A/N: Thank you for the revew dbzgtfan2004 and anonymous I hope you're looking forward to what I have in store for this story

Now on with the story

Chapter 1

The day started as it always did. Sakura would arrive in class barely on time and Tomoyo would greet her a cheery good morning. She would reply back as always, equally cheery. The teacher would come in a second later and take role call.

It was always the same day after day.

Sakura would find herself staring out the windows most times of the day. Her thoughts going over her options for college, she would sigh and glanced at the class from time to time.

One more term. Just one more term and she would cease to be a junior. She will soon be a senior and would face the dreaded college entrance exams. The time for deliberation has to be now, and yet her mind's a complete blank. Nothing seems to appeal to her.

It brings back the memories of the first time she met Kero and the night she first captured a card. It was hesitance that had first made her skeptical of her ability, and it is the same now as it was then.

Kero would often comment on her forlorn mood of late and she would force a smile. Even the cards had gotten worried and would often inform Yue when he's around. And Touya had ceased to needle her knowing that she's not in the mood to take any teasing.

Tomoyo would do her best to cheer her up. Presenting her with an outrageous dress after outrageous dress and taking endless video footage. She sometimes feels like if any of those videos where placed in store, it would probably one whole wall just by the sheer numbers Tomoyo had shot over the years.

Rika, Chiharu, and Naoko had noticed it as well, but none could guess the real reason behind it. They all assumed that it was because she hadn't seen Syaoran for awhile. In their quest to make Sakura forget her loneliness, they will bring her along to their activities. Rika would invite her to watch her piano recital, Chiharu would ask Sakura for help to turn her basement to a toy museum 'for visiting children in the future', and Naoko would drive Sakura into acting out parts in the script she'd been writing.

Sakura knew everyone wants her to go back to normal, but unless she finds something to do with her life after high school, it's going to take more than that to get her back to her cheerful self.

Syaoran frowned in concentration. He couldn't figure out the restless mood he found himself in. Could it be because the theme for the cultural festival this year reminds him too much of the play with Sakura back in Tomoeda, Japan, the one where the sealed card had unleashed its powers on the climax of the play?

The story was about two nations fighting a war. The reason for the conflict was that it was believed by the other had kidnapped the daughter of the president to become the sultan's son's wife. The sultan believed however that the president's daughter had seduced his son into running away from his responsibility as the heir. In truth, the couple met through a mutual friend and fell in love. Knowing that their parents will never allow them to be together, they eloped to a third nation. Upon finding out the extent of the conflict, the couple decided to stop the fighting and stood in the crossfire. They died in the end wrapped in each other's arms as their fathers wept on their knees.

How he recalls seeing Sakura after such a long time. Watching her perform the role of a princess caught between duty and love. And he as her prince, Yamazaki's injury was a blessing in disguise, he found himself gliding across the makeshift dance floor on the stage with his arms around his beloved Sakura. It would have been such a wonderful play if they had managed to make it to end.

He sighed wistfully, staring out into space when Mei Ling started waving her arms like crazy in front of his face.

"Look Syaoran, I know you miss Sakura-chan but this isn't the time to dilly-dally. You're keeping everyone waiting." Her arms on her hips, she stared Syaoran down.

With a start, Syaoran recalled where he was and what they were doing. He circled the room with his eyes and took note of the impatience reflected in the faces of most guys including Mei Ling, and the pinning looks of almost all the girls present. He stood up and gave a slight bow. "I'm sorry everyone. Please let me join in the practice."

He walked and took his position across from Mei Ling. He was to play the sultan's son and Mei Ling as the president's daughter. The class knew Syaoran would refuse to play a romantic role against any of the girls in class except for Mei Ling. A lot of girls at first felt jealous until Mei Ling explained that Syaoran's heart is already owned by someone else and he would consider himself cheating on Sakura if he took such a part on any play. Besides, she and Sakura are friends, and Syaoran is her cousin, so everything worked out okay.

"How cruel! Have they no heart but to blame each other? Why can't they understand?" Sheila, Mei Ling's character, cried.

Abdul, Syaoran's character, wrapped his arms around Sheila. "Because we came from different worlds, and they find it hard to accept. But they soon will if they see how much we love each other." His voice filled with determination, he looked towards stage left, towards the backdrop of the setting sun.