Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ the return ❯ The Message That Shattered A Heart ( Chapter 11 )

The Return

Chapter 11 - The Message That Shattered a Heart

Finally, on Saturday, after a few days, the doctors told Xiao Lang that he was well enough to be released. Sakura had stayed with him and had Tomoyo deliver the clean clothes to the front desk. She even offered to walk Xiao Lang home.

When they reached the front gates, they noticed a strange limo parked in the front driveway. They dismissed the object and walked to his apartment.

He quickly ran to the washroom when they got to his house, asking Sakura to check the messages on his machine. She laughed at his rush and went to the phone to see if there had been any messages. Just two. She pressed play and listened.

"Hey Syaoran! It's just me, Meilin. It's Monday night so I guess you're out. I was calling because the elders and I haven't heard any news of your search. Have you found her yet? No! I thought so. How hard can it be to find one Kinomoto Sakura? Aunt Yelan is getting impatient and wondering if she should renew our engagement. That's something to think about.

I overheard the elders discussing something to do with the earthquakes in Japan. I never heard all of it. But they sound serious.

Do you really think Sakura-Chan still loves the ten-year-old boy who tried to beat her up for the cards? After six- no seven years? I gotta go but say hi to Tomoyo and the stuffed animal for me. Ja."

Xiao Lang didn't notice the look of awe when he walked in. he had only heard the last bits of her message and repeated it.

'No! It can't be him. Not now. I've just gotten over it.' Sakura denied to herself and sat down suddenly. She tried to think of another explanation. 'He's probably friends with Meilin and she was engaged to him before Syaoran. No, that doesn't make sense. I don't have any other explanation. Syaoran. Kinomoto Sakura. Meilin. Seven years. Too much coincidences…no. It can't be. He should have recognized me or my aura unless... I hid it from him. What if he is? Wait, Meilin never called him Xiao Lang. It's a wrong number! But then…' she thought with worry. Too much was going on in her mind. She couldn't sort it all out. Then a hoarse whisper entered her thoughts causing her to cringe.

'The dream. Remember the premonition…' it said. She shook her head and concentrated on Xiao Lang who was playing the second message. It was Meilin again and she sounded worried...

"Xiao Lang, something bad has happened to aunt Yelan and she's collapsed. The clan doctors are looking after her but they told me it doesn't look good. The clan is also getting sicker. I'm scared. Someone told me it had to do with you. Please come back to Hong Kong or your mother might die. I don't want to have to deal with another nine-year-old Xiao Lang who was cold. The jet is waiting and I sent a limo for you. If they all die you'll be…" she hesitated not wanting to say it, "and you'll be the only Li left in Hong Kong…"

"Orphan." He finished for Meilin. If he lost his mother and the clan he'd lose his only family. He glanced out the window and realized the guy in the limo was the same man who had been at the airport when he left Hong Kong.

Sakura saw the look of determination in his eyes as he turned and walked to the door and grabbed his keys. He didn't even look at her as he reached for the door. She ran forth and grabbed his arm.

"Wait. Don't just leave me here." She said selfishly knowing that if she didn't do something her dream would come true and he would leave her forever.

"I have to." He said solemnly without turning around. "I'll come back. Just stay here."

"No! You can't leave me. Please don't put me through this hell again. You know you won't come back." She pleaded with him but he just pulled his arm out of her grasp and walked out the door.

"I have to, Sakura. I swear I'll come back for you. I'm so sorry to leave but you heard the message, I have to." He replied pushing the button for the elevator. It came within seconds.

"Xiao Lang!!" she cried as he got on the elevator. She collapsed in a heap, knowing she couldn't change this horrible thing.

"I love you!" she called as the doors closed. "Please don't leave. Don't leave me alone…" she whispered but nothing would bring him back…

~~

When she finally got the courage to go home, she collapsed onto her bed. She turned over and her head hit something strange. It was an envelope. 'Otoo-chan must have brought this up before he left.' She thought as she sat up and opened it.

Silently she read the contents and almost died all over again. The letter was dated the day of the earthquake.

Dearest Sakura,

Konnichiwa. It's just an old friend, Syaoran. I'm sorry I haven't talked to you or written to you in quite a few years but I'm not writing this letter to blame my circumstances. I'm writing this letter to express to you how I felt for you when we were ten. I love you…

At this, she paused and looked at her ceiling, and for a few minutes, let her tears flow freely. Then she picked up the letter and continued reading.

I love you…I have loved you since our days as card captors. I left you without sharing with you my feelings, as I should have. I loved you so much that when I returned to Hong Kong, I was miserable.

I was allowed to return to Japan one year ago to find and marry you but I found someone else in our spot on the swings one night. Her name was Sakura, too. Over the last year I got to know her very well and I'd have to say that I can't bear to live without her. I think that means that I'm in love with her. I don't think I could love another person in this way. I will always love you but not like this. I hope you're happy in your life and I wish you luck. I had to tell you this because if I didn't then I wouldn't have been able to get over the past.

Love,

Li Xiao Lang

(My Chinese name. I thought you should know)

P.S. I wrote my e-mail at the bottom so that we could maybe reconnect again. I miss our card capturing days and most of all I miss you. I'd like do rekindle our friendship again.

When she read this she felt like curling up and dying.

'I hate you Xiao Lang, for doing this to me again' she thought over and over again even though she loved him. She couldn't stop her tears and didn't want to. Part of her was solemn because he loved her, but the other part was dying. The last thing she thought before falling asleep was that she'd die of a broken heart. A few minutes later she was drifting into a troubled sleep.

THE END!!!