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1 First Date
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2 A Tomoyo and Sakura story
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3 by G. P.
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4
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5 Comments can be sent to the author at: treeandleaf2002@yahoo.com
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6
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7 Note: This story is s part of a series, but does not have to be read
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8 consecutively. The first story was, "Love is the Crooked Thing".
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9
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10
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11 That first night Sakura only just barely got to sleep before the sun
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12 rose. Thank goodness for Sundays with nothing to do! But sleep ended
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13 early with pounding at the door and a terrible voice bellowing,
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14 "Monster! Phone call!"
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15
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16 "Ehhhhhh.....?"
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17
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18 Sakura staggered out of bed, blinking blearily at the alarm clock.
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19
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20 "Hoooeeeeee! I'm late!" In a mad dash, Sakura threw on her uniform
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21 and rushed down the stairs to breakfast. Except, instead of a hot,
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22 steaming meal, there was an empty table. There sat her dreadful
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23 brother, calmly sipping coffee. Sakura shot a glance at the schedule
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24 board, nervously thinking,
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25
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26 "Was I supposed to make breakfast?"
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27
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28 No, there was Oniichan's name, grrrrrrrr....in a furious windmill of
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29 arms and fists, Sakura roared towards her brother, who kept her at
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30 arm’s length while regarding her with amused detachment.
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31
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32 "Where's my breakfast I'm late for school why didn't you wake me up
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33 if only I was bigger than you...."
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34
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35 Touya interrupted her with practiced ease, "Fridge, Sunday, you're
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36 not, phone." Sakura froze in mid-flurry, staring at the phone. With a
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37 sheepish look, she picked it up,
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38
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39 "Sakura here".
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40
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41 "Ohayo, Sakura-chan" The sweet, musical voice of her best friend.
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42
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43 "Ohayo, Tomoyo-chan!" A pause, and then she remembered- remembered
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44 it all: The fortune telling, the maze, the song, Tomoyo....the kiss.
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45 Sakura felt a crimson blush on her neck and cheek, as she stood
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46 dumbstruck with her mouth open.
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47
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48 "I thought we might go on a picnic to the park today? Would you like
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49 to go, or are you busy with schoolwork and chores?" Tomoyo's bright
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50 and sunny voice only made the blush deepen.
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51
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52 "H-h-h-h-hai", Sakura managed to stutter out.
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53
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54 "I'll make o-bento. Shall I be there in an hour?"
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55
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56 "H-h-h-h-hai"
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57
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58 "Bye-bye, I'll see you soon!"
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59
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60 "H-h-h-h-hai", replied Sakura to the dial tone. Slowly she put down
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61 the phone, closed her mouth, and stared at the floor. Just what had
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62 happened the night before? Was it a dream, or had she really *sweat
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63 drop* confessed her love to Tomoyo-chan? She staggered back to the
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64 bedroom, her mind all awhirl…
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65
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66 Mechanically Sakura changed out of her uniform and into a yellow
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67 blouse and a pleated, light brown skirt. Brushing her red-auburn
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68 hair, she struggled to remember. Finally, she plopped on the bed with
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69 a sigh and stared at the ceiling until she heard the knocking down
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70 below. She rushed down the stairs, beating her brother to the
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71 hallway. Nervously she reached for the handle, turned it, and opened
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72 the door. There, smiling as always, stood Tomoyo. Dressed in a
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73 beautiful, be-ribboned white dress with red trim, picnic basket in
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74 hand, Tomoyo bowed and sang out,
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75
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76 "Ohayo, Sakura-chan".
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77
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78 "Ohayo, Tomoyo-chan. Oniichan, I'm going to the park with Tomoyo-
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79 chan".
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80
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81 "Don't forget you're cooking dinner tonight- something better than
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82 last time, I hope", came the laconic reply.
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83
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84 Tomoyo covered the giggle with a white glove as Sakura gritted her
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85 teeth in impotent rage. Remembering Tomoyo, she suddenly put her hand
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86 behind her neck and laughed,
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87
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88 "Ha-ha-ha...um, should we go now?"
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89
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90 Tomoyo nodded happily, and the two friends slipped out the door.
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91
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92 Wordlessly the pair walked to the park, Tomoyo glancing up at the
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93 occasional cloud and twittering bird, Sakura staring at the sidewalk,
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94 deep in thought. The day was bright and alive, with a cool breeze
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95 that whispered of the end of summer. At last they entered the park,
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96 where Tomoyo broke the silence,
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97
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98 "Would you like to eat by the lake? I know a quiet spot under the
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99 trees"
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100
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101 "Yes", nodded Sakura, a little too vigorously.
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102
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103 Tomoyo opened one of the picnic basket lids and took out a
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104 delicately folded orange and brown cloth, decorated with a maple leaf
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105 and pumpkin print. With easy grace she spread the cloth on the grass,
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106 placed the basket to one side, and sat, legs tucked demurely
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107 underneath her. Sakura dropped down quickly, looking at her hands in
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108 embarrassment, finally holding them tightly in her lap. She was aware
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109 of Tomoyo's lavender eyes regarding her with measured care. Never had
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110 Sakura felt so ill at ease with her best friend. Her mind continually
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111 wandered to the previous night, or rather, to what she thought she
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112 remembered of it. Tomoyo looked on in concern as she set the table
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113 with beautiful little white China plates, and delicately filigreed
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114 Western silverware. Finally, she smiled and whispered,
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115
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116 "Sakura-chan, are you all right?"
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117
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118 Sakura didn't know what to say, so she blushed instead. She had
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119 always liked Tomoyo as her best, most special friend. The dark-haired
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120 girl was always there for her, someone to talk to, to share
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121 adventures with, and to ask for help and advice. For the past month,
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122 since learning about Yue, Sakura had been battered by a storm of
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123 emotions. Finally, after reading the Clow Cards, she had followed the
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124 maze deep within her own heart and, to her surprise and joy, had
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125 found Tomoyo within. And last night, they had shared a kiss- a
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126 lover's kiss. Her heart burned and ached with the thought of it, her
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127 very first.
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128
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129 But what if it was not the same for Tomoyo? Had Sakura presumed too
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130 much? Had she rushed in unbidden and unwelcome? Had she taken from
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131 her friend what Tomoyo had been too startled or kind to refuse? She
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132 knew now that her friend had professed love a year ago, though Sakura
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133 was too dense to have known it then. Only in the past day had she
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134 realized what Tomoyo had tried to tell her. And only now did she know
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135 her own heart, overflowing with a fierce, ecstatic love for her
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136 friend.
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137
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138 But what if Tomoyo had changed? What if her love, unrequited for so
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139 long, had grown old and faded? What if she loved someone else, still
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140 treasuring Sakura as a friend, as someone she liked...but not like
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141 that. The auburn-haired girl felt her stomach knot at the very
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142 thought. Tomoyo, ever and always kind, would be loath to say that her
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143 love was no more. Had she realized Tomoyo's feelings, and her own,
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144 too late? Oh, what if she had missed her chance for Tomoyo's love,
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145 forever? Sakura clenched her fists tightly, and felt her body tremble
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146 with each halting sob.
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147
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148 Tomoyo looked at her friend in silent agony. Sakura's pain tore at
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149 her heart. Nothing was worth this, nothing. She was certain now that
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150 Sakura had come to regret her words of last night, but did not know
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151 how to take them back gracefully. Gently, Tomoyo took her friend's
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152 hands in her own and spoke in an even voice,
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153
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154 "Sakura-chan...Sakura-chan"
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155
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156 The Mistress of the Cards turned her tear-stained face away, trying
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157 to yank her hands from Tomoyo. But the dark-haired girl had strong,
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158 nimble fingers from countless hours of sewing, and held on with a
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159 vise-like grip.
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160
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161 "Sakura-chan, please look at me". When the wet, shimmering green
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162 eyes turned to her, Tomoyo nearly stumbled. It had taken hours of
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163 torment to fashion the words, and now she hesitated. Had she lived a
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164 hundred lifetimes, she never, ever would have thought she could say
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165 this. How easy it would be to quietly live her life with Sakura's
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166 sweet words ever in her ear, even if she no longer meant them. But
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167 what she was going to say now was right, and Tomoyo knew it.
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168 Composing herself with the greatest difficulty, she smiled and spoke
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169 in a calm, even tone,
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170
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171 "Sakura-chan, I wanted to speak with you today. I wanted to tell you
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172 something, about what you said to me last night". Sakura sat
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173 motionless, like a fragile crystal statue. Tomoyo took a deep breath,
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174 and continued,
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175
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176 "Sakura-chan, if you did not...really mean what you said last night,
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177 it's all right. I will always like you as a friend, no matter what. I
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178 want you to know that".
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179
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180 Inside her, a voice screamed, "Liar!" It's all right? If Sakura
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181 really did not mean what she had said, if she had said, "I love you"
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182 out of pity, or kindness, or confusion, it was not "all right"- it
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183 was a black agony that Tomoyo dared not face. But better that than
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184 her friend, no, her one, true love, should be bound by words she did
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185 not mean. Breathing deeply, unburdened by the words that were so hard
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186 to speak, Tomoyo looked with a start at Sakura's reaction. Like some
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187 terrified animal, Sakura was slowly shaking her head back and forth,
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188 a look of utter terror upon her.
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189
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190 Sakura's ashen face reflected her worst fear: that Tomoyo was gently
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191 trying to untie the tangled knot that bound them. She was nearly
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192 certain that Tomoyo no longer loved her, but was too kind to hurt her
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193 by saying so. Never had she felt such a hopeless despair. She knew
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194 she should let it all go, and walk away for Tomoyo's sake. But she
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195 could not. Her overpowering love forced her to speak the words she
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196 knew were wrong. Choking back a sob, Sakura blurted out,
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197
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198 "Don't you...Tomoyo-chan, don't you love me?"
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199
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200 Stunned, Tomoyo stared into Sakura's frantic eyes, felt hands
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201 painfully gripping her own, nails digging into her palms. This was
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202 not at all what she expected. Now, dancing on the precipice, she felt
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203 a breathless, suspended hush, as though all the cosmos listened for
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204 her reply. For the first time she sensed the presence of the Clow
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205 Cards, watching her and waiting. Blinking back the tears, she gazed
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206 into Sakura's emerald eyes and drew a deep, steady breath. She knew
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207 she could never lie, even if it was the right thing, even if it was
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208 for her beloved's sake. Carefully taking her hand away, she gently
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209 brushed back the girl's auburn hair, and tenderly caressed the pale,
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210 teary cheeks. With a sweet, soothing voice, Tomoyo spoke,
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211
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212 "Sakura-chan, I loved you when I first saw you, love you now more
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213 than words can tell, and will always love you, and only you, forever
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214 and ever. I was never so happy as when you said you loved me, and
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215 never so afraid as when I thought it might not be true. I was
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216 worried that you might have regretted what you said last night. I
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217 didn't want you to suffer for my sake, for the sake of my love for
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218 you".
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219
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220 Crying again, Sakura buried her face in Tomoyo's chest and sobbed on
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221 the soft, white of her dress,
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222
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223 “Tomoyo-chan, I love you! I..I didn’t think you loved me anymore…I
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224 didn’t think…” She broke down, weeping incoherently.
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225
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226 With soft, loving strokes, Tomoyo smoothed the girl's beautiful
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227 hair, touched by fire from the afternoon sun. Nestled in Tomoyo's
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228 black-gray tresses, Sakura remembered crying like this before,
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229 remembered the comforting solace of her mother's bosom. She hugged
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230 her friend fiercely at the memory,
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231
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232 Looking down at the trembling, vulnerable girl, Tomoyo felt a sweet,
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233 painful ache wash over her. She knew now that Sakura truly loved her,
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234 and that her love was freely given. Tomoyo felt a deep, glowing
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235 peace. Despite the terrible fear of losing Sakura's newly found love,
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236 she had been honest and fair. It seemed odd that as the Cards had
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237 tested their Mistress, so too was she tested by Sakura's love. Last
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238 night was like a fairy tale, where her dearest wish had magically
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239 come true. Today, like a story from long ago, she was tested by a
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240 dark, terrible riddle: to take Sakura in silence, or speak, and risk
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241 losing her forever. Tomoyo spoke, and now, in a miraculous, unlooked
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242 for happy ending, she cradled the beautiful princess in her arms. Her
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243 falling tears glistened in Sakura’s hair.
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244
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245 Tomoyo softly sang her Mother's favorite lullaby, gently rocking her
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246 exhausted friend to sleep. Sakura dreamed of lavender-eyed angels in
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247 glowing robes, dark tresses swirling as they floated slowly to Earth.
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248 Tomoyo too grew drowsy in the afternoon sun as the song worked its
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249 maternal magic. Dark lashes fluttering, she closed her eyes and soon
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250 fell asleep in Sakura's arms.
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251
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252 There Sonomi found them, bathed in the orange-purple of the setting
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253 sun. Hearing the song, her song, as she jogged through the park, she
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254 came upon them, like two angels fallen to Earth. She stood and
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255 stared, marveling at the fairy spirits entwinned in sleep. The
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256 evening wind seemed to whisper the voice of Nadesico, soft and sweet
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257 and approving. Finally she roused them from blissful slumber,
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258 giggling to herself as they stretched and smiled and blinked
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259 themselves awake. Laughing and singing, her loneliness forgotten,
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260 Sonomi led the two girls home. |
