Ice Princess

Disclaimer: Nope. CCS is not mine… never did… and never would be… sad to say.

A melodic voice was clearly heard in one of the small yet beautiful places in Tomoeda. It came from a girl about thirteen to fifteen years old. She had a pair of dazzling emerald eyes showing pure innocence and cheerfulness and silky long auburn hair reflecting the sun's rays.

There's a song that's inside of my soul
It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again
I'm awake in the infinite cold
But you sing to me over and over again

So I lay my head back down
and I lift my hands and pray
to be only yours
I pray to be only yours
I know now you're my only hope

Sadly an old peasant interrupted her singing. "A girl as fragile as a glass, holding such oblivion in reality, would soon open her eyes and know that everything she held is all part of a shaggy memory. Soon she would see what the truth is and in the process of standing up, a boy would appear in her life." he said to no one in particular. The girl shrugged and continued singing.

When she was about to walk off and go back home, the old peasant blocked her from nowhere. "For sure she would experience such difficulties for the ones who were given more are the ones who are expected more from. She would surpass every single difficulty but she would deny something. But my child, no one can escape fate's plan. No matter what she will do fate would not bend to her will. The one who grew up doing nothing but what the others told and the one who would be exposed to the cruelness of this world would meet. Stone would meet rock and in reaction, they would both soften up." he said.

"Wha-" again, the girl was interrupted. This time the wind was the one responsible for it. She shut her eyes and tried to block the wind from touching her eyes with her hands.

In exact one second, the wind died down. She opened her eyes to see nothing or rather no one. The man who had said nonsense had disappeared without a trace. She should've at least heard a noise when he disappeared. She dismissed all of her thoughts of it and just shrugged. Why the heck should she believe in some craziness like that?

She tightened her hold on the groceries she was assigned to buy and continued singing. She headed to the Kinomoto residence with the birds following and chirping, blending with the song.

I give you my destiny
I'm giving you all of me
I want your symphony
Singing in all that I am
At the top of my lungs
I'm giving it back

Such innocent and talented young girl… oblivious to the cruel reality and still with a shell… that was about to open. Everyone looked at her with tiny smiles on their faces except for the old man standing grimly at the dark corner of the street.

- i – c – e - - p – r – i – n – c – e – s – s -

"Tadaima!" the teenaged girl cheerfully shouted, expecting her brother's voice saying "Kaijuu, did you do monster stuffs? Why did you took so long to go home?". she was pissed off at those words just a year ago but now she found out that the only reason her brother says those lines over and over again is because he wanted to know if something bad had happened without crashing his ego.

"Hoe?" she said while slightly tilting her head to the right side. She already had put off her roller blades and wore her comfortable slippers but she never heard any noise. Did her father, mother and brother go somewhere? Why didn't they tell her? Oh well… She shrugged and just tried to be optimistic.

She cannot let her feelings affect her. She isn't even sure if she's just imagining that something wrong is going to happen. That man really scared her. It's as if he knows something that she doesn't. Sigh! She shouldn't think those things.

Taking a deep breath, she headed to the kitchen. But she didn't reach her destination. Her fear stopped her from going anywhere. She saw red liquid dropping from something up at the ceiling. She shut her eyes tight and forced herself not to scream.

Without opening her eyes she ran at the opposite direction and stopped after she made sure she wouldn't see it. She reached for the telephone and dialed. For fifteen minutes the one she was talking with tried to ease her fear and somehow worked and for another fifteen minutes she sat there, rocking back and forth, trying to comfort herself.

A warm hand softly stopped her. She opened her eyes filled with fear and pain be assured by s bright smile of a guy with bluish hair and sapphire orbs. She sadly smiled. She never did imagine that after all she had done wrong to him; he would be the only one who would comfort her.

He hugged her and asked "Is it okay for you if we check your kitchen or I'd be the one to check?".

"Iie. I would go with you. But please promise that you won't leave me." she said, emerald pools staring back at a pair of sapphire orbs. She looked like a lost child looking for her parents.

He smiled. He was still the Sakura Kinomoto that he once knew. He was right. She was still there under someone who was hungry of fame and power… who was cruel and doesn't have a heart… who was the one who left him because he was a geek and she was a popular.

"Pinky promise!" he said, looking like an excited child. He lifted her pinkie and connected it with hers.

She plastered a sad smile and with a deep breath headed to the kitchen, squeezing the living daylights out of Eriol. Poor Eriol knew that his blood circulation was being stopped but then he knew she needs it and just plastered an encouraging smile at her.

For the second time that day, she saw blood coming from the ceiling. She shut her eyes tight and traced where it came from. It seemed like slow motion… higher and higher… bit by bit… and finally she saw her beautiful and kind mother hanging with a rope on her neck. It seemed like some kind of suicide… but somehow she felt that it wasn't.

She stared at her idol looking so messed up. The long silky grayish hair of hers was messy and blood coming from her wrist stained its ends. She would never do this! She was such a darling to even think of it…

A squeeze coming from her side made her come out from her thoughts and notice salty liquid coming from her blurry eyes. "Sakura-chan, there is something your okaa-san is holding… Would you like me to get it?" he said in a soft voice.

She shook her head and released her hand from his grasp. While walking to her mother's cold body, she saw her brother and father also hanging not too far from them. This is just a dream… The sooner I finish what I'm supposed to do, the sooner I'm going to wake up. But she knew the truth… She shakily took the piece of paper with blood stains from her mother's hands. She opened it and read

Sakura, my baby,

Remember always that although I am not physically there with you, my soul will always guide you. And you must not forget the things we have thought you. Sometimes fate is cruel but one wouldn't be in a situation that he/she cannot handle. Strive for your dreams even though others keep on pushing you to the ground!

Love,

Okaa-san, Otou-san and Onii-chan

"Why did they say those insensible words?" she whispered, a tear descending from pained emerald orbs. A hand then softly contacted with her shoulder.

"This is just a trick, isn't it?" she asked a silent Eriol. They were just fooling around once in a while, right? There's nothing wrong with that and soon she would laugh her ass off. But why are they taking so long to say it's just a trick?

He hugged her and let her cry on his shoulder.

She cried her eyes out. Her family… they couldn't leave her. They knew she couldn't survive life without them. They can't die… She did everything for them… and they still need to be proud of her. Her brother still need to tease her… Her mother still need to give her long boring talks… Her father still needs to remind her of all the boring things existing on earth.

They still need to see all the things she achieved for them…

Liar! a voice said.

'What do you mean! I'm not a liar! I really did it for-'

Yourself the voice finished what she was really about to say. You lied and you must admit it. If you really did everything for them then why did you just left your brother to fight the gang that was after you?

'I left him because it was his responsibility to protect me. And besides I really was half-hearted when I left him to be beaten up.'

Okay, maybe you were right when you said you were half-hearted. But there are still many situations to prove that you don't really value them that much. Your father… he hadn't slept and eat for two days because you stayed in your friend's house. You said you wanted to teach them and it was a part of it.

'Well it was already a year ago and I already said sorry… You know and I know that I meant it.'

Well then you haven't said sorry to your mother yet… You shouted back at her when she just wanted to protect you… You knew she was right… but instead you covered your ears and made a face…

Oh just shut up… Can't you be satisfied by what I am going through now!

… sometimes it's too late to realize that the ones you love the most are the ones you haven't cherished …

Is my first chappie too short? too much tragedy? Wah! I killed Sakura's mom, dad and ol' bro… I feel so cruel… but it's for her to become cold and for the drama… hehe… to tell ya readers (if there is) I still plan to give her so much…