Left With A Flower
By Ukyou
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Chapter Four - The Dream
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'Syaoran?'
'Syaoran?'
'Syaoran...?'
'Answer me, Syaoran'
---
It was a hard slap to the face that brought him to his senses, as he could see that he wes sleeping against a tree. There was an unbrella, folded, near him, and yet it was such a bright and sunny day.
Perhaps it was, he thought to himself, for it was too bright to see most anything. He guessed it might have been due to his sleep, and he would only have to give a few minutes to see anything.
The minutes passed, nothing happened. The umbrella, which he could feel with his hand, came closer and closer to him, very very slowly it seemed. He picked it up instinctivly, and something in his mind whispered to him:
'Open it.'
He did so, as he finally could see around himself. The sun had been partcially been covered by the clouds, which loomed above him for a dance in the sky. There was a light drizzle, yet to him felt more like a summer shower rather than a drizzle. He stood in the middle of a large field, one to which there was no end at any edge.
Then, as if by magic, a path made of cobblestone appeared below his feet and streched outwards over the plains and hills of the field. He turned around, seeing that the path may spawn miles behind him, and possibly forwards as well.
'Follow it, Syaoran. Do not stray from the path.'
And I did so. With each step though, I could hear music slowly get louder and louder, the sound of a piano, hauntingly moving through me. The umbrella gave a slight 'pitter-patter' as I waslked by, the rain hitting it lightly and sliding down the sides like a small thin waterfall.
To my sides, there appeared a slideshow of memories, displaying as a feast to my eyes as they were reinacted to the sides. I took no notice of them, at all, until I heard a line that I could not forget.
'Syaoran, I thought it would be nice to hand you a present for our anniversary' the voice said, this time a female. I turned my head to the right, the umbrella leaning against my shoulder. It was Sakura...standing in front of.... myself.
It felt strange to be watching the event from third person, and both of them stood there, in the middle of the field to my right, doing the exact things that had happened on our past and last anniversary together, as if we were still outside her home.
She handed me the box in that image, and I had opened it to find the music box within it. She picked it up, wound it with the small winder and opened the lid to play it. The tune playing, I remembered it so...I remembered every note of it.
'Keep it, Syaoran. Don't lose it, Don't break it. Find it a symbol of us, for if we do break up, I do believe that you will lose all care of it anyways. Still, promise me that you will never break it.'
...but I didn't hear her say that, instead, I kept walking down the path. Faced forward, the memories displayed everywhere, even right in front of me.
I continued walking, the piano getting louder and louder, as if I was comming closer and closer to one as it played. Looking forward, however, I could see nothing more than the path.
Then where was this music comming from...?
It was awhile afterwards in which I saw a peculiar something just lying in the middle of the long path. After a few minutes of walking, I discovered that it was my camera, and I picked it up. Strange that it would be here, I thought to myself.
Curiously, I lifted it up and looked through the viewfinder with one eye, much as I always did. It was snowing, from what I saw through it. That is what I saw though my camera, the same place I was in now, but it was snowing. When I lowered my camera to see it with both my eyes however, it was indeed snowing. An enigma it was, for it was still warm all around me.
Looking around again, I could not see the path anymore, for it was covered in snow. The visions of memories had all but disappeared. Other than that, the only thing that remained the same was the piano track that played, and I could hear it well now, to the point in which I could hear the tapping of the player's fingers on the keys.
A trail of footsteps led away from me though, out off the path and deep into the field. I was being driven to follow it, but inside my head, the words echoed.
'...do not stray from the path, Syaoran.'
...but I did. I ran, actually, dropping the umbrella behind me and following it.
The sky turned black in a matter of seconds, but the snow seemed to glow. I kept running and running, faster and faster even.
As I ran, the skies became darker, until they could not grow dark any furthur. Or perhaps they were, but I couldn't see it. The snow glowed with a greenish aura, and I continued to run, following the footsteps that lay ahead of me.
Then, in the midst of a cloud of fog, there came the shape of a piano. There was a woman at the stood, and I walked closer to see who it was. The song was beautiful and captivating, and it mesmorized me as she continued to play.
...but suddenly she stopped, and stared at me. Her face, it was one I had never seen before. She opened her mouth, pulling back the hood that covered her face.
'I told you not to stray from the path, Syaoran' she said to me, standing up and slowly walking towards me.
'Could you not listen to me, Syaoran, just a single word, I said not to walk off, and you deliberatly disobeyed me.'
'Is it so hard to understand? Or did something catch your eye and force you to walk away?'
'Syaoran, why drop the umbrella before you run? Was there something important to catch up to?'
'Syaoran...why stray the path just to find something as stupid and disappointing as this?'
'Don't stray, Syaoran. Don't look back. Don't follow false footsteps, Syaoran. Just walk forward.'
She threw words at me faster than I could hear them, and I backed away from her slowly.
and suddenly it was quiet.
completly quiet.
---
...and I awoke.
It was a dream. I found myself lying down sideways on a large red couch. There was a cup of tea near me, which become cold, and I reached to pick it up. I could hear music comming from another room nearby, which was the piano song which was in my dream.
...the same music...
I stood up and followed it. I was in Tomoyo's house, I could tell. The rooms and hallways were so familiar to me.
...and then I saw her, playing the piano in front of me in the music room. She played it flawlessly, not once looking up to glance at the sheet music.
...but this song. Why did she have to be playing this song?
'Tomoyo' I inturupted her. 'Please, play something different. please.'
She took a long stare at me, and I didn't notice it, but she was playing for Eriol, who was sitting on the couch.
Eriol seemed concerned, noting that I was swaying and my eyes looked as if they had sunk into their sockets. 'Syaoran, are you okay? You have a cold, go back to sleep. Unless you want me to take you b-'
'No....no, I'm fine. You can continue. Please, do' I said, quite embarassed that I broke such a moment between the two.
What was happening to me?
I walked upstairs to the bathroom, where I looked into the mirror. I looked different than the Syaoran I knew. I looked weaker, as if I had emerged from a war. My eyes, showing that I hadn't been getting enough sleep. I was a wreck.
I need to see Sakura, I need to talk to her.
I'm taking this too far.
~to be continued
Author's Note: I just told the entire story, literally, in one dream. Read over this chapter again, but take a closer look. Do not think that Syaoran was walking upon a path through a field, think of it as, the path signifies Syaoran's life, and he is wandering aimlessly away from it. When he reached the end of his wandering, he realized it wasn't worth it.
Maybe this won't be so for Sakura and Syaoran, but you never know. Maybe Syaoran will be able to make it up to her. Or perhaps, maybe it'll be too late. Or even worse. Perhaps she'll be dead by then.
Oh, and no, this is not a T+S story.
...and I'm hitting writer's block before i reach each story. If they seem sloppy, that would be why. Instant message me on AIM or AOL on Ukyou11 and be sure to ask any questions if u have any. I'll be on late, so expect me to be on :P
ja~
and if you don't see this story being updated, it doesn't mean I died or discontinued the story. It means I need more time to finish my current chapter.