rlm@0: Dear Sakura: rlm@0: On Angel's Wings rlm@0: by The Amazoness Duo rlm@0: amazonessduo@hotmail.com rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: “Tomoyo-chan, are you sure you won’t come with me? The cabin will rlm@0: be lonely without you. You could bring some of your videotapes and we rlm@0: could watch them while we’re up there. And the weather is going to be rlm@0: gorgeous. We could go for a picnic,” Sonomi Daidouji suggested to her rlm@0: daughter as the younger of the two continued packing. rlm@0: “I would love to come with, Okaa-sama, but I couldn’t stand to rlm@0: disappoint Sakura-chan. You should have heard her on the phone last rlm@0: night. She sounds so excited. I haven’t heard her like that since the rlm@0: night she told me that Li-kun had proposed to her.” What she didn’t rlm@0: have to add was that she and Syaoran had been planning to for weeks rlm@0: but he couldn’t work up the courage or make up his mind so she had to rlm@0: follow him around and nudge him ever closer into finally proposing. rlm@0: It had been one of the most heartbreaking things she had done for rlm@0: Sakura’s happiness, but it had to be done. What if he hadn’t proposed rlm@0: otherwise? Tomoyo smiled her trademark smile as she placed in some rlm@0: more clothing. Sakura had told her to pack light clothes, so she was rlm@0: going for a slightly different style than the usual dresses she wore. rlm@0: Her camcorder was already packed up in it’s case, ready for the long rlm@0: trip to Hong Kong. rlm@0: Sonomi sighed exasperatedly. Even if she could see past her rlm@0: daughter’s almost impenetrable emotional masks, she still wished that rlm@0: she would let them down more often around her. And that she would rlm@0: listen to reason. “I just don’t think this is a good idea. Sakura- rlm@0: chan already went off and got married right in front of you. Does she rlm@0: really need to throw it in your face? No good can come from this. rlm@0: Just tell her that as your mother and your boss, I forced you to come rlm@0: along to the mountains with me.” The older woman took out the blouse rlm@0: Tomoyo had just placed in the suitcase, laying it back on the bed. rlm@0: Looking back to her mother, Tomoyo smiled cheerfully again as she rlm@0: repacked the offending blouse. “Sakura-chan wouldn’t do that. She’s rlm@0: lonely up in Hong Kong all by herself. She needs some help getting rlm@0: settled. So I’ll go and help her. I think she’ll be happy to get a rlm@0: little piece of home in her new life. It will help her to move on rlm@0: with her life.” Tilting her head to the side thoughtfully, she rlm@0: glanced around for anything she may be missing. rlm@0: Her lithe hands taking her daughter’s shoulders, Sonomi turned the rlm@0: younger woman to face her. “But what about you, Tomoyo-chan? Maybe rlm@0: Sakura-chan does need this. But I really don’t think you do. It’s not rlm@0: wise for you to go back for more pain. Darling, don’t you think she’s rlm@0: hurt you enough? Do you need to see her with him now? For the past rlm@0: few years I’ve seen you suffer in silence as you watched them rlm@0: together. I don’t want you going off so she can blindly break my rlm@0: little girl’s heart again.” She frowned, brushing away some of rlm@0: Tomoyo’s lavender hair from her stormy blue eyes. Her heart was rlm@0: tearing itself in two. She knew first hand how painful it was to rlm@0: watch one’s true love marry another. And there had been nothing she rlm@0: could do about it. And now she was equally helpless to stop the pain rlm@0: in her daughter. Through the weak smile Tomoyo was keeping up, she rlm@0: could see the shimmer of tears in her daughter’s eyes and the deep rlm@0: pain behind it. “Oh, Tomoyo-chan...” Pulling the smaller woman rlm@0: closer, the businesswoman held onto her tightly, stroking her back rlm@0: the way she had when she was little. rlm@0: Tomoyo closed her eyes as her mother held onto her, letting the rlm@0: comforting embrace relax her. “Please don’t worry about me, Okaa- rlm@0: sama. I’ll be fine. I really will be happy to see Sakura-chan again. rlm@0: I’ve missed her so much lately. Hearing her on the phone and writing rlm@0: her isn’t enough. I need to see her. To be with her. Even if it’s for rlm@0: the last time,” her musical voice whispered softly, barely rlm@0: restraining the emotion underneath. She hugged her mother back, her rlm@0: eyes still shut. This whole visit had brought up so many mixed rlm@0: emotions in her. She dearly wanted to see her precious Sakura again, rlm@0: but the prospect of interrupting her new life with her husband was rlm@0: painful. She knew that Syaoran was probably taking good care of rlm@0: Sakura and providing her with things she never could. And in turn, he rlm@0: was rewarded with something Sakura could never give her. Her sweet, rlm@0: innocent love. And what a reward at that. But if he could make her rlm@0: happy, then he more than deserved it. But going in and seeing her rlm@0: beloved with her husband was a painful thought indeed. And after rlm@0: Sakura got settled, there really wouldn’t be much of a need for her rlm@0: anymore. Syaoran had already replaced her at Sakura’s side as the rlm@0: most important person in her life. He would love and support her the rlm@0: way she always had. She would go to him with her problems. And Sakura rlm@0: could forget about her. So in that sense, this trip was extremely rlm@0: bittersweet for the young heiress. This truly could be the last time rlm@0: she ever saw Sakura. But she had to. For Sakura’s sake. As well as rlm@0: her own. If this was her last chance to spend time with Sakura, she rlm@0: would have to treasure the moments for eternity. rlm@0: When Tomoyo finally stepped away from her mother, she smiled rlm@0: softly, composed once again. “I’ll be fine, Okaa-sama. I’ll give rlm@0: Sakura-chan your love.” rlm@0: Sonomi seemed to consider that for a moment. Did she really want rlm@0: Sakura even hearing from her after the hell she had been forcing her rlm@0: daughter through? Not that there was any use arguing the point with rlm@0: Tomoyo. The younger Daidouji already had enough to worry about rlm@0: without her mother’s anger at Sakura. Sighing, she crossed her arms. rlm@0: “But promise that you’ll call me while you’re up there. Everyday. I rlm@0: want to know how things are going.” rlm@0: Tomoyo giggled softly and nodded. “Hai, Okaa-sama. I’ll be sure to rlm@0: call you. Please have fun on your vacation, too.” A melodious beeping rlm@0: interrupted the two from Tomoyo’s watch. Pink and cute with intricate rlm@0: and colorful designs on it, it was most obviously a product of rlm@0: Daidouji Toys. “I’m going to be late if I don’t hurry.” She glanced rlm@0: back at her mother after picking up her small bag with the camcorder rlm@0: in it. Two darkly clad bodyguards picked up her two other suitcases. rlm@0: “Everything will be fine. Please don’t worry. You’ve been so busy rlm@0: with work that you really need to relax on this vacation. And how can rlm@0: I enjoy my time with Sakura-chan if I know Okaa-sama’s busy worrying rlm@0: about me?” rlm@0: The older woman couldn’t help but smile. Just like Nadeshiko. Her rlm@0: daughter had always been such a sweet girl, much like her cousin. But rlm@0: that concern for her loved ones came from Sonomi herself, even if rlm@0: Tomoyo managed to be more subtle about it. “Let’s hurry. The rlm@0: limousine’s waiting.” rlm@0: Taking one last look at her room, Tomoyo tried to spot anything rlm@0: that she might be missing. She was usually very good at organizing rlm@0: things, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was missing rlm@0: something. Her eyes finally settled on the half-finished costume she rlm@0: had once been working on for Sakura. Folding it over her arm, she rlm@0: hurriedly followed her mother out the door. rlm@0: rlm@0: Stormy blue eyes watched with a mild curiosity as the lighter blue rlm@0: skies slowly filtered past outside the window. It wouldn’t take too rlm@0: long before she was in Hong Kong. But Tomoyo hadn’t fully sorted out rlm@0: her feelings on the situation. Which was very difficult for her. She rlm@0: knew how she should feel about the whole thing. She should be happy rlm@0: for Sakura, that she was with the one she loved and that she was rlm@0: happily on the road to her new life. But it hurt her terribly that rlm@0: their roads had veered from one another’s. Her heart longed for rlm@0: Sakura. Her determined spirit, her genki attitude, her sweet smile. rlm@0: Everything about her. So it was with some delight that she had gotten rlm@0: the chance to fly out to see her so soon. And without the pretext of rlm@0: Sakura being with child as well. But how did she fit into Sakura’s rlm@0: new life? As nothing more than a relic from the past, sadly. And this rlm@0: trip was just making her realize that cold fact more and more. The rlm@0: trip was not much more than an attempt to curb Sakura’s homesickness rlm@0: so that she could move on with her new life. Seeing Sakura would be rlm@0: both the most pleasant part of the trip and the most painful. Part of rlm@0: her had wanted to accept her mother’s offer to go on vacation with rlm@0: her at a cabin in the mountains. But she needed to see Sakura again. rlm@0: To see that she had done the right thing in getting her beloved with rlm@0: another. Of that she was fairly certain, but she wanted to see Sakura rlm@0: happy with her special person. Seeing that making Sakura happy would rlm@0: make it all worth it. The she could go back to Japan and Sakura could rlm@0: forget all about her. But her final memories of Sakura, the knowledge rlm@0: that Sakura was finally happy would carry her through it. rlm@0: Tomoyo needed to see Sakura if for no other reason than to be with rlm@0: her true love just once more. She needed to see the girl that she had rlm@0: fallen in love with all those years ago. Sakura always filled her rlm@0: heart with such warmth just being near her. That had been missing rlm@0: from her life for too long now. Her heart soared at the thought of rlm@0: seeing her dear Sakura again, of being able to experience those rlm@0: wonderful sensations without the aid of videotape or her own rlm@0: memories. To feel the sheer and utter warmth she had for this girl at rlm@0: its strongest, the way she always was when she was in Sakura’s rlm@0: presence. rlm@0: “Don’t you make me happy... Don’t you have a good time...” Tomoyo rlm@0: sung softly as she watched the clouds outside. One big fluffy one rlm@0: looked just like Kero-chan. And in another wispier one, she could see rlm@0: Sakura on her old staff. Smiling softly, she took a small bite of her rlm@0: meal. It was nice, but she wasn’t very hungry. rlm@0: “Can I get you anything, ma’am?” the waitress asked pleasantly. rlm@0: Tomoyo just smiled in response and shook her head politely. rlm@0: After months and months of struggling, Tomoyo had finally managed rlm@0: to watch the videotape of the wedding ceremony all the way through. rlm@0: She had left right near the end, unable to stay and watch the entire rlm@0: event. That fact weighed heavily upon her. She had wanted to stay for rlm@0: Sakura, but watching her love get married off and taken away from her rlm@0: for good was too much for her to bear. And that had been the last she rlm@0: had seen of Sakura. They had left for their honeymoon after that and rlm@0: then to Hong Kong. She was truly grateful that Sakura had sent her rlm@0: the bouquet from her wedding. She had felt devastated for not being rlm@0: there near the end, but it made her feel better to have the pretty rlm@0: flowers that symbolized Sakura’s new union. Now it was right next to rlm@0: her mother’s bouquet from Nadeshiko’s wedding. It really made her rlm@0: wonder if maybe it was Fate at work. Her mother obviously loved rlm@0: Nadeshiko with the same passion that she held for Sakura, yet she was rlm@0: denied that love. Just as she was denied the chance to be with rlm@0: Sakura. Even though they both went about their love in very different rlm@0: ways. But it was all right. Her mother might not understand exactly, rlm@0: but it really was more important that Sakura be happy than with her. rlm@0: That your loved one was happy, even if you weren’t together, truly rlm@0: was the most vital thing. rlm@0: That fact had been what she had tried to explain many times to rlm@0: Sakura. But what she hadn’t told Sakura was that even if she was rlm@0: pleased for her special someone to be happy with someone else, there rlm@0: was also a lot of hurt inside. Yes, she was happy for Sakura. That rlm@0: was the truth. It was also true that she cried herself to sleep at rlm@0: night, lonely and sad that she would never be able to let her rlm@0: feelings for Sakura out of the cage of her heart. But sometimes rlm@0: Sakura only needed the half truth. Especially when the whole truth rlm@0: would hurt her. And Tomoyo had been very careful in all the time that rlm@0: she had known Sakura to not hurt her. Even if it meant being creative rlm@0: about the truth at times and not always showing her true feelings. rlm@0: A mixture of pain and warmth, longing and loneliness filled the rlm@0: young businesswoman’s heart. Her own heart used to be so open to her. rlm@0: She had understood it implicitly. But now it was so confused by all rlm@0: the conflicting thoughts and emotions that she didn’t know if she rlm@0: could fit some of the conflicting emotions together. Which meant she rlm@0: had to be even more careful while in Hong Kong. She needed to be rlm@0: happy for Sakura. She couldn’t let Sakura see that she was hurting or rlm@0: it might ruin things. At the very least, it would make Sakura sad and rlm@0: she couldn’t have that. rlm@0: Tomoyo smiled gently as she closed her eyes, envisioning the cute rlm@0: brunette. “I love you, Sakura-chan. Let’s enjoy this trip. There will rlm@0: be time for tears later.” rlm@0: rlm@0: Sakura sighed as she stared blankly at the magazine on her lap. Her rlm@0: mind was refusing to concentrate on anything. Tomoyo’s flight was rlm@0: overdue and she was starting to get worried. She had gotten to the rlm@0: airport early in her enthusiasm to see her sweet friend again. A yawn rlm@0: escaped her lips which she tried to cover quickly. Sleep hadn’t been rlm@0: very generous in coming for the past few nights. And the closer it rlm@0: got to Tomoyo’s arrival, the more difficult it became for her to get rlm@0: any rest. Last night had seemed like an eternity. Sleep had eluded rlm@0: her for hours. She spent most of it in the room she had prepared for rlm@0: Tomoyo, tidying things up one last time. When she had finally fallen rlm@0: asleep, she had found herself passed out at the desk in that room. rlm@0: Embarrassed and still a little sleepy, she had slipped back into bed rlm@0: with her husband, but sleep once again taunted her. All sorts of rlm@0: memories kept coming to her when she was about to nod off. The dress rlm@0: Tomoyo had made her for one of the school dances had come to mind. rlm@0: Then the lavender haired girl had asked her to the dance when she rlm@0: found out that Syaoran couldn’t be there to take her. That had been a rlm@0: lot of fun, even if it had seemed a little awkward at the time. When rlm@0: Tomoyo had practiced with her for her auditions in Drama Club, which rlm@0: had been the dark haired angel’s idea in the first place, had also rlm@0: drifted into her head. When Tomoyo had shown her the videotape of her rlm@0: flying on her magic staff and had found out that she was a magical rlm@0: girl played over and over again in her mind. rlm@0: Oddly enough, the one memory that stuck out the most was when rlm@0: Tomoyo had been explaining the custom of making a teddy bear for the rlm@0: person you like and them naming it after you. When Sakura had asked rlm@0: the beautiful heiress about why she wasn't going to make one, Tomoyo rlm@0: had smiled at her and explained that she would be happy as long as rlm@0: her special person was. At the time, she had seen it as nothing more rlm@0: than Tomoyo’s usual eccentricity, but for some reason it was rlm@0: bothering her now. Why couldn’t Tomoyo make it for her special rlm@0: someone? That wasn’t fair that she’d have to be alone like that, not rlm@0: even being able to take part in such a cute little tradition. But rlm@0: before she could make any sense of the whole thing, she had hurried rlm@0: off to the airport. rlm@0: The plane was still late. Sakura bit her lip anxiously. Her stomach rlm@0: was starting to feel sick from all of the anxiety of waiting. She rlm@0: kept seeing her pale friend in her mind’s eye, and it just made her rlm@0: impatience grow. She missed Tomoyo terribly. They had been best rlm@0: friends for years and years now and suddenly she was without her in a rlm@0: new country. She was happy to be with her new husband, but the rlm@0: loneliness she felt being away from Tomoyo continued to grow while rlm@0: she was gone. And that confused her. Now that she was starting her rlm@0: new life with Syaoran, she had expected that to diminish as time went rlm@0: by. But it had only grown worse. So Tomoyo’s visit came as quite a rlm@0: relief. It thrilled her to know that her friend would soon be with rlm@0: her again. There was so much to do! So much to say! Her heart pounded rlm@0: in her chest in excitement. She couldn’t wait to see the beautiful rlm@0: woman again, to laugh with her and know that she was there by her rlm@0: side. She hadn’t been this excited since the honeymoon. rlm@0: Sakura paused for a moment, setting the magazine aside. Tomoyo had rlm@0: been her best friend for what felt like a lifetime. They had only rlm@0: been apart for several months. And she was married to her loving rlm@0: husband and living her wonderful new life. Sure, it was great to be rlm@0: able to spend time with Tomoyo again, but was that really anywhere on rlm@0: par with a honeymoon with the man she had vowed to spend the rest of rlm@0: her life with? Oh, it didn’t matter. She missed her friend so dearly rlm@0: that it would be great to see her again. Why did it matter if she was rlm@0: so exited to see her or not? Tomoyo was very important to her. More rlm@0: than she’d ever realized before. But now that she was gone, Sakura rlm@0: missed her daily. The dark haired woman’s nigh constant comforting rlm@0: presence and warm words were no longer there except in the presence rlm@0: of phone calls and letters. And that just wasn’t the same thing. She rlm@0: needed the pale woman there with her so that she could feel whole rlm@0: again. She knew Tomoyo believed in her, but sometimes she had trouble rlm@0: believing in herself. And sometimes it was so hard adjusting to her rlm@0: new life. But Tomoyo had always helped her through everything. rlm@0: Somehow she knew that it would all be better if her incredibly rlm@0: perceptive friend was there to help her. rlm@0: Standing up excitedly, Sakura watched an airplane taxiing up. Was rlm@0: that hers? Could that be...? It was!! Sakura clasped her hands rlm@0: together happily as she watched it move slowly forward. It moved rlm@0: achingly slow in her mind. ‘If only this wasn't for just a visit’. rlm@0: That thought saddened her for a moment, but it quickly passed as her rlm@0: excitement built to a crescendo. All of the waiting had built up to rlm@0: this moment. All of that time apart would be over. At least for now. rlm@0: Tomoyo would have to leave again soon enough. That thought alone left rlm@0: a pain in her heart. Just like what Tomoyo had said about knowing rlm@0: they couldn’t be together forever. The same was true now. They’d only rlm@0: be here for a short visit. But that wasn’t for a while yet. And they rlm@0: would see each other again in the meantime. Her heart nearly stopped rlm@0: as she saw a pale figure walk out of the plane. Long, lavender hair rlm@0: was done up in elegant braids, draped past her shoulders, sharply rlm@0: contrasting her pale skin. Her short blue and aquamarine dress was rlm@0: simple but beautiful. Tomoyo was stunningly beautiful, even more so rlm@0: than Sakura had last remembered her. How her special someone could rlm@0: ignore her, Sakura could not even begin to comprehend. Joy bubbled up rlm@0: in her heart at the very sight of her best friend. It was a far cry rlm@0: from their first meeting in class eight years prior. “Tomoyo-chan !! rlm@0: Tomoyo-chan!” rlm@0: Tomoyo turned to find the source of the voice. Her smile brightened rlm@0: immeasurably as she spotted the brunette running towards her. “Sakura- rlm@0: chan!” She stepped to the side, trying to get away from the rest of rlm@0: the passengers and to her eager friend. “Sakura-chan, I’m so...” The rlm@0: breath was knocked out of her as Sakura leapt into an embrace. The rlm@0: athletic girl pulled her close, hugging her with all the energy she rlm@0: could muster. Tomoyo felt her own heart surge at being so near Sakura rlm@0: again. She had been right. Being near her did fill her heart near rlm@0: bursting as the love inside struggled to be released. “It’s so good rlm@0: to see you, Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo said sweetly when Sakura finally rlm@0: released her grasp ever so slightly. Her eyes lingered on Sakura’s rlm@0: shining emeralds. Sakura had grown into quite a pretty young woman. rlm@0: She was still Tomoyo’s image of perfection. The bags under Sakura’s rlm@0: eyes concerned her, but she knew that the Cardmistress hadn’t been rlm@0: sleeping much because of her impending visit. rlm@0: “I’m so happy to see you, too, Tomoyo-chan! I was starting to worry rlm@0: that you had been swept up on your way to see me. I couldn’t wait for rlm@0: you to get here.” Giving Tomoyo another tight hug, Sakura finally let rlm@0: go. “I still can’t believe you’re here.” It had felt like an eternity rlm@0: since she had last seen Tomoyo, but now that the dark haired girl was rlm@0: here, it felt like it had only been the day before that they had last rlm@0: seen each other. This trip was going to be wonderful. She could just rlm@0: feel it. rlm@0: Tomoyo giggled softly and shook her head. “Nothing could keep me rlm@0: from my Sakura-chan. I had to get here. I’m very sorry to keep you rlm@0: waiting.” She hefted the camcorder case up, adjusting the strap. “I rlm@0: wanted to come out and record you again but they won’t let me until I rlm@0: have it checked with security. It would have been the perfect first rlm@0: shot for my ‘Sakura-chan and the Dream Vacation’ videotape!” rlm@0: Now it was Sakura’s turn to laugh. “We’ll have to get you some rlm@0: better shots than that. And I’m just glad to see you. I’ve missed you rlm@0: so much, Tomoyo-chan. You don’t know how happy I am to have you here rlm@0: in Hong Kong. I’ve been waiting the longest time for your visit.” rlm@0: “I missed you, too, Sakura-chan. Nothing’s the same without your rlm@0: cute presence to make everything exciting.” Tomoyo couldn’t take her rlm@0: eyes off of Sakura. It was like she had been dying of thirst and had rlm@0: just found her oasis. She drank up Sakura hungrily, burning her rlm@0: precious image into her mind at that very moment as best she could. rlm@0: She felt like she had been kept in the dark, blind and deaf to the rlm@0: world and that she had just now been returned her senses. For now her rlm@0: worries were far away. They hardly seemed to matter in the face of rlm@0: the girl she loved. rlm@0: Sakura blushed softly at Tomoyo’s compliment, but smiled. “We rlm@0: better go get your bags. There’s so much I need to show you. And I rlm@0: can’t wait for you to see your room. I really think you’ll like it. rlm@0: I’ll help you unpack.” Taking Tomoyo’s hand, she couldn’t get rid of rlm@0: her smile. Not that she wanted to. She was too happy to have her rlm@0: friend back with her again. Things finally felt all right. rlm@0: Tomoyo was a little surprised by Sakura’s hand holding her own, but rlm@0: she didn’t complain. Squeezing Sakura’s hand gently, she nodded. “I’m rlm@0: sure it will be lovely. Anything that Sakura-chan spent so much time rlm@0: and effort into must be perfect. I’ll love being able to see it rlm@0: without the need of a picture this time.” rlm@0: “I really hope you think so when you see it. I think it’ll be very rlm@0: nice for you. I tried to think like Tomoyo-chan while I was fixing up rlm@0: the room. I’m afraid it’s not much like your old room, but I still rlm@0: think it looks nice. So I’m not sure how good a job I did as you.” rlm@0: Sakura looked outside and sweatdropped. Rain plastered the windows rlm@0: all around them, casting the girls in shifting shadows. “I hope you rlm@0: brought an umbrella. I was hoping things would at least clear up when rlm@0: you arrived.” rlm@0: Leading Sakura towards the baggage check out, Tomoyo’s worries felt rlm@0: like they had been left back in the airplane. Being with Sakura again rlm@0: really did feel wonderful. “Hai, I did. I tried to pack as best I rlm@0: could from what you told me. And I already know that I’ll love the rlm@0: room Sakura spent so much time putting together for me. I’m much rlm@0: happier than I could be with any hotel room I could have.” rlm@0: Sakura smiled happily and squeezed Tomoyo’s soft hand in return. rlm@0: “Good. We’ll need to hurry so that we don’t waste any of your time rlm@0: here!”