Chapter Eight:


      Already modified.
      Syaoran stared at the Time Card, brown eyes studying it thoughtfully. Already modified. He had asked Yue what that had meant and Yue had calmly said that their enemy hailed from the future. Which had made everyone freeze in the middle of dinner. The meal had ended rather abruptly after that. And now Syaoran examined the Card blankly. Their enemy was from the future. From the beginning he had been from the future. Since his first battle with him that had taken Sakura away. But then, what did that mean? How had he known about Sakura? And how had he been able to control the Cards even then? Control them enough to force them against Sakura, their Mistress?
      He shook his head and sat down weakly, limbs feeling shaky. He wasn't up to any of this, not physically and not emotionally. Yue refused to say how far into the future the Mage came from but Syaoran figured it had to be someone close. Close enough that they would know Sakura as the Mistress and was strong enough in magic to overcome her.
      And that ruled out Meilin and Tomoyo-san. That also ruled out Yue and Keroberos seeing as how they were under the control of the Master.
      Eriol? Nakuru? Spinel Sun?
      He shook his head at himself. No, he was
not going to think about them in that way. They had been nothing but a comfort to him since Sakura's death.
      He looked up toward the double doors as they opened slowly. He sat in the room where the party had been held, had been gazing at the spot where the Mage had fled. Eriol came in cautiously, followed by his Guardians and Syaoran's new Guardians as well. Quietly, Keroberos shut the door with his tail and floated forth, pausing several feet away.
      Syaoran eyed them all.
   
There could be a traitor in my midst and I would never know…
      "What's the plan?" Keroberos asked quietly.
      Syaoran looked down at the Card once more. And he inhaled, thinking the question over. Was there even a plan? Yes, there was a plan but one not well thought out. At the moment it was to get back to that point in time and get to Sakura before the Mage did. Alter time altogether and, if possible, stop it all from ever occurring again. That was the plan and with the Cards he would be stronger than his younger counterpart. There would be two sets of Cards and three Masters. Plus one lowly but powerful Clan Head. Three against one, especially if one set of Guardians from the future were there to battle the Guardians of the past.
      This was getting difficult already.
      "Have you told Meilin?" Eriol asked, breaking the silence.
      Syaoran looked at him, blinking. And then he bowed his head. "I have not. But I think, after hearing about the modification of the Time Card, she knows
why I would want to go back."
      Eriol nodded in understanding. "How did she take it?"
      He thought that one over. How
had she taken it? He didn't even know-
      "I took it quite well," Meilin replied from the doorway and they looked over to see her half inside the room, leaning on the door. She smiled faintly at them and came forth, Tomoyo following behind warily.
      "Meilin…"
      She shook her head at him, shushing him. "It isn't necessary," she whispered quietly. "I would prefer that you save her than stay with me."
      Syaoran frowned, eyes wide. "What?"
      She swallowed inaudibly, hands clasping behind her back. "I know you'll always be happier with her, that you
should have been happy. And that you both should still be together, now and always. I won't be mad or hurt if you decide to go through with this." She nodded as if to reassure herself. "I think if I were in your position, I would be doing the same thing."
     She didn't pull away as he came forth and grabbed her hands. "It was never anything wrong on your part, Meilin," he said to her softly, gazing at her and wishing she would meet his eyes. "All you ever did was take care of me and love me, especially when I needed it."
      Her lips tightened, eyes averted but he saw them slowly fill with tears, her head nodding.
      He slowly took her in his arms, embracing her tightly. And after a moment she wound her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek to his chest. "I'm sorry you couldn't fall in love with me," she whispered. "I'm sorry I couldn't have been her. But I'll be all the more sorry if you don't get her back."
      Syaoran closed his eyes and breathed against her, for once inhaling her scent and recognizing it as one he held close to his heart. He would love her always, he realized then. But he would never be
in love with her, not when a girl with red-brown hair and sparkling blue-green eyes was all he saw in his mind.
      Eriol inhaled deeply, feeling the breath help him think more clearly. And he said, very quietly, "I'm going with you."
      Syaoran opened his eyes and looked up in surprise. "What?"
      Tomoyo spun to look at him, eyes wide. "Eriol!"
      He nodded and said again, "I'm going with you. When you leave for the past." And he took a step forward, his lips parting to say more on the subject.
      Tomoyo took hold of his arm, stopping him. "Doshite?" she whispered hoarsely, gazing at him with big purple eyes reflecting the lights in the room.
      He looked at her, sadness entering his expression. "Because there's nothing here for me," he answered softly, allowing his eyes to wash over her.
      He didn't think it was possible but her eyes widened all the more. "What about me?" she murmured painfully and he felt the trembling in her fingers wrapped around his forearm. Something shone in her eyes, a new agony shimmering in the depths of her purple irises and obsidian black pupils.
      Very gently, he pried her fingers off his arm and lifted a hand to her face, cupping her cheek and feeling his heart swell when she leaned into his palm. "I can't have you, Tomoyo," he whispered to her, taking hold of her weight. "You won't ever allow yourself to be happy and I always thought I could be the one. To make you happy."
      Tomoyo closed her eyes, turning her lips into his palm.
      "I can't make you happy, Tomoyo. You won't let me," he said faintly, fingertips brushing over her eyelashes. "I would wait for you forever but I know even when eternity has run her course, you still wouldn't feel you deserve to be happy. And I can't bear to see you like this, I can't," he shook his head, black hair falling around his temples.
      "And I can't lose anyone else!" she cried, tears rising in her eyes. She gazed at him, bright light wavering in her pupils, the tears slowly spilling. "I can't lose
anyone anymore, I can't!"
      Eriol was taken aback for a moment at the sudden fierceness in her face. And it only made him want to save her all the more. He smiled at her sadly, understanding her. "We're going to make it so that you never lose anyone ever again."
      Tomoyo stared at him, stunned into silence. And then anger crossed her face, pure, painful anger. She pulled away from him, glaring at him, at his outstretched arm before him and turned away, leaving the room swiftly.
      Eriol gazed after her, mouth closing, jaw tightening. With a shake of his head he turned to face the group once more, lifting eyes to everyone and realizing they all stared back with the same sorrowful expression.
      "Let's figure it out, here and now. And we'll get it over with at last," he said firmly.
      Syaoran nodded.



      The night was quiet. He heard the faintness of crickets outside, the sound of the wind blowing gently. But no noise anywhere throughout the house. Perhaps Xiao Lang was taking his advice and getting some sleep. He was going to need it for the Time Card. Early in the morning they were going to test it out and see if his descendant was strong enough to bear the mantle of Card Master.
      And see if he was strong enough to change Destiny.
      His door opened slowly and he turned his head along his arms propped under his neck. His eyes caught sight of a slender figure slowly floating toward his bed and he sat up onto his rear, straining to make out a face in the darkness.
      The figure sat next to him on his bed, small pale hands clasping at her knees cautiously.
      Eriol gazed at the dark hair, falling in long waves to rest along her shoulders and hanging down to her ribs. Deep mysterious eyes stared right back, unblinking. He exhaled and smiled sadly, keeping his hands on his lap but wanting to reach out and tangle his fingers in those long curls. "You don't have to say it," he whispered, feeling that anything louder was just too cruel to the setting. "I know."
      Tomoyo leaned forward and she placed her hands over his, allowing him to hold her weight. He would always be there to hold her, support her and carry her through. "You don't know," she said faintly, her breath warm against his cheek as she rested it against his. "You don't know what I feel for you because I never told you. Because I didn't want to
ever be happy again and you always made me happy. Always." She inhaled deeply and slowly rested her head against his collar, dark eyes focusing but not understanding the night table beside the bed. "Half the time I didn't know whether to love you because you wanted to love me, or turn you away because you had no right to do so."
      Eriol slowly bent his head, feeling silky strands of her hair caress his lips.
      "And now, I don't want you to go." She closed her eyes, inhaling his scent. The bare skin of his shoulder was warm underneath her cheek and he smelled clean. Like Eriol. She swallowed, wanting to take in all of him as something to remember him by. Because she felt, in her heart that he wouldn't be coming back from this. Neither would Syaoran. "I'm scared to let you go."
      Eriol shook his head sadly, eyes focusing on her shoulder beneath his chin, at the way her hair shone in the moonlight. "You never held on," he whispered, finding it difficult to be with her like this. "And I wanted you to, so badly."
      "I'm holding on now," she said into his ear urgently, wanting him to understand. "I'm holding on now, Eriol, don't you feel me? Please don't let go now. Not now." She pulled back a bit, resting her forehead against his and his eyes were closed, breathing slowly becoming labored. "Eriol…"
      He shook his head again, to shush her and then he was turning his face, pressing his lips to hers desperately. His hands lifted at last, cupping her face tightly to his, not willing to let her go.
      She returned his kiss, arms winding around his neck, pulling him closer as if trying to mold their bodies into one. And tears fell from her closed eyes, trailing down her cheeks to her lips and her jaw. His fingers wiped them away, caressing her soft skin with his fingertips and he pulled away from her mouth to press a kiss to her forehead, eyes slowly opening to focus on the moon outside, immaculate and beautiful. As stunning as the woman he held in his arms.
      She was sobbing softly, her forehead leaning against his mouth, limbs trembling as she wept.
      He gazed at the moon for another moment, blinking when his vision swam. And he slowly pulled his lips away, gazing down at her. "I have to let go," he murmured sorrowfully, his hands falling to knead the tense muscles of her back, stroking her bare skin.
      "Not yet," she whispered, swallowing the rest of her sobs. "Not until we part. Not until then. I want to stay with you until I can't anymore."
      He nodded faintly to himself, hand lifting to smooth back her hair from her temple to allow him to kiss her forehead once more. And then he slid over on the bed, lying back down and taking her with him, enveloping her in his arms.
      She lay down beside him, cheek resting on his chest, breath still a bit rapid. She cuddled close, lifting her hand and clasping his tightly. And only then did she feel sleep behind her eyelids, reaching for her to claim her. She blinked, feeling unfocused in her skin but at home in his arms.
      "I love you," he said quietly, gazing up at the ceiling, at the reflection of the moon along the surface. And he realized it hurt that she didn't say it back. But he understood that one day, when things were back the way they should have been, he would hear her say it and it would lift him above the clouds in the sky.
      He went to sleep with that lovely picture in his head, the vision following him into his dreams.
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All images and works done/altered by ShiNoFuriko and TasogareBan. Please do not steal and always give credit to where it is due.