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     1.2 +++ b/stories/ccsfieldday.txt	Fri Feb 19 06:24:59 2010 -0500
     1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,756 @@
     1.4 +"Sakura-chan and Okaa-sama's Track and Field Adventure"
     1.5 +(Written on the videotape in Tomoyo’s delightfully Kawaii script*)
     1.6 +
     1.7 +
     1.8 +
     1.9 +I. 
    1.10 +Sakura was all eagerness when she arrived at the Daidouji residence.
    1.11 +Shouldering a yellow and white athletic bag she buzzed the gate for
    1.12 +admittance. Shortly after it opened, she saw Sonomi sama racing
    1.13 +towards her with Tomoyo chan trailing behind.
    1.14 +
    1.15 +"Yo-ho, Sakura-chan!" Sonomi sang out. She was dressed in bright red
    1.16 +shorts with a crimson jacket trimmed in black. Tomoyo had a similar
    1.17 +outfit, but in navy blue. Both wore matching black running shoes.
    1.18 +Sakura smiled to see them; the beautiful mother and daughter running
    1.19 +together. Sonomi was quickly upon her, seemingly invigorated by the
    1.20 +long run from the mansion. Tomoyo, breathless but all smiles, finally
    1.21 +caught up. 
    1.22 +
    1.23 +Sakura bowed as she said, "Sonomi sama, Tomoyo chan, thank you for
    1.24 +having me."
    1.25 +
    1.26 +Beaming at the little girl, Sonomi replied, "It's always a pleasure
    1.27 +to have you with us. Would you like to change in the field house?"
    1.28 +
    1.29 + "Field house?" Sakura answered with a puzzled look.
    1.30 +
    1.31 +As the three began walking past a row of trees, Tomoyo, still
    1.32 +catching her breath, giggled, "Mother had some changes made to the
    1.33 +yard so she could coach you properly."
    1.34 +
    1.35 +Sonomi put her finger on her cheek thoughtfully and said, "It really
    1.36 +isn't what I wanted at all, but Tomoyo chan wouldn't let me cut down
    1.37 +the plum trees to make room for the oval."
    1.38 +
    1.39 +Topping a little rise, Sakura saw what had once been a grassy yard
    1.40 +and stopped short. A new 100 meter track stretched into the distance,
    1.41 +bulldozer tread marks testifying to its recent completion. Nearby was
    1.42 +a small white field house for showering and changing, and even a set
    1.43 +of stands for who-knew-what spectators. Sakura turned to Sonomi, who
    1.44 +could barely contain her delight, and exclaimed,
    1.45 +
    1.46 +"Oh, you shouldn't have done this just for me. Your poor, pretty
    1.47 +yard!"   
    1.48 +
    1.49 +Sonomi leaned over, placed her hand on the girl's cheek, and smiled
    1.50 +sweetly.
    1.51 +
    1.52 +"Don't worry, dear. It's something I'd always wanted myself since I
    1.53 +was young. Besides, if you do something, you do it right, and I can't
    1.54 +be a good coach without proper facilities.” 
    1.55 +
    1.56 +Sakura bowed her thanks again, and Tomoyo ushered her into the field
    1.57 +house. After changing into her Tomoeda P. E. outfit, she rushed out
    1.58 +to warm up with Sonomi and Tomoyo. Somehow, she was not surprised to
    1.59 +find a camera and tripod already filming the proceedings. Sonomi then
    1.60 +had her run some short sprints off the starting block. watching
    1.61 +carefully all the while. Then the woman called her over, took off her
    1.62 +crimson jacket, and adjusted the wood and metal blocks with careful,
    1.63 +practiced precision. 
    1.64 +
    1.65 +Standing behind the blocks she nodded to Tomoyo, who called out,
    1.66 + 
    1.67 +“Go to your marks,”
    1.68 +
    1.69 +Sonomi placed her left leg in the far block, and her right on the
    1.70 +block a few inches to the front. Her left knee touched the ground,
    1.71 +and her hands, fingers forming little arches, rested on the track.
    1.72 +Sakura could see by the sure and economical movements that this was a
    1.73 +routine executed thousands of times. As the woman settled in, Tomoyo
    1.74 +called out again,
    1.75 +
    1.76 +“Set,”
    1.77 +
    1.78 +Like a cat crouching to pounce, Sonomi took a deep breath and arched
    1.79 +her body forward and up. Head down, she wore an expression of deepest
    1.80 +concentration. Her lithe body was perfectly still, balanced, coiled,
    1.81 +relaxed, and waiting. Sakura flinched when Tomoyo fired the starting
    1.82 +gun, and nearly missed the amazing sight of the runner’s start. She
    1.83 +looked in horror as Sonomi pitched forward, certain to fall on her
    1.84 +face. But instead of falling she rocketed ahead, her first stride
    1.85 +long and her body low to the ground. In the blink of an eye she had
    1.86 +run 5 or 6 strides and was racing down the field before slowing her
    1.87 +pace and walking back, hands on hips. Sakura stood and marveled,
    1.88 +whispering,
    1.89 +
    1.90 +“Sugoi.”
    1.91 +
    1.92 +Then she ran to Sonomi, starry-eyed and gasping,
    1.93 +
    1.94 +“That was wonderful! I was so afraid you would fall!"  
    1.95 +
    1.96 +The woman laughed, and explained how the physics of gravity and
    1.97 +front leg thrust combined to produce the fastest possible start. She
    1.98 +adjusted the blocks for Sakura, fine tuning them as the girl
    1.99 +practiced. Sakura was amazed how the tiniest changes of form and
   1.100 +position could make such a difference in speed. Sonomi patiently
   1.101 +observed, corrected, and praised Sakura's efforts. When they broke
   1.102 +for a light lunch of cucumber sandwiches and tea, both were exhausted
   1.103 +but excited, and eager to start again.   
   1.104 +
   1.105 +For Tomoyo, it was her favorite spring. Almost every Saturday, and
   1.106 +some weeknights when she had no chores or homework, Sakura came over
   1.107 +to practice. Sometimes Tomoyo would run with her, just to give her a
   1.108 +sense of running against a competitor. Trying her hardest, she
   1.109 +invariably fell far behind the auburn haired-sprinter, though it
   1.110 +bothered her not in the least. To see Sakura run was a joy beyond
   1.111 +telling, for she ran with a wild exuberance that thrilled the heart.
   1.112 +Her mother slowly shaped and channeled that raw energy, and Sakura
   1.113 +gloried in the changes that came over her. Most of all, Tomoyo just
   1.114 +loved to watch, to see her working with her mother, and to film her
   1.115 +sprints.
   1.116 +
   1.117 +That spring, Tomoyo's relationship with Sakura began to change in
   1.118 +ways she was only vaguely aware of. She rarely thought about her love
   1.119 +for the girl, for she loved Sakura as naturally and unselfconsciously
   1.120 +as breathing. Love was part of the morning as she brushed her long
   1.121 +hair in the dappled sunlight of her room. It was with her at school
   1.122 +while reciting a lesson, or singing in the choir, or just sitting
   1.123 +across from Sakura, watching her read and study. Love filled her
   1.124 +nights when she sewed, or studied, or sat gazing at a moon carved out
   1.125 +of bright steel. Only rarely did it occur to her that this boundless
   1.126 +love was unusual, and that she was quite unlike the others around
   1.127 +her. For Tomoyo, the real wonder was not her own intense passion, but
   1.128 +the curious fact that everybody did not love Sakura as she did. In
   1.129 +part, this explained her utter lack of jealousy and possessiveness.
   1.130 +She saw Syaoran’s awkward, blossoming love for her friend as
   1.131 +completely natural and right, for how could a person not love Sakura
   1.132 +with all their heart? For her, that was the inexplicable mystery. And
   1.133 +yet, though her own love had never changed in all the time she had
   1.134 +known her friend, Tomoyo herself was deeply affected by something
   1.135 +completely unforeseen. The pale, dark-haired girl had been sweetly
   1.136 +shaken by Sakura's own love for her.
   1.137 +
   1.138 +Tomoyo, usually so perceptive, had been pained and baffled by her
   1.139 +friend's unusual moodiness after the true nature of Yue had come to
   1.140 +light. Upon collection of the final Clow Card Sakura had seemed
   1.141 +fragile and edgy, nothing like her usual happy self. Tomoyo thought
   1.142 +her fatigued, or perhaps let down by the apparent end of the quest.
   1.143 +Once they even fought, or, rather, Sakura had rounded on her angrily
   1.144 +before fleeing in tears. Tomoyo was left stunned and shattered,
   1.145 +painfully hurt in a way she never thought possible. That night was
   1.146 +agony as she called and called on the little pink cell phone,
   1.147 +desperate to apologize for whatever she had done, waiting for an
   1.148 +answering voice that never came. She nearly left to go see Sakura, to
   1.149 +beg forgiveness and try to understand why. So thankful now that she
   1.150 +had stayed in her room, waiting, and singing sadly to herself. There
   1.151 +the Mistress of the Cards found her after a long and trying journey.
   1.152 +In what still seemed a miracle, Sakura then confessed her love for
   1.153 +Tomoyo.
   1.154 +
   1.155 +Those sweet, stammering words of love still echoed in Tomoyo's
   1.156 +heart. That her friend had finally discovered Tomoyo's secret love,
   1.157 +hidden so well for so long, was surprise enough. But when they
   1.158 +embraced, and kissed, Tomoyo first felt Sakura's own love for her.
   1.159 +Unlooked for, desired beyond hope or prayer, that love had changed
   1.160 +her forever. Like a pale moon, Tomoyo had circled Sakura's life with
   1.161 +faithful constancy. But now, like twin stars in a cosmic dance, the
   1.162 +lives of the two lovers revolved around each other. It was joyous, it
   1.163 +was thrilling, and, for Tomoyo, it was a little scary. Admiring the
   1.164 +beautiful girl from afar, Tomoyo was safe among the shadows. But when
   1.165 +Sakura's loving gaze fell upon her, she feared falling far short of
   1.166 +what the remarkable girl deserved. Looking inward, Tomoyo wondered if
   1.167 +fear was a reason, secret even from herself, that she had encouraged
   1.168 +Sakura's relationships with Yukito and Syaoran. She could see through
   1.169 +others so easily, but her own heart was sometimes shrouded in mystery. 
   1.170 +
   1.171 +Sitting in the viewing stands, Tomoyo caught the delicate scent of
   1.172 +plum blossoms as Sakura exploded again from the starting block. She
   1.173 +felt a twinge of guilt for begging the trees be spared, but her
   1.174 +mother said the girl was a natural sprinter, and the oval track would
   1.175 +be more for her use than Sakura's anyway. She resolved to bake her
   1.176 +mother a plum pie when the fruits were ripe. Sonomi was working with
   1.177 +Sakura's form as she emerged from her start. Carefully her mother
   1.178 +demonstrated the transition to a full run, while Sakura watched,
   1.179 +nodding, and then tried it herself. Her mother said the girl was a
   1.180 +quick learner, and Tomoyo ruefully knew how true that was. It was
   1.181 +just like the cards. 
   1.182 +
   1.183 +At first, Sakura seemed baffled, even intimidated by the complexity
   1.184 +of Clow's creation. But she proved relentless, and against all hope
   1.185 +saw it through to the very end. In time she penetrated their secrets
   1.186 +and made them her own, and the Cards seemed to love her all the more
   1.187 +for it. Just like me, Tomoyo thought with a blush. 
   1.188 +
   1.189 +Once she had charmed Sakura with a mask of happiness, her friend
   1.190 +blithely unaware of Tomoyo's hidden love and loneliness. But now
   1.191 +Sakura loved her, and was no longer content with shimmering
   1.192 +reflections on the water's surface. Sakura as the Mistress of the
   1.193 +Cards devoured secrets, and burned with a fiery will to know. Now
   1.194 +that will was turned towards her, and Sakura impatiently brushed
   1.195 +aside the veils that hid Tomoyo's true feelings. When Tomoyo was
   1.196 +happy Sakura was, too, and when she was not the girl consoled her and
   1.197 +shared the grief and pain. At first this had horrified Tomoyo,
   1.198 +devastated that her own unhappiness should so affect her friend. But
   1.199 +Sakura seemed none the worse for it, her irrepressible spirit and
   1.200 +energy washing away hurts and fears as her gentle fingers brushed
   1.201 +away tears.
   1.202 +
   1.203 + Tomoyo felt closer to the girl than ever before. That closeness
   1.204 +came not from her own love, which was as vast and unchanging as ever,
   1.205 +but from Sakura's. Sakura's love was a beacon that lit the darkness
   1.206 +of Tomoyo's world and a hammer that shattered the barriers around her
   1.207 +heart. Tomoyo had painstakingly designed her own prison, a citadel of
   1.208 +loneliness to seal her love away. But when the Mistress of the Cards
   1.209 +realized her friend's isolation, she came like a hurricane and tore
   1.210 +the walls apart. Then, shy and gentle once more, Sakura begged leave
   1.211 +to stay, forever. And Tomoyo, blinking in the unexpected sunlight,
   1.212 +said yes. 
   1.213 +
   1.214 +As time unwound in it's own way, she slowly realized that Sakura
   1.215 +would have no walls between them. Tomoyo could love from afar, but
   1.216 +not Sakura. The girl's eager enthusiasm demanded she know Tomoyo's
   1.217 +innermost self, and be ever close to her heart.  And despite
   1.218 +misgivings, for she still feared bringing pain or hurt in some
   1.219 +unknown way to her friend, Tomoyo found herself yielding. Besides,
   1.220 +all her art and artifice availed her nothing in the face of Sakura's
   1.221 +direct and relentless innocence. Even for the sake of her beloved,
   1.222 +Tomoyo found it increasingly impossible to meet those shimmering
   1.223 +green eyes with anything less than the truth. With a sigh, Tomoyo
   1.224 +looked up and saw Sakura at the far end of the track, waving in
   1.225 +exaltation at a new personal best time. Tomoyo waved back, smiling,
   1.226 +and glanced at the plum branches swaying in the spring breeze. She
   1.227 +knew she would rather die, would rather have never existed at all,
   1.228 +than bring any hurt to Sakura. But the little zephyr laughed at her
   1.229 +worries, whispering "It's all right, everything will be all right."
   1.230 +Blossoms rained down from above, covering her gray-black hair in a
   1.231 +pink and purple crown. A sweet, intense longing gripped her as she
   1.232 +leapt from the stands. With her heart afire, she dashed wildly down
   1.233 +the track towards Sakura.
   1.234 +
   1.235 +II. 
   1.236 +Just by watching her posture Sonomi could tell. She laughed to
   1.237 +herself as Sakura fiddled with the starting blocks. If Tomoyo had not
   1.238 +been her own child, she would have despaired of ever knowing her at
   1.239 +all. But Sakura was an open book, her moods and thoughts there for
   1.240 +all the world to see. Something was troubling her, something she
   1.241 +wanted to talk about but could not. Sonomi stood to the side and
   1.242 +spoke in a loud voice,
   1.243 +
   1.244 +"Go to your marks."
   1.245 +
   1.246 +Sakura settled into position, awaiting the next call. But Sonomi was
   1.247 +silent, watching the girl's arched figure with intensity. A runner
   1.248 +should be able to hold that stance for several minutes with no
   1.249 +fatigue, but the girl was already trembling from the strain. Sonomi
   1.250 +walked over and gently laid her hand on Sakura's shoulder. In a
   1.251 +soothing, motherly voice she said,
   1.252 +
   1.253 +"Sakura chan, your shoulders are tight, and your body seems very
   1.254 +tense. Are you feeling well? Is there something the matter?"
   1.255 +
   1.256 +Sakura looked up in surprise, mouth open, as if to say, "How did you
   1.257 +know?" But instead of answering, she looked away in embarrassment.
   1.258 +Sonomi gently nudged her into a standing position, and said,
   1.259 +
   1.260 +"Let's sit over by the trees for a bit, all right?"
   1.261 +
   1.262 +Sakura followed morosely and plopped down in the grass. Sonomi
   1.263 +stretched out under the tree and let silence do its work. Sakura
   1.264 +fidgeted, played idly with the grass, finally looked up with moist
   1.265 +eyes and blurted out,
   1.266 +
   1.267 +"Sonomi sama, I feel so bad. I ran so badly and it was just awful!
   1.268 +I'm so sorry..." Her voice tailed off as she fought back the tears
   1.269 +with a halting sob. 
   1.270 +
   1.271 +"Well, there's no reason to feel sorry if you tried your best. You
   1.272 +can't win every race, you know. Do you feel like telling me what
   1.273 +happened?" Sonomi's tone was gentle and reassuring, urging the child
   1.274 +to continue. Sakura looked at the ground as she spoke, an
   1.275 +undercurrent of anger edging her voice,
   1.276 + 
   1.277 +"It was the qualifying races for Field Day. I finished second, so I
   1.278 +qualified for the final race next week, but I ran so poorly."
   1.279 +
   1.280 +Sonomi spoke in a cheerful but restrained tone,
   1.281 +
   1.282 +"Oh, my, second is no cause for shame, especially if you made the
   1.283 +cut for the final race. Who finsihed first?"
   1.284 +
   1.285 +Through clenched teeth, her anger rising, Sakura mumbled, 
   1.286 +
   1.287 +"Li-kun."
   1.288 +
   1.289 +"Ah, Tomoyo told me he is a very good runner. She said he almost
   1.290 +beat you in the race last year."
   1.291 +
   1.292 +Sakura turned abruptly to look at her, anger and pain and tears all
   1.293 +jumbled together. In a stammering rush she exclaimed,
   1.294 +
   1.295 +"He was so mean. He said I couldn't run as fast as him, that girls
   1.296 +were slower than boys, and that...that..."
   1.297 +
   1.298 +Sonomi watched Sakura carefully, and felt deep sympathy for the poor
   1.299 +girl, so obviously wounded. With a kindly look she nodded, waiting
   1.300 +for her to continue.
   1.301 +
   1.302 +"He...he said I shouldn't be around Tomoyo so much and that she was,
   1.303 +she was clumsy and couldn't run or anything and that, that she was
   1.304 +just an anchor around my head or my neck or something stupid like
   1.305 +that and I was so angry and I wanted to win so bad and I couldn't and
   1.306 +he beat me just like he said and I'm sorry I wanted to run my best
   1.307 +for you and Tomoyo and I didn't and I'm sorry I'm so so sorry!"
   1.308 +
   1.309 +With that, she collapsed into Sonomi's arms, crying at the shame of
   1.310 +it all. The woman held her tightly, cooing reassurance as she rocked
   1.311 +gently back and forth. With a fearful look Tomoyo came running, but
   1.312 +Sonomi shooed her away. Looking down at the auburn-haired girl she
   1.313 +smiled, knowing that what stung her the most were the taunts aimed at
   1.314 +Tomoyo. Sakura was a gentle, cheerful little spirit, but a protective
   1.315 +tigress when roused. She's like me, Sonomi mused. Odd, because she
   1.316 +had always seen Nadesico in the girl since their first meeting a year
   1.317 +ago, never herself. But when it came to those dearest to them, both
   1.318 +were as quick to anger as to love. And then memory took Sonomi,
   1.319 +memory from long ago.
   1.320 +
   1.321 +She heard the sneering voice first, coming from behind a corner of
   1.322 +the school. Then the mocking words, "clumsy", "baka", "watch where
   1.323 +you're going". Curious, she walked around the wall and heard a
   1.324 +muffled voice stammering out apologies. There stood Nadesico-chan,
   1.325 +bowing low, her long hair nearly sweeping the ground. Above her
   1.326 +towered a sempai, red-faced, hands on hips, his books in the dirt.
   1.327 +Letting loose another stream of disparaging abuse, he contemptuously
   1.328 +pushed her shoulder, knocking the slender girl off balance as she
   1.329 +continued to apologize in her soft, sweet voice. With that, Sonomi
   1.330 +snapped.
   1.331 +
   1.332 +She rushed towards him, screaming, "Stop it!". He turned to look,
   1.333 +his face contorted in the strangest combination of surprise and
   1.334 +anger. Without thinking, Sonomi clenched her fist and swung in a
   1.335 +swift, arcing uppercut. She caught him square under the chin, his
   1.336 +open mouth quickly shutting, teeth clattering. Leaning her onrushing
   1.337 +body into the blow, she staggered him nearly off his feet and up
   1.338 +against the red brick wall. He slammed into it, head banging back
   1.339 +with a solid thunk, then slumped into a heap in the dirt. Shaking in
   1.340 +rage and shock, Sonomi stood above him, waiting for the boy to rise.
   1.341 +But he was deathly still, and the fury that gripped her quickly
   1.342 +drained away. She was startled by Nadesico, who rushed past her to
   1.343 +see if the boy was all right. With a worried look, she touched his
   1.344 +forehead with loving tenderness. Groaning, he opened his eyes, and
   1.345 +Nadesico took Sonomi's hand and whispered, "Let's go."
   1.346 +
   1.347 + Later that morning they passed him in the hall, but he studiously
   1.348 +ignored them. After lunch, the two friends sat on the grass in the
   1.349 +shade of a big oak tree. Nadesico watched Sonomi intently as the red
   1.350 +haired girl gingerly covered one hand with the other. She reached
   1.351 +out, gently laying her own hand on Sonomi's, and asked,
   1.352 +
   1.353 +"Did you hurt your hand?"
   1.354 +
   1.355 +Turning, Sonomi saw the fearful concern in her shimmering, green
   1.356 +eyes. Blushing, she looked away and stammered,
   1.357 +
   1.358 +"N-no, I'm fine, it's nothing". 
   1.359 +
   1.360 +Nadesicio squeezed the hand ever so slightly, and Sonomi winced at
   1.361 +the pain. Nadesico drew her hand back in horror and gasped, 
   1.362 +
   1.363 +"You did hurt yourself. Oh, Sonomi chan, I'm so sorry. You hurt
   1.364 +yourself because of me." 
   1.365 +
   1.366 +Sonomi shook her head vigorously, short red hair flying back and
   1.367 +forth,
   1.368 +
   1.369 +"No, no, it's nothing, really, just a sprain, I think. It happens
   1.370 +all the time in gymnastics". 
   1.371 +
   1.372 +At this, Nadesico looked more upset than ever. 
   1.373 +
   1.374 +"Gymnastics? But Sonomi chan, don't you have a meet this weekend
   1.375 +with the gymnastics club?"
   1.376 +
   1.377 +Sonomi had forgotten, but not Nadesico, who attended every meet to
   1.378 +cheer her on. With her dearest friend in the stands, Sonomi loved the
   1.379 +competition. Before each event, she silently dedicated herself: May I
   1.380 +be blessed with strength and beauty to perform for her delight.
   1.381 +Fiercely competitive, Sonomi hated to lose even more than she loved
   1.382 +to win. But such things seemed trivial when she was watched by
   1.383 +Nadesico. Performing was sheer joy, and the dark haired girl's eager
   1.384 +enthusiasm drove Sonomi to do her very best. With a smile she said,
   1.385 +
   1.386 +"It's no big thing if I miss one meet."
   1.387 +
   1.388 +Nadesico looked at the ground, then at the sky, watching a little
   1.389 +white cloud scudding across the blue. She brushed the gray-black hair
   1.390 +from her eyes and glanced at her friend. In a soft, sweet voice she
   1.391 +whispered,
   1.392 +
   1.393 +"Thank you, Sonomi chan". She carefully reached out for the girl's
   1.394 +good hand, and took it in her own. She caressed her hand gently,
   1.395 +fingers lovingly tracing every curve and contour. Sonomi caught her
   1.396 +breath and blushed, staring straight ahead, not daring to face those
   1.397 +wide, emerald eyes for fear of what she might say, or do, here in the
   1.398 +schoolyard. Nadesico whispered again,
   1.399 +
   1.400 +"But," Sonomi looked up quizically, waiting for her to continue. "
   1.401 +you know, sempai was right. I really am very clumsy." She smiled
   1.402 +brightly as she spoke. Sonomi suppressed a grin and wore a mock frown
   1.403 +instead as she replied,
   1.404 +
   1.405 +"Yes, I know. But I'm the only one allowed to say that, ne?"
   1.406 +Nadesico giggled, and Sonomi laughed out loud. Hand in hand, the two
   1.407 +cousins rose and ran off to their next class.
   1.408 +
   1.409 +Sakura had stopped crying, but still lay nestled in Sonomi's arms.
   1.410 +Wiping away her tears the woman said,
   1.411 +
   1.412 + "That race is all over now. Let's get ready for the next one."
   1.413 +
   1.414 +Sakura sat up, eyes red and puffy. Slowly the anger returned,
   1.415 +pushing out the hurt and filling her voice as she spoke,
   1.416 +
   1.417 +"This time I'll beat him. I'll beat him so bad!"
   1.418 +
   1.419 +Replying in her soft Mother's voice Sonomi answered,
   1.420 +
   1.421 +"If that's the way you feel, Sakura chan, then you'll lose again,"
   1.422 +
   1.423 +Stung by these gently spoken but cutting words, the auburn-haired
   1.424 +girl looked up in surprise. Sonomi smiled nonchalantly and continued,
   1.425 +
   1.426 +"When you sprint, emotions like anger just slow you down. Remember
   1.427 +how I told you to be when you take your mark?"
   1.428 +
   1.429 +Sakura nodded as she spoke, "Relaxed but concentrating". 
   1.430 +
   1.431 +Sonomi nodded and continued, "That's right. It's very hard to do,
   1.432 +because when we concentrate we usually strain to keep our focus. But
   1.433 +when you strain like that your body isn't relaxed, you tense up like
   1.434 +you did today. But when we relax, we tend to lose focus, our mind
   1.435 +wanders, and we're distracted by whatever comes along."
   1.436 +
   1.437 +Confused, Sakura blurted out, "But then, what do I do? How can I do
   1.438 +both at once?"
   1.439 +
   1.440 +"Sakura, usually when you run, you do both at once, you're just not
   1.441 +aware of it. But when you have strong thoughts and feelings that
   1.442 +affect you, you lose focus, or your relaxation, or even both. During
   1.443 +practice, when you hear the starting gun, what are you thinking about?"
   1.444 +
   1.445 +Puzzled, Sakura tried to remember. Finally she looked up in
   1.446 +bafflement and said, "I don't know. I don't remember thinking about
   1.447 +anything. I'm just waiting for the gun."  
   1.448 +
   1.449 + Sonomi smiled, "And in the qualifying race, what were you thinking?"
   1.450 +
   1.451 +"That I wanted to beat Li-kun so bad. That I was so mad for what he
   1.452 +said about Tomoyo."
   1.453 +
   1.454 +"And how was your start?"
   1.455 +
   1.456 +Sakura stared at the ground and mumbled, "Awful. I missed the gun
   1.457 +and came out of the blocks last."
   1.458 +
   1.459 +Sonomi lifted the girl's downcast chin with gentle fingers. Verging
   1.460 +on tears again, she looked up into Sonomi's soft, blue eyes. Suddenly
   1.461 +the woman swept her up, hugging her tightly as she spoke,
   1.462 +
   1.463 +"Sakura chan, I know perfectly well how you want to protect Tomoyo,
   1.464 +and I love you for it. But," stooping by the standing girl, she
   1.465 +studied her face carefully, "you can't let thoughts and feelings
   1.466 +hamper you when you sprint, or you'll never run well. You have to let
   1.467 +them go, like dropping a heavy stone. Do you know when I ran my best
   1.468 +ever?"
   1.469 +
   1.470 +Sakura brightened, "Was that when you won the Nationals?"
   1.471 +
   1.472 +Sonomi nodded and smiled, "That's right. It was after your Mother
   1.473 +was married." At that thought, the smile left her, and she struggled
   1.474 +to keep her composure. "Sakura, when your Mother married, I
   1.475 +was...very, very sad. I felt I'd lost the one most precious to me. I
   1.476 +thought about her all the time."
   1.477 +
   1.478 +To herself she sighed, "I still do."
   1.479 +
   1.480 +"The only time I didn't think of her was when I ran. For just a few,
   1.481 +precious seconds, I forgot everything. There was only the running.
   1.482 +
   1.483 +Sakura, when you run, you can't think about Tomoyo, or what Li-kun
   1.484 +said, or anything else. You have to let everything go. When the gun
   1.485 +sounds, your body starts instinctively, without a trace of thought or
   1.486 +feeling. A sprint is over too quickly to let yourself be clouded by
   1.487 +emotions. My coach told me that when you run, your mind should be an
   1.488 +empty mirror in a dark room. Then the running happens all by itself,
   1.489 +and there is nothing to slow you down."
   1.490 +
   1.491 +She stood and smiled at the beautiful daughter of Nadesico, who
   1.492 +smiled back ever so sweetly. A gentle spring breeze swept past them,
   1.493 +their short hair teased in the sudden wind. There were times when
   1.494 +Sonomi sensed her cousin's presence in the things she had loved: rain
   1.495 +drops running in little rivers down the window, birds circling high
   1.496 +in a cloudless sky, and a breeze like this, playfully tossing her
   1.497 +long, gray-black hair. 
   1.498 +
   1.499 +"Sakura, let's work on your transition to a full run. I think your
   1.500 +final stride is a bit too long."
   1.501 +
   1.502 +The girl nodded eagerly, and the two walked away from the tree and
   1.503 +back to the track. The breeze died down as fast as it had come,
   1.504 +leaving Sonomi with a terrible longing. "Someday", she thought with
   1.505 +an aching heart, "someday. Wait for me, Nadesico, please wait for me."
   1.506 +
   1.507 +III.
   1.508 +When Sakura first caught a glimpse of Li kun she struggled with her
   1.509 +feelings and  pondered what to do. Afraid of upsetting herself before
   1.510 +the race, she decided to ignore him, and continued her warm ups in
   1.511 +the grassy field by the track. But the boy stood close by her, and
   1.512 +then coughed loudly, twice, all but demanding an audience. Sakura
   1.513 +turned towards him, waiting for his latest remarks. Instead, he
   1.514 +looked at the ground, obviously struggling with himself. Puzzled, she
   1.515 +said,
   1.516 +
   1.517 +“LI kun?”
   1.518 +
   1.519 +The boy clenched his fists tightly and forced the words out,
   1.520 +
   1.521 +“I….I’m sorry. Sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean it.”
   1.522 +
   1.523 +He stood silent, waiting for whatever abuse she might hurl. But her
   1.524 +voice was gentle, overflowing with happiness,
   1.525 +
   1.526 +“Li kun, I know you didn’t mean what you said. It’s all right. But
   1.527 +thank you so much for telling me.”
   1.528 +
   1.529 +He looked up at her with pained eyes and saw that comforting smile.
   1.530 +A terrible burden suddenly and miraculously lifted from his
   1.531 +shoulders, he teeterd on the verge of tears. He almost smiled, but
   1.532 +flustered and obviously out of words, quickly ran off instead. Sakura
   1.533 +watched him go, and felt her own blessing of relief. Now she would
   1.534 +not have to run this race against anyone. But she would still run the
   1.535 +race for someone. With that realization, she heard Tomoyo’s voice on
   1.536 +the loudspeaker announcing the start of the 5th grade 100 meter dash.
   1.537 +
   1.538 +She walked to the starting line, scanning the crowd for familiar
   1.539 +faces. With delight she saw Oniichan, Yukito san and her father
   1.540 +waving from the stands. She waved back wildly, and then saw Sonomi
   1.541 +sama as well, and waved to her. Noticing the other runners, she
   1.542 +quickly went to her starting block and adjusted it. She felt a great
   1.543 +excitement, but also a wonderful sense of peace. Beaming, she turned
   1.544 +to Syaoran who was preparing in the lane next to her and said,
   1.545 +
   1.546 +“Li kun, let’s do our best, OK?”
   1.547 +
   1.548 +He blushed, and nodded silently while he fiddled with his blocks.
   1.549 +Terrada sensei, in his white and black stripped official’s uniform,
   1.550 +stood to one side and nodded. The eight runners stepped into their
   1.551 +lanes in front of the starting blocks. Sakura closed her eyes and
   1.552 +said a silent prayer,
   1.553 +
   1.554 +“Tomoyo chan, if I forget you, just for this race, please don’t ever
   1.555 +forget me.”
   1.556 +
   1.557 +With a deep breath, Sakura began to let everything go: the spring
   1.558 +sky, the other runners, the expectant audience. All things faded from
   1.559 +her mind: the fight with Li kun, the hours of training, her brother's
   1.560 +taunts, Yukito's kindness, her father's gentleness. Last was Tomoyo,
   1.561 +pale, serene, and ever smiling, her long, black hair blowing in some
   1.562 +distant wind. 
   1.563 +
   1.564 +"Go to your marks!"
   1.565 +
   1.566 +At Terrada sensei's booming call, she went to her position. Her left
   1.567 +leg rested on the ground, her right leg the power leg, brought
   1.568 +forward. Both feet set lightly on the starting blocks, and  her
   1.569 +fingers and thumbs formed little bridges on the white chalk starting
   1.570 +line. With her head down, her field of vision was reduced to a few
   1.571 +square inches of dirt. Her body felt utterly relaxed but alert,
   1.572 +awaiting the next call.
   1.573 +
   1.574 +"Set"
   1.575 +
   1.576 +In an instant, everything changed. She took a deep, quick breath as
   1.577 +her body arched up, hips raised slightly above the level of her
   1.578 +shoulders. Her weight shifted forward, head and neck leaning over the
   1.579 +white line. Her back foot lifted up slightly with only her toes on
   1.580 +the block, but her right, forward foot was flush to the block for
   1.581 +maximum thrust. She was still calm and relaxed, but the muscles in
   1.582 +her body sang out in electric expectation. Her concentration was
   1.583 +absolute, waiting, waiting, waiting...
   1.584 +
   1.585 +A deafening bang.
   1.586 +
   1.587 +At the retort of the gun her body pitched forward, fingers leaving
   1.588 +the ground and forming fists, one arm sweeping and one thrown back.
   1.589 +The muscles in her right leg exploded and thrust her body forward and
   1.590 +up. Her strides were short but powerful as her body gradually
   1.591 +straightened, while her eyes rasied and focused on the long, narrow
   1.592 +lane. By the fourth stride she was at a full run, arms moving piston-
   1.593 +like in quick, sharp bursts, stride lengthening as her leg speed
   1.594 +approached its limits. Her form was liquid smooth and flawless,
   1.595 +without extraneous motion to detract from the efficiency of her run.
   1.596 +Her head was straight and still, her knees lifting high to the front,
   1.597 +giving her the delightful look of a prancing horse. She saw only the
   1.598 +finish line, almost halfway there now, narrowing in a long, dark
   1.599 +tunnel. The darkness enveloped her as she reached her fastest speed,
   1.600 +then splintered in a shattering fountain of light.
   1.601 +
   1.602 +She saw her own body running, as though viewed from outside herself.
   1.603 +But not quite her body, for it was a luminous, pulsating figure that
   1.604 +illumined the darkness. Great strands of blue light flowed through
   1.605 +her arms and coiled through the air, pulling her ahead. Torrents of
   1.606 +yellow energy flooded through her legs with every stride.  Her body
   1.607 +hurtled forward, straining its earthly bounds as if taking flight. It
   1.608 +was exhilarating, captivating, and liberating. Ahead she saw the
   1.609 +finish line, bathed in a luminous white light. The radiance shimmered
   1.610 +with a gentle warmth, and she longed for it. In a sudden burst of
   1.611 +speed she accelerated, drawing closer and closer to the sparkling
   1.612 +brilliance. Nearly engulfed by the blazing light she suddenly
   1.613 +thought, what is it? And with that, great luminous shards fractured
   1.614 +about her as the world of Tomoeda tumbled back into place. 
   1.615 +
   1.616 +Blinking incomprehensibly, Sakura saw she had crossed the finish
   1.617 +line and was nearly at the end of the track. Dimly aware of the
   1.618 +tumult behind her she looked and saw the crowd of parents and
   1.619 +children jumping, clapping, and screaming. Dazed, she looked for a
   1.620 +familiar face and saw Mizuki-sensei with a stopwatch, comparing it
   1.621 +with a timer from another teacher. Terrada sensei jogged up from the
   1.622 +starting line, examined the stopwatches, then glanced at Sakura
   1.623 +incredulously. Again he looked, and shook his head in disbelief. The
   1.624 +other runners were congratulating Sakura, regarding her with
   1.625 +excitement and awe. Timidly, she made her way to Mizuki sensei, who
   1.626 +smiled and placed her hand gently on Sakura’s head. She felt a sudden
   1.627 +flash of the glow at the finish line, and a warm, bubbling happiness.
   1.628 +Tomoyo’s voice, with barely suppressed excitement,  came over the
   1.629 +loudspeaker, 
   1.630 +
   1.631 +“First place, 5th grade 100 meter dash, Kinomoto Sakura, 12.6
   1.632 +seconds, a new Tomoeda record. Second place Li Syaoran…”
   1.633 +
   1.634 +The wild cheering and clapping of the audience began again, drowning
   1.635 +out the rest of the announcement. Terrada sensei looked at her in
   1.636 +wonder and laughed, 
   1.637 +
   1.638 +“12.6, amazing. That would be a good time for a high school girl.
   1.639 +Nice run, Kinomoto.”
   1.640 +
   1.641 +Embarrassed, Sakura bowed her thanks. She scanned the crowd, looking
   1.642 +for family, and Sonomi, to invite her and Tomoyo for lunch.
   1.643 +
   1.644 +Lunch, prepared by her father, was wonderful. He brought a triple
   1.645 +portion for Yukito, who still finished his before anyone else,
   1.646 +including some of Tomoyo’s portion, which was graciously offered and
   1.647 +gratefully accepted. Sonomi, sitting by Sakura (and as far away from
   1.648 +her father as possible), looked askance and declared in an irritable
   1.649 +voice, 
   1.650 +
   1.651 +“Just as I would have expected, sensei. It’s excellent.” 
   1.652 +
   1.653 +After her father left for work and her brother and Yukito for class,
   1.654 +Sakura talked to Sonomi while Tomoyo went to wash up. When she
   1.655 +thanked her for all the time and effort, Sonomi smiled and shook her
   1.656 +head,
   1.657 +
   1.658 +“Sakura chan, it was delightful to be your coach. Your sprint today
   1.659 +was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. You did so well,
   1.660 +and I’m so proud.” 
   1.661 +
   1.662 +Sakura gazed up at her and felt the tears welling. She threw her
   1.663 +arms around Sonomi and hugged her tightly, as if she were fearful the
   1.664 +woman might suddenly vanish. Startled at first, Sonomi smiled and
   1.665 +hugged her back, fighting off tears of her own. At last Sakura
   1.666 +released her and bowed, asking in a trembling voice,
   1.667 +
   1.668 +“Sonomi sama, I… I don’t want to be a bother, and, if it wouldn’t be
   1.669 +too much trouble I’d understand, but if…if…could you please keep
   1.670 +being my coach?” 
   1.671 +
   1.672 +Sonomi laid her hand on the girls shoulder and spoke in a loving
   1.673 +voice,
   1.674 +
   1.675 +“Sakura chan, I can’t think of anything that would make me happier.”
   1.676 +
   1.677 +Sakura’s smile was radiant.
   1.678 +
   1.679 +Walking home from school, Tomoyo spoke adoringly of Sakura’s
   1.680 +marvelous sprint. Sakura walked in silence as her friend talked
   1.681 +nonstop,
   1.682 +
   1.683 +“I only wish I had been able to design a special running outfit for
   1.684 +you. It was such a beautiful run! You were like an angel flying to
   1.685 +the stars, or a cheetah springing through the plains, or…”
   1.686 +
   1.687 +“Tomoyo chan.”
   1.688 +
   1.689 +“…or maybe a dolphin, but that would be swimming. Oh, you should
   1.690 +join the swim club, too! There are such wonderful patterns for cute
   1.691 +swimsuits, but I don’t know if…”
   1.692 +
   1.693 +“Tomoyo chan?”
   1.694 +
   1.695 +“…if you could wear them on the team. But I could, oh, I’m sorry,
   1.696 +Sakura chan.” Tomoyo covered her mouth as she giggled. Glancing up to
   1.697 +see Sakura’s troubled and uncertain look, Tomoyo suddenly stopped
   1.698 +short. Before she could ask, Sakura blurted out in a teary voice,
   1.699 +
   1.700 +“Tomoyo chan, I forgot about you today. Sonomi sama said I should
   1.701 +let everything go, and I did, and you were the last thing I thought
   1.702 +about, but I feel so bad that I forgot you like that. I know you
   1.703 +would never forget about me. I’m so sorry.” 
   1.704 +
   1.705 +Watching her sobbing friend and pained by her anguish, Tomoyo gently
   1.706 +took the girl’s hands and spoke with angelic sweetness,
   1.707 +
   1.708 +“Sakura chan, you don’t have to think about me all the time. There
   1.709 +are lots of wonderful things to think about. And I know that no
   1.710 +matter what you’re thinking, you love me, and that’s all that
   1.711 +matters.” 
   1.712 +
   1.713 +Breathing raggedly, Sakura gazed into Tomoyo’s luminous eyes. She
   1.714 +felt a sudden torrent of longing, the same that had drawn her to the
   1.715 +brilliant white light at the race’s finish. Sakura fell into Tomoyo’s
   1.716 +arms, the two girls clasped together amid smiles and tears. 
   1.717 +
   1.718 +And there they stood while the world spun round, two perfect lovers
   1.719 +in an ardent embrace. 
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   1.731 +
   1.732 +*Thanks to Heather of Amazoness Duo for the title
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