This story is about C!Sakura and C!Syaoran and contains spoilers for chapters 221, 222 and 223. So if you haven't read them and get upset with spoilers go away and come back when you have read them! If you read it without having read these chapters, don't flame me 'cause I warned you.

I'm a little worried about the characters being OOC. The reason for this is due to the fact that I believe that an individual has a basic nature, but they are also products of the environment in which they grow up in. So if they are OOC it's because of their different backgrounds. But if you think that they are too OOC, please let me know and I will try to rectify it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the twenty volumes of Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE sitting on my bookshelf and… and… nothing else.

The story starts about half way through chapter 222. Enjoy.

Explaining Hitsuzen

By Shahar Mystral

As Sakura tried to find the right words to explain to Fuu that the sakura blossoms reminded her of the person she was looking for, Sakura suddenly felt a tingling race through her body. In that moment she suddenly knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was nearby. Turning around she saw a pair of feet descend down a nearby stair case.

Her eyes widened in disbelief and tears welled up as she raised her hands to her mouth as a figure of an unforgettable young man was revealed.

Sakura held her breath as his familiar chocolate brown eyes widened in surprise before settling into the achingly familiar smile.

For a moment, it was all that she could do to try and remember to breathe as she realised that witch's promise had been true. She was finally able to meet the person who had overwhelmed her memories.

She had found her other half. All her fears that she might never find him, or that her memories of her past life were just a dream were banished the moment he smiled at her.

She was unable to stop the tears of joy that welled up, just as she was unable to stop herself from running towards him and into his arms.

He took her weight completely as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I've finally found you," she whispered joyously as he gathered her to him.

"Yes it's been so long." He whispered back, making her tremble in his arms. " But I've always believed that I would find you." He said, pulling back to look at her beaming face.

For the first time in years they were complete.

"Oh my!" Umi gasped, the shock clear in her voice. "Do you guys see what I see?" She said not taking her eyes off the scene before her. When the apparition failed to disappear she rubbed her eyes as if to banish the vision from her eyes. "I can't believe what I'm seeing."

"If you are seeing Sakura in the arms of some unknown Chinese guy, then you are seeing the same thing as me, Umi-chan." Said a stunned Hikaru, who for once had been shocked into stillness.

"She ran straight into his arms!" Fuu whispered as she took her off her glasses and whipped them clean before returning them to her face to get a better look at the hugging couple.

"Geez, and I wasn't even sure if Sakura liked boys." Hikaru muttered. "Sakura's always turned down every guy who's asked her out."

"Well she clearly likes him." Umi commented dryly. The other two nodded, their eyes wide as they look in the sight of their best friend wrapped in the arms of a stranger.

"But who is he?" Hikaru burst out after a moments silence as they took in the strange occurrence before them.

"Sakura's never mentioned knowing a Chinese guy before." Fuu said.

"Especially one so good looking."

"Hikaru!" Umi exclaimed.

"What? He is!" She said completely unrepentant. She looked at the couple before turning back to her friends with a shocked look on her face. "Oh my gosh! I just thought of something!"

"What!" The other two said in unison.

"They must have planned to meet each other here. Why else would Sakura come out here all alone?"

"I don't know…" Umi murmured. "Sakura looked pretty surprised to see him if you ask me."

"And when I asked her why she was here, she said she just wanted to see the cherry trees in bloom."

"Okay, okay, but you still haven't told me who he is."

"Believe me Hikaru if I knew, I would have told you." Umi said, exasperation building in her voice. "I'm not one to hold back tidbits of information like this."

"Where do you think they met each other?" Hikaru asked , barely pausing to take in Umi's answer.

"Why do you keep asking us? You've seen as much as we have." Umi snapped a little upset that she didn't have an explanation of what was happening before them.

"I have to ask someone." Hikaru wailed.

"Maybe they met each other in Japan then?" Fuu supplied rationally.

"Nah," Hikaru said shaking her head vehemently. "Sakura would have told us."

Umi raised an eyebrow. "So you're implying that they met each other now? That our Sakura – who never looks twice at any hot guy –would just throw herself at someone she's never met before?"

"Well, I guess not. " Hikaru said slowly, looking away from the couple.

"And if this is his first time meeting her," Fuu said quietly, "I don't think he should be holding her like that. Even if she is crying."

"What!" Hikaru screeched, her head snapping back to glare at said man. "Sakura's crying? That bastard's making Sakura cry! How dare he!" And with that she marched off up to the couple, with Umi and Fuu trailing close behind her.

Her soul finally at ease, Sakura relished the warmth that she saw in his eyes. His smile was radiant and she knew that her smile was just as wide as his. It had been so long since she had felt so safe, so cherished, so loved.

As her tears raced down her beaming checks, he pulled her back into his arms, wrapping her in his love.

"Don't cry." He whispered soothingly in her ear. "I'm here."

Sakura trembled at the feel of his strong arms around her. "I know." She sniffled.

He chuckled faintly. "I've missed you."

At this point Sakura, who had been trying to stem her tears, started crying again at his words. "Oh, I've missed you too." She cried tightening her hold on his neck as though he would disappear.

However their tender moment was broken far too soon when Hikaru's shrieking voice brought them back to the real world. "How dare you make Sakura cry you… you… disgusting deceitful… horrid…little… green… slime ball!"

Sakura just caught the muttered words, "Green slime ball?" when she jerked away from him as if she had been electrocuted.

Realising that she had just stepped away from him, she shook her head slightly before deciding that she didn't care what her friends thought. Resolutely she slipped her hand back into his, blushing slightly at her forwardness.

"Hikaru, don't say things like that about people that you don't know." She chided.

"But he is making you cry!" Hikaru said bewilderedly, before once again glaring at him.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I'm crying because I'm happy so don't you dare get upset with him."

"Oh sorry." Hikaru muttered, turning red as she looked away.

Smiling, Sakura looked up at him to make sure that Hikaru's words hadn't upset him. However her fears were unfounded when he smiled at her and he raised his free hand to wipe her tears away with his thumb.

Smiling contently at his touch, Sakura looked at her friends who immediately noticed the difference in her. Her green eyes shone with new warmth and she practically radiated peace and contentment despite her slightly red eyes. Clearly she had been telling the truth when she said that she was crying tears of joy.

"Everyone this is…" Sakura trailed off before blushing and turning back to look helplessly at him. "Um… I'm afraid I don't know what your name is?"

Hikaru, Umi and Fuu gapped.

"Are you feeling ill, Sakura?" Fuu asked, sounding horrified and worried. "Are you feeling mentally stable?"

"You don't know him?" Umi whispered, sounding faint.

"Don't you know his name, Sakura?" Hikaru burst out, the alarm in her raised voice overriding her friends horrified explanations. "But you were…you are…" she trailed off and gestured helplessly at their clasped hands.

Sakura giggled. "I'm perfect. I'm happy not sick. And I do know him." She blushed. "I'm just not sure what his name is."

His chocolate brown eyes crinkled in amusement. "My name is Xiao Lang."

Ignoring her dumbstruck friends momentarily, Sakura frowned. "Xiao Lang?" She asked slightly upset that his name had changed, while hers had not.

His smile deepened. "My name is Xiao Lang in Chinese, but in Japanese it would be Syaoran."

Sakura's hands flew to her mouth again as she hid a smile. "It didn't change." She murmured happily. "Can I still call you Syaoran?" She asked timidly.

Syaoran squeezed her hand. "You can always call me Syaoran, princess."

"I'm not a princess anymore, Syaoran." Sakura said, her emerald eyes sparkling. "My name is Sakura and I expect you to call me that."

Syaoran smiled. "You always do." Brushing a stray cherry blossom from her hair, Syaoran caressed her check. "Of course I will call you Sakura… Sakura." He said, savouring the sound of her name on his lips.

"Whoa hold on. Hikaru demanded, interrupting the moment. "What do you mean you aren't a princess anymore?" She frowned. "Are you saying that you used to be a princess?"

Sakura jumped at her slip and giggled nervously. "I'm not a princess Hikaru. It's kinda hard to explain at the moment. But that's not important, I was busy trying to introduce you guys."

"But of course you being royalty is important." Hikaru wailed. She spun round to Fuu. "Fuu you read books. What is the protocol for dealing with royalty?"

Fuu raised an eyebrow. "Well you should listen to them you are being rude."

Umi snickered as Hikaru blushed and muttered a muted apology.

Ignoring her friends, Sakura began the rest of her introductions. "Syaoran, these are my friends Fuu-chan," she gestured to her bespectacled friend, "Umi-chan," she pointed out her friend who had an innate grace and long straight hair, "and Hikaru-chan," she waved towards the shortest in the group who had been making all the fuss.

"Everyone this is Xiao Lang or Syaoran and he's my…" Sakura stumbled over the right word to describe exactly how much he meant to her. The word 'boyfriend' seemed inadequate.

"I'm her soul mate." Syaoran supplied firmly. "Pleased to meet you all." He said, bowing politely to her dumbstruck friends.

Sakura blushed prettily at his words, ecstatic that he thought so deeply of her. Just to check, however she looked back at him, seeking conformation of his words.

When Syaoran saw the flicker of uncertainty in Sakura's sparkling eyes he frowned slightly at her doubt. "There can be no other explanation for what we are, Sakura." His hand tightened on hers. "Not after all that we've gone through. We can't be anything else."

She nodded as she was once again overwhelmed by the warmth of his eyes and by the fact that she was finally staring at him in person.

He was no longer a distant memory of before her rebirth. They were finally together.

"You're right. We are soul mates."

Meanwhile, Sakura's friends had been caught up in the fantasy of their friend's love. She was in a foreign country and she just claimed to have met her soul mate who was incredibly good looking and clearly in love with their friend, if his actions were anything to go with. It was like something out of the movies.

Umi, however was the first person to snap out of their romantic daydream. Despite what Sakura and this stranger said, this sort of thing just didn't happen everyday.

"I'm sorry Sakura," she said gently. "But I've never just heard of two people just meeting and realising that they were soul mates. Even in the movies, it usually takes a while for people to realise that. You two, think that you are soul mates right off the bat. Furthermore, you claim to have just met but its clear that you have a history."

"What aren't you telling us?" Fuu said, realizing what Umi was saying was true. "Your stories just don't ring true."

"Maybe they met on an internet chat room." Hikaru speculated, before Sakura had a chance to respond. She was clearly trying to make up for her earlier social blunder. "That could explain the history but even still you are way too affectionate with one another."

Immediately Sakura and Syaoran felt the full weight of Sakura's friend's combined gazes which were filled with a mixture of wounded feelings, expectation and disapproval.

The couple looked at one another before smiling at the three girls.

"Have you ever heard of 'hitsuzen'?" Sakura asked.

"'Hitsuzen': fate, destiny, that which is not coincidence, the inevitable." Fuu supplied promptly, sounding as though she had just read it out of a dictionary.

"Are you saying that you two meeting today was fate?" Umi asked. Sakura nodded. "How can you be so sure?"

"Come, let us take a seat." Syaoran said, leading Sakura to the trunk of the blooming cherry tree. "It's a bit of a story." Sitting down, and gently pulling Sakura to sit next to him, Syaoran entwined his fingers through hers and waited for her friends to gather around, before starting his and Sakura's tale.

"Many years ago, in a country in another time and space, there was a princess. She was beautiful and loved by her people," Sakura, surprisingly, blushed at his words, "but she also had a large amount of magical power and as a result was targeted by an evil sorcerer who wanted her powers for himself."

"One day the princess, along with her brother, the king, went to the country's ruins to oversee the archaeological excavations that were being carried out. However while she was there, the evil sorcerer struck and attempted to steal her powers. But he was thwarted when one of the archaeologists grabbed her and pulled the princess out of the magic circle. However he was too late to save her completely. Her soul had been removed and scattered across the universe, her body was nothing more than an empty vessel. Her life was hanging on by a thread." Syaoran's voice had lowered at the last words, his anguish clear in his voice, drawing in his audience.

"Knowing time was short, the high priest of the country immediately acted. Since there was no time to get anyone else to go with the princess, the high priest mustered all his powers and sent the princess and the young archaeologist to another dimension to ask the Time-Space witch for her help. There, they were joined by two other travellers and were given the means to travel through time and space to collect the pieces of the princess's souls."

"As they travelled," Sakura continued, "the princess and the archaeologist faced many obstacles, but the princess began to fall in love with the archaeologist, who fought so valiantly for her."

"And the archaeologist," Syaoran added, "felt that he had always loved the princess that he vowed to protect." Fuu, Hikaru and Umi, all sighed whimsically at this point, completely caught up in the story that the two soul mates were weaving.

"Hey, it's my turn to tell the story!" Sakura said as she gently nudged Syaoran in the ribs.

"Sorry." He said smiling. "I just had to add that line."

"Anyway," Sakura said, shaking her head, smiling. "They had to travelled to many worlds, and all seemed to be going well." She paused, taking in a deep painful breath. "But then disaster struck."

"A spell that had been cast, many years before their journey began, broke and caused the archaeologist to loose his mind and become a puppet of the evil sorcerer. The archaeologist attacked his friends and fled to a new world, leaving the princess behind."

"No!" Hikaru gasped.

"What happened next?" Umi demanded impatiently.

"The princess had no choice but to continue their travels," Sakura continued "except finding the feathers became less important when compared to finding the archaeologist. However as they travelled they kept finding destruction which had been caused by the manipulated archaeologist."

"But eventually the princess and the archaeologist met."

"And she managed to save him and they lived happily ever after?" Hikaru burst out, unable to contain herself any longer.

"No." Syaoran said, the anguish in his voice clear. He swallowed before whispering in an agonised voice. "He killed her."

"Oh my…" Fuu said, her eyes tearing up.

"Syaoran," Sakura chided, squeezing his hand tightly. "You're telling this story all wrong." Looking back to her distraught friends, she informed them, "The princess was actually trying to stop a battle, and she inadvertently got in the way of his sword. It wasn't his fault." She said clearly. "He was being controlled and had no control over his actions."

"Nevertheless," Syaoran cut in, "the princess died in his arms, with half a declaration of love on her lips. Unable to bear the pain of knowing that he killed her, the magic was broken and he regained control of himself and fled."

"What happened to the archaeologist?" Umi asked quietly.

"He later died, trying to help the true hero defeat the evil sorcerer who had ruined so many lives."

At this point, Hikaru, Fuu and Umi burst into tears. "This is worse than Romeo and Juliet." Umi wept. "They at least got a little bit of a happy ending."

Even Sakura felt a little teary eyed at hearing her story. "The story isn't finished yet." She said softly.

Immediately, the girls tried to temper their tears. Syaoran waited for the crying for to subside before continuing. "The witch who had first helped them, had gathered the souls of the princess and the archaeologist when they had dies. She offered them the opportunity to live again, but still with all the memories that they had accumulated through their lives, the good memories and the bad memories, everything. But most of all she offered them the chance to meet each other and love again."

Syaoran trailed off, and turned to stare at the green eyes that had haunted him for a lifetime.

"Wait you haven't finished the story!" Hikaru blurted out. "Did they accept the offer?"

"We did." Sakura and Syaoran said in unison as he wrapped his arm around her waist and nuzzled her cheek.

Their announcement was met with a stunned silence.

"You two really are soul mates." Umi said, a little taken aback. "You must be if you could tell that story together."

"You two were really destined to meet each other today." Hikaru confirmed as she burst into happy tears. "This is like something right out of a manga."

"And I think that we need to give these two some alone time." Fuu said standing. "You no doubt have a lot to catch up on." She said addressing Sakura and Syaoran. "We'll see you later Sakura. Come on Hikaru, Umi. Let's go.'

Quickly, Sakura's friends said their good byes and headed back to their hotel.

"I thought that they would never leave. Would it be bad of me to say that I'm glad that they're gone?" Syaoran whispered in Sakura's ear.

Sakura giggled as goose bumps raised on her arms. "It would be very bad of you." She said with a mock frown. "But then again it would be bad of me as well since I happen to agree."

"Gods, I've missed you Sakura." Syaoran whispered as he nuzzled her cheek tenderly. "Where have you been all these years?" He asked her as she leaned her head onto his shoulder. "I don't recognise your uniform. Is your school located somewhere in Hong Kong?"

"I've been in Japan all my life, this is the first time that I've left Japan." She said as she fiddled with the hem of her blazer. "I'm here in Hong Kong on a school field trip."

"Well that explains why I've never seen you." Syaoran muttered. "I've never been to Japan, let alone Tokyo."

"You say that as if you have been to other countries." Sakura observed.

"Well, I have." Syaoran said shrugging slightly. "I was born into a very influential family of Chinese businessmen and magicians." He rubbed his top lip smugly, "You may have heard of my family – we own Li International."

"No way!" Sakura exclaimed. "You guys practically own the world, right after Coke a Cola!"

He chuckled softly. "Hardly. And you? Has this life been good to you?"

She nodded. "I would say that I come from a middle class family, I have a loving mother and father and Touya is my older brother as well. It appears he and I come as a set of siblings."

Syaoran groaned and hid his face in his hand. "I have to put up with his moodiness, again. I can see it now. Death couldn't tear us apart but your brother thinks that he can."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You're over reacting. Touya's been really nice to all my friends."

"How many of these friends were guys who were dating you?"

"None, I've been waiting for you."

Syaoran half groaned, half chuckled. "I'm glad that you waited for me, but I almost wish that you hadn't."

Sakura frowned, confused by his words. "You want me to date other guys?"

"Yes. No." Syaoran looked at her, his chocolate brown eyes dark, then he whispered in her ear as though he was confessing a deep dark secret. "Your brother terrifies me. I can see him now, walking up with a gun and threatening to shoot me for even wanting to talk to you. And worst of all he has been saving up on over-protective brother moments for years."

Sakura burst out laughing.

"You can laugh, Sakura," Syaoran said direly, "but I would rather face a horde of oni than face your brother. He is going to kill me." He frowned suddenly. "He's not here in China is he?" He asked, sounding a little panicked.

Sakura grinned. "No he had to stay in Japan to work."

Syaoran released a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. He would kill me if he saw us now."

Sakura patted his knee and tried to control her laughter. "Don't worry, I'll protect you." She said trying to be serious, before bursting into laughter.

And this time, Syaoran couldn't help but laugh along with her.

When their laughter had died down, she smiled up at him and as he watched her face burst into a very becoming blush.

"Why are you blushing?"

"I was just thinking that the best thing about this life is that I'm with you. All my dreams came true. And I won't let anyone take you away from me. Even my brother."

Pulling her into his arms again, he said, "You know, I was just thinking the same thing."

For the next hour the re-united couple cuddled and filled the other in on the lives, their family, their friends, their schooling.

"Well, I'm home schooled." Syaoran said. "I have various private tutors and my subjects vary from international relations, to languages – which is one of my favourites, to maths, history and all the other normal stuff that people learn, but I also have swordsmanship lessons, hand to hand combat lessons and magic lessons. I think learning to use magic was one of the strangest things I had to learn."

"Why?"

He chuckled. "Well when I started school I wasn't exactly a blank slate. I still had all my knowledge from my previous life. Except I had never really used my own magic before. Fai's magic was completely different to my own, so I was going in blind, unlike with my other studies."

"That's so unfair." Sakura said pouting. "I could read before ever having been taught how to – the language that we used in Clow is remarkably similar to Japanese, but otherwise the things I learnt in Clow didn't help me very much." She waved her hands around dramatically. "Oh I can run a desert country, I can host a banquet, play numerous musical instruments and I think I can fly a plane, if planes are anything like the ones in Piffle world. But do you think that helps me with geometry and algebra? Being a princess hardly helped me at all."

"Well," Syaoran began, "when the Li's buy themselves a desert country, I'll let you run it. And everyone will be amazed with you skills."

Sakura giggled, before looking down and gasping. "I'm going to be late." She stood up. "I have to get back to the boarding house. I've got to go."

"I'll walk you back." Syaoran said standing.

They made their way back to Sakura's boarding house, simply relishing being in each other's company.

It was all too soon that they arrived at the boarding house and they had to bid each other farewell. They stared at each other, each waiting for the other to say good bye first.

"Well, I guess this is good night." Syaoran said reluctantly.

Sakura nodded sadly, before hugging him tightly. "Yes. Good night Syaoran."

His grip tightened on her momentarily before he let go. "I thought you said you were going to be late."

"Oh yes." Sakura gasped, spinning around. However no sooner had she taken one step towards the boarding house, when she suddenly spun back round and flung herself into his arms. "When am I going to see you again?" She asked the desperation clear in her voice.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Sakura. Without a doubt, I will see you tomorrow." Withdrawing from her hold, he took hold of her hand and raised it to his lips. "I swear on my honour as a Li, that I will see you tomorrow." Bowing his head slightly, he kissed her fingertips.

When he raised his head, his smouldering brown eyes met her sparkling emerald eyes. "Until tomorrow, Sakura." With a small smile, he released her hand and left. Leaving a stunned former princess behind.

I'm hoping to make this into a three-shot. Please let me know what you think. Are they OOC? Is this worth continuing? Do you want more fluff?

Basically please review.