Sakura sat at her desk a few minutes before everyone else would be entering the
room. With her head in her hands she was lost in her thoughts until someone
opened the door.
"Sakura-chan!"
She looked up to see her best friend standing in the doorway with a worried
look on her face. Right then Sakura decided that she didn't want anyone
worrying or asking questions about her so she quickly smiled.
"Good morning, Tomoyo-chan!"
"Good morning! Is there a reason you're here so early; it's not like you. Is
something wrong?"
"No, Tomoyo-chan I'm fine. I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't go
back to sleep so I decided to clean up the classroom a little."
Tomoyo walked over to Sakura and sat down in her desk.
"That's good. You know you can always come to me if something's troubling you,
Sakura-chan, ne?
Sakura smiled at her friend and put a hand to her mouth as she yawned. The
truth was she didn't sleep at all last night. Every time she closed her eyes
she saw a certain brown-haired boy and it bothered her because she didn't know
the reason for it.
"I know, Tomoyo-chan. Don't worry, I'm just a little tired that's all." Sakura
smiled brightly but her friend still wasn't convinced.
'I wonder if this has anything to do with Li-kun,' Tomoyo thought silently. She
had watched Sakura run to the boy after he went his own way from the Teddy Bear
Show but respected their privacy and left them alone.
'What could have happened?'
"Ohayo!" called Chiharu and their other friends as the students began trickling
in the classroom.
"Ohayo Gozai-masu!" said Sakura cheerfully.
"Wow, Sakura! You're here already?" asked Rikka.
"Yep!"
"Are you turning over a new leaf or something?" questioned Naoko.
"I guess I'm trying!"
"That's good!"
Finally Syaoron walked in but stopped at the sight of Sakura. He stared at her
as she laughed with her friends. His cheeks began to grow warm but he didn't
care as long as he could see her. She was so perfect. How was it possible that
she wanted to be friends with him? Not that that was what he wanted but as long
as she would always smile at him and talk in her cheerful voice nothing else
mattered. Right?
He wasn't aware that Tomoyo had come up to him as she tapped him lightly on the
shoulder.
"The Sensei will be in soon. You should get to your seat." She said sweetly,
sorry that she had to knock him out of his reverie. He looked back at her,
bewildered and she smiled before she went back over to her friend.
Sakura looked up and saw him standing at the door. 'It's good to see him
again,' she thought subconsciously. She mentally shook herself. 'What am I
thinking?' She raised her hand and waved wildly while calling to him, "Syaoran-
kun! Good morning Syaoran-kun!"
He smiled a little at her enthusiasm and walked over to his desk behind the
girl who had stolen his heart.
"Good morning Syaoran-kun!" She repeated a little more softly. He blushed a
little and returned her greeting.
"Good morning Sa.....Sakura?"
"Hoe? What?"
"Ar- are you all right? Sakura?"
"Sure I am! See?" she flashed him a grin. Syaoran's cheeks turned bright pink.
"Ok. You just looked a little tired......."
Sakura's face softened, "You were worried about me weren't you?"
He looked back up at her and lost himself in her glassy green eyes.
"Well.....uh...I...."
"Good morning class! Now today we'll...."
"Thank you," Sakura whispered before she turned and sat down. Syaoran looked at
her back with concern but smiled at the fact of how strong she was
acting. "Thank you," he heard her say over and over again.
'Syaoran-kun? Sakura? They've never called each other by their first names
before! What happened yesterday? Tomoyo stared at the two lovebirds who both
had the same pained expression on their faces. 'Deep down inside they're really
happy.' Tomoyo smiled at the two of them, but all of a sudden she slapped her
hand to her forehead, 'I didn't get to tape that important moment in Sakura-
chan's life!'
After about an hour Sakura and Syaoran didn't even seem to understand what the
Sensei was saying anymore. They fought to stay awake but they found that their
eyelids kept getting heavier. Syaoran didn't even seem to notice that he was
tired. All he knew was Sakura was falling asleep and desperately trying to stay
awake. It hurt him to see her struggling so he lifted his hand preparing to
shake her gently awake but he didn't seem to have enough strength to pick it
up. Before he knew it they had both fallen asleep at exactly the same time.
Sakura opened her eyes and waited for them to adjust to the light.
"Hoe? Where am I?" She looked up.
"The cherry blossom tree? How did I get here?" She stood up and took a deep
breath.
"Ah! It's so beautiful!" It was sunny and bright. Birds twittered happily in
the air and Sakura skipped to their joyful song. She laughed out loud but as
soon as the sound escaped from her throat she became self-conscious. There was
no one else around.
"Hoe? Where is everybody?" She began to grow frightened at the thought of being
all alone. The cold feeling returned despite the warm weather and she felt the
life being sucked out of her. She cried out in despair as she collapsed to the
ground gasping for breath. Then she heard it.
"Sakura." He was calling her. With her last ounce of strength she looked up to
see Syaoran standing only a few feet away.
"Syaoran," she whispered. She started to feel her strength coming back and she
picked herself up off the ground.
Syaoran was holding his hands out to her and she rushed to meet his open arms.
He took her right hand in his and hugged her close. Only then did Sakura let
her tears flow.
"Syaoran-kun, you don't know how happy I am that you're here." She sobbed into
his chest. He pulled her closer.
"It's all right, Sakura. I'm here now and nothing can harm you. I won't let it.
Please don't cry."
Sakura sniffed and her tears stopped.
"Syaoran-kun...." She looked up and their eyes met. Their minds blanked out as
they stared into the window's of each other's souls. The blossoms on the sakura
tree began to fall and surround the young lovers. Sakura noticed that the cold,
empty feeling had vanished when Syaoran touched her hand and she smiled at the
thought.
The blossoms continued to fall more rapidly but they were too absorbed in their
bliss to notice that the more bare the tree became the darker the sky grew.
"Sakura," he breathed as they drew nearer.
"Syaoran, I...."
"Shh....." he whispered and closed his eyes. Her heart fluttered and she slowly
began to close hers but at that exact moment the last blossom was torn from the
tree and Sakura screamed as they were covered in darkness.
"Syaoran! No!" she cried as she felt him being pulled away from their embrace.
Away from her.
"SAKURA!" He screamed in despair. A huge gust of wind kicked up and Sakura put
her arms in from on her face to shield herself. When she opened her eyes
Syaoran stood in front of her but everything else was still pitch black. Again
she ran to him, wanting to feel the warmth of his body against hers, but then
bars suddenly appeared around him like a cage. Tears welled up in her eyes and
Sakura's body was wracked with emotion.
"NO! You can't leave me, Syaoran! Don't leave me!" She lifted her hands,
"No, Sakura! Stop!!!" Too late. She grabbed the electric rods causing her to be
shot back and thrown to the ground.
"NO!" Syaoran cried choking back tears.
Sakura winced in pain but made it into standing position anyway.
"I won't let you be taken away from me." She whispered. "I WON'T!" Nothing
could control Sakura's rage as she yet again made her way over to the boy who
could make her feel completely safe. But this time the cage started moving away.
"No. This can't be happening." She said under her breath. Now she ran, one arm
outstretched. She would get to him no matter what.
Tears were now coursing down the boy's face as he watched his true love run to
him in panic. He reached one arm through the bars. Maybe, just maybe she could
make it.
"Syaoran." She whispered inaudibly. She was almost there. Just a little farther.
"Sakura." He said almost as if he could hear her. She was running for her life
and he cried even harder knowing that there was nothing he could do to help her
pain.
"Sakura! Now matter what happens! I'll come back to you!"
She made it! She grabbed his hand and hung on for dear life.
" I know you will!"
The cage was moving too fast. She couldn't keep up and was loosing her grip!
Now only their fingertips were touching.
"Sakura, I want you to know that I....." their connection was broken and he
disappeared.
*Her eyes flew open.*
"SYAORAN!!!!"
"Sakura-chan," Tomoyo whispered to herself. She had seen the two of them fall
asleep but she didn't expect this. Sakura was trembling incessantly and Syaoran
had started shaking too. Tomoyo gasped as rivers of tears began flowing down
both their cheeks and onto their desks. The violet-eyed girl knew they were
dreaming about each other and she felt tears stinging in her eyes as well.
'Why do they have to be put through this torture?'
She started to turn her attention back to the Sensei but nearly cried out as
both pairs of eyes flew open simultaneously.
When Syaoran found himself in a place other than the classroom he immediately
got to his feet in fighting stance. But when nobody appeared he decided to look
at his surroundings.
"The cherry blossom tree?" he said looking behind him. "How did I get here? Why
am I not at school!?" He walked around a little, looking for anything
suspicious. Everything was the same but..
"There are no people here...." He said to himself, "Why? Why are there no
people here!?" He shouted growing more frightened and angry with every breath.
Then he heard a sound. It was coming from the tree. He whirled around to face
it and his heart stopped. Sakura, his Sakura, was sitting on a high branch in
the tree with her hands covering her face. Crying.
"No. Sakura don't cry," he whispered more to himself than the girl. He walked
closer to her and heard her gasp before she parted her hands. Her tear-stained
eyes grew wide as she whispered,
"Syaoran-kun?"
"Yes. Please don't cry, Sakura. It hurts to see you cry."
"Syaoran-kun...why......" the branch snapped and she began to fall.
"Sakura!" he yelled running and caught her in his arms before she hit the
ground. He held her with one arm under both her legs and the other around her
back. The young girl looked into his eyes.
"Thank you, Syaoran-kun."
"Sakura I would never let anything happen to you. Never....."
" I know....you told me." She whispered.
"When did I tell you?" He asked confused but never leaving her eyes.
Sakura's brow furrowed, "Right before you left me. Don't you remember?" She
said softly.
"Sakura just like I wouldn't let anything happen to you I would never leave
you. I'd die before that happened."
At first she smiled. Then hesitated,
"But you did. You were taken away....from me. And I cried and cried but you
never came back!"
A lonesome tear fell down her face making his heart cry out. He sat down with
her in his lap and brushed away her tears but in the midst of his caresses she
took his hand and held it to her close.
She looked at him again and he felt his knees go weak.
"Don't ever leave me again, Syaoran-kun. Promise me that."
"Sakura, I swear with all my heart that I will always be with you. Promise."
"Syaoran-kun....." she leaned closer to him. Syaoran found it hard to breath as
he was being drawn deeper and deeper into her sparkling emerald eyes. He lifted
his other hand and laid it gently on her cheek and she closed them. His heart
pounded as he fought to stay in control. He could smell the sweet scent of her
hair and a silky strand fell on his fingertips. Finally he closed his eyes and
told her the three words he longed her to know,
"Sakura, I l...."
"Ahhhh!!!"
His eyes snapped open at the realization that Sakura had been torn away from
him and he looked up to see seven black, shadowy figures carrying her away. She
struggled against them and called to him over and over.
"Sakura!!! Let her go!!" He was overtaken by his anger and rushed at them. One
of the figures gave the other an order to stop moving and turned to Syaoran.
"I wouldn't come any closer if I were you, Little Wolf." It menacingly pulled
out a knife and pressed it against Sakura's tiny neck. Syaoran saw her eyes
grow wide with fear making him sick to his stomach.
"No! Don't hurt her!"
The figure ignored him and they began carrying her farther away. Away from him.
Away......from their promise.
"Wait!" he put his hand out as if reaching for Sakura. The figures stopped with
their backs to him.
"Wha-" he clenched his fists, "what are you going to do to her!?" Syaoran
couldn't see the figure's face but felt it smiling evilly. That made his blood
boil.
'I'll kill them. I'LL KILL THEM! THE BASTARDS!!!' Tears came to his eyes and he
immediately wished he hadn't asked the question.
"We will pluck the petals of your Cherry Blossom until she is stripped of her
powers.."
"NO!"
"And who's going to stop us?"
His tears fell. There was nothing he could do. No. He promised her! He promised
he wouldn't leave her!
"No, Sakura, I PROMISED!!!"
A piercing scream caused him to look up.
"No....... NO!!"
*His eyes flew open*
"SAKURA!!!"
Sakura sat straight up in her desk, fear written all over her face.
"SYAORAN!!!" She screamed.
"SAKURA!!!" She heard Syaoran scream behind her.
'H-hoe? What happened?'
"Sakura-chan! Are you all right!?" Tomoyo put a hand on her friend's arm.
Sakura was shaking. She was too terrified to move, to scared to speak.
"Kinomoto? Li? Is everything all right?" their teacher asked.
Sakura was now vaguely aware that the whole class was staring at her. Terada
Sensei looked concerned.
"You may be excused if you need so." He smiled a little.
Sakura didn't move. She couldn't. The terror she had just experience kept her
frozen in place like a statue.
"Here." She heard someone whisper gently from behind. Something in the voice
allowed her to turn towards it. Syaoran was standing with his arm outstretched
asking her to take his hand. He smiled wanly as their eyes met.
'Just like the dream,' they both thought. Slowly she lifted her quivering hand
and placed it inside his. A rush of warmth was sent through her letting her
stand. They walked out the room hand in hand, eyes never leaving each others.
'I wish I had recorded that,' Tomoyo sighed.