A/N: Hello everybody! I'm back on ff.net with the third part of my "Before They Remembered" series! I couldn't post last week because I was on a trip. I had the chance to go to an anime convention! There were these incredible CCS costumes at Anime North, and I got such good deals for CCS manga and an Art book! If any of you ever have the chance to go to a convention, take it right away! It's definitely worth it. Anyways, enjoy this first chapter, and I'll have some real author's notes at the end!

Foreword: I know that many fanfic authors portray Eriol as scheming, sly, evil, etc. But for this story, try to think of him as a boy with too much weight on his shoulders. It will make more sense (I hope!).

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Disclaimer: CCS belongs to CLAMP.

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"Talking"

'Thoughts'

~*~(Next scene)~*~

* Flashbacks *

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Sapphire and Amethyst

By Amethyst Beloved

Chapter 1: Sapphire

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"Rise and shine, young master!" sang out the voice as the curtains were pulled back, only to reveal another rainy day in England.

Eriol Hiiragizawa opened his sapphire eyes and sighed. It doesn't make sense. How can one four-year-old boy be the master of a butterfly-winged lady and panther? Why couldn't he be like any other child his age, and go to pre-school, or just play in the park? There was only one answer, and that's the shadow that will follow him for the rest of his life.

He was the reincarnation of an English sorcerer named Clow Reed, and he had a destiny to fulfill. The cards that his former self created would have to be transformed in approximately seven years, or else their powers would disappear.

Who cares? Eriol ignored Ruby Moon's perkiness as he trudged his way to the bathroom to get ready for another day of training. His mature mind was able to coordinate with his under-developed body so he wouldn't have to depend on anybody. That's just how it's supposed to be.

'They called me "Eriol",' he thought to himself when he made his way to the main hall to begin his lessons. "Weren't they clever. The meaning just had to be "one who dreams alone." My guardians and my teacher are hardly good company at all. I wish there was someone my size to be with. Then maybe I'd feel normal.'

"Good morning, Eriol," his teacher greeted as she concentrated on the frowning boy who entered the room.

"Ms.Mizuki," he replied curtly, trying to keep the conversation as short as possible, because the sooner they begin, the sooner they'll be finished. Unfortunately, somehow he never had free time no matter what.

"Dear boy, stop acting so bitter," the fifteen-year-old replied. "Our futures are intertwined, and up to this point in time, there's no one who could fight against it. Even the Time Card itself is only capable of going twenty-four hours in the past."

Eriol's frown grew even deeper. He had enough on his plate already, and now she was going to make him begin strategizing for Time's transformation.

"Don't worry. Skiing lessons aren't until next month," Kaho said with a grin.

They both knew that they were going to end up with each other as two people who are in love. But so many events still have yet to occur, that the set day when they were supposed to be together seemed so far away. He couldn't go back to the place where he died until the future master of the cards passed the Final Judgment, and even before that happened, Kaho had to go to Tomoeda as a student teacher to have a relationship with the Kinomoto boy, and then become his sister's substitute teacher and help her capture the scattered cards.

"What would you like to do today?" asked the red head as she tried to keep her cheerful tone, despite the negative attitude radiating from her student. "You have a choice. We could either work with thread, or we could have your first lesson on the piano."

Eriol's sapphire orbs lit up with a glimmer of hope. He finally has a chance to experience music. What else can thread be used for besides sewing? At least by playing the piano he could drown all his worries for at least an hour or so if he's concentrating. He had never tried an instrument before, but there was something about the ivory keys that drew his interest and cried out many possibilities of channels for magic.

Kaho smiled as she noticed Eriol's mood was lightening up. She herself knew the stages of accepting magic. For a mortal, the doubts and struggles of finding oneself while changing in both body and mind during the teenage years of their life. But a person with magic experiences puberty much quicker, and the only carefree years go from birth to three years old. Kaho remembered when she herself was a grumpy child who didn't want to accept her own fate. There was only one thing that managed to change her mind...

* Ten Years Ago *

"No, I don't want to cook anymore!" pouted a little five-year-old girl with red hair as she crossed her arms too be stubborn.

Her teacher smiled at himself. This particular student seemed not to be able to make any recipe. No matter. He had another plan.

"How would you like to take a walk instead?" he asked.

Kaho's interest was grabbed, and she immediately agreed because walks happened to be her favorite thing. Being outside reminded her about the relaxing days she spent with her parents at their Tsukimine Shrine before she was sent to England to begin her training in magic. She missed Tomoeda deeply because it was a cozy town. It was never big enough for anybody to get lost, even if they had a weakness for finding their way too.

Her teacher told her that they were going to go ice-skating. The thought of gliding on the ice excited Kaho, and she anticipated beginning the activity. She was so eager to get to the rink that she skipped ahead of her teacher without even realizing it. Suddenly, a beautiful patch of evening primroses tucked in the woods caught her eyes, and she was mesmerized. It was her favorite flower ever since her father bought a bouquet of them for her on her last birthday before she had to study abroad in England.

"I miss you, Daddy," she said to herself as she stroked the delicate petals.

Kaho then noticed that it was very quiet. After looking around, she noticed that not only she was alone, but that she had also lost her way. This was her worst weakness coming true. Not knowing what else to do, the five-year- old started to cry.

"Kaho!" a voice called out in a close distance. "Where are you?"

The little girl's head snapped up as she started to follow the voice, and before she knew it, she had her arms wrapped tightly around her teacher's waist.

"Don't worry, child," he comforted soothingly. "Although your special talent may be not being able to remember your way to save your life, you're safe now. Let's go ice-skating"

* End of Flashback *

The teenager's thoughts were interrupted when the musical notes of Beethoven's Fur Elise entertained her ears. Looking at the piano, she smiled at the fact that Eriol finally found something that he enjoyed. She could still remember the first time she skated on ice. It was like being set free from all of her expectations.

Eriol was happy as he sat in front of the piano. Yet, something was missing. Beautiful music needs beautiful words to harmonize with it. A piano player needs a singer for the song to be a whole. A person his age needs a friend.

'My life feels so empty,' he thought to himself as he let his fingers glide over the keys. 'But I have no free time. If only I could just have one day where I could be a normal four-year-old boy. If only.'

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To be continued...

A/N: Finally: I have official Author's Notes!!!

1) I wrote that people with magic who start training at a young age were grumpy until something changed them. In this chapter, we saw how skating changed Kaho and how music was beginning to change Eriol. How can we confirm this? Think of Syaoran and how he was always in a bitter mood...until he fell in love with Sakura. Why didn't Sakura ever enter a grumpy stage? She was normal for ten years until she opened the Clow Book, and then life, as she knew, it changed forever.

2) I think it makes sense that Kaho would be Eriol's teacher when he was little. I haven't gotten to the third season of CCS yet, but I have read the manga and I did see the dubbed version of the last episode (BOO! They cut out the airport scene!). Let's face it. Eriol couldn't have pulled anything off without Kaho there to help him. I hope everyone was able to connect the piano, the thread, and the skiing lessons with the Eriol episodes in CCS.

3) I got the information about Kaho's favorite thing (walks), favorite flower (evening primrose), weakness (finding her way), her favorite recipe (she can't make anything) and "special talent" (she can't remember her way to save her life) all from her character sketch found in the fourth CCS manga. I thought my flashback was a good way to tie those things about her together, and to make the chapter longer (^_~). I picked skating as her turning point activity because she was very good at it in the Freeze Card episode. I kept her teacher anonymous because I have no idea who it could be. I'm not too crazy about this character due to her relationship with young and younger men (shudders), but I am fond of the fact that CLAMP made her birthday the same day as mine! ^_^

I think that's it for this chapter. Look for chapter two next week. It will be titled Amethyst, and we'll take a look at Tomoyo's childhood. Ah! I still haven't figured out a theory on why she doesn't have a dad! Suggestions are welcomed even if I do have some ideas in my head.

PLEASE REVIEW!