:The Dare He Should Not Have Consented:
by: Hk Ramos
March 21, 2007

Disclaimer:
Card Captor Sakura
© CLAMP
--

" ... Inspiration and motivation is what the pen is.

Reviews, criticisms, comments, suggestions are the ink of an author's pen.. "

o0o0o

The cherry blossom trees around Tomoeda have started to blossom. Some flowers that have grown by now gently detached and carried itself along the soft breeze that blew every now and then. It was the signal that spring was fast approaching--the sign of lives about to arise. But for every beginning, there is a folded ending of another – quite ironic to what spring represents, as one person will find out…

"A dare?"

Syaoran looked to the auburn-haired girl beside him; his amber eyes inquiring. He and this best friend of his have been walking around the streets for some time already, so they decided to rest awhile at the Penguin Park. They talked about different things … but none of them led to her asking him to do a dare.

The girl chuckled at the way Syaoran tilted his head to show his confusion. It made his ruly chestnut hair appear messier than it is. "Yes, Syaoran, a dare. Why, are you not up to it?"

"No, Sakura, that's not it," Syaoran replied, smirking slightly at the mischievous glint evident in her emerald eyes. "It's just that… you brought it up out of the blue."

"True. It was on whim," said the girl, as she observed the falling petals from the tree where her name was taken.

Sakura turned her attention back to Syaoran. "But before I tell what the dare is, you'll have to agree to do it. Okay?"

Curious and a bit dumbfounded at her request, he nodded. Yet, even if Sakura told him that it was on whim, he had an impression that it wasn't – like there was a deep reason for giving him this dare. Also… something kept nagging him that this was one dare that he would regret saying yes to. Syaoran shrugged the feeling off.

"Well, it's like this…"

o0o0o

­­­­­­­­­­"Oh? So what was that dare you gave him?" asked what looked similar a yellow stuffed animal, which was clearly enjoying the sweets Sakura bought for him.

Sakura sat down beside Kero-chan as he continued to munch on the bag of cookies. She then plopped herself down her bed. "Actually, it's a dare for both of us. We are not to contact each other for a week – through cell phone, telephone, e-mail… even ask how I am to our friends and classmates."

"That's a pretty heavy challenge. And he agreed?"

"Yeah," she replied, letting out a heavy sigh. "He was reluctant at first, demo, I got him to say he'd do it. If I lose, I'd treat him lunch. If he does, he'd treat me."

Kero-chan flapped his small wings slowly, as if to show unease. "What a simple thing for such a dare. Really, Sakura, do you have to…?"

"You know I have to, Kero-chan. Besides, you overheard what father, big brother and I were talking about the other night, right? You understand what it meant, neh?"

"I do understand... But wouldn't it be easier if you just tell him?"

"If I tell him, he'd only get hurt."

"Yet doing this would hurt him as well."

The magical guardian of what was once the Clow Cards flew towards Sakura, who has buried her head on the pillow. "What you're doing right now is giving that brat false hope that he would still – "

"Good night, Kero-chan," Sakura suddenly mumbled, cutting off what Kero-chan was saying. Kero-chan looked back at his mistress dejectedly, but muttered a faint 'goodnight' before flying back to the drawer where she made him his bedroom.

Sakura glanced at the miniature being as he covered himself with a small blanket, prepared to sleep. She regretted using such a tone on her close friend and guardian, but it was too painful. She couldn't inform him of her current condition, she won't be able to talk to him for a week (in which their conversation today could probably be their last), she won't have the chance to tell him how she really feels for him … It was choosing between the lesser evil! And, knowing that no matter what she does, both would lead to the same conclusion – it was too much to handle for a teenager with an age nearing seventeen at the 1st of April. What more if he found out? How will he take all this…?

o0o0o

A week? Hell, Li Syaoran, how did she convince you?!

Syaoran paced around his room in a troubled manner as he recalled the last talk he and Sakura had before the dare started. That was four days ago. How he managed to survive not talking to her definitely took up all of his will power to stop himself from calling her – especially from going to where she lived, which was a few streets and turns away.

"Blame those hypnotizing eyes of hers. That pleasant personality. Her warm ambiance…"

He hit himself on the head at his ranting. Great, I've lost it. Having no contact with her was harder than he had imagined.

Syaoran slid the window open and welcomed the gentle wind that passed through. The fading horizon before him emitted a mixture red and orange upon the town's roofs and roads. Dark clouds soon clumped up as it attempted to block the day's lingering rays. One ray of light was able to escape, and made an object on his desk glisten a little. It caught Syaoran's attention, so he went over his desk and picked up the item. He observed the engraving on the silver ring:

≈ SAKURA ≈

Patience, Syaoran. Only three days left... Then you'll finally utter that wretched eight-lettered phrase to her formally. Well, somewhat formal... Consequences be damned.

o0o0o

Sakura barely slept the past few days. With so many things to do and not much time left, she couldn't afford to waste a minute. Farewell and apology letters, hand-made gifts to how many people – she never imagined that one day she'd rush to make them all. With the effort she's putting, even Kero-chan and the Sakura Cards she owned offered to help her. She insisted to make them on her own, though.

Her pale hands trembled as she folded the last of the letters. "Finally! I'm done with Tomoyo's!"

Sakura stretched her arms and leaned back the chair she was sitting on. Her body ached even worse at the action. Ah, I forgot I had bruises there...

She took a few shuddering breaths before bending over to grab a pack of post-it notes. Picking the green one, she readied herself to leave a memo for Syaoran. His favorite color huh...

"Not even a letter? Aren't you being cruel?" Kero-chan said in his cheeky Osaka accent as he placed himself atop a thick hardbound encyclopedia of some sort. He read the title of the book he was sitting on. "Med – Oi, where did you get this book on medical stuff? More importantly," – he pointed at the small strip of bookmarker – "What's this for?"

"Scan and you'll find out," was all Sakura said, as she wrote some Chinese characters on the green post-it note that Kero-chan couldn't understand. He was to question what those characters stood for when Sakura picked up a pink book inside her drawer.

It was adorned with the symbols of the sun and moon, and had the name SAKURA written across the front cover. Kero-chan recognized this as the former Clow book, now a Sakura book, and was taken aback when Sakura undid its lock and placed her hand above the transformed Clow Cards that were inside it. The position that meant she was to transfer her magical powers unto it. The glow of her hand and the emergence of a magic circle confirmed his suspicions.

"MISTRESS, WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING?!" Kero-chan immediately pushed her hand away and snapped the book shut. He toned down his anger to not speak in any harsh way (she is his mistress after all). "You're too tired and weak yet you're gonna use magic!? You'll kill yourself!"

Sakura smiled slightly at the last sentence. Kero-chan felt himself shiver at it; especially when he saw a glimpse of her emerald eyes that was usually full of life – they were now near dead. He couldn't get if it was because of fatigue or –

"I'm transferring my remaining bit of energy to you guys – you, Kero-chan, Yue and the Sakura Cards. So that whoever touches this book will become your new master. And for you to have enough energy until he arrives."

"What new master? You're leaving us behind?!" Kero-chan replied hotly. The Sakura Cards rushed out of the book and floated around Sakura, as if in protest of what their mistress wills.

"The situation, Keroberos. I hope you haven't forgotten," Sakura snapped back.

Kero-chan bowed his head – she called him by his real name, which indicated that her mind was made up, and nothing could stop her from doing what she has decided to do. The Sakura Cards seemed to have thought the same and settled themselves back into the book.

"Thank you..." She gave a sincere smile of thanks as she wiped away her unshed tears. "Please understand. I'm doing all this for you, and for the Sakura Cards. I'm so sorry..."

Keroberos let out a whimper of sadness as Sakura pulled him into a hug – warmth that he may not feel anymore after this night...

o0o0o

And so the week came to an end.

Syaoran stood in front of the Kinomoto residence, clutching tightly on the gate's bars and on the ring inside his pocket. This is it... Come what may.

He was surprised to see the gate move when he released his grip on it. "The gate's not bolted…?" he wondered. Opting to ask Sakura about it later, he walked past the gate to the door. Just when he was to ring the doorbell, he noticed the door was ajar. Even the front door?

An icy chill ran through his spine. They're supposed to be at home... but maybe they went out... it's Sakura's birthday after all. He ran a hand through his untidy hair to calm himself down. The possibilities that ran in his mind a few moments ago made him nervous. I'm being too pessimistic... still... how careless of them... His curiosity getting the better of him, he entered Sakura's home.

"Excuse me..." Syaoran called out as he pushed the door open. His voice merely echoed into the darkness. "Anybody home?" he asked as he probed blindly to turn on the lights. Finally finding the switch, he flipped it on and was shocked to see no furniture around. An empty household greeted him as he went in.

He was panicking now. Syaoran ran to the kitchen – nothing. There were no pots, pans and other utensils in the cabinets. He dashed up the stairs and checked every room. Sakura's older brother's room was empty. Same goes for her father – every place in the house was clean.

Sakura didn't mention anything of moving out. Was this the reason why she didn't want him to contact her? Was this the purpose of the dare? He slammed his fist unto the nearest wall. He shouldn't have done that stupid dare!

One room remained, though – Sakura's. He dragged himself to where it was, and placed his shaking hands on the doorknob. He was afraid of finding her room vacant like the other rooms, but he had to see it for himself. He closed his eyes as he unlocked the door.

Syaoran slowly peeked into her room and couldn't believe that her things were there. Everything was as he remembered when he last visited her place – her bed, the video game console that Keroberos ("That stuffed animal," he murmured as he looked at the console) usually plays when he's left alone, her stuffed dolls, her desk… which had two books on top of it.

Syaoran turned around at the sight of the books. He identified the one closest to him as the former Book of Clow right away. Now why would she leave an important book like this unhidden? He neared the book and took hold of it. The magic circle Sakura conjures whenever she summons a Sakura Card materialized, and a gust of wind followed. Syaoran shielded his eyes and waited until it was over. As the wind finally began to fade, he was astonished that the cover of the book, instead of bearing the name SAKURA, read LI SYAORAN in Mandarin writing It was still decorated with the moon and sun symbols – but the design was slightly different and was now colored green.

This time he was really at loss.

Then he noticed the other book – a very thick encyclopedia about medicine that lay adjacent to him – had a note stuck on it. Syaoran peeled it off and recognized Sakura's handwriting.

Syaoran,

You're reading this,
so it means that the dare's
time has expired. Nice! …

He paused at this first line. The way she stated it looked as if she knew she'd already be gone when he reads this note. He could feel a lump forming in his throat. He continued to read.

… I'm sorry to leave you clueless.
I know you're raring to shout at me.
Find the page where the bookmark is placed.

Tsk. Not even bothering to leave an explanation? Syaoran scowled. He flicked his eyes onto the latter portion of the note and saw the Chinese characters. It was poorly written, but legible enough for him to decipher what it stood for. He gaped at those characters.

I love you.

Of the things Syaoran never expected to hear, or have Sakura write to him, this was definitely one of them. That eight-lettered, three-worded phrase wherein he still gets tongue-twisted in saying… here it was. He could've leaped with joy. But something wasn't right. Where the heck is she?

He checked through the note again. He opened the encyclopedia and browsed it till he located the page where the bookmark was:

Leukemia ( loo-KEEM-ee-uh )

Leukemia is a disease affecting the white blood cells.
The white blood cells, or corpuscles, normally increase
in number when there is an infection in the body. In leukemia they
increase to enormous numbers without an infection in the body.

…

Yes, he has heard about Leukemia. It was that disease where there was too much production of white blood cells. It becomes deadly and incurable because when a person has more white blood cells than red blood cells, it may lead to…

"Death..." Syaoran blurted out. He felt himself slump down the floor, on his knees. He knew he was on the verge of tears. He made no attempt to hold them back. No...

He stared at the piece of green paper in his hand. Syaoran spotted marks that told him she wrote some more at the back. Hand quivering, he turned the paper over.

I'm really sorry …
Since you were able to do this
dare, I've got one final request:

…Can you continue doing so for the rest of the days…?

Right there and then he knew: his, Li Syaoran's, life would never revolve the same way again…