It was the year 1898 and I was settled into my small housing by the University in Leblac, off the east coast of Southern Africa, to take the opportunity to be the apprentice of a widely known professor, Sir Fay D. Flourite. A man that was always unusually calm throughout situations and a past that to this day is some unlikely mystery to me. He knew things that were beyond my imagination and has been to places where no man has ventured before. He had the chance to delve into the unknown places of the world and bring it back to civilization to teach people who were secluded in their country and some that haven't been at least thirty miles away from their homes and families. I went to him as a pupil to hopefully someday myself travel the world and become a man of years worth of knowledge and he gladly accepted me planning to send me off on the right foot.

It began with receiving many books to read and lectures to sit through, intensive studying and a lot of mind turning philosophies. That's how it was for the first year and only year with him, until one day my studies were going to be put to the test for just one girl.

" Syaoran-kun! Do you mind if you could go into town and pick up some things for me?"

Automatically my head snapped up from my paper that I was writing after a long lecture that was given today, the history and science of man kind, such a debatable and dangerous topic that could spark fire between the highest educators and scientists. I set my pen down, my lips curling into a smile, excited that I was finally going to be able to take a break from my ten thousand word essay, about twelve good pages where man has gone since the beginning of time, that can be at the very least a tedious and grueling thing to set yourself through.

" Of course, sir!" I chimed out, scooting my chair away from the wood desk, grabbing my black frock coat that hung on the back of my chair and took a look at my pocket watch that sat in the side of my trousers. I whistled at the time, "Five o'clock already..", I spent a good seven hours writing today. I truly did need a break and maybe something to eat, placing a hand over my stomach to quiet the growling that sounded from the empty depths of it.

I knocked twice on the office door and received an " Come in." , and entered into Fay's small quarters that seemed even smaller from the amount of books that were stacked around and behind him. In every corner there were at least ten books built up, and where he sat behind his large oak desk, covered in papers and letters, there were nearly hundreds of small, large, old, new, roughed, and torn books that sat neatly arranged in his ten foot tall bookcase. Any book you could think of, he probably had it, covering geography, animals, people, and even adventure books ( those were his leisure time readings). Not only did books crowd his room, but artifacts, rare and never before seen ones that he collected from all over the world. His most treasured artifact was in a rectangular glass container obtaining a snow white feather, so white that it seemed it almost had a glow to it, with a red shape inscribed onto it resembling a heart.

I have only seen it once while my stay here for he keeps it somewhere safe that even I do not know of so nothing could ever happen to it. Probably because he doesn't quite trust me around it just yet.

I walked in closing the door behind me and sat in the small chair he waved me towards . He smiled gently at me, sitting down a letter he received today, and pushed his frameless glasses up on the bridge of his nose, his crystal blue eyes as calm as ever and slid a piece of white parchment with four things written on it.

" Syaoran-kun, I need you to do me a favor and buy me more paper, a blotter and pen set, a quill pen, and of course some pencils today so we can have something to work with for tomorrow's lecture."

Fay then plopped a medium sized leather bag in the palm of my hand, quite hefty at first, that I grabbed a hold of and tucked into the inside pocket of my coat.

" And that should do it for you. While your out you are more than welcome to use the money to grab yourself something to eat, and also maybe bring your teacher something back too? "

His smile grew and gave me a wink. I knew that he meant to bring back his favorite drink, black berry brandy, that he at times let me indulge into. I could handle alcohol fairly well, but usually slept it off, and he……hum, let's say Professor was as laid back as ever when he had more than his fill.

" Will do.", I replied smiling, lifting myself from my seat and headed towards the door.

Fay then stood up as well tugging down on his olive green waist coat and looked at his gold pocket watch and raised his eyebrows.

" Wow, didn't know it was getting this late. Don't be out to long Syaoran-kun, there are people around here I still don't quite trust, especially when your carrying money like that."

He indicated this with his finger by pointing at the bulge on the left breast of my coat. Visible that I had some sort of cash on me, and totally open to lurkers and street thieves.

I nodded and gave him a reassuring smile, " I'll be fine, sir.", then unfolded my cap that was in my trousers pocket and placed it over my head and walked out.

The sun was beginning to lower in the horizon, the sky becoming a little dimmer, while walking out on the stone pavement that led into the town that seemed to hardly ever die down with life. Some event was happening today where contestants worked to build aircrafts that they would run off a building with and plunge into a river below. The object of the contest was to see who's aircraft could survive the longest in the air, and watching this I winced from seeing one man land roughly into the water and a crowd of people as well as a doctor rushing in to see if the poor guy was still alive.

" Ouch…" I murmured to myself watching the man, red top to bottom from the impact in the water and his leg twisted back in a fashion you knew that wasn't right, being carried away on stretcher.

I headed into my first store to retrieve the text book Fay had ordered five months ago, something about ancient royalties, probably what we were going to study next. The man behind the counter with bottle eyed glasses smiled warmly at me as I walked in.

" Why hello there, Syaoran-kun! Here for Fay again?"

" As always.", I smiled pulling out a couple pieces of silver from my coat pocket. Quite a few people knew that I was an apprentice to Professor Fay from all the errands I did for him.

" Here you are boy! Just came in today, at the crack of dawn! To think that early for a book!" , he grinned handing me the deep purple leather book.

" It must be good then." , I replied receiving a chuckle from the seller.

" Make sure you give the Professor my greetings, okay boy?"

" I will, sir." , I waved while heading out of the store.

I examined the purple leathered book in my hands once I was outside. Turning it over in my hands from front to back then opened it up to see that the pages were brittle and yellow from age. I burrowed my eyebrows together in confusion, just why would Professor buy something this old? And for that much of money.

Oh well, it was useless trying to figure this man's intentions sometimes, he always seemed a bit out of the ordinary. I flipped through the pages, each of having history of ancient royalties that dated all the way back in the period of B.C.

I began reading about ancient dynasties in China starting in the Zhou Period, something that was beginning to catch my interest and continued falling in depth about the animal bones they used as a source of communication as I made my way towards my next store.

I have a horrible habit of reading wherever I go when I am into a book, and walking and reading at the same time without any prior knowledge of what is in front of me has wound me up in many painful situations. Especially this one that was about to happen, even though I could hardly recollect how it did happen though.

" Move! Move! Move out of the way!! "

I didn't realize it coming but the next thing I knew I was knocked off my feet and had ended up on the ground, completely winded by some forceful object that now sat right on top of me as I hung my head backwards in pain.

" Ow….", I moaned out, slowly lifting my head off the ground that took much effort from the position I was in, not to mention the pain. Two hands cupped the sides of my head and gingerly brought it up even more making me grunt.

" Oh no! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!", a voice filled with worry and embarrassment called out.

" I'm fine…." I groaned out, my head throbbing from meeting the pavement. I placed my hand over my forehead, the pain not seceding. My hand was then gently removed and my eyes met with wide jade green ones filled with compassion staring down at me.

" Your not fine...", she softly said.

Her look of concern made me gulp at the large knot in the back of my throat . I had never seen such beautiful eyes before, and I was at lost with words now that a girl had practically fallen into my arms and was deeply worried with me. I can have the knowledge of a high level educator, have the ability to graduate and receive a medical degree in my pocket, know every country and continent, their population, and culture like the back of my hand, and still be at lost to do or say with a girl.

" S-sorry..", she looked embarrassed again noticing that she was sitting on me and quickly removed her place . She then quickly stood up and offered her hand out to me with a warm smile that made my face flush red.

" Can you stand?", she asked watching me stare at her hand.

" Y-yes!" I stuttered out grabbing a hold of her as she helped me stand up.

I wanted to ask her name, but before I could she grabbed her shoulder bag that fell on the ground and picked up my cap and book putting it in my hands without a word and smiled sadly at me reaching out to gingerly touch the back of my head that made me wince.

" I'm very sorry again, please be safe and go home and get that bump checked will you?", she smiled even more watching my cheeks rose with color as I slowly nodded my head in agreement.

" Thank you.", she replied, her voice filled with relief, and her smile even more beautiful than before that made me catch my breath in my throat.

Just who was this girl?

I was about to never find out when she then briskly walked past me as I stood there in a sort of shock before I shooked it off and grabbed her wrist to make her turn around and look at me with surprise.

" W-wait! Please, tell me your name!", I had to know, I wasn't about to let someone like her just walk out of my life like that.

Her eyes avoided mine as she looked into the distance over my shoulder, the alluring color in her face draining with fear as a bead of sweat rolled down from her forehead.

" I'm sorry, but I really need to go right now.", her hand trying to push my grasp on her away.

I stared at her, my gaze hardening, realizing something was not right from the way she looked past me and towards the crowd of people. My clasp on her wrist only tightened when I noticed from the corner of my eye three mysterious men in all black suit with black top hats peered among groups of people as if looking for someone or something.

" Those men are chasing you aren't they?", I flatly remarked watching her fear grow as she grew was more desperate to break from my grip.

" Yes! Please, let go now!" she cried out in a whisper to be not heard too loudly.

" No."

" What?!", her face screwed up in shock and irritation.

Without a word I took her arm and dragged her into a alleyway that caught the three men's attention and they soon started pushing through the crowd to reach us as we ran faster.

" Why are you doing this!?" she wailed running alongside of me.

I simply smiled at her, " It wouldn't be right of me to leave a girl being chased down by suspicious men helpless, would it?"

She didn't reply and she couldn't knowing I was right, but only turned her head away from me her red face trying to hide behind her honey brown hair.

" Just trust me.", and that was all I wanted from her, even though it's not everyday you meet a total stranger and are working with them in a exciting yet extremely dangerous chase.

I looked ahead of me and saw the docking port where boats came in to drop off cargo for large stores and warehouses. We darted to the left and I dragged her down behind stacks of cargo boxes that were filled with something that smelled completely foul. I quietly peered my head up over the boxes to see if anyone was still on our tail and relaxed slipping back down when no one was around or near us.

The girl beside me resting her back against the boxes closed her eyes and sighed, her chest heaving up and down. I got to have another look at her now, she did have amazing jade eyes that matched perfectly with her green satin spencer and white laced scarf around her neck, white muslin skirt and her lime green boots. She had neck length honey brown hair with bangs that almost fell into her eyes and as she pushed a strand of hair behind her right ear when turning to look at me, she had completely caught me off guard while ogling her like some idiot.

She smiled when I immediately looked towards the ground instead of her, feeling my face heat up in sheer embarrassment.

" Sorry.." I mumbled out, now that I was caught staring at her the whole environment around her and I seemed to turn awfully awkward until I heard her say, " Thank you."

I looked up at her again, my face perplexed. " Huh?"

This time it was her, her cheeks now rosé in color, as she looked away avoiding my eyes as she smiled softly.

" Thank you for helping me…..", she then looked at me, as if waiting, before I caught on and stuck out my hand for her to shake.

" Syaoran.", I smiled as she gingerly took the offered hand and shook it with a chuckle.

" Nice to meet you Syaoran. My name is Sakura."

" Beautiful name, just like the flowers, cherry blossoms…", I said unconsciously without my knowing out loud, right in front of her. Her cheeks reddened even more as her smile stretched with happiness.

Oh gosh, great way to look like a fool in front of a girl, I mentally kicked myself as I apologized again.

" It's okay.", her smile not fading, and contagious of that too. I couldn't help but return the smile back at her when one of those men decided to show up right in front of us looking side to side unaware that we were behind him hiding. I placed a hand over Sakura's mouth and placed my finger over my lips. He hadn't seen us yet, but before I would let him I quietly stood up raised my leg in the air until I released it to snap at the backside of the man's head that sent him lunging forward to the ground.

Sakura gasped as I jumped over the boxes to check if he was still mobile, but luckily he was out of it for the moment. I looked back towards her and nodded my head telling her it was safe for now.

" If there is one of them, that must mean the other two aren't too far behind. We should go now."

I then lifted my hand out towards her that she openly accepted, sliding her smaller one in squeezing mine, and I clasping my fingers around hers.

" Right." she replied, her eyes fearless as she looked into mine.

We then darted down straight on the dock to go into another alleyway that would lead to the stone path back to the Professors house. About to enter into that alley way, another one of those men stepped out looking down at us but before he could even move to do anything I swung Sakura behind me and threw my fist as hard as I could between his eyes sending him backwards hitting his head first on the pavement and ran past him.

Once out of the alleyway I looked left to right seeing no one else around except the crowd of people and began my run towards the small university that the Professor lived in.

-------------------

Rushing the both of us through the door, I shut it and locked it down, and immediately went towards the arched window on the far right side and peered out to see that the last man didn't see us nor follow us.

I let out a sigh in relief and reached for Sakura's hand again and led her towards the small office where Fay now was standing out of.

"Oh my, not only did Syaoran-kun get those items but he also found a cute girl?", he chuckled.

" Fay-san, this girl is in trouble. Three men were chasing her and we managed to escape two, yet we don't know about the last man.", my eyes hardening, hoping that I do find him so he couldn't come after Sakura again later.

The Professor's face soon turned serious, looking towards Sakura with his calm blue eyes.

" Are you okay, young lady?"

Sakura nodded, a small smile on her face.

" Yes, thank you."

Fay smiled lightly again. " I'm glad Syaoran-kun was able to protect you then."

" Me too.", she smiled this time towards me that I kindly returned, her hand still in mine.

" Syaoran-kun…", Fay's smile faded again, his voice filled with a serious tone once again. " Did you get to see what they looked like?"

I nodded, " Yes, they were in all black uniforms with black top hats and an unusual red symbol of a bat stitched into the rim of the hat."

I watched the Professors eyes harden as if he remembered a bad memory, I wondered if he knew them. He then looked at Sakura his voice still perfectly calm.

" Young lady, do you know why they were chasing you?"

Sakura's eyes drifted towards the ground ,she hesitated to answer as her hand slightly shook in mine.

" I don't know why…", she only replied.

Fay's serious face remained unmoved as he continued to look at her. " Ah, I see. By the way young lady, what is your name?"

She looked back up at him and replied, " Sakura." and the Professor nodded his head, his serious tone turning back into his usual expression, his blue eyes calm again, and a smile on his lips.

Once again I knew, out of sheer instinct, the Professor knew something. Especially since I caught, for the slight second, his eyes widen with fear once hearing Sakura's name before they became calm again.

" A cute name for a cute girl! Nice to meet you Sakura-Chan, I am Fay the one helping your friend become a man of great knowledge as well as the Professor of this small humble university!"

Sakura's smile returned on her face, looking up at me with excitement.

" Oh?"

I smiled down at her, " Yes, I am planning to one day hopefully be a professor myself and travel at great lengths to study the unknown mysteries of the world."

" Wow, that's amazing Syaoran-kun!" her face filled with excitement.

" You think so?" I chuckled, watching her head bob up and down fervently.

" Of course! I'm sure Syaoran-kun can do it, anyone can do anything if they set their mind to it. Just like how you got me through today!", her smile took me aback, feeling once again my face warm up again. That smile, it was something else…..

Fay laughed in the background and my blush increased and quickly diverted the embarrassing situation by noticing something rustle in Sakura's shoulder bag and even, if not my imagination, whimper.

"Ah, Miss Sakura! I think something is moving in your bag….", I pointed out, watching the bag move even more.

Sakura gasped and let out an " Oh no!" and jumped to set her bag on the ground and open it to reveal a small, rather fat, white creature with long ears to appear and immediately clamber up into her arms.

" Moko-chan! I'm so sorry, are you alright?!", Sakura cried out hugging the small thing to her bossom.

"Moko-chan?", Fay and I echoed in unision as we stared in disbelief at the weird looking creature.

" Don't worry! Mokona is fine, but what were you doing to make me roll around so much! It felt like a roller coaster and it was scary!"

" It talks!", I yelped watching with my wide eyes as the creature was snuggled against Sakura's cheek as she apologized over and over again to it.

" My, my!" , Fay said, quite intrigued with the whole thing. I watched Fay walk over to Sakura and the white creature and kneel down to where they sat on the floor.

" Sakura-chan, just who may this be?", Fay said smiling at the small creature who then popped out of Sakura's grasp and landed into the palm of Fay's hand with a large smile on its face.

" I'm Mokono! Sakura's guide and helper! Who are you?"

Fay laughed, " My name is really long, but you can call me Fay! Nice to meet you Mokona!"

The small white creature then turned towards me, smiled brightly, and then before I knew it flew into the air and plopped down onto my head.

" What's your name, wide eyed boy?"

How the? My eyes rolled up to meet that small creature leaning over my head with that same large smile on its face as I stood with my mouth hung open still flabbergasted with what this thing was.

And just why it was on my head…..

" Eh , ah..I'm Syaoran."

I looked towards Sakura with quizzical look but she just nodded with a chuckle.

" Nice to meet you Syaoran! I'm Mokona! I remember hearing your voice when I was going 'wheeee' on my roller coaster ride in the bag!"

I looked at the small white paw that was stuck out towards my face that was for me to shake and shook my head and laughed taking the small paw in my index finger and thumb and shook it.

" Nice to meet you too, Mokona."

Now I have something to research and document. My first encounter with some sort of disfigured talking rabbit, or whatever it was that called itself Sakura's guide and helper.

"Oh, Sakura-chan? Perhaps it would be wise if you stay with Syaoran-kun tonight in his house, I feel it not the best idea for you to go back outside for a while with those men roaming around, wouldn't you agree?"

I nodded my head in agreement to Fay's suggestion, the last thing I would want to happen to her was to get attacked again without anyone around to help her. I at least wanted to keep an eye on her until I could be satisfied with the fact she is safely in her own home.

I watched Sakura shyly nod her head and look at me with questioning eyes.

" Are you sure that is okay Syaoran-kun? …I don't want to be a burden.", her eyes casting towards the ground with unease and her fingers nervously wringing around together.

" Not at all. You are more than welcome, I won't feel comfortable until I know for sure you are home safely. Stay the night, better here than out there where those goons are.", I smiled watching her face light up in delight.

------------------------------------------

I stretched my arms over my head while waiting for the tea to warm up, watching from the corner of my eye at Sakura and Mokona laughing and talking while they ate their share of dinner. I poured two small mugs full of the liquid that steamed up with a comforting aroma and set it in front of Sakura who nodded her head in thanks and took my seat at the other end of the table and took a slow gulp of my tea and grabbing a piece of the loaf of bread from the metal plate in the center of the table and took a bite out of it. Not the freshest, but it will do for tonight.

I stared at Sakura , wondering, just why would such men would be chasing her. She couldn't have possibly done anything wrong, she seemed so blameless. Everything about her was so innocent, her laugh, her smile, heck her entire presence. The whole thing boggled me though and I did plan to ask her about it later, not tonight, but in the morning before I took her home. If she did have a home…..

Sakura raised her eyebrows at me watching me stare at her dumbfounded before I shook my head and laughed in embarrassment.

" Miss Sakura, tonight you can have my bed, after what happened today I think you need a nice rest." I replied to switch from the fact that I was caught yet again staring at her, afraid I was already coming on to her quite weird.

" But what about you!?", Sakura asked in panic while I just smiled calmly back.

" Don't worry, I'll stay in the chair that is in the corner of the bedroom, I'll stay up to keep watch nothing suspicious is going on." I indicated by pointing towards the room where a large rocking chair sat beside a small table where a candle light lamp glowed.

" But your rest…", Sakura sadly continued before I stood up and walked behind her pulling out her chair and placed my hands on her shoulders and guided her to the bedroom.

" I'll be fine, I have stayed up plenty of nights for Fay doing his work. I'm use to it, plus I just want to be sure no one had followed us or is planning anything."

I gave Sakura a confident smile as she slipped under the white sheets of my bed while I grabbed the folded woven blanket at the end of the bed and laid it on her.

" You just sleep in peace, okay?" I grinned before walking away to go to the corner of the room until my wrist was tugged back.

I turned around and Sakura's grasp around my wrist slipped to where her hand squeezed mine as she looked up at me with those jade green eyes that till this day I still see when I close mine.

" I trust you, Syaoran-kun.", was all she softly said, and I squeezed her hand back.

" That's all I want."

To be continued…….

Like omigaaaaaaaw! It has been forever since I have done a new story. Especially a Tsubasa one. Well, I sort of have an excuse, I kind of lit my old computer on fire and lost all my stories ( cries). BUT, I got a new one for my birthday! Yaaaay!!!!

I hope you guys enjoyed the beginning of this new story, I thought I would put Syaoran and Sakura in a different time ( I love the idea of the 19th century, so romantic….) I blame watching Nadia for this but you guys enjoy and tell me what you think!

Peace and love

-Detectivegirl2005