Thank you so much for your patience with the delays. My writing partner and I have both been working a lot lately, him with a new job and me with a new project, and trying to coordinate editing work is more difficult than we'd like. But we're thrilled that people are enjoying the story, and we hope you continue to enjoy it moving forward. As usual, we don't own anything, we're just some fans writing some fiction. Thanks again!

11- Sakura and a Language Barrier

As Sakura made her way down the sidewalk, she could hear Kero and Stephen chatting away from inside her bag. It was a beautiful, sunny autumn day, but even the crunching of the leaves underfoot couldn't drown out the chatter of the two beasts. Sakura glanced down and frowned, unzipping her bag.

"-can't wait to see Suppi's face when I show him this-!"

"Kero-chan, you're too loud. My friends will be waiting for me at the bus stop ahead. What if they hear you?"

Stephen broke in with an apology before Kero could protest. "We're very sorry, Sakura-sama. We will keep our voices down until we reach Eriol-sama's house."

Sakura sighed. "You're not the one I'm worried about, but…"

"It'll be fine." Kero winked and then dove back into the bag, zipping it back up over himself and Stephen. "Ya won't even know we're here!" he called, his voice muffled by the fabric.

"Yelling at me from inside the bag isn't exactly reassuring…"

She turned the corner and saw the bus stop up ahead, the group of kids standing beside it turned and waved.

"Sakura-chan!" Chiharu called. "You made it on time!"

"What, you thought I'd be late?"

"Kinomoto always makes it just in time," Yamazaki added pointing to the bus that was just pulling up. Tomoyo giggled.

"Punctuality is one of Sakura-chan's specialties, after all."

Sakura let out a sigh as she joined her friends in boarding the bus. Tomoyo took the seat beside her, leaning over to look at the bag she was carrying.

"You've got some hitchhikers along for the ride, huh?"

"Kero-chan wanted to play games with Spinel while we were visiting, so I brought him and Stephen. I'm sure the house is big enough that they won't cause any suspicion while we're studying."

Tomoyo smiled and sat back. "I'm sure it'll be fine. It's good for them to get out once in a while for a non-magical reason-"

"Kinomoto, Daidouji," Yamazaki stood up from the seat behind them, perching on the back of their seats so that they could hear him better, "you've been to Hiiragizawa's house before, right? What's it like? Does it really have twenty bedrooms and twenty-five bathrooms?"

"Huh?" Sakura flinched at the sudden interruption. "Why would it have more bathrooms than bedrooms? What kind of house is that?"

"It may not have quite that many," Tomoyo offered, "but it's still pretty big. Hiiragizawa said that all four guest rooms were filled this week."

"Then is it really okay for us to intrude like this?" Rika asked from across the aisle. "You didn't impose when you asked for his help, did you, Yamazaki-kun?"

"What?" Yamazaki held up his hands. "I would never! Hiiragizawa said he'd be happy to help us with our English projects!"

"Yeah, I heard him over the phone," Chiharu nodded. "He said it wasn't fair for us to always ask Li-kun."

"Right?" Yamazaki nodded. "And anyway, Hiiragizawa's English is even better than Li's English-"

"Young man in the back, please remain seated while the bus is moving!"

The girls giggled as Yamazaki settled back down, and Kero unzipped the bag to peek his head out ever-so-slightly. "Say, is there a reason the kid couldn't come with us today?" he whispered.

"Syaoran has been overwhelmed lately," Sakura answered, her cheerful expression fading. It hurt to think about, considering that his research into Clow Reed's past was for the sake of her and the Warp Cards, but he had made her promise not to feel guilty. "He collapsed yesterday during gym class, and the nurse said he was sleep deprived. He'd promised Yamazaki that he'd help us with our English projects this week, but we told him to rest. That's why Yamazaki contacted Eriol-kun."

Kero crossed his arms. "I see," he whispered. "The poor kid. Even with the drama club's play off his shoulders, he's still pushin' himself too hard."

"Sakura-sama?" Stephen asked. "After we finish at Eriol-sama's house, may we go visit Li Syaoran-sama? Not for long so as not to bother him, but simply to wish him well."

"Huh? W-well, he's supposed to be resting, so…"

"I think it'd be a good idea for you to go," Tomoyo offered. "He should be resting most of the day today, so a visit from Sakura-chan in the evening should be the perfect thing to raise his spirits."

"Hooray!" Stephen chimed, though Kero slapped his paws over Stephen's mouth to quiet him down.

"Sakura-chan?" Naoko looked across the aisle. "What was that?"

Sakura laughed nervously. "N-nothing! Just playing a game on my phone!"

As Sakura and her friends settled in the library, Sakura handed off her bag to Nakuru- a present for her "cat," she'd called it. Nakuru eagerly carried it up the stairs, unzipping it as she did so to let Kero and Stephen out.

"Nakuruby!" Stephen gasped, and jumped onto her shoulder to offer his form of an embrace.

"Stephen~!" she chimed back, nuzzling him with her cheek.

Kero looked up at the two of them for a long moment in silence, watching the affectionate display until he finally got fed up and offered a sarcastic "Kerberos!" in response. Nakuru laughed at the sound of his voice as she reached the second-floor landing and rounded the corner to her room.

"Aw, we wouldn't forget about you either, Kero-chan. Suppi has been so excited to see you, he talked about it all last night-"

"I did no such thing. Stop spreading such uncouth rumors about me, Ruby Moon."

Inside the room, Spinel was perched on the windowsill with a thick book. He hadn't even looked up from his reading to speak, but his annoyed expression came through in his voice.

"Aw, Suppi, don't be so cold!" Kero grabbed a video game case from the bag and flew over to the windowsill, holding it behind his back. "I told ya I brought a surprise, didn't I? Guess what it is?"

Spinel looked up and his posture immediately went stiff. "I can see it behind you… i-is that…the new Zylon Warriors game that isn't set to be released until next month?"

Kero pulled the game from behind him and held it up proudly. "You'd better believe it! An early access copy, courtesy of the Daidouji tech company!"

"Aw, Suppi, isn't that wonderful?" Nakuru chimed. "You loved that old Zylon Warriors game!"

Spinel turned his face away. "I-I wouldn't say that I loved it. I did play it, yes, but I found the story lacking in substance and the controls and battle system rather clumsy."

Kero sighed a loud, over-dramatic sigh. "I guess that means ya wouldn't be interested in bootin' it up and givin' her a whirl, then? Shame."

"I…" Spinel seemed to pause for a moment, his voice hitching as he spoke. "...I really don't care either way. You may play it, but do not involve me."

Kero scurried over to the television, powering on the game system. "Well, alright then. If you don't care, then you won't care about me opening my current save file and picking up where I left off thirty hours into the game-"

"S-S-SPOILERS, KERBEROS!"

Nakuru laughed, and Spinel's face blushed a deep red under his fur.

"I… suppose… it would be best to start from the beginning…"

As Kero and Spinel started up the game, Nakuru set Stephen down on the bed and plopped down beside him. "So~!" she began, resting her head in her hands. "What do you want to do today, Stephen? Do you want to play with them too?"

"Actually, I…" Stephen glanced over to where Kero and Spinel were sitting, enraptured by the prologue of the game. "...I thought, perhaps, I'd ask you to show me around your lovely home. If it would not be too much of an inconvenience, of course-"

"A house tour? Sounds awesome!" Nakuru sat up on her knees and scooped Stephen up again. "All the guest rooms are occupied and Sakura-chan and her friends are in the library, but I can toootally show you the rest of the house! You're gonna love it! Should we start in the basement and go up, or on the third floor and go down-"

The game music cut off suddenly as Spinel hit the 'pause' button. "Please, Ruby Moon, quiet your chatter! I'm trying to immerse myself in this piece of media and you're making it very difficult."

Nakuru pouted. "Kick me out of my own room, will you?"

"Only because Eriol and his friends kicked me out of the library-"

"S-Stop fighting, you two!" Stephen interrupted. "Nakuruby is going to give me a tour of the house, so we will be taking our leave as requested. We apologize for disturbing your game. It is a wonderful story, is it not?"

Spinel glanced away. "I've learned never to judge a story by its prologue, but… it is an interesting premise…"

Nakuru bade farewell to Kero and Spinel and closed the door behind her as she and Stephen exited into the hallway. Nakuru stretched out her hand for Stephen to hop down onto. "Alright, buddy, you lead the way! Tell me what you want to see."

"Huh? W-well, I…" Stephen pressed his paws together, his ears drooping. "The truth is, it is not necessarily a tour I am after. I would like to ask a favor of you."

"A favor? Like what?"

"I wish to know if there are any archives compiled by Clow Reed that would give some insight into his life in Hong Kong. Specifically, I am curious about his relationship with his cousin Li Xiaohe, and the existence of Xiaohe's daughter, Li Lian."

Nakuru frowned, thinking it over. "Why don't you ask Kerberos and Yue?"

"I have spoken with Kerberos and Yue, but their memories are different from mine. Kerberos says that perhaps my memories have been altered, and Yue believes I am lying. If I am to prove to them that Li Lian actually existed, I will need… well, proof."

"Hmm." Nakuru closed her eyes. "Yue has always been a stubborn one, that's for sure. If you want to convince him, you'll need some pretty hard evidence." She opened her eyes again, smiled, and nodded. "Okay, then! I've got just the thing to help you out! Anything to prove Yue wrong!"

Stephen covered his mouth with one paw to stifle a nervous giggle. "Um, I suppose your enthusiasm is admirable, even if your motivation is not so much so… I am grateful to you, Ruby Moon-sama. Please, take me to this resource you speak of-"

"Oh, you are just soooo cute!" Nakuru squeezed Stephen into a hug so tight that he couldn't even finish his sentence. She bounded down the hallway, eventually reaching a closed door on the back side of the house. "In here," she said, opening the door. The room was dark and windowless, so it was hard to see what was inside. Stephen leaned over Nakuru's arm, trying to get a better look.

"This is…?"

"This space was meant to be an office, but Clow Reed always just kept old photos and journals in here," Nakuru said, flipping the light switch. A low glow illuminated the room, bringing into view walls of file folders and albums. "These are personal things that Clow preferred to keep out of the library, but I don't think Eriol would mind if you looked through them. Clow isn't around to get angry at you, after all."

Stephen frowned. "It… still feels like somewhat of an imposition…"

"Then why don't I go through them and you watch? Then you wouldn't be doing anything wrong!"

"I would be complicit, however…" Stephen sighed. "...it seems my curiosity outweighs my conscience in this situation. Yes, let us go through the archives together."

"Yay!" Nakuru clapped her hands, diving in and pulling albums from the shelves seemingly at random. "I'll look at this one and this one and this one too-!"

"N-Nakuruby! Remember the time period we are interested in! It would be the early 1870's, specifically 1871, when Li Lian was born... or stillborn, as Kerberos and Yue claim."

"Oh, right, right. Let's see."

It took a while for the two to find what they were looking for. There seemed to be no order or sense in the way the items were arranged, with albums and journals from completely different time periods and about completely different subjects placed next to one another. Some of the albums and journals had not aged well, and while they appeared to be old enough, none was from before the 1920s. Finally, Nakuru moved to the back of the room and pulled out a small journal that was almost hidden behind two thick photo albums.

"Stephen, Stephen, come here! This journal is dated 1875."

Stephen had been looking at a photo album from 1958 of the building of Tokyo Tower, but immediately set it aside once he heard the excitement in Nakuru's voice. She opened the journal to a page in the middle, but as soon as she did so, both she and Stephen froze.

"Wh-what's with this…?" Nakuru murmured, pressing her hand to the page. "Why is it all crossed out?"

"It is not all crossed out," Stephen said, jumping down to stand on the page. "But many of the words are. Was this book perhaps vandalized after Clow Reed's death?"

"I don't think so." Nakuru shook her head. "I can't imagine who would've gone to the trouble. Clow Reed must have done it himself."

"But why…?"

Stephen stepped off the page, and Nakuru began carefully flipping through the journal. The pages were stiff and seemed like they might break in her hands, but as she turned one of the pages, a loose piece of paper fell out. She dropped the book and reached for the loose paper, turning it over in her hand and letting out a gasp.

"Whoa! It's really Clow Reed…"

"What? A photo? L-let me see!" Stephen scrambled up her sleeve and onto her shoulder. He looked down at the photograph but was so stricken with surprise that he couldn't say anything. It showed Clow Reed, just as Nakuru had said, looking exactly how Stephen had remembered him when they last met. The appearance of the portrait suggested it had probably been taken in the 1870s when Clow had written the journal, but it was in remarkably good condition- likely because it had been closed up in the journal so long. The most fascinating part of the photo, however, was not Clow Reed himself.

It was the child sitting on his lap.

"Is that the girl you were talking about?" Nakuru asked. "Li Lian?"

"I… I…"

Stephen couldn't even get any words out. In the meantime, Nakuru turned the card over and examined the back for any kind of label that might give names and dates. It was unfortunately blank, so she turned it back over and handed it to Stephen. His paws were shaking as he accepted it and hopped back onto the floor to get a better look.

"...I only saw Lian once, and only as an infant. I cannot say with complete confidence that this is her. But if this photo was taken in 1875, as the journal suggests, then the girl pictured here would be the right age. Not only that, but her smile looks so much like Chioni's, down to the creases in her cheeks and those dimples…"

"Lian was half Chinese, just like Clow, right?"

"Yes. Chinese on her father's side and French on her mother's- though Chioni's grandfather was Greek, and she had dark, wavy hair just like him. Wavy hair is not commonly found in China, or at least not during that time. Yet this little girl's hair looks like Chioni's. That cannot be a coincidence."

Nakuru sat back, closing the journal and setting it aside. "If that really is Lian in the picture, then it would disprove what Kerberos told you about her being stillborn. She lived at least into childhood, and was close enough to Clow Reed to actually have a portrait taken with him."

"Nakuruby," Stephen began again, "do you believe that Eriol-sama would know who this is?"

"Yeah, I'm sure he does! I could take it down to him and ask."

"Would that interrupt his and Sakura-sama's study session?"

Nakuru hopped to her feet, slipping the photo in her shirt pocket. "I'm sure they could use a break by now! I'll take it downstairs. You wanna sit in my pocket and play stuffed animal?"

"Yes, I suppose I shall."

"It's good. Simplicity is always best in these cases." Eriol smiled as he reviewed Rika's paper. "I would suggest only a few minor changes. Such as here- try placing the prepositional phrase at the front of the sentence rather than at the end. It'll sound more natural if you vary your sentence structure."

"I see." Rika took her paper back and started erasing part of it. "So that'll make it In the box, I found a cat."

"Yes, that sounds perfect-"

"Erioooooool~!"

The door to the library burst open, and the students jumped as Nakuru came bounding in. Sakura looked up, noticing Stephen sitting in her shirt pocket. She frowned, unsure what to expect from the interruption. The study session had been going so well, she had almost forgotten that Kero and Stephen were upstairs.

Oh boy… now what?

Eriol looked up, his smile not wavering. "Do you need something, Nakuru?"

Nakuru hopped over to lean against the back of Eriol's chair. "I found this suuuper old photo upstairs, and I was wondering if you know who this little girl is."

At the sound of the question, Eriol's smile faded. He reached up and took the photo from her so that he could examine it. He adjusted his glasses, but as soon as he got a good look, his smile returned.

"Would you believe that this is one of Li-kun's ancestors?"

At the sound of that statement, Sakura's friends jumped up and moved around to get a look at the photo as well. "Li-kun's family?" "No way!" "I wanna see!"

As much as she didn't want to crowd Eriol, Sakura was curious. She had to stand behind the chair, so she hopped up onto the tips of her toes in order to see over the back. When Nakuru had said "little girl," she hadn't expected to find Clow Reed in the image. But there he was, seated with his signature smile, holding what looked like a little girl in his lap. Eriol was right, the child did remind her of Syaoran in a way. Something about the facial features made her think of Syaoran, and she couldn't help a smile.

"That girl is so cute-"

"He's actually a boy," Eriol interrupted, tapping the photograph. "That child is Li-kun's great-great-grandfather, Li Baoyi."

"Whaaaa-t?!"

The expression of surprise from Sakura's classmates was loud, but Sakura could swear she heard Stephen's voice in there somewhere. Still, no one seemed to notice, and Chiharu spoke up again.

"But then what's with that dress?"

"Oh, oh!" Yamazaki raised his hand. "I know this one! You see, back in the 1800s, parents used to dress young children in what we today would consider feminine clothing, regardless of their gender."

"What? That doesn't sound right-"

"It's true," Eriol broke in. "The idea of children's clothing being gendered is a relatively modern phenomenon. Even today, there are children who don't discover their gender until they grow older. Gender identity is a strange and complicated matter, and the idea that certain clothing can only be worn by one specific gender is too simple an idea to be put into practice. Isn't that right, Nakuru?"

Eriol handed the picture back to Nakuru, and she slipped it into her pocket next to Stephen again. "Totally! Thanks for the info, Eriol!"

"It's not a problem. If you have any more questions about photos, let me know. I'll be happy to tell you about them."

The group watched her leave and Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. Tomoyo tapped her on the shoulder and whispered: "was that Stephen in her pocket?"

"Yeah," Sakura whispered back with a nod. "I wonder what that was all about..."

"-Sakura-san? Are you ready to practice reading your assignment?"

"Huh? O-oh!" The sound of Eriol's voice brought Sakura back to her senses, and she gripped the paper she was holding. "Yes, that's right! Here goes…"

"Come in! The door's open!"

When Sakura entered Syaoran's apartment, she found him sitting on the couch in the living room. He had muted the television, but it was still on and she snatched the remote to turn it off completely.

"Y-you're supposed to be in bed!"

"The nurse didn't say bed specifically, she just said to rest," Syaoran protested. "And it's not like I'm doing any work. I'm just watching TV."

"Still! You should be sleeping."

"I just can't sleep anymore… and I'm bored…"

Kero poked his head out of Sakura's bag. "Heh, not so fun to be on the other side of an overprotective relationship, huh, kid?"

Sakura and Syaoran both blushed a bright red. "I-I'm sorry…" Sakura began. "...I know I shouldn't worry so much, I just want you to feel better…"

"N-no, after what happened, it's only natural that you'd worry about me… I know I'd say the same thing if I were in your shoes… so…"

"Just kiss already!"

"Sh-sh-shut up, stuffed animal!"

Sakura giggled. "Well, if you have the energy to argue with Kero-chan, then I guess you're feeling better after all."

Syaoran sighed and leaned back on the couch, resting his hands behind his head. "I'm sorry to have worried you, Sakura. I didn't realize how hard I'd been pushing myself lately with school and the play and research… no matter how much of the family's archives I go through, there's just nothing about Warp Neon. After what happened at the Culture Festival, I doubled- no, tripled- my research efforts just to make sure we don't lose another card to Noboru-sensei. This isn't like when you and I were fighting for the Clow Cards, knowing that one of us would become the master of all of them in the end. The cards we lose to Noboru, we may have lost forever. And no matter what he says about caring for your wellbeing, he could very well use them against you someday…"

While Syaoran had been speaking, Kero had fluttered over to perch on Sakura's shoulder. Once Syaoran's voice trailed off, Kero leaned over and tugged on his ear, eliciting a yell from Syaoran.

"Ow! H-hey, what gives?"

"I know you've been home alone for a while with nothin' but yer thoughts, but you can't let yourself get so down. Sure, it's good to learn from your mistakes, but if you let 'em send you into a spiral of regret, you'll just end up gettin' careless again."

Syaoran flinched and pulled away. "I-I know that already! I just don't want to let Noboru get another card, is all."

"None of us wants that," Sakura assured him. "Right, Stephen?"

There was a pause, and suddenly a clatter from in the kitchen caught their attention. Sakura shot to her feet, her hand flying to her key.

"S-Stephen…?"

"Oh, Sakura-sama! My apologies!"

Stephen came scurrying back around the corner, and Sakura heaved a sigh. "What was that all about? When did you go to the kitchen?"

"Just now. I thought I would make some tea for Li Syaoran-sama to help him feel better, but…" Stephen laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with one paw. "I'm afraid I cannot figure out how to light the hearth."

Syaoran let out a frustrated sigh. "The stovetop's electric, as is the kettle. And I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't need any tea. Don't just go through other people's stuff without asking, okay?"

"Yes, Li Syaoran-sama. I am very sorry." Stephen perked up again, hopping up onto the low table to more easily converse with them. "What was it you were asking me, Sakura-sama?"

"Oh, I was just saying that we can't let Noboru-sensei get any more of the cards."

"Yes! Naturally! Oh Sakura-sama, I am so glad you feel the same way!"

The conversation continued, straying into other topics such as friends and school assignments, particularly the one that Eriol had been helping Sakura and her friends with that morning. Sakura and Syaoran compared theirs, and Syaoran said he needed to thank Eriol for helping everyone out in his absence. Sakura did make some tea eventually, and the two spent a few minutes just watching television and enjoying each other's company. By about 4:30, however, the sun had begun to set, and Sakura offered a fond farewell before packing up her things and heading home. Syaoran walked her out and watched from the balcony until she was out of sight. Satisfied, he slipped back inside and locked the door behind him.

There wasn't much around in the way of food, but he still had rice and some leftovers in the fridge. He opened the cabinet to retrieve a plate, but as he did so, he noticed some sort of paper lodged in the crack of the door. Curious, he pulled it out and turned it over to examine it. It was stiff and brittle, feeling like it might crack in his grip if he held it too hard. But the image on the front side was clear- and it sent a chill up his spine.

Clow Reed?!

But Clow was not the only one in the photo. A small child was seated in Clow's lap, sporting a bright, cheerful smile. Syaoran had examined old pictures of his family before, but he wasn't familiar with this child. Who was that, anyway?

And more importantly…

Where did this picture come from?

"[Great job, Kinomoto. Thank you very much.]"

Sakura practically collapsed onto her desk once she returned from the front of the room, Miller-sensei's words echoing in her head with a sense of relief. Great job, great job. Tomoyo giggled.

"Don't be so dramatic, Sakura-chan," she whispered. "You did wonderfully."

"I wish I could be so confident. My pronunciation was awful."

Syaoran, sitting behind her, was still practicing his assignment. Earlier that morning, he'd been working with Sakura on his pronunciation of the 'th' sound, and she could still hear him struggling with it. "[...and listened… to the sound… the sound… the, the…]"

"Don't worry, Syaoran-kun," Sakura whispered. "Even if you do speak English, Miller-sensei doesn't expect your pronunciation to be perfect."

Syaoran looked up at her briefly, but he didn't say anything and returned to his practice. It didn't take long for the class to get around to him, and when his name was called, he marched stiffly up to the front. Sakura offered a wave and a smile, and it seemed to calm him slightly. He cleared his throat and then read off the page.

But something was off.

It was Syaoran's voice, but at the same time, it wasn't. He was reading quickly and fluidly, his effortless pronunciation sounding less to Sakura like the Syaoran she knew and more like the actors from those British dramas that Stephen was always watching. It was perfect- and something wasn't right about that.

"[I stood on the dock and listened to the sound of the ocean. A boat appeared on the horizon, and a boy waved to me from the deck. He had a smile on his face and a glow around his body. I waved back at him, a smile on my face as well.]"

The whole class applauded, causing Syaoran to blush and look down at his paper again. "Great use of compound sentences," Miller-sensei commented. "[Well done.]"

Syaoran returned to his seat, barely glancing up to see Sakura's encouraging smile. The class continued with the remaining students each reading their own assignments, and Miller-sensei assigned a reading from the textbook for their homework that night just as the bell rang for lunch.

"I was so nervous!" Sakura was the first to stand up, leaning against her desk with a sigh of relief.

"You did just fine, Sakura-chan. Everyone else was just as nervous as you were."

"Really? You were nervous too, Tomoyo-chan?"

Tomoyo nodded. "No matter how many times I perform in front of an audience, it's always nerve-wracking to know that my performance is being judged." She turned to look at Syaoran. "A member of the drama club knows exactly what that's like, right, Syaoran-kun?"

Syaoran jerked his head up from his desk as he heard his name, looking up to Tomoyo with a puzzled expression. He didn't say anything, however, putting a hand against the side of his head. Seeing his pained expression sent a pang of concern through Sakura's chest, and she leaned in closer.

"Syaoran? Are you alright? Does your head hurt?"

He stared back at her, his expression blank. She waited for a reply, but he didn't give any- instead, he just stood up, grabbing his school bag to take with him.

"[I'm going… to the nurse…]"

"Huh? Syaoran, wait!" Sakura ran after him, trying not to draw attention as she dodged classmates that were heading outside to lunch. "What did you say? You're going where-?"

Tomoyo caught up to him first, grabbing hold of his arm. "If you're going to the nurse, do you want us to walk you there?"

Syaoran turned back to look at her, a sense of fear coming through in his eyes. "[I'm sorry… I don't understand…]"

"What are you sorry for? Just speak normally-" Sakura began, but Tomoyo waved her hand and broke in, speaking slow but understandable English.

"[You can't understand Japanese?]"

His eyes lit up as he recognized her words. "[I can't! I don't know what's going on. I mean, I feel physically fine, but I can't understand anything that anyone is saying. Am I going crazy? Am I having a stroke-?]"

"[S-slow down!]" Tomoyo broke in. "[Talk simple.] Or, better yet, let's try something else…"

Tomoyo dug into her pocket, retrieving her cell phone and navigating through her apps. She pressed a few buttons, typed a quick message, and then handed the phone over to Syaoran, pointing to a text box on the screen. The message she'd written in Japanese had been translated into English below, instructing him to write his own messages there. Syaoran nodded and took a moment to write, then handed the phone back over to Tomoyo. Sakura looked over to read what he'd written too.

"He can't understand what we're saying at all? How is that even possible? He's been speaking Japanese since he was a kid."

"Sometimes severe stress can cause people to revert back to their native language," Tomoyo offered, "but English isn't his native language."

"Oh! Try translating something to Chinese and see if he can read it."

Syaoran was watching their discussion with a frustrated grimace. His expression finally softened as Tomoyo handed him the phone again, but that didn't last long.

"[Do you understand this?]" Tomoyo asked, pointing to the message in Chinese. Syaoran shook his head, and she sighed, turning back to Sakura. "This is strange indeed. What do you think has happened to him-?"

Syaoran grabbed the phone from her suddenly, typing another message into the box. He shoved it back to her, motioning Sakura to look at it as well. The translation didn't sound natural, but it still got the point across.

[Do you think it's a card?]

Kero was taking a break from the new video game to join in a limited-time event on his favorite online mobile game instead. It was a relief to Stephen, who needed some time to be alone with his thoughts. The conversation with Eriol before had given him a lot to consider, and the more he thought about it, the more things made sense… and didn't.

Around noon, Kero finally stopped playing to grab a snack from the kitchen downstairs. Stephen followed him, quietly padding down the stairs as he thought over how to broach the subject. He didn't have the photo anymore, so it wasn't like he could just slip it across the table and ask Kero about it. No, he didn't regret leaving it for Syaoran to find, but he'd have to find another way to bring up Baoyi and Lian… tactfully.

"Keroberos, you didn't tell me that Chioni's child was a boy."

Kero had just taken a big bite of pudding, and he almost choked. "Y-y-h-h-guh-!" He set the spoon aside and took a moment to cough and clear his throat. "Where d'ya get off, just sayin' things like that? Did Ruby Moon say somethin' to you yesterday? I already told ya, I've got no memories of the kid."

Stephen frowned and took a step back toward the edge of the table. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to mention it so abruptly. But after what Nakuruby showed me yesterday, I realized... Chioni told me that, if she ever had a daughter, she would name her 'Lian,' written with the character for 'lotus.' After seeing the infant with no clear indication of gender and no official name yet, I assumed the child was female if only to put a name with the face. But the child I thought was Chioni's daughter was actually her son. His name was not Lian, it was Baoyi."

There was a pause. Kero set the spoon aside on the table and stood up on his hind legs to approach Stephen.

"What's that supposed to mean? You're not sayin' that Li Baoyi was…?"

"I saw a photograph yesterday at Eriol-sama's mansion. It showed Clow Reed with Li Baoyi when he was very young. It was unmistakable- his features made it clear that he was undoubtedly Chioni's son.

"What features? I don't remember him resembling her…"

"You would not notice unless you looked closely, but his nose shape and the way his smile looks are unmistakable when seen in that light. And he had curly hair too, did he not? That was not a trait common in the Li family."

Kero frowned and sat back down, reaching for the spoon again. "...it's true he had wavy hair, but that ain't a surefire way to prove his relationship to her."

"But…" Stephen scurried around to sit opposite the pudding. "...you don't have to hide it any longer. Don't tell me you really still believe that he was stillborn-"

"Well I know Baoyi lived to adulthood, but that doesn't change the fact that I was told Chioni's child died. Why tell us that if he didn't?"

Stephen's ears drooped. "...oh, I… I thought…"

"What, you thought I was lyin'? We're a team now and I wouldn't do that to ya, especially about somethin' this important."

"...right. I should have trusted you." Stephen looked down, tracing his paw along the tabletop absentmindedly. "But I cannot deny what I saw in that photograph. You, yourself, admit that he bore a resemblance, correct?"

Kero stuffed another bite of pudding into his mouth and gulped it down. "I mean, I get what you're sayin', but… where's this photograph of yours? Still at Eriol's place?"

Stephen shook his head. "I let it at Li Syaoran-sama's apartment. He has been doing research on the Li family history, so he might be able to match the photograph with later images of Li Baoyi-sama-"

"But you know what this means, don'tcha?"

The statement gave Stephen pause. "...huh?"

"The Li family prides itself on bein' the descendants of Clow Reed. But technically Baoyi was Clow Reed's first-cousin-once-removed, not his biological son. On the other hand, if what you're sayin' is true, then Baoyi would have been the great-grandson- the direct descendant- of Warp Neon. Tellin' the kid that he's the descendant of such a despicable sorcerer… is that really what ya want?"

"That…" Stephen frowned and then shook his head. "What does it matter who they're descended from? They have studied Clow Reed's magic all these years. They are rightfully his descendants, no matter who else's blood they may carry-"

"Then why does it matter so much to you that he's Chioni's great-great-great grandson?"

"B-b-because…" Stephen spluttered and then turned away. "Because Warp Neon never wanted a family, but Chioni did! She risked everything to betray him and dedicate herself to the Li family! And she deserves to be remembered for that!"

There was a long moment of silence. Kero stared at Stephen and then finally took his eyes off of him again to shove the last of the pudding in his mouth. "...geez," he muttered as he swallowed it down, "damn it all, this serious talk has given the pudding a bitter aftertaste."

"I am sorry to have ruined your snack, Kerberos."

"Nah, if you'd interrupted me while I was playin', I'd have been even more upset." Kero moved the spoon over and hit Stephen on the head with the rounded end. "But I'd wait to celebrate about your sudden revelation, considering it raises more questions than it answers. If Baoyi really was Chioni's son, why lie to Yue and me about the circumstances of his birth? We helped raise him- Yue was like a second father to him. He called him 'Papa Yue' and everything."

"Hah… Papa Yue. That is adorable."

"There's still some reason that the Li family has erased Warp Neon from their records, and there's some reason that Warp Neon has been erased from Eriol's memories. Warp Neon was reincarnated somehow, even though he shouldn't'a been. Those can't have anything to do with a boy that grew up after Warp Neon died. It all has to go back to Clow Reed somehow."

"I know. I am not trying to solve those mysteries." Stephen rubbed the top of his head. "All I know is what I saw in that photograph. The only thing I care about is now is… was he happy?"

"Who?"

"Li Baoyi. Was he happy? Did he live a fulfilled life?"

The question finally managed to put a smile on Kero's face, though there was a sadness in his eyes. "...yeah, he was. He was very happy."

"Then that is all Chioni would have wanted… all that I could want. Thank you, Kerberos."

"Hey, don't look so sad, buddy! Lemme clean up, and I'll teach ya how to play this awesome game! I bet you'd be good at it. It's all about assemblin' a team to defeat a bunch of monsters, and ya gotta consider the monsters' elemental resistances as well as their assault types… an egghead like you would love it!"

"Egghead? What does that mean? My head is quite round-"

"See? That's just what I'm talkin' about! You'll get the hang of it in no time-!"

An electronic noise from upstairs cut off Kero's statement, and he and Stephen both turned to look toward the hallway. "...is that your phone, Kerberos?"

"Yeah. But who'd be callin' me at this hour? Sakura's the only one who calls, and she's at school. She'd only call if it were a real emergency."

As the words left his mouth, he realized what he was saying. He shot a glance over at Stephen, and the two immediately scrambled back towards Sakura's room for the phone.

Sakura and her friends ate what they could of their lunches as they discussed the situation and what they could do. Sakura agreed that she sensed a card, but had no idea what it was or where it might be hiding. There didn't seem to be anyone else affected by it as far as they could tell, but they knew its influence might spread if they didn't do something soon.

"I'm going to find someplace to call Stephen and Kero," Sakura said, pulling out her phone. "Maybe the back stairwell?"

"We'll go with you," Tomoyo replied, and wrote a short statement into the translator on her phone for Syaoran. He nodded and pointed to the hallway, so the three of them quickly packed up their lunches and headed out. Once they were sure they were alone in the stairwell, Sakura dialed Kero's number and waited for him to pick up.

But he didn't.

The call rang until eventually, the automatic voicemail picked up. "Please leave a message after the tone-"

"Oh, Kero-chan, where are you when I need you?!" Sakura hung up and let out a sigh. "He must be downstairs eating that pudding I've been saving, that little glutton."

"Shouldn't Stephen have at least picked it up?" Tomoyo asked.

"Maybe, but I have a feeling that Kero-chan has been teaching him some bad habits lately… oh, here they are!" She clicked the phone to take the call, covering the side of her mouth so that her yell wouldn't reverb around the stairwell. "Where were you guys? This is important!"

"Aw, don't get so upset. We got back to ya in time, so what's the big deal?"

"Were you eating my pudding again?"

"Your pudding? N-no, of course not… hey! What're you callin' us for at this hour? Is there a problem?"

"Oh yeah, that's right." Sakura sighed. "Something weird is going on here. Syaoran started acting strangely during English class. It was like he somehow became fluent in English but completely forgot how to speak Japanese or even Chinese. He doesn't understand anything that anyone is saying, and we have to use an online translator just to talk to him-"

"BABEL!" Stephen's voice screeched through the phone. "This is the work of the Babel Card, no question!"

"Babel?"

"It references the ancient myth of the Tower of Babel and the creation of languages. It's said that long ago, all the peoples of the Earth spoke a single language. They formed a thriving civilization and decided that they were no longer content worshipping their God, but would build a great tower that stretched all the way to heaven and become gods themselves. Their God, angry with their arrogance, punished them by giving them all different languages so that they could no longer communicate and collaborate with one another. Warp Neon created a card that could alter people's ability to communicate with one another, a favorite technique of his to send enemy troops into chaos when they could no longer give or follow orders."

"It must have been attracted to Syaoran-kun because he speaks three languages," Tomoyo suggested.

"Yes, likely so. Oh, I'm so sorry, Li Syaoran-sama. Don't you worry, we'll find this card-"

"He can't understand you, Stephen."

"Ah! Right!" Stephen gasped and then switched over to English. "[Do not worry, Master Li Syaoran. I will help you find this card and return you to normal.]"

"If you have a plan, you'll need to tell us right away," Tomoyo added. "Lunch is almost over, and they'll be expecting us in class."

Stephen paused and then spoke up again. "That may be a problem. Babel hides within written text, which can make it difficult to locate. In a place like a school, which is full of books, finding Babel would be like finding a needle in a haystack."

"What? Really?"

Kero's voice came over the phone, his volume causing feedback as he yelled. "Whyyyy do you always give us information that only makes things worse?!"

"K-Kero-chan! He's just trying to help, same as always!"

Syaoran passed Tomoyo's phone back over to her, the question [what is Kero yelling about?] written in the translator. She just giggled in response, and he groaned.

Meanwhile, Stephen was providing as much information as he could. "W-well, we can at least narrow it down! The text where Babel is hiding must be in the same language as the one it has imprinted onto its victims. It needs a reference, right? It prefers handwritten materials to printed ones, and it's all the better if that material was written by a powerful magician."

"Hmm…" Sakura closed her eyes as she thought it over. "...something in English, handwritten by a powerful magician…" It took a moment, but her eyes finally snapped open. "That's it! The homework assignments we turned in today- it must be hiding in one of ours!"

"Miller-sensei has probably taken them to her desk in the faculty office already," Tomoyo offered. "We should go there."

"Right! Let's hurry too- the bell is going to ring soon."

"Oh, Sakura-sama, before I forget, the card has a preference for material that was written in ink rather than pencil, and also prioritizes material that is-"

"It's okay, Stephen. We know where the card is hiding. You've been a great help, thanks!" Sakura hated to cut him off, but she knew that Stephen had a habit of being long-winded and they didn't have any time to waste

Tomoyo passed a quick message to Syaoran explaining the situation, and the three of them scrambled back down the stairs to the first floor. The faculty office was on the other side of the building, so they were out of breath by the time they made it. Sakura reached the doorway first and was about to open the door, but someone else opened the door from the inside and she jumped back in surprise.

It was the last person she wanted to see right now.

"...Kinomoto-san? What are you doing here?" Noboru asked, his expression genuinely curious. "Lunch is almost over. Do you need something?"

"I was looking for Miller-sensei," Sakura answered, trying not to let her anxiety show through. She knew having Tomoyo and Syaoran following so closely behind her might look suspicious to him, but there wasn't much she could do. "We, uh, had a project due in English class today, and I think I forgot to put my name on mine. Is she here? Can I speak with her?"

Noboru glanced back into the office before addressing Sakura again. "I think she's already headed to her next class. But she usually grades assignments after school, so if you speak to her before you go to your club this afternoon, you should be fine. Just remember to be more careful next time."

"R-right…" Sakura glanced back at her friends and then up at Noboru. "...um, do you think she left the assignments at her desk? Maybe we could just take a look-"

"Kinomoto-san, you know it would be unethical to go through your class' assignments without the teacher's supervision. I know you are a trustworthy student, but some students might not have such straightforward intentions. Or…" He paused, looking back and forth between the three of them. "...does Miller-sensei have reason to worry about your intentions too?"

She'd pushed too far. He had caught on, and Sakura knew it. She scrambled to think of a way to get out of it, but there was no way to deflect his attention without also putting Syaoran in a difficult position.

"...what class is Miller-sensei teaching this period? Maybe if we go talk to her-"

"She's in class 1-C after lunch today," Noboru answered. "I can accompany you there."

"W-w-well, we…"

"Daidouji-san. Li-san. You two have been awfully quiet. If Kinomoto-san is really just trying to put her name on her project, why are the two of you staying so close? You could be late to class."

"We're just here to back her up!" Tomoyo answered, putting on a big smile. "Like you said, students could be untrustworthy."

"Li-san? Is that true?"

Syaoran stiffened, hearing his own name amidst Noboru's speech. He frowned and looked away, not even sure what nonverbal response to give. Noboru stepped closer and spoke again.

"Li-san? Please speak up when a teacher addresses you. It's rude not to at least say something."

"H-he lost his voice!" Sakura broke in. "It's laryngitis- y'know, from everything with the drama club. He'll be okay, though."

"He could at least give me a nod, though. Isn't that right, Li-san? Or…" Noboru paused, a smile passing over his face as his speech changed over from Japanese to English. "[...can you even understand what I'm saying?]"

Syaoran flinched, eliciting a laugh from Noboru.

"The Babel card! Of course! Naturally, you'd be searching for the card hiding in your handwritten English homework. Did Stephanos give you that clue, or did you work it out all on your own? Either way, you should have come to me."

"We don't need your help!" Sakura replied. "Just let us go in and capture the card-"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Not now that I know."

"But-"

Before Sakura could protest further, the school bell rang. Noboru's eyes glinted, hearing the chimes echo down the hallway. "Oh my, it sounds like lunch is over. Luckily for me, this is my free period. But the three of you are expected back in class… if someone found you in the halls skipping class, you'd get in big trouble. What a pity."

"B-but-!" Sakura gasped, glancing back at Syaoran. "He won't be able to understand the lecture. What if the teacher calls on him?"

"Math is the same in any language. He can simply write his answer on the board." Noboru shrugged. "But, if you're that concerned I won't be able to find and subdue the card, you can help me out. You won't get in trouble if you're helping a teacher, you know."

Sakura stepped back, looking away. "B-but…" she repeated. Before she could gather her thoughts, however, Syaoran shoved the phone in her direction. The message on it was short but firm.

"[You don't need his help.]"

She relaxed her shoulders and sighed. "...we'll go on to class, then."

"Sakura-chan-!" Tomoyo gasped, but Noboru laughed.

"A fine decision. I will subdue the card and reverse its effects on Li for you, don't worry. Now off to class with you. You don't want to be late."

Sakura grabbed Tomoyo and Syaoran's hands and dragged them both with her down the hallway and around the corner into the stairwell. As soon as they were out of sight, she pulled her key from inside her shirt and held it firmly in one hand.

"Tomoyo-chan, take Syaoran back to class. I'll handle this."

"But Sakura-chan, this is the faculty office we're talking about! If someone catches you skipping class, then-"

By the time Tomoyo had begun to protest, Sakura had already pulled the card she was looking for out of her pocket. She wasted no time in chanting the incantation for her staff and activating the card.

"Little Card, make me small enough to find the card without being spotted! LITTLE!"

On her command, the card enveloped her in magic and she began to shrink until she was small enough to fit in the palm of a person's hand. Tomoyo and Syaoran knelt down beside her, Syaoran typing into the phone and then holding it out for her to see. At the size she was, the phone looked more like a massive flashing billboard, and that only made the message stand out more. She had expected him to type out something like "be careful" or "don't go alone" or something like that, but he didn't.

"[You can do it]" was all the message said.

Sakura waited until the bell rang and the hallway had cleared out before making a run for the faculty office. She had been watching from around the corner and seen another teacher asking Noboru for help taking some items back to the library. He didn't put up any protest, which was just what she was hoping for. He was overconfident- and that gave her a chance.

She was lucky that her stamina for running was good; the distance between her spot in the stairwell and the office itself was much greater than she'd anticipated, and even she was out of breath by the time she made it to the door. It was closed and far heavier than she'd thought it would be to open, but with the Through Card, getting into the office was easy and she didn't arouse any suspicion by causing the door to move on its own.

So far so good.

There were a few teachers working at their desks, but none of them was seated near Miller-sensei's. Sakura tried to remember exactly where Miller-sensei's desk was, recalling only that it was on the row next to the window. She hurried around to that side of the room, clutching her staff close and staying vigilant for the sensation of a Warp Card's energy. Stephen was right that the card was good at hiding; she hadn't been able to feel it when she was full size. But now that she was smaller, the energy of the card was just barely noticeable, and she could follow it down the row to the very last desk.

There!

Sakura reached into her pocket again for her cards. "Jump," she whispered and used its power to hop up first onto the chair and then onto the surface of the desk itself. She couldn't see the desktop from the ground, so she'd hoped that the assignment papers would simply be sitting there on top. But when she made it to the desktop, she found the workspace tidy and spotless.

Where did she put the assignments? Are they in the drawer, or…?

Sakura closed her eyes again, trying to get a better feel for where the card had gone. She could feel it in one of the desk drawers on the right side, but glancing over the side of the desk at the drawer handles made her realize how ill-equipped she was to open them. She couldn't transform back into her normal size with the two other teachers present. There had to be another way…

As she thought it through, the sound of the door opening derailed her train of thought and sent her hiding behind the mug of pencils. Noboru's voice filled the room, the other two teachers looking up from their work.

"Ueno, Matsuda, Shimazaki said that she needed help with something in the gym. I'm helping Miller with something right now, so could you go check on that for me?"

Oh no! Sakura cursed inwardly. She'd taken too long, and now not only had Noboru come back, but he'd distracted the other teachers and gotten the faculty room for himself. She had to do something fast, or she'd lose the card. Determined to get into the drawers, she hopped down from the desk back onto the chair.

Unfortunately, she forgot that it was a rolling chair.

The impact of her landing sent the chair moving backward, and she was powerless to do anything but hang on as it crashed into the back wall. By the time she knew what was happening, Noboru was already leaning over her.

"A little bird told me I would find you here… though he didn't say I'd find a miniature version of you. Clow Reed really did make some ridiculous cards."

Sakura looked up, noticing the magical figure perched on Noboru's shoulder- Messenger, she remembered. "I-I was just-"

"You don't need to make excuses, Kinomoto. I get it. You were looking for the card." Noboru slid the chair back to the desk again, gently so as not to knock Sakura off the side. He then let go of it, digging into the bag that he was carrying. Sakura wasn't sure what he was reaching for, and part of her didn't want to find out.

Desperate, Sakura tapped her staff against the side of the drawer and began shouting 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-"

There was a loud thump beside her as Noboru shoved a notebook onto the table

"-fos mu?Then katalavéno..."

Sakura looked up, her head spinning. She couldn't remember the exact words of the incantation, the meaning still solid in her head but the Japanese completely gone. She wasn't even thinking in Japanese anymore- and the sight of the smile on Noboru's face as he looked down at her made it clear that was exactly what he'd wanted.

"Milás Elliniká?" he whispered, feigning surprise. You speak Greek?

Sakura slumped to the desktop, unable to even say anything else to him. She didn't want to say anything else to him.

"Pos les 'you're in over your head' sta Elliniká, Sakura?" he asked, and then added with a grin, "Sygnómi, milás álli glóssa ektós apó Elliniká?"

"Ochi…" Sakura sighed. No, she didn't understand the phrase he'd just used. No, she didn't understand any other language.

Noboru placed his hand over the notebook and chanted an incantation under his breath. The energy from his handwriting coalesced into the form of a card and settled into his hand.

Another card was back in his control.

Noboru accompanied Sakura back to a quiet location where she could transform back to her normal size and then walked her back to her classroom with his usual 'concern.'

"I'm sorry for my behavior earlier. I don't mean to humiliate you, I merely want you to understand what you're up against. Outside of a wartime environment, Babel and Muse are more inconvenient than they are dangerous. But as you continue to encounter these cards, you will find more and more cards like Vegetation- cards that will kill you if given the chance. You cannot keep exposing yourself to them in this way. It's clear that Stephanos isn't doing enough to help you; after all, he didn't tell you that Babel will give preference to Greek text over other languages."

"He tried to." Sakura finally mustered up the courage to speak back. "I just didn't listen to him."

"I suppose, then, you won't make that mistake again?"

There was an odd glint in Noboru's eyes as he said this, and it sent a shiver down Sakura's spine. He'd always had that scheming air about him when discussing the Warp Cards, but now more than ever it seemed like he was up to something. She looked up at him and nodded, forcing her own resolve as well.

"No, I won't."

Noboru delivered her to math class with an apology for keeping her "to help tidy up the faculty office," and Sakura trudged back to her seat so that she could fish her math textbook out of her desk. Tomoyo gave her a questioning look and Syaoran whispered a quick "did you get the card?," and Sakura could only shake her head in reply.

Class continued as normal, but Sakura couldn't focus on the lesson. What had just happened was weighing on her mind, and she had to sort it out. Why had she failed this time when she was so sure of herself?

It's because there were things I didn't know about the card, Sensei found a way to use that against me and take me by surprise. To keep that from happening again, I…

She clenched her fist, her resolve strengthening once again.

...I have to study these cards. I need Stephen to teach me everything he knows. I need to know what I'm up against- with the cards and with Noboru-sensei.