A/N: Hello! Thank you for taking interest in my VERY FIRST FANFIC to be uploaded on fanfiction. 3

As you can imagine, I am very very very nervous. This is a big, weird step for me. Comments and critiques would be SUPER appreciated.

This is actually a story I started a while back, so the first chapter is a bit outdated in my mind. Haha, I hope you like it though... ^^ thanks for reading!

________________________________________________________~Little Girl Geek______________________________________________________________________

Nothing happened in the city anymore. Ever since Sakura had changed all the cards, life seemed almost... normal. There was never anyone to save, no one to help, nothing exciting. She knew she should have been happy, but she just wasn't.

It was obvious that Tomoyo missed the action. She had even stopped sewing for lack of occasion. It worried the little Kinimoto how gloomy she seemed. Everyday she would walk home with her, but she wouldn't be all there. Her gaze seemed stuck on the sky, her state of mind one of blankness. Sometimes Sakura had to pull her off crowded streets. Other times she would just stop and stand there, as if thinking about something of grave seriousness. Sakura was afraid she would get hurt if she kept falling into this oblivion.

Things were looking up, despite the new-found boredom. Seventh grade was closing in as they hit the winter of their sixth grade year. The two walked into school together and headed for their seats. Sakura set down her backpack and turned around in her seat cheerfully. "Good morning, Syaoran!"

Yes, Syaoran had decided to stay. When we say decided, we use it as a loose term. He wished to stay the whole time, having not been able to tell Sakura his feelings. As he was packing to head home after the last Card had been sealed, he received a phone call from Hong Kong. His mother proposed the idea that he should stay, to protect the new Card master. Also, she wanted him to stay near the girl he loved, but that side went unvoiced. At the cute girl's greeting, his ears pinked and he looked away. "Y-yeah."

Tomoyo giggled, but covered it with a cough when Syaoran tossed a glare in her direction.

The door slid open again, and a very flustered blue haired boy entered. He shuffled his glasses and approached the group, taking his seat behind Tomoyo and smiling politely at them all. "Good morning, Sakura-san. Daidoji-san. Li-kun."

Tomoyo smiled and greeted him in return. Eriol had chosen to return, though he wasn't sure why. Well, that's what he had told Syaoran and Sakura. Really, it was Tomoyo who had convinced him to return to Japan. The two had become good friends and remained in touch when he went home. Finally, she addressed that he spent too much time alone; she never heard about friends or family, or even the world outside of his manor. She asked him to return, not only for himself, but for his friends in Japan. And he gratefully obliged, though that was their own little secret.

Sakura smiled and greeted cheerfully, "Good morning, Eriol-kun!"

With a sideways smirk at Syaoran and a giggle from Tomoyo, Eriol swept up Sakura's hand and kissed it, bending over in a princely manner. "I have been counting the hours since our last meeting." He purred smoothly.

The new master of the cards turned cherry red and squealed, trying to fidget away but too confused to succeed. Syaoran turned an equal shade and jumped to his feet. "Hiragizawa!!"

Eriol smirked at him and pulled Sakura closer; she was in too much shock to fight him. Yet before he could carry on the charade and aggravate his distant nephew further, Tomoyo interrupted him. "Eriol-kun? Is something wrong?"

Leave it to Tomoyo to see what no one else does. She always had that special quality about her, to see how people really felt. Eriol released Sakura, who quickly snapped back to her normal self and gave the two a questioning look. When Eriol shook his head, Tomoyo nudged him into talking. He sighed loudly. "It's just a presence I have noticed as of late. Probably another mage."

"There are more??" Sakura asked, a bit too loud for such a public location. Syaoran cuffed his hand over her mouth quickly, whispering to the group that had closed in around her. "Of course there are more, idiot, you think there are only three kid mages in Japan?"

Sakura flushed and pouted, pushing his hand off of her mouth and whining. "Shut up, how was I supposed to know??"

Eriol shushed them both with a finger to their lips and glanced at each of them individually. Normally, this would be an all-the-time thing, but the presence would come and go, as if fading and reappearing, or possibly more than one. "Have either of you felt anything?"

Sakura shook her head and Syaoran leaned back in his seat, putting his hand to his chin. "I've felt a few presences, but I assumed it was Sakura using her cards." Sakura shot him a glare and Eriol a worried look.

"I haven't used the cards for much in a while. Kero-chan?" She glanced at her backpack. It rustled and jumped before Kero popped out and leaned over the books. Sakura picked him up to hide his animation from the rest of the class; A blown secret would not be a good way to head into the new year. She held him in the middle, where he crossed his arms in a matter-of-factual manner.

"I've sensed something as well, but I can't see what it is. The Sakura cards let off a different signature. It could be another mage, I suppose."

Eriol put his fist to his chin, rubbing his lip with the knuckle of his index finger. "I fear it is something much more serious..."

Before anyone could question him on this mysterious comment, the teacher came in and asked everyone to take their seats. They would have to discuss it later.

"There is.... something that I need to tell you all."

The group stood out behind the school, secluded from the other students. They sat around in the shade of a tree, Eriol with his arms crossed in thought, the others eating their lunch. The break was short, but Eriol chose to leave his food majorly untouched. His mind was elsewhere. Syaoran eyed him suspiciously, munching slowly on a rice cracker offered to him by Sakura. The girls exchanged worried glances, and even Kero was drawn from his food by the serious expression across the Mage's face.

Finally, Eriol found his words. "Not all of my memories have returned from my life as Clow." Though that had little impact to the children, Kero's face contorted into understanding shock. Eriol explained himself. "And that means that there is something I am still supposed to find."

This had more impact on the card captors than the previous statement. Syaoran stopped munching and looked up at Eriol, his eyes wide. He wanted to protest, to shout and yell and huff at Eriol's lies and the things he had already hidden from them. All he could do was wait- the words wouldn't come.

"Is it true?"

Everyone turned to Sakura, who had set her drink down and looked straight at Eriol with those strong, worried eyes. "Is there really more to do? It's not over yet?"

Eriol held her gaze, much to his displeasure. Those eyes, crucifying him and shaking his resolve like they always had. He knew what must be done, no matter how much he didn't want to do it. Still, to put her in harms way after those beautiful eyes had scrutinized him so... He could almost feel the real Clow frowning upon him and pushing him forward.

Slowly he nodded, with a quiet, final resolve. "Yes. There is more. Though at this point, I am not sure what it is yet."

Tomoyo smiled quietly, but pulled back a serious face. "So what do we do?"

Eriol chuckled- he knew that look. You could almost see the camcorder in her hand. "Well," he began, clearing his throat to regain his stern appearance. "I am almost positive that this presence is linked directly to my untouched memories. It simply cannot be a coincidence."

"So if we find it, we find your memories?"

"Or some way to them," Eriol corrected his nephew. "But we can't be sure. It may just lead to more questions. We'll meet up tonight in front of the school."

They all nodded decisively, ready to go through whatever they had to to help Eriol find the rest of Clow's memories. Eriol's eyes scrolled once more to Sakura. "Bring your cards."

Tomoyo was on her feet, a new-found exuberance in her lit eyes. "I'll prepare the costumes!!" Her cell was out and to her ear as she ran back toward the school. Sakura could only laugh uneasily at her best friend's back as she rounded the corner.

With only the three of them and Keroberos left, Syaoran gave a stern nod. "I will pick up Daidoji on the way to school. The rest of us can protect ourselves against a hostile, but she's defenseless."

A wide smile plastered across Sakura's face. With such a kind, level-headed teammate as Syaoran, she felt no worry any longer for Tomoyo being at the scene.

Syaoran, however, could not bear such a face. His ears burned red and he stood quickly, stumbling. "C-class is starting," he mumbled, turning and running after Tomoyo.

"Hoe?"

A sigh and a chuckle. "Don't mind him, Sakura-san." The remaining two stood and started for the door.

The air was tense and nervous. She had to know. "Do you think this will be alright?"

Eriol glanced at her and immediately looked away. The thought- he couldn't. He swallowed hard, but held his composure. "I don't know."

Woo! First Chapter over!!

*Sigh* my very first story on fanfiction.... what a scary thought, lol

and this one isn't even my fave. How odd.

Oh well. It's good to have a test. 3 Send me a message, critique, anything to tell me what you thought of it and how it hit you. Thanks! Hope to see you in the next chapter!