Wow, thanks for all the reviews (breaking 70 now!), especially because they were really sweet. Just for this chapter, I wanted to give a shout out to a couple of readers:

Musou Misora, your reviews always crack me up. 'nuff said.

krista, no worries, I might have a few more chapters before I completely end this series.

LupineLightning, a huge thank you for your extremely enthusiastic reviews!

3musketeers, I'm a Meilin fan too! Rawr, Meilin fans unite. –bares teeth–

Windflight, I'm so friggin' brilliant, I completely forgot that main moral in most, if not all, of Clamp's works. I was just so focused on being mean and killing off Syaoran and Yukito though, to torture the readers. In hindsight, I could have just made them deathly ill, with no cure, until precious Clow blood was spilled over their wounds, etc, etc. But still, I will promise you that Touya and Meilin will not be walking from their graves.

And a general huge thank you for the readers who have been reviewing continuously throughout the chapters (like stephie73, FlowerLover, VampireJazzy). I didn't want to deluge the page with weepy gratefulness, but all your reviews make writing this worth it.

.oOo.

Eriol's dark cobalt hair was unnaturally ruffled. He raked it back with his long, thin fingers, but it promptly fell disobediently again across his forehead as he stepped through the swirling blue portal and into the comfort of his bedroom of the Li Castle. Gingerly placing his golden sun staff by his armchair, he sighed and sank into it, leaning his head back heavily. He had been wise enough to slip out of the ceremony the instant Syaoran left Meilin's side, but he had grossly underestimated Xiao-Mei's defenses. Without Yue and Ruby Moon to temporarily ward them off, he doubted he could have survived long enough to open a portal without a stream of soldiers following him.

He took his time to sample a glass of Chardonnay he had stashed in an ice cooler in his room, and then slowly stood, polishing his glasses in the glare of the fireplace. Although every muscle of his body cried for rest, he knew there was one more stop he had to make that night.

.oOo.

"I won't lie, Sakura. It's not going to be easy, especially now that I lost my top general," Syaoran frowned as he rubbed his forehead, wrinkling the smooth brow as he pored over the diagrams Touya left behind.

"Does seem like you're back at square one again, doesn't it?" mused Yamazaki as he set down between the pair a tray weighed down with tea and cakes. "With the let's-attack-the-Meis spiel, and all."

Syaoran nodded resignedly as he peeled his gaze away from a particularly grisly figure Touya had drawn to decapitate Meilin with a flaming sword, smirking slightly. He was sure Touya's thoughts about Meilin must have changed in heaven…

Sakura eagerly reached for her portion of cake, attacking a particularly large portion overloaded with fluffy cream. After lifting a forkful of the heavenly sweet to her smiling lips, she slowly glanced to the side and stealthily reached out with her fork toward Syaoran's chocolate slice.

"Hey!" Syaoran suddenly started in his chair, swinging his legs off the table. Sakura immediately withdrew her hand as though she had been burned, but Syaoran paid no heed. "Where is Eriol anyway? I haven't seen him since… well, since the night I died, I guess."

"You died?" Eriol grinned with interest as he breezily entered in his usual fashion. "I've been having a marvelous time too."

"You always did have a knack for dropping by just when war is about to start," Syaoran quipped reflexively. "I'm beginning to wonder if you're the jinx."

"Oh, stop," Eriol tittered bashfully, waving his hand at Syaoran dismissively. "You're making me blush."

Sakura took the opportunity to sample a good-sized chunk of Syaoran's cake as Eriol served as a distraction. Swallowing, she shook her head. "It's not quite the same now. The Clow defense magic is nullified on the Mei's side."

Eriol raised an eyebrow with quizzical interest at her. "Even Meizuo?"

She nodded emphatically. "Meilin told me that Meizuo was never a true Clow royal, and Xiao-Mei was married into the family, but has some magic of her own."

"Well, that lightens the load considerably." Syaoran said brightly as he finally took up his fork. "The perfect attack is already d—" He broke off as he realized his fork was hitting the bottom of his plate, only a few crumbs revealing that there really was a cake there before.

Sakura wisely chose this time to yawn, stretch, and dash off to bed.

.oOo.

Tomoyo was absolutely calm.

The carriage hit a bump in the road, and she started, slamming the palm of her hand against the window to steady herself. Kurogane, sitting across from her, raised an eyebrow, but was as silent as ever.

Tomoyo was just a little bit hysterical. She nodded, as though she were reassuring herself of something.

"We'll be fine, Kurogane," Tomoyo grinned tightly, as if he were the one on the verge of a panic attack.

She spoke too soon. There was a thundering of horses by the carriage, the soldiers all bearing their Mei family crest as they raised the banners, cutting her off from the path. The horses whinnied in terror as they were forced to a halt, and Kurogane gave her a stern look.

"Don't get out," he said tersely as he kicked open the door and slammed it shut behind him, his sword already drawn and flashing like silver lightning as he cut down two men.

Tomoyo screamed as there was a series of thunks as arrow tips split through the wooden boards of the carriage. Her eyes widened as she glanced out her small window and saw that Kurogane was vastly outnumbered.

"Kurogane!" she cried, banging her palm against the glass in frustration until it was sore.

"If you want to live, leave quietly and never look back," the head general sneered as his horse pulled up alongside Kurogane, who was at the center of a tight circle of soldiers in black armor.

"You really think I'd do that?" Kurogane spat as he rotated slowly on the spot with his sword drawn, his narrowed crimson eyes glaring back and forth between each face.

"We have orders to take her alive," the general drawled lazily. "We'd rather do without bloodshed, but if you force our hand, we will kill you."

"I'd like to see you try," Kurogane gritted through his teeth as he suddenly leapt high into the air and kicked the general off his horse.

Caught off-guard, he slammed face-first into the dirt with a heavy clatter of plate metal. The soldiers instantly swarmed around Kurogane, but he kept them at bay as he quickly stepped behind the general, and held the sword under his neck, gripping him by the hair as he knocked off his helmet.

"Hello, Princess," a voice cheerfully chirped across from Tomoyo's seat.

"Eriol!" she cried delightedly.

She was never happier to see his smirking face. "I'm so sorry, I know you told me to leave as soon as possible, but I didn't think they'd be so—"

"Don't worry about it," he interjected as he peered outside the window, watching Kurogane force the soldiers to back off as he held their general captive. "Kurogane is a very capable bodyguard, as I see," he nodded.

She couldn't resist a fond grin as she peeked outside as well. "He's always been there for me, ever since I was ten," she said wistfully.

Eriol nodded slowly, and hid his saddened countenance from her as he cleared his throat before opening up a portal in the side of the carriage. "Well, best get you to relatively safer grounds then," he said briskly as he gestured to the swirling blue vortex with the sun staff that was resting comfortably on his lap.

"Do I just… walk through it?" she asked a bit hesitantly. She had never traveled anywhere without a carriage, and stepping into the glowing eddy seemed very unpleasant.

He laughed softly and extended his hand to her. "Believe in me, Princess?"

She stared at him in surprise for a moment, and then slowly, her smile tinged on her lips as she took his hand confidently and whispered, "I will and I do," before stepping through the azure abyss. Kurogane opened the door, his sword still under the general's throat as his narrowed eyes watched the other soldiers.

"Time to go, Kurogane," Eriol smiled. "Take care of her, will you?"

"You're not coming?" Kurogane couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice.

"I can't very well step through the portal without any soldiers following, can I?" His benign smile was frozen against his lips, and looked a bit too stiff to be natural.

There was a long pause before Kurogane spoke. "You would die for her?"

"I'm not much different from you," Eriol replied.

The two men squared each other up as rivals, Kurogane's crimson eyes boring into the deep blue of Eriol's. Each knew they were equally matched fighters, with Kurogane's famed strength, and Eriol's legendary magic. Each knew that the other harbored the same love for the Princess Tomoyo in their strongly beating hearts. Finally, Kurogane cracked a rare grin, and gripped Eriol's hand in a handshake. "It's been nice knowing you."

"Likewise," Eriol said softly, the twinkling gaze behind his glasses unreadable.

"Take care of her for me," Kurogane laughed as he suddenly gripped Eriol's arm and shoved him through the portal before he could react. "She has loved you all this time, and I will not let my lady's heart mourn for such a pitifully weak man!" his voice echoed into the portal before the magic seal closed, and Eriol was suddenly slammed hard onto his back on the marble ground of the throne room of the Li Castle.

He scrambled back to his feet, and grabbed his sun staff, glaring as he had the full intent to create another portal back to the carriage. "She loves you, you fool!" Eriol shouted futilely as he quickly drew the magic circle across the floor.

"No," Tomoyo whispered softly, appearing by his side. "I love you."

Eriol whirled around to stare at her, his mouth slightly agape as his mind grappled with the situation. "What?" he finally managed to say stupidly.

"I sacrificed him… for you," she breathed, a crystalline tear dripping past her long dark lashes. "I love you… I love you… I love you so much, I told him to…" she broke off, burrowing her face against his shoulder, the sobs overtaking her voice as her seemingly frail body pressed against him.

"You knew," Eriol exhaled incredulously. "You knew when I told you that I'd appear in your carriage to open the portal, I would have to stay behind and make sure nobody else would get through…"

Eriol was stunned. Although he had a small power of foresight, it had not prepared him for this. He had met his match in her preemptive logic, and now realized that she was his soulmate.

"I love you too," he finally smiled down to her before tilting her chin upwards to him and kissing her firmly against her soft pink lips through her salty tears.

.oOo.

A little short, but I just wanted to get this updated because I know I was sidetracked over my other fiction, Sinful Delights. I hope people don't hate me because I chose Eriol to be Tomoyo's love over Kurogane… In case I confused some people, Xiao-Mei had sent men to kidnap Tomoyo to use her as bait to get to Sakura, but Eriol's power of foresight helped him warn Tomoyo beforehand. The portal was Eriol's escape route for Tomoyo in case she couldn't get out of her kingdom in time, but there was no way he could close it after stepping through it without being sure nobody else would follow. Tomoyo figured it out, and asked Kurogane to save Eriol if it came to that, and he did: by sacrificing his own life and staying behind to make sure nobody else would follow.