Story Name: Portrait of a Cherry Blossom
Author: darkxdiamonds
Comments: Hi you people reading this! XD I hope you've enjoyed the story so far! Please include any comments in your reviews... but no flames please!
Syaoran: *whispers* She's such a wimp...
~ What! *whacks him with a frying pan* ^^ Please continue! Oh yes, and POACB is drawing to a close! Look out for the epilogue story!
Chapter Fifteen
The morning dawned earlier than expected. For Sakura, at least. She forced her eyelids open and once again felt the stabbing pain in her chest. Today's the end of it Sakura... All she wanted to do was lay in bed and cry but she knew that she couldn't. Mama...Daddy...how can I do this...? Her vision blurred and she held her knees. When Tomoyo had awakened on the bed next to her, she found Sakura's eyes dry, her hair brushed, and her clothes clean and prepared.
Meiling herself woke and when she did, a smile erupted on her face and she thought about a life besides hers and Syaoran's. I will give Akito the proper raising that any boy deserves. He will be happy. Bathing in her love and happiness, she glowed beautifully. She called for Aya to enter and help her dress and braid her hair. Today will be the final day. I won't need to be worried about anything else anymore.
-- The Courtyard --
"What? You're saying it just came today?" Syaoran was red in the face as he stared in disbelief at the boxes that stood before him. "But they were ordered over a month ago!" The man shook his head. "Well no one noticed anything wrong. You should have been here yesterday setting up the arrangements. No one else knows what should be here and what shouldn't."
Sakura tentatively made her way over. "Master...if I may suggest...the wreaths can be easily put up. There are some men here that can carry the arch and I myself can decorate with the flowers." Syaoran watched her and was silent for a while. "Yes...I'll leave you in charge of that Sakura. She nodded primly and set off. The man looked at Syaoran. "Are you sure that that is not the girl you are marrying?" Syaoran flushed. "What...what makes you think that?"
The man shook his head. "Mr. Li, love is all over the world but there are very few true and pure kind of loves. And I just saw before me one of those rare ones." Syaoran stared at him. "What...how...?"
"I have been a priest and minister for over thirty years. I have made more marriages than hairs you have on your head and I'll be damned if all but five of them were unhappy ones. What I'm saying ... is that you have one chance to love and one chance to live. There are no second chances. Make your choice." With that the priest patted him on the back and ambled off. Syaoran stared after him... "My...choice...?"
Meanwhile, Sakura had been supervising as she had been instructed. "To the left a little...we're still missing the center by five or six inches!" She sighed, frustrated at the clumsiness of the men. "Here, let me help." With her balance, the arch was finally moved to the center of the gate. "Okay, thank you all for your help!" Turning she ran her sleeve on her forehead. The day was heating up and wet skin was not going to help with the look of her clothes.
"Sakura! All the wreaths are hung up!" Tomoyo was followed by a small group of volunteers. Sakura nodded dimly at them. "Thank you all for your help." She forced a smile and a wave and turned around. Good-bye...Syaoran. This is the end of everything...
A light breeze drifted in the air and Sakura wavered unsteadily. Her head arched in one direction and she carefully walked towards a wall of trees. I'm not sure...but did I just smell...sakuras? The closer she got the more distinct the fragrance became. She grinned and felt the familiar joy she had always felt whenever she came near her most favorite flower.
-- Syaoran --
A light whiff of perfume managed to weave its way to Syaoran. He hated perfume...how could any woman bear to wear such a thing? How could others stay under the same roof as someone wearing the disgusting liquid? But he sniffed again and he realized, to his surpirse, that it was not perfume. It was the clean and fresh scent of a flower that somehow came from beyond a hidden grove of trees.
Excusing himself as politely as he could from the gathering, he slipped out from the hurry and made his way towards the trees.
-- Cherry Grove --
Sakura carefully leaned against the trunk of one of the trees. The constant drizzle of petals swirled around her and she became covered in the scented bows of the trees. Her eyes closed as she sunk into the bliss. It's like I'm dreaming...but I know I'm not. Maybe I could just...stay here? For as long as I wanted? Her eyes peered distantly at the drifting dots of pink and her senses blurred in and out as the scent of the flowers wafted around the air.
There was a small crunching and her eyes shot open. Her ears became alert and she clenched her hands. Great..who is it now? Before she could stand up straight enough, the branch next to her rocked slightly and she found herself staring at shocked amber eyes. "S..Sakura?" He couldn't believe that out of all places, she would be here. "I..I didn't expect to find you here..." At least that was the truth.
"Gomen...gomen nasai Syaoran!" She couldn't look at him. "I just found the blossoms so ... beautiful, and I had to come here. I...I'll go now." She hastily tried to slide around him, but he managed to grab her wrist first. "Sakura, wait! Aren't you even going to stay to hear what I need to ask you about?" Her cheeks blazed. "I ... I suppose..." she stammered.
She leaned once again in her comfortable position, but she couldn't help but notice how much warmer the atmosphere seemed to be. Automatically, she raised her hand to her face and she drew in a quiet breath. Her cheeks were burning. She could imagine herself, her face as red as a tomato. "Um... so what did you wish to talk about? Is there something about the preparations that are not satisfactory?" She stared at her hands the entire time.
"Actually, Sakura-chan, I must ask you about something else." How could he keep his voice so calm? He was going against everything that had been set out for him. The marriage ... the home...the life. "I think that you know by now I do not truly love Meiling. She is more like my little sister than anything. But ... as you know, she can be quite demanding." Sakura nodded briefly and blushed even deeper. "However ... my heart has been claimed by someone else." His eyes glittered like jewels and Sakura could feel her heart shattering under his hopeful gaze.
"You see, Sakura...that girl is standing right in front of me now."
An unearthly silence followed that statement. For a while, Sakura felt that it was just her, Syaoran, and the drifting petals that were there in the world. Her eyes blinked slowly and she finally raised her head and looked him in the eye. When Syaoran saw them, he was shocked to find them overflowing with tears. Tears that looked like diamonds. Trembling, he raised his arm and managed to catch one tear as it slid down her face. And Sakura blinked in wonder and fear. I...how must I tell him...that...
"Sakura will you marry me?"
An unearthly strangled sound erupted from Sakura's throat. She wept even harder and Syaoran felt small drips of water flowing from his eyes as well. "Sakura... answer me. Please."She looked at him adoringly and clenched his hand. "I will let you know that you have my heart as well. But I ... I cannot marry you!" She stood up abruptly and turned. Without looking back, she ran.
She knew that she could run for hours. It didn't matter where she went. She needed to go far away...somehow heal her broken heart. Somehow seal it from any more hurt and pain. Silenty, she dropped out of her pocket a folded sheet of paper and continued running. She wept as she ran and she wept as she ran deep into the wilderness, with no idea or sense of direction.
Syaoran stared after her for a while. When he finally looked down, he found the sheet of paper that Sakura had thrown out. Wiping his eyes, he leaned over and gently unfolded it.
Everyone falls in love sometime
Everyone falls in love somehow.
And each of these feelings is so complex...
I think I've fallen in love now.
I can see my love shining
Like diamonds in your eyes.
I can see you still smiling
As the light slowly dies.
But each love is meant to be broken
Each love has its pain.
And now those diamonds have become my tears
Without any love to gain.
Softly whispering the words to himself, Syaoran made his way back to the wedding.
[Author's Note:] Obviously in THIS story, Syaoran and Sakura don't get married. However in Portrait of a Little Wolf who knows? ;) That is the epilogue story and there will be an epilogue chapter the Portrait of a Cherry Blossom. Just look out for it soon! ~Lori
P.S. I'm really sorry to all those people who wanted them to get married in this story. But I will try my best to make it up in POALW!