A/N: looks at email account in shock Wow…I didn't think anyone would read this. Just for you two I'm going to update this early. You totally made my day! - You have no idea how happy I am. Thanks a lot! Oh, and just a warning, I kind of mixed the Japanese and the English dubbed names for the characters.

Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptors or Card Captor Sakura.

'thoughts'

Chapter 1

Just as the bell rang, Ying Fa slid into an empty seat at the back of the classroom and sighed in relief, having successfully dodged all of the students, what worried her especially were Jason's attempts at wooing her. 'At least I got through the morning all right,' she thought.

The teacher entered, "Good morning class. There is a new student joining our class today. I expect you to be courteous and helpful as he is from one of the most prominent families of China. I think some of you will recognize him from elementary school. Please welcome, Li Syaoran."

Ying Fa started, 'Oh no,' she thought, 'Why'd he have to come back now? Hopefully, he won't recognize me. I mean, I haven't used magic since locking the book away a year after he left so he can't sense any magical discharge and my aura's completely hidden and my appearance is different.'

Years ago, she would have fidgeted and sweated in nervousness. Over the years she had learned control and was able to relax and simply observe him as the rest of the class was. 'I wonder what he'd think of me now, hiding and skulking in the shadows, backing down from insults and threats when I could easily stop it. He'll hate me. Alright, Ying Fa, here is your mission; to thwart any chance of Li discovering you are Sakura. Do you accept?' She mentally nodded, 'Then start now.' Then she internally sweatdropped, 'Great, I'm talking to myself.'

"Li, you may sit next to Ying Fa," said the teacher, "Raise your hand, Ying Fa." She did as asked, hoping that he wouldn't recognize her.

Li blinked at the Chinese name on an obviously Japanese girl, but went to sit next to her. He sighed, 'My search for Sakura has just begun.'

Meanwhile, Ying Fa was internally sweating bullets and as soon as the bell rang, tried to bolt, but the teacher called her back. "Ying Fa, Li is in all of your classes. So could you do me a favor and act as his guide?"

Cursing her luck, she meekly answered, "Hai, sensei." She turned to Li, "Uh…I guess you should follow me. Our next class is Language Arts. We're starting calligraphy today."

Li just nodded and motioned for her to lead the way. Sakura inwardly cheered. He obviously had no idea who she was. Again, they were seated next to each other only this time, at the front of the class. It was Ying Fa's favorite class and she forgot all her troubles in it, expressing herself in brush and ink on the paper. (A/N: grrrrr…I hate English by the way. . I'm the total opposite of Sakura when it comes to school subjects.)

Li barely spoke and seemed to be thinking about something. When class ended, he turned to her and asked, "Would you happen to know a girl named Kinomouto Sakura?"

Inside, Ying Fa screamed and panicked, 'What am I going to do? I suck at lying!' She shook her head, "No girl of that name attends Seijou High. Why do you ask?" 'Whew, good job, partially answering the question, hope he doesn't notice that.'

"Oh…no reason…Do you know a Daidouji Tomoyo or Moon Eli? He might actually be going under Hiiragizawa Eli now."

Ying Fa grew angry at the mention of Tomoyo's name, but kept her voice neutral, "Daidouji-san changed her first name from Tomoyo to Madison. She's in our next class if you want to speak with her. Hiiragizawa-san moved back to London along with Mizuki-sensei," she answered coolly. She was still panicking like crazy inside.

Li sighed, "Arigatou. I should have known Hiiragizawa would run off with his fiancée."

Ying Fa bit her tongue, not wanting to say something that she shouldn't have known as Ying Fa. The truth of that matter was that Kaho had needed to take care of her mother and Eli only accompanied her because he had business to finish what with his parents dead and mansions to take care of. He had no interest in Kaho and they had broken off the engagement ages ago.

She showed him to the next class and this time sat at the back of the class while Li talked to Madison at the front of the classroom.

"Daidouji-san?" he asked, hardly recognizing the girl under all the make up and glamour. She wore the school uniform, but the top three buttons on the shirt were undone, revealing the pale, creamy skin and the skirt was hiked up. She looked like a slut.

"Hmm?" she turned around, "Oh! Li-kun, just call me Madison, it's what everyone else calls me. So, you finally came back, huh? When did you get here?"

Frowning, Li answered, "Yesterday afternoon. Listen, I spoke with a girl of this school and she said Sakura doesn't go here."

At this Madison visibly deflated.

"What happened?" Li asked.

"I'm…I'm not really sure. I mean, she started changing and wouldn't listen to me, so I gave up. I've lost contact with her since the end of elementary school," she answered fidgeting.

"What about her other friends?"

"They left long before I had."

"So it all started at the end of elementary school?"

"Yeah, after you left, though I can't even begin to imagine why."

Ying Fa, even though she sat at the back of the class, heard all of this and muttered, "Can't imagine why…hmph…I know very well why you little..." her voice dropped off.

As soon as music was over, she hesitantly walked up to Li, "Uh… Li, we have to go to Science now."

Madison turned to her and scowled, "Oh it's you again. Didn't I tell you to never be less than 20 feet from me?" she said disdainfully.

Ying Fa closed her eyes in an attempt to stem the flow of tears. She could take insults from anyone and even endure Jason's nigh sexual harassment, but to stand in front of Li and get insulted by Tomoyo of all people…'and he's not doing anything about it either'… "Hai, Daidouji-san."

"Don't talk to me!" Madison ordered.

Ying Fa nodded.

"Now, don't bother Li-kun ever again and get out of my sight!" Tomoyo snapped.

Li watched all of this passively and only spoke once Ying Fa was out the door. "I see you've changed as well, Daidouji-san."

She blinked, "I have? And I told you to call me Madison."

Li shook his head, "You have changed and not for the better, Daidouji-san. Just think about what you did to that girl just then."

Madison sighed in relief, "Oh her? She deserves it. She thinks that just because she's valedictorian that she's better than everyone else. She's a snob. She doesn't talk to anyone, do anything, or show up to social events."

"She just tried to talk to you and you told her to shut up. I've been with her all morning and she seems fine to me, only overly shy."

Madison's mouth opened and closed, "Li-kun, listen to me. That girl is nothing but bad news–"

Li glared at her, "It seems to me as if she's only bad news because she goes against the grain! And don't call me kun, san or sama will do fine. I am no longer any friend of yours."

Madison gaped, "You'd give up friendship with one of the most influential people in this city for a smartass know-it-all who thinks she's better than all of us!"

Ying Fa came back in, "Uh…Li-san, we're going to be late if we don't get to class–"

"Shut up! You're nothing but a stuck up brat and you've brainwashed Li!" Madison screeched.

Ying Fa took a step back and blinked, "Well, I can see I'm not wanted here. I-I'll leave you two alone," she backed out the door, "I'll just wait out–"

"I'm coming with you," Li interrupted, "We're finished, Daidouji-san. I have nothing left to say to you. I'm going to class. Come on, Ying Fa." He walked out of the classroom and Ying Fa hurried after him as Madison glared at her. As they walked, Li asked, "Why do you let her walk all over you like that?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she answered, then quickened the pace so that Li couldn't get a word in edgewise and only slowed when they got to the classroom. In truth, she just didn't want to tell him that she couldn't stand watching her cousin like that, but after all the futile attempts to talk to Madison, she had just learned to live with it, though every insult that came from those lips struck her heart as if someone had stabbed her with a dagger and had her flesh magically charmed to heal and twisted it every time Madison insulted her.

They got in just as the bell rang and seeing as how they were the last to class, were partnered up for the senior thesis paper and project. Something hit Ying Fa in the back of the head and she heard a few snickers, but ignored it. Li noticed this and frowned. He, however, followed her example and did nothing. This happened several times and at the end of class, Ying Fa sighed and shook her hair free of the multiple spit balls embedded in it. This was why she always had her hair up in a bun. When she left, Li spoke with the teacher who sighed when Li pointed out the spit balls.

"Hai, I did notice, but I'm not allowed to do anything unless she or a close friend of hers says something. (A/N: I know this isn't true for any school that I know of, but it works in the story. Why else would the teachers ignore the way the other students treat her and be so nice to her?) Unfortunately, she suffers in silence and has no friends to speak of. The entire faculty knows this and goes out of our way to make her last year here as bearable as possible, but we can't do anything that would truly matter unless she speaks up."

"Well, you can do something now, I'm her friend and I don't want to see her suffer like that."

The teacher smiled, "That's the first good news she'll hear in a long time. Off to class or lunch now, Li."

Li walked out of the classroom to find Ying Fa near the door, "We have History next. Then lunch, foreign language, and gym."

The next class went horribly. No one paid any attention to the teacher except Li and Ying Fa and she was the object of ridicule. Li looked on wonderingly as she ignored all the comments and concentrated on the lecture the teacher gave. Ying Fa was obviously a very different person from the one Madison described. The only question was, why didn't the school see that? He sighed as his thoughts turned to another girl surrounded in mystery. He had until he turned 19 to find Sakura and his birthday was in August. (A/N: anybody know when his real birthday is? I made this one up.) That gave him about 6 months. Maybe he should go visit Sakura's home; that would help, if she hadn't moved that is and if she had, maybe the new owner had a forwarding address.

During lunch he went around in search of Sakura's old friends, but they all gave him the same answer, Sakura hadn't been seen since elementary school and for some strange reason, no one had thought to look for her. Giving up on the hope that one of her friends knew what happened to her, he turned to acquaintances and family. He would get started right after school let out.

Ying Fa found him and showed him to Foreign Language. Li sighed. Next to Language Arts, Latin was his worst class, but he still did well. Again in this class, Ying Fa was ridiculed and did not react. Gym came as a relief. Ying Fa worked alone while the rest of the class either played basketball or ran. She did gymnastics that rivaled the things Li could do aided by magic. Li watched in surprise and fascination, pointing this out to Yamazaki. He had stumbled upon the boy when he had nearly tripped over Li, trying to tell a story and run at the same time without tying his shoe laces first.

"What are you looking at, Li? Oh her? She moved here when Secondary school started, went to a private school before. Personally, I don't think you should associate yourself with her. She never ever talks. No one here knows her well so they assume her silence is arrogance. She's also the valedictorian. No one even came close to her GPA, can't really blame her for keeping her distance. She gets enough crap as it is from Jason, doesn't need more. Trust me, Li, she's a lost cause."

After a moment of watching Ying Fa perform a split and jumping into an aerial back flip from that position, he said, "That's not what Sakura would have done."

"Oh, Sakura, she's long gone, Li. Her brother's a doctor and her dad's on assignment. She moved away years ago, didn't leave an address though."

"You mean she moved away and didn't tell anyone, but you?"

"Not exactly, I think she sold the house because that's where Ying Fa lives and since she disappeared, I put two and two together and deduced that she moved away."

"So contacting her dad is impossible and her brother very unlikely."

"Got it in one." Yamazaki glanced at Li, "Why are you looking for her anyway?"

"Well, since I got back, I've seen everyone but her. I'm worried, that's all."

"Okay, tell me if you find anything. I'm sort of curious myself. Would have gone after her years ago if Chihiru (A/N: Is it Chihiru or Chiharu?) hadn't held me back. Good luck. Hey, we're up next for the basketball court."

Li reluctantly took his eyes off of Ying Fa. Something about her felt strange. She was a puzzle. Why would someone who is clearly Japanese have a Chinese name? And why does no one know her last name? And why did he get the feeling that things were going to get out of hand?

"OOOOOOHHHH, LIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" came a shrill voice. (A/N: grinning give you three guesses who this is, first two don't count)

He groaned and turned around to see a raven haired girl standing behind the school fence, "Meilin?"

She struck a pose, "The one and only." She hadn't changed much, still wore her hair in pigtails and had the same annoyingly high pitched voice. Meilin then angrily asked, "Why did you leave without me?"

Li raised an eyebrow, "Besides the fact that your grandmother just died and the Elders had forbidden me help? I didn't think you'd want to come because I'd spend my time looking for Sakura and you'd be heartbroken…again."

She looked sheepish, "Oh…"

"What? You didn't think I left because you're annoying, did you?" Li crossed his arms.

"…sort of…anyway the Elders let me come to keep you company and to look after you. Now, before you protest I know you can take care of yourself and I didn't come because of that. They sent me because of that. I just wanted to see Japan again and all my old friends."

Li gave a small smile and then frowned, "About that–" the bell rang to signal the end of the day. "Let me go get my stuff."

"Okay." She waited patiently until he got back. Though her physical appearance hadn't changed much, inside she had really changed over the years and had no romantic feelings for Li anymore. She was a mature, young adult…who had a boyfriend named Ryo. (A/N: - I couldn't resist!)

Li got back from the locker room and said, "Right, about your friends, they've…changed, a lot since we left."

"In what way?" she asked as they started to walk home.

"Well, they're pretty much snobs who pick on this one girl because she likes her space."

Meilin blinked, "That's cruel!"

"Yeah and the teachers can't do anything unless she or a friend speaks up for her."

"And she doesn't have any friends. The poor girl."

They arrived at the same apartment building he had lived in before and went up. "You're staying with me, right?" asked Li.

"Yeah. Madison is kind of out of the question after what you just told me," she said frowning.

"How'd you know her new name?" he asked opening the door.

"She told me to call her that, said it was her fashion name," Meilin answered, making quotation marks with her hands when she said fashion name.

"I've got homework to do, so, why don't you go unpack. We can go out for dinner," he suggested.

"Sure, I want to go see if the ice cream parlor's still there."

"Jason, let go of me!" a female voice drifted into the apartment.

The two exchanged glances and ran out the door.

"Not until you say yes," said Jason.

"No! Now, let me go!"

Li and Meilin finally got outside and found Ying Fa being held from behind by a blond oaf of a man.

"I said let me go!" she repeated.

"Say yes!" he yelled, tightening his hold around her arms.

"I warned you, you freaking SOB. Let me go this instant!" her violet eyes burned with anger.

"No."

"Fine!" By this time, Li and Meilin had split up, he going for the legs and she for the arms. The guy released her and she shot them a grateful smile. They froze when suddenly the tiny girl managed to throw him into a garbage collector ten feet away. "Now stop, bugging, me!" she checked her watch, "'Kuso, I'm going to be late for work…again. Thanks a lot Jason. Arigatou for the help you two. Got to jet, bye!"

Li and Meilin blinked as she ran away, "How-did she…do that! I couldn't do that! The guy's like three times her size!"

"You've thrown heavier farther, Meilin," Li pointed out.

"Yeah, but I've had training! She looks like she'd break if you poke her the wrong way!"

"Shape hides strength, remember, Meilin."

She winced at the reminder of a particularly painful lesson, "Alright, you got me. But who was she and where'd she learn to do that?"

"That was Ying Fa, the girl I was telling you about. As for the other question, I have no idea," he said walking into the apartment building again, "But I intend to find out. I mean, if she knows how to fight, why would she let others walk all over her like that?"

"Maybe it was a one time thing. I mean, adrenaline can do funny things to you when it's running."

"That is a possibility. Her style was amateurish, like she'd never properly fought before."

"Did you ask her about Sakura?"

"Yeah, now that I think about it, I think she knows more than what she's letting on. She is living in Sakura's house. She has to know something about where Sakura went."

"That's tomorrow's problem. I've go to unpack and you've got to do homework. We'll talk about this later."

Li nodded in agreement and took out his books. He could tell this was not going to be easy. A couple of hours later, the two walked toward the ice cream parlor, stopping at Sakura's house first.

"Sense anything?" asked Meilin, observing the house. It hadn't changed much, just a little dirtier than normal and the lawn was well taken care of. There were flowers everywhere, even some ivy crawling up the side of the house.

"Nothing, very old traces of magic, but nothing that could lead us to Sakura. I wonder what happened to the Clow Cards." He asked as they resumed walking.

"She probably took them with her and they're Star Cards now, Li. Hey! Have you tried asking Eli?"

"No. He's in England. Why would he know where Sakura is if people in this city don't even know exactly when she disappeared?"

"I don't know. Maybe he keeps tabs on her, like he does on you."

"It's worth a shot. I'll call him after we get back."

They entered the ice cream parlor and sat down.

"Fancy seeing you two here." They looked up and found Ying Fa in a waitress uniform, "Thanks for bailing me out earlier by the way. I know Li-san, but who are you?"

"Rae Meilin. It's nice to meet you Ying Fa and we really didn't do anything."

"Yes you did! You got me out of his hold. Really good thing, too. I don't think I could have held him off any longer. Humph, he deserved everything he got. Honestly, trapping a girl and abducting her so she'll go out with you?" she shook her head. "So what can I get you folks?"

"I'll have number 11," said Li.

"Number 9, please," said Meilin. When Ying Fa left, she hissed, "She doesn't seem so bad. I wonder why the others don't see that."

Li shook his head, "She's a really nice girl. She just needs to open up a little. The others are just being dumb."

"Here you go, enjoy. I'll be back with the dessert menus when you're done." She had her timing down to a T because as soon as they finished their meals, she took their plates and gave them dessert menus. After they finished dessert, they tried to pay for the meal, but were stopped by the cashier.

Li looked stunned.

"The waitress serving you said it's on her, as a thank you for earlier," the guy explained.

"Oh, but–"

The guy smiled, "Forget it. Once she's made up her mind about something, nothing can change it. Have a nice night."

They left, Li vowing to find out if Ying Fa had any info at all about Sakura that she wasn't telling him. As he exited, he could have sworn Ying Fa's eyes flashed, but maybe it was just a trick of the light.

(to be continued)

I hope you liked it. I know a lot of characters are OOC. I'll explain later. Please review.

dbzgtfan2004 – my first reviewer ever! Thanks so much for reviewing!

dreamteam – I hope this answers your questions. Though, why she wants to stay hidden is a little bit of the above and partially due to something else I will reveal in upcoming chapters. Thank you for reviewing. I hope you liked the chapter.