Author's Note: This chapter is hard for me to write! ~cries~ I've written something similar before for my story Generations of Card Captors, including bits from Touya's POV, though it wasn't first person like this is. It's hard to keep this fresh when I'm covering the same thing! Still, I've learned a lot in the months since I wrote that part, and not as many people have read Generations as are reading this, so I'm trying not to stress over it.

As always, I am EXTREMELY grateful for what the readers have said about this story. Thank you all! Kitty Neko, please don't hurt your computer! The computer is your friend! (How will you get to this site without your beloved computer?) Askani Blue, we will talk about your problems with Kaho some other time. ~laughs~ Violintide, just doing my part to combat S+S overload one fic at a time. Peacewish, MD&S will catch up some time when I can get back in Kaho's head, but it's hard to stay there and with Touya at the same time. So, I don't know about soon, but it will get there. EJ, your enthusiasm is appreciated! I will not discourage you from posting more than one review per chapter, if you feel you must. ~grin~ Dark Ice Angel, I promise there will be more Yukito again in future chapters. It just...the story unfolded that way, sorry! Michela, I'll take the tickles as a threat--Yuki is the kind of person who would go for the feet if he could. Evil! S.K.-chan, I've never been afraid of one of my reviewers before. O.o Evil voice of doom, I am writing as fast as I can!!! Lady Kazune Kikenshi, as your beta I am officially nagging you in public to write faster! I don't mind if you don't review my stories as long as you write your own! ~cries~ I wanna know what happens next! Rei Eien, Kira, AtomBunny, Silver Angel, Chaeli Hebitsukaiza, thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your reviews and I hope this chapter is worthy.

Shades of Discovery

Outside Ground Zero

How fast could I tear out of that damned costume? If I damaged it I'd be paying more than it was worth to get it fixed, and my minimum-wage paycheck wouldn't cover it. I pulled it off fast, but carefully. It wasn't fast enough for my tastes though. I rushed the shower, just concerned with getting the smells off. I was signed out in record time, rushing to where I knew I'd find them, walking directly to the spot where I could feel the most power gathering. I had almost turned the corner when I heard Sakura's small voice sounding out her own name. As I peeked around the corner, standing right outside the shrine where I had met them earlier, I saw her holding a pen and a red and gold card. It was larger than a playing card...more like the size of tarot cards I'd seen.

Sakura was wearing an outfit that only Tomoyo could convince her to wear. Next to her was Syaoran, that brat that wouldn't leave her alone, wearing some strange green ceremonial garb and carrying a huge sword on his back. Tomoyo had her videocamera out as usual and was taping everything. Kaho was there also, standing next to a large golden beast that somehow reminded me of Sakura's favorite toy--the one I knew was alive. I didn't have time to wonder about it though because I spotted Yuki laying, unconscious, on a bench near them.

I nearly started forward.

Then a sudden mystic wind picked up and I was halted in my tracks for what seemed like an eternity.

I'd been plagued with glimpses of half viewed visions of what lay beneath the surface of my best friend. There had been dreams, feelings, and other things about him that almost prepared me for what I saw before me. Almost. Nothing could fully prepare someone for what happened next.

Yuki floated from his position on the bench and began to glow with an ethereal light. Wings grew out of nowhere and surrounded my friend, swallowing him up, and when they parted my friend was no more. In his place was an angel.

No, not an angel of heaven, but an angelic being. I couldn't think as I watched unseen, I just let it all sweep over me.

This was the truth behind Yuki. This was what I had seen that no one else had before now. This was what even he didn't see.

This was the end, this was the climax of the story, and I was watching it unfold from a distance.

I watched Yuki's hidden self face off against Syaoran, and what I saw made me wince even for that brat.

He was defeated in short form after what seemed to the angelic being to be a pitiful display.

And then Sakura floated away for her turn, vanishing at once to appear over a building in the distance. She didn't want to fight, that much was clear. She was in love with Yuki and couldn't raise a finger against him in either form.

And I asked myself if I could honestly do any better. Could I?

I wasn't sure I liked the answer, especially when Sakura was tossed around like a rag doll for her reluctance.

Damn it, this was still Yuki, but it obviously wasn't! Yuki would never hurt my sister! With all the power in the world, Yuki would never dream of taking over her mind and forcing her to do things she didn't want. With all the power he didn't know her possessed, my Yuki would never do these things.

I'd like to say I struggled within myself as I watched, holding myself back with my utmost restraint to keep myself from racing to Sakura's aid. It would be a lie. I was in shock the whole time. I knew there was nothing I could do anyway, I had seen Sakura try to help Syaoran earlier and run into a barrier. The large lion-creature had warned her that she could not interfere, then warned Syaoran not to interfere also when he rushed to help Sakura.

It would negate the judgment.

She would automatically fail whatever magical test she was up against.

Really though, I was simply in shock the whole time. Why hadn't I realized that Yuki was there for her and not, somehow, for me? It was a bitter pill to swallow.

But still, I was fascinated to look a the truth behind my friend. I was finally seeing him with all masks stripped. Did I like what I saw? Absolutely and beyond a shadow of a doubt, he was the most perfect and beautiful thing I'd ever seen, but....

Cold loneliness stood in his eyes, freezing my soul. He didn't attack Sakura out of any pleasure for what he was doing, I saw. He was doing a duty. Performing a hateful task with the perfection he only expected. This was not Yuki. Yuki was never this lonely or cold. Or, never cold.

By the time Sakura was encased in a wooden cocoon, I had only realized that I still didn't know what to think.

My mind went nowhere as I tried to puzzle things out.

Then Kaho was suddenly on top of the roof of the viewing platform at Tokyo Tower with Sakura, helping. She had saved my sister with her magic.

So, why was she allowed, but no one else was?

My head was spinning as things finally ended and I realized I had watched it all as if it was a movie. Sakura passed. She vanished and the creature that was and wasn't Yuki flew to the roof of one of the buildings. I couldn't tear my eyes off of that perfect form with the snowy white wings and long white hair and--

Sakura had returned and still I stared. It was only when I realized I wasn't alone that my eyes left him.

"You were with her the whole time." Kaho had come up behind me, playfully, as she never had when we were together.

She was happy.

I smiled in return. Well, I didn't scowl. I was happy to see her. "I guess," I replied, noncommittally.

"You knew that Tsukishiro-san wasn't human?"

"Yeah." I knew. I'd known all along. I looked her in the eyes, searching for-- "This is why you returned, isn't it?"

She kept smiling that sweet smile that I remembered so well. "Yes."

Of course. No one was around for me. It was enough to make me resent Sakura, on top of the usual sibling rivalry. No, I was used to her being the baby and getting everything. Everything was for her....

"Touya, I remember that look on your face. You had stopped wearing it long before I left."

"What? No, I'm happy for her, really."

Her smile reached infuriating levels in how she calmly looked at me and called me a liar without saying a word.

I frowned a little. "I'll get past it, it's a momentary thing. I was just thinking of how Sakura is the center of everything, and I'm just a bit player."

"You know that's not true, Touya. Many things are happening to her right now, but that doesn't make you any less important."

I swiped a hand through my hair, blowing off the feelings at the same time. "You're right, and I know you're right. I just--if she would just trust me, talk to me, maybe I could help. I hate being on the sidelines."

"And yet, sometimes that's where you are needed most."

Again I searched her eyes. "You know something."

"I know a lot of things."

"You know something about the future. About me, and what's going to happen. Don't you?"

"No. This time I merely suspect. It's harder to see things when I won't be around for them in person."

"So, you're leaving again?"

She nodded. "I've done what I came here for, so I'll be going back soon."

"Back to the one you love?"

This smile transformed her face into something new. "You remembered!"

"Those words you said have been running through my mind since you returned."

She looked over to where Sakura was happily greeting Yuki, who was back to his usual form. He looked a bit confused, but as always when he was around Sakura, he hid his true feelings behind a smile she couldn't penetrate. Kaho looked at me again, then at Yuki, then turned to me with a smile. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied in a dry tone.

Anything further was cut short as Yuki spotted us and shouted for us to join them. Sakura looked terrified for a moment, obviously scared that I had seen it all, but I acted like there was nothing unusual. No teasing, no questions.

It was amazing how fast things went back to normal.