A/N: This my friends is what I promised you all.
Enjoy!
"…and so the next day they said their goodbyes and the boy and his guardian left."
"But couldn't he stay with her for a little bit longer?" little Anya asked, her innocent eyes wide as she pouted.
"He could but then he would have disappeared," she answered with a soft chuckle, her emerald eyes sparkling with life.
"But the princess did not want that."
"No she didn't" I heard her agree, "So she let him go."
"But that's not a very happy ending." Anya crossed her arms as her little brow furrowed in confusion. Her chocolate-colored hair caught the last rays of the setting sun as the blood-red rays filtered into the room.
"Oh but the story is not finished yet." Her tinkling laughter echoed across the halls.
"Really?" Anya gave a wide grin, a couple of her front teeth missing. She had lost her milk teeth only last week. In an accidental fall from the tree she was climbing and had cried a lot. But the tooth fairy had visited her and she was all sunshine and rainbows once again.
"Yes," Sakura answered, "They still have to meet each other again."
The young princess looked expectantly at the older one but the latter just shook her head. "That is a story for another time. Now it is time for this little princess to get to bed."
"But I wanna know what happens next." The young girl tried giving her an innocent puppy pout.
"Anya, it's time for bed." A handsome brown haired man with intense stormy grey eyes strode into the room, dressed in regal robes.
"But Otuo-san," the seven year old princess turned the force of her pout on her father.
"Come now Anya, Obaa-san needs to rest."
Hearing this, her own grey-eyes, that she had inherited from her father, looked at Sakura only now noticing her tired face, though Sakura's eyes still sparkled.
"Okay. Goodnight Obaa-san," she ran towards the bed where the elderly woman lay, hugging her tightly before bouncing off the bed. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight Anya," Sakura patted her head with a wrinkled hand as the princess beamed at her before bounding out of the room.
"Okaa-san," the grey-eyed man sat down on the side of her bed, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Shiroi," she gave him a tired smile.
"Are you sure?" he asked one more time, worry etched onto his features.
"It's alright," she smiled again, softly. They way she always does when she doesn't want others to worry about her. No matter how old she gets, she'll never change.
"But Fai oji-san-" he started to say but she cut him off. "I know. But it's not like I won't see him again."
-0-
The warm rays of the sun hit my face the minute I stepped out of the building. I cast one look over my shoulder towards the one place that had been my home for almost a year if not more.
I knew this was the last time I was going to be looking at that structure. After all we were leaving today. With Syaoran and Kurogane having moved on and Akira having been dealt with, we could finally go too.
But first, I had to find Sakura. I had an idea of where she might be but I decided to wander around for a little while since I also knew why she would be there. After a couple of hours of aimless walking, I finally decided to head towards my final destination.
I walked past a woman with her ten year old son near the gates, the boy clutching a bouquet of white flowers in his hands as they too made their way down the well kept path. I found her exactly where I knew I had thought she would be. Standing near the mound of freshly dug earth. There were flowers near the grave marker. And little wreath resting on top of the marker itself.
"He's finally at peace," she whispered when I stopped just a couple of feet away from her.
"Yes." I smiled a little, watching his final resting place. "He is."
She had finally come here. When she was discharged from the hospital, Syaoran's spirit had been with her. And she had refused to come here all this time for that very reason. She refused to believe it. Or rather she felt like if she came here, it would make the truth undeniable. He could never go back to the way he was.
She wanted him with her.
I could understand that.
And I suppose so did Syaoran.
And Kurogane.
But now seeing her here, I couldn't help but smile.
She was no longer running away from reality.
She was finally ready.
"It's not like you'll never meet him again," I said, stepping closer to stand by her side.
"I know." She nodded, her eyes strangely dry but they were no longer dull and lifeless. "We'll meet again someday."
"And knowing Syaoran-kun," I chuckled lightly, "he'll be waiting for you."
A smile graced her lips as she looked at me.
-0-
"You can come out now, Fai-san," I heard her soft voice. Looking up I realized that she was alone. Shiroi, her adopted son and current ruler of Clow had left while I had been reminiscing. We had left for Clow that day. Touya of course had been overjoyed to see his little sister, even if he didn't show it. He had been a little surprised to not see Syaoran by her side.
Sakura still got upset but those times were few and far in between. And after the king of Clow, Touya had learnt of everything that had happened, he had been right there by her side, same as me. Offering comfort to our distraught princess.
But she finally got over it all. She didn't marry of course and when the question of heirs for the throne arose, Shiroi had been the lucky boy that was adopted by the kind princess. Touya never pressurized his sister to marry some prince from one of the neighboring countries and Shiroi was treated like his own nephew.
He had handed over the throne to Sakura once she was twenty-five. Said that was what his 'little monster' was supposed to do anyways.
"Hello Sakura-chan." I gave her my usual cheery grin as I stepped through the curtains walked over to her bed. She looked so frail and tired with long, grey hair, loose wrinkled skin but her eyes were still twinkled and her lips still stretched into that heartwarming smile.
She might have grown, but for me, she always the little Sakura-chan I had travelled with. The same Sakura I had comforted innumerable times, including that time five years ago, when Touya had passed on in his sleep.
"Why are you still here?" I missed the smile she always gave me when she saw me. She was openly frowning at me.
"What?" I gasped in mock-hurt, "Sakura-chan doesn't like to see me anymore."
"It's not that Fai-san," she shook her head, her lips upturning at my antics despite her continuous struggles to keep them straight. "You shouldn't be here."
I look away, watching instead the grand twin tower like ruins, standing proudly in the desert. The ruins. The place where everything started.
"Fai-san." She sighed.
"I didn't want to leave," I admitted. "You'd be all alone then."
"Weren't you the one that once said I would meet everyone again?"
I said nothing. Because I knew what she wanted. But like I had admitted all those years ago.
I'm selfish.
If I left now, she would truly be alone. I couldn't do that. Not to her. Not to my princess.
"I won't be long." She smiled.
"Sakura-chan…"
"Tell Syaoran I said hi. The same with Kurogane-san, Tomoyo-chan and Touya nii-san."
I could only stare at her while she kept on giving me that contented smile.
"You should go now. I'm pretty sure there are people there waiting for you too."
A sense of serenity washed over me, an unknown warmth filling my entire being as I felt my surroundings fade.
"I'll see you soon."
That was the last thing she said.
-0-
A relaxed sigh escaped my lips as I slept. Suddenly I felt like I was floating. Flying. Away from all the worries. The pains. Away from everything.
It was suddenly like I was liberated. No longer bound to this earth but completely free. Like a bird. Like something that was no longer bound by restrictions. I was soaring among the stars. Millions of beautiful, sparkling diamonds all around me. Lighting my way as I glided past them. towards my destination.
A familiar warmth was enveloping my heart the closer I got. I could feel him.
He was there.
Waiting for me.
Just like he had promised.
Just like he had promised me all those years ago.
I had kept my own promise to him. I had lived my life to the fullest. So it came as no surprise to me when I realized that he was still waiting for me.
Syaoran always kept his promises after all.
I feel the serenity and the peace, the happiness wash over me. The warmth enveloping me as the world grew smaller. I smiled.
I was finally there. Looking down at my feet I could see the pitch black floor, littered with the billions and billions of sparkling gems, the most beautiful and breathtaking assortments and arrangements, colorful glowing clouds of gas, the spiral discs formed by clusters of heavenly bodies.
There were fluffy, wispy clouds swirling around my feet, every step I took would send them forming beautiful spirals with sometimes the stars twinkling and shining right inside them. There was a soft, glow everywhere. I looked above and I could see a sparkling azure sky, with stunning spiral shaped glowing orbs providing the light.
It was then that I heard him.
That voice I had waited so long to hear again.
Sakura.
My heart stilled as everything around me froze.
The sky, the stars, the clouds, everything.
Slowly, hesitantly, I turned around and there he was.
Smiling warmly and tenderly, just the way he used to. His beautiful amber eyes were full of love and tenderness as he gazed at me.
My breath caught in my throat as I just stood there. Gaping at him like an idiot. But I couldn't help it.
He was finally there.
I mean I was finally here.
Or maybe we both were.
Syaoran? My own voice sounded so uncertain to my ears. But he kept smiling.
He never vanished. He never disappeared.
I rubbed my eyes and I think I heard him laugh.
I wasn't dreaming.
This was real.
You're here. I breathed.
I promised I'd wait for you.
Without waiting to hear another word, I launched at him, bringing him to ground with me; the white smoke drifting away in the curly wisps like before.
You're here. I repeated myself, feeling the reassuring firmness of his muscles beneath my skin. He earthen like scent assaulted my nose as I buried my face in his chest, hugging him laughing and crying at the same time. I was mumbling like an incoherent idiot. But I couldn't care less.
We were finally together. And nothing could separate us again.
Ever.
I've missed you. I whispered, finally looking up to meet his gaze, tears of joy still streaming down my face. I've missed you so much.
I've missed you too. He answered, his honest gaze burning me.
We both stayed in that position, doing nothing. Just drinking in each others' presence.
He leaned towards me just as I leaned towards him, our eyes never leaving the others'. Everything in the world felt just right at that moment.
This was it.
The happy ending I had promised my granddaughter that the princess in the stories I told her would have.
And as we kissed, I knew that no other ending could have been more perfect.
-0-
"Aww, wouldn't you say that is the cutest thing you have ever seen." Cooed Tomoyo as she watched her old friends reunite after so many years.
"Tch, sure." Kurogane grunted from his place next to her.
"Sure they do." Touya rolled his eyes at the same time, as he crossed his arms watching the heartwarming scene play out before him.
"Hyuu." Fai's fake whistle resonated in the still air. "They still look so good together."
"You got that right." Masooma laughed along with him.
None of them moved to greet the princess. There was eternity ahead of them all for catching up and greeting her. For now, they were all just content with the way things were.
After all, why ruin something so wonderful and utterly perfect?
No.
For now.
They would let the two long separated lovers reunite.
-0-
A/N: To those who have been with Dead since its beginnings, to those who joined along the way, to those who might read it after its completion and to those who have followed my writings from previous stories….
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
This is the final chapter of Dead. The epilogue. (A happy ending where everyone dies. :D )
As much as it saddens me to say this, this my dear friends is the end. I love you all for all your words of encouragement and the wonderful reviews.
Once again, Thanks me amigos.
This is Nims Dias-angelovdarkness.
PS. If you guys loved this story then please go ahead and check out a few of my other fics. "Shattered Secrets" is most probably gonna be the one that will be updated regularly but not to worry, I haven't forgotten about the other fics either so expect updates on most of them since I my friends am now, FREEEEE!
For two whole months. Oh Yeah! Vacations are here! *dances a little* Excuse the weirdness on my part cuz seriously people I am very excited. No more waking up early in the morning for me. :D
Ciao!