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1 Dear Sakura:
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2 On Angel's Wings
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3 by The Amazoness Duo
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4 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
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5
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6
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7
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8 “Tomoyo-chan, are you sure you won’t come with me? The cabin will
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9 be lonely without you. You could bring some of your videotapes and we
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10 could watch them while we’re up there. And the weather is going to be
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11 gorgeous. We could go for a picnic,” Sonomi Daidouji suggested to her
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12 daughter as the younger of the two continued packing.
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13 “I would love to come with, Okaa-sama, but I couldn’t stand to
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14 disappoint Sakura-chan. You should have heard her on the phone last
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15 night. She sounds so excited. I haven’t heard her like that since the
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16 night she told me that Li-kun had proposed to her.” What she didn’t
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17 have to add was that she and Syaoran had been planning to for weeks
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18 but he couldn’t work up the courage or make up his mind so she had to
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19 follow him around and nudge him ever closer into finally proposing.
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20 It had been one of the most heartbreaking things she had done for
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21 Sakura’s happiness, but it had to be done. What if he hadn’t proposed
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22 otherwise? Tomoyo smiled her trademark smile as she placed in some
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23 more clothing. Sakura had told her to pack light clothes, so she was
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24 going for a slightly different style than the usual dresses she wore.
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25 Her camcorder was already packed up in it’s case, ready for the long
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26 trip to Hong Kong.
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27 Sonomi sighed exasperatedly. Even if she could see past her
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28 daughter’s almost impenetrable emotional masks, she still wished that
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29 she would let them down more often around her. And that she would
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30 listen to reason. “I just don’t think this is a good idea. Sakura-
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31 chan already went off and got married right in front of you. Does she
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32 really need to throw it in your face? No good can come from this.
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33 Just tell her that as your mother and your boss, I forced you to come
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34 along to the mountains with me.” The older woman took out the blouse
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35 Tomoyo had just placed in the suitcase, laying it back on the bed.
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36 Looking back to her mother, Tomoyo smiled cheerfully again as she
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37 repacked the offending blouse. “Sakura-chan wouldn’t do that. She’s
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38 lonely up in Hong Kong all by herself. She needs some help getting
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39 settled. So I’ll go and help her. I think she’ll be happy to get a
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40 little piece of home in her new life. It will help her to move on
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41 with her life.” Tilting her head to the side thoughtfully, she
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42 glanced around for anything she may be missing.
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43 Her lithe hands taking her daughter’s shoulders, Sonomi turned the
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44 younger woman to face her. “But what about you, Tomoyo-chan? Maybe
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45 Sakura-chan does need this. But I really don’t think you do. It’s not
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46 wise for you to go back for more pain. Darling, don’t you think she’s
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47 hurt you enough? Do you need to see her with him now? For the past
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48 few years I’ve seen you suffer in silence as you watched them
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49 together. I don’t want you going off so she can blindly break my
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50 little girl’s heart again.” She frowned, brushing away some of
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51 Tomoyo’s lavender hair from her stormy blue eyes. Her heart was
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52 tearing itself in two. She knew first hand how painful it was to
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53 watch one’s true love marry another. And there had been nothing she
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54 could do about it. And now she was equally helpless to stop the pain
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55 in her daughter. Through the weak smile Tomoyo was keeping up, she
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56 could see the shimmer of tears in her daughter’s eyes and the deep
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57 pain behind it. “Oh, Tomoyo-chan...” Pulling the smaller woman
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58 closer, the businesswoman held onto her tightly, stroking her back
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59 the way she had when she was little.
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60 Tomoyo closed her eyes as her mother held onto her, letting the
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61 comforting embrace relax her. “Please don’t worry about me, Okaa-
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62 sama. I’ll be fine. I really will be happy to see Sakura-chan again.
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63 I’ve missed her so much lately. Hearing her on the phone and writing
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64 her isn’t enough. I need to see her. To be with her. Even if it’s for
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65 the last time,” her musical voice whispered softly, barely
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66 restraining the emotion underneath. She hugged her mother back, her
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67 eyes still shut. This whole visit had brought up so many mixed
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68 emotions in her. She dearly wanted to see her precious Sakura again,
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69 but the prospect of interrupting her new life with her husband was
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70 painful. She knew that Syaoran was probably taking good care of
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71 Sakura and providing her with things she never could. And in turn, he
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72 was rewarded with something Sakura could never give her. Her sweet,
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73 innocent love. And what a reward at that. But if he could make her
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74 happy, then he more than deserved it. But going in and seeing her
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75 beloved with her husband was a painful thought indeed. And after
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76 Sakura got settled, there really wouldn’t be much of a need for her
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77 anymore. Syaoran had already replaced her at Sakura’s side as the
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78 most important person in her life. He would love and support her the
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79 way she always had. She would go to him with her problems. And Sakura
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80 could forget about her. So in that sense, this trip was extremely
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81 bittersweet for the young heiress. This truly could be the last time
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82 she ever saw Sakura. But she had to. For Sakura’s sake. As well as
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83 her own. If this was her last chance to spend time with Sakura, she
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84 would have to treasure the moments for eternity.
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85 When Tomoyo finally stepped away from her mother, she smiled
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86 softly, composed once again. “I’ll be fine, Okaa-sama. I’ll give
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87 Sakura-chan your love.”
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88 Sonomi seemed to consider that for a moment. Did she really want
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89 Sakura even hearing from her after the hell she had been forcing her
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90 daughter through? Not that there was any use arguing the point with
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91 Tomoyo. The younger Daidouji already had enough to worry about
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92 without her mother’s anger at Sakura. Sighing, she crossed her arms.
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93 “But promise that you’ll call me while you’re up there. Everyday. I
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94 want to know how things are going.”
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95 Tomoyo giggled softly and nodded. “Hai, Okaa-sama. I’ll be sure to
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96 call you. Please have fun on your vacation, too.” A melodious beeping
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97 interrupted the two from Tomoyo’s watch. Pink and cute with intricate
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98 and colorful designs on it, it was most obviously a product of
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99 Daidouji Toys. “I’m going to be late if I don’t hurry.” She glanced
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100 back at her mother after picking up her small bag with the camcorder
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101 in it. Two darkly clad bodyguards picked up her two other suitcases.
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102 “Everything will be fine. Please don’t worry. You’ve been so busy
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103 with work that you really need to relax on this vacation. And how can
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104 I enjoy my time with Sakura-chan if I know Okaa-sama’s busy worrying
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105 about me?”
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106 The older woman couldn’t help but smile. Just like Nadeshiko. Her
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107 daughter had always been such a sweet girl, much like her cousin. But
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108 that concern for her loved ones came from Sonomi herself, even if
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109 Tomoyo managed to be more subtle about it. “Let’s hurry. The
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110 limousine’s waiting.”
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111 Taking one last look at her room, Tomoyo tried to spot anything
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112 that she might be missing. She was usually very good at organizing
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113 things, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was missing
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114 something. Her eyes finally settled on the half-finished costume she
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115 had once been working on for Sakura. Folding it over her arm, she
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116 hurriedly followed her mother out the door.
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117
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118 Stormy blue eyes watched with a mild curiosity as the lighter blue
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119 skies slowly filtered past outside the window. It wouldn’t take too
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120 long before she was in Hong Kong. But Tomoyo hadn’t fully sorted out
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121 her feelings on the situation. Which was very difficult for her. She
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122 knew how she should feel about the whole thing. She should be happy
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123 for Sakura, that she was with the one she loved and that she was
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124 happily on the road to her new life. But it hurt her terribly that
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125 their roads had veered from one another’s. Her heart longed for
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126 Sakura. Her determined spirit, her genki attitude, her sweet smile.
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127 Everything about her. So it was with some delight that she had gotten
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128 the chance to fly out to see her so soon. And without the pretext of
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129 Sakura being with child as well. But how did she fit into Sakura’s
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130 new life? As nothing more than a relic from the past, sadly. And this
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131 trip was just making her realize that cold fact more and more. The
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132 trip was not much more than an attempt to curb Sakura’s homesickness
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133 so that she could move on with her new life. Seeing Sakura would be
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134 both the most pleasant part of the trip and the most painful. Part of
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135 her had wanted to accept her mother’s offer to go on vacation with
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136 her at a cabin in the mountains. But she needed to see Sakura again.
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137 To see that she had done the right thing in getting her beloved with
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138 another. Of that she was fairly certain, but she wanted to see Sakura
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139 happy with her special person. Seeing that making Sakura happy would
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140 make it all worth it. The she could go back to Japan and Sakura could
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141 forget all about her. But her final memories of Sakura, the knowledge
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142 that Sakura was finally happy would carry her through it.
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143 Tomoyo needed to see Sakura if for no other reason than to be with
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144 her true love just once more. She needed to see the girl that she had
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145 fallen in love with all those years ago. Sakura always filled her
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146 heart with such warmth just being near her. That had been missing
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147 from her life for too long now. Her heart soared at the thought of
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148 seeing her dear Sakura again, of being able to experience those
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149 wonderful sensations without the aid of videotape or her own
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150 memories. To feel the sheer and utter warmth she had for this girl at
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151 its strongest, the way she always was when she was in Sakura’s
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152 presence.
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153 “Don’t you make me happy... Don’t you have a good time...” Tomoyo
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154 sung softly as she watched the clouds outside. One big fluffy one
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155 looked just like Kero-chan. And in another wispier one, she could see
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156 Sakura on her old staff. Smiling softly, she took a small bite of her
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157 meal. It was nice, but she wasn’t very hungry.
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158 “Can I get you anything, ma’am?” the waitress asked pleasantly.
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159 Tomoyo just smiled in response and shook her head politely.
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160 After months and months of struggling, Tomoyo had finally managed
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161 to watch the videotape of the wedding ceremony all the way through.
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162 She had left right near the end, unable to stay and watch the entire
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163 event. That fact weighed heavily upon her. She had wanted to stay for
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164 Sakura, but watching her love get married off and taken away from her
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165 for good was too much for her to bear. And that had been the last she
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166 had seen of Sakura. They had left for their honeymoon after that and
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167 then to Hong Kong. She was truly grateful that Sakura had sent her
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168 the bouquet from her wedding. She had felt devastated for not being
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169 there near the end, but it made her feel better to have the pretty
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170 flowers that symbolized Sakura’s new union. Now it was right next to
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171 her mother’s bouquet from Nadeshiko’s wedding. It really made her
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172 wonder if maybe it was Fate at work. Her mother obviously loved
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173 Nadeshiko with the same passion that she held for Sakura, yet she was
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174 denied that love. Just as she was denied the chance to be with
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175 Sakura. Even though they both went about their love in very different
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176 ways. But it was all right. Her mother might not understand exactly,
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177 but it really was more important that Sakura be happy than with her.
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178 That your loved one was happy, even if you weren’t together, truly
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179 was the most vital thing.
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180 That fact had been what she had tried to explain many times to
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181 Sakura. But what she hadn’t told Sakura was that even if she was
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182 pleased for her special someone to be happy with someone else, there
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183 was also a lot of hurt inside. Yes, she was happy for Sakura. That
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184 was the truth. It was also true that she cried herself to sleep at
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185 night, lonely and sad that she would never be able to let her
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186 feelings for Sakura out of the cage of her heart. But sometimes
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187 Sakura only needed the half truth. Especially when the whole truth
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188 would hurt her. And Tomoyo had been very careful in all the time that
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189 she had known Sakura to not hurt her. Even if it meant being creative
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190 about the truth at times and not always showing her true feelings.
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191 A mixture of pain and warmth, longing and loneliness filled the
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192 young businesswoman’s heart. Her own heart used to be so open to her.
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193 She had understood it implicitly. But now it was so confused by all
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194 the conflicting thoughts and emotions that she didn’t know if she
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195 could fit some of the conflicting emotions together. Which meant she
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196 had to be even more careful while in Hong Kong. She needed to be
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197 happy for Sakura. She couldn’t let Sakura see that she was hurting or
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198 it might ruin things. At the very least, it would make Sakura sad and
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199 she couldn’t have that.
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200 Tomoyo smiled gently as she closed her eyes, envisioning the cute
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201 brunette. “I love you, Sakura-chan. Let’s enjoy this trip. There will
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202 be time for tears later.”
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203
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204 Sakura sighed as she stared blankly at the magazine on her lap. Her
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205 mind was refusing to concentrate on anything. Tomoyo’s flight was
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206 overdue and she was starting to get worried. She had gotten to the
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207 airport early in her enthusiasm to see her sweet friend again. A yawn
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208 escaped her lips which she tried to cover quickly. Sleep hadn’t been
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209 very generous in coming for the past few nights. And the closer it
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210 got to Tomoyo’s arrival, the more difficult it became for her to get
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211 any rest. Last night had seemed like an eternity. Sleep had eluded
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212 her for hours. She spent most of it in the room she had prepared for
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213 Tomoyo, tidying things up one last time. When she had finally fallen
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214 asleep, she had found herself passed out at the desk in that room.
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215 Embarrassed and still a little sleepy, she had slipped back into bed
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216 with her husband, but sleep once again taunted her. All sorts of
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217 memories kept coming to her when she was about to nod off. The dress
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218 Tomoyo had made her for one of the school dances had come to mind.
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219 Then the lavender haired girl had asked her to the dance when she
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220 found out that Syaoran couldn’t be there to take her. That had been a
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221 lot of fun, even if it had seemed a little awkward at the time. When
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222 Tomoyo had practiced with her for her auditions in Drama Club, which
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223 had been the dark haired angel’s idea in the first place, had also
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224 drifted into her head. When Tomoyo had shown her the videotape of her
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225 flying on her magic staff and had found out that she was a magical
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226 girl played over and over again in her mind.
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227 Oddly enough, the one memory that stuck out the most was when
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228 Tomoyo had been explaining the custom of making a teddy bear for the
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229 person you like and them naming it after you. When Sakura had asked
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230 the beautiful heiress about why she wasn't going to make one, Tomoyo
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231 had smiled at her and explained that she would be happy as long as
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232 her special person was. At the time, she had seen it as nothing more
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233 than Tomoyo’s usual eccentricity, but for some reason it was
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234 bothering her now. Why couldn’t Tomoyo make it for her special
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235 someone? That wasn’t fair that she’d have to be alone like that, not
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236 even being able to take part in such a cute little tradition. But
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237 before she could make any sense of the whole thing, she had hurried
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238 off to the airport.
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239 The plane was still late. Sakura bit her lip anxiously. Her stomach
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240 was starting to feel sick from all of the anxiety of waiting. She
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241 kept seeing her pale friend in her mind’s eye, and it just made her
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242 impatience grow. She missed Tomoyo terribly. They had been best
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243 friends for years and years now and suddenly she was without her in a
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244 new country. She was happy to be with her new husband, but the
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245 loneliness she felt being away from Tomoyo continued to grow while
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246 she was gone. And that confused her. Now that she was starting her
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247 new life with Syaoran, she had expected that to diminish as time went
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248 by. But it had only grown worse. So Tomoyo’s visit came as quite a
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249 relief. It thrilled her to know that her friend would soon be with
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250 her again. There was so much to do! So much to say! Her heart pounded
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rlm@2
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251 in her chest in excitement. She couldn’t wait to see the beautiful
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252 woman again, to laugh with her and know that she was there by her
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253 side. She hadn’t been this excited since the honeymoon.
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rlm@2
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254 Sakura paused for a moment, setting the magazine aside. Tomoyo had
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rlm@2
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255 been her best friend for what felt like a lifetime. They had only
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rlm@2
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256 been apart for several months. And she was married to her loving
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257 husband and living her wonderful new life. Sure, it was great to be
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rlm@2
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258 able to spend time with Tomoyo again, but was that really anywhere on
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rlm@2
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259 par with a honeymoon with the man she had vowed to spend the rest of
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260 her life with? Oh, it didn’t matter. She missed her friend so dearly
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rlm@2
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261 that it would be great to see her again. Why did it matter if she was
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rlm@2
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262 so exited to see her or not? Tomoyo was very important to her. More
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rlm@2
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263 than she’d ever realized before. But now that she was gone, Sakura
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rlm@2
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264 missed her daily. The dark haired woman’s nigh constant comforting
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rlm@2
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265 presence and warm words were no longer there except in the presence
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rlm@2
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266 of phone calls and letters. And that just wasn’t the same thing. She
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rlm@2
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267 needed the pale woman there with her so that she could feel whole
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rlm@2
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268 again. She knew Tomoyo believed in her, but sometimes she had trouble
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rlm@2
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269 believing in herself. And sometimes it was so hard adjusting to her
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270 new life. But Tomoyo had always helped her through everything.
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rlm@2
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271 Somehow she knew that it would all be better if her incredibly
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rlm@2
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272 perceptive friend was there to help her.
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rlm@2
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273 Standing up excitedly, Sakura watched an airplane taxiing up. Was
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rlm@2
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274 that hers? Could that be...? It was!! Sakura clasped her hands
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275 together happily as she watched it move slowly forward. It moved
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rlm@2
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276 achingly slow in her mind. ‘If only this wasn't for just a visit’.
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rlm@2
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277 That thought saddened her for a moment, but it quickly passed as her
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rlm@2
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278 excitement built to a crescendo. All of the waiting had built up to
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rlm@2
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279 this moment. All of that time apart would be over. At least for now.
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rlm@2
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280 Tomoyo would have to leave again soon enough. That thought alone left
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rlm@2
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281 a pain in her heart. Just like what Tomoyo had said about knowing
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rlm@2
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282 they couldn’t be together forever. The same was true now. They’d only
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rlm@2
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283 be here for a short visit. But that wasn’t for a while yet. And they
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rlm@2
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284 would see each other again in the meantime. Her heart nearly stopped
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rlm@2
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285 as she saw a pale figure walk out of the plane. Long, lavender hair
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rlm@2
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286 was done up in elegant braids, draped past her shoulders, sharply
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rlm@2
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287 contrasting her pale skin. Her short blue and aquamarine dress was
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rlm@2
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288 simple but beautiful. Tomoyo was stunningly beautiful, even more so
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rlm@2
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289 than Sakura had last remembered her. How her special someone could
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rlm@2
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290 ignore her, Sakura could not even begin to comprehend. Joy bubbled up
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rlm@2
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291 in her heart at the very sight of her best friend. It was a far cry
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rlm@2
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292 from their first meeting in class eight years prior. “Tomoyo-chan !!
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rlm@2
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293 Tomoyo-chan!”
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rlm@2
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294 Tomoyo turned to find the source of the voice. Her smile brightened
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rlm@2
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295 immeasurably as she spotted the brunette running towards her. “Sakura-
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rlm@2
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296 chan!” She stepped to the side, trying to get away from the rest of
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rlm@2
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297 the passengers and to her eager friend. “Sakura-chan, I’m so...” The
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rlm@2
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298 breath was knocked out of her as Sakura leapt into an embrace. The
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rlm@2
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299 athletic girl pulled her close, hugging her with all the energy she
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rlm@2
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300 could muster. Tomoyo felt her own heart surge at being so near Sakura
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rlm@2
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301 again. She had been right. Being near her did fill her heart near
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rlm@2
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302 bursting as the love inside struggled to be released. “It’s so good
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rlm@2
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303 to see you, Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo said sweetly when Sakura finally
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rlm@2
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304 released her grasp ever so slightly. Her eyes lingered on Sakura’s
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rlm@2
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305 shining emeralds. Sakura had grown into quite a pretty young woman.
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rlm@2
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306 She was still Tomoyo’s image of perfection. The bags under Sakura’s
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rlm@2
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307 eyes concerned her, but she knew that the Cardmistress hadn’t been
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rlm@2
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308 sleeping much because of her impending visit.
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rlm@2
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309 “I’m so happy to see you, too, Tomoyo-chan! I was starting to worry
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rlm@2
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310 that you had been swept up on your way to see me. I couldn’t wait for
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rlm@2
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311 you to get here.” Giving Tomoyo another tight hug, Sakura finally let
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rlm@2
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312 go. “I still can’t believe you’re here.” It had felt like an eternity
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rlm@2
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313 since she had last seen Tomoyo, but now that the dark haired girl was
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rlm@2
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314 here, it felt like it had only been the day before that they had last
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rlm@2
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315 seen each other. This trip was going to be wonderful. She could just
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rlm@2
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316 feel it.
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rlm@2
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317 Tomoyo giggled softly and shook her head. “Nothing could keep me
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rlm@2
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318 from my Sakura-chan. I had to get here. I’m very sorry to keep you
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rlm@2
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319 waiting.” She hefted the camcorder case up, adjusting the strap. “I
|
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rlm@2
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320 wanted to come out and record you again but they won’t let me until I
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rlm@2
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321 have it checked with security. It would have been the perfect first
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rlm@2
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322 shot for my ‘Sakura-chan and the Dream Vacation’ videotape!”
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rlm@2
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323 Now it was Sakura’s turn to laugh. “We’ll have to get you some
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rlm@2
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324 better shots than that. And I’m just glad to see you. I’ve missed you
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rlm@2
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325 so much, Tomoyo-chan. You don’t know how happy I am to have you here
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rlm@2
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326 in Hong Kong. I’ve been waiting the longest time for your visit.”
|
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rlm@2
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327 “I missed you, too, Sakura-chan. Nothing’s the same without your
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rlm@2
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328 cute presence to make everything exciting.” Tomoyo couldn’t take her
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rlm@2
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329 eyes off of Sakura. It was like she had been dying of thirst and had
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rlm@2
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330 just found her oasis. She drank up Sakura hungrily, burning her
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rlm@2
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331 precious image into her mind at that very moment as best she could.
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rlm@2
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332 She felt like she had been kept in the dark, blind and deaf to the
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rlm@2
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333 world and that she had just now been returned her senses. For now her
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rlm@2
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334 worries were far away. They hardly seemed to matter in the face of
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rlm@2
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335 the girl she loved.
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rlm@2
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336 Sakura blushed softly at Tomoyo’s compliment, but smiled. “We
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rlm@2
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337 better go get your bags. There’s so much I need to show you. And I
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rlm@2
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338 can’t wait for you to see your room. I really think you’ll like it.
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rlm@2
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339 I’ll help you unpack.” Taking Tomoyo’s hand, she couldn’t get rid of
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rlm@2
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340 her smile. Not that she wanted to. She was too happy to have her
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rlm@2
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341 friend back with her again. Things finally felt all right.
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rlm@2
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342 Tomoyo was a little surprised by Sakura’s hand holding her own, but
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rlm@2
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343 she didn’t complain. Squeezing Sakura’s hand gently, she nodded. “I’m
|
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rlm@2
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344 sure it will be lovely. Anything that Sakura-chan spent so much time
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rlm@2
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345 and effort into must be perfect. I’ll love being able to see it
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rlm@2
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346 without the need of a picture this time.”
|
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rlm@2
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347 “I really hope you think so when you see it. I think it’ll be very
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rlm@2
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348 nice for you. I tried to think like Tomoyo-chan while I was fixing up
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rlm@2
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349 the room. I’m afraid it’s not much like your old room, but I still
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rlm@2
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350 think it looks nice. So I’m not sure how good a job I did as you.”
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rlm@2
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351 Sakura looked outside and sweatdropped. Rain plastered the windows
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rlm@2
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352 all around them, casting the girls in shifting shadows. “I hope you
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rlm@2
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353 brought an umbrella. I was hoping things would at least clear up when
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rlm@2
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354 you arrived.”
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rlm@2
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355 Leading Sakura towards the baggage check out, Tomoyo’s worries felt
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rlm@2
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356 like they had been left back in the airplane. Being with Sakura again
|
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rlm@2
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357 really did feel wonderful. “Hai, I did. I tried to pack as best I
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rlm@2
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358 could from what you told me. And I already know that I’ll love the
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rlm@2
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359 room Sakura spent so much time putting together for me. I’m much
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rlm@2
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360 happier than I could be with any hotel room I could have.”
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rlm@2
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361 Sakura smiled happily and squeezed Tomoyo’s soft hand in return.
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rlm@2
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362 “Good. We’ll need to hurry so that we don’t waste any of your time
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rlm@2
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363 here!”
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