Happy Birthday Sakura-Chan!
"Sakura... Sakura"
Emerald eyes opened lazily as their owner woke.
"S-Syaoran-kun?"
"Sakura"
The gentle wind whispered to her ears as it made her auburn hair fly with the wind.
"Sakura"
"Syaoran-kun! W-where are you?"
Cried the small girl as she looked around, she saw how she found herself at Tokyo Tower. She stopped looking as she saw small cherry blossom petals floating around her. She tried to catch one but as it landed on her palm it vanished.
She felt a presence to her right and saw her guardian Cerberus floating in his false body. To her left Yue stood watching to his front as well.
"Sakura"
She quickly turned to the tower as she heard the voice of a loved one.
"Syaoran-kun"
She looked ahead at the tower where she saw a shadowy figure wearing a clad of Chinese robes. His messy chestnut brown hair was flowing with the wind obscuring his eyes, a small smile decorating his face as he opened it to speak.
"Sakura...Sakura. Take care, Sakura"
Sakura watched, touched by his words as he smiled serenely, but her happiness was replaced by worry as she saw a small tear travel down his cheek.
"Syaoran..."
She moved forward as small wings formed at her shoes and she jumped.
"Syaoran, what's wrong?"
Just as she was about to reach him, though, the scene vanished.
RINGGGG...!
"HOE!"
Sakura shot up on her bed causing Kero to bump his head against his little room's ceiling in surprise from the sudden noise.
"Sakura! Sakura! What's wrong?!"
He demanded as he flew towards her, flinging his little arms wildly. Sakura sat there shocked and unmoving, and then she turned to her friend with an emotionless expression.
"It was a dream"
Kero stood flabbergasted to see her so serious and was about to complain about been woken up so roughly when Sakura's expression made him stop. Her eyes had shrunk as they started to fill with tears.
"Syaoran..."
At school
Ding-ding-ding-ding
Ding-ding-ding-ding
Ding-ding-ding
The class was settling inside as Sakura placed her skates in her locker grabbing whatever books she would need. She closed her locker and stood there her forehead against the locker's door as she tried to clear her thoughts.
She had been thinking of Syaoran all morning forgetting for a fact that today was her birthday. Her father had looked at her worringly and offered to stay with her for the day but she refused and left to school accompanied by Touya her brother. He had only looked at her the whole trip as she rollerbladed next to him and even Yukito had been quite as he saw her after giving her her present.
She failed to notice her presents some earrings in shape as Sakura blossoms from her father, a beautiful sakura and nadeshiko hair pendant from Touya, and another watch from Yukito.
After a few minutes Sakura departed from the locker rooms and walked slowly towards her homeroom. She remembered how he had numerous times tried to tell her something failing because of a distraction. Even as he left to Hong Kong unexpectedly and gave her a small grey bear he failed to tell her but that day had been the day Sakura had found out that she loved Syaoran. So now Syaoran had left her curious of his statement and heart broken for his departure.
She was contemplating this as she walked when suddenly she felt a presence behind her. She turned to see no other than the man of her dreams himself. He was leaning against the wall his eyes obscured by his hair but a smile showing nonetheless. He was wearing what he had been wearing when they had captured the dream card and he held the bear he had given her.
"Sakura..."
Sakura stood surprised but quickly recovered and smiled beyond happy as she ran to him her arms wide open.
"Syaoran! Syaoran! I missed you so..."
She stopped when he reached him seeing he had vanished.
"Syaoran..."
She stood there for a few seconds when her eyes started filling with new tears. She sobbed silently and continued to her homeroom. She opened the door and entered her head bowed as tears traveled down her face.
"Ah Kinomoto-san glad to have you join us but, oh. Kinomoto... is something the matter."
She shook her head as she sat down beside Tomoyo and looked behind her before bowing her head covering them with her arms as she sobbed silently. Tomoyo watched Sakura worriedly as her shoulders shook; she stretched her hand to touch her shoulder in an attempt to pry the answer as to her friend's sadness and try to comfort her.
"Sakura-chan"
Sakura revealed her quivering eyes to her as she sniffled and Tomoyo smiled.
"What's wrong Sakura-chan? You know you can tell me whatever it is..."
Sakura sat unmoving and her eyes refilled with tears. She suddenly jumped to her hugging her crying. Everyone stared at her as she cried.
"Thanks Tomoyo"
At the Cherry Blossom Tree
Sakura sobbed breathing in shaky breaths as she finished her story.
"And-and I-I just m-miss him To-Tomoyo. So much"
She dug her head into her arms in Tomoyo's lap as Tomoyo held her by the shoulders. She was smiling a serene smile as she heard Sakura's story.
"So all those bottled up feeling are finally over brimming"
Sakura just nodded as she cried.
"Oh Sakura, don't worry you know you have your magic spell."
Sakura lifted her gaze to see Tomoyo smiling. She smiled as she wiped away her tears and with new found confidence she claimed.
"No matter what, everything will be alright"
She hugged Tomoyo and thanked her numerous times before they stood up and reentered their school. They were walking back when they passed the spot where Sakura saw Syaoran and Sakura paused, staring at it waiting for him to reappear. Tomoyo turned to her and smiled as she took her hand and lead her to their homeroom.
"Come on Sakura-chan!" she exclaimed happily.
Sakura smiled. "Hai!" and with that they ran the rest of the way to their homeroom failing to see the lone figure watching them with a small smile on his face.
"Sakura"
Walking Home
"...and then she gave me this."
Said Sakura as she showed Tomoyo a book Naoko had given her as a present. On the cover were a girl and a boy smiling at each other sitting on a small marble made bench. Her hands being held in his, both staring lovingly at the other. Both Tomoyo and Sakura smiled when Tomoyo took her bag and from it withdrew a small box.
"Here Sakura, happy birthday"
Sakura smiled as she took the gift and opened it to reveal a tape, a note, and a picture. Her smile widened as she read the note but grew small for a second when she saw the picture. She recovered quickly before Tomoyo noticed and exclaimed.
"Arigatou gozaimazu Tomoyo-chan!"
Tomoyo kept smiling as they walked and waved goodbye as they got to the intersection where they parted ways.
Sakura kept walking straight as she once again looked at the picture. In it was Tomoyo taping Sakura who was smiling looking to her right where a blushing Syaoran scratched the back of his neck and Eriol smiling a knowing smile to Sakura's left while the guardians stood next to their masters except for Kero who was at the very front of the picture since he was taking it. It was taken the day when they celebrated the transformation of the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards.
Sakura smile as she remembered that day, how happy they had been but sad at the same time that Eriol was leaving, when suddenly she remembered his words.
"There are some things I did not expect as Clow"
Tomoyo had giggled and then it occurred to Sakura.
Could it have been that he knew I would fall in love with Syaoran?
She looked at her new book and pictured Syaoran and her being the two lovers on the cover. She hugged the book to her chest and whispered the name of her loved one to the wind.
"Syaoran..."
"Excuse me?"
Sakura gasped as she heard someone talking to her. She was so entranced in her own thoughts she had failed to notice someone had been with her the whole time. She looked at the owner of the voice to see two not one person. She stood rooted to the spot puzzled to see these persons behind her, but mostly one.
"Eriol-kun?"
Eriol smiled at her his glasses glistening in the afternoon light.
"Hello Sakura-chan."
Next to him was Tomoyo with her camcorder on.
"Tomoyo-chan what's going on?"
Tomoyo lowered her camera but didn't turn it off.
"Oh Sakura it's just that you looked so peaceful and beautiful as you daydreamed, that... I just couldn't resist!"
Sakura sweat dropped and she smiled nervously as she saw her best friend staring into space her eyes shining. She laughed nervously and Tomoyo turned to her and smiled.
"Besides I am going to be alone at home today so I wanted to ask you if you didn't mind if I stayed with you tonight Sakura-chan."
Sakura shook her head and smiled.
"Not at all Tomoyo-chan! You are welcomed to stay whenever you want!"
Tomoyo smiled at her best friend and turned to Eriol.
"I was wondering Sakura-chan, if I could accompany you to your home today..."
Sakura nodded when she saw Eriol's expression turn to one of worry or was it sadness, maybe something else.
"Eriol-kun"
In front of her house
"So it's your birthday Sakura. I'm sorry I couldn't bring you anything, if I would have known..."
"No, no Eriol it's fine really"
Said Sakura as she shook her head, Eriol smiled at her and looked up to her home. Something glistened in his eyes as he smiled a knowing smile.
"We're here"
Sakura looked up to her house as well and smiled.
"Hai!"
Tomoyo zoomed in on her expression as she walked in front of her. Sakura finally noticed and turned to her friend.
"What are you doing Tomoyo-chan?"
"I'm recording my best friend on her birthday"
She stated simply as her smile widened. Sakura smiled and kept walking only stopping to search for her house keys. When she found them she inserted them on the door and turned it to open it. She slowly turned the knob and opened the door.
"SURPRISE!!!"
"HOE!!!"
Sakura shrieked as she heard poppers exploding nearby and felt strings falling around her. She looked around to see her house full of people. There was her family, Touya and her father along with her aunt Sonomi: Tomoyo's mom. To her right were all her friends Nakuru, Naoko, Chiharu, Yamazaki, Rika, Ms. Mitzuki, Soupy, Kero, Yukito, and many other of her school's friends.
"Everybody..."
Her surprised expression left her face as a smile grew on it.
"Happy birthday Sakura!"
Sakura giggled and went straight to talk to her friends.
L8er on
A few minutes had passed and Sakura's cheery mood was slowly dissipating. Her smiles were fake and her laughs were forced as she sat next to her friends.
"...right Sakura-chan?!"
Her friends turned to her and their smiles faded as they saw Sakura spacing off again with a frown on her face.
"Sakura-chan? Sakura-chan!"
Sakura finally broke out of her thoughts and turned to her friends quickly replacing the frown with a smile.
"Gomen I was just thinking!"
Her friends forced a smile on their faces and nodded which seemed to have fooled Sakura since she spaced once more. She stood up and excused herself before walking to the kitchen. There she leaned against the wall cooling her forehead as she thought.
"Syaoran..."
"Sakura..."
Sakura's eyes widened as she turned around to see Syaoran smiling at her.
"Syaoran-kun!"
She cried when suddenly he vanished when she blinked. A few people that were at the kitchen stared at her worried and sad for Sakura. Sakura looked around before realizing...
He isn't here, he never was, and he never will be here...!
With that in mind not only did Sakura's heart broke but her magic spell did as well break when sadness clouded both her heart and senses. She broke out in tears and ran off, towards the main entrance. Her escape was blocked though by her brother who looked at her and stopped whatever he was doing but Sakura was beyond reasoning and tried to run only to freeze right on the spot.
There at the door was Syaoran smiling at her his eyes sparkling.
"Hello Sakura..."
Sakura sobbed violently and ran through the door her heart broken by the same mirage way too many times to even try to believe he was real.
"I can't take this anymore! Leave me now!"
She cried as she ran through the many streets in Tomoeda not really paying attention to where she was going. She opened her eyes only to wish she hadn't.
There before her with his arms wide open was Syaoran. Sakura ran faster and went right through him. She looked back then turned to the front making her cry even more at the sight. Something that would usually make her happier but now breaked her heart stood before her.
Along the sides, on both of them stood visions, illusions, many of them all of Syaoran with that smile reserved for her, all of them saying something similar as she passed by.
"Sakura, HI Sakura! Hello Sakura… Nice to see you here, Thanks Sakura, I'm sorry Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura..."
Sakura cried harder and quickened her pace as she covered her ears.
"Make it stop! Make it Stop! Please Make It Stop!"
Just then she tripped on a small rock causing her to fall rather hardly. She didn't stand up, though, and just layed there broken and tearful.
"Why Syaoran? Why?"
She cried.
"I love you so much, why are you hurting me like this?!"
"I'm sorry..."
Sakura stopped talking and looked up to see Syaoran again.
"Syaoran..."
"I'm sorry"
He repeated and disappeared just like all the others.
"Whyyyy?! Why do you keep doing that?! Don't you see your killing me?!"
She took in a deep shaky breath and let out all her emotions when she cried.
"I LOVE YOU SYAORAN! I LOVE YOU!"
She kneeled as more tears flowed freely from her eyes.
"I love you..."
She said one more time as a tear made contact with the earth. Suddenly the earth started shining around her forming a magic circle of her own. A small card formed in front of her eyes; as soon as it stopped glowing she grabbed it. Her eyes widened seeing the picture and the name of the card but it turned to a smile as she hugged it to her.
"I love you Syaoran..."
"I love you too Sakura..."
Sakura slowly turned to her back. There stood the same Syaoran that had appeared at her door as she ran out of it. She stood and wiped her tears away. She smiled at Syaoran as she approached him. She looked up at him feeling all her love for him leading her she voiced her emotions.
"Hello Syaoran," she started," even if you are only another vision of mirage, a representation of my love in the form of my loved one... I just wanted to say that I love you"
She stated before hugging the mirage. His eyes sparkled as a smile grew on his face and he held her from the shoulders then into a full hug.
"Don't worry... I won't vanish this time my cherry blossom, because I am really here."
Sakura stood at arm's length from him and stood shocked looking into his eyes for any sign of treason.
"I'm really here Sakura, I came back for you. And, I love you too."
Sakura smiled as she let her heart guide her once more and it told her that this was the real Syaoran. She felt him, not only his presence like before, but the real him. His happiness, his comforting warmth... his love. Her eyes refilled with tears, of joy this time as she embraced him once more.
"Syaoran! Syaoran! It is you! It really is you!"
She cried into his chest laughing out of poor relief, not wanting to ever let go.
"I love you Syaoran"
She said once more.
"I love you too Sakura, I love you too. Happy birthday my dear sweet cherry blossom. My dear Sakura"
They both smiled and their hug tightened letting something fly from Sakura's hand and float to the ground.
There everyone could see the young couple itself: Both were smiling their eyes closed as he was hugging her from behind while she held a small heart with wings at its side. And on the bottom of the pink colored card it read...
The Love
Happy Birthday Sakura-Chan, from all your fans...
Story by: Karla J. Garcia
Date: April 1st 2007
Inspired by: The love between Sakura and Syaoran