Back For the First Time
Disclaimer: I don't own Card Captor Sakura-but I wish I did!
Prologue: How It Came To Be
"Sir, the control orb is ready."
"Good, bring it to me." A man in a shadowy cloak commanded the officer. "It is time to take what should belong to our kind. I suggest the families prepare for landing."
"Kero! I don't know what to wear and Tomoyo isn't here to save my skin this time!" Sakura cried as she tossed her best clothes on her bed.
Kero snorted with jealousy, "It's just the brat."
Sakura's emerald eyes flamed. "Well, he's finally back and I look horrible! This day should be convincing. I want to look my best when we go to the Cherry Blossom Festival." Sakura's eyes were slightly brimmed with tears. "No matter what, this day will be perfect. Not even an apocalypse can change that…"
Tomoyo arrived with an impatient knock on the door. "Sakura! Sakura, open up!"
Sakura raced down the stairs to answer the door. Tomoyo pushed her way in and slammed the door behind them. She held a white spaghetti strap dress in front of her face.
"Is it Spanish?" Sakura asked, once she had actually gotten the dress on and showed it off to Tomoyo.
"That's what I meant it to seem." Tomoyo answered simply, as she fixed the pink flower under the left strap. She took out a white silk scarf and wrapped it around Sakura's shoulders.
Sakura grabbed two necklaces off the dresser she had placed them on and held them possessively before Tomoyo could drag her out, but Tomoyo had seen the necklaces and took it. She swung it around Sakura's neck. Sakura peered down to see the one Tomoyo preferred for Sakura was the one that had a heart with wings on it.
The other, a necklace of a winged heart also, but this one with a sword cutting through it, was especially attractive because of the Celtic knotting on the hilt and blade of the sword.
Tomoyo had also spotted a pair of earrings, Touya had given Sakura for her fifteenth birthday. Her fifteenth birthday had been just a day ago and she had been delighted to receive such a cute gift from her brother. The earrings were very similar to the necklace design; it also had a heart with wings, but these hearts were crowned and the wings had a small Celtic border.
Tomoyo dragged Sakura outside without a word. Sakura followed silently until they had gotten to the entrance of the night-lighting festival.
"Why did we have to come at night?" Sakura asked herself and then turned to Tomoyo. "Where are they?"
Tomoyo smiled, but all the same, eagerly. "Relax; Eriol will bring him in one piece. It's what Syaoran will do to Eriol that worries me."
Sakura chuckled nervously at the memory of Syaoran's jealousy.
"They have good music this year!" Tomoyo exclaimed, randomly, as their wait continued.
"You're right-they do!" a familiar voice called out. "I hear the dancing is even better."
Tomoyo laughed, "Eriol!"
Eriol approached the two girls, one jumping for joy and the other fidgeting nervously. Syaoran had followed behind Eriol and looked as handsome as ever. [A.N. Duh!]
Eriol quietly, but cleverly, offered Tomoyo his arm to dance. Tomoyo took it happily and they skipped off to the dance floor, arm in arm.
Sakura was left behind with Syaoran and she had many questions, none escaped her mouth. What seemed to be their catching-up-on-each other's-lives, had quite suddenly become a silence contest.
Sakura looked at Syaoran, who also did the same and their reaction was to look back down at their feet. Sakura kept a hold of her necklace around her neck and fidgeted with it, wondering if the other necklace in her purse would ever meet its new owner.
Syaoran thought the silence would kill him if he didn't break it. This is so stupid, he thought tiredly.
He opened his mouth to talk, but instead he did something pleasurable for the moment he did it. He had grabbed her chin, lifted her face to face his, and kissed her.
Upon parting, Syaoran realized the embarrassment and consequence of his action, but much to his surprise, Sakura simply smiled her sweetest of smiles.
Syaoran melted at the sight of the smile and with confidence grabbed Sakura's hand and led her down to an old, but familiar creek.
Sakura took her chance and reached into her purse to take out the necklace. "I have something for you." She seated herself on a large, flat, stool-like rock.
Syaoran took the necklace from her with an unreadable expression. He put it on immediately.
"Thanks," Syaoran said and fished out a velvet box from his pocket. "This is for you."
Sakura stared at the box with interest and then finally opened it to find a beautiful bracelet. It was a stainless steel beauty, with soft metallic pink cherry blossoms that appeared here and there around the Celtic knotting of vines.
Sakura seemed entranced by the bracelet. She ran her fingertip along the pattern of vines, her face was streaked with tears, but she didn't make a sound.
Sakura suddenly stood and hugged Syaoran lovingly, "Thank you!"
"Welcome," Syaoran said stiffly, but eventually melted into her hug.
"Emperor, the orb is in its position, all that must be done is for it to be launched at your command."
The emperor grinned, "On the count of three." He ordered, but began to speak again, soon after. "One…two…three!"
The orb shot out from a gun that resembled a cannon. The orb flew out into space, directed in only one direction: Earth.
"Excellent…" the emperor commented on the perfect aim of the orb. "We shall call it Obythia. We Obythians will reign once again."
"Yessir!"
"And I thought I'd die." Sakura explained. "I cried for hours, until this appeared in my hands."
Sakura took out a card that was labeled "The Hope". Syaoran held the card with interest. It was new, unheard of and made purely by the Card Mistress. "It's a winged-heart with a crown-just like your earrings." Syaoran observed.
"Well…doesn't it look like a Hope card?"
"Definitely," Syaoran paused. "There is definitely hope for all of us."
Sakura nodded in agreement, as an unnoticeable light headed straight for them. Suddenly the night was illuminated with a blinding light like no other. It flashed a different way of life, and then all went blank.
[A.N. Celtic knotting is this medieval design used very often. It is shown in a lot of jewelry, especially in a story like this...it indicates the way of life lived-I will have a list of explanations at the end of every chapter! Thanks! R&R!]