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     1.2 +++ b/old/stories/neveragain.txt	Fri Feb 19 20:53:12 2010 -0500
     1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,324 @@
     1.4 +Disclaimer: I don't own CCS. ^^ Or any copyrighted stuff.
     1.5 +
     1.6 +NEVER AGAIN
     1.7 +By ~.^ ~~Forever3330~~ ^.~
     1.8 +kawaiimotoko@hotmail.com
     1.9 +
    1.10 + "Megumi-chan, you have got to be spinning me a tale. And I won't fall for
    1.11 +it!" The blonde huffed, flipping her braid over her right shoulder.
    1.12 + "I'm not lying Suzuni-chan!" The brunette insisted, pushing her glasses up
    1.13 +her nose absently with one finger. "There's a beautiful girl who comes here
    1.14 +everyday, and just sits at the gate where the only flight from Hong Kong to
    1.15 +Tomeda is. Every single day she sits and watches all the people get off the
    1.16 +plane, and watches the new people get on. Then she comes over here and
    1.17 +orders a scoop of strawberry ice-cream with one cherry." Megumi was a worker
    1.18 +at the small ice cream shop across front of the gate.
    1.19 + Megumi's girlfriend raised an eyebrow, calming down. "Look, I came here to
    1.20 +watch you work, not here tales."
    1.21 + "Just wait!" Megumi scolded. "The only flight that arrives here comes in at
    1.22 +exactly noon. She'll be here in about ten minutes, with half an hour till
    1.23 +noon. She'll leave when the only flight that departs leaves at exactly one."
    1.24 + Suzuni sighed. "Daijoubu, daijoubu.we'll wait and see. How about you give
    1.25 +me a chocolate Sunday while we wait?"
    1.26 + "You and chocolate." Megumi rolled her eyes.
    1.27 + "Be nice!" Suzuni bopped her girlfriend lightly on the head, then started
    1.28 +eating her ice cream.
    1.29 + After serving Suzuni Megumi leaned against the counter, sighing as if she
    1.30 +were in dreamland. "She's not just a beautiful girl, either. She's gorgeous!
    1.31 +And so graceful.she has a melodious voice, it's so pretty. She kind of
    1.32 +reminds me of an angel."
    1.33 + "Watch how you talk about her or I'll get mad!" Suzuni said with a warning
    1.34 +glare.
    1.35 + "What, jealous?" Megumi teased.
    1.36 + "What do you think, you baka?" Suzuni replied.
    1.37 + "There she is!" Megumi exclaimed softly, nodding down the hall leading up
    1.38 +to the gate.
    1.39 + Suzuni turned and gaped, for once ignoring her ice-cream and letting it
    1.40 +slowly melt.
    1.41 + The girl looked like she was around the age of twenty, with violet-black
    1.42 +curls falling in waves to her waist. Her skin was so pale Suzuni thought
    1.43 +that she could be a ghost. Pale lips were curved up slightly, in an almost
    1.44 +hopeful manner. Stormy blue eyes looked out calmly, scanning the people
    1.45 +around her to find a seat near the gate.
    1.46 + "She IS beautiful." Suzuni managed.
    1.47 + "Look more closely at the eyes." Megumi instructed.
    1.48 + Suzuni obeyed, and was surprised to see the well of emotions that could be
    1.49 +seen behind them, if you ignored the mask the girl's eyes seemed to have.
    1.50 +There was the tiniest bit of hope, and there was despair. Calmness,
    1.51 +patience, and most of all.sadness. Loneliness.
    1.52 + Megumi examined Suzuni's face closely. "As I've always told you before.the
    1.53 +eyes are the windows to the soul."
    1.54 + Suzuni sighed and turned back to Megumi, leaving the graceful figure
    1.55 +clothed in a sleeveless white sundress with a sunflower pinned to the left
    1.56 +strap behind to sit down. "You're right.I wonder what could make someone
    1.57 +that sad?"
    1.58 + Megumi sighed, smiling a sad sort of smile. "I don't know.I always feel
    1.59 +that I should be.I don't know, respectful or something. I can never make
    1.60 +myself ask when I look into those eyes. It's almost as if she's been through
    1.61 +a million battles. And the sad thing is, she probably has."
    1.62 + "At her age? She's been at war?" Suzuni looked confused.
    1.63 + Megumi sweatdropped. "Not THAT kind of fighting! I mean it looks as if she'
    1.64 +s had a hard life."
    1.65 + "Oh. I knew that!" Suzuni tried.
    1.66 + "Yeah right." Megumi rolled her eyes. "If you're so curious you try and ask
    1.67 +her. I need to go and sweep the floor."
    1.68 + "Maybe I will!" Suzuni said, standing and walking off before Megumi could
    1.69 +stop her.
    1.70 + "She didn't even finish her ice-cream.?" Megumi shrugged and started to
    1.71 +clean up.
    1.72 +~
    1.73 + Tomoyo sat down gracefully in the middle of an empty row right by the gate.
    1.74 +She had once promised herself she would wait for Sakura to return to her
    1.75 +every day until the end of her time. It had been perhaps two years since her
    1.76 +light had left her, taking away most of Tomoyo's happiness. There was still
    1.77 +the small joy she could get from watching her Sakura tapes and designing new
    1.78 +outfits that the other girl would probably never try on.
    1.79 + Okaa-san worried greatly about her nowadays, but Tomoyo kept going about
    1.80 +her normal schedule. Or what had become normal after she had pulled herself
    1.81 +together after Sakura's departure. Tomoyo still hadn't managed to watch the
    1.82 +tape of Sakura's wedding.she somehow couldn't force herself to. She simply
    1.83 +designed things for Okaa-san's company, and designed even more things for
    1.84 +Sakura, which she kept locked away in her bedroom.
    1.85 + Tomoyo looked up, shaken out of her Sakura-reverie as someone cleared his
    1.86 +or her throat.
    1.87 + A tall blonde girl, probably sixteen or so, though she was taller then
    1.88 +Tomoyo since the heiress had always been rather petite, stood before her.
    1.89 +She had her hair cut short, almost in a way that reminded Tomoyo of Sakura,
    1.90 +and had hazel eyes that were full of curiosity. The girl was clothed in
    1.91 +jeans and a shirt, and tilted her head gently to the side. "Ohayo! I'm
    1.92 +Kajiya Suzuni!" Suzuni bowed politely. "Well.I will be. Oh, just call me
    1.93 +Suzuni!"
    1.94 + Tomoyo smiled slightly at the girl's enthusiasm. So much like Sakura's when
    1.95 +she was young! "I'm Daidouji-san." Tomoyo offered, nodding her head gravely
    1.96 +since she didn't feel like standing while waiting for the plane as she
    1.97 +always did, and also not giving out her first name.
    1.98 + "Pardon me for intruding upon you," Suzuni blushed, ducking her head and
    1.99 +then lifting it. "But Megumi-chan, a girl who works at the ice-cream shop
   1.100 +across from here, told me about you a while ago. She said you come here
   1.101 +every single day to watch the people who get on and off of this exact
   1.102 +flight." Suzuni looked more curious then embarrassed now. "And I wondered
   1.103 +why? And also why you look so sad."
   1.104 + "You think I'm sad?" Tomoyo was mildly surprised. Very rarely could people
   1.105 +see through the masks that she wore to hide her feelings.
   1.106 + "I didn't at first, but my girlfriend Megumi is always picking up on things
   1.107 +like that. She's so perceptive!" Tomoyo had to let out a small giggle as she
   1.108 +saw the hearts in Suzuni's eyes.
   1.109 + "Well, if you sit down I can tell you." Tomoyo offered, the words barely
   1.110 +out of her mouth before Suzuni eagerly sat down. Tomoyo smiled serenely,
   1.111 +clasping her hands in her lap. "Once upon a time, around twelve years ago,
   1.112 +there was a young girl who moved here, to Tomeda. She was so scared when she
   1.113 +walked into her new classroom, and thought she wouldn't make any friends.
   1.114 +She wasn't very good at making friends back then. But by a chance of fate
   1.115 +she got seated next to a kawaii, genki, energetic young girl who was always
   1.116 +smiling and happy." Tomoyo sighed her 'hanyaa' sigh. "When the genki young
   1.117 +girl saw the new girl had no eraser, she cheerfully handed over a bunny
   1.118 +eraser, telling the new girl her name as she did. That kawaii little girl
   1.119 +had the most beautiful name: Sakura. So Sakura-chan became friends with the
   1.120 +formerly lonely Tomoyo-chan. They grew up together, Tomoyo-chan always
   1.121 +following Sakura around with a camcorder or camera, capturing every moment
   1.122 +she could of Sakura's kawaii and magical life."
   1.123 + "I wish I could do that with Suzuni." Both Tomoyo and Suzuni jumped,
   1.124 +noticing for the first time Megumi, who immediately blushed and sat on the
   1.125 +other side of Tomoyo. "Gomen. I'm Kajiya Megumi. Please go on! Onegai?"
   1.126 + Tomoyo smiled, noting that this girl must be Suzuni's girlfriend.
   1.127 +"Daijoubu. Every moment of Tomoyo-chan's life after she received that eraser
   1.128 +was a big 'I love you Sakura-chan!'. But Sakura-chan was a little oblivious
   1.129 +to matters of the heart and other things, and didn't notice, no matter how
   1.130 +many times Tomoyo-chan said it." Tomoyo's smile turned a little sad.
   1.131 +"Eventually Tomoyo-chan came to the conclusion that she wasn't Sakura-chan's
   1.132 +True Love, though Sakura-chan was her True Love. And so she searched for
   1.133 +someone she could entrust Sakura-chan to, without any regrets.
   1.134 +Unfortunately, Tomoyo-chan made a mistake. The boy she entrusted her True
   1.135 +Love to, Syaoran-kun, took Sakura-chan away from Tomoyo-chan. Now
   1.136 +Tomoyo-chan couldn't even be Sakura-chan's best friend. Syaoran-kun made it
   1.137 +very clear when Tomoyo-chan tried to contact Sakura-chan that he could take
   1.138 +care of Sakura-chan without Tomoyo-chan. He made sure they never talked
   1.139 +again."
   1.140 + Megumi looked over at Suzuni, knowing how she would feel if she was cut off
   1.141 +from Suzuni. Poor Tomoyo!
   1.142 + "So Tomoyo-chan talked to the stars, even though all the light was gone
   1.143 +from her life. Her only joys came from watching videos of Sakura-chan, and
   1.144 +looking at pictures of Sakura-chan, and wishing Sakura-chan was happy.
   1.145 +Iie.she wished Sakura-chan would return to her. So over all the distance
   1.146 +between them she looked up at the stars and wished Sakura-chan could hear
   1.147 +her saying 'I will wait for you for all eternity, until you return to me. To
   1.148 +this day Sakura-chan has not returned to the one person who would give her
   1.149 +life to just here Sakura one more time, to see her, to spend one last day
   1.150 +with her beloved."
   1.151 + Suzuni frowned. "That's a sad story, but what does it have to do with you?"
   1.152 + Tomoyo and Megumi sweatdropped. Megumi replied, "Your ice-cream is melting.
   1.153 +You had better go and eat it."
   1.154 + Suzuni was away in a flash, and Megumi stood up, then bowed respectfully to
   1.155 +Tomoyo. "You've gone through a lot of pain. I don't know how I could stand
   1.156 +it if that had happened to Suzuni and I. She finally realized how I felt
   1.157 +only because her brother told her. She thought for a long time, for once.
   1.158 +Then she told me exactly how she felt about the situation, and asked me out
   1.159 +on a date. You're strong Tomoyo-chan."
   1.160 + Tomoyo smiled. "She reminds me of Sakura-chan in a few ways. Suzuni-san
   1.161 +said something about you being the one who found out I was sad. How.?"
   1.162 + Megumi blushed. "Oh, I work at the shop across from here. And.hasn't anyone
   1.163 +ever told you the eyes are the windows to the soul? I hope she returns to
   1.164 +you someday. I'll give you your ice cream free today."
   1.165 + Tomoyo started to protest, but Megumi stopped her. "In exchange for the
   1.166 +wonderful story. Suzuni-chan and I will be getting married next month. We're
   1.167 +both eighteen." Tomoyo looked surprised. "I'm short for my age, and Suzuni
   1.168 +just acts younger. We'd be pleased if you came. Here.bring Sakura-chan along
   1.169 +when she returns to you. If she does in time, I mean." Megumi handed Tomoyo
   1.170 +a napkin with the detail scribbled on a napkin. "I hope to see you both
   1.171 +there."
   1.172 +~
   1.173 + Tomoyo sighed, tucking the napkin into her pocket. She would definitely be
   1.174 +at the wedding, though it was doubtful Sakura would return. She would be
   1.175 +able to give her camcorder a workout after all these years. And Okaa-san
   1.176 +would surely want to come along. Then they could both be happy that two
   1.177 +girls reminding them of other people found True Love together.
   1.178 + Tomoyo glanced down as her watch beeped sweetly. Sweetly because Okaa-san
   1.179 +hated normal watch beeping, and had insisted on a pretty sound. "The plane
   1.180 +should arrive right."
   1.181 + "Attention, attention, the plane from Hong Kong to Tomeda has arrived! I
   1.182 +repeat, the plane from Hong Kong to Tomeda has arrived!" The usual bored
   1.183 +voice of the flight attendant announced.
   1.184 + Tomoyo smiled, glancing back one last time at the two girls, who were now
   1.185 +involved in a conversation, from what it looked like they were discussing
   1.186 +ice cream flavors. "."
   1.187 + Tomoyo giggled then shook her head and looked back as the door opened and
   1.188 +passengers started filing in. Just as she always did, Tomoyo searched for
   1.189 +Sakura in the line of people who got off, and as always, she saw no Sakura
   1.190 +chan.
   1.191 + Her watch rang again, and Tomoyo got up, heading for the ice cream shop.
   1.192 +Just as she reached the middle of the hallway between the gate and the
   1.193 +ice-cream shop as something hit her head hard, and she stumbled sideways,
   1.194 +whatever it was hanging on to her head. "Kyaa!"
   1.195 + Tomoyo fell to the ground, unable to regain hr balance. She finally managed
   1.196 +to get whatever-it-was off, noting before she got it off that it was making
   1.197 +noises, like it was talking.
   1.198 + Finally able to see the thing her eyes widened. "No.way."
   1.199 + "Hiya Tomoyo-chan! Got any chocolate on ya?" The small yellow creature
   1.200 +asked.
   1.201 + "Kero-chan.?" Tomoyo asked in disbelief. Was she dreaming?
   1.202 + "The one and only!" Kero said.
   1.203 + "Should you really be zooming around in an airport?" Tomoyo asked.
   1.204 + "Uh.probably not." Kero sweatdropped. "Gomen. I forgot about that.I was so
   1.205 +happy to see you! You can cook so well! Oh well. They'll just think I'm a
   1.206 +weird toy." A few children were heard saying they wanted a toy like that.
   1.207 + "Kero-chan." Tomoyo started.
   1.208 + "Want some help up Tomoyo-chan?" The one voice she had been sure she would
   1.209 +never hear again asked, taking one of Tomoyo's hands in hers and pulling the
   1.210 +pale heiress to her feet.
   1.211 + "Sakura-chan?! What are you doing in Tomeda? Where's Syaoran-kun?" Tomoyo
   1.212 +was now sure that she was dreaming. She had to be.
   1.213 + Sakura's eyes darkened, then brightened. "He's back in Hong Kong. A few
   1.214 +months ago I started getting these weird dreams, and I started to think he'd
   1.215 +made you stop talking to me and writing to me. It turned out he had had the
   1.216 +phone company block your number and he had all of the letters you sent
   1.217 +stuffed in the family safe. I only found out after finding one in the mail
   1.218 +by accident and by forcing him to tell me everything. The only reason I didn
   1.219 +'t come home sooner was because we had to get the divorce settled. I don't
   1.220 +want to marry someone who would block me off from my very best friend."
   1.221 +Sakura hugged Tomoyo again, looking the only slightly shorter girl in the
   1.222 +eyes. "I missed you, Tomoyo-chan. So did Kero-chan and the cards."
   1.223 + "But.Sakura-chan's happiness." Tomoyo was now utterly confused, and yet
   1.224 +understanding everything at the same time.
   1.225 + "I wasn't happy living with someone who would do that Tomoyo-chan. Besides,
   1.226 +I finally figured out my heart. And what everyone else, like Onii-chan,
   1.227 +Yukito-san, and even Meiling-chan had been hinting at. Not to mention
   1.228 +Chiharu-chan, Naoko-chan, and Rika-chan. Even Yamazaki-chan tried to tell me
   1.229 +a few times." Sakura sweatdropped. "And my Sakura cards.And Kero-chan."
   1.230 + "Kid, you'd better stop or we'll be here forever. Face it: you're oblivious
   1.231 +to some things. REALLY oblivious." Kero said, rolling his eyes. "NOW I WANT
   1.232 +CAKE!"
   1.233 + Sakura glared at Kero. "Hey! Be nice or.um.NO DESERT FOR A MONTH!"
   1.234 + Kero immediately went silent.
   1.235 + "What are you trying to say Sakura-chan.?" Tomoyo prompted eagerly.
   1.236 + Sakura blushed bright red. "Um.er.uh.that is.I.Tomoyo-chan,
   1.237 +I.uh.I.A-Aishiteru Tomoyo-chan." Sakura finally got out.
   1.238 + Tomoyo started to cry as she heard the words she had waited her entire life
   1.239 +to hear.
   1.240 + Sakura looked at Tomoyo in concern and slight confusion. "Tomoyo-chan! Don'
   1.241 +t cry.are you alright?" She gently wiped Tomoyo's eyes.
   1.242 + "I'm fine Sakura-chan. It's just that I always knew you would save me, my
   1.243 +beautiful emerald light." Tomoyo smiled gently.
   1.244 + Sakura smiled nervously. "Um, Tomoyo-chan?"
   1.245 + "Yes Sakura-chan?"
   1.246 + Sakura put her hand behind her head, smiling. "I was wondering if you would
   1.247 +like.to.um."
   1.248 + Tomoyo giggled, and decided to help Sakura out. "Would you like to go out
   1.249 +some time Sakura? We could go get some ice cream before we get your luggage,
   1.250 +and then maybe we can go out to dinner. It's a little backwards, but they
   1.251 +have the best ice cream there."
   1.252 + "Hai!" Sakura stopped, and looked at Tomoyo. "Tomoyo, how did you know I
   1.253 +would come home today?"
   1.254 + Tomoyo smiled. "I didn't Sakura. I always come here every day. Then I get
   1.255 +ice cream."
   1.256 + Sakura frowned. "But what would you have done if I never came?"
   1.257 + Tomoyo thought, then smiled again. "I would have waited for you every day,
   1.258 +until I was no longer in this world. For my Sakura-chan, I can bear
   1.259 +anything."
   1.260 + "Tomoyo."
   1.261 + Tomoyo smiled brightly, all the sadness wiped away from her eyes. "I love
   1.262 +you Sakura. I always have, and always will. Oh.I have a ton of costumes for
   1.263 +you, but it looks like I might have to re-measure you and make a few changes
   1.264 +to them."
   1.265 + "But I've got all the cards." Sakura pointed out.
   1.266 + "Well, I have a theory." Kero said thoughtfully. "Your magic didn't work
   1.267 +when you left Tomeda, and therefore no evil was attracted, nor was any
   1.268 +magic. I think your magic is powered by your love of Tomoyo-chan, because
   1.269 +ever since we got here I've felt stronger. Ever since you divorced the brat
   1.270 +you've even been able to invoke the cards. So, now that your magic is
   1.271 +working you will have plenty of adventures. Believe me! Now let's get that
   1.272 +ice cream."
   1.273 +~
   1.274 +A few weeks later.
   1.275 + "Time to throw the bouquets!" Suzuni called out cheerfully.
   1.276 + Sonomi ran over, determined to get one for herself. Suzuni threw hers, and
   1.277 +Sonomi managed to get it by growling at the other women trying to get it.
   1.278 + "Okaa-san." Tomoyo sweatdropped, then smiled.
   1.279 + "C'mon! Throw yours Megumi!" Suzuni ordered.
   1.280 + Megumi looked at her newlywed wife and smiled slightly. "Daijoubu." Megumi
   1.281 +smiled brightly as she saw Tomoyo. "Tomoyo-chan! Catch!" Tomoyo threw up her
   1.282 +hands to shield her face from the flying bouquet, catching it in the
   1.283 +process.
   1.284 + "Tomoyo-chan?" Suzuni asked her wife. "You mean she's the girl from the
   1.285 +story?"
   1.286 + Megumi sweatdropped. "Ah.let's go get in the car and go start on the way to
   1.287 +the airport so we can leave for our honeymoon, okay?"
   1.288 + Suzuni agreed cheerfully, and they were gone in an instant, as were most of
   1.289 +the guests. Tomoyo continued to stare at the bouquet of cherry blossoms. Of
   1.290 +course, Megumi was the type to do that on purpose. Over the past few weeks
   1.291 +Sakura and Tomoyo had gotten to know the couple very well along with Sonomi.
   1.292 + Sakura tapped Tomoyo on the shoulder, smiling. "You know, I think that's
   1.293 +Megumi-chan giving us a hint, hmm?"
   1.294 + Tomoyo raised an eyebrow. "You picked up on that?"
   1.295 + Sakura blushed. "Megumi-chan explained to me all about the 'whoever catches
   1.296 +the bouquet is the next to be married' thing." Sakura admitted. "She has
   1.297 +also taken me to fifty jewelry stores in the past week."
   1.298 + Tomoyo giggled. "She really wants us to be 'happily ever after'."
   1.299 + "I already am." Sakura said, blushing. "Hoe."
   1.300 + "What is it Sakura?" Tomoyo asked.
   1.301 + "Um.Tomoyowouldyouconsidermarryingme?" Sakura asked in one breath.
   1.302 + Tomoyo smiled. "Of course. I'd even say hai."
   1.303 + Sakura smiled giddily. "Oh, Tomoyo, you won't be sorry! I'll.um.be the very
   1.304 +best wife it's possible to be! I love you Tomoyo."
   1.305 + "I love you too Sakura." Tomoyo took off a ring she had been wearing and
   1.306 +slipped it on Sakura's ring finger. "This can be your engagement ring. It
   1.307 +was the ring my mother gave me. Your mother gave it to my mother when they
   1.308 +were little, as a fake wedding ring. You know how little kids have pretend
   1.309 +weddings. Okaa-san has had it ever since." Tomoyo explained.
   1.310 + "It's beautiful." Sakura managed. The ring was a silver band inlayed with
   1.311 +pearls in a swirling pattern.
   1.312 + "And an heirloom." Tomoyo said cheerfully.
   1.313 + Sakura handed Tomoyo a ring and slipped it on Tomoyo's ring finger, which
   1.314 +was a silver band with a small blue sapphire in the center, and Japanese
   1.315 +writing around it, which read 'Aishiteru'. "Otou-san and Onii-chan helped me
   1.316 +pick it out. Do you like it Tomoyo?" Sakura asked anxiously.
   1.317 + "Of course!" Tomoyo replied. "Anything Sakura-chan gives me is precious
   1.318 +beyond any treasure but Sakura-chan herself." Tomoyo handed Sakura the
   1.319 +bouquet. "Here. Since you asked me before I did you, you deserve this." She
   1.320 +smiled brightly. "Aishiteru, Sakura."
   1.321 + "Aishiteru Tomoyo. Gomen it took me so long to figure that out." Sakura
   1.322 +replied.
   1.323 + "That's okay Sakura. I would have always loved you no matter what, and I
   1.324 +do. I always will." Tomoyo leaned her head on Sakura's shoulder.
   1.325 + "And I you." Sakura said softly, leaning down to kiss her one True Love.
   1.326 +
   1.327 +THE END