Chapter Nine
A Search for Life

"I'm home!" Sakura yelled, shutting the door behind her. The sound rang hollow through the house. No one answered.

"That's right…" Sakura said, looking at the schedule board. "Otou-san is at a late meeting and Onii-chan works until 7."

Sakura sighed and hunched her shoulders. "Looks like I have the house all to myself… again." Her voice echoed flatly off the hardwood floor.

It wasn't that she desperately yearned for company; it was that the silence got to her. She often found herself talking out loud when she was alone, simply to fill the void in the air.

Sakura picked up her book bag and dragged it upstairs to her bedroom. She dumped it just inside the doorframe and was about to go back downstairs when the box on her bed caught her eye. Groaning, she wandered over to the bed and sat down.

The box contained the cards and manual to the game that Sakura and her friends had played during a slumber party nearly six months before. While they were playing the game, one of the cards went missing. Sakura couldn't bring herself to put the box away until she found the missing card. Something about having an incomplete deck made her anxious.

"Well, now is as good a day as any to look for that thing," Sakura said, opening the box and taking out the cards. She began to count them again for the billionth time. She counted slowly and diligently, placing all the cards face up in rows of ten on the floor.

"… 48, 49, 50, 51," Sakura said, placing the last card on the floor. She sighed. Same count as always. Fifty-one out of fifty-two.

"One card is definitely missing," Sakura said. "Now just which one is it…"

She hefted the game's manual from her bed and leafed through a few pages. "Here we go," she said, stopping on the page that listed the card names.

She went down the list, checking off each entry on the page as she found the actual card on the floor. In the end, fifty-one little check marks riddled the page. Sakura searched for the only entry that didn't possess a little check mark…

"Return," Sakura said, tapping the page on the spot. She laughed briefly at the irony. The one card that didn't come back to her was the Return card. It was actually kind of funny.

"Okay," Sakura said, getting off the bed and looking determined. "Now where to start looking…?"

She turned her entire room upside down and inside out. She moved her bed, nightstand, and dresser to see if maybe the card had fallen behind one of them. Then she ransacked her closet, sifting through all the boxes and papers she had stacked inside. She even went as far as to make sure that the gaps in the hardwood floor weren't wide enough for a card to slip through.

After nearly forty-five minutes, Sakura finally threw up her hands and declared that the card couldn't possibly be in her room. It took her another half hour to straighten the mess she'd made.

Then she wandered into the hallway, lifting up the area rugs and checking the waste bin.

"Cards don't just disappear," Sakura mumbled to herself as she opened the bag in the vacuum to see if someone had accidentally sucked it up while cleaning the rugs or something.

The grandfather clock in the living room struck six. Sakura sighed and called off the search for the day. She began to pull pots and pans out for dinner just as the sun was setting.

Syaoran put up his guard as the sunset tugged at his soul and released it back into the spiritual plane. It had been a few days since Yue or even Ruby Moon had visited him during his transitional phase. He had no desire to speak with Ruby Moon, of course, but she could be off causing trouble for Sakura whenever she wasn't in Syaoran's view. The thought made him uneasy.

Seeing Yue, on the other hand, was one of Syaoran's top priorities. Syaoran had so many questions that needed answers, especially concerning what had happened earlier that afternoon…

However, the spiritual plane was just as barren as the physical one. Syaoran slumped involuntarily. Another day had officially passed with no answers to a rapidly mounting pile of questions.

Six minutes later, the light of the moon imprisoned his soul once again. Feeling restless and uneasy, Syaoran climbed one of the tall oak trees by the penguin slide and watched the stars fade into existence through the gaps in the leaves.

The images from his blackout that afternoon were still vivid and fresh as if he could reach out and touch that cool autumn day. Syaoran felt like he had witnessed something that was very important to him, but the world he had visited was alien and strange. It was as if those images belonged to another person.

And yet, he had been in the body of the person in the vision. He had seen through that boy's eyes and felt what he felt. His mouth had moved to form the words he spoke. The sensation of the woman's arm around his shoulder was kind of still there, like the shadow of a memory. The warmth in her words and actions was so strong that it was almost tangible. Affection even laced the annoyance with which she called his name. That name…

"Xiao Lang," Syaoran said quietly, mimicking the woman's foreign accent.

The very mention of the name aloud panged deep in his soul. No doubt about it, that name meant something important. And it wasn't just coincidently important. The name had special meaning just for him.

Could it be… Syaoran wondered silently, staring intensely at the tree bark. That those were real memories of when I was still… alive? Is that possible?

Syaoran shook his head. It didn't matter! Whatever happened in the past didn't matter at all.

With a shock, Syaoran realized that this must've been Eriol's plan: to confuse him, to make him stray from his original objective. And that objective was…

Sakura. She was still in danger.

Syaoran looked over where he could see the moon hanging in the clear night sky. The thin crescent was losing its delicate shape and expanding clumsily like a pig fattening for slaughter. It would be half-full in just a few short days. Syaoran sighed through his aura. A forth of his time was already spent and he had accomplished next to nothing. In fact, he had ended up endangering Sakura's life at one point…

Below him, fireflies flickered in the bushes like stars and the grass in the field nearby rippled under the moonlight in the breeze. The leaves played gentle percussion as the wind shook the branches.

When he really looked at it, the world was actually kind of… beautiful. It would be a terrible thing for anyone to have to leave this place before their time. Syaoran balled his fist, trying to force a sudden feeling of guilt out of his spirit.

What exactly was this feeling?

Sakura opened her eyes to find herself enclosed by bright green walls. The air was stale and the silence pressed in on her ears.

She was back inside the maze.

"This place again," Sakura said quietly, staring down the endless pathway before her. "Why am I here?"

She was aware that she was dreaming only in the way a fly knows it is beating its wings. Besides, at that moment, her dreams seemed more real than reality. She had been having this dream more and more frequently ever since the slumber party. That was the only time she ever found the exit to the maze, even though at the moment she couldn't remember how. Since then, she had been returning to this place almost every night and wandering the paths until she awoke covered in sweat.

"Have I always been alone here?" Sakura wondered aloud, trying to drown out the deafening silence with her own voice. The loneliness was almost unbearable.

Her legs moved her forward on their own, even though she knew there was nowhere to go. No matter which path she took, it would end at the center of the maze. There was something in the center, something that made the bottom of her stomach drop out and filled her being with a sense of inevitable dread. Whatever it was, she was getting closer to it all the time.

She could only hope that she'd wake up before she reached it.

"Good morning Sakura-chan," Tomoyo greeted her friend with her usual cheerful smile. She sat down in her desk. "You're here early."

"Morning Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said, smiling back. "I just felt restless this morning, so I decided to take the long way to school."

"Is something wrong?" Tomoyo asked, her face contorting into worry.

"No! Nothing at all," Sakura assured her. She shrugged. "I had some stuff to think about, that's all. You know, I start extra math lessons today and I'm really excited."

Tomoyo chuckled. "Only you would be excited about extra lessons, Sakura-chan."

In truth, Sakura had awoken from the maze nightmare at six in the morning and couldn't get back to sleep. But now in the light of the day, it seemed ridiculous to be so disturbed by a little nightmare. The only real trouble was dealing with the lack of sleep.

"Good morning Reed-kun," Tomoyo said cheerfully.

"Morning," Syaoran said in his usual barely audible monotone manner from behind Sakura.

Sakura turned around in her seat. She had almost gotten used to Syaoran's ominous presence. Besides, it would've been rude not to say hello after Tomoyo had already acknowledged him.

"Good morning Reed-kun," Sakura said, smiling widely. She couldn't be sure because he wasn't breathing hard or anything, but he looked a little disheveled, as if he had run a marathon before coming to school.

"How's your knee?" Syaoran asked quietly, almost like he was afraid of the answer.

"Huh? Oh yeah," Sakura said. "It's fine. I even forgot all about it." She flexed her leg for emphasis.

Syaoran's ever-static expression lost some of its tension and he sat down.

"Good morning everyone," Terada-sensei said cheerfully as he walked into the room. Kasugano-sensei, the class' History teacher, trailed behind him. "We're going to do something a bit different today. Your thirty-five minute study period will be suspended - just for today – so that Kasugano-san could have an early word with you." He turned to the other man. "I'll leave them to you." Terada-sensei left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

"Good morning class," Kasugano-sensei said, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "I'm sorry to suspend your normal class schedule, but I hope this enjoyable assignment will make up for it. The sixty minutes allotted for the History block would not allow me enough time to properly explain, thus I petitioned Terada-san to permit me use the study period as an extension of the our class time.

"In class we have been studying the genealogy of the royal families throughout the history of Japan. However, as we delve further into the technical aspects of royal family trees, I thought it would be prudent to study this subject from a more personal point of view. This will allow you to make stronger connections to the material as we begin to unravel increasingly complex trees.

"As some of you may know, Tomoeda Public Library has one of the best genealogy departments in the nation. It boasts an impressive collection of family records from all over the nation and many abroad. I highly doubt that anyone in this classroom will have a hard time finding extensive information on his or her family tree.

"Thus, during our regular allotted History class time, we will all take a brief tour of the genealogy department at the library so you may begin to look up your family records. The librarians are very knowledgeable and eager to help you complete this project. No extensive prior knowledge of your family history is necessary, since you will begin with yourself and work backward through the generations…"

Kasugano-sensei continued to ramble on as Syaoran became more and more uneasy. A genealogy project was the most impossible assignment he could possibly be given. He knew so little about his life that it was laughable. And even if he were somehow able to get the actual information, he'd still be turning in a family tree that stated he had died over 50 years ago. How could he explain something like that? Could he maybe make a fake family tree?

"The assignments will be due six weeks from today…" Kasugano-sensei's voice drifted in and out of Syaoran's attention span.

A wave a relief washed through Syaoran's aura. He glanced over the large calendar hanging up by the doorway. Six weeks would put him well beyond his stay on this plane. He'd be gone by then.

Of course, that was disturbing in itself.

Kasugano-sensei rambled on and eventually study hall came to an end. The instructor excused himself and Mizuki-sensei took his place for math class. Syaoran didn't try to conceal his glare as she swept vibrantly into the room.

"Good morning!" she said cheerfully. She picked up a large stack of papers off the desk. "I hope everyone has been looking over their notes from last class because I have a short quiz I'd like to give you."

Mizuki-sensei's disarming smile stifled the small eruption of groans that came from the students. "It's nothing to groan over. I just want to make sure everyone is grasping the material okay."

She handed out the quizzes to each student individually. As she put a quiz down on Syaoran's desk, she said loudly, "Take your time and don't worry too much if you can't answer a question. I'm always available for extra help after school if you're having trouble."

Syaoran glared up at the woman, but she wasn't looking at him. When she got further up the row, Eriol leaned over to Syaoran.

"Do your best, Reed-kun," he whispered behind his hand. He had the same stupid smile on his face as always, but there was a warning tone to his voice that clashed with his expression.

"Mind your own business," Syaoran said gruffly, focusing on his quiz. He had absolutely no intention of following any advice given by that kid.

The questions were laughably easy, even for someone who wasn't good at math. Putting down the wrong answers was almost painful.

But this was the chance he'd been waiting for. If he failed this quiz, especially something this easy, Ruby Moon would be forced to let him take extra lessons with Sakura. The woman may be Chaos incarnate, but she was still bound by the rules of the school system. It would look like she was playing favorites with her students if she didn't offer Syaoran the same things she did Sakura.

However, it bothered him a little bit that Ruby Moon had given him exactly what he wanted. Could it be that she was so caught up in her "teacher" role that she didn't realize what she was doing?

No, the chances of that were slim to none. Ruby Moon came off as a very ditzy person, but Syaoran knew better. Underneath that silly expression was a cunning mind that was always in control.

And yet, Syaoran couldn't help but think he had the advantage in this situation.

"Good afternoon everyone," the librarian said, addressing the class standing before her. She looked quite young and had short brown hair. "I'm Takako Ayase, the head of the genealogy department for this library. You'll find that the layout here is very straightforward and user-friendly. All the books on particular family surnames are located on the shelves that line the wall. However, most of the research you'll be doing is with the computers here. Simply type in your last name for a search on your family history, or you can even search for an individual by typing in his or her entire name. You are all probably too young for yourselves to show up in a search, but try your grandparents or great-grandparents. It's that easy. I'll be walking around in case you need me. Please feel free to ask me anything, all right? I'll let you get started."

A few kids broke from the crowd to search the bookshelves, but most headed for the computers. Syaoran hung back, not sure what to do.

"Now, now Reed-san," Kasugano-sensei said, steering Syaoran towards the computers. "Don't be shy. Just type in 'Reed' and go from there." He gave Syaoran an uncomfortable pat on the shoulder and walked over to where another student had his hand in the air.

Syaoran shrugged. Why not get some information on that crazy magician? He typed "Reed" into the box and hit the enter key.

No matches.

Syaoran narrowed his gaze. He tried typing in "Reed, Clow" at the profile page.

No matches.

Syaoran sighed through his aura. Of course someone like Clow Reed wouldn't exist in a genealogy database. That would be too normal.

He had yet another bright idea. He typed in "Hiiragizawa."

To Syaoran's surprise, one link popped up on the search page.

Entire Families Flee Tomoeda's Troubles

Intrigued, Syaoran clicked the link, which brought him to a newspaper article from 1943.

The mysterious illness spreading through Tomoeda and, indeed, much of the nation has forced many to flee Japan altogether.

"You just never know who will succumb next," said a spokesperson for the Hiiragizawa family, the name carried by some of the town's most promenade citizens. "The best thing is to leave the town – and hopefully the illness – behind. Of course it's hard to leave, but the family believes they are making the best decision."

The illness has claimed some 100 victims with the number rising every day. Perhaps leaving the nation really is the best decision?

"Of course not! Leaving Tomoeda is the last thing on our minds. This is our home and nothing is going to force us away from it," said Yelan Li, a recent immigrant to Japan from China.

Syaoran felt weight on his shoulders as if someone were holding him. He whirled around, but no one was there. The feeling stayed with him and his aura began to pulse wildly. He felt like he was hanging between staying conscious and blacking out like he had the day before.

Yelan Li. She was very important. Syaoran could almost see her face.

Almost frantically, Syaoran clicked out of the page he was viewing and started a new search. He typed "Li" into the search box.

Several links, including the one he had just been to, popped up on the screen. Syaoran clicked the first one. It lead him to yet another newspaper article dated December 15th, 1948.

Tomoeda Youth the Latest Victim of Illness

Xiao Lang Li, 15, marks the youngest victim to die of the illness rapidly sweeping the nation. This flu-like illness has taken a terrible toll on the nation's economy and has forced hundreds to flee Japan. It causes a high fever and eventually induces a comatose state in which the victim expires in less than a week.

The Li family is a recent addition to the Tomoeda population, having emigrated from China in 1940.

No one at the Li residence could be reached for comment.

Syaoran stared at the screen for a very long time, reading the short article over and over. Was he Xiao Lang Li? Was that how he had died?

There was no way to know for sure, except for the ominous feeling that weighed in his aura. In any event, this was something important. If only he could remember more about his life…

Eager for more information, Syaoran opened some of the other links. Most of them were just different articles covering Xiao Lang's death, but one dated March 21st, 1950 seemed relevant.

No New Outbreaks of Illness

The mysterious illness seems to have claimed its last victim with 15-year-old Xiao Lang Li of Tomoeda in December of last year. The panic induced by the illness has abated and many who fled are returning to Japan.

"We believe the illness has been contained," said Dr Watanuki. "It seemed that the virus would mutate every time it infected a victim. This is why we could never create an effective antibody. However, in the case of its last victim, young Xiao Lang died before the virus had a chance to mutate. In effect, this stopped the virus from reaching epidemic levels."

"Ayase-san," Syaoran said, stopping the librarian as she passed. "Can I print this?"