A Lover's Survival Story
Sakura Avalon looked around at her classmates. Some she'd been with since elementary, some she met at the beginning of the year. Now that she was in high school, a senior, she had grown up quite a bit. But then so had her friends.
Sakura now laughed and talked with her friends, as they got ready for their fieldtrip. It was one like no other. They were actually taking a fieldtrip to a ski resort!!! Sakura and Madison chatted with Nikki, Chelsea, and Rita while their teacher made the final arrangements. Finally after a while, he asked for everyone's attention. "Everything's ready to go, so I want you to board the bus and sit two to a seat."
Madison and Sakura got on and sat together. "What are you looking forward to doing Sakura?" Madison asked her friend.
Sakura shrugged. "Well, I already know how to ski, so I think I'm going to try some of the bigger slopes." She grinned.
Madison nodded. "I'll stick with the beginners, if you don't mind." Li walked by on his way to the back of the bus. Madison saw Sakura slightly blush as he went past. Even after all these years you still haven't told him. "So do you think Li knows how to ski?"
Sakura snapped out of her trance. "I…uh…I don't know." She said. "I guess he would. He's good at everything else." He's still as good looking as ever, too.
"Yeah. That's for sure." Madison agreed.
The bus went up the mountain and up to the resort. After being shown their rooms, Sakura and Madison split up, Madison went to go get lessons, and Sakura thought she'd try out one of the slopes. She went outside and put on her skis. She slowly went over to the top of the slope and looked down.
Her emerald eyes grew wide as she saw Li already halfway down the slope. He weaved back and forth expertly. She smiled and started down the slope. She too weaved back and forth between flags, laughing and having fun, as snow was thrown in disarray behind her.
When she got to the bottom, she looked around for Li, but couldn't see him anywhere. She got on the lift and went back to the top of the slope. She kept her skis on and was ready to start going down the slope, when she heard some of the boys talking. She crept around the corner and saw Li chatting with some of the new kids. She hid herself and listened in.
Li growled as a boy named Eddie taunted him. Li knew he was fully capable to just kick this guy's rear end to the bottom of the slope, but instead he'd keep his cool. He wouldn't sink to their level. He'd learned the virtue "patience" from his best friend Sakura. She had taught him quite a few things that the Li Clan Elders could never show him. She'd been so kind to him, even if he had tried to steal the cards from her in the beginning. Then, one day, he found out he'd fallen in love with her. But still hadn't the courage to tell her that. He simply watched over her and made sure she was safe.
"So, do you like anybody?" Eddie asked again.
Li glared at him. "I already told you, no."
Eddie snorted. "That's not true. You have it in for a girl named Sakura Avalon!"
Li blushed, even though he tried not to. "I do not!" He denied.
Eddie's backup, Thomas, came up from behind him. "You do too! Isn't she your friend?"
Eddie laughed. "Yeah…your girlfriend!" They laughed and Li clenched his fists in anger.
"She is not my friend!" He yelled. "I don't even like her!"
Suddenly both boys tensed up and stopped laughing. Li heard a quiet sniffle and turned around to see none other than Sakura standing there, with her skis, looking at him, her eyes on the brink of tears.
"Li…?" She whimpered.
Li instantly regretted saying anything. "Sakura…I…" But it was too late. She let out a cry in sorrow and skied past him, and down the closest slope.
Li followed her to the end, since he still had his skies on too, when he noticed a sign at the top of the slope that read… "Experts only. WARNING: Avalanche hazards."
Li's heart stopped in his chest. He looked down at Sakura, who was already going incredibility fast, and was still gaining speed. "Sakura!" Without another moment of hesitation, he started down the hill.
Sakura could barely see the route in front of her, for her tears blurred her vision, and the pain in her heart blurred her senses. How could he say such a thing? After all they had been through together, with capturing the Clow Cards and every other adventure they'd seen in their lifetimes.
He would go and do such a thing and say he didn't like her? That they weren't friends? She just couldn't bear it. It pained her so much. She had always thought the two of them a team. Madison had even told her that she thought he cared for her. But then why did he say it?
Sakura moved fasted and faster down the slope, hoping that she would wake up and this would all be just a bad dream.
"Sakura!" She heard her name and turned to see Li behind her. She sped up, despite how fast she was already going. She had to get away. Get away from him.
"Sakura! Wait!" He pleaded with her, but she didn't stop, or even falter her moves.
Finally, when she was at the bottom, she took off her skies and noticed just how far away from the resort she was. She saw the houses and bunkers way at the top of the slope. She looked around and didn't even notice that there wasn't even a ski lift nearby.
Oh no. I must've gone off the trial! She thought.
"Sakura!" Li slowed to a stop besides her. He breathed heavily, took off his own skies, and then slowly said. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
She turned and glared at him, unshed tears still in her eyes. Her glare caught him off guard and he stepped back. "Why would you care?" She said coldly.
His eyebrows nit into a worried expression. "Look. I…I'm sorry. I…"
"Don't be." She interrupted him. "What was said was said. At least now I know." She turned her head away, not allowing him to see her cry.
He stepped forward. "What I said…" He placed two hands on her shoulders. "I didn't mean…"
She pulled away and whipped her head around to face him. "Get away from me." He frowned. "Get away from me!" She shouted.
Her shouting echoed throughout the mountainside. Li's keen eyes noticed a bit of snow start to fall from the top of the mountain. More and more piled up until… "Avalanche!" He shouted and immediately pulled Sakura's hand and together they ran to the left, trying to find a safe place to hide.
There was none. Sakura stopped, argument forgotten for the moment, and pulled out her key. She turned it into a wand and pulled out a card. "Fly!"
Wings grew out of her back, since she was using the Sakura Cards now, and she flew into the air. She grabbed Li and started looking for a place to hide. They couldn't make it to the top of the slope in time, and without being seen. She looked up and saw the snow had piled up and was coming at them fast.
Li pointed. "There!" He saw a cave in the mountainside.
Sakura nodded and dove for the cave, trying to outrun the avalanche. It moved closer and closer to the cave, but Sakura set her jaw and moved as fast as her wings would carry her.
She had just made it into the cave, when the avalanche moved over the cave. The snow pushed airfulls of ice-cold air into the cave, knocking Sakura off balance.
She accidentally dropped Li as her wings disappeared. She fell to the bottom of the cave and rolled over many times before slamming into the back of the cave.
The snow soon settled outside the cave, and Li slowly got to his feet. He checked himself and saw nothing was broken. He looked around for Sakura. He saw her lying in a heap at the end of the cave. "Sakura!"
He ran to her side and slowly lifted her head up. She moaned and opened her eyes. "Li…I'm so sorry." She said.
"No, no don't be. It's not your fault." He looked over her. Her head had a large gash in the side of it and her leg was bent at an unnatural angle. He took off his jacket, and placed it under her head. Then took off his sweater he had underneath it and ripped it into shreds, with which he used to bandage her head and leg. Now all he had on, on top, was a long sleeve shirt and a vest.
Sakura closed her eyes against the pain she was feeling. Everything in her body felt broken. She looked up at Li, as he was tying off the bandage on her leg. "How bad is it?" She asked.
He looked into her eyes. "You're…gonna be fine." He lied. He had noticed the entrance to the door was snowed in. They were trapped. With Sakura's injuries, she might catch pneumonia, or her leg might get infected. He didn't have anything on him to treat her. Their only chance was to wait for someone to find them.
"Then I'll just use the Fiery Card and…" She tried to sit up and wheezed in pain. Li gently put her down again. Add broken ribs to the list of injuries. He thought. "You'll do no such thing. You're too weak. Just rest. I'll take care of you."
She smiled. "Thanks." She slowly closed her eyes and feel asleep.
Hours later, Li had managed to use some of his magic and make a small fire. He carried Sakura's sleeping body to the fire and gently placed her near the fire. Li stared into the fire and couldn't help but think that this was all his fault. If he hadn't been so stupid as to say what he did, Sakura wouldn't have gone off, and never would've gotten hurt. Li, you baka! You said you'd always protect her! Now look what you've done!
"Li?" A quiet voice sounded behind him.
He turned and saw Sakura was up and looking at him strangely. "Are you okay?" She asked.
He blinked. She was worried about him? Here she was, broken and bruised up, and she was worried about someone else, the person who had caused her injuries.
"I'm fine." He moved over to her. "How are you feeling?"
She closed her mouth to try to keep from chattering her teeth, but it didn't help. "I…I…I…I'm cold…d…d…d" She stuttered.
Li laid down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. "How's this?"
She smiled and snuggled up to him "Better." She lied. Her whole body was so frozen, that she couldn't feel her feet. But she didn't want to worry Li. So she kept quiet and said nothing.
Li tried to send his warmth into Sakura, though he himself was getting cold. He knew they couldn't last much longer. Where are they?
Madison, along the rescue team, were scouring the mountainside, searching for the two high schoolers. So far, not much luck. Madison started to worry for her best friends. Where could they be? She thought.
Just then, something caught her eyes. That's Li's scarf! Indeed it was the same green scarf Sakura had given to Li so many years ago.
She pointed and got the attention of the medics. "Over here!" They immediately came over and started digging. Hang on Sakura, Li. Hold on just a little longer.
Li woke up and saw Sakura was still in his arms. He smiled. "Hey wake up." He nudged her.
No response.
Li got up. "Hey Sakura." He gently shook her. Still nothing.
"Oh no." He felt for a pulse. It was very feint. "Come on Sakura. Wake up!" He started to get frantic now. I should've never let her fall asleep!
He felt her forehead and felt it was cold. Ice cold. He felt her neck for a more precise pulse.
Nothing.
"Oh god no!" He put his head to her chest and tried to hear for any breathing.
Still nothing.
"No! Sakura don't leave me!" He started CPR and put two hands on her chest, pushing her chest down to the same beat of his own heart. "Come on, Sakura! Come on!"
He breathed into her mouth and started compressing her chest again. "Sakura, you better fight this! You're not a quitter! You have to fight!" He breathed for her again, but she still showed no sign of life.
Li didn't give up. He continued CPR for a few more minutes. Finally he gave up and cried. "I never told you. I never had the chance to tell you." He said sadly.
He made a fist and slammed it down on her chest. "I never told you!!!"
The last hit was the one that did it. Sakura's eyes flew open and she took in a deep breath.
Li's eyes widened and he embraced her in a tight hug. "You're alive!" He repeated over and over again.
Just then, a crack was heard and light pierced the snow outside the cave.
It was the rescue committee. They made a path through the snow and ran to the two teenagers. Li immediately handed over Sakura, and started to follow, but when he got up, he suddenly felt dizzy and passed out.
The next day, Li had woken up in the hospital and had learned the whole situation. He had been admitted with minor injuries, mostly frostbitten hands and feet, which he now had bandaged.
Sakura on the other hand, had to go through hours of surgery to fix the internal injuries that she received. Her leg had been a compound fracture and her head had a thick laceration. She was now in intensive care.
Though Li was released, he didn't leave the hospital. He sat outside in the waiting area, waiting for Sakura to wake up.
Li heard the door open and turned to see Madison coming out towards him. "Sakura's awake now. You can go see her."
Li shook his head. "I don't belong in there." He said sadly. "I almost killed her.
Madison frowned. "Quite the opposite. From what I hear you saved her life. If she hadn't been kept warm that whole time, or if you hadn't performed CPR, she never would've made it." She explained.
Li stared down at the ground. "She could've died…and I would've been my fault."
Madison sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well, she's asking for you. You can go in if you like."
He turned to face in her in shock. "She wants to see me?"
Madison nodded and started towards the door. She opened it, when Li called out to her. "Wait!" She stopped as he walked with her. "Okay, let's go."
Sakura laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to remember what happened. She had heard Li calling her name, begging for her to return. Did he care for her? Did he feel the same way? She had to know.
The door opened up and Sakura turned her head to see Madison enter, Li behind her. She smiled. "Hi." She greeted weakly. Some of the drugs from the operation were still in effect.
"Hello. I brought someone who wanted to talk to you." Madison said, indicating Li.
Sakura turned to him and smiled. "Hello Li."
He looked at her in mixed remorse and relief. Madison cleared her throat. "I'm going to go grab something for us to eat at the cafeteria." Then she quietly left the two alone.
Sakura broke the silence. "Are you okay?"
He stared at her in shock. "How come you're worried about me?" His voice creaked as he tried not to cry.
"Because I care."
"But I almost got you killed." He reminded.
Sakura weakly shrugged her shoulders. "No you didn't. If it weren't for you I wouldn't be here."
Li moved to the window and stared out of it into the city streets below.
Sakura broke the silence. "I heard you."
Li turned to her and frowned. "What?"
"I heard you calling me. It gave me the will to fight. I had to see you again. I had to tell you."
Li came up and sat on the side of her bed, taking in her frail little hand in his own, bandaged ones. "Let me." She nodded and listened intently. "Sakura, for all these years, throughout everything we've been together with, I couldn't come to admit it, but I've fallen in love with you."
Sakura's eyes grew wide.
"I think I was in love with you the first day I met you. Your kindness and generosity towards others. Your eyes, your hair, your little laugh or even the way you look when you're deep in thought." He laughed as tears of joy fell from his amber eyes. She too felt tears fall from her emerald eyes as she heard all of this. This was why she'd come back. She wanted to have her dream come true. The man she loved truly loved her back.
"Everything about you makes me love you even more. When your heart stopped, I felt mine did too. I couldn't believe that you were gone and I never had the chance to tell you."
She smiled and raised her hand to caress his cheek. "Oh, Li. I love you too."
He smiled and bent down to give her a sweet kiss on the lips. She wrapped her arms around him as his soft lips moved along hers. If she weren't alive, she'd swear she was in heaven.
And so two lovers finally meet their destiny. One, which mother nature herself could not comprehend nor prevent. They had survived the greatest of feats and come out triumphant. Now they had each other, and would not dwell on the mistakes of the past, but look forward to their new lives together. A joined life, which almost was extinguished, had it not been for the fire of love from the heart.