Thank you, everyone, for all your support and encouragement! I went through some serious health issues last month, and while my writing took a hit for a little while, I was able to get the treatment I needed and found some time during my recovery to get back into my writing groove. I'm still so not used to these long chapters, but as long as everyone doesn't mind the long wait between them, I'm enjoying taking a more episodic approach to this than I do with my usual stories. As usual, I don't own anything, I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

5- Sakura and the Decision

As though announcing the arrival of the season, the autumn equinox brought with it a pleasant chill in the air.

Sakura and Syaoran had scheduled a date long in advance, and they enjoyed the day to their hearts' content, exploring the recently-renovated shopping district, having a picnic lunch at Penguin Park, playing more arcade games than they really should have, and making sure to try that new "rolled ice cream" fad before it disappeared. Sakura finally got to wear the sweater Syaoran had given her for her birthday back in April; a knit piece with cute embroidered flowers and polka dots that had just been too hot for their early spring. It did get a little warm during the afternoon at the park, but the affectionate smile that she caught on Syaoran's face every time he looked over at her was completely worth it.

Unfortunately, as though mirroring their worries, the summer heat returned in full force on Friday. Sakura had been too preoccupied with her date the day before to study, so with a science test coming up in second period, she was busy looking over her notes as she walked to school.

"Y'know, this seems kinda dangerous," Kero commented, sticking his head out of her schoolbag. "Is it really okay for you to walk 'n read at the same time like this?"

"I'm fine!" Sakura shot back, glancing down from the paper only momentarily. "I didn't wear my skates today so that I could study this- and that's what I'm going to do."

"What'cha studyin'?" Stephen asked, popping up beside Kero, already mimicking the accent.

"Heat transfer and the first law of thermodynamics. It's for my chemistry class," Sakura answered. "Conduction, convection, radiation, conservation of energy, calculating work done by a closed system… ugh, there are so many equations! It's supposed to be science, but it looks like math!"

Stephen dropped the accent, speaking as he climbed up Sakura's sleeve and perched on her shoulder. "And you dislike math, Sakura-sama?"

"I-I wouldn't say I dislike it, necessarily…" Sakura plucked Stephen from her shoulder and placed him back in her bag. "Remember, you need to stay put. We can't have anyone at school seeing you. You could be discovered or even confiscated by teachers if they think I've brought a toy to school."

"But we aren't at school yet, are we?"

"No, but it's just around the corner here, and I don't want to take any chances."

Kero grabbed hold of Stephen, slapping a paw over his mouth. "Don'tcha worry, Sakura. I'll keep him quiet as long as we're on school grounds."

"Thanks," Sakura murmured, "but make sure you keep yourself quiet too."

"Excuse you, I am always qui-"

Kero didn't get to finish his sentence as Sakura shoved him and Stephen back into the bag. She had just turned the corner, and could see Tomoyo outside the front gate of the school.

"Tomoyo-chan!"

"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo waved back, running to meet Sakura halfway. "You have great timing! My mom just dropped me off."

"Your mom drove you today?"

"Yeah, I told her you were nervous about the new teacher, and she said I should get here early to make sure I was here for you when you arrived."

"Th-that's-!" Sakura's face turned red, and she looked away, focusing on the fountain in the school courtyard as they passed it. "Geez, your mom is too overprotective of me. I'm really not that worried."

"About the new teacher, no," Tomoyo answered, "but from the looks of that notebook you're carrying, you are worried about the science test in second period."

"Oh, come on! Is it that obvious?"

Tomoyo giggled and inched closer to Sakura as they approached the front doors of the school. "So," she began, her voice lower this time, "are Kero-chan and Stephen with you today?"

"We sure are!" A muffled voice came from inside Sakura's schoolbag, and she pulled it closer instinctively.

"Hey, now! What did I say about behaving when we're at school?"

As Tomoyo laughed and Sakura let out her frustrations in a groan, another voice called to them from the stairwell.

"Oh, good morning you two! Have you seen Yamazaki this morning?"

Chiharu waved at them, bounding down the stairs two at a time while Syaoran followed behind her at a much more reasonable pace. Tomoyo finished placing her shoes in her locker and moved to join them.

"Yamazaki-kun? No, I haven't seen him around. Sakura-chan and I just got here."

"Is something wrong with him?" Sakura asked, stepping in beside Tomoyo.

Chiharu crossed her arms. "Other than the usual? He's all bent out of shape about this new history teacher. I think he's running around spreading rumors and nonsense- more than usual, I mean. I enlisted Li-kun to help me find him, but we haven't had much luck."

"Sorry about that," Syaoran murmured. "But he'll probably be heading to the classroom soon, since the bell is about to ring…"

"So? That's no excuse to leave him up to his mischief!"

Tomoyo stepped in between them. "My mother asked me to deliver something to the director's office, so I need to go that way before class starts. Chiharu-chan, do you want to come with me? That way Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun can get to the classroom before the bell rings."

Chiharu glanced back at Sakura and Syaoran, her expression unsure. "I'd hate to leave those two alone in the face of Yamazaki's usual storytelling, but…"

Tomoyo laughed. "Really, I think they find it entertaining. Why not let them enjoy themselves for once?"

"Yeah, we're not that gullible." Syaoran stepped forward as he spoke. "We can tell when he's lying."

There was a pause. Chiharu eyed them with an air of doubt, while Tomoyo just giggled.

"...well, if Yamazaki has wandered off toward the director's office, I want to be the one to find him. So I'll go with you, Tomoyo-chan. Li-kun, you and Sakura-chan go on to class, alright?"

"Right!" "Yes!"

"See you soon!" Tomoyo chimed, waving to them as she led the way up the stairs. Sakura and Syaoran stayed where they were, watching until both Tomoyo and Chiharu had disappeared around the corner.

Finally, the two turned back around to the hallway and started toward their classroom. Syaoran was the first to speak up, motioning to the notebook that Sakura was still holding in one arm.

"Studying for the science test?"

"Ah! Th-that's…" Sakura stammered, tossing the notebook to her other hand and hiding it behind her back. "I-I mean… you can never be too prepared, right? That's what Umeno-sensei says, anyway…"

"It's fine." Syaoran shook his head. "I've fallen behind in my studies too. When I'm not in class or practicing with the drama club, I've been stuck at the computer going through my sisters' archives of Clow Reed's work. So far, I haven't found any mention of Warp Neon whatsoever, but it's slow going."

"Is there no search-and-find feature?" Sakura asked.

"Not the way these are archived. They're handwritten documents, so my sisters have scanned them and compiled them as image files. Trying to type them out would be tedious and might miss important details, since Clow Reed was known to hide symbolism in the way that he wrote certain characters." Syaoran let out a long, slow sigh. "Sorry, I don't mean to complain. It's just that going to the park with you yesterday was the first real break I've had in a while. I really needed it."

Sakura stopped, taking her free hand and grabbing one of his. "Don't work yourself too hard for my sake! I'll be fine, whether or not you find information on Warp Neon. After all, I've got Stephen to help me, and I've captured several of the cards already. What I want most is for you to be healthy and happy! And that way, you can back me up if I need you. Alright?"

"...r-right…"

"Huh? Syaoran, your face is red all of a sudden. Are you feeling sick?"

"Wha-? N-no!" Syaoran pulled his hand back to his side and turned around to face toward the classroom. "It's just, uh, just the heat!"

"Ah, that's right. It's really gotten hot today, hasn't it?" Sakura fell into line walking beside him again. "Definitely too hot for these winter uniforms. I hope I don't get in trouble for not wearing my blazer today."

"I think you'll be fine." The subject change helped Syaoran to calm down, and he stopped again to look out the window at the courtyard where students where students were still filing in. "Yesterday, I really thought I could turn my air conditioner off for the season. But I woke up this morning all sweaty. It was awful."

"Yeah! My dad turned on our air conditioner this morning too!" Sakura leaned against the windowsill with a sigh. "I don't get it. Is this some modern global warming thing? I mean, what did people do before the invention of air conditioning?"

"Oh, there were lots of ways to keep cool before the invention of air conditioning!"

"Y-Yamazaki!"

Sakura and Syaoran jumped forward as Yamazaki appeared behind them, gesturing toward the windows as he explained. He started into his story so fast, they were both too fascinated to say anything about the fact that Chiharu was looking for him.

"The ancient Romans, for instance, imported snow to help them keep cool on hot summer days."

"Snow?" Both Sakura and Syaoran let out a simultaneous gasp. Syaoran continued, a curious skepticism in his voice. "Where would they have gotten it, though?"

"From the mountains, of course!" Yamazaki chimed. "They would send carts pulled by donkeys into mountains like the Alps to gather snow and bring it back for Roman citizens. Naturally, this was an extremely expensive process, so only wealthy aristocrats could afford to have private snow stocks imported just for them. The middle class, instead, had to settle for purchasing snow for high prices at special snow stores."

Sakura looked over at Syaoran, the fascination in her eyes matching his. "Wow! A store where you could buy snow? Kind of like shaved ice?"

"Exactly! Except, in Roman times, snow was much more expensive than the few hundred yen we pay for shaved ice today. In fact, Roman snow could be sold for higher prices than expensive wines-"

"Well. Someone's been reading their history books."

Another voice interrupted the group, this one unfamiliar, taking all three by surprise. Sakura and Syaoran had been so intently focused on Yamazaki's story, they hadn't noticed the man walking up behind him. Yamazaki spun around to face the man, his smile not wavering. "You know about ancient Roman air-conditioning technology?"

"Certainly." The man was tall and bearded, with a clean-cut suit and a kind smile. Sakura and Syaoran had never seen him before, but despite his dark hair and eyes, he looked distinctly western. There was a slight accent to his Japanese as well, but somehow it was more endearing than off-putting, especially with the way his eyes sparkled behind his thin glasses. "Like the shaved ice of today, eating snow was a common practice for Romans to keep cool on hot days. But it wasn't just for eating. Snow was also used to cool public baths known as frigidariums. Have you heard of them?"

"I have! They were a regular part of the Roman bath practices. But the frigidarium wasn't the only place for Romans to bathe- there were also hot baths known as caldariums, and warm rooms known as tepidariums-"

Yamazaki was cut off by the school bell, and he looked back down the hallway with a disappointed sigh. The man he was talking to just laughed and continued on past them.

"You kids should head on to homeroom. I'll be looking forward to having you in my class later on."

"...his class…" Sakura murmured as she watched him go. "...does that mean he's the new history teacher?"

"Oh man! I didn't think anybody could beat Minami-sensei's history classes, but this new guy seems great!" Yamazaki started toward the classroom with a spring in his step. "I can't wait for third period!"

"We have to get through the second period science test first," Sakura added as she followed after him, though she hung back when she noticed that Syaoran wasn't behind her. "And I'm not looking forward t- huh? Syaoran? What are you doing? Come on. We'll be late."

"...was that really the new teacher?"

Sakura frowned, noticing the uneasy expression on his face. "Probably, but we won't know for sure until third period. What's wrong? I didn't sense anything strange about him."

"That's just it- I didn't sense anything either." Syaoran shook his head. "So why did your cards tell us to be wary of him? Could he be hiding his power from us the way Hiiragizawa did?"

Sakura glanced down at her school bag and opened it just a crack. "Kero-chan? Stephen?" she whispered. "Did you guys feel anything strange about that man?"

"Nah, nothing here," Kero answered, poking his head out of the bag just enough that they could see him shaking it. "Stephen?"

"No, I didn't sense any magic coming from him either."

"We can't be sure, since he wasn't there for very long, and the two of us were crammed in this bag," Kero began again, "so we'll keep an eye on him during class. Remember that the only person with the power to totally hide his presence from us was Clow Reed. Even if this guy is powerful enough to hide his magic, we should at least be able to tell something's off. But we'll need a longer exposure time."

"Makes sense." Sakura nodded. "Hopefully you can get a better look at him while we're in class. He'll be teaching all of third period, so keep watch, okay?"

Syaoran frowned, looking away. "Do you really think he's dangerous? He seemed nice, but that's not always an indicator…"

"Don't worry!" Sakura interrupted. "Just remember- everything will surely be alright!"

The statement managed to bring a smile to his face.

"If you say so…"

Morning classes went as they usually did. To everyone's surprise, Umeno-sensei decided to postpone the science test until Monday because several students were absent- probably taking a long weekend, he'd grumbled, though his sour mood didn't stop Sakura from privately celebrating. With no Saturday classes, she'd have the whole weekend to study. Lucky!

The combination of the tense atmosphere left behind by the science class and the anxiousness to meet the new teacher made the classroom oddly quiet. A few students got up to sharpen pencils or pass notes, but on the whole, they were quiet and still. It felt eerie, and gave Sakura a sense of unease. But that unease lifted the moment that the new teacher stepped in the door.
"Good morning!" His voice boomed like a loudspeaker, and the smile on his face lightened the atmosphere. "This is class 1-B, correct? I'm still getting used to this new layout."

"Yes, sir!" Yamazaki stood up, his hand raised. "I'm Yamazaki Takashi, the class representative. If you need any further help, I'm glad to be of assistance."

"Thank you, Yamazaki-san. You may sit down now- I think I'll be fine."

The teacher turned around and picked up a piece of chalk to write his name on the board. The way he looked, Sakura was expecting a foreign name. However, the name was all in kanji.

"My name is Noboru Jirou, and I'll be taking over the history class while Minami-sensei is on leave. I've been given a detailed report as to where you left off, and I expect you all to listen to me just as you would Minami-sensei. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!" the class chimed. Noboru-sensei turned back around, the smile on his face a direct contrast to the seriousness that had been in his voice just moments before. He glanced down at the lesson book on his desk, examined it for a moment, and then flipped the cover closed. "Now! Let's get back on track with the cultural influences of the Heian period! Who can tell me what you know already about the construction of the Byōdo-in? Let's see…" He glanced down at the roster, his eyes examining the names. "Until I learn everyone's names, I'll call from the roll. How about… Kinomoto? What can you tell me about the Byōdo-in?"

"Oh-! Um…" Sakura stood up, flipping through her book. "The Byōdo-in was built as a villa for Minamoto no Shigenobu in 998, and, upon his death, was sold to Fujiwara no Michinaga. His son, Fujiwara no Yorimichi converted it into a Buddhist temple in 1052, constructing the famous Phoenix Hall-"

As she read, Noboru-sensei had walked down the aisle of desks to stand by Sakura, watching over her shoulder. He reached down and tapped on the book, cutting her off in the middle of her sentence. She stopped and looked up in surprise.

"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"

"Kinomoto-san, you're just reading from the textbook. I asked what you know about the Byōdo-in. Why don't you put that down and tell me in your own words what you know?"

Sakura frowned, lowering the book back to her desk. "Uh, well… the Byōdo-in is located in Kyoto prefecture, and is a Buddhist temple dedicated to Amida Butsu-"

"Is this all you learn in history class? Names and places and dates?" Noboru interrupted again, looking out at the other students. No one responded right away, so he turned back to Sakura. "Here, look-"

Noboru reached down to Sakura's ear and drew his hand back. As he did so, a ten-yen coin appeared between his fingers, reflecting the light from the adjacent window. Sakura gasped, and an amused murmur passed through the class. Noboru grinned and strolled back over to the front of the class, holding up the coin for everyone to see.

"I'm sure all of you who've ever seen a ten-yen coin recognize this image of the Byōdo-in. But why is it on a coin in the first place?"

There was some silence as the class tried to figure out who was supposed to answer. Yamazaki finally raised his hand and spoke up.

"Because it was designated as a National Treasure by the Agency for Cultural Affairs."

"And what about it caused the Agency for Cultural Affairs to make that decision? What do they look for in designating national treasures?"

The question, once again, brought the class to silence. But this time, it wasn't so much that the students didn't want to answer, but that they were all deeply considering the question. Sakura, herself, was intrigued by a question she'd never really considered before. A few ideas came to mind, but they weren't anything she was confident enough saying in front of the whole class- especially not after Noboru-sensei's earlier criticism of her answer. After a minute or so of silence, Noboru turned around and erased his name from the board, replacing it with the word "national treasure." He looked back at the class and smiled.

"You don't have to answer this question. In fact, there may not be a right answer out there. What designates a national treasure, or what designates historic relevance in general, isn't so cut and dry. In our history classes, we get so bogged down in the who and the when, we forget to ask the why. While I'm your teacher, I want you all to consider the why in everything we learn- why what we're learning is important to our history and our lives today. Does that make sense?" He held up the ten yen coin again, turning his head to get a full view of the class.

"Yes sir!" The class' response was genuinely enthusiastic, and it gave Sakura a warm feeling to hear it. She would have to wait until lunch to hear Kero and Stephen's analysis on Noboru-sensei, but despite his little magic trick, she couldn't find anything out of the ordinary about him. He just seemed like a teacher who loved history.

"Now, you can open your books again. Turn to page two-hundred-and-five, and pay attention to the inset about Jōchō and the yosegi technique…"

"He was hiding the coin in the palm of his hand. It's a very common sleight-of-hand trick that requires no magical abilities to perform."

The group had gone to the roof again for lunch so that they could discuss the new teacher with Kero and Stephen. It was too hot to sit in the direct sunlight, so they'd retreated to the nearby stairwell to hold their conversation. Tomoyo had initially asked about Noboru-sensei's magic trick, and Syaoran was quick to explain that there was no real magic in it.

"This is true," Kero agreed, nodding his head. "He didn't use any magic in that illusion, nor did I sense any magic on him at all. Stephen?"

"I didn't sense anything either." Stephen shook his head. "Not even a hint of magical abilities. He was just… a normal teacher- if, perhaps, a zealous one."

Tomoyo closed her eyes and thought it over for a moment. "So, you're saying that the cards were wrong?"

"Nah, the cards don't get things wrong," Kero answered. He floated over to land next to Sakura, nudging her to remove the deck of cards from her bag. "The problem lies in our interpretation of what the cards are trying to tell us. Perhaps this Noboshi-sensei wasn't the one that the cards wanted us to be wary of."

"He pronounced it Noboru," Syaoran corrected. "How can we trust your judgement if you weren't even paying attention?"

"I-I don't need to know the pronunciation of his name to know that he has no magical powers!" Kero defended. "Did you sense something that I didn't?"

"Well, no, but…"

As they'd been speaking, Sakura had been flipping through her deck of cards, looking for The Snow. She finally found it toward the bottom, and pulled it out so that she could examine it more closely. "...who were you trying to warn me about…?" she murmured, not expecting anyone to hear her. She was surprised when Tomoyo offered a response.

"Perhaps it's someone who hasn't shown up yet," Tomoyo said, sliding down two steps so that she could sit next to Sakura. "That just means we'll have to stay vigilant until another new mentor-figure appears."

Her statement drew Kero and Syaoran's attention back to the whole group. "Either that," Kero began, hopping back down to perch on Sakura's shoulder, opposite Stephen, "or we need to be wary of those we already know."

Stephen took a step back in Tomoyo's direction. "What are you looking at me for?"

"Stop it, Kero-chan," Sakura scolded, placing the cards down on her lap so that she could pluck Kero off her shoulder and hold him by the scruff of the neck. "For all we know, the cards could be trying to warn us about someone we're going to meet in the future. Being suspicious of Stephen just because we don't have all the information isn't going to do us any good."

"It couldn't hurt either-" Kero began, trying to squirm out of her grip, but the glare that she gave him forced him to quiet down with a sigh. "...alright, fine. But I get I-told-you-so rights if he betrays us."

Stephen perked up. "If? You said if! You really do have some trust in me!"

"Th-that's not…"

Syaoran cleared his throat, his voice echoing from the top of the stairwell. "If no one objects, I'm going to actually eat my lunch before the bell rings."

"Oh, right!" Sakura gasped. "Let's just eat and get back to class. I'll call Yukito-san and invite him over for dinner tonight so that I can discuss things with Yue. Until then, let's not worry too much about it."

The rest of the day passed relatively uneventfully. A couple of students near the front got caught passing notes during English class and the mathematics teacher almost tripped on a stray piece of chalk that he'd dropped earlier in the lesson, but other than that, nothing of note happened. Kero took a nap in Sakura's schoolbag beside her desk, only waking up once when he started to snore and she kicked him to stop. Stephen, meanwhile, had opened his end of the bag ever-so-slightly so that he could listen to the lesson that was being taught. Most of the concepts went over his head, but it didn't matter to him so long as he was learning a new thing here and there.

Just before the school day ended, the director came over the intercom and announced that all sports and outdoor clubs had been cancelled for the day due to the heat, and that students should take care in walking home. Sakura had cleanup duty in the classroom, so she said farewell to Tomoyo and Syaoran as they left for their club practices and began tidying up.

"Kanda-san, did you see where the other eraser went?"

"I think Shimazaki-sensei left it on the podium-"

"Ah, there it is! Thank you!"

Sakura took the erasers over to the window so that she could clean them, but when she opened the window, the sudden wave of heat coming from outside almost knocked her over. It was no wonder they'd cancelled cheerleading practice- the heat was so stifling, she could barely breathe.

"Kinomoto-san, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Sakura replied, closing the window. "It's no wonder clubs have been cancelled. It must be over 35 degrees!"

"Thirty-six, according to the weather on my smartphone," Kanda replied, showing off the weather report. "And for some reason, it's only going to get hotter as the day goes on-"

The sound of the classroom door opening caught them both by surprise, and Kanda quickly shoved the phone back in his pocket, seeing that it was a teacher. Noboru-sensei caught sight of it, however, and smiled.

"Don't worry so much about the phone, Kanda-san. It's officially after school hours, after all." He paused and glanced around the room a few times before continuing. "Wow, you students do a great job of cleaning around here. I hate to interrupt. But, Kanda-san, the captain of the track team was looking for you. I told him I was going by class 1-B anyway, so I'd let you know."

Kanda frowned, picking up the broom again. "I wonder what he wants… ah, well, I'll find him once I'm finished cleaning-"

Before he could finish the sentence, Noboru grabbed the broom from him. "It'd be rude to keep him waiting. I'll help Kinomoto-san finish cleaning, don't worry."

"B-but, I can't make a teacher-"

"Sports clubs are cancelled today, remember?" Noboru-sensei offered a reassuring wink. "You shouldn't keep your captain waiting."

"Yes, sir! See you later, Kinomoto-san."

"See you," Sakura replied, waving as Kanda left the room. She then turned back to Noboru-sensei, holding out her free hand. "Don't worry about the cleaning, Sensei. I can finish it up."

"Are you sure? It's not fair to heap the work on just one person-"

"Kanda-kun already swept most of the room. It's just the front of the class around the chalkboard that's left. My club was cancelled too, so I'm not in a rush."

Noboru paused and finally handed the broom to Sakura with a sigh. "If you're sure, then alright. I'm actually here looking for something that I've misplaced. I believe it's in this classroom… would you mind if I searched around the back desks?"

"That's fine," Sakura replied, walking back over to the chalkboard to put the erasers back. "But what would you have left on the desks? Er- sorry if I'm being nosy, I just-"

"No need. I've found it already."

Sakura spun around on her heels to see what it was that Noboru-sensei has lost, but she stopped short as she caught sight of him standing by her desk, holding out a small, golden plush toy. "Th-that's-"

Stephen was keeping absolutely still, though whether he was intentionally doing it to appear more like a toy or whether he was simply paralyzed from fear, Sakura couldn't tell. Noboru, however, didn't seem fazed by Sakura's surprise or Stephen's behavior.

"Is this what you've been reduced to, Stephanos?" He asked, the sudden seriousness in his voice sending shivers up Sakura's spine. "You're miniscule, like nothing more than a child's plaything! Though I suppose it's fitting for someone who's sunk low enough to make a child do his dirty work…"

Stephen began to squirm, trying to wrench himself from Noboru's grip. "What are you talking about? How do you know who I am?"

Noboru-sensei seemed to ignore him, instead turning back to Sakura. "Kinomoto-san, has this creature been putting you in danger?"

"Danger?" Sakura stammered, finally able to speak again. "No, he… n-no, of course not! He'd never put me in danger!"

"You say that, and yet- do you not have three of the Warp Cards- the deadliest weapons ever conceived- in your possession?"

The deadliest… The words echoed in Sakura's mind and she absentmindedly reached for the cards she had in her pocket. As she did so, however, another voice joined the conversation.

"Hey! The real question is, how d'you know how many Warp Cards Sakura's already captured?!"

Kero-chan, having woken up in the middle of conversation, finally understood enough of what was going on to speak out. He jumped out from Sakura's bag and flew up so that he was on eye level with Noboru-sensei. Noboru just smiled.

"Finally. I was wondering when the great Kerberos would make his appearance. It seems time hasn't been kind to you either."

"This form is just a temporary disguise! And what do you know about my true form anyway? You never explained how you know about Sakura capturin' the cards!"

Noboru sighed and reached into his pocket with his free hand, producing an object with a familiar shape.

"Let's just say… a little bird told me."

The card began to glow, and suddenly a small figure appearedon Noboru's shoulder. It was only a few centimeters tall, but moved so quickly it was difficult to see clearly. Once it finally landed on his shoulder, Sakura was able to see a sprite-like creature, clad in a tunic and wearing sandals with large, elaborate wings adorning the sides. Stephen stopped squirming long enough to gasp.

"Messenger!"

"Messenger?" Sakura repeated, looking to Stephen and then to Noboru. It was all so confusing, Stephen spoke up again before she could think of a coherent question.

"The Messenger card performs surveillance on enemies and relays that information back to its master. But How did you gain Messenger's loyalty? It always obeyed Warp Neon and only Warp Neon!"

Noboru closed his eyes and sighed. "Stephanos, I can't believe that, by now, you haven't figured out who I am. I expected more of you."

"What? But you…"

Stephen went limp, a look of horror passing over his features. Kero leapt off the desk where he'd been sitting, flying up to face Noboru directly.

"What you're implying can't be true! Warp Neon didn't have the magical power to reincarnate with his memories!"

There was a pause as Noboru-sensei considered the accusation and Messenger sat idly on his shoulder. He finally sighed and released Stephen, holding up Messenger's card so that its physical form could disappear.

"True, I didn't." Noboru shook his head. "This was a gift from a generous benefactor."

"...benefactor…?" Kero murmured.

There was a mischievous glint in Noboru's eye as he clarified. "My dear friend Clow Reed, of course."

"What? That's a lie- Clow Reed was the one who sealed Warp Neon away! He wouldn't have helped him to reincarnate! And even if he did, why did it take you over a century to be reborn?"

Noboru just laughed. "You think you're the only one who doesn't understand Clow's thought processes? My greatest question is, why bring me back after all this time if he, himself, had already died and left a child to do his dirty work?"

Sakura stood up straighter. "I may be young, but-"

"But nothing. Full stop. Don't you think it's inhumane for Clow Reed to have left the care of his powerful cards in the hands of a young girl? At the very least, it's highly unethical-"

"Quit belittling Sakura's power!" Kero yelled. "I chose her as the new master because I knew she had the power to do the job! The cards love her, and Yue and I do too. We'll never hand the cards off to somebody like you, no matter what you say!"

For once in the conversation, a look of genuine confusion passed over Noboru's face. "...hand the cards off to me? Is that what you thought I was getting at? Hah! As if I'd ever want something made by Clow Reed. Just the thought makes me sick."

Stephen perched on one of the chairs, looking up at Noboru with a frown. "So what's the point of revealing yourself? If you really are Warp Neon, as you say, then what do you want from us?"

"It's not that I want anything from you. It's Kinomoto that I-" Noboru replied, taking a step toward Sakura. He stopped as she mirrored him with a step back. "You needn't be afraid, Kinomoto-san. I'm not going to harm you the way Stephanos has."

"He hasn't hurt me."

"Perhaps not yet. But this whole card-capturing-and-transforming business eventually will get you hurt. Stephanos has put you in grave danger, and for what? The principle of a united deck? It doesn't seem worth the trouble." He paused and pulled out Messenger again, holding it up for her to see. "The cards obey me, Kinomoto. I can protect you."

Sakura took another step back. "Protect…?"

"Don't listen to him, Sakura-sama! He's obviously trying to bait you into making some sort of deal with him!"

"Stephanos is right, of course. I am asking for a deal. But I hope you'll see it for what it is and not what these child-labor enthusiasts make it out to be." Noboru held out his free hand to Sakura. "I have no magical powers, and therefore no sixth sense to be able to locate the cards. You on the other hand, can sense when a card is nearby and attract the cards due to your connections with Clow. Be my eyes for me, Kinomoto. Alert me as soon as you sense a nearby Warp Card. In return, I will protect you from harm."

Sakura didn't answer right away. She stared at his hand, her mind buzzing with thoughts on the situation. Something about this situation felt vaguely familiar, but it was also completely unexpected. Was he really Warp Neon? And if so, would he really honor his promise to protect her? What if he betrayed her? Was it worth the risk? Was it worth it at all...?

"Your hesitance is admirable. I can see you are giving it genuine thought." Noboru spoke up again, though he didn't move his hand. "Your time dealing with Clow Reed has made you wary, and I can't say that I blame you. But I'm not like Clow Reed. I don't care for lies or underhanded tactics. You can look at my cards and see- I believe in clear, strong statements, whether they are threats or promises. I will protect you from the Warp Cards, Kinomoto, and once I have all the remaining cards in my possession, I will leave Tomoeda and your life forever. I'll be on the earliest possible flight to Athens in order to establish myself anew far from the influence of that awful Clow Reed. What do you say?"

Once again, the room went silent. Most students had already left the school building by that point, so there wasn't anyone to interrupt them. The only interruption came from Stephen.

"Don't listen to him, Sakura-sama! He's a liar through and through!"

"Stephanos, the more you interfere, the more you show Kinomoto that you don't care about her and her own decisions. Perhaps you should focus less on making her choose your 'side' and more about letting her decide for herself what is right."

Stephen drooped, his ears going flat against his head. "...but…"

The room was quiet a little longer. Sakura closed her eyes, sighed, and finally stepped forward. Stephen let out a little gasp and a hissed 'Sakura!' but she ignored him. She opened her eyes and kept them focused on Noboru.

"I don't believe that Clow Reed and Kerberos meant me any harm, and I don't believe that Stephanos does either. Collecting the Warp Cards is difficult, yes, but… it makes me happy because it makes the cards happy. I love the cards- all of them- and if you're really who you say you are, then I can't be sure that the cards will be happy with you. So I can't accept your offer."

Stephen let out a sigh of relief and whispered "Sakura-sama..." Noboru-sensei, on the other hand, retracted his arm and gave a disapproving hmm.

"I suppose I couldn't expect to so easily get through Clow Reed's brainwashing. Fair enough, Kinomoto-san. Remember that my offer of protection is still open. But so long as you continue to collect the Warp Cards, I will not do you any favors. If they kill you, your blood will not be on my hands."

He started to leave the room, walking around the outside of the desks to give Sakura plenty of space. Before he could get to the door, however, Stephen yelled over to him.

"I will not let you kill Sakura-sama the same way you killed Chioni!"

Noboru stopped at the door and turned back. "Stephanos, I've already told you. The one who killed poor Chioni was Clow Reed."

"How long are you going to keep repeating that lie?!"

There was a pause. Noboru finally opened the door, heaving a long sigh.

"I do not lie, Stephanos. Especially not about Clow Reed." He turned back to Sakura, his voice suddenly pleasant again. "By the way, I'm planning a pop quiz sometime next week, so be sure to do your nightly readings. You never know what might be on the quiz. See you Monday!"

The silence left behind when he closed the door was suffocating.

Sakura stayed where she was, awkwardly shifting her weight as she looked over at Kero and then Stephen. Stephen jumped off the desk and flew toward her, hugging her arm.

"Oh, Sakura-sama! I'm so relieved! I don't know what I would've done if you'd accepted his offer-"

"Hey, now, we can do without the guilt-tripping," Kero spoke up, grabbing Stephen by the scruff of his neck and pulling him away. "This is something we need to discuss before we make any big decisions."

"K-Kerberos…" Stephen stammered. "You really think Sakura-sama should have taken his offer? That's absurd! You know firsthand how evil Warp Neon i-"

"Yes. I know."

Kero's answer was short and emphatic, with no further explanation. Both Sakura and Stephen weren't sure how to respond. Stephen floated over to land on Sakura's shoulder, hiding himself against her hair. Sakura sighed and finally spoke up again.

"This isn't the place to talk about these sorts of things. I'll text Syaoran and Tomoyo, and ask them to come over after clubs."

"Call Yue too," Kero added, scampering back over to Sakura's schoolbag. "And, if possible, Eriol should be involved. Even though he has none of Clow Reed's memories of Warp, he knows about Warp from living in England. He might be able to offer some explanation as to how Warp Neon was able to reincarnate… if this Noboru guy really is who he claims."

"He has to be!" Stephen peeked his head out of Sakura's hair. "You saw how Messenger-"

"Just get in here. We can discuss it back at Sakura's house when Yue and the others have arrived."

"…" Stephen glanced over at Sakura, a look of unease in his eyes. She picked him up gently and returned him to her school bag, giving him a reassuring pat on the head. She then retrieved her phone in order to send the messages off. Her eyes lit up as she turned it on.

"Oh, it's a message from Dad! He says that… he's going to be at work late today, because they had to move some of their outdoor exhibits due to the heat wave."

"All the better to call everyone over, then," Kero replied. "We can talk it over like civilized people instead of standing here arguing about it-"

"Kinomoto-san?"

At the sound of the unfamiliar voice, Kero and Stephen dove back into Sakura's bag. She clutched the bag to her chest and looked up to the classroom door. "Oh, Kanda-san! Did you find the team captain?"

"Yeah, but he wasn't looking for me after all," Kanda answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "I guess Noboru-sensei was mistaken. Where'd he go, anyway?"

"Oh, we just finished up cleaning, so he left. I was about to go too."

"Sorry to run out on you like that!" Kanda bowed apologetically. "I'll work harder next time we have cleaning duty, I promise-"

"It's really okay!" Sakura cut him off, waving her hands dismissively. "Let's just go. Do you want to walk to the gate together?"

"Sure…" Kanda straightened up again, a frown passing over his face. "...but are you sure you're okay? You seem kinda out-of-it. I'm going out for ice cream with some other first years in the track team, so would you like to come with us? I know you usually hang out with Li and Daidouji, but-"

"No, that sounds great! I'd love to! But… I need to get home to cook dinner, since my dad's going to be home late, and we're having guests. Maybe some other time!"

Kanda grinned and winked. "Well, you know you're always welcome to join the track team if you want to spend more time with us."

"Thanks, but I think I'll stick to cheering you on with the cheerleading squad."

"Haha, sounds good…"

Kero and Stephen stayed hidden in Sakura's school bag as she chatted with her friend on their way out. Neither said anything, even to each other.

At this point, there wasn't much to say.

"Any idea why she invited us to dinner all of a sudden?"

Syaoran opened the gate for Tomoyo, and she nodded in thanks as she continued up the steps to the Kinomotos' doorway. "She just said there was something important she wanted to talk to us about," Tomoyo replied.

"Yeah, she sent me the same message she sent you." Syaoran glanced over at the garage. "Say, there's two cars here, and neither of them belong to her dad…"

"Well, one is Touya's. He must be visiting for dinner- maybe Mr. Kinomoto had to stay late at work."

"It makes sense, but the other…"

"Perhaps her dad got a new car?" Tomoyo suggested it as she pressed the doorbell and stepped back to wait patiently in front of the door. A moment passed in which there seemed to be some commotion inside, and the door suddenly burst open.

"There you two are! We've been waiting!"

Nakuru tackled the two of them in a big hug and dragged them inside before either Tomoyo or Syaoran could ask what she was doing there. She'd pulled them all the way into the kitchen by the time that Syaoran finally managed to get a word out.

"Ruby Moon… what are you-?"

"Oh, there you are!" Sakura pushed through the small crowd of people in the kitchen to get to Nakuru and her two friends. "I was worried about you. You're later than I expected."

"Well, I had to stay after to help clean up from drama practice," Syaoran explained, pulling himself away from Nakuru's grasp.

"And we stopped for drinks along the way, since it was so hot," Tomoyo added, though she seemed more content staying next to Nakuru. "But what's everyone doing here? Are you throwing a party?"

"It's an odd party if I've ever seen one." Touya was standing on the other side of the table next to Yukito. He sighed, resting against the back of the chair. "Sakura just texted us out of the blue asking us to come over for dinner. Said it was important. I didn't expect it to be this important, though-"

As he spoke, Nakuru let go of Tomoyo and skipped around to the other side of the table so that she could hug Touya from behind. "Sakura-chan said she needed magical advice! That's why Eriol and I came!"

"Would'ya let go of me?!"

"Aww, Touya, don't be so shy! It's been ages since we've been together like this!"

Eriol, meanwhile, was standing in the kitchen, having a conversation with Kero and Stephen, who were both sitting on the countertop. Eriol stepped forward and waved across the counter at Tomoyo and Syaoran. "I'm sorry Kaho and Spinel couldn't make it, but Ruby and I are here to answer any questions you might have."

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Tomoyo replied with a grateful bow. "I know Sakura trusts your guidance."

"Well, I assumed it must have something to do with the new teacher she mentioned last week."

Tomoyo and Syaoran glanced at one another. "Actually… it turns out he's not dangerous at all," Tomoyo replied.

"Actually," Kero called from across the counter, "things have changed."

"Changed?" Syaoran ventured, stepping closer to the counter. "What do you mean? Did he-?"

"Hey, dinner's almost ready!" Sakura interrupted, taking Syaoran's hand. "Let's all get something to eat and then discuss the situation. We can't think properly on empty stomachs, right?"

"Sakura-chan is right!" Yukito agreed. "Let's eat!"

No one could argue, but they were all still uneasy.

"Stephanos, do you truly believe this man is the reincarnation of Warp Neon?"

The group had eaten dinner in the kitchen, with Sakura, Tomoyo, Nakuru, and Yukito at the table. Sakura had offered to pull up more chairs, but Syaoran, Eriol, and Touya had insisted on eating standing at the counter, and Kero was all too happy to take up the extra table space on his own. Stephen didn't eat, instead quietly watching the group. When they moved to the living room so that Sakura could explain the situation, he let her and Kero talk, sitting quietly on the back of the sofa so that he was out of the way. It wasn't until Yue- who had taken over for Yukito at the end of the meal- addressed him directly that he finally spoke.

"I do," Stephen replied. He scampered down off the back of the sofa and returned to his true form, perching on top of the low table. "The Warp Cards would never obey someone they did not recognize as their master, especially Messenger. It was one of the few that was genuinely devoted to Warp, not just obeying him out of intimidation or fear."

"I see," Yue murmured, looking down at the floor. "But I don't understand how it's possible for him to have been reincarnated at all, much less with his memories. Clow Reed didn't just defeat Warp, he sealed him away. The reason Sakura was able to open Warp's book was because the seal was one of Clow's design. Only a magician with Clow's own power or greater would have been able to set Warp Neon's soul free. So… who would have…?"

Yue's voice trailed off, so Stephen turned to Eriol instead. "Eriol, do you have any idea as to who might have done this?"

"I do not." Eriol shook his head. "This past week, I've been doing some meditative exercises in an attempt to retrieve the missing memories from Clow Reed. But every time, I come up short. It seems that the memories have not simply been repressed, but that they never existed in the first place- or, at least, don't exist now. Whoever had the power to alter Clow Reed's memories would certainly have the power to remove the seal on Warp Neon. But as for who might've done so and why, I can't say."

Kero stepped forward, having changed into his true form as well. "Noboru-sensei claimed that Clow Reed was the one who allowed him to reincarnate. But that doesn't make sense. Why would Clow break a seal that he worked so hard to place? And if the reincarnation and lost memories are connected, then why would he have altered his own memories? Clow was always cryptic and melodramatic, but this seems beyond even him."

"Li?" Eriol turned to look at Syaoran. "Have you been doing more research in your family's archives since we last spoke?"

"Yes," Syaoran replied with a nod, "and I've come up empty-handed every time. There's just nothing about Warp Neon anywhere in them. I was wondering if your altered memories and my family's lack of information were connected, but now that this whole reincarnation thing is added to the mix, I just don't know…"

"In the end, it means we'll need to get more information from this Noboru-sensei," Yue added. "And the only way to do that may be to work with him."

Stephanos' fur suddenly stood on end. "You're saying that Sakura-sama should make a deal with a liar like that?!"

Touya was equally angered by Yue's statement, and he stepped forward from where he'd been leaning against the wall. "I thought it was your job to protect my sister, not some creepy man who claims to be her enemy!"

"I will protect Sakura!" Yue shot back. "But to do that, I need as much information as possible! And if this is the best way to get it-"

"It isn't!" Stephen broke in. "By accepting Noboru's offer, Sakura-sama will just be playing into his hands!"

Eriol cleared his threat and stepped forward into the middle of the room. "If I may, let me offer you some of Clow Reed's advice. He lived by the old saying 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer.' If he treated Warp Neon anything like the enemies I do recall, then he was probably cordial and friendly during their encounters and perhaps even invited Warp to his home for meals. If Warp Neon had lost his cards and made Clow Reed such an offer, Clow would have accepted it even though he didn't need the protection. If he had the chance to work with his enemy instead of against him, he would absolutely have taken it."

The room went quiet. Sakura looked over at Kero and Yue, who both nodded in reply. She then looked at Stephen, whose forlorn expression made Sakura's stomach churn. He really didn't want her taking this offer…

"If Sakura chooses to take Noboru's offer," Yue began, "she would become valuable to him. The more he grows to depend on her, the more leverage she has against him."

"I'm sorry, but I just don't think that's the case." Stephen shook his head. "Noboru doesn't have any power at this point. But the more cards he has under his control, the more powerful he will become. By helping him, Sakura-sama will only be giving him greater power with which to betray her later. That is what you're all expecting, right? None of you actually expects him to honor his promise, right?"

The room went quiet again. Yue finally sighed.

"At this point, we're not sure. I'm not sure how many of us expect you to honor your promises."

"You were awfully adamant today in our conversation with Noboru-sensei," Kerberos added. "You wouldn't let Sakura make her own decision. I don't trust him either, but Noboru did have a point when he said that you didn't seem to care about what Sakura thought."

"I-I…" Stephanos lowered his head, his ears drooping. "...I just didn't want Sakura-sama to make the same mistake that I did in trusting him…" He looked back over at Sakura. "Sakura-sama, you've shown me kindness the likes of which I've never experienced before. Even if I'm not your guardian, I still want to protect you to the best of my ability. If you trust Warp Neon, he will betray you and hurt you, just like he did to Chioni. And I can't… I can't lose someone I care about like that… not again…"

Tomoyo leaned forward and patted Stephanos' head. "Don't worry, Stephen. Look around at everyone here. Everyone is here because they love Sakura and want to help protect her. So she's going to be alright no matter what decision she makes."

Stephanos lifted his head again, looking around at everyone in the room. Yue and Kerberos made a point of looking away, and Touya kept a serious expression, but everyone else smiled at him, so he couldn't help smiling back.

"Thank you, everyone…"

"That all being said," Eriol began again, "this decision is one that Sakura must make on her own. It must be what she wants."

"Huh? That's…" Sakura blushed, fidgeting with her hands. "I mean, it's hard for me to make a decision when I'm hearing people I trust defending both sides. I'm still not sure what to do. Maybe we can…" She stopped to think. "...vote on it?"

The suggestion gave everyone a moment's pause. "Vote, hm?" Yue asked. "At the very least, it would force those of us who haven't voiced our opinion yet to speak up."

"Hold on a moment," Eriol interrupted. "Some of them may need extra time to think it over."

Touya raised his hand. "I don't need any time. I know how I'm going to vote."

"Touya's right!" Nakuru chimed. "Let's just vote already!"

"Should we make it a hidden ballot vote?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura shook her head. "I want to hear everyone has to say. Most of you, I know what you're thinking. But I don't want anyone to be left out. Everyone deserves to speak their mind."

Kero nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"I'm in," Touya added.

Syaoran looked at Sakura as though he were about to say something, but he changed his mind and just nodded his head in agreement.

Sakura scooted forward so that she was sitting on the edge of the sofa. "We can just go around the room and speak. The question is, who wants to start?"

A few people started talking at once- Stephanos, Kerberos, and Touya all volunteered to vote first. Sensing an argument about to break out, Sakura cut in.

"Let's start with Touya. Then we'll go around to Kero-chan, Yue, Stephen, and so on."

Stephanos nodded and settled down, though Kerberos grumbled about the decision. Touya ignored them both, closing his eyes and crossing his arms as he voiced his opinion.

"I think there's no way Sakura should accept this guy's offer. Just because this Clow Reed person would've done it doesn't mean Sakura should too. He doesn't seem like a good role model to begin with, and I don't want my sister potentially putting herself in more danger by giving power to someone she knows is her enemy. Sakura can protect herself- she doesn't need to sacrifice anything for someone else's protection."

He stepped back and leaned against the doorframe, indicating that he'd finished his statement. Sakura gave him an affirmative nod and then looked to Kerberos.

"Kero-chan?"

Kerberos unfolded his wings, drawing himself up to his full height. "Clow Reed would have accepted this guy's offer, and I think Sakura should too! It's the only way we'll get more information about him, and it will ensure that the Warp Cards don't cause any more damage than they have already. If he depends on Sakura for help, it'll make it easier for her to demand information. That way, we'll be able to find out if he really is Warp Neon, and if so, how he was released from Clow's seal. If we don't, we'll just be ignoring the problem and potentially letting it get worse." He gave a little 'hmph' and sat back down again, folding up his wings. "That's all I have to say. Yue?"

Yue gave a long, frustrated sigh. "As much as it pains me to say it… I fully agree with Kerberos."

"Hey now-!"

"Not only would taking the offer give Sakura an advantage, it would also take a large burden off of her shoulders." Yue opened his eyes again and looked over at her. "Sakura, it is not your responsibility to manage the Warp Cards. No matter what Stephanos says, these cards are not worth putting your safety in jeopardy. You have the power to capture the cards, that's not a question- but it will be a difficult task and you are not obligated to take it on. Remember that."

He went quiet again, leaning against the windowsill. Kerberos, meanwhile, turned to Stephanos with a smug look. "Hear that, Stephanos? It's two to o-"

"I wasn't finished," Yue shot back, cutting through Kerberos' statement. Kerberos stiffened and turned away.

"S-sorry! I just assumed. What else is there to say?"

"I just needed to say that..." Yue began again, and paused, looking almost pained as he continued. "...Yukito believes… that Sakura-chan should not take the deal."

"He believes what now?" Kerberos narrowed his eyes. "Did you just call her Sakura-chan?"

"Yukito did. I'm simply relaying his message. He says that he believes in Sakura's power and in her ability to bring happiness to the cards and herself no matter the danger. That is all."

"What? Come on, he hasn't even been part of this conversation-"

Yue cut Kerberos off. "Do you really think I would contradict myself like this if Yukito didn't feel strongly about his vote? Honestly, Kerberos, you can be such a fool sometimes…"

"A fool? How dare you-?!"

"Hey, hey!" Sakura stood up, waving her hands. "Cut it out, you two! The vote is two-to-two, and that's that. It's Stephen's turn now."

"Well, we all know what he's going to say…" Kerberos grumbled, settling back down on one of the cushions. "But go ahead. Surprise us."

Stephanos cleared his throat. "Thank you, Sakura-sama. As you'd expect, I vote not to take Noboru-sensei's deal and instead capture the cards yourself. After seeing what you've done with the cards you have, I know you can do it- and the cards are so much happier with you, I can't help but want to see them all into the hands of a loving master. Some here may not trust me, but I promise you, I will support you in this endeavor even at the cost of my own life. So please, don't abandon the Warp Cards-"

"This is a vote, not an appeal," Yue interrupted. "State your opinion and give the next person their turn."

"S-sorry." Stephanos shrunk back and nodded his head. "Um, Eriol-sama? I suppose that would be you…"

"Yes, I suppose so." Eriol sighed, leaning against the back of the couch where Nakuru was sitting. He removed his glasses, taking a moment to clean them as he spoke.

"Kerberos and Yue both made strong points. While Clow Reed was a fan of the eccentric and theatrical, he also preferred to take the easiest route when possible- or, at least, the route that would give him the greatest advantage. In this case, I believe that accepting Noboru's offer and using that connection to learn more about him and his past concerning Warp Neon is the best option. While the decision as to whether or not to take the deal is ultimately up to Sakura-san, I vote for it."

Stephanos' ears drooped, but he said nothing, simply looking to Nakuru with a plea in his gaze. Her whole body went stiff momentarily before she began flailing her arms, nearly smacking Tomoyo in the process.

"Oh, stop looking at me like that Stephen! You know you're too cute! And Touya and Yukito both want to help you, but… but… but…" She stopped, smacked herself in the face a couple times to regain her composure, and continued. "Eriol is my master, and if he says that taking the deal would be the best thing for Sakura-chan, then I believe him. I'm going to vote the same as Eriol! I'm sorry, guys. I still love you,Touya, Yukito!"

Touya scoffed. "I literally couldn't care less about your feelings right now, Akizuki. There are more important things to think about."

Stephen forced a smile, but couldn't bring himself to look at her. "It's alright, Nakuruby. I know you and your master are just trying to do what you think is best for Sakura-sama. Even if I disagree, it's not fair for me to be mad at you when your intentions are good."

"Four votes for and three against, huh? That just leaves two more. Syaoran and… Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura spoke up, leaning forward and motioning in her direction. "What's your take?"

"My take? Well…" Tomoyo looked over at Sakura, clasping her hands together against her chest. "As much as I love videotaping Sakura-chan's card captures, I know it's dangerous and difficult for her. Asking her to keep capturing cards just so that I can get the captures on video would not only be selfish of me, it might end up hurting Sakura-chan in the process. And if that happened, I could never forgive myself. So-"

"T-Tomoyo…" Stephanos murmured, his voice cracking in dismay.

"-that's why you have to understand that I'm thinking about Sakura-chan and not myself when I say that I think she should continue capturing all the Warp Cards."

Sakura couldn't help a small gasp. "Tomoyo-chan, you-"

"Sakura-chan loves the cards, and the cards love her. I didn't see her capture Plague, but when I watched her capture Feral and Arsenal, she was thinking about the cards' well-being even when they were attacking her. And when she captured and purified them, she was so happy. I can tell how important the cards are to her, and if it's important to Sakura-chan, it's important to me. So that's why I think she should keep capturing them."

"Th-thank you, Tomoyo-sama!" Stephanos exclaimed, bowing in her direction. Tomoyo chuckled and dismissively waved one hand. "I told you, it's what I think is best for Sakura-chan. Besides, nothing has been decided yet. It's currently four to four, isn't it? That means…" She turned to Syaoran and smiled. "It looks like the deciding vote falls to Syaoran-kun."

Syaoran turned pale, his whole body going rigid. "D-deciding vote?!"

"Great," Touya grumbled. "You're telling me that the safety of my sister is being left in the hands of this brat?"

Kerberos scrambled to his feet, slamming his front paws down on the table. "The vote wouldn't be split like this if they hadn't let Stephanos vote! We agree that we don't trust him- so why does he get a say? And Yukito too! Where does he get off having a different opinion than his true form?!"

"Hey, now!" Touya jumped in. "Yuki is his own person and he's entitled to his own opinion!"

"Not if his opinion could endanger Sakura!" Kerberos shot back. "Where's my phone? Suppi should be in on this vote too. He's just being lazy, sitting out like this, using work as an excuse-"

"Suppi is busy!" Nakuru argued, "And honestly, is it fair to ask the opinion of someone who wasn't here to hear the whole story?"

"I'll give him a quick recap."

"One that's biased as hell, no doubt," Touya spat.

"Oh, and you think you could do better-?"

"EVERYONE STOP!"

Sakura stood up, her voice bouncing through the room and echoing down the hallway. The sound of her usually sweet voice shrill and cracking brought everyone to a full stop, and they all fell to attention.

"It's my decision, isn't it? Then I'll decide how the voting goes. Stephen and Yukito-san get to vote. If Spinel were here, he would get a vote, but he's not. And honestly, with the way things are matched up, I've gotten more than enough idea of what everyone thinks." She looked over to her side, her attention focused on Syaoran. "I trust Syaoran-kun with the deciding vote, and that's that. Lately, he's been spending all his time researching Clow Reed's past. He knows what Clow Reed would have done in this sort of situation, and he knows how it would have turned out. So whatever he decides- I know it will be a good answer."

She sat down again, smiling brightly at him. His expression, however, was one of pale-faced dismay. He turned to look at the others in the room, all of whom were focused intently on him. Stephanos was wide-eyed and pleading, while Touya and Kerberos were staring daggers. Syaoran began to stammer an answer, his voice still hesitant. "I… I think… that is…"

"Think carefully, kid," Kerberos interrupted. "Remember how you felt when she fought Arsenal and you couldn't do anything. Remember that helplessness. Do you really want her fighting these things on a regular basis-?"

"Li Syaoran, please!" Stephanos interrupted. "I know the feelings you have for Sakura-sama, and I know the kind of disdain that Warp Neon has for those sorts of feelings. Please, if you truly love her, don't make the same mistake I did-"

"Stephanos, Kerberos, please!" It was Eriol's turn to interrupt. "This is a decision that Syaoran must make on his own. It's important to him and to Sakura. You can't attempt to influence him like this when there's so much riding on his choice-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

It was Syaoran's turn to yell and jump to his feet. His head was bowed so that his eyes weren't visible, but his hands were trembling.

"Y-you… you all…" He lifted his head, the look in his eyes almost desperate. "...you can't leave all this on my shoulders! What makes you think I'm qualified to make this decision? What makes you think I can handle this kind of responsibility?!"

Sakura reached out, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "Syaoran-kun, we weren't trying to overwhelm you-"

She was cut off as he jerked his arm away, stepping back. "You're the one who went on and on about how you'd trust my decision! But what if I don't even trust my decision?!"

Before she could even attempt a reply, he turned around and stormed out of the room. Sakura could hear him as he stumbled down the hallway and out the front door, slamming it behind him. Stephanos leapt off the table and started toward the door with a gasped "Li Syaoran-!" but Tomoyo grabbed him and held him back. Kerberos began to argue with Touya and Yue, and Nakuru jumped up to get in between them. Tomoyo and Stephanos were asking questions of Eriol, which he seemed unable to answer. Sakura, meanwhile, just stayed where she was, her mind racing.

"Syaoran…"

(Thanks for reading! If you're enjoying the story, please let me know with a comment. It doesn't have to be long if you're pressed for time- just a simple "I like it!" is a huge motivator that helps me write these chapters faster and with better quality!)