2015-01-04 - Sakura and The Flower

Title: Sakura and The Flower
Summary: Celebrities, major and minor, run a race around Ueno Park to raise money for the noblest of charities: saving the dolphins, whales, otters and other coastal wildlife from a recent oil spill. Sakura and Tomoyo's parents are participating, which would be excitement enough all on its own, but the event is interrupted by an unexpected storm of petals that threaten to bury the city in a floral avalanche!
Who: Sakura Kinomoto GM: Madoka Kaname, NPCing (with permission) Tomoyo Daidouji, Kero-chan, Fujitaka Kinomoto, Sonomi Daidouji, and a bunch of extremely minor cameos by other celebrity racers.
Where: Ueno Park
OOC - IC Date: 01/04/2015 - 05/05/2014

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

Though a hastily put together event, the "Run For The Clean 2014" is shaping up to be a remarkably well-attended charity event. A pathway has been cordoned off around Ueno Park, festooned with ribbons to guide the volunteer fundraisers. Their scale of celebrity varies widely in all categories, from age to fame. Momoka Kurumi, still in high school and already a model of international renown, bounces from foot to foot, her smile natural and eager as she looks across the park in full spring bloom. Tanaka Suzushiro, a hardy middle-aged construction magnate, might have been expected to use his absurd wealth to pay someone else to show up, yet is preparing to take the field personally.

It's for a good cause, after all, 'The Clean' being the clean-up efforts of a tragic oil spill off the coast of Japan that threatens all manner of beautiful and precious coastal wildlife. No bad thing for anyone to be seen supporting. And there are a great many people, mostly children and parents, lining the racecourse, carrying signs and banners in support of their favorite people and straining to get a glimpse of them as they near.

Other parents were brought here by the imploring eyes of their children -- young and old -- not to observe but to compete. Others such as Sonomi Daidouji, CEO of a huge corporation that dominates much of the toy industry at home and abroad. Flanked by sunglass-wearing bodyguards, she sinks into the practiced lunge of a skilled competitor, bending and stretching with fluid strength. Granted that the sleek black athleticwear she's attired herself in is probably worth more than some houses, she has made a major donation towards this cause, indeed.

Fujitaka Kinomoto is far humbler a public figure in comparison, but the grand universities of Tokyo would never be so callous as to fail to send a few dutiful luminaries as representation. He has abandoned his simple blazer and slacks for a humble tracksuit mended more than once at home. Ruffling the hair of his youngest as he leaves her for the track, he says more gravely than affectionately (though anyone who would mistake the former for a lack of the latter is sorely mistaken), "I will do my best for the dolphins, Sakura-san. Have fun with your friend."

Then he strides out into the crowd of runners, while Tomoyo (discreetly accompanied by more bodyguards), radiant with excitement, hurries up to join Sakura, her state-of-the-art digital camcorder at the ready to catch /every moment/. "Sakura-chan!" she calls, her dulcet tones rising over the roar of the crowd as effortlessly and beautifully as the morning sun over a calm lake. "Good morning! Isn't this all just wonderful? I'm so happy Mother agreed to participate in the race."

<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

Normally, Sakura would be one of the individuals running in the race. However, this time, she is there to support her father. While her older brother was busy working one of his other, countless jobs, she was happy to be present to root him on in his absence. "Yeah! Good luck, Dad! Do your very best!" Unbeknownst to him, Sakura and Touya had both labored the night before on a surprise lunch she would give to him after the race was completed. It was nestled away in her small backpack she carried with her before raising a tiny fist in the air before backing away to watch with the other crowdgoers.

Today, she had decided to wear something comfortable; a set of sneakers with red shorts and a white button-up shirt. As she returns to the crowd of spectators, Tomoyo catches her off-guard, but she only feels excitement. "Tomoyo-chan!" she cries excitedly, "Good morning! Your mom is running in it too?" Sakura, of course, was blissfully unaware of the history between their parents. "I'm really excited! I think this will be really fun! I made us some snacks while we wait!" In the backpack, she drops one of the straps from her upper shoulder onto her arms before removing it. Swinging it in front of her chest, she pulls out a small box containing a few food items meant to be grazed throughout the day. A few pieces of chocolate she had managed to smuggle from the guardian beast (who seemed, lately, to be just as apt to guard chocolate as the Clow Cards).

While walking along with her, she offered the box to her. "We made them last night. We also made lunch too for after the race if you want to join us!"

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

Tomoyo is a skilled juggler, between the camera and her need to gesture dramatically, clasping her hands together as though Sakura had just offered her imperial relics. Somehow the piece of top-end equipment never seems to be in any danger. "How lovely!" she exclaims, voice golden with gladness. "Taking lunch together with our parents seems like a true delight on such a nice spring day."

She bows the most polite possible rejection of snacks in the interim, however, not an unusual response from a girl with more hair than stomach. Instead she films the contents of the box, zooming in and out with greater elation than she might have consumed the snacks themselves. "Ahh," she breathes, "Now I can remember how cute your snacks look forever!"

Meanwhile, at the starting line, things are looking ready to begin. The crowd's mood undulates from mere jubilance into a throaty wave of thrill, which peaks, then crashes over the runners at the BANG! of the signal to run.

The celebrities are initially arrayed in a long line, and for a single perfect moment all of their legs seem to pump in unison no matter how old or young, in shape or out. Then the mass of charitable humanity becomes amorphous, losing its shape.

"Our frontrunners," an announcer calls from down on high, "Fujitaka Kinomoto-san, and Sonomi Daidouji-san!"

This is the first either of them had heard about the other's presence, and distantly they can be seen glancing at each other. Fujitaka momentarily takes the lead as Sonomi stumbles with surprise, then red faced perhaps more with fury than exertion, pumps her legs and catches up a few strides later.

There will be several laps; in the moment that they're passing the girls, Fujitaka's serene and smiling face somehow finds them in the crowd, then returns to minding the road ahead. Sonomi also waves brightly to her daughter (though perhaps she hasn't noticed Sakura just yet). No amount of rancor she might feel in this moment is more important to her than Tomoyo.

As though to celebrate their greatness, a peach petal tumbles down from the sky and lands in Sakura's bangs, caught right between her eyes.

<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

"Hoe?" Her cheeks turn rouge an she can feel a heate sensation when she receives the compliments on her snacks. Taking only a small piece between her fingers, she takes a small bite out of one before returning the container to her backpack. At first, she had been worried Keroberos had tried to sneak along, but it was clear to her that the allure of playing video games unattended was more powerful than being stuck in a bag. Her fingers zipped the bag back up before swinging it onto her back and keeping a multi-tasking view on both the race and her best friend.

"Aah, look!" she points out their parents' competition, ignoring the other racers. While she was aware there were multiple celebrities present, all from different walks in the community, she had eyes for only two: Fujitaka and Sonomi. When her dad comes close, she springs up excitedly and waves in his direction. When the two continue out of direct view, she returns her attention to her companion. "Tomoyo-chan, your mom is really fast!"

In truth, Sakura did not know a whole lot about Tomoyo's mother. She had known she was the CEO of a company and that she was a very busy woman, but it never occurred to her that she might be as athletic as her own father.

She pivots on her heel to try and keep an eye on them, something draws her attention away temporarily. As the petal lands in her hair, she becomes temporarily cross-eyed trying to ascertain what landed on her. Uncrossing the verdant eyes only let to a small shake of her head before having the petal land in her land. "A peach blossom?" There is some confusion on her end before she disregards it to continue watching the race. Allowing the petal to fly away, she returns her attention back onto the race and Tomoyo.

"There are a lot of people here! It's really nice to see so many people working hard."

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

"As is your father, Sakura-chan! He really is a man of many talents, isn't he?" Tomoyo trains the camera on their parents for as long as she can, but they do eventually disappear around a bend. On comes the thundering herd of the main pack of racers; many companies have sent less important executives in place of the CEO. Junko Kaname cuts a dramatic figure with her soft violet hair and perfect makeup, irrespective of and immune to the ravages of athleticism even as she struggles to escape Mr. and Mrs. Minazuki, a husband-and-wife pair of musicians who rank above the top pianists and violinists in the world, respectively.

Each of these are captured forever on video, and many others.

More peach blossoms fall, mingled with cherry, now. Tomoyo squints up at the sky. "How strange," she reflects, "Hanami has come and gone." Ueno Park is one of the most popular blossom-viewing spots in the whole city, but while many flowers remain, the trees are now fully leafed, aglow with the many soft and vibrant greens of oncoming summer. "Maybe someone is releasing them to celebrate the race, like in a parade?"

It's becoming a bit of a problem, however. While Akio Ohtori, legendary and rarely seen Headmaster of the elite private academy is simply taking the track at a steady and noble stride, and for whom the strewn petals seem perfectly appropriate, those who race in earnest are starting to slip. Petals are slippery, especially when there's more than one! Several tumbles become tangles, as racers trip one another and all go down together.

"Oh, my!" It's hard to tell if Tomoyo is distressed or excited. Maybe both. She zooms in again to not miss a single moment of the goings-on.

<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

"Yeah! He's always been pretty athletic." She has memories of her father doing an impressive job of keeping up with a toddler and another child as they were both running. The entire Kinomoto clan (except Nadeshiko, may she rest in peace) had athletic tendencies. While she does not know much about her father's side of the family, she likes to imagine they were also athletics in different ways.

When Tomoyo begins noticing it, Sakura also brings her attention to the sky. "You're right. I didn't realize there were so many!" As her wheels begin turning in her head, she brings her attention back to the race and the runners that were slipping over the petals and each other. Her hand goes to her mouth before she becomes concerned. "I hope they are OK!"

Sakura is continuing to observe the situation. It seems strange to her that there may be so many! It would make sense to her that if the runners are slipping, that the petals might end, but it does not seem to be the case. In fact, the opposite was happening: more were coming down than they had been previously. Her eyes dart to their parents, still going mano a mano before she returns to the flowers and other runners.

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

Tomoyo isn't one to brag, so she doesn't bring up her Mother's high school championships unprompted, but she does tuck a secret little smile into the corner of her lips. It is quickly washed away by rising concern for what's going on on the track.

Other people are noticing, too. The race organizers, who cleared the track of debris in the first place, are doing their best to recruit strapping young men like the nearby Yukito Tsukishiro to arm themselves with brooms and clear the way behind the last of the racers. It seems he was in a different part of the crowd than Sakura and Tomoyo to begin with, but he's very visible as he sets to his task with energy and efficiency. Spotting the girls as he passes them, he beams.

"Beautiful weather, isn't it?" he asks lightly, indicating either a total loss of touch with reality or a certain wry sense of humor.

But he's going to have to scramble out of the way as the leaders -- still Fujitaka and Sonomi -- lap him. They have possibly unwisely been picking up the pace instead of slowing down, spurred by Sonomi's fierce efforts to take the lead, and Fujitaka's casual, grinning unwillingness to back down. There's no slipping, not yet, but they're kicking up small clouds of white and pink petals with each step. The layer is now up above their ankles.

Tomoyo's brow furrows. "Do you think...?"

<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

When Yukito is suddenly present, it is almost as if the seas have parted and the light from the sun has finally come through. She perks up even more so than usual, "Y-Y-Yukito-san! Are you working here today?" If he was here, it was more than likely this was Touya's job of the day, though if he was present, she has yet to see him. That was OK; while she loves her brother, /Yukito/ was there. Her face reddens even further and her eyes almost glitter with excitement. "Maybe you can come and join us after the race for lunch? Touya-kun and I made enough if you want to join us." Her index finger tips drive into one another before separating and crashing upward, repeating a few times before looking up at him.

But when her father flies by, Sakura's attention is immediately towards the race. Even she became nervous, watching as they ran over petals that were slipping even accomplished runners. Her eyes widen with concern before Tomoyo brings it to her attention.

As if something in her brain clicked, she looked back at Tomoyo before nodding. "I think you might be right. Let's give Kero-chan a call." she whispers before bringing the small cell phone she was given by her friend out of the backpack. Her fingers begin dialing the phone as she reaches out for Tomoyo's hand in an attempt to walk away from the crowd to better discuss the larger issue at hand.

Once the line picks up and the two are a comfortable distance from the crowd, the interrogation begins. "Kero-chan! Is there a Clow Card that throws things? Like, flowers?"

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

Yukito, broom in tow, finds himself next to the girls as he watches their parents pass. He greets them both with a wave, but now they seem very focused... on each other. Sonomi in particular seems to be quite upset with Fujitaka, berating him, though it's impossible to hear what they're talking about. It could just be trash talk on the course.

"Sakura-chan!" he replies gaily, flipping each of the girls a candy from his pocket. Tomoyo stows hers with an automatic word of thanks. "I was here to watch your Dad -- I should have known you'd be around! Touya didn't say anything." He glances up at the petal-filled sky. It's almost a hypnotic three-dimensional display; gusts of wind catch flowers in distinct, twining streamers, bearing some up while others continue their tumble down, so slowly as though they were falling through honey. "But they asked for help -- I should get back to it!"

The main crowd has passed again. Some people are beginning to abandon the race, but the power of the watching legion of fans is strong, and the cause (dolphins!! whales!! sea birds!! otters!!) compelling. No few good-natured displays of sportsmanship are arising, as a passing racer gives a fallen one a helping hand up through the gradually rising bed of flowers.

"I'll see you two later," Yukito promises, gone long before Sakura makes her call.

MEANWHILE, IN THE KINOMOTO HOUSEHOLD

Kero-chan has enthroned himself upon a now-empty bowl that has long since had its contents transferred into his belly. Replete with sweets, he manages the Wiimote, which is nearly as long as he is, with a surprising degree of dexterity.

"HYA! HYA!!" he shouts in tune with Link. As one, they fight the evil birds away from Skyloft. Now it's time to summon his own flying mount and soar off into the sunset--

--the phone rings.

Link goes plummeting off the floating island to his doom.

...Kero-chan hasn't saved in an hour.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," he mourns, he moans, his wail loud in Sakura's ear as he picks up on the other end. "YOU HAVE DOOMED THE LEGENDARY HERO, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?"

The actual question penetrates, and he becomes moderately more helpful, hrmming to himself in a low mumble. It finally resolves into words. "...what about The Flower? It's loud where you are -- are you at some kind of big event? She loves that kind of thing, she's probably just trying to make things more fun and beautiful." While he has nothing against fun or beauty, his reedy tones contain a legion of scorn for the importance of either in the face of his interrupted Master Quest.

<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

She catches the candy between both her palms and for a few seconds, cherishes it before stowing it into a pocket. "Thank you, Yukito-san!" energetically as ever. Seeing him tended to recharge her energy even further. Her face turns red as she comes back around, nodding in understanding that his work had to come first.

On the call, she cringes at the small, shrill voice of the aggrieved beast. "Yeah, we're at a race for my dad!" She seems to recall telling him the details the night before and in the morning before she left. It does not surprise her that it did not sink in; it was probably more important to him to figure out his strategy in the game. While mildly irritating, it was nothing she would not expect.

"So, she's a nice card?" She looks back at Tomoyo; it was not going to be another situation with Fly, hopefully. Instead, it seemed according to him that it was just going to be a card that was out-of-control by having fun, rather than just for the sake of chaos. "How do we capture it?" Her fingers move up to the key around her neck as she holds it for a few seconds, getting ready to spring into action.

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

Hearing Sakura's gratitude, Yukito glances back over his shoulder from his sweeping and extends two fingers in a friendly victory-V. Then he's quickly lost in the cloud of petals. It's becoming quite a storm. Some people are even taking shelter; little kids are definitely endangered, and many of them find refuge on their parents' shoulders.

"Yeah, yeah, she's very nice," Kero-chan agrees hastily but not enthusiastically, his mind still lost amid the storm-tossed skies of his game. "Just... capture her like you would any other Card!"

That's /terrible/ advice. Slightly more useful: "You may not even need to use Windy! Just watch out and make sure you don't get so caught up in having fun that you can't do your job. BYE!!"

*click*

The hardest part of all of this might well be /finding/ The Flower. Surely these petals are falling from somewhere, but there are so many of them, and even in the park, there are so many tall buildings nearby. She could be anywhere!

There's more than one way to solve that problem, surely.

Tomoyo turns to Sakura hopefully, faith shining in her eyes like stars.

<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

She sighs while dropping the phone back into her hands. The stuffed beast has a tendency to become exasperating when videogames were on the line. She should have guessed it was more of an inconvenience for him than her. It is at that moment Sakura looks over at Tomoyo and bobs her head. "Well, I guess we should try and /find/ it first, right?"

On that note, Sakura removes the key from her neck and holds it in front of her. "O key which hides the powers of the dark," under her feet, a yellow circle with Eastern and Western magical symbols began to form, and a dusty, yellow-tinged wind picked up around her, "show your true form before me!" With each word, the wind becomes stronger. The key also extends, the toucan head becoming larger and a staff forming out from the base. "I, Sakura, command you under our contract!" Before there was almost complete coverage, the staff was fully formed from its nascent key stage and she reached out towards it. "RELEASE!"

Upon Sakura's hand grasping the wand, the wind and magical circle disappeared. "Let's try and find her, Tomoyo-chan!"

Once again, the staff is brought out and twirled in her right hand as the left uncovers a card from her pocket, tossing it in front of herself. "FLY!" The magical winds surround the staff as a pair of wings extend from the bird. Once transformed, she brings the staff down to her waist-level and drops it between her legs as a witch might to a broom. "Tomoyo-chan! Let's try and find her together!" She scoots forward on the staff to give space to allow her to join her in their search for the Flower card.

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

Tomoyo hesitates.

"B-but... my van is right over there..."

She points towards her mobile costume headquarters, but can't actually see it through the organic debris. More colors have joined the peach and cherry; lilac and lily, roses of all kinds. The perfume is intoxicatingly sweet, but it's too much for her delicate nose. It wrinkles.

"...very well," she concedes, hefting her camcorder such that it can act as something of a first-person Sakuracam over her best friend's shoulder; her other arm secures herself around her waist. Now she's mounted and safe on the unusual broom. "We can always have you pose later in something more appropriate!"

How quickly she cheers up.

<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

Sakura looks dumbfounded for a few seconds. It only takes a few seconds for Sakura to realize that Tomoyo brought the costume van because she thought this would be a possibility. But in that same amount of time, she is grateful for her friend being so considerate and being a few steps farther than her to realize it was, perhaps, just a touch out of the ordinary for flowers that were no longer in bloom to be blowing in the wind. If she hadn't, the card may have gone on longer and created more problems! As it was her own responsibility to capture the cards (one of which she takes as seriously as others in her life), it was time to find the card.

As soon as Tomoyo comes onto the staff, she turns an even brighter shade of red and her bangs cover her eyes temporarily. "H-Hooooeeee!" she quietly remarks; knowing full and well that there would likely be a choreographed scene involved. But she catches herself daydreaming and refocuses on capturing the Clow Card. She taps into her magical abilities to levitate and eventually fly the staff upwards into the sky at a reasonable pace. Going higher and higher, she still feels the petals brushing across her face and almost seems nervous about finding the source. "Do you see anything? I can barely see in all of these flowers!"

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

They soar over the track, and can just make out, in the distance, Sonomi and Fujitaka now doing more like the breaststroke than any kind of running race. They're determined to make it through to the end, it seems, though everyone else has pretty much abandoned the course.

It takes quite a bit of circling upwards to get above the petal cloud, but it is eventually achieved. Tomoyo spends much of the time admiring the petals. They may not be practical but they're certainly lovely.

When they crest the top, it is momentarily difficult to realize it, because the pinkness continues. It's just light, however, brilliant and scintillating radiation, and it's emanating from a beautiful lady who is dancing on a nearby skyscrapertop, circles and circles. Petals emanate from the fluttering of her soft pink skirt, the tips of her delicate fingers, the curls of her glorious hair.

Her soft teal eyes flutter open as the girls appear, and meet Sakura's squarely.

She smiles, openly, broadly, without guile, and extends a hand outwards, beckoningly.

<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

Sakura initially has difficulty trying to track the direction of the petals due to the wind directions and the mass amount of them, drifting in the wind. Her eyes eventually catch up to the direction of the card, and like a light bulb, she begins to steer the wand towards the very location. The descent is easy, albeit filled with petals into her face. Once they get close enough and safe enough on the top of the building, she allows both of her and Tomoyo's feet to touch the ground before removing the Fly card's ability.

Once the staff is back into her hands, she draws it in front of her in her hands--casually, not with any sort of defense. The last thing she intends to do is put the Clow Card on the offensive; although Keroberos had mentioned it was not really a combative card, she does not necessarily want to provoke it into any sort of battle when something could be settled more peacefully and faster, at that.

"A-ah, excuse me, Flower Card-san?" ever so polite, Sakura cautiously moves towards the card. "Do you think you could maybe not spread so many flowers? It's just--it's a little dangerous for so many!"

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

Sakura is very polite, but politeness isn't fun. And it's simpler pleasures that The Flower is looking for. She rushes forward to entwine her fingers in Sakura's like morning glory vines. Then, giggling, she pulls the girl into her dance, lifting her up off the ground to swirl and twirl along with her.

Tomoyo keeps the camera steadily trained on all of this. Sakura looks so beautiful, petals all around her as she dances with the Clow Card! This is an increasingly desperate situation, but at the same time... she instinctively assumes that her friend is in no serious danger.

Better to spend her energies capturing this one for all time.

She doesn't have words, but The Flower bubbles over with joy. And her eyes speak for her, as they gaze into her dance partner's. 'Isn't this fun?' they ask innocently. 'Don't you love flowers?'

<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

"Hoeeee!" she squeals, not expecting the dance. In her wildest dreams, she would never have predicted she would be dancing with a magical card when Keroberos told her about becoming a Cardcaptor, but here we are.

The card's true form looks exactly as she might expect a fairy queen who was a ruler over flowers to look like--from the flower earrings to the incredible dress. As she moves in time with the card, she nervously smiles at the Flower card. Eventually, she manages to gain confidence enough to hold the wand close to the card. "This is very nice, but--I can't let people possibly get hurt or cause problems for people like Yukito-san who are working hard! So, we'll have to dance later, OK?"

Her hands hold onto the wand and so begins the incantation for sealing, "Reclaim the guise you were meant to inhabit!" Once more, the magical circle appears with the yellow-tinged winds spiraling around the circle. At the same time, a thin holographic card-shaped item appears a few inches away from the beak on the wand, the sealing process going forth.

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

Some cards might get angry at this move; some might struggle or fight or even rage. The Clow is more than capable of mighty temper tantrums, under the right circumstances.

But these are not they.

The Flower giggles again even as she becomes the light that seals her; the last thing that can be felt of her is a brief squeeze of Sakura's hand. It's a clasp of farewell, at least for now, to go with a kiss of perfume that ever so gently anoints the girl's brow.

In a puff of blinding radiance, she returns to her true form; a beautifully painted card, inscribed with her visage and labeled with her name. She floats upwards, spins a quick, graceful circle, then settles neatly into the palm of Sakura's hand as though she was always meant to be there.

Tomoyo gasps. "Look, Sakura-chan!" She points down, across the rooftops, over to Ueno Park.

The blossoms are quickly disappearing, scattering naturally on the four winds to blanket the whole city in glorious but managable amounts of bloom, rather than too much all in one place.

And just before the finish line, two adults are standing, between them lifting three kids into the air, up above what was such a flood of roses that they might have drowned.

Apparently some things are more important than winning.

Setting the children down gently now that it's safe, Fujitaka and Sonomi glance over to the finish line and shrug. There is a moment of peace, as they clearly agree that what just happened has rendered the results of this race irrelevant.

It is not enough on its own, however, to erase the past.

Sonomi doesn't slap Fujitaka, not quite, but the back of her hand hovers above his cheek, then presses against his chest, furiously. "It was things like this," she shouts hoarsely, indicating that she has been yelling for some time, "That made it impossible to really hate you, even though you took her from me! Curse you for that! For everything! For letting her disappear!"

<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

Smiling, as she holds the card, she pockets it quickly to turn to the direction that Tomoyo was directing towards. Holding the staff, she cocked her head to the side noticing all of the flowers disappearing and then some familiar shapes, if she squinted enough. "Is that--does your mom know my dad?" Her father does not speak often of any important figures in his past aside from Nadeshiko. He speaks highly of her, recounting events of her beauty, her kindness, her goodness--all things of lore in the Kinomoto household. But not once would she have guessed in a million years her best friend's mother had known her father. Today was shaping up to be filled with things she would have never expected.

"Tomoyo-chan, let's get closer." Holding the Fly card, she summons its presence again, infusing her magical ability to the staff and allowing it to grow wings again. Sakura moves towards the middle of the staff, allowing enough space for her friend to join her on the staff to descend closer to their parents.

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

"They seem to be acquainted..." Tomoyo holds tightly to Sakura as they descend. As they approach their parents, she puts the camcorder away.

The last of the petals blow around the two adults, the green lawn beneath their feet brightening now that the veil has been lifted.

"I'm sorry," Fujitaka says, an odd softness in his voice. Understanding, familiarity. No regret. Never any regrets.

"Shut up," Sonomi snaps. "That's just like you too! You have nothing to be sorry /for/." She exhales sharply, as though she had felt a terrible pain, and her fingernails draw points of blood on her palms. She is struggling not to cry. "It may have been wrong of /you/, but /she/ was... she was never happier... after you were married."

"I'm sorry," Fujitaka repeats, and elaborates, after a moment of meeting Sonomi's livid glare with his own, steady, gentle gaze, "That from her sixteenth to twenty-seventh birthdays, I monopolized her attention."

Sonomi opens her mouth to invoke a furious rejoinder, then hesitates. She seems to be on the edge of a decision. Anger and grief wage war in her expression. There will be no winners in that battle.

"Sakura-chan..." murmurs Tomoyo, breathing right into her ear, worried and curious and hopeful, prompting, all of this at once.

<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

From a set of bushes, Sakura watches the scene between the two adults. Her eyes are soft as she learns about the sad truth between their parents. Even though Sakura is far from being the most observant, she is perceptive on some subject matters--this, being one of them, and knowing the discussion was regarding her mother, confirmed when her father mentions the age of Nadeshiko's passing. Looking wistfully at Tomoyo before breaking into a more hopeful smile, "I think I know what we can do."

The wand had yet to revert to key form, and from the bushes, she is quiet as she pulls the newly sealed Flower card from her pocket. The sealing wand reaches forward and taps the card, "Create a healing moment for these two people, Flower!" At that moment, her magical abilities combine with Flower's power to create two perfect, vivid flowers, rich in a pink color dropping towards the two adults. During this, she returns the staff to key form and places it back onto her necklace.

After allowing them some time to come to grips with the flower and its meaning, she grabs Tomoyo by the hand and leads her towards their parents. "Dad! There you are! We are so glad you are safe!" This is feigned, of course, as she knows her father has been physically fine the entire time. "You can join us for lunch too, if you'd like!" she cheerfully chirps at Sonomi. A girl just like her mother.