Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / X/1999 Fan Fiction ❯ Fruit of the Tree ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

Fruit of the Tree: Prologue

Disclaimer: Tokyo Babylon/X and Card Captor Sakura do not belong to me, and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

A/N: This story will be odd, in that the Tree will have a lot of fanon characteristics attributed to it- individual action and thought, a personality, etc. Will be rather strange, period. Just go with it. The years are going to messed with, too

Five year old Nadeshiko was lost.

It had been an innocent thing to do. Her nurse had been distracted with her cousin, Sonomi- and she had run off, yelling "can't catch me!" into the mysterious wilds of Ueno. She was certain she had heard them chasing after her…

Then she had gotten lost in the darkness- and found herself under the largest Sakura tree- ever!

Delicate pink petals rained down all around her, and the scent was so strong her nose didn't detect the strong tang of blood in the air. Her eyes tried to bug out… It was so huge! Reverently her hands went to touch the rough bark.

Her spiritual sense, her knowing ability… was off kilter. It was telling her this was where she was supposed to be- but there was a taste of danger that was making her jumpy. The little girl was understandably confused. Innocently she looked around… The only thing in this strange place was the tree.

What was there to hurt her?

Maybe if she climbed up, she would be able to see Sonomi?

It wouldn't hurt to try… it wasn't like she couldn't climb a tree!

The trunk was gently sloping, the bark rough and she was able to scramble up without much trouble. It was oddly warm under her fingers, like touching skin. If she thought that far- it was like blood was running inside it.

"Mou," Nadeshiko pouted, when she was able to stand on one of the many thick limbs. The strange darkness clouded even this high! She was starting to get scared! She squatted down, hugging her knees, and took a deep breath to start wailing.

"You are noisy."

Nadeshiko jumped, and fell on her little rear- and gasped, seeing someone else sitting beside her in the tree.

This person was pretty, she decided. Short pink hair, wearing a kimono… maybe a year or two older.

"What are you doing here?" the little girl asked, curiously.

Nadeshiko looked down at her hands. "I'm lost… I climbed up here to see where I was."

The person didn't answer.

"I'm sorry," Nadeshiko apologized. "Can you tell me where I am?"

Still, no answer.

Nadeshiko was starting to become very frightened… Why was this person not saying anything at all?

"Are you lost too?"

The person's head tilted, lost in thought.

"Can't you find your way home?"

The person said nothing… but started to smile, just a little. Nadeshiko smiled back, and realized she wasn't afraid anymore. .

"I'll help you get home!" the little girl announced, standing up tall and throwing her shoulders back. "We can get out of this park together! Come on!" She held out one of her little pale hands. "What's your name?"

There was more silence- and Nadeshiko started to think she would never be answered…

"I'm Sakura," said the soft, hesitant voice.

"Well, Sakura, let's go."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nadeshiko had no memory of how she got to the bench on the other side of the park. She had been talking to Sakura, chattering away, happy to have someone to talk to as she made her way back to Sonomi and their nurse… who was likely to be having a fit. She had giggled, mentioned this to Sakura-

Then had awakened on this bench, with both females there. They were clucking over her in worry, having just found her after hours and hours of searching. Opening eyes that were strangely crusty, Nadeshiko was confused for several moments as she was bundled up to be taken home, before looking around wildly.

"Sakura?" she called, trying to find her friend. "Sakura?!?"

But, of Sakura, there was no sign.

As she was pulled away, Nadeshiko called back to the park. "I'll find you again, Sakura! And I'll help you get home, too!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty-two years later

A slender, white clad figure, walked with slow, firm steps, towards something that had been the star of so many of her nightmares…

The tree. Huge, ancient, steeped in blood. Her insides quaked.

I don't want to do this.

Looking up, she saw Seishirou standing on the lowest roots, his dead eye gleaming whitely in the faint light. She had known who he was. Yet she had clung to the hope that, if he could get Subaru go hold on to someone, anyone… he would have a reason to live.

I'm sorry, Subaru.

Then there was that other person, that person she could have loved… The person she had promised to help.

I'm sorry, Kakyou. I wish we had gotten to visit the sea together. This… this comes first.

Her eyes flickered behind the assassin before her, surprised by a bit of movement. She had not thought anyone else would be there… Yet she had no reason to be wary. It wasn't like she was planning on leaving here alive.

Seishirou asked if she planned to kill him. She shook her head no.

"I want you to kill me," was her simply, fatal, reply.

I'm sorry, both of you.

His hand readied itself, but her eyes fixed again on that hint of movement behind him. She could see a face. It distracted her as the blow came, jarring the air from her lungs. She felt the impact first, as it rocked her backwards, dumping her on to deep carpet of petals.

I don't want to die-

She had heard muscle and bone rip and crunch when he hit her. Now she felt her blood gush from her mouth, salty, choking, as she tried to breathe. Her heart tried to beat, and she panicked, despite herself.

This-

The figure resolved itself, before dropping to the ground out of the tree and walking to her. Cold traveled up from her feet, her body dying by inches, until her breath finally stopped and her eyes glazed over.

-the only way-

The figure knelt next to her, putting a slender hand over her mouth, and there was a sharp tug where her soul should be- and-

…to make everything all right…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kinomoto Sakura bolted awake, sprawling, sobbing, sweat soaking her hair and bedclothes.

Sakura's hand went to her chest, feeling the unbroken skin, the steady beat of her heart, and the air easily rushing through her lungs. Rolling over- she started to cry out of sheer relief. It had been a dream. Just a dream…

It wasn't one of her usual, fun or silly dreams, or even one of the unpleasant ones where she was naked while taking a test. It didn't have the sense of otherworldliness that her prophetic dreams usually did.

It felt like a memory- and that scared her more than the pain did.

To be continued.