Author's notes:

Wow… I haven't updated in months have I? I'm sooo sorry. My last school term was mayhem and deprived me of anytime to write… but here's the next chapter ) I think I've lost my trails of thought because it was kinda hard to write ' I hope you enjoy it though! And thank you to all those who've helped motivate me and took the time to ask if I was still writing ) Thank you! Also, as some of you may know, the current manga chapters released by CLAMP have already told the story of Syaoran and the clone but since my ideas that this story are based on were created before that, things that will happen later in this story will be different than the manga. Without further ado, here it is!

Note: I do not own any of the characters: they're copyright of CLAMP and I don't take credit for any EXISTING characters, though I do create a few of my own. My story is about a new world that Syaoran and the gang go to. Please note that it takes place after they leave the Oûto world (the world where they actually were inside a game). I created personality and background features for characters still mysterious in the Tsubasa series: they may not (well, most likely aren't) be what CLAMP has planned for them, but for the purpose of my story, that's how they are! (Especially for Fye) Ok? That's enough for now. Enjoy!

What happened last time:

"I am not…getting married." His voice was beginning to grow clearer, but the energy to sit up right was murdering him as it stretched the wound on his chest. "I don't love Esmerelda."

"Syaoran…"

"I'm sorry if I hurt you…I never meant to do anything that would cause you any pain. If my actions…if my pain…causes you to stop smiling, I wouldn't want you to see me. I'd give up anything for you to smile again. If you'll be happier without me around, I'll disappear for you." Syaoran lifted a hand painfully from the cobble floor, and gently stroke her soft cheek, rubbing away a lingering teardrop. A hint of a sincere smile spread across his face, and he leaned towards her. Syaoran whispered gently into her ear, ignoring the pain crying out from his wounds.

"I… love you."

Chapter 8: Redemption of Souls

For a brief moment, Sakura felt as if time had frozen that instant. Syaoran's words echoed gently in her head, and her heart came to a standstill as they triggered a sense of sad guilt at believing that he loved Esmerelda. Yet an overwhelming joy spread through her body at a single though… He loves me too… he loves me like I love him. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck again and pulled him towards her. She could feel the curtain of depression rise from around her heart, giving way to her old optimism.

But Syaoran placed a hand on her arm and pulled it gently from his neck. Sakura felt her heart sink, and the curtain seemed to stall.

"Sakura, I meant what I said." He winced as he staggered to his feet and his wounds stretched painfully. As he took a few uncertain steps away from Sakura, she sat on the cobble floor in surprise.

"I caused you pain, and I don't want to see you hurt. I'll disappear from your life… and perhaps…" Syaoran tightly closed his eyes. The next thought was just as painful for him to think as it was to say. "…perhaps Kourya can make you smile again."

The words crushed Sakura. "W-what?" Sakura managed to stumble. "Kourya?"

Syaoran bent down cautiously to pick up his sword to leave. He felt the wounds stretch painfully on his body but tried desperately to ignore the pain. Snow pounced silently upon it, trying not to allow Syaoran to take Hien. The little bear gave Syaoran a meaningful stare with its grey eyes and sprawled to fully put his entire weight on the sword.

"Syaoran, why? Why do you think I should be with… Kourya?" She stared sadly at his back, canvassed with wounds. A beam of light from the discarded lantern splashed upon his chocolate brown hair and clearly depicted the deep, long lashes in his skin. Sakura couldn't help but feel tears welling up again.

Syaoran sighed gently and stood up again, his back still facing her. "He shows you that he has feelings for you, does he not? I don't… and I don't think I have the courage to either… its how I am I guess. And… my love for you isn't right."

Sakura's heart shattered. Not right?

He recalled the day he'd come home from the excavation and his brief talk with the picture of his deceased father. "Sakura, you're the beautiful young princess of Clow. And I'm a commoner. It's not right for me to love you, you're too…" he turned his head and gave her a sad smile. "…too good for me."

"No!" Sakura ran to him and flung his arms around his waist, catching him by surprise. They went crashing to the floor and she landed upon of his chest. "No, I don't want to be with him, I want to be with you!" She dug her cheek into the crook of his neck.

"I love you, I love you, I love you!"

Her words ran out in the small room and stillness fell upon the two. Sakura clung to him for dear life, as Syaoran's shock slowly faded to a tiny smile and he looked down at her soft auburn hair.

"I-it's ok if you cause me pain." Her voice came in a muffled whisper. "I know I cause you pain too. I know we must've known each other in the past before I lost me memories. But every night, as I try so hard to remember who you are, it never comes. All of my fragmented memories… so many had someone missing in them. And every time I decide who that person is, I instantly forget. I don't know how… I don't know why… all I know is that I definitely knew you from before."

She lifted her head and stared into his brown eyes, shining tenderly in the light of the lantern. "You've always kept so quiet, you must remember about us, even though I don't."

She placed her hand over his heart gently, and Syaoran felt something within him relax at her touch.. Sakura smiled softly. "I've caused a pain to your heart…" Removing her hand, she reached up to wipe away lingering blood on his face as her smile faded. ".. and a pain to your body.

"So Syaoran," she continued, keeping her hand on his face. "Please don't wound your own heart thinking that you've hurt me. We're even… and pain is part of being human right? It's the pain we feel in our lives that just make our happiness more powerful and strong. It's the sadness and the grief, the anger and the torment… that emphasizes the times when we can truly smile. I'm not saying pain is good, but it isn't bad either. We can look at our pains in a different light and our view will change. Even though I may never remember you, you can remember for me, just like I would for you. And even though the past is important, the present and future are too. Right now, we still have each other, and that means the world to me. A-and the way you hurt me… can be seen in another light too. Because of what's happened between us, it's led to this one happy moment… this moment where we both are together and both know we love each other. Syaoran, the pain has made this all the more happier for us, don't you think?"

His lips parted into a true smile and Sakura felt her heart warm a bit. Sakura was still the same as always, he thought.

"Yes Sakura. I think this is the happiest moment of my life."

She beamed radiantly at him in return and hugged him again, rubbing her cheek against his as she finally felt his arms encircling her to hold her tight. Her sadness melted away, and she wondered how she could ever have felt sad before in her room by the fire.

They lay happily in each other's warmth, all their troubles simmering away. Syaoran's physical pain seemed to evaporate as he felt Sakura in his arms. It felt as if it was her touch that erased his pain. He held on tighter to her, and could smell her scent in her hair. Syaoran couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief to have her in his arms at last.

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Metallic clangs ran through the air as the fight outside the icy castle raged on. With Kurogane constantly keeping a close distance to Sephiria, it allowed her no time to cast a spell, only to defend herself. The sounds of swordplay rang through the air as cold silver metal clashed against bitter blue ice.

Fye sat a little distance away with a furrowed brow, as he tried to piece together Sephiria's relationship to this world.

"What the hell clang are you doing clang just sitting there!" Kurogane grunted through a few strikes against the sorceress. "I could clang use a littleclang help here!" He let out a long swipe and he could hear the hiss in the air as his sword cut the air horizontally. Sephiria dodged it with a glare in her red eyes.

"Get out of my way!" She shouted, aiming her staff at him. Finally getting a good distance, she made the feather glow blue. The light dimmed as fast as it had come.

Kurogane stared for a moment in shock, then sneered as he glanced at the sorceress through slitted eyes. "Heh. Spell's not working?" He shouldered his sword against his shoulder, giving his signature sneer.

"Oh-ho…" She returned the sneer and pitcher the end of her staff into the ground with finality. "Think again, you spineless worm."

Kurogane turned in time to see a giant snake made of ice hiss once behind him before feeling a crushing sensation. The crystallized snake wound around him, bonding him tightly in its grip. Kurogane's sword clattered to the ground as the snake's body hardened into its final form, caging him in a bitter-cold confinement with no room for him to move. Fye leapt to his feet with a serious look of worry.

"Shit! What'd u do that for?"

"Did you think I'd let you continue your swords play? You are far more experienced at it than I… and only a fool would continue. Don't underestimate me, I'm just playing my strengths…"

Fye shook his head silently and let out a short sigh. "Kuro-tan, I would've thought you stronger…"

"Now is NOT THE TIME TO BE JOKING WITH ME!" Kurogane shouted in anger, feeling the chill of the ice around his neck. He tried to move, but only felt a growing pressure against his armour whenever he moved a muscle.

"What the hell is with this ice!"

"Scorpio necto – snake bind. The ice gets colder, and grows every time you move. Now Fye… what will you do? Care to let an old friend pass or must I fight you as well?"

"Ameko-"

"My name is Sephiria. Ameko died decades ago."

"Ameko's body may have been taken, and what stands before me now is just the ghost of the body but Ameko's heart and soul still live on in this world with you." Fye strode a few steps towards her, each step as cautious as the next. "Sephiria, don't you think you should set Ameko free? Let her join her body and let her rest in-"

"You know NOTHING! You know nothing at all about what happened here 100 years ago, you don't know what Ameko went through, so don't speak as if you know what's best for her." Sephiria's voice ran cold through the night air, yet a tinge of shakiness was hidden in her tones.

Fye came to a stop a few metres away, showing no fear. The grass flattened under his feet and a gentle wind blew, rustling the grass beneath them. Fye kept his glance unwavering upon her, the gently twinkling of the sea of stars above reflecting in his blue eyes. He remained silent, staring into Sephiria's blood-red eyes as if gazing into her heart and soul.

"After you sent us away to this world, Ameko thought she could be happy, and soon fell in love with the prince, but what good did it do? The love just caused her more pain. IT was foolish and stupid of her."

"You mean the both of you." Fye dared.

It hit Sephiria with a shock. "Wh-… How dare you accuse me of-"

"Loving someone? Caring for another? Sephiria, I may not know you well, but I know Ameko and I know your hearts are entwined. What emotions she feels eventually grow into you as well. If she loved the prince than so did you."

"I said it was FOOLISH!" Sephiria shouted, her shoulders heaving slightly with rising anger. The feather quivered slightly in its icy cage, and her grip upon the blue staff tightened.

"Do you think she meant to fall in love? Do you think that I… I of all people would fall for a human? At first Lindon was just another man in this world but the more she heard about him and saw him, the more she felt that she was falling in love… falling head over heels in love for a man she barely knew personally until he saved her from some robbers. That measly act… that one heroic act drew them closer together. As days wore by and Lindon continued visiting Ameko, first using the excuse of seeing how she was and if she was alright… slowly they began to seem like friends but deep down, both were falling deeper and deeper into the pit hole of human affection. She brought the pain and sadness upon herself. And because I was her other half, I was… I was forced to feel that emotion too."

Sephiria's voice had grown softer in the course of her words, and her soft, straight brown hair wavered slightly in the night wind.

"He began giving her tokens of his love to her on his visits… necklaces, jewels, dresses… Ameko treasured each as closely as she treasured her own life. Then weeks later, the prospect of Lindon's marriage became the talk of the kingdom.

"Ameko was selected as one of the chosen candidates to be Lindon's bride, and she was overwhelmed with joy. At the time, I could feel a little happiness too from this news, though I wasn't sure why… I reasoned with myself that the reason was that if Ameko was chosen as the bride, I would have a chance at the power of the kingdom. I could take over her body at any time and assume the position of power which she would take.

"The throne of Silan." Fye stated with a slight nod and he crossed his arms patiently, his white figure framed against the dark sea of green grass behind him.

"Yes… but there were things Lindon, Ameko, and I did not know… things that meant the difference between joy and heartache." Sephiria's red eyes flashed green for the briefest moment as she lowered her head slightly.

"That's when Ameko's… and my hope for a happy life smashed to oblivion… goes to show the love was never meant to be."

Author's Notes:
Yes sorry sorry, it's a short chapter compared to chapter 7 ' its like… a little more than half the length I think. I wasn't too sure how I wanted to end it as well… the part after this that I have planned takes a while to write and I've made you guys await Sakura's reply for too long. I hope you enjoyed the Sakura x Syao scene ) There's more of it coming up so please stay tuned! So what happened to Sephiria/Ameko and Lindon? Don't forget Kourya… what is he going to do next now that Sakura and Syaoran have confessed their love for each other? Will Kurogane ever get out of his snake bind? How did Fei Wong ever get involved in this? Lots to be explained, lots coming up! - Please stay tuned!