Disclaimer: T:RC, Sakura and Syaoran do not belong to me. Neither do mirrors.
Summery: When she looks in the mirror, Sakura doesn't always see the same thing. Mild SS
Author's Notes: In case it's not clear, I. takes place before the manga (or maybe on the night before Sakura loses her memories), II. takes place soon after she wakes up and III. takes place after Acid Tokyo.
Mirror
I.
Sakura laughed, spinning around her rooms, arms thrown wide. As she passed her mirror, she paused, stepping back to gaze at her reflection.
Uncertainly, the young princess appraised herself. Every girl has her doubts, no matter how "pure" her blood is. Every girl wants to be seen as pretty, or be called beautiful by someone she loves (because her overprotective brother would probably never call her beautiful).
I wonder if…Shaking her head, Sakura stuck a tongue out at her reflection, laughing again. If he liked her because she was pretty, who's to say he would ever love her?
Mind clear, the Princess of Clow eyed herself once more before mischievously batting her lashes and pouting sweetly. In her mind are the words she might say if…
If I were prettier. If I were smarter. If I were more graceful, capable or… braver.
Sighing, Sakura settled herself with half-hearted vows, whispered confessions and funny faces in the mirror.
Tossing her hair, she struck another pose. She was acting like a fool, she knew –
But at least she would be a fool in love.
II.
Short brown hair. Green eyes. There's really nothing special about her, she thinks, as she stares at herself in the mirror. But still, there must be something if three different people are willing to help her like this.
She thinks that maybe she'll remember sometime.
After all, Syaoran told her that she had lost her memories, and she was traveling to find them.
Maybe she'll remember that she was a wise and talented young woman, who charmed everyone with her benevolence and generosity.
Maybe she'll remember that she was a gifted young child, who was constantly coddled, loved and adored because of her abilities.
Maybe she'll remember that she was a bright and lively girl who smiled at everyone and was cherished because of her caring nature.
Maybe she'll remember that boy that she thinks of constantly, who is always in her memories and yet never there.
Sakura frowns. Her eyes are weary and her face is pale. She turns away.
Because there really isn't anything special that she can see.
III.
It's even worse than before.
From the memories she's regained, she could tell that she had once been… happy. Free and happy and playful.
And it wasn't so bad being with Fai and Kurogane and Mokona and… Syaoran. It was fun, almost, traveling to different worlds and going on adventures to find her feathers. To find her memories. She had almost liked it.
This was worst of all.
She had once called her eyes "weary". Now they were dull. Lifeless. Cold and detached.
Her face used to be pale. Now it was white, sickly almost, from lack of sleep, from stress and worry.
In shame, Sakura lowers her head. She thinks, and her once optimistic thoughts have turned gray. She thinks that she's worthless, that if only she were stronger, or braver, that she might have been able to do something.
If only she had loved him more, or better perhaps, then maybe he would still be here.
Disgustedly, Sakura flips the mirror around, unable to bear the thought of her reflection.
Because when she looks at herself, all she can see is the person that should be standing next to her.