Summary: The sunlight of day is welcomed into the hearts of most people, but in others the humble warmth is shunned. Syaoran Li is engulfed in total darkness when his parents die. He permits no sunlight to pass through the opaque walls he's constructed about himself. Sakura Kinomoto is just the embodiment of the large burning star; cheerful and carefree. Though seemingly polar opposites, their parallel lives intersect in more ways than one. The sun can only penetrate the soul as deep as a person allows.

Italics: Thoughts

"Regular": Talking

Regular: Normal Text

Sunlight

Chapter 17

The Horizon

Syaoran, lifeless as a statue, stood alone underneath a weeping willow tree located in a graveyard, a solemn ground speckled with ended lives. He stared at the gravestones and read the names of the dearly departed. Kinomoto was a surname to which he owed his own life. It was a debt he could never repay. Without her, his life was a game of cat, mouse and revenge that could never satisfy him in the end.

After that night in the woods, Redan's confession to murder and the kidnapping charges of him and his son, Yakushi, landed them both in jail. (Redan for the rest of his life.)

It wasn't a perfect ending – Redan never squealed on his Boss; therefore, Syaoran was not restored as head of his late father's company, but a man as changed as him did not see the world through the same lens. Again, he glanced down at the Kinomoto headstones.

"Hello Syaoran," greeted Tomoyo as she approached with flowers in one arm and Eriol wrapped in the other.

"Hey Tomoyo, Eriol," returned Syaoran, reaching out to shake Eriol's hand. Tomoyo pulled him into a hug when he extended his arm.

"I think I've earned the right to hug you after … everything we've been through," said Tomoyo. Syaoran nodded silently.

"So … how are things? It's been a while since we last saw you." Tomoyo leaned into Eriol, intertwining her hand in his. Syaoran saw this and his own hand itched to hold the petite, delicate fingers of a certain girl.

"Oh, nothing really. How was England?"

"Eriol's parents hate me but that's okay, my mom doesn't like him either," stated Tomoyo wryly, recalling detested memories.

"I told you it was a bad idea, but no, you wanted to meet them. Syaoran, don't you remember me telling her my parents are evil bigots?" Eriol beseeched his friend to verify.

"I do remember something about them being controlling, stuck-up and snobby. Oh, and that they already have some girl picked out for you to marry."

"Exactly, thank you!" said Eriol. "See? Even Syaoran knows."

"I thought my dazzling personality and beauty would change their minds. I mean, who couldn't love me?" protested Tomoyo with a smirk. Syaoran coughed jokingly, and Tomoyo gasped at him, smacking him lightly on the shoulder. She almost dropped her bouquet of flowers and decided to lay them on the grave without further ado.

"It's been a year almost …" commented Syaoran after a moment, his light-hearted demeanor gradually sucked dry by the cemetery atmosphere. Tomoyo and Eriol now wore equally somber expressions.

"You can't keep dwelling on the past," said Tomoyo softly, earnestly imploring Syaoran to reconsider his current train of thought.

"I know … but if I hadn't … if not for me, Sakura would –"

"Since she's not here right now, I guess I'll say it. Syaoran, it's not your fault." Tomoyo imitated Sakura with a patented finger wag, causing Syaoran to grin despite his frustration.

"Syaoran, you are such an idiot."

He turned and there she stood, radiant like the sun. She warmed him body and soul.

"I'm gone for a few days and this is what happens. Tomoyo, what am I going to do with him?"

"Sakura! How was the trip? Did Meiling give you any trouble?"

"No, Meiling was … Meiling," laughed Sakura. "And you? Both of you, what happened to the month in England? Aren't you back early?" Her head quirked to the side while Tomoyo fidgeted and Eriol smiled benevolently.

"Oookay then, act weird and don't tell me," replied Sakura with an eyebrow raised. Tomoyo caved.

"I couldn't take it anymore! His parents are horrible! Sorry Eriol, no offense," explained Tomoyo.

"None taken. I actually agree," he shrugged. Sakura looked back and forth between them.

"I guess you didn't tell them about the engagement," hypothesized Sakura.

They shook their heads and Eriol said, "We decided to wait for the right time."

"You're both chickens," chuckled Syaoran.

"Oh? And what about you?" Sakura rounded on him. "You won't let me tell Meiling that we're living together."

"That – that's completely different. If she knew we were living together, she'd never let me hear the end of it. Not to mention she'd come visit more often. I love my cousin, but … no, not going to happen." Syaoran crossed his arms in defense.

Sakura's eyes twinkled as she looked at him, her face crinkling in a smile he found irresistible. Five days without her was more than enough. He slipped his hand over hers and held tightly. It was natural for them to be together. It was fate. It was love.

Eriol and Tomoyo said their goodbyes, making plans for all of them to meet for dinner tonight. Sakura said hello to her loved ones and before long, the two of them were walking home as well.

"I thought you wouldn't be here until later," admitted Syaoran. "I was going to meet you at the airport."

"I caught an earlier flight – I wanted to surprise you," her lips pouted, "but when I got home, you weren't even there."

"Sorry, will you forgive me?" he asked playfully.

"I don't know …" she trailed off, looking away and teasing him.

Without warning, he scooped her up in his arms and held her there. Sakura protested through laughter that he put her down as they were on a crowded street and everyone was pointing and gawking.

"Not until you forgive me," he demanded. "I don't care who's watching."

"I forgive you, I forgive you!" She squealed mirthfully, her feet retouching the ground. Her face was red with embarrassment.

After a couple minutes, Sakura brought up the taboo topic. "Hey, are you still … upset about … what happened that night?"

Syaoran's grip changed around her hand and she knew he blamed himself still.

"Listen, Syaoran, I didn't die. I'm fine."

Because Redan used the same poison on Syaoran's parents, it gave the hospital an advantage. A tentative antidote, concocted after many trial errors by the medical community, was administered. Even with the treatment, Sakura didn't recover for some time.

"You were in a coma for two months, Sakura, I hardly call that fine."

Sakura swallowed at the harsh word: coma. She talked around the word as much as possible, but Syaoran was a direct person by nature.

"You're right. I lost two months of my life because of Redan's poison, but I didn't lose my life. That's a big difference. And you had nothing to do with it. I was the one who let my guard down."

"But if you hadn't come with me that night. If you hadn't gotten caught up in my wrong decisions. If you hadn't met me, none of this would have happened."

"None of this would have happened, huh? Well then I regret nothing. True, never meeting you would have spared me a stay in the hospital, but I'll never change a thing. Even if I had a time machine, I wouldn't dream of it. The past brought us together."

Syaoran stopped her in the middle of the street, people passing by on either side to dodge the obstruction in their path.

"How is it that you can say all the right things at just the right time?" With that, he leaned in to kiss the girl who spared his past, saved his present and was his future.

Rika's wedding occurred the following month. Sakura was a bridesmaid, and Syaoran made funny faces from the crowd to make her laugh. She didn't look at him the rest of the ceremony.

At the reception, Sakura admonished his childish behavior, forcing him to dance as punishment.

Surprisingly, Syaoran was an impeccable dancer. Sakura's fumbling steps were covered by his lead.

"Are there any more hidden talents I should know about?" she teased.

"Just one." His serious face threw off her rhythm, and she stumbled on her dress.

"I'm an amazing singer."

She eyed him skeptically. "I thought it was going to be something more … dramatic."

Syaoran shook his head and preached in a serious manner, "Do you know what happens when you assume? You make an ass out of you and me."

"Is that so?" There was a mischievous glint in her eye. She cast a defiant look at Syaoran as she walked away. Not until she was talking to the DJ did he realize what she was planning. He scowled in her direction. She wagged her fingers cheerfully.

"And now we have a special request by Sakura. Syaoran, come up here and sing us a little song."

Tomoyo and Eriol found him fleeing the crowd, and Tomoyo towed him into the spotlight. Sakura winked at him when the microphone found his palm.

Syaoran purposefully chose a duet and Sakura was forced on stage as well. She laughed at his weak, not-amazing voice and awed the crowd with her beautiful one.

When finished, the couple took a bow – excited by their bright life ahead and anxious to spend the rest of their lives together.

The radiant sun gives true light which, even in the darkness of night, refracts upon the luminous moon. There will always be a light in the darkness, ready and waiting to save a wayward soul in want of guidance.

Syaoran realized that Sakura was the warmth he would protect at all costs from the frigid darkness.

A/N: El FIN! Te gusta? Lo siento, I'm taking spanish right now. I know I said I would update quickly but I've come to realize that things never happen how you plan. They just happen. Anyway, I hope this finale was satisfactory and that my whole story wasn't a chore to read. Part of the reason it took me so long to update was that I wanted to write the perfect ending. After much thought, no endings that weren't corny/bad struck me. It really is true that you are your worst critic, so remember not to be so hard on yourself! Haha, I sound like a fortune cookie.

*tear*tear* This is the end people. I'm so happy that I finally finished. I feel so accomplished.

I just have one question: When you started reading, did you think that Sakura had passed away? I wanted so hard to give the end a twist and shock the reader. I don't know. Maybe it just confused you. I find that my thoughts don't always translate well. lol

~ Radiant Sun ~

PS - Look out for more stories.

PPS - Did you catch why I named this chapter The Horizon? (because that's where the light and dark meet when the sun sets and we look to the horizon as a sign of continuation - like how Sakura and Syaoran are going to continue their lives together) I just wanted to share that with you b/c I was amazed by my own poetic-ness