I felt like I was being woken from sleepwalking. A hand rested atop my head while an arm moved quickly around my waist to prevent me from falling.
"I've got you." I heard Fai say quietly as my consciousness rejoined our group.
"Did you ever meet your father and mother again after you talked to Yuuko?" Mokona asked. It seemed as if no one else had noticed my little trip into Syaoran's memories, but it must have been guided by him sharing his story.
"No, after my wounds healed at her shop, Yuuko sent me back to Clow Country." The boy explained. Mokona gently hugged our friend and if I didn't think I'd fall over if I tried to move I would have done the same. Fai slowly removed his hands from me as I became more stable.
"Are you talking about your past because it's something we'll need to know for the battle that's coming up?" Kurogane asked.
"That's part of it." The kid answered.
"What else?" Fai pressed.
"I know all of your pasts. Through the illusions we were shown and through the eye of my other self."
"It's not like you saw those things because you wanted to." Kurogane sighed.
"Even so, I want to tell it to you. We've come so far together after all. No matter what you all may think or choose to do once I've told you."
"Keep going." Kurogane insisted.
Syaoran went on to explain how he returned to Clow and could see the seal of death constantly growing on Sakura. How he and Sakura's mother were the only ones who could see it and how he felt like he was the only one who could fix it. He traveled everywhere he could under the guise of investigating the seal in the ruins.
"So you've been working hard for the sake of what you decided when you were so young." I told him when he paused.
"I think it was precisely because I was young that I was able to decide."
"Syaoran…" Mokona said softly, nuzzling into his shoulder comfortingly.
"Protecting someone. How difficult and heavy a choice it really is. Since I was still young, I didn't understand what that truly meant. But in Clow, after spending time with those in the castle, the people around it, and with Sakura — I truly thought from my heart that no matter how difficult it was, no matter what hardships we had to go through, I didn't want to let Sakura die." I watched as Fai reached out and touched the young boy's shoulder. If anyone could understand what Syaoran was talking about on a personal level it was him.
"But," Syaoran continued, "No matter how I searched, I never found a way to erase that seal. And so came that day."
Sakura's coming-of-age birthday came and neither Syaoran nor the princess's parents could do anything to save her. It all happened in an instant. The seal broke apart, piercing through Sakura and startling everyone. Before the curse could take full effect, Sakura's mother used her magic to stop time inside the ruins. She could only stop it for a few moments and that power was so great. As soon as time moved forward again, Sakura would be gone.
It was then that Syaoran made his wish.
He wished to go back in time to that last day of his first trip to Clow. He wished with his whole heart — his pure and genuine heart — to go back and take Sakura's hand, to pull her away from that man.
I shall grant that wish.
I heard Fei Wong's voice as if I were back in a trance. I patted down my own arms to make sure I was still standing there in the middle of the ruins, listing to Syaoran speak, and not back in that dream state I had been in before.
Because time has been halted, the princess is still alive. However, in one more moment, one more breath, she truly will die. You wished with all of your heart to turn back time and return to that moment. That was your wish and I shall grant it.
Fei Wong was interrupted though by Yuuko. She explained that the price was too great, that so many futures were going to be changed, and that if he were to have his wish granted he couldn't stay by Sakura's side. He would forfeit his freedom and would be unable to do anything but watch. And still, he wished it.
His time was wound back and he was a child once more. But a child in the captivity of Fei Wong Reed. To fill that void of his existence, another was created. Someone to be born to his parents and to exist even though he was not meant to exist.
It was Watanuki.
No wonder his existence felt the same as Syaoran's. Yuuko took him as his own existence and cared for him. He would have his own future and the Dimensional Witch did everything she could to ensure that.
"Fei Wong Reed's wish…" Syaoran continued explaining, "Is to restore a life that has been lost."
"So between that time and when we met in Tokyo…" Mokona spoke.
"I was with him until I reached the age when I chose to rewind time again. Even so, the sin I committed is not so easily forgiven. My wish created a distortion and as a result, many paths were changed."
"That means…" I heard Fai say, putting things together.
"You as well." Syaoran answered. "In the world that was, before I rewound time, perhaps you weren't born as a twin. And you and Mai might have grown up together."
That's a thought. His one decision really could have changed our entire existences.
"And your mother," Syaoran turned toward Kurogane, "Perhaps she wouldn't have died as she did. Your father as well. In order to grant my own wish, I broke a taboo. That's why I'm asking you to choose what happens next."
There was a moment of hesitation from everyone. Not because I had any doubt that we wouldn't all follow him into battle to save Sakura, but rather we all needed a second to process everything he shared with us.
Kurogane moved first, darting forward and lifting a fist to Syaoran.
"Kurogane! Don't!" Mokona screamed out in fear as our ninja's fist came down gently atop the younger boy's head. A sign of affection for sure.
I moved forward and hugged the boy tightly, pressing a kiss to the top of his head where Kurogane had hit him. I smiled at him before following the swordsman.
"We've made our choice." I heard Fai say. I looked over my shoulder to see the blonde holding Syaoran's face between his hands. "And so, here you go. Kuro-sama is surprisingly childish, but at least Mai knows how to be supportive."
"Say what!?" Kurogane groaned.
"He saw Syaoran's troubled face and sulked. He wondered if you really thought we would leave you, now that we know you rewound time." Fai grinned.
"You broke a taboo, but even still, that doesn't mean all the things that happened afterward are all your fault." I said.
"To take all the responsibility for them onto your own shoulders is a bit arrogant." Fai added.
"If the same things happened to me, and I was given the choice you were given, I would have chosen the same. If it meant I could protect what I'd sword to protect." Kurogane said simply as if it were obvious.
"And so would I." Fai smiled.
"Me too!" I chimed in.
"Thank you for telling us all of this."
"Thank you." Syaoran said, bowing his head and touching Mokona as our little guide nuzzled his face.