19- Touya, His Father, and a Double Date

"So, what movie are you two going to see?"

Yukito handed a plate over to Sakura to dry as they finished cleaning the last of the dinner dishes. Touya and Fujitaka were on the other side of the kitchen packing up the leftovers, so he and Sakura waited until they were finished to head back to the kitchen table. Fujitaka had made a pot of tea and left it brewing while they cleaned, and Sakura was the first to pour herself a cup.

"It's the one that came out last month… I forget the name, but it's about the two dogs-"

" Hachiko and Bobby? " Yukito prompted, and Sakura nodded.

"Yeah, that's the one!"

"I've heard that's a real tear-jerker. Be sure to bring enough tissues for you and Li-kun."

Touya scoffed, taking the teapot from Sakura to pour himself a cup. "I'm sorry I have to work tomorrow. I'd love to see the brat cry."

"Onii-chan! What a mean thing to say!" Sakura gave him a shove and skirted around him toward the hallway. "I'm gonna go finish the homework that's due Monday. Do you need help with anything else, Dad?"

Fujitaka shook his head. "You've helped a lot this evening. Go finish your homework so that you can enjoy tomorrow to the fullest."

"I will! Thanks-!"

"Oh, Sakura-chan, wait."

Yukito held up a hand to stop her as he dug in his backpack with the other. He produced a small giftwrapped box and held it out to her.

"Here. Tuesday is White Day, so this is a thank-you from Touya and me. Your chocolate was delicious, as always."

Sakura blushed, moving her tea mug into one hand so she could accept the gift with the other. "Thank you so much. I'm so happy you enjoyed it."

"It's from me too, y'know," Touya pointed out, and Sakura turned to him with a forced smile.

"Thank you very much, Onii-chan."

"You can open it now, just don't let it distract you from your homework."

"I'm not that easily distracted! Geez!" Sakura turned back and stormed up the stairs, leaving Yukito laughing and Touya shaking his head. Yukito closed his backpack again and sat down, taking the chance to pour a cup of tea for himself and Fujitaka. He handed it over, and Fujitaka accepted it with a grateful nod.

"What did you give her, anyway?"

"Cookies," he answered. "Touya and I made them."

Touya raised a hand. "Actually, Yuki made them. I just ate the dough while he yelled at me."

Fujitaka laughed. "He gets that from his mother. Nadeshiko always used to sneak cookie dough while I was baking. When he was little, I didn't stand a chance against the two of them. I started baking the flour I was going to use beforehand to make sure they didn't get sick."

Yukito paused with his cup of tea halfway to his lips. "You can get sick from flour?"

"Yeah, raw flour. It's a thing." Touya shrugged. "Apparently more dangerous than raw eggs, 'long as they're pasteurized."

"I see. I had no idea…"

Yukito looked over to Fujitaka, noticing that he wasn't paying attention. He was staring across the table at the photo of Nadeshiko, a spring scene that showed her modeling a short, white dress and matching cloche hat. She looked like she was having fun, and he couldn't help a smile himself.

"Just when I think I've seen all of your photos, you put out a new one."

"Sometimes I find ones I'd forgotten about myself," Fujitaka admitted. "I have to be careful when going through old albums, or hours will pass before I've realized it." He laughed softly to himself and then shook his head. "Sorry, I've distracted myself even now. There's actually something I wanted to discuss with you."

"With Yuki?" Touya asked. "Or me?"

"Both you, actually."

There was a look of genuine concern on Fujitaka's face, and Yukito sat up straighter, wondering if it might be something unpleasant. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no. In fact, it's quite the opposite." Fujitaka smiled, and Yukito could swear there was a hint of a blush on his cheeks. "Do you remember my friend Giorgios? You met him back in December when he dropped by with a Christmas present."

"Yeah, I know him," Touya answered back, his expression turning serious. "Sakura's teacher, Noboru."

Yukito could sense Touya's trepidation, and he knew his father could sense it too. Fujitaka took a deep breath before he finally continued. "He and I had been meeting as friends for a while, and recently we've started seeing each other on a more serious basis. I wouldn't call it a romantic relationship yet, but we've been… going on dates."

There was a moment of silence. Touya stared, waiting as if he was expecting his father to admit it was a joke. But he and Yukito both knew that Fujitaka wasn't the joking type, and especially not when it came to matters like this. "...you…" Touya began. "...you've been going on dates ? Plural? How long has this been going on?"

"About a month now. He asked me to go to the museum with him the weekend before Valentine's day, and we hit it off. Since then, we've been out for dinner twice and are actually going to the planetarium to see their new show tomorrow. I'm sorry I didn't tell you until now. I just… wasn't sure how to bring it up."

"Not sure how to bring it up? Not sure how to bring it up?! Dad, what the hell-?!" Touya rose to his feet, slamming his hands on the table. Yukito placed a hand against his arm and Fujitaka motioned to the hallway.

"Please, Touya. Sakura is working upstairs-"

"And what about Sakura? Does she know?! That's her teacher, and he's- he's-"

"Sakura knows that I am dating," Fujitaka broke in, closing his eyes. Yukito could tell he was having to force the seriousness in his voice. "She knows him only as Giorgios right now. He and I don't want to put unneeded stress on her at school-"

"So you're lying to her?! Lying to your daughter and keeping secrets from your son?!"

"Touya, stop!" Yukito gasped, tugging at his sleeve. "Please, that's not what he's doing at all."

"What, you're on his side now?"

"Please, Touya." Fujitaka stood up as well, looking over to Touya with genuine worry in his eyes. "I know this may be hard for you, and I'm not asking you to accept it all at once. But I promise you, this does not change how I feel about your mother. I will never love anyone the way I love Nadeshiko, and no one can ever replace her role in my life and yours-"

"It's not about Mom!" Touya interrupted, and stopped himself. He looked down at Yukito apologetically, and Yukito felt a rush of affection. Touya could let his temper get the better of him sometimes, but it was only because he cared. "I promise, this isn't about Mom. If it were anybody else, I'd be happy for you, I swear. It's just…" Touya closed his eyes and sighed. "This Noboru guy is trouble."

Fujitaka's expression softened, his worry appearing to ease. "What makes you say that? Have you met him somewhere?"

"No, I just… it's just…" Touya tilted his head back and forth as he tried to find the words and eventually looked to Yukito again. "Yuki, you feel the same way, right? You just get bad vibes from the guy."

Bad vibes? Perhaps that was the best way to describe the deep, resonating hatred that erupted from within his other self whenever the subject of Warp Neon or Noboru came up. But to say that to Mr. Kinomoto's face was a different matter.

"I… suppose…" Yukito let out a sigh. "Yes. I'm sorry, Mr. Kinomoto, but Noboru-sensei is… it's hard to describe, but I think what Touya is getting at is that we want you to be careful."

Fujitaka considered it quietly for a moment and then sat down, picking up his cup of tea again. "I know that I've always trusted your sixth sense, Touya. But Giorgios is someone I've known for years. He was my team's interpreter at our dig sites in Greece, and we spent countless hours working together. I know him. I know he isn't dangerous."

Touya was still standing, and he gripped his chair tighter as he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Dad, but I don't think you do."

The table went quiet. Touya stood firm, staring unmoving at his father. Fujitaka, meanwhile looked into his mug of tea, and Yukito looked between them, his stomach churning with discomfort. His other self was yelling something about Sakura's safety, but he couldn't focus on that. He'd never seen Touya and his father fight before, and the scene was… frightening.

"Touya…" Yukito finally spoke up, slipping his hand over top of his boyfriend's. "...I'm worried too, but this is not our decision to make. Your father is a grown man, and we have no right to dictate who he spends his time with."

"I don't want to push you away, Touya," Fujitaka insisted, leaning forward. "I can make my own decisions, yes, but I also care about you and don't want to disregard your feelings. If it bothers you this much, I want to sort it out. Would you agree to meet with Giorgios sometime? I'm sure if you get to know him, you'll see the kind of person he is."

Touya thought it over for another long, tense moment. Finally, he sat back down in the chair, leaning against the table.

"Alright. Fine. I could go for the chance to meet him face to face. See what his intentions really are. Tomorrow night, after I get off work?"

Fujitaka's face lit up, his eyes sparkling with relief. "So soon?"

"The sooner the better. Bring him by our place. No need to wrap Sakura up in it."

"I'll ask him, then. Thank you, Touya. It means a lot to me that you're giving him a chance."

Yukito didn't say anything, but he could tell 'a chance' was not what Touya had in mind for Noboru.

Touya parked in the lot outside the apartment building. Once Yukito had exited and closed the door behind him, Touya locked the doors back, starting toward the staircase. Yukito followed as quickly as he could, mind brimming with questions that he hadn't been able to ask on their ride back.

"Touya… hey, Touya?"

They reached the second-floor landing, and Touya finally looked back.

"You don't really believe whatever crap that Noboru guy is peddling to Dad, do you? He's just trying to use Dad to get to Sakura."

"But get to Sakura how ?" Yukito replied. "I agree, his actions are suspicious, but I'm not sure what he's after. Back in December, he said something about fulfilling a promise he'd made to your dad. Do you know anything about that?"

Touya paused in front of the doorway with his key already in the lock. "How do we know he was telling the truth?"

"What reason would he have to lie to us? He knows that we already know he's up to no good. Besides…" Yukito let his voice trail off as he followed Touya into the apartment and closed the door behind them. "...the other me is pointing out that your dad does hold half of Clow Reed's soul."

Touya had collapsed onto the sofa, leaning against the back with his eyes closed. He opened them when he heard Yukito's- er, Yue's - statement, however, his anger turning into fear.

"You don't think this is a revenge thing, do you? That Dad's in danger because of a past life he doesn't even remember?"

Yukito sat down on the sofa beside him. "I can't say for sure. The other me is the one who knows the most about Clow Reed, and he doesn't know of any agreement that Clow and Warp might have had. Noboru said that it was Clow Reed who helped him reincarnate… do you think he's trying to repay a favor like that?"

"Repay a favor? I can't imagine that. Whatever his intent is, it's malicious." Touya shook his head. "It's such a weird feeling, worrying about Dad. I've always been overprotective of Sakura because she's needed protection. But Dad could take care of himself, I assumed. I've never had to worry that his life was in danger."

Touya sounded genuinely frightened. Yukito leaned against his shoulder and clasped onto his arm.

"Why not be upfront with your Dad? Tell him what you know about Noboru and why you're so worried."

"That'd be giving Sakura's situation away without her consent. I'm not gonna do that to her."

"It's nice that you're respecting her wishes. But does that mean you'll respect your dad's wishes too, by not telling Sakura-chan that 'Giorgios' is Noboru-sensei?"

Touya didn't answer. He seemed to be thinking it over, weighing his options, and Yukito didn't want to interrupt him. Unfortunately, Touya's cell phone wasn't so considerate. A sudden, high-pitched buzzing filled the formerly silent room, and Touya let out a groan as he pulled the phone from his pocket and looked at the caller ID.

"Who is it?" Yukito asked, leaning over to look. It was just a number, but it was one that Touya recognized.

"It's Takami from work," he replied, before answering it and holding up a hand to wave Yukito away. "Hey, what's up? …..Monday? I mean, yeah, but I work tomorrow, and we're not supposed to- oh. Yeah. I could do that. …..sure. …..it's no problem. …..you owe me one, okay? ….yeah, cool. Bye."

Touya hung up and put his hand down, and Yukito shifted closer again.

"What did he say?"

"He wanted me to take over his shift on Monday morning. Said he'd switch with me and work my shift tomorrow."

"So that means you'll be off tomorrow?"

"Yeah, apparently."

The room fell silent. Yukito felt his stomach churn as he realized what Touya must be thinking.

"You're not going to…?"

Touya pulled his phone up again, already searching the internet for the planetarium's page. "There's still some spots available for tomorrow's special show-"

"Touya, no!"

Yukito grabbed Touya's wrist, seeing him already on the "reserve seats" page for the planetarium. Touya looked back to him with a glare. "What? If he really has bad intentions, there's no telling what he could do to Dad!"

"Haven't they been going on dates for a month now? If Noboru was going to do something drastic, he'd have done it already."

"I know, that's not what I…" Touya let his voice trail off and then shook his head. "I don't want to crash their date. I just want to be there to see what Noboru is doing. I want to figure out his intentions."

"You are not going to spy on your father while he's on a date!"

"Of course not! I'm going to spy on Noboru."

"You are not going to spy on your father's boyfriend while he's on a date with your father! "

Touya sighed and examined his phone screen for a long moment before finally shutting off the web browser. Yukito breathed a sigh of relief, at least momentarily before he saw Touya pull up his father's phone number and hit 'call.'

"What are you-?!"

"Hey, Dad? ...yeah, sorry to call so late. …..No, it's just- no, no, it's really okay. Actually, I gave it some thought on the ride home, and I realized I was too quick to jump to conclusions. I really do want to give Giorgios a chance. ….no, no, I'm serious! I actually just got a call from a coworker asking to swap shifts with me. He's working tomorrow, so I have the day off. This might be a weird thing to ask and it's really last-minute, but the planetarium still has tickets for the show, and I was wondering how you'd feel about a double date with Yuki and me? It'd be a chance for us to get to know Giorgios better, and- are you sure? …...are you really sure? I don't want to force this on y- okay, Dad, okay! ….right. Of course. I'll see you tomorrow. ….I love you too. Bye."

He shut the phone and looked back to Yukito with a grin that showed he was very proud of himself.

"There. It's not spying if they know we're with them."

"You… really just did that, didn't you?" Yukito shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you. Who goes on a double date with their parent ?"

"You were the one who was bitching about going without permission. So I got permission." Touya spoke without looking at Yukito. "I'm worried about my dad, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to protect him. But I'm not going to make you uncomfortable in the process. We're in this together."

"Together… in protecting Sakura and your father, you mean?"

"That, and-" Touya blushed, but finally looked back at Yukito. "-everything else too."

Yukito smiled and leaned in to kiss Touya's cheek.

"Yes. We are."

The planetarium was crowded, but filled with an air of excitement. Touya and Yukito had gotten there early, and were waiting outside the entrance when Fujitaka and Noboru arrived. Fujitaka was smiling the way he normally did, but Noboru was especially cheerful.

He started waving at them when they were still a block away and ran ahead to greet them.

"I'm so happy the two of you decided to come with us! This is an unexpected treat. I've gotten the chance to know Sakura-san through school, but I still want to get to know the rest of Fujitaka's family. Let's enjoy the show and have a wonderful lunch together afterward, okay?"

"...yes. I'm looking forward to it." Touya's response was clearly forced, but Noboru remained cheerful nonetheless.

Posters for the special program, Ancient Constellations, were plastered throughout the building, looking like they could be advertising a cinematic movie. Yukito remembered going to a planetarium show with Seijyo High School once, but it had been merely a projection of the night sky explained to them by a docent with a laser pointer. It had been a wonderful show in its own right, of course, especially to someone who was so easily impressed. But Yukito had watched the previews for this program and been blown away by the cinematography. Shooting a movie was one thing, but shooting a movie to be displayed on a dome ? It was fascinating just as a concept, and Yukito couldn't wait to see it in action.

He was so excited, he almost forgot they had come to investigate Noboru.

Despite the crowd, it didn't take long for them to show their tickets and file into the planetarium to find their seats. Yukito settled in next to Touya, half expecting Noboru to shove his way in on the other side as a way of symbolically "getting between" Touya and his father. But instead, Noboru motioned Fujitaka into the seat next to Touya and sat on the other side. Touya would probably complain that Noboru was trying to stay far away from him, but Yukito thought it was a kind gesture.

When the show started, the theater went dark, a pre-recorded voice echoing around them through the darkness.

" When our ancestors looked to the night skies, what did they see? When we think of ancient people looking up at the sky, we imagine them seeing it just the way we see it ourselves. Indeed, the constellations we know were invented by sky-watchers long past. But… how long past? "

As the voice continued, specks of light began to populate the screen, slowly but surely.

" The truth is, as stars and planets move through space, the view from Earth's surface changes little by little. Go back in time to the earliest known civilizations, and the positions of stars change slightly. Go back in time to the earliest traces of human habitation, and a modern star map becomes useless. Join us today as we trace the timeline of human evolution, and see how and why our favorite constellations have evolved alongside us."

The dome was now covered in stars, moving across as if moving through the sky. A title, 'Ancient Constellations,' appeared and zoomed closer to the audience. Yukito was intrigued, but as he glanced over to Touya beside him, he saw that Touya's gaze wasn't focused on the screen. He was still staring at Noboru. Not wanting to draw attention to it, Yukito simply reached across the armrest and took hold of Touya's hand, giving it a squeeze. He hoped that would carry the message he was trying to convey.

" The story of the genus Homo begins two million years ago, during the Pleistocene epoch… " the narration continued, and Yukito leaned back in his chair to enjoy the program. But as he did so, he felt an odd sensation in his chest, a creeping feeling that something wasn't right. It was a feeling that came from the Other Him, and he shut his eyes tightly, trying to figure out the source. Noboru couldn't be doing something suspicious, could he…?

" The stars that make up the constellation Orion appear close together in our night sky. But in actuality, they are hundreds of light years away from each other, all moving independently. The closer a star is to Earth, the faster it moves in the night sky. Turning back the clock can reveal just how far away from one another these stars really are-"

As the view of the stars overhead changed, the narration went on to describe each of the stars individually, and the camera view dramatically zoomed to offer a close-up view of what the star looked like. As it did, there were exclamations from the crowd, oohs and aaahs as the stars came into view, and frightened yelps when the narration finished and the camera moved. It was odd- usually people were respectful about shows like this, keeping their reactions quiet so that the others could enjoy. But for some reason, this show was evoking extreme reactions from the audience. Was it that strange presence that Yue sensed?

" Sometime in the next hundred thousand years, this red giant will go supernova, dramatically ending its life and leaving behind a supernova remnant- "

As the voice narrated, the image of Betelgeuse on the screen underwent a dramatic explosion, leaving the camera in the midst of a colorful nebula. But despite the beauty of the image on screen, the audience reacted very negatively. Some began to scream, others sobbed, and a sense of panic began to fill the room. Touya and Yukito both stood up as the theater fell into a frenzy, trying to figure out what was going on.

"What's going on?" Touya hissed. "Is this some kind of-?"

"There's something here," Yukito agreed before he could finish the sentence. "The other me sensed it a few minutes ago, but he wasn't sure what it was. There is no physical entity here, so whatever it is must be affecting peoples' minds."

There was a little boy across the aisle from Fujitaka who was crying desperately, and his mother's reassurances didn't seem to be doing anything. He stood up and approached, trying to reassure the boy himself, but Noboru grabbed his arm first.

"You stay here and help out. I'm going outside to tell the staff that something is wrong."

"Are you alright?"

"Fine. You worry about others, okay?"

The show was still playing, describing the changes in the Orion constellation as time went on, but people were still crying out in pain and yelling for others. Some were calling for help, while some were having trouble just catching their breath. Noboru ran to Touya and Yukito, getting close so that he could lower his voice.

"The Distortion card. It alters people's perceptions of reality and makes them believe that they are physically affected by the illusion. The stronger their belief, the stronger their physical symptoms. These people genuinely believe they were hit by the shock wave following that supernova, and they're suffering burns and internal injuries as a result."

"Why were we spared?" Touya whispered back. "Dad has magical powers, but the two of us-"

"Your knowledge of magic and the Warp Cards made you immune to its effects. It's the power of belief that makes it potent." Noboru pointed toward the door. "It is creating illusions based on the show, so the card itself must be located in the server that controls the projector."

"Up in the pilot station?"

"No. It's housed in a separate room to be maintained. We'll have to be given access- have either of you two worked here before?"

"I have," Touya answered. "I can take you, but we might need someone to distract the staff to get close to it."

Yukito raised his hand. "I can do that. I'm sure the employees will be responding to what's going on in here- I can direct them towards the theater while you two find the server. We don't have time to call Sakura-chan here to purify the card, so…"

"It's up to me," Noboru finished. "A wise decision."

The three of them pushed their way out of the double doors at the side of the theater, momentarily blinded by the sudden flash of daylight. Employees were already rushing toward the theater, having heard the commotion from inside, and Noboru called out " careful! " as they passed. "If they step into the planetarium, they will be caught up in the illusion as well," he explained, and Touya looked to him with a skeptical glare.

"What's with the warnings? Aren't you some kind of sadist who enjoys seeing people suffer-?"

"You wound me, Kinomoto-san. It is not the suffering of others that I seek. It is power for myself. If my creations waste their energy creating suffering that does not benefit me in any way, it feels like a betrayal. My cards may cause others to suffer, but they will do it for me and me only."

The words were spoken with such certainty, it sent a shiver down Yukito's spine. He didn't want to comment on it and slow them down, but the concept made him feel uncomfortable.

The server was housed toward the back of the building, in a small room with its own air conditioner unit. Yukito called out to some of the employees, leading them back toward the main lobby, leaving Touya and Noboru to continue into the server room.

He hated leaving Touya like this, but he trusted him.

Touya opened the door to the server room and motioned Noboru in, quickly before anyone could see them. The sound of the machines was louder than he remembered, and he was overwhelmed at first. Noboru, however, wasted no time in approaching the server and holding out a hand.

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

From within the server, an orb of magical energy appeared and morphed into the form of a card. It floated into Noboru's outstretched hand and the glow dissipated as he gripped it in his fingers. Noboru let out a sigh of relief.

"There. The illusion has faded and the viewers' injuries should be nothing more than a memory of a bad dream."

"You're sure?" Touya asked, and Noboru nodded.

"Yes, I'm sure. I may not have powers, but thanks to the incantation, I can communicate with the cards." He tucked the card into his pocket and stepped back out the door. "Now let's get back before your father wonders where we've gone, shall we?"

The question was asked pleasantly, but Touya couldn't mirror Noboru's smile. The two walked back down the hall silently, as if Noboru was waiting for Touya to reply before continuing. He eventually did speak up, however, stopping as they reached the lobby.

"The way your father speaks of your 'sixth sense,' I assume you haven't told him that you've lost your powers?"

Touya felt his shoulders tense up. "How do you know that?"

"My card, Messenger, keeps me fully informed of all potential enemies. I know more about you and Yukito than you realize. Why are you keeping secrets from your father like that?"

"...he's always had so much to worry about…" Touya muttered. "If he knew I didn't have powers, he'd be worried about me too. I don't want to put that on him."

Noboru let out a quiet laugh. "He is that kind of person, isn't he? The type to worry about others far more than he worries about himself. It's surprising, given that, in his past life, he never cared about anyone except himself."

"My dad is not Clow Reed."

"He is not like Clow Reed, no. And that makes me almost reluctant to fulfill the promise I made to him. But a promise is a promise."

Noboru said this as he walked back to the open doors, crowded by people entering and exiting as they tried to figure out what had happened during the show. Touya ran after him, having to push his way into the crowd.

"Reluctant? What do you mean? What's the promise-?"

"That is between myself and your father," Noboru replied. "For now, your worry should be about your sister. As long as she keeps challenging these cards, she will be in danger. Even if you don't have powers, she will need your support."

"She-"

Touya didn't get to finish his sentence as Fujitaka and Yukito waved and approached them. Fujitaka was smiling, but there was disappointment in his eyes.

"There you are! Is everything okay? Yukito-san said that you went to help out with a server error."

Noboru nodded. "Yes, there was a… virus of sorts in the server that affected the projector." He leaned in and whispered, "Touya's sixth sense came in quite handy in getting the spirit out."

"...ah." Fujitaka nodded. "Most people have calmed down, but several are being taken to the hospital for examination, just to be safe. Meanwhile, they're issuing refunds for those of us who purchased tickets." He closed his eyes and sighed. "This is just like what happened at the museum. I'm so sorry, all of you-"

"It's not your fault," Touya assured him. "I'm just glad we were here to help."

"We still have some time before lunch. Do you want to browse the astronomy exhibits some in the meantime?"

Noboru looked to Yukito first, then Touya. "I'm all for that. The two of you?"

"Sure! Count me in. Touya?"

Swallowing back an unfriendly comment, Touya nodded.

"Me too."

The planetarium's exhibit on astronomy equipment was small, but it was interesting, and easily captured Fujitaka's interest. Yukito seemed fascinated as well, and Touya couldn't help a smile as he watched the two of them discussing a timeline of telescope history. It was such a heartwarming sight, seeing two of the people he loved most in the world enjoying each other's company, he almost forgot about Noboru and jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey! What are you-?!" Touya hissed, but Noboru leaned in and whispered to him before he could finish.

"Please… take care of your sister. "

"What? Of course I'm going to do everything I can to take care of her. Why wouldn't I?"

"You're right. Forgive me." Noboru shook his head. "But, like you, she keeps secrets from those she loves in order to keep them from worrying. You cannot assume that she will tell you the full truth about the danger she is facing." He pulled the Distortion card from his pocket just long enough to show it to Touya again. "The power that she wields is great, but she is still a child. She shouldn't be facing the kind of danger that these cards present. Kerberos and Yue are her servants, subject to her whims, and cannot stop her from pursuing the remaining Warp Cards. But you might be able to do something. Please. For her sake."

Once he finished, Noboru started across the room toward a model of the solar system, and Touya had to call out to him.

"Wait! You…" He lowered his voice as he continued. "...do you actually care about Sakura?"

Noboru frowned. "It is not that I care about her. It is that I hold a grudge against Clow Reed. Sakura-san is a victim of his negligence and inability to take responsibility for his own actions, and I pity her. I cannot take the burden of the Clow Cards off her shoulders, but if I can, I want to take this one from her. Having seen what the cards can do, you feel the same, don't you?"

Touya didn't answer that.