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: 	Bbbrrrrinnng.... Bbbrrrriiinnng.... Bbbbrrrrriiiinnng....
rlm@0: 	Tomoyo rolled over in her sleep, her long dark hair covering her
rlm@0: pale form like a sinuous shadow. She stirred as the phone continued
rlm@0: to ring at her in the silence, finally sitting up in the darkened
rlm@0: room. She was lying on the couch in her little home theater room, a
rlm@0: video of Sakura still playing in the background. She was still
rlm@0: wearing her busines clothes from the day before, not having had the
rlm@0: will to change out of them. Her tired mind quickly located the source
rlm@0: of the ringing and she slowly reached out for the phone. Who could be
rlm@0: calling her at this hour? Her fingers paused just before touching the
rlm@0: phone as if it had suddenly become a venomous snake, its ringing the
rlm@0: deadly rattle of a beast about to lunge out and bite her. She was
rlm@0: filled with a deep and foreboding dread at who may be on the other
rlm@0: end. 'Leave it. You can pretend that you were asleep. It's late and
rlm@0: no one will mind,' she thought to herself. But she knew that she
rlm@0: couldn't do that. Whoever would be calling this late at night must
rlm@0: have a terribly urgent reason. She couldn't just ignore it. 
rlm@0: 	"Moshi moshi..." Tomoyo heard herself say, but the voice didn't
rlm@0: sound like her own. It was cracked and pained, as if it still held
rlm@0: countless unshed tears. Her fingers trembled as she held the phone to
rlm@0: her ear, brushing back dark hair that got in the way. Her dread was
rlm@0: growing by the second as she waited for what felt like an eternity
rlm@0: for an answer. For a second, she felt the beginnings of relief begin
rlm@0: to brush lightly at her bruised and battered soul. It must have been
rlm@0: a wrong number. But her relief quickly turned to mute horror as an
rlm@0: all too familiar voice answered her.
rlm@0: 	"Tomoyo-chan!!" an uberly genki voice called out. "Tomoyo-chan, I
rlm@0: was so worried. I couldn't get through earlier and I didn't know if
rlm@0: you would be there or not. I just... You see, I was in the garden
rlm@0: and... Well, remember how you kissed me?" A giggle before she
rlm@0: continued. "Well, I finally... Ummm... Can I come over?" Sakura
rlm@0: sweatdropped on the other end of the phone. She felt like a guilty
rlm@0: schoolgirl asking permission to go over to a friend's house to do
rlm@0: anything but study. That thought was silly and awkward for her, but
rlm@0: she couldn't help it. Being back home had felt almost like she had
rlm@0: travelled back in time. She hadn't been in the house more than a few
rlm@0: minutes before calling the Daidouji household. She could hear Touya
rlm@0: making tea in the kitchen and silently thanked her older brother for
rlm@0: all of his help.
rlm@0: 	The phone clattered to the floor, dropping from Tomoyo's numb
rlm@0: hands. She stared at the deadly viper that had indeed reached out and
rlm@0: bit her. How could it be Sakura? Her letter couldn't have gotten to
rlm@0: her already, could it? Tomoyo wasn't even completely packed yet. She
rlm@0: hadn't planned on moving out for another two days. And how could
rlm@0: Sakura be in Tomoeda? She should be in Hong Kong at that very moment,
rlm@0: snuggling with her husband. This was wrong. This was all wrong. It
rlm@0: completely shattered Tomoyo's painstakingly crafted plans to fade
rlm@0: from Sakura's life as well as her mother's. She felt trapped, caged
rlm@0: in on all sides by imposing iron bars. How could she escape her
rlm@0: torment if Sakura would not allow it?
rlm@0: 	"Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura's voice asked, concern tinging her exuberance. 
rlm@0: 	Tomoyo realized only dimly that Sakura had been waiting on the
rlm@0: other end while the phone had lain uselessly on the floor. She
rlm@0: reached out slowly, picking up the cold plastic once more. Her eyes
rlm@0: flickered to the screen that was still showing her beautiful second
rlm@0: cousin flying through the air like an angel. The angel had finally
rlm@0: come for her, and she had nowhere to flee. She searched desperately
rlm@0: for her soft voice, one that had served her well for years as a
rlm@0: member of the choir, but was frustrated to find it having suddenly
rlm@0: gone missing. What disturbed her even more was that she had begun
rlm@0: crying moments earlier and hadn't even realized it. Wet tears slipped
rlm@0: past her cheek and against the telephone as she held it tightly. She
rlm@0: briefly remembered the cute pink cell phones that she had gotten from
rlm@0: her mother to stay in contact with Sakura. They had been a wonderful
rlm@0: tether for the two girls, offering Sakura with a constant link to her
rlm@0: loving and supportive friend and giving Tomoyo a link to the
rlm@0: beautiful girl of her dreams. It had been a wonderful thing for both
rlm@0: of them, giving Sakura a way to always turn to her best friend and
rlm@0: Tomoyo a way to bask in Sakura's presence even when they were far
rlm@0: apart. It had worked so well, in fact, that Tomoyo had given Syaoran
rlm@0: one of the cute cell phones so that he and Sakura may be able to
rlm@0: share that same bond. Hadn't that been the start of all this? No,
rlm@0: no... The start of all this had been the gift of a small eraser a
rlm@0: lifetime ago.
rlm@0: 	"Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura repeated, this time listening intently for
rlm@0: her best friend. She thought she could hear short, ragged breaths, as
rlm@0: if someone was short of air, and what sounded like sniffling. "Tomoyo-
rlm@0: chan?"
rlm@0: 	'She can't hear me like this. It will ruin everything. She'll never
rlm@0: let me go if she knows how I feel. And it will destroy Sakura-chan's
rlm@0: fairy tale. Her beautiful new life will crumble. All because of me. I
rlm@0: can't do that to Sakura-chan. I can't stay because I... can't...
rlm@0: handle... it....' Tomoyo thought frantically, her shaking fingers
rlm@0: quickly wiping her tears away. It did little to soothe the cold and
rlm@0: broken shards of her heart. 'If I stay, it'll kill both of us, Sakura-
rlm@0: chan. I can't be a part of your life anymore. Seeing you, loving you,
rlm@0: knowing that I can't be a part of your heart, it's killing me. It's
rlm@0: killing me and I won't let it kill you, too.' When she finally spoke,
rlm@0: her voice came out weakly, a pale shadow of it's normal gentle self.
rlm@0: It sounded sorrowful in Tomoyo's ears and she immediately cut herself
rlm@0: off, closing her lavender eyes tightly. 'Hang up!' part of her cried,
rlm@0: but she knew she couldn't. Sakura was like the Syren from long ago,
rlm@0: luring her towards grave dangers that she couldn't force herself to
rlm@0: escape from. She needed to answer Sakura. And soon. But she didn't
rlm@0: know how. If Sakura heard her crying, then her farewell letter would
rlm@0: be for naught. Sakura would know the pain that resided in her heart
rlm@0: and they would both be doomed. With a supreme effort, the pale ghost
rlm@0: of a girl gathered the splintered shards of her masks, cutting her
rlm@0: soul in the process as she pulled them up for one final act. But
rlm@0: would they be enough? Were these tiny shards enough to hide the pain
rlm@0: she was in? "Sakura-chan..." her soft voice whispered into the phone.
rlm@0: The pain was still glaringly evident in Tomoyo's ears, but she hoped
rlm@0: that the brunette wouldn't hear it. The ocean of tears underneath her
rlm@0: voice's surface wasn't gone exactly, but it was muted, as if a large
rlm@0: tarp had been thrown over it.
rlm@0: 	The auburn haired girl on the other end of the line sighed in
rlm@0: relief. She had thought that the line had disconnected or that, even
rlm@0: more irrationally, Tomoyo had finally made good on her words.
rlm@0: 'Goodbye,' echoed through Sakura's mind in Tomoyo's sweet voice,
rlm@0: surrounding her like a sad song from long ago. It anchored Sakura's
rlm@0: heart with painful chains and hooks. But Sakura struggled forward
rlm@0: despite the immense weight on her heart. She was here now. Tomoyo
rlm@0: couldn't leave or fade away. She would finally fulfill her promise.
rlm@0: 'I knew Sakura-chan would come and rescue me,' Tomoyo had said an
rlm@0: eternity before. And Sakura had finally come to rescue her fair
rlm@0: skinned damsel in distress. "I'm here, Tomoyo-chan," she said again,
rlm@0: not noticing that she was speaking out loud. She blushed slightly,
rlm@0: but continued on. "I'm glad to hear you. I was so worried about you.
rlm@0: I got your letter in the mail today... well, yesterday... Anyway, I
rlm@0: got your letter and I had to come see you. Tomoyo-chan..." her voice
rlm@0: caught in her throat as she blinked back crystal tears. "I don't want
rlm@0: you to go. I need you, Tomoyo-chan. I need to talk to you. Right now.
rlm@0: I'm going to be over in a few minutes, okay? Just unlock your window
rlm@0: and I'll be there as soon as I can," the Cardmistress said quickly. 
rlm@0: 	Sakura was too flustered to sleep, her heart's recent revelation
rlm@0: too much to keep inside for herself. It longed to be offered up as a
rlm@0: gift to the woman who had been there for Sakura every step of the way
rlm@0: through her life. But she couldn't do that over the phone. Words
rlm@0: weren't Sakura's strong point. She always went on her emotions. She
rlm@0: couldn't even understand her emotions half the time. But she knew
rlm@0: that the woman on the other end of the phone knew her emotions
rlm@0: perfectly, as if she could read Sakura the same way others read a
rlm@0: good book. She had the eye of an artist, but one that was attuned to
rlm@0: the human soul. No one else understood her like Tomoyo. No one else
rlm@0: could hope to. But there was one thing that even Tomoyo hadn't been
rlm@0: able to uncover. The glistening love that lay shrouded in the curious
rlm@0: mists of Sakura's heart. Now that Sakura had finally understood it,
rlm@0: she wanted to go to her gentle best friend and to tell her the
rlm@0: deliscious secret she had learned. 
rlm@0: 	Of course, she didn't know if Tomoyo would accept her tentative
rlm@0: offering of love or even how she would react. The eccentric young
rlm@0: woman held so much love in her heart that its depth felt endless and
rlm@0: all encompassing, like a warm, deep ocean. She knew that much from
rlm@0: the love Tomoyo had always showered on her. It may have been
rlm@0: embarrassing at times, but Sakura would never have wished it away. In
rlm@0: fact, being without it during her months in Hong Kong had felt like
rlm@0: she had been exiled to a barren and empty desert. She knew that
rlm@0: Tomoyo's warm and giving heart had a very special someone at it's
rlm@0: core, but she knew not who that person was. She only knew that if
rlm@0: they couldn't love her dear, sweet Tomoyo, then they were undeserving
rlm@0: of the lavender haired woman's boundless love. And Sakura would try
rlm@0: her hardest to take away all of Tomoyo's pain, to love her with all
rlm@0: of her heart. She may not be Tomoyo's special someone, but she would
rlm@0: more than try to make up for it. She would love Tomoyo with all of
rlm@0: her heart and soul and try to make everything, for once, all right.
rlm@0: 	Tomoyo didn't know how much time had gone by as she sat on the
rlm@0: floor of her room in the dark, her legs curled under her and her
rlm@0: tearstained eyes still focused on the moving images of Sakura on the
rlm@0: screen in front of her. Panic consumed her, a viscious monster that
rlm@0: had snagged her in it's fangs. Her clothes were only half packed, her
rlm@0: airplane tickets not for another two days. Sakura had caught her in
rlm@0: the midst of her plan to fade away from her life, and like a breath
rlm@0: on a house of cards, it all came tumbling down. Sakura couldn't come
rlm@0: now, not with the state she was in. It was all Tomoyo could do to
rlm@0: clutch onto the few remaining shards of the illusions she used to
rlm@0: hide her pain from those she loved. If Sakura saw her.... "Sakura-
rlm@0: chan...  I can't see you... Not now. Today was such a long day and I
rlm@0: can't keep my eyes open much longer." And it was true. She couldn't
rlm@0: keep her eyes open without tears cascading down her pale cheeks.
rlm@0: 	Blinking in confusion, Sakura listened to Tomoyo words once again
rlm@0: in her mind. That didn't sound like her happily eccentric best
rlm@0: friend. She knew that Tomoyo had stayed up quite often on costumes or
rlm@0: videotapes and the like. Besides, Sonomi was the businesswoman in the
rlm@0: family. She was the one who threw herself into her work. And even
rlm@0: then, she would throw that aside when her daughter needed her. And
rlm@0: there was something else as well, as if there were little broken ice
rlm@0: crystals in Tomoyo's voice, threaded through the lavender haired
rlm@0: woman's melodious voice. This took Sakura completely by surprise. She
rlm@0: hadn't thought of the possibility that Tomoyo might not be ready for
rlm@0: her to visit as soon as she reached Tomoeda. She was almost as
rlm@0: shocked by the lack of Tomoyo's usual embarrassing comments. No
rlm@0: 'Sakura-chan's lovely voice is like a dream', 'All of Tomoeda must be
rlm@0: ecstatic to know that Sakura-chan is back again', or even 'Isn't Hong
rlm@0: Kong missing Sakura-chan's beautiful face?'. They had always caused
rlm@0: such a flurry of emotions in her, but the lack of her best friend's
rlm@0: adoring remarks left her in silence.
rlm@0: 	Covering the phone as she choked back a sob, Tomoyo tried
rlm@0: desperately to think. She couldn't let Sakura see her like this,
rlm@0: teary eyed and broken. It would crush the energetic Cardmistress's
rlm@0: spirits. She was like a shattered China doll lying upon the floor.
rlm@0: Wasn't it better for Sakura to think that her favorite China doll was
rlm@0: simply elsewhere than finding it broken and smashed? Pulling together
rlm@0: the last bit of her strength, Tomoyo could feel her tears burning at
rlm@0: her eyes as she kept her voice as level and soft as she could. Her
rlm@0: tattered heart heaved in her chest as she hung onto her crystalline
rlm@0: mask shards until her soul cried out. "Sakura-chan needs her beauty
rlm@0: sleep so that she will be gorgeous and genki when the morning comes,"
rlm@0: she said at last, and was relieved to hear it sound as obsessive and
rlm@0: adoring as ever. 
rlm@0: 	That seemed to relax Sakura on the other end of the phone, calming
rlm@0: some of her worries for her dark haired friend. Sakura sighed,
rlm@0: hugging her knees to her chest as she held onto the phone. "Are you
rlm@0: sure, Tomoyo-chan? I... I really want to see you." She had been
rlm@0: waiting so long. Ever since they had said farewell at the airport,
rlm@0: Sakura had been longing to see her friend again, to hold her, to love
rlm@0: her, and to kiss her. To make sure that things would truly be all
rlm@0: right. That feeling had become even stronger since discovering the
rlm@0: love within her for her blue eyed friend. Tomoyo had been all she had
rlm@0: thought about on the flight out and the ride home. Things like her
rlm@0: marriage and what would happen when they met failed to concern her.
rlm@0: All she knew was that she had to be with Tomoyo again. To lose
rlm@0: herself in the sweet scent of her long, luscious hair. To feel her
rlm@0: gentle embrace, and her warm lips. She wanted to give Tomoyo her
rlm@0: entire heart, to offer it on a beautiful platter of silver and
rlm@0: emeralds. What Tomoyo would do with her gift was entirely up to her.
rlm@0: But Sakura knew that she had to give her most precious Christmas
rlm@0: present to Tomoyo soon.
rlm@0: 	The dark haired woman waited in silence for a long moment, trying
rlm@0: to regulate her breathing. This was even more difficult than when
rlm@0: Sakura had complained about the butterflies in her stomach while
rlm@0: Tomoyo had helped her into her wedding gown. That had been a very
rlm@0: traumatic experience for the young heiress. Helping Sakura into the
rlm@0: intricately designed and lovingly crafted dress, her own heart
rlm@0: pouring out to the auburn haired woman as she tried to soothe
rlm@0: Sakura's worries over marrying someone else had been one of the
rlm@0: hardest moments in her life. Part of her had wanted to confess her
rlm@0: love right then, to stand up after helping Sakura with her stockings,
rlm@0: to look her in the eyes and tell her 'You don't have to be afraid,
rlm@0: Sakura-chan. I love you.' But even that now seemed like nothing
rlm@0: compared to this bitter struggle with her emotions. She knew that she
rlm@0: had strings around Sakura, that she had since they had been small
rlm@0: children. Sakura was so loving, so trusting, and she had such faith
rlm@0: in Tomoyo. Tomoyo knew that she could use that to manipulate Sakura
rlm@0: like a marionette on it's strings. Sakura would listen to whatever
rlm@0: she had to say, always trusting her dark haired friend. But Tomoyo
rlm@0: had never used that for her own gain. Well, aside from getting Sakura
rlm@0: into her costumes and videotaping her. Tomoyo's gentle heart would
rlm@0: not allow her to use Sakura in such a way. So she had merely used her
rlm@0: influence on the brunette to gently nudge her heart in the right
rlm@0: direction, to help her through all of the obstacles life placed
rlm@0: before the Cardmistress. She now had to try and keep Sakura from
rlm@0: coming to her, though the longing in the brunette's voice broke
rlm@0: Tomoyo's already shattered heart into further pieces. Taking a deep
rlm@0: breath, Tomoyo fought back her tears as she continued. "It really has
rlm@0: been a long day, Sakura-chan, especially if you've been on a plane
rlm@0: for so long. Please get some rest. When next I see Sakura-chan, I
rlm@0: want to see her emerald eyes sparkling happily as she laughs with
rlm@0: joy."
rlm@0: 	Sakura smiled softly as she held the phone to her ear. Just hearing
rlm@0: Tomoyo's voice made her feel better. "Yeah, I guess you're right,
rlm@0: Tomoyo-chan. I can wait till the morning. That would probably be
rlm@0: better anyway. I have a lot I need to tell you." Slumping back on the
rlm@0: bed, Sakura moved an athletic leg into the air as she yawned. It
rlm@0: really had been a long flight. And it would probably be better if she
rlm@0: could actually decide what she wanted to say to Tomoyo. Not that she
rlm@0: was ever very good with such things. As Tomoyo had told her before,
rlm@0: she should simply speak her heart. She nodded in silent agreement to
rlm@0: her best friend. She would speak her heart when she saw Tomoyo the
rlm@0: next day. "Okay. Thanks, Tomoyo-chan. I'm so glad to hear you again.
rlm@0: I really missed you. Please sleep well, okay? I'll see you early
rlm@0: tomorrow."
rlm@0: 	"Sweet dreams, Sakura-chan. Dream of the most beautiful angels,"
rlm@0: Tomoyo's soft voice whispered quietly on the other end. And with a
rlm@0: slow click, she was gone.
rlm@0: 	Lying back in bed, Sakura stared straight up. She wasn't looking at
rlm@0: the ceiling so much as she was looking through it, as if it wasn't
rlm@0: there. She had wanted to see Tomoyo that night, but the lavender
rlm@0: haired woman had made sense. Besides, it was better for Tomoyo to
rlm@0: hear what Sakura had to say when she was rested. Sakura, on the other
rlm@0: hand, was pretty sure that she couldn't sleep. She had slept off and
rlm@0: on during the plane ride and in the car with Touya. On top of that,
rlm@0: her mind was still buzzing with excitement over being back in
rlm@0: Tomoeda, of being so close to realizing her hearts secret desires.
rlm@0: The thoughts of once again basking in that sweet love that she had
rlm@0: taken for granted during the years she and Tomoyo had been friends
rlm@0: sounded exhilerating. She let out a warm sigh. "Hanyaan..." It had
rlm@0: always been there, but she had overlooked it as something that would
rlm@0: forever be a part of her life. Now she knew that Tomoyo was its
rlm@0: source, the reason behind so many of her happy childhood memories,
rlm@0: and throughout her adolescence. Tomoyo had bloomed like a gorgeous
rlm@0: flower, and like a beautiful gardener had coaxed Sakura into becoming
rlm@0: a very pretty young woman, always nurturing her heart and soul with a
rlm@0: warmth that Sakura could search the world over for and never find
rlm@0: again. Sakura felt blessed to have grown up with such love in her
rlm@0: life. 
rlm@0: 	But if Tomoyo's heart belonged to another, to her special someone,
rlm@0: then how would she react to Sakura's declaration of love? Would it
rlm@0: bother her? Would Tomoyo put her down gently? Or would she be happy
rlm@0: to simply be loved by someone for once in her life? And just who was
rlm@0: this special person anyhow? Tomoyo had first mentioned them when they
rlm@0: had only been ten year olds. And yet she still spoke of them with the
rlm@0: same passionate fervor she had always shown for this mysterious
rlm@0: person. So it had to be someone that Tomoyo had known for years.
rlm@0: Someone who had been close to her, always there in her life
rlm@0: throughout all of that time. Someone who Tomoyo thought could never
rlm@0: love her back. 
rlm@0: 	Sakura sat bolt upright in bed, her emerald eyes wide as a sudden
rlm@0: realization hit her. She ran down the stairs two at a time, almost
rlm@0: running full tilt into her older brother as he finished up the tea.
rlm@0: "Oniichan!! I know who Tomoyo-chan's in love with!"
rlm@0: 	Touya turned around in surprise. He hadn't expected Sakura to find
rlm@0: out so suddenly on her own. Especially after all the hints Tomoyo had
rlm@0: dropped over the years and the one's he himself had been dropping
rlm@0: since the two had turned fourteen. That she would finally come to
rlm@0: that conclusion after all of this time stunned him. "You do?" he
rlm@0: asked curiously, holding the two tea cups with the grace that years
rlm@0: as a waiter, among other things, had afforded him.
rlm@0: 	Sakura nodded energetically, her short hair flying about her face.
rlm@0: The young woman looked seriously focused, as she could often get when
rlm@0: faced with a particularly difficult problem. She sighed, blinking her
rlm@0: emerald green eyes. She wasn't too happy about it, but at least she
rlm@0: knew. "Tomoyo-chan's in love with one of her bodyguards," she said at
rlm@0: last, her shoulders slumping. 
rlm@0: 	Staring at Sakura for endless minutes, Touya slowly raised an
rlm@0: eyebrow. Handing Sakura her cup of tea, he ruffled the younger
rlm@0: woman's hair. "Good try, monster, but you're going to have to try a
rlm@0: lot harder than that if you're going to figure out who she's in love
rlm@0: with." Sighing, the sleep deprived older sibling made his way
rlm@0: upstairs. 
rlm@0: 	"Hoe.... Why is this so hard?" Sakura asked herself in the empty
rlm@0: kitchen. Figuring out Tomoyo was certainly a lot more difficult than
rlm@0: understanding the Sakura Cards. She would have argued with her
rlm@0: brother, but she simply wasn't in the mood. Taking a sip of the
rlm@0: flavorful tea, she wondered idly just what she was supposed to do for
rlm@0: the next... five hours, if she left at eight in the morning. A sudden
rlm@0: idea struck her like a lightening bolt. Grinning, the Mistress of the
rlm@0: Cards made her way upstairs. 
rlm@0: 	"Not where is it?" she asked no one in particular as she sifted
rlm@0: through her bag. She smiled at the Cardcaptor Sakura keychain that
rlm@0: Tomoyo had had made for Sakura's thirteenth birthday that lay hanging
rlm@0: on the side. It was one of a kind, the design of the superdeformed
rlm@0: Sakura completely Tomoyo's while Sonomi had it crafted by her
rlm@0: company. She pushed it with a finger, watching it swing back and
rlm@0: forth like a pendulum. Shaking her head, she went back to searching
rlm@0: and within moments pulled out the object of her search. Tomoyo's half
rlm@0: finished costume lay unfurled before her, it's dazzling design
rlm@0: obvious even in that early state of completion. Tomoyo had always
rlm@0: been making such beautiful things for her. It seemed a shame that
rlm@0: Tomoyo's final costume design was never to be finished. She
rlm@0: understood that Tomoyo had wanted her last design for Sakura to be
rlm@0: the wedding dress, so the lavender haired woman thought it
rlm@0: unnecessary to finish this final costume. So if Tomoyo couldn't
rlm@0: finish it, Sakura could. 
rlm@0: 	Smiling to herself, Sakura ran to the other room to get the
rlm@0: supplies she would need. Sewing wasn't exactly her forte, but she had
rlm@0: sewn a yukata for Syaoran and she knew that if she tried hard enough,
rlm@0: she could finish what Tomoyo had begun. It wouldn't be as lovely as
rlm@0: Tomoyo's delicate work, but it would finally be finished, putting to
rlm@0: rest at least one of Sakura's worries. This was their work, both
rlm@0: Tomoyo's and Sakura's. She wanted to show it to her best friend.
rlm@0: After all of those years of wearing Tomoyo's costumes, blushing all
rlm@0: different shades of red with the bizarre yet captivating designs,
rlm@0: this would be a combination of both of their hearts, every stitch
rlm@0: lovingly etched into the beautiful fabric. Clasping her hands
rlm@0: together determinedly, Sakura got to work. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	Clutching onto the teddy bear Sakura had sewn for her as a farewell
rlm@0: present, Tomoyo rocked gently back and forth, whispering a lullaby
rlm@0: that her mother used to sing to her when she was a little girl. Icy
rlm@0: tears dripped down her chin, falling onto her little stuffed bear
rlm@0: named Sakura. She held it tightly, sobbing quietly as the phone lay
rlm@0: haphazardly a few feet away from her. "I love you so much, Sakura-
rlm@0: chan... Please forgive me... I don't know what to do, Sakura..." she
rlm@0: whispered tearfully into bear Sakura's ear. Her whole body felt cold,
rlm@0: torn apart by countless thorns that snaked around her heart. "Please
rlm@0: help me..." But no one would come and save her. Not even her darling
rlm@0: Sakura could save her from the darkness that surrounded her now. If
rlm@0: the brunette came for her, they were both doomed. Sakura's happy life
rlm@0: would be ruined and Tomoyo would never be able to survive watching
rlm@0: Sakura so closely like that, unable to be with her.
rlm@0: 	An even darker thought that crossed her mind was about what Sakura
rlm@0: had been struggling to say on the phone. What feelings did Sakura
rlm@0: have for her? What feelings did the Cardmistress understand now? Did
rlm@0: she know of Tomoyo's love for her? Which meant that Sakura's
rlm@0: marriage, her beautiful marriage, the child she hadn't yet had, the
rlm@0: whole life that lay before her was in peril. And all because Tomoyo
rlm@0: had failed to fade out of Sakura's life properly. 
rlm@0: 	"Sakura-chan, what am I to do?" Tomoyo asked hopelessly, pressing
rlm@0: her tearstreaked cheek into the soft material of the teddy bear.