Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / X/1999 Fan Fiction ❯ Fruit of the Tree ❯ The Past ( Chapter 1 )

Fruit of the Tree

Chapter One

Disclaimer: TB/X and CCS do not belong to me, they belong to CLAMP and I make no money from this work of fanfiction whatsoever.

Nadeshiko had retuned to Ueno park over the years, rarely seeing Sakura again, who would appear out of nowhere.

They would walk, and talk, although it was Nadeshiko who usually did most of the talking. She would talk about her dreams, her life, and opinions. Sakura-san would walk with her around the park, occasionally interjecting biting or insightful comments, or just nodding. Sometimes even adding helpful advice.

The girl quickly realized her friend would never answer personal questions, or even left the park. It pained her, that her friend was obviously homeless, but would never take the hint about leaving.

It was one of the oddest friendships that Nadeshiko ever had. Yet for some reason it seemed real.

When she asked Sakura why they had become friends, her only answer was…

"I was bored."

@*@*@*@

Kinomoto Sakura stared at her homework, trying to make the incomprehensible squiggles before her eyes take on some kind of order. So far, they had yet to, but hope springs eternal.

Sakura groaned, finally letting her lead weighted cranium collide with her desk. She just couldn't concentrate. Her sleep had been sporadic over the last several days, ever since she had begun having dreams… that were just too scary.

She was only twelve- she shouldn't be having dreams about her own death, right?

Her hand automatically went to cover her chest, again feeling the phantom pain, the almost audible crunch and snap of bone and the slurp of muscle and blood- she shuddered. They were so… real.

Yet each time she had those dreams, she wasn't Sakura. She didn't know who this person was, or why she was giving Sakura these dreams, but-

"Do I tell Kero-chan, or not?" she asked, sitting back up, and chewed on the end of her pencil. Kero-chan slept like the dead. She was actually grateful for it, for once. He hadn't once awakened because of her moaning. She had considered using the Silent card, to keep the noise in her room, but Kero-chan would have found out and asked her about it.

For some reason Sakura was absolutely certain she didn't want anyone knowing about it yet. She thought she was losing her sanity- what would others think?

Tomoyo-chan would probably give good advice, about not eating things before bedtime, or wanting to film her while she slept. Syaoran-kun would likely dismiss it. Kero-chan might think it was significant until she told him it was about the past… Yue, she had no idea about.

Biting her lip, she thought about how her dad would look at it. As an archaeologist, he would say you would need to look at all the data first… But they were just dreams, and dreams about the same thing. Horribly graphic, terrifyingly real and painful… but still dreams.

There was a sudden warm, wet feeling in her mouth- and Sakura jumped up to get to the bathroom. She had bitten her lip- deeply.

But it still hadn't been as bad as that dream…

~@~@~@~@~

Hokuto walked through her dreams, waiting for Kakyou to arrive.

They had known each other for only a short time, but- but she was determined to lift his spirits. He was literally living in his dreams- he needed to come out. She had promised herself that.

He had Sumeragi Hokuto-chan on his side, after all.

Hokuto smiled as she found herself within the familiar dreamscape, seeing the man sitting next to the paper sliding doors, looking down at the glossy floors. Grinning evilly, she decided she would surprise him. What better way to greet him after being gone all this time?

She considered him, as she approached. Still in his yukata, his hair long and flaxen as it has ever been, nearly as long as Yue's… certainly as beautiful.

Hokuto paused. Who was Yue?

Her attempt at a glomp assault was derailed when Kyou-chan's head snapped up, and stared at her.

"Who are you?"

The green eyed girl stopped, dead still, in shock.

"Don't you recognize Hokuto-chan?" she answered.

Kakyou's face clouded over. "Look- you- I don't know how you got into my dreamscape but you are NOT Hokuto and this is MY dream- OUT!"

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

Sakura woke up- feeling like she had been slammed through a wall, and back into her body.

"What was that about?" she whispered to herself. Eyes widening with fear she turned to see that Kero-chan was, indeed, still asleep. She breathed a sigh of relief, before getting up to shuffle to the bathroom.

Splashing her face with freezing water brought her back to herself, and she paused, looking at her reflection.

She didn't know who that girl was- she was way, way too young to be her- that wasn't Hoku-

"My name is Sakura," she moaned, folding up to hug her knees. "Sakura. I don't KNOW you…"

"I don't know you- I-" Sakura wanted to dissolve into tears. "I don't… know…" Her eyes stayed dry, as she clung to the sink counter and pulled herself to her feet, supporting herself with her hands. She stared at her reflection, studying it minutely. Only the green eyes were familiar.

"I don't know you…"

~@~@~@~@~

Sakura had no idea how long she stood there, looking at the strange/familiar face in the mirror, before returning to her room. She was about to flop over and go back to sleep, when she heard a creak in the floorboards- and caught sight of someone looking at her. She blinked at it sleepily, thinking it was Touya… though Touya was usually taller.

Inhaling quickly, she got back to her feet, and padded quietly out, clutching at her Key…

There was a patch of moonlight at the end of the hall, and Sakura crept towards it- only to jump as someone stepped into the light.

This person… could have been male or female- like Yue, oddly androgynous and lovely. Dressed in a white kimono and holding a lantern, this person looked at her, pale hair almost completely white in the moonlight. It held up the lantern, and then pressed a finger to its lips, asking for quiet.

Not that Sakura could have said anything anyways…

Her first thoughts: ghost!!!

Sakura was too tired to have a panic attack, but too scared to act. So she just stood there.

The figure just smiled, and turned, waving for her to follow. It didn't wait for her.

Watching the figure disappear into the puddles of shadow outside of the moonshine, all she could see was the faint glimmer of the white kimono in the dull glow of it's lamp. She was torn. So she ran screaming back to bed-

~*~@~*~@~*~

"Sakura."

Someone was talking to her. She ignored it, in favor of hiding her pillow.

"Sakura!" The voice continued, with its annoying Osaka drawl.

"Oi- Kaijuu!"

THAT finally got her attention, pulling her from her hiding place.

"Sakura Kaijuu janai yo!" she mumbled, throwing the pillow off her head, looking rumbled and utterly pathetic.

"Do you plan to get up for breakfast today or not?" Her big brother looked down at her, scowling. He was attempting to hide his concern… Sakura picked up on that and rubbed her face with her free hand.

"What happened?" she asked, her hand still half over her face.

"You were-" the Osaka-ben voice resolved itself into a floating orange plushie. "You were moaning and whimperin' and soundin' really scared…"

"Yeah," her brother cut in. "You sounded… it's a wonder anyone got any sleep with all that noise," he ended lamely.

"Daijoubu!" Sakura smiled cheerfully at them, some inner voice telling her to stay quiet about her dreams- again.

"Are you sure?" Oniichan's voice was skeptical. Not that she could blame him. She knew she wasn't telling the whole truth.

"It was just a dream," she smiled. "A dream."

~@~@~@~@~

"Is something wrong, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked, concerned, as her best friend laid on the ground, looking up at the cherry trees in bloom. It was Golden Week, and she had gone out to the local park to view the blossoms.

Sakura didn't look at Tomoyo, deeply lost in thought.

"Sakura-chan?" She peered down at the girl.

"I hear you."

"What's so wrong? You haven't been yourself lately," the sweet girl asked softly, her eyes brimming with worry.

Her friend sat up, a strange look in her eyes. "Tomoyo-chan?"

Tomoyo pulled back, suddenly wary. "Yes?"

"I want to go shopping."

That was how Tomoyo and Sakura found themselves in one of the expansive downtown department stores in Tokyo. Tomoyo offered to pay for it, since she so rarely got to take Sakura out to get clothes- but she was rather dazed at how Sakura was dragging her through the trendiest stores- and pulling off selections Tomoyo would have chosen for her- which she had thought that Sakura would never choose for herself.

One was decidedly plant themed, another was very similar to medieval gown, if it was two feet longer… One had a Queen of Hearts theme…

Then there was the random butterfly wings. And the hats. Similar to Tomoyo's tastes, though different enough to be uniquely her own. Some feather boas… The style was more adult than what Tomoyo would have picked though. It was surprising- Sakura tended to be very youthful…

The bodyguard-tachi came and helped them haul the ridiculous amount of cloth and accessories and shoes back to Sakura's house. Tomoyo was thrilled to have been shopping- with Sakura-chan, of course. Yet…

"Are you sure nothing is wrong, Sakura-chan? You've not been yourself today," she said quietly to her friend as they started to put the new wardrobe into a small space. Sakura froze at the comments- and looked at the new clothes with equally new eyes.

"Tomoyo-chan," her voice trembled. "Could you please leave?"

Tomoyo gaped. Then her eyes widened when Sakura turned to her, tears making her eyes glimmer. Something was bothering her- but she obviously wanted to be alone. It was a bitter thought- whatever it was, she refused to share with her best friend. Wordlessly, Tomoyo left.

Leaving Sakura to sit with Kero-chan, newly arrived, to buzz around her head as she sat in a pool of new cloth, in a daze.

To be continued.