up the large step that rose to the long wooden booth that wrapped around the ship. She knelt on that and leaned on the railing, gazing over with admiring eyes.

Moonlight sparkled off the water, filling the tropical ocean with a silver glow. Sakura watched the water churn and ripple silently, her thoughts coming calmly and collectively. Why would Clow Reed ever want to make such magical things to destroy such a beautiful world? Why would he....but it’s not that beautiful... Sakura couldn’t help but feel breif selfpity. He’ll be coming back from Hong Kong soon, I’m sure. And everything will be like it was. I wonder if he knows anything more about this whole magic mixup thing? I hope his mother’ s doing alright.

Something caught the corner of Sakura’s eye, and she looked quickly to her side. Nothing was there, but she was sure she had seen something, so she stood back up off the booth and walked over to investigate. Sakura peered around the side of the booth and gasped as a tiny creature darted in front of her. She jumped back as the critter passed right by her feet, it’s beady little eyes reflecting all the lights of the boat. It darted under the booth, out of Sakura’s sight.

Once the initial shock was over, and she had stopped shaking from the abrupt surprise, Sakura forced her fear down and knelt up on the booth. Her hazardous shoes unbalanced her, so Sakura slipped her heels off before continuing her investigation. "Come here, little guy, I won’t hurt you..." Sakura said softly, trying to lean over the edge of the booth so she could see underneath, though it was near impossible.

Sakura tried and tried to get around the side of the booth to search the creature out, but it was impossible, and with a final sigh of frustration, Sakura sat on the bench, giving up.Sakura whirled around as something caught her ear, a very fimiliar voice catching her attention. She quickly searched the deck, but no one was there, so she figured she was just hearing things. She relaxed. Oh well. It was probably just a mouse, it’d be better for him to stay hidden anyway. Sakura pulled her heeled shoes on again and slowly made her way back to the dancing room.

_____________________________________________________________________

"...So they were both at the translation building, I’m not sure which department, but anyway, my mom saw a ‘tall handsome stranger’ and here we are now, stuck with all these Asians." Alexis went on.

"Mhmm." Syaoran mumbled, his eyes glued with a suspicious frown at the larger older man across the room. He was sure this was the man he had seen on his computer, he definitely matched the profile of potentially being the leader of the very group Syaoran was trying to keep from getting to the Senator, who was dancing with a; in Syaoran’s very unbiased opinion; a rather unattractive woman with horribly frizzy hair and an unflattering dress. He looked back to the man, who stood rock still from his perch by the food table.

"Quit Teller! You should be looking for Benny!" Alexis said, annoyed.

Syaoran turned to see what her fussing was about. Apparently Teller had pulled one of Alexis’s tightly wound red curls just to watch it spring back up. He had been doing it all night, just to annoy his sister. Syaoran returned his gaze at the suspicious group of guys across the room, though he left his ear listening to their conversation.

"I looked around the deck, he’s not there." Teller said.

"Well he’s somewhere. I have already served my hour looking for him, you still have thirty minutes left." She said in English.

Syaoran had found that between the brother and sister, they frequently switched languages, as they still were partial to English, and spoke it much more easily.

"There’s all the freakos running around (Syaoran doesn’t recognize the word ‘freako’, but he accepts it as an insult in the context) and I don’t have any...any...protection." He said, referring to the pistol Alexis had announced to her brother that Syaoran was carrying.

"You got a blackbelt, I thought that was supposed to protect you from ‘everything.’ I beleive that’s exactly what you said-"

"These are Japanese blackbelts! It’s probably alot better than ours!"

Alexis rolled her eyes. "GO! Find Benny!" Alexis commanded, shoving him away.

Teller gave her a mean glare, then one look of hope to Syaoran, who looked completly oblivious, before breaking down and walking back towards the deck. Syaoran was completly to their arguement now, because the suspicious man was moving, walking quietly down the side of the room, unnoticed from the average eye.

Syaoran followed him with his eyes carefully, not wanting to get caught watching. The man was walking onto the deck now, fairly close to where Teller had been walking. Syaoran glanced at Alexis, who was looking longingly at the dancefloor, then looked over at the Sensei, who was posted watching another suspcious character. He wasn’t watching. Syaoran took the duty upon himself, and walked after the man, ignorant of Alexis questioning look.

The deck was a nice break from the party atmosphere, Syaoran had to admit, there was a slow breeze that helped relax him into concentrating. Syaoran could see the man a ways down the deck, walking quickly, glancing over his shoulder, a sure giveaway that he was up to something. Syaoran walked stealthily along the wall following, glancing frequently around to be sure he wasn’t being watched himself. There’s probably some big mafia organization that the elders really sent me after, just watch. Syaoran hurried his pace as the man rounded a corner ahead, going temporarily out of sight.

Syaoran broke into a choppy jog, quickly reaching the corner. He turned it at a walk, his eyes seeking out the man, who, to Syaoran’s surprise, was standing directly in front of him. Syaoran narrowly missed bumping into the man, who glowered down at Syaoran, and Syaoran quickly tried to cover up any suspicions. "Sumimasen (Excuse me)." Syaoran mumbled, hurrying on his way like he was going somewhere.

Syaoran knew that the man was watching him with dark penetrating eyes to be sure Syaoran was really innocent. Syaoran rushed further, as if the mans glare might seek out the truth if Syaoran gave him enough time. He hurried down the long deck, brushing past couples that walked down the peaceful railing of the large ship. Damn. Now he’ll know that I’m....Sensei Wanti isn’t going to like this. Well he can cry over it because it’s not my fault, at least I’m doing something. He’s just standing around. But now I’m not going to be able to do a whole lot, they’re gonna be so suspicious....

Syaoran walked down the side of the ship, not wanting to go back into the party room, to be dragged onto the dance floor with Alexis or forced to endure another one of Teller’s life stories. He looked around deck habitually, then froze suddenly, completely paralyzed. from the sight he saw. A girl with a glowing aura of peace and serenity was kneeling on the booth that wrapped around the ship, looking curiously around for something. At second glance Syaoran saw she was shoeless, and her dressy shoes lay on the ground.

Syaoran wanted to talk to her, but his nagging conscience and his highly active nerves held him back. I promised myself to avoid her. She’ll mess up my concentration. But...She’s already messed up my concentration. What will it hurt? She was still thirty feet away, and Syaoran was going to have to walk over to her, and he was having enough trouble compromising with his legs to stand, let alone walk. Syaoran contemplated consequences once more, then decided to walk forward. He about jumped as a hand tapped his shoulder.

"Sensei Wanti wants you." Teller said, peering up at him, chewing loudly on some type of party food.

Syaoran knew his glare must have been horrible, but he couldn’t hold back his annoyance. Syaoran glanced back over at Sakura, who was continuing to search for something, then looked back to Teller, who watched him quizzically. "Yeah, alright." Syaoran muttered, rushing into the dancing room while trying to hold in his frustration.

He made his was through the crowd to the place where Sensei Wanti stood, his eyes watchful to something across the room. He looked up when Syaoran arrived. "I have been watching those men over there." He said, nodding in the direction.

Syaoran followed his gaze and saw the tight group of similarly dressed men standing at the food table, definitely looking like a match. "I saw the lead one on deck." Syaoran said, neglecting the rest of the story.

"That one, you mean?" The Sensei asked, as a larger man was approaching the group. He exchanged a few words with a guy on the side of the group, before they all returned looking around the crowd. They all had their heads turned in the direction of the Senator’s dancing spot, being a dead give away that they were who they seemed.

"Yes." Syaoran said, watching the man warily before looking down, afraid the man might see him watching again.

"I have a lead on his room. I’m going to go check it out. You’ve got to keep watch here." Sensei Wanti instructed.

"Alright." Syaoran agreed, though he was hesitant, he didn’t want to watch the very people he was trying not to watch.

The sensei walked off towards the deck, and Syaoran watched him for a few moments before looking back to the table of guys. I wonder if I’ll see her again?

___________________________________________________________________

"They’re starting karaoke!" Tomoyo shouted excitedly over the music.

Sakura smiled warily. "I dunno..." She did have a great energy rush from all this dancing, and she could consider singing. "But there’s so many people..."

"That you’ll never see again! Don’t worry, I’ll be playing the piano up there with you, it’ll be a blast!"

Sakura sighed, unconvinced.

"Besides, I’m sure your father would love to hear it!" Tomoyo said, smiling slyly.

Sakura looked over at her father, who had temporarily taken a break from the adult’s dancing group, and was now standing at the food table, looking rather lonely. Sakura sighed, then looked to Tomoyo, a slow smile starting to spread. "I guess." She said. Just the fact that she had agreed made Sakura sick with nervousness and excitement, and she looked anxiously up at the stage, where the first karaoke singer was singing. It was the Senator’s sister, who looked a little drunk or something, because she seemd to stumble onto the stage.

Sakura grinned as she began to sing horribly off key and off beat. They would do just fine. "Alright." Sakura said again, then found that Tomoyo had already walked over to the DJ in charge of stage music and informed him. She walked over to Sakura and took her arm, pulling her over to the stage side. She smiled at Sakura, showing excitement as well.

"This is going to be so exciting! I hope your father tapes it, I’ll get all I can from the piano."

Sakura shook her head, though she couldn’t rid the smile of nervousness she had. "I can’t beleive I’m doing this." Sakura said.

"It’ll be so fun, Sakura! We’re going to get such a rush!" Tomoyo said excitedly.

"You should be the one singing!" Sakura said, biting her lip as the song was starting to fade.

"You can do it, Sakura-chan! Besides, I’m the one of us that know how to lay this on the piano." Tomoyo said, grinning.

Sakura felt sick as Tomoyo dragged her up the stairs to the stage, but she also felt excitement, and she tried to linger on that feeling. Sakura carefully stepped towards the microphone, parting from Tomoyo. Tomoyo smiled encouragingly, sitting down on the bench to the electronic piano that was on the side of the stage. She gave Sakura one last smile with sparkling eyes before setting her camera ontop the piano and starting to play the pretty piano opening.

Sakura wanted to run or hide, but she couldn’t. She nervously stepped forward to the microphone, waiting with dread for her singing to have to start. The intro was almost over, and Sakura was quickly trying to swallow down the lump in her throat. She tried to very un-timidly sing out the first few notes, and tried not to cringe as she didn’t like the sound of her voice. She jumped back just slightly at the volume her voice was being amplified to, and felt horribly stupid, but from the laugh she got from the crowd she was able to relax slightly and fall into the rhythm of the song. Halfway through the first verse, Sakura loosened up, relaxing from the smiles she got from her relatives that watched. They don’t care how good I sing. They’d rather me be having fun then singing as stiff as a board. Sakura about laughed as she came to this revelation, and she began to relax, singing with a wide smile the happier chorus that had a sound of hope to it.

At the second verse, Sakura was about drunk from all the attention she was getting and all the energy she got from the rush of the stage, so she became bold enough to take the microphone out of the stand and walk around with it. It had became so much easier to sing now that she had loosened up, and it had suddenly become a fun game, to keep the audience entertained.

The long song finally reached the bridge, and as Sakura was boldly smiling and looking around at the huge crowd that stretched far across the ship, she choked on one of the words, her voice almost completly dying out. She could have sworn she had just seen a pair of exstremly fimiliar amber eyes watching her softly. Where had she seen them? Sakura looked desperately around as she attempted to continue singing the verse, but in the huge audience, it was hard picking anyone out. Now that Sakura thought about it, she did sense a faint aura, though it was hard to distinguish.

Sakura went back to nervousness, feeling exstremly self-conscious. If Syaoran was in the crowd, she didn’t want him to see her looking like a total idiot on stage! She had been lolling around like she was drunk, what would he think of that? Sakura thanked her lucky stars that the song was almost to the end, and she practically muttered the last few words before putting the microphone off and rushing off stage, not bothering to wait for Tomoyo. If he was in that crowd, Sakura was going to find him.

She had noticed him in the back of the crowd, at least she thought, so, driven by mad want to see him again, she charged through the people. Yes. He is here! I can sense it! Why in the world would he...She looked right and left through the people in the back of the crowd, but didn’t see anything. Sense it, don’t look for it...

Sakura blinked and concentrated. She turned and looked towards the back of the room where the tables of food were. She practically jumped back as she met two fiery eyes that were long missed. A slow smile spread across her face, and she brushed her way past people over to him, reaching him, then smiling at him unsurely. How was she supposed to greet someone she hadn’t seen in two months? And how was she supposed to greet him when they were meeting in such an unlikely place. "Syaoran! What are you doing here?" Sakura asked, staring at him with a bewildered smile.

Syaoran had a small smile on his face as he looked back at her sparkling emerald eyes, which were so genuinely happy. "Just watching the performances." He said, glancing over at the stage then back at her.

Sakura’s smile faded. "Yeah.." She said with annoyance, hating herself for acting like such an idiot..

"No, I’m on an assignment, did you not...get any of my...my letters?" Syaoran asked.

Loud music started up with the next karaoke performer, catching Sakura and Syaoran’s attention temporarily. She looked back to Syaoran, confused. "Letters? No, I didn’t think you sent any..." She said loudly over the noisy song.

Syaoran frowned. So his suspicions had been correct. "I sent a couple." He said, fidgeting.

Sakura frowned then shrugged it off. "Oh well, they must have gotten lost in the postman’s hands." She looked around at the people- or at least pretended to, then looked back to Syaoran, unable to hold her attention away from him. "How is your mother?" She asked.

"Wha`t? Oh, uh, she’s doing better." Syaoran said, glad to see Sakura still cared.

"That’s good." Sakura said, then looked down, thinking over what he said. He’s on a mission? Like one from the elders? But I thought he was just, just visiting his mother....Maybe he’s like filling in for someone or something. Or...he was so sweet and he might actually miss me, so he took the chance to see me? "Is Meilin-chan here?" Sakura asked.

"No." Syaoran said. He glanced sideways at Sakura, knowing that she was probably going through a complex chain of thoughts, before looking back to the group of men at a far table of food. His eyes met the watching eyes of the leader guy, the bigger one, who glared back at Syaoran. Syaoran abruptly looked away. Damn it. Now they know I’m onto them. How am I supposed to watch them? How am I supposed to deal with Sakura being here? She’s already taken my concentration.

"How is your school?" Sakura asked, feeling like she had to keep the conversation going.

"It’s alright." Syaoran responded absently, trying to pretend he was deep in concentration as he tried desperately to focus.

Sakura sighed, she hated fake conversations, especially with Syaoran, because she knew how much better it was when he was open with her. Here I thought it’d be so exciting to see him on this boat, miraculously I got my wish, and now I am not even enjoying it. "What’s-"

"Syaoran, have you seen Teller anywhere?" Said a girl Sakura didn’t know, though obviously Syaoran did.

Syaoran, so absorbed in his observation of the guys at the far table, took a second before realizing what was happening. He glanced at Sakura then looked to Alexis, who was waiting expectently for an answer. "Uh, no." Syaoran said truthfully.

"Oh." She blinked and looked at Sakura, realizing that she was not just a stranger getting food off the table next to Syaoran. She met Sakura’s eyes for a second, then looked to Syaoran, confused. "I, uh, I just heard some house keeping woman come by talking about a mouse on deck. I hope it isn’t Benny. Who knows what they’ll do..."

Sakura took interest in the girl’s conversation. "Are you missing a mouse?" She asked.

The girl looked with a little surprise at Sakura, that she was actually talking to her. "My hamster’s missing." She confirmed. "Why though, I mean, who are you?" Alexis asked, using a very fimilar Syaoran-type glare at her.

"Kinomoto Sakura." Sakura said. "I know Li-"

"Sakura? Like from Sakura Wars? That’s really your real name?"

Sakura nodded hesitantly, laughing uncertainly. "Yes..."

"That’s cool." The girl said, then sighing loudly. "I’m Alexis Chincawau, Chincawau Alexis, whatever." She said.

Sakura nodded, then looked to Syaoran, who was not being any help in this situation. "You know Li-kun?" She asked the girl.

"Yeah. We came with Syaoran to this mission thing."

"We?"

"My brother, my mother, and my step father. I’m not really asian, if you couldn’t tell."

"Oh." Sakura replied. There was a breif moment of silence as Sakura pondered exactly why this girl came, then Sakura remembered what she was going to say. "I saw-"

"I’m going to look for Teller, then, let me know if you see him, Syaoran." Alexis said, a bit rudely interrupting Sakura before she stalked off. Sakura frowned and watched her with confusion, then looked to Syaoran. "Is she always-"

"Yes." Syaoran answered before Sakura had to finish.

Sakura felt a breif moment of rememberence- rembering how it was to talk freely to Syaoran, but he went quiet again. "I, uh, I was just gonna tell her I saw a little mouse thing on deck. I tried to get it, but it was hiding under the booth thing. It could have been a hamster, if I think about it."

"Oh." Syaoran said, dragging his eyes off the crowd to meet Sakura’s breifly.

Sakura tapped the toe of her shoe in the ground. Syaoran obviously wasn’t getting the hint. "Should we look for it?" She asked after a moment of silence.

Syaoran realized what she meant and immediatly went into conflict inside his mind. You’ll be digging your own grave if you follow her out onto the deck. At night. With all this romantic Carribean music playing. "It’d probably be better if housekeeping does find it themselves." He glanced at Sakura and felt his stomach fall as her hopeful expression turned to one of hurt.

Does he not want to see me? Maybe I should just go back and see Tomoyo. But no, this is all I could have asked for! Why is he being so distant, it’s not like we’re strangers, we haven’t really been apart for that long. Sakura looked sideways at Syaoran, who was looking back in the same direction he had been for a while now.

"We have to hurry. I can’t leave this room that long." Syaoran finally broke down and said, cringing to think what Sensei Wanti would have to say about this.

Sakura brightened. "Okay, it was over here..." Sakura said, turning and walking, glancing behind herself to make sure Syaoran was following.

She led him along the tables of food, then out onto the breezy deck. It ruffled her hair around, and she glared at the breeze for disarranging her perfectly set hair, but forced herself to continue on despite her billowing hair. Sakura stopped in front of the booth and turned to Syaroan, smiling just because he was there. "I saw something like a hamster here just a little while ago. I’m not sure if it’s still here..." She said, pointing to the part of the booth.

Syaoran could have almost laughed, as he realized that when he had seen her earlier, she had been looking for the hamster. Syaoran felt his furious concentration for his mission failing as he looked on at Sakura’s child like smile, her older body fitting into one of Tomoyo’s best creations perfectly. He had to check himself before he could step forward. She’s doing it already. Messing you up. You’re going to get the Senator killed, then your own mother, because you were so weak that you failed your mission. Syaoran easily swung halfway over the railing, something Sakura hadn’t thought of doing, and peered under the booth.

Not able to see anything because of a wall, he swung back up, facing Sakura. "You can’t see anything- there’s a wall in the way." He said. Syaoran sneezed, something he hadn’t done in a while, and felt a breif spell of light headedness, but he quickly dismissed the actions away.

Sakura nodded then looked around the railing, trying to find another way to search out the missing rodent. "Could you go around this..." Sakura half mumbled to herself, half to him, attempting to swing around another set of railings. She couldn’t reach, so she stepped onto the booth with her high heeled shoes and attempted to push herself forward.

The slick bottoms on her very ‘expensive’ shoes were awful surfaces to depend on, and Sakura slipped, her right leg going out from under her. She found herself falling for an instant, then stopped, Syaoran’s quick reflexes catching her. Sakura caught her breath from the shaky incident, then stood up, exstremely aware that Syaoran’s hands remained on her arms. Sakura looked at him inquisitively and found him gazing at her left forearm, his thick lashes shading his eyes as he frowned with a hurt expression.

Sakura quickly understood what he was looking at, as she looked down she saw that her see-through sleeve had been pushed aside somewhere in this incident, and the long scar from the ghost’s mean attack stood out brilliantly on her pale skin, being highlighted by the moon. Syaoran met her eyes. "What..."

"I tried to negotiate with the ghost." Sakura explained, smiling aside. "She didn’t like to talk, I guess." Sakura said, holding contact with his fiery eyes that stared back even.

Syaoran frowned and sighed, looking down. "Why did you tell me everything was alright? She didn’t do anything else, did she?"

Sakura shook her head, her eyes dropping to his hand that so softly supported her forearm. "No, nothing’s happened, really, demo (but)...." Sakura looked back up at his eyes with more emotion, which startled him slightly. "When are you coming back, Syaoran-kun?"

"I..." Syaoran guiltily looked back at her arm, taking any escape to get away from her eyes. "I don’t know-"

Someone nearby loudly cleared their throat. "Am I interrupting something?" Alexis’s rude voice asked so bluntly.

Syaoran turned and dropped Sakura’s arm, though he wasn’t really embaressed, because if anything, this girl was very casual about open affection. "We are just searching out your sorry excuse for a mammal." Syaoran said, glaring, hating her for interrupting such a moment.

"Well have you had any luck?" She asked, annoyed.

"I saw a hamster her just a while ago, under this booth, but we can’t see under it." Sakura said kindly, her voice rarely turning cold against another person.

"Oh?" Alexis answered. She walked over to the booth and kicked the side hard with her toe. Sakura jumped back as a rampid rodent came flying out from under, darting over to the highest level of the deck. Alexis made a sad dive to catch him before he climbed the wall with terror, yet again evading them. Alexis ran up to the wall, then looked back for help. "I need a boost!" She said like it was an obvious thing, stepping back and forth with impatience.

Syaoran sighed and ambled over, reluctantly leaving Sakura’s side. He laced his fingers into a step and held it out for Alexis to use. She quickly stepped into his hands and launched herself up, grabbing the ceiling over the level and pulling herself up onto it. "Benny!" Syaoran heard her say excitedly. After a few thudding footsteps, Alexis was out of hearing range.

Sakura walked over quietly and looked up at the place Alexis had dismebarked, then looked back to Syaoran, sighing inwardly as she saw his fimiliar face. "I’ve...I’ve got to get going." She muttered, looking towards the room where Tomoyo was sure to be having a fit by now, missing the ‘kawaii’ Sakura.

Syaoran looked at her sideways, not wanting to allow himself any more than that. "Oh..."

"But..." Sakura smiled hopefully at him. "I will see you back in there?"

"Right." Syaoran answered.

Sakura stood in the same spot for a moment after he answered before she was able to walk away, tearing herself from him and the safety she felt near him. This isn’t right. Shouldn’t I be overjoyed that he’s here? I don’t get it. It’s all awkward again. I don’t want to go through that phase, I thought we were finally getting over that. But that was two months ago... She turned one more time, hesitating, though Syaoran wasn’t aware she was still around. He was looking at another side of the party room, his eyes glaring at something.

Sakura looked towards his gaze and only saw that the dancefloor had slowed down a bit, and everyone was slow dancing now. It took her only a few seconds to find Touya dancing with a pretty girl his age, which made her roll her eyes. She looked back to Syaoran once more, then turned and continued into the dance room, searching out Tomoyo.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Syaoran might have been a little more dismayed at Sakura’s exit, but he was finally focusing on his mission; only because there was movement from the gang of guys at the food table that caught his attention. They looked ready to do something, and Syaoran knew that was trouble. I’ve got to get Sensei Wanti, they aren’t on to him yet.

"I got him!" Alexis shouted triumphantly in English, peering of the side of the level. "Why the long face?" She asked Syaoran, again abandoning his native language.

He was getting fed up with all the switching language crap. "You’ve got to find Wanti-san, I need his help."

Alexis hopped down off the higher level with considerable agility, her eyes sparkling with fun, she was thoroughly enjoying this boat ride. "So that is your girlfriend in Japan? I heard Meilin talking-"

"Get Wanti-san! You’re going to get people killed if you don’t!" Syaoran shouted with annoyance.

Alexis glared at him for using such a tone. "Get him yourself." She said, casually petting the little hamster in her hand.

"I can’t, I’ve got to watch these people." Syaoran said impatiently.

"Well he’s not going to like seeing me and Benny-"

"LOOK!" Syaoran shouted, knowing time was of the essence. He roughly jerked her shoulders around and pointed her towards the group of men still standing. "See those guys in the black suits? Each one of them has a gun, if not more, and things could likely escalate to a full blown massacre if we don’t act, you don’t want all that guilt on your shoulders, for not helping out, right?"

Alexis knew when to settle down and get a point. "Fine. You’ve got to hold Benny." She said, forcing the little hamster into Syaoran’s hands. She was the master at hurrying away, and Syaoran wasn’t able to protest as the hamster squirmed around in his hand. He glared at her back as she jogged away noisily with her loud heeled shoes, then glared down at the little hamster that reminded him too much of Bob the bug. Both useless. Both have beady eyes. Syaoran sighed in surrender and dropped the little animal in his coat pocket, then strolled back into the party room.

Sakura wasn’t anywhere around, and Syaoran realized he didn’t exactly know who she was travelling with. Her father, that’s a given, and Touya, of course, to ruin everything. I don’t see any of them here. I hope they didn’t leave. Now that I’ve seen her... she probably has alot she failed to tell me. Syaoran looked toward the table, seeing that the lead guy was pacing suspiciously, and one of the other guys had his hand in his pocket in an odd manner. Syaoran jammed his own hands in his pockets, making sure he still had the silent pistol he thought he did, and the sai he was carrying in case he ran out of ammo. Syaoran was really hoping he wouldn’t have to use any type of weapon, but it was looking like the situation was going the other way.

Syaoran looked back down, not wanting to catch any of the men’s eyes, and pretended to study the food and appetizers. There was some interesting chocolate looking deserts, so Syaoran decided to try it. He chewed on the fudge based cake peice while continuing to glare off in the direction he was scouting. He abruptly stopped chewing as the lead one was reaching in his suit jacket for something, then brought his hand back out, though it was empty. Syaoran knew what he was likely checking to make sure he had.

Syaoran looked with worried eyes to the Senator’s position, who was dancnig happily and quietly with his new mistress near the stage, which was back from karaoke to playing nice slow music. He looked to the table, where the men’s ready positions made him uneasy. The lead one was looking across the crowd, then suddenly switched his eyes to Syaoran’s, meeting Syaoran’s eyes across the large distance with a foreboding glower.

Syaoran’s eyes widened and he quickly looked down, feeling fatigue and panic. If the man had been suspicious of him before, now he was sure to be signing Syaoran onto his hitlist. Syaoran nervously looked around at the floor beneath him, trying to form a plan. Where is Alexis when I need her? Wanti-san, or someone! I’ve got to keep watching them, they’re going to do something any minute! If only I could get someone else to watch him... Syaoran’s fast processing brain immediatly pointed him to searching the dance floor for a certain person.

Not seeing her, Syaoran turned and began looking up and down the back of the room. A girl with see-through bell sleeves was picking out something and putting it on a plate to the other side of the room. This is too predictable. Of course it’s her, we always end up helping each other out... Syaoran made his way around the people in the back to Sakura, who was continuing to chose her food oblivious to her surroundings. Sakura definitely seemed to have a one track mind, if a bomb was going off behind her, she would continue to chose her food. "Sakura." Syaoran said, trying to get her attention.

Sakura turned with curiosity, then gave him a broad grin. "Syaoran-kun! I didn’t think you were going to come back, I figured the slow dancing was too boring. I don’t blame you, I saw it as a time to stock up on food-"

"Can I ask a favor from you?" Syaoran asked, not wanting to cut in on her, but seeing no way around it- who knows what was happening at the table across the way.

Sakura blinked unsurely for a second. She still held a general shyness to him as most people do when they haven’t been in contact for a while, but she wasn’t about to let that stand in the way of their friendship. "Of-of course." Sakura said, smiling crookedly.

"Come on, then." Syaoran instructed, turning towards the dancing crowd. He glanced over his shoulder and waited expectently for her to walk side to side with him, then continued on. "I wrote you, in my letters, not to come on this ship, because it was dangerous." He stopped temporarily, as they had to split around a couple that seemed to involved in their slow dancing to notice anyone trying to get by.

"The senator your aunt married is friends of the elders, or something. But he’s not so popular with these people from Tokyo." He explained.

"I see." Sakura said, though she was still very confused about where he was leading her- forcing her to walk through all these dancing people, disrupting some of these people’s moments of bliss. She glanced unsurely sideways at him, seeing that he was slowing down.

They came to a stop, and Syaoran faced her, and Sakura felt her temporarily dormant stomach butterflies start to rouse, as his fiery eyes met hers dead center. "But they’re onto me. And I’ve got to keep watching them."

"So you want me to see?" Sakura asked, still a bit confused from the peplexed way Syaoran was explaining this. They were near the opposite edge of the dancing floor, and Sakura was completly thrown about why they would walk the hard way through the whole dancing crowd just to arrive on the other side.

Syaoran, though he was masterfully hiding his nervousness with his professionalism about his mission, had a hard time swallowing. Professional professional professional professional... Syaoran put his hands on her shoulders and tried not to grimace at her startled expression, only to keep his composure. "Look over my shoulder, ‘kay?"

Sakura slowly nodded and stepped awkwardly forward, trying to keep her balance as she felt uneasy about this whole ordeal. Syaoran was acting very calmly about this, which bothered Sakura further more. Since when was he so comfortable around girls? I don’t like this! He is making me feel like the one behind in this situation. That’s not cool. Sakura was looking over his shoulder despite her uncomfortableness, just as he had instructed.

Syaoran had no idea how to word this next sentence, every way seemed to be as bad as the last. When at first he tried to speak, no sound came out, though luckily Sakura was facing the other direction and didn’t see. "P-put your arms around me. They’re suspicious enough, if they notice anything out of the ordinary..."

Sakura couldn’t help but feel a little angry towards him, as he seemed so calm and collected about this, while she was having a hard time staying sane. She hesitantly followed his orders and slipped her arms around his lower back, hoping that the noise of rushing butterflies didn’t make it out to external audible levels.

Syaoran took a deep breath and concentrated. It would have been a whole lot easier if Alexis would have been around- "Okay, see that group of guys at the back table? Don’t stare, just...just look."

Sakura glanced around with quick eyes, though she was having a hard time concentrating on anything but the fact that she was standing so closely and in such an uncomfortable position... She swept the area, then spotted a group of older males, all wearing similar suits. "They’re wearing black suits?" She dared to say, hoping her voice wouldn’t fail her.

"Yeah. That’s them. Okay, is there a bigger one there?" Syaoran asked. God please say he hasn’t snuck out to find a sniping position just yet, I can’t fail this, I can’t!

"Uh..." big one...big... "Ye-yes. There’s a larger guy, he’s um...he’s looking around." Sakura said, trying to pick out actions that might be helpful.

"What about the others, what are they doing? Is there six of them?" Syaoran asked.

"Yeah, six, they are just standing there. Funny, I didn’t notice them before..." Sakura said. Syaoran didn’t immediatly answer, and there was a moment of silence that made Sakura remember where she was, and she twiddled her thumbs behind Syaoran’s back, unsure of what to do.

"I’m sorry, if I- I mean, I should have explained what I meant, you don’t mind, do you?" Syaoran stuttered, hating himself for being so jumpy. His head was pounding- like the start of a headache, but he just figured it was all the lighting getting to him, so he paid no heed to it.

"No, it’s alright." Sakura said lightly, trying to put as much optimism in that as she could. At least he said that. Now I don’t feel so stupid. So he’s a little more nervous inside than he’s showing. Her eyes set off an alarm as the largest man in the group began to move. He was walking away from the table, exchanging a few words as he walked. Sakura wasn’t able to read his lips with the night time lighting. "Um, the- the lead guy, he’s walking away, he just said something, and now he left." Sakura said, not sure what exactly what kind of ‘mission lingo’ to use.

Syaoran muttered some curse words under his breath, though Sakura hadn’t quite caught them, and he pulled away from her, his hands suddenly leaving her shoulders as he stepped away. With no further goodbye Syaoran rushed out of the crowd, stranding Sakura to the side of the dancing crowd. She looked after him with bewildered eyes. Only Syaoran could trick me into dancing with him, then abandon me in the middle of a crowd, and not have me mad at him. She shook her head with disbeleif in herself for being so laidback about his abrupt exit, then turned and started walking towards the nearest edge of the dancing crowd. She held a wary eye at the group of men at the table, keeping a good distance as she walked. What are they planning to do? Hurt the Senator? Is Syaoran his body guard or something?

She looked after Syaoran but couldn’t find him, so she continued to walk back to the food table, where she had been putting food on a table. I wonder if there’s any way I can help? Syaoran is the strangest person I’ve ever known. Sakura abled over to the table where her plate of half placed food remained disrupted, and she began looking through the appetizers again. I wonder who that girl is, Chincawau? Is she a friend of Meilin’s? No, because, Meilin isn’t even here. I wonder why? Sakura turned around once she had her food and looked towards the group of men at the table. There was only four of them standing now, the leader gone, and one of the others.

Where did Tomoyo go to? She’s probably dancing with that one boy, the one with the blue streaked hair. Good for her. Good thing she didn’t see us, I mean, she would’ve had a cow. Why is she so messed up about Syaoran? Sakura blinked and looked towards the open side of the room where a figure had just sprinted by. There goes Syaoran. I wonder where he’s going? Somewhere dangerous, I suppose. No place for a card mistress like me to be. She leaned back on the table and chomped loudly on the raw vegetables she had gotten.

Sakura’s adventurous side was nagging relentlessly. He could always use a little help. Maybe if he gets this mission over with, he will actually talk to me. Sakura looked towards the direction she had seen him go for a moment, then, nervously coming to a decision, she set her plate back down on the table and hurried after him. He’ll probably hate me for following him. Oh well. He can deal with it. I did him a favor.

Sakura got through the crowd and made sure Tomoyo was no where in sight before she broke into a jog, reaching the quiet deck, where the breeze again disarranged her hair. Sakura looked ahead of herself carefully, trying to find where exactly Syaoran would be. There was a hallway that led down to the rooms under deck. That looks like a good place to follow an assassin. I’ll go there. Sakura carefully trotted down the stairs, trying not to make too much noise with her horrible high heels. She stepped down onto the carpeted hallway and advanced much more slowly; this hall was more lit for night time, and it reaked of suspicious cubby holes and crevices where enemies could lurk. I shouldn’t be doing this... I’m on vacation from this stuff, I should be relaxing... But I can’t relax if Syaoran is around having all the fun... Sakura advanced on, looking frequently over her shoulder as she stepped deeper into the ship.

The hallway came to a four way, which Sakura carefully peered around. She swore she heard a sound coming from her left. Sakura looked down the gloomy hallway with dismay. Why am I doing this again? Because I’m killed by my own curiousity. And I want Syaoran’s friendship a little too much. Sakura walked down the hallway carefully, knowing she was getting close, sensing an aura nearby. She reached a T in this hallway, and slowed to a stop, trying to sense where to go before turning in this even darker hallway. She carefully stepped around the wall to her left again.

She was met with a rough hand which pinned her to a wall, and before Sakura had a chance to scream, she was staring into a fist. Luckily, that fist was at a stop in front of her face, though the knuckles were uncomfortably close. After a few seconds, Sakura knew that the punch wasn’t going to be followed through.

"You shouldn’t follow people." Syaoran’s undertoned voice said, as he took back his fist and his hand off her shoulder.

Sakura stepped back with releif and exhaled the air she had been holding in. She looked around the hallway to see if they were in danger then looked back to him. "I...I thought I could help." She said in a hushed voice, not sure if they were being listened in on or not.

"You don’t have to whisper, but, God, you shouldn’t be following me, do you have any idea-" Syaoran stopped talking abruptly, his eyes darting down the hall.

"Are you following someone?" Sakura whispered, looking for what he was trying to watch.

Syaoran nodded absently, then addressed her. "Can you do a binding spell?" Syaoran asked.

Sakura nodded. He started tiptoeing down the hall- back the way Sakura had just come from. "It will help slow him down..." Syaoran mumbled. "But he can make a counter attack very quickly." He continued.

Sakura frowned- where was he going? "Aren’t you following him? I just came from here, there’s no one-"

"Shh!" Syaoran said, quickly flinging himself against a wall. Sakura hurried to hide herself as well, and looked with confusion at him. Syaoran looked worriedly behind them, then turned his head to Sakura. "I was a little careless, and...the lead one figured me out."

"He’s chasing you then?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran walked around the wall then turned to her once more. "Come on, hurry!" He instructed, taking off at a sprint down the hallway. Sakura panicked to keep up, and tried vainly to hold a run with her heels.

"Matte! Li-kun!" Sakura whispered after him harshly, slowing to a stop and quickly ripping off her shoes. Syaoran stopped temporarily and anxiously waited for a short second.

Though Sakura hadn’t been with Syaoran for two months, and they were still rather shy around each other, Sakura remembered exactly how to work in a team with Syaoran, and when his eyes widened, Sakura knew that was a sure sign of trouble behind. Without further instruction from Syaoran, she whipped around and shouted out her staff, then shouted a Binding spell before she was even able to completly see the man’s face. Sure enough, it was the lead guy, who now was harmlessly still. She turned back to Syaoran, who was looking a little releived.

"He’ll counter that any second, hurry!" Syaoran ordered, turning and running again.

Sakura, now carrying her shoes and running on her soft bare feet, was able to keep up easily, and was sprinting alongside him. She looked over her shoulder as she ran, seeing that the man’s stiff position was starting to thaw. "Why is he after you?" She asked breathlessly.

"I..." Syaoran started, turning sharply around a corner. He turned his head to Sakura for a second before glancing over his shoulder to the corner they had just turned. "Got caught spying." He said. "Does... (they rounded another corner) ...your sleep card still not work?...Sleep spells are too...weak."

They slowed to a jog as they reached the deck again, and there were several couples eyeing them suspiciously as they gazed off the railing. "Nope, it’s changed into a Clow Card..." She said through her steady breathing. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that a man was rising up the stairs, exstremely close. "Syaoran!" She shouted nervously.

Syaoran glanced over his shoulder then looked ahead of himself, looking across the deck. He nodded Sakura in the direction of further away inset stairs. "The rooms." He halfway explained, running hard in that direction.

Sakura ran as hard as she could, though she knew the man was staying right on their tail. "How far?" She asked.

"Two more flights." Syaoran said, leaping down the stairs.

"Two..." Sakura breathed to herself, trying to keep up. She was in a hole now. She had followed Syaoran, now she was caught in whatever mess he was struggling through. She looked down the hallway and recognized it immediatly. "My room’s right here!" She said, quickly rumaging into the tiny pocket she insisted Tomoyo add to her dress and fishing out the key card. Without waiting for Syaoran to comply, she put the card into the slot, then quickly pulled it out. She swung the door open and lept inside, knowing that every second would count, if the man saw them go into her room, they were screwed.

Syaoran had caught on to what she was doing after a second, and quickly shut the door behind himself, leaning back on it with exhaustion. "Good...call." He said between breaths.

Sakura collapsed on the couch in their large room and collapsed. "You will have to explain all of this to me."

Syaoran looked warily down. "I’ve got to get back to that room, but with that guy running around,..."

Sakura sat up from her collapsed position and faced him. "I’m not much help, I know that Binding spell, a Shield one, and I’ve got the Libra, the Silent, the Big, the small, the Earthy, the Light, and the Dark cards left." She said.

Syaoran jammed his hand in his pocket to keep Benny from squirming around. Apparently the hamster didn’t appreciate being run around hallways, but Syaoran didn’t exactly care about the hamster’s feelings right now. "I’ve got to keep anything from happening to your step uncle."

"Oh, was that man...?" Sakura asked, unsure.

"He’s after him." Syaoran confirmed, looking down uncomfortably at his feet. There’s no use to feel awkward around her. She obviously isn’t too shy, if she followed me all the way down there...Syaoran may have not admitted it because of the immediate fear of Sakura’s safety being infringed on, but he had actually been flattered by Sakura’s following him. He looked up at the room to actually see things. This room was very large and adjoined to seperate rooms, both of which were empty. From the type of suitcases in them, he could tell they were both girls, and one looks suspiciously color coordinated to Tomoyo’s likings. He looked around this main room with its kitchen and balcony, then looked to the jacuzzi. Wow I got really screwed on the room choice.

"I don’t suppose we could use the Libra to get the man to confess his plans publicly? Unless there just happened to be a security guard standing ‘round..." Sakura said, looking absently at the television, looking anywhere but the doorway.

Syaoran blinked for a second, then stood upright off his place leaning on the door. "Of course, why didn’t I...Do you have the Libra with you?"

Sakura was confused for a second that he had actually thought of her plan as anything but a light joke, then quickly came to attention. "Y-yeah, it’s in my suitcase..." Sakura said, clambering off the couch to a standing position. "Do you really want me to get it?"

Syaoran nodded. "If we can get him to the stage for karaoke, we can get him to say it into the microphone, and all the security on staff will cuff him in no time."

Sakura walked towards her room, stepping right through open doorway. She started rummaging through to the back pocket which was holding her cards, and quickly pulled them out. She stood up straight to Syaoran, who was waiting rather impatiently, his eyes glued to her cards. She pulled out the clow cards. "I’ll have to show you those later, I mean,...if you have time of course." She mumbled, searching through for the Libra. She pulled it out and felt with releif that it still held the living feeling. She smiled at Syaoran triumphantly. "Still good."

Syaoran looked from the card to her. "Are you sure you want to do this, you shouldn’t get involved...I hadn’t wanted you to come at all..." Syaoran said, his voice slowing turning to a mutter. Syaoran found his head starting to get that headachey feelings again, and he sneezed once. He looked back to her response with annoyance in himself.

"Please, you know I am endless debt to your help." Sakura said, smiling warmly at him. She couldn’t help but be amused at how he tried to mask his concern. "There’s-" Sakura stopped speaking, as she heard the door being clicked open. Her face turned pale, and she quickly turned in the doorway to look towards the main door.

In came one body, then another, then another. Sakura stared with wide eyes at Touya’s back, who was currently shutting the door behind himself. On both sides he had a very pretty girl, both of them wearing string bikinis with their tied up prettily. Touya was entertaining them with some story, which Sakura wasn’t really listening to, because she was too busy turning to Syaoran.

"Quick!" She said in a high whisper pushing him hard in the other direction. "Under the bed!"

Syaoran was accustomed to hiding from Touya, as he had done it before, but he never got pleasure out of it. He quickly ducked under Sakura’s bed and army crawled himself under, pausing temporarily to get Benny out of his pocket, who was being squished. Benny squirmed in his grasp, but he held tight. Something overhead weighed on the bed, and Syaoran could see Sakura’s ankles, so he knew she was sitting at the foot of the bed.

"Why are you in the room?" Touya’s voice said.

Sakura crossed her legs nervously and smiled at him. "It’s my room, are you wanting something?" She asked sweetly.

"Is this your little sister?" The darker girl asked.

Touya nodded hesitantly.

"How cute!" The other one said.

"We were just going to borrow your jacuzzi and all-"

"Since, you know, the public pool is so crowded." The other girl said, smiling.

"Oh, I, uh, I see. So...so who are you, exactly...?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran, fidgeting underneath, desperately tried to hold in a sneeze. It just kept building up, pressure pushing out at the inside of his head. oh God oh God...Syaoran squeezed his eyes shut and tried to hang on, but Benny continued to hazard the situation, squirming around his grasp. Then it happened. The pressure built up too much. It exploded, and Syaoran sneezed, though he did his best to supress the noise. Syaoran cringed at the temporary silence that was over the room, and winced even harder as the back of Sakura’s foot nailed his hand sharply in punishment for sneezing. She was going on in her conversation, but she had made a major mistake in kicking Syaoran’s hand.

Syaoran groped to catch the critter that had fled from his temporarily loose hand, and made a mad dive to catch it, but Benny darted out of reach, heading straight for Sakura’s foot. Benny, being the agile type hamster he was, decided to take a scenic route, and instead of fleeing out from under the bed, he crawled right onto Sakura’s foot and began climbing up, out of Syaoran’s sight. Syaoran put a hand over his mouth with horror, knowing the havoc he had just started. Any second now, she was going to scream, and Benny was going to be flung through the air, then left to the disposal of Touya. God Sakura don’t scream, don’t scream... He listened anxiously to her, waiting expectantly.

Sakura’s voice was under a horrible strain, and had gone slightly higher, but she was making an effort to keep it under control. Syaoran could see her feet shaking nervously, and he knew she was now a ticking time bomb- any second she was going to go mad and scream.

Sakura, totally unsure about what was going on, and freaked out about the thing she felt crawling up her leg, shook with fear as she pretended to listen to Touya. Touya was eyeing her pale face suspiciously.

"Are you alright, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura smiled. "I’m fine." She said through closed teeth. no more, can’t take it, what is that...what’s going on....can’t take it anymore!

Suddenly, the bed creaked over Syaoran’s head, and she jumped to her feet, letting her weight off. Sakura was shouting the words for her staff. Her staff? After that she swiftly followed it with a sleeping spell. Syaoran understood quickly, and mentally complimented her for her smart thinking. Syaoran dragged himself cautiously out from under the bed, making sure Touya and his company wearing their swim suits were asleep, then looking to Sakura.

Sakura had ripped half her left sleeve off as she threw the ripped portion along with Benny across the room. She was shaking, and totally pale, and she looked to Syaoran with wide wild eyes. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" She screamed, her voice in a literal high scream.

Syaoran quickly went after Benny, busying himself with that task. "I, I, uh, ..." He stood up, then turned and looked back to her, realizing her wasn’t totally in the wrong here. "You kicked me!"

"You sneezed!" She said, her voice noticeably higher than it normally was. "I didn’t think I’d kick you and a hamster would come out!" Sakura said in her shreiking voice. She shuddered with disgust, looking at the hamster in his hand.

"I didn’t mean to let it go." Syaoran muttered.

Sakura was still shaking, but she was gaining some of her color back, and she managed to walk out of that room, gripping the Libra card. "That’s Benny?" She asked feebly.

Syaoran stepped over Touya’s heavily sleeping body. "Yeah." He said.

Sakura shivered again, remembering the feeling of those unknown claws scrambling up her leg as she struggled to stay composed.

"Gomen (sorry)." Syaoran muttered.

"You have sneezed alot this night." Sakura said, realizing that fact. "Are you getting pneumonia again? You know that you shouldn’t be out in the rain, I’m sure your immune system is-"

"No I’m not getting sick." Syaoran said with annoyance, though he realized she was right. He had a headache again, and his vision wasn’t as sharp as normal, and he did feel like he could sneeze. "I’ve only sneezed around you. Maybe I’m allergic."

Sakura glared at him for a second, starting to walk towards the door, a bit offended by his harmless joke. "Thanks alot..." She muttered. Then his words made a strange kind of sense. "Really, have you been sneezing all day?"

"No. Honestly. Just when you are around, I haven’t been sick since...since you were me." He said, refering to the time the Change card had switched them.

"Since..." Sakura repeated, thinking. Thoughts cliked into place. "Oh no!" She cried.

"What is it?" Syaoran asked, a bit concerned with her sudden change of expression.

"I...went to the spa today, and they used a whole bunch of oils..." Sakura brought her arm up to her nose to confirm it. "One of those being cocconut." She said with dismay.

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Now you really can’t blame me for sneezing."

Sakura smiled sheepishly. "That was so gross..." She said, eyeing the hamster that squirmed in his hands. She breathed out slowly, then looked to her ripped sleeve. "Tomoyo’s not going to be happy about this."

"She’s here?" Syaoran asked with annoyance, not wanting to hear his previous suspcicions confirmed.

"Yes. I hope we don’t run into her, she’s just really against you. Are you sure you didn’t do anything to offend her?" Sakura asked, pulling open the door to the hallway. She paused to put her heeled shoes that she held back on, then continued on. Touya will fare for an explaination himself. It was his fault for waltzing in, anyway.

"I was never around her." Syaoran said logically, following her out into the hall.

Sakura yawned and looked down the hallway to where they’d be walking. "I wonder what time it is?" She asked, slowly calming down out of her hysterical state.

"I’m not sure, but if, if you’re really set on helping out, we’ll be out for a while still." Syaoran said. He sneezed twice in a row, getting a weak smile from Sakura, then continued on. "You aren’t helping my chase any."

"All we have to do is get that guy on stage." Sakura said.

"But how?" Syaoran asked, following her up the stairs to the deck.

"I don’t know. It’s your mission, you figure it out." She said, a bit sore at him for letting that little rodent crawl up her leg like that. I hope Touya and those girls don’t remember me calling out my staff. Oh well. It was their fault. Leave it to Touya to bring two girls back to the room. She sighed and walked side by side with Syaoran, self consciously concentrating on walking well, not tripping, and keeping up with Syaoran in a graceful manner, which was hard with her, because she felt very unnatural in these heels. I am so happy to have him here, at least he’s more normal now. If I can help him get this done, maybe he will be nice again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Voila! That is the longest darndest chapter ever, I think. It was going to be longer! Ha! But I cut it off. I had to at least finish that part, I couldn’t leave you hanging there. I didn’t like how I wrote it, I dunno, I think I’m going downhill. No! Maybe when I get some old stuff in here it will work out better. Hopefully. Well, I’d still love comments at [email protected]

visit my site at geocities.com/KeanusHorseChic

Sayonara!

~Syaoran fan for life~