rlm@0: Dear Sakura
rlm@0: by Amazoness Duo and G.P.
rlm@0: amazonessduo@hotmail.com
rlm@0: pearsong1954@yahoo.com
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	“Where the hell is she?” Syaoran scowled as he found himself at the
rlm@0: starting point of his search, his empty bedroom. He had awoken to
rlm@0: find Sakura missing, her side of the bed barely slept in. His
rlm@0: brunette wife was almost always there when he got ready for work. He
rlm@0: had thought that she had been downstairs making breakfast or waiting
rlm@0: for him, but Sakura hadn’t been there either. His concern escalating,
rlm@0: the Chinese sorcerer had made his way through the entire house,
rlm@0: twice, to no avail. Sakura was nowhere to be found. 
rlm@0: 	Sighing, Syaoran once again poured over the room he and his wife
rlm@0: shared. One of her small bags was gone. It was the one Tomoyo had
rlm@0: given her as a going away present when Sakura had agreed to come back
rlm@0: to Hong Kong with him. The only reason he remembered was because the
rlm@0: sickeningly cute bag held most of Sakura’s things for her gym class,
rlm@0: so it was often next to their bed so it would be readily available
rlm@0: for her in the morning. But her school supplies lay next to the bed
rlm@0: in disarray, as if Sakura had dumped them all out before taking the
rlm@0: bag. That didn’t make any sense. What good would an empty bag do?
rlm@0: 	Continuing his search, the frustrated man scoured the room for
rlm@0: anything else that might be a clue to his wife’s whereabouts. He
rlm@0: couldn’t tell if anything else was missing, but he found enough of
rlm@0: her things hurriedly tossed to the side that he could guess that
rlm@0: there were. His eyes slowly scanned the room before stopping on the
rlm@0: desk that lay against the far wall. On top of it lay his Lazan Board,
rlm@0: but there was a curious empty spot next to it. "The Sakura Book!” he
rlm@0: nearly yelled out. The familiar pink book was nowhere to be seen.
rlm@0: Sakura sometimes took it with her when she wanted to speak to the
rlm@0: Cards or when she simply wanted it nearby, but it always wound up on
rlm@0: that desk. A terrible sense of foreboding swept through the Chinese
rlm@0: sorcerer.
rlm@0: 	Running down the stairs, Syaoran forced past his older sister,
rlm@0: Shiefa, brusquely. He hardly paid attention to her as he continued
rlm@0: through the house. Where had Sakura gone off to? Why would she leave
rlm@0: so suddenly? Was there some new danger? He paused for a moment in
rlm@0: front of the door to the garden. He had to relax. He had told Sakura
rlm@0: time and time again that if she cried it would keep her from getting
rlm@0: anything done. It was the same as this situation. If he panicked, he
rlm@0: wouldn’t be able to resolve the situation. Nodding to himself, he
rlm@0: tried to clear his thoughts. Sakura obviously hadn’t had time to grab
rlm@0: more than a few things, so she was obviously in a hurry. She had
rlm@0: taken the Book of Sakura with her, so it could have something to do
rlm@0: with the Cards. Hadn’t she mentioned some dream that had concerned
rlm@0: her lately? He couldn’t recall what it had been about exactly. So
rlm@0: perhaps she had rushed off to whatever this new magical emergency
rlm@0: was. But then why hadn’t she told him? He may not be as powerful as
rlm@0: she, but he had vowed to protect her.		Tomoyo had made him promise
rlm@0: that the night before their wedding. It had been an unexpected visit
rlm@0: from the dark haired girl, one he hadn’t quite understood. Why would
rlm@0: the Daidouji girl come to him rather than to Sakura the night before
rlm@0: their wedding? She was obsessed with his bride to be, after all. But
rlm@0: she had come to him that night. Her normal smile hadn’t been on her
rlm@0: face and that had immediately worried him that it might have
rlm@0: something to do with Sakura. But after he had finally allowed her
rlm@0: inside, Tomoyo had watched him carefully for what felt like an
rlm@0: eternity, studying his very soul. When she finally spoke, her soft
rlm@0: voice sounded extremely far away, as if she had traveled the world
rlm@0: over and was too exhausted to take another step. They had spoken for
rlm@0: a short time, mostly about Sakura, though Syaoran had been uneasy the
rlm@0: entire conversation. Finally, Tomoyo had walked up to him and looked
rlm@0: him straight in the eyes. For someone who had faced countless
rlm@0: hardships and numerous battles, Syaoran had thought he was prepared
rlm@0: for anything. But Tomoyo’s infinite gaze, her stormy blue eyes seeing
rlm@0: deep past all that he was... Syaoran had flinched. He had barely
rlm@0: heard her speak and it took him a moment to piece together what he
rlm@0: had heard. She wanted him to promise that he would take care of
rlm@0: Sakura, that he would make her happy. Her words had irritated him,
rlm@0: and he had grown angry with her at the time. “What are you talking
rlm@0: about? Of course I’ll take care of her,” he had said.
rlm@0: 	Tomoyo had merely stared at him, her deep eyes never losing their
rlm@0: hold on his. His anger seemed to pass through her as if she hadn’t
rlm@0: even noticed it. “I want you to promise that you will always make
rlm@0: Sakura happy. I want you to keep her safe,” she said in her gentle
rlm@0: voice, but there had been no questioning her. Despite her gentle
rlm@0: façade, her words were laced with steel. He would protect her, he
rlm@0: would make her happy, or... He didn’t even want to know the
rlm@0: consequences. He tried to laugh at the thought now, of this pale and
rlm@0: weak girl doing anything to him if he didn’t fulfil his promise, but
rlm@0: he couldn’t bring himself to find any humor in the situation. He knew
rlm@0: in his heart that Tomoyo had been dead serious that day, that there
rlm@0: was no falling short on his side of the deal. There was something
rlm@0: about the dark haired girl that had frightened him. He had agreed
rlm@0: with her demands quickly, hoping she would leave him alone. But she
rlm@0: had waited a moment longer, still staring at him. Brushing back some
rlm@0: hair, she offered him a small smile and a nod before turning around.
rlm@0: He hadn’t seen her leave and he had almost convinced himself that she
rlm@0: had merely been a ghost before he finally got a hold of himself.
rlm@0: 	Finding himself in the garden, Syaoran walked out into the chilly
rlm@0: morning, holding himself as the bitter wind rushed past him. That
rlm@0: promise felt as if it had been made a lifetime ago. But still, a
rlm@0: promise is a promise. And even more than that, this was his wife. He
rlm@0: was supposed to protect her. So where had she gone to without him? If
rlm@0: it was something to do with her magic, then why wouldn’t she bring
rlm@0: him along? It didn’t make any sense. A small spring of anger welled
rlm@0: up inside him as he fought against the cold. She needed him, didn’t
rlm@0: she? Of course she did. But then why hadn’t she told him of whatever
rlm@0: this was? Why would she run off without him? He was her husband. He
rlm@0: was the one that she was supposed to come with for everything. But
rlm@0: recently, she had spent all of her time talking about that Daidouji
rlm@0: girl. He had gotten so sick of hearing ‘Tomoyo’ all around the house.
rlm@0: Even Fanren had started talking about her! He knew she was Sakura’s
rlm@0: friend, but he hated seeing the one he loved talking about another
rlm@0: all the time, even if it was just another girl. He had gotten angry
rlm@0: at her over it, but he thought that had been resolved. Besides, he
rlm@0: didn’t talk about other people all the time, so why should she? 
rlm@0: 	Shaking his head, Syaoran once again tried to clear his thoughts,
rlm@0: but the jealousy and anger wouldn’t go away. Even if Sakura was the
rlm@0: most powerful magical being on the planet, why would she hurry off
rlm@0: without him? Did she think she didn’t need him for this? What if
rlm@0: something terrible happened that she needed him to save her from?
rlm@0: Tomoyo sure as hell couldn’t save her. For all Sakura had talked
rlm@0: about her recently, the pale girl could never help her with some
rlm@0: magical problem. That was why she needed him for something like this.
rlm@0: It was foolish to rush off on her own. Now he would have to find her,
rlm@0: and, most likely at the last possible instant, save her. 
rlm@0: Syaoran’s scowl grew darker as he stepped out among the flowers. He
rlm@0: was liking this less and less. What the hell could Sakura be up to?
rlm@0: He was her husband. He had a right to know, even if this didn’t have
rlm@0: anything to do with the Cards. They were married and he was the one
rlm@0: she should be going to with her problems so he could fix them. But
rlm@0: instead, she always turned to Tomoyo, crying out her problems in
rlm@0: letters and telephone conversations that cost a big chunk of Sakura’s
rlm@0: paycheck because she wouldn’t get off the phone until it was pitch
rlm@0: black outside. But could Tomoyo ever fix her problems? No. She was
rlm@0: merely a shoulder to cry on. But somehow, Sakura always felt better
rlm@0: about everything. And that made Syaoran even more jealous about the
rlm@0: attention that someone else was receiving from his wife. Sakura would
rlm@0: crawl back into bed after writing a long letter or after she had been
rlm@0: on the phone with Tomoyo for entirely too long and she would smile
rlm@0: happily, as if she were completely refreshed and wrap her arms around
rlm@0: him before falling asleep. He was glad to see Sakura happier, even if
rlm@0: it puzzled him, but he was angry that it was through someone else. He
rlm@0: knew that he didn’t think Sakura needed to talk about everything and
rlm@0: that he didn’t always feel like listening after a hard day at work,
rlm@0: but he was still frustrated that he wasn’t the one making her feel
rlm@0: better.
rlm@0: Tomoyo’s visit had proven even worse for the Chinese sorcerer. She
rlm@0: had managed to captivate the hearts of his family, in particular his
rlm@0: older sister, Fanren. Even his mother seemed to take favor with the
rlm@0: pale beauty! How could she get Ieran-sama’s attention when even he
rlm@0: failed under her scrutiny? That had infuriated him. His wife had been
rlm@0: so obliviously happy during the Japanese girl’s stay, spending every
rlm@0: conceivable moment with her. The thing that had gotten to him the
rlm@0: most was that Sakura had looked happier during Tomoyo’s brief stay
rlm@0: than he could ever remember her, even during the honeymoon. He hadn’t
rlm@0: been able to wait for Tomoyo to leave so things could get back to
rlm@0: normal again. But they hadn’t been able to. Sakura had seemed even
rlm@0: more distant lately, her conversations invariably leading back to the
rlm@0: dark haired girl. He had lost his temper several times and though he
rlm@0: regretted it now, he hadn’t been able to stop himself. He just didn’t
rlm@0: want to hear about her anymore in his house. Sakura was his wife,
rlm@0: damn it! No one else’s. No one else had claim to her. He was the one
rlm@0: she should always come to for help. He was the one who should always
rlm@0: make her happy. He should be the one she was always talking about! 
rlm@0: So wrapped up in his burning jealousy was Syaoran that he barely
rlm@0: noticed the rustle of leaves in a tree above and the sound of
rlm@0: branches shifting as someone leapt out. He felt the wind whip past
rlm@0: his face as he narrowly dodged the leaping form. His eyes quickly
rlm@0: focused on his attacker, his body shifting to a fighting stance.
rlm@0: “Meiling?!” he blurted out in surprise. His beautiful cousin stood
rlm@0: before him in a short, blue Chinese dress that barely fell past her
rlm@0: thighs. Intricate lavender flowers lay entwined across the deep blue.
rlm@0: Her amber eyes met his with an anger that sent ripples through him.
rlm@0: In a fluid movement that looked more like a dance than an attack, her
rlm@0: fist lunged for him. Syaoran ducked it easily. “What the hell are you
rlm@0: doing?” he shouted at her, blocking a kick. He tried to sense any
rlm@0: magic coming from her to see if she had been enchanted, but he could
rlm@0: feel nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. All he had to do was glance
rlm@0: at those burning amber eyes to see the fury that held her. 
rlm@0: Meiling kicked again, driving Syaoran back with her strong legs.
rlm@0: This man had once been her fiance, the man that she had loved with
rlm@0: all of her heart. The man that she still loved. Which is why she was
rlm@0: still so angry with him. How he could have left her for some Japanese
rlm@0: girl was completely beyond her. Had he simply been infatuated with
rlm@0: Sakura’s magic? That was part of why he fell for the white haired
rlm@0: boy, so it was reasonable. And as Sakura had grown in magical power,
rlm@0: so had Syaoran’s feelings for her, as if the two ideas were linked
rlm@0: firmly together. Whatever the reason, he had spurned his cousin’s
rlm@0: affections and instead married the Cardmistress. To say that Meiling
rlm@0: had been distraught was an understatement. Dreams of marrying her
rlm@0: beloved Syaoran had been with her since childhood. The bitter taste
rlm@0: of defeat, of having the once she loved so callously toss her aside
rlm@0: had been maddening. How he could dare do that to her when she had
rlm@0: given him everything had picked at her heart the same way a
rlm@0: thoughtless person pulls away a butterflies wings. Her wings had been
rlm@0: stolen from her and she could no longer soar. All because some hussy
rlm@0: had come along and stolen the attention of the only one she had ever
rlm@0: loved. She would never forgive Sakura for taking away her Syaoran.
rlm@0: But at the same time, she couldn’t forgive Syaoran either. ‘But I
rlm@0: gave you everything,’ she had whispered when she had learned of the
rlm@0: wedding. Syaoran had tried to explain it to her, but she ran off. She
rlm@0: hadn’t let him see her tears. But as soon as she was alone, they came
rlm@0: bitterly and with a vengeance. ‘I loved you and I gave you
rlm@0: everything. I gave you my heart. Why couldn’t you accept it? Is there
rlm@0: something wrong with it? Is it not good enough?’ she had asked
rlm@0: herself in the midst of her tears. But no answers had ever come to
rlm@0: her, from her own heart or from Syaoran. 
rlm@0: Though the marriage had only been half a year ago at the most,
rlm@0: Meiling could have sworn it had been an eternity. Forced to watch her
rlm@0: beloved cousin and his blushing bride had driven her near the
rlm@0: breaking point. To see the man she loved with another woman, to know
rlm@0: that her lonely heart would never receive his attention was too
rlm@0: sickeningly cruel. How Tomoyo dealt with it, she couldn’t begin to
rlm@0: fathom. All she knew was the pain. It was her constant companion, a
rlm@0: travel guide to life that she had been unlucky enough to come across.
rlm@0: And all the while, Syaoran had never once shown any sympathy, any
rlm@0: remorse for breaking her heart. How thoughtless! How cruel! How dare
rlm@0: he!?! Meiling renewed her assault with further vigor, her rage
rlm@0: fueling her near dance-like attacks.
rlm@0: 	Syaoran kept on the defensive, but he was beginning to tire.
rlm@0: Meiling had gone crazy. That was the only explanation. Why else would
rlm@0: she fight him like this? It made no sense. He decided that the only
rlm@0: way to finish this battle would be to take her out. She seemed in no
rlm@0: mood to give up. With a sigh, he lunged forward. He felt bad for what
rlm@0: he had to do, but it had to be done. He and Meiling had sparred often
rlm@0: enough in the past and he nearly always won. So he would have to
rlm@0: defeat her here and find out just what was going on. He waited
rlm@0: patiently for her to collapse, but to his surprise, his fist missed
rlm@0: her entirely. His eyes widened as he saw her leg dart out. A painful
rlm@0: realization hit him seconds before her leg did. She was a whole lot
rlm@0: faster than he had ever imagined. This fight had been hers from the
rlm@0: beginning. Pain blossomed through him like a sudden and unexpected
rlm@0: supernova. The wind rushed out of him in a frenzied path to escape
rlm@0: his burning lungs. His stomach called out in agony as he first
rlm@0: hunched over and then collapsed to the ground altogether. “How..?” he
rlm@0: got out weakly.
rlm@0: 	Meiling crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing as she
rlm@0: watched the man lying in pain on the grass below her. “Didn’t think I
rlm@0: could beat you, huh? You thought I’d always settle for second place
rlm@0: with you, is that it? I always got second and you always got first as
rlm@0: children. You always came in ahead of me.” Brushing a dark pigtail
rlm@0: over her shoulder, she knelt next to her prone cousin. “I let you
rlm@0: win. I loved you, so I was happy to let you win as long as I could be
rlm@0: the one to finish next to you. I loved how happy it made you, how
rlm@0: exhilarated you always were when you succeeded. You always had this
rlm@0: thirst for victory, for winning. And I was pleased to let you drink
rlm@0: its nectar from my hands.” She shrugged absently as she stood up,
rlm@0: stretching. “And let’s face it, Syaoran. Martial Arts was never your
rlm@0: thing. You were always better at magic anyway.”
rlm@0: 	Trying to catch his breath, Syaoran struggled with what she was
rlm@0: telling him. So all those times that he had beaten her as a child,
rlm@0: every sparring match he had won, they were because she had let him?
rlm@0: This girl who had been there for almost all of the life he could
rlm@0: remember, who had always trailed just behind him, had allowed him to
rlm@0: pull ahead simply because of her feelings for him? Memories came back
rlm@0: in a flood, of her making careless mistakes when they were sparring
rlm@0: or slowing just enough when they were sprinting to allow him to pass.
rlm@0: He sighed painfully. It seemed that not only his stomach would
rlm@0: bruise, but his ego as well. “What were you thinking?” he asked
rlm@0: angrily, forcing himself up on his hands. He turned his firey gaze on
rlm@0: her, but she didn’t look like she was in a mood for it. Her own
rlm@0: smoldering eyes made his feel like simmering coal in comparison.
rlm@0: 	“I won. I refuse to live in your shadow anymore, Syaoran. I refuse
rlm@0: to let you continue hurting me like this. I won't lie down and let
rlm@0: you force your damned marriage in my face.” Meiling began to walk
rlm@0: away from him, the wind playing idly with her hair. “So I’m finished.
rlm@0: I’m not going to let myself stick around and wait for things to work
rlm@0: out. I’m leaving, Syaoran. My life is my own. I just took it back
rlm@0: from you. I gave you my heart and if it’s not good enough for you,
rlm@0: then I might as well leave.” Tears sparkled in her eyes as she turned
rlm@0: to face him one last time. “I love you, Syaoran. And I always will.
rlm@0: But I won’t let you hurt me anymore. Goodbye.” And with that, she
rlm@0: leapt into the trees.
rlm@0: 	“Meiling! Meiling!!” Syaoran cried out after her. But it was too
rlm@0: late. She was already gone. “Damn it!” Struggling to his knees, the
rlm@0: Chinese sorcerer winced as pain shot through his belly. “What else
rlm@0: could go wrong today?” he muttered to himself, walking back towards
rlm@0: the house. Just what was he supposed to tell his mother, the
rlm@0: matriarch of the Li family? He dreaded the thought. She would not be
rlm@0: pleased about Meiling’s sudden decision. ‘Probably like she wasn’t
rlm@0: pleased with my decision to marry Sakura-chan instead of Meiling,” he
rlm@0: thought disparately. 
rlm@0: 	“Sakura-chan’s gone!!” 
rlm@0: 	“Ack!!” Syaoran reeled back, getting ready to attack the demon that
rlm@0: had leapt out at him. His heart finally slowed as the Seal Beast came
rlm@0: into view, concern etched all over it’s small yellow head. Syaoran
rlm@0: pushed past him, not in the mood to deal with Kero’s antics at the
rlm@0: moment.
rlm@0: 	“Hey, brat, I said ‘Sa-ku-ra-chan-is-gone’. What, you don’t speak
rlm@0: Japanese all of a sudden?” Kero asked irritably. He never did much
rlm@0: like the Chinese sorcerer and Sakura’s marriage to him hadn’t changed
rlm@0: the situation. Syaoran wouldn’t even let him sleep in the same room
rlm@0: as Sakura like he used to! 
rlm@0: 	“I know that! I’ve been looking for her all morning,” Syaoran
rlm@0: replied angrily, wishing that the stuffed animal could be busy doing
rlm@0: anything besides pestering him at the moment. “I’ve looked
rlm@0: everywhere.” He sighed resignedly.
rlm@0: 	“Everywhere, huh?” The Seal Beast smirked proudly, crossing his
rlm@0: arms. “I guess you need to get glasses, boy, because you missed
rlm@0: something.” Producing a letter out of nowhere, Kero grinned
rlm@0: triumphantly. He was always happy to outwit people he didn’t like and
rlm@0: Syaoran ranked very highly on his list. 
rlm@0: 	Syaoran snatched the letter away from the flying teddy bear
rlm@0: instantly, skimming through it. He knew that style too well. He had
rlm@0: seen Sakura reading these when he had been drifting off to sleep. It
rlm@0: had to be from Tomoyo. And sure enough, it was. The letter was polite
rlm@0: and explained to Sakura that she had to say goodbye, that she would
rlm@0: be going away. “Crap!” Syaoran tossed the letter, hurrying upstairs,
rlm@0: Kero in hot pursuit.
rlm@0: 	“So what is it? Do you know where she is?” Kero asked impatiently.
rlm@0: He didn’t know what the letter meant, only that it was important. The
rlm@0: fact that it said that Tomoyo was leaving and that it had been found
rlm@0: near where Sakura kept her keys worried him.
rlm@0: 	“Sakura-chan’s gone back to Japan. She’s trying to stop Daidouji-
rlm@0: san,” Syaoran said over his shoulder, cramming clothes into a
rlm@0: suitcase. It all made sense now. Why Sakura had been so hellbent on
rlm@0: Tomoyo for the past few weeks, why she had been so happy to see
rlm@0: Tomoyo during her visit, why she had needed the dark haired girl so
rlm@0: much. And he wasn’t about to let some rich girl steal his wife away
rlm@0: from him. Sakura was his and he was going to make sure it stayed that
rlm@0: way, no matter what happened. Slamming the clasps on his suitcase, he
rlm@0: stood up and scanned the room one last time for anything he might
rlm@0: need.
rlm@0: 	“So we’re going back to Japan to find Sakura-chan? Oh yeah!!” Kero
rlm@0: exclaimed, bringing his small arm down in an excited gesture. “Let’s
rlm@0: get goin’, kid!!”