Legal Disclaimer: I neither own nor make profit from Cardcaptor Sakura because CLAMP owns it.

A Friend with a Beautiful Smile

It was a dark, cloudy winter day when snowflakes painted the trees with shimmering silvery magnificence. Amidst the cold surroundings, a twenty-three year old girl walked through the biting winds.

She was heading to the university. She was going to take a pathology round with her classmates to look at the presentations of diseases through microscopes or slides of preserved specimens. The girl clutched her knapsack closer to her back, trying to protect the notes she had painstakingly taken and researched.

Her honey gold hair was tied up in two little pigtails, giving her the air of a girlish woman. But her emerald green eyes were empty and emotionless. Her graceful body moved faster when the university came into view. There, inside, she'll find warmth.

She reached it and gently pushed open the double glass doors to enter the heated lobby. Sighing, she pushed away a lock of her hair and proceeded to go up the second floor of the medical department. She hoped to reach her class in time.

The room was just around the corner and yes! The door was open and the professor was not yet inside!

She slid inside the room and ignored the patronizing looks of her classmates. Some were easily the earliest and she was, as usual, was late. She sat down her chair right beside the second windowsill.

The professor came in. She took out her notebook to jot down notes essential for her to finish college. She had no time to daydream.

But boredom came easily for her. She found her mind wandering around the past and forgetting the present. Found her reliving the pain she had tried to avoid.

"Miss Kinomoto? Miss Kinomoto!"

She looked up and met the eyes of the very irritated professor. She blushed and stood up to bow quickly in apology. How many times have she tried to keep focus? How many times have she tried to regain herself after the death of her friend?

"Gomen nasai."

"You should try to keep focus Kinomoto or your grades will go down."

She noticed that the smile was menacing and was relished by the teacher. She ignored the hot tears in her eyes. She had tried so hard to earn those grades! Those made her family proud; she cannot lose it so easily!

The brown-haired girl sat down and copied the notes from the blackboard. Her emerald green eyes were filled with flickering hope. She had to stay strong to get through medical school. She wanted to help people so much. She kept her head low and ignored the snickering from her boy classmates.

Sakura Kinomoto was perhaps one of the brightest students in the University of Tokyo. She was also the mistress of the Cards since age thirteen and the greatest mage in the planet. But even though she had everything she could ever want and need, the bright spirit was flickering. She seemed to have lost so much. Passionate green eyes were hollow and empty. The bright smile was replaced by a serious, sad grin.

Finally they were looking through the microscopes.

Involuntarily, morbid memories came rushing to her mind faster than she could banish them. It was all about a beautiful girl with a sparkling, genuine smile.

Tomoyo Daidouji was the name of her longest and closest best friend. She was the one who pushed Sakura on, caught her when she fell, and helped her up when she stumbled. The girl had shimmering blue eyes and long dark gray hair with an effusive sweetness that made anybody feel special.

But that was until she passed away.

She had been very young; it was right after graduation of their secondary school when the devastating news struck their seemingly happy futures.

Tomoyo was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the femur; the tumor had already spread to her lungs.

Sakura didn't know that Tomoyo had been in a lot of pain. She kept visiting her best friend and tried to keep a grip on her life. Without Tomoyo, life was meaningless. But it was Tomoyo who motivated Sakura to move on and go after what she wanted. Though it hurt, she found it an enlightening experience.

Sakura shook her head as images of Tomoyo's death returned to her. It was like time had flown past and she was there again, watching the past take place.

It was dark and cloudy day. The curtains of the heiress's room were drawn, giving the normally bright room a haunting look.

She had entered the room like always only to find Tomoyo lying in bed and looking at the photo album with her and Sakura's pictures when they were younger. She smiled and gave the room the warmth Tomoyo always loved to feel. But curiously the dark-haired girl was so weak that she couldn't lift her head to look at her best friend.

"Hi Tomoyo-chan! How's my best friend? I brought a sweater for you. I know it's not that good but I...I made it." Sakura said cheerfully and brought the item out of her bag. It was knitted and warm colored. There were frays in the sweater but it only made the homemade present even sweeter. She helped slip it on Tomoyo. The sweater gave a little color to the very pale skin.

"A-Arigato Sakura-chan. I-I love it." Tomoyo said, smiling brightly. She touched Sakura's hand and squeezed it gently. Sakura's face broke into a smile and she dragged out videotape from her bag.

"I know this is really bad. I cannot videotape as good as you Tomoyo-chan." The cherry blossom said shyly as she handed it to her. She filmed Tomoyo yesterday even though the heiress was bedridden. It was a happy experience and the videotape contained all the smiles and laughter they had.

"N-No. Sakura-chan made this so she should keep it. I wish I could watch it," said Tomoyo wistfully.

She didn't dare tell her best friend that she could feel Death as it inched closer and closer. It's sent cold shivers up her spine and breathing seemed very much harder. Her best friend's presence soothed her… She could almost forget the pain whenever she looked at the Card-mistress's cheerful face.

"Why? If you want we could watch it today, I could stay longer and just reason out..."Sakura said and then she noticed the pained look crossing Tomoyo's face. She touched Tomoyo's hand. "W- What's wrong?"

"S-Sakura-chan...I know it sounds creepy but I'm going to die soon." Tomoyo said, trying hard not to burst into tears. It was so sudden. And she wasn't even ready to tell her cousin yet! She had accepted the prospect of death long ago but not like this…

"But when…? Oh God... Tomoyo-chan!" the green eyes Tomoyo adored filled with tears. She felt so helpless. Her powers couldn't do anything about death, especially when it was taking her best friend. "N-No! I-It can't happen now… P-Please Tomoyo-chan.. I don't want you to go..."

The dark-haired girl gripped Sakura's hand tighter. Deep azure blue met emerald green. The pain Tomoyo felt from the illness couldn't compare to the pain of seeing her friend cry.

"S-S-Sakura-chan... Please do not cry… it only makes me sad..."Tomoyo whispered as she leaned back on the pillow. She broke their gaze as she closed her eyes. "Do you remember the time when I first told you that I had this illness? Didn't you cry then? I was so sad that I cried all night. Don't cry Sakura-chan. I'll be beside you as your guardian angel. So you don't have to feel sad because I am nearby... I-I promise you that."

The brown-haired girl sniffled. "But it's not the same."

Tomoyo smiled serenely as she brushed away Sakura's bangs to get a better look of her face. "But at least I am close. I know Sakura-chan needs me."

They were silent for a moment, each passing second seemingly more precious than the last. Tomoyo was fighting harder against death. The world was dissolving in darkness and her mind was spinning.

"Sakura-chan, tell Mother that I'll watch over her too. Tell her I love her, t-tell her not to be sad…" Tomoyo said after a horrible shiver "I haven't told you before that you… you make me happy. I-It's as if you're healing me sometimes. T-There's something in you…"

The cherry blossom couldn't control her weeping. She couldn't just stand and watch! But there was nothing she could do. "I want to be a doctor… So I could help people face death…"

Tomoyo struggled to smile. "B-being a doctor means giving people life… You can help them get their second chance…I-I feel regretful that…" she coughed "I didn't make you a doctor's costume."

"How could you joke at a time like this?" Sakura whimpered as she held on to her friend's hand as if she would never let go. "I'm serious… I want to be a doctor so I can save lives and save them from dying…"

"It's okay to die. It must happen someday..."Tomoyo said and then there was silence. It gripped Sakura's heart like a cold fist, squeezing her heart.

She gazed at Tomoyo and noticed that her eyes were closed with her lashes curling at her cheeks. The long dark gray hair was draped around her neck and body like silk. She looked like Snow White who will never wake up. But what caught her attention was the beautiful smile adorning Tomoyo's lips. It was sweet, gentle, and serene. As if she was just going to sleep, content of her life and her dreams...

Sakura attended the funeral and cried her eyes out as Tomoyo's coffin was lowered to the waiting earth. Her tears spilled almost unceasingly even though those close to her tried to comfort her. Everyone knew her pain.

Tomoyo had lived a good life although it was short. They all felt regretful that they had been unaware that an angel had lived among them. True to her word, Sakura swore at her best friend's grave to be a doctor someday.

As if her daydreaming happened only a minute ago, Sakura snapped out of her reverie and realized it was her turn. She also realized that there were tears in her eyes. She wiped them quickly and proceeded to do her work.

After taking notes, she slowly moved away to her seat and looked at her notes. The jargon did not make any sense to her. She was busily envisioning her future.

Sonomi had promised to give her a clinic for her private practice when she had a master's degree. She will help everyone she could. Nothing can stop her from serving other human beings.

Sakura smiled and focused her mind again. Tomoyo's death was a reminder of what she wanted to be. Her best friend had been the most important person to her. Her sickness had been a bridge to strengthen their friendship.

She did not know that a beautiful angel with long, flowing dark gray hair and shimmering azure eyes, was watching her. The figure moved closer and gazed at her wistfully.

"Sakura-chan.."Tomoyo whispered, reaching out and touching her cheek. She smiled the same smile that had comforted and embarrassed Sakura.

The light brown haired girl felt something warm brush past her cheek, like a soft and feathery breeze. She looked around and then shook her head, she was sure that someone was beside her and watching her...

"Who are you thinking of Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked softly, like a breath of wind in a blustery day.

As if linked with the angel, Sakura answered softly "My friend."

Tomoyo knew Sakura could sense her presence and could talk to her. It was just like Touya's power. She knew Sakura knows that she had kept her promise. "Who?"

Sakura smiled to herself and murmured, "A friend with a beautiful smile."