Be Gone Forever

By Riyukku Sayuri

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Cardcaptor Sakura

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with CLAMP or own – or am affiliated – with the CLAMP characters, however all of the others belong to me and are copyrighted by. Domo arigato!

Summary/Plot: Sakura is desperately in love with Syaoran and is his best friend. He and Tomoyo do not get along very well, but they do while in Sakura's presence for their best friend's happiness. Syaoran – who Sakura dearly loves – is in love with someone else while Sakura is longing for him to notice her. What will happen at the end? What will happen in the future? Will Syaoran notice poor Sakura or will he forget her – for good?

Author's Note: Okay, this one's a really twisted fanfic (in a good way, of course), so please, if there is any AU-ness in it or OOC, gomen nasai. Anyway, please read and review! Domo arigato!

Chapter One

Young Sakura

At this age, Sakura was longing for Syaoran's notice. She was merely seven, but already felt love – a kind of "best friend" love. Not... that love. At least... not yet. She had made so many sacrifices for Syaoran just so that he'd notice her. He would barely notice her, much less give her recognition. He would simply say such things as, "Arigato Sakura! That's a great idea!" and head off trying to impress someone else.

Kinomoto Sakura stared out the window in her small pink room. It was a beautiful day out. Maybe she should call Tomoyo and Syaoran for a day out to play. Nah, maybe just Tomoyo since Syaoran is always trying to impress someone. She wondered if Tomoyo had any time at all.

After Nadeshiko's death the young Sakura had become vulnerable especially since she was a young heiress and no one knew of this except for Fujitaka, who wanted to keep the heiress from this secret until she was old enough to inherit it – which meant when she would turn twenty-one.

Who should I call... for it is such a pretty day today! Maybe Otou-san will take me to Tomoyo's house! Oh that would be great! Sakura thought gaily.

Then there was a knock on her door. She got off of her pink bed and skipped over to her pink door, the shiny brass doorknob glowing brilliantly.

She opened the doorknob and Fujitaka came in. He picked up his little girl in his arms and walked over to her small pink bed. He sat on the fluffy bed and placed his daughter onto his lap.

"Ohayo Otou-san!" she said brilliantly, flashing her father her gorgeous smile.

Fujitaka smiled at his little girl, in a way, pitying her. For Nadeshiko had just died a month ago and her funeral was half a month ago. He remembered how Sakura cried with solemn tears, her emerald eyes swollen and puffy red. His mind was blinded with the images of his young daughter, a wealthy heiress, wailing for her late mother.

"Ohayo, Sakura," he said in a soft and gentle tone.

"Otou-san, may we call Tomoyo to come over and play? It's a pretty day today!" Sakura asked innocently, staring out her window to the beautiful scenery below.

They lived near Tomoeda's most beautiful lake. It was large and wide and just deep enough to go fishing and just deep enough for a person – an adult or child – to drown if they did not know how to swim.

Fujitaka smiled when he saw the scenery. He remembered that they had moved here after their honeymoon. He remembered how they rented a small rowboat and rowed out to the middle of the lake, watching the sunset and drinking champagne. Oh how sweet the champagne was, but Nadeshiko's kiss was even sweeter.

"Otou-san, may we call Tomoyo?" Sakura asked, her emerald eyes gleaming beautifully.

"Sure, but what of Syaoran? Should you like to invite Syaoran as well?" Fujitaka questioned.

"I'd like to, but he's always trying to impress someone, so I might as well just let him impress, right Otou-san?" Sakura replied, sighing heavily.

Fujitaka's eyes dimmed. This all reminded him of his younger days – before Nadeshiko's death. When he was always trying to impress someone else and yet Nadeshiko secretly loved him. He remembered how stupid he felt for being so blind. He remembered that all of the girls he chased never liked him while Nadeshiko stood out. She would do whatever it took just to get Fujitaka to even look at her.

"Dearest Sakura, he will see soon enough. Then you will have Syaoran as your friend for a long time – for as long as you like!" Fujitaka said reassuringly.

Sakura looked up into her father's bold eyes. Her eyes pleaded hopefully that Syaoran would come back to her again – before she could no longer see him anymore... before he married someone else or died in some tragic incident.

He then remembered Meiling. She had moved back to Hong Kong, where she was to live and learn until she finished college. That day ripped a piece of Sakura's heart. The girls were crying while Syaoran showed solemnity in his eyes. He gave Meiling a quiet hug that day, his eyes solemn and his voice cold.

"Fujitaka-sama," he said, "do you think that someday we all may be able to visit Meiling-chan?"

Fujitaka had looked down at the little boy with chestnut hair flying everywhere, breezy amber eyes, and a thin, straight mouth. His eyes were serious and showed strength. He showed no hesitation to tell them all how he felt – how he would miss Meiling in this desperate effort to keep her at Tomoeda.

"Otou-san? Otou-san?" Sakura called, waking him from his memories.

"Oh, Sakura. Gomen. Now, shall we call the Daidouji household?" Fujitaka apologized, questioning her on what they should do.

"Oh Otou-san, yes! We must call Tomoyo! Today is the day we must go swimming! I wish Syaoran-kun could come along, but... oh forget him!" Sakura said cheerily.

"All right then!" Fujitaka declared, lifting the girl off of his lap and taking her hand to lead her to the kitchen phone.

They had called Sonomi and she had agreed that Fujitaka could pick up Tomoyo and take her to the lake for a fast swim with Sakura. The day was a shining beauty and it was quite warm even if it was merely an eight o'clock morning.

As the time passed, the short drive to the Daidouji household was a simple task, except that getting Sakura's swim things were a longer task. Fujitaka had arranged her items in a satisfying order and had then left to pick up Tomoyo, packing a few juice boxes and fruit snacks in their new family van.

Sakura was slurping on a strawberry juice as they were driving in the local neighborhood, a peaceful place to live where calmness surrounded all.

"Otou-san, why did Oka-san have to die?" Sakura finally questioned.

Fujitaka could not reply, especially with his daughter's own feelings on the line. Could he really say what caused Nadeshiko's death? Or should he wait later on until she was old enough? Old enough to understand. Fujitaka remembered that the day of Nadeshiko's death, it was then that Touya was proven mature enough to handle the truth of her death, but Fujitaka knew that Sakura would never be able to understand at such a young age.

"Well, Sakura, she died because that was her day. It was time for her to die," he replied, trying to say it in a calming way.

"Is that why you bought me Kero-chan?" Sakura questioned.

The Kinomotos knew of Clow Reed and of his Clow Cards. It was tradition that the female of the household was to receive Kero, one of the Clow Cards' guardians, and in that case, Sakura was to be the Clow Cards' new mistress.

"Well, I didn't exactly buy Kero. How shall I put it? It is... ah... a family heirloom. Kero is your guide," Fujitaka explained, hearing Kero's soft snores.

"Oh, okay! Arigato Otou-san!" she declared happily, cradling Kero in her arms.

Once they arrived at the Daidouji household, Tomoyo opened the door to find Sakura bursting through happily with Kero floating around her.

"Konnichiwa Tomoyo-chan," Kero buzzed happily.

"Konnichiwa Kero-chan, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo happily greeted.

"Tomoyo-chan!!!!!!" Sakura screamed, hugging her best friend.

"Ah! Sakura! Let go of me!" Tomoyo laughed giddily.

After a day of fun, Sonomi had allowed Tomoyo to have a slumber party with Sakura, for it was a mere Saturday and Satomi knew that Sakura needed some fun after her mother's death.

"Fujitaka-kun," Sonomi said once the girls had raced toward the family van with Kero.

"Yes, Sonomi-chan?" he replied.

"Please make sure Sakura is safe. She's already lost her mother, I can't bear to see her suffer more. If you pass on, she will truly be thrown in turmoil. Keep her pure while you can, Fujitaka. Make sure she is safe from reality for now," Sonomi said pleadingly.

"I will, Sonomi. I am already trying," he had replied.

After that day of fun and excitement, Sakura had many memories and pictures to keep her happy. She smiled at the thought of knowing that Sonomi was almost like a mother to her; an aunt.

"Good night, Kero," Sakura whispered, cuddling Kero close to her.

"Night, Sakura. Sleep tight," Kero yawned.

Thus Sakura fell asleep with many pictures of her family, mother, friends, and stuffed animals all around her, cuddling her in an embrace of love that Sakura had yearned for after her mother's death. This was the young Sakura... the innocent Sakura that lived in a world of beauty and peace – the world away from reality. This was the young Sakura that yearned for her mother yet was nestled by her in her dreams, memories, and gentle breezes that came through the open window.

Sakura... sleep tight, dear. I love you. Nadeshiko's voice rang with the soft midnight breezes that entered from Sakura's open window.

In her ghostly form, she cradled Sakura and kissed her daughter's cheek tenderly, then left the room to say goodnight to her dear husband and son.

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a/n: Young Sakura. Yup. Anyways, please read and review! Domo arigato! The next chapter will be a little more overwhelming. Read and review! Domo arigato!!