Disclaimer: CCS and the characters
do not belong to me, they belong to CLAMP and Kodansha.
" Speech
* Thoughts
~ Sounds
Glossary:
arigatou: thank you
otou-san: father
onii-chan: big brother
hai: yes/right
By ~Xiaoling~
Chapter 5: Giving Thanks
Syaoran stepped onto the balcony of the mansion, and looked below to make sure that no one was there. He summoned some wind magic to safely bring him down onto the grass as he quietly snuck out of the mansion's estate.
He didn't know where he was going, but he was just walking where his feet carried him to. Syaoran walked by Cherry Tree Street, a couple other unfamiliar places, and finally until he reached Penguin Park.
Somehow, he felt a tingly sensation as he stepped into the park and stared at the huge penguin slide. Was this place...actually familiar to him?
He walked towards the play ground and towards a small little forest in the park. He walked past some bushes, until he reached a small clearing where a cherry blossom tree stood.
It's petals were all at full bloom, and the grass around it looked pink because of the petals.
But no one was there. He stepped closer, and eyed the tree questioningly and his eyes widened when he saw Sakura appear from behind the trunk, a small smile on her lips.
"So we meet again," Her voice actually seemed normal for once. Not floating and hanging in the wind, but clear and something that Syaoran just couldn't quite describe.
*Is she...Fujitaka's daughter? It seems to all fit together that way...* Syaoran pondered. "Are you Sakura Kinomoto?" He asked.
Sakura nodded, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Is..is otou-san alright? And onii-chan?"
"Yes...they're fine," Syaoran replied. "Why don't you visit them?"
"Well...as you already know...I am a ghost...I am dead," Sakura said calmly. "I don't want to frighten them."
Syaoran remembered that scene, of that creature and Sakura using magic to fight it. "Did...did you die in a forest? Fighting some creature? And the other me was trying to save you, but was to late?"
Sakura's smile faded, her emerald eyes loosing it's spark. "This all must be very confusing to you Shaoran. I decided to invite you here so I can explain everything to you."
The two took a seat by a nearby bench, Sakura gazing at the cherry blossom petals that continously floated down from the tree. "During that fight, you were just coming back from Hong Kong. You sensed that I was in danger right away, and so you dashed from the air port towards the forest, following my aura. But you were to late so save me, and you were to late to save yourself."
"You mean..my twin died there?" Syaoran questioned.
Sakura nodded, and turned her head to look at him. "Don't say your twin. He's you."
"Me?" Syaoran felt shocked.
"Your the reincarnation of my past love Syaoran Li. Amazingly, you look exactly like him in this present life, and you have the exact same name. Usually, reincarnations aren't that identicle, but I guess you are..." Sakura smiled.
Syaoran glanced at Sakura. "Then...then how come you haven't reincarnated?"
Sakura's smile turned into a small frown. "I didn't want to...I didn't want to go to heaven or hell....I wanted to see you again, with my memories still with me. Once you get reincarnated, you forever loose those memories of your past life. I didn't want to forget you..."
Syaoran felt like he was blushing slightly at this girl he didn't even know very well, yet his past self knew so well. "Were...were we in love?"
The auburn haired girl laughed softly, her laughter ringing in his ears like little bells. "Yes, we were in love..." She seemed amused. "You were my rival, my partner, my bestest friend, and then my love. It took us three stages until we finally figured out that we loved each other." Sakura chuckled.
Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "Rival?"
"Hai...rivals..." Sakura felt herself get lost in her happy memories of her and Syaoran catching the Clow Cards. "You came one day from Hong Kong as a transfer student. You kept on giving me the evil eye and death glares, that completely freaked me out. And then, you told me that you knew I had the Clow Cards, and you demanded to have them from me. So from that day forward, we competed for the Clow Cards."
"Competed? Weren't they safe with Clow or someone? Or the guardian beasts?" Syaoran felt confused.
"...Well, when I was 10, I released all the Clow Cards. Thus, I had to go and catch them all back for Kero..." Sakura said with a small smile. "But then, we started working together to get the cards. We were an unstoppable team!" She exclaimed cheerfully.
Syaoran gave her a smile, a rare smile. "And then we became friends?" He guessed.
Sakura nodded, "Bestest friends!" Sakura smiled. "And then we loved each other...until one day you had to go back to Hong Kong to train to become the leader of the Li Clan."
Syaoran started laughing, and Sakura looked at him strangely. "What?"
"Gomen, I just find it amusing that my past life seems like the same as my life right now," Syaoran stopped laughing.
Sakura grinned but then it faded away as she continued. "And the last time I saw you again was that time before I died. It was all to late...we didn't have a chance together." She said sadly and sighed. "I guess we weren't meant to be together..."
"...Don't say that..." Syaoran just let the words slip out of his mouth.
"Hoe?"
"If we weren't meant to be together, you wouldn't have found me again right?" Syaoran gave another rare smile at her. He felt so comfortable around this girl, he felt open towards her. As if he could tell her anything.
Sakura smiled, "Hai...I waited and searched twenty years and I finally found you.."
"....I have another question," Syaoran started. "Why are you always at Daidouji-chan's house?"
"Oh!" Sakura chuckled softly. "Tomoyo Daidouji...she reminds me alot of my best friend from the past. So, I decided to hang around her house."
Syaoran nodded in understanding, as Sakura lifted her head. "It's my turn for a question." She began. "Who...who's that girl? With the black pig tails?"
"Oh, Meiling? She's my cousin," Syaoran replied and noticed Sakura brighten up at that. "Why?"
"Nothing!" Sakura turned slightly pink at that question.
Syaoran stared at the girl sitting in front him. *Beautiful...and nice...Sakura..I feel like I want to be with you. But...isn't that not possible?*
Sakura looked back at him, and the two stared at each other for a good whole five mintues.
*I want to be with you Syaoran...but, it's impossible. You're human, and I'm a ghost. We live in separate worlds...* She thought sadly.
"I guess we should say good bye now..." Sakura started.
Syaoran felt sad at that remark. "...But you'll come and visit me?" He questioned hopefully.
Sakura smiled, "Yes, I'll come everyday!"
They smiled at each other and Sakura
faded away and Syaoran was left alone at the park.
The four, Meiling, Syaoran, Eriol, and Tomoyo, were once again at Tomoyo's house waiting for eleven o clock to come. Syaoran was slightly worried about Sakura's safety. He didn't want her to be caught.
"Don't worry Shaoran! They can't see me!!"
Syaoran turned around from his seat on the couch and was face to face with Sakura. She was giggling, as she took a seat right next to him casually.
"What if they sense you!!" Syaoran exclaimed.
Sakura winked at him, "Can you sense me?"
"...Er no..." Syaoran replied sheepishly.
Sakura smiled, "See. If you can't, Eriol Hiiragizawa can't either."
"Who are you talking to Li-kun?" Tomoyo questioned and stiffled a yawn as she glanced at the clock again, 10:56. "It's almost time, so get prepared."
"I bet Xiaolang was speaking to that Sakura girl again," Meiling said while rolling her eyes.
Syaoran wanted to start laughing, but he held it in. Sakura, on the other hand, was giggling crazily beside him. "It's so hilarious!!" She laughed.
"Can't they hear you?" Syaoran said it in a whisper so Tomoyo, Meiling, and Eriol won't think that he was crazy.
"Nope!"
"How come I can?"
Sakura smiled at him, "Because I want you to be able to hear and see me. So I can allow who I want to see me and hear me. People that I don't want to be able to see me, can't." She said happily. "I better get to the balcony and start singing!"
"Why do you sing that song anyways?" Syaoran asked.
"It's our song..." Sakura said thoughtfully. "We wrote it together..."
Syaoran stayed silent then asked. "So that's why you like singing it?"
"Hai..."
"Why 11?"
Sakura smiled, "It's when we completed the song...oh! It's 11!" She vanished and her voice was heard around the house once again.
"It's her again!" Eriol had already begun to dash up the stairs.
Syaoran felt at ease slightly. Somehow, he knew that Sakura was going to be alright and that Eriol wasn't going to be able to catch her. He followed behind them as they all walked onto the balcony once again, and Syaoran saw Sakura singing again.
"Man!! I wish we could see ghosts! This sucks!" Meiling said while running all over the balcony feeling the air around her. "It's like impossible!!"
Tomoyo walked up to the railing of the balcony, without noticing that she was standing right beside Sakura. "I feel like she's close by."
"I am!!" Sakura teased, but only Syaoran could here.
He laughed softly, making Eriol turn to look at him with a suspicious eye. "Do you happen to be able to see our little ghost friend here?"
Syaoran remained silent, but his amber eyes had a mischevious look on them. Eriol stared at him for a couple more seconds, while following his gaze. Nothing.
"Do you think we'll ever find this ghost?" Tomoyo asked with a sigh.
"We can't give up!!" Meiling exclaimed.
Sakura had stopped singing her song, as she walked up to Meiling. "Hello."
"Did I hear something!?" Meiling cried out.
Sakura giggled softly and revealed herself to Meiling. "Konnichiwa! I'm Sakura Kinomoto!"
"AHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Meiling fell back a couple steps, and threw her hands over her eyes. "GHOST!!!"
Syaoran chuckled, as Tomoyo and Eriol ran over to her.
"Ghost?! I don't see anything!!" Tomoyo yelped.
Meiling grabbed onto Tomoyo's sleeve. "Xiaolang was right! Her name is Sakura!!"
"I don't see a thing.." Eriol gazed around them in concentration. "Not a thing..."
Sakura glided over towards Tomoyo and Meiling. "Daijobu Meiling-chan?"
Meiling gave out a little yelp. "How'd you know my name?!"
"...Shaoran told me," Sakura smiled.
"...Er Meiling? Are you sure you're not coming down with a fever?" Tomoyo raised a hand to Meiling's forehead. "You're not burning up or anything..."
Sakura placed her hand on Meiling's. "Don't be scared of me. I'm not evil or scary, I'm just a normal girl like you..except dead kinda.."
Meiling felt slightly calmer now, as she slowly stood up. "So you're the Sakura that Xiaolang has been talking about?"
"Yep Meiling," Syaoran nodded and walked up to them.
Tomoyo and Eriol gave them all odd eyes. "How come we don't see anything? Is this some kind of joke?"
"...Perhaps..." Sakura giggled and appeared in front of Tomoyo and Eriol. "Nice to meet you, I am Sakura Kinomoto!"
Tomoyo jumped back in shock and onto Eriol who stumbled back. "G..ghost!" Tomoyo yelped.
"Don't worry...I'm not a bad ghost..." Sakura said sadly.
Eriol regained his compusure quickly and looked at Sakura. "Why are you here Sakura? Ghosts usually aren't on earth unless they have unfinished bunsiness or they're lost."
"...I just wanted to see Shaoran again.." Sakura replied softly.
"You know Syaoran?" Eriol asked, slightly shocked.
Sakura smiled, "In his past life, yes. I wanted to see him again...even if it is just his reincarnation..." Sakura started explaining her story about Syaoran and her love, and how they died.
Tomoyo and Meiling were at the edge of tears after the story. "That's so sad!" Meiling exclaimed.
"But it's so romantic!" Tomoyo had stars in her eyes. "Sakura waited for Li-kun for twenty years! And finally, the two long lost lovers are reunited!"
Everyone had sweatdrops on their heads as Tomoyo finished.
"But...we still have to return you back to where you belong," Eriol said firmly and was about to start chanting when Syaoran stopped him with his sword.
"No," Syaoran replied, equally determined.
Meiling and Tomoyo paused, and then nodded. "Yeah, that would be to heart breaking Eriol! Please? Don't catch her? For me?" Tomoyo begged, while pulling his arm slightly.
Eriol sighed at Tomoyo's puppy eyes and finally gave in as the whole group was nagging at him. "Fine! Fine! But only because Syaoran and Sakura happen to be past lovers..."
"Yay!" Meiling squealed happily.
Sakura smiled at Eriol, "Arigatou."
AN: So...it all works out happily here neh? But that won't be the case soon >. Btw, in this story, it doens't follow the theory where Eriol is the reincarnation of Clow Reed kk? Sorry about that, but the story just doesn't work if that's the case. Anyways, thanks for reading and please stay tooned ;)
