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     1.2 +++ b/old/stories/Bara.txt	Fri Feb 19 20:53:12 2010 -0500
     1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,933 @@
     1.4 +Author’s notes: This story is set in the future of Cardcaptor
     1.5 +Sakura. ^-^ Tomoyo & Sakura are married and have a child named Bara.
     1.6 +This is just a cute little story that I’ve been wanting to write for
     1.7 +a while now. If you have any comments or suggestions, please e-mail
     1.8 +me. ^-^ I always love to hear what people think. ^-^ The characters
     1.9 +are not my own (with the exception of Bara). They are property of
    1.10 +CLAMP. 
    1.11 +
    1.12 +
    1.13 +Be My Teddy Bear
    1.14 +by Amazoness Duo
    1.15 +amazonessduo@hotmail.com
    1.16 +
    1.17 +
    1.18 +	“How kawaii!! I finally get the chance to videotape the two most
    1.19 +beautiful women in my life,” Tomoyo exclaimed ecstatically, zooming
    1.20 +in on the subjects of her camcorder. A pale hand went to the slightly
    1.21 +eccentric woman’s cheek as she focused the image. Her long, dark
    1.22 +hair, done up in two pigtails with some aquamarine ribbons, stirred
    1.23 +lightly in the gentle afternoon breeze that meandered through the
    1.24 +garden bringing with it the sweet fragrance of flowers in bloom. 
    1.25 +	The two women who were as always the focus of Tomoyo’s wholehearted
    1.26 +attention blushed simultaneously as they found themselves caught on
    1.27 +video. “Tomoyo-chan...” The taller of the two said nervously as she
    1.28 +placed her hand behind her head. Her fingers brushed chestnut hair
    1.29 +away from her eyes as the gentle breeze began to pick up. After over
    1.30 +a decade of marriage, Sakura still couldn’t hide her embarrassment
    1.31 +over some of her wife’s obsessive remarks. Of course, knowing what
    1.32 +was behind her best friend’s words actually made it all the more
    1.33 +embarrassing. These weren’t just strange comments as she’d thought
    1.34 +when they were children. She knew very well just how much Tomoyo
    1.35 +meant every one of them. Of course, even if they were a little
    1.36 +embarrassing to hear at the end of a meeting at Daidouji Inc., she
    1.37 +could never bring herself to ask Tomoyo to stop. She wouldn’t want
    1.38 +the dark haired woman to cease such things, after all. Besides,
    1.39 +wasn’t that sweet devotion part of why she had married her in the
    1.40 +first place? So even if it always started Sakura blushing, she was
    1.41 +always happy to hear her wife’s strange remarks. 
    1.42 +	The younger girl, not much older than Sakura had been back when she
    1.43 +had begun her own adventure with the Cards, sweatdropped herself.
    1.44 +Daidouji Bara was a small, pale girl with short, midnight hair. While
    1.45 +not quite as easily embarrassed as her more athletic mother, she
    1.46 +still found herself blushing at some of Tomoyo’s comments. Certainly
    1.47 +not starved for attention, she once again whiled away her afternoon
    1.48 +by having a picnic with her parents. The daughter of Sakura and
    1.49 +Tomoyo was an energetic and gentle girl. While not being as
    1.50 +athletically inclined as Sakura, she did find herself becoming more
    1.51 +and more interested in the magical workings of her mother’s own
    1.52 +Sakura Cards. Part of that was because of her friendship with several
    1.53 +of the Cards, including the Flower and Mirror. Brave and determined,
    1.54 +there was little that frightened her and so magic had quickly become
    1.55 +something that captivated her attention. Unfortunately, through some
    1.56 +twist of nature, or perhaps an inheritance from Nadeshiko, the poor
    1.57 +girl was terribly accident prone. This kept her loving parents and
    1.58 +guardians ever vigilant, but even then she often got herself hurt.
    1.59 +While not quite as overprotective as Tomoyo’s mother, they still
    1.60 +tried to keep a careful eye on their bubbly daughter. “Okaa-sama...”
    1.61 +Bara said, nearly mimicking Sakura. This only brought a giggle from
    1.62 +Tomoyo and yet more videotaping. 
    1.63 +	Bara didn’t really mind her mother’s videotaping hobby. In fact,
    1.64 +she had grown up with that particular facet of life. So it hardly
    1.65 +seemed strange when the dark haired woman pulled out her camcorder to
    1.66 +record just about any event. It seemed that the only prerequisite for
    1.67 +Tomoyo’s camcorder was that Sakura or Bara had to be present. The
    1.68 +loving wife and mother was always happy to videotape one or the other
    1.69 +for her ever expanding collection of videotape. Bara herself enjoyed
    1.70 +watching through her mother’s older videotapes so aptly entitled
    1.71 +‘Cardcaptor Sakura’ or ‘Sakura-chan’s Kawaii and Magical Adventures’.
    1.72 +It always fascinated her to watch her parents in their younger days
    1.73 +and the exciting escapades they had found themselves in. She had even
    1.74 +worn some of the costumes that Sakura had worn in the videotapes.
    1.75 +Tomoyo had kept nearly every costume, so when Bara had asked her
    1.76 +about them she had been more than happy to go through the vast
    1.77 +collection. The designer of the costumes had fixed up some of them to
    1.78 +fit Bara and had taped her running around in them. Bara had been
    1.79 +awestruck at the wide variety of beautiful designs that her mother
    1.80 +had sewn over the years. The gorgeous outfits had all been eye candy
    1.81 +for the hungry girl. Sharing her mother’s flare for the artistic, she
    1.82 +had easily been lost in the wide array of clothes kept in pristine
    1.83 +condition. In recent years she had even begun helping Tomoyo with
    1.84 +some of the costumes that she still made for an embarrassed but
    1.85 +willing Sakura. She was always thrilled to see the finished designs
    1.86 +on their auburn haired model, something she shared with her pale
    1.87 +mother. 
    1.88 +	“Oh, Bara-chan,” Tomoyo began thoughtfully, pulling herself from
    1.89 +her Sakura induced daydreams. Her hand went to her chin as she placed
    1.90 +the camcorder on her lap. “I picked up some materials for you on the
    1.91 +way home. I put them on your bed. If you want a different design for
    1.92 +the cloth I can go through my closet and see if there’s anything you
    1.93 +like.” Her trademark smile graced her lips as she watched her
    1.94 +daughter’s face light up. It was such a wonderful feeling to see her
    1.95 +daughter enjoying some of the same things that had always brought joy
    1.96 +to her own heart. Tomoyo’s mother had taught her simple things like
    1.97 +sewing and even videotaping when she had been a child herself and she
    1.98 +had fallen in love with these seemingly simple activities. Mostly
    1.99 +because the woman she loved was always the focus of her work. Seeing
   1.100 +her daughter grow up was equally thrilling but was slightly
   1.101 +bittersweet. She knew that her child would one day grow up and find
   1.102 +her own way in the world, but part of her wanted to cling on to the
   1.103 +baby girl that she and Sakura had raised together, to never let her
   1.104 +grow up. But watching her blossom into a beautiful woman, seeing the
   1.105 +result of her love for Sakura grow was a gift that she would never
   1.106 +let go of. 
   1.107 +	“Really?! Okaa-sama, arigato!” Bara nearly squealed. Pushing off
   1.108 +the picnic blanket, she hugged the older woman tightly. Tomoyo hugged
   1.109 +her back for a moment before the younger girl got to her feet.
   1.110 +Excitement tingled through her mind as the half-forgotten thought
   1.111 +from earlier once gained her full attention. Bowing to both of her
   1.112 +parents, she smoothed down her sunflower yellow sundress as the wind
   1.113 +played with the edges. “Dinner was wonderful. It was a lot of fun. I
   1.114 +think I’m going to go to my room to start right now. Thank you again,
   1.115 +mother!” She smiled happily as she turned on a sandalled foot and
   1.116 +hurried towards the large mansion. Despite her frail body, the
   1.117 +younger girl took off like a shot, anticipation evident in her eager
   1.118 +strides. 
   1.119 +	Sweatdropping, Sakura watched her daughter disappear into the
   1.120 +house, wincing as the younger girl nearly fell on her face, barely
   1.121 +recovering herself. The door finally swung shut, bringing forth a
   1.122 +relieved sigh from the two parents as their baby remained unscathed
   1.123 +for the time being. Turning to her still smiling wife, the auburn
   1.124 +haired woman raised a quizzical eyebrow. “Bara-chan sure was eager. I
   1.125 +think she would have even given Sonomi-sama some trouble in a race
   1.126 +just now.”
   1.127 +	“And Sakura-chan, too, if that’s the case,” Tomoyo added, sipping
   1.128 +some tea delicately, her stormy blue eyes never leaving the Mistress
   1.129 +of the Cards. Dark lashes fluttered half closed as she savored the
   1.130 +bitter taste of the tea, watching Sakura through long lashes. “She
   1.131 +may not be very fast but she can’t help speeding off with her whole
   1.132 +heart blazing.”
   1.133 +	“Well, she might not be fast, but she has your cute feet,” Sakura
   1.134 +replied thoughtfully, resting back on her hands. Her eyes went to
   1.135 +Tomoyo’s pale bare feet, her unused sandals lying next to the picnic
   1.136 +basket. The pale girl had always been beautiful, but as she had grown
   1.137 +into a woman she had become absolutely stunning, and it was something
   1.138 +that Sakura was easily reminded of. Her mind would have happily
   1.139 +lingered on such warm thoughts had something Tomoyo said hadn’t
   1.140 +suddenly replayed through her mind like one of Tomoyo’s tapes on
   1.141 +replay. Sitting up, the brunette shifted her legs under her. Her
   1.142 +throat had suddenly gone dry and she had to lick her lips before
   1.143 +continuing. Bara was still her little girl in her mind and it was
   1.144 +difficult to imagine her growing up so quickly. Sakura had always
   1.145 +tried to protect those she loved and she had come to understand just
   1.146 +why Sonomi had been so overprotective now that she had a daughter of
   1.147 +her own. “Wait, with ‘her whole heart blazing’?” Years ago, the
   1.148 +brunette had written off a lot of Tomoyo’s strange comments as just
   1.149 +her friend’s cute but bizarre eccentricity. But as she had learned
   1.150 +from their time dating and years of marriage, what Tomoyo said should
   1.151 +always be given careful consideration. Certain things still slipped
   1.152 +past her at times, but she wasn’t nearly as dense as she once had
   1.153 +been, especially when it came to the dark haired woman. 
   1.154 +	Smiling to herself, Tomoyo again sipped at her tea. She had
   1.155 +wondered if Sakura would catch that. Setting down the tea cup, the
   1.156 +pale woman brushed some grass away from her long skirt. “She may have
   1.157 +my feet, but she definitely has Sakura-chan’s adorable ears.” Pausing
   1.158 +for a moment, Tomoyo tilted her head to the side, dark hair spilling
   1.159 +past her shoulder in a shadowy cascade. “And Sakura-chan’s nose. And
   1.160 +your sparkling emerald eyes, always so full of energy and
   1.161 +determination.” Sighing sweetly, Tomoyo placed a hand on her cheek. A
   1.162 +soft giggle escaped her lips as a slightly flustered Sakura continued
   1.163 +to watch her intently. Shifting on the blanket, the dark haired woman
   1.164 +felt her bare feet brush against the soft fabric. Tilting her head
   1.165 +back, Tomoyo brushed a long, dark pigtail over her shoulder. She
   1.166 +waited for Sakura to comment, but the brunette just waited, her hands
   1.167 +now on the blanket in front of her. Sighing to herself at the
   1.168 +gorgeous sight before her, Tomoyo almost forgot what had been on her
   1.169 +mind. Pale fingers reached out, gently playing with Sakura’s auburn
   1.170 +hair. The soft strands swayed at her touch, tickling playful fingers.
   1.171 +The shorter haired woman held her breath for a moment as Tomoyo
   1.172 +brushed through the luxurious hair. Her heart swelled happily as she
   1.173 +looked into the eyes of her genki wife. Her love for Sakura had only
   1.174 +grown stronger as the Cardmistress’s presence nurtured it. That train
   1.175 +of thought reminded her of the purpose of Sakura’s intent gaze, but
   1.176 +it could have easily been her touch that drew Sakura nearer. And
   1.177 +almost subconsciously, the brunette was getting ever closer. A
   1.178 +delicious warmth spread through Tomoyo’s soul despite the cool breeze
   1.179 +swirling around them. Her daughter’s company was always wonderful to
   1.180 +have, but time alone with Sakura was it’s own reward. “You haven’t
   1.181 +noticed? Bara-chan has been extra genki lately. And very dreamy.” She
   1.182 +paused, waiting for Sakura’s reaction. 
   1.183 +	“Un... I guess so. But what does that have to do with her heart?”
   1.184 +Sakura asked curiously, her own hand coming to a rest atop Tomoyo’s.
   1.185 +She could still feel Tomoyo’s fingers in her hair, moving through the
   1.186 +short hair slowly. The sensation was certainly a pleasant one as they
   1.187 +sat under the sinking sun. The Mistress of the Cards would have been
   1.188 +happy to simply bask in Tomoyo’s gentle touch, but her curiosity had
   1.189 +been piqued. Sakura herself had never been very good at reading
   1.190 +hearts, whether it be her own or someone else’s. But her nearly
   1.191 +constantly smiling wife could read hearts with an ease that had
   1.192 +always surprised Sakura. Tomoyo seemed to know them inside and out,
   1.193 +Sakura’s in specific. But the pale woman seemed to be able to read
   1.194 +her daughter equally as well. Sakura knew her daughter well, but
   1.195 +there were some things that slipped past her. She was glad that her
   1.196 +more perceptive wife always picked up on them. 
   1.197 +	“Bara-chan is making a teddy bear to give to someone very important
   1.198 +to her,” Tomoyo said simply, watching Sakura’s reaction. For a
   1.199 +moment, the auburn haired mage said nothing, emerald eyes sparkling
   1.200 +with their own inner radiance. Sakura looked as if she may be
   1.201 +dreaming, still drifting closer to the warmth of her wife’s embrace
   1.202 +as Tomoyo continued toying with her hair. After a long moment, the
   1.203 +jade orbs widened perceptibly, shock registering on Sakura’s pretty
   1.204 +face. 
   1.205 +	“A teddy bear..?” Sakura asked, trailing off. She shook her head
   1.206 +quickly, still holding Tomoyo’s hand to the side of her head. “But
   1.207 +she’s just... How can she be making one... She’s making a teddy bear
   1.208 +for the person she likes?” the surprised Cardmistress got out at
   1.209 +last. The dark haired woman nodded, still smiling sweetly. The fact
   1.210 +that Tomoyo didn’t seem fazed at all by this turn of events didn’t
   1.211 +immediately soothe Sakura’s frazzled nerves. After all, the lavender
   1.212 +haired businesswoman rarely seemed shaken by anything that didn’t
   1.213 +have to do with her. And even then, Tomoyo had hidden it from her for
   1.214 +the longest time whenever she would worry. Any arguments Sakura could
   1.215 +think of died before they made their way to her mouth. Age couldn’t
   1.216 +be a problem. Tomoyo had been in love with her since the third grade.
   1.217 +Sakura couldn’t even argue about Bara sewing because Tomoyo had been
   1.218 +teaching her how. Besides, even if Bara was accident prone, she never
   1.219 +seemed to have trouble with artistic endeavors. The fact that her
   1.220 +daughter was in love with someone wasn’t such a big deal, but she was
   1.221 +hit with the sudden realization that her baby girl wasn’t quite so
   1.222 +little anymore. “Hoe...” she got out weakly. 
   1.223 +	“Sakura-chan makes such a cute mother,” Tomoyo whispered softly as
   1.224 +she closed the remaining distance between herself and her still
   1.225 +bewildered wife. Her lips pressed lightly against Sakura’s, drawing
   1.226 +the brunette from her jumbled thoughts to a much more pressing here
   1.227 +and now. Tomoyo had known all about the teddy bear and had actually
   1.228 +been the one to tell Bara about the legend behind giving one to the
   1.229 +person you liked. She was even fairly confident that she knew the
   1.230 +focus of Bara’s attention. Of course, there would be time to explain
   1.231 +the intricacies to Sakura later on. For now it was much nicer to just
   1.232 +enjoy the distinct taste of Sakura’s kisses. Sakura apparently
   1.233 +thought so as well, her arms sliding around Tomoyo’s waist and
   1.234 +pulling her closer as their kiss deepened. Letting her eyes fall
   1.235 +closed, Tomoyo sighed inwardly. Love wrapped her heart like a heavy
   1.236 +quilt. Love spun her around, leaving her ever thirsty for more of
   1.237 +it’s intoxicating and endless depths. It was for this reason that she
   1.238 +was so pleased to see her daughter falling in love. Her love for
   1.239 +Sakura, and in later years Sakura’s love for her, had been life’s
   1.240 +greatest joy and deepest amazement. If her daughter could experience
   1.241 +that same warm and all encompassing feeling then it was with great
   1.242 +joy that she watched her growing into a beautiful young woman.
   1.243 +Curling up with Sakura on the blanket, the two women quickly lost
   1.244 +themselves to each other, lost to a deep and endless love that had
   1.245 +captured them both long ago. As the heavy sun began sinking beyond
   1.246 +the horizon, the two women continued to kiss, embracing warmly under
   1.247 +the darkening sky.
   1.248 +
   1.249 +	Blushing at her parents’ sudden display of affection, Bara closed
   1.250 +the blinds to her window. She had been about to call down to Tomoyo
   1.251 +to thank her again for the materials for her teddy bear, but the
   1.252 +older woman looked like she had her mind on other things. Not that
   1.253 +Sakura was ever far from her mind. Deciding it might be best to thank
   1.254 +her mother later, the younger girl hurried to her bed. Surveying the
   1.255 +items on her bed, the materials all looked perfect for what she had
   1.256 +in mind. A beautiful peach and white cloth would make up the body of
   1.257 +the bear. A lavender bow would clad the small teddy bear when it was
   1.258 +finished while tiny little green orbs would make up the eyes. Tomoyo
   1.259 +had insisted upon that small touch. 
   1.260 +	“After all, if the one you like is going to name it after you, it
   1.261 +should have your eyes,” Tomoyo had said earlier. “That way, they will
   1.262 +always see you when they look into its eyes.”
   1.263 +	Sitting on her bed next to the pile of supplies, the dark haired
   1.264 +girl pulled her legs up to her chest. The bear was already fully
   1.265 +assembled in her head, but she didn’t know where to start. Her heart
   1.266 +still beat in her chest like a swarm of angry honey bees, startling
   1.267 +her. She was a little embarrassed about making such an obvious
   1.268 +declaration of her feelings, but she knew it was what she wanted to
   1.269 +do. It was too difficult to not say anything at all. And this would
   1.270 +finally give her a chance to tell the person she liked how she felt.
   1.271 +She still wasn’t sure how they felt, but as long as she didn’t have
   1.272 +to hide her feelings anymore, it would be worth it. She hoped. 
   1.273 +	“I need the scissors,” Bara said, thinking aloud. Slipping off the
   1.274 +bed, the dark haired girl hurried out of her room, her mind already
   1.275 +two steps ahead of her body. When would she give her gift? What
   1.276 +should she say? Should she offer anything else with it? Too lost in
   1.277 +her own thoughts while on the way to her mothers’ room for the
   1.278 +supplies she needed, Bara didn’t see the little table in the hallway.
   1.279 +It had been there for nearly as long as she could remember, but she
   1.280 +simply wasn’t paying enough attention to notice it. Her bare foot
   1.281 +snagged the table leg, throwing her off balance as her forward
   1.282 +momentum kept her sailing forward. Arms pinwheeling, the pale girl
   1.283 +fell forward, the world seeming to tumble around her. A short yelp
   1.284 +escaped her lips before arms grasped her waist, keeping her from
   1.285 +falling face first into the floor. The situation not being very new
   1.286 +to the accident prone girl, she didn’t find herself very startled by
   1.287 +the whole situation. Smiling, she turned in the arms of her rescuer.
   1.288 +Moving in the tight embrace, she came face to face with herself.
   1.289 +Emerald green eyes looked at her in concern from underneath midnight
   1.290 +hair. Pale skin offset the darkness, pressed against Bara’s own pale
   1.291 +skin. “Mirra-chan!” Bara exclaimed happily.
   1.292 +	The Sakura Card let out a sigh, slowly letting go of the
   1.293 +Cardmistress’s daughter. As usual, the dark haired girl hardly seemed
   1.294 +fazed by yet another accident she nearly got herself into. Mirror was
   1.295 +starting to wonder if the human girl cared at all about such trivial
   1.296 +things as pain or injuries. She tried to frown, but Bara’s smile was
   1.297 +contagious. She found herself returning it before too long. “You
   1.298 +really need to be more careful, Bara-chan. You’re cuter when you
   1.299 +aren’t all bruise covered,” she said quietly.
   1.300 +	The two Baras looked at each other for a moment before the real one
   1.301 +giggled in reply. “But with you and mother and everyone around
   1.302 +there’s no reason to worry about it.” Turning back to the task at
   1.303 +hand, the pale girl began again towards her parents’ large room,
   1.304 +slipping lithely into the room through the half open door. 
   1.305 +Emerald eyes began searching for what she needed, looking past a sea
   1.306 +of portraits and picture frames, labels and videotapes that were all
   1.307 +somehow in perfect order. Tomoyo’s large desk lay in one corner,
   1.308 +several costume designs and a half finished costume resting on top of
   1.309 +it. Some stuffed animals lay on the bed, all from Sakura’s
   1.310 +collection, which had grown in recent years even as she gave some of
   1.311 +her long held ones to Bara. One of the centerpieces to the group of
   1.312 +stuffed dolls was a little Sakura doll that Tomoyo had made for the
   1.313 +brunette back when they has still been children. The fabric was a
   1.314 +little frayed and it’s age was showing, but Sakura took it wherever
   1.315 +she went, and always held onto it when Tomoyo was gone on a business
   1.316 +trip. 
   1.317 +A television lay in one corner of the room, obviously for Tomoyo to
   1.318 +view her tapes, even though she had a viewing room for such things
   1.319 +with a much better setup. Bara’s questing eyes finally came to a halt
   1.320 +on the desk. It looked like her mother had been busy at work on a
   1.321 +costume the night before, so all of the materials she needed were
   1.322 +there. Grabbing several of them, she turned to leave the room.
   1.323 +	“I’ll carry that,” Mirror said quickly, taking the scissors from
   1.324 +Bara’s hands. The last thing she needed was for Bara to trip while
   1.325 +holding something like that. The midnight haired girl simply smiled
   1.326 +in gratitude as she headed back for her room. Following behind her,
   1.327 +the Sakura Card watched as the Cardmistress’s daughter sat back on
   1.328 +the bed. “What are you doing?” she asked curiously.
   1.329 +	Looking up from the assortment of items she had gathered along with
   1.330 +those her mother had already lain out for her, Bara spotted Mirror in
   1.331 +the doorway. Smiling cutely, the dark haired girl shook her head
   1.332 +emphatically. “I can’t tell you. I’m making something, but it’s going
   1.333 +to be a surprise for someone.” She turned back to the items, shifting
   1.334 +through them. After a second, she walked over to a still confused
   1.335 +Mirror and took the scissors slowly from her hand. “I’ll tell you all
   1.336 +about it later,” she said reassuringly.
   1.337 +	Mirror sighed as Bara returned to the bed. “Why can’t you tell me
   1.338 +now? You know I won’t tell anyone. It will just be our secret.” The
   1.339 +Sakura Card tried to catch Bara’s gaze as she herself reached the
   1.340 +bed. Her own eyes tried to lock onto Bara’s jade eyes, but the human
   1.341 +girl seemed intent on her thoughts. Shifting to her normal form for a
   1.342 +brief second, the magical creature quickly returned to being Bara’s
   1.343 +lookalike. Something she had learned over time was that it was easier
   1.344 +for someone to trust themselves than to trust anyone else. This
   1.345 +helped her at times because she could be them. It was, in a sense, as
   1.346 +if they were looking into a mirror. Unfortunately, this trick rarely
   1.347 +seemed to work on the Cardmistress’s daughter. Bara generally trusted
   1.348 +her with most things as it was. But when the dark haired girl wanted
   1.349 +to keep something from her, it was very difficult to drag it out. 
   1.350 +	Tilting her head to the side in thought, Bara paused for a moment.
   1.351 +“Well, mother, for one. Maybe Flower. Oh, and uncle Touya if he stops
   1.352 +by. Am I missing anyone?” Smiling sweetly, the magical girl finally
   1.353 +turned her gaze back to the Sakura Card. She liked to tease her
   1.354 +friend from time to time. Mirror got riled up so easily. Never did
   1.355 +her teasing get mean spirited, but she did like to see how Mirror
   1.356 +reacted. The midnight haired girl already knew that she wouldn’t be
   1.357 +telling her friend about what she was making anyway. So she was only
   1.358 +having some fun while Mirror was continuing to be stubborn. Besides,
   1.359 +Bara’s mind was already busy trying to decide exactly how she wanted
   1.360 +the teddy bear to end up. But the image she had in her mind slowly
   1.361 +faded away. ‘I can’t force it. Just like mother’s costume designs and
   1.362 +her videotape. You have to let things flow on their own, to see where
   1.363 +they take you.’ Her hands gently trailed over the cloth. ‘There’s a
   1.364 +teddy bear in here and she wants to come out. I’m just going to help
   1.365 +her. How she comes out is up to her,’ she thought to herself, a small
   1.366 +smile spreading across her lips. An important lesson that she had
   1.367 +learned from her mother was not to force things. Bara had learned
   1.368 +that after coming to Tomoyo with tears in her eyes over an accident
   1.369 +she had while painting. Her inspiration had been nonexistent and when
   1.370 +she had tried to finish a painting she had started several days
   1.371 +before, it wound up being ruined. Tomoyo had held onto her and
   1.372 +brushed back her shorter, dark hair, whispering softly. She had
   1.373 +explained to Bara that forcing things didn’t let them grow as they
   1.374 +wanted to, and it forced them to be a certain way. To bring them out,
   1.375 +to truly see them for what they were, they had to be nurtured and
   1.376 +loved. It was a lesson that Bara saw in many aspects of life. Whether
   1.377 +it be painting or videotaping or falling in love. It was still
   1.378 +difficult sometimes to banish a finished mental image from her mind,
   1.379 +but she was much happier with how things turned out.
   1.380 +	Unaware that Bara was deep in thought, Mirror found herself
   1.381 +blushing deeply. She had indeed had a crush on Touya long ago. And
   1.382 +she was still delighted to see him whenever he stopped by to visit
   1.383 +his little sister and her wife. But that hardly mattered. He had
   1.384 +Yukito, after all. And she was only a Card as it was, so it couldn’t
   1.385 +have worked out between them, even if Touya had returned her
   1.386 +feelings. A sigh escaped her lips as she let her eyes slip closed.
   1.387 +Still, did Bara have to keep teasing her about it? It had been a
   1.388 +lifetime before. Bara hadn’t even been born back then. But Tomoyo had
   1.389 +to be right about one thing. There was definitely something cute
   1.390 +about those ears. For some time now, she had continually noticed how
   1.391 +Bara’s were the same. The cute little ears jutted out of short, black
   1.392 +hair in the same way that Sakura’s did. Mirror had found it quite an
   1.393 +endearing aspect of her friend. And it certainly added to Bara’s
   1.394 +already considerable cuteness. Shaking her head and attempting to
   1.395 +banish the blush, Mirror replied. “You know I wouldn’t tell any of
   1.396 +them. Even Touya-san.”
   1.397 +	“I know,” Bara answered simply, emerald eyes glittering as she
   1.398 +looked up from her thoughts. Pale fingers brushed dark hair away from
   1.399 +her jade orbs. “But I still can’t tell you. You’ll find out sooner or
   1.400 +later. You always do.” Winking at the Sakura Card, the pale girl
   1.401 +giggled. “So just be patient.”
   1.402 +	“If you say so, Bara-chan,” Mirror said in defeat. She knew it was
   1.403 +pointless to continue arguing to be told. Much like Tomoyo, Bara
   1.404 +could keep a very tight lip about such things. Even if she didn’t
   1.405 +want to wait to find out what her friend was up to, it didn’t seem
   1.406 +like she had a choice. Sitting on the bed, the Sakura Card watched
   1.407 +the pale girl continue to dreamily go over ideas in her head. 
   1.408 +	Blushing a bit from the direction her thoughts were headed about
   1.409 +giving her teddy bear to the one she loved, Bara quickly shook her
   1.410 +head. “Ano... I think you should probably go for now, Mira-chan. I
   1.411 +need to get started on this.” Hopping off of the bed, Bara put her
   1.412 +hands on the Sakura Card’s back, gently pushing her mirror image
   1.413 +towards the door. “If you stay, I’ll get distracted and then I’ll
   1.414 +never finish up. And if I don’t ever finish, you’ll never find out
   1.415 +what it is.” Smiling sweetly, the Cardmistress’s daughter closed the
   1.416 +door. 
   1.417 +	Mirror blinked as she found herself outside of Bara’s room. What
   1.418 +had just happened? “Well, I guess. But I hope it won’t take too
   1.419 +long,” Mirror said through the door, pressing her ear up against it
   1.420 +as she waited for a reply. Curiosity gnawed at her magical core. She
   1.421 +couldn’t begin to guess what her human best friend was up to, and the
   1.422 +dark haired girl’s strange behavior was only strengthening her desire
   1.423 +to know what Bara was up to. She could hear movement on the other
   1.424 +side of the door, strange noises that met her ears as she tried to
   1.425 +discern them. Just what was the slightly eccentric girl doing?
   1.426 +Pushing the side of her face against the door, she strained to make
   1.427 +out what was happening. Suddenly, the door fell away from her and she
   1.428 +nearly came crashing to the ground. Pinwheeling, the Card barely
   1.429 +regained her balance in Bara’s doorway. She looked up to see Bara
   1.430 +smiling at her.
   1.431 +	“Well, the sooner you stop listening in, the sooner I can start.
   1.432 +Honestly, Mira-chan, how can I ever do anything surprising if you
   1.433 +won’t let me hide a few things from you now and then?” the pale girl
   1.434 +gently chided, tucking some strands of black hair behind her ear. She
   1.435 +could only smile at the childish look of embarrassment flashing
   1.436 +across Mirror’s face, an exact copy of her own face. Did she really
   1.437 +look like that when she was caught embarrassed? The fact that Mirror
   1.438 +often looked like her wasn’t at all awkward for her. She had actually
   1.439 +grown accustomed to seeing that pale face and dark hair greeting her
   1.440 +when she saw her best friend. Like looking into an actual mirror, she
   1.441 +could always see herself in it, but unlike those constructs of glass,
   1.442 +she could see the girl underneath her visage. Mirror was always her
   1.443 +Mira-chan, no matter what she looked like. The Sakura Card looked
   1.444 +very lovely in her normal form, very formal with pretty pale green
   1.445 +hair, but she didn’t get to see Mirror like that very often. It was a
   1.446 +shame, but Bara didn’t mind very much. It didn’t matter how Mirror
   1.447 +looked so long as she was there. “Now scoot,” she commanded, putting
   1.448 +on as serious a look as her near giggly heart could allow. It came
   1.449 +out sounding silly, even to her. She placed her hands on her hips and
   1.450 +gave Mirror a mock stern look before bursting out laughing. Mirror
   1.451 +joined her a second later, forgetting her earlier embarrassment.
   1.452 +	“I can’t let you hide things from me,” Mirror said after they both
   1.453 +regained some measure of composure. “Because I’m you.” Striking her
   1.454 +best imitation of the young heiress, she watched the human girl. That
   1.455 +was what she was after all, a reflection. She had been created to be
   1.456 +a mirror, to reflect things back. She was more comfortable looking
   1.457 +like Bara than she was looking like herself. It was easier for her
   1.458 +that way, to assume someone else’s identity, to simply reflect what
   1.459 +she saw. And she could think of no one she would rather be a
   1.460 +reflection of than the Cardmistress’s daughter. Bara’s shimmering
   1.461 +spirit and sweet nature made her a perfect choice for Mirror’s new
   1.462 +guise. She had spent more time as the dark haired girl’s twin over
   1.463 +the past few years than she had as herself. And that’s the way she
   1.464 +liked it. “So it’s not fair if you know things about you that I
   1.465 +don’t,” Mirror argued.
   1.466 +	“Nice try, Mira-chan. I’ll see you in a bit.” The pale girl gave
   1.467 +her magically created friend a quick hug before once again closing
   1.468 +the door. She waved to her slowly before it closed shut. Pressing her
   1.469 +own ear against the door, she waited until she heard the Sakura Card
   1.470 +walking away before hurrying back to her bed. Her heart fluttered in
   1.471 +her chest like a hummingbird, her jade eyes flashing with
   1.472 +determination to finish her teddy bear as quickly as possible. Pale
   1.473 +fingers began sifting through the materials spread out on her bed,
   1.474 +shaking in their eagerness. The young girl had to force herself to
   1.475 +slow down, lest she make any mistakes with her new little friend. The
   1.476 +teddy bear should be perfect after all. Her heart’s desire deserved
   1.477 +nothing less. Humming softly to herself, the pale waif started her
   1.478 +work. 
   1.479 +
   1.480 +	“Hoe...” a flustered voice rang through the spacious wardrobe room
   1.481 +that Tomoyo had insisted on having when the house had been built. It
   1.482 +was right across the hallway from Sakura’s Magician’s Workshop,
   1.483 +another room Tomoyo had decided on having. The whole house was almost
   1.484 +dreamy, very beautiful and elegant yet with an almost absurdly cute
   1.485 +feel to things. It lingered in the background, never entirely
   1.486 +prominent but there just the same. And it was in Tomoyo’s wardrobe
   1.487 +room, or rather, Sakura’s wardrobe room as the costumes inside all
   1.488 +fit her snugly, that the two childhood friends once again found
   1.489 +themselves. “Isn’t it a bit...” Sakura trailed off, at a loss for
   1.490 +words. Here she was, a grown woman, and Tomoyo could still get her
   1.491 +into crazy costumes with little more than a few words. Her cheeks
   1.492 +flushed as she looked down at the outfit she was wearing this time.
   1.493 +She wore a man’s suit and tie, a very dressy outfit. The polished
   1.494 +white and black shoes shown back up at her. She would think Tomoyo
   1.495 +had gone shopping in the men’s section on accident if it weren’t for
   1.496 +the fact that it fit her measurements exactly. 
   1.497 +	“Handsome? I certainly think so,” Tomoyo put in, finished Sakura’s
   1.498 +sentence in a way Sakura herself wasn’t likely to have. Reaching
   1.499 +forward, the lavender haired businesswoman readjusted Sakura’s white
   1.500 +dress shirt. “There. See? I think children will love this design for
   1.501 +the Kenji doll. He’s handsome and dashing with just a touch of
   1.502 +innocent vulnerability in him. It’s a nice outfit for if he’s going
   1.503 +out on a date with one of our other dolls or if he’s just going out
   1.504 +for a night at the theater.” Smiling happily, Tomoyo was in her
   1.505 +element. Dressing up Sakura and working out new designs. Turning her
   1.506 +shy wife around, the eccentric woman sighed contentedly. Yes, this
   1.507 +was exactly what she lived for. “After this, you can try on the two
   1.508 +new designs we have for the Hanako doll.”
   1.509 +	“Ano... Tomoyo, do you really have to make life-size versions of
   1.510 +all the costumes you design for the toys?” Sakura asked as her
   1.511 +lovably obsessive wife fixed the costume here and there on her. 
   1.512 +	“Yes, of course. Because it makes a much better impact if I can
   1.513 +have Sakura-chan sport our new designs at the meetings before they go
   1.514 +into production. Seeing you walk around the room like a model
   1.515 +showcasing the new designs is always much better than simply showing
   1.516 +the costumes for our dolls on paper,” Tomoyo explained, turning
   1.517 +Sakura so that the auburn haired woman faced the camcorder on it’s
   1.518 +tripod more directly.
   1.519 +	“But Tomoyo-chan, you’re the president of the company. You don’t
   1.520 +need to sell everyone on the designs.” Sakura sweatdropped as she
   1.521 +looked over at the camcorder. Even after over a decade of marriage,
   1.522 +the lavender haired woman still managed to confuse Sakura at times.
   1.523 +But it was always a sweet confusion that didn’t generally last long.
   1.524 +Tomoyo’s motives were, after all, beautifully simplistic. 
   1.525 +	“It makes the meetings much more fun if Sakura-chan’s dressed up
   1.526 +like our new products,” Tomoyo added, smiling her trademark smile as
   1.527 +she looked at the brunette. Sakura simply watched her as she
   1.528 +readjusted the camcorder. Her long, dark hair was done up in a high
   1.529 +ponytail now, draped down over one shoulder. That had always been her
   1.530 +ulterior motive, but it had been one that served her well. She liked
   1.531 +designing, but she found that Sakura was always at the root of her
   1.532 +inspiration. Working for her mother and later taking over the
   1.533 +Daidouji Toys company, she had to design for many of the toys the
   1.534 +company produced. It was fun to work on them, but she much preferred
   1.535 +to be designing costumes and outfits for her beloved Sakura. She had
   1.536 +found a way around this by making life-size versions of her designs
   1.537 +for Sakura to traipse around in for her. This allowed her to design
   1.538 +for the brunette even while she was working on dolls and their
   1.539 +wardrobe. Besides, who could resist seeing Sakura wearing her
   1.540 +company’s newest designs at important meetings? 
   1.541 +	Sighing in defeat, Sakura’s shoulders slumped. Wasn’t this the way
   1.542 +things had always worked? No matter how embarrassingly cute the
   1.543 +design, Sakura had always wound up wearing whatever Tomoyo made for
   1.544 +her. How could she not when the lavender haired woman had poured so
   1.545 +much of her love and effort into creating these beautiful clothes for
   1.546 +Sakura? Even as she stood in the man’s clothes for the Kenji doll,
   1.547 +the Mistress of the Cards knew that she did enjoy the attention
   1.548 +Tomoyo blanketed her with. Her mother had been a famous model, but
   1.549 +Sakura was Tomoyo’s model alone. And that was the way she liked it.
   1.550 +Sure, it was embarrassing. Sure, Tomoyo had some bizarre designs and
   1.551 +things that Sakura would never wear without a promise that the
   1.552 +videotape of her in such things would never be viewed by anyone but
   1.553 +her wife. But it was simply part of life with Tomoyo. Who else would
   1.554 +treat her like a movie star? Who else would give her all the
   1.555 +attention in the world? Who else could love her the way Tomoyo did? 
   1.556 +	“Besides, Sakura is very handsome like this,” Tomoyo stated,
   1.557 +placing her hands on Sakura’s shoulders. Her stormy blue eyes gazed
   1.558 +lovingly into their emerald partners, sending a spark through her
   1.559 +that had only grown stronger and more acute as the years had gone by.
   1.560 +It always thrilled her to dress Sakura up in all manner of clothing
   1.561 +and styles, eager to see how her energetic wife would look in them
   1.562 +all. It was like having her own live KiSS doll. The lavender haired
   1.563 +woman’s hobbies were very much centered around the one she loved. Her
   1.564 +videotaping was always of Sakura, her costume designs were made
   1.565 +specifically for her wife, and her singing was for the one she loved.
   1.566 +But what better way to spend her free time than with her beautiful
   1.567 +wife, no matter what they did? Her hands squeezed Sakura’s shoulders
   1.568 +slightly, delighting at the feel of Sakura underneath her fingertips.
   1.569 +Sakura looked nearly as cute in men’s clothes as she did in women’s
   1.570 +clothes. Even if it wasn’t as lacy or as frilly as Tomoyo would like,
   1.571 +it was still her gorgeous Sakura. And she pulled off the dress suit
   1.572 +perfectly. Though it helped that Tomoyo had designed it with Sakura
   1.573 +in mind. 
   1.574 +	Sakura blushed at Tomoyo’s compliment, her eyes unable to escape
   1.575 +that azure gaze. Her hands slowly went to Tomoyo’s slender waist.
   1.576 +“Arigato, Tomoyo... You’re gorgeous,” Sakura breathed quietly as she
   1.577 +raised on of her hands up to the lavender haired woman’s snow white
   1.578 +cheek. The pale skin was offset wonderfully by the cascade of dark
   1.579 +hair down her shoulder. That long ponytail hung between them as the
   1.580 +two women inched closer. The Mistress of the Cards had the
   1.581 +overwhelming urge to ask Tomoyo to dance. They were surrounded by
   1.582 +racks of costumes and mannequins sporting some of Sakura’s old battle
   1.583 +costumes, but even in the quiet room it seemed like an excellent
   1.584 +idea. “Will you dance with me, Tomoyo?” Sakura asked at last, unable
   1.585 +to find a single reason not to. It felt a little strange to still be
   1.586 +in the awkward clothes Tomoyo had given her to wear, but it clung to
   1.587 +her perfectly, showcasing her wife’s talent for costume design. 
   1.588 +	“I would love to, Sakura,” Tomoyo whispered in reply, smiling
   1.589 +brilliantly. Leaning ever closer, her petal soft lips brushed
   1.590 +Sakura’s. Her heart ached longingly as their lips touched again,
   1.591 +longer this time. These little touches of heaven were pure bliss to
   1.592 +the lavender haired businesswoman. They were like the sweetest of
   1.593 +dreams brought magically to life. This was the magic she saw in a
   1.594 +life with Sakura. It wasn’t the Cards or any of the power Sakura had.
   1.595 +It was the brunette’s ability to bring out a sheer, unadulterated joy
   1.596 +inside of her. It was the warmth that shivered through her heart as
   1.597 +it waited bedecked with ribbons and lace for Sakura to simply hold it
   1.598 +close. Dancing with Sakura anywhere sounded like a wondrous idea, but
   1.599 +dancing with her among the flurry of cute and dreamlike costumes felt
   1.600 +like a trip through some distant wonderland. And her trusty camcorder
   1.601 +was set up to record the glorious moment. Tomoyo sighed rapturously
   1.602 +as their lips slowly parted, both women reluctant to end the kiss.
   1.603 +But there would be many more. There always were. 
   1.604 +	Drawn forward as if by a magnet, the dazed Sakura barely stopped
   1.605 +herself before initiating another long kiss. Shaking her head, she
   1.606 +tried to think coherently, but thought was rendered all but
   1.607 +impossible as the lavender haired woman caught her near kiss and
   1.608 +returned it with her own. Holding onto Tomoyo, Sakura felt feather
   1.609 +soft lips deliciously meeting her own. The fairy tale kiss came to a
   1.610 +slow end after Sakura got a taste of Tomoyo’s tongue in her mouth.
   1.611 +Her own tongue tried to follow Tomoyo’s, but her wife had already
   1.612 +begun to pull away. Still leaning forward, Sakura blushed as she felt
   1.613 +the lavender haired woman’s lips around the tip of her tongue. They
   1.614 +stayed that way for a moment, Tomoyo sliding closer for another
   1.615 +simmering kiss before pulling away once more. Slowly remembering
   1.616 +where she was and the promised dance that awaited them, a dreamy
   1.617 +Sakura pulled out a pink Card and twirled it between her fingers.
   1.618 +“Song! Please give us some music to dance to!” The Sakura Card
   1.619 +flashed and music slowly began to filter through the room, Tomoyo’s
   1.620 +voice singing softly with the music. The Song Card had long ago
   1.621 +chosen Tomoyo’s voice for the one it would use, just as the Voice
   1.622 +Card had sought her out as the most beautiful voice it could find.
   1.623 +And Sakura certainly agreed with the both of them. Hearing Tomoyo’s
   1.624 +voice sing to the both of them, the two woman slowly began to dance
   1.625 +through the costumes. “Hanyaan,” Sakura whispered.
   1.626 +
   1.627 +	“So okaa-sama couldn’t have caught it without you?” Bara asked
   1.628 +curiously as she flipped through the Book of Sakura. Several of the
   1.629 +Cards were elsewhere at the moment, such as Mirror and Song, but the
   1.630 +majority of the pink Sakura Cards were in their matching book. Bara
   1.631 +was currently looking through the Cards, trying to get a feel for
   1.632 +them. She was leaning absentmindedly against the upstairs railing,
   1.633 +overlooking the large entrance hall to the house. While sifting
   1.634 +through the Cards, she was listening to Kero’s stories about his
   1.635 +adventures during her mother’s days of card capturing. His stories
   1.636 +weren’t always entirely factual as Tomoyo’s videos had shown when
   1.637 +Bara watched them after listening to the Seal Beast, but she loved to
   1.638 +hear them all the same. Magic fascinated her and she always yearned
   1.639 +to find out more about it. 
   1.640 +	“You got it, kid. Had I not been there, we might not be standing
   1.641 +here today havin’ this little chat.” Kero nodded, his arms crossed.
   1.642 +He was standing on the railing, recounting his tales of wonder to
   1.643 +Sakura’s daughter. At least the dark haired girl appreciated him.
   1.644 +Sakura had never quite believed in how truly amazing he was. The kid,
   1.645 +on the other hand, would hang onto his every word. It had been a
   1.646 +mighty good thing that Sakura and Tomoyo had gotten hitched after
   1.647 +all. He was finally getting some appreciation. 
   1.648 +	“Then I’m sure Tomoyo-mama must have thanked you many times over
   1.649 +for saving Sakura-mama.” Smiling, Bara continued to flip through the
   1.650 +Cards, trying to feel them with her own slowly growing magic. It was
   1.651 +difficult for her, but she was pleased to see that she was making
   1.652 +some progress. Her left foot moved about playfully behind her. She
   1.653 +had finished the teddy bear a short time ago and now all she had to
   1.654 +do was wait for a good opportunity to give it to her special someone.
   1.655 +These things needed to be planned carefully if they were to come out
   1.656 +perfectly. One wouldn’t want to give something important like a teddy
   1.657 +bear to their true love during an inconsequential moment. So while
   1.658 +she waited for inspiration to strike on how to go about giving away
   1.659 +her heart in the guise of a trussed up bear, she spent some time with
   1.660 +the Seal Beast, gleaning up on her knowledge of the Sakura Cards. Her
   1.661 +mother didn’t really mind when she borrowed the Sakura Book to look
   1.662 +through the Cards, so she tried to go through them when she could.
   1.663 +The Cards were all so amazing to the pale girl. Her best friend was
   1.664 +one of them as well. They all had such neat things they could do and
   1.665 +they all had their own distinct personalities. Some had become good
   1.666 +friends, like Mirror and Flower, others seemed rather mischievous
   1.667 +like Jump, and some had an air of respect about them that had Bara
   1.668 +bowing whenever in their presence, as was the case with Dark and
   1.669 +Light. And the Seal Beast was just funny. She always enjoyed Kero’s
   1.670 +company. 
   1.671 +	“Yep! She made such a delicious cake as a thank you...” Kero sighed
   1.672 +dreamily, remembering the cake Tomoyo had made in more detail than he
   1.673 +could remember the actual event in question. “Hey, let’s ask Tomoyo-
   1.674 +chan to bake a nice big dessert for everybody when we finally find
   1.675 +her. If this place wasn’t so big, I’d go look for her right now. As
   1.676 +it is, I’d probably get lost and starve to death.” The Seal Beast
   1.677 +looked down at his stomach, putting both hands on it. “I’m already
   1.678 +wasting away.” 
   1.679 +	“I’ll bake you something if you want, Kero-chan,” Bara offered,
   1.680 +looking over to the flying teddy bear. She idly wondered if she
   1.681 +should have based her teddy bear off of the Seal Beast, but decided
   1.682 +she was happier having something original. It felt more from the
   1.683 +heart that way. Besides, no stuffed animal could take Kero’s place. 
   1.684 +	“Would you?” Kero’s eyes sparkled as he flew up next to the dark
   1.685 +haired girl. Yes, this was definitely Tomoyo’s daughter. “Wai!! Wai!!
   1.686 +Arigato, Bara-chan!!” Visions of cakes and sweets encircled his head
   1.687 +while he alighted next to the young heiress’s elbow. 
   1.688 +	Giggling at Kero’s enthusiasm, Bara nodded quickly. “Un, Kero-chan.
   1.689 +It sounds like fun.” There were very few instances when Kero wasn’t
   1.690 +hungry and this didn’t appear to be one of them. The dark haired girl
   1.691 +had plenty of time to waste as it was and if the Seal Beast was
   1.692 +hungry, she was more than happy to cook for him. He was always very
   1.693 +complimentary about such things, so she didn’t have to worry overtly
   1.694 +about ruining a recipe while she was at it. Besides, cooking was an
   1.695 +art form in itself. So with enough patience, it could be a very
   1.696 +lovely thing. Bara enjoyed cooking nearly as much as she enjoyed
   1.697 +painting. They had a chef for such things, if they so needed it, but
   1.698 +Tomoyo and Sakura often cooked dinner together, and Bara had learned
   1.699 +from the two of them. She was slowly making her way through some of
   1.700 +the cookbooks in the kitchen along with Kero, though she needed
   1.701 +Tomoyo’s help with some of the trickier recipes.
   1.702 +Looking over at the Seal Beast with a smile, she didn’t notice as
   1.703 +the Sakura Book began slipping in her grasp. She barely looked back
   1.704 +in time to see it tumble end over end through space as it plummeted
   1.705 +to the floor below. 
   1.706 +	“Owww!!” sounded rather than the thud Bara had been waiting for. 
   1.707 +	Peering over the railing, Bara spotted Mirror sitting on the floor,
   1.708 +rubbing her head, the Sakura Book lying next to her. “Gomen nasai,
   1.709 +Mira-chan!” The dark haired girl darted down the stairs, nearly
   1.710 +tumbling down herself if not for Kero’s grip on her blouse as she
   1.711 +missed a step. Stumbling forward, she didn’t miss a beat as she
   1.712 +hurried to her injured friend’s side. “I’m so sorry, Mira-chan! It
   1.713 +just kinda... fell.” Sweatdropping, the pale heiress bowed
   1.714 +apologetically. “Daijoubu?”
   1.715 +	One of the only real downsides to being the sweet, genki young
   1.716 +girl’s best friend was that it seemed her accident proneness had
   1.717 +targeted Mirror as well. As if it wasn’t enough that the pale girl
   1.718 +was always getting herself hurt, it always turned out that she
   1.719 +somehow managed to get Mirror hurt as well. It was as if Fate was
   1.720 +aiming at the poor girl and anyone who got near her. But even then,
   1.721 +the Sakura Card couldn’t imagine giving up her cherished friendship
   1.722 +with the girl for anything. Sighing, she continued to rub her own
   1.723 +dark hair, still a mirror image of Bara Daidouji. “I’m fine. Just a
   1.724 +little dazed. I didn’t expect it to start raining books today.”
   1.725 +	“Awww... Gomen, Mira-chan.” Bending over, the pale girl kissed the
   1.726 +spot on Mirror’s head that the Sakura Card had been rubbing. Like a
   1.727 +mother kissing away some phantom pain, she gently pressed her lips
   1.728 +into Mirror’s soft, black hair. She didn’t know if it would do any
   1.729 +good, but it had always comforted her when she was younger, and the
   1.730 +gesture itself always made her feel better. Pulling away, she knelt
   1.731 +next to the fallen Sakura Card, hugging her pale legs to her chest.
   1.732 +She smiled softly at her friend, watching and waiting to see if she
   1.733 +was still in pain.
   1.734 +	Blushing, Mirror looked down as Bara sat next to her. For a long
   1.735 +moment, she was silent. Maybe it wasn’t so bad that Bara was so
   1.736 +accident prone after all. If that was what she had to look forward to
   1.737 +when she got hurt, it might be worthwhile just to stumble around
   1.738 +blindly and see what happened. The dark haired girl had a very
   1.739 +gentle, loving touch and it shined through in everything she did. The
   1.740 +Cards had all quickly come to love their Mistress’s daughter, keeping
   1.741 +an eye out for her. That was probably the main reason Bara hadn’t
   1.742 +been hurt any worse than she already had over the years. The
   1.743 +embarrassment quickly melted away as Mirror’s eyes shot up eagerly.
   1.744 +“Oh, are you finished yet with whatever it was you were doing? Can
   1.745 +you tell me now?”
   1.746 +	Bara giggled and hugged her legs tighter. “Yes, I’m finished with
   1.747 +it. No, I can’t tell you yet.” Letting go of her legs, the heiress
   1.748 +crawled over to Mirror and whispered in her ear so Kero wouldn’t
   1.749 +here. She knew how much he liked to be on the inside of everything.
   1.750 +“I can’t say now, but meet me in the garden tonight at nine. I’ll
   1.751 +explain everything then.” Standing up slowly, the pale girl smoothed
   1.752 +out her long skirt and smiled. “See you then, Mira-chan!”
   1.753 +	Blushing once more from Bara’s cute whisper ringing through her
   1.754 +ear, Mirror nodded, now more confused than ever. What was she making?
   1.755 +Why was it so big a deal that she couldn’t simply tell her now? Well,
   1.756 +many things seemed like a big deal to the dark haired girl. Even
   1.757 +small things held a great deal of importance to her. So it didn’t
   1.758 +necessarily mean this was any different. But still, she couldn’t help
   1.759 +but wonder just what this was all about.
   1.760 +	“What were you doing? And what are you two talking about?” Kero
   1.761 +demanded, disappointed about being left out of whatever this whole
   1.762 +thing was. 
   1.763 +	“Come on, Kero-chan. You can decide what we bake,” Bara coaxed,
   1.764 +already on her way to the kitchen. 
   1.765 +	The Seal Beast fell in with the younger girl, all previous thoughts
   1.766 +replaced with the goodies of what was to come.
   1.767 +	Mirror sighed as she watched the two disappear around a corner.
   1.768 +“Bara-chan...”
   1.769 +
   1.770 +	Mirror paced nervously in the darkened garden as time slowly ticked
   1.771 +away in her head. There were plenty of lights out in the garden that
   1.772 +could be turned out if someone were so inclined to take a midnight
   1.773 +stroll or to have a late picnic, but aside from the lights of the
   1.774 +mansion, it was dark at the moment. The flustered Sakura Card
   1.775 +couldn’t even understand why she was so nervous. Bara was simply
   1.776 +going to explain whatever it was she had been doing earlier. From the
   1.777 +looks of things, she was probably sewing a yukata or something for
   1.778 +school. But then, maybe she could see the midnight haired girl in it.
   1.779 +That would be a sight to behold in and of itself. Just the same,
   1.780 +Mirror couldn’t completely set her anxiety aside. Bara was treating
   1.781 +this all like some special secret that she was enjoying far too much.
   1.782 +When this all turned out to be nothing more than some school
   1.783 +project... The green haired magical being knew that she should most
   1.784 +likely be in her Card form at the moment, back with the other Sakura
   1.785 +Cards, but she had to know that Bara was so excited about. Her best
   1.786 +friend was a real mystery at times. 
   1.787 +	A sound from up above tore Mirror from her thoughts. Shifting back
   1.788 +to a reflection of Bara, she watched up above and listened for the
   1.789 +sound to return. A small figure haltingly crawled out of one of the
   1.790 +windows, stepping out onto a nearby tree branch. Mirror could barely
   1.791 +make out the pale girl in the dim moonlight, it’s pale glow
   1.792 +illuminating her faintly. Hurrying over to the tree, the Sakura Card
   1.793 +looked up and tried to spot her Mistress’s daughter. “Bara-chan?” she
   1.794 +called out.
   1.795 +	“Shh... I’ll be right down,” came Bara’s whispered reply. The dark
   1.796 +haired girl stepped down to another branch, being careful not to snag
   1.797 +her dress on the tree. Bit by bit, she made her way down the tree.
   1.798 +Nearing the last few branches, she reached out with her foot for the
   1.799 +last one and missed. Losing he footing, the pale girl careened out of
   1.800 +the tree.
   1.801 +	Mirror’s eyes went wide as she saw the shape of her best friend
   1.802 +drop out of the tree. Bolting under her, she tried to catch the
   1.803 +falling star, but did little more than break Bara’s fall. Collapsed
   1.804 +under the heiress’s slender weight, Mirror sighed, spitting out some
   1.805 +grass. “You’re going to be the death of me, Bara-chan.”
   1.806 +	The pale girl giggled softly as she helped her magical friend back
   1.807 +to her feet. “Gomen nasai, Mira-chan. I’ll try to be more careful.
   1.808 +Thank you for saving me.” Bowing, she glanced up to see Mirror
   1.809 +watching her. Smiling at the Sakura Card, Bara stood up. Her hair in
   1.810 +slight disarray looked like the faintest of shadows, the first
   1.811 +touches of midnight gripping the sleeping world. Her alabaster skin
   1.812 +seemed to sparkle like freshly fallen snow in the dim moonlight. She
   1.813 +wore a stunning ice blue dress that flowed down to her ankles. Her
   1.814 +ears were adorned with two cute teardrop earrings. Slender shoes clad
   1.815 +her delicate little feet while white stockings disappeared underneath
   1.816 +the dress. She held a small pink sack that was drawn closed with some
   1.817 +pull strings. It was all slightly messy from her fall, little blades
   1.818 +of grass here and there and what looked like a leaf stuck in her
   1.819 +hair, but she looked altogether gorgeous nonetheless. 
   1.820 +	Shaking her head, Mirror tried to find herself, but couldn’t help
   1.821 +but stare in astonishment at the Cardmistress’s stunning daughter.
   1.822 +The small girl was always beautiful, but that night she looked simply
   1.823 +angelic. “It was my pleasure. I’m just glad you’re all right, Bara-
   1.824 +chan. I don’t know what I’d do if you were hurt. I’d be a broken
   1.825 +mirror. It wouldn’t be worth going on if I couldn’t reflect your
   1.826 +beautiful image ever day.” She smiled when the pale girl giggled
   1.827 +softly and hugged her. She returned the hug, the two carbon copy
   1.828 +girls holding each other underneath the moonlit. They stayed that way
   1.829 +for a long time, the cool breeze playing with dark tendrils of black
   1.830 +hair, moonlight shimmering over them. Bara was like a falling star,
   1.831 +carrying her own inner light that cascaded through the darkness. Oh,
   1.832 +and she fell a lot. But Mirror wasn’t about to mention that. It was
   1.833 +nice to simply stand there, hugging the other girl while the night
   1.834 +enveloped them. The pale girl’s steady breathing lulled Mirror into a
   1.835 +peaceful silence. For a moment, she thought that Sakura’s daughter
   1.836 +had fallen asleep in her arms, but Bara slowly stirred and took a
   1.837 +step back. 
   1.838 +	“This is for you, Mira-chan,” Bara said, smiling cutely. She held
   1.839 +out the small pink bag hopefully, trying to keep her own nervousness
   1.840 +from showing. She didn’t want to pressure Mirror with concern for how
   1.841 +she herself would feel. She simply wanted to express her feelings in
   1.842 +the best way she knew how. As the confused Sakura Card slowly took
   1.843 +the bag, Bara felt as if she were handing over all of her hopes and
   1.844 +dreams in the small sack. Her heart fluttered in her chest like a
   1.845 +cloud of butterflies, yet she continued to smile as best she could.
   1.846 +It was like waiting to see what someone thought of one of her
   1.847 +paintings, only infinitely worse. This time there was a lot more
   1.848 +involved than a simple piece of artwork. Crafted with such care and
   1.849 +love, she could only hope her gift would be given a good home. But it
   1.850 +was more than the gift itself. Wasn’t it her heart in that bag? It
   1.851 +had simply taken the shape of a bear for the night. It’s Fate now
   1.852 +rested in Mirror’s hands. 
   1.853 +	Looking at Bara and then back at the bag, Mirror began to undo the
   1.854 +pull strings on the pink bundle. She was surprised to see her hands
   1.855 +shaking. She could never remember being this nervous, not even when
   1.856 +she had been confronted by Sakura after getting Touya hurt years and
   1.857 +years earlier. This was altogether different. And much more
   1.858 +frightening for some reason. Something in the back of her mind
   1.859 +whispered to her that it was only Bara. That there was nothing to
   1.860 +fear from this petite, lovely young girl. That eased the Sakura
   1.861 +Card’s nerves and allowed her to work out the last knot. Opening up
   1.862 +the bag, she gazed in to spy its contents. Inside sat a lone teddy
   1.863 +bear, his ‘fur’ a creamy peach and white combination. A cute lavender
   1.864 +bow was tied neatly around his neck, and beautiful emerald eyes
   1.865 +looked up from the teddy bear to the Sakura Card. Mirror stared at
   1.866 +the precious gift, speechless. The bag fluttered to the ground as she
   1.867 +held it up in the moonlight. “For.. me?”
   1.868 +	Nodding quickly, Bara smiled, her eyes closed. She wanted to see
   1.869 +every little detail, to know what Mirror thought, to see how she
   1.870 +reacted and her facial expressions and what she did with the bear and
   1.871 +so on, but she couldn’t bring herself to watch. Her nervousness had
   1.872 +finally stepped in and gotten the better of her. She knew that she
   1.873 +couldn’t keep smiling if she watched. It would be too difficult to
   1.874 +keep it up when she was too concerned with how Mirror was taking it.
   1.875 +And if she kept smiling, it wouldn’t matter how Mirror would take it,
   1.876 +because then the Sakura Card wouldn’t have to worry about hurting
   1.877 +her. So she waited in silence, her hands held together in front of
   1.878 +her as the wind whistled in her ear. She wanted to open her eyes, but
   1.879 +she couldn’t quite get them to budge. All the better, she supposed.
   1.880 +She wanted to know exactly how Mirror felt about receiving her heart
   1.881 +in a bear costume, and she certainly wouldn’t know if she was staring
   1.882 +at Mirror and begging for a positive response. The cold wind brushed
   1.883 +her bare skin, as if to tease her about her gift. She felt her dress
   1.884 +flutter about in the wind, her dark hair waving forward. The silence
   1.885 +just made her all the more anxious, but she continued to smile for
   1.886 +what felt like an eternity. Something warm and soft pressed into her,
   1.887 +causing her to take a half step backwards. Blinking her eyes open,
   1.888 +she could see Mirror’s grateful, smiling face in front of her, and
   1.889 +realized that the Sakura Card was hugging her again. She could feel
   1.890 +the bear still in Mirror’s hands pressed against her back. For once,
   1.891 +Mirror was actually herself, her longer green hair tossing about in
   1.892 +the wind. Smiling genuinely now, Bara returned the hug tightly. 
   1.893 +	“It’s so pretty. Thank you, Bara-chan. I’ve never gotten such a
   1.894 +wonderful gift. It’s perfect.” Elation rose through Mirrors soul as
   1.895 +the two stood under the starlight. Never had she imagined that
   1.896 +something so small yet so important as a little teddy bear would be
   1.897 +her own. That the black haired girl had made it for her was stunning.
   1.898 +She was a magical creation, a Sakura Card. Did she really deserve
   1.899 +something so special? Did it matter? Bara had made it for her. Had
   1.900 +crafted it with her own small, delicate hands. No gift could ever
   1.901 +exceed the small, precious teddy bear that she held. 
   1.902 +	Relief flooded through Bara’s nervous body, the pale girl relaxing
   1.903 +into the embrace that held them both. And that was really all she
   1.904 +could ask for. Whatever happened in the future, well, hopefully the
   1.905 +legend of the teddy bear was true. “What are you going to name it,
   1.906 +Mira-chan?” the black haired heiress asked after a moment, the wind
   1.907 +dying down around the two of them. 
   1.908 +	Pausing for a moment, Mirror shifted her grip on the cute bear in
   1.909 +her hand. Her fingers carefully traced the stitches as she held onto
   1.910 +the Cardmistress’s daughter. She remembered once more when she had
   1.911 +first met up with Touya. He had been helping her look for something,
   1.912 +but they had never found it. ‘When you find what you’re looking for..
   1.913 +Maybe you can go back..’ he had said, referring to heaven. Holding
   1.914 +the teddy bear tighter against Bara as she hugged the smaller girl,
   1.915 +she smiled to herself. She had found what she had been looking for
   1.916 +after all. But she needn’t go anywhere to find heaven. It was right
   1.917 +with her in the form of the darling little angel of a girl before
   1.918 +her. “I’m going to name it Bara-chan,” Mirror whispered.
   1.919 +	Bara couldn’t help but smile joyously as the Mirror Card held her.
   1.920 +That had been exactly what she had prayed for. Maybe the legend was
   1.921 +true after all. “Really? There’s a legend that if someone gives you a
   1.922 +teddy bear and you name it after them, the two of you will fall in
   1.923 +love,” the dark haired girl explained quietly. She could feel her
   1.924 +hair moving around, but she couldn’t quite tell if it was the wind or
   1.925 +Mirror that was doing it. She shifted a bit against the now taller
   1.926 +girl, letting her eyes fall closed again. It felt so peaceful. Her
   1.927 +previous worries felt far away, as if they had been from years
   1.928 +before. Now she was just with Mirror. Under the moonlight. Her heart
   1.929 +beat steadily. It was all so sweetly romantic.
   1.930 +	Mirror sighed softly, looking down at the younger girl. She kissed
   1.931 +Bara’s forehead gently, brushing back the girl’s short, black hair.
   1.932 +“I sure hope so,” she replied, smiling. Bara blushed and looked away,
   1.933 +burying her head against Mirror. Holding onto the dark haired girl
   1.934 +underneath the night sky, the Sakura Card promised off all of her
   1.935 +magic if only that moment could last forever.
   1.936 + 
   1.937 \ No newline at end of file