Characters / Shatterheart

This is the Character page for the Shatterheart. Their Tsubasa -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE- canonical characterization applies until it doesn't. Canon-only tropes go here. List only examples that appears in the fanfic itself or is expanded in the fanfic.

WARNING: UNMARKED SPOILERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED

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The Main Players

Tropes shared by all of them:

• Five Stages of Grief: The group embodies various aspects of the stages of grief:
  • Fai and Sakura represent Denial as they refuse to acknowledge Syaoran because doing so forces them to realize the clone's betrayal and the loss of their friend.
  • Kurogane represent Anger as he refuses to let himself to feel any sort of sadness and deals with it by getting angry.
  • Syaoran represents Depression as he mostly wallows in guilt and despair.
  • All of them eventually turn to Acceptance when they realize there's nothing they can change and trying would be too high of a cost.
• We ARE Struggling Together: They are all on the same side, it's anything but in practice. Kurogane, Fai and Sakura couldn't stand Syaoran and isolated him within the group. Fai and Kurogane's relationship deteriorated when the latter forced Fai to live despite the latter's desires.
• We Used to Be Friends: They all used to be very close True Companions, then their friend turned out to be a Manchurian Agent clone and betrayed and crippled them. Then the new guy, who their friend turns out to be based on, arrives too late when they needed someone to blame.
• With Friends Like These...: It's telling that a team could live in close quarters in an apartment for months and have no idea what the other is like.

Syaoran/Tsubasa Li

• Apologizes a Lot: Syaoran did this a lot in the beginning to avoid angering his teammates.
• Because You Were Nice to Me: Syaoran is drawn to Kurogane and later initiates a relationship with him because he was only one to show any concern for him. Initially, Kurogane is the only one to show him any kindness and realize that Syaoran is different from his clone.
• Bookworm: One of the few things that can get Syaoran out of his room is his love of books. Going to the library or to the bookstore is initially the only leisure activity for which Syaoran will leave the apartment.
• Break the Cutie: Events have not been kind for Syaoran.
• Broken Bird: Syaoran is ostracized by his clone's friends for the clone's actions, imprisoned for years while the clone lived his life and lives with knowledge that he is indirectly responsible for his friends' tragedies and he doesn't know if the girl he loves is still alive. He slowly gets better over the course of the story after he is befriended by Kurogane.
• Clone Angst: The original angsts for not being the clone.
• Desperately Craves Affection: Due to his past imprisonment and being shunned by the rest of the group, Syaoran becomes so isolated that he becomes desperate for any sort of affection or acknowledgement.
• Dating What Daddy Hates: A unintentional version. Syaoran/Tsubasa's father, Syaoran disapproves for several reasons. The 6-7 year age difference between Kurogane and Syaoran/Tsubasa. The other being that Kurogane was Syaoran's mentor and father figure.
• Drowning My Sorrows/Drowning Our Romantic Sorrows: Syaoran does this when Sakura cryptically releases him from his promises and rejects him and when Kurogane dumps him for the first time. In the latter case, he drank so frequently that Fai confronts him on it.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: Tragically, Syaoran is only tolerated by the group because they need him and because they were close to his clone. Syaoran is very aware of this.
• Has a Type: Lampshades that both of his Love Interests are higher ranked than him.
• Hikikomori: Syaoran hides in his room to escape the group's antipathy towards him. The only time he leaves his room is when everyone else is asleep in their rooms to get food, go the bathroom or play in chess matches.
• In-Universe Nickname/One-Steve Limit: He is initially referred as "This Syaoran." When Syaoran and his father share the scene, Syaoran is referred by his real name, Tsubasa.
• Last Guy Wins: R!Syaoran is last person to join the group and is the most proactive in his pursuit for Kurogane's affections and ends up winning him over.
• Older Than He Looks: Downplayed, as Syaoran has the appearance of a teenager when he's actually 21.
• Past Experience Nightmare: Syaoran already had bad dreams caused by his regret, but they get worse when he later develops PTSD after being tortured.
• Tranquil Fury: Syaoran is very calm and extremely angry when Kurogane apologizes to him for actions.

Kurogane/Yōō

• Anger Born of Worry: Kurogane often gets angry and frustrated when Syaoran doesn't care of himself or when Syaoran becomes afraid of him.
• Anywhere but Their Lips: Kurogane kisses Syaoran on his face and neck after they become Friends with Benefits.
• Brutal Honesty: He always tells the truth, despite how cruel it can make him sound. While the people on the receiving end do sometimes need to hear it, it usually drives them to anger or sadness.
• But Not Too Bi: Kurogane says that he slept only with women in Suwa offscreen, but in the story he has UST with Fai and a romantic relationship with Syaoran. According to Souma, his longest romantic entanglement with a woman lasted twelve hours.
• Declaration of Protection: When Kurogane realizes that he's the only one willing to help Syaoran, he vows to protect him. The problem is that Kurogane's Hair-Trigger Temper ends up hurting more than helping.
• Fatal Flaw: Kurogane's anger often makes him ignore the consequences to his actions, limits his ability to empathize, and causes him to hurt people who he doesn't want to hurt. When necessary, he avoids confrontation altogether because he doesn't want to lose his temper which can hurt as often as it can help.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: His anger can easily be riled either by accident or by manipulation. He knows that his anger can get the best of him.
• Has a Type: Has a thing for male Broken Birds as seen with his relationship with Syaoran and his UST with Fai.
• Kick the Dog: Kurogane does this several times in-story.
  • First, after Syaoran tells him how his wish is indirectly responsible for the destruction of Suwa and the death of Kurogane's parents at his own emotional expense, Kurogane turns his back on him.
  • When Kurogane threatens to rape Syaoran when Syaoran was disappointed that didn't do anything while they were drunk.
  • When he breaks up with him using very cruel Brutal Honesty.
  • When he actually does rape Syaoran after Syaoran tried calming him down after a nobleman severely angers him.
• Moment of Weakness: When Syaoran asks Kurogane if they did anything when he was drunk, the latter takes it as a personal insult to his honor and gets so angry that he threatens he could take advantage of him without alcohol.
  • When Syaoran tells Kurogane the Awful Truth at great cost to himself, Kurogane leaves him.
  • After getting pissed off at a Jerkass nobleman, Kurogane rapes Syaoran when the latter was trying to get him to back down.
• Mistaken for Pedophile: It doesn't bode well for Kurogane and Syaoran when Fai found out without knowing Syaoran's real age.
• Only Friend: Initially Kurogane is the only person that makes an effort to see Syaoran beyond the sins of his clone.
• Real Men Don't Cry: Deconstructed, Kurogane believes that he shouldn't cry so he would never show weakness and decides to get angry. Souma calls him out on it because he never learned to express his grief in a healthy manner, he doesn't know how to empathize with others or deal with his emotions. Since anger is his reaction to anything, he often does something he immediately regrets.
• Single Guy Seeks Good Man: Kurogane likes that Syaoran is better person than him and admits that it's one of his most attractive qualities.
  I love you because when you vow to protect someone, you don't screw it up every five minutes like I do. Because when the people you care about treat you like shit, you still love them. Because when you see a total stranger in trouble, you don't even have to think before you help them—you just do it. You could be ugly, or incompetent, or stupid, and I would still love you because you're a good person
• Tame His Anger: A good part of Kurogane's Character Development is him trying to learn how to control his Hair-Trigger Temper as he realizes that having anger as a first response to something bad hurts more than helps.
• Tsundere: Kurogane can be abrasive and belligerent but slowly develops a gentle side which he only shows to Syaoran.

Fai D. Flourite/Yui

• Calling the Old Man Out: Syaoran calls Fai out for his negligence, his Irrational Hatred of him and for destroying Syaoran's relationship with Kurogane when Fai tries to make amends.
• Death Glare: Fai gives Kurogane a nasty one when he believes the latter has been molesting Syaoran.
• Did Not Get The Guy: Fai had been struggling with his eventual betrayal of the group and the exhausting effects of lying to everyone. By the time he comes to terms with his love for Kurogane, Kurogane has already gotten together with Syaoran and he has watch them became lovers.
• Everyone Has Standards: Fai may have hated Syaoran but even he doesn't leave Syaoran to his downward spiral and attempts to intervene. Keyword being attempt.
• Heel Realization: Fai has a gradual one after he confronts Syaoran on his drinking: he wants Syaoran to ask him for help but realizes due to his coldness he is the last person Syaoran would turn to. Kurogane points out that Fai treats Syaoran as if he's a ghost instead his own person, a problem not helped by the fact that Fai hasn't actually spoken much to Syaoran since Tokyo, which was several months ago.
• Hypocrisy Nod: Fai acknowledges that he is a massive Hypocrite when he tries to force Syaoran to tell Sakura the truth about his relationship with Kurogane when Fai himself has being lying to all of them the whole time.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Fai realizes that he loves Kurogane but knows that he can't do anything about it since Kurogane and Syaoran are already in love. Fai decides that he will be happy for them and give them his support.
• Irrational Hatred: Fai knows that Syaoran wasn't responsible for the loss of his eye, he still hated him for being indirectly responsible for his clone's Face–Heel Turn and because he replacing a formerly beloved friend. He slowly grows out of it.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Downplayed, when Fai acknowledges that his hatred is responsible for Syaoran's withdrawal.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Fai forces an ultimatum on Syaoran and Kurogane to tell the truth to Sakura or break up what he sees as a dangerously codependent relationship. See Not Quite the Right Thing for the consequences.
• Papa Wolf: Once Fai gets over his Irrational Hatred of Syaoran, he becomes very protective of him.

Clone Sakura

• Innocently Insensitive: Sakura, believing Kurogane fell in love with someone in Infinity, tries to give romantic advice and tells him to confess his feelings before it's too late. Since they will eventually leave Infinity and Kurogane intends to return to Nihon, he will likely never see this person again and will always hold regrets that he didn't confess. Since Kurogane is debating on his feelings on Syaoran, this gives him a harsh reminder that they will eventually be separated.
• Locked Out of the Loop: Sakura never finds out that Syaoran and Kurogane are more than friends.
• Releasing from the Promise: Sakura tells Syaoran that she wants him to be free and he doesn't have to take care of her.
• Right for the Wrong Reasons: After overhearing Fai and Kurogane discuss love confessions, Sakura concludes that Kurogane had fallen in love with someone.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Sakura is extremely cold and distant to Syaoran and can seem downright emotionless at times because of her hurt over Clone!Syaoran's betrayal. Her sweeter side starts to resurface when Syaoran start making an effort to connect and being called out on it only to melt when Syaoran is kidnapped and tortured, causing her to realize she could have permanently lost him.

Sakura/Princess Tsubasa

The actual Sakura from R!Syaoran's original timeline

• Did Not Get The Guy: Due to the misfortune of being physically absent during their journey, she is the last find out that Syaoran moved on from her.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Zigzagged, when Sakura finds out about Syaoran and Kurogane's love for each other she is extremely upset and has a hard time accepting it. She reluctantly accepts it as it means that Syaoran won't be alone.

Others

Jet and Cassie (Infinity)

• Ax-Crazy: Both are not right in the head.
• Chekhov's Gunman: Both are initially just bullies that accosted Syaoran on his way to the library. Fifty chapters later and they are reveal much worse.
• Crippling the Competition: One of the reasons they kidnapped Syaoran is because they will eventually go up against his team and want to take him out before he does.
• Evil Redhead: Jet
• For the Evulz: They chose Syaoran for kicks.
• Loves the Sound of Screaming: Cassie mentions enjoying hearing her victims suffer and asks Syaoran not to hold back.
• Serial Killer: They mentioned to have taken others in their "play room" before and Syaoran notes that their torture devices show signs of use.
• Unholy Matrimony: They are romantically involved and pick their victims together.

Doctor Yamura/Healer Hinata (Infinity, Nihon)

• Alternate Self: She is introduced as a surgeon in Infinity and is a healer in Nihon.
• First-Name Basis: Her Nihon counterpart goes by her given name.
• Original Character: She is original to this story.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: She helps the group during their hospital stay, tells them how to deal with Syaoran's injuries and tries recommending to Syaoran to attend therapy for his trauma.
• Remember the New Guy?: Hinata has been Kurogane's personal healer for years, but he never paid attention to her and would avoid coming to her out of pride.
• White Mage: Healer Hinata is skilled at healing magic.

Tomoyo (Nihon)

• Mythology Gag: Of course Tomoyo would sympathize with the loser of the Love Triangle who gives up their chance for their beloved to happy considering her Alternate Self's home series.
• Shipper on Deck: A conflicted one. On one hand, she is very happy for Kurogane and Syaoran and is supportive and would recommend romantic activities. On the other hand, she still shows her support for Kuro/Fai by giving Fai a furisode and is sympathetic towards him being on the losing end of a Love Triangle

Clone Syaoran/ "The Other"/Syaoran Li

• Brainwashed and Crazy: To the horror of his friends, he gets turned against his friends.
• Broken Pedestal: When he regained his senses, he hoped that Kurogane would be a good father figure and mentor to his son, Real!Syaoran/Tsubasa like he was to Syaoran. He was horrified when he found out that Kurogane's relationship with Real!Syaoran/Tsubasa was deeper than that. He later gives his approval when he sees how happy their relationship makes the both of them.
• In-Universe Nickname: He called the Other by Syaoran
• Manchurian Agent
• My Own Grampa: Reincarnated as Real!Syaoran's father. It's noted to be rather confusing In-Universe
• Timey-Wimey Ball: He is Syaoran's clone and is reincarnated into being Syaoran's father.