Thank you to everyone for your patience with this story. I'm working hard and really enjoying it, so I'm going to continue to update as often as I can. I hope you continue to enjoy it. Thanks for reading!

7- Sakura and the Runaway Garden

It's that woman again.

Sakura wasn't surprised that she was having the dream again, but rather that it had taken so long for it to resurface. The woman looked just the same as before, doubled over with her thick hair almost completely obscuring her tear-stained face. Instead of panicking this time, Sakura sat down beside the woman and reached out a hand to her. If they couldn't communicate with words, perhaps there was another way.

It took a moment, but the woman finally noticed Sakura and lifted her head. She sniffled and spoke up, asking a question in the unknown language. Sakura couldn't understand it, so instead she simply reached out and wiped the tears away from the woman's cheek. For the first time, the woman smiled at her, and Sakura was surprised by the intensity of her own reaction. The smile was soft, still sad, and might look forced were it not for the twinge of hope that had appeared in the woman's eyes. It gave Sakura that "floaty" feeling, the lightness in her chest causing her heart to flutter. Whoever this woman was, she was not only beautiful, she also held a powerful magical energy.

Sakura's hand was still on her cheek, so the woman raised her own hand to place over Sakura's. It was a small gesture, but it seemed to clear the sense of pain that clouded the woman's aura, and her smile brightened. Sakura smiled back.

"I know you can't understand me, but I'll promise anyway... I'm going to help you."

The woman asked another question, a short one this time, probably something akin to "what?" or "pardon?" given the way she said it. Sakura pulled her hand away from the woman's cheek, instead clasping both of the woman's hands in her own. She repeated her promise slowly, trying desperately to get the point across.

"I… will... help... you."

The woman's expression didn't show any sign that she understood the speech, but she squeezed Sakura's hands, seeming to understand the friendly, reassuring tone of voice. She then responded with a statement that, once again, Sakura didn't quite get. There was one word she caught, however, and the implication of it startled her.

"-Sakura."

Huh? How does she know my-?

Sakura sat up in bed with a gasp, stopping to examine her surroundings once she realized she was no longer in the dream. It had ended too abruptly; she hadn't gotten to ask the woman all the questions she'd wanted. But she had discovered something, at least.

"She… knows my name."

Sakura didn't realize she'd said it out loud until she heard shuffling around within Kero's drawer and in the pile of stuffed animals by the windowsill. Stephen poked his head out from underneath the wing of Mr. Puffin, his ears perking up.

"Who does, Sakura-sama?"

As Stephen asked that, Kero opened his drawer a crack and peeked out. "You have that dream again?" he murmured. "I was wonderin' if it was just a onetime thing."

"Yeah, it was the same one I had a month ago after I returned from Greece." Sakura nodded her head. "I don't know who she is or why she's showing up in my dreams, but she definitely needs help. And, for some reason, she's come to me specifically- or, at least, she knows who I am."

Kero crossed his arms, leaning back as he thought it over. "Your ability to see future events in your dreams is certainly special, but it's not uncommon among magicians as powerful as you are. But the ability to communicate through dreams is something much rarer. This woman must be powerful, or at least have some powerful magic to draw upon."

"I would be cautious, Sakura-sama," Stephen added. "You first had the dream after you freed the Warp Cards. This woman in your dream may somehow be related to them or to Noboru. If she knows who you are, she must want something from you."

Kero shot him a glare. "You mean, just like you?"

"Th-that's not-"

Sakura turned over in bed, pulling the blankets back up over her shoulders. "It's only six-thirty. I'm going back to sleep for a while." She closed her eyes, drifting off for a few moments, but then snapped alert again. "Wait a minute! It's Saturday- I have to leave early!"

Kero groaned. "Leaving early on a Saturday? You're kiddin' me. Can't the school give you kids a break every once in a while?"

"We don't have classes today," Sakura explained as she stood up and walked over to the closet, "it's a field trip. Part of this new experiential learning thing they're doing. We're going to that show farm, remember?"

Kero perked up and jumped up onto the desk. "Oh! No wonder you've had this brochure sitting on your desk. Explore the interactive exhibits and learn about the development of agriculture through the ages... sounds kinda boring to me."

Stephen jumped up onto the desk beside Kero, reading over his shoulder. "Wind your way through the hedge maze in our ornamental garden with over a kilometer of twisting and turning pathways, or treat yourself to some homemade ice cream from our on-site creamery-"

"Ice cream?!" Kero gasped and scanned the page. "Oh man, that sounds amazing! Sakura, you've gotta take me with you! Please, oh please, can I come with you?"

Sakura had finished putting on her uniform and was busy brushing her hair. "What? No way," she replied, turning from the dresser to look back at him. "Everyone from school is going to be there, and with food involved, I know I can't count on you to stay quiet."

"Aw, c'mon, Sakura! Pleeease!" Kero flew over to the dresser as she tied her hair up, landing on her shoulder. "You don't know when another Warp Card is gonna show up. What if there's danger and you need help from Stephanos or me? We've gotta come with you-"

"You just want to pig out on ice cream!" Sakura turned to him, brushing him off her shoulder. "I'll be fine. If there's any trouble, Tomoyo and Syaoran will be there to help."

Stephen was still absorbed in reading the brochure, so he wasn't paying much attention to Kero and Sakura's argument. The two continued to bicker back and forth as Sakura gathered her things, but eventually she finished with a "you can't come and that's final" before closing the door behind her. Kero dropped to the floor, his wings drooping.

"...but the ice cream…"

Stephen looked up as he heard the door close. "Wait! Did Sakura-sama leave already?"

"...she left us behind… without ice cream…"

Setting the brochure down, Stephen scrambled over to the window and pushed it open. He scurried out onto it and waited until Sakura appeared at the front gate below. As she opened it and started out onto the sidewalk, Stephen waved and called out "HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY, SAKURA-SAMA!"

Sakura looked up, smiled, and waved back.

"I will!"

The bus was full of first-year students, all chatting with varying levels of excitement about the upcoming trip. Sakura was sitting toward the front next to Tomoyo, admiring the green wristband she'd been given and comparing it to the pink ones worn by Naoko and Chiharu in the seat next to her.

"It's too bad we won't be in the same group for the demonstrations," Naoko was saying, "but we should meet up during our free time this afternoon. It starts at two o'clock, once the after-lunch session ends. I say we go straight for the creamery before the line gets too long-"

"Won't everyone be doing that, though?" Rika leaned into the aisle from the seat behind them to join in the conversation. "I don't want to miss out on the hedge maze, but if we wait too long to go in, we might be stuck inside when it's time to leave."

Tomoyo giggled. "They wouldn't leave us. I'm sure they'd send someone in to escort us to the exit."

"But that would take all the fun out of it!" Naoko protested, and Tomoyo and Chiharu both laughed.

Sakura glanced out the window at the scenery that was quickly changing from urban sprawl to rural fields, and then leaned back to direct a question to the person sitting behind her.

"Syaoran-kun? What do you think we should do fi-"

She didn't even get the chance to finish the question as she realized Yamazaki already had Syaoran's full attention. He noticed Sakura's question and stopped his monologue just long enough to sit up on his knees and look over the back of the seat.

"Oh, Sakura-san! I was just telling Li-kun all about the history of hedge mazes. Would you like to hear it too?"

She did, of course, but the abrupt subject change left her struggling for words. "Oh, I- uh…"

"I was just discussing their medieval origins with Li-kun, how they were built by monks who would walk the path as a form of meditation." Yamazaki pressed on, unfazed. "To keep them from getting lost while they were deep in prayer, these early mazes were simple, with a single path connecting one entrance and one exit. But soon, rich people started imitating these mazes on their own estates, and decided to make them a little more interesting. The most famous and elaborate of these early private mazes was the Labyrinth of Versailles, which was lavishly decorated with statues and fountains of-"

"Yamazaki, please sit properly while the bus is moving."

The voice of a teacher interrupted their conversation, and Yamazaki sat back down with a sigh. "You're in the green group too, right, Sakura-san? We can talk later about King Louis XIV and the Labyrinth of Versailles…"

Sakura could only nod in agreement. So much for talking with Syaoran this morning.

It was the perfect weather for a field trip, the bright sunshine taking the edge off the early-Autumn chill in the air. The students disembarked the bus in front of a large, western-style farmhouse, where several employees were directing them into different groups. Sakura and Tomoyo disembarked first, followed by Chiharu and Naoko, and then by Yamazaki and Syaoran, with Syaoran still enraptured by Yamazaki's every word. Sakura was hanging back, trying to catch what was being said, but she was interrupted by a voice from beside her.

"Alright, don't bunch up. Follow the path around the side of the house and gather under the flag that matches your wristband."

Sakura spun around. "Oh no," she began, her curious expression turning sour. "What are you doing here?"

Before he could answer, Tomoyo smiled and waved. "Good morning, Touya-san, Yukito-san!"

Yukito leaned in next to Touya, offering a friendly wave in reply. "Good morning, everyone!"

"We're working the school and family tours here this weekend," Touya added, finally getting in a response to Sakura's question. "We have more school groups coming later in the day, so hurry it up."

"I thought you guys were working at a hotel this weekend," Sakura protested, stepping off the path to get out of the way of her classmates. "What are you doing here?"

"There were some vacancies in the temp agency, so we had to shuffle around assignments," Yukito explained. "Touya and I volunteered to come out here, since it looked like fun-"

"Kinomoto, Daidouji, is there a problem here?"

It was Noboru-sensei's voice. Both Sakura and Tomoyo jumped and turned around. "No sir!" Tomoyo responded. "Just speaking to some friends of ours-"

"I know you're excited, but this is not a trip for socializing. Go catch up with your group."

"Yes, sir!"

The two girls ran off down the path, and Noboru looked over Touya and Yukito. "I hope-" he began with a pointed glare, "-that you men weren't harassing my students."

Yukito's face turned pale as he realized just what Noboru was accusing them of. "What? No, of course not-"

"That's my sister," Touya interrupted, pointing in the direction that Sakura had gone. "I'm Kinomoto Touya. It's a pleasure to meet you... Noboru, I'm assuming."

"Ah, I see. You're the brother." Noboru's eyes lit up in recognition. "Now that I think about it, I do see the resemblance. She takes a little more after your mother, I think."

Touya bristled. "How do you know what my mother looked like?"

"What? No, no, I don't. It was merely an assumption based on your father's appearance. I've met him many times during his excavations in the Peloponnese. He's a good man, surprisingly."

"What do you mean, surprisingly?"

Noboru laughed. "That's not for you to worry about. Kinomoto is a good man. I expect you follow his example."

"Wh-" Touya gasped and leaned forward. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"If you'll excuse me, I have students to attend to. It was good meeting you, Kinomoto Touya." Noboru turned away with a wave. "And good seeing you too, Yue."

By the time Touya and Yukito realized what he'd said, he was already down the path following the groups of students. Touya started after him but Yukito reached out and grabbed his arm.

"That teacher… for some reason, he makes the other me angry. It feels like he's filled with rage. It's all I can do not to transform and chase after him right now."

Touya was silent and stared at Yukito in surprise. "Your other self, huh? That's Yue- the name the teacher called you by. He really must be the reincarnation of that Warp Neon guy that Sakura was telling us about."

"You think?"

"You're the one who would know."

Yukito retracted his hand with a sigh. "I wish I could say for sure. All the other m- er, Yue- can tell is that he's not someone to be trusted. Now that Sakura has refused to work with him, there's no telling what he'll do."

There was a moment of silence as Touya considered the statement. Eventually, he nodded and turned back to the farmhouse.

"Then we'd better keep an eye out for Sakura's sake. Come on."

The green group gathered near the greenhouses for their morning session. By the time Sakura caught up, Yamazaki was still lecturing Syaoran about the Labyrinth of Versailles.

"-and the water for the thirty-nine fountains was pumped from the Seine using massive water wheels that were over ten meters in diameter-"

"Oh, I think I missed something," Sakura broke in. "What was that about fountains?"

Syaoran and Yamazaki turned around to face her. "Where were you?" Syaoran asked. "They're about to get started with the presentation."

"Oh, uh, we were talking to my brother," Sakura replied. "He and Yukito-san are working here today."

Syaoran groaned. "Geez, they just can't keep out of our business, can they?"

"It's a little frustrating, but I don't think they mean any harm…" Sakura glanced over at Noboru, who was busy talking to some of the education staff. "Noboru-sensei came and interrupted us, though."

"He did?"

"Well, when we left, he said something to them about harassing students," Tomoyo pointed out, "as if he thought they were hitting on us. If that's the case, he definitely didn't recognize them and was just keeping us safe."

"It's true. College students shouldn't be flirting with high schoolers." Syaoran sighed, allowing himself to look away from Noboru again. "He really does act like a model teacher."

"-added in 1677 for Louis XIV's young son as an educational tool-" Yamazaki was still going, seemingly oblivious to his lack of an audience. Before Sakura and Syaoran could catch up with what he was saying, Noboru called the group to follow after him for the session. Sakura, Tomoyo, and Syaoran followed after the group of students, leaving Yamazaki behind, still talking.

"Hello, everyone!" A cheery voice chimed in, breaking through the group's commotion. The students turned to look at the woman who'd addressed them, a tall, sturdily built woman in one of the guide uniforms who was waving a little green tour flag. "Green group, if you could follow me, I'll take you over to our first stop this morning. I'm one of the botanists here here, and-"

She continued to introduce herself as Sakura and the others shuffled along after her and followed her into one of the large greenhouses. The air was warm inside, and Sakura removed her blazer, tying it around her waist as she listened to the introduction.

"-that it's become a buzzword in the media lately. But does anyone know what genetic modification actually means?"

Yamazaki raised his hand, waving it back and forth to vie for the guide's attention. It wasn't necessary, considering he was the only one eager to answer, but his eagerness made the guide smile.

"Yes, young man there?"

"Genetic modification is the introduction of beneficial genes into crops or livestock to increase yield or decrease susceptibility to disease."

"Very good!" The guide clapped her hands together. "That's the form of genetic modification we commonly see today. But it's just one kind of modification. In reality, humans have been genetically modifying crops since the invention of agriculture over twelve-thousand years ago. They did this through what's known as selective breeding, which means they chose to sow only the seeds of the plants that produced the largest and most delicious yields. Over generations, this significantly altered these plants from their natural state into the forms that we know today."

She continued over to a table along the path, picking up a group of laminated photographs and passing them out to students. The kids clamored around, reaching out to take a picture and then stepping back to examine it. Sakura pushed forward to get one, and when she did, she stepped back to where Tomoyo and Syaoran were waiting patiently. They moved to her side and looked over her shoulder.

"It's a cherry," Tomoyo observed. "How fitting!"

"But have we changed cherries all that much?" Syaoran asked, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized the image. "I mean, people still eat wild cherries, even if they're kinda sour..."

"Everyone!" The guide waved the little flag to catch the students' attention. "These pictures I've just handed out show some of the common fruits and vegetables we eat every day before human intervention. Your job is to figure out what modern fruit or vegetable is descended from yours. Some are easier than others- work in groups and see if you can get it."

The commotion started up again in full force as the students were now given permission to talk amongst themselves. Amid the fervor, Sakura raised her hand and held up her picture. "Um," she began, making sure the guide was paying attention, "this is a cherry, right?"

"Hmm, it looks like a cherry, doesn't it?" the guide responded with a smile. "It's in the same genus as the cherry, but through artificial selection, we've made it much bigger and sweeter. They're so closely related, you could almost think of it as the cherry's big brother."

Before Sakura could realize what she was saying, she blurted out "peach!" at the top of her lungs. The rest of the group turned and stared at her, and she felt her face turn red as she worked out the logic behind her sudden conclusion. "Ah, n-no, I mean-"

"Yes, exactly! Good job!" The guide, unfazed, reached out and took the picture from Sakura so that she could hold it up. "Everyone look over here for a moment. As you can see, this small fruit that looks like a cherry is actually the predecessor of our modern-day peaches. It was cultivated in the fertile Yangtze River Valley in China, and by the time it was brought to Japan during the Jōmon period, it already resembled the peaches we see today."

There was another commotion as the students expressed their excitement and disbelief, but they quickly went back to their own pictures, making observations and debating with their neighbors. Sakura turned back to Tomoyo and Syaoran with a defeated sigh.

"I can't believe I just said that out loud… how embarrassing."

"You got the right answer, though," Tomoyo offered. "I didn't know that cherries and peaches were so closely related, though. Their flowers are so similar, I should've guessed... you should tell your brother. I bet he'd get a kick out of it!"

"No way am I telling Onii-chan about this! I'm embarrassed enough as it is!"

"Everyone, come take a look at this one now. This little berry-like fruit has been cultivated to make our modern-day eggplants..."

The session continued as the guide expounded upon ancient methods of artificial selection, the use of pea plants in the early study of genetics, and the development of more modern genetic engineering practices. Sakura had never really been interested in plants or agriculture, but the unfamiliarity of the subject and the enthusiasm of the guide held her interest. There were so many different ways of changing and altering plants and so many ethical dilemmas that she'd never even considered finding in the realm of agriculture. The session was supposed to last an hour and a half, but it didn't feel like long at all before the lecture was over and the guide led them back to the greenhouse door where they'd first entered.

"We have a few extra minutes before our break, so I can answer any questions you might have about the presentation."

Several hands shot up, and Noboru looked over the group. "One at a time, please. We'll start with… Kanda?"

"Yes, um, I had a question about the gene-editing technology. If they can edit plant genes, can they edit human genes too?"

"Ah, well…" The guide seemed to freeze up momentarily. "...yes, there are ways of doing that, but the major ethical issues involved make it difficult to-"

"Follow-up question," the girl beside him added, her hand shooting up as she spoke, "are the corporations currently placing patents on genetically modified crops setting a dangerous precedent for a dystopian future where human beings will be required to pay royalties to companies for their own existence or face imprisonment for breaching international patent laws-?"

"Kanda, Hayashi, please." Noboru interrupted, speaking their names in a stern warning. "Questions about plants only."

"S-sorry," the two answered, and Kanda spoke up again. "So, uh, would it be possible to genetically engineer a venus flytrap to eat meat instead of insects?"

Hayashi nodded and jumped in with "And if so, would there be a danger of said venus flytrap developing a taste preference for humanflesh and-?"

"Excuse me."

Before she could finish her question, another farm employee entered through the greenhouse door and addressed the guide. The guide nodded at her coworker and waved at the group. "I apologize, but we need to speak privately for a moment. Perhaps you can discuss your own ideas about these, um, interesting questions."

As the employees stepped away, Kanda and Hayashi approached Sakura's group with eager expressions. "Yamazaki-kun, what do you know about venus flytraps?" Kanda asked, slapping a hand on his shoulder. "You've always got some nuggets of wisdom to share."

"I sure do!" Yamazaki exclaimed. "Did you know that venus flytraps are native to only a small area on the southeast coast of North America? It's a place called the Green Swamp that's famous for its beautiful native orchids. But to see them in bloom, you have to survive the carnivorous plants, giant alligators, venom-spitting spiders, and frequent forest fires…"

Sakura inched away from the group. It wasn't that she was uninterested in hearing about the danger-infested home of the venus flytrap, but she had noticed Noboru-sensei listening in on the employees' conversation, and she wondered just what was going on. "Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo spoke up, following her. "What's going on?"

"I wonder what the guide is talking about. She seems worried, and it looks like sensei is interested too. But everyone's being so loud, I can't make out what they're saying."

"Are you sure something's wrong? It might just be something about the other groups, and Noboru-sensei is interested because he's a teacher."

"Yeah, but…" Sakura began and stopped herself. "...well…"

"Do you sense something strange?" Tomoyo lowered her voice. "A Warp Card?"

"Maybe," Sakura whispered back. "I can't tell, though. All I know is that there's something-"

"STUDENTS!"

The loud yell from behind them caused both Sakura and Tomoyo to jump. They swiveled around on their heels and looked back at Noboru with obedient smiles. "Y-yes sir?" the responded in time with the others.

"Our session time has ended, so we're going to take a ten minute break. You can use this time to visit the restroom, eat a snack, talk to your friends, and the like. Just don't stray too far from the main area. We're meeting back outside the greenhouse exactly ten minutes from now."

"Yes sir!"

Sakura let out a sigh as she followed the group out the door. "Geez, that scared me."

"Me too," Tomoyo replied. "But at least it seems like nothing's wrong."

"Yeah, but-" Sakura began, but stopped as she caught the tail end of a sentence from the guide as they passed by.

"-shouldn't be a concern if you've roped off the area. I still have two more groups to get through."

"But the whole thing seems to be growing at an exponential rate. We can't seem to contain it, and if it reaches any of the buildings-"

"That's impossible. Even kudzu doesn't grow that fast."

"I know that perfectly well! But I can't explain why-"

"Kinomoto!" It was Noboru's voice, and Sakura flinched. She realized that she was the only student left in the greenhouse, and that definitely looked suspicious. If there was something going on- and it sounded like there was- Noboru now knew that she was aware of it.

"S-sorry, sir! I was just heading out!" She waved as she passed him, and he nodded in response.

"Don't get separated from the group, Kinomoto. It could be dangerous."

Dangerous. He spoke that last word almost like a promise, the vague hint of a smile on his lips as he said it. With that, there was no doubt remaining that something strange was going on.

She just had to find out what it was.

It didn't take long.

Once Sakura made it outside the greenhouse, she hurried over to the picnic area where her friends were gathered. Syaoran had finally managed to pull himself away from Yamazaki's lecture on venus flytraps and other carnivorous plants, and joined Tomoyo at one of the tables.

"Finally got tired of the lecture, huh?" she was asking with a friendly grin. Syaoran blushed and looked away.

"It was interesting at first, but he lost me when he said that there were toilet plants that lure tree shrews to sit on them so that they can eat their…. well…"

Tomoyo began to laugh, and Syaoran's blush intensified.

"Hey! Don't laugh at me! I told you I didn't believe it, didn't I-?"

"Um, you guys?"

At the sound of Sakura's voice, they both looked up. "Oh, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo gasped. "Did you find out anything?"

"Well, I couldn't get any details from their conversation before sensei chased me out, but… there's definitely something strange going on here."

"A Warp Card?" Syaoran asked.

"Could be. I do sense something similar, but it's pretty faint. Maybe if we find Onii-chan and Yukito-san, they can tell us more."

"I think I saw them head into the gift shop after we found our group," Tomoyo said, turning and pointing toward the main building. "Let's go see."

No sooner did the three of them start off in the direction of the main building than Touya and Yukito emerged with boxes in their arms. Sakura waved, and they stopped to look in her direction.

"Sakura, what are you doing? Stay with your group-" Touya's scolding didn't get very far before Sakura interrupted.

"We know, we know! Can you just tell us what's going on? Something strange is up, and we need to know what it is!"

Touya and Yukito paused, glancing at one another.

"Well, we're taking some equipment out to the garden area. Apparently they're having some trouble cutting back the hedges."

"Cutting them back…?" Syaoran asked.

"I saw them earlier," Touya answered with a nod. "It was crazy- they were perfectly manicured this morning, and now it looks like a scene from some kind of post-apocalyptic movie."

"...Sakura-chan," Yukito began again, his voice uncharacteristically serious, "the other me is wondering if… if you think this is-"

"Yeah, I'm sure it must be."

"Th-then we-!" Yukito started looking back and forth frantically, waving his box as though he were searching for someone to hand it off to. Sakura grabbed the box, not taking it from him but just trying to hold him still.

"Don't jeopardize your jobs for us. We can handle this. I'll call Kero-chan and Stephen, and they'll help us capture the card."

"But…" Touya began, but Yukito nudged him and shook his head.

"Let's get these over to the garden area right now. We can stay over there and keep an eye on things for Sakura-chan's sake, alright?"

"...fine…"

Sakura smiled as she watched them go, but Syaoran nudged her and pointed to his watch.

"We've got five minutes left. If you're going to call Kerberos and Stephen, you'll need to do it fast."

"Ah! R-right!" Sakura pulled her phone out of her pocket, fumbling with it to get a decent grip. "Oh, but I really shouldn't be using this here. Should we…?"

Tomoyo caught on and nodded, grabbing Sakura's hand. "Come on. This way."

The three took shelter around the back of the main building, along the back wall next to the fence around the generator. Syaoran covered his ears, speaking over to Tomoyo slowly enough that she could read his lips if necessary.

"It's too loud here! We'll never be able to understand each other-"

"And no one will hear us," Tomoyo responded with a thumbs-up. Syaoran sighed, but he didn't argue as he saw Sakura press a finger to her lips.

"Shh! It's ringing. ...hey, Kero-chan, can you- NO, this is NOT about the ice cream! I SAID NO. Just- NO. Please go get Stephen. I need your- I NEED YOUR HELP. IT'S A WA- YES, A WARP CARD. NO, I DON'T KNOW WHICH IT IS. THAT'S WHY I NEE- THAT. IS. WHY. I. NEED. STEPHEN. THANK know what? While you're gone, I'm gonna get away from this generator."

Sakura moved along the side of the building away from the fence, stopping by the corner so that she still couldn't be seen from the other side. She waited impatiently for the sound of Stephen's voice on the other end of the phone, nervously tugging at the sleeves of her blazer that was still tied around her waist. Finally, she heard his and Kero's voices approaching the phone, and Stephen's voice came through on the other end.

"Sakura-sama? Are you there? Your picture isn't on the phone-"

"This is just a voice call. I'm not sending vid- ah, forget that! We don't have time! There's a Warp Card here and it's causing all the hedges to overgrow, and I need to know what it is and where I can find it to capture it!"

"Wha-? S-slow down for a second, Sakura-sama! I can't-"

"Didn't you hear her? She doesn't have time to slow down!" Kero scolded. "A Warp Card that makes plants grow. What is it and where is it hiding?"

"Th-that… well…" Stephen's voice cracked as he spoke. "...I mean, it's possible it's The Parasite, but I don't know why it would cause uncontrolled growth like that… and The Labyrinth creates its own maze rather than taking over another… The Vegetation was created to either kill plants or cause destructive overgrowth, so it's most likely Vegetation-"

Syaoran pulled on Sakura's free hand. "They're calling us," he whispered, and she nodded.

"Stephen, quick, one last question! Where will I find Vegetation's true form?"

"You should find it in the middle of the densest growth. But be careful! It can 'see' through any plant it controls, no matter how far away, so it could easily attack you when you're-"

"Got it! Thanks, bye!"

She pressed the END CALL button and shoved the phone into her pocket, turning on her heels and rushing back to the other side of the building. Tomoyo and Syaoran met her halfway, pointing back toward the picnic area.

"They're calling us," Tomoyo said. "What do we do? If there's a card causing trouble, we can't just ignore it, but…"

"I'll handle this," Sakura replied, digging into her other pocket and pulling out one of the Sakura Cards. She grasped her key with her free hand and uttered a rushed version of the incantation. Within a single second, she'd taken the staff and activated the card. "Reflect my image to create another me! MIRROR!"

Mirror's physical form materialized and emerged as Sakura, complete with the bright-green wristband and the wrinkled blazer tied around her waist. She looked to Sakura for instructions, but Sakura took her hand and placed it in Tomoyo's.

"You two go back to the group. Tell them that Syaoran-kun got sick and you accompanied him to the infirmary. We'll head to the garden and see if we can get into the maze without being seen. Alright?"

Tomoyo and Mirror both nodded. "Alright!"

"Kinomoto! Daidouji! There you are!" Yamazaki and Kanda ran to greet them. "Where's Li-kun?"

"H-he was feeling sick, so we went with him to the infirmary," Tomoyo replied, a little out of breath. "They said we should come back and join the group for now, and we can check on him at lunch."

"Aw, geez, I hope he's okay," Yamazaki sighed, scratching the back of his head. "He seemed fine just a few minutes ago when I was talking. Was it, like, stomach problems? Something he ate-?"

"We should go tell Noboru-sensei," Kanda interrupted, grabbing Yamazaki's arm and pulling him back toward the rest of the group. Tomoyo and Mirror glanced at one another and then followed after the boys until they caught up and fell into step with the others. Noboru caught sight of them and pushed his way through the group.

"There you are! Where have you been? I said ten minutes- we're late for the dairy demonstration. Where is Li-?"

"Li-kun is in the infirmary," Kanda spoke up, gesturing toward Tomoyo and Mirror. "Kinomoto knows more."

Mirror stiffened as Noboru's gaze settled on her. There was a pause as the group quieted down, all waiting to hear what she had to say. Tomoyo saw that she was frozen in place, however, and stepped in.

"His stomach was hurting, so Sakura-chan's brother showed us where the infirmary was. The nurse there said that he could stay while the rest of the group continued with the demonstrations, and we could check back at lunchtime."

Noboru frowned. "I see. I'll let your homeroom teacher know. First, let's get over to the dairy barn for the next demonstration. And Kinomoto-"

Mirror flinched as he spoke Sakura's name.

"-I didn't say anything because it was hot in the greenhouse, but now that we're outside, please wear your uniform properly."

She was still frozen in place when he finished the sentence, and stayed that way as he stared as though waiting for her to follow his instructions. A low murmur passed through the group, and Kanda reached out to her with a concerned "Kinomoto, you okay?" Tomoyo was quick to jump in, pulling Mirror close and pulling the blazer from around her waist.

"She's just worried about Li-kun. Let's head over to the dairy barn; I'm sure the demonstration will take her mind off of it."

Noboru sighed and moved back to the head of the group. "Fair enough. Come on, then. Let's go."

Tomoyo helped a still-silent Mirror put on her blazer and held her hand as they followed along with the group. "Are you alright? He seems scary, but he won't hurt you-"

"That man… I know him from somewhere. His features are unfamiliar, but his aura… his soul… I know it from long ago, and it's…"

"Sakura-san? You feeling bad too?" Yamazaki hung back a little, leaning over so that they could talk without Noboru hearing. "If you need to sit down, I bet there'll be a place when we get to the barn-"

"Oh, no, no!" Mirror was quick to respond, putting on one of Sakura's usual perky smiles. "I was just worrying about Syaoran. It's alright."

"He'll be fine. You should take notes for him so that he doesn't miss out. You know, many cultures around the world have worshiped cows, including the ancient Egyptians. In fact, there was an Egyptian religious text known as the Book of the Heavenly Cow, which was found in the tombs of several famous pharaohs including Ramses the Great and King Tut…"

Mirror leaned over and whispered to Tomoyo, "is all of this true?"

Tomoyo just smiled. "Sure it is. Sakura-chan's classmates wouldn't lie to her, would they?"

"No, I suppose not…"

Sakura and Syaoran surveyed the garden area from afar, examining the configuration of barriers and workers lined up around it. The hedges were just as Touya had described them, overgrown with weeds and vines to the point that it was almost impossible to see what shape the hedge had originally been trimmed to. Sakura had to cover her mouth to prevent letting out a yelp of surprise when she first saw it, but Syaoran was silent, his analytical mind already working to find the best way to get in without arousing suspicion.

"If you use The Silent, we can probably climb around the barriers without drawing attention to ourselves," he spoke up, pointing to an area around the backside of the gardens where there weren't any people. "Then you could get us into the maze itself using The Through, and no one would be able to see us from the outside."

"If the hedges are too thick, Through might take too much magic, since I'm already supporting Mirror-" Sakura protested, but Syaoran shook his head.

"The magic required for Through does depend on the thickness of the wall, but it also depends on the material. Something with many gaps like a hedge is far easier for Through to handle than something solid."

"I see…" Sakura dug into her pocket and pulled out three cards. "Silent and Through will help us get in, and once we're in the maze, I can use Sword to protect us from the vines."

Syaoran nodded. "Once we're inside the maze, I can summon my magical sword as well."

"Oh, that's right! I forgot you can do that- good thinking."

Sakura glanced around the side of the building, confirming that the workers were preoccupied enough with their own jobs that they weren't looking in this direction. She used her staff to activate Silent and led the way as quickly as possible around the back side of the garden, clambering over the large plastic barriers that had been set up. She almost activated Jump out of habit, but then remembered that the extra magic would probably draw too much power away from either Silent or Mirror- both of which could blow their cover. So she continued across until she made it to the other side and could stop to catch her breath. Syaoran was already there once she arrived, and while she opened her mouth to ask him how he'd managed it, Silent swallowed up her words as she spoke them. The question was unnecessary, however, as she noticed the dirt and grass stains on the back of his blazer. Ah, he'd gone under the barriers instead of trying to climb them. Probably the best approach now that she thought about it. She'd have to do his laundry later to thank him.

Deactivating Silent with a second tap of the card, she quietly called upon The Through, aiming her staff at the writhing mass of leaves and vines that made up the side of the hedge. The branches were already reaching out for them, but Through opened up a hole in the side of the mass of plants and the two hurried through before the branches could fill it in again. There was barely any space along what had been the maze path, but there was at least a clear line along the ground that indicated where to go, and that was all they needed.

Once in the maze, the branches and vines along the walls immediately began to close in, reaching out to restrain them. Sakura activated The Sword, and Syaoran drew his magical power forth to summon his own magical blade.

"Allow me to cut my way through the maze of vines! SWORD!"

With their swords in hand, the two began to cut their way slowly along the maze path, Sakura leading the way and Syaoran making sure that the branches didn't attack them from the rear. As they made their way deeper into the hedges, they could see the walls around them becoming thicker and taller. However, the path looped around and sent them back toward the outside of the maze at times, and twice they found themselves at a dead end and had to retrace their steps.

"This is starting to feel pointless. I don't think there's much point in following the maze path if it's just going to get us lost. We need to orient ourselves toward the center and use Through to approach in a straight line."

Sakura frowned. "But that would require me to get rid of the Sword. Wouldn't that make us more vulnerable?" As they were speaking they were swinging their swords to keep the branches and vines at bay, and it made things all the more difficult. "If we could use our swords to cut through the hedges, then-"

"Maybe the Sword card could do it, but mine isn't able to cut through the sturdy branches and trunks of the hedges. It would take too much time and effort, and we'd be swallowed up. These little vines and offshoots, I can cut through easily. You just worry about making a path, and I'll keep us safe."

"Are you sure you can handle it?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. You have to focus on finding and purifying the card."

"R-right! I guess I'll try it…"

"Okay! Kneel down; I'll cover for you!"

Sakura got close to the ground so that the plants couldn't get to her, deactivating Sword and swapping it out for Through. "Make us a path through the hedges into the center of the maze! THROUGH!"

Syaoran had underestimated the ferocity of the branches and vines, and was having trouble keeping up as he swung violently in all directions. By the time that Through had cut through the hedges in front of them, there were already vines tied around Syaoran's legs and arms. Sakura started to run through, but she stopped and looked back when she realized he wasn't following her.

"Syaoran-kun-"

"Don't worry about me! If you wait too long, Through's paths will get filled back in! Just go!"

The vines were now doubling up their grip on him, and it was getting more and more difficult for him to struggle against them. Sakura hesitated further, reaching for The Sword again, but Syaoran noticed and yelled.

"JUST GO!"

Seeing the seriousness in his eyes, Sakura turned on her heels and dashed through the openings in the hedges, having to duck and push her way through the new growth that was filling in the gaps that Through had created. She finally staggered into the circle of hedges in the center, but when she turned around to call back to Syaoran, the pathway had completely filled in and she wasn't able to see him anymore. "SYAORAN!" she screamed, already feeling vines reaching for her legs and looping themselves around her ankles.

"SAKURA! FOCUS ON SEALING THE CARD! ITS PHYSICAL FORM MUST BE IN THE CENTER OF TH-"

His voice cut off abruptly, a few vaguely muffled noises making their way through the area before it went completely silent. Sakura gritted her teeth and tried to shake the vines from around her ankles, but they were so strong, she had to call on The Sword again.

"H-help me cut through to reveal the card's true form! SWORD!"

If she wanted to get into the center of the greenery, she'd have to cut through on her own. It was a mass of branches and vines, growing up into the sky as far as she could see. The Vegetation had to be hiding at the center of it, but the more she sliced into it with Sword, the more the branches and vines grew to fill it in. She had to stop every so often to slice through vines that were holding onto her legs and arms, and that only allowed the center hedge to grow and further heal from the few swings she'd made into it.

There's gotta be another way… Sword isn't strong enough, and Through won't help me if I want to get inside of it… what other card can I use? I can only use one at a time, since Mirror is covering for me, but the time required to switch out might-

Her train of thought was cut off as one of the vines jerked at her ankle, sending her toppling over. She dropped her staff and it fell to the ground alongside her, quickly getting covered over by branches. "NO!" she gasped, plunging her hands in after it. This only got her more stuck, as the branches sent out shoots that snaked up her arms and around her torso. The plants lifted her up off the ground and began snaking around her body, and the more she struggled, the tighter they squeezed.

If I don't get out of here soon, I'm gonna suffocate! But without my staff, what can I do-?

Her breath caught in her throat as a vine wrapped itself around her chest and pulled tightly against her lungs.

No… it can't… do this… I have to… have to…

For a brief moment, everything turned black around her.

The presentation at the dairy barn held the students' interest even moreso than the greenhouse presentation had, and they lined up around the edge of the fence, all clamoring for a chance to try their hand at milking the cow. Tomoyo and Mirror hung back toward the back of the group, watching everyone else. Tomoyo looked over to ask if Mirror wanted to give it a try, but she found her glancing around with a nervous expression.

"Something wrong, Sakura-chan?"

Mirror jumped and turned back to Tomoyo. "N-no, that's not… er, I was just wondering where the teacher went. He isn't here."

"Huh?" Tomoyo looked back toward the back of the group where Noboru had been standing. "You're right. He said something about letting Shimazaki-sensei know about Syaoran-kun, so maybe he went to find her group instead."

"But if she goes to the infirmary and doesn't find him, will Sakura get in trouble?"

Tomoyo glanced around and pressed a finger to her lips. "You're Sakura, remember?" she whispered.

"But-"

"Is there anyone who wants to try and hasn't gotten a chance?"

The voice from their guide sent another clamor of noise through the group from a few students who were still trying to get to the front of the line. Yamazaki looked back to Tomoyo.

"Are you sure you and Sakura-chan don't want to try?"

"We're fine," Tomoyo answered, waving one hand dismissively. "It's better to let the ones who are excited about it have a turn, right, Sakura-chan?"

There was no answer, and before Tomoyo could turn to look, Yamazaki broke in with a question of his own.

"Where'd Sakura-san go, exactly?"

"Huh?" Tomoyo twirled around in surprise to find that Mirror had disappeared- or, rather, that there was nothing left where she had been standing. Her eyes shot to the ground to see the figure of a Sakura Card lying on the dirt floor, and she quickly picked it up and shoved it behind her back. "Oh, um, she started feeling sick too, so she went back over to the infirmary to speak with the nurse."

"Huh? Sakura-san too? How strange…" Yamazaki frowned. "I wonder if it's something contagious. Shouldn't we tell Noboru-sensei? Where is he-?"

"He went with her!" Tomoyo lied. "She'll be alright, don't worry."

"I'm not worried. It's just, now that Sakura-san and Li-kun aren't around, I…" He glanced over at the other students and perked up. "Oh! Kanda-kun! Hayashi-san! Did you know about the ancient Egyptian Book of the Heavenly Cow that was written on the tombs of the pharaohs-"

Tomoyo sighed in relief as Yamazaki's attention turned elsewhere, but she pulled the Mirror card from behind her back and examined it in concern.

"Sakura-chan…? What happened?"

The world seemed to spin, and when Sakura opened her eyes again, she was on the ground, lying on her side. A voice had yelled from beside her, with a stern warning for the plants to "STOP!," and Sakura heard the voice continue in an eerie incantation.

"Creatures of chaos, disruptors of peace, the son of Poseidon commands thee to cease; let the winds of your destruction be still: surrender thyself unto thy master's will. WARP CARD."

Sakura could breathe again, and so she was slowly regaining her ability to understand what was happening around her. She sat up, rubbing her eyes as she took in the scene- all the plants were retreating, returning to the state they'd been in before the card took over. Standing in front of Sakura was a man, and when he kneeled down to check on her, his identity became clear.

"S-Sensei…" she gasped.

"I'm so sorry, Kinomoto-san. Are you alright?" Noboru reached out and tilted her head upwards to examine her neck for any sign of bruises the card might have left behind. "This card was just too much for you to handle on your own."

"H… how did you…?" Sakura began, still not completely sure what was going on.

"I realized that girl with Daidouji-san was not you when I spoke with her. What is she, Clow Card disguised as a human?"

"That's-"

"Sorry, that's not my main concern. I came here under the pretense of visiting Li-san in the infirmary. Where is he? Still trapped in the maze somewhere?"

"...yes."

"Let's find him, then, and take both of you to the infirmary to rest. You've done enough work for one day, I think."

Noboru took Sakura's hand, his grip gentle. He didn't pull, merely leading her in the direction and waiting for her to follow along. It was strange, there didn't seem to be anything but concern in his voice, and his eyes had seemed to hold genuine worry for her wellbeing. But the card in his hand…

He noticed her looking at The Vegetation and slipped it into his pocket before she could get a good view. "Now, now, none of that. You shouldn't be so curious about a card that nearly killed you. Be a little more conscious of your own safety, alright?"

Sakura said nothing, focusing on the dirt beneath her feet while they walked. This was humiliating, having to be rescued by someone she considered her enemy. While she'd considered this potential outcome, she'd expected him to gloat over his victory and deride her for her weakness. But this was so much worse. He was feeling sorry for her, helping her and pitying her while he did so. It stung.

And, worst of all, the card wasn't purified. It was still evil, and back in the possession of someone who would misuse its power.

She'd failed the card.

"Sakura?"

There was a knock on her bedroom door, and she looked up from the pillow to see her father peeking in, a tray of food in his hands. She sat up to greet him, adjusting the pillows behind her. "D-Dad, you're home already! How long was I asleep…?"

"Touya called me, so I came home a little early. Here- would you like some rice soup?"

Fujitaka sat on the side of the bed, offering the tray to Sakura. She nodded and helped him position the tray so that it was stable on her lap. It smelled good, reminding her of her skipped lunch, and she dug in without even testing the temperature. The hot broth scalded her mouth, and she washed it down with a few gulps of water. Fujitaka chuckled as he watched.

"I'm glad to see you have an appetite, but don't burn yourself."

"A little late for that warning," Sakura mumbled, placing the cup back down on the tray. She noticed that the bowl and cup were all her father had brought, and looked up at him again. "Did you bring any medicine with you?"

Fujitaka frowned. "Are you feeling sick? Touya said that he thought you were just a little overwhelmed with everything that's going on."

"Oh… yeah, that's right." Sakura blushed and looked down at the soup again, following the grains of rice as they swirled around her spoon. "I'm sorry. It's kind of embarrassing, so I just told everyone that I was sick…"

"Sakura," Fujitaka began, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "you don't have to be sick to need some rest. You've been doing so well in school lately, even your math grades have improved. Your cheerleading club won silver in that last meet, you do half the cooking and the chores around the house, you always make time to help and hang out with your friends- you need a break every now and again, or you're going to burn yourself out. Don't feel guilty about getting the rest you need."

Sakura bit her lip. It made her happy to hear his reassurances, but she couldn't shake the guilt she was feeling over the card. It was hard to pin down and even harder to express.

"I know I shouldn't, but… well, we were assigned partners from another class to do a write-up on our field trip, and I can't help but feel like I let my partner down. I left a burden on their shoulders and I don't know if I'll even see them again to apologize, much less make it up to them-"

"Your partner will understand," Fujitaka broke in, pulling his hand back. "The teachers can't expect too much from someone whose partner fell ill. Maybe they'll put Li-kun's partner with yours, that way they won't be alone. And if it's someone in the class next door, you can always go over during a break and apologize."

Sakura nodded mutely, returning to the soup and focusing on eating it carefully this time. It hadn't been the best representation of the Warp Card's situation, she knew that, but it was all she could come up with, and didn't have the energy to argue with him. Fujitaka was quiet for a while, watching her as she ate with a fond, yet melancholy smile. After a few minutes had passed, he let out a sigh and turned to look out the window.

"You know," he began, almost absentmindedly, "when your mother was your age, she was the same way. She wanted to do everything and help everyone, no matter the toll it took on her. She was a good student, she was part of three different clubs, she had her modeling work, she did her share of the household chores… and she said she didn't want to give anything up because she loved it all. It was true, and that made it so much worse to see her struggle. So I started making her take days off. Just once in a while, a day where she didn't have to worry about school or work or chores or anything else. When you push yourself as hard as she did- as you're doing- you can't keep it up if you don't rest properly. Eventually you'll overwork yourself to the point where you collapse. So don't feel guilty about needing that break." He turned back, placing his hand over one of hers that was resting on the edge of the tray. "Alright?"

Sakura forced a smile. "Y-yeah. Alright."

They went silent again as she finished up the soup and the water, and Fujitaka took the tray from her so that she could lie down again. "Tomorrow's Sunday," he spoke up again, "so I have the day off too. Why don't we both take a day to rest, maybe go out and see a movie or go to the arcade? It's been a while since I played some of those old games- I can show you all the tricks, if you want."

"Thanks, Dad. That sounds like fun."

The expression on his face as he considered her answer seemed to indicate that he knew it wasn't entirely genuine. "Or, if you'd rather stay here and rest, that's perfectly alright too. You don't have to decide now. Just see how you're feeling tomorrow morning, okay?"

His smile was so loving and genuine, Sakura couldn't help giving a real smile in return.

"Okay. Thank you so much, Dad."

"You're welcome, Sakura."

Fujitaka closed the door behind him and started down the steps to the kitchen so that he could wash the dishes. As he made it to the base of the stairs, he noticed a familiar, electronic buzz coming from the kitchen table and rushed over to find that an unfamiliar number was calling his cell phone. He quickly set the tray aside and answered it with a cautious "hello?" as he waited to see who was on the other end of the line.

"Hello, is this Kinomoto Fujitaka?"

"Yes, that's correct. May I ask who's calling?"

"Of course! My apologies for the intrusion, Kinomoto-san. This is Noboru Jirou-sensei, from Seijyo High School. I was calling to check on Kinomoto Sakura. I understand that this is really more the responsibility of her homeroom teacher, but she was in my group during our experiential learning trip today, and I couldn't help worrying. Is she doing alright?"

"Oh, yes, she's fine." Fujitaka answered, his voice brighter now that he knew the subject of the call. "I actually just brought her some rice soup, and she seems to have a decent appetite. I think she's just been overexerting herself lately with academics and clubs, so she needed some rest."

"I wouldn't be surprised. Kinomoto-san is one of our hardest working students. History isn't her strong suit, but she's still a cheerful participant in my class and always tries her best. I don't doubt that she gives her all in her, ah, extracurricular activities as well."

Fujitaka couldn't help smiling. "Thank you, Noboru-san. That's certainly what every parent wants to hear- whether or not a teacher really means it."

"I wouldn't say it if it weren't true. Sakura-san has a few classmates I might struggle to say nice things about. And it's true that Sakura-san isn't at the top of the class academically-speaking. But class 1-B wouldn't be the same without her." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Pardon me for asking a personal question, but you work with Towa University, correct?"

The fond smile that had been on Fujitaka's face while he listened to the kind things Noboru was saying about Sakura suddenly disappeared at the sound of the question. "Yes, I… I work in the department of archeology. Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious. I remember the name Kinomoto Fujitaka from some interpretive work I did with Towa University back when I was living in Athens. I helped out with several Japanese teams at dig sites along the Saronic Gulf, including a joint program between Towa and Hosei universities. I'm using my Japanese name now, but you'd probably remember me as Giorgios Noboru-"

"Giorgios?!" Fujitaka couldn't help blurting out the name, he was so surprised. "I knew your voice sounded familiar, I just couldn't place it! You were the guide when we were doing work near Sounion, right?"

"The Temple of Poseidon and then some later work at the silver mines of Laurion, yes. Oh, I'm so glad you remember!"

"Of course I remember," Fujitaka responded, almost in a laugh. He stood up straighter and pulled out the chair he was leaning on so that he could take a seat. "But what in the world has brought you to Japan? And teaching high school history, no less-?"

"It was family issues, I'm afraid. There was a fairly unexpected death in the family, and I had to come back to Japan to collect some of my belongings he was looking after."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. I know it must be difficult…"

"Now, now, I didn't mean to get you down! I'm just happy I got the chance to speak with you again. I'd considered looking up some of the Towa faculty since I've been in the area again, but I hadn't gotten the nerve. This was just a fortunate coincidence. Say- would you like to go out for a drink and catch up? I'd love to hear about the work you've been doing the past few years. Are you free tomorrow night?"

"Huh? N-no, not tomorrow, but maybe sometime later this week…"

"Any day is fine for me. I'm new to the school, so I'm not advising any clubs yet. How about Wednesday? You can invite some of the others from the department- I'd like to catch up with them too."

"...Wednesday would… yes, that would be fine… um…"

"I'm sorry, I'm taking up more of your time! You have my number now; you can just text me where and when to meet. I'll look forward to it."

"I… I will too."

"Goodbye. Give my regards to Sakura-san."

"Yes. Goodbye."

The call ended so fast, Fujitaka was left staring at his phone for a few moments before he finally set it back down on the table. He let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding and then got up to continue with his earlier task of washing dishes.

"Giorgios Noboru, huh?" he murmured as he approached the sink and began running the water. "What an odd coincidence…"