Somewhere Only We Know.

“All right, say goodbye to this fair city for the last time…” Juna joked as they all turned to stare at the gates they’d just passed through, once again thrusting themselves into the real world. Saigan gazed at the gates fondly, remembered the first time she’d even seen them. Back then, she’d had no idea what she was in for. However, looking back, she knew she had always been able to handle the entire journey. It hadn’t been that hard.

That is, if one didn’t count almost getting killed, almost becoming a queen of a nation they didn’t know existed, being stuck underground and darkness in general for long amounts of time, and almost bleeding to death multiple times.

“I don’t know…I think I’d like to come back here after a while.” She mused, reorganizing Shay in her arms. The baby had learnt to crawl and move around since they’d rescued her, but Saigan didn’t trust Shay out of her arms yet. Juna had told her the story of the baby getting lost on the ship, and she didn’t want that happening again.

“Good.” Koufu said cheerfully. “Because you’ll have to come back anyway when the kid grows up, remember?”

“Thanks…for that reminder.” Saigan replied with a hint of sarcasm. Still, she turned back to the gates one more time. Pietrah had once been her destination; now it had become the beginning of her first journey into the world alone. “All right, shall we?” She inquired.

Kurogane nodded his head, looking the same as ever in his black armor and clothing. Juna still didn’t get it; he lived in the desert yet he wore black clothing. Didn’t he ever get hot? Or was it some kind of pride thing? Did he wear all black to prove her could endure even under the hottest temperatures of the world? Well, whatever the reason, it seemed dumb to Juna. But that didn’t mean she thought he looked bad in his armor and such. Oh no, it matched his impatient mood perfectly.

They began on the road that would take them East towards the Hajj Mountains and the Outo Peninsula, each deep in their own thoughts.

Juna, to be perfectly honest, didn’t really want to go to the Peninsula area. She knew no one there, and it would be pointless to try to reunite with her family if they probably hardly remembered her in the first place. Still, she had to go to at least see what she’d been missing out on for the past two decades or so.

Koufu was busy trying to figure out how he could wheedle his brother into allowing him to continue to travel the world instead of going back to the Iroh. He still wanted to cook, not be stuck at home with people who hadn’t had the time to rescue him until a few months ago. But, knowing his brother, he would at least have to show his face to the family so they knew he was alive.

Kurogane, on the other hand, was thinking almost the same thing. How could they not go home for the time being? He knew their father had been expecting him to bring Koufu back earlier, but he’d been a little sidetracked. Maybe he could convince Juna that she needed protection on her way to the Outo Peninsula. He’d heard, at some point or another, that Outo region was a treacherous place.

But because these brothers did not talk to each other as frequently as they should have, neither knew that the other wanted to do the exact same thing.

Saigan’s mind wasn’t on home in the slightest, though. She was thinking about her family, of course, but how could she get them all reunited again? Raul had left the day before, insisting that Beast would need his help in Oni, which meant she wouldn’t be able to see her father again unless she paid a special visit up there or convinced Beast to send Raul back to Feroa. And what about Syaoran? Even if he couldn’t stay…well, she’d wanted to thank him for getting her back here in one piece. It seemed though, that she would not have the chance now.

And to think, the last thing she’d noticed about him was that he’d lost the Oni in him. It was somewhat sad to know that she’d always associate a sinking feeling of dread with her last moments with Syaoran.

The group continued down the road, glancing back from time to time to watch the shimmering city of Pietrah shrinking in the horizon. It had been extremely early when they’d left, so the sun was only coming up as they headed east, giving Pietrah the glittering effect of a city so old, so ancient, that none of them could admit to despising the city. Despite the fact that it had been a battleground for them, it was still a remarkable sight to see in the early morning light.

The Kudan behind it shimmered a deep blue, its breeze still detectable in the air where the group walked, pulling their little carts behind them like the travelers they’d become.

“Hey…Sai?” Juna suddenly said, bringing Saigan out of her thoughts. “Look up ahead. Isn’t that…?” Saigan squinted her eyes, focusing on the road ahead of them to see a figure headed towards them.

She stopped breathing for a moment and gently put Shay down on the ground. “No…it couldn’t be, could it? He wouldn’t have come from this direction, would he?” Juna shrugged.

“Well, it’s somebody we must know because he’s waving at us.” The figure in the distance, sure enough, was waving a hand frantically at them, as if recognizing them from somewhere. Kurogane sighed, glancing at the girls.

“Well obviously it’s him; no one would be crazy enough to do that but him.” Saigan couldn’t help but smile giddily. She made sure Shay was still close by and turned to Juna.

“Watch her, please?” She asked. Juna nodded and pushed her.

“Course! Now go before he has to run all the way here!” And with that, Saigan was off, running down the road towards him. She couldn’t believe it, really. How had he gotten here, just in time? She didn’t know, but right now was not the time to care. She just wanted him with her right now.

As soon as she could make out his features, Saigan felt the prickles of tears and laughed out loud, so happy that he’d finally come back to her. Somewhere, deep down, if he had never come back…well, she might’ve had to search for him herself.

“Sai!” Syaoran called, dropping his things when he recognized it was her running. “Sai, I’ve figured it out!” He picked up his pace to get to her more quickly. It was almost like the ending of a cliché book, where two lovers would meet on a mountaintop, see each other, and run into each other’s arms. It was funny because that was exactly what each was thinking as they met.

Syaoran wrapped his arms around Saigan tightly and held her there, so glad that he’d started heading back when he had. Neither could let go, for fear that if they did, they’d never be that close again. “Sai, I found Hirakame.” She looked up at him in awe, still hardly believing that he’d finally come back to her.

“You did? Where is she?” Syaoran shook his head, admiring her ecstatic face.

“It doesn’t matter now. She doesn’t want the necklace either. She said it would look tacky on her. But she also told me what we must do so I can get rid of my debt and you, your curse.”

“Finally.” Saigan told him, grinning back at him. “What must we do then?” Syaoran’s grin only became broader as he bent his face closer to hers.

“Saigan, would you stay with me forever?” Saigan’s grin faltered for a second. What was he talking about? What did staying with him have to do with removing her curse? Still, she answered honestly.

“Of course. Syaoran, I would love to stay with you forever.” Syaoran’ closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers, happy to hear that she wanted to be with him as well.

“Good, because that’s all we have to do.” He told her softly. Saigan was still confused. She backed her head away from his and stared at him as if to make sure she’d heard him correctly.

“That’s it? You mean…that’s all?” Syaoran opened his eyes, laughing gently.

“Oh, and this too.” Before she could react, he leaned forward so their lips were touching, and kissed her deeply. Saigan hadn’t really expected this so soon, but she had been wishing for it for a long time. She let him kiss her, kissing him back.

And then she felt it. Her right eye began to grow numb, and then it slowly tingled until she had to put a hand up to her eye to put pressure on it. Still, her lips did not leave Syaoran’s. She pressed her remaining hand on his back and felt heat radiating from underneath his grayish green cloak. His grip on her weakened for a moment but he still kept his arms around her.

Syaoran’s back muscles clenched as the black, scarred veins began to fade and vanish from his skin, but he didn’t have the time to look just yet. He was busy with Saigan.

She didn’t know if it was gone for good, but Saigan could just feel that her eye was different. It was as if a bandage had been taken off that eye.

After a minute or so, Syaoran leaned back from her and gazed at her tenderly. Saigan stared back before pulling her lower lip with her teeth and grinning at him coyly.

After months of worry, after so much trouble, they’d finally done it. They’d gotten rid of their debts and their curses, and it had only taken a vow and a kiss.

“That’s it?” She asked softly, placing both hands around him now. Syaoran nodded his head, feeling as if he were in a dream.

“That’s it.” He confirmed.

“Hey, Shay! Come back!” Juna exclaimed from a distance. They both glanced over their shoulders to see the others as they drew close. Juna had lost track of the little baby, and now she and Kurogane were busy searching for her. Koufu calmly held up the child after a while, keeping Shay close.

For the first time in a long while, Saigan felt truly happy to be done with their journey. She let out a good-natured laugh and nestled her head against Syaoran’s chest.

“This really is it.”