When Tomoyo woke up the next morning, she was almost surprised to find herself in Sakura's room. As her sleep dazed mind recalled the events of the evening before, she shot up from her makeshift bed. "Oh no, okaa-san! I forgot to tell her," she looked around the room for her belongings. She could see her backpack which should have her phone, placed against the wall and beside the small carry-on luggage that had accompanied her on the flight. She made a mental note to thank Sakura and Touya for caring to carry them back to the house, when she had carelessly abandoned them when she got off her cab near the entrance of Yue's house in her haste to immediately look for him. She took out her phone, and saw that Sonomi had texted and called her the night before and again in the morning. She texted her a line back: I am at Sakura-chan's place. Please do not worry, I am fine. I shall explain everything once I am home.
While climbing down the stairs after getting ready for the day, Tomoyo heard Touya and Sakura's loud voices and Yukito's softer one, coming from the kitchen and living room area. She felt a little bashful at the realization that she had confessed her deepest feelings for Yue-san in their presence. How embarrassing, she stopped in her tracks.
"Ohayo, Tomoyo-chan," Yukito's gentle voice dissipated her uneasiness, as the young man walked over from the kitchen carrying two mugs of coffee. Tomoyo politely bowed and returned the greeting, still not daring to meet his eyes. "Care for a cup of coffee? Breakfast would be ready soon," he said with his characteristic pleasant smile.
"It's my second cup this morning," Yukito said as he handed her one of the two mugs, picking up the second for himself. "How are you feeling today," he asked after they both sat on the living room couch and took a sip of the steaming drink.
"Better," Tomoyo's throat felt a bit dry, despite the warm drink she had just swallowed. "I am sorry for all the trouble," she bowed.
"Sorry? Oh no, Tomoyo-chan, I should be the one apologizing. I could not stop Yue-san. If not for your intuition at guessing his intention, we would have lost him. He would have been gone!" The cheerful look on Yukito's face was replaced by one of distress.
"Quit whining about it you two! No one is going anywhere," Touya said loudly from the kitchen.
"That's right. And you were so brave Tomoyo-chan," Yukito said.
"Not at all, Tsukishiro-san. I was scared out of my mind the entire time," Tomoyo admitted.
"It did not seem like that when you confessed your feelings to Yue-san though. You were so decisive, so confident. It's even more impressive if one considers how intimidating Yue-san is," Yukito smiled. "Compared to you, I was a nervous wreck when I confessed to Touya back then, despite being his best friend."
"Yue-san is my friend too," Tomoyo said turning away to hide a light blush, as she quietly sipped her coffee.
"Yukito-san, you are embarrassing her," Sakura said as she marched into the room wearing her squeaky slippers.
"Oye, come on. Breakfast is ready. I don't have time to babysit you kids all day," Touya called.
"Touya onii-san, I would like to know your plan regarding Yue-san and Tsukishiro-san," Tomoyo told her older cousin over breakfast.
"It is just as I told y'all yesterday. I intend to go back in time and demand a solution from Clow Reed. I might need some help from the ones in this room that are more familiar with magic though." Touya said.
"Ano, Onii-chan, about Clow-san," Sakura started speaking.
"Hold it Sakura. Let's meet in the afternoon and discuss this over. I have to go and work this morning," her brother interrupted her, shoving food in his mouth.
"Hmm, I think it is a better idea. Yue-san can be there too. It's Saturday, so I will let Yue-san have the rest of the day. Besides, I barely know anything about magic," Yukito said.
"Can I come too? Even though I am ignorant about magic," Tomoyo said, somewhat wistfully.
"Of course, you are welcome any time. No matter what day it is, if you need to talk to Yue-san, just call me," Yukito answered generously.
Just as the small group was finishing breakfast, there was a knock on the door. Sakura went to get the door, and the next moment, Tomoyo heard her mother's voice. "Where is she?"
"Sonomi-san, ohayo. Please come inside," Sakura answered. Tomoyo was done eating, so she put her plate away, and went to the living room. Tomoyo did not remember a time when her mother had looked so upset.
"What's wrong with you Tomoyo?" Sonomi snapped the moment she saw her young daughter. "You dropped a single line of text to say that you reached Vancouver. No calls or messages after that. I thought that you had just slept off the entire day due to jet lag. And you are back in Japan the next morning, and don't know a thing about it. Care to explain to me? Because I can't make sense of your activities anymore," she said.
"Okaa-san, please calm down. I was going to tell you everything once I got home," Tomoyo said.
"Well, you did not go home, so tell me now," Sonomi took a seat on the living room couch with a determined expression on her face.
"I went to Canada, but I had to return urgently," Tomoyo said softly.
"And your urgency is related to that pretty boy in some way, am I right?" Sonomi's expression hardened.
"Yue-san needed my help. Really badly," Tomoyo said.
"Sure he did," Sonomi said sardonically.
"Okaa-san, please understand me," Tomoyo pleaded.
"Yes, I do understand you. For example how you hurt that hand," Sonomi said, pointing to her bandaged hand. "My goodness Tomoyo, I could have never imagined you being having got yourself into an abusive relationship. I thought I had raised you to be much wiser than that," She clutched the side of her head with her fingers. "This is insane."
"Chigau," Tomoyo's voice rose. "It was an accident. Yue-san would never do that intentionally to me or anyone else. With him, I feel safer than I had ever felt being surrounded by your bodyguards. Okaa-san, do you even know if it was not for him, I wouldn't even –," she stopped at the last moment. It was useless to digress from the topic, and add to her mother's worries by telling her that she had almost met a fatal accident last year, which was avoided because Yue-san had interfered. Her mother would probably ban her from taking the train again if she heard.
"I was just in the way. It could have been anyone," Tomoyo stated.
"Why did you return?" Sonomi asked.
"Because I had to. Otherwise, probably, I would never see Yue-san again," Tomoyo answered.
"That was so reckless of you, Tomoyo. You are not even trying to answer my questions properly," Sonomi said.
"I know, and I can't. I will not disclose Yue-san's personal matter and I am sorry for that," Tomoyo drew a breath. "But okaa-san, if you knew that otou-san was in trouble that night and you had even the tiniest chance to save him, would you let anything stop you?" Tomoyo said.
Sonomi's expression darkened further. "He was my husband, Tomoyo."
"Yue-san is just as important to me," Tomoyo said firmly, clasping her hands together.
Sonomi was too stunned to speak for a while. Whatever was going on between her daughter and this young man did not seem like a simple infatuation anymore, as she had initially thought. She reached out to touch the girl's arm. "Tomoyo-chan, I understand your weakness for Yue. After all, you are so young, and he is an attractive young man. Also, you didn't have your father growing up. Many times, girls in similar situations try to fill that void by looking for affection in the wrong kind of relationships. And you have to understand that there are people who would manipulate you into a relationship and take advantage of your feelings to gain access to your inheritance –,"
Tomoyo flinched and pulled her arm away from her mothers touch. "Okaa-san, you are insinuating such terrible things about him, without even knowing anything," she said, her voice quivering with emotion. "I am not in any sort of relationship with Yue-san. He is my friend, that is our only relationship. It is true that I love him, in a way that I have never loved anyone else before. But I don't think you would understand, because you won't even give him a chance," Tomoyo paused. Her arms were shaking slightly. "Take away every yen of my inheritance, still nothing will change between us. It's not Yue-san's fault if you had encountered such opportunistic people in your own business world, and if you try to project that negative experience on us," she continued.
"Sonomi-san," Sakura rushed into the room, sensing the escalation of the disagreement between the mother and daughter. "Please believe Tomoyo-chan," she sat on the floor before the older woman. "Yue-san is not that sort of person. We have known him for years. He has always protected us," she said.
"Sakura-chan, you too?" Sonomi raised an eyebrow at her young niece.
"Please don't be upset with Tomoyo-chan about this. It has not been easy for her either. She needs your support," Sakura insisted undeterred.
"If you all want my support, then tell me Sakura, just who is this Yue?" Sonomi questioned.
"He is our friend," Sakura's answer was very simple.
"Is he a student like you all?" Sonomi obviously wanted a more elaborate answer. Sakura shook her head slowly.
"What is he then? An actor? A model perhaps?"
"No, Sonomi-san," Sakura said.
"A foreign spy? Is that why you all are so persistent about keeping his secret?" Sonomi said.
"Of course not," Sakura said emphatically. Tomoyo pressed her lips together and looked away.
"He is not a gang member by chance, is he? Or involved in shady activities?" Tomoyo's mother asked again.
Tomoyo had heard enough at that point. Sonomi's words were hurting a delicate spot deep within her heart. "He's an angel," she answered sharply, raising her head. "Okaa-san, that's what Yue-san is."
"Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said softly, in a tone that begged her to calm down.
"The boy sure looks like one, I'll give him that much. However, you know Tomoyo-chan, they say that when the devil would appear, he would take on an angel's form," Sonomi said sternly.
"You wanted to know who Yue-san is. I have told you the truth. I hope that one day, you shall see the truth too," Tomoyo said, placing a hand over her heart.
Sonomi stared at her daughter for a few moments. Tomoyo has always been a modest and responsible girl; one who never got into any kind of trouble at school, scored perfect grades, and earned everyone's praise because of her manners and politeness. The girl who sat before her with trembling lips, a clenched fist and fiery eyes was not the same girl she raised. She looked like someone who knew what she wanted and would not budge from it. With Tomoyo's long, wavy hair, pale skin and deep eyes, she eerily reminded her of her dead cousin. Sonomi rose from her seat. She had alienated Nadeshiko for years after her marriage. Even though her heart had pained for her best friend, her pride stopped her from reconciling, and the next thing she knew was that she was dead. She could not afford to make the same mistake with her only daughter. She sighed. If Tomoyo-chan thinks she would be happy with this boy, then I have no choice but to let her be. But would she be happy?
"Tomoyo-chan, I apologize. I should not have stated it like that. I just want to know about the person for whom you made such a big decision without even asking me once," she said tiredly, taking a seat beside her daughter, and placing a hand on her head.
"Sonomi-san," Yukito entered the room and spoke before Tomoyo could answer. "Tomoyo-chan will be safe with Yue-san. Please let me assure you of that," he told the older woman.
"Tsukishiro-san, he is your family right? Why don't you tell him to come and meet me once? Or at least tell me what's the deal with this guy? What's the point of this weird mystery?" Sonomi said.
"I shall tell him that when I meet him. I hope I can meet him soon," Yukito replied a little sadly.
Touya entered the room after his friend. He had his backpack slung on his shoulder, and was ready to leave. "It is true that Yue can be difficult at times. However, his feelings for Tomoyo are real," he said, supporting Yukito by placing a hand on his back.
Sonomi leaned back and closed her eyes. "For some reason it seems that this young man has cast a charm on all of you," she said, taking a moment to think. These were all good kids, well mannered, sincere kids whom she had known for years. It seemed strange that all of them would want to associate themselves with this young man if he happened to be a notorious guy. Maybe she was thinking too much about this.
"Tomoyo-chan, please come home. I will not stop you from doing whatever it is that you are doing. Just don't put yourself in danger, and don't hesitate to talk to me if there's anything that I can help with," Sonomi finally said.
Tomoyo thanked her mother, and went home. She cried to herself in the shower, and then slept for several hours. When she woke up, the golden rays of the afternoon sun were drawing soft patterns on her bedroom floor.
Later that afternoon, Tomoyo knocked at the door of Yue and Yukito's house. Several minutes later, the door was answered by a sleepy looking Yue, dressed in a light brown sleeveless sweater over a white shirt and gray trousers. His usually immaculately kept hair fell over his shoulders, a few strands sticking out of the ties he used to secure the ends. "Daidouji-san, they won't be here until about an hour later. Didn't Sakura tell you the time?" he asked, gliding his fingers over his eyes.
"I wanted to see you earlier," Tomoyo said. Yue continued to stare at her, as if contemplating her words. "Am I intruding?" Tomoyo looked down, feeling a bit insecure again, as their relationship was still so new, and Yue-san still seemed to have a lot of boundaries that she could not cross yet. Despite his admission of his feelings for her, he had not dropped the formal manner in which he interacted with her. But Tomoyo was willing to wait. Yue-san's heart was worth waiting for.
The young man took her hand and drew her inside, closing the door after her. "Your intrusion is tolerated," he said impassively.
Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "You know, there is a nicer way to say the same thing. It is called: you are welcome to visit me," she said.
"That's something that Yukito would say," Yue said with a small scowl.
"I suppose you will always be a grumpy goblin," Tomoyo wrapped her arms around her beloved and drew herself to his chest, feeling the softness of his sweater caress her face. "But I still like you," she mumbled into his chest.
"I didn't know that my appearance resembled that of a goblin to you," Yue said, loosely returning the embrace.
"A very handsome, good looking goblin," Tomoyo smiled, and let him go.
"Do you intend to flirt like this the entire time?" Yue sat down, leaning against the nearby wall.
"I suppose I could have tried that, but it would be a one-sided activity, and I would get bored," Tomoyo teased him a little once again. "But Yue-san, actually I wanted to apologize… for my mother. For the things that she said and implied earlier today," her voice turned serious once again.
"Why do you hold yourself accountable for the actions of others, Daidouji-san? I thought we had already talked about that," Yue said.
"Demo, it must have been painful for you to be subjected to such suspicions," Tomoyo tried to explain.
"Come here," Yue called her. Once she sat down beside him, he placed his hand on her head. "You were the one who was hurt by those suspicions, and I hated that," he told her calmly. "But you believed in me regardless, that was enough for me," he added, staring off at the ceiling.
"Yue-san, you know that I will always believe in you, right?" Tomoyo said in a shaky voice. "Even if everyone tells me otherwise, even if I have to go against the whole world, I will stay right here, by your side, and be your friend," she proclaimed.
"Hey," Yue shifted his hand to touch Tomoyo's face momentarily, before taking her right hand gently.
"As for okaa-san, we will get her blessing, eventually. I know it," Tomoyo said, leaning against his shoulder.
"I…" Yue started. "I feel sorry for her that her world is such a place where she cannot trust anyone," he continued after having taken a brief pause to wonder if it would be appropriate to say it out loud, but at the end deciding to be honest with Tomoyo anyway.
"I am thankful for your kindness," Tomoyo said. Yue quietly inspected Tomoyo's hand for a while, laying it on his lap. The bandage was coming loose at the ends. "I will get Yukito to change your bandage. It is coming undone anyway," he said.
Yue was about to get up and transform when Tomoyo caught the sleeve of his shirt rolled up at his elbow. "You don't have to call Tsukishiro-san for this," she said.
"Daidouji-san, I am not familiar with such a task. Yukito, on the other hand, has had a good practice due to the number of times Touya got injured while participating in sports," Yue responded.
"Yue-san, you managed to learn advanced calculus by just being there in Tsukishiro-san's classes. Do you expect me to believe that you cannot figure out how to dress a simple injury? What will you do when Tsukishiro-san separates from you? If we are together at that time, won't you take care of me for things like this?" she asked.
"It's just that…"
"You don't want to face it now, isn't it?" Tomoyo withdrew her hand from Yue's hold and started to unwrap her bandages with her other hand. "Perhaps, you are making this bigger in your mind than it really is," she said.
"Fine," Yue drew away her left hand, leaving the bandages partially unwrapped. "I will do it. Don't try to do it yourself and get the wound infected," he said, and went to get the necessary supplies. Once he returned to her, he sanitized his hands first and then slowly unwrapped the bandages the rest of the way. An angry gash was exposed to two sets of eyes, standing out in sharp contrast to Tomoyo's pale skin. Yue's jaw tightened at the sight. "It will leave a scar, even after it heals," he stated, his voice low and deep.
"It's alright," Tomoyo smiled to reassure him.
Yue turned her wrist slowly, tilting her hand so that her palm was facing upwards instead of the injured back of her hand. "Never did I imagine that my power would be a danger to you," he lowered his face slowly, his breath sending pleasant warm shivers on her skin. "And never will I allow such a thing to happen again," his pale lips pressed themselves against the center of her palm, as if to seal a divine promise.
Tomoyo's eyelids closed automatically as her body and mind registered the first contact of the lips of the person she loved. They were so incredibly soft, once again an attribute that Tomoyo was sure was a testimony of his ethereal nature. Her open wound tingled with a numb pain, and she almost felt lightheaded from the rush of a foreign feeling that gripped her heart. Is this what happiness feels like?
Yue did not let go immediately. His lips lingered on the spot for a while. Tomoyo opened her eyes cautiously, as if afraid of waking up from a pleasant dream. She took in the sight of the angelic face, closed eyes framed by long silver eyelashes, kissing her hand with the sincerest expression she had ever seen on anyone's countenance. If Tomoyo was not already in love with this man, she was sure she would have fallen into it right at that moment.
"Daidouji-san," Yue called her name, noticing the shimmer in her eyes as his lips broke contact with her skin. "What is it?"
"Nandemonai," Tomoyo quickly shook her head, and folded her fist instinctively, as if to retain the warmth and slight moisture that Yue's lips had left there.
Sakura and Syaoran arrived once Yue had finished wrapping up her injured hand, and went to put aside the supplies he had used. "Daidouji-san, Sakura told me everything. I want to help in any way I can," Syaoran said earnestly when Tomoyo answered the door for them.
"Thanks for coming, Li-kun," Tomoyo said quietly.
"Of course. I shall get Eriol-kun on the call. His inputs might be helpful," the young man told her. Sakura opened her backpack to reveal the small sun guardian nestled inside.
"Aww, he's asleep," Tomoyo said fondly.
"Too many hours of playing video games," Syaoran muttered, as he picked up Keroberos with gentle hands and placed him on the table, without waking him up.
Touya arrived shortly afterwards. Casting a silent glare in Syaoran's direction, he went straight to the kitchen to make them some tea. Once the small group had settled around the table with tea cups in everyone's hands except for Yue's, Syaoran pulled out a tablet and connected to Eriol through a video call. He placed the device at the head of the table so that the camera faced everyone.
As soon as Eriol said hello on camera, Ruby Moon's cheerful face appeared, practically hijacking the screen. "Tomoyo-chan, I need to hear your full love story with Yue. This grouch is not picking up my calls," she said with sparkling eyes.
"Akizuki-san, I don't think that there is much of a story to tell," Tomoyo responded cautiously.
"He is that boring huh?" Ruby pouted. "Well, I will help you to make things interesting. You just have to make him a little jealous," she winked playfully.
"What do you mean?" Tomoyo feigned innocence, hiding a small smile. Ruby Moon's carefree, energetic disposition was the polar opposite of Yue's solemn nature. Yue's formal mannerisms reflected a bygone era, that Ruby had never known. Created in the present day, she lived her life as a carefree modern girl. And yet, Tomoyo had always known that the two shared a connection that somewhat resembled what siblings have between themselves.
"I mean that I am going to ask you out on a date the next time I come to Japan," the second moon guardian said with a bright smile.
"Akizuki, grow up," Touya growled, remembering her constant interference in his relationship with Yukito.
"Hey, it was me who helped to push things forward between you and Yukito," Ruby protested.
"Are we here for this insufferable banter?" Yue was annoyed as expected, and finally spoke out.
"See? He is jealous already," Ruby remarked. "Yue, know I am cute enough to snatch Tomoyo-chan away from you if I try seriously. Besides, I am way more fun," she told him.
"Don't flatter yourself. The point here is that Yue did not even have to try. Besides, I doubt that Daidouji-san shares your idea of fun," Spinel's smooth voice said, even though he was not visible on camera.
"Hey, you are supposed to be on my team," Ruby frowned.
Keroberos finally opened his eyes on hearing Spinel's voice and yawned.
"Eriol, this is pointless until you make Ruby shut up," Yue said.
"Ano, Ruby-san, I have something important to share with everyone. So, please pull Yue-san's legs later, ne?" Sakura said. Yue gave Sakura a silent glare this time. Ruby frowned, but stepped aside nonetheless.
"What is it, Sakura?" Syaoran asked gently.
"Clow-san appeared in my dream last night," Sakura said. "He said he wants the two humans who refused to accept his plan to come to him," she elaborated.
"Well, I am prepared to meet him anyway. But two humans?" Touya questioned.
"I will go with you, Touya onii-san," Tomoyo said.
"Tomoyo, you can't possibly travel through the fourth dimension without any magical powers," Keroberos pointed out, finally sitting upright.
"There has to be a way," Tomoyo said eagerly. "I mean Clow-san clearly intends me to come. Besides, I had so many dreams where someone tried to warn me about Yue-san. It must have been Clow-san, who was reaching out to me. Yue-san, please tell me if there is a way," she entreated.
"Keroberos is right," Yue replied coldly. "There is nothing that you can do."
"That can't be true," Tomoyo's face fell. "Hiragizawa-kun, Li-kun, Sakura-chan, please say something."
"Daidouji-san, without magical powers, your body cannot travel through the time dimension. This is because without magic, our physical bodies are limited by the three dimensional world," Syaoran said, his voice somewhat hesitant.
Tomoyo watched Syaoran for a few minutes. It seemed that there was more to the account that her friend stopped short of telling her. She observed Eriol's brows crunch on the screen. "What about the part of me that is dimensionless? Can it travel through time?"
"Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura sounded alarmed.
"Yue-san had once told me that our souls are dimensionless. That is the part of me that can travel through time, even if I do not have the magical power necessary to carry my body with me, isn't it, Syaoran-kun?" she asked.
Syaoran silently nodded and Yue's face hardened. He dreaded this girl's intelligence. Give her the slightest clue, and she will figure out the whole puzzle.
"Hold on, just where is this going exactly?" Ruby perked up.
"How will she travel as a spirit?" Touya asked.
"There are ways to separate the soul from the body through magic. But it is extremely risky, and the spell is known by only a few select magicians. I don't even know the spell myself," Eriol said.
"But Li-kun does, I presume?" Tomoyo's eyes were calm and focused on the young man's face.
Syaoran Li gulped. "Someone from my family had used it for someone they cared about. The spell has been passed down for generations. I have never used it myself of course," he said.
"Interesting," Eriol remarked.
"Enough of this baloney," Yue slammed down his hands on the table. "Eriol, you were a self-centered, hard-hearted being in your past life who only cared about his supremacy as a magician, and it seems you have not changed much even in this life. Everything is an experiment in magic to you, isn't it? Well, sorry to inform you, but Daidouji-san's life is not up for sacrifice in your gambit. No human life is. Wasn't I enough for your schemes?" the enraged moon guardian said.
"Yue-san," Syaoran who was sitting beside Yue, placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.
"Just stay out of this. You are nothing but an unfledged kid," Yue only got angrier. "You think you have already learnt everything about magic? Do you even realize what would happen if your unremarkable magical power fails to call back the her spirit?"
"He has a point," Keroberos said. "The person's body will remain unconscious until it withers away. It is what your medical science will call an irreversible coma, while the soul will be lost in a time loop," he explained.
Sakura gasped. "That sounds awful," she said.
"It is worse than death," Tomoyo agreed. "But I have to take that chance."
Her determined expression disconcerted Yue greatly. "Daidouji-san, that is a path that I cannot allow you to take," he said firmly.
"Unfortunately, Yue-san, that is not your decision to make," Tomoyo countered him.
"You want to do this for me," the silver haired young man said in a steely voice.
"No, I am doing this for myself. Because I am a selfish human. And, Li-kun and Hiragizawa-kun are my friends who just want to help me achieve my selfish dreams. You have no authority to reprimand them for doing so. And you have no authority to stop me," Tomoyo told him.
Yue's eyes widened by a margin, taken aback by the direct defiance. His face became stony and emotionless in the next moment. "If my advice means nothing to you, then having me in this discussion is pointless. Do as you wish," Yue stood up, and started walking away.
"Yue-san," Syaoran called out to him before he left the room. "My magical powers may be limited, and I may not know many things yet. I am still learning. But what I have learned from life so far tells me that Daidouji-san already has the strongest form of all magic. It is called love. And her feelings for you are so powerful, I don't think she can be defeated by anyone, even if it is Clow-san," he said sincerely.
Yue had turned his head to listen to Syaoran. His lips parted, as if he was about to say something. However, they pressed tightly together again, and he turned away and went inside the house.
"Poor Yue-san," Sakura sighed.
"I am sorry that he was so unreasonable," Tomoyo clasped her hands together.
"I think we all understand," Eriol smiled a little. "He is in love with you and scared of losing you. But Daidouji-san, please think about this more seriously, as the risks are very real. Can't Kinomoto-san just go by himself? I am sorry I cannot be of more help. I don't remember anything like this happening. I suppose Clow-san had erased that memory," he said.
"I will do it even if there is a 1% chance of success," Tomoyo said. "Besides, Clow-san wants two people to go to him. Touya onii-san and I. I am sure he has something planned. If we do not listen to him, how can we expect that he will listen to us?" she argued.
"It seems utterly foolish to risk someone's life over something like this," Touya finally spoke, running his hand through his dark hair. "But I would have done the same if I were in Tomoyo's shoes," he added.
"Onii-chan, you are also supporting this idea?" Sakura asked. She felt very conflicted the whole time. She wanted Yue and Tomoyo to be happy, but she dreaded the idea of potentially losing her best friend.
"I can see spirits, remember? I will keep an eye on the kid, just in case," Touya said quietly.
"Arigatou, Touya onii-san," Tomoyo smiled, grateful that there was at least one person in the room who understood how she felt.
"So, we are doing this then," Keroberos placed his chin on his paw contemplatively. "When?"
"Sakura, do you remember anything else from your dream? Anything else that you saw or Clow-san might have said?" Syaoran asked.
Sakura closed her eyes. "There was a full moon in the sky. I don't think he said anything more," she said after thinking for a few moments.
"I would actually recommend waiting for the full moon night. The negative magical forces are weakest around that time, and positive ones are the strongest," Eriol said.
"And why is that important? I would say the sooner the better," Touya said.
"The dark forces of magic can cause all sorts of nuisance and disrupt the procedure," Eriol answered, without elaborating much.
Keroberos was on his phone. "The next full moon will be on the coming Saturday. That's a week from now. You don't even have to wait that long," he informed, after looking up the information on the internet.
"Fine," Touya huffed.
After exchanging a few more words, they said goodbye to Eriol and his two guardians. "I have to go home, I have a paper to finish," Touya stretched and stood. "Oye, don't forget to make us dinner. It is your turn," he reminded his sister.
Sakura blinked a few times, and then shrieked. "I forgot to buy the items for dinner," her face fell on the table.
"Knew it. Typical of an airhead," her brother teased.
"It's ok Sakura," Syaroan placed a hand on her head, ignoring the glare from Touya. "I will go to the store and get what you need. You can go home and start the preparations," he offered kindly.
"Eat with us tonight then, Syaoran-kun. You too Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said, leaning into the touch of the young man she loved just for a moment before pulling herself up.
"Thank you Sakura-chan. But okaa-san will be expecting me at home for dinner. I have already caused her so much worry," Tomoyo replied quietly. "Also, I cannot leave until I apologize to Yue-san for yelling at him," she added.
"You call that yelling?" Touya chuckled. He realized that since the girl was so polite usually, a disagreement and a few sharp words perhaps counted as yelling by her standards. "Fine, speak to that snooty fellow. It is better to have him on board with the plan," he remarked.
Once everyone had left, Tomoyo took a deep breath. Now, she just had to find that surly man she could not imagine her life without anymore. "Yue-san?" She approached the door that led to the interior of the house with light steps. There was no answer, but she saw a faint light coming from one of the two bedrooms. As the door was left open, she went to it, and peered in. She could only see the faint outline of Yue-san, and his long silver hair seated on a chair before a desk. Even though it was dark already, he had not turned on the lights of the room except for the reading lamp on his desk.
Tomoyo extended her hand through the door and reached for the switch, turning on the main light of the room. "I am coming in," she announced from the door. Yet she took a moment to regard the man from the door, sitting amidst some books stacked on his desk. Just like she was used to seeing him at the library. Yue-san who surrounded himself with books and such a profound loneliness. Tomoyo took a step in his direction. Yue-san whose eyes were such a sad shade of blue - sad but beautiful; like the emptiness of the skies. She took another step forward. Yue-san who spoke formally and snapped at every small thing. A surge of fondness erupted from Tomoyo's chest and spread through her body, causing tears to sharply prick at her eyes. However, she forced them back as she approached him. Yue-san who was at the moment absently brushing his fingers on the little blue-black stuffed bear that lay on the hard cover of a book, attached to a crocheted leaf that was hand made to be used by him as a bookmark. Her Yue-san.
Yue did not turn to look at her. Tomoyo stood next to the chair he was seated at and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Yue-san."
"You still intend to do this," Yue said, more of a statement than a question. He did not meet her gaze.
"I do. I know you are worried, and I understand. But Yue-san, I have to do this. I don't want to argue with you," Tomoyo said.
"You can't argue in favor of a foolish decision anyway," Yue said.
"I know that too. But this is the first time I wanted something for myself. This is the first time I am putting myself and my own dream first, even before your wishes. Just like you said I should do in the beginning, when we started talking. Yue-san, this is the first time that I am reaching for the moon. Do you think I don't deserve that? Are you saying that I don't deserve you?" Tomoyo said.
"Don't say that," Yue scolded. He wondered if there was anything that he could do to stop Tomoyo. What if he swatted away the dainty pair of hands that rested on his shoulders and told her on her face that he hated her and never wished to see her again? Would she give up on him? What if he pulled her closer and kissed her passionately? Would she still be able to still leave his side? Yue scowled in frustration, realizing that he was too much of a coward to actually try either option. Besides, Tomoyo would see right through his real intention, so it would be pointless anyway. "You said you wouldn't leave my side, only a few hours ago," he said instead.
"And I won't. It will probably take just a few hours. After that day, I would never leave you again," Tomoyo tried to assure him.
Yue leaned forward, resting his head against Tomoyo's midriff lightly. "I just want all these to end," he said. "It's too tiresome," his eyes closed as he felt Tomoyo's hand move to rest on the top of his head.
"I know. And it will end. Let Touya onii-san and me make sure of that. Just hold on a bit longer Yue-san. Onegai!" Tomoyo held her Yue-san a little closer.
"You seem quite confident," Yue remarked.
"Remember what Li-kun said? The most powerful magic is love. I believe in mine," Tomoyo said softly. "You were very rude to Hiragizawa-kun and Li-kun. They were only trying to help," she chided Yue gently. "Yue-san, please don't be mean to Hiragizawa-kun. He is not responsible for Clow-san's actions. He is a different person now," she continued.
"You can't stop caring about others still," Yue said. "Fine, I will offer my apology later."
Tomoyo ran his fingers over Yue's hair carefully. The man had such soft, silver silk for hair, it seemed almost like a privilege to touch it. She looped another arm around his shoulders. Yue stayed quiet, leaning against her, and allowing her to hold him. She looked out of the window beside him. The waxing moon had made its silvery appearance in the evening sky. A song rose from Tomoyo's heart to her lips.
O moon, your tears brought a tide
To my ocean of sorrow
Dear moon, do you hear
The secrets whispered
From one shore to the other?
My boat was moored at a familiar shore
When it was untethered by the current
I was set adrift, tossed by fierce winds
To a land unknown.
As Tomoyo's melodious voice filled the silence with the poignancy of the song, Yue wrapped one arm around her waist, and used the other to hold her unhurt hand, interlocking their fingers tightly together. He liked when she sang. Her voice stirred an unexplainable sorrow within him, yet soothing the age old ache within his heart at the same time. Tomoyo felt the very slight tremor of Yue's body beneath her fingers. She rubbed her hand along the back of his neck and shoulders comfortingly, as she continued.
Travelers have reached their ports
All but I, who floats directionless
In the night, beneath your pale light.
Perhaps, I desired to be thus lost
As the swift waves pull me
Towards an unknown destiny.
Ushering me onward, is my crazy fate
Who Smiles in the darkness.
As the last notes of the song faded away, Yue slowly released Tomoyo from his hold, and looked up to her face. "Daidouji-san, that day, when you confessed, I couldn't…I didn't answer you properly," he drew in a breath. "Please allow me to –," a soft finger landed on his lips before he could go on. Yue blinked at her in confusion, mouth still partially open.
"Yue-san, I know what you want to say," Tomoyo tapped his lips lightly with her index finger before moving her hands to rest on either side of his face. "To be honest, hearing it from you would make me so happy, that death will seem easy thereafter. That's why Yue-san, please wait until I am back from traveling to Clow-san's time. That way, I'll have something to look forward to when I return. It will help my soul find its way back."
"That's the only thing that you would look forward to in your life? Just a few words from me?" Yue seemed a bit annoyed.
Tomoyo's face lit up with a playful expression. She pushed aside the book before him, and sat on Yue's desk, extending her arms and looping them around his neck. "Well, Yue-san, I told you that humans are selfish, and I am but a human. So, I will ask you for many more things, as you will see for yourself. But we have to start somewhere, ne?"
"And what would those things be?" Yue tried to sound casual.
"I'll tell you," Tomoyo smirked.
In a flash, Yue extricated himself from the arms hooked around him and stood up, pushing back the chair he was sitting on. His hands reached for Tomoyo's shoulders, as he towered over the sitting girl. "No, tell me now," he said in a deep voice.
Tomoyo gulped at the intensity of his stare. "Your time," she started.
"And?"
"The right to call you mine, and to become yours," this time Tomoyo's voice cracked a little.
"And?"
"A room in your heart. Perhaps, one in your house too."
"And?"
"The permission to make you smile some day," a tear escaped Tomoyo's eyes at that point, but Yue brushed it off swiftly. His expression has become softer as Tomoyo kept answering his questions.
"And?"
"I don't know. I have so many things on my mind. Birthday surprises, evening walks, movie dates, a ring on my finger," Tomoyo looked up to him with her large, expressive eyes.
"Promise me that you would come back and ask me for all these?" Yue leaned down to press their foreheads together.
"Of course, Yue-san. I give you my word," this time Tomoyo leaned into Yue, clutching his sweater. "Can I ask for something now?" she said softly. Yue simply nodded. "One time, you had wrapped your wings around me. It felt really nice, even though I was upset that time, it made me feel better. Can you –," Yue stepped back before she could finish, watching Tomoyo looking at him with hopeful eyes. The silver wings appeared on either side of his back and enveloped his form. They unfurled again to reveal standing in his splendid white attire. With a calm look on his face, he held out a hand for her.
Tomoyo hopped off from her perch on Yue's desk, and gracefully took his hand, allowing him to pull her to himself effortlessly. Strong arms wrapped around her, and soft, light feathers brushed along her back, firmly securing her slender form between Yue's chest and his wings, "You are still such a child inside to get fascinated over a pair of wings," he complained carelessly.
"Kimochii," Tomoyo exhaled blissfully, paying no mind to her companion's words, savoring the moment, the tingling of the feathers on her back making her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. "I feel like staying here forever, but I guess I should be returning now," she told her angel after staying like that for a while.
Yue slowly drew back from her. Tomoyo shivered a little from the loss of warmth from his wings. The air flowed into the room from the window beside Yue's desk, carrying with it a light chill of the late spring night mixed with the scent of wisteria that had bloomed early in the small backyard. Yue noticed it, as soon as he magically transformed himself to be back to wearing his regular clothes, followed by making his wings disappear.
"Put on something warmer as you go out," he said, approaching the window and closing its panes. The girl was dressed in a gray and white checkered skirt that fell to her ankles, and a white top to match, with lace designs along its collars and sleeves. Cute, but not comfy for the late evening weather.
"I… uh.. didn't get anything," Tomoyo felt a bit silly. The sun felt warm and nice when she left her house that afternoon, and she had expected to return much earlier.
Yue frowned and moved to his wardrobe. Tomoyo quietly observed the unassuming room. It looked like it belonged to a student with the presence of the desk and bookshelf, but Tomoyo could tell from the choice of colors and décor that Tsukishiro-san did not live here. It was Yue-san's
"Here," Yue tossed her something, dragging her out of her thoughts. Tomoyo caught it at the last moment. "It will not flatter your looks, but it will keep you from getting sick," he said, putting a dark gray blazer on himself, and smoothing out his hair. Tomoyo looked at the cardigan in her hands, soft and warm, in a lighter shade of gray. She thanked him softly, and pulled it over her shoulders, inserting her arms into the sleeves. It did not fit much wider, which was somewhat expected since Yue-san had a delicate build instead of the muscular stature usual of a man. However, it was much longer, with the length falling to her mid thighs, and her fingers disappearing inside the sleeves. She started to roll them up.
"You have been incredibly mindless about things lately," Yue approached her, and placed another white object around her neck. "Moving all the way to Canada, when you are like this," he grumbled. "How would you live in that colder country, all by yourself when you are such a princess," he kept talking as he wrapped the white scarf carefully around her neck.
Tomoyo regarded Yue. Something seemed to be unusual about him. Yue-san was not one to talk much, and preferred to be distant. However, he almost seemed to be too eager to keep talking from the moment she walked into this room. His sentences that evening were definitely more than his usual monosyllabic responses. One would almost think that he was cheering up, becoming like a normal person, but Tomoyo knew better. She realized it was her decision to undertake the time travel even when it meant danger to herself had really put him on the edge. He was simply talking away to mask the deep anxiety he felt for her. She felt bad for putting him through this, but her mind knew it was the right decision.
"Yue-san will take care of me," Tomoyo hugged the moon guardian when he finished wrapping the scarf for her. "By scolding me for little things over the phone I suppose," she gave him a toothy grin.
"You look like a bear in this," Yue rested his chin on top of her head, softly returning the hug. "Not unlike the one you gave me," he added softly.
"I will make a more huggable one for you later," Tomoyo nuzzled her face on the soft fuzzy fabric of his sweater.
"I am not a child, Daidouji-san, I don't need to hug a stuffed bear," Yue said. He inhaled the pleasant, soothing scent of her hair, and lowered his voice. "I will be grateful if you make yourself available for that purpose instead."
Did Yue-san just say that? Despite her intense feelings for the man, usually Tomoyo did not feel flustered around Yue. However, at those words Tomoyo could feel the color rising to her face. "Don't tease me," she pulled back from him, and lightly jabbed his arm.
"Who said that I am?" Yue responded, satisfied at the deepening color on Tomoyo's pale cheek that accentuated her prettiness. "Come along, it's getting late."
"You are coming?" she asked.
"I will walk you to the train station," the moon guardian answered.
Though Tomoyo asked, she had already realized that. Out of habit, she was about to tell him that she would be just fine returning on her own, but she stopped herself, remembering something else.
The night before, she had a conversation with Sakura. "What am I going to do with Yue-san, Sakura-chan? He feels that he is not real, so it is alright if he disappeared. Although he said that he would not leave me, what if he starts doubting himself again after some time?" She had cried to her friend.
"Tomoyo-chan, do you know even Yukito-san went through that phase, when onii-san and him were in high school?" Sakura had said, sitting beside her and placing a comforting hand on her back to support her.
"I remember he used to be low in spirits often around that time. Touya onii-san helped him get over that depressing phase, didn't he? He is really amazing," Tomoyo had replied.
"You can do it too. Just make sure that Yue-san knows how much you need him," Sakura had advised.
"But I do need him. How can he not know, even after I confessed my feelings?" Tomoyo had asked.
"Yes of course you do Tomoyo-san. But I am not just talking about needing him emotionally here," her friend had said. "What I am saying is that you should include Yue-san in your life as much as possible. Try asking him for his help with the mundane things of life. Ask him to help with your academics. Ask him for book recommendations. Or convince him to go shopping with you, and ask him to carry some of the bags," Sakura had suggested.
Seeing the look of disbelief on Tomoyo's face, the short haired brunette had continued. "I know what you are thinking Tomoyo-chan, you don't need help with these things. Even Yue-san might seem irritated sometimes if you ask, but I can assure you that deep inside, it would make him happy. I know that you both are independent people and probably see your feelings for each other from an idealistic plane, but it is these common worldly activities that makes one seem real and useful. Yue-san felt that way, because he thought his existence was not meaningful to anyone, and he had nothing left to do. He needs to feel useful, at least to you, for him to feel real, and take this relationship seriously."
"But Yue-san is quite perceptive. He would see right through it," Tomoyo had expressed her concern.
"Doesn't matter. Yukito-san knew it too, still onii-san kept him close, month after month, year after year. It worked well for onii-san and him. And at present, I know for sure that Yukito-san will never think of leaving onii-san," Sakura said fondly. "I know it is a bit more challenging with Yue-san due to his nature. Ganbatte, Tomoyo-chan," she had patted her shoulders encouragingly.
Remembering that conversation, Tomoyo swallowed her words and said nothing as Yue grabbed his, phone and keys, and held her hand as they stepped out of the house and onto the empty late evening street.
Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review.