The Age Card

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Sakura and Syaoran suddenly become sixteen year olds as they start their seventh grade year, due to the AGE card. Sakura and Syaoran are suddenly thrust into the real world, without parents, school, or even basic survival items. Can Syaoran ever get over his jealousy now that Sakura receives more attention on the streets? And more importantly, will they ever be able to return to their families at their real ages?

Disclaimer: CCS is so awesome…I could never own it.

xxx

It was night at the Tokyo Tower. The majestic tower rose to the sky, and Sakura, on top of a nearby building, watched as snow gently drifted down.

She saw a figure clearly on top of the Tokyo Tower. Sakura looked around—there was one Clow Card drifting down and Kero was still beside her. For some reason, Tomoyo was at the base of the tower.

She squinted at the figure. A piercing eye stared back at her, but then softened.

Who is it? She thought. I know…

It's Syaoran…but why is he a teenager? Sakura stepped up, and she let herself fall off the building, flying…

Ding! Ding! Ding!

"Huh…." Sakura Kinomoto stirred in her covers, trying to burrow under in vain to escape the obnoxious sound, her dream promptly forgotten. After all, those days of Clow Cards and Sakura Cards were gone…right?

The alarm clock promptly fell onto her head.

"OUCH!"

"SAKURA!"

Sakura groggily opened her eyes, rubbing her head gingerly. "Kero-chan?"

The plush toy was nose-to-nose with Sakura, glaring at her menacingly.

"AHH!" Sakura threw her covers up, sending Kero bouncing onto the floor.

"Sakura!" Kero yelled, not too happy.

"Kero-chan, what are you doing?"

The golden-colored guardian huffed, flying to Sakura's side. "Only trying to wake you up. After all those Clow Cards and Sakura Cards, you still can't get up, and now you're in seventh grade!"

Sakura, who had been looking quite put out when Kero started speaking, suddenly brightened. "Oh yeah, today's seventh grade!" A dreamy expression took over her face. "Today…Syaoran-kun's coming back…hanyaa!"

A bead of sweat rolled comically down Kero's neck as he sighed. "Girls…I'll never understand them. What does she see in that brat anyways?"

Sakura wasn't listening. Happily, she wore her new uniform, brushing her hair in the mirror. Luckily, Sakura had not reached the point where she had to put on all sorts of hideous makeup yet, Kero thought, shuddering.

"See you later, Kero-chan!" Sakura shut the door, and bounced down the steps.

Just a normal day, Kero thought, his thoughts happily diverted to sweets, chips, and television.

"Ohayo!" Sakura said her normal greeting as she came down the stairs. Sakura frowned slightly as the customary greeting, 'Hey Monster', didn't drift up. Her brother, Toya, had gone to college already…and Sakura missed him, however much she wanted to deny it. Vaguely, she wondered what it would be like to be his age.

"Ohayo, Sakura-san." Fujitaka Kinomoto smiled kindly at her as he served up the nutritious, delicious, breakfast.

Sakura smiled, and then promptly started to eat like a machine, spoon churning after a hasty "Itadakimasu". She didn't know why she was so hungy—onii-chan would definitely have called her a monster, but was it just her or was the soup so good today?

Maybe I'm starting to have a growth spurt! Sakura thought excitedly.

She finished quickly, and stood up to wash her dish. "Arigatou, Otou-san!" She said brightly, thanking her father.

"Here's your bento." Fujitaka said, handing her a colorfully wrapped lunch box. "I'm going to a trip to Egypt today, so I'll be back on Thursday. I already called Daidouji-san to tell her that you could come over for the week."

Sakura smiled at her wonderful father. "Arigatou! And good luck! Have a good trip!" She strapped on her roller blades. Fujitaka raised a hand in farewell, and started up his car, waving at Sakura as he left.

Sakura waved back, shouting goodbyes. Some things just never changed. Happily, she hummed as she roller-bladed down the path, eager to go to seventh grade.

Upstairs, Kero uneasily shifted. Something…something bad was going to happen.

Sakura skated all the way to school, turning round and round in her happiness. Syaoran was coming back from Hong-Kong today! Syaoran was coming back!

"Ohayo!" Sakura said cheerfully, walking into room 7-2 at school.

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan!" Chiharu, Rika, and Naoko said happily in return.

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said happily. "I'm so glad we're in the same class this year!"

"Me too!" Sakura smiled.

The bell then started ringing. "It's our new homeroom teacher!" Students hissed at each other, hastily finding seats.

The door slid open. Everyone waited with bated breath…

"Terada-sensei!" Everybody shouted joyously, crowding around him. "How come you're back? What are you doing here?"

"Calm down, minna-san (everyone)!" Terada-sensei said, smiling. "I've transferred just to be with you guys."

This elicited a whole new round of applause. Terada-sensei, however, was only looking at one person. That one person blushed under her dark brown hair, her eyes shyly looking at Terada-sensei. Tomoyo smiled, resting a hand on Rika's shoulder.

"Anyways, I also hope that you'll receive our transfer student who almost all of you know…" Terada-sensei said.

Sakura sat up straighter, her eyes happy and sparkling. Tomoyo smiled at Sakura.

"Syaoran Li-kun!"

Everyone burst out in applause as the door slid open for a second time. "Li-kun! You're back!" Yamazaki said happily, clapping Li on the back.

Everyone clambered around Li, wanting to know what Hong-Kong was like. Sakura shyly stood at the back.

Finally, the questions stopped and the crowd dispersed. When no one was looking, Syaoran walked right over to Sakura. "I'm glad to be back." He whispered, and Sakura's eyes teared up from happiness.

"I need this on video…" Tomoyo whispered, cupping her cheeks in her hands, starry-eyed.

Later, at lunch break, Sakura, Tomoyo, and Syaoran sat together, reminiscing over old times. Sakura and Syaoran kept stealing glances over at each other, and Tomoyo winked slyly at Syaoran, who swatted at her, muttering "Crush on Eriol, much?" Tomoyo merely smiled.

"Remember Kero-chan?" Sakura was saying. "Syaoran-kun, I really hope you guys will get along this time…"

"What, he's still there?" Syaoran grumbled.

"Of course! Life will never be the same without Kero-chan…or Yue-san!" Sakura said happily.

Syaoran started to smile, but then he froze. "I sense…"

Sakura gasped. "A Clow Card!"

"How is that possible?" Tomoyo asked worriedly. "But if there really is one…"

She went starry-eyed.

"I get to film Sakura-chan!"

Sakura fell over. "T-Tomoyo-chan…" she said sheepishly.

Syaoran nodded at Sakura. "Use SLEEP. We need to put everyone to sleep before we can do this."

Sakura nodded. She still wore the little star wand chain around her neck, but never dreamed she would use it again. Taking it off, she cried,

"O key that conceals the power of my star, reveal your true nature to me, by my power I command you! Release!"

Soon she was clutching the wand, a determined look on her face. "Make everyone oblivious to us! SLEEP!"

The blue fairy zipped off, and sprinkled powder over the whole school. Off in the distance, Chiharu and Yamazaki slumped against the wall, Rika and Terada-sensei, who had been talking, fell to the floor, and Naoko's face went right into her book.

Tomoyo took out the handheld camcorder she had with her. "I'm so happy!" She squealed.

"T-Tomoyo-chan…" A sweatdrop trickled down Sakura's neck.

"Let's go." Sakura nodded at Syaoran and Tomoyo, and they ran.

They could see a white haze up ahead. Sakura skidded to a stop, Syaoran and Tomoyo behind her. "What is that?" Sakura asked curiously.

A white woman drifted out of the mist.

Sakura shared an uncertain look with Syaoran. Was this it? Was capturing the Clow Card this easy?

"Card created by Clow, leave your old form—" Sakura started to say, raising her wand, but was abruptly cut off as the card glided toward her.

"JUMP!" She jumped backwards, away from the woman.

The woman smiled, and reached out a hand toward Sakura. Come….she seemed to say. Come…

Sakura, dazed, reached a hand out to the woman.

Syaoran, too, as if mesmerized, walked slowly to the woman. Come…

The woman cloaked them in her cold embrace.

A while later…

"SAKURA-CHAN! SAKURA-CHAN! PLEASE WAKE UP!"

"Sakura! Kid!"

Sakura groggily opened her eyes. "Wha—Kero-chan? Tomoyo-chan?"

It was dark. Sakura looked around in amazement at the basement they were in. "Tomoyo-chan, how did we get here?"

Tomoyo bit her lip.

"Tomoyo-chan?"

"OH, SAKURA-CHAN! I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE OKAY!"

The dark-haired girl immediately started to hug Sakura, who patted her on the back. Sakura was shocked to see that Tomoyo was crying. Kero looked shaken as well. "Arigatou, Tomoyo-chan…"

Then, worriedly, she asked, "What about Syaoran-kun?"

"He's still not awake yet…" Tomoyo said worriedly. "After that woman hugged you, she disappeared and both of you fell into a deep state of unconsciousness. I called Kero-chan to help me carry you and Li-kun to a safe place because the SLEEP stopped since you were knocked out…and then you both started to grow!"

"Grow?" Sakura said dazedly. "What do you mean?"

Wordlessly, Tomoyo took out a mirror. Sakura took one look—and yelped.

"T-Tomoyo-chan…why am I a teenager?"

"I don't know, Sakura-chan…that Clow Card must have done something! You and Li-kun were out for a long time, though…"

Kero cleared his throat uncomfortably. He made a rumbling sound, which was much more intimidating coming from a lion rather than a plush toy. "About that, Sakura…I think I need to tell you and that kid something…"