Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own "Cardcaptor Sakura" and this story is completely original. Any resemblance to any story is pure coincidence, so please don't sue or flame me.
Many thanks all who've reviewed and followed my story so far…oh, and my nick's no longer fallen-angel---it was "angelic countenance" because "fallen-angel" has apparently been taken---was "fallen-angel 52" by default for a while but hee---didn't like the name so much with numbers---
Sorry for the delay, school's been really hectic lately, and what with the upcoming common tests and examinations, not to mention the piles of homework I have to go through. Anyway, I'm aware that the first chapter has a lot of punctuation and other problems (especially with the italics, I just can't seem to get it to work) I'll try to correct them when I have the time, so please bear with the mistakes for the moment.
Please note:
thoughts denotes the character's thoughts
(name of character) denotes the person's point of view
I added the above changes when I realised that italics don't work very well on fanfiction.net, so please pardon me for the confusion over punctuation in the previous chapter…
Thanks fantasiimaker, Suppis tenshi and mArmaLadEbOyx3 for reviewing my chapter! I really appreciate it! (cheerful grin)
Thanks to sean and yuet ping for editting my work, esp. yuet ping…arigato-gozaimus~~!! *huggles you both :)
Really hope that everyone will enjoy this chapter, so please read and review!
Chapter 2: Memories and a chance encounter
(syaoran)
It was a blustery morning, and the heavens had decided to have a contest of brute strength as they shrieked and howled their hearts out, a seemingly solid wall of rain restricting visibility to a short metre in any direction. Sheltered safely out of the storm, a lone figure watched the pouring rain in silence.
"Why did mother have to send me on this trip? " Dressed in his traditional green Chinese rode, he stared pensively at the drowned world outside, thinking back on the events that had left him stranded in this temple near the capital city of Japan.
-----------A month ago, in the Li residence------------
"Syaoran, I want you to represent the Li Clan at Prince Eriol's 18th birthday ball in Tokyo, Japan. The ball will be a big event and many royalties will be there, so it will be a good opportunity to consolidate the Li Clan's position as well as be a good experience for you, as the future leader of the Clan. There is also a task that I must set for you, to clinch this important trade agreement. It is of paramount importance to the Li Clan that you accomplish this task. Do you understand?"
I do not want to go. " But mother—"
"No buts, Syaoran. I have made my decision, and you will follow it." Her sharp tone would brook no opposition.
" I will obey, mother." He bowed mechanically and swept out of the lavish room, his mind strangely blank. He had been taught to obey his elders since young, everything he did had to be for the good of the Clan. There was nothing he could do, nothing he could say. It was his duty, his responsibility, his fate. Wrapped up in his reverie, he began to pack his belongings for the trip. There was nothing he could do.
------------End of flashback------------------
He turned his head back on the storm and stepped further into the comfort of the temple. He had stumbled upon this small temple late last night when he was looking for a place to rest for the night, and by pure coincidence, missed being caught up in the storm by oversleeping, something he hadn't done in ages. Well, since he was forced to delay his immediate plans to leave for the capital, he might as well make the best of this unexpected delay to practise his sword fighting skills.
Stopping by his room to collect his sword, he was about to start his training when he sensed a familiar presence in the room adjoining the practice hall. As if drawn by some unknown force against his will, he stepped into the doorway, and was struck by the image that presented itself before him.
A beautiful girl was kneeling in front of the meditation altar, her palms together, her eyes clasped prayerfully as if asking for guidance. She was dressed in a simple but breathtaking white dress, its simple cut deceiving the eye as intricate flowers flowed their way around the hem and neckline of the dress. Her face lit softly by the multitude of candles set around the room, and it may have been his imagination playing tricks on him, but it seemed that she was a fallen angel from the heavens, her composed face a picture of calm amidst the thundering of the storm outside.
There was something about her, something in the way she held herself, that seemed familiar. It was more than her presence; it was something about that angelic set of her face, something about her that tickled his memory. It was then that she opened her eyes, sensing the presence of someone in the doorway, that he finally recognised her. Her luminous eyes were of the deepest emerald he had ever seen, the innocence and sincerity that it reflected so familiar he nearly cried out her name. It was all over in a glimpse as he drew himself back against the wall. He must not let her know that he was there. Dashing swiftly down the corridor to his room, he hardly noticed the faint blush creeping up his cheeks or the luminous suggestion of tears in his eyes as he ran away from her.
"Sakura---"
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(Sakura)
"Hoe? I swear that there was somebody there."
Just then, Tomoyo swept in carrying a tray, and set the tea set carefully on the low table set in the room. Bewildered, Sakura asked if she had seen anyone outside the door.
"I'm sorry, I just came from the kitchen so …I didn't see anyone. So do you feel better now, Sakura? Well enough to attend the ball tonight?"
" Hai. I feel a lot better now."
"And speaking of balls, Sakura, you really must wear this beautiful dress which I spent all night finishing for you. Please Sakura, you have to agree…"
Sakura laughed. Tomoyo never changed all right. Following Sakura everywhere with her sketchbook and pencil, forever sewing beautiful outfits for her ever since she had first learnt to sew, it was so like Tomoyo to spent all night finishing another dress for her. Shaking off the feeling of unease that there had been someone at the doorway, she walked out of the temple and stepped into the carriage, her thoughts now on the ball that she was going to attend tonight.
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(Eriol)
"Don't go! Don't leave us, we haven't even gone to see the cherry blossom trees that you had promised to show us!" A little girl implored, her little voice pleading with him.
I don't want to go either, but do I have a choice?
" Don't worry! I promise I will bring you to see the cherry blossom trees the next time we meet. Pinky swear!"
She laughed as they hooked their little fingers together in the time-honoured practice, sealing his promise. As he looked back from his elevation atop his white pony, he could see three little figures fading into the distance, in particular, a little girl with windswept hair and cheerful smile waving at him, reminding him of his promise to return.
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He woke up from his dream, and seeing his lean outline in the mirror opposite his bed, he sighed wistfully.
I never did see her again. I went back to the place she had last lived, but she had moved away. I was unable to fulfil the promise that I had made.
He stood up and dressed formally, going down to have breakfast with the court. Today would be a busy day, and goodness knows how much there was to be done before the ball.
He passed a group of court ladies dressed in their finest dresses, and bowed in response to their graceful curtseys, hardly seeing them as they walked away.
"Did you know that Prince Eriol is holding a ball tonight? Oh, I do hope to have the honour of dancing with him…" the rest of the ladies twittered in agreement. Prince Eriol was, after all, the most eligible bachelor in the whole of Japan. He was rich, famous and extraordinarily handsome and kind. What more could one ask for?
---- Tomoyo's room------------------------
(Tomoyo)
She sat at her dressing table, clad in a beautiful white dress which was the handiwork of many nights. A breathtaking dress lay on her bed, its delicate sky blue complementing the white lace and silks carefully embroidered around the hem and folds of the dress, each subtle detail sewn with utmost care. Sakura will be the most stunning girl at the ball, and I would get to draw her in my finest creation yet. Tomoyo sighed. There was nothing more satisfying to see her best friend dressed in her very own creations and shine at the ball. Privately, Tomoyo was hoping that the ball could distract Sakura from whatever was bothering her lately, for Sakura had been more and more absentminded of late, which was saying something.
They had been best friends since infancy, her mother, Sonomi, bringing her frequently to see her little cousin. Ever since the unfortunate death of Sakura's mother at the tender age of five, Tomoyo had always watched out for Sakura, afraid that she would live her life in the shadow of the tragedy, but Sakura proved to be stronger than she had thought. It was her who had cheered Tomoyo up when she was upset, who stood up for her when she was bullied. Tomoyo had always admired the inner strength that radiated from Sakura, and vowed that no matter what happened, she would always be there for her cousin.
She tenderly touched the painting on the dressing table, one of her most prized possessions. It was one of her earliest ventures into painting, and even though the technique was simple, even childish, it evoked beautiful memories of their childhood.
----Flashback--------------------------
(Sakura's, Eriol's, Syaoran's and Tomoyo's reflections, in that order)
"Can't catch me! Can't catch me!" Her innocent, joyful laughter floated up into the cool morning air. She laughingly avoided the clumsy attempts to catch her by the serious raven-haired boy chasing her as she ran, enjoying the last days of autumn.
Her long auburn hair was golden brown in the sunlight, her eyes a perfect endless depth of emerald. Dressed in a short but charming little pink dress, she ran away giggling from the serious raven-haired boy trying to chase her through a blindfold, tracking her by her voice. She twirled around, luxuriating in the feel of autumn and in the feeling of contentment that always came when she was in the company of her friends. The sakura petals slowly drifted around her, as if the Sakura tree was trying to reach out and bless its fiery child, and twirling slowly round, Sakura danced in the gentle rain of sakura petals reaching out to embrace her.
The petals reminded her of her recently deceased mother. Nadeshiko had loved these delicate blossoms, often bringing little Sakura to sit by the tree and read stories to her as the petals fell around them. Mesmerised by the rain of pink and white blossoms embracing her, she felt acutely the same wonder and warmth that her mother had found in these self-same blossoms. She felt her mother's presence hovering close by, watching over her, and totally at peace with the world, she laughed and threw herself into the bosom of Mother Nature herself.
"Caught you!" Eriol caught Sakura unawares and pounced, landing on top of her. He whipped off his blindfold and grinned down at Sakura giggling madly in his arms. "I won fair and square, so you must also keep your promise!" Amidst mild protests that she had not been paying attention, she let down her hair and removed the pin holding her hair in the braid. Removing herself from the grass and brushing off the grass stains, she bestowed her pin onto Eriol. "So I have promised, thus is it so." She grinned, her smile lighting up the entire garden with its radiance and charm.
He looked into her laughing eyes, struck by how she looked so enchantingly beautiful with the petals swirling around her, and gently, knelt down and kissed her hand. "I thank thee, my princess, for the gift and honour." His solemn words had almost a hypnotic effect on them, washing over the four as it whispered softly in the silence of the rustling leaves. It sounded right, as if he really was her knight and she his princess.
Syaoran looked on from his favourite perch in the wide branches of Sakura tree, absorbed in the somewhat confused yet beautiful expression on Sakura's face and entranced by the way her hair swept out to cover her face with its soft trailing strands. Smiling, he opened his hand to reveal a single flower pin clasped in his hand. It had been Sakura's favourite pin that she had dropped a few days ago, and though he knew that he ought to pass it back to her, he wanted to keep something of her as a keepsake.
Tomoyo watched the little interlude between the two, wistfully wishing that she could somehow capture the serenity of this moment. Syaoran absorbed in watching Sakura with a gentle smile on his face, Eriol and Sakura chasing each other again under the raining petals---She hit upon an idea. Reaching for her ever-present sketchpad, she began to draw.
Each absorbed in their own thoughts, the four children were content, for now, but none of them knew what time had in store for them. Separated, yet reunited again, their fates tied together by the silken threads of destiny, there would come a time when they would meet again---
----Back to the present…---
Tomoyo sighed. The scene was so firmly etched into her memory that it were as if it had happened yesterday. Their parting had been heart wrenching, to say the least. Eriol left with his mother with the promise that he would come back, but that farewell was the last they ever saw of that cheerful and handsome, even at a young age, boy. Syaoran left for his native country, China, not long after Eriol, his parting with Sakura made worse by the fact that his mother had forbidden him to have any contact with the Kinomotos after a heated dispute with her father over a trade arrangement. Tearfully, Sakura said her good-byes to him, and clasped his hands tightly, reluctant to see him go. Holding a weeping and desolate Sakura in her arms, Tomoyo watched his retreating back as he disappeared from their lives completely.
Now, 11 years after their parting, Sakura still lives in the faint hope that someday, she would someday see the four of them reunited again, but Tomoyo knew that it would never be the same again. They had grown up, matured since the last time that they had seen each other. Going to middle school, high school and college---Time had robbed them of 11 years of their childhood, could they ever be the same people that they were in their youth? All that remains of their friendship was a broken promise and precious few memories of them playing together.
Perhaps it was better that they did not meet up after so many years. That way, their memories of each other would be pure and innocent. That way, they would never have to accept the fact that they had changed so much, that they were no longer the friends that they used to be. But that didn't stop her from wishing that perhaps, it would do Sakura good to see Eriol and Syaoran again, once after so many years, and put her unfulfilled hopes to rest. Perhaps it would be better for her. But it was just wishful thinking. There was no chance that they would meet up again, after so many years. It just wasn't possible. Or is it?
Breaking out of her reverie, she turned at the sound of the doorbell. Sakura was here at last. Sweeping her thoughts aside, she made to prepare Sakura for the ball, determined to make Sakura the centre of attention tonight. It was all she could do, to be by Sakura's side and always be there for her.
---At the ball--------------
She was stunning. Her auburn tresses flowed down her back, lightly sweeping her shoulders. An angel cast down from the very heavens to awe the people with her beauty and grace; she radiated a calm and peaceful aura that seemed to touch the hearts of everyone in the room. Her delicate dress, though modest, swept around her, its intricate designs and laces creating a beautiful harmony with the sky blue silk, the way it seemed to fit her ever so perfectly dazzling the eyes of everyone present in the room. The white ribbons trailing from the back of her dress and her sleeves swirled gracefully as she danced, her eyes full of cheer and a warm glow that held everyone in thrall.
Tomoyo watched her friend from a corner of the ballroom, her luminous eyes never leaving the dancing figure as she painstakingly sketched out a picture of the cherry blossom on her sketchpad. She smiled to herself. She had been right after all. The ball had indeed taken Sakura's mind of things, and for a little while, she might enjoy herself. Unknown to her, there were also two other figures watching the blue-clad cherry blossom dance.
(Eriol)
She was beautiful. The other ladies in the ballroom paled in comparison, their dissatisfied expressions telling him that they too, knew that they were outclassed. Despite repeated requests to dance from the ladies in the room, he politely and ever so graciously turned them down, having only eyes for her.
That familiar feeling, those same fluid movements that he had seen somewhere before, he was positive that he knew her. But where--- He closed his eyes and almost immediately, an image of a little emerald-eyed girl appeared in front of him, showing off her dance routines and laughingly pulling him to join her. Together, amidst startled exclamations as they tripped over their feet and landing in a giggling heap, they danced. Two other figures stood aside watching, and even as he watched, he saw himself falling over again and laughing with his dance partner. Yes, it was coming back to him. The same movements, the same cheerful laugh, it had to be her. He remembered.
"Sakura----"
He stepped up to the shining beauty just as the song ended and a slow waltz tune took its place. Just as she was about to retire from the floor, he extended his hand to her. "May I have the honour of this dance, my lady Sakura?" She smiled a gracious smile and took his hand.
(sakura)
I never expected to see him again. His mesmerising eyes, I've seen them before. But I can't seem to place him anywhere. I, I know him, but from where?
He held her hand gently as he twirled her in the familiar steps of the waltz. His gentle yet irresistibly charming smile drew her in, enclosing her in his warmth. She smiled radiantly, basking in the comfort of his gaze.
" You know, I couldn't really catch your name the last time we met. Perhaps you would grace me with your name?" Sakura inquired gently with a laugh.
His amethyst eyes widened briefly in surprise before he laughed softly. She was so open, so charmingly without pretence that it was refreshing after talking with several of the court ladies. "Himegoto."
Her eyes twinkled merrily as she caught the hint. "And what would I address you by if I ever saw you again?" She whispered softly, relaxing in his arms and letting her body move to the music. " Eriol--My name is Eriol-"
Eriol---I know the sound of it, a word uttered so many times before, almost all but forgotten. Where have I heard it before? But it doesn't matter, not now---
Together, they danced, and the entire floor was empty except for them. The prince and his princess, both aglow with light as the glow of the full moon silently illuminated the hall through the glass ceiling above. Their synchronised movements stunned the crowd as they glided across the floor in a breathtakingly beautiful waltz, bringing tears to some of the more sentimental ladies present.
A stone's throw away, the King watched silently as his son danced with Sakura. His eyes were filled with anguished tears of remembered happiness, memories of his happy marriage with his wife as they danced under the full moon in the garden. He saw the love in Eriol's eyes for what it was, and he was moved. Yes, she would make a good match with him. Not only was her father influential and a loyal count, she was the one whom Eriol had chosen out of all at the ball. He walked away, his head bowed, leaving the two alone in their own world, oblivious to their surroundings as they danced.
They ended their dance even as the song petered off into silence. Struck by a sudden impulse, he bowed floridly and said, "I thank thee, my princess---"
"For the gift and honour." Tomoyo finished his sentence in a near whisper. She knew. It could not be anyone else. Hearing his words so echoed in the still silence that had descended on the room, he turned and searched for the speaker of his words, but to no avail. She was gone.
Sakura stood, stunned by the little exchange that had taken place, for she knew that it was Tomoyo who had finished his sentence for him. What was more surprising was that she recognised those words, those very words uttered by the both of them. She was tired, and couldn't think properly.
She excused herself with a graceful curtsy and left the dance floor, unable to understand the multitude of feelings and thoughts running through her mind. She had to find Tomoyo.
Looking around anxiously for her friend, she left the ballroom, Eriol's eyes following her as she stepped out of sight.
(Syaoran)
Alone in the shadows, a tousled-haired young man stood behind the pillar, the only person to witness the flight of Tomoyo. Dressed in his best suit, he turned and looked at Sakura, to the very same flustered and confused look he remembered as she rushed out of the room. His gaze was bitter and filled with unsatisfied longing as he smiled bitterly. It had to be fate that brought the four of them together like this. Turning his back abruptly on the prince standing alone in the middle of the dance floor, he left the ballroom by another exit, ignoring the throbbing pain in his heart and the sharp stinging suggestion of tears in his eyes. He had to leave as soon as he had finished his business. It was better for the others not to know of his existence.
I'll be going back to China as soon as I clinch the deal. I promised you that I would not be with her, and I would keep my promise, so please, don't hurt her. Oka-sama…gomenasai…I couldn't forget her, even after all these years, but the least I can do is to stay out of her life, so please spare her…spare her from everything, she doesn't deserve that.
"Sayonara, Sakura-chan---"
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So how was it? Really, really sorry for not getting this up earlier because I've been so occupied with my schoolwork lately. Hontoni-gomenasai~~~ Please review and tell me what you think of this chapter ok? I know that it's kind of messy, but I'll try to edit it or add another chapter as soon as I can, so please be patient!! Please Please Please review!!! Would really like to get more feedback on the fanfic---
Oh, the high school, middle school and college stuff was at the suggestion of yuet ping(*huggles huggles) in Singapore we have primary school, secondary school and junior college (then comes university)---so hope that helps to clear things up a little--
Erm---if I'm not mistaken,
himegoto means secret,
oka-sama means mother
gomenasai means sorry
and sayonara means goodbye
---fallen-angel