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comparison stories/ccsfieldday.txt @ 0:ed1308d04df2 moonlitnights
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date | Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:24:59 -0500 |
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1 "Sakura-chan and Okaa-sama's Track and Field Adventure" | |
2 (Written on the videotape in Tomoyo’s delightfully Kawaii script*) | |
3 | |
4 | |
5 | |
6 I. | |
7 Sakura was all eagerness when she arrived at the Daidouji residence. | |
8 Shouldering a yellow and white athletic bag she buzzed the gate for | |
9 admittance. Shortly after it opened, she saw Sonomi sama racing | |
10 towards her with Tomoyo chan trailing behind. | |
11 | |
12 "Yo-ho, Sakura-chan!" Sonomi sang out. She was dressed in bright red | |
13 shorts with a crimson jacket trimmed in black. Tomoyo had a similar | |
14 outfit, but in navy blue. Both wore matching black running shoes. | |
15 Sakura smiled to see them; the beautiful mother and daughter running | |
16 together. Sonomi was quickly upon her, seemingly invigorated by the | |
17 long run from the mansion. Tomoyo, breathless but all smiles, finally | |
18 caught up. | |
19 | |
20 Sakura bowed as she said, "Sonomi sama, Tomoyo chan, thank you for | |
21 having me." | |
22 | |
23 Beaming at the little girl, Sonomi replied, "It's always a pleasure | |
24 to have you with us. Would you like to change in the field house?" | |
25 | |
26 "Field house?" Sakura answered with a puzzled look. | |
27 | |
28 As the three began walking past a row of trees, Tomoyo, still | |
29 catching her breath, giggled, "Mother had some changes made to the | |
30 yard so she could coach you properly." | |
31 | |
32 Sonomi put her finger on her cheek thoughtfully and said, "It really | |
33 isn't what I wanted at all, but Tomoyo chan wouldn't let me cut down | |
34 the plum trees to make room for the oval." | |
35 | |
36 Topping a little rise, Sakura saw what had once been a grassy yard | |
37 and stopped short. A new 100 meter track stretched into the distance, | |
38 bulldozer tread marks testifying to its recent completion. Nearby was | |
39 a small white field house for showering and changing, and even a set | |
40 of stands for who-knew-what spectators. Sakura turned to Sonomi, who | |
41 could barely contain her delight, and exclaimed, | |
42 | |
43 "Oh, you shouldn't have done this just for me. Your poor, pretty | |
44 yard!" | |
45 | |
46 Sonomi leaned over, placed her hand on the girl's cheek, and smiled | |
47 sweetly. | |
48 | |
49 "Don't worry, dear. It's something I'd always wanted myself since I | |
50 was young. Besides, if you do something, you do it right, and I can't | |
51 be a good coach without proper facilities.” | |
52 | |
53 Sakura bowed her thanks again, and Tomoyo ushered her into the field | |
54 house. After changing into her Tomoeda P. E. outfit, she rushed out | |
55 to warm up with Sonomi and Tomoyo. Somehow, she was not surprised to | |
56 find a camera and tripod already filming the proceedings. Sonomi then | |
57 had her run some short sprints off the starting block. watching | |
58 carefully all the while. Then the woman called her over, took off her | |
59 crimson jacket, and adjusted the wood and metal blocks with careful, | |
60 practiced precision. | |
61 | |
62 Standing behind the blocks she nodded to Tomoyo, who called out, | |
63 | |
64 “Go to your marks,” | |
65 | |
66 Sonomi placed her left leg in the far block, and her right on the | |
67 block a few inches to the front. Her left knee touched the ground, | |
68 and her hands, fingers forming little arches, rested on the track. | |
69 Sakura could see by the sure and economical movements that this was a | |
70 routine executed thousands of times. As the woman settled in, Tomoyo | |
71 called out again, | |
72 | |
73 “Set,” | |
74 | |
75 Like a cat crouching to pounce, Sonomi took a deep breath and arched | |
76 her body forward and up. Head down, she wore an expression of deepest | |
77 concentration. Her lithe body was perfectly still, balanced, coiled, | |
78 relaxed, and waiting. Sakura flinched when Tomoyo fired the starting | |
79 gun, and nearly missed the amazing sight of the runner’s start. She | |
80 looked in horror as Sonomi pitched forward, certain to fall on her | |
81 face. But instead of falling she rocketed ahead, her first stride | |
82 long and her body low to the ground. In the blink of an eye she had | |
83 run 5 or 6 strides and was racing down the field before slowing her | |
84 pace and walking back, hands on hips. Sakura stood and marveled, | |
85 whispering, | |
86 | |
87 “Sugoi.” | |
88 | |
89 Then she ran to Sonomi, starry-eyed and gasping, | |
90 | |
91 “That was wonderful! I was so afraid you would fall!" | |
92 | |
93 The woman laughed, and explained how the physics of gravity and | |
94 front leg thrust combined to produce the fastest possible start. She | |
95 adjusted the blocks for Sakura, fine tuning them as the girl | |
96 practiced. Sakura was amazed how the tiniest changes of form and | |
97 position could make such a difference in speed. Sonomi patiently | |
98 observed, corrected, and praised Sakura's efforts. When they broke | |
99 for a light lunch of cucumber sandwiches and tea, both were exhausted | |
100 but excited, and eager to start again. | |
101 | |
102 For Tomoyo, it was her favorite spring. Almost every Saturday, and | |
103 some weeknights when she had no chores or homework, Sakura came over | |
104 to practice. Sometimes Tomoyo would run with her, just to give her a | |
105 sense of running against a competitor. Trying her hardest, she | |
106 invariably fell far behind the auburn haired-sprinter, though it | |
107 bothered her not in the least. To see Sakura run was a joy beyond | |
108 telling, for she ran with a wild exuberance that thrilled the heart. | |
109 Her mother slowly shaped and channeled that raw energy, and Sakura | |
110 gloried in the changes that came over her. Most of all, Tomoyo just | |
111 loved to watch, to see her working with her mother, and to film her | |
112 sprints. | |
113 | |
114 That spring, Tomoyo's relationship with Sakura began to change in | |
115 ways she was only vaguely aware of. She rarely thought about her love | |
116 for the girl, for she loved Sakura as naturally and unselfconsciously | |
117 as breathing. Love was part of the morning as she brushed her long | |
118 hair in the dappled sunlight of her room. It was with her at school | |
119 while reciting a lesson, or singing in the choir, or just sitting | |
120 across from Sakura, watching her read and study. Love filled her | |
121 nights when she sewed, or studied, or sat gazing at a moon carved out | |
122 of bright steel. Only rarely did it occur to her that this boundless | |
123 love was unusual, and that she was quite unlike the others around | |
124 her. For Tomoyo, the real wonder was not her own intense passion, but | |
125 the curious fact that everybody did not love Sakura as she did. In | |
126 part, this explained her utter lack of jealousy and possessiveness. | |
127 She saw Syaoran’s awkward, blossoming love for her friend as | |
128 completely natural and right, for how could a person not love Sakura | |
129 with all their heart? For her, that was the inexplicable mystery. And | |
130 yet, though her own love had never changed in all the time she had | |
131 known her friend, Tomoyo herself was deeply affected by something | |
132 completely unforeseen. The pale, dark-haired girl had been sweetly | |
133 shaken by Sakura's own love for her. | |
134 | |
135 Tomoyo, usually so perceptive, had been pained and baffled by her | |
136 friend's unusual moodiness after the true nature of Yue had come to | |
137 light. Upon collection of the final Clow Card Sakura had seemed | |
138 fragile and edgy, nothing like her usual happy self. Tomoyo thought | |
139 her fatigued, or perhaps let down by the apparent end of the quest. | |
140 Once they even fought, or, rather, Sakura had rounded on her angrily | |
141 before fleeing in tears. Tomoyo was left stunned and shattered, | |
142 painfully hurt in a way she never thought possible. That night was | |
143 agony as she called and called on the little pink cell phone, | |
144 desperate to apologize for whatever she had done, waiting for an | |
145 answering voice that never came. She nearly left to go see Sakura, to | |
146 beg forgiveness and try to understand why. So thankful now that she | |
147 had stayed in her room, waiting, and singing sadly to herself. There | |
148 the Mistress of the Cards found her after a long and trying journey. | |
149 In what still seemed a miracle, Sakura then confessed her love for | |
150 Tomoyo. | |
151 | |
152 Those sweet, stammering words of love still echoed in Tomoyo's | |
153 heart. That her friend had finally discovered Tomoyo's secret love, | |
154 hidden so well for so long, was surprise enough. But when they | |
155 embraced, and kissed, Tomoyo first felt Sakura's own love for her. | |
156 Unlooked for, desired beyond hope or prayer, that love had changed | |
157 her forever. Like a pale moon, Tomoyo had circled Sakura's life with | |
158 faithful constancy. But now, like twin stars in a cosmic dance, the | |
159 lives of the two lovers revolved around each other. It was joyous, it | |
160 was thrilling, and, for Tomoyo, it was a little scary. Admiring the | |
161 beautiful girl from afar, Tomoyo was safe among the shadows. But when | |
162 Sakura's loving gaze fell upon her, she feared falling far short of | |
163 what the remarkable girl deserved. Looking inward, Tomoyo wondered if | |
164 fear was a reason, secret even from herself, that she had encouraged | |
165 Sakura's relationships with Yukito and Syaoran. She could see through | |
166 others so easily, but her own heart was sometimes shrouded in mystery. | |
167 | |
168 Sitting in the viewing stands, Tomoyo caught the delicate scent of | |
169 plum blossoms as Sakura exploded again from the starting block. She | |
170 felt a twinge of guilt for begging the trees be spared, but her | |
171 mother said the girl was a natural sprinter, and the oval track would | |
172 be more for her use than Sakura's anyway. She resolved to bake her | |
173 mother a plum pie when the fruits were ripe. Sonomi was working with | |
174 Sakura's form as she emerged from her start. Carefully her mother | |
175 demonstrated the transition to a full run, while Sakura watched, | |
176 nodding, and then tried it herself. Her mother said the girl was a | |
177 quick learner, and Tomoyo ruefully knew how true that was. It was | |
178 just like the cards. | |
179 | |
180 At first, Sakura seemed baffled, even intimidated by the complexity | |
181 of Clow's creation. But she proved relentless, and against all hope | |
182 saw it through to the very end. In time she penetrated their secrets | |
183 and made them her own, and the Cards seemed to love her all the more | |
184 for it. Just like me, Tomoyo thought with a blush. | |
185 | |
186 Once she had charmed Sakura with a mask of happiness, her friend | |
187 blithely unaware of Tomoyo's hidden love and loneliness. But now | |
188 Sakura loved her, and was no longer content with shimmering | |
189 reflections on the water's surface. Sakura as the Mistress of the | |
190 Cards devoured secrets, and burned with a fiery will to know. Now | |
191 that will was turned towards her, and Sakura impatiently brushed | |
192 aside the veils that hid Tomoyo's true feelings. When Tomoyo was | |
193 happy Sakura was, too, and when she was not the girl consoled her and | |
194 shared the grief and pain. At first this had horrified Tomoyo, | |
195 devastated that her own unhappiness should so affect her friend. But | |
196 Sakura seemed none the worse for it, her irrepressible spirit and | |
197 energy washing away hurts and fears as her gentle fingers brushed | |
198 away tears. | |
199 | |
200 Tomoyo felt closer to the girl than ever before. That closeness | |
201 came not from her own love, which was as vast and unchanging as ever, | |
202 but from Sakura's. Sakura's love was a beacon that lit the darkness | |
203 of Tomoyo's world and a hammer that shattered the barriers around her | |
204 heart. Tomoyo had painstakingly designed her own prison, a citadel of | |
205 loneliness to seal her love away. But when the Mistress of the Cards | |
206 realized her friend's isolation, she came like a hurricane and tore | |
207 the walls apart. Then, shy and gentle once more, Sakura begged leave | |
208 to stay, forever. And Tomoyo, blinking in the unexpected sunlight, | |
209 said yes. | |
210 | |
211 As time unwound in it's own way, she slowly realized that Sakura | |
212 would have no walls between them. Tomoyo could love from afar, but | |
213 not Sakura. The girl's eager enthusiasm demanded she know Tomoyo's | |
214 innermost self, and be ever close to her heart. And despite | |
215 misgivings, for she still feared bringing pain or hurt in some | |
216 unknown way to her friend, Tomoyo found herself yielding. Besides, | |
217 all her art and artifice availed her nothing in the face of Sakura's | |
218 direct and relentless innocence. Even for the sake of her beloved, | |
219 Tomoyo found it increasingly impossible to meet those shimmering | |
220 green eyes with anything less than the truth. With a sigh, Tomoyo | |
221 looked up and saw Sakura at the far end of the track, waving in | |
222 exaltation at a new personal best time. Tomoyo waved back, smiling, | |
223 and glanced at the plum branches swaying in the spring breeze. She | |
224 knew she would rather die, would rather have never existed at all, | |
225 than bring any hurt to Sakura. But the little zephyr laughed at her | |
226 worries, whispering "It's all right, everything will be all right." | |
227 Blossoms rained down from above, covering her gray-black hair in a | |
228 pink and purple crown. A sweet, intense longing gripped her as she | |
229 leapt from the stands. With her heart afire, she dashed wildly down | |
230 the track towards Sakura. | |
231 | |
232 II. | |
233 Just by watching her posture Sonomi could tell. She laughed to | |
234 herself as Sakura fiddled with the starting blocks. If Tomoyo had not | |
235 been her own child, she would have despaired of ever knowing her at | |
236 all. But Sakura was an open book, her moods and thoughts there for | |
237 all the world to see. Something was troubling her, something she | |
238 wanted to talk about but could not. Sonomi stood to the side and | |
239 spoke in a loud voice, | |
240 | |
241 "Go to your marks." | |
242 | |
243 Sakura settled into position, awaiting the next call. But Sonomi was | |
244 silent, watching the girl's arched figure with intensity. A runner | |
245 should be able to hold that stance for several minutes with no | |
246 fatigue, but the girl was already trembling from the strain. Sonomi | |
247 walked over and gently laid her hand on Sakura's shoulder. In a | |
248 soothing, motherly voice she said, | |
249 | |
250 "Sakura chan, your shoulders are tight, and your body seems very | |
251 tense. Are you feeling well? Is there something the matter?" | |
252 | |
253 Sakura looked up in surprise, mouth open, as if to say, "How did you | |
254 know?" But instead of answering, she looked away in embarrassment. | |
255 Sonomi gently nudged her into a standing position, and said, | |
256 | |
257 "Let's sit over by the trees for a bit, all right?" | |
258 | |
259 Sakura followed morosely and plopped down in the grass. Sonomi | |
260 stretched out under the tree and let silence do its work. Sakura | |
261 fidgeted, played idly with the grass, finally looked up with moist | |
262 eyes and blurted out, | |
263 | |
264 "Sonomi sama, I feel so bad. I ran so badly and it was just awful! | |
265 I'm so sorry..." Her voice tailed off as she fought back the tears | |
266 with a halting sob. | |
267 | |
268 "Well, there's no reason to feel sorry if you tried your best. You | |
269 can't win every race, you know. Do you feel like telling me what | |
270 happened?" Sonomi's tone was gentle and reassuring, urging the child | |
271 to continue. Sakura looked at the ground as she spoke, an | |
272 undercurrent of anger edging her voice, | |
273 | |
274 "It was the qualifying races for Field Day. I finished second, so I | |
275 qualified for the final race next week, but I ran so poorly." | |
276 | |
277 Sonomi spoke in a cheerful but restrained tone, | |
278 | |
279 "Oh, my, second is no cause for shame, especially if you made the | |
280 cut for the final race. Who finsihed first?" | |
281 | |
282 Through clenched teeth, her anger rising, Sakura mumbled, | |
283 | |
284 "Li-kun." | |
285 | |
286 "Ah, Tomoyo told me he is a very good runner. She said he almost | |
287 beat you in the race last year." | |
288 | |
289 Sakura turned abruptly to look at her, anger and pain and tears all | |
290 jumbled together. In a stammering rush she exclaimed, | |
291 | |
292 "He was so mean. He said I couldn't run as fast as him, that girls | |
293 were slower than boys, and that...that..." | |
294 | |
295 Sonomi watched Sakura carefully, and felt deep sympathy for the poor | |
296 girl, so obviously wounded. With a kindly look she nodded, waiting | |
297 for her to continue. | |
298 | |
299 "He...he said I shouldn't be around Tomoyo so much and that she was, | |
300 she was clumsy and couldn't run or anything and that, that she was | |
301 just an anchor around my head or my neck or something stupid like | |
302 that and I was so angry and I wanted to win so bad and I couldn't and | |
303 he beat me just like he said and I'm sorry I wanted to run my best | |
304 for you and Tomoyo and I didn't and I'm sorry I'm so so sorry!" | |
305 | |
306 With that, she collapsed into Sonomi's arms, crying at the shame of | |
307 it all. The woman held her tightly, cooing reassurance as she rocked | |
308 gently back and forth. With a fearful look Tomoyo came running, but | |
309 Sonomi shooed her away. Looking down at the auburn-haired girl she | |
310 smiled, knowing that what stung her the most were the taunts aimed at | |
311 Tomoyo. Sakura was a gentle, cheerful little spirit, but a protective | |
312 tigress when roused. She's like me, Sonomi mused. Odd, because she | |
313 had always seen Nadesico in the girl since their first meeting a year | |
314 ago, never herself. But when it came to those dearest to them, both | |
315 were as quick to anger as to love. And then memory took Sonomi, | |
316 memory from long ago. | |
317 | |
318 She heard the sneering voice first, coming from behind a corner of | |
319 the school. Then the mocking words, "clumsy", "baka", "watch where | |
320 you're going". Curious, she walked around the wall and heard a | |
321 muffled voice stammering out apologies. There stood Nadesico-chan, | |
322 bowing low, her long hair nearly sweeping the ground. Above her | |
323 towered a sempai, red-faced, hands on hips, his books in the dirt. | |
324 Letting loose another stream of disparaging abuse, he contemptuously | |
325 pushed her shoulder, knocking the slender girl off balance as she | |
326 continued to apologize in her soft, sweet voice. With that, Sonomi | |
327 snapped. | |
328 | |
329 She rushed towards him, screaming, "Stop it!". He turned to look, | |
330 his face contorted in the strangest combination of surprise and | |
331 anger. Without thinking, Sonomi clenched her fist and swung in a | |
332 swift, arcing uppercut. She caught him square under the chin, his | |
333 open mouth quickly shutting, teeth clattering. Leaning her onrushing | |
334 body into the blow, she staggered him nearly off his feet and up | |
335 against the red brick wall. He slammed into it, head banging back | |
336 with a solid thunk, then slumped into a heap in the dirt. Shaking in | |
337 rage and shock, Sonomi stood above him, waiting for the boy to rise. | |
338 But he was deathly still, and the fury that gripped her quickly | |
339 drained away. She was startled by Nadesico, who rushed past her to | |
340 see if the boy was all right. With a worried look, she touched his | |
341 forehead with loving tenderness. Groaning, he opened his eyes, and | |
342 Nadesico took Sonomi's hand and whispered, "Let's go." | |
343 | |
344 Later that morning they passed him in the hall, but he studiously | |
345 ignored them. After lunch, the two friends sat on the grass in the | |
346 shade of a big oak tree. Nadesico watched Sonomi intently as the red | |
347 haired girl gingerly covered one hand with the other. She reached | |
348 out, gently laying her own hand on Sonomi's, and asked, | |
349 | |
350 "Did you hurt your hand?" | |
351 | |
352 Turning, Sonomi saw the fearful concern in her shimmering, green | |
353 eyes. Blushing, she looked away and stammered, | |
354 | |
355 "N-no, I'm fine, it's nothing". | |
356 | |
357 Nadesicio squeezed the hand ever so slightly, and Sonomi winced at | |
358 the pain. Nadesico drew her hand back in horror and gasped, | |
359 | |
360 "You did hurt yourself. Oh, Sonomi chan, I'm so sorry. You hurt | |
361 yourself because of me." | |
362 | |
363 Sonomi shook her head vigorously, short red hair flying back and | |
364 forth, | |
365 | |
366 "No, no, it's nothing, really, just a sprain, I think. It happens | |
367 all the time in gymnastics". | |
368 | |
369 At this, Nadesico looked more upset than ever. | |
370 | |
371 "Gymnastics? But Sonomi chan, don't you have a meet this weekend | |
372 with the gymnastics club?" | |
373 | |
374 Sonomi had forgotten, but not Nadesico, who attended every meet to | |
375 cheer her on. With her dearest friend in the stands, Sonomi loved the | |
376 competition. Before each event, she silently dedicated herself: May I | |
377 be blessed with strength and beauty to perform for her delight. | |
378 Fiercely competitive, Sonomi hated to lose even more than she loved | |
379 to win. But such things seemed trivial when she was watched by | |
380 Nadesico. Performing was sheer joy, and the dark haired girl's eager | |
381 enthusiasm drove Sonomi to do her very best. With a smile she said, | |
382 | |
383 "It's no big thing if I miss one meet." | |
384 | |
385 Nadesico looked at the ground, then at the sky, watching a little | |
386 white cloud scudding across the blue. She brushed the gray-black hair | |
387 from her eyes and glanced at her friend. In a soft, sweet voice she | |
388 whispered, | |
389 | |
390 "Thank you, Sonomi chan". She carefully reached out for the girl's | |
391 good hand, and took it in her own. She caressed her hand gently, | |
392 fingers lovingly tracing every curve and contour. Sonomi caught her | |
393 breath and blushed, staring straight ahead, not daring to face those | |
394 wide, emerald eyes for fear of what she might say, or do, here in the | |
395 schoolyard. Nadesico whispered again, | |
396 | |
397 "But," Sonomi looked up quizically, waiting for her to continue. " | |
398 you know, sempai was right. I really am very clumsy." She smiled | |
399 brightly as she spoke. Sonomi suppressed a grin and wore a mock frown | |
400 instead as she replied, | |
401 | |
402 "Yes, I know. But I'm the only one allowed to say that, ne?" | |
403 Nadesico giggled, and Sonomi laughed out loud. Hand in hand, the two | |
404 cousins rose and ran off to their next class. | |
405 | |
406 Sakura had stopped crying, but still lay nestled in Sonomi's arms. | |
407 Wiping away her tears the woman said, | |
408 | |
409 "That race is all over now. Let's get ready for the next one." | |
410 | |
411 Sakura sat up, eyes red and puffy. Slowly the anger returned, | |
412 pushing out the hurt and filling her voice as she spoke, | |
413 | |
414 "This time I'll beat him. I'll beat him so bad!" | |
415 | |
416 Replying in her soft Mother's voice Sonomi answered, | |
417 | |
418 "If that's the way you feel, Sakura chan, then you'll lose again," | |
419 | |
420 Stung by these gently spoken but cutting words, the auburn-haired | |
421 girl looked up in surprise. Sonomi smiled nonchalantly and continued, | |
422 | |
423 "When you sprint, emotions like anger just slow you down. Remember | |
424 how I told you to be when you take your mark?" | |
425 | |
426 Sakura nodded as she spoke, "Relaxed but concentrating". | |
427 | |
428 Sonomi nodded and continued, "That's right. It's very hard to do, | |
429 because when we concentrate we usually strain to keep our focus. But | |
430 when you strain like that your body isn't relaxed, you tense up like | |
431 you did today. But when we relax, we tend to lose focus, our mind | |
432 wanders, and we're distracted by whatever comes along." | |
433 | |
434 Confused, Sakura blurted out, "But then, what do I do? How can I do | |
435 both at once?" | |
436 | |
437 "Sakura, usually when you run, you do both at once, you're just not | |
438 aware of it. But when you have strong thoughts and feelings that | |
439 affect you, you lose focus, or your relaxation, or even both. During | |
440 practice, when you hear the starting gun, what are you thinking about?" | |
441 | |
442 Puzzled, Sakura tried to remember. Finally she looked up in | |
443 bafflement and said, "I don't know. I don't remember thinking about | |
444 anything. I'm just waiting for the gun." | |
445 | |
446 Sonomi smiled, "And in the qualifying race, what were you thinking?" | |
447 | |
448 "That I wanted to beat Li-kun so bad. That I was so mad for what he | |
449 said about Tomoyo." | |
450 | |
451 "And how was your start?" | |
452 | |
453 Sakura stared at the ground and mumbled, "Awful. I missed the gun | |
454 and came out of the blocks last." | |
455 | |
456 Sonomi lifted the girl's downcast chin with gentle fingers. Verging | |
457 on tears again, she looked up into Sonomi's soft, blue eyes. Suddenly | |
458 the woman swept her up, hugging her tightly as she spoke, | |
459 | |
460 "Sakura chan, I know perfectly well how you want to protect Tomoyo, | |
461 and I love you for it. But," stooping by the standing girl, she | |
462 studied her face carefully, "you can't let thoughts and feelings | |
463 hamper you when you sprint, or you'll never run well. You have to let | |
464 them go, like dropping a heavy stone. Do you know when I ran my best | |
465 ever?" | |
466 | |
467 Sakura brightened, "Was that when you won the Nationals?" | |
468 | |
469 Sonomi nodded and smiled, "That's right. It was after your Mother | |
470 was married." At that thought, the smile left her, and she struggled | |
471 to keep her composure. "Sakura, when your Mother married, I | |
472 was...very, very sad. I felt I'd lost the one most precious to me. I | |
473 thought about her all the time." | |
474 | |
475 To herself she sighed, "I still do." | |
476 | |
477 "The only time I didn't think of her was when I ran. For just a few, | |
478 precious seconds, I forgot everything. There was only the running. | |
479 | |
480 Sakura, when you run, you can't think about Tomoyo, or what Li-kun | |
481 said, or anything else. You have to let everything go. When the gun | |
482 sounds, your body starts instinctively, without a trace of thought or | |
483 feeling. A sprint is over too quickly to let yourself be clouded by | |
484 emotions. My coach told me that when you run, your mind should be an | |
485 empty mirror in a dark room. Then the running happens all by itself, | |
486 and there is nothing to slow you down." | |
487 | |
488 She stood and smiled at the beautiful daughter of Nadesico, who | |
489 smiled back ever so sweetly. A gentle spring breeze swept past them, | |
490 their short hair teased in the sudden wind. There were times when | |
491 Sonomi sensed her cousin's presence in the things she had loved: rain | |
492 drops running in little rivers down the window, birds circling high | |
493 in a cloudless sky, and a breeze like this, playfully tossing her | |
494 long, gray-black hair. | |
495 | |
496 "Sakura, let's work on your transition to a full run. I think your | |
497 final stride is a bit too long." | |
498 | |
499 The girl nodded eagerly, and the two walked away from the tree and | |
500 back to the track. The breeze died down as fast as it had come, | |
501 leaving Sonomi with a terrible longing. "Someday", she thought with | |
502 an aching heart, "someday. Wait for me, Nadesico, please wait for me." | |
503 | |
504 III. | |
505 When Sakura first caught a glimpse of Li kun she struggled with her | |
506 feelings and pondered what to do. Afraid of upsetting herself before | |
507 the race, she decided to ignore him, and continued her warm ups in | |
508 the grassy field by the track. But the boy stood close by her, and | |
509 then coughed loudly, twice, all but demanding an audience. Sakura | |
510 turned towards him, waiting for his latest remarks. Instead, he | |
511 looked at the ground, obviously struggling with himself. Puzzled, she | |
512 said, | |
513 | |
514 “LI kun?” | |
515 | |
516 The boy clenched his fists tightly and forced the words out, | |
517 | |
518 “I….I’m sorry. Sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean it.” | |
519 | |
520 He stood silent, waiting for whatever abuse she might hurl. But her | |
521 voice was gentle, overflowing with happiness, | |
522 | |
523 “Li kun, I know you didn’t mean what you said. It’s all right. But | |
524 thank you so much for telling me.” | |
525 | |
526 He looked up at her with pained eyes and saw that comforting smile. | |
527 A terrible burden suddenly and miraculously lifted from his | |
528 shoulders, he teeterd on the verge of tears. He almost smiled, but | |
529 flustered and obviously out of words, quickly ran off instead. Sakura | |
530 watched him go, and felt her own blessing of relief. Now she would | |
531 not have to run this race against anyone. But she would still run the | |
532 race for someone. With that realization, she heard Tomoyo’s voice on | |
533 the loudspeaker announcing the start of the 5th grade 100 meter dash. | |
534 | |
535 She walked to the starting line, scanning the crowd for familiar | |
536 faces. With delight she saw Oniichan, Yukito san and her father | |
537 waving from the stands. She waved back wildly, and then saw Sonomi | |
538 sama as well, and waved to her. Noticing the other runners, she | |
539 quickly went to her starting block and adjusted it. She felt a great | |
540 excitement, but also a wonderful sense of peace. Beaming, she turned | |
541 to Syaoran who was preparing in the lane next to her and said, | |
542 | |
543 “Li kun, let’s do our best, OK?” | |
544 | |
545 He blushed, and nodded silently while he fiddled with his blocks. | |
546 Terrada sensei, in his white and black stripped official’s uniform, | |
547 stood to one side and nodded. The eight runners stepped into their | |
548 lanes in front of the starting blocks. Sakura closed her eyes and | |
549 said a silent prayer, | |
550 | |
551 “Tomoyo chan, if I forget you, just for this race, please don’t ever | |
552 forget me.” | |
553 | |
554 With a deep breath, Sakura began to let everything go: the spring | |
555 sky, the other runners, the expectant audience. All things faded from | |
556 her mind: the fight with Li kun, the hours of training, her brother's | |
557 taunts, Yukito's kindness, her father's gentleness. Last was Tomoyo, | |
558 pale, serene, and ever smiling, her long, black hair blowing in some | |
559 distant wind. | |
560 | |
561 "Go to your marks!" | |
562 | |
563 At Terrada sensei's booming call, she went to her position. Her left | |
564 leg rested on the ground, her right leg the power leg, brought | |
565 forward. Both feet set lightly on the starting blocks, and her | |
566 fingers and thumbs formed little bridges on the white chalk starting | |
567 line. With her head down, her field of vision was reduced to a few | |
568 square inches of dirt. Her body felt utterly relaxed but alert, | |
569 awaiting the next call. | |
570 | |
571 "Set" | |
572 | |
573 In an instant, everything changed. She took a deep, quick breath as | |
574 her body arched up, hips raised slightly above the level of her | |
575 shoulders. Her weight shifted forward, head and neck leaning over the | |
576 white line. Her back foot lifted up slightly with only her toes on | |
577 the block, but her right, forward foot was flush to the block for | |
578 maximum thrust. She was still calm and relaxed, but the muscles in | |
579 her body sang out in electric expectation. Her concentration was | |
580 absolute, waiting, waiting, waiting... | |
581 | |
582 A deafening bang. | |
583 | |
584 At the retort of the gun her body pitched forward, fingers leaving | |
585 the ground and forming fists, one arm sweeping and one thrown back. | |
586 The muscles in her right leg exploded and thrust her body forward and | |
587 up. Her strides were short but powerful as her body gradually | |
588 straightened, while her eyes rasied and focused on the long, narrow | |
589 lane. By the fourth stride she was at a full run, arms moving piston- | |
590 like in quick, sharp bursts, stride lengthening as her leg speed | |
591 approached its limits. Her form was liquid smooth and flawless, | |
592 without extraneous motion to detract from the efficiency of her run. | |
593 Her head was straight and still, her knees lifting high to the front, | |
594 giving her the delightful look of a prancing horse. She saw only the | |
595 finish line, almost halfway there now, narrowing in a long, dark | |
596 tunnel. The darkness enveloped her as she reached her fastest speed, | |
597 then splintered in a shattering fountain of light. | |
598 | |
599 She saw her own body running, as though viewed from outside herself. | |
600 But not quite her body, for it was a luminous, pulsating figure that | |
601 illumined the darkness. Great strands of blue light flowed through | |
602 her arms and coiled through the air, pulling her ahead. Torrents of | |
603 yellow energy flooded through her legs with every stride. Her body | |
604 hurtled forward, straining its earthly bounds as if taking flight. It | |
605 was exhilarating, captivating, and liberating. Ahead she saw the | |
606 finish line, bathed in a luminous white light. The radiance shimmered | |
607 with a gentle warmth, and she longed for it. In a sudden burst of | |
608 speed she accelerated, drawing closer and closer to the sparkling | |
609 brilliance. Nearly engulfed by the blazing light she suddenly | |
610 thought, what is it? And with that, great luminous shards fractured | |
611 about her as the world of Tomoeda tumbled back into place. | |
612 | |
613 Blinking incomprehensibly, Sakura saw she had crossed the finish | |
614 line and was nearly at the end of the track. Dimly aware of the | |
615 tumult behind her she looked and saw the crowd of parents and | |
616 children jumping, clapping, and screaming. Dazed, she looked for a | |
617 familiar face and saw Mizuki-sensei with a stopwatch, comparing it | |
618 with a timer from another teacher. Terrada sensei jogged up from the | |
619 starting line, examined the stopwatches, then glanced at Sakura | |
620 incredulously. Again he looked, and shook his head in disbelief. The | |
621 other runners were congratulating Sakura, regarding her with | |
622 excitement and awe. Timidly, she made her way to Mizuki sensei, who | |
623 smiled and placed her hand gently on Sakura’s head. She felt a sudden | |
624 flash of the glow at the finish line, and a warm, bubbling happiness. | |
625 Tomoyo’s voice, with barely suppressed excitement, came over the | |
626 loudspeaker, | |
627 | |
628 “First place, 5th grade 100 meter dash, Kinomoto Sakura, 12.6 | |
629 seconds, a new Tomoeda record. Second place Li Syaoran…” | |
630 | |
631 The wild cheering and clapping of the audience began again, drowning | |
632 out the rest of the announcement. Terrada sensei looked at her in | |
633 wonder and laughed, | |
634 | |
635 “12.6, amazing. That would be a good time for a high school girl. | |
636 Nice run, Kinomoto.” | |
637 | |
638 Embarrassed, Sakura bowed her thanks. She scanned the crowd, looking | |
639 for family, and Sonomi, to invite her and Tomoyo for lunch. | |
640 | |
641 Lunch, prepared by her father, was wonderful. He brought a triple | |
642 portion for Yukito, who still finished his before anyone else, | |
643 including some of Tomoyo’s portion, which was graciously offered and | |
644 gratefully accepted. Sonomi, sitting by Sakura (and as far away from | |
645 her father as possible), looked askance and declared in an irritable | |
646 voice, | |
647 | |
648 “Just as I would have expected, sensei. It’s excellent.” | |
649 | |
650 After her father left for work and her brother and Yukito for class, | |
651 Sakura talked to Sonomi while Tomoyo went to wash up. When she | |
652 thanked her for all the time and effort, Sonomi smiled and shook her | |
653 head, | |
654 | |
655 “Sakura chan, it was delightful to be your coach. Your sprint today | |
656 was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. You did so well, | |
657 and I’m so proud.” | |
658 | |
659 Sakura gazed up at her and felt the tears welling. She threw her | |
660 arms around Sonomi and hugged her tightly, as if she were fearful the | |
661 woman might suddenly vanish. Startled at first, Sonomi smiled and | |
662 hugged her back, fighting off tears of her own. At last Sakura | |
663 released her and bowed, asking in a trembling voice, | |
664 | |
665 “Sonomi sama, I… I don’t want to be a bother, and, if it wouldn’t be | |
666 too much trouble I’d understand, but if…if…could you please keep | |
667 being my coach?” | |
668 | |
669 Sonomi laid her hand on the girls shoulder and spoke in a loving | |
670 voice, | |
671 | |
672 “Sakura chan, I can’t think of anything that would make me happier.” | |
673 | |
674 Sakura’s smile was radiant. | |
675 | |
676 Walking home from school, Tomoyo spoke adoringly of Sakura’s | |
677 marvelous sprint. Sakura walked in silence as her friend talked | |
678 nonstop, | |
679 | |
680 “I only wish I had been able to design a special running outfit for | |
681 you. It was such a beautiful run! You were like an angel flying to | |
682 the stars, or a cheetah springing through the plains, or…” | |
683 | |
684 “Tomoyo chan.” | |
685 | |
686 “…or maybe a dolphin, but that would be swimming. Oh, you should | |
687 join the swim club, too! There are such wonderful patterns for cute | |
688 swimsuits, but I don’t know if…” | |
689 | |
690 “Tomoyo chan?” | |
691 | |
692 “…if you could wear them on the team. But I could, oh, I’m sorry, | |
693 Sakura chan.” Tomoyo covered her mouth as she giggled. Glancing up to | |
694 see Sakura’s troubled and uncertain look, Tomoyo suddenly stopped | |
695 short. Before she could ask, Sakura blurted out in a teary voice, | |
696 | |
697 “Tomoyo chan, I forgot about you today. Sonomi sama said I should | |
698 let everything go, and I did, and you were the last thing I thought | |
699 about, but I feel so bad that I forgot you like that. I know you | |
700 would never forget about me. I’m so sorry.” | |
701 | |
702 Watching her sobbing friend and pained by her anguish, Tomoyo gently | |
703 took the girl’s hands and spoke with angelic sweetness, | |
704 | |
705 “Sakura chan, you don’t have to think about me all the time. There | |
706 are lots of wonderful things to think about. And I know that no | |
707 matter what you’re thinking, you love me, and that’s all that | |
708 matters.” | |
709 | |
710 Breathing raggedly, Sakura gazed into Tomoyo’s luminous eyes. She | |
711 felt a sudden torrent of longing, the same that had drawn her to the | |
712 brilliant white light at the race’s finish. Sakura fell into Tomoyo’s | |
713 arms, the two girls clasped together amid smiles and tears. | |
714 | |
715 And there they stood while the world spun round, two perfect lovers | |
716 in an ardent embrace. | |
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726 | |
727 | |
728 | |
729 *Thanks to Heather of Amazoness Duo for the title | |
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