Author's Note: Sorry for the late update, but you can understand that it'll take a while when I want to update three stories at the same time…

)neutralgal( - Aw thanks… when I first started writing I had no passion for it, but the more I wrote, the more I liked it, that's why I improved a lot from the first story.

)Manuca( - THANK YOU! Another point only you noticed… I did that purposely, making Orubia ignore everybody else… you'll see in chapter, when Orubia's in turmoil, because Sakura's story told her to live life to the fullest, yet at the same time Sakura' story is making her focus on what happened to her and not her life… it's a paradox… THANK YOU FOR NOTICING!

)LiLbLueangeL1223( - Er actually Syaoran's dead too… he's not in a coma… :P

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Chapter Eight

Li Yelan; Providing Answers

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Orubia froze for what seemed like the longest time. She found it hard to process the information. "Wha—"

Lessi looked at her sympathetically. "He's in heaven."

Without meaning to, she ran. Without a thanks, or a goodbye, she ran past Lessi and deeper, and deeper into the hospital until she came to a door. She whipped it open and slipped inside and fell in front of Madeleine's bed.

The lady was startled. She twitched in her bed. "What's the matter, sweetie?"

It was then that Orubia broke down. She fell onto the ground and began to cry. "God, Madeleine… he's, he's… he's dead! God, he's dead!"

"Wha, what?" There was shock and sadness in her voice.

"He didn't leave her! He didn't have a choice! He died!"

Madeleine grimaced. "Just like that? There's nothing more? He just, died… just like that?"

Orubia nodded furiously. "I can't believe this either… but he did… he actually died…"

"That can't be true… no, there must be more than that… how did he die? Why did he avoid her before he died? Why? So many questions, oh please, find out for me, Ruby…"

"Who's dead?"

Orubia turned around to see Kevin. "Li did… Li Syaoran…"

Kevin smirked. "I bet you she murdered him to keep her company in heaven."

"WHY YOU SONOFABITCH!" Orubia ran over and picked up the tall lamp standing beside his bed, ready to break his face with it.

"NO!" Lori cried in horror.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

"DON'T DO IT!" The brave girl ran up and tackled Orubia painfully to the ground. The lamp fell and hit Lori on the back and she cried out in pain. But no severe damage was done.

Kevin was completely pale by now. "YOU CRAZY BITCH!"

Orubia glared at him through her red and puffy eyes. "It's not over between us, remember that. You will get what you deserve someday, but I have more important things to do than bashing your face in right now."

With that, Orubia ran out of the room.

Airport…

Orubia purchased another last minute ticket and flew to Hong Kong. Like last time, Eric called her once again.

"Ruby, where are you?"

"On a plane to Hong Kong."

"WHAT! AGAIN!"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I'm meeting someone there."

"Who?"

Orubia swallowed. "A lady… who will provide many answers."

"No, wait don't go yet. Don't go anywhere till we solve our issue."

"There is no issue and nothing to solve, besides I purchased another last minute ticket, don't worry I will be back."

"Wai—"

Yet again, she hung up.

The moment Orubia stepped off the plane, she should've guessed that something was wrong. Screaming fans and professional bodyguards and police and royal limos surrounded the entire airport. She should've known something was wrong especially when a path suddenly cleared in front of her when she stepped off the plane.

But she was in too much of a hurry to notice anything at the moment.

"Orubia."

At the mention of her name however, she finally looked up. In front of her was a red carpet and fans were on both sides screaming, blocked off the pathway by the bodyguards and police.

Light footsteps began to ring louder and louder, until the woman was right in front of her. Then, she stopped. "You are back."

"How—"

"You have finally found the answers."

"Wha—"

"You have done as I have requested, now it's my turn to hold up the other end of the bargain. Come with me." She ignored Orubia's questions and began walking away, gesturing the girl to follow.

After a few moments of shock and uncertainty, she decided it's now or never, and she quickly ran to catch up with the woman.

They entered a black limo together, while a few white ones were around them, blocking off camera shots and screaming fans.

Yelan said nothing to Orubia during the way there. When they stepped off the limo and entered the house, Orubia wondered whether or not the woman has forgotten about her since she was walking as if no one was following her.

But taking no chances, Orubia continued to follow the headmistress deeper and deeper into the "Gold Mansion" until they entered a small—which in here meant the size of 3 normal dining rooms—room and she turned around to the three maids following. "You may retreat now. Close the door, and do not disturb us until I say so. Do not touch this door even if I never come out. Leave."

"Yes, mame." They bended their knees slightly and left in a straight line.

The door was closed.

Orubia looked around. There was one huge window with silk curtains, a medium sized glass table was in middle of the room, and couches surrounded two sides of the four walls.

A chandelier hung above with expensive paintings on the walls.

"Have a seat." Yelan took a seat herself.

Orubia hesitated, then followed her example, and sat on the other couch.

"You have fulfilled your end of the deal. Now please, any questions you have to ask, ask now. This will be your one and only chance."

Orubia didn't know where to started, so she uttered the first thing that came to her mind. "How?"

"Syaoran had denied his abilities to read minds only to avoid attention being attracted to himself. I, on the other hand, I will tell no lies, and only the truth. Yes, I do have the ability to read minds, and my powers are much stronger than my son's.

"He can read a person's mind if the person is standing in front of him, and he can actually 'see' them. During rare times he can sense the thoughts of those near him whom he cannot physically see. While I, on the other hand, as long as I have a mental image or feeling of the person, no matter where they are in the world, I can track them down."

"So, so you've been following me…"

"Not physically, but mentally yes. The moment you called me, my mind has already tracked you down. But because of the great distance between us and the fact that I have never actually seen you, it makes it a bit more difficult. Which is why I had to be alone in a room without any distractions at all to be able to follow you. I can feel your thoughts, sense each of your movements and the moment the thought 'Syaoran is dead' entered your mind, I knew you would arrive soon.

"And as I predicted, I soon felt your presence closer and closer, until you were close enough for me to pinpoint your exact spot, I knew the time has come. You're here to learn the truth, and I will not disappoint you."

"But… how?"

"I do not know how, it is the way we are born as. There should be proof for you right now… all you ask of me is 'how', yet I am able to answer precisely to the question you think in your head."

Orubia nodded dumbly. "But, but… it's, it's just…"

"Not fair? No. But it's just the way the world works. I am born with the ability, and I cannot rid of it even if I wanted to."

Orubia swallowed. This is all too overwhelming for her.

She had expected that Sakura was paranoid or something, but turns out… she had been right… he really could read minds…

"That is correct."

Orubia gulped. I really need to be careful with what I think…

"No, you needn't feel that way. I am very open to opinions; you become this way as time progresses. Think as you please, I will not judge you."

Orubia lifted her head slowly. "What, what happened to him, to Syaoran?"

Yelan sighed. "He's dead… as you already know. In the beginning Syaoran had never been a volunteer worker. He was a patient at the hospital. He could not stay at any hospital here for too many people gushed over him, giving him no privacy at all, which is why he had decided to change countries, to a place where no one knew him."

So that's why the Syaoran had been able to visit Sakura so freely without having nurses inform her…

"Yes, you're right. Syaoran was able to visit Sakura so freely because he lived inside the hospital… while she mistaken that as that he really was a volunteer and worked at the hospital. After all, normally when guests are visiting, the nurses always inform her first. She should've explored all the options before assuming.

"Syaoran was diagnosed with a disease that he was born with. There will be no point in me telling you what the disease is, as you wouldn't even know the name. It is passed on only through men, and skipping generations. Unfortunately I have married the wrong man, and his father was diagnosed with this disease. His father is already dead, but the deadly seed is already planted in him, ready to be passed on." Yelan looked down wearily. "He never had a choice… my Syaoran was born with a curse that could not be rid of… however, I must say there is a plus side to everything, that at least my son would not have to pass his disease onto his grand son…

"By the time he had met Sakura, he was already half way to heaven, he was extremely weak and could've died any moment… but that night, I sensed him, I sensed his thought, he was alert, for a mental cry of overwhelming pain was stinging him, and he was hurt just by listening to this soft cry. Quickly, he rushed around the hospital, pinpointing the source. At last, he found her; ready to give herself up to the devils… but he saved her… Yet from that moment on, he knew she was his responsibility, for ever since he saved her, she began to look up to him, and he realized that he was the reason she was alive, and that if he were weak, she'd be weak too; he knew he had to be strong even if it was only for her.

"He has always had supplies of the white drink with him. And to convince her, and encourage her, every time he visited her he drank a whole bottle of it, which would last at least 6 hours. The reason why he always left in a hurry was because it would wear off, and the reason why he took so long between each visit was because the drink took life energy out of him as you already knew, and he was afraid he would drink too much and die.

"But to convince Sakura nothing was suspicious, he decided to visit her during every special holiday, so that if he dies, at least there would be weeks before the next holidays come, and during those weeks, at least she would stay alive."

Orubia felt her previous blame for Syaoran melting away, and instead, found herself hating Sakura. So it's her fault after all… it's because of her that Syaoran had to drink all that stuff, which probably cut so much off his life! It's because of her he suffered; he probably could've lived another two months more if it wasn't for her! How could she! How could she be so selfish! To help her live longer he was willing to sacrifice his own life! And yet she wasn't half grateful! HOW COULD SHE!

"Stop." Yelan pleaded with almost a frown. Which said a lot considering the fact the woman showed no expressions. "Don't think such thoughts. Stop. She did nothing to him, she didn't shorten his life. Remember Syaoran said there was a possibility that the drink would not take any life away from the person during determined times? Well he was determined. He didn't live for his own selfish reasons but for the sake of another, which is why the drink had no effects of him. He had been told to died somewhere during April, which meant even if he took none of that drink, he would not have lasted past May either way.

"In a way she almost gave him an extra day to live, because he was suppose to die on April 30th. The time when Sakura had went shopping with his sisters, he was failing, falling, sprawling across the ground, the very breath being sucked out of him. I didn't know what to do then, because I knew even if I save him past today, he would not survive tomorrow. I wanted him to die then, so he could have a peaceful next life at least… but something stopped me… I heard his thoughts.

"He thoughts of Sakura. He told me he had to live, for her, he had to live till the next day… he just had to. I gave in, I knew how loud his thoughts cried and I made him drink 5 entire cups of the drink. Normally that would've taken so much life out of him he would've died either way, but it didn't. Because God has decided to give him another chance. He lived through the night, sleeping beside her. All night, he prayed to be able to wake up in the morning—I knew, because I followed his thoughts the entire night.

"But his calculations were a bit off. He had figured if only he could just get her back to the hospital, then die, at least Sakura would never know the truth to what happened to him and would not be discouraged, because he had thought the next major holiday was Thanksgiving, which is a very long time away… he figured she would be dead by then anyways, but at least she would've been able to live her life to the fullest, and longest possible. What he forgot, that she remembered, was his own, birthday.

"In some way I would be cruel enough to say that Thank the Lords she had died on that day, because if she hadn't died, she would've been very disappointed, and thought Syaoran a liar. And that's the last thing she wanted."

Orubia sniffed. So that's the truth. That's the whole truth? Why aren't truths ever pretty? Why are they always so painful to listen to? A teardrop flooded her eyes and she quickly wiped them away on the back of her hand. "If only he was alive… if only he could've lived… they would've been the happiest couple then…

"No, quite opposite."

She looked at the woman furiously. "How dare you say that! You saw how much they loved each other, how much they cared for each other, how could it have not worked out?"

"Because my son was egotistical. Till the day he found out that he has been cursed to die, he was annoying beyond understanding and unbelievably arrogant. And this says a lot considering the fact that I'm his mother and I love him unconditionally. But I must say he was the most infuriating child in the country. It was until he learnt of his planned death that his opinions on the world changed. It was then he realized that he wanted to leave a mark, he didn't want to die without accomplishing anything, and from that day forth, he was a changed man.

"He helped anyone that needed help and donated to charities. He visited poor countries and brought clothing and toys to the children. He wanted to make a difference in the world and make his short life count. The change he makes doesn't have to have him well known, but as long as his conscience knows, he's happy.

"That is the only reason they were able to get alone so well. Under normal circumstances, he would've spat in her face."

Orubia's eyes widened a bit. "So what is this, he's right, again? That everything happens usually for the best?"

"Oh honey, he's not right… I taught him that line… And it's true. There's a positive and negative side to everything, and even if you can change the negative to something not as heartbreaking, it usually tears your heart apart anyways to realize the positive that you've lost. A heart is meant to be broken, a heart is meant to ache. Don't try to change the course of the world; instead, adapt to it."

"You speak awfully calm about this. What are you? You're his mother for God's sakes! Why aren't you sad at all? Why do you feel nothing? WHAT KIND OF A MOTHER ARE YOU!"

Yelan was silent for almost too long, Orubia stared at her hatefully before her eyes melted into sadness, regretting her words. "Hey listen I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

A tear slipped down her stone hard face, and lines of expression began to appear. "I do feel something…" She whispered. "But in my position, I have to be strong to survive, to hold the clan up… emotions are not something that need to get in the way, especially not in day time… grieving is for the night." More drops of tears fell and she covered her face with both hands but made no sound.

Minutes later she removed her hand, and though her face was clear, the lines of sadness didn't go away. "Syaoran was my fifth child… there's something that I have not told you, and under normal circumstances I would not tell anyone, but you have made me cry, and I feel vulnerable right now, so I would like to tell you, because I feel like it.

"The ability to read minds, it is passed down from generation to generation, but only from father, to daughter, to son, to daughter, to son, to daughter and so on. I've had four kids before Syaoran, one would say that's already too much. But I couldn't give up then, for they were all girls. I needed someone to inherit the ability so that it would not die out. But it was when Syaoran was born that we found out about what my husband can pass on.

"My son inherited everything that could be passed down in the family. The fortune, and the disaster." She moaned softly. "What am I suppose to do? My abilities can only be passed onto a son, yet the son would surely die… Oh Gosh, this must mean that this inheritance will die out here… in my generation…"

Orubia frowned even more. "But… but can't you, can't you produce another son with another man?"

"Dear, I am old, there are only so many children I can have… and what are the guarantees that it'll be a son? Besides, I cannot stand the burden of watching another one die… if that were to happen, I would be too crushed to run this clan, and that mustn't happen."

"But, you shouldn't just give up now… This ability of yours, I think, I think it's amazing… I think it's beautiful, you can't just let it go and missing from the world forever!"

"It would be tragic to let that happen, but that is not all… Even though I am supposedly the leader of the 'clan' now that my son and husband are dead. Even though they say I have the fine say, it is not quite so. Those elders who are my supposed 'advisors', they are the real ones who get the final decision. I am merely an instrument through which they may take control over. I do resist as hard as I can, but some things just cannot be crossed. The elders will not let me have a relationship with another man. That would be a disgrace to the entire clan. And that is something I cannot fight them."

Orubia looked at her hands on her lap and just let everything absorb. And I thought I had a tough life…

She looked up. "I-I'm done… no more questions… I don't think I want to know anymore… But, I do, I do want to see where Syaoran is buried."

A pause. "Very well…"

Two hours later they were somewhere in a countryside, where there was a private cemetery with only two gravestones in the middle. Li Syaoran and Li Xiang; his father.

Under Li Syaoran's name says:

July 13th 1986 – April 1st 2005.

"Why?" Orubia asked. "He died on April 2nd, did he not?"

"Technically speaking, no. He was supposed to die on April 1st, which is why we have kept it this way."

"It shouldn't be this way…" Orubia muttered. "No, it shouldn't be this way…"

"No Orubia, stop, there's no way that can work."

"Yes, its might! It's just not fair, you shouldn't keep them so far apart!"

"NO! I AM NOT ALLOWED!" she bellowed. "IT IS INEXCUSABLE! THERE IS NO WAY I WILL MOVE MY SON'S GRAVE ALL THE WAY TO JAPAN TO BE BURIED IN SOME PUBLIC CEMETERY!"

"THEN MOVE SAKURA'S IN HERE!"

"NO! THIS IS THE SPECIAL REMEMBRANCE PLACE OF MY HUSBAND AND SON! I WILL NOT HAVE A THIRD PERSON IN HERE! Besides…" she lowered her voice. "The Kinomoto family would never allow it."

Orubia looked pained, knowing Yelan was right. "It was pleasure meeting you."

Yelan nodded sadly. "I'll arrange a flight for you right now."

Hours later she was back at the hospital. The departure with Yelan had not been a happy one, for there has been too much on her mind and too much weight pulling at her heart. She rushed back to Madeleine's room. Kevin was asleep and Lori was gone. Quickly, she knelt by Madeleine's bed and shook her. "Ms. Madeleine, wake up, Ms. Madeleine."

The woman stirred with a couple of painful motions but acknowledged Orubia.

Immediately, Orubia told the story Yelan had told her to Madeleine.

When she was done, Madeleine had a dreamy, distant but happy look on her face. "It's perfect…" She whispered with the last of her voice.

"What? How could you say that?" Orubia demanded.

"It's true… it's so perfect… because there's nothing that went wrong… he loved her, and she loved him. He lived his life fully for her, while she lived her life fully for him. Though they're both dead, their love was undeniable, they cared for each other deeply, and there was no intentional or hurtful deceits between them. They had a clean, fresh and truthful relationship. And now, they've both moved on, to a happier place, where they can be together, forever…" He eyes suddenly seemed to shine. She smiled with bliss and relief as she slowed closed her eyes.

They never opened again.

Orubia stood by the tombstone of Madeleine Velskki. The funeral is over and people wept by her grave, laying flowers on or in front of her gravestone. Orubia watched from afar, and waited until most of the crowd had scattered. Then, she walked up, and laid a single red rose on Madeleine's grave.

"God bless you." She whispered.

A red rose represents love, and Orubia didn't not lie something so inappropriate on Madeleine's grave to purposely mock her, for in her opinion, this is what Madeleine would've wanted. Madeleine cared for Sakura like her own daughter, while Sakura loved Syaoran with her soul. And a red rose is a symbol the three of them share. For Syaoran had brought the rose, Sakura had given the rose, and Madeleine had received the rose. It was the only thing the three of them shared.

Orubia took her hand off the grave and left the single rose glowing on the grave.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Orubia spun around to see a furious girl stepping towards her.

The girl's long hair was obviously dyed black. She wore a black sweater and long black pants with black boots. Her black eye shadow and eyeliner was smeared all over her face in the same trail as her tears went.

"Yes?" Orubia asked.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?"

Orubia frowned. "Giving Madeleine a flower."

"You have fucking right to call her that you bitch. How dare you lay something like that on my mother's grave!"

Orubia gasped. "You're Madina!"

Madina growled. "How the fuck did you know my name?"

It was Orubia's turn to be angry. "From Madeleine, who only mentions your name about five times a day, telling me about how her fucking daughter didn't even visit her once. You have the face to accuse me right now? Oh, so you finally decided to care! About time too! You have no fucking right to accuse me! You do not know the history behind that rose so don't judge! But why don't you know the history? Maybe if you had visited her more often you've would've fucking known!" Before Madina had a chance to snap back, Orubia walked away angrily. She disappeared behind a tree but couldn't help but to look back, and that's when she saw Madina breaking down and howling and crying on the gravestone.

She felt bad for accusing the girl. She is after all still Madeleine's daughter. No matter how mean she had been to her mother when she was a alive, she was still her daughter, and a daughter loves a mother no matter what.

Orubia sighed feeling the cool autumn breeze blowing past her, as she walked away.

She sat on a bench and smelt the air, not minding the fact that she was alone with no friends around her. She didn't care if anyone thought she was a loner. She just didn't care anymore. A trip to the hospital had introduced her so many people, so many people that died, so many more people to walk out of her life.

She sighed painfully.

A figured sat down beside her.

She looked up. "Eric."

"Hello."

"Eric—"

"Ruby I'm sorry. You've been cutting me off too often lately, but I have to tell you something right now. You've been so distant from me, like you hate me, no longer needs me. You do not respect me at all…"

"Eric—"

"Stop. It's your turn to listen to me now. I've tried so hard to be with you, to help you, but I am not going to be kicked around like dirt, because I finally see, if you don't even need me, why do I have to go around assuming you do?" He stood up.

"Eric—"

"Goodbye, Ruby. Believe when I say I once did love you." He walked out of her life, and she was never to see him again.

"God…" Orubia buried her face in her hands and began to cry. "How the fuck does this work? I've learnt a valuable lesson from Sakura's story to treasure life, which is why I finally stepped away from the hospital… but her life; it's just so intriguing that once again I've stopped treasuring my life just to figure out hers! Yelan was right… there's always positive and negative to everything… but in the end they usually balance themselves out… Sakura helped me to find the treasure, at the same time she caused me to lose it…" Orubia sniffed by herself on the wooden bench, not knowing what to do.

Days passed with Orubia just wondering around aimlessly daily. She had found the Kinomoto family address and asked for the address of their daughter's grave. They had been reluctant, but after she had given enough proof that she was "close" to Sakura, they told her.

During some lonely days, when she needed someone to speak to, she would either go to Madeleine's grave or Sakura, and ask about their life, and tell them about hers.

But it's been a while since she's visited any one of the graves, and today, she wanted to visit both. She bought a locket and a single rose. Just as she was about to leave her house, the phone rang.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Orubia."

"Yes, it is I."

There was a long pause. "This is Li Yelan. Please visit Sakura's grave today."

And she hung up before Orubia could say anything.

That was also the last time she ever spoke to Mrs. Li Yelan.

Orubia visited Madeleine's grave first, where she once again met up with Madina. This time, they only gave each other a weary smile before each setting their flowers down.

After the guilt from last time, Orubia decided to introduce herself, and told the story of the rose to Madina.

Madina grimaced. "I wish I had visited her more often… I was mad at her, and I thought she meant nothing to me… but the moment she was gone from the world, I knew how wrong I was…"

Orubia nodded sympathetically.

They went their separate ways but decided to stay in touch.

Next, Orubia visited Sakura's grave, wondering what Yelan meant.

It was when she got there that she gasped.

Next to Sakura's grave, was Li Syaoran's grave. The two gravestones were so close they were almost touching.

Orubia set the locket down in the middle and felt tears of gratitude in her eyes for Yelan. She must've sacrificed a lot for this. She must've suffered a lot too.

Yelan, I know you can hear me, and I want to say thank you. You're the world's bravest, and kindest woman.

She could almost hear a smile.

As Orubia glanced down at the gravestones, she felt a chill down her spine, for on the gravestones, it says:

R.I.P
Li Syaoran
July 13th 1986 – April 1st 2005

R.I.P
Kinomoto Sakura
April 1st 1987 – July 13th 2005

Orubia couldn't help but shiver.

Yeah, there's definitely something unusual about this.

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Author's Note: PEOPLE! THIS IS NOT THE END! Actually it is, but there ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFT! AND IT'S THE EPILOGUE! All the problems have been figured out, all the people who had to die has already died, now the epilogue is just to show what happened to each of them.

Okay, I've just reread it to edit out the mistakes, and I felt this is actually a good ending… so you decide, if you like the ending, then it's done… if you want an epilogue, I'll still post one…

5257 Words. Longer than I thought actually.