view old/stories/ccs-cinderella.txt @ 2:fc00894c1d4a moonlitnights

[svn r3] moved all the bad stuff to 'old'
author rlm
date Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:53:12 -0500
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1 Author’s notes: Hello, minna-san! ^-^ This is a short story that I
2 wrote in one night, so I apologize if it jumps around too much. ^^;;;
3 I wrote this after someone mentioned that I should write another
4 fairy tale based CCS story. I thought that Cinderella would fit
5 perfectly. ^-^ As always, the story didn’t always go where I intended
6 it to. ^^;; But I’m pretty happy with how it’s turned out. ^-^ I
7 don’t own these characters, but if I did, I certainly wouldn’t have
8 left poor Tomoyo without her Sakura, so that’s why I’m writing these.
9 ^-^ If you have any comments, please e-mail me. ^-^ I hope you like
10 it!
13 If the Shoe Fits
14 by Amazoness Duo
15 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
18 “Hurray! Hurray! Tomoeda!” schoolgirls chorused together, batons
19 whirling in the air above before landing in deft hands. The sun beat
20 down on the group of cheerleaders, the heat of the warm spring day
21 taking away most of the cheer and exuberance of the girls, leaving
22 their chants somewhat lifeless. But still the pressed on, the
23 oppressive heat taking its toll on the weary students. They had a lot
24 of practice left to do in order to have some of their routines ready
25 for the next school game. Their timing would have to be perfect in
26 order to captivate their audience. But for the time being, they
27 needed only a single cheerleader to delight their audience of one.
28 Tomoyo watched the cheerleading practice from the grass a short
29 distance away. Her dark skirt fluttered lazily in the meandering
30 breeze that brought the only relief to the afternoon sun. Her
31 attention rested solely on a cute brunette who was still struggling
32 with the last bit of the routine. Camcorder in hand, the pale heiress
33 dedicatedly recorded her best friend’s every move on videotape. The
34 better to watch and rewatch it all later, of course! She didn’t often
35 get a chance to watch Sakura’s cheerleading practice what with her
36 own choir practice at the same time. But her choir teacher was sick
37 for the day. Rather than going home early, Tomoyo was happy to stay
38 and watch Sakura’s practice. The way Sakura moved was simply
39 breathtaking. Every twirl of the baton, every cartwheel, every swish
40 of pompoms fascinated the dark haired girl. Sakura moved so lithely,
41 so gracefully. And more than that, Sakura genuinely enjoyed such
42 things. Tomoyo had decided that it must give all of Sakura’s energy
43 someplace to go, which was why Sakura always seemed happy while she
44 was being athletic. The auburn haired girl was a sight to behold at
45 whatever she was applying herself to, whether it be track or
46 cheerleading or soccer. Well, except when she got distracted. Which
47 Sakura was prone to doing. Then she’d often lost track of what she
48 was doing. But even that was incredibly cute in Tomoyo’s eyes.
49 Shifting on the dry grass, Tomoyo felt the hot sun against her pale
50 skin. She was vaguely concerned about getting sunburned, not because
51 it would be painful but mostly because she knew it would concern her
52 lovingly overprotective mother if she found out. She knew she should
53 probably move, but she was reluctant to give up such a perfect spot
54 to videotape her beloved Sakura. Setting her school hat on her pale
55 thighs, the dark haired heiress continued capturing her friend on
56 film. Zooming in on Sakura’s content face, Tomoyo let out a blissful
57 sigh. While most of the other girls were ready to quit, Sakura was
58 enjoying the chance to move her body, even under the merciless sun.
59 It was just one of many things Tomoyo loved about her best friend.
60 And besides, Sakura made such a cute cheerleader. Every little
61 beautiful movement by the Cardmistress made Tomoyo’s heart dance.
62 Resting a hand on her cheek, she followed Sakura as the other girl
63 went into a cartwheel. From the rustle of skirt to Sakura’s legs in
64 the air to her tousled hair as she returned to her feet, Tomoyo
65 captured it all. Her favorite part of all was the small, sweet smile
66 of success on Sakura’s lips as she finished. Sakura wasn’t out here
67 to compete or to show off. She was out here to have fun. She liked
68 being able to see what she could do. And Tomoyo loved being able to
69 watch.
70 ‘If only I could videotape Sakura-chan all the time. If I could
71 catch every precious second of her life on videotape, then I could
72 treasure every shining moment forever,’ the dark haired girl thought
73 with a sigh. ‘But then if I was videotaping every second of her life,
74 I would never have time to watch it all. Hmmm... I’d have to watch it
75 while she slept,’ Tomoyo decided at last. She continued to follow
76 Sakura as the brunette got into formation with Rika and Naoko. Taking
77 a moment away from her assigned task, Sakura waved her fingers at
78 Tomoyo, a cute smile on her lips. Tomoyo returned the smile warmly,
79 her heart lighting up at the small gesture. She waved back, panning
80 out to get a better view of Sakura. Though she did love choir, Tomoyo
81 was grateful to have the day off to record Sakura’s practice. No
82 matter how much she loved singing, it couldn’t begin to compare to
83 her love for the auburn haired girl. “You can do it, Sakura-chan!”
84 Tomoyo called to her friend as Sakura prepared herself. Sakura may be
85 the one cheerleading, but Tomoyo was Sakura’s personal cheerleader.
86 She was there to support the auburn haired girl through everything,
87 to give her the confidence she needed to overcome anything. She was
88 always there to help her beloved Sakura.
89 Looking more sure of herself, Sakura took a few steps back to get
90 ready for her running start. Tomoyo watched quietly, eager to see
91 Sakura succeed. Even if she failed, Tomoyo knew that Sakura wouldn’t
92 give up on it. It just wasn’t the brunette’s style. Sakura had a
93 burning determination within her that just waited for the right times
94 to come out. And it always thrilled Tomoyo when she could see it make
95 its way to the surface. It burned with an emerald fire in Sakura’s
96 eyes. Sighing again, Tomoyo raised the camcorder to get a good
97 glimpse of Sakura’s face. ‘Sakura-chan is so beautiful,’ she thought
98 dreamily, tracing the athletic girl’s face in her memory as she
99 lowered it back to prepare for Sakura’s movement.
100 Sakura was everything to Tomoyo. She was a beautiful, gentle
101 princess. She was a brave and courageous prince. She was a fun and
102 energetic best friend. She was Tomoyo’s one and only true love. The
103 dark haired girl had fallen in love with Sakura shortly after first
104 meeting her. It was almost a love at first sight. And what had
105 started out as tentative feelings for this genki girl who had
106 befriended her grew stronger and deeper with each passing day.
107 Everything they had been through had made the heiress love her friend
108 ever more and more. Sakura was Tomoyo’s most cherished treasure, her
109 heart’s single desire. Whether it was fate that she fall for the
110 daughter of her own mother’s lost love or if it was simply an amazing
111 coincidence, Tomoyo knew that she had fallen deeply in love with her
112 energetic best friend. And it was something that held Tomoyo
113 helplessly caught in its strength. But even with her whole heart
114 singing to her beautiful best friend, she could not yet speak it to
115 the brunette. Sakura wouldn’t yet understand her feelings, wouldn’t
116 begin to comprehend how she felt. So she would wait for now. Someday,
117 somewhere, she would explain her heart to the Cardmistress. Maybe
118 after Sakura was happily married or maybe when she would ask Sakura
119 out herself if things didn’t pan out with Syaoran. But for the time
120 being, she would live her life as one huge ‘I love you’ to Sakura.
121 The brunette might not hear the words, but Tomoyo put her love into
122 everything she did. And someday, maybe Sakura would hear the song
123 from her heart.
124 Girls clapped cheerfully as Sakura landed lithely on her feet.
125 Smiling, the brunette put a hand behind her head. She smiled over at
126 the girl who was videotaping her. She always felt like she could
127 accomplish anything when Tomoyo was around. Tomoyo always gave her
128 that extra little bit of encouragement she needed. Just knowing that
129 the dark haired girl was around made her feel like she could do more
130 than she could on her own. Maybe it was because Tomoyo had so much
131 confidence in her. Or maybe it was because she knew that she had all
132 of Tomoyo’s support behind her, no matter what she did. Whatever the
133 case, Sakura was grateful for it all the same.
134 The coach finally called an end to the days practices, sending the
135 gathered girls holding pompoms and batons on their way. Sakura
136 hurried over to her pale friend, still smiling happily. She had been
137 trying to get that last jump right for the past week. “Arigato,
138 Tomoyo-chan! Thanks for staying to watch!”
139 “You were amazing, Sakura-chan! You moved like a beautiful jungle
140 cat, so graceful on your feet,” Tomoyo replied, slowly getting up and
141 smoothing out her skirt. “I was happy to watch you, Sakura-chan. I
142 wish I had the chance to more often.”
143 “You already watch Sakura-chan almost all the time, Tomoyo-chan,”
144 Chiharu added, followed by Rika and Naoko.
145 Tomoyo sighed, a hand resting on her cheek as she gazed longingly
146 at Sakura. “Almost all the time isn’t enough. I want to watch Sakura-
147 chan all the time.” The gathered girls laughed while Sakura blushed a
148 dark red, sweatdropping. Tomoyo merely smiled sweetly, Her stormy
149 blue eyes never leaving her cutely blushing beloved.
150 “Tomoyo-chan... Why do you want to watch me all the time, anyway?
151 There are lots of more interesting things out there,” Sakura
152 ventured, holding her pompoms behind her head. It always embarrassed
153 her to hear Tomoyo say such things. She always thought it was sweet
154 of the dark haired girl, even if it was strange. But she’d known
155 Tomoyo was a little strange for nearly as long as she had known her.
156 What she didn’t know what why Tomoyo thought so highly of her. She
157 couldn’t quite understand it.
158 “Some people go to movies, some people read books, other people
159 watch sports. They do these things because it makes them happy. I
160 watch Sakura-chan. That makes me happy.” Tomoyo placed her camcorder
161 in it’s carrying case and smiled as she turned back to Sakura. “And
162 there isn’t anything more interesting to me than Sakura-chan.”
163 “I wish Yamazaki-kun was that loyal. I don’t even know how he feels
164 half the time because he’s always making up stories.” Chiharu
165 frowned, her hands on her hips.
166 “So you’d rather Yamazaki-kun talk about you all the time like
167 Tomoyo-chan instead of telling tall tales?” Rika teased.
168 “That would be much better than him spending all his time lying
169 about everything. Then I’d at least know he liked me. I’m tired of
170 having to guess all the time.” Sighing, Chiharu scratched the back of
171 her leg with her shoe. “So who are you going with to the masquerade?”
172 she asked curiously.
173 Rika blushed faintly, smiling nonetheless. “Oh, I’m not going with
174 anyone. I think I’m just going to help Terrada-sensei with the food
175 and drinks and all.”
176 “I’m not going with anyone either. I’ll just go by myself. Maybe
177 I’ll meet my prince charming there,” Naoko answered. “You never know.”
178 “What about you, Sakura-chan?” Chiharu asked, turning to the
179 puzzled brunette.
180 “Hoe... Masquerade? When is that?” Sakura asked in confusion. She
181 couldn’t remember anything about that. When had all this happened?
182 “You didn’t know? Terrada-sensei mentioned it this morning,” Rika
183 supplied, pushing back some hair from her eyes.
184 “Sakura-chan was catching a quick nap. She was up late last night
185 so I didn’t want to wake her,” Tomoyo answered, smiling softly.
186 “Oh. Well, it’s this Sunday at the school. I heard it’s going to be
187 romantic. It’s supposed to be for couples, so there’s going to be
188 dances and games and things. I’m going with Yamazaki-kun.” Chiharu
189 glanced around for the boy in question, but her boyfriend didn’t seem
190 to be anywhere in sight. She sighed, frustrated. She would just have
191 to call him that night. Ignoring her frustration, she turned her
192 attention back to Sakura. “So who are you going with?”
193 “I don’t know,” Sakura answered, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by
194 the whole situation. It wasn’t fair that they spring something like
195 this on her at the last moment. And even worse, she didn’t have
196 anyone to go with. What was the good of having a nice romantic
197 masquerade ball when she had no one to go with?
198 Tomoyo watched Sakura thoughtfully, a hand on her chin. Sakura
199 didn’t look too happy about this turn of events. And she certainly
200 couldn’t blame her. It would be too sad for Sakura not to be able to
201 go to the ball. Her mind worked quickly. There had to be something
202 she could do for Sakura.
203 “What about Li-kun, Sakura-chan? You could always ask him,” Rika
204 suggested hopefully.
205 “He’s already going with Meiling-chan,” Tomoyo said absentmindedly,
206 her mind still puzzling over the matter. “She got him to promise just
207 after the announcement.”
208 Chiharu giggled, grinning. “She probably threatened to hurt him if
209 he didn’t take her.”
210 “That’s probably what you’ll do to poor Yamazaki-kun if he doesn’t
211 go with you, too,” Rika added, giggling herself.
212 Chiharu ‘harumphed’, crossing her arms.
213 “I have to get home. It’s my night to make dinner,” Sakura said,
214 feeling a little dazed. The other girls waved to her as she got her
215 bag, heading out past the front gate. A nice romantic ball. And she
216 had no one to go with. Her shoulders slumped at the thought. There
217 was always the hope that someone might ask her, but who would? It
218 wasn’t like Yukito would ask her to a dance at her school.
219 “Sakura-chan, are you all right?” Tomoyo asked concernedly,
220 startling her auburn haired friend.
221 “Tomoyo-chan... I didn’t see you there. Gomen nasai.” Sakura smiled
222 weakly, the smile fading quickly. “I don’t think I’m going to the
223 masquerade. It sounds like fun, but I don’t have anyone to go with.”
224 Sighing, the brunette, blinked back the wet sting of tears. She felt
225 Tomoyo take her hand, the dark haired girl’s gentle fingers entwining
226 with her own. She wasn’t feeling well at all. Her heart had dropped
227 after finding out about the ball. It reminded her too much of how she
228 didn’t have anyone to be with. Everyone else was falling in love, but
229 she was all alone. Where was her prince?
230 “I’m sorry, Sakura-chan. I really think you should go. I think
231 you’ll have fun. You may not have anyone to go with, but I know
232 you’ll meet someone there who would be more than happy to spend some
233 time with you,” Tomoyo offered, squeezing Sakura’s hand softly. It
234 was horrible to see Sakura like this, to see her genki spirit so sad.
235 Sakura was very emotional, so everything affected her greatly. And
236 Tomoyo always watched the rise and fall of Sakura’s heart. It hurt
237 her to think of Sakura being sad for long. Even seeing Sakura near
238 tears now was like a painful stab to her heart. She stopped where she
239 was, still holding Sakura’s hand. “I know you will. So please don’t
240 be sad. It makes me sad to see you like this, Sakura-chan. I want to
241 see you smile. I want to see your eyes sparkle.”
242 Sakura looked down for a long moment. She wiped at her eyes with
243 the back of her hand. Smiling slowly, she looked up to meet Tomoyo’s
244 pretty indigo eyes. Yes, Tomoyo was right. This wasn’t anything to be
245 sad about. And maybe she would meet someone while she was there. Like
246 Naoko had said, you never know. “Un. You’re right, Tomoyo-chan. And
247 you’ll be there with me, so even if I can’t go with the one I love,
248 we can at least have fun.”
249 Tomoyo shook her head, her long, dark hair swishing from side to
250 side. “Gomen, Sakura-chan. I won’t be able to go that day. I need to
251 help mother with something.” She caught Sakura’s eye before Sakura
252 could look down again. “But please go, Sakura-chan. I know you’ll
253 have fun. I promise. I’d love to go with you more than anything, but
254 I can’t this time.”
255 Sighing, Sakura nodded. “If you say so, Tomoyo-chan. But I still
256 don’t think it’ll be any fun without you there.” She squeezed
257 Tomoyo’s soft hand back. If Tomoyo thought so, then she would go,
258 even if she was doubtful. She sighed again, brushing back her hair.
259 “Tomoyo-chan, you’re so lucky that you haven’t fallen in love with
260 someone who didn’t love you back. I still feel bad about Yukito-san.”
261 Tomoyo hugged Sakura warmly. “I know exactly how you feel, Sakura-
262 chan. It’s a lonely feeling, isn’t it? You want to be with them with
263 all your heart, but you know you can’t. All you can do is pray for
264 the best for them. And love them with all your heart.” The young
265 heiress slowly pulled away. “Arigato, Sakura-chan. Please enjoy
266 yourself. And if someone asks you to dance, please do.” Tomoyo smiled
267 brightly before letting go of Sakura’s hand. Her limousine was
268 waiting back near the school. “Bye, Sakura-chan!”
269 Sakura blinked in confusion, waving to her eccentric friend. “Bye,
270 Tomoyo-chan!” She didn’t know what Tomoyo was suddenly so
271 enthusiastic about. Well, she better hurry home to finish dinner.
272 Shaking her head, she went about deciding what to make for dinner.
274 “Hmmm...” Sonomi took a step back from her daughter, looking at the
275 younger girl thoughtfully. With a sigh, she set the needle she was
276 holding down. “Tomoyo-chan, you do not make a very good boy. You’re
277 just too feminine to make a decent boy.”
278 Looking down at her mother’s handiwork, Tomoyo shifted a bit. “I
279 think you’ve done a wonderful job, okaa-sama. I don’t think Sakura-
280 chan will notice.” She smiled appreciatively, looking back up at her
281 mother.
282 “If she needs a date for the dance, I don’t see why you can’t take
283 her as a girl. You would look so much prettier in a nice dress
284 instead of a tuxedo.” Picking up the needle again, Sonomi knelt in
285 front of her daughter, going back to her sewing. It was difficult for
286 her to see Tomoyo as a boy even in the outfit. She tried to tell
287 herself that it was simply because she had known Tomoyo for the
288 younger girl’s entire life, but she doubted it.
289 “I’d rather go in a dress, too. But then Sakura-chan would just
290 think it was us going as friends. I want her to have a nice, romantic
291 ball that she’ll remember forever.” Tomoyo clasped her hands
292 together, looking off into the distance. A soft sigh escaped her as
293 she came back to the present. “Sakura-chan’s lonely now. She needs a
294 nice romantic moment to spark the love that’s held deep in her heart.
295 And I can’t do that if I go as myself. Sakura-chan doesn’t understand
296 about girls liking girls yet.”
297 Sonomi chuckled softly, pulling the thread through again. “I didn’t
298 understand it myself back when I was her age. All I knew was that
299 Nadeshiko-chan was the most wonderful person I could think of. I knew
300 I felt very strongly about her, but I didn’t know that I was in love
301 with her back then.” Sonomi sighed, her eyes closing as she brought
302 up an image of her beautiful cousin, a perpetual smile on her
303 eternally young face, as if she had been frozen in amber.
304 “You didn’t understand back when you were our age?” Tomoyo asked
305 curiously. She had heard stories of her aunt, her mother’s only love,
306 for her entire life. But she had always assumed that her mother had
307 always known of her love for the other woman. Tomoyo herself had
308 known rather early on that she was in love with Sakura. It was a
309 surprise to hear that it had taken her mother a while to understand
310 what these feelings were. Those beautiful feelings of love. The most
311 lovely torture imaginable. Tomoyo had always held them close to her
312 heart, cherishing the love she had for Sakura.
313 “We’re not all as perceptive as you, Tomoyo-chan. It took me a
314 while to find out what those feelings were. So I wouldn’t be
315 surprised if it takes Sakura-chan a little while to figure it out
316 herself. She reminds me a lot more of myself than of Nadeshiko-chan,
317 even if she is Nadeshiko-chan’s daughter.” Sonomi finished her
318 sewing, stretching as she stood up. ‘Hopefully Sakura-chan will
319 figure it out before it’s too late. I know that I didn’t. Maybe if I
320 had...’ Ending that thought, the businesswoman smiled at her
321 daughter.
322 Tomoyo tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. It had taken her
323 mother some time before she had understood her feelings for her
324 cousin. Could the same be true of Sakura? She knew that Sakura was
325 too young to understand her feelings for her, but did this mean
326 Sakura may not understand her own feelings as well? Sakura did often
327 get confused about such things. She was very emotional, but the poor
328 brunette often had a difficult time understanding her own heart. The
329 possibility left Tomoyo’s heart weak at the prospect of being the one
330 to make Sakura happy. If only...
331 “It’s so cute. Most girls fall for people like their father. Now my
332 little girl’s falling in love with someone like her mother. How
333 sweet.” Sonomi grinned, brushing back some of her daughter’s hair.
334 She didn’t get to spend much time with her darling daughter because
335 of her job, but she was always happy when she got the chance to be
336 with her. She didn’t get nearly enough time to tease the younger girl
337 about Sakura. Of course, she understood exactly how Tomoyo felt about
338 the brunette. It reminded her so much of herself and Nadeshiko when
339 they had been younger. Which is why it always pained her to see
340 Tomoyo ready to let someone else be with Sakura. Her daughter had
341 told her that it was so Sakura would be happy, but Sonomi could think
342 of no one better suited to that job than Tomoyo. No one knew Sakura
343 better than Tomoyo. None of them had a better understanding of
344 Sakura’s heart, not even Sakura herself. If anyone could make Sakura
345 happy, Sonomi was sure it was her daughter.
346 Tomoyo giggled in response. “She even runs like you. And she’s so
347 cute when she does. She has this beautiful determined look in her
348 eyes.” Sighing deliciously, Tomoyo stepped down from the pedestal she
349 was standing on while her mother had fixed her outfit. “How is it?”
350 she asked, turning around.
351 “You look like my precious Tomoyo-chan in a tuxedo,” Sonomi
352 answered truthfully, raising an eyebrow. “But I guess that can’t be
353 helped. I wouldn’t want you to look like anyone else anyway. If you
354 keep your hat on, then you should be able to pass for a boy at least.
355 Hopefully Sakura-chan won’t notice that it’s you. Or maybe she will
356 and she’ll still spend the night dancing with you.”
357 “Arigato, okaa-sama,” Tomoyo said at last, taking a look in the
358 mirror. Closing her stormy blue eyes, the young heiress clasped her
359 hands together. “This is perfect. Even if it’s for only one night, I
360 can try to make Sakura-chan happy.”
362 Sakura sighed inwardly, leaning against the wall. She wanted to
363 apologize to Tomoyo. Here she was in a gorgeous ball gown Tomoyo had
364 made for her, and she was spending the whole time just watching the
365 other couples enjoy themselves. It felt like such a waste of Tomoyo’s
366 beautiful gown. She really hadn’t wanted to go at all, but she had
367 promised her best friend that she would. And seeing the gown that
368 Tomoyo had spent so much time working on made sure she couldn’t back
369 out of it. But now that she was at the ball, she just wanted to go
370 home. She didn’t even have Tomoyo to talk to. It just made the whole
371 thing feel pointless. She didn’t know if she could take another
372 friend walking by and asking if she was having fun. Rika was dancing
373 with Terrada-sensei at the moment and even Naoko was dancing with
374 someone. She tried not to watch as Meiling and Syaoran danced by.
375 Oddly enough, she didn’t really mind that Syaoran was there with
376 Meiling. She seemed much happier to have him, really. But it was
377 exactly that type of love that left Sakura feeling so desolate. She
378 didn’t have that, not even with Yukito anymore. She didn’t like not
379 being in love. It was too lonely. It was like living life without a
380 dream in one’s heart, no light at the end of the tunnel.
381 The doors to the gym slowly opened, a boy Sakura didn’t recognize
382 entering the room. She couldn’t say what caught her attention, but
383 only that there was something different about him. Pushing up the
384 small mask around her eyes, she took a closer look. He was very pale,
385 with some dark hair showing from underneath his hat. He worse a mask
386 like everyone else at the ball, so it was difficult to tell if she
387 knew him or not. He did look familiar, though she couldn’t place him
388 exactly. She looked away when she saw his eyes meet her own, a faint
389 blush on her cheeks. She felt embarrassed to have been caught
390 staring.
391 “Hello,” a soft voice said, catching Sakura’s attention.
392 Looking up, Sakura saw the pale boy in front of her. He smiled a
393 warm, soft smile, his eyes closed as he did. Sakura felt herself
394 relax in his presence, not feeling as embarrassed anymore. “Hi,” she
395 replied, pushing her mask back up. She still didn’t know who he was.
396 Her mind hurried to figure it out. He was pale and had dark hair. Was
397 it Eriol? But didn’t he need glasses? Maybe he was wearing contacts
398 or something. But it didn’t feel like Eriol.
399 “Would you like to dance?” the mysterious boy asked, holding out an
400 ivory hand to the Cardmistress. He blinked his stormy blue eyes open,
401 watching Sakura’s hopefully.
402 It took Sakura a moment to realize she had accepted. By the time
403 she did, they were already hand in hand, headed for the dance floor
404 with the other students. She forced away a faint blush that darkened
405 her cheeks. This was just one dance. She didn’t have to feel
406 embarrassed about it. But she couldn’t help but be a little nervous
407 as they passed the other dancing, costumed students. Why wouldn’t she
408 be? Some mysterious boy had just asked her to dance. As if it wasn’t
409 bad enough just to be asked to go dancing in the first place.
410 Glancing over at him again, he smiled softly, taking away Sakura’s
411 worry. She returned the smile as they reached the dance floor.
412 Slowly, the two began to dance, moving about the dance floor in
413 tandem. Sakura was amazed by the boy’s grace, his movements drawing
414 her along fluidly. She quickly lost herself to their dance, a
415 beautiful dream of swirling and movement that captured her soul. All
416 nervousness she had had earlier fled as they moved about together.
417 She didn’t know what it was about him that put her at ease, but it
418 certainly did its job. She found herself enjoying the dance
419 immensely, fluttering about in the beautiful gown Tomoyo had made for
420 her. They moved fluidly together, as if their thoughts were one.
421 Sometimes he would lead and sometimes Sakura would lead, switching
422 every so often as they did.
423 The other students faded away as they danced, becoming nothing more
424 than part of the backdrop of the dance. The lights receded into the
425 barest hints of stardust, swirling around them as they continued to
426 dance. Sakura watched him as they swayed about, finding herself at
427 ease even so near to him. His eyes were warm, his smile so charming.
428 It wasn’t like Syaoran’s scowl at all. In fact, it was almost like
429 Yukito’s smile, soft and caring. But there was something else in it,
430 too, something that Sakura couldn’t quite put her finger on. It made
431 her feel happy and content. As if it filled her up with some unknown
432 energy. She couldn’t quite understand what it was, but she liked it.
433 She sighed happily to herself.
434 When the next song finally ended, Sakura got ready to take the lead
435 again. She was a little disappointed when he smiled apologetically at
436 her. She felt ready to dance the night away. It was so much fun,
437 letting her body move about in time with the music, following and
438 leading this mysterious boy. “Gomen nasai,” he said in his soft,
439 musical voice. “I would love to dance with you forever. You’re so
440 cute when you’re dancing. But I think I need to take a break for just
441 a bit. My feet need a short rest.”
442 Sakura blinked herself out of the dreamy haze she had been lost in,
443 focussing on the pale boy in front of her. A slow ache worked its way
444 from her own abused feet and sore legs. Just how long had they been
445 dancing? She smiled in response and nodded. “That’s a good idea. I
446 could probably use a break, too.” She felt silly for having been so
447 lost in their dance. How could she have lost track of everything like
448 that? But somehow it didn’t really seem to matter with him. She
449 followed the dark haired boy outside, the realization of the pain in
450 her feet suddenly making it much more acute. Stepping outside, she
451 took a seat next to him. To her surprise, the moon was out, the stars
452 shining brightly. They had been dancing for hours. No wonder she was
453 so sore. Slipping her shoes off with her feet, she rubbed them
454 together through the stockings she was wearing.
455 “You’re so pretty in the moonlight,” The boy said happily, his
456 stormy blue eyes watching Sakura intently. “Especially when you
457 smile. You don’t know how glad I am to have seen you smiling
458 tonight.” His stormy blue eyes sparkled in the dim light, his hand
459 lying on top of Sakura’s.
460 Blushing faintly, Sakura looked down at her feet. It was
461 embarrassing, but she liked hearing him say that. It made her feel
462 good inside. Somehow, she knew that he meant every word of it. She
463 graced him with another smile, looking back up at him. “Thank you,”
464 she replied. She wasn’t concerned with who he was anymore. That was
465 in the back of her mind by now. She was just happy to be spending the
466 dance with him. She had to remember to thank Tomoyo when she saw her
467 later. She had been right, as always. “I had a lot of fun tonight.
468 You’re a really good dancer. I didn’t know dancing could be so much
469 fun.”
470 He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. “Dancing is a wonderful
471 thing. It lets you lose yourself in the music, to move along with it.
472 It really helps the music to touch your soul. It’s a lot more fun
473 when you can dance with someone you like.”
474 Sakura blushed brighter at his words. Looking down at their hands,
475 she took a deep breath. She felt so nice with him. It made her feel
476 special, magical in a way that the Cards couldn’t make her feel. This
477 boy made her feel like she was a treasure to be cherished. She loved
478 that feeling. It made her feel dizzy and ecstatic. She didn’t feel
479 awkward with him. She liked talking to him, liked seeing him smile at
480 her. “Do you like me?” she asked, looking down immediately, her
481 cheeks burning. That was what he had implied, right? But maybe she
482 shouldn’t have said anything. She didn’t even know who the mystery
483 boy was. But that didn’t seem to matter. There was just something
484 about him. It felt so familiar, but she couldn’t quite put her finger
485 on it.
486 The boy blinked for a moment as if taken by surprise. The surprise
487 quickly went away though, and he smiled. “Yes. I like Sakura-chan
488 very much. I don’t see how anyone couldn’t.”
489 Looking up quickly, Sakura’s emerald eyes caught with his own
490 indigo ones. She found herself captured by them, frozen in their
491 gaze. She hadn’t known what to expect as his answer, but it shook her
492 nonetheless. At the same time, she couldn’t really imagine him saying
493 anything else. It just felt right. She felt like she had known him
494 for years. Which she may well have. Whoever he was, he made her feel
495 so special, like a real live princess. She smiled happily, but she
496 felt another wave of embarrassment hit as she ventured forward. “I..
497 I like you, too,” she replied, surprised to find that no blush came
498 to her cheeks this time. Perhaps it was because she knew she had no
499 reason to worry. His eyes held onto hers with a loving care. He would
500 hold her heart preciously. There was no fear of offering it to him,
501 of him rejecting it. It was surprising. She finally met the boy she
502 liked and she didn’t even know who he was. She had to have met him
503 before, but which boy in her class he was, she wasn’t certain. But
504 she couldn’t help how she felt. Sometimes one’s heart and mind
505 weren’t always in the same place. For Sakura, her heart was much more
506 important than her mind.
507 This seemed to stun the boy much more than Sakura’s previous
508 question. He watched her for a long moment, his stormy blue eyes
509 almost afraid. He stood up quickly, bringing up Sakura’s hand with
510 both of his own. “Thank you very much, Sakura-chan. I’m so glad you
511 had fun at the dance. But you don’t even know who I am. You really
512 shouldn’t say that,” he explained, looking down into her emerald eyes
513 worriedly. The worry faded away behind a soft smile, as if it hadn’t
514 been there at all. So familiar. Just like... Sakura still couldn’t
515 place him.
516 Shaking her head swiftly, Sakura watched the mysterious boy. “No, I
517 do. I know I do. I feel like I’ve known you forever. You’re so sweet
518 and kind. You make me feel happy. I like being with you. I like you,”
519 Sakura repeated, looking up at him hopefully. “It doesn’t matter who
520 you are. I’ll still like you, no matter who it is. You must know me
521 pretty well, but I can’t tell who you are. But that isn’t important.
522 Right?”
523 The boy looked back down into Sakura’s pleading eyes. He smiled
524 more, placing his hands on her cheeks. “Sakura-chan, I’ll always love
525 you. If you still feel that way about me when you know who I am, then
526 that would be the sweetest dream come true. But I can’t tell you who
527 I am yet. I don’t think it’s the right time. I don’t know if you’re
528 ready. But you’ve given me a wonderful gift tonight. Hope. That hope
529 will burn brightly in my heart as I wait for you, Sakura-chan. I’ll
530 always wait for you.”
531 Sakura placed her hands on top of his, lost in his deep indigo
532 eyes. She felt her cheeks flushed against his hands, but she could
533 only look up at him. She wanted to protest, to tell him it wasn’t so,
534 but she could only meet his gaze. Slowly, he leant towards her. The
535 brunette’s heart started pounding faster in her heart, a sweet
536 longing overtaking her as the soft lips brushed her own. Silky lips
537 touched gently against her own, leaving her with a petal soft kiss.
538 She could only sit and watch as he pulled away, the kiss lingering on
539 her lips. It was so delicate, but she could feel its aftereffects
540 throughout her body and soul.
541 “I love you, Sakura-chan,” he whispered, smiling at the dazed
542 Cardmistress as he let his hands drop from her cheeks. Turning, he
543 headed towards the parking lot.
544 ‘He kissed me,’ Sakura thought, her fingers moving to her lips. It
545 was much softer than she would’ve imagined, just a delicate little
546 thing, but it was infinitely more powerful than anything she could
547 have dreamt of. Closing her eyes, she could still feel the soft kiss
548 against her lips, could feel the spark in her heart. Blinking
549 quickly, the brunette forced herself out of her daze in time to see
550 the pale boy’s retreating form. ‘If he leaves now, how will I ever
551 see him again? How will I know who he is?’ Sliding on her shoes
552 quickly, Sakura ran after the boy. “Wait! Please don’t go yet! You
553 have to tell me your name! I know I’ll like you, whoever you are!”
554 She called after him. But the boy didn’t stop. He looked back
555 apologetically and climbed into a black car. Sakura hurried to him,
556 hoping to reach the car in time. But obviously the car was in a hurry
557 of it’s own, zipping past her.
558 Sakura slowed to a halt, her heart drooping in her chest. Her
559 shoulders slumped as she watched the car fade into the distance. She
560 didn’t even know his name. When school came the next day, she
561 wouldn’t have any idea which of the boys he was. She was stuck. She
562 was back in love, but she didn’t even know with who. She couldn’t
563 tell if that was better or worse than her earlier predicament of not
564 being in love at all. She sniffled, alone in the moonlight. How would
565 she find him again? She just wanted to be with him, to talk to him,
566 to know he was there. But now she was lost.
567 Just when she was about to give up hope, something caught her eye.
568 A shoe lay on the floor near where the car had been parked. A surge
569 of hope flooded through her. He must have lost it before getting in
570 the car. He hadn’t been able to retrieve it because Sakura had been
571 right behind him. He would have had to stay if he had waited to get
572 the shoe. She picked it up quickly, holding it tightly to her chest.
573 It was her only possession of his, her only clue. The small shoe was
574 her only proof that he had been there at all, that her mystery boy
575 had been more than just a dream. But what could she do with it? How
576 could she find out who he was with this simple hint?
577 ‘Onii-chan!’ her mind supplied frantically. Her older brother had
578 worked every part-time job known to man. He would know about the
579 shoe! He had to. Pulling out her key, Sakura flew home. There was no
580 reason to stay at the dance anymore. Her prince charming had fled and
581 she had to find him.
583 “Onii-chan! Onii-chan!” Sakura called out, nearly tripping on the
584 long gown as she pushed through the door. Her eyes quickly scanned
585 for her older brohter, desperate to find him. “Onii-chan!!” she
586 called out, frustrated. He had to be around somewhere. She didn’t
587 feel like waiting. Her heart was still beating rapidly, her mind
588 still stuck on her mysterious love. Love. Yes, that was it. She did
589 love him. She hadn’t felt this way about Syaoran. Or even Yukito.
590 This was stronger than her crushes in the past. This left her head
591 over heals, her whole soul longing to see him again. He made her feel
592 complete. Whoever he was. “Onii-chan!!!”
593 “What is it, monster? This better be good. You’re going to wake up
594 the whole neighborhood with your wailing,” Touya said exasperatedly
595 as he made his way downstairs. His younger sister hurried to his
596 side, holding up a shoe in her hands. He smiled inwardly. She really
597 was growing up. She wasn’t just a little girl anymore. She actually
598 looked pretty in the gown she was wearing, nearly grown up. But he
599 would never tell her that, of course.
600 “I need you to tell me about this shoe. It’s very important that I
601 find out who it belongs to. This boy..” Sakura trailed off, blushing.
602 “I just need to know about it.”
603 “About a shoe?” he replied, skeptically.
604 “Please, onii-chan?” Sakura begged, clasping her hands together.
605 She was desperate. She usually wouldn’t bother with Touya, but she
606 needed his help. She had to find the pale boy again. She needed to
607 tell him that nothing would change her feelings, that she just wanted
608 to see him again. That she couldn’t be happy without him.
609 Touya was surprised by Sakura’s eagerness. He nodded slowly, taking
610 the shoe before sitting down. “Let’s see..” He frowned, turning it
611 over. “Who’s shoe did you say this was again?”
612 “Some boy from the dance,” Sakura replied quickly, pressing her
613 fingers together in embarrassment. The last thing she needed was for
614 Touya to play the concerned big brother and worry about some boy she
615 met.
616 Shaking his head, Touya looked back at Sakura. “This is a girls’
617 shoe, Sakura-chan.”
618 “So he has dainty feet!!” Sakura said angrily, kicking her brother
619 in the shin. She crossed her arms, glaring at him as she waited for
620 him to continue.
621 Gritting his teeth, Touya rubbed his leg. If only Sakura wasn’t so
622 athletic, maybe it wouldn’t hurt so much when she did things like
623 that. It wasn’t so bad when she was a kid, but now he was seriously
624 starting to reconsider taunting her. Of course, this time he was
625 being serious, so it wasn’t even his own fault. “Alright. So he wears
626 girls’ shoes. That’s not my problem.” He gave his younger sister a
627 stare of his own before moving on, looking back at the shoe. “It’s
628 pretty small, so he has to have small feet. A little smaller than
629 yours, actually. It doesn’t look like it’s been used much, so I’m
630 guessing it was bought recently. Other than that, there’s not much I
631 can tell you.” He looked back up to see Sakura storm over and swipe
632 the shoe from him. He let it go, raising an eyebrow. Apparently
633 whatever this was had affected Sakura pretty badly. He wanted to ask,
634 but he didn’t think this was something she’d want to tell her older
635 brother. “Don’t stomp on those stairs so much, monster. Do you want
636 the whole house to collapse?” Her only reply was to slam her door.
637 Sighing inwardly, Touya rested his head back against the couch.
639 Sakura slumped on her bed, cradling the shoe in her arms. So much
640 for that avenue. All she knew now was that he had small, dainty feet.
641 But who could match that description? Syaoran? No, he didn’t fit. And
642 he had been dancing with Meiling anyway. Yamazaki? He should have
643 been with Chiharu the whole night, and he was actually pretty tall.
644 Eriol? No, Sakura still didn’t think it was him. But then who could
645 it belong to? She couldn’t think of any other boys that would match
646 her mystery boy either.
647 Lifting the shoe up in the air, Sakura turned it around, looking at
648 it thoughtfully. It was the only thing she had left from the pale
649 boy. There had to be something she could do with it to find out who
650 he was. But what? It was too bad he didn’t write his name in it or
651 his address. Then Sakura could show up with it, giving it back to him
652 and explaining that he had no need to worry because she still liked
653 him. But she wasn’t that lucky.
654 “Nice shoe,” Kero commented, looking up from his video game. “Looks
655 expensive.” Pausing the game, Kero lifted up, floating over to
656 Sakura. “How did the dance go?”
657 Sakura rolled onto her side, still clutching the shoe. A faint
658 blush colored her cheeks. “It was fantastic. I had so much fun, Kero-
659 chan. I danced and danced and danced. And there was this really sweet
660 boy there that..” She trailed off, holding the shoe to her chest
661 again.
662 “Ohhhh.. So you met a boy you liked there, huh?” Kero asked,
663 grinning from ear to ear. “Who was he?” His curiosity piqued, the
664 Seal Beast landed next to Sakura, poking her in the side with a
665 stubby paw. “You have to tell me.”
666 Sighing, Sakura rolled onto her back again, her legs held up
667 against herself. “I would if I could. But I don’t even know his name.
668 I just know that this was his. But I can’t even give it back to him
669 because I don’t know who he is.” Sighing miserably, Sakura set the
670 shoe next to her bed, staring up at her roof. She kept seeing his
671 smile, warm and gentle. It taunted her every time she closed her
672 eyes, making her miss him even more.
673 “Hmm.. That is a problem,” Kero said thoughtfully, flying down to
674 inspect the shoe. He prodded it with one of his feet, watching the
675 delicate thing shift on its side.
676 “I know. But it’s all I have of his. It’s the only thing that I can
677 use to find out who he is,” Sakura lamented, hugging a pillow to
678 herself. She felt miserable. And alone. She wanted to be with him
679 again, dancing and smiling and laughing. Her emerald eyes fell
680 closed, her mind half daydreaming about seeing him again. She hugged
681 her pillow closer, pretending it was the pale boy. “I miss you
682 already,” she whispered to it.
683 “I’ve got it!” Kero called out, popping up right in front of
684 Sakura’s face and very nearly startling the poor girl. “You have his
685 shoe, right? You know he’s from your class, right? Just try it on
686 every boy in your class until you find him.” The Seal Beast crossed
687 his arms, proud of himself.
688 Sakura blinked at the absurd thought, still holding tightly onto
689 her pillow. What a plan, going from boy to boy and trying on the one
690 shoe she had of her mystery boy. It was laughable. And yet, it was
691 all she had. And it made sense. If she could find the boy that fit
692 the shoe.. “Thank you, Kero-chan!” Sakura said happily, dropping the
693 pillow as she got to her knees. She squealed happily at the thought,
694 taking Kero’s small hands in her own. “Sugoi! I’ll get to find him
695 after all! And I’ll prove to him that I like him just the same, no
696 matter who he is!”
697 “I knew it would work. I’m full of good advice. You should turn to
698 me more often,” Kero said matter-of-factly, crossing his arms.
699 Sakura picked up her little pink cell phone, ready to call Tomoyo.
700 For some reason, she had the strongest urge to call the pale girl, to
701 tell her everything that had happened that night. This wasn’t
702 particularly unusual because she always talked to Tomoyo about
703 everything. But it was already late and Tomoyo was probably in bed.
704 Sakura had the urge to call anyway, to wake her up despite it just so
705 she could hear her voice, so they could talk it all out. She wanted
706 to hear Tomoyo at the moment. She knew it would make her feel better.
707 It always did. Or she could even fly to her house. It wouldn’t take
708 long. And then Tomoyo would probably get her some tea and they would
709 sit and talk all night long. But there was so much she needed to do
710 tomorrow. And she would feel awful if she did wake Tomoyo up, even
711 though Tomoyo told her she always could if she needed to. Working up
712 the will, Sakura finally put the phone down. She would just tell
713 Tomoyo all about it the next day. Slipping out of her gown and
714 pulling on some pajamas, Sakura quickly got ready for bed, though
715 sleep would be long in coming.
717 Tomoyo stirred as light filtered into the Daidouji home, slowly
718 pushing away the sleepiness that clouded her mind. She had to be up
719 to get to school on time as she always did. Shifting around she found
720 that she wasn’t in bed. Her head slowly pulled up, sleep blurred eyes
721 blinking tiredly as they struggled to come into focus. She was on the
722 couch. A hand in her hair told her that she wasn’t alone. She sighed
723 softly, resting her head back on her mother’s lap. She must have
724 fallen asleep after telling her mother the whole story the night
725 before. And her mother had stayed with her all night long, even in an
726 uncomfortable sitting position. She smiled softly, glad to be near
727 her mother, even if for only a short time before school.
728 Memories played back through the young heiress’s mind as if they
729 had been recorded on one of her videotapes, each image crystal clear.
730 She could remember dancing the whole night with Sakura, could
731 remember Sakura telling her that she liked her, could remember the
732 deliciously soft kiss they had shared. She blushed, a hand going to
733 her cheek as she replayed that memory again and again. Now only if
734 she could have gotten that memory on videotape.
735 All in all, the night had been very nearly perfect. She had
736 accomplished what she had set out to do. Sakura had had a nice,
737 romantic night. She had healed some of the loneliness in her best
738 friend’s heart. But the only problem that lingered was Sakura’s
739 profession of love. That hadn’t been part of the plan at all. Tomoyo
740 was supposed to go to the ball as a boy. Check. She was supposed to
741 make sure Sakura enjoyed herself. Check. Then she was supposed to
742 leave, giving Sakura renewed confidence that she would find love.
743 That one was now a little more confusing. She had left Sakura with
744 the renewed confidence that she had found her love then and there.
745 But where did that leave Tomoyo? Sakura didn’t even know it was her.
746 And how could she tell Sakura that it was? Was Sakura even ready for
747 that? She had left in the hopes of quelling such problems, but the
748 dark haired girl doubted they would go away so easily. Oh well. Maybe
749 this meant Sakura could like her after all, that maybe she could
750 actually make Sakura happy. In a few years, maybe she could even tell
751 Sakura how she felt. Yes, there was always hope. Now more than ever.
752 Smiling happily, Tomoyo slowly sat up next to her mother. “Okaa-
753 sama, it’s time to wake up,” she said softly.
754 The older woman stirred, blinking herself awake. Sonomi stretched,
755 her body sore from sleeping so awkwardly. She smiled sleepily at her
756 daughter, the younger girl still wearing the shirt from the tuxedo.
757 “Good morning, Tomoyo-chan.”
758 Tomoyo leant forward and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Thank you for
759 everything, okaa-sama.” Standing up, the pale girl hurried towards
760 the stairs. “I have to hurry if I’m going to get to school on time. I
761 want to see how Sakura-chan is doing.”
762 Sonomi watched her daughter disappear off to her room. Smiling to
763 herself, the older woman finally got up herself. It was so nice to
764 see her daughter in love. It did her pained heart good to watch
765 Tomoyo so enraptured by Nadeshiko’s daughter. She only hoped Sakura
766 would take good care of Tomoyo’s heart. It was a precious gift and
767 one that Sonomi tried her hardest to protect. But that was something
768 that was ultimately up to Sakura to hold onto.
770 “Ohayo, Sakura-chan!” Tomoyo called out, waiting by the gate at
771 school some time later. She smiled pleasantly as the auburn haired
772 girl skated up to her. She could tell that Sakura looked much
773 happier. That, in turn, made her own heart shine. “You look much
774 better today, Sakura-chan. I trust things went well at the dance?”
775 Sakura nodded enthusiastically, pulling off her rollerblades. “It
776 went perfectly, Tomoyo-chan! You were right. Thank you for getting me
777 to go. It was so much fun!” The brunette sighed, her hands on her
778 cheeks as she walked towards the school building with Tomoyo. “I met
779 this wonderful boy. He was just.. hanyaa.” She blushed at the thought
780 of him. Shaking her head, she smiled over at Tomoyo. She had been so
781 anxious about the whole thing the entire night before, but now that
782 she was with her best friend again, she felt infinitely better. It
783 was strange how Tomoyo managed to do that. She made Sakura feel
784 better about herself, about everything. Her simple presence was
785 enough to do that.
786 “So Sakura-chan met a boy she liked?” Tomoyo asked curiously, her
787 hand on her chin. “It definitely sounds like it went well. I’m glad
788 you met someone, Sakura-chan. It only shows that your fairy tale
789 romance is waiting for you. One day your prince will come and hold
790 you close forever. Sakura-chan deserves nothing but the best.” The
791 dark haired girl sighed happily, images of Princess Sakura filling
792 her mind. Yes, this is what she lived for.
793 Sakura sweatdropped, laughing nervously. “Tomoyo-chan..” Tomoyo was
794 always so concerned about her happiness, about Sakura in general. It
795 was always comforting to know that some things would never change.
796 “But I know that my prince is out there somewhere. I just need to
797 find out who he is.”
798 Tomoyo tilted her head to the side, thoughtfully. Sakura seemed
799 awfully determined. It took all Tomoyo had not to swoon at the sight.
800 Sakura was always so adorable when that determined look burned in her
801 eyes. It was one of the many, many things that Tomoyo loved about the
802 brunette. But why was she so determined all of the sudden? “What do
803 you mean, Sakura-chan?”
804 Fumbling through her backpack, Sakura pulled out a single black
805 shoe. “This was one of his shoes. He accidentally dropped it last
806 night. Kero-chan thought I should try it on everyone here to find out
807 who he is.” Sakura sweatdropped as she explained her plan. It sounded
808 awfully silly. But Tomoyo merely nodded, watching her.
809 “That’s a good idea, Sakura-chan. But I’m a little worried. What if
810 your prince doesn’t turn out to be a prince at all?” Tomoyo asked,
811 walking alongside Sakura. The auburn haired girl looked back at her
812 in confusion. Tomoyo smiled and rephrased her question. “What if he
813 isn’t who you want him to be?”
814 Sakura shook her head, clutching the shoe determinedly. “I don’t
815 care who he is. I know I love whoever it is I met last night. I’ve
816 never felt that way before. It was just.. just..” Sakura trailed off,
817 unable to come up with words to match the storm of emotions in her
818 heart. Her hands clenched in front of her, as if she could drag the
819 words out of thing air. "It was perfect. I felt so happy with him. So
820 peaceful. And for once it didn’t have anything to do with magic. It
821 was just him. He was what made me feel that way. I don’t care who he
822 is.”
823 “That’s so sweet!” Tomoyo exclaimed, a hand on her cheek. “Sakura-
824 chan is so cute, lost in her thoughts on love. You really are
825 perfect, Sakura-chan. You’re willing to do whatever to you can to be
826 with your love again, ready to sacrifice what you have to in order to
827 see him again. You’re so romantic.” Letting out a sweet sigh, Tomoyo
828 watched Sakura lovingly.
829 Sakura sweatdropped. “Arigato, Tomoyo-chan.” She should have known
830 Tomoyo would react that way. But somehow, it gave her more
831 confidence. It made her feel better about her plan. Tomoyo thought it
832 was sweet of her, romantic. So it wasn’t just some crazy idea after
833 all. Nodding to herself, Sakura hurried into the school, Tomoyo right
834 behind her.
836 “Maybe if you curl your toys up more,” Tomoyo offered helpfully,
837 standing next to a kneeling Sakura as she tried to place the small
838 black shoe on yet another boy.
839 “Oww.. This thing is too tight. I don’t even know what this is all
840 about,” the boy complained, rubbing his foot after he pulled it out
841 of the shoe.
842 Sighing, Sakura sat back, her hands resting on the ground. “We’ve
843 tried just about every boy in class, Tomoyo-chan. I don’t know who he
844 could be. It hasn’t fit on any of them. I’m starting to worry. What
845 if I don’t find him?” The brunette was suddenly overcome by worry.
846 Her plan has seemed so great earlier that day, but now she felt
847 hopeless. There weren’t many boys left to try, and none of them
848 seemed like good candidates for the mystery boy. The thought of not
849 seeing him again was almost physically painful. Sakura sighed,
850 holding the shoe. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Looking,
851 up, she saw Tomoyo smiling gently down at her. Her worry ebbed away
852 slowly as she looked up into loving stormy blue eyes.
853 “It’s all right, Sakura-chan. I know you’ll find him. Just don’t
854 give up hope. It doesn’t suit you. Remember, you can do anything.
855 Everything will always work out,” Tomoyo said softly, giving Sakura’s
856 shoulder a gentle squeeze before pulling her hand away. She was
857 rewarded with a soft smile from Sakura.
858 “Un, you’re right, Tomoyo-chan. I just have to keep trying. He has
859 to be out there somewhere. And I know he’s in the class. He was so
860 familiar. I just couldn’t quite remember who he is.” Shaking her
861 head, Sakura looked back down at the shoe. There was still a chance.
862 They hadn’t tried all the boys yet. Just almost all of them. She
863 sighed softly.
864 “That’s my shoe!”
865 Sakura looked up rapidly, her heart pounding. Who was the shoe’s
866 mysterious owner? Where was he? Had she finally found him? Locating
867 the source of the voice, she spotted Yamazaki approaching her.
868 “Yamazaki-kun? This is your shoe?” she asked in surprise. Could it
869 have been him the night before? Was he her mystery boy? The one who
870 had so effortlessly captured her heart?
871 “Yeah, it’s mine. I always like to wear girls’ shoes. They let you
872 hear girl’s thoughts that way. The ancient Aztecs knew this. That’s
873 why they invented girls’ shoes back during the 1500s,” Yamazaki
874 explained. He pulled the shoe on, the small black shoe reaching
875 slightly past half of his foot. “See? Perfect fit. I always wear my
876 shoes like this.”
877 Sakura blinked in confusion, looking back up at the taller boy. She
878 watched as he got bopped in the head by his frustrated girlfriend,
879 Chiharu.
880 “Why do you always have to make things up?” Chiharu sighed, dragging
881 him off, leaving Sakura alone with her shoe.
882 Sakura knelt down next to the shoe again, sighing. “Tomoyo-chan,
883 what if I don’t find him? What if I look forever for him and he never
884 shoes up? What if he was just a dream?” Sakura was on the verge of
885 tears. She felt awful. Her last chance was slowly slipping away from
886 her. If she couldn’t find him with his shoe, she didn’t know how she
887 could ever find him again. It was her only clue and it didn’t seem to
888 be working at all.
889 Watching Sakura sadly, Tomoyo stepped closer, trying to figure out
890 what to do. Sakura seemed so sad. There had to be some way she could
891 help. But what if it only made things worse if she told Sakura? What
892 if Sakura couldn’t handle finding out her mystery boy was really a
893 mystery girl? “The most important things are worth waiting forever
894 for, Sakura-chan. Some things are worth searching an eternity for.
895 You just have to find out what these things are. They aren’t always
896 where we look. So we have to keep looking, always holding out hope
897 that it will be there.” She smiled softly, brushing back some of
898 Sakura’s hair from the kneeling girl’s eyes. “He wasn’t a dream,
899 Sakura-chan. I know because every time I’m with you, I think ‘Sakura-
900 chan is so amazing. She’s so wonderful. I have to be dreaming.’ But
901 you’re always there when I wake up. Maybe that’s why I videotape you
902 so much. As proof. Evidence that you’re really real.”
903 Tomoyo’s gentle words soothed Sakura’s frightened soul like a
904 lullaby, playing through her mind again and again. Her musical voice
905 calmed Sakura’s worried heart, taking away the pain she felt. It was
906 so soft, so gentle. It played through Sakura like a song. Her emerald
907 eyes slowly went to Tomoyo’s feet, up her pale legs. An idea struck
908 with sudden ferocity. Hope bloomed in her heart, followed by the
909 intense fear that she might be wrote. But she had to try. Scooting
910 forward, she took Tomoyo’s leg so suddenly that the pale girl almost
911 toppled over. “Gomen, Tomoyo-chan,” Sakura apologize, the words
912 barely escaping her breathless mouth. With trembling fingers, she
913 pulled off Tomoyo’s shoe, letting it fall to the floor. Her heart
914 pounded in a staccato beat in her chest, her mind focusing on this
915 last attempt. It all seemed to lead here, even if it spun Sakura in
916 circles to think it all through. She slowly slid the shoe on, waiting
917 for it to get stuck or for it to be too big.
918 The shoe fit perfectly. Sakura could only blink in surprise as she
919 moved Tomoyo’s foot around in her hand, amazed at the fit. It was
920 almost too good to be true. She had found him. He had been right
921 there, all along, watching her try it on all the others. Her heart
922 pounded in her chest, as she slowly looked up. Tomoyo was looking
923 down at her, stormy blue eyes sparkling just as they had the night
924 before. “Tomoyo-chan.. It’s you.. You’re him! I mean.. her. I..
925 Tomoyo-chan..” Sakura trailed off, unsure of what to say.
926 Smiling down softly, Tomoyo helped Sakura back up. “Gomen nasai,
927 Sakura-chan. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to cause any
928 trouble for you,” the dark haired girl apologized, looking into
929 Sakura’s eyes. She still wasn’t sure how Sakura was taking it, how it
930 was affecting the other girl. She nearly shrank back at the
931 frustration that briefly flashed in Sakura’s eyes.
932 “You were right there all along and you didn’t even tell me? I spent
933 all day touching people’s feet just so I could find you and you were
934 right there?” Sakura darted forward, hugging Tomoyo tightly. To her
935 pleasant surprise, it was much more enjoyable than hugging her
936 pillow. “If you didn’t want to cause me trouble, you could have told
937 me this morning that it was you I was looking for.”
938 Tomoyo giggled softly, her indigo eyes falling shut. Whatever
939 concerns she had held earlier dissipated like a fine mist. Sakura
940 wasn’t angry with her. She wasn’t even in shock about the whole
941 thing. And she seemed to be taking the fact that her mystery prince
942 was a princess rather well. “I’ll remember that next time, Sakura-
943 chan.”
944 “Hoe.. There won’t have to be a next time, will there?” Sakura
945 asked, feeling exhausted. She had enough searching for her love for
946 any number of lifetimes.
947 “Not if you don’t want there to be, Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo replied.
948 She sighed, resting against Sakura. “But I still found it incredibly
949 romantic that you would look for me with such cute determination. I
950 always knew that Sakura-chan could be incredibly romantic at heart.”
951 Sakura blushed, still holding onto Tomoyo. But that just furthered
952 to relax her. The dark haired heiress always had been good at making
953 her blush, after all. And making her feel loved. She smiled happily,
954 holding onto her newly found princess, who just happened to have been
955 there all along. “I love you, Tomoyo-chan,” she whispered softly. “I
956 told you I didn’t care who you were. I should have known it was you
957 all along.”
958 “Oh, Sakura-chan..” Tomoyo replied, her heart nearly bursting with
959 joy. She hugged the other girl tighter, reveling in the sound of
960 Sakura’s beautiful words in her mind. “I love you, too, Sakura-chan.”
961 Sakura sighed happily, not wanting to relinquish their embrace.
962 Slowly, she blinked her eyes open. “Ano.. Tomoyo-chan? If you didn’t
963 want me to know it was you, why did you kiss me last night?”
964 Tomoyo smiled, her hands on Sakura’s shoulders as she pulled just
965 inches away. “Because Sakura-chan looked so cute, but a little
966 lonely, too. You looked like you needed a kiss. Just like now.” Using
967 Sakura’s blush as her cue, Tomoyo leant forward and gave Sakura
968 another soft kiss. This time, however, Sakura responded. Tomoyo
969 blushed herself as she felt Sakura return the kiss with her whole
970 genki spirit. Closing her eyes tightly, Tomoyo let the world melt
971 away as the kiss took her to the brink of heaven. Maybe the dance
972 hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but she was more than happy with the
973 outcome. If Sakura thought she could make her happy, then she would
974 just have to try her hardest.
975 Sakura held onto Tomoyo with all that she had as they kissed. It
976 was even more magical than the one the night before. It filled Sakura
977 with a swirling typhoon of feelings that threatened to sweep her
978 away. But she didn’t care. She would be happy to lose herself in
979 them. She felt so happy, so ‘hanyaa’, just to be with Tomoyo, to have
980 found her prince. Or princess, as the case may be. Tomoyo had been
981 right. Some things were worth searching an eternity for. But she was
982 incredibly grateful that she had found it now.