Author's Notes: So how did you like last chapter? Yeah, I'm awfully glad Sakura remembered too…! I know the scene might be a bit confusing (more like a lot, ne Andre?), but it will be explained in future chapters. I know, I know! I keep saying that, but it's just that my story isn't really about the events…it's more about what to disclose each chapter. Bottom line, all of your questions will be answered soon.

Anyway, this chapter is a short one just because I felt I should stop there. For those of you who thought the plot was completely laid out by now…well, guess what? It still thickens a bit more…So another twist for this chapter ;)

Lastly, I just wanted to thank all of my reviewers! You guys are the best! Your praise makes me blush, really! I love you all!

Enough of me blabbering! On to the story now…R&R!

"I'll say goodbye for the two of us: When the truth breaks the silence"
Part Seventeen: "Torment"

By cherry blossom

The rain continued pouring all afternoon, and was still at it as Syaoran watched the last hidden rays of sunlight disappear. Thunder and lightning struck the sky, and water splashed down his already drenched figure, but the Chinese man took no notice of it. In fact, he was oblivious to everything around him. He could only think about her, her, her…
Horrible scenes kept playing and replaying in Syaoran's mind, an on-going torture that didn't seem to have an end. He had absolutely no control over his thoughts or actions, his whole mind and body were being controlled by this frightening force that was making him remember every horrible thing that had happened with his beloved. He couldn't think, move, and it was taking a lot more than just a considerable effort to keep drawing in breaths.

Not that it mattered.

In fact, nothing mattered anymore. He lived and breathed for Sakura's love, and without it he was – and would ever be – nothing. And if he thought he had lost all hope before, it was nothing compared to this…

This time, there was a very final thing about the situation. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't make Sakura love him, and it was clear that she would never care for him again. Syaoran felt as if he had been falling down a dark, cold hole and, with the last events, had finally reached the bottom drastically. And Tomoyo could come and try to convince him otherwise, but this time she wouldn't succeed.

It's a lie, he thought with frightening realization. It's been a lie all along, and I can't continue lying to myself anymore. Not even for Tomoyo, he couldn't.
And now everything had been said. He'd given his farewell and it was over, over…

Syaoran began rocking backwards and forwards slightly, unconsciously. Tears were no longer falling down his cheeks, and his teeth were no longer chattering. His arms and legs felt like lead and he wasn't trembling convulsively with cold anymore.

And as his world grew steadily darker, Syaoran didn't struggle to keep his eyes open. His soul was finally being released from the burden he had carried for so long, and he welcomed numbness with open arms. He would at last rest in peace…

There, in the darkness of the storm, Syaoran finally gave up the fight.

***

Tomoyo bit her lip nervously. What the hell was he playing at?
She was seated next to Eriol, who was driving her car, and had been wandering all around the city for the last three hours.
And yet not a glimpse of him.

Of course, they were lucky enough to be searching for him during the worst storm Tomoeda had ever witnessed. Even if Eriol had conjured the windows of her car to magically repel water, she still couldn't see a thing. Thus, they were forced to go really slowly, thus this was taking too long! And where the hell was he, anyway?

They had searched for him everywhere they could think of. The first place they had gone to was Sakura's place, but Eriol hadn't dared knock. Tomoyo wasn't sure why, but she didn't feel like facing her friend either, so she didn't object. Either way, it would be pretty useless, because even though Eriol sensed he had been to her house, it was clear to him that he had left quite a while ago. So they hoped back on the car and continued their quest.

And were still at it.

"Can't you do some magic to find him or something?" asked Tomoyo irritably.

"No, darling, I've tried but he's blocking his aura," Eriol replied as calmly as he could through clenched teeth. As much as he adored Tomoyo, she was getting on his nerves by questioning him every five seconds.

"The idiot! Why would he do that?" she demanded to know. Eriol frowned.

"May I remind you, Tomoyo, that I don't know anymore about this than you do?" he said tiredly. Big mistake.

"Well, excuse me for asking!" she retorted.

"I wouldn't mind if you hadn't asked that about 5 times in the last minute. Do you even listen to what I say?" he began angrily. He'd had just about enough.

"Unlike you, I'm dead worried about Syaoran! I knew we should have followed him the instant he left, but of course you had to think otherwise…!"

"What?! Are you blaming this on me?"

"Well, we wouldn't be on this wild-goose chase if you hadn't stopped me then! Who knows what kind of insanity Syaoran could be doing to himself right n-"

"Stop treating him like a baby! He can take care of hi-"

"I can't believe what I'm hearing…"

"That makes two of us!"

They both quieted down for a while, silently agreeing on a truce. After a minute, Tomoyo covered her face with her hands, to hide the tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry…I just don't know what to do anymore…" she cried softly. Instantly, Eriol forgot all his momentary anger. He parked the car in the first spot he could find, and pulled Tomoyo towards him. She clinged onto him, crying softly into his chest, as he ran his hands up and down her back, trying to comfort her.

"Shh…it'll be all right…just calm down…" he said soothingly.

"It's just t-that things are so difficult now…" she cried bitterly. After taking several deep breaths she finally seemed to calm down a bit.

"I just wish we could be kids again," she whispered sadly as Eriol kissed her softly on her forehead. "Everything was so much easier back then…our problems were minor, our world wasn't bigger than Penguin Park-" she stopped abruptly, her eyes widening. She gasped and turned to Eriol, unable to articulate a single word.

"What?" he asked. "What is it?"

"Penguin Park!" she finally managed to say, in a high, shrilly voice. "What an idiot! I can't believe I didn't think of it before!" she said, slapping her forehead. "Quick, start the car!"

Eriol obeyed without further question, wondering indeed why they hadn't thought of it before. The simplicity of the idea was almost too much!

"Yes…I'm positive he's there," continued Tomoyo, but she appeared to be talking to herself rather than to him. Eriol nodded quietly, just in case she needed support and began racing through the streets towards the park.

***

It took them about 15 minutes to reach their destination. Tomoyo jumped out of the car the very second Eriol had finished parking. She was having a horrible feeling again, and time was always precious. She began running towards the center of the park, where the big Penguin Slide stood proudly, witness of many of their cardcaptoring adventures. Eriol raced alongside, throwing worried little glances at her every now and then. Tomoyo knew she was behaving like a maniac, but the feeling of desperation had caught upon her once again, and she knew she had to get to Syaoran right away!

After a couple of minutes, the slide finally came into view. She gave Eriol a look and they rushed towards it. Her sight was poor since the relentless rain kept pouring, so she decided to get to the top of the slide to have a better view of that whole section of the park. She motioned Eriol to stay on ground level, and began climbing with difficulty, deaf to Eriol's objections.

Once she had reached the top, she stood up clumsily, vulnerable to the effects of the wind that threatened to knock her off the slide. Damn, she still couldn't see a thing!

Just then, a blinding flash lit up the area. And then she saw him.

Crumpled in the floor, eyes shut and completely still, lay Syaoran. She was able to stare at him for only a second before the lightning ceded and everything went dark again. But one second was all it took…

Terrified, Tomoyo took a step back, slipped and lost balance, falling down from the tall slide…

Fortunately, Eriol managed to catch her just in time. He seized her roughly and pulled her to her feet.

"Damn it, Tomoyo! Are you all right?" he yelled angrily. She could have killed herself for doing that stupidity! Thank god he'd had the sense to expect something like it, and stayed on the ground. If she left him…Eriol shuddered at the thought.

Tomoyo, on the other hand, didn't seem taken aback by that fact at all. In fact, she was trembling from head to foot, her open and terrified, murmuring the same words over and over.

"The swings, the swings, the swings…" she didn't seem capable of saying anything else. Eriol took her arm and lead her towards the swings. When he reached them, he caught sight of a body lying beside them. Fearing the worst, he left Tomoyo where she was standing and slowly approached. He turned the body around…

And the serene face of Syaoran stared back at him. He was completely still and didn't make the slightest movement when Eriol shook him roughly to wake him up. He laid the man down again and tried to listen to his heart, but – either because of the noise of the storm, or because there was nothing to hear at all – he couldn't make out any kind of heartbeat coming from Syaoran. He feared it would be the latter explanation.

Just then, he felt Tomoyo rush towards him like a whirlwind.

"Syaoran!" she cried. "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know…" replied Eriol softly. He decided it was best not to give her any bad news until he was sure of them.

"Check for a heartbeat!" demanded Tomoyo, but Eriol shook his head.

"It's no good, I can't hear a thing with all this noise!" he replied loudly, since the noise was getting louder all the time.

Tomoyo's tears began falling down her cheeks again as she hugged Syaoran's body tightly.

"Please, Syaoran-kun, be OK…!" she cried bitterly. She knew this was hardly the time or place to get hysterical, but she couldn't help it. Syaoran didn't seem to be breathing at all! She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but this was definitely not it!

"Oh, god, please don't let him die!" she begged staring at the raging sky. "If you save him I'll never ask for anything else again…" Her voice got caught in her throat and she spoke no more. A whole minute of this crushing scene passed until Eriol suddenly gasped as he noticed something.

"Tomoyo!" he cried. "Let go him! I think he's moving!"

"W-what?" she asked feebly. Eriol pulled her away from him, and listened to his heart once again. Relief washed upon him as he heard a weak beating.

"He's alive," he declared, still frowning. "But barely. We need to take him to a hospital right away!"

Tomoyo nodded and between the two of them, they managed to get Syaoran back to her car. Without talking they got on their way to the nearest hospital. Eriol drove, while Tomoyo was on the back seat with Syaoran. She held him in his arms, trying to envelop him in her own heat, but was failing miserably at it since her own body was almost as cold as his. Rocking backwards and forwards with him, she whispered soothing words into his ear.

"You'll be all right, Syaoran-kun. I promise you this, really…Eriol-kun is taking us to hospital as fast as he can and doctors will be able to help you, you know? Really, everything's going to be just fine, you'll see…" she murmured softly and repeatedly throughout the trip. It seemed very important that Syaoran knew they were with him.

Sighing, she pleaded to every God she knew the thought she didn't dare voice out loud.

Please, don't let it be too late…