• Scarred back, gouged eye, and lame leg. All constant reminders of those days in Tokyo. All stood for the loss of a friend and the gain of a mutual indifference.

    Yet… They did not regret what they did. It could have been him in their place. Him, bearing all three wounds. The three knew he would have done the same for them.

    Protected a loved one

    Helped someone in need

    Tried to save one soul

    He would have done it all in the blink of an eye with no hesitation. As they observed their battle scars, they knew it was inevitable.

    They were never destined to save him.

    After his painful departure, one had to think. Was that really all it took to tear this family apart?

    The mommy hating the daddy for saving him.

    The daddy brooding over losing both the mommy and the son.

    The daughter crying over the son.

    In the world of Infinity, sitting in the cold lonely room, the ‘replacement’ nodded. Deep down, there was no hope for any of them. It had all fallen apart the minute he changed and no longer had a heart.

    No matter if Kurogane thought, ‘If only I were stronger…’

    No matter if Fai thought, ‘If only I told them...’

    No matter if Sakura thought, ‘If only I said I love you…’

    No matter if Syaoran thought, ‘If only I didn’t hesitate…’

    Their radiant angel of hope had fallen. Tainted and corrupted by the evil man who haunted their journey. Fueled their vengeance.

    Scared back, gouged eye, lame leg, and existence. All constant reminders of what they lost. Family, friend, hope, inner peace.

    ___________________________________________

    Scarred Back


    He never thought the kid would ever do this. Never suspected such drastic change of heart. But as the boy held the mage by his collar, chewing his eye, Kurogane knew he was gone.

    In his old ninja days, back in Suwa, he had his fair share of betrayals. But this felt different, ten times worse. His pupil, the one he spent hours training and preparing for the real fighting world, stabbed him in the back -- Almost literally.

    Grabbing hold of the mage and forcefully hurling the boy into the wall, he heard the loud snap. It was almost unbearable. He turned his back to protect the mage from the kid's magic blow. His back now bleeding profusely, he turned back to face the boy.

    ‘Kurogane-san… Could you teach me to use a sword?’

    He couldn’t believe this was the same boy. The same drunk, way-too-honest, naive boy.

    ”Don’t you hear me, kid!?

    The kid who fought by his side in so many countries.

    The boy who wanted to protect those dear to him.

    The one who painfully reminded him of himself.

    ‘I want to protect everyone.’

    ___________________________________________

    Gouged Eye


    Fai wouldn’t allow it.

    ‘That soul is yours. It’s something you and Sakura-chan, and everyone who loves you made. You mustn’t lose it!’

    He did the best he could. He really did.

    But it wasn’t enough.

    Fai was thrown back by his own magic and the instability of Syaoran’s soul.

    ‘Syaoran-kun?’ He felt a force hit his chin and knock him to the ground.

    Syaoran’s fingers wrapped around his throat, harshly yet lovingly. ‘Your eyes are the source of your magic, right? I will need them to get the feathers back.’

    Fai’s eyes widened. This was the boy who fought everyday for the one he loves? The happy child that blushed tomato-red when Sakura-chan was near? The one who timidly smiled and laughed as though he would be punished for it?

    As his left eye was ripped out, the pain was excruciating. It was just too much. Physically, emotionally, mentally. Just too much. Fai slipped into unconsciousness.

    Love is a terrible thing, isn’t it? In any form.

    When Fai came to his first thought was how unfair life was and how much he hated it. Such a pointless thing.

    Love in its purest form couldn’t survive it. Why should he try to find it? He glared at the red-eyed man.

    It was then we realize that Fai no longer saw the world for all it was. He knew that there was bad but good prevailed as well. Now he only saw one side of it. The painful, hate-filled side through his impaired vision.

    _________________________________________

    Lame Leg


    Sakura now realized just how much she depended on Syaoran. Yes she knew she needed him but now she knew just how much.

    The bodies littered the world they landed in. Buildings were in ruin. Much like the ones in Tokyo. Fire burned.

    ‘Why? If it wasn’t for that feather he wouldn’t have come either…’

    He became her support. Someone who helped her walk through their journey. She couldn’t believe that he, that kind gentle boy who risked his life for her, smiled for her, could cause such destruction and chaos. Such sorrow.

    Without him no memories would have returned to her. The warm feeling she felt when he was around would never exist. She would have died and become an empty shell.

    Now that he really was gone that’s how she felt. Empty and dead.

    Without him she just couldn’t… wouldn’t go on. She tried, oh, did she try. But like her lame leg, she needed support, a brace, to help her along.

    The new Syaoran wasn’t enough but he would have to do. Just until she could leave on her own and find him, this boy would have to do.

    _______________________________________

    Existence


    He cursed his existence. After all it had been his fault any of this happened. It was his fault that he existed as well.

    He looked to his ‘companions’, his ‘friends’. Each of them miserable for their own reasons. Reasons ultimately leading to him and his other self. His presence only making it worse, his existence openly mocking the horrors they witnessed back in Tokyo.

    He watched the two who seemed to have suffered the most, Sakura and Fai, retire to bed. Sakura always avoided his gaze. As if he was some diseased pest. Fai smiled but it never quite reached his eye. Of course, he couldn’t blame them. They shouldn't be here. But, because he was too late, they were.

    Later as he sat in his room, the moon shining in. Head in his hands, the weight of the world on his shoulders, crushing him. He murmured, more to himself than to the others…

    ‘Everything will be alright.’

    __________________________________


    The one Kurogane fought valiantly by.

    The one Fai saw the world as a good place by.

    The one Sakura felt safe and supported by.

    The one Syaoran thought could save the worlds by.

    The one who swiftly and with little hesitation stabbed Sakura, knocked Kurogane and Fai to the cold ground, and dragged Syaoran to his death.

    ‘It was an honest mistake.’