Waiting on a Cherry Blossom- Chapter 2, Part 1 ~Edward~: An Unexpected Meeting

My shadow was long and dark, stretching across the dirt path. The sun was lowering into the sky, and I could see the colors of a sunset forming. I was tired from a running start down the path, and I was breathing heavily.

"Brother, are you okay?" Al asked when I finally collapsed from exhaustion. "S…so tired," I wheezed. "And…hot."

"Yeah, that happens when you run full speed down a pathway in the summer."

"Shut up. I'm too tired to argue." I complained. I was sprawled out on the ground and I rolled over onto my back to look at the newly sunset colored sky.

"Pretty, isn't it?"

The sky was alit with so many colors: reds, oranges, yellows, pinks, etc. It was the kind of sunset that was seen in all the romantic movies that our mom used to make us watch with her.

"Takes me back to when we were little." Al said, looking at the sky. I could tell it made him feel somewhat happy, being reminded of Mom.

"Yea."

I sat up, and looked around; only then focusing on a silhouette running down the path toward us.

"What the heck?" I shielded my eyes from the sunlight, and somewhat saw that silhouette to be a girl. 'Could…Could that be, Sakura? No. Sakura has her hair down and it's short. But, this girl is wearing her hair in a ponytail.'

The girl was still running toward us, but seemed to slow down when she caught sight of a boy, me, sitting on the ground, and a suit of armor, Al, standing on the side of the pathway. She stopped in front of us, and examined us for a minute. Then she spoke with her hands on her hips.

"Hey! Are you guys going back to Konoha?" 'Konoha? I remember that voice mentioning that.' "You should report straight to the 5th Hokage once you get there. She's having a REALLY bad day so—"

"Excuse me, but," I interrupted."But who is this '5th Hokage'?"

She stared at me in shock. She must have been confused for some reason because she looked embarrassed.

'I wonder if she knows Sakura. And I should ask her name too.' I thought as the ponytailed girl had lowered her head, gathering up words to say. Taking the opportunity to speak, I stood up, and faced her straight on.

"Hey, I have a question." The girl jumped at my voice. "What's your name?"

She looked back up the pathway from which she came and then turned her attention back to me.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself before! I'm Yamanaka, Ino. Pleased to meet you… um…what's your name?"

"Edward Elric. And this is my younger brother, Alphonse." I gestured towards Al who was standing behind me. "Pleased to meet you!" he said bowing.

Ino stared oddly at us. "But… shouldn't it be the other way around?"

Whenever someone goes and says something like that it pisses me off. In this case, Al had to hold me back from attacking that sorry girl's head.

Sigh. "Well, Ino. I have one more question to ask you. Do you know someone named Haruno, Sakura?" I questioned, crossing my arms. 'She'd better know Sakura, I really want to find her soon.'

Ino looked annoyed at this. She crossed her arms and said with an expression that said 'I hate that girl so much I want to snap her neck.' "That bitch sadly lives in Konoha, like I do. We're rivals over a boy, Sasuke Uchiha." 'She likes someone else? Aw, hell.' I thought, hanging my head. "Or more likely, she was my rival over him. They had a fight and now she hates his guts." I sighed with relief.

"Well, I'm headed for…Konoha, did I say that right? I'm looking for Sakura. Do you think you could help me find her?"

"Sorry. I can't right now. I'm on a mission for the 5th Hokage, Tsunade-sama. I have to go to the Land of Tea and deliver a message to the lord there." She apologized. "I'll see you around, 'kay?" Before I could say anything else, she was off running down the path behind us.

Sigh. "She wasn't much help really."

"Nope."

"Well, better start walking again." I said wearily. I grabbed my trunk, and Al and I continued up the path. Even in the slowly setting sunlight.

"Ugh." I moaned as we stood at Konoha's giant main gate. It was supremely tall and we were literally in the dark standing on the outside of the village. It was still somewhat light out, and we could still get in if we got through the guard people there…

The two men that must have been guarding the gate were reclining in some kind of shed-like area; and only one of them seemed to be doing their job.

We stopped gawking at the entrance, walked into the village, and approached the shed-like thing.

"Hey, is this Konoha?" I asked seriously. This was the moment of truth. Hopefully they would know where I could find Haruno Sakura.

"Hey—!! Y-you…!! Wait here!!" The one guard with spiky brown hair and a bandage over his nose stammered. He quickly ran over to the other guard who was napping, mumbled something to him, and sprinted off to somewhere in the village.

"Wha…?" I was completely, and utterly confused. 'Am I not allowed here or something?'

A few minutes later, the spiky-haired guard returned with someone following him. It was a girl.

"Is this the boy you asked us to look out for, Miss Haruno?" The guard pointed at me.

My eyes widened. It was her. The girl from my dreams. Sakura! 'This is messed up!! She-She really is real!!' She looked exactly as from in my dreams. Short, pink hair; emerald green eyes; and a large forehead.

Her eyes widened as well. She must've been thinking the same thing as I was, because at the same time we both pointed fingers at each other and yelled,

"YOU!!"

What an unexpected meeting!!

Waiting on a Cherry Blossom- Chapter 2, Part 2 ~Sakura~: This is unreal!!

"Mom! I'm home!" I yelled throughout the house, slamming the open door behind me as I stepped in. I had just returned home after my meeting with the 5th Hokage, Tsunade-sama, and setting in my request for the Jounin at the entrance of the village to look out for Edward-kun. 'I do hope he comes soon…' I thought.

"Welcome home honey!" My mom called from upstairs. 'She's probably cleaning.' I started thinking. 'But…If she's in my room reading what I wrote down from my dreams, I'm gonna get an earful!!' I started up the creaky wooden stairs, and opened the door to my room with a slam. No one was there. 'Thank god.'

"Hey sweetie!"

I screamed. Mom had scared me half to death coming up behind me like that. She was laughing because of how I reacted. I had punched a hole in the wall where I was facing to put my shopping bags down. You could see the insulation and the backside of the room wall next to mine.

My mom was carrying a laundry basket under her left arm, and was wearing a green bandanna around her long dark pink hair. It was pulled back in a tight ponytail, but a few strands still stuck out promptly. That was the way she looked when she cleaned the house the whole day.

"H-hey mom. You scared me half to death!!" I panted, clutching my throbbing hand. I have a tendency to overreact when I get scared or angry.

"I can absolutely tell that, dear." Mom said, peering into the hole in the wall. "You know," she said, turning to me and placing her hands on her hips, "I just finished fixing that wall after the last time you did that!"

She smiled at me and held out her arms for a hug.

Being the good daughter I was I hugged her without any complaint. She was my MOM after all.

For the rest of the day, I lie on my bed just thinking. I could faintly hear my mom singing over the vacuum. Occasionally a bird chirping could be heard from outside; or academy students playing ninja out in the streets. I turned my head to see my reflection in the mirror. 'Does Edward know what he's coming to meet?' I thought. 'I…I mean, what if he thinks I'm ugly? Or that I'm not what he expected?' I just stared at my solemn face. Sunlight shone in over my bed, making my skin a pale red, just almost matching my shirt.

I just kept staring at myself until my eyes began to well up with tears. I couldn't bear the thought of yet another boy rejecting me for something I can't help. 'Sasuke-kun pushed me out because I was annoying, and he probably thought I was the worst. I…I just…hope Edward doesn't do the same.' At that thought, tears streamed down my cheeks.

"I…I'm such a b-big crybaby…"

I just continued to lay there and cry until I fell asleep.

"Sakura! There's someone here for you!"

I woke up to my mom calling me. My cheeks were stiff, but I just rubbed my eyes and told her I was coming on down.

At the doorway, stood the Jounin from the village's main gate. My eyes widened when I realized the situation. 'E-Edward's here already?? S…so soon??' My heart began to race; I was too excited for this moment. But then I remembered…

'I…I just…hope Edward doesn't do the same.'

'Please…' I prayed, 'Please don't let Edward reject me like Sasuke-kun… I couldn't bear it. Please god…' I walked up to the Jounin, my hand clenched into a fist to prevent me from breaking under the stress. He straightened his stature and said like as asked:

"Miss Haruno, the boy you have asked us to look out for….we believe… is the one we have down at the village gate. Would you like to confirm it's who you requested?"

I wanted to reply before he could finish, but I just couldn't form words in my mouth. It was terrifying, trying to decide to face the music or not.

"Y…yes. I do." I finally sputtered after a time of dramatic silence. I slipped on my ninja sandals, waved my mom good-bye, and was going to face him, Edward, the boy I've longed to meet.

I followed the Jounin to the village main gate. It was dusk and everyone seemed to be indoors. Few people were still outside, including us.

'This…this is it, Sakura.' I thought wearily, 'Will Edward...reject me like Sasuke-kun? No. I won't let that happen. Don't let him go, ever!'

A promise to be kept.

"Whoa…" I thought aloud, "They found someone already…?"

Coming to a stop, the Jounin looked at me and pointed towards a boy in the shade of the observatory shed.

"Is this the boy you asked us to look out for, Miss Haruno?"

I followed his gesture, and sure enough, I saw a boy. Blond hair, tied into a braid, and through the shade I saw his golden eyes. Exactly how I remembered him from my dreams. My eyes widened, so did his. 'It's…It's him… it…really is! No way! This is so unreal! I must be dreaming!'

Stunned, I pointed at Edward and yelled:

"YOU!!"

My heart was racing, I was stupefied. We both seemed stunned, and we both spoke nothing. In this time I could actually take in Edward's features that I didn't notice before in my dreams.

He was short, but yet a little taller than I was. His golden blond hair and his golden eyes were already known to me. He wore a long red coat, and underneath that another coat, black jeans, and boots. Behind him stood, what seemed like, a giant suit of armor. It held a traveling trunk, which must have been Edward's.

For some reason, tears welled up in my eyes. I attempted to hold them back, but they were coming out no matter what I tried. Tears ran down my face.

Tears of pure joy.

I could tell by the way Edward looked at me that he wasn't going to act like Sasuke-kun; by rejecting me and pushing me out of everything.

Edward's facial expression changed, he was surprised, but now showing joy. Unlike me he didn't cry. 'That's obvious, since I'm just a big crybaby.' I thought.