That Winter

Was it the ground that was outlaid, or was it the snow that ignorantly embraced?

The earth was dying in the winter cold.

The truth lies behind her closed eyelids. She now learns and those words of honesty will forever faze in flame.

A wooden boat was ready to set sail at the shore of frozen sea. The sky wore a shade of sombre grey and the horizon merged, became a part of the skyline.

I loved her just as I have loved all of you. Each of you. Each reincarnation of you.

In their true form, Spinel and Ruby Moon stood next to master. No one said a word throughout the ceremony. There was only the sound of crying. Eriol summoned his mystical staff, muttering spells under his stuttering breaths. He was sobbing. The tears were dried, but his heart were still weeping. Forcing out a smile, his eyes fixed on the boat. It was set on fire by his magic. There she laid soundly in peace. He dropped his head, letting go of his stubbornness.

Kaho is dead.

His guardians flipped their wings and the forceful wind sent the blazing soulless body away. What was remained of Mizuki Kaho was reducing to ash. At the side, his descendants were all in grief. They couldn't say a word. Sakura was wailing in her husband's comforting arms. Although quietly, Syaoran was crying too. For Touya, it was as though he was experiencing the pain of losing his mother all over again. Touya cried as hard as he could. On his knees, he questioned fate's foul sense of humour. They were once a couple. Even though they were mostly miles apart from each other, they were the best of friends. They understood each other. Yukito didn't cry like the others to express his condolence, but he lent his shoulder to his partner.

And then there was Tomoyo. She stood motionlessly and stared into endlessness. Just that. Because she didn't know what she was supposed to feel.

Tomoyo was jealous of Kaho. So jealous that she had once wished Kaho would disappear from this world. Maybe then Tomoyo could have what she never had, but now Kaho was really gone. In a battle of love, it was equal competition. That was what Tomoyo knew. What did it mean for Tomoyo?

Eriol knew of Tomoyo's feeling for him, but he chose to never return it despite his fondness of her.

Selena, Yuuko, Madoushi, Nadeshiko, Tomoyo... All different people born and share the origin.

"There is no coincidence in the world," Eriol said to himself self-mockingly.

Soul.

Upon hearing those words, Yue revealed himself as though he was meeting his former master. "Clow!" Yue called out in a surprised voice. The moon guardian was confused and then he recognised. Eriol was only a shadow of the man who was called Clow Reed.

Just like Fujitaka and himself. Individually and unknowingly, Fujitaka was drawn to Nadeshiko like their other counterparts and created Clow's successor. When more than one reincarnate existed simultaneously, a choice must be made. Like Kaho with Touya, Tomoyo was drawn to Sakura at first, because the trace of his past life's magic ran through her veins. Young Tomoyo was confused by her unexplained affection. Since their meeting, Tomoyo was slowly awakening from her hypnotised state of mind.

Selena's soul was now collected in one living flesh. With Fujitaka's decease, there was only him now. He was what was left of Clow Reed in the world. Clow and Selena, Clow and Yuuko, Kimihiro and Yuuko, Fujitaka and Nadeshiko...

They could be finally together until another clash of time and dimension. No world could stop between them. Together. Just the two of them.

Tomoyo was slowly seeing memories of other women in her mind. Finally, she cried. She couldn't stop crying.

"I am so loved, Clow. Thank you very much!" Tomoyo said in a bitter sweet voice. She couldn't help and let out a faint giggle. She no longer remembered she really was.

Who was Daijouji Tomoyo?

"Who are you?" Eriol asked worriedly.

He couldn't look at her. He didn't know who she was becoming anymore. Tomoyo didn't either.

"I'm..."

Tomoyo couldn't answer. She held her head. Memories of all different past lives were flooding her mind. Her body was emitting a wave of lilac glow. Everyone could sense it. It was magic.

Reconciliation magic.

"Is that you, Selena?" Eriol took his glasses briefly to rub his eyes. "It has been too long."

Tomoyo smiled, but her tears didn't stop. They were not of sadness, but happiness.

"I'm... just Tomoyo. But who do you choose to be, my dearest?"

"Eriol. Not Clow."

They ran towards each other. Falling into one another's embrace, they made a silent promise. They would start their lives anew as who they were now, not who they had once been.

Their paths would always cross. Just that it was not time for her to realise it yet.