Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura
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Dandy Mandy: *sighs nostalgically*…You never truly become a writer until you receive your first friendly death threat… Lol!! _
Well, it seems the previous chapter's ending has earned many a colorful reaction from its readers; tears were shed; of pity for Sakura's agedness and general frustration …yes, even guns were drawn. It was very violent. lol.
Thank you as usual to my reviewers for chapter 13!
Rather than put it here, I have decided to leave a big space at the end of this story for gratuitous messages to everyone.
Without further ado, I present
…the final chapter of Wolf of the Snow…
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Chapter 14:
There was no mistaking it.
Even beneath that thinning mop of white hair and the age- spotted creases of her paled face, the woman's doe- like eyes were as vivid and bright as they had ever been.
He would recognize those shimmering orbs of turquoise green anywhere.
"Sakura," he breathed.
…..
Blood pounded in steady, deafening throbs against his ears and drowned out all other peripheral noises. All he could hear was the thunderous two toned thudding of his own beating heart; the dull rhythmic pulse echoing in the hollow spaces of his ears.
Syaoran was only vaguely aware of his surroundings; of the sickly pale morning light upon the grey mountain, the alarmed cries of his friends... even of Sakura's soft, cracked voice as she called his name over and over.
He was slipping from reality; spiraling down and down into the dark void of denial…
If only to escape from this cruelty…
…
"… Sakura?" Tomoyo whispered fearfully. She stepped tentatively forward and touched her best friend's withering shoulder.
"Yes … It's me," Sakura replied gently. She gave a weary smile and Tomoyo's eyes immediately filled with tears. Her arms drew around Sakura's waist and she buried her face in her ragged shirt front. Her shoulders shook with each racking sob as she wept, her voice trembling with emotion.
"Oh m-my god…m- my poor Sakura…"
Sakura struggled to hold back her own tears, to suppress the raw ache that rose from within her soul and threatened to devour her. She had promised herself that she wouldn't cry; that she would never give Syaoran a reason to feel sad.
She had already sacrificed so much to see him happy.
Meiling watched the tearful exchange between the women with an odd stirring in her heart, a tugging that she recognized as pity. As a demon, she had spent a significant part of her life having little regard for those 'weaknesses' that plagued humanity; those of "emotion" or "feeling" that she considered little more than trivial distractions in the greater scheme of life. It was quite to her own surprise then, that she should find herself suddenly drenched with anger.
"This…this isn't fair…" she hissed vehemently, spinning around to face Kero with flashing ruby eyes as though all of this were somehow his fault. "We all worked so hard to find those Jewels, Syaoran more so than any of us! Is this how the Y'ahhoedae rewards him? ... By stripping his love of her youth?!"
"The Y'ahhoedae does not reward and it does not punish. It merely sustains balance…" Kero answered quietly.
"Kero, don't give us this crap right now!" Meiling spat furiously, "We don't need your smart ass pearls of wisdom - can't you see what's happened?! Tell us how we can fix this!"
Kero shook his head and ruefully closed his eyes, "There is nothing we can do. You know as well as I do that what the Y'ahhoedae takes is gone. Forever."
"No!! That's not good enough!!" Meiling shouted, "This isn't right! Sakura is only sixteen years old, her life has barely begun… begun with Syaoran! We have to find that magician who did this to her and have him reverse it…I'll make him reverse it!"
Meiling had already turned on heel and was headed at a steady march toward the open Gates of Lehn when Sakura broke from Tomoyo's embrace and hurriedly grabbed her wrist.
"Meiling, no!" she cried urgently, "It's not Eriol's fault! I…I made that choice!"
Meiling's eyes narrowed and then softened as Sakura's other cool wrinkled hand touched her cheek.
"But…you…"
"Please Meiling." Sakura looked up at her friend pleadingly and Meiling felt her chest constrict. She nodded numbly as Sakura gently let go of her wrist, feeling the corners of her eyes prickling strangely.
At that moment, Sakura glanced over to where Syaoran stood. He had remained silent all of this time, standing a little away from the others and staring emotionlessly at the ground. Sakura wondered whether he was angry at her. Or worse yet, disappointed.
"Syaoran," Sakura gently called his name as she moved to stand in front of him.
When he did not respond, not even to raise to his head and look at her, Sakura felt her heart tighten with dread. Perhaps he couldn't stand the sight of her.
She reached out with a hand, wanting to stroke his face but promptly withdrew it, afraid that he would reject her touch.
"Syaoran, I…I understand if you don't want to be with me anymore…" she said quietly. She tried to smile but in truth she could feel her heart breaking within her. She would die if he didn't want her; crumble to dust like bone in the brittle wind.
It was as simple as that.
"Wh- what…?" Syaoran murmured, snapping his head up to meet her eyes as though finally removed from a trance.
Sakura's breath caught in her throat as she gazed into those tender amber eyes; slightly confused as they watched her. She had almost forgotten about the potency of those beautiful eyes, that intense hypnotic pull that drew one into their depths. She had fallen in love with those eyes.
"I-I…" she stammered, her smile faltering, "I'm not…beautiful…"
Syaoran's eyes first widened with surprise, and then moistened with sadness. Quite unexpectedly, he threw his arms around Sakura's shoulders and drew her into embrace. Sakura gave a startled yelp and Syaoran's arms tightened around her until she relaxed. He then closed his eyes and gently stroked the back of her head.
"Why do you always think so little of me?" he whispered into her hair, his voice was laced with hurt.
Sakura's heart clenched, "I- I thought…"
"You'll always be beautiful to me. Of course I want to be with you."
With this Syaoran drew his head away from hers and pressed his lips tenderly against her forehead. Sakura's heart swelled with so much joy to hear these words that she finally allowed herself to cry; pouring out with all of the pain and love she had stored there as his arms held her protectively. Of course he loved her! She could hardly believe she had doubted him, even for a second.
"Let's head home, okay?" he whispered, smiling one of his rare, genuine smiles as he brushed her tears away.
Sakura could not help but smile broadly in return.
"Okay."
…
The journey down the steep, perilous slopes of Mt. Jhuls was a long and arduous one as Syaoran, Sakura, Tomoyo, Meiling and Kero made their way down to the valley on foot toward the Jas'mynn township. An awkward silence had long since descended upon the group with Tomoyo, Kero and Meiling still struggling to come to terms with Sakura's curse. It seemed all too surreal that Syaoran's one true love should fade away to waif- like existence and yet the two of them could appear to be so happy right at this moment; gazing warmly into each other's eyes as Syaoran carried Sakura in his arms. She had stumbled so often on this journey; her skeletal, bruised limbs so unable to support her own weight that Syaoran had offered to carry her.
He smiled at her now, blinded and unprejudiced of her misshapen appearance and wholly in love with her.
…
By midday, the group had finally decided to rest and chose the dappled shade of some spotted elm trees to shelter from the sweltering sun.
Again, awkward, pitiful tension persisted in the group and each of Sakura's friends, save Syaoran, tried to busy themselves with preparations for lunch, all whilst avoiding eye contact with her. Tomoyo began rummaging in her knapsack for some food while Kero and Meiling promptly offered to look for some firewood to start the cooking fire.
Syaoran gave Sakura's shoulder a reassuring squeeze as she frowned with concern. She understood their reactions perfectly; they were all still undoubtedly reeling with shock but they also knew that Sakura did not want pity… now they were unsure of how to respond.
"Can I help you with that, Tomoyo?" Sakura asked, kneeling down on the ground beside her best friend as she started to slice some carrots.
"S-Sure Sakura- chan," Tomoyo stammered, smiling a little nervously as she passed her another knife and a carrot.
Sakura smiled and started to cut the vegetable into narrow discs. A brief silence followed as she thought of something to say to encourage a comfortable conversation.
"If Meiling weren't so worn out from the last teleportation up the mountain I guess we wouldn't have had to walk home, huh?" she said cheerfully, "I'm probably slowing everyone down!"
Suddenly Tomoyo stopped slicing the carrot and stared at Sakura with a quivering lower lip. She looked like she was going to cry again and was trying desperately not to.
Sakura mentally berated herself. She hadn't meant to sound like she pitied herself.
"T-Tomoyo please," Sakura urged. She took her best friend's hands in her own and smiled gently, "I'm not feeling sorry for myself. I'm happy! Syaoran and I really are going to be together…maybe not forever, but for as long as we both can. I'm really, really happy."
Tomoyo sniffled and gave a tiny, tentative smile. "R- really?"
"Really," responded Sakura with a broad grin. "Now stop moping and tell me what I can do to help you with lunch!"
Tomoyo giggled, dried her eyes and finally gave a cheerful nod. She reached down into her knapsack, pulled out a small copper plated saucepan and handed it to Sakura.
"W-Well, would you mind filling this water? I need to boil the vegetables for this broth I'm making."
"Consider it done!" Sakura rose to her feet with a mock salute and shuffled contentedly down to the fresh water stream at the edge of the clearing.
Tomoyo watched her friend's retreating back with warmth as Syaoran knelt down beside her and started to tear some lettuce.
"What's going to happen now...with the two of you?" Tomoyo asked, giving Syaoran a side long grin.
Syaoran returned her smile as the very faintest of a blush spread to his cheeks.
"I've actually been thinking about it for a long time now," he replied, "What I'd like is to buy a property in the country and have Sakura live with me. Somewhere quiet…but where she can still be close to you and her family. I was thinking of buying a fruit orchard."
"Oh, an orchard?" Tomoyo's eyes widened with interest.
Syaoran nodded nostalgically. "I've always wanted a fruit orchard, like the one my father used to own. I've been saving up now for…well, literally a hundred years!"
Tomoyo chuckled, "I see."
"I think the hardest thing for me to do now is to meet her family, ask her father's permission to take his little girl away …and fend off the brother with a big stick!"
At this remark, Tomoyo stifled a laugh. She had grown up around the Kinomoto family and knew them almost as well as Sakura did. She also knew how overprotective Touya Kinomoto could be around his little sister.
"Hee hee. I wouldn't worry too much about Touya. He and Sakura fight like cats and dogs at home but he loves her a lot."
"Pfft. Tell me about it,"
Syaoran was about to tell Tomoyo about the time Sakura's brother had challenged him to a rifle shooting game at the Snow Flurry Festival, the icy glares they had given each other…
…when an odd ringing sound cut his story short.
"…Sakura?" Syaoran called, turning his head toward the stream.
Sakura had just dropped the copper saucepan and it had clattered to the ground with an audible clang, spilling water in every direction. She was facing the stream with her back to them, her whole body trembling as she vigorously rubbed at her left arm.
"Sakura!!" Syaoran yelled, panicking as he stood up and ran over to her.
Before too long, Meiling and Kero had also reappeared, no doubt alerted by Syaoran's shouting, and gathered beside he and Tomoyo.
"Sakura, what's wrong?!"
Everyone drew a terrified breath as Sakura lurched forward, her knees falling away from beneath her as Syaoran reached out with both arms and caught her. A thin layer of sweat had broken out across her wrinkled forehead and she had turned dreadfully pale.
"M-My arm…" she rasped, her breathing labored, "I c- can't feel the left side of my arm…"
"Someone, get a blanket," Syaoran muttered hurriedly as he lay Sakura onto her side. She continued to hyperventilate, her face contorted with pain as her shaking grew more and more violent by the second.
"…I c-can't see…" she whimpered softly.
"I-It's alright, Sakura…I'm not going anywhere," Syaoran coaxed, trying to remain calm as he reached down to caress her cheek. He drew a sharp breath as his fingers touched her.
She was so cold.
"Is she…is she having a stroke…?" Tomoyo whispered fearfully. She remembered the time her grandfather had suffered from a stroke…
"S- Syaoran…" Sakura called his name. Tears of agony fell from her clenched eyes and Syaoran's heart plummeted; wrenching with her every cry of pain.
"I'm here," he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion.
"Maybe this is part of the curse?!" Meiling spun around, panic stricken.
"No," Kero murmured, his brow furrowed with concern, "The only thing it took from Sakura was her youth…this shouldn't even be happening…"
"…Syao…" Sakura's voice had faded to a mere breath.
"Is she…Is she going to die?" Tomoyo whispered faintly.
"SHE IS NOT GOING TO DIE!!" Syaoran roared, startling the others into shocked silence. He drew a quivering breath and glared at the others as tears of fear and frustration rose in his eyes.
"She is not going to die," he repeated softly. One tear rolled down his cheek and he wiped it brusquely away with the back of his hand.
"…Where the hell is that blanket?"
Tomoyo nodded wordlessly and rose to fetch a woolen blanket from her knapsack. She draped it over the length of Sakura's body and then volunteered to stoke the campfire that Kero and Meiling had lit in an effort to keep her warm.
…
By the late afternoon, the sun had begun its steady descent across the dimming red sky, signaling the approach of dusk beyond the horizon.
Three campfires had now been lit; each fully ablaze as the group struggled to keep Sakura alive, covering her with all of the available blankets to prevent her temperature from falling any further. Right now, it was dangerously low.
Syaoran lay down on the cold ground beside the unconscious Sakura and wrapped his arms around her. Perhaps if he could share some of his body warmth with her she would be alright. With one hand, he gently ran his fingers through her long white hair, thankful that she was no longer shaking, and placed his face next to hers. Her breathing came in short, restless pants and it took all of his strength to suppress the panic that filled him.
He decided to ease his own pain by speaking to her, though he knew she was asleep.
"Sakura," he whispered, smiling a little as he caressed her pale cheek, "Do you remember the day we met each other; that afternoon in the Dark Forest?"
Sakura's relaxed, sleeping face gave no response.
"I was coming back to the forest for the night; waiting to transform, when I saw a girl there surrounded by wolves. You needed me then, so I came to your rescue. I thought you were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, an angel fallen from heaven!"
Syaoran chuckled softly, imagining Sakura's reaction if she had heard such a cliché. She probably would have raised an eyebrow and given him a gentle, playful punch in the shoulder.
"I admit I developed a bit of a crush on you straight away, but you probably didn't like me too much! I was so arrogant and bitter once that I thought I didn't need anybody."
His face grew serious at the thought.
"I just never anticipated that one day it would be me that needed to be rescued," he murmured quietly.
Syaoran leant forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips, not noticing how cold they had grown.
"You are my savior, Sakura. I'd lived in shadows for so long that I'd forgotten what it felt like to step into the light; to feel warm and feel loved…you gave all of that back to me. You even sacrificed your youth so that I might be happy."
He lay his head back down on the ground beside hers and closed his eyes. He drew another shaky breath as he willed himself not to cry.
"You are my savior…but I need to be rescued again. I can't live without you…please, Sakura. Please live."
All of a sudden, Syaoran's eyes shot open and he sat bolt upright. Icy dread flooded his veins as he bent down and placed his ear beside Sakura's nose and mouth, listening for movement, for the familiar flutter of air against his cheek.
In all the time he had been speaking, he had not noticed how quiet she had become.
She had stopped breathing.
"No, No…Sakura, don't do this…" he murmured, rolling her quickly onto her back and gently shaking her shoulders, "No…Sakura!!"
Tomoyo, Meiling and Kero had been sitting on the ground talking quietly to each other when Syaoran started shouting. They swung around with alarm and rushed over to see what had happened.
"Sakura!" Tomoyo cried.
Syaoran parted her lips with his fingers, covered them with his mouth and began to push air into her lungs. Sakura's chest rose and fell with every breath he gave but she did not stir to consciousness.
"I can't feel her pulse…" Meiling murmured weakly, as she let go of Sakura's wrist.
"Come on Sakura, breathe!" Kero yelled.
Syaoran thrust the palms of his hands together and applied pressure to her chest, pumping steadily in an effort to start her heart again. He then asked Tomoyo to take over while he alternated with the mouth- to- mouth resuscitation.
A minute passed…
Syaoran breathed into her and then turned his head away to listen for the slightest quiver of air…
Nothing.
Two minutes passed…
Tomoyo pumped tirelessly to stimulate her still heart, her palms flat against her chest…
Nothing.
…His mouth against hers, filling her lungs with air…
Three minutes…
Four minutes…
Five.
……Nothing.
"Why have you stopped?!" Syaoran shouted at Tomoyo. Again he leaned down and breathed into Sakura's mouth before turning his face away to listen for the return of air…
Great pearly tears fell from Tomoyo's amethyst eyes before she buried her face in her hands and wailed. Syaoran stared at her incredulously. Why did she have to break down like that when it was clear that Sakura needed her right now?
"Tomoyo, we need to revive her. Please don't stop." Syaoran muttered gently, before turning around and continuing to resuscitate Sakura.
A soft hand touched his shoulder and he spun around, irritated.
Meiling regarded him with tear filled ruby eyes, her mouth quivering slightly as she squeezed his arm. In all his life, he had never seen Meiling gaze at anyone with such compassion as she did for him now.
"Syaoran… she's gone," she whispered softly.
Syaoran glared fiercely at her. "You're wrong."
He turned and began to pump Sakura's chest, his movements becoming more urgent, more desperate…
Half a minute of this passed in silence; save for Tomoyo's loud, continuous sobbing.
Meiling touched his arm again.
"Syaoran," her voice broke.
"No!!" Syaoran bellowed, pushing her roughly away and then turning back to Sakura as hot, angry tears began to stream down his face.
He leant down, covering her mouth with hers and blew into her lungs one more time …before his shoulders began to shake uncontrollably with heaving sobs. He pulled her limp body into his lap and cradled her withered head in his arms, rocking back and forth as he grieved and howled and poured his breaking heart out.
"SAKURA!!!"
Tears fell from Kero's shiny black eyes as his human charge released an intense, earth shattering scream and collapsed exhaustedly over his lover's lifeless body.
Sakura, his true love and his soul mate….was dead.
He laid his cheek against her cold one and closed his eyes, sobbing fiercely until sound no longer came out. He allowed no one to touch him and no one to pry her from his arms.
Quite unexpectedly, a soft, masculine voice spoke and he jolted at the sound.
Syaoran looked up and met the tender, sapphire blue gaze of a familiar cloaked young man with wire- rimmed spectacles and navy blue hair.
The longer Syaoran stared at the man, the more anger that filled him. Before too long, that anger had manifested into hatred and that in turn, into rage. He stared past the concerned and gentle expression of the magician whose face he had long since memorized…and found the reason Sakura had perished.
"You bastard…" Syaoran whispered; his amber eyes glinting murderously, "You did this…"
He pulled Sakura gently from his lap; laying her on the ground and rising to his feet before a torrent of raw, ballistic fury exploded within him. Syaoran lunged at Eriol; fists beating out until one of them struck the sorcerer hard across the cheek and knocked his glasses askew.
"Syaoran…listen to me, this isn't the way!" Eriol yelled, ducking his head and narrowly avoiding another of the younger man's blows.
"You killed her!!" Syaoran hollered. He continued to attack irrationally; ignoring the frantic shouts of his friends to stop whilst Eriol struggled to dodge them.
The magician caught one of Syaoran's fists mid- punch and twisted his arm behind his back. The younger man winced with pain, cursing and spitting as he tried to free his arm. Eriol only tightened his grip.
"Damn it, Syaoran! Just listen." Eriol panted heavily as he fingered his cheekbone. There was already a shiny new bruise beginning to color his otherwise pale, lily- colored face. He bent down and picked his glasses up from the ground, examining them for breakages.
At least they were only scratched.
"There is a way we can save her. You're just going to have to trust me," Eriol muttered.
…
Night had once again fallen, weaving its gloomy threads across the broad sky where the crystalline stars and the glossy white moon had made their usual appearance.
Syaoran was far from celebrating his first official night as a human being. Rather, he was kneeling at the side of Sakura's body with the others, awaiting Eriol's instructions with both sickening anxiety and renewed hope.
"I need your blood," the magician murmured, glancing at Syaoran as he reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out a small sheathed dagger.
It was an ancient looking weapon; pure silver with a long ornate handle and a large black onyx embedded into its hilt.
"This is Tirre; the Blade of Souls. It is an immensely powerful tool that is said to splice the soul. It is also known as the 'Taker'," Eriol explained, "For millennia, this weapon was an object of unfathomable desire in the magical community. Believed to be crafted by the night goddess Tirr herself, it was said that if one drove the Blade into an adversary or an opponent, it would drain them of their powers…or more dramatically, their life force. It has been in my grandfather's possession for over three centuries, handed down to my mother and then to me."
"You…you want to drain my life force?" Syaoran asked quietly, trying to understand.
Perhaps this was Eriol's plan; Syaoran was an immortal, unable to die by ordinary means. Perhaps this was the only way to join his love once more…in death.
"It's not what you think," Eriol muttered kindly, "I'm not going to kill you. What I want to do is to try something that has never been done before. Rather than drain your life force, I want to transfer it."
"To Sakura," Kero mused.
Eriol nodded in agreement. "You could look upon this as a kind of magical blood transfusion. But of course, as with a real blood transfusion, you need to have matching 'types'. In this case, the two candidates have to have matching souls; two perfect opposites that unite to form a whole, otherwise it won't work."
"W-will it work then?" Tomoyo asked nervously.
"That's what we need to find out now," Eriol replied, his expression serious.
Without another word, the sorcerer picked up one of Sakura's cool, limp hands and raised the silver dagger. He placed the sharp tip of it at the base of her palm and cut a deep, vertical incision across its surface. Dark crimson blood seeped to the opening of the broken skin and gelled there.
He handed the blood-tipped blade to Syaoran. "Do exactly as I tell you."
Syaoran nodded uneasily and Eriol closed his eyes. He began to chant softly, encouraging Syaoran to do the same.
Syaoran repeated the verse, watching as the silver, jewel encrusted blade began to glow slightly, magically activated. Eriol opened his eyes slowly at this point and nodded for Syaoran to use the dagger.
"Repeat the enchantment," he commanded.
Syaoran placed the tip of the blade on his left palm and drew a deep, calming breath. In one swift, steady motion, he slid the blade across the flesh and opened a wound. Fresh, bright red blood pooled into his palm and dripped down his arm. He reached down with the bloodied hand and clasped it tightly with Sakura's bleeding one; meshing their fingers together as he chanted softly.
"My Blood for your blood,
My Heart for your heart,
My Life for your life,"
The effect was immediate. It was as though an immeasurable force had seized him, as though an unseen hand had reached out from beneath his abdomen and squashed his innards into a tight little ball. The air was squeezed from his lungs and Syaoran choked, doubling over with a strained gasp as he collapsed across Sakura's chest.
First he began to shake; the convulsions were so turbulent that he could barely control his thoughts. His head spun, awash with the distorted colors of his surroundings as it swam in and out of focus. He struggled to suppress a strong wave of nausea as it hit him with full force. Then, he felt his blood run cold, as though an invisible faucet had been opened and the very warmth of it was draining away down the length of his arm, along with any strength he might have had to move his body. He suddenly wanted to sleep, oh so very badly.
"…Sakura" he murmured drowsily, fighting to keep his eyes open. He clutched her hand more tightly, afraid that if he fell asleep he would let go of it. He was vaguely aware of the warm blood pooling there in their closed palms, the sticky moisture between their fingers. He was now quite unsure of whom it belonged to.
A brightness hit his eyes and Syaoran blinked dazedly.
Sakura's whole body was glowing; alight with an unearthly incandescence that made her long, white tresses seem all the more radiant. Though she remained quite still, he was immediately aware of how warm her body had grown beneath him. In fact, she continued to grow warmer as the seconds passed, unwittingly drawing the heat from Syaoran's body as he shivered from the imperceptible chill.
Suddenly, the light that encapsulated Sakura grew devastatingly brighter and as what seemed to be the last ounce of Syaoran's energy was drained from his body, the transformations of her body began…
It started with the texture of her skin; the very folds and creases of her wrinkled body began to diminish, stretching out, growing smooth and taut with youth and elasticity. The pale, almost ghostly pallor and age- spotted blemishes of her face faded as the usual creaminess of her complexion, the roziness of her cheeks and lips slowly reappeared.
Long, unruly, shaggy hair retreated back up toward her scalp, returning to its usual shoulder length as though time itself were being wound magically backwards. Eventually, the white dissolved to matt brown, and from there, into the shiny, rich caramel color for which Sakura was known.
All of this the group watched in awe; witnessing as willow- like limbs filled with the effects of health and nourishment, as long, brittle fingernails grew short and clipped once more, as blue- black bruises vanished without a trace.
Syaoran watched as short white eyelashes curled outwards; growing long, dark and beautiful. He frowned with concern. Sakura still had not opened her eyes, had not roused to life.
It filled him with despair.
At last, the transformation was complete. The light faded from Sakura's body and Syaoran immediately felt his strength returning, felt his body grow warm once more. He sat up and gently touched her cheek, praying for movement, the slightest breath from her lips.
Sakura's eyes remained closed, her breathing and her body perfectly still.
The spell had succeeded in returning her youth….but it had not brought her to life.
Tomoyo erupted into tears once more as Meiling put her arms around her, crying silently as well.
Eriol and Kero each bowed their heads as Syaoran lay his head back down onto Sakura's chest, stroking the soft skin of her neck as a single tear slipped past his eye.
It was so strange. He really had thought she had come to life…she felt so warm.
Perhaps it was just the effects of magic pouring through her body.
Yes, that's probably all it was.
Finally, Syaoran raised his head from her chest and drew his face above hers, admiring its beauty for the infinite time. He would kiss her, just once, he would grieve…and then perhaps he would try to move on with his life.
Yes, he would try.
Sakura would have wanted that for him.
So he leant forward, pressing his lips tenderly against those deceptively warm ones of hers, savoring for the last time the softness of it…
…when to his surprise, he felt them moving beneath him, kissing him back.
Before Syaoran knew what had hit him, a slender pair of arms had wrapped themselves around his neck, drawing him down as those previously inanimate lips kissed him fully, passionately on the mouth.
The astonished and ecstatic cries of his companions were enough to convince Syaoran that he was indeed sane, and he pulled away from Sakura, grinning like an idiot.
Goddamn it. She was alive!!
He bent down and kissed her briefly again, pulling away just in time to see two glorious, bright turquoise green eyes flutter open. The corners of her lips curved into an elated smile and he felt his chest inflate. God, if his heart grew any bigger, he was sure it would explode.
"Syaoran," she whispered sweetly.
"Welcome back," he replied softly, before capturing her lips once more.
…
Cerberus flexed his broad white wings in the mellow light of dawn, yowled and gave his hind legs a stretch. Damn it felt good to be back!
Sakura watched the guardian beast with an impressed grin. It was the first time she had ever seen Kero in his true form and he was really very regal looking; like a great golden lion with wings. Now that Eriol had returned to his own dimension and effectively sealed the Gates of Lehn behind him, the Jewels had dispersed; shooting in all directions across the sky like rainbow lights until they found their original owners. Cerberus and the other Guardians had now been restored to full power.
"I don't understand something," Tomoyo mused, as she packed the rest of her belongings into her knapsack for the journey home, "Eriol wanted to help Syaoran all along, right? He was the author of the black book; he wrote all the clues in that book about the location of the Jewels so that Syaoran could find him…but why disappear in the first place? I mean, why didn't he just approach Syaoran from the start and cure his wolf curse straight away?"
"I don't think Eriol knew how to cure him, but I think he knew who would," Meiling suggested, "The man had foresight, you know. I think he knew all along that Sakura would have a part to play in Syaoran's salvation one day and that they would eventually help each other. Of course, Eriol had to wait until Sakura was even born…Can you imagine? If Eriol had come right out and let Syaoran find him from the start, Syaoran and Sakura never would have met! You get it right?"
"Ohhh," Tomoyo nodded slowly, although the expression on her face showed that she was clearly confused.
"Well, you know what I think?" asked Kero brightly, "Sakura's young and alive, the kid's an ordinary human being again…I think we should celebrate! Who's up for some pudding?!" His large golden eyes had glazed over at the thought.
Meiling's eyes narrowed with disgust, "Would you get a grip, Plushie? You just put drool on my shoe."
Kero's body went rigid. It was now his turn to glare.
"Did…did you just call me 'Plushie'?!"
The two bickered away for several minutes while Tomoyo laughed at them.
Meanwhile, Syaoran was sitting on a log, examining the gash in his left hand and preparing to wrap it in a bandage. Sakura wandered over to him, sat down on the log and gently pulled the wounded hand into her lap.
It didn't seem like a very deep cut but it was still bleeding, badly.
"I finally got what I wanted," Syaoran murmured, giving her an affectionate sidelong glance, "I'm with you and…I'm mortal…. Eriol told me that I somehow exchanged my immortality for your life when we shared blood …"
Syaoran glanced down at his hemorrhaged hand with an almost sheepish grin. "It's been a while since I've bled like this…I guess I'm not going to be able to heal my cuts and bruises as quickly as I used to!"
Sakura made no response. She merely raised her hand to her face and examined the place where her own cut had been. There was but a thin white scar running vertically down her palm. She smiled at the revelation it presented.
Without a word, she took Syaoran's injured hand and pressed her own firmly into it. He stared in wonderment as the familiar cool of Sakura's healing powers numbed the pain. He felt the itchiness that came just before the skin tissues repaired themselves, as new cells threaded their way across the open wound and sealed it.
Before too long it seemed, Syaoran was staring at a single white scar in the centre of his palm, one quite identical to Sakura's. He looked up at her, agape with incredulity, and she laughed at the comical expression of his face.
"Looks like I can still do it," she said with amusement.
Syaoran leant sideways, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and placed a soft kiss on her cheek to show his gratitude. She gave a deep, contented sigh and tucked her head under his ear.
Meiling and Cerberus were still fighting in the distance, only now it had become more physical and they were actually wrestling each other. Cerberus had managed to pin an irate Meiling to the ground, but she had her arm locked around his neck as though she were trying to snap it in half. Tomoyo naturally, was still laughing her head off.
"What happens now?" Sakura asked softly.
She closed her eyes as Syaoran bent forward and started to trail his lips down the length of her neck. He stopped at the tip of her shoulder and savored the sweet cherry scent of her with a smile.
"Whatever we want. We have time."
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DM:
There, you see? No more cliffhangers!! Huzzah! :D … I can be very nice when I want to be…*Dandy nods angelically*…
And just because I love you all…I've included an epilogue…
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