©2003 By Julia and Tania
E-mail: ccs_fanz@juliaandtania.com
Cardcaptor Sakura: The Attractive Power
Episode 7

Buildings appeared unscathed and hallways retained their usual cleanliness. Not a trace of evidence was seen on the grounds of Seijyu High or its buildings; one would expect at least a charred wall, shattered window, or burnt debris scattered about the grounds. But nothing of the sort suggested anything remotely close to a fire as forewarned by the fire bell and the thick smoke that existed yesterday afternoon.

        From the chaos that was seen outside, the fire department anticipated a blaze and a scorched interior when they arrived onto the scene, but it was not what they saw. It was the complete opposite. They were met with nothing but calm, brightly illuminated hallways—not a sign of fire or smoke in the building. Within a few minutes of the firemen’s entrance, the fire bell ceased suddenly.

        Firemen, teachers, and students alike were all left scratching their heads, confused by the oddity of it all. Unable to clarify the source of the bell’s activation, they were left with no choice but to conclude it as a false alarm despite the smoke witnessed by the school.

        This morning, students returned to another day of school. The students of class 7-1 attended their usual first period for the day: Japanese.

        “Everyone, good morning,” the Japanese teacher greeted from her podium at the front of the class.

        “Ohayou (Good morning) Watanabe-sensei!” the students replied with respect.

        “Well students, what an interesting and surprising day yesterday turned out to be,” remarked the Japanese teacher.

        “Hai!” the students chorused in agreement.

        “Well, today there is another one,” she said. Students straightened, brows furrowed at her announcement. “Before we begin things, we have a new transfer student I’d like to introduce into your class.”

        Murmurs of curiosity ran through the classroom as Watanabe Kyoko headed to the front door, sliding it open to invite the new entrant. Receiving the call, the student swung around to appear at the doorframe. The tall, dark-haired male smartly strode into the room to appear before his new classmates.

        As he stopped to stand a short distance from the podium, instantly a few students showed recognition in the ‘almost’ teenager. “Li-kun, Li-kun!” his former Tomoeda Elementary classmates called from various positions of the room, after a series of gasps.

        “Good to see you again, Li-kun!” Takashi shouted from the third row.

        “I see some of you are already acquainted with Li-kun,” Watanabe-sensei interrupted the chatter as her hands clasped at her front—an unspoken demand for order. She headed over to the whiteboard.

        “For those of you who aren’t acquainted, this is Li Syaoran.” Then she wrote three Chinese characters on the board before Watanabe-sensei turned to face her students once more, “Li-kun has transferred from Hong Kong to study in Seijyu High this year. So class, make him feel welcome.”

        “Hai!” everyone replied.

        Her eyes then scanned the room for an empty seat for Syaoran to occupy. There was only one left. “Now, Li-kun: could you please take a seat at the back of the room next to Iwasaki-kun, behind Miyamae-san.” The two students automatically indicated themselves with a raised hand.

        Syaoran complied with a brief nod as he took note of the location of his desk. He then made his way down the six rows of students to situate himself at the back, in the corner of the room as his old friends acknowledged him with a smile.

        “Most of my former classmates are in this class…” he thought as he took his seat.

        “Okay, my second announcement of the day is that Kinomoto-san, Daidouji-san, and Sato-kun are all recovering from yesterday—they will not be joining our class today.” Syaoran’s brow knitted together, eyes darting towards the three empty seats nearest the windows as a few students expressed words of concern.

        “Now about yesterday,” the Japanese teacher continued. “I’m sure you’re all wondering what happened. I can’t tell you much. The fire department was not able to give us much information on the fumes we saw.” The students grimaced; all of them were sure they had seen the smoke. “But they did say they saw it too. It’s all a mystery to where the smoke had come from or disappeared to…” she said, relieving the students.

        “The aura I sensed yesterday... it was here. I should have guessed,” Syaoran thought as the room quietly pondered on the information the teacher had given.

        Then his eyes narrowed, almost scowling at his surroundings as he scanned the room before shifting his attention to stare beyond the windows. “Mother’s concerns were correct. Something is happening in Tomoeda again and it looks like I came back just in time.”

        “Alright students, let’s start class,” Syaoran heard Watanabe-sensei say, incoming thoughts broken by her voice. “Get your books out and we can begin.”

        “Li-kun,” Watanabe-sensei spoke again, looking in his direction.

        “Hai,” he acknowledged.

        “We’re only a few chapters into the book; see me after class and I can catch you up and get some things sorted.” Syaoran nodded. “Okay, class: chapter five please.”

        Absentmindedly, Syaoran flicked through his book for the chapter as he focused his eyes on the empty desks of the absentees. “Sakura…” he thought.

        The lid of the saucepan rattled energetically as steam under pressure escaped through breaches between the pot’s rim and lid. Coming to its aid, Touya’s hand reached for the lid, alleviating it from the strain.

        Steam burst into open air as a layer of froth receded back below the pot, where droplets of water on the lid dripped onto the element underneath, making a hissing sound upon contact.

        Touya reached for the temperature dial, turning it down. He leaned in to hover over the stove top as he stirred the noodle soup a bit. Using the cooking chopsticks he had in his hand, he brought out a sample out of the soup. Touya bit into it for its softness then licked his lips, tasting for flavour. “I think this might be a little too salty for her—more water and… maybe a few more minutes.”

        He walked over to the sink, filling a nearby cup with water. Deciding he had enough, he poured the liquid into the saucepan, diluting the slightly salty soup. Touya then allowed the noodles to simmer further, leaving the lid off the saucepan as he went back to the sink to wash his hands.

        Next he went to the kitchen cupboards for a bowl before setting it down on the preparation table with a set of chopsticks and soup spoon. Standing at the table, Touya looked towards the fridge. “Hmm… Sakura will probably be thirsty. Better get her a glass of orange juice too.”

        Having poured the orange juice, he returned to tend to the noodle soup again. Touya stood there for roughly a minute, watching the noodles boil in the water before he made the decision that he had given it enough time to soften, turning the element off.

        As he reached for the wall switch, the oven’s clock caught his attention. Reading it as the clock rolled over to fifteen minutes past twelve, he thought, “She’s been asleep for a while… I should get this up there and wake her.”

        With the bowl of noodles and juice on a serving tray, Touya carefully walked up the staircase, making his way to stand outside his sister’s bedroom. Lightly, he knocked on the door before turning the knob just as gently as he had knocked, not wanting to startle her.

        “Sakura: it’s time to get up and have your lunch,” he said in a brotherly manner.

        Touya turned to his side, using his shoulders to push the door open as he momentarily watched the full bowl of noodles. Entering the room, he heard Sakura reply weakly, “Hai.”

        “Oh, you’re up,” he said, slipping himself past the door. “Well, I made you lunch. How are you today?” he asked, returning his gaze ahead of him.

        She smiled, nodding. “Arigatou (Thank you), Onii-chan.”

        Kneeling on the floor was Sakura combing her hair and dressed in a simple cream blouse and orange shorts. Touya’s brows furrowed in concern, “What are you doing, Sakura? Why are you dressed—should you be out of bed?”

        Sakura turned to her left as she watched Touya set down the tray on her study desk. “Don’t worry, Onii-chan, I feel much better today,” she answered before she let out a few weak coughs.

        He straightened to compare her words to her appearance. Sakura definitely looked better today in contrast to yesterday’s ailing look. The colour returned to her face and she was more animate, but she still didn’t look up to it.

        “You missed breakfast today, so quickly eat this and rest a bit more,” Touya said.

        Sakura turned her head around, looking into her brother’s face, shaking it. “I actually invited Tomoyo-chan and Sato-kun over.” Then Sakura stood up.

        Touya’s brow furrowed as his right hand rested on his hip. “You’ve invited your friends over?”

        “Hai, I need to talk to them.”

        “Can’t you talk to them when you get back to school?” he asked, disapprovingly.

        “Actually,” she began, “I have to talk to them about yesterday.”

        Not speaking a word for a short while, Touya stood there staring at his thirteen-year-old sister. She looked so young, still a child, he had almost forgotten the responsibility she held as the card mistress. Sakura sustained a title that was so much bigger than her, of such greatness; he just hoped that she’d be able to survive through whatever came her way.

        Allowing it, Touya nodded finally. “Alright—when are they coming?”

        “Later in the afternoon,” Sakura replied. Her eyes then averted to the ceiling, listening to her thoughts. “They might want something to eat, so I’m going downstairs to make something when they come over.”

        Sakura motioned for the door before she was halted by her brother. “Sakura,” he called. He gestured towards the food tray on her desk with his head, “You still have your lunch. It’s going to get cold.”

        “But—“

        “Just eat,” he commanded.

        Sakura smiled happily, shouting with as much energy she could muster, “Arigatou Onii-chan!” realising his hidden gesture in the order.

        Nodding, Touya prepared to leave the room then noticed the yellow lion sitting silently on Sakura’s bed. He turned around to address Sakura again. “Does your friend want anything?”

        Sakura, who was at her desk already taking a sip of her noodle soup, halted in her actions, “Hoe?” Touya didn’t reply, only waited for her to catch on.

        Realising after a few seconds, she smiled, looking at Kero then at Touya. “Kero-chan—it’s okay. He doesn’t need to eat,” shaking her head.

        In the corner of his eyes, Touya could see the lion disagreeing as his posture slumped slightly at her response. Getting his answer, he exited the room as he went downstairs to prepare the afternoon snacks.

        “Why Sakura?” he whined after the door closed, face drooping with sadness. “I’m hungry.” Kero flew over to sit next to her bowl, warm vapour carrying the tantalizing aroma, teasing his senses.

        Feeling starved, Sakura continued to slurp her brother’s tasty noodle soup. Unable to contain the guilt of eating in front of Kero, Sakura took quick spoonfuls to satisfy her hunger before replying. “But it’s true Kero-chan, you don’t need to eat. But here,” Sakura slid the bowl towards Kero, “you can have this if you like.”

        Kero looked down at the noodle soup then at Sakura’s weary form. Who was he to ask for food? Internally, he sighed. “No Sakura, you have it,” pushing the bowl back in her direction.

        For a second Sakura waited, giving Kero a chance to change his mind, but when he didn’t, Sakura took it back and began eating again.

        “So, you were saying this Sato kid was the magician?” he asked folding his arms, returning to their previous conversation before Touya’s interruption.

        Sakura shook her head, finishing off a helping of noodles. “Iie (No), but I did think he was at first.” Kero looked at her quizzically. Sakura laid her chopsticks across the bowl, leaving her noodles for the moment. “Sato-kun has magic, but the aura I felt at school wasn’t the same one I felt from him that day we came home from Tokyo city.”

        “You felt an aura from the kid before?” Kero’s tone: critical of her judgement.

        Sakura nodded once again. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you Kero-chan, but I had to make sure.”

        “Okay,” he said nodding, forgiving her for being so guarded on the matter. “But Sakura, Yue and I are your guardians and we’re here to watch out after you, which mean you need to tell us these things. I know it’s hard to talk to Yue because he’s that Snow Rabbit…” Sakura frowned at the nickname as Kero continued. “…but you have to tell me at least. So you better catch me up now.”

        “Hai,” Sakura replied, ashamed, understanding his upset tone. “Gomen ne (Sorry).”

        Before Kero continued, he let a silence exist to help him transition back into the main topic. “I’ve never heard of a Sato family in the world of magic. What do you know about this Sato kid?”

        “I was supposed to talk to Sato-kun yesterday lunchtime, then the fire bell came on and I never got the chance to—I know he’s not the one behind the magic,” she repeated with relief in her voice. Kero nodded, acknowledging her.

        “So what did you sense yesterday?” he asked—his brows furrowed as he listened intently.

        Closing her eyes, Sakura allowed the recall of the sensation come to her. “The aura was in the main building. It was… strong, but it was hard for me to hold onto it, especially when it kept on disappearing. The aura: I didn’t like the feeling of it at all…”

        Sakura opened her eyes to see Kero wearing the same serious look. “There was also a second aura when I was chasing the first one. It was weak and I could barely feel it. But it was when Sato-kun came to rescue me I realised the second aura belonged to him.”

        Slowly, Kero’s head nodded in comprehension. “Anything else?” Sakura shook her head.

        “This aura you’ve been sensing,” Kero continued, arms folded, “I’ve only witnessed it once outside the house; I’m never there when the presence shows up,” he expressed, more concerned about the aura behind the events. “I think you might need to take me with you more often from now on,” he concluded.

        “Hai,” Sakura replied, mirroring her guardian’s worried expression.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

        A cake and some sandwiches sat on a plate and tray in the middle of Sakura’s room accompanied by a pot of piping hot Japanese tea. Seated on the floor in a circle with Sakura were the recovering Tomoyo and Yoshiro as the host took a sip of her tea purposefully slow.

        Nervously Sakura continued to drink from her cup, eyes trained at the tea leaves at the bottom. This was the first time they met with the knowledge of each other’s magical powers. Once again, like she had been yesterday, she didn’t know how to begin.

        A few more seconds passed before Sakura became aware that she had paid much more attention to the tea than she ought to. Stiffly, she placed her cup on the serving tray, every movement perpendicular to the previous.

        “Do you like cake, Sato-kun?” Sakura decided to ask—her tone coming out surprisingly collected. Not waiting for a response, she served him a piece of cake.

        “Arigatou,” Yoshiro said with little strain in his voice, politely taking the plate from her with a smile. “Yeah I love cake.”

        “Great!” she exclaimed, signs of tension catching up with her. Avoiding any eye contact with Yoshiro, Sakura continued. “It’s Strawberry Cream. Onii-chan made it just before.” Sakura then turned to Tomoyo with another piece of cake. “Hai (Here),” she said cheerfully handing it to her.

        “Arigatou, Sakura-chan,” her sweet voice slightly husky. “You sound much better than this morning when I talked to you on the phone, Sakura-chan.” Sakura’s smile slowly dragged down to a frown as she nodded. “Sakura-chan?”

        “I’m sorry, Tomoyo-chan. Your voice is like that because of me. If I didn’t waste so much time chasing the aura, your voice wouldn’t be like this now,” she said barely pausing, denying Tomoyo—who was trying to offer forgiveness—the chance to speak.

        Looking at Tomoyo with saddened eyes Sakura continued. “I checked the music room, but you weren’t there… so I thought you already left. But now I know you didn’t—I’m so sorry.” Sakura moved in to hug her best friend tightly, asking for the very thing that Tomoyo was already trying to give.

        Tomoyo embraced her in return as Yoshiro caught her gaze, smiling kindly in response. “It’s okay, Sakura-chan—it’s only a sore throat.” Sakura shook her head, disagreeing. “You had to do what you had to do; and in the end someone helped me. So I’m alright, okay Sakura-chan?”

        Releasing herself from Tomoyo’s grasp, Sakura stared intently into her best friend’s eyes, blinking once before replying, “Hai.”

        Giving Sakura one more smile of reassurance, she then turned to Yoshiro. “Sato-kun: was it you who helped me?”

        “Hai,” he replied simply.

        “Thank you very much, Sato-kun.” He nodded once, accepting the gesture.

        Remembering she hadn’t thanked him also, Sakura timidly followed, “Sato-kun: thank you as well for coming for me.”

        “Not a problem, Kinomoto-san,” Yoshiro replied softly. “Although, in the end, we didn’t actually manage to get out of there like I said we would,” smiling he said, attempting to lighten the mood. Changing back to a serious cast, he added, “My magic just wasn’t enough to last out the time in there.”

        Sakura could only nod to the comment; this was the first time she heard Yoshiro talk about his magic. “Umm… Sato-kun, you knew I had magic didn’t you?”

        Yoshiro shook his head. “Iie, I didn’t know.” Sakura cocked her head at the information. He elaborated. “I suspected, but I didn’t know for sure. When I met you on the first day of school, I sensed something in you—but you could also pretty much call it instinct…”

        “Hai…” Sakura replied, understanding the words.

        “It wasn’t until yesterday I found my answer to my suspicions… Hai, it takes a lot of concentration for me to accustom myself to sense auras.” he finished off. Smiling, he then added, “So it was Kinomoto-san behind the magic I sensed at the botanical gardens saving those poor plants.” Sakura faintly smiled in return.

        Suddenly, a thought entered Yoshiro’s mind, inclining his head slightly to the right. “Kinomoto-san: you were acting very unusual yesterday, is that the reason you wanted to talk to me?”

        Sakura nodded, “Hai… I saw you two days ago at Penguin King Park… using magic. You were holding an object and I thought... Sato-kun…” Sakura couldn’t bring herself to say it. How could she tell him that she suspected him?

        “You mean this?” Yoshiro interrupted. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. For some reason, he always seemed to come in at the right time.

        An object of rectangular shape unconcealed itself from his sleeve before extending to form an arc-like shape. For the first time—what seemed to be the theme today—Sakura saw the magical object up close.

        “It’s my Summoning Arc,” Yoshiro explained, his arm extended to the centre of the group. Sakura and Tomoyo marvelled at the object as it hovered over Yoshiro’s palm, examining the markings on its surface. After a few seconds, he retracted his arm, leaving the item to float freely on its own.

        Too engaged by Yoshiro’s arc, the previous conversation was quickly forgotten as Sakura and Tomoyo watched it up close with fascination, the glow the arc exerted saturated the nearby area in its more or less white light.

        Hiding in the drawer was Kero, listening in on the entire conversation with both ears. Curious to see this summoning arc of Yoshiro’s, he cautiously pushed open the drawer enough to peer over it.

        “This is what you use to summon your magic, Sato-kun?” Tomoyo asked.

        “Hai,” he replied then he looked at the two girls. A glint flashed in each of his eyes. “There’s a story behind how I got this and how I found out I had magic actually.”

        “Really, what is it?” Sakura asked curiously, moving back to her original seated position. Yoshiro nodded.

REPLAY MODE…

        My parents used to tell me a lot of stories when I was younger. No matter how tired they were, they always made time to tell me at least one per week. I have to say, I remember them all to be entertaining, even though they were about our relative’s—I don’t know what to call them… escapades? I suppose it was because my parents always put so much energy into telling each of them.

        But by the end of each of the stories, I always find myself laughing at them; I was always skeptical of them no matter how much my parents insisted they were true.

        “Like Yamazaki-kun’s stories,” Tomoyo stated.

        No, not really. It’s more like the family stories that you get with your grandparents, but I never believed them because they all seem too adventurous, too incredible.

        Then there was this one story that caught my attention. It really intrigued me…

        The right eye of a young Yoshiro focused on a cat-eye marble in the distance as he imagined a line between it and the one lodged in between his thumb and index finger. Switching his focus, he then looked beyond to the tin can off to the left. There it lay on its side as its mouth sneered at his competence.

        Challenging it, he looked at the distant marble, the tin can then the one in his hold once more. Finally content with the line, he smirked before he propelled his marble forward with a strong flick of the thumb.

        The smirk remained on Yoshiro’s lips as the marble rolled along the carpet floor, certain he had not misjudged. Sure enough, a sharp clicking sound was made at the clean impact, setting the second marble off speedily, closing in on the tin can.

        Yoshiro watched it race into the can followed by an earsplitting rattle as it rammed itself into the alluminium base. He pulled his clenched fist down in victory. “Alright!” he said, joyous.

        Meanwhile, in the background as Yoshiro prepared to set up another marble, his mother winced at yet another successful shot. How she wished her seven-year-old son would give the game a rest and allow her a break from the racket. It was even more so when she saw the one he was aiming for now.

        Scooting himself a little to the left, Yoshiro eyed one that was much closer to him and much bigger than the last one. Realising that the little marble he had in his possession would not do the job, he took out his only other big marble from his left overall pocket.

        In his hand was a large brown, speckled marble—his favourite out of them all. Crouching himself back down, Yoshiro realigned the more formidable marble then sent it on its way, hitting the target dead on.

        Like the many times before, the marble rolled along the floor in the same fashion, heading exactly where he wanted. He waited for the satisfying clonk to confirm his success, but it never came. Instead, nearing its entrance, the marble backtracked.

        Blocking its path was a rectangular object, a few inches wide. Yoshiro followed the hand holding the object, scrolling up the arm to find, “Okaa-chan (Mother),” Yoshiro said with surprise.

        She smiled. “Yoshiro, look what I found.”

        Unsuspecting his mother’s intentions, Yoshiro asked, “What is it?”

        His mother sat herself down in front of him, brushing aside some marbles. “What do you think it is?” before placing the object between him and herself.

        It looked pretty plain to me; nothing more than a block to hold back something like a door or a paperweight. I didn’t find anything interesting about it… Come to think of it, I think my mother was trying to stop me from playing the game. Then she told me the story…

        “Long time ago members of our families were magicians,” Yoshiro’s mother began.

        “Magicians—like the people who pull rabbits out of a hat?”

        Yoshiro’s mother shook her head, chuckling. “No, not tricks—I mean real magic. Magic that can influence such things as: wind, fire, water, earth—almost anything. This can be the summoning arc and with it, you can summon up magic.”

        “How?” curiously, he asked.

        She pursed her lips, brows furrowed. “Now that’s the problem, Yoshiro. I have no idea. Your grandparents, your great grandparents, we were all unable to unlock the magic from this object and that is why I’m showing it to you. Maybe you can do it; maybe you have the magic hiding inside you to use it.”

        Yoshiro looked into his mother’s eyes then at the object. For once, he was unsure whether to believe it or not. He reached for the alleged magical item. “Imagine that, Yoshiro, you: the special someone to unlock the magical properties within this,” Yoshiro heard his mother say.

        It sounded so fascinating; I really wanted to see this magic. But in the end I dismissed it, laughing it off. Eventually, Mother gave up trying to convince me, leaving me with the object. But seeing it there, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about it. The idea of being the one to bring out this magic my mother was talking about was so appealing that I kept on thinking about it. And before I knew it, I found myself studying it and taking it with me quite often, hoping something might set it off—whatever it was.

        Then one night at a neighbour’s house while I waited for my parents on the porch, I took it out again. Having nothing to do, I started throwing and catching it, watching it come down each time, but one time it didn’t. I looked up and there it was; the summoning arc hovering above me before it descended to my palm.

        “What’s this?” the young Yoshiro said in amazement as he saw the markings on the arc flash rapidly and erratically. In disbelief, Yoshiro’s eyes widened, “Magic! I did it.”

END REPLAY MODE…

        “You didn’t know you had magic either,” Sakura said, more to herself than to Yoshiro.

        “No, I didn’t. None of my family members pursued this part of themselves, so I didn’t know until that day. Okaa-chan told me my ancestors abandoned it a long time ago,” he replied nevertheless. His expression suddenly became concentrated as he stared at the summoning arc that was still floating in the centre. A moment later as Yoshiro relaxed, the object dissipated into thin air.

        “So how long have you been studying magic, Sato-kun?” Tomoyo asked, watching him return his attention to the group.

        “Six years. I didn’t have previous knowledge or guidance, so it took me quite a while to learn and harness this much of my magic,” he replied before nodding and chuckling, “My magic is definitely not as strong as Kinomoto-san: the new mistress of the Clow cards!”

        “I-I-I’m not that strong… really…” she said, avoiding any eye contact.

        A smile broke through Yoshiro’s lips at the modesty she showed. “But you have to be, Kinomoto-san. I have never seen magic as I had that day at the botanical gardens. That was some power you had, to be able to control so many elements at one time like that.”

        “Umm…” Sakura stifled a chuckle, unsure how to continue as embarrassment washed over her.

        “Yes. Sakura-chan is the most powerful magician there is,” Tomoyo interrupted. “She’s also the cutest magician too!”

        “Then we all agree!” Yoshiro went into hysterics, laughing while Sakura tried to hide from the usual undue flattery her best friend always paid to her.

        Soon Yoshiro’s laughter subsided as his expression grew contemplative. “Kinomoto-san, does magic happen a lot in Tomoeda?”

        “Hai,” she replied simply.

        “Who is behind this aura?” he asked. Sakura only gazed at him: the irony of the question, she thought.

        Five o’clock had finally struck as the school bell rang, signifying the day’s conclusion. Students filed out of the classroom, happy to be released for the day. Syaoran—who was still at his desk—packed up his gear before making his way briskly towards the teacher’s desk.

        “Amaya-sensei,” Syaoran called for the mathematics teacher.

        Taking her head away from her briefcase, she looked up. “Konnichiwa (Good afternoon), Li-kun. How was your first day?” she asked cheerfully, initiating idle conversation.

        “It was very good, thank you.”

        Recalling the student’s successful math lesson this afternoon, her voice elevated as she nodded firmly to her thoughts before saying, “Li-kun, I want to tell you that you did very well today in my class. It’s not bad for your first day is it?”

        “Arigatou gozaimasu (Thanks).”

        “Yes, you seem to excel in math. I’ll see if I can find you some exercises that are more challenging and to your level.”

        “Arigatou,” he said once again, patiently waiting to get to the purpose of his call.

        “So what can I do you for?” she asked.

        “May I have two copies of the assignment to take for Kinomoto Sakura and Daidouji Tomoyo please?”

        “Yes sure.” The mathematics teacher ran her fingers through the dividers for the sixth period math class. “Here you are,” handing them to him. “Send my regards to Kinomoto-san and Daidouji-san.”

        “Hai, arigatou.”

        Tea lukewarm, and half the cake gone, Sakura, Tomoyo, and Yoshiro were still in the midst of discussing the events of yesterday. Having settled the important issues between the three friends, all tension that was present an hour ago disappeared as conversation returned to normal.

        “It was strange,” Yoshiro expressed to the group then looked down at his lap, recalling his time in the dark corridors. “It was darker and harder to breathe in places, especially when I was getting to Daidouji-san and Kinomoto-san.”

        Tomoyo nodded, agreeing with Yoshiro. “Hai, I couldn’t find my way out of the hallway; it was extremely dark, as if I was walking through a room at night. Also…”

        “What is it, Tomoyo-chan?” Sakura asked curiously—almost impatient.

        “When did the fire bell come on?”

        Sakura cocked her head, “Didn’t you hear it?”

        “I heard it, but only when the building was filled with smoke—after I got out of the music room.”

        “But the alarm came on just a few seconds after you left the changing room.” Tomoyo shook her head, regret apparent as her view of the events did not conform to her best friend’s. Sakura’s mind became troubled as she pondered on the statement.

        “For Tomoyo-chan to get to the music room…” Sakura trailed off as she resided to the thoughts in her mind, running through the events again.

        “Daidouji-san should still have been outside…” Yoshiro thought aloud. His brows suddenly furrowed. “Didn’t you see everyone head for the fields, Daidouji-san?”

        “No. I just headed for the music room.”

        “That doesn’t make sense,” Yoshiro said looking at Tomoyo, who in return, responded with a clueless cast.

        Disturbed by the information, Sakura sat there, staring past her friends. Lines appeared, her usual cheerful appearance overtaken by a frown. She dropped her head to stare at her own reflection in her cup of now cold tea. “What does this mean…?” she thought before a nagging pain in her chest began to grow, heavy and unsettling.

        Fujitaka stood near the sink, peeling a taro root as dinnertime approached at the Kinomoto house. Next to him was Touya not too far from finishing chopping some snow beans.

        “You look a little tired, Dad,” Touya observed as his father stopped a moment to rub his eyes. “Would you like me to take over?”

        Turning around to face Touya, Fujitaka put on a smile, “No, it’s okay Touya-kun. You’ve already spent a lot of your time in the kitchen. I’ll be fine.”

        “Okay.”

        “How’s Sakura-san, today?”

        Grabbing a bowl beside him as he swept the vegetables into it, he replied, “She looks much better than yesterday, but still recovering a bit.”

        Several nods of concern and comprehension followed. “If Sakura-san does not feel up to school tomorrow, let her stay home, okay?” Touya nodded. “I’ll see if I can take a day off and look after Sakura-san tomorrow.”

        “I can do it,” Touya offered.

        “No, it’s okay—since you missed today’s classes, I’ll look after her. That reminds me: did you miss any important lectures?”

        Touya shook his head as he rinsed the snow beans under the tap. “No. I only had three lectures in the morning. Yuki should be over soon to lend me his notes.”

        “That’s good, Touya-kun. Will Yukito-kun be joining us for dinner?”

        Smirking, Touya replied, “I didn’t ask him, but probably.”

        “Alright,” he said, laughing at the response. “We’ll expect him then. Oh, Touya-kun: when you’re finished here, can you go upstairs and ask if Sakura-san’s friends would like to stay for dinner?”

        “Hai, I’ll go now.”

        Making his way through the dining area, Touya undid his apron to drape it over a chair. He walked through the lounge as he shook his hands dry of water. Just as he reached the second step of the staircase, the doorbell sounded.

        Touya spun his head around, making his way back down the stairs. He opened the door to reveal—not the person he had expected—but the one he had never given the proper courtesy of addressing him by his name, “It’s you?!” he greeted—more or less shouting.

        Standing just as surprised as Touya, Syaoran jolted backwards before regaining his stance to frown upon the rude welcome. He wondered why it had to always start off this way—couldn’t the brother give up for once?

        “Touya-kun,” his father shouted from the kitchen. “Is it Yukito-kun?”

        “Iie!” he growled, maintaining his focus on the boy.

        Confused to why the tone of his son was so distraught all of a sudden, Fujitaka decided to check out the reason himself. Walking to stand beside Touya, he looked with surprise at the young man before him. “Li-kun is it?” Touya stepped aside, reducing his glare.

        The unpleasant expression Syaoran wore disappeared as it softened to display a respectful one. “Konbanwa (Good evening), Kinomoto-sensei,” he said bowing his head.

        “Good evening, Li-kun. How are you?” Fujitaka asked customarily.

        “I’m good, thanks,” he replied. “Is Sakura home?”

        “Hai—I’ll call her down for you. She’ll be happy to see you.” He looked towards the staircase, calling loudly over his shoulder, “Sakura-san, can you come down to the door and meet a friend of yours?” A muffled, “Hai!” was heard before Fujitaka turned back to address Syaoran. “She’ll be down in a minute.”

        “Arigatou,” Syaoran replied.

        Fujitaka headed back into the kitchen, but stopped when he noticed Touya still standing there, not budging a centimetre. He turned around to pick up the protective brother, smiling as he said, “Touya-kun: let’s go,” guiding Touya by the back. Reluctantly, he complied, leaving Syaoran at peace.

        Breathing a sigh of exasperation, he relaxed as he waited excitedly, yet rather nervously also to see Sakura. It had been so long since he had seen her—how much she must’ve changed. And then there was the lack of correspondence. He hoped he didn’t cause her too much distress.

        For what seemed like a long time, Syaoran stood at the door, falsely admiring the clean white rug underneath his feet, his hands in his pockets. “I hope Sakura’s feeling better,” he thought.

        Meanwhile, upstairs, Sakura prepared to exit the room to see to her father’s call. “I’ll be back in a minute, okay?” she said to her friends as she opened the door to leave.

        “Hai,” both Tomoyo and Yoshiro replied.

        With her back slouched slightly, she made her way down the stairs whilst she gripped onto the banister for support. Reaching the end of the stairs, she turned the corner on her right then another.

        There she saw the person waiting for her. She would recognise this person anywhere and would be over the moon at seeing this person, yet for some reason, for the few seconds she stood there—nothing.

        “Sakura,” he said to her, metres apart. “Daijoubu (Are you okay)?”

        The rhythmic beats of her heart continued to pulsate away normally as an internal conversation took place in her head, debating the facts. She mused over the subject in front of her, body motionless, the message her eyes relayed to the brain not getting there.

        Eventually a trace of comprehension began to show, her eyes widening. She felt her palms sweat as her heart pumped harder and harder, faster and faster. It’s him, it’s really him! Then a sudden rush of energy that she thought she lacked a moment ago rocketed through to her feet and arms.

        “SYAORAN-KUN!” Sakura screamed in extreme elation.

        Her scream was so loud it carried to the kitchen, upsetting Touya as he ran around the corner to see his little sister, arms at the open. He grumbled, preparing to break up the two, but again, Fujitaka tapped him back into the kitchen.

        Meanwhile, in Sakura’s room, Tomoyo and Yoshiro sat there looking bewildered at the noise downstairs.

        “Li-kun?” Tomoyo said quietly to herself.

        Wasting not a second more, Sakura propelled herself at the guy she had missed so sorely. Syaoran’s eyes dilated immediately, taking a step back for the balance he was going to need.

        The next thing he knew, a thunderous thud vibrated through the house before he realised it was him who had caused the noise. Syaoran’s head throbbed with pain as he felt Sakura’s body force his against the door behind him. He cringed slightly as he used his free hand to rub the sore spot at the back of his head.

        Sakura lifted her head upwards, looking intently at him, hanging on like a leech. “Syaoran-kun!”

        “I’ve missed you a lot too, Sakura,” he said with a smile, his voice slightly deeper.

        “I can’t believe you’re here. When did you come back?”

        “Yesterday.”

        “Why didn’t you call me?” she spoke into his chest, feeling the vibration every time Syaoran talked.

        “I’m sorry… I—“

        “I don’t care. I really don’t care!” suddenly Sakura said, smiling widely as she pushed herself back. “Let’s go Syaoran-kun!”

        Not even having enough time to react to any of Sakura’s comings and goings, Syaoran was dragged by the hand into the lounge. He was seated before Sakura took a seat herself next to him.

        She stared at him, taking in the sight in front of her—what an imposing presence Syaoran was. He had grown again since the last time she had seen him. His features had become more defined, his jaw sharper. But the thing that stayed the same was Syaoran’s brown eyes—how she missed seeing them stare into hers.

        “Syaoran-kun: how was your flight?” she asked after a while, noticing the silence—not an uncomfortable silence, but one that needed to be broken.

        “It was comfortable,” he answered simply, breaking out of the stare. His expression changed to concern, “My classmates told me you were hurt in the smoke yesterday—are you okay?”

        “Hai, I’m great!” not really giving the question much thought. Sakura then scooped both of Syaoran’s hands into hers, bringing them an inch into the air. “Do you want something to eat?”

        “No, I’m alrigh—“

        But even before Syaoran completed his last word, off Sakura went into the kitchen. A few seconds later, she returned cheerfully with cupcakes and a couple of glasses of orange juice on a tray.

        Seating herself next to him once more, she handed him an almond cupcake on a plate, “Hai (here you are).”

        “Arigatou,” he thanked. Suddenly, Sakura’s eyes widened, all movement of hers halted in place, finding her staring at his mid section. “Sakura, what is it?”

        She shook her head, unaware of her actions, “It’s nothing—I just noticed that you’re in the Seijyu High uniform.”

        “Hai—Mother has transferred me here to study.”

        “Does that mean…” Sakura’s eyes began to twinkle against the light. “…you’re staying?” He nodded with a smile. “That’s so great!”

        Leaping at him once more, an overjoyed Sakura wrapped herself around him—tight and unyielding. He let out a short cry as he tried to hold his position as long as he could to set the cupcake on the table before descending again.

        His fingers scratched and slid against the top of the couch, attempting to counteract the falling motion. Strong as Syaoran maybe, he was easily brought down by her, reducing him to become a second cushion for Sakura—quite a comfortable one at that.

        Realising what she had done, Sakura immediately pushed herself back up. “Gomen (sorry)!”

        “I-I-it’s okay,” he stuttered—obviously shocked by the position he was in.

        As Sakura slid across to give him room to return to an upright position, she took the moment to attentively watch him, captivated by the essence of Syaoran. Too long had she waited for this very moment; waiting for Syaoran to return to her again.

        She smiled: just wait until she told Tomoyo-chan about Syaoran-kun’s return! Her mind suddenly froze on the thought. “Tomoyo-chan, Sato-kun—I forgot about them!”

        “Huh? Daidouji?” Syaoran said confused, having gotten back up to see a relatively distressed Sakura.

        “Yeah, I invited Tomoyo-chan and Sato-kun over. They’re still up in my room.”

        She stayed sitting on the couch, appearing hesitant to leave as she looked at Syaoran then towards the direction of the stairs. “Umm… Syaoran-kun, can you wait here a minute?” He nodded without questioning further.

        Sakura zipped up the staircase. Not even ten seconds had passed before she was running back down the stairs to head into the hallway and into the first door on her left, back to the lounge.

        Shortly after, her two friends followed. Unlike Sakura, Tomoyo and Yoshiro casually walked down the stairs, but only one knew the reason for Sakura’s very hasty invitation to join her downstairs.

        Astonished by Sakura’s odd behaviour, Yoshiro turned to Tomoyo. “Kinomoto-san: she seems to have all of a sudden gotten back her energy.”

        Tomoyo tugged at the corner of her lips, smiling, “Hai—Sakura-chan is definitely much more cheerful than a few minutes ago.”

        An intermission existed in the conversation as they got to the bottom of the staircase, heading down the hallway towards the lounge. Yoshiro could hear mostly Sakura’s high-pitched, muffled voice chattering away, rarely hearing much of a break on her side of the conversation. When he did, a second voice entered—a low one and pretty much blending in with the ambient sounds—replying briefly before he heard Sakura’s cheerful pitch again.

        “I hear voices. Kinomoto-san has a guest,” he stated.

        “Hai, Li-kun’s here.”

        “Li-kun?” he queried the name, looking at Tomoyo.

        “Li-kun’s Sakura-chan’s boyfriend,” Tomoyo said, smirking as she arrived at the entrance.

        Syaoran jumped to his feet, snapping his head around in the direction of the voice. When it came to Tomoyo, to some degree, he feared her. She always managed to give his heart a stun in situations like these. And she did it again with a simple act like the amplification of her latest line.

        “Daidouji!” Then Syaoran calmed down, disallowing her to influence him further. “How are you?”

        “Good,” Tomoyo replied, mischievous grin apparent. In her mind she licked her two most front fingers before imprinting them onto her backside, expressing a sizzling sound along with it. Too easy; she was just too hot for him! “Welcome back, Li-kun,” the fiendish side well concealed underneath the innocent façade.

        Sakura’s brow furrowed, not understanding why Syaoran had jumped up so fast. Dismissing it, she stood up then bowed, apologising, “Tomoyo-chan, Sato-kun: I’m sorry I left you guys up there like that.”

        “It’s alright, Kinomoto-san.” Yoshiro then switched his focus to the unfamiliar guest.

        Picking up the gesture, Sakura introduced the two. “Oh, Sato-kun, you haven’t met Syaoran-kun yet. This is Li Syaoran, he’s from Hong Kong.” Syaoran bowed his head. Sakura directed her gaze towards Syaoran. “And this is Sato Yoshiro, he’s in our class too. He’s a very good friend of ours.”

        “It’s nice to meet you, Li-kun,” Yoshiro said, politely. Syaoran nodded again in reply.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

        An extra table was brought out as the Kinomoto’s and four friends—Syaoran, Tomoyo, Yoshiro, and Yukito—sat at the table. Well into the evening now, a light conversation took place at the dinner table as everyone enjoyed the remaining food Fujitaka and Touya had prepared.

        “Sato-kun,” Fujitaka addressed him, “Sakura-san tells me you just moved here: how are you finding Tomoeda?”

        “Hai,” he affirmed, smiling. “Tomoeda’s a nice place and very peaceful,” he said despite the magic which, he had to admit, did put the statement slightly less than true. “I like it here a lot. I hope my family will stay in Tomoeda for a while.”

        “Does your family move around a lot, Sato-kun?” Tomoyo asked curiously from her seat next to him, sensing a reason behind the words.

        “Hai,” he said neutrally, not replying with anything more.

        Fujitaka nodded as he finished chewing on a bite of his dinner. He switched to his next guest. “And what about you, Li-kun: are you settling in alright?”

        Syaoran nodded, “Most of the paperwork has been taken care of by Mother,” replying from his seat on the right of Fujitaka.

        “That’s good, that’s good.” Fujitaka took a controlled, ample amount of water as a well-salted piece of fish got the better of him.

        “Yeah, Otou-san, Syaoran-kun is transferring here to study for the year.” Sakura paid a momentary glance across the table at him. “Syaoran-kun’s in the same class as Tomoyo-chan, Sato-kun, and me,” Sakura announced enthusiastically, turning back to face her father.

        “That’s great news for Sakura-san isn’t it?” Fujitaka teased, picking up on the degree of excitement when talking about him, as well as the fact that the majority of her sentences contained his name today.

        “Hai,” Sakura replied, bowing her head, hiding a small blush under locks of hair.

        “Oh, Syaoran-kun…” Sakura bounced back. He took a break from his plate of food, looking up, the soft features—ones only evident around Sakura—stored away whilst in the presence of her father. “Where are you staying?”

        “I’m staying in the same building, but on a different floor from last time.”

        “Have you finished unpacking? I can come over sometime and help you if you need any,” Sakura offered, more than willing.

        Syaoran allowed a faint smile to show through, “It’s alright Sakura; you don’t need to. I don’t have much more to unpack. Thanks.” Sakura retreated back into her seat, disappointed, but smiled and nodded nevertheless.

        Touya directed the many glares he had given this evening to the person sitting diagonally opposite him, Syaoran, grumbling underneath his breath. During the entire night, he was a grumbling and glaring machine as he was forced to witness his sister being so frequently focused on the Chinese boy. He swore that if Sakura continued in that rate, his eyes would permanently stay that way—probably not a good sight as only the whites of his eyes would remain.

        “Touya: daijoubu?” Yukito whispered from his seat next to him. He only received yet another grumble in reply. “Wow, Touya, I haven’t seen you this upset in a while.”

        “That brat’s getting on my nerves.”

        “But Li-kun hasn’t done anything,” he said, looking at the well-mannered young man.

        “By being here he has!” Touya retorted as he stuffed his anger into the last of the food on his plate.

        “Li-kun,” Tomoyo called, “Is Wei-san with you?”

        Syaoran turned to his right. “Iie (No), Wei has other obligations back home.”

        “Syaoran-kun, you’re here by yourself?” Sakura gasped, wondering how he was ever going to manage schoolwork, housework, cooking—everything by himself.

        “Hai.” He didn’t continue further then noticed Sakura’s concerned facial cast. “But everything has been dealt with, so I don’t have to do much,” Syaoran added, attempting to relief her, but she didn’t lighten up much more.

        “Well Li-kun, don’t hesitate to ask us for help,” Fujitaka offered.

        “Arigatou gozaimasu.”

        “Thanks for coming over, Tomoyo-chan, Sato-kun!” Sakura said waving to their friends outside on the porch.

        “Thanks for the dinner, Sakura-chan. See you tomorrow at school Li-kun,” Tomoyo’s still quiet voice said from inside of the limousine.

        “Yes, thank you Kinomoto-san. Mata ashita (See you later)!” Yoshiro called, leaning across Tomoyo to the wound down window.

        “Mata ashita,” Sakura said, waving, as did Syaoran from behind until the car was covered by the darkness of the night. Sakura turned to face him. “A-are you... heading home now, Syaoran-kun?”

        “Soon, but not yet,” he said smiling. His hands moved to gently lay on her shoulder and arm, just taking a short time for himself to watch Sakura. Sakura smiled back—a bright tint of red creeping onto her cheeks.

        A few more seconds elapsed before Syaoran released the gaze, needing to go onto business. “Sakura…”

        Left bereft of the moment, she straightened, acknowledging the change of mood as Syaoran’s hands slowly slid back by his side. “Nani (Yes)?”

        “I was transferred back here because there was a suspicious magical aura…” Sakura nodded in confirmation. “Mihara-tachi (Mihara Chiharu and the others) told me they found you and Daidouji, and Sato unconscious after the smoke had cleared. What happened?”

        Sakura’s lips depressed as her sad eyes stared directly into his, “I was searching for the aura in the building. I couldn’t find it. When I tried to clear the smoke, I didn’t have enough magic left in me to defeat it. So…” Her head dipped, reflecting on her choices.

        For a couple of seconds, Syaoran didn’t speak as he tried to find words to express his thoughts. Then his eyebrows arched upon beginning. “Why didn’t you use your magic to defeat it earlier?” he asked.

        Sakura grabbed a small, square piece of cloth from her pocket to spread it on one of the steps before her. She took a seat; Syaoran followed.

        “A couple of days ago, I thought Sato-kun was the magician.”

        Syaoran widened his eyes, “Sato has magic?”

        Sakura nodded. “I wanted to see that the magician behind that aura wasn’t Sato-kun… so I kept on chasing it.”

        Understanding the respect Sakura held for friendship, Syaoran didn’t press on further. “I should have come,” he said, replying to his thoughts aloud, looking off into the darkness.

        She turned to him, “Hoe?”

        “I sensed it when I got off the plane,” Syaoran answered, returning his gaze back on Sakura. “If I had located the aura, maybe I could have helped you.”

        “No—Syaoran-kun just arrived in Japan and had a lot of things to do. It’s okay!” Sakura said, leaning in, urgent in her response to put Syaoran at ease. Then she added a smile for extra reassurance.

        He smiled at Sakura’s considerate nature before replying, “Okay.” He then stood up. “I better head home.”

        Not expecting it, she snapped her head to look up at him, her neck straining at the angle of the tilt. She stood up when the troubling thought of him going home to an empty apartment loomed on her mind. “Will… will you be okay, Syaoran-kun?”

        “Yeah, I’ll be okay,” he replied casually. He then reached into his shoulder bag to pull out a slim case, hesitant.

        “Is something the matter, Syaoran-kun?” she asked, noticing reluctance in his actions.

        “This is for ah… the stuffed animal.”

        “Kero-chan?” she said, surprised, taking the gift into her hands.

        Nothing came out of his mouth for a good few seconds as he thought over his gesture. But in the end, decided to go through with it. Simply he replied with, “Hai.”

        “Arigatou, Syaoran-kun,” Sakura said, deciding to leave it at that then she chuckled. Syaoran’s cast became puzzled. “It’s just that Kero-chan was complaining about how he had exhausted his video games. So, thank you so much, Syaoran-kun.”

        Syaoran nodded again. “Well, it’s getting late, I better be off. Rest well, Sakura.”

        “Hai. Goodnight, Syaoran-kun!”

        Syaoran gave her one last smile before he went on his way down the footpath; Sakura stayed standing outside, wearing a wide smile. Not able to see Syaoran’s figure anymore, she headed inside.

        Inconspicuously watching, the magician responsible for the recent events stood elevated above all the houses and trees. His attention moved off from the Kinomoto residence to rest upon the descendant of Clow Reed. “Li Syaoran has come to Japan—interesting…"

        Meanwhile, oblivious to the magician’s proximity, Sakura entered her room full of energy. “Hey, Kero-chan: guess what? I have something for you!”

        “What, what?” he replied excitedly from Sakura’s bed, leaving his comic for the moment.

        Sakura knelt down by her bed, elbows and chin resting on the mattress. “Hai (here)!”

        In front of Kero, he saw a new console game flash in front of his eyes—the beauty of the sight: “A new game! Thank you, Sakura! You’re the best!”

        “Actually,” she began. “You should thank Syaoran-kun. He’s the one who got the game for you.”

        Speechless, Kero looked at the game then at Sakura’s expression, trying to suss out the truth from it. Sakura maintained a happy, unchanged face. “You’re serious… the Li kid got me this.”

        Enthusiastically, she replied, “Hai! Remember to thank Syaoran-kun when he comes over here okay?” Kero grumbled. “Kero-chan! Promise me you’ll thank him for it.”

        “Yeah, whatever…” Sakura sighed; suppose it was the best she was going to get out of him.

        Sakura watched Kero immediately fly over to his game console, impatiently waiting for it to start up. “Oh this is so great…” she heard him say as he looked at the front cover.

        Upon hearing that, she smiled before leaving Kero to it. She stood up and walked over to the ledge above her headboard. Sakura reached forward for the Syaoran Bear then lay down on her bed as she clutched onto it. As fresh new images of Syaoran swam through her mind, she closed her eyes to capture them. “I can’t wait to see you at school tomorrow, Syaoran-kun.”

To be continued in episode 8: “Sakura and the Freak Storm”.