[Cardcaptor Sakura] Kinomoto Sakura, 5 Years Old
everyfiveyears: 5 years old
Title: Nadeshiko's Ghost
Author: rhap_chan
Fandom: Cardcaptor Sakura
Character: Kinomoto Sakura
Character's Age: 5
Word Count: 536
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Summary: Nadeshiko came to visit the day her daughter turned five. The problem was that she was already dead.
Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP.
Author's Notes: Pre-canon, somewhat Touya-focused (featuring Sakura, of course).
Nadeshiko came to visit the day her daughter turned five. Touya was walking Sakura home from kindergarten when he saw the apparition. It was the first time Touya had seen her since she had died, and he had to press his fingernails into his palms to keep from crying out. There would be no use. His mother had never had angel wings when she was alive. No one else could see the angels but him.
(Nadeshiko had seen them too, of course.)
"Onii-chan!" Sakura said insistently. She saw the haunted look on his face and sobered. "Onii-chan, is there a ghost here?" she asked, quivering. Telling her about the ghosts he saw had been a mistake, he realized.
"Things are fine, monster," he said, leaning down and ruffling her hair. Nadeshiko giggled and he spared a glare for her. Should a twelve-year-old have this kind of responsibility? But then he sobered. His mother hadn't chosen to die. It was useless to be angry with her. He loved her, after all.
"Are you guys doing okay?" Nadeshiko asked, and he nodded a little. Things had been getting easier, little by little, though Sakura still often woke with "Okaa-san" on her lips (some nights, she wouldn't be comforted, and depending on who she woke first, Touya or Fugitaka would spend a sleepless night at her bedside). As for Touya himself, it grew a little easier each day just to greet her photograph instead of her real smile. It would be hard again, now that he had seen her, and he felt another wave of resentment, followed by helpless joy at being able to see her again at all.
"When is Otou-san coming home?" Sakura asked. "I wanna open my presents!"
"Around eight o'clock," Touya said to Sakura. She pouted a little and Touya picked her up and set her on his shoulders. He'd recently hit a growth spurt and her little weight barely mattered to him at all. To Sakura, this was a treat, and she giggled.
"You're very good with her," Nadeshiko said. "I'm glad."
Touya wondered if she was going to follow them home and stick around. He hoped that she wouldn't. It would be so hard to see her every day and not be able to hug her, to really talk to her. Some of the ghosts he saw these days were persistent, but most stopped at the door.
"Thank you," Touya said quietly, looking at her. She smiled and he was struck by her ethereal beauty. It seemed like the last two years of her life hadn't happened-- no needle bruises, color in her cheeks... The only problem was the fact that she was a little sheer, and he could see the fence behind her.
He'd never seen the ghost of someone he knew before, and he almost wished he wouldn't see it again. It was pretty hard to reconcile this with his old longings.
"Look, a ladybug!" Sakura said, squealing, and he glanced around, trying to locate the bug.
Love you both," Nadeshiko said, sounding faint. He turned back, and when he looked, his mother was gone. He couldn't help but feel a little sad.
She hadn't came for his birthday, after all.
Title: Nadeshiko's Ghost
Author: rhap_chan
Fandom: Cardcaptor Sakura
Character: Kinomoto Sakura
Character's Age: 5
Word Count: 536
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Summary: Nadeshiko came to visit the day her daughter turned five. The problem was that she was already dead.
Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP.
Author's Notes: Pre-canon, somewhat Touya-focused (featuring Sakura, of course).
Nadeshiko came to visit the day her daughter turned five. Touya was walking Sakura home from kindergarten when he saw the apparition. It was the first time Touya had seen her since she had died, and he had to press his fingernails into his palms to keep from crying out. There would be no use. His mother had never had angel wings when she was alive. No one else could see the angels but him.
(Nadeshiko had seen them too, of course.)
"Onii-chan!" Sakura said insistently. She saw the haunted look on his face and sobered. "Onii-chan, is there a ghost here?" she asked, quivering. Telling her about the ghosts he saw had been a mistake, he realized.
"Things are fine, monster," he said, leaning down and ruffling her hair. Nadeshiko giggled and he spared a glare for her. Should a twelve-year-old have this kind of responsibility? But then he sobered. His mother hadn't chosen to die. It was useless to be angry with her. He loved her, after all.
"Are you guys doing okay?" Nadeshiko asked, and he nodded a little. Things had been getting easier, little by little, though Sakura still often woke with "Okaa-san" on her lips (some nights, she wouldn't be comforted, and depending on who she woke first, Touya or Fugitaka would spend a sleepless night at her bedside). As for Touya himself, it grew a little easier each day just to greet her photograph instead of her real smile. It would be hard again, now that he had seen her, and he felt another wave of resentment, followed by helpless joy at being able to see her again at all.
"When is Otou-san coming home?" Sakura asked. "I wanna open my presents!"
"Around eight o'clock," Touya said to Sakura. She pouted a little and Touya picked her up and set her on his shoulders. He'd recently hit a growth spurt and her little weight barely mattered to him at all. To Sakura, this was a treat, and she giggled.
"You're very good with her," Nadeshiko said. "I'm glad."
Touya wondered if she was going to follow them home and stick around. He hoped that she wouldn't. It would be so hard to see her every day and not be able to hug her, to really talk to her. Some of the ghosts he saw these days were persistent, but most stopped at the door.
"Thank you," Touya said quietly, looking at her. She smiled and he was struck by her ethereal beauty. It seemed like the last two years of her life hadn't happened-- no needle bruises, color in her cheeks... The only problem was the fact that she was a little sheer, and he could see the fence behind her.
He'd never seen the ghost of someone he knew before, and he almost wished he wouldn't see it again. It was pretty hard to reconcile this with his old longings.
"Look, a ladybug!" Sakura said, squealing, and he glanced around, trying to locate the bug.
Love you both," Nadeshiko said, sounding faint. He turned back, and when he looked, his mother was gone. He couldn't help but feel a little sad.
She hadn't came for his birthday, after all.