Dear Sakura
by Amazoness Duo and G.P.
amazonessduo@hotmail.com
pearsong1954@yahoo.com


	“Where the hell is she?” Syaoran scowled as he found himself at the
starting point of his search, his empty bedroom. He had awoken to
find Sakura missing, her side of the bed barely slept in. His
brunette wife was almost always there when he got ready for work. He
had thought that she had been downstairs making breakfast or waiting
for him, but Sakura hadn’t been there either. His concern escalating,
the Chinese sorcerer had made his way through the entire house,
twice, to no avail. Sakura was nowhere to be found. 
	Sighing, Syaoran once again poured over the room he and his wife
shared. One of her small bags was gone. It was the one Tomoyo had
given her as a going away present when Sakura had agreed to come back
to Hong Kong with him. The only reason he remembered was because the
sickeningly cute bag held most of Sakura’s things for her gym class,
so it was often next to their bed so it would be readily available
for her in the morning. But her school supplies lay next to the bed
in disarray, as if Sakura had dumped them all out before taking the
bag. That didn’t make any sense. What good would an empty bag do?
	Continuing his search, the frustrated man scoured the room for
anything else that might be a clue to his wife’s whereabouts. He
couldn’t tell if anything else was missing, but he found enough of
her things hurriedly tossed to the side that he could guess that
there were. His eyes slowly scanned the room before stopping on the
desk that lay against the far wall. On top of it lay his Lazan Board,
but there was a curious empty spot next to it. "The Sakura Book!” he
nearly yelled out. The familiar pink book was nowhere to be seen.
Sakura sometimes took it with her when she wanted to speak to the
Cards or when she simply wanted it nearby, but it always wound up on
that desk. A terrible sense of foreboding swept through the Chinese
sorcerer.
	Running down the stairs, Syaoran forced past his older sister,
Shiefa, brusquely. He hardly paid attention to her as he continued
through the house. Where had Sakura gone off to? Why would she leave
so suddenly? Was there some new danger? He paused for a moment in
front of the door to the garden. He had to relax. He had told Sakura
time and time again that if she cried it would keep her from getting
anything done. It was the same as this situation. If he panicked, he
wouldn’t be able to resolve the situation. Nodding to himself, he
tried to clear his thoughts. Sakura obviously hadn’t had time to grab
more than a few things, so she was obviously in a hurry. She had
taken the Book of Sakura with her, so it could have something to do
with the Cards. Hadn’t she mentioned some dream that had concerned
her lately? He couldn’t recall what it had been about exactly. So
perhaps she had rushed off to whatever this new magical emergency
was. But then why hadn’t she told him? He may not be as powerful as
she, but he had vowed to protect her.		Tomoyo had made him promise
that the night before their wedding. It had been an unexpected visit
from the dark haired girl, one he hadn’t quite understood. Why would
the Daidouji girl come to him rather than to Sakura the night before
their wedding? She was obsessed with his bride to be, after all. But
she had come to him that night. Her normal smile hadn’t been on her
face and that had immediately worried him that it might have
something to do with Sakura. But after he had finally allowed her
inside, Tomoyo had watched him carefully for what felt like an
eternity, studying his very soul. When she finally spoke, her soft
voice sounded extremely far away, as if she had traveled the world
over and was too exhausted to take another step. They had spoken for
a short time, mostly about Sakura, though Syaoran had been uneasy the
entire conversation. Finally, Tomoyo had walked up to him and looked
him straight in the eyes. For someone who had faced countless
hardships and numerous battles, Syaoran had thought he was prepared
for anything. But Tomoyo’s infinite gaze, her stormy blue eyes seeing
deep past all that he was... Syaoran had flinched. He had barely
heard her speak and it took him a moment to piece together what he
had heard. She wanted him to promise that he would take care of
Sakura, that he would make her happy. Her words had irritated him,
and he had grown angry with her at the time. “What are you talking
about? Of course I’ll take care of her,” he had said.
	Tomoyo had merely stared at him, her deep eyes never losing their
hold on his. His anger seemed to pass through her as if she hadn’t
even noticed it. “I want you to promise that you will always make
Sakura happy. I want you to keep her safe,” she said in her gentle
voice, but there had been no questioning her. Despite her gentle
façade, her words were laced with steel. He would protect her, he
would make her happy, or... He didn’t even want to know the
consequences. He tried to laugh at the thought now, of this pale and
weak girl doing anything to him if he didn’t fulfil his promise, but
he couldn’t bring himself to find any humor in the situation. He knew
in his heart that Tomoyo had been dead serious that day, that there
was no falling short on his side of the deal. There was something
about the dark haired girl that had frightened him. He had agreed
with her demands quickly, hoping she would leave him alone. But she
had waited a moment longer, still staring at him. Brushing back some
hair, she offered him a small smile and a nod before turning around.
He hadn’t seen her leave and he had almost convinced himself that she
had merely been a ghost before he finally got a hold of himself.
	Finding himself in the garden, Syaoran walked out into the chilly
morning, holding himself as the bitter wind rushed past him. That
promise felt as if it had been made a lifetime ago. But still, a
promise is a promise. And even more than that, this was his wife. He
was supposed to protect her. So where had she gone to without him? If
it was something to do with her magic, then why wouldn’t she bring
him along? It didn’t make any sense. A small spring of anger welled
up inside him as he fought against the cold. She needed him, didn’t
she? Of course she did. But then why hadn’t she told him of whatever
this was? Why would she run off without him? He was her husband. He
was the one that she was supposed to come with for everything. But
recently, she had spent all of her time talking about that Daidouji
girl. He had gotten so sick of hearing ‘Tomoyo’ all around the house.
Even Fanren had started talking about her! He knew she was Sakura’s
friend, but he hated seeing the one he loved talking about another
all the time, even if it was just another girl. He had gotten angry
at her over it, but he thought that had been resolved. Besides, he
didn’t talk about other people all the time, so why should she? 
	Shaking his head, Syaoran once again tried to clear his thoughts,
but the jealousy and anger wouldn’t go away. Even if Sakura was the
most powerful magical being on the planet, why would she hurry off
without him? Did she think she didn’t need him for this? What if
something terrible happened that she needed him to save her from?
Tomoyo sure as hell couldn’t save her. For all Sakura had talked
about her recently, the pale girl could never help her with some
magical problem. That was why she needed him for something like this.
It was foolish to rush off on her own. Now he would have to find her,
and, most likely at the last possible instant, save her. 
Syaoran’s scowl grew darker as he stepped out among the flowers. He
was liking this less and less. What the hell could Sakura be up to?
He was her husband. He had a right to know, even if this didn’t have
anything to do with the Cards. They were married and he was the one
she should be going to with her problems so he could fix them. But
instead, she always turned to Tomoyo, crying out her problems in
letters and telephone conversations that cost a big chunk of Sakura’s
paycheck because she wouldn’t get off the phone until it was pitch
black outside. But could Tomoyo ever fix her problems? No. She was
merely a shoulder to cry on. But somehow, Sakura always felt better
about everything. And that made Syaoran even more jealous about the
attention that someone else was receiving from his wife. Sakura would
crawl back into bed after writing a long letter or after she had been
on the phone with Tomoyo for entirely too long and she would smile
happily, as if she were completely refreshed and wrap her arms around
him before falling asleep. He was glad to see Sakura happier, even if
it puzzled him, but he was angry that it was through someone else. He
knew that he didn’t think Sakura needed to talk about everything and
that he didn’t always feel like listening after a hard day at work,
but he was still frustrated that he wasn’t the one making her feel
better.
Tomoyo’s visit had proven even worse for the Chinese sorcerer. She
had managed to captivate the hearts of his family, in particular his
older sister, Fanren. Even his mother seemed to take favor with the
pale beauty! How could she get Ieran-sama’s attention when even he
failed under her scrutiny? That had infuriated him. His wife had been
so obliviously happy during the Japanese girl’s stay, spending every
conceivable moment with her. The thing that had gotten to him the
most was that Sakura had looked happier during Tomoyo’s brief stay
than he could ever remember her, even during the honeymoon. He hadn’t
been able to wait for Tomoyo to leave so things could get back to
normal again. But they hadn’t been able to. Sakura had seemed even
more distant lately, her conversations invariably leading back to the
dark haired girl. He had lost his temper several times and though he
regretted it now, he hadn’t been able to stop himself. He just didn’t
want to hear about her anymore in his house. Sakura was his wife,
damn it! No one else’s. No one else had claim to her. He was the one
she should always come to for help. He was the one who should always
make her happy. He should be the one she was always talking about! 
So wrapped up in his burning jealousy was Syaoran that he barely
noticed the rustle of leaves in a tree above and the sound of
branches shifting as someone leapt out. He felt the wind whip past
his face as he narrowly dodged the leaping form. His eyes quickly
focused on his attacker, his body shifting to a fighting stance.
“Meiling?!” he blurted out in surprise. His beautiful cousin stood
before him in a short, blue Chinese dress that barely fell past her
thighs. Intricate lavender flowers lay entwined across the deep blue.
Her amber eyes met his with an anger that sent ripples through him.
In a fluid movement that looked more like a dance than an attack, her
fist lunged for him. Syaoran ducked it easily. “What the hell are you
doing?” he shouted at her, blocking a kick. He tried to sense any
magic coming from her to see if she had been enchanted, but he could
feel nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. All he had to do was glance
at those burning amber eyes to see the fury that held her. 
Meiling kicked again, driving Syaoran back with her strong legs.
This man had once been her fiance, the man that she had loved with
all of her heart. The man that she still loved. Which is why she was
still so angry with him. How he could have left her for some Japanese
girl was completely beyond her. Had he simply been infatuated with
Sakura’s magic? That was part of why he fell for the white haired
boy, so it was reasonable. And as Sakura had grown in magical power,
so had Syaoran’s feelings for her, as if the two ideas were linked
firmly together. Whatever the reason, he had spurned his cousin’s
affections and instead married the Cardmistress. To say that Meiling
had been distraught was an understatement. Dreams of marrying her
beloved Syaoran had been with her since childhood. The bitter taste
of defeat, of having the once she loved so callously toss her aside
had been maddening. How he could dare do that to her when she had
given him everything had picked at her heart the same way a
thoughtless person pulls away a butterflies wings. Her wings had been
stolen from her and she could no longer soar. All because some hussy
had come along and stolen the attention of the only one she had ever
loved. She would never forgive Sakura for taking away her Syaoran.
But at the same time, she couldn’t forgive Syaoran either. ‘But I
gave you everything,’ she had whispered when she had learned of the
wedding. Syaoran had tried to explain it to her, but she ran off. She
hadn’t let him see her tears. But as soon as she was alone, they came
bitterly and with a vengeance. ‘I loved you and I gave you
everything. I gave you my heart. Why couldn’t you accept it? Is there
something wrong with it? Is it not good enough?’ she had asked
herself in the midst of her tears. But no answers had ever come to
her, from her own heart or from Syaoran. 
Though the marriage had only been half a year ago at the most,
Meiling could have sworn it had been an eternity. Forced to watch her
beloved cousin and his blushing bride had driven her near the
breaking point. To see the man she loved with another woman, to know
that her lonely heart would never receive his attention was too
sickeningly cruel. How Tomoyo dealt with it, she couldn’t begin to
fathom. All she knew was the pain. It was her constant companion, a
travel guide to life that she had been unlucky enough to come across.
And all the while, Syaoran had never once shown any sympathy, any
remorse for breaking her heart. How thoughtless! How cruel! How dare
he!?! Meiling renewed her assault with further vigor, her rage
fueling her near dance-like attacks.
	Syaoran kept on the defensive, but he was beginning to tire.
Meiling had gone crazy. That was the only explanation. Why else would
she fight him like this? It made no sense. He decided that the only
way to finish this battle would be to take her out. She seemed in no
mood to give up. With a sigh, he lunged forward. He felt bad for what
he had to do, but it had to be done. He and Meiling had sparred often
enough in the past and he nearly always won. So he would have to
defeat her here and find out just what was going on. He waited
patiently for her to collapse, but to his surprise, his fist missed
her entirely. His eyes widened as he saw her leg dart out. A painful
realization hit him seconds before her leg did. She was a whole lot
faster than he had ever imagined. This fight had been hers from the
beginning. Pain blossomed through him like a sudden and unexpected
supernova. The wind rushed out of him in a frenzied path to escape
his burning lungs. His stomach called out in agony as he first
hunched over and then collapsed to the ground altogether. “How..?” he
got out weakly.
	Meiling crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing as she
watched the man lying in pain on the grass below her. “Didn’t think I
could beat you, huh? You thought I’d always settle for second place
with you, is that it? I always got second and you always got first as
children. You always came in ahead of me.” Brushing a dark pigtail
over her shoulder, she knelt next to her prone cousin. “I let you
win. I loved you, so I was happy to let you win as long as I could be
the one to finish next to you. I loved how happy it made you, how
exhilarated you always were when you succeeded. You always had this
thirst for victory, for winning. And I was pleased to let you drink
its nectar from my hands.” She shrugged absently as she stood up,
stretching. “And let’s face it, Syaoran. Martial Arts was never your
thing. You were always better at magic anyway.”
	Trying to catch his breath, Syaoran struggled with what she was
telling him. So all those times that he had beaten her as a child,
every sparring match he had won, they were because she had let him?
This girl who had been there for almost all of the life he could
remember, who had always trailed just behind him, had allowed him to
pull ahead simply because of her feelings for him? Memories came back
in a flood, of her making careless mistakes when they were sparring
or slowing just enough when they were sprinting to allow him to pass.
He sighed painfully. It seemed that not only his stomach would
bruise, but his ego as well. “What were you thinking?” he asked
angrily, forcing himself up on his hands. He turned his firey gaze on
her, but she didn’t look like she was in a mood for it. Her own
smoldering eyes made his feel like simmering coal in comparison.
	“I won. I refuse to live in your shadow anymore, Syaoran. I refuse
to let you continue hurting me like this. I won't lie down and let
you force your damned marriage in my face.” Meiling began to walk
away from him, the wind playing idly with her hair. “So I’m finished.
I’m not going to let myself stick around and wait for things to work
out. I’m leaving, Syaoran. My life is my own. I just took it back
from you. I gave you my heart and if it’s not good enough for you,
then I might as well leave.” Tears sparkled in her eyes as she turned
to face him one last time. “I love you, Syaoran. And I always will.
But I won’t let you hurt me anymore. Goodbye.” And with that, she
leapt into the trees.
	“Meiling! Meiling!!” Syaoran cried out after her. But it was too
late. She was already gone. “Damn it!” Struggling to his knees, the
Chinese sorcerer winced as pain shot through his belly. “What else
could go wrong today?” he muttered to himself, walking back towards
the house. Just what was he supposed to tell his mother, the
matriarch of the Li family? He dreaded the thought. She would not be
pleased about Meiling’s sudden decision. ‘Probably like she wasn’t
pleased with my decision to marry Sakura-chan instead of Meiling,” he
thought disparately. 
	“Sakura-chan’s gone!!” 
	“Ack!!” Syaoran reeled back, getting ready to attack the demon that
had leapt out at him. His heart finally slowed as the Seal Beast came
into view, concern etched all over it’s small yellow head. Syaoran
pushed past him, not in the mood to deal with Kero’s antics at the
moment.
	“Hey, brat, I said ‘Sa-ku-ra-chan-is-gone’. What, you don’t speak
Japanese all of a sudden?” Kero asked irritably. He never did much
like the Chinese sorcerer and Sakura’s marriage to him hadn’t changed
the situation. Syaoran wouldn’t even let him sleep in the same room
as Sakura like he used to! 
	“I know that! I’ve been looking for her all morning,” Syaoran
replied angrily, wishing that the stuffed animal could be busy doing
anything besides pestering him at the moment. “I’ve looked
everywhere.” He sighed resignedly.
	“Everywhere, huh?” The Seal Beast smirked proudly, crossing his
arms. “I guess you need to get glasses, boy, because you missed
something.” Producing a letter out of nowhere, Kero grinned
triumphantly. He was always happy to outwit people he didn’t like and
Syaoran ranked very highly on his list. 
	Syaoran snatched the letter away from the flying teddy bear
instantly, skimming through it. He knew that style too well. He had
seen Sakura reading these when he had been drifting off to sleep. It
had to be from Tomoyo. And sure enough, it was. The letter was polite
and explained to Sakura that she had to say goodbye, that she would
be going away. “Crap!” Syaoran tossed the letter, hurrying upstairs,
Kero in hot pursuit.
	“So what is it? Do you know where she is?” Kero asked impatiently.
He didn’t know what the letter meant, only that it was important. The
fact that it said that Tomoyo was leaving and that it had been found
near where Sakura kept her keys worried him.
	“Sakura-chan’s gone back to Japan. She’s trying to stop Daidouji-
san,” Syaoran said over his shoulder, cramming clothes into a
suitcase. It all made sense now. Why Sakura had been so hellbent on
Tomoyo for the past few weeks, why she had been so happy to see
Tomoyo during her visit, why she had needed the dark haired girl so
much. And he wasn’t about to let some rich girl steal his wife away
from him. Sakura was his and he was going to make sure it stayed that
way, no matter what happened. Slamming the clasps on his suitcase, he
stood up and scanned the room one last time for anything he might
need.
	“So we’re going back to Japan to find Sakura-chan? Oh yeah!!” Kero
exclaimed, bringing his small arm down in an excited gesture. “Let’s
get goin’, kid!!”