| Sakura to Okaasan no Omoide <Titlescreen: Sakura and the Memories of Mother> Naoko was walking through the woods. She was taking a shortcut since she was late. She saw a light. Curious, she followed it. It lead to... a one eyed-ghost! "HOEEE!!!" Naoko and Chiharu plugged their ears to prevent eardrum damages. "But is that story true?" Chiharu asked Naoko. "Yup." "Is it possible that you saw something else?" "Nope." Fountain of tears gushed from Sakura's eyes. 'I just can't stand ghosts..' "Why don't we all go and check later?" Chiharu brightly suggested. "But, but! There is a cliff there! Wouldn't it be dangerous?" Sakura protested. "It's okay if we all go together," Chiharu answered. "But, but, what if there really is a monster?" "That's all right," Chiharu answered. "But, but.." "Whatever it is, it's okay," Chiharu said. 'Why does everyone like scary things?!' Sakura's mind screamed. "Ah, our break's over," Chiharu said when they heard a whistle. Sakura was going back to her cheerleading practice when she met Tomoyo. "What's wrong?" Tomoyo asked, seeing Sakura looking queer. "Waah! Tomoyo-chan! Come along with me!" Sakura cried. "Hai, hai," Tomoyo answered. The girls were walking in the woods. "It's my mom's birthday soon. I wonder what to get her for present," Chiharu wondered. "She likes making sweets, right? Why don't you make a cake dish?" Rika suggested. "Ah, that sounds nice. What do you think, Sakura-cha..." Chiharu broke off. "Ah, it's all right!" Sakura said, looking up and forcing a smile. 'Come to think of it, this Sunday is my mother's...' "It's this way," Naoko said. They arrived at the edge of the cliff. "There's nothing," Chiharu said, disappointed. "Maybe it has to be night," Naoko answered. Suddenly there was a light. And emerging from the flash of light was... "HOEEE!" Sakura grabbed Tomoyo's arm and ran like there was no tomorrow. "A lady ghost!' Sakura gasped, collapsing at the bottom of a tree. "A misty form that swirls!" Chiharu cried out. "A one-eyed monster!" Naoko said. "Pink thingie that had many teeth!" Rika choked out. "Giant meat bun." Tomoyo added. The girls all stared at her. "What I saw was a giant meat bun," Tomoyo said. "I was really scared!" Sakura cried, while bathing with Kero. "Yer that afraid of ghosts?" Kero asked. "Yeah!' Sakura cried, shampooing her hair. "But yer okay with Clow Cards," Kero added. "Because I just can't stand things I don't understand! At least I know where Clow Cards come from," Sakura explained. "But it's indefinate until I actually see it. Ya said everyone saw something different. Did a such card exist?" Kero pondered while Fujitaka's voice announced, "Sakura-san! Dinner's ready!" "Yes!" Sakura replied. She sank into the bath. "I wish you'll return to your true from and be my bodyguard," Sakura said. Kero looked up from his boat. "I need at least fire and earth card to gain my true form. Do you know how cool my true form is?!" "Cool?" Sakura repeated. She got a picture of giantic Kero crying out, "Kyauuu!" She sweated. Sakura went out to the kitchen. She saw a picture of her mother. "I love tihs picture! This was when mother was sixteen, right?" "Yes," Fujitaka replied, smiling. 'My mother, Nadeshiko-san, worked as a model. There are lots of pictures from magazines and the ones that my father took.' "Mom was really pretty..." Sakura happily said. "Yes, she was the most beautiful and kind person," Fujitaka replied. 'I was only three when she died, so I don't remember much about her. But dad tells me lots of things about her, so I really love her,' Sakura's seiyuu explained. "If you don't hurry and eat, the noodle will get cold," Fujitaka said. "And if you don't hurry, you'll miss the bullet train," Sakura added. "Yes, yes," Fujitaka replied. Sakura was doing the dishes. "Yer father and Oniichan's out?" Kero asked. "Yes, Oniichan is working, and Father had to go on a business trip for a seminar." Sakura looked up, winking. "Father made puddingfor dessert. Shall we share my brother's share?" "Wai! Pudding ya pudding!" Kero happily cried. The phone rang. "Ah, I'll go pick that up!" He returned with the phone and placed it against Sakura's head. "Yes, this is Kinomoto residence. Tomoyo-chan? What?! The girls went to the forest again?" "Yes, Chiharu-chan told me that she and others went again. They said it appeared again. It must be a ghost after all." "Hoeee!" Sakura stood in a rabbit custom. "Wuz up with the cardcaptor whimperin' like this?" Kero scolded. "But!" Sakura protested. "Are you okay?" Tomoyo asked, worried. "I'm not okay, but the girls will get hurt," Sakura answered, lake of tears pouring out from her eyes. "Yes, Chiharu and 5 other girls went. When the ghost appeared, they panicked and they fell down on top of each other," Tomoyo agreed. "If it's a Clow Card, I have to catch it," Sakura said. "Now there's the cardcaptor who's protectin' the peace of this neighborhood!" Kero approved. "But what if it really is ghost--?!" Sakura cried. Kero fainted. "Anyway, we can't be sure 'till we check." Kero said, recovering. "Then shall we proceed?" Tomoyo asked. "Okay.." A light flashed. "That's--!" "Sakura!" Kero cried. "Fly!" Sakura cried, chasing after the light. The light bursted out into... Nadeshiko?! Sakura's tight-grip on her wand relaxed. She numbly stared at her mother. "O...okaasan? Are you really Okaasan?" She started to cry. "Okaasan!" "Wuz wrong Sakura!" Kero cried out, flying to her. He got thrown back. Tomoyo caught him, crying, "Kero-chan!" "Okaasan.." Sakura said, stepping forward. Nadeshiko stretched out her hands. "Sakura-chan! That's cliff!" Tomoyo screamed. Sakura reached forward and fell down. "Sakura-chan!!!" Tomoyo screamed. A hand... grabbing Sakura? "Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" Yukito was walking home from shopping for groceries when he heard Tomoyo's voice. He looked up and saw Sakura floating down from the sky. He dropped his groceries and lunged forward to catch her. She landed on his arms gently. "Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo cried out. "Sakura-chan's okay," Yukito said. Tomoyo sighed in relief. <CM Break-- Tomoyo Card!> Sakura woke up. "Are you awake?" Yukito asked. "Yukito-san.. and this is?" She asked, sitting up. "This is my house," Yukito explained. "These clothes are..." "Yours are being washed. Ah, my grandmother changed you." Sakura recalled her Oniichan telling her that Yukito lived with his grandparents. "Thank you..." Sakura said. "You fell from a cliff. Do you recall anything?'" Yukito asked. Sakura shook her head. "But I was really surprised. I was walking down a road when Sakura-chan floated down from the sky," Yukito said, smiling. "Yukito-san... Tomoyo-chan was?" "Oh, a group of ladies in sunglasses took her away. She was very worried, but I told her that I"ll contact Touya and she asked me to take good care of you." "Oniichan?!" Sakura asked in dismay. "Don't worry, I'll explain so that Touya wouldn't scold you," Yukito said. "And Kero-chan!" Sakura remembered. "Oh, the orange stuffed-animal? Tomoyo said that she'll take it for today." Sakura sighed in relief and finished her drink. "Now rest some more," Yukito said. Sakura lay down. He started to pat her hair very gently. "Yukito-san. I met my mother at the top of the cliff. I wonder if it was my mother's ghost. Long ago Oniichan told me that when ghosts didn't leave this Earth, they had a reason for stayhing. In wonder why my mother is still here?" "But if it was really your mother..." Yukito said, smiling gently. "Would she have placed you in a danger?" Sakura closed her eyes and fell asleep. It was night. "Sorry about this, Yuki," Touya said. "No, it's all right. You know, Sakura-chan said she met her mother in the woods behind school. Have you ever seen your mother, Touya?" Yukito asked. "Yeah, but not behind the school. It's my fault that Sakura is scared of ghosts. Since she was little, I'd tell her that there's a transparent woman there or a man with white hair floating there. She can't see them, but it seems that she can sense them. She'd just start crying." "No wonder she's scared," Yukito said. "But when I entered Junior High, I didn't see my mother any longer. I wonder if she's lonely after all without a mother," Touya pondered. "No, it's just it's natural for her to long to see her if she could," Yukito answered. But Sakura had her ordeal today, so please don't scold her." Touya did not answer. "But if Sakura-chan is so cute, why won't you stop picking on her?" Yukito asked in an amused tone. "I"m the only one who can pick on her," Touya stated. "And have to heard of sister complex?" Yukito asked. "Shut up." Tomoyo entered Sakura's bedroom. "Are you all right? You took the day off." "Yup! Oniichan made me take a day off." Kero stepped out from Tomoyo's basket and handed her a red flower. "I'm sorry... I couldn't do anything for you." "No... thank you. It's fragrant," Sakura replied, accepting the flower and smiling. "But what was that light in the forest?" Kero asked. "My mother was in the forest," Sakura said. "But everyone saw different things. You were the only one who saw a woman." Kero replied. He looked worried. "It may be best that we give up on this one. I"m the one who asked you to collect the Clow Cards, but I do not want you to be hurt or shed tears," Kero said. Sakura looked touched. "Kero-chan..." She suddenly grabbed him and rubbed his head. "That was cool Kero-chan!" "I'm always cool!" Kero protested. "But I'll still go again," Sakura said. "Sakura!" Kero and Tomoyo protested. "If it's a card, I have to do something. And if it's mother..." Sakura lifted herself from her bed and walked to the window. "Long ago, Oniichan told me that mother's not here. I grew big, so she went to a very beautiful place above the sky. I want to ask her if she had something to tell me." Sakura stood in the woods, wearing a yellow custom with metallic theme. "Please be careful," Tomoyo said. "Don't fall off the cliff this time," Kero added, looking concerned. "Yup!" "But I wonder if it'll conveniently appear again," Tomoyo said. A light flashed. "There it is! Sakura!" "Release!" Sakura cried. The light folded back into Nadeshiko's figure. "Mother..." "That's Sakura's mother," Tomoyo cried. "Same as in the picture! But how come we can all see the same thing this time?!" "Mother..." Sakura said. "Mother.. why are you here? Are you lonely?" Nadeshiko stretched out her hands to Sakura. "Do you want me to be with you?" Nadeshiko started to float away. "Wait! Don't go!" Sakura cried, lunging forward. "Don' go there!" Kero cried. he got thrown back and whacked his head against a tree. "Mother! Wait, mother! Don't leave! Mother! Mother!" Sakura screamed, jumping off the cliff. "Sakura!" Tomoyo cried, horrified. "MOther...why? Mother.... how come..." 'If it was really your mother, would she place you in a danger?' "...tat's it! You're not my mother! My mother wouldn't do this! Fly!" Sakura cried, riding on her staff. "Sakura!" Kero and Tomoyo cried, relieved. "You're not my mother! Who are you?!" Suddenly Nadeshiko blurred into strange patterns. "I've seen that pattern from before! That's a Clow Card!" Sakura screamed out, "Return to your rightful form! Clow Card!" The image returned into a card form. "Ya did it!" Kero said. He looked at the card. "It was Illusion. That's why it was all different." Kero explained. Sakura stared at the card with sad expression crossing her face. "Huh?" Tomoyo asked Kero. "Illusion shows what's in your heart, so of course it's different for everyone." "Now you mention it, I was hungry and I was thinking I"d like a meat bun," Tomoyo replied. "Everyone was imagining monster they'd think would be the scariest. We wer able to see Sakura's mother because we saw the picture and expected her to show up," Kero added. "And you got thrown back because?" Tomoyo prompted. "Because Sakura's happiness in seeing her mother was that strong," Kero said. Sakura, her eyes full of tears, looked up. "I"m gald that it was not my mother... I"d be really happy if I can see her, but I"m more happy being assured that she's happy in the beautiful place up in the sky..." Kero cheerfully said, "Ya tried hard, so she must be put at ease. Well, she might have been a little worried this time, but..." A lone brilliant star shone brightly among other stars. "I'll be late!" Sakura cried, stomping down the stairway. "Uniform on Sunday?" Touya asked, looking up from his newspaper. "I have a club today!" Sakura said, gulping down her bread and milk. "Thank you for the breakfast... oh yeah!" She ran over to her mother's picture and placed a white box tied with red ribbon in front of her mother's picture. "Happy birthday, mother. I love you! " Touya turned to look at his sister. He stared at his mother's ghost in her winged form residing over Sakura with a gentle smile on her face. "I came because I was a little worried this time. But... it seems all right now." She smiled, the ring on her fourth finger shining. She disappeared. Touya smiled and returned to his newspaper. Sakura skated off to her school. <Kero-chan ni Omakase!> Konyanyachiwa~! Everyone's helping aroundthe house? No? That ain't good! Then this week's Kero-chan corner which will leave you crushed it you missed it has come! I wonder what it is today? Oh! Battle custom! It had been only a week since we last met, but it seems like a while had passed. This design is a little different from every other custom before. It's somehow futuristic and shows a new wave. Tomoyo seems very progressive. These unique shaped shoulder parts are pretty good too, aren't they? Once again, Kero-chan~ Check! This headset can really be used. It's light, sturdy and clear. It's very effective in emergencies. It's smacking of "high-tech"! So how was it? Tomoyo is tryin' hard everyday to design these customs. I can't slack off, either. I'm going to make this corner even more exciting! Honana~ Summary written by Wing Zero and placed on Sakura Wing on Sept of 2001. CCS by CLAMP and animation by Kodansa. |