Chapter Five: Sakura’s Father, Christmas, Strangers |
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"Ohh…my head. What happened last night?" Sakura mumbled. Her head ached, and she was in day clothes. 'Knock-knock.' Someone was knocking on the door. "The door's open." She called, not being able to move her head without it pounding. "Hey, Sakura? It's me, Syaoran. Can I come in?" Syaoran’s voice was muffled through the door. "Yes, please do." Sakura said sitting up, ignoring the pain in her head. "I've brought some fresh bandages for your head wound, and also, I want to talk to you." Syaoran said coming in, settling on her bed with a bundle of white cotton bandages in his hand. "What head wound?" Sakura looked questioned. "Oh, that must be the horrible pain in my head." Sakura thought. "Hold still…" Syaoran began unraveling the old bandages on her head. "Oh…now...OW...I remember." Sakura said, Syaoran had now reached the bandage part where her head wound was stuck to it. "This'll hurt a little." Syaoran said pulling the rest of the bandage off by tugging with one hand. "That didn't hurt too bad." Sakura said, but her wound was stinging from air entering it. Syaoran began wrapping the fresh bandages around Sakura’s head. Once finished, he held out a pink stretchable band, wide enough to cover the cotton terry bandages wrap. "And, you might want to take your hair down." Syaoran was pointing to Tomoyo’s handy hair work. "O...K..." Sakura took the pink band from Syaoran’s hands. She wrapped the band over her white bandages and took down her pinned up hair, letting it fall down to her waist. "Let's go to breakfast, Shall we?" Syaoran extended his hand out to Sakura who happily took it. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Mmm. *Gulp* Are you feeling better, Sakura?" Meiling asked, her mouth half full of eggs. "Perfectly fine. Where is Tomoyo?" Sakura glanced around the room not seeing her friend seated anywhere. "Fee fwept fin fee faid dee guz fired." Eriol spoke with his mouth full of eggs. "Be more a gentleman and swallow BEFORE you speak." Yelan emphasized 'before' with a disgusted look on her face. "*GULP* She slept in and she said she was tired." Eriol shot fake annoyed looks at Yelan, who smiled, or was she snickering? "Oh, *Giggle* Thank you Eriol, and you are quite the gentleman I propose." Sakura said, giggling. "Your welcome." He said sarcastically "I'd better go wake her up now, or she'll be sleeping all day." Sakura said, scooting her chair away from the table, getting up, and leaving. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Wake up, Tomoyo, we don't want to sleep all day do we?" Sakura said, shaking Tomoyo. "Mmm..." Tomoyo mumbled clutching her pillow tighter than she was a minute ago. "Tomoyo..." Sakura said, she was getting worried. There was slight nervousness in her voice. " Tomoyo, please." Sakura was really worried. She refused to open her eyes. She refused to wake up. "Syaoran! Eriol! I'm worried!" She skidded out of the room shaking a small fist in the air with the other on her chest. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Do you have a Queen?" Syaoran asked. "Go fish." Eriol said, shaking his head and snickering. Eriol won five matches while Syaoran only won three. "This stinks...you know I really..." Sakura, skidding into the room still shaking her small fist in the air, cut off Syaoran. She stopped, huffing and puffing, trying to catch her breath. "Whoa, Sakura. What's up. Catch your breath." Syaoran said, going over to the girl who was now on her knees, crying. "T-Tomoyo, something’s w-wrong with her." Sakura collapsed into Syaoran’s arms, crying into the sleeve of his shirt. "What?! Are you saying she won't wake up?!" Eriol asked, Sakura lifted her head only to nod it and let it fall back onto Syaoran’s arm. "Oh, we have to go check on her." Eriol said. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Tomoyo! Please wake up!" Eriol said, shaking the girl violently. She didn't twitch up from her comfortable sleep, not even a nose twitch." Tomoyo, Tomoyo!" Eriol yelled. "Please, To-Tomo-m-oyo." Sakura whispered, holding her fists close to her heart, her head down, tears pouring down her face, and was she clutching a Sakura Card close to her heart? She was! It was the Hope card. "Please, please help Tomoyo. Please let Tomoyo wake up." "No use. *Feels Tomoyo's pulse* Her pulse is just fine." Eriol said. "Tomoyo got knocked unconscious. It’s the only possible way." He said getting up. Suddenly a pink glow came from the card Sakura was clutching. Sakura let her clutch go on the card and it floated in front of her, beginning to take a human like form. It looked like an exact copy of Sakura only older, and pink with no skin tones. "You have to give something in return." The card said, staring at Sakura. Sakura got a look of worry and fret in her eyes. The boys stood on the sidelines, wide-eyed, gawking at the sight that took their eyes. "You mean sacrifice something, ensuring Tomoyo's safe return to consciousness?" Sakura asked. The Hope nodded. "I'll...give up my powers, or is there another choice?" Sakura asked hopefully. "There is ...give up a family member, or…take the consequences." The Hope said. "Are there no other choices?" Sakura was again hopeful. The Hope nodded. "Give your life." Sakura thought for a moment. "Give up my powers." She said confidently, standing up straighter. Syaoran got wide eyed. "What are the consequences to this?" She asked confidently, ready for anything. The Hope glowed, taking her with it. "Uhh...where am I?'" Sakura thought. She couldn't talk in this realm. She could see nothing but darkness and a pink glow far off ahead. She seemed to be floating in mid air. "Hoe-e-e-e-e." Her voice bounced off of the inky darkness. Now she was moving. Something was carrying her. She looked over...darkness at all angles possible. She was moving towards the pink glow. She looked at her hands. She could see herself, but nothing else. Too late to observe...more darkness...she went into the pink light. "Sakura, Sakura. Are you okay? You took a nasty trip there." Syaoran said. "Mmm," Sakura mumbled. Sakura’s eyes cracked open. She could see three blurry figures standing over her. She opened her eyes all the way. It was just Tomoyo, Syaoran, Eriol, and two other figures at the end of the bed. It was Touya, with one arm around Meiling's waist, Meiling crying, tears of joy. Tomoyo started crying too. The boys just simply smiled. Sakura stayed silent. "Sakura, do you remember what happened?" Meiling asked, coming closer to her. Sakura shook her head. Just then the phone rang. Tomoyo got it. "Mushi, mushi," Tomoyo said, "Li residence." It was Nurse Joy, the nurse at the HK Hospital. "Yes, hello? This is Nurse Joy calling from the HK Hospital Emergency Room. I hear a Sakura and Touya Kinomoto are staying here. May I speak to either of them?" Nurse Joy finished. "Hold on. Touya! Nurse Joy is on the phone from the HK Hospital! She says she has some news that can't wait!" Tomoyo yelled, with her hand over the receiver. "Coming!" Touya scrambled down the steps, and grabbed the phone. "Mushi, mushi, Touya speaking." He had a sickly feeling something was wrong. "Yes, Touya. Very bad news. Umm...your dad." She got cut off by Touya, "What about my dad?" He tried to stay calm. "He...died...this morning." She said. "What?!?!?! I can't tell Sakura-Chan this. She'll be heart broken." Touya slammed the phone on the hook and sadly marched up stairs to tell Sakura. (EN: Oh man, if Sakura were to pick up that phone…Maybe she should have sacrificed a family member, that is if it’s the same fate.) "What happened Touya?" Sakura asked in a scratchy voice, not able to get up. She was a bit numb. "Dad..." Touya mumbled, wiping a single tear from his cheek. "What about dad?" She asked. "He...died...this morning." He said, preparing for the worst. "Daddy? He died?" Sakura asked, he could be playing a practical joke on her. "Hai. It's true. No joke." Touya stayed with his back facing his sister. Sakura got up. Like a miracle she wasn't numb that much. "Daddy. Our promise. What about our promise?!" Sakura began to tear up, the pain now booming in her heart. Tears poured out of the emerald eyes, falling onto the pink sheets covering her. Sakura clenched her teeth, not wanting any of it to be true. "H-He p-p-prom-promised, h-he w-woul-wouldn't leave, u-u-unl-less h-he h-had t-t-t-to." Sakura said, she hiccupped. "He had to Sakura...we all have our time." Syaoran said, trying to comfort her by hugging her close. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Sakura still had her father in her heart, as did Touya. The foxes were forgotten and they were on their way to the Winter Carnival, strangely by foot. "Why did your mom make us walk Syaoran?" Sakura asked. She was freezing. The snow getting inside her shoes was very unpleasant. "She said it was exercise." He quoted his fingers when he said exercise. "Well this exercise is very unpleasant. How much further?" Meiling said, kicking the snow out of her boots at the closest light pole. "I wonder why Touya didn't come with us." Sakura said. "Remember? He said he had to get some stuff done. After all, it’s almost Christmas. Maybe my mom made him stay to wrap presents." Syaoran said, snickering under his breath. "Tomoyo, you and Eriol have been awfully quiet back there." Sakura exclaimed, with a sound of suspicion something was wrong. "Tomoyo, Eriol?" Chorused everyone when they saw no one was behind them. "The little sneakers went ahead of us." Sakura said, pointing ahead at two tiny figures way ahead of them. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Well, they finally noticed. Look at Sakura. Everyone is trying to catch up with us." Eriol said, snickering loudly and clearly. "I think we better let them catch up, or Sakura will have my head." Tomoyo said, wanting their fun to end. "Oh alright." Eriol leaned against the streetlight, waiting. Tomoyo just stood there. "Finally, we catch up with you two." Sakura said panting, leaning against her knees for support, her auburn hair over her shoulder in a half ponytail. "Well I thought you guys might like a run." Eriol snickered. "Ha ha. I'm really laughing." Sakura said, straightening up and putting her hands on her hips, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Ohh touchy, touchy. Santa's not going to give you gifts this year, if you keep that up." Eriol said, spitting sarcasm right back at her. Just then they heard the pounding of heavy boots behind them on the icy sidewalk. "Hey, I guess I was allowed to come after all." It was Touya! Meiling let out a shriek of joy as he came towards the group, glad that he came after all. "Yay!!" She said, and gave him a quick hug. (AN: If you haven’t noticed I'm putting Touya, and Meiling together for this.) "Let's go. Look! There it is! Let's hurry!" Sakura said, pointing to the top of the Ferris Wheel. "Yay!" Meiling exclaimed again. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Sakura and Syaoran decided to do a Chinese gift exchange. Everyone agreed. Sakura got Syaoran, Meiling got Touya, Tomoyo got Eriol, etc. They came up to the photo booth. "Hey, can we get our pictures taken?" Sakura asked eager to find out. "Uhh." Syaoran began. Too late. The girls gave their over achieving, puppy dog eyes. The girls won with that all the time, but the boys’ resistance was building. "Ohh...not the puppy dog stare." Touya complained. "Anything but that." Eriol complained. The girls were burning through the boy’s resistance as quick as a fire spreading through a forest. (EN: You see, this is any girl’s source of power. It’s nearly impossible for any guy to resist. Even I have my doubts.) After ten minutes, the boys gave in. "Oh, alright. No more of those puppy eyes though." Syaoran said. The girls nodded. There were six group pictures and two of every person paired off: Sakura got with Syaoran, Meiling got with Touya, and Tomoyo got with Eriol. Sakura got a picture of Syaoran and her, Syaoran got a picture of Sakura and him, and so on. Everyone got a group picture. Sakura, Tomoyo, and Meiling rushed to the locket booth. This would be their trade in the gift exchange. Sakura got a wolf head shaped locket for Syaoran. Tomoyo got a heart shaped locket for Eriol. Meiling got a heart shaped locket as well for Touya. They got their pictures locket sized, and moved along once the pictures were in the lockets. Then the boys moved over to the locket booth. Syaoran got a cherry blossom shaped locket for Sakura. Touya got a heart shaped locket for Meiling. Eriol got a heart shaped locket for Tomoyo. They needed to move, and quick. They left as soon as they met up with each other, and then they safely headed home. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* |
