CHAPTER 10: The Troublesome Threesome

The first day at school after the brief, but eventful, Summer Break was fascinating yet the adjustments they all had to make were not straightforward in the slightest. Having already exhausted themselves partaking in the routine practice of cleaning their respective classrooms at the end of the day (something Draco, Harry and Ron were particularly adverse to) they agreed to meet after school.

Mulling into an unusual silence, the group decided to go for a walk to Tomoeda Park instead of heading straight home. It was a mild sort of place, which enabled coherent thoughts and little distraction. There was a giant blue 'King Penguin' slide, a set of swings and a see-saw.

Sakura could remember vividly, all the things that had occurred in this playground. She'd captured several Cards there and she'd faced the Final Judgment against Eriol there. All the memories came and went through her mind like a procession of pictures in a slideshow. She sighed softly and sat down on one of the swings, then stared down at the sand beneath her feet. Syaoran came behind her and gently began to push her, making her swing softly. She appreciated the simple, yet kind gesture. They had not spoken properly since they'd all come together in the house.

'It'll be very interesting here.'

Sakura listened obliquely to Hermione as she happily spoke with Ron, Chibiusa, Tomoyo and Harry.

'Since being a Prefect this year is clearly out of the question, I think I would love to try campaigning for class president.'

'Of course you would,' Ron derided, folding his arms. 'But I'm not sure about not using magic.'

'It'll be good practice for incognito,' Tomoyo said thoughtfully, regarding Harry for his opinion.

'That'd be good I guess,' Harry agreed uncertainly.

He and Tomoyo had been unusually awkward around each other during lunch. Perhaps it was from what had happened with Sanrio Kamenosuke that morning. He had done it in a deliberate gesture to protect her, but he felt foolish as it seemed he had 'claimed his turf'. Thinking back, he regretted it. Embarrassed and racked with guilt, Harry decided it best to keep his distance, discreetly manoeuvring away from her when she came near.

Tomoyo sighed and unconsciously touched her shoulder, recalling the feeling of Harry's arm around her. She had appreciated his actions, but it also left her feeling confused. She had originally regarded him as a celebrity and a friend of her dear Sakura. However, since they had spoken about their similar dreams, she felt that they had grown closer. But with the apparent intermission of Trunks and Chibiusa's respective arrivals, they had not had more time to speak together alone. And after that morning, she feared there would not be more opportunities, as he seemed to consciously avoid her.

'Hmph,' was all Ron said.

'What sort of things are you doing as extracurricular?' Hermione asked Tomoyo, who looked pleased with a distraction from her thoughts.

'I'm performing in the choir this year,' Tomoyo said.

'You sing?' Chibiusa asked curiously.

'Yes, you're amazing!' Hermione giggled. 'You must show Harry and the others some time.'

Tomoyo glanced at Harry shyly. 'Oh, and Sakura will be partaking in cheerleading and the track-team. She's an exceptional runner.'

'Ooh!' Meiling came away from her conversation with Draco and looked at Tomoyo with stars in her eyes. 'Cheerleading? I must try for that!'

Chibiusa barged in. 'So will I!'

The two glared at one another.

'Of course you would,' Ron muttered again, but to Meiling this time.

'Well, I'm certainly looking forward to cheerleading,' Draco interjected slyly.

Meiling hit him playfully on the arm, as the others gave him looks of suspicion and disgust.

'Well, I was thinking of joining the basketball team,' Ron said, trying to grab their attention.

'Do you have any idea what it's about?' Hermione asked. Ron rolled his eyes up towards the pale sky and shrugged his shoulders. Hermione rolled hers and sighed.

'Well, it's certainly not Quidditch, Ron!'

'I'll research!' Ron snapped, looking desolate.

'I'd love to see that,' Draco sniffed, Meiling nodding in agreement.

'Same goes for you two,' Hermione hissed at Draco and Meiling, who glared in response.

'Now, now,' Tomoyo came between them, ever the peacemaker, 'there's no need to quarrel.' She turned to Harry hesitantly. 'So, what would you like to join?'

'I'm really … not too sure,' Harry shrugged, rubbing the back of his arm.

'Oh,' Tomoyo said and smiled, 'I'll help you look for some possibilities, if you'd like.'

Harry looked uncomfortable, averting his gaze to Draco, who suddenly looked inspired.

'Hey, do you think I could join the cheerleading team?' Draco piped up. They all stared at him blankly and then started laughing loudly. He went pink in the face and scowled, folding his arms gruffly. 'Ever seen Bring It On?' he demanded. 'It could happen!'

They all stopped laughing and gawked at him.

'That's a Muggle film…' Harry said slowly.

Draco changed from red to pink, unable to reply. Draco had often stayed up late at night battling an odd bout of insomnia. Sakura and Tomoyo had an interesting stack of foreign DVDs stowed in the house. Clearly the arrogant young wizard had found the most unusual of ways to pass the time.

'Well,' Ron said, whistling as he raised his eyebrows. 'You are rather feminine. Wonder what you'd look like in a skirt.'

The group began chuckling and bantering among themselves, reminiscing about 'Snape in a dress' and, in spite of themselves, Frieza as well.

Sakura thought about cheerleading. She'd had some trouble getting back into the gist of gymnastics after she'd left Hogwarts. In elementary school she was certainly leading in it, as well as in baton twirling. Since junior high onwards however, Daffodil had become the head cheerleader. Although the girl was generally friendly, she'd given Sakura a hard time in joining. She'd been like poison honey. Sakura didn't blame Chiharu and the others for being openly critical about Daffodil.

Syaoran leaned forward and rested his chin on Sakura's shoulder, as she held onto the ropes. Woken from her thoughts, she glanced at him and grinned.

'So you're in the track-team,' he teased and pecked her on the cheek, making her blush. 'You are quite an athlete.'

'Will you try for the track team as well?' she asked curiously.

He chuckled and nodded, twisting the ropes round to make her face him. 'Yeah. Probably football...er, rather, soccer, also. Takashi already plays.'

'First-name terms, already?'

'Yep,' he sighed gingerly. 'The guy's so charismatic, it's hard not to be his friend.'

'You seem to find his stories believable,' Sakura teased. 'How're you handling Japan?'

'It's the best,' he replied. 'Because you're with me.'

She turned to him and met his gaze. She really cared for him. It was the most amazing feeling, knowing love … they leaned forward and kissed softly.

The others stopped their bantering to observe them, when out of nowhere, Kero flew from out of Sakura's book bag gasping for air. Everyone gasped and looked at Kero.

'Kero!' Sakura cried, looking at her winged guardian in alarm, 'What were you doing in there?'

Kero giggled nervously and muttered, 'I was hiding from the beast cat. Kinda… got trapped though. It's rather stuffy in there.'

Everyone exchanged bemused glances but before anyone could comment there was a loud and sudden 'BANG!'

Trunks waited quietly in the room, listening to the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. He had walked down shortly before. He hadn't the slightest clue what he had failed since he was brilliant. It wasn't long before a woman with long black hair pulled back into a ponytail, wearing a shawl and high heels, walked into the room and looked at Trunks with a smile.

'Hello there,' she greeted humbly as she approached her desk, feet clacking as she sat down and placed her coffee mug down. 'How are you today?'

Trunks stared at the mug, which had a small kitten suspended helplessly from a branch above quirky font spelling 'Hang in there!'. He looked up and gave a polite nod. 'I'm well, thank-you.'

'Good,' she said, organizing some things on her desk, and reading off a paper. 'Briefs, Trunks?'

Trunks nodded again and stared at her uncertainly. He expected her to laugh or lecture him or something, but rather she regained her mild composure, folded her arms and looked up at him inquisitively.

'Do you know why you are here?' she asked.

Trunks shook his head 'no'.

'Trunks, we have gotten your results for the entrance exam,' she explained while regarding some sort of document.

What could possibly be the problem? Was it that his brilliance was too great for high school and maybe they wanted him in university? At this thought, Trunks slouched down into a relaxed position on the chair and nodded for her to go on with a bodacious smile. The counsellor shook her head slowly, wiping her forehead and then looking at him again.

'I'm truly concerned. How can an intelligent boy such as yourself who gets 100% in mathematics get a 0.1% in geography and basic astronomy?'

Trunks' slumped body shot upright, his arms slamming downwards, his hands clutching the arm rests tightly.

'W-What! NO! I FAILED?'

The counsellor sighed. 'Yes, I'm afraid. Beyond failed. In fact, I have never seen such a low mark in my whole career.'

Trunks gaped at her, mortified.

'These answers are quite outlandish. Name the planets in the solar system. Your answer: What solar system? Name 5 planets. Your answer:Earth, Vegeta, Arlia, Namek and…Frieza?' The woman looked hysterical.

'Here's another. Explain the theory of continental drift: There are no such things as continents. Explain our flag and how it earned its title: The flag has a red circle dot-thing, which symbolizes the eternal flow of blood amongst its people.' She looked up at Trunks strangely. 'Interesting speculation, but the flag is called Hinomaru, the Rising Sun. That's very basic.'

Trunks shrunk in his seat. Wow. He had forgotten all about Social Studies. He hadn't a single hint of a clue about the country, planet or even the whole galaxy all together! He was such an idiot!

She shook her head slowly and stuffed the test paper back into her desk. 'What are we going to do with you?' she muttered before the phone rang. She answered it and asked him to wait. Trunks was devastated but also dying to know what the others were up to.

A sudden screen of smoke swept before them. Two evil laughs were heard from within the smoke and two shadows came into view: the shadows of a young man and a woman.

'Prepare for trouble!' the woman's voice cried.

'… And make it double!' the man's voice called.

The smoke wafted above the man and the woman's shadows and they were made visible. They wore strange uniforms of white, black elbow-gloves and knee-boots with a bold pink letter 'R' slapped on their chests. The man had violet hair and the lady's hair was garish pink.

'TO PROTECT THE WORLD FROM DEVISTATION!'

'TO UNITE ALL PEOPLE WITHIN OUR NATION!'

'TO DENOUNCE THE EVILS OF TRUTH AND LOVE!'

'TO EXTEND OUR REACH TO THE STARS ABOVE!'

'JESSIE!'

'JAMES!'

'TEAM ROCKET BLAST OFF AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT!'

'SURRENDER NOW OR PREPARE TO FIGHT!'

A white cat-like creature jumped between them and squawked loudly in a heavy New Yorker accent: 'MEOWTH! THAT'S RIGHT!'

Everyone went silent. Then man and the woman ended their odd poses and gawped at the Phoenix fighters.

Draco cleared his throat and placed his hands on his hips. 'Team Who?'

Meowth stomped forward on bloated paws, its bulging eyes narrowed as it squawked, 'Team Rocket! Ya moron!'

Draco raised an eyebrow. 'What the hell are you?'

'Hand over your Pokémon!' Jessie said as she eyed Kero.

'Who's poking who?' Harry asked loudly, looking lost.

'No, Harry. I think he means Pacman. Hey, isn't that a game from the arcade?' Ron asked, scratching his head, puzzled.

'Don't tell me this is the next villain,' Syaoran sighed, scowling. 'This could take awhile.'

Three people walked up through the crowd of Phoenix Fighters. A boy with dark hair and eyes stepped in front of everyone and turned to look at them.

'You mean Po-ké-mon. It means pocket monster!'

'Who the hell are you?' Syaoran asked, folding his arms while giving Draco an oblique gaze.

The young man folded his arms to match Syaoran. 'Ash Ketchum.'

'You call that a name?' Draco exclaimed.

Syaoran nodded in agreement. 'Actually, that is a pretty ridiculous name. I mean, what is an 'Ash Ketchum'? Is that some sort of pun?'

The two other people walked on either side of Ash Ketchum. The girl had red hair and aqua eyes and the boy had black spiky hair and squinted eyes that reminded them of Takashi.

'I'm Misty Waterflower,' she said pleasantly and bowed politely.

The tallest boy with spiky hair placed a hand on his chest and grinned friendlily.

'I'm Brock Harrison.' Brock turned and looked at the girls. His face suddenly went from tan to maroon, and he smiled idiotically. 'Hey there … you ladies are …!'

Chibiusa winced and looked revolted. She fiddled with the Crystal Bell at her waist, prepared to come to the girl's defence. But after one more glimpse of that distasteful stare of his, she was backing away in disgust.

'Ugh! What's wrong with you?'

Ron stared at Ash in puzzlement.

'Lemme get this straight, a Pokémon, or whatever you call it … is a pocket monster?'

Misty drew a deep breath and answered for Ash. 'Yeah, pretty much. It's simple really. We spend our time walking through countless cities with like, 1 million nurse Joy's and Officer Jenny's that are all cousins. We go and capture Pokémon and confine them into these little red and white balls. Actually, it's amusing that our parents would leave a girl and two guys alone to fend for themselves against countless potentially dangerous beasts with incredibly stupid names. Then we battle them for our own pleasure and win badges. In the end you can be called a Pokémon master or trainer and we never go to school but we're still very intelligent.' She started panting for a moment after finally catching her breath.

Everyone went silent for a moment.

'SUCH a waste of time!' Meiling cried.

Misty smiled sheepishly.

Tomoyo looked alarmed. 'Oh, my goodness! Isn't that animal abuse? You confine them in balls?'

Hermione nodded in agreement and frowned. 'And is it humanly possible for there to be that many cousins all in the same profession, all twins andexactly alike?'

It went silent once again.

Misty turned and looked at Ron.

'Hey there, I'm Misty … so you're a redhead too?'

Ron smiled and nodded. The two started having a completely unrelated conversation about red hair.

After what seemed like hours, she had finished her phone call and hung up. Some kid with bullying problems had been truant and their parents were demanding his whereabouts. Sighing wearily, the woman jotted something down and considered Trunks once more. 'Well, where were we? Ah, yes. The principal and I have discussed your test results. With a grade like this you certainly can not go in the intended grade 12.'

Trunks groaned. Great. So much for being a genius.

'Now, we have made a compromise which we hope you would be comfortable with. We will allow you in 12th grade standard on the condition that you retake the Social Studies portion in a week's time and excel in it. This never happens, usually. You are only being allowed because you did so phenomenally well in everything else.'

Trunks' heart lightened.

'If you improve well enough, you may remain in your appropriate grade.'

Trunks beamed. He hoped badly that he would get a class with his fellow Phoenix Fighters.

Ash growled impatiently and turned to Team Rocket.

'Okay, Team Rocket, give it up!'

James held the back of his hand to his forehead and dramatically announced, 'Oh, good Lord! It's that brat again!'

A yellow mouse-like creature with a lightning bolt shaped tail and black-tipped ears leapt onto Ash's shoulder and blinked its large black eyes and squeaked, 'Pikachu.'

Ash bared his teeth, pointed his right finger at them and yelled, 'Pikachu! Thunder Shock!'

Pikachu hurled a current of electricity at the three villains. They were engulfed by yellow light but it suddenly repelled and fizzled out. The villains laughed mockingly, a pain for the ears to hear. After they'd had their laugh, they groaned.

Meowth rolled its bulbous eyes and squawked, 'Does this ever get old? It's funny how they do this every time, and half the time we're still unprepared. Ha! But not this time.'

'Our clothes are made of rubber … it doesn't conduct electricity,' James muttered with a self-assured drawl and leaned his head on his hand.

Syaoran made a funny face. 'Yeah, obviously. Who didn't know that?'

Ash blushed with embarrassment.

'My goodness!' Tomoyo gasped, her hands on her cheeks. 'Rubber is so out of style!'

Misty turned to Ash with a worried look. 'Sorry, Ash, but I left my Pokéballs at home.'

'What the hell?' Ron spluttered in amazement. 'There's POKÉBALLS now?'

'Where are your Pokémon?' Brock asked Draco.

'We don't have any, you tremendous twit!' Draco yelled, flinging his arms in the air.

'Hmm, what kind is that?' Ash asked curiously, pointing at Kero.

Kero folded his little arms and smirked. 'I'm no Pokémon.' Then he struck a pose. 'I am Cerberos, protector and guardian of the Sakura book!'

Ash nodded, his mouth hanging open. 'Wow … how very odd. Are you a water or fire type?'

The Phoenix Fighters groaned irritably.

Kero's beady eyes blinked in confusion, '…Type?'

Ash whirled around and beamed at Brock and Misty. 'And it talks!'

Angered, Kero, enveloping himself in his wings, revealed his true form. Cerberos spat, breathing yellow flames as he said it, 'I'm not an IT!'

Ash backed up looking amazed and Misty looked awed. 'Look! Did you see that? It evolved.'

Ash quickly checked some device. 'This is the coolest one yet! And it isn't listed in my Pokédex! I'd beat Gary for sure now!'

Misty and Brock exchanged excited looks. 'Maybe you should capture it!'

Brock went on with a grin, 'Yes! And thereafter, I can make it food!'

Too irate to notice the 'food comment', the fatigued Cerberos returned to his usual form and declared he was going back to sleep in Sakura's bag as Ron went into an enormous fit over another term beginning with 'poké'.

Team Rocket had overheard their conversation and huddled together and whispered among themselves.

'Hear that? It's a Cerberos! I never heard of that one before!'

'It must be really rare then!' Jessie said and laughed.

'Let's get it!' Meowth squawked. They stood up again and took proud fighting stances.

'Enough stalling! Hand over your Pokémon! That Cerberos is rare, so we demand it!' Jessie cried, pointing at Kero who muttered under his breath and shook his head at their ignorance.

'We don't have any bloody Pokémon!' Ron roared angrily. 'Get the point?'

Sakura walked up to them. She looked down and noticed Pikachu. She picked it up and hugged it tightly. Pikachu purred in delight.

'What is that thing?' Chibiusa inquired.

'Pikachu,' Ash said, not looking at her.

Meiling crossed her eyes. 'That's a weird name for it … so, what is it?'

'Pikachu,' Ash said, not looking at Meiling either.

Meiling chuckled, her left eye twitching agitatedly as she said, 'Yes, I know that is what you named it. But really, what is it?'

'PIKACHU!' Ash hollered, wheeling around and glaring at them. 'It is called a Pikachu!'

'Sheesh!' Meiling sighed, looking taken aback. 'I just asked what it was...you don't have to be rude about it!'

Team Rocket was seething.

'Hand your damn Pokémon over!' Jessie shrieked, her long pink hair coming out over her face in frizzes. James was whining like a lost puppy and Meowth was gaping at nothing.

'Oh, by Merlin's Scraggled Beard!' Hermione cursed angrily. 'Enough with this rubbish!'

James raised his head and muttered, 'Go … Weezing! … Poison Gas!'

A purple hideous, two-faced levitating ball floated from behind James's head and opened its mouths as a noxious mustard-coloured substance spewed forth.

Hermione whipped out her wand and cried, 'Wingardium Leviosa!'

Team Rocket felt a light sensation and started to float up in the air, along with Weezing.

'What the–?' Jessie started to say.

James was becoming hysterical, his eyes brimming with tears.

'Jessie! They magicked us! This can't be! You said that magic doesn't even exist!'

'I could be wrong!' Jessie snarled.

Meowth and James frowned at each other and glared at Jessie. 'You lied?'

Then as they rose higher and higher into the air, they started to whimper and hold onto each other tightly. Then they were thrown magically away, their united scream fading as they said, 'Team rocket is slowly drifting into the air agaaaaain…!'

They faded away with a twinkle of a distant star.

'You ridded of the Pratty Pair and their cat!' Ron gazed at Hermione adoringly as he took her into his arms and lifted her into the air. 'Hermione, my love, you're my hero!'

Hermione blushed and looked away. 'Ron …'

Everyone whooped and awarded each other with high-fives. Though it was joyous, Syaoran said, 'What a joke! We could have had a real fight!'

'I don't think we've ever had a real fight,' Draco scoffed amusingly. 'First it's some eccentric cross-dressing space lizard, and now a team of demented idiots!'

Harry nodded in agreement with them both and said calmly, 'Dumbledore said that the "new evil" was supposed to be stronger than Volde—I mean You-Know-Who. But if this is what she sent … this mightn't be difficult after all.'

Harry turned and grinned at Ron and Syaoran.

'That's good. We won't need the aid of pretty-boy any more!' Draco commended.

They heard footsteps approaching and everyone turned to see Trunks strutting up to them. He half-smiled casually, rubbing the back of his head.

'Hey guys, so I failed geography. What'd I miss?'

Misty suddenly looked like she was dreaming as she staggered forward and gazed at Trunks. 'Hi …'

Trunks smiled awkwardly, knowing where this was going to lead. 'Uh, hey …'

Misty smiled dopily before suddenly fainting. Trunks stared down at her, looking embarrassed.

'Hello, ladies …' Brock was still gawking at and trying to impress the girls who fearfully backed away together into a little cluster. He slurred on with corny pick-up lines, which undoubtedly were failing. 'I've lost my number, could I have yours?'

Syaoran tiptoed behind him, raised and stiffened his arms then knocked Brock out with a quick knife-hand strike to his neck. Brock let out a rasping moan and collapsed hard onto the ground. Out cold.

Hermione, Meiling and Tomoyo thanked Syaoran appreciatively and Sakura let go of Pikachu who plodded back to Ash and hopped onto his shoulder.

Sakura gasped, 'Syaoran!'

Syaoran smiled at her innocently, 'Well, what else could I have done?'

'Don't worry, it's all right,' Ash muttered and took the collars of his companions, 'I'll drag 'em off.'

And he did. They all watched as Ash dragged an unconscious Brock and a flustered Misty with Pikachu perched on his shoulder over the horizon and into an orange and red sunset. It looked like a cliché ending scene of a classic Western.

Then suddenly, they were gone.

Harry shuffled his shoe. 'Yeah … anyway …' he said permissibly.

Meiling tossed her raven ponytails over her shoulder and said sulkily, 'That was such a joke! Ridiculous!'

Syaoran stepped in front of them all and held his hands out. 'For the sake of our reputation, let's never speak of this again!'

'Second time's a charm,' Ron said weakly, thinking back briefly to their 'icy encounter'.

Everyone nodded feebly and each placed one hand over the other, making a hand stack in solemn oath. 'Agreed.'

Trunks had placed his hand on top of Chibiusa's. He smiled suavely. She turned up her nose in aversion and withdrew her hand quickly, not paying him any further attention. Trunks grimaced and moped all the way back to the house.

Glaring into the distance of a darkened lair, she sat testily on her throne.

'You pathetic, brainless clods!' she hissed so vehemently, that the room seemed to reverberate from her flaring aura, 'You dare return? And you've offered me nothing?'

The woman, man and cat before her bowed their heads, huddling together in fear.

'We're sorry, Lady Karasu!'

The woman glared at them, before sticking out a long, sharply nailed finger at them. They were not worth her energy. 'Out of my sight, before I destroy you.'

The three minions scampered away, the woman growling contemptuously.

'Enter the Madoushi!' she bellowed, as someone entered.

Madoushi the water sorceress glided before them, a look of iniquity on her face as she bowed gracefully, her robes and long hair swirling about her like mist.

'I'm not done with the so-called Phoenix Fighters yet,' Lady Karasu rasped as she stroked the green-eyed skull seated in her lap. She snarled coolly.

'Be wariest, young Potter and Kinomoto...'

Note from Authors: This is the official end of We Met Again: The New Order. Stay tuned for one final "behind the scenes" chapter. Ever wonder what really happened between Draco and Meiling *that* night?

Also, check out the next instalment to our series called We Met Again: The Final Dawn. What exciting, crazy battles, inevitable drama and new appearances await for the Phoenix Fighters?

For updates make sure to follow us and our blog.

Thanks for reading! :)