rlm@0: Never enough time
rlm@0: By Radar
rlm@0: simon_mcnestrie@hotmail.com
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: -----------
rlm@0: DISCLAIMER:
rlm@0: These characters belong to CLAMP! This is a Yuri story so if it
rlm@0: offends you please don't read!
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 'Never enough time!'
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: That one thought kept repeating in her mind as she sat in
rlm@0: meditation. Her auburn hair now stretching down her back, her emerald
rlm@0: eyes that had once held a unique sparkle now dull, almost lifeless.
rlm@0: No one quiet knew how this seemingly young woman came to this
rlm@0: particual Buddhist temple, despite the fact that the question had
rlm@0: been asked many times since her arrival. She had arrived, seemingly
rlm@0: lost, and simply asked if she could join their small community. She
rlm@0: just sat there, or did menial chores, but there was always one thing
rlm@0: that repeated in her mind: 'Never enough time!'
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: It had all happened more then 30 or so years ago. The auburn haired
rlm@0: woman cast herself backwards in her memories to that fateful day when
rlm@0: her beloved wife had met her end. She sighed softly, reliving that
rlm@0: night in great detail. The battle, her pale love arriving when she
rlm@0: had promised to go somewhere safe, the way the woman had pushed her
rlm@0: out of the way, taking the fatal attack for herself, the grief and
rlm@0: sadness, the anger that followed and the lust for vengance, the look
rlm@0: on the mysterious senshi's faces when her lust was satified. The
rlm@0: looks of horror, sadness and grief on their children's and her pale
rlm@0: wifes mother's face when she carried her loves body home.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 'Never enough time!' Slowly she stood up and slowly walked around
rlm@0: the temple, her legs stiff from her hours of sitting in the same
rlm@0: place. Once... may years ago she was know as Sakura, mistress of the
rlm@0: cards. But those days were long ago and far behind her. Sakura looked
rlm@0: up at the stars, focusing on one inparticular. 'Why'd you do it
rlm@0: Tomoyo?' she thought. Casting her mind back she relived it again.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Sakura looked on as the 10 figures dodged attack after attack. Each
rlm@0: tried differnt attacks of their own, but to no affect. Tomoyo gasped
rlm@0: as the building not too far away exploded. 'Get somewhere safe
rlm@0: Tomoyo!' Sakura said, forming her staff. 'But...' Tomoyo started. She
rlm@0: was silenced by a slow and gentle kiss from Sakura. 'I'll be ok Tomo-
rlm@0: chan!' Sakura whispered, smiling at her pale wife. Tomoyo smiled
rlm@0: herself and slowly retreated. Turning Sakura saw one of the figures
rlm@0: on her knees, another with sea-green hair kneeling beside her. What
rlm@0: ever they were fighting her turned its attention towards them, and at
rlm@0: this moment they were very vunerable. Quickly she summond the Shield
rlm@0: card to protect them. The others turned to face her, shocked that 2
rlm@0: of their own had come so close to death. The monster also turn and
rlm@0: saw her, realising what Sakura was, it changed tactics and focused on
rlm@0: her and her alone, practically ignoring the others. In the end, she
rlm@0: was too slow. So determind to protect everyone she was still to slow
rlm@0: to protect herself. When the monsters final attack came and she was
rlm@0: helpless to stop it. Then the ground and her view shifted. Time
rlm@0: seemed to slow as she hit the ground, her horror at seeing Tomoyo
rlm@0: push her out of the way, just in time to take the full force of the
rlm@0: attack for herself, being propled through the air, and hitting the
rlm@0: ground. She couldn't remember hitting the ground, all she could
rlm@0: remember clearly is slowly crawling over to her fallen love,
rlm@0: craddling her body as Tomoyo slowly slipped away. 'Why Tomoyo?'
rlm@0: Sakura asked, tears falling down her cheeks. Tomoyo didn't answer.
rlm@0: Instead she looked up with a pained smile. 'I'm happy to die in
rlm@0: Sakura-chan's arms!' she whispered, her eyes closing for the last
rlm@0: time. Sighing softly the pale woman breathing stopped, her hand
rlm@0: falling from Sakura's cheek to the ground. 'Tomoyo?' Sakura
rlm@0: whimpered, shaking Tomoyo's body gently. She shook Tomoyo again,
rlm@0: almost screaming her name. Gently she set the pale woman's body down
rlm@0: and picked up her discarded staff transforming it into a deadly
rlm@0: sabre, and slowly walked towards the thing that had taken away her
rlm@0: wife. The rest was a blur. She turn having killed the monster and
rlm@0: took Tomoyo's body home, the senshi stood silent watching her leave.
rlm@0: Kumiko and Nadeshiko were completely shock when Sakura tried to
rlm@0: explain that their mother had gone to a better place. Nadeshiko
rlm@0: perhaps, never quite recovered from that. Sonomi had demanded that
rlm@0: Sakura tell her how her only daughter had ended up dead, only hear
rlm@0: nothing but silence.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: A tear fell down her cheeck as she pulled herself back to the
rlm@0: present. She knew now that is was time she left her exile and return
rlm@0: to her family. Bidding farwell to the monks and nuns she slowly made
rlm@0: her way back to Japan.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 'Never enough time!'
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Still in her robes, she stood outside the Daidouji mansion. She'd
rlm@0: forgoten how large the house was. Slowly opening the gate she walked
rlm@0: up to the house, stopping half way when someone had caught sight of
rlm@0: her. Too her surprise, it was Nadeshiko. 'You?' Nadeshiko asked, when
rlm@0: Sakura had lowered the rood of her robes. Sakura's nod was cut off
rlm@0: when Nadeshiko slapped her. 'Why'd you leave?' The question cut into
rlm@0: Sakura, who had not even tried to defend herself when she realised
rlm@0: what her youngest daughter was about to do. 'Answer me!' That was
rlm@0: followed by another slap. Nadeshiko's normally pale face was bright
rlm@0: red with anger. 'I'm sorry!' was Sakura's answer. It looked like
rlm@0: Nadeshiko was going to slap her again until the pale woman clentched
rlm@0: her fist and punched the older woman. Staggering backwards Sakura
rlm@0: managed to keep herself on her feet, standing up straight, she was
rlm@0: met with another punch, and another. Sakura still made no attempt at
rlm@0: defending herself under her daughters punches. Soon they became
rlm@0: weaker and weaker until Nadeshiko collapsed against the person she'd
rlm@0: known as her papa, crying heavily. Slowly she put her arms around her
rlm@0: daughter, trying her best to comfort her. Then she saw the young
rlm@0: girl, watching the older women. 'Nadeshiko-mama?' she asked, 'Are you
rlm@0: ok?' Nadeshiko nodded slightly, 'Hai!' Sakura was shocked at the
rlm@0: likeness. The girl couldn't have been more then 11 years old and yet
rlm@0: she looked almost excactly like Tomoyo, except for her eyes. 'Go and
rlm@0: get your oba-san Tomoyo-chan!' Nadeshiko whispered. The girl nodded
rlm@0: and ran into the house, emerging less then 2 minutes later, her oba-
rlm@0: san in tow. 'Sakura-papa?' the second woman asked. Sakura nodded.
rlm@0: Kumiko smiled slightly. Then she realised she was indeed home.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 'Welcome home!'