Epilogue

They'd landed in a patch of mud speckled with shoots of grass and budding wildflowers. "How many times," Kurogane growled, eyes flashing to Mokona, "are we going to land in a puddle before you learn to drop us onto dry land?"

"It's not Mokona's fault!" Mokona cried, stubby arms wheeling. "Breaking through the dimensional wall is very difficult!"

"This is the third time in the last five worlds!"

"Now, now, Kuro-pon, no need to get so angry. It's just a little mud." Fai smiled radiantly, picking grass out of his hair. "And besides, it's not all bad. Look at all these lovely wildflowers we landed on!"

"If I wanted to have a bunch of flowers stuck to my armor, I would damn well put them there."

They bickered back and forth, their conversation an echo of a hundred similar conversations. It was almost like a play, Syaoran thought, standing up and brushing leaves and bits of grass off his clothes. The same arguments took place over and over again, with Kurogane making threats and otherwise being intimidating while Fai responded with a grin and a few clever words. By this point, it was very nearly scripted, and rather than being a sign that his companions were fighting over nothing, it was an indication that all was well and normal in their little bubble.

"Forget it," Kurogane said at last, tiring of Fai's antics. "Let's just figure out where we are."

They spread out, keeping each other within their line of sight as they studied their surroundings for signs of anything familiar or, failing that, anything that looked like it might be dangerous or useful. Syaoran walked over to the nearest sturdy-looking tree and carefully started climbing. They'd left Clow months ago, and while they didn't always have to camp outside their first few nights in a world, they'd still spent enough time surviving in exotic or treacherous environments that physical tasks such as climbing trees were no longer as taxing as they'd once been.

As he neared the top, he was able to see past the forest, to the sprawling building that lay beyond. He brightened, quickly descending. "Kurogane-san," he called.

The ninja looked up from the pile of kindling he'd started gathering. "Yeah?"

"I can see Shirasagi Castle. We're in Nihon."

"How far are we from the castle?"

"About an hour's walk." He dropped the last few feet from the ground, landing with a soft thump. "It's this way."

"Thought this place looked familiar," Kurogane said. "Hey, meat-bun, hold onto this for later." He tossed Mokona the pile of kindling, which she absorbed into her mouth along with everything else they kept there. Syaoran reflected that they probably had enough clothing, survival gear, and miscellaneous supplies to survive just about anywhere, which was good, since they tended to end up in dangerous locales.

Their walk didn't even take a full hour, since they quickly found a path that led right up to the castle. The guards stiffened as they approached, then relaxed as they recognized Kurogane. "My lord," one said, bowing. "It is always an honor—"

"Yeah, yeah. Is Tomoyo here?"

"She's in conference with a group of noblemen who arrived last night," said the other guard. "But I am certain she will be eager to see you, Lord Suwa."

Something in Kurogane's expression shifted slightly. Syaoran identified the trace of uncertainty, the flicker of surprise at the title. It occurred to him that, although almost no one had shown Kurogane any disrespect the last time they'd been here, people had viewed him primarily as one of Tomoyo's foremost warriors, not as the lord of a small province. He couldn't recall anyone calling Kurogane "Lord Suwa," either. Is it because he's been gone so long that he's no longer one of Tomoyo-hime's bodyguards? Syaoran wondered, worried what such a change would do to the ninja's disposition.

The guards let them pass, and Kurogane took the lead, his pace strenuous, his movements agitated. A few people bowed to him as they strode through the castle grounds and entered the massive building, but no one paused to speak to them, and Kurogane acknowledged those who bowed only with a nod of his head. They were, Syaoran soon realized, heading straight for the conference room where Tomoyo dealt with most of her day-to-day business.

"Been a while since I've seen you around here." Souma stepped in front of the door leading to the conference room, arms crossed. Her posture might have looked tense had it not been for the wide smile on her face.

"Is Tomoyo in there?"

"Yes. And unless you're coming in to tell us there's a hoard of demons at the castle gates, you can wait another half hour for her to finish her meeting." Still grinning, Souma poked Kurogane in the shoulder. "The world does not revolve around you."

"Would it be possible," Syaoran said before things could escalate, "for you to inform Tomoyo of our arrival?"

Souma raised an eyebrow at him, then glanced at Kurogane. "Okay, I can see why you like him, but what could such a polite, well-spoken young man possibly see in you?"

Kurogane gave her a hard stare, then stepped back, face flushing. "We'll wait until Tomoyo's through with her meeting," he said in a rare show of compromise. His fingertips brushed the back of Syaoran's neck, raising hairs and sending a little tingle of desire through him. How strange, he thought. Even after more than a year of being together, he still finds new ways to make me feel this way.

Souma directed them to one of the waiting rooms nearby, where a girl in a white robe brought them tea and a hearty meal from the kitchen.

"Sometimes I think mealtimes were easier when I could drink blood," Fai said, pinching a slice of raw fish between his chopsticks.

"Sometimes, I wonder how you can eat all those sweets you like without getting fat," Kurogane muttered. "You ought to weigh three-hundred pounds by now."

"I put a lot of work into maintaining my trim figure," Fai said brightly. Kurogane sighed, Mokona giggled, and Syaoran smiled quietly, enjoying the moment.

They'd just finished eating when a different servant poked her head in and said that Tomoyo would see them now. "Well," Fai said, looking at Kurogane, "as glad as I am to find a familiar world, I suspect you and Tomoyo will want to do some catching up."

Kurogane snorted. "Right. Kid, you staying with me or going with the mage?"

Syaoran twined his fingers around Kurogane's hand. "With you."

"All right then. Come on."

They headed to the conference room and bowed deeply as Tomoyo greeted them. "Much has happened since your last visit, it seems," she said, joy glittering in her eyes. She glided over to Kurogane, touching his mechanical arm. "I see you've found a replacement."

"Yeah." The ninja shrugged, and Syaoran remembered how they'd landed in Piffle World shortly after leaving Clow. Piffle's Tomoyo had tracked them down within hours of their arrival and ushered them off to her research and development lab, where they'd created a prosthetic far superior to the one Fuuma had given them. This one had been precisely designed to fit with what was left of Kurogane's shoulder, reducing pain and inflammation. It also had a layer of skin that matched Kurogane's natural skin tone flawlessly, making it indistinguishable from his real arm. After having had his first mechanical arm destroyed in the battle at the reservoir, Kurogane had been pleased with the new prosthetic (and the three identical prostheses Tomoyo had ordered made, since she apparently thought that Kurogane enjoyed having his arm cut off, broken, or otherwise destroyed).

"I noticed that Sakura-chan isn't here with you," Tomoyo said, her voice taking on a trace of uncertainty. "Is she . . ."

"She's in good health," Syaoran said, since none of his companions seemed inclined to explain. "She . . . She thought it best that she no longer traveled with us." He closed his eyes, remembering the day he'd left Clow. He and Sakura had spoken several times since he'd laid out the truth of his relationship with Kurogane, but their conversations had been sterile, lacking the warmth and spontaneity they'd once possessed. They'd spoken little of his confession, except on that last morning in Clow, when he'd waited outside her door for her to wake, then spent the better part of the morning apologizing.

"What's done is done," she'd said, touching his shoulder, then drawing back as if the act caused her physical pain. "I forgive you. Just . . . please, give me some time."

Time. Time had been in such short supply. A few days prior, Syaoran had spoken to Mokona about the requirements of his wish, and Mokona had told him that she would know when it was time to move on from each world. Mokona said they didn't have much time left in Clow—long enough to finish recovering, but not much longer than that—and that the memories she'd been passively storing over so many months would invariably bring them back.

And so, the evening after Sakura asked for more time, Mokona reluctantly informed him that they had to go. With only a few hours before his presence started to damage the fabric of reality, he explained the situation to Kurogane and Fai, stored his few possessions with Mokona, and said one last goodbye to Sakura. Then they'd left.

"I see," Tomoyo said when he finished explaining. "And the feathers?"

Syaoran grimaced. That was a loose end that they hadn't expected they'd need to tie up. The Sakura who had lost her memories had never actually regained all the fragments, which meant that an undetermined number of vastly powerful magical constructs were simply floating around, often wreaking havoc in the countries they landed in. They'd recovered seven feathers since leaving Sakura behind, giving them to Mokona for storage until they could return to Clow. None of them were entirely sure whether the feathers would integrate with the other version of Sakura, or if they would simply merge with the memory of Sakura's image, which the original Sakura now carried inside of her. But it had seemed irresponsible not to collect the feathers, especially considering that, according to Fai, each one carried enough magic to level a small kingdom (and how Fai knew this, none of them cared to find out).

"We're still searching for them," Syaoran said at last. "We're not sure she needs them anymore, but it's too dangerous to leave them where they could cause problems."

"Ah, well then. Loose ends rarely tie themselves up neatly, I suppose. Although," she added, and her voice took on an optimistic note, "sometimes, the ripples of one event can cause unexpected changes. Kurogane, there is something I'd like you to see."

Kurogane, silent throughout most of the conversation, sat up. "What is it?"

Tomoyo hesitated, glancing at Syaoran. "I assume your companions are aware of the events which led you to serve as one of my foremost warriors?"

Syaoran's heart quickened. She must be talking about Suwa, he thought, squirming a little. He'd visited Suwa once, when Kurogane had dragged him out of the medical wing and brought him there on horseback.

"Yeah, they know," Kurogane said, his expression guarded. Syaoran frowned—he hadn't been aware that Fai had known, since he hadn't looked into the memory-book in Recourt—but he supposed Kurogane would have told him.

"Shall I also assume everyone in this room is aware that the state of Suwa Province has remained more or less the same since said event?"

For a moment, Kurogane was silent. Then, voice lowered, he said, "What are you getting at?"

"When a powerful sorcerer perishes, it can unravel many of the spells they've woven. Such as the spell which once held Suwa in stasis and kept new life from flourishing there. It has been about a year in this world's time since Fei-Wang Reed was destroyed, and . . . Well, it's best you see for yourself." Tomoyo extended both hands. "I will show you what I saw the last time I made a trip to your old home."

Syaoran had rarely seen Kurogane look anxious, but now he saw the uncertainty in his eyes, the trace of vulnerability. Syaoran reached out, resting his hand over the ninja's. "I'm here," he said.

It was all he needed to say. Kurogane nodded, guiding Syaoran's hand over to Tomoyo's. Their fingers linked, Tomoyo's palm humming with magic, Kurogane's callused fingers firm around Syaoran's other hand, and Kurogane reaching for Tomoyo's free hand. When they'd all linked together, the hum of magic built, a great crescendo of power, and sensations filtered into Syaoran's mind.

Wildflowers bloomed amidst tentative shoots of grass. Although a trace of smoke and soot hung in the air, the breeze carried the smell of upturned earth and fresh rain. Beyond the fragile patches of greenery, the land still lay barren, but unlike the last time Syaoran had been here, it lacked the ominous sense of lifelessness. Even as he thought about it, he caught sight of a field mouse darting into its burrow as a hawk circled overhead.

The burnt-out buildings, too, had gathered their share of inhabitants, though no humans had yet reclaimed the land. A pair of birds nested on the eaves of a small shack that looked as if it might dissolve into a pile of ash and dust if touched by a breeze. A hummingbird sipped at the fragile blossoms, ignoring the butterflies that flitted through the air nearby, waiting for their turn. Moss crawled up the poles that made up the now-broken gate near the front of it all, and the wind carried the songs of frogs, crickets, cicadas, and countless other tiny creatures.

Suwa retained many of its scars, but after over a decade of lifelessness, it had finally begun to heal.

The vision ended; Tomoyo withdrew her hands, her dark eyes steady on Kurogane's face. Syaoran looked over, still dazed by the transformation, and saw the mix of grief and hope in the ninja's eyes. "That was Suwa?"

Tomoyo nodded. "It was. Which brings me to the point I had hoped to discuss with you: Suwa is yours by birthright. However, I will understand if you do not wish to be personally involved in its restoration. Many people would find it difficult to go back to the site of the disaster which caused them so much suffering, and no one would think less of you if you chose not to return. But the land is yours, and as such, I need to know what you wish to do with it."

Kurogane opened his mouth, then clamped it shut.

"You may have some time to think," Tomoyo said after a moment. She started to rise, then sat down as Kurogane spoke.

"No. I know what I want to do with it." He sat up straighter, taking a breath. "That vision—how long ago did you see it like that?"

"Over a month ago. I suppose it will be even more lively now." Worry filled her eyes. "In your absence, many of the lesser landowners have been vying for a portion of that land, hoping that it will become more valuable in time. I've managed to keep them off it for the moment, but if the rightful owner had a clear idea of what he wanted to do with the land, that would minimize the squabbles."

"Of course." Kurogane nodded. He seems so much more in control of himself now, Syaoran thought, remembering the days when Kurogane would have grumbled and sulked about the new responsibility. So much had changed.

"Suwa sits at the edge of demon territory," Kurogane said. "That means that anything we built there would need to be magically shielded or under guard. Even then, there would be risks. Sure, there won't be anyone guiding the demons specifically to that spot, but there will still be attacks."

"We can arrange to have demon hunters brought in from the western provinces," Tomoyo began, but Kurogane was already shaking his head.

"If Suwa is going to be restored, then it needs to be capable of surviving without relying too heavily on external provinces."

It makes sense, Syaoran thought, surprised at Kurogane's understanding of politics. If other nobles have to send soldiers to protect Suwa, that's only a few steps away from believing that the land is theirs. If Suwa becomes too reliant on outside help, it could be swallowed up by its neighboring provinces.

"The best way to deal with both problems," Kurogane went on, "is for Suwa to raise its own group of demon hunters so they can protect the land from demons and from anyone who tries to take it over."

"And would you be staying to train these new demon hunters?"

Kurogane hesitated, then closed his eyes. Syaoran held his breath. "No," Kurogane said at last. "I'll visit when I can, but I'm going to keep traveling with the kid." His fingertips brushed the back of Syaoran's hand.

"You don't have to," Syaoran whispered, looking down. "You can stay here if you want. I know this means a lot to you."

Annoyance flickered across the ninja's face. "You mean a lot to me. And anyway," he went on, even as Syaoran reeled at such an open display of affection, "I may be a good warrior, but I'm impatient and harsh, and I'd probably drive away a lot of students before any of them stuck."

Tomoyo regarded them both for a moment, her eyes unreadable. "Is there anyone in particular you'd like to train in the new demon hunters?"

He hesitated again, but Syaoran could sense this pause was one of embarrassment, not uncertainty. "Souma would make a good teacher. If we're going strictly by technique, she might be a better fighter than I am. But I won't ask you or Amaterasu to send her to Suwa if it would jeopardize your safety. Hell, if both of us are going to be gone, I don't know who else could stand guard for you."

Tomoyo let out a tinkling laugh. "It may take a dozen warriors to match either of you, but I think we can spare Souma long enough for her to train the first batch of hunters. It will be done," she said more seriously. "And I'm sure Souma will be honored that you think so highly of her."

Kurogane snorted. "Yeah, like she's not going to hold that one over my head every time I visit." His expression darkened. "There's one other thing."

Surprise twinkled in Tomoyo's eyes. "Yes, Kurogane?"

"I don't . . . Ugh, this is awkward." The corner of his mouth twitched as his eyes flickered to Syaoran. "It's pretty obvious I'm never going to have kids of my own, and I'm fine with that. But I don't have any close relatives, and I don't want a bunch of distant cousins squabbling over who gets to take over the province once I'm gone. I need to name an heir."

"That's an excellent idea," Tomoyo said. "Who do you have in mind?"

"First, if I die young, the kid gets to take over."

Syaoran squeaked. "Me?"

Kurogane rolled his eyes. "Don't be so surprised. We're practically married already."

Oh, my . . . he thought, a thrill shooting through his chest.

"If either me or the kid have any descendants, unlikely as that is, the land will go to them and they can pass it down as normal. But if there's no one there to give it to, then it should go to Souma or her family."

"Souma isn't of noble birth," Tomoyo pointed out. "Neither is anyone in her family."

"Souma has done almost as much for me as you have," Kurogane said shortly. "Maybe the transfer won't happen in her lifetime, but if she's going to be the one training in the new demon hunters, then she and her family ought to inherit something in return."

"As you wish," Tomoyo said. "We will have to draw up some documents, as well as work out some of the finer points, but is there anything else you wish to address now?"

"No."

"Then you may go enjoy the rest of the afternoon. I assume you will be staying at least a few more days?"

On that, Kurogane deferred to Syaoran. "It's difficult to be certain," he said sheepishly. "I paid a price that requires me to continue traveling, and the amount of time we can spend in each world is unpredictable. But yes, usually we get to stay for at least a few days. Sometimes as long as a month."

Tomoyo smiled. "In that case, the details can wait until tomorrow. Dismissed."

Following Kurogane's lead, he bowed before they left the chamber. Souma waited outside, as she had when they'd entered. "How did it go?" she asked Kurogane.

"Congratulations," he said. "You're now officially in charge of training new demon hunters in Suwa."

The smile slipped off Souma's face, replaced by shock. "I . . . you . . . What?"

"Also, when the kid and I are gone, you're going to be the one inheriting the land. If it continues recovering at this rate, it should be fertile enough next spring to grow some crops, so you won't have to worry about that. The main thing will be keeping the demons away."

"What?" Her voice had gone high and reedy with surprise.

"Tomoyo and I are going to talk later about the specifics, but since I'm going to keep traveling, someone will need to be around managing the day-to-day stuff in Suwa. I'd like that person to be you, but I know that's going to be a lot of work on top of everything else, so if you want, we can appoint someone else to help run the province."

"Run the . . . You want me to be in charge of Suwa?" Souma let out a shaky laugh. "My family isn't even part of the nobility. Do you have any idea . . ."

Kurogane looked at her soberly. "Yes."

"I think I'm going to cry."

Alarm flitted across Kurogane's face, and Syaoran smiled. The man could face down dark sorcerers, slay hoards of demons, and chop off his own arm without flinching, but he backed away from Souma as if she'd threatened to pour a bucket of acid on him. "Hey, you're not really going to cry, are you?"

Souma scoffed, but Syaoran could see the beads of moisture in her eyes. "In front of you?" She threw her head back and laughed. "Please. You'd never let me live it down. No. We're going to go have a drink. Maybe a dozen."

Kurogane grinned, then looked at Syaoran. "You in, kid?"

He laced their fingers together. "With you? Always."

-End-

Author's Notes:

Wow, what an adventure. I don't even know what to say except that I never would've been able to finish this if not for everyone's unceasing support. This has been a massive project, and it's been amazing to share it with all of you, and I hope you guys will stick with me as I continue on in this fandom.

Anyway, I've got a few other big announcements to make:

1. I'm officially opening up the Shatterheart universe to anyone who wants to write in it. I know one of the hardest things about writing a KuroSyao romance is plausibility (they are two characters who most people never picture together, and I can personally say that one of my biggest obstacles early on was advancing the romance in a way that was both plausible and compelling). So for anyone out there who wants to write KuroSyao but doesn't want to spend thousands upon thousands of words establishing the relationship, I hereby give you permission to play in this universe whenever you want.

2. I myself might be playing in this universe a bit in the future. Oh, not right away—I'm a bit burnt out on this story for now. But there are a few notable events in the relationship that just wouldn't have fit into this fic (Kurogane and Syaoran's marriage, for one, as well as what they're going to end up creating in Suwa, plus Sakura's eventual acceptance—hopefully—of the relationship). I decided that these events would work better as side stories (you know, rather than dragging this fic out for another 100,000 words). I'm not making any promises that I'll get to these side-stories, but they are ideas that I like, and I do adore this pairing, so it wouldn't be too much of a chore to spin out a side-story here and there.

3. As I said in the previous chapter, my priorities will be shifting to Clockwork Tsubasa and Reversal of Fate now that this fic is complete, but do remember that I'll have four other stories from different fandoms—along with the possible side-stories—dividing up my time, so the good old days when I used to update once or twice a week are probably gone (not for lack of trying, though). I really want to work on some original projects over the next few months as well, so that I can hopefully get something published before I have to get a real job.

So that's all, folks! The adventure continues, but our story stops here. I hope I tied everything up well enough, but if you notice any loose ends, you should definitely let me know (they may become fodder for another side story). Big-picture comments are always welcome—in fact, they're one of my favorite things about posting the final chapter of a piece. Who knows? If I find myself agreeing with those comments, I might do some fairly large-scale revisions (not too many though—wouldn't want to end up rewriting the whole fic). Last of all, I wish you all a great year and good luck in your endeavors, whatever they may be. Dreams do come true (I would know—I've had a few come true in the writing of this story), but just as it takes many words to make a paragraph and many paragraphs to make a story, every dream worth having requires many small steps to accomplish. Life is a journey, but the great thing about it is that we all get to choose our own path. Dedicate yourself to the path that will lead you toward your dreams, and if you remain persistent, you will be amazed at the things you can do.