Summary: AU-She was kind and too forgiving. Everyone picked on her, beat her. She never seemed to hear them, but it was a heavy burden. What happens when she meets Syaoran, a seemingly ordinary bully? Will she forget the past, and move on? S/S
AN-I swear I soo had this chapter ready on May 30th, but than stupid stupid had their servers overloaded, so I couldn't log in and update untilduring my vacation! I mean seriously, I dragged meself out of bed to write this chapter before I left the next day, I finish writing the chapter, and what happens! The server overloads...anyways I'm very very sorry!
BTW: I'm sorry if I get the color of Sakura's mom's eyes wrong...I really can't remember what color they are!
"talking"
'thinking'
written/typed
flashback
Crystal Dropplets
By Dream4luv
Chapter 5-Nadeshiko
As soon as Syaoran had left, Sakura sighed and plopped down on the couch. She stared around gloomily. The house was so...quiet without anyone. In her heart, Sakura was kind of glad Syaoran had come by. It made the house more like...normal. For once, the house wasn't as empty.
She smiled awkwardly at no one. And then her eyes fell on the picture of her mother. It was a beautiful picture; her mother was wearing a high school uniform, blue skirt reaching barely below her knees, one hand was brought up to block the sun from her eyes and the other was placed gently upon her boyfriend, Fujitaka's, shoulders. Fujitaka had both arms encircling Nadeshiko's slim waist. They were smiling at each other, and even in the photograph, anyone could see the love radiating between the two.
Sakura smiled at the picture. She remembered her mother, but shehad already forgotten a lot about her. She could recall the last few years though...She had sweet hazel eyes and such a beautiful smile that reached her eyes. She reached out and took the frame into her lap.
Sakura remembered her own baby photographs...she had once had a smile that reached the eyes, but then...
Sakura recalled that her mother had problems remembering people's faces. She just had a hard time remembering things. And...when Sakura had just turned eight her condition had gotten a lot worse.
Nadeshiko laughed as she took Sakura's hand and guided her into the basement. The stairs creaked loudly as their weight was set upon it. "I told Fujitaka to fix these rickety old stairs...Oh well, I'll remind him later. It's just you and me time right now..."
"Mommy? What's in here?" Sakura chirped with a birthday cap placed over her head.
Nadeshiko smiled mysteriously as she led Sakura down the steps, "It's a surprise. So I can't tell you...but since you're turning eight, I think your ready for this!"
"Oh, Mommy, Mommy! I can't wait!" Sakura giggled, green eyes sparkling with eagerness.
"Ok, we'll hurry up then," Nadeshiko said quickening her pace down the steps. "You'll like it so much...you can even share it with your friend...Tomoyo...? Was that her name?"
"Yep! Tomoyo's my bestest -estest friend! I'm going to tell her about this right after-"
One of the rotten basement steps gave under and snapped in half. Sakura and her mother tumbled down the stairs. Sakura screamed in the fall, but she had landed safely on the ground...Nadeshiko had crashed head first into Sakura'seighth birthday surprise…a bicycle.
Her father came rushing down the steps, and called an ambulance. They put Nadeshiko in intensive care...and she recovered, or, at least they thought she had.
Tear drops fell onto the glass, and Sakura wiped her eyes hastily and sniffled. "I guess I just can't get over you..."
(1 month later)
"Sakura, could you come help me with these...?"
Sakura ran outside. She found her mother kneeling outside, a shovel in hand, and an empty flower pot sitting next to her. "What do you want me to do?"
"Oh, Sakura! What are you doing out here?"
Sakura looked confused. Hadn't her mother asked her to help her? "You told me to come outside and help you!"
Nadeshiko looked thoughtful for a moment. And a few minutes passed, "OH! I did ask you didn't I? Silly me...I'm sorry, I have trouble remembering things these days..."
(1 Week Later)
"Mommy! It's time to get up, you promised me you would help me pick cherries today!"
Nadeshiko looked at Sakura strangely, and then she whispered, "Mommy...? I-I'msorry, but I'm afraid I've never met you before little girl."
Sakura's eyes watered, "Daddy! Daddy! Mommy...she doesn't know me! She-"
Fujitaka came hurrying up the stairs. "Nadeshiko! Nadeshiko! Are you all right?"
"Fujitaka...I don't know her, I've never seen her before...but she claims I'm her mother!"
"Shhh, it'll be ok. She's our daughter, and we have a son...Touya, remember?"
"I..."
After showing her a family photo album, everything seemed to be ok. "Oh! Sakura and Touya, I remember. I-I don't know what came over me, it's just like...suddenly I forgot..."
Weeks passed, and everything got worse. She couldn't remember Sakura or Touya, no matter how many albums passed. She was admitted to a mental hospital because there was nothing doctors could do to treat her condition. Another week passed, and then she couldn't even remember Fujitaka...it was like her memories of everything just slipped away. The doctors informed them that soon...she would forget who she was, she would forget how to walk, talk, read, move, eat,...and breathe. And then...she would die.
Sakura remembered. She hadn't understood than. But her loving mother had become a vegetable. She couldn't remember how to do anything. And before she forgot how to move...she had had panic attacks when she woke up not knowing where she was, or even who she was. After she forgot how to eat, she'd fallen into a coma. She died one year after the accident, Sakura'sninth birthday.
"I visited you everyday, mom. You had all these tubes stuck in you to feed you food...and...this nice nurse told me that some people wake up if we keep talking to them! I came, everyday after school, and...on weekends. I told you about school...and, then they told us that the only reason you were still living was because you were on that awful respirator. They stopped feeding you...and then, dad decided to donate your organs to people who needed them...because dad said that's what you would've wanted..."
She gazed at the photo a little longer.
"I miss you so much, mom. I wish you were here. Tomoyo...we're...not best friends anymore. And, I don't know if I'm living up to what you would have expected from me, I hope I-"
Then the door slammed. And her big brother walked in. "Sakura?"
"Y-you're home early."
"No...you're up late. It's 11:30, don't you have school tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I was just...thinking of mom. What do you think we'd be like if she were still here? I miss her."
"I know. It's hard without her around. And with dad-"
"Can we not talk about it now? I don't really want to think about this type of stuff. This family's pretty broken up, I guess." Sakura said.
"Don't say that. We'll always be a family. No matter what happens."
"I hope so...with you working extra hours and going to college, I don't see you around a lot, not even on weekends. It's so quiet in the house. Like nobody lives here anymore."
"It's what we have to do," Touya said seriously, combing through his black hair with his fingers.
"I know...well, I better be getting to bed. I left some food in the fridge for you."
"Ahh, my wee bit little sister always looking out for her helpless big brother, I never thought it would happen," Touya said laughing, although it sounded hollow. It was obvious he was only trying to lift the morbidity hanging in the air.
"Good night, Touya."
"Good night, Sakura."
Sakura had gotten ready for bed quickly. She wished she had had homework today, maybe than...she wouldn't have been thinking about mom so much.
Work kept her busy, homework kept her busy. Any other free time she had, she would always think about her mom, her present. It was like she didn't know how to spend her free time anymore.
She felt something tug at her pant leg. It was Kero, his golden eyes gleaming as he rubbed himself against her and purring loudly.
Sakura smiled kindly at the cat. It was trying to cheer her up. "You are such a great friend, Kero."
She climbed into bed, pulled the covers over her head, and thought about everything in her life.
'Tomoyo...'
The thought came unbidden.
'I'm sorry we're not friends anymore. I suppose it's my fault though. I didn't mean to...well...I just didn't mean it. I hope that someday we may become friends again. Maybe...'
'If you'll just hear me out...I could tell you, but I...I'm afraid that won't happen, because you're too angry with me to even try to listen. I understand. Maybe this friendship just wasn't meant to be. Maybe it was, though. I hope I can tell you, and..."
Sakura yawned, and her eyelids grew heavy. She was so tired, and her eyes felt sore from crying.
'I'm so sorry...'
AN: Oh jeez, Touya sounded so corny...oh well, that's ok though. I hope you guys liked it. Please review. Pretty please?