AUTHORS NOTE: I had an idea and a bit of plot figured out for a part three, but as soon as I started actually writing it, the characters took over the story and made their own plot. And I soon realized that theirs was better than the one I had planned.
Reading parts one and two is highly recommended as it will explain a lot of things. If you don't mind some angst, part zero explains just why Tomoyo didn't get together with Sakura sooner.
Disclaimer: All of the characters with the exception of Kutong and the Jewels are the property of that wonderful group of women known as CLAMP.
Tomoyo's World - Part 3 - Beyond Their Wildest Dreams
Chapter 0
Sunday July 30 6:01am Tokyo Time
Again Tomoyo woke up snugged against a warm body but this morning was like none that had come before.
"My Sakura-chan! She really is mine now. And I really am hers. We have shared...everything now. Last night was... There are no words to express something so wonderful! And I'm crying again. I cried so many times over the years from the pain of wanting her and now I cry from the joy of having her. I guess it doesn't matter if it's pain or joy, my cheeks still get wet." She chuckled raggedly to herself. "And I can' t seem to stop smiling, it's like my face is stuck!" Just then a shaft of pure ecstasy shot through Tomoyo, blanking out all her thoughts. For a moment all she could do is feel a joy so great it threatened to tear her apart. When it finally ebbed she snuggled closer to her Sakura-chan and with a very contented smile on her face she drifted off to sleep again.
After almost two more hours of sleep, Tomoyo gradually woke up and again went over the wonderful memories she had made the night before. And then just laid there basking in their glow until she felt Sakura awaken. That's when it dawned on her. "My shield! I never put it up! And Sakura's Shield Card isn't up either! We were totally vulnerable all night! This must -never- happen again! I must protect her, no matter what!" As her shield snapped into place she felt a movement.
"Tomoyo-chan? Are you awake?"
"Yes I am, my wonderful, beautiful Sakura-chan."
"Wow! Last night, I mean. It was... I don't know the words..." After being stunned into silence for a few moments Sakura continued. "I wish I could have figured it out and pushed you into accepting my love much sooner." Tomoyo just closed her eyes and hugged her love harder.
"We are only sixteen, my darling. We have plenty of time."
"Yeah, but I was thinking about kissing you when I was thirteen. I almost asked you if I could a couple of times, but I was afraid you would think I was a pervert."
"I don't know what I would have done if you had asked for a kiss back then, but it's history now so let's not think about it."
"How long have you loved me? You know, that way?" Sakura finished shyly.
Tomoyo was tempted to lie but then remembered that she had done way too much of that over the years. "I've loved you ever since I met you. Even before you found the Clow Cards I knew I wanted to spend my life with you."
"But we were nine years old!" Sakura protested.
"I can't explain it. But I was sure you were my special person."
"I suppose I should have realized it. With those costumes you made for me and how you videotaped me all the time. It wasn't like you hid it very well."
"No, don't blame yourself. It was my own fault. I was really obsessed; not only with the real you, but with the dream I had created in my own mind. I pretended to be so innocent and all the time I was manipulating you. Even if it was for what I thought was your own good, I had no right to try to make you live my idea of a perfect life. All the pain I suffered was my own fault. My mom said it; I should have been truthful with you and let you make up your own mind."
"That's okay, Tomoyo. It's all past now. Let's forget all the bad times and just look forward to making lots of good memories, from now on!" Sakura then kissed the girl she loved and things went on from there. And before they got up they did indeed make some more good memories.
Sunday July 30 8:42 am Tokyo time
Sonomi had long since had breakfast by the time the two girls had finally gotten dressed and come downstairs, but she still wanted to spend as much time with her daughter and Sakura as she could before she had to go back to work. So she sat with the girls and had some tea while they ate. And once again couldn't help wearing a silly grin as she saw how wonderfully happy her daughter was.
xxxx
Late that afternoon Eriol finally called. They took it on a speaker phone again so everyone could hear. "Hello Eriol-sama." Tomoyo started.
"Hello... Well, I might as well get this over with. I checked as many Timelines as I could and just as I expected, Nadeshiko had died young in all of them. It seems her death is a destined event. I'm sorry."
"He's lying! I'm sure of it! But I can't very well say that." Tomoyo realized instantly. "Okay, thank you for your effort. We appreciate it very much." With a few more words the call was ended.
"He's lying." Sonomi announced and both girls looked surprised.
"Yes he is." Tomoyo agreed. "I can feel it. I think he found plenty of Timelines with Nadeshiko alive and well and he is terrified that this information will encourage Sakura to use Return to save her. If he had found any terrible side effects, he would have told us."
"But how can you be so sure, Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura wanted to know.
"I think it's part of Earth Magic. I am certain that I can tell when someone is lying. Mom? Have you always been able to detect lies?"
"Yes I have. And I've never known my feelings to be wrong."
"That could mean that you have some Earth Magic too." Tomoyo said with a smile.
"I'd like that. But I don't suppose I will know for sure until I can get to London."
"Maybe. But I have an idea." Tomoyo smiled "Lets go up to your rooms Mom."
A couple of minutes later they were in Sonomi's private suite. "Here." Sonomi took the card Tomoyo was holding out and looked at it. On the front was a stylized picture of a dragonfly, and across the bottom it said "Tomoyo".
"Your Fly card?"
"Yes. There should be enough Magic in it for this. Now I want you to say "Fly" to the card and tell it in your mind to give you wings." At the same time that Tomoyo was talking she was probing her mom's mind, looking for any feel of Magic. "I wish Eriol was here, or at least had showed me how to look for Magic. But he's not, so I will just do the best I can."
"Fly!" Sonomi said and nothing happened.
"There was something that tried to touch the Card! It was...right...there. Yes, that feels like Magic. Now if I can just pull it out of that dark place and up into whatever. I really don't know what I'm doing! I just hope I don't hurt Mom. No, I must have confidence. If I am gentle it should be okay. I'm not sure how I know that, but I do know it. Just pull gently.. And maybe now..."
"Try again, Mom. Try to reach out to the Card with your Magic and tell it to give you wings." Tomoyo could now feel the determination in her mom's mind. "The Magic is right -here- mom. Can't you feel it! Here!" And then Tomoyo felt the bit of Magic grow and reach out.
"Fly!" Sonomi ordered firmly and in an instant she had wings. When the weight hit her she stepped back just as Tomoyo had when she first called her wings. The feeling caused a wild joy to rise up in her but she still hesitated just a moment before she dared to look. But when she did see them she yelled, "IT WORKED!!"
"You have Magic, Mom. I can feel it in you!" Then, suddenly, Sonomi's wings roared and she flew straight up into the ceiling.
"Ahh!" she yelled as her wings battered the ceiling quickly followed by her head hitting it, then just as quickly as she went up, she came down. And just as Tomoyo had her first time, she wound up face down on the floor.
"Mom! Are you all right?!" Tomoyo asked excitedly, as she knelt beside her mother.
"Yes, I think so. I just bumped my head...and my knee... But It WORKED! I FLEW!" She yelled in a rather cracked voice. Then she was crying and laughing at the same time. I DID it, I really did it. I have Magic! Just like I dreamed of. I can fly on my own!
"Yes Mom, but please don't do that in the house anymore?"
"Let's go outside! I want to fly with my own wings, just like I used to dream of so long ago." Sonomi pleaded.
"Okay, uh, Sakura? Would it be okay if Mom used your Fly Card for a while? It's much easier to use than my Fly Card, and besides I want to fly with her." Tomoyo finished with a happy smile.
"Of course! Any time!" Sakura responded as she handed her Fly Card to Sonomi and Silent and Illusion to Tomoyo.
Tomoyo followed her mom as she practically ran out across the back lawn and into the grove of trees. "You have no idea how many times I dreamed of sprouting wings and flying. And sometimes it felt like I could almost do it! And now... Fly!" she cried and laughed in delight as she looked at the beautiful angel wings that stuck out on either side of her. Then with a single beat of those wings she was in the air and flying straight up. Tomoyo grinned as she called on her own wings as well as Illusion and Silent, and went after her mom. "It is really neat seeing Mom so happy." she thought to herself with a smile as they gained altitude. But then once they were high enough so that the cars on the streets looked like tiny toys she found herself chuckling at the show her mom was putting on. "I never saw Sakura do loops and rolls like that! I didn't even know those wings could do such acrobatics!"
As the mother and daughter flew around Tokyo they talked of Magic and Tomoyo kept trying to help her mom feel her own Magic so she could control it.
She pulled on the bit of Magic and pushed it around in Sonomi's mind until suddenly as they were resting on top of the Tokyo tower- "I feel it!" Sonomi cried out. "I feel something...weird. I can feel you with it. And that steel beam over there. I can close my eyes and I still can tell exactly where it is!"
As Sonomi said this Tomoyo could feel the bit of Magic get stronger and actually reach out just as she had said it was. "Yes! You have it Mom! That is your Magic. Now maybe if you just keep practicing with it, you will get stronger. "I hope so. I think it will make her really happy. And at least she will have that, even if we can't save Nadeshiko."
Later, as they finally headed home, Tomoyo was thinking to herself. "I wonder why Sakura's wings are so easy to operate while mine are so hard..." After a moments thought she had a theory. "Maybe her Fly Card is more intelligent, so it can figure out what you really want and then do it for you while my Card has very little intelligence, so I have to give it really exact directions... Makes sense too. A bird -is- much more intelligent than a dragonfly."
xxxx
Sakura was so bored by the time Tomoyo and her mom finally came back from flying that she was actually working on her homework. She was nearly half way through the book she was suppose to read when Tomoyo finally came in to their room.
"Mom was so happy! You should have seen the look on her face when we landed on the Tokyo Tower!" she burst out. "It is just so wonderfully perfect that she really does have Magic like she always wanted. It makes me feel really good to see mom so wildly happy." Tomoyo finished with wet eyes.
"Yes, it is wonderful, but did you have to stay gone for so long? I missed you!" Sakura complained as she took her love in her arms.
"It was just that she was so excited-" Tomoyo said before she was cut off by Sakura's kiss.