Time Frame: 9 P.M., at the dance.

Author's Note: I noticed that someone mentioned in their review that the currency used should be yen and not dollars.

Normally that would be correct if the story was taking place in Japan. However, the story is not taking place in Japan.

The setting for the story is Hong Kong, so when I say dollars, I mean Hong Kong Dollars.

Apologies: I apologize for taking so long to post this chapter but I've recently been suffering major writer's block.

I'll try not to take so long with the next chapter.

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Sakura stood next to the unknown gentleman who had managed to outbid Xin. There was something familiar about him. The aura he gave off just seemed to be something familiar to her. It brought up a memory that was so close to her consciousness, and yet it was just beyond reach.

She didn't want to be rude but she just had to find out where Syaoron was. She had been scanning the room ever since the dance started but just couldn't see him. She could feel him near her even though she couldn't see him. There were simply too many people and the sheer number of people who were in the room was diffusing his aura.

Suddenly arms snaked around her waist and pulled her back and a wave of green energy diffused through Sakura's pink aura.

"Hoe!" Sakura exclaimed as she fell comfortably into the arms of her love.

"So, did you miss me?" whispered Syaoron.

"Of course," she replied. "Where were you?"

"Around," said Syaoron as he nibbled her ear lobe.

This caused Sakura to giggle, but she sobered up when she realized the unknown man was staring at them. Sakura elbowed Syaoron to make him to get him to stop.

They looked up to see the man grinning at the pair.

"What's so funny Chang?" asked Syaoron as a smile lit up his face.

"Nothing sir," replied the gentleman referred to as Chang. "Just the most adorable pair of lovebirds ever."

Syaoron would have pummeled anyone who would've said anything like that a few weeks ago, but now it was different. "Why thank you," was all he said as he dismissed Chang with curt nod.

"Who was that?" asked Sakura after Chang had left.

"He's one of my 'bodyguards'," answered Syaoron.

"Oh," was all she said as realization dawned upon her that the reason her seemed familiar was probably because Chang was one of the men who removed the guys from the club the other night.

After a few minutes of staying contently in Syaoron's arms she asked. "So who was the girl? Another of your people?"

"No."

"Then who was she?" asked Sakura as she turned to face him.

"She's one of Ming's people," he said as she placed her head on his chest.

"Oh."

For the next half-hour they remained perfectly happy just being in each other's arms. It was an amicable silence.

They would have stayed that way if it weren't for the sudden exclamation of "Kawaii!" from somewhere behind them. They turned around to see all their friends looking at them with grins.

"So are you two going to dance or what?" asked Ming as she held onto Jia-luo's hand.

"Yeah! C'mon lets dance!" shouted Qiou as she dragged Syaohu onto the dance floor.

Sakura seemed to be in agreement with the rest of her girlfriends as they dragged their reluctant boyfriends onto the dance floor. A techno dance mix was being blasted though the speakers as the group of friends got into the mix. Everyone got into the spirit fairly quickly and soon they were dancing with such energy that soon a thin sheen of sweat could be visible on each of their foreheads.

Eventually the music died down to a slow song and the couples paired off and started to slow dance to the steady rhythm and soft melody.

Syaoron and Sakura held each other close, he had his arms around her waist and she had her arms around his neck. They leaned in with their foreheads touching and simply looked into each other's eyes, Sakura into pools of amber and Syaoron into glittering emerald jewels.

They stayed like that until long after the music died down. They were the last couple left on the dance floor still swaying to music that only they could hear. They didn't care that they were alone or that everyone was staring at them. The only thing that mattered was that they were together.

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Across the gym two sets of glaring onyx eyes were glaring daggers at the couple.

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Around 1 A.M. the dance began to wind down. Slowly the gym began to thin out as the couples left. Eventually the magical couple and their friends headed for their respective dorms.

Ming went on ahead with Jia-luo at her side while Sakura and Syaoron lagged behind. The others had already bid farewells and had headed off it the directions of their homes.

The cherry blossom and her little wolf went at a more leisurely pace along the paths that crisscrossed the quads and that led to their dorm.

The soft glow of the street lamps cast a dim light on the road and helped to create a comfortable ambiance.

They walked in companionable silence as they walked home in the arms of the one they love.

"Syaoron?" asked Sakura as she broke the silence.

"Yes?"

"Did you plan for Chang and that girl to bid on us?" inquired a curious Sakura.

"Yes," replied Syaoron. "I didn't know that Xin and Liz would be able to drop out at the last minute, but I did think that they were going to try something. So Chang and his female counterpart were my countermeasures just in case something did happen."

"Well I'm glad they were there," said Sakura as she drew Syaoron even closer.

"Thanks."

They returned to the same silence as before until Syaoron asked, "Sakura?"

"Yes Syaoron?"

"There's something I realized tonight as I watched Xin bid on you."

"Oh? And just what did you realize?"

"I felt the apprehension a person feels when the one they love is on the brink of possibly being taken away," he said.

Sakura opened her mouth to reassure Syaoron that his fears were misplaced and that she could never let herself be taken away, but he put a finger to her lips to silence her.

"I also had the realization that if you were ever taken away from me then I would surely die," said Syaoron as he looked into the emerald gems that reflected every bit of love he had. "I realized that I can't live without you, I wont live without you.

"You are my other half Sakura, you are a part of me that I need as badly as the air we breathe, you are my soul mate Sakura and you complete me, my Ying Fa."

By now Sakura was on the brink of tears. She knew that he loved her, but hearing him say these things made her love him even more. Her tears still overflowed and streaked down her cheeks no matter how hard he tried to hold them in.

Syaoron reached up and brushed away her tears with fingers as gentle as feathers.

"Sakura do you know why I gave that ring to you?" asked Syaoron as he pointed to the gold ring on the thin chain around her slender neck.

"No," answered Sakura as she looked down at it.

"It's a promise ring," said Syaoron. "It was a promise that one day I would ask you to be my wife."

"Was?" asked a confused Sakura.

"Yes," replied Syaoron. "Was. I don't want to wait anymore."

To be continued…

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Author's Notes: Sorry about the cliffhanger, but I wanted you guys to read the Author's Notes. I plan on writing an original fantasy story.

It would naturally have magic, warriors, knights, kings, queens, and princesses in distress and of course plenty of romance and jealous rivals, it just wont be too sappy.

If anyone happens to be interest in reading it I would appreciate it if you would tell me so that way I can know that at least some people would like to read it.

Thank you for taking the time to read this section.