Another chapter! Yay for me. ;) I was going to upload this chapter sooner, but I got distracted. Thank you very much to those who reviewed. You guys are so wonderful! You don't know how much a simple little note about my story means to me! THANKS! –huggles and glomps all the reviewers-

This might be the last chapter in a while, because I have final exams this week so I have to study and stuff. But I could change my mind with some little reviews. –wink wink nudge nudge-

Release My Soul

Chapter 4: Releasing the Mistrust

"…It—it is you…"

The girl's smile broadened and stepped towards Sakura, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Sakura-chan! Oh my goodness! It's you!"

Sakura almost gasped out loud, falling stiffly in Tomoyo's arms. She soon got over it though, yet the brilliance of her eyes drooped. She felt Tomoyo hugging her securely in her warm, inviting arms, as if never wanting to let go. "Hello again…Tomoyo-chan."

Tomoyo stepped back, her amethyst eyes sparkling vivaciously. Her beautiful black, wavy hair bounced a bit as she smiled brightly at Sakura. A few strands of her long, delicate hair fell around her round cheeks, contrasting against her soft pale, ivory skin. Her rosy lips continued to widen, and Sakura sensed some joyful tears about to fall from Tomoyo's dark eyes. From the very last time Sakura saw her, Tomoyo was still just as pulchritudinous as ever, if not even more. "Sakura-chan, I've missed you so much! It's been a while, ne? How long has it been?"

Sakura tried to give Tomoyo her best smile. "Eight years…"

Tomoyo saw right through Sakura's attempted smile as if it was a transparent crystal glass. She was slightly taken aback but decided to take no notice of for the time being. Instead she kept smiling, acting as if she never saw it. "Eight years? That really is a long time."

Meiling, who watched the entire scene curiously, finally blurted out, "You two know each other?"

Tomoyo glanced at Meiling and nodded. "Sakura-chan and I attended elementary school together. Ne?"

Sakura tilted her head up and down slowly, using as little energy as possible.

Tomoyo continued. "But Meiling-chan, I never knew you knew Sakura-chan."

"Sakura-chan is Syaoran's newest student." She replied.

"Really?" she turned to the silent girl, who nodded a little. "I have heard rumors that Syaoran-kun has gained another pupil. I never thought it would be you, though. Is that why you are here in Tokyo?"

Sakura stared blankly at Tomoyo. "Yeah…what about you? I thought you moved to Kyoto."

"Yes—well—I had to move to Tokyo two years ago because of my mother's business again."

"And ever since moving here, Tomoyo-chan has offered to help around with some filing around here, because her mother wants her to train herself for business stuff around some places in Tokyo." Meiling added.

Tomoyo grinned, agreeing with her. "And I am Syaoran-kun's personal assistant when it comes to organizing."

"Hey," Sakura heard a recognizable voice reached her ears from behind her…make that an annoying, recognizable voice.

"Speak of the Devil…" Sakura muttered to herself, but Syaoran's keen hearing was barely able to pick it up.

"Aww…Sakura, that's mean." He pouted.

Sakura gazed defiantly at his face. "I think it was meant to be mean."

"Ouch…" he pretended to grimace, then noticed Tomoyo with her inquisitive eyes. "I see you two have met."

"Oh, Sakura-chan and I are old childhood friends." Tomoyo corrected him.

Minor shock appeared on his face. "Is that so? Small world, ne?"

Sakura looked away, refusing to cast her eyes upon the three. She didn't particularly desire to be standing there right now. The three exchanged puzzled looks, but Tomoyo cleared her throat. "E-etou…Syaoran-kun, I hear Sakura-chan is under your training, am I right?"

Syaoran smiled, glimpsing Sakura's auburn hair. "Yes, that is correct. Sakura is a very talented figure skater with promising skill. She's actually one of the best that I have worked with so far, perhaps even the very best. I can perfectly tell her love and dedication for the sport, and she is absolutely amazing when she is on the ice. With some training and motivation, I believe she can go to great heights from what I have seen so far. And I do mean it."

Meiling beamed while astonishment hit Tomoyo. Even Sakura's ears perked in shock when she heard Syaoran's praise. Tomoyo darted her gaze from Syaoran to Sakura. "Wow, Syaoran-kun. It's quite unusual to hear you give someone such credit. I never knew you were so talented when it came to skating, Sakura-chan, or even, that you were interested in the sport."

Tomoyo's words came in one of Sakura's ears, but exited the other. All she did was stare at Syaoran with complete surprise, which he returned with a genuine smile. Never had Syaoran said such thoughtful words to her. Was that what he really thought of her? For once, Sakura could not think up anything to respond to him. Sakura always had another word to bite back against his teasing ones, but his unpredictable words were certainly startling to hear. She could not utter a single word to him. Funny how he had this effect on her sometimes…

Tomoyo tugged gently on Sakura's sleeve. "Sakura-chan, do you mind if I can see you skate? I really want to see it!"

Sakura continued to look at Syaoran, lured too much into his amber pools to tear away. "Aa…"

¤¤¤

Upon entering Syaoran's private ice rink, Sakura sat down and put her skates on. She glanced behind her, seeing the eagerness on Tomoyo's countenance. The two cousins followed Tomoyo, smiling at each other. Sakura turned back to her skates, sighing deeply. She was hoping to skate around peacefully on her own, alone with the deep, hard ice below. She hoped to take her mind off things and glide around the smooth ice with simplicity.

Sakura did not know how to take Tomoyo's abrupt appearance. She did feel hints of happiness inside, but mostly she felt unsure. And it left Sakura a depressed state. Many years had passed since she last saw Tomoyo. It was as if Tomoyo was nothing but a distant memory, widening the gap amidst them until Sakura could not retrieve it. Nevertheless, several events had happened since she was gone. Several events where Tomoyo could have been there, helping her with the most complicated points of her life, where she could have at least comforted her, tell her it was all right, and that everything would turn out okay. It was those times when Sakura needed a friend to lean on, to cry on her shoulders…when she needed her the most.

But she wasn't. Her best friend left her, leaving Sakura to pick up the broken pieces of her heart unaccompanied. All her tears seeped not through the clothes of a friend but to her own; not even her family could help. She had to go through everything alone. Sewing the shards together and mending it through time was tough for Sakura, for there was always a good friend to help her through. But they were all gone that time. No one was there. Her memory withered away gradually in Sakura's mind. Tomoyo was not there when Sakura struggled. But—it was not her fault. Life was simply unfair; Destiny did not allow it; God did not grant her wish. That was how it went. And that was how she became.

With a last knot to her laces, Sakura stood up, briskly brushing off any dirt on her clothes. Tomoyo ceased her ongoing conversation with the cousins, noticing Sakura advance onto the ice. "Yay! She's going to do it!"

Hearing Tomoyo's bubbly voice, Sakura made a small smile. Once she entered the rink, her body took control. She slid on the translucent ice, warming up her legs muscles. She started to skate sideways, opening up her arms and increasing her momentum. Sakura could feel the cold air as she moved past it, unstoppable to the weak force. Her beat more rapidly, her body preparing. She pushed herself up into the air, doing midair spin counterclockwise. She landed back on the ice swiftly, skating with her hands up and one leg in the air. Once she slowed down, she changed direction. She turned her head, watching herself skate backwards. She glided peacefully around vast area of cold ice, performing a few figure eights. Sakura let out a tiny laugh, enjoying the feeling of her body swing in different ways. Feeling a need for speed, Sakura picked up her pace. She jumped off the ice once more, this time twisting clockwise. When her skates touched the ground, Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. She knew not too many figure skaters could jump in both clockwise and counterclockwise. Sakura was able to perceive that most skaters went in the counterclockwise direction, but there were a few who did it the opposite way. Even fewer could master jumping in both ways. But after practicing numerous times at home, Sakura had gotten the hang of it.

Sakura spun around quite a bit, wriggling the arms and legs around elegantly. Her silken auburn hair dangled around her head in a haphazard manner. Sakura closed her eyes, breathing contentedly and wishing the serene moment never to end. She was like a ballet dancer dancing in place, with graceful and careful movements enhancing the beauty of her performance. A minute passed before she slowed down. Sakura gradually parted her eyelids as she came to a complete stop.

Tomoyo watched her with spellbound eyes. "Sugoi…" she breathed out.

"She sure is." Meiling agreed. This was her second time seeing Sakura skate, but seeing her each time was absolutely breathtaking.

Syaoran nodded with great satisfaction. Ice-skating brought out the best of Sakura. It made her divulge her genuine side, one with no temper or hostility but with exuberance and benevolence. Once Sakura stepped foot on the ice, instantaneously, she seemed like a diverse person entirely. It exposed her inner soul, something she might be afraid to call her vulnerable side. Nonetheless, Sakura appeared in her most beautiful state when like this.

Sakura breathed deeply, somewhat exhausted. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically, and she could now feel the cold sweat trickle down her heated face. She pushed back the tresses of hair that just begun to wisp into her eyes behind her ear. The blades of her skates slid across the bare ice, cooling her faintly. She skated towards the exit of the rink, near where Tomoyo stood.

As soon as Sakura stepped out, Tomoyo walked in front of her. She looked completely enthralled and fascinated. "WAHH! Sakura-chan! I never knew you were so outstanding when it came to ice-skating! When did you get so good?"

Unexpectedly, Tomoyo grasped her hands on Sakura's shoulders, making Sakura a diminutively uneasy. "A-anou…I started practicing a lot after you left…"

Letting go of Sakura, Tomoyo sulked. "Oh…I really wish I was there to see you."

Frowning, Sakura thought, Yeah, me too.

Tomoyo turned around, locking her gaze at Syaoran. "Hey Syaoran-kun? I'm sure you have noticed how brilliant a skater Sakura-chan is; haven't you thought of entering her in a competition?"

Syaoran grinned instantly, shifting his stare at Sakura for a concise moment. "Well, I have considered the idea."

Tomoyo beamed. "Tell you what, Syaoran-kun. I will register Sakura-chan in a competition! Probably the next one will be held in four to five weeks. Do you think you can prepare Sakura-chan by then?"

Returning the same grin, Syaoran answered, "Yes, that amount of time will suffice."

"Yes! This is going to be so fun! I cannot wai—"

"H-hey! Wait a minute!" Sakura disrupted. All the information being transferred back and forth was too quick for her to actually comprehend. "I-I can't enter a competition yet! Don't you think it is a bit—soon? I just arrived in Tokyo and started training about a week ago!"

Tomoyo stopped, and then waved it off. "Soon? Of course not, Sakura-chan! You are not a novice; you'll do fine!"

"But Tomoyo-chan…"

"Sakura-chan! All you have to do is pick a song and choreograph your moves. Once you have done that, you will need to perfect your routine by practicing it over and over. And Syaoran-kun will assist you throughout the whole thing. See? Simple!"

"…But…but I…"

"I think you should do it, Sa-ku-ra." Syaoran butted in, accentuating each syllable in her name.

Sakura could feel a vein on her forehead constantly throb. She gave him a death glare. "Shut up, you! I did NOT ask for your opinion!"

Syaoran chuckled at her fury, resulting in an even more infuriated Sakura. It was times like these that Sakura desperately wished for the infamous saying "if looks could kill" to come true for her. Otherwise, Syaoran would be smashed to a billion tiny pieces and thoroughly burned to ashes by now.

Tomoyo watched the two with curious eyes. Meiling leaned over and whispered to her, "Those to are always like this to each other."

"Hmm…I see…" was all Tomoyo said, flickers of interest shone within her.

It was Meiling's turn to give her view. "You should do it, Sakura-chan. It'd be a great experience for you."

Sakura gave her a tiny pout. "B-but—"

"Everyone agrees but you, Sakura. It's three against one. Majority wins." Syaoran bluntly pointed out.

"Eh? NO! But I'm the one who has to enter and skate! That should count for something!" Sakura retorted.

Tomoyo looked at Sakura with sad and pleading eyes. "Aww…PLEEEEEEASE, Sakura-chan?" she moped.

The ice-skater frowned at her, then sighed in surrender. "Fine…fine. I'll do it."

"YAY!" Tomoyo piped, clapping her hands. Gasping, she inquired, "Oh! Sakura-chan, could I make your outfit for the contest?"

Sakura could now see the glistening in Tomoyo's huge eyes. She was hesitant at first, but then nodded. "Um…sure…go ahead, I guess…"

Tomoyo clasped her hands together and happily stared away, her mind wandering to her personal dreamland. "Great! It would look so gorgeous on you! Oh my, I have SO many ideas already, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura sweatdropped. "I-I'm sure you do…"

"It would be stunning! I will give it lots and lots of frills, some seams here and there, maybe sew on a bit of sequins, and add so much glitter and sparkle…oh the eternal BLISS!" exclaimed Tomoyo.

The other three stared oddly and backed away slowly from the overjoyed girl. Sakura shook her head and sighed. This is great…just great.

¤¤¤

"Sakura-chan? Could you hold up your arms a bit higher?"

Sakura sighed and raised her weary arms more, allowing Tomoyo to measure her waist. "Tomoyo-chan, is this really necessary?"

Tomoyo knelt beside her and wrapped the measuring device around Sakura's waist. Glancing at the numbers, she quickly jotted down the numbers on a tiny notepad. "Of course Sakura-chan! Since Meiling-chan and Syaoran-kun invited me over for dinner, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to record your measurements for the outfit! You sure have grown over the years."

"I know I agreed for you to make the clothes for me, but could you not make it so…ornate?"

Tomoyo blinked innocently at her. "Whatever do you mean?"

In return, Sakura rolled her eyes. "When we were nine or ten, every single outfit you made for me was too elaborate and showy. I could not even move in those clothes!"

Tomoyo laughed and moved to measure Sakura's height. "Those clothes were adorable on you! But don't worry, the clothes I'll make for you won't drag you down on the ice."

"Hmm…whatever you say…" Sakura looked at her skeptically. "I sure hope you know what you are doing."

"I am! You have nothing to worry about, Sakura-chan! Trust me."

Trust me…Sakura lowered her eyes. Could she really? She had heard about stories where best friends had grown apart over time, losing interest in each other and moving on with their life. But with them, was this really the case? Sakura was trying to get along with Tomoyo again, really she was. And she could tell Tomoyo was trying too. But Sakura felt no connection anymore, no matter how much she tried. Their old friendship…it just wasn't there anymore. Sakura sighed inwardly. She really had isolated herself from everyone else. She really had kept everything to herself. She really had shooed everyone away from her without the use of words. Maybe…she really was alone…

Hearing no response from Sakura, Tomoyo glanced at her. Sakura's head had lowered, and she could see nothing but Sakura's tiny frown. Tomoyo opened her mouth but closed it, feeling her voice abandoning her. She looked down with depressing eyes. There was a complete silence that enveloped the room, until a knock on the door disrupted it.

"Sakura, Tomoyo-chan…the food's all ready." Syaoran popped his head out from behind the door, seeing a disheartened Tomoyo and a doubtful Sakura. His face showed concern, and he hesitated before speaking. "Is—something wrong?"

Sakura was first to recover from her state. She tipped her head upward and shook her head, going through the door and passing Syaoran. Slowly, Tomoyo followed. As she went by Syaoran, she could hear him whisper to her ear. "Tomoyo-chan, what happened?"

She rotated her head towards him and shook her head miserably. "Nothing…" she replied, walking away.

¤¤¤

Meiling slurped some soup that she had prepared from her spoon. Sure, it was rude, but the uncanny silence was killing her! Right through the dinner, no one really said a word. Her Aunt Yelan was out for the night, and the servants seemed to have all disappeared. Tomoyo poked her food glumly and from time to time glanced at Sakura. Whenever Sakura could feel Tomoyo's gaze on her, she would turn her head and look away to avoid her. Syaoran squirmed uncomfortably and occasionally looked back and forth between the two noiseless women. Meiling could tell the silence was getting to Syaoran's head as well. Every now and then, Meiling would cast a curious look at Syaoran, asking him if he knew what happened. When his amber eyes met her ruby ones, he shrugged restlessly, telling Meiling he had no answer for her. Syaoran cleared his throat suddenly, attempting to start his fourth conversation during the meal.

"S-so…Tomoyo-chan, have you figured a design for Sakura's outfit? Try to make it red, to blend in with her face." Syaoran teased.

Sakura stopped and gave him a simple glare before returning to her food, which unexpectedly left Syaoran disappointed. Stirring the soup over and over with her spoon, Tomoyo murmured, "It's coming along…"

Meiling spoke up. "Can you tell us what color it would be?"

"I don't know…"

Meiling and Syaoran raised their brows. Oooookayyy…

Sakura ate her last bits of food and stood up. "The food was great, Meiling-chan. I'll wash the dishes." With that, Sakura carried the empty dishes to the sink in the next room.

Finishing her food, Meiling told the other two concernedly, "I think I'll help Sakura-chan. You guys done?"

Syaoran nodded and gave her his empty plate. Tomoyo pushed her plate forward, still leaving some food. "I'm really not that hungry anymore, but thank you for the food."

Meiling nodded and took the dishes to the next room. A soft sigh escaped Tomoyo's lips a few moments after Meiling left the room. Getting up, she pushed her chair in. "I guess…I'll be going now."

Syaoran looked up at her peculiarly. "Leaving so soon? Don't you want to watch a movie with us or something?"

Tomoyo shook her head, grabbing her purse. "No thank you, but the dinner was nice." She walked hurriedly to the front door and was about to open it when she noticed Syaoran following her.

"Sure you don't want to stay a little longer?" he offered.

Stepping out the door, she told him, "No, that's all right. I'll see you tomorrow, Syaoran-kun."

Tomoyo took a few steps more into the cold winter air before Syaoran went after her and seized her arm. Closing the front door behind him, he asked gravely, "Tomoyo-chan, what happened between you and Sakura?"

Tomoyo's eyes widened in surprise, but quickly concealed it with a fake smile. "Nothing, Syaoran-kun."

"Tomoyo-chan…" Syaoran called her with a deep voice.

Tomoyo opened her mouth and paused, releasing a sigh afterwards. "I-I don't even know what happened in the room. But I feel—I feel as if I don't even know Sakura-chan anymore." She ended quietly.

Syaoran's eyebrows furrowed together with anxiety. "Why is that?"

Tomoyo's fingers fidgeted with each other as she sulked. "I-I don't know. But—the Sakura-chan I knew from before was never so…distant from me."

Syaoran let go of her arm and questioned Tomoyo softly, "How was Sakura before?"

"She was always so cheerful and full of liveliness. There was a big, dazzling smile glued to her face all the time, making everyone around her want to smile too. Sakura-chan was kind and compassionate, thinking about others instead of herself. It's just how she was. She never once hesitated to help someone in need and was very open to everything. She was a little dense and clumsy too, but it was just a part of her that made her the cute little girl."

A wide smile played upon Syaoran face. "She sounded like a really great person when she was younger. But…she's practically the opposite of today's Sakura. Now she is very enigmatic, keeping to herself, as well as pessimistic. But why is Sakura like this now?"

Tomoyo's amethyst eyes wandered around the front lawn of the Li's, examining the fragile, fallen snow layering the grass below. "I have no idea…but something must have happened to her when I left Tomoeda. But I miss the old Sakura-chan. She doesn't even want to be friends with me anymore."

Syaoran crossed his arms; a small, secretive smile appeared. "I'm not so sure."

The young woman eyed him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Sakura is one the hardest people to read that I have ever met, but I could tell she felt some guilt."

"Huh?"

"Sakura wants to renew your friendship; she really does. But with her different personality and your sudden reappearance in her life, it's difficult for her to adjust. Who knows how many years it has been since her change, but starting things over—like your friendship—would be complicated for her. I'd say give her some time and don't be so hard on her. Sakura may look tough on the outside, but she's still got a heart. So don't give up on her."

Listening to Syaoran's words attentively, Tomoyo brightened up. Syaoran was not your average man, perceiving even the minute details. "I guess you're right." She laughed a little. "Syaoran-kun, you know much more about her than I expected. So for all that teasing, you were simply observing her?"

Syaoran laughed along with her. "Yes, plus it amuses me."

"It's very rare to see you so entertained."

Syaoran smirked. "Sakura is exceptionally unique compared to other people."

"That's true…" Tomoyo glimpsed at her watch. "I must be going now. Arigatou, Syaoran-kun. I'll keep your words in mind."

"Good. See you tomorrow." He bid goodbye as Tomoyo exited the gates and entered the limousine that had waited for her.

¤¤¤

Sakura looked down from her window, watching Syaoran and Tomoyo converse in the chilly weather. She pondered on the subject of their discussion, probably about her. She observed Tomoyo laughing and Syaoran joining her after. Sakura's fingers reached out to touch the cold glass on the window. She watched as Tomoyo walked away from the mansion, Syaoran looking after her. Sakura sighed softly. Her fingers clenched together, sorrow filling her already disconsolate eyes.

Sakura parted her lips and whispered out, "Gomen nasai (I'm sorry), Tomoyo-chan."

¤¤¤

This was a little longer chapter, to satisfy the readers who love long chaps. Yep. Sakura's going to enter a competition; this should be fun. But I forgot how the scoring goes with those contests. GAH, I need to refresh my memory in that area. XD

My final exams are coming…WAHH! I will die! Like I said earlier, I don't think I'll be updating very soon, at least till finals is over. But of course I can always change my mind. Guess how. X3

I hope everyone likes this chapter! Tell me what you think by sending a review with questions, comments, constructive criticism…the works. Go ahead and give me some constructive criticism. I can take it, plus I know I'm an awful writer compared to most. So reviews will help me. –smile-