Chapter 4
Okawa thought the best approach to this mystery was to identify the people that are connected to it. The first, obviously being Syaoran.
Briefly he sketched down the notes that he was able to gather about Syaoran.
Name: Li Jingxi, commonly called Syaoran
Age: Nine when he came to Tomoeda, ten when he came back the second time. Thirteen when he died.
Magic: Moon/Moon. Half mortal.
Favorites: Chocolate, Peonies, playing the cello, chaligraphy, swordplay, nightly travels with his father
Nature of death: Blindness, deafness, muteness, slow paralysis of all muscles until eventually the cardiac muscle was paralyzed as well.
Birthday: July thirteenth
Zodiac: Dragon
Pets: Husky pup named Lele, who died several months before he did.
Family relations: Yue ( Tsukishiro Yukito), Li Yelan, Li Feimei, Li Shueifa, Li Fuutie, unknown sister, Li Meiling, unknown cousin.
Friends: Kinomoto Sakura, Daidouji Tomoyo, unknown last name Yamazaki, Kinomoto Touya, Hiriingaziwa Eriol, unknown last name Nakuru ( Ruby Moon), Kerberus, Spinel Sun, Smeals George, unknown last name Mimi, (Mizuki?) Kaho
Places visited: Radio Tower of Tokyo, Tomoeda Elementary, (Shieha) Junior High School, Penguin Park, Museum of Archaeology, Li Country, Beijing, Shanghai, Loyang.
Wish: Clow Book, which he never received, Father, which turned out to be Yue ( Tsukishiro Yukito)
Name: Kinomoto Sakura
Age: Ten when Syaoran came to Tomoeda, thirteen when Syaoran died, eighty seven when she died.
Magic: Star, Card Mistress
Occupation: Prime Minister of Japan
Favorites: Cherry blossom, unknown food, card capturing, spending time with her friends, particularly Syaoran, who she fell in love with.
Nature of Death: Liver degradation
Birthday: April First
Zodiac: Dragon
Pets: German sheperd named Seignen, obtained twenty years after Jingxi's death, died twelve years after being obtained, Siamese cat named Kedou, obtained two years after Seignen and died fourteen years later, several goldfish, siamese fighting fish.
Family relations: Kinomoto Fujitaka, Touya Kinomoto, Kinomoto Nadeshiko, Daidouji Sonomi, Daidouji Tomoyo, unknown cousin, unknown uncle, Kinomoto Sora.
Places visited: Same as Syaoran, Tokyo, Kyoto, China, Paris, London, Washington D.C. ( former capital of the United States) unknown captial of South Korea, Africa, New Dehli, other places not specified.
Wish: For Jingxi to survive the disease, for Jingxi to remain, for Jingxi to remain secret (?)
Name: Daidouji Tomoyo
Age: Ten when Syaoran came to Tomoeda, thirteen when Syaoran died, eighty six when she died
Magic: None
Occupation: CEO of business now known as " SDD"
Favorites: Videotaping Sakura, making clothes, spending time with her friends
Nature of Death: Died in her sleep. Disease unknown.
Birthday: Unknown
Zodiac: Dragon
Pets: None
Family relations: Same as Sakura, Daidouji Seto, Daidouji Kike, Daidouji Tai, Daidouji Inu, unknown cousin, unknown aunt.
Places visited: Same as Sakura, New York City ( Wall Street), Phillipines, Indonesia, Moscow, other places unspecified.
Wish: For Jingxi to survive the disease, for Jingxi to remain secret (??)
Name: Yue ( Tsukishiro Yukito)
Age: Seventeen when Syaoran came to Tomoeda, twenty when Syaoran died, seventy two when he died.
Magic: Moon. Immortal
Occupation: Doctor. Unspecified.
Favorites: Food, spending time with Jingxi, spending time with Touya, flying.
Nature of Death: Unknown
Birthday: December 25
Zodiac: Dog
Pets: Husky pup named Lele. Died several months before Jingxi died.
Family relations: Kero, Ruby Moon, Spinel Sun, Li Jingxi and his relations through Jingxi.
Friends: Same
Places visited: Same as Syaoran
Wish: For Jingxi to survive, for Jingxi to remain secret(???)
By this time Okawa was very confused. After sorting out everything he found out
there was something in common with all their wishes.
They all wanted Jingxi to remain secret.
But what about Jingxi?
He thought for a minute. Jingxi was never buried. Or perhaps he was, but in some
place. Either they want the fact that Jingxi was never buried to remain secret but
that was impossible. It was very easy to tell if he had been buried or not. So perhaps
it was where he was buried that they wanted to keep secret.
Which, unfortunately, was just what Okawa was going to find out. So where would these people bury Jingxi?
No doubt they would be buried near him. Jingxi loved his Dad,
So?
Okawa turned to his laptop. " Computer, search the buried dead in the cemetaries. Keywords: Family name, Tsukishiro, Given name, Yukito."
" No results found."
Okawa blinked. He tried again. " Search the Hong Kong cemetaries."
" No results found."
So Yukito wasn't buried either, at least, not in the registrated way.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to Okawa.
" Computer, search the Li Clan's database. Keywords: Family name, Li, Given name, Jingxi.
" No results found."
That's odd. Okawa thought to himself. " Why wouldn't they bury Li in that place? His own home?" He wondered out loud.
So it remains. Jingxi was never buried at all. Whatever Yue did to him, he certainly didn't bury him.
So what did he do to him?
Okawa went through the streets of Tomoeda in his mind as he walked towards the
Tsukishiro residence. He looked at the lonely house among the ruins. In the night it
looked far more eerie then it had during daytime.
There was no one around.
All was silent. The trees moved with the wind. Above, the sky was black and cloudy; there were no stars to be seen. Shadows of branches outlined against the grayish clouds like spiderwebs in white smoke. Cars rarely drove to this side of the town. All was deserted. The street was empty.
A house under such neglect should have vines all over it and weeds among the grass. The trees should be curved this way and that and the house should be battered and old. In short, the house ought to be in pieces. But no, it seemed the house was as well as if Tsukishiro was still there to take care of it. The grass was mowed. The trees were straight and tall. The doors and windows polished. The front steps cleaned.
Inside, there was a cello again. There was always the cello. But this time, there was a violin also. The music was just as lovely and sad as before, but fuller, richer, and if possible, sweeter. It went on ceaselessly, from one piece to the next, only stopping when there was rest or when the piece ended, and then only for a brief moment. Other than that, no sound came from the desolate house. There was no movement, no light, no signs of life. Death circled the house like an invisible shroud, but Okawa shivered despite not being able to see it.
For a long time he stared despondently at the house that was spoken of in all of Tomoeda and Japan. The government had sent him on this project. Alone, without anyone to help him. Because they figured that if anything happened to him, they wouldn't lose too many people. Right?
Okawa stared walking towards the door. He held out his light and turned the knob. The terrible door creaked and gave way. Inside was dark. Yet there was a light source. Okawa jumped as the door shut behind him. Everything was so silent here...
But the cello started playing. This time, not alone, nor with a violin. This time, with another cello. The duet played in a soft, sad air. Okawa stared at where the light came from. How come he never saw anything from outside? Are people living here?
Yes, there were people living here. The light came from an old television screen, opened to reveal news from the twentieth and twenty first century. There was a sofa, and a tall boy on it, watching the screen. He was pale and his hair was grayish white. He wore glasses and his eyes were blank, hard, as one is when they watch television shows. He wore a brown sweater and dark blue pants. His left arm was draped on the top of the sofa and his right arm was in his lap, holding an old remote control.
When Okawa turned the flashlight the other way, the television vanished, along with the light, the sofa, and the boy. All was dark there, like some mysterious black void. Okawa shuddered. He knew he just saw a ghost. Or something like a ghost, at any rate. He turned around, pointing his flashlight at other places. The light landed upon the staircase, where a pair of eyes was watching him.
Okawa nearly cried out, and he jumped violently. Those amber eyes, golden with the flashlight, stared at him in the same harsh way the other boy had looked at the TV. The eyes looked at him as if they could see him. Okawa could recognize that boy from the picture in the telephone back at Li's apartment.
The child was thin and had messy brown hair. He was pale and he wore a dark green sweater. One hand was supporting himself on the rail of the staircase while the other was at his side.
It was Syaoran.
It was Li Jingxi.
His ghost!
But as the flashlight faltered and turned the other way, Syaoran dimmed, and when the light from Okawa's hand turned away completely, Syaoran faded into nothingness.
Okawa turned the flashlight back to the stairs. Syaoran was descending the stairs. He opened his mouth and said something. But no sound came out. The cellos kept on playing. Okawa followed the boy, and wherever his light landed some object would appear, such as the wall, the table, the vase filled with fresh flowers, a picture of Sakura and Tomoyo, a chair, a cello case.
Gradually, Yukito came into view, and the TV was on again, showing the news of the twenty first century. Okawa held his breath. Yukito turned his eyes from the TV and his eyes warmed. He smiled, mouthed something, but nothing came out. Syaoran crawled onto the sofa and onto Yukito's lap. They laughed, but no sound came out.
Don't they notice him? Okawa wondered. Were they really ghosts, or is it his imagination? How come they are acting as if he wasn't even there? Okawa approached. The spirits said nothing, did nothing, except watch the screen. Okawa stretched out his hand.
" Halt!"
Okawa jumped. The voice was sharp, against the soft playing of the cellos. He turned around to find Li, the one that he had been staying with, dressed in dark blac robes of a Chinese Emperor. He wore a headress of pearls and gold. In his hand he held a royal staff.
" Who are you?" Okawa breathed. He was amazed.
Li stood very still. Okawa searched his head. Who had been an Emperor?
Xuyan! Li Xuyan was the Emperor of the Dead!
" How are you still alive?" He cried, terrified of the horrible blast from the past.
" I am the Emperor." Xuyan replied. " I come and go when I please. Card Master.
You still have some cards you have forgotten." The Emperor took from his sleeve
the remaining cards. In his other hand he held the Sakura Book, which Okawa had
forgotten in the apartment.
" Xuyan-san, they-"
" Do not touch them." Xuyan interrupted. Okawa looked at him, bewildered.
" Do not touch them."