rlm@0: Hello! ^-^ This is a CCS fic set an indefinite amount of time in the rlm@0: future. All rlm@0: characters are copyright CLAMP except for Bara-chan. I really hope rlm@0: you enjoy rlm@0: the fic. ^-^ Please tell me what you think if you get the chance. rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: Final Heaven rlm@0: by Amazoness Duo rlm@0: amazonessduo@hotmail.com rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: “Tomoyo-chan...” rlm@0: “But Sakura-chan like’s pink,” Tomoyo chides gently, as if reminding rlm@0: me of something I had forgotten. I just blush fiercely in response. rlm@0: She’s always rlm@0: had this affect on me, from when we were young girls. She has a way rlm@0: of getting rlm@0: me to go along with whatever it is she thinks. Yes, I do like pink. rlm@0: And I trust rlm@0: Tomoyo-chan’s judgement with things like that. I mean, she probably rlm@0: knows me rlm@0: better than I do. But the cloth is so ethereal. It almost sparkles rlm@0: in her hands. And rlm@0: I can see right through it. After all these years, I know what she rlm@0: must be rlm@0: thinking. Tomoyo-chan has a dirty mind. These days she makes almost rlm@0: all of my rlm@0: clothes. But I can only think of one place where I’d wear something rlm@0: made out of rlm@0: that. And it probably wouldn’t stay on for long at that. rlm@0: Hoe... I’m blushing even deeper now. And she knows it. Sometimes I rlm@0: think she can read my mind. I wouldn’t be surprised. She seems to be rlm@0: able to rlm@0: pick up on everything. It’s her own kind of magic. I have no idea rlm@0: how she rlm@0: knows so much. But that really doesn’t help me right now because rlm@0: that just rlm@0: makes it even more embarrassing. And I know she’ll get me to wear rlm@0: whatever rlm@0: she’ll make from that cloth, too. rlm@0: “Tomoyo-chan...” I say again, helplessly. I know it won’t change rlm@0: anything. I’ve known her far too long to think that. I’m just no rlm@0: good at arguing rlm@0: anything with her. She has this sweet way of always getting me to go rlm@0: along with rlm@0: what she has in mind. She always seems to know what she’s doing. And rlm@0: with rlm@0: her soft voice and her pretty blue eyes, she can be so persuasive. rlm@0: It’s like with rlm@0: her costumes. I can’t help going along with her when she looks so rlm@0: determined. rlm@0: Tomoyo pauses for a moment, her stormy blue eyes closed. She looks rlm@0: so deep in thought. It takes me a moment before I realize that I’m rlm@0: leaning closer, rlm@0: curiously. I sweatdrop and stand back up, still watching her. What rlm@0: could she be rlm@0: thinking? Her eyes flutter open, locking with mine. “Even Bara-chan rlm@0: likes it. rlm@0: She’s kicking for you, Sakura.” She smiles that sweet, loving smile rlm@0: that she’s rlm@0: been showering on me since I was young. I smile back excitedly, rlm@0: feeling a thrill rlm@0: shoot through me. rlm@0: “She is? Really?!” I ask anxiously, my body wanting to go in rlm@0: different rlm@0: directions all at once. Tomoyo-chan takes my hand gently and places rlm@0: it on the rlm@0: growing swell of her stomach. She’s right. I can feel our little rlm@0: daughter kicking rlm@0: inside of her. I can’t contain myself at that. It’s just so... rlm@0: right. My blush fades rlm@0: quickly, my mind focussing on our daughter. Our daughter. The symbol rlm@0: of our rlm@0: love. Well, that miracle took a little push from my magic, but she’s rlm@0: still our rlm@0: daughter. I blush again at Tomoyo’s loving gaze and return it, rlm@0: smiling happily at rlm@0: my wife. Oh, my knees are feeling week. This whole thing is just... rlm@0: hanyaa. I rlm@0: almost lunge forward at the growing warmth in my heart, hugging my rlm@0: very rlm@0: pregnant best friend as tightly as I can. rlm@0: “I love you, Sakura-chan,” she says in that gentle, sweet voice of rlm@0: hers. rlm@0: It sounds like she’s singing to me. I always feel so happy when I rlm@0: hear her say rlm@0: that. I always have. I just didn’t always understand them. But now I rlm@0: do. rlm@0: “I love you, too,” I say, pouring my whole heart into those few rlm@0: words. rlm@0: rlm@0: I think the baby is finally resting. She has so much energy. Just rlm@0: like her rlm@0: mother. I can’t wait to see her. I have to wonder if she’ll take rlm@0: more after me or rlm@0: Sakura-chan. I took a lot after Sakura’s mother and she took a lot rlm@0: after mine, rlm@0: which is a little strange if you don’t realize how much the cousins rlm@0: missed each rlm@0: other. So we were there way of remembering each other. But it rlm@0: doesn’t matter to rlm@0: me who Bara-chan looks like or which of us she takes after. I’m very rlm@0: happy to rlm@0: know that she’s our daughter. I’ll be happy as long as Sakura-chan rlm@0: and I can rlm@0: raise her together. I’m sure she’ll grow up to be a remarkable girl. rlm@0: Just like her rlm@0: mother. rlm@0: I continue to sing softly to the unborn child within me. I want her rlm@0: to rlm@0: feel safe, to feel loved. So I’ll continue singing to her, hoping rlm@0: that she can hear rlm@0: me somewhere in there. I want her to know how happy I am to be rlm@0: carrying her, rlm@0: our sweet daughter. To have something that’s ours, the product of my rlm@0: love for rlm@0: Sakura and hers for me, grow and develop inside of me. It’s a rlm@0: wonderful feeling. rlm@0: I have to admit that I never really thought about it much before. I rlm@0: just never rlm@0: thought I would wind up pregnant. I know mother was lonely when she rlm@0: had me rlm@0: and that I helped alleviate some of that, but I never thought that rlm@0: I’d wind up rlm@0: having a child of my own. That she could be Sakura’s. So despite the rlm@0: morning rlm@0: sickness and the mood swings and all of the doctor’s appointments, rlm@0: I’m rlm@0: deliriously happy to be having her. rlm@0: My hands rest on my stomach as I whisper soothingly to my baby girl. rlm@0: “I think you’ll like it here, Bara-chan. Sometimes it can be a rlm@0: little cold and a rlm@0: little lonely, but there is such beauty out there if you can only rlm@0: find it. And it will rlm@0: capture your entire soul. It’s breathtaking to behold. That rlm@0: something so perfect rlm@0: can exist is almost unbelievable. Please look for the beauty that’s rlm@0: out there, rlm@0: Bara-chan. I think you’ll be surprised. Especially if it looks back rlm@0: at you.” I smile rlm@0: at the thought, my eyes falling closed for a second. I’ve been much rlm@0: too tired rlm@0: lately. But I’m sure it’s easier for Bara to rest if I’m not busy rlm@0: running around. rlm@0: And why follow Sakura-chan around when she can come to me? Almost as rlm@0: if on rlm@0: cue, Sakura enters the room carrying a small bowl of soba. She looks rlm@0: so rlm@0: adorable in the floral design apron she has on with the big, pink rlm@0: house slippers rlm@0: on her feet. We have a chef for such things, of course, but Sakura rlm@0: insists on rlm@0: cooking herself from time to time. Even more so lately. I can't tell rlm@0: which of us is rlm@0: more anxious about the baby. rlm@0: “Singing to the baby again, Tomoyo-chan?” Sakura asks with a warm rlm@0: smile as she kneels next to the bed, blowing on the soba to cool it rlm@0: down. “She rlm@0: must love when you do that. It’s always so pretty.” She finally rlm@0: helps me up, rlm@0: handing me the bowl of soba. The sparkle in her emerald eyes hasn’t rlm@0: decreased rlm@0: in the slightest from when she was a child. In fact, sometimes it rlm@0: seems even rlm@0: brighter these days. rlm@0: I smile in return, glad to have her help with anything as I lean rlm@0: back rlm@0: against the head of the bed. “Arigato gozimasu, Sakura. I want her rlm@0: to know that rlm@0: we’re waiting for her. And that she has much to look forward to.” I rlm@0: reach out rlm@0: and stroke Sakura’s cheek softly. She blushes a bit but doesn’t rlm@0: avert her gaze. I rlm@0: can see all of the love I’ve always wanted to pour into her rlm@0: reflected back at me. rlm@0: That feeling warms me more than the soba possibly could. She takes rlm@0: the rlm@0: chopsticks and brings a bit to my mouth. It’s still a little hot, rlm@0: but it goes down rlm@0: well. “It’s delicious, Sakura-chan. I’m sure Bara-chan would like to rlm@0: thank you, rlm@0: too. She must be getting hungry. And what better than a dish cooked rlm@0: with rlm@0: Sakura’s special ingredient?” rlm@0: Sakura giggles at that, nodding as she takes another bit of the rlm@0: soba with rlm@0: the chopsticks and brings it back to my mouth. “A healthy dose of rlm@0: love for my rlm@0: sweet best friend and our cute little daughter. That’s why I sent rlm@0: the chef home rlm@0: for the day. I used to cook for my family back home a lot, even if rlm@0: it was a chore. rlm@0: So now I want to cook for my family here.” A happy smile crosses her rlm@0: lips, rlm@0: along with that spectacularly determined look in her eyes that I’ve rlm@0: always loved rlm@0: seeing. When Sakura-chan finally gets her mind set on something, she rlm@0: throws rlm@0: her whole heart into it. I’m so happy to be the focus of that rlm@0: determination now. rlm@0: “I’d be delighted to eat Sakura’s cooking for as long as she’ll rlm@0: make it. rlm@0: Or as long as you keep feeding it to me,” I state with another rlm@0: smile. She looks a rlm@0: little flustered as she gets another biteful and brings it up to my rlm@0: mouth. She’s so rlm@0: easy to embarrass. And she’s so kawaii when she blushes. I wonder if rlm@0: she knows rlm@0: that. I’ve told her enough by now that she has to. She blushed a rlm@0: whole lot back rlm@0: when we were dating. Whereas it doesn’t happen quite as much rlm@0: anymore, it’s rlm@0: still easy enough to bring a flush to her cheeks. rlm@0: “If you say so, Tomoyo. I still think the chef is better, but I rlm@0: wanted to rlm@0: make something for you and the baby myself. It may not be as good, rlm@0: but I feel rlm@0: better that way.” Sakura looks so emotional as her jade eyes watch rlm@0: me on the rlm@0: bed. I haven’t seen her this emotional since the morning of our rlm@0: wedding. And rlm@0: that’s quite a bit for her because she’s always a rather emotional rlm@0: woman. Which rlm@0: is one of the many, many things I love about her. I try to pick out rlm@0: all of the rlm@0: emotions I see in her at the moment. Joy, anticipation, anxiety, rlm@0: fear, happiness, rlm@0: contentment, wonder. All of them performing their wild dance through rlm@0: Sakura. I rlm@0: stroke her cheek again, my fingers trailing across the silky smooth rlm@0: skin. I smile rlm@0: up at her reassuringly, brushing back a lock of her brunette hair rlm@0: behind one cute rlm@0: ear. I always loved her ears. They’re just so kawaii. My fingers rlm@0: linger behind her rlm@0: left ear for a moment, her body relaxing slightly. rlm@0: “I love you, Sakura. I’m glad that you’d cook for the baby and me. rlm@0: That’s so sweet of you.” I watch her for a long time, her hands rlm@0: taking one of rlm@0: mine, giving it a squeeze. She leans down after a moment’s rlm@0: hesitation and kisses rlm@0: me. It’s a short but entirely sweet kiss and like always, it leaves rlm@0: me a little rlm@0: breathless with its implications. Her love is much more potent to me rlm@0: than rlm@0: anything I’ve ever felt. It laps at my soul like gentle waves. It’s rlm@0: just the way she rlm@0: is, a kind and gentle soul that tries so hard even when she has no rlm@0: idea what to rlm@0: do. That determined, genki spirit of hers has always quenched my rlm@0: thirsty soul. rlm@0: How could I not love her. My fingers slip from her cheek, but my rlm@0: eyes never rlm@0: leave her own. rlm@0: “Aishiteru, Tomoyo. I’m really happy that you like it. I’ll try to rlm@0: make rlm@0: some dessert in a bit.” Sakura scoots down across the bed as I start rlm@0: to take a few rlm@0: bites myself. Her hands run down my pale legs before stopping at my rlm@0: feet, rlm@0: making little swirls with her fingers before gently massaging them. rlm@0: It feels so rlm@0: perfect, having the Card Mistress right here with me, throughout all rlm@0: of this. We rlm@0: were trying to decide who should have the baby for a while when we rlm@0: first rlm@0: decided we wanted one. At first, we’d thought that it should be rlm@0: Sakura-chan. rlm@0: After all, she’s not as busy at Daidouji Toys as I usually am and it rlm@0: would be a rlm@0: wonderful experience. But the more we thought about it, the more I rlm@0: thought that rlm@0: I should carry our baby. It’s Sakura-chan’s magic at work, so I’d rlm@0: rather she use rlm@0: it on me anyway. And it gives her a chance to learn more about the rlm@0: company, rlm@0: even though mother still wants me to take it over when she retires. rlm@0: Besides all rlm@0: that, I’m overjoyed to be able to have this experience. To feel our rlm@0: baby inside of rlm@0: me fills me with a wonderfully indescribable feeling. It’s similar rlm@0: to the warmth rlm@0: that I feel from Sakura. rlm@0: I yawn tiredly, Sakura’s nimble fingers starting to relax me more rlm@0: than rlm@0: I’d realized. I move my foot in her hand, marveling at the feel of rlm@0: her soft fingers rlm@0: against my skin. “I’m sure Bara-chan will love dessert. But I’d rlm@0: rather have you rlm@0: here with me for now.” My eyes meet hers again. She crawls up along rlm@0: the bed as rlm@0: I set the soba bowl down, her arms wrapping around me. Her head rlm@0: rests on the rlm@0: pillow next to mine, dark gray hair right next to sweet brunette. My rlm@0: heart skips a rlm@0: beat at having my one, True Love so close to me. It yearns for her, rlm@0: as always, rlm@0: and so she complies, her warm heart beating next to my own. rlm@0: “Okay, Tomoyo-chan. I’ll wait until after you fall asleep before I rlm@0: go rlm@0: start on dessert. Just promise me you won’t come downstairs to try rlm@0: and rlm@0: videotape me this time. You need your rest. And I’ll go pick up some rlm@0: more rlm@0: videos to record more of the pregnancy when I go out tomorrow.” rlm@0: Sakura looks rlm@0: thoughtful for a moment, trying to go over anything she might be rlm@0: missing in her rlm@0: head. I disturb her thoughts with a quick kiss. rlm@0: “I promise, Sakura.” Her bright smile is all of the reward I need to rlm@0: convince me to stay in bed. Gazing into those beautiful emerald rlm@0: eyes, I slowly rlm@0: slip off to sleep, dreaming of our beautiful baby girl and my rlm@0: gorgeous wife. rlm@0: rlm@0: “But I don’t wanna be in the play. I’ll forget my lines and rlm@0: everyone will rlm@0: laugh.” I sigh, brushing some dark brown hair from my eyes. This is rlm@0: just awful. rlm@0: Awful. I don’t wanna be part of some stupid play at school. Why rlm@0: can’t I just rlm@0: help backstage where I don’t have to be out in front of everybody? I rlm@0: get stage rlm@0: fright too easily. rlm@0: “Bara-chan, you shouldn’t worry about that. I can help you learn rlm@0: your rlm@0: lines if you want. And I’m certain that you’ll do perfectly well in rlm@0: the play. Your rlm@0: mother made a spectacular prince in a play back when she was your rlm@0: age.” rlm@0: Tomoyo-mama smiles sweetly, that same smile she always has when rlm@0: talking rlm@0: about Sakura-mama. “It doesn’t matter if anyone laughs. I won’t. And rlm@0: I’ll be rlm@0: videotaping the whole thing.” She kneels down next to me, forgetting rlm@0: whatever rlm@0: it was she was sewing for the time being. Her pale hands brush my rlm@0: messy hair rlm@0: from my eyes where it had fallen again. “And Sakura will be there, rlm@0: too. We’ll be rlm@0: cheering for you.” rlm@0: I smile a bit at that. Well, maybe it wouldn’t be all bad. They rlm@0: would be rlm@0: there for the whole thing and at least I’d have help learning the rlm@0: lines. I sigh in rlm@0: defeat. “Hai, I know. I’m just so scared about being in front of rlm@0: everyone.” rlm@0: Tomoyo-mama smiles again, standing up. “You’ll do just fine, Bara- rlm@0: chan. How about after dinner we’ll start practicing your lines and I rlm@0: can try to rlm@0: give you some tips on stage fright? I was in choir for years and rlm@0: Sakura was in rlm@0: cheerleading, so maybe we can help.” She tilts my chin up so I meet rlm@0: her gaze, rlm@0: still smiling. rlm@0: I nod, more hair getting in my eyes. “That sounds good, Tomoyo- rlm@0: mama. Thanks! I’ll go get my script for the play.” With an approving rlm@0: nod from rlm@0: my mom, I dart off to my room at a slight limp. I’m still a little rlm@0: nervous about rlm@0: the whole thing, but maybe she’s right. It can’t be all bad, rlm@0: especially if I have rlm@0: people to do it for. And now that I’m not in dance class until my rlm@0: ankle heals, it rlm@0: would be nice to have something to show them. It’s just so much rlm@0: easier when rlm@0: I’m dancing. You don’t have to think about anything. You just dance. rlm@0: It doesn’t rlm@0: matter who’s watching. Too bad I hadn’t noticed Chisa dancing so rlm@0: close. Oh rlm@0: well. The doctor said it should just be a few weeks until my ankle’s rlm@0: back to rlm@0: normal. rlm@0: Grabbing my bookbag from my bed, I start sifting through it. It has rlm@0: to rlm@0: be in here somewhere. Plenty of notebooks, some pictures I drew in rlm@0: class, a few rlm@0: notes... rlm@0: “What are you looking for?” a voice asks from behind me. I turn rlm@0: quickly, startled. Why does she always have to surprise me like rlm@0: that? I face my rlm@0: mirror image for a moment and smile brightly before going back to rlm@0: searching. rlm@0: It’s nice to see her at least. I was wondering where she’d gone off rlm@0: to. I’m a little rlm@0: awkward at school and I’m shy so it’s hard for me to make friends. rlm@0: At least with rlm@0: normal girls my age. Then again, I guess I’m not really normal with rlm@0: my parents. rlm@0: The head of the Daidouji Corporation and the world’s strongest rlm@0: magician. It’s so rlm@0: much easier to make friends with mom’s Sakura Cards. rlm@0: “Just the script for the play. Tomoyo-mama said we could go through rlm@0: it rlm@0: after dinner and she could help me with it,” I explain as I finally rlm@0: find the stapled rlm@0: together script. “Found it!” rlm@0: My ‘twin’ looks thoughtful for a moment as she sits down next to me. rlm@0: She has the same dark brown hair and lavender eyes that I do. She’s rlm@0: even rlm@0: wearing my school uniform, though I changed out of that a few rlm@0: minutes ago. rlm@0: “Oh yeah, that was today, wasn’t it? I could always go for you if rlm@0: you want. I rlm@0: wouldn’t want you to get too nervous about it.” rlm@0: “That’s okay, Mirror. I’d hate to disappoint Sakura-mama and rlm@0: Tomoyo-mama if they’re going to come to it. I could use the help rlm@0: going over my rlm@0: lines for the next few days, though,” I explain, sitting on my bed. rlm@0: She sits next to rlm@0: me after a moment. The only real difference in her appearance is rlm@0: that she rlm@0: doesn’t have the cast on her ankle. I sigh, flipping through the rlm@0: pages. rlm@0: “I’d love to help,” Mirror says with a smile, reading bits and rlm@0: pieces rlm@0: over my shoulder. “I hope I can go and watch you, too. I’m sure rlm@0: you’ll be rlm@0: great.” rlm@0: A knock on the door grabs my attention before I can reply. Sakura- rlm@0: mama sticks her head in, her brunette hair near her shoulders. “It’s rlm@0: dinner time, rlm@0: Bara-chan.” She waits for me as I tuck the script under my arm and rlm@0: hurry over. rlm@0: “And Tomoyo said that you got a part in the play. I can’t wait to rlm@0: see it.” rlm@0: I nod quickly, holding out the script. “I get to be Juliet. But rlm@0: they must rlm@0: have picked the wrong person. Misato or Ming Pha would both make much rlm@0: better Juliets.” rlm@0: Sakura-mama shakes her head, helping me down the stairs. “I don’t rlm@0: think so. Sometimes we get surprised by things like that, but it rlm@0: doesn’t mean rlm@0: we’re wrong for the part.” rlm@0: “Hai. Like Sakura as the prince. She made an absolutely darling rlm@0: prince rlm@0: at that,” Tomoyo-mama adds, sparkles in her eyes. Something tells me rlm@0: I’ll be rlm@0: watching a tape of the whole play tonight. I smile and nod, taking rlm@0: my seat. rlm@0: Yeah, if Sakura-mama made a good prince, maybe I can make a good rlm@0: Juliet. rlm@0: “Thanks, Tomoyo-mama, Sakura-mama. I’d really appreciate the help.” rlm@0: I take a bite of the meal that Tomoyo-mama made for dinner, feeling rlm@0: more at rlm@0: ease. I spot Mirror watching me from the stairs and wave at her. She rlm@0: blushes a rlm@0: bit when she realizes I spotted her and waves back. I still don’t rlm@0: really know how rlm@0: it will all turn out, but maybe that doesn’t matter. There’s still rlm@0: so much waiting rlm@0: for me. I just know it.