Welcome to the long put-off sequel to 'the sacrifices made for the one you care about most'! It will not make sense unless you go back and read the first, so please do! This chapter is short like the beginning of the first story, but they will get longer... Anyway... Enjoy! I own nothing! And also, I didn't send this to my proof reader, Walroose, because she started collage recently and I don't waTT to bother her...

You never know what you have until you loose it, that's what they say, right? It's not true. You don't truly know what you have until it's slipping slowly between your fingers until you can no longer do anything to pull it back to you. In all honesty, I, even though I went through all of that, I still don't know what I had. It all happened too fast. I don't know what it would have been like if I hadn't lost him that way. If I had gotten the opportunity to have him as my own. if I would have been able to see him every day and feel what I only realised I felt as it was all coming to its inevitable end. would we still be together now? Would I have been able to openly admit that I was in love with him to the others? Would he still love me? Would I still love him? I have asked myself these questions day after day for the past year and I don't know how to answer them. to tell the truth it doesn't really matter. I only wish I could have had the chance to have even a single day with him by my side, just being together. I wasn't even allowed that. Fate is a cruel thing.

Another sunny day in Nihon. It wasn't a surprise, after all it was usually this way this time of year, yet the mere fact that even the weather was the same as that day caused the pain to sting all the more fresh, as if salt had been rubbed into reopened wounds Kurogane's chest. Today was the first anniversary of the day he had lost the person he loved. As the raven haired man stood under the Sakura tree, that ever since Fai's passing had taken on a whole new significance, painful memories ran through his mind, causing the pain only to deepen a hundredfold.

In his hand, Kurogane gripped a small glass bottle. It wasn't just any bottle, this bottle he had cherished for the past year, this jar contained a single lock of Fai's perfectly preserved hair. It was the last memento he had of the blonde. His eyes were glued to the sight of the grave as he squeezed the bottle in his hand. Over the months the grass had grown pack and it was near impossible to tell where the actual grave was. The only was Kurogane knew was because every day he had returned here and placed a single flower on the place where Fai had been laid to rest. Every day for the past year.

Not only that, but on all of those days he had missed the way things were like while he had been traveling and aiding in finding the princesses feathers, but there was no way he would have been able to continue along side them. without Fai with him it would only be more, unnecessary pain that Kurogane would never be prepared to deal with, so instead, he continued to repeat his repetitive life, wishing things hadn't ended the way that they had.

It was pathetic of him really. Others had said things would get better, that he would be able to move on in no time. What a heap of lies. The pain had never lessened and the thought of moving on had never once crossed Kurogane's mind. He didn't want to move on. He wanted his Fai, that was all he had wanted from the moment he had lost him.

He wanted the Fai he came to love. The man who was all at once both brave and a coward, both hiding and seeking, both waiting and searching, both afraid to hurt other and afraid to be hurt. All in all, Fai had been a mess, though he had every right to be. He was distant at times, but he only wished the best for everyone else. It hadnt been until the end that Kurogane had realised it but Fai was a very fragile man. His mentle started had been shattered numerous times and had been very poorly reassembled because he had done it all on his own. No gloved ones to help him. He hat Kurogane would have done to be able to be the one to fix him.

As much as he wanted to, he couldn't stand there all day. Kurogane knew this but he wasn't happy about it. Tomoyo had told him to meet he at the main entrance of the estate at midday. She had not mentioned why but she had been insistant on it. Sadly it'd was almost midday now but Kurogane didn't want to move. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to tear away. It was almost ten minutes until he finally turned his back on the grave. He would return later to burn more incense, but for now he had to leave.

he walked away slowly, kind still clouded by memories or the mage. He found it hard to believe that it had really been a year since had seen his face other than in his mind. To say he ever thought he could forget would be a lie. Fai wasn't the kind of person he could forget, nor was he someone he wished to forget.

As he came closer to the main entrance of the estate, he could see Tomoyo there, of course accompanied by many guards to assure her safety. At the present moment they all seemed to be gathered around something that Kurogane couldn't see past all the people. He couldn't help be slightly curious as he got closer to the back of the group.

"It seems he finally made it." Tomoyo turned in his direction with a smile. "You're late Kurogane."

"yeah, yeah, I know." He waved it off. "I didn't want to come in the first place."

"Oh, Kurogane, how rude of you to say so I front of them after they came so far see just to see you." There was a mocking tone in her voice that Kurogane sadly knew all to well by now.

he rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Who exactly are these people and where are they? I have no idea why I'm even here!" He growled. He really wasn't in the mood from there's games.

"You'll see." She smirked before turning around again. "Let them through, I'm sure they are anxious to see him properly."

The guards nodded obediently and began to separate to allow the newcomers to enter. As the separated stow people stepped through to meet him.

"Kurogane!" familiar voices called out in unison.

The ravin haired man's eyes widened at the sight. There before him stood Syaoran, Sakura, and Mokona, looking hardly changed since the moment they left.

Kurogane had no chance to react before Sakura ran to him, throwing his arms around him in an embrace and Mokona landed jumped onto his shoulder and kissed his cheek repeatedly. Both were rambling on about having missed him but Kurogane had completely zoned out. He was shocked to say the least.

but the shocks weren't over yet. His eyes widened at the sound of another familiar voice.

"so this is the mysterious Kurogane you've told me about?"

Kurogane looked up in disbelief at the man who had before now gone unnoticed.

"Fai!?"