Epilogue.

Tomoeda. Next spring.

"What a nice day, isn't it?" Eriol asked, as always, gazing at the cherry trees in the temple's backyard in all their splendor.
"Yes, it's a nice day." Kaho walked serenely and stood a few steps away from the reincarnated sorcerer, who had his back to her.
"What is this important thing you wanted to talk to me about?"
"You are a very intuitive little man. By now you should know what it's all about."

The boy lowered his gaze even without turning around, implying that he did indeed have an idea.

"I would not want to predispose myself."
"I'll be brief and to the point: you and me. I don't think it works anymore."
"And just like that you decide unilaterally?"
"Courageous words for someone who has lived two lives deciding about others in a 'unilateral' way, as you call it."
"Is it because of my appearance or my age? Because I can make changes to make you feel more comfortable?"
"I admit it could be a factor, I'm a woman in my forties and you're not even of age, but it's not that. On the other hand, that "making changes" thing could be part of the problem... you should stop trying to manipulate everything to your convenience. Yes, it was fun, and you helped Sakura and other people a lot, but at least I had enough. With the best of intentions and being a person who feels a great affection for you, I invite you to leave that life behind." She thought for a moment, trying not to make her words too harsh, "You are not Clow. Clow died centuries ago, you yourself put it in those terms to Yue years ago... why don't you also accept it at once? Why do you cling to Eriol living in Clow's shadow?"
"Let me worry about who lives in whose shadow in my mind." He said in a tone a little less friendly than he would have liked, and kept a long silence after that, trying to process what the woman was saying, "Will you come back to England with me?"
"No. But I won't stay here either. Please say goodbye to Spy and Nakuru, and remind them that they are very important to me. I know you must be very angry with me right now and I will understand...however, I think you, like me, felt that this day would come sooner or later. You will soon see that it is best for both of us. I must continue to seek my fulfillment and you...you must begin to live. I must say that you are a particular person, and I don't know if being with someone is in your destiny, but it is clear to me that that person will not be me. Maybe you should take a look around and see if there is someone close and who has more in common with you. I have already given all I could give. Thank you for everything you have shared with me."

The wizard stared at the cherry trees for about an hour after the teacher left. He knew he wouldn't see her again for a long time, and thought about her words...was he really leaving Eriol behind by paying so much attention to the past? Exactly what did she mean by looking for someone closer to him? He imagined that by that sentence she meant age.

Her resolution, on the other hand, sounded like a definite, and perhaps it would have to be only for a season.

It wasn't so bad, after all, he was now fifteen and had a whole new life ahead of him... Kaito's problem was solved, Sakura and Li seemed to have settled their own conflicts and were very close to consecrating themselves as the powerful sorcerers he always saw in them, that somehow "gave him permission" to do what Kaho said: finally let Clow go and concentrate more on being Eriol... look for new friends or strengthen the ties he had with the old ones, travel more, get to know more... live more.

He would think about it in a few days, perhaps while traveling back to his home in Europe.

"I don't feel comfortable with this situation, Mr. Xiao-Lang." Wei said those words while the food was served to him at the table he shared with Kurogane and Xiao-Lang, the latter being the one who had prepared the food and was serving it to the three of them at that moment.
"Well, you'll have to get used to it. You have been like a father to me, you were my teacher and guide throughout my childhood, I don't think it's fair that you have to treat me like a master forever. You devoted a lifetime of service to me, and unless you tell me that you were forced to, I will return the favor."
"I would never have seen it as an obligation. You and Miss Meilin are the most important people to me, and I would have done everything even without payment."
"And I know you did it that way for a while, so there's no complaint. If you are going to live in this house, you will be a member of my family, not an employee."
"You know something? You remind me of my own father." Kurogane interjected, concentrating on moving his chopsticks. "Although he was rather stiff and rigid... no one could question his great love for his family and spirit of service. If I may, I think settling down with the brat on family terms would be best for you at this stage of your life."
"It is admirable the rhetoric you use to say that I am old, Mr. Kurogane."
"Well, I didn't mean it that way, but it's good to see that you understand. What I'm getting at with this is that you are a man who, given your age, wisdom and character should be served and revered and not the other way around. Let the boy give you the treatment you deserve, and in return, keep teaching him...who knows, I might even learn a trick or two from you."

After lunch, Kurogane stood in front of the laptop he had acquired just a few days before. The months that followed his arrival in the 21st century were ones of hard adaptation and learning. Xiao-Lang's family managed to insert him into society with all the necessary documentation, even allowing him to keep his real name. His knowledge was vast even though he had had no education outside the home in his childhood and he easily obtained a place in school, although he would lose a grade, having to study the third year of high school, one year ahead of Li.

As a teenager, he had to go through all the statutory vaccinations, and would soon have to do military service.

He spent weeks documenting himself on national and universal history after his time, looked with admiration at technological advancement, although he could not avoid a certain feeling of betrayal when he learned that war was not a matter of honor and that swords were no longer invited to it; with particular fascination he studied about the space race and felt a deep shame for Japan's interventions in the wars of the twentieth century. Though perhaps the most poignant part for him was the punishment his nation received for World War II in nineteen forty-five, and he could not stop a tear from rolling down his cheek as he watched the videos of the nuclear mushrooms rising in the skies over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Having such overwhelming responsibilities in his childhood, some study and work were trifles to him, and considering that Li led such a lifestyle, it took him no trouble at all to become accustomed to and stand out among his contemporaries. He sincerely thought that the current standards of performance and demands on young people were low, and was disdainful of people who showed indifference or laziness in the face of their obligations. His character, of course, did not change, he remained taciturn and reserved, even when he often participated in the activities to which Sakura and company invited him, and involuntarily ended up establishing some kind of contact with Tomoyo, in the end, they went to the same school, and it would be like that for at least one more year.

How come he didn't ask for help getting home? Simple. He asked as soon as he woke up, but his eagerness stopped abruptly after reading the letter Tomoyo Amamiya had left him, he hadn't shared the contents of it with anyone, but it definitely made a substantial change in his way of thinking.

"I think I finally found the Dragon." Tomoyo, beaming, expressed those words in one of many talks with Sakura during the class break, and showed her on her laptop a document that seemed to be made up of many fragments of history books. "Apparently he was a very virtuous man, he was a soldier, doctor, historian, philosopher and even politician, he left several works in all those disciplines."
"So… is that him?" She asked looking at the old engraving that tried to represent him, dressed in a purple hanfu, which curiously coincided with the attire of the last time she saw him, Tomoyo confirmed it. "Jung Chung-Hee, it's the same name the twins gave me about him."
"Yes. He was born in fifteen hundred and twenty-four in Seoul and died in fifteen hundred and ninety-two in the same place."
"What was the cause of death?"
"Apparently, in the Japanese invasion of Korea to reach China, in a conflict known as 'The Seven Years' War', at least so stated in the historical record, the city was razed to the ground by the Japanese army."

It was a strange and contradictory feeling that had been born in her chest after reading the whole story. On the one hand, she could not help but feel apprehension for what he put her and Xiao-Lang through, especially talking about the latter's infection. On the other hand, she empathized with him, and considered him a victim of History. Since she could never forgive him for his offenses, nor could she ever thank him enough for giving her a way back into her own life, she decided to do what she had been brought up to do: look on the bright side and lean toward kindness. Thus, she gladly took care of Dal and Teayang as 'Forgiveness', both of whom were quickly integrated with the rest of the cards, and now had a promising future fueled by Sakura's magical power.

As the weeks went by, just as it happened in a more distant youth of the group, Eriol announced his farewell. There was an organization to accompany him to the airport, hoping to have in the future some excuse to continue frequenting each other. That morning, Xiao-Lang would go to Sakura's house to take her to the meeting place, Daidoji would be there too.

Whenever the activities included Sakura's cousin, Kurogane ended up joining "suspiciously", therefore, it was strange for Li that the boy chose not to accompany him. He knew that for some reason beyond his comprehension, Kurogane and Eriol did not like each other.

"We could take the opportunity to have breakfast out for a change." Li had proposed, conciliatory.
"I prefer to stay here." Resolved the samurai as he poured cereal into a bowl.
"Is it because of Hiiragizawa? I understand that you can't get along with him since you don't know him, but…."
"He is a sorcerer." Noticing Xiao-Lang's puzzled silence, he stopped preparing his breakfast, trying to make a speech, even though he was not exactly a person who gave explanations for his actions, "Do you know how many sorcerers I have met in my life?" The gaijin shook his head, "Almost a hundred. Of all of them, do you know how many were really good and trustworthy people?" Without waiting for his interlocutor to answer, he raised his right hand, extending his five fingers. "My mother, grandmother Miu, Tomoyo, Sakura and you. The rest were men and women ranging from the haughty to the downright evil. Power has the property of corrupting people, that Hiiragizawa guy has the whole profile and seems to be just a push away from falling into temptation: he's powerful and confident, I feel his horrible magical essence trying to surround Daidoji, and having me the duty to protect the Amamiya family, that unnerves me. I can be respectful, even feign interest, but I don't trust him and he has given me no reason to even consider it. You too should be more cautious in his presence."

As he walked down the street, approaching his destination, Xiao-Lang thought about Kurogane's words. Yes, it was true that the samurai could be exaggeratedly serious and harsh, even hermetic and even a bit prejudiced, but he had never met a more honorable and honest person before. He himself had once harbored bad judgments towards Hiiragizawa... but he would think about that another time.

The goodbyes were effusive to say the least. Eriol remained in his usual role, kind and cynical but in a charming way, or at least that was what Sakura and Xiao-Lang thought. There was in that farewell, however, one more person, who among the huge catalog of virtues he exhibited was a very peculiar capacity for observation.

"Is it a good idea for you to leave like this?" Tomoyo asked, taking advantage of a moment of solitude with him, taking the British man completely by surprise.
"What do you mean?" He asked, pretending a more youthful voice than he really was.
"I don't know how to explain it, but you look different... incomplete, there is something wrong with you."
"You are very observant."
"Thanks for the compliment, but that doesn't answer my question."
"Maybe things happened that will make me rethink how to live my life from now on, but you don't have to worry about that."
"Really? I don't see it that way. You are one of Sakura and Li's closest friends, and I consider you a personal friend as well. In your own way you were responsible for them growing up and becoming what they are, and in equal measure for them managing to be happy together. The least I can do for you is to worry about your welfare."
"I thank you, it's a pity I have to leave today."
"Of course, because distance would be a big problem, wouldn't it? If only there was a way to keep in touch with people who live far away from us?" The girl answered, sarcastically, putting her index finger on her chin, feigning ignorance.
"What do you mean?"

The young woman held out a small piece of scented paper with her phone number on it.

"I know you probably have lots and lots of people to talk to or turn to in your loneliness, but if they all fail, feel free to seek me out. No matter what time it is."

The boy took the paper with apprehension. Perhaps he hadn't had that strange feeling in his stomach since the first time he was a teenager. Maybe he was "thinking outside the box," maybe it was just a kindness, a legitimate concern for his mental health, but what if he wasn't...

"I don't know what to say." He finally resolved.
"A 'we'll be in touch' might work."
"All right. We'll be in touch."

Thinking about all the changes in retrospect provoked a gratifying nostalgia to Tomoyo. Sakura was always one of her favorite people, in her childhood she even thought it was something more what she felt for her, and leaving aside that obsession that went beyond healthy, she tried to be her support and "the genius behind the king" in every adventure of her cousin. Everything became clear when she saw her fall in love for the first time. She noticed at that moment that what she initially thought was romantic love, was actually the same that Sakura felt for Tsukishiro: a strong, unique and sincere affection, but of the type that you profess to your closest loved ones, because your interest in their welfare and happiness is greater than in their permanence at your side.

Since Sakura and Xiao-Lang's return from their adventure through the past, they had become much closer than they were, and Tomoyo could sense in them that the need to seek each other's company was becoming more and more imperative.

It didn't bother her. In fact she felt a great and frank joy in seeing how they were becoming less and less shy in acknowledging their feelings for each other and in manifesting them. That is to say, in public they were still the same as a pair of potatoes, but she knew that being alone the change was immense, and now it was her duty to encourage them to become the pair of lovers she herself idealized.

In pursuit of that change, there were sacrifices: the homecoming had been wordlessly negotiated with Li to be exclusive to him, however, Tomoyo had to cover extracurricular activities such as choir, sewing and everything else she was passionate about besides home cinema and her cousin herself.

That particular afternoon, Sakura had left with unusual celerity saying that she had something very important to discuss with Li, Tomoyo stayed there, smiling, finishing her school earrings, and when the sun left the zenith to begin its race to the horizon, the young girl crossed the main door of the school, finding against all odds that someone was waiting for her.

Kurogane leaned his back against the outer wall of the main entrance.

During the few months he had been adapting to the present, in an involuntary way Tomoyo had been his anchor, on the one hand it gave him a purpose, since the mission that his lineage claimed for him was the protection of the Amamiya family, and on the other hand, the young girl had shown him a quantity and quality of kindness similar to Sakura's, and that made it easier to continue with his destiny. Just as Tomoyo Amamiya once told him, "Our threads touched, even tangled a little... but they are not tied together. Your destiny is tied to my family, but not to me."

"Mr. Ou." The girl greeted, with those exquisite manners that only she could show, and playing a little with the exaggerated formality that Kurogane had not been able to completely renounce.
"Miss Daidoji." He replied, though serious, not "beaten" as he used to be with everyone.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, in a situation that would make practically anyone feel strange and uncomfortable, but which in particular gave Tomoyo a certain sense of naturalness.

"Are you waiting for someone?"
"Yes, and they already showed up."
"For what purpose?"
"Guarantee their safety."
"I suppose it's part of this whole assignment to look after the women in my family, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"For today I release you from your duties."
"Thank you."
"And since you are free, would you care to join me?"
"At your service."

The samurai, with a peculiar appearance being such a tall young man in a high school uniform, walked confidently, but making sure that his strides were moderate, to allow the girl to go at her pace. Tomoyo, on the other hand, was walking calmly, with her hands behind her back and her everlasting hint of a smile, looking at whatever was on the street to distract her.

In some way she couldn't explain, Ou's company gave her a certain feeling of security and trust that she had only developed with someone else outside of Sakura and Li: Hiiragizawa. The difference between the two, however, was that between her and the Brit had happened over time, while with Kurogane it had been more spontaneous and natural. There was also the not inconsiderable fact that the personalities of the two boys could not have been more different.

They walked until they reached the exclusive neighborhood where Tomoyo had her residence, and to the porch of the mansion.

"There is something that intrigues me about you, Mr. Ou. We know that your arrival here, though fortunate, was fortuitous, and although I have no magical powers of any kind, I am aware that our friends may be looking for a way to return you to your place of origin. By no means do I resent his presence, but why stay?"
"You Amamiya girls really enjoy talking, don't you?"
"A little bit, yes."

The red-iris gaze gave the girl a discreet scrutiny before answering.

"There was a very important person to me once upon a time. That person, like me, had an incredible responsibility on his shoulders, the difference between us was our desire in the end."
"And what was your wish?"
"To seek my own purpose and mission in life. One that was not necessarily imposed by circumstances. That person made an immense sacrifice to make sure that my wish was fulfilled, and the only way I find to be grateful for such an act of affection is to seek my happiness by taking advantage of the opportunity of a new life."
"I don't think I've ever met anyone, your age or older, who thought so clearly about themselves, and it's very refreshing to me that someone speaks with such propriety."
"I could say the same about you. In my time it was necessary, but the boys of this time are... a little simpler."

The electric gate gave a beep, then began to open, letting out a luxurious car.

"Everything in order, Tomoyo?" Sonomi lowered her dark glasses at the same time that the car window did the same, concentrating her attention on the samurai.
"Yes, Mom, this is Mr. Ou, he very kindly offered to accompany me here."

The woman studied the boy carefully as he bowed respectfully, especially after hearing that she was Tomoyo's mother, and by extension, another Amamiya woman.

"At your service." He said without undoing his bow.
"It's a pleasure and thank you very much, Mr. Ou..." She gave a look that went between humor and condescension to her daughter, surely thinking of Sakura or Li, "Why must you have such strange friends, Tomoyo?"
"Because they are the best, Mom."

The woman waved goodbye, but the car stopped only a few meters ahead, and the woman stuck her head out of the window again:

"Ou...? Could it be that he belonged to that house...? No, forget it, it's impossible…"

Without further ado, the car left for good.

"Anyway. I enjoyed our chat, I'll see you tomorrow. I hope you will soon be able to fulfill the wish you are pursuing, and if there is anything I can do to help you, don't hesitate to let me know."
"Of course. You'll be the first to know."

Tomoyo inserted the key into the doorknob, but did not turn it.

"Mr. Ou?"
"Yes?" The boy could barely conceal the momentum with which he spun on his heels.
"My mom is right, I only surround myself with weird people."
"It's not like you're an average person either."
"So much so that we are here, talking to each other as if we were business people dealing with transcendent issues, when the truth is that we are just a couple of teenagers who insist on playing at being adults. Let's not use keigo anymore."
"Good."
"Would you mind if I called you by your name?"
"Not at all."
"Great! Feel free to use mine." Tomoyo turned the key and started to enter the house.
"I don't think I've ever seen another man call you by your name, even the brat doesn't, I'm honored. What makes me different?"
"That I like you. See you tomorrow, Kurogane."

It took about five minutes after the door closed for Kurogane to respond with a disjointed "see you tomorrow," finally coming out of his stupor.

Unbeknownst to him, she waited behind the door until he said those words.

The hill of the huge cherry tree where Gravitation once hid, ended up becoming a transcendent place in the history of the Sorceress and the Gaijin. Despite the distance to their destinations at the end of the day, they managed to end up there in solitude at least once a week. It was an atypically large cherry tree standing alone on the hill, and they, having witnessed its youth three hundred years ago, felt particularly close and fond of it.

That afternoon, Xiao-Lang arrived and expertly leapt up the trunk and through the foliage of the tree until he was at a very good height, at the source of a thick branch, hidden from a possible onlooker at the foot of the cherry tree.

Only a short time later, the card mistress appeared, searching through the bower for her lover, and with equal talent jumped up to meet him at the agreed place. He received her on the fly, in an embrace, which even more than kisses or words, had become the demonstration of affection par excellence for the two of them.

And there, in what became a habit over time, either she would end up on his lap, or he would lie with his head on her legs, while they talked about everything and nothing. Perhaps half an hour remained for the sunset of that thirty-first of March. Sakura told that she had noticed a kind of uncommon closeness between her cousin and Kurogane, but an even less common one between Hiiragizawa and the same girl, although she did not want to establish any conjecture, but the situation had her surprised.

"Speaking of surprises..." Xiao-Lang took something from his pocket and was about to offer it to his companion, but she stopped him with a hand gesture, "What is it?" asked the boy between annoyance and fright.
"Oh, it's just... Well, it's my birthday tomorrow…."
"I know. That's why I was trying to give you a gift."
"You know? According to my dad, this birthday is going to be important because I'm turning fifteen. Usually we don't celebrate, although we do give gifts, but ... tomorrow will be the exception and we are going to have a special dinner. All the important people in my life are going to be there, with me: Dad, Touya, Tomoyo, Yukito, Mrs. Sonomi, great-grandfather Masaki... I don't want to accept your present, because I want you to accompany me and my family tomorrow and give it to me there... you are one of the most important people in my life and I want to present you to them that way…"

The boy was speechless for a few seconds.

"Do you want to introduce me as your boyfri…?"
"Don't say it!" She exclaimed, waving her arms, almost falling on impulse. Li held her tightly by the waist to prevent an accident, "If I can't hear it from you, how can I say it in front of everyone tomorrow…?" She continued, seized by an anxiety that, for all intents and purposes, was irresistible to Xiao-Lang.
"You're the bravest girl I know, you'll make it. Besides, I'll be with you, and if we have to say it together, we'll do it together. Compared to everything you've done in the last few months, it's childish." He motivated her, giving her that look that only she knew. "Think about it! We traveled through time twice, we faced a mad sorcerer from another era, we saved Tomoeda, you recovered your magical heritage, you cured me of the rabies, and that morning we almost..."
"Don't say that either!" Sakura exclaimed again, almost falling for the second time, only this time she hung on his neck, "my dad and my brother think I'm weird since we came back…"
"You don't behave strangely. You've grown up. We've both grown up."

Sakura increased the force with which she pressed Xiao-Lang's neck, and kept it that way for a long while.

"Thank you for always being with me." She whispered at the end.
"You have nothing to be thankful for."
"But I remind you that after what you did to me that morning, you must take responsibility for me and take care of me."
"What I did to you?"
"Yes. What you did to me."
"I was going to take responsibility for it anyway."

Those words were also said in a very low voice, but it was not the tone that was important, but the proximity. His breath passed very close to her ear, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"Don't... don't do that..." she said, curling into a ball.
"You say not to, but you hug me tighter."
"Stop saying embarrassing things, Xiao-lang... or doing them."

He took a deep breath, his lungs, perhaps his heart itself filled with her scent, the very essence of her spirit, that floral scent that relaxed him and at the same time made him feel alive. Once his lips came in contact with the skin of her neck, it became a fact: he wasn't going to let go of her and he wasn't going to stop. Maybe never. And even less so when she began to sigh and smile without being able to open her eyes, making herself tiny in his arms.

There was a little light left, a few minutes at most, and they were going to enjoy the joy of being together. That twilight was literally and symbolically the end of many things, among others: of that thirty-first of March, of Sakura's fourteen years along with most of her childhood, of the "incognito" status in her relationship with Xiao-Lang, and of course of an adventure that would mark the kind of people that pair would be for the rest of their lives. It was the end of the Feat of the Sorceress and the Gaijin.

All that remained before them was the future, mysterious but promising.

Epilogue.

Feat of the Sorceress and the Gaijin.

THE END.

And like this, the tale is over.

Maybe you saw this story and just passed by, but if you arrive here after reading it, and you liked it, thank you, I really appreciate it.

This works meant to be a trilogy, actually, there is a little more text in the original epilogue, the same that lead us to the next part of the story, but as long I have not planned to translate that story, at least not immediately, I decide to remove it. If you are curious and want to know what's next with it, feel free to check out my profile. The saga continues in spanish.

I am very thankful to Luf5, the very same person who translated the story. It is a big deal of a work, but she made it just great, and I have no words to tell her how much the result meant to me.

Now that the story is finished, let me know your impressions, I'll be happy to answer it.

¡THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR READING!

P. Ilhuicamina.

Somewhere close to Mexico City, September 2021.