Title: In Memoriam

Author: Gypsy Dancing Girl

Fandom: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle

Pairings: None.

Characters: Kurogane, Fay, Clone!Syaoran, and Real!Syaoran

Genres: Angst, Family

Rating: T

Warnings: Character Death

Author's Note: Spoilers for Chapters 210 and 211. Fay and Real!Syaoran's reactions to the clone's presumed death were given by CLAMP. Kurogane says nothing. Here are his thoughts. I did give some thought to rewriting given what occured later, but decided that at the time, Kurogane and the others believe the clone to be dead, and thus, this is as accurate a portrayal as I can devise.

Kurogane thought it fitting when the clone passed away in an explosion of glass shards rather than fading away into flower petals as the clone of the princess had. The clone had been a tainted reflection of the original . . . a mirror.

But he was still a person . . . still an individual . . . still a child who had been in Kurogane's care.

Kurogane had failed again.

He didn't have the time to mourn the boy the way he had the princess. They were in the middle of a battle. The enemy was present. He may not survive the battle long enough to add another name to the memorial he kept. But the final actions left the clone vindicated; his companions felt the loss.

Kurogane remembered teaching the blindfolded boy, hauling him out of the river. He remembered the solemn conversation concerning the book of memories, and fighting—testing—the boy on the battlefield. He remembered ordering the boy to sleep that very first night . . . and so much more. There was a long-standing tradition of reluctant partnership . . . of picking up the boy when he fell, and teaching him how to stay on his feet the next time.

He heard Fay. And although Kurogane would never say it aloud, he agreed. It would have been so much better to have the cloned child come home (where ever that happened to be at the moment) and continue paying their prices, then to lose one of their children.

Kurogane resolutely turned to face their approaching enemy. "Draw 'em out."

The End.