rlm@0: Welcome fellow Sakura/Tomoyo fans, or non fans if you're reading this for
rlm@0: the hell of it.  Thanks for coming to read my story, but first, yep, I've
rlm@0: got notes.  Here we go.  All characters copyright CLAMP, Kodansha,
rlm@0: TOKYOPOP, Mad House, Nelvana and Pioneer.  Did I miss any?  Other than
rlm@0: that, the only thing that I think really needs to be mentioned, is that
rlm@0: there are two terms at the beginning that you probably never heard of.
rlm@0: Both refer to carnival games that you may have seen in certain anime.  The
rlm@0: first is kingyo-sukui, which is basically the goldfish catching game.  The
rlm@0: second is shateki.  In this game, people use a pop gun filled with little
rlm@0: corks and fire it at a couple of shelves with different prizes on them.  If
rlm@0: the person firing knocks down a prize, it's theirs.  Alright, enough of the
rlm@0: notes, it's time for the story.  I hope you enjoy it.
rlm@0: >
rlm@0: >
rlm@0: >Discovering Beauty
rlm@0: >
rlm@0: >By: James Brown
rlm@0: mebrown@dubuque.net
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: >	The sun had just begun to set over Tomoeda's horizon as music filled the
rlm@0: air and the ears of the festival crowd.  One of the city's shrine festivals
rlm@0: was fully underway as the people began enjoying the activities of the late
rlm@0: afternoon: talking in a friendly conversation, playig a game at one of the
rlm@0: festival booths, or, as Sakura Kinomoto was doing, taking a casual stroll.
rlm@0: Sakura was walking by herself as she observed the sights around her.  She
rlm@0: decided to stop at a kingyo-sukui booth to see if anyone had caught any
rlm@0: gold fish.  The brown haired girl was at the booth earlier, but she had
rlm@0: come up empty handed in her attempts to catch anything.  Right now, she was
rlm@0: more content with seeing if anyone else had better luck.  Once she finished
rlm@0: watching, Sakura decided to walk a little more, but it wasn't long until
rlm@0: she noticed her best friend Tomoyo coming towards her.
rlm@0: >	"Hey Tomoyo!" Sakura called out.
rlm@0: >	"Oh, hello Sakura," Tomoyo said once Sakura ran up to her.  "I didn't
rlm@0: know you were here as well.  Are you here by yourself?"
rlm@0: >	"No.  Actually, I was with my brother and my dad earlier, but we decided
rlm@0: to separate for now."  It wasn't until this moment that Sakura noticed
rlm@0: Tomoyo holding an orange stuffed elephant in front of her.  As soon as she
rlm@0: saw it, the topic of conversation quickly changed.  "Hey Tomoyo, where did
rlm@0: you get that cute little elephant?"
rlm@0: >	"Do-o you like it?" Tomoyo asked as she began to blush.
rlm@0: >	"I think it's adorable."
rlm@0: >	"I won it a couple of minutes ago at the shateki booth."
rlm@0: >	"Wow, really? Isn't that kind of hard?"
rlm@0: >	"Not really. All a person really needs is some patience and a little
rlm@0: concentration.  To tell you the truth, I'm going to give this to someone as
rlm@0: a gift."
rlm@0: >	"Are you giving it to someone I know?"
rlm@0: >	"Well, yes.  I think you've meet this person."
rlm@0: >	"Say, I hope whoever you give it to likes it," Sakura commented with a
rlm@0: bright smile.
rlm@0: >	"I'm sure of it.  Hey, you want to go get something to eat?"
rlm@0: >	"Sure."  As the two girls went in search for food, Sakura couldn't help
rlm@0: but think about Tomoyo and who she would give the gift to.  "Tomoyo sure is
rlm@0: happy about all this, but, I wonder who is making her smile so much?"
rlm@0: >
rlm@0: >	That evening, after Tomoyo returned home from the festival, the girl
rlm@0: entered her room while she held the stuffed elephant close to her.  The
rlm@0: dark haired girl laid down on her bed, holding the elephant up in front of
rlm@0: her as a small laugh emitted from her closed mouth.  "Hmm. Once Sakura
rlm@0: realizes that this elephant is really for her, she's going to be so
rlm@0: thrilled.  I just know it, I just know it."  The elephant was more that
rlm@0: just a simple gift between best friends, to Tomoyo, it represented a
rlm@0: confession, a confession of love.  Tomoyo held the stuffed animal close to
rlm@0: her chest as she began to think about presenting it to Sakura.  Her smile
rlm@0: began to enlarge as the thoughts flooded her mind.  But suddenly, a thought
rlm@0: of a different kind came into her mind.  "Wait a minute, what if she
rlm@0: doesn't understand?  What if she doesn't get it right away?"  Tomoyo began
rlm@0: to think about what she could include with the elephant in order to get her
rlm@0: message across.  Once the idea came to her, Tomoyo went through the house
rlm@0: to get paper, a pencil and an envelope.  When the needed supplies were
rlm@0: gathered, the young girl returned to her room.  She sat down on her bed and
rlm@0: began to write a letter.  In it, she began to inscribe her true feelings.
rlm@0: All of the emotions in her heart were being put on to paper.  Tomoyo's
rlm@0: hopes and dreams counted on what she wrote in the letter.  Her true hope
rlm@0: was that Sakura understood how much she meant to her, and her greatest
rlm@0: dream was that somehow, Sakura felt the exact same way about her.  As soon
rlm@0: as the letter was finished, Tomoyo placed it inside the envelope and took
rlm@0: it along with the elephant to her book bag.  After she packed the items
rlm@0: inside, she went back to her room with a cheerful smile on her face.
rlm@0: >
rlm@0: >	The following Friday morning, school began at Tomoeda Elementary and
rlm@0: Tomoyo had all the necessary items to make her gift to Sakura complete.
rlm@0: Tomoyo decided to wait until all the day's classes were done until she
rlm@0: presented the gift.  After school had ended and the afternoon finally
rlm@0: arrived, Sakura and Tomoyo walked home together.  The entire time they
rlm@0: walked, Tomoyo kept thinking about when would be the perfect moment to
rlm@0: unveil her surprise.  Once the two were a block away from Sakura's home,
rlm@0: Tomoyo decided to speak up.
rlm@0: >	"Hey Sakura.  Can we stop for a moment?"
rlm@0: >	"Why?  Is something the matter?"
rlm@0: >	"No, I'm okay.  I just have something that I want to show you."  As
rlm@0: Tomoyo took her book bag off, Sakura became extremely curious as to what
rlm@0: she was going to see. As Tomoyo opened her bag, Sakura's eyes began to
rlm@0: widen once she saw a familiar orange color.  As soon as she recognized the
rlm@0: elephant's shape, her entire face lit up.
rlm@0: >	"Hey, isn't...isn't that the elephant from last night?"
rlm@0: >	"Yes."
rlm@0: >	"But you still have it with you.  I thought...wait.  Do you mean that the
rlm@0: friend you're giving it to is me?"
rlm@0: >	"That's right Sakura.  This gift belongs to you."
rlm@0: >	"Oh thank you Tomoyo!  Thank you so much!"
rlm@0: >	"I decided to wait until today to give it to you so I could surprise you."
rlm@0: >	"I understand, and thanks again."  As Sakura accepted the gift and held
rlm@0: it close to her, Tomoyo smiled as she watched her friend spin in a
rlm@0: delightful mood.  The moment was uplifting to her, and she knew now, as
rlm@0: Sakura began to ask her a question, it was time for her to present the
rlm@0: letter.  "But, why are you giving this to me?  Is it because I did
rlm@0: something recently?"
rlm@0: >	"Well, I think this well help to answer your question."  Sakura was
rlm@0: puzzled as Tomoyo reached into her bag a second time and pulled out the
rlm@0: letter.  When the letter was handed to her, she put down the elephant and
rlm@0: examined the envelope.  After finding nothing to read on the envelope
rlm@0: itself, Sakura opened it and began to read the letter out loud.
rlm@0: >	"Sakura, we have been good friends for a long time now, and as friends,
rlm@0: we have been through a lot of incredible situations together.  And through
rlm@0: the time we've known each other, I consider you to be my greatest friend.
rlm@0: Whenever I see your smile, it makes me feel happy even if I am already in a
rlm@0: good mood.  When I am with you, I know I can tell you any of my secrets
rlm@0: without the fear of having anyone else knowing.  But the secret I want to
rlm@0: tell you now is much different than any I've told and it concerns you as
rlm@0: well."  At this point, Sakura's interest in what she was reading grew in a
rlm@0: vast amount.  "My secret is one that I have carried with me for a while
rlm@0: now.  I hope that you understand how I feel and that perhaps, you feel the
rlm@0: same way as well.  What I want to tell you is that I..." Sakura continued
rlm@0: reading the letter, but found the news to be a total shock for her.  So
rlm@0: much so that she was unable to find a voice to read the letter out loud.
rlm@0: When Sakura had finished reading the letter, she looked up to Tomoyo with
rlm@0: an expression on her face, to which Tomoyo acted surprised and concerned.
rlm@0: Sakura's expression was almost one of fear and confusion.  She then
rlm@0: realized she didn't finish reading the letter out loud.  As she continued
rlm@0: reading where she left off, her tone of voice changed.  From anticipation,
rlm@0: to a tone that was more dreary.  "I love you.  In all honesty and with all
rlm@0: of my heart, I love you.  My feelings are more than just what common
rlm@0: friends share.  They are very much in the romantic sense.  You mean
rlm@0: everything to me and I hope you will stay with me for a long time."  Sakura
rlm@0: didn't feel any different after reading Tomoyo's confession.  She didn't
rlm@0: know what to say.  She didn't know what to think.  She didn't know what to
rlm@0: do.  Tomoyo finally decided to break the silence with her voice.
rlm@0: >	"Sakura, w-what's the matter?"
rlm@0: >	Sakura tried to say something right away, but found it difficult with all
rlm@0: the thoughts in her head.  "I...I...I..."  Everything about this situation
rlm@0: was just making her nervous.  "I...have to go."  Sakura ran toward her
rlm@0: house and didn't look back.  The letter slowly drifted out of her hands and
rlm@0: landed in front of Tomoyo.  Tomoyo was shaken by what had happened.  She
rlm@0: never considered this as the result of her actions.
rlm@0: >	"Sakura?  Wait!  Why are you running?"  She reached out to the distant
rlm@0: girl but found it to be of little help.  Alone and heartbrokne, the girl
rlm@0: stood there as bitter sadness flooded her senses.  Everything she hoped for
rlm@0: collapsed in front of her.  Tomoyo looked at the items that represented her
rlm@0: gift as her eyes began to tear up.  "But...but why?"
rlm@0: 
rlm@0:  
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: