Chapter 1: A Volatile Valentine's Day

The town was deserted. There was not a soul in sight. Beautiful stores, small businesses and buildings stood as they always did; their lights on, doors open. But they stood empty. Office desks were unoccupied, computers turned on but abandoned. Pavements were neglected by pedestrians. The roads were lined with cars, buses, bicycles, yet nobody rode them.

The 'thing' stood at six, maybe even seven feet tall. It was like a grasshopper or a lizard, but it was certainly inhuman as its yellow snake eyes darted about searching, looking, thirsting for more. Its large membranous wings opened and it alighted on top of a car, then on a building, and then on a vacant photo booth. It bent over, parting curtains to take an eager peek inside. There was no one in there either. The thing raised its head slowly, its tail swaying as it surveyed the area. Even though this place was uninhabited, the most obvious thing was the way clothes lay strewn across the town's streets, as though they had simply been thrown there. The wind played with a few hems and thin sleeves, flapping.

But it was mostly still…

The Christmas and New Year holidays ended abruptly. Once again the teens were back at Seijou High School, ready to begin their final term. Well, 'ready' might have been exaggerating. Sakura was excited to get back into the routine, but now that it was four weeks into January, with their graduation set in March, it felt like time was running out. Important decisions had to be made about what came after school. Work? University? She had always thought university but Sakura felt like she was being pulled in so many directions. The future was a topic that she wasn't prepared to face yet.

As her face was buried in her arms, exhausted from another late night of study, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turned her head lazily, to peep blearily at Tomoyo.

'Hoe?'

'Class is over, Sakura-chan. Aren't you hungry?'

Sakura nodded weakly as she assembled her things and followed Tomoyo to the cafeteria, a place that was a rare 'luxury' in a Japanese high school, and joined the others at the table.

'Hi Sakura, Tomoyo!' greeted Chiharu and Naoko as Sakura and Tomoyo sat down and nodded at Rika, Meiling and Chibiusa. Across from them were Takashi, Sumi, Fondu, Ron and Hermione. Harry, Syaoran and Trunks hadn't joined them yet.

'Harry went to the loo,' Ron explained, giving Tomoyo a strange look. 'I know you're probably wondering where he is.' He then waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Tomoyo blushed slightly and Hermione snorted into her drink before developing a coughing fit. Sakura blinked, too confused and tired to analyse why he directed this information at Tomoyo. By then Syaoran finally appeared, greeting them all as he wedged into a spot between Takashi and Ron.

The table of teenagers fell silent as a certain pale-haired figure skulked into the room, a bag swinging in his hand as he found the most neglected table he could and sat down. He opened his bag, roughly unwrapping the bento box from within, then stared at its contents for a while as though uncertain of what to do with it.

'Malfoy,' Syaoran grumbled.

'Akira, the maid, made him lunch this morning,' Hermione sniffed. 'Apparently not the usual, you know, braised beef and whatever. We've been in Japan long enough; you think he'd try something traditional and local by now.'

Several of them shook their heads.

'Well at least he's in full uniform these days,' muttered Chibiusa. It was true. For the entire month Draco had shown up every day in full uniform, a big deal considering weeks prior he insisted on wearing his wizarding robes. Of course, the real surprise was that he was always alone now, leading others to speculate.

Fondu's eyes lit up as he leaned in towards the others.

'You don't know yet? Rumour is that over the holidays, he made a pass at Mitsu Ayame. You know that weird Gothic Lolita girl with the blue lipstick he was always mingling with?'

A stream of juice spurted from Meiling's mouth. She dabbed her shirt, uttering apologies.

'You're serious?' wondered Harry aloud.

The others jumped; they hadn't noticed that Harry had joined them.

'Harry!' Tomoyo gasped. 'When did you get here?'

Harry gave her sly grin in response, as though to say 'I'm magic!'

Sumi shook his head dismissively and patted his brother on the shoulder. 'Nah. It was the other way around.'

'Blimey! So what is it then?' Ron uttered, eyebrows raised. The others seemed to share his expression, their thoughts whirring back to Christmas night, that evening Ginny had broken the news to them about Hogwarts, and Draco had entered in just at the oddest moment with a peculiar lipstick stain and bruise combination on his face.

'Yeah,' Sumi gave a definitive nod. 'She was the one flirting. So her boyfriend, Hachi, got super jealous and nailed him right in the mug!'

Sakura glanced at Draco in alarm.

Fondu nodded, looking thoughtful. 'Hm, you're right. That makes much more sense.'

'You're kidding,' Syaoran said, looking mildly impressed. 'So that's what? The fourth time he's been punched in the face?'

'A few of us have had the honour. Aside from myself, there was also Buckbeak, if you'd call that a punch,' Hermione reminded.

'Well, Ginny slapped him,' Harry added.

'Nice!' marvelled Ron.

'I may have landed a kick or two,' Meiling offered. 'Chi-Tun proved rather capable as well.' Chi-Tun was her pet chihuahua.

Syaoran raised his brows. 'He's becoming everyone's punching bag now. I'm getting jealous.'

'You and me both,' agreed Harry, sniggering.

'Hey Harry, you could count those snowballs you threw under the Invisibility Cloak at Hogsmeade,' Ron sighed. 'I want a go at him too. Someday.'

Sakura shot a dirty look at them all; they didn't seem to see her expression as they continued to chuckle.

Chiharu and Naoko exchanged puzzled glances. 'Hey, aren't you guys all supposed to be friends?'

'Yeah, seems kind of mean,' Rika commented, looking concerned.

'It's just a bit of a laugh. You know, that dry British humour,' Ron replied swiftly.

Sumi and Fondu inclined their heads like twin owls and then looked at each other. 'Westerners, I guess,' Sumi muttered while Fondu shrugged.

'And what's an "Invisibility Cloak"?' queried Takashi, sharp as usual.

Hermione coughed loudly and stared purposefully at Ron and Harry.

'It's a popular sitting area in a park back in England – it's surrounded by trees, making it "invisible",' Harry explained quickly. Ron nodded emphatically at the quick save.

Sakura sometimes forgot that they had to conceal that part of their lives; it was sometimes frustrating. She looked past Syaoran's shoulder to see that Trunks had entered the cafeteria. Takashi stood on his feet and waved as he called 'Yo! Trunks!'

Trunks smiled as he recognised them, but stopped to regard Draco seated alone at the other table. As though he fought a small internal struggle, Trunks grimaced, nodded once at Takashi and sat across from Draco. Draco looked up suddenly from his lunch, eyes wide. Sakura felt a gentle warmth bloom in her chest as she watched Draco and Trunks exchange a grin and begin to speak over their meals.

'Huh,' Chibiusa muttered, staring over at the two boys with interest. 'Didn't know those two got along so well?'

'Don't suppose aliens get eye problems?' Meiling muttered to Syaoran.

Syaoran nodded slightly and went back to his meal. 'If only Trunks'd had the displeasure of going to school with Malfoy in Britain.'

'Still don't get Western humour,' Fondu commented as he took a sip of his juice.

The Seventh Month: February

It was finally Friday, half way through the month, specifically February 14th. Despite the pressures of study most students revelled in the Valentine's Day spirit. The lower level corridors were decorated with paper hearts and streamers. Girls were in a flurry, hair and makeup meticulous as they fawned in the halls over who they would be giving sweets. Boys exuded an odd type of energy, anticipating chocolate and female attention, but dreading the inevitable rejections they would have to make. Throughout the morning Trunks heard a few snippets of conversation about Daffodil and theories on who she would be giving chocolate. He found the whole ritual fascinating, not recalling a similar holiday on his own Earth. He overheard that Sakura, Syaoran and Ron and Hermione were going on a double date that evening to watch The Vow (a corny movie apparently based on a true amnesia story). He suspected Harry and Tomoyo would be doing something as well. That left the rest of the household in romance limbo.

It was morning tea and Trunks felt slightly guilty at his own smugness. He had already received five pouches of chocolate, either suspended by colourful ribbons from his locker handle or sitting on his homeroom chair which he had nearly sat on. What unnerved him was that he did not know who they were from. There was only one girl he wanted.

'Chibiusa!' he heard someone exclaim.

Trunks swivelled around to watch as Chibiusa seemed to walk down the hall in slow motion, her long hair spiralling down one shoulder like coifed cotton candy. She stopped to speak with Chiharu and laughed. But he knew that it was an empty laugh; he saw that her eyes were sad.

'Oh, Briefs!' Chiharu exclaimed and waved him over, a bag slung over one shoulder. Trunks shuffled towards them and he was slightly thrown off by Chibiusa's slight smile as though to offer a familial 'hi'. 'Happy Valentine's Day!' Chiharu said, beaming. 'Have you gotten any candy yet?'

'Some,' he replied meekly, peering at Chibiusa intently. 'Have you gotten anything for Takashi?'

'Oh, he wishes,' Chiharu laughed, blushing. 'If I give him something now, he'll just start lying about how chocolate is actually the most offensive thing you can give someone – on Mars.'

Trunks and Chibiusa chuckled in response.

'How about you, Chibiusa?' Chiharu asked.

Chibiusa looked surprised. 'Oh no, I'm too selfish to give someone else chocolate – I'd prefer to eat it myself.' She laughed weakly and rubbed the back of her arm. Trunks paid extra attention when she bit her lip and looked away.

'Oh, you'd better take note of White Day,' Chiharu said.

'What's that?' Trunks asked.

Chiharu paused. 'Don't you recognize it in Osaka?'

When they had started school, Sakura had told everyone Trunks was from Osaka, since an "alternate dimension" wasn't too suitable.

Trunks chuckled unevenly. 'Oh yeah, I was homeschooled and my parents never cared about those things.'

'Ah. Well, White Day is where the boy returns the favour, by giving the girl he likes white chocolate.'

Trunks folded his arms. 'Aww, I prefer white chocolate.'

'Well, better find a good girly wig,' Chiharu teased, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder. 'Well, P.E. is about to start. I'll probably see you guys at lunch.'

Chibiusa turned to Trunks awkwardly. 'So, shall we?'

He blinked. 'Where?'

'Science class,' she said slowly, gesturing with her hand.

'Oh, right,' he said as he stumbled after her. Just to break the silence he asked, 'Do you have Valentine's Day back in your world?'

She nodded, looking pensive. 'It's not that different. Just add about a thousand years of technological advancement, and you've got my home.'

'Wow,' Trunks muttered and whistled. 'So you're kind of like a future type being.'

'Minus the tacky "futuristic" fashion,' she joked, winking slightly.

Trunks didn't know how to respond after her comment, so he chuckled nervously. The pair fell into an awkward silence as they walked then entered the class and took their usual seats. After the teacher called the roll, class commenced as usual. Trunks stared blankly, unable to focus on Toyota-sensei's ramblings on mitosis, his mind set on Chibiusa who was sitting some distance away. He couldn't overlook the fact that she had told Chiharu that she would never give chocolate to someone. She said it right in front of him. Maybe it was a sign? Maybe he had to be the one to make the move after all.

Takashi had told him about all the romantic things he should do. He wondered if this was probably the time to show how he felt. Certainly, it seemed Harry had finally built the confidence to do it and he was happier than ever. Trunks knew he wasn't ready to confess or anything like that, but he wondered if he wanted to spend this day alone like Draco or happy like Harry.

As class ended, Syaoran quickly made way for the classroom's exit. Finally the day was over. That morning, Sakura had given him a box of homemade chocolates. Chocolate was his favourite and the fact that she had taken the time to prepare it delighted him. He wondered when she could have possibly found the time, and with their house in disarray, how she was able to do so secretly. She really was a wonderful, amazing girl. He clutched idly at the wolf-shaped jade pendant about his neck as he stalked the halls and made the way to his locker. Sakura had suggested they go out for a movie and dinner that evening. Butterflies flittered in his chest. They rarely had a moment alone for a proper date. Perhaps, he thought, this would be the perfect time to propose to her.

The students stood, hastily pushing in their chairs and gathering their things. Trunks stole glances at Chibiusa as he shoved his last textbook into his bag. He watched as she threw her own bag over her shoulder. Suddenly, she whirled around and looked at him. Trunks jumped. She had caught him staring, yet, she seemed to be indifferent as she simply offered a kind smile.

'Oh, by the way. Did you want to go out for dinner, tonight?' Chibiusa asked, approaching him.

'D-Dinner? ' stammered Trunks. He couldn't believe it! She was asking him out!

'Yeah, I almost forgot. Harry was thinking of visiting a restaurant since the maids are away this weekend. He was asking others if they wanted to come with.'

'Oh,' he muttered. Then an interesting thought came to him. He wondered if this was some kind of clever way of her subtly asking him on a double-date. He grinned. She was sneaky, but not too sneaky for him.

'So it's Harry and Tomoyo and…uh…' He began suggestively. Me and you? He thought.

'Actually, Tomoyo isn't going. She has choir. But Meiling might go?' she interjected, stroking her chin thoughtfully. She then dropped her arms to her sides and shrugged. 'Oh well. I'd go but I've got a study group this afternoon. Then I'll probably be getting my hair cut. Tomoyo has a pretty good stylist…'

Trunks stared, noticing her fringe had gotten quite long and brushed against her eyes.

'Say, maybe you should check them out some time yourself.' She turned away and waved. 'Later!'

Trunks gaped confusedly after her as she left the room, impulsively running a hand through his hair. He knew his hair had grown a bit as it had begun to reach a rather awkward length, just at the top of his cheek bones — but to actually call him out on it? It was discomforting. He groaned, irritated that he had gotten his hopes up. He supposed the others weren't dating yet after all. The thought of food was wonderful but spending this "couple's day" with Harry and Meiling wasn't what he had in mind.

Meiling sniffed miserably as she curled around a downy pillow on the couch, watching the morning news on low volume. She had woken with a fever and blocked nose. It suited the day, she thought bitterly, not having anyone to gift chocolate. She had come to Japan hoping to find love as Syaoran did with Sakura, but all she found instead was a Slytherin, a Sand Demon, a splitting headache and an empty bottle of Aspirin. She passed a weary eye over her sleeping puppy at the foot of the couch. She sniffed before returning her eyes to the television. She flicked over to a cheesy daytime show. A blonde woman with too-white teeth and a purple pantsuit demonstrated the suction power of a vacuum cleaner.

Groaning, she hovered her thumb over the channel button and promptly screamed as she was thrown back into the couch by a sudden quake. She bolted upright, her eyes wide with alarm. Chi-Tun yowled with fright and darted into another room. Meiling had heard about the earthquakes in Japan, but that tremor had only lasted for two seconds!

She looked cautiously around the room; a picture frame had become slightly askew but otherwise no damage. She moved to her feet and peered out the window. She gawped: smoke billowed from a spherical machine in the front garden, an emblem similar to a "C" gleaming in white on its side. The machine was buried several metres into the ground, clumps of earth and grass scattered around it. Meiling thought, somewhat darkly, that Tomoyo would be horrified by the state of her garden.

Was it an alien vessel? She squinted at the visible side and saw a hinged door. The door popped open and a boot stuck out. Was it the enemy?! She thought that the home was concealed by protective charms and spells, which seemed to have worked so far. But what if it failed? Now, not only was she home alone (on Valentine's Day, no less) with a cold, the last thing she wanted to do was fight anyone. Especially if this villain had supernatural powers. She had to muster her courage—she was a chosen Phoenix Fighter, wasn't she? Gathering her tattered cream dressing gown she moved towards the front door. Drawing a deep breath, she pulled at the threads of her ki and drew them to her core, preparing to attack as she approached the vessel.

She coughed at the smell of acrid smoke, her eyes stinging as she inspected the hinged door. The leg attached to the boot was now wriggling like a demented worm, and she heard an interesting consortium of profanities, which belonged to a boy.

'H-Hello?' she called throatily, holding her hands out carefully, feeling her energy brim under her palms.

'A little help?' the person replied, the leg kicked emphatically.

'Who are you?' she asked hesitantly.

'I'm Trunks' friend, and my head is stuck under the control panel, and I'm getting a cramp in my neck!'

He knew Trunks? Maybe he was from Trunks' world. 'Hold on,' she sniffled and climbed carefully up the domed shape of the vessel. She peered into the door and saw a boy grimacing back at her in an odd position, his face obscured by a mop of shaggy dark hair.

'Hi,' he intoned, 'if you pull my leg, I'll push from underneath.'

Meiling quirked an eyebrow but didn't respond. She wrapped her arms around the boy's calve and pulled hard. He grated out a few more swear words and together they managed to get him free. When she regarded him properly, she saw he was a muscular boy donning a sleeveless, orange martial arts uniform complete with belt and wrist bands, his eyes dark and intelligent under unruly black hair that met to his shoulders. He was quite handsome, his cool appearance vaguely reminding her of a cross between her favoured Ryu from Street Fighter II and Liu Kang from Mortal Kombat; but she pushed away the observation. He pressed a button on the side of the vessel and, with a pop, it was replaced by a red and white capsule, which he stowed into a pocket. The gaping hole the vessel left in the ground was almost comical.

'I suppose you're not going to clean this up,' she queried. 'The host is going to have a heart attack!'

'Eh, just throw some dirt over it, it'll be all right,' he replied casually.

She folded her arms. She was suddenly conscious of her dishevelled appearance and hastily pulled her hair over one shoulder. 'So, you're Trunks' friend?'

'Yeah, I was sent to help,' he replied, taking in the large house behind her. 'Nice digs!' He whistled and then regarded her properly. 'You're Sakura?'

'No,' she replied, feeling shy at his intense stare. 'Li Meiling.'

'Hard to believe. Trunks said Sakura is very pretty.' He grinned at her.

She tried not to blush.

'Son Goten,' he said after a while, shaking her hand. 'Is Trunks around?'

She regarded him carefully. He did not seem suspicious. He had also been able to pass through the protection wards. Her judgement of character wasn't her strong suit, as she reflected on Draco and Gaara. Still, after observing him some more, she decided to trust him.

'No,' she replied, 'but assuming that you're not some crazy monster freak, I suppose I should invite you in to wait until he gets home.'

'Sounds rad,' he replied, and she almost grinned at how dorky he sounded.

She staunchly told him to wait in the entrance room as she hastened to bin all the tissue wads that had accumulated like snowdrifts on the couch. When that was done she made him sit on a single-person couch and turned on the television to compose herself. Goten seemed to be on edge about something, looking a little too suspiciously at the Hello Kitty clock on the wall.

'Problem?' she asked, making him jump.

He waved a hand and chuckled awkwardly. 'Nah, I was just wondering ... where this "chaos" is.'

'Oh, it's really out there,' she replied, 'this home is shielded by a slew of protective wards.'

'Magic?' he muttered and whistled. 'Trunks was telling me.'

'Yeah, so, assuming you and Trunks are friends, where do you fit into all this?.' She sneezed suddenly and covered her face in embarrassment. 'C-Could you pass a tissue, please?'

Goten blinked and offered her the whole tissue box. She took it slowly and mopped her nose, blushing.

Goten's mouth eased into a broad grin, and his face glowed as though his words were inspired by some deity. 'For a girl with a cold, you sure are...hot.'

It was so embarrassing, Meiling threw her head back and laughed. A tickle formed in her throat and the laugh suddenly morphed into a loud hacking cough. Her face grew to an even brighter red. 'S-Sorry,' she spluttered.

At that moment, they heard stamping overhead. They turned towards the entrance to see an irate and visibly off-colour Draco. Meiling hadn't realised he was home as well.

'So bloody loud! Do you mind keeping it down?' Draco snapped, then blanched as he noticed Goten. He had a guarded look on his face. 'Who the hell are you?'

'Goten,' Goten replied, and turned to Meiling. 'Friend of yours?'

'Not really,' she replied, and thought for a moment that Draco's demeanour shifted to disappointment.

Draco snorted and rubbed his nose with a tissue. He was once again wrapped in his Snuggy. So he had a cold too. 'Is this a Muggle disease?'

'Take your uneducated ass back upstairs,' she deadpanned and watched with satisfaction as he scoffed agitatedly, then dragged himself away.

'You're obviously not well,' Goten noted, and tentatively placed a hand on her forehead. Meiling felt the heat in her face rise even more. He pulled back his hand and waved it as though it burned. 'Whoa! Tea and bed for you!'

'Hold on,' she protested and screamed as he lifted her into his arms and bounded up the stairs. He ended up placing her down so they could locate her room, and he went down to the kitchen to make her some oolong tea. When he returned, he sat on the end of her bed, and started a comedy routine that was so bizarre, that her stomach hurt from laughing.

Draco shot up into a sitting position. He heard laughter coming from Meiling's room. She wouldn't...

He bounded off the bed and dashed to her room. The door was open. He swept past and stared for a moment. Meiling and the strange boy were simply sitting on the bed, many inches apart, cups of tea splashing onto the bed covers as they laughed hysterically. They stopped mid-laugh to regard him with curious glances.

Meiling narrowed her eyes. 'What?'

Draco felt his heart race. 'I-I was just checking.'

Her eyes rounded. 'Checking what?'

He suddenly sneezed into his open hand. Disgusting! He spun desperately on his socked feet and dashed away.

'That guy is really strange,' Draco heard the other boy say as he retreated.

Syaoran tried extremely hard to disguise his annoyance. He thought that just he and Sakura would be going on this date. He had bought a single red rose, thinking he was so original. But when Sakura surprised him with Hermione and Ron at the cinema foyer, Ron had arrived with a large bouquet of yellow roses. Syaoran realised at that moment that it was a double-date devised by Sakura and Hermione. So much for asking her tonight, he thought miserably.

The keyword was "awkward". Sakura and Hermione spoke animatedly about the movie they had just seen, while Syaoran and Ron stared hard at their pasta and then at each other.

'Don't s'pose you enjoyed the film?' Ron ventured, swirling his spaghetti with a fork.

'I guess you could appreciate the cinematography,' Syaoran replied tartly.

Ron nodded and then stared over the edge of the table. 'Mate, did you drop something?'

Syaoran looked at the ground beside them and dived down desperately. The ring had fallen from his pocket!

'Syaoran, are you alright?' Sakura asked.

Hermione exchanged what looked like a knowing glance with Ron. Oh, this was just a "perfect" night.

'Just dropped my fork,' he replied distractedly, shoving the ring box into his pocket and straightening his collar.

Sakura leaned in to kiss his cheek lightly. Syaoran felt the blood rush to his face. He glared at Ron who gave him a sly look.

'SAKURA! IS THAT MY DARLING?' someone screamed.

Syaoran felt a rush of terror as he looked up to see the ever-smiling Fujitaka and an intoxicated Sonomi sway over to their table. Sonomi sighed happily as she draped her arms around Sakura's shoulders. 'Sa-ku-ra-chaaan!'

Syaoran stood up mechanically and shook Fujitaka's hand.

'Hello,' Fujitaka greeted him, and smiled at Hermione and Ron. 'Sorry to disrupt your lovely evening.'

'N-Not at all,' Syaoran stammered. 'Please sit.'

Fujitaka pulled two chairs from an empty table and failed in persuading Sonomi to sit beside him. Syaoran was moved from his seat so Sonomi could sit beside and fawn over a blushing Sakura.

'I've made peace with the idea of you,' she chimed, leering at Syaoran, who grimaced internally. 'Of course, no one is worthy of my Sakura, but you make her happy – Oh, Fujitaka, we're such cool and proud parents.' She giggled and smiled at Ron and Hermione. 'Fancy a drink? It's perfectly fine with adult supervision.'

Fujitaka smiled uncomfortably.

'Thank you, but we'll be quite alright,' Hermione replied and reached across the table to shake hands with Fujitaka and Sonomi. 'You are Sakura and Tomoyo's parents? It's nice to meet you. My name is Hermione, and this is Ronald. We went to school with Sakura in Britain.'

'Yeah, she was one of our top students,' Ron said, also shaking their hands, 'she's got really powerful ma-'

Hermione grinned brightly. Syaoran felt the stab of a heeled shoe in his shin. He pushed down a swear word. He must have made an offensive face because Ron stopped mid-speak while Sonomi glared at him and leaned over to Fujitaka. 'I still think there's something "off" about the boy.'

Perhaps Hermione meant to kick Ron in the shin, but it had hurt! Syaoran threw Hermione and Ron a dirty look, and they suddenly became interested in their dinners.

'Oh, how lovely,' Sonomi said slowly, eyeing Syaoran suspiciously. 'Garcon!' she called a waiter over. 'A bottle of your finest Pinot Noir.'

Sakura giggled, embarrassed. Syaoran still couldn't believe that Sonomi had mothered Tomoyo, or that she was actually going to be his mother-in-law. Well, hopefully, he thought sadly.

'Syaoran, have you asked?' Fujitaka whispered, offering a wink.

Syaoran shook his head once. 'I was...'

Fujitaka regarded Hermione and Ron, and smiled knowingly. 'Ah, the blind double-date. Don't give up.'

'My Sakura is looking so grown up!' Sonomi exclaimed, stroking an embarrassed Sakura's cheek.

Syaoran looked between them and Fujitaka. He still saw this man as a potential father. He would not give up.

Syaoran smiled. 'I won't.'

After school Trunks and Harry had stayed back to study for a few hours until it got dark. As it turned out, even Meiling wasn't joining them. Recognizing that it would be awkward with just the two of them, they opted to grab some ramen-to-go instead of dining in. Afterwards, on Trunks' suggestion, they decided they would visit a barber to get their hair cut. Harry confessed that he had never had his hair done professionally, and Trunks could not get over his longer hair since Chibiusa had mentioned it that morning. They located a local barber and Trunks asked for a light trim. The conversation with the heavily-moustached man had been pleasant. So when Trunks saw Harry's gobsmacked stare, he was overwhelmed by the dread that befouled him the moment before he looked into a mirror.

His hair had not been cut. It had been maimed. Disfigured. His hair was cut close to his skull in places, while longer and gelled up into antennae in others. He turned to look at Harry, who looked normal with a simple short spiked style.

Feeling too sick to scream, Trunks bounded out of the barbers and towards the house. He was certain Harry had paid for both of them, as there was a delay in his catching up to Trunks. Trunks suddenly felt a sudden pulling, like a knot, at his senses. The house didn't feel quite right. Something was off about it. He jumped directly over the front gate and skidded to a stop as he was met with a gaping crater-sized hole in the front yard. Harry entered in through the gate normally, and before he could complain about Trunks' running off, he saw it as well. They exchanged unnerved glances. Something was definitely not right.

Trunks hurled open the door, Harry trailing behind with his wand out, as they yelled anxiously,

'Hello?'

'Is everyone okay?'

'Hey Trunks? Got a surprise for you,' Meiling called from the living room.

Trunks moved into the room and stared. 'GOTEN?!'

'Yo, Trunks!' Goten replied with a grin, which faltered when he took in Trunks' appearance. 'What happened to your hair?' He guffawed, clutching his stomach. 'Is that, like, all the rage in this world?'

'Shut up!' Trunks retorted and knocked his best friend across the head. 'What are you doing here?'

'Got quite a story for you,' Goten started, but was cut off by a hair-splitting scream.

'MY GARDEN!'

They all ran outside to find Tomoyo passed out in Chibiusa's arms. Chibiusa gaped at Trunks' hair. He expected her to laugh, but after giving some pause, she smiled gingerly and gestured to Tomoyo. 'A little help?'

He composed himself and went to lift Tomoyo into the house.

'What are we going to do about the hole?' Chibiusa asked, once they had laid Tomoyo on one of the couches.

'Hold on, I've got it,' Harry said and went outside. They watched with interest as the dirt debris spun into the air and reordered themselves to fill the hole in the ground. Grass, albeit dried out from the winter's frost, grew over the top and it was like there had never been a hole.

They heard a gruff mumble from past the front gate. They spied one of their neighbours, an old man, who walked his old Scottish terrier. The dog sniffed the gate and proceeded to mark its territory.

'Damn kids, and their promiscuity and drinking and partying,' the old man muttered and walked on.

Trunks recalled the time he had been in Goten's position, at the epicentre of interrogation as the household circled like sharks, waiting for an opening to reveal weakness. Sakura, Syaoran, Hermione and Ron arrived several hours after, and Trunks was certain that Syaoran was going to have an apoplexy.

'What is it with you girls and letting in strange men?' Syaoran muttered to Meiling. 'Especially since you're sick and your defenses are down.'

'Oh, shut up,' Meiling replied, sipping from an ornate teacup. 'He's fine. He's Trunks' friend!'

'What are you doing here?' Trunks asked Goten, who smiled shrewdly. 'And why are you wearing that get-up? This isn't Budokai!'

Budokai referred to the many World Martial Arts Tournaments held in their world.

'I wanted to be prepared,' Goten mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

'He was sent to help!' Meiling added defensively.

'What?' Trunks asked, eyeing his best friend suspiciously. 'Seriously, Goten?'

Goten prodded his index fingers together. 'Well, I might have been exaggerating a little.'

Trunks felt the vibration of his phone in his back pocket. He slid it out and brought it to his ear. 'Mom?'

'TRUNKS! TRUNKS, IS THAT YOU?! IS GOTEN THERE?!'

'Yes...'

'WHEN I SEE HIM, I'M GOING TO KILL HIM! CHI-CHI IS FURIOUS! I'M FURIOUS! HE STOLE THE TELEPORTATION DEVICE, WHICH I MIGHT ADD, WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF REPAIRS!'

Trunks pressed his lips together and held a hand over the mouthpiece. 'Goten, you idiot! Mom says you stole the teleportation device. Did you know it was actually getting fixed?'

Goten smiled sheepishly. 'Well, it worked, so that's all good. And besides, it was just lying around. And it's just been so boring at home,' he moaned with emphasis. He then rubbed the back of his head. 'Also, school is so hard...'

Trunks rolled his eyes and held the phone back to his ear. 'Mom, it's okay. Goten arrived safely. No damage.'

'I DON'T GIVE A FLYING ... ABOUT GOTEN ... I'M WORRIED ABOUT MY MACHINE! THAT THING HAS THREE YEARS OF WORK PUT INTO IT! ALL THOSE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS - BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS —'

Trunks cringed and muttered, 'Mom, the reception is really bad. I'll call you back.' He hung up and turned to Goten. 'That was just the stupidest thing!' he snapped. 'Do you know what could have happened to you if it hadn't worked?'

'Don't sweat it, I'm here now,' Goten replied. 'Besides, I can help!'

'Please Trunks,' Meiling interceded. 'You've been nothing but helpful. Having the both of you here will really help our cause.' She turned to Syaoran. 'Please!'

Syaoran didn't look convinced.

'The real question is,' Goten said, smiling innocently, 'where do I sleep?'

Sakura stepped forward, her face a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. 'Um, you can stay in Draco's room, since there's some extra space.'

'The albino boy upstairs?' Goten asked, exchanging a wry glance with Meiling.

Syaoran looked pleased with himself. 'Yeah, you can stay with him.'

Ron chuckled beside Hermione, who looked confused. Harry and Chibiusa exchanged knowing looks of trepidation.

Goten glanced at Chibiusa, taking in her whole appearance. He then turned to give Trunks the most malevolent grin, as though to say 'you have good taste'. Trunks flushed slightly and said distractedly, 'He can sleep in the training room.'

Meiling looked appalled. 'N-No! That's okay, he can...have my room; I'll sleep on the couch.'

'Oh no, Meiling, you're unwell, we couldn't do that!' Sakura said, looking thoughtful.

'How about Ron, he's got heaps of space,' Meiling suggested, smirking at Ron who suddenly looked aghast.

'Okay, okay, let's take stock of the sleeping arrangements,' Hermione said, stepping into the centre.

'Well, he's not staying in my room,' Draco said, suddenly appearing in the entryway, nose red and wrapped in his Snuggy, which was looking a bit faded.

'No, no-one wants that, Malfoy,' Syaoran agreed, smirking.

'Well, he can't stay in mine – it's a mess, I'll admit,' Ron said, folding his arms. 'You know, rubbish everywhere. Some trousers strewn about. Just terrible.'

Hermione rolled her eyes.

'My room only fits one bed,' Harry volunteered. 'I'm fine with sleeping on the couch.'

'Oh, I'm sorry,' Sakura said, frowning. 'I didn't mean for it to get complicated.' She looked at the watch on her wrist and smiled. 'Look, it's almost 10PM. Goten, you can have my bed for tonight.'

Trunks saw Syaoran's eyebrows shoot up to vanish under his fringe. Was that a look of hope, or horror?

Trunks felt a bit horrified himself when Syaoran suddenly seemed to change tactics and adopted a casual stance. Syaoran patted Goten uncharacteristically on the shoulder, smiling greasily like a car salesman. 'Hey, you know what? Take my bed. Trunks and I already share a room and all. We can sort out other details tomorrow.'

Goten seemed taken aback, but happy. 'Oh, sure! Thanks, bro.'

'Oh, but where will you sleep then, Syaoran?' Sakura asked.

Syaoran grinned impishly, glancing at her. 'I'll take the couch.'

It sounded like an inconsequential statement, but the look that Syaoran gave Sakura suggested to Trunks that Syaoran was not talking about living room furniture. The other teenagers were turned away, not seeing Sakura's eyes widen slightly as she bit her lip.

Trunks noted then that Syaoran and Sakura wanted privacy, a rare commodity in that household. Even though it had been unprecedented, he felt guilty for Goten burdening them by taking more space and privacy from them. Trunks decided that if he couldn't have a nice Valentine's Day, at least they could.

To draw attention away from Syaoran, Trunks grabbed Goten's arm and pulled him towards the stairs, shepherding the others forward. 'Alright, time for bed!' he said distractedly. The others started to follow (appropriately) sheepishly.

'Oh, Tomoyo,' Meiling stifled a yawn, as though remembering something, 'there was a package for you in the mail.' She pointed to a large human-sized package that leaned against the wall.

Tomoyo moved from the base of the stairs and tentatively tore at the top of the package. She stumbled back in shock. It was a life-like replica of Sanrio, in all his spiky-haired, bespectacled glory, made entirely of dark chocolate.

'Blimey,' muttered Ron, who's expression seemed to alternate between horror and mild jealousy.

Hermione gaped. 'Um, White Day came early?'

'Odd,' muttered Chibiusa. 'I thought he'd left her alone, lately?'

Tomoyo's hands shook as she read the card aloud: 'I shan't quit as I could never lay to waste the noble heart of my fair Daidouji-sama to the unworthy grasp of my heathen rival! As the common-folk doth sayeth best: IT IS ON! And Happy Valentine's Day.'

Tomoyo exchanged a horrified look with Harry and threw the card onto the floor. 'I'm...going to bed.'

'That's enough of that for one night,' Hermione said in revulsion, resuming their exodus up the stairs.

'This really is a stupid holiday,' Ron mumbled as they all moved to their bedrooms.

Karasu sat still in thought, like a weather-worn angel on a grave stone. She looked up as Peter and another entered, their return long awaited. Their expressions were grave.

'What say you on the doctor?' she demanded.

The man looked up nervously. 'The doctor is dead.'

'What do you mean "dead"?' she asked, her cool tone heating up slightly.

'It seems he's been murdered by his own creation.'

'That idiot,' she groused, turning her head and glaring at nothing, dark hair pooling over one shoulder. 'I warned him about being overzealous. I suppose we can't count on that one anymore. Hmph. We'll go onto the next one.'

'Well, there's actually a bigger problem at the moment, Milady.'

'I'm listening?'

'That thing has escaped. It won't be long before it finds its way here.'

'Escaped, you say?' she uttered thoughtfully, tapping a finger to her cheek. 'Well, the boy has assured me that at their level, they're no match for the likes of it.'

'Won't it obstruct the plan, Lady Karasu? If the Phoenix Fighters finally lose…and so soon…'

'Perhaps. But, I must admit, I'm rather interested to see how they will handle it.' Her lips curled into a wicked smile.

Peter returned an awkward, buck-toothed grin.