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1 Dear Sakura: Broken Dreams
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2 by Amazoness Duo and G.P.
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3 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
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4 pearsong1954@yahoo.com
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5
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6
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7
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8 It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Tomoyo’s carefully constructed
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9 plans had all collapsed in such a short time. The wreckage of her
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10 hopes and dreams, of her well planned efforts for Sakura, had her
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11 lonely heart pinned helplessly to the floor. She was lost and afraid,
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12 alone in an endless maze of despair that she had no hope of escaping.
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13 Sakura’s beautiful new life was on the verge of ending tragically
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14 because of Tomoyo’s recent trip to Hong Kong. She had given into her
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15 feelings for Sakura and now the woman she loved was about to lose
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16 everything because of it. Her plan to leave Sakura’s life quietly, to
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17 fade away from Sakura over time had also been dashed by the
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18 Cardmistress’s sudden appearance in Tomoeda. Everything Tomoyo had
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19 done, she had done for Sakura. But it had all been for nothing, her
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20 effort and prayers amounting to little more than broken dreams.
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21 Despite how hard she had tried, how much she had given, it hadn’t
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22 been enough. She hadn’t been able to safeguard Sakura’s beautiful
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23 life that she herself had played a part in orchestrating. After all,
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24 had she not played such an integral part in getting Sakura with her
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25 prince, Syaoran, would they have come together on their own? But now
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26 it all teetered on the brink, threatening to crush both Tomoyo and
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27 Sakura underneath its weight.
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28 All the dark haired heiress had ever wanted with all of her heart
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29 had been Sakura’s happiness. Everything she had done had been for
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30 those ends. From pushing Syaoran to tell Sakura his feelings and
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31 later helping Sakura understand her feelings for the Chinese boy.
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32 Fading out of Sakura’s life had been just another part of her plan
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33 for Sakura’s happiness. To leave so that she couldn’t threaten the
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34 wonderful life Sakura was leading with her beloved. But Fate had
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35 cruelly stepped in right when things seemed to be perfect. Tomoyo had
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36 finally crafted the beautiful life she had always envisioned for
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37 Sakura. The woman she loved was happily married and protected and
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38 would one day have a gorgeous child. It had all been set up. All
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39 Tomoyo had to do was to slip away from Sakura’s life and hope that it
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40 would always be joyous for the Mistress of the Cards. Tomoyo had
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41 tried so hard, but it seemed that her hard work had never mattered at
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42 all. Her remaining presence in Sakura’s life had possibly damaged it
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43 beyond repair, had left Sakura’s shimmering future in doubt. The
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44 lavender haired girl hadn’t even been able to escape before the
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45 damage became too great, Sakura reaching Japan before she could
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46 disappear forever.
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47 “All I want is for the person I like to be happy. If they can be
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48 happy, then that would be my greatest wish,” Tomoyo whispered to
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49 herself, as if she were once again repeating to Sakura her reasoning
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50 for not going after the one she loved. But now the words sounded
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51 empty, hollow. If she didn’t have the knowledge that Sakura was
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52 happy, then what did she have? The heart of her beloved Mistress of
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53 the Cards couldn’t possibly survive the death of her happy life,
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54 could it? So Tomoyo was left with nothing at all, not even the hope
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55 for her friend’s future. Her lonely heart was stripped of even that,
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56 the one thing that had made her life worth living, that had given her
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57 empty life some substance. The heiress had gambled and lost. She had
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58 placed her bets and now was the time that debts must be paid. Her
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59 gamble for Sakura’s happiness had fallen through. So in a way, it was
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60 her own fault that the brunette was on the brink of losing her new
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61 and wonderful life in Hong Kong. She had been one of the driving
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62 forces behind Sakura’s marriage to Syaoran, to her moving to Hong
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63 Kong. And ironically, she had been the one to bring it so close to
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64 ruin.
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65 Bare feet shifted on cold metal as a pale ghost of a woman looked
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66 out into the cold night sky. Above lay the sparkling stars in the sky
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67 while below lay the shining lights of the many buildings that
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68 stretched out endlessly into the dark horizon. Wet tears dripped down
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69 her chin, falling past her feet, tiny diamonds dropping from up above
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70 like rain drops. She couldn’t help but wonder if she had never gone
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71 to Hong Kong if this whole thing could have been avoided. Maybe she
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72 could have slipped from Sakura’s life without hurting her darling
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73 brunette. Maybe the beautiful life that lay before Sakura could have
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74 been saved. Not that it mattered what might have been. That possible
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75 future now lay in ruins and the future awaiting Sakura and Tomoyo
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76 looked to be a dark and stormy one indeed. Involuntarily, the dark
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77 haired girl’s mind went back to her cherished kiss with Sakura. What
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78 had been a secret dream she had held dear from the time she had been
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79 a child now seemed like the beginning of the end. What had begun as a
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80 farewell trip with her friend had become something much more. Tomoyo
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81 had intended to try and distance herself from Sakura so it would be
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82 easier to part from her life, but the brunette hadn’t allowed it.
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83 They had instead been closer, more intimate than they ever had in the
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84 days when Sakura had been back in Tomoeda. This had, for once, taken
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85 Tomoyo by complete surprise. So off guard had she been that she had
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86 made the mistake of giving into the love that her heart was always
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87 drowning in, kissing Sakura that one night in the garden. It had been
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88 one of her fondest wishes come true, to hold Sakura close and to be
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89 able to kiss her friend with all the fire that burnt in her heart.
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90 And the night had felt so magical, so dreamlike. It had been her one
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91 chance to give her heart to Sakura. But now it seemed that it had
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92 condemned the two, slowly but surely destroying everything Tomoyo had
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93 worked so hard for. But even then, Tomoyo couldn’t fully blame the
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94 sweet kiss they had shared, the tender moment locked deep within her
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95 heart.
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96 Wind whipped long lavender hair around almost violently in the dark
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97 night. Tears sparkled dimly as they fell past the dark locks of hair.
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98 Tomoyo felt trapped, boxed in, trapped as surely as any of Sakura’s
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99 Cards had been. She was crushed by the enormous weight of the mistake
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100 she had made. Stealing Sakura’s kiss held with it a high sentence. It
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101 held with it the power to destroy both Sakura’s life and her own. And
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102 the pale heiress couldn’t live with the thought of her dream,
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103 Sakura’s happiness being obliterated because of her giving in to her
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104 heart. It hardly seemed fair that such a small thing had caused so
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105 much damage. Why should Sakura suffer because of Tomoyo’s longing? A
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106 long time ago, Tomoyo had thought that she could just be happy as
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107 long as Sakura was. Now she realized that wasn’t true. She wanted
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108 desperately for Sakura to be happy, but it left her so lonely and
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109 cold inside. That realization had come with a terrible price. Giving
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110 into that pain, giving into her loneliness had brought about an end
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111 to the happy life she had always wanted for Sakura. It reminded the
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112 lavender haired phantom of an ancient myth she had once heard long
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113 ago. It was of a man who fought his way to Hades to bring back the
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114 woman he loved. He had come with such bravery, such courage that he
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115 had been allowed to take her back on one condition, that she follow
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116 behind him and that he couldn’t look back to her until they reached
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117 the surface. And so the pair traveled all the way back to the surface
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118 together like that, the woman right behind him. So happy was he to
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119 see the light, to finally have the woman he loved back, the man
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120 turned to see her. But to his horror, she had not fully gotten to the
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121 surface. In moments, she was returned the Hades. The man, distraught
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122 by his lover being torn from him after nearly having her back, was
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123 left alone and tormented. He killed himself shortly thereafter.
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124 Sakura had been terrified by the dark tale, but Tomoyo had found it a
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125 sad example of the pain love could cause. Now she saw herself in the
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126 same situation. She had led Sakura to her happy life, had finally
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127 left her with the happiness she always wanted for Sakura. But having
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128 been so close to leaving Sakura with this happiness, Tomoyo had
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129 allowed herself to look back, to give in to her feelings. And in that
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130 brief moment, she had ruined it all. Sakura’s happiness was being
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131 stripped from her, right in front of Tomoyo’s eyes.
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132 But did Sakura have to suffer for Tomoyo’s mistake? No, the heiress
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133 had decided. She had come to the conclusion that the only way to save
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134 Sakura’s happiness was to leave her life, to disappear from the
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135 brunette’s thoughts. But before she could fade from the only one she
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136 could ever love, Sakura had rushed to Japan to stop her. Now Tomoyo
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137 was trapped, unable to do anything to stave off the ruin that awaited
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138 them. Her careful plans lay useless at her feet, leaving her with
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139 nothing. Or did it? She had wanted to fade from Sakura’s life
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140 quietly, to slip away in the least painful way possible. Now that
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141 wasn’t an option with Sakura here in Japan for her. But that didn’t
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142 mean that she couldn’t still save the brunette’s happy life. Tomoyo
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143 knew that she herself was the catastrophe facing Sakura. If she
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144 remained, the Mistress of the Cards could lose everything. Her
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145 husband, the baby that Syaoran could grant her, the life and family
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146 in Hong Kong that she now had. Tomoyo had sacrificed so much for
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147 Sakura’s happiness, ignoring the pain and loneliness in her own heart
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148 as long as Sakura’s genki heart was fulfilled. The thought that she
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149 was what could ruin that horrified her. It was such a sickening
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150 twist. Staying could only hurt Sakura, bringing an end to her life in
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151 Hong Kong. So Tomoyo would have to leave it, to escape before she
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152 could cause anymore damage. Maybe Sakura could still keep her happy
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153 life, could still hold onto it if Tomoyo wasn’t there to confuse her.
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154 It pained Tomoyo that she couldn’t leave quietly, slipping away into
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155 the night like she had planned. Sakura would undoubtedly find out
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156 about her suicide, especially with her in Japan. But Tomoyo saw no
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157 other options open to her. In order for Sakura to live, she had to
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158 die. Her own life held nothing but pain in her future if her
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159 beautiful Cardmistress were to lose everything. And she wouldn’t let
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160 Sakura be punished for Tomoyo’s own innocent sin. This was her only
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161 way to escape Sakura’s life and save her friend’s happiness. Sakura
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162 allowed her no other options. The auburn haired girl wouldn’t let her
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163 go otherwise. If the heiress was dead then Sakura wouldn’t be so
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164 confused about the feelings in her heart, seeking solace in her
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165 husband. Eventually her memories of the lavender haired girl would
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166 fade away, leaving her with nothing more than a faint remembrance of
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167 her guardian angel from long ago. And she would grow happy and old
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168 with her husband and as many children as Fate would bless them with.
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169 Away from the pain, safe from the loneliness, Tomoyo prayed that she
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170 would be able to watch Sakura from up above, to see the happy life
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171 that her death would ensure. It was a high price, one that had to be
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172 paid in blood. But it was one that the lavender eyed woman would
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173 gladly pay if it meant she could stop the catastrophe awaiting her
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174 dearest Sakura.
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175 Clutching the teddy bear Sakura had made for her against her chest,
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176 Tomoyo gazed into the darkness, the dim lights blurring into streaks
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177 through her tear filled vision. Her numb, slender fingers grasped
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178 onto a slightly bloodied picture of Sakura. It had been the same
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179 picture that her picture frame had held before she had smashed the
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180 frame to jagged shards. Her beautiful Sakura smiled happily, frozen
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181 forever in that simple image. She had fled her house with only these
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182 two possessions in the early hours of the morning. Sakura’s sudden
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183 appearance had struck her like the blade of a knife, wedged deep into
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184 her heart. It had shattered everything. Curled up in the darkness,
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185 Tomoyo had cried for hours while holding onto the teddy bear she had
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186 named Sakura. The pale woman had thought desperately of a way to fix
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187 things, but nothing but despair had managed to penetrate her troubled
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188 mind. So she had ran. Just as she had planned on doing before with
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189 her planned out escape from Sakura’s life, she had run. She hadn’t
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190 known at first where she was running to, how she would escape the
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191 Mistress of the Cards, but she had finally found herself here. It
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192 seemed fitting, to end up where some of Sakura’s most important
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193 moments had been. If anyone had noticed the distraught barefoot girl,
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194 they hadn’t said anything. How she had made her way to Tokyo Tower,
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195 even Tomoyo wasn’t exactly sure. But she stood there nonetheless,
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196 soft bare feet dirty and bloody from all of her walking. Her
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197 nightgown fluttered in the increasing wind, her dark hair seeming
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198 alive as it moved about her.
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199 “Sakura-chan wouldn’t even recognize me, would she?” Tomoyo
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200 whispered softly into the teddy bear’s ear. She held it gently,
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201 lovingly, her tears rolling onto the soft cloth of its head. This
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202 gift from Sakura was all she had left, the only thing she could hold
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203 onto. It was her only companion at the end of her long and painful
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204 road. There was some measure of relief in that, in knowing that it
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205 was almost over. The cold, tangible pain inside of her was
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206 unbearable. It cut through her viciously, tearing at her weak and
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207 fragile soul. Her heart was pierced deeply, her love for Sakura
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208 making the pain only more acute. She had to wonder if Sakura would
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209 recognize this wretched, lonely girl about to throw herself off of
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210 Tokyo Tower. Sakura had always seen what Tomoyo had portrayed for
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211 her. In all the years they had known each other, Tomoyo had tried to
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212 never show Sakura her fears, her pain, or her tears. And certainly
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213 not her loneliness. She had always been happy for Sakura, always
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214 offering her a smile. Sakura didn’t know what lay beneath that
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215 smiling exterior. The Cardmistress hadn’t been allowed to see beneath
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216 Tomoyo’s masks. Tomoyo had worn them for her, had always smiled for
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217 Sakura’s sake. She had never wanted to burden Sakura with her
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218 problems, with her own pain and tears. Only the briefest of glimpses
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219 had been given to Sakura of the inner turmoil that lay beneath her
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220 happy façade. But that had been part of the problem. Discovering
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221 Tomoyo’s loneliness that night in the garden when they had shared a
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222 kiss had sparked Sakura’s indomitable determination, forcing the
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223 energetic brunette to try and find out who Tomoyo loved and to fix
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224 the pain she had seen. Tomoyo had burdened Sakura after all in a way
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225 she had never wished to. And she hated herself for that, for allowing
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226 herself to let Sakura see her that way. It had been one of the
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227 deciding factors in what had begun to ruin Sakura’s life. So she had
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228 tried to hold onto her masks for as long as she could, to hide the
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229 shadows from Sakura. She had been doing that since she had been a
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230 child, always keeping up a mask of happiness for Sakura, never
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231 letting her see the cold, lonely child beneath their constraints. But
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232 now she was entirely without her masks, having left the broken shards
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233 behind. She felt naked, unable to hold back the grief that held her
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234 heart in a viselike grip. They had finally broken, and with them, so
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235 had the girl underneath. Tomoyo had only been able to handle so much
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236 before her soul began to splinter just like the glass in the picture
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237 frame. She had tried to write Sakura a goodbye note on the back of
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238 the picture she held, to try not to worry her with her death, but it
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239 was impossible for her. Her masks were entirely gone. She couldn’t
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240 hide her pain any longer. Sobbing in frustration, Tomoyo had finally
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241 given up, leaving only a half written apology on the back of the
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242 picture of Sakura.
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243 Hugging the teddy bear in her arms as tightly as she could against
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244 her trembling skin, Tomoyo sobbed against the bear named Sakura’s
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245 head, her hair draped over the two of them as the wind grew eerily
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246 calm for a moment. “I’ll miss you, Sakura-chan. Please take care of
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247 her for me. I want... I need Sakura-chan to be happy. So I have to go
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248 away for that. I need to fade away from her life. I don’t want to
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249 hurt her like this. I wanted to move away before I did this so it
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250 wouldn’t hurt Sakura-chan or mother. But there’s nothing else I can
|
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rlm@0
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251 do. I need to do this for Sakura-chan. It’s my last chance to save
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rlm@0
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252 her happiness,” she whispered quietly, tears soaking into the bear’s
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rlm@0
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253 head. Gingerly kissing the top of the teddy bear’s head, Tomoyo set
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rlm@0
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254 it down gently near the edge. The small bear seemed to be looking out
|
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rlm@0
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255 at the city spreading out below them, its tiny ribbon flowing in the
|
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rlm@0
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256 returning breeze.
|
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rlm@0
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257 “I love you, Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo said louder as she stood up. Her
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rlm@0
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258 pale skin glimmered softly in the moonlight, her lavender hair
|
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rlm@0
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259 falling about her like tendrils of the night itself. Clasping her
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rlm@0
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260 hands together in front of her, the pale woman looked like a grieving
|
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rlm@0
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261 angel. She had stood by in Sakura’s life for years, always content
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rlm@0
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262 with loving her friend from afar. She had done so not because she had
|
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rlm@0
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263 been embarrassed to say anything and not because she wasn’t brave
|
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rlm@0
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264 enough to tell the brunette. No, it had been something much deeper
|
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rlm@0
|
265 than that. She had done it precisely because she loved Sakura. She
|
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rlm@0
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266 had watched her grow closer to Syaoran, had watched the one she loved
|
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rlm@0
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267 with all of her heart giving her heart to another. Tomoyo hadn’t
|
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rlm@0
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268 burdened Sakura with her own feelings, had instead tried to nurture
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rlm@0
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269 Sakura’s heart towards another. Because she believed that the
|
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rlm@0
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270 Mistress of the Cards, her sweet auburn haired best friend, had
|
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rlm@0
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271 chosen her princess long ago. Just like in the play they had done so
|
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rlm@0
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272 long ago, Sakura was the noble and determined prince. Syaoran was her
|
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rlm@0
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273 princess. And Tomoyo wouldn’t, couldn’t fight that. She had no wish
|
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rlm@0
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274 to. As long as Sakura could be happy, that was all that mattered. So
|
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rlm@0
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275 she had stayed in the background, watching as Sakura had fallen in
|
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rlm@0
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276 love with a little push from herself, had watched as the two had
|
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rlm@0
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277 begun a relationship. When you love someone so much it hurts, that
|
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rlm@0
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278 they become your entire world, then it becomes their happiness, not
|
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rlm@0
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279 your own, that matters. Maybe she could have had Sakura with the
|
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rlm@0
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280 amount of control she could wield over the brunette. But it would
|
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rlm@0
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281 never be worth having Sakura if she wasn’t happy. So if someone else
|
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rlm@0
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282 could have Sakura’s love, could thrill her and fill her with joy at
|
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rlm@0
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283 the world, then that would be Tomoyo’s goal in life. And so even if
|
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rlm@0
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284 it hurt, Tomoyo had given her all to make sure that Sakura would be
|
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rlm@0
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285 happy with Syaoran. And she would safeguard that now. Forever.
|
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rlm@0
|
286 Alone. In one way or another, Tomoyo had always been alone. Sakura
|
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rlm@0
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287 had never really seen her, never looked past her masks. They had
|
|
rlm@0
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288 always been close, but Sakura had never looked through to the girl
|
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rlm@0
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289 beneath her cheerful exterior. And besides Sakura, Tomoyo really
|
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rlm@0
|
290 hadn’t had any other friends. Chiharu, Naoko, and Rika had all been
|
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rlm@0
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291 Sakura’s friends. Friends by the common association with Sakura
|
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rlm@0
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292 maybe, but nothing more. It had been so easy for Sakura to make
|
|
rlm@0
|
293 friends with her warm and loving nature. But it had always been
|
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rlm@0
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294 something difficult for the more introverted heiress. Sakura had been
|
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rlm@0
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295 her first real and best friend. And she had cherished that deeply.
|
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rlm@0
|
296 But it left her so alone because of how in love she had fallen with
|
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rlm@0
|
297 Sakura. Because she could never show her everything that lay in her
|
|
rlm@0
|
298 heart. And though her mother cared about her deeply, the
|
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rlm@0
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299 businesswoman had always been so busy with work. Tomoyo had always
|
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rlm@0
|
300 loved the times they could spend together, but they had been few and
|
|
rlm@0
|
301 far between at times. But now that loneliness would finally come to
|
|
rlm@0
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302 an end. She could slip away. She had always been in the background,
|
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rlm@0
|
303 so no one should notice after a while that she was even gone. It was
|
|
rlm@0
|
304 finally over.
|
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rlm@0
|
305 Taking a step forward, Tomoyo looked up at the stars above. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
306 wondered where Nadeshiko was up above. The beautiful woman was almost
|
|
rlm@0
|
307 certainly an angel now. She would have to ask her to keep an eye on
|
|
rlm@0
|
308 her mother. Maybe she could be Sakura’s angel. She had always wanted
|
|
rlm@0
|
309 nothing more than to watch her beautiful best friend smile joyously.
|
|
rlm@0
|
310 If she could keep an eye on Sakura after her death, she could watch
|
|
rlm@0
|
311 all that she would be missing in life. To see Sakura live her happy
|
|
rlm@0
|
312 life, to see her have children and grow old with the one she loved,
|
|
rlm@0
|
313 that would be all she could hope for. If she could be Sakura’s angel,
|
|
rlm@0
|
314 she could always be with her. And Sakura could finally be happy.
|
|
rlm@0
|
315 There would be no more danger of her ruining her dearest
|
|
rlm@0
|
316 Cardmistress’s gorgeous life. Death held no fear for the lavender
|
|
rlm@0
|
317 haired woman. It held release in it’s grasp, and salvation for the
|
|
rlm@0
|
318 happiness she wished to protect. She could finally escape her
|
|
rlm@0
|
319 loneliness and torment, leaving them as well as her masks behind.
|
|
rlm@0
|
320 Dark tresses waved in front of Tomoyo, nearly blinding the quiet
|
|
rlm@0
|
321 phantom as the wind began to pick up violently again. Tomoyo took no
|
|
rlm@0
|
322 notice of the gale, her hands held tightly to her chest. Her battered
|
|
rlm@0
|
323 heart whispered it’s endless love to Sakura amidst the rustling of
|
|
rlm@0
|
324 the wind. “Goodbye, Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo said softly, taking a last
|
|
rlm@0
|
325 glance at the steadfast teddy bear. It was time to go. But her love
|
|
rlm@0
|
326 would never leave her. Eternity awaited, calling to her. Turning back
|
|
rlm@0
|
327 to the city lights that continued to shine like beacons in the
|
|
rlm@0
|
328 darkness, Tomoyo stepped forward onto the edge of the structure. The
|
|
rlm@0
|
329 wind threatened to throw off the small toy designer, angrily shaking
|
|
rlm@0
|
330 her with all its might. But the girl waited patiently, tears still
|
|
rlm@0
|
331 dripping below. Pulling up her bloodstained picture, Tomoyo’s fingers
|
|
rlm@0
|
332 gently traced over the smiling Sakura. Behind her tears, Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@0
|
333 returned the smile to her beloved. In an instant, the picture
|
|
rlm@0
|
334 disappeared. The lavender haired woman’s heart skipped a beat as her
|
|
rlm@0
|
335 tear streaked eyes darted for the small object. It floated a few feet
|
|
rlm@0
|
336 away from her, fluttering in the heavy wind. “Sakura-chan!” Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@0
|
337 called out, reaching out for the picture, her frozen moment of
|
|
rlm@0
|
338 Sakura. Tired, bare feet pushed against metal as she grasped for the
|
|
rlm@0
|
339 metal. And with that, the world gave away beneath her. The pale woman
|
|
rlm@0
|
340 plummeted from Tokyo Tower, falling for what felt like an eternity,
|
|
rlm@0
|
341 but seeming like nothing more than precious seconds. Releasing a weak
|
|
rlm@0
|
342 sob, Tomoyo clutched her hands to her chest. Dark hair streaked
|
|
rlm@0
|
343 behind her as the angel took flight, diving to the world below. Her
|
|
rlm@0
|
344 soul had been broken a short time ago. Now her body would join it,
|
|
rlm@0
|
345 broken on the pavement below. It would finally be over. Her eyes
|
|
rlm@0
|
346 closing, her mind shifted through countless images of her beloved.
|
|
rlm@0
|
347 She was going to die, but her thoughts went immediately to the woman
|
|
rlm@0
|
348 she loved. ‘Please don’t cry, Sakura-chan. It makes me sad to see you
|
|
rlm@0
|
349 cry,’ she begged the brunette as the pavement rushed up at her like a
|
|
rlm@0
|
350 bullet train.
|
|
rlm@0
|
351 A cry reached Tomoyo’s ears, but it was indistinguishable over the
|
|
rlm@0
|
352 howl of the wind. It roared like an angry beast, fighting merely to
|
|
rlm@0
|
353 prove it’s existence. Her eyes closing tightly, Tomoyo saw Sakura’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
354 cute face smiling softly at her. “Sakura, I love you,” Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@0
|
355 whispered seconds before plowing into the concrete below.
|
|
rlm@0
|
356 “TOMOYO-CHAN!!!” Sakura screamed as she alighted next to her
|
|
rlm@0
|
357 friend’s lifeless body. Her wings disappeared in a storm of feathers
|
|
rlm@0
|
358 as she collapsed next to the broken and bloody body of the gentle
|
|
rlm@0
|
359 heiress. Horrified, Sakura reached out with shaky fingers, turning
|
|
rlm@0
|
360 Tomoyo over. The sight immediately made her wish she hadn’t. Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@0
|
361 had always been the most gorgeous woman Sakura had ever known, her
|
|
rlm@0
|
362 graceful beauty always touching Sakura’s heart. But now she lay
|
|
rlm@0
|
363 broken, shattered. Her best friend was gone, and what was left behind
|
|
rlm@0
|
364 was a painful reminder. With shaking hands, Sakura brushed back
|
|
rlm@0
|
365 fluttering lavender hair from Tomoyo’s face. Stormy blue eyes looked
|
|
rlm@0
|
366 at her lifelessly, their sparkle completely vanished. Tears burst
|
|
rlm@0
|
367 forth from Sakura as she shook her head violently. “No!! Please,
|
|
rlm@0
|
368 no..” Tears spilt down her cheeks, dripping to the broken woman
|
|
rlm@0
|
369 beneath her. She had been too late. She had been flying the entire
|
|
rlm@0
|
370 day, searching in a frenzy to find Tomoyo, her mind single mindedly
|
|
rlm@0
|
371 set on finding her best friend. It had taken her forever to finally
|
|
rlm@0
|
372 find her, and it had only been at the last possible moment when she
|
|
rlm@0
|
373 had seen Tomoyo’s body tumbling through the air. She had lost. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
374 hadn’t been fast enough. Bitter sobs wracked her body as she held
|
|
rlm@0
|
375 onto what was left of Tomoyo. Bloody lavender hair pressed against
|
|
rlm@0
|
376 her face as she continued to cry. The pale woman’s words echoed
|
|
rlm@0
|
377 through her mind like an accusation. ‘I wasn’t afraid because I knew
|
|
rlm@0
|
378 Sakura-chan would save me.’ Yet for all of that faith, Sakura had
|
|
rlm@0
|
379 failed once again to save her best friend. Had, in fact, failed for
|
|
rlm@0
|
380 the last time. “Tomoyo-chan..” Sakura cried weakly into Tomoyo’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
381 hair. “I love you.. Please don’t leave me alone..” Just like always,
|
|
rlm@0
|
382 she had been too late, and Tomoyo had paid the price. Too late...
|
|
rlm@0
|
383 Sakura blinked back a fresh surge of tears as she weakly got to her
|
|
rlm@0
|
384 feet. No, not too late. She couldn’t be. She wouldn’t let herself be.
|
|
rlm@0
|
385 “I’ll save you, Tomoyo-chan. Just like you always said I would. I
|
|
rlm@0
|
386 promise,” Sakura whispered as she numbly pulled out her staff. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
387 had once chance. She was too exhausted to use much more of her power.
|
|
rlm@0
|
388 So she would have only one chance at this. The staff twirled in her
|
|
rlm@0
|
389 hands as she tossed a Sakura Card into the air. “Return!! Bring me to
|
|
rlm@0
|
390 before Tomoyo-chan fell!” She cried out above the bestial howl of the
|
|
rlm@0
|
391 wind. She wouldn’t let this be the end.
|
|
rlm@0
|
392
|
|
rlm@0
|
393
|
|
rlm@0
|
394 Dark tresses waved in front of Tomoyo, nearly blinding the quiet
|
|
rlm@0
|
395 phantom as the wind began to pick up violently again. Tomoyo took no
|
|
rlm@0
|
396 notice of the gale, her hands held tightly to her chest. Her battered
|
|
rlm@0
|
397 heart whispered it’s endless love to Sakura amidst the rustling of
|
|
rlm@0
|
398 the wind. “Goodbye, Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo said softly, taking a last
|
|
rlm@0
|
399 glance at the steadfast teddy bear. It was time to go. But her love
|
|
rlm@0
|
400 would never leave her. Eternity awaited, calling to her. Turning back
|
|
rlm@0
|
401 to the city lights that continued to shine like beacons in the
|
|
rlm@0
|
402 darkness, Tomoyo stepped forward onto the edge of the structure. The
|
|
rlm@0
|
403 wind threatened to throw off the small toy designer, angrily shaking
|
|
rlm@0
|
404 her with all its might. But the girl waited patiently, tears still
|
|
rlm@0
|
405 dripping below. Pulling up her bloodstained picture, Tomoyo’s fingers
|
|
rlm@0
|
406 gently traced over the smiling Sakura. Behind her tears, Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@0
|
407 returned the smile to her beloved. In an instant, the picture
|
|
rlm@0
|
408 disappeared. The lavender haired woman’s heart skipped a beat as her
|
|
rlm@0
|
409 tear streaked eyes darted for the small object. It floated a few feet
|
|
rlm@0
|
410 away from her, fluttering in the heavy wind. “Sakura-chan!” Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@0
|
411 called out, reaching out for the picture, her frozen moment of
|
|
rlm@0
|
412 Sakura. Tired, bare feet pushed against metal as she grasped for the
|
|
rlm@0
|
413 metal. And with that, the world gave away beneath her. The pale woman
|
|
rlm@0
|
414 plummeted from Tokyo Tower, falling for what felt like an eternity,
|
|
rlm@0
|
415 but seeming like nothing more than precious seconds. Releasing a weak
|
|
rlm@0
|
416 sob, Tomoyo clutched her hands to her chest. Dark hair streaked
|
|
rlm@0
|
417 behind her as the angel took flight, diving to the world below. Her
|
|
rlm@0
|
418 soul had been broken a short time ago. Now her body would join it,
|
|
rlm@0
|
419 broken on the pavement below. It would finally be over. Her eyes
|
|
rlm@0
|
420 closing, her mind shifted through countless images of her beloved.
|
|
rlm@0
|
421 She was going to die, but her thoughts went immediately to the woman
|
|
rlm@0
|
422 she loved. ‘Please don’t cry, Sakura-chan. It makes me sad to see you
|
|
rlm@0
|
423 cry,’ she begged the brunette as the pavement rushed up at her like a
|
|
rlm@0
|
424 bullet train.
|
|
rlm@0
|
425 A scream hit her ears, taking her by surprise. Dark lashes fluttered
|
|
rlm@0
|
426 open, sending diamond tears into the wind. It took her a moment to
|
|
rlm@0
|
427 see the source, a small angel rushing up towards her, shimmering
|
|
rlm@0
|
428 wings beating rapidly behind her. The angel’s beauty left Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@0
|
429 breathless as the distance between then dropped away. The lavender
|
|
rlm@0
|
430 haired woman idly wondered if the angel was Nadeshiko, coming to meet
|
|
rlm@0
|
431 her. It was hard to make out the winged woman in the darkness. Still
|
|
rlm@0
|
432 stunned by the ethereal beauty that darted her way, Tomoyo let out a
|
|
rlm@0
|
433 final prayer. ‘Please let me be Sakura’s angel,’ she pleaded.
|
|
rlm@0
|
434 But Tomoyo’s wish lay incomplete, the air knocked out of her as she
|
|
rlm@0
|
435 stopped short of the ground below. The angel held onto the lavender
|
|
rlm@0
|
436 haired woman tightly, her grasp actually bruising the pale flesh
|
|
rlm@0
|
437 beneath her nightgown. Wings beat heavily as they tried to stop the
|
|
rlm@0
|
438 pair’s downward momentum. Struggling desperately, Sakura slowly began
|
|
rlm@0
|
439 to slow their descent. Her eyes closed tightly as she tried to focus
|
|
rlm@0
|
440 on nothing but the task at hand. With Tomoyo in her arms, she found
|
|
rlm@0
|
441 that extremely difficult, especially with the nature of how she had
|
|
rlm@0
|
442 found the woman. But somehow everything managed to fade away. There
|
|
rlm@0
|
443 was nothing but the moment, the action at hand. Emerald eyes opening,
|
|
rlm@0
|
444 Sakura looked forward, pouring out everything she had in one last
|
|
rlm@0
|
445 ditch effort. Wind whipped at her, pounding into the two woman,
|
|
rlm@0
|
446 weakening Sakura’s wings as they struggled to stay aloft. Her heart
|
|
rlm@0
|
447 pounding thunderously against the pale woman in her arms, Sakura felt
|
|
rlm@0
|
448 her wings falter briefly as she tried to push forward. Sweat burned
|
|
rlm@0
|
449 at her eyes as fatigue slowly sapped at her body. Panic began to
|
|
rlm@0
|
450 overwhelm her, but she forced it away with all of her might. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
451 could see a bright light ahead of her, awaiting them. It was
|
|
rlm@0
|
452 gorgeous, deep and illuminating. She struggled to reach the light,
|
|
rlm@0
|
453 forcing herself forward despite the pain that gnawed at her weakening
|
|
rlm@0
|
454 body. She thought she saw someone in the light, a woman with long,
|
|
rlm@0
|
455 dark hair and angel wings. ‘Tomoyo?’ Sakura thought weakly to
|
|
rlm@0
|
456 herself. But that couldn’t be. Tomoyo was still in her arms. Sakura’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
457 eyes widened after a moment. ‘Mama?’ The woman watched her intently
|
|
rlm@0
|
458 as Sakura desperately fought to reach the light and the ledge of the
|
|
rlm@0
|
459 Tower. She could see the teddy bear she had given Tomoyo resting on
|
|
rlm@0
|
460 the ledge, watching out along with her mother. Almost... Sakura
|
|
rlm@0
|
461 strained the last of her strength into a final push to reach the
|
|
rlm@0
|
462 ledge. The world pushed away beneath them as she flew upwards. One
|
|
rlm@0
|
463 hand shot out, reaching for the metal. It slowly edged closer. Her
|
|
rlm@0
|
464 fingers brushed the cold, but blessed metal of the Tower. With some
|
|
rlm@0
|
465 sort of handhold, she could force her tired wings to get them the
|
|
rlm@0
|
466 rest of the way up. Her fingers grappled for a better handhold. To
|
|
rlm@0
|
467 Sakura’s horror, the tower seemed to pull away from her questing
|
|
rlm@0
|
468 fingers. A sudden gust of wind had caught her wings and forced her
|
|
rlm@0
|
469 away from the tower. With no strength left, the two woman plummeted
|
|
rlm@0
|
470 once more.
|
|
rlm@0
|
471 Air buffeted a fatigued and despondent Sakura as she clutched
|
|
rlm@0
|
472 desperately onto Tomoyo. It wasn’t fair. She almost had it. She had
|
|
rlm@0
|
473 almost saved Tomoyo. Just like Tomoyo had said long ago, that Sakura
|
|
rlm@0
|
474 would always come and save her. She had almost been able to. But just
|
|
rlm@0
|
475 like always, Sakura had failed her. And so she paid for that failure
|
|
rlm@0
|
476 with her life as well as Tomoyo’s. Her arms clenched onto the cold,
|
|
rlm@0
|
477 pale woman, tears sparkling in her eyes. She had thought that she
|
|
rlm@0
|
478 could save her this time. But at least, she thought, she could be
|
|
rlm@0
|
479 with Tomoyo this time. She wouldn’t die by herself. They would go
|
|
rlm@0
|
480 together, in each other’s arms. But even with that, Sakura couldn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
481 help but feel defeat grip her soul. She had promised she would save
|
|
rlm@0
|
482 her, had wanted to come and save her best friend once and for all.
|
|
rlm@0
|
483 She couldn’t fail. It wasn’t right. She had finally come to save
|
|
rlm@0
|
484 Tomoyo from her pain and loneliness, had finally understood that
|
|
rlm@0
|
485 their hearts were entwined with red ribbons. But she hadn’t been able
|
|
rlm@0
|
486 to offer up her heart to the gorgeous dark haired woman, hadn’t been
|
|
rlm@0
|
487 able to make up for the years of neglecting just how important Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@0
|
488 was to her. Tears fell scattered to the stormy wind as they both
|
|
rlm@0
|
489 dropped. “Tomoyo-chan..” Sakura called out as she clung to the dark
|
|
rlm@0
|
490 haired woman. No, things couldn’t end this way. Not when she finally
|
|
rlm@0
|
491 understood her heart. Not when she finally understood who she loved.
|
|
rlm@0
|
492 She couldn’t let her terrible mistake from years before end like
|
|
rlm@0
|
493 this. She had caused Tomoyo such pain through her confusion about her
|
|
rlm@0
|
494 own feelings and her marriage to Syaoran. But she had vowed to make
|
|
rlm@0
|
495 that up to her, to love Tomoyo with all of her heart, to heal her
|
|
rlm@0
|
496 lonely heart. She had to offer her heart to the dark haired woman, to
|
|
rlm@0
|
497 finally truly save her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
498 Tomoyo’s heart had nearly stopped in her chest. Sakura was here?
|
|
rlm@0
|
499 Sakura had found her? No, that wasn’t how it was supposed to be.. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
500 was supposed to die, to free Sakura from the burdens that lay over
|
|
rlm@0
|
501 her. Tears sparkled in her eyes as she stayed in the brunette’s arms.
|
|
rlm@0
|
502 Sakura wouldn’t let her leave. She wouldn’t let her escape. No matter
|
|
rlm@0
|
503 how hard she tried, everything kept moving towards the inevitable
|
|
rlm@0
|
504 destruction of Sakura’s happy life. Tomoyo hadn’t even been allowed
|
|
rlm@0
|
505 to kill herself, to end the pain and to save Sakura. What was she to
|
|
rlm@0
|
506 do now? How could she hope to fix things now? Despair flooded through
|
|
rlm@0
|
507 her in a wave, her sobs shaking her against the auburn haired woman.
|
|
rlm@0
|
508 If Sakura saved her, then she would be trapped here to see the loss
|
|
rlm@0
|
509 of Sakura’s happiness and to deal with her own pain. But if Sakura
|
|
rlm@0
|
510 didn’t save her, they would both die. That wasn’t what she wanted at
|
|
rlm@0
|
511 all. She was supposed to be the one who died, not Sakura. The
|
|
rlm@0
|
512 Mistress of the Cards had so much awaiting her. She couldn’t die now.
|
|
rlm@0
|
513 Feeling the dark haired woman shuddering in her arms, Sakura felt
|
|
rlm@0
|
514 her own heart twinge in pain. This woman, the best friend she had
|
|
rlm@0
|
515 ever had, her support when things were too much for her, her bravery
|
|
rlm@0
|
516 when she had couldn’t force up any, her mother when she had none, her
|
|
rlm@0
|
517 confidante when she had secrets that no one else could here. Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@0
|
518 had always been everything for her. The pale woman had given her
|
|
rlm@0
|
519 everything she could ever ask for, never thinking at all that Sakura
|
|
rlm@0
|
520 should ever repay her for the love and support that she had always
|
|
rlm@0
|
521 poured out to Sakura so constantly. Sakura had to make up for that.
|
|
rlm@0
|
522 She had to finally make amends for what she had done. And more
|
|
rlm@0
|
523 importantly, she had to let her heart go free. “Windy!! Please stop
|
|
rlm@0
|
524 our fall!!” She called out, her staff hitting into the Sakura Card.
|
|
rlm@0
|
525 Her power was still weak after using the Return Card and having used
|
|
rlm@0
|
526 Fly all day long so she didn’t know if it would be strong enough to
|
|
rlm@0
|
527 carry them to the ground.
|
|
rlm@0
|
528 Flying through the air, the magical woman that was Windy shifted
|
|
rlm@0
|
529 past Sakura and Tomoyo, slowing the fall against the strong gale that
|
|
rlm@0
|
530 fought back against her. The two tumbled through the air, reaching
|
|
rlm@0
|
531 ever nearer to the ground. Windy struggled against the wind as the
|
|
rlm@0
|
532 two fell together, exerting what power she could. Their descent
|
|
rlm@0
|
533 slowed, but they continued to fall.
|
|
rlm@0
|
534 Sakura felt the ground rushing up to meet her and shifted under
|
|
rlm@0
|
535 Tomoyo. The two hit the ground hard, the wind sliding them along
|
|
rlm@0
|
536 across it for a second. Pain burst through Sakura’s shoulder and
|
|
rlm@0
|
537 lower back in a dazzling display of fire and ice. Flame burned at her
|
|
rlm@0
|
538 weary muscles as she lay under her best friend, panting heavily. It
|
|
rlm@0
|
539 took her a moment to realize that she had succeeded. She had saved
|
|
rlm@0
|
540 Tomoyo after all. Well, not necessarily. But they were both alive, so
|
|
rlm@0
|
541 it was a start. Taking a deep breath, she released it into Tomoyo’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
542 hair. Burying herself against the lavender haired woman, Sakura felt
|
|
rlm@0
|
543 hot tears fall down her cheeks, sliding down Tomoyo’s neck. “Oh,
|
|
rlm@0
|
544 Tomoyo-chan!! I thought I was going to lose you...” she cried out.
|
|
rlm@0
|
545 After her failure before, it seemed a miracle that she was here with
|
|
rlm@0
|
546 her friend. It was almost as if Tomoyo had been brought back to life.
|
|
rlm@0
|
547 The fact that she was sitting there, holding onto Tomoyo beneath the
|
|
rlm@0
|
548 Tokyo Tower just as she had been before when Tomoyo had died hit her
|
|
rlm@0
|
549 with a startling suddenness, bringing fresh tears spilling down her
|
|
rlm@0
|
550 face as she cried against the pale woman.
|
|
rlm@0
|
551 Tomoyo shifted in Sakura’s embrace, holding onto the sobbing woman.
|
|
rlm@0
|
552 Her own cold tears fell bitterly to the floor below. Escape had been
|
|
rlm@0
|
553 snatched from right in front of her. There was no way she could kill
|
|
rlm@0
|
554 herself now. It would hurt Sakura too much, especially after that.
|
|
rlm@0
|
555 But she felt profound despair eating away at her. She had failed and
|
|
rlm@0
|
556 now Sakura’s happy life would come collapsing around the both of
|
|
rlm@0
|
557 them. And there was absolutely nothing she could do but drown in her
|
|
rlm@0
|
558 own sorrow. “Sakura-chan..” Tomoyo whispered, her soft voice
|
|
rlm@0
|
559 cracking. “Please don’t cry..”
|
|
rlm@0
|
560 Shaking her head as she sat back to look at Tomoyo, Sakura wiped at
|
|
rlm@0
|
561 her tearful emerald eyes with the backs of her hands. “Oh, Tomoyo-
|
|
rlm@0
|
562 chan.. I thought... I thought..” A shuddering breath escaped the
|
|
rlm@0
|
563 brunette as she looked long and hard at the dark haired woman in
|
|
rlm@0
|
564 front of her. Tomoyo looked beyond despair. Her stormy blue eyes were
|
|
rlm@0
|
565 bloodshot, her tears still falling from her chin. Her deep eyes
|
|
rlm@0
|
566 looked hollow, weak. As shattered as Tomoyo had been when Sakura had
|
|
rlm@0
|
567 found her the first time. That realization sent a chill down Sakura’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
568 spine. She had never seen Tomoyo like this before. She had caught a
|
|
rlm@0
|
569 glimpse of it back before they had kissed, but this was utter
|
|
rlm@0
|
570 hopelessness. “Tomoyo-chan..!!” Sakura cried out as she grappled onto
|
|
rlm@0
|
571 the dark haired woman again, burying her head against the crook of
|
|
rlm@0
|
572 Tomoyo’s neck. Just what had she done to Tomoyo? The woman looked
|
|
rlm@0
|
573 lost, alone. Shattered. Was it her fault? Had she slowly done that to
|
|
rlm@0
|
574 Tomoyo? The thought terrified her. How could she have caused such
|
|
rlm@0
|
575 damage? No wonder Tomoyo had been about to die. For her, she reminded
|
|
rlm@0
|
576 herself. Tomoyo had been trying to protect her to the bitter end.
|
|
rlm@0
|
577 “Tomoyo-chan, I know. I know how you feel.” She felt Tomoyo tense in
|
|
rlm@0
|
578 her arms at her words, but she just held onto her tighter. “I know
|
|
rlm@0
|
579 what I’ve done. And I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry, Tomoyo-chan. I
|
|
rlm@0
|
580 had no idea. But that doesn’t make up for what I did. I never knew
|
|
rlm@0
|
581 how important you were to me. But I do now. I know why you were going
|
|
rlm@0
|
582 to.. to k..” Sakura trailed off, unable to continue that thought.
|
|
rlm@0
|
583 Images of a dead Tomoyo returned unbidden in her mind. She blinked
|
|
rlm@0
|
584 back burning tears. “And if you still want to, I won’t stop you,”
|
|
rlm@0
|
585 Sakura whispered. She felt Tomoyo’s head shift against her at that,
|
|
rlm@0
|
586 Tomoyo’s own tears falling against her. “But if you do, please hold
|
|
rlm@0
|
587 your hand out to me. Because I won’t be without you anymore. If
|
|
rlm@0
|
588 you’re going to die, I want to die with you. Because I can’t live a
|
|
rlm@0
|
589 life without you. I’m sorry it took me so long to understand that.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
590 Moving back slightly, she looked into Tomoyo’s tear filled, stormy
|
|
rlm@0
|
591 blue eyes. Her own emerald eyes looked back at her with a firey
|
|
rlm@0
|
592 determination. She meant every word of what she said. Forcing Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@0
|
593 to live for her sake wasn’t right. If the pain was too much for her,
|
|
rlm@0
|
594 then.. “I’ll follow right behind you, whatever you decide,” Sakura
|
|
rlm@0
|
595 continued.
|
|
rlm@0
|
596 Choking back a sob, Tomoyo looked away. She couldn’t keep staring
|
|
rlm@0
|
597 into those emerald orbs any longer. Her body shuddered as her fists
|
|
rlm@0
|
598 clenched up. Sakura knew? Panic began to grow in her heart, but
|
|
rlm@0
|
599 Sakura’s words played over again and again in her mind. Part of her
|
|
rlm@0
|
600 still wanted to die, to escape the pain and her own lonely heart.
|
|
rlm@0
|
601 Sakura would allow her to leave? But how could she if Sakura herself
|
|
rlm@0
|
602 would be following? “Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo whispered softly, her voice
|
|
rlm@0
|
603 barely audible above the wind. “I just want you to be happy.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
604 Sakura ventured a weak smile, reaching out shaky fingers to brush
|
|
rlm@0
|
605 away some of Tomoyo’s tears. “You make me happy,” she whispered in
|
|
rlm@0
|
606 reply. Jade eyes blinked back tears as she met Tomoyo’s eyes once
|
|
rlm@0
|
607 more. “Tomoyo-chan, I’m sorry for all of the pain I’ve caused you.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
608 Tomoyo began to argue the point, but Sakura shook her head, cutting
|
|
rlm@0
|
609 the lavender haired woman off. “I’m sorry for not knowing my own
|
|
rlm@0
|
610 heart. I let everyone else tell me who I loved without looking
|
|
rlm@0
|
611 myself. And I didn’t realize the damage it caused. I thought everyone
|
|
rlm@0
|
612 else knew my heart better than I could. But I know now that that
|
|
rlm@0
|
613 isn’t true. No one could tell me who I loved. I had to find it out
|
|
rlm@0
|
614 for myself. And I finally did. I finally figured it all out.” The
|
|
rlm@0
|
615 brunette smiled a little more proudly. “Tomoyo-chan, I love you. I
|
|
rlm@0
|
616 know that now. You’ve always been the one who made me happy. When
|
|
rlm@0
|
617 you’re not there, I.. It isn’t like when I’m with you. I don’t feel
|
|
rlm@0
|
618 strong enough. I don’t have all of Tomoyo-chan’s love and support to
|
|
rlm@0
|
619 back me up. So how can I keep going?” The Cardmistress took a deep
|
|
rlm@0
|
620 breath as she watched Tomoyo. “I can’t be happy without you. So I
|
|
rlm@0
|
621 want to be with you, wherever you go. I love you, Tomoyo-chan.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
622 Shock crossed Tomoyo’s face as her lavender hair fluttered in the
|
|
rlm@0
|
623 wind. Her mouth opened slowly, but nothing came out. Never had she
|
|
rlm@0
|
624 believed she would hear those words. They were a fantasy, something
|
|
rlm@0
|
625 that had been a vivid and beautiful dream but nothing more. To hear
|
|
rlm@0
|
626 Sakura utter them, to see those emerald eyes looking at her with all
|
|
rlm@0
|
627 honesty. It seemed that her whole life had been built around her love
|
|
rlm@0
|
628 for Sakura. But she had always been in the background, loving her but
|
|
rlm@0
|
629 never being loved. Helping her to find the love that she herself
|
|
rlm@0
|
630 could not have. She had no doubt that she herself would do anything
|
|
rlm@0
|
631 for Sakura, but the thought that Sakura would do the same, follow her
|
|
rlm@0
|
632 even in death, simply astounded her. Releasing a pent up sob,
|
|
rlm@0
|
633 Tomoyo’s pale body shook lightly. This was all too much. She didn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
634 know what she was supposed to do. She held her head weakly, her eyes
|
|
rlm@0
|
635 shutting out the world around her. But it was Sakura’s words that
|
|
rlm@0
|
636 finally shattered her confusion. ‘You make me happy’. ‘I want the one
|
|
rlm@0
|
637 I like to be happy,’ Tomoyo had said long ago. “Sakura-chan!!” Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@0
|
638 got out as she held onto Sakura tightly, dark hair draping over the
|
|
rlm@0
|
639 both of them. “I’ve always loved you,” the lavender haired woman
|
|
rlm@0
|
640 whispered into Sakura’s ear as she poured all of her remaining
|
|
rlm@0
|
641 strength into simply holding onto the Cardmistress.
|
|
rlm@0
|
642 Resting her head against Tomoyo’s, Sakura let her eyes fall closed.
|
|
rlm@0
|
643 She felt drained from everything, but the pale woman’s embrace
|
|
rlm@0
|
644 comforted and soothed her weary spirit. She buried her face in
|
|
rlm@0
|
645 Tomoyo’s lavender hair, delighting in the intoxicating scent. It was
|
|
rlm@0
|
646 over. She had finally managed to save Tomoyo after all. After all
|
|
rlm@0
|
647 those years of waiting, she had finally reached her princess. No, it
|
|
rlm@0
|
648 wasn’t over. Not in the least. Things were just beginning. Sakura
|
|
rlm@0
|
649 didn’t know where things would go or what would happen, but it hardly
|
|
rlm@0
|
650 seemed to matter. If Tomoyo was with her, she could overcome
|
|
rlm@0
|
651 anything. “Everything will always be right. I promise, Tomoyo-chan.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
652 Silence reigned for long moments, the only sound the howling of the
|
|
rlm@0
|
653 wind. Tomoyo shifted against Sakura, her broken heart rejoicing.
|
|
rlm@0
|
654 Maybe.. Maybe she wasn’t all alone. And maybe she could make Sakura
|
|
rlm@0
|
655 happy after all. Besides, she knew Sakura better than anyone else.
|
|
rlm@0
|
656 And devoting her life to Sakura sounded like the most delicious
|
|
rlm@0
|
657 punishment for nearly leaving Sakura’s life. Her nose brushed
|
|
rlm@0
|
658 Sakura’s ear as she moved against the other woman, content to immerse
|
|
rlm@0
|
659 herself in their embrace. “Sakura-chan makes a very cute angel.” The
|
|
rlm@0
|
660 two giggled together, laughing into the dark night. Everything had
|
|
rlm@0
|
661 been so painful and so desperate for so long. It felt so nice to let
|
|
rlm@0
|
662 it all leak away, to let go. Tomoyo’s heavy eyelids fell closed. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
663 felt exhausted from the long night and the emotional torment that had
|
|
rlm@0
|
664 held her tightly in its grasp. It felt peaceful in Sakura’s arms,
|
|
rlm@0
|
665 warmer than she can imagine being in a long time. “I’ll make you
|
|
rlm@0
|
666 happy, Sakura-chan,” the lavender haired woman vowed in her soft,
|
|
rlm@0
|
667 gentle voice.
|
|
rlm@0
|
668 “I know, Tomoyo-chan. I know,” Sakura replied, finally allowing
|
|
rlm@0
|
669 herself to relax. All of the chaos of the past few days had nearly
|
|
rlm@0
|
670 been too much for her to handle, especially without Tomoyo’s support
|
|
rlm@0
|
671 to make it through it all. It felt so nice to know that it was
|
|
rlm@0
|
672 finally gone. Her princess was rescued and all was right with the
|
|
rlm@0
|
673 world. Not a bad days work. Her old life may be left behind, but
|
|
rlm@0
|
674 Sakura felt a thrill at the new life that lay ahead of her. Whatever
|
|
rlm@0
|
675 promise or perils it held, the brunette would be happy to face them.
|
|
rlm@0
|
676 Watching Sakura silently, Tomoyo sighed in contentment. The girl
|
|
rlm@0
|
677 she had loved for so long was now right in front of her. Her love
|
|
rlm@0
|
678 wasn’t hidden any longer. She smiled lovingly at Sakura, cupping the
|
|
rlm@0
|
679 slightly surprised brunette’s chin. Licking her dry lips, Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@0
|
680 allowed herself to repeat what had shortly before felt like a
|
|
rlm@0
|
681 grievous mistake. It was a slow, soft kiss that warmed Tomoyo’s heart
|
|
rlm@0
|
682 and soul. It felt like all of the unfinished feelings and the
|
|
rlm@0
|
683 uncertainty of their last kiss was finally washed away. It wasn’t a
|
|
rlm@0
|
684 farewell kiss, or even a gesture between friends. This was a new
|
|
rlm@0
|
685 beginning. Tomoyo’s hands rested gently on Sakura’s warm cheeks while
|
|
rlm@0
|
686 Sakura’s arms wrapped around her waist. She could feel Sakura’s blush
|
|
rlm@0
|
687 fade away as Sakura began kissing her back. Sitting back, Tomoyo’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
688 hand went to her own cheek as disappointment colored her expression.
|
|
rlm@0
|
689 “Oh no...”
|
|
rlm@0
|
690 Sakura looked at Tomoyo hazily, her lips still warm from Tomoyo’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
691 brief presence. She wanted to lean forward and continue the
|
|
rlm@0
|
692 delightful action, but the lavender haired girl’s expression shook
|
|
rlm@0
|
693 her out of her stupor. “Huh? What’s wrong Tomoyo-chan?” Her heart
|
|
rlm@0
|
694 began to beat in panic. She had thought everything was finally
|
|
rlm@0
|
695 resolved.
|
|
rlm@0
|
696 Tomoyo’s fingers reached out and tugged lightly on the costume
|
|
rlm@0
|
697 Sakura was wearing. “Sakura-chan finished my last costume? And wore
|
|
rlm@0
|
698 it? And I didn’t get to get any of it on video?” she said in utter
|
|
rlm@0
|
699 despair.
|
|
rlm@0
|
700 Sweatdropping, Sakura tilted her head to the side. She should have
|
|
rlm@0
|
701 seen that coming. “Tomoyo-chan..” Sakura blushed slightly as she
|
|
rlm@0
|
702 leaned towards Tomoyo, her lips halting inches away from the pale
|
|
rlm@0
|
703 woman’s. “I’ll let you videotape me as much as you want in it.
|
|
rlm@0
|
704 Later.” Leaning the rest of the way, Sakura kissed the gentle
|
|
rlm@0
|
705 heiress, all the anguish from the time they had first been apart
|
|
rlm@0
|
706 months ago melting away at the slow but luxurious kiss.
|
|
rlm@0
|
707 Tomoyo returned the kiss with all of the pent up love that had been
|
|
rlm@0
|
708 buried in her heart for over nine years. Sakura made a soft sound as
|
|
rlm@0
|
709 the kiss became more passionate, only spurring Tomoyo forward. Seeing
|
|
rlm@0
|
710 Sakura in her last costume, seeing it finished, it all made the
|
|
rlm@0
|
711 moment even more perfect. She had felt so sad when she realized she
|
|
rlm@0
|
712 wouldn’t be making anymore costumes for Sakura anymore. But Sakura
|
|
rlm@0
|
713 had come to her rescue wearing it, having finished it some time
|
|
rlm@0
|
714 before. Sakura had saved her body and her lonely, broken soul. Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@0
|
715 lost herself to the kiss, to Sakura’s sweet embrace. The Tokyo Tower,
|
|
rlm@0
|
716 the surging wind, the night sky, it all faded away as surely as
|
|
rlm@0
|
717 Tomoyo had intended to. But she no longer had such drastic desires.
|
|
rlm@0
|
718 All she wanted was to stay there with Sakura, to love her. Pulling
|
|
rlm@0
|
719 away slowly from their kiss, Tomoyo smiled happily. But this time,
|
|
rlm@0
|
720 she hid nothing from the brunette. Sakura held onto her on the cold
|
|
rlm@0
|
721 ground, but neither seemed to notice. They had both reached this
|
|
rlm@0
|
722 point from such different places. Tomoyo had always known the love in
|
|
rlm@0
|
723 her heart, but had hid it to protect the one she loved. Sakura hadn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
724 known her own heart until it was almost too late, but she hadn’t been
|
|
rlm@0
|
725 able to hide it in the least. Despite the different roads traveled,
|
|
rlm@0
|
726 it didn’t matter. Because from now on, they would be travelling the
|
|
rlm@0
|
727 same road together.
|
|
rlm@0
|
728 |
