( ATTEMPT 14 )

Chapter One

The boy sat obediently on the metal table as people gathered around him. Despite his state of undress, only having on boxers, he didn't show any sign of discomfort. He admitted that he was used to being invisible so even when people had their attention on him, Syaoran barely noticed. Instead his mismatched eyes flickered between each eager, sad, worried, happy, miserable face with attention. It was obvious from his relaxed air that this situation wasn't unusual for him to be in but really, that was the only thing that was obvious about Syaoran.

"Here's the stats from Fay-sensai."

"What do we have?"

"Fifteen years old," someone confirmed before people started scribbling on their charts.

"Hair color suggests southern region. Eye colors suggest northern region though…"

More scribbling.

"Have we decided on a name?"

"Syaoran. Fay-sensai found him with a pack of wolves on the outskirts of the Holy City."

More scribbling and soft chuckles at their own 'clever' naming skills. They didn't realize how ignorant they were, Syaoran mused. But it didn't matter. They didn't matter.

In fact, Syaoran didn't bother looking at them after the first time. Instead Syaoran trained his vacant gaze onto a small girl who sat on one of the examination tables across from him as well as to the blond man who spoke with her. Playful green eyes always seemed to be in Syaoran's direction. This was Sakura. She had to be eight years old, he wagered, since Fay-san was still the only one looking after her at that point. Syaoran had been able to trace her movements from the time she walked into the building at seven until the time she was fifteen but then she just disappeared today. It frustrated him that he was spending so much time on this mission and he still hadn't even been able to find out why or where the girl had disappeared to.

Syaoran ignored all the other people and all the other girls that looked exactly like the eight year old. He trained his ear only to Fay and this little girl "Sakura-chan is looking really healthy today!"

"Because of Fay-san!" she said, hugging him "If it wasn't for you, I'd be very very sick all the time! There must be something I can do to repay you!"

"Smile for me and be happy right now," he said softly "That's all I want."

Syaoran's eyes quickly flickered to the door where Sakura entered the room after Fay-san. She had to be fifteen now "Oh! That reminds me! I had a dream that I was in some sort of city--it was really very strange!"

"Why? You've never been to a city?"

"Well no, but that wasn't the strange part about it." Sakura paused and kicked her feet up a bit on the operation table as Fay took her heartbeat "Even though I've never been there, I'm sure that I was in the Holy City and that--"

"Come on Syaoran-kun." A hand was laid on his shoulder. Already knowing who it was Syaoran rose and followed the voice out of the sterile room with it's blinding lights. He sighed inwardly. This was all leading to nothing again. And maybe because of it he didn't feel his usual need to rush. He dragged his feet instead.

"My name is Fay," the voice told him. Syaoran glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, then to the men and women who always followed them, but said nothing "I'm going to be taking care of you until we can find your family."

"If that's the case, you'll be taking care of me forever," Syaoran responded softly.

The other men and women smiled sadly but Fay just patted him on the head "If there's anything you want then I'm the person to call for alright? Whatever you need. And if you ever need to talk to someone too."

"When I need to talk," he replied in agreement.

Fay just smiled.

They walked in silence until eventually Syaoran was lead to the now familiar door. For the first time during the mission he hesitated though. Syaoran knew what was coming next and he knew that he often lost his focus during this part.

"Sakura-chan will have clothes for you in here. She'll take you to your room too, alright?"

Syaoran eyed Fay's blue eyes with his own mismatched eyes before nodding and reaching for the doorknob. It was better to get it over with, he mused as he stepped inside. The faster he spoke with Sakura, the faster he could concentrate on finishing his mission. Though even as he said it, he slowly closed the door and leaned against it.

Across the room a full length mirror reflected back an image of a scrawny, half naked, extremely tan, but extremely cut up boy. Syaoran blinked at himself for awhile before raising a shaking hand to put over his blue eye. His vision began to change but the sound of a soft "epp!" and a body falling to the ground made him drop his hand quickly in embarrassment.

"A-ah! You must be Syaoran-kun!" Syaoran centered his vision on one of the red headed girls as she quickly picked herself up from the floor and hurriedly came to meet him. She bowed politely and always smiled so wide that Syaoran leaned back a bit in wonder "I'm Sakura! I was wondering when I'd get the chance to meet you! I just heard from the others that you're the same age as me too! Isn't that great?! While you're here I'm sure we'll get to know each other really, really well!"

"I hope I won't be here much longer," he said truthfully. She pouted. He felt his cheek darken slightly but he already figured out that it was because of his Original that he reacted this way when he was near her. That didn't stop the blushing though.

He unconsciously diverted his eyes to one of the other sets of green eyes that always seemed to be on him "Fay-san said you had clothes for me."

Sakura looked at his boxers before bursting in red "S-sorry! I-I…I have something! Of course! Hold on one second! Tomoyo-chan just finished it before she left! Wait here!"

Syaoran stepped to the side and watched Sakura disappear into the same closet she always did. When she popped out again she had a pair of jeans and a white shirt. Several other red headed girls and black haired girls moved around her but Syaoran had learned to keep his eyes on this girl. She was the reason he was here, after all.

"It should be fine for now right? Once Tomoyo-chan comes back with more supplies from the city she can make you another outfit. I suggested this." She seemed proud of being able to come up with the most ordinary outfit. It usually amused him but today he merely nodded and started to pull the shirt on. He couldn't let himself be distracted like he always was.

"A-ah. It's too tight, isn't it?" Sakura looked more embarrassed than usual as she watched him. Or maybe he was just paying more attention to her red cheeks "I'm sorry…I took the measurements wrong!"

"It's fine," he insisted softly, before pulling the jeans on as well. After that Sakura walked around him before shyly adjusting his shirt "You look great...." She smiled again. Syaoran lowered his eyes, wishing she would stop smiling and coming so close to him. It was distracting to his mission.

"Fay-san said that there's also a room for me," he said softly.

"Hai!" she smiled more shyly "I-I hope you don't mind that you have to share. There's not much room here. There's been so many people coming ever since the previous owner died and Fay-san started running this hospital. We barely have room for the workers. At first I was a patient here too but then Fay-san said I could stay here and work with Tomoyo-chan. I have no where to go," she explained cheerfully, as if being alone was the best thing that could possibly happen to anyone.

Syaoran nodded silently to the now familiar run-on sentences, not sure what else to respond with. He never really knew what to respond to people with. He was used to only working around them and for such a short period of time that it didn't matter what he said so he learned to just not talk.

"What's wrong?"

Syaoran glanced up in confusion. On seeing her worried face he was more confused. She had never looked at him like that before. He diverted his eyes, unsure what to do.

"Are you feeling ill? Have a cold? A fever? Stomachache? Headache?" She leaned forward with each word until she was impossibly close to him.

When he remained silent she shyly reached up to touch his shoulder but instantly drew back when he gasped. "You probably shouldn't touch me," he warned gently.

"W-what happened? Just now…it felt like…"

He managed to smile a little "It means you knew my Original."

"Original?" she repeated in surprise.

Silence filled the room, only broken by the constant shuffle of footsteps on the other side of the door.

Even though he wanted to bite his tongue from saying it at first he quickly reminded himself that it didn't matter what he said to this girl or even what he felt when he was around her. She didn't remember any of the other slightly different conversations they had during his time here. The next time they talked she would never know what he said to her. It was good for his purpose but it really was rather depressing…

But even though Sakura would say almost the exact same thing to him every time they spoke, the words always felt different. Syaoran was very conscious of vague and often illogical feelings since every time something was about to happen to someone he was created to protect, he would feel the intense pain and unexplainable cuts would appear on his body.

Syaoran shifted uneasily under her eyes "I'm a Substitute," he explained "My Original doesn't want you hurt so I have to be the one."

"I-I don't understand…."

He looked away with a sad smile "It doesn't matter--"

"Sakura-chan! Can you get me--ah!" Fay opened the door with a grin "What are you children up to?! Locking yourselves in a room like this!"

"I-it wasn't locked!" Sakura quickly retorted with a blush.

Fay poked her cheek playfully "You can flirt with Syaoran-kun later--"

"F-fay-san!!! I-I wasn't--!"

"I need you to help bring in another patient. I'll take Syaoran-kun to your room, alright?"

Sakura glanced at Syaoran-kun. He felt her inner struggle to want to stay but it really didn't matter that this time she had a feeling to stay and all the previous times she didn't. It was inevitable that she would have to leave him within this period of time.

"I-I'll talk to you later then?" she said before she finally ran away with red cheeks and an embarrassed smile.

"She's nice, right?" Fay asked as they walked down the hallway. He even nudged Syaoran "Cute too."

Syaoran edged away from Fay-san and though he needed to say a lot of things and ask a lot too, he only looked into Fay's eyes silently.

"Ah! Don't be so glum!" His smile became bigger as people joined them in walking down the hall. He seemed to purposefully raise his voice so everyone could hear "That's why I'm putting you in Sakura-chan's room! If there's anyone in the whole world that can make you smile, it's her. Until you're ready to talk you should relax. Talk when you're ready. No pressure, right?"

He seemed like he was waiting for something but on Syaoran remaining silent, Fay pulled out a key and unlocked a door at the end of a long hallway of doors "You'll be sharing with Tomoyo-chan and Sakura-chan, alright?"

Then, without showing any of the care that he preached to the public, Fay-san shut Syaoran in the room. For awhile Syaoran stood in the middle of the room and watched Tomoyo and Sakura in the middle of various things. His eyes caught onto Sakura about to change her clothes but he dutifully walked past them all to the bed where Sakura was sleeping because of a fever.

Immediately he pulled out a notebook from under the mattress and began writing out more pieces into the Sakura chronology he had gathered.

"Sakura of the Holy City…" Syaoran whispered under his breathe as Sakura and Tomoyo tumbled onto the beds, ran around the room, talked and watched movies. Syaoran knew that she was the reason that his Original had created him in the first place. Maybe that was why he felt that strange feeling around Sakura too. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't exist. Not that his existence could be called that when no one except Kaa-san knew he existed unless he was given a mission. Not even the people he was constantly protecting knew he was alive. And the only thing he could truly feel was the continuous pain that he had been born to soak up for the sake of his Original and the people he cherished…

Still, it was only fitting that he should continue his original purpose of protecting her from any harm. If anything, he owed it to his Original and Sakura to find out why she was brought here and why she didn't seem to be aware of her identity or even of his resemblance to his Original. But most importantly, the reason he was hired. To find out how Sakura disappeared on this day before entering the Holy City.

Syaoran flipped to a new page in his journal and wrote Attempt 14.