AN: Wow! Thanx 4 the reviews! I love them! Cherished in My Heart rox rite? I THINK SO TOO! I hoped the last chap was long enough! It took a long time to write it… I'm just going with long chaps last time cuz I really want to get everything down of what Sakura thought and stuff like that.

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Chapter 15: A Crushed Heart

Sakura sat by the window, staring at Hong Kong through her watery eyes. She has been living there for almost ten years, and now she's leaving her glamorous past behind, to start a new life—as a princess.

Sakura remembered how she used to dislike Hong Kong, and the only reason she stayed there was to be with her best friend—the cute little Syaoran. She sniggered at the thought of his face of eight years, of how he wished the same wish every year since he was three—to kiss his soul mate, his destiny.

Sakura remembered how Syaoran cussed, how he rebelled, how he maddened—and how she used to cuss with him; to rebel with him; to madden with him—

Young Sakura wished she had never left Syaoran.

She really did.

An eight-year-old could not possibly love, can she? The words of her father pierced in her heart. If it weren't for that talk with him, she would've really loved Syaoran. Truly. Fashionably. Stylishly. Passionately.

And yet she was forced to say those cold words that brought sorrow to her best friend. "Someday, Syaoran," the eight-year-old said painfully, pushing away all her true feelings to the trash, "you just wait. There won't be a Sakura Kinomoto anymore. Someday, I know that you are going to find a girl who is more beautiful, more intelligent, and more athletic than I am, Syaoran, and you are going to love that girl forever, and protect her with everything you have."

Sakura remembered parting those words with her lips. When he said, "I love you," she could've swore her heart broke in two, melting into those cold, icy words. If it weren't for that talk with her father…

But then, when she was leaving, Syaoran flew her a kiss—her first, most precious, most desirable kiss. She had dreamed about it for long, and she had even dreamed about walking down the aisle with him, in her white, satin dress and a beautiful, cherry-blossomed sash over her head—

All those feelings melted into a kiss as she too, flashed him hers. He placed his tiny hands on her face, and she behind her back—how she always imagined of doing. She cherished the moment forever, and she promised herself to keep it always locked in her heart, like keeping a precious bird in a cage, feathers colored of rainbow.

If it weren't for that talk with her father and that stupid promise!

Why had she agreed to give up her love when she had confessed to her father? Why was she giving away everything that she ever wanted just to be rich and royal?

Part of her was fighting to deny the promise, part of her wanted to do the "right" thing. That part was the part that overpowered her soul—a pure, innocent soul that's untouched by dirt and evil.

Sakura sighed. She thought about her past for a moment before finally realizing that she was glad to have died. If it weren't for her death, she would've probably never met Syaoran again, and would've probably never started a whole new beginning with him, a beginning denied by a stupid promise that she made all those years ago.

Remembering what happened hours before, she shook herself free from that world of young in-love Princess. Syaoran told her that he came to see her smile.

What was that?

Why would this stupid playboy, her past boyfriend—at least to her, want to come to the airport just to see her smile? That seemed pointless. It means that… Sakura gulped. As painful as this is, she must admit.

He doesn't love her.

What he said earlier was all a lie. Of how she lighted up his world—why, his world was all lighted up before she came along! He was the number one hottest bachelor in their college, surrounded by beautiful girls in abundance, packs—whatever you want to call it, just waiting to have their heart broken by him. She had heard that he played with every single girl in the school before she and Tomoyo had come. He was Mr. Popularity, with girlfriends and boyfriends, with the admiration of geeks and nerds, with the trust and confidence of teachers—he was… Sakura gulped, … superman.

So why did he have to lie?

Why did he say she lighted up his world?

Clearly, Sakura snorted, his world was already lighted before her.

AND SHE MUST ADMIT THAT.

She must.

Gazing at the window, Sakura smiled confidently, as if a new chapter in life was written. She promised herself to forget about the time in college, to forget how mistreated she was by that conniving boy—

It was just like that Britney Spears song… Every time I dream, I dream of you, it's your face I see, you're haunting me…

Well, this princess's not going to fall for it.

"Goodbye, past. Hello, world!" Sakura grinned.

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Syaoran sat on his couch with Eriol and Tomoyo next to him. He flipped on the Political Channel, and grunted. Silence shadowed them; his friends dare not say a word.

"As of today's top news, the famous 'dead' Princess Sakura Kinomoto is not dead at all! Joy, joy! After ten years of misleading life, Cherry Kura, an ordinary schoolgirl at Hong Kong University is DNA proof-tested to be the real Sakura Kinomoto, 23rd to the throne! The young royal expressed no comment on how she got off the plane accident so safely, but insisted us that she had gotten amnesia, which is also true. She flies back to her hometown Tokyo, Japan today at ten o'clock AM, leaving her past behind. When asked why, the princess explained that she had just experienced a crushed heart—"

Syaoran turned off the TV with a click and placed his head between his legs. His hands climbed up to his messy hair, both running through it. He let out a frustrated grunt, looked around him, and got up. Walking to the fridge in the kitchen, he grabbed a cold Pepsi, turned around, and asked, "Want anything, guys?"

"I would like—" Eriol began, but Tomoyo made it just in time to pinch him.

"What?" Syaoran asked again.

"Um…" Eriol stared at Tomoyo's angry eyes and shook his head. "Nothing."

Syaoran nodded casually and walked towards his room. Whirling to see his friends, he stood in front of his door and sighed heavily. Then he stretched his hands and knocked them against the wall with a bang, and pushed his head between them. Tomoyo and Eriol watched in fright, not mouthing a word.

Syaoran stayed in this position for a few seconds, then, shoving his hands by his side, he opened the door and slammed it hard. Tomoyo and Eriol stared at each other in confusion.

Syaoran lay on his bed, grabbing a pillow and dumped it on his head. Thinking of the night before, he smiled at the sweet memories. He was very glad that he made it in time to get to Sakura's plane, but a little disappointed at what he said. What if she gets the wrong idea? What if that slow-thinking, dense girl thinks that he came just to see her smile?

That was a stupid thing to say. It was true, but still stupid. During all the frenzy that he had with himself, Syaoran managed to hear the answering machine beep.

"You have one message(s)." The answering machine said automatically.

"Dammit! Why does it always play the message every 30 minutes!" Syaoran complained as he got off the bed and went to the other side of the room.

Before he could reach the "Off" button, a familiar voice echoed in his ears.

"You lighted up my world too…"

AN: is this chappie long enough? I don't know… I'm soo tired! It's 12 at night. G2g and g2sleep!

Ok, thanx 4 all the reviews! Please review this one too!