Prologue
"Odo-san, why is there a modern house in the middle of a forest? And why is that tree blooming with Sakura flowers even though it's summer?"
28-year-old Syaoran smiles at his daughter's funny questions and gazes at the Sakura tree at which she is pointing.
"Because this is magical place. Your Oka-san and I used to play hide and seek here when we were at your age."
The Sakura flowers glitter under the radiant sun as he ambles into the glass house with his daughter. Although the house has been left untouched for many years, the sweet aroma of Sakura still lingers the abandoned rooms. Syaoran walks into a tiny room with rose walls, embellished with framed photos of a family that once lived here. He carries his daughter up so that she can see the photos at which he is looking.
"Odo-san, is that you in this photo? You look so young!"
"Do you mean I look old now?" Syaoran teases and tickles her daughter.
"Sto-Stop it Odo-san! I was joking! You look handsome as always." She kisses his cheeks and glances at the photo again.
"Who's the woman beside you and the baby she's holding?"
Syaoran becomes transfixed at the woman's pair of gleaming emerald eyes in the picture and smiles.
"This woman is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen – no, the most beautiful woman in existence. Her name is… Sakura. And the baby she's holding is her daughter, which is you, Hikari." Syaoran then turns his head to Hikari. "You have your Oka-san's eyes, did you know that?"
Confused, Hikari contemplates at the photo again, focusing on the woman whom his father claims is her mother.
"But I only have one Oka-san, right? And my Oka-san is Meiling, isn't?"
"No, Hikari. Meiling is actually your Keibo. Sakura, the woman in this photo, is your real Oka-san, who gave birth to you in this house four years ago."
"No… No! You're lying! This woman is not my Oka-san! She wasn't the one who took care of me when I was really sick. She isn't the one who always cheers me up when I've done something wrong that makes Oiji-san and Obaa-san mad… Oka-san has always been by my side. I only have one Oka-san and she's… she's Meiling!"
Confounded by such sudden news, Hikari pushes her father away and runs out of the house and into the forest. Syaoran, who feels guilty for her reaction, lets her go and continues standing there, paralysed.
The tepid sun slowly submerges into the trees whilst a thin layer of cobalt begins to engulf the orange sky. A flock of birds flies over the forest; their tweeting and flapping noises awaken Syaoran from dwelling on the past memories. He then realises that Hikari has not returned, and immediately runs into the woods to find her.
"Hikari, Hikari!"
His desperate shouts echo in the empty forest as he scurries to different areas.
"Please be alright, Hikari! I've already lost Sakura. I can't lose you. I just can't."
He suddenly remembers the place where Sakura, the woman whom he still loves, used to hide when they played hide-and-seek.
"The Sakura tree. That's it!"
As Syaoran approaches the Sakura tree, he hears someone crying. It must be Hikari. When he finally arrives, he finds Hikari alone weeping behind the Sakura tree, with the Sakura petals falling placidly onto the ground.
Hikari sees Syaoran, standing beside her with a serene smile. She immediately clenches his legs, afraid of being alone again. Syaoran returns her hug and whispers, "I've finally found you. I'm glad that you're not hurt."
"I'm sorry Odo-san. I promise that I won't run away again… I was really scared that I wouldn't be able to see you again! I… I…"
"It's okay. Everything's fine now. Let's head back to the house and have a rest."
Hikari nods and lets Syaoran carry her behind his back; the two of them head back to the house that they just left.
When they finally arrive, Hikari has already fallen into deep slumber. Syaoran lays Hikari on a bed in which the three of them used to sleep. He places a blanket over her tiny body and sits on the bed. Looking her angel-like face, he strokes her auburn hair and gives out a heavy sigh.
He then walks towards a wooden shelf, pulls out a rusty music box, adorned with intricate flourish patterns, and places it on a dressing table. He opens the box with the key – he calls it the ice key – which he has been carrying for the past four years. Inside the box lies a tattered diary, just as Sakura told him before she left him.
He blows the dust on the cover and opens the diary. To resist himself from shedding tears, he frequently clenches his fist as he reads the entries. When he has finished reading it, he takes out a notebook and a pen from his black leathered bag, and begins writing:
Sakura, perhaps… perhaps I did not love you enough. Four years have passed and I still have not the courage to fulfil the promise I made to you. I fear recalling the memories we shared because they will only cause me more pain and guilt. I was ignorant, but you forgave me. It seems as though you're far away, yet I see you everyday through Hikari, our daughter, who has given me hope and a reason to continue on with my life.
Here I am, writing in the notebook you gave me. You asked me not to cry while reading the diary you secretly kept, and indeed I did not. We went through so many trials and when we finally conquered them, god decided take you away from me. Although the time we spent together was short, the memories you left behind are eternal in my heart.
I believe it is time to realise our promise and write the story of us, so that Hikari will someday be able to discover the truth and regard you as her real mother. Hikari will then pass our story on to her children, her children will pass it to the next generation and so forth. Our story will therefore never be forgotten, and my love for you will never perish…
For all these years, I tried to say the three words to you, but you never gave me the opportunity to do so. Sakura, can you hear me?
I love you.
Author's note
Hello all! Thank-you for reading this prologue and I hope you enjoyed it! I'm really sorry for the mistakes I made! :( Please do review because I really want to know what you all think! Onegaishimasu! I don't know whether the story plot is good or not so I might not continue writing this story... This is actually my 1st fanfiction story so please forgive me for making so many mistakes! I re-edited this chapter because I've been on hiatus for soooo long. Anyway, arigatou! :)
- ethelra
Definitions
Oto-san - Father
Oka-san - Mother
Keibo - Stepmother
Oiji-san - Grandfather
Obaa-san - Grandmother
Hikari - Light/Hope
Yuki - Snow