The Happy Ending We Are All Searching For

Chapter 4: Your Heart is where Your Home is

(A.K.A How Easy to fall)

.

.

.

My Fair Flower,

We had been for almost a year now. Yet I still can't figure out who you are. I'm not complaining though! It's really fun imagining you as just about anyone… (A nerd in glasses? An Otaku? A beautiful top student?) So many choices!

I can tell that you are a really kind-hearted person and that you are as witty as can be. Your charm ensnared even this silly midnight mage who is miles away from you. You're that special.

I always think, 'Why would this special girl take the time to write letters to me?' I never found an answer. Care to share your thought about this? You never actually explained why you chose me of all people!

Another thing. I want to express my extreme gratitude for being friend and for being a Tomoeda newsletter for me. You may not know, but your letters makes my life worth while. They keep me from getting bored and they make me smile with real joy.

Now that I have said this, I would like to ask for advice. For the past few months, we had been exchanging correspondence and telling stories about our lives… But something kept bugging me as we talked.

Before we started this 'writing thing', as you sometimes call it, I was busy searching for a missing piece in me. I had felt so incomplete when I left Tomoeda. And there was even a time in the airport when I truly wanted to stay (upon seeing a beautiful girl with overly sad eyes). I wanted to find the home where calmness would reign inside me, where I would be truly at peace.

What was bugging me was that when I read your letter, these thoughts came into a halt. It felt as if they never existed. The gaping hole inside me was filled with something special. You made me forget incompleteness with your wit and charm. I am really thankful about that.

I still don't understand how you made me feel this way. Did you use some special technique that made my worries disappear? Please feel free to explain about this.

Another thing is that my housemate, Nakuru Akizuki, was obviously trying to hide the fact that you want to talk to me. She even went as far as hiding this letter from me. I never had the chance to talk to her about it because I knew that if she ever found out, she'll stop me from talking to you.

And I know for a fact that I don't ever want to stop talking to you.

If you know anything about her reason, do inform me. I really want to know everything about it.

Sincerely yours,

Your Midnight Mage

Eriol frowned at his newly-written letter. 'Wouldn't this be over the limits? We're only secret friends after all. I shouldn't say this much… But then…'

It had been almost a year since the secret friend thing started. And the mage promised to his self that he would say everything before their correspondence reaches its anniversary.

As you may have read from the letter, it is quite obvious that he is smitten by the mysterious Fair Flower.

Everything could be summarized by what Spinnel once said, "Eriol-sama isn't the type to fall so easily. He doesn't even know that girl that much. But he is just the type to go to where his heart is pointing. He is merely falling where he should fall. It's destiny."

He is finally fulfilling what Clow Reed didn't fulfill. So he was urged to write all this.

…But isn't the letter a little too emotional?

Oh well, might as well go on with it. She'll stop writing if she gets turned off by the letter.

Hmmm… I hope she will still write. It'll hurt a lot if she suddenly stops.

.

.

.

The Tomoeda Nightingale, as how most people call her now after winning the Tokyo Competition, sat on her bed as she slowly read his letter.

"Eriol-kun…"

Her longing voice echoed around the room. After finishing the letter, she smiled warmly and kissed the letter lovingly. She can vividly imagine the boy with a slightly smiling, slightly determined face. It's too cute!

And his letter… is too heart-warming. Where did he buy all those compliments, anyway? He's returning to his 'Admiring Gentleman' mode, isn't he?

I'm so happy! She could almost feel her heart sing in joy! He's finally returning to his sugar-coating cuteness… and that would mean some good news to her.

Maybe… just maybe… as he goes back to his old ways, his memories would somehow go back too?

Onegai, Kami-sama!

;

;

;

;

"Tomoyo-chan! You have to try this on!"

Sakura ran to the aforementioned girl with a blue dress in her hand. "This would look good on you! Eriol-kun would love to see you in this!"

The auburn haired girl was obviously more enthusiastic than normal. This is because she had read the letter that Eriol had written for Tomoyo. She felt as if it was the start of something they all wanted to happen.

"Oh please, Sakura-chan. I'm the one who's supposed to find a good dress for your dinner with Yelan-sensei and Syaoran's sisters! You're the one who's shopping here!" Tomoyo smiled at her best friend with one of her most radiant smiles. She had been feeling more and more happy as days passed by… all because of a single letter.

For your information, Tomoyo haven't replied yet. She was saving all her thoughts for later, after Sakura and Syaoran's important dinner tomorrow. For now, she would just be a loyal and helpful adviser for her best friend.

"And besides, Eriol-kun wouldn't go back any time soon" she said with no bitterness or sadness in her voice; merely carefree.

"Alright. But we'll shop again for you after our dinner, okay?"

"Okay. We really should have more shopping time together since Li-kun is taking all your time from me!" she said with a pout.

Sakura blushed with embarrassment but laughed a little. "I'll always find time for you, my beloved Tomoyo-chan!"

They continued shopping for clothes and accessories with Tomoyo squealing and Sakura blushing embarrassedly.

"Sakura"

The Cherry looked up with a smile, recognizing the voice of her most special person. She stood up and greeted him by hugging his arm. "O-ha-yo, Syao-ran-kun" she greeted playfully.

"Are you done with shopping?" he asked with his gentle smile fixed on his lips.

Sakura nodded. Syaoran took the shopping bags on the floor and motioned for the two of them to follow him.

"I'll treat you two to lunch" he took Sakura's hand and looked at Tomoyo.

"Awww… Why didn't I bring my video cam today? You're too cute!" she squealed in delight. "You should eat together! I don't want to be a bother. Besides, my body guards would fetch me sooner or later"

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked worriedly. She didn't want to leave her best friend just to have lunch with her date (who, as what Tomoyo said, was always with Sakura anyway).

"I'm sure!" she answered with a wink aimed at Syaoran. She was obviously suggesting something to the poor boy again. "Bye, bye now! Go now" she said while pushing the two towards the exit.

She waved at them as they walked towards the restaurant.

"Now, to buy something for Sakura and Syaoran's near-engagement!" she happily whispered to herself while walking back to the store.

.

.

.

"Looks like she won't write any time soon" Eriol sighed with a sad expression on his handsome face.

"Don't worry, Eriol-sama. She'll write somehow. She's just having some problem, maybe" Spinnel nonchalantly advised while looking at the book he was reading.

After a brief silence, the mage asked something really, I mean really, surprising.

"Why don't we go back to Tomoeda?"

Not being surprised at all, Spinnel Sun looked up from his book calmly. "If you want to, we can. It is your money you'll be wasting, after all"

"I really want to go back to Tomoeda now. Something's pulling me towards that place" he said with another sigh.

"You have to talk to Nakuru though. It's common knowledge that she doesn't want to go back"

Eriol nodded and stood up to go to the kitchen, Nakuru's personal lair.

There stood the enthusiastic girl baking another cake for today. She was sad for the first months that they stayed here in England but she slowly went back to being the energetic girl that she is. She even baked a different cake or other delicacies every day.

"Nakuru"

The girl looked at him. "What is it, Eriol-sama?"

"Can we talk outside?" he asked seriously.

Nakuru sighed, expecting this to happen sooner or later. She knew that there will come a time when he would want something more than a letter-writing friend.

She nodded and took off her pink frilly apron. "Let's stay in the garden"

.

.

.

"Eriol-sama, I know what you want to say. You want to go back now, right?" she asked, a little exasperatedly

"Yes" was his short reply.

"But we shouldn't. It's not supposed to be that way."

"Why shouldn't we go back? I feel as if this is not just about me… do you want to tell me something, Nakuru?"

"This is all about you! You shouldn't… you would be hurt" she denied

"But Nakuru, I'm more than capable of handling my own welfare. If I should be hurt, then let it be. I don't know your worries, but I do know that going back would help me. Please let me feel free once again. If only with pain would I be free, then pain I should have. At least peace would come after that."

The girl looked down with a sadder expression. She then looked up as if she finally decided about it. Her eyes were a mixture of different emotions: determination, fear, sadness, a little happiness and a lot of hesitation. "Okay" Her voice was weak, almost helpless.

"You're feeling bothered of something else, aren't you?" he asked with a knowing look.

"No"

"Tell me the truth, Nakuru. Trust me, please"

Nakuru sat down and tucked her knees with her hands, looking like a helpless child in a play ground. "I… I did something that I shouldn't have done. I'm afraid… I kis-"

She stopped abruptly and blushed with embarrassment.

"You kissed Touya-san? Is that it? You were always harassing him. Why be embarrassed now?" he asked with an arched eyebrow. It was quite funny seeing her like this, worrying about something this odd.

"I just hug him from behind, that's a perfectly normal thing to do if you want to annoy someone. But kissing him was too much. It wasn't the least appropriate"

Eriol raised his eyebrows (more) in query. "You only kissed him on the cheeks, right? That's not too much! It's normal too, especially if you're French"

"But I'm not French! It was too much!" she stubbornly said with a pout. She looked just like how Sakura would react: childish and totally naïve.

"Wait… don't tell me…" he started with a weird look. "You told me that you only wanted to annoy him and always be with him to irritate Yukito-san. You wanted to take share what Yue had. Then why are you acting this way?"

He asked this even though he knew already what was happening. It was something he wanted to hear from Nakuru herself.

"It was what I wanted to do at first…

But now…

I think I've fallen for him"

Yatsuiko-chan: Let's do this! One chapter to go!

I'm really sorry for being delayed for a few days. Don't worry I'll update as fast as I can!

It's fun, right? SxS dinner, Eriol coming back and Nakuru falling more and more for Touya!

Read and Review please! If you like reading this, why not do the other 'R'?