1.1 --- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
     1.2 +++ b/old/stories/dearsakura-09.txt	Fri Feb 19 20:53:12 2010 -0500
     1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,511 @@
     1.4 +Dear Sakura
     1.5 +by G.P.
     1.6 +pearsong1954@yahoo.com
     1.7 +
     1.8 +I.
     1.9 +
    1.10 +Walking slowly down the hallway of the now quiet mansion, Sakura and
    1.11 +Tomoyo finally arrived at the guest room. The two stood face-to-face,
    1.12 +hand-in-hand, smiling silently at each other. Captivated by the
    1.13 +beautiful woman gazing lovingly at her, Sakura was unable to say good
    1.14 +night. Tomoyo was tired, but her enchanted friend simply couldn’t
    1.15 +tear herself away. Finally, as if groping for some excuse to keep the
    1.16 +night alive, she stammerd out,
    1.17 +
    1.18 +“Tomoyo-chan, ummu, would you like to meet Dark-sama and Light-sama?
    1.19 +I know it’s late, and if you’re tired we can go to bed, but…”
    1.20 +
    1.21 +Tomoyo squeezed the brunette’s hands and sweetly replied,
    1.22 +
    1.23 +“I’d love to, Sakura-chan. I’m never sleepy when I’m with my
    1.24 +favorite Cardmistress.” Then, with a little frown of concern, she
    1.25 +added, “But is Sakura-chan too tired? I know that she has written her
    1.26 +magic is sometimes fatiguing, and I would not want her to be
    1.27 +exhausted for my sake.”
    1.28 +
    1.29 +Sakura smiled brightly, shaking her head, “No, I’m fine, really”.
    1.30 +With that, she spun about and ran down the hall, then turned
    1.31 +sheepishly and started to yell. Suddenly covering her mouth at the
    1.32 +realization of how late it was, she rushed back and whispered
    1.33 +excitedly that she would return quickly with the cards. As she
    1.34 +disappeared down the dark hallway, Tomoyo giggled, then took a slow,
    1.35 +deep breath, struggling with her tumultuous emotions. She was indeed
    1.36 +desperately tired, but sleep seemed trivial when she could be with
    1.37 +her perpetually genki friend. After a few moments Sakura reappeared,
    1.38 +Clow Book in hand, and the two entered the room.
    1.39 +
    1.40 +Sakura carefully laid the book down on the old desk and pulled a
    1.41 +little gold chain from her cheongsam as Tomoyo busied herself with
    1.42 +something in the corner of the room. Sakura undid the chain and slid
    1.43 +the Key off, cradling it in her hands. Puzzled, she looked about the
    1.44 +room for Tomoyo, and saw her already filming with the video camera.
    1.45 +Despite a sweat drop, Sakura basked in the warmth of Tomoyo’s
    1.46 +attention. Holding the Key to her breast, she chanted the words of
    1.47 +power,
    1.48 +
    1.49 +"Key of the Star,
    1.50 +with powers burning bright, 
    1.51 +reveal the staff, 
    1.52 +and shine your light.
    1.53 +Release!" 
    1.54 +
    1.55 +A swirl of yellow light arose, and the floor glowed with the the
    1.56 +Star Seal. Sakura felt a pulsating power rush through her body.
    1.57 +Leaning over the desk, she carefully picked up The Light card, and
    1.58 +flicked it into the air. Twirling her staff, she nimbly brought it
    1.59 +down with a splash of bright, white light. As the light slowly
    1.60 +coalesced into a feminine form, she awoke The Dark, and black shadows
    1.61 +poured into the room. Within seconds, two beautiful women, clad like
    1.62 +queens from a fairy tale, stood before the two friends. The woman
    1.63 +with long, straight dark hair looked smilingly at Tomoyo, and then
    1.64 +shyly averted her eyes. But the other, her golden hair curling to the
    1.65 +floor and floating in the air, gazed lovingly at the unknown dark-
    1.66 +haired girl. Bowing slightly, she greeted her melodiously in sing-
    1.67 +song Chinese. Wishing Fanren was with her, Tomoyo bowed deeply and
    1.68 +replied,
    1.69 +
    1.70 +“Nihao. I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I don’t speak Chinese”. Dark
    1.71 +looked at her in surprise. Light hid her tittering behind a slender
    1.72 +hand, and spoke, 
    1.73 +
    1.74 +“I’m sorry. I thought perhaps I was addressing a Princess of the
    1.75 +Imperial House. Sakura-chan, would you please introduce us to this
    1.76 +lovely girl?”
    1.77 +
    1.78 +Sakura shook her head, suddenly remembering her manners,
    1.79 +
    1.80 +“Oh, gomenesai! Dark-sama, Light-sama, this is my very best friend
    1.81 +from Japan, Daidouji Tomoyo.”
    1.82 +
    1.83 +The shimmering figures smiled and bowed, as did Tomoyo. She watched
    1.84 +in awe as shadows and light swirled languidly through the room. The
    1.85 +two women from the cards held hands, their fingers lightly
    1.86 +interlaced. Light's voice was soft and glowing,
    1.87 +
    1.88 +“Sakura-chan has told us so much about you. Sometimes you’re all she
    1.89 +talks about.” Turning to her shadowy friend, she spoke earnestly,
    1.90 +
    1.91 +“She reminds me a little of you: sweet, gentle, and beautiful as
    1.92 +twilight.” They were slowly drawn to one another, and for a
    1.93 +breathless second Tomoyo thought they might actually kiss. But Light
    1.94 +laid her hand on Dark’s blushing cheek, then turned slowly again to
    1.95 +Tomoyo. In a voice like bright sunshine she said,
    1.96 +
    1.97 +“And like you, Dark-chan, I think she has many secrets, don’t you,
    1.98 +Tomoyo-chan?”
    1.99 +
   1.100 +Tomoyo colored as Light’s sparkling eyes regarded her with measured
   1.101 +care. Bowing slightly, Tomoyo replied,
   1.102 +
   1.103 +“None that I could ever keep from you, Light-sama.”
   1.104 +
   1.105 +With lady-like laughter, Dark’s delicate fingers touched her
   1.106 +companion’s alabaster shoulder. In a voice like willows whispering in
   1.107 +the night, she gently chided,
   1.108 +
   1.109 +“Secrets are yours to reveal, Light-chan, but mine to keep. Some
   1.110 +hearts abide in darkness, lest they shatter in the light of day. When
   1.111 +she wishes her secrets known, she will seek you. Till then, let her
   1.112 +rest with me.”
   1.113 +
   1.114 +Dark leaned closer, her hand carefully brushing a stray lock of
   1.115 +lavender hair from Tomoyo’s stormy blue eyes. Tender as a mother, or
   1.116 +a lover, she caressed the girl’s pale, crimson-flushed cheek. Tomoyo
   1.117 +was shrouded in the shadowy-black hair that drifted serenely about
   1.118 +her. Eveloped by a fragrance of night flowers and wisteria, of
   1.119 +sandalwood and incense, Tomoyo stood breathless as the beautiful,
   1.120 +pale face hovered over her. Dark lightly kissed her forehead. The
   1.121 +young woman from Japan swooned as a peaceful wave washed over her, a
   1.122 +tranquil blessing that calmed the thudding in her breast. All the
   1.123 +knotted fears and worries wound so tightly round her heart were
   1.124 +loosed, and for an instant her unfettered soul soared free. She
   1.125 +slumped into Dark’s arms, tears flowing, hugging her tightly.
   1.126 +Surprised, the Dark figure smiled and hugged the trembling young
   1.127 +woman, whispering reassurance as she gently carressed her. Tomoyo’s
   1.128 +hair came magically undone, the shimmering tresses cascading like a
   1.129 +black waterfall. The red and gold jewelry that had adorned her hair
   1.130 +tinkled to the floor as her body grew limp. She fell into a deep
   1.131 +slumber, and Dark laid the little body gently on the futon and wiped
   1.132 +away the sparkling tears with her fingers. The emeralds encircling
   1.133 +the darksome woman's slender throat shone brightly, illuminating the
   1.134 +room in a magical, green glow. With sad, black eyes she turned to
   1.135 +Sakura and spoke in a solemn whisper,
   1.136 +
   1.137 +“Everything will be all right, if you take care of her. For now, let
   1.138 +her sleep.” Sakura nodded silently. Dark and Light smiled and bowed,
   1.139 +and Sakura returned them to their card forms. She carefully laid them
   1.140 +in the book, then gazed at the still figure asleep on the futon.
   1.141 +Sakura knelt and lovingly straightened her friend's shimmering
   1.142 +lavender hair, slipped off the drowsing beauty's shoes, then loosened
   1.143 +the red cheongsam. She finished by covering her with the silken 
   1.144 +quilt, but still could not will herself to leave. Tomoyo’s face was
   1.145 +calm and placid, and she smiled sweetly at some delightful dream.
   1.146 +Sakura looked at her with longing, glad that Dark-sama had apparently
   1.147 +lifted some great burden from her heart, but secretly wishing she
   1.148 +were still awake. There was so much she wanted to say, so much to do.
   1.149 +But what? Sakura creased her brow and sorted through a jumble of
   1.150 +thoughts and feelings. 
   1.151 +
   1.152 +What exactly did she want to say, or do? 
   1.153 +
   1.154 +She wanted to wipe away all the pain and hurt she had seen in
   1.155 +Tomoyo’s azure eyes. Her chest tightened with the memory of Tomoyo
   1.156 +sobbing in her arms just the night before. Looking at her now, that
   1.157 +pain seemed so far away. But when she awoke, whatever had caused it,
   1.158 +her loneliness, her lost love, or something else, would still be
   1.159 +there to haunt her. It wasn’t fair that so gentle a spirit as Tomoyo
   1.160 +should bear such agony. Sakura felt her will harden to a steely
   1.161 +resolve as she thought, I will not let her suffer. I will not.
   1.162 +
   1.163 +But what else did the Mistress of the Cards want? She wanted to know
   1.164 +why she loved Tomoyo more than her husband, her family, or her own
   1.165 +life. This feeling confused her greatly, but she knew it to be true.
   1.166 +Her love for her friend was boundless, like a glimpse of eternity, or
   1.167 +a taste of the infinite. This realization had been long and slow in
   1.168 +coming, but shook the foundations of Sakura’s little world when it
   1.169 +finally arrived. Tomoyo was not her special person, or her true love.
   1.170 +Nor was she a brother, or father, or Mother. Sakura loved them all
   1.171 +dearly, but not like this. Sakura was happily married to a wonderful
   1.172 +man. Tomoyo was not the love of her life, she couldn’t be. But that
   1.173 +was exactly how it felt. There was nowhere on earth she would rather
   1.174 +be but in this room, by her side. Sakura shook her head as she
   1.175 +thought, how can I love her more than my own husband? Fighting back
   1.176 +the tears she whispered, 
   1.177 +
   1.178 +“I don’t know, but I do.”
   1.179 +
   1.180 +Finally, a cold emptiness gripped her as she realized that in three
   1.181 +days Tomoyo would be gone. She clenched her fists into tight little
   1.182 +balls as the thought sunk in. A metallic desperation seized Sakura as
   1.183 +she contemplated life without her best friend. Being apart after the
   1.184 +wedding had been hard, bringing her at times to tears. But now it was
   1.185 +worse, for she had again shared life with her beautiful best friend.
   1.186 +To see her, to hear her voice, to touch her and hold her and- and to
   1.187 +kiss her. Sakura blushed and trembled, shaken by memories too sweet
   1.188 +for words. She wanted to be with her not just tonight, not just in
   1.189 +her visit to Hong Kong, but forever and ever and ever.
   1.190 +
   1.191 +But it was all impossible. Tomoyo had her own life now, and would
   1.192 +soon return to it. She also had her own true love, a thought that
   1.193 +pained Sakura, even as she determined that this heart’s desire of her
   1.194 +friend would not go unfulfilled. And, for that matter, she herself
   1.195 +had a new life with the man she loved. Sighing heavilly, Sakura lay
   1.196 +down beside her sleeping friend, watching the quilt rise and fall
   1.197 +with each sweet, slow breath. Nothing made any sense at all, and she
   1.198 +was hopelessly confused. All she knew for certain was her love for
   1.199 +Tomoyo. Wrapping an arm round the sleeping figure in the soft, downy
   1.200 +quilt, the Mistress of the Cards quietly cried herself to sleep.
   1.201 +
   1.202 +II.
   1.203 +
   1.204 +With a flutter of dark lashes, Tomoyo slowly awoke. Dawn crept into
   1.205 +the guest room, painting a warm yellow triangle on the wall opposite
   1.206 +the garden window. Laying on her back, she began to stretch, but
   1.207 +found herself tightly swaddled in the silken quilt. She noticed an
   1.208 +arm wrapped around her, and, with a puzzled expression looked over to
   1.209 +her side. There was Sakura, still dressed in the black cheongsam,
   1.210 +fast asleep and holding her tightly. Tomoyo smiled, luxuriating in
   1.211 +embrace of her dearest friend. Staring at the heavy wooden beams of
   1.212 +the ceiling, she felt a tranquil sense of peace, a peace unknown for
   1.213 +a very long time. She remembered Dark-sama's haunting presence,
   1.214 +washing the aches and fears from her heart in a peaceful, shadowy
   1.215 +wave. Maybe everything really would be all right. Somehow, it was
   1.216 +impossible to think otherwise, here in her arms.
   1.217 +
   1.218 +She carefully shifted onto her side to better see Sakura. Is this
   1.219 +what it would be like, to be with her all the time? To awaken every
   1.220 +morning and see her, to putter about in the kitchen making breakfast,
   1.221 +to come home at night and greet her, and then sleep together,
   1.222 +entwined in her arms? Tomoyo sighed at this sweetest of sweet
   1.223 +thoughts. She was fascinated by Sakura's face, so close to her own.
   1.224 +Placid and happy, she was cute and adorable in her innocent slumber.
   1.225 +It struck Tomoyo as odd that she had spent the night here, rather
   1.226 +than with her husband. But she must have been too exhausted to make
   1.227 +it back to her bedroom. Even Sakura's genki energy has it's limits,
   1.228 +she giggled to herself. Well, if she had to go to sleep, this was as
   1.229 +good a place as any. The young guest lay enfolded in her true love's
   1.230 +arms for several blissfull minutes until she felt Sakura slowly begin
   1.231 +to awaken. Smiling as Sakura yawned and stretched, one eye open and
   1.232 +the other still closed, Tomoyo watched her intently. Half-asleep for
   1.233 +sure, she giggled to herself. Softly she spoke to her still sleepy
   1.234 +friend,
   1.235 +
   1.236 +"Ohayo, Sakura-chan."
   1.237 +
   1.238 +Sakura looked at her, eyes blinking in wonder. Realizing she had
   1.239 +wrapped her arm around her friend, Sakura quickly sat up and
   1.240 +spluttered,
   1.241 +
   1.242 +"Oh, ohayo, Tomoyo-chan. Gomenesai, I guess I fell asleep. I didn't
   1.243 +mean to..."
   1.244 +
   1.245 +Tomoyo shook her head and smiled as she sat up, "No, no, it was
   1.246 +wonderful laying here with you. I haven't slept so well in a very
   1.247 +long time."
   1.248 +
   1.249 +Sakura smiled back, her hand behind her head in embarrassment. But
   1.250 +then she put her hands in her lap, bowed her head so she didn't have
   1.251 +to meet  Tomoyo's gaze, and said,
   1.252 +
   1.253 +"I guess I didn't want to leave you, Tomoyo-chan. I just wanted to
   1.254 +be with you."
   1.255 +Sakura looked up, her emereald eyes shimmering. Tomoyo felt her
   1.256 +heart stop at  the sight. Suddenly, Sakura hugged her tightly, nearly
   1.257 +squeezing the breath out of her startled friend. Tomoyo felt the
   1.258 +soft, silk-clad form nestled against her, and a shiver of passion
   1.259 +flowed through her body. She hugged back, resting her head on the
   1.260 +brunette's shoulder. Finally they parted, slightly dazed but smiling.
   1.261 +Sakura suddenly  gushed forth with barely suppressed excitment,
   1.262 +
   1.263 +"Do you still want to see the school today? I thought maybe we could
   1.264 +stop by before we went to the beach."
   1.265 +
   1.266 +"Yes, Sakura-chan, I'd love to see your school. I think it's so
   1.267 +wonderful that Sakura-chan is a sensei."
   1.268 +
   1.269 +"Thank you Tomoyo-chan. I feel so wonderful today, not tired at all
   1.270 +like I sometimes am after using the Cards. I'll meet you in the
   1.271 +kitchen and we can have breakfast!"
   1.272 +
   1.273 +Sakura hugged Tomoyo again before rushing out the door. She left the
   1.274 +pale girl huddled in the comforter, hand on her cheek, gazing
   1.275 +adoringly.
   1.276 +
   1.277 +III.
   1.278 +
   1.279 +As Tomoyo clambered off the bus, she saw the modern looking, white,
   1.280 +six-story building that formed the main structure of the Fung Kai Liu
   1.281 +Yun Sum Memorial School. It was different from the traditional
   1.282 +Japanese schools that she was used to. Large Chinese characters were
   1.283 +written from top to bottom on the right side of the building. There
   1.284 +were beautiful trees in front, and the grounds and building were
   1.285 +impeccably maintained. Sakura took her by the hand and led her
   1.286 +through the empty halls. Sakura had mentioned the school was on
   1.287 +holiday, so she was able to get time off. Finally they went through a
   1.288 +set of double doors into a small-sized gymnasium. Sakura scanned it
   1.289 +to make sure that her gym was in proper shape, and then said,
   1.290 +
   1.291 +"We can leave our things in my office. It's over there, in the back."
   1.292 +
   1.293 +They walked accross the wooden parquay floor. Sakura pointed out the
   1.294 +door to the dance studio, and then used a little brass key to open
   1.295 +her office. The office was quite small, but Sakura had arranged
   1.296 +things nicely without it seeming to be cramped. On her desk Tomoyo
   1.297 +saw three pictures: one of Sakura and Syoaran from their wedding, and
   1.298 +one of Fujitaka, Touya, and Yukito, all clad in their summer yukata.
   1.299 +The other was of her, the same as the one she had sent Sakura for her
   1.300 +nightstand at home. Sakura saw her looking and laughed,
   1.301 +
   1.302 +"I had a copy made so there would be one of you here at work, too. I
   1.303 +have to have a picture of my girlfriend, after all."
   1.304 +
   1.305 +Tomoyo blushed and giggled, and made a mental note to send another
   1.306 +picture. With that, Sakura began her guided tour of the school,
   1.307 +pointing out classrooms and  labs and the teacher's lounge. There,
   1.308 +she was delighted to find her sensei friend, Wei Jun. Introducing
   1.309 +Tomoyo, Sakura begged to be excused to attend to something with the
   1.310 +cheerleading club. The older woman poured a cup of tea for her guest
   1.311 +as the two sat down in the empty lounge. Her eyes lit up as she spoke
   1.312 +in impeccable Japanese,
   1.313 +
   1.314 +"Ah, so this is Daidouji Tomoyo. I almost feel as if I know you,
   1.315 +from all that Sakura-san has said.You're even prettier than her
   1.316 +descriptions, which seems nearly impossible."
   1.317 +
   1.318 +Tomoyo blushed and bowed again as she spoke in her musical voice,
   1.319 +"Thank you, Jun-sama, both for your kind words, and for helping
   1.320 +Sakura with her new job."
   1.321 +
   1.322 +The older woman smiled wistfully as she replied, "It's been a
   1.323 +pleasure to have her at the school. She's done a wonderful job.
   1.324 +Besdies, she reminds me of someone from long ago. Oh, and so
   1.325 +energetic! Sometimes even the girls have a hard time keeping up with
   1.326 +her."
   1.327 +
   1.328 +The two talked about the school, and Hong Kong, and Japan, but
   1.329 +somehow the topic always managed to return to again to the genki new
   1.330 +P.E. teacher. With a twinkle in her eye, Jun asked,
   1.331 +
   1.332 +"Tomoyo-san, how long have you known Sakura-san?"
   1.333 +
   1.334 +This triggered another stream of reminisence from the young dark-
   1.335 +haired woman, who recalled picnics and festivals, dances and
   1.336 +contests. Immersed in visions of her adorable friend, the starry-eyed
   1.337 +Tomoyo failed to see Jun's barely suppressed smile. Finally, the
   1.338 +Chinese woman gently asked,
   1.339 +
   1.340 +"You still love her very much, don't you?"
   1.341 +
   1.342 +Tomoyo stopped and gazed at the kindly face of the teacher. She
   1.343 +smiled and nodded, her alabaster cheeks touched with a crimson blush.
   1.344 +After a moment of silence, the older woman continued,
   1.345 +
   1.346 +"But you've never told her, or if you did, she didn't quite
   1.347 +understand you, yes?"
   1.348 +
   1.349 +Again, Tomoyo nodded solemnly. With a worried look she asked in a
   1.350 +plaintive voice,
   1.351 +
   1.352 +"Sensei-sama, please don't say anything about this. I don't want to
   1.353 +trouble her. She's found her own special soemone, and she's married
   1.354 +to him. Everything is as it should be, and I'm happy that way."
   1.355 +
   1.356 +Tomoyo's words rang hollow in her ears, and the look on Jun's face
   1.357 +showed how easilly the woman saw through her faltering mask. Her look
   1.358 +held knowledge of Tomoyo's hidden hurt, and a sympathy that only
   1.359 +mutually shared pain could bring. The Chinese woman looked out the
   1.360 +window and sighed,
   1.361 +
   1.362 +"We're always happy that our loved ones are happy. If they really
   1.363 +are happy, that is. But that doesn't ease the pain all that much,
   1.364 +does it, Tomoyo-san? I remember Ming Xia's wedding. It was so
   1.365 +beautiful, and I was so, so happy for her. But all the same, I wanted
   1.366 +to die. I really did. To see her with him, knowing she was gone from
   1.367 +my life, forever. But I couldn't tell her that, and ruin her
   1.368 +happiness, too. I thought the years would be kinder, that someday I
   1.369 +might forget. But it doesn't happen like that. Not when it's your
   1.370 +true love. That kind of love isn't affected by time, or distance, or
   1.371 +anythng at all. Before she died last year, she sent me a little
   1.372 +letter. She wanted me to visit her in England. After all these years,
   1.373 +she was lonely. She said she missed me.  But I didn't make it. She
   1.374 +never knew I loved her. Maybe she knows know, somehow. I don't know."
   1.375 +
   1.376 +On the brink of tears, Jun looked at Tomoyo with a sad smile and
   1.377 +spoke in a broken whipser,
   1.378 +
   1.379 +"Don't worry, Tomoyo-san. I won't say anything to Sakura. I'm sorry,
   1.380 +I..."
   1.381 +
   1.382 +She suddenly stood up and rushed to the door. Tomoyo rose to go to
   1.383 +her, but she waved the young woman away. As the door closed, Tomoyo
   1.384 +stood with her hands to her breast, azure eyes misted with tears.
   1.385 +Poor, poor Jun-sama. How strong she must be to have lived through all
   1.386 +those years of pain. How could she do it? How could anyone do it?
   1.387 +Clutching her chest she felt a cold stab of pain at the thought: how
   1.388 +can I do it? I don't know how I've survived for four months. How can
   1.389 +I go on like this for years? She sat on the chair and struggled to
   1.390 +calm herself before Sakura arrived. Somehow, when her friend at last
   1.391 +burst through the door, she once again wore her very sweetest smile.
   1.392 +
   1.393 +"Hello, Tomoyo-chan, I'm sorry I was gone so long. Oh, did Jun-sama
   1.394 +leave?"
   1.395 +
   1.396 +"Yes, she had to go. But we had some tea, and a very nice
   1.397 +conversation. so please don't worry." 
   1.398 +
   1.399 +Sakura smiled, though to Tomoyo's practiced eye she looked as if she
   1.400 +were hiding something. Obviously in a hurry, the little P.E. teacher
   1.401 +blurted out,
   1.402 +
   1.403 +"Umm, would you like to go out and see the athletic field now?"
   1.404 +
   1.405 +Sakura's eager face betrayed her as Tomoyo smiled in reply,
   1.406 +
   1.407 +"Yes, I'd love to."
   1.408 +
   1.409 +When they arrived, Sakura placed her friend in a little folding
   1.410 +chair by the edge of the soccer pitch. A few boys were playing a game
   1.411 +at the far end, though the late morning heat slowed their game to a
   1.412 +crawl. Sakura suddenly blew a whistle, and out of the gym rushed
   1.413 +eight girls attired in the uniforms Tomoyo had designed, followed by
   1.414 +one in school shorts and a T-shirt, carrying a clipboard and running
   1.415 +behind. Amid much giggling and blushing, the uniformed girls shyly
   1.416 +formed up in front of Tomoyo. The small girl in T-shirt and shorts,
   1.417 +her beribboned hair in two long, black braids, stood close to Sakura,
   1.418 +warilly eyeing the mysterious friend from Japan through large, thick
   1.419 +glasses. Tomoyo smiled and waved at her, and the little face quickly
   1.420 +dissappeared behind the clipboard. Sakura blew the whistle again, and
   1.421 +the girls formed up in two ranks of four. They bowed in unison as
   1.422 +Sakura announced,
   1.423 +
   1.424 +"The Fung Kai Liu Yun Sum Memorial School Cheerleading Club thanks
   1.425 +Daidouji Tomoyo for her wonderful uniform designs, and dedicates this
   1.426 +performance to her honor." With another blow on the whistle, they
   1.427 +began their routine. 
   1.428 +
   1.429 +Tomoyo watched the splendid show with delight. The uniforms really
   1.430 +did look adorable, and Sakura had trained the girls well in a
   1.431 +remarkeably short time. One girl in particular caught her eye. She
   1.432 +was nimble and quick, jumping over her teamates and spinning through
   1.433 +the air like Jump or Dash from the Clow Cards. Tomoyo noticed that
   1.434 +the girl with glasses had emerged from behind her clipboard and was
   1.435 +watching the little acrobat with a look of utter rapture. Tomoyo
   1.436 +giggled to herself and thought, that must be Chang Jung, the girl
   1.437 +Sakura-chan mentioned. Finally, the girls formed a pyramid, with the
   1.438 +object of Jung's affection perched on top. She stood fearlessly with
   1.439 +arms raised high, then leaped into a summersault as Tomoyo gasped in
   1.440 +surprise. The landing was perfect, and the dark-haired woman clapped
   1.441 +her approval as the cheerleaders took their bows. Then they swarmed
   1.442 +over her, chattering in an indescribably rapid Cantonese, eager to
   1.443 +see sensei's legendary friend from accross the seas. A beleagured
   1.444 +Tomoyo giggled as Sakura arrived, trying to bring order to the merry
   1.445 +chaos. At that moment, her Jun arrived to the rescue, cheerfully
   1.446 +translating the questions about toys and clothing design and life in
   1.447 +Japan. Finally, Sakura sheparded her flock back to practice,
   1.448 +demonstrating various moves with the easy grace that marked her
   1.449 +gymnastics, and had captivated Tomoyo's heart. As she watched
   1.450 +adoringly, Tomoyo noticed little Jung by her side. 
   1.451 +
   1.452 +When she smiled, the little girl bowed, and spoke in a endearingly
   1.453 +soft voice,
   1.454 +
   1.455 +"Ohayo, Daidouji-sama."
   1.456 +
   1.457 +Tomoyo returned her bow and greeting. She asked Wei-sama to
   1.458 +translate, and thanked the girl for being such a helpful assistant to
   1.459 +Sakura. The little girl blushed, replying that it was because she
   1.460 +wasn't very good at athletic things, and that sensei-sama was kind
   1.461 +enough to let her help as best she could. But when Tomoyo asked the
   1.462 +name of the nimble little girl who had topped the pyramid, Jung's
   1.463 +face lit up. 
   1.464 +
   1.465 +"Ah, that is Ling Xiao. Isn't she wonderful!" The child clasped her
   1.466 +hands and looked up starry-eyed. Tomoyo smiled and nodded as Jung
   1.467 +gleefully told her all about her marvelous friend. Finally, the
   1.468 +Japanese woman knelt down, gazed into the girl's eyes and asked,
   1.469 +
   1.470 +"You like very very much, don't you, Jung-chan?" She smiled and
   1.471 +nodded. Tomoyo then asked,
   1.472 +
   1.473 +"Does she like you the same way?"
   1.474 +
   1.475 +Jung suddenly became thoughtful, and her pretty face almost sad as
   1.476 +she replied, "No, I don't think so. We are very best friends, but I
   1.477 +don't think she likes me the same way."
   1.478 +
   1.479 +Tomoyo felt a stab in her heart. Fighting to keep her composure, she
   1.480 +asked in a whisper,
   1.481 +
   1.482 +"Does Xiao-chan know how you feel?"
   1.483 +
   1.484 +Again, the little girl looked solemn beyond her years, "No, I don't
   1.485 +think so. I don't think she would understand. But some day, I want to
   1.486 +tell her how I feel."
   1.487 +
   1.488 +Tomoyo nodded as she fought back the tears. Her voice was trembling
   1.489 +as she replied,
   1.490 +
   1.491 +"That's good. Tell her how you feel, Jung-chan, and soon. Even
   1.492 +though it may be hard to do, it's very important that she know. OK?"
   1.493 +
   1.494 +The little girl nodded and smiled brightly, then ran off to help
   1.495 +Sakura. Tomoyo stood up and hugged herself tightly. The Chinese
   1.496 +teacher stood by her side, gazing with pity. There was nothing to
   1.497 +say, so the older woman remained silent. Finally, Sakura made sure
   1.498 +the girls had drunk their fill the of water before dismissing them to
   1.499 +the showers. Then she bounced up to the two women, towling herself
   1.500 +off and grinning. Tomoyo smiled as she spoke,
   1.501 +
   1.502 +"It was wonderful, Sakura-chan. Thank you so very much."
   1.503 +
   1.504 +Sakura smiled, "No, no, thank you! They wanted to do something for
   1.505 +you, because of the uniform design. It really did turn out great. No
   1.506 +wonder you're a professional designer, Tomoyo-chan. Are you ready to
   1.507 +go to the beach?"
   1.508 +
   1.509 +Tomoyo nodded, then bowed to the older woman by her side, "Arigato
   1.510 +gozaimasum, Jun-sama. I hope we will meet again."
   1.511 +
   1.512 +With a bow, the older woman smiled her goodbye, then silently
   1.513 +watched the two friends hold hands and walk away.
   1.514 +