AN: Back in December, I wrote a oneshot about a time travel AU for LeoSaku Week and people really liked it. So I thought, "Huh, maybe I should turn this into a multi-chapter fic," against my better judgement. So here it is! Thanks Ms. Rapis-Razuri and Mr. P.T. Piranha for beta-ing this.

Enjoy.

The flurries of snow that fell from the sky were unexpected, but it didn't make them any less pretty as they landed on Sakura's open palm, melting away as soon as they touched her. As she marveled at them, she could hear Hana let out a sigh of exasperation beside her. How strange, Sakura thought Hana liked the snow.

The chilling winds forced Sakura to place her hands back into the pockets of her jacket, while Hana shivered.

"Aw man, if I knew it was going to snow, I would've never come out here," Hana huffed, stuffing her own pockets with her hands as the two of them started on their path home. "Gods, it's almost April! You'd think it'd let up by now!"

Sakura let out a small bout of laughter. "Yes, but it isn't sticking. There's no need to pout about it," she assured her. "And besides, we had to come out here anyway to get our school uniforms. Though… I think we should have purchased them earlier."

The annoyance about the weather seemed to wash away in an instant at the mention of their school uniform, and Hana's bright smile from earlier reappeared. "It might be a little silly, but I'm super happy about getting them! It makes me feel like a super cool high school student already, you know?"

Sakura wasn't sure if she felt super cool, but she was glad that Hana felt that way. Graduating from middle school was so surreal to her. She wouldn't get to see all the same smiling faces that wished her a good morning every day, nor would they all hang out after school and chat about last night's television show or goof around.

Maybe she was feeling sadder about graduating than she originally thought. "B-But… don't you miss everyone in our class?" she asked tentatively.

Hana cocked her head to the side in question before a smile broke out on her face, one of reassurance. "Of course I miss everyone, but it'll be fine. Besides, we still have each other, don't we?"

Sakura began to smile too. "Hehe, we do. Still though," she started, "I can't help but feel nervous about the new school year. Do you think everyone is as nice as they were in middle school? Oh, a-and what about all the homework?"

"Ahhh! Don't mention homework!" Hana cried. "You're good at that stuff so you don't have to worry, but someone like me? I'm gonna tank!"

"I-If we study together, we'll be fine, right?" Sakura asked.

Hana looked at her in disbelief. "Are you asking me? Because I don't know! If this is supposed to cheer me up, then you're not doing a very good job."

The corners of Sakura's lips twitched upwards before a laughed escaped her as Hana cried, "This is no laughing matter!"

"S-Sorry, sorry," she laughed. "I didn't mean to make you worry. But, you getting so riled up makes me think that we'll be just fine if we stick together."

"You're right," Hana beamed. "As long as we're together, we'll kick school's butt like mature young ladies."

Mature…

That was another thing that bothered Sakura right after graduation. She certainly didn't feel all that mature. For some reason, after her 15th birthday a few days ago, Hana just seemed to exude an air of confidence about her. Now, Hana was always a confident girl, but there was some kind of new flair to her attitude that Sakura wished she had.

Maybe she'd get a burst of whatever it was that Hana got on her own birthday. In the meantime, it didn't stop Sakura from constantly wishing to become a bit more mature. When the two of them parted ways, Sakura decided that she would try on her new school uniform.

Engaging in battles with plain old Hoshidan soldiers was something that Leo would rather not partake in, seeing as though he had more pressing matters to tend to, but a few of them had gathered near the outskirts of Izumo just itching for a fight. How could he deny them their wish when they practically begged for combat, by pointing their weapons at him?

He wanted to stay low at least until he was out of Hoshido, but after looking at those soldiers, something in him felt the need to take his frustrations out on them. There were three of them – one readied his sword, prepared to lunge at him at any moment while the other provided support.

The third hung back, and Leo made a mental note to keep his eye on that one, lest he decide to fight dirty.

His attacker swung his blade, and although it looked so thin and frail, the sickening "swoosh" sound it made as it sliced through the air let Leo know just how lucky he was to have dodged it. In one swift movement, Leo reached for Brynhildr, and he could feel its magic practically coursing through his veins.

With his right hand stretched out towards his enemy, Leo summoned a tree that hit the Hoshidan swordsman with full force, and then another, rendering him unconscious. His eyes flickered between the Hoshidan who wielded some sort of club and the other just ways away from him, unraveling something Leo knew as a scroll.

Leo struck first, not wanting to waste a moment in case he ended up on the receiving end of that club. As he cast his magic, Leo could see a flash of light through the corner of his eye. A jolt of electricity spread throughout his body, and he let out a cry of pain before a wicked smile spread across his lips.

He was careless; why did he expect Hoshidans to fight fair? Not that three against one was fair to begin with. The Hoshidan mage attacked again, and Leo could see electricity in the form of a tiger headed for him before he maneuvered his steed out of the way.

With a frown, he cried out, "I will erase you!" and tree branches shot up through the ground, going as far as impaling the soldier. There was a strangled gasp from the soldier as his blood painted the ground beneath them. The man behind him let out a cry of horror, and Leo turned to face him, his gaze hardened.

"Y-You… You monster!" the man cried.

Leo made no move to attack, nor did he say a word. He simply watched as the final soldier foolishly let his weapon slip from his fingers before retreating. Leo scoffed. "What a coward," he mumbled, before riding off. Ignoring the tingling sensation that mage gave him, Leo could only focus on the fact that his frustrations hadn't disappeared after that battle.

Instead, his mind wandered back to his brief time in Izumo, and his face immediately soured. It wasn't as if running into Corrin and his ragtag group of soldiers was bad enough, but then he had the audacity to speak nonsense and attempted to sway Leo's mind, as if he'd actually buy it.

You say Father's being controlled, but you can't say who's doing it? Leo thought. What a joke!

He could feel his grip tightening on the horse's reins. Soon, the horse let out a whinny, as if it could sense its master's feelings. Leo's teeth sunk into his bottom lip before commanding his mount to halt. Maybe he should take a small breather before continuing his journey.

He dismounted, and sat down by one of the nearby trees, his back resting on its trunk. He had to say, the greenery in Hoshido certainly was enviable. Leo let out a small sigh as he took in the beauty of it all, however, something that glimmered in the sunlight had caught his attention.

It was in a patch of grass not too far from him, and with Brynhildr tucked underneath his arm, Leo went to retrieve it. "A hand mirror…?" What was this doing all the way out here? Did it belong to some noblewoman? If so, she must have dropped it ages ago. It was cracked in some areas, and dirt smudged small sections of it.

Leo brought his finger to its surface to remove some of the dirt, but the same sensation of that Hoshidan soldier's attack jolted through his finger, and Leo immediately recoiled. "What the hell?" He studied his hand for a moment before a bright light emitted from the hand mirror.

He dropped it, making a move to get back on his horse, but this force was terribly strong. The last thing he could hear what the frantic whinnying of his horse before white noise filled his ears, and the trees of the forest were replaced with light so bright that he needed to close his eyes.

He had not a clue as to what was going on, but the only small comfort Leo had was to squeeze Brynhildr in his arms as he waited for it all to pass.

"I'm home," Sakura called out, but there was no response. She supposed that Takumi was still out with friends and that her mother was still down at the animal shelter. As for Hinoka, she wasn't quite sure, but Hinoka always stepped out whenever she pleased. She promised she'd start dinner for the three of them after she slipped into her uniform.

In a rush, Sakura bolted up to her room, eager to try everything on.

The red skirt stopped just above her knee, and fit rather snugly around the waist, especially with her white button down tucked inside. The beige blazer didn't fit too close, but it wasn't very loose either, just as she preferred it. It had taken her two tries to get the ribbon tie to look just right.

As she stood in front of her bedroom mirror, checking out her new uniform, something about it still didn't feel right. She didn't feel like a high school student. Maybe she should do something different with her hair? But it was so short. What could she possibly do with it?

She was sure that putting it in two ponytails would have the opposite effect she was going for. Maybe she could take the time to grow it out as long as Hinoka's was when she was around her age. She looked so lovely with long hair, it was a wonder why she decided to cut it.

As Sakura combed her fingers through her hair, something strange happened.

Her mirror began to ripple, as if stones had been tossed into water. Against her better judgement, she reached out towards it, only for it to begin to crack. Then, she backed away as far as she could, only able to watch in terror as little rays of light began to shine through the cracks on her mirror.

Piece by piece, little jagged chunks of her mirror had come off before the entire mirror shattered, and a dark figure emerged from the light. She had to squint just to look at him. Soon, the bright lights faded away, and when Sakura was able to get a good look at him, she was sure that she had never seen anyone quite like him before.

His armor was eerily dark, save for the touches of gold that lined the intricate edges of each curve and point. Some spots wore dust, others wore what looked to be blood. He was hauntingly beautiful, like something out of a dark fairytale.

Blond hair, although strewn about, held a type of shine to it. Those brown eyes with specks of marigold in them narrowed at her, and thin lips curled into a menacing scowl. Sakura could feel a tremor run through her in that moment.

He walked towards her, his boots crunching on the glass shards of her broken mirror. With each step he took, her heart seemed to race faster. No doubt out of fear. The purple book in his right hand opened and the pages began to rustle, as if a gust of wind swept through her bedroom. His left hand reached towards her, emitting a light purple glow.

In a cold, commanding voice, he asked her, "Who are you? And what is this place? Answer now or prepare to face the consequences, vile Hoshidan."

Sakura couldn't seem to find her voice. Her pupils dilated. Her lips quivered.

The next moment, she fainted.

Leo's eyes widened, and the purple glow around his hand faded as quickly as it came. Maybe he'd gone a little too far? She didn't seem to have any weapons on her, and it looked like he was the one who accidentally entered her space, rather than her bringing him here.

But as he looked around her bedroom, decorated in large pictures of colorful characters and bright lights illuminating the space, Leo had to wonder… where exactly was he?

Slowly, Sakura's eyes fluttered open, and it had taken her a moment to realize that she was staring up at the ceiling of her bedroom. How long had she been asleep for?

…Exactly when did she decide to take a nap anyway? And in her school uniform no less? It was going to get wrinkled!

But for some reason, she couldn't will herself to get out of bed. Instead, she managed to roll on her side, and that was when she came face to face with him. He sat on a chair by her bedside, reading one on the books that she purchased recently. When he felt her eyes on him, his gaze flickered up at her and he lowered the book.

With a small smirk on his lips, he spoke, "Ah, I was wondering when you would awaken."

Suddenly, everything was starting to come back to her – the broken mirror, the fear she felt when he approached her, the way her voice got caught in her throat. In an instant, she jolted up with a high-pitched scream. The back of her head didn't agree with her sudden movements, and she winced in pain.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you," he said. Gee, it sure didn't feel like he wasn't going to hurt her when he suddenly showed up in her bedroom. "Besides, with the way you landed on the floor earlier, I'd refrain from moving around too much."

Sakura was at a loss of what to do. Should she call the police? She was worried that if she made any sudden movements, he'd try to attack her again. But what was he here for? Was he was going to kidnap her and ask for as much gold as he could possibly get? Or maybe he was some kind of thief that used magic to break into her home. Was that even real magic? She'd never seen magic used to attack others before, except for dramas on television.

Either way, she was scared. "Wh-Who are you, a-and what do you want?"

"Ah, of course. Where are my manners?" He stood up, placing the book on the seat behind him, and gave a bow. "I am Prince Leo of Nohr; fou- ...third in line to the throne. Just for clarification, we are in Hoshido, correct?"

A prince? What was he talking about? Still, she answered him. "Um, y-yes… we are in Hoshido." Where else would they be? "Uh, i-if I'm not mistaken… N-Nohr doesn't have princes." At least not for centuries. The country did away with those forever ago.

Leo looked bewildered for a moment before he scoffed. "That can't be. How hard did you hit your head earlier?"

She frowned, heat rising to her cheeks. The nerve of this guy, breaking into her home and teasing her. Just who did he think he was? With her fear of him temporarily forgotten, she cried, "Y-you came into my house th-through my mirror and threatened to attack me! I-If anyone should be unwilling to believe something, it's me! No one here dresses like that, a-and they don't talk like that either! Is this some kind of mean prank?"

His eyes widened, and he instinctively drew back from her. "I-I assure you, this is no joke. I would never intrude upon a lady's private quarters just for a few laughs."

When she kept silent Leo continued on, "I do apologize for my behavior, truly. After I emerged from the battlefield victorious, I sat down for a rest. Then, I found some sort of hand mirror, and the next thing I knew, I came crashing through your mirror. You say this place is Hoshido, but although I've never been in the country for more than a moment's notice, something about this doesn't feel right."

"Wh-What do you mean?" Sakura asked. It was a struggle just trying to keep up with his story.

"There are so many things here that I've never seen before," said Leo. "I didn't think Hoshido was so advanced, as frustrating as that is to admit."

Sakura's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What do you mean by advanced?"

For a second, the corner of Leo's lips twitch upwards into a smirk. "See that glass of water by your bedside? I went to retrieve it after you fainted." Sakura glanced at the glass on her night stand, and then returned her focus back to Leo. That was thoughtful of him.

Then he must have been the one who placed her in bed. The sudden thought of a stranger holding her in her arms and putting her to bed made her stomach feel queasy. "I didn't get the idea until I started poking around your home, and I found myself tinkering with these silver knobs on the counter," he continued. "When I turned one, water began to flow! Is it some kind of magic you Hoshidans came up with?"

Sakura couldn't believe her ears. Was he being serious? "I-I'm positive that Nohr has r-running water as well. It's not magic… i-it's plumbing." Magic wasn't wasted on simple things like that, everyone knew that. Except for this "Prince Leo of Nohr" apparently.

"Surely you aren't speaking of the Nohr I come from?" Leo asked. "If we had clean, running water that came from pipes, it would fix a lot of our problems."

Now that he put it like that, Sakura was beginning to think that she and Leo weren't talking about the same place. What was she going to do with a supposed prince from Nohr who didn't have a grasp of the modern world?

"I… Y-you're not lying to me, r-right?" Sakura stammered. "This isn't just a terrible joke, i-is it?"

He grew quiet, as if in deep thought. "What more can I do to prove myself to you? I'm miles away from home and I've lost my mount – the only thing I have to show as proof of my heritage is the legendary tome," he said, gesturing to the purple book that rested on her nightstand. "I'm… not quite sure what else I can do," Leo said. The words had come out almost bitterly, as if being unsure was the worst thing that could have ever happened to him.

Sakura always knew she was a rather naïve girl. She lived for fantasy – wishing to cast magic of her own, or to even meet royalty from a kingdom far away. Here her fantasy was, clad in heavy armor and a magic book whose pages rustled without the wind, waiting patiently for her to say something. Anything.

She casted her gaze away from him, nervously playing with the hem of her skirt. "I… I don't know how we can get you back home b-but… I-I'd be willing to try."

Relief seemed to wash over his features, and he gave her another bow. "You have my thanks. I truly would not have known what to do otherwise.

"B-But if I'm going to help you, y-you have to do what I tell you," said Sakura quickly. "Things here are a bit… different where I'm from, s-so you have to try to fit in."

"Of course," said Leo with a smirk. "How hard could it be?"

Oh, it would prove to be very difficult. Especially since she was breaking one of the biggest rules of all time – having a boy in her room. If her parents ever found out, she would most definitely be in a world full of trouble.

Sakura was starting to feel a headache coming on. With a sigh, she swung her legs off of the bed and hopped off. Her gaze immediately fell on the broken glass that used to be her mirror. Maybe she should clean that up before anyone got hurt.

"W-Well, first, we'd have to get you some new clothes…" said Sakura. "I-It must be uncomfortable f-for you to walk around wearing that suit of armor a-all the time."

He smiled. "That would be much appreciated, thank you."

Sakura left to fetch a broom and dustpan, along with any clothes she could find. Leo looked a little too big to fit some of Takumi's clothes (and he'd know for sure that something of his had gone missing if Sakura had taken them out of his drawer) and he was certainly too small for her father's clothes.

Maybe Ryoma left behind some old clothes that Leo could borrow. It didn't take her long to find some that looked like they could fit him. When she returned to her room, his suit of armor and boots sat in one of the corners of her bedroom. He was fixated on his gauntlets for a moment before he turned his attention to her, and placed them on the edge of her bed.

"There you are," he spoke. "Are those for me?"

"Oh! Y-Yes they are," she squeaked, fumbling with all the items in her hands before handing over the clothes to Leo. "Um, y-you can put those on… a-and I'll just start cleaning o-over um… over here…" There was no appropriate way for her to describe just how tense she was.

She was too nervous to look over her shoulder, or ask him if he was alright. Instead, she tried to focus her attention on cleaning, though it was proving to be difficult since she could feel his eyes on her.

"Excuse me," he began.

"Y-Yes?"

"Where am I supposed to change?"

Oh right. How could she forget? "I-I'm so sorry! Um… I'll f-finish up whenever you're done s-so… I-I'll just be outside." With that, she scurried out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Leo hadn't even been here a full day, and Sakura was already at a loss of what to do with him.

She couldn't let her family see him, they'd kick him out of the house, no doubt, but where else could he stay? She didn't want Leo in her room, but if she let him stay in Ryoma's old bedroom, someone was bound to find him and call the police. Was her only option really to have him stay in her room?

Her cheeks grew warm.

Sakura had gotten a love letter from a boy once in the 6th grade, to which she had to reject. In grade 9, the only in physical interaction she had with a boy was when he held her hand to help her up after she'd fallen at the sports festival. To go from something so innocent to something so intimate as sharing a room with a boy… Sakura thought she'd melt.

"Excuse me," said Leo, his head poking out from behind the door. Sakura practically jumped out of her skin before she backed away from the door, and Leo's eyes began to narrow. "I… didn't mean to give you such a fright."

"Oh, n-no it's okay." Was it really, though? Her heart felt as if it was about to pop out of her chest. "D-Did you need something?"

"I was going to call out to you to tell you that I was finished, but I realized that I didn't quite catch your name earlier."

"I'm sorry," she started. "Um, m-my name is Sakura…"

"Well then Sakura, whenever you're ready to come inside," and with that, Leo retreated into the bedroom. Sakura took a deep breath in, and then out, attempting to calm herself down. When she stepped inside, she couldn't help but stare at Leo, despite how rude it was.

Dressed in Ryoma's old red hoodie and tracksuit pants from the 10th grade, Sakura thought that Leo looked a bit… strange. Not as strange as the heavy looking suit of armor he was wearing, but there was something off about him.

It didn't really look like his style. Maybe something closer-fitting would have looked better, but Ryoma's old clothes were all she had that could fit Leo somewhat decently. He stood before her, awkwardly checking out his new outfit with a furrowed brow.

"Y-You don't like it?" Sakura asked.

"Hm?" he hummed. "I don't dislike them. Though, I feel that a darker color would suit me better."

Ah, maybe it was the color that was throwing her off. "Is it at least c-comfortable?"

When he nodded, she breathed a sigh of relief. Soon after, she swept up the last of the glass shards and placed them in the waste bin next to her desk. Now that the shards of glass were cleaned up and Leo seemed to be looking rather comfortable, her first order of business was to let Leo know what he would be in for during his stay. "Um, I was thinking… m-my family might not be able to accept the fact that you're here, s-so you'll have to stay in here for a while."

Leo scoffed. "Ah, of course. I suppose it would be rather off-putting for a Nohrian to be in Hoshido."

"N-No, I don't think th-that's the case…" It was more of the fact that some man they didn't know was getting a bit too comfy in their house. "I'm not sure th-that I can e-explain to them that you're a prince from Nohr who's lost his way… They wouldn't even believe you s-since there are no more princes."

And her family was not as naïve as she was, so Leo was rather lucky he came here when she was home and not someone else. Gods forbid Hinoka, who planned to become a cop after her final year in university, showed up and took Leo on with her bare hands.

"Right, you did say that there were no princes here…" He tapped his chin in thought. "But it's not as if I'm in another world entirely… I'm just in Hoshido. So why does this feel different?"

"W-Well, y-you said earlier that you were fighting your enemies… what was going on?" she asked.

"We're in war currently. I was taking care of business elsewhere after a rather… unpleasant run in with someone…"

Sakura tilted her head to the side in question. "Who was it that you had an unpleasant run in with?" When Leo remained silent, she frowned. "L-Leo, I can't help you if you don't tell me e-everything you know… s-so please? Can you tell me who it was you had a run in with?"

Leo sighed. "It's silly. It's been days since it's happened, but I still think about it. My brother, Corrin," Leo answered finally. "We met up in Izumo, and then I left. That's… all I feel comfortable talking about."

"Oh! That name sounds familiar to me!" Sakura chirped.

"Does it? What do you know about him?" Leo asked, almost too eagerly.

Not a whole lot, but she was sure she would lean more about him once she started high school. She recalled Takumi mentioning his name a few times while in a study group. "We learned about him once in class, b-but we didn't focus on him too much. He fought in the Invisible War in… o-oh dear, I f-forgot the year." She certainly would have been scolded for that had she been in class. "H-Hold on, let's look it up."

"'Look it up'?" Leo parroted. "Are we going to a library or–" Leo paused mid-sentence while looking mildly perplexed as Sakura opened her laptop and turned it on. The startup melody rang in his ears, startling him. "What is that?" he asked with a frown.

"Oh, this is my computer," Sakura explained with a smile. "I can write on it, play games, talk to my friends, and use the internet."

"And it truly does all the things you say it does?" he asked, a hint of skepticism in his voice. Sakura nodded. "What is this 'internet' anyway?"

Sakura hummed in thought, trying to think of the best way to explain it. "W-Well, the internet is like a type of library. You can ask a question and find information about almost anything."

Leo's eyes seemed to light up as he stared at Sakura's desktop. "Ask it if it knows what it is, and what its intended purpose is."

It was almost impossible for her to suppress her giggle, but Sakura managed to do so as she typed into the search box the definition of a computer. He looked quite stunned after reading the definition on the screen.

"What kind of sorcery…?" he asked quietly.

"I-It's not sorcery, it's technology," Sakura corrected. "W-We can look up how it works when we're done looking up what we need to." Leo seemed content with that answer, and Sakura began her search. Information on the war was relatively easy to find, and Sakura clicked on the first web result that popped up. "See? On this Ficipedia page, it talks about the Invisible War, and that Corrin, who became King of Valla, rallied Hoshido and Nohr together to stop the dragon named Anankos."

"…And what's this strange text over here?" Leo asked, pointing at her screen.

"Oh… th-that's Hoshidan text," she explained. "Um, i-it roughly translates to the War of Silent Night. It's what we usually call it h-here."

"I see…" Leo said. Strange, he looked to be in some sort of deep thought. "I've never heard of Valla before, and this internet says that Corrin becomes king of this place?" She gave a small nod, and Leo let out a small sigh. "Was he telling the truth all along? The internet also said he'd gotten the two kingdoms to unite together… how did he manage that?"

Sakura shrugged. "We can read on if you like."

"Of course, but, how does this internet know the outcome of the war?"

"That's because i-it's already happened, a-and it's now a part of our history." When Leo shot her a look of skepticism, she continued. "Leo, I-I think you traveled to the future." It all made sense. Based on their conversation about the Nohr that Leo lived in compared to what Nohr was like today, Sakura was reminded of a book she'd read a year ago. It was about a boy being able to travel through time to learn about history. "L-Look! Your name is even listed here. W-We can learn about you too."

"Truly?" he asked. "What does it say?"

"Hmm… it talks about your role in the war, but mostly about the aftermath. It says here that you led the effort to spread King Xander's new and radical policies, and that your wife–"

"Excuse me?" Leo cut in, eyes as wide as saucers. "Wife?"

Oops.

Sakura guessed that the whole marriage thing didn't happen yet. "S-Sorry if it startled you… but this is your history, so I thought that I should share…"

"And although I'm grateful for it, don't read me anything more," said Leo. "I don't want to hear about her."

"Why not?" If Sakura could travel to the future and learn about the man she married, she'd want to know every single detail about him.

"Because, what if I already know her?" he retorted. "It'd make things awkward for me anytime I crossed paths with her. So, I'd rather not know her name or anything like that."

Sakura had to suppress her laughter as she thought about how someone like Leo, who exuded as much confidence as four Hanas put together, felt awkward about the possibility of being around his future wife.

"O-Okay. I won't say a word then. B-But now that we know that you traveled to the future, l-let's see if we can find some answers on how you can go back home."

Whatever confidence she mustered up while thinking about getting Leo home a quickly as possible was slowly beginning to diminish, as this was proving to be difficult.

The internet had a lot of theories about time travel, but not enough solid evidence. It was to be expected – not many people thought it was real. Before Leo came crashing through her mirror, even Sakura had a hard time believing in time travel.

With each click of a web page, she found herself growing more frustrated on not being able to find something of use. Everything was either too complicated or a joke. Was there any correlation as to why he came through her bedroom mirror, and not some wormhole out of thin air?

Was the mirror the only way for him to go back? If so, that wasn't an option anymore. He'd already broken it.

Leo must have seen the look of irritation on her face, because in a cool, calm voice, he said, "Don't stress yourself over it. We can always search the internet for answers another time."

She smiled. "Y-You're right. Is there anything you'd like to do instead?"

"If I remember correctly, you did say you'd let me use the internet to learn more about technology," said Leo with a smirk. "I've realized that while I'm here, I should at least take the time to learn about this place."

"Then here," Sakura started, giving up her seat at the desk. "You can use it now."

Leo looked quite pleased when he sat down in front of the computer, but he was just as terrible as using the computer as her father. It was kind of funny. Sakura was having so much fun watching Leo that Hinoka's voice from downstairs announcing that she was home gave her such a fright.

"Who was that?" Leo asked, as Sakura suddenly closed the laptop right in front of him.

"M-My sister!" she cried. "Oh no, I forgot to start dinner… I forgot to change out of my uniform! Ah, um… y-you need to hide!"

"'Hide'?" he parroted. "Hide where?"

Sakura whipped her head around to find a good spot for Leo to hide in until her eyes fell on the perfect one. "Th-There!" Sakura cried, pointing at her closet. "H-Hide in there! A-And take the armor with you!"

Leo was just about to protest, but as soon as they heard footsteps coming upstairs, Leo scrambled into Sakura's closet with his armor, and Sakura closed the door. Just in time too, because no sooner after that did Hinoka begin knocking on her door. "Hey Sakura," she called out, "are you in there?"

"Uh, y-yeah! Come on in–" Oh no! The gauntlets! Leo left his gauntlets on the edge of her bed!

In a mad dash, Sakura snatched them from her bed and got on the floor to toss them underneath the bed just as the doorknob began to turn. When Hinoka peered in, her brow wrinkled in confusion. Sakura didn't blame her. Sakura's own brow would have wrinkled in confusion if she came in only to find her sister on her hands and knees on the floor.

"…Is everything okay?" she asked tentatively.

"Just fine," Sakura responded, her smile strained.

"Okay, so, why are you on the floor?"

Leave it to Hinoka not to beat around the bush. "I um… I-I was looking for–"

"And why is your mirror broken?"

"Oh! S-See, I broke it by accident…" When Hinoka arched an eyebrow in question, Sakura took that as her cue to explain. "I-I came back from the store w-with my new uniform with Hana, a-and I was so excited to try it on. I um… I got r-really excited and I ended up knocking over the mirror and it broke… s-so now I'm looking on the floor to see if I missed any shards… ehehehe…"

Hinoka's eyes narrowed at her before she began to laugh. "Aww man, I remember how excited I was when I first started high school. You're gonna have lots of fun. But, just try not to knock anything else down in your excitement. I'll get you a vacuum later just in case you missed anything."

"Ah, th-thank you, Hinoka." Her voice had been so quiet that her sister probably didn't hear her over her laughter. "I-I'll get dinner started in a bit, d-don't worry."

"Sounds good. See you downstairs then." Hinoka shut the door behind her, and when Sakura was sure that she was out of earshot, she let out a heavy sigh of relief. As soon as Leo emerged from her closet, the panic that flew out of her system returned once more. How was she going to keep him a secret as they searched for a way to get him back home?

Her headache came back full force this time.

AN: So, if you did read the oneshot (The 4th chapter of Hand in Hand), I just wanted to let you know that most of the scenes in there will be altered. What's left will most likely get cut. Also, concerning Sakura's middle school graduation and starting high school dates, it's based off of how school in Japan works.

Hope y'all enjoyed it.