To Catch a Falling Star
by Ekai Ungson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DISCLAIMER: Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP!! Not to me!
DISCLAIMER: "Butterfly" appears courtesy of Mariah Carey and her record label, which I also do not own. ^-^
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 7: Beyond Forever
*"Okaa-chan... do I really have to?"
"Yes, child. You have to go with me now."
"Can I... say goodbye?"
"To who?"
"To all of them."
"I'm afraid I can only grant you one night, my dear."
"One night?"
"Just for one person."
"'kaa-chan.. after all I saw today.. I... can't have that anymore, right?"
"One day, in another lifetime, perhaps."
"I feel sad."
"...My child.."
"Iie. Daijobu da yo. One night, 'kaa-chan. Then I'll go with you. But, 'kaa-chan..."
"Yes, dear?"
"'kaa-chan, did you ever tell 'tou-chan goodbye?"
"... Hai. I did."
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
The night was dark and the wind was cold on the coldest night of the year.
Christmas Eve.
Tomoyo stood on the stage in the town square, where a piano sat for the Winter Concert. She stared at the instrument's black exterior.
Sakura had not yet opened her eyes.
The doctors feared she never would.
Tears fell from her eyes to the ivory keys.
*"Next year at Christmas, I'll watch you at the Winter Concert. I'm sure I'll be all right by then. Okay?"*
She sobbed. "Oh, Sakura-chan..."
Someone touched her shoulder. She looked up.
"Eriol."
Hiragizawa Eriol smiled sadly at her. "I don't think she'll like it if you cry," he said, sitting beside her on the bench.
She let her head rest on his shoulder. "I guess you're right."
Later, she turned to him. "Eriol-kun."
"Yes?"
"I want you to play `Butterfly' for me."
He nodded.
**When you love someone so deeply
They become your life
It's easy to succumb to overwhelming fears inside
Blindly I imagined I could keep you under glass
Now I understand to hold you I must open up my hands
And watch you rise...**
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
Touya opened the door to his sister's room.
And met the beautiful eyes of Kinomoto Nadeshiko.
He stared in awe as the beautiful figure of his mother was revealed to him. "O-Okaa-san....."
Nadeshiko smiled. "Touya-kun."
"Why are you here, okaa-san?" Touya asked. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the realization hit him, freezing his blood. "No..."
"I'm here, my love, to claim your sister...." Nadeshiko whispered. "It's time for her to go with me."
Touya shook his head furiously. "Iie.... please, okaa-chan.. don't do this. I need her. Otou-san still needs her. We all do."
Nadeshiko smiled sadly. "I can't prevent the inevitable, Touya, my dear. I have to take Sakura-chan with me now." She turned her eyes to Sakura's bed, and Touya followed her gaze.
There, two hands were entwined.
Sakura's and Syaoran's.
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
"Syaoran-kun."
What...?
"Syaoran-kun.. please open your eyes."
Sakura-chan?
"It's me."
What's happening?
He looked around and saw that he was under an oak tree in front of a large white house above the hill. A swing was there, too, hanging by a branch. And that was where she sat.
He heard the creak of wood and turned.
Sakura smiled at him as she moved back and forth on the swing hanging from a branch. Dressed in all white from head to toe. "Glad you're awake," she said. "Well, sort of."
"... Is this a dream?" he asked.
"Technically," she replied.
"Are you a dream, too?"
"Nope. I'm the real thing," she replied cheerfully.
An eyebrow rose skeptically.
"Go on if you want me to prove it," she laughed.
"Birthday."
"April First."
"Favorite flower."
"Sakura. Duh."
"When did she and I first kiss?" he asked.
She smirked. "We haven't."
His jaw dropped. "Shoot."
She giggled and jumped off the swing. "Well, there's always a first time." She knelt before him and smiled.
He could only look at her.
She touched his lips with hers.
When she pulled away, she asked, "Believe me now?"
Amber met emerald.
"Sakura."
Her smile widened.
"But... what is this place?" he questioned.
"This?" she waved a hand to indicate the surroundings. "This is what could've been for you and me, Syaoran-kun."
"What.. could've been?"
She waited 'til he put two and two together, and then for the tirade.
"What do you mean, could've?" he asked. "You're gonna get well!"
She smiled sadly. "No, Syaoran. I'm here... because I won't get well. To tell you... goodbye."
"You're not going anywhere!" he replied vehemently. "You're staying with me! We'll fight this together! I'll... fight it for you..."
"I've always told you, Syaoran-kun. Some things you can protect me from. Some things you can fight for me. But some things..." her voice broke. "Some things are just inevitable."
"You told me you'd fight it, too."
"I did. I tried. But it's my time, Syaoran-kun. I have to leave you now."
He looked around. "This... this is what could've been? For us?"
She nodded. "If I didn't get leukemia.. I'd never ask you to go away. We'd finish school, get married, and live in that house over there." She pointed to the white house. "And we'd have children. A daughter and a son. But..... now...."
"We'll never have that?" he asked. "We'll never have a future?"
"You will," she stated softly. "I won't."
He turned to her. "You can't leave me. I'd rather die than live without you anyway." He held her in his arms tightly, hoping against hope that if he never let her go, she'd always stay with him. Frozen in time, in his embrace. Forever.
"No!" she exclaimed. "If you do that... you'll destroy everything I wanted for us. For you. Life is worth so much more, koishii. So much more."
"Sakura..."
"You're going to have to let me go at some point or another Syaoran-kun. Sooner or later. Even if I lived, I'd die, too. With everything else, sooner or later. It just so happens that I have to go sooner than expected," she whispered.
She felt his tears flow down and felt her own bubbling up. "Don't cry, Syaoran-kun. We'll be together soon. One day...."
"I don't want another day. We're here now. You're here now."
"I have to go.."
"No."
She looked up at him. "Don't make this any harder than it already is."
"Don't go."
Just that. She would've given up eternity for him. Given up celestiality for him. But that wouldn't be fair at all. He deserved a new life. A future. He deserved LIFE. He deserved what she was not given.
He would have it all. He would live on, move on, be happy. He would get over her. Raise a family. It had all been revealed to her. And she... she had to go now.
"Syaoran-kun," she began.
"What?"
"Never forget what you see. Never forget my words. Because as long as I'm in your memories, as long as I'm in your heart, I will live always. I will love you, always, forever." she whispered. "Promise me."
His chest constricted painfully as he looked into her still-clear emerald eyes. "I... I promise," he whispered in defeat, acceptance.
"I love you. I will always and beyond forever love you. Do you understand? Know that I love you. Always. Forever. Beyond forever."
"Always, forever," he repeated. "And I.. I will love you for eternity."
"I have to go," she said. "I love you. Beyond forever."
Beyond forever.
"SAKURA!!!"
**Spread your wings and prepare to fly
For you have become a butterfly
Fly abandonedly into the sun
If you should return to me
We truly were meant to be
So spread your wings and fly... butterfly...**
People had gathered around Eriol and Tomoyo.
And then, snow began to fall.
Or was it snow?
"Hey--" Tomoyo heard someone say. "It's cherry blossoms. Falling from the sky."
She stiffened.
*Sakura...*
She leaned into Eriol, weakened.
**I have learned that beauty
has to flourish in the light
Wild horses run unbridled
or their spirit dies
You have given me the courage to be all that I can
And I do believe your heart will lead you back to me
When you're ready to land...**
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
Touya fell to the floor in defeat. "Imouto... Sakura..."
She had flatlined.
Syaoran woke up with a start. He already had tears in his eyes.
Doctors and nurses gathered around, but Syaoran knew their efforts would be futile.
*"Never forget what you see."
"Never forget my words."
"I will love you, always, forever."
"Beyond forever."*
He held her hand tightly. *And I... I will love you for eternity.*
His hand was losing his grip on her.
Then her hand slipped from his grasp completely.
And then he knew she was gone.
*I love you.*
**Spread your wings and fly... butterfly...**
--End
Author's Notes: Finally, I finished uploading "To Catch...". It was a hard journey, but I did it in time for Christmas, so this serves as my Yuletide Special.
I would like to thank the people who review me on fanfiction.net, for encouraging me to continue with this and for the compliments, I thank you all.
And also Joyce-chan, my best friend, who cried over this little piece of work. Sorry, guys. You all knew this was gonna be tragic. I told you so.
And to syaoran no hime, who I hope is okay and who Chapter 6 is dedicated to.
And to Rachelle/Luna-chan, who did the fanwork for this story.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
--kai, 122301
by Ekai Ungson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DISCLAIMER: Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP!! Not to me!
DISCLAIMER: "Butterfly" appears courtesy of Mariah Carey and her record label, which I also do not own. ^-^
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 7: Beyond Forever
*"Okaa-chan... do I really have to?"
"Yes, child. You have to go with me now."
"Can I... say goodbye?"
"To who?"
"To all of them."
"I'm afraid I can only grant you one night, my dear."
"One night?"
"Just for one person."
"'kaa-chan.. after all I saw today.. I... can't have that anymore, right?"
"One day, in another lifetime, perhaps."
"I feel sad."
"...My child.."
"Iie. Daijobu da yo. One night, 'kaa-chan. Then I'll go with you. But, 'kaa-chan..."
"Yes, dear?"
"'kaa-chan, did you ever tell 'tou-chan goodbye?"
"... Hai. I did."
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
The night was dark and the wind was cold on the coldest night of the year.
Christmas Eve.
Tomoyo stood on the stage in the town square, where a piano sat for the Winter Concert. She stared at the instrument's black exterior.
Sakura had not yet opened her eyes.
The doctors feared she never would.
Tears fell from her eyes to the ivory keys.
*"Next year at Christmas, I'll watch you at the Winter Concert. I'm sure I'll be all right by then. Okay?"*
She sobbed. "Oh, Sakura-chan..."
Someone touched her shoulder. She looked up.
"Eriol."
Hiragizawa Eriol smiled sadly at her. "I don't think she'll like it if you cry," he said, sitting beside her on the bench.
She let her head rest on his shoulder. "I guess you're right."
Later, she turned to him. "Eriol-kun."
"Yes?"
"I want you to play `Butterfly' for me."
He nodded.
**When you love someone so deeply
They become your life
It's easy to succumb to overwhelming fears inside
Blindly I imagined I could keep you under glass
Now I understand to hold you I must open up my hands
And watch you rise...**
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
Touya opened the door to his sister's room.
And met the beautiful eyes of Kinomoto Nadeshiko.
He stared in awe as the beautiful figure of his mother was revealed to him. "O-Okaa-san....."
Nadeshiko smiled. "Touya-kun."
"Why are you here, okaa-san?" Touya asked. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the realization hit him, freezing his blood. "No..."
"I'm here, my love, to claim your sister...." Nadeshiko whispered. "It's time for her to go with me."
Touya shook his head furiously. "Iie.... please, okaa-chan.. don't do this. I need her. Otou-san still needs her. We all do."
Nadeshiko smiled sadly. "I can't prevent the inevitable, Touya, my dear. I have to take Sakura-chan with me now." She turned her eyes to Sakura's bed, and Touya followed her gaze.
There, two hands were entwined.
Sakura's and Syaoran's.
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
"Syaoran-kun."
What...?
"Syaoran-kun.. please open your eyes."
Sakura-chan?
"It's me."
What's happening?
He looked around and saw that he was under an oak tree in front of a large white house above the hill. A swing was there, too, hanging by a branch. And that was where she sat.
He heard the creak of wood and turned.
Sakura smiled at him as she moved back and forth on the swing hanging from a branch. Dressed in all white from head to toe. "Glad you're awake," she said. "Well, sort of."
"... Is this a dream?" he asked.
"Technically," she replied.
"Are you a dream, too?"
"Nope. I'm the real thing," she replied cheerfully.
An eyebrow rose skeptically.
"Go on if you want me to prove it," she laughed.
"Birthday."
"April First."
"Favorite flower."
"Sakura. Duh."
"When did she and I first kiss?" he asked.
She smirked. "We haven't."
His jaw dropped. "Shoot."
She giggled and jumped off the swing. "Well, there's always a first time." She knelt before him and smiled.
He could only look at her.
She touched his lips with hers.
When she pulled away, she asked, "Believe me now?"
Amber met emerald.
"Sakura."
Her smile widened.
"But... what is this place?" he questioned.
"This?" she waved a hand to indicate the surroundings. "This is what could've been for you and me, Syaoran-kun."
"What.. could've been?"
She waited 'til he put two and two together, and then for the tirade.
"What do you mean, could've?" he asked. "You're gonna get well!"
She smiled sadly. "No, Syaoran. I'm here... because I won't get well. To tell you... goodbye."
"You're not going anywhere!" he replied vehemently. "You're staying with me! We'll fight this together! I'll... fight it for you..."
"I've always told you, Syaoran-kun. Some things you can protect me from. Some things you can fight for me. But some things..." her voice broke. "Some things are just inevitable."
"You told me you'd fight it, too."
"I did. I tried. But it's my time, Syaoran-kun. I have to leave you now."
He looked around. "This... this is what could've been? For us?"
She nodded. "If I didn't get leukemia.. I'd never ask you to go away. We'd finish school, get married, and live in that house over there." She pointed to the white house. "And we'd have children. A daughter and a son. But..... now...."
"We'll never have that?" he asked. "We'll never have a future?"
"You will," she stated softly. "I won't."
He turned to her. "You can't leave me. I'd rather die than live without you anyway." He held her in his arms tightly, hoping against hope that if he never let her go, she'd always stay with him. Frozen in time, in his embrace. Forever.
"No!" she exclaimed. "If you do that... you'll destroy everything I wanted for us. For you. Life is worth so much more, koishii. So much more."
"Sakura..."
"You're going to have to let me go at some point or another Syaoran-kun. Sooner or later. Even if I lived, I'd die, too. With everything else, sooner or later. It just so happens that I have to go sooner than expected," she whispered.
She felt his tears flow down and felt her own bubbling up. "Don't cry, Syaoran-kun. We'll be together soon. One day...."
"I don't want another day. We're here now. You're here now."
"I have to go.."
"No."
She looked up at him. "Don't make this any harder than it already is."
"Don't go."
Just that. She would've given up eternity for him. Given up celestiality for him. But that wouldn't be fair at all. He deserved a new life. A future. He deserved LIFE. He deserved what she was not given.
He would have it all. He would live on, move on, be happy. He would get over her. Raise a family. It had all been revealed to her. And she... she had to go now.
"Syaoran-kun," she began.
"What?"
"Never forget what you see. Never forget my words. Because as long as I'm in your memories, as long as I'm in your heart, I will live always. I will love you, always, forever." she whispered. "Promise me."
His chest constricted painfully as he looked into her still-clear emerald eyes. "I... I promise," he whispered in defeat, acceptance.
"I love you. I will always and beyond forever love you. Do you understand? Know that I love you. Always. Forever. Beyond forever."
"Always, forever," he repeated. "And I.. I will love you for eternity."
"I have to go," she said. "I love you. Beyond forever."
Beyond forever.
"SAKURA!!!"
**Spread your wings and prepare to fly
For you have become a butterfly
Fly abandonedly into the sun
If you should return to me
We truly were meant to be
So spread your wings and fly... butterfly...**
People had gathered around Eriol and Tomoyo.
And then, snow began to fall.
Or was it snow?
"Hey--" Tomoyo heard someone say. "It's cherry blossoms. Falling from the sky."
She stiffened.
*Sakura...*
She leaned into Eriol, weakened.
**I have learned that beauty
has to flourish in the light
Wild horses run unbridled
or their spirit dies
You have given me the courage to be all that I can
And I do believe your heart will lead you back to me
When you're ready to land...**
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
Touya fell to the floor in defeat. "Imouto... Sakura..."
She had flatlined.
Syaoran woke up with a start. He already had tears in his eyes.
Doctors and nurses gathered around, but Syaoran knew their efforts would be futile.
*"Never forget what you see."
"Never forget my words."
"I will love you, always, forever."
"Beyond forever."*
He held her hand tightly. *And I... I will love you for eternity.*
His hand was losing his grip on her.
Then her hand slipped from his grasp completely.
And then he knew she was gone.
*I love you.*
**Spread your wings and fly... butterfly...**
--End
Author's Notes: Finally, I finished uploading "To Catch...". It was a hard journey, but I did it in time for Christmas, so this serves as my Yuletide Special.
I would like to thank the people who review me on fanfiction.net, for encouraging me to continue with this and for the compliments, I thank you all.
And also Joyce-chan, my best friend, who cried over this little piece of work. Sorry, guys. You all knew this was gonna be tragic. I told you so.
And to syaoran no hime, who I hope is okay and who Chapter 6 is dedicated to.
And to Rachelle/Luna-chan, who did the fanwork for this story.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
--kai, 122301
