SECOND CHAPTER! WOW! I can hardly believe this! Now, I'd love you to read and review. Why? Because being my first fic I need a lot of feedback. This chapter is SO WAY BETTER THAN LAST ONE. SO READ IT!

Disclaimer: CCS is not mine, so don't sue me. But the plot is hehe. NO STEALY!

"..." - Talking
italic font – Thinking, flashback

... moving scene

(...:A/N: ...) – Auhors Note

Memories from today and tomorrow

Sakura-chan remembered many things while she walked from the beautiful garden where all trees lied to the castle. She remembered her father, leaving for war.

FLASHBACK-

"Take care, Sakura. Remember it is forbidden to you now to leave the castle."

"But Dad!"

"The war with China has become too dangerous...I can't risk losing you, Sakura. You're too valuable for that to happen." She stroked her cheeks and she tried to smile, although it hurt her to know she wouldn't see him again, until the war ended. And who knew when would that be?

Her father waved, and so did she as she saw Fujitaka Kinomoto, leave, her eyes blinking back tears.

END OF FLASHBACK-

That had been only a few weeks ago, and still it felt like eons. But not like when Touya left.

FLASHBACK-

"He has to leave?" Sakura cried on Fujitaka's lap "Why?"

"He is an older boy now...he's got to. He'll come back though."

She had run to her room and wept freely over her bed. She was only five, Touya about 11, and already he was leaving home to get trained. Sakura didn't fully comprehend what for, military and education and lots of other things for her small brain. She didn't want to see him leave.

END OF FLASHBACK-

She had gotten to the castle already. As she walked swiftly to her room, she met her best friend, Tomoyo.

"Good morning, Princess!"

"Good morning, Tomoyo!"

Anyone who would have heard the two wouldn't have guessed they were best friends, at least not the way they treated each other. Tomoyo was the one daughter on a very rich family, who was allied with King Fujitaka against China. But because Sakura was royalty, and she had extremely good manners, she still was respectful with her, no matter how much Sakura complained.

On a normal day, they would have stopped by and chatted eagerly for a while, but Sakura was keen to get another cloak and go back to her tree, and Tomoyo could sense that she really didn't feel like tallking.

"See you later then, Princess!"

Sakura smiled and waved at her.

Back with Syaoran-

Chinese Prince Syaoran couldn't believe what had just happened. He was just looking for safety...although he'd probably gone to the wrong place.

Why had he left China, anyway? War raging, things were too difficult back in the palace. He was old enough to go to war, but disgracefully for him, he wasn't allowed to. So he'd decided to run away.

It hadn't been as easy as that though. He'd really been expecting going to war...fighting Japan, getting some titles, who knows? Being a war hero didn't sound too bad!

So he'd pretended to be really mad at this. Not that he wasn't...but he did a bit of acting to emphasize. He would lock himself on his room and not come out in a week, no matter if he missed dinner or lunch. His family started to get used to that, his mother and sisters that is, so that they probably wouldn't notice that he was missing until after a week or two he'd left. Smart...but hey, this was Prince Syaoran!

Why had he gone to Japan? Gosh, he didn't know! He just followed his impulses. And these impulses told him to go into the palace. How had he gone past the guards? Ah, that had been easy, even if he was half frozen and half starved by the time. These guards were Japanese. Obviously they were not as good.

But his impulses failed him once he was inside, and he'd had to find shelter on a tree-house on a cherry blossom tree top. It wasn't the best, but he was sheltered from snow and wind, and that was a lot for the Prince dressed in torn and raggy clothes. No wonder the Princess had thought he was a peasant.

But he couldn't tell her, she'd probably kick him out. She'd been nice so far, and...yes, a girl had saved his life. Girls. Syaoran didn't really know much about girls. His sisters, meh, they'd told him all he wanted to know about girls...he'd probably gone the wrong impression, but that wasn't his fault.

People said he was a heart breaker, but he didn't really know what love was. He once tried winking slyly at a girl walking past and stared in horror at the way the girl seemed to faint. What had been wrong?

"You're handsome, and that's it," his sisters would say.

But he didn't know about love. And he wasn't sure he wanted to, either.

Back with Sakura -

Since her brother left when she was small, she was a weird sort of girl. She did things younger girls would do and things older girls would do, lacking an example. And because she was royalty, no one told her what she mustn't do.

She was so naïve, she could believe about anything, no matter how strange it sounded. If someone told her a peasant had seen his cow fly over the house at night, she would look at the teller confused and amazed and surprised, and say something like,

"Wow! That cow was defeating gravity!"

She hadn't met many people of her age since she was 5...hardly. All of these used to be princes and princess stubborn and who got everything they asked for. No matter how hard she tried, she never stood them long.

And even if she knew what friendship was, she'd never really loved. She waited patiently for the time that came...she would grow up that day, she thought.

She didn't have to wait so patiently. She was going to love soon...

WOW! SECOND CHAPTER...DONE! ticks off

Yay! Well, the interesting parts are about to start...this was a lot of background information. But it's necessary. Sorry about that.

Now, please READ AND REVIEW! READ AND REVIEW!

Why? If you took the time to read the chapter, just another minute typing a few comments won't kill you! I'll be waiting for your comments!

Caro

(carolina000...that is me!)