| Future With No End By Sara Quill Headache. Another one. She wished they would stop. At least she wasn't at a party; they were thousand times worse then, but those headaches were worth it. She was lying on her bed, staring at the celiling. She remembered her days as a Cardcaptor. Happier times. She was completely different girl then. Why did it come to this? Did the peak of her life come at age of nine? Sakura beliefly considered playing Tomoyo's CD but decided against it. As soothing as her voice was, her headache would protest. It didn't matter. She heard the album so many times that she knew the songs by heart. She reached under her bed and pulled out the shoe box where she kep her magazine clippings of Tomoyo. She must be very bus now, with the modeling and singing. Definately too busy to write to her best friend. She hadn't written in mothes, and the magazines didn't tell Sakura much, if anything. Depression deepened. They only saw each other three times since Tomoyo-chan moved to Kyoto during 6th grade. Three times in four years. She almost missed the crazy outfits. She missed everyone. Tomoyo-chan, Kero-chan, Touya, Yukito, and Shaoran. Especially Shaoran. She missed the Cardcaptor days. They wre far from perfect, but.... Her eyes blurred with tears and a sob was building up in her throat. Her mind wandered over to the last party she went. She remembered almost nothing about it except that, for a few wonderful hours, she wasn't sad. No. Wonderful wasn't the way to describe it. What was so good about having your blood filled with foreign chemicals that could have killed her? Forgetting the past few years, that's what. Especially the New Year's party. There was no doubt that it was her fault. She was certain that she was left alive as a punishment. How often did she consider getting out of her awful penance? If nayone close to her knew, they'd panic. "Tadaima!" Sakura roughly dragged her sleeve across her eyes. Otoosan was home, and she didn't want him to know that she'd been crying again. She ran downstairs to greet her dad. "Okaeri. I'm glad you're home early." Otoosan got promoted to being a dean, but he still taught classes, so he often worked until very late. "How are you doing, I hardly see you anymore." "Wonderful," She lied. "This was in the mail for you," he handed her a small box. Sakura looked at it. It was from Tomoyo! She eagerly opened it and held in her hands a CD. It was a new one that was not supposed to come out for another month. The title read: Cherry Blossom Cheer! Did Tomoyo get her letters? Was the title trying to tell her something? Then again, her first album was named after he, too... "Why don't you go upstairs and listen to it?" Otoosan suggested. She needed no second bidding. * * * * * * * * I feel it trembling in the bottom of my heart Both the light and the shadow that I warmly embrace This was better than a letter. But hugging both her light and shadow side? Sure, it has been wrapped around her for a couple of years, but she preferred not to shrink away from it. And as for the light, was there enough to drive back the dark? She doubted it. A chase for the dream that I just can't give up on And my love, full of pride, comes to life in front of me The words sounded wonderful but untrue. What dreams? And the other line. Hearing it one was it was beautiful, but it also stung Sakura to the core. That wasn't going to happen. The warm red shades of the sunset have melancholy beauty Solitary tears that I sealed away inside my heart The bright light that I miss will not come back to me now Tomoyo-chan knew her too well. So I want freedom, just like the wind that will come in the next sunrise I feel if trembling inside the bottom of my heart Both the light and the shadow that I warmly embrace Someday I want to find for myself A future that has no end A future with no end? That sounded so promising. This song sang of hope. But what if the future wasn't a good one? What then, Tomoyo-chan? * * * * * * * * Flower Card... it was making blood-red blooms...the petals were slowly opening...Sakura reached out to touch one...when she did, it turned into ink, and fell to the floor, forming the kaniji for "little". Another bloom... Sakura touched that one... it fell and became the kanji for "wolf". Little Wolf...Shaoran.... in red ink...there was one flower left...Sakura was spelt with only one kanji...She reached out to touch it.... Then she woke up. * * * * * * * * "OHAYO!" Sakura burst into the classroon, breathless. Now, jsut as in the Cardcaptor days, she came into the classroom seconds before the homeroom sensei did. Before it was because she slept late, but now it was so that she wouldn't have time to talk to anyone. She was still friends with Takashi, Chiharu, Naoko, and Rika, and she was dating with Eriol, but.... Sakura really didn't konw why. None of them noticed. They were gathered around someone Sakura never saw before, and only went reluctantly to their seats when the sensei arrived. "Class. We have a new student today," The sensei pointed to the kanji written on the board. No characters that wrote out the family name, just the symbols for "plum" and "child". This new girl was named Umeko. Except for her long green hair, brown eyes, and tiny, sharp pointed doll's teeth, she looked exactly like Sakura. But you could hardly tell because Sakura was so depressed and this new student... well, wasn't. This girl seemed lively and cheerful, and smiled broadly at everyone, but she left a lingering glance at Sakura, and for a moment, her teeth seemed sharper. * * * * * * * After school, Sakura worked in a stationary store. It paid well, and it was nice to see the same kids over and over again as they came to buy stickers or cute pencils. Even when the store was filled with customers, she thought of the place as quiet and peaceful, and that soothed the scards on her sould, at least for a while. Today, business was slow, so she busied herself by sweeping and cleaning the glass windows. That being done, she started to arrange the stuffed animals on the shelves when Chiharu, Takashi, Naoko, Rika, and that new girl came in. "Irasshaimase. It's nice to see you. Some new candy came in yersterday, and....guys?" They didn't notice each other, let alone her. Naoko took off her glasses and moved them so that they kept cathching the light. She was really focused on that and Sakura had the feeling that if the Watery, Jump and Mirror Cards were dancing a jig in front of Naoko, she wouldn't notice. The sound of rustling papers made her turn to look at Rika. There was a pile of discount posters on the counter. Rika was sorting through them, occasionally pulling one out. Like Naoko, she made what she was holding catch the light. Unlike Naoko, Rika was exclaiming, "Sugoi! Shiny and colorful! It's like some kind of iro no tenshi! A miracle!" Chiharu was examining the stuffed animals. "They're so fuzzy! And all of them are looking at me! Never seen anything like this before.. I got it! They must be magic. But is this a good kind of magic? I don't want to find out the hard way." Chiharu left, looking over her shoulder every 5 seconds. Takashi came up to Sakura. "You have to help me," He waved sheets of paper in front of her face. "All these people are stuck and I don't konw how to help them!" "Why are they stuck?" Sakura asked. She wasn't as surprised with Takashi's behavior as much as the girls'. maybe because he lied so much. Takashi thought. It's because they're stickers. If I remove the stickiness, all the people won't be stuck anymore." "Please buy them first, or I'll get into trouble." So he did. Rika bought a lot of posters from the pile. Umeko just stood there all this time and grinned. When she noticed Sakura looking at her, her teeth looked like they could cut steel. In her hand was a sprig of cherry blossoms. That was strange. It wasn't the season for cherry blossoms. So where did they came from? Umeko dropped the sakura and crushed them under her heel until they were flower paste. * * * * * * * * * Sakura was relieved when Eriol came to pick her up. Every school day after work, Eriol would pick her up, and they would go to the library to do homework and study, thne he would drop her off at home. This routine was only broken by the occasional stop for a snack. It was these library trips that barely kept her average at 90. She had no will to study, but maybe she would have made an effort without Eriol, for Otoosan's sake. Nowadays she did a lot of things for that reason. Sakura felt eyes stab the back of her neck. At the same time, she and Eriol turned to look behind themselves. There was Umeko, several meters away. Sakura snapped her head forward. Why was she afraid of this girl? As for Eriol, "You're blushing," Sakura flately told him. He looked at Sakura, then Umeko, then back at Sakura. He looked confused. * * * * * * * * When she was home again, she put Cherry Blossom Cheer! in the CD palyer and took her usual position on the bed. For some reason, she felt emotionally drained. What was missing? Something has taken control now Your hopes and dreams are gone Are you satisfied with your life now? Of course not, Tomoyo-chan. Got that fin de sicle feeling And spend everyday preparing So let's get that engine running Throw off all that rusty common sense! I want to be the talk of the world! You want to have a shining future How could the future shine when it looked so bleak? That and this are your true dreams Don't let anyone get in your way To be the talk of the world Let that greatness inside of you break out She didn't have anything great about her, not since the New Year's in eighth grade. You get one break in life So let's say bye-bye to your sorry self! It's all right! No, it's not all right. How did she know that her break didn't already leave? Sakura took out the lyrics listing. A new song was coming. A note fell out of the little booklet. Hold on to that dream To the future with no end Sakura had a feeling that Tomoyo's wish was to see her best friend in person. Sakura had no wishes. A sunset melts into te sea and leaves a crimson shade A wonderful freefall I just want the Sun to take me far away I've always cleared impossible hurdles before simply because I didnot want to lose But what if this isn't the best that I can achieve? Then maybe there was no reason to live. Hold on to that dream To the future with no end Holding close a wish You cannot reveal to anyone Take the map in your heart The one that will not fade And hold it up to the light Sakura thought that this song was supposed to convince her not to commit suicide. Her mind went back to last night's dream. Shaoran's name written in red ink. Sakura heard many stories of people who's names were written in red and, inevitably, died. She went to her desk and pulled out a sheet of paper and a red pen. In the dream, Shaoran's name was written, but not her's. This would change it. S..a...k...u...r.... SHIMATTA! She shook her pen. It ran out of ink. She scribbled onto some scrap paper, hoping to bring it back to life. After fifteen minutes, she mangaged to coax out enough ink to write the last letter of her name, though it was moer pink than red. Close enough. She folded the paper and stuck it down at the bottom of her bookbag, where Otoosan wouldn't notice. She was sitting at a table. Umeko was sitting at the other end. On the table lay a deck of cards. It wasn't until Umeko shuffled them that Sakura saw that they were tarot cards like the kind Naoko sometimes used. After a few moments, Umeko pulled out three cards and placed them on the table face down. Sakura turned over the first one, then froze. Sakura recognized the girl in the card. She couldn't tell if it was her or Umeko, because the girl was blindfolded and her hair was hidden in a hat. What she idd see was that the girl was standing in the middle of wasteland, tied up, and standing inside a circle of eight swords. Sakura turned over the next card. The hair and the face were still hidden. This time the girl was sitting bolt upright in bed, like she just had a nightmare. It must have been, because her hands were hiding her face. In the air above her were nine swords. Umeko grinned and said, "Ten is the completion," and turned over the last card. She was lying face down with ten swords in her back. A week went by. Naoko, Rika, Chiharu, and Takashi weren't at school. Umeko had told Sakura, "I made them think that they could fly." Sakura remembered how strange her friends were acting at the store. I was like they were high. "Y-you made them think...?" Umeko shrugged. "You were pushing them away. I just finished the job for you." It's okay to take a break on a day when you feel despondent If Sakura did that, she would never leave her room. She listened to Cherry Blossom Cheer! all the time. It was like breathing. If she didn't have it on when she was at home, the silence threatened to choke her. Life is long and fickle, you know. True, very ture. Today, at the store, she waited and waited for Eriol to come. After a while, when she stepped outside to see if he's coming, she saw him and Umeko in the middle of a deep kiss. Umeko, who was facing her, looked up at Sakura and winked. I can make you feel 100 times stronger Before going home, Sakura bought some powder and a bottle of sake. She stirred the powder into the sake a little earlier, burned the package it came in, and rinsed it down the sink. She would have taken drugs a lot more often if she wasn't so scared of Otoosan finding out. Even today she was fighting with herself whether or not to take any. Come on, let's sleep for now Hold me gently Even if you saw a dinosaur You're the type of person who'd just laugh it off Sakura slowly started to drink, anticipating the promised effects. Winning through the flower gardens and storm ravaged plains I can hear how times are changing around us Distinguishing both the sour and the sweet Just don't give up 'cause the genius always wins at the end While Sakura was runing her finger along the insde of her cup, a new song started. Let's go out on the town You'l just be gloomy if you're alone You'll be blue and worry and "ah" even some more Mochiron! Sakura tippped her head all the way back and drank the last few drops. Let's jump outside! No need to worry from a long time ago Because the Earth runs around And I bet the Moon does, too! Brand new love song! Halle hallelujah! Already the powder was taking effect. She started dancing. Everyone open up and let's love! Everyday is monotonous and ordinary feelings There's always somehting you have to keep! Yeah! Sakura jogged in place, singing "Yapapa, yapapa..." Then she glanced at the mirror. Surprised, she walked over to her reflection. "Umeko, what are you doing here? You can stay, but be nice! My friends liked you and now you hurt them!" Sakura lowered her eyes and voice. "Please, don't hurt Eriol. Or is it me you want to hurt? I don't have many left. Don't hurt Eriol. Get me directly." There is not dreams that can't come true I believe in what lies ahead.... Because I believe in that love Will save us every time "No it doesn't, Tomoyo-chan!" She cried to the streo. "You're not Takashi! Don't say such htings. It isn't true!" The CD kept singing. Don't you forget! I'll always be there for you! "STOP IT! STOP LYING! STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT-!" Sakura slammed her hand down on the power button, and cried like a dying animal. She grabbed the sake bottle and chugged down the rest of the contents like a desperate alcoholic. She dropped to the floor and was thinking of the Clow Book and the cards sealed inside and how Kero-chan was there too, because he had to guard the cards. Sakura couldn't remember where she put the book; she didn't want to either, she just wanted to forget the cards and the event that made her seal it all away but she passed out and dreamt of it, exactly as she remembered... Two years ago. Touya was visiting. Now that he was in college, Sakura only saw him during New Year's time. Tonight she and Touya and Otoosan were going to a party hosted by one of Otoosan's co-workers. Sakura knew almost no one, and Touya was the only person closest to her age, but she had fun. She deserved it after all the cleaning and all the restoring of order in her house to get ready for the occasion. It was bad luck to have your own home our of harmony at this time. But it was all done. Except the cards. She was trying to find a way to use their powers without resorting to using her wand or carry the cards with her everywhere. She only started with a few, though, because the project was hard. One month after she started, the seals on Shadow, Windy, Flower, and Firey were only partially weakened. Sakura knew full well what she was doing was dangerous, but Kero-chan was supervising her, and she was only weakening hte seals, not breaking them. Not to mention when she was done, she wouldn't have to worry about bringing the cards everywhere with her. And besides, Kero-chan said that the seals were still strong enough to last through the New Year's. So Sakura was able to enjoy the party with no worries. The food was good, the music was better, and she felt drunk from too many sweets and soda. She stuck her head out an open window to breath in some fresh cold air because the indoor cigarette smoke was bother her, when the jazz on the radio was interrupted by new bulletin. 'A firework incident has happened at the New Year's Parade. Details aren't known yet, but people say that it has been caused by a monster. They are being treated for smoke inhalation. More will be reported later." Then the jazz music came back on without missing a beat. Firework incident? Monsters? Could it be Clow related? No, it couldn't be. If it were, Kero-chan would have called her. Then Sakura remembered that the dress she was wearing had no pockets and she left her phone at home. Sakura looked at the sky. There was a full moon tonight. Very pretty. Did Kero-chan know that there was a full moon tonight? Would the combination of New Year's and a full moon break the weakened seals..? Later, she couldn't remember how she left the party without getting noticed. Otoosan and Touya must have realized at some point that she was gone, but afterwards, when they took one look at her red eyes that looked as if something died in them, they didn't ask questions. But she didn't remember anything until she came to the street where the parade was. The smell of smoke. It didn't smell that bad, it reminded her of flowrers. Flowers. Smoke made by Fire. Or Fiery. But the person on the radio said fireworks. Never mind. Hanabi(fireworks) literally meant "flower fire". Everyone had deserted the area. Good. She didin't have the Sleep Card. She started to running to where the smoke was coming from with no idea how to stop it. She didn't run very far, the hanabi monster was coming her way. Sakura stared at it, unable to move. It was bright, she couldn't look directly at it, but from what she could tell it walked on two legs and was roughly shaped like a person. It was also the size of a small mecha. "Sakura!" She looked up, blinded, but broken from her trance. She knew that voice. "Shaoran! Where are you?" "Over here!" He was on the sidewalk to the left. Sakura ran up to him. She could barely make out his face with all the flickering shadows. "Do you know what happened?" Shaoran asked. Sakura felt an utterly sickening feeling in her stomach, like she swallowed poison and couldn't get rid of it; she didn't trust herself to answer. Hopefully, the dancing shadows would hide the shame she felt on her face. They didn't. "Sakura," Shaoran said, so horrified he couldn't say anything more. The chunk of flaming nadeshiko heading their way would have interrupted him, anyway. They jumped out of the way and Shaoran used his water sticker to attack the monster. All that did was to make a cloud of hissing steam. Sakura just stood there, paralyzed by her own guilt. She felt completely sick to the bottom of her stomach. She made it...there...there had to be a way to stop it...but how? The hanabi, mad at Shaoran for tyirng to put it out, kicked at him. He dodged, but Sakura could smell singed hair. She had to do something...but what? The hanabi kicked again. This time she smelt burned bloth, and the next time she knew there would be the smell of burning flesh. She had to keep that from happening...but how? Sakura's mind felt ready to scream or explode. It didn't. Instead, it melted for a little while. She couldn't remember how the cards were sealed, or if it was done in moments or hours. But if she strained, she vaguely remembered Shaoran yelling her name, and a wall of gray hitting her. The memories after that were clear. Her eyes were closed and she was holding her breath. She felt her back against his stomach. One of his arms was wrapped around her waist, and his other hand was protecting her head from the edge of the curb. Sakura felt very embarassed. She and Shaoran had never so much as held hands before, and now... Now her lungs were burning. She took a deep breath, and inhaled the charred poweder instead of ait. She started to cough violently, and gasped in more shoot. She sat up, and coughed so hard, it felt like someone was waving a sword around the inside of her throat. Finally, when she could breath and see clearly, shock hit her like that gray wall. The whole street was covered with ashes. Some parts were as high as Touya, and where she was, it was only a foot and a half deep. After staring for a few moments, a different though entered her brain. Shaoran. He was still under the ashes. He couldn't breathe down there. Something was wrong. She started digging. The soot flew up into the dust, partially blinding her, but her hands didin't stop until her fingers brushed against cloth. She dug higher up, freeing his face. "Daijoubu?" No answer. Then agiain, he was coughing up a storm, so maybe he didn't hear her. But when he stoppped, he just lay still. His eyes weren't even open. "Daijoubu?" Her voice was a little higher, a little more worried. Still no reponse. Nervously, she placed her hand on his chest. It still rose and fell from breathing, and she felt his heartbeat. Why wouldn't he wake up? Sakura nervously brushed the soot out of his hair. It served no purpose, but it was something to do. She gently pushed his head to one side to get more dust when she noticed the bruise. It went across the entire side of his head. First Sakura thought, "Baka." He was so worried about me, he didn't even think of protecting himself. Then she noticed that it went across his temple. That woke somethin up in the back of her brain....what was it? If you got hit hard enough in your templel, you...died. "Shaoran?" She shook him. "Please wake up." Maybe it wasn't true. He was still breathing. He just had to wake up. But he didn't, not matter how long she shook him, or how loud she shouted his name or begged him to wake up, not even when his face got wet with her tears. She kept checking his breathing, checking that he was still alive. She kept checking when it stopped, hoping, hoping....but he was still dead. * * * * * * * Sakura wasn't going to be drinking again anytime soon, not if she was going to get hangovers his bad. The asprin she took wasn't working, and she didn't like the way the floor was tilting under her feet. But it was a school day, so she had to get off the floor, get dressed, and all the necerssary things for getting ready. She also had to get rid of the sake bottle. Otoosan wasn't home and chances were that he wouldn't be home anytime soon, but it didn't hurt to be careful. Sakura was stepping onto the sidewalk when a loud "OHAYOO!" made her wince. Who wanted to get drunk when such terrible headaches the next day? She turned to see who the person was. The Mirror Card? Sakura closed her eyes and shook her head, despite the throbbing. When she looked again, she saw Umeko. Ignoring her was futile. When Sakura turned away, Umeko ran up to her and dug her nails into Sakura's hand, making tiny half-moon cuts. Sakura didn't notice. What she did see were raining flowers and colored lights. Sugoi! It was all so pretty! Especially the birds singing. But it wasn't birds. It was the blare of a horn and the screeching of tires as the truck tried to stop and failed. "Sakura." She was scared to open her eyes. If she could only sleep and feel nothing. "Sakura." And not be tortured by the faces she couldn't see. Not be left alone with her pain, and how it left her heart like a pincushion. "Sakura!" But she knew that voice. Her eyes opened anyway. She sat up and leaned close, her face only centimeters away from his, not believing. But it was. "Shaoran." As she was saying it, Sakura turned away, and began to cry. "Oi! Don't cry..." She still wouldn't look at him. "Go-gomen nasai. Gomen nasai. I had no idea what would happen, I didin't know..." She kept saying this, like a chant that would chase away his anger. He must hate her so much. "I mean for you to die, Shaoran. Aishiteru...." He kissed her. At first, Sakura's spine froze with shock, but then she closed her eyes and relaxed into it. It was unitl Sakura stopped crying that Shaoran pulled away. "Watashi mo." Then he abruptly stood up and helped Sakura on her feet. "You still have time." "Hoe? Time for what?" The Sun was setting. It was hours since she crossed paths with Umeko. "Your mother sent me. Come," and Sakura followed. Nadeshiko was waiting for them outside the hospital room. "Ara, Sakura-chan, you have us so worried." Sakura was stunned. It was strange seeing her in front of her and not behind a picture frame. She didin't know what to say. It was the first time she remembered seeing her mother; she didin't want to say anything stupid. Okaasan seemed to know. "You hit your head very badly, Sakura-chan. It is up to you to decide if you want to live." And she stepped into the room. Shaoran and Sakura came in behind her. It came as a shock to see herself lying there, connected to machines. It was more surprising to see Ottosan and Touya. When was the last time they were all in the same room? A long time ago, Fujitaka promised Nadeshiko that he wouldn't cry. He seemed on the verge of breaking that. Not only did this remind him too much of when Nadeshiko died, but why would Sakura walk in front of a truck like that? Touya skipped his classes and got on the nearest train to Tomoeda when he heard what happened. Being so far away now, he had no idea what was happening with his family, and the way Sakura got hurt sounded like... He didn't want to think about it. It didn't help his worries to see Okaasan at the hospital. And now, seeing Sakura as a ghost, he started to cry. Sakura herself felt better than she had in years. She saw Shaoran again, and she met Okaasan. It would be nice to remain as a ghost. But seeing Oniichan cry....The sight was so frightening that she knew she had to stay. She turned to Shaoran. She didn't want to say good bye, so it was just, "Ja, mata." "Mata ja nai, Sakura!" Pretending to be angry helped hide his sadness. What he did before was unusual, and was probably too much for him. "I don't want you to see me for a long time, wakatta?" She understood. Doorbell. It was her first day back, but she would be home for a while before she would go back to school. Touya left two days after her accident, and Otoosan was at work, although he came home eralier. She went downstairs to open the door. "Hello," It was Eriol. Sakura really did not want to talk to him, but she let him in anyway, out of politeness. "Want some tea?" Sakura asked. They were in her room, and Eriol brought over her homework. "Itai!" Some of the tea sloshed over the rim, and it was hot. Eriol took the cup from her hands. 'Daijoubu?" "Daijoubu ja nai da yo!" The accident left its mark. Her hands schook, one eye was slightly unfocused, and her knees would sometimes give out while she was standing. The doctor said that she was lucky that was all the brain damage she got. "Otoosan and Oniichan think I tried to kill myself." "Did you?" "Not like that." Nothing more was said for a while. Sakura still couldn't get the image of Eriol and Umeko out of her head. He didin't know that she saw, and she wasn't going to tell. Silence clogged her ears as the minutes went by. Sakura would never be able to describe why she did what she did. Her mind emptied of surface thoughts. She stood up, and opened one of her desk drawers, and took out a mirror. She raised it over her head, and threw it to the floor. Shattered glass. But each piece contained an unbroken Sakura. She stared at all of them at once. It wasn't the reflected Sakura that glared back, but the hard silver sheen of the fragmented mirror. She felt herself fall in its depth.... * * * * * * * * I feel it trembling inside the bottom of my heart Both the light and the shadow that I warmly embrace A chase for the dream that I just can't give up on And my love, full of pride, comes to life in front of me The warm red shades of the sunset have a melancholy beauty The bright light that I miss will not come back to me now So I want freedom, just like the wind taht will come in the next sunrise I feel it trembling inside the bottom of my heart Both the light and shadow that I warmly embrace Someday I want to find for myself A future that has no end Now it all made sence. This was what Tomoyo-chan was trying to tell her. * * * * * * * Hoe? She was on the floor. Eriol was trying to pry open her hand, which was clutching a piece of the broken mirror. "What did you see?" Eriol asked. Sakura opened her hand, and the glass slid out. Her hand was bleeding, and it hurt, but she didn't care. "I saw what I needed to see." Straightening up, she said, "Ottosan bought some meat buns yesterday. There should still be some left. Want any?" * * * * * * Today was her first day back since the accident. Sakura couldn't remember how she got through school. Her mind was somewhere else completely. And now that she was at work, time was inching by like an arthritic snail. When the time finally came for her to leave, she stepped out and looked for Eriol. He wasn't there. A sickening feeling spread through her stomach. Not again. Ara, please not again. A set of hands clamped on her shoulders. Sakura turned around. It was Umeko. She was smiling, and her teeth looked ready to cut diamonds. Sakura smiled back, and grabbed Umeko's wrist. Suddenly, Umeko's smiled looked pasted on. "What the f*** are you doing?" She closed her eyes and focused. It turned out that Umeko was made from the Mirror, the Illusion, and.... nan da? Umeko was mailnly made from Sakura's feelings after Shaoran died. Shock made her loose her grip. So she was responsible for hurting Rika, Naoko, and others. She was the person that alsmot killed her. Umeko started to pull away. NO! Sakura clamped her hand like a steel trap. Umeko tried to pull away, but Sakura dug in her nails deeper. She couldn't tell if the blood was from Umeko's arm or if her cuts reopened. If this vision of her would hurt her friends and even herself, Sakura could not let her go. But how could she fight against herself? It would just let the two of them get killed. And what would Shaoran think? Sakura held on tighter, and concentrated. It was time to welcome her shadow side. Sakura fell to her knees. She gasped as if she ran a thousand miles. The effort drained her body, even stronger than changing cards. But she felt ready for a future with no end. * * * * * * * Someday shining believing gives me the courage to live with myself Blown by the winds of time Feeling around for tomorrow Darkness unfolds, and only worries keep surfacing However, I will definately find happy feelings Once I overcome this sea of tears The unwavering future is a world of light Someday I will find a dream that will take me there <End> I DO NOT own the rights to Cardpcator Sakura, Rayearth, Slayers, or any other animes mentioned here. Feedback is welcomed, but if it's correcting any of the lyrics here, I don't want to hear it. I went to a lot of trouble to get them...but enjoy the story. Ah, I finally finished typing it. *sigh* I just love the ending. Thank you, Sara-sama. ^.^ I was tempted to add stuff in again, but I do not want to die at an early age. ^_^;; This was written by Sara Quill and placed on Sakura Wing by Wing Zero on August 2001. |