Hello! I'm so happy I got reviews! So happy… Thanks to Jesus Freak, corky, Vanilla, Emerald Phoenix524, anime-girl mika, Sakura_miaka, Wolf Angel, Joey, Summer Rain, BianHu, and cm2!
I'm sorry this chapter took so long (and its on the lousy side…)… I've been having problems with my parents… they don't want me to keep writing…. Also, there was vacations and my GIGANTIC writer's block…And then, when I finally knew what to write, I got really sick (something about my throat) a my head hurt like crazy… so much I couldn't even focus on the words in a book, let alone manage to use the computer long enough to write a chapter!
But I'm okay now!… I think…
Right… about Kai and Megumi missing Sakura… I was planning to go into that in a few more chapters. As you can tell, I'm exclusively focusing on Syaoran right now. Also, I think Kai is a bit too young to completely comprehend what death is… and Megumi is in denial (you know, something like: 'Mom is away on a business trip but she'll be back in time for my birthday'). But, if you think I should include that now, I will!
Eriol drunk… just thought it would be funny to write about that. I'm not exactly crazy about him… as you will be able to tell by this chapter. Sorry to all Eriol fans!…
Kero's reappearance… I just noticed I hadn't written what had happened to Kero and the cards (I hadn't even thought about it!)… so I'll see what I can make up.
Right, I'm sorry about the last chapter, I know it sucked! I'll try and re-write it soon.
Thanx to Jesus Freak and Emerald Phoenix524 for telling me about the italics!
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS. I only play around with them. I don't think Clamp minds, though… they didn't mind when Nelvana butchered CCS, did they?
Oh, right… in case you don't remember, this is the second part to the New Year's party!
Key
"speech"
'thoughts'
*actions*
_*scene change/flashback*_
*** point of view change
Now and Then
_*Hiragizawa Residence*_
As Syaoran stood in the balcony, he heard noises behind him. He turned around, and there stood a woman. She was almost as tall as Syaoran, with jet-black hair and blue eyes. Her face was pleasant, almost as if she was constantly smiling.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was here!" she said.
"That's okay. You can stay if you want." Syaoran told her.
"Thank you. I'm Chang Miyoshi."
"Li Syaoran."
"Oh, I know you! We met in that convention… where was it? New York?"
"Oh, right. You're from… what was it? Tokyo Inc.? "(AN: Lame names… I know it!)
"Right. What are you doing here? Business ties?"
"Not really. I'm friends with Eriol and Tomoyo."
"Oh. Same here."
"What are you doing out here, anyways? Party got a bit too wild for your tastes?"
"Actually, no. It's just that… everyone's dancing all cutesy and stuff."
"I gather you don't like sap, then."
"It's not that. I got nothing against a little fluff here and there… it just makes me feel so out of place. Kind of alone, you know?"
"Yeah, I know." Syaoran answered, fingering the medallion that hung around his neck. "No date?"
"Divorced."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I'm not." Miyoshi told him, and then took a long sip of wine. "So, what's your story?"
"I'm a wi-" Syaoran couldn't bring himself to say he word. He tried again. "Wido-. Sakura, my wife, passed away almost 4 months ago."
"Oh, gosh! I didn't know! I'm sorry!"
"Thank you." They stood in silence for awhile, Syaoran thinking about Sakura yet again. "So… I thought you lived in New York?" he asked, trying to stir the conversation away from Sakura. He didn't think breaking down would look good in a business man, especially in front of a fellow executive.
"I do. My family lives in Tokyo, though. I came for the holidays, bumped into Tomoyo, and she convinced me to come here!"
"Oh. When are you going back?"
"Actually, I'm planning on staying in Tokyo for at least six months. There's a big account coming up at work, and I'd rather be here than deal with it from afar."
"Oh."
"Syaoran! There you are!" Eriol entered the balcony. He noticed Miyoshi. "Oh, hi, Miyoshi! Didn't see you there. Mind if I borrow Syaoran for awhile?"
"Not at all. I was about to get going anyways. " she said, leaving. "It was good seeing you again, Syaoran." Syaoran was a bit startled by her use of his first name, but dismissed the thought almost immediately. "Look me up next time you're in Tokyo! We'll do lunch!" And with that, she left.
"I see you haven't completely lost your touch." Eriol told Syaoran.
"I have no idea what you mean. But, then again, I almost never do."
"Oh, please, 'We'll do lunch!' ? That woman was shamelessly flirting!"
"I don't think so." Syaoran told Eriol "Besides, it's not as if I'm interested in her or anything. I, my friend, have a one-track mind."
"That's the spirit!"
***
It was much, much later that night (or morning) that most of the guests had left, leaving only Syaoran, Yamasaki, Chiharu, Rika, Naoko, and Kenshin. The 6 of them, along with Eriol and Tomoyo, were now sitting in the living room, just chatting. Syaoran took this chance to see just how life had treated him and his friends. Eriol and Tomoyo were married, and they had Nadeshiko and Sonomi, the eight year old twins. Chiharu and Yamasaki had married also, and they had seven-year-old Keisuke and four-year-old Rioko. Plus, Chiharu was pregnant again. Naoko and Kenshin had no kids of their own. But, they had adopted eight-year-old Nick when he was a baby, and they loved him dearly. Rika… Well, Rika had gotten married to Terada-sensei, but, unfortunately, that hadn't worked out very well. They had gotten a divorce after 3 years of marriage Since then, Rika had had several relationships. Currently, she was seeing Yang. Rika and Yang had been friends since… well, forever, but they had never dated seriously until now. Syaoran was sure they were going to end up married.
Syaoran sighted. All his friends had somebody. He felt like the odd one out. He reached for another glass of champagne, and tuned back into the conversation.
"And the guy's, like, 'Huh?', so me and Tak just turn around and walk away all slowly and trying not to laugh!" The whole gang laughed at the end of Chiharu's story.
"You know, we should do this more often." Rika said.
"Do what?" Kenshin asked.
"This." Rika answered.
"Oh. That's informative." Eriol said.
"I mean, get together at night, like this. We used to do it all the time."
"I know what you mean." Tomoyo said. "We used to play Taboo, and Cuban domino and a bunch of other games…"
"Yes…" Syaoran said. "I remember playing Poker!"
"You would!" Chiharu said. "You won all the time!"
"I still say you have a betting problem." Kenshin told Syaoran.
"I do not!"
"Right, Syaoran." Naoko said in a somewhat sarcastic tone. "Why did we stop, anyways?"
"Well, " Yamasaki explained, "after you guys went to Kyoto, and Eriol and Tomoyo kept traveling between here and London, and then the whole Hong Kong business with Syaoran and Sakura…" Yamasaki trailed off, wondering if he'd made a mistake in mentioning Sakura. Everyone turned to look at Syaoran. The silence lasted a complete minute.
"It's okay, guys!" Syaoran told them, somewhat quietly. "You don't have to avoid mentioning Sakura. I'm… I'm okay now. And, besides, she was your friend too, and if you can talk about her without being depressed, then so can I. Besides, I think about her all the time, whether you mention her or not." He punctuated his speech by drinking the last of his champagne and reaching for another glass, this time of wine. "And," he added, "I think it would be a great idea to continue having the 'Poker Nights'!"
"We're glad you're okay, Syaoran." Chiharu told him. Everyone had been very worried about Syaoran ever since the decease. Everyone could see how much he had loved his wife, and they were concerned that, with her gone, he might be forced over the edge. Thankfully, no such thing happened. "And, I'm all in for 'Poker Nights'!" Everyone agreed to this.
"How about we get together every Saturday night?" Rika asked. The gang nodded.
"Sounds good to me," Naoko said, "Where?"
"My place is fine." Syaoran said, putting his glass down and reaching for another one.
"Okay then, Syaoran's place it is!" said Tomoyo. "And Syaoran," she added, taking his glass away, "I think you've had more than enough champagne/wine for one week, let alone one night."
"Hey!" Syaoran protested.
"Having high alcohol tolerance isn't an excuse to drink so much!"
"She's right, you know." Kenshin told him.
"I know. It's just that I think she should be more concerned about somebody else drinking!" Syaoran added, glancing at Eriol meaningfully.
"You're never going to let me leave that one down, are you?" Eriol asked him.
"Nope." And he wouldn't. It had happened on Syaoran's nineteenth birthday.
_* flashback*_
(AN: You know the drill: 3rd person point of view, bla, bla, bla…)
It was one particularly hot July evening, the weather made only tolerable by the cool breeze that swept through the park. Not that the current weather was something of particular interest to Sakura, as she roller bladed through the previously mentioned park, hand in hand with her boyfriend, Syaoran. Actually, it could have been snowing purple snow, and the girl wouldn't have even noticed. One reason was the guy standing next to her, who happened to not only be incredibly good looking, but also had the added bonus of being able make everything seem perfect, at least to her.
The other reason was that she was far too worried about the surprise party she and her friends were preparing for the sorcerer at her side to worry about much else. In fact, she almost didn't notice when, at that moment, Syaoran tripped over seemingly nothing and ended up sprawled on the floor for about the sixth time that day.
"Sweetie! Are you okay?" She asked him in a concerned tone.
"I'm fine," he answered, standing up with a little trouble, "but I don't understand why we have to roller blade! I don't think I like it." Sakura concealed a giggle; her boyfriend wasn't very skate-friendly. "We've been skating for 3 hours!" he continued, "Can we go home now?" Sakura was about to say no, when she noticed the time, 8:35. Surely by now Tomoyo, Eriol, and the others had finished preparing Syaoran's apartment for the party.
"Okay, you win, we'll go home now." She told him, and, grabbing him by the hand, skated off in the direction of his apartment.
**at Syaoran's apartment 1 hour earlier**
"Lies all lies!" Chiharu tried to shut up Takashi for the fourth time in the last 2 hours. Bringing all the stuff for the party and arranging it in Syaoran's apartment had proven to be quite the chore, what with Takashi lying all the time and Chiharu attacking him and Naoko and Yang re-arranging Syaoran's furniture and Rika and Tomoyo going all *kawaii* over the pictures in Syaoran's albums an Eriol searching through Syaoran's room, trying to find evidence from his cute descendant's and his cute daughter's, as he called them, 'evil deeds'. Kenshin was sitting on a couch, trying, unsuccessfully, not to get a headache. Thankfully, everything for the party was ready now. Currently, they were just waiting for a couple more of their fellow students to arrive.
**1 Hour Later, outside Syaoran's Apartment**
"Syaoran, wait up!" Sakura hurried to catch up with Syaoran, as he climbed up the stairs to his apartment.
"Hurry up! We have only half and hour to get ready!"
"Ready? For what?"
"I made reservations at that restaurant you like! I though we could have dinner and then maybe a walk on the beach. " Syaoran told her, while looking for his keys. Oh, Kami. He didn't know about the party and made plans! I hope it wasn't anything fancy… "Wait, Syaoran! I want to give you your present!"
"Now?"
"Yes, now." And with that, she gave him a long, narrow box wrapped in newspaper cut-offs. Syaoran tore through the paper, revealing a white box. He opened it, and inside found a crystal medallion in a gold chain. The medallion was round, and had an engraving featuring the Moon and a star. Very appropriate.
"Wow, Sakura, thi-"
"Read the inscription!" The inscription on the back of the medallion read 'For Eternity'. Syaoran felt a lump for in his throat; Sakura, the love of his life, wanted to be with him for eternity. He was so happy! That also made him even more decided to finally show to Sakura the small, black box he had been carrying around in his pocket for about three months. Tonight.
"Sakura… it's beautiful. Thank you." he said, putting it around his neck.
"Do you really like it? I was worried that you might think it was girl stuff or something…"
"I love it." Syaoran told her, bringing his face close to hers and kissing her softly. "And I love you." He whispered in Sakura's ear, sending waves of pleasure down her spine. She leaned forward once again, her lips meeting his in a passionate embrace that lasted quite a few minutes, until Sakura remembered the almost 40 persons waiting on the other side of the door and broke off the kiss. "I love you even more." She told him, and, taking his keys, opened the door.
The apartment was completely dark as Syaoran entered after Sakura, reaching for the light switch almost automatically. He turned on the lights. From behind the furniture, inside the kitchen and the bedrooms popped out his friends, and quite a few of his classmates, all shouting.
"Surprise! Happy birthday!"
"ACK!" went Syaoran, "What are you all doing here?"
"It's a surprise party, silly," Sakura told him.
"Hence the 'Surprise!'" Eriol contributed.
"Party?" asked Syaoran, still quite dumbfound.
"Yeah, party. You know? Dancing, music, food, presents, drunkenness, stri-" Yang stated, but was interrupted by Rika, who hit him upside-down in the head.
"I know what a party is.." Syaoran told Yang. "Thanks, guys! It is real nice of you."
"Thank Sakura, it was her idea." Said Chiharu.
"Oh, was it?" he asked, giving Sakura a sudden hug and a quick peck on the lips. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, sweetie."
"Kawaii!" The 'Eye of Satan' was out and rolling.
"Did you know that parties originated in South America, were the ancient Mayan cultures celebrated once a year the arrival of the two-headed bulldogs from the Amazon river by-"
"Stop lying!"
"Argh!"
The party went well. People talked, laughed, ate, dance, made fun of one another, embarrassed themselves, and did all the other things people tend to do at parties. At one point of another, Eriol approached the refreshments table and, feeling very thirsty, drank a whole glass of Coke in a single gulp. Now, maybe Eriol was feeling tired ,or maybe it was because Tomoyo was dancing right in front of him, or perhaps he was just careless, but the fact remains that he was unable to detect the taste of alcohol in his drink. It so happened that Eriol's alcohol tolerance was quite low. Feeling even thirstier, he took glass after glass, getting quite drunk.
As he was standing by the table wondering about the pink elephants dancing the 'Macarena', he was joined by Syaoran, who didn't notice his ancestor's bewildered look and took a glass of soda. He, too, didn't notice the alcohol in the drink. They were soon joined by Tomoyo.
"Tomosho, shweetie!" Eriol exclaimed, " Whatch are shou doing? Shouldn't shou be danching witch all thoshe pretty elephants?"
"What?" Tomoyo inquired, taking a sip from her drink, and immediately spitting it back into the glass. "What is this thing?"
"Er… soda?" Syaoran answered.
"No… it tastes like alcohol… Oh, Kami-sama, someone spiked the drinks!" Tomoyo exclaimed, getting attention from Sakura, Kenshin, Yamasaki, and Chiharu.
"Alchocol shou shei?" Eriol slurred. "Ahh, that'sh funny! I shust drank about sheventy-shix of this things! Or maybe forty-shu? Shame thing, they are sho closhe to eash other…"
"Oh Kami, he's drunk!" Sakura said, "I can't believe somebody spiked this stuff!"
"Who do you think it was?" asked Kenshin.
"Eriol." Syaoran said, without any doubt.
"Err, sweetie, Eriol's the drunk one."
"Oh… good point."
"Did you know that drinking originated in southern Europe, where the Medieval Kings and Queens would drink so as to attract he attention of wandering unicorns, to try and catch one? But once, a particularly violent unicorn decided to invest in –"
"Stop lying! Grr.. What am I going to do with you?"
"Can we concentrate, people?" Tomoyo asked, while restraining her fianceé from climbing on top of the table, " It doesn't matter who did it. What are we going to do?"
"Let'sh buggy!"
"Shut up."
"Well," proposed Kenshin, "Syaoran and I can go buy more drinks, while you throw away all of these… No one else got drunk, right?"
"I don't think so.." Syaoran answered, "We'll take my car. Let's go."
"Perhaps you should take Eriol, " Sakura said, helping Tomoyo to get Eriol off the table, where he was dancing in a very… disturbing manner.
"Yes, get him a coffee or something…" Tomoyo said.
"Okay…" With that, Syaoran and Kenshin left, dragging a very confused Eriol with them.
***Some Time Later, Outside a Starbucks***
"Okay, you and Eriol wait in the car, while I go get four-eyes some coffee." Syaoran left the car, and entered the coffee house. Ten minutes later, he still hadn't come back, and Kenshin was impatient. And bored.
"You stay here," he told Eriol, "I'll go see what's taking him so long." He got out of the car and enter the cafeteria. Come to think of it, leaving drunk Eriol alone wasn't the best idea.
Finding himself alone, Eriol decided to stretch his legs. So, he climbed out of the car and started walking.
Right into the middle of the street.
While he was stumbling around, a police car approached at a high speed. The driver didn't see the drunk teen until the last minute, and had to swerve wildly to avoid hitting him, resulting in the car crashing into a nearby lamppost. Nothing serious really, but the hood of the car looked awful. Annoyed, the cop got out of the car and went towards Eriol, who was twirling around, 'The Sound of Music' style, in the middle of the street, not aware of the near-lethal experience he had just gone through.
"Just what do you think your doing, boy!" the policeman yelled at him, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him. "I could have run you over!"
"Shwat?" Eriol asked, dazed. The cop immediately smelled the alcohol in his breath.
"You're drunk," he stated. "Did you walk here? Or did you drive?"
"Shwalk? No, shir, I drove." He answered, pointing at Syaoran's black Porsche, stationed at the side of the road.
"Walk in a straight line. " the officer ordered, testing just how drunk the young man was. Eriol tried, but ended up going in circles around the man. "Okay, I'm sorry but you're too drunk. I'll have to give you a ticket and confiscate your car-" he was cut off by Eriol.
"No, shou lishten to me!" he said, hitting the policeman in the chest with his finger. " I shwill take shnone of thish shrap! I'm the shreat Clow Shreed, shou shtupid prat! I can do ash I pleashe! And shou can shtop me, shilly *****!" With that, he punched the policeman in the face, making him pass out.
****Inside Starbucks****
"Hurry up!" Kenshin told Syaoran for the nth time, "I don't want to leave Eriol alone for so long!"
"Then why did you?" Syaoran asked, finally paying for the two French vanilla cappuccinos and the extra-caffeinated extra-dark coffee, and taking them. "Besides, he can take care of himself!" Just then, they heard the police siren and hurried outside.
****Back in the Street****
Eriol was sitting in the police car's driver seat, pretending to drive it, the siren at full blast. The officer lay unconscious on the sidewalk.
"Mrrrr….mrrrrrrrrr… beep, beep!" Eriol made car noises. Syaoran and Kenshin hurried to the Porsche and, seeing it empty, hurried to the crash police car on the other side of the road. The first thing they noticed was the officer lying unconscious. Kenshin went to him, while Syaoran peered into the car and spotted Eriol.
"What the hell did you do?!" he exclaimed.
"I did notshing! Notshing!" the blue-eyed teen answered, but kept driving. Syaoran tried to force hi out of the car, to no avail. Syaoran surveyed the car; it was scratched, and certainly bumped, but it would work just fine. Meanwhile, the policeman was waking up.
"Syaoran! Come here! I think he's coming back!" Kenshin called. When the policeman opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Syaoran's and Kenshin's faces.
"Are you okay?" Kenshin asked him.
"Yeah, " he answered getting up with both boys' help.
"Good." Once again, the officer detected the alcohol in Syaoran's breath. Thinking the two young men were as drunk as their friend, he yelled, "You two, too! That's it! All three of you! In the car! Your going to the headquarters! And that's an order!"
****Back at Party-Central****
"Sakura, I'm worried about the guys… They've been gone for almost two hours already!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "I hope nothing happened to them."
"I'm sure they're fine, Tomoyo. Don't worry" Chiharu answered for Sakura. It was now around 2:30 I the morning, and most people, except for Syaoran's closest friends, had left. The phone rang.
"That's probably them!" Yang said, while Sakura hurried to answer the phone.
"Hello? Hi, sweetie! We were starting to get worried! Where are you?" Pause. "You're where?" Pause. "What?! Why?! Oh, Kami… Are the others with you?" Pause. "I see. Okay, I'll be right there. But when I get there, you'll have a lot of explaining to do, Li Xiao Lang! Bye!" She hung up the phone, a funny lok on her face.
"So," Naoko asked, "where are they?"
Sakura looked at her friends, and in an almost amazed voice, she answered "In jail…".
"WHAT?!"
_* end of flashback*_
It was much, much later, around 5 in the morning, that Syaoran finally entered his bedroom, after picking Kai and Megumi up, tucking them into bed, and checking every damn lock in the house. He was just about to get into bed when a voice startled him.
""Kid. We nee to talk." Syaoran turned around, and there stood Cerberus, the Guardian Beast of the Sakura Cards, Pocket Version. Syaoran was surprised to see him; after Sakura's, *gulp* , death, Kero had taken the Sakura Book and flown off without any explanation. And yet, there he was, standing on Syaoran's pillow, the pink-and-green book in his paws, and a thoughtful expression on his face.
"What can I do for you, cotton fluff?"
"I came… I came to return the Sakura Book."
"???"
Kero laid the book and key down. "For the past four months, I've been flying around the world, looking for Yue." After Sakura's decease, Yue had split apart from Yukito, flying off as mysteriously as Kero. "At last, about two weeks ago, I found him. Then, we talked about what we were to do with the Cards. Neither him nor I were sure of what to do, because Sakura hadn't left any short-term instructions, only the visions of the new owner."
Syaoran knew what the Guardian Beast was talking about; during her last year of life, Sakura kept having visions of two teenagers battling with magic, and she had been sure that they were to be the next Masters. Naturally, she had shared all of her visions with Syaoran, and had written them down for good measure. Syaoran spoke, "I think I see where you're going, stuffed toy. Sakura didn't have enough time to get everything ready for the next owner, so we have to prepare everything, based on her visions."
"Yes and no. You see, Yue and I realized something: we hadn't been called back into the book when Sakura…" Kero, too, had trouble mentioning his Mistress's fate. "…Sakura d-died. We should have, but we didn't because we still had you left."
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean, Li-kid, is that you are the Master of the Sakura Cards. You always were, in some way." Kero hurried on, before Syaoran could interrupt, "You helped her capture them, you helped her change them. Why, you even helped her create some of them! Sure, Sakura owned the Cards, but they also obeyed you, and will continue to do so until you die. With their Mistress gone, the Cards are now your responsibility. It is you that has to make sure they get to their next owner. Sakura knew you would take care of the Cards, that's why she didn't seal the Book." Kero picked the book up, and handed it to Syaoran to see. "She even modified the key to respond to Moon magic as well as Star magic!"
Syaoran took some time to comprehend Kero's words (the accent didn't make it easier). Holding, the book in his hands he felt the strong pulse of Sakura's magic surrounding it, and had to bit his lip to keep from spilling a few tears; he yearned so much to feel the touch of her aura again, that the feeling of her magic seemed a cruel joke, a tease of some kind, reminding him of what he couldn't have. Still, a rebel tear spilled from his left eye, cruising down his cheek. He didn't wipe it away.
Syaoran looked back at Kero, "I know you miss her, Kid. We all do. Even the Cards are mourning." The guardian told him. "I-It was hard for me to hold the Book too. Her-her aura in it is so, so familiar!" Kero burst into tears, sobs shaking his tiny body. Then Syaoran did something so out of character, I might get flamed for it: he held out a hand to the little creature, which it took, and then pulled it towards him, trying to comfort him with a hug, while letting out a few tears himself.
"You miss her a lot, too, don't you?" Syaoran told him, "It's okay, cotton fluff, it's okay. I understand." They stayed like that for a few minutes, until Kero calmed down, and Syaoran let him go. "So, it's up to us to set up things for the next Master. We'll have to go through Sakura's dream log, and see what we can't find concerning the new Masters."
"Yes. You do that. I'll wait in the Book until you are ready to begin casting whatever magic we might need." Kero seemed a little depressed about having to re-enter the book, and Syaoran noticed it.
"You know," the sorcerer said, "you could always stay here." Kero looked up, and Syaoran continued, "I mean, it sure must be boring to be trapped in a Book, and, besides, Kai always seemed to like you, Kami knows why. I'm sure he would be happy to see you around, and even baby-sit him."
"Thanks, Kid, I think I will."
"Don't mention it, stuffed animal. And I mean it, not a word about this to anyone."
"Of course, Gaki! I got a reputation to live up to, you know!"
"Yeah, yeah. You can sleep in Kai's room like you used too." With that, the magical beast exited the room, flying.
_*The Next Morning*_
Syaoran was in the kitchen, preparing pancakes for his children, when Megumi entered the kitchen.
"Good morning, Dad!" she said, a little sleepily. She walked towards her father and gave him a hug.
"Good morning, sweetie." He answered, hugging her back, and planting a kiss on the top of her head. "Did you sleep well?"
"Kind of…" she answered slowly. "I had a dream." She continued.
Syaoran put the last of the pancakes on a dish on the table, and sat on a chair besides his daughter. "A dream? Do you want to tell me about it?"
Megumi nodded. " I was standing on top of a very high building, facing a tall tower. I can't remember what it's called…"
"Tokyo Tower?"
"Yes, that's the one. Anyways, it was nighttime, the moon was full and silvery, and the stars were specially bright. All around me, cherry blossoms were falling. It was beautiful. I was wearing my Clan outfit, I don't know why. Then, suddenly, I heard somebody calling my name. I looked up towards the tower. And there was Mom, standing there, calling my name, holding her arms out." Megumi started crying at this, and seeked refuge in her father's arms. They hugged for a few minutes, until Megumi continued.
"I called her. I yelled her name, but she seemed not to hear me. Instead she said: 'Be brave, be strong, be you. I'll be there. Just wait.'. Then, she started fading, and I ran towards her, but I fell into the streets. Just when I was sure I was going to crash, something swooped under me. I think it was a bird; one with golden feathers and warm aura. We flew upwards, towards the moon, and then I woke up."
Syaoran wasn't sure what to make of his daughter's dream. Sakura used to have similar prophetic dreams, though, so it was possible she might have inherited her ability.
"I'm not sure what your dream means, sweetie, but I will try to find out. I believe it is a direct message from your mother, though, so be sure to remember it. It may be a prophetic dream. Your mother used to have them, too."
"Did she really?"
"All the time." The look on Megumi's face was priceless to Syaoran, her green eyes twinkled with delight, and her mouth was curved up in a beautiful smile. His daughter was truly happy to have something in common with her mother. Besides the dazzling smile and the shinning eyes, Syaoran thought. Not for the first time, he realized how much he loved being a father; there was something about those two kids that just made his heart go boom-boom, his chest swell up with pride. There was nothing better than this.
Just then, Kai came running down the stairs, dragging Kero by the tail. "Daddy, Daddy! Look who came back!" he shouted, running straight into his father's arms. Syaoran picked him up, tossed him into the air, and caught him. The child giggled with delight, amber eyes twinkling, same as his father. "Look, Kero came back! See, I told you he would." He showed the very dizzy guardian to Syaoran.
"Yes, he did." He answered.
*********
So, how did you liked it? I apologize for the flashback, I know it's not very good… but it was the last part I wrote, and I just wanted to get it over with. Hopefully, you liked the rest of the chapter.
The Poker Nights idea… I actually have to thank my parents for that one! They always get together with other couples on Saturdays and they stay up until 5 in the morning, playing al sort of card games, and Taboo, and a bunch of other stuff! Before you ask, no, Syaoran is not an alcoholic!
Please, please, please, review! I really love reading them! So please, review! It only takes a minute, and it makes me very happy!
You can e-mail any comments to me at kirjava_ffn@yahoo.com.mx
Adiós!
Up next: I'm not sure… I lost my notes on the story so I have to look for them… Must likely: A Proposal and A Lazy Sunday