A/N

Well, I'm glad you liked your chapter, Chibi Moko-Chan!

I'm impressed... another review already. You guys are going to keep me writing, huh?


By the way, I have a few announcements to make...

-Stands Up On Chair Proudly-

CLAMP Doujinshi is recruiting new members for our writing group... it's helpful, because currently we have what, two members? Yeah, and not to mention the fact that most of the time either Kyki or me (Grimm) is grounded or either one of us has a server down, so how are we supposed to write collaberations if I'm on for a month, I dissapear, she's on for a month, she dissapears, I'm on for a month...

Yeah.

Basically, we need more writers. And we're holding applications. Check our profile, because it has a link to the site where the applications are...

Also, if you guys like this whole reader-chooses-plot dealie, and you also like xxxHolic, I have put up a new story called "What Is It You Wish For?" where the readers submit a wish for Yuuko's "Wish Shop".

It's a bit different, considering you are only supposed to submit a wish that would make for good writing material, not something that... you know... YOU actually wish for. We're not faerie godmothers, and we already have an advice column up here and even that is getting annoying.

Anywho, this all is puu. Let's get on with the story.


Country Of Serusa


The group found themselves in another country yet again. It had a lot of hills... there seemed to be some plains and mountains more far off, but it seemed to be mostly hills. Mokona jumped out of Sakura's arms and onto the top of a hill.

"WHEEE!"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Kurogane yelled at Soel, who had begun to roll around in the hills. Fay was laughing, Syaoran was just staring, kind of used to it by now, and Sakura... was spacing out. Again.

"THIS IS FUN! COME PLAY, KURO-PII!" Mokona called. Kurogane fumed.

"STUPIDFRICKINDAMNOBESEWHITERABBITPORKBUNTYPETHINGDON'TCALLMEKURO-PII!" Kurogane spouted. Then he turned around and gaped in disbelief as Fay started to roll down the hills with Soel. "Fay... WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Kurogane yelled. Fay laughed.

"Mokona is right. This IS fun!" Fay said cheerfully. "Come on, have a little fun Kuro-Tan!"

"STOP CALLING ME KURO-TAN, KURO-PII, KURO-PUU..."

"Kuro... Kuro-kichi?"

"YOU BETTER WATCH YOURSELF YOU MAGICAL BLONDE PANSY!" Kurogane continued to yell, Fay continued to tease, Mokona continued to... be Mokona, Syaoran continued to stare, and Sakura continued to space...


They walked into the town, and almost as soon as they crossed the gates...

"BOINK!" Mokona's eyes popped large, signaling there was a feather near by. Kurogane rolled his eyes.

"It's about time we go to a place that actually BENEFITS our search." he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. Syaoran looked around at the different shops and such. Naturally, Tsubasa being an anime, this would be a great time for a nostalgic flash back for Syaoran Li, hai?


Flashback


He was walking the streets in Clow with Sakura, before all of this happened. She spotted an apple seller and brought him over. She picked up an apple and smiled, inhaling it's sweet scent.

"Syao, don't you love this time of year when the apples ripen? It's my favorite part of fall..." she said, her eyes closed, trying to take more of the smell in. Syaoran smiled. The princess was so pleased by things that most people took for granted. Sakura spoke again. "I think we should buy some... it looks like they had a good harvest this year." Sakura said, her eyes still closed. The woman selling the apples looked up and smiled at Sakura and Syaoran.

"No, take some." Sakura opened her eyes. The woman smiled again. "Free of charge." she said. Sakura smiled.

"Oh, are you sure? Really?"

"Certainly. It's not everyday I get to serve roalty, you know." the woman said with a smile. This made other people notice Princess Sakura. They gathered around her, excited that she was there. Sakura was loved by the people of Clow... Who wouldn't love Sakura? Syaoran thought to himself. His thoughts were interrupted when some palace guards started to make their way through the crowd. Sakura broke her friendly smile and pouted when she saw the guards, then turned to Syaoran.

"My brother knows I'm here." she said, annoyed. Syaoran laughed.

"Princess, you snuck out?"

"No titles. And no, I didn't sneak out. I'm allowed to go out by myself... I just didn't tell Toya where I was going." she said, then pouted again. "I wish he wouldn't just go and spoil my day like this. I like spending time with you and I don't get to do it very often." she said. Syaoran thought for a minute, and then grabbed her hand.

"Well, let's not let them spoil it then, okay?" he said, smiling, and they ran through the streets before the guards could see them.


Syaoran looked over at Sakura, a bit of a pained look in his eyes. She was looking around at the vendors, too, and when she stopped at an apple stand, Syaoran's expression grew even more pained. Sakura picked up one of the apples, closed her eyes, and inhaled the scent. As he watched her, a sharp pain appeared in Syaoran's heart.

"These apples smell amazing." Sakura told the vendor, still her eyes were closed. The vendor smiled.

"Yes, we did have a good harvest this year."

"I love it when the apples are ripe. It's my favorite part of fall..." Sakura said, still taking in the scent. As Syaoran watched her, he had to bite his lip in order not to loose composure. The woman spoke back to Sakura.

"I'm sorry... is fall a season?"

"Yes."

"The season when the leaves fall, I'm assuming from the name."

"Yes, I guess that is why it's named that..."

"Here, we call in Aging. It's when the harvest comes, the leaves fall, and the ground produces the last fruit. It is also the time in which our people blessed with magic have their education." the woman explained. Sakura opened her eyes and smiled.

"We had some people blessed with magic in my country, also. I don't remember much, but I don't think many people had the gift of magic. I knew one, the palace pr- erm, I mean my brother's friend, Yukito." Sakura said, making light chatter. Syaoran smiled. She doesn't want to let the woman know she's a princess... modesty comes naturally to Sakura. he thought to himself. Sakura picked up the apple again.

"May I buy a few of these apples, please?" she asked the woman, who smiled in return.

"Take as many as you want. Free of charge."

"Are you sure? Really?"

"Of course. It's not everyday I get to serve a girl so lovely and kind as yourself." the woman said with a smile. Sakura took two apples and thanked her. Syaoran had his back to the apple stand, trying not to remember painful things, and trying to push Sakura's face out of his mind until he could forget the memory the apples had brought up. It was no use, Sakura saw him and came over to where he was standing.

"Syaoran, are you allright? You look like you aren't feeling very well..." she said worriedly. Syaoran smiled at her.

"It's allright, Sakura-san. I'm feeling fine, just a little tired, that's all." he responded. Sakura smiled back, and handed him an apple.

"Do you like apples?"

"I... ah... yes, I do." Syaoran stuttered. Sakura smiled again.

"Here, I was just going to take one, but I thought that I would get one for you also. We can eat them together, okay?" Sakura said. Syaoran nodded and smiled, but he was still feeling that ache he knew oh too well. She will never remember...


Syaoran got up early and headed down to the streets again. The other's wouldn't be up for some time, and he needed to be away from the stuff he knew so that he could clear his mind a bit. A girl with auburn hair tied back in a careless bun was talking to... or trying to talk to, another girl dressed in white. Syaoran had noticed that the people here all dressed in either black or white, but for some reason this girl dressed in both. She also had a necklace with a yellow topaz pendant, another thing he had noticed all people had. The apple vendor yesterday was wearing a necklace with a pendant of rose quartz. Some others who seemed more wealthy, based on the airs they carried and the extravagent carriages that pulled them through the streets, had pure gold pendants. It must be some rank thing, Syaoran thought.

The girl dressed in black and white watched sadly as the girl in white whom she was talking to made up some excuse and walked away. Syaoran walked over to the girl dressed in black and white, noticing she was outside a tailor store, probably a good thing, seeing as the group needed clothes that looked well, normal in this world.

"Hello." Syaoran said. The girl looked up and put on a smile.

"Oh, hello. Are you... a foreigner?" she asked Syaoran. He shrugged.

"Something like that." he replied. She smiled.

"I'm Frita, this is the tailor shop where my family works... here, come inside and I can get you some well, normal clothes, and tell you a bit about our country, just so you don't appear like a bumbling idiot to anybody." she said, and lead him into the shop.


Sakura woke up around 12:00. She saw the time on the clock on the wall and groaned.

"I wish I didn't sleep so much... I'm like a stupid fifth wheel for the rest of them." she mumbled to herself, groggily getting out of bed. A few apple seeds were on her night stand. She always saved apple seeds, and pretty much anything that symbolized rebirth. It was just one of Sakura's subconcious characteristics that kind of said, "I want things to live."

She fumbled around in a box she had brought with her, which held some stuff from previous dimensions. The chain that the feather was strapped to, what that girl had called a "Tsubasa Necklace" was in the box. She lifted the chain up and watched it shine a bit when it caught the light of the sun. Sakura smiled. She looked around more in the box when it spilled over.

"Oh, no!" she cried, scrambling to pick up it's contents. Her hands fell on some apple seeds, which puzzled her because she didn't remember apple seeds being in the box. It wasn't the apple seeds on her nightstand, they were still there. Sakura looked at the bottem of the box, and saw two more apple seeds. So they must have been there. she thought.

"These must be from Clow..." Sakura said, looking at the seeds in her hand. "I don't remember saving any seeds in this box... so I liked apples in Clow, also?" she smiled.


"Oh, great. The tower bell is ringing again." Sakura said, glaring at the castle where she knew her brother was. Syaoran stood up.

"This means we have to go, I guess." he said. Sakura didn't break her glare at the castle.

"He knows I'm with you, that's why he's ringing." she sighed. "It's not fair..."

"Well, maybe Toya just doesn't like me very much."

"Oh but he has to like you! There can't be anything anybody could dislike about you!"

"I could argue with that. I'm not that amazing, Princess."

"SA-KU-RA. And yes, you are."

"Well, maybe he's just worried about you."

"HE HAS NOTHING TO BE WORRIED ABOUT!"

"Maybe so, but he just wants to protect you."

"Are you on his side, then?"

"No, I'm just not saying anything bad about your brother, Princess."

"Sakura."

"...Sakura."


Frita dusted the clothing racks and started to tell Syaoran about the country.

"Well, you see, we have three main seasons. They're called Death, Rebirth, and Aging. Rebirth is the one we are currently in"

"Death is a cold season, in both the literal and the figurative sense. The ground is white with snow. The season is named accordingly. If anybody is going to die, this is the season in which they pass. No other time of year do people die."

"Rebirth..." Frita bit her lip, but then continued."Rebirth is a warm season, and it rains often. The best season to plant. Rebirth is also named accordingly. The seeds of trees give new birth to new plants, and babies are born. No other time of year can things grow, and no other time of year are babies born."

"The season of aging is the season where the weather gets cooler, and the harvest takes place. The leaves fall of the trees, and the last seeds germinate. It is also when we go to school." she said, and continued dusting.

"What are your schools like?"

"You see, there are some in this country who are blessed with magic. We who are," Frita pointed to herself, showing that she was one blessed with magic. "go to school to train. At the end of our schooling, we go through a 'Transformation' in which we either become a white mage or a black mage. White magic is strongest during a full moon. Black magic is strongest during a new moon." Frita paused dusting for a minute, and turned to Syaoran.

"Look, I don't know you, but can I confide something in you?" she asked. "The reason I'm asking this is because the people I've told think I'm crazy."

"Try me."

"Well, I am going to go through Transformation soon. I am five hundered years old, and at a right transforming age... hey what's that look for?" Frita asked as Syaoran gaped.

"Oh... I'm sorry... Um... did you say five hundered?" he asked. Frita sniffed.

"Five hundered is quite a youthful age, thank you very much."

"Sorry."

"Forgiven. Anyway, my friend has already transformed into a white mage. For some reason she's been avoiding me." Frita bit her lip. "My teacher has been avoiding me, also. I'm afraid that if I am confirmed as mad, they'll execute me..." she said.

"Execute you for being crazy?"

"It's a sign of dark magic." she said.

"What's the difference between dark magic and black magic?" Syaoran asked. Frita gave him a disbelieving look.

"Um... dark magic is evil, and black magic is not...?" she sighed. "Black magic is called 'black' because it is used for fighting. It's not evil, because the fighting is defending. White magic is 'white' because it is used for healing. Dark magic..." she paused. "Dark magic is something someone developed in secret a long time ago. It is the ability to through off the seasons, such as somebody dying violently during the season of Rebirth..." Frita bit her lip again.

"What's wrong?"

"I have been having dreams of the one I care about..."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Not when he's bleeding to death."

"Oh."

"In the season of Rebirth."

"Oh, I see." Syaoran said. He saw Frita's worried expression. "It's only a dream," he assured her.

"A dream I have had every night since last season, which was the season of Rebirth..." Frita turned away from Syaoran. "There is a magic force greater than has ever been here, I can feel it." Frita's voice turned small. "And I'm scared."


As soon as Syaoran walked out of the shop, he was glomped by Soel.

"MOKONA SENSE'S SAKURA'S FEATHER!" Soel said excitedly. "MOKONA WENT 'BOINK!'" Sakura came running up, out of breath, followed by Fay and Kurogane.

"Where, Mokona?" Syaoran asked. Mokona pointed to the forest on the edge of the town.

"There!"


In the forest it was pretty much complete darkness. Not the best arrangement.

"OUCH! WHAT THE HELL STOP STEPPING ON MY DAMN FOOT!"

"Really, Kuro-puu, don't use such crude language in front of the children."

"...hey, Fay."

"Yes, Kuro-tan?"

"How about a nice, tall glass of SHUTTHEHELLUP!"

"Control your anger please, Kuro-chii."


Eventually they came on a clearing, and a small glow was coming from a tree. Getting closer, Mokona cried out.

"THERE!" Mokona said. "BOINK"

A pink feather was hanging from a branch, the only light in an otherwise completely dark forest. A voice came from behind them, and a woman dressed in ebony appeared.

"Does this belong to you?" the woman asked in a voice dripping with venom. Syaoran flinched at her voice, but held his determined stare.

"Yes, it does."

"Well, it did..." the woman let out a laugh. "I'm afraid I can't let you get in the way..."

"What are you talking about?"

"All of that black/white magic crap in Serusa Country is driving me insane... how about a dark interference?"

"You... dark magic screws up the seasons."

"Oh, aren't we edumacated?"

"Edumacated?"

"All over the internet, sweetie." the woman laughed again. "I know what dark magic does, you dimensional hoppers don't need to remind me. The aura of this feather has the power I need to overcome all magic but my own, so..." she suddenly transformed into an ebony colored snake with large fangs. "So, I need to keep this, thanks." Kurogane rolled his eyes.

"We find the feather, random woman that is half serpent appears, and we have to defeat her and save the country." Kurogane said sarcastically. "Yep. Typical CLAMP shonen manga." He grinned and pulled out a sword, Syaoran and Fay braced themselves, knowing they would only need momentum and their knowledge of the martial arts.

"Think we can deliver?"


Frita and her best friend, now fine again, said goodbye to the group. Apparantly, the dark magic in the forest was what had made everything turn abnormal, and what had made friendships deteriorate. Now that the snake woman was dead (she ended up breathing fire, but a gust of wind knocked it back and she burned up. Funny, hai?) the country was peaceful again, and Frita's nightmares stopped. Not to mention the group now had the feather.

"A perfect happy ending," Frita said. "For all of us." Sakura smiled at Frita, and Frita smiled back. As they waved goodbye and Mokona spread it's wings, an unwelcome thought crossed Syaoran's mind as he looked at Sakura. A happy ending... for almost all of us.


Sakura took in the feather, and was filled with a memory.


Sakura was looking out the window, feeling a strange longing.

A longing for someone. Her only thoughts were of that someone, and how much she cared for him. But who was that someone?

A single apple sat on her nightstand in her room in Clow, and she thought of the wonderful time she had today, running away from the palace guards with the one she cared about... but for some reason she didn't, couldn't, remember him.

And she never would.


A/N:

IceQueen987, I'm sorry I cut out some parts. The chapter was getting a bit long and well... that Sakura Syaoran memory dealie was something I couldn't ignore. It probably didn't come out the way you pictured, but I hoped you liked it anyway. I tried to include as much as I could.

Many of you may have recognized Syaoran's flashbacks... yes, I took this from the anime, it is indeed the first scene in which Syaoran comes back, Sakura's excited, blah blah blah they like apples. It also was the day that Sakura lost her memories, so therefore the "Apple Flashback" is even more significant to Syaoran because it is the last moment he had with Sakura before the memory of him vanished from her mind.

Again, the "Apple Flashback" is actually an event from the story.