Chapter 2 - The Tower
"Sakura!" Kero flew up to look Sakura straight in the eye. "What's the matter? Why are you crying?"
Sakura sobbed, tears flowing down her face. "I... I... I don't know!" She ran back into her room and began to cry again. "Kero-chan, I don't know what's wrong with me! I can't stop crying!"
Kero dragged the tissue box over to Sakura. "Maybe you're just... I don't know, over-excited. Too much emotions today, you know?"
Sakura nodded and blew her nose. "I guess so."
"Want me to leave you alone for a while?" Kero asked. "You know, so you can get it all out?"
"Sure. Thanks a lot, Kero-chan."
Kero flew outside and shut the door, leaving Sakura alone, lying in bed, staring at the mysterious music box she had gotten. The expression on the little ballerina's face was serene, almost sad, yet there was an underlying note of something dangerous in the sorrowful visage. It was almost as if it were reprimanding her for something in the saddest, most calm way possible.
Memories began to pour through Sakura's head; memories from long ago, four years ago to be exact, when she'd first stumbled across the Clow Book in her basement. She saw herself, a little girl in an elementary school uniform, picking up a Card and reading it aloud. "Windy," the voice in her head echoed. The scream of fright as the Cards blew away, the helplessness she felt when she found out that she was the one who had to capture all of those Cards. "You're the Cardcaptor," Kero said. "It's your responsibility."
"But I can't," Sakura whispered aloud. "I can't do it."
Sakura remembered the day she met Syaoran, how mean he was to her when she'd captured the Thunder Card. She could see the disdainful look on his face and the haughty tone in his voice. "You're no Cardcaptor," he'd said. "With your skills, you can't collect the Clow Cards."
Tears streamed uncontrollably down Sakura's face. She couldn't stand it any more, how helpless and powerless she felt. She picked up her backpack, put on her shoes, and climbed out the window into the snow.
"Sakura!!" Touya ran upstairs and banged on Sakura's door. "Sakura!! Where are you? Open the door! Sakura!!" He ran around the house, searching every nook and cranny for his sister. "Sakura!!!"
Touya ran back up the stairs and stormed into Sakura's room. All too late he felt something under his slippered feet. "OUCH!!" a small voice cried out.
"Sorry," Touya said automatically, then he whipped around to see what he'd stepped on. His eyes narrowed when he saw that the room was completely empty. "Sakura!" he yelled. "Is that you?" He stepped backwards and once again something yelled "OUCH!!!" from under him. Touya jumped aside and saw the little golden bear lying on the floor. He picked it up by the wing and swore he saw the stuffed animal's mouth twist in a painful grimace. "Stupid stuffed toy," Touya muttered.
To his utmost surprise, the little bear opened its mouth and bit his finger. Touya winced as sharp little teeth dug into his skin. "What the heck is going on?!" he yelled. "What are you?! Get off my finger!!!"
Kero let go of Touya's finger and flew off a small distance. "I've had it with the stuffed toy comments!" he yelled. "And you stepped on me twice, if you don't mind me reminding you." All too late Kero realized his mistake. He took a look at the shocked expression on Touya's face. "Um... that is... uh..." Oh great, I've really blown it this time, Kero thought angrily.
"I knew you weren't just a stuffed toy!" Touya grabbed Kero out of the air and pulled on his wings as if he wasn't convinced they were real. "What are you? And what are you doing hanging around Sakura?"
"Well... um... uh... uh..." Kero fumbled for a good excuse. He took a deep breath and figured that it was time Sakura's family finally found out about everything. "Take a seat, kid. This might take a while."
"Who are you calling 'kid'?" Touya muttered as he sat down on Sakura's bed and expected the unexpected.
The cold wind stung Sakura's eyes as she tottered dangerously atop the tower in the middle of town. She felt as if the tears on her face were freezing, icing over right on her face. Great, she thought, just a little something extra to add to all my pain...
She stared down at the city below, streets all aglow with rainbow pinpoints of light. It looked like a giant Christmas arrangement, the glow of the lights blurred by Sakura's tears. It was such a cliché. How could everyone be so happy, Sakura thought dismally, when I feel so sad?
Sakura dangled her foot off the edge of the tower, as if testing her own daring. The wind was getting stronger, threatening to whip Sakura off the edge if she didn't jump. The rainbow lights and heavenly glow were gone now, nothing below but an endless purple haze. She leaned forward and back, wobbling back and forth as if she was intoxicated. And I really must be smashed, Sakura thought, smiling strangely at nothing. She reached out into the emptiness with one hand, stepped off the tower's ledge, and plummeted into the endless violet fog with the same strange grin on her face.
"Sakura!! NO!!!!"
Sakura opened her eyes, the purple haze vanishing, slowly turning back into bright Christmas lights and glowing winter streets, vaguely aware of the lack of ground underneath her.
"Sakura!!!!"
The haze was completely gone now, and Sakura screamed as she realized that she was plummeting through the air with nothing but snow and asphalt lying several hundred feet below to cushion her fall. Suddenly a hand grabbed the collar of her coat and she felt herself being lifted onto something warm and furry. Sakura closed her eyes and let relieving sleep wash over her.
"That was a close one," Keroberos muttered as he soared through the sky back to Sakura's house.
"A little too close, if you ask me." Touya looked down at Sakura and lovingly brushed a few damp strands of hair from her forehead. "What do I call you again?"
"Kero."
"Right."
Touya looked out at the world rushing past beneath him, noting the absolute silence. "So why aren't you talking? You and Sakura talk all the time, I can hear you."
"I'm trying to concentrate on flying."
"What would you have to concentrate for?"
"I'm not used to carrying a full-grown human being on my back, okay?"
"Whatever."
Touya felt something in front of him stir, and looked down as Sakura's eyes fluttered open. "Kero..." she mumbled dazedly. Then her eyes focused on Touya and went wide in shock. "Oniichan!!" she exclaimed. "What are you - why are you -"
"Shh." Touya put a finger on Sakura's lips, silencing her. "Don't talk. You've got a lot of explaining to do later."
"So that's it?" Fujitaka asked. He sat at the side of Sakura's bed, brushing stray locks of hair from her face. "That's what's been going on all this time?"
"Hai, Oto-san," Sakura answered, almost reluctantly. Tears began to well in her eyes again. "I'm so sorry, Oto-san, I know I should have told you. But I couldn't, I just couldn't."
Fujitaka smiled, kissed Sakura's forehead. "I understand. It's alright." He walked to the door, turned off the lights, and stood watching his beloved daughter sleep bathed in silvery moonlight. No regrets, no sadness. Just relief that Sakura was alright.
"You tried to jump off a building!" Syaoran cried out. "Are you insane? Have you completely, totally lost your mind?!"
"Yes - no - maybe - I don't know!" Sakura yelled back. It had been a while since she and Syaoran had a truly heated argument.
"You could have gotten yourself killed!"
"You don't think I know that?!" Sakura paced angrily back and forth in the hallway. "Look, I don't know what got into me, okay? But I tried to jump off a building, and Touya and Keroberos saved me -"
"What?! So now your idiot brother knows about the Clow?"
"He is not an idiot!!" Sakura yelled indignantly, her green eyes flashing angrily. "I know you and Oniichan hate each other, but just knock it off for now, okay? I'm sick and tired of it."
She slumped down suddenly against the wall, and Syaoran ran over to her. "Sakura! Are you all right? I'm sorry..."
Sakura looked up at Syaoran and tried to focus on his face, but everything was so fuzzy, so blurred, distorted by teardrops and purple fog again. Syaoran was screaming something, but the sound of his voice was muffled and distant.
"Sakura!" Syaoran yelled. "Are you all right?! Speak to me!!"
" Syaoran… I'm so tired… " Sakura's eyelids grew heavier and heavier. " I think I need to… to… "
" To what?! " Syaoran asked frantically.
" To… sleep. " Sakura smiled dazedly. " Yes, sleep… " She wanted to leave everything behind and slip into sleep, eternal sleep, just leaving all the problems of the world behind, sleeping them away... sleeping... sleeping... sleep...
"Sakura!!!! No!!!" Syaoran cried, as Sakura's eyelids closed and she slumped to the ground.
