"Not even the Emperor who has the riches
of the world can buy eternal life."
---Chinese Proverb

On a Wing and a Prayer
Chapter III: Nightmare

"If ever you needed us, we will be there," Eriol told her.

"Huh?" Sakura tearfully said. "You mean you cannot stay here and play with me?"

"We would love to," Tomoyo answered. "But then, Sakura, we cannot stay here."

"You can't?"

"You'll know why..." Kero smiled. "Just call our name and we will be there!"

A gust of wind then blew its way to the room. Taking the three of them away from the thin air.

"Goodbye..." she silently said. She then found herself in her bedroom, lying. The door then opened and a beautiful nurse entered the room.

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"Where is Syaoran?"

Those were the three simple words that escaped her lips. "Where is Syaoran?" But Nurse Rika just stared at her eye, tearfully.

"Where is Syaoran?" she repeated.

"He is still sleeping."

"Sleeping?"

"Yes," she nodded firmly, but there is still a tone of tremble in her voice. "Syaoran is still tired. Very tired."

"Oh, that is good!" she exclaimed with a clap. "I bet he made friends with the other ward boys that is why he is still tired. Well, I am happy for him. He won't be very sad and lonely anymore, right Nurse Rika?"

"Um...right..." Naoko weakly smiled. "Right...so now, rest, Sakura-chan. You really needed that."

"O-okay..." Sakura sighed, but deep inside she thought, "It is barely three days to my death. But...I shall be bored to death here..."

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"Kinomoto Sakura," Dr. Terada looked upon Nurse Rika. "How is she...?"

"She is very, very strange today, Terada-sensei," Nurse Rika responded. "Very, very strange..."

"What do you mean, strange?" Dr. Terada was then worried and he blurted. "More severe headaches? Glands at the back of her neck were more swollen? Fever?"

"Actually no, Terada-sensei."

"Eh...no?" Terada-sensei was puzzled. "What do you mean, 'no', Rika?"

"First thing I noticed is she is finally awake after a week sleep," she narrated. "Then...she wasn't pale. She is not in pain either..."

"W-what?"

"See it yourself, Terada-sensei..."

"Thank you, Rika-chan!" Dr. Terada smiled and dashed off to Room 390, Sakura's room.

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"Sakura...Sakura...Sakura..."

"Huh..."she stirred a bit, waking up from her sleep. "What is it?"

She opened her eyes. And there she saw the very down faces of his father, elder brother as well as Dr. Terada, the nurses, the other ward children, and of course, her best friend, Li Syaoran. Each of them is bringing her a flower---the beautiful and fair lily, the Casablancas. Its light scent is really heavenly.

"W-what is wrong?" she then felt panic. "Why are you all so sad? What is the matter with you?" then she stopped and thought. "Do they know...that I am going to die soon?"

But no one seemed to listen to whatever Sakura was saying. The nurses then shed tears, then no matter how much they tried to be real boys who wouldn't cry, they couldn't help it. Her father, her brother, Dr. Terada and Syaoran were crying.

"I do not like this," Sakura thought. All of the sudden, her father gave her his flower, he was still weeping.

"T-thank..." Before Sakura can even say thank you, the scent of the flower disappeared. She then cannot touch fragile flower's stem nor its purest petals. The flower just pass thru her hand.

"W-what is happening?!"

On and on the people were giving their flowers, crying. But Sakura can't touch a blossom nor smell one of them.

"Am I dead?" she said. "I thought I have three more days to live..."

The people then froze like mannequins and she tried touching their bodies however they were ice-cold and lifeless. They speak not a word, they hear not a sound, they see not a thing and smell not a blossom. However, water still pour down their eyes. Probably they can still feel her.

"Father?" she embraced his father's lifeless figure then looked upon the others. "Brother? Terada-sensei? Rika-san? Syaoran-kun? Everyone...? Can you---can you feel me? I want to say...I love you to each one of you."

The gust of wind then blew each of the mannequins away and shred them into a gazillion pieces of dust, immediately turning the whole place into an endless desert.

"Noooooooooooooo!" her scream echoed a million times. All hopes bid her goodbye.

The gust of wind turned himself into an endless, dark tunnel. "Sakura...Sakura...Sakura..."

"Who are you?" she fought back, bravely.

"Come inside," he said. "You do not belong here anymore..."

""Noooooooooooooo!"

"This is your fate, Sakura!" it hollered. "This isn't your world anymore. You belong with me now..."

"Noooooooooooooo! I will not go with you! I will not leave them here! I love them! And I don't want to go with you!"

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""Noooooooooooooo!"

"Sakura, it is alright..."

She opened her eyes and a pair of gentle eyes told her everything is alright now. "Terada-sensei?"

"Yes it is me," he warmly nodded. "Do not worry, everything is just a nightmare---a bad dream."

Sakura threw her hands around Dr. Terada and sobbed. "It was terrible! It was very, very terrible...I was, I was---and you were, you were..."

"Calm down, now," he embraced her back. "It is alright. Just forget about it."

Sakura calmed down for a while and then said. "If you were to die soon, Terada-sensei, what will you do...?"

"I-" Dr. Terada started with hesitation. "I'd tell my beloved how much I feel for her."

"Then? What would you wish"

"Then I would wish that she will find someone far better than me who will take care of her and love her truthfully and is willing to sacrifice himself for her sake."

"What if you found out that she loves you too?"

"Then I'd be very happy," he told her, smilingly. "And sad too..."

"Sad?"

"Yes, sad..." he sighed. "Because I couldn't be with her anymore. I couldn't share my love to her as well. And I couldn't protect her whenever she needed my help."

"Then I must be sad too?"

"Why?"

"I wouldn't last," she said quietly. "And I couldn't protect the ones I love."

"Don't say that..." Dr. Terada hopefully told her. "We shall find a bone marrow donor soon. You'll be saved."

"I-I hope so..." she breaks from his warm embrace. Sakura knew the truth. Those words stinged her heart badly.

"There, do not lose hope---"

Someone knocks from her door.

"It must be, Rika-chan," Dr. Terada smiled, a distinct trace of happiness sparkle in his eyes. "Come in."

The door opened and a pale boy with dark pair of eyes and brown hair peeped from it.

"Syaoran!" Sakura smiled.

"It is nice that you are well again, Sakura..."

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Author's notes: Hahaha...sorry if this takes a while! Anyway the suffix '-sensei' isnt just used for teachers in Japan but for high people and doctors too. Hope that helps. Anyway, updates for 'I Should Have Known' and 'Milk and Nuts' are coming up. Please, now that you are here...REVIEW !!!