Menagerie: {Chapter Two}

The sun beamed brightly upon Tomoeda the next day. The fake smile Tomoyo had used so often around her mother was replaced by an authentic one as she beheld the new cherry blossom blooms just outside her window. A finch chirped its merry notes as if it were serenading her. Another wonderful opportunity to think about nothing.

Her thoughts of nothingness were interrupted by the harsh ring of the telephone. Another pitiful, greedy pig is calling me, Tomoyo thought grudgingly, I will simply tell him I am not interested and hopefully he'll go away and leave me alone.

She picked up and answered delicately, "Daidouji residence. This is Tomoyo speaking."

"Tomoyo! This is Sakura!"

Her eyes widened in pleasant shock. "S-Sakura?"

"Ha ha…did you miss me?"

She grinned. "Only a little. Where are you?"

"Just look out your window."

Tomoyo pushed back the silk curtains and, standing outside the gate, was a very grown up Sakura. She'd become at least five inches taller, if not more. Her haircut was still cute and short. From the window, she seemed an entirely different person all together. But no, this was the same Sakura from the cherished videotapes. They waved excitedly at each other. Before long, Tomoyo had torn through the halls, nearly flown down the staircase, and ripped the gate open.

"Welcome back, Sakura!" She exclaimed breathlessly, wrapping her arms tightly around her cousin.

"It's great to be back," Sakura replied, gasping for breath, "Okay, you need to let go now or you'll kill me before I tell you how college is!"

Tomoyo jumped back, thrusting her hands behind her but her eyes still sparkling with delight, "Come in, come in! You need to tell me everything! And mother will be happy to see you! We've both missed you so much! Okay, I'll get someone to make tea and--"

"Okay okay, slow down there before you suffocate!" she patted her ebony haired friend's back. "I plan to stay in Tomoeda for a week, so take it easy!"

They walked hand in hand into the mansion, Sakura looking around in awe. "Oh God, Tomoyo! You guys really changed up the house! And look! Tile instead of wooden floors!" She tapped the tile with her shoe. Tomoyo nodded, smiling ear to ear.

"Mother! Look who's here!"

Sonomi's footsteps were heard down the hall, accompanied by her low voice speaking into her cell phone. "Hold on, Satoshi………WHAT, Tomoyo?! Don't you understand how important this phone call--" She came to an abrupt halt as she saw Sakura standing there. The cell phone was hastily turned off and jammed into her pocket.

"SAKURA! It's absolutely WONDERFUL to see you!" She nearly sprinted up to Sakura and hugged her tightly, "Ah, we've missed you, my dear. Okay, we'll have them make a big lunch with all your favorite dishes! Oden and rice balls- you used to like those, remember? Yes, I shall have them make those for you. Please please, you don't have to stand at the door! Come this way." She led Sakura by the hand into the dining room.

Tomoyo followed quietly, a little grin still on her face, but inside, she was slightly hurt. The last time Sonomi had hugged her was so long ago that she wondered if any sort of mother-daughter embrace had ever occurred at all. Sonomi loved Sakura more than her own daughter. She could remember the night when she had performed a solo at the school play, and when they came home that night, she had asked, "Did you hear me, Mother?". No, she hadn't. She caught it on videotape. But she had come just in time to watch Sakura's entire role. Nevertheless, Tomoyo never held a grudge. Only a smile.

I suppose it's like seeing Nadeshiko again, Tomoyo thought to herself, Sakura has her mother's beauty. I can see why Mother loves her so much. Personally, Tomoyo thought herself to have an astounding resemblance to Nadeshiko, more than Sakura. She sometimes wondered whether her mother had noticed it.

"What do you mean, you don't have enough ingredients to cook the oden?!" Sonomi seethed as she glared at one of the chefs. "Ugh………Sakura, dear, I am SO sorry. It'll only be about half an hour, alright? I'll send someone to fetch the ingredients from the store."

Sakura smiled uncomfortably. "Really, Mrs. Daidouji, it isn't necessary to go through so much trouble--"

"Oh, but I INSIST! Tomoyo, make sure she is well entertained until the food is ready." With a smile and a wink, Sonomi disappeared down the halls, the click of her cell phone sounding among her footsteps. "Now listen, Satoshi………"

Tomoyo knew there was no need to apologize for her mother's smothering behavior. Sakura had experienced this so many times before. She put a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Shall we go upstairs? There's something I want to show you."

Sakura followed her cousin up the stairs and through the hallways. It was like walking through five thousand memories. She could still remember playing hide and seek in this enormous household. The memories were so real, in fact, that she felt she should walk a little closer to the wall, lest a little Tomoyo should accidentally run into her leg.

"Can you still remember where my room is?" Tomoyo asked softly.

"How could I forget?" Sakura replied, "Seventh door on the right, wasn't it?"

Tomoyo smiled and opened the indicated door. "Correct. Smart, smart Sakura."

She blushed, "Aw, stop it, Tomoyo. You know you're smarter than I'll ever be."

They entered the room. "It's smaller than I remember it to be."

"That's because the last time you came here, you were in high school."

"And nothing has changed since then. Except………" Her emerald eyes beheld an unfamiliar shelf of more than one hundred video tapes. "Wow, that's a lot of movies."

Without even having to look, Tomoyo reached up and pulled out one of the tapes. "This is what I wanted to show you. It's my most prized possession." She slid it into the VCR.

"Dad, aim the camera at me first, then at Tomoyo, okay? Okay?" Sakura's younger, squeakier voice directed.

Fujitaka's voice replied, "Yes yes. Let me just take the lens cap off and………"

Sakura's chubby face appeared on the screen. She was dressed in a cherry red kimono and a plastic crown was on her head. She called out, "Presenting the Two Princesses of Tomoeda! I am Princess Sakura and this iiiiis……….(okay, point it at Tomoyo now!) ………Princess Tomoyo!"

As the movie played, Tomoyo stole a glance at her cousin. Sakura was watching with an amused smile. "I don't even remember this………"

"I can," Tomoyo replied, "It was Halloween and we decided to both dress up as princesses and before we went trick or treating, your father filmed us."

"Hey Tomoyo, this really is your most prized possession?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, it is."

"Why?"

"Because it has both you and me in it."

Sakura smiled sweetly and inched over to where Tomoyo sat. She slowly and gently pulled her into a hug. "I've missed you so much, you know."

Tomoyo felt she could cry from happiness. She felt she could cry from wanting life to be like it used to. But instead, she shielded it with a little smile. "I've missed you too."

"Lately, I've been thinking a lot about you." One of the things Tomoyo had wanted to know. Sakura had not forgotten her.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I've been feeling like I've really REALLY had to see you, you know?"

"Well here we are," Tomoyo sighed happily, "Sakura and Tomoyo, the Mistress of Magic and her faithful sidekick."

Sakura had not relinquished hold of Tomoyo. "It's like going into one of my dreams, Tomoyo. Now, I want to be here forever."

Tomoyo laughed lightly. "We could make that work."

"Really now?"

"Yes! We could be like sisters. We'll look after you here and you can have Yue and Keroberos living here too. We could talk everyday and I could design you some new dresses. I can't say I have accurate measurements of you anymore. After all, I believe you've………well, you've gotten bigger around the chest!"

Sakura blushed deeply. "Tomoyooooo………"

"And I could do your hair and I could film you again!"

"You don't mean in one of those frilly outfits you used to make for me, do you?"

"Of course! The theme this time will be………College Student Sakura! I can make a prettier version of our old school's uniform, and we'll use a sash that looks like measuring tape, and we can use some pencils to hold your hair up………oh, all the things we could do! Oh wow, Sakura, let's get to it right now!"

-oooooooooooooooooooo-

Sakura could not even remember Tomoyo being able to sew this quickly. Within half an hour, the costume had been made and she stood in front of the mirror, twirling her skirt. "Tomoyo, it's perfect!"

Her costume designer couldn't have looked more proud, but she knelt down beside Sakura and said, "Well, it'll be more than perfect if you'll let me fix the hem right here………"

"Ha ha! Alright, alright."

Tomoyo smiled as she perfectly stitched the cloth. "It's just like old times, isn't it?" she asked quietly.

"A little."

She looked up from her work. "Only a little?"

"Something feels different."

Tomoyo herself couldn't sense anything different. It was everything she could remember. Sakura in front of the mirror in some funky outfit while the dress's proud maker readied a video camera.

"I don't feel anything different. What do you mean?"

She thought for a while. "Perhaps it's because………well………we aren't as close anymore."

This somewhat took Tomoyo by surprise. Not as close? She felt closer than ever, now that Sakura was here. This outfit, this situation, the girl with chestnut hair and her best friend………all of it was so familiar! She felt as though they'd never parted! Almost as if the gap between them had been sewn up with Sakura's dress.

"Well, we could change that," Tomoyo replied hopefully. "You could stay here for more than a week and we could get to know each other again."

"You know I can't do that, Tomoyo. I need to make it to all my classes or I'll fail a course."

"One week isn't really enough time to go around Tomoeda and see everything and everyone."

"No, it isn't. But all the same, Tomoyo, it would be missing school. And besides," her face brightened a little, "College is sooo much fun. I don't think I've ever been happier!"

Tomoyo felt her heart could shatter. What Sakura had said had been driven through her like nails through Christ's hands. Of course, as usual, naïve Sakura did not realize that what she had said could be hurtful. "I'm glad you're happy, Sakura." As she had done oft before, she smiled emptily.

"Parties, friends, late night movies! It's overwhelming but then again, you feel so free!"

"Free………"

Yes, free! No parents or big brothers to tell you who you can and cannot date--"

"Are you and Syaoran still………?"

"Oh, of course. I know we're gonna get married someday. Oh Tomoyo, if only you were there too! If only, if only! You'd love it and you could meet my close friends there!"

Tomoyo felt as if she would cry again. But these tears would only be bitter ones. She felt as if she had been replaced in Sakura's heart by the brick walls of a college building and the unfamiliar faces of college students. Had she looked into her cousin's leaf-green eyes for a second longer, she would not have been able to hold it in. But the telephone rang and she ran to pick it up.

"D-Daidouji residence, Tomoyo speaking."

"Hello, Tomoyo! Is Sakura there?"

"Oh, hello, Mister Kinomoto. Yes, she is here."

"Please tell her it's time to come home. Syaoran has just arrived and you know how things get when he and Touya get together!"

"I see. I'll send her over, then. Goodbye."

She hung up and turned to Sakura. "Syaoran just arrived at your house and your father needs you home."

Sakura took off the outfit and slipped her own clothes back on. "Yesss! Syaoran's here!" Carefully folding up the costume, she looked at Tomoyo. "What should I do with this?"

"Please keep it."

She smiled and tucked it into her backpack, a Syaoran-induced happiness causing her to accidentally overlook Tomoyo's pained expression. "I can find my way to the door. Hey, isn't that ice cream parlor still open?"

"Yes………" Tomoyo said emotionlessly.

"Well, join Syaoran and me tomorrow when we go, okay? We'll be there around noon. Don't be late!" She giggled and closed, leaving Tomoyo alone in the middle of the bedroom.

As the sound of Sakura's steps faded, Tomoyo felt tears streaking down her cheeks and falling in salty droplets in her palm.

((This is supposed to be where the story of the Glass Menagerie ends. The main character did not have her happy ending and the person she loved hurt her feelings without knowing. However, I will see to it that Tomoyo is rewarded for her years of dedication to Sakura. She's too good a character to torture with tears at the end of the story.))