A/N: The shidarezakura, or weeping cherry, has branches that fall like those of a weeping willow, bearing cascades of pink flowers (with five petals). – From Wikipedia's page on Cherry Blossoms.

There are some mentions of the TRC Subaru, Kamui and Seishirou, but it's related to the shop and xxxHolic anyway. Hence the categories. It's not crazy enough to go into CLAMP x-overs.

This chapter was also written for the 5,10,20,50,70,100 fandom challenge, for fandoms 14 (TB) and 15 (xxxHolic).

shidarezakura

Prologue

He had never actually met the Seishirou and Subaru that existed in the world he had once lived within, but he knew they had once existed on that plane. A woman had come to Yuuko once – in a sense; it was perhaps wrong to consider a sixteen year old a woman, and yet she could not be mistaken for a child when her firm steps walked towards a foreseen end. He had once said that children were innocent, and perhaps he was not incorrect; Yuuko had countered his argument in telling him the girl he spoke of intentionally led him across the spiritual plane – but she could have easily rebuked his definition of a child. Perhaps she had; only an adult could walk towards death of their own will. Only an adult could truly wish for it.

He knew their story though, that of Sakurazuka Seishirou and Sumeragi Subaru. And that of the Seishirou and Subaru met by Syaoran and his friends. Kamui had been a little luckier in that reincarnation, if only because the fate of his own world had long since been taken off his shoulders. But Seishirou and Subaru…it seemed there was always blood between them. Tying them together. Separating them. The extent varied (he'd seen more, but the extent always differed) but the principle of the matter remained the same.

He watched them all, curiously but dispassionately. They were all far away. They wished – they wished desperately one might say – but never did they cross the threshold into his shop and ask for that wish to be granted. And until one of the pair did so, he could do nothing. Nothing at all.

It did no good at all if a third party came instead. In fact, all Sumeragi Hokuto had managed was to destabilise the influence of that third party.

The lines had shifted a little. The circle though remained intact. And around it went once again. And would continue…until the circle broke.

And here was another round of that loop.