Lilover131: Hello everyone! This story is another fanfic request for an anon on tumblr! The prompt was: "Can you write a CCS short story where Syaoran asks Sakura to dance with him at the school's dance? From Syaoran's POV"

I had to tweak it a little bit, since school dances are a Western tradition and not a common practice in Japan, so I instead put them at a school cultural arts festival! It was really interesting writing in Syaoran's point of view, so I hope you all like it!

Together We Step Forward

Today was the school cultural arts festival, and our classes were spending the morning making the final preparations. We had all voted on turning our homerooms into a café, and although it took quite some time, we eventually settled on serving desserts from different parts of the world. I was in charge of making the Chinese treats of course, and I decided on making the peach buns that I traditionally made for the lunar New Year. It was also an obvious choice because Sakura liked them so much…the way she would smile when she takes a bite made it all worth it.

Shinomoto was able to help with suggestions for other areas of the world because of her knowledge gained during her travels, and although her butler Yuna D. Kaito was surely a better cook, she nobly insisted on making the desserts from England herself. This was a huge relief, seeing as I didn't trust that butler one bit. The rest of the countries chosen were assigned to different students, and soon enough, everything came together rather seamlessly. Daidouji was in charge of sewing the outfits for the servers, and she made traditional outfits to represent each country. For Shinomoto, she made an Alice in Wonderland themed dress, which suited her well. She was shy receiving compliments, but as soon as Sakura sang her praises as well, she seemed to settle just fine.

Others students were made to wear clothing such as Japanese yukata, dirndhls and lederhosen from Germany, sari and dhoti from India, hanbok from Korea, and charro suits and huipil paired with colorful skirts from Mexico. For me, Daidouji made a changshan robe for me in a dark red satin with gold embroidery. I was really surprised as how well it was made, and it almost felt too formal to wear at a school festival, but our class really wanted to impress. I was ushered behind a curtain to put it on so Daidouji could do the final fitting, though it fit so perfectly already that there was no doubt in my mind that no further alterations would be necessary. I stepped out from the curtain, and could feel many of my classmate's eyes on me. It was embarrassing really, but no one seemed to be laughing at least.

"It looks really good on you, Li-kun!"

Shinomoto complimented me along with my other classmates, and I smiled as best I could in my current state. I really didn't like this sort of attention, and all I could think about it was how quickly I could change back into my normal clothes. Wearing red clothes like this made me feel like I was about to be married off, which really only served to make me feel more embarrassed.

"Um…I'm done getting dressed, I think…"

I heard Sakura's voice from behind the curtain and immediately felt my heart race a little faster. How strange it was that even just hearing her could make my emotions run so wild. Daidouji practically squealed in delight before urging for her to come out, and when she did, I felt my jaw instinctively drop.

Sakura stepped out wearing a Chinese cheongsam dress with a long skirt and sleeves in a deep red that matched my own outfit. I glanced once to Daidouji, whose eyes were shining expectantly, and then back to Sakura. I couldn't take my eyes off her once they settled on her again, and I suddenly realized what it was Daidouji had intended to do. All along, she wanted to make us look like a bride and groom, and I had never seen Sakura look lovelier than she did now. I couldn't even be mad at the slight deception, though I could feel my cheeks growing warm regardless.

"Do I…look okay?"

Many had complimented her already when she stepped out, but she seemed the most nervous about my approval as she approached. Words apparently escaped me, since all I could do was nod so fast that my head felt like it might almost dislocate from my neck. Sakura sighed in relief and smiled at me, and my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. I tried once again to get the words out, but I'm sure she could see me struggling.

"Y…you look…"

Tell her she looks beautiful, idiot!

"…like a bride"

The words slipped out before I could stop them, and I desperately moved to cover my mouth so I couldn't spout anything else so embarrassing. My whole body was frozen, and the instinct to run away was strong. But I didn't run away…not anymore. Once I had the courage to look at Sakura's face, I could see she was as red as her dress, and her hands moved up to cup her cheeks as she dealt with her own mixture of feelings. It was adorable really, but I also felt a bit of guilt at making her feel as embarrassed as I was.

"Ahh! This is so great! What an amazing shot!"

There was a sense of dread as I gazed over to Daidouji, knowing full well that there would be a camera in her hands, and sure enough, she had captured the entire exchange.

"HOOOEEEE! TOMOYO-CHAN!"

Sakura shrieked before our classmates roared in laughter. It wasn't a secret that she and I were in a relationship, but nonetheless, we didn't exactly like to promote it.

"Our class is going to be the talk of the school after this festival!"

One of our classmates exclaimed, and most seemed to agree with a resounding cheer. Shinomoto smiled excitedly.

"This will be my first cultural arts festival here in Japan. I'm really excited to see everyone's hard work!"

Sakura was beaming back at her and appeared to be just as enthusiastic. It would be very soon that the visitors would come to see the festival, and it was sure to be fun for all involved, so long as there were no incidents with the new cards. I hoped for Sakura's sake that today would be relaxing, but with her magic still being out of control, there was no telling what the day would bring.

Within minutes, we had the desserts all set on the tables, and with the quality of the treats we handmade, one might have thought we bought them from a store. The first visitors arrived, parents of one our classmates, and they were in awe at the amount of work we did. Not long after, many more followed, and the classroom was soon full of people, all seated at tables enjoying the desserts they purchased.

Our costumes and food were complimented endlessly, and I could hear the whispers from other boys around our age speaking about how cute Sakura was. In the past, such talk would have made me feel jealous, but now it made me feel a sense of pride. She was indeed cute, but she was also the most special person in the entire world to me, and to think that she felt the same about me as I did her was still surreal. I honestly never thought she would like a guy like me, especially after how I treated her in the beginning. How on earth did I manage to get so lucky?

I realized I was staring perhaps a bit too long when Daidouji stepped up beside me and whispered into my ear.

"Li-kun, are you going to stay for the bonfire at the end of the festival?"

I blinked at the question, not really sure how to respond.

"There are some things I need to do, so I'm not sure if I can"

Really, when I said I had 'things to do', I meant protecting Sakura. Almost all of my spare time nowadays went into keeping the Sakura cards alive through my magic. After all, her magic was already too strong with one set of cards, and two would only serve to make things worse. It was incredibly draining and a great deal more difficult than I imagined, but it was worth it if I could help Sakura. Hiiragizawa had expressed his concern before, but there was nothing I wouldn't do to keep her safe.

Daidouji gave a little sigh of disappointment at my response.

"That's too bad…I was hoping to get some footage of Sakura-chan dancing at the fire, but if you're not there, she might not do it at all"

My heart stopped for a moment at those words. Sakura…not dancing…because of me. I could suddenly envision the frown on her face as she looked at the other pairs dancing around the fire and silently wished I was there. She would smile like she always did at her friends, but it would be less lively than usual in a failed attempt to hide her disappointment, and I…I couldn't let that happen!

"I-I'LL GO!"

I shouted the words a bit louder than intended, earning some glances in my direction, including from Sakura, and I was hoping to just turn invisible in that moment. What was wrong with me? Daidouji giggled in amusement before stepping away to the front of the classroom along with Shinomoto, and the two started to sing a song to serve as brief entertainment for the visitors.

While the two sang, I took the moment of distraction to hide in the corner and take a breath to calm myself. I always seemed to get riled up like this when it came to Sakura, but I was at least getting better at managing it every day. Sakura noticed me standing in the corner and moved to stand beside me, her emerald eyes shining with concern.

"Are you all right, Syaoran-kun?"

I nodded slowly and smiled at her.

"I'm just fine. Daidouji was telling me that I should go to the bonfire at the end of the festival"

Sakura's cheeks turned a rosy color, and it was apparent then that dancing really was on her mind. Daidouji really knew her well, after all. Sakura nervously asked her next question, though I already knew what she was going to ask.

"And are you…going?"

"Y-yes…I'm planning to"

Then, Sakura smiled so brightly that it rivaled even the sun itself. This news seemed to make her so incredibly happy that I wished time could stop for just a moment, if only so I could stare at her face for a bit longer like that. In reality, I could use the borrowed TIME card to do so, but it wasn't a good enough reason to use the powers of the cards.

Daidouji and Shinomoto finished their duet, and everyone applauded them animatedly. Although I wasn't paying full attention, the music was quite soothing and always lovely to listen to.

"I can't wait for tonight…"

Sakura whispered softly. I silently agreed, but I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise as the feeling of magic entered the air just after the words were uttered. I gazed down at the floor, and I could see the cast shadows moving rapidly. It was odd, and she seemed to notice as well. The both of us gazed to the sun outside and could see it seemingly flying across the sky. The clouds also moved as if we were inside of a timelapse video, but we ourselves remained unchanged. I then looked to the students in our classes and was surprised to see them moving significantly faster than usual, seemingly not noticing any difference in the flow of time.

"Sakura, it's…"

Sakura frowned and pulled out her key, chanting her incantation to release the staff sealed within.

"…It's a card"

I pressed my hands together immediately to draw my sword using magic. I vowed to help her in any way I could with these new cards, and the stronger she got, the stronger the cards would surely become. There was no telling what sort of danger they could pose before she captured them. However, just before I could do anything, the shadows that had moved across the floor seemed to rise up and wrap around my body tightly. I struggled against them, and Sakura cried out as it began to pull me down. It was like I was melting into the floor, and my arms were bound tightly to my sides, preventing me from escape.

"Syaoran-kun!"

As bad as the current situation seemed, I smiled at her and shook my head as her hand reached out to try and pull me away. I began to feel weaker, and though it was starting to blur, I could still see her saddened expression through my vision. It wasn't looking like I would be able to help her with this one, but I could at least encourage her before it was too late.

"Stay calm…you'll capture this card. I know you will…Sakura…remember your invincible spell…"

After that, all I saw was darkness. I couldn't see anything, feel anything, and my mind was blank. It was nothingness. I could hear the Sakura cards calling to me, inspecting me to make sure I was all right, but I didn't stir at all.

Descendant of Clow, you must open your eyes…

I recognized this voice as the DARK card's voice. It was soft and sweet, and it made sense that she would be able to move somewhat freely in such a space.

Our Mistress…she needs you to wake up now

In the end, it was Sakura's voice that finally made me open my eyes.

"Syaoran-kun!"

I'm not sure how long I was out, but when I awoke, I felt the wetness of tears on my cheeks, though they were not my own. I was lying down, and something was supporting my head, likely Sakura's knees from the feel of it, and my hand instinctively reached up to wipe the tears from her face. A smile suited her so much better, and though she was still beautiful, I couldn't stand to see her cry.

"I'm so sorry…I created another card and put you in danger"

Her voice was so strained as she fought back more tears, and I shook my head and slowly sat up, my energy starting to return.

"No, Sakura…I was never in danger because you created them. Something born from you could never hurt anyone…"

On the floor beside her were two cards. On one card was pictured a golden fennec fox, very similar in design to the DASH card. On either of its ears were earrings that had a sun design and moon design, and it sat upon a clock. The text on it showed 'SPEED', and that certainly explained why everything was moving so rapidly before. But what was this second card? The second one was a woman wrapped in dark robes with stars printed on them, and the text read 'NIGHT'. Suddenly, it all made sense. Sakura had wished for the night to come sooner, and because of her magic, both of these cards were born.

Her tears wouldn't seem to stop, and not being able to bear it any longer, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close.

"I'm all right. It doesn't matter how many cards you create, because you will capture them all. You remembered your invincible spell, right?"

She nodded slowly and took a deep breath before responding.

"Everything will…surely be all right"

"That's right. Everything will be all right, because you are Sakura"

Her tears were beginning to fade, and we both looked around us to see the sun setting. It was hard to tell if so much time passed because of the card or if Sakura had struggled for so long, but the night we had both been waiting for was near. The both of us stood up slowly, and I soon realized we were no longer in the classroom but outside beneath the rose covered trellis we often met under to talk about magic related things in private. The crisp autumn air was cool, but there was a glow of fire in the distance that enticed us with potential warmth. The school must have started the bonfire, and so there was no time to waste.

Once Sakura had settled down enough and tucked her new cards safely away, we walked together towards the fire and met up with our other classmates. They never seemed to notice that we were even gone, but Daidouji was perceptive as always and giving us a knowing look. We had completely sold out of our desserts and the festival was a huge success. Shinomoto appeared to have immensely enjoyed her first school festival in Japan and was discussing it with the others before the music began through the large speakers.

People gathered around the fire, taking their partners and slowly dancing in a circular pattern around the fire. It wasn't a complicated dance by any means, but everyone seemed to be having fun. I could feel my heart racing already, knowing full well that the time had finally come. I tried desperately not to tremble as I extended my hand out to Sakura, and I could feel the heat rising in my face again.

Say it! Don't be a coward and ask her to dance!

"Will you…dance with me?"

Sakura nodded rapidly, almost like I had done earlier, and I instantly felt so much lighter. I'm not sure why I feared rejection even though I knew she had wanted to dance all this time. Being with Sakura was still so surreal that I suppose I was just waiting for it to fall apart somehow, but I knew that wasn't going to happen. I knew that whenever she smiled at me, whenever our hands touched, whenever I felt her presence beside me, that everything was already perfect, and I would never let anyone or anything take her smile away…

Her hand slipped into mine, and I led her towards the fire before standing behind her with our hands still linked, just as the other males did with their female dance partners. I remember that Tsukishiro had danced with Sakura like this back at the school festival in Seiju High School years ago, and I had foolishly been so jealous back then. Daidouji naturally got her camera ready, but this time it didn't bother us in the slightest.

We started to move forward to the beat of the music, and over the music I could hear Sakura's light laughter. She was having fun, and I found myself smiling as well. Perhaps neither of us needed time to stop or move forward more quickly to better enjoy these precious moments. After all, there were many more moments like these in our future, and they were best savored. As long as Sakura kept smiling, every day would be a perfect day…

THE END

Lilover131: Well, that's it! I hope you all liked it! If you have any requests, feel free to shoot me a message or an ask on tumblr! If it's within the realm of possibility, I will consider it and do my best! Bye now!