DISCLAIMER: You know, you know, me NO OWN CCS, only own the songs and the
plot...Ehehe.er, hai...
Sing for Me: Chapter Fourteen: Singing My Way Back to You
"Ahh, can't believe she talked me into this..." Toya moaned sulkily. Yukito gave him a soft, encouraging smile.
"It's not that bad Toya; it is for Sakura-chan," Yukito added. Toya's otherwise grim expression softened noticeably at the mention of his imouto, who, he swore silently, better be happy after this escapade or someone would end up with a few broken bones and missing teeth...someone with amber eyes. As his thoughts turned to the little wolf, his visage deadpanned visibly, disturbed. Yukito, knowing Toya better than anyone, laughed aloud, earning him a glare; he knew what he was thinking.
"Hai, hai, for the kaiju," Toya mumbled as they made their way to their 'posts' as Tomoyo had politically called them.
"You see them?" Eriol asked, arms crossed, a pensive look on his face.
"Hai, they're both in place...now all we can do is wait," Tomoyo affirmed and gave a silent prayer in her heart. This just had to work...it had to.
"Kinomoto-san, you're on in one minute," the stage manager called, giving a friendly and encouraging smile.
"Arigato Chiharu-chan," Sakura smiled back, her cheerful pretense being enough to fool anyone not close to her.
Koi moved like a lethal wave of femininity through the crowd with her horde of super model elitists flanking her sides in a picturesquely irritating fashion. She stopped; they stopped. She turned; they turned. It was like one of those incredibly creepy eighties horror zombie films, but without the perks of the whole thing being an act; this was real, this was Koi and company, and this was the set-off of Tomoyo and Eriol's grand scheme...
"Taoski-san, are you looking for your seat?" Toya materialized apart from the bulk of the crowd and stood there, easily slipping into the role given him: stoic usher. Koi glanced up, her eyes roaming in an openly appreciative manner over Toya before letting her darkly painted lips curl up in a deceptively kind smile.
"Hai, arigato. I assume you are going to show me?" she sauntered over to Toya who had to muster up an inward image of Yuki to keep from strangling the woman right there. What a snake...he thought absently as he led her and her cronies to their 'box seats'. He let a slight smile slip through; this was a show even he wanted to see up close.
"Hai, now Kinomoto," Chiharu called as she set to work on the power board. Sakura walked out on the curtained stage, clad in a light pink satin top, sleeveless and form fitting, with a definite Asian styled crossover with ties and light silver cherry blossom designs. This she wore with contrastingly black satin pants that ended in black lining about mid-shin, small satin black, flat shoes adorning her feet. In her hair she wore a barrette to clip some of her hair in place, decorated with a delicate cherry blossom to correspond with the rest of her original Daidouji outfit. She smiled a soft and real smile to herself; this one had to be one of the very least flamboyant ones ever.
She readied herself.
The Curtain went up.
The lights went on.
And the music started.
"If we could only say what we meant
Our hearts could be set free
And then love's fantasy could be real
Even for two, like you and me.
Why all these masks and games?
If we love truly now
Can't we discard the false names?
Why don't we see just how?
Moving through endlessly evoking rhythm
I pray for the moment when stars are as bright
As my love so mistakenly hidden
Our hearts will give approval in the night..."
Sakura readied herself for the next verse, seeing all the people in the crowd, smiling at them, not even allowing her smile to falter when her eyes fell upon Koi. She would not let that woman ruin her in anyway, mentally or physically. Most definitely she would never let that woman distract her from pleasing her fans, for they were her support, her many encouraging smiles on her melodic road of heartened purpose. Lifting her hands in a kind of embracive gesture, she opened her mouth softly to sing the next words...
And the lights went out.
There was a sudden hush where there had once been soft hurrahing for "Cherry" for maybe a split second. Then a deep voice of sensual and sincere timbre graced the airwaves and Sakura was enveloped in warm arms and the lights flew up as the 'mystery man' sang the second verse of HER song while holding her lovingly, lightly, far enough apart that the two could look each other in the eyes, one thoroughly startled, the other internally fervently praying for this to work.
This was the only thing he could do for her...sing for her.
"There must have been an old rhyme
That taught the successful love story way
And cleared the tribulations of time
Making them dissolve like night into day
Emotions I once would have pushed aside
I've been told by a friend
Are unwise to foolishly hide
When a fairy tale love is the desired end
Moving through endlessly evoking rhythm
I pray for the moment when stars are as bright
As my love so mistakenly hidden
Our hearts will give approval in the night..."
Syaoran distanced himself from Sakura, arms length being the furthest he could push her. He whispered, but the microphone picked it up:
"Sing for me?" he implored.
She sang.
"So even though the stars aren't always in line
Even though there's differences setting us apart
We know that our love will sing just fine
It's still here in the endless night, and in my heart," she
smiled at him and stepped a bit closer as there was a convenient instrumental break, in which, the crowd took it upon themselves to encourage two of the most perfect looking lovers since the beginning of any fairy tales.
"Kiss, kiss, kiss!" they chanted...well, some of them. Koi sat there, in her front seat, right near the stage, fuming. Her colleagues, each a snoop in his or own way, were chuckling derisively at her. Her face burned. This was humiliation...and Koi did not take kindly to it. Standing up, ignoring the shouts of indignant people behind her who were trying to see the unfolding romance on stage, she stalked out of the concert hall into a back corridor...
Meanwhile, Sakura covered her microphone deftly with her hand.
"Why?" she asked simply. Syaoran's eyes were an uneasy ocean of amber and she was still reluctant to fully believe the possibility he could love her enough to come back to her. Syaoran didn't even bother to cover his microphone, so the audience ended up deducting for themselves what Sakura had said.
"Because I love you the most I have ever loved anyone, you are the only one, and," he paused as his speech was cut short by the impending chorus. Sakura too noticed it, as it was her song anyway, and nodded to him softly.
They sang. It was the same tune as the chorus, but the words had changed and it was done twice.
"I'm praying still
But in the moonlight there's a new reason
There's a strength in my will
Because the love I have found is the same any season
There's no more questioning of 'Will you?"
Only the wondering of what we'll come across
I know it now as an unyielding truth
Neither of us will ever be lost."
As the music faded, the band ignored their time cues and stopped playing altogether, watching their beloved Cherry Blossom being veritably proposed to on stage...well, not that far, but if anyone were to ask Tomoyo---who was avidly taping this entire thing---she would say that a confession of true love was worth a thousand legal marriages. And as Tomoyo had a knack for being, she would have been right.
"Sakura, Cherry, Hisui," Syaoran smiled a bit at the last one when Sakura gave a start of mild surprise. "There are matches for everyone in the world, soul mates, destined ones. And while it was Hiiragizawa's idea to name our shop Destiny, I believe in it every bit as much as he does..." he paused and Sakura saw him searching for brief permission to continue. She simply lifted her hand to his and held it up slightly, kissing the palm once, affectionately, like the child she was at heart, innocent but not ignorant.
"Continue," she smiled and the audience gave a favorable sound of muddled "Yeah!" and other things.
"And believing in it, I know that you are mine, my little cherry blossom, and that's why I can't let anyone else have you, no matter what. Of course, for that to happen, I need you to forgive me...Sakura, please?" As he finished, he took both of her hands in his and looked at her imploringly, intensely, sincerely. All the girls in the audience quite literally sighed in unison, making Eriol chuckle. He probably has a million girls in love with him after THAT speech, Eriol thought amusedly, his gaze softening as his eyes turned upon Tomoyo who was, as said before, taping the whole thing, standing beside him. She really was exquisite.
And he had the feeling she knew he thought that way of her.
On stage Sakura looked suddenly pensive.
"I can't forgive you." Her words rang across the room, and everyone quite nearly stopped breathing. Eriol's eyes flashed in surprise and worry. Tomoyo nearly dropped her camera and let a soft gasp out. Koi, rampaging to get back stage stopped momentarily, dark hope spanning her awful thoughts.
Syaoran's eyes became darkly hurt as he softly pulled his hands away and averted his eyes from her.
She was too beautiful.
Her eyes, her heart, her purity, her goodness, everything about her, he adored, cherished, loved. Her feisty behavior at times, and her endless kindness at others...all these things he had memorized about her in his heart.
Sakura, Cherry Blossom, was forever imprinted into his soul.
And she had just told him she couldn't forgive him.
For the first time, even though he stood to his promise mentally, he would not give up, he still felt a painful stab in his heart of impending defeat.
Can't.
Can't?
"Never?" he asked softly. Sakura's green eyes were expressionless as she shook her head, her honey colored hair falling haphazardly in the way of them as she affirmed that question.
"Never," she replied.
There was deadly cold silence.
"Yet I must still ask," Syaoran persisted, heart wrenching unfamiliarly and unpleasantly.
"You needn't," Sakura's eyes became brighter and she let a small smile slip.
"Wha--?" Syaoran was cut off as she stood on her tip toes and graced his surprised lips with a sweet and innocent kiss, just like her.
"I can never forgive you...again, because I forgave you the moment I saw you. Your request was a tad late," she grinned.
The little wolf's eyes brightened as well as her meaning dawned on him and he laughed a melodious and delighted laugh, deep and pleasant, picking her up in his arms, holding her around the waist and spinning her around as she held on lightly to his shoulders, laughing in her own musical way.
The crowd roared immensely, shouting a myriad of encouragements.
Tomoyo and Eriol turned simultaneously to each other.
This was good.
This was very good.
However...there was still one more part of the plan...
Toya found Koi, as Tomoyo had told him she would be, back stage without a pass, stomping towards the stage itself. Watching her, he saw her enter the door to the center stage. Unclipping the cell phone from his waist, he called Yukito.
"Yuki?"
"Hai Toya?"
"She's in."
"Hai."
Koi was past furious. How dare the child steal him from her? Sakura was unqualified for a man like Syaoran, Koi thought. I can steal him back in front of all her little fans, she thought more vehemently. That should put her in her place, star or not, she is no match for Japan's top super model, and with that thought, Koi smugly and confidently strode out on stage...after hitting the lights out.
There were gasps. This wasn't supposed to happen, Tomoyo thought worriedly and felt Eriol's hand wrap around hers comfortingly. Zettai daijoubu dai yo, she thought repeatedly.
Toya cursed. Damn woman, he growled as he fumbled for the lights...and as they went on there was a gasp again from the audience, but this time it was horrified.
Koi stood there, somehow having separated Sakura and Syaoran, her hands framing his face as she kissed him, in front of everyone, with little heed of the scene she was making, her objective being more important: steal Syaoran back.
"Syaoran is mine," Koi said simply to Sakura who looked at Syaoran who was trying desperately to disentangle himself from the woman spider attached to him, staring deeply and sincerely asking into Sakura's green eyes. She found her answer in them easily enough though. Walking in typical soft footed Sakura fashion, she made her way composedly up to Koi who let Syaoran go in prospect for telling Sakura off. Syaoran sent up a divine prayer and brushed his shirt off, as though he could rid it of all traces of Koi-ishness. He glared at Koi and strode toward her with irate purpose when...
SLAP!
Koi hit Sakura across the face, Sakura's head snapping delicately to the side. There was a slight red mark and Sakura turned her head gingerly back to stare at Koi thoughtfully.
And as Sakura tended to do, she said two words:
"I'm sorry."
"NANIIIIII?" Toya screeched off stage, Yukito sweat dropping profusely while trying to get him to calm down and not commit a federal crime, even though he normally wouldn't mind: Kill Koi.
"What do you mean?" Koi asked warily. Syaoran too had stopped in his tracks and waited for Sakura's answer.
"I'm sorry you're so unhappy, so lost, and hope one say you find yourself, for real," Sakura said sadly, staring with undeniable pity in her wise emerald eyes before moving to Syaoran who embraced her tightly.
"You know I didn't---" Syaoran began but Sakura put two fingers to his lips.
"I know," was all she said, but it was enough. Koi turned on her heel to assault Sakura again, black fire in her eyes when there were more foot steps and police came on stage, one holding a few papers in his hand.
"Taoski Koi?" he asked. Koi turned inquiringly to him.
"Hai, that's me," she said.
"We're here to place you under arrest," he said.
"Excuse me?" she was the picture of utter indignant and profoundly mortified disbelief.
"For embezzling great sums of money from countless bachelors, you've got quite the reputation Taoski," the officer grinned smugly as he cuffed her hands as she continued to stare numbly at him and the other police.
"Ah, sweet gratification," Tomoyo sighed as she filmed the segment she planned to entitle: The Slaying of the Evil Snake...she had decided dragons were too good for Koi, even the evil ones.
"Hai, after digging up reputable and credible dirt on her, we were able to slay the snake, ne? And look at the grin on Syaoran's face...he looks nearly as happy as he did when Sakura kissed him...a bit more sardonic of course," Eriol added thoughtfully.
Tomoyo smiled. This was perfect.
She finished filming as the police took a loudly ranting Koi away in handcuffs, obscenities lacing the air as well as many chuckles throughout the crowd.
"KISS!" The crowd shouted when Sakura and Syaoran were the only ones left on stage.
"NO, DON'T YOU DARE!" Toya stomped out on stage in typical older brother 'Touch my sister again and die' mode. Luckily, he was retrieved by a flustered looking Yukito who dragged a kicking Toya off stage.
"Well, these fans are like my customers," Sakura began and Syaoran picked up the American phrase she was about to say...
"And the customer is always right, ne?" he smiled.
"Hai, I think so my little wolf," she returned the warm look. The audience inserted the expected "Awww," and "KAWAIIIIII!"
And they kissed.
Fireworks went off somewhere in China.
But the big fireworks were right on stage, in two hearts, one of a cherry blossom, and one of a little wolf.
So love had turned out to be a journey, an adventure of sorts. There had been snakes to slay, a prince, a princess, two scheming best friends of no particular fairy tale title other than 'advisors', and of course...
A happily ever after.
"So, do you love me?" Syaoran asked as they broke the kiss.
Their lips met again and that was all the answer he needed as he held her closer to him, to his physical self of course, but more importantly, closer, closer to his heart.
And it had never felt so pleasantly full...
Filled to the brim with a Cherry Blossom.
Just one.
Just Sakura.
Just his Sakura.
And somehow, it didn't seem like it was 'just' anything anymore.
Instead it was: My Sakura.
"You know," he smiled down at her, both having forgotten the avid audience they had. "I'm still on my promise; I'll never let you go, you are mine."
"It's a mutual agreement," Sakura entwined her fingers with his.
"It's perfect isn't it?" Eriol asked softly, watching the lovers face the audience, Syaoran blushing madly---something Eriol had never seen him do--- and Sakura smiling brighter than she had ever done, outshining Eriol suspected, any sun or moon in this world. That was Sakura, that was why everyone loved her in their own way if they really knew her. Of course, romantically...he had his eye on someone else. He turned to Tomoyo who was avidly finishing taping and smiled and sighed. Some other time, he would have to tell her...
"Hai. You know Eriol," she said, still filming, "I think this is better than any Cinderella story," she let a Tomoyo trademark grin spread across her beautiful face, still hidden by the camera.
Then, Tomoyo zoomed in on Sakura and Syaoran, their fingers elegantly and lovingly laced together, letting it gradually fade to black. This was the end.
Then as she lowered her camera and watched the wolf and cherry blossom, she shook her head absently.
It wasn't 'just' the end.
It was the end of a beginning.
Her gaze turned softly to Eriol.
And maybe not just for Sakura and Syaoran either.
After all, best friends deserve happily ever after too. Her violet-blue eyes sparkled and Eriol smiled.
Did they suspect another fairy tale emerging, perhaps their own?
They mimicked their friends' actions and laced their fingers together slightly, slowly.
A floaty warmth spread in their hearts, one they had just witnessed their friends show gargantuan proportions of on stage.
Only the two best friends were abit quicker, and recognized it for what it was...
"So my lady, might you accompany out to a night of dining?" Eriol kissed Tomoyo's hand playfully.
"Sounds divine my lord," she winked, equally as playfully before both broke out into contented laughter and discreetly exited the concert hall.
Syaoran and Sakura watched the two leave.
"I still have a concert to finish," Sakura began to push Syaoran off the stage forcibly, smiling all the way as the crowd agreed, but laughed too at Syaoran's predicament.
"But, but, we've just confessed our love for one another, don't you think you could, you know, reschedule or something?" the little wolf asked sulkily. Sakura merely batted his arm softly.
"Iie, go now, sit up front where I can stare lovingly at you when I sing for you," she commanded, making a pretense of royal air.
"Hai, your majesty, demo, you'll sing for me?" he asked.
"Hai," she paused before running back to center stage and then shouted over her shoulder, "I always have."
As Syaoran settled into his seat, he watched her begin to dance as the music struck up again, fast beat and upbeat, just like her genki/ eternally bright and uplifting light attitude, which was the embodiment of his Sakura. Light.
She sang:
"Soar with me now up into the sky
Isn't it nice this wind, this high?
It's natural and beautiful to feel
There's a dream in it and it's real
You're that dream
That makes me know everything'll be all right
You're the one that makes it seem
This life is full of uplifting light
*So let me tell you we can't fail
We're not letting go this time my love
Don't you know this is our fairy tale?
Only we can decide what our heart's are made of!
It's no secret that you're apart of me
If you never said it, that's the thing that's divine
Words aren't needed to let me see
I'm yours and you're mine
Always, always I am thinking of you
As our love grows the time is becoming more often
Be my angel my darling as I am yours too
It's not so bad letting our hearts soften...
*So let me tell you we can't fail
We're not letting go this time my love
Don't you know this is our fairy tale?
Only we can decide what our heart's are made of!
Threatening trials can't stop us, no!
This is love, not some idle passion or fluke
Up to heaven's the only place we can go
And when I'm with you I'm not even sure we need to...
Because with you I am at ease
With a serenity of the loving peace
As long as we're together I'm easy to please
With you, my heart will never need release
*So let me tell you we can't fail
We're not letting go this time my love
Don't you know this is our fairy tale?
Only we can decide what our heart's are made of!
Because it's up to us my darling,
See the rainbow up ahead?
Because it's up to us my darling,
That's what I've always said...
You know it's true,
Because you know my darling,
I love you!"
The crowd cheered, none louder than Syaoran though, and Sakura flashed him a radiantly divine smile of love, and he committed that to his memory too, as he had done of every glance she had ever given him.
Sure it wasn't necessary, since they would be together, he could see the real thing every day of his natural born life...
But love is a funny thing...
And he blithely ignored that fact and continued throughout her performance to study his Angel's perfection as she sang for him and he whispered absently to himself as he listened to the last trailing words at the finale of the performance an hour later:
"You sang for me."
------------------------------------------ REVIEW PLEASE!
^_~ That was the longest one yet. I hope you liked it. Should I write another CCS fanfiction? REVIEW and let me know.
Love you all, thanks so much for all your lovely reviews, they mean the world to me. ^_^_^_^_^_^ So, as I said before:
IF YOU THINK I SHOULD WRITE ANOTHER CCS FIC, REVIEW. Onegai?
Arigato minna-san.
-Kaji Hikage
Sing for Me: Chapter Fourteen: Singing My Way Back to You
"Ahh, can't believe she talked me into this..." Toya moaned sulkily. Yukito gave him a soft, encouraging smile.
"It's not that bad Toya; it is for Sakura-chan," Yukito added. Toya's otherwise grim expression softened noticeably at the mention of his imouto, who, he swore silently, better be happy after this escapade or someone would end up with a few broken bones and missing teeth...someone with amber eyes. As his thoughts turned to the little wolf, his visage deadpanned visibly, disturbed. Yukito, knowing Toya better than anyone, laughed aloud, earning him a glare; he knew what he was thinking.
"Hai, hai, for the kaiju," Toya mumbled as they made their way to their 'posts' as Tomoyo had politically called them.
"You see them?" Eriol asked, arms crossed, a pensive look on his face.
"Hai, they're both in place...now all we can do is wait," Tomoyo affirmed and gave a silent prayer in her heart. This just had to work...it had to.
"Kinomoto-san, you're on in one minute," the stage manager called, giving a friendly and encouraging smile.
"Arigato Chiharu-chan," Sakura smiled back, her cheerful pretense being enough to fool anyone not close to her.
Koi moved like a lethal wave of femininity through the crowd with her horde of super model elitists flanking her sides in a picturesquely irritating fashion. She stopped; they stopped. She turned; they turned. It was like one of those incredibly creepy eighties horror zombie films, but without the perks of the whole thing being an act; this was real, this was Koi and company, and this was the set-off of Tomoyo and Eriol's grand scheme...
"Taoski-san, are you looking for your seat?" Toya materialized apart from the bulk of the crowd and stood there, easily slipping into the role given him: stoic usher. Koi glanced up, her eyes roaming in an openly appreciative manner over Toya before letting her darkly painted lips curl up in a deceptively kind smile.
"Hai, arigato. I assume you are going to show me?" she sauntered over to Toya who had to muster up an inward image of Yuki to keep from strangling the woman right there. What a snake...he thought absently as he led her and her cronies to their 'box seats'. He let a slight smile slip through; this was a show even he wanted to see up close.
"Hai, now Kinomoto," Chiharu called as she set to work on the power board. Sakura walked out on the curtained stage, clad in a light pink satin top, sleeveless and form fitting, with a definite Asian styled crossover with ties and light silver cherry blossom designs. This she wore with contrastingly black satin pants that ended in black lining about mid-shin, small satin black, flat shoes adorning her feet. In her hair she wore a barrette to clip some of her hair in place, decorated with a delicate cherry blossom to correspond with the rest of her original Daidouji outfit. She smiled a soft and real smile to herself; this one had to be one of the very least flamboyant ones ever.
She readied herself.
The Curtain went up.
The lights went on.
And the music started.
"If we could only say what we meant
Our hearts could be set free
And then love's fantasy could be real
Even for two, like you and me.
Why all these masks and games?
If we love truly now
Can't we discard the false names?
Why don't we see just how?
Moving through endlessly evoking rhythm
I pray for the moment when stars are as bright
As my love so mistakenly hidden
Our hearts will give approval in the night..."
Sakura readied herself for the next verse, seeing all the people in the crowd, smiling at them, not even allowing her smile to falter when her eyes fell upon Koi. She would not let that woman ruin her in anyway, mentally or physically. Most definitely she would never let that woman distract her from pleasing her fans, for they were her support, her many encouraging smiles on her melodic road of heartened purpose. Lifting her hands in a kind of embracive gesture, she opened her mouth softly to sing the next words...
And the lights went out.
There was a sudden hush where there had once been soft hurrahing for "Cherry" for maybe a split second. Then a deep voice of sensual and sincere timbre graced the airwaves and Sakura was enveloped in warm arms and the lights flew up as the 'mystery man' sang the second verse of HER song while holding her lovingly, lightly, far enough apart that the two could look each other in the eyes, one thoroughly startled, the other internally fervently praying for this to work.
This was the only thing he could do for her...sing for her.
"There must have been an old rhyme
That taught the successful love story way
And cleared the tribulations of time
Making them dissolve like night into day
Emotions I once would have pushed aside
I've been told by a friend
Are unwise to foolishly hide
When a fairy tale love is the desired end
Moving through endlessly evoking rhythm
I pray for the moment when stars are as bright
As my love so mistakenly hidden
Our hearts will give approval in the night..."
Syaoran distanced himself from Sakura, arms length being the furthest he could push her. He whispered, but the microphone picked it up:
"Sing for me?" he implored.
She sang.
"So even though the stars aren't always in line
Even though there's differences setting us apart
We know that our love will sing just fine
It's still here in the endless night, and in my heart," she
smiled at him and stepped a bit closer as there was a convenient instrumental break, in which, the crowd took it upon themselves to encourage two of the most perfect looking lovers since the beginning of any fairy tales.
"Kiss, kiss, kiss!" they chanted...well, some of them. Koi sat there, in her front seat, right near the stage, fuming. Her colleagues, each a snoop in his or own way, were chuckling derisively at her. Her face burned. This was humiliation...and Koi did not take kindly to it. Standing up, ignoring the shouts of indignant people behind her who were trying to see the unfolding romance on stage, she stalked out of the concert hall into a back corridor...
Meanwhile, Sakura covered her microphone deftly with her hand.
"Why?" she asked simply. Syaoran's eyes were an uneasy ocean of amber and she was still reluctant to fully believe the possibility he could love her enough to come back to her. Syaoran didn't even bother to cover his microphone, so the audience ended up deducting for themselves what Sakura had said.
"Because I love you the most I have ever loved anyone, you are the only one, and," he paused as his speech was cut short by the impending chorus. Sakura too noticed it, as it was her song anyway, and nodded to him softly.
They sang. It was the same tune as the chorus, but the words had changed and it was done twice.
"I'm praying still
But in the moonlight there's a new reason
There's a strength in my will
Because the love I have found is the same any season
There's no more questioning of 'Will you?"
Only the wondering of what we'll come across
I know it now as an unyielding truth
Neither of us will ever be lost."
As the music faded, the band ignored their time cues and stopped playing altogether, watching their beloved Cherry Blossom being veritably proposed to on stage...well, not that far, but if anyone were to ask Tomoyo---who was avidly taping this entire thing---she would say that a confession of true love was worth a thousand legal marriages. And as Tomoyo had a knack for being, she would have been right.
"Sakura, Cherry, Hisui," Syaoran smiled a bit at the last one when Sakura gave a start of mild surprise. "There are matches for everyone in the world, soul mates, destined ones. And while it was Hiiragizawa's idea to name our shop Destiny, I believe in it every bit as much as he does..." he paused and Sakura saw him searching for brief permission to continue. She simply lifted her hand to his and held it up slightly, kissing the palm once, affectionately, like the child she was at heart, innocent but not ignorant.
"Continue," she smiled and the audience gave a favorable sound of muddled "Yeah!" and other things.
"And believing in it, I know that you are mine, my little cherry blossom, and that's why I can't let anyone else have you, no matter what. Of course, for that to happen, I need you to forgive me...Sakura, please?" As he finished, he took both of her hands in his and looked at her imploringly, intensely, sincerely. All the girls in the audience quite literally sighed in unison, making Eriol chuckle. He probably has a million girls in love with him after THAT speech, Eriol thought amusedly, his gaze softening as his eyes turned upon Tomoyo who was, as said before, taping the whole thing, standing beside him. She really was exquisite.
And he had the feeling she knew he thought that way of her.
On stage Sakura looked suddenly pensive.
"I can't forgive you." Her words rang across the room, and everyone quite nearly stopped breathing. Eriol's eyes flashed in surprise and worry. Tomoyo nearly dropped her camera and let a soft gasp out. Koi, rampaging to get back stage stopped momentarily, dark hope spanning her awful thoughts.
Syaoran's eyes became darkly hurt as he softly pulled his hands away and averted his eyes from her.
She was too beautiful.
Her eyes, her heart, her purity, her goodness, everything about her, he adored, cherished, loved. Her feisty behavior at times, and her endless kindness at others...all these things he had memorized about her in his heart.
Sakura, Cherry Blossom, was forever imprinted into his soul.
And she had just told him she couldn't forgive him.
For the first time, even though he stood to his promise mentally, he would not give up, he still felt a painful stab in his heart of impending defeat.
Can't.
Can't?
"Never?" he asked softly. Sakura's green eyes were expressionless as she shook her head, her honey colored hair falling haphazardly in the way of them as she affirmed that question.
"Never," she replied.
There was deadly cold silence.
"Yet I must still ask," Syaoran persisted, heart wrenching unfamiliarly and unpleasantly.
"You needn't," Sakura's eyes became brighter and she let a small smile slip.
"Wha--?" Syaoran was cut off as she stood on her tip toes and graced his surprised lips with a sweet and innocent kiss, just like her.
"I can never forgive you...again, because I forgave you the moment I saw you. Your request was a tad late," she grinned.
The little wolf's eyes brightened as well as her meaning dawned on him and he laughed a melodious and delighted laugh, deep and pleasant, picking her up in his arms, holding her around the waist and spinning her around as she held on lightly to his shoulders, laughing in her own musical way.
The crowd roared immensely, shouting a myriad of encouragements.
Tomoyo and Eriol turned simultaneously to each other.
This was good.
This was very good.
However...there was still one more part of the plan...
Toya found Koi, as Tomoyo had told him she would be, back stage without a pass, stomping towards the stage itself. Watching her, he saw her enter the door to the center stage. Unclipping the cell phone from his waist, he called Yukito.
"Yuki?"
"Hai Toya?"
"She's in."
"Hai."
Koi was past furious. How dare the child steal him from her? Sakura was unqualified for a man like Syaoran, Koi thought. I can steal him back in front of all her little fans, she thought more vehemently. That should put her in her place, star or not, she is no match for Japan's top super model, and with that thought, Koi smugly and confidently strode out on stage...after hitting the lights out.
There were gasps. This wasn't supposed to happen, Tomoyo thought worriedly and felt Eriol's hand wrap around hers comfortingly. Zettai daijoubu dai yo, she thought repeatedly.
Toya cursed. Damn woman, he growled as he fumbled for the lights...and as they went on there was a gasp again from the audience, but this time it was horrified.
Koi stood there, somehow having separated Sakura and Syaoran, her hands framing his face as she kissed him, in front of everyone, with little heed of the scene she was making, her objective being more important: steal Syaoran back.
"Syaoran is mine," Koi said simply to Sakura who looked at Syaoran who was trying desperately to disentangle himself from the woman spider attached to him, staring deeply and sincerely asking into Sakura's green eyes. She found her answer in them easily enough though. Walking in typical soft footed Sakura fashion, she made her way composedly up to Koi who let Syaoran go in prospect for telling Sakura off. Syaoran sent up a divine prayer and brushed his shirt off, as though he could rid it of all traces of Koi-ishness. He glared at Koi and strode toward her with irate purpose when...
SLAP!
Koi hit Sakura across the face, Sakura's head snapping delicately to the side. There was a slight red mark and Sakura turned her head gingerly back to stare at Koi thoughtfully.
And as Sakura tended to do, she said two words:
"I'm sorry."
"NANIIIIII?" Toya screeched off stage, Yukito sweat dropping profusely while trying to get him to calm down and not commit a federal crime, even though he normally wouldn't mind: Kill Koi.
"What do you mean?" Koi asked warily. Syaoran too had stopped in his tracks and waited for Sakura's answer.
"I'm sorry you're so unhappy, so lost, and hope one say you find yourself, for real," Sakura said sadly, staring with undeniable pity in her wise emerald eyes before moving to Syaoran who embraced her tightly.
"You know I didn't---" Syaoran began but Sakura put two fingers to his lips.
"I know," was all she said, but it was enough. Koi turned on her heel to assault Sakura again, black fire in her eyes when there were more foot steps and police came on stage, one holding a few papers in his hand.
"Taoski Koi?" he asked. Koi turned inquiringly to him.
"Hai, that's me," she said.
"We're here to place you under arrest," he said.
"Excuse me?" she was the picture of utter indignant and profoundly mortified disbelief.
"For embezzling great sums of money from countless bachelors, you've got quite the reputation Taoski," the officer grinned smugly as he cuffed her hands as she continued to stare numbly at him and the other police.
"Ah, sweet gratification," Tomoyo sighed as she filmed the segment she planned to entitle: The Slaying of the Evil Snake...she had decided dragons were too good for Koi, even the evil ones.
"Hai, after digging up reputable and credible dirt on her, we were able to slay the snake, ne? And look at the grin on Syaoran's face...he looks nearly as happy as he did when Sakura kissed him...a bit more sardonic of course," Eriol added thoughtfully.
Tomoyo smiled. This was perfect.
She finished filming as the police took a loudly ranting Koi away in handcuffs, obscenities lacing the air as well as many chuckles throughout the crowd.
"KISS!" The crowd shouted when Sakura and Syaoran were the only ones left on stage.
"NO, DON'T YOU DARE!" Toya stomped out on stage in typical older brother 'Touch my sister again and die' mode. Luckily, he was retrieved by a flustered looking Yukito who dragged a kicking Toya off stage.
"Well, these fans are like my customers," Sakura began and Syaoran picked up the American phrase she was about to say...
"And the customer is always right, ne?" he smiled.
"Hai, I think so my little wolf," she returned the warm look. The audience inserted the expected "Awww," and "KAWAIIIIII!"
And they kissed.
Fireworks went off somewhere in China.
But the big fireworks were right on stage, in two hearts, one of a cherry blossom, and one of a little wolf.
So love had turned out to be a journey, an adventure of sorts. There had been snakes to slay, a prince, a princess, two scheming best friends of no particular fairy tale title other than 'advisors', and of course...
A happily ever after.
"So, do you love me?" Syaoran asked as they broke the kiss.
Their lips met again and that was all the answer he needed as he held her closer to him, to his physical self of course, but more importantly, closer, closer to his heart.
And it had never felt so pleasantly full...
Filled to the brim with a Cherry Blossom.
Just one.
Just Sakura.
Just his Sakura.
And somehow, it didn't seem like it was 'just' anything anymore.
Instead it was: My Sakura.
"You know," he smiled down at her, both having forgotten the avid audience they had. "I'm still on my promise; I'll never let you go, you are mine."
"It's a mutual agreement," Sakura entwined her fingers with his.
"It's perfect isn't it?" Eriol asked softly, watching the lovers face the audience, Syaoran blushing madly---something Eriol had never seen him do--- and Sakura smiling brighter than she had ever done, outshining Eriol suspected, any sun or moon in this world. That was Sakura, that was why everyone loved her in their own way if they really knew her. Of course, romantically...he had his eye on someone else. He turned to Tomoyo who was avidly finishing taping and smiled and sighed. Some other time, he would have to tell her...
"Hai. You know Eriol," she said, still filming, "I think this is better than any Cinderella story," she let a Tomoyo trademark grin spread across her beautiful face, still hidden by the camera.
Then, Tomoyo zoomed in on Sakura and Syaoran, their fingers elegantly and lovingly laced together, letting it gradually fade to black. This was the end.
Then as she lowered her camera and watched the wolf and cherry blossom, she shook her head absently.
It wasn't 'just' the end.
It was the end of a beginning.
Her gaze turned softly to Eriol.
And maybe not just for Sakura and Syaoran either.
After all, best friends deserve happily ever after too. Her violet-blue eyes sparkled and Eriol smiled.
Did they suspect another fairy tale emerging, perhaps their own?
They mimicked their friends' actions and laced their fingers together slightly, slowly.
A floaty warmth spread in their hearts, one they had just witnessed their friends show gargantuan proportions of on stage.
Only the two best friends were abit quicker, and recognized it for what it was...
"So my lady, might you accompany out to a night of dining?" Eriol kissed Tomoyo's hand playfully.
"Sounds divine my lord," she winked, equally as playfully before both broke out into contented laughter and discreetly exited the concert hall.
Syaoran and Sakura watched the two leave.
"I still have a concert to finish," Sakura began to push Syaoran off the stage forcibly, smiling all the way as the crowd agreed, but laughed too at Syaoran's predicament.
"But, but, we've just confessed our love for one another, don't you think you could, you know, reschedule or something?" the little wolf asked sulkily. Sakura merely batted his arm softly.
"Iie, go now, sit up front where I can stare lovingly at you when I sing for you," she commanded, making a pretense of royal air.
"Hai, your majesty, demo, you'll sing for me?" he asked.
"Hai," she paused before running back to center stage and then shouted over her shoulder, "I always have."
As Syaoran settled into his seat, he watched her begin to dance as the music struck up again, fast beat and upbeat, just like her genki/ eternally bright and uplifting light attitude, which was the embodiment of his Sakura. Light.
She sang:
"Soar with me now up into the sky
Isn't it nice this wind, this high?
It's natural and beautiful to feel
There's a dream in it and it's real
You're that dream
That makes me know everything'll be all right
You're the one that makes it seem
This life is full of uplifting light
*So let me tell you we can't fail
We're not letting go this time my love
Don't you know this is our fairy tale?
Only we can decide what our heart's are made of!
It's no secret that you're apart of me
If you never said it, that's the thing that's divine
Words aren't needed to let me see
I'm yours and you're mine
Always, always I am thinking of you
As our love grows the time is becoming more often
Be my angel my darling as I am yours too
It's not so bad letting our hearts soften...
*So let me tell you we can't fail
We're not letting go this time my love
Don't you know this is our fairy tale?
Only we can decide what our heart's are made of!
Threatening trials can't stop us, no!
This is love, not some idle passion or fluke
Up to heaven's the only place we can go
And when I'm with you I'm not even sure we need to...
Because with you I am at ease
With a serenity of the loving peace
As long as we're together I'm easy to please
With you, my heart will never need release
*So let me tell you we can't fail
We're not letting go this time my love
Don't you know this is our fairy tale?
Only we can decide what our heart's are made of!
Because it's up to us my darling,
See the rainbow up ahead?
Because it's up to us my darling,
That's what I've always said...
You know it's true,
Because you know my darling,
I love you!"
The crowd cheered, none louder than Syaoran though, and Sakura flashed him a radiantly divine smile of love, and he committed that to his memory too, as he had done of every glance she had ever given him.
Sure it wasn't necessary, since they would be together, he could see the real thing every day of his natural born life...
But love is a funny thing...
And he blithely ignored that fact and continued throughout her performance to study his Angel's perfection as she sang for him and he whispered absently to himself as he listened to the last trailing words at the finale of the performance an hour later:
"You sang for me."
------------------------------------------ REVIEW PLEASE!
^_~ That was the longest one yet. I hope you liked it. Should I write another CCS fanfiction? REVIEW and let me know.
Love you all, thanks so much for all your lovely reviews, they mean the world to me. ^_^_^_^_^_^ So, as I said before:
IF YOU THINK I SHOULD WRITE ANOTHER CCS FIC, REVIEW. Onegai?
Arigato minna-san.
-Kaji Hikage