AN: I've made a few changes to this chapter.

Disclaimer: Clamp owns it all.

Enjoy :-)

11:52 P.M., 31December 2098, Tokyo

Laser lights in multifarious colours shot through the Mayonaka Bar and bounced off the walls as a sea of bodies swung to the music. The bar counter overflowed as the partygoers decided to have another fill before the countdown.

"One more tequila," a middle aged man sat down just as the crowd was ebbing, "Nice band up there," he said, a bit short in breath from all the dancing.

The barman handed out his order, "Yeah, it's a rock band. They call themselves "The Echoes." Doin' good these days, one album out and they're gaining popularity."

Up on the stage, "The Echoes" came to the end of yet another song. "One more before the countdown," the lead guitarist's quiet voice rang through the microphone like a simple yet magnetic tune.

The music started again and picked up tempo as the crowd resumed their dancing. The guitarist, too, was lost in the music, closing his eyes as the black bangs brushed across his eyelids.

Behind him, a silver-haired teen smiled as his hands glided across the keyboard. The guitarists increased their pitch, nearing the end. The keyboardist and drummer followed suit. The band hit their last note and prolonged it, while the crowd cheered on.

The countdown started, and with it came a feeling of elation, creating a mystical ambiance. Most of the crowd was too numb—owing to the heavy alcohol consumption—to notice it. But the raven-haired guitarist felt a wave of cold air that chilled him to the bone.

Outside, the wind blew with a velocity that usually indicates the coming of a storm. For a while, there was utter chaos as the trees flapped their arms, ridding themselves of some of the snow that had accumulated on their leaves. The wind screeched out an unnatural sound as it hit against the high-rising buildings of Tokyo, baffling any late-night bystander. The windstorm subdued just as quickly as it had come and the full moon shone with a renewed glow. The next morning, the sun would rise with a brighter blaze.

After a long slumber, Magic had finally awakened.

"Do you still miss Clow?" Sakura asked one fine morning, as she gazed out the window.

Yue looked up with a start.

"I'm sure you do," she continued, "I wouldn't know what to do without Syaoran," she turned around to look at the Moon Guradian, "you must understand that."

Yue remained silent.

"There is something I need to tell you and Kero" Sakura called out Keroberos' name and asked him to join her.

The Sun Guardian entered with considerable clamour, "You do realize we need more cake, and could you make that lemon tart you'd made two days ago? That was deliiiiicious!"

"You have one hell of an appetite for a plush toy" Syaoran emerged from the spell-room, wearing his usual green robes. Sakura smiled fondly at her husband.

"No one asked you, brat! Besides, who're you calling a plush toy? Can't you see I'm in my grand form?"

"Well, you're still a plush toy to me."

Kero was about to retort when Yue stopped him, "Sakura wants to tell us something."

Kero turned questioningly at her, while Syaoran moved to her side. Something about the knowing glances that Sakura and Syaoran exchanged made Kero forget about his food crisis. Both the Guardians felt a sense of apprehensiveness.

"All creatures are perishable," Sakura started.

"Why do I feel like this has happened before?"

She sighed, "You're right Kero, I called you here to tell you that we're going to die. Syaoran's time has come and I will follow him."

Kero blinked and looked at him. Syaoran still looked youthful, though, when it came to sorcerers, appearances could deceive. Both the guardians knew this.

"Does that mean we will be handed to a new master?" Yue spoke up for the first time.

Sakura smiled sadly. Kero's dejected face was almost too much to bear. Yue's expression darkened as he frowned, and Sakura knew this situation held too much resemblance to Clow's farewell.

Syaoran crouched down so he was at Kero's level, "Do you remember what I once told you about the cycle of reincarnation?"

Kero nodded slowly, "That people are born and reborn again and again."

"Yes, and we exist in different dimensions and time." He looked up, "Yue?"

Yue closed his eyes, "Yes,"

"You will see us again," Sakura said, "maybe not as we are now, but in a different form in a different time. Kero, Yue, you two are lucky. You are magical beings and Magic perpetuates. You will get to witness the world change, Magic will change and grow. And you will be present through it all."

Though the prospect of watching magic change with time sounded appealing, letting go of beloved people wasn't easy. Both the guardians had experienced this pain once. Losing your creator—the only person that held any importance to you—was like losing an essential limb. You felt disoriented. But the feeling of disorientation had subsided, first for Kero, and later—more slowly—for Yue. They had learnt to love Sakura as family. Even Syaoran—"brat" in Kero's dictionary—had occupied a significant niche in their hearts.

Yue wondered if being a magical guardian meant not growing attached to anyone, so that you could forsake the people around you at a moment's warning.

"Of course no," Sakura said. She had long developed telepathy with her guardians. Though she preferred not to listen to their thoughts for the sake of privacy, it was at moments like this that her magic spiraled out of control. She'd had inadvertently heard Yue's thoughts. "you don't need to let anyone go, keep on loving us, and I promise that we'll keep on loving you," she smiled one of her characteristic, warm smiles, "through space and time."

" Are we going to be sealed off again and when the new master comes, you're reincarnation will test him or her or whoever it is?" Keroberos asked.

Sakura shook her head as she took Syaoran's hand in hers, "We have other plans. I don't intend to be reborn with memories of this life."

"We will let Death take us and see where afterlife leads us to," Syaoran said.

" Kero, Yue, I don't know who will come after me, but I do know that they will come after about a century. And you will have to guide them till they're ready and can wield the Cards. You must also look out for the Cards and see that they're handled with love."

"Wait," Keroberos spoke out, "Are you saying you couldn't see who the new master will be?"

"I didn't want to see." She said simply, "I won't manipulate anything that happens after our death. The Cards will merge with nature and sleep and when the time comes, either Kero or Yue will awaken first."

"What you're saying is very vague," Yue said.

"I know. But this, I can tell you. Times will seem to be very dark and hopeless, but you'll have to keep faith."

Somewhere high up in the night sky, the wind swirled around, as white beads materialized. It soon took the form of a winged creature. Yue glowed with translucent light while his body solidified. Milky wings that cocooned him began to unfurl slowly. Once the wings had stretched to their full extent, they flapped and took him higher up in the sky so that he was almost at the same level as the moon.

The Moon Guardian opened his eyes.