Title : Long Lost Drifter

Author : Lain in the Wired

Chapter Four : Gonna Change the World

Eriol let me up a dark flight of stairs. He had gotten me new clothes and led me to a different apartment building. I had remained silent the whole time, thinking about all the information he had given me. How could I have been so important and not known about it at all?

"We're here," Eriol said as he stood in front of a door. Room 303 stood tall and dark above me. I tugged nervously at the baggy shirt he had donned on me.

"Go on in, Sakura. This man is your grandfather. He will listen to you," Eriol encouraged. I gulped and turned the handle. The door creaked open slowly and I poked my head in around it.

"Uh, hello?" I whispered as my voice cracked slightly. An old man stood from the desk directly in front of me. His white hair was receding from his face and many wrinkles formed around his bright blue eyes.

"Yes, what is it, child?" he asked. His voice was firm but caring. I stepped completely into the light provided by the large window behind the desk.

"My name is Sakura Kinomoto. I've come to speak with my grandfather," I tried to muster my courage, but it came out as a high-pitched squeak. The old man smiled warmly and beckoned me in. I walked towards him and sat in the chair he directed me to.

"I'm your grandfather, child. What to you wish to speak to me about?" he asked kindly, but a curious sparkle shone in his eyes.

"I wish to reopen ties with my family and fulfill my mother's legacy," I said, repeating Eriol's words almost exactly. The old man smiled.

"You've talked to Eriol, haven't you, child?" he asked. I nodded and smiled sheepishly.

"Is that a bad thing, sir?" I asked in reply. He laughed lightly and shook his head.

"Depends on your point of view," he replied.

"Well, my point of view is that I had the power to change things, make the world a better place for a bunch of people, and nobody told me I had the power to do good," I said forcefully. The old man had stopped laughing and his eyes had become colder instantly.

"Did you have influence? Did you notice it on your own? Do not blame us for not telling you what your own eyes could have seen," he responded. I fell silent. He had a point.

"I'm sorry, sir. I was out of line. But I know now that I have that power and I want to use it," I said apologetically. He smiled again.

"Are you sure you want this responsibility, child?" he asked me. I stared for a moment into his old blue eyes. Was I ready?

"Yes, sir," I said confidently. His smile broadened.

"Alright," he said as he stood up. I followed him as he led me into another room. "I'd like to introduce you to your cousin, Tomoyo Daidouji, and her best friend, Meiling Li," he said and two girls stepped out of the shadows in the room.

The girl named Tomoyo had long wavy black hair and bright amethyst eyes. A graceful smile adorned her lips as she stared at me. The girl named Meiling was looking at me up and down with her deep crimson eyes; sizing me up. She had her long straight black hair up in two buns on either side of her head.

"Hi, I'm Sakura Kinomoto," I said nervously. Meiling's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Your name is not Kinomoto," she growled. My grandfather stepped forward automatically.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," he said to me and threw a warning look to Meiling. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Meiling doesn't exactly appreciate what your father did by taking Nadeshiko away," he explained. I nodded in understanding.

"I don't want to seem like a threat to you, Meiling. I'll change my name to my mother's. Sakura Amamiya, at your service," I said, smiling. She didn't smile back but I saw her eyes soften. She knew I wouldn't hurt her.

"Nice to meet you, Sakura," Tomoyo said gracefully. I smiled at her and curtsied jokingly. We both laughed and the old man smiled at us.

"Well, I'm glad you three have met. I have a feeling you are going to be great friends," my grandfather said. "I'm sorry to leave you here, but I have to go to a very important meeting. Girls, will you show my granddaughter around?" Meiling and Tomoyo nodded in response. Then he turned to me. "Sakura, if you're sure about this, you must learn many things. But promise me one thing, child."

I nodded, his weary face looked at my own, and I thought I saw a flicker of pain in his blue eyes. "You must never fall in love," he whispered. Then he walked out and closed the door behind him, leaving us in total silence.

Never fall in love?

"No problem," I said with a smile. I turned around o face my two new friends. "Ready to go?" I asked. Tomoyo gazed at me with an unreadable face but her eyes portrayed sadness. Meiling's face didn't show a thing but she switched feet nervously.

"Are you ok, Sakura?" Tomoyo finally spoke up. I glanced at her.

"Of course, Tomoyo. I don't want to hurt you all as long as I can help it," I said truthfully. I could fool myself for a while. I wasn't in love now and hadn't been for a while. Of course I was ok, for now. But for future times, I had no idea.

"Ok, then, let's introduce you to some people now," Meiling said as she turned on her heel. She led the way out the suite's door and down the apartment halls. Tomoyo and I followed obediently.

They introduced me to so many people I thought my head might burst. There were so many connections between me and all of these people. To think, my mother's disappearance must have affected all of them in one way or another.

I decided I was going to change that. I was going to reopen the bonds between old friends. I was going to change the world.