Chapter 11: Reason to Be

Iroel's Note: Hey guys, thanks for all the reviews and stuff. Once again -- I have slacked off thus the lateness of this new chapter. Gomen. (Note: Yue Yukito's other half in CCS is pronounce Yu-eh) I have made a change in Eli's name. It turns out that I screwed up and the actual name is Eriol (The guy from CCS at the end with those two evil sidekicks)

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Chapitre onze: Raison d'être

"An unexpected development has occurred. You are assigned to eliminate the target immediately."

"Hai…" The white-haired angelic figure responded and left at once.

"An unexpected development… How unusual these days, isn't it, Kero?" Yue asked his partner as they passed through a great expansion of bright white space.

"I'm going to assume that you are being sarcastic." The lion-like beast responded.

"Our target is the Li boy…"

"I don't think I can bring myself to kill that unfortunate soul…"

"Kero, we are to follow orders."

"I know… but that boy…" Kero grew silent as they approached the destination.

"Where the hell is he?" Yue grew troubled.

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"Syaoran is alive!" Kurogane concluded from checking his pulse.

Sakura found hope again as she sat by Syaoran's side, though the medical room was empty and dark. Of course, the pangs of fear and confusion began to take its toll on her.

"Will he ever wake up? What if he passes away without talking to me first?" Paranoid and frightening thoughts raced through Sakura's mind. Memories of childhood days flooded back with painful distinction, being reminded of the ignorance which she went through. Without thinking, she brought her hand to his hand and laid her head on his chest.

"Syaoran… please don't die… don't die…" Tears rolled down her cheek.

"It is most unfortunate, but judging by the recent events, he must be sealed in the Great Abyss until we know what to do. He is outside our sphere of control and thus dangerous." The angel proclaimed.

"Such an unjust action should not be committed, brother, for we must have mercy as the Father had on these people."

"Do you not realize the danger of this boy?" A third angrily rebuked.

"Nonetheless, we must kill him for now the Tsubasa is in his possession. He who is outside our control and possesses such power cannot be allowed to be free."

"This is bad…" Toya finally said.

"What do you think will come out of this? The whole thing defies everything I've learned in my position." Yukito was deeply concerned.

"How is he still alive?" Kurogane interceded.

"Who knows? Perhaps it's not his fate to die yet."

"But he has just defied death and done the impossible… No one who ascends to the next life ever returns… Not even the angels can grant that."

"Speaking of the angels, they will try to bring this matter down by taking Syaoran into their custody… well at least his soul that is." Toya felt the guilt hit him again.

"What do you mean?" Kurogane fiercely asked.

"They have already sent the agents to kill him…" Fai quietly concluded. A light shone as to justify his claim.

"Where is he?" Yue demanded.

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A warm hand brought itself to the back of Sakura's head, comforting her. The feeling of warmth was quite attractive, making her eager to feel more of it, snuggling closer and closer and closer...

"Sakura… can you get off of me please?"

Sakura jolted straight off the table and sat herself back down looking embarrassed.

"Syaoran…" She looked into his chocolate brown eyes, finding much comfort and gentleness in them, the fierce eyes of power being absent.

"I didn't expect to be alive…" Syaoran sleepily put his cloak on. "I suppose that I won't be here for very long…" He already anticipated the Angels' next move

"Wait, Syaoran…" She grabbed his wrist. "Please… don't leave again… I don't want to lose you before…"

"Before what, Sakura?"

"I wanted to tell you… That I really, really… Syaoran… I-I lo-lov-"

The door opened with a loud bang, a light shining from the point of entry. Two heavenly figures descended and faced Syaoran. Sorrow was evident in the lion's eyes, but the other figure had a firm resolution to follow orders.

"Li Syaoran… Do you understand why we are here?"

"Hai…"

"Your friends were tempted to stop us, however they realized it was useless because they cannot hope to fight the Angels."

"How will this work? Are you going to kill me now?" They were both silent. "What will they do to me?" Again the silence.

"We will assure you that you have enough time to settle your affairs." Yue and Kero headed back up.

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The clock struck five and the bells rang through the castle. Syaoran waited in the throne room, which was still devastated by the attack.

"Where is the other me?" he pondered. A shadow moved through the pillars, evidently trying to quietly sneak in.

"Sakura… what are you trying to do?" Syaoran gave the impression of sleepiness from his voice. Sakura jumped up in shock.

"I… err… I was just going to…" Syaoran simply stared. "I-I was looking for you, Syaoran…" her face blushed rapidly once more. She accidentally tripped on one of the huge chunks laying on the ground the ruined ceiling as she backed away. The red on her face went, if possible, even darker than it was before as she found herself in Syaoran's arms, who managed to catch her. Syaoran felt her smooth arm and surprisingly, he found a strange feeling stir in his mind.

"I never felt like that before when I touched her arm…" he thought to himself. Concentrating on his conscious, he managed to split off the feeling and found himself with a familiar entity.

"I was wondering where you went…" Syaoran mused to the other Syaoran. "Don't try to take over like that again."

"Sakura, why were you looking for me?"

"I-I just had… some questions…" Syaoran looked blank.

"What kind of questions?"

"I was… going to ask you how you know those two…"

"They were with the council of Angels when I ascended." He simply stated.

"Oh… ok."

"That's all you wanted to ask?"

"Umm… Syaoran… I just wanted… t-to tell you… I-it's just… I couldn't for so long…" Sakura began to freeze up. "For such a long time… I-I wanted to tell you…" Tears began to stream down her face. "JUST TELL HIM!!" She felt her conscious yelling at her.

"Syaoran… I-I lo-love you…" Sakura stopped breathing and turned her eyes away from his. She felt so embarrassed and her heart began pounding harder than ever. She couldn't tell if it was going really fast or really slow. Her face felt as if it was on fire and her knees began to shake and threatened to give away. And then she felt herself being brought closer to Syaoran, and found her lips with his, her body being pulled towards his, warmth extending as she got closer and closer. He pushed forward, trying to get deeper and deeper, Sakura let out an soft and innocent moan, but she felt the tears from her eyes to her cheeks, and surprisingly, found tears coming from Syaoran too. His mouth left hers and he brought her head to his chest and rested his head on top of her head.

"Sakura… thank you…" Tears kept coming. "I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry that it had to be this way…" Together they stayed, feeling the sorrow wash over both of them, realizing that cruel fate had meant it to be like this, without letting the lovers embrace sooner, not letting them share the happiness of life while it lasted. And now they were united as they so longed to be together, but bitterly for a brief moment.

"It's time…" Yue interrupted quietly. Kero also stood by, looking with sorrow.

"Why did it have to be like this?" Syaoran felt bitterness build up. "Now I have to leave… and Sakura will grieve and cry… Will she move on?" Syaoran knew already the answer to that question. "I don't want to die now…I don't want to die… "

"Then live." The other Syaoran counseled. "We all have a right to exist."

"I relinquished that right when I sacrificed myself for her."

"But you are alive now, and now you have the right to live until the time comes again. These agents are sent by selfish bastards, people who fear you. You're no longer in their power, and now they're going to kill you. Will you let them do that? Because we can kill them… we can destroy them, and let's use our power to do that!"

"I don't want to destroy them… I don't want to fight anymore…"

"Then fight this one last time, and then you can live in happiness, free from those Angels." The eyes shown brightly again.

Yue couldn't see Syaoran's eyes or his face, but he knew now that he and Kero were going to have to fight. Syaoran had found a strong will to live and fight.

"That bitch is the reason why he is going to fight us…" He thought.

"Kero, don't worry about killing anyone else… we have to bring him down at all costs." A bright light shown at his side, which took the shape of a powerful long-sword. As it materialized, he charged for Syaoran on his wings, yelling a battle-cry to kill him.

Steel met steel, but Syaoran's back was still towards Yue, Hien defending Syaoran's back from the powerful blade as Syaoran's powerful arm resisted the force. Quickly, he turned around and aimed a swift kick to Yue's head, forcing the agent back and bruising his cheek. Syaoran brought Sakura to a fallen pillar.

"Stay here, Sakura." Syaoran turned away and dashed towards Yue, Hien poised for the kill. Yue blocked it and swung around his swords to catch Syaoran on his side, steel clashed with steel again, Syaoran found him being hit with a powerful force. As he allowed it to push him over towards his side, he put his hand on the floor and spun his legs in the air, injuring Yue on his arm and opposite side of his face. Yue fell to the floor and caught Syaoran's blade with both of his hands just in time, but had cut his skin.

"You agents aren't immortal, are you?" Yue nervously held the blade from his face, blood streaming from his hands. As an act of desperation, Yue used his legs to kick himself up, pushing Syaoran away. After ascending into the air, he flew down with his sword aimed at Syaoran.

Too easy, Syaoran thought as he simply sent a slashing force toward the agent. Momentarily disoriented by the force of the blow, he recoiled back, allowing Syaoran to take his advantage and leap into the air, reaching Yue for a close and deadly strike. Poised for the final strike, Syaoran swung… however…

A huge explosion rang in midair where Syaoran was, allowing Yue to escape Syaoran's fearsome strike. Letting out a cry of pain, Syaoran fell hard onto the ground. Kero had some fighting potential himself, it seemed.

"This is bad…" Syaoran muttered to himself. Each second seemed to drain him as he fought to keep his powers active. "I have to end this quickly." Slowly he brought himself into an unusual stance with his sword, his other hand brought up near the tip of the sword, but not quite, as if he were holding a pool table stick. Hien began to glow in a golden light, its surface heating up greatly and started to burn away Syaoran's hands. Without warning, he thrust the sword out straight towards Yue. At first it seemed that action had done nothing, until Yue suddenly gasped, soon silenced as a huge explosion erupted around him. After lying on the ground, he struggled to lift himself up, but could not. By then, Syaoran retracted Hien back to his stance and thrust once more at Kero, leaving the same effect only this time without a moment's pause before the explosion.

Syaoran depended on his sword for support. Those two blasts had drained him of his little energy, yet he managed to defeat his opponents. He felt a surge of relief as he walked towards Yue first. Regret soon came on him as he poised his sword to kill Yue.

Unfortunately for our hapless hero, the gods of luck do not favor him. A surge of lightning erupted from the heavens and, quite simply, struck him down, leaving him gasping in pain. The smell of burnt skin began to fill his nose as the pain of his wounded back quite literally crippled him. Yue and Kero struggled to their feet. Two entities joined them from above, however their brilliance of their auras hid their faces.

"You have disgraced us, Yue…" One of the two stated plainly

"I apologize… However the boy is insistent and continuing in his struggle to live."

"Then you should have analyzed and eliminated the main factor of his morale!" The other angrily rebuked. "Nevertheless, we shall take the matters into our hands." He lifted his hand and aimed it at Sakura.

"It is unfortunate that your fate had to be entwined with the boy you happen to love. We ask you for forgiveness for this is the only way we can ensure stability and peace." Sakura felt hopelessness swallow her, and simply sat rooted to the spot. Scorched flesh let out its odor once more, but the absence of the pain gave Sakura the impression that she hadn't been hit. Curiously she looked up and saw Syaoran in front of her. He had taken the hit straightforward, his back turned to Sakura. Weakly, he stumbled next to her, exhausted and drained.

What could they do? Trapped and helpless, Sakura and Syaoran both began to despair. The entities closing in for the kill, a final act of desperation took over Syaoran as he struggled to bring himself together and drain the last of his strength. Swiftly and unexpectedly, he grabbed Sakura and made a run for it, leaving the palace with a speed and strength that was utterly impossible in Syaoran's state.

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Safe from the threatening entities, Syaoran finally stopped at a remote cave, quite a distance from the city. Weak with pain and despair, he collapsed next to Sakura, barely able to move, tears streaming from his face as he looked up into those sweet emerald eyes.

"Syaoran…" She put her hand at his cheek, unable to stop her own tears. There they were, just two kids desperately in love, both clinging desperately to life in hopes of tempting the nonexistent happiness to descend on them. Sitting up against the wall, Syaoran held her in his arms, embracing her loveliness and waiting for the imminent doom, or perhaps to escape it.

"It's not fair…" Sakura didn't sound as though complaining, but rather mourning. "Why… why did I have to remember now? Why do they have to take you away?"

"I'm sorry, Sakura… I hoped to save you so you could enjoy your life at the cost of mine…"

"I'd rather die with you, than live without you, Syaoran…" Tears wouldn't stop, but neither had to intention of ending their hearts' emotions. Still in each other's arms, still weeping out their hearts, they waited.

An explosion of radiance erupted on the ceiling above them, vaporizing the darkness of the cave and revealing them to the sky above. Yue had a face of triumph, soon erased as he saw the two lovers embracing each other, crying in despair and for the loss of their right to happiness. The other two entities and Kero joined him and landed near Sakura and Syaoran. Before saying a word, Sakura began her desperate request.

"Please… can't you let us be happy together? He's gone through so much… even death… He's never wrong anyone… or been unjust… please, I'm begging you to spare us… please let us be happy…" She struggled to say the words, tears kept coming. "If you can't… please, let us be together for eternity… if not this world… then the next…" Still with tears in her eyes, she brought her lips with Syaoran's, a sense of finality not missed as they embraced, feeling as if it was the last time they would enjoy earthly intimacy.

And there the agents stood with the light, troubled, yet firm with resolution to execute their orders. Though doubt remained, thus they stood, conflicted with pity and yet justice and desire for stability. Innocent and hapless lovers… should they live and enjoy the happiness they so desire and deserve, or should they die as martyrs, sacrifices for the dimensions of people to whom they are unknown?

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Iroel's Note: Oh jeez… it's taken a REALLY long time to finish this chapter… but as usual I can promise you that I'll still be working on it. I've just been sidetracked with other personal affairs. So don't expect new chapters too often  Dun duh duh dun… suspense, will they die or live???