Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Undeniable Love ❯ Chapter 1

    “Kinomoto Sakura,” Mr. Terada, the seventh grade teacher called.
    “Here!” the bubbly Sakura called back.  It was the first day of the new school year, a day that Sakura loved because she got to see all of her friends again after the long break.
    “Li Syaoran,” Mr. Terada called.  Silence answered.  “Li Syaoran,” he called again, and once more the answer was silence.  He looked up from the list of students to the back of the room.  Syaoran's desk, the desk behind Sakura, was empty.  “Oh, that's right.  Syaoran-kun and Meilin-san have gone back to Hong Kong,” he said mostly to himself.
    Sakura's mind instantly meandered when Syaoran's name entered her head.  She, subconsciously reminisced on all the time they spent together: the time they spent together during the final judgment, the time they got stuck in an elevator together; that was when he first called her Sakura, the time they were in the play Sleeping Beauty together; Sakura was the prince, and Syaoran was the princess, The time they spent together while fighting the strange occurrences caused by Eriol Hiiragisawa, the reincarnation of Clow Reed, the time Syaoran admitted his feelings for Sakura, the time Syaoran gave her a teddy bear that he made before he left to go back to Hong Kong, the time she admitted her feelings for Syaoran, and the recent time he left for Hong Kong.

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    It was raining that day.  The sky was dark and gloomy.  Nothing could lift her spirits.
    “Why can't you stay?” Sakura asked Syaoran in a pleading voice.
    “Mother wants me home.  There are no more Clow Cards to collect, and you have been named the master of the Cards.  Plus I only came for the break because Meilin dragged me along,” Syaoran told her.  He seemed sincerely sad about the departure, which was odd, because he rarely showed emotion.  “This isn't the last time we will see each other, though.  I promise,” he told Sakura.
    Sakura embraced him, wishing that this could prevent him from leaving her side, but even she knew it wouldn't.  Syaoran, in response, embraced Sakura.  “When will that be?” she questioned him, “The next time we see each other?”  A single tear escaped her eye, a tear she was trying so hard to hold back.  
    “Don't cry,” Syaoran said attempting to comfort her.  “A smile suits you best,” Syaoran told her.  He released from the hug, and wiped the tear from her face.
    Sakura had heard that phrase many times from Tomoyo Daidouji, her best friend, and second cousin, but she never felt the warmth that she felt when she heard Syaoran say it.  She had always wanted to smile whenever she heard him say that.
    A grin surpassed her frown, and when Syaoran saw her smile, he smiled too.  He always felt a mysterious warmth, which he loved, in her smile.
    “Come on, Syaoran!” Meilin yelled across the room, “The plane is getting ready to leave!”  She picked up her bag and ran to board the plane.
    Syaoran sighed, and before he turned to leave Sakura, he grabbed her shoulders and told her, “I will never be completely gone from you, until you believe I am in your heart.” He gave her a tender kiss on the cheek, picked up his bag, and ran to the same place as his cousin.

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    The years passed, and Syaoran hadn't returned, but Sakura had never lost hope.  Sakura's father had fallen ill and died, so Sakura lived at home with her older brother, Touya.  Sakura, now a senior in high school, was still waiting for Syaoran to return.  It had been five years since the departure.  Tomoyo had always tried to comfort Sakura whenever she appeared lonely by saying things like: don't worry; I'm sure he is planning to come back, or he's probably thinking about you right now.  But Sakura didn't need encouragement, because she knew Syaoran well enough to know he would never make a promise he couldn't keep.  She was sure they were going to see each other again.

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    Sakura and Tomoyo had been friends as long as they could remember.  They did just about everything together, so it was only natural that they, as friends, went to the senior dance together.  Tomoyo had no interest in boys, and the only person Sakura would dance with was Syaoran.  Sakura wore a long, pink, flowing dress cropped just above her knees in the front.  The collar was trimmed with lace, and she wore a matching choker and headband.  The sleeves went to the shoulders and fluffed out there, and she had a set of small wings on her back.  She was dressed as a princess for the masquerade ball.  She had worn an outfit exactly like this before when she was in a play, and had Tomoyo remake it for her so it fit.
    Tomoyo had not chosen a specific theme for her costume, because she was concentrating so much on being able to film Sakura, so, instead, she had simply worn a kimono.
    “Sakura-chan, you look sad.  What's wrong?” Tomoyo asked Sakura five minutes into the dance.  “Are you thinking about Li-kun?” Tomoyo had a knack for sensing others feelings.  Sakura merely nodded.
    Sakura was watching her friends dancing.  Rika Sasaki was dancing with her fiancé Yoshiyuki Terada, and she seemed to be enjoying herself.  Her other friends, Chiharu Mihara, Takashi Yamazaki and Naoko Yanagisawa seemed to be talking about something that brought about one of Yamazaki's lies, because Chiharu grabbed his collar and dragged him away while he was still, apparently, lying.  They then began to dance, and Chiharu must have bribed Yamazaki with homemade food for a favor of some sort, leading to the usual, playful remark of Yamazaki needing to pray before he eats her food so he doesn't get sick, because Chiharu had begun her signature strangling, and all that could be heard were her shouts of: “WHAT DID YOU SAY?!?” and “YOU HAD BETTER TAKE THAT BACK!”, and, though Chiharu had a good grip on Yamazaki's neck, he seemed to be quite enjoying himself.
    “Tomoyo-chan, I'm going to go,” Sakura told Tomoyo.  She wasn't enjoying herself at all.
    “I understand, Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo simply replied.  Sakura bowed slightly as her good-bye, and turned to leave.  She headed to the door, but before she had reached it, something caught her eye.  A boy.  He was wearing a red prince outfit which looked so familiar, but Sakura just couldn't place her finger on where she had seen that costume before.  The boy, too, looked familiar, but Sakura, being as clueless as she is, couldn't recognize him
    She needed a second opinion on the subject, so she turned back to Tomoyo, but she wasn't there.  Sakura looked everywhere for her friend, but she was nowhere to be found.  Her eyes suddenly fell upon the boy, and to Sakura's great surprise, Tomoyo was standing there talking to him.  Sakura hesitantly headed over to them both.
    “Uhh… Hey, Tomoyo-chan? Can I ask you something?”  Sakura asked when she reached the two.  She was trying so had to avoid eye contact with the boy, but Sakura was unable to restrain her eyes.  Immediately when their eyes met, Sakura felt something she was sure she had never felt before.  She felt a strange and mysterious warmth inside of her, spreading throughout her body.
    Was it just her, or had she seen those eyes somewhere before?
    “Of course, Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo replied to Sakura's slightly nervous voice.  Sakura grabbed Tomoyo's arm, and pulled her out of ear shot of the boy.
    “Does that boy remind you of anyone?” Sakura asked Tomoyo.  She turned to look back at the boy; he was merely standing there, and he appeared dazed.
    Tomoyo attempted to hold back a smile, but failed.  Sakura immediately recognized it as her I-know-something-you-don't-know smile.
    “Who does he remind you?” Sakura asked desperately.  She needed to know!
    Another grin came across Tomoyo's face, but this one was more of her I-wish-I-could-tell-you grin, but this time she got a continuation of the message form Tomoyo's eyes, which said, but if you concentrate hard enough and find the right time and place in your memories, I'm sure you will figure it out.
    Sakura pondered the message for a moment, but it made absolutely no sense whatsoever.  She was about to ask for something else, but Tomoyo had obviously realized this was coming, so she simply said, “Don't worry, Sakura-chan, I'm sure you will figure it out.”
    “What's that supposed to mean?!?” Sakura asked rather loudly.
    “Work it out.  I'm sure you can do it, Sakura-chan, and, also, I'm not sure if I've told you this or not, but I'm so glad that you let me make your costume,” Tomoyo told Sakura in a calm voice.  Tomoyo had never once had anger in her voice.  She was always calm.  Sakura just stood there and stared at her back as her friend headed back toward the boy.
    The right time and place in my memories? Sakura thought.  Then Tomoyo's most recent words came into her mind: I'm so glad that you let me make your costume.  What does that have to do with anything?  Sakura had worn a design exactly like this before, and she loved it.  Tomoyo had made that one too; she loved to make costumes for Sakura.  She had worn something like this before… in my memories… memories... That's it!
    I had worn that costume in a play in sixth grade for a festival.  I was the princess, and Yamazaki was the prince.  I needed to use The Sleep, and when everyone had awakened, Yamazaki's arm was injured because of the way he fell on it, so Syaoran had to… That's right!  Tomoyo had invited Syaoran and Meilin from Hong Kong for the festival!  Syaoran had to play the part of the prince… and that boy is wearing the exact same prince costume that Tomoyo had made for Syaoran for that play!  That boy is Syaoran!
    “Sakura-chan?  Sakura- chan!”  Sakura slightly opened her eyes.  She could see the vague figure of Tomoyo over her with worry on her face.  “Sakura-chan!  You passed out!  We were all so worried!”  Sakura looked around weakly.  She could see a blurred vision of everyone around her: Tomoyo, Rika, Terada-sensei, Yamazaki, Chiharu, and Naoko, but no matter which way she looked she couldn't find the boy she thought was Syaoran.  He couldn't have left… could he?  He wouldn't leave!  Not with Sakura there.  He would have waited forever for her, so where was he?
    “I got the wet rag!” the boy yelled as he came running from the kitchen.  That was definitely Syaoran's voice! Sakura could pick Syaoran's voice out of any crowd of people talking.  Sure it had matured a lot since the last time she had heard it, but it was still his distinguishable by her, for she truly loved him.  “How is she doing?  Is she awake yet?”
    “Syaoran!”  S akura yelled.  She leapt up out of Tomoyo's arms and ran toward Syaoran.  Nothing could stop her from being with the one whom she truly loved, not even the arms of her best friend.  He looked extremely stunned to see the girl he loved running towards him considering the last time he saw her, even though it was only about one minute ago, she was lying on the ground, unconscious, but nonetheless he accepted Sakura's embrace, and returned it.
    “You were gone for so long, Syaoran,” Sakura whispered to Syaoran.  A tear streamed down Sakura's face.  Not completely a tear of sorrow, but not entirely a tear of joy, either.
    “I'm so sorry I made you wait this long, but the important thing is, you waited,” Syaoran whispered back to Sakura.  “Let me look at you,” Syaoran told Sakura.  He took her shoulders and pushed her back arms length so he could see her better.  His last remembrance of her was five years ago at the airport before he left.  He noticed the tear running down Sakura's face.  “Sakura,” Syaoran whispered.  Sakura looked up at him.  He reached out and wiped the tear from her eye.  “Don't cry.  A smile suits you best.”
    “Syaoran,” Sakura whispered.  Another tear had broken free from her eye and streamed down her face.
    “You look beautiful, Sakura,” Syaoran told her.
    Sakura took a step toward him and wrapped her arms around his torso.  “Say that again,” she whispered, another tear rolling down her face, “Say my name again.”
    “Sakura,” Syaoran whispered, “I love you.”  He tenderly lifted her chin and kissed her.
    “Syaoran,” Sakura whispered in return, “I love you too.”