Warning: This is a very dark fic. There is some violence towards the end, but it is pretty mild. There are spoilers for the end of the manga, but since this takes place so much later it's not too specific.Believe it or not, this story does actually make sense. It might be hard to tell from the beginning, but everything will eventually be explained. If you have any questions or if I can clarify anything, please let me know.

Arigatou and now here's the story:

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. They are the property of their respective owners (CLAMP, etc.)

Key:

// indicates Yue's thoughts (will make more sense towards the end)

Sakura sighed as she placed two plates of food on the kitchen table.

"Here's breakfast," she said quietly as she sat beside her husband.

"Arigatou, " Yukito said from behind the newspaper he was reading. He lowered it slightly so that he could see his wife's face.

//Everything was supposed to work out. How did it all go so wrong?//

"Yuki? Are you alright?" Sakura said, pausing between bites as she realized Yukito was staring at her. He shook his head and seemed to finally focus on her face. She wondered what he had been thinking about this time.

"Oh, I'm fine, angel, " Yukito said as he folded the paper and put it aside. He suddenly realized that he had no recollection of the article he had been reading. Hadn't this happened once before - forgetting things? Oh well. It was a long time ago and it couldn't have been too important. Sakura smiled at him a little uncertainly as she lifted the cup of tea to her lips. Yukito glanced at his watch and stood up to leave.

"Sayonara, Sakura. I'll see you after work."

"Alright. I'm going to visit my brother today, but I should be home in time for dinner."

She waved at him from the door and watched him drive away. She let the teacup fall and shatter on the tile as she fought to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. Did he even care about her anymore? Had he ever cared? Her hands shook slightly as she picked up the broken pieces of ceramic and threw them away. She could no longer pinpoint when it had all began to fall apart. She was having trouble remembering a time when things were going well. After her father died of a heart attack a few months ago, Syaoran moved back to Hong Kong and everyone kind of drifted apart. Sakura and Yukito looked around and saw only each other. She thought it was love, but was no longer sure. She shook her head and dropped the last remaining shards of the teacup into the trash when she heard the phone ring.

"Hello." she said cheerfully - all signs of disturbance carefully hidden behind sparkling green eyes and a confident voice.

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo wrapped the phone cord around her fingers as she spoke.

"Tomoyo-chan, how are you doing? It's been a long time."

"Un. Everything's fine here. How are you?" Tomoyo listened closely as an awkward silence filled the line.

"It's fine here too." Sakura said quickly. "Well, I'll talk to you later."

"Sayonara, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo whispered even though she knew her friend had already hung up.

She stared at the receiver as she laid it back down on the base. She felt so alone and lost. Nothing was the way she remembered. Everything had changed so much since the days when Sakura had captured cards and Tomoyo faithfully videotaped it all. She looked over at the videos carefully lined up on her bookshelf. They were the only things she had left to remind her of happier times and the Sakura she once knew - the Sakura she once loved. She reached out for one of her favorites and pulled it off the shelf. She slowly dismantled the plastic casing until she held the dark, shiny roll of tape in her hands. She pulled on the tape and wondered about it. No one else remembered the things on these tapes. The world had changes somehow and left her behind with the only evidence of the difference. She clutched the video tightly before throwing it across the room. It slammed against the opposite wall and fell into several pieces on the floor below.

"Why?" she screamed. "Why doesn't she remember?"

She lay on her bed and buried her head in the pillow letting her long hair drape over the edges. She was all alone as she bit her lip and tried to stop the tears. Sakura was not like she was in the videos anymore. Something had happened that she couldn't explain and she could never understand.

Sakura stared at the cards in front of her on the desk. She spread them out hoping to gain some insight into what they were, but so far she had had no such luck. A small yellow stuffed toy stared at her motionless from the edge of the desk. Sakura looked at it curiously. Something about it seemed strangely familiar, but she could never remember buying it. She found it the same day that she found these cards and they had all been a mystery ever since. It was shortly before graduation when she came in her room and found the cards scattered on the floor. Pieces of a red book lay beside them, but she could not tell what kind of book it had been. It all seemed strangely familiar even then as if this wasn't the first time she had seen them, but even that familiarity quickly faded as she struggled to move on with her life. She thought she knew the name of the cards once, but no longer. She stared at the stack before her and closely examined the picture and the word below it.

"Windy." she said as she held the card in her hand. "Windy!" she shouted once more, but nothing happened. The room was quiet and she was still alone.

"Kaho…" Touya whispered as he ran his fingers over the frame that held her picture. "Why did you leave? Why did you lie to me?"

He could still remember what she said to him that night - the last night that they were together. "When we meet again, you will have someone you love and so will I." He had no one and he had never seen her again. He paused at that thought. It didn't seem quite right. He had a vague recollection of helping her one time and Yukito had been there too. No, he must be mistaken. That could not have happened.

Touya stared at his reflection in the mirror. Clouded blue eyes stared back at him from a pale, frowning face. He looked around at his dim apartment and hoped for something more, but there was nothing left. He wandered now more than anything else - from city to city and job to job looking for something that had somehow escaped him. He ran his fingers through his hair and wondered again why he was here.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. As he opened it his eyes widened at the sight of his little sister. She was the only thing that brought him happiness anymore, but even he couldn't ignore the dark circles under her eyes and the aching sadness hidden behind her cheerful facade. They all had facades now though - masks that carefully concealed their true selves. He smiled a little too brightly and welcomed her into his apartment.

It was dark and sparsely furnished. She noticed a few boxes lying around and couldn't be sure if he was just moving in or moving out again. She worried about him. She worried about everyone - especially herself. Something wasn't right. She didn't remember much about her childhood. Those memories seemed to have just drifted away once she realized they didn't fit into the present. Everything had seemed so hopeful then - not like now when she cried herself to sleep at night and pleaded with her husband not to hate her. He always asked her what was wrong, but she was tired of trying to explain it. Sometimes she wondered if he sensed it too. It was like somehow they were all meant to be unhappy.

Sakura and Touya sat down at the table in silence and began dividing up the food she brought. Neither really felt like eating and after a few minutes Touya sighed and pushed his plate away. He couldn't help it. He rested his head in his hands as tears took over. Sakura stared at her brother in shock for a few minutes as his shoulders shook with each sob. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to run and escape all of this pain. It seemed to have permeated everyone she knew and loved. The worst part was that she found it hard to care anymore. A part of her, somewhere in the back of her mind, wanted to wrap her arms around Touya and whisper "Everything's alright", but a stronger voice told her to feel angry. Angry that he would cry in front of her - that he would burden her with his own problems and ignore hers. Didn't he know how she felt? The stronger voice won out as she stood up and walked out of the apartment slamming the door behind her.

Yukito closed his eyes as he stood before the door to his house. It had been a long day. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his eyes open. He was so tired.

//We've got to stop it. It's not supposed to be like this.//

Yukito looked up suddenly. He could have sworn someone was talking to him, but there was no one around. He glanced at the kitchen table and then back at the door. He couldn't quite remember entering the house. One moment his hand was on the doorknob and the next he was standing in the middle of a dark kitchen. That was odd. Why was it so dark? He guessed Sakura was still at her brother's place. What was his name again? Oh well, it didn't really matter. They had never really been close. He had always loved Sakura.

//To-ya. To-ya. How could you forget To-ya? You didn't even know what love really was until-//

"Shut up!" Yukito shouted slamming his fist on the counter. It had happened again and he was starting to lose his patience. He had heard something - no someone - and now he was standing at the counter. He put a hand to his temple and took several deep breaths, but he couldn't keep his hands from shaking.

He brightened a little when he saw Sakura come in - more for her sake than his. They asked each other how their days had been and each responded that everything was fine. Yukito tried to ignore the tears on his wife's cheeks and she fought to hide them as they ate dinner in silence. They couldn't meet each other's gaze.

When Yukito finished, he pushed his chair away from the table and stood to leave.

"Goodnight, koi," Yukito said without looking back as he climbed the stairs.

"Goodnight, Yuki," Sakura whispered absently as a chill came over her and she shivered.

After a few minutes, she trudged up the stairs and carefully climbed underneath the covers and into the bed they shared. Neither acknowledged the other's presence and Sakura lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. The blank white surface swirled in front of her as her eyes closed and she drifted off into a fitful sleep filled with images she couldn't comprehend.

{begin dream sequence}

"Can't you do something?" she said, looking up at Eriol intently. She held her father's limp form in her arms and looked up at Tokyo tower looming over them. He couldn't be dead. She couldn't let him die - not like this. She was the Card Captor. It was her fight, not his. Nothing was ever supposed to happen to him.

"There is one thing I can do." Eriol said calmly. "I can use what's left of my power to try to bring him back... if you give up yours."

The world darkened around her and she found herself standing in a circle of light. She looked up at Eriol and nodded, "I'll do it."

He hesitated for a moment as several emotions passed over his face. Sakura saw a deep sadness and a tremendous loss in his eyes. He could see it all. As Sakura's power flowed into his staff, he saw the future and knew that it couldn't end like this. He had to do something to stop her. Then, a flicker of a smile spread over his lips before he raised his sun staff and closed his eyes. I have to choose one to hold on to the memories. She should be able to make it work after that. Sakura-san, Gomen nasaii. Light seemed to shine from all directions as the spell took effect.

"You won't remember any of this and your life will pick up right where it left off. Many things will be different though. Your power had an effect on a lot of people. Go back to a life without it."

{end dream sequence}

Sakura opened her eyes suddenly. She looked around at the dark room and then glanced at Yukito sleeping beside her. She only vaguely remembered the dream and it was fading quickly.

In the morning, Sakura woke up tired and confused. Certain images stayed with her even after the content of the dream had faded from her memory. A dark figure, a staff that resembled the sun and her father's face. She winced at the thought of him. She couldn't believe he was gone. She reached out, hoping to find comfort in the person beside her, but instead she met with only an empty bed.

Tomoyo rang the doorbell again and again, but she received no answer. She peered through the front window and saw an empty room. Her heart beat a little faster as she wondered where Sakura could be. It was almost dinnertime and she should be home.

Tomoyo cautiously put her key in the door and turned. She smiled as she heard the familiar click. After all these years, they still hadn't changed the locks to the Kinomoto house. It was the same house they always used to come to after school and eat cake with Kero-chan. She clenched her teeth as she remembered the Guardian Beast. He had always believed in Sakura - no matter what. He had no idea things would turn out the way they had. The whole world seemed darker now without the light of Sakura's warm smile.

Tomoyo stood in the center of the living room, straining to hear some clue of Sakura's whereabouts. She thought she heard a small sound in the kitchen and crept that way. She wasn't at all prepared for what she saw. Sakura was huddled in one corner looking wide-eyed and frightened. Broken dishes and shards of glass were strewn across the floor and Tomoyo had to step carefully to avoid them as she made her way to Sakura. She knelt beside her friend and stared at her with concern.

"Did you do this, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo said hesitantly glancing at the disarray of the kitchen around her. Sakura nodded and lowered her head. She bit her lip and stared at her feet. Tomoyo bent closer to Sakura and wrapped her arms around her. Sakura flinched a little at the touch. She wasn't used to anyone caring enough to comfort her. Slowly she leaned into the embrace and let the tears come. She just kept repeating the same question over and over between sobs.

"Why... why... why, why, why?"

Tomoyo leaned back against the wall and let Sakura curl up beside her. She kept one arm over Sakura's shoulder, clasping her possessively closer to her. With her other hand, she stroked Sakura's auburn hair and tried to comfort her, but even she didn't know the answer to the question Sakura asked. All she knew was that there were things she remembered that no one else seemed to. She did not remember Fujitaka dying of a heart attack. It was something different, but she couldn't quite pinpoint it. That memory was kind of fuzzy, but the videos were clear. The last one she had, showed Sakura and everyone else fighting a dark form near Tokyo tower. Unfortunately, the tape ended before Sakura defeated whatever it was. She had tried to show Sakura the videotapes once, but that had been a disaster. Sakura's eyes had widened when she saw the footage and the she just started screaming. It took hours to calm her down and she could never explain why. Tomoyo looked down at the woman sobbing in her arms and wondered what this world had become. What could have broken this delicate blossom and hurt so many people? She saw it in their eyes, now more than ever: Sakura, Syaoran, Touya, Yukito and the one's that scared her the most were her own.

Tomoyo was lost in thought when Yukito walked in. He stared at the chaos of the kitchen and sighed. He was in no mood to deal with this. The voice was really bothering him now and he wasn't sure how much more he could take.

//Why... why... why, why, why?//

He blinked in confusion at the scene in front of him. Hadn't he been facing the other direction? He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Tomoyo pointing a sharp piece of a broken mirror at him. The glass glistened menacingly in the dying sunlight.

"Yue!" Tomoyo screamed as she held on to Yukito's sleeve tightly. "Yue, where are you?"

Yukito paled and looked at her in horror. He had no idea what was going on, but he wanted to get out of there as fast as he could. He suddenly felt weak and lost and he was having problems staying focused. That voice that plagued his thoughts was trying desperately to answer and Yukito knew he had to stop it. Tomoyo took him by surprise as she pushed him up against the counter and brought the sharp mirror to his neck. Less than an inch separated the sharp edge from his skin. His breathing was ragged now and came in short gasps. He was starting to feel dizzy and Tomoyo wouldn't stop screaming.

"Yue! Yue! I know it's you. It has to be you. Yue! Yue!" Tomoyo glared at Yukito as she tightened her grip on his shoulder. "What have you done with Yue?" she said through clenched teeth.

Yukito looked over at Sakura for help, but she only stared at him in confusion. She had long ago given up on trying to understand it all. Tomoyo glanced over to make sure Sakura was alright. Yukito took advantage of the distraction and grabbed Tomoyo's wrist. She turned to face him again as he pushed her against the kitchen table.

"Yue." she said softly as she looked up at Yukito accusingly. She fought to keep the mirror shard in her hand as he tried to pull it away from her. In one quick motion she pulled her wrist from Yukito's grasp and her hand flew towards his face. It all happened so quickly, it was hard for Sakura to see who did what, but it ended with Tomoyo dropping the mirror piece and Yukito clutching the side of his face as blood seeped out from between his fingers. Tomoyo stared at the red blood in disbelief as Sakura helped Yukito into the nearest chair. He was having trouble focusing on the scene before him. He kept one hand firmly on the arm of the chair, not sure if he could remain there otherwise. The world was spinning around him and he was only vaguely aware of a stinging sensation from his cheek and the feel of a warm stickiness trickling down the side of his face. He was trying very hard not to panic as he slowly lost his grip on reality and his world faded to black. Without saying a word, Tomoyo and Sakura swept up the broken dishes and left the kitchen quietly. Yukito was vaguely aware of them leaving as he cautiously lifted his head. He winced as he stood up. His head ached as he climbed the stairs and stumbled into bed.

//It can't continue like this. We have to do something.//

Yukito closed his eyes and tried to block out the images that haunted his memory - moonlight, flowing white hair and feathery wings.

The scenes of the night before faded as the sun crept out from behind the horizon. No one said anything about it, but there were changes that no one could ignore. The world seemed a little less stable somehow and Tomoyo wasn't sure what to make of it all. She turned around to look at Sakura as she served dinner. Sakura hadn't said much all day so Tomoyo was surprised when Sakura cautiously reached out to take Tomoyo's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Please don't ever leave me, Tomoyo-chan. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Her voice was so soft that Tomoyo had to strain to hear it. She stared at Sakura as the auburn-haired woman clasped her hands in front of her and looked down at the floor. Tomoyo hugged Sakura and tried to reassure her.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I'll always be here."

A brief smile crossed Sakura's lips. It was a rare sight and Tomoyo basked in the warmth of the all too brief moment.

Sakura, Yukito and Tomoyo ate dinner in silence as rain poured down outside. The doorbell rang as they were clearing away the dishes and Sakura rushed to answer it. She opened the door slowly and looked up to see a very wet Touya standing in the doorway. His dark hair clung to his forehead and beads of water ran down his face. She wasn't quite sure if they were tears or raindrops that streaked his cheeks this time. It was probably a little of both. He didn't say anything, but Sakura stepped backward to invite him inside. He looked very tired and she wondered what had happened. He drifted into the dark living room and collapsed on the couch. Touya closed his eyes and leaned his head back, hoping to shut out the world around him. After a few seconds he could no longer ignore the persistent pull on his arm. He looked up to see Sakura standing over him.

"Oniichan, come on, you have to get out of those wet clothes. You can stay here tonight, but please go upstairs and change. There are still some of your clothes in your closet."

Touya climbed the stairs reluctantly and went up to his room.

"What's wrong?" Tomoyo said hesitantly as she stood in the doorway staring after Touya. Sakura shrugged and grabbed Tomoyo's hand and dragged her back into the kitchen. Yukito looked up casually from his seat at the table and then returned his gaze to the newspaper article he was reading.

Sakura leaned closer to her friend and ran a soft hand over Tomoyo's cheek. Tomoyo stepped back, not sure what was going on. She didn't like the look in Sakura's eyes as Sakura turned to look behind her. Her lips curved in a menacing smile as she heard the sound of rustling newspaper. She put both hands on Tomoyo's shoulders and pushed her up against the wall. Tomoyo gasped in shock and was about to protest when Sakura pressed her lips against Tomoyo's mouth. It was not a pleasant kiss. There was no passion behind it - only force - as Tomoyo tried to pull away and Sakura continued to hold her down until she heard the sound of Yukito rushing upstairs and slamming their bedroom door. Abruptly, Sakura let go of Tomoyo's shoulders and turned to leave the kitchen.

"Why?" Tomoyo said in a shaky voice.

Sakura turned suddenly and glared at Tomoyo. Tomoyo tried to back away, but she was already as far back against the wall as she could go. She turned to look for somewhere to run, but Sakura was too close. She closed her eyes as she felt the sting of Sakura's hand hitting her cheek and heard her friend storm up the stairs. Tomoyo sank into a sitting position and leaned against the wall as she tried to figure out what had happened. Frantic thoughts of escape and bitterness raced through her mind as she absent-mindedly rubbed the place on her shoulders where Sakura's hands had been and let warm tears streak her face. She pulled her knees towards her and rested her head there as she struggled to regain control of her thoughts. Her hands shook as she wiped away the tears. She winced at the tender spot on her cheek and wondered how much more of this she could take.

Touya walked slowly down the stairs. It was late and everyone else was asleep. Moonlight spilled into the hallway through the windows and stars sparkled against the dark velvet backdrop of the night sky. Touya wondered how something so beautiful could exist in such a cold, cruel world. He couldn't really explain why he had come here. It was a final attempt to find that part of him that was missing, before her gave up the search forever. He was sure he had found it here once, a long time ago. He stumbled into the kitchen a flipped on the slight.

"Tomoyo-san? Are you alright?"

He knelt down beside her sleeping form and shook her slightly. She turned to look at him and he noted the remnants of tears on her face and a fear in her eyes that he did not expect to see there. He also noted the faint tinge of purple that marked her cheek and wondered how it could have happened.

"Are you alright?" He asked again, not sure if she had heard him the first time.

"Hai." she said uncertainly, struggling to sit up. He put an arm around her waist and took one of her hands to help her stand. She leaned against him for a few seconds before she looked up at him and whispered, "Arigatou."

Touya nodded and started to ask her what had happened, but she interrupted him before he could begin the question.

"Nothing." she said firmly and held on to him a little tighter. He led her up the stairs and into Sakura's old room. She began crying again as they sat together on the bed and Touya held her close to him in an effort to comfort her. She mumbled something about Sakura and Yue before she fell asleep in his arms. He looked down at her through vision blurred by tears of his own. She was the only one of the group that seemed to be okay, but now she was breaking too. If she couldn't handle it, how could they?

Touya frowned as he remembered the phone call he had received a few days ago. Li Sayaoran was dead. He had committed suicide with his own sword. The note he left behind simply said: This can't be real. This isn't how it was supposed to turn out."

Touya had mourned his death. He was probably the only one who had. He felt a connection to him that he somehow couldn't explain. The words of the young man's suicide note had crossed Touya's mind many times. He had given up that night. He decided that there was nothing left in this world for him. He came back here to say goodbye to a sister and two friends that he no longer understood. Touya carefully pulled away from Tomoyo and rested her head gently on the pillow. He lay the covers over her and crept out of the room in silence.

"Sayonara" he whispered to no one in particular as he closed the door of his room and searched his drawers for something sharp enough to cut his skin. He held the razor blade up solemnly and decided there was no need for a note. Who would care anyway? There was no one left.

He leaned back against the side of the bed as blood seeped from self- inflicted gashes down his arms. As his eyelids became heavy, he slumped over and thought he heard the sound of beating wings and his mother's soft voice whispering "Touya".

Sakura yawned as she changed into the day’s clothes. She stared at Yukito in the mirror and followed his movements carefully. He hadn’t said much of anything to her in so long. She wanted to hear his voice, even if it were in anger or in pain. She sighed, as he turned away and headed downstairs. She brushed the bangs away from her face and stared at her reflection.

“What have I become?” she thought. She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders as she headed downstairs.

Tomoyo rolled over to glance at the alarm clock. She blinked a few times and slowly took in the scene around her. She wasn’t at home. She shuddered slightly at the memory of last night. It didn’t help that she could see Kero-chan sitting on the edge of the desk - his eyes dull and lifeless. There was something else that stayed with her. The warmth of a kind gesture was something she had not felt in a long time. She glanced at herself in the mirror taking note of the fact that she was still wearing her clothes from the day before although a bit more wrinkled. She wondered if Touya was up yet. She wanted to thank him for what he had done. She stared at his closed door and listened for some movement from within. She knocked softly, but still no one answered. She knocked a little louder and waited again. Maybe he was already downstairs. She carefully turned the knob and stepped inside his room.

The light was on and she saw him right away. Blood pooled around the side of the bed and all around Touya’s lifeless form. She brushed her hand against the pale skin of his jaw and shivered at the coolness she felt. He must have done it shortly after he helped her. She knelt beside him and ignored the blood that began to stain her white skirt. She carefully clasped one of his hands in her own. She brought the hand to her lips and kissed it gently.

“Sayonara, Touya,” she whispered as she let go of his hand and stared at the blood left behind on her hands. Tears streamed down her face as descended the stairs, but a strange sense of calmness had come over her as well. She couldn’t help but wonder if he had finally found a way out.

Sakura stood as she saw Tomoyo. The blood worried her, but she was afraid to ask. She stood there staring at her friend as Tomoyo tried to find the words.

“Sakura-chan,” she said softly. Sakura strained to hear and Yukito was now staring at Tomoyo too. “Touya, he… he’s…” Tomoyo looked down at the floor and took a deep breath, but Sakura didn’t need to hear anymore. Her eyes went wide with sudden horror as she tried to fight back the realization of what Tomoyo was saying.

“Onii-chan” she said softly and looked questioningly up the stairs. Then she turned and ran up the stairs shouting “Onii-chan! Onii-chan!” Yukito ran after her.

/To-ya. No, not To-ya. /

He found Sakura standing in the doorway of her brother’s room. She couldn’t believe what she saw. So much blood and Touya. How could this have happened? Why did he do this? She ran over to him and threw her arms around him.

“Onii-chan,” she whispered as she stroked his hair. “Onii-chan.” Yukito watched the scene with as little emotion as possible. He wasn’t supposed to care, he told himself, but he was having trouble believing it.

// I know you feel it too. This isn’t right. It can’t be right. //

Yukito held on to the doorframe for support as he felt a sudden weakness wash over him. It ended as quickly as it had come. He knelt beside Sakura and pulled her away from the lifeless man before them. She let go without much hesitation and clung to Yukito instead. He slowly stood up and led her to the door.

“Sakura-chan. I think you’d better go downstairs and call the police.” Sakura nodded and headed in that direction. Yukito stood at the doorway for a few more seconds trying to convince himself to follow Sakura downstairs, but a strange compulsion would not let him turn away.

/Don’t leave him. You can’t leave him/

Yukito staggered a little as he turned back towards Touya. He clutched the doorframe desperately trying to stay standing as he felt the world begin to slip away. Feathers and a shimmering white light began to swirl around him as he fell to his knees and closed his eyes and gave in to the darkness that enveloped him.

Yue opened his eyes slowly. He looked down at himself in disbelief. Feathery white wings and flowing white hair wrapped around him. The room glowed with an eerie moonlight that seemed to focus on the body before him. He took a sharp breath as he remembered what had happened. Yue knelt beside Touya and cradled him in his arms. He had wanted to do this for so long. He fought back tears as he remembered a similar scene so many years ago when Touya had given up something very special to save him. He trembled at the thought. It had been so long since he had held this form in his arms. Yue placed his hand under Touya’s chin and lifted his head to face him. He leaned closer and pressed his lips against the other’s. He was hesitant at first not sure what to expect as he held Touya closer. He closed his eyes as he gave in to the kiss. It felt so right as he stroked Touya’s dark hair and ran his fingers over his cheek.

He pulled away reluctantly as he realized the futility of it all. Tears gathered behind delicate lashes as he took a deep breath and let them fall. Yue started when he felt someone’s hand take his own. He opened his eyes quickly and tried to take in the scene around him. They weren’t in Touya’s room anymore. It was very dark, but a shimmering light surrounded the two of them. Yue stared at Touya expectantly hoping for some sort of explanation. The dark-haired young man was trying very hard not to cry and he was whispering something over and over.

“You’re here. You’re finally here.”

Yue blinked as he realized that Touya looked much younger than he had a few minutes ago. Yue held Touya close to him for a few more seconds savoring the moment he had waited so long for. He never wanted to let go again. He never wanted to lose him again.

Two figures stepped out of the shadows around them. Yue looked up and was surprised to see Fujitaka and Nadeshiko holding hands.

“It can finally end.” Fujitaka said solemnly staring at Yue.

“Do you remember how this happened Yue?” Nadeshiko asked.

Yue closed his eyes and let his mind drift off to that day so long ago when Sakura had given it all up for the sake of another. None of them had realized how much things would change and now there seemed to be nothing left of the lives they once knew. Those had shattered along with their hopes and dreams. He slowly opened his eyes and nodded his head.

“Yes. I remember.” He paused to look down at the blue eyes staring up at him. They were brighter than he had seen them in a long time. A glimmer of hope began to rise to the surface as he repeated a thought that had plagued him since this all began. “It’s not supposed to be like this. We have to do something.”

Yue looked up at Fujitaka and Nadeshiko pleadingly. Fujitaka nodded and let go of his wife’s hand.

“She has to let me go.” Fujitaka said firmly, but he couldn’t hide the sadness in his eyes. “For her happiness and mine. So many things depend on it.”

Yue stood and let his wings open behind him. He saw a brief flash of Touya’s bedroom again with all the blood and pain that still haunted that life. Then the scene went dark and he felt himself merge with the one he used to call a friend – his temporary form Yukito. He took a few seconds to survey the scene around them. It was that day again and this time he wouldn’t let it end the way it had before. The eight of them were standing near Tokyo Tower – the scene of so many battles before this one. Sakura, Tomoyo, Touya, Yukito, Kero-chan, Syaoran, Fujitaka and Eriol stood facing a threateningly dark swirl of shimmering evil. They didn’t know how it got here, but it was very powerful.

“It could destroy the world.” Eriol said through clenched teeth as he tried to use what was left of his power.

“We have to stop it.” Fujitaka shouted from behind. For the first time, Yue noticed Nadeshiko standing beside him.

Sakura tried each of her cards one by one, but they didn’t seem to be doing much good.

“We need something stronger.” Eriol shouted over the sound of gusting wind. The blackness was spreading and soon it would envelope them all.

Sakura grasped her wand and tried to concentrate, but she couldn’t seem to summon the power she needed. This evil was like nothing she had faced before.

Fujitaka glanced back and Sakura and then closed his eyes and began to concentrate. He felt soft hands on his shoulders and whispers of encouragement from a very familiar voice. With the last ounce of his strength and power, the darkness vanished and he collapsed on the cold hard ground. He looked up to see Nadeshiko’s outstretched hand and beautiful smile before he closed his eyes for the last time.

Sakura dropped her wand and ran to his side the moment she saw him fall. Tears filled her eyes as she took his hands in her own and pleaded with him to wake up.

“Otou-san, please!” Eriol knelt beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Can’t you do something?” she choked out between sobs.

The others looked at him expectantly as he struggled to stand. He leaned on his sun staff heavily. The fight had taken a lot out of him. “There is one thing I can do.” He closed his eyes and staggered slightly. “I can use what’s left of my power to bring him back, if you give up yours.”

The words rang in Sakura’s ears and seemed to echo all around her as the scene began to darken and she found herself standing in a circle of moonlight surrounded by darkness. Everyone was there – Fujitaka, Eriol, Nadeshiko, Yukito, Touya, Tomoyo, Kero-chan and Syaoran all looking at her expectantly.

“I remember,” she said slowly. “I remember it all.” Images of the life that wasn’t supposed to be flashed through her mind as she stood before them. She stepped into the center of the circle. She knew what she had to do, but that didn’t make it any easier.

She turned towards her father and whispered, “Otou-san.” He stepped forward and hugged her tightly. “Sayonara, Otou-san.” She didn’t want to let go. She couldn’t let go.

He kissed her lightly on the cheek and wiped the tears from her face. “I’ll always love you Sakura-chan, but this is the way it has to be. I want you to be happy… for your sake and mine.”

Sakura nodded and watched as her mother and father left the circle hand in hand. She fell to her knees and slowly became aware of the world around her. Kind hands helped her stand and voices whispered words of thanks and sympathy. She looked around at her friends and couldn’t help but smile a little. They would all remember. They could never forget how things could have turned out. She leaned closer to Syaoran and took Tomoyo by the hand. She looked over at her brother and was pleased to see him embracing Yukito in warm hug. Tears streamed down his cheeks, but he was trying to smile. It was bittersweet, but Sakura knew that her father was happy and so was everyone else. They all deserved to be happy. They had done so much. The world would never know how close it had come to its end, but this group would never forget. They would cherish each moment as if it was the last and continue to do their best to make the world kinder and happier for everyone.