Fugitive Guardian Beast Seeks Experienced Cardcaptor

by TheGuineapig3

HELP WANTED: Fugitive guardian beast seeking the Master of the Clow Cards to settle a centuries-old feud and meld two opposing magic systems into one. Magical powers and sealing wand required, detailed knowledge of Clow Reed's past preferred. Card-capturing experience a must. Inquire within. [Post manga; non-Clear Card continuity]

9. Sakura and the Haunted House

As usual, I don't own anything. I'm a fan writing some fiction. Thank you for all your support, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

---

9- Sakura and the Haunted House

Sakura was woken up by a loud barrage of noise.

At first, it was all too tangled together for her to separate out. But there was yelling- she noticed that first- a crash as though something plastic had been thrown against the wall, and the television blasting a fast-paced chiptune victory song.

"-will never get anywhere in the sequel with cheatin' moves like that!" "What about it was cheating? I was merely pressing the buttons as you instructed." "Nuh-uh, don't play dumb with me! I know you did somethin' weird in there." "Weird? I assure you, I did nothing you might construe as weird-"

"Kero-chan. Stephen." Sakura sat up groggily, rubbing her eyes. "What are you two fighting about so early in the morning? How long have you been up?"

Stephen perked up and hopped over to the bed. "Oh, Sakura-sama! My apologies for waking you. We have not slept at all this past night. Kerberos has been showing me how to play his favorite game, Zylon Warriors. I must say, the storyline is quite riveting- I've never been this enthralled by a story, even when reading novels-"

"Yeah, yeah, quit talkin' about the story! I wanna know what you did in that last battle!" Kero flew over, grabbing Stephen by the scruff of his neck and pulling him backwards. "C'mon, let's load our last save file and play it over again!"

"But Kerberos, if we do that, we will have to listen to Lord Polestar's monologue about the Nine Worlds all over again-"

"Aw, don't complain about that! D'ya know how many times I had to listen to that jerk drag on the first time I played this? I was stuck on his boss battle for weeks!"

Sakura groaned and rubbed her temples. "If you guys are going to keep arguing like this, I might as well go ahead and get ready for school. At least I can help Dad cook breakfast today…"

"That's the spirit, Sakura-sama!" Stephen chimed. "Seize the day and make it your own!"

"...I don't want to hear that from someone who's so chipper after pulling an all-nighter."

The frustration in her voice gave Stephen pause. He turned to Kero with a frown.

"What did I say?"

---

Sakura finished setting the utensils out, and her father came by with two plates of pancakes, setting them down on opposite sides of the table. "I'll get the syrup!" she chimed and ran back around the counter to grab it while her father sat down.

"Thanks for your help this morning," Fujitaka replied when she returned to her seat and handed him the bottle. "It's nice to see you up so early. You must be getting better at waking up in the mornings."

"Haha, yeah… that's it," Sakura replied, trying to mask her nervous laugh by digging into the pancakes. "Oh wow, this is great! Did you use a different mix this time?"

"Yes, the store had a special on pumpkin-flavor. I suppose it's that time of year, isn't it?"

"Ah, so that's what I taste." Sakura set her fork down and examined the color of the pancakes on her plate. She'd been so fast to drown them in syrup, she hadn't taken the time to get a good look. Her father was quiet, so she looked back up at him and noticed that he was staring at the photo of Nadeshiko he'd put out. It was one of Sakura's favorites, of her mother wearing an autumn-themed dress that stood out against a backdrop of a colorful forest scene.

"All Hallows' Eve," Fujitaka spoke, almost reverently. "The night that spirits can return to the world of the living. I wonder if Nadeshiko will pay us a visit."
Sakura frowned. "You can see her now, can't you?"

"Yes, but she hasn't appeared recently. A couple years ago when Touya moved out, she told me that you and he had grown up so well, she didn't need to watch over you like she used to. I'm glad to know she's proud of you two, but..."

He was smiling as he said this, but there was a sadness in his eyes that Sakura couldn't miss. "You miss her, don't you?" she asked.

Fujitaka kept that same, sad smile on his face. "Yes, I do. But we can't stop living our lives just because we miss her. That would make her more sad than anything. You're looking forward to Tomoyo-chan's Halloween Party on Sunday, aren't you? Nadeshiko would want you to be excited about it."

"Yeah, that's right." Sakura nodded, and then jumped to her feet. "Hey, you know you're welcome to come to the party too! I'm sure her mom wouldn't mind, and-"

"That's kind of you to invite me, Sakura, but it's really alright." Fujitaka laughed and waved her to sit back down. "My friend Giorgios got tickets to a Halloween gala at the local history museum on Sunday. Several of my coworkers from the university are going with us."

"Oh!" Sakura clapped. "Giorgios- that's the friend you've been having dinner with on Fridays recently, right?"

"That's right. We're having dinner tonight too, so I won't be home. I'm sorry to leave you on your own so much-"

"No, no! I'm so happy that you're having fun with friends!" Sakura sat down and picked her fork up again to resume her breakfast. "You're always working, and you've seemed lonely since Onii-chan moved out, it makes me happy to know you have friends to spend time with now. You deserve it."

Fujitaka laughed again. "Funny, it sounds like you're the parent here."

"Huh? W-well…"

The two finished eating and washed the dishes before gathering their belongings. "You'll be alright for dinner, right?" Fujitaka asked as Sakura was strapping on her skates.

"Of course. We've got plenty of leftover curry in the fridge."

"I may be home late, so don't worry about waiting for me, okay?"

"Got it. Have a good day at work!"

"Have a good day at school!"

As Sakura left, she glanced up at the window where Kero and Stephen usually stood and waved to her. She didn't expect them to be there this time, so it was no surprise when they weren't. Still, she couldn't help thinking about them on her way to school. It seemed like the two were getting along much better since their initial encounter. Kero had initially agreed to let Stephen stay with them to keep an eye on him, but nowadays it seemed like he genuinely enjoyed having a companion to play with there in the house, as opposed to online games with Spinel or video calls with Yue around Yukito's class schedule. It had been almost two months now, and there seemed to be a sense of trust beginning to build between them. Of course, she couldn't say how much was genuine and how much was an act put on for her sake, but it at least felt genuine. Now if only she could get Yue to trust Stephen too…

She arrived at school unusually early, so she didn't expect to find anyone in the classroom save for the ones on morning duty. But when she arrived, there were several students already taking their seats- including a familiar face at the desk behind hers.

"Syaoran-kun!"

He had his face buried in a book, but as soon as he heard Sakura's voice, he perked up. "Sakura! You're early."

"I know, right? Kero-chan and Stephen woke me up with their video games." She laughed and took a seat at her desk, pausing to remove her books from her bag. One everything was organized, she leaned over the seat to look at the book he was reading. "What's that? More of Clow Reed's writings?"

"No, not this." Syaoran shook his head. "I actually stayed up too long studying Clow Reed's work last night. I totally forgot that we're supposed to be off-book for today's drama club rehearsal, so I'm trying to memorize the lines I'm still having trouble with."

There was a tiredness in his eyes, and Sakura felt a pang of sadness at the thought that he might be pushing himself too hard. "Would you like some help?" she offered, holding out one hand. "I can take the book and check the lines while you recite them. That way you can practice without reading, and I can let you know if you mess up."

Syaoran's expression brightened. "Oh, th-thank you. That would be great, actually." He flipped a few pages and handed the book over, pointing to a large block of text. "My lines are pretty short for the most part, but I've got one big monologue here in act one. Would you mind keeping an eye on that for me while I go over it? Stop me in the middle if I skip something or mess up."

"Of course!" Sakura chimed. "Let's see… the line before it is- no more but so?"

Syaoran took a deep breath and began to speak, his calm and collected tone holding a sense of affection that was unusual. Sakura didn't really know what was going on in the scene, but it felt like he was speaking to someone dear to him. "...Perhaps he loves you now, and now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch the virtue of his will: but you must fear, his greatness weighed, his will is not his own; for he himself is subject to his birth…"

Ever since Syaoran had joined the drama club, Sakura had been fascinated by watching him act. He'd come so far from that nervous princess back in fifth grade, so focused on impressing Yukito in the audience that he'd yelled his lines and exaggerated his movements. Now he seemed to become a different person when he got in-character, his shy nature giving way to whatever characteristics needed to shine through in his lines and movements. His facial expressions, his body language, even the look in his eyes took on the nature of the character.

Sakura was so busy watching him, she forgot to pay attention to the script.

"...and in the morn and liquid dew of youth, contagious blastments are most imminent. Be wary then; best safety lies in fear: youth to itself rebels, when none else near. ...Sakura? That's it, right? Did I get it all?"

"Huh? Oh!" Sakura snapped back to attention and looked down at the script again. "Uh, I'm sorry, I got totally lost. Where were we…?"

Syaoran took the script back from her and glanced over it. He frowned and sighed in frustration, grabbing a pencil to make another note for himself. "Though, not when. Youth to itself rebels though none else near. I wonder what other phrases I messed up."

Sakura blushed. "I'm sorry. I just like watching you act so much, I forgot I was supposed to be checking your lines. You seemed so confident, I just-"

"No, it's okay. At the very least, the audience doesn't know the lines. So if something small gets left out or switched, no one will know. I'll just get chewed out by Izumi-senpai, is all."

"The club president is strict on everyone, huh?"

"Sure is-"

As they spoke, there was a commotion near the doorway of the classroom. A group of students were entering, engaged in a lively chatter with a familiar voice talking over top of them.

"-so then the guy finally makes it to the engine, but finds that, instead of burning coal, the furnace is full of-"

"Aiko-chan, don't spoil it! I told you, I'm going to see it this weekend!"

"Aw, that's no fun. It's still totally scary, even if you know that the murderer is really-"

"No, no, no; I'm not listening!"

Naoko had put her hands over her ears, and Aiko laughed at the sight of it. Tomoyo was following along behind them, the smile on her face suggesting that she'd been enjoying the conversation for a while. She looked over toward her desk once she entered the classroom, however, and waved at Sakura.

"Good morning! You're here early."

"Do you have to point it out every time I'm not racing the bell?" Sakura asked with a forced smile. Tomoyo just giggled and sat down next to her, looking back over at Aiko and Naoko.

"So you like scary movies too, huh, Aiko-chan?"

"I love all kinds of scary stuff! Books, movies, television shows..." Aiko replied. "The scarier the better!"

"Well, if you like scary stuff, then you're going to have the best time at my mom's Halloween party this Sunday. Our theme this year is 'haunted house,' and we've been going all out on the decorating."

Sakura finched. "H-haunted house? You didn't tell me that was going to be the theme!"

"Oh, don't worry, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo reached out and grabbed Sakura's hands to steady her. "It won't be too bad. That's just our decorating motif. All you have to do is remember that it's all fake, okay?"

Sakura could feel herself breaking into a nervous sweat, but gave a smile anyway. "If you say so, I suppose-"

"You know, tales of hauntings go way back!"

The group jumped as Yamazaki appeared in the middle, beaming with the smile he held whenever he had something interesting to say. Sakura felt her stomach churn. "You really don't have to tell us-"

"In fact, the earliest human civilization, found in Mesopotamia, had detailed literature about ghosts. They believed that just seeing or hearing a ghost could cause eye and ear problems, as well as a range of illnesses. The only way to treat said illnesses was to appease the ghost with offerings, food and goods that the ghost would enjoy in the afterlife. Because of this, it was common for people to fear ghosts and do everything in their power to appease the ghosts of their deceased relatives so that-"

"Blah, blah, people have been afraid of ghosts as long as there've been people. We've heard it all before."

Just as suddenly as Yamazaki had appeared, Chiharu appeared beside him to drag him off. Tomoyo and Naoko both gave a friendly wave, and Aiko laughed.

"See that, Sacchan? If you're scared of ghosts, you can just offer them food or trinkets and they'll leave you alone!"

Sakura was still holding tightly onto Syaoran's arm, but she opened her eyes once she realized the statement was addressed to her. "So I'm Sacchan now, huh?" she murmured.

"Try not to worry so much, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo jumped in. "Old myths like that are just that- myths. And parties like mine are just for fun. We'll all be together, remember?"

Sakura let her shoulders relax and took a step back to give Syaoran some space. The look of his red face suggested he needed it.

"That's fine for Sunday night, I guess, but now I'll be thinking about it all day," Sakura groaned, taking a seat back at her desk. "Dad was talking about ghosts at breakfast too. I guess it's just unavoidable this time of year, but still…"

"Um, Sakura," Syaoran began, finally coming out of his embarrassed haze, "your dad is going to be out tonight, right?"

"That's right. With his friend Giorgios."

"Well then, do you…" Syaoran looked down at his feet. "...want to, y'know, have dinner at my place? After clubs, I mean. The drama club is staying late to do a full run-through, but I'm sure the cheerleading club is practicing for the culture festival too, so…"

He was rambling, so Sakura jumped in, her earlier fright having given way to bright happiness. "Oh, thank you so much! I'll be glad to help you cook too."

"That's… that'd be great." A smile graced Syaoran's flushed face, and he promptly sat back down at his desk. "I'll, um, keep studying my lines, then."

Tomoyo giggled and Aiko clicked her tongue. "Ooh, did Sacchan just get propositioned right in front of us?"

"Don't say things like that out loud! A teacher might hear you!" Naoko pushed Aiko, and the two scuffled back towards their seats, dodging Chiharu and Yamazaki who were still bantering back and forth in the middle of the classroom. Sakura looked up at Tomoyo and tilted her head.

"What did Aiko-chan just say…?"

Tomoyo closed her eyes and smiled. "Oh dear, poor Sakura-chan. Perhaps we'll have a talk about it later."

"Uh oh. That's never a good thing."

---

Sakura had offered to help cook, but she really ended up just cutting the vegetables while Syaoran prepared the meat. Once everything was ready, Syaoran instructed Sakura to wait in the living room while he stir-fried everything. "There's some books in my bag I'd like you to take a look at," he'd instructed, so she let her curiosity take over and walked over to the couch. When she unhooked his school bag, she found it stuffed full of books. Not sure which ones he was talking about, she pulled them all out one by one to examine them.

The first two were school books, their English workbook and Japanese literature textbook. The next was the script for the drama club's play. Then there were a couple bound packets of printed images of handwritten documents, one in English and another two in Chinese. Finally, only three books remained. They had stickers from the school library on them, so he must've checked them out before he'd left. She pulled them out one by one, examining the titles as she did so.

"Mysterious Phenomena: Explained… World's Greatest Hoaxes… The Science of Seances…?" Sakura turned around toward the kitchen again. "Syaoran, what are these for?"

Syaoran poked his head through the doorframe. "I thought they might be good for us to read together. It's a lot of stuff about monsters and the like, but there's some things about ghosts too."

"About how they're not real?" Sakura frowned and looked at the book in her hands. "But don't you know about ghosts? You've learned exorcism techniques, and-"

"We can talk about it over dinner. Here, this won't take much longer. Come help set the table, okay?"

"Okay!"

The books remained on the couch while the two ate dinner, Sakura preparing the table and drinks, and Syaoran serving up the stir fry that he'd been working on. She made a joking comment about how they were a "perfectly domestic pair," and his face turned so red that she worried there might be something wrong with him. But it was just a normal blush- and it was so familiar, it made her blush with a familiar happiness too. Even when they were both quiet, focusing on preparations and eating, there was a comfortable familiarity to it that brought a sense of fun to even mundane tasks. It felt good. It felt like them.

"So, um, what's up about these books?" Sakura finally asked as they finished up. "You said you wanted me to look at them?"

"Yeah. I asked Yamazaki about the best books to explain the science behind ghost and monster sightings. So much of what we see in movies and television shows is fictional, and then the ideas get planted in people's brains and the power of suggestion comes through in people's experiences." Syaoran finished his food and pushed his plate away from him. "And the fear element that's popular in the horror genre comes through too. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I want to help with your fear of ghosts. But I'm not good with, like, feelings and stuff. So facts and logic is the best I can do."

"Syaoran…" Sakura gasped in a whisper. "...Syaoran, I love your facts and logic. You're the one who grounds me when I'm too excited or scared. If you have an idea that you think will help me with my fear of ghosts… I'd trust you better than I'd trust anyone else."

The room went quiet. Syaoran stood up, pushed his chair back, and ran into the living room. He reappeared with a book in his hands, the one with a green cover that read 'Mysterious Phenomena: Explained.' With a decisive nod, he set it on the table facing Sakura and opened it up to a chapter that was titled 'Spirits and Specters.'

"I'm only in the beginning and end of the play, so I read this chapter backstage during practice. It's got a lot of good stuff about ghosts- dust particles creating the so-called orbs that people catch on camera, the psychology behind humans' tendency to pick out speech from background noise, effects of infrasound on mental states and the potential for hallucinations-"

As he spoke, Sakura leaned over and picked up the book, flipping through it. "Sometimes even simple chemistry can cause paranormal experiences. Poisonous carbon monoxide gas can induce hallucinations in its victims, burning methane from decaying swamp material creates disorienting will-o'-the-wisps, and positive ions from natural processes can even give false readings for suggestible ghost-hunters.' Fascinating!"

"This chapter is about ghosts, but there are also chapters about mysterious creatures like bigfoot, Bermuda triangle style disappearances, and even the claim that aliens built things like the pyramids and Stonehenge." Syaoran stood up again and walked around to stand behind Sakura. He leaned against her chair looked down at the pages of the book.

"Dad would love to read that chapter," Sakura commented, flipping back to the table of contents so that she could find it. "He always has a mouthful to say whenever people on TV say anything about archeology and aliens."

"So I take it he's not in the aliens-built-the-pyramids camp?"

Sakura laughed. "In our house, you're not even allowed to say the words pyramid and alien in the same sentence."

"I've heard some people say that Chinese dragon myths are descriptions of ancient alien technology." Syaoran sighed and rested his head in one hand. "All I hear from those people is, 'I know nothing about dragons and I've definitely never seen one in real life."

The two laughed again, both in unison. Their laughs were so different, Syaoran's more of a reserved chuckle held back behind a closed smile and Sakura's an open-mouthed giggle with an enthusiasm that the hand over her mouth couldn't even cover. But when they laughed together, it became something even more. It was an act of love, like holding hands or cuddling next to each other. Something in it allowed them to reach out and connect with the other, not a physical connection, but a connection all the same.

Syaoran felt his heart skip a beat and his face begin to heat up again. He tried to stave it off and cleared his throat, steeling himself to bring up something he'd been meaning to ask.

"Um, Sakura…"

"Hm?" She looked up from the book. "What is it?"

"I was just thinking about… well…" Syaoran's grip on the back of the chair tightened. "...about a few weeks ago, when you captured the Heat card, and… um…"

"Yes?"

There was a long pause. Sakura turned around in the chair so that she could stare directly at him. The sudden focus on him sent him reeling backwards, and he struggled to catch his balance.

"Well, um- I was just, uh… um…" Syaoran put his hands up as though he could physically defend himself from the nervousness he was feeling. "...well, it's just that, uh, I had a conversation with Stephanos, and, um… well, I guess I want to talk to him again sometime, just the two of us. But it's not important right now. I just thought I'd mention it before I forgot."

"Oh. Okay." Sakura was quiet, waiting a moment for something else, but once she saw that he wasn't going to continue, she spoke up again. "Why were you so nervous about asking that? It's not a bad thing to talk with Stephen, even if you don't necessarily trust him."

Syaoran sighed and walked back over to the table, picking up the empty plates from his and Sakura's places. Being cut off from what he really wanted to say had cleared his head, and he could speak on the matter at hand. "No, I suppose not. While I wouldn't trust him with my safety and the safety of people I love, I don't think he bears us any ill will. I think he has truly good intentions, but the depth of his emotions and the way that he allows those feelings to cloud his judgment is something to be wary of. That's the impression that I've gotten from him anyway."

"You're very observant." Sakura stood up and placed the book on the table so that she could collect the silverware and cups. "I've always thought he was genuine, but at the same time I didn't want to discourage those who were suspicious. I could tell something was off, but I didn't know what and couldn't reconcile it with my trust in him. Hearing what you just said, it made me realize that's what's been missing. I think you're right."

Syaoran accepted the cutlery and cups, and began washing them alongside the plates. "Don't tell him I said that. It's better if he and I talk in person about it."

"Right. I won't." Sakura nodded and then playfully nudged Syaoran's arm. "Was it really that hard to ask to talk with him?"

"H-huh? Oh! Uh… I suppose it shouldn't have been… but, uh…" He focused harder on scrubbing the plates. "It's getting late, isn't it? Let's read some together before you go."

---

"Huh? We're leavin' for the party already?"

Kero was still glued to the video game console, even on Sunday afternoon, long after he and Steven had finished their playthrough. He said he just needed to figure out what technique Stephen had used, but so far he seemed unsuccessful. And when Sakura tried to pull him away, he made a show of protesting.

"It's already four-thirty and the party starts at five. If you're going to come with us, we need to leave."

Kero pouted. "So where's your costume? It's a costume party, right?"

"Tomoyo-chan made one for me," Sakura replied. "She made mine, hers, and even one for Syaoran too."

Stephen had been resting on the desk, reading out of one of the books he'd picked out at the library. He closed the book and hopped over to rest on her shoulder. "What kind of costume has she made for you, Sakura-sama?"

"I'm not sure. She said that she was going for a more classic Halloween type costume this year- last year her party's theme was masquerade, and she made me this huge, frilly rococo-style dress."

Stephen clasped his paws together. "Ahh, the rococo period. Truly the pinnacle of baroque style. Might you have some photographs of last year's party?"

"I'm sure Tomoyo's got tons of 'em." Kero flew over and settled on Sakura's other shoulder. "All ya gotta do is ask, and she'll show 'em off on her big-screen TV."

Sakura finished gathering her things and left her bedroom, turning the light off and closing the door behind her. "You can do that sometime later. This party is going to have a lot of people, including Tomoyo's mother's coworkers and business partners. We'll give you guys your own room and bring you some treats, but you'll need to stay quiet."

Kero groaned, pressing himself against Sakura's cheek. "So we don't get to play the games?"

"You can play the games at the end of the night, when everyone else has left."

As she made her way down the staircase, Stephen scampered down her arm and settled in the pocket of her cardigan. "What games will there by, Sakura-sama?"

"Games? Well…" Sakura paused and thought about it. "Well, usually there's a jack o lantern carving contest and a costume contest… fortune-telling and bobbing for apples… a haunted garden tour… you know, Halloween sorts of things."

"Back when Chioni was alive, there was a tradition that on Hallowe'en night, a girl might bestow her and her sweetheart's name onto two chestnuts and roast them by a fire. It was said that, should the two burn quietly and ardently together, it signified a happy life for the couple." Stephen snuggled into Sakura's pocket, making himself comfortable. "Chioni has just begun seeing Xiaohe around that time of the year, so she secretly performed the chestnut ritual. I must confess, at the time I secretly hoped that Xiaohe's chestnut would pop and jump away, signifying an unfaithful lover. But the two burned quietly together, and Chioni was so happy, I could not help but share in her joy."

Sakura smiled down at him. "Tomoyo-chan says that the greatest happiness is seeing the person you love happy. And that even if they don't return your feelings, being able to be by their side and experience their happiness can provide its own joy."

"Tomoyo-sama speaks wisdom, as usual."

Sakura didn't expound on the description, and neither Kero nor Stephen pressed her for more. When she left the house, the two jumped into her purse and settled in for the bus ride, but Stephen was still considering it.

"Kerberos," he whispered after a few minutes had passed and Sakura was sitting at the bus stop, distracted. "The person that Tomoyo-sama loves, who does not return her affections… that is…?"

Kero sighed. "Who d'ya think?" he whispered back.

"Well, there is only one person it could be."

"Obviously."

Another pause followed. "So, ah," Stephen began again, "is Sakura-sama aware of this?"

"I'm pretty sure she is. She can't be that oblivious." Kero shrugged his shoulders, still able to see Stephen in the dim light and sure Stephen could see him. "And she really does love Tomoyo, just not the same way she loves the kid. Sakura has so much love to give, and she's so devoted to Tomoyo, I think… I think Tomoyo is satisfied. So you don't need to feel sorry for her or anything."

"I understand. Thank you, Kerberos, for your insight. It is lucky that Tomoyo-sama and Li Syaoran-sama are not separated by an ideological rift that would require Sakura-sama to choose between them." Stephen relaxed and settled in, snuggling up next to Sakura's handkerchief. "I hope that Sakura-sama is able to stay with Tomoyo and Li Syaoran forever."

Kero nodded in agreement, but he eyed Stephen and muttered under his breath "then you'd better not get in the way of that."

The bus was right on time, and Sakura arrived at Tomoyo's house with time to spare. The gate was open and one of the Daidouji's bodyguards showed her in, leading the way to Tomoyo's room. Her door was closed, so the guard knocked. A moment of silence followed before Tomoyo's voice chimed "come in!" through the door and the bodyguard opened it for Sakura.

Tomoyo was dressed up already, her costume an elegant bat-themed getup. The orange dress had a tight-fitting bodice and a full hoop skirt, the black designs along the neckline, waist, and folds of the skirt shaped into little bat wings. Even her hair was pulled up with a black bat-shaped clip, and the elegance with which she moved only made the effect of the costume more appealing. Sakura's eyes lit up as she took in the sight.

"Oh, Tomoyo-chan, you look gorgeous!"

Tomoyo giggled in delight and twirled around. "I'm so happy with how it turned out. But Sakura-chan is the one who will look truly gorgeous. Come on, let me show you your costume!"

Tomoyo's enthusiasm was almost strong enough to knock Sakura over, and she reached for her bag to let Kero and Stephen out. The two tumbled out and bounded toward Tomoyo, waving in greeting.

"Tomoyo-sama, you're such a talented seamstress! I wish to see Sakura-sama's costume posthaste!"

"Forget the costumes! I wanna see those snacks ya promised us!"

Tomoyo laughed, reaching up to let the two creatures perch on her hands. "Don't you two worry. I'll get your snacks and Sakura-chan's costume. Just be patient a little longer-"

As she finished her sentence, a voice came from behind her closet door. "Hey, who's out there? Is Sakura here yet?"

"Oh! Syaoran!" Sakura's face lit up. "I didn't know you were already here! Are you changing into your costume? I want to see it."

"Yes, please!" Tomoyo chimed. "What's taking so long? Is there a problem with the fit?"

"No, it's not that! It's just… this is embarrassing! There's no way I'm wearing this in front of everyone!"

Sakura pressed closer to the door. "What's so embarrassing about it? Let me see-"

"No way! I'm taking it back off!"

"Just show her already," Tomoyo replied, throwing the door open. Sakura jumped back, but she was able to look up and see Syaoran inside the walk-in closet, in the process of taking off his gloves. His cheeks turned red as his eyes met hers, and he threw his hands in front of his face.

"I-I'm really not the type to wear costumes like this…" he began, reaching to take off the headband. "I appreciate all the work that Tomoyo-san put into this. I'm sure all this faux fur was difficult to work with, and these ears are very well made. But it's-"

"I think it's delightful!" Stephen broke in, scampering up Sakura's arm to her shoulder. "Place the ears and gloves back on, and you'll look like a proper werewolf. Truly fitting for a Hallowe'en party held on a full moon."

Sakura closed her eyes and offered a smile. "Stephen is right. It really does look good on you. I think you should wear it."

"I… well…" Syaoran clasped his gloves close to his chest and turned his back to them. "...if you say so, then I suppose I could wear it. It's a costume party, after all."

Sakura and Stephen looked at each other and laughed. "It would seem his opinion is easily swayed by a request from his beloved," Stephen commented. Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but Tomoyo appeared behind her, carrying a bundle of clothing in her arms.

"Sakura-chan, I have your costume here."

"Oh!" Sakura gasped and ran to meet Tomoyo. She reached out and placed her hand on the soft fabric. "It feels so nice."

"Last year you looked wonderful, but your movement was restricted and you weren't particularly comfortable. I wanted to create something more comfortable and easy to move in, so I took inspiration from some previous battle costumes. It's light, breathable, and still manages to pull off a traditional Halloween witch vibe. Here- I've even got a hat for you!"

It didn't take long for Sakura to change into the costume, swapping places with Syaoran so that she could use the closet. When she emerged, she was met by applause from Tomoyo and the two guardian beasts, and it made her blush.

"I love it, but you guys getting all worked up like that is embarrassing me."

"That's fine. Sakura-chan's blushing face is lovely too."

"T-Tomoyo-chan!"

As Sakura covered her face and Syaoran and Stephen both moved to get in the way of Tomoyo's camera, there was a brief knock on the door. It was just a warning knock; there was no time to answer before Sonomi peeked in burst in.

"Oh, Sakura-chan is here~!" Kero and Stephen dashed behind Tomoyo's back as Sonomi bounded across the room and clasped Sakura's hands in hers. "I saw your brother outside and asked about you, and he said you must be with Tomoyo. That costume is so adorable on you!"

"Th-thank you…" Sakura stammered. "But it was Tomoyo-chan who made it-"

"I was inspired by Sakura-chan's natural cuteness, of course." Tomoyo chimed in.

"I have some friends who are dying to meet you, Sakura-chan," Sonomi continued, nodding her head. "Please, come outside and have some snacks."

Tomoyo clicked her camera off and put it away. "Give us just a moment, Mother. I want to touch up Sakura-chan's makeup first, and we'll come right out. In the meantime, take Syaoran-kun with you. His father is the head a large company too; he'll fit right in with your business crowd."

"Wait, wha-?" Syaoran began to protest, but Sonomi happily grabbed his arm and dragged him along with her. Sakura and Tomoyo waited until she had disappeared, and then stepped forward to give Kero and Stephen some space.

Kero climbed up onto Tomoyo's shoulder, covering his mouth as he giggled. "Really gonna throw the kid under the bus like that, huh?"

"Syaoran-kun can easily hold his own among high ranking businesspeople. And I really do want to give Sakura-chan some extra makeup."

"Your mother is a beautiful woman," Stephen commented. "I can see now where you get your confidence and strong will."

"Trying to suck up for extra treats, are you?" Tomoyo sent him a playful wink, and Stephen jumped back as though she'd struck him.

"What? If I gave you any indications of an ulterior motive, I swear it was a mistake. I said what I did only because I genuinely believed it, and did not seek to offend you in any way-"

Kero shoved him from behind. "Chill out, buddy! She was just joshin' ya!"

"But, even so, I do not wish for her to even think that I-"

"We know you mean well, Stephen." Tomoyo smiled and patted his head. "Thank you for the compliment. It means a lot. Now, Sakura-chan! Let's go do your face paint!"

"F-face paint?" Sakura stammered as Tomoyo pulled her toward the vanity. "You said makeup, not face paint-!"

Kero and Stephen watched them for a moment before Kero finally sighed and nudged Stephen. "Hey, don't be so on-edge. What's gotten into you?"

"My apologies, Kerberos," Stephen replied with a shake of his head. "I am not sure what it is, but I have an uneasy feeling. Perhaps it is simply the presence of so many unfamiliar people in this small area."

"Well, I know something that'll definitely cheer you up." Kero floated over to Tomoyo's desk where a package was sitting, marked with a sticky note that read 'Kero-chan.' "You see, Tomoyo's mom has an in with the gaming company that produced Zylon Warriors, so she's received an early release copy of-" He tore into the package and held up the game for Stephen to see. "-Zylon Warriors 2: The Millenium Redemption!"

Stephen's expression changed in an instant, his eyes sparkling in disbelief. "I was not aware that the sequel was so close to being released! What a joy! Can we play it immediately?"

"Duh! That's what we're here for. Tomoyo said she'd lend us the gaming system that's hooked up to her bedroom theater."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

The two rushed over to Tomoyo's media room, waving to the two girls as they passed. "Just bring the snacks in here, okay?" Kero called, and Tomoyo nodded in agreement.

"Great," Sakura groaned. "Now they've got another game to binge all night long. I'm going to have to start using the Sleep card, or I'll never get any rest. I hope Sleep is prepared…"

---

The party was held in the main entrance hall of the Daidoujis' house, lavishly outfitted with Halloween-themed decor and filled to the brim with games and food of all kinds. Sakura and Tomoyo caught up with Sonomi, who wasted no time in showing off Sakura to her friends and business partners. Finally, Sonomi realized she was taking up Tomoyo and Sakura's time to be with friends, and apologetically sent the girls off to find their classmates. Syaoran had long since snuck away from Sonomi's circle, and the girls found him enraptured by one of Yamazaki's famous tales. Chiharu had been yelling at him, but she stopped to greet Sakura and Tomoyo, and that offered him a respite to begin again.

"The practice of bobbing for apples actually has its origins in England, where apples were used to foretell the future of love affairs," Yamazaki continued, unfazed. "It was said that, should a young man successfully retrieve an apple from the tub using only his teeth, that he would be successful in his love affair."

Naoko raised her hand. "Question! If a girl wants to know the outcome of her relationship with the person she likes, can she try to catch an apple too?"

Yamazaki thought it over for a moment. "I suppose it would be archaic and sexist to say that a woman couldn't. Surely gender doesn't matter when measuring the determination you have to express your feelings. But women on Halloween used to use chestnuts to tell their love fortunes instead-"

Sakura gasped and jumped in. "I know this one! They named the chestnuts for themselves and their lover, and roasted the chestnuts over a fire. If the chestnuts burned peacefully together, they'd have a happy life, but if one popped or cracked, it was a bad omen!"

The whole group turned to look at Sakura, eyes wide in surprise, and then looked back at Yamazaki to see how he would react. He didn't miss a beat, running over to Sakura and shaking her hand wildly.

"You've truly researched the essence of Halloween, Sakura-chan! I'm so proud!"

"H-huh…?"

"Where did you learn so much? The library? The internet? What else do you know about early Halloween practices?"

Sakura pulled away, both nervous and physically repelled by his enthusiasm. "Er, it's not like I looked it up on purpose. I just kinda heard it."

"Just heard it?" Chiharu murmured. "Who in the world would you hear it from?"

Sakura froze and sent a panicked look over at Syaoran, who seemed to catch the idea. How could she tell them she'd been talking with someone who'd been around for Halloween practices over a century ago? They'd think she was crazy! Her mind raced with potential excuses, but Yamazaki broke in before she could settle on one.

"Oh yeah, her dad's an archeologist. I'm sure he talks about old traditions all the time."

"Y-yes, that's right!" Sakura nodded furiously. "I learn a lot from my dad!"

"Where is your father tonight?" Rika asked. "Is he here at the party?"

Sakura shook her head. "No. I invited him, but he was going to another party with some friends of his. He and Tomoyo-chan's mother don't really see eye-to-eye, so it's probably for the best."

"They don't?" Chiharu asked with a frown. Sakura could feel the atmosphere growing tense, and tried quickly to shake it off.

"Hey, now, let's not worry about that! There are all kinds of games to try! Naoko-chan, you wanted to do the apple game, right?"

"Huh? Oh, I-!" Naoko's face flushed a little and she turned away. "I was just asking out of principle, but if you'd like to try, then surely it wouldn't hurt."

"I think it'll be fun!" Tomoyo said, pointing in the direction of the game setup. "Let's all go try it!"

Yamazaki led the way, talking over his shoulder as he did. "And afterward, we can try an old Halloween divination technique! They say that if you can peel an apple in one long string like a daikon, then you can toss the peel over your shoulder and it will fall into the shape of your fated lover's first initial."

"I suppose that's fine for people in English, but what about in Japanese?" Aiko asked. "If it falls into a shape like this-" She drew a "J" shape in the air with her finger. "-should we interpret it as the latin letter J, or the kana for shi? And what about letters and kana that are drawn with multiple strokes? Or kana with a ten-ten or maru…"

Sakura was so wrapped up in listening to the conversation, she wasn't paying attention to the crowd around her. Many of them were adults, friends and coworkers of Sonomi, so she didn't know them anyway. But a familiar voice broke through the commotion, yelling Sakura's name so loudly that she couldn't miss it.

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura turned around and nearly fell over in surprise.

"Ack! Wh-what the-?!"

Ruby Moon tackled Sakura in a hug, ignoring her surprise. "Oh, Sakura-chan, your costume is so cute! It's stylish and sporty at the same time- it suits you perfectly!"

"Y-your… your costume is…"

Aiko drew close, forgetting her earlier conversation with Yamazaki. "Whoa, lady! Your costume is, like, crazy good! Those wings look totally real!"

Ruby straightened up and looked over at Aiko. "What a sweetheart! You're so precious! And your costume- Morticia Addams, right?"

Aiko put on a dark smile and struck a brooding pose. "Why, of course. I'm a pair with- oh, goddammit, where the hell is my Gomez? Hicchan!"

"Aicchan, help! I lost my fake moustache in the apple tub!"

"Aw, come on!" Aiko groaned, following the group back over the games. "You've gotta be kiddin' me!"

Ruby giggled, watching her run off. "Oh, Sakura-chan, your friends are just adorable. Have you seen your brother or Yukito? I heard they were here, but I haven't seen them around." She leaned over and whispered so that only the two of them could hear. "I should be able to sense Yue, but for some reason, I just can't pick him out. Has his ability to mask his presence in his hidden form grown stronger?"

Sakura shook her head. "Not that I'm aware, but I'll ask. Perhaps it's the effect of the full moon. Onii-chan said he wanted to come to the party in case anything strange happened, but…"

"Sakura-chan?"

It was Rika's voice. Sakura and Ruby turned away from each other to face her, and she reached out a hand.

"Aren't you going to come play the game with us, Sakura-chan? Your friend here can come too. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name, Miss. You're-?"

Ruby stretched out her arms and spun around. "By day, I am Akizuki Nakuru. But in this form, you may call me Ruby Moon!"

"Wow! That's a wonderful costume, Akizu- er, Ruby Moon-san. Where did you get it? Or, did you make it?"

Ruby stepped in next to Rika and the two began walking over the apple tub together. "Actually, my relative Eriol made it for me," she replied. "The hair, the makeup, the dress, even the wings- it's all Eriol's handiwork. Isn't he the best?"

Rika gasped. "Hiiragizawa Eriol, you mean? He's an old friend of mine from grade school! I didn't know you two were relatives."

"Eriol did hang out with Sakura-chan's posse at Tomoeda elementary, didn't he? So you've been friends with Sakura-chan for a long time. Thanks for always taking care of her!"

"Oh, of course…"

Sakura followed them, but she did so at a distance. What Ruby Moon had said about Yue was bothering her, and she couldn't help thinking about it. Tomoyo's mother had said she'd seen Touya, so Sakura knew he must be here. And Yue would never have let Touya come alone, considering he couldn't sense the Warp Cards' magic on his own. If Yukito was here, she should be able to sense Yue's presence- even if it was subdued by the presence of so many other people. Why, then, couldn't she?

Finally, Sakura made it over to the apple tub where Tomoyo was filming her friends as they played the game. It was a large metal tub, and Yamazaki, Naoko, and Syaoran were all trying it at the same time. Chiharu was on the sidelines, cheering on Yamazaki, and Aiko was working with Kanda to get his fake moustache back on the right way.

"Sakura-chan! Come cheer on Li-kun!" Chiharu called, and Sakura ran over in their direction.

Naoko pulled her head up, gasping for breath. "Agh, this is harder than I thought. The apples move away so quickly when you try to grab them."

Syaoran's head popped up too, one of the apples held firmly in his teeth. He reached up to grab it and held it up for others to see. "The trick is to wedge it against the side of the tub so that it has fewer directions it can move in. Then you can get a decent grip on it using your teeth and pull it up."

Sakura clapped and Tomoyo focused the camera on him. "Oh, I didn't quite get that shot! Can you do it again?"

"What? No way! Everyone else needs to have a chance-"

"Aww, don't be like that, Li-kun." Aiko chimed. "Get an apple for Hicchan too. He's still trying to fix his stupid moustache."

"Why am I the one who has to get apples for everyone?"

Yamazaki looked up and smiled. "Don't worry, Kanda-kun. I'll get you an apple!"

Chiharu scoffed. "You'll have to get one for yourself first."

Yamazaki was about to make some kind of response, but he was cut off by the sound of a shrill scream from behind him. The conversation between Rika and Ruby Moon had been abruptly interrupted when the two were greeted by another group and Ruby tackled one of them.

"Touya-! Oh, I'm so glad I found you! I've been looking aaaaall over for you-!"

"Ow! Get off of me, will ya? What's with that costume you're wearing? That hot pink hurts my eyes…"

Sakura's friends had all looked over at the group, and they smiled as they recognized a few familiar faces.

"Hiiragizawa-kun!" Yamazaki waved. "We've been wondering where you were! Get over here and play with us! You know the story behind bobbing for apples, don't you?"

"I do, in fact," Eriol answered, approaching the apple tub but not making any effort to bend down. "However, I'm not in need of any good luck with matters of the heart, so I'll pass."

"What? You already have a girlfriend, Eriol-kun?" Naoko gasped. "Or, uh, a boyfriend-"

"A girlfriend, yes. I suppose you could call her that." Eriol smiled and leaned down to help her to her feet. "I met her when I lived in England, before I transferred to Tomoeda elementary, so we've been together for a long time." He met Sakura's curious gaze and winked at her as he continued speaking to the others. "I'm sorry that I haven't kept in touch as much recently. I heard all about your class' big win at the sports festival earlier this month…"

Sakura turned her attention over to where Ruby was still fawning over Touya while Yukito watched with an amused grin.

"-but I really do like your costume! It's so very you!"

Sakura leaned over to get a better look at what Touya was wearing. It just looked like a tee shirt and jeans. "Huh? Is that supposed to be a costume?"

"Duh. Read what it says."

Touya pushed Ruby off of his chest and tugged his jacket open so that Sakura could read the writing. It was in English, so she struggled to work through it, but she was able to get a few words in.

"...this is… my… c… co… cosu…"

Syaoran stepped in beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "This is my costume," he translated. "With italics to put emphasis on the word is, as though a response to the question 'where is your costume?"

Ruby giggled. "And you, Yukito-! Your Frankenstein makeup looks great!"

"It's, uh, just supposed to be a generic zombie look… but thanks." Yukito stepped in between Ruby and Touya to give Touya some much-needed space.

Touya grabbed the side of his head and groaned. "I need a breather. I'm gonna go get some fresh air."

Ruby Moon latched onto his arm. "I'll come with you!"

"Buzz off, will you? You're the one I need a break from!"

Yukito stepped in again, separating Ruby from Touya. "We'll be back, don't worry. Touya just needs a moment to get away from all the loud noises."

Ruby pouted, but a look from Eriol kept her from protesting any further. Touya waved to Sakura and her friends.

"See you later. Don't have too much fun without me."

"Onii-chan!"

---

Touya and Yukito found a quiet place in one of the hallways, illuminated by a skylight overhead. Touya leaned against the wall and sighed.

"When Sakura said that Tomoyo-chan was having a party, I thought it was just going to be a little get-together with her friends. Not this huge… mess."

"Sorry about that," Yukito replied, though he was doing a poor job of holding back his amused laughter. "I know this really isn't your scene, but the fact that you came so that you could watch over Sakura-chan's sake is admirable."

"I just can't help being frightened for her." Touya sighed and crossed his hands behind his head as he leaned back. "After what happened at the farm, I've been thinking over and over about what I could have done differently. I can't help but think that, if I'd have done something more to help her, she wouldn't have been put in so much danger and that teacher wouldn't have gotten the card."

Yukito reached out and put a hand on Touya's arm. "I can tell you've been upset over it. I have too- and the other me has been angry that he didn't realize the danger the card posed. He also knows what Li-kun is capable of, and the fact that even he wasn't able to protect Sakura worries him more than anything. But you know that she was able to capture the card at her sports festival. So it may have been just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time-"

"But even so-!" Touya stepped away from the wall so that he could face Yukito. "I can't be satisfied knowing that my sister is only one wrong-place-wrong-time away from being seriously hurt or worse! I may not be able to help her magically anymore, but I can't let that stop me from doing everything that I can do."

There was a pause, and Yukito frowned. "...do you regret-"

"No, no I don't. I don't need to reiterate that. You know I don't."

"But…"

Touya slammed his hand on the wall next to Yukito's shoulder. "Now, look. Even knowing everything that would happen in the future, I would've done the same thing. There's no need to bring the past into it when we're thinking about the future. Alright?"

"Y...yes…" Yukito looked down at the floor. "The other me is saying the same thing. There's no point in worrying about what-ifs. What matters is what we're doing now."

The two were quiet again, this time enjoying the silence. Yukito looked up, admiring the view of the moon that the skylight above them offered. Touya noticed and looked up as well, examining the seas and craters on its surface.

"Would it be a stupid cliche to talk about the moon?" Touya finally asked.

"No, I wouldn't say that. Cliche, maybe, but not a stupid one."

Touya laughed. "This coming from the guy who literally draws his power from the moon."

He expected a laugh in reply, but Yukito was quiet. A moment passed, and Yukito held up his hand, staring at it as though he were looking for something. Touya nudged him, and he looked back over.

"Ah, sorry! I just… I was just thinking about the other me."

"What about him?"

"Well, he's usually at his strongest during the full moon. The day after a full moon, I'm always so full of energy, I don't know what to do with it all. Or, I used to be. But lately, I… I just haven't. It's not that I'm tired or don't have energy at all, it's just…"

"You're not bouncing off the walls," Touya finished. "Yeah, I'd noticed. I figured it was because you were tossing and turning in your sleep."

"I was?" Yukito looked up. "I'm sorry! Have I been bothering you-?"

"No, no, not every night." Touya waved a hand. "Just during the past few full moons. I brushed it off, figuring it was just part of your usual restless behavior. The energy you get from the full moon keeps you from sleeping soundly, and then you're not as well-rested the next morning. It makes sense."

"Yeah, but…" Yukito stopped and looked back up at the skylight, watching as a few small clouds passed over the fringes of the moon. "...it's not just that I'm sleeping poorly. I wake up with memories of weird dreams- dreams involving the other me. It started around the time that Sakura-chan says the Warp Cards were released, so it must be connected somehow. But when I asked the other me, he said he didn't know."

"Did he try to offer an explanation?" Touya asked. "Or was he just determined to be unhelpful?"

"Well, his guess was that because his powers grow stronger at night and with the full moon, his influence over me as his temporary form is greater during that time. The worries that he holds as Sakura-chan's guardian must be manifesting itself in my subconscious mind. That's why my dreams have been troubled. But he couldn't give an explanation as to why his magic isn't stronger the way it used to during a full moon."

Touya shrugged. "Isn't it just because your physical body is tired from a poor night's sleep?"

"No, it's not. He doesn't need to sleep. If it were just me, then Yue's magic wouldn't be affected. But it is, and he doesn't know why either."

There was a look of desperation in Yukito's eyes as he said this, and Touya felt his chest tighten. He hated seeing that look on Yuki's face, and would do anything to change it. But this wasn't a silly worry he could kiss and make better. This was real.

"That was around the same time I started seeing through his eyes too. It had never happened before we helped Sakura-chan capture the card at our apartment. There must be something going on with the other me, something related to the Warp Cards. What if his power is disappearing again?"

"If that were the case, then you'd be disappearing too. And that's definitely not happening. If anything, you're the one who's growing stronger, to remain conscious when he's in his true form."

Yukito looked down at his hands. "Me growing stronger, huh? But if the balance between this form and my true form is altered, who knows what will happen…?"

Touya was going to break in with further reassurances, but he didn't get the chance to before the sound of footsteps nearby caught his attention. He struck a defensive pose, but held it for only a second until he realized who it was. A group of high-schoolers from Sakura's class came into view through the darkness, and they waved as they noticed the two men further down.

"Oh, hey! We're totally lost, you guys. Could you show us where the home theater is? There's supposed to be a non-stop horror movie marathon playing, and we've totally gotta get in on that."

Touya took a step back, and Yukito could see the hesitance in his eyes, so he took over. "Yes, I know where that is. I can take you there, if you like."

"Would you? That'd be totally rad! I love your zombie makeup, by the way."

"Thanks! Your suit is pretty cool too. Though, uh, I think your moustache is starting to fall off…"

Kanda slapped a hand over his face, and Aiko and Yamazaki both laughed at him. He began to protest, something about the glue having washed off in the apple tub, but Yukito wasn't paying attention. He turned back to Touya and waved.

"I'll take them to the theater, and then I'll meet you back here, alright?"

"Sure. Sounds good."

With a wave, Yukito began leading the students on further down the hall. Touya watched them as their shadows moved down the hallway and were swallowed up again once they left the illumination of the skylight. As soon as they did so, it was as though the group had been completely swallowed up by the dark. Even their footsteps seemed to disappear.

But that was probably just his imagination.

---

Sakura had managed to drag Syaoran out onto the dance floor, much to Tomoyo's excitement. She kept her video camera trained on them the whole time, offering a thumbs-up when Syaoran glared at her. For all his embarrassment, however, he actually seemed to be getting into the music, and with gloves on, he didn't have nearly as much embarrassment with holding Sakura's hands. The two were enjoying themselves so much, they weren't really paying attention to the buzz of conversations around them. Not, of course, until Sakura heard someone calling her name.

She and Syaoran both stopped and pushed their way through the crowd over to the refreshments table where Sonomi was standing. Tomoyo had already joined her, and she was looking back and forth between her and Sakura.

"I'm so sorry to call you away from your fun, but I was wondering if you'd seen my friend Takagi. I was going to show her something in the garden and told her to meet me there, but when I got out there, it was empty."

Sakura and Syaoran glanced at each other, unsure of whether to be suspicious or not. It wouldn't be surprising that someone could get lost in the Daidouji's house, but they didn't want to rule out the potential for a Warp Card causing havoc.

"What was she wearing?" Sakura asked.

"It was an ice fairy costume- like, with wire frame wings and a tutu kind of skirt," Sonomi answered. "Tomoyo knows what she looks like."

"I remember seeing her a little while ago while we were playing the fishing game," Tomoyo answered, "but I haven't seen her since then."

"I haven't seen her either." Sakura shook her head, and Syaoran did the same.

"Me neither."

Sonomi sighed. "Well, if you could just keep an eye out for her, that'd be great."

"Sure! We'll be happy to!"

They waited until Sonomi had disappeared back into the crowd, and then the three of them looked at one another.

"Tomoyo-chan," Sakura began hesitantly, "is it possible that Takagi-san just got lost in the house?"

Tomoyo thought it over for a moment. "It is, but Takagi-neechan has been here plenty of times before. I can't imagine that she'd get lost just going down the hall and out to the garden."

"Maybe your mother just missed her," Syaoran suggested. "Or maybe she made a detour on the way. We could go out to the garden and see if she's there."

Sakura nodded. "I'd like to, just to be sure that nothing weird is going on. With all these people here, I don't know if I could sense a Warp Card even if one was here."

"Then let's go sort this out so that can enjoy the rest of the party!" Tomoyo held up her camera and motioned for the others to follow her. "I'll lead the way."

As they walked by the apple tub, they planned to stop by and speak with their friends. But they weren't there, and while they were just going to pass by assuming that the group had gone somewhere else, Chiharu suddenly approached through the crowd, waving her hand.

"Tomoyo-chan! There you are! We've been looking for you!"

"Chiharu-chan?" Tomoyo asked, looking at the group. "Naoko-chan? Eriol-kun? What's going on?"

"It's the others," Naoko replied, pointing toward the hallway. "They went on ahead to the home theater for the monster movie marathon we were looking forward to. The three of us stayed behind to get some more snacks, but when we got to the theater, they weren't there."

Eriol frowned, resting his chin in his hand. "I fear they might have gotten lost. Or perhaps… gotten wrapped up in something they shouldn't have."

His statement was vague, but the look in his eyes told Sakura exactly what he was thinking. She stiffened and her hand flew to where her key was hidden under the collar of her costume.

I wonder...

"Oh, Sakura, there you are!"

Sakura looked over to see Touya approaching her and waving, Ruby Moon following at his heels. "Onii-chan? Ruby? What are you doing? Where is Yu-?"

"I don't know. He was with some of your friends, showing them to the media room, but I can't seem to find him. I went to look, but when I got to the media room, he and the others weren't there."

Chiharu gasped. "But they were so excited about seeing the movies. Where would they have gone?"

"They might have gotten lost," Tomoyo answered. "Why don't you go find my mom? In the meantime, Sakura-chan and I will look around the south wing of the house to see if we can find them."

"I'm going with you," Touya and Syaoran declared in unison and glared at each other as they realized what they'd said. Sakura stepped in between them, grabbing one of their hands in each of hers.

"Thanks, both of you. I know I'll be safe if the two of you are with me."

"Ruby Moon, go with them," Eriol spoke, motioning to Sakura's group. "I'll stay with the others, just in case."

"In case what?" Naoko asked.

Sakura stiffened and looked to Syaoran for an explanation, but Tomoyo broke in before she could. "In case the ghosts of the haunted house got them," she answered with a flourish. "That's what you meant, right Eriol-kun?"

Eriol laughed. "Of course. You have outdone yourself with this decorating, after all."

"Let's go, Touya! We can't leave Yukito all by himself!" Ruby grabbed Touya's hands and pulled him toward the hallway, and he couldn't help but be dragged along. Sakura looked back and forth at Tomoyo and then Syaoran, nodding her head.

If something strange was going on, they were going to figure out what it was.

---

The hallway stretched out in front of them as the excitement of the party disappeared into the background. The only light was the moonlight streaming in through the skylight above, and Touya was leading the way.

"This is the place I was standing with Yuki when the kids approached us," Touya spoke up, pointing over to a place near the wall. "Then they went down in that direction. It almost seemed like they disappeared, but I thought it was just my imagination."

"Now that we're away from all those people, I can sense a presence," Syaoran replied. "Something is here, but I can't get a good reading on where it's coming from."

Ruby clenched a fist. "Do you think it took them somewhere? I can't sense Yue's presence anywhere."

"Let's go to Tomoyo-chan's room first." Sakura pushed her way to the front of the group and continued down the hall. "Stephen should be able to help us. He may know what card it is and how to find it."

Syaoran ran to fall in step beside her. "Are you sure? He hasn't exactly been an invaluable help in the past."

"Maybe not, but he's trying his best. And it's better than going into this completely blind-"

"You guys, look!"

The sound of Tomoyo's voice brought the group to a halt. Sakura and Syaoran glanced back, but they saw her pointing down the hall in front of them so they turned back around to see what she was looking at.

"There's a light over there," Touya observed, narrowing his eyes to get a better view. "I guess that means there's people. Let's go."

The group walked down the hallway in the direction of the small glow they could see, all eyes focused on the light. But suddenly it disappeared, and with it went all their visible surroundings.

Ruby Moon shrieked, holding out one hand to create a glowing ball of light. "What just happened?! Where'd everything go?"

"I don't know!" Sakura replied, turning a full three hundred and sixty degrees to search for some sign that they were still in the Daidoujis' house. But the whole place was dark, and the vague sense of energy she'd felt earlier now completely enveloped them. "This place is…"

"It seems like we've been pulled into a pocket dimension," Syaoran spoke. "Sakura, see if you can illuminate it with The Light."

Sakura nodded, reciting the incantation for her staff and activating the card. "Light card! Illuminate the darkness that surrounds us! LIGHT!"

The others covered their eyes as a large flash surrounded them, but once the initial brightness had died down, they looked up to see the same darkness as before.

"What?" Ruby Moon gasped. "Not even Light can illuminate it?!"

"It's not that," Sakura replied with a shake of her head. "It's more like there's nothing to illuminate. There's just nothing."

Ruby frowned and powered up an attack in her right hand. She tossed a spear of crystallized magic out in front of them, waiting for it to hit something. But there was no sound as it was swallowed up by the darkness and disappeared.

Touya sighed. "Well, that was useless. What do we do now?"

"If we keep walking, we're never going to get anywhere." Tomoyo's camera was giving an error message on the display, so she switched it off. "Sakura-chan, do you have a card that can break us out of this? What about Through?"

Sakura shook her head. "Through can only break through physical objects. Fly and Dash would just go on forever in whatever direction and eventually lose energy. And with no light, Shadow can't search for any objects. But what else is there…?"

"Sakura-chan, look!"

Tomoyo was pointing again, this time behind the group. When they turned around, they found the same dim light that had appeared before, now hovering at a distance. Sakura stared at it, feeling oddly fascinated by the color as it flickered and burned. Something about it seemed to be calling to her, and she felt drawn to it. But her feet were rooted to the spot.

Tomoyo, however, wasn't. "That's got to be the way out! Come on!" Before anyone could ask or protest, she started running in the direction of the light.

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura gasped, reaching out one hand. Syaoran, meanwhile, took off running after Tomoyo.

"Wait!" he yelled. "Don't get too far! We don't know how stable this dimension is! If we get too far separated from the others in the group, we mi-"

And then he was gone, his voice swallowed up by the darkness.

"Syaoran!" Sakura gasped, her grip on the staff tightening. "Syaoran! Tomoyo-chan! Where did you go? Answer me! Tomoyooo! Syaoraaaan!"

It was no use. There was nothing, not even an echo. It was as if the darkness has enveloped them and pulled them out of existence. Sakura stepped forward, but Touya grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Let's think about this logically, Sakura," he warned. "Whatever this card is doing, it's trying to disorient us. We can't let it cloud our judgement. Its true form must have something to do with that light they ran after. We should wait until it reappears and then figure out where it's coming from."

Sakura was worried about Syaoran and Tomoyo, but she knew he was right and nodded in agreement. "Let's look in opposite directions, so that, when the light appears again, we'll be able to see it."

Ruby raised one hand. "I could fly up to get a better view of this place-"

"Idiot! If you fly too far above us, you'll get separated too!"

"Wah! You're so mean, Touya!"

"I'm only telling the truth-"

"Stop it, both of you!" Sakura scolded. "If we're going to find Tomoyo and Syaoran and get out of here, we need to work together. Keep your eyes out for that light, okay?"

"Right!" "R-right…"

Ruby Moon was eager to please, and Touya begrudgingly nodded. But as soon as they turned their attention outward, there was an almost simultaneous gasp between the two of them.

"There!"

By the time Sakura twirled around to look for the light as well, the two of them had started to run off. Sakura froze as she saw them heading in opposite directions, both chasing a separate light. Touya paused just long enough to call out to both of the others.

"Sakura, Akizuki, come on! This way!"

"No way!" Ruby protested. "You're looking at the wrong thing! That's gotta be just a reflection of some kind- this is the real one! Come on, Sakura!"

Sakura frantically waved her hands back and forth. "No, stop! It's just trying to separate us! If you run off, you're going to end up just like Tomoyo and Syaoran-"

Her protests didn't make any difference, as the two continued off in their respective directions. Lost for anything else to do, Sakura reached for her cards.

"Cut them off before they get too far! LOOP!"

Touya and Ruby passed over the looped ground and reappeared in the opposite direction, disoriented by the sudden change.

"Wha-?" "What the hell?"

Touya and Ruby looked at each other, then back at the lights that were still hovering in the directions they'd been going. They turned themselves around and took on again, but only found themselves back in the same spot. When they turned around to dash out a third time, Sakura yelled at them.

"Please, stop! The card is just trying to split us up! We can't let that happen!"

Touya and Ruby looked back and her and then at each other. Touya closed his eyes and sighed, and Ruby's wings drooped.

"Sakura-chan is right," Ruby began, "we shouldn't let ourselves be distracted. It's just what the card wants."

"Yeah, I guess that's true…" Touya groaned and turned back to Sakura. "But what can we do? If we can't chase the lights, then…"

Sakura frowned and looked down at her feet. "I wonder… It seems to want us to follow it. If we ignore it, then it might approach us." She pulled her head up and called out in the direction of the two lights that were still flickering a short distance away. "Hey! If you want us, you're going to have to come get us!"

As soon as she finished her statement, the two lights flickered out, disappearing into the darkness. Sakura stiffened and held up her staff defensively, and Ruby prepared a magical attack in one hand. However, nothing physical approached them. Instead, a flickering light began to appear nearby, burning brightly and then disappearing only to appear again in another location. Sakura followed it with her eyes, trying to find a pattern in its movements, but there didn't seem to be any. It was appearing and vanishing with such ease, Sakura began to get dizzy watching it.

"I think it's trying to confuse us," Touya hissed. "There's gotta be a way to catch it."

Ruby was leaping after it, trying to catch hold of it, but even when she managed to grab where the light was, her hands just phased right through it and it disappeared with no difficulty.

"I- ah!- cant't- ugh!- get it- ow!"

Ruby landed again, her face contorted in disgust. "I just can't get ahold of it… and ugh, it stinks too!"

Sakura perked up. "...stinks?"

"Yeah, like somthing's rotten." Ruby covered her face. "I wonder if it's poisonous. Sakura-chan, you shouldn't-"

Sakura had already run over to where the light was flickering back and forth, trying to get a glimpse. She couldn't get close to it, but she at least was able to catch a whiff of the smell Ruby had described. It was bad- but more importantly, she knew what it was.

"I've got it!" Sakura exclaimed, pulling a card from her deck. "Be careful, you guys. I'm going to find the card's true form."

"You-" Touya began, but he saw the card Sakura had chosen and took a step back.

"Firey, ignite the gas to reveal the location of the card! FIREY!"

The outline of Firey's body appeared, outlined with sparks that set fire to a body of gas that was hovering in the air around them, tracing where the card's light had been appearing. The fire burned in the air, spreading until it finally found a large volume of gas to ignite. The gaseous creature seemed to flinch and back away, but Sakura was ready. She brought her staff down on it, chanting the incantation.

"Card by evil's hand designed, reveal your power and form confined; reject the hold of evil's blight and draw your power from my light! SAKURA CARD!"

The gaseous creature coalesced into the shape of a card, and floated to rest in Sakura's hand. She looked over it with satisfaction, an image of a flame underlined with the words "The Will 'O Wisp."

As she stared at the card, the area around her became brighter, and a chorus of voices drew her attention back to the real world.

"Sakura-chan!"

"Oh, Tomoyo-chan! Thank goodness you're okay!" Sakura embraced Tomoyo, and then stepped back to examine her. "Are you alright? What happened to you?"

"After we ran off, we couldn't find out way back," Tomoyo explained, turning to look at Syaoran. "I'm sorry. It was my fault for running off."

Sakura shook her head, showing off the new card. "Don't worry. The card lures people away from one another using that light and causes them to get lost in the darkness. You couldn't help it-"

"Yuki!"

"Touya! Sakura-chan!"

Yukito ran to greet them, taking Touya's hands in his and then turning back to look for the others in the room. The kids noticed Sakura and Tomoyo, and ran to see them, waving excitedly.

"Hey, why'd it stop? That was crazy cool!" "Daidouji-san, how did you manage that? The special effects were incredible." "I was totally scared! You did a great job!"

Sakura forced a smile and stepped back to allow Tomoyo to take over, already weaving an elaborate story about blackout curtains, strobe lighting, and stereo-broadcasted infrasound. An older woman approached to speak with her too, and Tomoyo's address of her as "Takagi-neesan" told Sakura that this was the woman that Sonomi had been looking for.

Syaoran placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder, and she turned to look at him, but before he could say anything to her about the card, she was tackled in a bear-hug by Ruby Moon.

"Sakura-chan, that was fantastic! How in the world did you know to find its true form like that?"

Sakura had learned not to struggle against Ruby's hugs, especially when she was in her true form. She just stayed still, holding the card out to Syaoran having sensed that he wanted to get a better look. "I was lucky- I'd been studying for this."

"Studying?" Ruby took a step back. "Amazing! Studying the cards! You truly are the master of the Sakura cards!"

"N-not the cards necessarily…" Sakura took her key and hid it under the collar of her costume again, and then turned to look at Syaoran. "And I wasn't studying by myself. I had help."

Syaoran looked up from the card and smiled. "Sakura, I… I'm sorry. I was worried about Tomoyo-san, and I left you behind-"

"It's okay." Sakura grabbed his hands to calm him down. "If it hadn't been for the books you checked out for me, I never would've known how to find the card's true form. So you saved me. Thank you so much."

Syaoran's face reddened, and he looked down at their hands. "I… um… that's… uh… listen..." He closed his eyes and steeled himself to speak. "About what I was going to say on Friday; I'm sorry I was so nervous. I had just been thinking, with everything that happened between Kanda and Hayashi, I guess it's not a secret that we're a couple. So maybe we could, uh, act a little more… couple-like."

Sakura wasn't sure quite what he was asking. "Couple-like? What does that mean?"

"It means, like, well… holding hands and stuff like that… and maybe…" He paused and took a deep breath. "You know, when we kissed before, it was nice. I'd like to do it again. Like, more often."

"You mean like right now?" Sakura asked, pressing a finger to her lips. Syaoran blushed and stepped back, turned around to see Tomoyo filming them.

"N-no! Not now! Later, later!"

Touya glared at them, but a friendly pat on the shoulder from Yukito and an enthusiastic tackle from Ruby kept him from saying anything that would split the two up.

…

"...and I'm happy to announce the winner of our costume contest. Please congratulate Akizuki Nakuru-san as the beautiful butterfly fairy Ruby Moon! Everyone give her a round of applause!"

Ruby eagerly hopped up the stairs to join Tomoyo's mother on the stage and take the microphone.

"This is such an honor, but I just can't take all the credit! See, this gorgeous costume was made for me by my relative, Hiiragizawa Eriol! The dress, the wings, even the hair and makeup- all Eriol's work! Eriooooool!" She waved frantically, picking him out toward the back of the crowd. "Get up here with me, Erioool~!"

Sakura watched Eriol heave a resigned sigh and start moving toward the stage from their position by the apple tub. She'd been sure to show off the new card to him and explain what had happened.

Yamazaki was still busy with his Halloween games, having moved on from trying to grab one to working on peeling the apples. Aiko, however, had already taken a bite out of hers.

"I don't need to throw mine over my shoulder. I already know th' only guy for me is Hicchan, right?" She laughed and tossed her arm around Kanda's shoulder. It was a more powerful gesture than she'd intended, and he almost fell over.

"Y-you say that like it's a threat…" "C'mon! You know you love me!" "I've liked you since the fifth grade, but that doesn't give you an excuse to manhandle me like this-" "Hah! Fifth grade? Weak sauce! I've had a crush on you since third grade!" "Not everything is a competition, Aicchan!"

Sakura couldn't suppress a laugh, and then turned to Yamazaki and Chiharu who were busy examining the apple peel that he'd tossed over his shoulder.

"I don't know, Takashi," Chiharu was saying, a pensive frown on her face. "It may not be a 'chi,' but it doesn't look like anything else in particular. You've just gotta admit this fortune telling thing is bogus-"

"No! It's got to be! Perhaps an English 'C?" "No, it's too twisted for that." "Then maybe… a 'to?' Your name can also be read as Tomomi, so-" "I told you, just give it a rest!" "A 'se' for sen, since it's the first-" "Just forget it! You're getting on my nerves!"

Once again, Sakura had to laugh. "It seems like everyone is enjoying themselves," she spoke up, nudging Syaoran who was still focused on peeling his apple. He looked up just long enough to respond with a nod and then looked back down.

"When I said I wanted to act more couple-like, that wasn't at all what I meant."

Sakura reached out and put her hand over his. "I think every couple has their own way of acting couple-like. Aiko-chan and Kanda-san are always competing, Chiharu-chan and Yamazaki-kun are always bickering… but the fact that they are still so close means that they're happy with the way things are. So we just have to find our own way of acting couple-like, okay?"

Syaoran looked up to her and smiled. "Maybe our couple-like behavior is supporting each other in the face of danger. For a couple with powerful magic between them, I can't think of any better way to show our love."

His words were spoken with a smile, and Sakura leaned in, standing on the tips of her toes to get closer to his lips. "We can still kiss, though. Right?"

"Ri-"

She had been positioned so that, when he turned his head, their lips just barely met. His face flashed red and he jumped away, almost dropping the apple. Tomoyo, watching from a short distance away, giggled at the scene.

"Sakura-chan's natural sweetness scoring a critical hit on Syaoran-kun's nerves? That's their true couple-like scene."

---

Sakura found herself once again in a suspiciously dark place, one that seemed to be illuminated only by a low, unknown light source. She was seated, and looked up from the floor to see a face that had become familiar to her by now. The elegant curves of the woman's face were mostly obscured by her dark, curly hair, but a pair of curious brown eyes stared through with a look of fascination.

"Sakura," the woman gasped.

"It's you," Sakura murmured. "What are you doing in my dreams? What is it you're trying to tell me?"

The woman stared, her expression clouding as though she didn't quite understand what Sakura was saying. She spoke her own question, but it was once again in a language that Sakura didn't understand. Seeing Sakura's look of incomprehension, the woman reached into her robe and pulled out a pad of paper. In her other hand she held up a calligraphy brush, looking to Sakura for some kind of confirmation.

"A message…?" Sakura murmured, and then gasped. If it really was Chinese the woman was speaking, she might be able to get a message across using characters that Sakura recognized as kanji. It wouldn't be foolproof, but it would at least offer an opportunity for more communication than they currently had.

The woman nodded and put her calligraphy pen to the paper, writing out the first character. Sakura stood up and moved around behind the woman so that she could see the writing right-side up. But when she did so, a wind began to whip up behind her, blowing the papers from the woman's book back and forth. The woman dropped her book and held the brush close to her chest to protect it amidst the pages from the book being ripped out and blown around. Sakura chased after them, her hand reaching out in front of her to grasp the sheet that the woman had been writing on. She only got one last look at it before the whole place faded into darkness, but it was enough to at least read it.

"Nine…"

Sakura sat up with a gasp, glancing around her room to regain her bearings. It was still dark outside, but the beginnings of morning light were just beginning to show around the edges of the horizon. Hearing Sakura's voice, Stephen poked his head up from his stuffed-animal bed and Kero opened the drawer just enough to peek out.

"Sakura-sama?" "Sakura?"

"Oh, you guys…" Sakura began, looking over in their direction. "I had that dream again."

"The one with the foreign woman who knows your name?" Kero asked.

"Yeah. But this time we were actually able to communicate a little. She had this notebook, and used a calligraphy brush to write on it."

Stephen frowned. "A calligraphy brush, huh? Where'd she get the ink?"

"I don't know. I knew it was a dream, so I didn't question it." Sakura shook her head. "She started writing something- the number nine- but didn't get to finish before everything got blown away."

"Nine?" Kero asked.

"Yeah. Just the number, though, so I don't know what it means." Sakura leaned back on her pillow, staring up at the ceiling. "I wonder if it has something to do with the Warp Cards."

"Well, your capture of The Will 'O Wisp today makes six Warp Cards purified," Stephen pointed out, scampering down from the windowsill, across the rug, and up onto the bed beside Sakura. "Perhaps what you interpreted as a nine was merely an upside-down six."

"No, that can't be." Sakura shook her head. "It wasn't the numeral nine, it was the kanji. I think she speaks Chinese, so it's written with the same character. That's not something that can be easily mistaken."

"You said she didn't finish, right?" Kero asked. "So maybe she was trying to write something else and just didn't get any farther. That character is a component of many others- she could easily have been trying to write something like ninety, or… circle? Like, that your attempts to communicate were going in circles?"

"That's a stretch and you know it, Kero-chan," Sakura shot back.

"I'm just sayin', we shouldn't wear ourselves out tryin' to figure out this mysterious nine message when it could very well mean something else."

Stephen raised a paw. "If I may, it is possible that the number is in reference to the next Warp Card that Sakura-sama will encounter."

"And how d'ya figure that?"

"Because, when you include the two cards currently in possession of Noboru, there are a total of eight Warp Cards currently accounted for. The next card to show itself, whether purified by Sakura-sama or captured by Noboru, will be the ninth card overall."

Kero frowned. "I don't know. That makes a lot of assumptions."

"Not any more than the character being the first two strokes of circle," Sakura replied with a pointed glare, and Kero sunk back into his drawer.

"Alright, already. Ignore me. That's fine. Just don't overthink this, will ya? You've got enough to worry about."

Stephen nodded, climbing onto Sakura's lap and placing a paw on her hand. "Kerberos is right. You should worry more about your day to day struggles for now. The meaning of these dreams shall come in time."

Sakura was hesitant, but she finally nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm going to sleep a little longer, and then I'll focus on school. I don't have to have all the answers to my dreams yet."

Stephen gave her an encouraging smile. "Everything will surely be alright, Sakura-sama."

"Everything will surely be alright."

Still, as they settled back to sleep, Stephen couldn't help considering her description of the figure in her dream. Perhaps it was just dream logic, as she'd described, but he couldn't be sure.

"A magical calligraphy brush, huh? I wonder…"