Hey, y'all, Therese here! Please don't kill me for my inability to update my other stuff (ducks flying objects), but wouldn't you rather read it after I've regained my inspiration to write decent stuff, so you won't read junk?
Anyway, I've just watched a few episodes of "Tsubasa Chronicle," and I've fallen in love with Syaoran and Sakura all over again, so this is just a little bit of fluff for your entertainment. If you like it, please, by all means, lemme know what you think. I love getting reviews!
Disclaimer: I do not own any relating to Tsubasa Chronicles or Clamp. I just want to play with them for a little bit!
Sakura Celebration
Fai chuckled.
Mokona cocked his head to one side. "Fai-chan, what's so funny? Mokona wants to laugh, too!" He bounced across the room and continued bouncing on Fai's head. "Tell me, tell me!"
Fai laughed a little harder than before. "Look out the window and you'll see what's so funny."
"Eh?" Mokona peered out the glass. The town square below them was a riot of streamers and flowers. The world of Koi was about to be celebrating their annual Valentine's Day festival (or at least their version of Valentine's Day – Mokona didn't really understand the whole story, something about star-crossed lover, but it was too kawaii for Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun!), and so Sakura had been commandeered by their hostess, Hikari, to help with the preparations. Mokona squinted, and thought he could make out Sakura-chan's small brown head racing up and down the square beside Hikari's own black one. Syaoran-kun's darker brown hair followed the pair at a more sedate pace.
Mokona chuckled like Fai had. "Hee hee hee, lovey-love-lovu for Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun!"
Fai agreed. "Yes, but that's not what I found particularly funny." He walked behind Mokona to point to a particularly sullen-looking figure skulking in the shadows. Mokona squashed his face against the window to see the person more clearly, and discovered that it was Kurogane, but he looked more annoyed than usual, if that was possible.
Perhaps it had something to do with the girl (who looked much like Tomoyo-san) who was pushing him into a pink silk tent beneath a blooming sakura tree and was carrying a bolt of fluorescent pink fabric in her arms as if she were a soldier going to war.
"Fai-chan, what's Kuro-puu doing? Huh, huh?" Mokona faced Fai with an eager expression. "Tell Mokona!"
Fai chuckled yet again. "I can't tell you yet. You'll see later tonight, though, I promise." He winked at the cute white fluff ball, and the cute white fluff ball clapped his hands with delight.
"Yay! Will Mokona see at the festival, then?"
"Hai. Be patient." Fai thought for a moment, then started back towards their rooms in Hikari's large condo. "In the meantime, would you like to pick out an outfit for tonight?"
"Mokona gets to wear an outfit?! Yay!" Mokona scampered after Fai, almost shrieking with joy.
Later that day…
Sakura chattered and laughed with Hikari as they walked beneath the lanterns they had helped to assemble earlier that day to enter the festival proper. The soft glow lit their way in the dim purple light of twilight. Brighter lights from the various booths of games and souvenirs at the perimeters of the square filtered their way through the dense sakura blossoms, further lighting the path. Syaoran hung back from the two gossiping girls to give them a little privacy. The fact that he could then gaze his princess without anyone being the wiser wasn't unnoticed by him, either, and he used the moment to his advantage.
"Sakura-kun, would you sit with me for a moment?" Hikari skipped to a stone bench set at the side of the path and patted the seat beside her.
"Sure!" Sakura walked over and sat down. She leaned back and stared at the blossoms above her head. Their pink petals appeared to be gilded with gold from the sunset, as if Kami-sama had painted them for her eyes alone. Sakura could occasionally see one of the brighter stars twinkling from between the flowers.
She sighed with contentment. It wasn't often they arrived at such a peaceful world. Sakura had learned to appreciate the brief moments of calm in their journey to the fullest. Syaoran, meanwhile, was admiring Sakura-hime while she admired the scene around her.
Hikari's voice broke Sakura and Syaoran's reverie. Both Sakura and Syaoran (still unseen some distance away) turned to listen. "Sakura-kun, um, would you be willing to do me a favor tonight?"
Sakura frowned, worried by Hikari's anxiety. "What is it?"
"Oh, don't fret, Sakura-kun! It's nothing bad, I promise! It's just… Well, it's just Fai-san thought of something for tonight's Sakura Ceremony, and, well, I think it'd be perfect for tonight, but it all depends on whether you and Syaoran-san –"
"Syaoran-kun?" Sakura interrupted, confused. "What about Syaoran-kun?"
Hikari flushed a little. "Well, that's the thing. See, we need a couple –" (Syaoran choked on hearing this, but Hikari continued on) "— for the ceremony tonight, and you and Syaoran-san would be perfect for the parts…"
Sakura was blushing furiously. "A c-couple? W-we're not a c-couple, Hikari-kun!"
"Oh?" Hikari raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Interesting… Fai-san had assured me… Oh well." She laughed a little tiredly. "I guess Onii-chan and I could do it again this year, but it would've meant more if we'd had a pair who weren't family…" She trailed off, looking miserable.
Sakura, a slight flush still lingering on her cheeks, cried out when she saw Hikari's face. She didn't mean to ruin Hikari-kun's night, especially after all she'd done for all of them! "I-it's okay, Hikari-kun, I was just surprised. Um… I don't have a problem with it, but you'll have to ask Syaoran-kun if it's alright with him."
Immediately Hikari was happy again. "Great! Syaoran-san?" She turned on the bench to face Syaoran's general direction. "I know you're around here somewhere, Syaoran-san!"
Syaoran coughed and emerged from behind the tree where he'd been hiding. "Hai, Hikari-san?" he asked, trying to not let the absolute shock he felt at Hikari's request (and more to the point, Sakura-hime's acceptance of her request) show on his face.
"Would you mind helping me out with the festival, Syaoran-san? Sakura-kun's already said yes."
"H-hai. I'll help you, Hikari-san." He didn't look at Sakura, otherwise he might've seen the blush that still hadn't fully disappeared and her own glance she was keeping determinedly away from him.
But Hikari saw, and she giggled to herself. Oh, what a pair…!
Still later that night…
The town's mayor, dressed in a traditional robe of varying shades of pink and red, stepped onto the main stage and cleared his throat. The crowd, including Fai and Mokona wearing a cute pink sequin bowtie, fell silent as he began to speak.
"Welcome to the Sakura Celebration, a time of joy and sorrow and love for the people of Koi. The ceremony is about to begin, but before it does, I'd like to take an opportunity to welcome Sakura-san and Syaoran-san, the young folk who have agreed to play Sakura-sama and Ryu-sama tonight. May their love shine like the stars they portray this night."
Fai and Mokona clapped hard after that announcement.
Backstage, Sakura and Syaoran both said, "Nani?!" at the exact same time. Their joint outbursts caused them to look at the other, and just as quickly they both looked away, blushing furiously. Hikari and the other stagehands who were still helping the pair get dressed laughed at the cute scene.
Kurogane, also backstage but hiding in his ridiculous outfit that Tomoyo-hime's duplicate in this world had made for him, growled. "Damn Fai, damn Tomoyo-hime, damn the baka lovesick couple in the damn group who can't damn well say anything to the other, dammit all…"
The mayor, his announcements over, stepped behind the stage curtain and motioned frantically to Hikari. She nodded and gave Sakura a quick hug. "Good luck!" She raced up a ladder to an announcer's balcony set above the stage and started turning the pages of the ancient playbook that waited for her on a rickety metal music stand. She began to read the narrator's part, and soon the audience was completely silent as all the lights in the square were extinguished and the play began to unfold.
"Once, in the country of Koi," Hikari recited, only barely glancing at the play in front of her, "their was a lady, Sakura-sama, who lived in a lovely palace surrounded by the sakura trees that surround us now." Sakura emerged from behind a painted tree and the audience gasped at her appearance. She was dressed in a lovely red and gold kimono, with patterns of interlocking dragons and sakura blossoms embroidered on the robe, as if she was a bride waiting to get married. [A/N: Traditionally, I think, brides in China or Japan wear red and gold kimonos for their wedding. She roamed the stage, looking unbearably sad and lost (as she'd been instructed by Hikari) while Hikari continued to read. "She was the eldest of the children of the king of the country of Koi, and so a marriage with a neighboring kingdom's son was arranged to make a permanent alliance between the two countries.
"But Sakura-hime (as she was truly the princess of the land) was afraid, as she did not love the prince her father had chosen as her groom. She was in love with another, one of a less noble birth, but still one of the noblest and best men she had ever met."
Syaoran stumbled on stage opposite Sakura, his hair disheveled and his cheeks bright red. He'd been listening to the story and couldn't believe it was his turn to go on stage yet. He couldn't be the boy 'Sakura' was in love with. Perhaps he was merely playing the prince, instead. Syaoran ducked behind another painted tree and watched Sakura sit on a bench on center stage.
"His name was Ryu-san, the son of a servant of the king, Sakura-sama's father. The two had met as children, and they had remained close friends throughout their youth. Now, the time had come for Sakura-sama to abandon her home and her love for the sake of her country, but she could not do it yet. She summoned her friend, Ryu-san, and requested that they meet in the sakura tree park outside the palace." Hikari stopped.
Syaoran didn't know why she stopped until Sakura looked at him and hissed, "Come on, Syaoran-kun! It's time! Come over to me!"
Syaoran gulped with nervousness that had nothing to do with stage fright and walked over to his princess. He gingerly sat as far from Sakura as he could, as if he was going to jump up and run away as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
Sakura sighed and smiled at him, if a little sadly. The one time she could be close to him, he was forced to be there… If only he really loved her, like she had come to love him over their journey. Hikari's voice continued to tell the story.
"Sakura-sama and Ryu-san sat beneath the blossoms together, one last time before they would be parted. Sakura-sama was quiet for a long time, long enough that Ryu-san felt obliged to ask, 'What do you wish of me, Sakura-hime?'"
Syaoran mouthed the words as he heard Hikari say them, and he didn't notice that his pent up feelings for Sakura were beginning to leak out of his eyes, a dangerous thing should Sakura see them, for then she might have realized that he loved her. His hands trembled at the intensity of his longing to guard and protect his Sakura-hime, to hold and love his Sakura-chan.
But his princess was too preoccupied with her own thoughts, and merely started blankly back at him.
"Sakura-sama was quiet for yet another moment, and then replied," And Sakura truly said the words with Hikari, as they had done in their hurried practice backstage: "I do not wish to marry a man I don't love."
"Ryu-san replied, 'Perhaps you may grow to love him, Sakura-hime,' and his heart rebelled at the idea of his princess loving another.
"To that, Sakura-sama said, 'I cannot, for my heart is not my own to give any longer. It belongs to another.' At her words, Ryu-san despaired, for now he knew she loved someone. How he wished he could have received her love, rather than her platonic friendship!
"Ryu-san knew his duty, though, and kept his mouth firmly shut for fear all the things he wished he could say but knew he never could might come out. Sakura-sama continued to speak, never guessing at the inner conflict raging in her friend and true love's innermost heart: 'I have not told my love of my affections yet, but I feel that I must before I leave.'"
Sakura's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she spoke that line, and Syaoran couldn't help but feel as if it was no longer a mere line, but Sakura's own words, and like Ryu-san, he felt his own heart begin to break as he realized his princess was in love. In love, but not with him, he thought.
"But before Sakura-sama could confess her love, a swarm of invading warriors from another country, far from the country of Koi, entered the park of sakura trees and attempted to take the princess hostage so that their own evil king, a sorcerer of great and terrible power, could control the country of Koi by blackmailing the king of Koi, Sakura-sama's father."
Many men dressed all in black ran onto the stage, brandishing wooden swords and racing towards Syaoran and Sakura. Syaoran almost drew his own real sword to protect Sakura-hime, but remembered that this was merely a play and stood still while they encircled the princess and her servant on the stage. Still, Syaoran unconsciously moved until he stood in front of Sakura in a protective posture, and Sakura thought she had never felt so safe.
"Ryu-san protected his princess from the physical attacks, but soon the evil king-sorcerer attacked with a magic spell that Ryu-san could not block, and Sakura-sama's heart fractured into dozens of tiny feathers that flew away to the many countries beyond this land."
The play forgotten, Sakura and Syaoran stared at one another in shock. Feathers?!
Hikari kept reading despite her main characters' inattention. "Sakura-sama was broken, seemingly beyond repair. But Ryu-san would not give up his true love to Death, not yet. He carried her…" Hikari stopped reading, waiting expectantly while the 'warriors' filed offstage.
"Oh!" Syaoran realized what Hikari was waiting for. He stepped toward Sakura, arms extended. "May I, Sakura-hime…?"
"H-hai," Sakura stuttered, and allowed Syaoran to gather her up in his arms.
"Relax, Hime," Syaoran whispered in her ear, reveling in her sweet warmth. "You're supposed to be fainted or something, remember?"
"Hai…" Sakura let her body go limp, allowing Syaoran to carry her around the stage. Hikari picked up the story where they'd left off:
"He carried her to the village witch, who was a romantic at heart and had watched the blossoming relationship between the two friends since they had been small." Sakura felt Syaoran stop and heard him make a muffled sound. She opened her eyes. Was he crying?
No, Syaoran was laughing. Sakura twisted in his arms to look, and when she saw what was making Syaoran laugh, she started giggling, too.
Kurgane-san was being pushed onstage by a girl who looked remarkably like Tomoyo-chan. The fact that he looked like a sulky toddler was funny enough, but what he was wearing… well, that pushed it from "merely funny" to "absolutely hilarious."
He was supposed to be dressed as an old woman, that much Sakura could tell from the cane and the shawl-like thing that was draped around his shoulders. But for the rest, he looked like he was wearing a giant, bright pink dress with hearts of all sizes and designs appliquéd across the skirt and his… chest? Wait, did Kurogane-san have…a bust?!
Sakura laughed until tears were squeezed out of her eyes, and she wasn't the only one. The entire audience laughed, and even Hikari was entertained enough to step out of character for a brief moment and declare, "I suppose the witch wasn't particularly known for her fashion sense!" before returning to hysterical laughter.
Kurogane growled and stomped forward towards the pair, who were still laughing. Syaoran could barely keep a grip on Sakura, he was laughing so hard. "You two stop it —!" Part of his bright pink turban slipped down to cover one eye and a feather that had been attached with a brooch drooped down to tickle his chin.
Unfortunately, this only made everyone laugh harder, which made Kurogane's mood turn sour indeed. "Shuddup and just go on your Kami-sama cursed journey already!"
Hikari's voice boomed over the loudspeaker. "Village witch! Language! There are children!"
Fai and Mokona's voices piped up from somewhere in the crowd: "Hai, Kuro-puu!"
Kurogane growled and straightened the turban so he could glare properly at Syaoran and Sakura. "Ryu-san-go-to-other-worlds-find-Sakura-hime's-feathers-so-she-gets-better-now-I'll-send-you-off-so-there!" He spoke in a rush and waved his hands wildly. Once his strange motions were through, he stomped offstage shouting for that damn Tomoyo-hime to come out so he could give her a piece of his mind, leaving a very nonplussed pair standing on stage.
Hikari giggled one more time. "Ahem, right, so Ryu-san and Sakura-sama flew off to other worlds, where they remain to this day, still gathering the feathers of Sakura-sama's heart. We can still see their love burning brightly in the sky, a beacon for travelers so they can find their way home to their lives and loves."
Apparently, this was the end of the play/ceremony, because the audience began to clap enthusiastically. Fai and Mokona pushed their way through the crowd and clambered onstage.
"You were wonderful, Sakura-chan!" Mokona leapt from Fai's shoulder and began to cuddle Sakura's head.
"Arigatou, Mokona. Oh, what a cute tie!"
"Mokona likes it a lot! See, if Mokona twists like this, then…!"
The two of them chattered away while Fai sidled up to Syaoran. Syaoran turned to Fai with a small smile. "Arigatou, Fai-san."
Fai thought about protesting his innocence in the plot to get Sakura and Syaoran together onstage, but decided not to. "You're welcome, Syaoran-san."
Syaoran looked at Sakura. "The story, though…" He looked at Fai. "D'you think that stories, like souls like Tomoyo-san and everyone, are reborn in different worlds, too? The same, and not, at the same time? This story was so much like…like mine, at the end… but…" He looked at Fai with tortured eyes, hoping and yet fighting that hope because the inevitable disappointment would hurt even more if he dared to hope. "But it wasn't the same. It couldn't have been the same. Saku—Sakura-hime didn't feel that way about me." He looked away. "It was entirely one-sided. I knew I couldn't have her, but still, I went and…"
"Fell in love?" Fai finished kindly. Syaoran whirled to face Fai again, panic showing in his eyes. He chuckled. "It's alright to admit it, Syaoran. It won't kill you. In fact…" Kurogane was emerging from backstage at that moment, still wearing that ridiculous turban with the absurd feather, though he'd changed back into normal clothes otherwise. Fai reached over and plucked the feather from Kurogane's turban. He offered it to Syaoran with a bow. "It may even help you keep going."
Syaoran stared at Fai, then the feather. He nodded, once, and took the feather to Sakura. "Hime…"
Sakura turned and Syaoran was blown away by her radiant expression. "Hai, Syoaran-kun?"
Syaoran gathered himself and offered her the feather. "Here, Hime… I found a feather."
"Arigatou, Syaoran-kun." But she didn't look at the feather, not even when it started dissolving in her chest. She kept her eyes on Syaoran, and Syaoran found himself never wanting to look away. So he didn't look away. He stared at his princess, even while Fai and Kurogane and Mokona said their goodbyes and they started to teleport to the next world.
Hikari watched the group fade away. She sniffled – she was really going to miss Sakura-kun's sunny personality! – and looked up at the stars. Sakura-sama and Ryu-san twinkled down on the crowd.
"I wish you well, Sakura-sama…and Ryu-Syaoran-san."