This is it
This is it. The last chapter. The cherry on top. THE EPILOGUE! Gasp! Sheesh, I thought this day would never come back two years ago. Feedback would be awesome if you could tell me what you thought of the story—please, be brutal, but no biased critics. I will be starting/finishing other stories, but if you spot any grammar/spelling mistakes, or broken flows in Rebel please let me know and I'll fix it right away.
I've had a review by ssshine that said that the story went by too quickly. Yeah, I do have a problem with that . . . The real reason why I rewrote the story was because I thought the original was too fast. Argh, I'll never be able to make it go slow enough am I?! It's really sad. Weeps. But, I'm done with this story. I love it, but I just can't see any more I can add to it, and I really want to start on some other stories. Sorry!
Now, on with the story!!
Oh, wait. DISCLAIMER: As you should know by now: I'm poor, I don't own any CCS characters, no copyright infringement intended
Chapter Fourteen: EPILOGUE
Two Years Later
Dermia was impatient. Impatient for the line to dwindle and end.
Meiling glanced at her friend and couldn't help but chuckle. "Calm down Dermia! We have all night for the festivities, so stop tapping your feet; we'll get to the party soon enough."
Dermia threw an irritated glare at Meiling, "You're just standing there, but I'm the one who has to cross off invites."
Meiling snickered hopelessly, and looked at the man behind her. Ryu grinned back, his boyish face gleaming at his wife. Dermia and Meiling had both been recruited to help train Syaoran's army as well as Eriol a couple of weeks following Syaoran's coronation, therefore leading to their unusual partnership and friendship.
A tall, burly man with an elegant, petite girl on his arm walked up to Amber Academy's entrance. Meiling and Ryu's eyes widened in shock then in realization at the sight of the strange couple.
"Toshiko Yanamoto and Bella Glen," the bandit smiled at Meiling and Ryu's taken-aback expressions.
"Bells! Hey sis, why didn't you tell me that you were coming to the Winter Ball?" Dermia laughed, hugging the girl.
Meiling hugged the burly rebel and her best friend's sister as well. Toshiko traded high-fives with Ryu.
"Eriol and Sakura requested a favor from us. We can't deny our friends anything!" Bella said, hugging back Dermia.
"Hey, Bella, Toshiko!" Eriol bounded up to the entrance, grinning ear-to-ear: "Sakura wants to talk to you guys, c'mon in," He beckoned towards the rebels and started walking away.
"Oi, Eriol! Can't you save me as well?" Dermia called after them, looking incredibly desperate.
"Sorry, nope!" Eriol's tone made him sound like wasn't sorry at all.
"I'll talk to you later all right Dermia?" Bella asked softly, pulling back from her younger sister's embrace.
Dermia sighed. "Sure, see you later."
Bella smiled and walked behind Toshiko. Toshiko and Eriol were hamming it up like the old buddies they were.
Eriol led the two through a maze of hallways until they reached a door with the number 1600 stamped in gold above. He rapped the door with his knuckles three times, and then withdrew. He walked away.
The two rebels just stood there awkwardly, not exactly sure what to do. Suddenly, the door opened, startling the duo.
"Hey, what's up Toshiko, Bella?" Sakura acknowledged them with a smile.
Bella and Toshiko stared at their former ex-rebel, now queen. Both of them have seen her at different stages, but the woman standing in front of them currently was utterly different from what they've ever seen. Still short, but nymph-like, Sakura's hair was back to its longer length and shining, and her skin less dull. But the most obvious difference in her appearance was her eyes. They were still large emeralds, but they were sparkling in the light, playing havoc and hypnotizing anyone who looked at her eyes.
Sakura noticed their staring. Of course she noticed, as nothing got past her sharp eyes. "Yeah, like the change? Ah, what the wonderful thing called love can do for your appearance," Sakura said sarcastically as she walked back into her former dorm she'd shared with Meiling and Tomoyo. Toshiko and Bella shared smirks.
Of course, her personality was still oh so ever the same, which was a relief. Too many times did Bella see girls fall over them and melt into an insensible, lovey-dovey, goo-goo-eyed mess over boys, and never retained any part of them.
Sakura walked into the room and picked up a bag and handed it over to Toshiko and Bella. "Make it good," she said smirking. "I'm counting on you guys. So is Eriol."
"Oh, don't worry, we will." With a cat-like smiles creepily echoing Eriol's, Toshiko and Bella left the room.
"Do you think Tomoyo would be happy about your surprise?" A black-clad Syaoran asked as he came out of the bathroom where he was hiding.
"I'm damn sure she'll be happy about it. And when have you ever doubted me, my dear husband?" She teased lightly, as she grabbed her daggers and slipped them into her ice blue gown. Syaoran sheathed his sword that was lying on the corner of the bed and slipped it onto his belt. It was very unlikely that something abnormal and terrifying would happen today, but the two royalties have been raised to expect the unexpected.
"Ready?" Syaoran asked, raising an eyebrow. Sakura's habits have managed to rub onto him. Sakura nodded and swung the thick, silver velvet cloak trimmed with pure white faux fur around her back, clinging loosely to her shoulders. The rulers of the two most powerful kingdoms in the world stepped out of the dorm and walked towards the ballroom.
"Where did Bella go?" Dermia peered around the oak-paneled circular ballroom, happy to finally have been relieved of her doorman duties.
Eriol grinned, "She's helping Toshiko fulfill the request Sakura and I asked them to do."
"Then where's Tomoyo?"
"She's making slight alterations to Rika's gown."
Rika Sasaki was a little girl that Tomoyo had taken to when she began teaching sewing classes at Amber Academy when Sakura gave her a break from her lady-in-waiting duties. Rika told Tomoyo that she wanted to wear a very beautiful gown in order to impress her crush, Yoshiyuki Tereda. Tomoyo agreed to help her, finding that the situation was very similar to how she tried to impress Eriol—but, just like the younger soon-to-be-couple, Eriol and her had been much too shy to act upon their feelings.
Renalia walked out of the wings, her son Evan holding her hand, and went up to the dimly-lit stage. "Hello, Academy students, I hope you will have a very pleasant winter break after our annual Winter Ball. However, this year, we will be doing something different and I hope you enjoy it," Renalia's face stretched into a huge grin. "Let's welcome Sakura and Syaoran Li, former students of our Academy."
Cheers rose from throughout the school. Dermia and Eriol added to the applause, lazily clapping.
Sakura and Syaoran walked on the stage in their edgy, regal manner. Sakura smiled, "We will be announcing the winners of this year Winter Ball. There were hundreds of votes to go through, but the winners were picked unanimously. Syaoran, would you like to?" She plucked out two heavy ivory textured envelopes from a hidden pocket in the lining of her cloak. She handed one of them over to Syaoran.
Syaoran ripped it open as fast as possible. He didn't enjoy hundreds of temperamental princes and princesses staring at him as if he was a fortune cookie to be eaten. "Best princes this year is Yoshiyuki Tereda."
A sandy-haired seventeen-year-old blushed as he climbed up the stairs. Syaoran picked up a silver crown adorned with diamonds that was lying on a purple trunk on the stage and placed it on Tereda's head. It balanced wobbily and it skewered with his hair, but Tereda took it in good measure and held onto it while going back down the stairs.
Sakura bit back a grin and Syaoran discreetly winked at her. She ripped her envelope open, also not liking the pressure of the stares. She can handle audiences, what she cannot handle is pressure from audiences on matters that are out of her control. "Best dress this year goes to," she paused taking slight pleasure in the audiences' pain, ". . . Rika Sasaki."
The spotlight landed on a tomato-red, pale-brown-haired Rika as she weaved through the crowd. Eriol smiled at his wife's' handiwork.
The gown itself was a piece of art. The color looked as if it was pressed from buttercups; it flowed to the floor and was delicately pleated, clinging to her body. The draped sweetheart neckline was modest but still very sweetly sexy. The gown was sheer enough to see the cream lace slip underneath; the lace peeked through the hem of the gown. The same cream lace was used to construct fingerless elbow-length gloves, and a delicate platinum necklace hung from her neck. It matched well with her complexion and sapphire eyes.
Rika shyly smiled at Sakura who grinned back encouragingly. She picked up a heavily encrusted with precious stones crown off the trunk and placed it on top of Rika's curls. She leaned in and whispered, "Congrats. Don't be afraid, rebel tradition, and ask him for a dance, you won't regret it." She drew back and winked at the once again blushing Rika. Rika nodded, face flaming, and walked back down the stairs.
"We have a surprise for you," Syaoran spoke to the audience. "So, please walk outside."
"But it's freezing!" Someone yelped from the crowd.
"Don't worry about that, just line up in an orderly fashion and exit." Syaoran ordered bluntly. People frowned, Sakura rolled her eyes.
As people exited the ballroom into the night air, Sakura took out two Sakura cards from her cloak lining. "Firey, Glow," She whispered, feeling the abnormal rush of wind that occurred when the cards glowed.
Little spheres of magical fire formed out of nowhere and a pixie-like creature, glowing green, emerged from the cards as well and giggled as she darted out of the ballroom, the fire spheres bobbed softly as they trailed behind Glow.
Eriol didn't leave from his post next to the ballroom doors, waiting for his wife. Tomoyo hurried into the ballroom, wearing a violet silk ball gown and a white fringed shawl draped on her shoulders. She took one look at the empty ballroom and her face fell. Eriol chuckled softly and kissed Tomoyo lightly, "Don't worry love, the dance is not over. Everyone went outside."
Tomoyo frowned, "Why? It's freezing outside!"
Sakura sat down on the floor of the stage, "Glow, Firey," she said simply.
Tomoyo's face smoothed in realization.
Syaoran jumped down from the stage, and Sakura jumped down after him, wrapping her cloak around her as Syaoran circled his arm around her waist. Eriol and Tomoyo linked hands. The two married couples walked out of the ballroom together.
People were staring in awe at Glow, who was dancing in the cold breeze dimly lighting up the sky, without taking away the mystery of nightfall. If they weren't staring at Glow, they were tentatively touching the fire spheres—they weren't burned, but warmth still radiated off the spheres.
Sakura smiled slightly at the amazing sight bestowed to her as she leaned against the back wall of the resurrected Academy that all previous students helped rebuilt, Syaoran pulling her close to him, not unlike what he did the first time they met.
The pathway to a circle of limestone was clear as well as the circle, and couples in beautiful evening wear danced to a string quartet in the circle or sat down on the benches that lined the circle. Piles of snow blanketed the perfectly trimmed hedges and orchard trees surrounding the circle.
A cracking noise startled several people, causing them to whip their heads around to look at the forest behind the circle. In the distance, fireworks rose from the distance behind the circle, showering the night sky in colorful sparks.
"It's beautiful." Tomoyo's jaw dropped at the splendor of the color against the black night sky.
Sakura laughed lightly at Tomoyo's awe-inspired face. She knew that Tomoyo never—and, she meant never—saw fireworks before due to having no time, and sparks were her number one loathed enemy next to heights, which explains why she never sets any herself.
"Did you do this for me Sakura?" Tomoyo asked Sakura.
Sakura shook her head. "Nope, Eriol was the one who suggested it seeing that you were drop-dead tired from working on and at Amber for the past two years. The Winter Ball seemed like the perfect place to execute it. I just roped Toshiko and Bella—who both owe me—into going out to set them. Meiling and Ryu bought the fireworks."
Eriol offered his hand to Tomoyo. Tomoyo gracefully took it and they lithely blended into the crowd.
"You were right, Tomoyo loves it," Syaoran lowly whispered, amused, to a still Sakura, still leaned against the wall.
She was staring at something. Syaoran was about to ask when Sakura said in an incredulous voice, "Ryu can dance?"
Ryu heard her. He led Meiling over to where Syaoran and Sakura were. "I'm hurt Sakura, when did you think I had coordination problems?"
"Um, never . . . but, wow . . ." Sakura trailed off, speechless.
Meiling snickered while her cousin smirked. "Decent dancing was Ryu's biggest foe, but I used powers of persuasion to get him to learn dancing from our dear retired friend, Miss Isaki."
"More like literally pushed me into Isaki's house," Ryu muttered under his breath. Meiling pretended she didn't hear that.
"Syaoran, do you mind if I take a week off work since Dermia invited me to a family dinner with Toshiko and Bella," Meiling asked Syaoran.
Syaoran smiled wryly, "I don't see why not. Can you take Eriol and Tomoyo too, I want to spend some time with Sakura," Meiling opened her mouth, "And don't even think about saying aw," Syaoran threatened.
"I wasn't going to say that!" Meiling said, offended. Syaoran snorted. "I was going to say that was a good arrangement seeing that both Dermia needs a new dress for your fancy evening event in two weeks, so Tomoyo can help her with the sketches. I'm assuming you already have your dress Sakura?"
Sakura nodded. "Tomoyo is so hyper at times; that she finished my dress in a day."
"And now I don't want to see you guys any more for two weeks, I want to be with Ryu, so see you later," Meiling hugged Sakura and high-fived Syaoran before leaving. Ryu high-fived Sakura and Syaoran, as he was not the hugging type.
"Toshiko and Bella should be running out of fireworks by now," Syaoran said.
"Hey, look its Rika and Tereda," Sakura tilted her head towards the impossibly shy couple.
Both of them were tomato-red, and Rika's head was down as she mumbled, "Will you dance with me?"
Sakura strained to hear Tereda's response. "Sure." It was a soft mumble, but Rika's face looked so happy, in the glow of the fire sphere hanging off Amber Academy's newest couple, that Sakura nearly winced when Rika turned around to mouth a 'thanks' to Sakura.
Around them, they heard the crescendo of music and the string quartet suddenly stopped. A final series of crashes accompanied the last of the fireworks.
"To think that in two years, all of this—nothing expected—could happen because you rebelled," Syaoran chuckled thinking about what changed in his life in three years: tight friendships with rebels, marriage, his wife having the ability to kill him—and him she, Eriol finally getting with Tomoyo, Meiling marrying Ryu, annual summer visits to Clow City, helping Naoras' progress staying with the seer, and so many other otherworldly but interesting experiences.
"And you know what the most expected but unexpected thing I think about the past 3 years?" Sakura asked her husband, her eyebrow raised. Syaoran turned to look at her. "I'm glad I rebelled six years ago," Sakura touched her necklace. Satisfied with what happened in six years. Hurt, yes; Regret, no. Ruler, yes; Rebel, yes. There was nothing to be changed, and she was fine with her history, and her future looked good too.
THE END
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Destiny