Dear Sakura

 by Amazoness Duo and G.P.

 amazonessduo@hotmail.com

 pearsong1954@yahoo.com

 

 

 	“Where the hell is she?” Syaoran scowled as he found himself at the

 starting point of his search, his empty bedroom. He had awoken to

 find Sakura missing, her side of the bed barely slept in. His

 brunette wife was almost always there when he got ready for work. He

 had thought that she had been downstairs making breakfast or waiting

 for him, but Sakura hadn’t been there either. His concern escalating,

 the Chinese sorcerer had made his way through the entire house,

 twice, to no avail. Sakura was nowhere to be found. 

 	Sighing, Syaoran once again poured over the room he and his wife

 shared. One of her small bags was gone. It was the one Tomoyo had

 given her as a going away present when Sakura had agreed to come back

 to Hong Kong with him. The only reason he remembered was because the

 sickeningly cute bag held most of Sakura’s things for her gym class,

 so it was often next to their bed so it would be readily available

 for her in the morning. But her school supplies lay next to the bed

 in disarray, as if Sakura had dumped them all out before taking the

 bag. That didn’t make any sense. What good would an empty bag do?

 	Continuing his search, the frustrated man scoured the room for

 anything else that might be a clue to his wife’s whereabouts. He

 couldn’t tell if anything else was missing, but he found enough of

 her things hurriedly tossed to the side that he could guess that

 there were. His eyes slowly scanned the room before stopping on the

 desk that lay against the far wall. On top of it lay his Lazan Board,

 but there was a curious empty spot next to it. "The Sakura Book!” he

 nearly yelled out. The familiar pink book was nowhere to be seen.

 Sakura sometimes took it with her when she wanted to speak to the

 Cards or when she simply wanted it nearby, but it always wound up on

 that desk. A terrible sense of foreboding swept through the Chinese

 sorcerer.

 	Running down the stairs, Syaoran forced past his older sister,

 Shiefa, brusquely. He hardly paid attention to her as he continued

 through the house. Where had Sakura gone off to? Why would she leave

 so suddenly? Was there some new danger? He paused for a moment in

 front of the door to the garden. He had to relax. He had told Sakura

 time and time again that if she cried it would keep her from getting

 anything done. It was the same as this situation. If he panicked, he

 wouldn’t be able to resolve the situation. Nodding to himself, he

 tried to clear his thoughts. Sakura obviously hadn’t had time to grab

 more than a few things, so she was obviously in a hurry. She had

 taken the Book of Sakura with her, so it could have something to do

 with the Cards. Hadn’t she mentioned some dream that had concerned

 her lately? He couldn’t recall what it had been about exactly. So

 perhaps she had rushed off to whatever this new magical emergency

 was. But then why hadn’t she told him? He may not be as powerful as

 she, but he had vowed to protect her.		Tomoyo had made him promise

 that the night before their wedding. It had been an unexpected visit

 from the dark haired girl, one he hadn’t quite understood. Why would

 the Daidouji girl come to him rather than to Sakura the night before

 their wedding? She was obsessed with his bride to be, after all. But

 she had come to him that night. Her normal smile hadn’t been on her

 face and that had immediately worried him that it might have

 something to do with Sakura. But after he had finally allowed her

 inside, Tomoyo had watched him carefully for what felt like an

 eternity, studying his very soul. When she finally spoke, her soft

 voice sounded extremely far away, as if she had traveled the world

 over and was too exhausted to take another step. They had spoken for

 a short time, mostly about Sakura, though Syaoran had been uneasy the

 entire conversation. Finally, Tomoyo had walked up to him and looked

 him straight in the eyes. For someone who had faced countless

 hardships and numerous battles, Syaoran had thought he was prepared

 for anything. But Tomoyo’s infinite gaze, her stormy blue eyes seeing

 deep past all that he was... Syaoran had flinched. He had barely

 heard her speak and it took him a moment to piece together what he

 had heard. She wanted him to promise that he would take care of

 Sakura, that he would make her happy. Her words had irritated him,

 and he had grown angry with her at the time. “What are you talking

 about? Of course I’ll take care of her,” he had said.

 	Tomoyo had merely stared at him, her deep eyes never losing their

 hold on his. His anger seemed to pass through her as if she hadn’t

 even noticed it. “I want you to promise that you will always make

 Sakura happy. I want you to keep her safe,” she said in her gentle

 voice, but there had been no questioning her. Despite her gentle

 façade, her words were laced with steel. He would protect her, he

 would make her happy, or... He didn’t even want to know the

 consequences. He tried to laugh at the thought now, of this pale and

 weak girl doing anything to him if he didn’t fulfil his promise, but

 he couldn’t bring himself to find any humor in the situation. He knew

 in his heart that Tomoyo had been dead serious that day, that there

 was no falling short on his side of the deal. There was something

 about the dark haired girl that had frightened him. He had agreed

 with her demands quickly, hoping she would leave him alone. But she

 had waited a moment longer, still staring at him. Brushing back some

 hair, she offered him a small smile and a nod before turning around.

 He hadn’t seen her leave and he had almost convinced himself that she

 had merely been a ghost before he finally got a hold of himself.

 	Finding himself in the garden, Syaoran walked out into the chilly

 morning, holding himself as the bitter wind rushed past him. That

 promise felt as if it had been made a lifetime ago. But still, a

 promise is a promise. And even more than that, this was his wife. He

 was supposed to protect her. So where had she gone to without him? If

 it was something to do with her magic, then why wouldn’t she bring

 him along? It didn’t make any sense. A small spring of anger welled

 up inside him as he fought against the cold. She needed him, didn’t

 she? Of course she did. But then why hadn’t she told him of whatever

 this was? Why would she run off without him? He was her husband. He

 was the one that she was supposed to come with for everything. But

 recently, she had spent all of her time talking about that Daidouji

 girl. He had gotten so sick of hearing ‘Tomoyo’ all around the house.

 Even Fanren had started talking about her! He knew she was Sakura’s

 friend, but he hated seeing the one he loved talking about another

 all the time, even if it was just another girl. He had gotten angry

 at her over it, but he thought that had been resolved. Besides, he

 didn’t talk about other people all the time, so why should she? 

 	Shaking his head, Syaoran once again tried to clear his thoughts,

 but the jealousy and anger wouldn’t go away. Even if Sakura was the

 most powerful magical being on the planet, why would she hurry off

 without him? Did she think she didn’t need him for this? What if

 something terrible happened that she needed him to save her from?

 Tomoyo sure as hell couldn’t save her. For all Sakura had talked

 about her recently, the pale girl could never help her with some

 magical problem. That was why she needed him for something like this.

 It was foolish to rush off on her own. Now he would have to find her,

 and, most likely at the last possible instant, save her. 

 Syaoran’s scowl grew darker as he stepped out among the flowers. He

 was liking this less and less. What the hell could Sakura be up to?

 He was her husband. He had a right to know, even if this didn’t have

 anything to do with the Cards. They were married and he was the one

 she should be going to with her problems so he could fix them. But

 instead, she always turned to Tomoyo, crying out her problems in

 letters and telephone conversations that cost a big chunk of Sakura’s

 paycheck because she wouldn’t get off the phone until it was pitch

 black outside. But could Tomoyo ever fix her problems? No. She was

 merely a shoulder to cry on. But somehow, Sakura always felt better

 about everything. And that made Syaoran even more jealous about the

 attention that someone else was receiving from his wife. Sakura would

 crawl back into bed after writing a long letter or after she had been

 on the phone with Tomoyo for entirely too long and she would smile

 happily, as if she were completely refreshed and wrap her arms around

 him before falling asleep. He was glad to see Sakura happier, even if

 it puzzled him, but he was angry that it was through someone else. He

 knew that he didn’t think Sakura needed to talk about everything and

 that he didn’t always feel like listening after a hard day at work,

 but he was still frustrated that he wasn’t the one making her feel

 better.

 Tomoyo’s visit had proven even worse for the Chinese sorcerer. She

 had managed to captivate the hearts of his family, in particular his

 older sister, Fanren. Even his mother seemed to take favor with the

 pale beauty! How could she get Ieran-sama’s attention when even he

 failed under her scrutiny? That had infuriated him. His wife had been

 so obliviously happy during the Japanese girl’s stay, spending every

 conceivable moment with her. The thing that had gotten to him the

 most was that Sakura had looked happier during Tomoyo’s brief stay

 than he could ever remember her, even during the honeymoon. He hadn’t

 been able to wait for Tomoyo to leave so things could get back to

 normal again. But they hadn’t been able to. Sakura had seemed even

 more distant lately, her conversations invariably leading back to the

 dark haired girl. He had lost his temper several times and though he

 regretted it now, he hadn’t been able to stop himself. He just didn’t

 want to hear about her anymore in his house. Sakura was his wife,

 damn it! No one else’s. No one else had claim to her. He was the one

 she should always come to for help. He was the one who should always

 make her happy. He should be the one she was always talking about! 

 So wrapped up in his burning jealousy was Syaoran that he barely

 noticed the rustle of leaves in a tree above and the sound of

 branches shifting as someone leapt out. He felt the wind whip past

 his face as he narrowly dodged the leaping form. His eyes quickly

 focused on his attacker, his body shifting to a fighting stance.

 “Meiling?!” he blurted out in surprise. His beautiful cousin stood

 before him in a short, blue Chinese dress that barely fell past her

 thighs. Intricate lavender flowers lay entwined across the deep blue.

 Her amber eyes met his with an anger that sent ripples through him.

 In a fluid movement that looked more like a dance than an attack, her

 fist lunged for him. Syaoran ducked it easily. “What the hell are you

 doing?” he shouted at her, blocking a kick. He tried to sense any

 magic coming from her to see if she had been enchanted, but he could

 feel nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. All he had to do was glance

 at those burning amber eyes to see the fury that held her. 

 Meiling kicked again, driving Syaoran back with her strong legs.

 This man had once been her fiance, the man that she had loved with

 all of her heart. The man that she still loved. Which is why she was

 still so angry with him. How he could have left her for some Japanese

 girl was completely beyond her. Had he simply been infatuated with

 Sakura’s magic? That was part of why he fell for the white haired

 boy, so it was reasonable. And as Sakura had grown in magical power,

 so had Syaoran’s feelings for her, as if the two ideas were linked

 firmly together. Whatever the reason, he had spurned his cousin’s

 affections and instead married the Cardmistress. To say that Meiling

 had been distraught was an understatement. Dreams of marrying her

 beloved Syaoran had been with her since childhood. The bitter taste

 of defeat, of having the once she loved so callously toss her aside

 had been maddening. How he could dare do that to her when she had

 given him everything had picked at her heart the same way a

 thoughtless person pulls away a butterflies wings. Her wings had been

 stolen from her and she could no longer soar. All because some hussy

 had come along and stolen the attention of the only one she had ever

 loved. She would never forgive Sakura for taking away her Syaoran.

 But at the same time, she couldn’t forgive Syaoran either. ‘But I

 gave you everything,’ she had whispered when she had learned of the

 wedding. Syaoran had tried to explain it to her, but she ran off. She

 hadn’t let him see her tears. But as soon as she was alone, they came

 bitterly and with a vengeance. ‘I loved you and I gave you

 everything. I gave you my heart. Why couldn’t you accept it? Is there

 something wrong with it? Is it not good enough?’ she had asked

 herself in the midst of her tears. But no answers had ever come to

 her, from her own heart or from Syaoran. 

 Though the marriage had only been half a year ago at the most,

 Meiling could have sworn it had been an eternity. Forced to watch her

 beloved cousin and his blushing bride had driven her near the

 breaking point. To see the man she loved with another woman, to know

 that her lonely heart would never receive his attention was too

 sickeningly cruel. How Tomoyo dealt with it, she couldn’t begin to

 fathom. All she knew was the pain. It was her constant companion, a

 travel guide to life that she had been unlucky enough to come across.

 And all the while, Syaoran had never once shown any sympathy, any

 remorse for breaking her heart. How thoughtless! How cruel! How dare

 he!?! Meiling renewed her assault with further vigor, her rage

 fueling her near dance-like attacks.

 	Syaoran kept on the defensive, but he was beginning to tire.

 Meiling had gone crazy. That was the only explanation. Why else would

 she fight him like this? It made no sense. He decided that the only

 way to finish this battle would be to take her out. She seemed in no

 mood to give up. With a sigh, he lunged forward. He felt bad for what

 he had to do, but it had to be done. He and Meiling had sparred often

 enough in the past and he nearly always won. So he would have to

 defeat her here and find out just what was going on. He waited

 patiently for her to collapse, but to his surprise, his fist missed

 her entirely. His eyes widened as he saw her leg dart out. A painful

 realization hit him seconds before her leg did. She was a whole lot

 faster than he had ever imagined. This fight had been hers from the

 beginning. Pain blossomed through him like a sudden and unexpected

 supernova. The wind rushed out of him in a frenzied path to escape

 his burning lungs. His stomach called out in agony as he first

 hunched over and then collapsed to the ground altogether. “How..?” he

 got out weakly.

 	Meiling crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing as she

 watched the man lying in pain on the grass below her. “Didn’t think I

 could beat you, huh? You thought I’d always settle for second place

 with you, is that it? I always got second and you always got first as

 children. You always came in ahead of me.” Brushing a dark pigtail

 over her shoulder, she knelt next to her prone cousin. “I let you

 win. I loved you, so I was happy to let you win as long as I could be

 the one to finish next to you. I loved how happy it made you, how

 exhilarated you always were when you succeeded. You always had this

 thirst for victory, for winning. And I was pleased to let you drink

 its nectar from my hands.” She shrugged absently as she stood up,

 stretching. “And let’s face it, Syaoran. Martial Arts was never your

 thing. You were always better at magic anyway.”

 	Trying to catch his breath, Syaoran struggled with what she was

 telling him. So all those times that he had beaten her as a child,

 every sparring match he had won, they were because she had let him?

 This girl who had been there for almost all of the life he could

 remember, who had always trailed just behind him, had allowed him to

 pull ahead simply because of her feelings for him? Memories came back

 in a flood, of her making careless mistakes when they were sparring

 or slowing just enough when they were sprinting to allow him to pass.

 He sighed painfully. It seemed that not only his stomach would

 bruise, but his ego as well. “What were you thinking?” he asked

 angrily, forcing himself up on his hands. He turned his firey gaze on

 her, but she didn’t look like she was in a mood for it. Her own

 smoldering eyes made his feel like simmering coal in comparison.

 	“I won. I refuse to live in your shadow anymore, Syaoran. I refuse

 to let you continue hurting me like this. I won't lie down and let

 you force your damned marriage in my face.” Meiling began to walk

 away from him, the wind playing idly with her hair. “So I’m finished.

 I’m not going to let myself stick around and wait for things to work

 out. I’m leaving, Syaoran. My life is my own. I just took it back

 from you. I gave you my heart and if it’s not good enough for you,

 then I might as well leave.” Tears sparkled in her eyes as she turned

 to face him one last time. “I love you, Syaoran. And I always will.

 But I won’t let you hurt me anymore. Goodbye.” And with that, she

 leapt into the trees.

 	“Meiling! Meiling!!” Syaoran cried out after her. But it was too

 late. She was already gone. “Damn it!” Struggling to his knees, the

 Chinese sorcerer winced as pain shot through his belly. “What else

 could go wrong today?” he muttered to himself, walking back towards

 the house. Just what was he supposed to tell his mother, the

 matriarch of the Li family? He dreaded the thought. She would not be

 pleased about Meiling’s sudden decision. ‘Probably like she wasn’t

 pleased with my decision to marry Sakura-chan instead of Meiling,” he

 thought disparately. 

 	“Sakura-chan’s gone!!” 

 	“Ack!!” Syaoran reeled back, getting ready to attack the demon that

 had leapt out at him. His heart finally slowed as the Seal Beast came

 into view, concern etched all over it’s small yellow head. Syaoran

 pushed past him, not in the mood to deal with Kero’s antics at the

 moment.

 	“Hey, brat, I said ‘Sa-ku-ra-chan-is-gone’. What, you don’t speak

 Japanese all of a sudden?” Kero asked irritably. He never did much

 like the Chinese sorcerer and Sakura’s marriage to him hadn’t changed

 the situation. Syaoran wouldn’t even let him sleep in the same room

 as Sakura like he used to! 

 	“I know that! I’ve been looking for her all morning,” Syaoran

 replied angrily, wishing that the stuffed animal could be busy doing

 anything besides pestering him at the moment. “I’ve looked

 everywhere.” He sighed resignedly.

 	“Everywhere, huh?” The Seal Beast smirked proudly, crossing his

 arms. “I guess you need to get glasses, boy, because you missed

 something.” Producing a letter out of nowhere, Kero grinned

 triumphantly. He was always happy to outwit people he didn’t like and

 Syaoran ranked very highly on his list. 

 	Syaoran snatched the letter away from the flying teddy bear

 instantly, skimming through it. He knew that style too well. He had

 seen Sakura reading these when he had been drifting off to sleep. It

 had to be from Tomoyo. And sure enough, it was. The letter was polite

 and explained to Sakura that she had to say goodbye, that she would

 be going away. “Crap!” Syaoran tossed the letter, hurrying upstairs,

 Kero in hot pursuit.

 	“So what is it? Do you know where she is?” Kero asked impatiently.

 He didn’t know what the letter meant, only that it was important. The

 fact that it said that Tomoyo was leaving and that it had been found

 near where Sakura kept her keys worried him.

 	“Sakura-chan’s gone back to Japan. She’s trying to stop Daidouji-

 san,” Syaoran said over his shoulder, cramming clothes into a

 suitcase. It all made sense now. Why Sakura had been so hellbent on

 Tomoyo for the past few weeks, why she had been so happy to see

 Tomoyo during her visit, why she had needed the dark haired girl so

 much. And he wasn’t about to let some rich girl steal his wife away

 from him. Sakura was his and he was going to make sure it stayed that

 way, no matter what happened. Slamming the clasps on his suitcase, he

 stood up and scanned the room one last time for anything he might

 need.

 	“So we’re going back to Japan to find Sakura-chan? Oh yeah!!” Kero

 exclaimed, bringing his small arm down in an excited gesture. “Let’s

 get goin’, kid!!”